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royallyprincesslilly · 4 years

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Title: Sin In The City {3}****

OFC Nalani x Lewis Tan x OFC Lynix Mini Series

Warning: Cursing, NSFW AT ALL, SMUUUUT, FILTH, Threesome, Girl on Girl Action, PLENTY OF WORDS, Grocery Eating 😉, First Person POV

Words: 12.9k 🤣🤣

Summary: Nalani and Lynix have been friends since they first grew hips and tits. They do everything together. When Lewis tells Nalani that he’s in Vegas for the weekend and invites her to come out, she jumps at the chance, especially when Lewis says the more, the merrier to bringing Nix along. The long weekend goes from a fun time to putting the “sin” in Sin City thanks to a secret plot Nalani concocts.

Note: As you know @munteanhorewrites and I are HUUUUGE Lewis Tan fans. The man is just absolute deliciousness and the whole entire package. So, Ru and I got to talking about him currently being in Vegas for the long weekend, and we thought, why not treat you guys while indulging ourselves. This is going to be a four-shot miniseries where Ru and I will each write two chapters for the four-day weekend of sheer debauchery. Thank you @munteanhorewrites for suggesting we combine our evil powers. Mwhahahaha! 😈😈

We hope you enjoy this. As always, thank you guys so much for reading. ❤️❤️

If you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG.

Note 2: Bold Italics are an internal thought. Plain Italics are a memory. Plain Bold text messages. Please excuse the slip ups with “I” and “your”. I would have checked it but I was exhausted! 😭

Chapter Legend:

-Chapter One: @royallyprincesslilly

-Chapter Two: @munteanhorewrites

-Chapter Three: @royallyprincesslilly

-Chapter Four: @munteanhorewrites

***NOT Edited/Proofread***

***Interactive***

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Chapter Three: Thirst Comes at You Fast

-Nix-

Groaning, I rolled onto my back for the umpteenth time. The brightness of the sun was blinding, and it was even worse because you had barely slept a wink. Thanks to what I’d seen last night, I tossed and turned and had the most salacious dreams I’d had in a long time. If I were honest, those dreams were downright filthy even by your standards. Now I wasn’t some innocent little thing. Not in the least, but over the last night, I’d dreamt of so many things.

It began with sitting on the couch right in front of those large windows and watching the show Lani and Lewis were putting on. I imagined sitting there with one of those expensive bottles of champagne just sipping as Lani took every inch of him down her throat. From the looks of him, she was taking quite a few inches and then some. The way he stared at me was unlike the way anyone had looked at me.

I could tell that Lani was doing an excellent job from how his lips curled up at the side and how every so often his he grunted, making it echo over the waters of the pool. It was the sexiest sound I’d heard in a long time, and it should have been shameful how quickly it made me wet, but I felt no shame. All I felt the entire night was the slickness between my thighs that never seemed to go away, the heat in the bed though the air conditioner was on all night, and the sheets were silk and always remained cool. Whenever I found a comfortable spot, I had to roll seconds later because of the intense desire that coursed through me. It was frustrating, to say the least.

There were three things that made me cranky and bitchy. One, when I was over hungry. Two, when I was exhausted. Three, when I was horny with no way to relieve myself. This morning I’d found myself struggling with numbers two and three, and one was steadily creeping up on me. As I showered, I still couldn’t get what I’d witnessed last night out of my mind. This time I zeroed in on the way Lewis had gripped Lani’s head and fucked her throat. The sounds coming from her made it seem like he was hitting places in her throat she’d never known.

Without even realizing it, my hand crept down my belly to the apex of my thighs. Quickly, I pulled my hand away and hit the tiled wall.

“Fuck! This cannot be happening.”

My head ran to Lani’s words from the other day.

“How would you feel about a threesome with me and Lewis.”

She was serious. I knew it from the look in her eyes. When Lani was serious about something, she had this determined look.

“You don’t need to be alone. It can be a one off thing. I’ll take care of you; Lewis will take care of you. It’ll be fun.”

The thought of that had me pausing as the soap washed from my body. If I was honest with myself, that didn’t sound half bad. There were benefits of threesomes; I thought to myself as I tried to formulate a list of pros and cons.

“Pro, complete pleasure on all fronts.”

Just thinking of the possibilities for pleasure had goosebumps peppering my skin. As soon as I began thinking about that pleasure, I thought of a con.

“Con, pity fuck.”

That was all it took for me to eighty-six the idea and finish up with my shower. Once out, I tackled the daunting task of my hair. That alone usually took me almost an hour, depending on the style I chose. Today I wanted something sleeker, which meant busting out my flat iron. Deciding on a chill look for the day, I opted for as little makeup as possible before making it to my luggage to choose my outfit for the day.

Once I made it downstairs, I could smell the food and coffee and knew that Lani and Lewis had probably already started without me. It was fine. I needed that extra time to myself to steel myself to be in the same room as him, especially after last night. When I descended the steps and turned into the dining area, Lani was the first to see me. Her face brightened like the sun after a sun shower as she got up and made her way to me.

When she threw her arms around me, I returned the embrace. From behind her, Lewis sat at the table still. His eyes met mine, and again, the look in them was enough to light a match on sight. He was the one to look away first, though.

“You decided to take your sweet time this morning,” Lani teased.

“Yeah, I just needed some me time.”

Lani peeped into my eyes while crinkling her brow, nonverbally asking if I was okay. Giving her a soft smile, I rubbed her back.

“I’m good best friend.”

The two of you walked back to the table. Lani walked around it to sit beside Lewis again.

“Good morning Nix.”

The way he said my name made butterflies flit in my belly. Swallowing the small lump that had formed in your throat, I spoke. “Good morning.”

Once I was sitting, I reached for the orange juice pitcher. If I were lucky, it would be mimosas. Pouring it into the glass, I took a small sip and sighed. Bingo, I thought.

“How’d you sleep?”

Glancing at him, I nodded. “Great. I mean, not great, but fine.”

“What happened?”

Lani was pouting now.

“Nothing really, just tossed for a bit. It was so damn hot,” I informed as I piled my plate with an assortment of the food on the table.

“I wasn’t hot last night. It was cold. I had to snuggle close to Lew,” Lani expressed.

“Yeah. We were fine. Maybe it’s one of those things you just have to—ride,” Lewis suggested.

I could feel his eyes on me, and ninety-five percent of me said don’t look up, don’t chance it to find out. The other five percent said just take a peek; that one peek won’t hurt. It was that five percent I listened to. When I looked at him, he’d just popped a strawberry into his mouth. My eyes instantly dropped to his lips, and I watched him chew the fruit. He did it impossibly slow. When he snaked his tongue out to lick his lips, I could have come just like that. When I looked back to Lewis’s face, his eyes were on me.

The way he looked at me had a fire creeping up my spine so slowly that its burn felt like a blaze that fanned out throughout your body. He knew he had sex appeal, and from his look alone, he knew how to use it as a weapon.

“So--,” Lani stretched out bring my attention to her.

“Maybe we should talk about the elephant in the room.”

Crinkling my brow, I put a piece of the strawberry pancakes that were in front of me into my mouth.

“Last night. Me and Lew. You saw,” Lani enlightened.

My eyes dropped back to my plate as I pretended to intently focus on swirling the strawberries around in the strawberry syrup and powdered sugar mixture.

“It’s okay, Nix; you don’t have to be embarrassed about it. We didn’t think,” Lani explained.

“It’s fine. It’s his penthouse and your—you can do whatever.”

“Funny choice of words,” Lewis murmured before he tilted his head back and dropped a few blueberries into his mouth.

Glancing at him, I saw Lani rest her hand atop his chest as she smiled then whispered something in his ear. Lewis smiled and kissed her. Watching the carnal kiss between them, I couldn’t look away. As I was going to, Lewis’s eyes met yours again. It was probably one of the most sinful things you’d seen. As he was passionately kissing Lani, he was giving me eyes that said come join in.

I have to be imagining that.

Lowering my eyes, I focused on the food and tried to ignore the moans across the table. I usually wasn’t a prude, I was pretty free with my body and inhibitions, but I felt as if I were crowding them for some reason. Like I shouldn’t be there.

“So--,” Lani began again a sing-song in her voice.

She was in such a good mood. Why wouldn’t she be? The effort I’d seen her put into getting all that thing in her mouth said he gave her several inches of reasons to be happy.

“It’s cool, Lani, I understand. What’s the plan for the day?”

Lewis and Lani looked at each other and smirked before Lani sly shrugged.

“I thought we could hop on some ATVs and ride through the desert,” Lewis piped up.

Lani’s eyes widened at the same time mine did.

“That sounds so fun but dirty,” Lani said.

“Getting dirty is all the fun,” Lewis said at the same time I did. Our eyes met again, and I saw the playfulness in them.

“See, Nix gets it,” Lewis added, making you smirk.

“Okay, ATVs in the desert it is,” Lani confirmed at the same time my phone rang.

Glancing down, I realized it was Cesar. I would have rolled my eyes, but right now, I needed the distraction.

“I’m gonna--,” I began pointing to my phone.

“Yeah, you can use the office around the corner if you need some privacy,” Lewis offered.

I rose from the table with my phone in hand and made my way to the office. Before I turned the corner, I heard Lani shout after me.

“That better not be Caesar’s clingy ass. I rebuke him!”

Pinching my lips, I dipped into the room but heard Lewis’s voice before I pulled up the door just a bit.

“Who’s Caesar?”

Leaning on the edge of the executive size desk, I looked out the window and answered.

“Hey, Caesar.”

“Hey there, angel face.”

The sound of the pet name he’d always called me had me smiling for a few moments.

“I went by your apartment earlier. Were you asleep?”

“No, I’m not in Miami.”

The silence on the line stretched.

“Oh yeah? Where you at?”

I thought about it for a little while. Caesar was a jealous guy. He was also territorial. It always led to an argument of some sort. At times I didn’t mind it, but other times, it was a pain in the ass.

“Nix,” Caesar breeched.

“Vegas for the weekend,” I replied.

“You alone, or is Lani with you?”

“What’s with all the questions?”

“I just miss you. I wanted to spend some time together.”

I walked closer to the floor to ceiling window and gazed out over the view of Vegas. The sin in sin city was resting for now, but I knew it would awaken once again by the time six hit.

“C, we talked--,” I began before he cut me off.

“You’re tryna tell me you don’t miss me?”

I almost laughed out loud. I didn’t miss him per se.

“C, let’s not do this.”

“Wow, Nix. Are you fucking kidding me? For the last month and a half, we’ve been working on getting back together.”

“You’ve been working for that, C,” I thundered before lowering my voice a tad bit lower to continue. “You’ve been the one fueling this. I told you that I wasn’t sure. I told you that it might not be a good idea.”

“What am I supposed to listen to? Your words or you spending nights at my apartment?”

He was right. I’d muddied the waters by turning him into my sporadic fuck buddy even though I knew it was a bad idea.

“Horniness was the root of all evil and bad decisions,” I whispered out, pressing my forehead to the glass.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, C. Look, how about we talk when--.”

“Everything okay in here?”

Glancing back, I saw Lewis filling the doorframe. He wore a pair of dark ripped jeans that hugged his long legs so well and a black short-sleeve Henley that accentuated the size of his biceps and showed off how good of a shape he was in. Unconsciously my teeth sunk into my bottom lip. He looked fucking good.

“Who the fuck is that? You said it was you and Lani.”

Cesar’s voice was so loud it had me coming to my senses. I pulled my eyes from Lewis and looked back out the window.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” I replied to Lewis before responding to Cesar. “C, we’ll talk when I get back.”

“No, who the fuck is that? Nix, don’t play with me,” Cesar cautioned. I could hear the jealously in his voice.

“We’re ready to go. Thought I’d come to get you,” Lewis informed.

“Yeah. C, I gotta go.”

Before Cesar could respond, I ended the call and sighed out.

“Are you okay?”

His voice was coming from behind me. When I turned, he was resting on the desk with one leg up and the other planted on the floor.

“Uh—yeah, fine,” I lied.

“You don’t look okay. You didn’t sound okay a little while ago. I hear you shouting.”

Nodding, I shrugged, trying to play off your annoyance. It was your own fault.

“Boyfriend?”

“I told you, I don’t have one of those.”

Lewis nodded and sipped from the glass I just realized he held. From where I stood, it smelled tropical, and you guessed it was some fruit juice.

“Okay, so not a boyfriend—maybe a friend with benefits?”

Lewis quickly clenched his jaw. It was so quick I almost missed it. That one action had my interest piquing all the way up. What was that for?

“I don’t have one of those either. He was a horny mistake,” I admitted before turning my back to him again.

“Ah, horniness. I see. You settled, and now you can’t get rid of him. Sucks to be you.”

I felt his breath brush against my ear, and the scent of pineapple and grapefruit hit your nose. I could also feel the warmth from his body. He was close. Holding my breath, I kept my body as still as possible and waited for the moment to pass.

Lewis now stood beside me, looking out the vast windows you were. Neither of you spoke. You focused on the tease in his voice. He was taunting me. Every so often, the soft clinking of ice against crystal echoed in the room, reminding me that I wasn’t alone. Not that I could ever think that. His scent was too powerful. He smelled earthy like he walked through the thick of Guam's forests, then went to the mountains of Tibet to soak up the scent of freshly fallen snow and fresh air. To top it off, I could pick up faint traces of salt. Not cooking salt but the salt of the ocean. The other subtle hints of rose and some exotic flower only made him that more delectably alluring. It was such a good scent.

“In life, I’ve learned that lesson. Never settle. No matter what it is, never settle. You deserve the best, and the best will come.”

I looked at him at the same moment he looked at me. Our eyes lingered, but we didn’t speak. There didn’t feel like there was a need to.

“Plus, you’re too beautiful for the universe not to bend to your will,” Lewis finished.

My belly fluttered, and without even realizing it, my body swayed sideways. By the time I realized it, I was leaning so far sideway that I lost my balance. With reflexes like nothing I’d ever seen before, Lewis reached out and caught me, pulling me to his body. That was when my skin decided to shoot fire throughout my body. The beauty in his cognac eyes only served as another distracting factor. Now that I was closer, the scents that were subtle before were now more prominent.

I wonder if he tastes like the sea.

The thought was a quick one, but it also quickly ruined you. Feeling my nipples bead underneath my thin shirt, I silently prayed he was none the wiser. A flicker of fire sparked in his eyes that made them appear slightly darker. I watched his tongue slowly snake across his full bottom lip. He was wiser. He’d noticed.

Before he could speak, I pulled away but did it a little too quickly. Lewis’s hand slid from my back to my hips and steadied me. Once I was steady, he didn’t lower them; instead, I felt him squeeze my shapely hips. I thought of moving but I couldn’t. Seconds later, it was Lewis who stepped back, dousing that magnetic energy between you that had encompassed the room.

“Em—you might wanna--change for the desert,” Lewis suggested.

Without a word, I walked out of the room and hurried to my room, the whole time admonishing myself for whatever the hell that was.

Once the three of us got into the chauffeured car, I’d managed to pull myself together and find my chill and detachment. I kept one ear on the conversation in the car, so I could respond when needed. For the most part, I was lost, creating a new blog post about your weekend while going through comments on your post on IG yesterday. You were going to ignore the hot man in the car as long as you could.

When the car rolled up to our destination, my jaw dropped. For as far as I could see, there was nothing but sand. It gave me a sense of peacefulness.

“This is gonna be so lit,” Lewis said as he clapped his hands before he dropped a heavy-handed slap to Lani’s ass, making her squeal and giggle.

“Lewis,” Lani whined as he led the way chuckling to himself.

For the next fifteen minutes, we listened to the rules, safety precautions, and expectations. After there was a quick demo on how to operate the ATV, then we all signed waivers. Once the formalities were out of the way, each of us ran to an ATV. The one I chose was a camo printed one that looked so badass. I was so excited, and once I climbed on, I glanced over to Lewis, whose eyes were already on you, but they were not looking at my eyes. They were much lower on your ass. Scoffing, I shook my head then revved my engine.

“Get into it!”

With that, I sped off, leaving Lewis and Lani in my wake. It didn’t take long for Lani to pull up beside you. she shouted out into the open air then sputtered, spitting out sand. I couldn’t help but laugh at her. Hearing a sound on the other side of me, I turned and saw Lewis. He was now in a tank with his shirt tied around his mouth like a mask. Genius, I thought. I could hear his muffled words but couldn’t make them out. Shrugging, I spoke into my helmet mouth guard.

“Sorry, can’t hear you above the sound of you eating my dust!”

Picking up the speed, I pulled ahead. When they caught up again, I swerved in another direction and did it again and again. Each time I swerved, someone took over the lead. Neither of us kept lead for long. Each one of us had a strong competitive side.

A few hours passed with desert riding. Lewis was the one to be the show-off. He did flips, standing tricks, and other dangerous stunts while Lani and I looked on with our mouths wide. His adventurous side called to me, making it impossible to steer clear of your rapidly increasing thirst for him.

It also didn’t help to watch on as he and Lani kicked up the PDA. Almost every time I glanced around, Lani was either hugging on him from the back of his ATV, or his tongue was down her throat. They were cute, but it only made me think of watching them last night, and that made me think of Lani’s suggestion for a threesome. That suggestion hadn’t left my mind all day. I was still so frustrated that the idea of it was not as gobsmacking as it had been. The more and more Lewis’s eyes found you or parts of my body from across the desert, the further away from shocking you got.

Because of Lani’s whining over how sandy she was, we took a break letting her clean off a bit. I didn’t mind the dirt. While she cleaned up, it left Lewis and me alone. We played around on the ATVs, just acting like kids. It was a lot of fun. After a while, I suggested we stop to capture some of our surroundings for my blog and social media. Lewis agreed, wanting to get his own shots.

I took video after video and even recorded a few short ones before taking several selfies. When I looked over to Lewis, I watched as he unbuttoned his jeans to peel them off quickly. There was no way I could look away. I was confused as to what he was doing and, honestly, who would look away. Once free from the jeans, he pulled off his tank leaving the scarf he’d worn from before.

“How is it possible for him to look like he belongs in the desert too?”

The wind picked up, and the sand blew around him as he stared out toward where the sun shone. My eyes traveled over every dip and curve of his perfectly lean and toned body. No wonder Lani was in heavy lust. He looked like he not only broke backs but possibly parts of the female anatomy.

Lewis looked back, and for a few moments, it looked like he was walking in slow motion.

Holy Shit.

Before I even realized it, he was standing in front of me.

“You got a little drool,” Lewis teased before he hopped onto the bumper of your ATV.

“Whatever. You wish.”

It was a weak rebuttal and nowhere near believable. We sat in silence for a little while, taking in the scenery.

“It’s beautiful huh.”

“Yeah. Makes you feel like the only human left on earth,” I added.

“Well, if I were the only human left on earth, I’d want you with me.”

Our eyes met again, and my heart raced, making me look away. Again, the silence stretched until you found something to say.

“I’m really sorry about last night,” I began.

Lewis snorted, making you look at him again with confusion etched on my face.

“What’s so funny?”

Lewis didn’t speak right away; instead, he studied me as if he were looking for something. He sighed then licked his lips.

“Do you know what I see in your eyes?”

“What?”

“You’re not sorry.”

My jaw dropped, and my eyes bugged. “What!”

“Yeah. You’re not sorry you saw. You’re sorry you got caught,” Lewis cockily informed.

“Caught? What am I a child? It’s not like I snuck out there to spy.”

“No, I know that. I do know, though, that if I hadn’t looked up and seen you, you probably would have continued watching.”

He got me there. I probably would have. It was a good show.

“Again, your eyes say it all. Not only are they completely hypnotizing, but they’re also very expressive.”

Was he hitting on me?

The look on his face said he might have been, but his eyes were masked. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“All day, I’ve been trying to figure out if your physical reaction to my touch is an instinctual thing or if it’s more.”

Wow, I thought. The man was so self-assured. He didn’t come off insecure at all. It was both attractive and slightly annoying. No man should be that confident. I looked away and hopped off the ATV, sinking into the sand. Before I could walk off, I felt his body behind me, barely touching me, and his hand spread across my stomach, keeping me in place.

Oh, fuck. This is not what I needed right now.

Lewis didn’t speak. He just remained perfectly still. The longer his hand remained on my stomach, the hotter it seemed to get. I didn’t know how long passed with us standing like that, but I was sure it was long enough for the heat from his hand to sear away the high waist of my biker shorts. It had to have been. It felt like there was no barrier between his hand and your skin.

On your left, you felt his other hand slowly snake up the length of your arm. Where it went, it left an agonizing burn that slowly at away at you. By the time Lewis’s hand made it to your shoulder, he moved your hair so his head could gently touch the side of your face. Still, the smell of his skin wasn’t masked by the sand all around him. It hadn’t done anything at all. I heard him take a deep inhale before he moaned.

“I know what you want, Nix. I can see it every time I look into your eyes. Fuck I can feel it. All you have to do is say the words.”

I could feel his touch on my neck as if he really did touch me, but alas, he never did. He was so close. All he had to do was tip out his tongue. Lewis released a guttural groan.

“Put us both out of our misery, Sunshine,” Lewis finished before he released you and walked away toward an approaching Lani.

