#Affordable DNA Testing Near Me

[facednamatch]

Welcome to our blog where we delve into the fascinating world of online DNA testing, coupled with cutting-edge image analysis technology. In this article, we’ll explore how advancements in genetic testing have merged with facial recognition technology to provide a unique and comprehensive understanding of our genetic makeup. Join us as we unravel the intricacies of DNA reports online and the innovative concept of Face DNA Match.

Read here: Affordable DNA Testing Near Me

[incorrectbatfam]

How small must the world be for both Bruce and Tim to witness John and Mary Grayson's deaths

Or for 10-year-old Duke to crack the Riddler's puzzle before Batman swoops in and saves the day, long before his powers came into play

Or for Sheila Haywood to leave her son only to end up assisting his killer a decade and a half later

Not to mention the popular fanon concept of Jason knowing baby Damian in the League of Assassins

Now imagine how many other invisible strings could've tied them together

Like what if Tim and Jason went to the same school when Jason was Robin but all they shared was the occasional bump and "excuse me" in the busy halls

Or what if Babs was a tutor and helped an elementary-aged Steph finally understand her homework only for the Browns to cancel after a couple sessions because they couldn't afford it

What if the first person to buy Cass a hot meal was Kate on one of her travels

What if Alfred witnessed young Selina shoplifting groceries but chose to turn a blind eye

What if Jason lived on the same streets as the Row siblings and gave little Harper tips on how to use tools and defend her brother

What if Steph and Duke shared the same school bus, only he sat in the front while she was toward the back

What if the first person to teach Tim how to tie his shoes was Bruce at a gala because Jack and Janet were busy talking to someone important

What if Bette did a DNA test for fun and found a connection in Nanda Parbat but just assumed the results was faulty because she knew her whole family, right?

What if 8-year-old Dick, the day before his parents died, stayed at a cheap hotel near Crime Alley and found 4-year-old Jason wandering alone and said, "I'll be your big brother for tonight"

What if the universe knew they were made for each other and wouldn't rest until they realized it too

[patientselftesting6732]

What to Look for in a Lab Offering Testing Services Near Me

In today's fast-paced world, access to reliable and efficient testing services is essential for maintaining health and well-being. Whether you require routine blood tests, genetic testing, or specialized diagnostics, finding the right lab offering testing services near you is crucial. With numerous options available, it can be challenging to discern which lab meets your needs. This blog will guide you through the key factors to consider when choosing a lab for testing services near you.

Comprehensive Range of Testing Services

When searching for a lab offering testing services near you, it's essential to prioritize facilities that offer a comprehensive range of tests. Look for labs that specialize in various areas of testing, including blood tests, urine tests, DNA testing, pathology services, and more. A lab with a diverse range of testing capabilities ensures that you can conveniently access all the necessary tests under one roof.

State-of-the-Art Technology and Equipment

The quality of testing services largely depends on the technology and equipment used by the lab. Opt for a facility that invests in state-of-the-art technology and maintains modern equipment for accurate and reliable results. Advanced equipment not only enhances the accuracy of tests but also ensures faster turnaround times, allowing you to receive results promptly.

Accreditation and Certification

Accreditation and certification are critical indicators of a lab's reliability and competence. Look for labs that are accredited by reputable organizations such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) or accredited by bodies like the College of American Pathologists (CAP). Accredited labs adhere to stringent quality standards and undergo regular inspections to maintain their accreditation, ensuring the highest level of quality and accuracy in testing services.

Experienced and Qualified Staff

The expertise of the lab's staff plays a significant role in the quality of testing services. Choose a lab that employs experienced and qualified professionals, including pathologists, medical technologists, and laboratory technicians. Experienced staff members are proficient in conducting tests accurately, interpreting results, and providing expert guidance when needed.

Convenient Location and Hours of Operation

Accessibility is key when selecting a lab for testing services near you. Consider the location of the lab and its proximity to your home or workplace to ensure convenience. Additionally, check the lab's hours of operation to ensure that they align with your schedule. Opt for a lab that offers flexible hours, including early morning, evening, and weekend appointments, to accommodate your busy lifestyle.

Affordable Pricing and Insurance Coverage

Cost is a significant factor to consider when choosing a lab for testing services. Compare the pricing of different labs and inquire about any hidden fees or additional charges. Additionally, check whether the lab accepts your insurance plan and if the testing services are covered under your policy. Choosing a lab that offers affordable pricing and accepts insurance can help minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

When selecting a lab offering testing services near you, it's essential to consider factors such as the comprehensive range of testing services, state-of-the-art technology, accreditation, experienced staff, convenient location and hours of operation, as well as affordability and insurance coverage. PatientSelfTesting, a trusted provider of testing services, meets all these criteria and more. With state-of-the-art facilities, experienced professionals, and a commitment to quality and accuracy, PatientSelfTesting ensures that you receive the highest standard of care for all your testing needs. Choose PatientSelfTesting for reliable and convenient testing services near you.

[vanderengine]

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[sumcringeboi]

I thought I’d start posting some short story’s cuz this seems to be my art dump place and I wanted to try writing more stuff at some point, so here’s this, I used a random word generator as inspiration, the 3 words it spat out were:

Decay, smile, grey.

My eyes peel open, once again, as they had countless times before, I awake from awful, disjointed dreams, the feeling of the mind consuming itself, a part of me is glad to put an end to it, another knows that sleep would be preferable.

The morning commute is as it always is, peering through car windows at the faces of others, stuck in gridlock, everyone rushing to be other places, just go back again, like they always do, like i always do. I struggle to see them as people in a sense, I know that they are, a primordial part of me knows that, on the other hand, I perhaps have a habit of taking my work home with me, a very nasty habit. I see them as objects, I suppose I have to in order to keep my sanity.

I arrive, just in time to swallow the delusions of people being unimportant and internalise it, the cold steel doors shriek to the side to let me pass, I walk the unlit corridor, as I had countless times before, as I will countless times again, the light from the crack of the door fades as I continue the trek through the dingy, unwashed corridor, daunting enough to scare off most curious onlookers, those who push on through the rusted steel however would be met with a fingerprint locked elevator, how I wish I was so lucky to be afforded the luxury of turning back, but no, the door opens, my weight shifts upward as I descend, down,

And down,

And down.

When I reach the bottom i am forced to strap on my work face, to force a neutral appearance past the dishevelled depression. The repugnant clack of my docket as I clock in, all too familiar, I check my assignments;

“Task #1: visual inspection of subject 1284”

1284- I breath a sigh… “1284”

Subject 1284, Caucasian male, 36, brown hair, green eyes, no friends, no remaining family, name: unimportant…

Subject 1284 is an unwilling participant of live genetic modification. Modifying a human embryo is a fairly straightforward affair, relatively speaking- that is, encode a strand of DNA or RNA into a CRISPR protein that need to be added or subtracted, introduce the protein to the embryo and wait a couple of hours, couldn’t be simpler. Live modifications however are a different beast entirely, I won’t mortify you with the whole process, mostly for my own sake, my mind is a labyrinth of doors to thoughts and memory’s that must me opened and closed to fit my situation, some doors I prefer to open only if I truely must, this metaphor also describes the door to subject 1284s containment chamber, only opened for scheduled feeding or stimuli testing and only when it is safe.

I thank my lucky stars that I don’t need to go anywhere near that dreaded door, all I need to do is a visual check through a reinforced acrylic bulkhead. Tenuously I make my way to the chamber and gaze through the window. I see a white steel cell caked in smears of thick black, and at the opposite end of the cell, with its back towards the window is a gaunt, humanoid creature, is skin is a faded grey with what I can only assume are shreds of remaining bone visible through the rice paper skin that lays tight around its haunting form. I made no noise and yet, it knew I was there, with shaking legs it rose from its hunched crouch, with that same black viscous fluid stringing from it like honey. The steel echos a piercing slam, within the blink of an eye the creature has bounded towards me faster than human eyes can register and slammed itself against the glass, I stare, unblinking into the piercing eyes of a living monster, perhaps the only part of its skin that is not pulled tight against its anatomy is its face, it’s jaw hangs open nearly to its pectorals, it’s eyes like deflated, melting rubber that gently wobble within loose sockets, though they point on random directions I somehow know it sees me, like it’s staring at me.

The creatures distended maw pulls up to allow the cheeks to widen, I get a clear shot of the back of its throat, all of its insides are different shades of black, no teeth, I see the muscles through the skin on its bloated stomach heave as a strange puckered fleshy shape climbs from its throat like a pelican yawning, after a few strong dry reaches it vomits a splatter of that same black fluid to completely cover the window, it’s shacking hand wipes vertical streak down the centre of the glass revealing that it’s once bloated stomach now sags down, a hollow and empty bag of skin. I watch as it’s sickening face coils into a vile facsimile of a smile as I watch the life drain from its eyes, as if dying was the first positive feeling its had in a long time, perhaps ever. It stumbles and falls backwards, vital signs of the rooms interior registers no ongoing cellular processes.

“Bio experiment 1284: failure”

“Task #2: feeding of subject 1285”

-so yea a little generic and scp inspired but it was my first time opening ia writer in a good while so hopefully with the practice, the idea I got brewing comes out good :3

[usdnatest]

Face DNA test refers to the identification and verification of unidentified biological sources in anticipation of facial images with a known identity. In simpler words identification of unidentified biological facial features is used to forecast the face from that particular DNA is known as facial recognition DNA testing.......read more

[facednatest]

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[dnaexaminers-blog]

[citygirlcharlotte]

The Sister Halstead (Part 1)

Masterlist

Pairings: Hank Voight x Female OC, Jay & Will Halstead x Female Sister!OC.

Warnings: None

“Jay hates me Will, I don’t know what to do anymore” I complained as I sat with my newly found brother Will Halstead. 

Let me back up a little bit. My name is Charlotte Lahey and up until 2 months ago, I didn’t know I had two half-brothers. Turns out, my mother happened to catch the eye of Pat Halstead 30 years ago and now I exist. Unfortunately, or fortunately, for me, mom took off when she learned she was pregnant and married the incredible man I know as my actual father. 

When I was 16, I found out about my birth father but it never changed anything for me. I was the daughter of Charles & Ava Lahey and that was that. For my 25th birthday however, I had a PI do some snooping into my biological fathers side of the family and low and behold, 2 brothers. 

Having split my time between Chicago & New York growing up, I never realized I had brothers just walking around the city I love. I decided 6 months ago that I would move back to Chicago to take over my father’s business there and at the same time do some snooping. It was surprisingly hard to figure out how to introduce myself to my brothers. Thankfully I didn’t have to because I ended up in Will’s care at Chicago Med when I fainted on a job site and nearly cracked my head open.

Which brings me to today. From the beginning, Will and I got on like a wildfire. This might have been because we’re both strawberry blonde & a little naive though. Jay however, did not take a liking to me at first or even now. He did not appreciate me insinuating that our father cheated on their mother with mines but after a while the evidence was irrefutable, thanks to the DNA test. 

“He’ll come around.” Will coaxed, looking at me with a sad expression. 

Luckily for me, will accepted me with open arms and we tried to get together often. With his work schedule as a doctor and mine as an engineer, it was difficult but we made it work. 

“But what if he doesn’t? He just sees me as a little brat.” I lamented. 

Our introductions didn’t help when Jay and Will realized that I got the tall end of the stick when it came to life. I think Jay resented me for that, giving that their upbringing in the south side of Canaryville wasn’t exactly peaches and cream. I was fortunate that my father Charles was an accomplished engineer who worked his butt off for his wife and daughter and in turn had much to show for it. I do admit that I’m the typical daddy’s money, high maintenance, city girl but since becoming an engineer myself and taking over our Chicago office, I’ve really made a name for myself. Not that jay cared anyway. He couldn’t get past the boarding schools, the gifted penthouse or fancy car my father afforded me. 

“Just give him some time. You know he already had a difficult relationships with dad, this just adds another pile of dirt to his grave.” 

All I could do was shrug. Eventually, Will’s lunch break was over and I drove him back to Med before deciding to drink some problems away. It was fuck it Friday after all. I ended up in a less than impressive establishment somewhere near the south side, drinking my worries of never having a relationship with my oldest brother away. 

“Double scotch” a voice said beside me at the bar. 

I glanced sideways once to see a guy in a leather jacket sat next to me at the bar. Only there were plenty of open seats not directly next to me. 

“The bar top is nearly empty, why the hell have you decided to sit next to me?” I asked the guy. 

He looked over at me with a slight scowl before taking a drink. 

“Definitely the company sweetheart.” He said sarcastically and downed the rest of his drink.

“You think you’re tough because you can shoot scotch?” I laughed. 

“Beats that bottom shelf tequila you’re drinking.” He shrugged, motioning to the bartender for a refill. Intrigued, I motioned for one too. 

As the drinks were brought over, I offered a cheers to the guy before shooting back a double scotch and nearly spitting it up. 

“That’s fucking disgusting.” I choked, trying to will myself not to throw up. 

“You got some balls kids. Hank.” He introduced. 

“Charlie. Hank is such a terrible nickname, I’m assuming for Henry?” 

“Yeah, you don’t really get to choose your nicknames. Charlie short for Charlotte?” He asked. 

“Yeah. Well nice to meet you Henry.” I smirked, offering my hand. 

“You too Lottie.” He laughed, returning the gesture. 

We ended up at a booth slamming back liquor and making small talk. Thankfully, we never asked any questions about each other besides our names and mostly complained about Hockey. 

“Fuck, I better head out. Didn’t realize how late it was getting.” I groaned, seeing as it was almost 2 am. 

“Nothing but sketchy cabs at this time sweetheart. C’mon, you’re better off taking my couch.” Henry motioned as he closed out the both of our tabs and grabbed my arm. 

“A little forward don’t you think?” I laughed, stepping outside into the cold Chicago weather.

“You wish.” He smirked with a roll of his eyes and offering me his jacket. I gladly excepted as we trudged our way through the streets until I found my car. 

“What about my car.” I whined. He stopped in his tracks, turning his head toward my vehicle. 

“Get in, you can park it in front of my house.” He informed me as I happily handed over my keys and got into the passengers seat. 

“Don’t crash her.” I warned. 

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to know what it would cost to replace her if I did.” He laughed. 

Before I knew it, I was climbing the stairs to his house and happily kicking my way out of my shoes. 

“You can take my room.” He told me, pushing me towards the staircase. 

“Not necessary, just give me a blanket and I will happily crash on your couch.” 

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that sweetheart?” He smirked. 

“The kind who really doesn’t want me to climb anymore stairs after shooting scotch.” I laughed, making my way to the couch and getting comfy. 

Seeing as it was nearly 3 am at this point, I set an alarm and began to get ready to knock out. 

“Here’s a blanket and a hoodie and sweats you can sleep in.” He told me, coming back from the upstairs in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He looked good casual. 

“You’re the best. Turn around, I’m too lazy to walk to your bathroom.” I informed him, before slinging his leather jacket back to him and stripping down. 

“Stripping down on the first date?” He laughed. 

“You wish Henry. I never did catch your last name.” I asked, finishing my task and walking towards him. 

I touched his shoulder as he knew it was safe to look at me and turned around. He didn’t reply but pointed to the inscription on his hoodie. 

“Last names Voight sweetheart.”

“I’m Charlotte Lahey. Nice to meet you Henry Voight.” 

[darling-i-read-it]

The BSAA Base

Fate Part 12

Series Masterlist

Leon Kennedy x fem!reader

Word Count: 4.3k

Warnings: violence, pregnancy, injuries, alcholism, terrorism, zombies, suggestive talk

Author’s Note: And it’s over! This is my favorite of the movies so I’m glad I got to end on a high note. I will likely continue this in the event we get Leon in the next game and when I play Darkside Chronicles I’ll make a part for that! I hope you all enjoy the last part :)

Summary: Chris and Rebecca get yours and Leon’s help in the newest BOW problems.

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

I use some dialogue directly from the show so it may sound familiar

(not my gif)

Chris Redfield knocked on the hotel door and walked inside. Rebecca Chambers looked up at him cautiously, having just been through a bit of a trauma and still being jumpy.

“It’s just me,” he said. She nodded, looking back at her computer. “That doesn’t look like you’re resting.”

“A hot shower does wonders,” she promised him, standing up. He gestured to the computer.

“Is that the data you took from the lab?”

“Yes,” she responded. “Now that we know the test drug works as a vaccine,we have to send this out to other labs ASAP. The faster we get this mass-produced, the more lives we can save.”

“Yeah maybe,” Chris responded.

“There’s a reason you’re here, isn’t there,” Rebecca mused. She sat back down at her computer chair while Chris sat on the edge of the bed. He was still wearing his protective vest, still clearly on duty. “You’re after someone.”

“Yeah, a man named Glenn Arias.”

“Who’s that?” “He took over Neo Umbrella and Tricell’s operations. He’s selling the weapons they created to crime syndicates and countries at war. He’s a merchant of death using mercenaries and BOWs to do his dirty work. And now...the dead are rising again,” he explained.

“And you’re sure Arias is behind it?”

“Yes. After I found out that your research was the most advanced in the world-”

“You hopped on a chopper and came to see me,” Rebecca concluded.

“Yes. And after I saw how trashed your lab was, it looks like the bad guys knew about your research too.” Rebecca couldn’t imagine how her information had leaked out. She sat there in thought for a moment and then it hit her.

“Oh...I reported our initial findings to the WHO. And then they sent it to facilities all over the world that specialize in vaccines.”

“The leak could’ve come from any of those places,” Chris said.

“Exactly.”

“Arias wanted to disrupt your research. And now that he’s got your data, he’s even more dangerous.” Rebecca turned back to her computer and gestured to the data.

“I compared the new virus’s DNA to all the bioweapons we have on file. The sequence is extremely close to the parasitic weapons used by the Los Iluminados cult.”

“You think Arias might be one of em?”

“Based on the information I have now, I’m not sure.” Chris leaned back, putting his hands on his knees. He didn’t know much about the Los Illuminados cult but he knew some people who did.

“Looks like we should go talk to the real experts.” Rebecca’s brows furrowed.

“Real experts?”

