#I basically gave up my office so she could be away from the kittens for long stretches of time

[eruden-writes]

Scent Match - Part 8 (Augustine + Amber)

Summary: When Amber Dyer decided to attend a Creator Con, she never expected to run into Of Wolf and Blood lycan heartthrob, Augustine Prime.

But, there he was, stooping over her table, asking to buy the unflattering drawing of his character. Valuing integrity over taking money from a celebrity and running (though she was sorely tempted,) Amber finishes the sketch and delivers it to Augustine.

However, he continues to doggedly pursue her and entwine their lives.

All because of her scent.

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First Part - Master List - Previous Part

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Quietly, the two headed to Augustine’s bedroom. Amber noted he hadn’t even bothered to turn off any lights, but that could have been excitement making him careless. If he even wanted her, she thought. Glancing sidelong at the man, he seemed rather calm. As if this occurrence wasn’t actually some long desired outcome.

In reality, elated prickles danced along his back and through his skin. It was only thanks to years of acting that Augustine didn’t grab Amber and drag her back into the bedroom. He actively fought his imagination as other images of tossing her directly onto his bed, climbing over her, letting his mouth taste her threatened to break his cool exterior.

As they made it into his room, Augustine barely kept from looking back at Amber to see how her watchful eyes took in the area as he turned on the light. The elegant navy blue and heather grey decor wasn’t really his own taste. It was meant to be pleasing and lush, while equally being easy to clean between guests.

The colorations were the last thing on Amber’s mind, however. No amount of preparation could have steeled her against a hotel bedroom. It was so surreal. Another full wall of windows that led to another balcony. Curtains open, overlooking the city skyline and the streets below as the night sky spilled overhead. As she walked further in, her shoes sunk into the soft carpet. Thicker than even what she had at home.

Her eyes gleaned over the bed, noting its size, but anxiety had her turning her attention elsewhere. A full-sized dresser with a large mirror sat near a plump cushy chair. With doors cracked open, Amber also noticed a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom. There was evidence of Augustine’s stay, as well. Previously worn clothes, a pile of business cards on the bedside table, a book beneath the lamp, an empty soda bottle. Not exactly a mess, but certainly not pristine.

“Should I add a little zhuzh to the show?” Augustine winked as Amber turned a curious look to him. She realized she hadn't even noticed his clothing earlier. Augustine had already slid off his suit jacket, draping it atop the dresser, leaving his button-up and trousers on. for the moment. His hands were poised at the neck of his shirt, fingering the buttons teasingly.

Briefly, Amber Wondered exactly how he thought to zhuzh up his strip show. Probably with theatrics and gyration.

“Only if you want me laughing the entire time.” At Augustine’s curious sound, Amber elaborated with a helpless shrug, “I’ve had partners in the past try to sexily strip for me. It just makes me giggle. I don't know.”

“Well, thank you for telling me and saving my ego.” Augustine chuckled and gave a nod as he pulled his shirt up and over his head. Like the jacket, he laid it atop the dresser and kicked off his shoes and socks. All the while, he felt Amber’s eyes watching him, waiting for the last articles of clothing to drop. He could antagonize her a little, he knew. If he waited to divest himself of his trousers, he could force her to ask or initiate the last bit of stripping.

“Don’t make me regret being nice," she mumbled, shooting him a warning look while trying not to stare as he disrobed. But it was hard not to. The contours  and planes of his body drew the eye, making Amber think of all those masterfully chiseled statues in art museums. Her hand raised, but stopped short of touching him. “So, I should just touch you?”

“Yep, however and wherever you want. I’m pretty sturdy.” He thumped himself on his bare chest in demonstration. “Just, with you touching me, some things might, ah, rise to attention. Y’know?”

Amber raised a hand again, but it paused as she tilted her gaze back to his face. "Are you seriously okay with this?”

“Most definitely. I want you to want to marry me, so anything that’ll ease your worries is something I want to do.” Augustine gave a nod, exemplifying his own agreement to the circumstances. When his nodding paused, his expression turned curious. “Although, I’m kinda surprised you jumped to this instead of dates.”

Amber remained silent. She didn’t actually believe he’d want to go on any dates, if she was being honest. Amber was still fairly certain once the weekend was over, that was it. Sure, Augustine had given her his contact information and she’d even spoken to his manager, but once they were apart, that was it. It would be so easy for him to pretend it never happened.

“You can still back out of this at any time, Mr. Prime,” she answered softly as she reached out and brushed her palm gingerly down his chest.

His body heat bled from him, through Amber’s hand, and up her arm. From the edge of her vision, she watched Augustine tense and saw how his gaze intensely followed her hand as it skimmed down his torso. Absentminded, her fingers followed the edge of his chest hair, down over his abdomen. “And I know so many people would jump at the chance to marry you. Hell, so many would jump at getting you into bed.”

Before Augustine could ask her where she was going, Amber finished softly, “So I just… I don’t know why I have so much trouble with the thought.”

“What?” He still couldn’t follow her words or reasoning. Especially with her fingers touching him so lightly. Part of him wanted to grasp her by the wrist and press her palm flush to his chest, just to feel more of her.

“Other people can just jump into bed with strangers without thinking about it. It’s so easy for them. I guess I’m kinda using this as an opportunity to figure out what's-" Wrong with me. "-different about me."

Something in her scent turned sour, Sad. He didn't like that. He really didn’t like that if he was related to the cause.

Before he could even consider if it'd be a good move, Augustine carefully caught Amber by her wrist. When she turned a questioning look to him, his other hand gently cupped the side of her face. "I like the way you are, Amber. Don't push yourself if you don't want to."

The moment was getting too tender. This was supposed to be dirty and quick. Amber had been fully prepared to be rejected or even coolly let go after they did whatever she had the nerve to do. She wasn't prepared for this. The warm expression in his eyes, his palm softly on her cheek, her own heart traitorously thrumming.

“You’re surprisingly hairy." Amber dragged her attention from him, cheeks burning. She needed a distraction from the moment. “I thought Follywood types waxed everything.”

Augustine let his hand slip from her cheek as she turned her face subtly away. He shook off his disappointment with a shrug and a half-laugh, “Hard to wax when you’re prone to growing patches of hair or fur when excited.”

Amber hummed noncommittally, not ready to address his admission at being excited. “How was the charity date?”

“It was fine. A married couple won me.” He watched Amber as she fiddled with his trouser button and zipper. With her face turned away from his line of sight, she obviously cuy trying to gain some emotional distance. Or maybe she was embarrassed with how red her cheeks had grown.

Taking her time with fasteners, if only to disguise her trembling fingers, Amber continued, “What were they like?”

“Nice enough. One of them, Asher, owns a bookstore in Portland and their spouse, Trin, does IT for some big company. We chatted about the series, both books and the show, and they tried to get information about the new season from me.” Augustine let the words amble over his lips as he watched Amber. She succeeded in loosening his trousers, letting them fall.

Her refusal to look at him shifted away from shame and toward attentive curiosity. The outline of his dick beneath the fabric of his boxer briefs teased at her thoughts. With as tightly his excitement strained at the material, she didn’t need much imagination to figure out his girth and length. However, she still couldn’t bring herself to touch him there. No, her hands dawdled at his thighs, teasing the wisps of hair - slowly becoming thicker - that dotted his legs.

Frustrated with the lack of touch and the lack of Amber looking at him, Augustine narrowed his eyes, deciding to prod at her. “They were both pretty flirty too.”

Without thinking, Amber firmly palmed at his erection as she rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to get jealous.”

He couldn't stop the roguish grin that split his lips, hips rising to meet her palm. “Obviously. You’re the one here with your hand on my dick and not them.”

Both the heat and hardness in her hand brought a flush to Amber’s face. She couldn’t very well pull away, though. Especially not with his damned smug grin on his face.

Forcing her actions to be fluid and smooth, she kneaded at him through the fabric. “Why didn’t you end the night with them? Sounds like they’d have been down for it.”

Though firmer, her touch still wasn’t enough for him. The craving for more scraped along his insides. He barely stopped himself from grinding against her touch, silently begging for more. “They weren’t you, Amber.”

“You say that so easily, but I guess you’ve probably had tons of relationships and, like, bacchanal-level orgies, huh?” Amber found herself rolling her eyes, yet again, as her tone inched toward sarcastic. It was easier to grasp onto her image of him than admit his words had any effect on her.

Likewise, it was easier just to let her hands move than to think about what she was doing. Unthinking instincts guided her actions. Her thumbs hooked into the waistband of his boxer briefs, yanking them down. His cock bounced out eagerly, bobbing under her gaze. Veins strained under the skin, complexion dark and ruddy compared to the rest of him.

On a conscious-level, Amber absolutely ignored her curious thought of his taste or how her mouth watered in preparation. Even as she knelt before him, hands braced on his hips, her cognitive dissonance kept her mouth running. “Missing out on a potential threesome isn't such a bummer for you.”

“Mhmn…” Sharp excitement sliced through Augustine as Amber lowered to her knees, her breath ghosting over his member with the closer proximity. Involuntarily, his cock flexed, an ache burning for more attention.

“Oh my gods, you have.” Finally, she turned her gaze to his face again. She’d see how full his beard had grown, how thick the hair on his chest and arms had become in such a short amount of time.

Something in his stomach flipped, seeing surprise and a hint of curiosity swimming in her eyes. Excitement lurched further as she - seemingly absentmindedly - dragged her parted lips against the side of his shaft, her hand stroking the neglected side.

“There’s been some.” He shrugged, throat tightening as he silently choked down a groan. Despite his restraint, his body was too tempted by the heat of her mouth and leaned toward her. He wanted to do more. So. Much. More. “They’re not my favorite thing. They’re pretty smelly with all those sweaty bodies.”

She could imagine Augustine, an obnoxious enrobed Dionysus-Adonis hybrid with a crowd of people flocking to him as he lazily drank a decanter of wine with a smug grin. Heat flared down Amber imagining the sight. Suddenly, she also realized what exactly her mouth was doing as his dick throbbed against her lips.

Masking her shame, Amber pulled away from Augustine, sitting back on her heels. Craning her neck to look up at him, once more very aware of their size difference, she clamped down on her fluttering heart.

A flicker of disappointment passed his features at her sudden distance, but it quickly upended at her words. “Alright, I’m done with this form. It’s pretty basic. Shift.”

Giving an unimpressed wave of her hand, she waited for Augustine to comply or refuse.

The bright smile gave away his answer as he straightened from a slight slouch. “Yes, ma’am.”

Augustine didn’t even take a step back before focusing on the change. Amber watched as his hair thickened - creeping along his entire body in a ripple - into a pelt of fur the same color as Augustine’s regular hair color. The previously pointed ears grew larger, extending the curvature of his jaw until they angled near the crest of his head. His nose and jaw elongated, becoming something between a wolf’s snout and a human’s face. Similar growth happened to his feet and hands, she realized, as a toe claw nudged against her knee. She swallowed, dutifully trying to ignore the images that tickled her thoughts at the size of Augustine’s hands. He was certainly more canine than she’d seen of him in-person, so far.

She let herself glean over his entire body, though she did keep his dick in her peripheral. Already hard, his member appeared to grow larger, likely in proportion to his own everything getting bigger, and turned from ruddy to bright red. Even the head narrowed at the tip, flaring a little before the shaft to take a more arrowhead-esque appearance.

Again, stray thoughts bombarded Amber's head. How did he taste? How hot and solid would his cock feel on her tongue? Or better yet, inside her? Amber's insides clenched at the idea and she abruptly remembered she wore a dress thanks to imaginative 'easy access' scenarios blooming in her mind.

In this form, Amber’s scent became fuller-bodied in his nose, weighing down on his tongue. His very tastebuds buzzed. It made Augustine want to drag his tongue along every inch of Amber, taste her fully and completely.

"You're very large." She critically eyed Augustine, trying to determine just how much bigger he had grown. Though his fur made him appear larger than he was, she thought.

"Thank you."

It took Amber a beat to realize why Augustine sounded so delighted and smug. He thought she was talking about his cock! A blush seared over her face as she glared up at him. "That's not what I meant!"

Amber's glower only made Augustine's grin grow. "It's ok. I know I pack an … intimidating package."

She didn't know what prompted her retaliation. Maybe her curiosity just won out. Maybe she wanted to knock that smirk off Augustine's lips. Either way, Amber found her hand wrapping and the base of his cock, beneath the bulbous knot. With little preamble, she took him in her mouth. Under her tongue, Augustine tensed, surprised by the sudden tactic.

Closing her eyes, Amber focused on taking more and more of his dick with every bob of her head. She listened as his breathing hitched, heard how his clawed toes dug into the carpet, felt how his muscles twitched and tightened. She even thought she could feel a breeze from a wagging tail, but that may have been ham imagination.

Each reaction ignited a long forgotten feeling. Something she rarely felt herself. Smugness.

It wasn't until her lips met his pubus, thick fur tickling her nose, that Amber stilled and peered up at Augustine. Against her tongue, his member weighed heavy and hot. She held back a smile as his cock twitched excitedly when their eyes met.

"Fuck, Amber," Augustine gasped, gold eyes wide and wolf ears pricked forward. She had him entirely buried in her mouth, her throat. A challenging glint in her eyes as she stared up at him. Amber's expression and the very sight of her looking so confident made his heart pound. He had to focus to not let his tongue loll out of his maw in an obscene pant. "That's… You're impressive."

"Or maybe you're not as intimidating as you think," she returned after she eased off him, wearing a pointed expression. Amber forced herself to not stare at his now slickened, shiny red member still bobbling for her attention.

"Point made," he chuckled, now realizing how tight his hands balled into fists. It had been that or grabbing Amber by the head, threading clawed fingers through her hair as his hips worked against that talented mouth. Even just thinking it made his arousal jolt. He needed to find something else to grip onto lest he forget himself. "Can we move over to the bed?"

She shot a dubious look to the king-sized bed. He was about to assure her that it didn’t mean he had expectations, he just needed something to grab onto that wasn’t her head or hair or… well, her. Amber cut him off before he could even soothe her worries. "Alright, but there's no guarantee we'll fuck, got it? I'm getting comfortable with you. That's it."

Hypocrisy tilted through her mind, knowing full well her words clashed against the fact she had his dick in her mouth moments earlier. Whatever. Her boundaries could ebb and flow.

When Amber got to her feet, Augustine backed away to the bed, flopping back on his elbows once the back of his legs hit the mattress. As the bed creaked under his sudden weight, he offered up a grin to Amber. "I'm just happy with whatever you want to do."

Approaching him, Amber rolled her eyes at his words. A small part of her echoed how strange it was that she felt so comfortable around him, a veritable stranger. A different part of her - more curious to see how this all would end - focused more on exploring him again.

Ignoring Augustine’s splayed legs, Amber leaned over him with one hand going to the ruff of fur around his neck. As her hand sunk into the dense fur, she gave him an experimental scratch.

Unprepared for the new turn of events, a strangled sound left Augustine as Amber’s other hand drew to his ear. His eyes fluttered shut, leaning his ear into her touch. Heat churned inside him as his head nuzzled into her touch, an indecent whine leaving his throat.

The reaction tickled Amber’s senses. In that moment, her suspicions eased, seeing him openly tilting toward her attentions with a genuine need. It was still ridiculous, all the same. But it was genuine ridiculousness, she realized.

It was her amused snort that made Augustine’s eyes crack back open. His clawed fingers dug into the blanket beneath him as realization struck. In his efforts to get more touch on his ear, he had unwittingly bared his throat to her. A mark of extreme vulnerability among lycans. Though Augustine doubted that’s what held her attention.

No, Amber had her head tilted to the side and a considering smile on her lips. The warmth in her eyes nearly struck the air from Augustine’s lungs, having not been subjected to such a tender look from her before. He held his breath, too afraid to break whatever spell she had woven.

Something in Augustine’s expression shocked Amber out of her momentary affection. Painfully aware of the gentleness in the air, she tore her gaze from his face. She needed a distraction. As her attention fell, it caught onto his red arousal. That would be distraction enough.

Amber’s hands trailed down Augustine’s front, carding through the shorter fur that spread down his torso as she lowered herself to the floor between his legs. He was still under her touch, his eyes watching her hands travel further southward.

Then her caresses bypassed the one place he was most eager to feel her touch. Augustine only barely swallowed down a frustrated whine as her fingers worked through the thicker fur of his legs, down to his ankles before beginning to traverse back upward. The return trek, however, was remarkably slow. Slower than before.

“Amber, please, you’re torturing me,” Augustine groaned, head lolling backward. Heat throbbed between his legs, impatient and edging toward painful. All the while, her fingers continued to toy up his legs, fingers digging through the fur to scratch lightly against his skin.

“Am I?” Her tone was too amused to be completely innocent or unaware of what she was doing. Leaning closer to her dick, she puffed warm breaths over his shaft, but didn’t touch him yet.

Augustine gave an affirmative grunt, eyes glued to her.

Her lips quirked into a wry smile, tilting her eyes to Augustine, though she couldn’t see his face at the moment. “I did say this was about me getting comfortable, didn’t I?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” She’d probably shirk away with his next words, but he couldn’t help it. He watched her carefully, a lazy grin on his lips, as he said,  “I like you feeling comfortable enough to torment me.”

Amber only gave a momentary pause. Barely a hiccup in her actions as she gathered up her nonchalance. Nosing along his furry thigh, she sighed, “Ah, so you’re a masochist.”

“Only if you want to be a sadis–” A sharp exhale interrupted Augustine’s retort. He groaned, curving forward as Amber’s mouth once more enveloped his cock.

Well, that was one way to silence him, Amber supposed as she slowly inched down his shaft. He tasted heady and salty on her tongue, the throb of his pulse taunted her. Her tongue writhed curved around the underside of his member, flexing against him. With every movement of her lips, every flex of her tongue, Augustine twitched or groaned. Such small movements evoking such grand displays of pleasure.

After one pass downward and back up, she lifted her mouth from him. Though she lingered close enough so her lips would tease his tip as she spoke. “I don’t want a partner that does everything I want. I’ve been in that position and it’s not fun.”

The look in Amber’s eyes was earnest and sincere and serious. Augustine found curiosity rousing in his thoughts, along with a dose of faint anger. Had she meant the unspoken meaning? That someone had forced her to be someone she wasn’t? Or was it just a life experience?

Augustine shelved the thought for the moment. Tonight was about her comfort, her exploration. Not him getting personal answers. If he had his way, there’d be time for that later. He reached for her hair, threading his clawed fingers through her hair gently. Imperceptibly, she leaned into the touch, only the slight pressure of her against his fingers any indication of her movement.

“I’m fine with being a masochist to your sadist, but–” A wolfishness stole across Augustine’s maw as his fingers tightened in her hair and he leaned over her. He gave a tug, experimental and light, enough to get his point across and was rewarded with a surprised, sinful little squeak from Amber. “Turnabout is fair play, Amber. Wouldn’t you agree?”

For a beat, she stared up at Augustine. His mouth full of sharp teeth and eyes that nearly glowed in the dark and razor claws, of which one set was currently lightly grazing her scalp. His slouch over her just made the size difference between them all the more prominent. Shameful excitement thrummed through Amber, burning hotter as his grin broadened toothily.

It was that grin that kicked Amber’s thoughts back into action.

“I suppose that’s true,” she replied airily, her lips still hovering close to his dick. Moving slowly, her hand drew to his knot, fingers coiling around the bulbous bit of anatomy. Augustine’s gaze slid from Amber’s face to her hand, air caught in his lungs. A thrill pulsed through him, throbbing against her touch. He completely forgot about his hold on her hair, fingers falling lax, as she shook him off.

“But I’m pretty sure I still have the upper hand,” Amber added, the corner of her lips tilting in a grin of her own. A bit of wryness crept into her voice as she asked, “Can I keep going now? Or are you going to interrupt me again?”

This was not the Amber he had met in Artist Alley. Her half-lidded gaze and that smile that made it clear she knew she was in control made that clear. Though he thoroughly enjoyed the shy Amber, he was curious to see where this one led. Augustine had a feeling this wasn’t a part of her she showed to just anyone. Or, hell, maybe it was something long-buried.

Either way, excitement crept up his spine, his tail wagging against the bed, as he nodded. “By all means, please continue.”

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[andydrysdalerogers]

The ABCs of Nick Vaughn ~ "R"

Pairing: Reader x Nick Vaughn (Before We Go)

Summary: Children its time to learn your ABCs. And Nick Vaughn is here to teach you the lessons. 26 glimpses in the world of you and Nick Vaughn

Warnings: S-M-U-T!!!! (under 18 please leave the chat!) descriptions of sexual activity including some themes of BDSM, loss of virginity, fluffy bits, pet name etc...

The new upload will probably be Sundays and Thursdays. Have fun kittens! Also, the tag list is open!

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Previous: Q - Quicky

ABC Masterlist - Main Masterlist

R - Romance

Work had been difficult the last few weeks.  That big case involving Levinson had finally gone to the arbitration phase and it looked like it would go in your favor. Nick knew you had been stressed, working long hours and basically wanted a break from everything.  

A package arrived at your office on Friday. “A delivery, Ms. YLN,” your assistant said.  

“Who’s it from?” 

She read the label. “From NV. Not sure who that is.”  

You smiled softly.  NV, Nick Vaughn “Thank you Alissa.  You can go for the day.”  

“Thank you, Ms. YLN.”  She put the box on your desk and left.  

You went too open the box. On top was a note from Nick.  

My darling YN, I’m so proud of all the work you done.  You deserve a night out. I hope these fit. I love you, Nicky.  

You pulled the tissue away to see an amazing green lace dress. “Oh Nicky,” you whispered as you pulled it out. Next to them were some matching green heels. And another note.  

Dinner is at 7.  

You squealed a little and looked at your watch. It was 530 so plenty of time. You grabbed your makeup bag and headed to the bathroom.  After touching up, you put on the dress and heels. As you grabbed your purse, a call came in from security. “Yes?” 

There is a car here for you ma’am.  

  “Ok thank you.”  Really Nick, a car service. You shook your head, but the smile never left.  You made it to the lobby and the doorman held the door for you as you climbed in.  And waiting for you was champagne and two dozen roses.  What the hell? You smelled the roses, smiling at the subtle scent and took the glass of champagne that was poured for you. 

As you made your way to wherever Nick had planned, you reflected on your time with him.  He had been on edge since that time with the train girl, Brooke, when you had met him.  He had been playing at a club where you had sat down, waiting for a blind date.  A date that never showed.  He saw you sitting, looking more and more deflated as time went by.  When the group had a break, he headed over and asked if you were ok.  He had been sweet, just a guy noticing a girl.  

He asked you to stay that night until he was done so he could walk you home. And before you knew it, it was morning.  You had breakfast together, the conversation flowing.  He walked you home and gave you a kiss on the cheek.  

You had texted and talked for another six weeks before your next official date. That had been three years ago, and you were thankful for being stood up because otherwise, you wouldn’t have Nick.  

Arriving at your destination, you looked up to see that you were your favorite restaurant in New York. What was he up to? You made your way to the hostess. “Uh... Table for Vaughn?” 

“Yes ma’am, right this way.”  She led you down to the back of the restaurant to a private dining room.  That was filled with candles and flowers.  And Nick, in a suit, is waiting for you.  

“Nicky,” you gasped, looking around. That romantic bastard had pulled off the most romantic surprise.  

