#I didn’t get the bucket hat but they gave me a flag | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sunmoonandeddie · 5 years ago

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the sins of the father

pairing: prince!bucky barnes x pirate!reader

word count: 10,095

summary: You were nothing more than the Siren, the She-Demon of the Seas. At least, that’s what you thought.

warnings: POORLY WRITTEN SMUT PLEASE FORGIVE ME IDK WHAT I’M DOING. AND BAD WORDS.

a/n: So like. I’m real nervous about this one. Let me know what you think.

“Captain! Captain!”

Waves crashed up against the side of the ship, dark clouds covering the sky. There was the promise of a storm on the wind, though it wouldn’t come for a few days, you were sure.

“It’s a perfect day for sailing, don’t you think?” You asked as you leaned against the railing of the ship, taking your spyglass away from your eye.

The footsteps that had been hurrying to you stopped a few feet away. “Captain, there’s a ship on the horizon. Royal Navy.” From the voice, you could tell it was Peter. Sweet, sweet Peter.

“Oh, really?” You said as you stared out towards the white caps. “And which Royal Navy is it?”

“Ithair.”

Now that… That piqued your interest. “Ithair, you say?”

The large kingdom was one of the most powerful in the world currently. Their Navy was tough. It was up there alongside Sonia.

But not as tough as your men.

“They’re coming up on the port side,” Peter says, his feet nervously shuffling as he stands before you.

“Thank you, Peter,” you said as you fixed your jacket. You knew he was waiting for orders, but you made him wait just an extra minute or two. “Tell the men to get ready. We’re taking this one.”

Your men were always thrown into a dither anytime you gave the order to get ready for an attack. The excitement in the air was palpable. From your spot on the stern, you could see the men on the other ship rushing around just as hurriedly, clearly worried by the sight of your flag flying high in the sky.

You were the most feared pirate in the seven seas. And for good reason, too. You took what you wanted with no apologies. You were ruthless.

That wasn’t to say you were without honor, though. You had rules.

No women. No children. If a man surrenders, allow him his life. He’s already lost his dignity.

But the Royal Navy, well… They didn’t allow women or children on board, and they didn’t tend to surrender. They were stubborn like that.

“Get ready, men,” you shouted above the rabble as you unsheathed your jewel encrusted cutlass. Your left hand touched the handle of your dagger that your kept strapped to your thigh, ensuring that it was there.

You’d never lost a fight before and you weren’t planning on it now.

As the fight began, you stood above it all, peering down at them like a merciless god.

Your men invaded their ship with ease, taking down any of those who would dare stand against them. Navy men were relatively easy to take down. They got big egos from wearing a uniform, as though wearing a blue coat with some fancy buttons made them better than anyone else.

You walked along the edge of the stern, frowning as your eyes caught on something rather peculiar.

A man not in a Navy uniform. Interesting.

“Peter,” you called out to the young man, who had just finished off a man on the deck below.

He climbed up the stairs quickly, wiping the blood on his cutlass off on his breeches. “Yes, Captain?”

“Who is that man?” You asked, pointing towards the dark-haired man you’d spotted.

Peter had spent many years at the Ithairian court before his parents and uncle died in a fire. His Aunt May hadn’t been able to keep up with the running of the family estate, and the king had cast them out, making them peasants. The young man had joined your crew soon after and sent all the money he made from you and your crew’s raids back to May.

He squinted as he looked at the man, before realization bloomed in his eyes. “That’s Crown Prince James.”

“Oh, really?” You said as you eyed the man, lazily twirling the jeweled cutlass in your hand. “And tell me, Peter… How much do you think the King and Queen of Ithair would pay to get their precious son back?”

It didn’t take much to get the Navy ship to surrender.

Once they realized you were holding their precious prince captive, they became rather docile, actually.

You’d had Peter lure him over to your ship, playing as though he hadn’t a clue what he was doing, a poor clueless orphan that had been kidnapped by pirates and held aboard the infamous Medusa’s Revenge.

The prince’s heart was too pure for his own good.

Once he was close enough, you’d snuck up behind, forcing him to his knees with a swift kick. Both ships had gone silent once they realized you were holding a blade to his throat while Peter tied his hands.

“You tricked me,” Prince James spat at Peter, his face twisted in a scowl.

“I was simply following the Captain’s orders,” he said, which brought his attention to you.

You kept your sword to his throat, teasing the soft, smooth skin there with the dull side of the blade. “RETURN TO YOUR KING,” you shouted to the Captain of the Navy ship, a man by the name of James Rhodes that was glaring daggers at you. You deepened your voice in a way that you had rehearsed over and over. “AND TELL HIM THAT HE MAY HAVE HIS PRECIOUS HEIR BACK ONCE I RECEIVE PAYMENT.”

“This is outrageous!” Rhodes shouted back at you. His blue Navy coat and white shirt was splattered in blood. “You can’t make demands of the King!”

“Oh, really?” You said, a sadistic grin tugging at your lips. “If you won’t tell him of my demand, then you can tell him why his only heir’s blood is spilled all over my deck and why his body was tossed to the waves.”

He kept his dark eyes narrowed on you, as though he was expecting you to back down.

You narrowed yours in return, the playful teasing disappearing as you snarled, “Try me, Captain.”

The air was heavy as the others waited for his response. Finally, he gritted his teeth and asked, “How much?”

“£50,000.”

Rhodes choked on air as he stared at you in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am,” you said as you bent low, your cheek pressed to the prince’s, who squirmed. “I’ll be at the Rimora port in a month. Some of my men will meet you there to collect the money before we release the prince to you. Come alone, or you’ll be getting a head.”

The man had no choice but to agree. He nodded stiffly, before ordering his remaining men back to the Navy vessel.

They couldn’t win the battle even before you captured the prince.

You waited until the Navy ship was sailing back to Ithair to remove your cutlass from Prince James’s throat. “Please accept my most sincere apology, Your Highness,” you said with only a tinge of sarcasm, sheathing your sword. “I didn’t have to fight in this battle, so at least I didn’t drip blood all over your fine silk shirt.”

“How kind of you,” he said, fixing his startling blue eyes on you.

“I don’t believe we’ve officially met,” you said as you took off your hat with a flourish, curtsying. You had piled your hair atop your head to tuck under the cap and flattened your chest with a specially made corset. From a distance, you appeared to be a man. Up close, your gender was more obvious, but you could still pass as a rather feminine man. You gave him your name, before quickly adding, “I’m the Captain of this fine vessel.”

Prince James’s eyes widened as he stared at you. “You’re the Siren,” he whispered. “You’re her.”

Raising your eyebrows, you glanced over at your first mate, Sam, who shrugged. “The Siren?” You said, turning back to the prince. “What kind of fucking name is that?”

“The Siren,” he said, as though it were obvious. “The She-Pirate. The She-Demon of the Seas. You lure men to their deaths with a bat of your eyelashes.”

“She-Demon?” You repeated, pursing your lower lip. Facing Sam, you fake pouted. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

“You and I both know you’re much worse, Captain.”

You couldn’t stop the sly smile from creeping up on your face, though your heart twisted. “I do quite like that name though. The Siren. It’s fitting, don’t you think?” You placed your hat back on your head, already walking away from your new prisoner. “Tie him to the mast,” you called back. “I’ll decide what to do with him later.”

Later turned out to be three days.

Prince James stayed tied to the mast, refusing to talk to anyone. When you would approach to speak to him, he’d simply pretend you weren’t there, looking out at the waves. The only person he would even slightly acknowledge was Peter, and that’s because you’d send him to the prince three times a day with food and water.

It was also kind of hard to ignore the boy, with how much he talked.

“Are you always this rude to hosts, Your Highness?” You asked at one point on the second day.

Though he didn’t look at you, his jaw had clenched so tightly that you were sure his teeth would shatter.

“Some prince you are,” you said mockingly, curtsying before returning to your perch at the wheel.

But then the storm you had predicted the day you’d first captured him arrived.

It was the worst one you’d seen in months, sheets of rain coming down hard. Waves crashed into the bow of the ship as you steered into them. Luckily you had a pretty heavy cargo underneath, making it harder for the wind to knock you over and you’d managed to get the sails secured in time, which made your job a whole lot easier.

You were no stranger to surviving storms.

Your heart jumped in your throat as you realized that the prince was still tied to the mast, soaking wet and unable to move. “Fuck,” you swore as you searched for a crew member who wasn’t doing their best to keep water off the deck. “PETER!”

The boy looked up from where he’d been using a bucket to toss some of the collected water overboard.

“UNTIE HIM!”

He knew who you were talking about immediately, running to the main mast and untying the prince.

Your hair stuck to your skin, salt water stinging your eyes as you shouted, “GET HIM BELOW DECK!”

You didn’t see the prince again until hours later, when the storm had died down. You and your men were utterly exhausted. You’d been at the helm the entire duration of the storm, and your arms were aching, despite your years of experience.

Sam had offered to take over for you, allowing you the rest you so desperately needed.

You dragged yourself to your quarters, ready to change into a set of dry clothes and collapse into bed.

But when you entered your office, you were surprised to find Prince James on the chaise lounge that you’d acquired on one of your raids. He was half asleep, his arm hanging off the side.

You cleared your throat, frowning when he didn’t stir. You did it again, a little louder.

Nothing.

Fed up, you shoved his leg, glaring down at him as he jerked awake. “What the hell are you doing in my office, Your Highness?” You spat his name out at him like it was an insult.

“This is where Peter told me to stay until after the storm was done,” he said, glaring right back.

“Did you lay all over my nice chaise in your soaking wet clothes? Or did you at least wait until you were dry?” You asked, rolling your eyes.

Prince James scoffed. “Of course, I did. I’m not a heathen, unlike someone.”

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness,” you said, mocking him with an over-exaggerated bow. “What ever can I do to make your stay more pleasurable?”

“Are you always like this?” He asked as he watched you move around the office.

Stripping off your overcoat, you tossed it on the chair. “Like what?”

“Overly sardonic?”

Your white shirt was sticking to your skin and your corset underneath. God, you wanted nothing more to get out of the restricting piece of clothing. You’d been in it for hours, since before the storm began, but you couldn’t do that with him there. You had to wait until you were really ready to retire to your bedroom for the night.

“Are…” Prince James paused, his brows furrowing. “Are you wearing a corset?”

“And here I thought you were unobservant,” you said as you grabbed the journal you kept from the center drawer.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you wear a corset?”

Sighing, you dabbed your feather ink pen on the tip of your tongue before dipping it in the ink pot. Truthfully, you could wait to do your journal entry until the morning–you’d actually been planning to, since you were so exhausted–but for some reason, you just kept stalling. You could simply go to your room and lock the door, avoiding the prince’s company and his subsequent questions, but you didn’t. “If we run into new ships, it’s better for them to think me a man, so I had a few corsets specially made,” you said softly, biting your lip as you scribbled down details of the storm. You’d take inventory of what all had been damaged in the morning.

“Why?”

Huffing, you snapped, “Maybe your parents won’t pay the ransom just so they can get away from your endless questions.”

“They’re not nearly as interesting.”

Startled, your eyes flickered up to meet his, your cheeks hot. You quickly turned your gaze back to the journal, shaking your head. “Royalty rarely is these days.”

“So?” He prodded. “The corset?”

You shrugged nonchalantly, signing off on the journal entry. “Men don’t respect women. I don’t want them to underestimate me just because I was born with a pair of tits and a cunt.” You slapped the journal shut, shoving it back in the drawer. “Besides, women are considered bad luck on ships. It took my crew a while to stop believing in the superstition and accept me as their Captain.”

“That superstition only came about because people believe sailors will get distracted from their duties by a woman’s beauty,” Prince James said, watching you curiously. In his exhausted state, he seemed to forget his filter as he added, “Though I can’t imagine how anyone can not be distracted by you.”

“Who wouldn’t get distracted by the She-Demon of the Seas?” You bit back, a sarcastic smile on your lips. Before he could respond, you headed for the door that stood behind your desk, leading to your bedroom. “You may sleep there until one of the bunks opens up. Or your parents pay your ransom.” Standing in the doorway, you turned back to look at him. The light coming in from the setting sun cast a glow upon his face. He looked like an angel straight out of a stained glass window in a cathedral.

You shut the door, a soft, “Goodnight, Captain,” coming from the other side of wood as you flipped the lock.

Prince James stayed on your chaise for two weeks, and it didn’t seem like he would be leaving anytime soon. All the other bunks on the ship were taken, filled with your crew.

And you weren’t so cruel to force him to go back to sleeping outside, tied to the mast.

Even though sometimes he was so annoying that you seriously considered it.

You’d stopped by a small port town and while none of your men had abandoned ship and opened up a bunk for him, you did grab him a few sets of clothing, a few pillows, and an extra blanket.

Thankfully, he didn’t make any comments on how they weren’t up to his royal standards, because otherwise you probably would’ve fed him to the sharks.

Then again, he hadn’t made any comments like that after the first few days. In fact, he’d been rather… sweet. His demeanor had swiftly changed after you’d allowed him to be untied from the mast. It wasn’t like he could go anywhere, after all.

Other than the depths of the sea, and you didn’t think he loathed your company enough to drown himself.

Maybe.

“You like him,” Sam said as he passed you a mug of mead, the liquid frothing over the side.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said as you took a long swig, glancing around the deck. It was a calm night at sea, there was no sign of ships on the horizon.

It was a good night to let loose and live a little. Usually, you’d allow the men their drink but wouldn’t partake in it. You’d retire to your quarters before they got too rowdy, though you always heard the music they played late into the night.

James had started joining them a few nights after the storm, when you stopped tying him up.

Some nights, he came to your quarters so late that you were already in your bedroom, though you never could sleep before you were sure that he was on the chaise for the night. You’d lie awake in bed, your corset off, and listen for the tell-tale opening and closing of the door.

Most nights, though, you’d still be sitting at your desk. Whether you were flipping through papers and maps, writing in your journal, or reading from your massive collection of books, it didn’t matter. He’d sit with you and talk. Whether it was for a few minutes or sometimes hours, you’d talk and talk, and you would laugh.

And sometimes, you even felt like a woman. The way his eyes would sparkle in the dim light of the candles sometimes made you think he saw you as more than a captain of a pirate ship.

But that was impossible. Because he was a prince, the heir to one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world, and you were nothing but a She-Demon.

“Don’t play coy,” Sam said as he nudged your shoulder. He wasn’t blind to the way you were watching James joke around with your crew. He was laughing at some joke that Scott made, his head throne back.

“I’m not,” you said sternly. Suddenly, the mead in your cup seemed even less appealing than poison. You handed it to Sam as you stood, brushing off your breeches. “I’m going to turn in. Goodnight.”

Your first mate called after you, though you didn’t turn around. You needed to get away. You needed to get away from Sam and James and the rest of the crew and maybe, just maybe, you’d be able to get away from the feelings that had been blooming in your chest the last two weeks.

You were so stupid. James would never like you, never want you the way you wanted him. You were so stupid for trying to twist your hair into the latest fashions or buying skirts to wear around the ship. You were wearing one now, the loose fabric ending at your shins. Even though it wasn’t nearly as formal as the skirts most ladies wore–especially the ladies at court that James was most used to–it was still a skirt. Even Peter had made a comment that was also sort of a compliment.

But it didn’t matter. It was impractical for a Captain of a pirate ship, and you were stupid for it.

He wouldn’t ever see you as you wanted him to.

Your quarters felt so empty without James there. There were little signs of him all over the room. The two pillows on the chaise, the fur blankets that rested half on, half off. The little stack of his clothing that you’d bought for him. He’d been reading one of your books lately and had left it on the small table by the chaise, a hair ribbon that you’d given him tucked between the pages as a bookmark. It was a new one, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, that you’d picked up the same stop you’d gotten his things at.

God, your desk was a mess. Maybe that’s what you could do, you could organize your papers instead of thinking about the way your heart skipped a beat every time you saw the dark-haired prince.

“Captain?”

Speak of the devil.

You turned to see James standing there in the doorway, his fair features illuminated by the candle light. The white shirt he donned was left open, revealing dark hair splattered across his chest. Clearing your throat, you turned your eyes back to the papers on your desk. Your hands were shaking as you tried to organize them, doing your best to ignore how your heart pounded. “Shouldn’t you be drinking with the men and making merry?”

“I have their company every night, they can do without me for a while,” he said, chuckling a little. But when you didn’t laugh with him, he grew quiet. “Captain?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Don’t do that,” he said, taking slow, measured steps towards you.

“Don’t do what?”

He stopped by the edge of your desk, his fingers trailing along the dark wood. “Don’t shut me out. Please.”

Your conversation with Sam from earlier rang loud and clear in your mind. “I’m not shutting you out, Your Highness,” you said sternly, avoiding his gaze as you shuffled through the papers. “Do you wish to get ready for bed? If you do, I can be out of your way in just a moment.”

“No.”

The silence between you was tense as you finally looked up at him. “What do you want, Your Highness?” You asked, hoping he didn’t notice the way your voice wavered.

“You.”

A stunned silence filled the room, your mind going completely blank.

“Surely you can’t be serious,” you said finally as you finally looked up at him, your brows furrowed and your lips twisted in a frown.

“I am.” His blue eyes still shone as bright as the moon reflecting off the sea in the dim light. He whispered your name as he came closer. “Please…”

Shaking your head, you grabbed the papers and turned to shove them in a random drawer, your heart beating against your rib cage like a drum. You were terrified that if he were to look you in the eyes, he’d be able to see the things you felt for him. You’d be done for. A laughing stock. Forget being the Siren, the She-Pirate, the She-Demon of the Seas, you’d just be another woman whose name wouldn’t be uttered without being attached to a man’s. The history books would simply remember you as a prince’s pirate whore, an anecdote before moving onto the story of whatever princess he’d end up marrying.

You jumped in surprise as he came up behind you, his chest pressed to your back. “Your Highness–”

“Please,” he said, his breath hot against your ear. “Don’t run from me.” His hands gently covered yours where they rested desk, his fingertips trailing ever so gently from your wrists up to your shoulder. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured. He spoke your name like a prayer, like it was the one thing that might grant him the grace of whatever god was looking down upon the two of you.

You weren’t sure you were breathing. Your heart had jumped into your throat and taken residence there and oh, his touch felt like fire on your skin.

“Say my name?” He pressed a kiss to your hair, his right hand toying with the loose sleeve of your shirt. “Please.”

He didn’t order you the way a prince would, the way he would’ve when he was first brought onto your ship. No. He asked. And more than that, he asked kindly. He asked as though it would sincerely bring him joy to hear his name falling from your lips.

“James,” you said, your lips curling around the unfamiliar letters as you said his name for the first time.

He let out a content sigh as your loose sleeve fell, exposing soft skin. “Again,” he said as his head dropped to press sweet, almost innocent kisses to your shoulder. His left hand moved to your hip as his lips traced the freckles he found.

“James, please.” Your eyes fluttered shut as your head lolled to the side, granting him access to the smooth expanse of your neck.

“Please, what?”

“Please touch me.”

A growl reverberated in his throat as his hand slowly bunched up your damned skirts, exposing your bare thighs to the cool air, his calloused fingers tickling your soft skin. You could feel a smirk against your neck as he found you bare underneath. “Oh, darling,” he murmured.

“J-James,” you stammered, your knuckles white as you gripped the desk.

“Yes, love?” He asked, one finger daring to tease your folds. “Fuck, you’re already so wet. Is that for me? Huh? Is that for me?”

“Yes. Yes. All for you.” Your breath was already so labored as you felt your knees go weak.

He reached down, and with one swoop, scooped you up into his arms. “Not here,” he said when you looked at him in surprise. “There will be time to take you on your desk later, Captain, but not now.” He kicked the door that led to your private chambers open, his mouth finding yours as he carried you inside. Moonlight filtered in through the portholes that lined the wall, illuminating the small room. He laid you down on your unmade bed as though you were made of porcelain, his hand cradling your head as he laid it on the pillow.

You’d never been treated so gently, touched as though you might break.

You were not a delicate woman, after all. You were made of the harshest storms, the highest waves, of salt and brine. You held your own when it came to battle. Your crew, your men, loved and respected you. You fought for that.

But fuck, if being treated so softly didn’t bring tears to your eyes.

James stood before you as you leaned on your elbows, watching as he stripped off his loose white shirt, revealing miles of tanned skin and that smattering of dark curls on his chest that had teasing you just a few minutes before.

You breathed out his name as he kicked off his boots, his eyes never leaving your face.

He stood before you in just his breeches, breathing heavily as he looked at you. “I’m going to take my time with you,” he said as he kneeled on the edge of the bed, crawling towards you.

“Oh?” You said as you swallowed around the lump in your throat. You were still trying to process how he could look at you like you were the most precious gem in the world.

James unlaced your boots, letting them fall off the bed. “I’m going to spend all night worshiping you,” he said as he pressed a soft kiss to the inside of your ankle. The beard that he’d grown while on your ship tickled your skin as he trailed his lips up your calf. “My darling girl. My sweet angel.”

Your skin felt like it was on fire as he kissed up your leg, getting closer and closer to the place you so desperately needed.

He stopped at your knee. “May I?” He asked as he tugged on your linen skirt, his eyes smoldering in the dim light. He waited until after you nodded to strip you down, leaving you bare on the bed. When you moved to cover yourself, face hot from the heat of his gaze, he stopped you, grabbing your wrists and holding them back. “Don’t hide yourself from me, my darling.”

With a surge of urgency, you pushed yourself up, your lips crashing into his.

James melted into you, his hand moving to cradle your head as he kissed you. His free hand cupped your breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers.

It took you a moment to realize that the whimpering was coming from you.

He broke away to kiss along your jaw, down your neck, to the valley of your breasts. “Fuck,” he said as he swirled his tongue around the nipple that wasn’t being teased by his fingers. He nipped at it lightly before moving to the other, not stopping until both were hard.

You were even more shocked when he licked a stripe down the center of your stomach, stopping when he reached the patch of curls between your legs. “Wh-What are you doing?” You asked, propping yourself up against the pillows.

“Has no one ever touched you like this?” He asked, blue eyes meeting yours. When you shook your head, cheeks flushed, he frowned. “When’s… When’s the last time you were touched at all?”

Shrugging, you tried to close your legs, but he kept them parted. “A while,” you murmured, trying to hide how embarrassed you were.

In truth, it had been more than a year. And it hadn’t exactly been good. Just a one night tryst in a little port town with a man who thought he was better than he actually was.

None of your experiences with men had made you too eager to go out and try to find your pleasure. They all seemed so… selfish.

“Men don’t really like women that are more powerful than them,” you said, avoiding his gaze.

His index finger hooked under your chin, and he tilted your head up so your eyes met his. “I’ve never desired someone more than I do you,” he breathed. His nose nudged yours before stealing another soft kiss. Before you could stop to think, he was back down between your legs, nosing at your curls. His hot breath tickled your most private area before his tongue swiped through your folds.

You jerked in surprise, eyes blown wide. “James!”

“Shh,” he said as he coaxed you back down. Using two fingers, he revealed yourself to him. “You’re so pretty…” Using a flat tongue, he lapped at the wetness he found, eyes closing.

Your fingers tangled in his hair as you sat up on one elbow, determined to watch him. You’d never had a man… taste you like he was. “O-Oh…”

There was a slight sting as he sunk one finger into your heat, carefully curling it. It had been much too long since you’d been touched.

It had been a long time since you’d lost your virtue, but you certainly felt like a virgin again.

“I’ve gotta get you opened up for me,” he said before finding your tiny bundle of nerves and sucking hard.

You saw stars as your jerked in his grip, feeling yourself growing closer and closer to something but not quite knowing what. Wonton moans dripped from your lips as you crept along the edge. You weren’t sure what you needed other than James.

“That’s it, darling,” he said, slipping another finger in and carefully scissoring you open. “That’s it. You’re doing so perfect for me.”

His tender words, mixed with the feeling of his thick fingers inside you and his tongue and how long it had been sent you over the precipice.

