#(idiots) but mainly because of the red john of it all

[lisbonsteresa]

he's HORRIBLE

[livin-life675]

John Constantine was at the end of his rope, literally and figuratively at the moment. He had maybe two inches from the frayed end as he gripped it for dear life, a roiling pit of red under him. He didn’t even want to know what was down there, all he knew was that it was demon magic and he could already feel it reaching out for him, trying to drag him down.

He had been a bloody idiot, falling for the trap hook, line, and sinker. He knew when he arrived at the old house that it stunk of old magic, but had wrongly, or rightly, assumed that it was the work of the ancient text he was hunting down. Sure, part of the huge aura was the text, but it mainly came from the hell pit lurking under the rotten floorboards

And then the trap had been sprung, the book ripped away from him, the floorboards disintegrating under him, and he left with only seconds to cast a spell, a binding one he had truly cocked up judging by the rope he held instead of being temporarily bound to this plane of the world instead of being drug down to hell.

“Hang on! Sam, S-14, Tuck, shift him!”

A young, and distinctly American voice, calls out orders, echoing strangely in the house. John as a second to process this before thick vines, with strange glowing flowers, wrapped around his middle and yanked him from the pit, flinging him across the study.

As he goes airborne, he is able to catch a glimpse of a group of three kids, because they couldn’t be older than twenty. Two boys, and a girl, all with a haze of green surrounding them, the pale, black-haired boy the brightest. All three stunk of death magic, something that immediately put John on alert.

And then he was landing in a pile of the same, glowing green flowers, and his view was blocked by the sheer volume. He can’t even move to see what is going on, something holding and cocooning him, although it didn’t feel malicious, and judging by the fact that he could feel the deep ache in his bones retreating, something was healing him.

The sounds of a fight rang out for a few moments before everything fell silent, and the oppressive demonic energy disappeared, along with the sound of the vortex. Slowly, the flowers receded around him, allowing him to scramble up from the floor.

The group of three seemed to be doing a celebratory chitchat, hi-fives, and compliments all around. It was utterly annoying, but it did give John a moment to take in the trio. The first one he noticed was the pale, black-haired boy, just for the sheer amount of death magic still radiating off him, while the other two were more muted now. He was built like a swimmer, lean, but strong, and with that jawline and blue eyes, he was doing a great impression of a Wayne. Tracing up his arm, through his shirt sleeve, and arching around his neck was a lichen burn, death magic radiating from it.

The next obvious was the goth, the dark-haired girl who had saved him from the pit with the vines. Dressed in a pair of ripped, black jeans with a black t-shirt, she was the most unique looking one out of the lot, with black tattoos of vines and flowers going from her fingers, up her arms, under her shirt, and even up her neck, parroting the black-haired boy's scar, except that she had designs on both arms.

The last of the trio was the remaining boy, hair hidden under a beret. He was dressed similarly to the other two, in casual jeans and t-shirts. As John was learning, each had a specific thing unique to them, and it appeared that his was the elaborate designs around his eyes, dark but still able to almost blend into his natural skin color. Each of the tattoos, and the scar were radiating death magic, and it made John incredibly uncomfortable.

“Hey, are you okay? I know we cut it a bit close,” The blue-eyed boy asks, noticing how shaken John feels, his face morphing into concern.

“Cut it close!? What the bloody hell are three Americans doing here?!” John splutters, preparing a set of spells…just in case.

“Saving your ass apparently,” The girl snarks, crossing her arms with an unimpressed look on her face.

“And we’re technically not Americans anymore,” The blue-eyed boy explains easily, seeming far to relaxed for fighting off a demon and closing a portal to hell.

“Yes you are! What are you doing here?! Did that old bat hire you as well?” Constantine demands, magic building in his hands.

“One, stop it with the magic shit, it won’t do anything to us. Two, no, the “old bat” didn’t hire us. We were traveling close by when Danny felt the demon magic, and since it really doesn’t belong here, came to investigate,” the girl snaps, and the blue eyed boy places a placating hand on her shoulder.

“Sam, relax. He’s probably still running high on stress, you would too if you were nearly sucked into hell,” the Wayne bait boy looks to Constantine, face apologetic.

“Sorry about her, we haven’t had great interactions with magic users in the past. If we could just get that book and go, we won’t bother you anymore,”

“Not fucking likely! My find, my book,” Constantine exclaims, holding the book closer to his chest.

And suddenly, the easy going attitude of the blue eyed boys vanishes, eyes melting from an ice blue into a bright, Lazarus green. The carefree look is wiped off of his face and his mouth is set into a hard line, all trances of amusement gone.

“That book belongs to the dead and the gone. It does not belong on this mortal plane. I don’t care if you feel like playing around with a little magic, any mess you get into is yours, but that book belongs in the zone. Return it now, I am not asking,” the boys companions flank him, matching his suddenly intimidating aoura as death magic flares from all three.

Constantine had dealt with his fair share of magical beings and those capable of wielding the mystic arts. The spells and casting circles inside the book would give him an edge in his circles. But all of that experience told him that he did not want to tangle with the trio in front of him. Each one had been touched by death, cradled by it as a mother would hold a child, the blue eyed boy practically dripped in it.

He could maybe take one of them, with a lot of luck on his side. But all three? John Constantine was many things but an idiot was not one of them.

“Fine, what’ll you do with it?” John asks, throwing the book to the trio where the girl catches it.

“Returning it where it belongs,” the boy says, suddenly turning cheerful.

With a twitch of his hand, a glowing green rift forms in the air, death magic pouring out and nearly knocking Constantine on his ass. With one last wave from the blue eyed boy, and a matching set of glares from the other two, all three walk into the portal, the air stitching itself back up behind them.

Without even an incantation, the boy had opened a portal to the infinite realms, and had walked through, without hesitation. Constantine didn’t know a single person who could open a portal so effortlessly, let alone walk through, and certainly not with two companions.

“Bloody fucking hell, I need a drink,”

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

i just spent an embarrassing amount of time sorting all my spotify wrapped top songs from the last 5 years (which is how long i've been using it regularly) in order to see which songs and artists come up the most so, uh, i'm gonna go thru the data cos i'm a nerd lol

(this is all very self indulgent and only really exists so me from the future can come back and find it lol... but hey feel free to read if ur interested in my listening habits lol)

so what's interesting is that i've never had the same artist as my top artist of the year!

2018 -> BTS

2019 -> Banks

2020 -> Dreamcatcher

2021 -> EXO

2022 -> Girls' Generation

2023 -> Fall Out Boy

but despite that, both EXO and Banks have been in my top 5 for 5 times out of the 6 wrapped years!

even more interesting is that Banks is my 5th top artist this year despite the fact only one of her songs shows up in my top lists (i think i'm just always listening to her albums lol)

whiccchhh brings me onto the songs themselves

so no song shows up as top of my year every year, and there is also no song that appears in all 6 wrapped playlists BUT there is a song that shows up in 5 of the 6 and that is...

(drum roll lol)

Judas by Banks! not surprising cos it's such an amazing track but i kinda didn't realise just how much i listen to it lol! it's never been in my top 5 but it's always somewhere in the playlists lol

songs that show up 4 times out of 6 are:

Be by Hozier, Peppermint Chocolate by K.Will and Mamamoo, Vibrato by Stellar and Kingdom Come by Red Velvet!

songs that show up 3 times:

Lol by Taeyeon, Apple by Ga In, Snap out of it by the Arctic Monkeys, Bad Boy by Red Velvet & Tempo by EXO!

only other repeated song i'll mention is I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy which showed up in 2018 and then not again until this year lol

this year is a bit of an anomaly, because usually none of my top artists have more than 10 songs in the playlist (exceptions are usually if I had a particular album on repeat) BUT this year both my top artists (fob and hozier) have 18 and 20 songs in my top songs playlist respectively lol

(which is why when i've been rebloging those 'what is your 10th top song' posts it's mainly been fob and hozier tracks pfft.... rule of averages wins again lol)

& because of this most of the songs on my 2023 top songs list are ones that came out this year lol

some fun exceptions are:

How do you sleep by John Lennon, Why don't you do right by Lil Green, She's always a woman by Billy Joel, Can't rely on you by Paloma Faith and Irony by Wonder Girls lol!

honestly kinda shocked that hardly any of the mcr/green day stuff i was listening to earlier in the year has showed up (there are a couple mcr tracks, but i listened to american idiot SO much but not a single track is on my playlist rip.... guess i'm the (non)american idiot after all lol)

also kinda sad that spotify doesn't do a top albums things, though it is kinda obvious w/ my list pfft (top albums were So Much (For) Stardust, Unreal Unearth and The Age of Pleasure!)

& what i've discovered from looking at all this data is that i kinda like that every year is slightly different, with a different top artist and usually different albums that i play constantly throughout the year!

Last year it was Dance Fever, The Gods We Can Touch and 28 Reasons, few years ago it was III and 1719 lol! i just love having an album define so much of how i feel about a year :')

can't wait to see what albums define my next 5 years of life tbh!

anyway i think that's about all the data i can really pull from this lol!

[bisluthq]

I was curious about what you thought was the difference between like Jake VS Harry in terms of sex, mainly because that (from an outside perspective) seems to be a driving force as to why both those relationships lasted so long.

The vibe I've always gotten is that she and Jake "mAdE lOvE" and that probably freaked him out a bit. The implied stuff in the All Too Well short film is quite soft, and the way she portrays him in it gives me BIG commitment/intimacy phobe vibes.

And then obviously once they were hooking up after the fact she felt quite shameful about it, and the chemistry wasn't as strong as it had been because they both felt kind of shitty about it (if the 10 min version is anything to go off - also I know you at least used to be a Jake IKYWT truther and the implied sex in that seems to have a very shameful aftermath). But like the initial stuff was very like lovey-dovey.

Harry is the one I kind of blank on. It seems like they were still actively fucking after they broke up without much of the shame, or at least not in the same way. Wildest Dreams and "Slut!" (Which while not fully about Harry show her perspective on sex at that point) seemingly see her trying to justify a relationship being primarily sexual, because this person will remember her (though she's nervous that they actually won't and it will have been meaningless, because although the woman's prolific, she's a lover girl at heart).

I feel like the songs from this era is also one of the first times she acknowledges her... Skills. We get remnants of it in 2010 Sparks fly, and the promise of something great in I Can See You, but that's nothing in comparison to "you dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor/you search in every model's bed for something greater" so I think if nothing else they were having a good time. I think the contrast between her begging to be remembered on 1989 and even Speak Now and her constantly being haunted by/thinking she's haunting him with memories of their relationship on Red is interesting.

So is Complicated Freak which is imo very much a Haylor song. Like he sings about a relationship primarily based on sex... Where they've both been out and about... That he can't stop thinking about... And he wrote it in the 2010s. Not damning but it fits. Also it includes the line "you lost your head, so I'll give you mine," which I both really enjoy and think is dirty in a very Taylor-esque way.

I think she fell very hard and very fast for Jake and it was super romantic and she thought he was The One and he was the best sex she’d had up till that point because John’s a total freak and her and Joe J didn’t have full on sex and Jake’s more of a feminist and shit than like Martin and obvi was more experienced than any HS experiences she’d had so it was very 😍😍😍 for her. And I think he also liked her a huge amount. But ultimately like the age gap was an issue for him - according to 10 minute ATW and also like because he’s a dick but he’s not an idiot and 40/30 is no big deal but 20/30 is tbh and by her own account she was immature and I don’t think he knew exactly what he wanted but I don’t think he liked being a “daddy” so like idk he was just confused lol and so was she and they kept going back to it because she really loved him and he kept going back to it because he cared for her really deeply and found her hot but didn’t really want to be together (hence the commitmentphobic vibes we get from her portrayals of him). Idk I think dudes that age who date much younger generally don’t want to get married but also that doesn’t mean they’re soulless monsters. I think that’s what we see in her portrayal of Jake. He cared but he wasn’t willing to marry her or anything and she was 20 and in Real Love for the first time and thought he would want that kind of thing especially as he was lovebombing her.

Harry was a good time but I also think seemed like it’d work on paper and when it didn’t she got sad but like he was a good time so she kept seeing him for a while longer because it was easier than trying to find a new teenager to fuck.

[the-firebird69]

A few more companies tonight and pretty much have it wrapped up maybe depends if the answer wants to be a prick I'll lose some more

We are taking over several other companies tonight and the first is a humongous company and it is bigger than most people think and it's not really given credit for that and it's Hera's side. And yes it's the Pepsi company it's a gigantic company huge all sorts of products including mountain dew Canada dry Pepsi cola Dr pepper and they acquired RC cola recently because John remillard said he was the RC master. And there are tons of other companies and we don't like the cola companies the way they are and we're going to start changing the sweetener to something that doesn't make everybody s*** it's ridiculous nobody buys a damn product and they don't do anything with it they're doing nothing and the a****** associates poisoning people and it's not and we are taking it over not because he's not doing those things but because we don't want him to and we're doing it now and yeah the professional is an announcer on world news talking about Ukraine and American weaponry being sent there and he doesn't want to be mentioned but feel compelled to we feel compelled to because he is wearing our son's jacket yes and he's a thief and it's ridiculous and he took it from Garth from the house and that's trying to remember Lord's House he took tons of stuff from there and we need it back.

Is a giant company and I was real surprised when I saw how big it was it is huge it's Giant and there are companies that are all over the world that are subsidious how's the Pepsi cola company and it ranges there's foods too and other than cooking like oils and spices and all sorts of things you wouldn't think but mainly it is beverages they do make a company comparable to monster Red Bull and John remillard made the name and he made the day because he was trying to harm my husband in China which is ridiculous so he killed him and my husband actually killed him by hand although the guy didn't know his heart stopped. And there's a whole number of subsidiaries all around here and we mean factories and distributorships and it's mostly Schweppes and people drink a lot of tonic water and ginger ale in florida. And we coordinate off the other day and he's complaining and he's an idiot and complains about anything.

Come take a break but this is a big big company

Hera

Wow thank you

Zues

Your welcome

Hera

[suchagallabitch]

Word Prompts Round Up!

I am in actual shock that I was able to finish my goal of writing 22 oneshots and actually posting them! I am so incredibly proud of that accomplishment even if it is a little silly. A massive thank you to all of you that continued to support me in this endeavour. Forehead kisses all around!

All 22 oneshots with links and descriptions under cut! (bonus the Taylor song they’re named after)

1. your kiss, my cheek- Mickey is pissy at Ian for only kissing his cheek instead of lips

Title: This love -1989 Word: Cheek by @sluttymickey Word Count: 1.5K Tags: Sick fic, domestic fluff Published: Mar. 30th

2. lingering question kept me up, 2 AM, who do you love?- Mickey tries to get his baby to stop crying in the middle of the night

Title: Enchanted - Speak now Word: Beloved by @whatwouldmickeydo Word Count: 2.8K Tags: Kid fic, babies, domestic  Published: Mar. 31th

3. he's got his mothers eyes- nine year old Ian spends the day with a manic Monica 

Title: Superman - Speak now Word: Acorn by @tsuga-of-mars Word Count: 4.3K Tags: pre-canon, younger version of character (non gallavich centred) Published: Apr. 2nd CW: Bipolar disorder - Mania

4. leave with my head hung, you are the only one who seems to care- Mickey’s at the club we wishes he was home with his husband instead

Title: Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince - Lover  Word: Reverent by @smokey-mickey Word count: 3.5k Tags: drinking, club, Gallagher  in-laws Published: Apr. 3rd

5. life was a willow and it bent right to your wind- Mickey and Ian get stuck on the side of the road after a branch hits their car. Chaos and bickering ensue.

Title: Willow- Folklore  Word: Branch by @messedwithmandy Word count: 5.8K Tags: bickering husbands, side of the road, stranded Published: Apr. 5th

6. you carry my groceries and now I'm always laughing- Ian and Mickey have grown so much as people. Strangely enough, their fridge is a reflection of that. 

Title: Stay Stay Stay- Red [TV] Word: Strawberries by @xninetiestrendx Word count: 2.9K Tags: food, introspection, domestic husbands  Published: Apr. 6th

7. my hands shake, i’m not usually this way- After his daughter has a panic attack, Ian makes her feel safe. 

Title: Fearless- Fearless [TV] Word: Dizzy by @iansw0rld Word count: 3.3K  Tags: Good dad Ian, kid fic Published: Apr. 8th CW: anxiety, panic attacks, throwing up 

8. long list of traitors who don’t understand- Teenage Ruby continues to be a pain in the ass to her parents. Ian however is on the receiving end instead of Mickey. 

Title: Dear John - Speak now Word: Betrayal by @tellmegoodbye Word count: 5.5K Tags: kid fic, teenagers, lack of communication   Published: Apr. 9th

9. you’re untouchable burning brighter than the sun- Ian and Mickey wake up at the Alibi the morning after their first-anniversary party. Mickey thinks Ian looks beautiful in the sunlight.

Title: Untouched- Fearless [TV] Word: Sunshine by @gardenerian Word count: 3.1K Tags: introspection, married bitches Published: Apr. 11th

10. does she mouth fuck you- a domestic day in takes a turn when baby Ruby learns a new word.

Title: Mad Woman- Folklore Word: Fuck by @squirrelfund Word count: 5.5K Tags: (baby) kid fic, domestic bitches Published: Apr. 12th

11. your heartbeat on the high line- westside era husbands get up to some misdeeds for fun. 

Title: cardigan- Folklore (cabin in candlelight version because i like that one best) Word: Thrill by @arrowflier Word count: 5.3K  Tags: idiots in love, petty crimes, westside era Published: Apr. 14th

12. never made anyone less gay- Mickey slowly blossomed into accepting his sexuality over the years. 

Title: You Need To Calm Down- Lover  Word: Blossom by @energievie Word count: 8.2K  Tags: 5+1, Mickey growing up :) Published: Apr. 15th CW: Canon-typical homophobic language, internalised homophobia, mentions of incest (Sandy & Mickey) & a dash of sexual harassment in the +1 (mainly inappropriate nonconsensual touching)

13. all eyes on you, my magician- Carl gets a magic kit. Ian somehow ends up with it when and is definitely not great at tricks. 

Title: So It Goes… - Reputation  Word: Magic by @sunoficarus Word count: 1.6K  Tags: plain silly, drabble (?)  Published: Apr. 17th

14. don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire- less than a week after Ian and Mickey’s first-anniversary party, everything seems to be going wrong. Lip and Ian try to sit down and amend things. 

Title: Safe & Sound- Hunger Games Soundtrack Word: Firewood by @squidyyy23 Word count: 7.3K Tags: introspection, post canon fix-it, brothers Published: Apr. 18th

15. it was as good as our song- five times Mickey and Ian heard their songs, one time someone heard one for them.

Title: Our Song- Taylor Swift (Debut) Word: Song by @mikhailoaleksandrmilkovich Word count: 11.8K  Tags: 5+1, domestic life, (some) kid fic Published: Apr. 20th

16. It seems like the perfect night for breakfast at midnight- Carl forgets his anniversary is coming up. He employs Ian to make him a pie but Ian doesn’t know how to make a pie. He has Ruby help him. 

