#I am going to try to write him closer to Liv's version

[monster--mama]

Thorns

     The Eastmarch snowfall is harsh, but soon enough it gives way to the verdant hot spring that takes up the southern half of the hold. Steam from the springs rolls across the road, obscuring Ravenna from her enemies, and her enemies from her. It's a mostly peaceful walk though, for a while.

Until it isn't.

     Ravenna realizes too late that the time has gotten away from her when she feels the sun's gaze upon her. Mara's love eases her pain, but even her Divine lady can only do so much for her, and she will still need to find shelter indoors and away from the light. Fortune favors her enough that the skies are still fairly overcast, and a light drizzle is beginning to fall, giving her time to choose. Past the mill and across the bridge are two buildings; a fortress, probably too occupied to risk entering and somewhat off-putting in the magical sense, even from a distance, and, a bit trickier to reach on the cliff face on the opposite side of the river, is a building Ravenna recognizes as once having been a prison. It's questionable placement had made it almost certain to be flooded out or washed away at some point, and sure enough, it seems ruined and vacant now. The rain isn't heavy, so Ravenna feels reasonably confident the water won't rise too much while she waits out the day. As soon as she makes it inside though, her heightened senses alert her to all the things that shouldn't be there. The smells of fresh food and armor oil, and the ozone scent associated with lightning and magicka; the sounds of a wooden chair scraping against the stone floor further down, all indicators that something is not right inside the prison. And as Ravenna presses further inside to look, she sees what it is - Thalmor.

     From his chair at the bottom of the stairs the Thalmor soldier glares at Ravenna.

"Uh, I didn't realize this was a Thalmor outpost -" Ravenna begins anxiously, hoping to lie her way out of whatever predicament she's just gotten herself into but the soldier is already on his feet and drawing his blade and she knows she can't bullshit her way out this time.

"It isn't and you know it," he growls as he throws fire at her from further down on the staircase. Ravenna jumps out of the way in time but the soldier takes to opportunity to come closer to her and tries to cut her down with his short sword. Ravenna forcibly overtakes his will with her vampiric hypnosis before he succeeds, and he finds himself sheathing his sword.

"What are you really doing here?" She demands.

"We came to interrogate a prisoner," he responds unwillingly through gritted teeth.

"What kind of prisoner? Why here? Why not at your Embassy?" The vampiress scowls.

"We believe he has connections with the Blades, it is within our rights to arrest and interrogate however and whomever we see fit!" The elf screeches, torn between trying desperately to withhold information and arguing in defense of the Thalmor's justness in their actions - of which there is likely none, Ravenna knows.

"You're going to provoke a war with the Empire if you take one of the Emperor's personal guard prisoner. Is that really what the Thalmor wants? Don't answer that," she decides she's heard enough and ignores the confused and discombobulated response of the soldier as his body automatically obeys her next command that he kneel for her to reach his throat. He'll only kill her as soon as he is free again anyway, and Ravenna will not see the end of her extended life here. So she drains him, trading his life to continue her own. And it is worth it, she decides as soon as she sees what he's been hiding further down. The lower floor of the prison reeks of copper and iron - and below that smell, terror sweat.

[alwaysachorusgirl]

Playing Matchmaker

Pairing: Rafael Barba x Female Reader

Word Count: 2,028

Square: Blind Date

TW: none

Tagging: @thatesqcrush

A/N: Well, it took a massive re-write, but it’s done. This isn’t the story I originally started writing, but I’m okay with that. I like this version better. I like that it became more of an ensemble piece. And then there’s Janice. She’s named after Janice from the Muppets, and her personality is a combination of a few people that I know. She’s that friend who really cares and means well, but doesn’t always understand boundaries. And once I started writing her, it was hard to stop.

           “Janice, can you please just knock it off already?”

           You swallowed two ibuprofen tablets with a swig of your white chocolate mocha and rubbed your temples. As an SVU detective it was rare for you to have a Saturday off. You had agreed to meet your friend and neighbor Janice for coffee and breakfast. Everything had been fine until she had started sticking her nose into your love life, or lack thereof, and now you had a headache.

           “But Y/N, Valentine’s Day is a few days away, and once again, you don’t have any plans. Come on, just let me set you up with someone. One more blind date isn’t going to kill you.”

           “No, but I might kill you, “you shot back, glaring at your friend. “Look, I’m sorry, I know you mean well, it never works.”

           “It might, if you ever gave one of them a chance,” She countered. “You’re the one who always bails after one drink.”

           “I’m a detective, Janice, and a good judge of character. I can tell pretty quickly if a guy isn’t going to meet my standards. And besides, I hate Valentine’s Day. It’s not a real holiday, and it’s not worth me wasting my time and energy.”

           “Damn, Y/N,” remarked Janice, “You’re too young to be that jaded and cynical.”

           “I’m merely stating a fact, “you said with an exasperated sigh.  “It’s not my fault if you can’t handle it.”

           “What about your partner, that Italian guy? He’s cute.”

           “Sonny?” You nearly spat out your drink. “He’s like my big brother. I think I’m technically an adopted Carisi sister, at this point.”

           “Okay, so that’s a “no”. You mind if I ask him out?”

           “Janice, no; he’s a good Catholic boy and I will not have you corrupting him.”

           “Okay, okay, chill,” said Janice, sitting back and putting her hands up in defeat. “Oh! Wait! I know! What about that ADA you always hang out with? What’s his name…Raymond?”

           “His name is Rafael, and he’s also a “no”. I don’t think he feels the same way about me, as I do him.”

           “Aha! So, you do have your eye on someone!”

           “Janice, please, just drop it already. I have a headache and I don’t want to talk about this right now. Can we please order food? I’m starving.”

 ******************

After breakfast, you bundled up and headed out into the February air. You knew that Janice was just trying to help, but sometimes she just didn’t understand the concept of boundaries. Your love life had been non-existent since you had caught your last boyfriend cheating red-handed. That had been two years ago. Rafael Barba had offered you his shoulder to cry on, knowing all too well the kind of pain and humiliation that you had been feeling. He’d gone from work colleague to one of your best friends after that, and at some point, you had developed romantic feelings for the handsome, Cuban ADA. But for the sake of your friendship and working relationship, you intended to keep that to yourself. It wasn’t worth taking the risk of losing him or making things weird between the two of you.

Your feelings for Rafael were also why all the blind dates never went anywhere. Some of your dates had been nice, others total douchebags, but they weren’t Rafael, and therefore, there was no point in the stringing them along. As long as you were comparing them up against the standard that was Rafael Barba, they could never measure up. You were fine with that.

 **************************

           Janice walked into the SVU squad room on Monday and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see you. She wasn’t there to see you anyway. Instead she looked around and tried to find someone who looked like they worked with you.

           “Excuse me, miss? You look a little lost. I’m Detective Amanda Rollins, Can I help you with something?”

           Janice turned and smile at the blond woman with the Southern accent. She recognized the name right away.

           “I think you can. I’m Janice Wilson. I’m a friend of Detective Y/F/N Y/L/N?”

           “Oh, Y/N’s not here right now. I think she’ll back in about a half an hour?” Amanda paused. “What a minute…did you say Janice? Janice the Matchmaker?!”

           “She’s mentioned me?” Janice’s eyes went wide.

           “Oh honey,” said Amanda, “we know all about you. You’re kind of famous around here. Hey! Carisi! Finn! Get off your butts and get over here!”

           “What?” Sonny called back from his desk, his mouth full of food. “It’s lunchtime, Rollins, I’m eating over here!”

           “Yeah, Rollins, what’s the fuss?” Asked Finn, rising from his chair.

           Amanda walked Janice a little further into the squad room.

           “Guys, this is Janice, the Janice! You know, Y/N’s friend?”

           “Wait, seriously? Janice the Matchmaker? Nice to finally put a face to the name,” said Finn, coming over and shaking Janice’s hand.

           “Hey, we’ve met before. It was that one time at Y/N’s apartment, “said Sonny, finally putting down his sandwich and standing up. “You live down the hall. So, what brings you to SVU?”

           Janice quickly filled them in the conversation from the coffee shop.

           “So, the thing is, I’ve been getting it all wrong. If I had had known sooner about the ADA, I would have tried setting her up with him. I feel bad and I need to make this right with her. The problem is, I think she’s a little pissed at me, and she’s not going to listen to me. That’s where you guys come in. I have an idea, but I need your help.”

           “Count me in, “said Amanda. “If anyone needs to get together, it’s Y/N and Barba.”

           “I don’t know, Rollins, “said Sonny. “Isn’t this kind of going behind her back?”

           “Carisi, have you seen the way they look at each other? Have you ever noticed how he’s less cranky when she’s around?”

           “Yes, Rollins, I know, we all know! But she’s still my partner, and I gotta look out for her.” He looked at Janice. “If I agree to this, what exactly would I have to do?”

           Janice motioned for everyone to come closer.

           “Bring it in, folks, here’s the plan.”

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

           When you came back from picking up warrants and getting lunch, everything appeared to be normal. Amanda and Finn were working at their desks. Sonny was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t exactly unusual. Any one of you could be called out on a case at any time. You took off your coat and sat down at your desk. You were just starting to dig into your lunch when Amanda got up and came over.

           “Hey, you, just the person I wanted to see.” She flashed her best smile, and you immediately suspicious.

           “Hi Amanda, what’s up?”

           “Oh, I was just wondering if you had any plans for Valentine’s Day…”

           “Amanda, you know that I don’t. What’s really going on?”

           “Okay, so I know this guy. He also doesn’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day, and I think he might be a good fit for you.”

           “Oh, dear God, are you seriously trying to set me up on a blind date?”

           “Yes, I am. Look, I vouch for this guy. I wouldn’t try to set you up with someone that

I couldn’t vouch for, and he’s a nice guy. I think you’ll like him.”

           “Fine,” you sighed, hanging your head in defeat. “But if this guy sets off even one red flag, I’m bailing.”

           “That is totally fair,” agreed Amanda. “You would be disappointed, I promise.”

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

Sonny walked into Rafael Barba’s office at 1 Hogan Place and hoped that he wouldn’t screw this up. He still couldn’t believe that he’s agreed to this, but Janice and Amanda had been so sure that this would work. He heard his phone ping in his coat pocket. He checked it and saw it was a text from Amanda. She had succeeded in getting you to agree to the blind date. Now he had to do his part. Rafael’s assistant, Carmen, was sitting at her desk.

“Hey, Carmen, he in?”

“Yes, but he’s prepping for court, so he’s in a mood. Don’t take up too much of his time, okay?”

“No problem, hopefully this won’t take long.” Sonny knocked the door and waited until he heard “Enter!”, before going in.

Rafael looked up and wasn’t thrilled to see the detective striding into his office.

“What do you want Carisi? I’m busy, and Y/N already came by earlier to pick up those warrants for Liv.”

“I’m actually here to ask you a question. What are you doing for Valentine’s Day?”

“The same thing I do every year, working,” replied Rafael, rolling his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“I ask because I have this friend, and she is into you. I really think you’d like her, and she doesn’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day. So, I’m just trying to be a good friend and help her out…”

“You’re trying to set me up on a blind date with your friend? Are you kidding me right now?”

“No, no I most certainly am not. Come on, Barba, it’s one date. Trust me, you’re going to like her. She’s worth it.”

“Does this friend have a name?” asked Rafael, suddenly realizing that the detective wasn’t backing down without a fight.

“I can’t tell you that because it will ruin the surprise, but come on, what have you got to lose?”

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

And so, on Valentine’s Day, Rafael Barba found himself walking into a little French Bistro a few blocks away from Hogan Place. He still didn’t know his date’s name. All he had been told by Sonny was what she’d be wearing, that she was beautiful, and that he’d know her when he saw her. It was all a bit too vague for his tastes, but Sonny had insisted. So, the ADA had chosen the restaurant and made a reservation. He looked around, hoping to see someone that fit the description he’d been given. Instead, he saw you, sitting at the bar and nursing a glass of red wine. He made his way over to the bar, secretly wishing that he was meeting you instead of his date.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?”

