#( BUT TY SO MUCH FOR LIKING THE STARTER CALL !! i hope this is okay !! if not lemme know and i can make something else !! )

[strayslost]

In another life, perhaps Ryunosuke would've looked at Kyusaku and seen someone who could understand. After all... if anyone should know the sting of Dazai's rejection, it would be them. As far as Ryunosuke knows, Kyusaku's fate of being shut away from the world and imprisoned was all thanks to Dazai - and even putting Dazai aside... he's sure that, just like Ryunosuke, their life has been full of pain from the very start.

As it is, though, right now - Ryunosuke feels very little. Perhaps it's a sign of his selfishness, his true nature as a heartless beast unable to feel a thing for someone else. All he wants has always been the same thing - to find a reason to live - and Kyusaku can't provide him that. In fact, sometimes seeing them stings, when he thinks of how they've been rejected even in spite of the power they hold... if they don't stand a chance of gaining Dazai's respect, what chance does Ryunosuke stand, as weak as he is now? What awaits him at the end of the road he's dedicated his life to following?

Thoughts like that aren't ones he wants to face, so he pushes them away. But something is strange about his feelings today. Because while that blank, apathetic smog of nothingness he feels should have him turning away and leaving, there's something that stops him... driving him to speak to Kyusaku for reasons even he doesn't understand.

"And?" he responds to the child's question with an almost-empty gaze, something unidentifiable smoldering underneath. "Tell me... why would you come to me of all people for a reason like that?"

@theircurse ( starter for yumeno! )

[phantomforce]

❝ — hobie. ❞ a name unspeakably gentle in its utterance / from a voice hardly raised. soft as always, that wraps around the other like moonlight, like a chill that threatens to unravel the spine — melodic, “malevolent,” & a fine line that it walks in between. intimidation, he knows, that falls completely FLAT with the threat of a smile hidden beneath his mask ; amusement bitten back & bleeding through his teeth. his usual stoicism falters, & that by itself, is enough to show that the venom that he speaks with is a lie. completely & utterly so. even if there is still an attempt on his end, arms crossed, & head tilted in a display of faux agitation — fingers twitching, a subtle & silent warning of the phantom limb that was dangerously close to materializing out of his shoulder to smack him on the head. ❝ this is the third time already — ask me to possess miguel again and i promise that it’ll be YOUR body that i decide to take over. ❞ a pause, a beat, & a “contemplative” glance to the ceiling above. ❝ — i could use the extra height, anyway. the youth too. ❞ ❝ . . . . . . . you’re not really using those, right ? ❞

@h0b1e liked for a starter ( ♡ ) !!

[waters-and-the-wilde]

HEY @kyliebyelie I had a weird couplea weeks but I did say I would yell about Nureyev and Vespa some more so *launches enrichment pumpkins*

also OG post thread for anyone who wants context it was just getting a little unwieldy

First off! re: Nureyev still being willing to bet on the hope that Juno would still vouch for him – I’ve also been thinking about how he had to be willing to bet that it wouldn’t backfire on Juno. Like, ‘you have no idea how much I did to keep the Kanagawas off you’. The fact that tying Juno’s name to his own work could have very easily painted a target on him. Even if he couldn’t have known that Buddy and Jet were going to pull a ‘come with me if you want to live’, the fact that he put Juno on their radar suggests that he trusted Buddy to begin with. To not threaten Juno, or to use Juno to threaten Nureyev. Jet talks about how the criminal reputation informs a potential employer that their prospective is reliable, but it also must work in reverse – that a potential boss won’t screw you over.

re: Nureyev being a fan is something I think about A Normal Amount

You’ve absolutely nailed the whole vibe of their communication styles, the chain reaction of politeness/rudeness → perception of emotions and control → measurement of honesty → how that exacerbates the friction, like that is such a good breakdown goddamn.

to add to that since I am constantly frothing like the cappuccino about the concept of 'solid coping mechanisms that backfire in the wrong situations' so for your consideration: one of those pesky little first rules of thieving being 'don’t rise to the bait’. Oh it was intended for Being In Situations with weird rich people or standoffs with other criminals, but when it's his default setting for responding to things, it's just gonna just drive the wedge that much further every time Vespa questions his integrity and he doesn't show where he keeps his Give A Damn. (And it's probably even harder to untangle as a 'no that's for jobs not your personal life' thing when it still has its legitimate applications in his personal life, bc Juno’s own survival reflex MO is ‘how fast can I piss somebody off to find out what I need to know’ and that ability to stay focused and letting him know when that's uncalled for is probably extremely necessary for the both of them)

‘Vespa is terrifying’ – okay so funnily enough! i'd been telling @one-joe-spoopy (pssst hey come look I've got enrichment pumpkins!) about my headcanon of 'ranked order of members of the Carte Blanche crew by how much they scare him and why number one hands down goes to Rita,' which is a whole post in itself but long story short, I think out of everybody he gets the most sense of security around Vespa (though she probably still does terrify him, like, a normal amount and for the exact reasons you described, especially pre/during Man In Glass.)

Basically the concept I’ve been toying with (and I think moreso in a later, probably post-Cyberbots context given some time to settle in) is that her opinion of him is decided and earning her approval under the circumstances is What We Call A Non-Starter. When he's reflexively trying to manage everyone's expectations and invested in their approval, and realizes in no uncertain terms that he can't win Vespa over as long as the name thing is a going concern, the pressure’s off a bit there. Though not in the healthiest of ways, necessarily, if he’s just more comfortable with letting her believe what she wants about him because that’s how he usually deals with people.

And another aspect of this sense of security dovetails with your previous points about how Vespa and Juno are more reactive than performative, how they wear their principles on their sleeves and others recognize them as genuine. I bet Nureyev absolutely knows better than to make the comparison in her earshot, but I can see him just sorta unable to help liking her for the same reasons he’s drawn to Juno – he can brush off a little belligerence from someone whose integrity speaks for itself. Vespa abides by her own codes as well as visibly aligning herself with Buddy’s – she’s pissed about not knowing his name but won’t coerce it out of him even when the requisite leverage is right there – and like you said, she would be insulted by the idea of using underhanded means to get him fired. He knows where he stands and possibly figures that trying too hard to fix it is just going to piss her off further. And it's not like he's gonna stop being dramatic and making his gay little jokes and smooching Juno in the mess hall, he just needs to focus on comporting himself as a reliable crewmember and establishing himself the hard way with time and Buddy's family bonding activities (and yeag he wants to Get A Good Grade In Crewmate which is Normal To Want and Possible To Achieve).

oooh also I’m a little fucked up on the idea of him on bedrest with his broken leg and getting filled in on what he missed during Shadows, realizing that Vespa thinks he’s got it in for her right around the same time he’s having an epiphany that he trusts her to keep him alive and patched up even if she never likes him as a person and that the shapeshifting robot impostors don't stand a chance with her around. like not only is she not the thief she was twenty years ago, she's even tougher and smarter and cooler and doing it all with the brain horrors on top.

ALSO in light of Next Page I now think about ‘hey what if he’s Inherently Suspicious of Medical Personnel due to The Trauma and did he spend a bunch of his broken leg recovery time fretting that she was going to try to wring his name out of him while he was on painkillers only she never does??’ (god there’s this one fic where he and Juno get MacGuffined into kids and she’s like. ‘well shit. yeah I could find it out but goddamn. that’s a line I just can’t cross. Not Looking At It I Do Not See It’)

gah it's just. Nureyev's trust issues are so goddamn multifaceted, like. local baby boy too trusting, gets his only security ripped out from under him, tanks his shot at happiness bc the trauma gave him suspicion, becomes the suavest charlatan in the galaxy so he doesn't get taken advantage of again, craves genuine connection but hasn't actually had a chance in the last two decades to figure out what he's like around other people for any stretch of time, also still literally paying the price for the last time and can hardly bear the thought of confiding in his new connections because there's nowhere truly safe in the galaxy he's terrified of putting a target on them.

But I think about his little 'much more so than usual these days' to Juno's sarcastic 'happy now??' and that maybe he was a lot closer to an honest version of himself on the Carte Blanche. That he was getting places, that he was trusting them with as much as he could. something something 'Peter Ransom' wasn't intended for putting at least half the truth under their noses the whole time but he kinda let it turn into that the moment he let Buddy start calling him Pete.

Handful of miscellaneous thoughts on things they have in common:

- the debts thing. Vespa of all people is the most painfully, intimately aware of what it feels like to have a life that isn't one's own, so the way she approaches Nureyev being in massive scary debt with suspicion made me go huh. so I've been thinking about that one and tbh given how she internalizes shit and doesn't entirely trust herself (and god I have to imagine that she's really messed up about how close she came to killing Buddy in Time Gone By), I think seeing her situation in Nureyev's wouldn't engender sympathy because is that because she also knows exactly what she was prepared to do to get out from under it. and is just expected to tolerate the fact that they're taking their goddamn chances on him. there's this sense of 'even if he cares. even if he thinks this is real. even if he tells himself he wants to be a part of this. who's he gonna be when push comes to shove. probably not even Steel is safe.'

- They are both extremely functional under pressure and in more in their element in full on crisis mode, and are probably spending S3 figuring out what the hell to do now that they have access to things like reliable meals. privacy. affection. (pretty sure Juno is also experiencing a similar kind of 'things... getting better? after being. really bad all the time???' and having a lot of midmorning scuffles about it)

- Also they both have their shitty dads living in their brains rent-free!! and they are never ever going to talk about it but one (1) time Nureyev hears Vespa yell 'shut the hell up old man!' from another room and. sometimes thinks that very hard in her voice when Mag's advice is being unhelpful

re: feral kittens in towels - I want them to get into it that day after Heart of It All where Juno isn't getting out of bed and isn't there to get all protective, and for once she's in a half-decent place brainwise and he's riddled with eight kinds of guilt and half on the edge of a nervous breakdown and having all of his defenses shot is actually a good thing for him because she's not actually going to do anything with the upper hand except cuss him out a little bit. Like 'I was gonna cut your throat without hesitation yesterday and you're all fine and dandy about being in the wedding party? no shut up I'm not saying you can't. it's whatever. Bud thought it would be nice and I'm not against it. I am saying. the fuck is wrong with you.' hurt can sniff out hurt in-fucking-deed. I am dying inside like the fact that Nureyev himself would prevent any closure we might have gotten between him and the Lighthouse Crew after S4 is very him and also it hurts me and I need to pick it all apart with a seam ripper and see what spills out

likewise it’s hard to picture them ever reaching an actual rapport but I can’t even tell you how many times I pictured the prison break with all of them converging before Clean Break aired, where it’s like finally sunk in that he’s on their side and she goes ‘Ransom watch my goddamn back I need to kiss my wife’

also. does anybody want. some fic? I have some job interview/Man In Glass missing scenes where i am gnawing on this at all times

[enoqian-a]

          ❝  hmmm  ...  after such a slow day, that almost sounds tempting. ❞  

@makersruins​  »  one liner sc.

[its-deputy-caleb]

does the vdl gang include sadie because 😢😢😢😢😢 my lesbian meow meow SKLSKDKSJS but if u do!!! i was wondering if you could write a post-game sadie (bounty hunting, gun-slinging, gaslight gatekeep girlboss)/female reader where sadie is being paid to bodyguard rich/high-profile reader thank u so much 😭

hell yess it does, now warning i've never written for sadie so this might be terrible but i gave it a go! i hope you enjoy this!! :))

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

Gosh you absolutely hated your father sometimes. Not only had he ruined your plan for a relaxing weekend but he had dragged you off to one of his business parties again.

You had all these plans to get new dresses fitted at the tailor in Blackwater before heading home for a warm bath on your families Estate. You were so excited too, since the entire property would be yours for three days. Granted that didn’t include the array of maids, bodyguards and groundkeepers that worked on the Estate but for three peaceful days both your parents and siblings would be out of your hair.

That was until you received a letter from you father requesting you be dressed in your finest gown and make your way to Saint Denis immediately in order to arrive by sundown. Your family had been in the oil industry for many generations now and were extremely wealthy, even more so with the downfall of Leviticus Cornwall and these business parties were just one of the many responsibilities you had to attend to.

The whole point of the party is to make polite pleasantries with potential business partners and establish connections on to where your family’s company could grow. And it was so, so boring.

As you walk down the steps you see a young woman leaning against the carriage with a shotgun in hand. She’s dressed in slacks and a red waistcoat and a large leather jacket draped over her shoulders. Her beautiful golden hair is just peaking out from underneath her hat and her soft amber eyes match it perfectly. Wait a minute…beautiful??

“Who the hell are you?”

You hear her scoff before she rolls her eyes at your bluntness, some may call it rude but you’ve always preferred blunt or honest. Your father always told you that was more lady-like.

“Don’t get so upset Missy, I’m Sadie, your bodyguard until the regular guy comes back. I’m only here to take you to Saint Denis and I’ll be long gone.”

You huff angrily as you hold your hand out to her waiting for her to help you onto the carriage but she never does. Fine, you’ll do it yourself.

“It’s Madam to you and his name is Hamish.”

You hear her mumble a ‘whatever’ under your breath and get comfortable in the carriage. You signal to the driver up front to get the carriage moving as you watch Sadie mount her horse and ride up front. It was going to be a long ride to Saint Denis.

-

To say the ride was long was an understatement. You spent the first two hours staring at the seconds go by on your platinum gold pocket watch and twiddling with the ends of the ribbon in your hair. It was all rather boring until there was yelling from outside.

Fear wells in your stomach at the riders approaching, all heavily armed and with a murderous look in their eye. You anxiously grip the side of the carriage, looking out the window as Sadie and the two other guards aim their weapons high.

When the shooting starts, you hide between the lush velvet seats of the carriage, doing your best to avoid the gunfire. You’d never been one to defend yourself, its why your father had guards do it for you. You could’ve never matched to a woman like Sadie. So you’re complimenting her now? You’re in the middle of being shot at!

All your thoughts are interrupted by a scream, one you’ve now realised is your own as the carriage is flipped and sent you flying. Your back hits the door which barges open under the force of your body hitting it, leaving you lying in a puddle of mud.

You’re frozen for a moment, your body still trying to catch up with your adrenaline riddled mind. What the hell just happened?

Eventually the shooting stops and Sadie is running over to you in a panic to see if you’re okay. Her hair has fallen from her pony tail and strands of her blond hair blow over red cheeks from running.

“Are you alright?!”

“You ruined my dress, look at it! I can’t go to the party like this— and my hair! Oh my god my hair!”

Sadie stops dead in her tracks. Here she was worrying over your safety after not only saving your life but putting her own at risk and you’re more worried about your hair.

“Now listen here Missy, I did not put my ass on the line to save you just so you could whine about your— Oh jeez you’re bleeding.”

She rips her leather glove off with her teeth before bringing her surprisingly soft hand to your face. Its then you realise the cut on your cheek bone that must have come from the shattered glass of the window when you fell out.

You’re lost for words, mumbling incoherently under her touch as she takes the ribbon from your hair and begins to use it to stop the small trickle of blood there. She’s so concentrated and focused on your wound that you can’t help but blush under her intense gaze, feeling like the fool for speaking out.

“I’m sorry…”

She sighs, dropping the bloodied ribbon and puts her gloves back on.

“Ain’t nothing to be sorry for Missy, common now, let’s get you to the party.”

She takes your hand and leads you to her horse which is huge up close. Much larger than when you saw it back at the Estate. Her arm comes to wrap around your waist so she can hoist you up and sit you side saddle on her horse before hopping on herself.

When she starts riding you nearly fall of the large creature and wrap your arms around her waist out of fear of slipping. Sadie voiced that she didn’t mind you holding on and the rest of the ride was spent making pleasant small talk.

You learnt that Sadie’s horse was called Hera and that she was her pride and joy. She worked in all sorts of jobs as a gun for hire, working as a bounty hunter and personal body guard most of the time, she even told you of her most recent bounty of Shane Finley.

You were amazed at how brave and wild Sadie was. How she didn’t fear working on a job that could get her killed at any moment, no she didn’t shy away from it— instead she ran straight towards danger.

“I feel like such a bore compared to you, all I do is attend parties and lounge around the Estate all day. When I’m feeling extra adventurous its a trip to the store for some cakes and maybe a new dress not hunting and killing.”

You can hear her smile in front of you, a little laugh coming from under her nose.

“I’ve met plenty’a boring rich folk Missy, you are not one of them. For starters most of them don’t find themselves falling out of carriage windows on their way to dinner parties.”

The playful tone is enjoyable for you both and it continues through the rest of the ride. It seems like ‘Missy’ is a nickname that’ll be sticking with you for the meantime but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like the way it made you smile and your heart skip a beat.

-

It was dark by the time Sadie pulled up to the party, hitching Hera and this time, taking your hand to help you down. Her hand didn’t leave yours until you were standing out the front gates where she dusted as much of the mud off your dress as she could muster. Her hand came to her neckerchief and untied it before ripping it in half.

You gasp at what she was doing to the fine fabric before she was tying it in your hair where the ribbon had sat, tucking the loose strand behind your ear.