Your chest heaved as you tried to catch your breath, watching with hooded eyes as James slowly withdrew his fingers. The wet digits sparkled in the light as he brought them to his mouth, sucking them off with a moan.

As he pushed his breeches down, you were suddenly hyper aware of just why he needed to prepare you so thoroughly.

He was thick. Long, sure, but it was the girth of him that made you pause. You’d had men before, but none of them quite as gifted.

“Is… Is that going to fit?” You asked, swallowing around the lump that had jumped in your throat.

“Yes,” he said as he crawled between your legs, dropping open-mouthed kisses along the soft skin of your stomach. “Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll go slow.”

You drew him into a kiss, sloppy and deep and hoping it would convey the words that you were too afraid to say.

His cock teased the slick folds of your cunt before carefully sinking in inch by inch.

“James,” you moaned as you clutched onto him, your nails digging into the taut muscles of his back. The stretch you felt around his cock was painful, but pleasant.

Yeah, it had definitely been too long.

“That’s it, darling, relax,” he said, his forehead dropping to rest against yours. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

You bit your bottom lip so harshly you could taste iron. Your breath mingled with his as he sank in to the hilt, his nose nudging yours. You were almost kissing. But instead, he teased you, keeping his rose petal lips just out of reach.

He rested there for a moment, the both of you adjusting. The waves crashed up against the side of the ship, providing a rather pleasant underscoring to the labored breaths that filled the air.

When you were finally ready, you experimentally rolled your hips up against his, causing his icy blue eyes to pop open.

“Damn it, you’re so fuckin’ tight,” he moaned as he carefully pulled out before pushing all the way back in. He kept his thrusts slow and deep, relishing in the feeling of you squeezing around him. “You were made for me, weren’t you, darling?”

You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him close as your fingers threaded into his hair. “Don’t tease me,” you said, pulling him into a kiss.

“As you wish,” he said, picking up the pace.

His deep, raspy moans mixed with yours, creating an unheard symphony as the two of you collided. Bass and soprano. Man and woman. Lover and lover.

There was no doubt in your mind that your crew knew what was happening behind closed doors, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care as he rocked into you. Their raucous laughter was nothing but static in the back of your mind.

You felt like you were on fire. Every part of you was alight.

You couldn’t be sure how long you spent underneath him. Time was completely lost between sweet kisses and soft murmurs, things he whispered to you but couldn’t quite make out. Sometimes you would catch a glimpse of the moon through one of the portholes as it rose higher and higher in the clear night sky.

You saw stars as he pushed you over the edge yet again, leaving you gasping his name.

You clenched around him and James groaned, his nails digging into the soft skin of your back. “I’m gonna… I’m gonna–” He broke off as he pulled out of you just in time for thick, creamy white ribbons to decorate your stomach and thighs. He stayed bent over you, his forehead resting against yours, as he fought to catch his breath.

A giggle escaped your lips, your chest heaving as you stole a kiss.

Even after what you’d just done, it still made you nervous. It was so… intimate.

A slow smile tugged at his face as he returned the affection. “I love you, my angel,” he whispered into the soft skin of your neck.

Three little words. All it took was three little words to jolt your system.

You pushed him off of you, your heart pounding as you grabbed the closest shirt you could find, throwing it on. It was definitely his, judging by how it hung off of you. “Don’t mock me,” you snapped, glaring at him.

This was all a mistake. He had seen it in your face, how you felt about him. You had become what you always feared you would be, just a silly girl who wouldn’t be anything more than a prince’s pirate whore.

His blue eyes were wide with surprise as he watched you. “What in Heaven’s name are you going on about?” He asked, trying to step towards you. He was still completely bare, and it took everything in you not to give in and go to him.

But you wouldn’t be made a fool.

“You got what you wanted,” you said, a snarl on your lips. “Go. Leave me be. You may tell all the men of the court that you bedded the She-Demon of the Seas. You don’t have to dig the knife in anymore.”

He narrowed his eyes, grabbing his breeches. “Is that what you think of me?” He let out a harsh laugh that was more of a cry than anything. “Do you truly think me so horrid that I would bed you for the sheer novelty of it?”

“Men are all the same.” You threw one of his boots at him, feeling very much like a feral cat backed into a corner. “You say all the things you know I want to hear just so you can get between my legs.”

You were lashing out. You knew. You weren’t stupid.

But you couldn’t allow yourself to be so… hysterical. You would lose the respect of your men, your crew, if they knew that you were throwing a fit.

You willed yourself to go flat, your eyes cold and your lips pressed into a thin line. You would be composed, collected. “Get out of my room,” you bit out.

James stood there, looking a little lost. He held his breeches to his chest like an anchor. “What?”

“Get out of my room,” you repeated. “Before I have one of my men throw you out.”

You wouldn’t let any of them see you so naked, but he didn’t need to know that. As far as he knew, you were willing to let every single crew member see you naked if it meant he would be out.

He swallowed, leaving the room with a stiff nod. “Fine.”

The door shut behind him, and you quickly brought your hand to your mouth. Your teeth clamped around your fingers as you tried to muffle the sob that tore from your throat.

You couldn’t do this. You couldn’t be so weak.

This is what you got for letting him in, for letting him see you.

You quickly dressed, wiping away the dried remnants of him left on your body. You pulled on your breeches, making a mental note to toss those stupid fucking skirts overboard the first chance you got.

Taking a glance in the mirror, you wiped at your eyes. Thankfully, they weren’t too puffy.

You could cry later.

You came out of your room, appearing very much unbothered.

James had redressed, though he had a new shirt since his old one was in the corner of your room. He stepped forward, his lips moving as though to speak your name.

Before he could make a sound, you were crossing the room, opening the door. You were greeted with the lively sounds of music and laughter from the men still enjoying their night. “Sam,” you called out, catching your First Mate’s attention.

“Captain!” He said with a joyous laugh, waggling his eyebrows. “I didn’t expect to see you out of your quarters again tonight!”

“Gather the money needed for a horse,” you said, your tone causing the smile to drop from his face. “We will dock in Marolan in two days. We will give His Highness a horse to get back to his people.”

“What?” Sam said, his brown eyes wide. “Why? What about…” He trailed off, thinking better about what he was going to say. “What about the ransom money?”

You breezed past him, heading for the stern. You had a feeling you wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, and it would be better to be at the helm and let the salty sea air calm you than toss and turn in your bed for hours. “There are easier ways to get that kind of money than dealing with a prince.”

James called your name, having followed you out of your quarters. “Don’t do this,” he said.

The rest of the crew went quiet, having noticed that something was going down. The music that had rung through the air dissipated.

“I’m not doing anything, Your Highness,” you said as you took your place at the helm. There was an ache between your thighs that you prayed would go away quickly.

It wouldn’t do to think of him anytime you so much as took a single step.

“YOU ARE CASTING ME OUT BECAUSE YOU ARE TERRIFIED OF YOUR OWN FEELINGS!”

Waves crashed against the side of the ship, the only sound amidst the deafening silence.

James was pissed. Perhaps even more so than he had been the first day you’d captured him. His hands were fisted at his sides as he started to climb the steps that led up to the stern. “I love you. And I’m willing to bet all of Ithair that you love me, too.”

“You feel the triumph of a false conquest,” you hissed, standing your ground. “You think me to be a creature you have tamed.”

“I think nothing of the sort,” he said, holding onto the rails. The wind whipped his long, dark locks around his face. “You have me mind, body, and soul, my angel, my darling, my love. Please…”

Your heart was racing. There was a war inside of yourself. You wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and allow him to hold you, to comfort you. But your head was telling you that this was nothing more than a dirty trick.

The men were watching unabashedly as he came closer. His hand reached for yours, but you snatched it out of his grasp. “I will give you everything,” he said, blue eyes searching yours desperately. “I will give you a throne, a kingdom… me.”

“A She-Demon cannot sit upon a throne,” you spat, taking a step back. “You will marry some princess, someone raised for that life.”

James shook his head, grabbing your hand despite your protests. “I don’t care about some old rule. I don’t want a princess. I want you. I will speak with my father, and–”

Smack.

The slap resounded throughout the air. The prince looked at you in shock, his hand reaching up to hold his cheek.

“Do not touch me,” you said, gritting your teeth. “And it’s your father’s fault that I’m a pirate in the first place. He is the reason for me becoming the She-Demon you hear tavern tales about.”

“What?” He asked, still holding his reddening cheek.

You felt a little bad about slapping him, but you’d made it clear that you didn’t want him touching you and then he did.

“Your father allowed his soldiers to destroy my village,” you said, fury boiling in your veins. “I was fifteen when they came, ransacking our homes, killing our men, kidnapping our women and children. We had nothing to do with his war with our king, but he didn’t care.” Blood trickled from your hands, where your nails had dug so deep into your palms that they’d cut through the tender skin. “More than one of your soldiers attempted to carry me off. I was lucky to make it out alive.”

James had gone silent by now, shock and sorrow written across his face plain as day.

“One of your men chased me all the way to the docks. The only reason I survived was because I made it onto a pirate ship that had docked there.” Most of your men knew your story. You hadn’t tried to hide it, though it wasn’t something that was openly discussed. “The Captain found me and took me under his wing,” you said. “He gave me this ship, but your father is the reason why I’m the She-Demon you speak of.”

“I didn’t know,” he said softly, swallowing down the lump that had lodged in his throat. “I swear to you, my angel, I didn’t know.” He reached out for you again, but thought better of it. “I was only eighteen when the war happened. I didn’t know. He didn’t tell me all the soldiers did.”

“Because you didn’t ask,” you said. “Because we were poor, and the king doesn’t give a damn unless you have a title.” You turned back to the helm, your hands resting on the wheel. “You will get off my ship at Marolan. Speak of me how you wish. The words of a royal mean nothing to me.”

You could feel his eyes burning into the side of your head, as though wishing you’d turn back to him and say it had all been a jest. But you didn’t. You kept your eyes ahead as you set the course for the port city.

“Whatever you wish, Captain,” he said, the words half lost in the wind.

You bit your lip to keep the tears at bay as you heard him go back down the stairs to the main deck before disappearing into your quarters.

It didn’t matter.

You’d be at the helm all night.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and you knew it was Sam without even looking. “What do you need?” You asked, your voice cracking despite your attempt to sound tough.

He stood at your side, his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you going to punish the son for the sins of the father?”

“He has his own sins to atone for,” you said softly, “Just like his father, just like me.”

“Is that what this is? Self punishment?”

“You heard him.” You gripped the wheel so tightly your knuckles turned white. “I am but a She-Demon.”

Sam glanced down to the deck, the men not-so-subtly taking glances at you. “He never called you that, if I remember correctly. He simply said that’s what others have called you. But he never did.”

You didn’t reply, choosing to stay silent as you stared ahead.

If you opened your mouth, all that would come out were broken sobs.

You didn’t speak for James for the last two days he spent on your ship. You stayed out of your quarters during the night, and when he finally awoke and left your office, you snuck in and locked your bedroom door.

You stood atop the stern, looking down at the tiny port town that you had docked at. Your men took the chance to explore some of the shops since this was an unplanned stop.

James stood at the top of the ramp that led down to the dock. You’d had Sam give him enough gold to pay for a horse and then some.

The sun gleamed off his dark hair, tied back with the green silk ribbon that he’d been using as a bookmark. He looked like a man from a romance novel, one of those Shakespearean heroes.

He looked up at you, his blue eyes startling even as far away as he was. “Goodbye, Captain,” he said, his voice barely audible.

You swallowed, looking away. “Goodbye, Your Highness.”

Hot tears pricked your eyes as he walked down the ramp, the sound of the gold clinking in his pocket fading as he got further and further away. Ignoring the men still on the ship, you stormed down the stairs and into your quarters, slamming the door to your office shut and locking it.

It was only once you were alone that you allowed yourself to collapse. You fell to your knees as sobs wracked your body. The feelings you’d been fighting had fought their way to the surface, breaking through your glass exterior.

How had he done it? How had the prince wormed his way into your heart? He had slipped through the bars of its rib cage prison and sunk his teeth into what you thought had been a frozen chunk of ice.

You rubbed your face, trying to contain yourself to no avail.

But something caught your eye.

There, on the chaise, was a folded piece of parchment.

You crawled over to it, feeling no shame at how pathetic it was. Your hand covered your mouth to muffle another sob as you recognized James’s handwriting. Some of the letters were runny, misshapen from the tear stains that littered the paper.

My darling angel,

If you’re reading this, it means that I’m gone. You’ve cast me off your ship and out of your heart.

But I can’t let you think that I was simply trying to conquer you. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I left without telling you, and you won’t even look in my direction, which is why I have taken to paper and pen.

I meant what I said that night. I love you with all of my soul. You surprised me with your wit, your strength. I never dreamed that I would meet a woman like you, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you would allow me to, I would make you my wife, my queen.

It is not hard to guess that you think I couldn’t see you as anything more than a pirate, but you’re wrong. The softness that you try to hide calls to me. I want to take you in my arms and show you that the world will not always be cruel to you.

My father was wrong to allow his soldiers to do what they did. It was not your war. You were innocent. If there was a way for me to turn back the clock and stop it all from happening, I would. I would give you your village back, your family back.

Alas, I am incapable of doing so, despite how badly I long to. So I must do the next best thing.

I will be a better king than my father. I will do my best to ensure that there are no more innocent people punished by cruel, battle hungry men.

I won’t allow any more little girls to be sentenced to running from grown men who should know better.

I wish I could give you back your girlhood, my love. I wish I could see you with daisies in your hair, untouched by the horrors of the world.

If you will not allow me to love you up close, then this is how I shall love you from far away. I will do better than my father, in your name.

Is it peculiar of me to say that I miss you already? You are simply above deck, and yet, my hands long to hold yours, my lips feel like winter ice. Must you really leave me alone?

I am fearful that when I leave the Medusa’s Revenge, I shall never see you again.

I haven’t slept in the past two nights, but my nightmares invade my daydreams and make me see visions of a life without you, the life I am facing ahead of me.

How is it that I have fallen so deeply in love with you in such a short amount of time?

Perhaps, if I am lucky, and if you are feeling so gracious, I will hear your voice one last time before I go. Is it so greedy of me to wish to hear my name falling from your lips one last time? To feel you gaze upon my face, even if it is with scorn?

When I am back in my castle in Ithair, I shall pace the royal gardens and lament that the red roses the gardeners so painstakingly tend to cannot compare to thy sweet lips. I shall cry each night that the furs that line my bed are not as warm as your embrace.

Will you miss me as I miss you? It may be wrong of me to hope so, but I do. I shall miss you ‘til my dying breath, and perhaps even beyond then.

Will your siren’s song call to me beyond the grave? I suppose I shall have to wait and find out.

I will speak of you fondly, lovingly, for you were never the She-Demon the bastards tried to make you out to be.

Forever yours, my love,

James Buchanan Barnes

If any of your crew noticed that your eyes were swollen and glassy when they came back, ready to set off, they didn’t mention it.

Almost two years had passed.

Two years, and yet you were still crying yourself to sleep most nights.

Prince James had truly done his damage in the short amount of time he spent on your ship.

Well, he wasn’t a prince anymore.

When you’d docked in Genia about four months ago, you’d been given the news that his father, King George IX, had died, and King James II had been coronated.

You’d avoided docking at any of Ithair’s ports since letting him go. You refused to risk seeing any sign of him.

Your heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

You kept his goodbye letter close to you at all times. When you went into battle, the tear stained parchment was tucked inside of your corset, right over your heart.

You read it every night before you went to sleep, the parchment soft from how often it was unfolded and refolded.

“Captain,” Peter called to you from the deck. The boy had grown so much in the time since James had left. He was no longer the lowest member of the crew. He’d been given more responsibilities, and if you were being honest, was the person you trusted most on your crew, behind Sam, of course.

“Yes, Peter?” You had one hand on the wheel, and you were half lost in a daydream.

“There’s a ship coming up on the starboard side,” he said.

Frowning, you turned to your right, and sure enough, there was a ship much closer than you first thought it’d be.

Had you really been so deep within your own thoughts?

“Do you know whose ship?”

“Ithair. Navy.”

Ice ran through your veins as you turned back to the helm. “Tell the men to ready themselves, but we are not planning on fighting. We’re going to avoid them if we can.” Your hands were shaking as you turned the wheel, planning on making a sharp left and avoiding them completely. “Get Sam,” you said after a moment as your hands refused to stop trembling.

Your First Mate was there within seconds, taking over. “I’ve got this,” he said, ushering you away. He knew how you were feeling with just a look. “If we really need you, I’ll send Peter.”

You nodded, swallowing thickly as you went to your quarters, shutting the door before you began to pace.

It couldn’t be him… could it?

Surely he wouldn’t taunt you with his presence like that. After all, it would be cruel. There was no way he didn’t have some princess waiting for him.

But then again, wouldn’t you have heard of a royal engagement when you heard of his coronation if that were the case?

No. You couldn’t think like that.

Besides, he most likely wasn’t on the ship.

A king had better things to do.

You grabbed your jewel encrusted dagger from your desk, sliding it into its sheath. Your cutlass was already ready at your side, just in case.

But when you opened the door to step out onto the deck, you were caught by surprise.

Your ship hadn’t been steered away as you’d wanted it to. The Ithairian Navy ship was right alongside yours, a plank connecting the two. And more than that, there was no fight going on.

King James stood before you, grinning as Peter rambled onto him about all that had happened since he left.

A board creaked under your foot, and his head snapped in your direction. Your breath caught in your throat as his eyes met yours.

He looked older, more worn. Maybe a little tired. There were shadows under his eyes, and his hair was longer.

It was tied back out of his face with a green silk ribbon.

Your mouth went dry as you stared at him, not daring to move any closer. “Have you come to kill the Siren?” You asked, though you didn’t bother to reach for your cutlass.

If he truly wished to gut you, you would allow him to. It would hurt less than living with the pain of knowing that he wanted you dead.

“No,” he said, his voice soft and full of something you couldn’t quite name. “I’ve come to wed her.”

You blinked in surprise, your heart constricting. “Do you now?” You asked slowly. The letter that was pressed to your chest felt like it was burning your skin.

“Well, I truly hope so,” he said as he came a few steps closer, his hands behind his back. From what you could see, he had no weapon.

Perhaps he truly wasn’t here to hurt you.

“You see, you’re not exactly an easy person to track down,” he said, stopping a few feet away. “Especially since you haven’t docked at any Ithairian ports in almost two years.” He reached inside his coat, pulling out a small box.

“Your Majesty–” Your voice cracked as you snuck a glance at the people watching you. Your crew and his were staring, grins on their faces as though this was the most normal thing in the world.

James ignored your question, looking at the ring with a soft smile. “It took Sam sending me a letter from the last place you’d been docked at, telling me where you were heading, to find you.”

The man in question had the decency to look a little sheepish. “It’s time for something new,” he said, leaning against the railing of the steps that led up to the stern. “You haven’t been happy with this life ever since James left.”

He wasn’t wrong, per say, but you thought you’d hidden it better than you apparently had.

“Well…” You turned to look back at James, shaking your head. “You… You can’t marry a pirate. Or even just a commoner.”

“Why not, my love?” He asked as he got down on one knee, holding the ring up for you to see. It sparkled in the late afternoon sun. “I thought that the point of being king was that I made the rules.”

Your heart was racing faster than it ever had before. “I… I keep your letter on me,” you blurted out, stumbling over your words like a newborn foal. Your fingers trembled as you reached through the neckline of your shirt, into your corset, before pulling out the worn piece of paper. “I read it every n-night before I go to sleep.” You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt a tear hit your hand.

“Have you missed me as I’ve missed you, my angel?” He asked, not moving. His own eyes were glassy, his speech thick from emotion. “I’ve dreamed of you every moment, waking and asleep.”

“I have. I have, James,” you gasped out, your chest heaving against the corset. “I’ve missed you so much.”

His hand reached for your left, grasping it softly and bringing it to his lips. “Will you marry me?” He looked up at you with pleading blue eyes. “Please, my angel? I shall never ask for anything more if you say yes.”

You fell to your knees in front of him, your hands grasping his face as you pulled him in for a kiss. “Yes,” you whispered against his lips. The salt from both of your tears lingered in your mouth, but you didn’t care as you pulled him into another kiss. “Yes, I will marry you.”

The ring somehow found your left finger, sliding on with ease.

“I love you,” you said as you pulled away for air, resting your forehead against his. “I love you so much and I’m so sorry I was too afraid to say it then.”

“Shh,” he said, caressing your face. “You have nothing to be sorry for, my darling.” He stole another kiss, a smile creeping up on his face. “And I love you, too, my siren.”

“James?” You said, your nose nudging his. His breath mingled with yours in the most delicious way. Your chest was pressed against his, your arms wrapping around his neck. It felt so good to have him in your arms again after two years.

You’d thought you’d only get this in your dreams.

“Yes, my angel?”

“Does this mean I have to wear dresses?”

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky fic #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #royalty au #pirate au

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honeys-fiction · 4 years ago

Note

HEYY! Can I please have a pirate dabi x siren reader thank you. 💕💕💕

Hi! This one took me a bit to spin, but I hope you enjoy it!

-Honey

Warnings: Slight angst depending on how you read it, hinted soulmate au, mentions of drowning and gore

Pirate Dabi x Siren Reader

You were beginning to understand why your kind hated pirates so much. Ever since you were a small child (no larger than a cod, no less), your parents warned you about ships that reeked of blood, whose masts bore the dreaded Jolly Roger. By the time you were old enough to strike out on your own, your head had been filled with stories of sirens whose songs were somehow ineffective against the sailors, who then speared or captured their predators.

But that information did little to help you when food in most regions became scarce. Most common vessels were hesitant to travel alone, and it was much harder to lure men overboard when more than one ship was present. It wasn’t uncommon these days for ear plugs made of cork or wax to be found on board. Your prey had become wise to your kind’s tactics.

That left you starving. The ships who filled their crew’s ears were able to fish more freely without worry in large fleets. What large fish you could survive off of were harder to come across, and what smaller fish were left weren’t large enough to satiate you. If humans could get smart, you could too.

Your most successful strategy of late was to tie the fishing nets that trailed behind the vessel to tap fish as they went to the bottom of the ship. It was easy to snag the rope along the barnacles that grew on the waterlogged planks. Then, you’d wait for them to send someone down to free the nets, following them deep beneath the waves to avoid detection. Occasionally, they’d just cut the nets loose and move on. But if you did it enough times, they would be forced to free their remaining nets in hopes of returning home to make a profit. You’ve gorged yourself of plenty of individuals who were tasked with freeing the nets.

Unfortunately, that leaves you in your current predicament. You had gotten cocky with your recent successes, that you didn’t take into account the fact that eventually, they’d catch onto your trick.

You barely gave the ship a once over as soon as you saw the nets that trailed along the sides of it. Your stomach growled, leading you to hastily approach the nets. What you didn’t see was the damned black flag flying proudly atop the highest mast, and just how shallow the nets actually were. Your vibrant scales were all too visible to eyes that were already searching for you.

The moment you gripped the edge of the rope, a larger net whose opening was tied with weights was dropped on top of you. Within moments, the rough texture of the net threatened to tear your scales from your body and strangle you the moment you moved. All you could do was struggle and hiss as the net was lifted from the water.

They dropped you harshly against the wood of the deck, various sounds of triumph echoing around you at your appearance. You growled, tail thumping against the wood threateningly. If they weren’t careful, you could easily crush their fragile bones under the powerful muscles of your tail.

“My, my! I apologize, I thought I taught my crew to treat our guest better,” a deep, weathered voice crooned. A man, whose large hat and stature made it impossible to see the top half of his face, stepped out in front of you. His towering frame was intimidating, somehow dwarfing yours.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am called All For One, my real name is of no importance. I am the captain of this lovely ship. And you are?”

You hissed as he stretched a hand towards you, claws raking into the deck. He pulled his hand away with a chuckle. “I understand that we are different species, but surely you don’t treat your fellow sirens so rudely?”