Title: 22- Red [TV]  Word: Meringue by @depressedstressedlemonzest Word count: 5.8K  Tags: kid fic, plot what plot, slice of domestic life Published: Apr. 21st

17. made your mark on me, a golden tattoo- five times Mickey and Ian thought about their tattoos. One time they thought about someone else's.

Title: Dress- Reputation Word: Tattoo by @mmmichyyy Word count: 11K Tags: 5+1, s4, s6, husbands Published: Apr. 23rd

18. and you held me close- Fiona invites the whole family down to Florida to celebrate her successes. Unfortunately for the Gallagher’s, a hurricane is about to hit and they all find themselves in close quarters. 

Title: Dancing With Our Hands Tied- Reputation Word: Close by @vintagelacerosette Word count: 7.8K Tags: snowed (rained) in, stuck in a house, family  Published: Apr. 24th

19. burrowed under my skin in heart-stopping waves of hurt- Mickey is getting under Ian’s skin, he needs it to stop. Prison era angst, that’s basically it. 

Title: The Lakes- Folklore Word: Stop by @thisdivorce Word count:  6K Tags: prison era, angst, hurt/comfort Published: Apr. 26th CW: canon typical domestic violence & a pretty poorly written fight scenes (graphic ish)

20. i’m five years old, it’s getting cold, i’ve got my big coat on- The family is running late one winter morning, this only makes Mickey hate the season more.

Title: The Best Day- Fearless [TV] Word: Winter by @ianandmickeygallavich Word count:  6.5K Tags: kid fic, grumpy mickey, chaotic Published: Apr. 27th

21. this is the golden age of something good & right and real-  Liam has a school event that runs him the chance of getting a scholarship. His history seems to be a point of teasing amongst his peers

Title: States Of Grace (Acoustic)- Red [TV] Word: Gilded by @sleepyfacetoughguy Word count:  7.1K Tags: Gallaghers, family, Liam, (non gallavich centred) Published: May 2nd

22. tasting your lips is my idea of luxury- Mickey misses the way Ian tastes, aka elle tries smut for the first time

Title: King Of My Heart- Reputation Word: Delectable by @gallawitchxx Word count: 6.9K Tags: NSFW, porn without plot, porn with feelings Published: May 5th

Related: the other one-shots I wrote this month

*Note: I feel empty inside now so if you feel so inclined leave me some prompts to write! A single word, full prompt, a number between 1-175 (👀), whatever i’m always happy to write

[deepdonutkid]

Kismet

Requested: No

Paring: Shelby!Sister Reader x Isaiah

Words: 5624

Summary: For a year now, you had a secret relationship with Isaiah and even when he is still in the same room with you, you can’t stop feeling lonely. It’s not that you don’t love him anymore, it more about the weight of the secret you have to carry. But with Tommy as you big brother you can’t risk, telling the truth or your man might get shot.

Note:

I was in the mood for a Shelby!Sister reader x Isaiah and it turned out to be way longer than I expected it... and I even cut out dialog... So here it is!

It’s also flavored with Junior Peaky Boys fun at the beginning. And I was inspired by my homegirl’s one shot called star and my story is an addition to hers, it’s the same night, but Bonnie has some other adventures than the reader and Isaiah.

Somehow I feel like everybody is a little ooc, but I couldn’t correct it.

Requests and tag list are still open, feel free to dm me or send me an ask.

tagging: @bonniesgoldengirl​ @justalonelyslytherin​ @theshelbyclan​ 

Warning: swear words, drinking, binge drinking, gambling, a hinted smut and a sweet ending

It was one of those nights, nothing special, just the usual fellows around the same table in the Garrison.  You had fun nevertheless. All your friends were right there, you had enough to drink and you had a luck hand today. The cards seemed to work in your fortune.

Deviously smiling you revealed your hand. You just had won this round and it gave you unholy amounts of satisfactions. “Ha”, you cheered: “Suck it up.”

Your friend shrugged and shoved his coins in your direction. All he said was a very grumpy “There you go”, but it pleased you.

You took the money and peaked around the corner. Where was Michael with the drinks? He was like a brother to you, but he was just your cousin. Maybe it was because you were born just two months before his older sister, Anna. Even though, she was gone Michael came back to his real family and now you were closer than ever. You cared for him, more than your siblings did.

But that didn’t mean you wouldn’t hit him, if he just left the bar to fuck with some random girl. It was not about him having sex, more about leaving without telling anybody. Especially when he was supposed to get drinks for the table. You moaned and said: “Where is Michael?”

“Probably doing somebody”, Isaiah joked and lit a cigarette. Then he offered you one and you took it gladly. Actually, you bit your lip and gave him the side-eye, but you had to hide your smile in front of the others. Bonnie and Finny weren’t the smartest boys in Small Heath, but you wouldn’t risk it.

You had so much fun with Isaiah that you didn’t even know when it started. Months passed by, while you were completely caught up in your little game with him. Nobody knew it. That was mainly Isaiah’s fault. At first it amused you to keep your relationship with him secret, but now you were ready to tell your family about it. Your boyfriend didn’t like the idea.

Somehow you thought Michael started to notice. He gave you the glace, which said: “I know, dear”, but maybe you were just getting crazy. You just had to be more careful around others now and everything was fine.

The night was still young and you were keen to make Bonnie lose all his money today. He had won the boxing match earlier and the bruises were still visible, but unfortunately for him, he couldn’t win against you. It was just a card game, but it filled you with gleeful joy. This and the fact that Isaiah was sitting next to you. Sometimes he would brush your thigh with his fingers, which made you giggle even more.

“There he is”, yelled Finny while being so fucking drunk, like you never had seen him before. Michael arrived with messy hair and his tie was undone, but he had your drink and that was all that you care for. “Finally”, you fluted and ripped the glass of his hand: “Thank you, babe.”

And the whiskey was still cold, which meant he fucked the girl first and ordered the drinks afterwards. “How was she? Good?” you asked before you took a sip from your whiskey. You weren’t a lightweight when it came to drinking, maybe not as well as Arthur and John, but you could tolerate much more than Ada and Finny. Your little brother was so drunk, he looked like his head was all empty and yet filled with bullshit.

Michael sat down next to you and answered: “Mhh, she was okay, but she talked too much.” Then you felt the weight of a hand on your thigh again. A shiver rushed down your spine, but it was the wrong side. Your cousin had put his hand on your knee. “Everything alright, Y/N?”

You nodded. “Yeah, everything is perfect”, you blabbered hoping he wouldn’t keep asking questions, but he did. “Don’t be so worried, every time I’m with a girl. I know you’re still a virgin, but you can get some too. Tommy wouldn’t be against it.”

How wonderfully wrong he was. Neither were you a virgin nor would Tommy be okay with this. After all, you were his little sister and he wouldn’t accept the guy, you were sleeping with. Of course, Isaiah was a friend of the family, but after the whole thing with Ada and Freddie you had something to worry about.

The best snarky comeback was right on the tip of your tongue, but you couldn’t say it without letting something slip. ‘What gives you the idea I’m still a virgin?’ And yet you were silent as the guy who fucked you, sat right next to you. You felt trapped and decided to go straight forward. “Yes, he would. You know it and everybody in Small Heath knows it.”

“Oh whatever”, Michael mumbled: “Just drink enough and you eventually forget about it.”

You grinned and emptied your drink. “Fuck it, let’s play some cards. I’m not done with Mr. Gold over here.”  Then you took the cards and dealt them to start the next round.

Much later that night when you brought Finn back home and went straight back to the pub, in front of the entrance, you stumbled into Bonnie. “Is there a reason why you’re smirking?” you asked him. He was gleaming red and smiling like an idiot.

Then you remembered. “The singer, right?” Bonnie nodded and his grin got even wider. “You talked to her?” Again he gave you a silent answer. You grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside. He was a lot heavier than you thought, but then again, you were just a girl and he was a boxer.

Sometime it was weird to only have male friends, it just happened. Maybe it was because of your brothers. Maybe that’s why you never acted like a proper girl. Of course you felt like a woman and you liked your body, but in your eyes it was so much easier to talk to guys.

“Eyy, where did you found him?” Michael slurred and helped you to put your friend on a chair again. With your hands finally free you had the chance to explain. “Found him outside. I don’t know what he did there, but he talked to the singer.”

Both, Isiah and Michael nodded. It was only logical for Bonnie to freak out after it talking to her. He was there every Friday night looking for the singer and now his brain seemed to melt, just because she said something to him. But neither of you knew, what she said exactly. Maybe this was a problem for another night. It didn’t look like Bonnie was able to answer.

So you ordered some more drinks and sat back down again. In this separate room, which was reserved for your family, it was almost too tempting to get close to your boyfriend again. Isiah looked so good that night and it hurt to be unable to touch him… or to kiss him. But you would be satisfied with just holding his hand now.

It was a curse; you knew it soon after you realized that you loved him. He was handsome, charming and a loyal friend. There was no better man for you, even though you wished you could be together in public. And again you bit your lip and moved your chair away from him.

But you couldn’t think about this anymore, it was too frustrating and luckily somebody else caught your attention. It was Bonnie who mumbled very quietly: “I think she kissed me, but it could be a dream as well. It felt so surreal.”  You padded his shoulder and nodded to underline your compassion.

It was just the same with Isaiah. Whenever you two were alone, it was amazing and beautiful. He was so soft and romantic and he just made you happy. But every time you woke up and he was gone, the sweet scenery shattered. And out in public it was getting annoying to find excuses to be with him or getting away, so you could spend some time alone with him and you had to lie to your whole family about your whereabouts. Slowly it became exhausting.

There was nothing you could do about it, so you just drank your whiskey and talked with the boys about Bonnie’s singer and the girl Michael had. It was so easy for them to display their relationship in the public, but of course you didn’t have this privilege as a girl. Apparently, you needed to be protected. Or so it has been explained to you. You wasn’t concerned for your safety but for your freedom. Tommy said it was his job as your big brother to care for you, even if it felt like he was controlling you. You have always been the wild one among your siblings and everything was fine, until your mum died and your dad left. Then Tommy was in charge and sometimes his opinions would vary from yours, which led to fights. And yet you feared what he might do, if he found out about your secret.

All the sudden Bonnie fell from his chair and you groaned. Now somebody had to bring him home as well. First Finn and now him… but why they couldn’t take the whiskey today? You weren’t nearly as drunk as them, but still.

Isaiah stood up and picked his friend up. “I’m taking him home. I’ll be right back”, he said, before leaving.

Now Michael and you were alone. It wasn’t what you wanted. The only thing you could think of was smooching the sweet lips of your boyfriend. You were caught up in your little fantasy, when your cousin woke you up again. “Isaiah is acting weird lately.”

“Oh… really? I didn’t notice”, you replied: “He seemed normal to me.” Your hand grabbed the fringe of your dress. Talking about him made you nervous.

Michael moaned and fumbled for his cigarettes. He put them out, you took one and he turned his between his fingers, when he added: “I don’t know, maybe I’m getting paranoid, but I think he is hiding something from us.” Then he lit his cigarette and took a drag from it.

You inhaled sharply and stared into the void for a second, before answering: “Don’t be silly, he is just as loyal as ever.” Then you laughed and Michael joined in. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I just needed to get this off my chest.”

The rest of the conversation went just like usual. You chatted, you bickered and you had fun. While the bell already announced the new day, Isaiah came back.

In this tiny glimpse of a moment you couldn’t hide your smile and he reciprocated. Actually, you were just waiting for Michael to leave now. It was your plan all along, but patience has never been your strong suit.

It took three more rounds for Michael to say goodnight. “Take care of her, will you?” Isaiah nodded. When Michael finally grabbed his jacket and headed to the door, you felt unbelievably excited. Your fingertips slapped a melody on the table, while you watched him leaving. The door shut and now you had what you longed for all night.

You turned around and looked at him. Gosh, waiting felt like an eternity. Now you were the one smiling like an idiot. Slowly Isaiah came closer and his hand pulled you to him for a kiss. “Finally”, you whispered against his lips, before giving him what he wanted.

After you two parted you rested your head on his shoulder. Now you were getting tired as well, but you didn’t want to go to your bed. “I was waiting the whole evening for this”, he moaned and stroked your hair.

The smell of his perfume made you realized how much you missed him too, even though he was with you since you went to Garrison tonight. You moved closer to him and wrapped your arms around him to give him a tight squeeze. Then you signed: “I wish we didn’t have to hide” and buried your face in his shirt.

“Babe”, he replied: “We already had this conversation. It wouldn’t end well. Let’s just enjoy what we have as long as we can.” It hurt, but Isaiah was right. There was no chance Tommy was getting you off the hook, once he knew about it. And no matter how you explained it to him, he would still be against it. You were too young for stuff like that, as if he didn’t fucked Greta, when he was the same age.

You leaned back to see his beautiful face again. There was something in his eyes, a twinkle or something like that, but it always made you feel comfortable. A lick of your lip was enough to purpose the idea of doing something nasty. He knew you since you were children and it was like he could read your thoughts, especially the dirty ones.

Isaiah started giggling and asked: “Hey, babe, I still can cheer you up, right?”

Maybe it was time for some fun, different to the fun you had before with your friends. The word pleasure would describe it well and with his knowing look he gave you so many ideas. You laughed and nodded. “I think it might help when you do the thing with your tongue.”

“Oh”, he responded amused: “Like this?” And then grabbed you for a kiss and god, what a kiss it was. His tongue brushed your upper lip just to enter your mouth and explore it as if it was your first kiss. He even bit your lip playfully and kept going until you couldn’t breathe no more. Your knees started shaking and it was needless to say, he was the best kisser you ever had.

It took you a while to catch a breath again, but then you answered: “Yeah, just like this… But maybe we could go to your place and do a little more?”

He didn’t seem to be so sure about this suggestion. His thumb stroked your shoulder as he held you in his arm. Because he was so quiet for a second, you knew, he thought about this backwards and forwards. “But right when the sun comes up, you have to go back home”, he argued.

Again, Isaiah was right. You should take too many risks. Otherwise you might get caught and neither of you wanted that. All you could do was to shrug and agree: “Just don’t shoo me after we fucked.” There was bitterness in your voice. What wouldn’t you give to wake up next to him every morning?

The pub was almost empty, when you left. You couldn’t hold his hand on the way out. Everybody in Small Heath was Tommy’s spy. Back on the streets a cold wind blew. Now you had an excuse to go near him and he shared his coat with you. Isaiah was always so sweet and caring. You knew you wanted to spend your future with him. There was no other man and you wouldn’t get over him, not now and not in five years.

You even took off your shoes before entering the Jesus household and followed him on your tiptoes to his room. It was completely dark in the house and the silence was haunting, but good for you, you knew the way by now. The excitement made your fingers tremble.

Finally you arrived where you wanted to be the whole day, in his room. Isaiah closed the door as quietly as possible and started smiling. You walked up to him and started to unbutton his shirt. Now you didn’t want to waste any time.

And neither did Isaiah. He was ripping down your dress, which only worked because the straps were so thin. His hands were all over your body and you couldn’t stop kissing every inch of his skin. It felt like magic whenever he touched you. You moaned, when he played with your bare breasts. To silence you he put his thumb on your lips, which you took as an invitation to suck it. Maybe it was mean to tease him like that, but you were desperate for his affection.

An hour later you laid next to him, your head on his chest as he stroked your hair. “You should leave, before we both fall asleep, babe”, he whispered, which caused you to sign. Leaving now was draining, even exhausting. After this wonderful sex, you were too tired to move anywhere, not to the bathroom and certainly not back to your cold bed.

You pouted your lips and tilted your head, so you could give him your puppy eyes and a pretty please with cream and a cherry on top. “Just ten more minutes. Your bed is way comfier than mine.”

He laughed and kissed your forehead. “That’s just because I’m in this bed and you like to use me as your personal giant pillow.” Your fingers hovered about his belly. Even though his muscles weren’t tense now, you could still feel the strength lying beneath his skin.

While your index finger drew circles around his bellybutton, you whined: “Maybe… just maybe that is true, but I still want to lay here for a bit. Otherwise I start to feel like a whore, who only comes for sex and leaves silently afterwards.”  It wasn’t a knock against Lizzie or her job, but you didn’t like the feeling, when you got home and had to find sleep in your own bed. Even though you had a relationship with him, you still felt lonely. Especially when the sun was rising and nobody was by your side.

“You’re not a whore and you know that”, he argued looking a little concerned.

Then you turned on your back and stared at the ceiling. “No, I’m a Shelby and that is probably worse”, you scoffed.

Now Isaiah was silent and had no witty comeback for that. Maybe, because it was true. If you weren’t part of the family, you could be with anyone, whoever you wanted. Carrying the name Shelby was the only reason, why you had to hide your relationship with Isaiah.

After a while he mumbled: “Okay, stay for a while, but you should be back before they open the shop.” By that time you were already half asleep and yet his words made you smile. He wrapped his arms around you, the little spoon and purred like a cat. Just in this position the both of you fell asleep.

Loud steps were coming near the door, but they wouldn’t wake you up. The screaming of Isaiah’s name did. It was a familiar voice and it took you a couple of minutes to notice, it was your brother Finn who shouted and ran down the hall. Suddenly you were wide awake. You startled up and looked around the room. The sun was already up and shining through the window. Then you saw Isaiah, who was just as frightened as you were.

If Finn came rushing through that door, your secret relationship was no longer secret. “I locked the door last night”, he whispered, which was relieving to you, but still no perfect solution for this problem.

Now Finn arrived at the other side of the door and was knocking on it like crazy. “Isaiah, wake up! Y/N is gone. Nobody can find her and Michael said you were the last one with her in the bar”, your brother yelled. You could hear the panic in his voice, but you couldn’t get caught. Not now.

You stumbled out of the bed and collected your clothes, when you heard Isaiah ask: “What are you going to do? You can’t go out there. He will find out.” And you knew your boyfriend wasn’t concerned about Finn, more about Tommy.

The tension in the room was immense. You had to come up with a plan or your brothers would shoot your lover in front of your eyes.

Suddenly you knew what to do. You pushed the pile of clothing to your chest and squeeze it thigh, when you explained in a lower tone: “I’m gonna hide in the wardrobe and then you open the door and go with Finn away. Afterwards I can come out and then I go to the betting shop and tell the others I have fallen asleep on a bench or something.” It was not the best plan, but yet your only option.

Isaiah nodded and you climbed into the cabinet where he stored his shirt and jackets. The second you entered the small wooden space, you knew it was all going down. Call it intuition, call it divination, call it whatever power Polly owned, but you felt it rushing through your body. He closed the door behind you and then you could hear him stumble into his pants.

Only half clothed he unlocked the door to let Finn in. Isaiah was still sleepy. He wasn’t the morning type of person and before he hadn’t had his breakfast he wasn’t really available. Finn strode up and down. You heard is nervous steps. “Everybody is freaking out right now. Polly thinks somebody kidnapped her or worse. I mean, she has always been unratable in her doings, but this time my sister is really going of the edge. It’s already past lunch and nobody has seen her”, Finn explained: “This morning her bed was empty and I thought I shouldn’t worry, but now I’m afraid I should have said something sooner.”

