#I finally combed through all the comments and feedback and I’m ready to make this MS shine ✨

[rinnysega]

[eunoiaflow3r]

hard 2 face reality // spencer reid x fem!reader

spencer reid x reader

aaron hotchner x reader

part one - part three

a/n: a lot of people asked for part 2 to “not ur friend.” omg i didn’t expect it to blow up like it did. sorry this isnt the fluff conclusion you guys wanted...but i’m willing to make this a series maybe? idk it’s up to you guys. thank you for your feedback and support. (see notes at end)

also i tagged all the people who commented on part one.

warning(s): language. angst. not proofread. will be mistakes.

word count: 2.9k wow.

request(ed): yes. very requested. thank you @yeah-just-ignore-me-thanks for this idea.

summary: after hearing something she shouldn’t have, she has to deal with explanations and tough decisions.

hard 2 face reality by poo bear ft. justin beiber and jay electronics.

—————————————&————————————

sometimes it’s hard to face reality...even though you might get mad at me.

It’s ironic sometimes.

The twists and turns of life and the paths it puts you down. Sometimes you believed in fate but right now it only felt like a pain in the ass. Whoever was controlling your strings you hoped they would just give you a break, but no. There was always something more.

Last night, you had a dream. There was a memory within the dream. You and Spencer were cuddling on the couch watching a movie and his fingers were combing through your hair. From where you were, it was more like you were witnessing it instead of actually living it. You were just watching yourself fall harder for the man behind you. You were content. Happy even. You forgot all about your issues and problems and conflicts. You forgot about what Spencer said and the things he had done. You just forgot.

You watched as he took his fingers out of your hair and pushed you away. The you that you were watching was confused and so were you. Why would he do that? What was wrong with him? This wasn’t the memory.

Dream Spencer got up, put his shoes on, grabbed his bag, and was halfway out the door. Before he left completely he said, “We’re just friends. You’re not enough for me. You never will be.”

Dream you just sat there and stared blankly.

Your eyes opened and you stared up at your ceiling in sorrow. The tears just kept coming and you tried to keep yourself quiet but it was so hard, and you were so tired. You hated to admit it but you were in love with him. You were in love with a man who didn’t feel the same way. A man who did nothing but play you and pretend you were nothing. A man who lied.

How did this happen?

How did you end up in a position where you were in a cold bed crying about a man who was unphased? Someone who didn’t find anything wrong with their actions? How could you love someone who would never find the way to love you back and treat you right no matter how hard you wished? No matter how hard you hoped?

How could you do this to yourself?

And to think - in a few hours you’d have to wake up and see him again. After everything you realized and have come to terms with you’d have to see the man who was responsible for the ache in your heart.

————————————&———————————

When Spencer woke up the first thing he thought about was work. How he didn’t really want to go but he knows he has to. He thought about how heart wrenching the case he’s been on for the last week has been. He thought about how today he might actually be able to solve it...and then he thought about you.

He’d be seeing you.

Hotch invited you to help with the case. He figured your skill set would be exactly what they needed to solve it.

And yeah, you there definitely was for the better of the case but was it for the better of him?

He had no idea what to do. You were mad at him. You weren’t answering his phone calls or his texts and he figured out that you heard the conversation and he gets that maybe calling you a grandmother was wrong, but really what did he do?

He knew he missed you. He missed being able to rant to you, and you consoling him. He missed the movie days you guys had...but he could watch them on his own...right? He could figure out his own problems...he didn’t need anyone to help him. Especially not you. Not someone getting upset about the smallest of things.

That was so rude of you. Why would you ignore him? Why wouldn’t you reply to his texts are calls?

He thought that that was pretty selfish of you.

And yeah sure, maybe calling you clingy was a lie but was that really something to ignore him over? To throw it all away for?

Should've been adjusted to my life, had the opportunity to stay away for the last time...now you’re standin’ right in front of me. It hurts me to know that I lied. Tryna protect your feelings... you read in between the lines
Hope your heart has started healing

You arrived.

He saw you, bag over your shoulder, going straight towards Hotch’s office and ignoring him.

Not even a hello? Not a good morning? You hadn’t even looked at Emily or Morgan either. What had they done? What had he done?

From what he could tell you had been crying, but you covered it well. If it was anyone but him they wouldn’t have been able to tell but he could. Did you miss him too? Were you hurting?

———————————-&————————————

“Is something going on between you and Reid?”

Hotch was looking at you expecting an answer but you didn’t know what to tell him. According to Reid nothing had ever been going on.

“No. I’m really just trying to focus here.”

Hotch nodded. “Good.”

Truth is, it was very hard to ignore Spencer. He seemed so oblivious that it made you feel sorry for him. But you couldn’t. You wouldn’t feel sorry for him. He wasn’t the one crying his eyes out at night and cussing out rom coms when they came on the television.

And you could tell he didn’t feel the same. He didn’t look how you felt. He looked conflicted, but he didn’t look sorry or hurt. His normalcy pained you. Had you really meant that little? Maybe you were over exaggerating things. No. You deserved an explanation - but you weren’t ready to hear it.

A while ago...

“Okay Y/N cover your eyes!”

You giggled. “No, Spencer why?”

“Just do it! I promise you’ll like it.”

You were sat criss crossed on the couch and Spencer was behind you with something in his hands. Before you could look at it he told you to close your eyes and he hid it behind his back. You smiled and closed your eyes waiting for whatever the surprise was.

You felt his fingers move your hair out of the way and you felt a coolness along your neck.

A necklace.

“Okay open.”

You could feel him grinning. You opened your eyes and looked down at your chest. You nearly gasped. On the end of the necklace was a miniature glass sculpture. When you met at the museum you told him that they were your favorite.

He remembered.

You held it in your hand and turned around to kiss him. He was a bit surprised but held your face in his hands and kissed you back.

“L/N!” You were snapped out of your head. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry.”

The necklace. You can’t believe you were still wearing it. It felt like the only thing holding you together which was strange since glass was so fragile. The metal necklace part felt like it was burning you. The happy memory burned you. You took the necklace from under your sweater and ripped it off your neck. You couldn’t wear it anymore. It hurt you, but you couldn’t hold on.

Reality is kinda hard to face, like actual facts is for flat-earthers. Rains a requirement for flowers to grow, and pains a requirement for power to grow. It’s a miracle how one can change, from one what was just hours ago.

When you got home that day you were happy and running on adrenaline. Yeah, you had to see Spencer...but you helped solve a case. You helped save someone. It was tiring, and gruesome just like what Spencer said but the feeling you get after helping someone? Unexplainable.

After changing out of your work clothes and into some jeans and a shirt, you’d thought you’d treat yourself to dinner. Maybe that would help you forget. Forget and move on. Besides, it was a nice little diner and you used to be a regular. You had wanted to bring Spencer but he never wanted to go. He never wanted to go out.

His loss.

When you got there the familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon wafted through. You had missed this. When everything was so simple and uncomplicated. When you could be you. Not wondering if today was the day Spencer would decide to come over or not. Or to even call. You could finally breathe. You weren’t in your stuffy apartment. You weren’t in a Spence filled work place. You were where you considered home in a city away from it.