He turned to a scrawny man with unruly grey hair, no doubt his second in command. "Have her taken down below deck, I bet we can make a fortune off those scales of hers."

You shrieked as men began moving closer to you, tail whipping out at their legs. However, all that did was further restrain you in the mass of tangled rope. It was all too easy for them to pin you to the deck and restrain you completely. Yet, through the mass of sadistic smiles and raggedy appearances, one pair of eyes caught your attention. You'd only caught a glimpse, but what you'd see nearly made you pause your struggles. Vibrant blue eyes gazed at you through a part in the mob of men struggling with your thrashing form. There was a strange pull that stung your chest as soon as your eyes met. They seemed solemn, a look so out of place it distracted you from resisting.

With a harsh shove of your head into the weathered wood, you were out cold.

When you came to, splintering wood replaced the sky where you lay in a heap on the floor. They had taken the liberty of laying you in a shallow dip of metal built into the flooring. It was rusted slightly from the salt water that was barely two inches deep. If the metal clasps that kept you firmly rooted to the floor were anything to go by, you weren't the first siren they'd caught.

You could barely lift yourself off the floor into a seated position. Craning your neck as far as you could, you looked over your tail for any signs of missing scales. It was a little worse for wear, a few of your scales were loose, most were covered in scratches and dirt from the deck. If they were really going to skin you, they hadn't started yet.

A door opened somewhere in the room. You winced as a bright light from the crack of the hatch blinded you momentarily. The spines on the back of your tail rose as you hissed, baring your sharp teeth to your potential assailants. But only one man entered, and the sight of him completely disarmed you.

Those same staggering blue eyes from above deck once again took your breath away. Their vibrancy reminded you of beautiful, clear tropical waters. You swore you could swim in the depths of his eyes.

With the oil lamp in his hand and the lack of humans beating you into submission, you were able to get a better look at him. His hair was black as night, yet from the crimson roots you could tell it was dyed. His face was marred with ragged, rough burns. He had a few piercings, and wore mostly black. He was a little taller than some of the humans you'd eaten, but you weren't sure if he was even worth eating. It looked as if he'd missed a few meals.

He eyed you with a seemingly bored expression.

“S’matter? Not what you were expecting?” His voice was raspy and harsh, as if he hadn’t drank water in days.

Your eyes narrowed into slits, a low hiss thrumming deep in your chest. He rolled his eyes, setting the lamp on a small nightstand near the doorway. He held a bucket in his free hand, tossing its contents over your drying form. You would have screamed if it wasn’t fresh ocean water that hydrated the portion of your skin and scales that rested above what little water lay below you. He crouched in front of you with his hands resting on his knees. You appreciated the motion, as it allowed you to watch his every move without having to fear a sleight of hand. Not like you’d be able to do anything if he did decide to harm you, the chains keeping you tightly to the deck left you defenseless.

“Listen,” his hand went to rub the back of his neck, a low sigh of frustration leaving him. “I hate this as much as you do, and since I’m nearly dead anyways, I figured we could make a deal.”

You cocked your head. That wasn’t anything close to what you were expecting from this encounter. A pirate going against his crew? Nearly dead? It was hard to believe.

“What kind of ‘deal?’” You were hesitant to accept any kind of deal from him, but if he was being sincere, it was better than getting your scales peeled off.

He hummed at your willingness. “Obviously, I haven’t had a good relationship with my employers. Since I’m out the door any day now, as soon as that sadistic bastard makes up his damn mind; I wanna make life a little harder for him.”

“You’re doing this out of spite?”

“Pretty much. I’ve been working on this for quite a bit now, helping you is the final nail in the casket. So? You interested?”

You were certainly intrigued. What kind of horrors had this man faced to turn to a siren to help get back at his own crew? For all you know, this could be a trap. Yet, something about those eyes… The clouded, dull pools of blue with a slight spark of something rippling across its surface…

You didn’t think you could’ve said no even if you tried.

“Okay,” you answered with suspicion. “I’m listening.”

From what you could tell, a day had passed since the man you came to know as Dabi told you his plan. If he could start a fire somewhere on the far side of the ship, then all you had to do once you snapped the weakened chains, courtesy of Dabi before he left you that night, was slip through the hole he’d create with one of the bombs he’d pilfered. Then, since they would be too distracted to wear earplugs, you’d sing to them, luring as many as you could into your territory. As for Dabi, he stated he didn’t care what happened to him after that. Whether he died on board or drowned or perished in the explosion, he couldn’t care less.

The strange tug in your chest from before had returned when you spoke to him the night before. It was a strange feeling you couldn’t quite place, but you thought his eyes seemed...nostalgic. That stinging feeling in your chest only intensified when he left, turning into a pang that nearly kept you up all night.

Your nails scraped the metal beneath you in anticipation. Any minute now, and you’d hear the crew begin to panic as a fire started above deck. And then, hopefully, an explosion that would release you back into the sea. You examined the link in the chain he’d pried open. He’d done it to all the chins that bound you. All you had to do was pull them, and you’d be free.

The more you were left to wait, the more you began to wonder. Were you really okay with Dabi dying? Would you really be able to leave him for dead at the hands of a furious crew, or to drown in the ocean? You didn’t have an answer to any of those questions. You’d only known him for a little over a day and already you didn’t like the thought of him leaving.

A loud shout echoed throughout the ship. Followed by a series of what sounded like gunshots and curses that trailed to the other slide of the ship. You flexed your tail, preparing to spring free from the chains. Something fell into the water on the other side of the wall to your left, and then the wood splintered with a great bang. You would have been too stunned to tug yourself free if you weren’t expecting it. Sea water began to flood the hole in the hull, making it all the more easier to slip through the side.

You felt as if you just had a breath of fresh air, sighing as salt water rejuvenated your poor skin and scales with sweet, sweet relief. Swiftly, you swam to the opposite side of the ship and lifted your head above the surface. The front half of the ship was consumed in flames, and the back half was slowly beginning to dip below the waves. The night air began to sting with smoke and ash. Pirates were screaming and shouting, shots firing in the dark. Remembering your deal, you produced a sweet gentle melody.

After a few moments, the first head leered over the gunwale. The sailor looked dazed, gaze clouded by your song as he all but fell over into the water. He was then promptly crushed by a falling mast that had caught flame, sinking him far below the surface.

The next couple managed to stay a float longer, but all that fell were eventually drowned by the water they unknowingly inhaled. If only you weren’t consumed with worry for the scared man, you would have eaten well.

Minutes went by since the last body fell into the murky depths, so you fell silent. You weren’t sure what you were waiting for, you’d done your part. There wasn’t anything left for you here, not among the accusing crew, nor amidst the final throes of a ship going down.

You then saw a familiar back hit the gunwale. Jet black hair hung ragged against his scared neck. Dabi Appeared to be talking to someone on deck, a pistol gripped loosely in one hand. You wanted to call out to him, but before his name could leave your lips-

Three shots rang out in the cold, dark night. The back of his white tunic was splashed with red and torn by three separate holes. He keeled over backwards, seemingly in slow motion, falling motionlessly into the sea.

You couldn’t help but cry out, diving down to him. Blood was already pooling in the surrounding water where he drifted. Hooking your arms under his, you tugged him a ways away from the vessel where you wouldn’t be spotted.

“Dabi?! Dabi!” You shook him, holding his cheeks between your scaled palms. He was still breathing from what you could tell, each breath growing more shallow than the next.

“H-hey doll,” he sputtered, eyes drooping open. “How nice of you to hang around…”

Tears filled your eyes, making him smile sadly.

“Come now, don’t cry on me. We both knew this would happen.”

You shook your head, sobbing as you watched the color drain from his face.

“It’s strange… but I get the feeling I knew you before.” He coughed, blood spraying into the water. “Not that it matters now, but…

“I’m glad that it was you,” he smiled weakly, “that helped me take em down…”

His eyes fell close, head slumping forward. Clutching him tightly to your chest, you began to weep, wails echoing across the sea. Despite how final his last moments felt, you couldn’t stop your mind from going a mile a minute, trying to think of some way to prevent the inevitable. But as the beat of his heart began to slow against your chest, a thought struck you.

There was a process to turn a human into a siren. It had to be willingly on both ends, but if you could just get him to that place-

You gripped him tightly to your chest, dipping back below the waves and swimming swiftly towards your destination. With any luck, you could save him from his wounds.

#dabi #touya todoroki #dabi x reader #bnha #bnha x reader #boku no hero academia #boku no hero academia x reader #mha #mha x reader #my hero academia #my hero academia x reader #bnha mermay #mha mermay #late mermay

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ksgeekgirl · 4 years ago

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Back to the House that Love Built - Chapter 1: Bucket List

Title: Bucket List Word Count: 2800k Warnings: None in this chapter...but they are coming! Pairing: Francisco Morales (Pedro Pascal, Triple Frontier) x Kaylah Riley OFC Chapter Summary: Takes place about 18 months before the happenings in Triple Frontier. Your standard grumpy pilot boy meets girl :) Author’s note: After watching Triple Frontier I couldn’t believe how they did my boy Frankie, so I decided to give him the back story he so richly deserved. Big thanks to @heather-lynn for helping me with story structure, being a kick ass beta and encouraging the shit out of me. If you like it, please let me know!

Kaylah stretched her arms over her head, rolling her neck slowly in a circle. She’d been ma’am’d to death, had her heart blessed and had way more people than she was comfortable with knowing a little bit of her personal details. She’d even had one man, who sounded old enough to be her grandpa tell her “you sound real pretty, i’m sure we can work something out.” Hard pass.

Despite that, every call ended the same way -- way out of her price range or unwilling to help. So now, she was down to the last name. Her final shot.

She picked up her phone and tapped in the number, a little too aggressively, as she got psyched for one last call.

“Okay Francisco Morales,” she said to herself as she popped her airpods back in and hit send, “ I dare you to tell me no.”

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

Frankie had been working at the airport for eight months and it was a good fit. He was flying copters, getting in the air daily and keeping him close to the team. His brothers. They had been to hell and back in the nearly 20 years they were together in the Army -- then it all ended about 18 months ago.

That first 10 months had been rough, he’d never really thought about what he’d do when he got out because he didn’t think he’d live to see the day. And he wasn’t alone. All of the guys were a little afloat after leaving the Army, except for Pope who was doing the same work, just without the flag. But, things had settled and while it wasn’t exciting it was so much better than he deserved, in his opinion.

He was working four days on and three days off lately running workers out to oil rigs and various other projects. This was the end of a four day shift and he was running the post trip checks to make sure the bird was ready when he came back.

The beginning notes of Go Away by Godsmack began blaring from his phone, which only meant an unknown number. Frankie contemplated ignoring the call, but he was still on the clock and he was nothing if not responsible.

“Morales…” there was a pause before Frankie heard a very determined Southern drawl.

“Mr. Morales, my name is Kaylah Riley. Johnny Rowland over at Channel 9 said that you were the man who would be able to help me.” Kaylah didn’t even slow down before launching into her ask, not wanting to give him a chance to tell her no.

“I’m looking for someone to take my mom and me up on a private tour. I know it’s a big ask, but i’ll be happy to pay for your expenses…” she heard him start to ma’am her on the other end and barrelled on “..and an additional fee for your time, we can make any time work to fit your schedule,” another soft ma’am on the other end “...we’d just really…”

“MA’AM” Frankie almost yelled to get her attention. “I’m sorry, but we’re not a charter service. I’d be happy to give you the name…”

“Mr. Morales, you don’t understand, I…”

“No, Miss. Riley was it? I do understand. I’m sure one of the charter groups would be a much better experience. Like I said I'd be happy to recommend someone.” Frankie was not in the habit of giving Southern belles helicopter tours. He was about ready to give her a name when he heard her voice crack.

“Mr. Morales, I’m going to be honest with you.” Kaylah could hear the defeat in her own voice as she laid it out. “I’ve called every charter and pilot in a 100 mile radius. You’re my last chance.”

“Miss Riley, I…” Kaylah barreled on.

“You see, my mom is dying. She has taken care of me my entire life and I’m trying to help her knock off her bucket list before she is ripped from me. Unfortunately the crazy woman’s list includes a helicopter ride.” a laugh bordering on panic bubbled out of Kaylah’s chest. “Please Mr. Morales, you really are my last hope.”

Silence stretched on the line as Frankie took off his baseball cap and laid it on the workbench, running his free hand through his shaggy hair as he dropped onto a stool. He should tell her no. It wasn’t his problem. He could feel in his bones that this wouldn’t be a simple job.

“Mr. Morales, please?” her voice was pleading. The edge from earlier gone and replaced with anguish.

Shaking his head, Frankie pulled his cap back on. “Yeah. I’ll do it.” Frankie couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face as he heard her clap on the other end. He swore he could feel her smile through the phone.

Frankie looked at the reports, “Weather is shit this weekend, pardon my language, but next Saturday should work. Can you be here at 10?” His hand rubbing the back of his neck as he talked.

“We’ll make it work. And Mr. Morales,” Kaylah took a big breath, a tear escaping her eye, “thank you.”

“Yeah. Next weekend.”

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

Kaylah was excited to get home that night and tell her mom the good news. Dropping her backpack by the door and kicking off the shoes, she didn’t bother yelling for her mom. She knew the tiny woman would be planted on the back patio, ice tea in one hand and book in the other.

She grabbed a beer on the way through the kitchen, leaning against the frame of the french door watching her mom a bit before breaking the silence. She’d nodded off, her chin resting on her chest and snoring lightly. Kaylah pushed off and walked over to the wicker loveseat, shaking her lightly.

“Momma..” She jerks awake, looking around until Kaylah comes into focus.

“Kaylah-girl. How long have you been home?” Her mom’s accent sounded so weird to others, but it was comforting to Kaylah. Born in Dublin and married to a Texas native, Maureen Riley had the odd combination of twang and lilt that could make her almost impossible to understand. Even after forty years in America.

“Just got here,” She sat and slid an arm around her mom. “I have some good news.”

Maureen’s eyes sparkled as she took in her daughter, “Good news? Let me guess...you have a date?”

“Sort of,” Kaylah smiled as she saw her mom’s mouth drop open, “WE have a date to go up in a helicopter next Saturday.”

Honest to god her mom squealed like a six year old, causing Kaylah to break out laughing, but that was followed by a very serious expression.

“Momma, what’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing baby...i’m just trying to figure out what you wear to fly in a helicopter!”

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

His little corner of the airport was dead on Saturday. Frankie got there early that morning, one to get the bird ready and two, because he wouldn’t put it past Kaylah Riley -- because she always used both names -- to be there early.

He had grabbed a couple of blankets on the way out this morning. It got cold up there and he’s not sure that his suggestion to dress warm really got through to her when she called on Thursday. It may be the South, but it was still January and the combination of altitude and wind could make it brisk to say the least.

Frankie had just gotten the headsets tested and ready to go when he saw a beige SUV pull up. He checked his watch, 9:30, just as he’d expected. He was walking out to tell her she’d have to move to the parking lot as she rounded the front of the car.

He didn’t know what he’d expected, but he could say without a doubt it wasn’t the pretty redhead that was headed his way. Frankie didn’t know if you could be fearless and fragile at the same time, but that was what popped in his mind seeing Kaylah Riley for the first time. Shit.

“Mr. Morales,” the wind whipping her ponytail as she walked up to Frankie, hand extended, “Kay…”

“Kaylah Riley. Got it.” Frankie gripped her hand in a strong shake, trying not to get distracted by her bright red lips. “You’ll need to move your car, you can’t leave it there.”

“Good morning to you to Mr. Morales…” Kaylah was glad she had on her sunglasses so he couldn’t see her eye roll. “I’d planned on moving it, I simply wanted to drop my mom off first...walking really wears her out,”

Kaylah pulled her hand back, realizing that she was still holding his long after the shake, shoving her hands in her pockets. “I mean, If that’s okay with you…”

“Yeah. That’s fine,” Frankie nodded his head at the tiny woman headed their way “but I think she got tired of waiting for you.”

Kaylah turned to see her mom strolling their direction. She couldn’t tell what made Maureen look more silly, the mirrored aviator sunglasses, her dad’s old leather bomber jacket or the long white scarf that was roughly the same color as her hair.

“Ma’am,” Kaylah turned to look at a smirking Frankie, one hand on his hip, “is she dressed like the Red Baron?”

She couldn’t help but laugh, “Mr. Morales, my mom is not what you’d call understated.”

To his credit, Frankie didn’t laugh, but the way his eyes crinkled showed how amused he was. Before she knew what he was doing, Frankie stepped around her, jogging towards her mom and offering his arm like a proper gentleman. Kaylah watched them walk towards her, Maureen’s charm in full effect, but her eyes were on the man next to her. Baseball cap pulled down, jacket stretched across his broad shoulders. Dear lord, she was staring like a teenager.

“A Stór, Francisco was just delightful to help me over here wasn’t he?” Maureen smiled up at Frankie. “Now go park the car and hurry back so we can get up in the air!”

Kaylah smiled and gave her mom a small salute. “I’ll be right back” and headed back to the car. When Maureen turned to watch her go, Frankie followed her gaze. Kaylah’s black moto jacket ending at her waist and drawing Frankie’s eyes down her slim frame. Biting the inside of his jaw, he pulls his hat down a little lower, definitely not what he’d expected.

Maureen was watching Frankie watch Kaylah, a glint in her eye as a smile spread across her face before she squeezed his arm. “Francisco, do you have somewhere I can sit down?”

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

Kaylah looked back at the retreating figures as she started the car and pulled towards the parking lot. She was a little embarrassed at what she had expected with Francisco Morales. Johnny had told her that he was a vet, the best pilot he knew and a man of few words. What she had constructed in her mind in no way matched the man that was chatting up her mother. He wasn’t what passed for handsome these days. She’s seen handsome up close and that was surface level at best. He was something else.

She parked and turned off the car, checking her reflection in the mirror, searching for the right word to describe him. Shoving her wallet and phone into her jacket pocket she jumped out of the car as the word came to her.

Masculine.

Francisco Morales was inherently masculine. Not macho, but just so comfortable in who he was there was no need to try and convince others. Like the Marlboro Man...with a helicopter. The only other man she’d known like that was her dad.

Kaylah shook off that thought as she walked, looking up to see her mom already strapped into the front seat of the bird, headset in place and blanket tucked around her.

“Momma?” Kaylah shielded her eyes as she looked up at her mom. “You two leaving without me?”

“If you don’t hurry up we will,” Maureen shouted. “Now hurry up so Francisco can get you strapped in. I want to fly!”

“Yes Ma’am!” Kaylah hurried around the copter where Frankie was waiting. She was trying to get in when she felt warm hands on her waist lifting her up drawing a little gasp out of her.

“Sorry.” Frankie mumbled as he strapped her into the seat, tightening the belt around her soft hips, his eyes catching on the glimpse of freckled thigh through the stylish tear in her jeans. He bit his lip as he handed her the headset, using the bill of his cap to keep from looking at her. “You’ll be able to talk to us without doing anything. Just say something if you have a problem.”

Kaylah nodded her head, at a loss for words...a condition that seldom plagued her. She watched as Frankie went through his process to get the helicopter running and then, they were in the air.

While she took in the sites from 1,000 feet up, Frankie was the perfect tour guide. He and Maureen talked non-stop. No, that wasn’t accurate. Maureen talked non-stop and Frankie added the well timed “hum” or “really” that kept her in peak storytelling mode. In fact, she could have stayed on the ground and neither of them would have known. It was glorious.

With their conversation as the soundtrack of the trip, the tour had passed quicker than expected as Kaylah saw the airport below. Coming to an end as Frankie sat the helicopter down as gentle as putting a baby to sleep. Kaylah was impressed as she heard his deep voice through the headset.

“Wait until the blades stop before you unbuckle, then I'll come help you out.”

Kaylah couldn’t help herself, her smart ass comeback slipping out before she even thought about it. “Aye, aye Captain.”

“I was never a Captain,” the scratchy voice caused her to snap her head up to see Frankie looking at her over his shoulder. She couldn’t tell if he was joking or if she’d offended him. Kaylah was fairly sure that Francisco Morales didn’t have a funny bone.

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

It was about 30 minutes from when they landed until Kaylah headed back across the apron towards her car, leaving her mom in Frankie’s capable hands until she could return.

Frankie watched Maureen get misty watching her daughter, seeing that as his cue to distract her and keep her focused on the great day. “Mrs. Riley…”

“Francisco...please call me Maureen” she patted him on the leg, dabbing at her eyes.

“Maureen then, you remind me so much of my mamá. Not just your personality and, um...stature,” Frankie smiled remembering the feisty little woman “but I don’t think anyone outside of Uncle Sam has referred to me as Francisco since she passed. Visiting with you today has given me a little piece of her back. Thank you.”

Maureen smiled as she watched the years fall away from Frankie’s face as he thought of his mom. “What a lovely compliment Francisco. How old were you when you lost your mother?”

“I was 20,” Frankie stopped, the muscle in his jaw working as he thought of that time. “In fact, I've been without her longer than I had her.”

Maureen stood, and without saying a word, wrapped him in the kind of hug that only can come from a mom. “I know I can’t replace her, and lord knows you’ve had time to learn to live without her, but you don’t hesitate to call me if you need a stand-in mom.”

She pulled back as she heard the car approach, patting him softly on the chest before turning to wave at Kaylah. Frankie moved to help her toward the car, walking in companionable silence as Kaylah came around to open the door.

As they reached the car, Maureen turned and looked up to Frankie, patting him on the cheek, “I meant what I said Francisco.” Frankie smiled and took her hand, kissing the back of it...the same sign of affection he used to bestow on his mom.

“Yes ma’am.”

Frankie stepped back as Kaylah got Maureen situated in the car and shut the door. She turned, pushing her sunglasses on her head, as she looked up at Frankie, extending her hand.

“Mr. Moral…” Frankie interrupted her as he enveloped her small hand in his, “Please, call me Frankie.”

“Okay. Well, thank you for everything,” Kaylah smiled up at him, pushing her sunglasses back down as she broke the handshake. “Frankie.”

Kaylah made her way back to her side of the car. Getting in with a quick wave and driving off, leaving Frankie standing on the apron as her taillights disappeared. He scuffed his boot against the seam in the asphalt, shaking his head as he looked down. He knew this wasn’t going to be a simple trip.

Shit.

#frankie morales #catfish morales #pedro pascal #please read this #just the beginning

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lumiolivier · 4 years ago

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The Good Old Days Chapter Twelve: What Happened to Your Face?

A/N: Hi, friends! Here we are. Another week. After last week’s hard chapter, how about a nicer one? Kind of. I mean, it gets violent. If you didn’t get that from last week’s, then you don’t understand how things work around here.

I hated myself for what I was about to do. I just watched the aftermath of what this asshole did to Veronica and now, I had to go be his best buddy? I didn’t like it. This prick didn’t deserve my mercy. He didn’t deserve Veronica’s body. He didn’t deserve to be in Vanessa’s worried thoughts. He sure as fuck didn’t deserve my friendship. Real or otherwise. I hope to hell the Old Man had a plan. Because the water in our building doesn’t get hot enough to scrub this clean.

“Hey!” I waved him down.

“Hey…” Cabrón blew me off, “Hey, aren’t you the guy with the prude little sister?”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call her a prude,” I kept my touchy temper in check, “But I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Look, man…No hard feelings?”

“No hard feelings?” he scoffed, “Really?”

“No hard feelings.” I’m under strict orders not to kill you and that’s getting more and more difficult as this conversation goes on, “You know what? As a sign of my good faith, let me buy you a drink to bury the hatchet. I know this place. Real hush, hush. Real underground. The booze is top shelf. The girls are gorgeous. They’re definitely better than my sister. Best hidden gem in the city.”

The guy held his skepticism. Rightfully so. I was about to bring his sorry, pathetic ass to the Narrows, “Alright! Thanks man. We should get a ride. Do you have a ride?”

“Yeah,” I flagged down the Old Man’s driver, “That’s not a problem.”