“Now you’re looking like a real lady.”

She gives you a gentle nod before making her way back over to her horse.

“Wait! You’re not coming in? I thought you were gonna protect me?”

Sadie gives you a soft but broken smile, one that says she’s trying not to hurt your feelings.

“I handle outlaws and thieves not parties for the rich, you’ll handle yourself just fine Missy. Ain’t no more for me to do I’m afraid.”

You take her hand in yours squeezing it in a silent plea for her to stay. Despite the rough beginnings, you’re actually enjoying her company and would hate to see her leave.

“Will you wait for me…please?”

-

When the party ends you sigh defeatedly. You’re tired and worn out from today’s attempted robbery and excruciating party. You’re expecting to do home in one of your father’s carriages when you spot Sadie leaning against wall with a cigarette in her hand.

“Common Missy, It’s my job to see you home safe.”

That night as Sadie led you home on the back of Hera, your arms came to wrap around her as they had before. You cuddled up to her as you let out a soft yawn and slowly began to drift off to sleep. Your head rested on her shoulder as you slowly let sleep consume you, a large smile on your face.

Needless to say you now have a new personal body guard.

[miyanom]

CAN I JUST STAY HERE?

MASTERLIST | JEAN KIRSTEIN X F!READER

synopsis: having spent years fighting side by side, you and jean finally confess your feelings the night before leaving for marley.

warnings: slight swearing, mentions of death

notes: I don’t know what this is, I really just wrote whatever was coming to mind so it’s kinda messy I think but I hope you all enjoy it anyways

Laughter filled the area around you as the four of you sat together, enjoying what you all knew could very well be your last meal.

It had become a tradition in your cadet days to have a feast before a battle, though it’s been years since then and you’ve lost many, the tradition was carried on by the four of you.

Tomorrow, you’d be leaving for Marley. Leaving to aid Eren in his plan to declare war on the Marleyans.

This could be the last time you saw your friends happy and alive.

“Y/N, stop pouting!” Connie’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts as he pointed his cup in your direction, the wine sloshing against the sides as he moved. “This is supposed to be fun, don’t ruin it!”

“Sorry,” you smiled at the boy.

Sasha, who sat beside you, threw an arm over your shoulders. “Don’t apologise, Y/N!” Though her voice was typically loud, it seemed even louder now as the effects of the alcohol she stole weighed down on the duo.

As the two began bickering between themselves, you found your gaze drifting to Jean. He sat across from you, his eyes trained on his food as he mindlessly poked at it, his cup laying forgotten at his side.

It wasn’t too much of a surprise, you realised. Now that you were fighting again, his promotion to section commander meant more than just extra hours.

It meant that now he would possibly be leading people to their death, that was always something Jean hated the most about working in the Survey Corps.

Death seemed to follow you everywhere.

While trapped in your thoughts, you didn’t hear Jean’s announcement that he would be leaving, at least until his figure began to stand up.

With a frown, you watched him leave the tables that had been set up for the scouts to eat at.

Something was wrong.

Without a word to Sasha and Connie, you took off running after Jean, ignoring the loud questioning of the people you left behind with the food.

“Jean, wait up!” You called out, rushing to catch up with him.

Releasing a shaky breath, you came to a stop beside him. “Are you… are you okay?”

Jean’s expression softened slightly, before he quickly averted his gaze, a quiet ‘yeah’ falling from his lips as he avoided your gaze.

Not very convincing, you thought.

“Hey, I have something to show you.” You took his hand in your own, using it to pull him forward despite his objections that it was getting late.

The ride from the Scouts campsite to the ocean had been a fairly quick one, though maybe it only felt that way due to the comfortable silence you had fallen into it.

“This couldn’t have waited till tomorrow?” Even in the darkness you could see Jean raise a brow, as he jumped off his horse.

“Absolutely not.” Finishing tying your own horse to the tree beside you, you glanced back at Jean, faltering for a moment at the sight of him.

With the shadows of the flames from his torch dancing across his face and the moon’s light shining down on him, he looked stunning.

No, he always looked stunning. Though you had never had the guts to tell him.

With the upcoming mission, maybe you would never have the guts to tell him…

“Let’s- let’s go.”

Coming to a stop by the water line, you glanced back at Jean, not missing the way his shirt grew tighter around his biceps as he crossed his arms.

“What are we doing out here, Y/N?”

“Well, it’s calming, for starters,” you told him, nodding toward the waves that washed against the shore before pulling back out into the ocean.

When you were a cadet, you could only ever dream of seeing the ocean. With the Titans that lured outside the walls, it was an impossible thought.

But now with the Titans eradicated, it was safe to be standing here.

Rather than looking out into the dark ocean that seemed to shine under the moonlight, Jean remained focused on you.

Though you seemed sad back at dinner, your eyes were now lit up, and the smile he loved so much was gracing your features.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you grinned at him. “Okay, we’re here so you can get it all off your chest.”

The smile slipped from his face, replaced by a look of confusion as he stared at you. “What?”

“All your worries, and doubts,” you explained. “Just… just scream. No one will hear except the ocean and- and me.”

His eyes flickered from you to the water as you continued. “Sasha and I do this sometimes when things get to be too much. I know it sounds weird, but it helps, I promise.”

Silence filled the beach, the only noise being the waves crashing against the sand.

Reaching out, you placed your hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to, I just thought-”

“I love you.”

It was a whisper, something you were sure you would’ve missed had you not been standing right next to him.

As his eyes met yours, you noticed he was now blushing. The red painted across his cheeks making you realise he was being serious, though that didn’t stop the whisper that left your lips.

“What?”

His head snapped away from yours as his hands came up to his face, cupping around his mouth to make himself louder as he shouted. “I’m in love with my best friend!”

Your eyes widened, and you could feel your face heating up as he continued even after your hand dropped from his shoulder.

“I’ve loved her since we first met! And I haven’t stopped!”

“Jean-”

“She’s the best person I know, and the strongest! I’ve loved her more than I’ve loved anyone!”

Unable to handle the embarrassment of him shouting a confession of love toward the ocean any longer, you quickly grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, using your grip to pull him closer and kiss him.

He froze against you for just a moment, until he kissed back passionately, as if he was making up for all the times this could’ve happened earlier on.

His hands fell from your face as he resorted to holding your hips, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss.

You pulled back breathlessly, staring at him as tears began to fill your eyes.

He instantly took a step back, a look of concern painted over his visage. “Shit, are you- are you okay?”

Despite the tears falling from your eyes, you nodded and smiled softly. Taking his hand into your own, you lifted it up to hold your face once more, leaning into his touch like you never wanted him to let go. “I just… you don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear that, Jean.”

His thumb brushed against your cheekbone, wiping away the tears as he pressed his forehead against yours.

Not a single word was uttered as you stood there in each other’s arms, and as he pressed his lips to yours once more, you realised you never wanted to leave this moment.

You wanted to stay here, with him, for the rest of your lives.

No more fighting. No more wars.

Just the two of you.

“I love you, too.”

TAGLIST (i forgot abt this for awhile sorry, please lmk if you want to be removed/added)

@vinseul @myparaiuman @dai-tsukki-desu @may-machin @answer-the-sirens @ley-writes @sashaisangel @french-girl-online @megumiisee @wonhyuksstuff @milk-n-cuwukies @jeanbabygirl @c0urtn3y @natashasupremacy

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - “Rapunzel Knows Best!” ( A first half of S3 Recap)

So I decided to place the recap after Be Very Afraid for several reasons. For starters it’s where the season three hiatus took place. It’s also framed like a cliffhanger episode the same as The Great Tree and Queen for a Day; so while Cassandra’s Revenge is technically the midseason finale, Be Very Afraid functionally servers this narrative purpose better. Finally I want to keep the Cassandra heavy stuff contained in it’s own recap later same as I did for Varian���s arc in season one. 

Also keep in mind, everything I discussed in previous recaps still apply here. Nothings changed and you could argue that the issues I bring up now could have also apply to past seasons; they just happen to be at their worst here. 

Here are the past recaps 

To Filler or Not to Filler

Hey, What Ever Happened to That Varitas, Guy?

What Is the Point?

‘Whatta Twist’

And here are the episodes that’s covered in this recap

Rapunzel’s Return Part 1

Rapunzel’s Return Part 2

Return of the King 

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

The Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne

No Time Like the Past

Beginnings 

The King and Queen of Hearts

Day of the Animals 

Be Very Afraid 

Poorly Defined Conflicts 

I’m not just talking about Cassandra’s lack of goals here either, though that is a part of it. I mean in several episodes the central conflict isn’t laid out clearly enough before being resolved.  We flip from one set up to the next without ever resolving the first; like in Rapunzel’s Return when Cass and Varian fight for screen time or whenever Rapunzel is suppose to learn one lesson only for someone else to learn a completely different lesson in every other episode. And to this day I don’t know what Rapunzel and Feldspar’s subplot in Lost Treasure was suppose to be about. 

There’s also of course the ill-defined overall conflict; which at this point has become convoluted and nonsensical to the extreme, and will only grow more aggravatingly stupid as the season progresses. The main villains lack clear goals, their motivations don’t align with previously stated facts, and the actual interesting conflict involving the threat of the rocks and their destruction of people’s lives and homes is just shoved under the rug and forgotten about.  

There is no story without conflict. Having the conflict be all over the place is not only confusing but makes it harder for the audience to invest in what’s going on. 

Failed Narrative Promises 

Tying in with the above statement regarding conflicts, we have failed narrative promises. Rapunzel is repeatedly told to that she needs to learn something in several episodes only for her not to learn it at all. She either learns some unrelated ‘lesson’ that wasn’t established, (like in Rapunzel’s Return with her pervious goal about ‘opening up to others’ being switched out for a generic ‘responsibility’ lesson that at the last minute, where she doesn’t even do anything responsible,) or she winds up ‘teaching’ the opposite lesson to a different character thereby rewarding her for her bad behavior.   

And that’s just within the induvial episodes themselves; there’s also broken narrative promises through out the overall story arc; like...

no justice/redemption for Lady Caine, 

no acknowledgment that the Saporians are the victims of colonization

no conclusion regarding Corona’s murky past

no satisfying ending to Varian’s plot that sees everyone in involve grow

a poor copout of an explanation for Cassandra’s face/heel turn

The Dark Prince reveal going nowhere 

The Brotherhood being put on a bus 

King Frederic, or any royal, not being held accountable for their past actions 

Lance’s new found responsibilities just being thrown away for the tenth time 

The Disciples plot being being dropped 

next to nothing in season two winds up being relevant 

And Rapunzel, the protagonist of a coming of age story, fails to learn anything at all 

I could probably go on but you get the gist. Tangled is incredibly frustrating show to watch because doesn’t deliver what it promises. You’re not being clever by ‘subverting audiences expectations’ unless you can justify your narrative decisions with previous set up. Tangled is too lazy to build proper set ups so it’s ‘twists’ leave you wanting to punch things rather then impressing you. 

Character Assassinations 

Every single character in Tangled the Series gets thrown under a bus, driven off a cliff, and then allowed to drown in the ocean of their completely unaware self-congratulatory smugness.  

Rapunzel is turned into a bully

Cassandra is given the idiot ball to hold permanently 

The King and Queen are lobotomized

Quinin gets replaced by a robot  

The rest of the Brotherhood are pale shadows of what they could have been 

Edmund is transformed from tragic complex figure into a dumb jerkoff who abuses his kid for a laugh 

Zhan Tiri, once an ancient demon warlock, is reduced to a floating impotent ghost girl 

The Saporians become poor hipster parodies

Cap is put on a bus

Any villain who isn’t Cass is gets ignored

Lance is infantilized to the point of absurdity

Eugene becomes a doormat 

and poor Varian is forced to become a complacent victim to his abusers as oppose to being allowed to keeping his dignity 

I think the only person who escapes this mass murder of characterization is freaking Calliope, and she’s hasn’t even appeared yet! (Well okay her and Trevor, maybe) 

This all ties back into the poorly defined conflict and failed narrative promises. Rather than let the characters drive the story, they’ve become puppets to the plot, and plot is really stupid and forced, and circles back in on itself and is full of contradictions. 

Manipulating the Audience’s Empathy to Do the Work for the Writers  

The reason why the creators believe they can get away with such poor characterization and lazy writing is because they expect the audience to do all the heavy lifting for them.  

Cass isn’t given an on screen reason for what she does because they’re hoping her fans will just automatically excuse her because they like her/relate to her and not, you know, get mad at the writers for dumbing her down. And after all who doesn’t love the creator’s pet? Meanies! That’s who! 

No one calls out Rapunzel’s bullshit on screen, because if everyone likes her, then you, viewing audience, should too. Because if you have any sort of independent critical thinking abilities and a sense of right and wrong then clearly you’re ‘just a hater’. 

Everyone should just shut up and be satisfied that Varian is even on screen now and be grateful for the scraps that they get cause he’s not the real point of the show and according to Chris ‘Varian fans aren’t real fans’. Even though they make up most of his viewing audience. 

I could go on, but it’s just variations of the above. The writing in this series is very fond of gaslighting the audience and trying to trick them into justifying the absolute worst behaviors while desperately hoping they doesn’t noticed the continued downgrading and dismissal of characters they do like or once liked.  

And the sad thing is, it’s worked. There are people to this day that still try to justify this show’s shitty morals and bend over backwards to excuse the likes of Rapunzel, Frederic, Cassandra, and Edmund.  Worst, there are loud sections of the fandom, (usually on twitter) who think bullying is okay and follow in Chris and his characters footsteps. Most of them young impressionable girls who are now ripe for TREFS to indoctrinate because they use the same bullying tactics and excuses for authoritarianism. 

Media does effect reality, but not in the way purists and antis would have you believe. No one is going to become a violent manic from playing a video game nor a sex offender because they read a smut fic. But they very much will conform to toxic beliefs if it’s repeated enough at them by authorities they ‘trust’; like say the world wide leading company known for family entertainment and children’s media, and the ‘friends’ they find within the fandom for said company... 

I’m not saying you can’t enjoy Tangled the series or that you’re some how wrong for liking it’s characters, nor do you have to engage with every or any criticism thrown it’s way. But yes you need to think about the media you consume on some level and valid criticism is very much important to the fandom experience for precisely the above reasons. 

Conclusion    

This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of what’s wrong with this show, but it is most of its biggest problems laid bare. Anything that haven’t covered here or in the past recaps will be explored in the final recap. Cause this is it folks; the last leg of the journey for this retrospective. When come back, hopefully next week, we’ll tackle Pascal’s Dragon.  

[libra-kirishima]

Can u do nejire and her flower gf meeting her parents for the first time and she’s extremely nervous. Love ur work btw and stay safe x

I wasn't sure whose parents you were referring to, so I assumed it was Nejire's. I also included Mirio and Tamaki just because I felt like they deserved family hcs too. (They just don't have the flower quirk gf because in my heart she belongs to Nejire.)

I saw someone write headcanons that Tamaki lived with his grandparents and I loved them so much that I wrote something agreeing with that but now I can't find the original author. I'm going to keep searching but if you know them please tell me and I'll tag them.

-

💙 𝙉𝙚𝙟𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙪 💙

Your fingers drummed on the steering wheel nervously. The radio in your car's volume was lowered completely to cool your nerves but the silence hardly made you feel better. Nejire noticed your eyes flicker to her when you thought she wasn't looking and immediately tore them away when she caught you staring.

"Okay, I'll bite." She giggled. "What's wrong?"

"What if they don't like me?" You answered sincerely.

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Well, for starters-"

"No, actually, don't answer that!" She interrupted you. "There will be no negative self talk coming from you today!" Her hand pulled one of yours off the gear shift to hold in her own. "They're gonna love you. You know how I know they're gonna love you?"

"How do you know they're gonna love me?" You rolled your eyes. Her free hand poked your cheek with her index finger, hoping to wipe the frown off your face.

"Because they already do!" She answered. You quirked an eyebrow at her statement. "They love you!" She restated. "They always ask about you, they were super excited to watch you in the sports festival even after I lost, they were constantly bugging me about when I was going to bring you home to meet them..."

"Since when?" You laughed. She seriously pondered your question, tapping her cheek with her index finger as she thought.

"Well they first asked if they could meet you that night that I came out as a lesbian to them." She recalled. "But I asked them to wait until you were comfortable to do that." You felt warmth rush to your cheeks as she explained further. You had gotten it a while back, but let her continue anyways just to hear her sweet voice. Before you knew it you were nearly to the driveway of her parents house. "-Oh and my sister said that she really wished she could be there but she couldn't find anyone to cover for her at the hospital so she wants to see if we can go to lunch with her some time next week- oh we're here!"

"We're here." You laughed anxiously. You step halfway up the path to the front door before you start to panic again. "Oh God, should I have brought flowers? I should have brought flowers! Nejire, stand in front of me."

"Okay, why? Oh-" You pulled her closer to you before opening your jacket slightly and pulling your shirt down. "I hate watching you do this." She sighed as she watched flowers blossom between your breasts for you to pluck.