“Y/N, hey!” Em the waitress called you over. You would consider her a friend. You two had always talked when you came through.

“Hey!” She went in for a hug and you hugged her back.

“Where have you been?”

You sighed. “Busy.”

She nodded. She understood. From there she asked you where you wanted to sit. You were just going to request the counter since you were alone, but when a little boy came up to you yelling your name, and wrapped his arms around you...you didn’t have the time to answer. It was little Jack.

“Hey buddy!” You hugged him back.

You looked around for Hotch. What a coincidence. He smiled and waved you over. You and Jack walked over to the booth and Hotch stood and hugged you. “I’m so sorry about Jack.”

“Oh no, it’s fine!”

About two years ago Hotch hired you to babysit Jack every once in a while. You needed the money. You were making enough from the paintings you sold but you needed more to finish college and save up. You weren’t going to some big expensive college or anything but still.

A little while later you met Spencer and it just became and inside joke.

“Would you like to eat with us?” Hotch asked.

“I don’t want to intrude Hotch...”

“Aaron.” He corrected while smiling. “Please, join us.”

And you did. You ate dinner with Aaron and Jack and you were having fun. This past month you had been moping around feeling sorry for yourself but you were actually happy. There was still that pain in your chest, and a part of you that longed to call Spencer and talk to him - but you wouldn’t. You couldn’t.

After dinner Em invited you to go clubbing with her on Saturday. At first you were going to turn her down but you thought...why not? You didn’t have to stay up waiting for Spencer to call anymore. You didn’t have to cook or plan to order in in case Spencer decided to stop by. You didn’t have any plans.

“Sure Em, I’ll be there.”

“Great.”

She walked behind the counter and looked from you to Hotch. Like a suggestive look. Like a “ask him too!” look. And you weren’t ready for anything, and wasn’t even sure if you liked Aaron that way, and you still were in a gray area with Spencer...but you thought it’d be rude not to ask.

“Aaron...”

He nodded, urging you to go on.

“Do you want to go with me Saturday? I mean...I don’t really want to be alone..Em has a girlfriend and it might be fun.”

He laughs and scratches the back of his neck. “Yes Y/N I’ll go.”

When you got home and ready for bed you had this weight in your stomach. There was a lump in your throat, and your fingers tensed. You thought about Hotch and it made you feel like you were cheating on Spencer. But you weren’t. You and Spencer weren’t together. There was no need to feel guilty.

He didn’t.

———————————-&————————————

That Saturday came soon enough and you weren’t sure if you were ready. Physically yeah, you showered and got ready...but emotionally? Mentally? Was this a date? Had you asked Aaron out? Were you ready for that? Had you moved on from Spencer? No, of course not. But Aaron wasn’t a distraction either. You could never do that to him no matter how bad you felt. Never.

Your doorbell rang and when you opened it you were surprised to see Hotch...not in a suit. It fit him and you could admit it...he looked...really good.

“You clean up nice.” You said laughing a bit to yourself.

He looked you up and down. “So do you.”

He looked a bit taken aback and you could see he was a bit flushed and that made you a bit happy. You liked giving people that kind of reaction. It gave you just a bit of confidence you needed. Especially tonight, where you’d try not to think about Spencer.

When you got there you were glad it wasn’t too busy. The music wasn’t that loud either and you were glad because then you got to dance without immediately getting a headache. Your first dance was with Hotch but then he saw one of his friends from college (he’s a lawyer now) and then started talking to him. You didn’t mind. You actually kind of liked being alone. It gave you you time to think. But not about Spencer.

No. Not tonight you wouldn’t.

You wasted too many tears on him to be thinking of him while you were supposed to be having fun. He didn’t deserve your thoughts. He didn’t deserve your tears. He didn’t deserve movie nights, or cuddles, or sex, or kisses, or waiting, he didn’t deserve -

Spencer.

Spencer Reid.

You thought you were dreaming, but you weren’t. He was just a little bit away from you with JJ on his arm. “Just coworkers.” You wanted to say it didn’t hurt you, you did, but your heart broke. In a million little pieces. Had he not want to get serious with you because he was in love with her. It makes sense, everything about that makes sense but it didn’t hurt any less. It didn’t make the tears in your eyes stop, it didn’t make the ache in your chest dim but at least it made sense.

Know it hurts to see the truth in your face, circumstances bring you down to your knees. Go on and cry an ocean, but don’t drown in it. Enough to put your heart at ease. Oh don’t lose your self esteem. I apologize for being a man. It’s way harder than what it seems.

You grabbed your bag from Hotch and told him you needed to go outside for a minute. He asked you if you wanted him to go with you but you needed to be alone. You wanted to be by yourself to fight these tears. You couldn’t cry in front of him.

He gave you his coat which was much too big but still appreciated.

Once you were outside you took your phone out to check your face. Your nose was red but the few tears hadn’t ruined anything. You were fine. You were going to be okay. Everything was alright.

Until it wasn’t .

“Y/N?”

Fucking Spencer.

You turned around to see Spencer Reid walking towards you with a confused look on his face.

“Hey.” he said. Hey? Hey?? What the hell were you supposed to say to that? Hey?

He cleared his throat. “Things are weird, right?”

“Weird?” you scoffed.

“Y/N, it’s been a month! I don’t understand what I did! You just stopped talking to me even after I tried to apologize! What more can I do?”

He stopped for a second, “Is that Hotch’s jacket?” He stepped forward to take a look at it but you flinched away. “Don’t tell me that’s Hotch’s -“

“You were hiding me Spencer. You said the equivalent to hanging out with me was of visiting a grandmother. You never wanted to hang out unless it was on your terms and you called me clingy and suffocating when I NEVER asked you for more. I NEVER went out of my way to ask you for anything and you treat me like this? Like I’m replaceable? After everything we’ve been through? After all we’ve talked about and experienced? What’s your excuse for that Spencer? What could you possibly have to say that would explain that?”

He opened his mouth and closed it again.

“If I were to have called you and said ‘Yup, everything is fine Spence we can go back to normal.’ It would have gone back to normal! YOUR normal! A normal where I’m hidden like a side chick but you get to be in public with JJ on your arm! Fucking JJ! And yeah, we never put a label on it but YOU made it clear that we weren’t to fuck other people. That was YOUR decision! She was the girl you said I didn’t have to worry about and here we are.”

Spencer was silent. He looked to the floor, and said nothing. His fingers ran through his disheveled hair and his lip was quivering.

“So this is because of JJ?” he asked.

“Fuck you.”

————————————&———————————

He watched as you walked into the club and back out again with Hotch. Before you went in his car though you walked over to Spencer and put the necklace into his hand. Silently you walked over to Hotch and got in the passenger seat.

Spencer didn’t know what to do.

This was your necklace. He gave it to you. It was yours to keep. Yours to wear, cherish, and hold. Why would you give it back? It was supposed to make you happy and help you remember him. Instead it was in his hands unworn but the girl he had hurt. What was he supposed to do?

JJ found him outside but he said nothing to her the whole ride when he took her home. He was thinking about you. He was thinking about what you said. You were right.

When he got home he looked at the box of things you gave him. There were polaroid pictures of the two of you and he started shaking as he cried. What had he done? How could he have been so selfish?

You were right.

You were right.