This guy was either that drunk, that trusting, or that fucking stupid. Either that or he wasn’t raised right. Mama would’ve had my ass if I would’ve gotten into some random guy’s car like that. Still…The ride back to the Narrows was nothing but this moron rambling about how he couldn’t stand his dad, but his dad’s girlfriend was hot, so he tolerated him. Count your blessings, dude. Yours is still alive. You got cognitive memories of yours. I can’t say the same. But I wasn’t going to tell this asshole my tragic backstory. Although, when the driver pulled up to the warehouse, I started to feel more at ease. Because I knew what was coming to this dick.

“Come on,” I got out of the car, “It’s this way.”

“Really?” he took a quick look around, “Isn’t this the Narrows? I’ve only been here to buy coke.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I shook him off, “I did say this was a hidden gem.”

“Ok!” This guy would chase a balloon into traffic. I had no doubt. When I got him to the warehouse, he kept looking around, “Hey…You said there’d be more booze and more bitches. I don’t see either one.”

He really is a charmer, isn’t he? Still, I kept my cool, “Hang on a sec. It’s a one-on-one kind of thing. She’ll bring you a drink, give you a lap dance, the whole fucking nine. I just need to go get her.”

“Alright!” Just when I think I can’t hate the guy enough, he out assholes himself. Honestly, I’m impressed, but I also wanted his head on a pike.

Again, strict orders from the Old Man to not kill him. I’m sure if I broke said orders, I’d be a little more than just out on my ass. I went to the bar on the corner and knocked on the office door, “Hey, Old Man?”

“Hi, Frankie,” the Old Man got up from his desk, “Is he here?”

“Yeah.”

“Unscathed?”

“Miraculously.”

“Good,” he threw an arm around my shoulders, “You really are a good kid, Frankie. Pure of heart. I like that about you. And I know it took great restraint on your part not beating the fuck out of this piece of shit. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Old Man.” It did my heart good when I did him proud. I don’t know why, but it got to me.”

“And that restraint,” he held the door for me, “should be rewarded, don’t you think?”

“That’s up to you, boss.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” the Old Man and I went back to the warehouse, “So, Frankie…Care to do the honors?”

“The honors of what?” He’s not asking me what I think he is. I couldn’t get that lucky.

“I know you want to beat the shit out of him,” he insisted, “If someone hurt my girl’s little sister like that, I’d want to knock his dick in the fucking dirt, too. Besides, I want to see you go all out on a mother fucker. You’re quiet, seething rage. I want to see what happens when you cut the wrong wire on that timebomb. Call me selfish.”

“Really?” I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit too excited about this.

“Hold on,” the Old Man settled me, “I see you’re all full of piss and vinegar, kid, but let me have a word with him real quick. We’ll see if we can sort this out with our words first.”

“Seriously?” The Old Man was being way too sweet to this guy.

“Na,” he giggled to himself, “I just want to fuck with him before I cut the red wire instead of the blue one.”

“Ok.” Now that sounded like the Old Man I knew and loved. I didn’t care. As long as I got a few swings on him, I was in.

“Hi there,” the Old Man walked into the main room of the warehouse.

“If the next person in this room doesn’t have scotch and titties busting out of her shirt,” the dick groaned, “I’m leaving.”

“No, you’re not, junior,” the Old Man made sure he stayed there.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re calling junior?”

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” And the Old Man said I was quiet, seething rage. Looks like I’m not the only one. He got a little closer, studying every detail of this prick’s face, “Hold on…Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

“I’ve never met you before, man,” Asshole twitched, “All I know is that there was this guy saying we were getting a drink and his bitch sister was being a tease.”

“His what?” the Old Man growled, grabbing a fistful of this guy’s hair, “You want to repeat that?”

“She…” he whimpered, “She was…a fucking…tease.”

“So,” the Old Man let him go, “You’re the one I heard all about. You like to fuck with little girls just trying to have a good time, huh?”

“I would’ve shown her a good time…”

“I’m sure you would, sport,” the Old Man rolled his eyes, “But I don’t think she’s much for chemicals. Frankie, am I right?”

“It’s happened before,” I told him, “I don’t know if it was this guy, but it has happened before.”

“And how is she doing? She alright?”

“She’s in bed,” I reported, “I took care of her for the most part. Her sister had a little hand in it, too, but we had it covered.”

“That’s awfully nice of you,” the Old Man awed. His demeanors gave me whiplash, “And what about her sister? The older one. How’s she doing? It’s not every day you get the phone call that your youngest sister just got roofied and now, she’s rolling.”

“She took it surprisingly well,” I never ever wanted to put Vanessa in that position ever again. She didn’t deserve that.

“It’s unfortunate it had to happen in the first place,” the Old Man sighed out. But at the drop of a hat, his voice had a singsong lilt to it again, “So! That brings me to you. Because I’m pretty sure you were the one behind it, weren’t you?”

“I just bought her a drink,” the cocky prick got in the Old Man’s face. Big mistake, “You can’t prove anything. And if I seem familiar, you know damn well I’d be able to walk out of any courtroom, smelling like a fucking rose.”

“That’s your own business,” the Old Man turned back to me, “See, that’s the thing about being me. And about all the people I have working for me. I know what you come from, but I don’t care. Where you come from doesn’t have any jurisdiction over me. Because they trust what I do. And if that means letting my new favorite loose cannon bat you around for a while, then they know you brought it on yourself. I mean…Unless you wanted to do something like tell me where you got the junk in the first place.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Am I?” the Old Man smirked, “Because I don’t think I am. Do you want me to get your daddy on the phone and tell him his piece of shit son tried date raping a girl tonight?”

“You couldn’t prove it was me.”

“You’d be amazed at how many people are in my network.” The more I hated the son of a bitch that hurt Veronica tonight, the more I started to love the Old Man. Watching him fuck with this guy was better than Telemundo, “All it would take is one loyal dealer and I’d be able to find out within the hour. Now, either you tell me or I make a phone call. I know you want to come off like you got the big, swinging dick here, but you don’t. Because from where I’m standing, I’d be able to mushroom stamp your ass into next week.”

“Cliff Strickland,” he sang like a fucking canary in a coal mine. Why am I not surprised? I wouldn’t trust this guy with a bucket of water if we were in the ocean, “His name is Cliff Strickland. He works…”

“42nd Street,” the Old Man nodded, “Yeah. I know Cliff. I know Cliff real well. Alright, kid. You’re free to do what you want.”

“Thank you…” he did all but lick the Old Man’s boots

“Get up,” the Old Man snapped, “I wasn’t talking to you.”

“He was talking to me,” I knew better.

“That is,” he nudged me, “If you’re still all fired up.”

“Damn right, I am,” I nodded.

“Here’s now this is going to go down,” the Old Man kept his voice down, “I’m going to step outside for about ten minutes. While I’m gone, whatever happens, happens. When I come back, I want someone to have to scrape this asshole off the floor, got it?”

“If there’s anything left to him.”

“Atta boy, kid,” he nudged me forward, “Go on. Go play nice.”

“Sorry, boss,” I shook my head, “I’m not giving him nice.”

“There you go again,” the Old Man gave me a little swat to the shoulder, “Telling me what I want to hear. If you’re not careful, Frankie, I may end up promoting you one day.”

“Thanks, Old Man.” It’s not that I didn’t appreciate the sentiment. It’s just that I needed to go beat a mother fucker. Can’t do that when I’m all warm and fuzzy inside.

Without any further hesitation, my fist went straight into this asshole’s jaw. And something in that first punch felt so strangely satisfying. It’s like everything that happened tonight was laser focused in that punch and if I didn’t bust a tooth, I didn’t do it right. But that means I get to try it again, right? Although, I was a bit caught by surprise when this fucker had some fight in him. Granted, it’s all booze muscle and if it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have made a connection with me. Once I blinked the spots out of my eyes, I jumped on top of the asshole and started beating the ever-living fuck out of him. The Old Man did say to play nice. And by playing nice, I thought about giving him a mercy killing, but he passed out before I could. Whether it was from me beating him or the alcohol in his system, I don’t know. All I knew was that my head was killing me and I had a not so pleasant conversation to have with Mama later.

“So?” the Old Man walked in and got an eyeful at the broken, battered, and bruised asshole bleeding on the floor, “All in all? Good playdate?”

“He’s done,” I caught my breath.

“Good,” he put a hand to my shoulder, “Go home, kid. You’ve done enough today.”

“What?” I stopped him, “Old Man, I got two more collection spots to hit up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the Old Man brushed me off, “Don’t get me wrong, Frankie. I love the enthusiasm, but you’ve done plenty for me tonight. You can grab them tomorrow. It’s fine.”

“Ok…” Who was I to argue? But it got me thinking, “Hey, Old Man…You said you knew who that kid was.”

“Don’t worry about it, Frankie,” he assured me, “You’re alright. If this ever gets brought up to a higher place, we’re taken care of. Like I told the little shit, the only one who’s got jurisdiction here is me and anyone I deem necessary. Which is the umbrella you fall under. You got nothing to worry about. Just go home. Lay low for the rest of the night. Come back tomorrow bright eyed and bushy tailed, ok?”

“Ok,” I nodded, “Thanks, Old Man.”

“Get out of here,” he shoved me off, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Aspirin and a quick shot of tequila and I’d be alright. Fuck that guy. Whoever he is. I hope the Old Man was right about my protection. I don’t need to be getting caught up in legal troubles. I say as I clearly work for one of the top mafia bosses in the city. Of course, I don’t need to be getting caught up in legal troubles. But I couldn’t shake the way he was talking to the Old Man out of my head. He had to come from affluence somehow. I wasn’t sure where that affluence lies, but it can’t be good. For now, I just wanted to go home.

It was pretty late. I’m sure Mama’s home by now, but she doesn’t need to get caught up in this mess. The more I can keep her out of this, the better. When I walked in, our apartment was quiet. That’s a good sign. That means I get to go right to bed without any questions asked. But then, on my way to our bedroom, I heard the water in the bathroom turning off. Shit…And I thought I was here by myself. Because I knew Tony and César weren’t getting off for another hour, it could only be one other person.

“Francisco…?” Mama’s voice drifted through the air.

“Si, Mama?” I wasn’t going to ignore her. I knew better than that. I’d pray for the Narrows a million times over before I’d take a beating from Mama.

“Tu bien, cariño?” she worried.

“I’m fine, Mama,” I was lying through my teeth, but again, she doesn’t need to get caught up in this, too, “Hard night at the office. I’m just tired.”

“Ok,” she wasn’t going to dig deeper. And gracias a dios for that, “Buenos noches, Francisco…”

“Buenos noches, Mama,” I kissed her cheek and headed to bed. She had yet to turn the light on in the hallway, so it’s not like she’d be able to see anything. However, when I managed to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, that shit was rough. I didn’t think he got me that good. The bruising around my eye was already getting darker. I quicky wiped the blood from my nose and crawled into bed, throwing a couple aspirin down my throat. I’ll be alright. As long as she doesn’t catch it.

The next morning, I woke up to my brothers both still sleeping like babies. So far, so good. I didn’t have any blood on my pillowcase, so there’s another win right there. Now, all I had to do was hope to Christ that Mama’s already left for work. However, I couldn’t get that lucky. I heard the TV on in the living room and breakfast sizzling in the kitchen. I knew it was coming. Can I just get the Narrows? Please? It’d be so much easier.

Fortunately, she seemed pretty preoccupied with the stove. She had milk boiling, so there’s no way she’s looking away from that. Alright. I’m relatively in the clear, “Morning, Mama.”

“Good morning, Francisco…” she chimed. Ok. That did my soul good. But once that milk was boiled, she noticed I was hiding my face from her. And for a damn good reason, “Francisco…”

“Si, Mama?” I hid behind the refrigerator door. I was just looking for…I don’t know. Something. Right now, an excuse to not show Mama the sins of last night.

“Mírame,” she ordered. Fuck, I’m boned.

I pretended like nothing happened. And hopefully, she won’t overreact, “Que es, Mama?”

“Qué diablos le pasó a tu cara?” Mama gasped. Of course she wouldn’t overreact. What was I thinking?

“It’s nothing, Mama,” I assured her as she reached up to my eye, “I just got into a little scrap last night.”

“This isn’t a little scrap, Francisco!” she snapped, “This is definitely not a little scrap! What happened?”

“He had it coming,” I swore, taking her hand off my face, “Trust me. He had it coming.”

“Enough to put you like this?” Oh, yeah. Mama’s pissed, “I don’t care how much he had it coming, Francisco. You don’t need to be getting hurt!”

“Mama…” I hardly spoke above a whisper, “He hurt Vanessa’s little sister Veronica. I couldn’t let him get away with it. He spiked her drink and I’m pretty sure he had all intentions of taking her home with him. She’s practically a baby, Mama. She’s only seventeen. I just…I couldn’t let him get away with it.”

And in that moment, Mama let it go. I think she realized how bad last night fucked me up. So did I. Never did I ever think that when I saw that angel on the dance floor that night, I’d get attached to her family. Any of them, really. Granted, I still had yet to meet her parents and her other sister, but something tells me I didn’t need to. I had Vanessa. Then, a little shit decided to poke her nose into our potential love life and just like that, I had Veronica. That’s all I needed. And I was good with that.

“Ok,” Mama gave me a nod. She knew my intentions were pure, “Still…He hurt mi bebe…”

“You should see him,” I laughed it off, “Don’t worry, Mama. I took care of him, too.”

“That doesn’t look very good, Francisco…”

“I’m alright,” I promised, “It does hurt a little, but nothing I can’t tolerate. I’ll be home later, ok?”

“Where are you going?” she wondered.

“Manhattan.” My shoes were here when I took them off last night…I think…Last night after I came home was kind of a blur.

“What would you be going to Manhattan for?”

“I’m going to go check on Veronica.” There they are! Other side of the couch, “Make sure she’s doing ok.”

“And?”

I needed to score brownie points with Mama again. Pretty sure my shenanigans from last night got me on her shit list, “And I’ll see if Vanessa’s busy tonight.”

“I make dinner tonight?” Mama figured.

“No,” I shook my head, “If we’re going to do that, I’m sure I can manage somewhere nice.”

“Francisco…” Mama always was a stickler for how we spent our money. Spending it out when we could be using it for groceries and make something ten times better would always be the right choice to her. But fuck, man. Sometimes, no one wants to cook.

“It’s alright, Mama,” I promised, “I’ll be back in a little while. And if we’re lucky, I’ll bring Vanessa by tonight, too.”

“And the little one,” she ordered, “You’re not the only one who wants to make sure she’s ok.”

“You don’t even know her, Mama.”

“That doesn’t stop me from caring.”

I love this woman. I love her so much, “We’ll see if she’s feeling up to it. Vanessa, too. I’m not making any promises here. They both get the final say in it.”

“Fine,” Mama dropped it, gently kissing my cheek, “Be careful.”

“I will.” I didn’t think I’d ever have much of a reason to go up to Manhattan. I wish it were under better circumstances. But she’s alright and the piece of shit was taken care of. And that’s all that matters.

#The Good Old Days #oc backstory #fan fiction prequel #mafia au #switch #for the family

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purplesurveys · 4 years ago

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1145

What were your favorite things to draw when you were a lil kid? I knew I wasn’t an artist the moment I started experimenting with pens and markers, and the only image I liked to keep - and was capable of - drawing on repeat was your usual kid’s portrait of a house with a sun and clouds lmao. I never learned how to draw anything else.

Do you think there is something with or around you, like a spirit, angel, ghost or something else? How does this make you feel? No, never.

Imagine you’re a stranger looking at yourself. What things would immediately catch your eye? Probably the way I’m scowling at stranger-me staring at me-me.

When did you feel the most confident in your life? Not sure when I’ve felt the most confident, but I typically feel so whenever I get something I’ve been desiring and working hard for, like getting a job offer or being accepted to my dream college or passing a really difficult exam.

Do you think love is needed to have good sex? For some people, no. For me, loving one another is an absolute must. < Yes, hits the nail on the head for me.

Do you think, or want to, die in the city you currently live in? I don’t think it would matter where I die, as long as it’s not from a terrible freak accident.

What is the strangest thing you have ever encountered? That time I went to Singapore and a sex toy shop was casually blatantly standing in the middle of Orchard Road for families to stroll pass. It’s not objectively strange, of course, but it was definitely a big culture shock. Putting up sex shops in the Philippines is basically a game of who can find the best spot to hide them in.

Favourite soft drink? I never drink soda, so I don’t have a favorite.

What do you like to put gravy on? Fried chicken or steak.

Have you ever gone canoeing/kayaking? Yes, in Palawan.

What is one thing you know about your family history you’re proud of? I come from a line of datus from both precolonial and colonial Philippines. The most exciting part about it is that it technically makes me a princess, or at least our local version of princesses haha. I’m also distantly related to one of the three women who sewed the first Philippine flag.

Who depends on you the most? Kimi and Cooper, surely.

Are you related to anyone famous or historical, if so who? See two questions above. Coming from my datu ancestors, my relatives also continue to serve in the local government of our family’s province until today. Not that I’m particularly proud of them or show this off whenever I want because they are all very vocal Duterte supporters and regularly engage with him and his family, so *barf*

Would you ever donate a kidney to anyone, and who? If it ever comes down to it, I’d offer one of mine to my dad, Angela, and either of her parents.

What is the main quality you think makes a great parent? They recognize when they’re wrong and know to acknowledge it and apologize.

What three things do you think of most of each day? Tasks I have to do for work for the day, tasks I have to do for the rest of the week, and financial concerns.

Does/did your high school have pop machines? No, of course not. Are there schools that are ok with selling soda? :/

Do you know anyone who’s won the lottery? Not that I know of, but then again these things are shared in secret so there’s always that chance of possibly knowing someone who won the lotto at some point.

Have you ever slept in a water bed? Never slept but I’ve played on one.

How often do you use Flickr? I haven’t visited that site since I was like 11. Not even sure it still exists.

Who is the last child that you took a photo with? I think my cousin Toffe, but it was most likely a family photo that the two of us happened to be in. I don’t have a lot of photos with my younger cousins and kids in general.

How often do you wear hats? Never. I always think about getting a bucket hat of my own but I just never go through with it.

Would you ever get a nature tattoo? I never even entertained the thought before. But considering Hayley’s albums and songs have like a million references to flowers, it sounds like a good idea now :)

Is anyone in your family sick at the moment? My paternal great-grandma was recently confined in a hospital but she’s been discharged. I have a grand-aunt who suffered a mild stroke a couple of weeks ago and is currently recovering.

Where do your siblings work, if anywhere? They are both still studying. If I had to guess, my sister would probably end up in the film, media, or advertising industry, if not a freelance artist.

Where is your favorite place to buy groceries? If I had the money for it I’d get my groceries at Marketplace, but I’m content with getting ours from SM or Robinsons for now.

Who do you generally talk to the most? Probably my immediate family and my team at work.

Is anyone saved in your phone under a nickname? Not anymore. I use nicknames on my friends more frequently on Facebook Messenger.

Whose birthday is coming up? One of my cousins’ birthday is on March 31.

Have you ever ordered from an informercial? No, never.

When, where, and why did a needle last pierce your skin? Around a month ago when I was embroidering. I usually accidentally prick myself from time to time.

Have you been to an escape room? Was it a success? Nah, not really my idea of fun. I’m a little weak at problem/riddle-solving :(

How many followers do you have on Instagram? I literally never use my Instagram except to lurk and look for influencers to potentially tap for work. The account was initially my one-photo-a-day-in-2020 dump, but I stopped in April last year and now we’re in 2021 it doesn’t even serve a purpose anymore lmao. But for some reason Bea asked for my account and still followed me (and is the only person following me), which I’m sure she already regrets.

What’s the most recent music video you watched? Thoughts? Continued the next day. Jessi’s What Type of X. Killed it as always.

Have you ever recorded a cover of a song? Never.

What makeup products are your go-tos? None.

Are you going to school this year? No, not anymore. I did that for the very last time in 2020, and I don’t see the point in going back for an MA because I feel like I’m already covered.

What is your favorite water activity? I’ve only ever tried kayaking, but that was a very pleasant memory.

What are your favorite video games? I’m not a super passionate video game fan who’s always up-to-date, but I do have a soft spot for games I bonded on with my family when I was a kid, like Grand Theft Auto (very inappropriate for a kid to be playing, I know lol), Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros.

Do you like jello? I never got over the texture, so no.

When was the last time you gave someone "the finger?" Not sure when exactly but it happened recently, maybe a week or two ago. I suddenly thought about my ex and flung both fingers around just for myself lol.

Have you ever held a snake? Yes, I got the chance to hold and take a photo with one on my trip to Bali. I was the only willing one in the family.

Most unique place you’ve ever been to? Baker’s Hill in Palawan is what I would imagine seeing if I ever took drugs and had a trip of some sort. Most random place ever.

If you were a superhero, what color would your cape be? Continued from...I don’t even know anymore. Just know it’s been nearly a week since I first started this, lmao. Idk maybe gold.

Have you ever slept out on your porch all night? We don’t have a porch. We do have a rooftop and I’ve fallen asleep there a couple of times. I only do so when the climate is cold, though.

Do you like horror movies? Sure, but I haven’t watched any in years. Just have never been in the mood for it for a long while now.

What’s your favorite Coke product? Blech, I hate soda.

Watergun or water-balloon war? Water gun. I’ve never been hit by a water balloon but I imagine it hurts?? so I wouldn’t want to experience it if I never had to.

Do you know anyone that’s afraid of elevators? I know my sister and grandma are claustrophobic but they’re not ~deathly~ afraid of elevators.

Is there anything in your room that belongs to a boyfriend, or a friend of the opposite sex? I don’t think any of my guy friends have lent me stuff that I got to take home, so no.

Who’s your favorite Beatle? I was never a fan. I remember pretending to be, back when liking The Beatles made you look all cool and hippy and trendy... but I honest to god just couldn’t get into their music.

Have you ever texted an ex whilst drunk? How’d that go? Yeah just once, super super way back when I was still thought remaining friends with her was the way to go. It was fine, I didn’t message anything horrific and we were both chill about it the next morning.

Do you have to stand on your tip-toes to kiss your boyfriend? I don’t have a partner anymore but yeah, I used to. I think? Maybe? I barely remember anymore. I definitely did have to tilt my head up quite a bit, though.

Have you ever been tackle-hugged? I can’t remember if I’ve received one. I’m usually the one who gives them.

Have you ever rejected someone’s kiss before? I don’t think I’ve been in this situation before.

Is your mood or the overall tone of your day often affected by the dreams you had the night before? Just for like the first half hour of waking up, especially if it was a nightmare or a triggering dream. The more I wake up the more the dream fades away, and the sillier it feels that I was affected by it.

Do you think that there are any positive aspects or outcomes of suffering from a mental illness? If you have a mental illness, do you think it has changed you for the better in any way? No. Sugarcoating mental illness doesn’t sit well with me at all. I know I’ve learned to be gentle and understanding towards other people because of the emotional abuse I’ve received in my own relationships, and I absolutely hate that it’s because of mental illness. I shouldn’t have had to learn to be kind because I was treated shittily first.

What is your opinion on celebrity culture and celebrity worship? Have you ever been guilty of putting a celebrity on a pedestal? Do you think it’s somehow more acceptable/understandable to obsess over certain types of celebrities (musicians over YouTubers, say) than others? At what point do you think an obsession like that crosses the line? I sometimes think it’s silly when fandoms fight and defend their favorites as if they know them personally, but I’m heavily into my fair share of celebrities and I honestly don’t see anything wrong with it. As long as you’re not hurting anyone or doing anything stupid like stalking your favorites, you do you.

If you were to pursue a career in photography and had the opportunity and means to photograph whatever you wanted, what would most like to photograph? People.

Is there a certain type of clothing (outerwear, activewear, loungewear, etc.) that you enjoy shopping for more than others? Cute tops.

Are you ever afraid to post your ideas, artwork, photography, etc. online for fear that they will get stolen or not credited? No, because I am not even creative in the first place and can’t make any form of art to save my life.