The cabinet was very uncomfortable and yet you tried not to move or to make a noise, which would cause Finn’s attention. However, being in Isaiah’s position didn’t seem to be pleasant as well. He had to lie to his best friend about the whereabouts of his missing sister, knowing she was sitting right here. Isaiah patted his friends shoulder and said nothing.

Finn didn’t calm down and seemed to be upset, Isaiah wasn’t panicking like him. “C’mon, get dressed. We have to look for her. She might be lying somewhere in the dirt. We shouldn’t waste even more time, standing around.” Then he walked to the closet and opened just the door where you had been hiding.

Butt-naked you fell down to the floor and looked up to your younger brother, who had the same face expression as the one time you told him where the babies were coming from. Some when later you would look back at this moment and would have a good laugh about this, but right now it felt like your world was collapsing.

He should have seen you like this and it took you a whole minute to gather the mental energy to get back up at your feet and greet him like it was the normal thing to do in a situation like this. “Hey, Finny, there I am.”

Your brother froze mid movement and stared at you as if you were the first pink elephant the world has seen or a bear riding a bike. Then he broke the silence. “What?”, he winced. There was no anger in his voice, just total confusion.

Finn looked to Isaiah and then back to you. “You screwed my sister?!”

There was no answer to this question.

“How long?” Finn asked: “How long did you hide that from me?”

You glared over to you boyfriend as if you were asking him for permission to say something. Isaiah signed and nodded. There was no point in denying this anymore. It was over.

Now you had to tell the truth. “A couple of months, maybe a year or so”, you croaked and your voice sounded strange. Like it was not your own and even though you dreamt about finally opening up, it shouldn’t have been like this.

Your brother yelled: “A year?! A whole fucking year? Damn, I should be proud because apparently you two are excellent liars with no moral issues… you two deserve each other.” You heard the disgust and disappointment, when he spoke and it broke your heart. Back then, when the whole thing started you though he might be the only one of your brothers to understand you. How wonderfully wrong you were.

“No”, you said under your breath: “Don’t fucking do this to me. I would have told you, if you wouldn’t have run straight to Tommy after you knew. Everybody knows you can’t keep a secret. So don’t act like it was my fault or my mistake, because it’s not. I would have gladly told everybody, I’m like him very much, but you and Tommy and Arthur and John made it impossible for me to even talk with a guy who is not part of the gang. You can’t turn this around and act like you are the victim in all this.”

It was time for you to stand up for yourself and your decisions… and time for you to get dressed. You didn’t seem as responsible as you were when you were still naked and in front of the closed you have been hiding in. Now you knew how wrong it was to lie and hide your relationship, because it wasn’t their concern. It was your life, your body and your choice. Nobody could take that from you and certainly not your brothers. You weren’t afraid of them. All your life you saw how your brothers treated women and you said nothing about it, but this should change right now.

So you stood there, furious and filled with rage, put on your dress and your shoes and said one last thing, before leaving: “This madness has to end.”

You stormed out of the room- not caring for Isaiah or Finn- and heading for the King of Small Heath to throw him out of his high throne. Your hair was a nest and you smelled like a bar after a dirty old night, when you entered the betting shop. Nobody was there, just the regular family members.

Everybody seemed to be relieved to see you again and then came close to hug you. Ada was right next to the door and the first to greet you. “Oh my god, you’re back, sweetie”, she muttered.

Next was Polly who examined your appearance for cuts and other injuries. Of course you had none, besides the hickeys Isaiah gave you. She tried to take a closer look of your neck, but you pulled away, which caused her to ask: “What happened? Where were you all night?”

Now Tommy was coming up to you. His steps were slow, but fierce and the glare in his eyes was pinching. “Just from the smell I would guess, she was with a guy this night”, he scoffed: “She probably had a lot of fun, but now she should say, who that guy was, so we can take actions.” You knew he was addressing you, even though he didn’t phrase it like that.

“I don’t think, this is your business”, you replied with a grin on your face. You wouldn’t back down. Not this time. “But yes, I was with a guy tonight. So you don’t need to worry. I’m completely fine.”

Your older brother led out a little laugh, pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Well, well, well, I don’t care what you think. I’m your brother and it’s my job to make sure you’re safe”, he explained: “And now you tell me who he was.” Ah, past tense, a hint of what was going to happen.

You crossed your arms and tiled your head to give him a dismissive look. “Who said it was your job?” was your comeback, but your brother wasn’t remotely impressed. Neither of you would let the other win. You were too stubborn for this gesture of insight.

Others, including Arthur and John, were somehow intimidated by Tommy’s behavior, but not you. Actually, you learned too much from him to take his shit.  He taught you to help your head up high and how to outsmart your enemies.  Now you could use the same strategies against him.

“Ever since our father left and mom died, you act like you are in charge, but you’re not. We are your siblings, not your pawn, waiting for your command”, you hissed: “I have my own life and I make my own decisions and who I meet shouldn’t concern you.” Slowly your anger grew. It was a boiling feeling in your gut, like you were fueled with fire.

Tommy was getting gleaming red. You had hit the right spot and you knew you would hurt him with your words, but otherwise he wouldn’t understand. The words were stuck in his throat as he killed you with his looks.

Patiently, you waited for his answer. He wouldn’t give you the satisfaction, but silencing your brother was the best thing ever, since he was the reason why you felt miserable lately. “No comeback? No arguments, dear?” You loved to poke his wounds and you did it with a huge smile on your face.

“As if you would listen to me… You even said it yourself. You wouldn’t take my advice”, he responded and bid his lip. “But I don’t need to talk to you to teach you a lesson. You’re too young to fuck around town and I’m going to find the bastard who did this and kill him.”

The door was opened behind you and soon Finn entered the room. You gave your little brother the death glare you were known for. He shouldn’t get the idea he was allowed to talk about what he found out.

You should be raging right now, but all you could do was laugh. His empty threats weren’t as daunting as he thought. With nothing but spite you whistled: “I would love to see you try. I kept this a secret for over a year now and you noticed nothing. And now I can wait another year for you to find him… or I could run away… whatever you prefer.”

Now you’re pushing your luck. Finn could ruin everything, if he just said one wrong word. The palms of your hands were sweaty. It was a dangerous game you played there, but it was not like you could back out of it now. This was road of no return.

Tommy seemed to be more surprised than fuming, when he asked: “You slept with some geezers for a year now?” He respected your talent to keep it under the radar. Everybody who could shirk his rules deserved acknowledgement for putting up with this risk. Maybe he was finally realizing how much you had grown. You weren’t his little kitten anymore.

“No, not geezers, just one guy”, you corrected him: “But yes, that is true.”

You watched Tommy as he walked around the table, heading for the whiskey, while he nodded understandingly. “Mh, so you would say it’s love?”

A sign came from your lips. You already knew the answer, but you weren’t so sure, if you should say this out loud. After all, you didn’t even have a proper talk about this with Isaiah. Silence was filling the room, while you calculated your risks. If you said, you loved him and Isaiah wasn’t as serious about the relationship, you would look like an idiot. Good for you, he didn’t come to the betting shop to witness the fight between you and your brother. Finally you decided to tell everybody: “Yes, I do.”

“Good”, Tommy mumbled while he poured his whiskey: “Then you should have my blessing. Just give us the name now.” He took a sip and seemed to be amused by your embarrassment.

Talking about Isaiah, while he wasn’t present, was weird, but you knew why he stayed in the comfort of his own room. You weren’t mad at him for not running after you. This was your fight and not his. And after all your brothers were a little scary, when it comes to stuff like this.

But you had Tommy’s word now and nothing should happen to your man. You shrugged and rolled with your eyes. The fuss they made about this was still annoying.

Ada patted your shoulder and encouraged you to speak. “Do we know him?” The answer was yes, but it was also the reason, why you struggled to say it out loud.

Even John chimed in and kept pushing: “Yeah, what’s up with this fella?” He was smiling to let you know the mood had changed. Nobody was against you anymore.

“It’s…”, you started and fumbled for the seam of your dress: “It’s Isaiah.”

At first it was dead silence, while the others processed the information, then Arthur and John burst out in laughter. Finn seemed to be relieved, because he would have hated it to keep a secret like this. Your older sister was hugging you a little too tight and even Polly was smiling.

Tommy had a smug on his face when he muttered: “If that’s the case, then you should have your happiness.”

“Isaiah is a fine fella. You will be alright”, hummed Arthur. Apparently everybody was happy with your choice. You just had to stand up for yourself.

It felt like a huge weight was lifted off your shoulders and then you could laugh about it too. But suddenly you remember that Isaiah was still waiting for his death in his room. “I should go and let him of the hook”, you fluted and already went to the door when you heard Tommy said: “Don’t get pregnant or he has to marry you.”

[maple-the-awesome]

Be Her Guard || Chapter 6

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x Reader

Words: 1,779

Masterlist

When treading up the stairs of the Baker Street flat, John quickly discovers Sherlock laying longways on the couch, his fingertips pressed to his chin in thought as he gazes up at the ceiling in a bored manor.

Not even looking at the blond, Sherlock asks plainly," what did Morison have to say?"

"He didn't really say that much. He last heard about the case four years ago when someone mentioned having an appeal, but he doesn't think one ever took place and nothing was said to him after that," Watson explains, studying the room.

You're nowhere in sight, but he could heard your muffled voice downstairs along with Mrs. Hudson's joyful one. The two of you are most likely having some 'girl time'. The landlady sure does enjoy having another woman around the flat and you had been quick to start treasuring tea time with her in order to escape the boys (mainly Sherlock when he decided to act like his usual self and shoot the wall a thousand times).

John scans the flat farther, licking his lips and debating whether he should repeat Rick Morison's question. Seeing as you are absent, he has a perfect chance to ask since there is no need in embarrassing you, although, he isn't sure how Sherlock will react or if such thing is possibly true. Sherlock in love with someone and enough to go through the trouble of putting a challenging man in prison? Now that would be an excellent laugh!

"Don't just stand there like an idiot. You clearly have something else to say so get it over with. You're distracting," Sherlock's voice cuts through John's thoughts like a knife, his icy blue eyes studying the man standing in the middle of the room like a child who's lost his parents in a store.

"Morison had a question he wanted me to ask you. He asked if it was really fair that you put so much effort in putting a man behind bars all because you...um," John coughs uncomfortably, whispering the rest with dusted red cheeks,"...wanted his girl in bed..."

He waits for his friend to react in some way, possibly by getting upset and arguing that it's just as ridiculous of thought as John considers it to be, yet nothing comes. Sherlock simply continues lying there, his eyes glued to the ceiling once again. It's like he didn't even bother to listen...

"Well?"

"Well what?"

John sighs," is that true?"

"You really believe that drunk?" The detective faces John with a glare," police will make up anything especially American ones. The man I went through 'so much effort' to put behind bars is guilty. He attempted to murder (Y/n) and tried to convince everyone she's the crazy one. I merely took her side because she's clearly innocent of such claims."

"I didn't think he was telling the truth anyways, to set the record straight," John points out, pointing an accusing finger at Holmes," and are you ever going to tell me the details to this case or am I forever going to be left in the dark."

Sherlock sits up with a huff, making John think he's going to argue further, but instead, the man stares down the stairs, appearing to think for a moment before speaking,"...if you must know, then I'll tell you. Just don't go questioning (Y/n) or anyone else about it. She doesn't need to be reminded more than she has and others don't need to go around gossiping."

Far too quickly, the ex-army doctor nods, sitting down in his chair a bit eagerly as Sherlock makes his way to his own, lazily dragging his feet and taking his time to get there. When he finally presses his back straight against the chair, he gives another look towards the stairs before starting his explanation.

"As you already know, (Y/n) and I became acquainted with each other when she came to England for her junior and senior years of high school. After our graduation eight years ago from now, she had decided she wanted to go back to her own country to be closer to her family throughout college.

"About a year into her studies, she met a man named Apollo Timons who was one of her classmates at the time. Apollo apparently took an instant liking to her which was never something he tried to hide. I think it's safe to say he was instantly obsessed with her, burying her in constant attention, flowers, and chocolates; cliché things like that. Much of it was unwanted yet I'm sure you could get the idea that (Y/n) is far from the type of girl who would want to hurt someone's feelings, especially when they seem so kind."

John nods at that, understanding what he means. Not many people like purposely hurting someone's feelings either. He, too, would feel evil if having to turn down a girl who did everything she could to pour out her love for him.

"At some point, he asked her on a date which she agreed to thinking it was only fair to at least give him a chance. I suppose things went well in the beginning. She used to keep regular contact with me through emails and calls ever since she moved across the sea, but they became less frequent when she met Apollo. When we did talk, she said she was happy, so what was I to care?" Sherlock puts his pointed hands under his chin with a short pause,"...it wasn't until after they were engaged that I problems began to arise with Apollo showing his true colors. From the sounds of it, (Y/n) never even wanted to be engaged so quickly, but felt 'trapped' saying yes. That's what she said later on anyways.

"She began asking for my opinion in their relationship, but I've never been good in that field, so I simply waved her off saying I couldn't know whether she'd be better off with or without him. It wasn't until afterwards that I learned the truth behind all of those excuses she gave me about him not 'being her type' or it 'just not working out' between them. I learned that Apollo had been controlling her life through blackmail and manipulation, even mental and physical abuse...If I would've know that, I would've told her to leave him instead of just standing by as she carries on dealing with him..." Sherlock trails off, staring at his feet from over his crossed legs, a look of distant regret shockingly in his eyes which makes John do a double take. Without saying anything, he waits patiently for his friend to go on with a frown of his own. It isn't the most pleasant story, although, he didn't expect it to be the brightest.

"...Six years ago was when everything changed for good. (Y/n) had called the engagement off in the nicest way she possibly could yet she kept worrying nonetheless. I recall her telling me that there was a sick feeling in her stomach once, so I told her to have a way to defend herself if she was so worried...I still didn't know the source of her fear with Apollo, only that she must just be being her normal anxious self...then it happened. After a late shift at work one day, she was caught outside by Apollo where he shot her after she refused to give him another chance-"

"-And the courts had trouble proving that?" John interrupts without putting much thought into it.

"If you'd let me finish," Sherlock spits the words with a slight glare," he made it look like an attempted suicide on her part, not expecting she'd, by some miracle, live despite a bullet through her head. When I heard what happened, I arranged an immediate trip to America and payed her a visit where she told me everything. Apollo was put on trial and, when he was found guilty, (Y/n) moved back to England..." he pauses, licking his dry lips before going on," we lost contact with each other soon after until now."

"Now he's out and after her again?"

"I've been up the last few nights trying to find anything I could on him being released yet, according to every source I've looked at, he's still in jail serving a life sentence but he can't still be held up. He must be out. The question is: how'd he get out without being released and it never being brought up in the news? Surely someone has noticed his absences."

"Perhaps he's in jail still and-"

"-He's out, John. He must be and I can't afford to take the chance that he isn't."

"...Do you think he'd try, you know...finishing the job if he could get near (Y/n) again?" John mutters with hesitation, Sherlock humming in thought.

"It's hard to say. Criminals don't always make sense when it comes to their motives, just look at Moriarty. I don't think Apollo would want (Y/n) dead if it can be helped; that's the best I can say. He's obsessed with her. If he could have it his way, he would have her come back to him alive and well."

John considers what Sherlock is saying. He supposes he had a point. This Apollo man must just be crazy. Perhaps he was enraged when he shot her since she called their engagement off. He may not have been thinking straight as he pulled the trigger. Regardless, someone like that shouldn't be out on the streets.

He goes to voice his thoughts to Sherlock despite the man most likely already considering the idea, however, someone clears their throat quietly from the doorway causing the two to look that way while abandoning their conversation.

"...Um, Mrs. Hudson wants to go to dinner with me. I told her I'd have to ask you," you're barely standing in the room itself with your eyes on Sherlock, all with a hopeful smile. It has occurred to the doctor before that you would, at some point, get tired of being stuck either at the flat or Sherlock's side. He wonders if you heard them talking, though.

It's clear Sherlock is having a hard time answering. One could practically see the wheels turning in his head, processing all the possibilities of what could go wrong if you left the flat...All that would be at risk and whether it's worth a bit of happiness on your part.

"...It'll just be at Speedy's and she said you could come along if you want," you put in, looking as if he's already rejected the idea, but to your surprise, he stands with a nod once snapping out of it.

"That's fine."

NEXT CHAPTER ➡️

[poge-life]

The Cut } Finn Shelby chap. 3

Chapter one   chapter two

Things were slowly going back to normal in Birmingham. The Longfield's had returned to Small Heath two days after the wedding, not wanting to be away from business any longer.

David had informed Penelope that she and James would be going with him to meet Vincente Changretta, as Tommy and Camden would be away on business. Whenever David had business with Tommy, he would send Camden since he would be the one looking over the books for David's businesses and knew he would do what's best for business.

Finn and Isaiah were to search Mr Changretta and his men when they arrived at Charlie's yard to make sure they wouldn't be carrying anything. Penelope was sat on John's right with David sat in the middle with Arthur on his left and James on the end; Charlie and Curly a little further back.

Finn moved to stand behind Penelope as Isaiah was behind Arthur and David.

"You asked for a meeting out in the open," Arthur started, "fresh air and the fine aroma of shit."

Penelope and John let out a quiet laugh at the oldest Shelby's choice of words as James spoke," 'neutral ground' you said."

"This is hardly neutral ground," Vincente replied, looking around Charlie's yard. Penelope leaned back in her seat as Finn placed a hand on her shoulder, "well, it's what you've got."

"So, por favor," Arthur spoke, purposely speaking Spanish, "please sit down."

"Where is Thomas?"

"He got called away," David answered, "I'm one of Tom's most trusted advisor's, so you'll be doing business with me."

"He said he'd be here." Vincente spoke, hostility in his voice

"Yeah, he's busy." Arthur answered

"And we just told you he got called away, "John spoke, "what do you want?"

It was clear to everyone that no one wanted to be here. Penelope knew Arthur, Michael, and Camden had set fire to Angel Changretta's restaurant the night before Tommy's wedding to prevent him from attending with Lizzie.

Penelope knew that no one crosses the Italians unless you have a death wish. The Changretta's took their vendetta seriously. And Penelope hoped no one said anything to piss Vincente Changretta off.

"There has been peace between the Peaky Blinders and the Changretta family for two years now." Vincente spoke

John had interrupted the man by asking him if he wanted tea and Penelope shared a look with her brother, knowing John would be the one to piss off Vincente.

"We don't want fucking tea!" Vincente spat, "we want an explanation."

"Well, I'll have fucking tea, "Arthur said, pouring himself and James a cup

"Explanation for what?" David asked, lighting a cigarette

"The Little Venice restaurant on Forge street was burnt down," Vincente said, causing James to interrupt him this time, "no. Couldn't have been us. We were at a wedding."

"You burnt it down to stop my son from being at that wedding." Vincente replied.

"Forgive me, Mr Changretta," Penelope spoke, "But what do we have to do with your son's restaurant burning down? When Lizzie happens to be a very good friend to all of us. And we wouldn't do anything to ruin her happiness."

"A woman has no business speaking without being spoken to."

Finn's grip had tightened on Penelope's shoulder as James and David sat up straighter, "Mr Changretta, it would be wise for you to advise your men to watch how they speak to my daughter."

