#Easy-to-Install Mirror Light.

[pleasantdecor]

Aaina – Modern Waterproof Bathroom Mirror Lamp

Aaina – Modern Waterproof Bathroom Mirror Lamp https://pleasantdecor.com/product/aaina-modern-waterproof-bathroom-mirror-lamp/ Visit our site https://pleasantdecor.com/ please shop and share with your friends https://www.facebook.com/pleasantdecoration https://www.instagram.com/pleasantdecoration/

[kaleldobrev]

Daddy in a Different Way

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Fem!Reader

Summary: A simple misunderstanding leads an older woman to believe that you and Jack are together, not you and Dean. But Dean does a “very good job” at clearing things up...But maybe not in the best way.

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Age Gap, Light Smut, Daddy kink (if you squint)

Authors Note: Takes place in the same universe as Old Man | Flashbacks are in italics | Even though it’s light smut 18+ only please | MDNI | If you liked this, don’t forget to like & reblog. I really appreciate it! Feedback is always welcome ♡

You grabbed your black leather crossbody handbag from the hook next to the floor length mirror that Dean had installed in your shared room about two months after you had moved in.

“Our room is missing something.” You stated as you rolled onto your side, propping yourself up with your elbow and the palm of your hand.

“Oh yeah?” Dean asked, his eyes were still closed, not yet wanting to fully commit to waking up just yet. “What’s that Princess?”

“Floor length mirror.” Your tone serious.

Dean’s eyes shot open, automatically looking at you. “You’re serious?” He asked, not actually wanting you to answer.

You gave him your ‘of course I’m serious Dean’ face, followed by a simple smile. “It’s one mirror Dean.” You said, as you started to trace your pointer finger on his bare chest. “It’s the least you can do.” You paused, tilting his chin toward you. “I’ll make it worth your while.” You leaned in, barely brushing your bottom lip on his.

“You don’t have to owe me anything Sweetheart. You know I can’t say no to you.” He replied, closing the gap between you and kissed you.

As you looked at yourself in the mirror, you heard Dean come into the room. Seeing him come up behind you, you gave me a soft smile. “You look beautiful today, Sunshine.” His compliment genuine. Wrapping his arms around your waist, you placed your hands on his arms, enjoying the embrace that he had around you. His chin found itself on your bare shoulder before he gave your neck a somewhat seductive like kiss that sent a shiver down your spine. “You and sundresses always do it for me. I don’t know why.” The sundress that you were currently wearing in particular happened to be Dean’s favorite on you, even though he loved every single one that you owned. But for some reason, this sage colored one seemed to be one that he gravitated toward the most.

“I think you like the easy access that they give you.” You turned your head toward him, meeting his gaze; your lips inches away from each other, slightly smelling his spearmint toothpaste.

“That’s one of the reasons.” He confessed, gently starting to lift your dress up. He had gotten pretty far, getting to the point where you could see the waistband of your panties – green lace, the same color as your dress. One of Dean’s fingers found its way into the waistband, and your breath hitched, waiting for the contact that you were craving, despite just having sex with him a few hours before. Yours and his lips touched then, the kiss feeling just as needy and desperate as it was a couple hours before. Dean added another finger as he was hovering over your clit.

“Dean…” You moaned, his two fingers finally making contact as they barely dipped inside you.

“Aw Sweetheart, you’re wet ready?” He voice sounded like honey to you in that moment. “Was this morning not enough for you?” He smirked, slightly feeling how hard he already was against your ass.

“Clearly it wasn’t enough for you either handsome.” Your lips curving into a smirk. You started to move your hand behind you now, gently palming the front of his jeans.

“I’m ready to go when you two are.” Jack said, as you were midway through unzipping Dean’s pants. You and Dean froze in place for a moment, feeling yourself tense up around Dean’s fingers.

“Dammit.” Dean said, his voice sounding more frustrated than he probably intended it to be. He removed his fingers along with his embrace around you; your dress falling back into place.

Jack looked between the two of you, confused at Dean’s reaction. All of a sudden, realization hit them. “Oh.” Jack simply said. “You two were in the middle of having sex and I interrupted.”

You turned to face Jack, ready to say something to them, but Dean was the first one to talk. “We…We weren’t having sex Jack but…we were…being…intimate.”

“With the door open?” Jack asked. Their point was valid, but at the same time, you also weren’t expecting Dean to come up behind you and start fingering you.

“You didn’t see anything right?” You asked. Not that you were embarrassed if Jack had seen anything, but you also didn’t feel like explaining every single sexual thing that you and Dean had done right now to them. To your relief, Jack shook their head, indicating that they in fact didn’t see anything that you two had done.

“Does this mean you two are going to have sex when we get back?” Jack asked, very bluntly.

Dean walked over to Jack, placing the hand that he didn’t use on you, and patted Jack’s shoulder. “Oh, you bet we are.” He winked, before walking out of the room, leaving just you and Jack.

The drive to Target went by quickly, the entire drive filled with song after song that you had requested, as you were the only one besides Dean who had any say in the music that was to be listened to or enjoyed in Baby. “You’re the only shotgun that will always have a say.” Dean once told you.

Once Dean parked Baby, the three of you got out and made your way into the store. Getting inside, you grabbed a shopping cart, despite the fact that you knew you probably didn’t need it; but it was just a force of habit that you did each time you walked into the store, much to Dean’s dismay. “Can I push the cart?” Jack asked, a childish type smile on their face.

“Of course.” You gave them a smile back, releasing your hands from the cart so they could start pushing it. You didn’t know why, but you had loved seeing the enjoyment on Jack’s face when you had told them they could push the cart. With everything that has happened over the years, it was nice to see someone get excited over something so simple.

With no use for your hands now, you went to hold the strap of your crossbody. Seeing this, Dean held out one of his hands. “Hold my hand so you don’t get lost.” He teased. You playfully swatted his arm before taking his hand.

“This is so cute.” You said, grabbing a graphic tree from one of the racks and showed it to Jack. “Do you like this? I think it would look nice on you.” The shirt that you held in your hands was a nice mint color and had an array of different succulents.

“While you two do this, I’m gonna go look at the flannels.” Dean pointed to the small variety of mainly red flannels a few feet away.

“Dean, it’s July…in Kansas.” Kansas in July was honestly one of the worst months. It was always over 100 degrees, and the feels like made it 10 degrees warmer than that; and let’s not forget about the humidity: that was the worst part. Whenever you had left the comfortableness of the Bunker, you instantly felt like you were melting, despite the minimal clothing sometimes you left the Bunker in to try and conquer the Kansas heat.

“It’s always flannel season Sweetheart.” Dean smiled before leaving you and Jack in the graphic tee section.

You let out a frustrated sigh. You were happy to at least convince Dean not to wear his usual jacket today, even if he was still wearing Timberlands and jeans. Before you had met him, him along with Sam would tell you how they both wore jackets no matter the weather, and that honestly baffled you. You had no idea how two grown men would willingly wear heavy jackets in summer, let alone summer in Kansas no less. After you had become more of a stable being in his life, and the other boys lives, you had found yourself gently – sometimes aggressively – convincing Dean that maybe wearing a heavy ass leather jacket in 100 degree weather wasn’t the smartest move; that it was okay to wear a t-shirt and shorts. He had worn shorts in the Bunker, but refused to wear them outside; the place that you had told him that he needed to wear them. “I don’t want people staring at my legs.” He told you.

“I don’t believe flannel is a season.” Jack commented, interrupting your train of thought. “It’s a material last time I checked.” You adored Jack’s slight innocence at times like these.

“You would be correct. But, wearing any kind of flannel, despite a heat wave, is a long-standing Winchester tradition.” You held up the shirt again, holding it up against Jack’s body so you could try and imagine what it would look like on them without having to try it on in the store; something you knew Jack would be uncomfortable with doing. “I think you’d look cute in this.” You nodded to yourself and placed the t-shirt in the cart.

“Can I pick something out for you?” Jack asked.

“Sure. Let’s see what you got.” You smiled, both of you turning around to look at the rack.

As Jack looked through the t-shirts trying to find one that they thought you would like, you couldn’t help but look over at Dean who had quite a few flannels draped over his arm that he would be able to add to his ever growing collection; a few even looked to be in your size, something that made you smile. “I think you’d look nice in this one.” Jack said, holding out the black t-shirt for you to see. It was faded black in color and had the logo for one of your favorite bands: The Clash. “A very fine choice Jack.” You smiled.

Jack handed you the shirt and you placed it in the cart. “Can we listen to them when we get home? Or are you and Dean going to have sex?” Jack asked bluntly, but quiet enough so only you would be able to hear the question.

You placed your hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I’ll tell you what, we can listen to them on the drive home. How does that sound?” You smiled, coming up with a compromise that you knew they’d be good with. Jack nodded, liking your compromise.

“Well aren’t you two just the cutest.” An older woman who appeared to be in her mid to late 70s said. At first, you and Jack looked around to see if she was talking about anyone else that was around you, but the two of you were the only ones in sight. Seeing you two looking around, she laughed gently, amused. “Yes, I’m talking about you two.” She walked closer to you. “How long have you cuties been together?”

“Oh, we’re not together.” You stated.

The woman gave you and Jack a rather confused expression, as if she didn’t understand why you had said you two weren’t together. “Oh sweetie, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Trust me,” she leaned in to whisper, so only you could hear her. “I know true love when I see it.” You couldn’t help but give her a wide-eyed expression. “I used to look at my Harold like that.”

“We aren’t together.” You firmly said again. You looked over at Jack who simply just held their hands on the shopping cart, trying their best not to make eye contact with the woman. You knew that they were starting to get uncomfortable. “We get it all the time though.” You stated. Which was true. Whenever you and Jack did things together without Dean, it almost seemed like you and Jack were together given the fact that you two relatively appeared to be the same age, despite you being a few years older than they were. “I’m actually with that handsome man over there.” You directed her attention to Dean, who was currently holding up an interesting looking colored flannel with a disgusted look on his face. You had never seen a man look so disgusted while looking at flannels before.

The older woman turned back to you after looking over at Dean. “Sweetie, there’s no way. He’s old enough to be your father.” Her comment made your heart sink a bit, but it was a comment that you were relatively used to hearing whenever people had seen you and Dean together. You and Dean had a 15 year age gap, and you didn’t particularly look your age at times; it all depended on if you were wearing make-up or not, and the type of clothing you had on at the time.

“He’s not actually.” You firmly stated. “I know it looks like he is but –” You started to say, but the woman seemed to have no interest in your explanation, simply ignoring what you had to say because she seemed too invested in the ‘relationship’ that you and Jack apparently were in, in her eyes.

“How long have you two been together?” She repeated her question. You and Jack looked at each other, their cheeks starting to get a slightly light pink out of embarrassment.

“Again, we aren’t together.” Your voice sounding more firm this time.

In that moment out of your peripheral you noticed Dean starting to make his way back over to the three of you. His once happy expression quickly turned into what seemed like concern. “Everything okay here Sweetheart?” He asked you.

“Oh, everything’s fine dear.” The woman stated, not realizing that he was calling you Sweetheart and not her. She gently took hold of his arm, almost as if she was flirting with him; which you were pretty sure she was. “I was just complimenting your daughter here on how nicely her and her boyfriend looked together.”

Dean looked at the woman’s arm on his before looking at you and Jack for a moment. Dean let out one of the biggest laughs you had heard from him in a while. “What’s so funny?” The older woman asked.

Dean wiped his eyes, as if he had just been cry laughing. “What you just said.” He pointed at you and Jack. “Them two? Now that’s…wow, I needed that laugh today, thank you.” He said. The old woman’s expression grew even more confused than it was before.

“You’re not…her father?” She looked at the three of you, removing her hand finally from his arm.

“Biologically? No. But she does call me daddy sometimes in the bedroom.” He winked at the older woman, his comment making her gasp quietly before she left the three of you alone.

“Dean!” You couldn’t believe what he had just said. Well, you could, but you didn’t think he would say something like that to a woman that just seemed to be a bit too nosy for her own good.

“What?” He asked.

“Y/N, do you really call Dean your father?” Jack asked very seriously. Jack was aware of some of the nicknames that you and Dean had or would call each other. Sweetheart, Hon, Honey, Babe, Baby, Sunshine. But Daddy was a new one for them.

Dean was about to open his mouth to answer Jack, but you quickly covered it with your hand. “We’re not gonna talk about that.” You simply said, sounding just a bit defensive in your response.

Tag List: @roseblue373​

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[alexibeeart]

MyHouse.wad

On March 2 2023, a user called Veddge posted this thread in the WADs and Mods Doomworld forum:

MyHouse

Excited to finally release this tribute map. Last August I lost a good childhood friend of mine and took it pretty hard. When I was visiting my hometown for his funeral, I connected with his parents who shared with me some of his old belongings. Among them was a copy of an old map of his backed up on a 3.5” floppy from high school. Thomas and I were into amateur Doom mapping in the early 00s but I had never seen this map of his prior to uncovering it on one of the old floppy discs. As a way of paying tribute to him and all the great memories we had together, I took the plunge and installed Doom Builder in order to polish up his map and add a few modern amenities just for convenience sake.

I haven’t touched an editor in over 15 years so it was quite a surprise to find out how easy mapping has become. I may have gotten a little carried away with these new UDMF features and, as such, the map is designed for GZDoom. From the text file:

Doom 2 - GZDoom, hardware renderer

1 map: Not much of a challenge and roughly 10 minutes of play time. All difficulty settings implemented.

Jumping & crouching disabled, freelook is fine

Lots of Doomcute!

Making maps of your house was all the rage back-in-the-day, but I feel like this is a pretty adorable and detailed tribute to my friend and a great way to share something of him with a community we loved. Miss you, Tom.

Download myhouse.wad

Contained within is a link to a Google Drive folder containing myhouse.wad—a DOOM map of a normal 20th century suburban house where you mow down baddies and collect a blue, yellow, and red keycard to reach the exit—photos, text files, screenshots, and some images of a sketchbook.

There is also another version of the mod in a different format: myhouse.pk3. Opening this file to start a new game shows the map exactly the same as myhouse.wad ... until it isn’t.

Read Vegge’s original post, poke around in the GDrive, don’t look up anything else if you can help it, and give this a go. If you’re stumped, you might need to get some fresh air outside. General content warnings in the tags; spoiler cws under the cut. Obviously there is much more to this map than it seems ...

general content warnings for myhouse.pk3: blood, gore, violence, guns, weapons, pov, monsters, zombies, demons, flashing lights, eye strain

spoilery content warnings for myhouse.pk3: liminal spaces, the backrooms, unreality, substance abuse, alternate reality, enclosed spaces, open spaces, animal death, mirrors, mirror world, spiders, fire ... please ask me to tag anything i missed! this is still a very new puzzlebox of a game and it’s possible there’s still more to discover ...

[sweetandgentlecreature]

First Light

Author’s Note: Hey, y’all! Me again! In this installation of Somethin’ Sweet, we’re back to Sy’s point of view. Grab some tissues and join me in my sad girl era. As always, thanks for stopping by! 

Summary: Sy’s up early prepping for deployment and can’t help but relive the events from the night before. 

Pairing: Captain Syverson x Female OC 

Warnings:  sexual content; nipple play, p-in-v intercourse, descriptions of male and female anatomy, explicit language, and adult themes. I am an adult, and due to the nature of this content, all works created by me will be rated for those 18 years and older. Minors, DNI.

Playlist

It never rains in Texas, but it did on the morning of Sy’s inevitable departure. Heavy clouds hung low in the sky as an early morning fog rolled in through the treeline. Bright, angry streaks of lightning raced across the sky and casted shadows through the room. A loud crash of thunder shook the old tin roof and startled him awake. In his moment of panic, Sy sat up straight and knocked the headboard into the wall behind the bed with a loud crack. It took him a second to recognize his surroundings in the dark, but once he did, he breathed a sigh of relief. A quick glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside him made his shoulders drop. 4:45am. Sy reached out and turned it off, as not to disturb his lover tucked so sweetly beneath the quilt beside him. That girl could sleep through a hurricane. A little fall of rain wouldn’t bother her much. Leaving over, he kissed the top of her head and lingered there, but only for a moment. Long enough to memorize the way she smelled. Honeysuckle and vanilla. Fuck, he’ll miss her.

Sy moved to plant his feet on the floor and ran a hand down his tired face. The last two weeks have been…a little less than ideal. It was his fault, really. He’d gotten the orders to ship out almost a month ago, but waited a while to tell her about them. He didn’t know what to say or how to say it. Things were just getting good here. Things were still so fun and new, but as always, Uncle Sam had other plans for him. 

The first person he told was his mama. When he did, she barely flinched. Sy made the third generation of Syverson men who’d stormed courageously into war. His daddy served in Vietnam, his papaw in World War II. When duty called, they answered. It wasn’t easy, watching him walk out the door, never knowing if he’ll make it home again, but she’d made peace with it by now. “What good does it do fer me ta’ worry? Either you’ll come back, or ya wont. It’s in the Lord’s hands now.”  

Sy trod lightly off to the bathroom to start the shower. The room filled with steam, just enough to fog the mirror as stood beneath the steady stream and let it run over his head. Staring down at his feet, he let the water consume him. Heavy drops clung to his lashes, but he didn’t bother to blink them away. His mind was somewhere else. With someone else.  

__

Sy had always been a steak-and-potatoes kinda guy, but he’d barely touched his plate. Every bite felt too heavy in his stomach, like he’d traded out his ribeye for a hunk of lead instead. She’d spent so much time cooking for him, springing for only the best of meat and the freshest produce the grocery store had to offer. The least he could do was clear his plate. Lord knew when he’d get another meal like this again. 

Once he’d managed to choke it down, he stood and started grabbing dishes to take to the sink, but she stopped him quickly. She’d barely said a word all night, and her interjection almost startled him. “No, baby,” she whispered, taking the plate from his hands. “Let me get those.”

Merrin kept her back to him as she filled the kitchen sink with hot, soapy water. Steam fogged the window above as she drifted off in thought. She was a million miles away from here, swimming in regret and longing for just a little more time. There was so much to do, so much to say, but the words never came out right. She hadn’t even realized she was crying until the tears began to blur her vision. Closing her eyes, she gave in and let them spill down her face. She’d fought so hard to keep her distance. To brace herself for the inevitable. In the end, she’d fallen hard. Harder than she’d ever expected to; head over heels and still tumbling. She braced herself against the sink and let her head hang low, covering her mouth to muffle the sobs that bubbled up from her trembling chest.

When a hand reached out to touch her shoulder, she gasped. Looking up again, Merrin stared into the reflection of his eyes in the pane of glass before them. Calloused fingertips brushed her hair to the side, then traced along the side of her delicate throat. His voice was low and deep, a rumbling baritone pressed against her back as he broke the silence. 

“I’m not gone yet. Gimme one more night. Just one more night, alone with you.” 

Merrin sniffled softly, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded. From there, Sy wasted no time. Most of the dishes made it into the sink, but a broken glass was the last thing on his mind when he placed her onto the countertop. Shoving his way between her open knees, his lips were hot and harsh as they crashed into hers. If she didn’t know any better, she might think he was angry with her. In truth, Sy was angry; angry at their situation, angry at the world, but not at her. Never at her. 

He grabbed her up, one hand on the back of the neck and the other wrapped around her thigh, squeezing with a force hard enough to leave a bruise. The pain turned into pleasure, the aggression turned to lust, and Merrin returned the favor with shared fervor. She wasn’t scared of him. On the contrary, she relished in his smothering presence, digging perfectly manicured nails into the meat of his shoulder as she drew him in just as close. Her mouth worked with his in a haphazard clash of teeth and tongue. Even in the mess, there was still beauty to be found. She was soft and sweet where he was rough and hungry. A yin to a yang, souls intertwined as one.

His shirt hit the floor first, and her sundress followed soon after. Merrin grabbed him by the belt and yanked until his hips pressed sharply into her own. They worked together to loosen the buckle and pop the button beneath it, ripping it from the loops and tossing it away to clatter to the floor. Rough hands came up to cup her breasts, bare and warm, a perfect fit for each palm. He squeezed gently and smirked against her neck, relishing in her pleads for more.

“Clay,” she whispered, clinging to him as he dropped his head to nuzzle against one hardened nipple, then the other. Always one to please, he licked his lips and welcomed one into his mouth. He took his time, gazing up through thick lashes as he moved from one breast to the other. She looked like an angel, basking in the glow of the sunset that poured in around her. But Merrin was no saint, far from it, and couldn’t stand his temptation for long. She let a hand fall between them to meet the bulge in his jeans and palmed it gently. She could almost feel the ache beneath the distressed denim; a steady, throbbing need that seeked relief that only she could provide. The words came before she could stop them. “Fuck me, Clay.”

Sy mumbled a gruff “Yes ma’am” into the flesh of her breasts and tugged himself free from his boxers. Never one to keep his lady waiting, he hooked a finger into the gusset of her panties and pulled them to the side. The sight of her wet heat made his mouth water. Any other time, he’d drop to his knees right then and there to have his fill, but it wasn’t what they needed the most right now. Right now, he needed to be inside of her, just as much as she needed to feel him there. He held the base of his erection and traced the swollen head through her folds, mouth agape and almost drooling as his eyes rolled to the back of his head in ecstasy. 

“Fuck, honey. So wet for me.” 

She gasped when the tip of his cock caught at her slick opening. The delicious burn from the stretch she felt as he pushed forward inside of her stole the breath from her lungs. They both watched as he crossed the threshold and buried himself deep inside of her. Breathy moans and whimpers of lust echoed through the room, and Sy took a moment to let her catch her breath again. 

“Fuck, baby…”

She met his gaze once more, eyes wide and full of fire as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. Sy tangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck, choosing to indulge her for a while, until he just couldn’t take it anymore. His retreat was nice and slow, but he didn’t pull out all of the way. Tugging her head back roughly, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and relished in the way she tensed around him. Nipping at her throat, he growled against her pulse and smirked. “So tight, honey. I’m not gonna last long.” 

She answered with the rake of her nails down his back, leaving tender, pink lines in their wake, then dug them into the flesh of his bare ass. Shoving herself back onto his cock, she groaned loudly. 

“Don’t tease me, Clay. I need you.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. With a harsh thrust of his hips, he bottomed out completely. Sy held her down by the waist as he took what he wanted from her. In and out, over and over, he pounded into her with a fervor she’d never seen before. Their lust was wild and sinful as he stood there at the counter and fucked her into a mindless mess. A familiar tightness built somewhere deep in her gut, and before she could warn him, she was coming undone. Her eyes filled with tears, filled with so much emotion, then spilled down her cheeks in hot, furious streams. 

It didn’t stop there. He had her again on the couch, and again against the front door, then once more upstairs in their room. The bed creaked under their shifting weight. Sweat poured from his face as he held one of her legs over his shoulder. Merrin clung to the sheets beneath her as he approached another climax. Just when she thought she couldn’t handle any more, he proved her wrong. 

“Come on, sugar,” he begged, wiped his brow with the back of his hand and picked up the pace. “Gimme one more. Just one more.”

He’d been saying that for hours, but this time, he was telling the truth. His muscles ached and cramped, his body pleaded with him to give it up, but he was determined to make this a night to remember. He’d be gone for God knows how long; he wanted to make sure she’d had her fill before he left. Sy kept his promise and within seconds, he crashed over the edge of climax right along with her. Chests heaving and voices hoarse, they rode out their highs together and collapsed into a heap of tangled limbs. Sy stared up at the ceiling as he fought to regain composure and felt her curl up against his side.  “Shit.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Merrin held up a hand up and they smacked palms, victorious in their conquest. All qualms were forgotten, at least for a little while. 

“High five.”

“Good sex.”

__

Standing at the sink, a towel wrapped around his waist, Sy stared at himself in the mirror. He scratched at his chin and turned his head from side to side, then flipped the switch on the side of the clippers. The first pass up the underside of his chin took off most of the length. He dusted a tuft of fuzz from the guards and let it fall into the basin before him. Sy made quick work of taking it all off, then grabbed the shaving cream to smooth over the stubble left behind. He moved with a surgeon's precision, each drag of the razor taking away the foam and leaving baby-smooth skin behind. Once he was finished, he bent down and filled his hands with warm water to wash his face. Just as he reached for the aftershave in the medicine cabinet, two delicate arms wrapped around his middle and squeezed gently. He brought one of them up and pressed her knuckles to his lips, kissing them as he spoke.

“What’re you doin’ up?”

Merrin yawned against his back and nuzzled her face there. Her eyes were heavy with the sleep that she just couldn’t shake. He reached back to run his fingers through her hair, twirling and twisting strands of amber around calloused fingertips as they stood in a shared silence. She raked her nails through the hair on his chest and dug them into hardened flesh, putting up a weak fight to keep him there for just a little while longer. “Couldn’t sleep,” was all she said as another roll of thunder echoed somewhere off in the distance. Sy glanced back at her from over his shoulder and found her staring up at him. She traced his cheekbone and down to the line of his jaw, mesmerized by the clean-shaven stranger who stood before her now. 

“Most men grow a beard to hide their faces. You, though…” she pressed her thumb into the dimple on his chin. “You’ve got nothing to hide.” 

She left him there with a gentle pat to the chest, then turned to head back into the bedroom. He watched her as she went, wearing nothing but the cheeky little splash of ink that was tatted across the dimples on her lower back and the panties that rested beneath them. A drunken mistake from Spring Breaks of old, left to peak from beneath low-rise jeans as a reminder of wilder days. Sy chuckled to himself and shook his head. He could hardly handle her now; if they’d met back then, he could only imagine the trouble she’d get him into. She’d have eaten him alive. 

__

To his dismay, traffic was fairly light on their way to the airport. The skies above were a dusty shade of blue, vast and empty as the rising sun chased away the rain. Fields of wheat and grain blurred past on either side as they left their sleepy little town in the rear view. Sy drove with one hand on the wheel and the other resting in her lap. Every now and then he’d hold her thigh, knead and squeeze, then cut his eyes from the road and over to her in silent reassurance. Every radio station from here to Houston seemed to play nothing but love songs, and each one salted the wound just a little bit more. Merrin tried to surf from station to station, genre to genre, but eventually gave up, so they rode in silence instead. 

Sy didn’t mind the quiet. It felt more honest than anything he could say now. “It’ll be alright, honey.” “We’ll write every day.” “I’ll be home before you know it.” He couldn’t guarantee anything, and they both knew that. 