“Hey beautiful.” He came over to place a sweet kiss.  He ran his hands over your arms, causing goosebumps, the sensation of warmth spreading. “I wanted to celebrate how amazing you are.”  

“You didn’t have to do all of this,” waving your arm about.  

“I wanted to, love.” He pulled out a chair and got you seated. A waiter came in and poured you each a glass of champagne. As you toast, you notice something about Nick demeanor.  

“Nick, what’s going on? You seem... anxious, or excited.”  

“A little of both. I Have an idea.” His eyes turn mischievous. He pulled out a gift-wrapped box.  

He slid the box to you. You opened it and saw a pair of panties.  

Nick grinned as he held up a remote. 

“Do you want to play a game?” 

Continued in “S” 

Taglist:

@patzammit @slutforchrisjamalevans @jennmurawski13-writes @firephotogrl74 @texmexdarling @atoosa22 @tinkerbelle67

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Appointment Scheduled

Summary- 2.7k Ransom Drysdale x Reader. Since that night at your parents, you haven't been to see Ransom. Not that he wasn't always on your mind. But you continue to defend your 'FWB' term that is all he is. Ransom gets tired of receiving physical silence from you.

So he made himself an appointment.

Warnings- somewhat mad mean Ransom, reader in denial of her feelings, some in the office over the desk sex. This is a cheater fic, the reader is cheating on her boyfriend and Ransom is encouraging this. Please if this bothers you, do not read it.

A/N- another self-indulgent fic featuring these two? Yes please, it's what I wanted, so it's what I wrote. As always, thank you for reading, comments and reblogging. You all have to thank @sagechanoafterdark for Ellie showing up in the story. We were talking that the reader needs a best friend who is like "Duh, you two are meant to be, it is so obvious." to our reader.

Masterlist

“Ellie no I haven't seen him since my dad's birthday party. I mean a few messages here and there, but nothing more about meeting up.”

You hear your best friend scoff on the other line. She was your confidante, your tried and true, better or worse, the bitch who will help you bury the body friend.

She also lacked sugar coating anything.

“Well, you two are just dumb. One of you has to open that line of conversation, might as well be you.”

You hit the button to the lift, sighing into the phone as you watched the numbers ding. “I don’t know what conversation you are talking about El.”

“Uh, the one where you two have been in love with each other since basically middle school? The one where whenever you feel lonely, that's the man you call? Or how about the one how he runs to you whenever you even put out a HINT that you might need him? That one Y/N.”

“We are just fuck buddies-”

“Really good, rock your world, the best sex and head you’ve ever gotten, buddy. Right?” Ellie’s tone is dripping with sarcasm now and you pinch your nose in aggravation while stepping onto the elevator.

“Exactly like that.” You go a bit quiet. “Listen, I’m at work, so talk later, okay?”

“Sure, I miss you. I wish you would move back to the city.” Ellie softened her tone a bit. “Girls weekend soon? I love you.”

“I love you too and of course!” You hit the end button and stuff it in your bag, staying quiet the rest of the ride up.

Working as a lawyer's assistant wasn’t too bad. Although it's often said couples shouldn't work together, you hardly saw Neil while you were there. He was usually in some kind of pissing match with another DA in the building, which made for some interesting rants from him when he got home.

You dutifully listened, but with little interest. They got old and boring, which was how you were feeling in this ‘safe relationship.’

Really you felt something must be fucked up with you. Neil was a good guy, supportive, he didn't have much of a jealous streak, although you wished once in a while he would get a bit riled up about when someone was checking you out when the two of you went out for a date night. Everything was stable in your relationship, aside from the fact you basically were away to Ransom's bed any chance you could.

Then there was Ransom. The man you were able to actually swear yourself off from two years straight and got your life in order.

So you thought. It took one drink and conversation to fall back to where you two were two years ago. Only this time you found him missing him while you were away, thinking about him more.

You opened your office door and propped it open for your boss's clients to come inside and wait, your boss's door opened on the other side. Shaking off your over-the-top feelings going on, you went to pour Johanna's coffee and grab the files for today's cases. She was on the phone, so you just set them down with a small wave of your hand and settled behind the desk to get started transferring her notes into the system.

Ransom though was never far from your mind when you gave your cell the occasional glance.

Lunchtime approached which meant you would meet up with Neil and head to the small cafe on the corner. He would ask you about your work, you would ask him about his. There would be pleasantries shared. You sighed once more to yourself at the thought of it.

Johanna closed her door with a sudden click. You jumped a bit in surprise as she shouldered her handbag. “You okay Dear?” The woman asked kindly and you smiled, brushing it off.

“Caught up in these files.”

“Ah, yes there is a lot with this case. Sorry about all the extra notes. I know it's a tad boring. But take your break, stay out with Neil a little extra. It's a nice day and you've earned it.” She smiled kindly.

“I will be sure to, maybe Neil and I can breeze around the park before returning.” Fat chance… you thought as you smiled kindly at your boss as she took her leave. You picked at your cell phone, working your lip about to message Neil that you would meet him when a rather loud distinctive tone filled the entryway to your and Johanna's office.

“I have a meeting lined up with Johanna Klein, if you could let her assistant know that Ransom Drysdale is here to see her.”

Dropping your cell phone, forgetting about Neil, you rise out of your seat and go to your door, peering out. Ransom is leaning against the desk to the receptionists of the lawyer's offices explaining how it was your lunchtime and you were out of the building.

Ransom’s voice was about to release, you could see him drawing in the air to make himself a bit more imposing at the idea that he wasn’t allowed to see you when his icy orbs lifted from the receptionist to you, a perfect smirk crossing those pale pink lips that could be so soft at the moment while dropping venom just as easily. “She looks like she is available to me.”

The receptionist spun her chair to see you in the doorway. “It’s okay, Johanna booked him as the last one this morning.” You lied while Ransom made his way around the desk to enter your office. The receptionist looked like she was about to say something more when you quickly clicked the door closed and pulled the shade over the frosted glass to keep from anyone seeing the two of you in there.

“What are you doing here Ransom?” You ask yet again, while he was leaning against the desk with his arms folded over his chest.

“I have an appointment. Seems it's the only way to properly see you again.” He pushed up the sleeves of his long sleeves over muscled forearms. You being you, was absolutely unable to take your eyes off that action.

“Well, I’ve been busy and you never made mention of it again.”

“Kitten…” His tone lowered with a warning. “I didn't think I had to imply that you could come over whenever. But if I'm going to have to do it this way from now on.” He pushed off the desk to stalk the small space to you. “Guess that's what I will do. Book my appointments between-” a slight snarl darkened his face, the crease between his eyes deepening as his hand rested in your lower back and pushed you closer to him.

Overwhelmingly closer. His muscles through the shirt flexed under your hands coming to rest on his pecs and his cologne made your mouth water with the familiarity. The scent of bergamot and cedar gave an almost smoky scent, a touch of sweetness with vanilla had you inching closer to Ransom. “- your time with Neil.”

Your eyes flashed angrily at him then, pulling back a bit in his hold. “What does it matter to you, Ransom?”

“It doesn't. Like I told you before Kitten, you and I will never be over.”

“Feels a lot like jealousy to me then.” You spat a bit. “Since we're just this.” You shrugged a bit, now your temper is getting the best of you. “What was it that Ellie said to me this morning. Fuck buddies.”

“Your term, not mine Kitten.” Ransom yanked you in close again, this time his kiss was a lot different than that night in your bedroom. It was harsh and demanding, forcing you to open your mouth to him and swallow his passion. “You know fucking Neil is skating on thin ice, keeping you all the time.” He shoved you roughly against your desk, your hands flying to the paperwork you were working on before and it went flying for the most part. Some of it fisted in your hand as your ass arched out and pressed against Ransom's groin, making you hiss when he jerked your hips further back.

“Neil is technically my-” You started when a hand slapped over your mouth, fingers digging into your cheeks roughly.

All of it was turning you on, making your thighs squeeze together and you breathe harshly through your nose the more excited you got. “Don’t say it Kitten. Not right now, this is my time. Remember. I made an appointment.”

You felt your skirt get rucked up around your hips and Ransom leaned over, his chest pressing into your back as he flushed hot kisses on your neck, a yank to your shirt dragged your shirt over your shoulder. It wasn't gentle kisses, it was deep leave his mark there that was making you tilt your head and push back into him once more while he fumbled with his own pants to yank them open.

“Yes, yes your appointment. Did you miss this pussy?” You purred, mimicking the nickname you had earned. His fingers pushed aside the bit of cotton that was now sticky clinging to your folds and he stroked you with precision, spreading your slick all around till he swirled a finger against your clit.

“Enough to come searching your ass out.” He remarked when you felt his cock take over where his fingers were, thicker, velvet hardness in your soft folds make you mewl while gripping your desk's edge.

It was the right call, as soon as Ransom felt you start to take him, he pressed harder. Making you both hiss, your head falling against your desk as he stretched you open, his cock filling you quickly. His teeth sunk into your shoulder, registering the sting of it when he rutted into you, slamming your hips into the desk suddenly. “Fuck Ransom,” You hissed out and bit your lip to stifle a moan.

“This perfect round ass that is so fuckable.” His hand came against a cheek while his hips slammed into you steadily. Jerking you on the desk. But it all felt so good, the stink of the slap making you tighten around his cock while you gave a yelp in protest.

Again his hand came around your mouth, stuffing fingers in your mouth which you wrapped your lips around and sucked on them, making your eyes roll when you tasted yourself on them. “Shut it Kitten, suck yourself off me like a good girl while I fill this perfect cunt.” Ransom snapped his teeth near your ear. You moaned, trying to confirm that you would, you would do just as he said while he fucked you harshly from behind.

It clouded your mind, forgetting everything you had been stressed about all morning. Ransom's cock pounded into your wanting body like it was all you ever needed. Your smooth walls flexed around him, tightening till you felt the throbbing ridges that dragged and pulled through you.

It wasn't just his cock driving you mindless. It was the grunted words in your ear. “Perfect little clock slut, Kitten you love getting fucked on your desk don’t you?” He hissed in your ear as another drive made you moan incoherent at him. “Just so cock drunk slut, who is too stupid to answer me.” A tongue was dragged on your tongue, kisses right at the hinge of your jaw made you whine and press back against him. He knew that it drove you crazy to feel the flush of his lips along your neck, driving you mindless. “Just my sweet little Kitten taking it so well.”

All you could do was mewl around his fingers stuffed in your mouth, drool escaping from the corners of your stretched lips and dribbling on the paperwork you had crumpled in your fists. Your chest pressed harshly against the desk, making you wheeze under Ransom’s weight. It was smothering, him all over caging you against the furniture, pumping his cock harshly into your core and your mouth stuffed with his fingers keeping you quiet.

It was too much and not enough, cause you still weren't quite there. The heat burned in your belly, wanting to implode you into oblivion. Ransom gritted his teeth as he wedged a hand under you, fingers feeling for your throbbing clit that ached for his touch.

The roll of his fingers made you moan at the tension. The rush made your spine snap and fight against Ransom, which he felt as you squealed in protest, his teeth snapping near you while he sputtered.

“Just fucking cum Kitten, then you can relax. Your boss will be back any time now.” Nearby you glanced at your phone that somehow was still on the table, the time wavering in your sight, as well as some ‘Where are you?’ texts from Neil.

Ransom wanted you to relax and cum, which is what you wanted as well. The numbing release was right there with his help and you let go. The wave was mind blanking. You sagged under Ransom, and he tightened his hold on you as he used you. But you were in bliss as he grunted over you, hot shots of cum filling you while he sagged in relief against you.

Jerks of his cock still quivered your sensitive walls as he took a few last slow pumps into you before he plated his hands against your messy desk and pulled himself up, pulling out of your messy cunt.

“Gonna have to go the rest of the day like that Kitten.” He chuckled as he straightened your panties back in place and pulled your skirt down over your ass. His hand went around your waist and he helped guide you back to a stand to face him. Brushes of his thumbs over your face was an attempt to fix your makeup which made you wince while you rubbed the drool from your chin.

“How bad is it?”

Ransom winced when you asked. “Pretty bad… looks like you've been crying… or got properly fucked. Take your pick.” He said as his hands dropped to pull his pants back in place and zip them back up, the button going back through the loop.

It was unfair that Ransom didn't get completely ruined like you did when this sort of thing happened. You rushed around your desk to grab some wet wipes to wipe the smudged lipstick and mascara off.

‘You know… I never have this problem with Neil.” You muttered and Ransom snapped back as he watched you, leaning down to pick up some of the papers that fell and shuffle them together while you did a quick reapplication so no one would question it.

“Kitten, obviously the man isn't fucking you right then.” A smirk flashed up at you as he handed you your papers and you were quick to tuck them away.

You broke into a small dirty smile, a roll of your eyes playing with him. “Well… you are correct in that Ransom. Now split, Johanna will be back soon.”

“Nope." A pop of the p that made you huff at him. "I have an appointment Y/N.” He swept down into a seat just as Johanna clicked open the door and stepped back in.

“Y/N, did you have a good lunch? I didn’t expect to see you back so soon. But I was told my next client is here.” She glanced towards the corner of the room where Ransom was picking at his sweater. “Mr. Drysdale, come on in with me, please? We will get started.” She smiled warmly as she went around your desk to let herself into her office, Ransom moving to a stand with a chipper.

“Absolutely, thrilled to get started. Y/N here has been a perfect host in the meantime.” He winked at you with a light brush of his fingers along your arm before disappearing into Johanna’s office, the door shutting behind them.

You could only begin to guess what Ransom was up to coming all the way here. Which you would find out later, either from Ransom or Johanna.

Right now you had to deal with standing up Neil, which when you picked up your phone, chewing your lip that you still could taste yourself on from Ransom’s fingers, you read the message.

Y/N, where are you? I have been waiting for an hour for you.

You started to text out your lie of an excuse hoping that this wouldn't be the day it would all blow up in your face.

[aalimkhalid]

Learning Arabic in 10 days.

Meeting Dedik Prasetyo!

The Azaan for Zuhur was called when I was near a dormitory. A young gentleman left the dorm and I could sense his veneration. I learnt that he is the English teacher in the university. I greeted him and we exchanged a few words. He was startled to see me speaking in English. He had heard me speaking in Arabic and had mistaken me for an Arab. This was my first meeting with brother Dedik Prasetyo.

There was an instant bonding between brother Dedik and me.

He informed me about his desire to learn Arabic but he has not been able to find a teacher due to the linguistic barriers.

I assured him that Arabic is very easy to learn and volunteered to teach him. Everyday, he would update me with the next day's agenda and schedule the time with me. He would stay true to his word and arrive at out meeting point on time. It was me who couldn't keep up my end. Sometimes he would stay awake past his sleeping time despite having classes the next day. He would also come to me during the class hours if he had a free hour.

He would ask me to teach him more if he had leisure time.

I was in awe by his dedication and determination to learn Arabic.

He told me he had job openings elsewhere but to expand his understanding of Islam, learn Arabic and for a religious ambience he decided to stay about 750 kilometers away from his family.

He turned down the offer to stay with the office staff where they have additional benefits to be able to stay in the students' dormitory. The university provides housing for the married staff which he didn't consider because he was focused on building a closer relationship with his students.

The founder of the university offered to get him a spouse so he can stay longer at the university which he declined to stay with his students; help them and benefit from them.

He always gave me a hundred percent in learning and he never fell short of fulfilling the target. I knew he was a teacher; older than me and busy so I wanted to go easy with him but despite how much ever I tried to cut down the exercises I always felt I ended up burdening him and I felt guilty about it but my guilt turned into happiness when I'd see him turning up a few moments later with the tasks completed. He rarely made any mistakes that I needed to rectify.

Very soon we began seeing the results of his hard work. Brother Dedik had begun constructing sentences and was capable of having a basic conversation in Arabic in hardly 10 days.

Generally, the time we found was in the afternoon where everyone needs to relax and freshen up after a tiring day but brother Dedik would be having lessons with me and completing the exercises that I gave for practice.

Besides the daily five obligatory prayers the students at the university wake up before Fajr to offer night prayers in congregation daily. Brother Dedik was not only punctual in the obligatory prayers but he was punctual in the night prayers.

An English teacher by profession who learnt Arabic in ten days, brother Dedik's life has a lesson for every youth.

There's a saying in Arabic that goes,

َمَنْ جَدَّ وَجَد

“He who strives shall achieve.”

There is no doubt why brother Dedik learnt this language in a short period of time.

May Allah bless brother Dedik Prasetyo and his family who has always encouraged him. His mother would prepare his favorite food and call him. His little sister would call him to show their pet kittens and informed him how she was successful in baking the cake single-handedly which they both failed to bake when he was at home. They haven't fallen short in supporting him in his goals and in keeping him motivated.

Sheikh Khalid Abdus Salam Shurfi

[goggles-mcgee]

i’m really loving the Wish me Away au idea! Would you be up to writing about what the batfam does after seeing mari’s reaction to emilie and adrien?

Like an actually little drabble? Yeah sure! It'll be based off the headcanons from this post -> 👶

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Bruce couldn't remember having so much fun, he always loved to brag about his kids and show them off at work, but it was a little hard when it was 'Bring Your Kid To Work Day' and most of your kids worked with you. That's why he was so happy bringing little Marietta with him to Wayne Enterprises, he also brought Damian but Damian had wandered off to see what Dick did since, and he quotes, "I know everything about you father. If I am to be your successor it is only natural I familiarize myself with your work. I believe it would be beneficial for me to oversee Grayson's work ethic."

Honestly, Damian could have just said he wanted to see what Dick did but that was just part of Damian's charm. Before he had left, Damian had let Marietta grab his finger and give it a little shake which delighted her, if Bruce was not mistaken, Damian had even smiled before he said bye to the both of them. The boy had really grown to love Mari and Bruce could not be more proud of his son. Though, he had to admit, all of his children were absolutely enamored with the baby, not to say he wasn't, but Lord have mercy on anyone who dared mess with his baby girl. She would have an army behind her of overprotective brothers and sisters, and father and mother, and grandfather, and cow...and turkey...and dogs...and cats...and dragon bat....and semi-god things that called themselves kwamis...and two very very powerful almost godlike godparents (Diana and Clark.) Now Bruce didn't like to think about it but he did also have to add Mari's....friends to that list... i.e. some of his rogues, which yes was fucking bizarre beyond all reason, but some had even cut back on crime because of their friendship with his little mini-hero so that was a plus. Right?

Well that was a thought for another day, now he got to take his little girl around and take her into meetings, which was certainly going to be interesting, but Marietta always seemed interested in watching him work so he wasn't too worried. He packed her plenty of snacks along with her lunch that Alfred made, he made sure to pack her favorite toys and a variety of coloring books and markers and crayons. And of course he remembered to pack cookies for Tikki who was riding in the hood of Marietta's dress. Plus he made sure to pack a little first aid kid just in case, also another sweater for Marietta in case she got cold.

He liked to be prepared. Sue him.

First meeting of the day was with a Ms. Graham de Vanily. If his memory served right this was Emilie and not Amelie who he had spoken with in the past. Not for the first time he had to wonder what possessed their parents to name the identical twin sisters Emilie and Amelie, but apparently she had brought along her son as well so that made this meeting a little less awkward. He adjusted his hold on Marietta before he continued on his walk to his office where he would be meeting Ms. Emilie, he had hoped to show his daughter around more when they had arrived but he had actually forgotten about this particular meeting and so hadn't rescheduled it to a time when he would hand over Marietta to one of her brother's since they deemed it "unfair" that only he got to show her his work.

Honestly his boys. They were wonderful but boy did they get jealous of one another if Marietta gave one more attention than the other. He fondly remembered one family game night where all the boys were asking who Mari's favorite brother is and she had just been laughing at all the attention not really understanding and it was the first time Bruce had witnessed Damian giving someone a smile and opening his arms for a hug. Of course he had done it behind all his siblings backs and only Alfred and Bruce himself had seen it. It was a sight to see everyone's face when Mari giggled out a, "Dami!", and ran over to him. When everyone turned around he was back to his stoic face but he was hugging Marietta and she was snuggling herself against him but as he looked at everyone he gave them a small smirk. There was an uproar, a demand for a retest, but Damian wouldn’t have it and it had been one of the most chaotic nights in the Manor. Selina had been very entertained especially when Marietta somehow made her way out of the gaggle of children and waddled over to her and had climbed in her lap very clumsily before plopping herself down and making herself comfortable, almost like a cat Bruce had thought, before smiling up at Selina. Selina had just turned to Bruce and said in a complete monotone voice, “I would die for this child.” 

Him and Selina hadn't tied the knot yet so to say, nor had he proposed. They were trying their hand at dating again but he couldn't help the way his heart skipped and his mind conjured up images of tuxedos, lace, friends and family, cakes and kisses, and rings and vows exchanged, when his baby girl, his little Marietta looked up at Selina and called her Maman. Bruce wondered if she ever shared his thoughts, he almost convinced himself she did whenever he saw her melt and practically purr when Mari, or as Selina liked to call her, Kitten, would call her Maman. He could see the love in the older woman's eyes and he had no doubt in his heart that this time, they would work out, this time they would get their 'happily ever after' or whatever came close to it.

He was ripped from his thought when he heard his baby girl giggle at something Lucius said.

"Morning Lucius."

"And good morning to you Mr. Wayne. I see you brought the little one."

"Yes. I promised I would bring her but I must admit, the meeting with Ms. Graham de Vanily slipped my mind." Bruce sighed out.

"I guessed as much. Well if you want, I can watch the Little Wayne while you have your meeting." Lucius offered, of course Bruce trusted him to watch Marietta seeing as the older man also practically adopted Mari at first sight. He was basically another grandfather to her.

"Gampa Fox!" Marietta began before dissolving into her baby babble. She was getting very good at speaking. Honestly she was very smart for a two year old.

"That's okay Lucius, I want to bring her in. Besides if her brothers spot her with you they wouldn't hesitate to snatch her up before their scheduled times. If Ms. Graham de Vanily has a problem with it I will insist on a reschedule. It's not everyday I get some one on one time with Marietta." Bruce admitted.

"You know one day someone is going to say no to you despite your good looks, money and reputation. Fine. Head on in, our guest is already here, which by the way, I don't think she will mind Mari seeing as she brought her own son to this meeting." Lucius sighed but he gave Mari a little wave and pointed Bruce to one of the smaller meeting rooms they had in Wayne Enterprises.

"Aww Lucius you think I'm good looking?"

"Go."

"Yes sir." Bruce chuckled out with a brief wave before he made his way over to the meeting room Lucius had pointed to and gently rapped his knuckled on the outside door despite the room being visible from outside because of the large windows. He heard a feminine voice call out from inside so he entered,

“Remember your manners Marietta and if you need anything don’t be shy.” Bruce told his daughter softly as they walked in, he chuckled when she nodded enthusiastically. As soon as he caught sight of the blonde woman he put on his best business smile. “Ah, Ms. Graham de Vanily, so sorry to keep you waiting. I must admit that this meeting slipped my mind.”

“No worries Mr. Wayne, I don’t believe this will be long. I see you brought your daughter. I brought my son! Adrien say hi.” Ms. Graham de Vanily light-heartedly scolded her son and tapped his shoulder. When Bruce took his seat and placed Marietta on his lap he finally got a good look at them both. Both mother and son were blond, her son, Adrien was a teenager, from the looks of it he was 16 maybe even 17. When his mother tapped him on the shoulder he sat up straighter than when he was slouching so obviously he didn’t want to come. So why bring him then? 