When is the last time you did something sexual? Last night.

Who is the last person you showered with, if anyone? My ex but that would’ve been ages ago. It was super rare that we absolutely had to shower together.

What do you think when you see roadkill on the side of the road? Sad and kinda disgusted if the guts are out, but also relieved that they don’t have to suffer in pain anymore.

Have you ever had an ex that just didn’t understand that it was over? Yeah, me. Luckily I came to my senses a few months ago and have felt better and been better ever since.

Are your fingernails currently short or long? They’re unequal lengths because I’ve been either biting or picking at them over the last few weeks, but for the most part they are long enough to need to be clipped.

Would you rather have big or small dogs? Big.

What is your favorite sports drink? I don’t drink any of them, so none.

What was the last compliment you gave a guy? I told my dad the dinner he made tasted excellent.

Does your jaw ever crack, pop, or lock? I don’t think my jaw has ever made a sound before, hahaha.

Have you ever thought of how you would give your kids “the talk”? No, but I think it’s also relevant to note that I live in a very conservative country where sexual intercourse is never discussed, especially within families; and that it’s virtually unheard of to hear of people until my generation to have been given the talk. I had to find out all by myself, and I remember being very confused when we were being taught the reproductive system in fifth grade because they only taught about the organs and their functions, and never anything deeper than that.

Luckily the last conservative generation was Gen X, and younger generations have been a lot more open-minded. And if I had to guess, I’m fairly certain Millennial parents would be more willing to give their kids the talk.

Do you ever feel like you’re missing out on something? I mean, my 20s, thanks to Covid.

Do you ever write/draw on windows that are fogged up? Yes.

If you were married, and your spouse’s parents became ill, would you let them move into your home? Of course.

Have you screamed in a pillow before? Probably.

What do you like more, acoustic or electric? Electric.

Did you actually have a cookie jar? No.

What’s worse, having someone mad or disappointed in you? Disappointment is more gut-wrenching. I feel more hopeless and helpless when someone feels that way about me.

What do you bite on more, your tongue, lip, or nails? Definitely my nails. Lip-biting isn’t a habit of mine and I only ever bite my tongue accidentally.

Do you think that knowing when and how you’re going to die would ruin your life? No. I would find that comforting, actually.

Do you have a favorite bromance? From TV or a movie. J-Man and Channy’s from Friends.

Do you find flea markets and thrift stores enjoyable? Sure.

What color is your wallet? Pink, but I def have to buy a new one soon as I’m still using the one my ex gave me...

Have you ever been somebody's photography subject? No, and I would hate to be. I don’t like being in front of the camera.

Nicki Minaj fan? I like a lot of songs by her but I’m by no means a fan.

Have you ever seen the Niagara Falls? Nope but I would love to.

#survey #surveys

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shewolfofficial · 5 years ago

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hey! saw a post that you opened your requests. maybe some levi x siren!reader?

Warning: Slight Violence, Cursing

The song I used in this is called 'My Jolly Sailor Bold'

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

Boots thud against the dark wooden deck of the ship, the gradual sunsetting sky turning a rich orange colour as the sun began to disappear over the ocean. A massive wide ship floated atop the deep ocean waters with a crew scattering about on top checking supplies, cleaning and other things. A breeze whisked past the ship, strong enough to tilt it subtly to the side then back again. The occasional barks of orders followed by the calls of subordinates.

''Eren, check the direction on the map and compass or the nearest dock- we're running low on supplies'' a short snappy man said over his shoulder to the taller, younger boy who followed him with a weary expression. ''Y-Yes sir!'' Eren stuttered before leaving the elder man's side to go do as said. Stepping up the small wooden staircase to the risen part of the ship where the large round wheel sat, steered by a relative of Levi's stood Mikasa. The girl's bored expression gave off a strange aura but she was no woman to be messed with despite looking utterly bored with her job.

''Spot any land?'' Levi asked the taller female who huffed and shook her head no. The man scowled a little before flickering his hues to the sun which was slowly disappearing from view. ''Continue steering for a few more minutes, I'll call back to you when you're on break- Jean will take over then,'' he explained to her, seeing her nod quietly before he left her side. Wandering towards the front of the ship passed the towering masts with flags attached that blew in the wind every now and then.

The night sky filled with darkness soon overtook the ship, leaving everything in silence except for the occasional creaks of the ship and the splashes of water hitting against it. Lanterns were lit up illuminating areas with a warm glow bright enough for the pirates to see where they were walking. Levi stood with Sasha and Connie in the temporary 'kitchen' they had in the ship where they would store their foods and such. Checking over what they needed and already have enough of. The rest of the crew were out on the desk on their hands and knees scrubbing before they clocked in for the night. Though as much cleaning the crew were doing, Jean and Eren were doing as equally at bickering.

''Well it's not my fault you've never had a woman before horseface..'' Eren grumbled, furiously scrubbing at the wood below him as Jean scoffed- situated opposite him scrubbing as well. ''I wasn't saying it was you, idiot, do you always have to bring yourself to the centre of attention?'' he retorted as Eren stopped scrubbing to glare at Jean for a good few seconds. But before he could get the chance to snap his own reply back he was silenced by the lilting voice that seemed to echo throughout the ship.

'Upon one Summer's morning,

I carefully did stray,

Down by the Walls of Wapping

Where I met a sailor gay..'

Eren froze, his eyes snapping to Jean again with a questionable look. The taller boy returned his gaze with a tilted brow before hesitantly getting up from his hands and knees to stand, looking about him towards the darkened sea. The two eventually found themselves standing next to one another looking around in confusion just as another voice joined in with the previous mysterious one.

'Conversing with a young lass,

Who'd seem to be in pain,

Saying ''William when you go''

''I fear you'll never return again'' '

Eren swallowed before looking back to Jean, both silently agreeing on finding the rest of the crew. Yet when they were heading towards the captain's office they bumped into Mikasa and Marco. Who both looked equally as surprised and taken aback. ''Eren are you alright? What's going on? Who's singing?'' she ravenette asked taking a gentle grip on the boy's arm. Eren shrugged her hand off before making it to the captain's office- finding it empty. Just as he was about to storm into the 'kitchen' he was met by the captain and the two chefs. ''Captain, what the hell is going on? There are people singing but from where? We got nobody on the ship who's singing now'' he questioned following the quiet man towards the front of the ship. Levi looked out to the distance, narrowing his eyes to try and find whatever or whoever was singing.

The crew stayed deathly silent until a soft, smooth angelic voice joined the other two in looks to be the chorus by itself. Just then did a small island enter their vision, jagged rocks lying ahead in the waters with three figures sat perched up looking directly in the direction of the nearing ship. Levi's shadowed hues caught sight of an H/C woman sitting by an auburn-haired one and a petite ginger.

'My heart is pierced by cupid,

I disdain all glittering gold,

There is nothing that can console me,

But my jolly sailor bold..'

It seemed like time had flown by, Levi's lips parted somewhat as the ship neared the rocks where the three women sat, by now the crew could see them clearly as they sang softly. Levi tilted his feathered hat back on his head as he began to get lost in a daze, tilting over the side of the ship somewhat towards the H/C female who gazed at him with a seductive glint in her eyes.

'His hair, it hangs in ringlets,

His eyes as black as coal,

My happiness attend him,

Wherever he may go..'

It was like Levi's thoughts got fogged, nothing on his mind at the time, the two females that had been accompanying the H/C one wandered to the sides of the ship followed by the crew leaving the captain and the last female alone. A soft breath left his lips as the woman leant up to him, gently caressing his cheeks with a miniature smile tugging on her lips. His hands gripped the rails of the ship so he wouldn't tip overboard into the water as his orbs trailed over each of the mysterious woman's features.

'From Tower Hill to Blackwall,

I'll wander, weep and moan,

All for my jolly sailor,

Until he sails home~'

Levi could feel himself leaning himself towards her face, the way her lips lulled an enchanting song in such a voice teased him to no length. His heart thumped in his chest as he placed his hand at the back of her head, mere seconds away from brushing his lips over her own soft inviting ones. It was like everything that had happened to him was swept away in the sight of her. A spell she had cast upon him in seconds leading to this moment. As close as they were, half-lidded eyes and tilted heads ready to meet one another halfway, the female didn't cease her singing.

'My heart is pierced by cupid,

I disdain all glittering gold,

There is nothing can console me,

But my jolly sailor bold..~'

Siren..

Wait what?

Siren! Get out of there Levi! You'll be killed!

She's not a siren..

You're going to lose your crew if you give in!

It was like he got a bucket of ice dumped on him, his eyes widened as a sharp asp left his lips, shooting back away from her. Levi caught sight of the way the female growled and reached out to him, he took a tight grip of her wrist and hauled backwards, looking over his shoulder to the crew who were leaning over the railings themselves.

''Idiots! They're sirens! Get back and help me grab this one!'' He roared over to them, seeing a few of the members shake their heads after gaining control, the screeches of the creatures erupted in the air as soon the crew had piled near Levi. Yanking the feminine like figure that had almost dragged him down under a few seconds ago onto the deck.

''F/N! NO!''

''You bastards! Give her back!''

''Ngh! Let go! Petra! Hanji! Swim! Get away from here I'll be fine!''

Once the H/C siren was on the deck, her long F/C tail was exposed to the crew as she stirred about violently. With one swipe of her hand and newly founded claws that had seemed to appear in a split second, she had inflicted a thin mark on Jean's cheek as he tried to hold her down. Swaying her tail about in attempt to hit one of them, F/N had successfully did hit one- slamming Eren into the side of the ship with a screech, while she was in this distressed state. Levi grabbed her wrists, pinning them down to the deck as he got on her stomach holding her down with his weight as the rest of the crew eventually pinned her tail in spot as well.

''F/N huh? I feel like we're going to have quite a fun time together. Especially after trying to pull off that stunt you brat.'' Levi growled down to the female who glared at him with sharp E/C iris'.

// Time Skip - 1st P.O.V \\

I hugged my arms around my waist as I stayed huddled in the far bottom corner of the medium-sized tank the pirates had underneath the deck, it was quite a big tank used mostly for when they catch fish they'd store them in here so they wouldn't begin to rot straight away if they died. The water was a light blue in colour, though I could see clearly though it around the bottom level of the ship. Humming quietly to myself I let my hues drift around at the wooden walls and flooring.

The thuds of boots above me on the top deck echoed throughout the tank when someone walked over it- the shifting feeling of the ship swaying side to side slowly calmed my nerves; I didn't know what they wanted to do with me nor did I want to find out. All I had to do was wait for a chance to escape. Letting my eyes flutter shut I felt myself about to doze off into a peaceful sleep until the rattling of a door being open disturbed me. Soon enough the low tapping on the glass started from someone trying to bring me into the light for them to see.

With an inward groan, I roll my eyes and drift to the front, eyeing the captain of the ship as I rest my hand against the glass. He stared at me for a few seconds before showing me a fish, it looked fresh by the way it would wriggle in his grip every now and then as he held it by the tail. I watched him toss the fish into the tank above me, I snapped my head upwards towards the small creature as it got used to the water again before trying to swim away. Bulleting to it I grab it and immediately tear into it, catching sight of the crimson-coloured blood oozing out into the water spreading about.

''You're acting like we haven't been feeding you in weeks.''

Silence..

''Well? Are you going to talk? Don't try to fool us by making it look like you can't since you very well can from the singing and screeching''

''What do you want land-rat?'' I snapped wiping away the blood from my lips, purposely giving him a short sight of the sharp canines I have. I could see his eye twitch somewhat after catching a glimpse. ''Nothing, I only came to feed you.'' he curtly responded with a frown, raising a brow I hauled my upper half over the rim of the tank, resting my arms on the metal as I looked to the pirate. ''Nothing? I think there's something else this time shorty..'' I mumbled with a smirk as he glared at me, stepped closer, his boots clicked against the wood as his face neared mine with a stern look. ''And what do you think is going on? You think you're going to seduce me or some shit fish?'' he growled as I blinked in surprise. Somewhat offended by the nickname I let it slide this time.

''I know you enjoyed it though..'' I muttered letting my eyes flutter to become half-lidded. His thin brows knitted together more, though his stern look began to fade as he hummed softly. ''You really think so..?'' he lowly asked as I nodded subtly, leaning further to him to press my lips against his own, he almost instantly returned it. Taking a light grip on my soaked hair as he moulded his lips with my own. After a few minutes, we pulled away and a thin string of saliva was connected to both our lips form the somewhat sloppy kiss. Levi growled and swatted it away earning a snicker from my behalf.

Flicking his hues to mine, he let his gaze linger for a few seconds before fixing his hat and disappearing silently leaving me alone again in the tank.

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bongaboi · 5 years ago

Text

Arizona State: 2019 Sun Bowl Champions

EL PASO — In a scene imagined by few if any before it actually happened and almost assuredly never preceded by anything quite like it, Arizona State players poured a cooler of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes on the head of their coach in celebration on Tuesday.

It was not the traditional Gatorade bath that invariably comes with the biggest of wins. There will be no lighting of victory cigars. There may be some champagne toasts in the aftermath but those will primarily be to ring in the New Year and only more obliquely related to the outcome of their football game played several hours earlier.

But, still, the Sun Devils ended their 2019 season the right way and so they bathed their second-year head coach Herm Edwards in breakfast cereal and he certainly didn't mind it.

"First time I've ever got a bucket full of Frosted Flakes, that's new," Edwards said. "That helps. That's not cold. All I needed was some milk and I would have been fine."

In the play-calling debut of its new defensive coordinator Tony White, ASU forced six turnovers — more than in any game since October of 2009 against Washington State — and perhaps needed every one in its 20-14 win over Florida State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in front of 42,412 fans in the 86th playing of the game. The win concluded ASU's season at 8-5 overall, better than their initial 7-6 season under Edwards. Florida State finished its season at 6-7 overall.

Though they have aspirations for more extravagant celebrations in the future, the Sun Devils are content with where they are currently at two years into the Edwards-experiment, which was initially widely panned but now has taken on an unmistakable aura of emerging success.

"It shows the potential for our defense and how strong we're going to become," freshman safety Willie Harts said after collecting one of four ASU interceptions on the afternoon. "We're very young and still experienced and we're going to learn so much over the years."

With both teams missing key players due to early-NFL declarations and undertaking significant staffing changes including a new coordinator on both sides of the ball for the Sun Devils, there was a lot of sloppy, forgettable play on Tuesday. But also, some very memorable moments.

The Sun Devils held a halftime 9-0 lead and appeared to have the Seminoles offense in a vice grip before a five-minute stretch late in the third quarter that flipped the game upside down.

With multiple deep reserves on the field for ASU's defense due to the absence of starting redshirt freshman safety Cameron Phillips and injuries to junior cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Jack Jones, Florida State marched 91 yards in 11 plays including a fourth-and-3 conversion to score its first points at 3:47 of the third quarter and make it a suddenly close 9-7 ASU edge.

After redshirt sophomore punter Michael Turk — excellent in the game with eight punts for a 45.8 yard average with four inside the 20 — ended ASU's third straight series of the quarter with a punt on its next possession, the Seminoles immediately struck again to take a 14-9 lead. With Lucas and Jones watching from the sidelines, sophomore cornerback Timarcus Davis gave up a 91-yard touchdown strike to sophomore wide receiver Tamorrion Terry, a one-play scoring drive.

It didn't dent ASU's confidence whatsoever. On their next possession, the Sun Devils marched 59 yards on 12 plays in a drive that included a highlight-reel 27-yard scramble by freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels on third-and-10 and ended with sophomore kicker Cristian Zendejas making his fourth field goal of the day to tie a Sun Bowl record and cut his team's deficit to 14-12. But it was the Sun Devils' fourth red zone trip and they only had 12 points to show for it and still trailed.

That's when Harts sprung into action on a miscommunication between Florida State sophomore quarterback James Blackman and a receiver that placed a ball directly in the arms of the safety who started in place of Phillips. With a clear path to the end zone, Harts pushed ASU's lead to 20-14 after a successful 2-point try. The interception was Blackman's third of four on the day, with the Sun Devils needing two more turnovers later in the fourth quarter to salt the game away.

On Florida State's next drive, sophomore ASU linebacker Darien Butler made a tackle-for-loss on a fourth-and-2 get his team the ball back. Blackman then threw his fourth interception of the day to ASU senior linebacker Khaylan Kearse-Thomas on Florida State's next drive. And even with all of that, the Seminoles had one more chance in the game's final two minutes when Terry lost a fumble to ASU forced by sophomore linebacker Merlin Robertson and recovered by sophomore linebacker Tyler Johnson.

"Can't say enough about our kicker and our defense," Edwards said. "We get six turnovers we should probably win a game. That being said, these guys kept fighting back for us. They really did. I'm happy for our seniors. To end the season with a bowl victory for them is very important. We hit a slump during the season where we had lost four in a row. I reminded the players, when you get tired of losing, you're going to win again. We've won three in a row now. This is a good way to set the 2020 season off for us, with a bowl game (win). That's very important to us."

Kearse-Thomas, who early in the game was given a reprieve when a hit on Blackman was called targeting on the field but overturned on review, and Williams excelled in their final ASU outing. Kearse-Thomas had a team-high six solo tackles and nine total in addition to his interception and a quarterback hurry. Williams concluded his season without giving up a touchdown pass in coverage and was excellent throughout a game in which ASU's pass defense yielded just 155 yards excluding the 91-yard touchdown.

"I can't say enough about Khaylan and Kobe," Edwards said. "These guys are seniors. I take my hat off to them. When you get a coaching change and you put in your defense, that's hard. It's hard on seniors. It really is. They're looking at a new staff, saying, 'you're playing all these young guys, what about me?' Without these two guys we're not the defense we were this year.

"I'm glad for these guys because of what they've meant to me personally. I lean on them. They were always there, always energetic. They were the keys to the defense to be quite honest."

The Sun Devils won despite being out-gained in total offensive yards 470 to 282 because their defense held up well other than the flagging late third-quarter stretch and Blackman committing five turnovers on his own out of the six total by the Seminoles. Robertson had perhaps his best game of the season and forced both of Florida State's lost fumbles and recovered one of them on his own. Sophomore safety Aashari Crosswell and junior safety Evan Fields each had a first-half interception to contribute to the shutout pitched by ASU before intermission, the latter doing so after promising his mom he would get one for her on her birthday.

While Daniels — sacked three times on the day and under duress throughout — received the game's MVP honors for the Sun Devils despite a low-percentage 12 of 28 passing performance for just 195 yards in part because he led the team in rushing with 36 yards on 12 carries, it was the team's defensive playmaking that took center stage in the absence of senior receiver Brandon Aiyuk and junior running back Eno Benjamin.

Moreover, it was White's successful first attempt at calling plays after being promoted from cornerbacks coach to defensive coordinator, which resonated with Edwards and ASU players in the game's aftermath, particularly as it came in White's hometown in front of a large group of family and friends.

"One hundred tickets," Edwards said. "'One hundred tickets Tony White.' He has a fan base now. He grew up here. It was fun, we visited his brother's high school, worked out over there when we got here Thursday. He was excited. I'm happy for him. Gets to take over as the coordinator. I thought he did a great job. Had a shutout going in the first half."

Added Kearse-Thomas: "He got us prepared really well. I mean, we had all month to really prepare. We were very detailed in what we were doing and then he got the play call in for us and told us to go. [Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce] told us before the game, 'This could be a stat game if you want it to be.'"

Stats make players happy and especially so when it includes winning football games and having fun doing it. Under the team's previous coaching staff, that was not the case for some Sun Devils who now believe they are passing a torch to the next generation with a lot of fuel for what they see as an even brighter future.

"It's changed tremendously (under Edwards)," Kearse-Thomas said. "It's like (the movie) Coming to America. "Coming from a dictatorship ... just the freedom. Coach Herm, he allows us to be us. A couple years back we couldn't do that. It played a role in the success with ASU. I feel like him letting the kids be kids is a big step for the program."

#2019 #sun bowl #arizona state sun devils #college football #bowl season

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loveinquotesposts · 5 years ago

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https://loveinquotes.com/to-look-at-louisa-stroked-her-cheek-and-was-rewarded-by-a-dazzling-smile-she-had-been-surprised-by-how-light-skinned-the-child-was-her-features-were-much-more-like-evas-than-bill/

to look at Louisa, stroked her cheek, and was rewarded by a dazzling smile. She had been surprised by how light-skinned the child was. Her features were much more like Eva’s than Bill’s. A small turned-up nose, big hazel eyes, and long dark eyelashes. Her golden-brown hair protruded from under the deep peak of her bonnet in a cascade of ringlets. Do you think she’d come to me? Cathy asked. You can try. Eva handed her over. She’s got so heavy, she’s making my arms ache! She gave a nervous laugh as she took the parcel from Cathy and peered at the postmark. What’s that, Mam? David craned his neck and gave a short rasping cough. Is it sweets? No, my love. Eva and Cathy exchanged glances. It’s just something Auntie Cathy’s brought from the old house. Are you going to show Mikey your flags? The boy dug eagerly in his pocket, and before long he and Michael were walking ahead, deep in conversation about the paper flags Eva had bought for them to decorate sand castles. Louisa didn’t cry when Eva handed her over. She seemed fascinated by Cathy’s hair, and as they walked along, Cathy amused her by singing Old MacDonald. The beach was only a short walk from the station, and it wasn’t long before the boys were filling their buckets with sand. I hardly dare open it, Eva said, fingering the string on the parcel. I know. I was desperate to open it myself. Cathy looked at her. I hope you haven’t built up your hopes, too much, Eva. I’m so worried it might be . . . you know. Eva nodded quickly. I thought of that too. She untied the string, her fingers trembling. The paper fell away to reveal a box with the words Benson’s Baby Wear written across it in gold italic script. Eva lifted the lid. Inside was an exquisite pink lace dress with matching bootees and a hat. The label said, Age 2–3 Years. Beneath it was a handwritten note: Dear Eva, This is a little something for our baby girl from her daddy. I don’t know the exact date of her birthday, but I wanted you to know that I haven’t forgotten. I hope things are going well for you and your husband. Please thank him from me for what he’s doing for our daughter: he’s a fine man and I don’t blame you for wanting to start over with him. I’m back in the army now, traveling around. I’m due to be posted overseas soon, but I don’t know where yet. I’ll write and let you know when I get my new address. It would be terrific if I could have a photograph of her in this little dress, if your husband doesn’t mind. Best wishes to you all, Bill For several seconds they sat staring at the piece of paper. When Eva spoke, her voice was tight with emotion. Cathy, he thinks I chose to stay with Eddie! Cathy nodded, her mind reeling. Eddie showed me the letter he sent. Bill wouldn’t have known you were in Wales, would he? He would have assumed you and Eddie had already been reunited—that he’d written with your consent on behalf of you both. She was afraid to look at Eva. What are you going to do? Eva’s face had gone very pale. I don’t know. She glanced at David, who was jabbing a Welsh flag into a sand castle. He said he was going to be posted overseas. Suppose they send him to Britain? Cathy bit her lip. It could be anywhere, couldn’t it? It could be the other side of the world. She could see what was going through Eva’s mind. You think if he came here, you and he could be together without . . . Her eyes went to the boys. Eva gave a quick, almost imperceptible nod, as if she was afraid someone might see her. What about Eddie? I don’t know! The tone of her voice made David look up. She put on a smile, which disappeared the ― Lindsay Ashford, The Color of Secrets

#DavidSmallLoveQuotes, #LindsayAshford, #LindsayAshfordDavidSmallLoveQuotes, #LindsayAshfordQuotes, #TheColorOfSecrets, #TheColorOfSecretsQuotes

#David-Small-love quotes #Lindsay Ashford #Lindsay Ashford David-Small-love quotes #Lindsay Ashford quotes #The Color of Secrets #The Color of Secrets quotes #LoveQuotes

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youre-not-a-cat-youre-a-rat · 7 years ago

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Title: “The Swan” (3/?)