Truth was he did like JJ, and he had been hiding you. He had been treating you unfairly. He had been a jerk and he had done every single thing you said he did.

He was all of the names you were calling him in your head.

Every single one.

He held the glass sculpture necklace in his hands and could feel his tears running down his face falling on it.

Even though he fucked up, and had something weird with JJ, he realized...he was in love with you.

Sometimes it's hard to face reality.

—————————————-&————————————-

literally wtf is this. what in the love triangles - anyway. ik you guys wanted fluff so...part 3? idk. should reader have a thing with hotch? should she choose hotch or reid?

feedback always appreciated. it pushed me to write this.

taglist: @hotchsbabygirl @pinkdiamond1016 @thefemalestorywriter @sizzlingclamturtlesludge @samyilf123

comment tag list: @peculiarinsomniac @mgg-theprettiestboy @187-reid @realalpacorn @wooya1224 @minami97 @studywithrosie01 @yeah-just-ignore-me-thanks @meowiemari @thedaughterofhotchniss @reniescarlett @lovelyspencerreid @ashwarren32 @fantastic-fans @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine @psych0crybaby @drreidsconverse @castbyfox

[13-reasons-ideas]

Can’t Go Back Part 21

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. I was having a really hard time writing this chapter. I don't know why but I did. It is done now though. This chapter contains SMUT. DNI IF UNDER 18. IF YOU INTERACT UNDER 18 YOU WILL BE BLOCKED. As always, feedback is appreciated and much love. -Em

I woke up half an hour early Friday morning. Monty groaned at the alarm. “Shh. It’s for me. Go back to sleep.” He grunted in response. I placed a soft kiss to the back of his neck and got out of bed. I picked up one of his shirts from the laundry basket that hadn’t made its way into a drawer yet. In the bathroom, I ran the shower while I brushed my teeth. In the shower, I washed my hair and exfoliated while my conditioner sat. After my face was washed, I set about the arduous task of shaving. There was some spectacularly ungraceful bending and balancing to make sure I hadn’t missed any spots. This is attractive. Bet he wishes he was awake to see this spectacle.

Once I was clean, I finished my skincare routine while my hair towel dried. I used a honey almond moisturizer that I knew Monty liked. I slipped his shirt on. His alarm went off while I was putting product in my hair. Surprisingly, he got up of his own accord. “Morning baby.” He mumbled from the other side of the door.

“Morning babe.”  Knowing his routine like the back of my hand by now, I vacated the bathroom to go make some breakfast. A bowl of apple oatmeal sounded delicious this morning. I poured a bowl of cereal for Monty. While he showered and coffee brewed, I read my newest book.

“Good morning Addison.” Monty smiled and kissed me when he came into the kitchen. His hair was still wet. It dripped on my arm and made me jump slightly.  

“Good morning Monty.”

“You smell nice.” He placed another kiss on my head. I tilted my head up and back to kiss him again. I brought my arm up to wrap around his neck. His arm instinctively found its way to settle just below my chest. I held him in place as I deepened the kiss slightly.

Before it could go any further the coffee machine beeped. Monty pulled away. He rolled his eyes a little. I went back to my book like nothing happened, but not before I caught him adjusting his jeans. I smirked to myself. I might have to text the guys and tell them brunch is cancelled. “It’s supposed to rain today, so I don’t think you should go to school in just my shirt.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate. I was practically already ready to go.” I teased. He turned to look at me. His eyes had darkened a shade or two. I couldn’t be sure if it was from our kiss or my comment.

“And now you have to go put some fucking pants on.”

“Yes, sir.” I mock saluted. He chuckled as he poured us cups of coffee.

“That’s Daddy to you Doll.” He muttered as I walked back to our room. Again, I smirked to myself. Well at least the sex shouldn’t be as big a surprise. I picked up my phone off the nightstand and texted Scott, Charlie, and Justin. Brunch might be cancelled tomorrow. My parents need us to help move some furniture.

Charlie answered me first. You mean they need you to them move furniture. I smiled. As I was deciding on a pair of jeans, Justin texted me. I glanced down at my phone. Supervision duty. Fun. Let me know if something breaks.

Black skinny jeans or the navy with the cuffs?

Navy.

Thanks.

Scott answered a minute later. That’s all the updates I need or want. I tied a knot in front of the shirt, so I wasn’t swimming in it. My hair was beginning to dry by now, so I ran a comb through it quickly and scrunched it in an attempt to give it at least a little shape while it finished drying.

As I was walking out of our room, Justin texted me again. Oh. You don’t actually mean that. Have fun. Still let me know if something breaks.

I do. And I will. See you at school.

I didn’t bother waiting for a response and slipped my phone in my pocket. “Remember we are helping mum and dad with the stupid hutch tomorrow afternoon.”

“I know. If dad hasn’t said anything to either of us before school is done, I’ll text him.”

“Alright.” I stopped in front of Monty and twirled. “See, pants. Better?”

“Much. And watch that tone missy.”

“Okay.” I rolled my eyes. He blinked at me in surprise. I watched as he stepped towards me and leaned in.

“I have no issue being late for school. Feel free to keep this up Doll.” He grumbled.

“Sorry. I’ll be good.” I squeaked.

“Good.” He nodded. I jumped when he swatted my butt as he walked past me to turn on the news. He was right. It was supposed to rain today.

There was a sweater in my spot when I got to lunch. I picked it up and threw it over my bag as I sat down. Monty stopped talking and kissed the side of my head, before going back to arguing with Zach and Charlie about a play for tonight’s game. I tuned them out and turned to Justin. “Moving furniture?” He muttered to me.

“Yeah. Mum is sick of looking at that awful hutch coat rack thing.”

“How are you supposed to help with that?”

“Direct. Probably push it.”

“On the hardwood?”

“We are going to put cloths underneath. It’ll be good. Monty is going to supervise because of his knee. He’s thrilled.”

“He finally gets out of the heavy lifting?”

“Yup. All it took was breaking himself.”

“All.” We chuckled. “I want to know if it breaks. That thing really is awful. Call me if you need more help.”

“It is. I’ll definitely tell you.”

“Good.”

“Tell them I’m right Addison.” Zach said.

“About?”

“No, tell them I’m right.” Monty said.

“About?”

“The play is a stupid play.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“And we are asking the person who doesn’t do sports about sports because…?”

“Just agree.”

“And now I defer to Justin. Talk to your boys please.”

“Oh, so now they’re my boys?”

“Yes.” I nodded and pulled out my salad, effectively removing myself from the conversation. The sweater came in handy. It was absolutely pouring rain on my way to fourth period.

“They don’t need us until at least three tomorrow.” Monty said as I was getting my books from my locker.

“That’s great. I’ll tell the boys brunch is still on.” I picked up my bag and we made our way to the car. My plans for the evening were playing over in my head as we walked.

At home, Monty went to change while I threw a load of laundry in. I got started on some homework with the time we had to kill before making dinner. He squeezed my shoulder as he passed me at the island. I smiled at him briefly before going back to my notes. He grabbed a bag of fruit snacks and pulled out my laptop. I did note that he had already taken off his pants for no pants pizza. We worked quietly for a little while before my stomach started to grumble. Monty chuckled quietly. We turned to each other and grinned. “Dinner?”