“Hello Mr. Wayne, it’s an honor to meet you.” Adrien greeted him with a model smile, he had seen enough to spot them from the real deal.

“Likewise. Marietta, can you say ‘hello’ to our guests?” Bruce asked gently down to his daughter who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Usually she would already saying ‘hi’ and waving, maybe even trying to get a high five or hand shake. Though now she was hiding her face in his chest and hugging her backpack to her, she made a small noise like a whimper and Bruce was absolutely dumbfounded. His daughter had never acted like this before, not even with Joker for crying out loud yet here she was trembling and trying to hide herself in his arms. He didn’t know what was going on but his daughter was scared so he scooped her up and held her closer to him but she still tried to pull herself closer. Finally Bruce caught sight of Tikki inside Marietta’s open backpack and saw her antennae-like things pulled back and her eyes narrowed as the kwami glared at Ms. Graham de Vanily and her son, if he wasn’t mistaken she was even glowing a faint red especially as she stared at Adrien. Bruce didn’t understand what was causing these reactions but he did know one thing, he wasn’t going to make Marietta sit there.

“I apologize. She’s not normally like this, I think it would be best if I take her to one of her brothers if you don’t mind.” 

“Oh...no worries at all. I’m sorry if we scared her somehow.” The woman actually sounded genuine but Bruce wasn’t going to risk anything, especially with how her son actually looked at his daughter for the first time that they walked in there.

“I’m sure that’s not the case, but it will probably be best to take her to one of her brothers that way we can get through this meeting. I will be fast.” With that he was out the room and speedwalking down the hall over to Lucius’s office. “I don’t have time to explain but Marietta was acting strange around Ms. Graham de Vanily and her son and Tikki as well. Can you take her to one of her brothers please? Just inform me who and I will go pick her up after the meeting.”

Lucius on his part did his best not to ask questions knowing Bruce didn’t have the time but he did raise a brow that told Bruce he would be answering those unasked questions later. “Of course. I’ll go see what Dick and Damian are up to.”

“Thank you Lucius.” Bruce said sincerely before he made his way back to his meeting. He had questions too and they were all for Tikki, but there would be time for that later, now it was time for business.

__________________________________________

The meeting passed and all Bruce could think about was getting to Marietta. He checked his texts from Lucius that informed him that he did indeed leave Mari with Dick and Damian so he made his way over to the central security room knowing that’s where Dick would most likely be. When he got there he was relieved to see his baby girl laughing and playing with Dick while Damian sat on a chair watching, as he walked in the two boys stood up swiftly with Dick scooping up Marietta and angling her away from the door but when they saw it was him they relaxed. “Father, Lucius told us nothing, what happened?” Damian demanded.

“I’m not sure myself. Marietta started acting scared when we got in the meeting room with Ms. Graham de Vanily and her son Adrien.” Bruce answered.

“NO!” They all stared at Marietta in shock when she screamed and tried to hide herself in Dick’s chest, then they all stared at each other with wide eyes. 

“Hey, hey, hey. Etta what’s wrong?” Dick asked softly.

“No Adrien! No!” Marietta cried out. 

The air grew cold. Bruce could hear his son’s gasp and he wouldn’t be surprised if he did as well. “ طفل الخفافيش (tifl alkhafafish), you’re safe. This Adrien won’t harm you I promise.” Damian cooed to Marietta.

“الأخ الأكبر (al'akhu al'akbar).” Mari cried out wetly as she reached her hands out for him and he of course took her out of Dick’s arms and held her. 

“Tikki. Explain...please.” Bruce pleaded.

Tikki flew out of Mari’s backpack and sadly looked over at the girl before flying over to her and kissing the top of her head before flying and landing on Dick’s desk. “It’s...They are from her old life. Ad- He was her former partner...the one who wished her away. That woman shouldn’t be alive.” 

“He was the one to betray her?” Damian asked, his voice full of ice and steel. “Father I will be needing my swords. All of them.”

“Damian. No.”

“What do you mean no?” His son asked indignantly.

“Yeah what do you mean no?” Tikki asked with a tilt of her head, Bruce glared at her, she knew what she was doing.

“Tikki what do you mean that woman shouldn’t be alive?” Dick asked.

“Simply that. She was a corpse. No soul. Haw-Gab- The villain Mari had to face before, she was his wife. He wished for her life.” Tikki explained as though it made total sense to all of them.

“Yeaaaaah, you’re going to need to expand on that.” Dick said which made Tikki frown in confusion.

“While I do agree with that, maybe we should wait until we are at home to continue this conversation. You boys know how Tim and Jason will be if they aren’t informed about what happened. You boys tell them and I’ll take Marietta. We will continue on with our day, but if you see either of them lingering here alert me. I don’t want Marietta to have to interact with them at all if we can help it.” Bruce said as he gently took Marietta from Damian who looked like he wanted to do anything but give his little sister to his father.

“If I see them I have a right to defend Marietta.” Damian stated. “You can’t stop me.”

“Damian.”

“Don’t worry Bruce, at least he doesn’t have a sword on him.” Dick chuckled.

“Who said I didn’t? Was it Todd?” 

Bruce needed a break. Bruce questioned why he had so many kids not for the first time in his life. Bruce decided to ignore the fact his child admitted to having a sword somewhere on him and just did as he said he was going to do, continue his day with his daughter and if he held her a little closer to him than usual? Well it couldn’t be helped. 

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I know it’s not like the reactions yet but I am in the process of writing Wish Me Away so take this! XD

طفل الخفافيش (tifl alkhafafish): Baby Bat

“الأخ الأكبر (al'akhu al'akbar): Big Brother

[reidgraygubler]

multiply (kyle orfman/reader)

Title: multiply Request: no Couple: Kyle Orfman/Fem!reader Category: angst/smut w/ a taste of fluff Content Warning: SEXUAL CONTENT (penetrive sex, unsafe sex, mild hatefuck, grinding/groping, heavy petting, light breathplay (hand over mouth and nose) breeding/impregnation kink, fingering), zombies and zombies eating humans, death, descriptions of death, death of a grandparent (grandmother), mentions of guns and gun violence (but none actually happening), petnames (kitten/officer) Word Count: 5,943 Summary: After narrowly escaping her grandmother eating her, Reader is on her own to find other civilization. She meets the Orfman family and they take her in for safety. Reader and Kyle share a special bond. A/N: I am in love with this piece, so I hope you guys love it as much as I do. thank you to @reidetic for beta/editing this for me! this was also written for @imagining-in-the-margins "there was only one bed" trope challenge for june! thank you all so much for the support! i really do appreciate it. check out my masterlist!

{***}{***}{***}

My grandmother was alive… And then she was dead… And now she’s alive again. Which is very confusing because I watched her die. Like I can’t be the only person experiencing this, right? It’s not some weird fever dream either, I don’t think. This has to be a town wide phenomenon.

My grandmother was acting totally normal too. As if she didn’t die. She was living life day to day, making cookies, knitting, and sipping her tea, just like she did before she died. It was like life went back to normal. And then… She tried to eat me. That’s definitely not normal. Is it?

Who eats another person!? Zombies! That’s who! And how do you kill a zombie? I don’t really like that answer. Because I love my grandmother. She’d do nothing to hurt me, except eat me, I guess.

I gotta get out of this house. It’s not safe to stay in the house with her anymore, and it hasn’t been for a long time. So instead of killing her, like any other sane person would do, I just left. I packed my backpack with a few clothes, snacks and water, and I left.

Turns out it was a lot more than a town wide phenomenon. It was country wide. Everyone was experiencing their dead loved ones returning from the dead. Just showing up, like how my grandmother just showed up. It caused something of an uprise, too, considering people don’t just come back to life after being dead, and they’re eating other humans. It wasn’t an uprise. It was terror, pure terror of the people who didn’t die and come back to life.

I hadn’t left my house in a while, at least since my grandmother came back. So I didn’t realize just how dire the situation was. Piles of burnt stuff were all over the place. Cars with shattered windshields were crashed into trees or homes. And the number of bodies just on the street was… incredibly disturbing.

I needed to find any sign of civilization, and quickly. There was no telling just how long I’d make it alone. I probably only had enough water for the next day or two. And the only zombie movies I’ve seen were Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, and that wasn’t very helpful… Well maybe Zombieland was helpful.

A long branch with a sharp and pointy end was sitting in the middle of the road. I grabbed it, hoping it’d be enough of a weapon to protect me from the disaster around me. I silently hoped, and prayed to whatever God was up there, that I’d find safety before nightfall.

I was beginning to lose hope as the sun started setting; the sky lighting up with the fires around the town. Several people wearing orange jumpsuits came running around the corner, each carrying various weapons in their hands and over their backs. I nearly fell to the ground because of how startled I was. I tried to pay attention to the crowd around me, but the pavement chewed up the palms of my hands.

A guy with a crew cut hairstyle seemingly looked in charge. Weird to have a gangly and scrawny man be in charge of a zombie take out group. He had this weird stature that he held, like he was trying to be intimidating but not everyone took him seriously.

The guy looked right at me and pointed a gun at my head. I slowly lifted my hands and stared at him.

“D-Don’t shoot! I’m human!” I shouted as I stared at him. He stared back, stepping closer to me. He dropped his gun away from me, but still kept his guard up.

“Human my ass!” The guy with the crewcut shouted. I looked at my hands, watching as blood began seeping from my palms. I quickly looked back at him, hoping he’d look at the human blood.

"Thoughts on smooth jazz?!" he asked in a loud tone. I stared up at him, feeling the terror bubble up my throat.

"I-I… Not my first choice in music?" I furrowed my eyebrows, as I wondered what this had to do with anything.

"Thoughts on dirt?!"

"Ew? Good for gardening? I don’t know!” I shouted back before I stumbled to my feet. The guy with the crew cut cautiously stepped closer to me as he examined my face and body. I’d assume it was because he was looking for any impurities I could possibly have. “I almost had to kill my grandmother. But… But I had to leave. I couldn’t do it. So I left. I left because she lunged at me… from across the table,” I mumbled as he stepped back. “I just need somewhere.. To lie low for the time being. I promise I’m safe.” I whispered as I looked at him. The guy looked back at the rest of his team, gauging their thoughts and concerns about letting me go with them.

“You can come with us. But the second you turn your back on us, or turn into them, don't be shocked when I’m the one to put a bullet into your head,” his voice got scary low as he stepped right up to me. I swallowed roughly and nodded.

“Understood,” I whispered as I looked up at him.

I was shoved into the middle of the crowd of orange jumpsuits. The guy with the crewcut took the lead and brought us to a house that was guarded by tall cement and steel fencing. The people who were currently occupying this home knew how to keep themselves safe.

We entered the fenced in yard of the house, the leader making sure everyone got in safely, and no undead beings followed us. Then we entered the house. I was half expecting it to be stripped down, or decayed. But when we got in… It looked like a normal home, just no power, and the windows boarded up.

“Oh! A new person!” A woman exclaimed once I stood in the area that was once a living room. She came right up to my side, looking at me with a bright smile. She was very happy that I was here. “Don’t worry! You’re safe now!” she cooed as she threw her arms around me. I froze, my body refusing to move as she embraced me.

“I-I…” I swallowed roughly as she pulled away from me. I barely had time to say anything else as she pulled us to sit on the couch.

“I’m Judy Orfman. Kyle is my son.” She smiled as she gestured towards the crew cut guy wearing the orange jumpsuit.

“Mom,” Kyle muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. I snickered as I looked back at Judy. I smiled softly as I gave her my name. It was weird how homey this place felt, albeit our situation in the world. Part of me wondered if Judy had any part in that.

“My husband, Noah, is out right now. And my other son, Zach, is with one of the women. She also had to kill her grandmother,” Judy whispered that last part. I looked at her with wide eyes, feeling a certain nervousness settle in the pit of my stomach. I could tell she meant well, and I shouldn’t be scared around anyone here. Everything that’s happened is just unsettling. When I woke up this morning I wasn’t expecting to have to escape zombies.

“Is it okay i-if I lie down? I’m just very tired after everything that’s happened.” I I looked between Judy and Kyle.

“Oh! Kyle, honey, you should let her sleep in your room. She obviously needs it,” Judy spoke to her son as she carefully smoothed out my hair. I looked at her with a small smile. I loved how motherly she was. It was definitely something I needed in a time like this.

“I’m not going to do that, Mom.”

“We don’t have any more bed space. You’re the only person with a bed big enough to hold two people. We aren’t going to force her to sleep on the floor or on the couch.”

“I-I don’t have an issue with the flo-”

“Non-sense! Kyle has plenty of space!” Judy clapped her hands together as she glared at Kyle. Kyle looked back at her with wide eyes before dropping his head and mumbling something. Even though Kyle was in charge of the orange jumpsuits, Judy was the head of household. Anyone could argue with her, but she would end up getting her way no matter what. Kyle probably knew better than to fight his mother.

“So it’s agreed then! You guys will share the room!” Judy smiled brightly. “Just no funny business.” She then glared between me and Kyle. I looked at her with wide eyes before shaking my head.

“Ugh! Ew! With him!”

“Her?! Are you serious?”

Even though I basically said what he said, I was still hurt by his utter disgust behind his words. I tried not letting it bother me as I grabbed my backpack and stood up.

“Why don’t you show her around? The bathroom, kitchen, bedroom.” Judy stood up beside me as she looked at her son. Kyle begrudgingly moved towards the opening of the living room, leading off to a new area.

“C’mon,” he grumbled as he looked over at me. I looked at Judy before looking back at Kyle. I dropped my head before dashing up beside him.

Every room he showed, I was met with a new person distraught by the events of the day. Kyle just showed me the room. I didn’t really know what I was expecting when he showed me around the house.

“Finally, this is where I sleep,” Kyle muttered as he gestured towards the closed off bedroom. A small smile grew on my lips as I entered the room, heading right towards the bed. Kyle, however, stopped me by grabbing my backpack and pulling me back to the door. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Judy said I could sleep in here, too. So I figured I should take my side of the bed.” I looked up at him, folding my arms over my chest. A smirk grew across Kyle’s lips before he nodded. At this point we were standing toe-to-toe, and our chests were practically pressed together.

“You’re adorable,” he muttered before pulling my backpack off my back and tossing it to the left side of the bed. “If I find out you’re cuddling with me, you’re outta here. And if I see you going through my shit… You’re dead.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” I whispered before looking away from him. I walked away from him and towards the bed. Even though I wasn’t facing him, I could feel Kyle’s eyes on me as I went through my bag. “Are you just going to stand there and watch me? Or are you going to let me sleep peacefully?” I asked as I dropped my shoulders and the things I was holding.

“Until I know you won’t fuck around with stuff you’re not supposed to…” He spoke out loud. I rolled my eyes before turning to face him.

“Do you want me to just mess with your stuff while you’re here?” I asked as I walked back around to his side of the bed. Kyle’s eyes widened and his jaw steeled as I went to his night stand. “Or will you leave me alone so I can get some rest?”

“I’ll leave you alone the second you back away from that nightstand.” His words were quick and sharp as he spoke. A small smirk grew across my lips as I looked back at him. I stepped away from the night stand and stood in the middle of the room. “I’ll come back in an hour,” he muttered before leaving the room.

With a deep sigh, I returned to my side of the room, finally getting ready to lie down for the first time in what feels like days.

{***}{***}{***}

I don’t think time exists anymore. Ever since the world went to shit, it feels like days felt longer than 24 hours. So it was hard to say how long I’d been in this safe house. I wished time was still relevant...

I try not to let things bother me. But I feel like it’s especially hard in this house with all of these people I hardly know. It was even harder because I was still sharing a room with Kyle. And he is probably the worst person I’ve ever met. He talks in his sleep. But he wouldn’t own up to that. Noooo, he’s too good for that.

The first night I realized he was talking in his sleep wasn’t too bad, mostly because it was him talking about stuff that happened before before a stupid zombie apocolyspe. But now it’s just annoying shit. I never get a moment alone anymore.

For a moment of privacy, I sat in the closet. It was just for a moment before the doors swung open and a woman my age sat down beside me.

“Zach wants to go to a stupid graveyard today,” Erica muttered as she sat down. I looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. “He wants to visit Beth’s stupid grave.”

“Beth’s his ex-girlfriend, right?” I asked, still unsure of who people were here. She nodded as she began picking at the loose threads on her pants. “You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, Erica.”

“Okay, but when the dead start trying to kill me, then I’m going to talk ill of the dead.”

“That’s fair, I suppose,” I muttered as I looked at the floor in front of us. “It’s still not really safe to do that… Little weird.” I glanced back at Erica with a raised brow. She looked back at me and grimaced. I had nothing else to say, granted conversations between us didn’t last too long. We had nothing in common other than our grandmothers tried eating us, therefore we had to kill them. So what was the use of us talking? I knew a friendship would never grow between us.

With a resigned sigh, I stood up, leaving Erica in the closet alone. I ignored her bothersome questions as I walked away from her. I didn’t want to be around her, or really anyone. So I went to the safest place I could think of, hoping no one else would be there, my shared bedroom with Kyle.

Of course, it’d just be my luck that Kyle would also be there. He was sitting at his desk, wearing nothing by his boxers while he cleaned his gun. I just didn’t realize that till I had fully entered the room.

“What the fuck!? What are you doing?! Don’t you knock!?” he shouted as I entered the room more. I turned and looked at him, my eyes wide as I stared at him. “S-Stop staring! Are you crazy!?”

“Me crazy!? You’re the one cleaning your gun half naked!” I shouted as I gestured at his attire. I quickly threw a hand over my eyes as I blindly searched for the bed.

“It's how I relax!” He shouted back. Once my body finally touched the bed, I laid back, quickly throwing a pillow over my face. “Can you leave?”

“How come you get to relax but I don’t? Roommates remember?” I sat up and glared at him. He glared back at me, keeping his hands on his gun.

“It’s so funny to me that you were going to be a police officer?” I scoffed as I laid back. That seemed to strike a chord in him, causing him to stand and look at him.

“What? I didn’t tell-”

“You talk in your sleep,

“No I don’t, Kitten,” Kyle retorted. I stared at him for a moment, trying to comprehend what he just called me. Kitten? Really? Seriously? “If anyone talks in their sleep, it’s you.” He pointed at me. I smirked and shrugged.

“If you say so… Officer.” I grinned before reaching up to shut the lamp off. Kyle stayed sitting in the darkness. I could only imagine his face was beet red, and his knuckles were white as a ghost as he held his gun.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Kyle’s voice came through the mild darkness. I shrugged, even though he couldn’t see me.

“Taking a nap, Officer, because it’s how I relax.”

{***}{***}{***}

It had to have been the middle of the night. I couldn’t be too sure. I just knew it was late at night, and Kyle’s whole entire body was clinging to mine as he talked.

“Someone’s gotta repopulate the world… Why… Why don’t you do it with me?” Kyle mumbled into my chest. I stiffened as his hands drifted all over my body. “You’re like the only feasible person to do it with.”

“Okay, first off, rude,” I muttered as I shoved his body off mine. It was impossible to keep him off me though, because the moment his body was away from mine, he knew, and instantly wrapped his arms back around me ten times harder than before. “Secondly, haven’t you heard of personal space,” I groaned as I laid perfectly still on my back. I finally just gave in and let him keep his arms around me. No use in fighting that.

“C’mon, Kitten,” he mused as he nuzzled his head into my chest more. I widened my eyes and looked down at him. “We’d make some pretty cute kids.”

I hate this so fucking much. And there was no way I was getting out of this. I just wish this was when I knew the weird sex dreams started...

{***}{***}{***}

I laid perfectly still on the bed. The lights were off, and Kyle was perfectly asleep. I was envious of his sleep. The last time I had a peaceful night of rest was ages ago. The nightmares I had were awful, keeping me awake till dawn. But also, Kyle also talked in his sleep and always clung to me like his life depended on it.

I’d be lying if I said Kyle and I hadn’t gotten close. Even though part of me still hated him, the other part of me knew that he was probably the last person I had to be friends with, other than his mother and Erica.

With a deep groan, I shoved Kyle awake, nearly pushing him to the floor.

“What the hell was that for!?” he shouted from his spot on the ground beside the bed.

“You know when you talk in your sleep…” I spoke aloud. I kept my eyes on him as he glared at me.

“No I don’t,”

“You sure about that, Officer. How else would I know you wanted to be a cop?” I scoffed as I stood up off the bed. Kyle watched as I walked around the bed and stood at the foot of it.

“You… You read through my personal belongings.” He shot back as he stood to his feet.

“Y-You have a diary,” I stifled my laughter as I looked at him. Kyle glared at me again. “No, I only know that because you talk in your sleep. And at first it didn’t bother me too much because it was cute shit like being a police officer, or having a family and kids, and cute shit… But now… For the last week, Kyle, you have been having sex dreams. And I wake up to you clinging to me…” I lifted an accusing finger as I spoke. Kyle looked at me, waiting for me to continue my rant. Which was rather surprising because he hardly lets people finish their thoughts or rants before he interprets them. “Do you know how weird that is?! Having sex dreams about someone who’s just sleeping next to you?” I stared at him for a moment, trying to understand if he was going to say anything. “Whatever, I’m going to help Judy.” I scoffed before turning to leave the room.

“With what? It’s midnight!” He gestured to the dark window. Yeah, that was true. Judy was probably asleep. I just needed to get out of the room and let my frustrations be out instead of held in.

“With something!” I shouted at him.

“Kitten, wait,” Kyle started before grabbing my wrist and pulling me to face him. I spun around on my toes and looked right at him. I couldn’t help but feel annoyance grow on my face as I stared.

“Why do you call me that!?” I shouted at him. Kyle stayed silent as he stared up at me. I could see a certain confusion grow on his face as he tried to connect the dots to my question. “Kitten! Why do you call me that?! You’ve called me that since I got here.”

“Well… I…” Kyle paused for a moment. I watched as his mouth opened and closed a few times, and his jaw clenching momentarily. I stared at him, as he sat in thought for a very long time.

“Whatever,” I scoffed as I turned to leave again.

“Because you’re attractive…” He finally spoke after an eternity of silence. He looked up at me with a stilled face. “Because I’d fuck you,” he stated truthfully. I blinked, taking a step back before I stared at him.

“That’s a bit of a raunchy way to say you want to sleep with me.” I folded my arms over my chest. Kyle smirked before shrugging. “I’ve been sleeping with you for the last month.”

“You-You know what I meant,” he muttered as he approached me again. I stopped right in front of me, our toes just barely touching. “Well, do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Want to have sex with me?”

“You… You want to have sex… During the end of the world. Bit cliche don’t you think?” I was still taken aback that he just asked that. I’m still stuck in the argument we had less than 10 minutes ago. And now he wants to have sex with me?

“Well I wouldn’t say that it’s the end of the world. But that’s essentially what I’m saying… Yeah, I wanna have sex with you, during the end of the world.” Kyle shrugged as he looked at me.

“If you say so… Officer,” I whispered with a shrug. Kyle looked at me, his jaw stealing at my words. “Someone’s gotta repopulate the world.” I smirked at him. I could tell my words did something to him. It was obvious that he did indeed want someone to repopulate with. And I was the winner of that contest. Not that I’m complaining.