“Rafael!” You said, looking up in surprise. You got up and hugged your friend. He was warm and it felt so good to be wrapped up in his arms. He smelled of coffee and his cologne and it was nothing short of intoxicating. You probably held onto to him for a bit too long, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Believe it or not, Amanda set me up on a blind date,” you told him, finally pulling away and sitting back down.

“Really? This is going to sound weird, but Carisi set me up on a blind date.”

“He did what? He didn’t tell me about that. Is it just me, or does it feel like something’s up?”

“Yes,” Rafael nodded, “Something is definitely up. Y/N, what color would you say your dress is?”

You looked down at your dress, and then back up at Rafael, thoroughly confused.

“I like to think of it as a cranberry wine,” you replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Carisi said my date would be wearing a cranberry wine-colored wrap dress, is beautiful, and that I’d know her when I saw her.”

Your eyes went wide as your thought back to what Amanda had told you about your date.

“Amanda told me that my date has green eyes, dark hair, is well-dressed, and that I’d know him when I saw him…” You trailed off, gazing into Rafael’s eyes, realization dawning on you. “It’s you. I’m so glad it’s you.”

“I’m glad it’s you, too,” said Rafael, taking your hand in his. “So, want to you say to having dinner with me?”

“I say ‘Yes’, nothing would make me happier. Just let me text Amanda real quick.”

Y/N: I’m going to kill you!

A. Rollins: Lol, that’s fine. Just make sure you say ‘thank you’ to Janice. She’s the brains of the operation. We couldn’t have done it without her.

[scorpio-karma]

I seen people hate on season 6 Tyler because he got Damon and Elena out of the prison world when they were rescuing Bonnie however I honestly think Tyler was more smarter than Damon and Elena Kai was about to kill Liv And he drained most of her magic and if she dies Damon and Elena are stuck forever and if they hid the ascendant they could have tried again in the next few days also what were elena and Damon doing at the prison world anyway talking about their relationship , sitting in Elena's house they never tried to meet bonnie halfway

Honestly I would have loved to see an episode where liv sends Tyler to save bonnie because Damon And Elena were useless and then once bonnie meets Damon she beats the shit out of him and once kai tries to kill them or something Bonnie leaves Damon alone and kai tortures him and elena for quite awhile

ahh the perfect tvd episode

For me personally I don't like Tyler in that episode, not really because of his actions but because of his complete disregard for Bonnie. She did all the hard work literally to get him back and Liv got all the credit for saving him???? And then there's Liv herself who i have issues with in general but the fact that she has to be reminded what Bonnie did for her to even be motivated to help irks me a lot.

As for actions, Tyler was the most logical but for me again where I'm most fed up with him is that there is no attempt to find another way to get Bonnie back. He seems completely content with the idea of letting Bonnie rot on the Prison world.

As for least productive that goes to Damon and Elena who just sat around when they could have been meeting her halfway. I personally blame Elena more there simply because her presence was unnecessary. This was around where I was really realizing how useless of a character she was because they were just tacking her on to storylines because she was the main character and not because she actually belonged there. I feel the same about the episode where Kai kidnapped her and when they go to the 1903 PW. Things just run much more smoothly when she's not around and that's because she only functions to hinder the plot. There's much more interesting storylines around her but you're stuck with Elena through most of it and miss some great opportunities, which is why I wasn't bothered at all with Nina leaving. Elena had no place on the show by then and I wish they realized that and had just killed her off because she became the most annoying part of season 7 and 8!

Anyway, in another universe, where the writers aren't racist and both Tyler and Liv realized who they owe their lives to that plotline would have been perfect. However I think it would be more in character for her to be happy to see Damon a)because I actually liked Bamom that season (just liked bonkai more) and b) as shown by her abandonment issues it's very consistent for her to attach to anybody she's been with for an extended time. The thing to break that to me is the same thing that broke her trust in him the first time and that was bringing Kai to her, completely disregarding her own trauma in favor of his own personal agenda which makes for a powerful scene I wish she had more of.

I'd be more inclined to replace the episode where Kai kidnapped Elena with one where he kidnaps Bonnie, obviously less torture, but they do have a moment about what to do when you have that much power in you, and he calls her plucky again because she escapes death so often. I'd like to start their journey into twisted romance there where she goes full Stockholm syndrome (but the real version) where she realizes she more safe with him her captor, than the MFG her rescuers. I don't exactly know where I'd go from there but I do knowni would like Bonnie and Tyler to be closer friends during that time. (I am a tonnie shipper but I love to brotp them in bk fics) Like he's the one to tell what a dangerous line she's toeing with but she lashes out at him with some facts about his neglect of her. I always have the HC that Tyler and Bonnie were each other's first times, so I would like to bring up the fact that he'll only be with a witch of she is white (a plec symptom). Obviously not true, but a good place for introspection on Tyler's part which has always been his greatest strength as a character. He knows how to look at his flaws and actually put in the work to change them and I think probing a symptom of living in the south, and on a former plantation at that would be best left with him. Instead of a whole host of excuses like "that's just how I was raised" and "that was the time back then" he would actually active try to change things. Maybe get his direction back and continue the Lockwood legacy as mayor but with the same conviction of not being like his father.

Anyway that was a weird tangent, NY conclusion is essentially that had Bonnie gotten back sooner when she was supposed to season 6 wouldn't have sucked toward the end and the needless torture of a black woman should have stopped not just due to the fact that it's racist, but it also improves the story. I swear, she hindered so much of that show just to be racist towards Bonnie and Tyler and apparently has the nerve to talk about the flaws in their storylines as though she didn't write it???? Bitch, get out of here with that nonsense, or better yet get fired because you clearly shouldn't be anywhere near a writers room.

[yeah-all-of-it]

I wrote a fic the other day (my first!) that included a brief appearance by an original character named Rhonda, who is Ian and Mickey’s neighbor across the hall. Decided to write a bit of a prequel, exploring how they came to be friends with her. It’s 2 parts because it’s 4.7k and I don’t have an Ao3 account. Link for part 2 is here and at the bottom. Hope you enjoy!

Spill Your Guts: Part I

“Mickey, shut the fuck up! We’ve only lived here for like four days!” Ian whispers, dragging his slightly inebriated husband down the hall toward their apartment door. “We don’t want everyone to hate us already!”

“No, you don’t want everyone to hate us. I don’t give a fuck.” Mickey replies.

“Mickey.”

Ian’s trying to convey irritation, but the truth is, he’s so giddy about the evening’s surprise anniversary party, he’s struggling to come off as anything other than completely fond of his loud-ass, thoughtful husband. He’s a little drunk himself which isn’t helping matters.

“What? The only person I want to like me is you, Gallagher,” Mickey says, trying to be only slightly quieter.

“And I do like you, very much. But it would be nice to make a couple friends here too. Waking people up at 2 am probably isn’t the best way to do that,” Ian explains.

Mickey stops walking and gently pushes Ian up against the wall, holding him in place with a hand on his chest. Mickey says slyly, “Oh, you like me, huh? How much? D’you like me… this much?” Mickey plants a soft kiss on Ian’s neck.

“Umm, yeah, I like you that much,” Ian responds.

“Okay. What about… this much?” Mickey steps closer, placing his hand on the side of Ian’s face and softly kissing his lips, just barely slipping his tongue in.

“Mmm, yeah,” Ian replies once Mickey pulls away. “I definitely like you that much.”

Mickey steps right up to Ian, pressing his body into the wall with his own. Their faces are so close, they can feel each other’s breath hitching. He slowly slides a hand down the front of Ian’s jeans.

“You like me this mu-,” he doesn’t even have the words out before Ian is devouring him. Bodies pressed together, hands gripping each other’s hair, tongues tangled together.

Things are so intense that they didn’t realize that they have somehow moved and are now up against their across the hall neighbor’s door.

The next thing they know, they are both plummeting toward the ground. It takes them a moment to realize that their neighbor, apparently hearing strange noises coming from her door, had opened the door they were leaning against.

Ian is flat on his back on the floor and Mickey is directly on top of him. Their arms are still wrapped around each other and it’s blatantly obvious what they’ve been up to.

“Do you know what time it is? I thought someone was trying to rob me! Scared the life outta me!” a slender lady, likely in her late 60s who had clearly been in bed based on her attire, yells at them.

The two men scramble to their feet, Ian panicking when he realizes that at some point Mickey had managed to undo his belt and his zipper. His plaid boxers were on full display as well as an obvious display of what’s underneath them.

“We’re… so, so sorry, ma’am,” Ian says sheepishly as he pulls his pants closed. “It won’t happen again.”

Ian grabs Mickey by the jacket and yanks him out the door and across the hall. He pulls out his keys and unlocks the door as quickly as he can, the neighbor eyeing them suspiciously the whole time. Once she’s presumably satisfied that they do actually live there and aren’t burglars, she closes the door to her own apartment.

They stumble through the doorway, slamming the door behind them and Mickey bursts into laughter.

“Holy shit, that’s one way to make friends, Gallagher! Wonder how long it’s been since that woman’s seen a dick?” Mickey laughs, as Ian’s face turns the same color as his hair.

———

It’s been almost a week since Ian inadvertently flashed their new neighbor and so far, they’ve managed to avoid running into her in the hallway.

Saturday morning, Mickey is sleeping in and Ian goes for an early run. He sneaks out the door, hoping the lady across the hall is still in bed, and walks quickly down the hall to the elevator. He manages to evade her again but when he returns, she opens her door before he’s able to get his key in the lock.

“Well, hello there,” she says cheerily. “Long time no see, neighbor!”

“Um, hi there,” Ian nervously replies.

“So, the name’s Rhonda. I figure we should be on a first name basis, you know, since I’ve seen your penis and all.”

Ian blushes and chuckles uncomfortably, but for some reason, finds himself feeling a little less embarrassed. He likes this woman already and they’ve barely spoken. She seems like a pretty no-nonsense, calls a spade a spade type of person.

“Oh, uh, I’m Ian. Ian Gallagher.”

“Well, Ian Gallagher, I was about to head out to the pool to get a little sun. Care to join me?” Rhonda inquires.

Ian looks down at his watch and figures Mickey will be asleep for at least another hour. And he does want to make friends.

“Umm, sure. That sounds nice,” he ultimately decides.

“Well, let’s get goin’ then!” she exclaims, linking her arm with Ian’s as they take off down the hall.

———

Once they reach the pool, they find two lounge chairs. Ian drags a patio umbrella over by his.

“Ginger,” he points to his hair. “I fry in the sun, even in the morning.”

Rhonda nods understandably as they kick back in their chairs.

“So,” she begins. “What’s your story, Ian Gallagher?”

“Umm, my story?” he answers, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He’s just met this woman and his “story” is… a lot. They’d be here all day if he told the whole thing. He decides to stick to the basics.

“Well, I’m from the Southside. Born and raised. Have a huge family, five brothers and sisters. Got married last year and moved here with my husband a couple weeks ago.” He decides that’s enough of an introduction for now.

“That’s all? That’s your story? I imagine it’s way juicier than that, but I get it. You don’t know me. I’m sure we’ll get to the good stuff eventually,” she winks after she says it.

This Rhonda, there’s just something so warm and vibrant about her. She has long wavy hair, white with a little gray mixed in. She has on a bohemian style dress and some turquoise jewelry. Ian imagines she’s had quite a life, well traveled and all that. Probably been outside of Chicago more times than he’s been to the Alibi. Her laugh is melodious, and her voice is cheerful and friendly. She’s one of those people you instantly like, that makes you want to open up and share your deepest secrets with.

“So that man that you were ravaging in the hall the other night. Your husband?” Rhonda asks.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s Mickey,” he replies. “Sorry again, about the uh, disturbance that night. We had just come from our first anniversary party and were, um, celebrating. Mickey planned the whole thing as a surprise for me.”