Vincente turned to face the two men, speaking in Italian before turning back to face the table, "You are such big boys now. And such a beautiful young woman. But once you borrowed clothes from us to look like men."

"And we repaid you for that," James spoke, "we always repay our debt."

"How's the tea, Arthur? Is it..."

Arthur and James dumped their tea out before answering, "it's cold."

Vincente turned his attention to David, realizing he would be getting nowhere with John and Arthur, "Tell Tommy that we pay him whatever he asks us to pay. We stay out of the city and off the tracks."

"But you tell him from me," he continued, looking over at Penelope, "that my son will walk with any woman in this city. Any woman he chooses. Even if that woman works for the Emperor, Thomas Shelby. Even if that woman is already with a Shelby."

James quickly stood up at Vincente's words as Isaiah moved closer to the table and Finn moved to stand next to her instead. David let out a dark chuckle as Penelope stood up and grabbed onto Finn's hand, "You'd find that your son would not get past my brother, Mr Changretta."

"And if he wishes, he will walk with the woman he loves." Vincente spoke, looking between John, Arthur, and David.

John leaned forward to pour himself tea before speaking, "You know, it would be hard for your son to walk anywhere with a bullet in each knee, wouldn't it?"

Penelope shut her eyes at John's words, tightening her grip on Finn's hand. John just started a war with Vincente Changretta. And she knew nothing good would come out of it.

Vincente stood up straighter as David shared a look with Arthur.

"Too much," Vincente had pointed at John, "you said too much, my friend. Sabini said 'Suck and Swallow'. But no. Too much. I spit."

Vincente spat at John's feet before walking away as one of his men started cursing in Italian, smashing one of the chairs to bits. Penelope sat down on her chair as Finn gave her hand a squeeze, letting her know that he was there.

The Italian's were prideful men. They valued family and loyalty over everything. And John knew that. He was told to let David and Arthur handle the business. But he let his pride get in the way.

"Isaiah," Arthur spoke, "Put two extra men on our pubs in Nechells."

"James, tell your brother to go to London and have him take a few blinders to the casino's and pubs." David spoke before walking away

"We're not scared of fucking eyeties anymore." John told his brother

"Don't tell Tommy about the chair and clean this fucking shit up." Arthur said, following after David as John called out after him, "We're not scared of fucking wops!"

"You're a right fucking idiot, John," Penelope spoke, turning to face him, "you just threatened to shoot his son in the knees. You know how serious they take those threats. You just started a war."

Penelope stood and turned to look at Finn, "Pop around our house later? I have to go to Mum's office before heading over to see Cam."

Finn nodded his head before leaning down to give her a kiss. Penelope fixed his Peaky cap before giving him a peck, making her way through Charlie's yard.

James followed after his sister, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "what do you have to talk to Cam about?"

"One of us has to tell him what John did because if Arthur or Tommy does it, you'll know Cam will no doubt try to kill John himself."

The older boy nodded, knowing she was right. The Longfield's had no business nor problems with the Italians due to them being temperamental so Cam and David did everything in their power to make sure there was no bad blood between the two families and since ⅗ Longfield's were at the meeting, the Longfield's were now involved with the Italians.

"Pol's gonna kill John," James mumbled, opening the car door, Penelope following, "If dad doesn't do it first."

Penelope made her way through Shelby Company ltd, walking past Michael's office towards Camden's before backtracking to stop in front of Michael's, turning to face him.

Said boy was sitting at his desk, cigarette in hand as he looked at Penelope who had a smirk on her face, "What?"

"See you and Willow made up." Penelope answered, walking into his office as she looked around, only being in his office once

"What makes you say that?"

Penelope walked over to the desk before bending down before leaning down to pick up Willow's bra, holding it up for Michael to see, "because I bought her this for her birthday."

With that, Willow slowly stood up from her spot behind Michael's desk as he closed his eyes in defeat as she gave a little wave, "Hi Penny."

"You're lucky it was me and not Tommy." Penelope smirked, looking between the two, knowing she had something on them now.

"Why are they lucky it was you and not Tommy?"

The three turned to see Camden and Tommy standing in the doorway. Willow quickly snatched her bra out of Penelope's hand before the two older man could see it and let Isaiah know, even though Willow knew Penelope was bound to tell him.

"You two wanna tell them or should we wait for 'Siah to be here, too?" Penelope teased as Willow and Michael looked at each other.

Penelope was having a field day with whatever she knew about them and Tommy and Camden could tell, the big grin on her face giving it away.

"Penny caught us together and knew Tommy would make a bigger deal about it." Willow sighed, avoiding eye contact with Tommy and Camden.

"You left your bra on the floor, didn't you?" Cam smirked, leaning against the door, causing Willow to go red as Michael let out a sigh. Penelope struggled to hold her laugh in as Willow sent her a look.

"Don't let it happen again here." Tommy spoke, the couple nodding

"Polly said that you should call her. There's been some trouble." Michael told his cousin, causing Penelope and Camden to look at each other

"What trouble?"

" I'm guessing the stuff she doesn't like to tell me about." Michael responded, irritation laced in his voice

Anybody could tell Michael hated that Polly wouldn't let him be involved with the business, despite being one of the people Tommy trusted the most. Penelope wasn't a blinder nor involved with Tommy's business but she always knew what was going on. Mainly because Camden would tell her what was going on; Finn doing the same when he was allowed to be involved.

"Cam, I need to talk to you." Penelope said, walking to his office. Camden was one of the book keepers for the company, dealing with David's business that he did with Tommy and Alfie Solomans.

Camden sat in his chair as Penelope flopped down on the couch in his office, taking many naps in her brother's office.

"What's going on, Pen?"

"John fucked up, Cam," She spoke in a quiet voice, "we had that meeting with Vincente Changretta about Angel's restaurant. And John threatened to put bullets in Angel's knees."

"He fucking did what?" Camden exclaimed, looking over at his sister. Camden had a short temper. Everyone knew that. The war caused it. Camden had been tortured and held captive during the war before being let go. He didn't speak for weeks when he came back to camp. Only telling them when the tunnels collapsed. Camden was the protector of the family. After thinking he would never see them again; he always made sure his family was safe. And now that John had possibly started a war with the Changretta's and involving his family?

"Mr Changretta said there was nothing we could do to prevent Angel from being with Lizzie and John said it would be hard to do that with bullets in his knees." Penelope exclaimed, running her hand over her face as she looked over at her brother. Camden's hands were curled into fists and he was clenching his jaw to the point where the muscle in it twitched.

"What did dad do?"

"Told James to tell you to take a few Peaky boys to London to watch over at the pubs and casinos." She answered as Camden nodded

"I don't want you and James involved," Camden started, "you let dad and meself handle this. You two are to stay out of this."

Penelope nodded as Tommy walked into Camden's office, causing Penelope to roll her eyes, "Sure Tommy. Come right in."

Tommy didn't even bat an eye as he responded to the blonde, "I own the building Penny. I'll do as I please."

Penelope rolled her eyes as she laid down, shutting her eyes for a moment, "C'mon. Meeting at Polly's."

The blonde let out a groan before begrudgingly following after her brother and Tommy. Walking past Michael's office, Willow called her in, causing her to turn and walk into the accountants office, "What?"

"Just letting you know that I wouldn't want to sit in any of the chairs in here for a while." Willow avoided eye contact with Penelope as she spoke, causing Michael to choke on the whiskey he was drinking.

"Oh, I'm sure that's what Willow sounded like earlier." Penelope laughed, running out of the office before either could say anything.

Penelope greeted Finn with a kiss as she walked through the betting den and into the kitchen that connected the Watery Lane house to the building they used for bets on race day. David was sat at the table with James, Arthur, and Polly as John was standing by the mantle.

"Thanks for coming Finn, "Arthur spoke, "Now fuck off."

Finn rolled his eyes before walking through the den, being stopped by Tommy and Camden, "Finn, you can stay."

The red head immediately slunk to his girlfriend's side, the blonde wrapping her arm around his back, leaning into his side.

Tommy took a breath before looking at his younger brother, "Sit down, John."

"You cut Angel Changretta, even though Arthur and myself told you to apologize." David spoke, causing Penelope to nearly give herself whiplash at how fast she turned to look at John.

That was it. John officially started a war with the Changretta's. Dragging her family with them.

"Polly told you to compromise," Tommy looked between his older brother and aunt before looking back at John, "you chose not to listen to Mr apologize or Mrs compromise, and now I've got an Italian walking around my backyard saying he's going to kill my brother."

"So, what should we do, John? Do we apologize? Or do we compromise?" David asked, leaning towards the boy as Arthur spoke up, "it was just something he said as a joke."

The Shelby boys never like disappointing David. He was practically their father, as theirs ran off before Finn was even born. Letting David down was one of the worst feelings ever.

"Yes, but he's your brother too, Arthur." Tommy commented, "And I don't want to start a war over something John said without meaning it."

Penelope noticed that James and Camden were unusually quiet, considering they always had something to say but Penelope thought it might have to do with the fact that her family wasn't directly involved with this business.

"So, should we apologize in Italian or English? Or should we just ask them which fucking language they prefer? I'm not clear."

"You said while this business was going on in London, you wanted peace here." Arthur said to Tommy.

The three Shelby brothers wanted nothing more than to be done with the Italians but they all wanted three different ways to solve the problem.

"And the only way to guarantee peace, is by making the prospect of war seem hopeless," David spoke as Tommy agreed, "If John apologizes once, you do it again and again and again. Like taking bricks out of the wall of your fucking house."

Tommy turned to look at Arthur, "Do you want to bring the house down, Arthur? If you're soft on rebellion, it'll grow."

"Bloody 'soft on rebellion' " Arthur scoffed

"You did the right thing, John. Now, we go to the offensive. We take two of Changretta's pubs, we take them tonight."

"That's it?" Polly scoffed, " For Christ's sake, why?"

"Because we fucking can! Because we fucking can, and if we can, we do!" Tommy yelled as Camden agreed, "And if we lift our heel off their necks now, they'll come at us. Remember, these are the bastards that wanted Danny Whizz-bang dead!"

Arthur had turned away from the conversation at this point, not wanting to hear anymore. Tommy had noticed and scoffed at his older brother, "You're getting soft, brother. Soft and weak. Save the bible for Sunday's, eh?"

Everyone knew the reason behind Arthur's change of heart. Linda was a very religious woman and she was practically forcing Arthur away from the only life he knew.

"Finn, I need to get to Hockney, then home. It's been a long day." Tommy said to the youngest Shelby. Finn nodded his head, pressing a kiss to Penelope's head before making his way out of the building.

"You take the Wrexem. You take the Five Bells. You get them signed over to us in the morning. You make sure to keep the coppers away. And don't use the bloody phone, someone's listening."

David pulled out his cigarette case, offering his children one before focusing on the two Shelby's, "You didn't just threaten Angel Changretta. You did it with two of my kids present. Therefore, involving my family in this war. You cut Vincente's son. They don't just lie there and take it, like the rest of Birmingham does when it comes to you lot. An eye for an eye. They'll stop at nothing to make sure this vendetta is paid. No matter who gets in the way. Any harm comes to my family, my wife or my kids, because you two decide to go against Tommy's orders and do as you please, you won't like how it ends."

Never in all the years David has taken care of the Shelby family, has he ever threatened them. But he loved his own family more and wouldn't think twice about harming anyone who hurt his family, Shelby or not.

"Dave..." John spoke in a quiet voice. John had grown up seeking David's approval for everything. He considered David more of a father than his own.

"Do the right thing, John Boy." David told him, patting his shoulder as he made his way through the betting den.

"James, Penny," Camden spoke, causing the two blonde's to look at their older brother, "go wait in the car."

They knew better than to argue with Camden. So they nodded, saying their farewells. Penelope leaned down to wrap her arms around John, pressing a kiss to his cheek, "It'll be alright John."

The two blondes made their way out of the building, making their way to their fathers car, "Think John'll apologize?"

James just shrugged, for once not being able to determine his best friends actions, "For everyone's sake...i hope so."

Penelope was laying with her mum in her parents room as David was in his office. Penelope was watching her mother with a content look on her face as Audrey came up with designs for the dresses Grace had asked her to design for the foundation this Sunday.

The content feeling didn't last long though.

James came bounding through the doorway, flopping on top of his sister, who let out a groan at the sudden weight, "get off me, you knob."

"You don't want to spend quality time with your brother?" James teased, maneuvering so he was laying with his head on Penelope's stomach.

"Not when your fat arse just drops on me." Penelope smacked the back of his head as Audrey laughed at her two youngest children.

Growing up, James and Penelope were as close as any siblings could be. James felt the need to protect his sister whenever Camden went with their father on business; being the man of the house. James, John, and Camden had broken the nose and many bones of the boy who referred to Penelope as the 'Peaky Whore' because she was close with the Shelby's. After that, no one ever made comments about her again.

While Camden showed his love for Penelope through his words, James did it through his actions. He would always hug Penelope, have his arm around her shoulder, or place a kiss on her head; something he got from their father.

"Where's your brother?" Audrey asked, glancing over at James who was playing with the rings on Penelope's hand.

"Went with John, Isaiah, Arthur...and Finn to take the Changretta's pubs."

"They let Finn go with them?" Penelope asked, worry laced in her voice

While she was happy that he was being included in the business, she just wished it wasn't the violent stuff. She knew he could handle himself, being trained by her father and oldest brother but she knew how often the Shelby brothers got hurt. And since there's a possible war brewing with the Italians? Her nerves were at an all time high.

"Cam's looking out for him. He knows to pull him before things get serious." James explained, looking up at his sister.

Any time the youngest Shelby would come with them, James and Camden would make sure Finn was never in harm's way; knowing his brothers would be too occupied with making sure Finn was safe.

David had walked into the room and felt himself smile at the sight. Growing up, Camden, James, and Penelope would climb into the bed with them and just talk about anything and nothing. Penelope spent most nights in her parents room after her brothers got drafted for the war. And when the boys returned, they spent many nights in their parents bed, wanting to be around each other after being away for four years.

"Sweetheart," David called, causing Audrey to look over at him, "seems like our bed has been infested with pests."

The two youngest Longfield children let out yells of protests at their fathers words as David and Audrey let out laughs.

David gestured for James to move his legs so he could lay down. Audrey had placed her sketchbook on her night table as she laid on her side, alternating with her husband with playing with their kids hair.

You would think James and Penelope weren't David and Audrey's kids due to their blonde hair but David's hair was blonde when he was young, passing that gene onto his two youngest while Camden got their mothers auburn hair.

James and Camden were quite the ladies men in Birmingham. They both were strapping young men; chiseled jawlines, both with muscle from the war, eyes that every girl seemed to fall for. And they were in a gang. Any girl in Birmingham wanted to take a blinder to bed and James and Camden often agreed to it.

Penelope was also a good looking Longfield. Often were people jealous of the good looks that all the Longfield's possessed. Penelope was one of the most beautiful girls in Birmingham. She had blonde hair that fell to just below her shoulders, stunning eyes. But once she grew a figure, men often stopped paying attention to her looks and focused more on her body and tried to bed her; well those brave enough to. But Penelope never bat an eye. Not when she had one of the most strapping young men in Birmingham on her arm the last year and a half. She had been enamored with Finn since they were 10. But her feelings grew stronger as her and Finn grew up. About two years ago to be exact.

Penelope knew she always had feelings for the boy. Finn had always defended her honor growing up. Made sure no one ever spoke bad about her. Penelope was told by her mum to get Camden from Tommy's gym and she had walked in just to see Finn take down his opponent. She pulled him aside and told him how she felt. Finn feeling the same.

"Do you think John will apologize?" Penelope asked, looking between her parents. David and Audrey looked at each other for a few seconds before David spoke, "I'm hoping I talked some sense into him. But, you can never tell with John. He needs to realize he dragged us into this war. It won't just be them who Vincente Changretta targets."

"You'd think he got enough of war in the actual war." James mumbled, letting out a sigh. Penelope grabbed her brother's hand and gave it a squeeze.

James was 17 when they got drafted for the war. He was too young. Too innocent to see so much violence. So much death. He didn't talk for weeks when he came home. But he got better. John and Camden were by his side everyday to reassure him that he was safe and that the war was over.

"Tommy'll get through to him." Audrey reassured him, sharing a look with David that went unnoticed by their children.

It was the day of the Shelby Charitable Foundation Ball that Grace had been working so hard to put together.

David and Audrey led their family through the crowd as Penelope had her arms linked with her brothers. Audrey had outdone herself yet again. She had slaved many hours over various fabrics, needles, jewels, etc...

Penelope was wearing a floor length light gray dress that had jewels along the bodice and the hips with strings of pearls all along the skirt of the dress. Penelope's blonde hair was pulled into a low bun with a jeweled headband to top it off.

Grace had requested that Audrey and her had similar colored dresses due to wanting to show her thanks for everything she had done for her.

Audrey and Grace had gotten close since Tommy told them they were getting married and Grace had come to Audrey on how to deal with the lifestyle. Audrey had very often helped with blinder business, not wanting to tarnish the name of her business. Audrey had told Grace it was better to not ask questions she didn't want the answer to and to wait for Tommy to come to her about it rather than prying.

Audrey was wearing a floor length rose-gold dress that had jewels all over the dress.

Penelope quickly spotted Willow and dragged her brothers with her. Willow was wearing a floor length gown with gold silk fabric under a layer of maroon, gold, and silver jewels.

"Well, you might just be the best looking woman in here." Penelope teased, slinking to her best friend's side. Willow let out a laugh as she greeted the Longfield brothers with a kiss to their cheeks before linking arms with Penelope, leading her over to the group of Shelby men, "I do believe your mother has outdone herself once again, Penny."

John had nudged his younger brother and motioned behind them. Finn had made the mistake of taking a drink as he turned around, causing him to choke on it. The two girls laughed as they walked closer as John and Michael were patting the boy on the back.

"You alright?" Penelope asked, stopping in front of Finn. Finn nodded his head as he turned to place his glass on a tray nearby, "You look...absolutely stunning."

Penelope felt her face heat up at his words as she placed her hand on his chest, "Ever so handsome, Mr Shelby."

Finn gave her a smile as he leaned down to place his lips on hers.

"Right," Camden spoke, causing the to to pull away from each other, "That's enough of that."

Penelope shot her older brother a look as he just smiled at her. James was hiding his smile behind his glass. The two boys loved teasing their sister when it came to Finn. They often dragged the couple away from each other during events, interrupting them before they could kiss.

"Everything went alright last night?" Penelope asked, looking between the group of boys. By now, Willow and Michael had joined in as Arthur and John went to find their wives.

Camden, Michael, and Finn had looked over at James, who shut his eyes as Camden smacked the back of his head, "You weren't supposed to tell her."

"Dad would have told me anyways. Or I would have found out."

Willow looked lost at what they were going on about so Michael had explained everything to her that happened over the last few days. Including how Isaiah was also involved.

"Oh bloody fucking hell." Willow whispered, downing the rest of Michael's drink.

"Everything went fine." Camden told Penelope, "But they won't just lie there and take it. They will retaliate."