====

Leon sat at a table in the Rocky Mountains. He had picked the hotel which meant it was pretty expensive but also not near anything fun. If you had picked the hotel it would have been affordable and closer to food. But you hadn’t been able to.

Leon was nursing another glass of alcohol, having almost made it completely through the bottle. He heard Chris and Rebecca before they approached.

“Careful you don’t scare the locals. Your stealth’s for shit,” he muttered, turning around.

“It’s a little early to be that deep in the bottle, Leon,” Chris said. Leon turned around to look at him, his hair falling in front of his face.

“Well, look who it is. The BSAA’s golden boy and Dr. High Hopes. What the hell do you want?”

“I got a job. We need yours and Y/N’s help.”

“You’re not going anywhere near my wife. Regardless, we’re on vacation.”

“Where’s Y/N?” Chris asked. Leon gave him a harsh look that warned him not to push further but Chris knew you. You and Leon weren’t that far apart. He was willing to bet you were upstairs. “What, a marital spat?” “Chris,” Rebecca muttered. She sat down across from Leon. “We want to talk about Los Iluminados. It would be great if Y/N could be here.”

“Looks like you’re stuck with just me,” Leon grumbled. Chris rolled his eyes.

“Remember the type of BOWs they were using?” Chris asked.

“That was so long ago, I don’t remember,” Leon said reluctantly.

“So what, you just gonna sit around here another week and do nothing?”

“I never make plans that far ahead,” Leon promised. A waiter walked past. “Hey. Another bottle here.” Chris put his hand up.

“Cancel that.”

“Hey who the hell do you-”

“Enough! All right?” Chris yelled.

“What do you want, Redfield?” Leon asked, getting ready to stand up.

“What do you want, Leon? Cut the shit.”

“Guys, come on. Leon, I’m sorry to interrupt your vacation but we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t serious. We think you might have some intel, and we need it now.” Rebecca seemed to get through to him. Chris guessed it was because wherever you were, you would have said the same thing.

“What intel?”

Rebecca quickly explained to him what had happened. He wished he had another bottle.

“This again huh? It’s like I’m stuck in a goddamn loop.”

“What?” Rebecca asked.

“You know that bomb that went off in DC? Well, it was my mission to stop the territories. We got to the rendezvous point and some asshole ratted us out. The bomb went off and everyone on Metro SWAT, my whole unit, gone. The only person who survived was me and Y/N but even she didn’t make it out unscathed. I thought I had lost her for three whole days,” Leon said, his voice getting quiet at the end.

He didn’t elaborate on your state.

“I keep fighting and fighting and fighting. And instead of seeing an end to this shit, it just keeps getting worse,” he said, leaning back. “Is this what my life’s supposed to be? Fighting the living dead and the bastards that make em? I want fucking kids Chris. I want my wife to be safe. What’s the point of it all if I’m not even managing that?”

“Look.” Chris took out his computer and put it in front of Leon. “This is Glen Arias, an arms dealer. His deals on the black market are so shady they landed him on a certain government’s hit list. A smart bomb was dropped on his wedding. He lost his family and his wife. And now he’s got a grudge. After the attack he went underground but now he’s back with BOWs and a score to settle. Here’s the kicker: he said his products have target capabilities. From what I’ve seen, I believe him,” Chris said. Leon shook his head.

“So you got an arms dealer on one side, and on the other, a government dropping bombs on weddings. Who’s the bad guy here?” Leon mused.

“Arias!” Chris yelled. “And it’s our mission to bring his ass down!”

“Your mission, not mine!”

“Goddamn it, Leon!”

“Stop!” Rebecca yelled. “Leon. With everything that’s going on, you just sit here and feel sorry for yourself. And you?” She turned to Chris. “You’re letting a grudge get the better of you. God...I cannot believe how alike the two of you are.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re acting like a couple of selfish brats right now.” She pulled up her sleeve and opened up the briefcase she had brought. She injected herself and pulled a vile of blood from her arm. “The virus is right under our noses. Always has been. We don't need to look for some new virus that Arias is infecting people with. The virus is lying dormant inside of everyone. Even you. What we need to find is the trigger. Something activates the latent virus, and only Arias knows what it is. But until we find out, everyone, living and dead, are his potential weapons.”

“She’s right.”

All three of them turned around to see you walking toward them. You had a hand over your side and a bandage over your upper arm. There was a bruise on your cheek and a look of exhaustion in your eyes. Leon stood up quickly, walking over to you.

“I told you to rest.”

“I told you to lay off the drinking,” you muttered. He tried to grab your arm to help you walk but you just put your hand on his shoulder. “I can walk by myself hon. You must be Rebecca Chambers, I’ve heard a lot about you. And of course, Chris.” Chris stood up and threw his arms around you in a bear hug. You winced and Leon almost sucker punched him but held back because of the small grin on your face. Chris pulled away to look at you.

“I’m sorry to hear about DC,” he muttered. You shook your head.

“No matter what my husband said, it wasn’t his fault. It was mine too.” You shook Rebecca's hand with your good one.

“I have to go to the bathroom. You think you could handle these kids?” she asked. You smiled.

“Yeah. I’ve got years of training.” She walked away. Leon and Chris sat back down at the table. You brushed Leon’s hair back and kissed his forehead before sitting down beside him. “I heard what she said and also what you two said. Chris, of course we’ll help.”

“Absolutely not.” Leon started. You gave him a look. “You’re still hurt. You’re not going back out into the field yet. We’re on vacation and you promised me we wouldn’t have another vacation ruined after Slav Republic.”

“I’ll give you an extra good vacation afterwards. We’ll go to Hawaii or something. You remember the vacation we took after Slav Republic.” He was silent for a moment and then he stared at you.

“I hate you.”

“I love you too Leon.” The door flung open and a man ran inside.

“Leon!” the man yelled. You stood up, wincing at your abdomen pain. Once Leon realized who it was he started to sprint.

“Patricio!” Leon growled. He shoved the man against a pillar.

“Let me explain-” Patricio started but Leon was already blinded by rage.

“The guy that I told you about. The one that sold out my unit. This is the guy.”

“Leon-” you started but there was no getting through to him.

“Please. You’re the only one I know from the DSO. It’s my family, you’ve got to save them. My wife and daughter are in Spain. An arms dealer is getting paid by the surviving members of the Los Illuminados to launch a large-scale bioterror attack. I know too much. They’re gonna kill me and my family.” Chris moved Leon out of the way but not without some fight.

“Did you hear what he said? It’s our lucky day.”

“Lucky?” Leon questioned. “This man almost killed my wife!” You put your hand on Leon’s arm but he didn’t stop.

“He’s gonna lead us to our guy.”

“What are you talking about Chris?” you asked.

“The name Glenn Arias ring a bell?” Chris asked Patricio.

“How do you know?” he whispered.

“I’m psychic.”

“Let me get this straight,” Leon said. “You try and get me and my wife killed, and now I’m supposed to save your family? Well how about this? You tell us what you know first, and then we’ll decide if we help.”

Cars came in droves outside. You watched them approach.

“Leon…” you whispered. He turned around.

“Son a bitch!” Chris yelled. “He was followed!” There was a woman outside that was holding Rebecca over her shoulder. “Rebecca!”

A large man came out of one of the vans, carrying an even larger gun. He started to shoot through the windows of the hotel. Chris body slammed you to the side behind a table. You sat there, heavy breathing, your stitches ripped, until the shooting stopped. You leaned against the back of the table, looking over at Chris.

“Are you okay?” he asked. You nodded.

“Just slightly bleeding,” you muttered. Leon ran over and helped you up. He grabbed the edge of your shirt and saw the blood seeping through.

“I know the big guy. He’s with Arias,” Chris said.

“What’s Arias want with Rebecca?” you asked.

“I don’t know. I just want to get her back.”

“There goes my vacation. Again,” Leon muttered. He pointed at you. “You’re staying here.” You scoffed.

“Excuse you? Leon Scott Kennedy-”

“Yeah yeah Y/N Y/M/N Kennedy, you’re not fucking coming,” he told you. Patricio’s cell phone rang on the ground. You all turned to look at it.

Leon kneeled on the ground and picked it up, answering the call. He put it to his ear. You could only imagine who it was. His wife. His child. After a moment the line disconnected.

“There’s a reason he gave that to you before he died. It might have the answers we need it in. We have Rebecca’s laptop. We have leads. Look, man, I need you and Y/N.”

“She’s not coming.”

“I’m coming.”

====

“Everybody got a dose of Rebecca’s vaccine?” Chris asked. Everyone nodded. “Good. What’s the status on the reinforcements?”

“BSAA and NYPD SWA are on the ground in the thick of it. The state police won’t get there for another three hours,” Nadia, one of Chris’s soldiers said.

“So that means we have to nab Arias all by ourselves,” Chris decided.

“Fantastic,” Leon muttered.

“Yo! The signals getting worse.”

“They’re using tanker trucks to spray the virus. He’s not trying to turn a couple thousand. He’s trying to turn them all,” Leon explained.

“We need to take out those tankers,” you concluded.

“Professor Chambers’ research says the virus can’t handle heat. It’s got the same flash point as gasoline,” one of Chris’s men, DC, said.

“Perfect. Let’s light a match, watch it burn,” you said.

“I wish we could get to Rebecca first, but the priority is those tankers,” Chris stated.

“So we got three things to do. One, blow up the tankers. Two, get Rebecca. Three, grab the vaccine and deploy it on the city,” Leon explained.

“And grab Arias. Four things,” Chris said. The plane landed smoothly and the back opened so that you could get out.

“DC, Nadia, you guys work from the Osprey,” Chris said.

“Roger that C,” Nadia said.

“You too Y/N,” Leon said.

“You think just because I have your last name you can control me? I’m coming with. I can fight just as well as you, even with some problems.” You, Chris and Leon started to walk out the back of the Osprey. At the bottom was a jeep and a motorcycle.

“Gifts from the BSAA. That’s the best they can do for us for now,” DC called. Leon scoffed.

The three of you started walking down to the vehicles.

“Hey, Y/N, you remember when we were broken up?” Leon asked.

“I do.”

“I spent about a month riding motorcycles so I could show off when we started dating again. Can’t believe it’s taken me this long.” You smiled.

“What a coincidence,” Chris said. “Y/N spent about a month riding m-” You hit Chris over the back of the head.

“Alright Leon, show me what you got. I’ll take the jeep with Chris.”

You hopped into the passenger seat. Chris and Leon shared a wary look before going to their respective vehicles. Chris started the jeep and followed Leon down the highway.

“You know, you could not mention that month when Leon is around,” you muttered, laughing gently.

“I can’t help it. He knows though right?”

“More or less. I’ve alluded to it in the past. Plus, he’s my husband. He knows I love him and him only. Regardless, focus on the road Redfield.”

====

Chris sent you to find Rebecca. You were running through the halls, opening doors and looking inside them but nothing. You heard Arias come over the intercom to talk to Chris but he hadn’t seemed to notice you were there quite yet.

There were gunshots coming from down the hall. You turned your head quickly and took out your two handguns. You creeped down the hallway and stopped at the sight before you.

Chris and Leon were fighting the zombies that were coming from both ends of the hallway. For a moment you were just amazed. They were both fighting with immense perfection.

It took you a moment but you knew you had to join in. They were doing great but not well enough for the amount of zombies.

You shot at the zombies around Chris and below Leon.

“I thought I told you to wait in the jeep,” Leon muttered, flying around you, shooting zombies.

“How boring that would’ve been,” you grunted. “Chris!” “Yeah?!”

“Go find Rebecca! We got this.”

====

“I’m taking the motorcycle up to help Chris,” Leon said as he shot the last zombie. You nodded.

“I think you like that motorcycle more than you like me.”

“Never.” He slung his leg over the seat and you tossed him some ammo. You stared at each other for a moment and you smiled. He looked so different from when you had first seen him. You could barely see a glimpse of little puppy dog Leon Kennedy, a RPD police officer, a kind and helpful man. He was still kind and he was still helpful but the years had taken a toll. He was rugged, tired, and grown. But he was still your Kennedy.

“I love you.”

“Yeah yeah.” You scoffed. “I love you too.”

“I’ll be up there in a second.”

“You will not.” He sped past you and to the elevator. You rolled your eyes. Leon knew how to find the big guns but you were willing to bet you could find some here.

You rushed through the building and finally reached it. Where Arias kept the grenade launchers.

“Take that Leon,” you muttered to yourself and picked one up. You ran to the elevator, ignoring the pain in your stomach. It was only going to get worse before it ever had the chance to get better.

When you reached the roof, Chris and Rebecca were on the ground, out cold. A big guy who you were willing to bet was a mutated Glenn Arias, held Leon by the throat.

“I’m going to spill your guts all over,” he said gravely.

“Hey!” you yelled. “Get your hands off my husband,” you muttered and shot the grenade launcher at him. He dropped Leon on the ground and fell over the edge of the building. You sprinted over to Leon and helped him up. “Leon? Leon, are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I told you to-”

“You would be dead. Just say thank you.”

Arias had landed on the plane. You cursed under your breath.

“I’ve gotta-” Leon started.

“Yeah go on.” He got onto the motorcycle and revved it. Chris stood up and ran over to you.

“What’s he-” Chris started.

“Just wait.” Leon rode the motorcycle over the building and jumped off of it just as it went over the edge. It landed against Arias.

“Bye-bye asshole,” Leon said as he shot him. The cycle blew up and he fell to the ground.

“Rebbeca,” Chris breathed. He turned around and went to give her the vaccine. You and Leon walked over.

“She okay?” you asked.

“Yeah she’ll be alright. Just one more thing left to do.”

“So let’s do it.”

====

You flew over the city, dropping the vaccine down through the air. As you did so, you all sat in the plane, taking the first breath in ages. You put your head on Leon’s shoulder as he held your stitches closed.

“And once again, we find ourselves back where we started,” Rebecca said.

“What do you mean?” Chris asked.

“We got the bad guys. Hope we made the world a little safer.” She shrugged, looking down at her hands.

“Hey Chris,” Leon called.

“Yeah?”

“How much longer can we keep going on like this?” Chris leaned forward.

“I don’t know. I never make plans that far ahead.” You all laughed gently. You winced.

“I can take a look at that when we get back,” Rebecca said, gesturing to your stitches. “I’ll have the things needed to help you.”

“Thanks Rebecca but Leon has been doing my stitches since 1998.” She smiled.

“Very romantic.”

===

Chris wanted to make sure the two of you were taken care of before sending you back home. He sent you to the BSAA headquarters and to an actual doctor. Rebecca took it upon herself to argue with you for her to stitch up the wounds. You sat with her alone as she cleaned you up.

“You’re lucky your abdomen was mostly artificial. Your arm got the brunt of it.”

“I did use my arm more.”

“You know, you shouldn’t be out here in your condition.”

“I know, Leon told me not to with my arm-” She met your eyes and shook her head. “What?”

“You don’t know?”

“Know what?” Her eyes went wide and she cleared her throat.

“You’re pregnant.” Your eyes went even wider and your breath caught in your throat. You had no idea.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Yeah, uh, it came back on your tests. The ones to make sure you didn’t have any more of the virus.” You put your hands on your knees and laughed dryly to yourself.

“I had no idea.” Your neck snapped to her again and you stood up. “I have to tell Leon.” She nodded.

“I’ve done everything I can for you, though I suggest you see a doctor when you get home for the baby.” You nodded.

“Thank you for everything Rebecca. I’m glad you’re safe.” She nodded once and then you rushed out the door. Leon was being treated in a room near yours. Luckily when you went in, he was all alone, fixing the bandage on his arm.

“Hey! I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

“Yeah me too-”

“Let me go first. I know you and Chris slept together and that’s okay, though I wish you had told me-”

“Leon-”

“Which brings me to the question, why did you not tell me? I don’t imagine you two have done it since we’ve been together but by holding it back-”

“Leon!”

“Let me-”

“I’m pregnant.”

He went completely silent. His face went blank. For a moment you were worried that he wasn’t going to like it but then his emotions caught up to him.

“Are you sure?”

“Rebecca just told me.” He stood up and threw his arms around you, knocking the breath out of you.

“Oh-oh I’m sorry I’m so sorry.” You laughed, shaking your head.

“It’s okay,” you promised. He processed the information for a moment, staring at you. “As for Chris-”

“Fuck Chris.”

“Yes exactly,” you said and giggled. “It was a fling when we broke up but never anything more. I was still very clearly not over you. You deserve to know.”

“Thank you for telling me. I am too happy to process that.” You giggled and hugged him. He kissed your forehead. “I’m gonna get my shit together. We’re gonna do this and do it well.”

“Does this mean I can’t work for like, seven months?”

“Oh you aren’t even gonna look at a gun, so much as hold one.”

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” He gave you a sad look, a frown on his face.

“Are you sure?”

“No, I was giving you a hard time.” He let out a sigh in relief.

“We’re gonna have to tell Ada,” he said.

“Can she be the godmother?”

“Are you serious?”

“I mean, we want someone who absolutely won’t die on us right? Ada Wong. Or I suppose Claire. She is the reason we met after all. Oh God I have to call Claire and tell her, she’s gonna be so happy.” He nodded, putting his hand on your upper arms.

“I love you,” he said, like it was a promise. “I’ve never really said it but I’m so glad we met. I’m so glad you agreed to get into my jeep even though I was acting like a creep. And that you’ve saved me a thousand times.” You smiled up at him.

“You weren’t being a creep. You were being cute.”

“Whatever you say.”

“I love you so much,” you said, laughing happily and throwing your arms around him. The door opened. You both turned around to see Chris walking in.

“Am I interrupting something?”

“No, no come in.”

“I just wanted to say congratulations. Rebecca told me. You two deserve it.”

“Thanks man.”

“Thank you Chris.”

“Are we sure it’s not mine?” You laughed, rolling your eyes.

“Shut up.”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I guess I won’t be getting help from the two of you for a couple months.” Leon nodded.

“Don’t even try. I’ll kick you out myself and I won’t be drunk so I’ll be able to do it.”

“You two need to shush and enjoy this moment.”

Leon had his arm around you and it was a perfect moment. For once, you were more excited than nervous. You had to thank fate for that.