“A surprise anniversary party? Well your Mickey sounds like an absolute gem.”

“Yeah, he really is.” Ian can’t hide his sweet smile and look of adoration in his eyes. It makes him so happy when others notice the goodness in Mickey.

“So, how’d you two boys meet?” Rhonda asks, like she’s waiting for Ian to give her the real dish.

“Uh, well, we’ve known each other since we were kids. Grew up around the block from each other. I didn’t even know he was gay too until we hooked up as teenagers. The rest is sort of complicated, but that’s the gist of it”, Ian replies, and hopes that satisfies her curiosity. He’d love to tell her more but the whole unvarnished truth is a lot to unload on someone you’ve just met.

“Another Cliff’s Notes version, I see, but I’ll accept it for now,” she laughs.

Ian glances down at his watch and notices the time. Mickey is surely awake by now.

“Listen, this has been really great but I need to get back upstairs. Mickey is probably awake and we always make a big breakfast together on Saturday mornings. He’ll be pissed if I’m not there to flip the banana pancakes.”

“Oh I understand! This has been lovely and we should certainly do it again soon, Ian Gallagher!” she says with that cheery voice. Makes it hard to say no.

“Absolutely, Ms. Rhonda. That sounds great.” Ian rises from his chair and heads back inside, offering her a friendly smile that she returns.

———

“Where the fuck you been?” Mickey inquires as Ian walks through the door, not heated, just a question.

“Good morning to you too,” Ian replies teasingly. “I went for a run, then I was sunning by the pool with Rhonda.”

“Rhonda? Who the fuck is Rhonda?” Mickey asks, confused.

“Uh, the lady that lives across the hall from us.”

“The lady that liv- the one that caught us the other night? The one that saw you with your cock out?” Mickey is growing slightly agitated.

“Yeah, that’s her.”

“What’s she want with you? She tryin’ to pull some Mrs. Robinson shit on you? Saw somethin’ she liked?”

“Relax, Mickey. She’s just a friendly older lady. She didn’t do anything, we just talked for a bit. She’s nice,” Ian tries to assuage the situation. “Plus, you are aware I’m not attracted to women, right? And she’s old enough to be my grandma. Don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“Whatever, man. Come in here and flip some fuckin’ pancakes.”

———

The next Saturday morning, Ian decides to skip his run and knock on Rhonda’s door to see if she wants to take a walk with him. He really enjoyed their chat last week; it felt good to talk to someone new, someone who had no preconceived notions about him or his life. He wanted to continue that.

He knocks on the door and Rhonda answers, dressed in lilac colored athletic wear, long hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was in remarkable shape for her 65+ years.

“Well hello, handsome. I was just getting ready to go do some yoga on the roof. Would you like to come?”

“Uh, sure,” he replies. “I was actually going to see if you wanted to come on a walk but yoga sounds nice. I’ve been wanting to try it but didn’t wanna go alone, and yoga’s not really Mickey’s thing so…” he drifts off.

“I have an extra mat, let me grab it and we’ll head upstairs!” Rhonda says cheerfully.

Once they’re all set up, Rhonda begins, ”I like to start my mornings with something called sun salutation. Do you know what that is?”

“No. I don’t really know anything about yoga, just that it’s supposed to be good for you. Always wanted to try it, especially since moving here. Show me?” Ian requests.

She walks him through step by step, reaching up to the sky and back down. They go through some basic flows, downward dog, warrior, tree pose, cat-cow. She makes sure he concentrates on his breathing.

“All done!” Rhonda chirps and they sit up from their final shavasana position.

Ian feels amazing. Relaxed and limber and strong. He’s surprised how difficult some of the poses are, especially because he’s always considered himself to be in pretty good shape. Yoga is definitely something he wants to continue. Rhonda really knows her stuff, too. Maybe he could convince Mickey to do yoga on the roof so he wouldn’t have to go to an actual class with people.

“Wow, Ms. Rhonda, that was incredible. I see why people love yoga. I feel amazing.”

“We can make this a regular thing, if you like,” she offers.

“Sure, I’d love that. Maybe I could bring Mickey sometime?” he asks.

“Sure thing, handsome!” She smiles at him.

“So, your Mickey. Tell me about him. What made you fall in love with him?” Rhonda asks casually, like she’s just making conversation but he knows she’s trying to dive deeper, get to know him better. He can’t figure out why she’s taken such an interest in him but she’s just so sincere. He can’t help but feel a connection with her.

“Well, Mickey is… complicated. He’s rough and tender. He’s vulgar and beautiful. He’s tough but so kind. He’s… everything.” Ian pauses and Rhonda doesn’t say anything, indicating she wants him to continue.

“He had a rough upbringing. I did too, actually, but not nearly as rough as his. I had druggy, absentee parents and was mostly raised by my older sister Fiona. Struggled to pay bills. Had to steal to survive sometimes. But Mickey…” Ian drifts off, not sure how much deeper he should go. There’s just something about this kind, welcoming woman in front of him that makes him want to open up. He wants to be careful though, as Mickey’s story isn’t entirely for him to tell. He wants to be respectful of that.

“Mickey was raised mostly by his dad who was in and out of prison. His dad was homophobic and violent and was awful to Mickey. Obviously he didn’t support us being together. Mickey had to hide who he truly was for so long which made it tough on our relationship. But we survived all that and Mickey now is just… he has rough edges. Anyone that is around him can see that. He’s Southside through and through. But when you really get to know him… he’s the best person I know. I guess that’s why I love him. Because he’s just… good. And he’s always had my back no matter what. He’s damn good in bed too, so there’s that,” he laughs.

“Oh trust me, I can tell you boys have no trouble in that department!” she cackles and Ian blushes.

Her tone turns a little more serious after that. “So when you say his father was homophobic and Mickey couldn’t be who he really was…” she leaves it open ended for Ian to fill in the blanks.

He sighs, “Yeah, um. His dad had threatened to kill him. And me. Actually tried, after our wedding. He caught us together once, years ago, naked in the living room. It was… really bad. Traumatizing but I won’t go into details. Mickey spent his whole life hiding deep in the closet because of his dad. My family always supported me and loved me no matter what, but Mickey didn’t have that. We had to hide our relationship for years which was tough. I just wanted to be a normal couple, be able to hold his hand in public, shit like that. But he was scared. Wanted to make his dad proud. He finally came out… I kinda pushed him which wasn’t my proudest moment. But he came out and his dad beat us up. It was awful, but he was out so it was kinda freeing too, I guess? I don’t know. Then there was my diagnosis in the midst of all this. I don’t really tell a lot of people about it but I’m bipolar. Did some crazy shit when I was in a bad manic state several years ago. Then spent some weeks in bed, couldn’t even get up. Mickey never left my side. I’m really not sure where I would have ended up if it wasn’t for him. He saved my life. I’m stable now, on meds that are working well for me. Plus Mickey is really good at picking up on shit, like if he thinks I’m starting to get depressed or something. He’ll say something or do something to help me through it, but like, subtle.” It’s all coming out like word vomit. But it feels so therapeutic at the same time, like just saying these words out loud lightens the weight of them.

“I don’t know. We broke up a few times over the years, forced apart by circumstances out of our control. Oh, and we were in prison together for awhile. We’ve been through some shit. We’d be here all day if I told you even half of it. But despite all that we found our way back to each other and never have to let go again.”

“How long have you two been together?” she asks.

“On and off for ten years. Since we were just dumb teenagers, banging secretly in the walk-in cooler at work,” Ian answers.

“Well that’s one hell of a story, Ian. I’m sorry things were bad for so long but I’m so happy you are in a good place now. Your Mickey sounds just wonderful though and I can’t wait to get to know him better. Maybe we could do dinner one night! I’m a pretty fantastic cook.”

“That actually sounds really great, thank you. I’ll check our schedule,” Ian replies.

“Anytime next week works so just let me know.”

They get up and begin to roll up their mats.

“You know, I just realized,” Ian states. “I don’t really know anything about you. I’ve just been droning on about myself. What’s your story?”

“Oh, Ian. I promise, we can discuss my wild life at dinner,” she laughs.

“Sounds perfect,” Ian smiles.

———

“We gotta do what?” Mickey complains.

“We are going over to Rhonda’s for dinner this Friday. It’ll be fun. She’s wonderful. You’re gonna love her. She’s really excited to get to know you better.”

“Better? You’ve already fuckin’ told her a bunch’a shit about me, haven’t you?” Mickey grumbles.

“Listen, Mick. Yes, I’ve given her the gist of our lives and our relationship, nothing too in depth. I didn’t go into great detail about your history because I didn’t think it was my place,” Ian explains. “Just told her how rough we had it in the past. She’s just so kind, and she really listens, no judgment.”

Mickey hesitates. “Alright, fine. I’ll go. But if this woman isn’t as amazing as you say she is I’m leaving. Unless the food is really good or there’s free booze. Then I’ll stay.”

Ian just rolls his eyes and gives him a hug, whispering a quiet “thank you” in his ear.

———

Friday is here before Ian knows it. He’s chatted more with Rhonda this week, seeing her for a few minutes in the laundry room, waiting for his clothes to dry. Then again out by the pool when he went to swim some laps. They were both looking forward to dinner.

“Mick, you about ready? It’s almost 7,” Ian yells back to the bedroom from the living room.

Mickey walks out into the living room wearing his black skinny jeans with the ripped knees and a gray long sleeved waffle knit shirt with his black boots.

“Wow, Mickey, you look really nice.” Ian walks up and kisses him on the forehead. “You smell great too, what is that?”

“Some cologne I found at some fuckin’ hipster shop the other day. Thought it smelled nice. Wanted to make a good impression on your new best friend,” Mickey states, with a slight hint of feigned attitude.

“You’re my best friend, Mick. Rhonda’s just a nice lady that I enjoy talking to and hanging out with. She’s definitely a friend though, the only friend I’ve made here and I really like her company.”

“If you insist. Let’s go, I’m fuckin’ starving.”

PART 2

[loveylangdon]

Land in Miami

Requested: Hey! I had a story request, could you write about Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, and Shawn’s female bf. The bf is on vacation with Shawn and Camila and she gets jealous of their relationship and the bf has health complications and something happens to her and Shawn is torn between his bf or Camila. I know it might be a stretch of you writing this but Thank You! @verylandcolorwagon

Word count: 5k+

A/N: sorry it took so long I saw Shawn in Pittsburgh and have been feeling it lately haha, hope you enjoy Xx

*not my gif credit to owner*

_______ 

y/n p.o.v.

Landing at the airport was different, getting off the plane to humidity was gross and I definitely needed 10 showers but as promised I told Shawn I would come out for his Miami and Orlando shows. Waiting at baggage claim you couldn’t help but smile remembering Shawn FaceTiming you in his hotel room shirtless white sheets surrounding him as he pouted and begged until you agreed to take time off work to fly out from Toronto to see him for his “Miami magic” shows as he called them. After that call not even 3 minutes later you got an email from Andrew with your airline tickets. Assuming he already asked Andrew to get them and was just waiting for you to say yes like the dozen other times its worked in that order as if you could ever tell him no. 

So here you were waiting to get off the plane and head over to baggage claim.

While Shawn couldn’t pick you up for obvious reasons Brian offered to pick you up right after they finished setting up the venue not even 10 minutes after you grabbed your luggage you were being crushed in a bear hug being caught off guard you pushed the body away from you realizing it was the infamous redhead you went in for a hug with the same force. Smiling from ear to ear.