Penelope took a deep breath, knowing Camden was right. Finn pulled her tighter against her as he placed a kiss on her forehead. Penelope shut her eyes and leaned into Finn's embrace, savoring the small moments with him

"And we'll be ready when they do." Michael spoke, pulling Willow into his side. James and Camden had left to go talk to John and Arthur as Isaiah had made his way over to the group.

Penelope had perked up at the sight of the oldest Jesus sibling and sent Willow a big grin as she realized what she was gonna do, "Penelope Haven, if you say what I think you're going to..."

"Isaiah!" Penelope cheered, "Just the boy I was looking for!"

Isaiah had shared a look with Finn who just looked as lost as he was as Michael had flushed in realization of what Penelope was about to do.

"Did you take snow before you came here?" Isaiah asked, causing Penelope to shake her head, "Just thought you might be interested in what I found your sister and best mate doing in his office the other day."

Finn had turned to hide his face in Penelope's hair as Isaiah quickly turned to face Willow and Michael, "What were you two doing in his office?"

"Shut up, Penny." Willow snapped as Penelope was laughing, Finn failing miserably to hide his laughter. Michael had placed some distance between him and his girlfriend, knowing that Isaiah wouldn't want to see them touching with the information he was just given.

"I need a fucking drink." Isaiah mumbled, turning to grab one of a table. After Isaiah had processed the information he was given, he started a conversation with Michael and Finn as Penelope and Willow talked about Audrey's dresses. Willow had noticed that Michael had tensed up under her arm and turned to face him, "Mikey, you alright?"

Michael stiffly nodded before excusing himself from the conversation. Penelope looked around where Michael was staring and only saw Tommy walking into the concert hall.

"Any idea what that was about?" Willow turned to face her brother and Finn, who just shrugged, "You're his girlfriend. You tell us."

Willow sent an exasperated look to her brother, "You're his best mate. Figured you would know."

"Doesn't mean I keep a book about him," Isaiah spoke, giving Willow the same look, "got better things to do with my life then watch 'Mikey', Willy."

Finn and Penelope glanced at each other, amused looks on their faces. The couple was often present for the many arguments of the Jesus twins, the two loving to rile each other up.

"Okay," Penelope spoke, pulling Willow to her side as Finn pulled Isaiah to his, "You guys can fight when we're not in the presence of Birmingham's finest. For Grace's sake."

The Jesus siblings looked at each before begrudgingly agreeing.

Willow had excused herself to find Michael as Isaiah followed after her. Penelope turned to look up at Finn who took a drag off his cigarette. And Penelope would be lying if she said it wasn't one of her favorite sights.

Like his brothers, he also took up the habit of always having a cigarette in his hand. Penelope smoked occasionally, mainly when she was with Finn.

"You really do look stunning, Pen." Finn smiled, looking at the blonde who smiled up at him, "Despite you wearing something like this everyday, you always look very handsome."

Finn gave her a short but sweet kiss as they made their way over to their brothers, who were now joined by Michael, Willow, and Isaiah.

Finn grabbed two glasses of whiskey off a tray as a waiter was walking by, handing the second one to Penelope. The blonde placed a kiss on his cheek as she wrapped her arm around him, leaning into his side.

Audrey had nudged her husband who was talking to one of his business partners from London. David turned to look at his wife, who motioned towards their daughter.

"I don't think I've ever seen her this happy before." Audrey had a smile on her face as she watched the young couple.

"They balance each other out," David spoke, "She keeps him grounded and he keeps her on her toes."

Audrey snorted in response as she leaned into her husband, "hell, he keeps all of us on our toes. But she's there to bring him back."

"He's not like his brothers. He's not as aggressive or violent as they are. Finn thinks before he does anything. He's more of an emotional being than he is physical. She needs that." David said, placing a kiss on Audrey's head.

"I look at them," Audrey started, " and I see us when we were young. In love and willing to risk everything to be together."

Audrey's parents didn't approve of her relationship with David when they were teens. Her parents were super religious and with David's family not believing at all, they didn't want her daughter with him. But they didn't care. They risked everything to be with each other. The same way they knew Finn and Penelope would also risk everything.

The gong for dinner rang and he asked everyone to raise a toast to the king. John had smacked Finn on the back of his head as he went to raise his glass as Penelope hid her smile behind her glass as she took a drink.

Finn offered his arm to the blonde as he went to lead them through the dining hall.

"For Angel!"

Everyone heard the gunshot before they could process what happened. Arthur had tackled the man as Finn, Camden, and John had joined the oldest Shelby sibling in beating the man.

James, Willow, Michael, and Isaiah rushed over to Penelope as they watched Tommy hold onto a bleeding Grace; David and Audrey rushing over to them. James held onto Penelope as the tears started to fall, Michael and Isaiah doing the same to Willow.

Not only was that the day Grace Shelby had died but it was also the day that Thomas Shelby stopped feeling

A/N

Please let me know if anyone is interested in being tagged in any upcoming parts for this series!

[thevindicativevordan]

On Supergirl

Figured I should put up my thoughts about Kara in the wake of her first film appearance being announced, and the final season of her TV show fast approaching. Short version is: Kara is very cool and DC needs to stop messing with her. 

My Introduction to Kara

I was introduced to Kara the way most millennials/Gen Zers were I imagine, via the Loeb Superman/Batman arc which brought the traditional Kara Zor-El Supergirl take into Post-Crisis continuity, after years of DC attempting to have a “Supergirl” without violating the editorial mandate that Kal needed to be the literal “Last Son of Krypton” (an example of one of the dumb ways DC fucked Kara over). Story goes that one day Dan Didio was in line at the Superman ride at Six Flags (I love that ride even though it’s stolen my glasses every time I’ve ridden it, even when I left them in a locker!). The ride had signs that talked about various Superman characters. Didio was reading the entry for Supergirl where it talked about her not being Clark’s cousin but instead some weird merge of alien shapeshifter, angel, and human girl, and he realized how fucking stupid that was, and he went back to the office and told Loeb to bring Kara back. 

Years later I would also be standing in line at the Six Flags Superman ride (probably at a different park location but who knows?) as a youngster and would read the new Supergirl sign that trumpeted that Superman had a cousin who shared all his powers, an update reflecting the new Loeb origin. I thought she sounded pretty cool, made a note to see if my library had any Supergirl stories next time I visited, then got on the Superman ride and promptly lost my glasses like an idiot because I wanted to take them off while I was riding and pretend I was changing from my “disguise” into Superman mid flight. My dad grounded me for this afterwards, but it gave me a funny story to tell at family get togethers and isn’t that what Six Flags is all about?

A month later (and with spiffy new glasses), my mom dropped me off at a new library next to where she worked, and they had one of the best Superman collections I’ve ever seen to this day. I was in heaven and while reading every Superman book I could find (I couldn’t check them out because I didn’t have a card, my mom’s card didn’t cover the area the library was in, and my mom wouldn’t have checked them out anyway since comics were “too violent”), I found the trade collecting Kara’s new origin. I read it and I thought both she and Superman were really cool, and Batman was a  punk who had to beat Darkseid by cheating, the loser. Turner’s art to my young eyes was the best I had ever seen, and the panels got engraved into my brain. 

I still get downright nostalgic whenever I see Turner Superman or Supergirl stuff. I also got my parents to rent the animated movie adaption of the Superman/Batman arc from Blockbuster (remember those?), and that sealed the deal. Seeing Kara hold her own against Darkseid convinced me she was as cool as her cousin. Next time my mom dropped me off at the library next to her workplace, I went looking for Supergirl stuff to read. I found the first volume of her new volume by Joe Kelly taking place after the Loeb arc and dove in.

It was... weird. 5 years later I might have enjoyed it but at the time I was majorly put off. Kara took a secret identity for a day and then ditched it because it was “stupid” and the kids bullied her. She was always getting into fights with Kal, and there was this weird plot that I couldn’t follow about how her dad had sent her to kill Kal, maybe or maybe not? Also she could grow crystals which I thought was dumb, and said she was stronger than her cousin which I couldn’t buy for a second given he looked like he was carved out of marble, and she looked like she relied on sunlight instead of food. I put the volume back on the shelf and kinda gave up on reading the character after that for a while. 

I followed her via the DC wiki updates just like I did Superman, and everything I read seemed dumb and convoluted. She was split in two, moped around a lot, made out with an alternate version of her cousin, and basically just flopped about the same way the rest of the Superfamily did during the 00s. Nothing made me think I had made a mistake dropping Kara until I read the latest update to her wiki page.

I was super into what I was reading about the Busiek/Johns era of Superman online. Lex was back and making a big revenge scheme that involved all the other Rogues! Old Superman Rogues were getting revamped and made cool again! Johns reintroduced Brainiac and made him a big threat, with Kal and Kara teaming up to fight him! Busiek was revamping Prankster and telling big ambitious Superman stories! For the first time in a long while, the consensus on the Internet was that Superman was good again. My “home” library had zero Marvel books and no Superman or Batman books, all their DC stuff was Flash or Green Lantern, mainly written by Johns. Insane to think back on now. My hopes that because Johns was involved with Superman, Superman books would show up at my library were fulfilled. They started bringing in Busiek and Johns collections, and someone there also ordered Sterling Gates’ first volume of Supergirl, and I checked everything out since I was old enough to have my own library card, and my parents were worried more about the violent video games I was playing rather than comics.

I read everything and loved it. I also really liked Gates’ take on Kara. She was still an imperfect teenager but she wasn’t insufferably angsty or constantly fighting with Kal. She was going to give the secret identity another try and Lana had “adopted” her. It’s funny remembering how I enjoyed all that given my current thoughts on how Kara should work, but it was great at the time. I liked Gates introducing new foes for Kara, some classic Superman Rogues adapted for her like Bizzarogirl, others crafted specifically for her like Reactron. Gates’ basically rekindled my enjoyment of Kara the same way Busiek & Johns rekindled my enjoyment of Superman.

Of course it ended terribly like everything Superman-related seems to.

I’ve got a whole post I want to do about New Krypton and what came after. In short that is the most blatant example of “hitting the reset button” that I’ve ever seen. All the potential got wasted, and afterwards everything except Lex’s Action Comics stuff just didn’t appeal to me. Gates got booted off Kara for Nick Spencer who ended up leaving himself later, a promising Teen Titans line-up with Kara on it didn’t happen, and the last proper Pre-Flashpoint Superfamily story was a crappy team-up with Doomsday against Bigger Doomsday (thank God for Cornell’s final Luthor/Superman confrontation at least). When news of the reboot arrived, I was honestly happy. The Superline needed an enema.

Controversial opinion time: I liked New 52 Supergirl. It’s weird because a lot of the stuff I hated about Kelly’s run was here, and a lot of the stuff I loved about the Gates’ run was not. This was angry, moody, emotional Kara again, fighting with Kal and not fond of Earth. But I was in my teens at this point, and I didn’t want happy go-lucky Superman or Supergirl. I wanted my heroes angry, scared of the future, ready to go out there and smash some cars. Morrison’s Action Comics was 100% my jam (still is once I really understood the deeper meaning beneath the work) and this Kara felt like a natural fit for this universe. Plus we got Asrar on art and that guy made it damn pretty to look at, lots of cool science fiction stuff going on, even with the dumb H’el storyline.

I loved all the new Rogues Kara got. I loved her new Fortress under the ocean. I loved how traumatized she was by the loss of Krypton, that she wanted more than anything to go home, that her cousin was like a stranger to her since they had been apart for so long. I found all of that incredibly relatable. A lot of the New 52 Supergirl stories might have been schlock but it was my type of schlock damnit, and I enjoyed it!

I kept with her New 52 series all the way through the Red Daughter Saga (which I loved). As someone who grew up on Johns GL (since that was the only comics my home library had), seeing a Supercharacter join a Lantern Corp was the hypest thing ever. I loved the finale about Kara finally letting go of her anger and losing the ring while smashing her foe into the sun, it was incredibly cathartic for me as an angry teen myself. I finally stopped following her series sometime after since I was no longer enjoying the Superline or really DC as a whole. It wasn’t until I heard that New 52 Superman died and the “old” Superman was back, that I checked back into DC.

DC Rebirth & How I Think Kara Should Work

I did not enjoy Supergirl Rebirth, and I think I’ll talk about my problems with it alongside how I think Kara as a character should work since the two are related. A pet peeve of mine that has formed over the years is this: I don’t like it when Superfamily members get turned into Clark clones. Kon wearing glasses and going to Smallville High. Kara going to high school and being involved in journalism. Jon more or less being written as a copy of his dad personality-wise. I hate that kind of stuff because it’s boring. What’s the point of a Superfamily if everyone is just copying Clark? It also doesn’t fit the characters especially in Kara’s case. Why the hell does she want to be a journalist? Were there journalists on Krypton? I don’t remember ever seeing one! Shouldn’t she want to be, I dunno, a scientist? That seems to have been the El family tradition, wouldn’t she have been groomed for that?

This one-off by Shea is honestly the only acceptable outcome for Kara going into journalism for me. She realizes she’s just copying her cousin and switches to something she wants to do. So Orlando copying the show, which already basically turned Kara into an expy of her cousin, just did not appeal to me at all. What had worked for me under Gates way back when was not clicking for me this time. I wanted to see Kara embody the principles of the S-shield in a different way than her cousin did. So I really enjoyed when Rebirth ended and we moved into the Bendis era with Andrekyo relaunching the title as Kara in space.

Kara in space has always felt like a good fit for me. Unlike Kal I’ve come to believe that Kara really shouldn’t be all that fond of Earth. For him it’s home, but for her it’s just where she ended up after her real home got destroyed. I think Kara works well as a sort of nomad, occasionally making stops back home to Earth to check on her cousin, but otherwise? She’s more comfortable out in space than she could ever be on Earth. Out in space she can be Kryptonian (which is what she should think of herself as in contrast to Clark being torn between his Kryptonian biology and human upbringing, and Jon/Kon identifying as human), be her true self, not have to pretend to be human to fit in. Kara founding a moon refuge was one of the best ideas for her that I’ve seen, I would love if DC made her Future State refugee center on the moon canon. I’m excited for more Kara adventures in space with the upcoming Tom King story.

Also love that her and Krypto are getting tied together, if they don’t want to use Krypto in Superman’s stuff, let her have him! Bring on cosmic adventurer Supergirl!

Personality & Other Traits

Kara to me should be more hot-tempered than her cousin. All the Superfamily members should have a temper in my opinion, I see that as the “Deadly Sin” of Superman and his family. But while Kal is like a simmering pot that will explode if it’s left cooking for too long, Kara is like dynamite. Light her fuse at your own peril because she will go off on you.

I also like the idea of Kara being rash. Kal’s got a maturity that came from over a decade of having to live with Lex Luthor constantly getting away with all his evil schemes. He’s patient because he’s been forced to be. Kara? If you ask for her help she’ll give it, but beware because she doesn’t really care about the long term impacts of her decisions. She’s an invulnerable teenager after all.

Really liked that Venditti Annual where Kara got tutored in history by a reincarnation of Hawkman. Kara having a passion for history is a neat trait, would be nice to see her teach Kal or Jon some Kryptonian lore, or have her lead a Kryptonian holiday celebration for the Superfamily because she’s the only one who remembers how to do it. 

Sexuality wise I know a lot of people ship Kara and Lena on account of the chemistry between the two in the show. I haven’t watched the show myself but I’m fine with making Kara bisexual, the Superfamily could use some LGBT+ rep, and Lena hasn’t done anything of worth as a villain, so undo that and throw the two together. If we’re letting Harley and Ivy get away with murder I think we can let Lena off the hook too, undo the Ultrawoman weirdness and put the two together. Could be fun seeing the two building that moon refuge together.

All in all I think Kara is a great character who is a stronger embodiment of the immigrant experience than even her cousin in some ways. I hope King does a good job with her, she’s treated better than her cousin on the film side, and that overall the 20s are a better decade for Supergirl than the 10s were.

[wincestismyguiltypleasure]

Warnings: Weecest, a little angsty, jealous!Sam, bratty, emotional, and confused baby brother content, feminization, name calling, humiliation, sadist!Dean, spankings, and of course, that sweet, sweet fucked up codependency. 💋

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

Sam just wanted Dean's attention. He always had.

And when he didn't get it, Sam felt not only emotionally, but physically injured by his brother's "neglect." Like Dean had taken his switchblade to Sam's heart, cutting it open just a little bit to play with it. As if he was curious to what was inside. Like Dean had no clue know that every vein, artery, and nerve worked in unison for him.

And over the years, that small wound had ripped open wider and wider on it's own, even though it was no secret that Dean's life had always revolved around Sam.

Perhaps it was a product of Sam's jealousy? His resentment towards John and the unshakable devotion Dean showed him?

Sam didn't really know. But no matter the cause, what was once a dull ache in Sam's chest was now a blinding pain. The only hope of soothing it resting solely on his big brother's touch.

And the worst part about it? Dean knew. He knew Sam was desperate for something so simple as a sideways glance or a pat on the back. Sam would poke and prod and tug at the hem of Dean's shirt for just the slightest bit of recognition, like he really didn't know that he was already the very center of his big brother's entire world.

It was infuriating sometimes, and it made Dean want to be cruel just to prove a point. Besides, at the end of the day, Dean was still Sam's big brother. Ignoring him was part of Dean's job description. And maybe, just maybe, Dean got a sick sense of satisfaction out of making Sammy beg like a slut for something that was already his.

"Dean, c'mon! Pay attention!"

John had only been gone for ten minutes before Sam was shaking Dean's leg violently, trying to make his brother look up from the magazine he was reading.

"Jesus Christ, Sam. Can't you leave me alone for five fucking seconds?"

Dean doesn't have to see Sam's face to know the younger boy is pouting; the corner of his lips turning up in a twisted smirk at the thought of his little brother's pretty eyes starting to water.

There's no answer to Dean's question, just a loud huff and the sound of the bathroom door slamming, rusty screws barely keeping it on the hinges.

And if Dean didn't get such a kick out of being an asshole to his needy little brother he might have felt bad for hurting Sam's feelings. But he doesn't, mainly because this was all part of the sick, fucked up game they'd been playing since Sam had turned sixteen. This volatile give and take, back and forth, born out of Sam's misguided pain. The younger boy thinking that Dean loved John more than him and Dean's cutthroat determination to prove his little brother wrong. To show Sam that even if he isn't looking, he's still paying attention. And that he couldn't stop paying attention to Sam even if he tried.

Honestly, Dean still gets a little hot under the collar thinking about the first Sammy pushed his buttons like this. He'd been both mortified and so disgustingly turned on when he found out that his sweet baby brother knew just how to act bratty and coy to get fucked through the mattress. God, Dean was so pissed and guilty about it at the time that he'd almost thrown up afterwards.

Even now, Dean feels kinda queasy. But the feeling is so simple to ignore this go around because he's also rock hard and shaking a little from the anticipation.

Oh, and of course, Sam makes him wait. Almost two fucking hours. Tiny beads of water still dripping from the younger boy's long, dirty blonde hair when Sam finally emerges from the bathroom wearing nothing but a pair of lacy blue panties and a triumphant smile.

"Seriously, Samuel?" Dean asks, trying his best to keep his voice steady as he tosses his magazine to the side and sits up.