"It's either my chest or my hair, and I spent way too long making my hair look nice to ruin it over some roses." You argued while you assembled a small bouquet. "You wouldn't have ribbon on you, would you baby?"

"Actually, I do!" She answered excitedly, pulling a spool from her jacket. The same kind she used to tie her hair in the ponytail she was wearing. You cut a strand of the ribbon to wrap around the stems. Before you could state that you were ready to go, she put her hand in front of your chest to stop you. "Wait!!!" She gasped excitedly. Before you asked what she was talking about, she took the last of her ribbon and went around to tie it in your own hair. "Now we match!" You smiled at her softly, overwhelmed with how much you loved her. Her smile was brighter than the sun, and you couldn't help but feel content with the idea of staying there forever. She waved a hand in front of your face. "Helloooo, Earth to (Y/N), come in (Y/N)." You were snapped out of your trance by the sound of her voice calling your name. "We can go in now."

"Right! Sorry." You shook your head, bringing your attention back to meeting her parents. "Right yeah parents! Let's go!" You felt her gently elbow your side.

"Stop getting nervous!" She scolded.

"Thanks, I'm cured."

"Here, hold my hand." You slipped your fingers into yours without hesitation.

Almost as quickly as Nejire knocked on the door, her mother opened the door and engulfed both of you in a hug. "Mom, this is (Y/N). My girlfriend!"

"I'm sorry, (Y/N), I got a bit excited there." Her mother giggled. Getting a closer look at her features, she looked like a clone of Nejire. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." You answered. "Oh! These are for you." Her mother's heart melted at that gesture and she engulfed you into another tight hug before taking them back to the kitchen. Nejire urges you to follow her in, walking to the kitchen of her childhood home with your hand still in hers. Her father greets you with the same excitement that her mother did, engulfing you in a warm hug to rival her mothers.

"See, it's not just me, we're a family of huggers." Nejire insisted as you sat down to eat dinner with her family.

You had a feeling the rest of the night was going to go well.

💛 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙖 💛

Meeting Mirio's dad was a complete accident.

Mirio expected his dad to be working late that night, so he planned a movie night for his friends. When Tamaki and Nejire pulled out at the last minute, Mirio shrugged and joked about this being planned and it being just the two of you that night. You were still watching movies but neither of you were seeing a thing.

Mirio's lips attached themselves to your neck with a frenzy while his hands slipped under your shirt to hold your waist tightly in his hands. You could feel his warm hands sliding up higher and higher, lifting your shirt with them. Just as he unhooked your bra and slid the straps off of you, you both heard the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"Mirio, I'm home." His dad called from the living room. Meanwhile, upstairs the two of you were scrambling to put your clothes back on before any suspicion arose.

"Where did you throw my shirt?" You whispered.

"I don't know just wear one of mine."

"Nothing says two friends innocently watching movies together like seeing me wear one of your son's shirts." You argued.

"No time for that, just put a shirt on!" He whispered back.

"Mirio?" His dad called.

"Be right there, dad!" He yelled back, shooting you a pointed glare to put on one of his shirts. You huffed in frustration and dug through his drawers for a shirt you haven't seen him wear before.

"I'm gonna go ahead of you, tell him you're here, but try to make it quick, okayyyyy-" His heart stopped at the sight of you in his clothes, tying a knot in the front of his shirt to make it look more like your own.

"No need, I'm ready, I can come with you."

Suddenly he was the nervous one. He sweat bullets the entire walk down the stairs and into his living room, nervously stealing glances at you when you weren't looking.

"Hey, dad. This is (Y/N)," He rubbed the back of his neck as the two of you became acquainted. "I invited her over to hang out! Sorry I didn't get the chance to tell you, I thought you were still working. Aha..."

"Hi! It's so nice to meet you." You added. Mirio's dad greets you warmly. Quickly the two of you fall into comfortable conversation about U.A. and work and your friendship with his son. "-and so instead of doing a work study in the traditional sense, I'm working with Present Mic as a T.A. during the days and we patrol together at night. You know, mostly sidekick work. I'm excited to start!"

"That's great!" His dad said. "Would you want to stay for dinner, (Y/N)?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." You answered with a wide grin. You excused yourself to use the restroom, and as soon as you were out of the room, Mirio's dad turns to his son.

"Is that the girl?" He whispered. Mirio shot his dad a confused look. "The girl that Amajiki said you were in l-" He cut his dad off before he could say anything further.

"Yes! Yep. That's her!" He laughed nervously, pink flush overtaking his cheeks.

"So tell her."

💜 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙠𝙞 💜

You thought you were supposed to be the one nervous to meet his grandparents, not the other way around. You joke as much to Tamaki after you're seated on the train together.

"Ah- no- I'm sorry, I'm just- no, I-" he stuttered, wringing his hands together in his lap. You slide one of your hands between his to lace your fingers together.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, honey. I was just joking, I'm sorry." You heard him sigh in relief upon feeling your touch. "What are you so nervous about?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "What if you don't like them?"

"Why wouldn't I like them?" Your thumb began to soothingly rub the mound of his thumb. "I was worried that they wouldn't like me." You admitted.

"They do like you. You've met them before."

"I know but never as your girlfriend."

"Then that should mean that they'll like you more." He answered honestly, moving to rest his head on your shoulder. You instinctively rested your own head atop his.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so nervous."

"It's nice to not be the only one this time." He admitted before changing the subject, hoping to calm both his nerves and yours. Sooner than you had thought, your conversation about Fatgum taking in Kirishima died as the shadow of his grandparents' townhouse loomed above you. A woman who could only be Tamaki's grandmother caught your eye from her spot on the small front porch and waved. You beamed back at her, waving as well.

"Maybe we were both nervous for no reason." You told your boyfriend softly before following him inside. She quickly invited you to join her for a cup of tea in her small garden, and you happily followed.

"Thank you for coming over, (Y/N)." Tamaki's grandmother said as she poured you a cup of tea. You almost didn't process the question at first, overwhelmed by the beautiful sights and sounds of the Amajikis garden. As your eyes tracked a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower, you silently wondered if this was where your boyfriend's interest in butterflies came from.

"Thank you for having me." You answered with a small smile. "Your garden is absolutely beautiful."

Tamaki's grandmother pulled him aside to whisper in his ear.

"Keep her."

[elytrafemme]

curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back so thank goodness im not a cat and will not have to deal with the mortality intertwined with curiosity that haunts our feline friends.

anE way how do you do?

also if you could change the colors of one animal on the plannet which animal and what colors? also you dont have to answer this one but does is csranboo/cstubbo bruno mars is gay?

and finally!!! and actual thinking question....

what kind of voice do you think a mountain range would have?

okay maybe one more question, *reading from a website called conversation starter world* what was the last song you sang aloud to

okayyyyyy have fun and goodbye idk i feel the need to like end my asks now with farewells like letters. hope to hear from ou soon please dont die out at sea ect ect

and what a way to start this ask off!

uh. well i can't say i've thought much about the colors of animals before now huh. we need more purple wildlife i think. can i just say that

happy to confirm that does csranboo/cstubbo bruno mars is gay is yes!

i think mountains sound very sultry if they are a new mountain range but if they're old then they sound like a kindly elderly stranger

buttons by the pussycat dolls

i have no idea how to answer any of these questions ever but ty for them! my name is mare so dying out at sea would actually be thematically cool but appreciate your words my friend until we next meet under the shared sky

[strayslost]

Jono Saigiku. Elite member of the Hunting Dogs. ...Sigma has never met him before, but he knows well that he's someone to be feared.

But why is he visiting the casino now of all times? When Sigma thinks that he may have been exposed, anxiety makes his heart skip a beat - but it's overpowered by the burning determination he feels rising within himself. Of course, it's possible that Jono could be visiting for any number of benign reasons - but regardless, Sigma knows that he'll raise hell for his casino if he has to.

After all, even an ordinary man with no hope of winning can fight until the bitter end.

"I'm honoured to receive a guest of such high calibre like yourself." Sigma's tone is no-nonsense, and he radiates a sense of confident detachment to go with it. But despite how effortless his countenance might appear, it's something he's worked to the bone to achieve.

"You're welcome to entertain yourself here until your heart's content, but... I have to ask. Is there some other reason for your visit?

@moonhund ( starter for jono! )

[pur-pled-aw-thor]

The Truth

Sherlock x Reader

Summary: Y/n has been keeping up the truth everyone, but one day the truth will afloat.

Word count: 4.9k (whaaat the-)

Warnings: none

GIF not mine

THIRD POV

Saturdays are meant for having fun or just staying inside your room and rest. But of course Y/n's life isn't like that. Especially she's working with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.

"You know we can just leave this case with Lestrade right?" Y/n asked the tall man in front of her.

"If you would just look up the security footage, then sure we can turn those over and continue this." Sherlock said not even looking at Y/n. John is busy with searching more about it, or trying to update his blog.

After a few, ten, tries Y/n got in the security and downloaded all of the footage from last night and prior the incident.

"It's already downloading, just wait for a few minutes." She stated standing up and went to the kitchen for some tea. But then she heard her phone's notification is blowing up. Sighing in annoyance, she placed down the kettle and got her phone.

-Mr. Blabbermouth

• Why on Earth is my brother on a case again

• Don't tell me you've downloaded something again

• Meet me in British Public Library, 20 minutes.

• Do bring your I.D, we'll be staying for a while.

Y/n read the texts and tried to choose, get rid of him and continue drinking tea, or get rid of him and continue drinking tea.

'Either way my life will still be a mess.' She thought and sighed. Getting her coat and tying her hair up, John looked up from his screen.

"Where are you going?" He asked, causing Sherlock to look also at the y/h/c girl.

"I need to go to my mum's house, she needs help with my sister." She lied, like what she's been doing for a long time.

"Well what about the footage?" Watson asked pointing at the laptop on the couch. "It'll be done in 15 minutes, after that it'll automatically leave the site." She said adjusting the timer and entering her code.

"Okay just take care." Watson said smiling at her. Nodding, she immediately went downstairs and passed by Mrs. Hudson.

"Where are you going?" "To my mum's, Mrs. Hudson!" She exclaimed leaving faster.

Walking down the streets of London, the cold breeze of the morning is never new to Y/n. It made her feel happy that she chose to change her life.

Upon reaching the Library, a car parked by the curb. The person got out and Y/n followed.

She knew this whole place like it was just the alphabet, but more on security and alarms.

She walked through shelves and shelves of books until she reached a corner, her corner. The person is already sitting down flipping the pages of a book.

"I know you did something just to help my brother again, and I would like to know what." He stated, well demanding.

"It would've been better if you were the one to ask him, Mycroft." Y/n said confidently, not feeling any intimidation from the man.

"It's better if he knows about the truth." He said proudly. "Do sit, Y/n. It is your ridiculous corner after all." She removed her coat and hung it on the chair.

"Tell him the truth and I'll visit him." "I would rather let you get hit by a train before the truth leaves my mouth." Y/n said rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"Any truth will be accepted." "I don't have that much of a choice." "The past or the present. You decide." "Neither, Mycroft. You're basically the British Government, so how can you not know anything about what's happening in 221-B Baker Street?!" Y/n almost shouted at the man in front of her. The man snapped the book close, Y/n didn't even flinched.

"Just tell me and we can wrap this up." He said and Y/n sighed. "It's about those random killings that don't make sense." She said rolling her eyes. "It does make sense to Sherlock Holmes." Mycroft stood up from the chair and got his umbrella.

"It's easy for you to tell me the truth but never to Sherlock." He said turning towards the aisle. "One day the truth will afloat, Y/n. Good day." He said walking away from the corner.

Y/n stared at the chair in front of her and tried not to let Mycroft inside her head.

"I made a promise to be careful with my choices and whom to trust. I can't break that." Y/n said to herself, trying to remember what happened 3 years ago.

3 years ago

'I can live by myself and made the right decision, yeah?' Y/n asked herself while the man pulled up on the curb.

'I hope so.' she got out of the cab and the man helped her carry her stuff inside the building. She paid generously and took up the boxes herself.

When she was about to get the last box, she ran into the landlady carrying a tray of tea.

"Oh hello dear! You're already here, you have your keys right? Anything you need?" Y/n smiled at the landlady's kindness.

"No Mrs. Hudson, I was just about to get the last box from downstairs." She said politely and got curious about whose tea is she bringing.

"I'll see you for a while dear, I need to bring this up." Mrs. Hudson said and continued to ascend the stairs.

"You should stop hoarding books, it's gathering up dust." She heard Mrs. Hudson scold at the other flat beside hers.

"Well if you would clean up then they won't, Mrs. Hudson." A man with a deep but smooth voice said.

"I'm your landlady, Sherlock. Not your housekeeper." Mrs. Hudson exclaimed storming out of the flat and passing by Y/n.

'I'm still wondering how Mrs. Hudson never noticed.' Y/n asked herself while placing the box down and tried to search for the key to her flat.

"It's the silver key with a round head and a line engraved horizontally." She looked around and saw him.

'Sherlock Holmes'

She got the key and it fits in the keyhole. She silently chuckled to herself for being smarted up by him.

But then she realized what Sherlock Holmes would have done for the past 2 minutes she was just standing there.

She immediately went inside and closed the door. She heard about Sherlock Holmes and his talents in being a detective. Most of the policemen don't take him seriously because of his assumptions and ideas that he gives immediately.

But they are left befuddled because he is right all along.

"Great, the plan on living a new life is starting to crumble with him knowing who I am." She said face palming herself.

"As long as I'm not suspicious, he won't notice it." She said standing up and opened up the blinds.

A week

'Oh god no. Please no.' She said trying to feel every pocket and slot she has in her coat, pants and purse.

'I did forget my keys in.' she said kicking the door in frustration. She sat down by the steps and tried to call a locksmith.

A few calls later they all said they can't go to their street because it was filled with snow. They can help her tomorrow morning.

"Why did Mrs. Hudson need to leave today?" She said hugging her coat more to gather up warmth. Next week is already December and snow got here early.

She tried to pull her bonnet down more to cover her ears with her hair, but the draft coming from the upstairs and moving behind her got colder.

"At least my laptop isn't going to freeze overnight, lucky bastard." Y/n said rolling her eyes and huffing.

She heard shuffling from Sherlock Holmes' flat and saw him placing paper on the table. Sherlock saw Y/n and looked at the door to her flat.

He went closer and Y/n smiled in embarrassment, "I forgot my keys inside." She said paying attention to her gloves now.

Sherlock went back inside and started removing books and papers from the couch and placing them on the table or floor.

"You can stay here for a while. Who knows when Mrs. Hudson might return." He said leaning on the door frame.

Y/n stood up and passed by him, trying not to look like she's taking it up for granted. She sat down on the couch and Sherlock prepared tea.

Sherlock can't comprehend why he welcomed her into his flat even though he's only seen her every afternoon to get food and comeback with it.

And what disturbs him, is that he can't read her like everyone else. She's like, an unexplainable being.

Sitting down on his chair, Sherlock tried to think a way to get to know her.

"I'm Sherlock Holmes, the only consulting detective, because I invented the job. I have an older brother named Mycroft." He said as a starter and she smiled.

"I'm Y/n, I don't have a job right now but I will find one, hopefully. I actually don't have a sibling, just me and my parents." She said chuckling and Sherlock smiled. He heard the tea was ready and he asked her about what she likes.

Handing her a cuppa, she accepted it and Sherlock let her remove her coat so she can get comfortable. Y/n removed her coat, gloves and bonnet and placed them beside her.

They continued chatting, leaving unfinished experiments and paperworks in the kitchen and not noticing Mrs. Hudson got home because the road was already cleared out.

A year ago

"How did you do that?" Sherlock asked Y/n and she almost fell from her seat. "Did what?" "Getting into the security cameras of Baker Street." He said pointing at the screen.

"You won't tell?" She asked and Sherlock nodded. "Obviously I can hack into them, besides cameras are very easy to hack." She said rolling her eyes and Sherlock celebrated about learning what Y/n can do.

"This is amazing! You can help me in cases and everyone can know!" He exclaimed proudly but Y/n said otherwise.

"No one can know! You promised!" She exclaimed and slapping Sherlock's arm jokingly.

"Besides I can only be accessible within 20 meters away from you." She said showing the map to Sherlock, "Well then come with me every day but of course just stand by. Wait till I tell Lestrade!" He said and reassured Y/n that he was an inspector that she can trust.

'I know Lestrade alright.' She thought smirking on her screen while Sherlock tried to find his phone.

A month after that

"Hello Sherlock." Y/n heard a woman entering the lab and she stopped on her tracks when she saw her. "Hello Y/n." She said sadly.

It's been a month since Y/n was silently working with Sherlock. She met Molly in the process, well she was always around wherever Sherlock is.

Especially if he's in the lab.

Y/n's phone got a notification and she looked at the message.

-Lestrade

Someone was on the phone for you.

Y/n

Who was it?

-Lestrade

Private matters they said.

'Private matters they said'

-Mr. Holmes

The car is waiting at the corner.

'Not this again.' She thought reading the message. Either she goes now or let them wait and risk getting fetched by them.