“Son of a bitch.”

~~~~~~~~

It was lunchtime, and I was starving and hornier than I’d been before we left. Only now it wasn't because I’d inadvertently saw Lewis and Lani together, no it was because of Lewis’s words. I had no idea what he meant by he knew what I wanted. How the hell could he know that? I didn’t even fully know what I wanted. Every few hours, it changed.

When Lewis, Lani, and I got back to the penthouse, we showered and changed, then made it to another beautiful restaurant. Deciding not to pretend I were less hungry than I was, I ordered whatever I wanted. As we all ate, the conversation was never strained. Lani told stories of the countless adventures we’d had, all the while never leaving out not one embarrassing detail. Throughout the stories, Lewis looked genuinely interested. He listened with a tuned ear and sincere interest. I liked watching the different emotions light up his face. It was like reliving the memory but through someone else’s eyes.

Every once in a while, Lewis’s eyes found mine, but again they were masked and almost detached. It was an interesting change from earlier, one that had me doubting what I thought I saw and heard.

At times when he spoke to me, his choice of words always threw me. When asked if he wanted more of the dim sum, he looked at me and said, “I want it.” When Lani complimented her food, Lewis looked at me, bit his bottom lip, and said, “Bet it tastes good.” I squirmed, shifted, and tried to handle it throughout lunch, but the last thing he said threw you. We were all eating dessert. I’d chosen something simple like a sorbet while he and Lani went in on some decadent chocolate, vanilla, and cherry concoction. They took turns teasing me about wanting it. It was Lewis who locked eyes with me and rocked all reserve with his “you want this deep inside.”

What the fuck was I supposed to say to that? I had no idea, and he knew I had nothing. He also knew he’d had an effect. He’d had such a profound effect that my panties were now uncomfortably soaked. Asshole, I thought. He knew he was one; the sly smirk on his face said it. You watched him dip his spoon into his mouth and moan. He was pleased with himself.

After lunch, I had steam to blow, so gambling was my suggestion. What else would bring almost as much pleasure as sex than winning more money than you came with? We went from table to table, placing bets, dropping chips, and claiming double what was wagered. Lani was a pro at Roulette, which she proudly showed off, winning two grand like it was easy. I was a monster at Blackjack. No matter the casino, or the deck of cards, or even those around me. I dominated the Blackjack table for almost two hours, winning hand after hand until management capped my winnings at six grand. I understood. They didn’t want me cleaning them out. Lewis was an ace at Poker and Craps and gladly let his cocky side.

Before every roll of the dice, Lewis held them out for both Lani and me to blow on. The first time he held them out to me, I was confused. That was when he said, “Blow me.” The look he gave me had way too much effect on me. His amusement from my delayed reaction was evident, and he enjoyed making you pause. Roll after roll had him winning game after game at the Craps table. Every time he won, Lani wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged his head to her breasts.

Their antics brought so many eyes, including mine, but I was having so much fun winning that I didn’t care when Lani pulled me into a sandwiched hug with Lewis in the middle leaving his head was pressed between yours and Lani’s breasts. Lewis crept his hand around my hip, resting it right at my hip bone. That was when I could have sworn I felt lips slide across my nipple. The instantaneous reaction began with my nipple hardening and my back arching slightly, all while a soft moan rolled from my lips. When I glanced down, Lewis was looking at me, and for a second, I forgot where I was and who I was.

Lani cleared her throat, pulling my attention to her. The look on her face said all you needed to know. She was liking the way things were going.

When I shied away from Lani and Lewis, I tested out a few of the slot machines wanting to try your luck there. It took some time for your streak to start, but there was no stopping it once it did. You struck gold every time you pulled down the handle on the side of the machine.

“Either you’ve got the Midas touch, or you’re rigging the machine.”

You turned and saw Lewis standing there looking at the machine.

“How would I have rigged it?”

He shrugged and leaned on the seat I was sitting in. “There are ways.”

“I just have the Midas, I guess.”

Lewis smiled and nodded. “Looks like it. How much have you won today?”

“More than you make in a month,” I teased.

The laugh Lewis let out brought so many eyes to us, and he didn’t seem to care. I liked that he didn’t pay attention to others and focused on being himself.

“Wow, you have quite the sass, huh.”

I shrugged and pulled the lever again. We watched the screen as the images rolled in, showing off another win.

“I should keep you by my side at all times. You just may be the luckiest woman I’ve ever met.”

Before I could answer, another voice to my left drew my attention.

“I second that.”

He was tall, with a perfect jawline that was so chiseled it could have cut steel. His eyes were a deep green close to the color of seaweed, and his smile said he should work as a game show host or something.

“Name’s Brian. I couldn’t help but watch you. You’re gorgeous.”

On your right, Lewis scoffed in such a way there was no misinterpreting what it meant.

“Uh—Lynix,” I replied.

“Such an exotic name, almost reminds me of a Lynx cat, of course, sexier,” Brian added.

“Oh boy, here we go,” Lewis chimed in. I glanced at him with a curious look, wondering why he was acting like this.

“You are?”

Lewis turned to the newcomer crossing his arms over his chest, making his biceps pop in the polo shirt he wore.

“Don’t worry about all that. No one asked you to come over here.”

My jaw dropped because that sound a lot like possessiveness. Brian stood tall and turned to Lewis as well.

“Who can stay away from a beautiful woman like her? All I wanted to do was get next to greatness,” Brian slid in, making me smile. He was smooth. Looking at Lewis’s face, he didn’t look amused.

Right when Lewis was about to say something, Lani came by giving Brian the once over.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I answered before Lewis could. Lani looked at me then, Brian. It was her asking if she wanted him gone. I slightly shook my head. I wanted to play this out.

“Who’s your friend?”

“This is Brian. He was just about to take me for a drink. Right, Brian?”

Brian looked surprised by that, but not for long. A few seconds after I said it, his smile spread again.

“Absolutely.” He held out his arm and waited for me to take it. When I did, I glanced at Lewis, whose jaw was clenched and eyes blazing. You knew a displeased man when you saw one, and he was definitely displeased.

While I had a drink with Brian at one of the bars and listened to him talk about his time in Vegas, I saw Lani and Lewis at the bar as well. They were drinking and whispering, having a grand ol’ time, but every so often, Lewis glanced over to you with the only annoyed look on his face. When he did, Lani looked amused, giving me a look that said she peeped it. Halfway through my drink, my phone went off.

MSG Lani: Pity fuck huh. 🙄

I looked at her, narrowed my eyes then gave her the same eye roll she gave me in text. She wasn’t funny, not one bit. However, she might have a point, I thought. As I continued my conversation, Lani and Lewis came over to join you. Lani went on Brian’s right while Lewis came up to your left. He was close enough for me to smell the dark rum that swirled with his cologne. While Lani talked to Brian, he focused all his attention on her.

“Another horny mistake?”

His voice was a whisper that made it easier to smell the rum he was drinking. Lewis took another sip from his heavy crystal glass, but he didn’t look at me. He kept his eyes on the plethora of bottles decorating the wall of the bar.

“Who said I was horny?”

Lewis then looked at me and smirked. “Aren’t you?”

I looked over the features of his face and got lost on his lips. They looked soft and well cared for.

Jesus, I’m lusting.

“Are you?”

Lewis took another sip then sucked in a slow breath through his mouth. He didn’t speak for several moments. He just stared into my eyes like he was looking for something.

“If you only knew,” Lewis whispered before looking away to finish his glass of Rum this time.

“I’m sure Lani can help with that. There are plenty of corners, although I doubt you two need corners or privacy.”

In seconds you felt Lewis’s breath on my ear. “What do you need, Nix?”

Holy Shit!

Though I tried, I couldn’t get any words to pass my lips. Not one.

“All you have to do is say the words, tell me,” Lewis whispered again, his lips softly grazing my ear.

My heart was racing so fast that I was sure there was no way he didn’t hear it. I was also sure that he could smell my arousal. I was that wet. Someone’s phone went off, and the unexpected sound broke the tension of the moment. Clearing my throat, I stood and adjusted my skirt.

“Dinner. I think we should get to dinner,” I stuttered, walking away.

I needed to get upstairs to that bedside drawer, and I needed to get there now. The car ride was the longest. As I sat there beside Lani, I couldn’t stop squirming. Every move I made, the slickness between my legs only turned me on more.

MSG: Did you tell him?

MSG Lani: Tell who what?

MSG: Don’t play innocent with me, Lani. Did you tell him?

Lani looked at me, and I narrowed my eyes. There was no way she didn’t bring up her threesome plan to him. He’d gone from mildly seductive just from his aura to extremely panty soaking in one day. Lani rolled her eyes and tapped into her phone.

MSG Lani: I did, but before you get mad, it wasn’t any serious. I just said I mentioned it to you.

MSG: Lani!

MSG Lani: Don’t be mad. It’s no big deal.

MSG: What did you say?

MSG Lani: That I’d asked, and you turned me down. He wanted to know why, and I said you had your reasons.

I didn’t fully believe her.

MSG Lani: I promise it’s no big deal.

Sighing, I slipped my phone between my knees, leaned back, and willed the car to hurry up.

Once we got back to the hotel, Lani said she’d meet us upstairs because she wanted to book a spa treatment for tomorrow. I didn’t need to be told twice. The elevator ride with Lewis wasn’t uncomfortable; it was more tense than anything else. Both of our eyes remained on the changing dial as the floors ticked away. Neither of us spoke. When I did have the courage to look over at him, I saw that his jaw clenched, his arms crossed, but his back was straight as an arrow.

Unexpectedly Lewis looked over to me, and it felt like he was daring me to do something. His lips were curled into a sly sort of smile before he bit his bottom lip. My belly fluttered, making me drop my eyes, but when I did, it landed it on something unexpected. The bugle in his pants had almost all of your reserve falling, leaving only one measly ounce. Thankfully, the doors opened into the hall leading to the penthouse. I made a mad dash toward the door and inside. Not sparing another look at Lewis, I hightailed it to my bedroom.

Once inside, I stripped and hurried into the shower, hoping that the water would help with the slickness I felt that only fueled my arousal even more. It was next to impossible to stop thinking about someone bending me over in the shower, but somehow you managed to focus on getting clean rather than getting dirtier.

After my shower, I only felt less wet but still horny as ever. I was barely able to get through putting on my makeup. My hands kept shaking at the worst times, and my concentration was shot to shit. I’d wanted my makeup to match the dress I planned on wearing, but I couldn’t even get that together for the life of me.

“Get your shit together, Nix.”

Another few minutes found me just giving up on the elaborate eye makeup I’d wanted and dropping my brush in frustration. I rested my forehead on my hand and took a few deep breaths.

“Fuck it!”

I got up, walked over to my bed, and laid down. Once I reached inside the drawer to get my vibrator. Instead of using it our the gate, I slipped my fingers between my legs, only becoming half surprised to find I was already as wet as I’d been before I got into the shower. I ran my fingers up and down my slickened slit once, then twice and third. Each time I shuddered from the delicate pleasure that rolled through me. A soft but husky moan escaped my throat.

Dipping my fingers into my heat, I brought the slickness back to my clit and circled the desperate bud. It wasn’t long before I’d closed my eyes and focused on the pleasure that was increasing by leaps and bounds with each passing second. Dripping my thighs back to the bed, I sped my movements making tight circles rather than the bigger ones from before.

“Oh my god, yes!”

There was no way I was going to last much longer. I could already feel the tension filling the pit of my stomach. Dipping my fingers back inside my cavern, I used them to replicate what I imagined Lewis did. At the thought of him, my eyes flew open to stare at the ceiling. While Lani was giving him head, I hadn’t been able to see just what he was blessed with. The only indication I’d gotten was from the constant gagging Lani did. She had said that he was more endowed than anyone she’d been with. I was curious now.

My fingers had sped their plunge, and with it, so did the moans that fell from my lips. Soon your moans and whimpers cascaded from you. By the time I wondered if Lewis could hear me, I was too far gone. It was then I looked down my body to find Lewis at the door watching me. I should have screamed and clamped my legs shut or even hid from shame or embarrassment, but I didn’t do any of that.

Instead, I bit my bottom lip and slowly took my fingers from my body to bring them back to my clit.

“Mmmm, yes.”

Lewis took a few steps more into my room and toward the bed. Our eyes never left one another, and the longer he stared, the more turned on you were becoming. When Lewis made it to the bed's foot, his eyes dropped to your sex, and another whimper escaped you.

“Fuck!”

His voice was strangled, and his eyes on fire. Earlier it looked like it was anger or annoyance, but now it was neither of those.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful, Nix.”

Lewis dropped to the floor, coming eye level with your sex. He then took a deep inhale.

“Mmmm, you smell incredible. Do you taste as good as you smell?”

The combination of his voice and his words had my back arch slightly off the bed.

“Does it feel good, Nix?”

I nodded.

“Tell me how good.”

“So—So—good.”

Lewis groaned, focused on your pussy. He looked almost transfixed. After a few seconds, his jaw dropped, and I could have sworn I saw a little drool at the corner of his mouth, but before it dribbled, he closed it again.

“Goddamn, you’re so wet. Be a good girl and show me.”

I brought my hand away, dipped it into my heat, and pulled it back to show him the slickness that coated my fingers. I heard an audible growl fill the room. The fact that it came from him only ruined me more. Dipping my fingers back inside, I did what I knew would get me off.

“That’s right. Fuck that pussy, Sunshine. Show me how you like it.”

Bringing my other hand into the mix, I circled my clit then looked at Lewis again. He looked like he’d inched closer, and I wanted him to bury his face in to take over.

“Mmm, you’re so tight, I can tell. Spread that pussy open for me.”

Doing as I was told, I spread it, but I never slowed the tight circles around my clit. I was so close.

“You’re gonna come? Come for me, Nix. Let me see how beautiful you are when you come.”

My whimpers turned into whines, and my tight circles turned sloppy and staggered as did the speed of my fingers thrusting in and out of my sopping core. In seconds my toes curled, and I’d bent off the bed as if I was a bridge.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck Lewis!”

My body shook for several long moments as I rode the waves of ecstasy and relished the tingles that spread through my body. I’d been holding a lot of tension, and now I could feel the little bubbles popping in thin air as they exited my body. When I looked back at Lewis, he was so close. Inching up, I withdrew me soaked digits and brought them to Lewis’s lips. Without needing to be told, he opened his mouth and sucked each and every one of my fingers clean.

“Mmm, you taste amazing. Let me clean you up and eat that pretty pussy baby. I want it so bad.”

That was what you wanted to. It amazed you how badly you wanted him to clean up the mess you’d made of yourself. As you opened your mouth to speak, you heard Lani shout your name. Lewis looked as if he’d found his senses. He rubbed his forehead and sighed before he stood from your bed foot.

“I’m—sorry.”

With that, he was gone. Though you were satisfied, I could feel the heat rising again.

An hour later found me dressed, collected, and at a steakhouse with Lani and Lewis. Thank to my release, my body was more relaxed now, but my mind was a chaotic erotic nightmare. I couldn’t stop replaying what happened in my bedroom and he gall I’d had to feed him my fingers to clean off. The fire I’d seen in his eyes and the yearning I’d head in his voice was something I hadn’t expected.

Would it really be a pity fuck?

Lani flirted with Lewis using her seductive touches and whispers, and I could tell that he was hanging on but barely. Deciding to toy with him a little, I did what Lani did, but more subtly. When she ate off his plate, I did too. When she held his hand on top of the table, I slyly allowed my body to touch him underneath the table. When Lani leaned into him, I leaned over him to take a piece of food from Lani’s plate. The whole time I knew that he could see my cleavage.

By the time we’d moved on to dessert, Lewis was the one squirming and downing his drink like his thirst was unquenchable. I loved seeing him squirm. He thought he had this power and control. He needed to be humbled to realize just which sex had the power in the world. When Lewis went to talk to the owner of the restaurant, I filled Lani in and tried to get whatever information she had. I knew she couldn’t be an innocent bystander, and she wasn’t.

“I can’t believe you told him that.”

Lani nodded. I saw the remnants of his drink and finished the glass. The burn of the dark liquor was intense against my tongue.

“So, he’s been acting like this all day on purpose?”

“Lani smirked, giving the answer away. I couldn’t help but snort, bringing my hand to my head, smacking myself.

“If you needed more evidence that you’re attracted to him or him attracted to you, then you have this entire day. Hell, you have the casino.”

I looked at Lani silently, asking her to continue.

“I saw how he was when that guy came over and flirted. Lewis can keep his cool about a lot of things, but I can always tell when he’s jealous.”

“Jealous!? Lani, get real. That’s yo man. He wouldn’t be jealous.”

Lani pulled me closer to her and rested her chin on my shoulder. “Why do you think I was so adamant about you coming this weekend?”

Glancing to her, my brows crinkled, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

“As I said, I’m only cool with sharing with you. A while ago, I knew Lew would like you, and I couldn’t think of anything better than having you by my side while we have some fun.”

Snorting, I shook my head. “Lani--,” I began.

“Stop frontin. You know you like him. You know this whole day you’ve been horny and wet for him.”

At that moment, a thought filled me, making me gasp loudly, snapping my head to Lani.

“Oh my god, did you put him up to this Nalani?”

“Damn, my whole name, huh.”

“You did!”

I dropped my forehead into my hands while resting my elbows on the table. I couldn’t believe this. It kind of felt like my best friend was pimping me out to her sexy as hell fuck buddy.

“Lani, you’re pimping me out.”

“I am not. Think of this as more than sex. This could be something.”

Rolling my eyes, I sighed, “Like what, a contractual fuck buddies situation?”

“Shut up. No. Like he flies us where he goes, and we soak up the culture of the world while enjoying his company and the perks of it,” Lani explained, raising her eyebrows for emphasis.

“Oh my god. We don’t need anyone to help us soak up the culture of the world, Lani. We do good on our own.”

“True. It’s just—sometimes, it’d be nice if someone took care of us the way we take care of ourselves. Ya’ know?”

I did know. I understood her completely. While it was great being able to do things and get things for yourself, it was also nice to be taken care of by someone on a different level. Sighing, I sat back and pondered her words. She had a point. Maybe I needed to just give in to what I really wanted. From across the restaurant, I could see Lewis talking to the owner. They were laughing like they’d been long time friends. The comfort between the two was evident. When he glanced back to Lani and me and pointed us out, the owner said something to him with a smile on his face—a smile Lewis returned with a nod.

“Let’s head out. I think we can find a club that’s more up to our speed,” I said to Lani, raising one of my eyebrows.

The excitement on Lani’s face said it all. She knew what time it was.

When Lewis came back over, we took a picture with the owner. Lani and I were in front, stooping down like the Charlie’s Angel’s Charlie’s Angels wished they could be, while the two of them stood behind us. It was a dope picture.

In the car, I whispered to the driver where to take us while Lani distracted him so he wouldn’t suspect a thing. Thankfully the drive wasn’t too long since everything in Sin City was in short distance. When the car pulled up, and we piled out, I watched Lewis’s jaw drop when he saw the name of the establishment.

Treasures.

Lewis looked at both Lani and me as if we’d grown a pair of extra heads. Lani wrapped her arm around my waist and led me to the door.

“Enter if you dare,” I teased, walking inside with a giggling Lani.

Once inside, we waited for Lewis to catch up. It was only a few seconds before he was behind us, draping his arms over both our shoulders.

“Now, why would you ladies lure me here?”

“Lure? Did we lure, Nix?”

“Not at all. If we were to lure you, it would look like this.” I began turning around to face him while walking backward.

“Are you coming?”

Lani was the first to join my side, and then Lewis did the same with a wide smile. We walked to one of the empty lounges and sat with him in the middle.

“Hi there, welcome to Treasures. I’m Pinky,” began a beautiful woman with pink hair, cheek piercings, and deep brown eyes.

As I looked lower over her mahogany skin, my eyes couldn’t help but take in her incredible breasts that were barely concealed by her bedazzled bikini top. I didn’t know if they were implants of natural, but it didn’t matter. I bet they brought in plenty of horny men.

“Hello, Pinky,” Lewis replied, leaning back on the lounger with a smile.

“What can I get you three? Food, drinks, one of the girls?”

Lewis looked at Lani, then me licked his lips and smiled again. “Whatever you ladies want.”

Lani and I exchanged looks for a few moments communicating nonverbally.

“How about a bottle of dark rum to get us started and maybe a girl for a dance,” Lani requested.

“Sure thing? Any preference?”

Lani and I smiled and replied, “Black and beautiful.”

Lewis chuckled, “I third that.”

When Pinky left, Lani leaned to Lewis and took out something rolled from his sports jacket's inner pocket. Lewis offered her the light, and I watched as she took a few puffs then released the smoke. When she did, I could tell just what it was.

“Who knew weed was your cup of tea,” I said, leaning back and crossing my legs.

“Ha, there’s plenty you don’t know about me,” Lewis answered before he took a few puffs of his own. When he finished, he held it out to me.

“Let’s hope by the time the sun comes up; you know me a lot better.”

Those were more than empty words. I took the blunt and took several long drags from it, closing my eyes to allow the substance to work its way to my brain.

Who knows, the odds of that statement becoming true were getting more and more likely.

Fifteen or so minutes later, once the three of you had the bottle of rum open and taking turns gulping from the three hundred dollar bottle, a dancer named Lioness was doing her thing on the small table before us. Her outfit was perfect and showed off all her best assets—everything. When she approached Lani, she shook her ass in her face, to which Lani slapped one of her cheeks. Almost instantly, she gasped and held her hands back in an apologetic way. Lioness didn’t seem angry; instead, she sat in Lani’s lap and proceeded to give her a lapdance. Lani’s squeals said she was having a good time.

“Oh no,” I whined, holding up the blunt that was now too small to hold.

“Not to worry, sunshine, daddy’s got more,” Lewis said, showing the inside of his jacket.

I smiled and reached for one coming even closer to his face. Glancing up, our eyes met, and that’s where they stayed.

“You’re blazed,” Lewis said with a wide smile, one I returned.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

His smile softened, and his hand came to my cheek. “I’m not babygirl. I have better things I’d rather do than laugh at you.”

From the side, I saw Lani nod her head, and Lioness approaching like a predator coming for her prey.

“I hope this lapdance is one of them,” I said, nudging my head, making him look back to see Lioness approach to dance in front of him.

“Wow.”

Lewis leaned back and looked over her body, which gave me the time to light the new blunt. After taking a few puffs, Lani whined for her turn. We traded her for the blunt and me for the Rum. When Lioness sat in Lewis’s lap, he laughed. While he looked to be having a good time, he didn’t look to be on the brink of losing control. I got up and slinked around Lioness to Lani. As she took a puff, she held it out to me to take one. After I did, I gulped a mouthful of rum and moaned as it burned its path down my throat.

Lani stood and began swaying to the music in front of you. The instrumental version of Desperado was blaring in the club with a slowed-down dub. It sounded a lot more seductive than the original. Lani took the rum and handed me the blunt. As I took another drag, I leaned my head back and moaned. When I looked over to Lewis on the couch, his eyes weren’t on Lioness. They were on Lani and me. That was when the most devious idea popped into my head. Whispering to Lani to clue her in, she looked at me and gave me her sinister smile.

I dug into my clutch, took out a few bills, then walked over to Lioness, tucked it into her jeweled thong, and whispered a thank you. Her smile was soft. She got the hint. Lani and I walked toward Lewis, held out our hands, and waited for him to take the bait. It wasn’t long before he did. Pulling him to us, Lewis’s body collided with ours.

“Not interested in the dancer, baby?”

Lewis smiled, took the blunt from my lips, and took a long pull from it then smiled.

“How can I be when you two are right in front of me.”

“I think he wants a show of his own, Lani.”

Her smile widened before she bit her bottom lip. “Then follow us, daddy. We’ll give you a show you’ll never forget.”

Lewis’s smile slipped as he looked between the two of us. We’d sure gotten his undivided attention now. We turned then walked away to one of the rooms that were marked “private.”

Once inside, the mirrored walls threw our reflections back. I walked to the mirror and fluffed my hair, and rubbed my lips together. My body was tingling, which was normal for when I drank and smoked. It was a pleasant tingle, one that had me feeling loose.

“Oh Nixy,” Lani sing-songed making me turn to see her at the music player.

The song that she’d chosen was a personal favorite. She walked to me while circling her hips. Once to me, she walked around me once, then went around to my back and placed her hand on my hip. Following her rhythm, I circled my hips with her and handed her the rum bottle. As she drank, I bent forward just a little, poking my ass out and onto her. Lani quickly slapped my ass, making me laugh. Soon we were both giggle loudly until Lewis’s figure in the center of the room caught our eye.

“Forgot about me?”

“Never, daddy,” Lani said as she walked to him, making me follow.

Once in front of him, Lani rolled her hips, turning her back to him to bend forward. Lewis groaned then slapped her ass, making her moan. When he looked at me, I walked to his back then bent over his shoulder, making my breast press against him. Looking at him, I saw the desire in his eyes. I smiled and took the blunt from him, then went beside Lani. As I puffed, she went behind me to trail her hands down the center of my body until she turned me to her. The look on her face was easy to read.

We both looked at Lewis before our lips met in a slow and teasing kiss. This wasn’t the first time we’d kissed. It wasn’t a big deal for either of us. When we pulled apart, we both looked back to Lewis and blew out the smoke we’d transferred and split. He didn’t look like he was breathing, but the bulge in his pants said he was alive.

“Like what you see, daddy?”

“Come here, princess.”

Lani walked to Lewis. Once she was before him, he pulled her down by the back of her neck and kissed her intensely, making a slow heat roll through your belly and across your limbs. Before the kiss got too hot, he pulled away, looked at me, and smiled.

“You too, sunshine.”

I slowly walked toward him and stood beside Lani again. He didn’t touch me, though. His eyes slowly roamed my body, drinking in every curve. Lani sat on one of Lewis’s spread thighs.

“Dance for us, Nix.”

Not needing to be told twice, I turned my back to them and swayed to the music and slowly wined my hips, bringing myself to the floor to slowly stand up while bending, giving them a good view of my ass.

“Goddamn, girl,” Lewis groaned out before he moaned.

Looking back at them, I winked then faced them to continue my seductive dance. Lani stood and joined me, poking out her ass onto me. I brought my hand down to return the slap she’d given me earlier. The action had her moaning. Slowly I brought my hands up her body, all the while never taking my eyes off of Lewis. He smiled and blew out the smoke making the room even hazier. With every breath I took, my high was only increasing, and my inhibitions decreasing. Bringing my lips to Lani’s ears, I whispered.

“Let’s do it.”

By the time we made it back to the penthouse, we were all higher than before and laughing up a storm. Once inside, Lani was the one to shout for the pool before she took off. Lewis was right behind her, leaving me to walk behind them. When I got outside, they’d already gotten into the pool, and Lani was in Lewis’s arms. The two were heavily making out. Their moans echoed off the water, leaving me to stand and watch for a few moments.

When their eyes turned to me, Lani slipped from his arms to disappear under the water. His eyes drank you in, and the way he looked at me made boy heart race, my belly knot, and my sex quiver.

“The water’s great. Come in,” Lewis beckoned as he approached the edge of the pool.

I stood at the edge, watching him swim to me. Before he got there, he stopped, and I could see Lani under the water claiming his cock as her mouth’s possession. She sure wasted no time, I thought. Lewis moaned then rolled his neck. With his head dropped back, I was able to take in the way his shoulders stretched out and how his arms were the perfect combination of power and beauty. The glow of the blue light that was in and around the pool only accentuated his sexiness. When Lewis looked at me, I was about ready to see what the fuck Lani’s screams were all about and if he deserved such praise.

I unzipped the side of the dress and allowed it to fall from my body to reveal the neon green of my lacy thong.

“Jesus, you’re gonna kill me, sunshine.”

I sat at the edge and dangled my legs in the water, and watched the wavy image of Lani, giving him head.

“She sure can hold her breath long.”

Lewis smiled and bucked his hips forward. Lani came up a few seconds later.

“Lew, not fair. You could have killed me,” Lani whined to a smiling Lewis.

“Look.”

Lani looked back at me and smiled. Lewis leaned to her ear and spoke. “Told you, daddy would make you get what you wanted.”

Lani smiled wider and swam to me. When she got close, she flung water at me, leaving it to train down my body. Lani hopped up onto the stone beside me and sat down as well. She was completely naked.

“I remember these,” Lani began snapping the waistband of my thong.

“You should. It was barely two weeks ago we got them,” I replied.

“They still look cute on you, especially against your skin. Uugh, so fucking gorgeous, right daddy.”

Our eyes went back to Lewis, who still hadn’t moved. His eyes were looking between us as if he didn’t know what to say or do. He slowly approached us, then stopped. His eyes roamed my naked upper half until they dripped to the garment in question. When I saw him bite his bottom lip, he nodded.

“So fucking gorgeous.”

I couldn’t help but smile. He had a way with words.

“Can I?”

He looked as if he were holding his breath, waiting for my answer. When I nodded, he closed the gap between us. Trailing his finger from my shin up over my knee and along my thigh, they reached the waistband of my underwear, and he snapped them purposefully. Lewis kissed my knee then moved over to Lani. He hoisted her legs out of the water, pressed them back, and got up close and personally with her pussy.

His eyes locked with mine before he licked along her sex, making her moan. He did it again and again, then sucked Lani’s clit into his mouth. Her gasp was loud. He sucked her like there was no tomorrow, and with every move he made, Lani whimpered before her hand dropped to the top of his head.

“Right there, daddy.”

As he lapped at her core, he kept his eyes on me. The longer he gave her pleasure, the wetter I became, and the wetter I became, the more I wanted him to touch me. After several long minutes, he still hadn’t, and my frustration was beginning to show. Cupping my breast, I tweaked my nipple at the same time Lani’s whines increased.

“Fuck, you’re gonna make me come, daddy. Right there!”

Lewis’s eyes were dark, and when he pulled back from Lani, his lips were wet. Lani whined.

“Lewwww!”

He dropped a slap to her clit, silencing her completely while having her drop her head back.

“Oh, fuck.”

Lewis smiled and came back over to me while cleaning his lips.

“Do you remember what I told you this afternoon?”

Thinking back, I remembered. When he saw that I had, he smiled again.

“All you have to do is say the words,” Lewis repeated.

The way he looked at me only solidified my decision and fueled my desire.

“I want you,” I said. His smile widened, but he didn’t move.

“While I love the way that sounds. Those aren’t the words.”

“Lew, you know she wants you just--.”

Again Lewis slapped Lani’s clit, and her body jerked, and a hand instinctively dropped between her legs. Lewis shot her a warning look, and in seconds she’s put her hands back on the stone surface. Lewis looked back at me and released a breath.

“I want you to fuck me.”

Lewis smiled, showing his perfect teeth. He approached, sliding his hands over my thighs to the waistband of the thong to pull it off of me. When he did, he tossed it behind him, not caring where it landed.

“Show me that pretty pussy, sunshine.”

You spread your legs but not entirely. Lewis tsked.

“I know you can do better than that.”

I fully spread them and watched him gawk at me like he hadn’t seen it before. When he brought his lips to my skin, he kissed my inner thighs, prolonging my desperate need for contact.

“You’re so wet, babygirl. Is this for me?”

I bit my bottom lip and nodded. “All for you,” I whispered.

“Mmm, I’ve been thinking about this pussy all day.”

Once the words were out, Lewis buried his face between my thighs. Once I felt his lips, I dropped my head back to the stone and allowed the pleasure he gave me without much effort to fill me. Moaning loudly, my body quivered. Cupping my breast, I tweaked my nipple again, edging my arousal higher.

“Fuck I was right. You do taste incredible.”

Lewis quickly flicked his tongue against my clit, making me whimper louder. It felt as if his tongue moved at lightning pace, and with every flick, he somehow made my body even hotter. I felt like I was on fire, but I didn’t hate it. I loved it. Dropping my hand to his head, I held on because I felt the stirs of an unexpected orgasm. Lewis moaned against my skin, making me tumble off the into ecstasy.

“Fuuuuck!”

My scream was not alone. Looking to my right, I saw Lewis plunging his fingers in and out of Lani’s core as his mouth still worked magic on you. Lani panted, writhed, and screeched.

“Yes, daddy. I’m gonna come. Yes!”

Lewis didn’t slow his fingers or his tongue. Instead, he continued and sucked the soul out of your body while having Lani cream all over his fingers.

When he pulled back, we laid there panting, trying to catch our breath. Once I did, I looked down, expecting to see Lewis, but only saw an empty pool. Looking to my right, I watched as he approached in all his glory, finally getting my answer I’d been wondering about. He was hunger better than Seabiscuit.

“Holy Fuck, Lani.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“No need to tell her anything. Seeing is believing. Your knees,” Lewis instructed.

Lani seemed to know the drill, but I did not. I watched Lani get on her knees then I looked back at Lewis. He just watched me and waited for me to obey. I mirrored Lani and feasted my eyes on his manhood. It looked heavy, long, and thick. Lord have mercy, I thought.

“I know you want this princess. Do you, babygirl?”

Deciding not to answer, I wrapped my hand around his shaft, drawing a strangled groan from Lewis. It was as heavy as it looked. I ran my hand up and down, familiarizing myself with him, then I tipped my tongue out to swirl around his swollen head.

“Aaah, yes, babygirl,” Lewis whispered before he whimpered.

I moaned on him then dipped my mouth down his length taking him as far as I dared. Lodging him in my throat, I tightened it and hummed. Lewis groaned deeply, then laced his hands behind my head, keeping him snugly where he wanted to be. When his groan turned to a whimper, he released me, making me pull back to catch my breath.

Lani rose onto her knees and took over, mirroring her same movements from the night I’d seen her. Instead of sitting there and letting her have all the fun, I dipped under her mouth to capture one of his balls in my mouth to suck on it gently. Lewis sighed out long and loud and placed a hand on the back of both Lani’s and my head.

“Mmm, that’s it. Suck this dick, Lani.”

She moaned her acceptance.

“Mmm, yes, Nix. Just like that.”

Lani pulled back, and we switched positions. For the next few minutes, Lani and I alternated between her at his balls and me on his dick and vise versa. When Lewis pulled away and stepped back, he helped us up and led us upstairs to the bedroom. Once inside, Lewis pulled me into his body to kiss my lips. His moved expertly over mine, sucking, nibbling, and teasing as he pleased. When he wrapped his tongue around mine, I moaned, clinging to him.

As I was getting used to kiss—our first, Lewis abruptly pushed me onto the bed. While he kissed Lani with the same fire he’d kissed me. When he came over to kneel on the bed, I watched him stroke himself. The way he did it had my mouth watering. I knew what was next, and I wanted it so badly my sex quivered.

“You ready for this dick, Nix?”

I nodded.

“I can’t hear you. Tell daddy how bad you want this dick.”

Nah!

I dropped my hands between my legs, bringing his attention to it, and circled my clit. That was when I spread my lips so he could see just what he was doing to me. Lewis groaned but didn’t tear his eyes away.

“Are you ready for this pussy, Lewis?”

Lani giggled behind me from her spot on the bed by my head. Her laughter only emboldened me.

“Hmm? I can’t hear you.” I dipped a finger inside my heat and raised it to my lips to suck it clean.

“Mmm, this pussy is so good. Do you want it?”

Lewis smiled then hovered over me to take one of my nipples into his mouth to swirl his tongue around the peak before nibbling down. I whimpered again then squirmed when I felt him swipe his cock across my slit.

“Lani was right about you,” Lewis whispered.

“I told you, daddy. I hope you can handle two of a kind,” Lani teased.

Lewis leaned over my head and kissed Lani fervently. The view from underneath was a sensual one, and as I was getting lost in it, Lewis thrust forward, connecting our bodies in one swift move.

“Fuck!”

Lewis and I shouted the same thing at the same time. With him buried to the hilt, he didn’t move. He waited, allowing me to adjust to the size and girth of him. The stretch was the most sinfully delicious thing I’d ever felt. Unable to take the maddening pressure, I began pushing Lewis back at his hips, but he didn’t budge.

“Oh no babygirl, don’t push me away. Take this dick. You wanted it, right?”

With that, he retreated only to thrust forward again, nudging that special spot within me.

“I can’t hear you? You gonna tap out?”

Another retreat and thrust forward sent my breasts swinging and my head angling back.

“We’ve just begun. You hadn’t even screamed my name yet.”

Another retreat and thrust forward had me clenching around him and panting to catch my breath.

“Fuck, Nix. You’re so fucking tight. It’s taking everything not to come.”

Three thrusts followed, and before Lewis slowly rolled his hips, making me moan deeply.

I could tell he wasn’t going to go slow anymore, and a few moments later, it was like a beast was released. His thrusts sped, his moans increased as did mine.

“Mmm, Sit that pussy on her face, princess. Give her a taste of what’s mine.”

Lani looked at me, seeking permission. Giving her a slight nod, she moved to angle herself over my mouth. This is a first, I thought to myself as I tipped my tongue out to lick across her flesh. Lani moaned softly, making me do the action again and again. After teasing her flesh, for a few moments, I sucked Lani’s clit into my mouth. It was an interesting experience, to say the least, but it wasn’t one I was against.

Lani jerked forward before she cursed.

“I got you, princess. Does it feel good?”

“Mmm, yes, daddy, it feels good.”

“Is she licking that pussy, right?”

Lani exclaimed again as I pulled her lower onto my mouth so I could have more access. Mimicking the same thing Lewis did to me, I flicked my tongue against her in a pattern of flicks and swirls, each pattern changing, never the same. Lani whimpered and hissed.

“Fuck, Nix. That feels so good.”

Lewis’s thrusts sped, and my whimpers picked up, breaking my concentration from what I was doing.

“Shit, you’re close huh, babygirl,” Lewis said through clenched teeth.

Before I knew it, a violent orgasm was ripping through me, making me see stars, rainbows, heaven, and hell. That was when Lani began bucking against my mouth, using my lips as her personal toys.

“Shit, I’m coming too,” Lani screeched out.

Lewis pulled from me, then rolled me to the side, pulling Lani to him to plunge into her depths.

“Fuck, Lew!”

He groaned loudly and set a fast pace. He had no intention of going slow.

“Your turn, babygirl.”

I knew what he was instructing. Crawling to Lani, she nodded at me, allowing me to swing my leg over her face while still kneeling with my ass facing Lewis.

“Clean her up for me, princess.”

Lani sucked my sex into her mouth and lapped at mine and Lewis’s combined juices, instantly making me moan and whimper. As Lani moaned her pleasure, I dropped my head to the bed and focused on the orgasm that was bubbling within me. Lewis’s hand dropped to my ass, making me whimper again.

“Goddamn, this ass is something else!”

He slapped it again, this time a lot harder than I felt his lips against the most taboo part of me, which made me fling my head back. Not only was Lani underneath me making it damn hard for me to go back to strictly dick, but Lewis was behind me, showing me the pleasure I’d been missing out on.

That was the last straw for me before I came undone. Dropping to the bed on my stomach, I tried to catch my breath from the sheer force of my orgasm. Lewis kissed my ass, then rolled to the side to lay on his back. The three of us panted in the elegance of the room. I don’t know how many minutes passed before any of us moved, but when I moved, I saw the sun rising through the window and groaned.

“Oh god, the sun, make it stop,” I whined.

“Two of a kind indeed, Lewis said on a scoff before he clapped his hands, bringing the blinds to a close, darkening the room.

We all slithered to the covers slipping underneath them. Lewis laid in the middle while Lani and I climbed on either side of him. When I rested my head on the pillow, I sighed, and Lewis kissed my cheek.

“Thank you for putting us out of our misery,” he whispered into my ear, making me smirk before I rolled my eyes to focus on sleep. I was exhausted.

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

TagList:

@maxcullen @night-of-the-living-shred @chaneajoyyy @queenoftheworldisdead @shar74nett @raveviolet @dangerouslovefanfic @caramara3 @sonjashuterbugjohnson @emjayewrites @blumeesworld @tashawar @thevintagelover @nachtaiwrites @imanerdychubbyqueen @tinydramatist @aquarious-smr-writing @ellixthea @kaiya- ch4n @zeelmol @xsweetdellzx @labella420 @coldmuffinbanditshoe @areubeingserved @caplover22

Chapter Four, the final chapter will be on @munteanhorewrites page.

#sin in the city fic #sin in the city mini series #lewis tan #lewis tan fanfiction #lewis tan x reader #lewis tan x you #lewis tan x black reader #black fanfiction #lewis tan x black reader x black reader #lewis tan smut

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nightshifters · 3 years

Text

JENSEN POSTED FOR THE 4X01 ANNIVERSARY????????????????

EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD – DAY

Through hazy heat, DEAN walks down an empty road and approaches an abandoned gas station. He pounds on the door.

DEAN (hoarse) Hello?

INT. GAS STATION – DAY

DEAN rolls up his outer shirt over his right hand, breaks the glass on the door. Inside, he grabs a water bottle from a fridge and gulps at it, gasping. He finds a newspaper and sees the date, which reads:

Thursday, September 18th

DEAN September.

INT – GAS STATION BATHROOM - DAY

DEAN washes his face in a dingy sink, then looks up and stares at his reflection. He wears a tight black t-shirt. Frowning, he stands, pulls the shirt up to expose his chest.

FLASHBACK DEAN's chest is ripped apart by the Hellhounds (3.16)

PRESENT DEAN stares at his unblemished, unscarred chest in the dingy gas station mirror. He turns his left shoulder to the mirror and pulls up the sleeve to reveal a large, raw HANDPRINT BRAND.

INT – GAS STATION MART – DAY

DEAN pulls snacks and energy bars from the shelves, along with several bottles of water, and stashes them in a plastic bag. Stopping in front of a magazine stand, he grins slowly. On the stand is an Adult Magazine - “Busty Asian Beauties”. He picks it up, smirks, flips through it, and stuffs it in the bag too.

He goes to the counter, sets down the bag, and hits a single button on the register, snapping his fingers in satisfaction when it pops open. As he's looting the cash, the TV to his left flicks on, showing only static. He shuts it off; only to have a radio to his right turn on to white noise. Not wasting a moment, he goes to another shelf and grabs a carton of salt, opens it, and begins to pour it along the windowsill.

A high-pitched single tone begins, and DEAN clutches his left ear in pain as he continues to pour salt with his right hand. As it continues, he drops the salt and crouches to the floor, groaning in agony. The window above his head shatters as the sound continues, and he drops to the floor. He leaps to his feet to try to escape, and more glass on the ceiling and walls shatters. He looks around cautiously.

EXT. PHONE BOOTH – DAY

DEAN dials a number, and hears only an alert tone.

RECORDED VOICE We're sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected.

DEAN hangs up the pay phone and inserts another coin, dials another number. It rings once, then is picked up.

BOBBY (V.O.) Yeah?

DEAN Bobby?

BOBBY (V.O.) Yeah?

DEAN It's me.

BOBBY (V.O.) Who's “me”?

DEAN Dean.

A dial tone sounds. DEAN hangs up the receiver and dials again.

BOBBY (V.O.) Who is this?

DEAN Bobby, listen to me.

BOBBY (V.O.) This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill ya.

The dial tone again. DEAN hangs up the phone, turns. He sees an old, beat-up white car parked outside. His eyes light up; he hotwires the car and pulls away from the gas station.

INT. BOBBY'S HOUSE – DAY

To a pounding on the door, BOBBY'S hand appears to open it. On the doorstep is DEAN, looking winded and apprehensive. He smiles cautiously. BOBBY looks at him suspiciously.

DEAN Surprise.

BOBBY I, I don't...

DEAN Yeah, me neither. (He enters.) But here I am.

Behind his back, BOBBY takes a silver knife. As DEAN approaches, BOBBY lunges forward and slashes at him. DEAN grabs his arm and twists it around; BOBBY breaks the grip and backhands him in the face.

DEAN Bobby! It's me!

BOBBY My ass!

DEAN (shoves a chair between himself and BOBBY, holds his hands out) Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father. Bobby. It's me.

BOBBY lowers the knife, steps forward slowly. He places a hand gently on DEAN'S shoulder. Suddenly he slashes again, but DEAN quickly subdues and disarms him.

DEAN I am not a shapeshifter!

BOBBY Then you're a Revenant!

DEAN shoves BOBBY away, having taken the KNIFE. He holds it out in front of him.

DEAN Alright. If I was either, could I do this – with a silver knife?

DEAN rolls up his left sleeve, and, grimacing, slices his arm above the elbow with the knife. A line of blood appears.

BOBBY (starting to believe it) Dean?

DEAN That's what I've been trying to tell you.

BOBBY breaks, grabbing DEAN in for a tight hug. DEAN returns the hug with enthusiasm, relief on his face. They pull apart.

BOBBY It's... It's good to see you, boy.

DEAN Yeah, you too.

BOBBY But... how did you bust out?

DEAN I don't know. I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine box...

Suddenly, BOBBY splashes water in DEAN'S face. DEAN pauses, spits.

DEAN I'm not a demon either, you know.

BOBBY Sorry. Can't be too careful.

They go further into the house, DEAN wiping his face with a towel.

BOBBY But... that don't make a lick of sense.

DEAN Yeah. Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir.

BOBBY Dean. Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit -

DEAN I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject.

BOBBY What do you remember?

DEAN Not much. I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... lights out. Then I come to six feet under, that was it. (BOBBY sits.) Sam's number's not working. He's, uh... he's not...

BOBBY Oh, he's alive. As far as I know.

DEAN Good.... Wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?

BOBBY I haven't talked to him for months.

DEAN You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?

BOBBY He was dead set on it.

DEAN Bobby, you should've been looking after him.

BOBBY I tried. These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For him or me. We had to bury you.

DEAN Why did you bury me, anyway?

BOBBY I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill. But... Sam wouldn't have it.

DEAN Well, I'm glad he won that one.

BOBBY He said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said.

DEAN (suspicious) What do you mean?

BOBBY He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. Wouldn't return my calls. I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found.

DEAN Oh, damnit, Sammy.

BOBBY What?

DEAN Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo.

BOBBY What makes you so sure?

DEAN You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off. And then there was this... this force, this presence, I don't know, but it, it blew past me at a fill-up joint. And then this. (He strips his jacket, pulls up his sleeve to reveal the brand.)

BOBBY (standing) What in the hell?

DEAN It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out.

BOBBY But why?

DEAN To hold up their end of the bargain.

BOBBY You think Sam made a deal.

DEAN It's what I would have done.

INT BOBBY'S HOUSE – DAY

DEAN (into the phone) Yeah, hi, I have a cell phone account with you guys, and uh, I lost my phone. I was wondering if you could turn the GPS on for me. (beat) Yeah. Name's Wedge Antilles. (beat) Social is 2-4-7-4. (beat) Thank you.

DEAN hangs up the phone and crosses to a laptop on the table.

BOBBY How'd you know he'd use that name?

DEAN You kiddin' me? What don't I know about that kid?

The laptop is open to a web browser; DEAN types in the address for ARC MOBILE.

DEAN (picking up one of the many empty liquor bottles scattered around) Hey, Bobby? What's the deal with the liquor store? What, are your parents out of town or something?

BOBBY Like I said. Last few months ain't been all that easy.

DEAN (holds his gaze for a moment) Right.

The laptop beeps; the display shows a city map with a blue arrow pointing to a star. The locator reads:

Phone Location: 263 Adams Road Pontiac, Illinois.

DEAN Sam's in Pontiac, Illinois.

BOBBY Right near where you were planted.

DEAN Right where I popped up. Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?

EXT. ASTORIA MOTEL – NIGHT

DEAN and BOBBY walk down a dingy hallway and knock on a door with the number 207 inside a red heart. The door is opened by a HOT YOUNG WOMAN with dark hair, wearing only a tank top and underwear. She looks at them expectantly.

HOT YOUNG WOMAN So where is it?

DEAN (looks at BOBBY, confused) Where's what?

HOT YOUNG WOMAN The pizza... that takes two guys to deliver?

DEAN I think we got the wrong room.

SAM steps into the light. He is grim and focused, and wears a grey t-shirt and jeans.

SAM Hey, is...

SAM stops dead when he sees DEAN. He swallows, shocked, his eyes flicking between DEAN and BOBBY.

DEAN (quietly, with much feeling) Heya, Sammy.

SAM is silent. DEAN steps into the room, ignoring the H.Y.W., who steps aside to let him in. As DEAN gets close, SAM pulls a knife and lunges at DEAN. H.Y.W. screams; DEAN blocks SAM'S attack and BOBBY pulls SAM off, gripping him around the shoulders. SAM struggles.

SAM (shouting) Who are you?!

DEAN Like you didn't do this?!

SAM Do what?!

BOBBY It's him. It's him. I've been through this already, it's really him.

SAM (stares at DEAN as the struggle slowly goes out of his body) What...

DEAN (advancing cautiously, staring at SAM) I know. I look fantastic, huh?

BOBBY lets go of SAM, who looks on the verge of tears as he steps forward and pulls DEAN into a desperate hug. They embrace for several seconds, heavy with emotion, as BOBBY looks on with tears in his eyes. SAM pushes DEAN back to arm's length. H.Y.W. is looking on, looking confused.

HOT YOUNG WOMAN So are you two like... together?

SAM (like he's just remembered that she's there) What? No. No. He's my brother.

HOT YOUNG WOMAN Uh... got it. I... I guess. Look, I should probably go.

SAM Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Sorry.

EXT. MOTEL ROOM – NIGHT

SAM, now wearing a white button-down, opens the door to let the H.Y.W., now dressed in an adorable blue plaid shirt, out.

HOT YOUNG WOMAN So, call me.

SAM Yeah. Yeah, sure thing, Kathy.

HOT YOUNG WOMAN:(disappointed) Kristy.

SAM Right.

She leaves, and SAM shuts the door.

INT. MOTEL ROOM – NIGHT

SAM comes back into the room and sits down. DEAN is standing above him, arms crossed. He and BOBBY are both looking at SAM suspiciously.

DEAN So tell me, what'd it cost?

SAM (smiling) The girl? I don't pay, Dean.

DEAN That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?

SAM You think I made a deal?

BOBBY That's exactly what we think.

SAM Well, I didn't.

DEAN (intensely) Don't lie to me.

SAM I'm not lying.

DEAN (advancing) So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this.

SAM (standing, angrily) Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?

DEAN (grabs SAM by the front of his shirt) There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!

SAM (breaking DEAN'S grip) I tried everything. That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry.

DEAN (relenting) It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologize, I believe you.

BOBBY Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question.

DEAN If he didn't pull me out, then what did?

END ACT ONE

ACT TWO

INT. MOTEL ROOM – NIGHT

DEAN and BOBBY are seated the couch. SAM enters and passes out bottles of beer, then sits across from DEAN.

DEAN So what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?

SAM Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback.

BOBBY (accusing) All by yourself. Who do you think you are, your old man?

DEAN sees something, frowns, and crosses towards it.