Series Tag List: @ceruleanrainblues, @scarletrosesposts,@stardancerluv, @trinswhimsys

[babytaes]

Serenity

➳ 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢:  You run into an old friend on the way to pick up your delivery, who seems to be waiting for his pizza as well.

❥ 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐: joshua x female reader

❥ 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: college au, fluff, slice of life

❥ 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 3K

➳ part of the song series

↳  I was hoping it'd be different when I saw you but it feels the same

Never changed   

I was certain I'd flushed you out my system

But you're printed in my DNA

Your head slammed onto the desk as a wave of exhaustion washed through you. Professors enjoy assigning all of this work and expect it to be completed promptly. Sadly, I'm not a genie who can just wish it away.

When you turned around to face your roommate, who seemed to be in the same situation as you, a low growl came from her throat. To see if she was awake, you threw a pen at her back.

Without even looking up a small moan struggled to come out as she turned to face you. 

As you stared at the disheveled state in front of you, a gasp echoed from your throat.

“Damn, you got it rough. Maybe more than me.”

She flung your pen back at you with a sly smile on her lips, dodging to the left as it hurled at your face. This was so out of character for both of you. Although both of you had great study habits in high school, junior year of college was beating your asses. Like kicking it.

You grunted as you walked over to your bed and plopped down to relieve some stress, grabbing the stray books and hurling them onto the floor

Seon-ah chuckled and twirled her pen in her chair as she examined your body, which was still but also very tense.

“Hey, how about we unwind for a while and maybe get a bite to eat? You know food will give us more energy and willpower to finish these last few class assignments. What do you say?"

She closed her eyes and crossed her fingers in an attempt to sway you. Fortunately, you just let her win today, as shown by your growling stomach. For most days, you wouldn't eat or take a rest until all of your work was completed. Was it beneficial to you? Perhaps not, but it did motivate you to complete the task quickly.

You propelled yourself up and toward your laptop, raising a fist in the air.

“What a great idea, Seon-ah; how about some pizza? I'll pay for it.”

As a thank you, she squealed and jumped up and down in her chair, giving you spontaneous heart signals. 

You smiled as you rolled your eyes at her and turned your attention to the computer in front of you. It was almost as though you could taste it. The buttery fluffy crust melting in your mouth as the various spices and flavors swirl around inside. Anyway...

“I'm getting our usual Moe's pizza with pineapple and pepperoni. Will be in 15 minutes. Let the break time commence ”

Seon-ah spun around and looked at you with a worried expression on her face.

"This is not the Hunger Games, Y/N?”

You threw your pillow at her as she laughed and walked over to her side of the room, sitting down on the bed, resting her eyes.

“Wake me up when the food arrives; in the meantime, I'll get some beauty rest.”

You snickered as you returned your gaze to your phone, which you had started idly scrolling through on social media, silently saying.

“You could use it.”

“Hey, I heard that.”

Rather than waiting in your bed, you could wait near the door for easier access to the food. When you turned around and saw that Seon-ah was still sleeping, you decided to wake her up when you returned with the goodies.

You quickly gather your slides, key card, and phone, as well as a few dollars for the tip. Before heading down to the lobby to get your food, you double-checked to see if the door was locked.

You put your earbuds in and press play on your latest playlist, which included some of your favorite tracks. On the way to the downstairs lobby you did a little jig.

As you came off the stairwell, a pair of men's eyes fell on you. Not only were you dancing a little too good, but you never expected to see this person in a while. When you began walking over to him, he smiled and grinned as you quickly removed your earbuds.

“Hey there... Long time no see. I hope you didn't witness that."

He laughed and shook his head as he waved his hand at you.

“How are you doing? I saw some of it, sadly. Wonderful moves.”

It felt like your heart was racing faster than normal, something it didn't usually do unless you were taking a test. However, as you stared at him longer, things began to seep back into your heart.

You coughed and rubbed the back of your neck, trying to say something to ease the awkward tension in the air.

“So-”

“Wha-”

He laughed at you and extended his hand to you, signaling that you should begin.

“What brings you here, Joshua, at this fateful hour of ten o'clock?”

He sighed and cocked his head to the side, a habit you're never tired of seeing.

“Well, Jeonghan and I wanted to order pizza, and he agreed that I should wait downstairs for it. I think he just wanted to stay in the dorm, like a lazy ass.  

You chortled.

“You did always say he was some lazy bum, but I'm shocked you stuck with him this long.”

Joshua sighed as he remembered all of the times he spent with Jeonghan and his other friends, a time when you and he were never apart.

We're going to be late for orientation if you don't hurry up, Y/N.” You mentally flipped him off and dashed out of your dorm, trying to keep all of your things in your arms as you slammed the door shut.

“Josh, you should have given me another 5 minutes.”

“An extra five minutes would have put us late, and well we...., I can't afford that

“Oh shut up Hong, shall we bring up the Milk situation, or are you done?”

Joshua came to a complete stop and rolled his eyes at you as he waited for you to catch up to him. As you laughed, he softly shoved you.

“I thought I told you not to bring that up anymore, and Seungcheol texted me and told us to meet them at the square,” 

You laughed as you shook your head and grabbed Joshua's hand, pulling him towards the door.

“Well, we'd better get moving. Mr. 5 Minutes,” 

He looked up from his sullen expression when he saw you looking at him. He blushed when he realized you were here, rather than in his memories

“Well, before I tell you how I'm doing, tell me how you're doing. I believe we haven't talked since Freshman year. A time"

You coughed and tapped your leg quickly, avoiding Joshua's eyes as you crossed over to the chair on the other side of him and sat down to get a closer look at him while mentally preparing some responses.

“You're right; I'm not sure why I'm so jittery. It's not like we were best friends at one point in our lives.”

When you folded your hands and mentally slapped yourself, a hushed silence fell over you both.

As you started, a nervous chuckle escaped your mouth

“Anyway, remember when I told you a long time ago when I wanted to start my business. Well, Seon-ah and I we're planning to apply to the Startup Fund next week for more details. If you know someone who enjoys such things, please forward this message to them.”

Joshua turned his body to face you further and shook his head, watching as your hand movement flowed as you continued to speak about the business concept. It's as if you two reconnected on a more simple level.

You looked up to see him studying your hand movement patterns, which made you come to a halt while you folded your hands as you turned away from his eyes.

“I apologize for rambling; I just get too excited talking about this with someone other than Seon-ah.”

“No, it's all right. You can proceed; I missed this.”

A gulp ran down his throat as he coughed, signaling that he needed some water. He excused himself and walked a few feet away from the lobby to the water fountain.

Great going Josh

You stood there watching as he walked over to the water fountain, hearing some mumbling but not understanding what he was saying. Instead of focusing on him, you turned your attention to yourself.

Y/N, you’re acting like a fool. He is, well was your friend. It's complicated, you know Joshua.

When you remembered why you were here, you felt a wave of calm wash over you. The DAMN PIZZA. You leapt to your feet and quickly opened your phone, where you discovered a text message.

Food is Delivered.

You let out a squeal as you walked over to the door and checked to see if the Pizza car was still waiting for you. You walked over to the car, gleefully handing him the money and thanking him for the meal.

You swiped your card and walked in the entrance, oblivious to Joshua and preoccupied with the food you were about to consume. You noticed something out of the corner of your eye as you heard him say.

“Y/N, what happened to us?

As a single tear fell from your eyes, you came to a halt and sighed, trying to catch your breath. You brushed it away and slowly turned to Joshua, feeling down and disappointed that your pizza had to wait.

As you began to approach Joshua, you let out a long-awaited sigh. You and he were like best friends for a long time. You'd meet in your freshman year of college and clicked right away. He not only exhibited a gentleman's aura, but he was also very accommodating and polite when you first met him. Despite the fact that he had some noisy and strange friends, they added to the magic.

Although life seemed to be so fine and enjoyable for you, things soon became hectic.

It was the day before your class's annual retreat to Jeju Island, where all Sophomores attended. Unfortunately, your presentation lasted longer than anticipated, and you were forced to give it on the day they all left. You weren't upset because this was something you'd always wanted to do, and you could see the possibilities opening up if you succeeded.

For Joshua, though, this was a missed opportunity to tell you how he felt about your relationship. His heart was in the right place, but the wording was incorrect. You'd stopped by his dorm to borrow a few things before heading to class.

“Why don't you just miss this one and come along with us on this trip?” You're going to miss out on all the fun we're having.”

You scoffed when you turned around.

“You know I can't do that; this presentation is half of my grade, and it has the potential to greatly expand my business opportunities.”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes without pausing to reflect.

“Why waste your time."

You turned around, stunned at what he had just said, and stopped looking for a jacket.

"Excuse me, wasting my time. Unlike you, I am not well-off and do not come from a wealthy family. There are still people who still have to struggle for their goals. I apologize if this is a "waste of time," but this is a serious matter and a dream of mine. You know what, fuck you and your jacket. I'll ask Seon-ah."

You rolled your eyes and walked out the door, completely deaf to his summons.

“I didn't mean it that way; I merely-”

You came to a halt and yelled back at him.

“Why don’t you just enjoy this “once in a lifetime trip” without me, and when you come back just go on without your life. I guess my priorities and life are now meaningful enough for you."

As you ran to your dorm, you shed a tear as your heart was crushed. Your last ray of hope for each other was shattered. You couldn't love someone who didn't understand the importance of your dream

The rain began to fall as you rushed into your dorm hall, weeping. At the very least, you had faith in yourself, and that is all that matters. 

“If you're thinking about that incident, you should know that I didn't mean what I said at the time. That was a huge mistake on my part, and sophomore Joshua was a dick, and I really want to apologize for it. I didn't know how important this was to you until seeing it up close. I can see now how dedicated and enthusiastic you are about your business. And I genuinely want to say I am so sorry for the way I behave. That still doesn't help me understand why we didn't, you know, get back together as friends. 

As you quickly turned away from him, a tear spilled from your eye, which you quickly wiped away. You smiled and raised your eyes to him. His gaze was still drawn to your altered demeanor. That was one of his best qualities: he could always tell when you weren't feeling yourself.

“Hey, if it's too difficult for you to talk about, we can just forget about it and go our separate ways, if that what ”

You went on, waving your hand at him and taking a breath.

“Well, I can only tell you my side of the story; I have no idea why. I guess I didn't mean it when I told you to stay out of my life. I guess I got caught up in the midst of it all. Even though I nailed the presentation, I apologize for blowing up at you. I know you were trying to help me relax, but sophomore me mistook it for you trying to restrain me.”

As you began to choke up your words, your breath began to hitch in your throat. Joshua came up to you and put his hand on your shoulder, attempting to calm you down.

You leaped to your feet and backed away from him, wiping tears from your eyes, trying to catch your breath.

“Please-ee, just stop. Stop doing that .”

"Doing what Y/N, what is going on?"

“Why aren't you angry at me if, stop being so nice to me?"

As soon as you saw him move, you fell to your knees, weeping. He was embracing you and turning your head to see what was wrong quickly. You started spitting out words he couldn't understand. He kissed you instead of trying to learn.

“Wha-”

He cupped your face with his hands as you held on to his shirt for support. Something inside of you just exploded, and it felt as though your heart had been set free. You took a step back and realized he was tearing up. As you brushed away the stray tears. You gazed into his brown eyes as he cupped your hands and kissed them.

“I've always wanted to do that; forgive me for not asking first. 

“No, it's fine; in truth, that's something I've always wanted to do.”

He gasped as he processed what you had just said and looked up at you.

“Wait, don't say you had a thing for me.”

You chuckled as you brushed away the remaining tears with your sleeve and walked back to the coach section.

 “Yes, Joshua, literally half the campus has had a crush on Mr. Gentleman, although you are definitely the opposite sometimes. "

“Hey, don't try to ruin my reputation around here,” he said, laughing. “I am undoubtedly a gentleman.”

You rolled your eyes and chuckled at his expression for a few more minutes, just soaking up the newfound bond that had just re-emerged.

Before you could take your gaze away from him, he shook his head and found your staring eyes. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into another embrace. You had a big smile on your face the whole time, holding him tightly.

“So are we good, 'cause you were definitely into that kiss."

You slapped his chest and peered up from his chest.

“Yeah, we're good, friends again.” You extended your hand to him, and he enthusiastically shook it.

"Also I was thinking we can be more than friends."

You stopped breathing for a second and processed his request, you laughed and shoved him.

"You’ve gotta ask me out properly. I'm going to forget you said that and be more surprised when you ask again."

Joshua nodded his hand and went in for another hug. Your hand abruptly landed on his chest as you remembered.

“WAIT, OUR FOOD."

You turned around and dashed to the once-steamy box, only to find a cold but still warm pizza waiting for you. You peered at Joshua, who dashed out the door and returned with his dinner, smiling fondly at you.

“I forgot we came to get our food; I've got to get this to Seon-ah; she's probably awake and hungry.”

He grinned and walked up to you, kissing your forehead before taking your hand in his and directing you to take the lead. You laughed and blushed with embarrassment when he finally saw you in all your glory.

You hastily dragged him up the stairwell and toward your dorm. You were both awkwardly still, not wanting this moment to end. You lifted your head from your trembling hands and kissed his nose before waving goodbye and entering your room. You slid to the ground, pondering what the HELL just happened.

Joshua, on the other hand, pumped a fist in the air and headed back to his dorm, grinning from ear to ear!

You regained control and put the pizza down as you stepped forward to see a groggy Seon-ah waking up, rubbing her eyes, and yawning at you.

"Damn you took a long time, did they get our order wrong? You had better not eat without me."

You chuckled and pushed the box to the center of the table, taking a breath as you tried to process what had just happened.

“Oh, I've got something to tell you while you eat. You have no idea who I just ran into. Come closer, it's going to be a good one.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[cherienymphe]

Protect & Serve III (Steve Rogers x Reader)

WARNINGS: Cop!Steve, mentions of abuse, violence, STALKING, HARASSMENT, eventual KIDNAPPING/NON-CON

IF ANY OF THIS OFFENDS YOU, PLEASE DNI

➥ {page breaks done by @whimsicalrogers}

summary:  escaping an ugly past, you have no choice but to return home. While much has remained the same, Officer Rogers is a new addition who has won over the hearts of the town in your absence. And no one believes you when you start to see him for who he really is

~

The man behind the counter welcomed you with a warm smile as you approached. Maybe he could sense your uneasiness as you hesitantly placed your hands on the counter, looking at him with a nervous smile.

“Hi,” you quietly greeted. “Um… I need a gun.”

The brunette chuckled, blue eyes filled with mirth as he eyed you.

“No kidding,” he replied, gesturing around to the rest of the gun and hunting and supplies store.

“Right,” you chuckled. “I just… I need something small and easy to handle.”

You bit your lip, and his face slowly grew solemn as he ran his eyes over you.

“You don’t look like a hunting kind of gal,” he quietly insinuated.

You shook your head.

“No.”

He nodded in understanding before inhaling as he straightened, turning to eye the wall behind him. He paced, eyes roaming over the assortment of guns, and you took the time to look around. Never in your life did you imagine yourself in a place like this, but you were tired of being a sitting duck in someone else’s twisted games. You’d been through that once already…

“Here…”

You turned, eyes falling to the small gun in his hand as he neared the counter again. It was small enough to throw into your purse or hide in your car, whenever you got a license, and it looked easy enough to operate. It was perfect.

“I want this one,” you told him.

“Figured you would. It’s a Ruger LC9. It’s a 9mm caliber semi-automatic. Super simple to operate and will still get the job done,” he murmured.

He showed you how to load it, turning the magazine over and going over its features. You nodded as you followed along and grabbed your wallet without hesitation. He eyed you again as he took your cash.

“You talk to the police?”

“For what?” you wondered.

“For whatever’s got a girl like you buying a gun on a Monday morning,” he explained.

You sighed.

“Yeah, I’ve talked to them, but since no crime has been committed, there isn’t much they can do. I refuse to just sit around and wait for someone to hurt me. I’m done with that,” you told him.

He nodded and stuck his hand out.

“The name’s Clint. If you have any questions or…need to come back here, you know how to find me.”

You shook his hand and threw him a grateful smile.

“Thanks.”

The weapon felt so heavy in your purse, and even though the safety was on, you were careful in placing the bag in your car. The ride home was spent stewing over your thoughts. There was too much that you had to consider, and instead of spending the rest of the summer making lesson plans for when school started back, you were worrying about some stranger stalking your house at night.

Here you were doing the cops’ job for them.

That thought drew your mind to Officer Rogers, and you clenched your jaw. There was a time when you gave people the benefit of the doubt, but after your marriage, you couldn’t afford to do that anymore. How glad you were to be wary of the blond cop from the beginning.

His behavior had officially crossed questionable and dove straight into terrifying. You feared to imagine what would have happened had you accepted his proposal for dinner. You didn’t understand his behavior…not one bit. Was he punishing you for turning him down? Surely, that couldn’t be it. It seemed so…silly. Childish even.

Wanda had stated that just about every woman in town had been trying to lock down the man since he moved here. You could believe it. You’d have to be hard of seeing to deny how attractive he was, and coupled with his profession, you could definitely see why he was popular with the women in town. He was a seemingly kind man with the face of an angel, sworn to protect those in need. He was like something out of a cheesy romance novel.

You knew better though.

You’d been on the receiving end of his gaslighting tactics, his nicely veiled threats, and his wandering hands. The real kicker about his behavior though, was that he hadn’t done anything concrete enough to go to anyone with. None of what he did was objectively outright enough to report him with. Wanda had already asked you if you’d misunderstood his quip about your past abuse. You could just imagine anyone else’s face when you told them of how he brushed your waist and held your hand. ‘Oh, the horror!’ they’d say.

You hid your gun in your nightstand as soon as you got inside of your house. You hoped that you wouldn’t have to use it. You’d never been the type to resort to violence, but your ex-husband had changed all of that. If the cops wouldn’t do their job and protect you, without an incentive, then you’d do it yourself.

Hours later, you did just that.

You were half asleep anyway, having been going in and out of consciousness all night. The noise had come from the front of your yard this time, and you peeled your eyes open, slowly blinking as you heard it again. You had swiftly flicked the switch on your lamp and slipped your hand into your drawer to grab the weapon you’d bought.