-Y/n

I'll be leaving for a while. Please look out for Sherlock, Lestrade.

-Lestrade

I will.

"Sherlock I'll be going out for a while." She said getting her coat and wearing it. "Can you get me coffee?" "I can get you one." Molly intervened and both of them looked at her.

"The usual Y/n, if it's not a burden." Sherlock said looking again at the microscope.

"Oh umm, I think I'll be gone for an hour, so Molly might help you with that." She said looking at the messages.

-Mr. Holmes

The longer you take, the longer this talk will be.

"It's fine with me, what's your usual?" Molly asked Sherlock and both of them replied.

"Black 2 sugars." They said in unison and Y/n left immediately while trying to run through everything or everyone.

She saw the car and immediately got inside.

"Stop haunting me, Mycroft Holmes." She said keeping her phone away and looking outside the windows.

Today

"It's almost 4 years now since I moved and 2 years since I started working with him." Y/n said laughing at the page she had a note on.

'Before the December morning came, a chance and a person changed the game.'

She closed the book and walked back towards Baker Street. It was almost noon and she knows Sherlock and John is waiting for her to come back.

Entering the flat, she already heard footsteps coming down the stairs and saw Mycroft with John and Sherlock behind him.

"What did you do again Sherlock?" She asked trying not to look like she knows Mycroft.

"I can reassure you miss, he didn't do anything wrong. Good day brother, Dr. Watson." He said leaving.

"Lunch?" She asked the two and they nodded.

They went to a Café and started to eat lunch. Went back to Baker Street and John took a rest for a while. Leaving Y/n and Sherlock continuing to solve the crime.

"It doesn't make sense! He's just killing random people!" Sherlock exclaimed looking at the wall. John is still asleep on his chair, covered with papers.

"Maybe you just need to look at the minor factors they have. Maybe they all have something very important that the killer would want." Y/n said getting through the files about the case. Sherlock stared at the girl in front of him.

'How can you be so smart at the same time be bossy?' he thought returning his gaze at the wall.

They continued their work and John woke up an hour ago. Until it was night time and Mrs. Hudson brought them tea.

"Sherlock, why is there a big toe on your sink?" She asked rather disturbed. Y/n laughed at Sherlock's constant behavior of experimenting with things.

Sherlock's phone rang and it was Mycroft. He sighed and answered the phone.

"What is it Mycroft?" He said dropping the papers he was holding on the table.

"What?! An emergency? Where?" He exclaimed causing the three to look at him. "What's the matter, Sherlock?" Mrs. Hudson asked walking nearer.

"We'll be right there." He said dropping the call and got his coat. "What the hell is going on?!" John exclaimed trying to get Sherlock's attention.

"A family is now on ransom and Mycroft thinks it's the killer." Sherlock said wrapping up his scarf and the two wore theirs.

"I don't get it? A family? How are they connecte-" "The father is an official in the government, a close person to the royal family." He said climbing down the stairs with John following.

Y/n got stuck on the doorway and processed what Sherlock just said. She got worried and immediately went down the stairs.

They got a cab and they reached a building. Police and a few government employees were there to plan out.

"Sherlock! In here." They saw Mycroft went inside a vehicle a few feet away the commotion. It was filled with monitors connected to the cameras inside.

"An empty building perfect for a murder isn't it?" Sherlock said rather excited and John nudged him not to be happy.

"Any news from the inside?" "No, the killer won't let anyone in. He's controlling the entrances, except for the cameras which is odd." One of the men said showing the doors.

They stayed there for almost 10 minutes without any movement from the killer. They found him sitting on an antique chair looking at his phone and wearing a ridiculous mask.

The television beside him lit up and the camera couldn't clear out what the television is flashing.

"This is the Y/l/n Family, if you still want to see them alive. You know who you are, give me what's so precious to your family." The killer said laughing under his mask.

"That is the live stream, we can see them here on camera 16, inside a room tied up. The same as the television is showing." The men said but they noticed something blinking at the middle of the chairs the family is sitting.

"And there's now a bomb planted. Call the bomb disposal team!" They tried to contact people from the outside to find a way inside faster.

Because there's a bomb on the middle of the room, and it wasn't making the job easy.

"I just need to talk to youuu~" The guy sang and laughed like a psychopath. He stood up and started dancing.

"Sherlock, anything?" John asked the man scanning around the monitors and starts to get frustrated. "Are you sure all of the exits are closed?!" He exclaimed and they nodded showing every camera angle of the exits.

Y/n opened up her laptop and plugged in a USB. Mycroft noticed and he looked at her telling no. But her eyes said it was the only way.

After transferring files from the USB, she took out her phone and connected it to the laptop. Before finishing up and shutting her laptop, she typed something on the notes.

'Might be the best time to say it then.'

She closed her laptop, stood up next to Mycroft and handed him her phone. He was confused on why she gave him her phone.

"He'll think I might call the police if I brought my phone with me." "Well you're already with the police." They whispered at each other. Y/n started to leave the vehicle and Sherlock noticed.

"Where are you going Y/n?" "Outside, I need to speak with them. I'll be back." She said hopping out of the vehicle and closing it.

Grabbing the chain that she got from the inside and locking it, she made sure they'll be safe. In case the killer notices her trap.

Sherlock's POV

Y/n left a few minutes ago and she still hasn't returned. The Y/l/n family is still inside and the killer kept repeating the phrase.

"I just want to talk to youuuu"

"Why can't anyone enter!" I said frustrated and ruffled my hair. Trying to think a way inside. "Vents?" "What's that, Sherlock?" "The vents! Is there any vents?!" The men showed me and there weren't any vents big enough for a human to fit in.

"Great." I said and they returned the monitors back to the cameras we were monitoring.

"Aha! I knew you'd come my dear!" We heard the man say and he pressed a button on his phone causing the doors to open.

Third POV

The doors opened on the main entrance, Sherlock and the others were glued to the screens.

Y/n entered with no hesitation and the doors closed once she was in. "Y/n?!" Sherlock exclaimed and went towards the door. It wouldn't budge and John started helping him.

"Did she locked this after she left?" John asked Sherlock and he nodded. They went back to the monitors and she was standing at a safe distance from the killer.

"Isn't this nice, Y/n? You and me seeing together again and talking." He said followed by a laughter that echoed through the whole hall.

"It's nicer if you didn't do any of those killings." She said standing there feeling the gaze of the camera towards them.

"I thought I would get your attention." He stood up immediately that surprised Y/n and made her back away. "And it did!" He said laughing like a maniac now.

"See this red button on my phone?" He asked and Y/n nodded. "Well, It's connected to the bomb. Just give me what I want and I can forget about pressing this." He said placing the phone on the table and handing out his hand.

Y/n looked at him seeing any tricks with this. Her eyes lingers on the screen and she saw her family, tied up inside the room and starting to panic.

The killer saw this and laughed, knowing this is going to be fun. "Need inspiration? I'll give you one." He said getting his phone and pressing a button that made her family look behind the camera.

"Say 'hi', they've missed you so much." He circled around her and she started to take the risk.

"No, Y/n don't do it!" Mycroft yelled at the monitors that made Sherlock look at his brother. "Getting attached?" John asked and Sherlock shook his head in disapproval.

"He knew Y/n all along. Don't you brother?" Sherlock asked and Mycroft nodded. "Before she lived in Baker Street." He said earning a laugh from Sherlock.

"So is there anything I should know about more?" He asked Mycroft and he nodded. "A lot." He stated not removing his eyes on the screen.

They continued watching the scene and Y/n is starting to take something out her pocket.

"If you have tricks on your sleeves, you know what will happen." He stated reclining and looking at her.

She raised up her chin and took out a phone. But it was a different phone, different from her day to day phone. She looked at it and handed it over to him.

"Why does she have another phone?" John asked the two Holmes, Mycroft looked at Dr. Watson and pointed at Y/n's laptop.

"How do you think she has access with every security and anything the government controls?" "That's a government phone controlling the security, data, archives and information about the whole United Kingdom." Sherlock intervened looking at his phone trying to call Lestrade to get them out of the van.

"Thank you for giving this Y/n." He said looking at the phone checking any tricks. He gave back the phone and showed her the lock screen. "Open it." Y/n swiped up the phone and unlocked it with the pattern.

Mycroft seeing the lock, he got confused. Sherlock noticed it and asked him. "Government phones don't unlock with patterns and pins. They rely on fingerprint and facial unlock." He said getting the phone Y/n gave him.

He turned it on and swiped up the lock screen. "Just like that?" Watson asked and Mycroft nodded. "She switched the phones." He said in disbelief and laughed. He grabbed the radio and started giving commands to get ready at the entrances.

"Thank you for unlocking it." He said standing up and circling her again. "You know your parents are very disappointed but relieved that they won't get blown up." He said laughing maniacally going through files.

"But I must say, they, especially Sherlock Holmes, still don't know the last thing you're hiding." He said pointing at the camera and opening his arms.

Y/n turned around and looked at the camera. "I don't know what he's talking about." "OH! That's a good one. Tell me more jokes!" He exclaimed laughing, Y/n is on the verge of punching him.

"You're a psycho." She said making the guy stop in front of her and smiled. "Well I thought you loved psychos, hence liking one of us." He said leaning towards Y/n and raising his eyebrows.

Y/n noticed the camera moving and pointing at the door and back at her. She sighed and bowed her head.

"I'm right, am I? You looove psychopaths!" He said and Y/n shook her head.

"Sherlock Holmes isn't a psychopath, he is a high functioning sociopath." She raised her head smirking at him, "And the only consulting detective with that title." She punched him through his mask that caused him so much pain and police started to enter the room.

They started to surround the guy and picked him up. They handcuffed him and gave back Y/n's phone.

"Before you take and lock him away-" she said getting near the guy, "I never knew you'd take it this far, Kevin." Taking of the mask, 3 men entered the room and going behind Y/n to back her up.

"B-but how did they entered the room! I have the controls over the entrances!" Kevin said and Y/n smirked. She waved her hand and the police took him away, yelling about how she did it.

The 3 men behind her looked at her proudly. She looked behind them and saw her family getting untied and the bomb was inside a case now.

Her family looked behind the camera and smiled. Mycroft handed her the phone back and took off the case to place it back on her phone. The television turned off and they heard people assisting her family.

"I know you two have a lot of questions, but I can summarize everything." Y/n said looking at them and sitting down on the chair.

"I made a deal with my family to live a normal life in exchange to continue hiding who I am.

Growing up behind doors was never easy because you can't make friends or learn social skills. Only few close family friends and the Royal Family knows who I am.

My brother and two sisters can live a normal life because they attended private schools which only rich people can attend. But I can't have that because I'm the first ever child of them and it would be a great plan to kidnap me right? In exchange for files.

But when I attended college, It was a private school and people don't care who you are anymore, and that's where I met Kevin.

He was nice and sweet just like how I thought all of the world's population is. But I was wrong.

Then that's when we broke up. A few years just living inside the house again not going out.

Then almost 4 years ago, me and my family agreed for me to leave and live somewhere and make sure that I'm safe.

And I am safe, especially having Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as my neighbors and friends.

Having meetings with Mr. Blabbermouth, a.k.a Mycroft Holmes.

And having this phone with me that helps my family to know where I am."

She finished up but the three men are still confused. She understood why and she chuckled. Looking at the camera, the men followed her gaze and she stopped at the sign beside the chair.

"He was sitting near this sign and the phone's reflection is seen on the camera. I tried to make out his layout of the controls with the doors and placed all of it in folders."

She explained and opened the phone, "With every click of a folder, a door opens." She clicked one and they heard a door opening upstairs.

"I forgot to mention, I also studied with hackers and security when I was in college and living with my parents. That's how I learned it."

She said keeping the phone in her pocket. John smiled at her and looked at the two men. "And what was about the whole Sherlock Holmes thing?" He asked and Y/n sighed. "That was nothing." She said standing up and walking pass by them.

They exited the building and stood near Lestrade's car. He was assisting the family and talking with them.

"My name on your contacts is 'Mr. Blabbermouth'?" Mycroft asked and Y/n laughed.

"Don't worry, Mr. Sociopath and Mr. Oblivious aren't left out." She said walking away and nearing her family.

"Mom, Dad." She said hugging them almost crushing them. "I'll leave you lot to talk for a while." Lestrade said smiling at the scene before him.

"I knew you had a way, but I never thought you can pull that off!" Y/n's father exclaimed patted her back.

"She's a Y/l/n, she can do anything." She heard her brother and she ruffled his hair. "But of course, don't forget to introduce us your boyfriend." One of her sister said and she rolled her eyes.

"You can go back to them, we'll be okay." Her mother said but Y/n shook her head.

"I don't think I can leave you guys again." "As long as you can be safe and keep that safe, we'll be safe too." Her father said and her sibling nodded.

"Just remember to visit us on Christmas Day, okay?" Her younger sister said and she nodded. Tears brimming her eyes and she sniffles while trying not to burst out.

"I will always visit you lot." She said hugging them all, causing her to be surrounded by blankets that covered up her family.

Standing up, she waved good bye and walked back towards the car.

"Shall we leave?" Lestrade asked getting his keys. "Yes, let's go." Sherlock said opening the door for Y/n and she entered.

Their ride was quiet until they reached the apartment. "See you three tomorrow? Well if we have a new case for you three." Lestrade said and Sherlock nodded, getting inside first and leaving the door open.

"Yeah, see you Lestrade." Y/n said waving and entering the building.

John got to sleep immediately when he entered the flat, leaving Y/n and Sherlock.

"Well, erm, I guess I should be go-" she was cut off by Sherlock's mumbling. "I'm sorry, what was that?" "That's why I couldn't analyze you. You are unreadable and amazing at it." He said still staring at the fireplace.

"Yes, because of being able to hide from people, I'm never showy with anything." She said standing up and nearing the door.

"Good night Sherlock." She said turning towards her flat. "And yes, I like you. For almost 3 years now." She said never turning to look at him, and entered her flat.

She should've turned, because she never saw the smile Sherlock had hearing it from her. He leaned on his knees ruffling his hair. He continued smiling and sighed.

"Likewise, Y/n. Likewise." He said leaning back on his seat and stared at the ceiling.

[celestialprincesslulu]

Taylor Swift prompts p2

I really love Taylor Swift and so I wanted to create some RP starters based off her songs. I’ll organize it via the titles of the songs like usual. There are 106 total in this part (and last part for now)!

:: Happiness

"I see this for what it is.”

“All the years that I’ve given is just shit that we’re dividing up.” 

“I was dancing when the music stopped.”

“In the disbelief, I can’t face reinvention.” 

“I haven’t met the new me yet.”

“There will be happiness after you, but there was happiness because of you.”

“There is happiness past the blood and bruise, past the curses and cries.”

“Tell me when did your winning smile, begin to look like a smirk?”

“When did all our lessons start to look like weapons pointed at my deepest hurt?”

“I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool who takes my spot next to you. No, I didn’t mean that.”

“Sorry I can’t see facts through all of my fury.”

“There will be happiness after me, but there was happiness because of me.”

“There is happiness in our history.”

“I can’t make it go away by making you a villain.”

“I guess, it’s the price I pay for seven years in heaven.”

“I pulled your body into mine every God damn night.”

“No one teaches you what to do when a good man hurts you, and you know you hurt him too.”

“After giving you the best I have, tell me what to give after that.”

“All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness.”

:: Tolerate It

“I sit and watch you, I notice everything you do or don’t do.”

“You’re so much older and wiser and I..”:

“I wait by the door like I’m just a kid.” 

“If it’s all in my head, tell me now. Tell me how I’ve got it wrong somehow.”

“I know my love should be celebrated but you tolerate it.”

“I take all your indiscretions all in good fun.”

“I sit and listen, I polish plates until they gleam and glisten.” 

“While you were out building other worlds, where was I?”

“I made you my temple, my mural, my sky. Now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life.”

“You assume I’m fine but what would you do if I break free and leave us in ruins?”

:: Tis The Damn Season

“If I wanted to know, who you were hanging with while I was gone I would’ve asked you.” 

“There’s an ache in you put there by the ache in me.”

“If it’s all the same to you, it’s the same to me.”

“We can call it even, you can call me babe for the weekend.”

“I’m staying at my parents house and the road not taken looks real good right now.”

“It always leads to you and my hometown.”

“I escaped it too, remember how you watched me leave?”

“If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.”

“Sleep in half the day, just for old times sake?”

“I won’t ask you to wait if you don’t ask me to stay.”

“The heart I know I’m breaking is my own.”

:: Cardigan

“When you are young, they assume you know nothing.”

“I knew you, hand under my sweatshirt. Baby kiss it better.”

“When I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite.”

“Chase two girls, you lose the one.”

“Downtown bars was all you needed.”

“You drew stars around my scars but now I’m bleeding.”

“I knew you tried to change the ending.”

“I knew you like a father leaving like water.”

“I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss, I knew you’d haunt all of my what ifs.”

“I knew you’d miss me once the thrill expired.”

:: Willow

“Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife.”

“If it was a open shut case, I never would’ve known from the look on your face.”

“The more that you say, the less I know.”