“I missed you” Brian smiled at you kissing your temple “remind me why you can’t join the tour again.” He asked smirking taking your luggage 

“Some of us have to work for real Bri we can’t all travel and follow our crushes around like lost puppies” I joked and nudged his shoulder watching his face turn red referencing Alessia and Liv Shawns opener and her best friend for the tour 

“Anyways” he clears his throat before continuing “have you seen anything on-“ Brian was cut off by your phone ringing 

*Incoming call from rockstar* 

Brian smirked at you before you shoved him again answering the FaceTime 

“Hello, rockstar what do I owe the pleasure?” You teased through the camera 

“Believe me the pleasures all mine, just making sure you landed safely you didn’t text me back” he answered as his ears tinted pink lighting up your phone screen 

“She didn’t answer because she’s with the better version of you Shawn, we’re on our way back to the venue” he spoke into the phone 

“Oh, I’m not at the venue Andrew wanted to go out to lunch so we’re out now I’ll see you, honey, when I get back to the venue okay, I’m so glad you’re here” he smiled at you and blush covered his cheeks.

“Okay rockstar see you soon” you smiled warmly at him as the FaceTime disconnected. 

Brian smirked at you, “Let's go to the venue Tiny is waiting” grabbing your luggage Brian headed towards the car.

———— 

First it was the Miami show watching from a distance, dealing with Camila wearing all white so Shawn could spot her in the crowd when he performed and the glances he kept sneaking over in her direction is what started your bubble of irritation and her suggesting the beach the next day when she knew you didn’t favor the Ocean is what was getting you past your boiling point. 

Shawn asked you to come out but didn’t tell you Camila was here too, not that you necessarily had a problem with her in the past you never favored her. She was always tugging on Shawns heartstrings and he always ran to you to fix him back up with cuddles and loving that was a little much to be considered just best friends. You thought this Miami show was going to be the next step for you guys but you were wrong, clearly. 

It started After the Miami show when you waited side stage per tradition for Shawn to come hug you before making his rounds for ‘In My Blood’. You stood there like an idiot when his band members started coming off stage one by one and the song ended. Shawn nowhere in sight exited from a different stage entrance. You waited it out a good 10 minutes watching the arena clear out slowly from where you stood. Thinking why the hell did you fly out here to get ignored. Not having seen Shawn all day except for a brief 5 minutes before the show started you were about to storm out to the bus area when Connor walked past and stopped when he noticed you 

“Oh y/n what are you doing back here” he chuckled 

Clearing your throat you didn’t really have an answer “I was just about to get to the bus to grab my bag to get ready to go to the hotel” you looked away emotions hitting at once. 

First Shawn didn’t see you in person till before the show started, leaving you to spend all day with Brian and Connor and when you finally saw Shawn he was attached to the hip with Camila, you two were supposed to go out to eat at a cafe you both loved only to find out the real reason why he couldn’t pick you up from the airport was because he took Camila there instead Andrew nowhere in sight. 

Shaking your head and closing your eyes you felt Connor getting closer to you taking steps towards you with a confused look on his face and then his eyes widened “you were waiting for Shawn, he’s in his dressing room” he gave you sad smile “is it, Camila” he asked with a sincere smile no hate or underline in his tone just concern 

“Fuck haha that makes me sound so pathetic, my best friend paying attention to another girl and here I am hurt over it” you joke as you look up trying not to let the tears fall using your hands to hold your face with your eyes peaking out 

“It doesn’t, and you’re allowed to feel that way. We all know you guys have something special he’s being an idiot. Honestly, she changes a lot of things. Since she joined the vibe has been different and everyone’s noticing but no one wants to say anything that’s why Andrew suggested to fly you out to try and” Connor stopped talking eyes going wide and looked at you shaking his head “I didn’t mean it like that at okay obviously Shawn wants you here he’s just an idiot and needs help sometimes” he tried to fix his mistake but it was too late your mind was reeling 

Shawn didn’t even want you out here, he only asked because Andrew suggested it and he didn’t know how to say no, Connor took a step towards you closing the space between you guys and pulled you into his chest hugging you 

“He’s a fucking idiot okay but don’t let it change your trip okay, think of it as a mini-vacation instead you’re only here for 2 more shows let’s make the most of it. And if we do any team things I’ll be right next to you okay” he talked into your ear his cheek resting on the side of your head in your hair he was about to speak again when Shawn started talking from down the hall 

“Tiny what are you doing man we need you I’m going to take an ice bath-“ he stopped talking when he got closer and realized Connor was hugging someone with his back to Shawn he didn’t notice you since Connor was a little taller 

“Oi, what the hell what happened” Shawn squeaked pushing Connor from you and looking at your face for any sign of distress “what’s wrong” he looked down at you but you looked at Connor, Shawn turned and looked at Connor “what did you do Brashier” Shawn spoke to him 

“What” Connor squeaked “nothing I was on my way backstage and-“ Connor looked to you and you gave him a look warning him not to mention anything 

“And what” Shawn glared at him getting defensive over you 

“Nothing Shawn everything’s fine really I just messed up something with work and Connor was comforting me” you smiled at him and moved his arm that made its way across your shoulder moving towards Connor who was in front of Shawn 

Shawn looked down at you hurt flashing across his eyes and was about to say something when you heard the clicking of heels. Camila was running towards Shawn heels clicking along the concrete floors getting louder and louder the closer she got hearing her squeal she wrapped Shawn in a big hug and he lifted her off the ground wrapping his arm around her torso and hoisting her up to level with him they immediately went into a kiss Shawns concern for you long gone and forgotten.

You felt Connor looking at you sadly, you just nodded your head towards the buses and walked outside the venue feeling him follow closely behind.

That night Shawn, Camila and some of the crew went out for drinks. Brian stayed with Alessia who headed to Orlando right after the show because they wanted to go to some of the amusement parks in the area before soundcheck the next day.

Laying on your hotel bed hugging a pillow to your chest after checking your phone you found out Shawn and Camila were at the club from one of the crew members Instagram stories. Shawn didn’t even invite you or let you know where he was going. He forgot about you again.

Glad you had your own room you wouldn’t have to deal with Shawn, usually when you came on tour he was clingy not that you minded you loved him and would do anything for him he usually wanted to share a room with you so you could cuddle and hang out but obviously that was already being done. 

Sighing you heard a knock on your hotel room door leaving it alone thinking they would go away because no one even knew you were here you let it be until it got louder 

“Okay I’m coming hold on” you shouted as you made your way through the ensuite to the door opening it seeing Connor holding a pizza box and a grocery bag of snacks 

Smiling at him “Connor Brashier and what do I owe the pleasure” stepping back to make way for him to come in he smiled at you 

“Thought you could use some company” he shrugs and goes to put everything into your bed “I brought snacks, food, and movies” 

“You’re the best Brashier honestly” you smile at him and notice him standing awkwardly next to the bed you go to pull him onto the bed next to you digging out the plates and napkins, eating and snaking talking about college courses and how he handled touring so young. You both fell asleep after a couple of movies and before Shawn sent a mass group text telling everyone to get ready for the beach in a couple of hours. 

___ 

You’re second day here and have probably seen Shawn for a total of 20 minutes altogether. You texted him about breakfast after he sent out the text about the beach to find out he was already out with Camila from pictures all over social media. 

For the past two days, that's how you’ve seen Shawn, plastered all over the internet with the short girl attached to his hip at your guys’ favorite restaurants kissing or eating each other as you saw it. Both of them eating at places he promised he would take you out to when you landed, and here you were spending more time with his tour photographer and seeing the inside of your hotel room than him.

The only person that seemed to care was Connor, and even then it was because when you guys all went to the beach despite your disapproval. But you couldn’t handle the waves, Con saved you from almost drowning, being surrounded by 6ft something guys everyone just kept going deeper and deeper into the water, usually you would be holding onto Shawn but he seemed to be pre-occupied and Brian left on the bus with Alessia to head out early to Orlando so your only lifeline was Con.

Your fear of large bodies of water completely went over Shawns head when Camila said she knew the perfect beach to go to, Connor offered to stay behind with you not being a big fan of the ocean himself but Shawn wasn’t having it. He wanted the whole team to go. The beach was the final straw, you were ready to go home after his Miami show clearly you weren’t welcome here with Camila pulling him every which way and you definitely weren’t the type of person to fight for a guys attention.

Watching her cling on to him for dear life and watching them make out in front of paps has gotten annoying and frustrating. You wanted to yell at Shawn and Andrew for even inviting you but you were more hurt than anything. You were easily forgotten and no one seemed to notice.

Connor kept his promise and stood by you the entire day which he was truly an angel for. When the waves got a little stronger Con noticed Camila and you struggling to keep afloat Shawn automatically went to Camila leaving Connor to help you attach yourself to him. You and Con stayed on the other side of Cez in the water across from Shawn and Mila. You rested your head on Con’s shoulder most of the time due to being tired from the movie marathon the night before and irritation from Shawn. You noticed Shawn glaring in your guys direction, Connor must have to because he wasn’t having any of it so he kept twirling you in the water keeping a firm grip on your waist and made sure your arms were wrapped securely around his neck, keeping up a conversation to distract you which you were happy for. 

After the beach Camila wanted to go to the Hotel pool and swim for a bit you were going to excuse yourself but again Shawn wanted the entire team to go leaving you no choice but to follow. 

Now here you were 2 days after landing you found yourself in your hotel room packing up your suitcase ready to leave after leaving the hotel pool to Shawn and Camila eating each other once again in front of everyone and paparazzi, having enough of seeing Shawn swallow Camila you were tired of it. You told Con you were going back to your room and left without saying goodbye to anyone. 

Texting your friend about everything she agreed you should just come home. You thought yours and Shawns relationship was stronger than this, being friends for 15 years you’ve been with him through everything and never has he ignored you this bad or left you to your own defenses or even alone at all, when you joined him on tour regardless of what girl he had on his arm he always prioritized you and if his girl couldn’t get that he wouldn’t waste his time with her. You thought this trip was what was going to finally take things into the next step of your guys' relationship but clearly, you were wrong. This trip was a dud and all for nothing and you were left fuming.

Your thoughts about the horrid past two days were broken when you heard pounding on your hotel door about 15 minutes later.

“Why did you leave?” You hear Shawn stomp in after hearing the door slam forgetting Andrew had the second key to each of the rooms. You cursed under you breathe. He walked in shirtless hair still damp from the pool wearing his Nike shorts. He sounded pissed.

“Because I got tired of being ignored” you look at him shrugging your shoulders 

He narrowed his eyes at you “this is about Camila, isn’t it? She said you were jealous I should’ve known” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You look at him and he’s gone all defensive again arms crossed over his chest 

“You left the pool do you know how rude that was, Camila just wanted to have a nice off the day with everyone and you fucking left without telling anyone” he looked at you 

“Con knew I was leaving I told him” you huffed and watched him roll his eyes 

“Oh yeah your new best friend right, after I fly you out here all you can do is spend time with Connor” you heard hurt and sarcasm in his tone and it only made you mad

“You do not get to do this to me Shawn I’m fucking tired of it, don’t drag Connor into this he didn’t do anything wrong” 

“Tired of what y/n the truth you’ve been spending time with Connor more than me I haven’t seen you in months and the first time I see you you’re wrapped up in Connors' arms and I find out form Andrew that Con didn’t sleep in his room he was with you the entire night” Shawn shouts at you 

Rubbing your temples you look up to see a red-faced Shawn “No Shawn I'm tired of you ignoring me the second I stepped foot off the plane-” 

“what are you talking about” he scoffs 

“let me finish” you glare at him “You’re right I've been spending time with Connor but because my best friend didn’t even want me out here in the first place, how do you think that makes me feel Shawn honestly you beg me to come out here to hang out to see some shows I finally take time off work which I don’t have because I visited you for 3 weeks a couple of months ago, but I made it work because you said you needed me out here.” You’re about to cry but continue after taking a breath “As soon as I land I find out you’re doing everything you promised to do with me but with Camila.” You sigh rubbing your temples looking up at him “I'm not going to fight for your attention Shawn you know that, so yes I left and I'm oh so sorry for upsetting your little girlfriend but clearly I’m not welcome here and I’m tired of seeing you go out and do our favorite things with someone else.” You look at him and you see the pain behind his eyes and he's about to respond when his phone rings in his hand and a picture of Camila pops up on the screen. 