Once they’d made it past security, Sy found a bench to sit on and dropped his bag at his feet. When he looked over to her, she was staring off somewhere in the distance, a million miles away again. To her, this felt like punishment. Like the universe had nothing better to do than shit on the best relationship she’d ever had. Karma had finally caught up to her, and this was how she was meant to pay for her transgressions. 

“This isn’t fair.”

Clayton sighed and took her hand into his. “I’m sorry, darlin’. Life isn’t–” She cut him off. 

“Don’t you dare tell me that life isn’t fair. I know life isn’t fair. This is…” Merrin shook her head. “This is cruel.” 

He tried to smile, to crack a joke, to lighten the mood, but one look at her shut it all down. She was right. He’d been on the verge of hanging it up, of finally giving in and taking that cushy desk job at base to be closer to his mama, but his pride had gotten in the way. He knew he had at least one more deployment in him. One more, and he’d give it up for good. He just wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. 

Everything had changed, now that he had Merrin. She was everything that he wasn’t. Gentle, but not easy to mislead; Stubborn, but only when necessary;  Kind-hearted to those in need; and so fucking sweet. Now, he fought for her. If this it took to keep her safe, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Now, he had someone worth fighting for.

Wrapping her up tightly, Sy held her to his chest and buried his face in her hair. He pressed a fierce kiss to the top of her head and let his eyes close for a moment. They held each other just like that until his flight was called. Then they walked the Green Mile all the way down to the gate, where he pulled her aside and took her hands into both of his. His eyes searched hers desperately in a last ditch effort to commit them to memory. Shades of blue and green, specks of gold around the iris, as wild as the tide and as vast as the sea. When he kissed her, it was deep and lascivious. He didn’t care who saw. Fuck ‘em. Let them look. Sy broke his kiss and pressed his forehead to hers, dug the end of his crooked nose into her cheek and breathed her in for as long as he could. 

“I love you, Merrin Paige. More than you’ll ever know.” 

His words stole the breath from her chest. Three little words she never expected to hear him say. Three little words that paralyzed her, right where she stood. He kissed her cheek one last time, grabbed his bags, and headed off to catch his flight. Merrin watched from the window as the plane taxied at the end of the runway. A light drizzle began to sputter outside, just enough to blur her vision as the plane disappeared high into the clouds. Just like that, he was gone. 

It never rains in Texas, but it did on the morning of Sy’s inevitable departure. It never rains in Texas, and today, Merrin hated the rain. 

__

Far from home, Sy checked his watch as he waited for the line to ring. Static crackled in his ear as he cradled the phone between his head and his shoulder. 2pm in Baqubah; 10pm in Houston. If he was right, she’d still be up. Probably curled up in bed with a book, one of those dirty little romances she liked so much. Leaning back in his chair, he stretched and moaned. If Texas was hot, then this was hell. 

Then, a click. The old desk chair groaned when he sat up straight. He listened for a moment, waiting for someone to answer, then checked the signal to make sure that the call had gone through. Fuck. Don’t let it be the answering machine. 

“Sy?” a sweet voice chirped over the static. He sighed, relieved, and smiled widely at the sound of his name. 

“Yeah, baby,” he breathed. “It's me. How’s it–”

She cut him off. What she had to say couldn’t wait. 

“I love you too.” 

__

Taglist: @geralts-yenn @peyton-warren @kingliam2019 @uunotheangel @deandoesthingstome @drewharrisonwriter @foxyjwls007 @melissareadsstuff @totalwool @summersong69 @caramariehurst @niallhorwen @warriormirkwoodkwood @mairablue @omgkatinka @evansabove1981 @liveoncoffeeandflowersss @enchantedbytomandhenry

[whositmcwhatsit]

Enjoyable Slide to Oblivion

Like a lot of girls, Chancy Crawford had once been able to call herself one of Elvis's girlfriends, but that was long time ago. Now, she called herself his friend, or his 'cousin' if any of his girlfriends asked. It was just easier that way. And their relationship was all about being comfortable and easy. Until she gets asked to come and join a tour that seems endless and cursed.

AN: I'm not sure if anyone remembers I used to write silly stories, but here's the next installment of one I have neglected for too long. Thank you to everyone who continued to patiently message and let me know how much they liked the characters and very politely ask for the next chapter.

Thanks to @thatbanditqueen for injuring herself in order to give me motivation. And reading to check that I still remembered how to type words. You might need to remind yourself what happened before: Chapter 11 Chapter 12- Move Across the night sky, with those anonymous lights.

Pulling up to the gate of one of Elvis’ homes always invoked a strange combination of emotions in Chancy no matter how often she visited. Maybe it was the fact that there was always, always, at least a few people standing around ogling her curiously, but there was also the insecurity that this might be the time that the gates would not open for her, and the pride she felt at how much he had achieved, as well as an undeserved sense of personal achievement that she knew someone who had so much. That last one always made her feel guilty. 

Harold kept her waiting, pretending that he needed to come to the window of her Chevrolet to see who she was and then saying he would have to call up to the house to check it was okay.

“Can’t be letting in just anyone, you know.” He went to the gatehouse and the gate began to open immediately. She smiled and pretended to be amused by his trick as she rolled past. 

Chancy pulled up around the back near to the fence where the staff parked. Her car fit in better there than next to the limo and the Lincolns and the cadillacs. She glanced in the rear view mirror and checked her make-up hadn’t slid off her face in the humidity. Her air conditioning was busted, again- it only ever seemed to happen in the summer, a cosmic joke or a punishment. 

Grabbing her two small, yellow travel cases, she swung the door shut with her hip and sighed, trying to force her heart to slow down by denying it oxygen. Just a visit, just a visit, she focused on the words and willed her heart to follow their rhythm. 

“Well, hello there, Chancy.” She started and dropped one of her cases as Mr Presley approached her from the office, a smile on his plump face. He had that end of the day twinkle in his eye and Chancy mused how, between his twinkle and Mrs Presley’s dancing glow in her brown eyes when she was laughing, it was no wonder Elvis could incapacitate people with just a glance.  

“Hi, Sir, it’s good to see you again!” She went to grab her fallen luggage, but Vernon reached it first and picked it up, adjusting his grip and miming like the case was heavy. 

“My Lord, what do you have in here?!”

“Well, you know now a girl can’t give away the secrets needed to make her presentable, it’d spoil the magic, wouldn’t it?” 

“I guess it would,” he agreed, still smiling slightly. “Though I reckon I need some magic to help this ole mug.” 

“Nonsense! I was just about to ask you for your secret!” 

Chancy could do this all day. In fact, she did do this all day; most of her job was buttering up clients and making them feel good about themselves. The fact that there was a slight ache to her cheeks as she smiled now was proof of how hard she worked. 

“Well, you always were a sweet girl,” he returned, glancing over his shoulder at the house and tightening his lips. “Let me walk you in, I know Elvis is expecting you.” He reached out for her other case and she let him take it, puzzled since Vernon didn’t usually go out of his way to be helpful or even really acknowledge her much past a short, pleasant greeting. 

On the way, they made small talk about the weather, which was the law in civilised society. One of them remarking on the heat, the other saying that it had to break soon. Debating whether it was hotter or cooler than previous years and then exchanging stories of the most extreme heat they had ever encountered. He told her about a time when he was a young man down in Mississippi and he was doing some work for a man who wore a hairpiece. The day got so hot that the glue melted and the hair started slipping when he spoke. No one was brave enough to tell him and lose the job. He mimed the man’s hair flying back and forth and how they had to all fight to keep their eyes from flicking from side to side with it. His laughter at his own story was infectious. 

As they came in through the back door, he paused in the dim back hallway. Somewhere nearby she could hear a football game being played on television and men’s voices rising and falling as they questioned plays and commiserated. 

“You know, it sure is good to see you, Chancy. Elvis’ mother always used to speak so highly of you and how well you took care of him.” He left the rest unspoken, looking behind him to the stairs to the basement, and then turning back and nodding at her. 

“Thank you, Mr Presley,” she smiled, a little puzzled. She awkwardly fished back her cases and wondered if he was working up to something, and if she should wait. 

Instead, he opened the door to the kitchen and motioned her in, wishing her a good night. 

In the kitchen, Elvis’ aunt Delta was complaining about trying to buy something and how they had raised the price when she gave them the delivery address. 

“Shouldn’t matter if it’s Tom, Dick or Elvis, if it’s fifty dollars it should stay fifty damn dollars. The nerve of people!” Her little dog was yipping and bouncing around her feet, excited by the heightened emotion in her voice. Mary, Elvis’ cook, her coat on like she had been trying to leave for some time, agreed with her, nodding her head wholeheartedly. 

They both turned to look at Chancy as she paused by the counter with a faint smile of anticipation. It was always a roll of the dice which side of Delta you would get, but that evening was a good day, because they exchanged greetings and Chancy was invited into the story of the new chair that had started out as fifty dollars and became one hundred once it was destined for Graceland. 

“One hundred dollars, my ass! I said, it’s for me, not Elvis and we both of us have enough sense not to waste another fifty dollars on some piece of-” 

The phone rang on the wall by where Delta was sitting at the breakfast bar and she snatched it up, listened for a minute, and then nodded to her. 

“Elvis said to go ahead and go on up.” 

Chancy had to temper her speed as she moved through the kitchen, heading towards the back stairs.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your chair,” she shrugged, stepping onto the first tread. 

“Oh honey, I got the chair, and a little table to boot. Soon’s I told ‘em that I’d go home and say what a rat-infested flea-ridden store they had and how we ain’t never gonna shop there again, we got the friends and family discount too.” 

“Well, they’ll know better than to mess with you next time, Mrs Biggs. I might need to get some tips from you for when I have to negotiate with my suppliers.” 

As she was climbing the stairs, she heard Delta say: 

“Honey, I don’t think you need any help from anybody trying to get anything.” 

Her foot momentarily faltered as her body wanted her to stop and march back down, but her brain won out just barely and forced her to continue her climb. By the time she had opened and closed all the doors that marked her journey, she was pretty sure she had knocked her case into her left shin enough times to leave a bruise, and she paused just inside Elvis’ office to run a finger under each eye to catch the slowly dripping mascara. She tapped on the door and waited to hear a low murmur of assent before she pushed the slightly ajar door open. 

Elvis was sitting on his enormous bed with the newspaper laid out before him, apparently deeply engrossed in it, though she knew he had to have been watching the monitors at least a couple of minutes ago to know that she had arrived. 

“Oh no! I think there’s been some mistake!” she lisped in a high voice. “The man at the reception desk said that this was my room.” She whirled around, wide-eyed, in the doorway. “This is room 385631.6 and half, right?” 

Elvis smirked, his lips and cheekbones all curves as his eyes narrowed. His voice was a little thick like his tongue was still waking up.  

“Damn, they must’ve double booked the rooms again, and, you know, I heard the clerk say that they were full up, no vacancies.” He clenched his jaw and shook his head like he was genuinely upset and disappointed in the ‘hotel’. 

“Right,” she responded. “I guess that’ll be because of the convention?” 

He nodded, rising slowly and stepping closer to her, his fingertips tickling her wrist. 

“Uh huh, right, the, uh, One-eyed Albino Python Lovers of America convention,” he nodded, turning away as he almost broke. 

“Oh, yeah, that’s a popular one,” she murmured, hearing him snort over his shoulder, and fighting to keep her face straight. 

“Well,” he sighed with a sense of inevitability, turning back to her. “I guess there’s only one thing for it.” He shrugged with his whole body, throwing up his arms. “We’ll just have to share the room.” 

“That seems like that’s all there is to it,” she agreed in her ditsy high voice.

“You sure your boyfriend won’t mind, uh, Miss…?”

“Tallulah-Wanda, and I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You don’t, huh. Well, I guess I’m just fixing problems all over the place tonight.” He pulled her into a clinch worthy of one of his movies, dipping her down so that she dropped her cases and grabbed his shoulders for safety. They broke apart and smiled breathlessly at each other for a minute. 

“One-eyed Albino Python Lovers,” she muttered, slapping his shoulder. He smirked and pulled her back up. 

“What? I’m telling ya, Tallulah baby, it’s a real group.”

“Uh huh, and I bet you’ve met quite a few members.” 

“I meet a lot of people,” he replied evasively. He grabbed her jaw and kissed her hard on the mouth. “How was your day?” 

She paused, surprised by the question. “Uh, it was fine, thank you for asking. How was yours?” 

“Honey, I woke up less than two hours ago,” he pointed out, with a wry lift of his eyebrow. 

“Right, right, I’m in the Elvis time zone now. Gotta adjust my clock accordingly. How was your breakfast?” He rolled his eyes and tugged her towards him, cradling the back of her head as he kissed her. 

“That’s enough of that,” he murmured, though he didn’t elaborate on what ‘that’ was, just steered her around and nudged her backwards towards the bed. “Gotta unwrap my present here.” He tugged on her pale pink pussycat bow, teasing the ends out from where they were tucked into her low scooped waistcoat and pulling the loose knot free. 

“You want me to give you my scarf?” she murmured, keeping her voice low to hide how affected she was. “Hmm, that’s a twist.” 

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, but he seemed absorbed in his task, letting her silky scarf flutter off to the side as he studied her. She returned the favour, noting how fair his lashes looked in the daylight. His face was fuller, maybe because he hadn’t been well, but his colour was better than when she had last seen him at her house. 

Biting his lip slightly, he unbuttoned her waistcoat, but there was nothing seductive or gentle about his movements. She genuinely felt like a gift given to an overexcited six year old. The waistcoat went in the other direction to her scarf, quickly followed by her heels. 

“I’ll show you where your things are,” he said, pulling away and holding out a hand. She had to tamp down a smile as she let him lead her, padding behind him in her stockinged feet. 

That morning, she had deliberately dressed up in her most businesslike outfit, stopping just short of wearing pants, because she knew he wouldn’t like it. Not to antagonise him exactly, but there had definitely been something pointed in her choice. Some barbed reminder that she was a whole person with a successful, fulfilling life that went on out of his sight line. She wasn’t one of the no doubt many girls around the country just waiting for his call, their life outside of him just filler that happened between their time with him. 

In the ‘guest’ dressing room off his office, he showed her the row of plastic covered outfits that he had bought her on tour as if they had been there ever since he returned and not, as was more likely, hastily moved in that day after the last girl had left. 

“You don’t like what I’m wearing?” she asked as he hovered in the doorway. He shifted uncomfortably and opened his mouth, clearly still formulating his reply. “I’m teasing you. Go on now, let me change.”

“Oughta tan your hide,” he muttered, giving her a sideways look as he retreated from the door. “Don’t change your hair.” 

“Saying please don’t hurt you know!” she called out the door. 

“I know!” he hollered back from presumably the bedroom. 

In the small dusky pink dressing room, Chancy deliberately did not touch any drawers, no matter how painfully her curiosity niggled at her. She tried to be as dispassionate as she would be in a communal dressing room, which, essentially, it was. She made sure not to make a mess and folded her own clothes neatly, putting them back into her case. 

There were a few toiletries sitting on top of the dressing table and she leant over them in order to apply more make up to her eyes, appreciating the good lighting. When she had finished, she checked that she had not left a trace and came back out into the office. 

Elvis was sat at his desk with Joe standing over him and murmuring into his ear, his arms spanning the desk and the back of Elvis’ chair. His broad back blocked Elvis from her view. The body language could not have been clearer. 

Without stopping, she tiptoed past them towards the bedroom, still holding her bags. 

“Hey, what are you doing?” Elvis snapped over the top of Joe’s low mumbling. Chancy glanced over her shoulder almost guiltily. 

“Going in there? I got changed like you said.” Elvis visibly relaxed, his face smoothing and shoulders dropping. 

“I thought you were ducking out on me. What you got your bags there for?” 

“I didn’t want to leave all my things lying about. I’m trying to change my messy ways, you know.” He shook his head and waved his hand back towards the dressing room. 

“No, go ahead and put everything in there, honey, that’s yours.” She hesitated, but Joe had already resumed his whispering and Elvis was frowning at the console of his desk with its screen and knobs and switches. So, she tucked her cases inside the door of the dressing room and speed-walked past them back into the bedroom. 

The curtains were closed and, though the lamps were lit, the room still felt dark to Chancy. This was not helped by the enormous bed that was clad in black every way from the headboard to the bedcovers. She perched on it primly, her feet barely skimming the floor. She didn’t like that, being reminded that she was short. It made her feel like the room was patting her on the head somehow. 

Instead, she pushed off the bed and scanned the shelves of the units, smiling a little at the framed photos of a blond little girl and running her finger over the ornaments, some of them clearly from fans. 

There were a few records scattered around the record player, their labels a mess of scrawled handwriting that revealed them to be demos. And there were books, piles and piles of books with fuzzy, slightly scary titles like ‘The search for…’, ‘A Study of…’, ‘Explore the world of…’ 

One caught her eye, a small, slim volume with exotic gold patterns etched into the worn covers. She glanced up at the door before she opened it to the foreword. It was Sufi poetry translated from the original Persian. Chancy pressed her fingers to the pages in wonder, trying to make it fit into the already complex and contradictory picture of Elvis she held in her mind.

The man himself burst into the room, slamming the door shut behind him, but he stopped short when he saw her standing by the shelves as if he had forgotten she was in there. She could see him biting down and breathing hard, his nostrils flaring, like he was trying to change gears while still accelerating.

She didn’t say anything, looking back down at the book and reading the first poem silently to herself, giving him time to collect himself without being observed, to leave without feeling obligated or ask her to leave. She felt him as he drew close to her, his chest brushing her shoulder. 

“It’s good, you should borrow it when I’m done,” he said quietly, calmly. She smiled as she took her hand away from the page and turned towards him.

“What’s it about?”

“I- I can’t exactly say,” he shrugged. “It makes me feel like words and ideas, even sermons and laws, they’re just getting in the way and confusing people, distracting them from the truth and the real essence of God, you know. I-I-I ain’t saying it right, but the guys in this book, they pull back the curtain, you know, and you feel like you’ve caught a glimpse of something, just for a moment, that’s greater and truer than anything else.” 

Chancy tilted her head, letting that sink in.

“I do think I’d like to read it after you, thank you.” He leant past her and picked it up.

“Here, take it, honey. I can get another. Ignore the scribbling though, sometimes I just gotta work things out in my head. Try and get things straight, you know.”

“No, Elvis, I can’t, not if you’re enjoying it! I can wait until you’re done.”

“Baby, I want you to. Like I said, I can get another. And we can talk about it when you’re done reading it. I don’t- I don’t have no one I can discuss these things with. They all just get this damn pie-eyed look on their faces like ole Elvis’s gone nuts and they don’t know who to call to fix it.” He crossed his eyes and pulled a silly face while he pushed the book into her chest until she took hold of it. 

“That’s dumb,” she murmured, cradling the book to her chest. “Everyone knows you already went crazy years ago.”

“Yeah, well whose fault was that,” he returned, gritting his teeth and pushing his forehead against hers, smushing the tip of her nose. She wrapped her arms around his waist and drew him closer, simultaneously loving and resenting the almost painful wave of relief that rolled over her as she nestled into his arms and felt his soft lips brush against hers. The big sigh he let out as he squeezed her in tighter at least let her know that she wasn’t alone in this comfort trap. 

“I missed this silly little face,” he murmured, one hand gripping her jaw playfully but gently. 

“Really? This one?” She crossed her eyes and scrunched up her nose, tightening her lips so that it looked like she had buck teeth. 

In response, he wrapped one big hand over her face and put a little pressure into it, nudging her backwards. She went with it, trusting him not to have her tumbling on her butt down the stairs. The side of the bed pressed into the back of her legs and she grabbed him by the biceps to stop herself from falling backwards. 

“You missed me too, right?” he almost whispered, leaning down to kiss her again. “Tell me you missed me, Cha Cha.” 

Chancy heard her own voice as if it came from far away, muffled and almost whiny with longing. 

“I missed you, Elvis.” She continued to kiss him even as he turned his head slightly. She could feel his cheek bunch beneath her lips as he smiled, enjoying her affection. “I missed you, I missed you.” She felt his faint stubble grazed against her lips as she let them trail down his cheek and under his jaw. He was bent slightly at the knees so that she could reach, rubbing his thumb around in little circles on her back. Her awareness narrowed to only those points of sensation, the thumb circles on her back, the tingle on her lips, the warmth down her front. 

The phone started trilling. They both looked at it blankly for a second, before Elvis straightened and sighed, going to answer. 

Whatever was being said on the other end of the line irritated Elvis, he mumbled one word answers until he slammed the receiver back onto the hook. 

Without a word, he disappeared into his bathroom and left her yet again wandering around his room, running her fingers over his belongings and trying to pretend that she belonged there. She opened her new book at a random page and let her eyes trip across the words:

“That’s how you came here, like a star,

Without a name…”

She had no idea what it meant, but it sounded beautiful. She murmured it under her breath, finishing with a sharp inhale as Elvis stormed back out of his bathroom clad in a long leather coat, gloves and carrying a police flashlight. 

“C’mon, we’re getting out of here.” 

Billy was waiting at the bottom of the kitchen stairs, hands shoved into his jeans pockets. He grinned, reflecting Elvis’ smirk as they converged in the kitchen. 

“They fell for it, huh?” Elvis remarked, knocking Billy’s shoulder with his knuckles. 

“Uh huh, I told ‘em we’d meet ‘em on up ahead.” “Joe bitchin’ and whining about it, I bet,” Elvis remarked gleefully, heading towards the back door with Billy beside him. Chancy trailed them, wondering what the hell was going on. 

The wall of wet heat hit as soon as they stepped outside and Chancy shook her head as she stared at Elvis’ broad back wrapped in black leather even as she was peeling tendrils of her hair away from her damp neck and face. 

Elvis was too busy crowing over his ability to fool everyone to notice the temperature. He and Billy were joking and laughing about it as they passed the car port and continued on down towards the back gate near where Chancy had parked her car. On the road was a white Cadillac coupe with an old, black truck behind it. 

Billy tossed some keys to Elvis, who was still laughing as he got into the truck, but Billy’s smile faded as he turned away and he looked at Chancy with something close to reproach. She couldn’t think why he would be mad with her or blame her when she had no idea what was going on. He was the one going along with whatever crazy plan Elvis had come up with. 

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked nobody in particular. 

“Shh, we’re being sneaky!” Elvis whispered in an Elmer Fudd voice, leaning out the window. “C’mon, Cha Cha, get in!”  

She looked to Billy again, hoping for something that made more sense, but he had already climbed into the Cadillac and the back gate was opening. Elvis beckoned her and she hurriedly circled the truck and jumped in. 

As they pulled out into the narrow road that ran down the side of the church next door, Elvis accelerated slightly and gave the Cadillac in front a little nudge on the bumper, grinning so wide that his dimples made an appearance. 

“Uh, shouldn’t you have your lights on?” Chancy asked, goosebumps of anticipation nonetheless breaking out over her arms as she caught his infectious excitement. 

“Now that wouldn’t be very sneaky of little old us, would it.”

“Billy’s got his on.”

“Exactly!” 

Ahead of them, Billy pulled out onto the highway and faintly they could hear a few people shouting. Elvis waited, engine idling with his lights off. Chancy watched him expectantly as he tapped his thumbs on the top of the steering wheel, humming quietly under his breath. He seemed to become aware of her eyes and glanced towards her, eyes narrow and cheekbones brimming with mirth. 

“Being bad feels good, don’t it?” 

“It might, if I knew what we were doing.” He didn’t reply, just flew out onto the highway, switching on his lights at the last minute and swerving around the oncoming traffic. 

Eyes on the rear view mirror, he murmured, “I bet they’re shitting a brick right about now, man. Serves ‘em right, serves ‘em right. I tell you, boy…” 

“So we’re not going to the recording studio?” Chancy asked, mainly to remind him that she was in the car too and he didn’t need to talk to himself. 

“You catch on fast, don’t you,” he remarked, shooting her a sideways look. “Baby, what are you doing all the way over there?” He reached blindly across the bench seat and clamped a hand on her thigh, trying to drag her closer to him. She made a series of unladylike noises as she left behind half of the skin from the back of thighs on the warm leather. 

“Where are we going then?” she inquired, once she was flush against him, her forearm resting on his thigh and her cheek stuck to his coat. 

“Well…” He tailed off. “Where would you like to go?” She bit down on her lip as he made himself sound very magnanimous and not at all like he hadn’t thought his great escape plan all the way through.

“I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch,” she reasoned. “Maybe we could-” He took a sharp turn that almost sent her sprawling. “Or maybe we could not die, Elvis, how about that?!”

He snorted and glanced at her with his eyebrow quirked playfully. She swatted at him, because he knew exactly what to do to take the heat out of her irritation, leaving her with just the intellectual understanding that she should feel annoyed. 

“Poor widdle Cha Cha, all moody and mad cos she’s hungry,” he murmured in that damn baby voice again. She was about to swat him a little harder when he did a double take out of his side window. “Hey, you know, I ran out of gas there one time.”

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah, back when I was starting out. It was one of the first times it got really crazy, boy. The cops had to come out and everything. It was wild.”

“Uh huh, getting a ride in the back of a police car to the gas station is not something you ever forget. Especially after I got back and some girl called me your whore.”

Chancy watched his face as his brain worked overtime, recalling the little details that he usually airbrushed from the patter he gave his dates as he took them on a personal tour of his home town, like who else had been there.

“They called you a whore?” he echoed finally, focusing on the detail where he had no culpability. “I didn't know that.”

“Well, it wasn't something I would've wanted to repeat.” 

It had been the first time she had been the victim of jealous, spiteful resentment, but not nearly the last. She shook her head like she could dislodge the echoes of embarrassment, hurt and outrage she had felt. 

“Besides, you didn’t even remember I was there!” She smacked his leg and turned away slightly, playing at being mad. 

“Honey, I did! I-I remember, I was just testing you!” 

“Uh huh,” she murmured. “Well, I guess I passed.” 

“With flying colours,” He hit her with a poorly aimed kiss on the ear as he steered the truck into a parking lot. Chancy glanced around and realised he had pulled into Dairy Queen. 

“You do take me to the fanciest places,” she teased, already moving to climb out. 

“Well, I only know of two ways to get you out of this mood you’re in,” he returned with irritating insight. “One’s food and the other… Well, we’re in public, honey, you know.” She felt so much better about the shiver she had to fight back when she saw that, despite the naughty look on his face, he had gone pink. 

“You are terrible,” she informed him. “Hey, where are you going?” He paused as he pushed open his door.

“There’s only one way out,” he replied, looking bemused. 