SAM Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called. I was pretty messed up.

DEAN picks up what he'd seen a pink flowered bra. He holds it up.

DEAN Oh yeah. I really feel your pain.

SAM Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here.

DEAN When?

SAM Yesterday morning.

DEAN When I busted out.

BOBBY You think these demons are here 'cause of you?

SAM But why?

DEAN Well, I don't know – some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow.

BOBBY How you feelin', anyway?

DEAN I'm a little hungry.

BOBBY No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?

DEAN Or demonic? Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?

BOBBY Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned.

DEAN Well, I feel fine.

SAM Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning. We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help.

BOBBY I know a psychic. A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking.

DEAN Hell yeah, it's worth a shot.

BOBBY I'll be right back

BOBBY exits.

DEAN stands as if to leave.

SAM Hey, wait. (stands) You probably want this back.

SAM reaches into his collar and pulls out a cord. It is DEAN'S AMULET. He places it in DEAN'S hand. DEAN looks at it, touched.

DEAN Thanks.

SAM Yeah, don't mention it. (DEAN puts the AMULET on) Hey Dean, what was it like?

DEAN What, Hell? I don't know, I, I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing.

SAM (nodding) Well, thank God for that.

DEAN Yeah.

INT. MOTEL BATHROOM – NIGHT

DEAN flicks on the light and stares at himself in the mirror. He runs a hand over his chin and leans forward on the sink.

FLASHBACK Closeup of DEAN'S bloody, terrified face, with screams and eerie sounds.

PRESENT DEAN pulls back from the mirror, blinking in confusion.

EXT. MOTEL PARKING LOT – NIGHT

BOBBY leads the boys down a set of steps.

BOBBY She's about four hours down the Interstate. Try to keep up.

BOBBY gets in his car.

SAM I assume you'll want to drive.

SAM pulls the keys out of his right pocket and tosses them at DEAN, who catches them easily.

DEAN (chuckling) Oh, I almost forgot! (he approaches the IMPALA and runs a hand along it lovingly.) Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?

DEAN gets in the driver's side, settles in. He sees an iPod plugged into the stereo, pauses, and gives it a dirty look. SAM gets into the passenger's seat, smiling. DEAN glares at him.

DEAN What the hell is that?

SAM That's an iPod jack.

DEAN You were supposed to take care of her, not douche her up.

SAM Dean, I thought it was my car.

DEAN sneers, sighs, and turns the key in the ignition. "Vision" by Jason Manns begins to play. DEAN rolls his eyes and glares at SAM again, looking pained.

DEAN Really?

SAM shrugs innocently. DEAN rips the iPod out of the jack and tosses it in the back seat.

EXT. TWO-LANE BLACKTOP – NIGHT

DEAN and SAM are back in their familiar places, having a heart-to-heart in the IMPALA on a dark road.

DEAN There's still one thing that's bothering me.

SAM Yeah?

DEAN Yeah, the night that I bit it. Or... got bit. (he chuckles at his own wit) How'd you make it out? I thought Lilith was going to kill you.

SAM Well, she tried. She couldn't.

DEAN What do you mean, she couldn't?

SAM She fired this, like, burning light at me, and... didn't leave a scratch. Like I was immune or something.

DEAN Immune?

SAM Yeah. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me. She left pretty fast after that.

DEAN Huh. What about Ruby, where is she?

SAM Dead. For now.

DEAN (bites his lip, like he's not sure he wants to ask) So you've been using your, uh, freaky ESP stuff?

SAM No.

DEAN You sure about that? Well, I mean, now that you've got... immunity, whatever the hell that is... just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you've got going on.

SAM Nothing, Dean. Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road. It was practically your dying wish.

DEAN Yeah, well, let's keep it that way.

SAM broods.

EXT. PAMELA'S HOUSE – DAY

They knocks on the door, and PAMELA opens it. She is in her thirties, strong and beautiful with a ready smile.

PAMELA Bobby!

She grabs him into a hug, lifting him briefly off the ground. SAM and DEAN share a look.

BOBBY You're a sight for sore eyes.

PAMELA steps back and looks SAM and DEAN up and down appraisingly.

PAMELA So, these the boys?

BOBBY Sam, Dean. This is Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state.

DEAN (flirting, of course) Hey.

SAM (a little awkwardly) Hi.

PAMELA Mmm-mmm-mmm. Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual.

DEAN If you say so.

PAMELA Come on in.

INT. PAMELA'S HOUSE – DAY

PAMELA ushers them in, first BOBBY, then DEAN, then SAM, and shuts the door behind them.

BOBBY So, you hear anything?

PAMELA Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why.

BOBBY So what's next?

PAMELA A séance, I think. See if we can see who did the deed.

BOBBY You're not gonna... summon the damn thing here.

PAMELA No. I just want to get a sneak peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal.

DEAN I'm game.

INT. SEANCE ROOM – DAY

PAMELA spreads a black tablecloth covered in symbols over a small table. SAM and DEAN look at it warily; DEAN cocks his head as PAMELA squats in front of a cabinet, revealing a scrawled tattoo across her lower back that reads:

Jesse Forever

DEAN Who's Jesse?

PAMELA (laughs) Well, it wasn't forever.

DEAN His loss.

PAMELA stands with several pillar candles in her hands, stops in front of DEAN with a smirk.

PAMELA Might be your gain.

As she passes by, DEAN turns to SAM and lowers his voice.

DEAN Dude, I am so in.

SAM Yeah, she's gonna eat you alive.

DEAN Hey, I just got out of jail. Bring it.

PAMELA (passing by again, to SAM with a wink) You're invited too, grumpy.

DEAN You are NOT invited.

LATER PAMELA, BOBBY, SAM, and DEAN are seated around the small table, which now has six lighted candles in the center.

PAMELA Right. Take each other's hands. (they do) And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched.

PAMELA slides her hand along DEAN'S inner thigh. He jumps.

DEAN Whoa. Well, he didn't touch me there.

PAMELA My mistake.

DEAN looks around, nervous, then takes off his outer shirt, pulls up his left t-shirt sleeve to reveal the BRAND. SAM stares at it, shocked, looks at BOBBY. PAMELA lays her hand on the BRAND.

PAMELA Okay. (All four close their eyes as PAMELA begins to chant) I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. (a television flicks on to static; she continues) I invoke, conjure, and command... Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy.

DEAN Castiel?

PAMELA Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back. (white noise and static continues, and the table begins to shake) I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face.

BOBBY (as the white noise and rattling become more violent) Maybe we should stop.

PAMELA I almost got it. I command you, show me your face! Show me your face now!

Suddenly the candles flare up several feet in the air and PAMELA begins to scream. Her eyes fly open and are filled with a white-hot flame. She collapses; the rattling, white noise, and flames die out.

BOBBY (catching her and lowering her to the floor) Call 9-1-1!

SAM scrambles out of his chair and into the next room. DEAN crouches over PAMELA and BOBBY. She is conscious, but bleeding and burned. Her eyelids fly open to reveal black, empty sockets. She sobs.

PAMELA I can't see! I can't see! Oh god!

In the next room we can hear SAM calling for an ambulance.

END ACT TWO

ACT THREE

INT. JOHNNY MAC'S DINER – DAY

DEAN is sitting at a table giving his order to a WAITRESS.

WAITRESS Be up in a jiff.

As she leaves, SAM enters, talking on his cell phone.

SAM (into the phone) You bet. (he sits)

DEAN What'd Bobby say?

SAM Pam's stable. And out of I.C.U.

DEAN And blind, because of us.

SAM And we still have no clue who we're dealing with.

DEAN That's not entirely true.

SAM No?

DEAN We got a name. Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us.

SAM You're crazy. Absolutely not.

DEAN We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?

SAM Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face to face?

DEAN You got a better idea?

SAM Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. I followed some demons to town, right?

DEAN Okay.

SAM So, we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something.

The WAITRESS reappears with two plates of pie. She sets them on the table.

SAM Thanks.

The WAITRESS then plops down in a chair at the end of the table. DEAN looks at her, smirking.

DEAN You angling for a tip?

WAITRESS I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us.

Her eyes go demon-black for a moment; a UNIFORMED MAN by the counter and a COOK behind the counter also show the demon-black; the UNIFORMED MAN goes to the door, locks it, and stands in front of it.

DEMON WAITRESS (eyes going back to normal) Dean. To hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck.

DEAN That's me.

DEMON WAITRESS So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?

DEAN I like to think it's because of my perky nipples. I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out.

DEMON WAITRESS Right. You don't.

DEAN No. I don't.

DEMON WAITRESS Lying's a sin, you know.

DEAN I'm not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo...

DEMON WAITRESS Mind your tone with me, boy. I'll drag you back to hell myself.

SAM, who has been staring daggers at her through this exchange, shifts as if to attack. DEAN holds a hand up and SAM stops, settles back into his seat.

DEAN No, you won't.

DEMON WAITRESS No?

DEAN No. Because if you were you would have done it already. Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers. Well, maybe it was some turbo-charged spirit. Or, uh, Godzilla. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade that they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you. So go ahead. Send me back. But don't come crawling to me when they show up on your front doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose.

DEMON WAITRESS I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your lungs.

DEAN leans forward, a challenge in his eyes. He throws a right hook at her, which she takes. He throws another. She still does nothing but glare at them, looking more and more nervous.

DEAN That's what I thought. Let's go, Sam.

They stand, and the demon sits there, fuming. DEAN pulls a roll of cash out of his pocket and carefully peels off a ten dollar bill. He holds it up and drops it on the table like an insult.

DEAN For the pie.

EXT. JOHNNY MAC'S DINER – DAY

SAM and DEAN stalk out of the diner and across the street, tense and quick.

DEAN Holy crap, that was close.

SAM We're not just going to leave them in there, are we, Dean?

DEAN Well yeah, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between us.

SAM I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately.

DEAN Not anymore – the smarter brother's back in town.

SAM Dean, we've got to take 'em. They are dangerous.

DEAN They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mofo here. One job at a time.

INT. ASTORIA MOTEL – NIGHT

DEAN is dozing on the couch with a large book open in his lap. SAM sneaks out, checking to make sure DEAN doesn't wake.

EXT. ASTORIA MOTEL – NIGHT

SAM drives away in the IMPALA.

INT. ASTORIA MOTEL – NIGHT

As DEAN dozes, the television flicks on to the now-familiar static, and the radio starts whining as well. It wakes DEAN, who rubs the sleep out of his eyes and rolls quickly to grab a SHOTGUN lying by the bed. He looks around cautiously, glances at SAM'S bed and sees that it is empty. He grimaces. The painfully high-pitched noise begins again, and he grabs his right ear, keeping the weapon up in his left hand. A mirror on the ceiling shatters and rains broken glass down on him. He crumples to the ground, clutching both ears as all the glass in the room shatters explosively. He screams.

BOBBY bursts into the room as more glass shatters.

BOBBY Dean!

END ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

EXT. ROAD – NIGHT

BOBBY drives his car as DEAN, in the passenger's seat, wipes blood from his face.

BOBBY How you doin', kid?

DEAN Aside from the church bells ringing in my head, peachy.

DEAN pulls out his cell phone and dials a number.

EXT. JOHNNY MAC'S DINER – NIGHT

SAM is in the IMPALA, staking out the diner full of demons. His cell phone rings; he answers it.

SAM (PHONE) Hey.

DEAN (PHONE) What are you doing?

SAM Couldn't sleep, went to get a burger.

DEAN In my car?

SAM Force of habit, sorry. What are you doing up?

DEAN Well, uh, Bobby's back. We're going to grab a beer. (on BOBBY'S shocked look, DEAN holds up a finger.)

SAM All right, well, uh, spill some for me, huh?

DEAN Done. Catch you later. (They hang up.)

BOBBY Why the hell didn't you tell him?

DEAN Because he just tried to stop us.

BOBBY From what?

DEAN Summoning this thing. (BOBBY looks at him in shock. Again.) It's time we faced it head-on.

BOBBY You can't be serious!

DEAN As a heart attack. It's high noon, baby.

BOBBY Well, we don't know what it is. It could be a demon, it could be anything.

DEAN That's why we've got to be ready for anything. (he pulls out RUBY'S DEMON-KILLING KNIFE) We've got the big-time magic knife, you've got an arsenal in the trunk...

BOBBY This is a bad idea.

DEAN Yeah, I couldn't agree more, but what other choice do we have?

BOBBY We could choose life.

DEAN Bobby, whatever this is, whatever it wants, it's after me. That much we know, right? I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down again, or we can make our stand.

BOBBY Dean, we could use Sam on this.

DEAN Nah, he's better off where he is.

INT. JOHNNY MAC'S DINER – NIGHT

SAM sneaks into the darkened diner and slips his lock-picking tools into his shirt pocket. A song is playing on the jukebox. SAM sneaks in quietly, sees the COOK from earlier face-down on the floor, his hands bloody. SAM crouches and turns the man over; he is dead, his eyes burned out and drying blood caked on his cheeks. SAM stands.

A figure tackles him from behind – it is the DEMON WAITRESS. They trade blows for a few moments until SAM shoves her away. She too has empty, burned out eye sockets and blood trickling down her face. She looks both terrifying and terrified.

SAM Your eyes.

DEMON WAITRESS I can still smell your soul a mile away.

SAM It was here. You saw it.

DEMON WAITRESS (sobbing) I saw it.

SAM What was it?

DEMON WAITRESS It's the end. We're dead. We're all dead.

SAM (insisting) What did you see?

DEMON WAITRESS Go to hell.

SAM Funny. I was going to say the same thing to you.

SAM steps back, plants his feet, and shuts his eyes in concentration. He extends his right hand towards the demon. She heaves and begins to vomit black smoke into her hand; in seconds, the WAITRESS has collapsed to the floor as the DEMON is sucked down into the Pit. SAM opens his eyes and crosses to the woman on the floor. He checks her pulse, sighs in disappointment.

SAM Damn it.

The kitchen door opens and a woman comes out. He looks up, apparently not surprised to see her. It is the HOT YOUNG WOMAN from ACT ONE.

HOT YOUNG WOMAN (henceforth called RUBY) Getting pretty slick there, Sam. Better all the time.

SAM stands and they share a smoldering look. He looks down at the corpse at his feet, his face falling.

SAM What the hell is going on around here, Ruby?

RUBY I wish I knew.

SAM We were thinking some high level demon pulled Dean out.

RUBY No way. Sam, human souls don't just walk out of Hell and back into their bodies easy. The sky bleeds, the ground quakes. It's cosmic. No demon can swing that. Not Lilith, not anybody.

SAM Then what can?

RUBY Nothing I've ever seen before.

INT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

BOBBY draws a symbol with white spray paint on the cement floor. As he stands, we see that the entire floor, walls, and ceiling of the empty rectangular warehouse are covered in similar images.

DEAN (at a table, setting up equipment) That's a hell of an art project you've got going there.

BOBBY Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe. How you doin?

DEAN Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of.

BOBBY This is still a bad idea.

DEAN Yeah, Bobby, I heard you the first ten times. What do you say we ring the dinner bell?

BOBBY nods reluctantly. He goes over to another desk, takes a pinch of some powder from a bowl, and sprinkles it into a larger bowl, which begins to smoke. He chants in Latin.

INT. JOHHNY MAC'S DINER – NIGHT

RUBY and SAM are seated across from each other at a small table.

RUBY So. Million dollar question, are you going to tell Dean about what we're doing?

SAM Yeah, I just gotta figure out the right way to say it. (RUBY gives him a look) Look, I just need time, okay? That's all.

RUBY Sam, he's going to find out, and if it's not from you he's going to be pissed.

SAM He's going to be pissed anyway. I mean, he's so hardheaded about this psychic stuff he'll just try and stop me.

RUBY Look. Maybe I'll just take a step back for a while.

SAM Ruby, you...

RUBY I mean, I'm not exactly in your brother's fanclub. But he is your brother, and I'm not going to come between you.

SAM I don't know if what I'm doing is right. Hell, I don't even know if I trust you.

RUBY Thanks.

SAM But what I do know is that I'm saving people. And stopping demons. And that feels good. I want to keep going.

INT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

DEAN and BOBBY are seated on tables, swinging their legs and looking bored.

DEAN You sure you did the ritual right? (BOBBY gives him a look) Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?

As if on cue, a loud rattling shakes the roof. DEAN and BOBBY arm themselves with shotguns and take positions at the far end of the warehouse.

DEAN Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind.

The door bursts open and a handsome man in a business suit and trenchcoat stalks in CASTIEL.

The light bulbs above his head shatter in a shower of sparks as he passes them. As he approaches, DEAN and BOBBY both open fire, but the shots do not even slow him down. Dean takes the MAGIC KNIFE as CASTIEL gets close.

DEAN Who are you?

CASTIEL I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.

DEAN Yeah. Thanks for that.

DEAN rears back and plunges the MAGIC KNIFE into CASTIEL'S chest and hits heart without any effects. CASTIEL looks down, unconcerned, and pulls it out, drops it to the floor. Behind him, BOBBY attacks; without looking, CASTIEL grabs BOBBY'S weapon and uses it to swing him around. CASTIEL touches BOBBY on the forehead with fingertips and BOBBY crumples to the ground.

CASTIEL We need to talk, Dean. Alone.

END ACT FOUR

ACT FIVE

DEAN crouches over BOBBY, checking his pulse. He glares at CASTIEL.

CASTIEL Your friend's alive.

DEAN Who are you?

CASTIEL Castiel.

DEAN Yeah, I figured that much, I mean what are you?

CASTIEL I'm an Angel of the Lord.

DEAN Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing.

CASTIEL This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith.

Lightning flashes, and on CASTIEL'S back great shadowy wings appear, stretching off into the distance. The light goes out and the image disappears.

DEAN Some angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes.

CASTIEL I warned her not to spy on my true form. It can be... overwhelming to humans, and so can my real voice. But you already knew that.

DEAN You mean the gas station and the motel. That was you talking? (CASTIEL nods.) Buddy, next time, lower the volume.

CASTIEL That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong.

DEAN And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?

CASTIEL This? This is... a vessel.

DEAN You're possessing some poor bastard?

CASTIEL He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this.

DEAN Well, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?

CASTIEL (frowning) I told you.

DEAN Right. And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?

CASTIEL Good things do happen, Dean.

DEAN Not in my experience.

CASTIEL What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved?

DEAN Why'd you do it?

CASTIEL Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you.

#i will not apologize for this #it is Cas Day.#spn #supernatural #destiel #dean winchester #castiel #misha collins #jensen ackles

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deafwestnewsies · 3 years

Text

be my first last kiss

You can plan on a change in the weather or time, but you'd never planned on him changing his mind.

jack kelly x davey jacobs

read it on my ao3!

Earnest to goodness, Jack Kelly was going to murder Racetrack Higgins.

No, Anthony Higgins, this was the sort of thing that makes you pull out the tarnished christian name of a friend (or so you thought) you’ve known since he was toppling over on baby-fattened legs. Anthony Higgins would die by the sword of Jack Kelly.

He just had to get this godforsaken Youtube video filmed first.

You’re doing this for the cash, Jack grumbled to himself as he passed through the metal doors of a nondescript building on the Lower East Side- it was the kind of place being slowly taken over by hip and fun corporations promising Asian-fusion bars and eco-friendly thrift stores while edging out the relic businesses built on the backs of immigrant dreams. Jack couldn’t stand areas like this, the air thick with wasted luxury, so he rarely left the barrio. Why would he? Spot Conlon slept in the bedroom next to his. Katherine Plumber and Sarah Jacobs ran the bookstore that bought his baked goods and sold them for decent money. Medda lived down the street with her plethora of children, and Racetrack still beat the known path, doing tricks on the street corner for spare change and internet views. Davey- David. David Jacobs wasn’t there. It was right where Jack wanted to be.

Much unlike the dim studio where he now shuffled his feet, waiting for the perky young PA with bright red streaks in her hair to come back with further information about the video he would be shooting. Jack wasn’t a stranger to this small production company; He participated in a few Youtube videos back before they had millions of subscribers, he played truth or dare with lots of liquor and a complete stranger, he confessed about the first time he fell in love so it could be put to pathetic music.

Cash where you could get it, right?

“Kelly, right?” Cherry Streaks was back with a vengeance.

“Jack, actually,” he corrected.

“So you’re going to stand over there where the little blue X marks the spot and wait until the producer, Adam, starts asking you a few questions. The first one might be a test for our boom guy. Answer honestly, we can pretty much tell when you’re making up a story by this point. After that, the main part of the video will begin. Got it?” She was pointing wildly with a Number 2 pencil that had previously been stuck through her ponytail, and she smelled faintly of jasmine. Jack felt dizzy.

“Wait, I thought this was one of those ‘Choose who’s the best kisser out of ten strangers’ type of deal?” I mean, that’s what Race told me- oh God. Oh Santa Maria. Oh Saint Francis.

The young woman smiled like she was keeping an excellent secret. “Have fun, Jack Kelly.”

Walking off at her ominous dismissal, Jack stood where he was directed. The fluorescent lighting made him sweat under the knowledge that he had virtually no idea what he was doing there, Race had lied to him so that he would participate in some sort of sick, horrible scheme, and for all he knew, behind door number three could be his third grade teacher with a baseball bat and a basic multiplication grudge.

“Jack! It’s nice to see you again.”

Romeo was walking towards him with that easy gait Jack had memorized so long ago- Romeo had shot the original videos on an Amazon tripod and the unfounded hope of human connection, and now he owned the entire shebang. Jack dropped his tense shoulders to give him a warm smile. “Romeo. Boy, am I glad to see a friendly face.” Jack lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “You’ve got a production assistant who actually does work, so I’m assuming we’ve died and you earned a really nice deal in Heaven?”

Romeo barked out a laugh. “If I’ve died, do not resuscitate. I’ll never be able to look at another bodega meatball sub after cooking food bought in a real grocery store.”

“Rub it in, why don’tcha?” Jack punched the shorter man on the shoulder. “Listen, Romeo, you gotta tell me what I’m in for, a buddy totally sold me out for the cash and I have no clue what this project is gonna be like.”

Before Romeo could respond, a tall, lofty man behind the camera cleared his throat. “Darling? We’re ready to begin when you are.”

“Jack, meet Specs. Or Adam, but we all know how well nicknames stick. Specs, this is the old friend I was telling you about.” Romeo ended right above Specs’ elbow, and it was all Jack could do not to laugh.

The man fixed his thoughtful gaze on him. “It’s nice to meet you, Jack. You’ve got a real presence on the camera. Have you ever considered acting?”

“I’m afraid I’m, uh,” Jack flexed a paint-stained hand. “Strictly canvas, as they say.”

Nodding as if that was a phrase people commonly used and not something Jack invented on the fly, Specs then clapped his hands together. “Folks, let’s film this sonofabitch.”

---

“I’m Jack, and I’m a twenty-four year old artist living in New York City.”

“Have you ever been in a relationship?” Specs questioned from behind the camera.

Jack blinked in surprise. “Sure. One throughout high school, another in college and a little bit beyond. I wouldn’t call myself a heartbreaker or anything.”

“Do you stay friends with your exes?”

“One of ‘em, yea. It was more of an amicable thing, you know. She ended up being a lesbian. And I am… not.” His clumsy fingers tugged at a constricting collar.

“And the other?”

“Just because I’m not a heartbreaker doesn’t mean I can’t be a real asshole sometimes,” Jack nervously chuckled. (Davey had laid out rose petals, for God’s sake. Rose petals.)

“Was this girl the high school girlfriend, or the college one?”

“Boy,” Jack quickly corrected. “Man. I guess. He was in college- four and a half years.” (It took him four days to clear away the rotting flowers, the bleeding color slowly seeping into his carpet. Katherine found him delirious with whiskey on the bathroom floor; Sarah couldn’t bear to walk through his front door.)

“How’d you meet him?”

(He twisted in his high-backed blue chair. “It’s habláis in el presente.”) “Freshman year of high school actually. Spanish class. Funny story, actually, that other girl I dated? His sister. Broke her heart for his. He was so mad at me that we didn’t talk for like, months after.”

“It was six and a half months, actually.”

Of things Jack was expecting to see today, Spiderman was more likely than David. A flash mob singing death metal, maybe. Pigs flying through the polluted air.

“I was told to come in. I now see why.” David’s eyes narrowed behind his thin wire frames, different from the heavy Ray-Bans that he had dedicated himself to sophomore year of high school. Jack hated that he looked older, wiser, and all around… better.

Specs cleared his throat before the bewildered set of men (one more angry than the other, both desperately avoiding eye contact) could demand what sort of sick joke this was. “Can you introduce yourself?”

They broke up on a Tuesday, an insignificant, momentary Tuesday. Fourteen months ago. (Yes, fourteen months, like their terrible split was a baby that Jack was nurturing bit by bit. He refused to round down- fourteen months ago, he left David Jacobs.) So when David ran his thumb across his jawline, a nervous tick older than his younger brother, Jack couldn’t fathom why he felt so relieved. Some things never did change. “David. Jacobs.” David’s jaw flexed as he looked into the camera. “I dated Jack for almost five years.”

“Tell us about your other relationships.”

“Unfortunately, I spent the better part of high school and college pining after a total cocksock. Not a whole lot of time for casual dating in between.”

A deep silence permeated the studio as two boom mic operators swapped awkward glances. Jack didn’t attempt to defend himself- he was sort of a cocksock. David Jacobs had asked him to uproot what little life he had in New York and move to Santa Fe for a prestigious, so-accolated-you-could-cry medical school, and Jack Kelly broke up with him over containers of kung pao chicken and scattered rose petals. He was a cocksock, a dickhead, and complete asshole. An ex-boyfriend of mass proportions.

“Okay, so.” Specs was wiping at his glasses with the tail of his shirt. Jack wanted to snap them in half. “Today’s video is entitled ‘Exes kiss for the first time since their breakup’. If you need more explanation…”

“I think we’ve got it.” David snapped, clenching his fists rapidly.

Jack stepped half an inch closer to David and began murmuring under his breath. “Davey, if you don’t want-”

“Don’t call me Davey.” His eyes were alight with flame- Jack’s chest caught fire.

Of all the things that felt domestic when dating Davey Jacobs, kissing him never managed to become routine. Davey kissed like he earnestly meant it. The gears in his brilliant mind would grind to a halt so he could dedicate himself to the lilting curve of Jack’s mouth, a gentle sweep of warmth when the artist’s mouth was otherwise preoccupied with his needless words, and the world would spin on a delicate axis. (Jack’s shoulders rose to meet Davey, the physical ache of being someone’s other half drawing him forward. Davey had avoided him for so long, Jack living on a diet of lingering stares and a brief touch of the hand, that kissing him felt like a dying man knelt at a replenished well. How did they exist for so long without this innate knowledge of the universe? Could he stand to go on a single second longer without the praise of Davey Jacob’s lips?) Of all the things Jack missed about spending his life with Davey Jacobs, kissing him was certainly one of them.

There was a moment where the pads of Jack’s fingertips brushed the nape of David’s neck, a habit borne from the small noise it would draw from the back of his throat, and the steely corporate floor felt more like the worn carpet in the old thirty-second street apartment. Jack could feel his thready pulse with the gentle press of a thumb.

Davey was a fan of the dramatics- he would pull away from a passionate kiss in the middle of a busy New York street to stare into Jack’s eyes, foreheads gently touching and cheeks furiously blushing. Now, he simply drew back. Took a step away. Swiped at his lips with the back of his hand.

Jack felt like he was falling. (“If you ever break up with me,” Jack began. He laughed at Davey’s unexpected shudder, the honest and visceral kind. “Make it quick.”

“What about when you break up with me?” Davey peered over his glasses.

Crinkling his nose, Jack quickly answered before the other boy could detail any breakup preferences. “I’m not an idiot, Dave. ‘M not going anywhere.”)

---

He stared at the limp fifty dollars in his hand. Romeo had apologized, explaining that the people who had organized this got half the cut, and handed them both an envelope- Jack, one with “Tony Higgins” that he planned to run through his shredder, and David, one with “Sarah Jacobs,” which made Jack gawk in disbelief.

Jack didn’t want to walk away; David’s feet were shuffling against the worn pavement.

“It’s funny,” David started. “I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift to get over you.”

He winced. “Sorry?”

“Please. I know she’s been your top artist since 2013.”

(Katherine walked through a worryingly unlocked apartment door. “Is that... Begin Again? Jack, what the fuck are you doing?” She had seconds to worry about the cluster of wilted flower petals her heel had put a hole through before Sarah pointed at the pair of legs sticking out of the bathroom’s entrance.) “Yeah, okay. Fair. But… funny? Did I miss a joke?”

David closed his eyes to roll them, as he so often did when he was trying to be polite, and it hurt to be on the receiving end. “We just had our last kiss. You know, like-”

“I’m Joe Jonas?” Jack interrupted, bewildered. The semi-glare he received in return was all he needed to know- “Right. Dickhead. Listen, Dave- David, why didn’t you tell me you were back in town?”

There was a brief moment where something unrecognizable flashed over David’s face- pity? Regret? Dejection? It was quickly replaced by a soft smile tugging at the edge of his lips, his eyes glazed over with a practiced professionalism. “I’ll see you around, Jack. Have a good day.”

David turned and walked down the street, and Jack just missed the passing moment he chose to look back.

---

Comment on EXES KISS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR BREAKUP by IncredibleKinsey: those two dudes are all mad and then just make out like that????? yeah okay call me when the wedding happens

#newsies #newsies on tour #newsies on broadway #newsies live #newsies 1992 #javid #javid fanfiction #javid newsies #jack kelly #davey jacobs #katherine plumber #sarah jacobs #newsbians #newsies fanfiction #javid au #my writing

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airis-paris14 · 4 years

Text

Starlight 6

Summary: Amani is an orphaned heiress who’s spent most of her life raising her younger sister. T’Challa is a widowed King and Father. Neither of them is expecting much from their night at the Lotus. But the coming months have many milestones in store for these young adults. Will becoming a family be one of them?

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7

“So where are you going?” Madiyson pestered her friend. It was 4:30 and Amani knew T’Challa would be here in exactly an hour. She quickly picked up the pace. She still had to take down her twist out and style it. “He said he’s just taking me out to dinner and then a surprise after.” Amani stood up from her vanity and walked into the bathroom. Madiyson had kept her word and spent the night. “With a man like that, the surprise could be diamonds sis,” Madiyson exclaimed as she fell back on Amani’s bed. “I’m pretty sure it’s not diamonds,” the heiress laughed. “How do you know?” Madiyson sat up, watching her friend delicately untwist her strands of hair. “I don’t but I hope not. I’d have to give them back.” Amani shrugged. They sat in silence as Amani finished untwisting and fluffing her hair.

“You really like him don’t you,” Madiyson asked. Amani paused her search for her red silk headwrap. She glanced up at her friend, “I really do.”

“I can tell, you’re willing to give back diamonds,” Madiyson teased. “Shut up,” Amani laughed, throwing one of the headwraps at her. Diamonds had always been Amani’s favorite jewel and all of her friends knew it. It wasn’t that she owned a lot of diamonds, but she was very vocal about her love of jewelry. It wasn’t rare for her to get excited and show her friends a video from a jeweler’s Instagram. The only two diamonds she owned had been gifted by her parents. Her first diamond was a necklace gifted to her when she turned 16. The second was a pair of diamond drop earrings given to her on her eighteenth birthday. Her parents had continued the tradition for Amare as well, but it would be up to Amani to purchase the diamond for her 18th birthday that was coming soon. She made a mental note to start looking for diamond earrings.

“I just don’t want him to think I’m with him for what he can give me. We aren’t in an exclusive relationship, and most of the things he can give me, I could give myself. Gifts are for girlfriends and wives, and I’m not either.” Amani pointed. Finally locating her silk head wrap she began to tie up her curls into a red wrapped pineapple updo. “I understand,” Madiyson agreed walking over into Amani’s closet. “What are you wearing to dinner?” Madiyson called searching through hangers. “It’s in here with me,” Amani replied, laughing as she heard the hangers continuing to move. “Okay, I’ll see it when you get dressed… Girl! I should raid your closet more often!” Madiyson yelled.”

Amani shook her head and started to pull on her clothes. She grabbed her red bodysuit followed by a pair of navy blue and green silk pants edged with red trim. She finished the look with a dark green short coat and red heels. She grabbed her diamond earrings off of the bathroom counter and checked to make sure she was still wearing the necklace her parents had given her. She hadn’t taken it off since the day they passed. With earrings and necklace in place, Amani covered her lips in lipgloss and smiled at her outfit. She looked good, and she knew it. The black woman left her bathroom and walked out into the bedroom. She grabbed her matching clutch and checked her phone. 5:25 on the dot. “Girl can I borrow this dress some-” Madiyson stopped talking as she spotted her friend. “Okay, sis!” Madiyson cheered. “You look good.”

“Thank you,” Amani smiled, “And of course. It would look great on you.” Amani nodded towards the short beaded white dress in her friend’s hand. “Thank you,” Madiyson cheesed. “He should be here soon. You gonna drive home or you gotta work soon?” Amani asked as she and Madiyson headed towards the living room. “I’m going home. Marquis asked if I wanted to get drinks at 8.”

“Ooh, look at you,” Amani teased. “It’s just drinks between friends,” Madiyson blushed. “Sure,” Amani grinned, “It’s just drinks for now. Next week it’ll be a date, and you know I’m right.” Madiyson didn’t respond and Amani knew that she was right. The doorbell drew both of their attention. “He’s punctual,” Madiyson commented. Amani opened the front door and smiled at the sight of T’Challa. “Hi,” she breathed. “Hey,” he breathed back, his eyes drinking in the sight of the woman before him. “Come in,” Amani gestured. “Thank you,” T’Challa smiled. “T’Challa this is Madiyson. Madiyson, this is T’Challa.”

“Nice to meet you,” T’Challa shook Madiyson’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine,” Madiyson insisted, “I’ve heard so much about you-”

“Okay, we should probably get going. I’m sure T’Challa had reservations,” Amani interrupted her friend. Madiyson could never resist a chance to embarrass her friend. “Bye Madiyson,” Amani called as she and T’Challa headed out of the front door. “Have fun! I’ll lock up! Don’t bring home no babies.” Madiyson yelled front the front stoop and Amani mentally groaned.

“She seems nice,” T’Challa commented as he opened the car door for Amani. “She’s really sweet when she’s not trying to embarrass me,” Amani sighed as he closed her door. T’Challa laughed as he settled in the car beside her. “The king drives himself?” Amani raised an eyebrow. “I enjoy driving,” T’Challa laughed, “besides, this is the safest car in the world. I wanted to drive you myself without someone listening in on our conversations tonight.”

“And what’s on the conversation table tonight that so special?”

“You’ll just have to stick around and find out won’t you,” T’Challa teased. He smoothly backed out of her drive and pulled off into the city. “How’d you end up in Atlanta?” the king broke the silence. “I went to college in the AUC, Atlanta University Center, I went to Spelman.”

“What did you major in?” the king inquired. “I was an independent Major. Did a mixture of Documentary Filmmaking, History, writing, and hospitality.” T’Challa nodded, “Did you enjoy your time?”

“I adored it. I’m still friends with a lot of people I went to school with. Madiyson, went to Clark Atlanta. I met her at homecoming one year. It gave me a sense of self and confidence. None of my professors made me feel crazy for wanting to study all of my interests.” Amani reminisced. “Does your sister go to school there?” T’Challa slowed to a stop at a red light. “Nope. They didn’t have her major, so she ended up at MIT. That’s where she wanted to be, so I’m happy for her. She has to make her own decisions.”

“It’s good that you’re supportive.” T’Challa smiled, easing onto the gas as the light turned to green. “What about you? Did you go to college?” Amani asked.

“Yes. I actually went to school in the states.” T’Challa’s eyes twinkled. “Really, you probably went to Yale right?” Amani joked. “Not even close,” T’Challa laughed. “Well, where’d you go to school?”

“I went to Howard University.”

“You’re a lie. There’s absolutely no way.” Amani gasped. “Is it so hard to believe that I would fit in?” T’Challa frowned.

“No! No, I just meant that it seems impossible that you could go to school in the states and no one would know who you were. It seems like the media would have been all over that.” Amani clarified. “Oh. Well, it was not that difficult. Your country did not have much interest in Wakanda until my father passed. I’m the first king to open Wakanda up to the world. I didn’t really tell people who I was, and people didn’t really ask. They just knew I was a foreign exchange student,” the king shrugged. “If that ever gets loose people are gonna lose their ever-loving minds,” Amani laughed. “I’m genuinely surprised it hasn’t already. I’m not exactly hiding it,” the king chuckled.

“What was your major?”

“Physics and Engineering.”

“No politics or international studies?”

“It was a minor,” the king shrugged, “My father taught me everything I needed to know about running our country. I wanted to study something that I was interested in before I spent a life ruling a country,” T’Challa explained. Amani frowned, “You don’t like being a king?”

“It’s not really as simple as enjoying it. It’s a responsibility that I gladly accept. I enjoy working with my people. I enjoy traveling, I could do without all of the politics but it comes with the job description. The responsibility has been passed down through my family since the beginning of our country’s existence. I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else.”

“I can’t fully understand, but as long as you’re happy, I’m happy for you,” Amani smiled. “Thank you,” the king grinned. They fell into comfortable silence once more. T’Challa pulled into a valet station and parked the car. He got out and rushed around to help Amani out of the car. “Thank you,” the waitress smiled. The king handed his keys to the valet and walked with Amani into the restaurant. “I hope you like Thai food,” he placed his hand on her lower back as they approached the maître d'. “I love it,” Amani told him. They checked in and the host led them back to their table. They looked over the menu, ordered, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. “If you could go to any city in the world right at this moment, where would you want to go?” T’Challa suddenly sat up. He leaned forward looking Amani directly in the eyes. Amani sat back, releasing her straw back into her drink, “Any city I want?”

“Any city on any continent,” the king promised, his smile growing by the second. “Milan, Italy,” Amani responded, “for fashion week.”

“Fashion week is soon yes?” T’Challa asked, sitting back in his chair. “It sure is, My sister’s birthday is usually the week after. That’s how I remember when fashion week starts,” Amani laughed. “How old will she be?” “She’ll be 18 this year,” Amani sighed. “That isn’t a good thing?” T’Challa frowned. “It is, but it’s just a reminder she’s gonna leave me for good soon,” Amani frowned, “And 18 is a big birthday in our family.”

“How so?” the king inquired. “Well, 18 is the age of majority in the US. So in acknowledgment of us becoming an adult, my parents gave their last gift. When we turned 16, my parents gave my sister and me a diamond necklace. When I turned 18, they gave me a pair of diamond earrings. Amare had been excited about receiving her earrings since she turned 17. They had bought her necklace before they died, so I was able to give it to her, but I’ve gotta keep the tradition alive on this one.”

“That’s really sweet,” The king offered a small smile, “I’m sure she’ll love whatever you buy for her.

“I hope so.”

The conversation faded again as the couple enjoyed their food. The occasional comment on the food was the only conversation. “Amani,” T’Challa started once he finished his food, “I have really enjoyed spending time with you.” Amani blushed. The king pushed his plate back before continuing, “I know that there is a lot to overcome between us. The distance being the biggest problem, my job coming in a close second,” Amani and T’Challa chuckled, “But I would really like to make us work. As a couple. Officially,” T’Challa paused watching for Amani’s reaction. She took a deep breath as her smile grew across her face, “Me too,” the young woman nodded in response. T’Challa reached across the table and took her hand in his, “Amani Okeke, will you be my girlfriend?”

“It would be my honor, your majesty,” Amani laughed at T’Challa’s groan. “It’s just T’Challa to you, entle.” The king pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “What does that mean?” Amani soaked in the feeling of his hand against hers.

“It means beautiful in Xhosa, my native language.”

“I like it,” Amani giggled, looking up into his eyes. “I’m glad,” he stared back at her.

The waiter came back shortly and took away the new couple’s empty plates. T’Challa paid for dinner and happily escorted his girlfriend out into his waiting car. “I hope you enjoyed the food.” The king opened the door for Amani as she climbed in. “It was wonderful, thank you,” the young woman smiled as the king closed her door. “I am glad you enjoyed the meal.”

T’Challa pulled away from the curb and started the opposite direction from Amani’s house. “Where are you taking me?” Amani smiled, her eyes glued to the king as he ventured to the opposite side of the city. “It is a surprise.” He smirked as he cruised through a green light.

“Oh really?” Amani turned to face the window. “Can I have a hint?”

“No, no hints. Just accept the surprise.”

Amani frowned out the window, as T’Challa laughed. “I can see you pouting in the window.”

“I’m not pouting,” a smile crept back onto Amani’s face. “I can see it in the glass from all the way over here Amani-”T’Challa started. “I just want to know where we are going. I don’t like surprises,” Amani’s voice trailed off into a mumble. “You do not like surprises?” T’Challa glanced over at her. “No,” she fought back another smile. “So you would like for me to turn around and take you home? It is really a shame since we are so close to the surp-”

“No, don’t turn around,” Amani cried out stopping his hand from pulling over. The king laughed. “I won’t,”T’challa still pulled over into a parking spot off the curb. “We are already here.” The king smiled as he stopped the car. He got out and helped Amani out from her side. He squeezed her hand gently and didn’t let go. They walked up the street to a glass-front building. “An art gallery,” Amani smiled as she noticed people inside mulling around holding flutes of champagne. “Yes, I hope this is alright, I assumed that you like art from the work hanging in your house-”

“I do! I love art,” Amani reassured as the couple paused outside of the front door, “I just wasn’t expecting this, but I love it.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know, dancing or a show, I don’t really know what I was expecting. I’m glad this is the surprise though, I truly am surprised, and happy.”

T’Challa nodded and escorted her in. Their hands swang together softly as they moved into the room. “I do not know much about the exposition, besides the fact that it is a collection of new African American artists. This gallery is my favorite in the city, they always do an amazing job.”

“They must have an amazing curator,” Amani affirmed as she gazed at some of the works in front of her. “One of the best. I buy a lot of pieces from this galley. They always seem to have something that I want.”

“Maybe I’ll find something new for myself or Amare,” Amani smiled at her date. The two meandered around the room, picking up some champagne as they perused. As they were talking and walking Amani’s attention was drawn to a painting that hung behind T’Challa’s head. Noticing her look the king turned over his shoulder to find what had caught her gaze and he smiled. “Do you like it?” He gripped her hand in his and walked her to the painting.

“I do. There’s just something about her gaze, and her hair. It’s like it’s people, then a city, but then I find myself just staring at her curls once more. There’s innocence, there’s pain, and there’s pride. It’s wrapped up in one, and it’s breathtaking.”

“You should buy it?”

“Where am I gonna put a bright red painting in my house T’Challa?”

“I don’t know, paint your bedroom red? Paint the Guest room red?”

“You really want me to buy this painting.” Amani turned to him. “No. Not if you do not want it, but you’ve bought two pictures for Amare for her birthday, and you have yet to buy one for yourself.”

“I’ve already started my collection, and I’ve got to save up for her birthday present. So maybe next time,” Amani shrugged but looked up at the painting. “I understand.” T’challa glanced over at his girlfriend before taking another sip of his champagne. “So I am going to buy it for you,” The king announced.

“T’Challa you don’t have to do that. You do not have to buy me gifts.”

“I know that I do not have to do anything, but I want to do this for you. Do you like this painting,” the king turned to face his girlfriend and took one of her hands in his free one. “I do,” she nodded back. “Then I am going to buy it for you, because your are my girlfriend and I want to treat you. You do so much for others, so let me do something for you.”

Amani nodded and smiled. The couple finished pursuing and purchasing their items. A few hours later they found themselves back on Amani’s front steps. “I had an amazing time tonight.”

Amani pushed the key in her lock as she smiled. The lock clicked opened and she invited T’Challa in. “I did too,” the young homeowner smiled, shrugging off her coat onto the couch before walking back over to T’Challa. He smiled at her, “I hope I an not to forward in asking this, but I am going to be taking Ada on a short vacation and I would like for you to come with us. We aren’t going to Milan unfortunately, but we are going to Paris. I am sure she would enjoy your presence as well.”

“Are you sure, I wouldn’t want to encroach on you all’s time together. I know it is limited since she is away at school and with Nanny’s-”

“Well,” T’Challa cleared his throat, “I have been doing some thinking and that is all going to be changing soon. The vacation is for the end of her school year, and next year, I have decided that she will be continuing her formal education with me in the palace. And her nanny will be retiring as well. I took your advice and realized that I wanted to spend quality time with my daughter and get to know her. Not be a stranger that she comes home to and calls her father. And she is only five, she probably will not even really remember this vacation and she loves having you around and we coul-” Amani cut off his rambling by pressing her lips to his. She melted into the kiss as his senses took over and he kissed her back. She pulled away slowly blinking her eyes, “If I can get off of work, I would love to tag along with you all,” She bit her lip and grinned.

“Great,” he nodded slowly, gazing back at her, “I’ll send you the details in the morning my love.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

T’Challa rested his forehead on hers. “Goodnight Amani,” The king smiled. “Goodnight,” Amani whispered. The father placed one last kiss on her lips before she let him out. Amani locked the door behind herself and grinned all the way up the stairs to take a shower.

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theladyofdeath · 5 years

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10 Things I Hate About You {2}

An ACOTAR fanfiction.

Click here for previous chapters.

Nessian. Feysand. Elriel. Elucien.

Story inspired by the 1999 classic, 10 Things I Hate About You, and a prompt from anon.

Summary: Cassian gets dared to convince the university’s notorious bitch to attend the Greek winter formal with him. Elain is conflicted between her lifelong crush or the boy with the hazel eyes who makes her feel like more than just a pretty face. Feyre finds herself captivated by her school’s new janitor, but little does she knew that he’s not employed there by choice.

Warning: Rated M for mature.

Author’s Note: Good morning! I hope this chapter pleases you all, as the early chapters always remain fluffy.....for a little while. I’m excited to share what I have in mind for this fic. Enjoy. :)

P.S. Send an ask to be tagged, if you’d like to be. Also, I always love knowing what you all think!

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” - William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

There was a party going on downstairs but Cassian was locked in his bedroom.

The music downstairs could be heard, felt, through the floorboards, as he sat at his desk, his biology book open, a red solo cup filled with a caramel colored liquid sitting atop his notebook.

Cassian hated being in a fraternity while loving it at the same time.

He had joined because his mother had been a part of the Greek system, loving and supporting the VU Greeks until her final day on this earth. Cassian had joined to be a part of her legacy.

And he had done his job well.

He was now president of Kappa Sigma, and although they were not the most well-respected group on campus, he made sure that, behind closed doors, they did what they could to help those who needed it in the city.

It was easier being known as the “party frat”, though. The expectations were lower. No one knew when Cassian did something good, but no one cared when he messed up, either.

So, a party thrived downstairs, welcoming in the new school year and whatever pledges would be walking through their door this semester.

And unless Cassian was needed, he’d be upstairs, getting drunk and studying, hoping one did not cancel out the other.

His phone vibrated on his bed, and when he crossed the room to retrieve it, he peeked out the window.

Members of every fraternity and sorority, and some who weren’t a part of either, were grinding against one another, cups raised, as the music poured from the speakers.

Cassian chuckled to himself.

He had been the same way freshman year.

He unlocked his screen and read, Where the hell are you?

After a quick reply, a moment later, a pounding came from the other side of his door.

Rhysand and Azriel stood there, the latter looking wildly uncomfortable.

They let themselves in without Cassian having to welcome them.

“You know, it’s easier to study at my place, where hundreds of people aren’t gathered,” Rhysand chuckled, nodding at Cassian’s textbook.

Cassian grinned, falling back onto his bed. “I have to stay here in case I’m needed. I’m important, you know.”

Azriel rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

“How’d it go today?” Cassian asked, leaning up on his elbows.

Rhysand tensed, but his shoulders soon relaxed. “Okay. I only had to see her a few times.”

Azriel watched him. “Did she try to come on to you?”

Rhysand shook his head. “No.”

It was a messed up situation, and Cassian hated watching his lifelong friend going through it. Rhysand’s father had gotten himself in some shitty situations that had eventually led to his death. With him gone, his issues passed on to his son. Rhysand was forced to pay his debt.

“I’ll find a way out of it,” Rhysand said. A dismissal.

Cassian took the hint before offering, “Want a drink?”

The light that sparked in Rhysand’s violet eyes said that he had been waiting for such an offer.

Cassian huffed a laugh, “Alright. I’ll be back.”

After pushing off his bed, he threw himself into the sea of people.

A couple was outside of his door, in the dark corners of the hallway, making out. Cassian had to slide by them to get to the stairs, which led straight to hell itself.

He couldn’t move an inch without bumping into someone, but no one seemed to mind the contact. Every time someone saw him, that knew of him, they raised their plastic cups and hollered praise.

Cassian returned their gestures with a grin and a wink before finally finding himself in the kitchen.

A beer pong tournament was taking place, and seemingly getting heated as a crowd had gathered to watch and cheer over the music.

Cassian opened the fridge, but it was empty. On the counter was a bowl of hunch-punch and a bunch of cups, already filled to the brim with beer.

He grabbed two before turning around and beginning his trek to the staircase.

It wasn’t until he rounded the corner that he stopped, his cups spilling onto the tee-shirt of Elain Archeron’s older sister.

“Fuck,” she snapped. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Her lips thinned as she looked down, observing the mess. “Great. Now I’m soaked.”

Cassian just grinned, neglecting to spit out an apology. “I get the honor of seeing you three times in one day? Lucky me.”

“Unfortunately,” she muttered.

“I see you came to my party.”

“I came to keep an eye on my sister,” she scowled. “She shouldn’t be here.”

“She’s always at my parties,” Cassian blinked.

“Not Elain,” she said. “My younger sister.”

She was scanning the crowd as if trying to find her, icy gray-blue eyes squinted and determined.

“Want me to help you find her?” Cassian asked.

Nesta barked a laugh. “No.”

With that, she strode off.

And Cassian watched her go.