You scoff “of fucking course” you grab your purse and head out of the hotel room and make your way to Connors room hoping he left the pool when you did. 

Knocking on his door and not receiving any answer you know he's still at the pool, you go to reach for your phone before realizing you left it in your hotel room and you’d be damned if you went to confront Shawn again. Making your way into the lobby you ask the concierge to leave a message for Connors room so when he got back to his room he would know you went out and didn't have a phone but not to worry you’d be back before dark. 

You were walking around for what felt like hours, not remembering where you roamed off to you had a headache and you're sure you looked like death. You noticed some who you assumed were fans looking at you but you could care less. Eyes bloodshot and puffy you were tired and feeling pain in your feet from walking so far but being too stubborn to turn back. The last thing you remember was it being too hard to breathe feeling a sharp pain in your back and seeing black spots before you heard someone scream your name and felt the ground under you. 

--- 

Shawns p.o.v.

Watching y/n walkout was the hardest thing I felt like a piece of me walked out of the door but it was my fault for not telling her about Mila and expecting her to go along with whatever plans I obviously didn’t tell her about. I felt like I let her down that I let us down.

I've been so stressed about tour and Senorita coming out when Camila told me her boyfriend broke up with her because of me I felt awful and she kinda just stuck around after that. 

Sitting down at dinner with Camila I can feel her starring at the side of my face. I kept my phone in my hand waiting for a call from Connor to tell me he found her. Biting the inside of my cheek I hoped she would come back by now. Y/n left as the sun was about to set and in my attempt to call her back into the room I realized she left her phone behind. I broke down into a panic and that's how Connor found me with Camila trailing behind him upset that I wasn't ready for dinner and that I left her at the pool. 

Here I sat with Camila and her family talking about last nights show and how it was probably the best show out of the entire tour. Feeling Camila’s eyes boring into the side of my head I turned to look at her and gave her a kiss trying to portray that I was here with her and she had my full attention. She already chewed me out for leaving her with the team, and how y/n was being selfish and inconsiderate of her feelings. How she didn’t get to see me as often as she wanted either. 

My phone glued to my hands waiting for anything to pop up about y/n it was like I summoned a call from Andrew going to hit the answer button, Camila’s small hand took my phone out of my hands ended the call and put it into her purse. 

“Mila my phone” I looked down at her softly so her family wouldn't notice 

“We’re having dinner Shawn you don’t need it” she pecked my cheek and turned to talk to her cousin next to her 

I stared at Mila’s bag watching it light up counting 7 different times where it did, my knee bouncing with nerves. Grabbing Mila’s hand I excused us to the hallway 

“Camila my phone now” I held my hand out waiting for it 

“Shawn no, we’re having dinner you promised you would do this for me, for us I already told you that girl is fine she’s probably doing it for attention now lets go back sit down and have a nice meal you can have your phone back later” she pecked my lips and held my hand pulling me out of the hall before I could get a word in. 

Before we could walk all the way back to the table I saw Andrew standing next to the table and looked at Camila who rolled her eyes in annoyance

“Andrew what-”

“y/n is in the hospital Connors with her right now but she might need her stuff to go home after, you have the extra hotel key I need it,” he said nonchalantly staring me down and I felt myself visibly shrink he was mad at me

“Oh I have the extra key” Camila chirped and dug through her purse handing it to Andrew

“Is y/n okay what happened, where is she lets go?” I said grabbing my jacket and waiting for Andrew who put a hand on my chest 

“Stay and finish your meal with Camila and her family, I'm going back to the hotel to get y/n passport so when she wakes up we can get her home” 

“What,” I say louder “What do you mean when she wakes up what happened Andrew lets go” I go to pull on his arm when I feel Camila tug on mine 

“Shawn you can’t drop everything for her, she's not your responsibility she walked out on you why do you care” she huffed annoyed with jealousy dripping from her tone 

I lean down to kiss her forehead “Ill see you at the hotel later okay” I smile at her and she crosses her arms over her chest

“Shawn if you leave that's it. You've embarrassed me enough tonight” she spoke through her teeth 

“Mila don’t do this right now I have to go” I see hurt flash across her face 

“Then leave! go after her like you always did, like you always do” she huffs and throws my phone at my chest and turns around back to her family. 

I give them a small smile and her mom gives me a sympathetic smile and I turn to find Andrew but he’s nowhere to be found. Fuck. 

I walk out of the restaurant and check my phone all missed calls from Connor and Andrew and I hit Connors number and start sprinting back to the hotel hoping to catch Andrew.

---- 

y/n p.o.v. 

I wake up to bright lights and a weight on my side I look down to see a mop of brown curls resting on me and on the other tufts of blonde hair. 

I’m about to wake Connor to find out what happened when Brian and Andrew walk through the door 

“Oh good morning sleeping beauty, how are you feeling,” Brian asks whispering to not wake Shawn and Connor 

“Everything hurts, what happened” I nod to Shawn and raise my eyebrows his body was hunched over in his chair, his cheek was laying on my side and his eyes puffy with his mouth slightly open breathing softly. 

“Let’s get the boys out of here and we can talk yah?” Andrew suggests and you nod at him closing your eyes again and feeling a pain in your arm. Letting out a yelp you start to feel dizzy all over again and see you woke up Shawn and Connor looking frantic while a nurse came in to check on you before your vision went black. 

Waking up a second time to bright lights making you squint going to move your hand to shield your face you felt a weight in it. Looking over you saw Shawn a 6’2 giant curled into a ball attempting to fit in a chair next to your bed with his hand in yours. You try to detangle your fingers from his but even in his sleep he’s not having it and you feel too weak to fight it. He must’ve felt your struggle because his eyes opened wide not even 5 seconds later.

As soon as you made eye contact with him he a fresh set of tears started streaming down his pink blotchy cheeks and streams of mumbled apologies fell from his lips. 

“Hey, hey rockstar it's fine I’m okay, look I'm here” 

His tears didn't stop flowing but he rubbed his nose on his sleeve taking a shaky breathe “I could've lost you and its all my fault I'm so sorry I shouldn’t have let you leave, I shouldn’t have yelled at you ‘msorry for being so shitty everything that happened was my fault and I understand if you don’t want to talk to me for a while” he broke eye contact and looked down on your bed

“What happened,” you ask softly 

“After you left the hotel I don’t know how long you were gone but apparently you went far enough and cried enough to where it was enough to dehydrate you, the weather and traveling also impacted your body, your body went into stress paralysis causing you to blackout and have an internal seizure” he sighed as more tears streamed down his face “I could have lost you, luckily a fan saw you and called an ambulance and they brought you here and made sure the hospital called Andrew luckily he was on your emergency contact” he shows a small smile remembering how when you first went on tour with Shawn you broke your arm and neither of you had your phones so you guys just waited in the hospital. After that Karen made sure you added Andrew onto your emergency contact in case something like that happened again he would be notified instead of thinking he lost two teenagers in a random state. “If I was with you, or even paid attention to you like I promised we wouldn't be here you wouldn't have to be dealing with this if I didn’t ask you to come out here because I'm selfish, I'm so sorry I'm an idiot who doesn't deserve you at all” he choked out

You hummed, stress paralysis was something you dealt with when your parents went through a divorce and things got really bad. Putting on so much stress and not being able to talk about it your body retaliated and went into fits of paralysis to literally exert the stress out of your body. You didn’t realize how hard yours and Shawns fight effected you. 

“Please say something” Shawn looked up at you with red eyes and blotchy cheeks, holding your hand in both of his he waited patiently 

“You’re going to have to do worse than put me in a hospital to get rid of me rockstar” you spoke softly to him as you felt his arms wrap around your torso and his head in your neck “I’m still upset but you can make it up to me”

“Anything you want and it's yours, I love you and I'm so sorry” he mumbled into your neck careful not to squeeze you too tight placing a kiss on your pulse. 

--- 

thank you for reading, slightly unedited I've been busy but I wrote this in under an hour thank you for being patient. don't forget to leave feedback and comments thank you Xxx

[dcbbw]

Wine and Whiskey

This is a one-off request for Drake x MC/Riley. It my version of the conversation that takes place in Olivia’s wine cellar during the social season, where Drake and MC share a drink. This post is NSFW. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors.

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Song Inspiration: You Can Keep Your Hat On, Joe Crocker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfgwrdYUQ2A

Word Count: 2340

Tags: @gennesaret @cora-nova @carabeth @hopefulmoonobject @katedrakeohd @aworldoffandoms @lauradowning29

Drake X MC, Drake X Riley, Drake Walker

 Drake Walker waits in the Nervakis wine cellar. He had come across it during his wanderings through the stately mansion as he avoided the pomp and preparation of the formal dinner. Some dinner. Seated at the very back of the room, at a table that was invisible to all servers. If Brooks hadn’t of “fainted”, there would not have even been a bowl of lobster bisque to split three ways: Drake, Brooks, Hana.  Drake felt so bad for Hana…she did not deserve that treatment. Well, none of them did, but he was used to the commoner treatment. Brooks was used to being snubbed and short-changed by the noble ladies. Ladies. Hah. More like pure-bred bitches. The lot of them can go jump off a cliff, if I don’t push them over first. But Hana, she had done nothing except befriend Brooks, and for that, she was being banished to Social Season Siberia.

When he first came across the wine cellar, he ambled around, checking out the vintages of the wines, and was very impressed that Olivia had such exquisite taste in wine. He really had not given it another thought, until he saw Brooks was sitting in exile at the table with him. Hana who? The three of them were sitting at the table waiting for a meal that would never come, and he was telling Brooks and Hana about coming across it. Brooks cracked a joke about drinking at least a bottle of the wine as revenge, and next thing Drake knew, he was blurting out an invitation for Brooks to meet him later that evening in the wine cellar.

Now, he was sitting in the basement, drinking a shot of whiskey, waiting for a woman he could never have to come keep him company. Drake was not sure when or how it happened, but he was completely smitten with Brooks. Sure, she was pretty and smart, and tenacious to hold her own or die trying. She saw through the bullshit. Yet, there was so much more to her than that. Brooks had layers, and he wanted to expose and learn each one.  But she isn’t here for you. Your best friend can offer her an entire kingdom, and she is upstairs right now competing for his attention, his affections. Meanwhile, you are sitting here, with your dick in hand, and pie in the sky dreams.

He turned his head as he heard light footsteps on the stairs, then smiled a little as Brooks came into view. She had a scowl on her face, which caused him to raise an eyebrow. “There you are, Brooks. I was beginning to think you didn’t have the guts to show up. You know, out after and curfew and all that.”

“Oh, please Drake….I have more than enough guts to keep up with you.” She flashed him a smile to take the sting out of her words.  “This has been one pissy evening. No food, Maxwell forgets to teach me the Cordonian Waltz, and then Liam kisses Olivia. In front of everybody.”

“Heh. Liv can be pretty insistent.”

”Doesn’t mean he had to respond. And then takes her outside.”

“Outside? Really?” Liam, what the hell are you doing?

“Yeah, really. Says he talked to her privately so as not to embarrass her. Whatever. He is waiting for me right now, you know.  In the east wing. Says he wants to show me the view from the hot tub.”

“Sounds like you have options. And maybe a decision to make.”

“I’m drinking. What’s on the menu, barkeep?” Drake grinned and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. For all of Olivia’s shitty ways, Lythikos may be the best stop yet on this social season tour. He had gotten to spend a lot of alone time with Brooks skiing and star gazing, and now….drinks and conversation. Enjoy it while you can.

“So what’ll you have? Pretentious, expensive wine or a real drink?” He held his flask of whiskey up.

“Pretentious and expensive, please.”

“That’s savage, Brooks.” Riley shrugged. Drake poured the drinks, and they clinked glasses. “Cheers.”

Riley took a deep swallow of the wine, and closed her eyes in bliss. “Ahhhhh. So velvety, so smooth. I see why nobles love their wines.” She looked over at Drake. “How are you holding up? I know how you feel about nobles and pageantry.”