“You can’t go in there!” she exclaimed, then wanted to rewind time and roll her tongue back in, because the one way to guarantee Elvis would do something was to tell him that he couldn’t. “Baby, you don’t have any of the guys with you. It’s not safe.” 

“It’s late, Cha Cha, I’m not letting you go in there by yourself,” he returned. Then, she witnessed the exact same expression of regret cover his face that must have shone from hers moments before. Because telling her that she wasn’t allowed to do something was like firing a starting pistol. 

“It’s not exactly Times Square.”

“I don’t give a damn. Cha Cha, honey, you got all kinds of characters out there now, crazy sonsofbitches and losers strung out on all these fucking drugs they’re pushing on the streets. Baby- Baby, you don’t understand because you don’t know what it’s really like.” She bristled at the condescending tone and folded her arms over her grumbling stomach. 

“Well, then it’s not safe for either of us.” 

After ten minutes of silent sulking and hunger, they came to a compromise. Chancy would go in and order the food, and Elvis would park as close as possible with his gun ready just in case. 

As silly as she knew all that was, Chancy still felt tingles of apprehension as she pulled on the metal bar and opened the door.

At that time of the evening, the place was full of teenagers hanging out and families grabbing a treat on the way home from the movies. None of them really spared her a look apart from a few pleasant smiles as she made her way to the counter. 

Not long later, she was juggling a sack and two milkshakes and stopped to thank a man who had jumped up to hold the door for her. He smiled back, nodding at her chest rather than her face. 

Turning towards the truck, she let out a little gasp as she saw a small knot of people standing by the driver’s door. Her heart hammering, she glanced towards the phone booth at the front of the parking lot, wondering if she would have to make a call to Graceland to get someone out to help. 

As she drew closer, she saw that it was just an older couple and their children. As long as they made a getaway before they attracted any more attention they would be okay. 

When she climbed in the cab, Elvis was signing a scrap of paper, what looked like a receipt, and he handed it over, ruffling the young son on the head. Chancy kept her head down so as not to attract notice. The only problem was that the family did not seem satisfied with the autograph and small talk and lingered, forcing Elvis to say that they had to leave. They even took a few steps forward as he backed out, like they were going to follow them on foot. 

“Just can’t stay out of trouble for a minute, can you,” she remarked, handing him his milkshake. 

“Well, you were gone so damn long,” he complained, spilling a little of the shake on his pants as he tried to negotiate the road. “Goddamn it! She quickly retrieved the paper cup before it was thrown, possibly at her. He was still swearing as he pulled into a rest area, the frosty drink slowly trickling into uncomfortable places. 

Seeing his mood souring, she grabbed a napkin from the sack but hid it at her side. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” she exclaimed brightly, ducking her head down towards his lap. 

“Chancy, no!” His voice went impossibly high, breathless and panicked. 

She burst out laughing, she couldn’t help it, and tossed the napkin at him as she collapsed against the back of the seat, gasping and giggling, wiping her eyes. She tried to get herself under control as he irritably wiped at his pants with the napkin, muttering under his breath, but every time she looked at him, all kitted out in his flashy badass outfit, she kept hearing his panicked protest like he was a sweet virgin being propositioned by an over amorous date. 

“Don’t see what’s so goddamn funny,” he snapped. “My fucking pants are ruined.”

“I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice quivering very slightly as she bit on the inside of her cheek. “I…” She started laughing again and he smacked the steering wheel and started the engine, shaking his head. “No, baby, no, I’m sorry!” She lifted her milkshake and tipped it slightly as if she was going to dump the whole thing in her own lap. “Look, you give me the word and we’ll match. Want me to?” 

A fast diesel truck rattling by startled her and she jerked slightly, causing a large drop to splat onto her bare leg. 

“Damn, that’s cold!” she hissed. His eyes twinkled and a slow smile crept across his face. She realised that there was a very real possibility that he was about to knock the cup over her and almost resigned herself to it. 

“You’re crazy, you know that,” he remarked, before very slowly and deliberately leaning down and licking the milkshake from her thigh. He punctuated that by opening his mouth and pretending to take a bite of her, his teeth leaving a faint imprint in her pale skin under the light of the cab. Holding her breath, Chancy now understood how fish felt drowning on dry land.

They ate their food at the rest stop without much chat. Elvis was still mad at her for laughing at him. It was always a sore point for him, and she sensed that he was embarrassed by his unfiltered reaction to the idea of her going down on him in public. He always loved to give off the impression that he was unflappable, that there was no boundary that he would not push and no impulse he would not indulge, but that wasn’t true. Not really.  

Licking the salt from her fingers, she leant up and kissed his cheek as he chewed the last of his third burger. He didn’t reciprocate, but nor did he move away, just looked out the window at the shadowy brush. She stuffed the wrappers into the empty sack and slid a little closer to him, her bent knees knocking into his thigh. 

Rising on her knees, she nudged her nose into the hair at his temple, pressing butterfly kisses into his skin, catching her lip on the arm of his sunglasses. His fingers tapped on the ledge of his open window, almost like she was keeping him from a more pressing appointment, and she wondered if his mood had sunk too low to be recovered. She started to draw back, but the firm line of his arm just behind her shoulders stopped her retreat. 

She studied him, looking down from his turned cheek to where the tendon in his neck was just visible above his turned-up collar as he craned his head away from her. Almost tentatively, she pressed her lips against it, feeling his pulse pounding beneath the salty skin. She lapped at it with tiny kitten licks until he jerked away, trying to hide his smile.  

Leaning forward, he started the engine and pulled back out onto the road, executing a neat u-turn so that they were heading north. 

“Where are we going now?”

“Gotta get you back to the nuthouse before they send out the guys with straitjackets,” he replied, shooting her a sly grin. 

“Uh huh, I’m sure it’d be me they were looking for,” she replied, settling herself down at his side. He just kept smiling, dropping his hand into her lap and entwining their fingers. That didn’t last long, because he had to keep twiddling the dial of the radio every time the deejay started talking. 

“Wasn’t that George?” she asked, as he abruptly twisted the knob again, muttering a curse word. “I don’t care who it was,” he snapped. “Don’t talk over the goddamn song. What’s the point of them even playing songs if they’re gonna-” He let out some high pitched gibberish that sounded like an irate chipmunk after sucking helium. 

“So, where’s next on the famous Elvis’ hometown tour?” “Aw, honey, there’s no…” He didn’t even bother finishing his lie. “There ain’t no point showing you, you know more about it than I do. I ever end up writing that book about my life, you’ll be there…’No, Elvis, it didn’t happen like that, I was there.’” She shook her head at his usual high-pitched impression of her. 

“The two of us in rocking chairs, me trying to edit every story,” she added. “In my head, you’re old when you’re writing this life story.”

She felt her cheeks heat as she had basically admitted that she pictured them together when they were old. That was giving away too much and also trying to take too little. 

If he noticed her embarrassment or thought that the idea of them being together when they were old was far-fetched, he didn’t show it, huffing a laugh as he guided them back through more familiar streets. “We’re going back? So soon?” She thought of all the people back at the house, likely some annoyed employees and some tense phone calls to be made. She wondered if they would get to sneak out like this again during her stay, and considered that plans would probably be put in place to stop that happening. 

“Well,” he bounced a closed fist against the inside of the truck door. “I gotta change my damn pants and… It seems like you might still be in a bad mood, honey. I think it might be time to try the second thing.”

Tag lIst: @richardslady121, @dkayfixates, @fallinlovewithurlove, @notstefaniepresley, @heartbrake-hotel , @freudianslumber , @bbrtt777, @18lkpeters , @prompted-wordsmith, @literally-just-elvis-fics , @eliseinmemphis @lookingforrainbows , @stylespresleyhearted , @amydarcimarie , @returntopresley, @savedrebelcreation, @lettersfromvenus , @littlehoneyposts, @joshuntildawn13, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @from-memphis-with-love, @ellie-24, @be-my-ally, @vintageshanny

[ohtobeleah]

Boundaries // Bradley Bradshaw

Summary: A call comes in on your day off about a hostage situation. Dragging your husband Bradley and his best friend Hangman into an active crime scene, the situation could not have turned out any worse.

Warnings: NCIS x TopGun Cross over. Bradley Bradshaw x F!reader. Gun violence. Shooting.

Word Count: 8k

Author Note: Holy shit we made it bois!! Here’s another instalment of to the NCIS Bradley Bradshaw series. If you haven’t read anything to do this this series—where have you been? The Masterlist is linked here for you and a special shout out to @belowtheharddeck300 for concepting with me the other day and inspiring this whole fic. Please also don’t forget about Minimal Losses which is another series intertwined with this! But for Jake Seresin. xx

“Are you enjoying that?” DiNozzo hissed from his seat in the back of your car, peering over into the front as he eyed off Bradley who'd been obnoxiously sipping on his green smoothie the entire car trip. 

“Oh, you mean my smoothie?” Rooster had been waiting for someone, anyone to bring it up. “Funny you should mention it because I really feel like it's missing something.” Inspecting the cup as if he didn't know what it was that was missing. He knew, oh boy did he know, and he was pissed. 

“He’s just upset because I finished his protein powder last night–” You were currently in the middle of moving boxes out of your townhouse into a storage facility. The process of moving across the country wasn't as easy as you originally thought it would be. But you knew it would all be worth it.

“You put it on your ice cream!” Bradley countered, oh he’d been waiting for this argument to kickstart. You could see it through the rear view mirror, the perplexed look of amusement Jake was giving you as he sat quietly in the back of your car. 

“Yeah and you left a tub of it at my house?” Your thought process had been this, surely Bradley had another tub of protein at his house in California. Whatever food or clothing or hygiene products he left behind whenever he came to stay with you in D.C, became fair game once he was gone. That was the unspoken rule you both had. It was hard being married and living separately, hence why you were in the process of a transfer out to California. To be closer to home. Your home. Bradley Bradshaw. “I didn't think you’d mind?” 

“I wrote my name on the lid!?” Bradley had slightly turned in his seat to face you a little more. He was seething. His smoothie tasted weird without the vanilla protein powder he always used. He thought he could trust his own wife to keep his things safe. Turns out you were just as bad as the rest of the people he chose to willingly surround himself with on a day to day basis. All vultures to some extent. 

“Who writes their name on things they then leave at their wife's house?” Your tone had changed, more annoyance than comic relief now shining through. That's what had drawn Jake Seresin into the conversation. He’d been trying not to get too heavily involved in whatever quarrel was going on in the front seat. 

“Do you still write your name on your underwear?” Jake finally intervened in the argument that was slightly getting out of hand. He came to Washington with Rooster to help him clear out the townhouse you'd been living in since well, since you first moved out of home really. It was a pretty big task, but Jake was just grateful to have a full week off work. 

“Only to mark my territory–” 

“Poor choice of words there Bradshaw.” DiNozzo snarled at the thought. Shaking the imagery of roosters tighty whities out of his head. You chuckled softly as you stopped at a red light. Sighing because you didn't really want to continue the conversation but in a desperate attempt to preserve your personal beliefs on the matter, you ventured on strong headed.

“The bottom line is you're just really bad with personal boundaries.”

“Oh!” Bradley exclaimed to the heavens above as DiNozzo and Jake burst into laughter they couldn't control. Sending the two men who sat with a box between them a look they'd never forget. 

“Is something funny?” 

“You two? Having a discussion about boundaries?” DiNozzo mocked as you sat back with a groan. His lumbar had been acting up. You liked to tease him about the fact his hair was going grey and his bones were probably in early stages of osteoporosis. “Isn't that a little ironic?” 

“Mind explaining that?” Rooster smirked as he sipped his protein-less smoothie so obnoxiously you were about five seconds away from throwing the damn thing out the window.

“Most people bring their work lives home, you two bring your home lives to work.” Jake added as he backed diNozzo up. “Boundaries get blurry.” 

“Uh, no–Rooster and I keep our work lives and our personal lives incredibly separate– you didn't even know me until like two years ago.” It had been a code you both lived and breathed by. For the longest time Bradley Bradshaw kept his private life with you just that, separate. And you did the same, never mixing work with pleasure until it just seemed to melt. “I have a rule about that.” 

“Really?” DiNozzo challenged your theory, your hypothesis was about to be diminished into nothing. 

“Yeah–”

“What about that little display of affection the other day over on Lincoln at the stop light?” Crap, he had you with that one– remembering the way Roosters hands seemed to glide up your shirt as you kissed him with nothing but a centre console stopping you from jumping his bones right then and there. 

“Ha!--” Rooster cheeks had turned a nice shade of crimson red. Flushed with embarrassment. “I didn't know you guys were behind us.” For the past couple of months, Rooster had been registered with the Naval Criminal Investigative service as a liaison officer for the Fighter weapons school, also known as TopGun. There had been some odd going on with the newest class currently going through. Rooster was just happy to give whatever intel he’d managed to gather over to the right people. That particular car trip you'd both been on the clock. 

“And what about the fight about who gets the side of the bed closest to the bathroom?” Jake added as he yawned with a gaped mouth. He was used to thin walls from when he used to bunk in the dorms but it seemed as though the walls at your home were ten times thinner. Or maybe he just wasn't all that interested in hearing his best friend moan like a needy bitch for his wife. “Oh!” Jake snapped his fingers. “Or Rooster here telling us how Gibbs likes to hang dry her underwear in the living room?”

“Okay, one it’s Bradshaw to you and two you hang-dry your underwear too!” Although you’d been married for six months now– everyone was still getting used to calling you Agent Bradshaw or even just Bradshaw. To Hangman, you’d always be a Gibbs. His Gibbs. 

“Yeah, in the bathroom where things are supposed to hang dry.” Rooster couldn't help but to laugh after he held your gaze. He was just waiting for the slightest smirk to creep across your beautiful smug face. The second he saw it, that ever present glint of love in your eyes, he knew he was off the hook. “I hang them over the rail! I don't display them like a taxidermist pinning moths to a dart board like you do!” 

“And there it is, boundaries obliterated.” DiNozzo clapped, “More stuff I can never unhear.” 

It had been your phone ringing through your bluetooth that interrupted the eyeroll of the century as you drove. Rooster saw the caller ID showing and immediately pressed answer on your behalf, not wanting you to be distracted for even a second. 

“Hey Mcgee what's going on?” You greeted him with a soft smile you knew he wouldn't see but he would indeed hear in your voice. Both hands still on the wheel of your Sante Fe. The back was completely stacked with boxes, after a quick drop off, the four of you were going out for a small lunch break. 

“Hey Gibbs I just–” 

“It's Bradshaw Mc-know-it-all”!” Tony shouted, any chance he got to mess with his partner he took it no hesitation. 

“Right sorry, anyway, Uh listen I know you guys aren't working today but Gibbs and I just got a call about a hostage situation going down at Benny's  cafe’” Mcgee explained through the phone. He must have already been on the scene because all four of you could hear sirens in the background. “It's all hands on deck gang.” 

“We leave you unattended for one day and look what happens.” Tony quipped again as he stretched his arms above his head as high as he could. “Be there in twenty, we’ll drop the kids to daycare and be round as soo–” 

“Uh, yeah no.” Mcgee sighed as the slap he’d just copped to the back of the head echoed through your car. “Uh Gibbs says come now.” There was no time to drop Bradley and Jake back home. “Bring the kids.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

The entire block had been evacuated as you ducked under cautionary tape strung up by on duty police officers. Flashing them your credentials, as you did so. It had gotten easier over time to wave people off–shrugging past with nothing but a soft “NCIS–” slipping past your lips. 

“Uh guys?” Rooster shouted after you and DiNozzo as you kept walking, the police officers had stopped the two off duty naval aviators at the tape. Sighing as you held the bridge of your nose, you gesture at the cops to let your husband and Hangman through. 

“They’re with us—“

“Ma’am this is an active crime scene.” One of the officers felt the need to remind you as you stared him down. Bradley placed his hand on your shoulder, shaking his head with pressed lips, scooting you along before you had a chance to shove your badge down the clearly just graduated beat cops throat.

“He’s not worth it.”

“Well I would’ve paid good money to see it.” Hangman smirked as he caught up. “So this is what a crime scene looks like?”

“Yeah, come on probie I’ll show you the ropes.” Tony teased as he roughed his hand on top of Jake's head, messing up his hair before making his way over to where your father stood with McGee. Taking in your surroundings as you followed DiNozzo over—your strides were smaller these days. Since becoming a married woman you were less and less inclined to be putting yourself in the line of fire if it could be helped. You’re ‘when’ still hopefully in the far distant future. 

“Do I get a badge?” Hangman smirked as he followed curiously. DiNozzo just side eyed him in response. “Damn, was kinda banking on a badge here—“ 

“You can have a vest? If that’ll shut you up.” 

“What have we got boss?” Bradley swore every time he saw Leroy Jethroy Gibbs he wore the same expression. Unimpressed and unimused. He was grateful though to see a glimpse of reassurance that his presence was justified. “I'm in the middle of moving across the country here, you concoct a whole ass hostage situation to keep me occupied or something?” As you crossed your arms across your chest and stood back a little, you were the spitting image of your father. 

“Because I’d go to these lengths to keep you around?” Gibbs cracks. “No—no, it seems the universe is telling you that your job here isn’t quite finished.” Rooster just admired from a distance as you worked. He noticed just how invested Jake was getting, it brought a temporary smirk to Roosters face. Until the feeling diminished into nothing at the explanation of what exactly was happening. 

“Able Seaman Theodore ‘Bomber’ Brown.” Mcgee started, fixing his own NCIS vest over his chest. Gearing up as DiNozzo handed one to Rooster. Gesturing for him to put it on before he put it on for him. For protection. A part of procedure. “For reason still unknown the guys walked in and has taken fourteen people hostage, only thing we might be able to see triggered the outburst would be the fact he was dishonourably discharged about three weeks ago, his attending officers said he was showing signs of mania, histeria–all claims Brown denys.” 

“Doesn’t seem too outlandish now, does it?” Tony replied with a huff. “You don't just randomly take fourteen people hostage for no apparent reason– gotta be something triggering the guy.” 

“Did you say Theodore Brown?” You knew your expression was one of concern as Bradley and Jake turned to listen to you more intently. Both wearing NCIS issued bullet proof vests. “I think I went to high school with him, yeah–his mother was a diagnosed schizophrenic.” You remembered the poor kid as clear a day, he didn't have all that much growing up but he had a decent smile and a heart of gold. “I remember him being heavily tormented by some stupid kids in the grade above us because of it.” 

“That would certainly explain something like this–” DiNozzo sassed. You shot him a look of disapproval. His accusing eyes staring directly back at you. 

“I wasn't insinuating anything, I'm just saying there's a high percentage of something like that being passed down through genetics. If it's underlying or even just undiagnosed he might be confused about what's going on.” 

“Since when are you an expert in behavioural analysis?” You could barely hear the question Tony had asked over the sirens and loud as all hell fire brigade horns rolling onto the scene. “I say we send her in for mediation if she already knows the guy.” Like a little light bulb moment when off inside your head, you raised a brow Tony’s way as he spoke– perhaps he was onto something? Maybe it would be the best idea for you to go in if Theodore was the Theodore you had known in high school? 

“I'm not an excerpt and I could be way off here, but if we’re already going off nothing, maybe DiNozzo has a valid point?” Shrugging your shoulders, you looked around all the men who stood around you. Two of which were quick to shut down the idea immediately. 

“No!” Jake frowned as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. “As if you'd send the only women here into the line of direct fire are you kidding?” He didn't mean any malicious intent, you knew that. And you hadn’t taken the comment to heart because it was Jake. He cared enough about the people around him to want to protect them himself. In a situation like this though? He found himself rendered useless. 

“Not a chance–” Bradley shook his head, his lips pressed together in a thin line as his fist balled briefly by his side. “Nope, not happening.” Bradley however, knew he didn't have a say. He’d been around this bloke enough times to know the second someone held you no you wanted to do it ten times more. Even if it was out of spite. “You don't know what this guys even capable of?” The only thing that filled the heavy silence that lingered in the atmosphere around you were the sounds of obnoxious sirens. Looking up at your husband with so much love and admiration, you took his hand in yours. 

“I think you sometimes forget what I'm capable of too–” Bradley knew he was out of line. He knew better than anyone not to step between you and your job. He remembered how the whole Bob situation at the Hard Deck had gone down, but he couldn't help it, you were his wife. The woman he loved and was in love with. His best friend. The hopefully future mother of his children. He had his justified reasons to stand between you and something dangerous. If he didn’t? Who the fuck was going to? “Roos– todays not my when baby, I'll be fine.'' He knew you couldn't really promise that, with reluctance and a tight grip on your hand–squeezing three consecutive times, Rooster nodded in response. “We’ll stop by United Sports Nutrition on the way back and get you some more protein.” 

“What, just so you can eat it all?” Bradley beamed as you chuckled softly. Resolving in his arms as you hugged him. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around your waist. Looking around your shoulder Jake saw the look of utter turmoil in his best friend's eyes. He’d never be able to handle this, your job title made his day job look like a hobby. “I love you so much.” 

“I love you, so much more.” It was a moment you both treasured amongst chaos. Pulling away as you fixed yourself up and nodded to your dad. “Okay, where do you want me?” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~

“Earpiece fit snug?” Gibbs asked softly as he fixed his own. Pressing it further into his ear before fixing his NCIS issued cap. Never one for an overt display of emotion, Gibbs settled for a one sided smirk, tipping your chin up as he looked you over—a younger version of himself. “You keep your wits about yourself.” 

“Always boss, always.” It was a gentle kiss to your forehead that had you closing your eyes and taking in the moment before you exhaled your nerves. Shaking your hands out before smoothing over your bullet proof vest. Hidden snuggly under your sweatshirt you had stolen from Bradley’s forever growing collection—this one? His favourite Phillies jumper. “If Bradley—“ You didn’t even need to ask, finish your sentence or explain anything. Gibbs already knew. Cutting you off with a hushed groan. 

“I got him, you just focus on getting those people out of that building.” Everyone was situated around it in the gazebo style monitoring station. They were all huddled around radio equipment that had been set up in order to monitor you while you were inside the cafe.”

“No matter what happens you keep them clear, you’ll know if I need backup.'' It was always a weird feeling talking to your father like he was your boss. Well he was your boss but you get the point I'm trying to make. Keeping conversation light and away from what you really wanted to say was always the general consensus of your talks before any major take down or subsequent hostage situation or kidnapping. You always said things like ‘I'll be fine, don't worry, piece of cake.’ When in reality all you wanted to say was ‘Make sure I go home to my husband in one piece because if I don't he’ll never forgive me for being too reckless.’ Like father like daughter though right? 

The two of you slowly but surely closed in on where DiNozzo sat babysitting your husband and Jake. Sitting between the two aviators who both looked far beyond their comfort zone. “Now I’m expecting Brown to be incredibly hostile at first so whatever you do, unless there’s a clear indication from me—don’t intervene, under any circumstances.” 

“What would a clear indication be?” Rooster asked as he squinted up at you, the gazebo doing little to keep the sun out of his golden brown eyes. 

“Hail of bullets a good enough indication?” Rooster could tell you were starting to compartmentalise, it was something you did to ensure rational thinking. You didn't like when emotions played a major part in your critical thinking process when you were on the job. Splitting your personality in half always seemed to be an easy way to process the idea of inevitable fate. Not if, but when. You and Bradley had discussed the when’s of life a million times, today you were sure it was not a when. Bradley however? Well he had a fear so primal lingering in the back of his mind that today would be the day he could taste it in the back of his throat. Undeniable heartache. But he wouldn't admit that, no. He couldn't. Not when you were gearing up to save lives and put the greater good before your own self. That would be a disservice to your own stability. “I know what i'm doing Rooster–” 

“I stopped questioning your judgement a long time ago sweetheart, doesn't mean I don't worry.” Bradley cooed as he stood from his chair, headphone hanging around his neck because there was no way he wasn't going to listen to every second. Reaching out to draw you in by your slightly flushed cheeks. His palms pressed softly against you as he brought his lips against your ever so lovingly–Like it could very well be the last kiss he ever got the share with you. “Go be a badass–” 

“When have you ever known me not to be one?” It was a simple answer, but a reaffirming one. You had always been a fierce woman, strong and independent. “United Sports Nutrition, my treat.” Changing the subject as you slipped through Bradleys fingertips. Nodding in response to what you'd promised him, Bradley committed to memory what it felt like to hold your face between his hands. Jake stood from his seat to keep his best friend grounded in reality, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“I dunno how you do it man, if I were in your shoes I never would have let her do this.” Bradleys eyes never left you as you finally turned your back on him, being escorted by two general duties officers closer to where the cafe was. Tears threatened to spill as he held himself together with what felt like scotch tape and PVA glue. Forever his girl, always his badass. 

“I don't do it–” Bradley replied just barely under a whisper. It killed him a little bit more each time you worked a high profile case or put yourself in the line of fire more than was deemed completely necessary. He knew you knew what you were doing–but it didn't change the fact the bottom line was inevitably when. When would he get the house call that told him you weren't coming back? “Kills me every day man. But what good would it do holding her back?” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~

As you approached the front door of the small corner store cafe, you held in a deep breath–it almost felt like if you exhaled too fast your heart was going to fall out of your ass. You weren't a stranger to dangerous situations, but this time it felt different. There was an added layer of intensity to this particular situation. One part being you knew the suspect from highschool. The other part? Well, it wasn't every day your husband got to see you doing what you did best–being a menace to society only with a legal title that gave you a right to carry a weapon. 

A small christmas like bell rang throughout the building as you slowly but surely opened the door. Stepping in cautiously, you met eyes with Theodore ‘Bomber’ Brown. You greeted him with a warm smile, trying to keep your own nerves under wrap as he held the gun directly at you. Your hands came up slowly beside your head as you took small almost undetected steps. The door slamming shut with a thud behind you. 

The game had begun. 

“Hi Theo.” 

“What are you doing here Y/n?” He almost looked as confused as you were pretending to be. Shrugging as you continued walking closer to where he stood, you took a headcount of people cowering and hiding their children. 

“Oh you know, I was just in the area and thought I'd stop in for a coffee.” Bradley had never rolled his eyes harder at you. For a brief moment he questioned if he could even listen to you, ripping the headphones off as he squinted his eyes shut and held the bridge of his nose warding off a headache. 

“What's she doing? Is she being serious?” Jake questioned DiNozzo who stood trying to get a visitual through the cracks in the blinds of the cafe Theo had made his hostages shut. 