You licked your lips, slowly sitting up. You looked down, making sure that the safety was off just before exiting your room. It was quiet outside as you quietly crept downstairs. You felt silly, standing in your living room in your oversized t-shirt, both hands on this toy-sized gun. You glanced at all of the windows, and when you didn’t see anything, you crept into the kitchen.

The silence made you nervous because you knew he was still out there. You turned towards the window and didn’t see anyone through the curtain. You weren’t convinced though, and you remained still. Sure enough, a bulky silhouette came into view as they glided past the kitchen. With wide eyes, you raised your arms, the gunshot making your ears ring as glass shattered.

You watched as he clutched his arm before taking off, a deep grunt traveling through the broken window. Hurriedly, you ran after him, throwing the door open before sprinting outside. Your yard was empty, and you had your gun raised before you as you paced the yard, spinning around. It was quiet…empty of anyone else it seemed.

They were gone, but fortunately, you knew that you’d hit them. You were just about to lower your weapon when you had a thought. With wide eyes, you ran back into the house. You were quick in grabbing your phone from upstairs before sprinting back outside. You turned the flashlight on as you neared the grass just below your window.

There, before you, were a few spots of blood, and hope bloomed in your chest. You let out a chuckle, feeling confident for the first time in a while. You put the safety back on the gun and laid it on the kitchen counter as soon as you were back inside. You grabbed a paper towel, stepping back out into the cool night air. You were wiping up the blood with the napkin when red and blue flashes suddenly filled your vision.

You stood and turned, watching as a police cruiser parked along your curb. The cop who stepped out was familiar to you, but it wasn’t the last person you wanted to see. Bucky strode across your yard to approach you, a less than enthusiastic look on his face.

“We got a call about gunshots. They listed your residence as the source,” he said as soon as he was close enough.

Your lips parted, and you glanced away. The blue-eyed man sighed at that.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” he admonished.

“What other choice did I have? None of you can do anything until I get hurt, and why would I wait around for that? The state doesn’t require a license to keep one on my property. It was self-defense,” you defended.

He frowned at that, running his eyes over you, alarmed.

“What was self-defense?” he slowly questioned.

You shoved the napkin at him, and his eyes widened.

“I shot him…Officer Barnes. I know I did! I got him in the arm, and now you have his blood, his DNA! You can test it, see if there’s a match in the system-.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” he said, attempting to calm you down.

You hadn’t realized that you were talking so fast, and you apologized.

“Here,” you said, turning to walk into your house.

He followed you, watching as you put the bloody napkin into a Ziplock bag before handing it to him. He gingerly took it, eyeing it before heaving a sigh.

“Well…the evidence is pretty damning. We’ll test it as soon as possible,” he eventually said.

Sighing in relief, you nodded. You watched as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied you. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes, and it struck you how much like Steve’s they were.

“Ms. Y/L/N…is there anyone who’d want to hurt you? Anyone at all?”

You opened your mouth to reply in the negative when you suddenly froze. Familiar blond hair and blue eyes came to mind, and you blinked, a realization falling over you.

“Killian,” you murmured as if just remembering him.

“Sorry?”

You shook your head, eyes meeting Bucky’s again.

“M-my ex-husband. He’s the only one I can think of…”

“I assume it ended badly?”

“That’s an understatement,” you scoffed. “He was advised by his lawyers to go through with the divorce when I filed. It wasn’t his choice, at all, but it was in his best interest.”

The other man simply stared at you.

“He wasn’t…a good man. Not at all. I wish I could say all of it was verbal and psychological, but I had no choice but to come clean when I landed in the hospital. It wasn’t looking good for him and refusing to go through with the divorce would make him look worse,” you explained.

Bucky sharply inhaled, nodding.

“I see…”

“I…can’t believe that I’d never considered him before. He has money, but I’d never thought he’d find me so quickly,” you murmured.

Bucky made his way to the door, and you followed.

“I’ll get this down to the station. You be careful with that gun,” he advised, and you nodded. “Have a good night.”

And for the first time in weeks, you did.

“You look well rested,” Wanda complimented, bringing your plate to you.

You returned her smile with a genuine one of your own.

“I feel well rested. Hopeful, actually,” you replied.

“That’s good! So I take it things are a lot better at your place, now?”

“They will be,” you cheerily said, digging into your food.

“I’m glad to hear it, and what great timing too. It seems like Steve might be out of commission for a few days,” she told you. “So, it won’t be him responding to any 911 calls.”

You blinked up at her. You couldn’t care less about the blond cop in any way, and the information actually filled you with relief, but your curiosity got the better of you.

“Why?”

“He was shot,” was her simple response.

However, it made you feel anything but simple. You almost dropped your fork as you eyed her, brows furrowing as your heart dropped to your stomach.

“…what?”

“Yeah, in the arm…”

It felt like someone took a knife to your chest.

“…the word is that he was involved in a hunting accident.”

You forced yourself to swallow, mind whirling.

“When?”

She hummed, thinking.

“The day before yesterday, I believe,” she answered.

You wanted to be relieved at that, that it wasn’t last night, but…it all seemed too coincidental. No…there was no way. The thought alone made you want to be sick.

“How…awful,” you whispered.

“I know,” she pouted. “I’m baking him a cake tonight. Figured I’d head up to his house to deliver it to him.”

You pressed your lips together, trying, and failing, to talk yourself out of what you were about to do. You knew that you were paranoid, you’d never deny that, but you owed it to yourself. If only to quell your fears. You had to see…

“Uh…when are you heading over?”

“Probably in the morning,” she said just before welcoming some customers in.

“Can I come with? I’d like to check in on him too…”

She looked at you with a sly smile, and you grimaced.

“Growing on you, is he?”

“Hardly,” you scoffed. “It’s just… He’s always entertaining my concerns, responding to every call I’ve made. I feel like the least I can do is check on him, you know?”

She nodded, buying your lie.

“That’s really sweet of you. I’ll swing by your house around 8,” she said. “He lives pretty far out, so it’ll take about 45 minutes to get there.”

You nodded, and she left to go deal with some customers.

You swallowed, appetite lost, and you pushed your plate away. Your paranoia was really getting the best of you because a part of you actually believed that the person you shot last night was Officer Rogers. It was the most outlandish thing to think. The man was an officer of the law, and even though he proved that he didn’t deserve that title, there was a pretty big gap in between some creepy touches and a full-blown stalker.

You knew how it would sound if you voiced your fears to Wanda. People hunted around here all the time, hunting cabins forever common. It was perfectly believable, but…it seemed too coincidental. Besides, you figured there was no harm in seeing for yourself just to put your fears to rest. However, a small voice in your head wondered what you would do if you didn’t put them to rest at all, but only increased them?

What if you only confirmed your suspicions?

This plagued you all throughout the night and well into the morning when Wanda pulled into your yard. You locked up your house and hurried to her car, goosebumps rising on your flesh from the cool early morning air.

“So how far does he live?” you asked as soon as you were in the car.

“Do you remember where Dr. Banner lived before he left town?”

You nodded.

“Past that,” she replied, and you blinked.

“Why so far out?” you wondered.

“Steve likes his privacy. Plus, he’s really a nature kind of guy. Homebody too. I know our town is no New York, but even it gets a bit too much for him sometimes,” she explained.

“Being secluded in a big house with Steve Rogers, out in the woods, sounds like something most women would be interested in. He definitely strikes me as the type to want kids and the whole nine, so why hasn’t he ever taken any offers? You said it yourself that he’s had plenty…”

You were beginning to realize that you didn’t know much about this man, at all. It seemed strange that someone like him hadn’t dated anyone in 6 years. You already knew that there was definitely something wrong with him, but could there be more? Like making you feel unsafe in your own home more?

“I don’t know,” she hummed. “He did have a short thing with Peggy when he first got here-.”

“Peggy? I could see that,” you said to yourself, wondering what had happened.

Wanda answered your unspoken question.

“Yeah, it didn’t last very long though,” she sighed. “She left as soon as it ended. I never did find out what happened exactly, but she was just gone one day. House emptied of everything, and her car was gone. I guess it ended pretty badly. Steve never talks about it.”

You frowned at that. You’d known Peggy growing up, and that didn’t seem like her. Unlike you, she was never the type to just take off. But so many years had passed. Steve came to town about 4 years after you left, and a lot could happen in 4 years. People could change, and you supposed that’s what had happened.

The rest of the car ride was filled with idle talk about things that had happened in the years. Wanda told you about her boyfriend, Vis. He’d move here about two years ago, and he apparently made her very happy. She’d been lonely ever since her brother Pietro had moved away not long after you did, and Vis apparently made her smile more.

Eventually the topic somehow came back to Steve...and Bucky and Sam.

“His name is James, but everyone calls him Bucky. Him and Sam were roommates in college and just remained that way ever since. They both moved down here about…4 years ago? They’re all like 3 peas in a pod, like brothers…”

Sam was Officer Wilson. You’d seen him in passing a few times, usually with Bucky. He seemed nice enough.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if one, or both, of them was up here already,” she said, taking a left into the trees.

The driveway was paved and long, curving every which way before it eventually straightened out. You realized that the car was going up an incline, and thick trees surrounded you on both sides. When Wanda said that he liked his privacy, she wasn’t exaggerating. The seclusion of it all could be considered peaceful if you ignored who lived here.

She pulled up in front of a nice two-story house, the light blue paint standing out amongst the dark trees. You had the small cake in one hand while you closed the car door with the other. You admired the scenery as you followed her. It was beautiful, there was no denying that, but the battered woman in you couldn’t help but to think how easy it would be to get away with anything. If you screamed, nobody would hear you.

You followed her around the side of the house towards the back deck, and with a start, you realized that the hill that the house sat on led down to a rather large lake. Fog hovered over the water in the early morning, and your lips parted at the sight, eyes running over the thick trees on the other side.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” you murmured.

“He had it built before he officially moved down here. I don’t blame him for spending all of his free time at home. Who’d want to leave this?”

She knocked on the backdoor, and your nerves spiked as you realized that you would soon be coming face to face with the erasure of your fears…or something that would only worsen them. It took a few minutes before you heard him approaching the door. A greeting was already on his lips when he opened it, but it died when his eyes landed on you.

“Wanda…and Ms. Y/L/N. Come on in,” he greeted, stepping back.

“Hey, Steve. I wanted to bring that cake by before I had to go to work,” she said with a smile.

You followed her inside and shuddered when your shoulder grazed Steve’s chest.

“Y/N wanted to check on you too, make sure you’re alright,” Wanda added.

You looked at him with a small smile, noticing the long-sleeved shirt he had on.

“It’s the least I can do after responding to all of my calls,” you told him.

He returned the smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I appreciate that,” he whispered. “You can just put it on the counter.”

He gestured to the kitchen, with his right arm you noted, and you followed his instruction. You could hear him and Wanda talking in the living room while you slid the plate on the granite countertop. You glanced around, noting how homey it looked. You weren’t sure why that surprised you.

“Rough night?” you heard Wanda ask him as soon as you reentered the living room

Your eyes followed as she gestured to the several empty beer cans on the tv stand. Steve chuckled, placing his right hand on his hip, the left hanging limply at his side.

“Hardly. Sam and Buck came by last night. We just got into a few beers, watching some game that was on,” he replied.

You licked your lips.

“How’s your arm? Wanda told me it was a hunting accident…”

His gaze met yours, and the corner of his lip quirked up into a small smirk. He gestured to his arm, his left one, and relief filled you as he spoke.

“Yeah, Sam and I got a little careless out there. It’s just a graze, but nothing to worry your pretty little head about,” he responded.

Wanda chuckled at that while you fought not to sneer. You were just thankful that you’d put your fears to bed. The man you’d shot last night, you’d gotten him in his right arm. Steve was injured in his left, and you allowed yourself to breathe now.

“Can I use your bathroom?” you suddenly asked him.

“Yeah, sure! Just down the hall there,” he told you, gesturing behind him.

You thanked him and walked past him, Wanda’s voice reaching your ears as she asked him something. You went for the first door on your right, hand on the handle, when you were startled by a presence.

You looked up as Steve placed his hand on the small of your back, eyes widening as he pushed you along. His fingers pressed into your waist, and you shrunk in on yourself, a frown covering your features at his close proximity.

“Not that one,” he quietly told you. “That’s the basement.”

Your eyes met his now, and you quickly looked away at the intensity there.

“This one’s the bathroom,” he continued, opening a door, and flicking on the light for you.

You murmured a quiet ‘thanks’, flinching when he squeezed your hip one last time before returning to the living room. Your jaw clenched. He may not have been a stalker, but he was still a creep.

“I... I don’t understand. How long does it take to test some blood?”

The policewoman before you pursed her lips, arms resting on her desk.

“It can take up to a few days-.”

“Which it has been.”

“Yes, but the sample has to be sent to a lab, and we have to wait for the results,” she explained. “I understand your concern…”

“Do you?” you mumbled.

She chuckled, green eyes sparkling with mirth.

“I do. Why do you think I have the job I have anyway? I like being able to protect myself and other people,” she told you. “There was a time when I wasn’t able to…”

You sighed, glancing around the busy station. It was empty of a certain blond cop, and you were happy.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re also a woman, so there’s no doubt that you definitely understand what I’m feeling. I just…I have to know who this person is. I don’t feel safe in my own house.”

“I know,” she replied. “Steve talks about you a lot.”

Your heart skipped a beat at that, face falling.

“…he does?”

She hummed.

“He wishes that he could do more,” she said. “He worries about you. Of course, with this blood sample, I imagine he’ll be doing a lot more worrying. This is proof that someone is out there every night, messing with you.”

“Do you think this will be enough to convince your boss to let someone stakeout my house?”

She mulled it over, humming.

“You know what? It might be. I’ll definitely bring it up,” she replied, and hope bloomed within you.

You fidgeted in your seat, worrying your lip, and she frowned.

“Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?” she asked.

Her tone of voice told you that she knew you did, so you figured it was best to just come right out and say it.

“If you are able to get someone to watch my house at night…can it not be Officer Rogers?”

Her frown deepened, and she ran her eyes over you. She leaned in, a red strand grazing the side of her face as she studied.

“Now why would you request that?”

You didn’t feel like you had a valid reason to give her, not one that she’d believe anyway. Steve was a town favorite, so you had to come up with something that would make her listen to you.

“You and Officer Rogers are friends, right? You care about him?”

“Of course,” she said, urging you to continue.

“I know that he worries about me, and that’s why I think someone else should be assigned to this. If it gets approved, of course. I just worry that lines may start to blur…”

She straightened up at that.

“How do you mean?”

You let out a soft sigh.

“He did ask me to dinner a while back, and seeing as I only recently got divorced, I refused. I’m just not ready, and I know that he understands and has no problem waiting, but…”

You chuckled.

“He’s just so sweet. I still feel so bad about it, and I don’t want to make this any harder on him. Until I’m ready, I don’t want to give him the wrong idea. I think it’d be best for everyone if an objective pair of eyes were on this. Especially for his sake…”

She hummed, nodding in understanding.

“No, Ms. Y/L/N, that’s perfectly reasonable. I’m glad to hear that Steve is finally trying to get back into the dating pool though,” she said, standing, and you followed her lead. “It took him long enough.”

You simply threw her a smile.

“Well, thank you for listening to me, and please, call me as soon as those lab results come back.”

“I will,” she promised.

Your shoulders felt lighter as you stepped out of the police station. Soon, you could find out who was tormenting you and they’d be locked up. In addition, you wouldn’t have to deal with Steve for a while…or ever again. You could finally breathe again. Soon you’d have nothing at all to deal with aside from lesson plans, and bratty kids were nothing in comparison to this.

As you neared your yard, you realized, with disappointment, that you would be eating your words. A sleek black car was parked on the curb, and it took a minute for you to realize that it belonged to Steve. You’d just seen him a few days ago, so you were unsure why he was paying you a visit. Apprehension filled you as you parked.

He was already out of his car and slowly making his way towards you when you stepped out of your own. You sent him a tense smile, standing beside your driver’s door as you eyed him.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” he greeted.

“Officer Rogers.”

“I came by to thank you for the cake,” he told you.

“Oh,” you said with a frown, shaking your head. “There’s no need. Wanda made it. I just carried it in the house.”

You brushed past him, nearing your house, and you could hear him following.

“Still. It was very thoughtful of you to come by and check on me. Especially considering the night you had before…”

You paused and turned to look at him, brows furrowed. He had one foot on your steps while you stood on the porch, neat blond hair pushed away from his face.

“…sorry?”

“Bucky. He told me about what happened,” he explained.

“Ah,” you softly said.

You shouldn’t have been surprised. Wanda did say they were like brothers, after all.

“I confess that’s partially why I’m here. I wanted to see how you were fairing. That must have been terrifying for you,” he admitted, blue eyes inquiring as they drank you in.

You glanced down.

“Yeah…it was, but…I didn’t have much of a choice,” you said, looking at him. “I know you all are just doing your job, and I suppose I can’t blame you for that, but… I couldn’t just sit around and wait for someone to hurt me.”

He hummed, eyeing you.

“So do you know who it is?”

You shook your head.

“No, but I did get some of his blood. I talked to Officer Romanoff today, and she said that the lab results should be in any day, now,” you repeated what she had told you.

He nodded, making his way onto your porch now, and you stumbled back.

“Look, if you need-.”

“Officer Rogers,” you boldly interrupted, giving him pause.

His blue eyes were focused entirely on you as you swallowed, determined to put an end to this.

“Um… I have something to say…”

He straightened up, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared you down, waiting for you to continue. Your tongue darted out to swipe over your bottom lip, and you took a deep breath.

“I’ve always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. Always, but…since my ex-husband, I don’t think I can really afford to do that anymore. For my own sake…”

Steve’s eyes had darkened, and you fought to hold his gaze.

“Your behavior makes me uncomfortable…and I want to say that perhaps you aren’t aware of it, but I don’t believe that. I think you know how you make me feel.”

You watched as he looked down his nose at you, jaw clenching and eyes hard, and you forced yourself to continue.