“Don’t… Don’t call me that,” he warned as he cornered me between his body and the bed. I took a deep breath as I looked at him, feeling my heart rate pick up in my chest. He still made it possible for me to escape if I wanted to. But, at this point, who says I wanted to escape?

“Why? D-Does it do something to you, Officer?” I whispered as I lifted my hands to his shirt. A small smirk grew across his lips as I smoothed out the wrinkleiness of the fabric against his torso. I could feel the semi toneness of his chest through the light fabric.

“You tell me yourself, Kitten,” he muttered before pressing his hips into mine. My breath was instantly knocked from my lungs as his bulge pressed into my legs. “Tell me now… If you want to stop…” he half growled into my mouth. I quickly shook my head as he pressed his groin into me more.

“P-Please,” I whispered before I pulled my lips between my teeth.

“Please what, Kitten?”

“Don’t stop,” I whimpered into his mouth. He looked down at me, a pleased smirk growing on his lips before he quickly pressed his mouth along my face and then down my jaw. It was impossible to stay down on earth the moment he began leaving little bites across my neck. A soft whimper fell from my lips as he pushed me back down on the bed.

“We gotta be quiet… My parents are in the next room over. Don’t want them hearing us,” he whispered into my ear as he quickly threw a hand over my mouth. I took a deep breath before he pressed his thumb over my nose. “You think you can do that for me, Kitten?” He kept his voice low, almost a growl as he spoke. With his other hand, he carefully pushed past my pajamas and cupped my pussy.

I wanted to nod, but I knew the nod would mean nothing the second I whimpered again. Kyle smirked as he slowly moved his fingers over my clothed sex. I don’t think I’d be able to be quiet...

It just got harder to stay quiet the second he started stroking my clit over my panties. He knew exactly what he was doing. Driving me nuts, that’s what. He could’ve gone slower, and I would’ve hated him for it… Or loved him. At this point they were both interchangeable.

I bit down so hard on my lips I was sure they’d bleed as he moved my underwear to the side. My lungs slowly grew a blaze, feeling a certain tightness in my chest as he slowly moved a finger between my folds, slowly pressing it into my entrance. A dark smirk grew across his lips as he withdrew his hand.

“I didn’t know a kitten could get so wet,” Kyle mused as looked at his glistening fingers. He quickly glanced at me, his smirk growing daker by the second. Then he carefully stuck his fingers between his lips, sucking on them for a brief moment. A soft whimper came from me, causing him to laugh. “She tastes good, too,” he hummed.

Kyle carefully dragged his hand down my side, tracing over my waist and hips, before diving back into my pants and underwear. He knew exactly what he was doing, on purposely making me make noises. Because the second he started stroking over my clit, I couldn’t stop any sound that came from my mouth, even with his hand over it.

“This is already better than any dream I had, Kitten,” he murmured in my ear. I swallowed roughly and nodded. He smirked as he gently pushed a finger into me, quickly followed by a second. “If you’re quiet I’ll move my hand.”

I hummed as I closed my eyes, my head lolling to the side. Kyle dragged his hand from my mouth, sliding it down to my chest. My lips stayed between my teeth, forcing myself to be quiet as he started massaging my breasts.

“D-Don’t stop, whatever you do… Please k-keep going,” I struggled to say as his movements hastened. His thumb carefully brushed against my clit, causing me to push my head back into the bed beneath me.

“You like this, don’t you?” Kyle laughed lightly. I could feel my chest lifting away from the bed the heavier my breath grew. “How long has it been since you’ve been touched like this? Since you’ve been used?”

“Kyle, Kyle, please,” I bit down on my lower lip. I brought one of my hands to rest over my mouth, while the other held his arm.

“I’d call you a desperate, but I’m the one having sex dreams of you.”

The funny thing is… I was desperate. Even though he was the one having the sex dreams, I was the one having the thoughts when I was awake. And a lot of the thoughts were hoping this would happen. Guess we’re bothing having dreams coming true.

It was only a matter of moments before I was finishing over his hand. My eyes stayed closed as I tried catching up with time. And in the few moments I had, Kyle had climbed off the bed and quickly undressed, leaving me still in my pajamas. I didn’t feel rushed, but I hated that I was still wearing clothes.

Once I had my moment of recollection, I sat up, peeling my shirt off and kicking my pants to the floor. I was too busy undressing to even notice that Kyle was staring at me, watching my quickness and excitement. But when I finally did sit back and look at him, he was watching me with a smirk on his lips.

I tried not to let my eyes linger on his body for too long. When I noticed his hard length, I couldn’t help but stare. Then he laughed, forcing me to look up at his face and swallow roughly.

“No, please, keep staring,” he muttered with a smirk. I slowly blinked before shaking my head, silently lifting my hand to him. I could feel my sudden neediness radiating off my body, surely Kyle could sense it from where he was standing.

When he didn’t move, I slowly moved my legs apart, making it so there was space for him to kneel comfortably. He smirked again before crawling onto the bed, coming right up to my face.

“Tell me, Kitten, how badly do you want this,” he whispered against my lips. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before nodding. “Use your words. I trust you know how. You were pretty vocal a few moments ago.”

“I don’t think you understand, Officer, how bad I need you,” I murmured as I looked up at him. The corner of his lips twitched at the nickname I had so lovingly given him. “Only you can help me.”

“Damn right I am,” he muttered before roughly pressing his lips to mine. I threw my arms around his neck as he moved so his length was pressing against me. My breathing stuttered slightly before I began gasping for air as he very slowly entered me.

Once he was fully sheathed in me, Kyle knelt straight up. I stared at him, watching as he hooked his arms under my knees. With that, he managed to press deeper into me, inciting a moan from me.

“More,” I tried to whisper as I looked up at him. His eyes locked with mine for a moment before rolling his hips into mine. He fell into a steady rhythm, hitting the right spots at just the right times.

Any conversation between us ceased to exist, leaving us with struggling moans and gasps for breath. My hands ran over my body, trying to relieve myself of something.

Kyle dropped one of my legs, bringing his hand to between my legs. My head fell back before rolling to rest against my shoulder, feeling the eventual relief in my abdomen.

“You feel so good, Kitten,” Kyle mumbled before dropping my other leg and coming back down to my face. I huffed out a breath of air before lifting a hand to his head. “Better than anything I could ever imagine,” he added before pressing his lips to mine. I hummed, pushing my fingers through his hair.

“I’m gon-gonna cum,” I whined before biting my teeth into his shoulder. Kyle ran his hands up my back before pulling me close.

“Yeah?” he groaned into my ear. I nodded as my breathing grew ragged. “Me too,” he added as his movements grew faulty. He pressed his forehead to mine, his heavy breath fanning across my skin. My eyes stayed glued to his.

“Do it, please do it,” I whimpered. Kyle’s eyes grew darker the moment the heaviness of my words hit him. I don’t think I was supposed to notice his brief pause, but I did. “I’m serious.”

“You know what-”

“God, Kyle, I know. I know what it’ll mean,” I cut him off, lifting my back up into his body. He looked at me for a brief moment before capturing my lips in a gentle kiss. I threw my arms around his neck, holding him close to me.

“If that’s what you want,” he moaned, his movements turning sloppy. I knew I wasn’t about to last long. “Someone’s gotta have my kid.”

“Let it be me then,” I cried out. My legs wrapped around his waist, keeping him in place. “Please.” My whole body tensed around his as my head fell back as I tried to keep quiet. Kyle looked down at me before putting his hand over my mouth. Then a warmth- that I didn’t realize that I missed- grew in my stomach.

Kyle fell, laying against my body. With that, we fell into silence. The only sound was our heavy breathing and the sounds of crickets outside. The silence was nice though.

“My mother better not find out about this,” Kyle said after an eternity. I laughed and shook my head.

“Then you better hope I don’t end up pregnant, because she’ll find out eventually,” I sighed deeply as I brought my hands to hold the back of his head. His body stiffened before he lifted his head to look down at me.

“I’ll tell her in the morning.”

“Well you don’t have to do that,” I laughed. He stared at me for a moment. “You tell her she’ll probably break us apart. And, well, like I said earlier… Someone’s gotta repopulate the world.”

“No, yeah, you’re right. She’d probably kill me if she found out we’re having sex,” he stated before trying to move away from me. “Actually I think she’d kill me then pray I come back to life for that kid.”

“I’m not living through someone trying to eat me twice.”

“I can change that,” he teased with a smile. I stared at him once I realized what he meant.

“Tomorrow night please. I’m so tired.”

“If you say so,” Kyle laughed before slipping out of the bed.

Some months after the apocalypse ended

“You look mighty dashing in that uniform, Officer.” I looked at Kyle as I smoothed out the few wrinkles in his shirt. I tried my hardest to hold the young boy in my arms the moment he became fussy.

“Don’t start that now. I can’t be late,” Kyle warned as he looked back at me. I smiled and shrugged.

I looked up at Kyle with a soft smile on my lips. Although our son was young, he tried to blindly reach out for his father, but failed as he was just out of the child’s reach. “Be safe out there,” I whispered before pressing my lips to his.

“Of course I will.”

“Good, because your little man will be pissed if he finds out you’re not coming home.” I smiled before kissing him again. “But I think I’ll be even more pissed than your kid.”

“Please. I’ll come home in one piece, with no bites.”

“You better, Officer.” I smirked again.

“Well since you asked so nicely,” Kyle scoffed before rolling his eyes. I smiled and nodded.

“Good luck out there. Judy’s making dinner so be home in a timely manner.”

“Okay, for real, I gotta go. See you later, Little Man.” Kyle smiled as he rubbed the top of his son’s head. I smiled before puckering my lips. “And I’ll be home before you know it.” He quickly pecked my lips. “Love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, love you too. See ya later.” I swung our son over to my other hip, resting him gently on my hip. I turned around and slowly walked back up to our home.

“It’s not too soon for another one, is it?!” He shouted from the end of the driveway. I turned and looked at him as I made it to the front door.

“If anything, we can practice!”

if you want to be a part of a taglist (lmk if ur 18+ for smut) or have any comments about this one-shot, let me know here

taglist: @thebluetint @muffin-cup @itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto @spencersmagic  @spenciegoob @flipperpenguins @broken-stardust​ 

[mcheang]

In another’s eyes

Inspired by https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13849241/1/Signed-Gifts

Basically Adrien finds Marinette’s signature on his blue scarf and connects the dots.

Adrien is hurt that Marinette let him believe his father gave him the scarf. He understands why but it hurts worse after all this time thinking his father finally gave him something new. It’s having new hopes crushed

He visits Marinette and gently confronts her over it, chiding her to tell him the truth next time instead of letting him believe a lie.

Frantic, Marinette wildly points out that he lets their classmates believe in Lila’s wild promises. How is she any different from him?

Pause.

Adrien never really thought about it that way. He just wanted his classmates to be happy. But if he told them the truth, they would be sad and Lila would also be angry at him and probably akumatized.

If he kept the truth from them, then wasn’t he being a hypocrite?

Marinette worried she said something she could never take back. “Adrien...”

He held up a hand, needing to think.

What was the Chinese saying again? “Do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.”-Confucius

Well, Adrien wasn’t one to deny an ancient philosopher’s wisdom.

Adrien: no, you’re right, Marinette. I’m a hypocrite for scolding you for something I’ve done as well

Marinette: you haven’t-

Adrien: but i have. Please don’t sugarcoat this, Marinette. Don’t try to spare my feelings when the truth is more important.

Marinette was nervous and predictably, she rambled. “Well, if you are planning to expose Lila, you would also be in trouble because while i constantly doubted her trip to Achu, you were aware of her playing truant.”

Adrien paused and took a breath. “I know. And I’ll accept my due punishment. But what matters is making things right. We need to tell everyone that Lila is a liar.”

Marinette: but how? They don’t believe me. And who knows if they’ll believe you!”

Adrien frowned, thinking again. “Don’t you have Jagged’s number?”

Marinette: Yup. I barely got him to cease suing Alya’s Ladyblog for Lila’s interview. He doesn’t really follow her anymore.

Adrien: do you think he’ll help us expose Lila?

Marinette: we can ask. But I think it’s a safe bet. The only reason he didn’t go after Lila herself was because she up and vanished after turning into Volpina.

Jagged was thrilled to sic Fang on Lila

Marinette: we said expose! Not kill

Jagged: I never feed Fang rotten food. He’ll just sit on her or chase her up a tree

Adrien: thank you. I’m just worried Lila will be akumatized again, though. The last time, Ladybug chewed her out for claiming to be BFFs; though after hearing Lila pronounce herself a better self-proclaimed heroine, it’s not that hard to see why Ladybug was angry (Adrien may have been upset with Ladybug but I imagine he would try to justify her behavior later. seriously, who wouldn’t be angry after hearing Lila insult her like that? He’s not very sensitive to others’ emotions)

Jagged: you can’t keep everybody happy. And sometimes you shouldn’t. Some people don’t deserve to be coddled. And besides, once the witch is exposed, who is to say the others won’t be akumatized?

Adrien paled. He didn’t consider that.

Marinette: well, we could try to keep an eye out for akumas. And maybe even get the heroes to stand guard?

Adrien: good idea. But how to contact them?

Marinette: leave it to me. I’ve seen the heroes jump on rooftops plenty from my balcony.

Jagged: just say the word and set the date, and your uncle Jagged will be there faster than you can say “Croc”

Marinette soon called Adrien and Jagged to tell them that Ladybug would be happy to stand by and even offer her own testimony that she is so not friends with Lila.

However, after hearing how Lila framed Marinette, Ladybug wanted Marinette absent in case Lila blamed her for Jagged exposing her.

Jagged: well, she’s not totally wrong.

Marinette: uncle Jagged!

Jagged: what, you did call me for this.

On the day of Lila’s downfall, school had just ended and students started heading home. Marinette was one of the first, having to work at the bakery. Chloé and Sabrina also left, not bothering to stay around and chat with the peasants.

To the lingering students’ surprise, a popular and familiar rock song began blasting into the air as a tour bus drove up to the school.

Jagged: hello Dupont College! Are you ready to rock!

Students crowded up and screamed.

Lila paled and could not escape the gravity of the crowd.

Jagged: now where’s my guitar? Fang, if you don’t mind?

Fang waddled up, guitar on his back.

Jagged: now Fang’s been with me since he hatched from an egg. And he’s the best pet a rocker could ask for.

Alya: what about your cat?

Jagged: cat? Since when did I own a cat?

Alya: but Lila said-

Jagged: who? Sorry miss, but I think you must have confused me with someone else.

A pause for the class as Jagged started playing a guitar riff.

While the crowd cheered, the class stared at Lila.

Lila: he doesn’t like his kitten to be brought up

Ivan: he doesn’t even know you

Lila: he does! Right, Adrien?

Lila glared at him meaningfully. But Adrien ignored her and just sang along. He promised to maintain a guise of friendship, but no more lies. Though if Lila was exposed, maybe their deal could be considered pointless now. Still...better not to antagonise her so openly.

Nino: you’re asking the wrong person. The only other people in class who can get close to Jagged are Chloé (same hotel) and...Marinette. That’s how she knew you were a liar!

Jagged: hey, what’s going on over there?

The student body turned to stare, annoyed at the interruption.

Aware of unwanted scrutiny, Alya quickly said, “oh, we were just having a priority one class meeting. Sorry! We’ll keep it down.”

The class dragged Lila off, and Ladybug secretly followed. Adrien reluctantly did so too.

Surrounded, Lila could not run away, so she burst into fake tears.

Lila: why are you being so mean?

Mylène: do you think her tears are real?

Kim snorted. “Doubtful. But I don’t think she’s worth bothering about anymore.”

Alya: what? She lied!

Kim: and we believed a con artist. But unless we lost a lot of money or whatever, what’s the point of doing this?

True. While Lila had promised favors, that didn’t mean the class had stop working hard on their own. And Alya’s credibility was also her fault for not checking her sources and getting more proof.

Alya huffed. “Fine! But she just gets away scot free?”

Max: unlikely. There is the matter of forging doctor’s letter and skipping school.

Lila: you can’t prove that!

Alya: I can just call your mother right now.

Lila: and tell her that you’re bullying me?

Alya: no, we are just going to ask her some questions. And if she was duped by you, too, I don’t think she can deny the truth if we walk up to her office and make a scene.

Adrien: is that really necessary?

Alya: Mrs Rossi must really believe her daughter. She may think us all bullies if we expose Lila but the presence of her colleagues will influence her. Besides, our questions are simple. Was Lila really sick? Was she at Achu?

The class dragged Lila to the embassy and made such a ruckus that Mrs Rossi came out, especially when she saw her daughter in the center of it all, yelling at them to be quiet.

Mrs Rossi was angry but answered their questions that Lila had never been sick or to Achu while Alya filmed her. But there was the akuma plague. At this, the class told her the truth and even her observing colleagues backed them up.

Lila was distraught. Where was the freaking akuma?

Ladybug was lounging on the roof, her yo-yo stuffed with butterflies. As long as she didn’t use her lucky charm, she was in no danger of detransforming.

When Adrien didn’t back Lila, she told everyone he knew she was a liar.

Adrien admits his faults and realized his lesson now. The class knew why Marinette kept the scarf secret so they could sort of understand why he wanted to keep everybody happy. He also was the one who got Marinette back into school, so they forgave him.

Lila was expelled once Damocles saw the footage and Mrs Rossi confirmed it.

Lila was sent to boarding school instead where everyone knew she was a compulsive liar. Nobody took her seriously there.

As for Adrien, he was always determined to hear the blunt truth, tired of being sheltered.

[dreamywriterinthedark]

Losing you pt II: Dressed to kill

Introductory part

Pairing: Spencer x fem!reader

Category: angst.

Resume: Reader goes undercover to trick an unsub and help the team catch him but things go dramatically down hill. She regrets not listening to Reid’s advice, he helps her cope. Basically, this is what would happen if Linda Barnes was the leader of the team and you joined.

Trigger warnings: Linda Barnes slander, death, blood, injuries, trauma, weapons; a gun and a knife, medication. (please let me know if i forgot something <3)

You checked yourself in the bathroom mirror. You wore a little black dress with glimmers that suited your morphology better than anything you’ve worn before. You ran your hands on your silhouette anxious at the thought of being so close to a serial killer. The worst part is that you had to pretend you liked him so he could trap you. You felt slightly dehumanised like you ridiculously were the cheese on a mouse trap.

“Are you done, Y/n ? I’d like to see how the dress looks on you.” JJ asked knocking on the door. You unlocked the door seeing Tara and JJ stand right in front. JJ slightly gasped and Tara’s mouth formed an ‘oh’ in reaction to your sultry beauty.

“Well, Tara, if you were ever considering an alternative career stylist might be just for you.” said JJ complimenting Tara’s choice.

“Are you okay, Y/n ? You look horrified.” Tara asked concerned putting a hand on your shoulder. “Oh, I’m fine. Let’s go see the guys,” you answered stepping out between them your heels clicking on the floor. They glanced at each other shrugging exchanging a contentment frown.

Spencer was rambling without catching a breath to Luke until he slapped his shoulder when he noticed you were out and ready. Luke made his way towards you. “Well, will you look at that ? Looks like I’ve got competition on the team’s most attractive member.”

“Shut up.” you answered playfully to which he laughed putting his hands up in defeat.

Spencer stood behind but not as far as he was before when he was chatting with Morgan. He licked his lips, hands in his pockets looking at you and only as if everyone around him disappeared. He saw you before and the fact that you wore a tight dress did not change that. His stare was more of the analytical type. As you walked down the few steps you almost tripped catching yourself thanks to the rampart. You closed your eyes with a hand on your chest to calm your heart throbbing at your ribcage. Before anyone had the time to say anything you laughed it off; “Stupid heels, pretty but could kill you in a flash.”

 The team went along and laughed with you except Spencer who only furrowed his eyebrows. You did not trip because of your shoes but because you were dizzy. You hardly slept or took care of yourself before this; you were too anxious. Spencer giving you the cold shoulder did not help either. You did not understand that very well, you thought things were good between you two. It’s not like you could guess every single that ra through his head when your own was spinning already.

Once you were all in the elevator Spencer whispered in your ear “You know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to ?” You felt his warm breath on your neck, this closeness along with his voice made you feel fizzy inside.

“This is the only way.” you whispered back nodding your head now looking into his eyes.

You were going to meet the unsub at his favorite hunting spot; the dive bar. You were sitting aside Tara at the back of the SUV while Penelope was at your right violently typing at her laptop. At the front was Luke at the steering wheel. He pulled up by a secluded spot a few blocks away from the bar. Penelope was rarely on the field but you were glad she was. She was not only an anchor for you since the beginning, but your first true friend within the FBI. She liked to call you “kitten” or her “little protégée.” Plus she was taking care of your spying devices such as your ear piece and the mic she would hide in your dress including your GPS tracker.

Luke’s phone started ringing, he answered. After a very brief conversation he debriefed it to you three. “It was Barnes, they’re ready. Once you get out of the car, Y/n, the rest of the team is going to join us in this car to listen to your conversation enhance the unsub’s confession. Except JJ is going to be on the field undercover to update us on your every move.” You nodded to let him know you understand the instructions. “Then we’ll follow you to the location the unsub takes you to and arrest him. Tara and I will be out there in hiding in case anything happens. Got it?”

“Got it.” You said gesturing toward the door at your right. Penelope got out with you, before you left she said “Just know, we’ll be right here listening to everything but please be safe. I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

“Penelope, you’re not going to lose me.” You hugged her tight, “Plus you know if I died I’d haunt all of you.” You chuckled as you detached yourself squishing her hand before walking away for good.

Everything went according to plan, you gave the eye to the unsub, you perfectly fit his idea of the perfect victim. You acted naive and what if you were ? Because even though the whole time you had the worst gut feeling you still went thinking that was going to grant you validation from the leader of the team, Linda Barnes. The cold hearted one that can not trust a woman yet you trusted her, how pathetic.

The unsub took you to a dark alley but before Tara and Luke could get out of the SUV, Barnes told them to stand their ground.

“Why ?” Tara asked.

“Because I can’t risk the unsub seeing you and lose his confession or evidence.” he answered.

You started panicking, going from anxiety to a state of agony as the unsub pointed a knife at you.

“Well, can we go now ?!” asked Luke.

“We can’t take this risk just yet.”

“You know what ? I can’t risk Y/n being dead!” Spencer said rising from his seat but getting slammed back down by Linda.

“It’s okay, we’re not going to let anything happe-“ A gunshot interrupted this back and forth conversation. Everyone ran to you seeing you on the floor, blood slipping through the cracks of tar. Your shaky hands dropped the small gun right next to your boy bag purse. You tried to stand up but you couldn’t, you wished you could cry but you were too shocked, too numb to even let a whimper out. Spencer took off his windbreaker before running to you helping you up and slinging it over your shoulders with an arm around them. 

As he guided you towards the medics he bit back at Barnes, “Not going to let anything happen, right, Linda ?” He did not respond instead he looked down at the floor which would now let him forget the repercussion for his actions since it was tinted crimson. What the team was doing in your tear stained glory you were unaware nor did you care. You sat on the edge of the ambulance as Reid made sure you were taking care of properly like a polite version of a scientific Karen. He leaned in towards you, his head titled looking at your face.