“She's doing what she does best–” Gibbs responded with a smirk evident on his face. “She's getting the job done.” Rooster felt as if he had no other choice but to pull himself together and put the damn headphones back on. If something were to happen and he missed it? He’d never forgive himself. 

“You want a coffee Theo?” You asked as you slowly lowered your hands, stepping behind the counter. “I used to work at this coffee shop down the street while I was in college, still make a pretty mean cappuccino if you ask me.” 

“What are you some kinda cop?” Theo hissed, it almost felt like venom against your skin as he whizzed around the counter. Pressing the end of his gun against your back, just between your shoulder blades. “Because if are–” 

“I'm not a cop.” Sometimes a sharp tongue could cut deep. “But if you feel the need to affirm your suspicions you can always pat me down.” It was probably the biggest bluff you had ever held. Of course you were wearing a vest, you didn't actually have a death wish. But if Theo were to pat you down? He’d feel it instantly. “Or you can just have a coffee with me and we can talk about what's got you so upset to the point where you think hurting these people will fix the issue?” 

“You really just wanna talk? No bull?” Theo removed the gun from where it had been pressed between your shoulder blades. Watching curiously as you started to tamper a puck of coffee from the machine. 

“I just wanna talk, but before we do–I reckon it would be really kind of you to let some of these people go?” Silence had never been so deafening before as you stood face to face with an active terrorist. “I'll stay as long as you wanna talk for, but come on Theo–there's children in here.” 

“I keep them all.” Theo growled as you reached down to grab a carton of milk from out of the bar fridge. Shaking your head in disappointment. 

“The Theo I know would never have harmed a soul, you cried when Lala Bigbe decided she was gonna be an underground Molly Grub fighter and was pinning them against one another on the oval at–” The jug of milk went crashing to the ground as you felt the back of Theos gun connect with your cheek. He’d pistol whipped you. Knocking you to the ground in shock before you could finish your sentence. 

“Jesus fucking Christ–” Rooster hissed as he stood up, Gibbs was quick to shove him back down into his seat by his shoulders. “Gibbs she–” 

“Knows what she's doing, Son–give her time.” Bradley didn't hear the word son enough in his life, and it was a word that always truly impacted him. Sitting with his father in law's hands on his shoulders—he wanted so badly to trust the process. “She’ll tell us when she needs us.” 

“I'll give him that one for free, maybe she’ll try another angle now.” Tony tried to lighten the situation, noticing just how badly Rooster was holding it together. Maybe it was the wrong call bringing the fighter pilots along after all.

“I am not in the mood to play childish games.” Theo spat as he leaned in and over you, watching as you backed yourself into the corner. Covering your cheek. “You wanna talk, we’ll talk, but it'll be on my terms, about what I wanna talk about—” 

“That's perfect, great plan of attack.” You quipped. Standing to your feet again as you went back to making your coffee. Fetching a new carton of milk from the bar fridge. “What’s on your mind?” Theo didn’t respond as quickly as you’d hoped. He looked around the cafe, taking in how everybody looked at you like some saving grace. 

“I'm not crazy–” He mumbled as you steamed your milk. “I’m just—I wanted someone, anyone to hear 

me.” Theo sounded as sincere as they come. A plea for help, crying out for someone to pull him out of whatever train wreck his life had become.

“Well considering I never asked if you were, it's awfully sad that you feel like you need to state that as a matter of fact.” You and Theo used to be quite close in high school—you’d eat lunch together more often than not, you’d stand by his locker most mornings because your presence alone would deter Frank Jackson and his bunch of goons from stuffing Theo into his locker. He was your science partner from what you could remember and he even helped you a time or two with some physics homework—but looking at him now? There was something behind his eyes that told you he was sick. “I don’t think you’re crazy—“

As if those five words broke down a barrier, Theo sauntered over to the front door. Deciding that your open mind was a good enough reason to let a few people out as a show of good faith. You scratch his back he’ll scratch yours.

“You three, go—NOW!” Theo shouted as he fired a single round into the ceiling as the three people he’d told to run ran for their lives with their hands above their head. At the sound of gunfire you ducked behind the counter, holding your earpiece. 

“I’m good, he fired into the roof.” You mumbled just above a whisper, hoping Bradley had been one of the people who were listening in intently. He had been. At the sound of gunfire he jumped out of his seat, instantly panicking because what if you’d been shot? “I’m good—“ 

“Copy, standing by with backup.” McGee responded loud and clear in your ear as you peaked out from behind the counter. Catching a glimpse of what Theo might have been experiencing as you watched his gaze linger into a void as he mumbled something under his breath, almost as if he was shrugging someone off. 

“I thought my commanding officer would be here this morning.” Theo explained as he made his way to you. His head hung lower as he almost gave off an ora of remorse. “I just wanted to talk, explain that I’m not crazy—I, I panicked when someone spotted my gun.” It was irrational behaviour, but you couldn’t help but to understand how Theo thought he was justified. Sipping your coffee casually as you kept Theo occupied and distracted enough so that two other hostages could slip out the front door. One had been clever enough to take the Christmas bell with him. 

“Why do you have a gun if you were looking for your commanding officer Theo?” Your question must have made Theo feel a little caged. His defences coming back online as he closed the space between you. His eyes full of rage, anger bubbling to the surface. 

“Because he had me dishonourably discharged, he ruined my life! It's only fair I ruin his no?” 

“She’s losing him–” Gibbs groaned as he clicked at Tony. “Get ready to go.” Bradley and Jake continued listening as you tried to take control of the situation again. “I'm pulling the plug.” At the mere mention of the plug being plugged being pulled, you spoke back to Theo in a way you hoped your team would understand. 

“I got it–” You paused briefly so that your team understood you were talking to them. “I mean I get it, I do, if someone had me fired from the only job I ever really enjoyed I'd be upset too.” you weren't sure when your hands had started to shake but they were. 

“What do you do now?” Theo asked. You couldn't keep up with his very wiry personality changes. The Theo you spoke at this very second was not the same version of Theo who had shot a single round through the roof not a few minutes prior. 

“Im a florist–” It had been a blatant lie, but a quick and believable one. Brandley scoffed to himself in amusement, his mother had been a florist. “Maybe you can come see the shop once this is all over huh?”

“Oh I dont think I'm getting out of here.” Theo softened his gaze. “Can't you hear the sirens?”

“They just wanna make sure these people get out unharmed Theo that's all, I reckon if you walked out with me, they'd lower whatever weapons they have and would let you explain why you felt the need to do this.” It was your way of telling everyone to lower their weapons and stand down if Theo were to come willingly. You knew your dad was smart enough to decipher that. “Doesn't that sound like the best way to get justice?” 

“Y/n, what's in your ear?” Fuck. You froze as Theo reached his hand out, turning your head away–Theo got a good look at the earpiece that was in your ear, delivering your entire conversation to whatever authorities were outside. “You fucking bitch you set me up.” 

“No no, I didn't Theo listen to me!” You were in the eye of the storm now. Rooster shot up from his seat yet again as his heart beat so hard against his chest he felt like it might burst through his sternum. 

“Gibbs, get her out of there–” Jake had never heard his friend and colleague sound so panicked before. “NOW!” Holding the headphones against his ears as people rushed towards the building, Bradley’s stomached dropped when he heard the crackling noise of static. You weren't there anymore. “FUCK! Y/n–!!” Bradley Bradhsaw had never moved so quickly in his goddamn life before. But Jake Seresin? He’d never had to hold back a pleading husband before. Jumping up and after Rooster, bear hugging the six foot wide shouldered blonde as he struggled against him. 

“You can't go in there Bradshaw–” 

“She's my wife!” Jake had to clench his jaw as he struggled with Rooster, holding him back as shots rang out and hostages bolted from the front door, DiNozzo and Mcgee quick on the draw as they entered soon after with their guns drawn. 

“But right now? She's a Federal Agent.” 

“Jake I swear to fucking god if you don’t let me go right now you’ll be dead before you hit the ground, DO YOU HEAR ME?!!” Bradley shouted as he continued to struggle with Hangman who wasn't letting go for nothing. Holding back Rooster as people rushed the cafe. His eyes were trained on the front door, just waiting for you to appear. 

But you never did.  

***~***~***~***~***~***~

“No no, I didn't Theo listen to me!” You were in the eye of the storm now. He’d ripped your earpiece from your ear, crushing it in his palm before shoving you backwards into one of the dining tables. 

“You are a cop!” 

“I'm not!” You pleaded, your hands coming up to protect yourself. “I'm not a cop, you just never asked if I was a federal agent, that's what I am, but I swear to you it doesn't change anything!” You tried to reason with Theo as his hand came down to around your throat. “I don't think you’re crazy!” 

“I don’t fucking believe you!” That's the moment you knew you’d lost him, deciding against your better judgement before anyone else got hurt to rush him. Clawing at his hand before tackingling him around the waist back into the counter. 

“RUN!!” You shouted. “Everybody out! Now, now, now!!!” Struggling with Theo as you tried to disarm him. He’d managed to gain the upper hand and throw you down onto the ground, pinning you down only for you to flip the cards and straddling him for a brief moment as you searched for his gun. “Theo, I promise, I can help you–” He wasn't listening. Scrapping around on the floor for dominance and his weapon. 

You didn't even hear the gunshots. 

You just felt the two jolts of pain rush through you. You held your breath and counted to ten. You felt the earth move before your heart burst again. For this was your when, You’d drowned and dreamt this moment. So overdue, you felt like you owed them. The hands of time. Swept away, you were stolen as you fell to your side. Cupping your lower abdomen as blood stained your hands. 

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Bradley was by your side within seconds after first responders had brought you out, already working to fit you with oxygen and stop your bleeding. A paramedic sat straddling your legs as she applied pressure over your stomach as the gurney you laid on was wheeled up into the ambulance. 

“Rooster–” You mumbled softly from under the oxygen mask, you couldn't train your eyes on him. Everything was blurry. But you knew he was there. “Bradley–”

“Im here, hey–I got you baby, I’m here.” The way Bradley held your hand broke Jake's heart as he stood back and watched with Tony and Tim. They were all as stunned as each other. Gibbs? He was still inside the cafe. As your boss he hated that he’d let the situation escalate to a point beyond saving. As your father? He was proud you’d managed to get every single person out of the cafe–his only wish was that you'd been one of them too. 

“I'm okay–” You tried to promise your husband as he followed you up into the ambulance, there was no way in hell he wasn't going with you. “I'll be fine.” 

“Oh I wouldn't doubt it baby, you did so good.” Rooster knew this wasn't good just by the looks that gave no ground for hope that paramedics shared between themselves as they worked around him. “But you gotta keep fighting yeah? Don't you give up on me now, today wasn't supposed to be your when.” You just shook your head softly in response as your hand slipped from your husbands. “Y/n? Hey, baby you open your eyes for me okay?” It took everything you had, but you did what you were told. Bradley beamed as he blinded away tears that fell freely down his cheeks. “There she is, hi beautiful.” 

“Hi–” You mumbled back before all the bells and whistles rang out through the back of the ambulance. 

“Okay we’re losing her.” one of the paramedics announced as she pushed Bradley aside. “Sir, we need all the space to work on your wife, please step aside.” Bradley did as he was told, he stood in the corner and watched as paramedics worked to save your life. His bottom lip quivered a little as he started to lose control. 

“Don't you dare take her dad, I need her here, with me.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Leroy Jethro Gibbs hated hospitals as much as the next guy. It had been a few hours since you had been brought into emergency for emergency life saving surgery. Jake sat beside a clearly not alright Braldey. His hands were still covered in your blood. At least his shirt was black so if there was any on him? It was at least discrete. 

“Bradshaw, Your father in laws here.” Jake didn't think for a moment that Bradley would jump to his feet and rush at Gibbs. But that's exactly what he did. Leaving Jake Seresin in the dust completely dumbfounded. “Dude?” This was not how his annual leave would have gone.

“You son of a bitch!” Bradley spat. “Where the fuck have you been!?” Calmly and every so collected Gibbs raised a single brow at his son in law. He understood what it was like to lose his wife, so he accepted Roosters' anger. 

“I was with Brown, making sure he was in custody.” Gibbs handed the obviously distressed husband the coffee he’d ordered him before stepping around where Bradley stood to hand Jake the same. “He’s with Tony and Tim now–charged they’re charging him with attempted murder of a Federal officer first and formost, everything else will be left up to whatever the phyc deems–”

“You should have been with your daughter!” Rooster interrupted with a hiss laced with venom as Gibbs turned back to face where Rooster stood seething in anguish and heartbreak. “She needed you–” 

“Who she needed, was right with her.” Gibbs said calmly as he pressed his index finger into Roosters chest. “And you don't get to diminish her ability because it's hard to accept the fact things went wrong, she's a good agent–she knew what she was walking into, you accept the risk–” 

FUCK THE RISK!!” Bradley shouted with enough gusto to catch the attention of the entire waiting room. “She’s everything I have! I can't lose her.” 

“Since when is this about you Bradshaw?” Gibbs questioned as calmly as ever. “Are you the one on the operating table right now or is it your wife and my daughter?” It was a hard truth Bradley had to hear and accept. “You don't get to not be a solid foundation for her to lean on when she comes out of this, just like she doesn't get a choice to not make it through this.” For a split second, Rooster saw Gibbs clench his jaw tight, holding his emotions back as per normal. But for a moment? He saw it in his father in law's eyes. The guilt he felt for being the one who signed off on such a suicide mission. 

“Uh, Bradshaw?” An attending was coming through the double doors in her scrubs, looking for Bradley. “Bradley Bradshaw?” 

“Yeah? Over here.” Jake answered as he stood from the seat he felt like he’d been glued to watching the most daytime emmy scene play out before him. 

“I have an update on your wife.” Bradley couldn't breathe as he nodded in response, swallowing the lump in his throat as he sat down. Theattending did the same beside him. Removing her scrub cap. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” 

“There's good news?” Bradley let out a sigh of relief as the attending just smirked his way. She’d seen far too many husbands with chewed up nails beds to not know what Bradley was feeling right now. “That first, please.”

“She’s stable, for now–Doctor Daz is just finishing up now and we’ll let you know when you can come see her.” The attending Bradley didn't quite catch the name of paused briefly before continuing on. “However, unfortunately because of the specific type of bullet that your wife was hit with, it did leave a pretty big mess and she’s lost an ovary.” Rooster wasn't the best person when it comes to female anatomy. He carried a few tampons and liners around but that was about it. From the look on his face the attending knew he cared, he just didn't really know what she was saying. “Sir, your wife may find it a little harder to conceive if you were ever planning on having a family. Not by much, only around the thirty for forty percent mark but it's still something to be aware of.” 

“But she's alive?” Bradley didn't care about what he did not have right now, all he cared about was that you were still earth side, his dad had heard his prayers. “She’s gonna be Okay?” 

“She very much should be.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~

The steady rhythm of your heart rate monitor was the first thing that you heard as you came to after surgery. The next thing? It was the gentle snores that escaped an exhausted Bradley Bradshaw as he sat beside your bed. His head in your lap as he snored away. Completely oblivious to the fact you had come to. Oxygen flowed through the little tube connecting up around your ears into your nose as your head felt heavy against the pillow that proped you up. 

“Too much adventure for you huh Roos?” You smiled softly as you carded your fingertips gently through his sun kissed hair. Disturbing the clearly mentally and physically exhausted aviator who held your whole heart in the palm of his hand. “Hi–” 

“You don’t know how good it is to hear your voice.” Rooster groaned as he came to, sitting up with a yawn. “Never again.” 

“Bradley, I’m okay–” 

“Yeah no this isn't the first time you've been shot on but it's gonna be the last.” You didn't want to start an argument right now, but you couldn't help but give Rooster the normal level or attitude you normally would. 

“Okay Lieutenant Bradshaw, say that again when you aren't literally flying fighter jets for a living.” You had rendered Bradley speechless as you eyed him down with an all knowing smirk. “Yeah, think before you talk shit.” 

In comfortable silence Braldey held your hand and read your chart as you went in and out of a light sleep. He wondered when the most appropriate time would be to bring up the whole ovary thing would be. Perhaps it would be less of a hit coming from him, or maybe it would be less confusing to hear someone explain it who actually knew what they were talking about. Regardless, Braldey stayed by your side all night, watching as you slept, keeping you company when you were awake. 

“Hey Roos?” You mumbled as you lulled your head to the side. Yoru eyes were barely open as you caught his attention. 

“You okay? Do you need anything?” 

“You believe in life after death right?” He wasn't all that sold on the idea, but he liked to keep an open mind purely because of his parents and the way his mother would always say his dad was watching over them. 

“Depends on the circumstances I guess? Why, what's on your mind?” 

“I think I met your dad for a moment there, unless it was just a very vivid surgery dream.” Bradley believed wholeheartedly that if you had really seen his dad then he owed him everything he had for sending you back to him. 

“Did you say hi for me?” Rooster smiled as he rubbed his thumb across your hand as you nodded. 

“I did Roo, I did.” You cooed just barely above a whisper. Letting your eyes rest as you chuckled softly to yourself. “Do you think this obliterated our blurry line between work and home life?” Bradley Bradshaw knew he’d met his match with you all those years ago. But looking at you now? He honestly couldn’t imagine a life without you. He wasn't prepared for a when. You’d just have to settle for a never from now on. 

“Yeah, oh yeah big time.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Tags: @auroraboreallisfine @tigerfan24 @atarmychick007 @rosee-sensuelle @unhingedhousehold @belowtheharddeck300 @daisyhollyxox @luckyladycreator2 @86laura11 @justanothermagicalsara @taytaylala12 @rhirhikingston

[oreolemur]

His Possession Pt2- Junpei Yoshino Fanfic

A week after your shameful incident, your paranoia increased. You couldn’t stop thinking about what the man had said. “He’s never letting me go?”, you cried. You were stuck at home, taking a vacation from work. You didn’t feel safe leaving your house. Your days have been filled with distractions. Your mind was playing against you, and you hated it. 

❤~Time Skip~❤

Coming out of the shower, you stared at yourself in the mirror. You examined the leftover marks on your flesh. Ever since that night, Junpei had installed hidden cameras around your house. While you were looking at your body, so was he. He was aroused by how beautiful you were. “I miss the feeling of your soft skin”, he groaned, feeling himself get hard. You removed your towel, gently rubbing over the bruises. “A teaser, huh?”, he grinned.

As you walked out, heading to your room, your phone began to ring. It was midnight, so you found it strange that someone would be calling you at this time. Looking at the number, your heart dropped. Your breathing became shaky and you immediately hung up. “I thought I blocked his number”. Without hesitation, that’s exactly what you did. Throwing on an oversized hoodie, you quickly ran downstairs to check and see if everything was locked up. No matter how scared he made you, you weren’t going to let him hurt you again. 

Junpei sat at his desk monitoring you. He didn’t have a good day, so you declining his call ticked him off even more. He tried to have patience, but he was craving you. “I’ll try again”. Using a different phone, he instantly dialed your number. 

Dozing off to sleep, your buzzing phone woke you up. “Who is this?”. Answering it, all you heard was a low chuckle. “Did you miss me?”. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”, your heart was racing. “I didn’t have a good day, so I wanted to hear your sweet voice. I guess I called at a bad time. Is that right?”, he sounded annoyed. “Y-yes”, you gulped. He sighed, knowing you were lying.

The atmosphere was quiet, Junpei glared at you through the camera. Spinning a knife in his hands, he thought of an idea. “Are you still curious about who I am?”. He saw your eyes lit up, “Y-yes. Who are you?”. A huge smile formed on his face,”I’ll tell you, but you have to let me come over”. As desperate as you were, you had to be smart about it. You trusted him once, however, it backfired. “No”, you cleared your throat. “I’m not falling for that again”.

Junpei was surprised by your response. “Are you sure? Aren’t you just dying to know who made you cum? You can deny it all you want, but I saw how good I made you feel”. You closed your thighs at the thought of it, feeling guilty for the heartbeat that formed in between. “You should’ve seen the look on your face. The look of desperation really suits you”.He had you wrapped around his little finger. You didn’t want to admit it, but ever since that night, something awakened inside of you. Something you hated at most. “Fine”, you said. “Y-you can-”, you hesitated. “I can do what”, he teased. “You can come over”. Junpei’s plan worked. He didn’t believe how easy it was to manipulate you.  “Wait for me”. Hanging up, you laid back questioning yourself. “What the fuck am I doing?”. Squeezing your legs together,still, you craved to be touched.

An hour later, you heard a small knock on your bedroom door. Startled, you jumped up and held yourself out of shame. “Come in”, you said. Junpei slowly opened the door, letting the squeak travel throughout the dark. It made the exact same sound from the first encounter. He stood against your dresser, smiling at you. The lights were off, but you were able to see a small part of his face.

“Do we still have an agreement, dollface?”. He tapped his finger along the smooth wood. You bit your lip out of nervousness,”Y-yes”. “Do you remember what I said in the beginning?”. “Y-yes”, you answered him like an obedient little pet. He loved how inferior you were to him. He unbuckled his pants, pulling them down slightly to let his dick poke out.

Stroking it, he quietly groaned. “Come here”, he demanded. You got up, making your way towards him. He seemed taller than before, but then again, you were on your knees the first time he ordered you to approach. He placed his hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him. His dick rested against your stomach. “I’ll start this off slowly”, he grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at him. “Do what I say, and I’ll drop a hint of who I am each time you behave”. Junpei leaned into your ear,”Got it?”. Nodding your head, you agreed. “Good, doll”.

He grabbed your hand, making you jerk him off. “You have soft hands”, he placed small kisses on your neck. The desperation between your thighs grew stronger. You were so into his touch, a moan slipped out of your mouth. Junpei’s eyes lit up. “Are you enjoying yourself?”. You told him yes, making him even more obsessed with you. “Do you want me inside of you?”. “Yes”. “How bad?”. “R-really bad”.

Hearing that made him feral. He lifted you, and gently placed you on your back. He hovered above you, fingering you in the process. “Hint 1: I have black hair that covers one eye”. You listened to him, trying not to be too distracted. The feeling of his digits inside of you, made you blush. You missed being touched, no matter how fucked up the situation was. The warmth of his breath made you want him more. You pushed your hips into his arm, feeling your orgasm coming. “A little harder, please”, you begged. Junpei did what you wanted, kissing your lips to feel you moan in his mouth.

Removing his shirt, he ordered you to undress. You threw your hoodie on the floor, spreading your legs. The man placed himself at your entrance, teasing you by rubbing it on your clit. “Hint 2: I always come to your store”. He thrusted into you, not giving you time to adjust. It was your second time having him penetrate you, yet it still hurt. As he talked to you, you tried to think hard about who he could be. “What else?”, you moaned. 

He pounded you harder,”Don’t rush it, doll. I said slowly”. He fondled your breast, admiring how much they jiggled. You tried to stare at him, but the stimulation forced your eyes shut. He reached for your neck, squeezing it for support. He threw one leg over his shoulder, thrusting deeper. “Hint: 3, and make sure you listen closely”. He rested his head near your ear. “I’m Junpei, your next door neighbor”. He choked you harder, making it impossible for you to react. “Say my name”, he groaned. “J-Junpei”, you stuttered. “Repeat it”. “J-Junpei. Junpei. Junpei!”. You both climaxed, shouting in ecstasy. He stayed still, laying on top of you. “You’re mine, and mine only, dollface”.

[selene-writes]

Please go easy on me guys I'm not the best writer and this is my first fanfiction. Anyways... this is the first installment in my series rewrite. It's going to be a Sam x Reader and possibly Dean x Reader. This is an 18+ series and will include canon level violence, eventual graphic smut, dark, and is a slow burn.

My body trembled and my heart raced as tears streamed down my face, their salty taste filling my mouth. I wanted to kill them. An innocent family. I wanted to kill them. The thought disgusted and delighted me at the same time. The mother clutched her daughter in her arms and whispered that everything would be okay. The father was already dead. I had stabbed him. Again, and again. Now, as I raise my hunter's knife over the two of them, I can't help but look into the mirror on the wall, dark, blood-red eyes staring back at me. I smile at myself and bring the knife down...

You woke up to the sound of your screams. The nightmare and the images of the blood-soaked family burned brightly in your mind. You sighed before turning on the lamp next to you, which dimly lit the crappy motel room. The nightmare had felt so real, so alive. "There's no way I'm going back to sleep now," you mumbled aloud.

After lying in bed for a moment, trying to calm yourself and stop shaking, you got up and went to the small bathroom.  The nightmare had been so real, so vivid. The old faucet made a high-pitched whine, and you flinched before the water started to flow. You leaned down and splashed your face, hoping the cool water would wake you up. Your tank top and shorts cling to your skin, wet with your sweat, making you shiver involuntarily. You look up, part of you expecting to see the same blood red eyes you saw in your dream. But to your relief, you see your normal self, albeit with your tangled hair and the purple bags under your normal blue eyes.

Suddenly you heard the door to your room open.

"Fuck," you muttered, fear clutching at your stomach. You weren't here with anyone or expecting anyone. You grabbed one of your knives from the top of the sink, you were in the habit of keeping a weapon in every room and turned off the light in the bathroom. You decided to hide in the shower, closing the curtain as quietly as possible. You planned to wait until whoever was there entered the bathroom, after all, you did not know who or what was out there, and it was better to be safe than sorry. You listened for a moment and heard heavy footsteps approaching the door. "There's one of them," you thought after hearing the footsteps. The door slowly creaked open and you held your breath, clutching your knife and taking a defensive position. The curtain was suddenly pulled open, and you did not hesitate to lunge forward with the knife. The man grabbed your empty arm and twisted it behind your back, holding my knife-wielding hand in front of him. You quickly pulled his leg out from under him, but his grip on you caused you both to lose your balance and fall through the bathroom door. You landed on top of him and held the knife to his throat. Though the room was dimly lit, you could see that toothy smile and emerald eyes everywhere. Your eyes widened and you quickly pulled the knife away from his throat. 

"What the fuck Dean?!" I yell.

"Hey, sweetheart," he replies, smirking. Only then do you notice the position you're in, practically straddling Dean. You immediately get off of him before offering him your hand, which he gladly accepts. As soon as he stands, he wraps his arms around you. 

"It's good to see you." You smile as you put your arms around him. You pull away and your expression darkens. 

"But I swear to God, Winchester, if you ever scare me like that again, I will cut your dick off." You say sternly. He chuckles at your comment. "Yes ma'am."

You walk over to the mini fridge in the motel room and grab two beers. After twisting off the tops, you hand one to Dean. 

"So, what are you doing here?" You ask, turning to face him.