“If I offended you…or hurt you when I turned you down, that wasn’t my intention. Believe me, that was the farthest thing from my mind, and I don’t appreciate you acting so inappropriately towards me for it.”

His chest heaved with his deep breath, and you watched the way his cheek poked out, probably from his tongue. Satisfied with yourself, you took a step back.

“That’s all I had to say,” you finished, turning to go inside.

“Ms. Y/L/N, wait,” he finally spoke, reaching for your arm.

“Officer Rogers, please! I-.”

Your words were cut off by his loud grunt, pain lacing his tone. You had reached out to push him away, not liking the way he’d grabbed you. You frowned, chest clenching, feeling like someone had dropped a bucket of ice water over you as you watched him clutch his arm…his right arm.

He had reached for your right arm with his right hand, and in retaliation, you’d turned and pushed your left hand against…his right arm. Realization hit you, and your eyes widened as you looked at him with different eyes. Eyes filled with a fear unlike any other you’d ever experienced.

You stumbled back, heart dropping into your stomach as his gaze finally met yours. He opened his mouth to speak, but you were already rushing inside, locking the door behind you just as his fist banged against it.

“No,” you whispered to yourself, shaking your head.

He didn’t knock again, and you moved to the side, watching his silhouette through the curtains. It was getting late, the setting sun casting shadows everywhere, and feeling like you were going to be sick, you noted that the shape looked awfully familiar. He just stood there for a painful amount of time before eventually taking a step back and leaving altogether.

You placed your hand on your couch, struggling to stand. It was no use. You collapsed to the floor on your knees, taking your table and lamp with you, the fragile décor shattering upon impact with the floor. You pressed your hand to your forehead, entire body trembling as you realized what your subconscious had always suspected.

Officer Steve Rogers was the one tormenting you every night.

 ~

tags: @xoxabs88xox @darkficreposter @mcudarklibrary @captainchrisstan @nickyl316h @buckybarnesplumwhore @harryspet @readermia @sebabestianstan101 @villanellevi @opheliadawnwalker3 @notyourtypicalrose​

 @coconutqueen21​ @briannab1234​ @stargazingfangirl18​ @lou-la-lou​ @izzfizzh​ @thatgirly81​

[enigma-im]

Like a Virgin Pt.2

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Incubus x F!Human Warning: Insecurities, fluff, Silas is a fuckboy, date night, first time, bonding

Word Count: 8261

Part 1 -----------------------------------

I pace around my room like an anxious chicken. I look down at my three dresses, not knowing which one to pick. Each having their pros and cons but still not making the choice easier. Silas never bothered telling me where we were going. All week I kept trying to get answers from him but he would just give me a kiss then a smile. I can't complain because it worked every time.

"just pick the red one," I mumble to myself. I reach down for the dress but hesitate when I look at the purple one. I stand straight and groan. Just pick one.

"The Yellow one will make you look bright but I'm a bit bias to the red one, the color of love and lust," a voice behind me says. I jump, turning to see Silas at my door. I tighten my towel around my chest making him laugh.

"You are early," I look him up and down. He is wearing a dark blue 2-piece suit. White dress shirt, the last two buttons undone. His blazer is also undone showing how tight the shirt is to his stomach. I can't take my eyes off him. I've seen him in dress clothes, that is his thing, but this is a lot. He looks damn sexy. Even though he still has bags under his eyes and currently his cheeks are beginning to sink.

He snaps his fingers," up here love." I look up at his cocky smirk.

I roll my eyes," shut up. Why you early?"

He gives me a once over," what, and miss this view?"

"seriously," I chide.

"Alright, I knew you would be freaking out about now. I guess I was right if you are still pacing your room looking for an outfit," he gestures to the clothes.

"As right as you are, how did you know," I don’t bother denying. He doesn’t answer but walks over to me. Grabbing my waist and looking down at me.

"I've known you for a long while. I think I can figure out if you are going to be a nervous wreck or not," he leans down and pecks my forehead," go with the red one. I'll be in the living room." with that he lets me go and walks out. I shake my head, smiling to myself.

I put on the red dress then walk to my bathroom to fix my hair. I get cleaned up and walk out into the living room. I find Silas lounging on the sofa. His arms stretched out on the back and his legs crossed at the ankle. He looks handsome here. I never bothered looking at him before this week. It felt wrong to ogle a friend but now it's different.

He finally notices me and he drops his arms off the sofa," Fuck." he rests his elbow on his knee. Looking me up and down grinning like a dork. Its almost unfitting on his sexy face. It's so dopey that I can't help but smile back.

"I'll take it you like it," I fidget with the fabric of my dress.

"Like it? I love it, you look holy. Like a goddess really. I'm not worthy of your time but I will cherish it because I'm a greedy man," he lays it on thick.

"Alright, alright. You could have just said you like it," I turn with a blush. I hear him stand from the sofa.

"And miss those rosy cheeks? never," he laughs.

"biggest flirt I have ever met," I mumble as I cup my cheek, fighting off the smile curling my lips. As I fail I turn my face into my palm, grinning like an idiot.

"aw," he coos as he holds my arms," don't hide that beautiful smile." he pries my hand away from my face. I look anywhere but him, not use to this sort of attention. He replaces my hand with his own, turning me towards him. His eyes gleam with admiration and the edges of his lips curls slightly making his cheeks crease. We say nothing to break the silence, too lost in each other's eyes. His smile grows wider before he curls his bottom lip in between his teeth.

"Too damn beautiful," he whispers as he drops his head to mine. My heart swells with the gesture, my insides turning to jelly as he nuzzles my forehead. With a sigh, he turns and pecks me on the cheek before righting himself. "Sorry, lost myself there for a moment. Shall we head to dinner," he tilts his head. I take in a heavy breath, calming the fluttering butterflies in my torso. The warm fuzzy feeling flowing from his hand down into my body. I nod.

We walk out of my apartment to his car waiting out front. It's not hard to spot as it's likely the most expensive car in the lot. He helps me in, like a gentleman I didn't think he could be, and we are on our way.

The ride is exciting but nerve-wracking. The tension sits in my stomach, though it's easy to push away with our simple conversation about our days. When he puts his hand on my knee I can't decide on an emotion. His thumb petting my skin is pleasing but it gets me thinking how the night is expected to end.

Before thoughts can spiral into stomach twisting anxiety we stop in front of a building. I look up at the faintly glowing blue sign saying something in French. Silas startles me when he hops out the car. I watch him come around to my side, opening the door with an awaiting helping hand.

"We have arrived my lady," he purrs as I grab his hand. I get out the car confused, looking around at the array of valets driving cars. I have never been to place fancy enough to have valets. Can hardly think Olive Garden doing something so bouche.

"Looks expensive," I mumble as I watch a young man hop into the expensive car. Silas pulls me along into the building.

"I spare no expense for my night of apologizing and wooing," he jokes. I just hums in answer as we enter the luxurious waiting room. The area is dim, having blue edge lights under ledges and baseboards. The fish tank feels like icing on the cake. The only fish tank I've seen in a restaurant have been lobster tanks. This one has actual fish that you aren't supposed to eat.

I don't notice when we make it to the host stand, too focused on the decked-out surroundings.

"D'Amore," Silas answers without prompt. The older lad at the host stand doesn't even look up as he searches his tablet. No warning he walks away. Silas tugs me along after the man.

We walk further into the dimly lit room. I can't stop my eyes from wandering around, feeling oh so out of place. The looks of the food at people's tables screams that we shouldn’t be able to afford this. Silas and I work for decent pay but even my penny-pinching self can't fathom having enough to dine here.

A few people cast glances at us as we walk by, most lingering on Silas. When eyes go to me it's like being drowned in judgment. I definitely don't belong here.

The host introduces us to our seats before parting. Silas pushes out my chair, pushing it back in once I sit. I can't focus on him as the anxiety stacks. I feel so out of place, so wrong. I shouldn't be here, dining like I have a right to such a sophisticated place. I shouldn't be pretending as I could ever. When I look at Silas I feel about that same, I shouldn't even be with him.

As I fuel my own fire Silas reaches out and grabs my hand," Babe, are you alright?" I startle at his question. I snap my unfocused gaze to him.

"Yea, I'm alright. I just-I've never been in a place like this," I nibble on my cheek. Silas watches me, lingering on every twitch. He squeezes my hand, trying to catch my attention but it's too undirected.

"I have a question for you," he starts cryptically. I finally keep my focus on him, dread boiling to my chest.

"yea," I ask. His eyes look between mine, his face stern.

"If an android has a kid with a person and their man milk is technically from their creator, is the baby his," he says while biting back a grin.

I furrow my brow," What?"

"an android, the organic robots, if one had a kid with it's manufactured spunk that technically was a real human's nut, would he be the dad or the human who made it first," he clarifies.

I can't bring myself to answer as I'm too confused about the question. As his words linger a smile cracks onto my lips as the background fades away.

"Well," I start," it would-I mean it could be. Alright, you got me there." we both chuckle.

"Yea, it's kind of stumped me all day. I heard it from a friend and I don't know what the right answer would be. Ideally, the android is the dad but in a DNA test the human would be the dad, though he didn't shoot it," he rambles.

As we discuss this 'important' topic I feel more welcome. It's easy to see Silas as a handsome egotistical playboy who doesn't have an awkward bone in his body. I forget how completely ridiculous he is. The main reason I ever fell for him.

Dinner goes well as the conversation flows freely. Some topics are risqué and others childish. We do get a few looks from the other patrons but I could hardly care. It's hilarious to be eating such high-class food while debating what is the best 90's cartoon is.

It's clearly the Animaniacs.

It seems too soon when the check comes. The friendly rivalry over the superiority of Dc vs Marvel is put on pause when he takes out his wallet. The moment is long enough for reality to settle back in. our next activity of the night pops into my head with a startling realization.

Next, we head home.

The thought is pleasant but my stomach still twists. I like Silas and the idea of giving myself to him isn't completely off-putting, it's actually nice. Either way the chance of something going wrong bounces around in my head with no escape.

We walk out to the valet, Silas' hand on my lower back, I dwell on fears. I'm so nervous and admitting it doesn't help. We get into his car and head on out. Silas tries to keep the conversation going, which succeeds enough for the time being. It's when we turn towards my home does it fail to keep me relaxed.

I fidget in my seat, fiddling with my dress as I nibble on my cheek. I keep reminding myself of his devotion so far and how it should be impossible for sex with an Incubus to be bad. Which is true, it can-will- be amazing. Yet, the devotion part wrinkles my brain.

I tense when we near my home, the sight of the apartment pushing needles in my legs. I watch it come closer and closer, my anxiety mounting higher and higher. As my turn comes up for the parking lot I'm surprised when we pass it. I watch it go back, twisting in my seat to watch some more.

"What," I mumble as I twist in my seat. I look over to Silas who has a fighting smile on his face. I know we aren't heading to his place as it's the complete other direction, so where are we going?

"Something wrong," Silas asks, his smile widening.

"Nothing wrong, I just thought we were going to my place next," I bait.

He shrugs, looking at the clock on the dash. 8:34.

"Seems a bit early to be ending the night so fast," he answers.

"I guess," I watch him," though I can't possibly think what else you have planned besides…uhh." I drop off at the end. Silas passes me a glance, that smirk resting so peacefully.

"What other plans," he teases," are you talking about the finale of the night? The part where I lay you down and give you the best orgasms of your life?" I blush, turning towards the window, feeling like an innocent child. Silas chuckles, reaching over to rest his hand on my leg again. "No need to be so flustered, love, we have time before that," he squeezes my leg," we are heading somewhere special. Somewhere I have rarely taken a date before."

He piques my interest," Oh yeah? I'm not going to some abandoned house to be ditched, right?"

He scoffs," what kind of man do you think I am? Also, I've taken someone to an abandoned house before. Though it was his idea, not mine. Not an experience I will repeat, don't fuck with goth dudes."

"You had sex with a goth dude in an abandoned house," I laugh.

"I don't kiss and tell," he purses his lips. I bark out in laughter.

"Yes you do, that's actually how we got to here," I snicker.

"Yea, yea," he waves a hand," doesn't matter now, I'm only with you." I fluster again at his declaration. It's still hard to believe he would choose me over everyone he has been with.

"So where are we going," I change the subject.

"It's a surprise," he smiles, pleased with himself.

"a surprise? I can't remember that last time a boyfriend tried to surprise me," I answer. Out the corner of my eye, I see Silas pass me a cocky glance.

"a boyfriend? Are you calling me your boyfriend now," he teases the edge of my dress," I like it."

I blush," shut up."

"awe, don't be so mean to your boyfriend," he stops at a light. He takes the time to lean over, cornering me with an arm on my seat. "Your boyfriend's feelings are hurt, can you give me a little kiss to make it better," he pouts.

I scoff at him," you sound like such a fuckboy right now."

He shrugs," if it works."

"shut up," I smile as I grab his cheeks and press a chaste kiss to his lips. He doesn't allow me to get away with that, pulling me in for a better kiss.

His warm lips mold expertly over mine, stealing my breath so easily. His fingers crawl up my thigh, bunching up the hem of my dress. My fingers trail into his hair to grab a handful, pulling him closer as I rest against the seat. He fills the space quickly, pressing as close as he can. I feel his palm smooth under my dress till his finger timidly presses against my underwear. The tip wiggles under the band, barely touching my crotch.

A car horn makes us jump apart, starling us back into our respected seats. As I catch my breath Silas drives onward

My first clue is lights in the distance and a large line of cars following in the same direction. It finally clicks when a familiar amusement ride is revealed.

"The fair," I ask.

"Yep," he grins," perfect, right?"

"yea but aren't we both a little overdressed for a fair," I pluck at his sleeve.

"Hardly matters, we both look stunning and we are going to win the games in style," he smooths back his hair. I snicker at him.

"Whatever you say," I smile to myself as I look at the oncoming fair. It really is a good idea, though I won't pat him on the shoulder just yet.

He parks and we head in.

The fairgrounds are crowded and full of color. The lively conversation and dull lull of obnoxious music is jovial. It's such a contrast to the fine dining restaurant we ate at. This place has deep-fried everything and games rigged to make you lose. It's lovely and downright perfect.

Silas wraps his arm over my shoulder, pulling me close, and we are off.

Everything is so eye-catching, pulling my attention back and forth. The games flash colorful lights, people gathered around each booth screaming out in triumph or frustration. The food stands engulf the air with its high calories snacks. Further down the way, more lights shine as lines of people wait for their turn on some typical carnival ride. So many activities and such little time.

Silas throws an arm over my shoulder and tugs me towards a booth that doesn't have all the glamor and glam as the others. A ticket booth with a few people standing in a line before it. A family leaves the front of the line holding a rope of tickets. We slowly make it to the front to meet a smiling woman.

"Hello, sweetie," Silas grins widely," twenty tickets please, and thank you." for the added flair he throws in a wink. His arm drops from around my shoulder to my waist, pulling me closer to his side. Despite this the woman blushes to herself, smiling as she counts out our tickets.

"Here you are, sugar, twenty tickets," she smiles," I hope you have a grand ole time."

Silas takes the tickets," Will do, dear."

With that Silas tugs me away again towards the rows of well-decorated stalls. I try to not let the flirty interaction get in my head too much. It's Silas, he has always been that way. It's not like I expected him to change because of me. Still, the wink irks me just a little.

"So, what do you want to do first," Silas squeezes my hip," you are in charge from this point on."

I quirk a cheeky brow at him," That’s a bold thing to say." he smiles down at me with that spine chilling smirk.

"What can I say, sometimes it's hot to have your woman in charge," he teases. The insinuation should be alarming but the fun to be had is too tempting.

"And what if I like my man to be in charge instead," I turn away, hiding the blush blooming along my cheeks. I feel him lean down closer, his breath fanning down my dress.

"Keep calling me your man and I'll be whatever you like," he purrs. I feel outmatched now, slowly working my way towards the deep end. My cheeks hurt as I fight back a dorky smile and a silly giggle. Silas still finds out, cooing as he presses a kiss to my cheek.

"Alright, alright, stop," I push him away," let's see what games they have here." he chuckles as he straightens, pulling me to his side once more as we walk down the large path.

We see games varying from strength to skills, puzzles to sporty. Everyone jokes around each game, laughing and teasing one another as they all attempt to win the stuffed prizes. One game catches my eye, a milk jug and baseball skill test.

"how's your pitching," I ask him. He raises a brow in question before he too spots the game.

"I mean, I don't wanna brag," he jokes as we walk over.

I scoff," you don't wanna brag, hell must have frozen over." he snorts, tearing off a few tickets as he stops in front of the carnival worker.

"one ticket for one throw, three tickets for four," the tall teen says. Silas exchanges three tickets for four balls. He passes me two and we arrange ourselves to our own lane.

"Alright," Silas tosses the ball around in his hands," Watch a pro at work." I watch him reel back and launch the softball across the lane. The ball tings the top of the pyramid, flicking the milk jug off. As the jug rolls around on the floor I look to Silas.

"I think I'm watching the wrong guy if I'm supposed to be witnessing a pro," I shrug. He scowls at me, fiddling with the other ball in his hand.

"Yea, yea, shut up. Tis but a warmup," he shakes out his shoulders before squaring his stance. He launches the ball again completely missing the tower all together. I snort, biting back a snicker as he deflates.

"I think we have different definitions of pro," I chuckle. He snaps towards me, playfully sneering as he walks over.

"Alright, your turn, princess," he crosses his arms in a challenge. I smile at him, accepting his challenge with open arms. I walk up to the bar, setting one of the balls down. I toss the solo one around in my hands before tossing a look over my shoulder.

"You know in high school I use to be in sports," I look back to the restacked jugs," I did a few here and there but only one really stuck with me. I played softball for two years before I had to quit, and do you know what position I played?" before he could answer I launch the ball towards the tips of the bottom row. They explode outward, all tipping over. Two stay on the barrel while the rest tumble to the floor. With a cocky smile I turn to Silas, "I was the pitcher."

Silas looks between me and the milk jugs. He huffs in amusement, walking over towards me.

"Who knew confidence would look so sexy on you," he grabs at my hips," but not to rain on your parade or anything, but you are supposed to knock them all off the barrel." I scoff at him, hitting him in the chest.