“Wherever you stray, I follow.”

“I’m begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans.”

“There was one prize that I’d cheat to win.”

“Wait for the signal and I’ll meet you after dark.”

“Show me the places where the others gave you scars.”

“Every bait and switch was a work of art.”

:: Invisible String

“I used to think that I’d meet somebody there.”

“Were there clues that I didn’t see?”

“Isn’t it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?”

“You ate at my favorite spot for dinner?”

“Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire.”

“One single of gold tied me to you.” 

“Now I send their babies presents.”

“Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven.” 

:: Lover

“We can leave the Christmas lights up till January.”

“This is our place, we make the rules.”

“There’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you.”

“Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?”

“Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close, forever and ever?”

“Take me out and take me home.”

“We can let our friends crash in the living room.”

“I’m highly suspicious that everyone who sees you, wants you.”

“I’ve loved you three summers now honey, but I want them all.”

“I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover.”

“My hearts been borrowed and yours has been blue.”

“All's well that ends well to end up with you.”

“I swear to be over dramatic and true to my lover.”

“You’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me, and at every table.. I’ll save you a seat, lover.”

:: Mad Woman

“What’d you think I’d say to that?”

“Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? They strike to kill and you know I will.”

“What do you sing on your drive home?”

“Do you see my face in the neighbors lawn?”

“Does she smile or does she mouth fuck you forever?”

“Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy.”

“When you say I seem angry, I get more angry.”

“There’s nothing like a mad woman, what a shame she went mad.”

“No one likes a mad woman, you made her like that.”

“You find something to wrap your noose around.”

“Now I breathe flames each time I talk.”

“Woman like hunting witches too, doing your dirtiest work for you.”

“It’s obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together.”

“Good wives always know, she should be mad.”

:: Peace

“Our coming of age has come and gone.”

“I never had the courage of my convictions as long as danger is near.”

“I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm.”

“All these people think love is for show but I would die for you in secret.”

“The devil is in the details but you got a friend in me.”

“Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?”

“I talk shit with my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honor.”

“You know that I’d swing with you for the fences, sit with you in the trenches.”

“I’d give you my wild, give you my child.”

“I’d give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other.”

“I’d give you my sunshine, give you my best but the rain is always gonna come if you’re standing with me.”

[howtosingit]

Fic: when the world’s on fire, all i need is you

Concerned about his lack of culinary experience, Carlos teaches TK how to make fajitas.

*

A missing moment from 1x06.

1.7K | Also on AO3

- - - - -

Carlos stands in front of his refrigerator, staring inside and having no idea what he wants to make for dinner. 

He’s glad to have the night off at home, but ever since TK texted him to unexpectedly cancel their evening plans, he’s been wandering aimlessly around his apartment, trying to find things to keep himself busy. Unfortunately, he only has so much dirty laundry, and living alone means that his place is already pretty clean.

It’s not that he feels like he has nothing to do without TK around, it’s just that… Well, they’ve been spending a lot of time together - as friends - and he looks forward to the few nights that the both have off work. Tonight, they had planned a whole cooking lesson, with Carlos showing TK how to make chicken fajitas. Ever since he found out about TK’s limited culinary experience, Carlos has taken it upon himself to ensure that the man knows how to at least cook a few easy recipes for himself. They’ve spent many nights in his kitchen, music playing low as they circle around one another, making dinner together.

He’s not upset that TK cancelled on him; from his texts, he gathers that something came up with his dad at work. Carlos had offered any help that his friend might need, or at the very least his presence, but TK hadn’t responded to his messages. He’s trying not to worry too much; last he’d heard, Captain Strand’s treatments had been going as well as they could expect. In the past few weeks, TK has even seemed a little lighter, like a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders, if only a bit. 

With a sigh, Carlos reaches into his fridge to grab the chicken and peppers, deciding that he might as well have the dinner that he’d planned, even if he’ll be having it alone. He turns on some music, prepping his work station, and has just started to slice the chicken into strips when there’s a knock at his door.

He looks up, wondering who in the world could be here to see him. A glance down at his phone shows no missed calls or messages, and everyone that might visit typically lets him know when they’re coming over. He puts down his knife, quickly washing his hands at the sink before moving towards the door and pulling it open.

“Hey,” TK says, standing on his front step with his hands hidden in the front pocket of his hoodie.

“TK,” Carlos says, his surprise clear in his tone. “Hey.”

“Sorry I’m late,” the other man apologizes, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, “but I was hoping dinner might still be on the table?”

Carlos scans his face, trying to get a read on what exactly TK might be thinking. Based on his texts, he wasn’t expecting to see him this evening, and he can’t tell if TK being here is good news or bad news. 

“I actually just started,” he finally responds, opening the door a little wider, “and I’d love an assistant.”

TK smiles, his face morphing into a grateful expression as he steps across the threshold and into the apartment. Carlos follows him over to the kitchen, wondering if he should ask about TK’s day, or if it’s better to wait until TK offers something. There’s soft music in the background, the only sound breaking the somewhat tense silence between them as TK washes his hands at the sink.

“So, MasterChef Reyes,” TK jokes, turning to face him, “where do you need me?”

Carlos stares at him for a moment, noticing how the other man is avoiding eye contact and fiddling with the sting of his hoodie. It’s clear that TK’s in need of a distraction, and he is more than happy to provide him with one.

“Okay,” Carlos nods, turning back to his workstation. “So, I’ve been cutting the chicken into strips, and then I’m going to cook them. While I do that, you can start cutting the peppers and onions.”

“Yes, sir,” TK teases, coming over to stand at his side and nudging him gently. Carlos briefly shows TK how he wants the vegetables cut, then goes back to his chicken. When he’s finished, he carries his cutting board over to the stove, turning on the heat and adding oil before tossing the chicken in and adding all of his spices and seasonings. 

His mind races with a possible conversation starter, anything that might pull them out of this awkward silence that exists between them, but following his quiet day at work, nothing really comes to mind. He’s just begun to hum along to the music under his breath, hoping that might fill some of the void left by their lack of conversation, when he hears the sound of forceful chopping behind him.

He turns to find TK huffing heavily over the cutting board, the knife in his hand a newfound weapon as he slices into the onion in front of him. Carlos watches him for a moment, taking in the tense set of his shoulders and the way his head is bowed over the counter, hiding his face from view. It’s only when his fear of a possible injury outweighs his desire to let TK destress in his own way that Carlos steps forward.

“Hey, hey, be careful,” he says calmly, his right hand coming up to grip TK’s weapon-wielding arm as his left arm circles around his waist to press against TK’s hip. “No one needs to lose a finger tonight,” he jokes quietly, guiding the knife down to the board, where TK finally releases it.

“You want to tell me whose face you were picturing on that cutting board?” Carlos hedges when TK doesn’t speak. Instead, the man presses his palms into the counter, his breathing heavy and his eyes wet - whether from the onion that he was just cutting or something else, Carlos can’t tell. 

“Fuck!” TK cries, pushing away from the counter and Carlos to pace on the other side of the island, near the table. He runs his hands through his hair, clearly agitated, as he turns and faces Carlos. “I’m so sorry, Carlos, I’m not trying to ruin your night, it’s just…”

He trails off, throwing his hands into the air. Carlos hasn’t seen him this frustrated since he cooked him dinner all of those months ago and then watched as TK stormed out of his apartment into the night.

He would give anything for that to not happen again.

“TK, it’s fine, you don’t have to apologize,” Carlos says gently, backing up to turn the heat down on the chicken before circling around to join TK on the other side of the counter. “Just, tell me what’s wrong. Let me help, I want to help.”

TK stares at him for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between Carlos’s own, almost like he’s weighing his ways forward. Then, with a nod, he steps closer, his shoulders dropping as he lets out a deep breath.

“My dad’s gonna lose his job,” TK says, his voice shaky.

Carlos’s eyes widen, and he instinctively reaches out to take TK’s hand, the other man gripping him tightly. “What?” he asks, sure he must’ve misheard.

“Judd introduced my dad to this fire captain buddy of his,” TK explains, an edge of anger in his voice now, “and my dad started spending time with him. He revealed all these things, including his cancer diagnosis. Turns out, the guy actually wants to take his job, so he turned him into the chief.”

“Shit,” Carlos breathes, his mind racing with all of this new information. 

“Yeah,” TK agrees, nodding as he clenches his jaw. “So now he’s got to take the CPAT in full gear or they’ll replace him.”

He pulls away again, letting out a frustrated groan. 

“Why is it that every single time I feel like I’m finally finding my footing in this place, something comes along to fuck it all up?” he cries, his voice thin as he drops down into a chair at the table. “Every time I start to get a really good look at things, to start to understand them, they shift and I’m just left trying to figure out where I am and what I’m supposed to do.”

“Hey,” Carlos says soothingly, coming up behind TK. Before he can think too hard about it, he bends over to give him a hug from behind, wrapping his arms around the firefighter’s shoulders as he presses their faces together. “It’s going to be okay, TK.”

“You don’t know that, Carlos,” TK says in defeat. He reaches up to run his palms along Carlos’s forearms, gripping his wrists tightly.

“Yeah, I guess I don’t,” Carlos admits, ducking his head to press his chin against TK’s shoulder. “But I do know that no matter how crazy things get, you are surrounded by an army of people who want to help you. So, be there for you dad. Do whatever you need to do to get him through this, but let others help you when you need it, okay?”

There’s a pause before TK turns to look at him, their faces close as their eyes lock. 

“Even you?”

Carlos sucks in a breath, a small smile pulling at his lips.

“All you have to do is ask, Ty. I’m right here, always.”

TK nods, his eyes shining as he presses their foreheads together. For Carlos, this moment seems completely outside of their normal friendly behavior, the lines blurring more and more as the seconds pass, but he can’t bring himself to pull away. He wants this, more than he’s ever wanted anything, so if TK’s willing to let him, he’s going to stay by his side for as long as he can.

The moment is finally broken by the sound of TK’s stomach rumbling, reminding them of the half-cooked dinner waiting for them in the kitchen. They both pull away, laughing softly. 

“C’mon,” Carlos says, holding out his hand. “Let’s make sure I haven’t burned the chicken.”

“I’ll forgive you if you have,” TK says, his tone light as he takes Carlos’s hand, rising from the chair. “Nobody’s perfect after all.”

Carlos laughs, shoving him away as he moves over to the stove. TK follows behind him, pressing up against his side to listen to his instructions, the small smile resting on his lips a far cry from his cloudy countenance when he first arrived.

The music plays on around them, keeping the roaring fire of their unexpected futures at bay for just a little longer.

[downwiththeficness]

A Need So Great Chapter 11

Summary: Eva Moore is assigned to work the last year of her contract with the DEA in Colombia. She just wants to get to the end of her tenure, but she keeps getting drawn further into a string of murders in the city. It isn’t long before she’s forced to face the ghosts of her past.

Word Count: ~7,100

Warnings: Smut

A/N: For the purposes of this story, Carrillo isn’t married--or, if you like, divorced. A/B/O dynamics are prevalent, and they come with their own warning. The overall rating for this story is Explicit, although not every chapter will contain adult themes.

Taglist: @dirtynerdy98 @1zashreena1 @heresathreebee @deliciouslyclassytrash @maybege @kid-from-new-zealand @clydesducktape @revolution-starter @autumnleaves1991-blog @jedi-mando @buckysalefty

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Someone was banging on her door. Eva groaned and rolled out of the bed, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and trudging through her apartment to answer it. Standing on the other side was a livid Connie, a storm in her expression.

“Where the hell have you been?”

Eva stumbled back, pushed by Connie into the living room. She winced against the sunlight, thankful that Connie closed the door behind her.

“Steve says you haven’t been at work all week and you’re not answering your phone.”

That was true.  Eva had turned off the ringer on the phone when the incessant noise kept pulling her out of much needed rest during the periods when her heat wasn’t demanding she see to it.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been… indisposed.”

That was how her mother had put it, whenever she’d have to send Eva to a neighbor for a few days as her mother’s heat began. Indisposed. Like a fucking maiden in a story. A pretty word to gloss over the animal ferocity that was a heat. The truth of it was that heats were intense, frantic, primal things that served to bind together partners. The sex was a bi-product of an onslaught of bonding hormones that were assuaged by physical touch. There was nothing gentle in its nature.

Connie looked at her like she was insane, “That’s your explanation.  Jesus, Eva, I thought something had—.”

She cut off, inhaling. Eva had been working to clear out the air in the apartment as discreetly as possible, but she knew the scent remained. Connie had gone very still, and very red.

“I—I’m sorr—,” she cleared her throat, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

Eva shook her head, “I didn’t tell anyone.”

Connie’s brows drew together, “You didn’t tell anyone? Not even…” She left the sentence hanging, turning her hand over, her meaning quite clear.

“No,” Eva confirmed, “He had a mission he was doing, and I didn’t want to pull him away. Besides, its early to...do that...together.”

They’d been seeing each other maybe twelve weeks or so. And, if Eva’s hunch was correct, their innate compatibility would have resulted in a deeper intimacy than would normally happen at this stage in a relationship—at least, that’s how she understood adult relationships.  Her perception had, no doubt, been skewed a little.

Scoffing, Connie folded her arms over her chest, “You should have told him. Steve said he got back this morning. Maybe give him a call or something, let him know what happened.”

Eva rolled her eyes, “What good is it going to do now? Its over. I won’t have another for a couple of months, maybe more.”

She didn’t even fucking know her own cycle, her hormones too screwed up from her experimentation with off-use suppressants. Eva could have another heat in a month, six months, or not for a year. She only hoped that she was a little more prepared for it the next time around. The knowledge that he was back rattled around in her head. Her body buzzed at the thought that she would get to see him very soon.

Connie’s expression turned soft, “You shouldn’t have to go through it alone, Eva.”

As an alpha, herself, Connie was well aware of what Eva had just gone through.  Though Steve was a beta, he’d respond immediately to the hormonal fluctuations, ride it out with her. If she were unmarried, she may or may not be able to find a willing partner. As a woman, it could be dangerous to take on an unfamiliar partner during a heat.  If she were a man entering rut, she could potentially go to any one of the many sex workers in the area and this would be generally acceptable, if unfortunate.  A woman had no such option.

“I did okay,” Eva said, lying through her teeth.  She absolutely had not done well, and she felt like shit.

Connie eyed her, “No, you didn’t. You look like you’ve been hit by a train.”

Eva laughed, couldn’t help it, “I’m good.  I’ll be better in a few days.”

Mouth thin, Connie dropped her arms, “Listen, I think you need to talk with Horacio about this. But, do whatever you want.” She headed for the door, turning a bit, “You need anything?”

Eva shook her head, “I’m good.”

Connie sighed, pointed a finger at her, and said, “Hydrate. Lots of water.” Then, “I’m glad you’re alright.”

And then she was heading back out into the sunlight. Eva stared at the door for a little while, feeling weak.  She sat on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest, and eyed the phone.  A phone call.  She could make a phone call, hear his voice, feel the comfort of knowing he was safe. Then, she could go back to laying around in bed until he could stop by.

Chewing on her thumbnail, she stood and stepped over to the phone, picking it up from the cradle and dialing.  It rang. It rang, and rang, and rang.  She hung up. Glancing at the clock, she figured she’d give it an hour or so before she called again.

To distract herself, she showered. The water was gorgeously hot, sweeping away the tiredness that had settled into her muscles. She dried off and wrapped a towel around herself so that she could look for something to wear. Her brain helpfully supplied that Horacio might want to see her, so she should make a little bit of an effort.  She pulled on a sundress, reaching behind her to pull up the zipper. She’d been careful with her underwear selection, choosing a soft lace hipster brief and a bra with semi sheer cups. Though they were both in a similar champagne tone, they weren’t a matching set. Eva didn’t actually own any matching sets. She didn’t have the energy to wonder what that said about her.

Barefoot, she padded back to the living room, running her fingers through her hair. She opened the fridge and looked at the contents, her stomach turning.  She wouldn’t be able to eat anything more than bland foods for a while, her body still flushing out the hormones. Closing the fridge, she returned to the living and sat on the couch, sulking.

It was late afternoon, the sun starting to head down towards the horizon. He’d gotten back that morning, but she hadn’t heard from him. Eva chided herself. He was a busy man, in charge of an entire unit of police. He was probably tying up the loose ends of his mission. Doing paperwork. Normal job duties. Still, she couldn’t help that little bit of anxiety that bubbled up beneath her logical explanations.

“Its the hormones, Eva,” she said to herself. “Its just the hormones.”

She lasted the hour and allowed herself another phone call. No answer. Eva huffed, thinking. She was going to drive herself crazy if she kept doing this. Grabbing her purse, she dug through it for her keys. What she found was the lighter he’d given her in the bar.  She’d dropped it into her purse for safe keeping all those weeks ago and it had fallen down into the depths of the bag.

Eva turned it over in her hands. It was a plain silver, heavily weighted, no inscription or decoration. She flipped open the top and spun the flint, the flame igniting easily. Closing the lighter, Eva slipped it into the pocket of her dress, patting it.