"I wanted to surprise you." He replies gruffly. "Love the outfit by the way." He adds smirking. My face turns red at his comment as I realize how short my shorts are.

"Shut up." You mutter as he laughs. "How did you find me anyway?" 

"Bobby," he replies, sitting down at the small table in the room.

"Of course," You can't help but snort. As his daughter he was very protective and always knew where you were. 

"Well, I don't suppose you're just dropping by to say hello, are you?" You took a seat across from him, it had been six months since you had last seen him, and he looked different, tired. 

"I wish." He mumbled. "My dad's on a case."

"Oh? The great John Winchester needs backup?" You say sarcastically. You stop when you see his face, something is wrong. "Dean?" 

"He's out on a case and I haven't heard from him in three weeks." 

Next part

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 2: The Masquerade

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer From a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: G Word count: 8.1k Masterpost Previous chapter Next chapter

Author's Notes: THANK YOU for your incredible patience while I took forever to write this next chapter. It's the most daunting one in the whole story for me (and potentially the longest), and my summer has been full of travel and distractions. But I'm committed to keeping this story rolling! I do need to write chapter 3 which should be comparatively short, and then chapters 4-15 are already written and just need tweaking. Expect more frequent installments soon, though I do need a bit of time to focus on a Halloween fic for y'all 😉

As a reminder, text in italics are quotes from AOFAG and are the work of Julia Quinn.

Lastly, if we're manifesting things for Benophie in the show, the song I imagine them waltzing to at the masquerade is the VSQ cover of Young and Beautiful - it's so mysterious and romantic and gives voice to Sophie's anxieties. Enjoy 💙

Sophie was no stranger to courage. It was courage that had bolstered her through her lonely childhood at Penwood Park. Courage that enabled her to face each morning knowing she would most likely be subject to Araminta’s abuse. But what drove her to sneak into the Bridgerton masquerade was something different. Courage was an element of it, but she also had the odd and wonderful sensation that she was somehow destined to attend. A sort of magnetism pulling her back to Genevieve’s shop then down the street to the wisteria-clad manse glowing with candles in every window under a starlit night. 

It had proven surprisingly easy to accomplish her ruse. She had dressed Cressida in her iridescent mermaid costume then helped Araminta into a garish Elizabethan gown. Both of them fussed and snipped at her, demanding assistance and criticizing when it was provided. Lord Cowper kept his ensemble comparatively simple with a black horned mask that Sophie found to be an accurate reflection of his true character. Soon enough all of them bundled into their carriage, leaving her alone for the evening. Sophie knew to make for the modiste’s shop as quickly as she could, and only dithered when it came to selecting the shoes Gen had told her to bring. Neither of her sorry two pairs would suffice for a ball which meant borrowing a pair from her employers. She felt safer using Cressida’s except they all proved too large, to the point Sophie knew she would be tripping over herself. Araminta’s shoes fit comparatively well but her stomach lurched at the thought she may discover they had been taken. She reminded herself that she was the one tasked with cleaning them so she could easily replace them once she returned. Memories of a stinging slap dealt that morning solidified her resolve and she selected a pair of silk slippers in a pale blue-grey with diamond clips that complemented the silver gown she knew was waiting for her.

Wrapped in a cloak, she had scurried to Gen’s door and the proud smile on her friend’s face gave her a burst of excitement for what was to come. The modiste slipped her into the finished gown, somehow impossibly more breathtaking than it had been before. Sophie couldn’t tear her eyes away from the mirrors in the shop, bewitched by how the fabric caught the light. Gen had procured all the trappings, outfitting her with elbow length silk gloves, starry earrings and jewels for her hair which she helped to coif atop her head in an elaborate style. She even swiped rouge on her cheeks and stain on her lips, something Sophie had never tried before, and by the time she was done Sophie didn’t recognize her reflection even before the demi-mask was fitted over her eyes. She was an elegant silver stranger and one who looked every bit deserving of entry to a ball.

With a kiss on the cheek Genevieve sent her out into the night and closed shop to attend a party of her own, the likes of which Sophie could only guess at. Though her heart was pounding as she treaded the cobblestones up to Bridgerton House, she knew it was from excitement as much as nerves, and when she was waved into the main hall without question, it nearly stopped altogether. It was a sight far better than she had imagined. A candlelit scene of ivory grandeur with masked guests milling across the lacquered floor and up the grand staircase, dancers in the center and towers of treats and champagne to each side. It felt as if she had stepped into a dream and she never wanted to wake up.

She was knocked from her reverie by a young lady who appeared at her side, costumed as a Grecian muse. “My, what a beautiful dress!” She commented.

Sophie swallowed, suddenly fearful that her very voice may betray her identity, but instinctively she responded. “Thank you.”

When the girl only smiled and moved away, she breathed a sigh of relief. Who here could possibly recognize her voice aside from the Cowpers? She scanned the room but they were nowhere to be found. The lady who had spoken to her was at a table by the wall selecting a dance card. Not wanting to attract suitors, Sophie moved past the cards and weaved her way toward the nearest refreshments. Her eyes were so fixed on the array of delicacies that she failed to register how many heads turned to watch her.

The tiered display before her boasted a variety of sweets unlike any Sophie had ever seen. Candies and fruits, chocolates and tarts, even ice cream were all for the taking. Until that moment the only treat she had ever eaten was marzipan, a controversial candy that both her father and the Cowpers kept on hand for guests but despised themselves and so were none the wiser when she snuck pieces. Spoiled for choice, she seized a raspberry tart and had to fight from moaning at its rich sweetness. Then she nibbled on a chocolate, then a lemon cake before she stopped herself, realizing it would be unladylike to gorge herself and thereby risk revealing that she did not belong. She switched to a flute of champagne, another luxury she had never sampled before but quite enjoyed, and began to move about the perimeter of the room. 

The sea of costumes was so varied and elaborate, Sophie felt confident she did not stand out too drastically. Among the women there were queens and faeries, flowers and creatures of myth, all hidden behind demi-masks or veils. The gentlemen presented as an array of devils and jesters, satyrs and knights if they weren’t simply wearing their tails and a mask. Sophie listened in on their snippets of conversation. Courtship gossip among the women and business among the men. The young ladies whispered their opinions of the bachelors and the bachelors largely stayed silent unless they were mumbling about retiring to the smoking room. Behind them in the center of the hall were the dancers, swishing over a bee motif painted onto the parquet floor. The song was a sprightly one, spurring couples to hop around their partners while grasping hands and looping arms in a complex sequence. Sophie was transfixed, marveling at how it reminded her of a music box come to life. Everything was a feast for the senses: the twinkle of the candles, the strings of the musicians, the bubbles that tickled her tongue and the silk that wrapped around her skin. This was the life she had read about in Whistledown. This was the life she could have had as her father’s daughter if things were ever so slightly different.

A footman collected her empty glass and she felt herself calming. But that calm was immediately shattered when she noticed not one, not two, but three young gentlemen approaching her from various points in the room. It was then she realized that card or no, they would ask her to dance. It was also when she remembered that she did not know how to dance. And it was then that she began to chastise herself for forgetting this crucial fact before sneaking into a ball. She had been so caught up in the thrill of simply observing the masquerade and so used to being overlooked that she had not contemplated the possibility that a man may ask her to dance. If she attempted to, it would immediately become obvious that she was an imposter. Her mind started to race, eyes pinging between the three admittedly handsome gentlemen who drew closer and closer, looking at her as if she were a piece of meat and they were starving lions. There was nothing for it - she would have to hide. Backing away as gracefully as she could, she scurried around a cluster of guests, lifted two more flutes of champagne and darted down a hall where open french doors promised a swift escape.

---

[Shift to Benedict’s POV as written at the beginning of Chapter 2 of AOFAG. He is begrudgingly attending the masquerade, aggravated that he cannot be distinguished from his brothers. 

…he sometimes wished he were considered a little less a Bridgerton and a little more himself.

Violet asks him to dance with Penelope who is unfortunately dressed as a peacock. On his way, he is cornered by rude debutantes.

“A Bridgerton!...Which are you? No, don’t say. Let me guess. You’re not the viscount, because I just saw him. You must be Number Two or Number Three.”]

Grimacing his way out of yet another insulting and inane conversation, Benedict tucked himself into a corner under the stairs. He should have pushed forward to go humor Penelope Featherington but he had lost sight of her and he didn’t know if he would be able to bite his tongue through one more chance interception by an air-headed debutante or her mama. All of these ladies simpering over a man who they could not name while their mothers’ half-smiles betrayed that they saw him as little more than a consolation prize now that his titled brother was taken. He pitied them, knowing it was what they were all raised to do. But he also pitied himself for being the focus of their attentions. He supposed it was inevitable that he would find himself playing the marriage mart one day and it was precisely as miserable as he had imagined it would be, if not more. But having failed in his pursuit of art, the one thing that had stirred true and enduring passion within him, what else was he supposed to do? Perhaps a wife would make him feel grounded, grant him a new sense of purpose. But none of the young ladies he had met throughout the painfully long London season had been able to produce any feeling in him that was even a fraction of what he felt when he daubed oils on canvas, or sketched a flower, or studied a Turner sky.

With a rueful smirk he wondered if he would fail at becoming a husband too. He hadn’t the merits to get into the Royal Academy without a bribe; perhaps he didn’t have the merits to succeed at the marriage mart either. As eager as the women were to throw themselves at his feet, he didn’t know if he could hide his true feelings well enough to make it to an altar. Feelings of disappointment, lack of inspiration, and invisibility. The dreadful suspicion that he was not destined for the productive life of artistry he had always imagined. He was only a Bridgerton, one of many, and the most he could hope to achieve was some form of domestic happiness, if any woman would tie herself to such an empty shell of a man. 

His stomach sank as he heard his surname giggled in a nearby pack of debutantes. It was all too much, he needed fresh air. As he turned toward the back hall he felt an odd tingling sensation in his limbs and all of his focus seemed to narrow on the french doors. Perhaps he had drunk too much, perhaps it was too hot in the room, but it was not an unpleasant feeling. Rather, it was a feeling of certainty. Certainty that he must go outside and his feet were itching to carry him there. He did not protest and in a moment he was through the doors and in the cool air of the back garden. 

On instinct he walked toward the massive elm tree, planning to rest on the swings hanging from its branches. Scattered torches and a pearlescent full moon helped to illuminate the garden, making it a peaceful respite from the crush of people inside. He assumed he was alone but realized he was mistaken when he rounded the rose bushes and beheld an odd sight. It was a woman standing on the paving stones with her back to him. She was dressed in a silver gown, antiquated in style but made of the most mesmerizing fabric that seemed to absorb the very moonlight and make her glow. Her head was turned toward a large window of the house through which could be seen the dancing couples inside. She was mimicking them, slowly, jerkily, raising her arms and stepping to and fro with an invisible partner, stumbling every few steps and then hissing at herself as she tried to match the movements once again. It was clear she was trying to learn the dance and failing spectacularly.

Benedict couldn’t tear his eyes away. Even without seeing her face he could tell she was a beauty. But more than that, she was the most curious creature he had come across at any event of the ton. So many questions immediately arose. Who was she? How atrocious had her dancing master been? Why wasn’t she chaperoned?  Whatever the story was, he simply had to know it.

He stepped closer and cleared his throat, hoping not to frighten her.

“Are you in need of a partner?”

“Oh!” Instantly she whipped around and nearly jumped a foot in the air. 

Benedict’s breath caught in his throat. He had been right about her beauty, it was evident even behind her demi-mask. But it wasn’t simply the trappings of her stunning gown, glimmering jewelry or scarlet lips. It was innate, some kind of light that animated her from within. It called to him like a lighthouse across a stormy sea and he was transfixed. He had never experienced such a powerful sensation upon first seeing a woman. Sophie stuttered, embarrassed to have been discovered tromping around in the garden and nervous that her behavior was about to reveal her as a trespasser. The fact that her inquisitor was tall, dark and handsome was also causing her mind to stall. She offered a meager explanation. “I…I am not familiar with this step, so I was…trying to learn.”

Her voice was the sweetest music Benedict had ever heard. It made him feel weightless, electrified. Akin to how his favorite landscapes left him gaping in awe, but even more visceral. He realized he was staring at her, agog, and snapped himself back to attention. “And you did not want to ask any of the gentlemen inside to teach you?”

“I didn’t want to seem silly. Though I suppose, I have already failed at that.” She dropped her eyes and blushed and Benedict felt heat surge through his own skin at seeing its beautiful hue. What was it about her that made him falter when every other young lady made him want to run? Who on earth was she?

“I don’t recognize you. The same array of people always come to these parties.”

“Ah, then my disguise is working well.” She arched a brow with a mischievous little grin. 

Benedict felt his stomach flip with delight. “What is your name?”

Sophie prickled. She would need to be crafty with her answers to maintain her anonymity. The consequences of being discovered were dire, but perhaps that was what gave it an undeniably exciting edge. She had learned to hide herself in plain sight with the Cowpers. Surely this wouldn't be much harder. “Is a degree of mystery not the purpose of a masquerade?”

His lopsided smile set her at ease. He wouldn’t interrogate her; he was amiable.

“Very true. So you are going to make me guess?”

“I think it would be a fruitless endeavor.”

Benedict marveled at the beautiful stranger as the intrigue grew deeper. She was the first debutante who had reacted to him with anything other than fawning desperation. She was playful. She was a breath of fresh air.

He stepped closer, folding his arms as he looked her up and down. “Well, you have already given me a significant clue. A young lady in society who does not know the quadrille. That is unique indeed.” She straightened her mask and he noticed her unadorned wrist. “And no dance card. You are truly committed to remaining as anonymous as possible.”

“All in the spirit of the event.” She turned quickly and walked to a nearby table where two flutes of champagne sat unattended. She drank down the remnants of one a bit too eagerly, betraying her nerves.

“Is someone joining you?” Benedict wondered if he had interrupted the flirtations of another suitor. If so, the man was a fool to take his eyes off such a creature for even a moment.

Sophie followed his gaze to the second glass and felt herself flush at being caught indulging so brazenly. She picked it up and carried it back to him. Now that he knew she could not dance, she could relax and enjoy his conversation at least.

“You have joined me, Mister…?”

He accepted the glass and huffed a laugh. “Oh come now, my disguise is not nearly as good as yours. You don’t have to be so coy.”

The woman continued to stare at him blankly and the puzzle of her grew infinitely more bewildering. Could it be possible that she truly did not recognize him? Even if this was her first event among the ton, she could not have failed to hear his name on every other woman’s lips as they chased him through the ballroom. Nor could she be so ignorant about her hosts. They were at his bloody house after all.

His brow knitted in disbelief. “You truly do not know who I am?”

“There you are!” A voice called out suddenly.

Sophie’s stomach lurched into her throat. She’d been found out. She’d be thrown into the street, and tomorrow probably into jail for stealing Araminta’s shoes, and–

A second man marched around the rose bushes also in tails and a black demi-mask, shorter and broader than the first but also remarkably handsome. He stomped up to confront the other.

“Mother has been looking all over for you. You weaseled out of your dance with Penelope and I had to take your place.”

The taller man smirked. “And did that put you out terribly, brother?”

Sophie looked from one man to the other. Even under their demi-masks, the familial relationship was more than obvious, and she realized in a blinding flash that they must be the famed and coveted Bridgerton brothers. But which brother was her visitor? Benedict. He had to be Benedict. She sent a silent thank you to Lady Whistledown, who’d once written a column completely devoted to the task of telling the Bridgerton siblings apart. Benedict, she recalled, had been singled out as the tallest. Sophie began to assess him anew, the most eligible bachelor in the ton. Remembering that Gen had shared a dalliance with him, she could understand the appeal.

“It was better than any of the alternatives, I must say,” The man who must have been Colin Bridgerton shrugged. “If you flee the party and leave me to that pack of she-devil debutantes, I swear I shall exact revenge to my dying day.”

Benedict laughed and Colin turned to Sophie with a start, realizing that they were not alone. “Oh pardon, present company excluded. I apologize, Miss.”

He bowed politely and she returned her best curtsy.

“No offense taken, sir.”

The annoyance melted out of his eyes - a captivating shade of blue - and his voice grew silky as he stepped toward her. “Might I request an introduction?”

“I doubt you’ll meet with success.” Benedict snickered. “I would like one as well but the lady is committed to the spirit of the event and will not share her name.”

Colin frowned at her playfully. “Not even a false one?”

Sophie grinned, enjoying their little game. She had never received so much attention from any member of the upper class, much less two suave and flirtatious bachelors. It made her bold. “If you really insist, I suppose I could tell you something.”

“But not the truth?” Benedict asked.

“This isn’t a night for truth.”

Colin leaned in with a devilish smirk. “My favorite kind of night.”

Benedict rolled his eyes and tugged his brother upright. “Shouldn’t you be with Penelope?” 

At this, the younger grew flustered. “I…well…”

“It would be the honorable thing to do, making sure the young lady is asked to more than just one dance this evening.” At the end of his argument Benedict folded his bottom lip into an exaggerated pout and Sophie felt her insides flutter.

Colin seemed possessed by a new sense of chivalry. “Very well, I’ll take my leave. And fight back through the pack of ravenous wolves…”

“Wolves?” Sophie laughed, turning to Benedict. “Is that what drove you out of doors as well, sir?”

“I suspect it is.” Colin grinned and clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Our mother would like nothing better than to see this one married off.”

“Brother…” Benedict’s grip tightened around the champagne flute.

“Would you take pity on the poor, long-suffering woman and chase him up the aisle?” Colin shot a wink at Sophie.

“Have you been at the tea again?” Benedict grumbled under his breath, staring daggers.

Sophie couldn’t remember being so entertained before. “I believe I shall have to get to know him better first, and take the full measure of his character before any chasing shall commence.”

Her co-conspirator released a loud sigh. “Then alas, I fear he may be found wanting and remain a bachelor forever.”

“Are you quite finished?” Benedict snipped.

Sensing the end of his patience, Colin slapped him on the back and desisted. “I am.” He turned to Sophie with a beaming smile and bowed once more. “Enjoy your evening.” Then he was gone as quickly as he had appeared, leaving them alone in the garden.

Sophie allowed a giggle to escape. “It is charming to see two brothers who get on so well.”

Benedict took a large swig of champagne. “You’d call that getting on?”

“I would.” Sophie smiled softly. “I have no siblings myself but it’s clear the jesting stems from a place of love.” Indeed, Sophie felt herself surrounded by love at this house. A love of family and community that she had always longed for but always been denied. It was bittersweet to be wrapped in it, knowing it would only last for one evening.

He quirked a brow. “Another clue. She has no siblings.”

“That cannot be that rare.” Sophie spluttered, chastising herself for her misstep.

“It certainly narrows the options.”

“Well, it is the last thing I shall share about my identity.” She set her chin defiantly and Benedict found it to be quite the most adorable expression. Now he was determined to know everything about her, however long he had to play her game.

He stepped toward her again, lowering his voice. “Why so many secrets?”

“I told you, this entire night is meant for secrets. Though I believe I have uncovered yours.” Sophie said with an enigmatic smile, truly warming to her role as a mysterious stranger. 

“Oh yes?”

“I know who you are.”

Benedict shrugged. “I assumed as much.”

“I didn’t at first,” she confessed.

“What gave me away?”  With no discernable parents shoving her in his direction, Benedict wondered how she had deduced it.

Sophie grinned, victorious. “The fact that you are here with your brother. That you look so alike. And are both being hounded by the young ladies.”

“We look alike even with masks on?” 

“Even with masks,” she nodded. “Lady Whistledown writes about the Bridgerton brothers quite often, and she never passes up an opportunity to comment upon how alike you look.”

Ah, she was a Whistledown reader, though that didn’t help him parse her identity among the young ladies of the ton. He had never read the scandal sheet himself but was unsurprised that it contained discussions of the Bridgerton resemblance. He had heard it all his life, how similar he was to his two eldest brothers. The three of them were often called by the others’ names, even by their own mother on occasion, with everyone typically defaulting to assuming they were all Anthony, the Viscount. He and Colin had used it to their advantage from time to time, wielding perceived status to get preferential treatment or making handshake deals to embroil Anthony in some ludicrous business venture. He of course could see the clear distinctions between each of them but it seemed society could not. If anything, he knew he most closely resembled his late father and it caused the greatest pain when someone slipped and called Benedict by his name. It was all something he had learned to live with. He loved his family dearly but his visibility as a Bridgerton often made him feel invisible as Benedict.

He steeled himself to be wounded again by this lady in silver. “And do you know which brother I am?”

“Benedict,” she smiled brightly. His heart skipped hearing his name on her lips. In the soft glow she cast, he finally felt seen. “If indeed Lady Whistledown is correct when she says that you are the tallest among your brothers.”

He swallowed to try and hide his excitement. “You’re quite the detective.”

She shrugged. “I merely read a gossip sheet. It makes me no different from the rest of the people here.”

He wanted to chuckle at how she voiced his precise thoughts aloud. Perhaps she was an enchantress with the power to read minds. Whoever she was, dream or reality, he needed to know more. Downing the rest of his champagne, he set the glass aside and moved closer, trying to study the contours of her face and color of her eyes behind her mask.

“And if Lady Whistledown were here and saw you tonight, would she know your identity?”

The woman backed away, playfully but pointedly drifting across the grass toward the elm tree. “I’m so well disguised that no one would recognize me right now.”

He continued his pursuit. “What if you removed your mask? Would she recognize you then?”

“I’m not going to answer that.” She walked backward slowly, always staying paces ahead of him. 

He returned her wry smile. “I didn’t think you would, but I had to ask nonetheless. Dare I ask what else you know about me from Whistledown?”

“Are you fishing for compliments?”

Sophie’s nerves were running haywire at being chased with such evident intent by a gentleman. And not just any gentleman, but Benedict Bridgerton himself. She had never planned to flirt nor attract the attention of gentlemen at the ball. She had only wanted to observe it, to soak in the atmosphere, to forget the life of Sophie Beckett for a few hours. But now the most coveted man in the ton - a man far more charming and beautiful than she had presumed - was stalking toward her with hungry eyes. She should have been terrified at being discovered or even compromised, but she wasn’t. She was enjoying this. Perhaps she could blame the champagne for the heated, buzzing feeling throughout her body but whatever it was, it left her heady with confidence and craving more.

Something bumped into the back of her legs and she turned to see that she was standing by a pair of swings hanging from the branches of the looming tree above. He had her cornered. But he was nothing but a gentleman as he held the swing steady and gestured for her to sit. With the volume of her skirt she could do little but perch on the seat and hold onto the ropes to keep her balance. He lowered himself onto the swing next to hers and rocked lightly to and fro with a cheeky glint in his eyes.

“If I cannot know anything about you, at least I might know what you know about me.”

Sophie pondered a moment. Her immediate thoughts were what Genevieve had shared. That he was sensitive, talented and good. But of course she could not reveal that she had learned such things. She had to rely on what had been reported in Whistledown, which had conveniently been confirmed by Colin. “Your name has not been seriously linked with any young lady, and your mother despairs of ever seeing you married.”

The way his shoulders slumped banished her assumption that he simply didn’t want to end a rakish bachelor lifestyle. The burden to marry weighed on him more heavily for some reason.

“The pressure has lessened a bit now that my brother’s gone and gotten himself a wife,” he explained.

“The Viscount?”

“Mmmm,” he nodded. “And anyway, I’m sure at some point I’ll find the lady suitable enough to keep my house and bear my children.” He kicked at the grass, dispirited.

“Among the ravenous wolves?” Sophie chuckled, trying to brighten the mood and coax the truth out of him. “It sounds as if that traditional sort of life would be unappealing to you.”

Benedict shook himself out of his ruminations and sat up straight. He felt so at ease with this mysterious guest that he had let the mask of debonair suitor slip. He must be cautious in revealing his true feelings especially if he hoped to secure her hand, the only one that was making the prospect of marriage seem in any way appealing. He spluttered, “Well…I only…”

She cut him off. “Do not worry about offending me, Mr. Bridgerton. I am not here to find a husband and I’d much rather have your honesty than your flattery.”

Who on earth was this miraculous woman? A young lady who was not scheming for a proposal but rather seeking to know him better. The first and only he had encountered in the marriage mart. He felt as if he had discovered a unicorn and effortlessly opened his heart to her. 

“I suppose there are other pursuits in life that interest me. To travel the Continent and see the artworks of the great masters. To seek out beauty in all its forms and capture it. To do something worthwhile with myself, have an occupation. Shocking as that may be, I feel that I would find it fulfilling.”

While his desires may have confused many of her peers, the lady in silver only smiled. “I think it’s admirable for anyone to hold an occupation. It shows a great deal of character, not to mention independence. And in this independent life of yours, there would be no room for a wife?”

“I didn’t say that,” he clarified. “I have never disdained romance, as it appears you do. If you’re not here to find a husband, then what are you here for?”

“To enjoy myself.”

“Simple enough,” he smirked.

“Yes,” she sighed. “If only I knew how to dance.” The pointed challenge in her eyes lit a spark within him. She was a smart little thing, a force to be reckoned with. He would not shy away. He bounced to his feet and stood before her.

“I would teach you gladly but be forewarned, I will teach you badly. I never took to it.”

Sophie laughed. “Have you two left feet, Mr. Bridgerton?”

“Why do you think I find myself still unmarried?”

“Surely your dancing skills cannot be that atrocious. Could it be you have some nefarious personality traits that are driving the women away?”

Benedict sniggered. “Hmmmm. Perhaps I am too rakish. Too predisposed to indulgences.”

“Does that not describe just about every gentleman in the ton?”

“Are you saying that I’m indistinguishable?” His lip folded into a hilarious pout again. 

Sophie was enjoying their sparring immensely. “I’m saying it must truly be your dancing that is to blame.”

Then he bent and extended his hand. “Let me show you and you can judge for yourself.”  

She rose with a rustle of silver skirts and allowed Benedict to guide her back across the lawn to the paving stones, the two of them walking in comfortable silence. She felt like a princess - a reckless princess - and so when he asked her to dance, she put her hand in his. And even though she knew that this entire evening was a lie, that she was a nobleman’s bastard and a countess’s maid, that her dress was borrowed and her shoes practically stolen - none of that seemed to matter as their fingers entwined. For this moment, at least, Sophie could pretend that this gentleman could be her gentleman. It was nothing but a dream, but it had been so terribly long since she’d let herself dream.

Standing across from the house window once more, they turned to face each other. Sophie swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how tall and how close he was. The moonlight shone behind him, cutting a striking silhouette with glinting pale blue eyes set behind his black mask. Never releasing her hand, he guided it into place.