Drake shook his head as his eyes held hers. “Okay, I guess. It just seems so pointless and wasteful.” Drake paused as he searched for words. “I know it seems as if I complain all the time when I really don’t have to do anything except show up to support Liam, but it isn’t a free ride by any means. My father gave his life protecting Constantine, and not two weeks later, the Court was ready to put me and my family on the street. Liam was the one who advocated for us, and promised us a home at the Palace for as long as we needed it. He’s the only noble worth a damn, the only reason I stay around.”  

“Oh, Drake.” Riley said softly, putting her hand on his arm.

Drake briefly looked at her hand, and continued. “So yeah, I see past the fake smiles, the false concern, and the glitter and glamour. These nobles don’t care about anyone but themselves, and your usefulness to them. They know nothing about the moments in between.”

“The moments in between?” There was confusion in Riley’s voice.

“They live in these huge ass mansions, but don’t bother to look at the architecture. They sit in fancy chairs, but don’t take the time to appreciate the craftsmanship. The time people took to create these things they collect like stamps. They don’t appreciate the flavors and vintages of the drinks they hold, just the cost. Not a one of them appreciates the art of an honest conversation, they just want to sway you to their ideas, their politics, and one-up each other. They are so busy acquiring, they don’t have time to appreciate the acquisitions.”

Riley nodded in understanding. “The moments in between. There haven’t been many so far. “

Drake looked at Brooks with relief and appreciation. She gets it. He had been a little afraid to bare his soul to her, but if anyone could slip through the cracks in the walls he had built over the years, it was her. She had been slipping in since the plane ride to Cordonia.

“Drake, what do you think of me?” Whoa. Where did that come from?

He poured them each another drink before answering. “I think my best friend is falling in love with you, so what I think of you is irrelevant. You’re here for him. He can offer you the literal world, and me…..I can’t come close to that.”

“Not an answer, Drake. And right now, you are offering me a moment in between. You are giving freely what Liam can only parcel out.”

Drake’s eyes darkened as he let out a deep breath. “I think you are amazing, and beautiful, and you make me want to let down all the walls and guards I have. I feel like I want to kiss you and either kill the dream or fuel the fantasies I have about you.” His eyes met hers over his glass. “Better?”

“It would be better if you kiss me.” Drake whipped his head to look at her. That’s the wine talking.

As if she could read his mind, Riley sat the wine glass on the table. “I’m not drunk Drake, but I am curious.”

Riley came over to Drake, her face mere inches from his. Don’t do it! DO NO DO THIS! Liam really, really, really likes this woman. This could hurt everybody. This will change things! DO NOT KISS HER!

“What the hell”, Drake growled. His mouth crashed onto hers, his hands holding her cheeks. His hands are rougher than Liam’s, Riley thought.  His tongue was demanding and insistent. Riley felt as if she were both floating and drowning from his kiss. She threw her arms around his neck, leaning further into the kiss.

Drake broke the kiss, breathing heavily as he stared into her eyes. “We’d better stop.”

“I don’t want to.” Her tone was both pleading and defiant.

“Liam…” Drake’s voice trailed off.

“I have never been with Liam, and he has nothing to do with this. This is between me and you, Walker.” She kissed him again. Urgently. Passionately. Well, hell.

Drake pulled her tightly to him, wrapping his strong arms around Brooks as his hands explored her back. Kissing her with the desperation of a drowning man trying to come up for air. His fingers fumbled with the zipper of her dress, but soon enough the dress fell to the floor with a soft whoosh. “Take me Drake.” With pleasure.

He undressed hurriedly, never breaking eye contact with Brooks. Riley’s eyes looked him over appreciatively, her eyes widening when she saw his manhood extending from his curly pubic hair. Long, thick, veiny.  Once he was naked, he scooped her up and carried her to the end of the table and sat her down. He leaned in to capture her in another kiss. His tongue was insistent, exploring her mouth. Riley’s hands ran through his hair as his hands unclasped her bra. Riley shrugged out of it. Drake’s calloused hands rubbed and played with her breasts as his kisses trailed down the side of her neck.

He went lower, grabbing an erect nipple in his mouth, gently biting it. Riley gasped. Drake pulled the nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. He took his hands to push her breasts together, and he pulled both nipples in his mouth, nibbling, licking, sucking. Riley pulled his head closer into her as her breathing became faster.

Drake felt the excitement in his cock, and with a groan, pulled himself away from her perfect breasts. He lifted his head, and let Riley pull him into another kiss as his hand roughly pushed her panties to one side. He inserted a finger inside of her, and almost lost it right then and there. She was so wet, so tight. He began to pump his finger in and out, while Riley thrust her hips against the table. He could feel her getting close, but he wanted to prolong the sensations. He wanted more of her before this all came to an end. He slowly removed his finger, and licked her juices off before putting it in his mouth to suck it clean.

“More, Drake…..I want more.”

He pushed her back on the table, helping her pull her panties off, while pushing her legs apart. His tongue darted out, licking her clit. She sucked in her breath at his touch. His tongue explored her slick folds as his finger began pumping in and out of her again. He ate her like he was starving man, and this was his first meal in days, and his last meal for months. He licked, lapped, sucked as Riley moaned and pulled him by his hair deeper into her center. I can’t hold out much longer.

Without a word, he pulled her from the table, and bent her over the bar stool. Placing his hands on her hips, he plunged his thick cock into her, and groaned. Oh Jesus. He could feel her walls pulsating around him. He pumped in and out of her furiously. He had always imagined being with Brooks being more soft and gentle, but he wanted her so badly. To know that she wanted him too had him wanting to take her quickly, in an almost primal way. It helped knowing Liam had not been with her. That he was the first, after a lifetime of being last.

Their bodies slapped together, Riley’s grunts a sexual duet with his growls. Until he felt her walls convulsing around his cock as she let out controlled yells. She’s a screamer.  He felt himself falling into an abyss of pure pleasure as he let out a yell of his own. He quickly removed his cock from her and released himself all over her asscheeks.

He collapsed on top of her back, wrapping his hands around her waist as they lay there in silence, panting and sweating. Once their breathing became normal again, he grabbed his white tee shirt to clean her up. He avoided her eyes as they dressed.

“Drake, where does this leave us?” I want to be with you forever and ever.

“Seems that is more your call, Brooks. You know I am here for you, but we both know who you are here for.” Riley’s face was unreadable as she considered his answer.

“Hey, we better get out of here. Early day tomorrow and all that.” Riley nodded. She helped him tidy up and leave the wine cellar as they found it, minus one bottle of wine.  He held her hand as he led her upstairs.

They stood in the hall after carefully closing the wine cellar door behind them, both unsure what to do. As they stood at the bottom of the staircase, they both saw the flickering light at the end of the east wing hall.

Liam’s waiting for her.

Drake looked down at Brooks."I can walk you to the east wing if you’d like.” Riley looked at the light for a moment too long, and back at Drake.

Extending her hand to him, she spoke. “Actually, I would like it if you escorted me to my room, please.”

[blueyesandleatherjacket]

Ghost of you, 15/?

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 15/?.

Pairings: Human!Nine x Rose; Human!Ten x Jack; Clara Oswald x Olivia Baxter (OC).

Synopsis: "She felt it, it was time to speak about the weight on her shoulders. Something she had never done before."

A/N: I've started writing this fiction last year after I had a particularly weird dream (as usual) and after I wrote the prologue, I've put it aside to work on other stuff. I've gone back to it not so long ago and decided that it would be the fiction I would post next, after not posting anything for a while. I must have watched I am legend and Game of thrones way too much to come out with something like this but I hope you will like it. I am not a scientist, nor did I have a particular knowledge of sciences. I do my researches on the internet like everyone to make sure everything is as close to the reality as possible. I have a literature degree only. Writing is what I do and it makes me explore next fields, and learn new things.

“'Cause I'd rather feel your pain than nothing at all.” - Three Doors Down.

CHAPTER 15:

Amy woke up slowly. She was wrapped into a cocoon of warmth and well-being. She didn’t remember when was the last time she had felt so well. She stretched her body. She was taking all her time. She didn’t want to lose this precious well-being she hadn’t felt in ages. There was someone lay by her side. She rolled on her side and cuddled into the warm body beside her. She heard a smile and someone wrapped an arm around her. She must be dreaming but that dream was pleasurable. She liked it. She lazily wrapped her arm around that person. She didn’t know what she had expected but certainly not to be so close to a woman. This surprised her beyond words and she reluctantly rolled away from the unknown person she liked cuddling into. She couldn’t let herself go that way. The other woman reacted by trying to soothe her but Amy was too sleepy to be calmed down so easily. She needed to clear her mind first. Moaning, she pushed the hand away and rubbed her eyes. She stretched her body and looked around her. She wasn’t in her office but she wasn’t in her house either. It was a room she didn’t know. Had she done it again? Had she drunk until she had a blackout and been brought home by some stranger? There were pictures on the wall facing the bed. Pictures of a couple. Great, the woman she was with was married. She would have to deal with another cheated husband. She knew well that she didn’t have any control on herself when she was drunk. It was only a way to mute her pain. She was doing this when it was too strong, when it was suffocating her. She focused on the pictures on the wall. She wanted to see what the man she would have to face in the near future – because fate always made sure she faced them – looked like and the last pieces of the puzzle clicked together. It was Maxence Spitz. She remembered how she had ended up here. She had watched Rose work with Maxence for a while and the scientist had taken her into the private parts of the lab. They had had a quick lunch and they had settled down here. After a quick shower, they had lain down in bed and, reassured that she wasn’t alone for once, Amy had fallen asleep rather quickly. How much time had she slept? Had Rose watched her while she was asleep or had she slept too? It felt weird to be here, in this bed, with the wife of the man supposed to be her boss at the moment. But it was the start of a friendship. “How long have I slept?” A certain time according to her croaked voice and the feeling of being rested. She hadn’t felt this way in a very long time. It was before… “I’d say eight solid hours.” “Eight hours?” “You needed that sleep.” “And you?” “A couple hours.” Amy looked up at Rose. She was sat against a pile of pillows, glasses on her head and a book on her lap. She was reading and marking pages by folding their upper corner. Probably a book about her current researches. She looked as exhausted as before though. “You don’t look like someone who’s slept.” “Never said it was a good sleep.” “Do you have nightmares?” “I’m not the only one.” Rose looked away from her book to stare at Amy. Those whiskey eyes were clear on the meaning of those words. Somewhen during the night she had dreamt of this event and she must have screamed and cried and struggled against the sheets. “Sorry.” “Don’t be. I know what it is.” If there was something nice about Rose, it was that she wasn’t asking questions. She was giving her the time to consider the eventuality and if she wasn’t talking, she wouldn’t insist. She would wait until she was ready. “We all have our demons. You know mine already.” “But you don’t know mine.” “You’re not forced to talk to me.” “You’ve been comforting me, that’s the least I can do. You’re also the only one to care about me here.” Her voice was sad when she evoked this lack of friends in her surroundings. Rose was the first one to ever hold a hand out to her in this place and it felt amazing to have someone like her so close to her. Somehow, it felt easier to make friends in such a situation. She hesitantly snuggled closer to her new friend. “In my hometown, I’m known to sleep with married women,” she chuckled. “It only happened once but you know how people are.” “We all do mistakes.” “When my pain was suffocating me, I was going to a pub and drinking until I couldn’t feel it anymore. Once, I was taken home by a woman and I woke up in her bed. Only to be caught by her husband a couple hours later.” Amy fell silent after this admission. She was waiting for the judgement to come. People always judged a woman that was sleeping with someone married or that was having relations with another woman. But Rose didn’t say a thing. Instead, she pointed to a picture on the wall. A younger version of her and Maxence together in a park. Maxence had his arms around Rose and he was smiling brightly. Rose was just as happy on this picture. “This was the day we admitted our feelings to each other. It was one month after I broke up with Liv.” “You mean…” “Olivia Baxter, our doctor. We’ve known each other since forever. I’m totally bi. Not gonna judge you on this one.” “We didn’t…” “No.” Amy was relieved to know this at least. A friend that wasn’t judging her and that hadn’t let her make another mistake. Finally someone open minded. “Not enough alcohol in this building for us to be drunk. And I’m faithful.” “I used to be,” sadly murmured the therapist. She sat up and stared at the wall before her. She felt it, it was time to speak about the weight on her shoulders. Something she had never done before but Rose was offering her the trust and friendship she needed. It was all new but she knew deep down that she could say anything to this woman. She would listen and never judge. Hopefully. As a way to prove it, Rose took her hand and gently squeezed it. “The virus was already out when it happened. It wasn’t as bad as it is now. We could go out and have fun. And that’s what we did, my husband and son and I. There was a fair in our little town and we’ve spent the day there. It was a long and amazing day. My little boy, my William…” Her voice trailed off and she stopped speaking for a couple minutes. The anxiety was strangling her again. Rose didn’t say anything, she just stroked her hand with her thumb. A way to reassure her, to tell her that she wasn’t alone. After all, she was going through a loss too and she knew what it was. There was nothing to say at the moment. She could only listen. “We let him eat too much sugar and he was sick. I was driving so Bob, my husband, could deal with our son. He was blaming me for buying so much candy floss and so many sweets and I was trying to argue that our son’s happiness was the only thing that mattered. Every kid experiences sickness because of sweets at one point. But this argument signed our end. It distracted us.” She closed her eyes as the memories flew into her mind. She could see herself driving, her husband turned to watch William who was complaining about a belly ache. Two parents arguing and a sick child. She was looking for a place to stop the car so they could get out and breathe some fresh air to make the nausea disappear. And this man came out of nowhere. She brutally steered to avoid him and she lost the control of the car. No matter how hard she was trying to get the control back, the car kept sliding on the road and her husband was yelling at her and it was disturbing her. What had to happen happened. The car left the road and collided with a tree. The shock was so violent and so sudden that the airbags didn’t work. Her head bumped against the steering wheel and she thought it was over for her. “When I woke up, I was in the ICU. They waited until I was transferred to the light cares unit before telling me the truth. They haven’t suffered, they say. The collision killed them both instantly.” This was the last straw. Amy burst into tears and Rose wrapped her arms around her. She hugged her tight and rubbed her back while she cried all the pain that was still hurting her heart.