“She has a scratch on her cheek, you might want to check for a concussion.” advised the genius doctor. He straightened his index finger a few inches from your face asking you to follow it with your eyes. As you did the exercise, he noticed your eyes fluttering to hold back tears. When the medic was done with cleaning and sanitizing your bloody hands and went back inside the ambulance to gather anything needed to heal your wounds and medication, Spencer sat down next to you in silence as you stared in the distance. His eyes landed on your face when saw you put your hand down drying a tear. You felt him looking at you.

“Suit yourself, you can say you told me so” you said breaking silence.

“You know, Y/n…” he started taking your hand in his, you looked back at him, “I’m really glad you’re alive.” This made you immediately sink into his side taking him by surprise, unable to hold back the tears. He leaned into your touch, shutting his eyes feeling your pain and mentally sending you his energy in hope it might heal you.

The medic walking towards the two of you, when she looked up from the container in her hands full of medical products she stopped in her tracks; “Alright, I’ll come back, uh, in a minute.”

“You should hydrate yourself,” he advised handing you a water bottle as you put your arms in the sleeve of his jacket. As you took it, he rose from his feet a hand on your shoulder as he said; “I’m going to go check in with the others, you’re in good hands.” You nodded looking up at the medic smiling at you, you managed a weakened smile back.

When Reid was back with the team, he noticed they were arguing. Linda took Reid’s presence as his opportunity to shut the other members down; “Ah Reid, how is she ?”

“She’s injured but she’s holding up,” he answered fidgeting with his hands. The team was concerned about you but did not want to circle around you, make you talk to too many people at once since that would overwhelm you. Your injuries were quite superficial, you were scarred, you were bruised but you were going to be okay…physically.

Once back at the police department, you took off Reid’s windbreaker folding it on his desk with a post it note that said “Thanks :)” You went back to your desk changing into some more comfortable shoes than the heels you wore all night. You tried to channel your thought but as you were about to get lost in the turmoil, a low male voice made you breakout of your trans.

“Y/n, may I see you in the sheriff’s office ?” You nodded hurtfully knowing things were about to heat up for you, fearing you were in trouble.

You’ve been in Barnes’ office for quite a bit of time or at least longer than usual.

“How long ?” Luke asked.

“Oh at least 10 minutes.” Garcia answered, “and he isn’t the very chatty type.” The entire team was in front of the steps that led to offices, some leaned on desks, some fidgeted in place in impatience.

“He was going to kill me, Barnes!” You screamed.

“We would’ve protected you!”

“But you didn’t!” You felt your heart sink, “you didn’t.” There was a beat too long for your own taste. As you were about to leave Linda stopped you in your tracks; “Maybe you should take the rest of the week off, take some time for yourself.” You looked back at her in disgust, shocked she had the audacity to blame it all on you. “Sure, my pleasure.” you responded almost slamming the door behind you. However, you weren’t as pleased as your pride made you claim you were.

Once you were doing your walk of shame, Garcia hugged you and handed you her favorite cat squishy toy knowing you were in distress. They all encircled around your desk as you gathered your things.

“She is making me take the week off.” you informed them.

“Yeah, we heard so.” JJ said nodding sympathetically.

“We’re with you, Y/n.” Tara said.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let us know.” Garcia told you moving her hands. “Snacks, blankets, a shoulder to cry on.”

“If I do I will, thank you Garcia but I think I’ll be fine.” When you were ready to leave, Spencer offered to drive you back which you decline. They all stood there watching you leave confused at how ‘fine’ you looked despite experiencing a near death experience.

[sourwormsaresour]

Headcanons on the type of pets La Squadra would own?

Holy shit this was too fun to make, especially with giving the pets names.

Sorbet and Gelato have their own Crusty-White-Dog™ that's a Maltese Terrier named Armani. The dog hates and barks nonstop at everything deemed threatening (aka, everyone and particularly the rest of La Squadra) and yet those two will claim she's the sweetest thing in the world. True to her name, they deck her with Armani branded clothes, either specially made dog fashion or they had a DIY done to make it look like an Armani outfit- down to the bright pink leash she wears dripping in the Armani logo. She eats the finest dry kibble and only drinks Ferrarelle Sparkling water; she will know the difference if you switch it up. She's the epitome of "I demand pets but only do so with your eyes" to everyone. Despite loving Sorbet and Gelato the most, she demands all their attention on her and she will cockblock those two if she catches them being affectionate to each other instead. Despite having a nice bed, she always sleeps between the two of them and will whimper if they kick her out of the bedroom so they can get intimate. Those tear-stained eyes always look like they've seen everything, despite being constantly babied by her owners. If Armani could, she would kill everyone.

Risotto, the biggest man in Vento Aureo, has a little Syrian hamster he called Ace. He thought that a pet with a shorter lifespan would allow him the perfect balance of having a pet but not being very attached to it compared to pets that live longer- he was wrong. If you ever come into Risotto's office as he worked, either you are greeted with Ace running around in his green hamster ball, walking around Risotto's desk as he worked, or running in the hamster wheel behind the desk. Ace's tank is an old Aquarium tank Pesci gave to Risotto that is now full of soft bedding, toys, and Risotto frequently cleans it. There are days where Risotto just spends hours watching his hamster walk around the room, eating little treats, and staring at Risotto with its beady eyes. It's gotten to the point where you can't walk into Risotto's office without noticing a lone sunflower seed or piece of bedding on the ground that Risotto didn't notice until you pointed it out. Every time Ace passes from old age, Risotto buys a new Syrian hamster and calls that one Ace. He hasn't kept track of how many hamsters that came and went so far, but treated every one of them as if they were the first Ace. He takes pictures of Ace doing the most relatively boring things and will share them with his members.

Illuso got a Sulphur-crested cockatoo named Scapino as a joke. He thought they didn’t require much attention but later felt bad when he found out that they need specific proper care. He proceeds to care for it as if it was his child. Illuso taught his bird how to speak and swear at people, specifically swearing at Formaggio and occasionally at Ghiaccio. This man will shower his bird with the best treats (expensive nuts, dried fruit, chicken bones) and has a special bar for it to perch on when they're in the shower together. This bird has free reign all over Illuso's place and wears a little anklet thing to verify that it has an owner should it escape. The two of them have spa days together and it’s one of the most wholesome things in the world to witness. Scapino will actually join Illuso on missions too, staying in the mirror world the whole time, and it provides him some comfort from his social anxiety. Sometimes Scapino sits on his shoulder as he walks. Illuso trained it to stay and hide in the mirror world so that it wouldn’t fly away or blow his cover when he’s working. But the bird will fly around in there and will watch anyone that’s getting murked in front of him with no remorse and commenting on it too. Imagine you’re dying in the mirror world and your last moment is this fucking bird looming over you going “night night, motherfucker”. JESUS CHRIST. 

Prosciutto used to be on the whole “pets are unnecessary” train but he had considered looking at breeders for the best quality dog. And then one rainy day he found an abandoned Portuguese Water Dog puppy in an alleyway and at Pesci’s insistence took it in. Turns out the puppy was bought by a rich family for their kid but then abandoned when the kid wasn't interested in it anymore. Prosciutto insisted that the dog was going to stay for one night and then sent to the pound first thing in the morning. It's been years now and the little dog is now a big fluffy good boy named Pon Pon. The second biggest chunk of Prosciutto's paycheck is for this dog; I'm talking grooming services with paw-ticures, an all-organic raw diet, the nicest beds that even a human would wish they can sleep on. Pon Pon is properly trained with all the basics and tricks, because Prosciutto doesn't want to deal with a misbehaving dog, but it will use puppy eyes against the old man now and then. He give you the best smiles if you call him a good boy and if you glance at the right time you can see Prosciutto smile for a brief moment. Had he lived longer, he would have made Pon Pon famous on Facebook like Boo the Dog. Prosciutto will also not admit that this dog has helped him get laid a few times, because every person he did bring home always got a kick out of Pon Pon.

Ghiaccio has a pet snake- an albino ball python named Bianco. Ghiaccio was also on the “pets are unnecessary” train too but mainly because he can't stand loud pets (i.e. Illuso and Sorbet and Gelato’s pets). When Risotto suggested he get a snake, Ghiaccio looked into it, researching and meticulously setting up the proper enclosure  and found himself going to a local reptile expo to find Bianco for sale. He’s fascinated by his snake to say the least, and would use leftover containers or Tupperware for Bianco to spend more money on proper equipment or food. Ghiaccio is really involved in online reptile forums and frequently debates with people on topics such as the best substrates to use, whether live rodents are better than frozen, ethics of breeding certain species, etc. He often gets worried when Bianco becomes picky and Ghiaccio would spend sleepless nights trying to get his baby to eat. Ghiaccio would walk around with his ball python wrapped around his neck or lets him slither around in his room under supervision but he mostly leaves him alone in the enclosure. There are times where he would claim he has the best, smartest pet and everyone just rolls their eyes like “yes the white fettuccine that got stuck in a toilet paper roll an hour ago is so smart”. But they let him rant about it. It’s kind of cute to say the least.

Pesci is the definition of people whose entire LIVELIHOOD is making his room into an aquarium. His room is full of strictly maintained, cleaned, and decorated tanks full of various types of aquatic animals. I’m talking Dwarf Puffers (Antonio, Portia, Jessica, Bassiano, and Solanio), Albino Gold Axolotls (Moe, Larry, and Curly), Red Ear Sliders (Franco and Ciccio), Clown Fishes (Browser, Mario, Toadstool, and Koopa), Brazilian Sea Horses (Tom and Jerry), a Blue Betta Fish named Valentina in a 30+ gallon aquaponics tank that grows a variety of plants each season- to name a few. He rebuilt his entire room to keep everything running and even had Melone help him set up timers for lighting and temperature control. Pesci will cry if you somehow made the pH level off by 1 or did not care for his animals properly when he’s away. He’ll even lecture you about bad tank setup. He's a prominent member of the aquarium  community in Italy and will regularly redecorate each tank to suit the year and mood. This is where he’s spending his cut on the 20 million lira job: caring for his mini aquarium room. He occasionally gives away his pets’ offsprings for extra money (he doesn’t breed but sometimes he ends up having a ton of baby animals he can’t take care of) and would have been a YouTuber for his fish content. Now that I think about it, Pesci reminds me of my mutual @nexter2nd. Please go follow them.

Melone has a Holland Lop bunny and you cannot change my mind. He actually had a pet bunny growing up, another Holland Lop named Echo and Grep, and his current one is named Sudo; all three are named after UNIX commands. He has a large dog crate he diy-ed to be a roomy enclosure in his room for her that he cleans frequently but also allows Sudo free reign of the room when she wants to go out. Because of his job, he makes sure all his wires are covered so his bunny isn't tempted to chew them and watches his bunny diligently whenever she roams around. Easter time is when the denim jacket, pastel bows, and flower crowns come out and Melone makes sure to take a lot of photos. He also housetrained his bunny and taught her a few tricks, similar to how he trained Echo and Grep years ago. Sudo is spoiled in terms of getting a lot of pets, new toys, and feasts on the finest veggies and delicious hay. Melone also makes sure the first thing he teaches his Juniors is to not harm the bunny. Surprisingly, he's against breeding Sudo and has her neutered. This is mainly because he doesn't have the time to breed and raise more bunnies but also he hates the idea of selling the grown bunnies off afterward. 

You know that Formaggio has a cat: the little Russian Blue cat named Sweetie Baby. Sweetie Baby was a kitten that he found outside his home. The little thing was the sole survivor of its litter and nearly starving to death, so he took her in thinking he will bring her to the shelter when she recovers; that cat now lets him live in HER apartment rent-free. Despite feeding her cheap dry food and constantly shoving her into bottles, he treats her like a queen otherwise. He will dress her up in little outfits (much to her annoyance) and often would be too aggressively affectionate towards her. Still, there are moments where she would cuddle with him during the later nights and allow him to put on one iced-out bow he just spent a quarter of his paycheck on. Walking to his apartment and even the backdoor of La Squadra’s HQ means carefully walking through the stray cats mewling at your feet, because Formaggio will feed any cat he sees. Initially, Risotto wanted the cats gone, but then he finds out the cats doubled as security when he watched some robber attempting to break in but getting their eyes scratched off instead.

[ravennm84]

Career Advice

Hi everyone!!  This story was inspired by a news anchor that I saw on TV, and thought to myself “what would happen if Alya asked that woman for an internship and showed that woman the Ladyblog.” There wasn’t originally going to be Alya redemption, but I decided that the girl needed some love too. Warm-Fuzzies and please enjoy!!

Alya was practically vibrating in her chair as she sat in the reception area of TVi News. She had heard from Aurora and Mireille that there was a summer internship opening and that she should submit an application. She had spent an entire week working on her resume with her mom’s help, citing her blog as experience. Her mother had told her that she might want to double check all her stories before going in, but already knew that she’d be fine. After all, she was an awesome reporter.

There were four other people in the room with her, and she was definitely the youngest. Two of them looked like they were university age and the other two probably attended lycee. That meant that they likely had a bit more experience than she did, but Alya was confident that her blog would set her up for the win. Not only that, Lila had put in a good word for her with the higher ups of TVi News. All she had to do was nail the interview and the internship was hers!

It was about an hour and two interviews before her turn came. Holding her head high; she grabbed her tablet and portfolio, straightened her skirt, and walked in as smoothly as she could in her heels.

The person conducting the interview was Claudia Ramonte, a no-nonsense kind of woman that always seemed to be on a deadline. She preferred people always be on-point and despised people that wasted her time. She was a legend in the industry, she had been an investigative journalist for over 20 years before going into semi-retirement by helping run the company and hiring new journalists. It was said that she had an eye for who had talent and who was just playing journalist. And if you fell into the latter or made the mistake of insulting her craft, you could kiss any hopes of making it big in the industry goodbye. So as soon as Alya shut the door behind her, she put on her most professional smile and extended her hand to her.

“Mme. Ramonte, Alya Cesaire, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She gave her a slight smile as she shook her hand. “When I saw that a kid in college was applying for the internship, I thought that you were either an idiot or you had a pair of steel balls. Show me which one it is.”

A little taken back but her forwardness, Alya’s hand shook slightly as she pulled her resume from the file and handed it to her. “As you can see, I’ve been running my blog, The Ladyblog, for close to a year and a half now.”

“Everyone and their mothers have blogs nowadays, Cesaire.” The woman scoffed as she tossed Alya’s resume onto her desk and turned to her computer, typing quickly. “Every candidate I’m interviewing today has at least two blogs, multiple news articles in their school newspapers, or videos from their college news or radio stations. What is it about your blog that makes you think that you are more qualified than any of them?”

Alya faltered for a second but wouldn’t be deterred, she was an awesome reporter and she would get this internship. “I’ve conducted multiple interviews with different celebrities; including Ladybug herself, other heroes of the Miraculous Team, the daughter of a diplomat who is also Ladybug’s best friend…”

“So have others, Cesaire.” She sounded bored, as she continued reading something on her computer screen.

Squaring her shoulders, Alya kept going. She refused to back down when she was so close to her internship. “I have also done extensive work on recording akuma battles and have compared my footage to other sites. None of them get as close or in depth as I do.”

“And why do you think that is, Mlle. Cesaire?” Her voice going cold

Alya blinked, not expecting the question. “Um… well-”

“Reporters and journalists are not to engage in dangerous situations that are considered life threatening. Whether someone is part of a staff or freelance, they are not to enter danger zones on their own, which you have apparently done numerous times. I will admit that when it comes to journalism, it is never without risks; but no story is worth your life.”

“But there’s no real danger, Ladybug always-”

“A terrorist is a terrorist, Cesaire.” The chill in the woman’s voice gained a hard edge. “And the attacks that have been done by the akumas have, on more than one occasion, shown the potential to be fatal. Should there be even a single time that Ladybug and Chat Noir not pull through, that could result in thousands of deaths. If you think that any credible news source would allow their people to do what you’ve been doing; then you’re more than an idiot, you’re a reckless idiot.” 

Then she turned one of her computer screens towards Alya, which was queued up to the Ladyblog. “And from what I’ve seen from your blog in the two minutes you’ve been in my office; you are not only reckless, but mediocre in your work as a journalist. I have looked through multiple posts and have yet to see a single credible source mentioned. So tell me, how can you think that you are qualified to work here if you cannot follow the most basic rule of journalism and check your sources?”

“I can assure you, everything I post is completely true!” 

“And I’m just supposed to take your word on that? Hardly.” She turned the screen back to herself, then started playing the first interview she had done with Lila. Mme. Ramonte played it for only 15 seconds, in which Lila claimed to be Ladybug’s best friend after she had saved her life, before pausing the video and looking at Alya. “If Lila Rossi, the daughter of a diplomat, had been saved by Ladybug, there would have been multiple articles and recordings of the incident. I just did a cursory search and the only link that came up connecting Rossi and Ladybug is your own blog.”

Alya was speechless. She wanted to say that Lila was telling the truth, but what reason would there be for Mme. Ramonte, who continued playing Lila’s interview, to lie? She stopped the video again a few seconds later, after the tale of saving Jagged Stone’s kitten from being run over by a plane on an airport runway. The look the legendary journalist gave her was that of total disgust and anger. 

“Do I even need to list all the things wrong with

this story?” When Alya didn’t say anything, Mme. Ramonte went off on her, practically ranting. “Firstly, Jagged Stone has been quoted multiple times as being allergic to animal fur, and would not own a cat. Second, no one would allow a minor onto a airport runway, as it would be seen negligence and possibly as an act of terrorism. Even if she had saved some cat from being run over and Jagged had been grateful, no self respecting musician would write a song about a minor that was not their daughter, as doing so could have him labeled as a pedophile. You are very lucky that M. Stone has not seen this interview, because if he had, you would have been served with lawsuits for slander. So, I’ll ask again. Is there anything to keep me from saying that you are nothing more than a wannabe-journalist that isn’t fit to work at a news stand?” 

She wasn’t even sure how to respond. Alya had been so sure that her blog was perfect, but after what Mme. Ramonte had said and how she was looking at her, she really did feel like an idiot for believing what Lila had said. Especially since she should have known better.

She now remembered when she flew to Spain with her parents when she was younger and how far away the landing strip was from the airport. There was no way Lila would have been able to see a kitten from that far away. Alya also remembered how she wanted to go outside and play, but her father told her that only authorized personnel were allowed outside at the airport. Then there was Marinette, the designer had mentioned how she couldn’t do certain designs for the rock star because he had fur allergies from when he was a kid.

Oh no, Marinette has been saying for months that Lila was a liar. Ever since she had seen Lila’s interview. And since she designs for Jagged Stone, she would know that Lila was nothing but a liar. She was also the one that got me my first exclusive with Ladybug, so she’d probably know that she was lying about that, too. And I had the nerve to tell her that she was just being jealous… I’m a terrible friend and an even worse journalist.

Looking back up at Mme. Ramonte, she was barely able to hold back tears as she shook her head. “No, Madame. There is no excuse for such shoddy journalism, it doesn’t even deserve to be called that. I apologize for wasting your time.”

The woman’s features softened slightly, but not by much. “You’re still very young and have a lot to learn about journalism, Cesaire. If I ever see you in my office again, I’ll expect more from you than any other candidate. That means looking out for your safety, knowing what is okay and not okay to publish, and checking your stories through multiple, reliable sources. I would also recommend killing your blog and starting new, the Ladyblog will become toxic to your career if it continues. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Alya couldn’t help but stare at the woman across the desk from her. Despite not deserving it, Mme. Ramonte had given her very sage and constructive advice that just might save her career in the long run. If she killed her blog now, started a new one or two, and followed her advice; by the time she finished lycee, she might be able to use them as proper references for her future career.

“Thank you, Mme. Ramonte. I won’t forget this.”

“Don’t thank me yet, Cesaire,” she waved her hand dismissively. “I’m going to remember this and I will be telling other news sources about your blog as well, to make sure you never repeat these mistakes again. So, if you are really set on being a journalist, don’t just prove it to me, prove to everyone that you are better.”

“Still, thank you. Have a nice day, Mme. Ramonte.” Alya stood from her chair but paused before she turned to walk away. “So you know, I think I’ll be doing one final post on the Ladyblog, to admit my mistakes and all the things I reported incorrectly on my blog, along with the sources to back it up. Sort of a final expose to rid myself of the bad energy from my blog, so I’ll be able to move forward.”

The woman gave a nod of approval. Before waving her out of the office. 

Alya kept her head high the entire way out of the building while doing her best to remain calm, or else risk attracting an akuma. As a bit of a cleanser, she sent a text to Marinette.

To FashionGurl: You were right about Lila. I’m so sorry for not listening to you. Can we talk on Monday? 

A few minutes later, she got a text back.

To FoxyJournalist: You can come by today if you want to talk.

To FashionGurl: Sorry, I’m going to be busy. I have a new story to write about that liar, one that will have multiple sources, showing everyone exactly the kind of person she is.

To FoxyJournalist: Can’t wait to read it!!

~oOo~

What followed for Alya was a very long weekend writing out every story/lie that Lila had ever told her and the class, research into Lila’s old schools, staking herself out in front of the Italian Embassy until Ambassador Rossi came out so she could introduce herself, and then a long conversation at a cafe with the very angry and distraught mother. There were a lot of questions, show-and-tell with the videos on Alya’s blog and news reports from Lila’s old schools, and then the recommendation that she go to speak with M. Damocles and Mme. Bustier. 

Monday morning saw Alya going into the bakery before school, telling Tom and Sabine the truth about Lila, and then grovelling at Marinette’s feet for being such a terrible friend. One thing she did not hesitate to show the Dupain-Chengs were the records and news reports she’d found pertaining to Lila’s old schools. Tracking Lila’s social media, Alya had found three schools and discovered the kind of mayhem the girl left behind. 

One school had a perfect student named Gaia, much like Marinette, bullied until she was expelled. Another school showed another popular girl named Alessia had “fallen” down a flight of stairs and broken both of her legs, a few ribs, and one of her arms. Even though there were multiple eyewitness reports that Lila had pushed her, the Italian girl moved before she could be brought up on charges. The report from the most recent school made all of them sick. A girl named Ludovica had been stalked, harassed, and bullied over social media beginning the day Lila joined the school until the day the girl committed suicide. A quick backtrace on the account showed that it had been set up by Lila Rossi.

It was quickly decided that Sabine would be going to the school to have a word with the principal and teacher. Alya gave them a thumb drive with a copy of all the information she had found, she had multiple copies, so that if they decided to pursue legal actions, they had evidence to back it up.

At school, Alya went to class while Sabine took Marinette M. Damocles' office to speak with him and Mme. Bustier, since the woman was decidedly absent from the room. She had barely sat down when Lila entered the classroom, spouting off some story about meeting Ryan Reynolds over the weekend. Alya barely suppressed her snide grimace before hiding it with a smile.

“Really, Lila? That’s amazing! Did you get any pictures? I would love to post them on my blog?”

Now that she was watching, she saw the girl flinch when asked for actual evidence before putting on a sugary sweet smile. “I didn’t get a chance, my phone died.”

“Oh that’s annoying. Where did you see him?” She asked, pulling up the movie star’s Twitter account. “Because you were here in Paris over the weekend but according to his social media, he was visiting his home town in Canada this week.”

Alya definitely saw the girl scowl that time. “Oh, he just said that so he could come here without anyone knowing. He’s researching a role here in Paris and I was showing him around until my mom called me home.”