1 . 2 . 3 (AO3)

Rated M (for eventual smut)

Summary:

Revenge-minded, scourge of the seas Captain Hook has one comically disastrous, drunken encounter with golden knight of the realm Emma, and, whether he’d like to admit it or not, it ends up changing his life. A few years later, the knight tracks him down to enlist his help on a quest that will lead him straight toward his vengeance. But Killian turns out to be much more than Emma first assumed, and Emma proves to be just as dangerous to Killian’s heart as he suspected…

A/N: All my pirate knowledge comes from the abbreviated version of Pirates of Penzance I was in when I was 15.

The seas were calm that morning. A ship cut through the reflection of the pink, dawn skies on the water. The man at the wheel steered lazily, lulled by the sounds of the ship creaking, loaded down as it was with Midas’s gold. He was on an easy trading mission, with an agreeable crew and captain, and the sailing, thus far, appeared to be smooth.

A high whistle sounded and the pilot glanced up to find he’d been joined by one of the deckhands. A few locks of fair hair had escaped the boy’s hat and fell over his face as he hefted a bucket and a rag over to a stain on the deck. Getting an early start on his duties, it seemed. He whistled something jaunty as he began to scrub.

The pilot looked away again, the boy’s song helping him drift back into a reverie. Eventually the whistle gave way to humming which turned into lyrics.

“...a rovin’ over the sea

Give me a career as a buccaneer,

It’s the life of a pirate for me!”

Lost as he was, the words didn’t register with the pilot. In fact, he was so aggressive in his wool-gathering, he didn’t notice the approaching vessel until it was close enough to make out the color of its flag without a spyglass.

The flag was black.

The pilot jumped, jolted harshly back to his surroundings. Before he could move to shout an alarm, something sharp jabbed him in the lower back. He glanced around to see the deckhand poking him with a dagger, a fae little smile on his face.

“Easy, now,” the boy’s voice was pitched higher than usual, and something clicked in the pilot’s mind.

“You’re a woman!” he exclaimed.

The deckhand snorted and the dagger jabbed him a little harder. He yelped.

“You’re terrible on the uptick, Doyle, but I guess that’s what makes you so useful.”

There was a creak as the door to the cabins opened. The captain and his wife, blissfully oblivious, strode onto the deck. Their velvet cloaks swung around their ankles. The captain’s wife, dripping jewels, primped her hair.

The captain sent a nod across the deck in Doyle’s direction. Then he glanced out at the water.

The deckhand cursed. Doyle heard a click, and when his captain turned back around, aghast at the sight of their approaching doom, the girl raised a pistol at him and fired.

The shot went wide, and the captain bolted back to the doors to the cabins. Tearing them open, he shouted for men.

But it was too late, the ship was much too close. The boarding planks crashed down just as the rest of the crew, and the few soldiers Midas had sent with them, spilled out onto the deck. Doyle saw the captain’s wife running towards them, trying to escape the fracas.

There was a solid thunk as the butt of the deckhand’s pistol connected with Doyle’s skull. He collapsed and all hell broke loose.

Killian swiped a gold chain from the wrist of a frozen, gaping lady by the wheel as he passed her. On the woman’s other side, Mulan plucked up the same hand to plant a quick kiss on her knuckles. The warrior’s eyes sparkled as the woman sputtered.

Killian grinned, filing the moment away to tease her about later. It was too rare that Mulan took the opportunity to bloody enjoy herself. Sometimes he wondered if piracy was truly her calling.

His thoughts were interrupted by two swordsman leaping up onto the quarterdeck in front of them. Almost as soon as their feet touched the boards, the warrior dispatched the men with ruthless efficiency, sending them toppling backward over the railing to the main deck.

Ah, but then she proved him oh so wrong. Glorious was his crew woman. Crew women, Killian amended, as he watched Tink knock one of the ship’s deckhands unconscious with the hilt of her blade.

Killian drew his own weapon and reached up to lock his hook onto a fortuitously placed pulley. He turned back to Mulan and gestured to the melee on the main deck. “Shall we?” he asked.

She grabbed a rope, and they lept over the railing to join the fray.

The fight was over quickly. Killian’s crew was small, but they were not to be underestimated. And thanks to Tink they’d had the advantage of knowing that Midas’s guards were understaffed.

They tied the captain and his wife along with the the few remaining conscious crew men to the mast.

One of them, with a sizeable bruise swelling on his head, was objecting their mercy.

“I’ve heard of you Hook,” the man was spitting as Will dragged him over to the mast. “Never leaves a man alive, they used to say.”

“And you’re disappointed?” Killian drawled, bored. Really, the man was not worth a verbal sparring match. They had their gold, Killian was anxious to get it back to the Roger. “Would you prefer we killed you?”

“Like you have the balls to do it yourself,” the lug said, glaring in Tink’s direction. “Couldn’t even face us without sending a spy first, the sneaky cunt.”

Will promptly dropped the man on his swelling face. He shouted in pain.

Killian let out a long suffering sigh to cover the anger that flared. “Well, Tink. It seems as if your former crewmate isn’t ready to part with you.”

She hummed, expression deceptively light. “Seems so.”

“Shall we bring him along for the festivities?”

She grinned evilly. “I’m sure we could show him a good time.”

They gagged the bastard before they brought him onto the Roger, dumping him onto the deck, grunting and whining.

“Who’s this?” Belle asked striding out to meet them. She was carrying the black scrap of fur she’d found a few weeks ago when they were at port. She’d named it Charybdis, which Killian had objected to since the original, mythical monster was female, while Belle’s new cat was male.

But then Killian had much to object to when it came to the creature. Too many a night, when returning from answering the call of nature, he had found the pest curled up half on his pillow, half on the bed. Right where Killian’s neck rested, usually.

Belle had said she thought Charybdis (the cat) didn’t seem the type to fuss about which names were appropriate for which genders. And, she’d argued, neither did the monster for that matter.

“He called Tink a word you wouldn’t care for,” Killian explained.

Belle frowned. “And we’re going to do what with him?”

“Well that’s up to Tink isn’t it? Whatever it is, he’ll live,” he assured her, knowing that was what concerned her.

“Killian -”

“He’s not worth your worry, love, and you know it,” Killian said steering her away from the prone man that Mulan was nudging with her boot.

She let herself be pushed toward the wheel and sighed. “You’re probably right.”

“Now why don’t you let me hold the mutt for you while you take us somewhere loud with a terrible reputation.”

Belle laughed. “To match us?”

Killian beamed at her fondly. “Exactly.”

At the tavern, they hung Tink’s victim from the wrists against the wall, where he served as a disposal for warm ale. Belle wouldn’t allow him to be used as a dartboard, much to the crowd’s disappointment.

Nonetheless, they were popular patrons. Tinkerbell was regaling a few burly looking gents with the tale of the raid, using Doyle as a dummy whenever she had to demonstrate an attack. Will stuck close to Belle. She’d brought Charybdis and the cat had drawn a gaggle of wenches that Will was attempting to charm in between their cooing. Smee was going to give them hell for saddling him with guarding the ship.

Killian searched for Mulan and frowned when he saw the warrior nursing a tankard at a solitary table.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that little maneuver on Midas’s ship,” he said when he’d joined her.

Her brows knit over the rim of her tankard, and when she lowered it she was frowning under her thick mustache of foam. “What maneuver?”

“The one that made the captain’s wife blush.”

Mulan’s own cheeks turned pink as she wiped away the foam. “I…”

“No, no,” Killian cut her off. “None of that. It’s not a crime to have fun.”

Her lips twitched. “It is if you’re having it while stealing from a king.”

Killian grinned. “Possibly. But then, if you’ve already committed one crime what’s one more?”

She snorted. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“I’ll tell you how it works: It’s fine to enjoy the crime but you have to enjoy the celebration even more.” His eyes widened, gravely. “There’s less work involved in it, you see.” He nudged her with his flask before knocking it back.

“I’m celebrating,” she insisted, lifting her tankard. “We ‘celebrate’ like this all the time.”

Killian swallowed the rum and exhaled on the burn. “It’s not the same without Scarlet. He really brings the gloom to our little pity parties.” He shook his head. “And that sort of celebrating isn’t appropriate for this particular fête.”

Mulan raised her eyebrows. “We are spending stolen gold. And you want me to worry about what’s appropriate?”

“Don’t start questioning my orders now, lass.”

“Your orders?”

“Aye. I’m your captain and I order you to enjoy yourself.”

“Killian -”

Killian caught the hand of a passing beauty. “Excuse me, love. Would you favor my friend for a dance?”

Mulan glared at him.

The girl seemed to read her pretty quickly. She dispensed with any heavy suggestion and only caught up Mulan’s gloved hand in her own. Grinning cheekily, she said “Why not?”

The warrior turned a shade of deep tomato red. But she followed the girl into the crowd with no more objections.

Killian sat back, satisfied with himself, and observed his little crew. Aye, they were small, but flush from the success of the day, Killian was proud of them.

Even if the day hadn’t been successful, he would have been proud.

Later, when the revelry had died down, and his crew had almost all disappeared into the rooms above the tavern, Killian sat, contemplating his empty flask.

“Mulan went to bed alone.”

Killian looked up to find Belle sliding onto the bench next to him. Her cat blinked at him lazily over her arm.

Killian sighed. “Well that’s her business, isn’t it?”

Belle nodded, but she searched his gaze, her expression consoling and questioning all at once.

Killian grimaced. Too often he was on the receiving end of Belle’s studious looks. What was so annoying about them was how successful they were at digging up his thoughts.

“I don’t think it’s wrong that you’re encouraging her,” she said. “Even if it’s her decision to move on when she’s ready.”

He hadn’t asked for her approval, but Killian had found long ago that he liked having it.

She set Charybdis on the table, letting the beast explore. Carefully, she asked “Don’t you think it’s time you started moving on yourself?”

He frowned. “Move on?”

Belle gave him a pointed look.

Blast, but the girl knew too much about him. “It’s been over a hundred years, most would say that’s plenty of time to heal old wounds.”

“Would you say you’ve healed?”

Killian gave her a long suffering look. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a pest, lass?”

She smiled and bumped her shoulder against his. “Only you. Every day for three years.”

Charybdis had started to sniff at Killian’s hook. After a moment he opened his mouth to gnaw on the metal. “Oy,” Killian muttered, lifting the appendage to shoo the cat away. It only twisted an ear and fixed him with an irritated look.

Belle interrupted the glaring match between them by clearing her throat.

Killian sighed and turned his thoughts to her question. It had quickly become clear during the early days of their friendship that this sort of conversation was Belle’s specialty. Likewise, it became obvious that she was the type to face matters of the heart head on. While this could often be irritating, Killian was sharp enough to recognize that it also made her a bloody brave lass. It had made it worth losing quite a few men due to her joining his crew. And even more once he’d started honoring requests like the one she made that they limit their killings during raids. Smee was the only man of Killian’s old Neverland crew to still be sailing with him, and that was mostly because the girl had him thoroughly wrapped around her finger.

“I don’t share our friend’s habit of going to bed alone,” Killian reminded her, as if he had to.

“Lately you have,” she pointed out.

Of course she would have noticed that. “Not because I’ve been feeling heartbroken, I assure you.”

“No?”

Killian shook his head, completely honest. If anything he’d been feeling rather at peace about Milah these days. He still thought of her, still loved her, but his memories no longer caused him to ache the way they used to. He’d found himself talking about her with more ease (and less liquid courage) during the late nightcaps he shared with Mulan and Will - much to the latter’s annoyance. He hadn’t felt the hot bite of rage at the thought of her death in a long time. Somewhere along the way he’d accepted that seeking his vengeance wouldn’t bring her back, wouldn’t put her to rest.

“We’re on a lucky streak,” he said. “Haven’t had a bad raid in a few months. I suppose that could be keeping me satisfied in other departments.”

She was incredulous. “That’s your explanation?”

Killian grinned but shrugged, as stumped as she. “It’s just...I haven’t seen anything - anyone who’s caught my interest, lately.”

“What are you interested in? What are you looking for?”

Killian had a sudden flash of memory. Yellow hair, disparaging green eyes, wit as sharp and quick as her blade. He shook it off, amused with himself. “I don’t know,” he said, truthfully. “I just feel as if...there’s something coming. I don’t know what, but it hasn’t found me yet.” He scoffed as he heard his own words. “Gods, I sound ridiculous.”

“No,” she said, squeezing his arm above his hook. “You sense a new adventure. That’s not ridiculous.”

Killian disagreed, but he was glad the explanation satisfied her.

She retired not long after, gathering up her cat and planting a kiss on Killian’s forehead, leaving him alone to stew.

Killian woke to his first mate shouting in his face.

“Gods, Smee,” he groaned. “What did you have for breakfast, your breath is going to be the death of me.”

“Captain, please. Get up. The guard is looking for you.”

With great effort, Killian peeled himself off of the bench where he’d spent the night. He squinted at the little man. “What guard?”

“The king’s guard! Knights!”

That got Killian’s attention. “Bloody hell.”

He shot up from the bench, ignoring his protesting limbs.

“They came to the ship asking for you, horses and everything,” Smee told Killian while the captain yanked on his coat and checked for all his effects. “Told ‘em I didn’t know where you were or when you’d be back.”

“Good man,” Killian said. “But I doubt it will deter them for long.” He jerked his hook in the direction of the stairs that led to the little inn over the bar. “Rouse the crew, I’ll check what’s in the stables. We’ll ride back to the Roger.”

“Aye, Captain,” Smee said, rushing to obey.

Killian tore out of the pub and around the building to the stables. “Whose bloody kingdom are we in anyway?” he muttered as he yanked the doors open.

“Ours,” sneered the armored man on the other side.

Killian spun on his heel but was yanked back by both arms and tackled swiftly the ground.

He struggled but the knight - whose gleeful little face looked familiar - managed to pin him on his stomach by planting his metal plated arse on Killian’s back. There was a click as the shackles closed over his wrists. Somewhere, the man from Midas’s ship was roaring with laughter. They’d trussed him up in the stables to spend the night in the hay. Belle had brought him a blanket but refused him a pillow, with a haughty sniff.

With difficulty, Killian lifted his face out of the dirt to snarl, “What grounds have ye to acost me, mate?”

“On the grounds that I’ve been ordered to,” The little knight snarled back. “We’re looking for a girl, goes by Belle, maybe you’ve seen her?”

Killian’s heart seized. Fuck. His thoughts raced. What could they want with Belle? Who could have sent them? Surely the Dark One wouldn’t be able to convince king’s knights to do his bidding?

“Whose orders?” He asked, forcing himself to remain calm, to not betray the panic closing around his throat.

He was denied his answer when the door to the stables swung open again to reveal a bloody vision. Armor polished to a blinding silver and gold, scarlet cloak snapping behind her, hair catching the blasted sun in golden waves.

As if he’d conjured her from his errant thought the night before, in strode the Swan.

Killian swallowed. Then he broke into a bright smile. “And how have you been, love?”

She paused to take him in, caked with dirt, struggling to breathe as he was pressed into the ground by her man’s noble bum.

“I’ve been better,” she said, just as dry as he remembered. “You?”

“Aye.” Killian matched her tone. “‘Better’ about covers it, Highness.” He shifted, but the knight on top of him gave him no quarter.

“Alright, Leroy,” the princess told the knight. “I think it’s safe to let him go.”

The knight complied, but not without digging his knee into Killian’s back as he stood. The pirate grunted and thought he heard the princess mutter “Come on, Leroy…”

“Not even close to what you deserve, you bastard,” Midas’s man called as Killian struggled to a sitting position.

The Swan looked around and found the source of the outburst. “You must be Doyle. Your captain’s looking for you.” She turned back to Killian, “And for his gold.”

He tilted his head to look at her sideways. “And I suppose you’ll be taking it to him.”

“Yes, but don’t be too disappointed. I’ve got a business proposition for you, Captain.”

Killian blinked at that, not sure he’d heard her correctly.

Before he could respond, Doyle began whining again. “He humiliated me!”

“He insulted one of my crew,” Killian bit off.

“And you didn’t challenge him?” the princess asked.

“I save duels for people I like, love.” Killian winked at her. “And we would have let him go. With his own ship, no less.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You’d have given him a ship?”

“Aye,” Killian replied, solemnly.

“And how big would this ship be?”

“Well, he’s a modest man,” Killian said gesturing - as best he could with his arms behind his back - to beer-soaked, mud-caked, hay-poked Doyle. “His pride would only allow us to gift him with something very small, of course.”

“Of course,” she echoed, expression carefully blank. She turned and nodded wordlessly to Leroy who sprung into action, yanking Doyle out of the hay and frog-marching him out of the stables. Killian was pleased to see the knight was no more gentle with the curr.

Killian rose to his feet, ungracefully perhaps, but fixing the princess with his most charming smile nonetheless. “Now what’s this about a proposition?” He allowed his smile to turn wicked. “You’ve come to the right man. I never get tired of being propositioned.”

The look she gave him was quelling as she turned away, and yet Killian was struck by the sensation that he’d been ordered to follow her. Marvelling, he obeyed her unspoken command, trailing after her out of the stables and back to the pub, where another of her men held the door open for them. She turned back to Killian as they entered, all business.

“We’re looking for the sorcerer Rumplestiltskin, also called the Dark One. From what we understand you have quite a history with him and we’re ready to offer you and your crew a substantial reward for helping us find him.”

Killian stared at her. He was so stunned by the first half of her statement, he couldn’t even enjoy the phrase “substantial reward.” “What’ll you be wanting with that crocodile?” he asked, darkly.

“King’s business,” she replied coolly.

“Aye, I’ll bet it is,” Killian said. He drew in a deep breath and refocused. “I thought your man mentioned you were after some chit - what was the name again?” Killian said vaguely.

The princess didn’t respond right away. The massive knight who had held the door open for them was handing her a key.

Then she turned back to Killian and laid her hand on his shoulder. Something sparked through him at the contact, a bolt of energy slicing through his coat to his skin. Killian stared at her hand, her fingers long and graceful and strong.

She had paused in her movement, and he wondered if she’d felt the spark too. But then she spoke, brisk and professional, as she turned him around to unlock the shackles. “I’m sorry about Leroy. We weren’t sure how open you’ll be to our offer, and he felt it was easier to make you a captive audience.”

There was a click as the cuffs opened and her touch disappeared. Killian squashed the forlorn feeling that rose at the loss.

“I haven’t quite said I’m open to anything yet, love,” he said, turning back to look her in the eye. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

Emma studied him. He was as pretty as she remembered. Even rumpled with a faceful of dirt. Although he hadn’t exactly been at his best during their first meeting either. His gaze was sharper, probably due to being sober. But there was something else in the warey way he watched her, the flippant tone he was using. He was a man with something to lose.

Good, Emma thought. Then she frowned. For me. For our quest.

She used the thought to refocus on the conversation. “We know Belle French is sailing with you, Hook. And we know she might be one of the last people to see the Dark One in this realm.”

The pirate’s expression did not change except for a slight flare of his nostrils. “I fear you’re wasting your time, love. I’ve been hunting the Dark One for years and I can tell you first hand it’s an impossible task.”

“Killian.”

They both turned as a young woman stepped into the bar. She was short, dark-haired, pretty. Emma glanced between her and the pirate - who did not look happy to have her join the conversation. “Go find Smee, lass,” he said, voice low and urgent. “I’ll handle this.”

The girl’s mouth flattened stubbornly in response. “If they’re taking our gold anyway, don’t you think we should hear them out?”

Accent, Emma noted. Got you.

Emma watched Hook scowl - very handsomely - before switching on a smile to address her. “Would you excuse us for a moment?

“Of course,” Emma said.

Neither she nor Lance moved.

Hook sighed and walked away to draw the girl out of their hearing range.

“I don’t know why I thought he’d be easier to deal with,” Lance said, his voice pitched so the pirates wouldn’t hear them.

“He might have been before Leroy sat on him back there,” Emma said.

“Still,” Lance said, unsurprised by Leroy’s techniques, “I got the sense he liked you the last time we saw him.”

“Liked me?” Emma repeated.

Lance dipped his head.

Emma rolled her eyes. “I think he’s just a flirt with everyone.” She winced, her own choice of words reminding her of a conversation she’d had with Regina before they’d left.

The sorceress had sought Emma out in the castle stables, knowing that Emma liked to saddle her own horse for long journeys. Her serious expression had Emma bracing herself for an awkward heart to heart. She hadn’t been disappointed.

“You’re my favorite student,” she’d started

“I’m the only person you’ve ever taught, Regina,” Emma pointed out.

“And I love you, but we have to talk about Walsh.”

Emma gestured to the packs she was attaching to her horse. “I’m dealing with Walsh.”

“Are you?” Regina asked. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the disgusting polite flirting between you two -”

“It's called courtship,” Emma said. “You don’t flirt when you’re royalty.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “You are absolutely a flirt.”

Emma stilled, absorbing the hit.

Regina’s eyes widened. “Honey, that was a joke.”

“It wasn't funny.” And it wasn’t that true anymore.

“I’m sorry,” Regina said, genuinely contrite. “You know, people may call it the War of Broken Hearts but that doesn't mean you have to brood forever.”

“I don’t brood,” Emma said, sulkily.

Regina ignored her. “It’s been more than six years. Were you this bad after Henry’s father?”

Emma didn’t pretend not know what she meant. “That was different. I had raising Henry to distract me. And I had my parents, I wasn't…” she forced herself to finish the thought, “I wasn’t on a battlefield with thousands falling dead around me because of a stupid mistake that I made.”

Regina’s mouth flattened into a grim line. “You have to stop putting the blame for a whole damn war on yourself.”

Not that easy. Emma didn’t say the words out loud.

“And I like to think you weren’t that solitary,” Regina went on, off-hand. “You had me.”

Emma smiled at her over the horse. “I did. And I’ll miss you. And our charming talks.”

She smiled at the joke, but it was gentle, sympathetic. Emma was disturbed to realize it reminded her of her mother. “I get it,” Regina said. “I do, that it still hurts.”

She did get it, Emma knew. Regina had been through plenty of heartbreak and survived. Loved again, even.

The sorceress’s smile turned wicked. “I mean, if the girl was anything like her mother -

Emma slapped her hands over her ears. “Ahhhh la la la laa. Let's go back to the castle, I never need to hear this -”

“All I wanted to say is that, no matter what you discover on this little jaunt, the stale piece of bread staying in the east wing isn’t going to make you happy.”

“Thank you for your input,”

Regina raised an eyebrow at her. “You’ll always get it, whether you like it or not.”

“I know,” Emma said, and she marveled at the affection she heard in the statement, even with the sorceress’s dry tone.

“Emma.”

Emma started, jolted from her reverie by a sharp whisper from Lance. She must have really been out of it, he usually didn’t use her first name in mixed company. She looked up to see Hook and his companion sauntering back to them.

“Well, Sir Swan,” the pirate said, wearing a beaten expression. “Why don’t you gather your men, I’ll gather mine, and we hear this proposal of yours.”

Emma allowed herself a breath to enjoy the success. Then she nodded at Lance to stand guard and strode out of the tavern to find Leroy and Archie.

It was afternoon when they all met again, stuffed into a corner of the same tavern, standing or sitting around a musty old table. The pirates were nursing a round Emma had bought for them. All but Belle were eyeing the knights with apprehension.

Emma glanced behind her at the room. She’d allowed Hook the seat with the view of the door, hoping to win him over by making him comfortable. She was nervous with her back to the crowd. She could see her armor was getting more stares than she would have liked, but there was a steady buzz from the early bird patrons that she hoped would cover their conversation. She’d had her men check the room for mirrors.

“So,” said the pirate with the closely sheared head, accent even thicker than his captain’s. Hook had introduced him as Scarlet. “You want us to take you to some old, empty castle of Belle’s to look for some sorcerer who might not even be in this realm. And you don’t plan on telling us why.”

“What’s it matter why as long as you’re getting your gold?” Leroy growled.

“It matters ‘cause I’m not about to get myself killed on a bloody king’s errand without a good reason,” Scarlet sneered.