“Yes, please.” I laughed. We stood up and took out ingredients. The hour or so we took to cook was so nice. There were stolen glances and stupid jokes passed between the two of us. We slowly moved closer to each other and bumped hips. Everything was so normal. It was amazing. I was elated to be back to how things used to be.

After we finished enjoying our pizzas, I got up to change and get ready for bed. I reapplied my lotion and grabbed my favourite white button up. The white button up. I left the top few buttons undone. Smoothing it out in the mirror, I made my way back to the couch. I sat down cross-legged next to Monty.

“That’s familiar.” He said as he looked up. I shrugged.

“It’s comfortable.”

“Okay.” He smiled. I leaned closer and he pulled me into his side. He shifted and stretched before putting his arm across the back of the couch, and my shoulders. Cliché but adorable. Neither of us commented on the light blue strappy bra I wore. Or the fact that I was wearing a matching set.

The two of us sat in comfortable silence for a while. The Cars That Made America was on. It was very interesting. Soon enough the first episode ended and the second began. Love that History does all three at once. I could feel Monty’s eyes on me. He tried to hide that he was looking, by sneaking quick glances. No matter how hard he tried not to, I knew he was staring down his shirt. My position against his side gave him a prefect view of my cleavage. I tried to hide a smirk as I spoke. “Yes?”

“Nothing.” He averted his gaze and tried to feign more interest in our show.

“Okay.” I adjusted my position again. I hadn’t noticed how aroused I was until I moved, and the cool air hit my core. I inhaled sharply.

“Are you okay Addison?”

“Yeah.” I looked up and caught him smirking.

“You sure about that?”

“Mhmm.”  

“Alright.” I cuddled closer into his side. Tilting my head up slightly, I kissed his jaw softly. We were well into episode two by this point. He turned and kissed me on the forehead.

I sat up a little and kissed his cheek. He smiled to himself.

I took the opportunity to kiss the corner of his mouth.  Then I kissed him properly. He smiled more. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip. He allowed me entrance and eventually, pulled me into his lap. My hands rested at his shoulders. His wrapped around my waist and rested on my hips. He let me lead for a while. My hips ground on their own accord. Until his natural desire for control got the best of him and he broke. Our fight for dominance ended when he grabbed my his with one hand to still me. The other hand slid up my side and came to rest against my throat. I whimpered and tried to buck my hips. His hand squeezed my throat gently. A warning. I pulled away and huffed. He leaned in and nipped my lip. I stuck my tongue out at him. He quirked a brow. I looked down at him apologetically. He shook his head and smiled. I leaned in and kissed him again. He pulled away and started to kiss my neck. It was really soothing. I sighed slightly and adjusted my position. Monty nipped my neck. I whimpered.

His hand travelled back down my body and rested at my panty line. My breath caught as his fingers ran along the line. My hand travelled down his body and tugged at the bottom of his shirt. Monty pulled away and pulled his shirt off. I dragged my nails down his chest again and immediately my hand rested at the waistband of his boxers. He smirked at me. I looked at him with begging eyes. He nodded. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I said, confidently nodding.

“Okay.” He nodded again. I sat back in his lap and pulled his button up off. My hands went back to his waistband and pulled his boxers down a little. He picked me up and placed me on the couch so he could take them off. I jumped back into his lap after pulling my own underwear off.

There was no need to prepare either of us because of all the pent-up tension that had been building in the days and weeks leading up to this. I slowly sank down on his cock, gasping as it entered me. He groaned in my ear and threw his head back. I began to rock my hips back and forth and around in circles, trying to find the best angle and positioning. Once I found it, we both looked at each other with wide eyes. Perfect. He pulled my head towards his and kissed me deeply. “I love you.” He mumbled against my mouth.

“I love you too.” I found my rhythm and placed my hands on his shoulders to get better leverage and balance. Soon enough, I could tell the knot in my stomach was beginning to tighten. Montgomery’s grip on my hip tightened and I could tell his high was coming on fast. Probably a little faster than he would like, but I wasn’t going to complain.

A few minutes, or maybe a few more than a few minutes, I wasn’t counting, my walls tightened around his cock. He groaned. I leaned down and bit into his shoulder. Monty growled. I felt his cock spasm deep inside of me. I gingerly removed myself from his cock and rested in his lap. We both slumped against each other, breathing heavily. Eventually, we both stood and moved to our bedroom. There were a few more rounds. We woke up the next morning groggy, sore, and sated.

[ozarkthedog]

A Teal Crushed Velvet Ride

Summary: You love Chris’s Teal Velvet Pants. He notices and decides to indulge you.

Pairings: Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings: Kissing, Dirty Talk, Size Kink, Thigh Riding, Female Orgasm, Squirting, Male Orgasm and those glorious Velvet pants.

Word Count: 3,022

Author Notes: Inspired by the gif set that @chrisheavans​ made (forever ty!) and wanting to ride Chris Evans thighs. 

This fic took on a life of its own. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE.

I hope everyone enjoys it!

No Beta, only me. Find me on AO3.

Tagging blogs who were interested in this prompt at the bottom.

Reblogs and Likes are amazing! Feedback and comments are encouraged!

“Sweetie, are you sure you don’t want to come today?” Chris asked you while getting ready for the Avengers Press Conference. “You know everyone would be happy to see you. He says smiling at you from his closest. 

 You’re reclining on his bed in his Hollywood Home, watching as he combs through his closet for the day ahead.

“To be honest, I’m not feeling up to it. I’m feeling like a homebody.” You sigh out running a hand through your messy bed hair. Dressed in only a tank top and lace booty shorts, you’ve yet to shower. All you wanted to do was lounge in bed with Chris all day, if only he didn’t have that Conference. 

 “Ok, not to worry. I’ll miss you, but I understand. I’d rather spend the day with you looking like that.” He winks as he buttons up his dark blue cardigan. You chuckle and get up on your hands and knees reaching out to him. He comes to the side of the bed, clasping your hands together with his. He leans down for a kiss. 

You both sigh in contentment as your lips meet. You’ve always loved kissing Chris. His lips were so plump and soft. So naturally red you couldn’t help yourself but sneak quick kisses whenever you were in the same room together. 

Chris nips at your bottom lip as you open your mouth a bit wider for him. His tongue slides over your bottom lip, gaining access you swipe across your own tongue. 

 You wrap your arms around his broad shoulders and grasp the soft material of the cardigan. Chris hums softly and reaches down with both hands to grab at your panty clad bum.

He squeezes your supple glutes and pulls your pelvis so it grinds on his own. You feel a slight hardness against your lace covered mound. You smile into the kiss, knowing you are going to be on his mind all day.

 “Mmm, Sweetie, no we’ve got to stop,” Chris pulls away from you reluctantly. You allow his shoulders to leave your grip as you notice a slightly bigger bulge trying to break free from

his black boxer briefs.

 “That’s ok, Babe. I can take care of myself later” you say cheekily, while falling back onto the crisp bed sheets.

 Chris narrows his eyes at you. Leaning over your smaller frame, he grasps your chin sternly, “Don’t you even think about it. If I have to go the whole day without touching myself, you have to do the same.” You sigh disappointedly, but agree, “Ugh, I guess that’s fair.”