Keys in hand, she drove down to the restaurant that he’d taken her to when they’d had lunch. In stilted Spanish, she ordered a few of their recommended items, smiling wide when they handed her a bag stuffed full.  

When she was back in her car, Eva sat at the wheel and wondered if what she was doing was appropriate. The boundaries of their relationship weren’t clearly defined. But, he’d always seemed happy to see her when she dropped by, always seemed to welcome her presence.  This was no different.  Eva nodded to no one in particular.  She would drop in, deliver the food, let him know that she was glad he was back, and leave.  Short. Sweet. Simple.

Decision made, Eva headed for the station. The walk up to his office was quiet, most of the officers having left for the evening. Her sandals whispered over the tile floor as she navigated around the bullpen of desks towards his office door.  When she leaned in, he wasn’t there. Eva smothered the disappointment.

Sighing, she swung the bag from her arm to the opposite hand, moving to set it on his desk. Nimble fingers plucked a pen from where it lay atop a pile of folders.

“Sticky note...sticky note,” she murmured, looking for something to write on.

The scuff of a shoe behind her startled Eva from her search, she spun around, brows lifted in surprised.

“Hey,” she breathed.

Horacio stood in the doorway, hair wet and brushed back from his face, a bundle of clothes in his hands. His gaze was focused, intense, sweeping over her in such a way that she could tell he was noting every detail. She stilled, the smile on her mouth dropping a little as she waited, breath held.

“Hi,” he said finally. There was an odd note in his tone, a slowness to the one word sentence that usually wasn’t there.

Exhaling, Eva gestured to the bag of food on his desk, “I brought you something to eat. I figured you’d only been eating MREs for the last week and you might like some real food.”

His eyes flicked down to the bag and then back up again. Moving slowly, he set the bundle of clothing on a table near the door and stepped into the room. Back to her, he closed the door, hand lingering on the handle. When he turned back to her, he fixed her with that same focused look and Eva’s spine straightened underneath the weight of it.

Head canted down, he walked towards her. Every muscle in Eva’s body froze as she eyed him. He moved leisurely, a relaxed saunter, but there was darkness in his eyes that she had only very rarely glimpsed. Lips parted, her thoughts muddied in her head. She couldn’t move if she tried.

When he reached her, his arms wrapped around her middle, hauling her up against his chest in a fierce embrace. Reflexively, Eva cradled him to her, arms rising to his shoulders. Pushing his face into her neck, Horacio nosed along her skin until he reached her scent gland. His next inhale was deep, intentional.

Gasping, Eva’s head fell back, her body leaning into him. He held her weight easily, crowding her until they were pressed together from chest to knee.  

“I missed you,” he murmured into her skin.

Eva’s eyes closed tightly, relief flooding out from her heart into her veins. She inhaled, trying to center herself. His scent was rolling over her, alternatively calming and exciting.

“I missed you, too.”

He pulled back a little, one hand tucking her hair behind her ear, looking at her as if he hadn’t seen her in months rather than a little over a week. Eva blushed, unable to hold his gaze. Her skin tingled where they touched, heart palpitating in her chest. She felt like she had the first time she’d scented him, a bundle of vibrating nerves that grabbed and pulled her into his orbit, holding her there.

“How did the mission go? Did you catch him?”

His shoulders deflated, and Eva knew she’d said the wrong thing.

“No, we didn’t. We did get a few key players, but that’s it.”

Eva traced her hands up above the collar of his uniform, thumbs finding their place at the nape of his neck. She kneaded the muscle there, please when his eyelids drooped.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, knowing how disappointed he must be about it.

He dropped his forehead to hers, “Not your fault.”

“I know, but I’m sorry all the same.”

Hands gripping her waist, thumbs rubbing over her belly, he closed his eyes. She continued to press her hands into his neck, fingers spanning out beneath the collar of his shirt to get at that tense shoulder muscles. He let out a soft groan when she hit a particularly tight spot.

“I want to kiss you,” he said softly. “Can I?”

Eva smiled, “Yes.”

Leaning down, he pressed just the tiniest kiss to her mouth, lifting up a fraction of an inch before diving back down to kiss her properly. She opened for him, hands pausing at his shoulders as she lost focus. He kissed her deeply, arms pulling her so tightly to his body that she had to rock up onto her toes to keep balance.

The first taste of him after so long without was a shock to Eva’s system, everything inside her lighting up into bright, incandescent fire. It was then that she knew coming here may have been a mistake. She thought the heat was over—she was sure of it. But, the lingering hormones in her body rushed to her brain, sending sizzling signals to her core. It was not a heat, but the echo of the one she’d just gone through, a ricochet that hit her right in the chest.

Breaking the kiss, he took a step back, pulling her with him, “I want to touch you.”

She followed him closely, until he was sitting on the couch at the far end of his office, pulling her into his lap. He looked at her, waiting for her answer.

“Yes.”

Legs on either side of his hips, Eva carded her fingers through his damp hair, kissing him fervently. True to his wishes, his hands moved over her,  fingers curling over her skin, grabbing handfuls of her thighs and hips. He pushed his hands beneath the fabric of her sundress, rucking up the fabric. The cut of the dress caught on his wrists, restricting his movement, the pads of his fingers stopping short of her breasts. With a frustrated growl, he reached behind her and yanked on the zipper, pulling the dress down.

Without skipping a beat, he cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples through the sheer fabric. He kissed down her neck, pulling down the cup of her bra, mouth sucking at her skin until he drew her nipple between his teeth, biting down ever so slightly. Eva moaned, a high pitched thing that caught in her throat.

She’d been waiting all week for this, had been fantasizing about having him back with her while she worked to get off. The reality of feeling him hard beneath her, hips rolling upwards, was so much better than she could have imagined.  His scent wafted around her, clean and fresh from the shower.

Releasing her nipple with an obscenely wet sound, Horacio placed an open mouthed kiss against her neck before shoving his nose against her and inhaling lewdly.

“Smell so good,” he ground out, fingers gripping tight.

Eva could only nod. She knew what he meant. After a week without him, she wanted to drown herself in his scent. Tobacco and vetiver. Her mouth salivated just breathing him in. Needing to taste as much as she needed to touch him, she leaned down and licked a hot stripe up his neck until she got to the scent gland behind his ear. It was feverish to the touch, a little swollen, and radiating the smell that had and would continue to haunt her fantasies for the rest of her life. Lips open, she encircled it, sucking hard.

The sound he made was as feral as it was pathetic, his hips snapped up, grinding into her forcefully. She whined, lifting to try to keep hold of him, tongue swirling. Fingers in her hair, he pulled her away, her scalp stinging. She groaned, mouth open.

He shushed her, “Have to be quiet, Eva. There’s still others here.” He kissed her, a sly smile on his mouth, “Do you want me to stop?”

She shook her head wildly, hair falling over her bare shoulders. He looked up at her, eyes bright, skin flushed—looking for all the world like he was awed by her.

“I want to be inside you,” his tone was urgent, tongue coming out to wet his lips.

“Yes,” she answered him, her voice cracking.

Pulling her close, he kissed her, hands sliding up her thighs. She met him eagerly, hands fisting in his shirt.  He nipped at her, hand moving to work at his belt, fingers pulling at the zipper and pushing his pants down just enough to free his erection. Fuck, but she missed looking at it. The toy she’d used as a substitute wasn’t nearly as thick as he was, and her body clenched at how she knew he would stretch her wide, fuck her open in the most delicious way.

Impatient, Eva rose up on her knees, using one hand to pull her panties to the side and the other to line him up and sink onto him. If she hadn’t been fucking herself through a heat over the last week, it might have taken the usual two or three thrusts to drop all the way down. Instead, she slid over him smoothly, her body welcoming him enthusiastically.

He gasped, surprise written all over his face before his jaw clenched and he grabbed her hips to hold her steady. Eva threw her head back, biting her lip to keep the wail that wanted to escape at bay.

“Fuck,” he breathed, looking down at where they were joined. Reaching up, he pulled her to him for a kiss, saying against her mouth, “I thought about you every day. Woke up hard for you. Couldn’t even get myself off because there was no fucking privacy.”

The image of him laying in a tent somewhere, aroused and unable to do anything about it was titillating. Then came the image of him stroking off to the thought of her, his fist flying over his cock. Eva felt like she couldn’t catch her breath, the need to come pushing its way to the forefront of her mind. She shifted her hips, trying to catch a rhythm that she knew would send them both into a frenzy. He met her, the muscles of his arms and chest bulging as he helped her thrust down on him.

“I want—,” Horacio’s lips pressed together, cutting off the sentence.

Eva cupped his jaw, forcing him to look at her, “What do you want?”

Everything inside her wanted to give him whatever it was that he wouldn’t let himself have. The man denied himself so much, controlled everything about his life to the minutest detail. If he needed, she would provide.

“I want,” he started again, pausing. He buried his head against her neck and she could feel him fighting to keep the words down.

Leaning back, she forced him to look at her. There was an openness to his expression that gave her pause, an almost pleading in the tone of the sounds coming from him. She ran her thumb over his cheekbone.

“Tell me what you want,” she whispered, kissing him softly, “Tell me.”

His eyes closed as he said, “I want to come inside you.”

Liquid fire coursed through her, a wild feeling that reverberated around until she shook with it. Eva felt her body respond in a primal reaction, her hips swiveling down on him as if to coax the orgasm from him immediately.

“Yes, alpha,” she moaned, the words out of her mouth before she could catch them.

Eyes flying open, he hauled her to him, holding her immobile. Eva squirmed, incensed that she couldn’t keep grasping at the tendrils of pleasure that she needed. His arms tightened further, until she was sure she would burst from the pressure.

“Say it again,” he demanded through clenched teeth.

“Yes, alpha,” she gasped, pulling at his shirt, trying and failing to gain any leverage, “Please, alpha.”

Snarling, his torso rotated and she fell heavily on the couch cushions. Horacio crawled over her, pushing his hands under her dress to yank off her panties, dropping them to the side. He braced a foot on the floor, dropping his hips and shoving into her again.

Mouth at her ear, he let out a string of filth, telling her how good she felt, how tight and hot she was. His hands held her still as his hips slapped against her, the wet sound of his cock pushing up into her loud in the quiet room. Eva held on as best she could, burying her face into his neck to quell the sounds that she couldn’t keep inside. He reached up and gripped the arm of the couch, using it to gain leverage.

His pace was hard and fast, and exactly what she needed. Eva felt her body bear down on him, tightening as she neared release.

“You gonna come on me,” he asked hoarsely, “Gonna soak my cock with your come, omega?”

The use of her designation caused her eyes to roll back, the sweet, lancing pain of her orgasm rocketing through her as she laid there, unable to do anything but bite down on his shoulder to stop herself from screaming.

“Sweet fucking omega,” he growled, pace picking up until she could feel him pulsing inside.

He held himself against her, hips grinding for several long moments, until his body relaxed. Breathing hard, he let his weight fall atop her briefly, nosing against her neck, licking at the sweat that had pooled there.

With effort, he pulled out, his eyes falling to her folds. There was that focused gaze again, his lips pulling between his teeth. She could feel their combined orgasms leaking out of her slowly and she had to resist the urge to close her legs at the thought of what he was seeing. Lifting onto one palm, Horacio ran two fingers up her slit, gathering the wetness and pushing it back inside.  Still sensitive, Eva drew in a shaky breath, her hand grabbing at the forearm near her head.

He stirred his fingers inside her a few times before pulling them out, bringing them to his mouth and sucking them clean. Eva’s jaw dropped as she watched him, her core pulsing at the sight.

After tucking himself back into his pants and setting his clothing back into place, he carefully helped her to dress. He laid down a kiss on each patch of skin before he covered it again, a softness to his touch that had not been there a few minutes previous. Kneeling, he reached for where he’d dropped her panties, his free hand pushing open her thighs.

His gaze lingered over her, eyes dark. Then, with little warning, he dove down and gave her a long, hot lick. Groaning, he leaned into her, nose pressed against her curls, mouth sucking at her clit. Eva hissed, her body curling over him. He swirled his tongue over her, a helpless little moan catching at the back of his throat. His hands tightened on her thighs, her panties hanging from where they’d caught on his pinky.

Eva gripped his shoulders, giving a pouting little huff when he pulled away suddenly. Panting he squeezed his eyes shut and Eva watched as one hand fell to his lap, palming at the erection that was growing behind his fly. He looked up at her, a kind of desperate surprise in his eyes. Eva grasped the hand on her thigh, soothing.

He rose, her panties still gripped in his hand, and paced away towards his desk. Eva brought her knees together self-consciously, not sure what was happening.

“Did you mean it?”

His back was to her, he ran a hand over his hair, fingers tucking her panties into his pocket. She knew without asking what he was getting at. She’d called him ‘alpha’, had acknowledged him as such. For an omega to make that kind of declaration was serious. Serious, and dangerous. It was a thing that existed in the space between marking and bonding, a deeply intimate gesture. That left the question: Did she mean it? She’d never wanted to invoke it before, the recognition of an alpha had terrified her in the past. Now, the thought was seductive.

Eva took a breath, steeling herself against the urge to protect herself at all costs, “Yes.”

He visibly tensed, still looking at the far wall. Then, he circled his desk and opened the middle drawer, pulling out a key. Stepping determinedly, he returned to her side, sitting next to her on the couch. He put the key in her hand. His tone was firm when he spoke.

“This is the spare key to my house. I’ve got some things I need to wrap up here, but when I come home, I want to find you in my bed—naked.”

Eva stared at him, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. He curled a finger beneath her chin, kissing her lightly. Dropping that hand to her thigh, he traced up the inside of it lightly.

“This is mine tonight, do you understand?” He asked as he circled her opening.

She nodded, resisting the urge to slot her hand on his and push his thick digits inside. He kept circling, breath fanning over her cheeks, his free arm coming up around her waist to hold her to him.

“Can I…?” she started, her words cut off as he threaded two fingers into her folds, rubbing at the hidden legs of her clit on either side.

He hummed in question, eyes trained on where he was playing with her.

She swallowed dryly and tried again, “Can I get my overnight bag from the apartment?”

One side of his mouth lifted, “What would you do if I said no?”

Eva blinked, shifting on the cushion as he applied just a little more pressure, “I wouldn’t go get it.”

Looking up at her from beneath his lashes, clearly pleased, he kissed her temple. The hand between her legs pulled away, grasping her skirt and settling it down over her knees.  It took everything in Eva to keep from begging for him to keep going, her core throbbing.

“Go get your bag,” he said as he stood, helping her to rise with him. Then, he walked her to the door of his office, pausing in the threshold. “I’ll be home soon.”

The walk to her car, the drive to her apartment, and then to his house was a blur, her mind foggy with arousal. Eva was standing at the door to his house before she knew it, the key in the lock. Swallowing, she turned it and stepped inside.

The house, like it always did, smelled like him. Eva took a deep breath, moving through the living room and down the hall to the bedroom where she dropped her bag.  The bed was made, the closet door closed, the blinds drawn. One of his jackets was thrown over an armchair to the right of the bed, the clock on his nightstand read seven pm.

Dropping her overnight bag next to the dresser, Eva sat on the bed, leaning down to pull off her sandals.  Absently, she felt the lighter still sitting heavily in her pocket. Pulling it out, she set it carefully on the nightstand.

She didn’t know how long she had, but she felt the need to make herself as presentable as possible.  The frantic searching for the things she needed to pack in her apartment, the drive over, not to mention the exertion in his office...Eva could smell the sweat on her skin.

Rising, she peeled off the sundress and stepped into the bathroom.  Showering quickly, she toweled off and returned to the bedroom. She should maybe eat something. Still naked, Eva went to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets until she found a box of crackers.  She ate as many as she could stomach, which was, admittedly, not a lot.  Washing it down with a glass of water, Eva stood at the sink and tried to figure out if she needed to do anything else.  He hadn’t given her any other directives. Bed. Naked. That was it.  

Filling the cup again, Eva leaned against the counter and looked at the living room through the archway. A few magazines and the TV remote sat on the table.  She could maybe try to distract herself with a late night show—no, if he found her on the couch...Eva shivered.  She wasn’t quite ready to test his limits, but the thought was intriguing enough that she filed it away to explore later.

Reaching over, she flicked off the lights, heading back to the bedroom.  She’d settled on getting rest. There had been promise in his voice when he’d told her he would be home soon. Eva needed to have the energy to rise to the occasion.

Sleep came easily, ensconced as she was in his sheets, in his scent. Dreamless, she snuggled deeply into the comforter. As solid as her sleep was, Eva could be forgiven for taking a minute to come back to consciousness.

Horacio was sitting beside her on the bed, hand on the dip of her waist. He’d pulled the sheet and comforter off her, the bulk piled at the end of the bed.

“I should have you here more often,” he said.

Eva smiled, “You usually want to go back to my place.”

He hummed, leaning down to pick up a plastic bag from where it sat at his feet. He reached in and tossed a box onto the nightstand. Eva would have giggled if her insides hadn’t twisted in anticipation. He’d gone to the drug store on his way back from the station. If there was any confusion about his intentions with her, they were now clear as fucking day.