“Put your hand here on my shoulder. Just a touch lower, there you are.”

Then his hands moved, one to her waist and one to extend their arms to the side. Sophie couldn’t help but shudder at the expanse of his grasp. 

Benedict dropped his voice, instructing gently. “Now, listen to the music. Do you feel it rising and falling?”

Drifting out from the house Sophie could hear the musicians’ strings playing something light and hopeful. She concentrated and began to sense its rhythmic pattern.

“I feel it.”

Benedict smiled. “Good. Now watch my feet and let me lead you. One, two, three; one, two, three.”

As if on queue Sophie stumbled after just a moment, tripping over Benedict’s feet. “Oh! I’m sorry!” 

His hold tightened around her to keep her from falling but he couldn’t help bursting into laughter. “See? I am an awful teacher. Perhaps you should return to watching the dancers inside. What are they doing now?”

Sophie couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across her own face, realizing she had never met such a good humored man. A nobleman who didn’t scold her for a misstep and even blamed himself instead. He was so playful, so easy to talk to. Despite the outrageous risk she was taking with this entire evening, she had never been more comfortable around a member of the gentry. She turned to peer into the ballroom and watched the flurry of dancing couples moving around one another. Their hands and arms entwined in a series of looping motions, palms meeting to raise over their heads before sliding back down to wrap around the ladies’ shoulders. 

Knowing they were entirely unsuited to the task and giggling at each other with mischief in their eyes, she and Benedict attempted to mimic - or rather mock - the dancers inside. They grasped at each other’s elbows and wrists, fumbling to change holds and laughing as they found themselves tied in ridiculous knots and unable to glide into the next motion. Benedict pranced like a peacock and overexaggerated a deep bend of the knee as the men inside artfully swept a leg behind themselves. Next, the ladies twirled, grasping the mens’ hands and floating in a circle to revolve around their backs. Benedict extended his hand with a flourish, Sophie took it and then began skipping like a child around him, skirts bunched in her fist. They were laughing so much she was sure the champagne was to blame, which was practically confirmed when she rounded Benedict’s other side and promptly tripped on her dress, pitching to the ground.

But he caught her, swiftly and easily moving to cradle her in his arms. Their laughter died away as they gazed at one another, catching their breath. For the first time Benedict was close enough to determine the color of her eyes - they were green. A deep emerald green that sparkled as richly as her silver costume. He was nearly overcome with their light and the feeling of how perfectly she fit in his arms. Barely keeping his wits about him, he lifted her gently back to her feet.

“Lord, I never expected to find the one person worse at dancing than me,” he chuckled, trying to tame the maelstrom of emotions swirling within.

The woman returned a shaky smile. “Well I hope it serves as a boost to your confidence.”

The tremor in her voice gave him a glint of hope. Could she be feeling the same way he did? Did she too sense an overwhelming connection between them? Something he was ready to label as destiny. She hadn’t spurned any of his advances. No indeed she had flirted back at him, toying and challenging, matching his wits and his energy. She was not eager to marry him for his family or position, she was able to pick him out among his brothers and she supported his dream to do more with his life than simply wile away in domesticity. She made him laugh, she made him feel alive, she made him feel visible. Everything he had been searching for and had abandoned hope of ever finding, all embodied by a nameless lady in silver who had appeared in his garden like a gift from the heavens. She was a star, and he wanted to pick her up and hang her in his sky to guide him. 

He stepped close and wrapped an arm around her waist, just wanting to hold her again. “Shall we try again? In earnest?”

Sophie was transfixed, something blooming inside her chest from the moment he caught her. This already exceptional night had taken so many unexpected turns. She had never expected to speak at length with any attendee of the ball, much less the most prized bachelor in society. And she certainly never expected a private audience with him for the whole evening, nor the feelings it would stir within her. So quickly he had banished her assumptions of what such a man would be like. He was nowhere near as snobbish as she imagined he had a right to be, nor was he the dour figure she had supposed when Gen told her he probably disdained attention. He was passionate, animated, with a comic disposition and a large heart. He disdained attention because he wanted more and felt out of place - feelings she could relate to very well indeed. He was good-natured, forgiving, gentle. And as if that weren’t enough, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen despite that she could only view half of his face beneath his mask. Though she knew the Bridgerton siblings were famed for their looks and she had only seen one brother to compare him to, she knew that Benedict would always have drawn her eye above all. 

She was in danger of losing her heart to him. She feared it may have already happened. But there was no happy ending to this story. She could not reveal herself nor enjoy his company for any longer than this one night. But with his arm around her and his blue eyes holding hers so warmly, she could not bring herself to care. The musicians inside were playing a new song, something resonant and soulful, full of longing and magic. She would fit an entire lifetime into this night.

“Alright, one last go.” Bringing one hand to his shoulder and lacing the other with his, she took her position and stared down at their feet again.

“Look up,” Benedict encouraged.

She shook her head. “I will stumble.”

“You won’t. I won’t let you. Look into my eyes.”

She followed his soft command and raised her eyes to meet his. Mesmerized, she couldn’t look away. She could barely breathe. She was dimly aware that they were moving, that he was guiding her through a waltz slowly and fluidly. Suddenly their feet knew precisely how to carry them. Benedict never blinked, determined never to let this silver blessing out of his sight or his arms until she understood how she had enchanted him. Everything around them was bathed in moonlight, making her shimmer like a precious jewel in his hands. 

“What do you feel?”

“Everything,” she breathed.

“What do you hear?”

“The music. I hear the music as I’ve never heard it before.” She moved light on her feet, the romantic call of the strings making it seem as if she were floating across the paving stones.

Benedict’s heart was pounding, desperate for her answer to his next question. “What do you see?”

Sophie froze, paralyzed by the impossibility of putting it into words. As their steps gently stopped and they stood inches apart, everything about him was thrown into sharp focus. She saw everything she had never dared to hope for. A man who showed interest, a man who was kind, a man who could free her from her miserable life. If only she was not who she was. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and the air grew thick and hot. This was desire, Sophie realized. This was what she’d heard fellow maids whispering about. This was what no gently bred lady was even supposed to know about. But she was no gently bred lady, she thought defiantly. She was a bastard, a nobleman’s by-blow. She was not a member of the ton and never would be. Did she really have to abide by their rules? 

As Benedict’s lips parted and his head lowered toward her, she knew he was moving to kiss her and she would allow it. She craved it. It was enough to ruin a reputation, but what sort of reputation did she have to begin with? She was outside society and she wanted one night of fantasy. One kiss to savor for the rest of her pitiful existence.

Their breaths gusted across each other’s skin, lips barely an inch apart. Sophie was certain her heart was thundering loud enough that he may hear it. The music swelled. She closed her eyes. Then she felt his long, slender fingers cup her face and begin to slip under the ribbon tying her mask. 

Alarm bells sounded in her mind and she lurched backward, bringing a hand to press her mask firmly to her face. She could not be discovered. Despite how everything in her body was crying out for him, she would not allow it. In the commotion a lock of her hair fell loose and dangled over her shoulder. After securing her mask she began trying to pin her hair back in place, fingers slipping in her silk gloves.

Benedict stood befuddled, watching her fumble with her gloves and hairpins. She was truly committed to not revealing her identity. A thought flashed through his mind that perhaps she was hiding some kind of deformity. At this point, he did not care. It would not make him feel anything less toward her and he was determined to woo her.

“Blasted things…” Sophie cursed under her breath as her hair continued to slip out of her grasp.

“Allow me.” Benedict reached forward and softly took her wrist, slowly sliding the glove down from her elbow to pull it off. Sophie stood trembling as he kept her hand in his and brushed his thumb across her knuckles, their skin meeting for the first time. Then he bent, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he pressed a deep, warm kiss to the back of her hand. Her breath hitched, feeling an electric current spider out from his lips across every inch of her skin. This was already a bold move but he took it even further, turning her hand over and lavishing her palm with another sensuous kiss - making his intentions clear without a single word.

“Who are you?” Benedict rasped. “I have to know.”

“I can’t say.” Sophie felt torn in two - her heart and body tugging her forward into his arms while her mind and reason held her back.

Benedict felt the heat rising under his collar. He didn’t want to learn her name simply to beat her at her game. He wanted it so that he could know who had stolen his heart so quickly and completely. So that he could keep her in his life and sing her praises. He would not end the evening without making his feelings known.

He gripped her hand tighter, pressing in close, his voice urgent. “I want to see you tomorrow. I want to call on you and meet your parents. Do you understand what I’m saying? I need to know you. I want…”

“Don’t say anything more! Please. Not another word.” Sophie cut him off, tears pricking at her eyes. This was all a mistake, a dreadful mistake. She never should have remained in the garden with Benedict, should never have flirted with him, should never have let it go this far.

“Then tell me your name,” he pleaded desperately. “Tell me how to find you tomorrow.”

The sobs were rising from her throat, anguished at how much pain she was causing them both. At how unfair it all was. “I…”

Her voice was drowned out by a booming clang from within Bridgerton House, followed by the guests inside erupting into cheers and laughter. 

“What is that?”

“Midnight. Time for the unmasking.” Benedict explained, turning to her with hopeful eyes.

“Unmasking?” Sophie’s mind whirred, horrified. No one had ever mentioned an unmasking. It wasn’t reported in Whistledown and Gen hadn’t warned her. Perhaps it was something that everyone of good breeding inherently knew about a masquerade. Clearly she was not one of them. She had been so wrong to attempt this, so ill-prepared for what would happen. Now she would be out of place for not revealing herself.

As she panicked over what to do, Benedict pulled off his own mask and her crisis deepened. He was beautiful. Impossibly more beautiful now that she could see the boyish mirth in his face, the inquisitive slant of his brow, the way his crystal blue eyes were framed by the most endearing creases, evidencing a lifetime of smiles.

Benedict’s hope deflated as the woman stared at him, stock-still. “Are you alright?”

“I have to go,” she choked, barely audible. Then she gathered her skirts in her hands, turned and fled into the house.

“Wait!” Benedict leapt after her, feeling like a man possessed. He could not lose her, the only woman who had stirred him to the depths of his soul. The only one who he could be prevailed upon to marry. She held his future. She held his heart. He couldn’t let them vanish. 

He tore back through the house, catching glimpses of her silver form sweeping around each corner. She was remarkably fast. He burst into the ballroom and had to scan to find her among the riot of costumes and noise. The candlelight glinted off her dress as she pushed steadily through the crowd, already halfway to the door, and he dove in after her. He abandoned any care of being polite and began shouldering his way past guests, even knocking into his brother Anthony who promptly began to admonish him but Benedict pressed on, deaf to anything but the chanting in his mind. No, no, no. He could not lose her.

Sophie dipped and sashayed around the crush of partygoers, moving as quickly as she could for the exit but not wanting to cause a scene. The genteel crowd proved their manners by parting easily as she passed. She cast glances back over her shoulder, seeing Benedict trying to catch up with her but people were less inclined to clear the way for a man. Her heart was in her throat, unsure if she could escape without being caught by Benedict or the Cowpers or anyone else who found her behavior curious. The large front doors were in sight and she turned one final time to see Benedict’s path blocked suddenly by a severe looking woman with a scarlet costume and a cane. She would make it. 

Barely maintaining composure, she slowed her pace as she approached the doors and nodded politely to the footmen who opened them and ushered her out into the cool night. She scurried down the stairs, mask still on her face as she began to soak it with tears. Confused and frantic, she gave over to her instincts which were drawing her away from Grosvenor Square and back to the modiste shop. Though she knew it was her only course of action and she knew she had let the entire evening get out of hand, she couldn’t help but feel fractures splintering her heart with each hurried footfall on the cobblestones.

Tagging: @angels17324 @bridgertontess @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @yellowprimrose @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale

[sunnychuuya]

Sally face >:3

the cameras thar Addison installed have eyes on them on Larry's side mr Addison sus frrr /hj

me after looking up a tutorial and still being lost

How do I activate the runes on floor three raghhh

I DID KT

thank God for light bulbs existing I'm so much less scared rn

guys I don't like this ://

Sodas gonna be okay right ://

also where's uhhh I think her name is maple she's gone that's sus

HEYYY UHH SWITCHED TO LARRYS SIDE WHY ARE CHUG AND SODA ALL FADED

WAIT THAT MEANS THEIR NOT POSSED RIGHT ??

SO THEYLL BE FINE

RIGHT GYYS

oh 304 is just fucking gone on Larry's side

the mirror in Todd's bathroom where the red eyes demon appeared in chapter two is shattered

why dids Todd's parents toilet have the void

Why doesn't it let me access the full rooms I can't go into the bedrooms

I dislike that all kf the suspicious ppls houses r not able to be accessed (charley, packerton)

WHAT THE FUCK IS THE GOOP ITS POSSESION GOOP I KNOW IT

Nvm I gor into packertons place

Theres nothing here tho ??

What the florp

I got it to work at the last second bruh i suck at the guitar bits

Mm circles

all the mirrors are shattered actually

did Mrs Gibson die 💀

I'm pretending to understand what's happening

FUCK THE GUITAR BITS R SO HARS

I'm definitely missing stuff :/

-GUYS NO FUCKING WAY WAS I RIGHT ABOUT ADDISONCBEING SUS ??

Addison: a young boy stands at the threshold of oblivion

Unkoen green voice: MEXMERIZED BY THE ETERNAL ABYSS

-Ph what the fyck this is creepy

-UHHHHH

SO MR ADDISON IS SUS

"SO how long have you been like this"

*slowly slides away*

what the fuck

Litterally nothing could've prepared me for this

This reminds me of fullmetal alchemist bro

Goop

ADDISON IS THE POSSESSY DUDE I thought it was The red eyed demon is the red eyed demon possibly an extension?

Im

Having trouble processing this I seriously thought Mr Addison was not actually gonna be sus.

NO WHAT THE HELL

I HATE THIS GAME

DUDE I CAN BARELY DO THE FUCKING PILLAR THINGIES

FUCK SHIT BALLS ASS

I paused the game and forgot I was doing this lmao

THIS IS SI HARD

t h e r e s m o r e

Bruh I'm gonna larry

I did IT

hey guys wtf

MURDER EVERYONE IN THE APARTMENRS ??

OKAY BUT NOT SODA AND CHUG RIGJT CUZ THEY DONT HAVE THE POSSESY GOOP

"I don't think I can do this. Please don't make me do this terrence" guys what if I just delete the game

Omori core (white room with knife)

This isn't girlypop guys

"Goal: kill"

what if I'm crying

I HAVE TO KILL TODDS PAEENRS

I HAVE TO KILL MY DAD AND LISA

NO

Why do I feel so fuckijg guilty it's a video game

SAL NO CHUG AND SODA ARE INNOCENT THEY ARWNT POSSESED

The lack of music

Like complete silence except for footsteps

Makes this so much more painful

Killing soda is what opened the floodgates of tearss

"Youknow, I may not say this enough, but I'm proud of you, sal. You've come a long eay and I know it hasn't all been easy." Fuck. This hurts.

If Larry hadn't kms lsal would've had to kill him..

"I look at you now and I'm excited about the man you arebecoming. K think youve for a bright future ahead of yoj. I reallt do"

Haha funny joke I'm sobbing hea about to fucking kill you and then (prolly) get excuted. I hate this game.

Ih fuck not Todd

ASH I FUCKING WISH YOU WERE IN THOSE APARTMENTS YOU ARE THE FUCKING WORST I HATE YOJ

ENON DIED

FUCKING HELL

ThIS IS BECAUSE THE CULT RIGHT

TBATS A FAKE

SHIT

SHIT SHIT SHIT

FUCK

The music fading out

Fuck

ASH IDC UR STILL FUCKIJG WRONG

Wair no but I know her idea won't work bc like ik sal dies

Do NIT play memories and dreams rn

ASH NO SHUT THE FUCK UP- AHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOWBTHIS IS YOUR FAULT, YOU HAD THREE YEARS YOU WAITED TILL THE LAST FUCKING SECOND

hey guys what the fuck

What the genuine fuck

Like okay I knew he died from before I started the game but

This still kinda hurts ngl

Fuck

Why couldn't they just like

Be happy

STOP ISBTHAT WHY I KEEP SEEING FANARTS WITH CLOCKS THAT SAY 6 33/18 33 ON CLOCKS YALL ARW DEVIOUS

Acheivment: suffer

Re you fuckin kidding me I mean I am suffering but God damn

Wait yea that's a good point wtf happened to Larry's body

Ash jm going to allow you go try to redeem herself but it's gonna be hard

NKO U HAVE TO PLAY AS HER :(

Travis is the cult member on the inside yea?

-"Oh gizmo is still alive, thats good at least!" [He hadn't left your room since the execution. It's like he knows] guys what the fuck

maple..

Pookies j do not remember the shed code

travis is still alive at least..

YALL I JUST REALIZED THE LIL PUZZLR BOX THING FROM THE TREE HOUSE A LONG TIME AGO ?? NEVER EXPLAIJED

great fucking job ash now Larry's gone bc of you too (actuslly I don't blame her for this one bc Larry wanted it yk)

girly just casually has a c4

Went into the temple

2nite wasn't great updates since I was just talkin eith the below user lmao

@mypinterestgotbannedsoimherenow

[quiet-hypnotist]

Helpful Nap

"Hello? Anyone there? Help?” The question seemed laughably misplaced. There had not been a single movement in the rest of the room for hours beyond the flickering of the lights. It was hard to imagine that would change anytime soon either. Whoever set this up certainly did not feel pressed for time. There was no urging voice spewing taunts. No attempt at coercing an already shaken captured victim into some form of agreement. Not even a lack of amenities. There were drinks and snacks on a nearby table. Staying hydrated was not going to be an issue. And if one didn’t know that the door was tightly locked, the luxurious bed with fluffy pillows and the softest blanket certainly didn’t give away that this was for all intents and purposes a prison cell.

Neither did the entertainment. At least one might have mistaken it for such at first. A smooth, barely noticable soundtrack playing in the background. It barely was louder than the incessant murmurs of internal panic and confusion about the intent of whoever set this up. Who would go out of their way to build such a lavishly decorated room only to hold a stranger locked away after plucking them from a sidewalk in town like some lost and found item. That really was the oddest thing about it all. There had been no fuss, no noise, not even any force. Just… just what exactly? Recalling it was oddly hazy. Something shiny. Colours. So many colours. Then warm, dazed silence. Finally the room. An unfamiliar ceiling that turned out to be the panel of a large four poster bed. Certainly not the sort of accomodation one would provide for a random stranger, was it?

“I’m here! Does anyone hear me?”

How often had the same question been muffled by the walls now? It was pointless to try and keep count. The only thing that responded was the loop of gentle whispering sound from speakers that were either too well hidden or too far out of reach to be made out in the dim light that originated from something that seemed like an artistic installation in the center of the room. An arrangement of mirrors and cleverly arranged lamps that sent an indirect glow into the room without actually illuminating anything of significance. At best it made it possible to walk through the room without tripping over the smallest things, but then again, there were no things to really trip over. Only the big, soft, comfortable looking bed.

The fact that it was the only semi-suitable thing to sit on had to be intentional. Why else would someone have set all of this up only to forget even just a single chair? At first that had seemed concerning. As time went on and standing just wasn’t the answer anymore, it seemed merely rude. After some length of time spent sitting on the hard floor and getting nothing out of it other than a sore behind, the foresight of having the bed to rest on even began to appear caring. A silly notion, no doubt playing right into the hands of whoever orchestrated this. But then again, even after all this time there were no demands. Nothing. There had been a subtle change in the soundtrack in the back, but it felt perfectly safe to ignore. No need to pay them any attention. It was just sound after all.

“I’d appreciate some help? Please?”

In fact, it was actually helpful that it was so easy to listen to that the mind slipped right off the sounds. It must be some kind of song with the way there seemed to be a melodic hissing whisper embedded in it. So kind of the mastermind behind this to at least pick tasteful music. Or at least that probably was what they wanted their captive to think. It seemed plausible that all of this was just an insidious way of tricking anyone trapped inside the room to eventually arrive at the conclusion that it wasn’t so bad. Comfortable perhaps. Relaxing even! Which to an extend could not be denied. The bed was incredibly good to sink into after ages in solitude, alone with only the music and the glowing shiny shapes of the installation.

“Great. This is fun… I think? But how about some help?”

Not like anyone was actually miraculously going to open the locked door, being all smiles and nonchalantly ending this whole spiel. All that answered the words was a flicker in the lights. But after so long – it couldn’t have been a day yet, right? - even that tiny change was enough to immediately draw all senses towards it. From the subtle dimming and intensifying of the glow to a sparkling ripple as the entire installation started moving, delightful specks of of changing colour dancing across floor and walls as the mirrors shifted and rotated slowly, to the different hues of blue and purple and pink, it all broke up the monotony of the room in a way was impossible to look away from.

“Fine! See if I… um… if I care. Don’t need your help! At… At least not yet?”

Reverse psychology was wasted on an empty room. But maybe there was some truth to it? Maybe there was no hurry to get out already. After all, there was a certain decadence to being in this room with nowhere else to go. Nothing more pressing than a drink and a pretty lamp, soft melodic songs full of yearning and temptation and a warm, large bed to lay a weary head to rest on. Not even the lyrics of the songs warranted any second thought. They felt perfectly acceptable. Calm and agreeable to the ears even after all this time. If the thought were not so silly, one might almost believe they embedded themselves into a listener’s mind to blend in not only with the environment but the very sound of thought until the lyrics and whatever happened in a tired brain were virtually indistinguishable. As it were, however, there was no need to get worried about something like that happening. Not when the option to enjoy the melody instead was right there.

“Actually… um… Whatever. Guess having time helps.”

If nothing else it would help with catching up on naps. Life out there was so busy all the time after all. Not a single satisfying chance to sleep. Here though, no matter how much time passed, nobody wanted anything. No pressing tasks, no schedules, not even the distraction of a beeping phone or a bright screen. In all fairness the room with its subdued sparkling glow was so easy on the eyes that they felt like relaxing more and more whenever they were not busy following the shiny patterns. And frankly, even if a little nap happened, would anyone even notice? If yelling and cries for help could fall on deaf ears, nobody would be opposed to a bit of sleep, right? If anything, surely this was the perfect time for some nice and quiet rest. Who knew how much longer this could go on, after all. Any chance for restful sleep should be taken. Of course. That made perfect sense.

“Just gonna lay down a minute. Or… maybe five. A bit of shut-eye… then get help.”

Foolproof logic. Changing perspectives was the best way to deal with puzzling situations after all. Laying down on the bed was so helpful. The whispering voices echoed at just the right volume to ignore them, the shiny installation just barely in sight and providing the right ambient lighting to feel safe and secure dozing off even in an unfamiliar room. Already a wave of content drowsiness washed away any anxiety about the reason why the door was locked or why even now there was no sign of the mastermind.

Not, at least, until heavy eyelids barely fluttered as a faint click revealed the door unlocked. Not a single muscle stirred as a dark silhouette stepped closer to the bed. Only the far away echo of a thought floated by, voiced without any urgency: “Help…?”

The darkness merely chuckled condecendingly: “Hush.”

A warm hand moved over and closed curious, yet oh so tired eyes. But before any unsettling feeling had a chance to set in, a pair of headphones slid into place. The music sounded so much clearer that way, whispers turning into words that easily took the place of thoughts for a while. Just for as long as those thoughts wanted to sleep. And then maybe just five more minutes.

* * *

Did you like this story? Then there’s good news! You can consider heading over to my Patreon and pledge, which will keep me writing even more smut for you every week! Yes, for you! Since my patrons even get a chance to have me write their favorite things. So head over there and learn how!

[hyperfixationxgirlie]

A Dance for Two (SebastianxOminisxFem!Reader)

So... I have been replaying HL and this little idea crept into my head and I did my best to write it down. First ever time writing smut and first ever time writing fiction, so please forgive any errors in my writing. I also never use tumblr so I don't know the conventions of stuff here, lol.

All characters 18+, Content warning: praise kink, cunnilingus

You checked your watch and cursed gently. It was nearly time.

Taking a moment to check yourself over, you leaned into the mirror and applied a dab of lipstick with a handy charm that Dryad, one of the more senior dancers, had taught you when you first started. Your lips were left shiny and a wicked red, mimicking the flush one might get in the heat of the moment with a passionate lover. In any case, it flattered your choice of outfit for tonight- a new one which you had just picked up. A custom-made lingerie set comprised almost entirely of black straps and buckles, and installed with a handy charm to prevent any unsavory wizards (or witches) from gaining a glimpse of anything you weren’t willing to show.

“Get a move on, Pixie!” another dancer- Thestral- called out, smacking your ass as she shimmied past. “Busy night tonight. I saw another bachelor party,” she wrinkled her nose.

Nodding, you strapped your boots and hurried along after her.

The club was busy tonight, you noticed with interest, as you made your way to your usual spot on the stage. Usually this early there were wizards here and there, but there was a certain electricity about the crowd tonight. You lost count as your eyes skimmed the faces. The lights were dimmed and the thrums of a familiar, primal beat filled the air as you gripped the pole with both hands and arched your back, tossing your hair and doing a small twist of your hips. Just an easy warm-up to get the nearby wizards interested enough to part with some galleons once you did some more complicated tricks. You lifted your lips in a smirk as you hooked your knee around the pole, lifting yourself off the ground into a gentle spin, allowing your other leg to trail around you extended, getting lost in the music.

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

Nearby, two wizards sat- whom you would have recognized if you had been able to make out the details of their faces. The first, with tousled brown hair and glinting eyes, leaned into the other, who had blonde, neatly coiffed hair and startlingly light eyes.

“You won’t believe this, Ominis,” the brunette breathed, his voice catching over the words.

Ominis tilted his head with interest as the other continued, “You remember our friend from Hogwarts. The one who disappeared after graduation?”

Ominis stiffened in surprise. “What about her?” he asked cautiously.

“She’s nearly 15 feet from us, dancing and dressed in the most filthy outfit I have ever seen.”

“Describe it to me,” Ominis all but ordered, his voice deepening in a way that made his companion chuckle richly as he heard it. Sebastian leaned into him, his hand running over his friend’s thigh as he spoke.

“It’s impossibly made. Just a bunch of straps covering up the important bits. I can imagine us taking turns unbuckling each one. Imagine her begging for us to go faster as we take our time, slowly unwrapping her.” As he finished this thought, he jerked his hand off of the other’s thigh and stood up.