~~~~

Azriel found a spot underneath a tree in the front yard, within the shadows, and lit a cigarette.

It was a bad habit, one his friend Mor claimed would be his downfall, which was why he did it alone.

It was quieter in the front yard, the echo of the music from the back yard still able to be heard with perfect clarity.

But he was alone, which is how he preferred it. He only came to these bullshit events for Cassian, so that he wouldn’t be alone in it all.

Cassian used to love the parties, but within the last four years, they just became repetitive.

So, Azriel and Rhysand would come to campus on the nights that the music blared and drinks were poured if only to give their friend, their brother, support.

Azriel took a slow, long drag and let it sooth him.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the tree trunk, his black hood pulled over his head creating a soft, cotton pillow.

Cassian had left to get him and Rhys a drink, but he had never come back. Duty calls.

Rhysand wandered off, claiming he’d be going home soon. He needed good rest for his second day as Amarantha’s whore.

Or, janitor, as she claimed.

They all knew better.

And Azriel?

He would get up and go to work and go home and do it all again the next day.

“Excuse me.”

Azriel’s eyes shot open and he blinked a few times before gaining clarity in the dark night.

Elain Archeron stood in front of him, nearly half a foot shorter than himself, in her yellow sundress and wide, brown eyes.

“Sorry to bother you,” she chuckled. “I’ve been wandering around for twenty minutes looking for the guy I was with. Have you seen him out here? Dark, red hair, tan skin, blue shirt.”

Azriel blinked. He had remembered seeing her with Lucien Vanserra upon his arrival. “Lucien? No, I’m sorry. I’ve only been here for a minute, but I haven’t seen anyone.”

The light in her eyes dimmed, but she nodded. Nibbling on her lip, she said, “Okay. Thanks, anyways. Maybe I’ll just wait here a minute, away from everyone to see if he shows. Is that alright?”

Azriel nodded, once. “Sure. Want one?”

She looked at his cigarette, then back to his eyes. “No, thank you. I have never smoked and don’t want to become…” She cut her words off, her cheeks reddening.

A small smile pulled on Azriel’s mouth. “Addicted?”

She didn’t say anything, but nodded, slightly.

“It’s okay,” he laughed, quietly. “It’s a bad habit. I know.”

“Then why do you do it?” she asked. No judgment, only curiosity.

Azriel took a moment to think about it. “I was sixteen when I had my first cigarette. It’s just become a way of life, I guess. Helps me...calm down. Not an excuse, but…” he shrugged and put the cigarette between his lips.

Elain watched him out of the corner of her brown eyes. “I’m Elain.”

“I know,” he said, quietly. “I’m Azriel.”

“Cassian’s friend.”

He nodded.

She smiled, smugly. “You two are pretty opposite, it seems.”

Azriel raised a dark brow. “Why do you say that?”

“I know Cassian,” she laughed, “and you are not like him.”

“But you don’t know me,” Azriel suggested.

Elain smiled up at him. “Perhaps not, but I like to think I’m pretty good at reading people.”

The side of his mouth turned up as he fiddled the cigarette between his index and middle finger. “Well, I guess you’re-”

“Elain? Hey, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Azriel’s shoulders tensed as Lucien approached. He glanced at Azriel suspiciously as he reached for Elain’s hand in which she excitedly took.

“I was looking for you, too,” she smiled. “Azriel was keeping me company until you came along. I figured if I stayed in one spot instead of continuously moving around looking for you, you’d find me. Turns out I was right.”

Azriel stood by, casually ignoring their conversation without truly ignoring it at all.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Azriel,” Elain smiled, giving him a little wave as they began to walk away. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Azriel waved back.