x

Zachary was worried. He had watched Maxence working and entering all the formula he had written on the wall on his personal space. Zachary had transferred the data to Tegan for him to approve of them. He would have to talk with Rose to be sure this was exact and to use those formula for their researches. But that wasn’t the reason why Zachary was so worried. After he was done, Maxence had cleaned the walls and instead of pacing around his cage, he had lain down and closed his eyes as if he was gonna sleep. At first, Zachary had thought he was doing it out of habit – a habit from when he was human – or because he was simply bored and wanted to look at the ceiling like he was often doing. Allegro was watching a movie in his cell. There was nothing to worry about for him. However, for Maxence, things were getting complicated. His brain seemed to have switched to a standby mode. A sort of sleep that wasn’t really sleep. He was just lying there with his eyes closed. Zachary was keeping an eye on his vital signs. His brain activity had reduced to the minimum, to the very minimum. If Zach didn’t have the other information under his eyes, he would think that the man was dead or about to be. Maybe he was dying. Zachary wasn’t very qualified on this field but he was clever enough to understand that something was wrong. The vital signs weren’t good at all. He entered an alert on their interactive group work. Someone needed to come and do a check up on him. Just to be sure that the fake cure given to him wasn’t having any effect on him anymore. Just a precaution not to lose him all of a sudden. Tegan was busy with the hacker and the maker of this fake cure at the moment and he wouldn’t be able to come before he was done. Rose had gone with Amy a little moment ago and they hadn’t come back yet. Jack and Clara were checking new formulas with Martha. Liv was probably getting some rest somewhere. All the qualified people of this team were busy elsewhere. Zachary hoped they would see the alert before anything happened to Maxence. That could be really bad. Allegro, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. All the effects of the ultraviolet were gone since they had turned off the lights and he hadn’t had any other fit of anger. Another check up was supposed to be done on him. If he was getting three negatives in a row, he would be able to come out of this place. It would be a relief but he wasn’t putting his hopes too high. He was bored in this cage but he was also very safe. Zachary was often chatting with him whenever he was having a small break. “Any good zombie movies to recommend to me?” It was just yesterday. Allegro was in a quite good mood and he wanted to joke. A zombie movie really was the easiest of jokes in the current times. That was why Allegro had asked for this. “What makes you think I’m a fan of zombie movies?” “You’re quite young. Young people love scaring themselves with those sorts of movies.” “Sorry to disappoint you, I’m prefer comedies and anime series. I love a good documentary too.” “Still a kid inside.” “What’s the point of growing up if you can’t be childish at times?” “I like your philosophy but I unfortunately have seen too many horrors to find my innocence again.” Just like Jack, Allegro had been a soldier before. When his contract with the army was over, he hadn’t renewed it. Instead, he had started looking for small jobs that were less stressful and that didn’t require traveling that much. That’s how he had ended up being a security member of this lab. Not a bad job during the good times. “You’re locked in there for a while, why not bringing back all those memories from your childhood? I’m sure the cartoons you used to watch are still available.” “How old do you think I am?” Zachary chuckled. He knew how old Allegro was. He was gonna turn forty soon. On normal times, some of his colleagues would have organised a small surprise party. Just to celebrate this special day. This lab could be such a perfect place sometimes. “Old enough to listen to those songs no one knows on Jazz FM.” “I like this radio. It’s relaxing.” “More a fan of Beethoven, me.” “That is surprising.” “I like rock music. I wish I could have gone to a Maiden concert. I guess it’s a dream that will never come true though.” “You can’t know. They maybe will find a cure that will save this world.” “It will take a while before people start trusting other people again to gather into public places.” “There’s this band I really like. A French band. It’s quite special but it’s really good. Ever heard of Indochine?” “If that’s not about this part of the world, then, I don’t what it is.” “It inspired the name. Listen to it. It’s really nice.” That’s how Zach had ended up on YouTube to listen to that French band while Allegro was taking a nap. Old school, bit weird, but very good. He really liked the music. Some of their songs were bringing energy and good vibes. It certainly was appreciated. “Are you watching one of those cartoons again?” joked Allegro. “Nope.” “That seems entertaining.” “It is. That’s the band you’ve told me about. I don’t understand half the lyrics but their music is nice.” “You can’t understand them. There isn’t any sense to their lyrics most of the time.” “Not sure about it.” “That’s not what’s causing you to be so anxious though.” “No. I’m keeping an eye on Maxence’s vital signs and they haven’t been good for a couple hours. I’ve entered an alert but no one has seen it yet.” “Is this that bad?” “If there wasn’t this information on my screen, I’d thought he’s dead. He hasn’t moved in hours.” “And no one had come? That’s weird.” “They’re all busy. T is on the hacker case. Rose is with the therapist. Jack and Clara and Martha are busy with some new formulas. I have no idea where Liv can be. And there’s nothing…” He was interrupted in his explanation by the striding sound and the red alert on his screens. Maxence sat up straight suddenly, gasping for air. He tapped the wall for someone to help him. Zach was powerless but thankfully, he saw Liv, fully dressed into a hazmat suit, running straight to his cage. She had seen the alert, he thought with relief. Maxence was coughing now. He still couldn’t breathe. He fell down the bed, on his hands and knees. Liv tried to talk to him but he wasn’t listening. All he wanted was air. She placed an oxygen mask on his face. He greedily breathed in that pure air finally reaching his lungs. “Breathe slowly, Maxence. Very slowly.” He wasn’t listening. He was too focused on taking as much air as he could. He was feeling better now that he could breathe again. He looked up at Liv and saw the sadness and fear in her eyes. She pressed her fingers on his ear briefly and pulled them back. The tip of her gloves was covered with a crimson sticky fluid. Blood. He touched his face, his ears, his nose, his mouth and his fingers were covered with the same blood. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. “We’re gonna have to make you go through another scan.” She had seen his latest results and they were bad. Jack had created an alert about it earlier this week. Zachary’s had made an echo to this alert and was telling them that the situation was getting worse. Maxence was fighting the virus and it was slowly killing him. Liv cupped his cheek. “You have to stop fighting. I know you don’t want to, but you have to. It’s important. You’re dying, Maxence.” Dying. The word echoed in his mind. Wasn’t he already dying? Wasn’t he dead since the moment he had been infected? He wanted to get better and he needed to be himself to find that cure. He couldn’t be himself if he stopped fighting. Rose wanted him to fight. So he had to keep fighting. Whatever it caused him. “I’m serious, Max. You might not hold on until we find that cure if you don’t let the virus win.” He shook his head and put the mask back on his face. Liv was amazed to see how aware he was of his surroundings. She knew it was because he was fighting but it was still a shock to see it. “Rose will understand. Nightwalkers don’t die from the virus unless they get involved in fights. You can’t be both. You’ll get back to your real self, but not now.” He pushed the mask away once again. His breathing was much better. He didn’t need it anymore. He gave it back to Liv. She would probably have to destroy it now. She wouldn’t use it on someone healthy. Or she would keep it for him if he was having another fit. “You can let go. It’s okay.” He didn’t want to. He refused to. He didn’t want to abandon his friends, his team. He wanted to help them as much as he could. Even if he had to die for this. He shook his head and Liv took her hand away from his face. “I’ll always be there to save you like you’ve saved me if you keep fighting. I won’t let you die.” He was surprised by the sudden change of speech from the young woman. What was making her change her mind so quickly? There must be a reason for that. “You never gave up when I was in troubles,” she murmured. “So I’m never gonna give up until you’re better.” Next thing he knew, she was hugging him tight. The plastic of the suit creaked. It was rather unpleasant to feel this against his skin but it was the first time he was given a hug in forever. So he hugged her back. It wasn’t the same as hugging Rose but it was okay. He liked it. Finally someone wasn’t afraid of the nightwalker him.

x

Tegan quickly walked to the public workspace where Camden and Donna were working. Camden had asked for him to come because they had found a clue for the patient zero. Even if it was good news, he wasn’t pleased to be interrupted in his rest. He had sorted things out with Colin and made him lock away in an empty area of the lab with guards to be sure he wouldn’t run away. It was also for him to be fed and taken care of if there was any problem. This was a solved case. While he was resting after Liv healed him, there had been this alert from Zachary that was causing him to be anxious. So anxious that he was on the edge of panicking. That was why Liv had insisted on him resting. She would check on Maxence and keep him updated. His head was pounding and his face was painful. Colin had quite a punch and doing nothing to protect himself had been a clever but dangerous move. He was paying for it but that pain was highly satisfying knowing the result. He had remained on the couch of his office for a moment before another mail came. A mail from Camden requiring his presence immediately. He had sighed and made his way there. He couldn’t refuse any clue when it was for a cure that would save Maxence. “I hope that’s not a deadlock. I’m not in the mood for fake hopes.” Speaking was hurting because it was using too many muscles that were bruised and sensitive but he couldn’t avoid this conversation. It was too crucial. Donna opened her eyes wide when she saw his face and Camden raised an interrogative eyebrow. This place was rather interesting in the end. The interactions between the scientists seemed to be highly charged. More than in a usual lockdown situation. There were personal matters interfering. It was fascinating. “What has happened to you?” “Bad moves while training.” “I’ve studied biology. This is not an accident.” “Whatever. This is not what brings me here, right?” “Jack and Clara will tell you I’m a very curious man.” “He is,” confirmed Donna. “And I never give up until I have my answers.” “That’s also true,” sighed the red-haired woman. “Well, look for all the answers you want and give me what I’ve come for.” Tegan sat down on the chair facing Camden and pushed the cardboard boxes that were in front of him. He folded his arms on his chest. He wanted to go back to his couch with an ice pack and an aspirin. But he was as curious as Camden and wanted his answers. “As a scientist, you must know what the Xeroderma Pigmentosum is.” “Yes. An extremely rare disease that makes every patient unable to bear the UV lights.” “And did you know there were researches to find a cure?” “Just like every cancer on Earth, there always has been researches for Xeroderma Pigmentosum. Get straight to the point.” Camden gathered a couple of papers that were scattered in front of him and pushed them toward Tegan. The neurologist took them. He didn’t understand where Camden was going but it was because his pain was distracting him. “We’ve found out that the most important researches were done by someone called Myrtle Appleton. Here, in England.” “However,” continued Donna, “she was sacked from the lab she was working in because she was using unconventional methods. It was a couple days before the virus hit the world officially.” “But she didn’t stop her researches. She has done them clandestinely.” “So, you’re telling me that this Myrtle Appleton was running experiences secretly and that one of these experiences might have gone wrong and provoked this whole mess?” “Yes.” Tegan put the documents down. He hadn’t even read them. His mind was focused on something else, something that didn’t please him at all. He jumped to his feet and left the workspace. He made his way to the empty part of the building where Colin was locked. Their paths kept crossing and Tegan really, really hated it…

To be continued...