“Didn’t you just say that your phone was dead?” That got the classes’ attention, as they had just heard the girl say that was the reason she hadn’t taken any pictures. Lila was about to spout some new excuse; but Alya, who was now channelling her inner Mme. Ramonte, raised a hand to cut her off.

“Don’t even bother coming up with another lie. I know you’re full of crap and it spills out of your mouth with every word you say. And before you try to accuse me of lying, taking Marinette’s side, or bullying you; I think you should know that I spent the majority of the weekend looking into everything you’ve told us.”

The entire class watched the Italian girl’s olive skin turn a sickly white. But Alya wasn’t finished, this girl had been attempting to do the same to Marinette that she had done to Gaia, Alessia, and Ludovica. And as her BFF, she was not going to stand aside and let that happen. “I have piles of evidence that you were never in Achu and have never met Prince Ali, you were just playing hookie. I’ve got evidence that you are perfectly healthy and have never suffered from any of the diseases or ailments that you’ve claimed to have since returning to school. I’ve also got evidence that you have never met any of the celebrities that you claim to know. That includes Ladybug.”

Not so surprising, Lila attempted to turn everyone against Alya by turning on the tears. “That’s not true! I would never lie about all of that. You’re just saying that because you’re mad at me for not getting the internship!”

When the class looked back at Alya, they were surprised to see her grinning like a fox. “Did I forget to mention exactly how I know you weren’t in Achu? Or how I know you're perfectly healthy and don’t know any of those celebrities you’ve claimed to be close to?” 

She paused, mostly for effect before going in for the killing blow. “Your mom and I had a very in depth conversation yesterday when I ran into her outside the embassy. She wasn’t happy about your interviews on the Ladyblog, and she was confused as to why you were claiming to be Ladybug’s BFF when you’ve been telling her for months that she and Chat Noir were a couple of lazy, incompetent, and downright terrible heros; which was why the school was closed.”

If it were possible Lila paled even more before turning to run out the door. The door swung open just as she was reaching for the handle, and was met with an upset Mme. Bustier. “You are needed in the Principal's Office, young lady.” To the surprise of everyone there, Lila attempted to shove her way past their teacher. But the woman was faster and grabbed the girl by the arm in a firm grip before escorting her out of the room.

When the first bell rang a few minutes later, M. Harpele came in to act as the substitute until Mme. Bustier was finished with her meeting. 

Marinette returned to class before their teacher did, smiling bright as the sun and visibly more relaxed than anyone had seen her in weeks. She sat down beside Alya and gave her a tight hug while whispering “thank you” over and over.

“I take it things went well for you instead of Lila?” Alya grinned.

Marinette giggled. “She tried convincing her mom that all of us were akumatized and were trying to ruin her life, but she wasn’t buying it. Especially when M. Damocles showed Mme. Rossi her school records. Mom demanded that Lila give a formal apology and confess everything to the class, or she would get the Board of Governors involved. When Mme. Rossi found out that Lila tried to get me expelled, she lost it and started talking about a catholic reformatory school in Italy. Lila looked like she was going to be sick when she heard that.”

“It’s not perfect, but it’s what she deserves.” Alya shrugged before looking Marinette in the eye again. “I’m really sorry, girl. You’re my BFF, I should have listened to you when you told me Lila was a liar.”

“No, I don’t expect you to listen to me every time. I just wanted you to check things out and make sure that you weren’t being taken advantage of.” Then her brow creased. “I’m curious, what brought all this on?”

“Let’s just say that I just got some much needed career advice.”

[onelastbreath-writes]

I Spy

Pairing: Frankie “Catfish” Morales/Fem!Reader (AFAB, no y/n)

Word Count: 1.7K

Warnings: Brief mention of bad(abusive/manipulative) parents, general adult topics, swearing.

Summary: You meet a cute guy at a bar, you date, you fall in love, and oops, it turns out you’ve both been lying about your careers. Classified only stays classified until you get assigned a mission together. (SpecOps&Spies, with Young!Frankie)

A/N: Hey guys, I was bad and started another fic. Whoops. This one is for Triple Frontier because I love that soft boi Francisco. The flavour of this fic, the vibe if you will, is basically the spiderman pointing meme. I’ve vaguely set the timeline to like mid-2000s? so I’ll be trying my best to stay true to technology and aesthetic of the era. There was so much denim. Anyways, that means I’m trying to write for about a 27-33 year old Frankie and a similarly aged reader. I don’t see this series being more than a couple chapters at best, so it’ll be short and sweet. Also, like, very little angst if I can help it; I just want this one to be a good, cute, fun read. Hope y’all enjoy! Xoxo

[AO3][Masterlist]

“So, you’re coming out tonight, right? You’re not busy or anything?”

“Please don’t say it like that, you know how busy work actually is. And I’m a grown woman; if I didn’t want to go to a shady dive bar with you and your very loud friends from the office, I’d say so,” You loved your best friend, and you missed spending time together, but you really couldn’t say the same for her co-workers.

You had nothing against the women she worked with, and you found that they were all perfectly lovely and usually quite fun to be around… it was just that when the alcohol came out, the volume control and verbal filters disappeared.

You wouldn’t say that barhopping was what you’d prefer to be doing tonight, along with more or less babysitting your friend and her friends, but you didn’t know when you’d next be able to squeeze in a night off to just hang out and have fun, so this was happening. You would laugh and smile and keep the drunk secretaries from going home with questionable people, and then you would look back on your ladies’ night with fond memories until you could eventually attend another.

You had known when you picked your career that it would be an around-the-clock, all-day, every-day sort of thing. You never deluded yourself into thinking you would have much of a social life or long-term relationships. Most partners, hell even most friends, would have a problem with you jetting off for weekends, or disappearing for days at a time under mountains of paperwork and appointments.

It just made your best friend that much more important to you. You’d met as kids, went through years of school beside each other, hung out, did stupid teenager things and then stupid young adult things together. You’d cried and laughed and fought and made up a million times, you’d gone to different colleges and still kept in touch, moved away, moved back, and you were still going strong. She was your ride-or-die, your anchor and your parachute and everything in between, so if you could use some of your precious, hoarded, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it time off to see her, that’s just what you’d do.

“You should take some of that fire, and direct it at your boss. Tell him no for a change. I’d love to see his face at that!” She meant well, always trying to look out for you and your health when it came to your beyond demanding job. You weren’t even allowed to tell her a fraction of what you were doing in your professional life, and she knew it, but that didn’t stop her from being ready to throw fists at your employer at a moment’s notice.

“One does not simply tell the über-rich that they don’t need to fly to Paris, again. Being a PA is a full-time nannying gig, except your charge is an adult who can argue when you say no, and you cannot put them on timeout when they’re being a brat. Where he goes, I go, and unless something drastic happens, it will probably continue on like that for a while.” She laughed at your jokes, and your heart hurt a little less at her glee. You knew she would never give up on you or blame you for your work being unpredictable, but that didn’t make the sting of last-minute cancels and missed outings hurt any less, for either of you.

“But it must be nice, just getting on a plane and going somewhere amazing at the drop of a hat. Travelling the world like a superstar, meeting people, having amazing adventures with mysterious strangers…”

“Easy there, Mamma Mia, your wanderlust is showing. And I’d take you with me in a heartbeat if I could. You were born to be a jetsetter, not to be stuck in this town with nothing but the office cubicle beside you to stare at. And I still think you should apply for one of those immersive culture grants you keep mooning over. They’d be fools not to fund your writing expedition!” She was an incredible person, three full degrees to her name in the time it took a normal student to get one, and a brain that could run miles around the rest of the professionals in her field. But she was tethered to this quiet backwater town, and she wasn’t free to fly like she deserved.

“You know I can’t just… go, like you can. My mom, it’d just break her heart… I don’t want to leave her alone, not after Dad,” You honestly doubted that you’d ever meet a woman more horrible and undeserving of her own daughter’s kindness. Helen was a parasite full of lies and manipulations and greed, and she had attached herself like a bad rash to your friend after she’d chased away the rest of her family members.

Your friend searched for the good in everyone, but you wished she’d stop looking for it at that home.

“You deserve your own happiness and freedom, and she should be encouraging you to spread your wings if and when you’re ready.” Politicking your friend was never something you enjoyed. She was the last person you wanted to use your negotiating credentials and sly subterfuge tactics against, but you wanted, needed, her safety and health more. You considered it almost bribery; dangling her dream future in front of her in exchange of being rid of the garbage in her life.

“Hey now, we’re getting way too deep into sad-drunk night conversations, and this is strictly a happy-fun-drunk night. Please leave all baggage and woes at the door, thank you!” You admitted your defeat and surrendered your verbal power point on Why Helen Needs to Disappear. You would get her next time for sure, give her the accelerant to burn down that bridge. “Anyways, the reason I called was to remind you of our haunt for the night. One of the girls, Kelly, you remember Kelly, found this adorable little hole in the wall. A total boys’ club apparently: darts, pool, sports games on the TV, but Kelly’s sister’s friend’s brother Tyler said the place was a favourite of the local army guys. So, if nothing else, we’ll at least have some hunks to look at for a while. It’ll be great!”

You jotted down the directions to the bar as she listed them, and the time you were expected to arrive there.

“Oh! And wear that cute little blue number you bought last spring; I know you still have it so don’t you dare lie. It makes your ass and legs look divine, and I think you could stand to make a new acquaintance tonight.” That Little Blue Number was buried in the back of your closet where you had hoped it would remain forever, but luck was not on your side tonight it seemed. But it did make you look, and feel, fantastic.  It was just so… breezy. “And heels! Real ones, not your cute little personal assistant kitten heels. Those black strappy ones would work like a dream!” You just sighed dramatically into the receiver and agreed to her demands.

“I’ll let you go now, and yes, I suppose I can be presentable tonight, dress and all. See-ya later!”

---

Hole in the wall was right. This place was basically underground it was so on the D.L. It was warm inside though, and in the middle of autumn with so much skin on display, you could not be more pleased to get away from the chilled outside air.

You would describe the interior as comfortable with a hint of rustic; lots of warm dark wood and low lights, mixed with the soft Latin music crooning in the background and the few patrons’ conversations adding to the ambience.

All in all, it was probably the nicest dive bar you’d been to in your hometown.

Your party was easy to spot where they had claimed a group of pushed together tables towards the far side of the establishment, and you carefully made your way over to them in your tricky high heels.

You said your hellos to returning faces and introduced yourself to the new additions, and accepted the chair you were pointed to and the drink pressed into your hand.

And so, the hours rolled.

You had enjoyed two fruity cocktails and a flaming shot before you called it quits on the alcohol for the night. You still had a few hours to sober up enough to drive home safely, and you would be able to help the girls get to their rides and ways home too. You appreciated having a social drink or two, but you didn’t care for hangovers and would happily take slightly tipsy over party-hard drunk anytime. Plus, your contract stated you were on-call, always, and you could be required to navigate high-stress negotiations at the drop of a hat. It was just better to cut yourself off, then reap the consequences of your actions later.

You tapped your friend’s shoulder as you walked past and leaned over to talk into her ear. “I’m getting some water for the table; do you want anything else?”

“Mmmm, no I think we’re good for now, thanks!” She was plastered already, but she had a huge grin on her face and was laughing at her co-workers’ stories, so you considered it a win of a night. You gave her a pat goodbye and swayed your way to the bar.

But you just were not accounting for the uneven floorboards, or how much your heels affected your currently less than steady equilibrium, and before you could blink you were teetering over into a nasty fall.

“Whoa there, easy does it, muñequita” Arms wrapped around you and pulled you back into a warm chest. “Careful now, don’t go twisting an ankle in those fancy shoes.”

You certainly did not account for the man you turned around to face. Wow.

His hands glided respectfully from where he had caught you around the waist to your still bent and held out elbows, steadying you as you swayed dangerously again.

Warm brown eyes, soft brown curls, and the sweetest smile you’d ever seen. It felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest, and you knew that it wasn’t left over adrenaline from your near wipeout. He was gorgeous and handling you so gently, and you wanted to spend forever in that moment.

“Hey there, palomita, I’m Frankie, can I buy you a drink?”

[Next Part]

[detroitbydark]

Chp 10

Characters: Commander Fox/Mouse (reader), Palpatine, Captain Rex, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu.

Word count:4500

Warnings: Sith typical mind fuckery, canon typical violence. Use of the force to injure.

A/N: well here we are ladies and lads, Fox lovers all. The day is upon us. I’m pretty stoked the way this one came out and I hope y’all don’t hate me too much after the fact. As always let me know what you think, ask questions, yell at me. Whatever floats your boat.

Today hadn’t started well and you were already so far past caring it was insane.

You didn’t care you’d woken up on your couch in your clothes from the day before, rumpled and wrinkled beyond salvage, your mascara a messy mask under your eyes.

You didn’t care that you spent the better part of your first hour at the office staring out the transparisteel window into the skylane that ran not far from where you sat, watching transports and speeders for by in a soothing blur.

You didn’t care about the tartness in your voice when the 501st Captain had comm’d stating it was important that he speak with Commander Fox immediately. You’d told him, in no uncertain terms, that what the Commander had on the schedule for today was of the utmost importance and that you would make sure he got the message when he got in.

Maybe you’d been a bitch, latent embarrassment from the peep show you’d unintentionally given the day before still simmering but, really, he hadn’t even offered an apology and the muffled yelling behind closed doors hadn’t done much to place him in your good graces either.

You try not to replay the night before. You’d done that plenty on the ride home. All the same, you let it play through again in your head. Now, you're looking at it in the light of day and with more clarity. The way the anxiety had been almost palpable when you’d first entered the room hadn’t seemed so obvious at the time-

“Ma’am?”

A portly woman is standing a few feet away politely smiling. Your face flushes.

“I’m sorry. Daydreaming.” You explain with a forced smile and a lie “what can I do for you?” A movement behind the woman catches your attention. A tiny green hand clings to the women's slacks as equally green eyes peek around her thick leg.

“I’m Sukin Maly with level 504 children’s home. I was told this was Commander Fox’s office?” She’s pleasant looking as she glances back at the child clinging to her before focusing on you. Lines pull at the corner of her eyes letting you know she was a woman who enjoyed smiling a lot and often.

The child slowly rounds the woman’s thigh and you watch with delight as you recognize the twi’lek girl from the pictures Fox had shown you. Pushing away from your desk you move closer, crouching down and offering your hand. Wide eyes look from your hand to the attendant who gives a small nod. The girl hesitantly takes it and you give it a gentle shake before looking back up to her minder.

“I’m afraid the Commander is out of the office today.” The woman gives an understanding smile as you turn back to the little girl.

“I think I know who you are.” You offer conspiratorially, “are you Me’kar? You made quite the impression on Commander Fox.”

Her little lekku wriggle happily at the sound of her name.

The children’s attendant says something in Ryl you don’t understand. Me’kar’s tiny hands go to the top of each lek and she makes little ears with her fingers.

“Fox” she says clear as day in basic.

You can’t help but laugh and her smile brightens as she repeats the word over and over.

“She’s picking it up quickly”, Sukin explains “but that seems to be her favorite word.

“It’s ok, sweetheart. It’s mine too” you say softly as she bounces in front of the older woman.

”it’s nice to meet you both.” You offer them your given name before addressing the child again, “but you can call me Mouse if you’d like. Everyone around here does.”

This brings a peel of laughter bubbling up in the child as the attendant translates. She holds her hands in front of her like tiny paws and wiggles her little green button of a nose before making a squeaking noise. “Mouse,” she giggles.

You laugh as she pulls a stuffed tooka out of the bag draped across her shoulders.

“Cat. Meow.” She says proudly, holding the raggedy stuffy up. “Fox kiss better.”

You look up to the attendant with a furrowed brow. “She was quite taken that the Commander gave her kitten kisses when it was scared.”

You fight back a laugh at the image. “I wish he was here to see you. He’s going to be disappointed he missed such an important visitor.” The girl's smile fades as Sukin translates but only for a moment before she’s digging back in her bag for a folded piece of flimsy.

“Fox” she says proudly as she unfolds the flimsy, finally holding up an image she’d obviously been very proud of. It’s rough but you can very clearly make out little Me’kar and Fox drawn as brightly colored stick figures. Fox’s helmet is so large that the weight of it looks like it will break his little stick body in half at any moment, maybe it’s the small green hand intertwined with his red one that stops it from happening.

Your ovaries nearly implode. It is the single most adorable thing you’ve ever seen and you willingly take it as she turns to her minder and speaks in rapid Ryl.

“She’d like you to give it to the Commander.”

“Please?”

Saying no was never going to be an option so you nod, thrown off when she attaches herself to your waist and gives you a big hug. You pay the top of her head, “how about this. I give him this” you wriggle the picture, “and we set something up so you and your friends can come a different day when I know the Commander and his friends will be here? You could eat lunch in the big cafeteria and maybe they could give you a tour?”

Me’kar can barely contain herself as the older woman translates. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

She spins and bounces with excitement and Sulin hurries to calm her as you hide a smile behind your hand. You trade comms with the woman and promise to be in touch after you’ve spoken with the Commander and set something up. Me’kar waves manically, turning and pulling every few steps when It’s time to leave.

“Bye Mouse! Bye!”

It’s the first bright spot in your day and you cling to the swelling feeling in your heart as you return to sorting out the mess that was the day to day operations of the Coruscant Guard.

——-

The aide arrives early afternoon. You’d only just finished lunch and are busy packing your bag when you see them coming down the hall. The upturned nose and refined, high-end clothing scream politician from 20 klicks away. They’re feet away from your desk before their eyes even move to you.

“I’m sorry, Commander Fox-“ you begin your usual explanation and are quickly cut off.

“Your presence is requested this afternoon in the office of the Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.”

The request strikes you as odd immediately both in its formality and, if by the way the aide is staring at you, its presumed immediacy.

You were not an individual that ever had any right being in the same room as someone as powerful as the Supreme Chancellor, not because you were unworthy or less than, but simply because you had nothing to offer in any way you could find necessary.

You inform the aide gently that he is likely in the wrong place, has the wrong person.

He huffs impatiently before speaking your name, “that is your name correct?”.

You nod mutely.

“Than, miss, I believe I am in the right place and the Chancellor is well aware of who you are.”

Something sours in your stomach. You wish Fox or one of the boys were around because something just seems off. “We could do this a different time?” You question hopefully, retrieving your datapad and flipping open the calendar, “I really shouldn’t be leaving halfway through my day.”

“The Commander is with the Chancellor awaiting your arrival.”

Well, you knew that, didn’t you? You were the one who’d been answering comms for Fox all day. So why did it make your stomach flip and lurch? Maybe because you’d expect Fox to contact you with a heads up or, knowing him, send one of the kits to collect you.

“So, like now?” You clarify.

The aide's foot begins an impatient rhythm, toes tapping irritably against the floor, “like, now.” He clarifies pointedly.

You try to ignore his demeanor, he probably wasn’t used to playing go-for and certainly not used to anyone doing anything less than jumping at a chance to meet the Chancellor. Still, you don’t move with any great urgency. Maybe had he been a little nicer or the request not been so abnormal to begin with. You make a point of locking down the datapads and grabbing your coat and bags, ignoring his sigh while he glances at his chrono.

He never introduces himself. Not as you follow a step behind down the halls, not as you climb into the sleek black speeder on the landing platform. Hound And Rule are parking a pair of speeder bikes. You give them a shrug and a nervous smile as their helmets both cock in question. Hound looks like his namesake be it with a more viscous paint job. You’d laugh if you weren’t so kriffing nervous. It’s stupid. So this wasn’t exactly normal, but aside from a rude, nameless aide this was nothing worse than heading to an inter-office meeting.

Than why couldn’t you shake the feeling that you were about to get in trouble, like a child being called to the principals office? Your fingers fumble as you buckle the restraint across your chest. You barely have a chance to wave to the two Guardsmen still looking your way before the speeder is diving into the skylane and heading toward the Senate Executive building.

The ride is quiet. Any attempt to make small talk is met with a simple yes or no, a few things are even ignored completely. If this guy was intending on going into politics he’d need to take a class or two on how to fake interest in his constituents.

The speeder comes to a stop at the Supreme Chancellor’s private platform and you’re ushered off without fanfare.

“Don’t we need to check in with security?” You ask as your collector opens the door to what you can only assume is the Chancellor’s suite, a rich expanse of room and excess that doesn’t allow your eyes a moment to relax or focus on one point.

“That won’t be necessary, unless you feel like you need to be scanned and patted down?” His raises brow makes you blush.

“No- of course not. Just protocol-“

“The Supreme Chancellor sets his own protocols.” He explains as you move further into the office. The large wall of transparisteel looks out over the very tops of buildings you knew to tower high about the highest heights of the Coruscanti top level. It’s breathtaking.

The decorations are ostentatious, with a very strong splash of deep red everywhere- from the carpeting to the tapestries interspersed on the walls. Bronzium statues sit atop marble stands, their twisted faces and gnarled figures seem out of place amongst all the finery before you.

“This way, please.”

You hadn’t realized you’d slowed to gawk and move to pick up the pace from where you’d fallen back. You offer a small apology that goes unacknowledged as he presses through an imposing set of doors on the other side is more transparisteel, more red.

And the Chancellor.

Sheev Palpatine sits with his hands folded on the dark wood in front of him looking as if he’d been waiting for you to arrive. He greets you as such.

“My dear girl!” He rises to greet you, moving carefully around his desk.

Your first thought is that he was not nearly as tall as you’d imagined he’d be. On the holonet he looked every bit as tall as any of the clones that served as his guards. He’s only a head taller than you, you note as he reaches for your hand and gives it a gentle shake. You smile weakly, a spark of something uncomfortable and disquieting burning inside you.

“Supreme Chancellor” you incline your head to break the uncomfortably intense eye contact, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“She is a beautiful little creature, Commander.” He intones looking past you, ignoring your greeting.

You glance over your shoulder to see Fox standing at attention next to the door you’d walked through. It was a wonder you hadn’t noticed him immediately but with all the red bleeding through the room it was no great difficulty for him to blend in. He tips his helmet toward you even though he seems stiff. Regardless, just his presence does something to calm your nerves. Any residual anxiety about the pair of you seems to dissolve as you look at him. When you turn back to the Chancellor your smile is genuine.

The chancellor’s is still questionable while he cups your elbow and leads you toward his desk. The soft clatter of plastoid armor follows behind you. You can feel Fox behind you, can almost imagine his all too familiar body heat radiating along your back. You fight the urge to let your hand sweep behind you in an attempt to capture his own.

“My dear, the good Commander speaks very highly of you.”

“I think very highly of him” you murmur fighting the urge to look behind you.

“Very good. Very good. Have a seat and we’ll begin our little meeting.”

The chair is plush and comfortable. When the Chancellor sits down across you notice that his chair is positioned slightly higher than your own, making him appear as if he was looking down at you. The desk is fairly clean, only a handful of datapads and some neatly organized flimsy. Next to everything is a gleaming blaster. It’s hard to keep your eyes from skimming over it. You’d sat through enough conversations with Hound and Ryk to not recognize a hold-out blaster when you saw one.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it? Blas-Tech, I believe.” The chancellor motions toward the blaster but you shake your head. As much as you’ve been privy to conversations about the different makes and models you’d never really become comfortable with the actual blasters themselves. “Well suit yourself” the chancellor shakes his head gently picking up the blaster and making a show of turning it in the light. It’s small, most hold-outs were. “A gift from one of the Corellian delegates” he continues “a very thoughtful gift but I personally find blasters rather uncivilized.” He makes a show of setting it down closer to you.