He smiles down at you, “Good. It’ll be more fun when I get home later.”

 He straightens up, goes back into his closet while you get lost in thought looking out the big windows. Letting the sunshine lull you into a hazy state, you are startled when Chris finally speaks up after a while, “How do I look?” He comes out of the adjoined bathroom wearing a black t-shirt underneath a black cardigan, and Teal Crushed Velvet pants.

Your eyes widen as you take in his outfit. You feel your heart starting to race with all the impure thoughts running through your head.

Before you can even stop yourself you breath out a low “Fuck me”.

 His eyes perk up, smiling that beautiful smile, “I look that good, huh?”

 “Chris, those pants, let me feel!” You are back up on all fours crawling towards him in haste. The Velvet looks so soft, and it’s being stretched out so nicely over those strong thighs. You can’t help but run your hands over his thick quads and up over his crotch.

 “Hey now! No, no, no.” He backs away quickly before you get to far with those greedy hands. Chuckling he watches as your face go from pure lust to disappointment in the blink of an eye.

 “But I just like the way the material feels! Especially over your thighs and other places…” you whisper softly. Your hand travels without thought down to your pussy mound, lightly rubbing.

 “These pants are doing something to you, Sweetie. You like them.” He says with a hint of mischievous in his eyes. His mind was racing and all you could do was sit there while he pondered his actions. “Get that hand off of that sweet pussy if you know what’s good for you.”

 As if he came to a realization, he clears his throat and walks back into the bathroom. He comes back hurriedly, reaches for your chin and gives a tender but quick kiss. He tears his face away from you and looks at you pointedly, “No touching yourself until I come home.” You open your mouth to disagree but you’re met with demanding blue eyes and a slight shake to your chin.

 “No. Just agree. We will have fun later. Don’t you worry, Sweetie.”

Giving in to him, you nod your head in his grip and lower your eyes.

 “That’s my girl. I love you.” He leans in for another quick peck on your lips, then runs across the bedroom to leave. “I love you too. Tell everyone I say hi,” you call out after him.

 You proceed to then flop back onto the bed. This was going to be a long day.

  Several Hours Later….

  You hear the mudroom door close from your place in the kitchen. Washing a few dishes. You made yourself a small meal since Chris wasn’t expected to be home until after dinner.

 “Hey Babe” you call out to him. No reply.

 Your eyes brighten as you see him walk through the den to the kitchen. Shucking his coat off, he looks tired but determined.

 Chris’s brooding eyes meet yours. You grab ahold of the cold counter top as you feel your knees weaken and almost give out. He walks with purpose straight towards you.

 He crowds you into the side of the island. Hard marble digging into your waist as he towers over you. You feel the desire radiating off of him, making you want to throw yourself at his feet and let him take what he wants from you.

His stare is sharp, you feel his hot breath over your face. Strong arms cage you in, no chance for escape.

 You timidly bring your hands up to his beard and stroke it softly. He leans his face into your palms and let’s his eyes close. He relaxes for a beat, letting the long day wash away. Body sagging against your smaller frame.

 “Chris… I-” His eyes open suddenly. His once relaxed frame has now become aware again. Ready for action.

 He puts a finger to your lips, hushing you. Your body tenses as you feel his hands travel up your spine. Landing at the base of you neck. He leans down to kiss at side of your neck, making you purr.

 Your fingers dig into his cardigan. Relishing in the hard physique that lays beneath.

 Feeling his low voice vibrate his chest before you heard it, “Do you realize the position you put me in today? Getting me all worked up before I left for the day.” He voice is his firm, as he makes you squirm in his grip.

 “I’m sorr-” you try to apologize, feeling shy while he angles your head to look up into his steely gaze.

 His grip tightens a bit more at your neck. “No. The only words I want to hear from those sweet lips are “Please” and “Thank you” from this point on. Do you understand?”

 Your body reacts accordingly as you feel your panties start to get damp. The hair on your arms stands as a chill run through you at his assertiveness. This isn’t new. You’ve been down this road with him before. After a long day at work, Chris usually wants to play when he comes home. Not as in DOM/SUB, just him wanting to reign control for a little while.

 You hold his gaze and nod your head. He smirks down at you and leans in for a light kiss. His hand travels under your jaw keeping your head where he wants it. He deepens the kiss with haste. You moan into his mouth and he reciprocates with a much lower groan that makes you squeeze your thighs together.

 His gaze travels to the junction between your thighs, letting his right hand slide from behind your neck to your left arm suddenly dragging you behind him.

 He leads you into the bedroom, letting you go as he takes off his cardigan leaving him in his black t-shirt, those teal velvet pants and his boots.

 “Take your clothes off, my Love.” He says while sitting down in the winged back chair placed by the balcony doors.

 You watch as he gets himself comfortable, settling with his hands on his knees and just waits for you to comply. He raises an eyebrow at you, and you shed your clothes as quick as you can. He leaves you standing there, naked and exposed, while he contemplates what he’s going to say. You shift from side to side feeling bashful.

 “Since you were so enamored with my pants earlier today, I think you should give them a try.” He says, reaching out to you with both hands. He smiles so as to ease your woes of standing there exposed.

 You stand there for a few moments trying to process what he said. He can tell you are sort of puzzled so he explains further.

 “Come here, Sweetie. Stand in front of me.” Again, reaching out to you but with motioning hands to come closer.

 You will yourself to move and walk until your legs are touching his wide spread ones.

 He leans forward in the chair and places his big hands on your hips, “Now, I want you to get up on my thigh and grind on me until you make a mess all over yourself and these pants.” He looks so self-assured while he says the naughtiest things to you. No hint of wavering. No room for doubt. He wants to you get yourself off on his pants. The ones you were bewildered by hours ago.

 Your breath catches in your chest as he guides you up onto his right thigh. He keeps both hands on your hips to steady you until you grasp at his shoulders, holding on for dear life. Your slick pussy sits so perfectly onto the thick muscle you can’t help but let out a little moan. The teal colored crushed velvet rubs against your pussy lips with ease. It feels so smooth against your aching pussy.  

 “It amused me to see your fascination with my pants, so I thought I’d indulge you.” He says with kind eyes that makes your body heat up. As if he could read your worrisome thoughts about the piece of clothing, “And don’t worry about ruining them. I will buy another pair.” He says as he leans back into the chair, still holding on your small hips.

 He has always enjoyed being so much bigger than you. It was so easy for him to move you into any position he wants and you let me. You will always let him do whatever he pleases.

 He nods at you to begin. Still feeling shy, your hands grip his shoulders so tight, but you shift your hips a bit and the pressure of his thigh sends tiny jolts through your cunt up into your body.

 Chris hums in approval, as you gather up courage and move your hips in a longer glide against the supple fibers. You feel your slick seeping out of you at an increased rate while you find yourself grinding a little bit harder.

 “There you go. That’s it. I want that cunt to feel good.” He groans out as he sees the thick spot of wetness already soaking his pant leg.

 “Please…” you moan out. Increasing your speed, you close your eyes and just feel the solid muscle under your aching pussy. Your clit rubs down on the slick material making you see stars. You faulter momentarily, your steady grinding missing a beat, grinding always makes you cum so easily.