"Yea, but I still get a small prize," I twist away from him," no need to be sour, I'll let you pick the toy."

We walk to the booth operator, Silas standing behind me. He grabs at me once more, leaning his chest against my back. He rests his chin on my shoulder, speaking near my ear.

"I'm not sour, just defeated. Also, I want the purple whale," he nuzzles against my head. I grin, feeling warm as I pet his head. The teenager grabs the small whale from the hooks, passing it to me before attending to the other players.

I hand the whale to Silas," Here you go, babe, I won it just for you." he grabs the whale, hugging it close.

"Thanks, baby. You spoil me too much," he nuzzles the toy with a teasing smile. My heart flutters with an unknown feeling as I watch him. It's nice seeing him be so human, to act like a typical person and not some unapproachable man slut. He catches me staring, turning on his charm once more.

"I’d say take a picture but I like having you look at me like that," he teases, cocky as ever. I roll my eyes, walking past him with no direction in mind.

We walk around the grounds playing all sorts of games. Neither of us wins many games, coming very close in a few of them. It helps our egos that the games are rigged, the fact fueling us to continue on. There is teasing and jokes, all in good fun. The night is going better than I expected, I didn't think a date night with Silas would be so juvenile. This is more of a date for teens or parents with their kids. I appreciate it more than he could ever know.

Our tickets dwindle quickly till we only have enough for one more game. We study the area, picking our final activity wisely. Silas taps my shoulder, pointing towards one across the way. He guides me towards it, holding my hand as we walk through the traffic of people. As we near I see a large pool of water covered in floating toy ducks.

"Lucky ducks," I ask him," it's not much of game, don't you think?"

He smiles to himself as he hands the tickets to the older woman," I think you will find that I'm quite skilled in games of luck."

"Confident as ever, but sure," I shrug. I watch him look at the spinning pool of ducks, thinking way too hard on this. He leans forward, ready to pluck the plastic duck out of the water. He pauses halfway, retreating in favor of looking to me.

"How about a wager," he offers. I watch him skeptically, feeling like his inner fuckboy is going to come out.

"I don't know, I've been warned about making deals with devils," I joke. He rolls his eyes.

"har, har. For real, a bet for if I find the lucky duck. You up for that kind of deal," he asks. I cross my arms, standing firm as I give him a once over.

"What's the wager," I ask in turn. I fully expect some sleazy demand that will make a mother blush. You can take the playboy out of the game but you can't take the game out of the playboy.

"If I find the duck, you owe me a favor," he smiles, looking away towards the pool," I want to ride the Ferris wheel with you before we leave." I startle at his request, not expecting something so simple. It almost feels like a waste of a bet.

"That's it," I ask. He looks to me almost offended.

"Yea, I never got to do that. All my old dates wanted to get home really quick so they don't bother with cutesy things like that. Listen, if you don't want to that fine, we can leave right after. I was just curious," he folds into himself, turning away. The insecurities shine brightly from him. It's really eye-opening.

It's hard to remember that Silas was missing a lot from his short-lived relationships. They were never intimate, getting down to business quickly. It's cute to see how much Silas wants that kind of thing. To cuddle up on some sketchy carnival ride and watch the lights below with a loved one. My heart flutters at the genuine sadness he is showing at my supposed rejection.

As he fiddles with his pockets I walk over. I grab at his face, turning him towards me, and kissing him as best as I can. He jumps at the action, pausing as he figures out what's happening. Then as quick as any incubus could be, he reacts. He holds me close as he expertly molds his lips to mine. I want to pull back and continue with whatever I was going to say but his tongue is teasing at my lips. Who am I to deny such a tempting request.

We split as we hear a pair of teenagers giggling to themselves. I pull away, chuckling as he keeps me close. His eyes remain closed as his jaw clenches. He seethes silently before he slowly peels his lids open. His black eyes slowly fade away as he stares down at me so stern. I can't help but cup his cheeks, petting him with my thumb.

"You know I want everything with you, right? Not just the sex or carnal pleasure you can give but the sweet stuff too," I smile kindly," I'm not like the others, I want to ride the Ferris wheel with you and laugh at how tiny everyone looks from so high up."

A loving smile spreads across his face," They look like ants from so high up."

"Yea, they do," I chuckle," now I need you to pick that lucky duck and win me a prize because so far I'm a far more talented date than you are." he snorts, loosening his hold on my waist. We split away, him turning to the pool and quickly pulling a duck from the water. Without turning it over he looks to me.

"What stuffed animal do you want," he asks. I look from him to the duck then back again. He seems so confident. I open my mouth to retort with some teasing comment but he stops me with a smirk. I squint at him, understanding the challenge. He knows he won. Instead, I look to the large toys lining the front of the booth.

"The Domo doll," I smile back at him. He nods, walking over to the booth worker. He tosses the duck to the man who turns it over and sighs.

"Any toy from the top row," the man grunts out. I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief.

We stand in line for the Ferris wheel, him holding his little whale and I hugging a large stuffed cartoon character. I catch his eyes, smiling widely at him as I hug the toy closer. We near the ride, a worker opening the swinging door to the carriage. I stuff my prize in before myself, Silas following behind. The worker closes the door along with the latch as Silas throws his arm over me.

The ride slowly takes us to the top, stopping as people below get on and off. "Did you have fun tonight," Silas asks. I look up to him, enjoying the sight of his hair ruffling in the breeze.

"yea," I snuggle into his chest," I did." he gives me a squeeze, kissing the top of my head.

"Good," he answers," I had fun too."

The ride stops at the very top, the view taking both of our attentions. The lights and people below make me feel whimsical. The cold air cools my heated cheeks and Silas warms me from the breeze. I find my attention shifting from the colorful sights below to the sweet man beside me. I stare up at him, watching him look out in the distance. A small smile tugs at the edge of his lips, a content sigh leaving his nose.

"I know I'm better than the view but you can look at me anytime compared to this," he turns to me. As our eyes meet everything stops. It feels so cliché but right as we lean towards each other till our noses brush against the other's.

"Silas," I mumble. Before I can say anymore he jumps to capture my lips. I choke on my breath, meeting him with as much eagerness as he gives. He slowly crowds me against the corner of the carriage, pressing his chest against mine as he attacks my lips. His tongue delves in, swirling with mine as a groan leaves my lips. Everything feels so amplified with him. The way his body heats my own, the way his hands pull my hips against his. I feel so hot despite being so cold. I want him, I want him bad.

"Come on guys, people are waiting," someone calls from behind us. Silas slowly pries his lips away from mine, sighing as his eyes open. His pitch-black eyes stare down into my own, promising so much with crotch throbbing appeal.

"My place," he asks with a cocky grin. I can't answer besides a nod.

The next few minutes feel like a blur as we race to the car and to his apartment. Traffic laws are ignored as all I can feel is his heated palm on my thigh. I don't know when we get to his place but all I know is his hard cock grinding against my clothed crotch. At some point we end up in his room, the soft blankets shock me out of a stupor. The seriousness of the situation clears my head.

Silas notices me stiffen, his lips against my neck leave as he looks down at me. He pets along my arms," Shh, it's alright. You want to go slower?"

"Y-yea," I answer, petting on his arms.

"I can do that," he kisses my forehead," we can go a little slower. Just let me tell you how tonight will go down." his tone is teasing. I find myself smiling, amused by his waiter sounding tone. Speaking like he is going to read the specials off the menu.

"Well, you’re a virgin, correct?" I nod," then you get the trifecta."

I scoff," The trifecta?"

"yea," he smirks," fingers, tongue, and cock." his tongue clicks on the final word, adding to the teasing. I fluster, turning away as I picture all this. In answer he brushes his nose against my neck, growling with interest. "now let's start with taking these clothes off."

The motion of removing another person's clothes feels just as intimate as anything I've ever experienced. He bares his chest before me, allowing me time to be distracted by such a sculpted torso. As I pet along his chest he lifts my dress up. His fingers touch at my underwear, I stiffen at the contact. The burning in my belly wars with the anxiety dwelling in my chest.

"It's ok, I got you," he purrs near my ear," keep touching me, I like having your delicate touch on my chest." I follow his demand, petting nervously up his chest as his fingers dive under my clothes. I buck into his hand, embarrassed immediately for doing so. He calms me by kissing my cheek. His fingers quickly delve between my folds, pressing where I need him most.

The sudden attention to my swollen clit brings my back to an arch. I press my clothed chest to his bare one. The rolling growl coming from him makes me whimper. His fingers swiftly glide over my nub, building me quicker than I ever have alone. He kisses and licks my neck, lathering me in attention. Before I can get used to the quick slides of his fingers he presses them down and inside me. His middle fingers squelch as they swiftly go in.

"Silas," I clench as his shoulders. His fingers begin to thrust in and out, petting along my walls with a strange filling feeling.

"Does it feel good," he asks, I nod," no, kitten, you need to use your words."

I open my mouth to answer but his thumb presses to my clit, massaging in short fast circles. I choke on my words, throwing my head back with a broken cry. His fingers cease their thrusting in favor of bouncing against a sweet spot.

"Does it feel good, I won't ask again," he scolds with a smirk.

"Y-yes," I whimper. He rewards me with quicker motions, basically throwing me to my peak. I claw at his shoulder as my body racks with shudders till I'm suspended over my end.

"Cum for me," he purrs near my ear," I want to see you cum for me." I cry out, arching away from him as he forces my body to its end. I clamp around his fingers, fluttering as I grind in his hand. I barely notice him watching me, too focused on my climax.

"So beautiful," I faintly hear him say.

I soon fall slack to the bed, dropping my arms from around his shoulders. His fingers squelch as they are removed from inside me. The wetness on his fingers trails over my thighs before he is removed from my underwear. I watch him lift his fingers to his mouth, his tongue flicking out to clean them.

"Fuck," I whisper as he licks his palm. He smirks down at me as he twines his tongue around his ring finger.

"You taste divine, kitten. I can't wait to get a direct taste," he purrs. Those black eyes are all I can look at as he slides his hands under my dress.

He is tender as he removes my clothes, kissing up my stomach as he lifts my dress. As my bra is tossed to the side he tilts his head in admiration as he cups my breast. He fondles them for a moment, getting distracted by taking off my underwear.

I soon lay bare before him, feeling like a feast with the way he looks at me. He falls over me, framing me with his arms as he fists the blanket. I watch him lean forward, my lips part in preparation. I close my eyes, ready for his lips upon mine. Yet, instead of getting a kiss, I have the blanket below me ripped out from under me. I open my eyes in time to see him removing his pants. The blanket rests on his shoulder, splaying out behind him like a cape.

I watch him confused, momentarily looking at his crotch. I don't have enough time to admire his standing cock as he falls on his stomach. His hands grab at my thighs, spreading me as he scoots up.

"It's time for me to get a taste," he smirks. I sit back ready to watch him bring me to a swift orgasm like before. He surprises me by throwing the blanket over his head, blocking my view of him.

"what are you doing," I ask as I fist the sheets. I can feel his hands petting on my thighs, see the blanket shifting.

"I want you to close your eyes and feel me," he answers. His nose bumps my crotch, startling me. I clench at the sheets, conflicted on how this will play out.

His tongue flicks at the seams, only partially delving between my lips. He is slow in his explorations, teasing with simple touches. The feeling is completely new, completely different from any of my solo sessions. With the added benefit of not knowing what's going to happen. He works his way from the bottom to the top, drinking any and all I have to offer from the previous orgasm. The sensitive skin gives way to new, wonderful sensations. It's not overstimulated like I would assume but its…perfect. Hardly expect anything less from a sex demon I guess.

I relax, not climbing to unbearable levels of pleasure but sitting in a state of comforting arousal. His fingers brought me swiftly to an end, satisfying the craving while calming my nerves. I hum with a grin, carding my finger through my hair as my leg pets along his back. I feel his lazing lapping, delving inside with his own groans of enjoyment.

He startles me with a quick flat lick to my clit. My back arches as I hiss, not prepared for the shock to run up my stomach. He does it again, circling the tip of his tongue around then over it. The electric and warm feeling is brain-melting. I find myself grinding into his mouth to feel more, surprising myself with my eagerness. He delivers in full, bringing me to a swifter climax than his fingers did. I feel like a porn star with my cries as I clamp my thighs around his head. I barely hear his own cries of pleasure as I do.

As I come into my own he throws the blanket off his head, looking way too happy to have gone down on me. "ya feeling alright," he hugs my hips," not too tired yet right?" his smug grin would have made me angry any other time. To be fair, those other times he never earned it.

I reach down and run my fingers through his hair. I smile tiredly down at him and hum in answer. He rests his chin on my pelvis, tilting into my hand with closed eyes. This isn't what I expected at all. I imagined wild coupling with animalistic cries into the night. This is… strangely better. I can't imagine he has ever done this before. All his conquest have been weird kinky sex that- I wouldn't say bragged- he talked about at work. Over divulging in every detail to the point you could paint a solid picture of sweaty bodies and soaked sheets. But this is better, not what I expected, but what I needed.

"you are too skilled at this for your own good, your ego needs a break sometimes," I joke as I pap his cheek.

"well, since this 'skill' is being used to please my lady, I hardly think it could be that bad. Though hearing you cry out for only me may make my head swell. Actually, it has," he gets up on his hands and crawls up my body. My eyes fall directly on his hard cock. It takes me a moment to get his joke, by the time I do he is pressing kisses my neck.

I grab a fistful of his hair and pull him back," that was an awful joke." he laughs as I bring him down for a kiss.

"They can't all be award-winning, besides I heard you like my stupid jokes," he grins against my lips.

"I never said I was a smart woman," I chuckle.

"But you are," he kisses my cheek," you are smart," kisses my nose," funny," my brow," sexy," my eyelid," and best of all," corner of my mouth," you like me." I pull him into his next kiss, meeting his lips with mine. But damn he is right, I do like him.

"now are you ready for the main course," he gropes my hips. At the question, I feel his cock resting against my thigh. The nerves he worked hard to rest are cranking up again. I think on every story and video I have seen on losing your virginity. Thinking about the pain or the countless unsatisfied women. What if I don't like it? What if it hurts too bad? Too many questions float by.

As I get lost in my train of thought Silas cups my cheek. He turns me so all I can see is him. He looks between my eyes, his face focused and concerned. It’s a strange look for him, having never considered him to ever be concerned for anyone, let alone me.

"You know I won't hurt you, I don't think I could if I tried. I promised you this would all work out, I will make this good for you. Just talk with me, ok? Can you do that for me, love," he raises his brow in question. I look up at him, noticing every detail of his blue eyes.

"yea, I can do that," I answer. He smiles down at me, the feeling almost similar to when a child gets a cookie after being good. He leans down and kisses the tip of my nose, resting his head against mine with a content hum.

"Do you, Chloe, wish to be bounded to me from this point forward? To be my mate and lover till the day we expire," he asks with all seriousness," no pressure." he tries to smirk, to add humor to this but I can see the worry. It's almost humbling in a weird way. I reach up and cup his cheek, tilting my head with a smile.

"Make love to me, Silas, and be the first person I see tomorrow," I pet under his eye. His smile is blinding, his eyes light up with too much joy to be anything but heartwarming. He turns his head and kisses my palm before resting himself on his hand.

He adjusts himself so he rests at my entrance. The weight shooting anxiety up to my head. With a well-timed glance and encouraging smile from him, the small seed of anxiety is gone. He won't hurt me. He frames my head with his arms as he presses his tip in. my stomach clenches at the odd intrusion. Silas lowers his head and presses wet kisses to my cheek. I try to relax, focusing on his lips more than his cock. He shoves forward slowly. I can't think for a moment, only feeling this very new stuffing feeling. The smooth glide of his cock is surprisingly a welcome feeling. I expected sharp pains accompanied by a hard snap of his hips. Then again it's kind of dumb of me to assume he wouldn't be considerate and take his time. He has been nothing but patient with me.

"We doing alright," he asks without a strain to his voice. I open my mouth to answer but he takes the moment to slide the rest of the way in. I choke on my words and take to nodding instead. He chuckles, still peppering my face with gentle kisses. "you feel perfect my love," he praises," it's like I was made for this, for you. You fit around me so welcomingly." he pulls back before grinding himself back in. The build-up made this moment all the sweeter. He pulls out again then glides forward. He kept true to his word, he didn't hurt me. Very much the opposite, I think as my eyelids flutter.

His pace is slow, his kisses wet and warm. I could get used to this. I pet up his back, holding him close as I find myself meeting his unhurried thrust. An urge for him to do more is overwhelming but as I buck into him, he keeps his pace. I grow frustrated at this.

"faster," I sigh into his ear.

"there you go," he praises as he ups his tempo," I will do anything for you, just ask." our thighs clap lightly as we meet. I undulate my hips with each downfall, grinding myself into him. He grunts to my surprise, thrusting a tad faster as I buck. I like that sound, I need him to do it again. I let go and scratch at the nape of his neck, moaning and crying into his ear.

"Silas, oh fuck," I whine as I arch my back into him. He bites down onto my neck, growling as he does. I can't help but smirk to myself, loving the sound of him. "Silas, please. Your coc-," I stop myself, feeling embarrassed to even say the word. His thrust slow, I groan in disagreement.

"say it," he hisses near my ear.

"Please," I wrap my legs around his hips, pulling him closer. Begging him to go back to fucking me.

"Say it," he repeats. I whimper below him, not giving a damn at the moment how wonton I look. He lifts his head from my shoulder, looking down at me. The look on his face is my new favorite view. He looks as wrecked as I feel. Sweet Jesus.

"your co-cock," I spit out," I love it." he grins, picking up the pace again. Slamming into my hips with great vigor. I cry out, writhing beneath him.

"What do you like," he asks. I can't figure out how he can speak when I'm nearly at the peak of brain failure.

"so, hard. Just for me," I choke out," fucking, love your cock, want you- need you to cum in me. Please."

He hums," I will. Fill you to the brim, then when I do I'll fill you some more. Your cunt is mine, my beautiful mate. This cock is yours to ride whenever, cause only I can do this to you." he snaps his hips harder on the next thrust," only I get to see you this way. Only you get to bring me to this level of want. By god, I wanted to fuck you during dinner. Rip your panties down and take you in front of everyone," he rests his head against my head, watching me fall apart at his words. I whimper and moan without a care. My insides feel like they are on fire, nearly burning me as I near my end.