“I see” you fidget in your seat, “I really don’t want to waste any of your time. I’m sure you have far more important-“

“- this is of the utmost importance, I’m afraid” there’s something about the almost apologetic look he gives you or maybe it’s the slight cooling of his tone that washes away any comfort that knowing Fox was with you had provided.

“I’m afraid, I’m not sure what this conversation is about.”

A scoff crosses the length of the desk as the Chancellor looks past you to Fox. “She is very tricky isn’t she Commander? Had I known you couldn’t see past a simple deception I would never have encouraged you to pursue her.”

“My apologies, my lord” Fox’s voice is cool and emotionless, not the rich baritone you were used to. Warning klaxons sound in your head.

“Sir?”

“Oh, dear girl there’s no use hiding it any longer.”

Your heart rate is slowly creeping up, moving more close to the rate of your namesake than you were comfortable with. You attempt to rise to your feet but a pair of gauntlets come down on your shoulders and press you back into the chair that no longer feels comfortable.

The chancellor rises and moves toward the windows, his fine robes swing around him as he goes. Your eyes follow him carefully. Pressure builds at the back of your skull, a wholly inopportune moment for a headache to present itself if you’ve ever had one. You shake your head gently in an attempt to dislodge it. The chancellor laughs and it sends a cold shock down your spine.

“You’ve used your position and your wiles to lead the Commander astray” he begins “you’ve filled his head full of ideas of conspiracies and plots that don’t exist. And for what, might I ask?”

When you turn and look up at Fox he’s staring down at you through the dark lens of his visor. You will him to say something, anything. Surely this was a mistake.

“Fox, you can’t believe this?” You turn toward Palpatine, “this is a mistake. I’m not sure where this has come from-“

“-So I shouldn’t believe that you gathered the data for the Commander? That you didn’t read through it unlawfully and offer your own silly ideas as to what happened after our best investigators found that the ARC trooper acted against the Republic? That he was, indeed, intent on assassignation?” The chancellor’s voice grows louder as he speaks.

Your mouth gapes as he continues.

“Should the Commander not be made aware that you’ve used his affection to manipulate a good soldier into believing that the Grand Army, the highest level of military excellence in the galaxy, was intent on destroying not only his brothers but the entire Jedi order?”

Fox’s hands leave your shoulders and you jump to your feet, the chair pushing back behind you, forcing him to take a step back or be hit with it. His hand rests at his hip, fingers wrapped around the grip of his deece. The pressure on the back of your head intensifies, burns.

“You used me” the words are a broken snarl, an injured animal fighting back. “You made me love you so you could what? Tell me damnit!” His body is tight, coiled like a spring ready to snap.

“Fox, this isn’t right-“

Palpatine's voice rises over the pair of you. “I’ll tell you Commander. She came with the intent of finishing what the ARc trooper started. She was a conspirator.” The word conspirator is hissed out. Fox’s head jerks than shakes. The heel of his free hand presses against his visor. You want to go to him, find a way to make him understand, to soften the hard lines of his body.

Pick up the blaster.

A voice, cool and calculating echoes in your skull. Your eyes trail down to the blaster and your fingers flex into a fist, knuckles going white as you fight the urge that you shouldn’t have. You can hear your heartbeat pounding along rapidly in your head, adrenaline flooding your system.

“She’s here to kill me Commander. She is a spy and assassin. How else could she get in here without the guards knowing?”

Fox’s hand twitches over his own blaster. “It hurts” one hand presses at the side of his bucket. Is Palpatine in his head too?

Pick. Up. The. Blaster.

Your skull feels as if it will implode at any moment. Your eyes turn away from Fox and to the Chancellor. A cruel smile twists his mouth, a vicious play on a genuine one. Your brows furrow together as the clanging in your head grows louder.

“You’re doing this?!” Panic rises in your throat, bile burns it raw. “Why? Get out of my head!”

The pained squeal that slips from your mouth sounds foreign, a feral animal sound. “Get out of my head!” You sob whipping around. Fox, who seems to be struggling on his own, drops down to one knee, bucket cradled in his hands.

“Cyar’ika-“ he sounds small and you want it to stop, would do anything to protect him. His visor rises up to meet your eyes and you swear you see him clear as day as if it’s not there. He’s your Fox and he needs you.

Because you love him.

“How touching” Palpatine's voice echoes through the room, a perverse pleasure notable in his tone as he sees your realization from inside your mind.

But you love Fox and the weight of it gives you strength. You push harder against whatever magic has slithered into your head.

“Good soldiers follow orders” Palpatine reminds, voice cold and calculating “Shoot the traitor.”

“Fox, it’s me.” You beg him to see you. To look at you “he’s making you believe something that isn’t real. See me-“ a broken sob bubbles it’s way over your lips, “Fox…”

Distantly, the sound of blasters and the rising shout of voices becomes clear but you don’t have time to discern what’s going on.

“You will shoot the assassin commander. The blaster is in her hand. Do it, Commander!”

“Mouse- I- I- can’t” Fox’s voice comes out as if through gritted teeth and then something snaps and he rises back to his full height. The uncertainty that had been rolling off of him is gone.

“No, no, no…” you mumble, shaking your head as tears fill yours eyes. Your hand covers your mouth in horror as if it alone can hold your grief in. Fox raises his blaster at you. Desperately you turn to the chancellor. “Please! Please don’t make him do this! I’ll do anything. Please don’t make him!”

He laughs in your face and you finally do as the voice in you head has willed.

You grab the blaster.

It feels foreign in your grip. You scream as a bolt from Fox’s deece grazes your left shoulder but your right hand holds tight to the one in your hand.

“PUT IT DOWN! GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES!” Fox’s voice booms as you turn back toward him. There’s no way you will get a shot off on the chancellor. “Mouse- please-“ desperation bleeds through his words suddenly and it hurts almost as much as the singed flesh of your arm.

You raise the blaster to your head. You're going to die. You know it in your very soul. Now it was only a matter of how and who. It won’t be Fox. It will be the last thing you do-

“DO IT!”

Noise erupts around you. The doors of the Chancellor's office explode open, splinters of wood showering down.

Chaos ensues.

Another blaster bolt hits you in the right flank while your attention is divided. Everything moves in slow motion. The blaster in Fox’s hand shakes as he continues to aim it in your direction. The smell of ozone assault your senses. The room spins on its own unseen axis.

The blaster falls from your fingers with a clatter as you drop to your knees. You can’t breathe, your mind screams to draw in a breath but your body refuses to comply only allowing shallow, useless gasps.

Lights flare in your periphery purple, red, blue. Voices roar to life.

Electricity tickles at your skin as your hands press down over burnt flesh. “Fox…” his name comes out as a whimper as the transparisteel at your back shatters, shards of it bite into your back, burrow deep into your flesh. The smell of blood, the coppery tang makes your stomach heave..

Chaos is everywhere, omnipotent and overwhelming. Voices shout, threaten, and yell and you struggle to focus in on any one thing.

“Don’t take another step, vod!” You see the familiar blue and white jaig eyed bucket of Captain Rex. Twin deeces are aimed at Fox but his blaster is only half pointed, his head cocks then shakes violently. “I said stop, Fox!”

“It’s not him-“ the words come out in a choked cough, not loud enough to be heard over the cacophony of wind rising up between the buildings and the clashing of Jedi lightsabers. You press up on one arm and point shakily with your injured left arm. You try again, “it’s him!”

Rex’s helmet tips toward you but his blasters remain trained on Fox as you point toward the old man held at the tip of a purple saber.

You don’t have the strength to stay upright and your arm crumples. You fall against the red carpet with a gasp. Your shoulder bears the brunt of it causing bright hot pain to shoot anew through your body. When you're able to open your eyes, your blood mixing with the red fibers, almost imperceptibly, greets you.

“Mouse- Fierfek” the gutted sound of Fox’s voice slips into your ears, “I’m sorry. I’m-“ he voice is choked off as he grabs at his throat. Another man, lip curled back in a snarl, advances on him hand raised. His robes are dark matching the poisonous look in his eyes.

“Yes, young Skywalker. Strike him down!” The chancellor's sickly voice rises up over the winds.

“Anakin!” The Jedi wielding the purple saber snarls. You see him look back at the chancellor.

“I am the senate. You will not kill me, Jedi”

“The senate is overruled”

The purple saber flashes without hesitation. You choke back a scream as Sheev Palpatine’s head leaves his body. You struggle, dragging yourself toward Fox as his hands claw against his own throat trying to dislodge his invisible assailant.

“General! Enough!” Rex’s voice rises as you grab at Fox’s leg pulling yourself in front of him.

“Skywalker” the other man intones quietly. The purple glow retracts as he places a hand over the younger Jedi’s forearm and presses down, “let him go. This wasn’t his doing.”

You miss the choked cry the younger man bites back because whatever has held Fox at bay releases him and he falls forward, body draping over you protectively.

The winds still howl, blowing up from the deep wells of Coruscant below but it sounds distant. It doesn’t chill you like it had because Fox is with you and he’ll make everything right.

You want to tell him how much you love him. You want to kiss him just once as the darkness presses in at the edges of your vision. It’s a struggle to focus on the lines of his helmet, to pretend you can see through to the cut of his jaw, his full lips -that turn up just so when he smiles- and the soothing browns of his eyes.

“You don’t get to do this” he whispers angrily between harsh breaths. His arms wrap around your body pulling you close his nose pressing against your temple. “You don’t get to die because of me”

You tell him it’s not his fault, or at least you try. You can’t make your voice work.

Fox’s lips press roughly behind your ear. A continuous loop of promises and apologies and curses spill from his mouth. Mando’a and basic slur together. You try to keep your eyes open. You want to stay with him. It doesn’t hurt anymore so everything must be ok. Fox has made it ok…

Someone yells for a medic and the darkness overtakes you.

[foiblepnoteworthy]

[basic id: three drawings in a sketchy art style. first is of a young jon and james wright in the tunnels beneath the institute; second is of elias in his office; third is of a framed photo of jon and elias.]

Wow it sure has been a minute since I posted fanart for my favourite fic that you all must read, nature has taught her creatures to hate by @polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup

better id and headcanons under the cut

[ID:

First image: Jon and Wright in the tunnels from chapter 2. Wright is on the left, lit from above by the light from the trapdoor. He is tall and broad, and the light casts his face into a shadowed frown. Jon is on the right, hiding behind a wall, eyes wide and staring in Wright’s direction. Jon’s face is just barely visible in the darkness.

Second image: Elias sits behind his desk in his office, hands on the surface. Light streams in from the window behind him, bathing the room in a sickly green. There is a subtle glow to his eyes. (Quote from fic: “There are jars of mismatched shapes and sizes on a mahogany table lining the wall, filled with dull, viscous-looking fluids of all colours... Thick, leather-bound tomes lined the bookshelves bracketing the walls...”) The drawing is not a perfect recreation of that, but honestly doing that much clutter sounds exhausting and would have taken away from the imposing focal point so. 

Third image: (Quote from fic: “Elias stands in frame, smiling against a light stone wall for backdrop. His left hand grips a shoulder, and at the end of that shoulder is Jon.”) Jon’s shoulder is tense under Elias’ hand, hands in fists and elbows drawn in protectively. Their shirt and ties match. Jon’s hair is long, but neatly combed and not in his preferred bun. 

okay so here’s my latest headcanons:

-around the house jon and his nan would sometimes speak her mother tongue, which jon was comfortably conversational in. elias, wanting jon to be a tiny version of himself, discouraged this. when jon began in his rebellious phase, he tried to remember some, and was overjoyed when he managed it. later, when looking through cookbooks in his own language (wanting to eat something other than the bland white people food elias gave him), he realised his grasp of the language was far more complicated than it must have been even as a child, never mind after years without practise. this was how he discovered the eye could translate for him. 

-i recall that jon and og elias briefly had a friendly interaction, in which elias showed concern for jons wellbeing. so i hc that wright didnt warn jon before he switched bodies, and jon came to the wrong conclusions when an ally appeared in wherever he was

-bb jon had long hair. the day before he started at the institute, elias cut it. 

-i made that up and im so furious about it he cut his fucking hair

-like i put so much value in jons sense of his own self image and yes i made this up but jon could control very little about his life and he wasnt even allowed to keep his long hair he liked to put up in a bun like his nan (and maybe his mum) did

(-did i even make the self image thing up bc i known jon has this whole thing about not following the dress code but how far back does this way of acting go yanno? and how much is it to do with him wanting to look how he wants and how much is just trying to annoy elias? does he know the difference? is there a difference? does his life still revolve around elias even when hes trying to express himself and be separate?)

-on the flipside he got the courage to start growing it out again after he met gerry. this was also when he doubled down on expressing himself through his appearance. thats barely even hc im p sure thats just canon tbh

-as always i hc skirt jon but i also hc (is it hc if its basically canon?) skirt gerry anyway that also started at the same time. i like to think the skirts are a gender thing as much as a pissing off elias thing but idk. no i know - jon started and maintains it as a bothering elias thing and doesnt realize its a favourite for gender reasons. (he does not have time to gender poor soul)

-i will offer one nice crumb that is actually basically canon anyway teen jon had a specific alley cat he would feed that was in an alley next to the institute. the cat let him give her pets and cuddles. when she had kittens she let him hold them. 

-also i mentioned it before but gertrude kept a cat figure on her desk and jon kept it in pride of place when he moved into her office

anyway~

[ID a sketch of Jon, wearing a cabled green sweater and black jeans with ridiculous chains and buckles pointing at the open trapdoor saying, “get in the hole”. He is short.]

[girls-scenarios]

The Warmth in Her Smile

Idol: Irene (Red Velvet)

Prompt: ceo irene age gap love story w gf (angst and fluff but more angst yknow) along the lines of having their differences but irene rly rly loves gf

Writer: Admin Kiwi

A/N: I did end up making this reader female, just because it worked better for the angst scenario I was inspired to write.

♡ Tip Jar♡

Irene had never been someone to jump headfirst into anything without stopping to think first. She hadn’t created a successful company by being careless, and her careful and calculating personality had made her rich. Even in high school, she had been careful of her actions, overthinking each situation as she planned her rise to the top of the business world. Everything was accounted for in her life.

Except for you.

She could have never accounted for you, or for the way you shoved your way into her heart and refused to leave. How could she have known that, on that rainy day, the panicked college kid she sheltered with her umbrella would make her fall in love? Had she known, she would have kept walking.

But she didn’t. Instead she smiled and took you in, offering you a change of clothes when you told her that you had a presentation and giving you her umbrella when you left, and now she couldn’t let you go.

What was it about you that was so addicting? Your smile? Your embrace? The way you tried your best even after being soaked to the bone? The way your lips felt against yours? Or perhaps the way your eyes sparkled when she praised you and when you accomplished what you wanted? When she tried to list the reasons, she only realized how much she loved everything about you. And how easily you could break her heart.

-

“Is it normal for you to loan people your clothes when they get wet?” You had laughed softly as you stepped out of her bathroom, your hair still slightly wet but now pulled back away from your face. With a shrug, Irene had walked over to fix the blazer around your shoulders.

“I’m a philanthropist at heart. Do you always follow people to their home?”

You’d flushed and grinned sheepishly. “Well, I recognized you. You helped run the animal shelter fundraiser at my college last year and my friend said you lent everyone gloves, so I figured you were a nice person.”

Amused, she’d laughed and shook her head, her heart already taking to this optimistic college kid. “Fair point. You look ready to give a presentation now that you no longer look like a drowned kitten.”

“But is it really okay for me to take these clothes? I mean, they’re really nice.”

“They were a gift from a colleague, but they never fit me. They fit you, so you can keep them.”

“Wow.” You had grinned, warming her heart. “Thanks, I really appreciate it. I have to go now, but I’ll be back to repay you, I promise!”

At first, when she had let you out the door and waved goodbye, she hadn’t believed that you would keep your promise. After all, how could a broke college student repay her for designer clothes?

However, the next day you had showed up at her office, catching her as she was leaving for lunch with a grin on your face. “Hey, I told you I would repay you, right? Let me buy you lunch!”

And she probably should have said no. She should have known what would come out of this from the warmth you’d left in her heart as you ran off that day. But she hadn’t. Instead she’d agreed with a smile, holding up the keys to her car and offering to drive to the place of your choice.

Instead, she sealed her own fate.

-

“How do you not know any slang? How old are you?” You laughed from where you were perched on the couch, looking over the back with your head resting on your arms, watching her as she cut strawberries in the kitchen. With a huff, she playfully pointed the fruit knife at you.

“You know, you’re pretty rude for a kid. I’m not even thirty yet.”

“Only a year out.”

“Oh shut up. I was busy creating a business, I didn’t have any time to learn slang.” Her lips curved down into a pout, which only made you laugh again. Her competitors always called her scary, but she could never intimidate you.

“Right, right. Maybe I should teach you some, so that you can be hip with the youth.”

“And why would I want to be hip with the youth?” Irene asked, rolling her eyes scooping the strawberries into a bowl.

“Well, you’re dating one.”

Your words made her drop her knife into the sink, her body freezing for a moment. Quickly, she covered up her mistake by turning on the water and washing her hands, but her heart was racing no matter how nonchalant she tried to be. She was dating a youth. A youth who could drink and was in her twenties, but still a youth. And she didn’t understand half the words you said. Swallowing, she dried her hands and picked up the bowl of strawberries.

“I guess you can teach me some,” she said as she walked over to the couch, handing you the bowl. “But I can’t promise that I’ll be able to learn.”

You were quiet for a moment as she sat down beside you, then leaned your head on her shoulder. “Better late than never, right?” As if trying to chase away the awkward air, you nodded at the TV. “What do you want to watch?”

Still, Irene felt a weight on her heart as she settled in next to you, remembering how you’d fallen asleep the last time she’d chosen what to watch. Maybe she was getting old. Reaching for a strawberry, she gave you a smile that she hoped wasn’t too strained. “Oh. You can choose. I think I chose last time.”

-

“Hey, do you remember when you picked me up from college the other day? For dinner?” You looked uncomfortable, staring down at the plate in front of you with your hands in your lap. The two of you were eating dinner together once again, at a new place her friends had recommended. Despite the amazing smells and fantastic food, though, you’d seemed troubled all dinner. Now, Irene frowned, putting down her chopsticks.

“Yeah, why?”

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, twisting your hands together in your lap as you blushed. “Well, my friends are calling you my, um, sponsor.”

“Sponsor?”

“They think you’re my sugar mommy, basically,” you said, rushing your words as you flushed even deeper. Irene swallowed, her blood running cold. Suddenly she wasn’t so hungry anymore.

“I.... I guess I could see why they think that.” Her car wasn’t exactly conspicuous, a sleek brand-new Lexus that was so clean it gleamed in the light. “What did you-?”

You cut her off. “I don’t think of you that way! I tried to explain that we just met by accident and that you don’t give me gifts like that, but they wouldn’t listen! They said it was okay if I was getting paid to date someone, but they hadn’t expected it from me. I didn’t know what else to say. I’m not dating you for your money, but now that I think about it, it looks suspicious, the two of us together.” You were obviously flustered and upset by your friends’ accusations, but Irene wasn’t sure what to do. Still, she reached out her hand, offering her support, and after a moment, you took it.

“It was only suspicious because I was picking you up from college. When we’re out like this, we’re just two people. Nobody can tell that you’re a student or that I’m a CEO. And what other people think doesn’t matter, because I know that I love you and I’m not trying to pay you to be around.”

“I know,” you said with a sigh, squeezing her hand. “I just wish my friends didn’t think that way.”

“I won’t pick you up in front of them anymore. If there’s anything I can do to stop them from being suspicious, let me know.”

“Okay.” Your voice was quiet, and she hated it. She hated seeing you down when you were usually so optimistic. And she couldn’t help feeling that this was her fault.

-

Her secretary Yeri was looking at her with pursed lips, her eyes intense with scrutiny despite the early morning hour. Warily, Irene walked past her to her desk and sat her bag down.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, already knowing the answer. Yeri only got like this when something was wrong.

“I’ve heard from gossip around the office,” Yeri said, choosing her words carefully, “that you’ve been seeing a student.”

Oh. Oh god. Irene groaned and rubbed her hand against her head. Of course people were going to find out, but the wording made it sound worse than it was. “A university student, Yeri. There’s nothing illegal going on.”

“Even if it’s legal, don’t you think it’s risky?”

“Why?”

“No offense, but you’re getting older. What will the shareholders say if they find out?”

“If it’s not illegal, I don’t see why anyone would have a problem with it.”

Yeri rubbed at her temple, like she always did when Irene was irritating her. “It still doesn’t look proper. A CEO dating a college student? They’ll say you’re paying them to date you!”

“But I’m not. They can check my statements if they want. I’ve given them some small gifts and paid for some dinners but you can see that I’ve never paid them any money.” Irene was starting to feel annoyed. “Plus, if I’m making them money, can they really complain about what I’m doing in my free time?”

“They definitely can if they think something illicit is happening.”

“Nothing like that is happening.”

“Still, you have to think about it from their point of view,” the younger woman said, crossing her arms. “And what about the student? Have you ever thought that they might just be after you for your money? You’re a millionaire, you have to worry about these things!”

“I know (Y/N),” Irene responded, her voice tight. “She wouldn’t do that. We’re dating and we’re in love. Is that so wrong?”

For a moment, Yeri was silent. Then she gave in with a sigh. “Whatever. Just be more careful, okay? You know how easily reputations can be ruined. Even just by rumors.”

“I’ll be more careful.” What a way to start her day. Irene fell back into her chair and frowned. “And spread the word that I don’t appreciate the office gossiping about their boss behind my back. If they have a grievance, they can come and take it up with me directly.” She wasn’t usually one to feel angry. But she was tired from the stress of work and from staying up with you, and she was beginning to feel annoyed that the rest of the world thought they had a say in her relationship.

“Will do.”

-

One night, after a fitful sleep, she woke up to the moon slipping in through the window and to a headache behind her eyes. For a moment, she was confused at the warmth next to her, until she smelt your familiar shampoo and remembered that you’d come over to spend the night. Slowly and carefully, as to not wake you up, she sat up and glanced at her clock. It was 3am. She let out a groan and pressed her fingers to her forehead, annoyed with herself. She’d never let stress affect her like this before.

Not wanting her restlessness to wake you up, she slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen to find her medication, hoping it would help her sleep.

For a while after taking her medication, she held onto her glass of water and looked around her large apartment. There were pieces of you everywhere, so stark and out of place that they were too obvious to miss. Your textbooks and backpack were on a kitchen chair, your slightly worn sneakers sat beside her expensive work heels, a YA book she’d bought for you when you wanted it peeked out among the reference books on her shelf, and your extra pair of slippers was covered in your favorite characters while hers were plain and grey. You’d slipped into her life, but it almost felt like you didn’t belong there, no matter how much her heart wanted you to stay.