“You won’t die -” Leroy began, disparagingly, but Emma raised a hand, and he grumbled but fell silent again.

“We’ll be with you,” she said. “As long as we work together, nothing will happen to you or your crew.”

Hook grinned acidly. “That’s the problem, love. You’re knights. We’re pirates. Your kind’s known to lock ours in irons. That makes being in your company less of a comfort than you seem to think.”

“We know we’re asking you to take a leap of faith,” said Archie. “But the reward will outweigh the risks if you just trust us.”

“Give us a reason to,” said the dark-haired woman standing behind Hook.

Emma came to a decision, even as she felt the ripple of unease among her men.

“There’s a threat to our kingdom. To our realm. The Dark One might have information that could be useful.”

“Might have?” Hook repeated.

“You’ve met him?” Emma asked.

“Aye,” he growled.

“Then you know he’s usually got information.”

“Why can’t you just use a locating spell, find him yourself?” It was the little blonde one that spoke.

Emma looked at her, surprised. “You’re familiar with locating spells?”

“She’s an ex-fairy,” Hook said, off-handedly.

For the first time since their meeting had started, Leroy perked up. “Huh. My wife’s ex-fairy. I’m ex-dwarf.”

The fairy pirate broke into a smile of surprised familiarity. “We’re all ‘exes’ here,” she said and gestured to the stern looking woman next to her. “Ex-soldier,” she named her.

Scarlet raised a hand. “Ex-merry man.”

“Ex-cricket.”

Everyone stared at Archie.

“It’s a long story.”

Trying to wrap up the tangent, Emma waved a hand at Lance. “And Lance is ex Round Table -”

“Really?” said Hook. “Camelot?”

Lance grunted.

“Guessing you left cause of Arthur,” said Scarlet.

Lance paused before nodding. There was a murmur from the pirates.

“We had a run in with him once,” Hook explained. “He was a right prick. Which is ironic because -” he stopped and there was a pregnant pause that made Emma’s eyes widen. She caught the ex warrior’s - Mulan, was it? - equally wide-eyed gaze. The woman seemed to be trying not to laugh.

Hook cleared his throat. “Anyhow, Tinkerbell brings up a good point.”

“We’ve tried locating spells,” Lance said. “They’ve been inconclusive.”

There was a murmur among the pirates.

“He could be in another realm,” Scarlet said. “He could be dead.”

“Not necessarily,” Belle said quietly. “I’m sure Rumple could find a way to evade a locating spell if he wanted.”

Killian felt his jaw tighten as he listened to her. If he’d heard this offer three years ago, he’d be leaping in head first. Now he could only remember the last time he’d been sailing under a monarch’s orders. The errand reeked of foolishness. It was only at Belle’s urging they were even entertaining it.

And possibly, he could admit, his own curiosity when it came to the armor clad princess staring them all down. She was grim and unreadable, had been almost since their reacquaintance that morning. A far cry from the amused flirtation she’d displayed three years ago.

Not true, he thought. She’d been heavy with a burden even then. He’d been too weighed down with his own to pay it enough attention. Maybe that’s what was making him soft with her.

He bristled at the realization, and sniped “You’re not winning your case, Sir Swan.”

She absorbed this silently, of course. Nothing wavered in her eyes. They were as solid and as bright as emeralds.

Finally she spoke. “The night we met -”

“Now that’s a bit hazy.”

“- I could have killed you, if I didn’t have a sense of humor, but I didn’t. I could say you owe me your life.”

Killian stared at her, wanting to bark with laughter. He did. More than she knew.

“I won’t,” she continued. “But I will say that has to count for some trust.”

Killian held her gaze. “That it does, Sir Swan” he acknowledged, softly.

She didn’t react to the moniker. She just waited, as steady as granite.

Killian lifted a finger, aimed it at her nose. “I’ll take you.”

He sensed her men shifting out of the corner of his eye, but he never tore his gaze from hers. “Not your men,” he said. “Not your horses. You want me to sail for you, princess? Aye, I’ll give you safe passage, but only you.”

“You don’t trust us to sail with you but you expect us to trust you with her?” the little knight growled.

“She’s a bloody sorceress,” Killian said. “Isn’t she the one protecting you, here?”

“Surely we can come to some sort of compromise,” the ginger one said.

“That is my compromise,” Killian growled. Then he stood, Smee and Belle rising with him.

He glanced at the Swan. She still watched him, her expression unreadable.

“We raise anchor tomorrow at dawn,” he told her. “I’ll expect your answer by then.”

As they all trooped away, Killian called over his shoulder, “And I want your bloody guards off my ship tonight!”

“We can threaten to throw them in the castle dungeon.”

It was later. Late. They were at the same table nursing their own drinks.

“He knows that.” She said. “He’s saying no because he thinks anywhere is safer than on a ship with us searching for the Dark One.”

“Then we imprison his crew,” Leroy suggested.

“At the castle where Walsh is staying? Where Zelena could be spying on us?”

“So what the hell do we do then?”

“You want to go with them,” Lance guessed.

Emma didn’t answer. Leroy balked anyway.

“Are you crazy?” he hissed. “You trust them?”

“I trust her,” Emma said. “Belle. And I trust that he’ll honor his debt to me.” And she thought she understood how he worked, kind of. Had thought so since that night three years ago.

“He’s a pirate. He doesn’t know the first thing about honor.”

She sighed “The way he’s protecting his crew? He knows all about honor, Leroy.”

Lance was staring at her, grim. “I don’t like it.”

“Emma,” Archie said, “we can find other ways of getting the information we need. We can even find another way to track down the Dark One.”

“When?” Emma said. “Zelena could touch down from a cyclone on the palace steps tomorrow.”

“You’re actually considering - ?!” Leroy cut his roar off, jumping up to pace, mute with frustration.

“Emma please,” Archie said. “This is what we’re here for. When you and your parents recruited us before the war, you gave us a whole list of duties and vows. But we all knew: we are here to be your support.”

Emma stared at his earnest face. He was the worst of her fighters and yet she always found herself wanting his approval. “You think I’ll do something stupid?” she asked.

“I think this is a reckless decision,” he said, “and you can’t afford to be reckless.”

She looked at Lance.

“Sleep on it,” he said.

She stared at him, resisting, but finally dipped her head in agreement. They retired to their rooms.

But Emma couldn’t sleep.

She sighed and sat up on the straw mattress. She should give up on sleep altogether, it wasn’t coming to her easy these days.

She was thinking too much. She knew what she wanted to do and no amount of contemplation was going to change her mind.

She went to her belt, hanging where it was on the valet, and fished in one of the pouches for the velvet sleeve that held her little circular mirror.

She sat back on the bed and held the mirror in front of her. Eyes closed, mind blank, she felt, reaching out over the dirt roads, over the rivers and streams, over the miles of forest to the castle. To her son.

The mirror grew hot in her hands and she opened her eyes to see the familiar smooth stone of the castle ceiling.

“Henry,” she called, as loud as she dared. The inn walls weren’t thick enough.

There was a grunt and the rustling of sheets.

“Henry,” she hissed again.

There was a sharp indrawn breath and more rustling. The mirror grew dark as something covered it. Then she was staring at her boy’s face, scrunched and squinting. “Mom?”

She smiled. “Hey kid.”

“Wusshappening?” he slurred, rubbing his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.”

“It’s the middle of the night, Mom.” The image shook and he moved out of frame as he adjusted his position. He looked more awake when he came back in view. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she repeated. “I’m just about to do something you might not like.”

It was foggy the next morning. Emma stuck close to the docks as she rode.

It was not long before Hook’s ship rose up in front of her, the mast lancing through the mist, the black flag grinning down at her.

It was barely dawn but the ship was awake. Emma could make out the dark shapes of its crew bustling around the deck.

She studied them while she dismounted, searching for the captain.

She spotted him finally, standing on one of the wooden beams that stretched the sail, whatever it was called, barking orders. She saw the flash of silver as he caught his hook on a rope and stepped off of the beam. He swung and landed gracefully on the deck, coat flaring dramatically behind him, shirt still half open despite the chill.

This was Captain Hook. In his element, in all his swashbuckling glory. Emma acknowledged that he was pretty damn impressive.

As if sensing her gaze. He looked up, kohl rimmed eyes flashing when he spotted her.

“What did I say about horses?” he called as he strode to meet her on the loading plank.

“I couldn’t carry the second suit of armor on my own,” she explained, turning to liberate the horse from the weight in question.

“Second? Armor’s no good to you on a ship, love.”

“When we’re on land, you’ll be thanking me for it,” she couldn’t resist saying.

“Will I?” he drawled, delighted by her teasing tone. Emma cursed herself, inwardly.

“Still,” Hook went on, “the horse isn’t coming.”

“I never meant her to,” Emma said. “I just need one of your crew to get her back to the tavern before my men wake up.”

He turned and made eye contact with the ex-fairy. “Think that’s you lass.”

She nodded and stepped forward to take the reins from Emma.

Hook stepped closer as they watched the horse disappear into the fog.

“I take it your men don’t know you’re here?” he murmured.

She looked at him, not answering his question or reacting to his proximity.

“Ever been on a ship before, Highness?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

His eyes travelled over her face. “But have you sailed one?”

“No.”

He nodded as he digested this. She blinked when she saw him wet his bottom lip with his tongue.

“Well then,” he said, tone turning brisk. “We’ll put a cot in the rooms next to mine. You’ll be bunking with Belle. As long as you’re here, you’re one of the crew. There’s too much work for you not to share some of it.”

“Good.”

A smile ghosted over his lips. “And you can call me Killian. When you’re not addressing me as Captain. I trust that royal upbringing will help you discern when to use which.”

“Then I guess you can call me Emma,” Emma said.

Something in his eyes sparked. “Emma,” he repeated, seeming to savour the name in a way that made her feel strange.

He held out his arm and she stared at it before she clasped it. The leather of his coat was soft under her gloves and his grip was strong but careful.

His eyes bore into hers as they stood there, sealing their bargain.

Then he let go and Emma was hit with the same sensation she felt when she missed a step while going down the stairs.

She hoped her expression was still neutral as he broke into a wicked grin. The most genuine smile he’d given her since she’d found Leroy sitting on him the day before.

“Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger,” he said.

#captain swan #cs ff #cs fanart #emma swan x killian jones #killian jones #emma swan #my stuff

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la-fille-en-aiguilles · 7 years ago

Text

Andrew Garfield x Female Reader: One (Forty-Fucking-Three, Part 4)

A/N: Dear reader, we have finally made it. Here comes the forth and the last part of this series, which I can only hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I did writing. Thank you for having plunged headfirst into this difficult relationship with Andrew Garfield - I know I didn’t make it look like a walk in the part, but you are reading this, which means you still stayed. So basically, you slay. I do hope you’ll like it, bee’s knees xx Warnings: Hideous English, swearing, angst (I probably have some emotional issue - angst is like my specialty lol). Other than that, none.

New to the series? Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 Bonus:

Raindrops felt like blunt needles, landing on your cheeks and forehead, leaving their cool imprints on your skin. As your hands gripped its wet and slippery doorknob, you swung the door to your favorite café open, a completely random thought crossing your mind: you haven’t seen the skies weep like that since that life-changing night… Two weeks ago.

The café greeted you with a wave of warm air, the smell of coffee hitting your nostrils. You inhaled deeply, closing your eyes, so lost in the moment you almost failed to acknowledge your ringing cell, screaming for your attention. Making your way to the beaming barista at the counter, you took out the convulsing device, briefly checking out the name on the display before taking the call, unable to suppress a small grin.

The café was deserted – the rainstorm outside was so violent, even hardened by the ongoing battle with the nature Londoners made sure to stay at home. Polished wooden tables gleamed softly in the light of the pendant lamps, Hozier’s voice tuning the sound of the wind out completely. Entering the café felt like setting foot in another universe, and this was what you loved most about the place.

Looking around and taking your surroundings in with a feeling of peacefulness settling in your chest, you brought the phone to your ear, still smiling at the barista, an acquaintance of yours.

“To what do I own the pleasure?” you smirked, mouthing cinnamon latte to the boy in front of the cashier desk, throwing two fingers of your free hand in the air. He took the largest carton cup, looking at your questioningly. You nodded negatively, pressing the phone with your ear to your shoulder and producing two tumblers from your leather backpack. Smiling, you handed him both. He took them, winking at you. “Are you that bored of white sand and turquoise sea?”

You heard Brittnee chuckle on the other end of the line, imagining her sitting on a beach wearing nothing but a white bikini and a huge hat, sipping on her Cosmopolitan.

“I thought you’ve met the guy I’m dating. He doesn’t do boring. His ass is always on the move,” she said, delight nonetheless jingling in her voice. “Yes, I’m talking about you”, she added, throwing a challenging glare her torturer’s way, no doubt. “Hey!” you heard a splashing sound before Britt’s outburst of irritation deafened you. You bit your lower lip in an attempt to keep the laughter at bay, your eyes focused on the coffee barista was currently preparing for you.

“How is London treating you?” Britt sighed, most likely falling back into her chair after a failed attempt at revenge. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come, it’s just when Seabass really wants something, he can be very persuasive”.

“You love me!” you heard Sebastian Stan’s voice echo in the background, followed by yet another splash. You snorted with laugher, brushing your fingers through the damp strands of your hair absentmindedly.

“I can see that,” you half-smirked, leaning against the counter on your elbows. “If that’s going to make you sleep better at night, you aren’t missing much. Just really bad weather, great coffee…” the barista looked up at you, smiling gratefully, “…and a Harry Potter Movie Marathon”.

Brittnee laughed heartily, the sound of it extremely contagious.

“So that’s what you have been doing instead of reading your script? Watching Daniel Radcliffe refusing to kick the bucket for two weeks straight?”

You feigned a scandalized expression, your eyes growing wide.

“Excuse me,” you spoke slowly, your voice dripping with hurt dignity. “I’ve learned all my lines ages ago. Believe it or not, I’d be glad to go back to work again, but Tony couldn’t seem to settle that actor problem… Until yesterday,” the barista put two steaming lattes on the counter in front of you and you gave him a thankful look. “He called me last night saying we’re starting on Monday. So let me binge on Harry Potter in peace”.

You heard your friend snicker as you searched the pockets of your leather jacket for money.

“Can I get two sugars for each please? Thank you,” you spoke to the barista, your voice drowning out half of Brittnee’s reply.

“…got him to watch it with you,” was all you caught, handing the smiling guy a ten. Motioning for him to keep the change, you snapped thick plastic lids over the tumblers and wrapped your fingers around their boiling hot steel, carefully lifting them up.

“You’d be surprised,” you spoke after having restored Britt’s speech in your head, flinching at the burning sensation, growing in your fingertips. “I keep telling him he could play the younger edgy version of that marauder… What’s his name again…” you put the coffees back on the table, taking a minute to bring out your flannel shirt from under the sleeves of your jacket, so it covered your entire hands. With your skin now protected by the soft fabric, you confidently grabbed the tumblers from the counter and stuffed them in your small backpack.

“How did he take that?” Brittnee was obviously having too much fun, imagining you saying shit like that to him. You couldn’t help but smirk, recalling that priceless expression of utter puzzlement on his face.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure that if I say it one more time, he’s going to throw his head back and howl at the moon”.

You thought Britt would split her sides laughing this time, as you made your way to the exit. The thought of trading the warm and cosy café for shrieking wind and piercing rain would seem outrageous if your insides didn’t perform all sorts of flips once you remembered what wrapping your hands around his torso felt like when riding his Harley Davidson.

“How is it going between the two of you?” Brittnee’s voice grew serious all of the sudden, the notes of familiar teasing all gone now. “Maybe it’s time you stopped keeping your distance? I know I have no business poking my nose into your guys relationship, but, Y/N, you deserve to be happy… Why don’t you let him in?”

You couldn’t help but frown at her words, as your stomach churned, your gaze fixed on the falling streams of rain behind the glass doors of the café. Last time, you were moving too fast. Jumping head first into the fire, your emotions taking complete control. This time, it needed to be different.

“Honestly, Britt, taking it slow seems like the best option”, you finally said, your voice a little too thin. “I need time to figure a shitload of things out, and he knows it. We’re friends, and it does the trick. For now,” your eyes focused on the black, shiny motorcycle parked by the edge of the road, its owner squatting by the front wheel, probably checking if some mechanism worked properly. His helmet hid his thick mane of hair and deep brown, bottomless eyes.

“You can’t play it safe for long, Y/N,” Britt’s voice seemed to merge with the one that rang in your head every minute of every day. “You’re going to have to take that jump one day, probably sooner than later”.

You blinked twice, fighting the sudden sensation of emptiness in your bones, an omen of something big and probably terrible. Raking one of your hands through your hair, you bit your lower lip nervously. You didn’t like this gut feeling. You didn’t like it one bit.

Brittnee kept talking, but you missed every word she said when barista called your name.

Sugar. You must have forgotten your sachets of sugar on the counter.

You turned on your heels abruptly, ready to go and fetch them… When your body collided with someone else’s, the hit catching you completely off guard. You gasped, ready to land on your ass, when two strong, rough hands grabbed your waist, keeping you steady.

Brain freeze. Your heartbeats echoing within the walls of the deserted café. His eyes watching you in that straightforward, wholehearted way as if saying I was worried sick, baby, where have you been. Everyone hopes someone someday will look at them this way.

“Andrew,” you said, like it was the most natural thing to utter after having slept with the guy and then having left him, naked, all alone on the floor.

It has been two weeks.

Looking at Garfield now, you could swear it might have been ages, the lines on his forehead so much more prominent, that careless sweet smile not living on his lips anymore.

“Andrew?” you heard Brittnee raise her voice at the mention of his name. “What does he have to do with any of this?”

Britt’s sobering voice seemed to shake you awake. Paralyzing stupor still reigned over your body, but at least your mind was clearing up.

He didn’t change… And why would he? It has only been two weeks…

Staring at him openly, still shocked, you realized you were wrong. He did change. Something in him did. It was more than these obvious signs of lack of sleep and what was it… Stress maybe? You didn’t know.

It was in the way he looked at you, like a man tired of fighting, who fell on his knees to beg for forgiveness, waving the white flag. At the same time, there were sparks in his eyes, one of that long list of reasons you couldn’t stay away from him in the first place…

You were a mess, gazing at him open-mouthed, searching for God knows what in his features, while he stared back at you like he had finally found exactly what he was looking for.

“Britt, I…” you spoke, not taking your eyes off him. “I’m going to have to call you back…” not hearing what she was saying, you dropped the call, unblinking, the world around Andrew and you going mute.

Everything about Andrew Garfield was daring you to fall in love with him again.

And you were holding on to dear life in order not to lose that dare.

“What are you doing here?” your voice was cold enough to chill Garfield’s bones, as you finally managed to speak again.

He bit his lower lip slowly, studying your face, his eyes sliding down your neck, your shoulders, your chest… It was like he tried to swallow you in, a junkie, who finally got a hold of what he craved most.

“I’m in London for work”, he answered vaguely, his voice pulling at the strings of your bloody heart, as it sang in your chest like a damn violin.

When you lay awake at night these two past weeks you kept imagining what your encounter would be like… Five, maybe ten years from now. The look on his face when he would realize that the woman who once may have cared too much for him, no longer cared about him at all.

It has been two weeks.

This hadn’t been the case yet. You weren’t ready.

“For work”, you repeated, urging him to develop. You aren’t supposed to be here, you almost screamed, panic overflowing your confused mind. You checked three hundred times, he was supposed to be in America, filming with Nicole Kidman or something…

“Yeah, I’m…” you suddenly realized Andrew was lost for words. And his hands, his bloody hands were still on your waist, apparently lost, too. “I’ve decided to do theater”.

Your heart stopped dead, and its lack of movement caused your chest to shudder in pain. Trying to keep your voice leveled, you pretended like you didn’t know what it was all about, but in truth, you did. You just couldn’t believe it.

“That’s… great, Andrew”, stop saying his name, “Where are you going to be at?”

Every word you said came out wrong. You looked at his face and all you saw were your naked bodies, entangled together, his lips sliding down your chest…

It was getting harder to breathe.

“Where you are,” he answered simply, his honesty slapping you across the face. You popped your eyes at him the minute these words escaped his bitten lips, his eyes caressing your face…

“I’m going to play Prior Walter in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.”

You no longer felt anything. Just stared at him, uncomprehending, your entire being void. After everything he’d put you through, after you made sure to disappear from his life forever… He point blank refused to let you go in peace.

“What?…” your voice sounded like it came from someone else. Every second of this talk felt like a shitty planned out dialogue that was never supposed to take place in the real life. Your throat starting to tighten, you stared at him with your eyes wide and crazy, the fury inside of you making your skin crawl. “You’re shitting me, right? What is all of this?”

Taken aback at your reaction, Andrew bit the inside of his cheek. All you wanted to do was scream and break things.

“Didn’t I make my intentions clear enough?” you realized you were on the verge of shouting, losing all sense of self-control there was left in you. “I don’t fucking want you in my life, I don’t want you around, I don’t want you…” as you tried to push him away, as far as your strength would allow you, he grabbed your shoulders, leaning in closer.

“Y/N, listen to me!” his brown eyes were all you could see, “I was wrong, I need you, I need you more than anything, just…”

“You need me!” you almost yelped, breaking free of his hold. “How fucking dare you, Garfield!” you spit your words in his face. “Two weeks ago, you looked me in the eyes and you told me you loved another woman more than you loved me! This is insanity!” you scratched your nails on your head, looking at him, your eyes wild.

“Please, Y/N, let’s just talk,” Andrew’s eyes grew red as he tried to take your hands. You stepped back, like a wounded animal. “Everything’s changed, after…”

“After we fucked,” you finished for him, almost smiling, your voice poison. “So that’s all it took for you to come crawling on your knees. Jesus,” you crossed your hands on your chest, biting your lips and staring at him in disbelief. “For the love of God, Andrew,” you exhaled noisily, trying to get your shit together. “There’s a reason for why I didn’t stay. I moved on. It’s time you did too.”

You turned around, dead set on leaving him where he stood, ending the conversation and this entire story, this insane drama that was never supposed to take place…

“Fifty-three,” you heard him say behind your back. These words came out like a last attempt at a cry for help. Like they were his joker, the last card he had left to play. You froze in place, looking over your shoulder.

“Excuse me?” you raised your eyebrows at him, genuinely trying to understand what the hell he was talking about.

“Fifty-three,” he repeated again, like it was supposed to make all the sense in the world. His hands buried deeply in his pockets, he made a step towards you, bitter and desperate smile twisting his lips. “That’s the number of messages I left on your phone. You would know that if only you hadn’t changed your number after that night. I kept calling, again and again, thinking I was going insane, the recording of your voice bleeding me dry.”

You felt your face go white, as all the blood had rushed down to your heart, nearly making it explode. Your vision went blurry, but you couldn’t tell why…

“Sixteen”, in the meantime, Andrew continued, mercilessly. “That’s the number of times I saw you around Paris last week, reading in that British Library, grabbing a lunch with your friends, running down the street all wet from the rain… I saw you sixteen times, Y/N, and I just couldn’t bring myself to come up and talk to you…”

“Have you been following me?” your trembling lips barely moved, as you stared at him, unblinking.

“That’s the only way I could still be close to you”, he nodded, looking down. “I haven’t finished though”, you shut your eyes, as if shielding yourself from seeing him. Yet you still heard him, his voice resonating in your ears.

“One”, it sounded like the final note of the heartbreaking symphony, which was destined to end at some point. You opened your eyes slowly, your damp eyelashes fluttering. He was very close now, if you stretched your hand, it would land squarely in the middle of his chest. He still smelled like that minty aftershave and salted caramel… and rum. Maybe vanilla…

“Want to take a wild guess what this number represents?” he asked you softly, his gaze unwavering. A second more and he was going to cup your face in those rough hands, and bring you closer, his lips making you forget you’d ever left… “I thought so,” he said, when you didn’t answer. “That’s you, Y/N. You’re the one.”