Dropping the bag to the side, he worked the buckle of his watch loose, setting it on the nightstand. She watching him notice the lighter, his hand covering it for half a second. Then, he moved to his belt, sliding it through the loops of his uniform and rolling it into a neat spiral.  Next came his button up, thrown onto the armchair. His undershirt, too.  He paused over his pants, debating. Then, his thumb flicked open the fly and he pushed them down. Eva noted that he must have removed his shoes and socks before he sat down.  They were laying neatly by the door.

Leaving his boxer briefs on, he moved to the end of the bed, looking down its length at her. Eva rolled to her back, arms over her stomach as she waited. He looked at her a while, eyes narrow.

“Open your legs.”

She did.

“Wider.”

Leaning down, he grasped her ankle, thumb pressing into her Achilles heel. First one knee, then the other pressed into the mattress as he crawled up and over her, hands trailing alongside. The breadth of his chest pushed her thighs open further. Face against the soft swell of her belly, he breathed in.

The fingers on her hips curled, he looked up at her, displeased, “You showered.”

Eva bit her lip, nodding.

“Why?”

She shrugged, “I wanted to…” she searched for the words, “be presentable.”

A soft chuckle left his lips. Eva felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. She looked away, trying to think of what to say.

Moving up her body, he grasped her chin, trying to catch her gaze, “No, no, I’m not making fun of you. I just—don’t pout—I just think its cute that you think I’m going to find you anything but irresistible.”

Eva rolled her eyes, “I was a mess.”

His brows quirked and he hummed a little, “A mess that I made.”

She absolutely had no response to that, her mouth open in shock. He clocked it, smiled wide enough that she could see his dimples, and leaned down to kiss her. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, moaning. Eva grasped his sides as he kicked up the intensity, his hands in her hair.

“I need to tell you,” he gasped against her mouth, “While I can still think—fuck—while I’m still sane. You know what this is?”

Eva stared up at him, trying to make sense of his words, her mind already beginning to fog over with arousal. Pulling away, he grabbed her wrist and shoved it between them, laying her palm over his erection.

“Feel that?”

Eva groaned, eyes closing, as she tried to give him a firm pull. His grip tightened, his free hand cupping her cheek to get her attention.

“Feel, Eva.”

At the base of his cock there was a swelling, a little ring of flesh that was only about a quarter the size of what it would be fully engorged. Eva’s hand froze, her eyes flying to his face.

He looked down at her, all serious, “If you don’t want this, you need to tell me.  I’ll get up and I’ll go, but you need to tell me right now.”

As if to illustrate his point, he rose up on his hands and knees, his body trembling above her. Eva looked him over, looked at the scars she’d traced in the lazy intervals between kisses, looked at the arms that had held her, supported her, looked at the dark eyes that were begging her to choose quickly.

With deliberate slowness, Eva tucked her hand into his briefs and palmed him, sliding down to the base and squeezing the barely formed knot. He hissed, back bowing, eyes squeezed tightly shut. When he opened them again, they were as focused as they had been in his office.

Quick, sure movements hand her wrists in his hands, sinking into the mattress on either side of her head. He mouthed along her collarbone, dropping his hips into the cradle of her thighs, knees pushing outwards to spread her wide.

The ascent upwards was fast, frenzied, his hips twisting against her. The friction felt amazing on her already sensitized skin. He rocked against her, tasting her skin. Pinned down as she was, Eva could only hike her legs up high on his waist, using the little bit of leverage to grind against him.

“Inside,” she rasped, trying to arch deeper into every thrust.

Horacio shook his head, breathing hard, “This one is for you. I don’t know that...I won’t be able to make sure you’re, shit, taken care of after I…”

Eva took his meaning.  He was nearly in rut, a frenetic sexual energy coursing through him that would not be stopped once it started.  An alpha male in rut wouldn’t knot fully, but the partial swelling was enough to drive them to fuck until it had emptied—with a partner or without.

Feeling her body respond to that knowledge, Eva threw her head back, her thighs burning. She’d soaked through the front of his briefs, could feel even more slick dripping out of her as she climbed higher towards orgasm. A choked gasp caught in her throat, her body clenching down on nothing, spasming beneath the heavy weight of him.

“So good for me,” he praised, kissing her cheek chastely.

Eva sighed, muscles limp as he lifted off her and reached over to open the box of condoms, pulling apart the foil packet and rolling it on. After kicking off his underwear, he settled back between her thighs, lifting one leg up and over his hip. He pushed inside slowly, grunting as she pulsed around him. As he bottomed out, his eyes rolled back, the little swell of his knot settling against her folds.

There was a pause, a breath that held stagnant between them for only a second or so, and then he was pumping into her at an ever increasing pace. Eva teeth clacked together when he gave a particularly hard thrust, knocking against her cervix, grinding down.

All at once she was reminded of that first conversation they’d had following their first night together—how he’d worried about having hurt her. She had a feeling this was why. Eva had known he was strong, could feel it every time they touched.  She’d seen him fight, knock a guy unconscious. She’d felt him lift her with seemingly no effort.  All of that could not prepare her for the unbridled force with which he was currently fucking up into her.

His skin slapped against her, cock thrusting against her walls, hitting her g spot regularly enough that she felt another orgasm begin to rise. He wrapped both arms around her, holding her to his chest, face in her neck. It cost him in leverage, his knees digging into the mattress for purchase. But, he didn’t seem keen to let her go.

Eva hugged him to her, one hand in his hair, the other tracing down the length of his spine.  She could not quell the whimpers falling from her lips, could not stop her ankles from locking together at the small of his back, urging him on. She definitely could not stop her cunt from fluttering around him.

He groaned into her neck, hips stuttering. Cursing, his body slowed, lungs drawing deep breaths. Eva sighed as he rolled off her, her hands falling on either side of her body. She turned to her side, stretching her legs out, toes pointed.

Horacio returned to her, having dealt with the condom. He touched her shoulder, sliding up behind and slotting his leg between hers.

“You good?” He asked, voice rough.

Eva nodded, laying her hand over the arm around her waist. He continued to trace along her skin for a while, mouth leaving syncopated kisses all over. Soon enough, she felt him begin to harden against her ass and she tilted her hips back in invitation.

“Rest for a moment,” he said, his hand tracing up to her breast, kneading gently. He continued to dot kisses over her neck and shoulder, licking here and there.

He petted her for a long while, occasionally reaching down to slide his fingers over her pussy, rubbing light circles over her clit. All the while, sweat began for form over his arm and along his chest where they were pressed together. It wasn’t long before he was reaching for another condom and rolling Eva to her back, pushing into her.

The sound she made was not feminine or pretty. It exploded from her throat, a needy, guttural thing. As before, his pace was quick and hard. Eva gripped the pillow beneath her head, jaw unhinged as she tried to keep up. Too soon, her tired body was giving up, her legs falling wide as she simply took what he was giving her.

Horacio grasped her behind the neck, pulling her to him for a sloppy kiss.  Eva could barely breathe around the way he kept upping the intensity of how he fucked her, changing the angle, pushing inside and grinding on her, using one hand to arch her back up to him so that he could bite at her breasts. She keened, a frission running through her.

He came with a shout, his body shaking all around her, forehead dropping to her chest. She barely felt him pull out, still reeling from the electric static running rampant over her skin. Hands ran over her, lulling her as she dropped into a strange kind of sleepy place, somewhere between waking and dreaming.

When she came back to awareness, he was rolling his tongue over her pussy, one long finger dipping inside. He massaged her thighs, hanging over his shoulders. Eva moaned lowly, his name sounding as she shifted against the sheets. He sucked at her lips, thumb rubbing at her clit. From between her thighs, he watched her come apart, her head thrown back, legs shaking.

Making a sound of satisfaction, he lifted up, already reaching for another condom. With confident hands, he rolled her to her stomach, laying down atop her, pushing his cock into her in a smooth, firm stroke. The sound he made against her shoulder was obscene, a desperate, needy thing that dropped down into his chest.

He gave her a few slow, controlled thrusts before his body took over. The way he straddled her thighs, pushing them together around him, the weight of his body keeping her immobile—it built around her, feeding into something deeply held, something she didn’t know existed in her.  She liked that she couldn’t move. She liked that he could, in that moment, do whatever the fuck he wanted with her.

Whining against the pillow, Eva felt herself say things she had never let herself say before. Things like: Yes, hold me down and More, alpha, give me more. Fuck me harder, please. Her words seemed to spark even more of a fire in him. He lifted back to sit on his heels, pulling her with him until she was sitting astride his thighs with her back to his chest, speared on his cock.

At this angle, he could grind the promise of his knot against her. One arm crossed over her chest to hold her steady, the other reaching down between her legs, he strained against her. Eva grasped futilely at his hips, his thighs, not exactly sure what she was trying to do but she needed to touch him. She needed more of him, more connection.

Mine, mine, mine, he was saying, and it took too long for Eva to recognize that he’d dropped into Spanish. Words falling out of him like water. He called her his little omega, called her beautiful, called her his.

Pushing her hair over her shoulder, he kissed underneath her jaw, licking up to her scent gland and swirling his tongue over it. Eva gasped, her nails digging into his thigh, urging him on. Grunting, his fervent kiss turned into a deep bite and she could feel the moment he broke the skin.

She screamed in pleasure, the orgasm powerful enough that her whole body shook with it. She must have passed out, because the next thing she knew, he was calling her name, shouting at her.

“’m okay,” she groaned, touching his jaw tenderly.

Eyes wild with worry, he stared at her face.  She smiled at him, giving his cheek a pat before settling down into the softness of the mattress. He made her drink the cup of water she’d brought in with her before laying down beside her and watching her carefully. His eyes drooped as he stroked her thigh. Eva leaned over and kissed him, feeling blissfully worn out.

“Thank you,” she murmured before succumbing to sleep, though those weren’t the words that echoed silently alongside it.

[dreams-of-a-lark]

(Lark and Elias’s first and last photos together)

TASK 1: THE LAST DAY

January 11, 2016 7:00 AM, EST 12:00 PM, GMT

“Lark, you know I love you—”

“Boring.”

“Mmm fair. It’s fine, I have others. How about this one? Lark, you mean more to me than—” 

“Erh! Nope. Try again.”

“Oh, come on, you barely let me start!”

“Boo hoo… I knew where you were going with it. Got anything else?”

“Just one more, I was saving this one for last. It’s the best one I have, so will you let me actually get going before you stop me this time?” 

“Maybe. Compel me and we’ll see. I want to see you dig into the deep recesses of your soul, pull out your raw, still-beating heart and lay it bare. Otherwise, what am I even here for?”

“You’re unbelievable. But fine… Ahem...” Elias closed his eyes and let out a deep, shuttered sigh, “Lark. Before I met you, I had lost almost all faith in humanity. I found it impossible to believe that anyone acted with genuinely good intentions. I was bitter, cynical, lonely… and then, just as I was on the precipice of giving up on people entirely, there you were. Right on time. This pure light, banishing all my shadows. You are everything I was once sure didn’t exist in reality, but also the most real thing I’ve ever encountered.

The sheer amount of love you have to give blows me away. Love isn’t something you keep a reserve of only for certain special people. For you, love permeates the air around you everywhere you go and anyone lucky enough to meet you or know you gets to breathe it freely. Lark, you are so good, with no expectations or conditions attached to it, but just because it’s your nature. You make me want to be better everyday now, whereas before… I was just working on the motivation to be, period point blank. 

I have had the unfathomable privilege to breathe your love everyday for the past eight years and I hope you’ve felt even a fraction of what you’ve given me reflected back to you. Because, Lark, I love you more than I have the words to say. I love you with every last bit of life in me and I want to love you and feel your love for just that long, until the very last bit of life leaves me and I’m returned to the earth. I don’t know where I’ll be in the next five, ten, fifty years, all I know is I want to be wherever you are. So, Lark Dorian Crain, will you marry me?”

A silence hung in the air accompanied only by a faint mechanical whirring and the low buzz of an LCD screen. Katie finally broke it, her voice glitching and tinny through Elias’s small laptop speakers, “Better.” She said simply.

“Seriously? That’s it?” Elias replied, his voice laden with shock and disappointment.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, definitely a solid start. I almost teared up a few times. But, as all first drafts go, it could use some improvement.”

“It’s not my first draft, though…”

“Eh, feels like a first draft, love.”

“You know, sometimes it’s almost impossible to believe you’re related to Lark, let alone twins?”

“To be fair, do you know anyone in our family that’s really like Lark?”

“Eleanor.”

“Not related to us, stupid.”

“Mmm.. true. Ugh! Katydid... What do I Katy-do?”

“Well, for starters, you could never do whatever that just was again. Secondly, stop worrying about it, seriously. Knowing Lark, you could throw the ring across the deck and say, ‘go fetch if you wanna marry me’ and he’ll be running for it in an instant.”

Elias rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly at the thought of Lark bounding eagerly around the ship. It filled his heart whenever he thought of Lark’s joy, to think he had the power to bring so much of it to the surface baffled him endlessly.

“I’m so nervous,” he admitted.

“You don’t need to be,” Katie reassured him, “All jokes aside, it’s beautiful, and Lark loves you so much. You may not have moved me to tears, but you’ll definitely move him to tears. And then he’s going to blush like a damned schoolgirl and say yes a million times, like the sappy romantic he is.”

“You think so?”

“If he doesn’t, call an exorcist immediately, because that’s not Lark.”

Elias scoffed, but this was comforting encouragement to hear. Nothing he didn’t secretly already know, but it didn’t hurt to be reminded when he was feeling self-conscious. He breathed in deeply, filling up his cheeks with air, then puffing it back out through the small ‘o’ his mouth formed. 

“You’re right, I know.”

“I know you know. Listen, I’ve got to get back to work, love. I can call you when I get off, if you want, but you really should just enjoy your time with him today. Just act like it’s any other day... on a fancy cruise ship with the love of your life. Right?” 

Elias nodded, “Right. No need to call me back, you’re right. I’m just going to enjoy the day with him. Have a good day at work, I’m sure we’ll both call you after it happens.”

“I’ll be sure to hold the phone far away from my ear, so you all can squeal without busting my eardrums. Bye for now, then.”

“Alright. Bye Katie.”

The call ended and Elias closed his computer and looked out over the beautiful expanse of ocean surrounding the ship. Lark was still asleep in their cabin and probably would be for another couple of hours or so, it was nearly impossible to wake him anytime before 9 am. So Elias decided to stay for a while, taking in the peacefulness of the empty deck while the majority of the ship’s passengers slept, rocked by the lullaby of gentle waves.

January 11, 2016 9:00 AM, EST

Elias crept silently back into their cabin to find Lark sleeping fitfully, brows furrowed, eyelids knit tight. This was normally fairly unusual, but lately he’d been experiencing an uptick of nightmares that he didn’t like telling Elias much about for some reason. Elias eased down onto the edge of the bed and carefully lowered a hand down toward his forehead, fingers grazing across, pushing aside a stray curl. Almost instantaneously, Lark’s expression softened at his touch. It was moments like this that reminded him just how strong their connection was, the small gestures that could soothe one another’s most turbulent emotions.

He leaned down and pressed a light kiss on Lark’s cheek at which his eyes fluttered open, gazing weary oceans up at him. A soft smile, wrapt in security accompanied the gaze and Elias felt a pang in his chest as his heart skipped in response. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he sang softly to him.

Lark hummed and curled around where he sat, “Mmmmm… no.”

“No? What do you mean, no?”

“Not morning,” Lark muttered.

“It is, though.”

Lark shook his head, “No,” he mumbled, sleepiness still heavy in his voice, “still nighttime.”

“Oh is it now?” Elias asked, to which Lark nodded. Then, before he had a chance to react, he felt long arms wrap around him and pull him down and over into the bed, “Ah! Lark!” He laughed, “What’s this?”

“We sleep now,” Lark cooed, clearly very pleased with the results as he held Elias close. 

Elias let out another gentle laugh and turned to face the larger man, pressing his forehead to the other’s and cupping his face in his hands. “I love you,” he whispered.

Eyes closed, Lark gave a delighted smile. “Mhmmm,” he hummed in response, raising a hand to Elias’s eyelids in an attempt to shut them, “we sleep now.”

“Okay,” Elias giggled, “we sleep now, just a little longer.”

January 11, 2016 1:20 pm, EST

Elias woke to find Lark gone. Where was he? He rolled to sit up in the bed and checked his phone. 1:20 pm. Of course it was. With a stretch and a hearty yawn, he began to work on getting to his feet and looked around. The room was empty, the shower wasn’t going either, then he saw a shadow through the blinds leading out onto the small balcony of their room.

He opened the blinds to find Lark sitting in a wicker chair, sipping tea, gazing out over the water in placid solitude. There was a bottle of champagne and a pitcher of orange juice sitting on the table next to him, along with two champagne flutes and a bouquet of roses resting in a faceted crystal vase. Elias smiled to himself and slid open the glass door onto the balcony, coming up behind Lark who turned his head slightly towards him. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Lark said, seemingly completely unaware of the irony.