Then, he watched her go.

~~~~

Rhysand was ready to go home.

He had an early morning and was already exhausted. After searching for twenty minutes to tell Cassian goodbye, he was giving up and heading toward his car.

It wasn’t until he reached the driver’s side door that he stopped, glancing at the sight that was taking place beside the car next to his.

Tamlin was hovering over a girl, pressed up against the side of his car door.

Rhysand lifted a brow as she caught his eye.

There was worry there, in her gray-blue eyes.

She looked familiar, but it was that worry that made Rhysand say, “Oh, Tamlin. When will you learn that not every girl at this university wants your dick?”

Tamlin looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowed and lit with fury. “What do you want, Rhys.”

His words were flat and slurred. Rhysand noted the plastic cup that sat on the roof of his car.

“I was told to bring her home,” Rhysand replied, nodding his head at the girl.

Tamlin opened his mouth, no doubt to call out his lie, but the girl said, “He’s right. I have school tomorrow, so…”

Tamlin’s jaw set as he took a step back. “Fine. Come see me tomorrow, then.”

The girl lifted her chin, not balking, as she slowly walked toward Rhysand. She did not look nervous but Rhysand noted how the rise and fall of her chest quickened.

Without so much as a goodbye toward Tamlin, she opened the passenger side door to Rhysand’s car and slid inside.

“Don’t try anything,” Tamlin snapped, and it took Rhysand a moment to realize he was talking to him. “She’s mine.”

Rhysand chuckled and rolled his eyes before getting into his car and starting the engine.

Tamlin watched them both, as they sat in silence, while Rhysand pulled away from the curb.

The girl next to him let out a breath. “Thank you. You can drop me off right up here.”

Rhysand lifted a brow, glancing at her. “I can bring you home. I don’t mind. What dorm?”

She laughed, quietly. “I don’t live on campus. I don’t go here.”

Realization hit him as he turned the corner off Greek row. “You go to the high school.”

She looked at him, blinking. “Wait, aren’t you the new janitor?”

Rhysand hesitated before saying, “Yes. Rhys.”

She tilted her head to the side. “I’m Feyre.”

“Nice to meet you, Feyre. May I ask what brought you to a college campus tonight? At a frat party, nonetheless.”

“My sisters go here,” she said. “They were at the party but I lost them in the chaos.” Rhysand nodded as Feyre asked, “What were you doing here?”

“My friend is president of Kappa Sigma,” he answered, simply. “I went here until last year.”

She watched him. “You graduated?”

He shook his head. “No. Dropped out and decided to be a janitor instead.”

Maybe it was his tone, but she didn’t push. “You can really just drop me off here. I’ll take the bus.”

“I promise I’m not a crazy person,” Rhys laughed. “I can take you home, still. I don’t mind.”

Feyre’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know me. If you’re not crazy, why are you being so nice?”

Rhysand took a moment to carefully choose his words. “Me and Tamlin go way back. He doesn’t….take ‘no’ very well. You looked uncomfortable.”

As if that was answer enough, they fell into a comfortable silence, but then Feyre said, “Thank you.”

Rhysand nodded. “Anytime.” Another moment of silence passed before he said, “I’m surprised your parents let you out so late on a school night.”

Feyre barked a laugh. “I’m not a child. I’m eighteen, I can do as I wish. Besides, my father probably hasn’t even noticed I’m gone.”

“His loss,” was all Rhysand said, just before Feyre mentioned, “turn here!”

He did.

He followed all of her directions until he headed to the outskirts of the city, where a small, red house sat on a hill.

“This is me,” she said, quietly. “Thank you. Really, you didn’t have to drive me.”

“Anytime,” he repeated. Then, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

She rolled her eyes, quietly humored, before jumping out of Rhysand’s car and hurrying into the house with so much as a goodbye.

Rhysand watched her go, the door closing behind her before he pulled out of her driveway and back into the city.

Chapter 3 coming soon.

@throne-of-ashes-and-beauty @photofeesh @mariamuses @queen-archeron @agel-yan @julesherondalex @rhysismydaddy @poisonous00 @katshrev @girl-who-reads-the-books@a-trifling-matter @kickassunicorn @illyrian-highfae @light-in-the-shadows72@abimomeopectore @cjcraiggchiefofstaff @empress-ofbloodshed @outofstyles13 @overgrown-bat @thebitchupstairs @breccia-domain @ladyblackstairs @nish247 @my-fan-side @panda3506 @awesomethreedragons @hawkingeloise @feysand-dot-acotar @darknessinthediamond @welcometothespeaknowworldtour @illyrianbae99 @i-look-like-a-mess @my-parabatai-is-a-herondale @justacatastrophe @sofyyyd @sannelovesreading @kylizzles @kiss-my-maas @inrealliampain @alien-from-pluto-writer @corpdemarvel@lorcanswife @aelinsaesthetic @illyriangarbage @amaranthas-whore @ifangirlninja @sleeping-and-books @lordof-bloodshed @wyrdmarks @illyriangarbage

#ttihay #tacmc #nessian #feysand #elriel #elucien #acotar #acomaf #acowar #fanfic #fanfiction

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my-makeshift-masquerade · 5 years

Text

Crossover Drabble 2

(Wrote Char and the kiddies and I am hoping to goodness I’ve done enough research on them to get their quirks right. @victoryroadburnout will be the judge of that!)

“We are going to be in so much trouble.” Beta paced anxiously around the front room, “We were supposed to find dad, and you two decide to bring a human instead!”

“Would you stop trying to guilt trip us?” The oldest lowered her ears, “You’re such a daddy’s boy...”

“Do you think she’s okay?” The other sister levitated over the body passed out on the couch, “She looks like she got hurt really badly...”

Her brother scoffed.

“Beta!”

“What? You wanna save every human you meet Theta.” He squinted, “Watch while this one turns out being just like all the others...again.”

“Alpha, he’s being mean!”

“What else is new?”

The sound of a door opening made all three pokémon freeze and exchange worried looks.

“I’m home-“ The woman suddenly went silent, already sensing something off, “Alright kids, what’d y’all do?”

“Uh oh!” Theta took a spare blanket and draped it over the body on the couch, pretending she was asleep on top of the now oddly lumpy cushion. Her siblings exchanged irritated looks and shook their heads.

Char immediately knew something was off, but was taking her time to figure out what. They probably took ice cream from the city or something stupid like that anyway. She glanced at the pair by the doorway, “Well, how’d your rescue mission go?”

“Why are you asking like that, mom?!” The oldest snapped, looking offended.

“Only wanna see how good my babies did on their first try.” The woman smiled innocently, looking to the youngest, “Maybe I’ll just ask Theta.”

“No!” Alpha blurted, “You don’t have to! We did perfectly fine! Right, Beta?”

Her brother sighed, nodding reluctantly, “We got dad out like you wanted... but he didn’t come back with us...”

Now that wasn’t something Mewtwo would do. She narrowed her eyes at the siblings, “...Why not?”

“Didn’t want the humans to follow us.” Beta responded quickly, “That’s all.”

Char smiled and pulled the two into a hug, “Real proud of ya little scamps!”

“S-shouldn’t you be asking us more questions?” The only male frowned.

“Nope!” She kept that innocent grin on her face, knowing they were probably going to cave and admit whatever they’d done any second now. The woman moved over to Theta to hug her as well, but noticed fresh blood on the spare blanket, “Are you hurt, hon?”

“Huh?” The youngest smiled and shook her head, “I’m okay, mama! Don’t worry!”

Oh. THAT was enough to get her attention for real. Her expression immediately became cold and serious, like a switch had been flipped, “Get up...”

The pokémon obeyed already fumbling out apologies and worried remarks. Char ignored them all, pulling the cover off and throwing it aside. The room went quiet as the bleeding body was revealed.

“We’re sorry-“

“It was all their idea-“

“Mama please-“

“First aid kit.” The woman pointed, “Bring it here, now.”

————

“Holy shit...” Char whispered under her breath as she got a better look at the damage. She’d seen a lot in her days but never had she seen anything like this. The injuries were way too organized to be from any sort of battle. She could even see the X’s drawn on this kid’s skin where she was marked to be cut open. It looked like surgical work, but why wasn’t anything sutured? These wounds must’ve been left to heal on their own for a purpose, then, possibly to keep them open.

She worked quickly, cleaning and bandaging what she could. The body was getting colder by the second, like her immune system couldn’t muster the energy to even create the slightest fever. Things started clicking in her head the more she noticed. Weakened immune system...open wounds with odd discoloration. Whoever did this wanted to force her body to accept something it normally would’ve tried to fight against. Well, too late to fix that. The best she could do was keep the girl alive.

The woman looked to her nervous kids in between filling syringes with painkillers. They were going to explain this ...later. “Fuckin’ hell... how many times has she been tapped...?” She muttered to herself while trying to find a vein. Eventually, she had to go through one of the other healing puncture wounds to reach the bloodstream. Focused on what she was doing, she didn’t notice the other human’s eyes suddenly open.

Becca could barely move but she tried her darn best when she felt the sharp pain of a needle piercing her insides. A hand forced her arm to stay in place, and she heard an unfamiliar voice mumbling various profanities and interjections nervously while fighting to keep her down. She could barely even scream in response, her mouth just opening while no sound came out of her raw throat. When she was let go she immediately tried to turn away while whoever was keeping her here was distracted.

Char noticed the very clear flinching that came when she touched the middle of the pale arm again, this time to bandage it. It made her think of how skittish Mewtwo was about things like this when they first met.

“Hey. Hey kid, look at me.” She met the other human’s eyes, “I’m not one of them... You’re safe here, alright?”

“Wha...where...”

“Take it easy...We’re in Hoenn.”

“Uh... Mama-”

“Not now, Theta...”

“Mama! She’s...she’s trying to ask you if dad’s okay...”

#drabbles #drabble #writing practice #ncrcau #rymesona chronicles #pokemon becca #pokemon oc #pokesona #bleh my tags suck

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write-havoc · 5 years

Text

Of Sons and Daughters Ch 11

Summary: Arthur is tasked by Dutch to watch over a young woman who had just lost the last member of her family she had left. That young woman just so happens to be the daughter that Dutch told no one else about.

This is a non canon AU with no major spoilers

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2

Pairing: Arthur Morgan/Original Female Character

Status: Ongoing

Contains: swearing, PG 13 smut

Intended for readers 18+ of age only

Masterlist in my bio

Several days pass as the gang comes to terms with Micah’s betrayal to them. With what Charles had told them about what he had seen, it’s evident that after Micah’s plan to get Dutch out in the open to meet with Colm had failed, he went out to that train station to telegraph Milton. Once the agents arrived, Micah must’ve told them Dutch didn’t take the bait. Milton’s impatience apparently had gotten the better of him because he then decided to just raid the camp instead of going about contriving another plan to get Dutch away from everyone to arrest him.

During these days, Emmeline settles in more. She tries her best to do jobs around the camp at Shady Belle. Laundry, mending clothes, washing up, none of it is really new to her, anyway. Once the sun goes down, she starts to help Lenny in his pursuit to teach Sean how to read. The Irishman seems more inclined to listen to Emmeline than Lenny, so he actually makes progress.

“The... dog... j-j-“ he reads along as he points to the words on the page with his finger.

“Sound it out,” Emmeline says in support.

“J-um-p-ed. Jumped!” he calls out excitedly. “That fucker jumped !”

Emmeline and Lenny both laugh at his reaction.

“You’re doing good,” she comments. “See, you’re getting it down. You’ll be reading novels in no time.”

Karen, who is close by, decides to see what all the hubbub is about. “Who jumped?” she asks as she comes to stand by Sean.

He points to the illustration of the little puppy in the book that Lenny had borrowed from Jack. “The dog!” He follows the words with his finger again as he reads. “The dog jumped!”

“You can join us, Karen,” Lenny mentions. “If Sean can learn, you surely can, too.”

She thinks it over a minute. “If I learn to read, Mary Beth will be shoving those stories she writes in my face all the time askin’ if they’re any good.” She moves to sit down next to Sean. “But I guess I ain’t got nothin’ better to do right now.”

Soon enough, Abigail and Jack join in on the lessons, though Hosea has to be recruited to help out with the teaching. It helps to keep spirits high in this time of uncertainty. Arthur often sits next to Emmeline as she continues to help, though most of the time he’s sketching in his journal instead of helping out.

“Who taught you to read, Emmeline?” Abigail asks one of the days they’re all sitting around the fire.

“Both my parents loved books,” she answers. “They didn’t send me off to school, but they both taught me all they knew. Taught me to read and write. How to add numbers. Even had me read some history books, too. They wasn’t really educated, but they did their best.”

“Well you’re loads smarter than Arthur, here,” Sean calls out at Arthur’s expense. “How’d you manage to convince a sweet girl like that to be with you.”

Before Arthur can respond, Emmeline steps in to defend him. “He didn’t have to convince me. Arthur is sweet and kind. And he ain’t dumb. He’s taught me a lot.” She looks over to Arthur and smiles.

“Ain’t that sweet!” Sean razzes him further.

Karen slaps the back of the Irishman’s head. “He’s a better man than you, Sean.”

“Aw, you love me. Give us a kiss.” He leans into Karen, his lips puckered.

“I don’t love you, you pig!” Karen calls out, but everyone knows she’s not serious.

About a week after they had moved into Shady Belle, Arthur finds Dutch standing at the back of the property looking over the swamp.

“Whatcha doin’, Dutch?” he calls out as he approaches.

The older man doesn’t even turn around, though he does answer. “Watching the alligators,” he says with very little emotion in his voice.

Once Arthur comes to stand next to Dutch, he can see blood in the water and an alligator moving around underneath it. “They fighting or something?”

“I watched a boar walk over to the edge of the water,” Dutch starts, eyes still fixed on the swamp. “I watched as one of those gators silently swam up to it, the boar none the wiser. Only took but a few seconds and that gator had that boar in its mouth, dragging it in the water as its meal.”

“Shit,” is all Arthur can think to say.

Dutch lets out a sigh. “All this time, I thought I was the alligator. Turns out I’m the boar.”

Arthur could tell that Dutch hadn’t been taking Micah’s betrayal very well. He had shut himself in his room, barely talking to anybody, which isn’t normal for him. This is actually the first time Arthur had spoken to him in days.

“Now come on, Dutch,” Arthur replies gently. “You ain’t no boar. You’re a man. And men make mistakes on occasion. I know that more ‘n anyone.”

“I’ve been thinking about... him ,” Dutch says, refusing to use Micah’s name. “About everything he’s done. Everything he’s said.” He lets out a heavy breath and casts his gaze to the ground in front of him. “He played me, Arthur. Like a fiddle. Told me everything I wanted to hear. Then he tried to get me to turn on you.” He finally looks over to the younger man. “And John. And Hosea. I nearly fell for it.”

“But ya didn’t.”

“But I nearly did. And everything I’ve been working for would’ve been lost .” He lets out a sigh. “I’ve just been trying so hard ,” he brings his hands up and clenches them into fists in front of him, “to hold onto everything. To keep everyone together. Not to fall into the trap of this...” he waves his hands around, “ civilization .”

“I know, Dutch. We’re still here. We’re still with you.”

Dutch turns his body to face Arthur and places his hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “But for how long?” He doesn’t stay to get a response, instead, walking past him toward the house.

Just a little while later as almost everyone is eating their supper, Sean calls out, “Hey, English!” in Arthur’s direction. Bill is walking next to him, which can mean nothing good, most likely.

Arthur lets out a sigh, causing Emmeline to chuckle beside him. “Yes, Sean?” he replies, already exasperated.

“Me and Bill was ‘avin a drink at some saloon in San Denis when we hear these two blokes talkin’ about some train that’s s’pose ta be carryin’ a lot of gold. Apparently they gonna be movin’ money outta the bank fer some reason.”

“And...?” Arthur says after a pause.

Bill jumps in. “We rob it!”

Arthur just shakes his head. “I don’t think we should be doin’ nothin’ like that right now. All the heat that’s been on us... we need to lie low.”

“Don’t we need the money, though? To get to Tahiti?” Sean asks, parroting Dutch’s words.

“Right now we gotta focus on not getting nabbed by them Pinkertons,” Arthur explains. “Micah don’t know where we went to, but I’m bettin’ he’s told them agents that we’d head further east once they ran us outta Clemens Point. If we do something big, they’ll know it’s us and it’ll only be a matter of time before they find this place.” Arthur scratches at his beard as he thinks it over. “We need to do shit much more quiet than we have been. No train robberies. No banks or stagecoaches. Nothin’ like that. We send the women into the city to pickpocket some rich folk. Javier and whoever else can rob homesteads as long as it’s quiet. Me and Charles can hunt and sell the pelts. It won’t get us a heap load of money, but it’ll make us enough to keep surviving. For now, anyways.”

Since Dutch is continuing to lock himself away most of the time, there’s no one else giving the gang orders but Arthur and Hosea. They are both in agreement that the gang needs to lower their profile for the time being. Especially until Dutch gets back to his old self. Arthur hopes he’ll come out of it, sooner rather than later.

During this time, Emmeline and Arthur try to figure out what it means to be in a relationship together. She, of course, has no experiences of her own to draw off of. Arthur isn’t much better, though, only having one serious relationship in his life. There are some awkward moments, usually coming in the form of Arthur being teased every time someone catches him even so much as looking at Emmeline. She shrugs it off, but Arthur usually has to try to hide his blushing cheeks.

While he’s never been very comfortable with public displays of affection, he makes up for it in the privacy of their own room. He’s tentative for the first few nights, but with Emmeline’s assurance that she is fine with his advances, he gets more comfortable with her physically. Before too long, he comes to crave the intimacy that she provides. He had long since accepted that he would never have another woman in his life, but then Emmeline showed up and awakened parts of him that had been dormant.

One morning, Arthur and Emmeline are cuddled up together in the small bed in their second floor room. Arthur has been working hard lately, so he decides to sleep in a little today. As for Emmeline, her pregnancy has continued to take the energy out of her, so some extra time in bed doesn’t bother her any.

“You awake, Emma?” he whispers when she stirs a little from her position lying on his chest.

“Yeah,” she answers sleepily without lifting her head. “But I’m still tired. I might just fall back asleep.”

He kisses her crown. “Go on ahead. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

Just a few minutes after she tries to fall back asleep, she’s overcome with a wave of nausea. Thankful that she decided to put her nightgown back on last night after she and Arthur were done with their “activities,” she runs out of their room to try to make it outside before the contents of her stomach could come up. Unfortunately, she just barely makes it out into the hallway before she starts to heave.

Abigail can hear the commotion from her room just a few feet away. She leaves Jack, still sleeping soundly, to see what’s going on. “Are you alright?” she asks Emmeline when she sees the mess at her feet.

Emmeline clears her throat and wipes her mouth. “I’m fine,” she says as she looks up to the other woman, unsure what else to say.

Arthur comes out of the room, having hastily put on his pants to cover himself. He shares a look with Abigail before he gently lays a hand on Emmeline’s back. “Why don’t you go back in and lay down,” he says to her. “I’ll clean this up.”

Abigail’s face suddenly lights up as she calls out, “You’re pregnant! I knew it!” She had her suspicions, but the fact that Emmeline had gotten sick and Arthur isn’t at all worried about it confirms what she had thought.

Both Arthur and Emmeline snap their heads to look at the other woman.

“Keep it down,” Arthur growls out.

Abigail lets out a scoff. “Ain’t nobody up here but Jack. And he could sleep through the end of the world. Even Dutch and Molly are out, for once.” She starts to vibrate with excitement despite Arthur glaring at her. “But it’s true, right?”

Emmeline smiles gently as she nods slightly. There’s no use in lying at this point.

Abigail can’t hold back the squeal of happiness as it leaves her mouth. The thought of having another child in the camp for Jack to play with swirls in her mind.

“Shh!” Arthur pats the air to try to calm her. “You can’t tell nobody, Abigail. Especially not the rest of the girls.”

“I wont.”

“Abigail?” John’s raspy voice rings out from the steps. “You alright up there? I heard you yell.” He starts to come up the stairs before she even answers.

Abigail runs over to meet her husband on the landing. “Emmeline’s with child!” she tells him immediately.

Arthur throws up his hands and rolls his eyes. “Abigail! I just told you not to tell no one!”

“John doesn’t count,” she replies as she leads John over to where the group stands.

“Is that sick?” he points to the pile a few feet away.

Abigail swats him on the chest. “Don’t worry about that! You’re gonna be an uncle!”

“Don’t tell nobody else,” Arthur asserts. “I mean it. Both of you.”

“Alright, alright.” Abigail turns to leave. “I’ll get a bucket to clean up that mess. Then we’re gonna talk all about this.”

John shakes his head and claps Arthur on the shoulder. “Looks like we’re more alike than I thought.”

Emmeline scrunches up her face in confusion at his comment. “What?”

“I knocked Abigail up with Jack on accident, too.”

Arthur shakes his head. “Shut up, Marston.”

She looks over to Arthur for a moment before turning back to John. “But you were happy, right?”

“Little Johnny Marston ran away. Like an idiot,” Arthur answers for him. “I won’t never do that.”

“I came back,” John defends himself.

“It only took four years for you to get your shit together to be somewhat of a father to the boy,” Arthur bites back sarcastically. He had always looked down at John for his decision to leave instead of accepting his role as a father. Now that he’s put himself in the same position with regards to an unexpected pregnancy, he’s focused on not repeating the younger man’s mistake.

Abigail reappears carrying a bucket and some rags. “Stop fighting, you two. You should be celebrating.”

“We ain’t ready to tell everyone just yet,” Emmeline comments. “So I think we’ll have to wait for any parties.”

“It’s your news to tell. But the second you do it, there’s certainly going to be a party.” Abigail bends down to start to clean the floor. “I suggest you nibble on some biscuits to settle your stomach, though. If you start getting sick all the time, people are gonna get curious and ask questions.”

Early one morning, Emmeline takes Abigail up on her advice. Once her stomach starts to roil, she sneaks out of bed quietly enough not to wake Arthur to head down to Pearson’s wagon in search for biscuits. The sun isn’t even up yet, so it takes her a few minutes in the dark to locate the small tin on the table.

After eating a few of the biscuits, she decides to head over to where Miss Susie is hitched at the edge of camp to visit with her for a moment.

“How ya doin’, girl?” she asks as she pats the horse on the neck.

Upon hearing a rustling behind her, she flips around just in time to see Kieran exiting his tent not far away from her.

“Miss Emmeline?” he croaks out, his voice still tinged with sleep.

“I’m sorry, Kieran. I didn’t mean to wake you. I honestly forgot your tent was over here.”

“That’s okay.” He moves to the other side of Miss Susie, petting her on the nose. “It ain’t too much before I’d get up anyway.”

“I need to thank you for taking such good care of her,” she says as she continues to stroke the horse’s coat. “I haven’t gotten the chance to take her out much lately.”

“She’s a real good horse. Very friendly. I must admit that she’s my favorite to ride out of all of them.”

She smiles. “Really?”

“Most of the other horses only accept one rider in the saddle. Miss Susie here don’t mind me taking her out at all.” He pats her neck. “I’ll get her a couple of carrots for a treat.”

He starts to move further away to where he keeps his supplies while Emmeline continues to pet her horse. Suddenly, there’s a scuffle and when she turns to look, she sees a man in a green vest grappling with Kieran, trying to pull him off into the woods.

“No!” she screams at the top of her lungs and instinctively runs toward the man that she realizes must be an O’Driscoll with what Arthur has told her about them. She doesn’t have any weapons on her and she’s only in her nightgown, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying to help Kieran. Jumping on the O’Driscoll’s back, she forces one arm around his neck and tries to pull him away.

Unbeknownst to her, the O’Driscoll hadn’t arrived alone. His partner roughly grabs her by the shoulders and throws her off the first man and onto the ground hard. She’s stunned for a moment, but once a gunshot rings out, she comes to just in time to see the man on Kieran crumble to the ground.

With the O’Driscoll’s plan well and truly bungled by the surprise appearance of the raven haired woman, the remaining man can only think about making it out alive. He quickly pulls the woman in front of him up by the hair and holds her to his chest, using her as a shield.

“One move and she gets it,” he calls out to Bill, first and foremost, since he’s the only one close by with a gun. That’s not going to last for much longer, though. He can hear everyone else in the camp stirring at the noise. And with the sun starting to bathe the landscape with light, he no longer has the cover of darkness on his side.

“Let her go,” Kieran pleads.

The O’Driscoll knows he has to make a run for it now before he has more guns trained on him. He figures that the only chance he’ll get is if he kills the girl, catching them off guard enough to make his escape. He cocks his gun then a shot rings out.

Meanwhile, Arthur is pulled from sleep by the sound of Emmeline screaming “No!” It’s faint, but it’s like his mind is attuned to her voice. Without much thought, he grabs his gun belt and runs out of his room in only his union suit. As he’s running down the stairs, he’s bucking his belt around his hips and drawing his Schofield, ready for a fight. The sun is just barely up, but there’s enough light that he can see a man on the edge of camp holding Emmeline to his chest. Their right sides are facing Arthur so he gets a good look at the gun the O’Driscoll is holding to her head.

Arthur runs full bore at them. Without slowing even a little bit, he readies his gun to shoot the man behind Emmeline. Despite everything going on around Arthur, he somehow sees the small movement of the man’s thumb pulling back the hammer on his gun. Time seems to slow as Arthur lines up his shot to the side of the man’s head before he can fire his gun. Arthur wastes no time in pulling his own trigger, sending a bullet straight into the O’Driscoll’s temple, dropping him.

Emmeline thinks she’s been shot for a moment. She waits for the pain to radiate through her, but it doesn’t come. The only feeling she gets is the cool morning air rushing over her back, signaling that the man that had been holding her isn’t behind her anymore. Before she can turn to see what had happened to him, Arthur rushes over and turns her back to him.

“Don’t look, sweetheart,” he says hurriedly.

Bill’s voice calls out, “We got more bastards coming!”

Without a thought, Arthur picks Emmeline up, cradling her to his chest and runs back to the house. Gunshots start to ring out as he gets closer to the front doors. Before he can open them himself, Dutch bursts through them, both of his guns in his hands.

“Get her in here with the women!” he calls out to Arthur then starts shooting from the porch.

Arthur deposits her just inside. “Run upstairs to Abigail.” He places a kiss on her forehead then turns to go back outside.

Emmeline does as instructed and rushes up to the Marston’s room. She finds Abigail cradling a crying Jack to her chest on the bed.

“Get in here!” Abigail holds her free arm out to Emmeline and she huddled up next to the woman.

Though they’re about the same age, Emmeline allows Abigail to hold her as if she were her mother. She wraps one arm around Abigail’s back and places the other around Jack as an added layer of protection for him.

Outside, the firefight is intense. Round after round of O’Driscolls come at them. It has to be every single member of the gang, Arthur reckons. He sticks right beside Dutch as the man takes down his fair share of enemies. That is until he hears Sadie scream from behind the house.

“Go,” Dutch calls out unprompted. “I’ll cover you.”

Arthur runs around the house as Dutch takes down any men that might shoot at him. When he sees Sadie, she’s pinned down behind one of the buildings in the back. He fights his way toward her, then the two fight their way back out, clearing out all the O’Driscolls that had flanked the house. Soon, the gunshots fade as the few remaining enemies retreat.

Arthur doesn’t even give himself a minute to rest before he’s rushing back into the house and up the stairs. John is hot on his heels as he’s thinking similarly to Arthur in wanting to check on his family. Both men come through the door to the Marston’s room and see the women and Jack sitting on the bed, still cuddled together.

Upon seeing Arthur, Emmeline jumps up and runs over to him, enveloping him in a hug. “Are you hurt?” she asks into his shoulder.

“I’m okay.” He pulls back to look at her. “You okay?”

She nods, her eyes still watery with unshed tears. The battle had certainly shaken her up.

He pulls her back into him and cradles her head to his chest. “It’s alright. It’s over now,” he whispers to the top of her head. After a moment, he looks over to John, now sitting beside Abigail and Jack, his arm around them. “We need to get out of here,” he says suddenly.

John looks at him confused. “What do you mean?”

Emmeline backs up to look at Arthur as well. “Are they coming back?” She takes his statement as meaning that they need to clear out the camp again.

“No. I don’t know.” Arthur shakes his head. “I mean we ,” he gestures between himself and John, “should leave.”

“What are you saying?” John bites back.

“This life ain’t no place to raise a family, John. We all know that. Jack shouldn’t be raised like this.” He looks over to Emmeline. “No child should. Both of us need to seriously start thinkin’ about leaving.”

John stands with a huff. “All the shit you gave me for leaving and now you’re suggesting it?!”

Arthur takes a step towards the younger man. “You didn’t just leave us . You left them .” He gestures to Abigail and Jack. “Your responsibilities to the gang are one thing, but you left your responsibilities as a father. That’s what I gave you shit about. That boy needed a father. Still does. And this life more ‘n likely is gonna end in him losing you. Or bein’ an orphan.”

“Arthur’s right, John,” Abigail concurs as Jack still clutches his arms around her, though he’s cried himself out and is now falling asleep despite the voices around him. “We can’t keep doin’ this forever. Jack’s getting older and he’s gonna be aware of what we do pretty soon. What you do. He’s a good boy. Smart, you know. He could do so much more than either of us.”

Emmeline feels a bit like a third wheel in this conversation. Though, undoubtedly, she’s one part of the subject of the conversation, everyone else besides her is dealing with a history she’s not involved with. Arthur and John have lived together for over a decade as brothers, for lack of a better word. And Abigail has been with the gang for a few years as well. The decision whether or not to leave the group certainly must be a difficult one for them. The input of a person that’s only been there for a few weeks probably won’t be very welcome at this point, so Emmeline keeps her mouth shut.

John looks from Abigail to Arthur then flicks his gaze over to Emmeline. “You plannin’ on leavin’ with her?” he asks Arthur.

“Don’t have no plans, really.” Arthur runs his hand over his beard as he lets out a sigh. “That O’Driscoll had his gun to her head, fixin’ to shoot her,” he says as he gestures to Emmeline. “In one second she coulda been gone. I coulda lost that chance to...” he swallows roughly at the thought, “to be a father. All because of some old gang feud she ain’t had no part in.”

Not knowing what to say, Emmeline just takes Arthur’s hand in hers. Truth be told, she was specifically avoiding thinking about how close she came to death. And how close Arthur came to it as he battled outside. This whole situation is something she’s never had to deal with before.

Heavy footsteps echo in the hallway outside the room causing everyone to look in that direction.

“Arthur, John?” Dutch’s voice calls out as the footsteps grow nearer.

“In here,” Arthur answers.

A moment later, Dutch appears in the doorway, looking more lively than he has of recent. “Everyone alright in here?”

Everyone nods.

“Good,” Dutch continues. “No major injuries on our side. It seems the O’Driscolls plan was thwarted thanks to you, Emmeline.”

“Oh?” she replies. “I didn’t really do nothing.”

“You alerted us,” Dutch says, pride in his voice. “And Kieran told me you went after the man that attacked him. That was very brave.”

Arthur whips his head around to look at her. “You what ?”

“I just reacted,” she answers. “I saw someone hurting Kieran, so I tried to stop it.”

“You can’t do that,” Arthur asserts.

“Now, son,” Dutch interjects, “she most certainly saved that poor boy from a grisly fate. I think she deserves praise for that.”

Emmeline gives Dutch a genuine smile. Despite the fact that she hasn’t known the man that fathered her for that long, she’s not immune to his charms. Much like the way he’s fostered loyalty in Arthur over the years, she feels a sense of pride that the man is complementing her.

Arthur, on the other hand, is not happy. “I don’t think we should be encouraging her to put herself in danger.”

“It’s not encouragement, Arthur. Just acknowledgement.” Dutch pauses then lets out a heavy breath. “That’s not why I’m here, anyway. Javier caught one of the O’Driscolls before he could run away. I thought I could use you two,” he gestures to Arthur and John, “to interrogate him. See if he won’t tell us where that bastard Colm is so we can return his hospitality .” The word is laced with venom.

Arthur and John share a look before nodding.

“I gotta get dressed first,” Arthur says as he turns to leave with John and Dutch.

“Meet us in one of the buildings in the back,” Dutch calls out as he an John start to descend the stairs.

Emmeline follows Arthur over to their room. “Did you really mean all that?” she asks while he gathers some clothes from his trunk. “About leaving?”

He pauses his motion and turns back to her. “I’ve been scared since... the doctor told us we was gonna be parents, really. Scared what kinda father I’d be. Scared what Dutch is gonna say. Scared about it changing everything here, my whole life, everything I’ve ever known. But all of that weren’t nothing compared to how scared I was when I thought I was gonna lose the two ‘a you. And I don’t wanna leave you a widow, neither. We both need to get outta this. Together.”

She gives him a soft smile as she looks up at him. “That’s what I want, too.”

Over the last few weeks, Emmeline has come to care for the people around her in the camp. All she’s seen is people working together in a normal way, doing everyday things like tending the horses and cleaning up. But this burst of violence is unlike anything she’s ever experienced. She’s never been so close to gunfire, never seen anyone be fought with or shot. Now that she has, she wants nothing more than to never experience that again. If that means leaving everyone here... it’ll be hard, but she’s fine with it as long as she, Arthur, and the baby are safe.

#of sons and daughters #writehavoc Of Sons and Daughters #writehavoc writes #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x oc #arthur morgan / oc #arthur morgan x original female character #Arthur Morgan / Original Female Character #Red Dead Redemption #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #rdr

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psychic-timetraveler · 5 years

Text

Time Traveler’s Oliver and Company AU

About the AU (x) Other Drabbles (x) ___________

Part 2: “How’d you find this place, kid?”

This guy was quick on his feet, that was for sure. She’d just be able to catch up to him with a casual pace, just for him to turn around the next corner. At least her pace was just a smidge slower than his, just being able to still follow him. Somehow she was able to go undetected by the man all the way to the docks.

Great. The docks, just the sort of place where a young girl should be lurking around. She watched Dodger walk into an abandoned warehouse and shut the door behind him. This time she finally ran into the warehouse.

She was about to walk up to the guy and just hand him his sunglasses when more voices startled her into the shadows again.

“You’re late.” Another male’s voice sassed.

“I got caught up a bit with something.” Dodger said.

“Something? Like?” The same male’s voice asked.

“Look, Douglass, I just got out of a run in with the feds. Again.”

The collective group of them groaned. It wasn’t until a female voice pipped up. “Great. Were you followed?”

“Doubtful. They don’t call me Dodger for nothing.” He boasted. “It was a close call but I was able to slip through their fingers and leave them wondering where he went.”

Rose decided to find another way out of this place, undetected by this group of at least three people. She followed along the side of the wall before she found a ladder that lead to the second story cat walk. If she were correct, she saw an emergency fire escape from the outside. If she could find it she’d be good to go. This was a mistake.

The ladder held her weight and even kept quiet, not giving her position away. The rest of the metal catwalk was going to be a different story. Sadly, there was not another door leading outside from the side she was on. She let out a quiet noise of annoyance. This was a mistake. She turned around to get a better look of the area and found another door across the way. Perfect! There was even a small catwalk that lead from the side she was on to the other side.

Another female voice spoke. “So, feds? How’d they find you?”

“I was almost done completing another infamous heist. It was absolutely perfect. Everything was going so smoothly, was able to break into the pawn shop’s computer from the coffee shop next door. It was going so perfectly. That was until the pawn shop decided to be held up by a different group of assholes.

“So, I was trying to get out of the system the second their alarm sounded but when I got out the alarm went off and that’s when the feds walked into the coffee shop. Just half a second too slow getting my shit together went there are two cops standing over me.”

Rose was listening to this outlandish as hell story from the man who saved her ass during this alleged “heist”. She made the mistake of looking down and saw she wasn’t too far away from the group of four. Two ladies, Dodger, and another man. The three she did not know had their backs to her and Dodger was the one facing her direction. By this point she didn’t care who saw her, she just wanted out.

“Another distraction and the cops look away for a half second and bam! I’m outta there! They call for backup and I’m gone before the sirens even sound. So no, they did not follow me here today.”

As soon as he said that, the metal catwalk Rose was on decided to betray her from it’s old age. She fell through a hole and into a pile of cardboard boxes.

“Wasn’t followed, huh?” The man, Douglass, sassed.

The three unsuspecting members all drew guns from their persons and ran over to the boxes where the sound was heard. Dodger quickly followed and somehow ended up ahead of the rest of them.

Rose was desperately trying to get out of the box hell she was now trapped in. In the box hell, she felt movement. Shit. Shit. Shit!

She moved quicker and managed to flop out of the pile of boxes onto the concrete floor. If those boxes weren’t there, she would’ve been hurt more than she was. Though, everything was just going to be bruised and sore. Without the cushion there would’ve been something broken.

She looked up and there were three gun barrels pointed at her face.

The red haired woman to her left sighed and lowered her gun. “It’s just a kid.”

The other two didn’t back down just as easily. There was a dark haired Asian woman to her right and in front of her was a ginger man with freckles on his face.

“How’d you find this place?” The dark haired woman asked.

“I-I followed this guy. He helped me earlier and I just wanted to give him his sunglasses back.”

The ginger and the dark haired woman exchanged looks and put their guns down. The ginger spoke this time. “I kept saying there wasn't any good youngsters anymore, yet I’m wrong once again.”

The red headed woman spoke up. “You came all of this way just to return a pair of sunglasses?” She laughed a bit. “You’re not from around here are you, kid?”

She shook her head.

“It shows.” The red headed woman turned to Dodger, who’d been quiet the whole time. “I’m more likely to believe you helping a kid than running from the feds.” She walked closer to him and patted his chest. “You’re lies are becoming quiet weak for your old age, Quincy.”

He gave her a surprised looked. “Rude, Melissa, very rude.”

She winked and walked back to where she had been before the mess had unfolded in front of her. The other two followed.

Dodger, Quincy, whatever his name really was, rolled his eyes and stepped forward to help Rose up again. “You okay?”

She nodded.

He offered her his hand again and she grabbed it. Back into a standing position she brushed off the layer of dust from her clothes and went back to get her bag. She somehow managed to find the bag within a reasonable amount of time, just to have him help her out of the boxes again.

She handed him the sunglasses. “These are yours.”

He shook his head in utter disbelief. “I’m honestly just impressed that you managed to follow me from the city to here just to return a pair of sunglasses. You’re either too smart for your own good or just really stupid.”

“Or have a conscience.”

“You’re really not from around here.” He shook his head and put the sunglasses on his shirt collar.

He turned and walked to the rest of the group. They were all gathered around a strange set up of computers varying from old to brand new. Some of the screens they had up were of stuff she’d seen in shows and movies. She followed him, unsure of what to do. No one had told her to leave yet.

The doors swung open and slammed shut. “Quincy, you here?”

Another man walked into the room, much shorter than the other two with glasses and wild hair. He took one look and saw that everyone was there, plus an extra human behind his acting muscle.

“Oh? I’m never opposed to new members.” Charlie smiled to Rose, who was standing a few feet behind Quincy. “Welcome aboard new member.”

“No. Absolutely not.” Quincy stated strongly.

“Since when are you in charge of who’s in and who’s not?” Douglass crossed his arms over his chest.

“No. She’s a kid.”

“We never had a kid in the gang before.” Charlie gave him a look before smiling to Rose again. “You like breaking stuff, kid? Sure you do, you’re a kid.”

“I, uh-“

“Come with me, kiddo.” He grabbed her hand and lead her back over towards the boxes she fell into a few minutes prior.

Melissa gladly watched a part of Quincy die inside at Charlie taking a liking to this random kid he found. She was going to be sticking around for a while. Especially if Charlie knew Quincy didn’t want her around.

Charlie shoved a drill into her hands. “You’ve used one of these before, right?” She nodded. “Good! So, you’re going to take these hard drives and just destroy the hell out of them. Drill them, smash them, I don’t care what. Just make sure that they’re good and broken. Oh, and use a box for the pieces.”

“Charlie, what’s going on?” Quincy spoke up.

“We have a new potential client.” He answered over his shoulder. Charlie handed Rose a hard drive and pointed to the rest of them to be dealt with. She nodded and slid off her backpack. It was time to get to work, not like she had anything better to do anyway.

Charlie continued as he walked back to the rest of them. “New client. Kind of a sleaze and want some acting muscle.”

“Right cause that’s all you want from me.” Quincy sassed.

“Correct.” Charlie smiled. “How are the rest of the backups going?” He asked the red headed woman, Melissa.

“It’s going to take the rest of the night but it’ll be done soon.” She answered.

“Should be good enough to go to this meeting and get back here to run down everything we need to do.”

“What about her?” Quincy asked, gesturing to Rose who was obliviously destroying things with a drill.

“What about her?” Charlie repeated. “We can always use a few pairs of hands around here. She can stick around.” With that out of the way, he clapped his hands once. “Right, so you coming?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Good, let’s go!” Charlie headed back to the doors.

Quincy rolled his eyes and started after him, just before Melissa stopped him.

“We’ll keep an eye on her.” She smiled to him, toying with his obvious soft spot he was gaining for this girl.

“This isn’t the kind of work for a teenager.”

“Like we were all model teenagers. She’ll be fine. Now get going.”

He groaned and slid on his sunglasses before running after Charlie. The last thing he wanted to do was be left behind, again.

#category: ttAU #category: time traveler #oliver and company au #wip #drabble series #writing post #disney au

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sometimesimawriter · 6 years

Text

Mirror Effect

part 2

A/N: just to clarify, everyone in this story is 20ish because we do not stan Five being an actual child under the ripe age of 12! Thanks everyone! Have a nice day!

*the next morning; it was a long night for everyone, Christina had patched up Five, and insisted she spend the night on the cot next to him. Kayla and Emma gave Klaus and Diego a tour around the house. It was a rather large Victorian estate, hidden on the outskirts of Hackensack. It seemed like the girls lived here on their own; it was previously owned by one of Christina's distant aunts or cousins or possibly great grandmother- her family was bigger than what anyone could remember. The three lived here for majority of the year, they had finished college a few years ago, and all found jobs in the city. Kayla was a chemical engineer, Emma was a fierce business woman, and Christina spent her nights at clubs and bars, playing gigs, meeting new people, and singing her heart out every Friday and Saturday night.*

The smell of eggs and bacon wafts through the air. There is quiet laughter, Emma and Kayla move around the kitchen. It's a pretty big space, but they keep bumping into each other.

"Bro MOVE" Emma sighs, exasperated in a joking way.

"You keep existing in the wrong space at the wrong time, that's not my fault"

At this time, they hear shuffling coming towards the kitchen. Klaus looks like he had a fight with the mattress and loss. His shirt is unbuttoned completely and he rubs his eyes. Emma glances over at Kayla, who stares at him for a second too long. Then she smiles as he meets her eyes and holds out an empty mug.

"Coffee?"

He gives a lopsided smile. "Only if you put actual coffee in there."

Emma barks out a laugh at this and Kayla poises her arm, acting as if she's going to throw the mug. She then pours a cup and hands it to Klaus, then glances at Emma.

"So Klaus, is your brother awake? or should Emma go wake him instead?"

Emma blushes and flips her off.

Just then, two more pairs of shuffling feet come down the hallway, speaking in hushed voices.

Christina and Five enter the kitchen, Christina's hair is resembling that of a mad scientist, and Five even looks slightly flustered. They both come to a complete stop and look at everyone in the kitchen.

Christina gulps "Oh, um, everyone's awake!"

Her cheeriness is out of character, and Kayla's eyes widen and then she blurts out

"You two FUCKED" Kayla screams

"Oh my god WHAT" Emma throws herself at Christina. "Did you really?"

"Did you use protection? am i going to be an aunt? I can't handle godchildren right now. The responsibility of spoiling your children? I can't do that right now!" Kayla gets in Christina's face.

"She's right. But first of all, did you go doggie style? Cow girl? REVERSE cow girl? No no wait, you had to have put on a strap on. Do you like getting slapped in the face?"

The girls torrent her with questions.

Klaus slithers over to Five and wraps an arm around his shoulder. "so how'd you like it? First time is always the best, at least that's what i heard. I don't remember my first, because well you know-" he makes a smoking gesture at this and raises his eye brows.

"We did NOT FUCK" Christina screams at the girls.

Both fall silent, then Emma breaks the moment.

"You whore you SUCKED HIS DICK!"

At this Christina wails "N O!"

"The stereotypes are true, Jersey girls are loud as hell." Diego says as he shuffles into the room. he is disheveled like Klaus, but looks more peaceful, like the type of disheveled that a surfer boy possesses. Emma retracts from Christina and looks at him. Both Kayla and Christina notice her change in character. Emma has never been one to shy away from men, she loves being straight forward with what she wants. But now, she seems more subdued, maybe cautious or curious. She puts on this sweet smile and asks "want coffee?"

Kayla makes a choking sound, "original..."

Emma turns and stares at her as if she wished her to die in a ditch on the side of a road.

"Sure Ill take some coffee" Diego gives her a smile, one that says he wants to meet up with her sometime during the night.

The group settles down around the kitchen table, which is a metal table on wooden legs. It has some dents, hopefully from kitchen use and nothing that a group of promiscuous girls could have possibly gotten up to after nights of partying and bringing men home. At least, no one was going to address that situation.

The morning was filled with clinking forks and knives, small talk about New York and the Academy, and lots of longing looks. Christina constantly glanced up at Five and quickly looked away, but ironically she missed each time he stole a look at her. Emma stared at Diego, and he looked at her, basically having mental sex across the table. Kayla on the other hand laughed the most at Klaus's stories, times at raves or strange highs he had had. He seemed at ease with her, but also kept reassuring her that he was sober, almost like his sobriety proved he had some type of worth.

Diego was the first to stop engaging in some weird romance that each couple had for each other. "We need to talk about the elephant in the room."

Klaus glanced at Kayla and then smirked, "yeah, i was wondering too. Are they condoms for eye sex? Because i think I may be pregnant from all the eye contact you two are having."

Diego gave him a dull look "anyway... we still need to find this Razor-Max dude. Does he have powers too?"

Five made a face, "His nails grew into witch's talons and he can jump 45 feet in the air. Either he's a super or someone is dedicated to drinking his milk."

Christina snickered at this, and then blushed when everyone turned to her.

Five leaned toward the table and put his elbows up, squaring off with Kayla, "What i want to know is what is your history with him? Why does he want you dead?"

Kayla looked down and Klaus looked genuinely concerned. She took a deep breath and explained "we dated for a year, he was really good to me. I thought I loved him, like i was gonna marry him some day. That changed when i walked into a bar and saw him pinning some blonde against a pool table and practically eating her face with his lips. I got pissed, started a scene, broke things off with him. He's always had anger issues, but i never thought it would get this bad. He started sending flowers and chocolates to my house. Called me every hour of every day. Then his texts and messages got angrier and angrier. One day i looked at the porch and saw there was a fruit basket that had been ripped open by a raccoon. Except the raccoon was foaming at the mouth and seizing up a few feet away from the basket."

Diego looked up, "he tried poisoning you?"

"Seems like it. Got a restraining order, and then murders started happening. He started with girls that looked like me, trying to send a message. Then he got sloppy, killing whoever."

"I thought the NYPD didn't know who was murdering people?" Said Five.

Emma looked down at the table, "Oh no, they know. It would be a suicide mission for their officers to go after him. So they make us do it."

Klaus entered into the conversation, "And now you need backup."

Kayla looked across the table to him, "Yeah that would be nice. You don't need to put yourself in danger though-"

Klaus stood up at this, puffing out his chest sarcastically "There is nothing dangerous enough for me!" He pumped one fist in the air, then lowered his hand, bowing at the waist and took Kayla's hand from the table and softly kissed her knuckles. "I have known you for less than 24 hours and I am already willing to lay down my life for you."

Kayla let out a laugh and Klaus smiled as he sank back down into his seat.

"So how would you take down a literal man-animal hybrid? My knives barely did anything, its like his skin is its own armor." Diego glanced back at Emma.

Emma then perked up at this. "well actually, Kayla has been working on a type of- what did you call it?- narcotic?"

"DRUGS?" Klaus made a voice similar to that vine of the owl trying to sell drugs.

Kayla laughed again, "yeah i guess, just a little nighty-night syrup so we could have a chance against him. Dude's a damn monster though, so I don't exactly know what would work on him."

Klaus lightly touched her hand, "I'm sure you'll find something. I have a past with...chemical engineering... kind of. I can help!" She smiled again at him and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Christina spoke up "Five, i need to recheck your bandages. Emma, maybe you and Diego can go back to the brownstones and see if he left any tracks and find where he's been hiding out. Kayla you can go back to your lab, maybe show Klaus around." Christina winked at her, and then both her and Five left the kitchen, back to the small infirmary where they both had spent the night.

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #netflix #klaus #klaus hargreeves #umbrella academy klaus #diego hargreeves #five #number five #superpower au #love #romance #action #hargreeves

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thehomierobbstark · 6 years

Text

Teach Me Part 3

Part 1 Part 2

Pairing: Erik Killmonger x Reader [#TeamErikDon’tDateWhiteChicks]

A/N: Strap in, because this chapter is about to be long. Almost 4.5k long. Continues on from last chapter about meeting Erik. Also…. I don’t wanna give nothing away but… I think yall gone be happy with the way this chapter ends… ;-)

Sorry for all the weird breaks, I tried not to get too wordy with the parts that didn’t matter too much.

Warnings: Cursing ofc, more sass, probably more bad humor. Fluff?

I forgot to include pictures last time for the folks like me who enjoy visuals. So peep the links!

This is for all my lil cute ass black gorditas out there rockin back fat, belly rolls and thick ass thighs that touch!! x Reader is always gon be black, chubby, and sassy.

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

Ya outfit.

With Mr. Stevens trailing behind you, you headed back down to the first floor to print out another copy of the report to take with you out to lunch. You made him wait by the front desk while you dashed back to your office, hoping Christianna hadn’t been out looking for you since you’d been gone longer than you expected. Seeing her face as you walked to your office, though, you realized there was no such luck on that front.

“Girl who is that FOINE ass man you got out there waiting on you?!” Christianna said, arms crossed and face curious as she leaned out your office to look at him. There was absolutely no shame in her game as she observed him from the doorway, taking note of his height and muscular physique. You were thankful the office was mostly cleared out for lunch, and luckily for you, the man in question had been too interested in his phone to notice your friend oogling him.

“If you don’t get your nosy ass back in here!” you harshly whisper, snatching her arm up to pull her back inside and closing the door behind you. You spoke again, this time trying to keep the slight hysteria out of your voice so as not to give you away.

“He’s here to go over the budget, so we’re headed to lunch.” You primly state, turning towards your desk to get started on printing the file. You didn’t want her jumping to conclusions, but more importantly, you didn’t want her harassing you and distracting you from keeping a clear and level mind. You were already anxious enough, and you really didn’t need her adding to it.

Unfortunately for you, she didn’t give a damn about your anxiety.

“Oh uh uh, you bout to tell me all about this nigga. I wanna know names, ages, and,” she stopped, taking a second to peer through the blinds of the window, “where he works out, cuz I need to find me a nigga like him, gahDAMN.”

“Really!?” you suck your teeth, walking over to pull her from the window, the blinds snapping as her fingers detach. You really wanted to laugh at your friends extra ass antics, but you also didn’t want to encourage her to carry on her line of questioning.

You type in a few key strokes on the computer and hear the printer start whirring, hopping up from your desk to head to the corner with the printer.

“Bitch, I know you hear me,” Christianna says, leaning back on her own desk and watching you, crossing her arms again. “Is this a date? How’d y’all meet?”

You were SO grateful that your office had a door attached to it, because otherwise, with the way you both talked to each other, there was no way you wouldn’t have already gotten reprimanded and/or fired.

“Its not a date, alright? He’s partnering with the museum with the Wakandan Outreach Program and Dr. Butler had an emergency, so she asked me to help. Ok?” You hoped that was enough information to keep her satisfied for the moment. You knew she’d have a barrage of questions once you got back, and you needed a full stomach and at least one drink to prepare for that.

“He’s from Wakanda?! Ooo girl.” You glance up interestedly at her as you stack the completed report in your hands, grabbing a manila folder. “I bet he’s one of them mountaintop niggas. You know, I heard they got some of the biggest di-“

“GOODBYE CHRISTIANNA” you say, tuning her out. You grab your purse and coat from the back of the door and fling it open, heading back out to the front desk.

“Wait!” she called after you.

“So should I tell Chad you’re taken?!”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Stevens volunteered to drive you both to lunch, suggesting you go to The Capital Grille, a place he’d found while you were busy in your office. You agreed, texting the information on to Christianna while you walked out to the parking lot. It was a beautiful day in D.C., and the bright sun gave a warm contrast to the cold air around you as you walked across the pavement. You heard the chirping of a car alarm and you looked up from your phone, trying to guess which one belonged to him.

“I’m right here,” he says, pointing to a black 2018 Cadillac Escalade parked near the front. Somehow, while it wasn’t exactly what you expected, it also didn’t seem entirely out of his character, what little bit of it you knew. Still, you chuckled as a weird sort of familiarity ran through you.

“Somethin funny over there?” He asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“Nah,” you answer, trying to loosen up a bit. “Just thought I remembered something.” you say, smiling a little to yourself.

You hop in the front seat, closing the door and turning to buckle up. As Mr. Stevens leaned down to start the car, you thought you could see him from the corner of your eye, smile a little, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The drive to the restaurant was short and a little awkward, but the music from the radio helped to fill the silence. You tried not to panic fidget and instead opted to look out the widow, watching downtown D.C. whiz past you. Once you got to the restaurant, he pulled into the parking lot, driving up to the valet station. Putting the car in park, he hopped out, as did you, thanking the valet as he held the door open and helped you out. You thought it was a little extra that he was valeting the car for a simple business meeting, but you decided not to question it.

You started walking up the steps into the restaurant, so you didn’t see it when Mr. Stevens leaned down and whispered something into the valets ear while he handed him the keys, and slipped what looked like a few bills into his other hand. When you glanced back, you did, however, see the valet give a huge grin while he looked between the two of you, then excitedly walk to the other side of the car, getting into the front seat.

You give Mr. Stevens a measured look as he makes his way up the stairs towards you. “Should I be concerned?” you say, cocking an eyebrow at him. You made a mental note to download the Uber app when you went to the bathroom, just in case you got any weird vibes during lunch.

“Nah, we good. C’mon, lets go inside.” He let his hand hover above the small of your back while he gestured toward the door with his head. You look at him for a few more seconds before turning to go inside. He opens the door from behind you and you walk in, going up to the hostess’ booth and greeting her.

“Hi, can we get a table-“

“We have a reservation for two. Under Stevens?” he interrupts you, his big frame gently pushing you aside to stand in front of her. Your patience starts to grow a little thin, but then he lowers his voice as he leans forward and says, “..and do you have those accommodations I requested?”

His eyes have a look of slight hopefulness in them, and you can’t help but be incredibly curious at this point. You can tell he’s trying hard not to give in to his facial expression, but he almost looks like a little boy with the way his big brown eyes look so innocent in the moment. Again, a weird feeling of familiarity runs through you as you look up at his face. You can’t exactly place it, but you almost feel as if you’d seen that look before somewhere…

“Absolutely Mr. Stevens. Right this way.” she answers smiling. She steps from behind the podium and begins leading you both to your table. You don’t really know what to feel in the moment, but you heart does weird leaps of joy as if you’re excited.

Your table is located all the way in the back of the restaurant, away from the rest of the patrons, and through a pair of double doors that open up to what appears to be a private dining room. The room is pretty big with dark wooden panels that cover the walls, with paintings on each of them. Two pendant bowl chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the yellow light giving the room a warm and cozy feeling. A box window opposite the door gives the room a beautiful second story view of the city. The room looks big enough to fit at least ten guests, but theres only one cloth covered table in the center. As you get closer you see that on both sides of the table there’s already a drink, with what looks like a blue colored frothy soda with whipped cream on top and two cherries.

You look at the drink oddly before realization starts to hit you. Holy shit.

The hostess pulls your chair out for you before handing you a menu. “Enjoy your lunch, Miss Bubbles.”

Holy fuck.

Your jaw drops as your eyes go wide, and for a moment you’re just speechless. You watch the hostess as she leaves the room, then turn to look at the drink in front of you. Finally, you look up to Mr. Stevens across from you, and see him smiling uncontrollably as he watches you, pulling his hand up to cover his mouth as he starts laughing.

“Oh my god. Huey?!!!” you scream, hands flying up to your mouth. You push yourself out of your chair and run over to Erik, slamming into him while flinging your arms around his neck and hugging him hard, almost causing his chair to tip back. He catches the both of you, bringing the front legs of the chair back to ground, as he wraps his arms around you and just holds you, both of you laughing together.

“Finally nigga!” he says into your ear, smiling hard.

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me nigga!?” You yell at him, breaking away for a moment to punch his arm before burying your face back into his neck.

It all made sense now. His weird personal space issues, why he kept giving you those goofy ass smirks, his joking about you being short. It was Erik fucking Stevens! Way back from elementary school in Oakland. Ya’ll would barely ever use your real names when you were around each other back then, instead using nicknames based on tv shows you’d both watch together after school. Thats why you hadn’t realized who he was until just this moment.

Yours had been based off of the kids show Power Puff Girls, which had been one of your all time favorites. When it came to dealing with the boys on the block, you were Buttercup to a T. Always full of mean ass comebacks and overt aggression, you learned early on that you had to hold your own when it came to dealing with the guys, especially because you were one of the only girls on the block. You didn’t miss out on any fun activity that was going on in the summer just because you were a girl, and you made sure all the boys knew that too. Basketball on the courts at two? You were there. Video games and Street Fighter at one of your friends houses? You were there. Even during school, you made your presence known during any and all “boys” sports activities, like kickball and touch football, because you’d be damned if you were going to be excluded. Almost no boy would dare to mess with you, except Erik.

After his dad died when you both were around nine, your parents offered to lend a helping hand in making sure he was taken care of since he was new to the neighborhood, having been left in the care of an elderly aunt that lived in your building. You both had grown incredibly close during those years, given that Erik was constantly over your house studying after school or playing video games. Because of this, he was one of the only friends who could see right through your tough girl facade to the mild, even tempered good girl that you really were. When it came to your teachers and parents, you had an almost angelic like behavior. Even at your young age, you knew that there was a time and place for acting out, and the house and classroom were not one of them. You were raised better than that. He’d caught on to the game that you were playing, though, and once he did, he never let you live it down. Thus, the nickname Bubbles was born.

His nickname was Huey, based off of the intellectual and wise beyond his years character from

The Boondocks. Ya’ll were far too young to be watching the show when you were younger, but that didn’t stop you from sneaking in an episode or two at your house when your parents shifts would run late. You were mostly relegated to the comic strip section though, which both of you would enjoy together on your walks to school in the morning. Erik was one of those boys that knew his history and culture, and would waste no time in letting you know it either. Whether he was correcting teachers in class about the real history behind the Native American genocide, or speaking on the horrors of the Atlantic Slave trade with his friends, more than one phone call had been made home on behalf of Erik and how he’d interrupted class yet again to educate the masses.

After his aunt had died when you were thirteen, Erik had moved away to another country to live with an uncle and cousin. You’d lost contact with each other after that point, and even though you’d tried looking him up on Facebook a few years after, you were never able to find him. Other than the occasional inquiry from your parents, you hadn’t thought about him in years, and you’d chalked him up to just another fun childhood memory you’d revisit every now and then.

But now, not only was he back, but he was here. In the flesh.

You pulled back again to look Erik in the face, trying to find some semblance of the little boy you’d known back then. Trying to figure out how you didn’t realize that it was him sooner. But all you could see were his eyes. His big, beautiful brown eyes. And just like that, it all came rushing back to you.

You were so caught up in slowly piecing his features back together that you didn’t realize you were basically sitting in Erik’s lap at this point.

Erik realized it, though, and his eyes flicked down to his arms wrapped around your waist and back up to you before he began to tease you.

“You gon eat lunch in my lap, or you want your own chair?” he asks, face splitting into a wide grin.

That was one thing about Erik you’d never forget. He could always find a way to get you flustered with his damn charm.

“Oh, shit, my bad!” you gasp, hopping up so quick you almost lose your balance. You can feel the heat start to spread across your face but try to ignore it while you fix your dress.

“Its alright ma, I could be ya chair if you wanted. Truss me, I do not mind.” He sits back in his chair and proceeds to give you a long look from head to toe, biting his lip. You almost can’t believe how bold this nigga is being right in front of you, especially after all these years, but then you remember the way you looked at him when you first saw him in the Rotunda that morning.

You put your hands on your hips and cock your neck. “Is this payback for earlier?” you ask, narrowing your eyes at him.

“There’s that attitude I remember.” he says, smirking at you. “And ion know. Maybe.” He shrugs, raising an eyebrow back at you.

You open your mouth to say something, then close it, making a choice not to read too much into that statement. Instead you give a little grunt and pop him on the shoulder, turning to make your way back to your own seat, and hear him chuckling behind you. You pull out your chair and point at the drink on the table, plopping down in the seat.

“Big Blue float?” you ask.

“You already know,” he says softly, a slow smile forming across his lips.

“I haven’t had one of these in years, oh my god.” You smile, stirring it with your straw. You lean forward and take a sip, and the delicious carbonated vanilla and syrup flavor floods your mouth. You close your eyes, and you can almost see the summers you spent hanging out on your balcony with Erik sipping the drink, watching the neighborhood kids play ball down below while you listened to the radio.

You break from your trip down memory lane and look up to see Erik doing the same, smiling and staring at his drink, eyes distant, and you wonder if he’s remembering the same thing.

“How did you know it was me?” you ask him, brows furrowing in confusion and curiosity. Theres no way he immediately could have known who you were, especially since he didn’t even learn your name until after speaking with Dr. Butler. Plus, if time had treated you the same way it had Erik, and you were really hoping it did judging how he looked, you probably looked almost nothing like you did when you were a kid.

Well, at least you hoped you didn’t. It was a long shot wishing for that last part though, because you’d been mistaken for a high schooler more than once during your first month at the museum. It had become such a hassle being mistaken for an intern by security that you began incorporating eyeliner and mascara into your daily routine just to look a little older.

“You must’ve forgot how well I know you, girl. You the only one I know that be lookin at other people live their lives and have the biggest fuckin smile like you livin it with them.”

Your people watching. So he did immediately know who you were. That was the one thing you loved doing most on that balcony during those summers, and Erik had commented more than once how weirdly happy you always looked while you were watching the neighborhood.

You smile wide at the memory, nervously biting your thumb as you look at him.

He grins back. “Yeah, that one. Right there. I couldn’t forget that smile, even if I tried.”

You drop your smile and roll your eyes, kissing your teeth at him.

“Shut yo ass up.” you mumble.

You’d be lying if you said that wasn’t some cute ass shit he just spit, but you didn’t want it getting to his head, even if it did have you feeling some type of way.

“Don’t be rollin ya eyes at me. And who you think you cursin at?” He questions, eyeing you playfully from across the table.

“Yeah, whateva. Corny ass nigga…” you laugh, picking up your menu to shield you from his stare.

You hear him push back his chair and make a move to get up, but the waiter walks into the room, stopping him. You almost thank the waiter for their timing, because you really didn’t feel like roughhousing with Erik in this restaurant in your heels.

“Aiight, keep playin wit me Bubbles. You gon see.” You giggle as you peer over the menu to look at him.