“I’m buying us a dance. And a stiff drink,” he declared as he turned to make his way to the bar. “Stay here and enjoy the music. I’ll be right back.”

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

Leaning back into the air, you relished in the feeling of being inverted and the rush that accompanied the feeling of weightlessness as the world spun by. The lights of the club twinkled and flashed as you turned. Spreading your legs wide while holding yourself upside-down and spinning was a challenge, and your arms burned as you held yourself in place. The sweat on the palms of your hands threatened to see you slipping down. But this was the final trick of the set and the steady clink of galleons filling your corner of the stage made the exertion worth it. You pulled your legs shut and loosened your grip enough to slide down, coming down onto the palms of your hands and kicking your legs backwards to do a small handstand onto the floor, as the final pulses of music signaled the end of the set. You caught eye contact with the dancer next to you and shared a grin, as you both swept the earnings into your pouches to be counted later.

You surveyed the crowd as you stood up, gently arching your back and feeling your muscles ache gently as you gave them a reprieve. One of the bartenders, Isabelle, a gorgeous brunette, caught your eye as she made her way up to you. She tossed you a room key which you caught and she pointed to one of the back rooms. “You seem to have an admirer,” she teased, winking at you. “He seems to be your age. Really fit; not like the usual sort. And he says he has a friend with him.”

You raised an eyebrow at her. “That should make this interesting then. Hope they tip well,” Isabelle gave you another grin and waggled her eyebrows at you. “Tell me all about it! After!” she called after you. You turned to make your way to the back rooms, lazily waving a hand in her direction.

The back rooms of the club were quieter, and the music was dimmed as you stepped through the doorway separating these rooms from the main room of the dance floor. The décor was nice enough, you supposed, comprised of red carpet and soft candlelight, casting the area in a romantic glow not entirely fitting of the actions that took place in these rooms. But, you mused, whatever it took to separate wizards, and the occasional witch, from their galleons.

You took a deep breath to steel yourself before grabbing the brass key and sliding it into the keyhole of room number 2. As you entered the room, you let out a small gasp of shock as you took in the sight of the men within. These were faces you recognized from your time at Hogwarts. “Ominis?” you asked, “and Sebastian?”

“That’s right, love,” Sebastian chuckled, his legs stretched out before him as he leaned back comfortably on the sofa.

You noticed with interest that the two of them looked quite cozy on the sofa. Ominis was leaning onto Sebastian and running his hands down his arm, before hooking his hand onto the other’s chin and pulling him in for a searing kiss.

You blinked in surprise. “I always thought you two had a thing for each other, but what are you doing here?”

Ominis laughed, pulling away from Sebastian, his lips slightly swollen and parted. “We paid for a dance, Pixie,” he teased. His familiar voice had an edge to it that you didn’t quite recognize, but which sent a slight shiver down your spine which ended in your core.

Flushing in some embarrassment, you slowly walked towards them. You noticed Sebastian leaning forward with interest, his hands placed on his knees as he observed you.

“Come a bit closer, love,” he crooned and he crooked his finger, “Don’t be shy. We won’t bite, unless you as us to.”

You stopped in front of him and appraised him. He looked similar to how he did in school, you mused, with tousled, boyish hair and an impish grin. But seeing him now, having grown into his features as he matured, sent another jolt of arousal through you. Reaching out your hands with a bit of hesitation, you placed them onto his shoulders and gently lowered yourself onto his lap facing him. You watched his eyes as he admired you, they were darkened and glittered dangerously.

“Good girl,” he whispered into your ear as he leaned back. His eyes flicked over to Ominis, who had a matching look of arousal and anticipation on his face.

It was hard not to make a noise at that, and you stiffened in embarrassment, looking between the two of them. 

Ominis chuckled. “Don’t you know, we’ve always been interested in you. We used to talk about you at school. You were the source of many of our mutual fantasies.”

“Don’t be shy, love,” Sebastian murmured again, into your ear. “Come here and give us the dance we paid for.”

You must be losing your mind, you decided, as you slowly gyrated your hips in time with the music. The course material of Sebastian’s pants felt incredible as you slowly glided over them.

“She looks so pretty,” Sebastian mused, leaning into Ominis. “The way she moves her hips is… exhilarating. It makes me wonder what other sorts of things she can do with her hips” Ominis grinned once more and turned his head towards you. “Seeing as I can’t see” -at this Sebastian groaned and rolled his eyes- “Come here and let me feel you.” You picked your hands up off of Sebastian’s shoulders and turned to the other, who also was, you noticed, incredibly handsome. His features were recognizable to you but sharpened and more refined with age. His hair fell into his eyes and he seemed to relax as he pulled you onto him. You settled into his lap and leaned back, arching your back and running a hand through your hair. His hands skimmed along your waist and neck, travelling upwards before twisting into your hair and pulling gently. You gasped in surprise, before letting out a soft noise of pleasure.

“Do you like this?” Sebastian murmured into your ear, coming behind you and running his hands along your back, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

“Yes…” you admitted, resting your head back against his chest, which was solid and muscular against you.

He smiled a boyish and familiar smile before grabbing your chin and pulling you in for a kiss. His lips were plush and warm against yours. Your lips moved softly together for a moment, in a chase kiss, before he let out a sharp noise and opened his mouth, his tongue sweeping into your mouth and brushing against your tongue. It felt too good, you mused, and your cunt clenched as your kiss deepened and you reveled in the taste of his mouth. Arousal washed through you sweetly, leaving you panting slightly and flushed with desire. With little warning, you felt two hands come to your chest and Ominis’ fingers pinched and rolled your nipples through the fabric of your bra, sending shocks of pleasure through you.

“You have such pretty tits,” Ominis stated, grinning as he heard your mewl in response.

Pulling away from Sebastian, you looked into his eyes as the two of you parted. He looked flushed as well, and his eyes glinted dangerously. “Let Ominis have a taste of your mouth,” he demanded. You were only too eager to comply and you swiveled on his lap to kiss him. He groaned into your mouth as you kissed, and you noted with pleasure that he was adept with his tongue as well, using it to gently massage your own.

Sebastian fell onto the sofa next to you, watching as you kissed. He lightly palmed his cock through his pants as he watched the two of you together. “Will you let us take off this wickedly sinful outfit?” he asked, his eyes dark and his voice taking on a quality that sent another jolt of arousal through you. You nodded eagerly, causing him to chuckle darkly. “Two kisses and she’s so eager, Ominis,” he teased, sending a sharp smack to your ass, “It makes you wonder how she’ll respond to other things.”

You almost felt your eyes roll into your head at that and made another keening sound into Ominis’ mouth. You could feel his lips quirk as he kissed you, clearly enjoying this.

“Start here,” you all but panted, gesturing vaguely to the large buckle at the side of your hips. Sebastian batted your hands away.

“We choose where to start, love,” he chided.

“Why don’t we make her more comfortable?” Ominis mused, and he helped lay you onto the sofa. You fell back with a sigh onto Sebastian’s lap, looking up at the two of them eagerly. Sebastian ran a finger down the center of your chest and popped open the buckle holding your bra together at the front. As he revealed your chest, he gently palmed your right breast and squeezed it, feeling its weight.

“You know,” he mentioned with amusement in his voice, “Our Pixie has filled out since we left Hogwarts.”

“I noticed that as well,” Ominis replied, cupping your left breast in his hand.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “How do you even know?” you demanded, “You’re blind!” Ominis chuckled, “I did hug you, you know. Many times. And I have Sebastian to thank for describing your lovely tits to me and providing the visuals, as it were.”

You groaned in frustration, though this quickly turned to one of pleasure as Sebastian began to gently pinch and roll your right nipple between his fingers. “I told you we talked about you in school,” he reminded you, and you could tell he was grinning even with your eyes closed.

It was an interesting thought- the two of them discussing you and pleasuring themselves-, you mused, as you arched your back into his hands, chasing pleasure as the two men laved attention on your breasts. You wondered what kinds of things the two of them got up to together in the boys’ dormitory at Hogwarts when you all were younger and still at school. At least, speaking for yourself, you had pleasured yourself before tucked into your bed at school following evenings in the Undercroft with the two of them. “I thought about you as well,” you admitted.

“Oh really?” Sebastian grinned. “Share your thoughts with the class, Pixie. Ominis likes it when you talk”

You flushed in embarrassment as he used your stage name. “I always thought you were both sexy. And those times the three of us spent cozied up in the Undercoft... I always wondered what kinds of things we could get up to.”

“Let us show you one of our fantasies,” Ominis urged, and you gasped as he ran a hand down your inner thigh, gently stroking the sensitive flesh there. “We used to talk about taking turns eating your cunt and we wondered how good it would taste.”

“Yes please,” you breathed, reaching out your hands and pulling Sebastian closer to you. He was all too eager to comply and he leaned down, his breath hot against your neck as he ran his tongue along the skin under your left ear. While he did so, you felt Ominis’ breath against your cunt as he knelt onto the floor and settled between your legs. “Spread your legs, love,” he asked you, nipping at the skin of your thighs. His hands gently urged your legs apart as you relaxed and revealed yourself to him. His fingers skimmed along the fabric of your panties before finding the buckles which popped open with a click and caused the scrap of fabric to fall onto the sofa. “You look like you were made for this” Sebastian whispered into your ear, his breath warm and his voice rich as he spoke to you. “Your legs spread open and your cunt on display for us.”

With your panties removed, Ominis ran a finger along your slit teasingly. “Oh, Sebastian,” he murmured. “She’s drenched.”

Sebastian groaned and his cock, already pressing into your back as you laid onto him, twitched and jerked in response to the others’ words and for how much you desired the two of them.

With that, Ominis began to softly lick at your folds, teasing you with soft laps. You whined in response and lifted your hips chasing greater pressure. Sebastian returned his attention to your nipples as he continued to whisper wicked things into your ear.

“That’s it. Good girl. Look at you so eager to receive his attentions.” You could only moan in response, bucking your hips again as the other continued to lightly tease your clitoris.

“More,” you demanded, before sighing in relief as Ominis seemed to take pity on you and began to lick you with more pressure, focusing on your engorged clitoris. His tongue expertly applied pressure in a steady rhythm, and you spread your legs wider as you chased the pleasure he was giving you.

“Let us make you feel good,” Sebastian murmured, continuing to squeeze and pleasure your nipples, somehow matching the rhythm that Ominis was setting with his tongue. “Keep making those pretty noises and let Ominis know how well he’s doing”

You let out a sharp cry as Ominis’ tongue made gentle, firm circles onto your clitoris, and your legs began to shake as you felt the pleasure beginning to build. His tongue was soft and smooth against the delicate folds of your cunt, and every sweep of his tongue along your slit caused you to jerk your hips to encourage him to apply further pressure. His hands were large and his grasp was strong as he held your hips down, his fingers digging into your hips and bruising the softness there. The inability for you to move caused the pleasure building in your gut to increase as he continued his expert ministrations. He circled, sucked, and nibbled on your clitoris, moaning into your cunt as he devoured you. And suddenly with no warning you felt your orgasm crashing around you. You felt your back arch sharply and your legs shake as you rode out the pleasure, a litany of moans and disjointed words leaving your lips. Ominis lightly tongued your clitoris as you came, prolonging the waves of pleasure and riding it out with you.

“She tastes so good. Tangy and sweet. Even better than we imagined she would,” you registered Ominis say, dimly and with a far-away quality, as you closed your eyes and reveled in the delightful bonelessness and satiation that the orgasm brought you.

“I want to have her cum on my mouth next time,” Sebastian mused, running his hands up and down your arms as he brought you down from your high.

Regaining awareness, you looked up at Sebastian and admired the arousal you saw, his eyes darkened with desire. “When can next time be?” you asked and shared a grin with him.

“Well, what time do you get off work?”

[elvenbeard]

2069

"Is this all there is to this life? Should be recognizin' myself in the mirror better each day, but instead I feel more and more like I'm lookin' at a stranger..."

Vince ran away from home in 2067, aided by Jackie Welles whom he'd met the same year through a fateful coincidence. Jackie and his connections helped him gain independence from his family, and opened doors into a world Vince had so far only seen from far above and far away.

From one environment of buzzing neon lights into the next, although a much less polished one, he ended up in Kabuki. There he stayed for the next two years to come. Drifting from one dissatisfying odd job to the next he tried to build a new life from scratch. In some ways it was a very freeing experience. On file, his birthday was a different one now, aging him up just enough to get his mother off his back. He started HRT, got tattoos he'd always dreamed of, dressed more how he liked without fearing repercussions. He even felt comfortable growing his hair out, dyeing it darker... And soon he began to only introduce himself as "V" to new acquaintances, a nickname and advice given to him by Jackie when they first met.

In other ways though he felt just as out of place in Kabuki as he did in Charter Hill, if not more.

He knew little about life on the streets, was overqualified for what his employers asked of him, and unhappy, underwhelmed with his living situation as a whole. He'd never had to survive on a budget, struggled to make ends meet, or worried about food and rent before. Even Jackie had no solution to these problems - and merc work would never be Vince's style, even if it meant easy money. "Easy" always comes at a price later on...

Eventually, he ended up helping out at a niche tech store with ties to the Tyger Claws. It became the longest job he managed to hold before his pride got the better of him. After many heated arguments with the owner he decided to quit on the spot without much of a Plan B left. He had always done his best to stay away from trouble, gangs in particular, especially after a very unpleasant encounter with the Valentinos two years prior.

Despite his careful attempts to conceal his tracks though, keeping a low profile, and trying to make this new life work out for him somehow, his past began to catch up with him as the Unification War started to threaten Night City itself...

Vince through the years (2/9)

Welcome to more behind the scenes rambles! XD Today: Vince's cyberware and tattoos, of which many were part of him as of 2069 already.

Not too much intense editing required for this set, the lighting in that street is really nice as is with all the neon and stuff! Just off of Kabuki roundabout, where the tech store Vince worked at for the better part of a year was situated.

I did have some fun playing around with some filters for the glitch effect - it's not quite where I want it yet, but I was going for the kind of look V has on surveillance cameras in game, with his identity obscured and such!

During his time in Kabuki he didn't quite have the means that would have allowed for something similar. But still, he was keeping a low profile and taking a lot of not-quite-legal measures to obscure his whereabouts and identity as best as he could to get away from his mother.

Also, this is full headcanon territory and I'm not sure how compatible it is with Cyberpunk lore (I tried to find something online, stumbled upon an extensive cyberware listing from the 2020 rulebook and such)... but my personal headcanon for his piece of neck cyberware is that it's fashionware on the outside, but under the surface it's doing some hormone synthesizing and regulation for his transition. Y'know, a convenient alternative for the array of options we have in our time and age with creams and gels or injections. A one time solution installed in your body that from day one will just do its thing for the rest of your life, basically (with some checkups and upgrades throughout the years obviously).

Also, Viktor got it for him, installed and all, and while they were at it Vince was like "Vik, do you do tattoos, too? I have an idea for something..." and that's basically how he got his demonic grin neck tattoo on the same day xD

Also around that time he would have gotten the wings on his back done:

Very symbolic and a little cliché, but he doesn't give a damn (and he doesn't know it at the time yet, but Kerry will love it xD). The whole "setting himself free" that year in all meanings of the word was very important to him. And by 2069 he'd completed the look with his chin and face tattoos.

The trans-colours cyber-flower on his right shoulder was the first "proper" tattoo he'd ever gotten, shortly before running away from home even. The little, slightly crooked Ursa Major just below it was a stick-and-poke a "friend" did on him even before that, but he never had the heart to get it covered. It's awkwardly positioned and a bit wonky, but he still likes it as a symbol and reminder of his childhood. He had the dots filled in with rainbow colors a little ways down the the line though.

His left shoulder and the chest piece connecting both right and left followed a few years later! We'll get to that :3

[songbirdseung]

miscommunicated love / yang jungwon

synopsis: A story of miscommunication unfolds between two friends, as one of them secretly harbors romantic feelings for the other.

wc: 2.5k

In the city of Seoul, amidst the constant hustle and bustle of the city, Y/n lived a life entangled in secret longing. Y/n was a quiet observer, content with watching from the shadows as life unfolded, and one person had captured their heart—their close friend, Jungwon.

Jungwon was a bright, charismatic soul, the sun around which Y/n's world revolved. His laughter was infectious, his smile enchanting, and every moment spent in his company was a precious memory etched into Y/n's heart. Yet, Jungwon remained blissfully unaware of the feelings that simmered beneath Y/n's composed exterior.

The story begins on a mild autumn afternoon, where Y/n, Jungwon, and a few friends decided to explore a newly opened art gallery in the heart of the city. The group roamed through rooms filled with vibrant paintings and intricate sculptures, each piece invoking a myriad of emotions.

As they meandered through the exhibition, Y/n couldn't help but notice how Jungwon's laughter seemed to light up the room, drawing the attention of everyone around. Y/n admired the way his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he discussed the art with their friends.

Among their group was a newcomer, a girl named Hyejin, who had recently moved to the city. She was vivacious and charismatic, instantly drawing people into her orbit. Hyejin was a whirlwind of energy, her laughter as infectious as Jungwon's, and she seemed to effortlessly captivate everyone she met.

As the group continued to explore the gallery, Y/n noticed that Jungwon and Hyejin had gravitated towards each other. They shared laughs, whispered conversations, and their faces lit up in each other's company. Y/n's heart sank as they watched the two of them grow closer with each passing moment.

The climax of the day occurred when the group stumbled upon an interactive art installation—a mirrored room filled with softly glowing orbs, casting reflections that seemed to stretch into infinity. The group eagerly entered the room, the enchanting atmosphere capturing their imaginations.

Inside the mirrored room, Y/n found themselves standing beside Jungwon. The dim lighting and the ethereal ambience cast a magical spell, making everything feel surreal. Y/n's heart raced as they exchanged glances with Jungwon, their eyes locked for a moment longer than usual.

In the midst of the enchantment, a moment of unexpected intimacy occurred. A sudden movement sent Y/n and Jungwon colliding into each other. Their lips brushed against each other's, and for a fleeting instant, time seemed to stand still.

Gasps of surprise echoed through the mirrored chamber, and the rest of the group turned to witness the accidental kiss. Hyejin's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. She exchanged a swift glance with Jungwon, who was equally taken aback.

Y/n's heart was in turmoil. The kiss, however unintentional, had ignited a spark of hope within them. Maybe, just maybe, Jungwon had feelings for them too. But their moment of hopeful anticipation was shattered when Jungwon quickly turned away, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"I—I'm so sorry," Jungwon stammered, avoiding Y/n's eyes as he stepped back. "That was a complete accident."

The tension in the room was palpable as Y/n forced a smile, their heart heavy with disappointment. "No need to apologize, Jungwon. It was just a mistake."

Hyejin, who had been silently observing the exchange, seized the opportunity to bridge the gap between her and Jungwon. She stepped closer to him, her voice laced with concern. "Jungwon, are you okay?"

Jungwon nodded, his gaze still avoiding Y/n's. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just… let's just finish exploring the gallery."

The rest of the day passed in a strained silence, and the group eventually disbanded, their once-easy camaraderie disrupted by the unexpected kiss. Y/n couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment and heartache that gnawed at them.

Over the next few days, Y/n couldn't help but notice a shift in Jungwon's behavior. He became more distant, and his interactions with Hyejin grew more frequent. They spent hours talking and laughing, often leaving Y/n feeling like a third wheel.

Jealousy simmered within Y/n's heart, a bitter emotion they hadn't anticipated. They had watched Jungwon date others over the years, but this time, it felt different. It felt like they had missed a crucial opportunity, and it was eating them alive.

One evening, Y/n couldn't contain their emotions any longer. They decided to confront Hyejin, hoping to clear the air and perhaps even gain some insight into Jungwon's feelings. They reached out to her and arranged to meet at a nearby cafe.

As they sat across from Hyejin, Y/n struggled to find the right words. "Hyejin, I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the art gallery."

Hyejin nodded, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Sure, Y/n. What's on your mind?"

Taking a deep breath, Y/n ventured, "I just wanted to make sure you know that the kiss between me and Jungwon was completely accidental. It wasn't intentional on either of our parts."

Hyejin's expression remained neutral, but a flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes. "I figured as much. Jungwon made that pretty clear."

Y/n couldn't help but sense an underlying tension in Hyejin's words. "I hope there are no hard feelings, then."

Hyejin leaned in closer, her voice low and intense. "Look, Y/n, I don't want to cause any problems, but you should know that Jungwon and I have been getting closer lately. I really like him, and I think he might feel the same way."

The words struck Y/n like a dagger to the heart. Their worst fears were coming true. "I see," was all they managed to say, their voice trembling.

Hyejin leaned back, her tone softening. "I don't want us to be enemies, Y/n. I just want a chance with Jungwon."

Y/n nodded, tears welling up in their eyes. "I understand, Hyejin. I don't want to stand in your way either."

With that, they left the cafe, their heartache weighing them down. The days that followed were filled with a heavy sense of resignation as they watched Jungwon and Hyejin grow closer and more affectionate.

Their jealousy intensified with each passing moment, but they couldn't bring themselves to interfere. They had already lost Jungwon's attention, and the thought of losing his friendship altogether was unbearable.

One evening, as Y/n walked past a park, they spotted Jungwon and Hyejin sitting together on a bench, their fingers intertwined. Y/n's heart ached as they watched them, feeling like an outsider in their own story.

The final blow came when they overheard a conversation between Jungwon and Hyejin. They were sitting in a nearby cafe, unaware that Y/n was seated at a neighboring table. Their voices carried, and Y/n couldn't help but listen.

Hyejin's voice was filled with excitement as she spoke, "Jungwon, I'm really falling for you. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

Jungwon's response was hesitant,

his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Hyejin, I like you a lot too, but I need time to figure things out."

Y/n's heart sank as they realized that Jungwon had feelings for Hyejin. It was a devastating revelation, confirming their worst fears. They had lost the person they loved to someone else.

The following days were a blur of heartache and misery. Y/n distanced themselves from their friends, unable to bear the sight of Jungwon and Hyejin together. They spent their evenings alone, wallowing in self-pity and grief.

One night, as Y/n was sitting on their balcony, their phone buzzed with a message from Jungwon. It was a simple invitation to meet at their favorite park. Despite the pain in their heart, Y/n couldn't resist the urge to see him one last time.

They met at the park, and Jungwon's face was a mix of concern and sadness. "Y/n, we need to talk."

Y/n nodded, their voice barely a whisper. "I know, Jungwon."

He took a deep breath, his words heavy with regret. "I've been thinking a lot about us, and I realize that I haven't been a good friend to you lately. I'm so sorry for how things have turned out."

Tears welled up in Y/n's eyes as they looked at him, their voice trembling. "I understand, Jungwon. You don't have to apologize for your feelings."

Jungwon's expression was pained as he continued, "Hyejin and I have decided to give our relationship a chance. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Y/n forced a smile, though their heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. "I'll always cherish our friendship, Jungwon. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

With those words, they turned and walked away, unable to bear the weight of their broken heart any longer. The following week was one of solitude and despair as they tried to come to terms with the loss of their friendship with Jungwon.

But fate had one more twist in store for them. One evening, as Y/n was walking through a quiet park, they heard raised voices in the distance. It was Jungwon and Hyejin, engaged in a heated argument.

Curiosity got the better of Y/n, and they approached cautiously, staying hidden from view. Jungwon was furious, his face red with anger as he shouted at Hyejin.

"I can't believe you're so controlling, Hyejin! I need space, and I can't handle your jealousy!"

Hyejin's voice was equally heated as she retorted, "You're the one who's always talking about Y/n, Jungwon! Maybe you're the one who can't let go of the past!"

Their argument escalated, and it became clear that their relationship was on the brink of collapse. Y/n's heart ached as they listened, torn between sympathy for Jungwon and a sense of vindication.

As the argument reached its peak, Y/n couldn't bear to see Jungwon and Hyejin's relationship crumble. They stepped out from their hiding place, their voice trembling as they spoke.

"Enough, both of you! This isn't helping anyone."

Jungwon and Hyejin turned to look at Y/n, surprise and anger in their eyes. Y/n continued, their voice firm.

"You both need to calm down and talk this out. Jealousy and anger will only destroy your relationship further."

Jungwon sighed, his anger abating as he realized Y/n was right. Hyejin, too, took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly.

They all sat down on a bench, and Y/n played the role of mediator as Jungwon and Hyejin aired their grievances and listened to each other. It was a difficult conversation, filled with tears and raw emotions, but it was a necessary one.

As the evening turned into night, it became clear that Jungwon and Hyejin's relationship was on shaky ground. They decided to take a break and give each other space to think things through.

Y/n watched them as they walked away, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that their intervention had cost them Jungwon's anger and the potential reconciliation of his friendship. They had lost him, not to Hyejin, but to the fallout of their fight.

The following week was a lonely one for Y/n. They had lost Jungwon, and the weight of their actions weighed heavily on their conscience. They reached out to him, tried to apologize, but he remained resolute in his anger and silence.

It was a painful lesson in the consequences of their actions and their inability to control the outcome of their feelings. Y/n was left to navigate a world without the friendship they had cherished for so long, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.

As the days turned into weeks, Y/n began to accept the reality of their situation. They had lost Jungwon, and there was no guarantee that they would ever get him back. It was a painful realization, but it was one they had to come to terms with.

Life moved on, as it always did. Y/n continued their studies, found solace in their other friendships, and tried to heal the wounds that had been left behind. But the ache in their heart, the loss of Jungwon, remained a constant presence in their life.

Months passed, and one day, as Y/n was sitting in a cafe, they received a message from an unknown number. It was Jungwon. His message was short and to the point.

"Meet me at the park, Y/n."

Y/n's heart leaped in their chest as they read the message. They had longed for this moment, the chance to finally speak to Jungwon and hopefully mend the rift between them. They replied with a quick "I'll be there," and rushed to the park.

When they arrived, Jungwon was waiting for them on a bench, his expression a mix of anger and sadness. Y/n approached cautiously, their heart pounding with anticipation.

Jungwon spoke first, his voice filled with frustration. "I can't believe you got involved in my relationship, Y/n. You had no right to interfere."

Y/n took a deep breath, their voice calm but pleading. "I'm sorry, Jungwon. I thought I was helping, but I see now that I overstepped. I should have respected your decisions."

Jungwon sighed, his anger slowly dissipating. "It's not just about that, Y/n. It's about us. I felt like you were trying to control my life, and it made me angry."

Tears welled up in Y/n's eyes as they listened to Jungwon's words. "I never wanted to control your life, Jungwon. I just couldn't bear to see you hurt."