“It’s nearly 1:30.”

The other shrugged, “Morning is a state of mind.”

“Okay,” Elias laughed, draping his arms around Lark’s shoulders, and kissing the top of his head, “what’s all this?” He pointed at the set up on the table, to which Lark rose from his seat, came around to hug him tight, and laid a tender kiss on his lips. 

He smiled, then turned to pour two mimosas, “Happy Anniversary,” he said, holding out a glass to Elias. 

They clinked glasses and sat on the balcony, sipping their drinks, enjoying that serene silence they could only take true comfort in with one another. Every once in a while Elias would glance over at Lark’s satisfied face, the view of the ocean sparkling in his bright eyes. It didn’t matter where they were, Elias knew, but this was perfect. He wondered if he shouldn’t just pop the question right now, but the ring stayed in his pocket, waiting for a moment more perfect than this one. 

January 11, 2016 5:30 pm, EST

Elias hopped and shimmied as he pulled on his slim fit black slacks and tucked his stark white button up into them. He sifted through his bag and spread out the various necktie options he’d brought with him — plain black, floral, black and blue stripes, matte and satin striped maroon, black bowtie with subtle gold stars. A muffled sound of happy singing came from beneath the hiss of the running shower in the background. Elias looked back toward the bathroom and smiled, then turned to eye the bowtie lying on the bed. He was no good at tying bowties, Lark would have to help him, which made it the obvious choice in accessory. 

“Lark! Hurry up, our reservation’s at 6:00.” 

The singing stopped, “What’s that?” Lark called from the bathroom.

“I said... move your butt!” he called back.

“It’s always moving, love!”

“You know what I mean.” 

“Alright, alright, I’ll be out in a minute.” 

The shower went on for a little longer, then the hissing became a light trickle and, soon enough, a thick fog of steam rolled out of the bathroom door, orange light dissipated through the clouds. Lark strolled out, towel tied around his waist, drops of water hanging from the ends of his hair and glistening on his shoulders. He eyed Elias with the untied tie around his neck. A pleased laugh escaped his lips as he inched toward Elias and tugged at the ends of the bowtie, pulling him in for a kiss.

“Did you pick this tie just so I’d help you with it?” Lark asked.

Elias shrugged, “Maybe I did, you don’t know me.”

“No, of course I don’t.” Lark smirked and gently traced the side of Elias’s face with his fingertips, taking a moment to savor the sight of him. Eight years in and seeing Lark look at him like this still made Elias’s heart race.

“We have to get a move on,” Elias muttered, breathlessly. 

Lark cleared his throat, coming back to earth, and brought his hand back down to the tie. “Right,” he said matter-of-factly, then started on the tie. He worked the ends over and under, focus woven into his furrowed brow. Elias glanced down to watch his hands move then glanced back up at him. “There,” Lark fluffed the bowtie proudly when he had finished and met Elias’s gaze again.  

“I love you.” Elias reminded him for the millionth time and pulled him down to meet his lips, running his hands through Lark’s wet hair. 

Lark responded in kind, wrapping his long wingspan tight around Elias’s waist, “I love you too,” he whispered into Elias’s lips.

“I know,” Elias said and patted Lark’s chest as they pulled apart, “Now get dressed, we have like fifteen minutes.”

January 11, 2016 8:00 pm, EST

Elias and Lark walked hand in hand across the top deck of the ship, stomachs full, hearts warm, and heads perhaps a bit too light from a day full of champagne. Above them hung a cloudless, black blanket of sky encrusted with brightly shimmering, diamond stars and the thin sliver of a waxing crescent moon. Not far from them, a band played a harmonious violin cover of “You Are The Reason” with soft percussion accentuating the background. 

Lark pulled away, still holding onto Elias’s hand at arm's length, “Dance with me?” he asked.

Elias looked around the deck at the other families and couples enjoying the night around them, “There’s so many other people.” 

“So what?”

“They might be watching us.”

“Then we’d better put on a good show for them, don’t you think?” Lark smiled, pulling him back in and holding him close. 

Elias sighed, but a blush pulled the corners of his mouth into a coy smile. He wrapped his arms around Lark’s neck and leaned into him as they spun around the deck. Holding each other like this felt equal parts due to the desire to be close to one another and the necessity to help one another remain standing. The more they danced the more the effects of the day’s drinks took their toll and it wasn’t long until they had to slow to a stop. 

“Getting a little dizzy?” Elias laughed.

“Just a little,” Lark agreed. Then his face got serious and he pulled Elias with him towards the railing of the ship to look out over the water, shimmering under the stars. 

“I don’t want this night to end,” he said as they walked.

“Neither do I…” a pause settled between them. 

“Lark—” / “Elias—” They both spoke the other’s names in unison, followed by another unison, “sorry.” Then Elias spoke alone, “You go first.”

“Oh, uh,” Lark began, thrusting his hands into his pockets. He seemed to be fidgety all of a sudden, “Well, Elias… I know you know how much I love you, but I just wanted to say… before I met you…” Was this going where Elias thought? Had they really had the same idea at the same time? Well, he’d be damned if Lark was going to upstage his proposal. He gave a knowing smirk and stepped forward towards the other, “Lark…” but suddenly… time seemed to slow.

January 11, 2016 8:15:28 pm, EST

“… sorry.” Lark squinted and shook his head slightly, slow blinking.

January 11, 2016 8:15:30 pm, EST

Lark’s knee gave out on him and he stumbled back a bit.

January 11, 2016 8:15:32 pm, EST

Elias noticed the railing behind him fell just below Lark’s hip level. His eyes widened and he reached out to him.

January 11, 2016 8:15:33 pm, EST

The railing of the ship caught the back of Lark’s thigh.

January 11, 2016 8:15:34 pm, EST

“LARK!” 

January 11, 2016 1:15:28 - 1:15:34 am, GMT

Katie slept fitfully, alone in her small, twin bed, nestled in her small, one bedroom, Hampstead flat. In her dream, a flock of seagulls surrounded a small brown bird with a yellow face, a white underside, and black accent marks across it’s chest, under its eyes and in the tufts that sat upon its head. The small bird desperately flapped its wings to stay in the air, but the gulls, ten times its size, flapped their wings with all the more force down upon it.

January 11, 2016 8:15:35 pm, EST

Lark flipped over the railing, tumbling down towards the frigid waters below. A small crowd on the deck gasped as they bore witness. Elias ran to the railing and climbed readying himself to jump in after, but, just as he was about to take the leap a couple bystanders stopped him. 

January 11, 2016 1:15:35 am, GMT

Katie sprung up in her bed and screamed, cold sweat running down her face. An indescribable feeling of unbearable loss hit her core and ricocheted through her body.

January 11, 2016 8:15:36 pm, EST

The two bystanders held Elias tight, while others ran to find crew members that could help. “NO!” Elias screamed, “LET GO OF ME! LARK!” His body, completely sober now, shook with shock and tears cascaded from his eyes. “LET GO OF ME, GODDAMMIT!” He struggled against the ones holding him, finally breaking free and running back to the railing. His eyes scanned the water, desperately searching for signs of Lark, but couldn’t make out even the slightest shadow of a body. “LARK!” He called out. “LARK!” His knees buckled and he collapsed against the railing. “HELP HIM! SOMEBODY! Do something!” His forehead pressed hard against the bars, as his voice gave out, cracking a helpless, “please…” the bustle of crew members rushing to help Lark echoed from lower decks.

“Please… Lark… help him… somebody… bring him back…” It was impossible to see through the blinding film of tears rippling across his eyes, “please… I can’t… please don’t let him be gone… I can’t… I can’t… please… I can’t… somebody… Lark… I love you… please… I can’t.” 

January 11, 2016 1:15:36 am, GMT

On the other side of the world, Katie sat alone in her bed and heaved untamable sobs for reasons wholly unknown, save for the fact that it felt like something had reached into the deep recesses of her soul and snapped her still-beating heart in half, leaving the memory of it lingering like a phantom limb. 

January 11, 2016 1:30 am, GMT

A high tinnitus whine made its home in her ears, as she tried to process what she was feeling. Then the phone rang.

[aurilis]

hi i wanted to ask you if you could do a little fanfic like it would be if Carmen was promised to chase if you can i thank you very much🙂

Hi ! A short one is possible. As for the context, since it seems not realistic to me that Camen can be promised to anyone nowadays, I chose to do it in ancient times, more plausible. Hope you’ll like what I came up with.

Greece, ancient times.

In the streets of a city was running a little girl. Cladded in a white dress, a big smile on her face and her mid-long hair floating around her face, she was heading outside the city, to a meadow. Behind her, her nanny was running after her.

“ Please … lady Carmen … no so fast.” she breathed.

Carmen just laughed, replying that she should be faster. Carmen arrived in the meadow. She used to come here to play with her friends, some coming from another city. Here in Greece, cities were state ruled by monarchs. Carmen was the daughter of the current ruler : Dexter Sandiego.

“ Ah ! There they are !” exclaimed Carmen when spotting to silhouettes approaching.

Her nanny finally caught up with the child, just to see her running again.

“ They should stop … feeding her … on hares !” made the nanny.

Anyway, she could walk now. Carmen was greeting her friends, both coming from the neighbour city : a boy older than her, Chase, also prince and his cousin Julia. The kids began to play while the nanny met the fellow servants accompanying royalties now playing with Carmen. While keeping an eye on the children, they prepared a picnic. One hour later it was all ready to be eaten, and the servants called for the kids. They were fast to arrive, and welcomed the meal with larges smiles. They all rested a bit after that. They returned home when the sun was declining, promising to play again some other day when their lessons would let them sometime again.

Carmen went back satisfied of her day, wishing for more often moments like those. A peaceful day, a day of freedom. As a princess and future ruler, she had a lot to learn. Her days resembled like one of a minister : very busy, quite exhausting. She waited impatiently moments when she could play. Apart from that, life was peaceful, her city prospers. Carmen grew up like a mushroom.

She was still seeing her friends, their games changed as they were now teenagers : riding horses and racing, archery.

“ Hey ! You left before the signal Chase !” shouted Carmen.

She was on a beautiful dark horse.

“ Noooo you’re just too slow, surely because of those pounds you gained lately !” he teased, on his brown destrier

Carmen replied by a shocked sound, while Julia had a laugh.

“ Just you wait ! I’ll transform you into a pulp, not that it would change !”

She heeled her horse, beginning to catching up with him. But Chase didn’t say his last word and neither did his horse. They ran side by side, jesting with each other until the finish line where they spotted Julia outrunning them and winning. The losers grumbled. They let their horses resting and feeding, admiring the sky laid on the grass. Carmen breathed. She liked those moments so much. She glanced at her friends around her. Chase promised to be an attractive man later. He already was in fact … Julia would break some hearts too.

They parted at sunset too. While she was enjoying her day, Dexter was in a meeting with his counsellors. It was time to think about betrothing her. The young girl was in the process of becoming one of the most beautiful woman in Greece. Surely lots of men would want her hand. Better settle this before initiating any conflicts. So here they were, to choose a husband for her.

Carmen entered the palace in this instant. She asked her dear nanny about her father.

“ Well, he’s in the middle of a meeting right now, your highness.”

“Oh, alright I’ll see him later then.”

Carmen went to her mother she embraced. She spoke about her day of course. Helena was listening to her daughter with pleasure, around a drink.

“ Oh ?”

Carmen’s face brighten all of a sudden. She was talking about Chase, that prince from the neighbouring city. Helena stared at her daughter.

“ Well, well, well.”

Dexter arrived an instant later. He hugged Carmen, before asking how was her day. The princess joyfully answered.

“ I’m glad you have a wonderful day. Now, go to you room and change clothes for dinner will you.”

“Yes dad !”

They watched her running to her room.

“ So ? Did you find someone for her ?” asked the queen.

“ Yes.”

“ And when do you plan to discuss this with her ?”

Dexter gulped. Carmen was known to be found of freedom, not sure she’d like to learn about her betrothal.

“ We still have time for that. Starting tomorrow I’ll send an ambassador to request an audience with her promised one’s father.” announced Dexter.

Helena sighed. The sooner the better according to her, however her husband wanted to preserve their daughter’s happiness for now.

Time flowed again, while Dexter was arranging her wedding Carmen was getting closer to her friend Chase. Julia was fast to notice it and found great joy in teasing each other about that. They denied it strongly at first.

“ Come on Carmen, you should see yourself : both of you are turning ruby so deep that I’m thinking about opening a stand for barbecue, you would be the grill,  and sell it to passers-by.” made Julia.

“ Me ? N-n-n-no I’m not !” protested the princess.

Julia rolled eyes.

“ You two love each other. So please confess because your clumsiness is about to get on my nerves.”

“ You really think Chase loves me ?” asked Carmen shyly.

“ No, his blushing are simply a skin disease, and his smiles a way of ventilating his mouth !”

Carmen sniggered. The princesses parted. Carmen was thoughtful on her way home. It was true that the young man was often present in her mind lately. She waited even more impatiently to see him, and was sad more then before to part with him. The princess was musing on her possible feeling when a servant announced that her father requested her. Intrigued, she obeyed and went to him. Dexter welcomed her then invited her to sit? He said he had an important new for her. Carmen was 18, more than about time to get married. She startled hearing that. WHAT.

Dexter avoided looking at her while continuing : he starter negotiations two years ago and betrothed her. Carmen shivered. She trembled, not listening anymore. Betrothed … she was getting married. To someone she probably didn’t know, and certainly didn’t chose.

“ Carmen, are you okay ?” asked Dexter, finally noticing his daughter’s state.

Carmen didn’t respond. Instead, she stood up and ran away to her room. She was feeling nauseous. She paced in her room. All she could think bout was no. No it couldn’t be. She would never accept to marry a perfect stranger, someone she didn’t even have the slightest clue about, someone else than … She stopped. She had to do something. No way she’ll let that happen. She would chose her own destiny. Carmen closed her eyes. It would hurt her parents … but she had no other choice. The princess swiftly grabbed some clothes and money she stuffed in a bag. She stopped once again, breathless. It was a princess duty to marry someone that her parents would choose. But Carmen always figured that hers would let her have a word in it. That they would talk about it with her, trust her judgement.

Instead they didn’t. She felt betrayed in that instant. So she resumed her idea. Tying bed sheets and clothes together she made a rope. She descended by her window. Finding her horse she put tissue around his hoof to lessen sound and dragged outside. Once far enough, she ride it and ran away. Ran in the night, looking behind her. She was heading to the neighbouring city’s palace. As she was running there, someone else went in the opposite direction. She saw a familiar face. The princess stopped her horse.

“ Chase ?”

“ Carmen ?”

“ What are you doing here ?” they both asked, joining.

It appeared they were both coming to see each other. They were both promised to someone, and couldn’t accept it well … because their heart already belong to the other. They blushed again.

“ Then, let’s run away from here.” said Chase.

“ Right.”

The two of them galloped until their mount got exhausted. At dawn, they embarked in a boat to leave Greece and take refuge in Crete. They comforted each other during the trip.

Thanks to the money they both had, they could buy some land and hire three servants, with a house. They lived happily together like this for a few weeks. Lived free since a long time. Chase was thinking about proposing Carmen, and was looking for a jewel on the market. He chose a ring with a ruby. He went back home, when he noticed to familiar banner on the way. He gasped. Those were his family’s one along with Carmen’s one ! They found them ! He heeled in horse to hurry. They had to run away now. Chase barged in the house while Carmen was preparing the meal.

“ Our families ! They’re here !” he exclaimed.

Carmen went awfully pale. She pointer her finger behind Chase. Too late. They were already here. Carmen  grabbed Chase’s arm. No. It couldn’t end up like that, it just couldn’t ! She would never agree to be separated from him, forever. Chase tightened his jaw. Looked like fight was incoming. Well for Carmen he would fight a god. He spotted his father chamberlain, looking curiously jaded and not angry.

“ Seriously. Couldn’t you wait being married before running away ?” he said.

“ What ?” responded the lovers.

“ Your betrothal. Remember ?” he resumed looking at Carmen.

“ What ?”

The chamberlain lifted his head.

“ Your fathers decided to betrothed you both. Hadn’t you run away you’ll know it. We noticed your attachment to each other, and luckily you were good enough of a party to please the kings and queens. Well until you decided to stupidly flee. So can we now go back home and properly unite you ?”

Oh. Chase and Carmen looked at each other. Ooooooh the shaaaaame ! They leaned their head and agreed. They left their money to their servants for them continuing living. Back home, they didn’t dare to cross their parents’ look. The latter stopped worrying a bit when they learn they ran away together. The wedding was prepared, bride and groom eyes on the floor during most of it, ashamed by what they did. Their parents were amused in the end. More fear than harm, and they should be happy now.

“ My neck hurts from staring at the floor.” mumbled Chase, once they were alone.

“ Don’t mention it, I was looking for a hole to hide in or a bag to cover my face.” moaned Carmen.

“ Weird wedding ever.”

They lifted eyes. Little by little, they exchanged a smile. They were married. Back in home, reconciliated with their parents. Happy weird ending.

( not so short in the end.)