Deadly silence seemed to paralyze both of you, as it spread out in the entire café, more eloquent than a requiem at a funeral. You were pretty sure you were going to strangle yourself, your throat clenching as you fought for breath.

Andrew was two weeks and a day late.

For a brief instant, you couldn’t help but wonder, watching your own reflection in his soft brown eyes. You wondered when he realized he needed you. You wondered how it happened. But mostly you wondered… would it have ended differently if he just loved you enough to come to that empty VIP lounge in the LAX airport, keeping his promise…

All of the sudden you heard a familiar deep voice penetrate the absolute stillness, life rushing back into your veins at the sound of it.

“Is everything all right, beautiful?”

You cleared your throat, turning your head to your right almost automatically. With his leather jacket completely drenched, small drops of water resting on his cheekbones, Ben Barnes placed a hand on your shoulder, his eyes searching your face.

Standing out there in the rainstorm, waiting, he must have wondered what was taking you so long.

“Yes,” you answered a little too quickly, smiling at him in a shaken kind of way. Your hand flew up to cover his, the one in which he clutched his helmet, causing you to turn your entire body towards him. His closeness seemed to sober you up as you lowered your head, taking a long breath.

“Just ran into an old friend”, you looked up at him, an uneasy smile decorating your lips. “Ben, this is Andrew”, you motioned towards Garfield, standing in between the two of them now. “Andrew, this is Ben… Although I suspect you might have already met,” the lump in your throat refused to dissolve, so your words came out blurred and hectic. “The coffee is taken care of,” you smiled at Ben again, but he didn’t seem to notice, staring at Garfield’s pale face. Barnes’ lips were a thin line, almost invisible. The way his jaw tensed didn’t escape your attention.

“Nice to have met you, Andrew”, Ben said, his voice low.

“Yeah, the pleasure’s mine”, you heard Garfield mutter. You avoided his stare, tears still pooling in your eyes, as you tucked a damp strand of hair behind your ear.

“Are you ready to go then?” Ben inquired, looking at you expectantly. You nodded at him, finally taking control of your emotions.

“Yes,” your reply was firm and almost cheerful. “I’m right behind you. I guess I’ll be seeing you at work, then, Andrew”, you both nodded at each other. There was nothing left to say.

As you walked away, the sound of your steps aligning with the rhythm of your heart, you counted your steps, small and heavy.

Twenty… Thirty… Forty-three…

Forty-fucking-three thumps on the wooden floors.

That was all it took for you and Andrew to go back to where you started: complete and utter strangers, sharing a handful of memories, which would eventually fade, just like the echo of your steps in a deserted café…

#andrew garfield #andrew garfield imagine #andrew garfield x reader #ben barnes #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes imagine #imagine #x reader #remus x reader #sirius x reader #kind of

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maresyluna · 7 years ago

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Helping Westfall, Part I

It was a small request: “Please come with me to the tent cities. Parson Williams would love to see you again, and I’m sure your skills would be quite helpful to those in need.” Departure was set early in the morning and Aléssandro and Elena arrived to the smell of breakfast, prepared to them by several of the families in the simple city. The children ran to bring them wreaths of flowers and Williams spoke of the latest raids against the city.

Her usual laced and silken dress was exchanged for a simple, dove gray linen robe, with cerulean and goldenrod rod embroidery. It was simplistic while still being elegant. A wide brimmed, sandy hued hat with forget-me-nots and a ribbon around it, adorned her head, shielding her face from the Westfall's rays. A hat that she would soon lose, putting it atop a little girl's head both to shield her face from the sun's rays and to make her feel just that little bit more uplifted.

“We’re having to defend ourselves more often than not. It’s a shame, but if we continue, we’ll have to call ourselves a kingdom and raise our own flags. I’m sure King Anduin would love that,” Parson Williams joked, although the thought had crossed his mind many times. Aléssandro chuckled and made sure Elena wasn’t offended with Williams’ comment. Once breakfast was over, Aléssandro agreed to help the other men rebuild their wooden fence walls while Parson Williams attentively led Priestess Blackfyre to several of the outer tents, where the sick lay and their families prayed to the blessed Light.

Elena had begun the day's work with a large group of Westfall's people gathered inside one tent. It was cramped, and near bursting at the seams, but those who attended made it work despite the Priestess's offer to tend to prayers outside. After morning prayers were done, Elena had spent her time going to individual tents of families, starting with those who had not been in a condition to make their way to the prayer, healing who she could with the Light's divine aid.

Finishing up in one tent, Elena had used the Light, and a tin-foil wrapped piece of a chocolate bar, to help a woman through a diabetic episode. The people out here needed more than the Light. They needed the medical care the city could provide, and there was only so much she could do. It had taken a lot out of the Priestess, both mentally and physically. As she exited the tent, she used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her brow.

Parson Williams handed the priestess a small jar of water. "Thank you, Lady Blackfyre, for what you do for the poor here in the tent city. Many don't like to come out here because they feel that our people are hopeless." He turned back to the tents. "They don't see how hard these people fight to survive another day. Another hour. Another minute." He smiled at Elena. "Thank you, my Lady.”

"That's terrible. You and the others here are as generous as they come. You have nothing, but share everything-- and people wish to take that away?" She was in shock. To take from these people more than the government had seemed an injustice too far to her.

He turned toward the outside of the tent city. "Your knight is over there helping to fix the fence. We had some vandals come over and destroy it in an attempt to steal from us. Can you imagine? We have nothing and they want to take it away." He chuckled softly and sighed. "Thank you again, ma’am."

She then looked over to where he meant, seeing a figure in the distance. Her face flushed as his wording hit her. "O-oh. He isn't mine," she corrected lightly. She inclined her head to Parson Williams. "I'll go see if he needs anything though. Thank you." That was an excuse enough to get out of the awkward situation of her needing to say that the Knight wasn't hers. Quick steps took her towards Aléssandro and the fence.

Several men were working with heavy mallets, hitting the posts hard into the ground. It was a rhythmic pattern that motivated them to keep pushing on in the heat. They were all pretty much shirtless as they worked. The first three men in line beating down on the medium sized post were citizens of the small tent city. The next one was Aléssandro, who had pulled back as much of his hair as he could, although rogue strands escaped the makeshift tie he had holding his locks back. Several men down, the one leading the pattern halted and the men stopped, stepping back and wiping the sweat from their faces. They joked a bit and laughed at their slight torment of rebuilding the fence.

Elena smiled as the men bowed their heads to her. She nodded her head to a few, and inclined her head into a bow to the more reverent ones, returning the respect they graced her with. It was an odd thing to feel appreciated and to know it was genuine appreciation, and not because of her title nor her connection to the Cathedral. It was for her work and all that she stood for.

One of them noticed Elena and bowed his head.There was great respect for the priestess who gave them her time and prayers. Soon, they followed suit, bowing their heads at the priestess. Aléssandro was speaking to one of the men, his back turned to her when the man gestured to him to turn around. He did and smiled at Elena, without any regard of how he looked; the sweat, the scent, or even the fact that he was half dressed in front of her. "Priestess...hello. Is everything alright?"

Elena looked at him, blinking rapidly a few times before she averted her gaze to the dried grass. "Y-yes. Ehm." She cleared her throat. "Yes, Sir Mares. Everything is quite alright." Was that the Westfall heat or were her cheeks red? A sunburn, perhaps? "I had only thought to inquire on if you had had lunch yet."

The mention of lunch caused the men to smile and nod, walking back to the tents where they knew lunch was being served. Alessandro walked toward the post where his shirt was. He blushed and he reached for his shirt. "I apologize, Priestess Blackfyre. This is no way to greet you." The knight turned around and waited a few moments while his wet back dried a bit. "If you wish to go on, I will follow shortly."

In truth, he didn't want her to leave, but he was sure he was making her feel uncomfortable and that was the last thing he wanted to do. "Did everything go well?" His glistening back was slowly drying, and he turned to the side to catch a glimpse of her. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. So many things he wanted to tell her, but he was simply scared.

Clasping her hands together she rested them against her skirts. "If, ehm." She cleared her throat. "If it's not too much bother, I'd like to wait for you." She peered at him from the corner of her eye. She wasn't upset with what she saw and perhaps that was the reason for the guilt she felt. It may have become a pleasant imagery seared into her memory. Light, forgive me. "Unless-- would you rather a few minutes to yourself?"

Aléssandro turned around and looked at her, shaking his head. "No! No...I mean," he cleared his throat and chuckled, "No, I...Please stay." His face turned red again and he finally pulled his shirt over his head. His hair was a mess of wet and hot strands and he leaned forward to shake his head a bit before pulling it back. He wiped his hands on his pants and walked toward Elena. He looked at her hand, looked at his, and sighed. "I would kiss your hand, but it would be a sin to touch your hands with these dirty things." He smiled at her and blushed once more.

Aléssandro gestured to the tents. "Shall we?"

Her gaze went to his dirty hands-- hands that had worked the land and had done the very same honest, hard work as the people that lived in these parts. Hands that were never raised to another. Hands that were only ever extended downwards to help another to their feet. The heated flush on her cheeks never seemed to go away. Was this her permanent state of being around the humble knight? "I would call it no sin, but if you are insistent on it being such..." What bravery she had started to falter. The thought was better in her mind. She almost swallowed her words back. However, somewhere inside of her, the Light gave her strength to be even the slightest bit forward. "...I'm sure I can accept one upon the cheek." Now she looked everywhere but at him. The ground was suddenly immensely interesting, and that heated flare in her cheeks was even redder.

The knight stared at her unable to say a word or move. Her words pushed him to take a step toward the priestess. He couldn't help but smile as he saw her avert her eyes toward the ground. Alessandro had to lean a bit to find her cheek, but when he did, he carefully kissed her cheek, his lips lingering a bit longer than he should have. He stepped back slightly, closing his eyes and whispering beside her, "I do not deserve such a gift. Thank you, my lady."

Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned in. Subconsciously, she held her breath as his lips touched her cheek with a gentle, careful touch. He was always careful with her. She smiled widely, releasing the breath she had withheld. Her head turned to look up at him, blue eyes searching his face. "It is I that thanks you, Sir Mares. For the gift was one I received." Her hand twitched, having thought to go for his hand, but stopped. Even a brief squeeze of the hand would be inappropriate. It was the reason he had chosen to kiss her cheek as opposed to her hand.

Alessandro smiled and gestured toward the tents. "Please, go ahead and serve yourself. I need to wash up at the well." He lifted his hands and chuckled softly. "I would hate for you to not eat on my account. He bowed at her and walked to the well not too far from the tent city's boundaries. He pulled up the bucket and took some water to wash his face. He removed his shirt briefly to was his neck and chest and finally, his hands once more. He then placed the shirt back on and headed back to the city, where he longed for some food since he truly was hungry.

As Elena listened to his words, an obedience towards the one that would never order her about, she begun towards the tents. Not without a look over her shoulder, watching him walk the opposite way. The smile on her face could not be erased. There was an unspoken giddiness in her eyes as she turned back and went towards the tents. When she arrived most had already settled down with a bowl of Westfall stew, but she lingered back, allowing the others to grab the food they needed before she would head for some food herself. They always made sure there was enough for her, but even so, out of fear of taking from those that truly needed it, she waited.

((Co-written with @elena-blackfyre ))

#The Humble Knight #Alessandro Mares #Elena Blackfyre #Part I

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breakmeintosomethingbeautiful · 7 years ago

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Over a 100 times I’ve fallen more in love with you

1. On December 27th, 2015 when we met and I panicked and handed you a pile of cookies you chuckled and smiled like I wasn’t a crazy mess.

2. On December 27th, 2015 when you let me kiss you first

3. On December 29th, 2015 when you forgot your headphones and you hugged me for 10 minutes straight

4. On February 1st, 2016 when you caught a cold and said you had a secret “rawr” to tell me about

5. On February 21st, 2016 when you let me make you a W.P. for real with a crown and everything

6. On February 21st, 2016 when you told me you loved me

7. On February 21st, 2016 when you danced with me in the bookstore

8. On March 23rd, 2016 when I got to watch you play the sport you love

9. On May 7th, 2016 when I got to meet your dad and awkwardly search for #1 Mom mugs with you

10. On May 7th, 2016 when I got to watch you gush over comic books

11. On May 7th, 2016 when I got to awkwardly sit on your lap in a coffee bean and kiss you

12. On May 30th, 2016 when we saw the Jungle book and cuddled

13. On May 30th, 2016 when you held me and you made me feel home

14. On June 12th, 2016 when you took me to explore the Tempe Marketplace

15. On June 12th, 2016 when we made out my the pool and I could barely let you leave

16. On July 10th, 2016 when you brought me my favorite type of pizza and tea

17. On July 10th, 2016 when I thought I was going to die and you calmed me down

18. On July 10th, 2016 when you made me feel safer than I’ve ever felt before then

19. On July 10th, 2016 when you knew I started to get embarrassed and you just gently cuddled on me to feel comfortable

20. On July 11th, 2016 when you washed my hair and looked at me like I couldn’t get any prettier

21. On July 11th, 2016 when you ate mint chocolate chip ice cream and we watched Home

22. On August 16th, 2016 when you were my blanket at Brandi Carlisle

23. On August 21st, 2016 when you screamed “I don’t care about my bad reputation” and I saw all of the love you had for every note of that song

24. On August 21st, 2016 when I got to spend the whole night kissing you at home

25. On September 16th, 2016 when you made me laugh by wearing my goggles and giggling from amusement

26. On September 16th, 2016 when you wrapped your arms around me waiting for Crystal Castles

27. On September 16th, 2016 when you spent the night in my dorm for the first time

28. On October 1st, 2016 when I got to take you on a real date to the art museum and I got to see you fall in love with the art around you

29. On October 2nd, 2016 when you let me dye your hair pink and you secretly kissed me

30. On October 11th, 2016 when you fell in love with green smoothies at D’lite

31. On October 15th, 2016 when the three of us spent the day going to the comic book festival

32. On October 15th, 2016 when you broke my lamp and kissed me endlessly to make up for it

33. On October 28th, 2016 when I got to see you play flag football and watch you eat peach rings

34. On November 6th, 2016 when you gave me my first and best undercut

35. On November 12th, 2016 when you ate the hottest salsa and continued to have a smile on your face

36. On November 12th, 2016 when you were so sleepy you didn’t even want to put your shirt on

37.On December 10th, 2016 when you picked my sister up for all of us to have breakfast

38. On December 10th, 2016 when we attempted to have alone time and only got 15 minutes

39. On December 10th, 2016 when we began to wear our distance bracelets so we are always connected

40. On December 10th, 2016 when you ate dessert with me and you sang along to ABBA

41. On December 31st, 2016 when I saw you help your cousins light firecrackers

42. On December 31st, 2016 when you kissed me at midnight for a new year and one year together

43. On January 1st, 2017 when we made breakfast together for the first real time

44. On January 1st, 2017 when we stole back my bed and you needed help up

45. On January 2nd, 2017 when I got to wake up next to you for the second time in a row

46. On January 2nd, 2017 when you smiled because I made mini pot pies

47. On January 3rd, 2017 when we watched Netflix together and cuddled

48. On January 3rd, 2017 when you declared that the Greek fries were the best and you LOVED your haircut

49. On January 3rd, 2017 when you laughed when I insisted I didn’t need a basket for all of my groceries

50. On January 3rd, 2017 when you almost exploded and you became the official raspberry queen

51. On January 3rd, 2017 when you hugged me and kissed me until I stopped crying about missing you

52. On January 5th, 2017 when you made your nose look like an alien on Skype and made me almost peeing myself

53. On January 7th, 2017 when you called me and dragged me out of the house to go be silly teenagers

54. On January 7th, 2017 when you got really excited at the hippie gypsy and saw all of the Mexican blankets

55. On January 7th, 2017 when you were being silly and we took a bunch of silly photos

56. On January 7th, 2017 when you insisted you there needed to be an Alf on the front door

57. On January 8th, 2017 when you were jamming out to crystal castles and dance

58. On January 8th, 2017 when you mooned Mackenzie and laughed really hard

59. On January 8th, 2017 when you were excited to get breakfast with Mackenzie and have friend time

60. On January 12th, 2017 when I got upset and you said I wasn’t annoying, I’m Alihi.

61. On January 27th, 2017 when I surprised you after work and you rested your feet on me and we listened to your dad’s jokes

62. On January 28th, 2017 when I met all of your family and you were super happy to be with the people you love.

63. On February 12th, 2017 when you brought me sunflowers

64. On February 14th, 2017 when you surprised me in between classes with flowers, a care, and a beautiful smile.

65. On February 18th, 2017 when you kissed me awake and went with me to a dumb baseball game

66. On February 19th, 2017 when you got me to work perfectly on time

67. On February 20th, 2017 when you waited for me to get out of class and brought me taquitos

68. On February 22nd, 2017 when you said we should be wild women in the woods and live off the land

69. On March 4th, 2017 when we talked and then made love

70. On March 11th, 2017 when I got back to your dads and you were there with a big smile on your face to greet me

71. On March 12th, 2017 when we were cleaning and you kept teasing me

71. On March 13th, 2017 when I played hooky and I visited you at work and you’d just look over and wink and smile at me

72. On March 18th, when you spent the whole day with me wearing your cute pineapple shirt

73. On March 18th, 2017 when we both got some extra luck

74. On March 18th, 2017 when you laughed the hardest at “deflowering the princess”

75. On March 19th, 2017 taking a nap curled up into one another

76. On March 19th, 2017 watching you dance your heart out at Pot of Gold

77. On March 19th, 2017 you holding me and kissing me until I forced myself into my dorm room

78. On March 24th, 2017 when you got really happy I came to your track meet and you cuddle me in the dust

79. On March 25th, 2017 when we had Chuck Box and your butt looked perfectly grab-able in your track pants

80. On March 28th, 2017 when you got us Dutch and kissed me and I could feel how badly you wanted me

81. On April 2nd, 2017 when you surprised me and called me and told me to look out my window and you were there

82. On March 29th, 2017 you drove me home from PATD and held me after all the drama

83. On April 2nd, 2017 you waited for me while I was at work and bought me donuts just because I asked

84. On April 2nd, 2017 you ate all the leftovers with me and let me convince you to watch lock up

85. On April 8th, 2017 when you came to Myka’s birthday in your bucket hat with a big smile just for me

86. On April 8th, 2017 when you got really excited that we’d eat at Palermo’s just for you

87. On April 14th, 2017 when you got home and just cuddled me on the couch

88. On April 15th, 2017 when we went got coffee and burritos and then shopping for the formal outfit for the Mayor’s dinner and you found the cutest green shirt and you just looked so content

89. On April 16th, 2017 when we made trouble until the alarm went off for 5 minutes straight

90. On April 18th, 2017 when bought me a yummy and healthy dinner

91. On April 18th, 2017 when you just danced to Empire the Sun and you were so happy

92. On April 21st, 2017 when you called me and surprised me and invited me to have Asian food with you and Keith

93. On April 24th, 2017 when I skipped class and we ate lunch at the dining hall, eating tacos

94. On April 27th, 2017 when you rescued me after work and took me to get Hilal Guys

95. On April 28th, 2017 when you took me to Palermo’s for a date and Meaty was there to light a big smile on your face

96. On April 28th, 2017 when you took me grocery shopping and couldn’t help but tease me because I love food so much

97. On April 28th, 2017 when you let me help you get dressed for your fancy ceremony and you looked all professional

98. On April 28th, 2017 when you got all excited that I set up everything for having people over

99. On April 29th, 2017 when we ate breakfast and you helped me buy and prep all of the food

100. On April 29th, 2017 when Ruby and you got really excited to see one another and she sat right on your lap

101. On April 30th, 2017 when you and Keith helped me move out and we had a day full of Oregano’s, farts, diapers and baby showers

102. On April 30th, 2017 when that guy started asking us funny questions and when you looked at me and I knew you thought what I thought, “Is he going to ask about what our sex life?”

103. On April 30th, 2017 when we had a pasta dinner and Zach and Q over for dinner and we got to just enjoy each other’s company

104. On April 30th, 2017 when I fell asleep in your arms and you woke me up with a kiss

105. On May 1st, 2017 when I was all emotional and you calmed me down and helped boost my confidence for my exams

106. On May 2nd, 2017 when you called me and reassured me that I would do great

107. On May 3rd, 2017 when you sent me a cute text to make sure I got my butt out of bed with a great big smile

108. On May 5th, 2017 when you spent the whole afternoon smiling and cuddling me while I went crazy moving out of the dorm

109. On May 5th, 2017 when we got liquid nitrogen icecream and you got coffee icecream and had the cutest smile on your face

110. On May 14th, 2017 when we waited for 2 and ½ hours for Lolo’s and when the food came out you had the biggest smile on your face because you loved it so much.

111. On May 15th, 2017 when we had greek fries and hung out with Zach and you insisted that we see the puppies because you know I love them and we got the cutest fossil wallets

112. On May 15th, 2017 after the mission you went on you came home and gave me lots of kisses so I knew you were home safe.

113. On May 16th, 2017 when you had me go on the mission with you and you were super happy I came

114. On May 17th, 2017 when you were super excited after your long workout for the wings and donuts I surprised you with

115. On May 17th, 2017 when you held me in your arms until we both figured out what our plan was for the next while

116. On May 18th, 2017 when we cuddled and had macaroni and cheese for breakfast and watched youtube

117. On May 22nd, 2017 when you made your first pizza and you were beyond excited about it

118. On May 22nd, 2017 when you got super excited to play in the McDonald’s playground with Eddie

119. On May 23rd, 2017 when we made trouble most of the afternoon in the living room

120. On May 23rd, 2017 you took me to Costco and got water bottles with me because I couldn’t wait to get them

121. On May 24th, 2017 you sang I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You by Elvis and smiled at me with one of the biggest grins as you sang every word

122. On May 29th, 2017 when you snuck the bad white cards back into the deck while playing cards against humanity with your mom for Keith’s 15th birthday

123. On May 30th, 2017 when you got super excited after climbing the top of every rock wall you tried

124. On May 31st, 2017 when you let me hang out with you and Morgan for the afternoon on our way to Tucson

125. On June 1st, 2017 when you loved the food at Kampai, you beat me at the obstacle course at the trampoline place, you met my grandpa for real, and you loved my favorite eegees flavor

126. On June 2nd, 2017 you put up with my mom for Guardians 2, went on a wild goose chase for candy and Anita’s Tortillas and went swimming with some of the crazies in my life.

127. On June 3rd, 2017 you had some of the most fun I’ve seen feeding all of the animals at the Picacho Ranch

128. On June 4th, 2017 when we embarked on our first diet together and even when I was feeling hungry you kissed me so good I could forget

129. On June 5th, 2017 when we decided that the diet wasn’t going to work and your reasoning was lunch with your grandparents

130. On June 7th, 2017 when you got super excited for chorizo with Q and Taylen and we played drunk Cards Against Humanity

131. On June 8th, 2017 When you comforted me the whole from the check engine light to getting up every time I had to throw up from food poisoning

132. On June 9th, 2017 when you whooped my ass in go carts your first time and played with me in the arcade when I didn’t want to play any more mini golf

133. On June 9th, 2017 when we went on a mini-adventure and found all the baby ducks and you got so excited you literally ran to find them

134. On June 10th, 2017 when you couldn’t believe there was a bear store and you loved it and then you found Zach the best gift and you felt super accomplished

135. On June 11th, 2017 when we took our time back from Pinetop and you bought us the cutest bear necklaces

136. On June 11th, 2017 you were so excited about everyone’s gifts you hand delivered them all

137. On June 12th, 2017 when you took me to lunch with Eddie and Meaty and you were just so glad to see them

138. On June 13th, 2017 when you couldn’t stop making thirsty hoe jokes until you got a big bottle of water

139. On June 14th, 2017 when you said goodbye and then ran around the car and kissed me one last time before I left

140. On June 18th, 2017 the fact that your here loving me before you leave for bootcamp

141. On June 18th, 2017 the fact that you’re following your dream goals

#kaley #mine

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