Ghost of you © | 2017 - 2018 | Tous droits réservés.

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In the next chapter:

Colin was outrageously relaxed for someone who had been sacked and locked away. Tegan was resisting the envy of throwing him out of the lab and letting him see how he would survive out there. It was a chance that it hadn’t done it yet since Colin was gonna be really useful if he accepted to speak. Tegan wouldn’t get inside his prison. It would be playing Colin’s game. He would just do what he had to do by staying outside. One black eye was enough for him. He observed Colin. The scientist was laid on the desk of the room and watching the ceiling. He had a smirk on his face. He didn’t seem bothered at all by the whole situation. He was annoyed to have been caught but he was living it quite well. And this was infuriating Tegan. How could this mad scientist be so happy with himself when he almost killed a man?

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[silviasutton1989]

T.T.K. Ch. 14 “Who you are.”

A/N: Just want to quickly thank you guys for sticking along this far. Now as you probably could tell from the first few chapters the character’s relationship really isn’t the main topic for this story. I took way too long to get to this point but hey where here now so we can now get back to the plot. I hope you guys are enjoying reading it as I am writing it!!

Word Count: 2000

Rating: Mature probably course language not sure though.

Catch Up: Chapter 1  1.2  2  3  4  5  6  7 8  9  9.2  9.25   10   11   12.1 12.2

        13   

Summary: With Drake’s bags packed can Riley convince him to stay? Olivia decides today is the day Liam DTR...will she gets the answer she is searching for?

"Riley I'm done with this, all of it. I'm leaving tonight."

Riley watches as her fiancee stuffs his things into his luggage. Her heart beats throughout her chest, mouth gone completely dry, she stands to her feet going to the closet and pulling all the clothes from their hangers. 

"Ok. Where are we going?" She finds her luggage opening and throwing her clothes in as well "You know I haven't seen your cabin yet...what about your mom? How about we go and actually tell her about our engagement in person." She rambles on of the many places they could go as her closet begins to empty. Drake takes her hands to stop her.

"Stop it Riley. I'm leaving and you are staying here." He spoke in the softest voice he could but it does little to soften the blow, as he takes her to the bed, they sit on the edge. "I think I need time...um we need time to figure this out."

"Figure what out Drake? It was a kiss. A stupid drunk kissed that meant..."

"It meant something if your kept it from me, Riley. And it really meant something if you completely lied about it." He walks over to a dresser opening each one taking his clothes out and carefully leaving hers behind. 

"So you can hold secrets about Kiara, but I make one mistake and you bolt? I didn't do that to you." 

"No you didn't." He clutches one of his white t's in his hands "and I loved you so much for that. I was so afraid that that secret was somehow going to break us. And then when I told you and you didn't fault me for it. You forgave me right then and there. That was the only time that lately I knew you truly loved me. But now it's some bargaining tool to guilt me into staying? It's just my luck that the only reason you forgave so quickly was because you needed forgiveness yourself." He scoffs zipping up his luggage.

"So that's it? It's over?" Springing from the bed she blocks him from moving any further. "So we're back to this huh? I have to prove my love to you. I'm sick of doing this with you Drake! From day one I told you my feelings for you and you never believed me. I'm sick of you constantly pushing me away. You want to act like this kiss is making you leave when you have been itching to run since you gave me this ring." She screams trying to take it off but it's stuck on her finger. 

"I haven't been itching to run from us. I have been holding on to you for dear life!" His voice breaks as it rises. "Riley I love you more than anything. Second to you is Liam. You don't think I haven't seen how he still looks at you? I know that look all too well, Riley. I know that Liam was the one to stop the kiss from going any further. If he hadn't what would have happened?

"Yes I'm attracted to Liam. I dated him longer than I have been engaged to you so...yeah there's some unresolved feelings there. But I don't lo---"

"What if... what if you two really were supposed to be together? To be that perfect romantic love story and I was just supposed to be a filler backstory."

She wants to touch him to tell him he is the best story she could ever hope to have, but the only thing that comes out: "So what am I supposed to do? Parade through our engagement tour when you're clearly breaking up with me!"

"I'm not breaking up with you. I'm giving you a free pass. There's 3 more weeks left on this tour. Take the time to figure out what you want. I still want to marry you. If the press ask tell them I'm at the palace, helping with arrangements for the wedding. And when you get back if it's me you want I will be there. If it's not...."

"Drake..."

Drake walks to the door but stops before opening it. He turns around quickly grabbing Riley into his arms planting a searing kiss on her lips praying between lips that she wont forget it. And then he was gone.

Although her clothes were perfectly folded and color coordinated her mind was on other things.

"Liam, we have been friends for over...no almost 20 years now. I think it's time we finally define what we are. No that sounds stupid. Liam you are an idiot who doesn't know a good thing when--- No!"

Olivia looks around her room. The tour would be making their way to another estate tonight and any other time packing would be the highlight of her day. Today, however would be the day she finally knew exactly where she stood with Liam. In her head she pictured giving the most moving speech that would spring him to his feet and his lips crashing onto hers. Or he would give her that diplomatic smile that he displays at charity events and tell her they were and would always be just friends. Despite what could happen at least by the end of the day she would know.

"It's now or never." After checking the time on her phone she leaves her room to search for him. 

She spots Liam turning a corner. He's yards away but close enough too recognize. Olivia fastens her pace stepping slowly to catch him, practicing her lines.

"Liam...King Liam... your majesty ...no we've seen each other naked, formalities aren't necessary. Liam. You got this, Liv, just keep your cool and..."

She looks up to see Riley her arms around Liam crying in his coat jacket like a baby. Olivia takes only a few more steps closer just to hear their conversation.

"He left? Riley what do you mean he left."

"He said you and I have some unresolved issues and that he's taking himself out of the equation for us to figure it out...basically he's pawning me off on you."

Liam wipes the tears from her checks his thumb lingering on her face longer than it should. Their eyes meet and neither dares to look away.

"Riley, I'm so sorry. Look I have a few meetings to run to but how about tonight we talk...about us. I think if it's gotten to this point we should at least do that."

"I think so too." Liam lifts her chin coaxing her into a smile.

Olivia couldn't see his smile or the way his eyes were glued onto Riley's but she new both were there, she knew that much from memory of their night together. She speeds her pace in the opposite direction.

Back in her room her bags are packed but her heads in scrambles. Where the hell would she go? Stay on the trip and watch those two rekindle some twisted version of love would probably result in pulling her hair out...or Riley's...or Liam's.

Somehow, suitcase in hand she finds her way outside. The only limo in the drive way's trunk is open and as she walks to it she sees the flannel shirt of a broad shoulder man placing his own luggage into the trunk.

"I thought you left last night." she states Drake turns to see her famous smirk on display. She hands him her bags and gets into the back seat. 

Drake shuts the door behind him, "I guess you and Riley talked."

"Something like that..." The car begins to roll down the driveway the mansion looks smaller with distance as she watches out the back window.

"I told her I was leaving last night but... I stayed outside the hallway waiting. Waiting for her to come after me...for her to find Liam. But she didn't... I think she cried herself to sleep." Drake rubs his eyes. "She loves me I know she does she just..."

"Riley likes a damn project." Olivia states bitterly "You think what attracted you to her is love? Ha! She liked you because she thought she could fix you. It's the same for me. She wants to run in on her high horse and act like God's gift of a best friend like she's really going to make our worlds better but really she's a backstabbing.....I mean yeah she loves you Drake." Biting her lip she looks to her phone for the next flights out.

"Maybe I made a mistake. This was stupid wasn't it? Leaving her for Liam to swoop in....god this is stupid. I just gave him my fiancee on a sliver platter! We should turn around."

"Shut up! The best thing you could ever do is let those two figure out their own demise. They wont listen to reason so let them crash and burn...at least we don't have to collateral damage." Folding her arms together.

"So are you coming to Cordonia...want to help me create a fairy tale wedding that will probably end up being for my fiancee and my best friend?" He tries to chuckle but it sounds more like a dry heaving.

"No I need to go somewhere else...somewhere." 

On the way to the airport they pass by the Apple Wood manor her heart sinks as she types the text:

 I know it's been a while but I need to talk to you

 She deletes the text before pressing send. No, if she sent it she would only get an excuse to not come. Surprise attack was her best tactic.

She trudges through the waist high grass. The jagged peaks of mountains behind her, a forever road of green before her, Olivia sighed trying to catch her breath. She wanted to turn around catch the cab before it speed away. Her phone died hours ago, which really didn't matter since there was no signal here. No choice but to power on to ask the questions she desperately needed answers to by the only person who would have them.

Olivia found her near a hut, a campfire roaring before her. She is seated in a full lotus position her eyes closed to the heaven her dusty dark red hair flowing freely in the wind, Olivia waited a minute before speaking

"Hello, Aunt Lucretia."

The woman opens her eyes one at a time, a soft smile slowly filing her face.

"Well, hello Blaze. I know you're not lost so to what do I owe the pleasure." She watches her niece try to sit on a small bolder in front of her but quickly gives up and stands.

"First of all I told you not to call me that. Second I'm doing fine thank you for asking you know since it's been years since you've bothered to see me."

Lucretia closes her eyes and continues to meditate breathing in deeply then speaking as she exhales. "If you want me to call you Olivia you have to call me by my name, Blaze"

"I will never call you Earth Star-child ever."

"Fine Aunt Lucy will do. So is this a social visit? I am glad to see you really I am. But my third eye is sensing stress. So out with it. What are you troubles my niece?"

"I need to know why am I not enough?"

"Excuse me?" Olivia twitches as she has her aunt's full attention.

"I need to know why am I not enough. Liam can't choose me over someone who clearly doesn't love him. Riley knows I'm in love with Liam but she still strings him along because she can. Isaac couldn't choose me over The True Kings." Lucretia shoots her a wide look, but Olivia doesn't notice, her words spewing from the thoughts she has held in far too long. "but all those idiots are irrelevant compared to the 1st two people who didn't care. Why did they do what they did? Killing Constantine was more important than, their child! And I need to know why! You gave me up too. So I need to know why, why am I never enough for anyone, especially my parents!" 

Her breaths are hurried as she finishes finally looking at her aunt not sure if her expression is anger or confusion. The woman stands from the ground her full length tunic dress gathers the dirt at her feet as she moves toward her niece.

"You stupid stupid little girl. You think my sister risked her life just to see Constantine dead? That you weren't enough? You meant everything!" Her words echo through the mountains as Olivia stares in shock "And you still do. Crying over stupid boys! Don't you know what you have? Don't you know who you are?!"

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