~~~~~

It was amazing how quickly the both of you fell right back into the motions of your old friendship, as if almost no time had passed at all. Lunch flew by as you caught each other up on what happened in each others lives over the years, and how you’d both ended up in D.C.

Turned out that the uncle and cousin Erik had moved out of the country to live with were royalty. The King and Prince of Wakanda, to be exact, which made him a Prince himself. He’d come back to the states for college after he turned 18, graduating two years early and going straight to MIT for Grad School, which he also graduated early. He returned to Wakanda to work in the Science and Technology field with his younger cousin, helping her to create Wakandan Outreach programs all across the U.S. since revealing their technology to the rest of the world. So, deciding he needed a change of scenery and to get away from his “annoying ass know it all cousins” (his words), he packed up and moved back to the states, starting his work with the Capitol.

You balked at his accomplishments, almost feeling bad that it had taken you four years just to complete your undergrad. And that was something you were really proud of. But more than anything, you were floored that he was actually Wakandan royalty, and related to King T’Challa, the Black Panther himself.

You were so engrossed with the details of his story, that you completely forgot all about the budget meeting the lunch was intended for until you got back to the museum parking lot two hours later, the manila folder still in your purse, untouched.

“Ah shit, we forgot about the budget!” you exclaim, giving yourself a face palm before blowing a raspberry. You had quite a tendency for being forgetful that day, and you didn’t want to get on Dr. Butlers bad side as a result of it. You were doing well in your new job, but you still felt that you had so much left to prove.

“Forget allat. I can go over it myself before the next meeting.” he says, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. You almost give him an incredulous look before you remember. Oh yeah. MIT. He can figure it out.

“I wanna show you something tho, close ya eyes.” His smile turns goofy and childlike again, and you give him a wary look before doing what your told.

You hear him reach in the back seat and hear the rustling of a plastic bag.

“Ok now hold out ya hand.” You do, and he plops something into it, the weight of it a little heavier than what you expected. You feel it between your hands first, and you can feel through the bag that whatever it is, its a bunch of small, squishy pieces, but it also feels a little gritty. You start to get grossed out, but when you open your eyes and look down, you laugh at what you see.