Gulping down the rest of her water, she tried not to think of that. Instead, she washed the glass before heading back to the bedroom and climbing into bed beside you. The room was dark, but the moon outside was abnormally bright, and she gazed down at your features, relaxed and smooth. It was when you were asleep that it struck her how young you really were. Your hair was a mess and you still slept like you weren’t used to sharing a bed with someone, your limbs spread across her king sized bed. Where she was beginning to get lines in her frown and smile lines, your skin was smooth. The dark circles under your eyes weren’t as defined as hers.

Her heart twisting in her chest, she gently touched your face, running her thumb over your cheekbones. God, she loved you so much. To her, you were the most beautiful woman in the world. Maybe it was because it was late and she was stressed from work, but tears began to well up in her eyes.

She was too old for you. It hadn’t been long since you’d had your first legal drink, yet she could hardly drink without getting a terrible hangover the next day. You were still at the age where you liked to party and go out with friends, but she got headaches from loud sounds and preferred to go to bed instead of going out after work. She couldn’t go to clubs or parties with you, no matter how much you wanted her to. She was busier than you, she often had to go on business trips, she couldn’t always be around for you like another student could. She knew her long hours annoyed you, because the two of you had gotten into arguments about it before. But work wasn’t like classes: she couldn’t just skip her duties.

Biting her lip, she pulled her hand away and tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. What was she doing? This wasn’t right. None of this was right. She was stealing your youth away from you when you should be spending it with someone who could give you everything you wanted. Her gifts couldn’t make up for all the times she missed important dates and left you alone for weeks on end.

You stirred and she froze, staring down at you as you rolled over to face her and reached out your hand towards her. “Irene?” Your voice was rough and tired, and she reached out to grab your hand.

“I’m right here,” she replied, quickly wiping at her face.

“Mmkay. Just making sure.” A smile came to your lips and you seemed to drift off into sleep, leaving her to ponder in the dark, her heart torn into pieces of indecision.

-

“You’re going on a business trip again?” Your voice was rising from where you stood, leaning against the counter in the kitchen with your arms crossed. Your eyebrows were furrowed and your lips pressed into a frown that she was now seeing too often. “But you missed my birthday last year too! I thought you would want to spend it with me this time, but I guess I was wrong.”

“I said that I’m sorry.” Her words sounded void even to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair. “But it’s a business trip. I can’t say no.”

“You can’t even reschedule?”

“That’s not how these things work, (Y/N).”

“There you go again!” You stood up, your face flushing with anger. “You’re treating me like I’m a kid who doesn’t know anything about the world!”

“That’s because you don’t know anything about my world,” Irene replied, beginning to feel hollow. How many times had she had this fight with you before? “I have responsibilities that I can’t throw away just to spend time with you. I own a company, (Y/N).”

“I’m well aware. And sometimes, I think you care about that company more than you care about me.”

“That’s not true.” Her heart fractured and broke a little bit more, her throat burning as the urge to cry welled up inside her. Why was she crying so much these days? “I love you, more than I think you know.”

“Then why don’t you show it?”

“Because I can’t show it the same way that someone the same age as you might show it. I buy you gifts, but you say that you don’t want them because it makes people think I’m your sugar mommy. I offer to take you with me on trips, but you can’t because of school. I can’t pick you up for dinner anymore. But I try and I try to show you. I buy you flowers and I invite you over whenever you don’t have homework and I hold you ever time I get the chance. I tell you that I love you all the time. Every time you want something, I try to get it or make it happen. Is that not enough?”

You fell quiet for a moment. “I just wish you could spend more time with me. That’s all I want.”

“I spend every moment I have free with you.”

“Why don’t you give yourself more days off? You’re the boss.”

“That’s not how it works.” This isn’t how relationships work, Irene thought. We’re both in totally different worlds. Why did I ever think this would work?

“Why not?”

“Because I have to run the place. If I slacked off all the time, what kind of boss would I be?”

“I don’t know what kind of boss you would be, but you might be a better girlfriend.”

In that moment, Irene’s world fell down around her, and she accepted the truth. She accepted that this was never going to work. That she was never going to be able to give you what you needed in a relationship, and that you would never understand her world and the stress of it all. It took everything in her and made the tears spill from her eyes, but she finally forced the words out. “Then let’s break up.”

You froze, your eyes widening. Emotions flew across your face as you took in her words, before your shoulders slumped and the anger in your frown melted away. “Wait, Irene, what-.”

“We need to break up. This isn’t going to work between us, (Y/N), and it never has. I love you, I really do. But we can’t give each other what we need. We live in different worlds and we can’t understand each other. If we continue like this we’ll only end up hurting each other more. So let’s break up before that happens.”

Your lip started to quiver and Irene looked away, wiping at her face. She knew that if she saw you cry, she might give in. And she couldn’t give in.

“But.... I didn’t....” You seemed at a loss for words, as if you thought she would never say those words. In all honesty, she wasn’t sure she would ever say them either. “I never meant to hurt you,” you said, voice softer now.

“But you did. And I never meant to hurt you, but I did. We can’t continue like this, with you having to hide me from your friends and family because you don’t know what they’ll think, and with me having to hide you from the people I work with. I’m tired, and I’m sure you are too. It’s all too much.”

“I don’t want to break up with you. I love you.”

“I love you too. But surely you see why we can’t keep doing this.” She glanced up to see that you were crying now too, the anger gone from your body. “I’m sorry,” she said, and her voice broke. “But I’m breaking up with you for our own good.”

“Even though we still love each other?”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, staring down at the floor. For a moment, there was silence, other than the sound of crying. Then you sucked in a breath and shifted, standing from the counter.

“When I graduate and get a job, will you give me another chance then?”

Her heart ached to say yes as she looked up at you again, taking in your face for what she knew was the last time. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I don’t know what the future will hold. But maybe if we’re meant to be, then we’ll meet again in the future. And maybe we can try again.”

“Then this is goodbye.” You stood across from her, your face streaked with tears, and suddenly the kitchen felt too big, and she felt too small. “Can I at least have one last hug.”

She had never been strong enough to tell you no. Despite knowing this would make it hurt worse, she nodded her head and allowed you to walk over and wrap her up in your arms one last time, hugging her like your life depended on it. For a moment, she sank into your arms and allowed herself to imagine a future where everything was okay and the two of you never broke up.

But then you pulled away, yanking her from her fantasy, and smiled. “I’m glad I met you,” you said, and she barely held in a sob, wiping at her face and feeling pathetic.

“I’m glad I met you too.”

She walked you to the door, helped you gather all your things, and saw you out. It was only when you were gone and the door was closed that she finally allowed herself to sob, her heart shattering as she sunk down onto the floor and buried her face in her hands.

Her apartment had never felt so cold.

-

Even years later, Irene had never forgotten about you, not really. Even though she’d tried to convince herself that she was okay, the suit she’d lent to you that day still hung at the front of her closet, and she often ran her fingers over the fabric and tried it on, only to look in the mirror and remember that it never fit in the first place. She went on a few dates that her friends set up for her, but no one ever took your place. Her bed stayed cold and empty, so instead she threw herself into her work, pushing her company further than it had ever been.

That was what she’d always wanted, right?

Her days all blended together, boring and bland and busy, until one day she sat down behind her desk and opened up a file of resumes only to see a name that knocked the breath out of her staring out of the paper.

(Y/N). Applying for the recently vacated secretary position, passed the test and first round of evaluations. She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Was it really you? After all these years?

She picked up her coffee and took a sip, trying to calm her shaking hands and push down the hope flooding through her body. If it was you....

There was a knock at her door and she quickly put down her coffee and straightened herself. “Yes?”

Joy, the HR manager, opened the door. “One of the applicants for the secretary position is here.”

“What’s their name?”

“Her name is (Y/N).”

Her heart climbed up into her throat but she put on her best poker face and nodded her head. “Send her in.”

Joy nodded and disappeared, and a moment later, the door was opened again by a familiar face with a warm smile that once again took her breath away. Just like it had years ago.

“Remember me?” You asked as you approached her desk, and she laughed. Like she could forget you. You were obviously older now, your features more defined, and you’d cut your hair, but you were still just as beautiful as she remembered.

“I thought it was you.” She wasn’t sure what to say as she leaned forward onto her desk, your file open in front of you. “But I never thought I’d see you here.”

You sat down and clasped your hands, and she caught a hint of nervousness in your mannerisms. “I didn’t want to let you go,” you said, your voice soft but steady, “so I worked hard to get my degree so I could come here. Will you give me a chance?”

“For the job, or for us?” Irene wasn’t sure what possessed her to make a joke, but when you laughed, she was glad she did.

“Both?”

“Well,” she replied, knowing that she still couldn’t say no to you, “we still have to do the interview. But I can say yes to one of those for sure.” At her words, you laughed again and held out your hand, and as she took it, she swore that her office had never felt so warm.

[fantasticstoryteller]

New Amsterdam Chapter 26

One of the security guards, Peter thought it was Happy, stopped him on the way into work. “You need a new ID,” the man said as he gestured Peter into the office.

There was nothing new about this. People were randomly assigned new ID’s all the time; it was a little surprising he’d been tapped though, because he’d just gotten a new one the month prior. Still, it wasn’t unusual.

In the security office he gave them his information (again), had his picture taken (with glasses this time), and got his new ID—that he stared at. As a lowly lab assistant his ID had a light green border around it. Except—his new ID had an orange border, and the letters SLA as his designation. “Hey,” he said as he firmly pushed out of the security office, “What’s SLA?”

The door closed behind him and he stared at it for a moment. Well, he knew, no matter what designation was on his ID, that he was due in Dr. Stacey’s lab. So he went up there. He didn’t quite expect his ID to work; he didn’t have the clearance, but—it did. He was able to get to the floor. He walked through the hall dividing Dr. Stacey’s lab from Dr. Banner’s lab keeping an eye on it, in case this was some kind of sophisticated prank.

His Spidey senses weren’t going off. The floor wasn’t coated in oil, or anything else that would be unpleasant later. His new ID opened the door to the lab, and he stared inside for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” asked Dr. Stacey from her bench. “Didn’t you get your new ID?”

“Well, yes,” admitted Peter nervously, “but I’ve never heard of an SLA.” He stepped into the lab, reassured that he was supposed to be there.

“Pepper wrote it up. It’s a new position that basically means that I’ll have to share you with Bruce over there.” She gestured to the glass doors. Peter followed the gesture, met the bemused brown eyes of the scientist over there, who then waved at him.

After waving back Peter admitted, “I don’t really understand.”

Dr. Stacey sighed and rubbed her eyes under her glasses. Peter tensed; that body language used to come right before a reprimand—or being fired. “I know,” she said wearily. She turned away from the bench and gestured to one of the lab stools. “Take a seat Peter. I’m not going to bite you.” Nervously, he obeyed. “Look, you are a talented scientist. I know I’m not the first one to mention it.”

Peter’s hands twisted on the strap to his bag as he stared at her, wide-eyed. How much did she know? Oh, God, had they figured out about Norman? About Oscorp?

Dr. Stacey sighed again. “God. I was right.” Before Peter could ask what she was right about, she continued. “Now, I know that, for whatever reason—and I’m not accepting ‘I’m not good enough’ as a reason,” she added sharply with a fierce glare, “You don’t want your own lab. Fine. That works. We’re not going to force you to get one. Tony wants you to play around in the big labs, see what you’re missing so you want one, and we’ve got him distracted.”

Peter blinked. “You do?” he asked in confusion. “How?”

Dr. Stacey smiled grimly. “It was Pepper’s idea. She put a box of cats on his desk, and now his office looks like a shrine to the Feline God. He’s got at least six cat scratchers in there, and you should hear him whine about how the kittens must not like them because they’re not using them.”

Peter, realizing that the cat and kittens in question had to be Puddles and her kittens, blinked. “They’re four days old,” he said.

The grin widened. “I know,” she said smugly. “Now we can actually get some work done. You’re to trade off working in my lab and in Bruce’s lab, and you’re to have time to work on your own projects. You know how to record everything?” He nodded. “Good. Don’t forget. Time to get to work.”

Peter nodded, put his bag on the hook by the door and got a lab coat, before heading back to work on the organic matrix. After a while he began to hum as he worked, fingers flying over the keys. He had an idea on how to get that neural network inlaid…

Life was actually, for the moment, really good. Deadpool was doing a great job patrolling the city—so good that the crime rate had gone down fifty percent. He wasn’t running into Eddie at the Bugle—because there was no Spiderman to compete for pictures of. And then there was his time with Deadpool. With Wade.

It was more than time for Peter to admit that he enjoyed spending time with Wade. Well, more than enjoyed it. He was actually crushing really hard on the older merc, but wasn’t exactly sure what to do about it. He couldn't actually engage in a real relationship with Wade unless he explained about Spiderman—but he was afraid that Wade would hate him. That Wade would look at the interactions of Peter and Spiderman together—and hate that Peter hadn’t told him. Hadn’t come clean the first time. Leave and cut both Peter and Spiderman out of his life forever.

Peter wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle that. He’d continue doing what he had to—of course—but beyond that…he might be dead. Dead inside, where it mattered no matter what the outside was doing. And he wasn’t sure he could handle that. If he could survive it.

“You look grim. What are you thinking?”

“That we’re going to have mold the matrix before putting the network in it. The problem isn’t with the bots.”

“Do it.”

Peter found a mold to create both more of the matrix and used the solution he’d developed to keep it from breaking down. Upside—the solution worked. Downside—the matrix had to be submerged in it, constantly, in order to retain its shape. He’d have to rework the program for the microbots for the new mold as well.

There was a light knocking at the door that Peter ignored as his hands flew over the keys. Almost there. No, not quite. That bit wouldn't account for the new bends in the mold. Need to backtrack and redo it.

“Oh My God!”

The panicked wail had Peter (why didn’t his senses alert him to danger?) whirl to see—Wade, in full Deadpool regalia and holding a huge, grease-stained bag in one hand. “Petey-Pie,” he called, voice slightly muffled by the thick glass, “can you join me for lunch?”

Peter felt his face split into a smile.

[the-fiction-witch]

More Bunnies!

REAL LIFE: SCANDAL COUPLE: TBS X READER RATING: ADORABLE AF

"Ladies, gentlemen, and those who have yet to make up there minds." y/n smiled sitting on her sofa Thomas' beside her with his head on his hand

"Is that a kinky boots quote?"

"Yes it is, did you finally get around to watching it" "Yes I did"

"And?"

"It's good, not as fun as rocky horror but"

"Nothing's as fun as rocky horror, you'd be good if they ever make another movie of it"

"Yeah? would I make a good rocky sweetie darling?" "No, I was thinking riff raff"

"...well fuck you too"

"Anyway, the point of the video"

"Yes, the point"

"This may be the first video where I'm doing something, and you have actually wanted to be involved, I haven't bribed you, you know what we are doing, and your still here"

"Because this is a good video"  he says "That I very much wanted to be a apart off"

"Because you love them"

"I do, I don't know how anyone can't love them"

"My ex boyfriend hated them

"Yeah well I hated him to"

"You did?"

"We both know I hated joe, he was a dick. that lacked dick Ironically"

"He did, too much dick in the personality, not enough dick in the pants" she giggled "But anyway this video is not about dicks" "That's next week" "will you... shut the mouth. make me tea"

"No"

"Then just shut the mouth"

"The point! of this video. Is that tomorrow is a very very special day, Now I think before I really explain we need a bit of back story" she smiled "My dad owned a vintage car garage, he had been a mechanic all of his life, he learnt though just constantly going to work my his dad in a little garage up in Norfolk, But he opened the garage when he was about eighteen fixing classic cars up for people. and Everyone worked in the business, My dad met my mum because she owned a little  AJS Motorbike that she constantly needed him to fix. My brothers all worked there, and of course I worked there. When we lost my mum, we kinda just... I would say floated like we survived and I very much kinda became the mother being the only girl in the family. And that is something I do say with family businesses you need and out because you work all day with your family and then go home to your family you sort of never leave the dynamic. and As we all likely know as we have told this story, Thomas started working at our garage when... I think you where like sixteen? fifteen then you started?"

"I was fifteen but imminently about to turn sixteen when I started"

"yeah"

"But... the weird thing Is we met when I stated, but we didn't really... know each other" "Yeah it was that weird like, we work at the same place we see each other a lot but we rarely talk to each other"

"I was in the office a lot I did a lot of paperwork and ordering then, and you just constantly had like your head in Morris minors and mini's"

"I think the first time we really spend any time together was when your dad was away, and your brothers where away and it literally was just me and you in the garage, I was tinkering with this little Rover, and I remember you just coming over"

"You had like oil and dirt all over your face and hands from this shitty little rover, so I went over with a little cloth and like did the-"

"The like lick the cloth wipe the dirt off my face"

"I did, and from then on just... bestest friends"

"Yeah, Best friends"

"With crushes on each other"

"I did have a crush on you at that age that's something I have admitted to." "I don't think the situation helped though, like I was one girl in a garage where you worked, at some point you where going to get a crush on me"

"Ummm, You had a crush on me too at one point?"

"I did, I think because you where like the only person who worked there who wasn't part of my family, but it never went anywhere," she shrugs "Anyhow, and then when I moved out of my parents house into my first little apartment I kinda... felt weird I moved away from my family I suddenly felt very lonely and unneeded" she explained "there was more going on at that time that I will put in a video at some point. but I wasn't great emotionally and at that time my best friend Lisa, had a pregnant bunny rabbit named lopple. Now Lisa didn't know still doesn't know how she got pregnant, she thinks the rabbit who was like nextdoor or something got out and somehow got to lopple we don't know all we know is that I was over there helping her prep so making the beds up helping where Lopple was nesting all that kind of thing, and we sat in her garden giving lopple some very soft pets and we just saw something move and saw she was giving birth." she explained "She had six rabbits in her fluffle" "Her fluffle?"

"yes thomas, its called a fluffle" "Is it?"

"Yeah, a litter of kittens, a fluffle of buns"

"That is adorable" "yes it is, but she had six, now Lopple was a very chubby black lion hair and we don't know about the dad but all these buns where black and white and the one who looked most like lopple was this little bun that had white paws and a white tail, a white nose and then just black all over and Lisa's plan was that she was going to keep the babies until they where old enough and then sell them on to other people" she explained

"That didn't happen"

"I didn't, I basically went over every single day and watched these little bunnies grow up to where they could function on there own, and I grew very attached to the one we had nicknamed socks because of her white feet and Lisa just kinda asked me if I wanted her?" she smiled "I had never had bunnies before, or really pets before but I couldn't leave her so I instantly said yes, went to a pet store that day and bought all the stuff she would need and took her home to my apartment set her little hutch up at the end of my bed, and I renamed her hen I got her home to Hopscotch" she smiled

"About... maybe a week later I came over to your apartment and Met hopscotch" "she loved you, Immediately" she laughs "I was expecting her, like when she had met other people that she would hide in her house, or she would come and burrow into my back like she still does, or maybe bite I was worried about biting, but you sat by her house she came wondering out with her little soft feet, walked right over to Thomas sniffed him jumped in his lap and feel asleep"

hopscotch ran across the wooden floor to where Thomas sat cross legged

"Hello? small rabbit"

"Hopscotch"

"Really?"

"Yes"

"okay, Hi hopscotch"

"she's thinking about it, she's giving you a sniff"

"Give me an investigate, nose pat down"

"seeing if you got any contraband, Like carrots"

"I don't have any carrots I'm sorry"

she then jumped onto his lap getting comfy in a little bunny loaf, closing her little eyes and going to sleep "Awwww you have been chosen"

"I have?"

"You have been chosen this is your life now Thomas. you are not a bunny bed"

"I am fine with this, this is life now, Hey... Hey little girl," he chooes petting her fur  

"and she still loves me"

"she does, and I don't know why. it's maddening to me" she laughs "Hopscotch, come here darling" she called picking up the soft bunny who instantly walked over the sofa to Thomas' lap "You see what I mean"

"I cried the first time"

"You did, I remember you just like in tears as she slept on your leg because she was just too cute" she laughs "and then, when I got this house and moved here she came with me, and we very much became a family, like the three of us."

"I think we kinda did when we first moved next-door to each other we just basically lived together, more then we do now, we've put some .... kinda rules and boundaries in now but then we really where just basically living together" he explained

"and one day, we where shopping together and we had to go to the pet store to get food for hopscotch, and we walked in going to the rabbit section to get the food and..." she smiled picking up jellybean from the floor "This little boy was there, in a little pen of rabbits they had for sale all of them where playing and bouncing around but this little boy was just sat by the glass chillin' eating a dandelion leaf" she smiled "Now people think I squealed and had to get him but-

"I went to buy rabbit food for hopscotch and I think..."

she then showed the pet shop with the glass pen of bunnies where a little one sat playing with thomas though the glass "I think thomas' found a friend"

"look at him! He's so fluffy"

"Like you"

"He is like me! we have the same hair" He laughs

"The sign says you can pet but not pick up"

thomas happily leant in petting the bunny that instantly nuzzled into his hand

"what is happening right now? are you some sort of bunny magnet Thomas?  where you a rabbit in a former life?"

"maybe"

"You are fluffy, horny and like veg. Fuck you are a rabbit"

"that makes way more sense then I like"

"Is this happening? are you going to get a bunny Thomas?"

"I might, but if I do we can't hang out as much as we'll both have animals in our houses" "Or I could just keep him at my house, him and hopscotch could be best friends?"

"Yeah?  should we do it? should we get Hopscotch a brother?"

"I did" "Yeah, you pointed him out, and sat like waving at him though the glass for like ten minuets, they said you could pet them just don't like pick them up so we both gave this little boy some pets, petted his soft ears and I couldn't leave him there" she smiled "so I bought another rabbit, and came home very nervous very worried how hopscotch was going to react to him, introduced them slowly and all that so they wouldn't fight but"

"They mewed" "And rabbits rarely mew"

"They don't but the minuet jellybean got in here he started mewing, hopscotch was a little more tentative but thats because its her house and she sniffed the box he was in and you could hear them mewing at each other trying to like talk to each other though this box, and you could see them trying to give each other kisses though an air hole in the box"

"it was so fucking cute, I wish I filmed it," she says "and then we let him out and they sniffled each other and licked each other and just they where so happy together, I assumed they would sort of bond like brother and sister. Because they are both my babies but... I was dumb because of course they didn't" she laughs "We know very well from lots of videos' that hopscotch and jellybean and very in love"

"They are very in love, like if you take one just into another room without the other they'll start crying, and stomping until there allowed to be together again"

"I take them both to the vet. if one has to go, because it's way less stressful for them both to just be together" "It's weird how much... like us they are" "Ummm, but the news!"

"Yes, news"

"There is going to be... some more life in this house" she smiled "Someone, is preggo"

"Not you!"

"OHH fuck no, no, no I am not pregnant. thank the devil. but another little fluffy lady is." she smiled "we got it back from the vet last week, she's pregnant, she's going to be having a little fluffle of kits of her very own. " she smiled

"Our babies having babies" he smiles cuddling hopscotch

"Lopple has been notified about the up and coming grandchildren." she smiled "Hopscotch is on a nice preggo diet, and jellybean is in trouble. I'm sure there will be a video where we shall met the fluffle. I don't know what the plan is, I think it depends on how many she has on weather or not we keep them"

".... you are not getting rid of them, No. I will not allow it"

"Thomas' I can't afford to keep like ten rabbits"

"the money is not an issue I shall fund the bunnies"

"I lack the house space for like ten rabbits thomas" "Guess we'll have to move house then"