Chris grabs your hips more forcefully and moves your cunt along his thigh in a solid motion, “Keep going, Sweetheart. Grind down onto me. Harder.” He grits out between his teeth.

 You cry out at the pressure on your swollen clit, it was getting to be to much. You open your eyes and stare up into his bright blue eyes. You want to ask to come, but you can’t say anything other than please, so that’s what you do. You chant “please” over and over again. Hips moving on their own, chasing the pleasure, wanting to reach that highest peak.

 “Let go, Love. Let me watch you cum.” He says with a stern affection.

 You gasp sharply as you feel your clit rub the last few times over his thigh and tumble over that peak. Your body stills as you feel your cunt convulse around nothing. Warm slick oozes out from your over worked pussy.

 Chris moans with you, he loves watching your facial features tense up and then relax into pure bliss. He is rock hard, just wanting to bury himself in your tight cunt, but he holds himself back. Tonight, was about indulging you.

 You slowly start to come around as he brushes your hair off your sweaty forehead. He chuckles at your hazy eyes and brings you down for a searing kiss.

 “That was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” He whispers into you mouth. He starts kissing your jaw and neck line while you catch your breath.

 You moan out approval and in your sweetest voice say, “Thank you”. You feel him smile against your skin and he brings his lips back to you ear, “I think one more will do.”

 Your body freezes up. Chris can’t be serious. You stare back at him with wide eyes. You try to shake your head but Chris grasps at the back of your neck, making you whimper softly.

 He wants you to cum again, so you will.

 In an adamant, gruff tone he says, “Be a Good Girl and grind that swollen cunt on me. I want to be drenched in you.”

 Choking back a moan, you go to move your hips but he adjusts you so that your cunt is now grinding down on his velvet covered cock. You squeal out at feeling the extreme hardness on your sensitive pussy.

 “Will that help get you off again? Knowing how fucking hard I am watching you take yourself apart.” His jaw is tight and his eyes are full blown with lust.

 Your clit glides over his bulging crotch with purpose. Feeling how hard he is, watching you get off ignites a new spark in you. You lift your hips up higher to bring them down with a solid pressure against his cock.

 Both of you let out broken moans. Eyes catching, you feel the lust pass between your vibrating bodies. He finally plays with your tits for a little bit. Lightly spanking and twisting the perk buds between his skilled fingers. He tries to distract himself by fondling your breasts, but your sweet, wet cunt keeps drawing him back to you.

 He drops his left hand to your right hip and grabs it with a bruising squeeze. You yell at the roughness, but continue on as the pain turns to pleasure. His hardness feels so good against your cunt. Chris closes his eyes for a few beats as his hips thrust up unexpectedly. Sending even more jolts of pleasure through your body. He can’t help but thrust against your soaked cunt. The slick is seeping through his pants and boxer briefs, he can’t get over how wet you are.

 Chris brings his right hand up to cup around your jaw, then slides down to your neck. Just resting there, waiting. “Come on pretty girl. Cum all over me. Soak me.” He pants the words out.

 Chris sees that you’re close, so he adjusts his grip and applies pressure to your carotid artery. Not choking you, just wanting to make you weak and compliant.

Your mouth opens with a silent moan. The pressure he applies starts to make you feel light-headed. Your mouth forms an “O” shape as your faces tenses up again.

You let out a desperate moan and grind down ever harder onto his soaked pants.

 He thrusts up once, twice and then you hear him grunt out his own release. Your body tightens up as your eyes roll back and crash with own peak of pleasure. He keeps your hips moving with his as your slick gets even wetter with the gush of your orgasm.

 He growls out feeling you drench his pants, and lower abs ruining his t-shirt with your squirt.

His pants and your legs are covered with your cum. The material is soaked through from his own orgasm under his boxer briefs.

 You collapse down on top of Chris, spent. He finally opens his eyes and stares down at your exhausted body, quietly twitching every now and then. You sigh contentedly through your nose letting your heartbeat come to a normal rhythm.

 You glance up at Chris with sleepy, glazed over eyes. His Blue eyes crinkle on the sides as he smiles down at you. “So, was that everything you’d hoped it would be?” he questions you.

 Huffing out a satisfied laugh you raise your head up, “Um, yes, considering I didn’t know I had a Crushed Velvet Pants kink. I’d say that went over very well.”

 He lifts you up with so much ease that it startles you awake from the orgasm haze you were so comfortable in. “Oh! Chris! Warn a girl next time.” You jokingly say as he walks across the carpeted bedroom to the master bath to start a bath for the both of you. “Sorry, Sweetie, you know I like to keep you on your toes” he smirks and nudges your nose with his.

                                                         The End.

   @evansweaters​ @hurricanerin​ 

[justmypartner]

Still Breathing: Chapter 4

Summary: AU | When a case goes sideways, Hailey wakes up in the hospital with a revelation that leaves her evaluating her life. While she recovers at Med, she meets Jay, an aloof, yet intriguing patient that catches her by surprise. The two get to know one another as they take on the task of rediscovering what it’s like to truly live, and eventually learn their lives intersect in more ways than one.

Writer’s Note: Hello all! I hope you are enjoying this story so far! I don't have much to say other than I so appreciate the kind comments I've gotten thus far! I really enjoy the feedback and discord after posting a chapter, so keep it coming - I love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!!

Read on AO3 or below

A glow of sunlight filtering in through her curtains pulled Hailey out of a deep sleep the next morning. As her eyes fluttered open, part of her was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For it to be just another dream that would morph into a nightmare and leave her waking with tacky, sweat-covered skin and an irregular pulse. It took her a moment, but she eventually realized it wasn’t another dream. She was awake, and she had just slept fully through the night, unobstructed by her haunting memories. A naive thought credited it to Jay’s text from the night before, but the cynic in her figured it was just her many nights of restlessness finally catching up with her. Whatever it was, she was glad for that one night of freedom. It wasn’t enough to convince her the nightmares were gone completely, but she was willing to take what she could get. 

When she checked the clock on her bedside table, it read 15 minutes before her alarm was due to go off. She climbed out of bed then, figuring she could use the extra time with how much longer getting ready took with one arm still out of commission. Showering was a hassle, doing her hair was nearly impossible, and getting dressed required a specific strategy she hadn’t quite perfected yet. By the time she had gathered the last of her things to stuff into her duffle, it was time to go.  

The final thing she did was pull her sidearm from the safe in her bedroom and secure it in the side of the bag. She found it strange to wear her star without her weapon. It left a misplaced feeling in the back of her mind like she was forgetting something, but it was a feeling she knew she’d have to get used to over the next few weeks. 

As unexciting as desk duty sounded, she was glad in a way that she’d be able to ease back into things. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but after everything that happened, the thought of going into the field was unsettling. Physically she was feeling 100%, with exception of her arm still being in a sling, but mentally she wasn’t prepared for the field again. She was more than ready to be back at work. She hated being out, leaving the team short-handed after only two weeks of joining them to solve just that, so she was eager to get back to them. She was just glad that the shooting’s effects on her body provided a reason to disguise the mental ones that left her hesitant to get back on the streets. 