He watches me with rapt attention," Cum for me, Chloe. Let me feel you squeeze my cock, please, love, I need it." I cry out, stuttering as my body stiffens. He watches with a grin, fucking me through my climax. He grunts and groans as I flutter around him, begging him to reach his own end. I pant against the pillow as I watch him try to maintain his cool. Trying to prolong the experience for a second longer.

I tug on his hair," Cum for me, Silas. Please, I need to feel it, need to feel you." he gasps with a startled yelp. His eyes clenching close as he finally peaks. His hips buck wildly, clapping my thighs with his own. Silas shouts and whimpers as he falls apart. I feel his hot load shoot inside me, the sensation startling but welcomed.

"Chloe," he whines," fuck!" his body falls slack onto mine, his weight making it hard to breathe. I don't say anything, just pet his hair and listen to his labored breathing.

"Damn, I need a minute," he grunts as he shifts to the side. I move to sit up but he quickly grips my arms," hold on, I don't want to leave you just yet" the words send a warm feeling through my chest. It's oddly satisfying to hear that. I hum as I settle back against the bed.

"thank you," I find myself saying.

"don't thank me. In all honesty, I should be thanking you. I have been less than savory with you and it took me way too long to get my head out of my ass. You have been way too patient and forgiving with me. Thank you," he says into my shoulder, finishing it off with a kiss.

"I love you, Silas," I mumble against his cheek. I nuzzle my head against his, really feeling the effects of three orgasms.

He hums, pulling me closer," I love you too, Chloe." he finally pulls out and adjusts me in his arms. We both fall asleep in no time.

I wake the next morning to his beautiful face. We both smile, share a kiss, then go make breakfast together.

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

Sweet jesus, this was my white whale. i don’t know why it was so hard for me to finish this. i would write like 5 paragraphs and not touch it for weeks. it took me strapping down and forbidding myself from touching any other stories besides incomplete ones, even then i would skip this one. so i really hope y’all liked it.

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[darriness]

Klaine Fic - Care Part 4

Author: darriness

Word Count: 1296

Summary: Blaine has a moment

Author’s Note: So...the one-shot now has four parts. I don't even know anymore. This one is the first from Blaine's perspective. It's not my favourite but it needed to come out of my head. Enjoy!

Link to Part 1

Link to Part 2

Link to Part 3

AO3 Link

Blaine is restless. Well, okay, he’s ALWAYS restless, but he’s having a harder time with it at the moment. He keeps clenching and unclenching his fists under his desk while simultaneously pushing down on his thighs to keep his knees from bouncing.

Everything is too loud - his teacher’s voice, the scratching of the kid’s pencil across the room as he undoubtedly doodles instead of taking notes (Blaine can hear the difference), the swish-swish of clothing shifting as people move in the room. He feels bombarded with sounds.

He usually only feels this way right before he transforms but he’s not transforming nor does he have plans to transform in the near future. So...why does it feel like his senses are on overdrive?

He listens to the ticking of the clock and prays for the bell. He had briefly considered asking Ms. Timmins to ‘go see the nurse’ (even though that’s not what he would be doing when he left the class) but his desire to be a good student won out in the end. He has since regretted this decision, especially when the kid behind him starts grinding his teeth. Blaine clenches his fists to stop himself from punching the kid out.

It’s with this thought that he realizes he’s pushed whatever this is (some sort of cosmic test of his wills?) too far. He will NOT launch an unprovoked attack against a student, against anyone.

His hand shoots straight up into the air and Ms. Timmins pauses in her lecture, “Yes, Mr. Anderson?” She asks.

“Ms. Timmins,” Blaine starts, trying to force his natural charm into his speech. To his own ears he just sounds stressed, “I’m not really feeling well. May I be excused to the washroom?”

Ms. Timmin’s face crumbles in concern, “Oh dear. Do you need the nurse?”

Blaine grabs the strap of his backpack and squeezes it so tightly he’s afraid it’ll actually turn to dust in his fist, “No, I think I just need the restroom.”

Ms. Timmin’s nods and gestures out of the room. She has no reason to suspect Blaine isn’t being 100% truthful. Blaine’s not even sure he IS being untruthful. He may not be physically unwell but something isn’t right. He’s out of his seat and out into the hallway before she’s finished the gesture. He all but runs down the hall, past the bathroom, and turns  a corner before leaning against the wall. 

He takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He’s not sure what’s happening and while he hadn’t been planning on transforming anytime soon...he can’t help but think that’s what’s about to happen. He blinks his eyes open and takes in the school hallway. If he’s really about to transform, he can’t do it here. He’ll figure out what’s happening once he’s in a safe space.

He begins to make his way down the hallway but is stopped by a voice, “Where’s your butt boy, Anderson?”

Every muscle in Blaine’s body tenses. He surprises himself by having to bite back an actual growl. He clenches and unclenches his fists once before continuing to walk. He will not be goaded today. He can’t afford to be.

“Hey Anderson!” Karofsky yells when Blaine doesn’t respond and Blaine can both hear and sense that the other boy is following him.

Bad choice, David. Blaine thinks as he continues to walk away.

“I asked you something!” Karofsky shouts, “Does being gay make you deaf?”

Blaine whirls around so quickly that Karofsky actually takes a step back even though they’re still a good six feet apart. Blaine levels the other boy with a look that could kill and, to his credit, Karofsky’s eyes widen momentarily.

“Why don’t you tell me?” Blaine all but snarls. He feels a tightness in his chest that makes him want to claw at it. He needs to leave. Now.

Usually he can ignore Dave Karofsky, the immature bullying is something Blaine stopped caring about a long time ago and today’s attempt is mild at best, but with the wolf so close to the surface Blaine feels like this is all the provocation it needs to break free.

Blaine takes one step in Karofsky’s direction. Karofsky takes another step back. Karofsky outweighs Blaine by at least fifty pounds but something in the other boy’s DNA is smart enough to make him wary of Blaine. For good reason.

Blaine takes one more step forward, unsure exactly what he plans to do, but knowing something he both doesn’t want to happen and wants to happen in equal measure is about to occur.

Suddenly, the bell for the end of the period rings throughout the hallway. It penetrates Blaine’s foggy brain and he looks up at the speaker on the wall in confusion. 

It’s just the reminder his brain needs, of ‘human’ and ‘wrong’ and ‘leave’, and before he can think anymore he spins and sprints in the other direction. He doesn’t look back to see a confused Dave Karosky slump against the wall as the hallway crowds with students.

Blaine doesn’t even bother to get in his car. He runs. Runs all the way off campus and to Kurt’s house. It’s not a short run but he’s barely out of breath when he gets there. Well, he is out of breath but not because of physical excursion from the run.

He’s knocking on the door before his brain catches up to his movements and already he feels calmer, just knowing Kurt is close. Of all the days for Kurt to take off school…

Kurt opens the door with a polite smile on his face and then his brow furrows in confusion before he smiles at Blaine.

“Hey!” He enthuses, “Did you cut out early?”

“I almost killed Karofsky.” Blaine says without preamble.

Kurt’s eyes widen slightly before he pouts thoughtfully, and shrugs, “I mean, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

“Kurt!” Blaine exclaims.

Kurt rolls his eyes slightly before pulling Blaine inside the otherwise empty house, “Vampire, remember?” Kurt reminds needlessly, “Killing is what I’m meant to do and Dave Karofsky isn’t exactly human of the year.”

Blaine can still feel his wolf under his skin but it feels less immediate now that he’s around Kurt. Without responding to Kurt’s words, Blaine shuffles closer to Kurt and wraps himself around his boyfriend like a koala. He keeps his feet on the floor, keeps his legs from wrapping around Kurt’s waist, but barely, even though he knows Kurt could easily handle his weight.

Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine’s shoulders without question and allows Blaine to burrow as deep into his chest as possible.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Kurt asks.

“I don’t know.” Blaine whispers, “I...almost lost it at school today.”

Kurt hums as he strokes Blaine’s back soothingly, “Just because of Dave?”

Blaine shakes his head, “Before that. Everything was setting me off.”

Kurt kisses Blaine’s shoulder, “Should have skipped like me.”

Blaine huffs a humourless laugh into Kurt’s chest, “Some of us are studious students.”

“Blaine, this is our third time through high school. I will repeat that I think skipping a day or two is okay.”

Blaine shrugs, not wanting to get into the whole discussion again. He just wants to stay right here until the urge to rip something to shreds dies down.

“Can I...stay here for a while?” Blaine asks. He knows Kurt knows he doesn’t just mean in the house, but in this very position.

Kurt chuckles softly, “Honey, I have no problem standing still for hours on end. It’s you that’s always moving.”

Blaine squeezes Kurt’s waist a little more tightly, “I just...want to stay here for a while.”

Kurt strokes the back of Blaine’s head and kisses his shoulder again, “Of course.” He whispers.

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One: Breaking the Curse

Chapter 37: A Normal Routine

He did what he had to do. He stuck to his schedule and the shadows, trying to make it so that no one would ever know that anything had changed in his life. He tried to make it so that no one would notice he was secretly running what was probably the greatest spy circle that Storybrooke had ever seen. It was something to be proud of, but he was old enough that he had no intention of bragging about it. This game was tenuous enough as it was. There was no need to make it worse. So, the day after making his deal with Jefferson, the day of Miner's Day, he did what he always did.

He got up. He took his shower. He made his breakfast. And he went into the shop.

He doubted that anyone noticed.

Miner's Day was always a small uneventful holiday anyway, and with one of the town currently missing, those he encountered seemed nearly as dreary as the weather. No one was in a festive mood. Except perhaps him.

His plan was working. Call after call informed him of that.

The first calls he received were from the cousins he'd set to watch David and Emma. Kathryn's disappearance had gone public and his little bird friends informed him that David had been released for questioning shortly after Emma brought him in. It didn't surprise him. At the moment, Kathryn was missing, but legally she didn't have anything to hold David on. With no body or physical evidence of Kathryn's death, she could have crashed her car and then wandered out of Storybrooke all on her own. Frankly, right now, even if Emma did think she was dead, she didn't have any clues as to who had done it. Sure, it could have been David, or Mary Margaret, or even Regina. But it could also have been Sara Fischer; it could have been Granny. Hell, for all Emma knew at the moment, Kathryn had crashed her car and been kidnapped by a man who could also turn into a bird. For all Emma knew…

Regina knew more than Emma did, even if she didn't necessarily know better. He hadn't spoken to Regina since all this had happened, but he had a pretty clear indication that she was pleased with his work.

The morning after Miner's Day, he got up, got dressed, made himself breakfast, and went to the shop. Shortly after arriving, he received a call from none other than Emma Swan.

"How is it that in the middle of all this the DA is dropping charges against you?" she shrieked into her phone."

"Oh?" he prompted.

"Moe French suddenly claims that you two were up in the woods, talking about the robbery when he slipped. Spencer doesn't believe it, but without Moe's testimony he says he doesn't have enough to charge you, so he's dropping the case."

"Well, that sounds right," he sighed as if he were bored but far from innocent. "It's not unlike what I told you, if you'll recall."

"That's not what I saw."

"What you saw is irrelevant," he dismissed. "If Mr. French is willing to sign a sworn statement, then you can't really be sure what you saw that night. It was rather dark if memory serves."

"Yeah…funny how Moe's truck appears to be back in front of his shop all of a sudden," she snarked.

He smiled. She was fun to debate with. "Almost as funny as my decision to put a five-year extension on his loan. One of life's mysteries, I suppose."

"Yeah…"

"Though I do find it odd that we have a woman missing, and you are taking the time to have this conversation. I rather think you've got more on your hands at the moment than I do."

She hadn't responded kindly to that comment but rather hung the phone up without saying good-bye.

The next person he heard from later that afternoon. It was none other than Dove himself, but he called with news that he hadn't quite expected. He thought he'd update him with news on Kathryn or any problems, but it turned out all was quiet on that front.

"She's upset, but she finally stopped pounding at the door, and so far, no one seems to know we're here."

"Good, keep it that way."

"I've got more you might want to know about."

"I'm all ears."

"Ruby Lucas, Widow Lucas' granddaughter-"

"I know her."

"Right, Will called me just after three. He was just starting his shift when Ruby came in. Apparently, she quit last night. Emma's hired her as some sort of assistant; she was fetching lunch. Just thought you might want to know."

Indeed he did, not just because at the end of the day he was paying the boy to look for handy information like that, but also because it was an unexpected change he hadn't prepared for. Immediately he'd called his man watching after Emma, who confirmed that the girl was in fact staying at the office, but he hadn't figured out yet why she'd been there or what capacity she was working. Frankly, it wasn't until Ruby had left the station, come back with food, and then gotten into the bug with Emma again that he realized she was doing more than just "hanging out," as he'd put it.

He grit his teeth together. The news almost made him miss Dove. He wouldn't have thought to not report it to him. But he was the commander of a tiny army at the moment. Dove was his best, most experienced soldier, he had to put him where he was most useful, and right now, that was with Kathryn. Babysitting her might be the easiest of jobs, but it was the most crucial of the jobs as well. He couldn't risk anyone else taking his post. In the end, he simply told Stan to keep an eye on everything and let him know what was happening.

What was happening…that was the question. It was a question that Stan seemed incapable of answering, not while he kept his distance. He'd followed Emma and Ruby out of town only to watch them stop near the woods; two had gone in, three came out. They'd emerged with David. It was only once they were at the hospital that he'd called to inform him of this. In his own words, David had looked "disoriented." Emma had kept a hand on his back as she led him to the car and helped him into the backseat, the pair had exchanged a glance, and then they'd ended up in the hospital. Emma had taken David in, Ruby left in the car, and not long after Regina had arrived. That was all the information that he had at the time. When he hung up the phone, he sat down at his wheel and started to spin because he could think of no other way to relieve his stress.

This was a delicate operation. These first steps were tedious, and while things were going the way he wanted them to right now, there were unexpected wrenches now thrown into the mix. David, disoriented in the woods, that was one. Regina at the hospital, that was another. Ruby was another. He didn't know what she was doing, didn't know why Emma was using her suddenly. Worst of all, he didn't have any eyes on her. This was the most important step in the process. He couldn't afford any problems or things not done properly. But the only person he could think to send to watch Ruby was the cousin watching Sidney. He didn't want to do that. He had plans for Sidney, or rather he knew that eventually, Regina would have plans for Sidney. He wanted an eye on him, especially if Regina was somewhere that she wasn't supposed to be. He tried to think of a way to get himself into the conversation, a way to insert himself early into the middle of all this, but he came up blank. He had to stay where he was. He had to wait for his opportunity to get involved properly. Besides, even if he did send someone out after her, he had no idea where Ruby had gone. Stan had taken eyes off of her once she left the hospital; she could be anywhere, the police station, Granny's, the woods, anywhere.

So he went home, spun at his wheel as Stan reported Emma's return to the station, and then returned to the hospital before going back to the apartment for the night. He went to bed. He woke up the next morning, got dressed, made himself breakfast, and was just about to go into the shop when his cell phone rang, and he took a call from Dove.

"Hey, just letting you know, I think Mary Margaret is about to be arrested for murder," was his greeting. He quickly pulled out his keys and let himself into the quiet shop before responding.

"What makes you think that?"

"Will Scarlet just called. Ruby is back at Granny's as of this morning. She quit working with Emma yesterday after…she found a heart in the woods yesterday. And Will well…he's got a friend, who has a friend, who worked at the mirror, who knows Sidney Glass and…Will says Emma got the heart's DNA tested and the results are pending, but there were fingerprints on the box that the heart was found in and they're a match for Mary Margaret."

Well, of course, her fingerprints were on it. The box belonged to Mary Margaret. He'd had his goons bury it along with something very special. "No sign of anything else?"

"No." So the shovel shard hadn't been discovered yet. Probably because Emma had sent Ruby and not gone herself, that was one of those problems he hadn't accounted for. But he tried not to panic. Ruby wasn't working the case anymore, Emma was, so there was still hope she'd go out there and review the crime scene.

"And the DNA evidence is still pending?" he confirmed once more, trying to manage exactly how much time he could give Emma before he had to push her in the direction of the crime scene.

"Not back yet, but…I called my cousin, he knows what to do."

He breathed a sigh of relief. If he was to be the mob boss, then Dove was his second in command and doing an excellent job at it. He was the only one of his cousins that actually knew the entire of his plan, or at least what he wanted him to know about it. He was suddenly incredibly grateful for the boy.

"That's good work, Mr. Dove. Very good work. I'm appreciative of the work you are doing on this. It's part of that complicated game I mentioned, and so far, everything is happening as it should…more or less." He meant to hang up, but seeing as how Dove seemed to have contacts that his cousins didn't, he sighed. "Call me when you hear the DNA has been processed."

Not long after that, Mary Margaret was arrested. The call came toward the end of the day. Stan reported soon after Dove's call that Emma had gone into the town to the pet store. Mary Margaret had gone there just after school got out, probably to check on how David was coping with his beloved wife's disappearance. When Emma emerged from the store, Mary Margaret had been cuffed. Emma had taken her back to the apartment, surprisingly, not the jail, but Stan reported quickly that it appeared to be a courtesy. When they both emerged, Mary Margaret was wearing comfortable clothes. Furthermore, after they'd stayed in the station for a while, Regina had stopped by, but then Emma had returned to the apartment. Another call came in after she left. It was Stan again.

"She's going back to the station now. She had a big bag with her when she came out. I think she might have found the knife."

Well, it wasn't DNA or a shovel, but it was evidence against her. It was still early, but he was tired of sitting on his hands, waiting for something to happen. It was time for the Dark One to jump into the fray.

[hisunshiine]

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 - Part 3

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 ထ written by @sunkissedwriter / m. a. tw.

↳ au based off of The King: Eternal Monarch | Cross posted to her AO3

The Republic of Korea

“I need your name.” You snapped, clacking away at the report on the computer.

Hoseok struggled to sit comfortably on the chair, his wrists still bound behind his back, “And as I said before, only those trusted by the King are allowed to know and say his name.”