But Sam, being the shameless little tease that he is, just grins wider and does a slow turn. Making sure to show off every sharp curve and flawless inch of sun kissed skin he had before looking over at Dean and giggling.

"Think you can ignore me now, big brother?"

Sam barely gets the words out before Dean is off the bed, marching over to him with purpose, not stopping until the two of them are only a few inches apart and his baby brother's eyes are wide with fear.

"What do you want, Sam?" The older boy asks through gritted teeth, even though the answer is so painfully obvious.

And even though it is, Sam can't say it. He's never been able to because it's Dean's job to know. Without Dean guiding the way, Sam's just a confused kid with a need so intense and overwhelming that it could swallow him whole. And it would, if it wasn't for Dean.

Dean knows what Sam wants, and Sam hates the fact that he doesn't hate his brother for making him feel this way.

But still, he can't talk and he can't explain, so instead Sam just whines. Taking a timid step forward into his brother's personal space, searching for pity with those big innocent doe eyes. And fuck, does that do the trick. Every. Single. Time.

"What, baby?" Dean asks again, this time softer, his expression lightening as he grabs Sam by the wrist to pull him closer.

"Dean."

Sam's knees feel wobbly. His heart threatening to pound out of his chest because there's nothing in the world more intoxicating and simultaneously terrifying than looking into Dean's gorgeous green eyes when they're full of rage and passion.

"You want this?" Dean's voice is rough, like cigarette smoke blown over shattered glass as he guides Sam's trembling hand between his thighs. Pressing his little brother's warm palm hard against his erection before he makes Sam squeeze just a little, the both of them letting out a breathy groan.

"Please Dean," Sam whimpers, knees nearly buckling when Dean leans forward with a filthy grin, cherry red lips ghosting lightly over Sam's. The older boy teasing him like he always did. Pretending like wasn't eventually going to give Sam everything he wanted and more.

"Say it."

Sam's stomach clenches at the command, throat going dry because he hates this part. (Or at least Sam pretends that he does.)

"I want..." Sam groans, eyes closed tight as Dean nuzzles against him, making Sam go crazy with need. "I want your cock. Please Dean."

When Sam hears Dean chuckle, a low, filthy sound that makes his insides feel unbearably hot, Sam almost starts crying again. He's so naive and inexperienced compared to Dean. And Dean knows Sam feels like an idiot when his big brother makes him talk dirty. Which is exactly why he does it. The bastard.

"I know you do, baby boy," Dean laughs as he takes a step back, and Sam swears he feels his heart detach and drop into his stomach. Long, bony fingers instinctively trying to curl around Dean's shirt but to no avail.

"Dean-"

Sam's temper tantrum is cut short when Dean sits down on the foot of the bed and raises a hand, the look on his face calm but dangerous and it makes Sam almost swallow his own tongue.

"C'mere and lay across my lap."

"Why should I?"

Sam's voice doesn't sound like his own when he challenges his brother. It's weak and breathless and honestly, Sam can't believe an apex predator like Dean didn't go for his throat right then and there.

"You've been buckin' for my attention all day, sweetheart. You got a better way to get it?"

God, Sam wishes he did because the last thing he wants is to give in so easily. But what Sam's been dying for is right here in front of him now. Ripped jeans wrapped tight around thick thighs that he'd sell his soul to be bent over and Sam isn't about to turn down an open invitation.

"Gotta hand it to you, little brother," Dean says when Sam's finally stretched out across his lap. Sam's pretty face, flushed and tear stained, hidden in the mattress as Dean starts to soflty rub circles against his ass. "Despite all that fuss, you really are an obdient little bitch."

"Fuc-"

Sam nearly gags on his insult when he feels Dean's palm, rough and warm, connect with his right ass cheek. The blow hard enough to make his whole body jerk, tears of frustration rather than pain starting to blur his vision as he squirms in Dean's lap.

"Dean, please," Sam begs, his tight panties completely soaked through as he rubs himself desperately against Dean's thigh. His cock so hard and swollen that he feels a little dizzy, pleasure and pain fighting for dominance in his mind. Every one of his nerve endings on fire as Dean continues his ruthless assault. Each gentle touch followed by a thunderous smack that Sam swears makes his teeth rattle.

"Hey, don't cry, baby boy," Dean whispers when one of his rough blows finally rips a sob from Sam's throat. "This is what you wanted right? My undivided attention?"

Sam chokes back the urge to tell Dean that he hates him. One, because he doesn't. They both know that. And two, because if Sam doesn't swallow his pride soon and play by Dean's rules, he knows he'll never get want he really wants. That's what all this is about after all. Sam's insatiable need and Dean's absolute willingness to provide.

"C'mon, Sammy. You're a smart kid, you know what your answer should be."

Sam's only response is a loud, wanton groan, his knuckles turning chalk white around the blanket beneath him when he feels the tip of Dean's finger, rough and slick with spit, tease his rim. Pressing just hard enough to make Sam's hips jerk, but not applying quite enough pressure to slip inside him.

"Yes," Sam croaks, daring to push back against his brother's finger only to be rewarded with a smack to his right ass cheek that makes him see stars. "This is what I wanted."

"I know it is, slut."

Dean's finger feels wetter this time, hotter. And Sam's not expecting his brother to push in so deep, his eyes rolling back in pleasure when Dean barely grazes his prostate, clearly torturing Sam for all the shit he'd put him through that day. An eye for an eye was most definitely the Winchester way.

"You want me to finger fuck this tight little pussy until you make a mess all over your cute panties, don't ya baby boy?"

"Yes! Fuck Dean please." Sam isn't even trying to hold back his sobs now, big salty tears rolling down his cheeks as he wiggles around in Dean's lap. Desperate for his big brother to fuck him deeper. But before he can get the leverage he needs, Sam's empty again, mouth hanging open as Dean's next blow makes his whole body rock forward involuntary, neglected cock throbbing painfully against the worn denim of his brother's jeans.

"I'll give you want you want, Sammy," Dean coos, caressing Sam's battered skin with his palm. "I always do. But first, I'm gonna teach you a lesson about acting like a brat."

Of course, Sam's been taught this lesson before and it hasn't seemed to stick. But it doesn't matter, because they both know as long as Sam craves his big brother's attention, Dean will gladly put him in his place give it to him.

[nctsiren]

HYEYOUNG x JOHNNY

hyonny best couple i don’t make the rules i just enforce them

(yes i know this is a shit edit but this was requested and im excited so THIS IS FOR YOU ANON ILY)

PLEASE lmk what you think!! if u ever have any questions about them (or any of the ocs or reqs) i encourage you to send me asks! thank u loves, enjoy!!❣️

TAGLIST (hmu to join! applies to all of my ocs): @moonbeamsung @aqueenieme @atinygracie @jinsoulorbitzen12 @btshook​ 

THE BEGINNING:

hyeyoung met johnny in 2017, a bit after he debuted in 127

he came around the training center, since he had trained for so long and had friends there

he also liked to meet new trainees! he’s a super kind guy, he wants to try to be support for them, since he trained for So Long

when he first saw her he thought she was gorgeous

and vice versa, yknow. she was shy because he was a Debuted Idol AND a Handsome Man

yeah they both found each other attractive and that was. about it yknow? for a while

THEN in 2019, rumor was that hyeyoung would join an nct female unit

she was already friends with mila and lily, having trained with mila, and lily was friendly with trainees

but she started talking to the guys more, meeting them properly and getting used to them

and johnny was so .. you know how he is

she fell really quick tbh

lily noticed this QUICKLY and did what she could to make them interact and she THOUGHT she is what got them together

but johnny was texting her on the low .. he loved her the minute he had his first conversation (in person) with her

THE ~TALKING~ STAGE:

johnny is a Romantic™️ and we all know it

so this man COURTED her like a damn maiden

hyeyoung, evie, and gem: *arrive at the siren dorms and open the door*

hyeyoung, evie, and gem: ...

evie: hyeyoung who sent you twenty vases of roses

no that IS NOT A JOKE

literally an old movie romance, complete with the yearning and such

he always texted her good morning and good night

sent her coffee or tea on the low while she was training

“hello beautiful”

hyeyoung was lovestruck. she felt able to actually talk to him after a bit, and it was so easy for her to trust and feel close to him

she got shy when he did big gestures or sweet things- but it was making her fall HARD

and johnny? well he wasn’t MUCH better just more composed outwardly

our smooth, flirty bastard john ..

would absolutely GUSH about her to the members. smiling like an IDIOT at his phone

once lily said she couldn’t hang out because hye wasn’t feeling good and johnny’s heart DROPPED he didn’t know what to do

come to think of it he hasn’t gotten a text from her in a while :((

didnt she say she hadn’t had pizza lately?

and that’s how johnny ended up at the trainee girls’ dorm at 11pm with a pizza. and the dark chocolate she liked.

he watched a movie in hyeyoung’s room with her ALONE and she leaned into his side so

tbh it wasn’t a bad night

HOW HYONNY BECAME OFFICIAL:

hyeyoung was fr wondering if this would be anything

she was thinking about her career, yeah, but her heart YEARNED for him. she was falling in love with everything about him

she didn’t need the grand gestures, she just needed him

and, it probably goes without saying, but so did johnny

he stopped by her practice room with evie and gem one day

he had just finished his own practice and called hye closer to the door of the practice room she was in with the girls

cue lily practically shaking with excitement

“i don’t think this will seem out of the blue... do you wanna get dinner, sometime? as an actual date this time”

the smile she gave him nearly made poor john’s heart stop

“i thought you’d never ask” she responded, stepping on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek

CHEESY SMILE until jaehyun pulls him away

“howd it go, romeo?”

then they heard the girls squealing audibly and talking at the speed of light

“oh no big deal. just the most beautiful amazing woman on the planet likes me back”

NOW KITH:

the first date was literally later that night, in hyeyoung’s room, with takeout and the nicest red wine johnny could find

tbh he couldn’t wait and she was free that night

“keep the door unlocked!” - evie

the two just talked and laughed and the movie on the background was ignored

hyeyoung was used to feeling shy with people, but she was so comfortable early on. it felt right

and yeah the night DID end with them making out

with the door locked, screw you evie (johnny’s words, not hyeyoung’s)

they fell into being a couple very easily

they told the company a few months in to make life easier and surprisingly .. they were pretty okay with it, though they obviously had guidelines

they couldn’t be seen alone in public (sometimes they break that rule with masks and hats and disguises since the managers will let them sometimes)

a lot of their dates are in the siren dorms because it’s quieter and all of the girls have their own rooms

she comes around to the 127 dorms a lot

they couldn’t interact more than she would interact with the others, and absolutely no pda

((tbh with mila and lily, it’s more acceptable, since they grew up with their members, but the other three have stricter rules .. evie almost breaks them sometimes tho. and sometimes the guys will give casual, familial hugs to them))

they said they loved each other a few months in

johnny said it first, and hyeyoung said it back immediately

it was natural. they fully and truly love each other

they will 1000% percent get married, and they will do so whenever they can in the future

they want to keep their relationship quiet just because hyeyoung’s career has JUST started

but johnny wants to reveal it as soon as the company lets them because he wants the world to know he loves her with all of his heart

johnny’s parents have only met her over facetime, and they already love her. she talks to johnny’s mom a lot too

he has met her parents and siblings, and obviously they love him 

her dad is protective though since she’s his youngest daughter and his baby

johnny is still big on keeping the romance alive and planning things for her, always telling her how much he loves her, and showing physical affection

hyeyoung is a softer type of girlfriend, and she is big on quality time and expressing to him how much she loves him. 

they will never, ever doubt how much they love each other. forever type shit

HYONNYCORE

johnny and hyeyoung ARE mom and dad

especially to hyuck. hyeyoung LOVES him and thinks he can literally do no harm, similar to how she is with lily

mark used to have a crush on hyeyoung hehe but i think we ALL know he’s interested in someone else now ..

taeyong, yuta, lily, hyuck, jaemin, evie, ten, jungwoo, taeil, chenle, hendery, and yangyang are their biggest shippers. they believe in hyonny supremacy

jaehyun is OBVIOUSLY happy for his bro but he’s a chill, cool dude y’know ..

he’s johnny’s go-to though and he and hyeyoung have a very sweet friendship, jaehyun always looks out for her and makes sure she’s okay

johnny will be chill about the eventual rumors about hyeyoung and jaehyun tho because he knows there’s nothing there, and as far as he is concerned, that means that their relationship is safer without any lights on them

they aren’t jealous people (AHEM take note lily AHEM)

the two of them will still flirt with fans, and they rate each other’s flirty comments to fans

“nah, baby, that’s basic. be smoother”

“john, they literally just asked me to tell them i love them”

yeah they’re teased tho and you KNOW they are

ten is CRAZY dude he was already big on the innuendos but now .. goodness

he doesn’t step out of line tho and he’s more subtle and would never do anything to harass them (well mainly not hyeyoung because flashbacks to “i wanna have xxxx with you fatass! love you forever darling” johnten always wilding)

y’know that clip from stranger thing when that dude asks jonathan how the pull out was... “the couch”. yeah. stuff like that from ten

hyuck doesn’t tease them much surprisingly! because again. mom and dad

i can sum up mark in a single sentence:

“you guys are, like, perfect for each other, y’know? i’m happy for you guys, seriously.”

yuta teases sometimes, but chenji is RUTHLESS

if hyonny even looks at each other they’re like OOOOO HEHE GET A ROOM

most of wayv is .. well .. we know how wayv is

taeyong is so warm to them about it all and it’s super sweet. taeil loves them together and is unintentionally funny saying things about young people and love

the girls are PROTECTIVE of hyeyoung even tho they know johnny is perfect for her

lily is in a permanent state of trying to square up with johnny and hyeyoung thinks it’s funny

they have great reception overall, everyone loves them

sm family loves them TOO and heechul is the REAL captain of their fan club and red velvet as a whole loves them together 

do you know how many times they hear “awwwh cute!” 

spoiler: it’s a lot

GOD the two try to help lily with her love life and she hates it

they’ll end up trying to help everyone but lily is their focus

they have lots of couple-isms

“baby” “love” “honey” stuff like that

they have inside jokes

SO MANY PICTURES OF EACH OTHER

fashionable ass couple

he watches old films with her 

they’re the type of couple to slow dance in the middle of the kitchen

they both know like. they know what the other would order from where, what to do for them after a long/hard day

she knows how to make his coffee perfectly

johnny knows what temperature she likes her baths/showers and what wine she’ll enjoy most

hyeyoung knows where johnny’s back is most tense and his slight change in posture when he needs a massage

they know each other’s style, and they surprise each other with little gifts

they basically know each other like the back of their hand. two halves of the same whole

[lightningbugqueensfics]

Real Family

Destiel

From the prompt “Cas beating the crap out of john winchester for causing dean so much trauma”(thanks @beautifulsaladkitten !)

*********

When John Winchester comes back from the dead, we get a better look into the harm he inflicted on Dean as a child. Castiel is a good boyfriend.

tw: Homophobic slurs and abuse

Ao3 Link

Dean woke to pounding on the front door. He had chosen this room specifically because it was so close to the entryway of the Bunker, but nights like this it bit him in the ass. Here he was, finally getting a good night's sleep, Cas wrapped around his back, and some idiot hunter just had to show up in the middle of the night. They could’ve at least had the decency to wait until morning.

Cas grumbled against his neck, obviously hearing the noise too. Despite still being an angel, ever since they had gotten together Cas had really taken a liking to sleep.

“Stay here, babe,” Dean murmured, “I got it.”

He rolled out of bed and trudged his way to the door. He yanked it open, still grumbling under his breath about “ stupid young hunter with no regard for their elders. ”

As he walked down the hall, Sam joined him.

“Hey man, I’ve got this, you can go back to Cas,” he offered.

“Nah, I’m up already. Who do you think it is?”

“Claire?” Sam asked.

“No, she’s on a Tulpa hunt in San Francisco with Kaia.”

“Ah, young love,”

“Haha, yeah. Charlie?” Dean asked.

“Remember, her and Stevie are on their honeymoon in Colorado.” The wedding had been beautiful. Both brides radiated joy, and nearly everyone (including Dean, though he would never admit it) cried. How Stevie managed to convince Charlie to go somewhere so far out of cell range still escaped Dean, but hey, it seemed like they were having fun.

“Still?”

“Yeah, they found a hunt up there the day they were gonna leave.”

“That’s rough.” Dean said.

“Actually, they seemed pretty excited. ‘First hunt as a married couple’ and all that.”

“Yeah, well, if that happened to Cas and I, you would be taking care of it.” Dean grunted as they reached the War Room.

“So, have you thought about it?” Sam asked carefully, “You know, asking him to marry you? Fully retiring?” The brothers and Cas were already partially retired, only taking hunts near the Bunker and mainly helping with the research. They were like the new Bobby’s. It was amazing how far they’d come.

“I mean, yeah,” he admitted, “I think I’d like that. I don’t think very soon, but eventually. We wasted so much time already, it’d be nice to make it official.”

Their conversation was cut off as they reached the big iron door. Sam stood in front of his brother to open it, and his back went ramrod straight the second he saw who was at the door. Dean peeked over his ginormous shoulder and felt the blood drain from his face.

“Dad?” 

Dean’s voice hurt him. It was like just the sight of their father turned him back into that obedient little kid, who always did what his father told him to. He was so much more than that now.

“Boys?” John asked, “Why do you look so… old?” Sam was still speechless, so Dean took charge. Fifteen years had passed and it was exactly the same.

“How are you alive?”

“I was with your mother, heaven, I think, there was this bright like, and then poof, here I am. Standing right outside this big ass metal door.”

“Um, Dad, what year do you think it is?”

“2006. Why? How long has it been, boys?”

“It’s uh, 2020 now. What was the last thing you remember?” he asked his dad, then said to Sammy: “Get the holy water, silver, and borax. We can do more tests later.”

“2020?” John asked, shocked, “What the hell?”

“Dad,” Dean said, trying to sound firmer, “What was the last thing you remember before being with mom?”

“The hospital. My deal with Yellow Eyes. I died, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did. Then you came back as a ghost to kill the demon, then we went back in time and met you a couple of times, then you came back because of a wishing pearl that we had to destroy because it screwed with time. Things have gotten a lot more complicated since you left.”

Sam showed up with the borax and holy water, which he splashed on John’s face, then he handed him the silver knife, still silent. After a cut proving his humanity, John turned back into a commander.

“Tell me everything. Now, Dean.”

So Dean did. He told him about the end of the hunt for Azazel, about going to hell, about Angels, about the plan to free Lucifer, and about the first Apocalypse. He told him about the deal with Crowely, about the Leviathans, about Purgatory, about Abbadon, and Metatron. He told him about becoming a demon, killing Death and Hitler, and freeing the Darkness. He told him about Chuck, Rowena, and Jack. He told him about Mary coming back and the apocalypse world. He told him everything.

The only thing he left out was his relationship with Cas and that Cas was an angel, because John was sure to meet the man soon, and that would not be a fun conversation if he knew.  

Dean had no delusions that John would approve of his relationship with another man, let alone one that wasn’t human. Hell, his father was one of the main reasons Dean took so long to own up to his feelings.