When she finally made it to work, she took a deep breath before climbing the steps into the district. She wasn’t sure what to expect. She warned the team against any sort of welcome back. At her old district, it was a tradition to greet cops who were injured on the job with a grand welcoming, but she always hated the idea of it. The attention was bad enough, but she always thought it was strange to celebrate someone almost dying for simply doing their job. Immediately as she reached the top of the steps, her shoulders relaxed to see the lobby empty. Not even the ever so illustrious desk sergeant was at her post, so she took the opportunity to sneak upstairs. 

She was surprised to be greeted with a vacant bullpen. She wasn’t sure who she was expecting, but she imagined at least someone would have beaten her there. As she moved through the space towards the locker room, a low wince behind the desks stopped her in her tracks. She then heard what sounded like someone falling over, followed by a murmur of suppressed laughter. 

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” she finally questioned, both amused and muddled by the unsourced noises. 

“This is officially the last time I include Ruz in a surprise,” Kim said, shaking her head with an enlivened grin as she and the other two Intelligence members climbed out from behind the desks.

“You stepped on my foot, what’d you expect me to do?” Adam bridled, causing Hailey and the others to let out stifled snickers. 

God, did she miss those idiots.

“Sorry, Upton. This was supposed to be a fun little welcome back, but I guess it’s a bit anticlimactic now so uh, here,” Kevin said, extending the cup of coffee in his hand out to her. “Welcome back,” he smiled, his contagious smile enough to get her grinning from ear to ear. 

“Thanks, guys,” she said quietly. “You didn’t have to do anything, but I appreciate it, and I’m just glad to be back.”

“We’re glad you’re back,” Kim said, the two guys nodding in agreement. Hailey smiled, dipping her head sheepishly before cutting the sudden silence with a sigh.

“Well, I still need to hit the locker room, but I fully expect a rundown of what I’ve missed while I was gone when I come back,” she told them before turning on her heels and heading down the hall. 

As she was putting the last of her things into her locker, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She sat on the bench behind her as she retrieved the phone, tapping the screen to read the message that had just come in. Her face instantly lit up when she saw who it was from.

Happy first day back! Kick ass!

Her fingers tapped out a response quickly. 

Kinda hard to do that from a desk, but I’m sure I’ll find a way lol

She settled on it before pocketing the phone and making her way back into the bullpen. The team caught her up on what she’d missed, and she told them about how uneventful her recovery was, leaving out the part where she met a new friend. They dished out all of their details, work-related and non-work-related until Voight eventually showed. He took only a brief moment to check up on Hailey and welcome her back before they dove into the day’s case.

Hailey spent the rest of the day combing through pod footage, making phone calls, and digging up any other information she could to relay back to the team. It wasn’t the most glamorous part of the job, but it kept her busy and it helped her to find her groove again. 

By the end of the day, they were unofficially able to close up the case. They still had batches of paperwork to fill out, but other than that it was pretty cut and dry, so Voight sent them home.

As they exited the district, her three fellow officers expressed how happy they were to have her back for the last time that day. It gave her the warmest feeling as she realized she got to work with some of the best people she’d ever met, but it also made her happy to have been so clearly missed by them. Walking out with them she took in every smile and every laugh. It was such a trivial moment, but it was the kind of memory her new outlook on life made her want to cherish.

When she pulled up outside of her place, a car she’d never seen along her street before caught her eye. It was a baby blue, vintage, convertible of some sort. She wasn’t much of a car person, but it was just one of those cars no person could refuse to appreciate. After one last glance at it, she hopped out of her own car and made her way up to her front door. She froze when she saw a friendly figure perched on her small stoop. A confused smile crept across her face as Jay stood, shoving his hands in his pockets as he sauntered towards her. 

“Hi?” She greeted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Hey, how was your day? Did you kick ass?” he asked casually, now standing only but a few feet in front of her. 

“Good, and I guess as best as I could behind a desk… what are you doing here?” she asked, her eyes darting around in confusion. 

“In honor of your first day back, we are going to cross something off my list,” he told her. His words coming out slowly, and she noted the way they came out as a statement rather than a question. 

“It better not be the one where you jump in the Chicago River,” she challenged, pointing a finger out with her words. He let out a chuckle, his mouth twisting into a sinister smile. 

“No…” she muttered, a sudden bout of fear rising in her. 

“I’m kidding, come on,” he instructed, brushing past her as he nonchalantly headed out toward the street. 

It was only when he stopped at the driver’s side of the car that she realized the connection.

“Wait, that’s yours?” she questioned, a look of disbelief on her face. 

“Don’t look so surprised,” he replied, the rise in his voice’s pitch revealing to her that he was bluffing. All it took was one raised brow, and he immediately caved. 

“Okay fine, it’s a loaner. I’ve got a lot of friends in high places,” he shrugged, steadying a hand against the top of the door as he jumped over it and into the driver’s seat. 

Since they’d met, she’d tried to keep her thoughts about him purely platonic. For the most part, she’d been fairly successful, but there was something about the way he jumped into that seat so smoothly that was so damn hot. That, the green beanie he wore that brought out the forest color of his eyes, and the way he looked so confident in that car had her questioning her feelings for a moment. She stood on the sidewalk looking over at him, slightly lost in a lingering gaze as butterflies danced about in her stomach. It was only when he cleared his throat that she was snapped out of it. 

“So, you coming or what?”

“Coming where?”

“It’s item number seven on my list, rent a convertible and drive down Lake Shore late at night,” he smirked, one arm propped against the headrest of the passenger seat and the other draped over the steering wheel. 

“Okay, that actually does sound pretty fun. Let me put my bag up,” she told him, lightly jogging to her front door before haphazardly tossing the bag into the dark space and locking up again. As she approached the car, he leaned over and pushed the door open for her, and she slipped into the passenger seat. 

“Ready?” he asked, and she confirmed the question with a nod. 

When he started the car, the roar of the engine was loud enough to send a judder through her bones. When he sped off down the street, she found herself instinctively clutching at the sides of the car for stability. She was filled with equal parts fear and exhilaration as they raced up and down half-empty streets. 

By the time they reached Lake Shore, the sun had already set, but twilight brought out a deep blue tinge that stood out against the city lights. It was like she was seeing the city for the first time. Like she was falling in love with it all over again. That view, with the roar of the engine, wind blowing through her hair, and the 70s roadtrip music he’d put on playing through the old stereo made her feel like she was in a movie. He drove the road until they reached just about the outskirts of the city. He pulled the car off somewhere near Montrose beach and got out, quickly running over to her side to open her door. 

“And they say chivalry’s dead,” she teased, masking the way the simple act had her stomach doing flips. He rolled his eyes at her, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face as she stepped out and he pushed the door shut behind her. 

“So what are we doing here?” she questioned as he led them closer to the shore of the lake. 

“I don’t know. We ran out of road, the lake’s pretty in the moonlight, and after a boring day of desk duty, I feel like it’s not a half-bad way to end the night,” he said simply, sitting down on the ledge by the lake. 