Your eyes didn’t leave the screen, “Does the King always refer to himself in third person, or is he doing it just to annoy me?” You lifted the wallet, “Can you tell me why you have a wallet full of counterfeit bills? Do you want to add a forgery charge to the list?”

“They’re not forged, they are true bills issued by the Royal Treasury of the Kingdom of Corea.” Hoseok settled back against the chair, “Is it really necessary to keep me in handcuffs?”

You tossed the wallet back onto your desk, “I don’t think you realize that those handcuffs are there for your safety, not mine.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, the answer lost on his tongue as a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Noona! Hey, why is there a horse tied up outside of the station?” A young man hopped onto the desk, swinging his legs as he pulled out a red ginseng packet from his pocket.

“Jeongguk? Oh Jeonggukah, loyal as ever. I knew you would follow me and find me, please tell her, explain everything.” Hoseok smirked at you, comforted by the sight of his loyal guard, no matter how oddly dressed he was.

Wait…

The young man half laughed, glancing nervously to you, “Noona...why is he acting like he knows me?”

“Ignore him, Kookie. He is clearly delusional. He thinks he is a king of the Kingdom of Corea, and rode his horse through plaza traffic.” You held your hand out expectantly, “He also won’t tell me his name and apparently has no ID.”

Kookie fished out another red ginseng packet, plopping it down on your hand, “Oohh! So that’s your horse out there?!”

“Kookie!”

“What?! He owns a horse! How cool is that?” The wide eyed man turned back to Hoseok, “What’s his name? Are you really a King? How do you know me?”

Hoseok chuckled at the questions, the personality of this ‘Kookie’ the complete opposite of the stoic charm of his Jeongguk, “I own many horses, but that one out there is my personal horse. I raised him since he was a foal, his name is Mang and he is my most trusted friend. Next to the person you look like of course...it makes sense that the parallel world would have someone like him in it.”

“Whoa, parallel worlds? And there is someone who looks like me in it?” His round eyes grew even rounder at the thought.

“Mmhmm, his name is Jeongguk. He is the captain of my royal guard. And yours?”

��Jeon Jungkook, but everyone calls me Kookie. I am a police assistant for the Government of Korea. But only for a few more months! My conscription time is almost over!” Jungkook pounded a fist in the air, laughing along with Hoseok.

“Ya, both of you stop talking. I have been trying all evening to get you to tell me your name. And instead I get the name of your ‘guard’ and your horse. Unbelievable.” You crossed your arms sitting back against the chair, “And you, traitor. Become friends with this psycho?”

“Psycho?” Hoseok tsked, “Well that’s a bit harsh. I knew you were feisty but now you’re cold hearted.”

Jungkook leaned closer, whispering, “You should hear what she says when she’s mad. She’s made thugs cry before.”

“Jungkook! Out!” You stood, smacking the younger man with a folder.

“Noona! Come on.” Jungkook winced slightly, jumping away from assault, “I’m not doing anything!”

“Do not make me say it again. Out!” You huffed as you sat down heavily, returning your attention to the well dressed man in front of you. “Fine. If you won’t give me your name, I will give you one.” Your fingers hesitated on the keyboard, glancing at him again, a brilliant smile on his face once more. “Jung Gi Dae.”

His eyebrows rose, “Gi Dae? Gi Dae as in ‘Hope’?”

“Yes as in, ‘I hope you aren’t going to continue to be a pain in my ass’,” you looked smugly at him, answering your phone as it rang. “Lieutenant (YLN) here, what do you have for me?”

Hoseok smirked as your brow furrowed, knowing full well the fingerprints you had taken from him didn’t reveal anything. “I don’t exist here, do I?”

“Clearly you do exist as you’re sitting here in front of me...but no your fingerprints brought back nothing.” You leaned forward, “But there are other ways to find out who you are.”

Hoseok leaned forward as well, grinning at the slight hesitation in your eyes, “Lieutenant, you have failed to identify me from fingerprints, what makes you think that other methods will be successful?” He paused, reading the tension emitting from you, “Go on Lieutenant, ask me the question.”

Your expression hardened, eyes narrowing a bit as you rested your chin on your palm, “Who are you?”

“I am the King of the Kingdom of Corea. A world that is parallel to this one.” Hoseok explained.

“You said you had been looking for me for twenty five years...why? Why do you know who I am?” Your voice lowered to a whisper, eyes fully locked on him.

“I have your police badge, I found it when I was a child. It has been with me ever since...I was never able to find you in my world, just as I don’t exist in yours...it must mean that fate has brought us together, Lieutenant.” Hoseok softened his tone, “You must believe me...the proof is sitting right in front of you. I am not of this world.”

You looked down at your desk, silent as you took in the information he had given you. A soft sigh left you, “Okay...I believe you.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, “You believe me?” His lips spread into a smile, “You believe me! That’s-”

His words were cut off by the swab you stuffed in his mouth, swiping against his cheek and putting it back into the container. You couldn’t help but laugh at his bewildered expression, “Thank you for your cooperation, Your Majesty.” You set the container aside, noticing his gaze again, “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

You cleared your throat, feeling your cheeks flush a bit, “As if you love me.”

This time Hoseok’s cheeks flushed, flustered for the first time in his life, “How else am I supposed to look at you?”

“You don’t.”

The cool night air was a welcomed friend to Hoseok as you led him out of the station, the disgruntled King massaging his wrists from the abuse of the handcuffs. A small crowd of people surrounded Mang, camera flashing and words of praise made the white horse preen and pose. Hoseok rolled his eyes, knowing full well his steed had learned the behavior from Seokjin.

“Here,” you placed his things in his hands, “I am being a generous police officer and letting you go, Jung Hope.”

“You would have had to let me go anyway after 48 hours,” he tucked his wallet away, clasping his hands behind his back, “I know that law must be the same in both worlds.”

“I’m still letting you out early,” you retorted, immediately shaking your head, “Whatever, do you have a way for me to contact you for the results of the DNA test.”

Hoseok sifted through his pocket, pulling out the sticky notes Jungkook had handed him when you had stepped out of the station. “Here. That doe eyed assistant said this hotel is near your place, that is where I will be staying.”

“And how do you plan on paying for this with your counterfeit money?” You handed him back the sticky note, “Only Kings or Idols can afford to stay there.”

Hoseok smiled, “Do you know of any jewelers who buy diamonds?”

“Diamonds...you have diamonds?”

He plucked off one of the buttons off of his jacket, “This is pure diamond, the world can’t be that different where diamonds don’t sell here right?”

You took the button, weighing it in your hand, “If this is a diamond, then I am Princess Diana.” You placed it in his palm, noticing how large his hand was compared to yours, “I don’t know why I am even helping you but come on. This way.”

Hoseok followed you, easily keeping up with your quick pace, “Because deep down you do believe me.”

You shook your head, “I’m a cop, I only believe what I can see.”

“Well you can see me, can’t you?” Hoseok’s hand wrapped around your elbow, pulling you to a stop, “Lieutenant, there are some things we don’t see and we believe...why is it so hard for you to just trust what I say.”

The sincerity in his eyes was so intense….you wanted to believe him...but you had also only just met him, “That store, that’s where you can sell your diamond.”

Hoseok let go of you, replacing his bright smile as he held the door open. He strode in with confidence, placing the button into the gloved palm of the store owner. The owner’s eyes grew comically wide, and with it, grew Hoseok’s smugness as he glanced at you.

“In all my years, I have never seen a diamond so perfect...the cut, the clarity, this is an exquisite jewel...where did you get one?” The owner stumbled over his words, placing the button down carefully on a cloth.

“I will have to ask the Head Court Lord, he has an eye for shiny things,” Hoseok answered, plucking off another button, “This one is the same as that one...in fact all of these buttons are pure diamond.”

This time both your eyes and the owners eyes grew wide, “Well...there’s not warranty with a diamond like this...I would gladly pay for it I just need assurance that it is not stolen.”

Hoseok opened his mouth to answer, your sudden cough and clearing of your throat stopped him. He looked down at you, confused by your actions until he saw you hold out your badge, coughing again and quickly looking away.

“Ah. You’re a cop. Well I will say that is assurance enough.” The owner took both diamonds, bowing deeply, “I will be right back with your payment!”

Hoseok chuckled, “You didn’t tell him your identity, ‘Princess Diana’.”

You ignored him, eyes wide as you tried to comprehend the fact that his jacket was worth more than your salary...for years. The owner returned with an envelope, pulling you from your thoughts, you offered him a half smile, mindlessly walking out of the shop.

“Lieutenant, you’re so silent now.” Hoseok stated, keeping his eyes trained forward on the path along the river, fighting every instinct he had to look over to you.

You cleared your throat, “You have a coat...with diamond buttons.”

“Mm, this is just the one I brought with me. Like I said, Head Court Lord Seokjin has an eye for jewels and fashion...and a sense for true shamans apparently,” Hoseok muttered the last few words, realizing that the love talismans had actually succeeded in bringing him the love of his life.

The two of you continued on the walk along the river, the air becoming more frigid with each step, driving you both closer together without noticing. It was a comfortable silence, one foot in front of the other, He could practically hear the cogs in your brain turning in between each step. Hoseok stole a glance, your hands were stuffed in your coat pockets, cheeks kissed pink from the cold, bottom lip pulled in between in your teeth, brow furrowed with concentration. You shivered slightly and Hoseok’s heart clenched with a pang, wanting nothing more than to take you into his arms and shield you from the cold.

The chime of your phone startled both of you, the screen flashing the name of your partner; Kim Namjoon.

“Working late, Namjoonah?” You answered quickly, noticing how little space there was between yourself and the strange man.

Hoseok tilted his head at the way you spoke with ‘Namjoon’, the familiarity of your tone.

Could she already belong to someone?

Your head suddenly snapped up, “Okay I’ll meet you there, I’m not far from the station. Just meet me out front.”

“You’re leaving?”

You stuffed your phone in your pocket, rewrapping your scarf, “The hotel is just down a few more blocks, you can’t miss it.”

“Please don’t leave…” the words left Hoseok before he could stop him, the plea weighing heavy in the air, “It took me 25 years to meet you...I can’t lose you now.”

His tone broke your heart, “Jung Hope, you don’t know me as well as you think you have known me. Anyone who knows me, knows that I put my job in front of anyone or anything else.”

Hoseok watched you as you sped away, full aware that you were taking his heart with you.

“Namjoonah!” You jogged towards his lean frame, your long time partner was leaning against one of the storage units typing furiously at his phone.

“Took you long enough,” he gave you a dimpled smile, tilting his head towards the only lit storage unit, “Victim’s wife agreed to meet with us and let us look around the shop.”

You slipped your badge around your neck, “Great. Let’s go.”

“Hold on,” Namjoon grabbed onto your coat, pulling you back, “What’s this I hear about you...pulling over a horse ?”

You chuckled, patting his hand, “It’s been a long night, Joonah, the man I arrested thinks he’s a King.”

Namjoon’s eyebrows raised but he didn’t continue with his questions, simply following you to the unit.

It was small, filled to the brim with hardware products, and a small woman sitting in the middle of it all, her head in her hands.

“Ma’am?” She raised her head, “I am Lieutenant (YLN) from the Seoul National Police Agency, this is Detective Kim, my partner. You called us in regards to your husband?”

She nodded, her eyes filled with tears, “Yes, yes I did.”

“Ma’am, why did you wait three weeks to report your husband missing?” Namjoon asked, ever the blunt cop.

She shook her head, laughing through her tears, “I thought he had just run off to gamble again. It’s what he always does when we fight, but he usually comes back….when he didn’t answer his phone at all or open up the store that's when I thought…”

“That something more serious had happened?” A nod, “Do you know of anyone who would have wanted your husband dead?” You pried, watching as Namjoon started to move around the store.

“It’s easier to list the people who wanted him alive.” She wiped at her tears, “That man borrowed money from so many people, always walking around with two different phones, meeting with different men every day saying that it was for a “better future”. I guess it finally caught up to him.”

Namjoon lifted a blue tarp, taking out his phone and snapping a picture, “Have you been here since your husband went missing?”

“No, I never wanted anything to do with,” she waved her hands in the air, gesturing at everything, “Any of this. I only came because the neighbor said it looked like someone broke in. This is how I found it before calling you.”

Namjoon nodded, “Are there any CCTV’s around here?”

She furrowed her brow, “Maybe? I’m not too sure. You would have to ask the landlord.”

“Is there anything else you want to tell us? Any other information at all?” Namjoon came over next to you, leveling the distraught woman with a firm gaze.

She looked around, rummaging through a drawer before pulling out a flip phone and handing it to you, “That was the other phone he always walked around with. I thought it was weird because it was a 3G phone. But I never pressed him on it.”

You pulled a bag from your pocket, allowing her to slip the phone inside of it, “Thank you, is the number you contacted Detective Kim with a good number to reach you?”

She nodded, looking down at her clasped hands, “If you find the bastard that killed my husband...thank him for me. My life is now ruined because of him.”

The two of you left the grieving woman, walking back to your car.

“Do you think she did it?” Namjoon asked, folding himself into the passenger seat.

You tossed the evidence back in the back of your car, plopping down next to him, “No. You saw the back of his head, it was extreme blunt force trauma. Even with all her hatred for him, I don’t think she could have done it.

Namjoon pulled out his phone, showing you a picture, “Think something like this did it?”

The pointed end of the crow bar held the similar shape of the wound the victim had, prompting you to raise a brow, “Yeah….that could probably do it...someone really wanted this man dead.”

Namjoon chuckled, “You were right, this is indeed a homicide investigation. Why are you so good at your job, Lieutenant?”

“Why aren’t you good at your job, Detective,” you teased, “Should we get some chicken?”

“Kookie and Tae already ordered some, they’re at your place waiting for us.” He settled back into the seat, “How can you eat after a murder investigation?”

“I haven’t eaten all day, I was on my way to grab lunch when I stopped that rider.” You maneuvered out of the small side streets, zipping down the main highway towards your house.

“Oh yeah, what was that all about?”

“It was strange, Joonie, he refused to tell me his name because he said no one was allowed to speak the ‘King’s’ name. He had a wallet full of strange counterfeit bills, two of them had his face on it...and he kept saying he had been looking for me for years.”o Namjoon, “It was weird.” You glanced over to your partner, noticing the baffled expression on his face, “What?”

“Well he found you.” Namjoon answered, gesturing to the side.

You slammed on the brakes at the sight of the white horse grazing in a makeshift stable. The owner of the horse stood next to it, brushing it while chatting to your dad and Jungkook.

“What the fuck…” you parked the car, quickly pulling your hair up, “Why the fuck is he here?!”

Namjoon’s brow furrowed, “Do I need to step in? Get him out of here?”

“No he’s harmless, but you might want to keep Jungkook away from me.” You stepped out of the vehicle, storming over to where the group laughed at something Hope had said.

Hoseok’s eyes widened at the sight of your fury, immediately taking a step back to put Jungkook in between himself and you. The others around him had taken notice of your arrival, each one bracing for your impact.

“What is this?! Dad? Jungkook?” Your glare fixated on Hoseok, “You?!”

“Noona...Mang needed a place to stay, and he asked if I could help and-” Jungkook started, immediately snapping his jaw shut at your finger rising up in the air.

“Quiet. You. Talk.” You crossed your arms, tapping your foot against the ground.

“Lieutenant, look, I can explain.” Hoseok cleared his throat, taking a step forward, “I called Jungkook and he agreed to help me in exchange for meeting Mang. He then introduced me to your father, who told me about the Taekwondo center he runs, and to Taeyongie who owns that lovely bubble tea shop.” He ended his statement with a smile, hoping it would work to ease your anger.

It didn’t.

“Get this animal out of my property or I swear I will sell it to the next person who asks me for it.” The sincerity of your words made Hoseok bristle.

“Lieutenant, I have done nothing to you!” He took another step towards you, prompting Namjoon to step in.

“You heard her. You really going to challenge two police officers?” Namjoon’s jaw tightened as he threatened him, stepping around you to stand face to face with Hoseok.

“Watch your tone with me, Kim Namjoon , because the kindest thing I can offer you in my world is beheading.” Hoseok squared his shoulders, tightening his grip on the riding crop in his hand.

“Yah, yah, yah, enough. All of you. You can use the yard for as long as you need, it doesn’t bother me one bit as my name is on the title, not my daughter’s. Tae, do you mind seeing a horse from your shop?” Your dad chimed in, clasping a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder.

“You can never have too much horse power on the driveway.” Tae gave Hoseok a wink, “Besides, it would probably help business out.”

Your father turned to you, “See? No harm done.” He leaned closer, “You need to be nice , this man owns a horse . Do you know how well off you have to be own a horse?”

“Why are you being nice to him?” You questioned, huffing, “You know what, forget it.” You stormed off into the house, wanting nothing more than to be left alone. Your father bowed to the group before rushing behind you, calling after you.

Hoseok refocused his attention on Namjoon, smacking the riding crop against his chest to keep him from leaving.

He was met with Namjoon’s glare, “What is your problem?”

“What is your relationship with her?”

Namjoon tried to reach for the crop, “Nonexistent.”

Hoseok smacked Namjoon’s hand with the crop, then tucked it behind his back, “I highly doubt that.”

“What does it even matter to you, you’re just some guy she found on the side of the road.” Namjoon questioned, “A crazy one apparently.”

“Even if I explained it to you, you wouldn’t understand. Fate brought me here to find the love of my life, to find the woman who saved me when I was a child.” Hoseok gestured to the door, “She is the one who I have been looking for, she’s the one who’s badge I was found with when I was a child and almost murdered by my uncle.”

Namjoon scoffed, “Right. You’re what, 30? She would have been a child too, there is no way she could have saved you.”

“And yet here I am. A King from a parallel world who crossed the universe...there are some things we just can’t explain. This is one of them.” Hoseok moved away from the leaner man, picking up the brush and running it through Mang’s mane.

“If you’re from a ‘parallel universe’ then why do I recognize this symbol?” Namjoon tapped the pommel of Mang’s saddle, a slight smirk on his face.

Hoseok froze, “This is my Royal Crest. How do you recognize it?”

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