“How the fuck you find this!?” You ask, and you’re both laughing now. In your hand is a small ziploc bag filled with koolaid gummy bears, the dyed sugar covering the tops, giving it an encrusted look. You hadn’t had koolaid gummy bears in YEARS, and your shocked he managed to find some given neither of you were in school anymore.

“Apparently they sell them at corner stores now. I asked the valet kid if he could score us some.” he tells you.

“Oh, so thats what ya’ll were whispering about. Thought ya’ll was planning on kidnapping my ass.” You laugh, giving an overly relieved look.

“Never know. I still might.” he says tilting his head at you, the playfulness back in his eyes.

You give him a look before scoffing and rolling your eyes, but before you can turn to open your door he grabs your face in his hand and brings you close to him, so close your foreheads are almost touching. You brace one hand against his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his shirt.

“I told you to stop rollin ya eyes at me.” his voice is low, almost a whisper, and he’s looking you right in the eyes. Something in the bottom of your stomach turns, making you squirm in response. You glance down nervously, but bring your eyes right back up when you look at his full lips.

You get a little bold. “No.” you say, raising a brow and putting a little bit of force behind your words. You can hear your blood pumping in your ears as your breath gets shallower.

“Always so fuckin stubborn.” He smirks at you, swiping a slow finger across your lips.

Before you can process whats happening, he kisses you, soft and slow, and you swear time slows down for a second. He starts giving you soft licks, and you moan a little into his mouth, your other hand dropping the ziploc bag and wrapping around his neck. He pulls away after a moment and nips at your bottom lip, looking into your eyes.

“Been wanting to do that since I was thirteen,” he tells you, breath a little ragged.

You smile and look down, closing your eyes while you shake your head. You’d wanted the same exact thing, but you really didn’t need this kind of distraction. Not with half a work day still ahead of you.

“I um, I think I should go now.” You say, looking back up and chuckling at him so he didn’t feel like you were just blowing him off. “If I don’t go now, I don’t know if I ever will.”

“I’m alright with that.” He says, gently stroking your jaw with this thumb.

“Yeah, but,” you pull away, “my rent isn’t.” he laughs, and you begin collecting your things before popping open the door.

You hand him the folder, and give him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to get out.

“You gone call me when you get home, Bubbles?” he asks you, leaning over and cheesing at you.

“No,” you say, and before he can say anything you close the door and head into the museum, a huge goofy ass smile spreading across your face.

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

Fun Fact: I had a bet with this boy in 3rd grade that when I grew up I’d own a Cadillac Escalade. Y’all can incorporate that in this story if you want lol.

As for the bet....lets just say I owe that nigga $100 😂😂😂

#also i dont know if any of you really give a fuck but the picture of the koolaid gummy bears is actually chamoy #i couldnt find an actual pic but thats what they look like lmao #yall like the picture of huey i put in there lmao #lil nigga a real one #my tag list gone be in the replies part btw I AINT FORGOT #erik killmonger #erik killmonger x reader #erik killmonger x black!reader #black panther fics #erik killmonger fics #bp #TheHomieFics

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girlonthemoon9 · 6 years

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Just Forget the World (E.D.) Pt. 11

:: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 , Part 9, Part 10 ::

Master List

Summary: Stella’s world changed the moment she met Ethan on a beach in Australia, but she’ll never know just how much. Life became more vibrant and to say the least, entertaining. But, with the dramatic and fun loving boy came frustrations and complications. Can they be overcome or will the rare turbulent waves finally drag them down?

Word count: 4,163

** 2 Weeks Later **

I was covered in what felt like dust and sweat. I had just finished packing the last moving box and placing it in its respective corner of the small apartment. I walked over to the living room chair to sit down. I looked down at the white fabric and then at myself before rethinking and sitting on the floor.

I pulled out my phone to see texts from Grayson and Bryant...still nothing from Ethan. I hadn’t heard from Ethan since the day I left him there on his one man island of a heart.

The first week I’d gotten back was difficult to say the least. My mind ran with thoughts of him and I wanted to call, just to hear his voice on the other end. Every time I would pick up my phone to send a message or look through the contacts to call him, I would get up and pack a box.

I had been planning on moving into a downtown LA loft before I left on my trip, so my focus on my return was to get everything ready so that I could start over when the place was painted. I didn’t live far from LA, only about 45 minutes south, in Orange County, right near the ocean. But with the success of my lifestyle blog and the subsequent business it had created, I found myself driving up to the large city often. So, before my trip, I found a beautiful loft apartment with large warehouse-style ceilings and rustic exposed brick. My favorite part was the amount of windows that allowed for not only an amazing amount of light to come through, but, it also gave the most breath taking view of Los Angeles and Hollywood in the background. I was in love with it the moment I stepped inside.

Plus it would be nice to not be as far away from Gray and Bryant now that they were back in town.

They had changed their flight and came home only 5 days after I had left. Grayson had called me the day after they got back and told me everything, “Yeah, the people who we were renting the house from told us that the neighbors finally complained enough that it would be better if we found a new place to stay.” I guess after I had left, word from @DolanExposed must have gotten around because girls were showing up in packs to the house again. “We just decided it would be better come home, between that and Ethan not really seeming to be present.”

I thought about his last comment about Ethan and felt a small pang of guilt, thinking that I had ruined part of their trip. But then I came to my senses and remembered I can’t blame myself.

“Are you talking to Sella?” I heard his familiar voice whispering in the background of the phone. Grayson must have covered the phone and responded because I could hear the sound of something shuffling over the phone and muffled conversation before he returned.

We talked for awhile about how the trip had been after I left, how the flight home was and about how I would be moving. Gray said that he and Bryant would be happy to help me move everything once I was ready and I was so grateful to have them in my life.

A few days later, the time had come, moving day. Gray and Bryant had showed up early with coffee and breakfast and I was more than excited. Not just for the food, but to be reunited with my two friends.

The knock at the door echoed through the packed up living space as I walked over to open it. The moment I saw them standing there, I jumped up and down like a little girl, hoping from foot to foot. They laughed at the squeal the escaped me and brought me into a big hug. I hadn’t been this happy in what felt like a life time. That was until I saw a very familiar silhouette just down the hall.

“Grayson Bailey...” I said looking at him stonily in a low whisper.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything Stella. Bryant and I were talking about it this morning. We thought it would be easier if we had as many people help as we could.” The color raising up his cheeks.

“You know how I feel. This hasn’t been easy on me.”

“It hasn’t been easy on him either...”

There was a small silence between us as Bryant brought the food into the apartment and placed it on the counter.

“Look Stell, he promised to keep his distance and to stay out of your way. He’s just here to help.”

I took a moment to process his words as I looked down the hall toward the guy that had broken my heart. It hurt to see him, but I found myself fighting the butterflies in my chest at the sight of him. Yes, I was working on forgiveness like Bryant had asked, but that doesn’t mean I was ready. Although, it seemed as though my heart was trying to.

“Fine.” I responded while still keeping my eyes on Ethan. “He’s only here because we can use his strength. Nothing more.” I turned from them as I made my way back into the kitchen, head feeling fuzzy. Gray turned around in the doorway and waved Ethan to him.

“How’d she take it? I knew I shouldn’t have come to help.” Ethan whispered to his brother.

“She’s fine. She knows that it’s logical to have all the help she can and I told her that you would be on your best behavior...right Ethan?”

Ethan looked down at his feet, “Of course.” His heart hurt when he saw her open the door. All the feelings he’d been fighting coming right back to the surface. She looked beautiful he thought, as the sun filled the room she occupied. He knew it was going to be torture being so close to her and not being able to even say ‘Hi’ but he knew he needed to help. He was willing to go through the heartache knowing that he deserved it after what he’d done.

After breakfast we began loading boxes into our cars before putting the rest into the moving truck. I didn’t want to admit it but, having Ethan there really did help. By lunch time we had almost everything in the truck, the only thing left was the couch. I watched as Ethan and Grayson carried it down the stairs, out the front door and up the ramp into the back of the truck.

“Gray, it’s slipping on my end.”

“Give it a second, we’ve almost got it in.”

Just like that, I watched as my couch fell out of Ethan’s hands. I could see his face turn red as he quickly inhaled a lung full of air and held it. Grayson’s face was shocked and scared not knowing how it had happened and if his brother was hurt. Ethan walked out of the truck and I could see a small stream of red liquid rolling down his left leg. He was bleeding.

“Shit Ethan, you’re bleeding. Come with me, I have the first aid kit up there.” I directed him as I reached my arm out to him instinctively. The maternal part of me kicking in, pushing my current feelings toward him to the back of my mind.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it Stella.” His deep voice said. It was the first time we’d spoken all day and his reluctance to my help agitated me.

“Ethan Grant, come with me, I’m going to fix it.” The stern tone in my voice forcing him to comply.

‘You’re going to “fix it”? Are you sure you’re just talking about his leg?’

I grabbed his wrist and basically dragged his muscular, sweaty body back up to the apartment as Bryant and Gray finished putting the couch away. His skin was hot under my grasp and the electricity was radiating through my body from our point of contact.

It seemed that no matter how angry I was at him, my body didn’t care. I’d never experienced anything like this, such a strong connection with someone. The guys in my past never had this effect. Once I was done with them, there was no longer a connection. But with Ethan, it seemed never ending.

We made it to my kitchen and he hopped up onto the island tabletop. I grabbed the first aid kit and stood in front of him getting out everything I needed. I could tell that he was doing his best to look everywhere but at me, but there were moments when I could feel him watching my every move.

I pulled out the peroxide and a towel, “This might sting.” I put the peroxide on the towel and then slowly lowered it to the gash on his leg. Instantly his body reacted and I could hear the hiss that fell from his lips. I continued to dab the towel to his leg and then bent down to lightly blow on the areas affected, trying my best to sooth the pain.

‘Ironic...’

The gash was larger than it looked, but it wouldn’t need stitches. It was times like these where I was glad that I’d taken those medical response classes in school. Once I knew the cut was clean and disinfected, I began to place the bandage on his shin.

Ethan cleared his throat and spoke softly, “Thanks Stella.”

“For what?” I responded, not thinking as I focused on what I was doing, not looking at him.

“For this.” He motioned to his leg and the medical supplies on the table. “I appreciate it...I appreciate you.” The last part was merely a whisper of words, but I heard them clearly.

My body began to heat up at his words. ‘I appreciate you’. It made my mind spin. Did he appreciate me before? Or was this a new revelation from me leaving him half way around the world?

It was quiet for a long moment before I finally looked up at him. Our eyes met and for a moment it reminded me of the first time I’d seen them. They were bright and reflecting green through the brown I was used to, but behind them I could see his pain. My heart wanted to cry out for him, to hold him and make it better. But, I couldn’t, I wouldn’t.

“You were bleeding. I wasn’t going to let you bleed on my things.” I tried to joke his comments away to deflect what he’d said. I smirked up at him and he sighed.

“Sure Stella, wouldn’t want to bleed on your boxes.” He mumbled in response.

‘Shit!’

The new loft was somewhat put together now. The boys had done a great job of getting everything in the correct rooms. I sat down on the living-room couch and pulled out my journal to write. I’d started writing again to try and figure out my feelings and thoughts that seemed to consume me. They had started to subside, but being around Ethan today made them run around chaotically.

Journal Entry 25 Today was a mixture of emotions. Moving was brilliant. It feels amazing to be in a new space and start over. But, seeing Ethan today was hard. I miss him terribly. My heart doesn’t know what it wants. It sides with my brain knowing that we’re no good together, but at the same time it wants nothing more than to hold him. Feel his skin on mine, his lips on my lips. I want to think that things could be different now that we’re back in LA, but at the end of the day, he still doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings. And if that’s the case, what stops him from doing the same thing again?

He seems so broken. The bags under his eyes seem like they’ve only gotten darker and deeper. I’ve never seen him disheveled, but thats exactly how he looks. He looks broken, I can feel it. Does that give me hope into thinking things could be different? I don’t know. But I know that I feel like part of me is missing. I can still feel the energy that doesn’t seem to subside when we’re in the same room, the fire that runs through me when our skin makes contact.

Just when I thought things were getting better, this sexy brown haired boy walks back into my life. A heart I want so badly to call my own, but I can’t when he isn’t willing to give it to me like I was willing to give mine.

Where do I even go from here?

Only love can hurt like this...

The next two weeks were quite. Gray came over on multiple occasions to help unpack and make this place feel like home. It was nice...until I realized that I had to follow behind him and move things to the spots that I wanted them to be in. He must have noticed because he stopped what he was doing, “Stella, I swear, if you move one more damn thing I’ve unpacked, I WILL...” he stopped to think of his threat, “I don’t know what I’ll do, but I will do SOMETHING!” I couldn’t help the hysterical laughter that fell from my lips as he held a ceramic pineapple in the air as he spoke.

Gray and I spent a lot of time together, it was great, but there were moments when I could see so much of his brother in his face. It broke me a little every time.

Once everything was unpacked and the place finally felt like home, Grayson and Bryant came over. We’d ordered pizza and watched movies and celebrated my new home. I curled up into Gray’s side as we watched some old 80′s throwback movie that Bryant had picked. It was so comforting to still have them in my life, but as I sat there on the couch with Grayson’s arm around me, it reminded me of a similar night in Australia. The arm was different, but so familiar. I closed my eyes and remembered that time, making my heart swell.

It was so hard to move on from Ethan because I’d loved him more than I’d wanted to admit. It didn’t make it any better that one of my best friends was his identical twin.

I got up from the couch and walked over to the fridge, “You guys want a drink? I have some beers.” They looked up and nodded their heads in acceptance. I brought out the cold bottles and placed them on the living-room table.

One turned to two, two turned into many and soon the table was strewn with empty bottles as the three of us laughed until we were crying.

“So how have you actually been Stell?” Bryant slurred ever so slightly.

I thought for a moment. ‘Do I tell them the truth? Or do I just continue to pretend like I’ve moved on?’

I decided to go with the truth with a hint of a lie, more to convince myself than to convince them. “I’m doing better than I’d thought I would. It hurts some times, I mean, I loved him.” Both boys stop drinking their beers and looked at me with wide eyes. I’d never said the words out loud to anyone and I think if I hadn’t been drinking, the words would have been left unsaid.

Grayson choked back the beer he held in his mouth, “You loved him? Are you sure? ‘Cuz he’s dumb as shit.” He laughed at his own words, making the rest of us laugh.

I couldn’t help the heat that found its way to my face. I wasn’t sure if it was from the alcohol or if it was for the unsaid words that were finally spoken. Truthfully, it was probably both.

“Gray, you’re oblivious. Anyone looking at them could tell she was in love with his dumbass. Hell, he even knew. You’re blind as shit boy.” Bryant laughed, taking a swig of his beer.

‘If he could see how I felt, why did it seem that in so little words he was saying he didn’t think Ethan loved me?’ My drunken mind ran. ‘Thats because he didn’t “love” you. If he had, don’t you think he would have said something? Or one of the boys would have said something? Exactly. They didn’t, because he doesn’t’

Gray and Bryant pushed each other around jokingly as I pulled my beer to my mouth and took a long sip. “Yeah, well his dumbass must think I’m stupid because he sent those flowers today.” I said nonchalantly as I pointed my beer toward the beautiful bouquet of white and pink roses and white daisies.

The door had rung and I walked over to open it for whoever was on the other side, thinking it would be Grayson or Bryant coming over early. A delivery man stood in front of me holding a large bouquet of flowers in front of him.

“I’m sorry, you might have the wrong apartment.” I said embarrassed. I didn’t know anyone who would send me flowers. Half of my friends didn’t know my new address yet and those who did weren’t the type to send flowers. “Are you Stella?” I nodded slowly. “Then I have the right place.” The delivery man smiled as he handed over the flowers to a very baffled me.

I took them slowly, thanked him and cautiously closed the door. I walked over to the kitchen island and set them down. They were beautiful and I’m sure WAY to expensive. I looked around them until I found a small envelope. I opened it and found a hand written note:

‘Stella, Congrats on the new place. Grayson said you’ve finally finished and unpacked the last box! You are officially moved in now. I’m sorry that we’re in a place in which I can’t celebrate that accomplishment with you, but I hope these brighten the space around you. I hope that one day things will be different, until then, I’ll celebrate your accomplishments from afar.

-Ethan’

I didn’t know what to do, I was shaking. I braced my back against the wall and slowly slid down it until I felt myself sitting on the floor. Hot, heavy tears flooded my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I didn’t know how to process what he’d done and what he’d written. Was this a friendly gesture or one saying “I love you and I’m sorry.” I wanted it to be the latter, but I couldn’t be sure and I didn’t want to hold hope for something I wasn’t sure was there.

I was more confused now than I had ever been. What was he doing? He knew how to play games, was this just another one of them? Or was this him being venerable? I wasn’t sure he knew how to be.

After a few minutes of crying, I chose not to dwell on it, not allowing his words to consume my thoughts. I got up and placed the letter into my journal and moved on with my day.

Now I sat on the couch giving the flowers my attention for the second time today. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the boys got whiplash from how fast they’d turned their heads toward where I’d pointed. Both of their jaws fell to the floor when they saw them.

“Woah...” Bryant said, the word on the breath that’d escaped him.

“He-he..., Ethan sent those?” Gray asked with confusion visible on his face.

I could feel my brows knit together as I processed his question, “Yeah, why?”

Gray shook his confused thoughts from his head quickly and returned to his normal carefree look, “No reason really. He just hasn’t really mentioned you much since you left.” He paused a moment as if trying to decide if he wanted to continue, “I mean no offense, but it just seemed like he’d moved on, like he didn’t care anymore. Then he does that...I guess I was wrong?”

“Bro, have you not looked at your brother recently? He’s been trying to get over her. When was the last time he slept? He’s been locked up in his room playing Fortnite and if he’d not there, he’s off with some random gir-...” Bryant quickly caught his words before he finished. The look on Grayson’s face toward him was deadly.

There it was, confirmed in that moment, Ethan had moved on. He was just playing his silly fucking games. I was livid. I was sick of being played by him. I was sick of hurting over him. I was sick of crying over him. I was sick of HIM! I got up quickly and handed my phone over to Bryant, “Here, record this for me?” I asked in the sweetest voice I could muster, though I’m sure it sounded slightly psychotic. Bryant shot Gray on eyebrow as he raised the phone and began to record me.

“If he can move on and start seeing other people so quickly, then these don’t mean shit...” I pointed to the flowers on the counter, “and he obviously doesn’t give a shit...” I said as I walked over to the flowers, picked them up, “and neither do I.” I said as I threw the flowers to the ground. I was flooded with a strange sense of relief as I watched the bundle explode on the ground. I picked up a rose slowly and stood back up with it in my hand, “Time to update my Tinder.” I winked as Bryant stopped recording. Both boys sat there quietly with slight smirks on their faces.

Once I got back to the couch, phone in hand, Grayson looked at me, “What are you going to do with the video?”

“You’ll see.” I couldn’t help the conviction in my voice as I did my dirty work. Before I knew it, I’d posted it to my twitter. I knew that once it was there, it would find its way to him. The Dolan fandom was quick and before I could even blink, it’d been retweeted hundreds of times.

Your move Dolan.

Journal Entry 26 I hope my smile can distract you I hope my fists can fight for two So it never has to show And you'll never know I hope my love can blind you I hope my arms can bind you So you'll never have to see What we've grown to be One may think we're alright But we need pills to sleep at night We need lies to make it through the day We're not okay

One may think we're doing fine But if I had to lay it on the line We're losing ground with every passing day We're not okay

But that's one thing I would never That's one thing I would never say to you

The next morning was a blur. My little tweet had flown around social media. It was no longer just on twitter, it was on Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr. And much to my surprise, the response was better then I’d thought. Many of the tweets and replies were telling me to stay strong.

One even said, @Stella I don’t know what happened, but he’s obviously stupid. Go get your makeover and show him what a mistake he made. Go get you a new MAN.

I giggled to myself as I read that. They were right, I needed to get out of this slump I was in, I needed to put my best foot forward. I wanted him to eat his words. I wanted my happiness to eat him alive and the only way to get back at someone is to show them they didn’t get to you in the first place.

Stella: Grayson! Beach day? Invite whoever. Stella is back and ready to kill it!

GrayOnThe🌙:Even E?

Stella: I don’t care anymore. The beach is a public place. 💁🏼‍♀️

GrayOnThe🌙: Thats my girl! Let’s do it. I’ll swing by your place in an hour and we’ll cruise down to Laguna! I’ll call Bryant and my buddy David (he’s newly single, so it might be nice for him to get out too). BEACH DAY!🙌🏼

I went to my room and put on my cutest black bikini under my short-shorts and a little bit of makeup while blasting my music. This was it, time to move on. If he was going to, then so was I.

What better way to fix a broken heart then to find someone to mend it for the time being. Right? Probably not, but I was doing what I wanted with reckless abandon.

A/N: So Ethan is going out with random girls? Way to spill that one Bryant! And Stella seems to be on a war path. Will it end up going well or will it prove to be more problematic? She’s going to be spending time with a newly single David. Will Ethan go to the beach with them? If he does, how will this go down? Even I’m ready to see what’s next.

xoxo, GirlOnTheMoon

Taglist: @spiffydolan @lonelystr @kerilives @dopefreshdolan @beaatf @kobeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

#ethan dolan #ethan dolan fanfic #ethan dolan imagine #ethan and grayson #grayson and ethan #grayson dolan #grayson dolan imagine #grayson dolan fanfic #dolan twins #dolan twins imagine #dolan twins fanfic #dolan twin #dolan twin imagine #dolan twin fanfic #dolan twin tuesday #dolan tuesday #just forget the world

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swfanficbyjz · 6 years

Text

SW AU - Ahsoka Stays in the Order - Ch. 3

<- Chapter 1

<- Chapter 2

She kept walking all the way outside, she didn’t really know where she was going but she had to get away from there. She thought about going to the shipyard to see Rex but decided against it. She wandered the lower city for awhile and finally found a bench at a park and sat down. She could see the temple from where she rested, but it seemed so different from here. It loomed over the area around it, no longer welcoming or even pleasing to the eye. It felt like a juggernaut of darkness. Maybe Bariss had been right. Maybe all the Jedi cared about anymore was violence. Not inside the temple obviously, but out here in the world. For peacekeepers, everything they did centered around fighting. Was it the war that darkened the building, or something else? Were they losing their way? Or their hold on the light?

“Hey, are you alright?” She turned at the unfamiliar voice. A boy was walking towards her. Well maybe he wasn’t a boy, he looked closer to her age, maybe a little older. He had brownish-black hair that fell loosely around his face, and brown eyes full of concern. She also noticed he had a black eye like he’d been fighting with someone. She glanced around to see if he was talking to someone else, but there was no one else around. He stopped a few feet away.

“I’m fine,” she said, leaning back against the bench again hoping he’d take a hint that she didn’t want to talk right now.

“You don’t look fine,” he started and then blushed looking down at his feet. “I mean, you do look fine as in you’re cute and all, but you don’t look like you’re okay.”

She raised a brow at him. Really? He was flirting with her? “That’s a pick-up-line I’ve never heard before.” She rolled her eyes.

“It wasn’t meant to be a pick-up… let me start over. My name is Nyx.” He reached out a hand for her to shake. She stared at it a moment. “And no, I don’t go around accosting people on the street and trying to pick them up. I just saw you sitting here looking like you’d been crying, so I thought maybe you needed someone to talk to.” Boy, did she. But she didn’t even know this guy, the last thing she was going to do was spill her guts to him.

She finally shook his hand. “Ahsoka.”

“Nice to meet you, Ahsoka,” he said and sat down on the other end of the bench. She chewed her lip as she studied him out of the corner of her eye.

“How’d you get the black eye?” she asked.

“Oh, it was a lovely parting gift from someone who thinks I owe them money,” he murmured, playing with his fingers. “Why were you crying?”

“Have you got a few hours?” she smirked, crossing her arms back in front of her.

“I have nowhere else to be for awhile,” he said, scooting a little closer.

She blew air out the side of her mouth. She doubted Nyx would know anything about what’s on her mind, so maybe he was the perfect outsider perspective she needed. But if she couldn’t trust people she’d known her entire life anymore, how could she trust someone she just met? “How do you feel about the Jedi?” she asked, staring straight ahead.

“The Jedi?” he asked in surprise. “They’re a pain in the neck.”

It was her turn to look surprised. “Why do you say that?”

“Well they’re always so full of themselves, like they’re holier than thou. They run around sticking their noses in business they don’t need to. And come on, have you seen the aftermath of their war? They lay waste to every planet they go to and claim they’re freeing the people. But like all we know of them is that they’re these mystical space monks with magical powers.”

“It’s not their war, and they are freeing the people!”

“Oh please, don’t tell me you admire them. I travel all over the galaxy, many of the places I go are planets where the Jedi have been. Tell me, have you been to Ryloth lately? What about Bothuwai? Or Christophsis? Or Rhodia? They’re practically ruins now. People are starving. The Jedi came in with their clone army, fought their battles against the Separatists and then left. So what if they destroyed thousands of droids? They still left it all there for the people to have to clean up behind them. They repelled the ‘invasion,’ but left the people without any kind of aide or relief or help. Have you noticed that it’s only Republic affiliated worlds that are getting destroyed? How come the Jedi don’t go fight on Raxus or something? If they’re so intent on bringing down the Separatists, wouldn’t it be better strategy to hit their capitol city? Besides, what did the Seps actually do that makes the Republic so intent on fighting them? So what if a few planets want to secede? Is that really worth killing them over?” He waved his hand nonchalantly and she studied his face. Now that she thought about it, she really had no idea why they were fighting the Separatists.

Is that really how the rest of the galaxy viewed what was going on? Of course, she’d seen all of those planets. They’d been in ruins, just like Nyx said… she’d thought they were freeing those planets, but he was right. Once the droids were destroyed and the Separatists driven away, they would pack up and leave. Onto the next mission. It had never occurred to her that no help or aide was never sent there afterwards. And much to her chagrin, she’d just as easily forgotten about them the moment they were onto something new. No wonder Bariss had believed all the Jedi cared about anymore was violence. They were acting only as a military now. Hundreds of thousands of people watch them come in, fight and disappear. From her perspective, or rather, from the Jedi’s perspective, they were fighting for freedom; to protect and uphold the Republic values. So, is that what the Republic valued now? Violence? Victory? Sacrifice? Death?

She stared blankly at a lamp post across the way. This wasn’t making her feel any better. In fact, it was making her wonder why she’d stayed in the order. She just kept thinking something Anakin had said back when her and Padme had gone to Raxus; the Separatists believe the Republic is corrupt, but they’re wrong. And we have to restore order. How many people had they gone up against since the beginning of this war that kept telling them the Republic was the one that was wrong? Had it ever occurred to any of them that maybe the Separatists had a fair point?

Nina Bonteri had truly believed in the things the Confederacy stood for. And she hadn’t been the kind of crackpot she was made to believe the Separatists were. She was educated and intelligent. She’d seen the proceedings of their democracy and it was nothing at all like the fights over money and troops and banking deregulations that the Republic Senate fought over.

“I’m sorry,” Nyx said suddenly, and she glanced back up at him. “Sometimes I speak without thinking. What’s your problem with the Jedi?”

“Uh…”

“You’re not one, are you?” He smacked himself on the head. “Of course you are, what was I thinking?”

“No, I’m not,” she said quickly. She cringed, not liking the taste of the lie in her mouth. She was one, by title. But she didn’t feel like one anymore. She didn’t know what she was. That was the problem.

“Oh, that’s a relief,” he said, dropping his shoulders in a sigh. “I was afraid you were going to try to arrest me and then, unfortunately, I’d have to defend myself.” He patted his blaster that was holstered to his hip. She curled her lips, so she didn’t smile. Was this the part where she told him that his puny blaster would be flying across the park before he could react, and that she’d give him a matching pair of black eyes if he attempted to shoot her? If she had her lightsabers with her, it would be even less of a fair fight.

“Well then, today’s your lucky day. No one is arresting anyone.”

“I’m glad about that, it would really put a damper on our friendship,” he chuckled.

“You consider us friends?” she started in surprise.

“Sure. We’ve been talking for what? Ten minutes. Best friends forever!” She looked down to hide her smile. At least his attitude was refreshing. Though she wasn’t real sure how they could be friends anyways. He didn’t like Jedi, so he could never know she was one. And she’d already lied to him. What a great start to a friendship. "Come on, I know where to get the best jogun fruit smoothie. You can lay your woes on me there. My treat." He jumped to his feet and offered his hand.

She looked dubious but then decided why not? Maybe he'd be a good distraction. He was easy to talk to even if she didn't feel like she could tell him everything. And to be honest, after everything that had happened lately, she was actually glad to have an excuse to stay away from the temple for awhile longer. "Are you sure you should be treating girls you just met, to smoothies when you owe people money?"

"First of all, I don't owe them money. They just think I do. Second of all, I may have just met you, but you're worth a jogun smoothie any day." He flashed a big grin and then bowed to her, putting out his hand for her to take again.

She blushed and took it. The walked down the street, him still holding her hand. It felt weird. Relationships weren't allowed for Jedi so the last thing you see them doing is holding hands. But admittedly, she kind of liked it. She didn't normally like being touched unless she initiated it. Anakin and Rex were really the only ones she didn't get uncomfortable about touching her. Every once in awhile Obi wan would put a hand on her shoulder or something and she didn't mind that, at least she hadn't before. Master Plo was probably the only other one that could touch her and she didn't freak out. So, it was strange that she could feel comfortable holding hands with someone she just met.

He talked enthusiastically about all sorts of things, from his travels to people he's met and the type of work he did. He said he owned a repair shop, it wasn't much but for as young as he was, he thought he was doing pretty well for himself. It sounded a little like bragging, but she didn't mind. His face lit up when she started talking about fixing machines, all things she'd learned from Anakin. He was impressed by what she considered mediocre knowledge. Though she supposed, considering how much Anakin knew, she probably knew quite a bit more than most. He told her about the latest projects he'd been working on, trying to talk her into coming by sometime so he could show them off. She didn't make any promises, but it sounded fun.

By the time they got to the smoothie stand, she'd forgotten much of what was bothering her. Nyx was good company and an excellent distraction. She had no idea how much time they spent talking. The jogun fruit smoothie was as delicious as he claimed. In fact, it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. And she told him so. To which she got a puzzling response. He invited her out to dinner the following night, promising her a meal ten times more delicious than the smoothie.

She was so tempted to accept his offer, but that was when reality kicked in again. "I can't," she said sadly. "I have to get going."

"But…" he started, and she shook her head.

"I like you, but I can't... we can't..."

"Why not?" he pouted just a little. "What do you have, some overbearing dad that won't let you date?"

She almost laughed picturing Anakin tapping his foot wondering where she'd been, but her eyes widened. "Date?" He wasn’t her dad and she didn’t think of him like one, but he could be a bit too overprotective sometimes.

"You know, like two people go out and do something fun together because they like each other."

"Is that what you call what we've been doing?" She shifted nervously.

"Well, yeah," he started.

"I can't... I have to go..."

"Wait!" he called after her. She wasn't sure why she stopped, but she did. "We don't have to call it dating if that's what you're worried about. It's just friends being friends. That's allowed right?"

She studied his face. He looked so earnest, she wished maybe things were different. Then maybe they could, date... "I'm not allowed to have attachments."

"Attachments? Like relationships? What a weird rule. I mean, it's impossible not to have attachments. If you have siblings, you're attached to them. You're attached to your parents, or in my case, your guardians because I don't know my parents. Pretty much anybody that you meet, is an attachment of sorts." He waved his hands around like he was trying to gesture to the world around them. "People need attachments and relationships to survive. To not allow them... that's insanity. Where are you from anyways?"

"I can't tell you that..." she shifted uncomfortably. She suddenly needed to go. Oh man, she was going to get in so much trouble.

"I don't know anything about you, it feels like. But I think we're kindred spirits in a way. Like we're one and the same. I don't mean to come on so strong, but if you ever need a place to go or someone to listen... my shop is on level 1313." He reached out to take her hand and it took all her self-control not to jerk it away. "I hope I'll see you again, Ahsoka."