“So you’re telling me,” John said slowly, “That you two started--and ended--the apocalypse… more than once? Once… because you,” he pointed at Sam, “got addicted to demon blood , and then again because you,” he pointed at Dean, “actually became a demon.” The brother nodded.

“You IDIOTS!” he roared, and Dean flashed back to his childhood. Drunken rages. Thrown beer bottles. Old bruises on his arm blamed on a werewolf, the only thought going through his head protect Sammy . “YOU FUCKING MORONS! Dean - A demon? You became the monster! God, I hope Sammy hunted you,” Sam started to rise to his feet, presumably to defend his brother, when John turned his gaze on the younger brother, “And you ! That demon was right! I told Dean to kill you, he should’ve! Drinking demon blood , Sam? You’ve got to know how broken you are! I was gone, what, two years? You even regret what you did? I bet you don’t you sick bas-”

“SHUT UP!” Dean yelled, shocking himself. John looked just as surprised.

“What did you say to me?”

“I said,” Dean replied, his voice somehow steady, despite the pounding in his chest, “Shut up. You can yell at me, you can tell me how broken I am--God knows that’s the truth--but you don’t do that to Sam. He tried, okay? He tried so hard but I abandoned him. You abandoned him. He’s a good man. All he ever wanted was a normal life, and he never got that. Because of you . So don’t you ever blame him for things that you caused. The pain you put us through. You did this, not us!”

“Get out of my sight,” John growled.

Dean stalked past him, catching sight of Cas in the doorway.

“Is everything alright, Dean?” he asked, “I heard yelling. Is that your father?”

“Yeah, it is,” Dean barked, without the same bite in his tone he had used on John. Cas, perfect as always, followed Dean down the hallway to their room. The tears stung his eyes before he even made it through the door.

Dean sank to the edge of their bed, tears flowing down his cheeks.

“Dean,” Cas was on his knees beside the hunter, a hand resting on his leg, “What happened?”

“He’s back” Dean choked out, “And it’s the same, Cas! I thought we… changed, you know? Got better, stronger. I thought I would be enough to s-stop him!”

“Stop him?”

“From hurting Sammy. Cas… he-he used to hit me. Not Sammy, that I know of, but, not all the bruises I got were from hunts. He would come home drunk and angry, and would always blame me if Sammy got hurt. Even if it was his fault!” Cas rose up and brought him into a hug, “I never stopped him. He did it till Sammy went to college. Then he just left me. I thought, maybe, if he ever came back…. I could finally do something,” he sniffled, “but I guess that’s proof that I’m still the same scared little boy.”

“No, no, no,” Cas whispered into his hair, “Dean, you are the bravest man I have ever met. I heard what you said to him. Dean, that was bravery! That was you standing up for your little brother. Could you have done that fifteen years ago?” Dean shook his head, still crying, “So you see, love? You grew. You are stronger. He hurt you, but you are still here. Still beautiful. Still Dean Winchester.”

“I love you, Cas,” Dean murmured as he shifted his head into the crook of the angel’s neck.

“Come on, Dean, let’s go to bed. We can talk about this more in the morning.”

Dean nodded his head, and Cas maneuvered him under the covers, still wrapped in his angels arms.

With that they settled in to sleep. Dean fell into a peaceful slumber, completely unaware of the fury coursing through Castiel’s veins.

**************

Dean woke to pounding on the door. He grunted, knowing what was coming, and knowing that it was even worse to put it off. He forced himself out of bed and made his way to the door, still half asleep.

If he had been fully awake he might have realized the mistake he was making.

The door opened to reveal John Winchester’s still beet red face, this time the intoxicated kind. It seemed like the few hours since their fight had done nothing to calm him down.

“What do you want?” Dean asked, voice slurred with sleep.

“I want you to explain to me what that was last night!!”

“Can we do this in like, an hour?” he grunted, “I’m gonna need a shower and a cup of coffee to deal with…” he vaguely gestured at John.

“Do you think this is a laughing matter, boy? We need to-” he glanced behind Dean, “Who is that ?”

“That’s Cas.” Oh shit . Dean’s eyes widened with incredible speed and he reached the slam to door shut.

John’s hand shot open and caught it before it could close.

“The same Cas who’s a ‘hunter buddy’ of yours?” his face was now turning an alarming shade of purple as he strode into the room. Dean backed up, flinching away from his father. He heard rustling in the bed, Cas was sitting up.

“You mean to tell me that not only has your brother gotten addicted to demon blood, and you actually became a demon, some hunter turned you into a FUCKING QUEER?” John roared. Dean just kept inching backwards, that same fear from his childhood rearing its head inside of him.

“God, Dean, I knew you were fucked in the head, but this? Sleeping around with some fag, what did they do to you? I knew you were too much like your mom, always a little pansy,” his voice was slurring, just like it did before every beating when Dean was young, “Who knows, maybe I can beat it out of you?” Dean was on the floor beside the bed now, frozen, just like he was back then. Nothing had changed.

As John reared his arm back, ready to bring it down on Dean's face, a calm but lightning fast hand stopped it in its tracks.

Castiel stood beside Dean. His face was devoid of any emotion, but from the look on John’s face, his hand was squeezing enough to hurt. Still dressed in his bumblebee pajama pants and Dean’s AC/DC shirt, he didn’t look dangerous. Dean knew better. John did not.

“Get your hands off me you fucking faggot!” the man snarled.

“No. You will not hurt Dean.”

“Who are you to stop me?”

“I’m the person who saved him. I’m the one who gripped him tight and raised him from perdition. I’m the one who picked up the pieces of that incredible man you broke and helped him fit them back together. I have loved him more than you are even capable of, so I’d say I have every right to stop you.” Castiel growled the words.

“Let me go, you son of a bitch!” John still wasn’t backing down. Castiel pushed him against a wall with one hand still holding John’s fist and the other arm pressed against his throat.

“I’m an angel you ass.” Castiel’s eyes glowed blue, like they did right before smiting someone. He was the most furious Dean had ever seen him.

“You’re a-” John cut off, “You mean to tell me that not only is Dean fucking a man, you’re not even human ? God, you really are fucked in the head, boy.” Castiel pressed harder on his trachea.

“Dean is not ‘fucked in the head’ as you say. He is a kind and loyal man, no thanks to you. He is no longer your son, John Winchester. You made sure to beat that out of him. Sam and I, and the people we have found and lost along the way, we are his family. We care about him. We love him. That’s more than you can ever say!”

“Dean,” he gasped out, “tell this monster to stop! I’m your father for christ’s sake!” Dean rose unsteadily to his feet. Heart beating faster than on most hunts, adrenaline coursing through him, Dean did the one thing he had always wanted to do but never had the courage for.

“No,” he said.

“No?”

“No. Cas is right. You only ever hurt me, Dad. It was always ‘protect Sammy,’ ‘do this,’ ‘do that.’ You never cared about me, Dad! You just wanted a good little soldier! You ruined me even more than this life did, than hell did.

“So, no. I let you walk all over me for my entire life. I let you abuse me into my twenties! But you can’t hurt Cas. You can’t hurt one of the few people in my life who genuinely cares about me. He’s made me a better person, he’s healed the damage you did. I love him, and if you can’t accept that and finally become a decent father, then you can get out. Leave. Never come back. I don’t want to see your face again.” Dean pointed at the door, hand shaking with nerves and fury.

Castiel removed his arms from a shell-shocked John. The man stared at Dean with fury and pain in his eyes.

He nodded jerkily and trudged out the door.

Dean watched him go, mind blank. The shaking got worse, and he fell back to sit on the edge of the bed.

Cas settled beside him and wrapped Dean up in his arms, silent for a time. When he finally spoke, he knew just what to say.

“I’m proud of you, Dean,” he murmured, to no response, “I know it doesn’t feel good now, but you did the right thing. He’s gone now, and you can move forward. We can do it together.”

“Thank you, Cas,” Dean said into his chest, “For… stopping him, but also for what you said. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my love. I meant every word. Now, why don’t you get into bed and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee,”

“Peppermint hot chocolate?” Dean asked.

“Of course, Dean.” With that, Cas left to fetch their drinks and, Dean was sure, to make certain John had left. Cas was perfect in that way.

With Cas gone, Dean was left alone with his thoughts. He realized how far he’d come. Even in these fifteen years since he went and got Sam at Stanford.

He used to water down his coffee with whiskey. Now he was asking for hot cocoa. He would find a new girl every week, sometimes even more often, and wouldn’t even know their names. Now he was in a steady relationship with a guy (well, angel) who he loved more than anything. He used to let John hurt him in any way he wanted to. Now he was the one who kicked him out.

He wasn’t perfect. Wasn’t even close. But he was so much better than he used to be. And Dean knew why.

He found good people. Sam. Jody, Claire, Donna, Charlie, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Garth, and so many more. Cas. They made him better. They loved him, and helped him start to love himself.

Cas returned with two cups held carefully in his hands, a concentrated crease between his brows. He silently shuffled into place beside Dean. The angel passed over the cocoa, put his arm around his shoulder, and gave him a little peck on the cheek.

For the rest of the day the two watched movies and funny tv shows on Dean’s iPad. They cuddled and kissed and joked. It was perfect.

Because, yeah, John had screwed Dean up. But the people in Dean’s life were fixing that. And they were the people that mattered. His real family.

Tags: @beautifulsaladkitten @icesoulprincess @themoosegoes-deanicandothis @deano-cas @when-humans-were-good

[rosegoldannie]

We have Chemistry

A feysand Highschool AU where they bond over science because Im in a great mood! The guy I’ve had a crush on all year finally asked me out, and we’re going to the movies! Tomorrow!

This is mainly a fluff, and is most definitely not scientifically accurate. ENJOY!!!

Masterlist

“You idiot!” Feyre hissed, storming down the long hallway towards the Dean’s office, because, yet again, Rhys had somehow managed to blow something up in Chemistry. 

“It’s not my fault!” He insisted, struggling to keep up with her. “I followed the protocol exactly. I did everything the lab instructions said to, and it still blew up.”

She whirled on him, glaring fiercely. “If you’d followed the protocol, it wouldn’t have blown up.”

Rhys rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “That’s not fair. You-” He pointed an accusing finger at her, “were responsible for mixing the chemicals together.

“And you were responsible for getting them from the supply closet. So where do you think the mix up most likely occurred? Huh?”

Shaking his head, he stormed into the office with her hot on his heels. The desk attendant, a tired looking junior that she knew to be John, glanced up at them. “Again?” He groaned.

“Yep.” Feyre deadpanned, dropping onto the wooden bench pressed against the hideous creme walls. “Three guesses whose fault it was.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Her lab partner grumbled, dropping onto the bench beside her, his arms still crossed and glaring straight ahead.

John scoffed, beginning to scribble something on a sheet of paper. “If I had a dollar for every time he’s said that this semester.” He ripped the paper upwards, then slid it across the counter towards them. “A week of detention. The deans are getting tired of this, so they gave me the authority to punish you for them.”

Feyre instantly turned beet red, and slunk further down on the bench.

Rhys snatched the hall pass from the counter, and sauntered out of the office. Giving the poor junior an apologetic glance, she hurried after him, struggling to match his long strides, not wanting to risk yet another detention by being caught without a hall pass.

“Hey, slow down!” She hissed, struggling to keep up with his unfairly long strides.

“Why should I?” He snapped, taking longer strides out of spite. “You threw me under the bus in there.”

Fighting the urge to snap back at him, Feyre took a deep breath before speaking. “And what would you have had me do? Lie?”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “No.”

They stopped, just outside of their classroom. A glance at the clock revealed that the bell would ring at any moment.

“Well?” She prodded.

Rhys sighed again, chewing on his lip. “You have to get the chemicals, I do the rest of the work.”

Shock flooded her, her jaw dropping. “I-Rhys, you know I’m dyslexic, right?”

He blinked. “And?”

“And you’d trust me with this?”

“Is there any particular reason why I shouldn’t?”

Feyre could only shake her head, utterly stunned.

The bell rang then, and he gave her a warm smile as students flooded out into the halls, laughing and shouting. “Good. It’s settled then.”

They managed to be civil during that day’s detention, much to the shock of the teacher monitoring them, Ms. Brun, who eyed them suspiciously every time there was any sound in the room.

Feyre blocked that out, and focused on filling out her lab report, as she had used her free period to re-create the experiment properly, as had Rhys. though, they’d mutually agreed that it would be for the best if they each did the experiment on their own to avoid any further incidents.

A ball of paper whizzed past her.

She didn’t notice.

Then another ball of paper careened by.

She watched it roll to a stop, then returned to her work.

An eraser hit the desk in front of her.

Feyre hardly glanced up.

A paper airplane floated gracefully down onto her work, smudging the wet ink. 

She brushed it off the desk with a huff.

A pencil smacked her in the head.

She kept her head down, kept writing, even as she clenched her jaw.

A highlighter collided with her desk.

Feyre remained focused on her report, even as annoyance warmed her face.

Ms. Brun stood, and announced that she was going to get some water, and to continue working. Feyre nodded that she understood, and continued working, even as Rhys made a non committed noise. The teacher shook her head as she left, and Feyre knew without looking that his feet were propped up on the desk, hands folded behind his head, ever the arrogant prick.

A ruler whizzed past, clattering across the floor.

Then a pencil.

Another eraser.

A notebook.

It was only when his calculator crashed into the whiteboard that she whirled in her seat to face him. “What.”

Her previous assumption of his posture had been correct. Rhys was reclined in his seat, feet propped up. “Oh, she deigns to reply.”

That annoyance quickly turned to anger. “Are you serious?! I have to finish this lab, or I won’t make the honor roll.” She hissed, eyes narrowing. “And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to prevent that.”

Rhys blinked. “Wow. I was just going to ask what you got for question nine. Jeez, take a chill pill, Archeron.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, and tried to calm her roaring nerves. “Nine is trihydrogen monoxide sulfate.”

“Thanks.”

When Ms. Brun returned, she cast a glance around the room, at the papers, pens, pencils, erasers and notebooks strewn about, and sighed.

During their next lab, Feyre checked and rechecked the labels on both the beaker of water, and the beaker of vinegar, before carrying them carefully back to the desk she shared with Rhys, who was already scribbling down onto their shared lab report. “They’re both correct.” She murmured, setting the beakers down.

Rhys hardly glanced up, and adjusted his safety goggles. “Alright, let’s get to work.” He paused to study the steps, then reached for the beaker at the same moment Feyre did, and their hands collided softly.

“Sorry,” She murmured, quickly picking up the water, and dumped it into the larger beaker.

Her lab partner simply blushed, then added in his vinegar, before passing a pen over to her. “Alright, we’re supposed to wait for a minute before adding in the detergent, then we measure the resulting bubbles.”

Nodding, Feyre took the pen and began answering the questions.

After only a few seconds, Rhys nudged her. 

Annoyed, she looked up and gave him an accusatory glare. He then nodded towards the beaker. “Should it be fizzing like that?”

Indeed, their mixture was fizzing quite a bit, slowly bubbling up and filling in beaker, inching ever closer to the top.

At that moment, Professor Kallias strode by, then paused to examine their work. When he finally glanced up again, a warm grin melted his icy features. “Very well done, Miss Archeron, Mr. Nash. Stellar work.”

“Thank you, sir.” They chorused.

Professor Kallias gave them another congratulatory remark before continuing on down the row.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Feyre leaned over to hiss in her lab partner's ear. “Did you put the detergent in?”

An alarmed look spread across his face. “No, did you?”

“No.”

Rhys stared down at the fizzing mixture, his eyebrows drawn tightly together. “Then how- Wait.” He sniffed the air several times. “Do you smell that?” When Feyre shook her head, he then leaned down to sniff at the beaker, and instantly reeled back, coughing violently.

When she leaned over to pat his back, she caught a whiff of the mixture, and began to cough and cough, a wave of nauseating dizziness washing over her as the room spun. Her chest tightened painfully, even as her vision blurred.

“Oh no,” Someone murmured.

Her stomach gave a violent twist, and she was instantly out of her seat and barreling towards the sink to empty her stomach. She only made it a few steps, however, before she tripped over her lab partner’s foot, and fell into the sink, cracking her brow against the faucet.

Suddenly, Rhys was at the sink beside her, emptying himself of the sandwich he’d had for lunch with a loud groan.

Red flooded the line of sight in one of her eyes, even as she slowly began to take in deep breaths.

“What in the cauldron is going on here?!” Professor Kallias shouted, storming over towards them.

“Sorry, sir.” Rhys moaned, head still in the sink. Under different circumstances, she might have laughed. “I felt a bit sick.”

“And you?” Their teacher demanded. 

Feyre turned towards him then, and he paled with a muttered curse, before turning towards their beaker and giving it a very small sniff. His next curse wasn’t so quiet. “Everybody, go to the quad.” He stated, in a monotonous tone, even as his eyes had severely widened. “Now.”

The students let out a mixture of groans, and cheers as they quickly filed out of the room, and the door banged shut.

By now, Rhys had removed his head from the sink, but was still looking incredibly pale and sweaty.

Professor Kallias pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “You two...Just go to the Dean’s. I’ll clean this up.”

Rhys glanced over at her, and let out a sharp curse. He instantly became a fussing mother hen, and wet a paper towel, pressing it to her brow. Their teacher simply watched with an amused smile.

“Here, put your arm around my neck--yep, just like that.” He murmured, helping her out through the door, and began to half-carry her down the halls.

“I’m fine,” Feyre murmured, keeping the now blood soaked paper towel pressed against her cut.

“Bull.” He said, leading her back into the office they had been in only twenty four hours prior.

John let out a harsh sigh, not looking up from his book. “You guys again? Seriously, I swear we’re going to have to start shit!” He hissed, leaping to his feet. “Good God, what happened to you both?”

“Chemistry.” They both deadpanned.

Dull pain began to emanate from the cut, and pulsed in time with her heart, which was only racing because of the adrenaline. Not because Rhys had practically carried her here. 

“Miss Jenkins, we need your help.” John called, trading out the soaked paper towel for a clean one.

A portly older woman came from the nurse’s room, a kind smile on her lips. “Yes, dear? Oh good heavens!” She cried, scurrying over to them. “My word, are you both alright?”

“Yes,” Feyre muttered.

“No, actually, we’re not.” Rhys stated, giving her waist a tight squeeze.

“Well, follow me.” Miss Jenkins fretted, leading them back into the nurse’s room.

He carried her back, and set her down gently on the cot in the center of the room. When Rhys made to pull away and move to a chair, she gripped his arm and pulled him down next to her, deciding to blame her behavior on the loopiness she now felt.

Miss Jenkins carefully took the paper towel from her, and threw it away, before returning with some sterilized cotton balls, which she used to slowly clean the blood off of Feyre’s face in gentle swipes.

“Now,” The older woman began sternly, “tell me what happened to this poor young lady.” She cast a glance at Rhys. “And you too, young man.” She added as an afterthought.

“I tripped.” Feyre said.

“It’s a long story,” Rhys muttered, still looking palle.

Miss Jenkins tutted. “John, be a dear for me and fetch some crackers and juice from the cafeteria.” She called out, leveling a glare at Rhys, who visibly shrunk.