Jungwon's expression softened, and he finally met Y/n's gaze. "I know you care about me, Y/n, and I care about you too. But we need to establish boundaries."

Y/n nodded, their voice filled with sincerity. "I understand, Jungwon. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to rebuild our friendship."

With that, they reached out and hugged Jungwon, the weight of their emotions finally lifting. It was a small step towards healing, but it was a step in the right direction.

Over the following weeks, Jungwon and Y/n worked on rebuilding their friendship, this time with clear boundaries and communication. They navigated the complexities of their emotions, and while the romantic feelings between them had dimmed, their bond as friends grew stronger than ever.

As for Hyejin, she and Jungwon decided to part ways amicably, realizing that their relationship had been built on shaky foundations. It was a difficult decision, but one that was best for both of them.

Life had a way of teaching hard lessons, and Y/n had learned that love and friendship were delicate threads that needed to be handled with care. They had lost and regained a cherished friend, and they were determined to cherish the second chance they had been given.

In the end, Y/n realized that love wasn't just about romantic entanglements; it was also about the deep connections and friendships that enriched their life. They had learned to value and protect those connections, knowing that they were worth more than any fleeting romance.

And so, as the seasons changed and life carried on, Y/n and Jungwon's friendship continued to thrive, a testament to the enduring power of forgiveness, understanding, and the bonds that tied them together.

[reallyromealone]

Uhh here's a thing I'm writing, it's the first chapter

Chapter One

Rows of townhouses lined the streets, streetlights illuminated the wet streets, the area recently built as shells of houses could be seen in the distance. The smell of rain leaked through the slightly cracked window as people walked down the sidewalk of the newly developed area; only a few years prior it was empty land. The area was lively, yes but one couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness as they gazed at the carbon copy townhomes without a sense of individuality to spare, the cars parked in the microscopic driveways looked nearly identical.

The developing Township once farmland was unrecognizable, it's once warm atmosphere exchanged for a faceless memory no one could recall, a cheap shot at life.

The sound of the train could be heard in the background, metal clanking against itself as it barreled through the track that connected in the middle of this new development without care, breaking the deafening silence that surrounds the area. Beyond the town stood trees upon trees, primarily oaks but pines could be seen peeking through the darkness as the sound of the wheels hit the wet dirt road, a loud crunching sound from the pebbles hitting the dirt.

Reaching over Dana turned on the radio, wanting to break the silence as music played, the radio station the same as she remembered it. It never could fully connect and had a slightly crackle to it while classical music along with the occasional pop song played through, she remembers when she was younger the hosts for the local radio station could never get along with what they wanted played through the airwaves.

The smell of old tea was faint, her to go cup forgotten as she focused on the shrouded darkness, the lights of her car barely pierced the trees that went on endlessly, no streetlights to guide as the lights of her slightly beat up red van with worn out bumper stickers from her teen years, quotes and references barely legible from years of being on and damage from the elements.

The radios static progressed as she got closer to her grandparents house, the car losing connection with the radio tower that Dana couldn't even remember how far, the clock in her car reading '10:38 pm' in the old digital font, the hazy green from the clock the only thing lighting the car.

Cursing the radio she turned it off, the static now unbearable and distracting.

A single car passed, a beige little car with a slightly rusted grill and a faded license plate that was barely legible.

The back lights of the car lit her car for a second as the car faded from the rearview mirror, she was alone again.

Though it wasn't technically real company, it was nice.

The road felt endless and she almost missed the turn to the house. It was an older house, built in the 1930s with mismatched bricks and white trimmings. She wondered if they installed the Air conditioning like they were talking about on the phone. She hoped so, the rain would only keep the air cool for so long. Parking into the dirt driveway she collected her things from the back, a duffle bag and laptop bag was all she needed.

The ground was muddled from rain, her steps collecting dirt and mud and a light splash from puddles hidden in the night staining her jeans causing her to curse slightly at the mess. Walking up the two wooden steps she looked around, noting the plants hadn't been watered in a few days, something that was strange to her as her grandmother was very particular with her plants.

Three knocks to the oak door she waited for an answer, she knew it was late but someone was home. They never were out past nine pm.

She stood for five minutes before knocking again, turning the knob and realizing it was open "they probably knew I was coming.." she mumbled, no one came around these parts so it made sense, her Grandfather had sleep apnea and her grandmother loved to sleep to the sound of nature so hearing a knock wouldn't be easy.

Keeping quiet she carefully took off her shoes, not wanting to get in trouble for making a mess on the floor as she glanced around before walking to her room. It hadn't changed, the posters from her teen years and girlish bedding and shades of pink and green everywhere and her swimming trophies on a shelf by the window. It hadn't been touched in years but her grandmother obviously came in and dusted, how kind of her. The mirror had photos of high school friends and celebrity crushes and an old concert ticket that was faded out but the words vaguely read Midnight cowboy, it was a good concert.

Setting her bags on the empty desk she changed into clean sleep clothes, Christmas pajama pants and an old shirt from college.

Her bed was cold, the smell of fabric softener fading as her vision clouded into darkness, the exhaustion from the drive overtaking her… she hoped her grandmother would make her something for breakfast tomorrow.

[yellowwithalisp]

Hidden Immunity (Wesker x Fem! Reader)

You are a simple S.T.A.R.S member just trying to live your life. But your past keeps finding ways to make you scream in the dark….

(Hello! Each chapter will tend to be about 4000 to 5000 words so updates may be slow! I got this one done in one day so hopefully, I can do this every week! Remember! Wekser x reader requests are still open!! I hope people like the story! - Yellow 💛🌻) (Final count- 5,066 words.)

𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙸𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎- 𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 (𝙸𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝..?) 🖤🔪▪ 𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚡 🥀🖤 𝚂𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜~ 🖤▪ 𝙰𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛: 𝙰𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝: 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗: 𝚁.𝙿.𝙳. 𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕: 𝚂.𝚃.𝙰.𝚁.𝚂 𝙾𝚏𝚏𝚒��𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝟷: 𝚂.𝚃.𝙰.𝚁.𝚂 𝙾𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝟸: 𝙲𝚘𝚙 𝚌𝚊𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎: 𝚂.𝚃.𝙰.𝚁.𝚂 𝙾𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢: 🖤🔪▪ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 🖤🔪▪ 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧.

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The thunder always keeps me up. Ever since the installment back in Russia. I've never been able to sleep during them. I push aside the old quilts and slowly sat up. My feet hit the wood floors of my apartment. Moving to Racoon City was easy. Getting used to how much rain there was a bit hard but I managed. And now it's been years secs the move and I'm still not used to it. I pushed myself off of my bead and walked over to my dresser and started at the mirror above my dresser. I look up and place a hand on my face. It looked like I haven't gotten sleep in days. Which is true but, no one needed to know that. I moved and walked over to my closet and grabbed my S.T.A.R.S uniform and my coat with the S.T.A.R.S. Logo on the back of it. I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep I know that for sure. I can hear the echo of the monsters from that day in the back of my mind. I was just a little girl when it all happen. Why did it have to happen to my family? I could ask that question a thousand times and l never get a response back. I fixed my coat and pulled the hood over my head as I grab my bag and made my way to the front door. My shoes hit the wooden floor as I walked out. Grabbing my keys and it locked my door behind me. I looked at my watch. It was about 2 in the morning. I would still be able to get into work than start… 5 hours early? I just wouldn't clock in at 2 and don't at 7. With my apartment being a couple of blocks away from work it made walking there a bit easier. I keep my hood up as I entered the rainy streets of Racoon City. The heavy rain hit my hood and the streets. My hands were deep in my costs pocket as I walked through the rain. Cars passed by as they splashed more water on my foot. I stopped walking for a moment as I glared at the person driving by before um clinching my fist and continuing my walk to work. I could always type up Chris's reports and how I was the only one able to read his handwriting. It's something that Chaptan Wesker has been ordering Chris to do but he hasn't done it yet. My fave light up slightly as the thought of the captain came into my mind. No doubt I had a small crush on the man. I mean- who couldn't with a voice like that? Not to mention a figure like his. He was all-around good-looking but he was my captain. And since the rumors about the Cheuf have been going around. A working relationship wouldn't be the best thing for now. Not to my chin that this is bloody Wesker who has never shown an interest in anyone at all. I shook my head to regain my focus and continued walking in the rain. Soon enough I did make it to the RPD. I pulled open the doors and walked into the quiet main entry. The front desk worker looked up from his desk and blinked.

"lady (Y/N)! Your here-" he stop and looked at the time on the front desk computer. "- good lord what are you doing here this early? Don't tell me the Cheif called you in too?"

I smiled at Mister Robert. He was always such a kind soul at the front desk. He always worked long hours and never complained about it. He was the grandfather to all the cops and S.T.A.R.S workers. I stopped walking and pulled down my hood.

"Called in too? Was someone called in this early?"

"Yeah. Captain Wesker. And he was not happy about it."

I walked over to the sign in heat and didn't see his name there. Makes sense, Captain Wesker never sighed in. So often times Mister Robert would have to do it for him. You can tell their different handwriting. Wesley was fancy. Mister Robert looked even fancier. I signed in and looked at him.

"Do you have any reason why?"

"Not a clue my dear. But he was not happy."

I blinked and tend my hard over to the wall on the second floor where the Chief's office was on the other side. I said my goodbye as I made my way up the stairs and took a left to make my way past the bathroom and to the S.T.A.R.S office. With Wekser being here the office should be unlocked. I opened the door and tended on the lights. Walking over to my desk which was by Rebecca's desk and set my bag down. Taking my coat off and setting it over my chair as I walked over to Chris's desk and pulled out the vanilla folder sitting at his desk.1 walked over to my desk and opened it as I started up my computer. After about 40 minutes of struggling to read Chris's handwriting. I printed out the redone reports and set them back on Chris's desk for him. I then stood up and grab some of the unorganized folders and set them out on the floor as I began to sort them out. This was work no one else wanted to do and I might as well get it done now before people started to come in. The room was quiet with the sound of the computers humming and a few random beeping sounds. It was odd not having others in here but also nice. I didn't have to hear more of Chris's bad jokes for the moment. But what did interrupt me was a set of footprints heading in my direction. I could tell t were Weksers, and there were slightly more headers than normal so I assume the meeting with the Chief went badly. I just hope the guy didn't call him " Bert " again. The last time that happen it was a hard day for everyone. I looked up at the door as Wekser forcibly opened the door grumbling under his breath before he stopped in her tracks and stared at me. On. The ground with folders and papers around me. He stared at me, looked down at his watch, then looked back at me without saying a word.

"… (L/N). It's 3:27 in the morning."

"…. I couldn't sleep."

He stared at me as he let out a sigh. Turning his head as he started to walk over to his office as I finished working on the paperwork. I know that he was going to scold me for doing Barry and Jill's work. But it's been unfinished for so long. At least now old mission reports and details would actually be able to be found by someone. A lot easier for mission debriefing as well. I know poor Rebecca was looking for one of the reports but it was never in the right folder. At least now she could actually go find it and finish whatever it was she was working on. I heard him close the door as I continued to work on organizing the miss of papers. From recent mission records to older ones, I could see why no one wanted to do this. It was a lot. I guess there was one good thing that came out of me not being able to sleep. But still, my mind wandered to the captain as my eyes glanced over at his closed office door. I could tell that he was upset. I mean the Chief has been a lot harder on him since he hired me. The Chief wasn't a good guy who didn't really trust anyone from Russia to join the force but Wesker hired me for my sniping skills and my linguist skills. Being able to speak Russian, English, and Spanish did come in handy at times. Like insulting the Chief under my breath when he can't hear me. Or when we're dealing with someone from out of the US. There have been a few rescue missions where Wesker let me do most of the talking and help to calm the victims down. He trusted my translations and my ability to help keep them calm and give them direct orders to help get them out of the current situation. I let my mind wander for a bit before I looked down at the pile of reaming work to organize. I was almost done and started cleaning up the last bit of the folders letting old memories run through my mind. Putting the folders back onto the shelf, I took a step back and smiled at my work. It was no longer a big mess to deal with. Barry and Jill will just have to own me a few favors next time I need something.

B O O M!!

I jumped at the sound of the loud thunder. The rain was only slightly blocked out due to the S.T.A.R.S being an interior office but that under was louder than the ones before. I looked over the S.T.A.R.S office door. I wish the storm would go away soon. This weather was driving me crazy, it made doing the night petrol also harder. Night petrol was often rotated for it to be even. I walked over to my desk again and went to my computer. This rain keep reminding me of that bloody night when I was just a child… I didn't full know what was happening at the time but… If I could go back and change things… Maybe my mother and father would still be alive today…

It was a big place. Lots of people in pretty dresses and outfits were around. I stood by mama holding her hand. Papa was talking to a man with two other men standing by him.

" ████ ███ ██ ███ ███? "

" ███████ ██████ ████ ████████ ████████ "

" ███ ███ █ ██ ████. "

I looked from mama to papa talking to the man in the lab coat.

" ███ ████ ████ ████ ██ ██ ████ ██. "

" ███ ███ ████ ██ ████ ████ ██ ████. "

I frowned as I looked up at mama as she held my hand gently.

" ██ ██ ████ █████ ██ █████ █████. "

" ████ ███ █████ ██ ████. "

Mama said as she leaned down and picked me up.

" ████ ███████ ███████. ██ █████ ████ ████ ██ ████ ███████. "

" ████ █████ █████- "

" (L/N). "

I jumped at the sound of Wesker's voice as I turned and looked at him. I was drifting off just staring blankly at a wall I never even saw him leave his office and walk over to me. I'm normally better at not doing that. It's this bloody rain reminding me of memories I pushed deep in the back of my mind. And the captain caught me staring off… He looked confused as to why I was staring at the Wall ahead of me. I blinked before turning fully to face him. Knowing that this could go one of either way, either I get in trouble for spacing out. Or he is going to give me more work to do.

" Ah- sorry sir I was thinking about something. "

I said nervously as I looked up at him. He opened his mouth and then softly closed it. He seems indecisive about what to say before finally deciding on what to say before he finally spoke..

" You typed up Redfield's reports. "

I blinked- I didn't even know he came back out to grab the folder. How long was I spacing out? I could have sworn it was only for a few moments. I smiled nervously before I rubbed the back of my head. If he finds out I did both Barry, Jill, and Chris's task I would be in trouble.

"Um- I had nothing to do with- "

" When did you clock in (L/N). "

" When did you clock in? Mister Robert said that you didn't sign in. Again. You know you have to sign it too right? I've only ever seen you do it twice since I started working here. And as nice handwriting as Mister Robert has. Aren't you just going to get into more trouble by not doing it? "

He let out an annoyed sigh as he closed his eyes for a brief moment and lowered his head slightly. He knew that he wasn't going to get an answer from me. So he held up the file with the reports in it in front of me.

" If you're going to lie. Get better at it. Redfield doesn't write his reports correctly (L/N). "

He said as he stared at me. Crap, he knew from the start. I should have copied it to word form word but. Chris's way of filling stuff hurts my brain too much. Translating it was hard enough, writing it back in that horrible way he does it was too much work to do this early in the morning. I rubbed my right arm nervously as I have him a nervous smile.

" How- dooo you know that Chris didn't start following directions? " . . . . . .

He stared at me as if I had just said the most stupidest thing in the world. Which I kind of just did but that's not the point. We both knew I've been found out. I was just trying to postpone the next subject at hand for as long as possible. Him scolding me for doing their work that they needed to do on their own. This wouldn't be so bad if this was the first time he's caught me doing this…. This is now the fourth time he's caught me doing this.

" Stop doing his work for him (L/N). He needs to do it on his own. As for the report files. You know that Berry and Jill we're meant to go through their files and sort them out on their own. "

My nervous smile stayed on my face. I know he was right, but it was bothering me that it wasn't done yet. I could tell it was bothering him to with the sigh he let out. I think he was more upset about doing Barry and Jill's work than Chris's work. Even the captain can't read Chris's handwriting so it made his job just a little bit easier. It was one less thing he had to do.

" If you wish to help organize things then you may follow me. "

He said as he turns and walked back into his office. My feet moved before my brain could process what was happening. He handed me some. older files and asked me to organize them as he sat down in his office chair. I nod my head and sat down in the chair in front of his desk as I started to work. The sound of him typing in the background was calming for me, being around him had a calming ora about him. It wasn't often that we were all alone like this. And he normally would send me back to my desk with work to do instead of keeping me in his office. I assumed he wanted to make sure I was doing things correctly and not drifting off again. I don't do that often but it has been pointed out by others that it's harder for me to work when it's raining. People joke about my brain not liking the rain, and as much as I wish that was true. I knew that it was because I could never put that night deep within without it showing back up as soon as the rain begins to fall. It has happened on many missions where I was paired up with him. It would start to rain and Wesker would have me paired up with him or with someone. I never told anyone what happen that night. As far as their concerns they don't need to know, They just think I moved to the US for a fresh start. He would help keep me calm and focused on the task ahead. He was a good leader, even if he was a bit harsh or hard to talk to.

" (L/N)- "

He started as I handed him the folder back to him. He stopped and took the folder back and put the folder back into the filing cabinet. By now it was close to 5 and, neither of us seemed to be going back home to get what little sleep was left before our shifts actually started.

"…. Why did the Chief call you in this early? "

I asked as he grabbed some of his unfinished paperwork and pin. I knew that there were things that he couldn't talk about so I didn't really expect him to answer me as he started to write. Out of all of us, his handwriting was the nicest. It was nice to look at which made reading things form bit nicer.

" What we discuss is classified information (L/N). "

I nod as I start to stand up to go back to my desk. He keeps his eyes on his unfinished work but spoke. I figured as much. He did seem pretty angry when he entered the office. so I couldn't help but wonder what the Chief said to get him so worked up like that. It was a rare sight to see him like that and he probably didn't think anyone else was in the office to see it when he came in. I never did come in this early after all. Even when I did. No one arrived before Wesker. Most time it was me and Rebecca walking in at the same time. She was a sweet girl with a bright future ahead of her. She was the one to patch us all up whenever we came back from a mission or Chris did a stupid.

" What about you (L/N). "

He pulled me out of my thoughts again as I looked at him, his attraction still on his work. I closed my eyes and gave him a nervous smile.

" I um- couldn't sleep. I only got in a little bit ago- "

" Do tell me, how 2:56 in the morning a little bit ago? "

He asked as his pin glided along the paper. A nervous look grew on my face- how did he know I was here?

" Mister Larson said that you were still here and what time you arrived. "

He said as he flipped the now finished page and started working on the one beneath it. I looked at him, not sure what to say yet.

" He told me to send you home. "

He paused his writing for just a moment considering Mister Robert's words before going back to filling out his work. I looked away slightly aw a rubbed my arm again. Another loud thunder echoed into the room making me flinch. Making Wesker stop his writing and look up at me. I quickly looked back at him with a nervous smile before another echoed and made me jump again. Wesker stared at me before looking back at his leftover paperwork.

" Did you walk here (L/N). "

He asked as I quickly looked back at him.

" Um- Yeah. But it's ok! I don't mind walking in the- "

B O O M

I jumped, letting out a small squeak. This storm wasn't easing up at all!!? It sounded like it was getting worse by the minute! What was worse was I was flinching in front of Wesker. I was never gonna live this down and I knew it, it may be just us here but I know that he was not going to forget about this any time soon. He was still looking down at the papers and writing on them before he stop. Setting his pin down and pushing his chair back.

" Ah- s-sir? "

I shuddered as he stood up and walked past me to retrieve his coat, I tuned as my eyes followed him confused.

" Go grab your coat and bag (L/N). You are to come in at your scheduled time tomorrow is that clear. "

He ordered me as he started to zip up his own coat. I stuttered as I tried to tell him that I was fine for work but he didn't say anything and gave me the Wesker look. With that, I knew it was better to grab my things than to try to argue with Wesker. Walking past him quickly and over to my desk. I put on my S.T.A.R.S coat then tossed my bag over my shoulder. Wesker had walked out of his office and turn to lock the door as I made sure that I had everything. I walked over to the office door as Wesker followed behind me. Opening the door and walking out as Wesker turned around a shut off the lights as well as locking the door.

" Um… Captian sir? "

I mumbled as he started walking down the hall toward where the restroom was. I quickly took off so that I could catch up to him. When he knows where he's going he tends to go into autopilot mode and make a b line to wherever it is he's going to. I keep looking ahead to where we were walking, then slightly up at him. From the side, it was easier to see his blue eyes that I never get to see. No one gets to see them. Those glasses are always on his face. Chris and Barry have even made bets that he has them on during sex. Of course, we'll never know but. It's not like Wesker would just tell any of us things like that. The team can even get the guy to join them for drinks every Tuesday night. We made out way back into the main entry and I watched as Wesker made his way over to where the cop cars were kept. He paused and looked back over at me to see if I was still following. He looked slightly annoyed that I had stopped so I quickly rushed over to him again before he started walking.

" Cap… Tain? "

I mumbled confused as he walked over to the garage. I looked over at Mister Robert who simply smiled and waved at me. I returned the smile and wave before quickly moving to not keep Wesker waiting any longer. He grab a set of keys and he walked into the garage as I followed close behind him. Unlocking one of the cars he waited for me to get in on the other side which I quickly do so. He get into the car fully and closed the door. We both buckle in out seatbelts before he started the car and turn on the headlights. I heard him turn on the radio as he shifted the car into reverse.

"-white male in a black car driving drunk by highway 11. Not sure about weapons. white male in a black vest in a black car-"

"- 24, 10-16 in progress -"

"-10-4-"

"- 14-12?-"

"-14-12-?"

"-14-23?-"

"-14 negicve-"

It was still early in the morning and the radio chatter was already going off. Wesker pulled the car back and started to make his way toward the exit of the garage. The sound of the rain hitting the roof of the car wasn't that calming to me at the moment. It was getting worse fast, and as much as I am capable of walking home. Wesker was a better driver in this weather than I ever was. I looked over at him as some of the street lights moved pasted Wesker, some of it reflecting off of his glasses for a moment before there went away as we drove past him.

" Um- I should give you my address- "

" I know where you live (Y/N). "

He simply said as it made me blush very lightly. Right, guess he would know where all his team members lived. It was listed in our files where we all lived after all. He pulled over to the entryway before putting the car into park so I could get out. The radio chatter grew as he grabbed the radio and replied to it as I got out. I couldn't exactly hear what he said into it as I turned around.

"Th-Thank you, captain sir-"

I said as he said nothing but nodded slightly before I closed the door. He stayed parked them till he saw me get all the way into the entry way of the apartment and behind the lock set of doors before he turned on his siren and pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. I watched him go as the red was still on my face. Slowly turning away and walking over to the elevator and pressing the button calling it. As I waited I walked over to the mailbox and grabbed the few letters that were there before I heard the ding of the levator. I quickly walked into it and press the 4th-floor button as the door closed. Waiting for it to arrive before the doors opened again and I rushed out and made a b line to my home. Pulling out the keys from my pocket and fumbling with them as I somehow manage to unlock my door and get inside. I turn on one of the laps and read who the letters were from as I set down my bag. They were from my father. It was almost enough for me to ripe them up and throw the out. But he wouldn't contact me if it wasn't important. I simply set them on the table and would deal with them later. Making my way to my room as I started to take off my clothes and put on a silk nightgown. I claimed into bed and try to get some sleep. And if I couldn't sleep. Try to keep the very attractive Wesker out of my mind and not have a certain type of dream about him and I. I grumbled as I grab my quilt and threw it over my head as I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep. - 🖤-

" Ah- (Y/N)! There you are! We were worried when we didn't see you yesterday! "

Rebecca treated me as I walked to my desk with a tired smile. I didn't exactly know how to explain what happen yesterday. So I smiled at her.

" Oh- I'm ok- I just- "

" (L/N) has been walking home in the rain and got sick. "

A voice spoke behind me as I jumped slightly. Turning around in my seat and I saw Wesker standing there handing me some reports he wanted to be filled out. Rebecca looked at him and then back at me as I took the papers from him.

" You been doing what now!? You own a car, don't you? Why have you been walking in this weather? "

"H-hey come on now- cut me some slack. I just wanted to get some more steps in. "

" But that's something dumb that Chris would do! "

" Hey! I'm right here you know? "

Rebecca rolled her eyes at Chris's comment but then quickly placed her hand on my forehead to feel my temp.

" She's fine Miss. Chambers. "

I could hear Wesker say as he walked away from our desk and over to Jill to get some papers back form her. Rebecca sat back down in her chair and looked at me.

" Well, you no longer have a temp. That's good! But you missed the big announcement yesterday. "

She said as I started to turn my chair and face my desk with he papers in hand.

" Oh yeah? What was it? Another girl turned down Chris in front of everyone again? "

" hEY!! "

Rebecca rolled her eyes and shook her head.

" The RPD charity ball is happening in a few weeks! It's meant to be a big event! "

I stared at her before I let out a small nervous chuckle. Rebecca blinked and looked concerned.

" (Y/N)? Are you ok? "

She asked me before in seconds I slammed my face hard onto my desk Making her and everyone around us but Wesekr jump.

" Mouse- what the hell?! " " (Y/N) what happen!? " " KId?! " " Wha- (Y/N)?! A-are you ok!! Let me look at your nose!! "

Rebecca said as she frantically pulled me up and looked over at my nose.

" Your bleeding!! Stay here I'll go get something to stop the bleeding! "

She said quickly as Chris, Jill, and Barry quickly walked over to me.

" G-guys- I'm fine really! It's just a bloody nose. "

"Mouse you just slammed your face into your desk!? "

Chris said as he looked worried at me. Jill and Barry look even more confused as Wesker turned his head over to watch us as Rebecca got back with some herbs and supplies. Wesker raised a slight eyebrow over at my direction but I was too busy trying to calm the other down to see it.

" Really I'm fine guys- oW!! Becca?! "

" Hold still! This is why you need to stop being paired up with Chris! It's affecting you! "

" What- Becca?1! "

Chris said offended as Jill looked over at him.

" Is she wrong? "

"You're not helping Jill-"

" (L/N). "

I jump at the sound of Weskers voice. He sounded annoyed. I looked over at him past Rebecca standing by his office.

" My office. "

He said coldly as he walked into his office and shut the door. Everyone watched him walk away. Then looked back at him. The universal sign for. "I was fucked."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 𝘖𝘴 𝘪𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘮, 𝘌𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢 𝘦𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘮.

𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘪 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘮, 𝘘𝘶𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘶𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘦.

𝘒𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘒𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦, 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