She didn't know what to say. She hardly knew him at all, but that was the kindest offer she'd ever gotten in her life. "I'm sorry," she said at last and took off running in the opposite direction. She probably should have thanked him for the smoothie. For being good company. For distracting her. But it was too late now, she was already several streets away.

Chapter 4 ->

#star wars #ahsoka tano #anakin skywalker #snips #skyguy #star wars au #ahsoka stays in the order #jedi #nyx okami #republic #separatists #nina bonteri #padme amidala #captain rex #raxus #coruscant #otp #brotp

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victorianoir · 6 years

Text

The Detective and the Embezzler, Part 2

Here’s the second part to the chapter I put out last week, dear readers!!

If you want to read part 1, or any other parts of The Detective and the Tech Guy, you can do so by hopping on over to the tumblr MASTER POST for the story. Or you can read it on the fanfiction.net site: HERE.

Enjoy, my friends!

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

“Ugh, this is bumming me out.”

“What?”

“This timeline I’m being given is so shitty. And I feel like I have a lot to do. And they’re actually doing a pretty good job keeping their affair quiet, in spite of how chatty they were with us at Sir Sensei’s the other day.”

“Well, they’re bound to slip up, right?”

“I don’t know. Penny sort of seems like the brains. She must be handling details. She’s the smart one in this whole situation.”

Penny Havert didn’t have much of a criminal record, Sarah’d discovered, which either meant this was her first offense, or she was good at not getting caught. Whether she actually cared for Pendleton or not, Sarah had no idea. Nor did she care. Penny was orchestrating most of this, but they were both going down. Hopefully. If she did her damn job.

“Sarah, what if—and hear me out—neither of them are the smart one in this whole situation?”

“Oh. Yeah. Good point.”

Her boyfriend chuckled as he lowered half of a four egg omelet onto her plate with a spatula, heading over to his own place at the coffee table and sliding the rest of the egg out of the pan onto his plate.

“I still think it’s rad how you figured out who his mistress is, you know,” he said, heading back towards the kitchen, putting the pan in the sink and grabbing the plate of bacon, before tugging his apron off and tossing it on the counter on his way back to the couch.

She smirked. “It’s scarily easy to get a hold of someone’s credit card if you hang around a restaurant. Wear a white button up, black slacks, and an apron, walk over and grab the check with their card, and bam.”

He shook his head as he plopped down next to her on the couch, setting the bacon down between their plates. “I bet it looked so cool and spy-ish, though.”

She snorted, shaking her head.

“So what d’ya got?” he asked. “You said you’re bummed out. Gimme the deets. Maybe I can help.”

Maybe a few years ago, she might’ve been miffed if one of the men she dated had plopped down wanting to “help” with a case—if she ever told them anything about her cases, which she never did. But Chuck had proven he wasn’t just a nerd who’d seen a lot of noir movies with detectives and hardboiled lawmen. He was actually incredibly good at thinking outside of the box, and she’d learned over the past few days especially that he could be a massive asset. Even if sometimes his ideas were absolutely wild and out of left field, it got her mind going.

“Right. So I’ve been tailing both of them for a few days now—I know how that sounds, like I’ve duplicated myself, but I just mean I followed him one day and her the next.”

“Hm? Oh. Sorry, I’m just a little fixated on the idea of there being two of you. Is it too stereotypical dude-ish of me to say that’s hot?”

“Yes.”

“Noted.”

“Back to my investigation,” she said pointedly, aware of the fact that she was doing a poor job of ignoring his flirtation. She took a large bite out of her breakfast, leaning forward to keep the long string of melted cheese from getting stuck on her chin. “She went to the bank that day, and she withdrew a lot. I don’t know how much, but it was enough that it took the teller a while. I’m sure it’s an account he’s been transferring money into for her, but I need to prove that somehow.”

Chuck huffed. “I’ll think on that.”

She clicked around on her laptop and turned it towards him on her lap. “In the meantime… So, look at this email Mestik sent me. He forwarded Pendleton’s travel itinerary for a business trip, like I asked him to. This says he’s going to Atlanta. As in Georgia. That’s not Miami. See? LAX to Atlanta with a layover in Chicago.”

“Why did they tell us Miami, then?”

“Maybe they’re just lying sacks of shit.” He chuckled at that. “She gave him an annoyed look about it. I dunno if you saw that. Maybe that’s where she wanted to go and instead she’s stuck going to Atlanta because of his work so she’s pissed.” She shrugged.

“Atlanta doesn’t sound so bad.”

“If she was looking forward to beach time, it’s probably not preferable.”

“Good point.”

Sarah nibbled on her lip, turning the laptop back to her. “I’m going to ask Mestik if Thomas has charged anything else as an expense yet. And I need to know if Penny is going to be on the flight with him, even if her portion isn’t being charged to Mestik Insurance. Nobody’s that stupid.” She huffed. “But I need to do it quick. I’ve only got a week and a half to solve the case.”

“What? Why only a week and a half?”

“Because if I don’t solve it by then, I’m going to have to go to Atlanta to tail these assholes, and I really don’t want to do that.”

“Why? Might be an interesting place to go.”

“Atlanta is fine, but that’s an expense I’d be charging to Mestik, add on top of that whatever expenses Thomas and Penny charge to the company while they’re on their romantic getaway. If I figure this all out before the trip, I save Mestik a lot of unnecessary expense, not to mention his niece’s husband doesn’t get to go off to some other city to knock knees with his mistress on his uncle-in-law’s dime. It’s the principle of the thing.”

She felt Chuck reach over to tenderly stroke his fingers over her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear and she smiled a little at him.

“For the record, I love that you’re a P.I. who’s on the up-and-up. Like, not a hardboiled P.I. who’s kind of in this murky grey area of morality, but a genuinely good detective trying to help her client.”

She gave him a look as she sipped her coffee. “What makes you think I’d ever be hardboiled? Seriously, baby, you watch way too many of those movies.”

“Maybe, but you love that I’m such a dweeb fanboy about your career choice. Don’t deny it.”

“Oh, I have no intention of denying it. You’re the cutest person on the planet when you geek out about the dumb letters on my office door. But still…I’m serious about this, Chuck. A week and a half. I need to do this right.”

He swiped a hand in front of his face, sobering up completely. “Yes. Absolutely. I’m with you.”

Sarah froze then, an idea hitting her.

“I just need to figure out where Penny is going. Duh. Wherever Penny goes, Thomas goes. As far as they know, nobody knows about Penny Havert and wherever she ends up, we’re going to find him there, too. But how do I know where she’s going?” She nibbled on her lip.

“Well, how do you even go about finding that out? Gonna steal her computer or something?”

She shook her head, and then a slow, mischievous smile stretched over her face. “No. But you’ve given me an idea…”

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Chuck looked up from his desktop screen as his assistant poked his head in after a quick knock. “Yeah?”

“Sarah’s here.”

“Oh, good. Thanks. Send ‘er in.”

Sarah smiled at the bespectacled man as she swept past him with a thank you and some weird handshake they’d concocted over the last couple of months and stepped inside, not saying anything until the door was shut and they were alone. And then she pulled a smartphone he’d never seen before out of her pocket.

“What’s that?”

“Thomas Pendleton’s phone,” she said with a nonchalant shrug.

Chuck’s eyes practically bugged right out of their sockets as he sat up straighter and spun his chair towards her. “What? How’d you get his phone?”

“I stole it. The guy kept setting it down everywhere he went and looking away. It was so easy. I don’t even know if he even realizes now, an hour later, that it’s been stolen.”

She rolled her eyes, but he was still stuck on the fact that his girlfriend had just stolen someone’s phone.

“And now you’re bringing stolen property into my place of work. Wonderful, great, thank you so much.” He gave her a teasing grin as she scoffed, walking around his desk and plopping down on the edge of it. “So what’s on it?” he asked, reaching up to take the phone.

She held it away from him. “You aren’t officially my partner or even my assistant, and I’m not sure I should even be sharing this info with you, Chuck Bartowski, heir of Bartowski Electronics Corporation.” He liked how flirty she was being. In fact, he’d go so far as to say he loved it. But it made him wonder if doing things like this made her a little cocky…or, as Morgan would say, randy. He couldn’t blame her, exactly…

“You could always make me your partner.”

“No.”

“Assistant sounds good.”

“You’re my big-brained boyfriend and that’s it.” She cocked an eyebrow.

“You share info about your cases with all your boyfriends?”

“Mmm, no. Just you. You’re the smartest boyfriend I’ve got at the moment.”

“Out of how many?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“You bad girl,” he teased, biting his lip, narrowing his eyes, and grinning.

When she got a certain glint in her eye, he felt like his prior thought about her being cocky wasn’t all that much of a reach. “If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll let you help me call the phone numbers on here.”

Chuck sat back, away from her, and glared. “Ohhhh okay I get it now. I thought you were being all sexy and flirtatious with me because—never mind what I thought,” he said quickly. “But you’re just trying to get me to help you call a bajillion phone numbers to find out who his contacts are.”

“No, most of his contacts in his phone have labels and names. But he’s made over fifty recent calls to numbers that aren’t labeled and I do need help with that.” She sighed and put Pendleton’s phone on his desk. “This sucks. Back when I was at Pinkerton, I’d send it into our analysts and they’d come back with a list within a day. Ugh, it was so easy. Now I have to go all old school and actually call the numbers.”

Chuck shook his head with an amused huff. And then he stopped, an idea coming to him. “What if you didn’t have to do that? Even though you aren’t with Pinkerton anymore?” She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Chuck held up a finger and spun back to his computer, clicking around until he got onto the Google document where he kept a list of projects his employees were working on. He scrolled through as he felt Sarah sidle up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders, leaning over him and dropping her lips to the top of his head.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“A top secret list of all of B.E.C.’s current projects, or at least…potential projects.” He tilted his head back and raised his eyebrow up at her. “This is super secret stuff. Feel special, Sarah.”

She giggled. “Oh, trust me. Not a day goes by when I’m with you that I don’t feel special.”

A slow grin grew on his face as he looked up at her. “That was pretty damn sappy and I dug it.”

Sarah leaned down to kiss his lips with another soft giggle, and she stood up again, squeezing his shoulders. “I figured you might. But why is this list going to help me?”

“Oh. Right.” He sat up again and kept scrolling. “These are the things my employees are working on outside of the everyday tasks their job requires of them. Things they pitch to me and my team…Well, mostly my team. I have a lot of employees and I can’t be one on one with all of ‘em that often. I see the prototypes when they seem viable enough to maybe implement them under our brand. But I seem to rememberrrr…hmmmm…” He found it. “Ha!”

He spun to his phone and picked it up, paging his assistant.

“Yeah, Boss…”

“Would you please get, um…” He glanced at his screen. “Phoebe Butler on the phone for me? I have no idea if she even works in this building. Does she work in this building?”

“Uh…I’ll find out, Chuck.”

“You’re the best. Thanks.”

He hung up the phone and turned his chair to look up at Sarah. “While we wait, how are you planning on getting the phone back to Pendleton?”

Sarah shrugged. “I’m meeting Mestik for coffee tomorrow morning, hopefully with some more info than I had for him last night,” she huffed. “I’ll just give it to him and let him slip it back in the jerk’s desk or something.”

“Good pl—”

Bzzzzzz!!!

Chuck gasped theatrically for Sarah’s benefit, earning a chuckle, and he smacked the speaker button. “Did you find her?”

“Her desk is on the third floor of this building, and I’ve got her on the line right now. Um…she sounds…nervous. So maybe let her know she isn’t fired. Wait…she isn’t fired is she?” his assistant asked.

Chuck laughed. “She isn’t fired. But thanks for the head’s up. Transfer her over.”

“On it.”

He grabbed the phone receiver and held it to his ear.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

She heard Chuck come in the door, the rustle of whatever he was carrying, and then the slam of him kicking the door shut as she poured over the notes she’d taken from tailing Thomas Pendleton and Penny Havert for the last few days.

“Hey, how was the store?” she asked, looking up from where she was draped across his couch.

“Okay, I can’t do Trader Joe’s anymore. I just can’t. Or, like, maybe I can take a Lyft there next time? Because parking is like… And I’m not trying to go to Disneyland on a Saturday, here. I’m not trying to wait in line for five hours. I just want to get some groceries on a Saturday. They need to fix their shit.”

He dropped the reusable bags on the counter and huffed.

Sarah giggled to herself and sat up with a soft groan, putting her paperwork down and going around into his kitchen to help him unload the groceries. “My poor guy, braving the weekend health food crowd so that I can have delicious lamb ribs for dinner tonight.”

His arm wrapped around her from behind as she took a bag of lettuce out, and he kissed the side of her face with a “muah”, before shifting his lips to her neck. “I’m going to bake the hell out of those ribs and I’m going to enjoy them, too, damn it.”

She giggled again.

They unloaded the groceries in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Chuck looked up from where he was sticking a few things in the fridge. “Still trying to connect the dots on that case?” he asked.

“Mhm. Well, I mean…Phoebe’s number tracking program helped a lot. Now that I know Thomas has been in contact with both Penny and that travel agency, I at least have a bit of a lead.”

“Who uses a travel agency, though? I know I said this before,” he said, shutting the fridge, “but, like, really. A travel agency? You can easily do everything through your computer and talk to zero other humans. How is that not the best choice?”

Sarah laughed. “That’s just it. I thought the same thing, but I did a bunch of research today while you were out running errands. Guess who owns that travel agency…”

Chuck stopped halfway through folding the now empty bag and looked up at her. “Oh, do you mean the cleverly named travel agency, ‘Go There’? That one?” He made a pfft sound and shook his head.

She laughed again. “Yeah. That one.”

“Who owns it?”

“Brett Smith.”

Chuck made a face, then grabbed another bag to fold it up. “Am I supposed to know who this is?”

“No, I mostly just paused for dramatic effect.”

“Oh, cool.”

“Brett Smith attended Texas Tech the same four years that Thomas Pendleton was there. They were both business majors and they were both a part of the Sigma Delta Alpha Nu Epsilon whatever-the-fuck fraternity there. I don’t remember the name, but it’s the same one. And I found a picture of them on the alumni website at their ten year reunion that happened a few years ago.”

“Great work, gumshooooe,” Chuck drawled, pointing. “No, seriously. That’s legit. So his frat buddy owns ‘Go There’. God, it’s so bad.”

“It’s terrible,” she agreed.

“And, what, he probably thinks that’s a pretty safe way to go, right? When you’re booking a vacation with your mistress, go with your bro. Don’t tell my wife, right, brah? Bro Code.” Chuck grabbed her hand and did a lame excuse for a high five with her. “Dope.”

“Okay, you’re a doofus. But that aside, you’re right. Those are my exact thoughts. Uh…in not so many words,” she said, giving him an amused side-eye. “There’s no paper trail—well, the online version. The travel agency has the paperwork but he trusts his frat bro to keep all of that safe. My only problem now is how do I get in there to get the itinerary for Thomas and Penny’s real vacation?”

Chuck shrugged, leaning back against the counter and popping a grape into his mouth. “Easy. Wait for ‘Go There’,” he rolled his eyes, “to close for the night, break in through the air conditioning system, crawl through the ducts, lower yourself Mission:Impossible style into the room where they keep their records, and take pictures of it with your ballpoint pen that’s actually a camera. Boom. Done.”

Sarah just looked at him for a moment, almost impressed. “Wow. I was really expecting a legitimate idea that would actually be helpful…the whole body stance and your delivery was that good.”

He smiled around the grape and shrugged again. “You’re welcome.”

“Do you have anything else to add?”

“Um…I’ll think on it.”

She sniffed in amusement and wadded up a produce bag, throwing it at his face as he laughed and batted it away. She left the kitchen and walked back to the couch, plopping down. He sat beside her and swung his legs around to drape them over her lap, laying his head against the armrest. She began rubbing his leg muscles in that way he liked and he sighed, his eyelids fluttering.

She’d been to that same store on the weekend before and she knew he wasn’t just being melodramatic. It was a damn trial getting through there. But the food was amazing and so was the price.

“I mean, is there a way to get them to give you the itinerary? So you don’t have to break in and steal it?” he asked.

“There must be. I just haven’t thought of it yet—Wait.” He sat up quickly, staring at her and waiting patiently for her to continue as her mind went a mile a minute. “I might’ve just thought of it. I’d need a really good cover. And I’d have to sell it.”

“A cover? Like…incognito?” He gasped and it was so boyish and adorable. “Like a disguise?!”

“Maybe not that intense. But I am going to need to figure out how to forge an ID and business cards so that I have some way of proving who I am.”

He blinked. “Who are you?” He shook his head. “I mean, I know who you are. I just mean…who are you supposed to be?”

“Mr. Thomas Pendleton’s assistant, of course. Just need to make a few changes to the business trip itinerary for the boss man.” She smirked flirtatiously.

“Okay wait. Are you flirting with me, or are you going to try to seduce Brett Smith?”

She smacked his shoulder hard as he laughed. “I’m flirting with you, you ass!” She laughed with him and shook her head. “I just don’t know how I’m going to make business cards and forge an ID in such short notice. I could use my own ID, but it’s still a Chicago driver’s license and I’m not sure I want my real name anywhere near this.”

“Uh, yeah. I don’t really want the name Sarah Walker to be in their minds for when all of the shit hits the fan for their buddy Tommy,” he said, and he put his hand on her thigh and squeezed. She thought it was a bit of protectiveness, something she hadn’t necessarily seen from him before. And, to her surprise, she liked it.

“Know any forgers?”

“I might. And he has access to an ID card printer.”

Sarah gaped at him. “Wait, seriously? I was joking. You really do?”

He shrugged. “You want an ID and some business cards or no?”

A slow smile grew on her face and she had the urge to kiss him. Alas, it would take some acrobatics to do so and she didn’t have time to waste, so she just winked instead. “Take me to him.”

XOXOXOXOXOXO

“Don’t ever stop surprising me, Tech Guy.”

She heard the wonder in her own voice as she watched Chuck fiddle with the ID card software on the system. He was meticulously building a California driver’s license for her, even superimposing the shiny golden gate bridge decal into the background of the card. He had his own license propped on the keyboard so that he could copy it as best he could.

“I’ll do my best, Sarah Walker, P.I.,” he muttered distractedly.

“Seriously. When I asked if you know any forgers, I had no idea the forger you knew was…you. What, did you do this for a little side cash when you were in college?” She snorted, but then his hands stopped what they were doing and he snuck a look at her over his shoulder, his features pinched.

“What if I said yes?”

She stepped around his chair and looked down at him. “Did you really?”

“Listen, those Beverly Hills brats had a lot of money and they coughed up big bucks for fake IDs so they could buy brewskies for their dumb parties. My dad was struggling and it was a help.”

To say she was shocked was an understatement. “You forged IDs for kids to buy beer? Also, did you just say brewskies unironically?? That feels like the more important question. Strangely.”

Chuck laughed, but there was a thread of nervousness in it. “Oh, I said it with complete and utter irony, trust me. And um…to that first question…yes…I did.” He winced. “It was easy, fast cash. And erm…I don’t do it anymore. Except, well…right now. I’m doing it for you right now. In the belly of Bartowski Electronics Corporation on a Saturday afternoon when it’s completely abandoned. Because I am not stupid.”

Sarah gaped at him. “Oh my God.”

She read nervousness in his face then as he swallowed, and she quickly dove in to put her hands on his shoulders. “Wait, wait…What d’you think, I’m gonna turn you in to the LAPD or something?” She giggled as he gave her a bit of a dark look. “Chuck, come on. It’s not like you’re a serial killer. You maybe contributed to a few alcohol poisonings, but teenagers eventually find a way to get alcohol anyway, so whatever.”

Chuck grumbled and went back to work, the dark look fading a bit at least.

“This is actually kind of amazing, if you think about it,” she said, still completely gobsmacked to have learned this pretty important tidbit about the man she’d thought was such a saint before today—well, in all the ways it mattered, at least. She stepped back behind him and slid her arms around his neck, cuddling him and pressing her cheek against his. “I’m in a very serious romantic relationship with a criminal. Maybe I am a little bit of a hardboiled detective. And you, my good man…You’re my nerd-fatale.”

He burst into laughter and shook his head, shifting in the chair to face her a little better. “I’ll take it, and gladly, but I also promise that in spite of my…checkered past…” he said with a smolder, and she snorted, “I would never lead you down any dark paths, or use you for my selfish whims…”

She growled, sliding her fingers into his mess of curls and tightening her grip, tugging his head back teasingly and meeting his laughing brown eyes with her blue ones. “That’s what they all say…in the beginning…”

Their lips met then, and she tangled her fingers of one hand in his hair, sliding the other around his neck, deepening the kiss. When she felt him sweep his tongue against hers, she pulled back quickly, even going so far as to put a good two feet between them, leaving him sitting there with a put out look on his face.

“Wha—why?” he whined.

“We have work to do.”

“No. But—No, why?”

She giggled. “Listen, buster, I’d like nothing more than to utilize this strange little illegal forgery den as a setting for a seriously hot private eye and nerd-fatale encounter, but first I need that driver’s license and those business cards.”

Sarah couldn’t help but feel a little guilty as his shoulders slumped and he turned back to the computer. She leaned in and hugged him from the side, kissing his temple. “I mean…there’s always…after…”

Chuck’s head snapped up as he gave her a wide-eyed look. A crooked smile tilted his handsome mouth for just a split second, before he dove back into his work with a vengeance. “One driver’s license for Jennifer Burton, coming up.”

XOXOXOXOXO

Sarah heard the door to the outer office open, then the shuffling of feet, and finally… “Miss Walker?”

Letting herself half a moment to take a deep breath, Sarah stood from her desk upon which she’d set up all of her materials, and walked to stand in the doorway of her personal office. “Mr. Mestik, good afternoon.”

He clapped his hands together upon seeing her. “Afternoon, Miss Walker. My assistant said you needed to see me as soon as I was able to come.”

“Yes. Thank you for coming so soon, sir. Come into my office.”

“Yes, uh…Of course. Thank you.”

He followed her into her office and took a seat in the chair across from her, on the other side of her desk. “I gotta hand it to ya, Miss Walker, you’re always prompt. This looks like…well, it looks like evidence.”

“Yes, well…My time is valuable, and yours is even more valuable.”

He nodded.

“Can I get you some coffee or…?”

“I don’t drink the stuff,” he said, waving his hand. “Trudy has weaned me off of it with tea.” Greg Mestik smacked his lips with a disgusted face. “But it’s better for my heart. I guess. So they say.”

“Understood. Well, let’s get down to business, then, Mr. Mestik. There’s a lot.”

“By all means.” And then he paused, his dark brow turning down, a frown on his face. “Is it worse than the news you gave me the other night?”

She’d told him about Penny Havert the Mistress the other night, and he’d wanted to see the proof, so she’d been forced to give him the photographs she’d taken. His response was… Well, angry would’ve been an understatement.

“I’m not sure.”

He sighed. “Just give it to me straight. Am I being swindled?”

“In no uncertain terms, sir, yes. You are. Now, I couldn’t tell you that for sure before because I had to collect evidence sufficient enough for you to go to the authorities. I planned on making sure you got that before the business trip to Atlanta, because…Well, there is no business trip to Atlanta.” She grabbed the folder in the corner of her desk, then turned it towards him, putting it between them and pushing it closer to him.

“No business trip? There’s a conference on insurance and marketing there. He practically begged me to let him be the one I sent, said he needed to brush up on…What’s this?” Mestik asked as she flipped the folder open and showed him a travel itinerary that looked very different from the one he’d emailed her a few days earlier.

“Thomas Pendleton purchased two plane tickets to Miami through a travel agency.”

“Miami? What the shit? And he used a travel agency? What is this, nineteen-seventy-five?” He shook his head, then scratched the back of his neck. “I’m very confused. What is all of this?”

“I used a very precise, rather genius computer program that a, um, friend created to figure out whom all of the unlisted phone numbers in Thomas’ phone belong to.” She took the suspect’s phone out of her bag and slid it across to Mestik. “There’s that for you.” His eyes popped. She probably should’ve warned him that she’d stolen his niece’s husband’s phone, but oh well.

“It’s supposed to be used as sort of a telemarketer deterrent, but it gave me a list of individuals and businesses he’s called in the last few months. A month and a half ago, he contacted a travel agency called ‘Go There’—I know, it’s a really great name, right?” When Mestik didn’t respond, she cleared her throat and continued. “Anyway, he used this particular agency because an old frat buddy from college owns it. He thought it’d be a lot safer and leave less of a paper trail doing it through someone he trusted rather than online. That whole Bro Code thing, I’m assuming. But it’s really easy to get around the Bro Code, I’ve found. I just pretended I was Thomas’ assistant and I needed them to change part of the trip. I had them email the itinerary to an address I created for this purpose exactly, and then I called them back and had them change a small enough detail in the plans that neither Thomas nor Penny would notice. I have the flight information, the hotel information—a suite overlooking the Miami bay, cocktails on the terrace every afternoon at the same time…which is…strangely precise, but whatever…uh, the rental car information. There’s also a reservation for a boat tour of the Florida Keys. A reservation for two. The dates coincide with the exact dates of the seven day trip to Atlanta he told you he was going on.”

She sat back and took a deep breath, letting Mestik look through all of it himself. The frown on his face grew deeper and deeper as he flipped through all of it.

“Swimming with the dolphins, is he?” He chuckled mirthlessly and then sat back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Well, you got evidence that he’s a lying cheating son of a bitch, but what about the money he’s stealing from me?”

She slid another file towards him. “Thomas Pendleton’s income doesn’t match the amount of money he’s been putting into three different banks systematically for a while. He then transfers the money into a fourth account, slowly but surely, and Penny withdraws. She’s the one whose name and money went towards air fare, the hotel suite, the reservations, the rental car, everything. Although it isn’t her money, it is your money, Mr. Mestik. Open that file. Inside is the concrete evidence they’ve been embezzling from Mestik Insurance. Redirecting client payments to their own pockets. Once you get the LAPD involved, they’ll have much more freedom as far as being able to go through private files to bring Mr. Pendleton down.

“Yes, of course you’re right.” He looked haunted.

“For what it’s worth, Mr. Mestik, I’m sorry. It’s hard enough to see actions like this from a valued employee, but I can’t imagine how much worse it is with family.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about him. I just didn’t want Irma hurt. This is awful.” He let out a long sigh and then shook his head. “You did exemplary work, Miss Walker. Thank you. I’m passing your name on to colleagues, you can be sure of that.”

“That’s kind of you, Mr. Mestik. Thank you.”

Sarah waited for almost a minute, as he sat there buried in his thoughts, looking very troubled. And then she quietly gathered the evidence into a neat stack, and eased them into a carrying case. Eventually, he lifted his gaze to hers and she continued. “Here’s all of the evidence I’ve found and notes I’ve taken. It should be more than enough to convince the LAPD to continue my investigation and make an arrest.”

“Thank you, Miss Walker.” He stood again. “Especially considering in just a few days, I would’ve been sending that little shit on an all-expense-paid getaway with someone who isn’t his wife.”

“I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen. I also, erm, didn’t want to have to go to Atlanta or Miami. That would’ve been expensive for you as well.”

“Yes. Thank you. I…hope I can also count on you…” He cleared his throat. “…keeping things under your hat about this. It is already going to be difficult enough for Irma without extra…attention.”

“I have a strict policy of complete secrecy. I used to work with Pinkerton, Mr. Mestik, and they taught me how best to stay out of the way of the press. I assure you, I won’t be talking to anyone.”

“Good.” He nodded. “Good good. Oh! Yes. Payment.” He went into his blazer jacket and pulled out a checkbook, leaning over on his desk and writing it out. “I take it the amount is still the same as the one you gave me before…?”

“I’m not charging you for any extra expenses. Same amount. Thank you, Sir.”

He looked pleasantly surprised and relieved as he looked up at her, and then he bent to his task again, finally tearing the check out of the book and handing it to her. “You do excellent work. And you’re kind. I’m grateful.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mestik. And I hope everything turns out okay.”

“Me, too.”

They shook hands again and the man smiled, picking up the carrying case with all of the evidence the LAPD might use to arrest his niece’s husband. He walked to the door and pushed it open, moving into the outer office. Sarah slid into the doorway and watched him as he opened her outer office door. His shoulders were slumped and he was moving so much slower.

And for the first time since she began this case, she was starting to come to terms with the emotional and mental toll her findings would have on an entire family. Her chest throbbed a bit as he shut the door behind him and she let out a long breath.

She lifted the check Mestik had written her and she eyed the zeros, letting herself have just a moment of celebration, before she composed herself again and grabbed her jacket and bag. She had work to do.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Chuck had just finished arranging the gardenias in the vase he’d purchased at a corner store when he heard the door to Sarah’s agency open. “Oooh! You’re back already!” He lunged for the doorway to her personal office. “I have a surprise for y—You’re not Sarah. Hi.” He cleared his throat and stood up straighter, running his hands down the front of his T-shirt.

He eyed the man standing at the entrance to Sarah’s private investigative agency. He was even taller than Chuck, which was…something. And he was built like a tank, his hair cut close to his head, his features twisted in what seemed like a permanent state of distrust or disgust…maybe both?

And then he went into his pocket, looking around the place and letting go of the door so that he could step inside. “No, I’m not Sarah. She ain’t here?”

“Uh, she ain’t—isn’t. Can…Can I help you?”

“You her assistant or secretary or somethin’?”

Chuck pulled his lips between his teeth and winced, then made a popping sound. “Um, no. No, no. I am her boyfriend. Heh. She just solved a case and I snuck in here to put flowers on her desk. Sort of a congra—”

“I don’t care. You know when she’s gonna be back?”

Chuck frowned a bit. “No. I mean…soon maybe?”

“Not a very good secretary, are ya? Hope she doesn’t pay you a lot.”

“She doesn’t pay me anything, because I’m not her secretary. I’m her boyfriend. Are you just not listening to me?”

“Guess not.” He finally pulled his hand out of the blue windbreaker he wore and Chuck was sure for a second that it would be a gun and he was about to be shot in his girlfriend’s P.I. agency. But instead it was a badge. And Chuck noticed there was a gun in a shoulder holster, before the man pulled his jacket over it with a grunt.

“Detective Casey, LAPD. I need to talk to your boss as soon as possible, kid.”

“She’s not my boss—You know what? Never mind. I give up.” He went to the nearby desk and grabbed a notepad and pen from the drawer. “You have a number where she can reach you, or—”

“Move.” He was easily shifted out of the way by one hand on his shoulder. The detective scrawled a number down on the notepad. “Have her call me there the moment she comes in. Tell her to ask for Detective John Casey. Got it? Can you handle that much?”

Chuck had to force himself to remember the man had a pair of handcuffs somewhere and a gun, and his bail could easily be what Sarah spent her Mestik case paycheck on instead of building up her business like she planned to. And instead of reacting, he just nodded, keeping his annoyance from his face. “Yep. Got it. Will do. Uh…Sir? Detective, ahem…Detective Sir.”

“Casey.”

“Yes. Sorry. Detective Casey. Is Sarah…Is she in trouble for something?”

The man let out an amused grunt and ran his eyes down his tall, lanky frame, very blatantly surveying him. “She ain’t in trouble. Just need some information about a case. Filling in some holes, that’s all. Why?” He grunted again, humor in his face. As much humor as the man was capable of, at least. “You got a crush on ‘er?”

Chuck narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Mmmmm. Again, she’s my girlfriend.”

“Heh. Whatever you say, big-britches.”

Well, at least this time he acknowledged the words that had come out of Chuck’s mouth, even if he apparently didn’t believe them.

“Just make sure she calls. I don’t wanna hafta come back here.” The man flicked the pen in his hand at the desk, apparently not caring that it rolled right off the desk and onto the floor, and then he was gone, leaving the agency door slamming hard enough to rattle the frame.

“Okay bye,” Chuck said to no one in particular.

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