Feyre gave the hand she hadn’t realized she’d been clutching a mocking pat, a smirk worming its way onto her lips.

The woman stepped back, making to prepare some more cotton swabs. “Seeing as we have time, what exactly was the long story?”

“We were doing a lab in chem,” Feyre began, motioning for her lab partner to continue.

“And we switched roles today-” Rhys said.

“-Because yesterday Mr. Man here nearly blew us up-”

“-So she agreed to be the one who gets ingredients-”

“-And I swear I read the labels right-”

“-But when we mixed them it made a toxic gas-”

“-And I felt sick and ran to the sink-”

“-But she tripped-”

“-And I headbutted the faucet-”

“-Then I threw up.” Rhys concluded with a sigh.

Miss Jenkins blinked, returning to cleaning Feyre’s cut. “That’s quite the adventure, dearies. But, how did you make a toxic gas?”

“I don’t know,” Feyre murmured. “The two things we mixed were supposedly water and vinegar.”

“Supposedly?” Rhys scoffed. “I thought you said you read the labels!”

“I did!” She insisted. “They said water and vinegar!”

“Well they clearly weren’t.”

“Yeah, no shit dumbass.”

“Language!” Miss Jenkins shouted, eyeing them with exasperation, shaking her head as she continued swiping at the young girl’s cut.

“Sorry,” They murmured in unison.

“Heavens, you two both need to take a step back and apologize to each other!” Miss Jenkins tutted. “I’ve been listening to the two of you coming in and out of the Dean’s office all semester, and each time it’s because of some mysterious accident in Chemistry, and each time it’s the other person’s fault. And from what I’ve overheard, you two need to take a step back and realize you have a lot in common, before I lose what little sanity I have left. Isn’t that right, John?”

The door creaked open, and the sheepish junior tossed in a pack of crackers and a bottle of apple juice, nodding solemnly before sneaking back out.

“Darn boy always listening at the hinges, always thinks he’s going to overhear international secrets.” She muttered, pressing a band-aid to Feyre’s forehead. “There, all done!”

“Thank you.” Feyre murmured, slowly sliding away from Rhys.

“You,” Miss Jenkins leveled another stern glare at him. “School’s going to let out any minute now, and I’m taking you with the incredibly important job of taking her home. She might have a concussion, and I don’t want her to be alone.”

“Yes ma’am.” Rhys agreed, sending a smirk towards Feyre.

“Good. Now get out. The sooner you leave, the sooner I can go home.” She muttered, carefully shooing them out into the main office.

Rhys wrapped an arm around Feyre, and began leading her out into the parking lot, towards his jet-black, sleek car. 

“I don’t need a ride,” She muttered, crossing her arms.

“Tough.”

“I can take the bus.”

“Nope, get in.”

“You’re insufferable.” She hissed.

“Thank you, darling.”

“I’m not your darling,” Feyre snapped as she slid into the passenger's seat.

Rhys simply smirked again, backing out of the parking lot as the bell rang and students began flooding out. “Apologies, darling.”

“You’re a menace.”

“We’ve established this, Darling.”

Feyre could only shake her head. “I can’t believe this.”

“Back at you. Hey, where do you live?”

“Nineteenth and Prythian.”

He nodded, then merged into traffic. “So.” 

“So what?”

“How much trouble do you think we’re going to be in?”

Suddenly, Feyre found herself giggling, then laughing, then absolutely cackling with glee, tears streaming down her face. After a moment, Rhys joined in, pulling over when he, too, started tearing up.

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[zmediaoutlet]

in support of Black Lives Matter, @theactualpiemaker donated $20, and requested Dean/Bobby, Stanford-era. Thank you for donating!

to get your own personalized fic, please see this post. (no longer taking prompts)

John Winchester, Bobby thinks for the tenth--hundredth--thousandth time--is a real son-of-a-bitch.

“Come on, boy,” he says, not trying all that hard to be nice, tugging. “This isn’t the place you’re gonna die.”

“Feels like it,” Dean says, gasping, and--well, he might have a point.

There’s blood all over the snow, soaking in black in the night, and there’s pale flesh all torn on his leg, and if that claw nicked the artery--but there’s no way of knowing that for sure, and there’s no sense in worrying over it if it can’t be changed. Bobby tears off a long strip of the kid’s shirt, winds it around quick at the top of the thigh for a field-dressing, just in case. Feels Dean shaking, from the shock, and who can blame him. Still. “No one ever survived hunting by being soft, princess,” he says, and offers his hands to Dean. “No more laying around moaning about it. Up you get.”

Dean tips his head back against the snow, panting into the dark, but then curls up, puts his hands in Bobby’s. They slick together from the blood but that’s okay--Bobby just grips harder, their bones grinding--and together they leverage Dean up out of the puddle he’s making, and Dean makes a soft incoherent sound and staggers forward, fetching up hard against Bobby’s chest. Bobby wraps an arm around his shoulders, feels him breathing hard against his throat and chest, his body quivering. “Sack up, kid,” he says, but softer, and Dean grips into his jacket--more blood, and he’d liked this jacket--and leans into him harder for a second before he nods and pushes up, balancing on his one boot. Bobby grips his shoulder, nods back. “All right, then. Time to move.”

“Yes, sir,” Dean says, torn-up, and Bobby holds him up so they can stagger together.

This wasn’t his job. He’d sworn it off. John Winchester and his boys and all the terrible crap that came along with them. He’d nearly killed John, near-on a year ago, and it would’ve been well deserved if he’d followed through. Bastard. The boys followed with John, though, of course--although it turned out that Sam hadn’t. Then, damn him, if John didn’t start sending his other boy out on hunts on his own, like hunting alone wasn’t a surefire way to get hurt or killed no matter how many years of miserable training had been crammed down the kid’s throat, and that meant that when Bobby was in the area just investigating, wondering if there was any truth to what he’d heard about winter at Kabetogama Lake, he found Dean Winchester on his own, fighting off two shadows in the dark, and once those were taken care of he got himself saddled with a bloody kid, who never should’ve been out there in the first place.

He explains this to the shivering lump in the backseat--mainly talking so there’s something to keep Dean awake, because it’s colder than a happy hell and sleeping in that that plus bleeding out surely isn’t a good combination, in Bobby’s inexpert medical opinion. He further expands on his opinion of Minnesota in general, on the damn frozen lakes and the spirits that idiots dredge up out of them, and on boys who can’t wait for some damn backup before wading out into danger, and it turns out Dean is awake after all because he shifts at that, grumbles woozy: “Wasn’t like I had a choice.”

“Oh, yeah, that fight was just set in stone from time immemorial,” Bobby says, and in the rearview of his Chevelle he sees Dean’s eyes close, pained, and he bites his tongue against the other things he could say and steps on the gas, instead.

The cabin’s small but it’s got a good gas fireplace, and a wooden table that can hold a man’s weight--or a boy’s, when Bobby gets Dean’s ass settled on the edge and then makes him tip back. “I’m not going to lie to you, kid,” Bobby says, tearing at Dean’s jeans to show up the wounds in the firelight. Damn, that’s nasty. “This is going to suck. Royal-ass suck.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Dean says, smiling brief and pale, and Bobby rolls his eyes but pats Dean’s belly, too, proud of him despite everything, and then there’s nothing for it but needle and floss and grain alcohol and holding Dean’s hand against the squirming when the holy water sluices out the wounds, and making him comfortable when he passes out, after.

Bobby carries him to the bed. Doesn’t seem right, even if he was a fool, to make him sleep on the table after all that. He strips off the bloody coat, the too-big flannel shirt, the boots and socks and jeans. His boxers are torn only on the one leg and his t-shirt’s black and if it’s stained Bobby doesn’t know about it, and he’s all paleness there in the bed--bloodloss and his face drawn, even sleeping, and his lips pale too. That amulet, the one Bobby let Sam have years ago, still slung around Dean’s neck. He touches the sharp little horns, lightly, and then presses his fingers to Dean’s throat, checking his pulse. There, steady. That’s about as much as Bobby knows to check for. He drags over the chair, settles down. This boy. All the things Bobby had hoped for him, had known he was a damn idiot for hoping for. Well. Bobby can look after him, at least. For now. For as long as he can.

A fever, the next day. Not unexpected, but a pain in the ass. “You Winchesters,” Bobby says, laying snow-wet t-shirts at Dean’s forehead and chest, trying to bring the temperature down. “Never giving me rest.”

“Sorry,” Dean says, shivering, and Bobby shakes his head.

“It’s no fun to tell you what’s what if you actually believe it, kid,” he says, and Dean blinks at him heavy-eyed, doesn’t understand. Just as well. He has to help Dean to the toilet, and tries to give him privacy for that and the cleaning up, and he pours a slug of the good whiskey down his throat later and, hey, Dean doesn’t hurl it right back up. That’s progress.

Dean talks, when he has a fever. Bobby’d forgotten that. When he was a little boy it was all cartoons and monsters, and talking to Sam whether or not his brother was there. That part’s not different.

“Sammy,” Dean mumbles, when Bobby touches his forehead. Sammy, when he wakes up, and Sammy when the middle-of-the-night gets too strange, and Bobby touches him then, too, and lays a heavy hand on Dean’s chest when he weeps, feverish and confused and overcome. He fall asleep with no fuss, when that’s done, and Bobby chews the inside of his lip and wonders. These two kids, and their dad. He never meant to get into the middle of it but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

Like it’s immutable? he thinks to himself, and shakes his head. He always had choices, and he made them. No matter what an idiot it made him. No matter what it cost, sometimes, when he sat awake in the middle of the night with a bottle in his hand, thinking of days that could’ve been.

Fever breaks in the middle of the night, on the second day. Dean wakes up soaked in sweat, shivering for other reasons. “I feel like ass,” he says, raw-voiced, and Bobby helps him up, takes him to the bath again. Enough water in the tank for a wash, and Dean strips down shakily, sinks down into the warm water with his bad leg propped over the rim. Bobby hands him soap, shampoo, lets him get on with it. Goes out into the main room and strips the sheets off the bed that smell like blood and feversweat, and then stands in front of the fire and tries to put the image out of his head. The things he could’ve done, and chose always not to.

Dean needs help, getting out. He struggles, splashing, trying not to ask--Bobby can hear him, from here. He goes to the doorway and finds Dean with his weak arms braced on the edge of the tub, his face miserable. “Your lungs not working, dumbass?” he says, but as kindly as he can, and Dean slumps back, defeated.

“Tired of this,” Dean says. He flicks his knee, above the line of the dressing that he’s managed to at least mostly keep out of the water. “Sorry, Bobby. Didn’t mean to--”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bobby says, and Dean ducks his head. Bobby finds the other towel, flaps it out. “What’s your daddy thinking, anyway. Sending you out like this.“

Dean shrugs, awkward. “Gotta get used to being on my own,” Dean says. “I mean, with Sammy--”

He bites it off, like the name wasn’t supposed to pass his lips. That amulet’s still right in place, the leather black from the water. Bobby doesn’t respond but only offers his hands, and for the second time they lever Dean up to his feet--naked, shining, shaky. He shivers, in the cooler air, and Bobby wraps the towel around his shoulders and helps him step over the lip of the tub, and he’s closet and wet and just--sad, all the parts of him sad, from his feet to the damp crown of his head. Too young--that’s always been Bobby’s thought, with Dean. Too young, for everything that happened, and too young to be hunting, and too young for the weight of lives on his shoulders, and too young for--

Dean leans in against his chest. Like he did in the snow, only this time he’s warm. Bobby wraps an arm around his back and Dean curls his hand in Bobby’s shirt, and ducks his head under Bobby’s chin. He shifts his weight and the towel slips, swinging down to Dean’s hip, and Deans hand slides down Bobby’s chest to his stomach. He takes a breath. “Dean,” he says. Question, warning.

The hand pauses, holding there. The tips of Dean’s ears have gone real pink. Bobby holds for a second, and then puts his hand on Dean’s jaw, and forces it up so Dean has to look at him--and he does, to his credit, even if his face is red and his mouth’s a pursed disappointment. “I just miss--” Dean says, and bites that off too. All these things he says and doesn’t say. Bobby wants to know what means and simultaneously never, ever wants to go there. Dean’s eyes cut down, his jaw stiff in Bobby’s hand. He snorts, after a second. Bitter. “Wanted to not feel like shit for a second, I guess.”

Petulant. Sometimes he really is a kid. Bobby squints down at him, wondering--if it’s worth it, to be a sop-up, a second-best. Ports in a storm. He drags his thumb over Dean’s chin, presses up to his bottom lip, and Dean looks up at him. Bobby kisses him. Brief, more a brush of their mouths, his beard on Dean’s softer skin. He pulls back to see the look in Dean’s eyes and it’s--not shock, not regret. He looks blown-open. Like acceptance was the last thing he expected.

Bobby thumbs over his lip again, heat rising in him that’s been so long packed-down. All the things he never dared to look in the eye. Well. Here’s a choice to make, again. Dean’s hand curls against his stomach and his lips part. Bobby smiles at him, pats his cheek, and hopes that he’s making the right one.

[grahoria]

I'm Kidnapped by a Hot-Headed Superthief

I can’t sleep. It’s been a long day, and I’ve got another long day ahead of me tomorrow, but it’s like caffeine has been injected into my bloodstream. I don’t even feel tired.

Hunk is sound asleep, so I change into jeans and a t-shirt, grab my jacket, and head out for a walk.

There’s nowhere I want to be right now. I just wander around, letting my feet decide which way I go. When I finally look up, I’m passing the Sparrow Industries building. Which would be completely worth ignoring, if I didn’t also see the figure climbing out of a window three storeys up.

I’m moving before I fully realize what’s going on. My back slams against the wall, and I hold my breath. I’m witnessing a break-out. Or, since it’s pretty obvious whoever it is shouldn’t have been there to begin with, the end of a break-in.

I can hear his heavy breathing now. What should I do?

I don’t have time to think much more than that, because there’s a quiet thump, and then I’m bowled over by a figure wearing black and red. We hit the dirt in a tangle of limbs.

There’s a moment of silence save for distant sirens.

I manage to sit up a bit, and look directly into my attacker’s eyes. Behind his black mask, they’re wide and full of a mix of panic and determination.

Something flashes out of the corner of my eye. I glance away to see police cars pulling in. When I look back up at Mystery Guy, his eyes have narrowed.

The next thing I know, red fabric is wrapped around my head, I’m thrown over Mystery Guy’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and he takes off. I can’t reach my phone, so I just try not to fall off.

What follows is what I can only describe as a human rollercoaster. Mystery Guy changes directions a lot, stops and starts once or twice, and then starts going up instead of forward somehow. I’m this close to barfing when he finally stops and dumps me semi-gently onto the ground. The fabric is ripped off of my head.

I take a second to catch my breath, then get to my feet and look around. The first thing that hits me is that we’re standing on top of a building. The second is that my kidnapper, who has his back turned to me, is wearing a black unitard with red-lined gloves and boots, a utility belt, and a red hood.

I’ve been kidnapped by the notorious Wild Notion.

It takes a moment before I regain my voice. “What are you going to do to me?”

Wild Notion doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t answer either.

I try again. “Hello? Mr. Wild Notion? Are you going to murder me now?”

No answer.

“If you’re not going to stab me or drop me off the roof or anything, would you mind letting me go home? It’s a school night, and I really need to-”

“Shut up!” Wild Notion growls, whirling to face me. He’s got pale skin, and he sounds like John Wick, which would be super cool if he also didn’t look like he wanted to put scorpions in my bed.

“So you... are going to murder me?” I guess.

He makes a noise of irritation. “I don’t kill people.”

“Really? Because your face kind of looks like you’re going to kill me-”

“I’m starting to wish I did kill people.”

That shuts me up. I look out over the city. The Sparrow Industries building is still in sight, but I mainly see it because of all the flashing lights.

“Don’t try to get their attention,” Wild Notion says shortly. “They won’t hear you.”

“If you don’t want to draw attention, why are you wearing bright red?” I challenge before I can stop myself. Stupid big mouth, getting me into risky situations like this.

Wild Notion appears to be gritting his teeth. He turns away from me.

I don’t know how long we wait, but it feels like hours. The silence is finally broken when Wild Notion mutters, “Crap.”

“What?” I ask.

He’s scowling. “The Defenders’ll be here any minute. The next action we see could be Lady Light coming in for a landing.”

Right. Lady Light can fly. This could be my chance!

“So...” I take a few casual steps closer to the rampart. “If I wanted to escape, my best bet would be to-” NOW! I pour on the speed and leap over the rampart.

It only occurs to me as my feet leave the cement that Lady Light might not arrive in time to catch me.

The next instant, muscular arms wrap themselves around my middle and heave, sending me sprawling backward. I lie there, gasping for breath, while Wild Notion kneels beside me. “Are you CRAZY?” he shouts into my face. “You could have DIED!”

“No duh,” I manage.

This, shockingly, does nothing to calm him down. “Of all the STUPID, RECKLESS, IDIOTIC… YOU COULD BE A GREASE SPOT ON THE PAVEMENT RIGHT NOW!”

“Maybe that would be better than death by masked psychopath.” Why do I say things like this?

“I AM NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!”

“Right, because the yelling’s really selling your point.”

He growls at me - actually growls - and storms over to the rampart to keep an eye on the police situation.

Well then. Looks like I’ve been kidnapped by a real hothead. Maybe that’s why his hood is red. Or maybe he wants to look like a modern criminal vampire.

I’m suddenly struck by the irrational urge to take his picture. Or, at the very least, get a better look at him. Where is my phone?

I turn on the torch feature and lift my phone, just as he turns to face me.

I absolutely do not scream or almost drop the phone when his eyes glow bloodred.

“Turn that off!” he barks, raising a hand to block the light. I obey, but there is no way on this earth that I’m leaving myself in the dark with a pale, glowy-red-eyed criminal who can scale walls like the freaking Spider-Man. I leave my phone on, which he doesn’t seem to mind as much.

“Are you a vampire?” The words are out of my mouth before I can swallow them.

“No, I’m the Mothman,” Wild Notion says sarcastically. “You had a phone on you the whole time?”

That’s my cue to grip my phone with white-knuckle intensity. “I didn’t call anyone,” I say quickly.

Wild Notion gives me a narrow-eyed glare, then takes a few steps toward me. I take a few steps back, but not before realizing I’m taller than him by a few inches. Believe it or not, that actually makes me a bit less terrified for my life. “Give me that.”

“No,” I say, and pocket the phone.

He does the angry-growly thing again and turns his back on me. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been kidnapped by the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

“Crap.”

“What?” I ask.

“The Defenders are here.” Wild Notion turns and glares at me. “Stay put until I’m gone,” he orders.

I make a big production out of looking around me. “Right, because I’m going to take one of the millions of escape routes off the roof as soon as you’re not looking.”

“Stay. Put.” On that delightful note, Wild Notion hops up onto the rampart, then steps off into thin air.

What the heck?

I rush over to the rampart and look down. He’s sliding down the wall like it’s not completely vertical, cool as a cucumber. About ten feet from the ground, he pushes off the wall and lands lightly on his feet. Then he sprints off into the darkness and disappears.

Leaving me stuck on a roof in the middle of the night.