As she sat down with him, she quickly realized how much colder it was by the water. The brisk wind brushing against her skin through the open top of the car was one thing, but the coolness of the lakefront breeze was almost intolerable. She suddenly wished she’d thought to grab her jacket from her duffle before they left. As she settled down beside him, she clutched her arms tightly against her chest as shivers jumped through her body. Before she knew it, as if he had read her mind, he shimmied off his jacket and held it out to her. She thanked him, a tone of gratitude and hesitation in her voice as she pulled it on over her shoulders. When she did, she noticed him glancing over at her badge still displayed on her hip. His eyes lingered there before he realized she’d caught him looking and he quickly diverted his eyes, holding back whatever question the object had generated. 

“What?” she asked in an attempt to pull it out of him. 

“Hm? Nothing,” he shrugged off. She knew it wasn’t nothing, but she decided against pressing him for whatever it was. She knew the job was a touchy subject, and she figured it was best to leave it alone.

“So I’ve been meaning to tell you, and I may sound crazy for this, but part of me feels like your text last night actually worked,” she informed him, fidgeting with a loose pebble she found on the ground beside her. 

“What text?” his face contorted as he seemed to comb through his memory from the night before. “Oh wait… no nightmares?”

She shook her head.

“First night without them after more than three straight. Maybe you’ve got some sort of magic touch,” she half-joked, her tight-lipped grin growing across her face.

“I don’t know if I can take credit for that, but that’s good. You deserve that peace,” his voice was soft and low, and she didn’t miss the way his cheek dimpled slightly when he flashed her a small smile.

“So what’d you get into today?” she asked him, tucking one of her legs in and twisting so that she could face him.

“Um let’s see, I had a doctor’s appointment this morning, went to the grocery store, had a therapy session this afternoon, you know, all very exciting things,” he said, counting out each activity on his fingers.

“You go to therapy?” she asked, instantly regretful of the almost judgmental tone she carried as the words left her mouth. She just couldn’t help but be surprised that someone like him, a cop, a veteran, a man would be so open about it. She realized the thought only played into the toxic mentalities surrounding mental health and masculinity that she despised so much, but part of her also wondered if it was her own reluctance to start therapy that made her so staggered by the idea. 

“Yeah, for a few years now. Based on your reaction, I’m going to assume you don’t?”

“I’ve done the mandatory sessions with the department shrink after shootings before, but never anything consistent. How’d you get started?” she wasn’t even sure if it was an appropriate question to ask, but she was so intent on knowing more that she didn’t take time to second guess it. Though, she was relieved when his face read an expression of musing rather than one of annoyance. 

“There’s a bad take we often absorb as cops — as people really, but even more so as cops. We get injured on the job, we do whatever we need to do to heal, and we jump through whatever hoops we gotta jump through just to get back out there. The problem is there’s such a focus on our physical healing that we neglect what needs to be addressed mentally. I went through my whole life doing that. You get to a point where after so many times of telling people you’re fine, you start to convince yourself that you are,” he inhaled deeply, staring out at the lake briefly before he brought his eyes back to her and continued.

“Thing is, you do that for too long and you start to lose sight of what’s real. I was so against getting help, so against the idea that there was anything wrong with me that I began to just accept the fact that I was suffering. Then one day, that sense of reality I’d lost came back and bit me… hard. After that, I started going to therapy, very reluctantly at first, but eventually, I realized it was saving me. Helping me get to a place where I was healing instead of dealing, and I haven’t turned back from it since,” he finished, tightening his lips together as he peered into her eyes with a look of confidence. Like he knew everything he’d said was exactly what she needed to hear. 

“Damn,” she whispered, blankly staring out at the lake as she processed his words. She blinked rapidly to recede the tears that had emerged. She’d spent her entire life, best put in his words, dealing rather than healing. She was no stranger to trauma, in fact, she was far from it, but she was a stranger to properly addressing it. She wasn’t against therapy, she just figured she didn’t need it. That she was doing fine on her own, but that one conversation with him was making her think otherwise. 

“Well, maybe I should add therapy to my still breathing list,” she quipped, her best attempt at lightening the mood. 

“Not a bad thing to add,” he smirked, his face softening as he propped an arm behind him to lean back against. 

“Well, my first thing was kinda lame, so I figure it can only go up from here,” she joked, a mischievous grin spouting across her face. He scoffed, clutching at his chest as he feigned hurt by her words.

They talked for maybe longer than they should’ve, falling into an easy rhythm back and forth as they talked about anything and everything that came to mind. Hailey was the type of person who could talk to any and everyone if she had to, but there was something about talking to him that felt like a routine. Like one that she’d memorized by heart and never wanted to go without. After a while, she realized the time, realized she still hadn’t eaten, and that she had work early the next morning.

“God I didn’t realize how late it was, we should probably head back,” she told him, pushing herself up to stand. He nodded, standing with her as he fumbled in his pocket for the keys.

“Now… I know this was for my list but do you wanna drive back?” he asked, rising to stand with her. He dangled the keys in front of her. Her face brightened immediately, and he couldn’t hold in the puff of laughter that came with it.

“I thought you were never going to ask,” she joked, pulling his jacket tight across her body with her free hand before snatching the keys and making her way over to the driver’s side. As he climbed into the passenger seat, she crossed her good arm around the steering wheel to turn the key, and the engine started with a roar. She revved it a few times, looking over at Jay whose fearful expression had laughter escaping her lips.

“Am I going to regret this?” he asked, but instead of answering she just swiveled the steering wheel to pull off the shoulder, gunning the engine down the presently empty street. 

Before long they were back at her place, and she shifted the gear into park before turning off the engine. Driving with one arm was harder than she thought it would be, mainly for the fact that the ignition and gear shift were on the right side and her right arm was still in a sling. Yet, it didn’t stop her from having the time of her life driving such a car. She climbed out after she handed him back the keys, making her way around to lean against the back bumper.

“That was incredible,” she told him, digging in her pocket for her own keys.

“Anyone ever tell you that you drive like a maniac?” he jabbed, causing her to lightly kick at his leg.

“So what else is on that list of yours?” she inquired, noting the way he shadowed over her.

“Hm, I don’t know. I kind of liked surprising you tonight. If I tell you, it may take the fun away when we get around to the next one,” he admitted, a childlike softness in his voice that made it hard for her to be mad at his obscurity. She cut her eyes at him, and she noticed the way his brow furrowed back innocently.

“Are you always this aloof?” 

“Only with you.”

She rolled her eyes at him dramatically, shaking her head at his goading. 

“Well, thanks for tonight,” she said, pulling the jacket from her shoulders and offering it back to him. 

“Next time we’ll do something from your list,” he told her as she pushed herself from the car and made her way up to her front door. 

“Sounds like a plan,” she twirled around to tell him, her lips curling up at the thought of another night like that one. 

“And Hailey,” he called out, just as she reached the top of the steps. 

“Sleep well. No bad dreams,” he uttered, a small smile creeping across his face as his hands found way to his pockets.

It was the last time that night an action of his had caused an unexpected flutter in her stomach. She was embarrassed and somewhat fearful of the way those simple words had her feeling so dippy. Maybe it was the sentiment behind them, the way he’d said it, or the stupid smile on his face when he said it, but she wondered if the feeling that he’d erupted was more than just a fleeting one. She quickly pushed that thought down, dipping her head before hesitantly meeting his eyes once more. 

“Goodnight, Jay,” she told him before making her way inside, shutting the door and locking it behind her as if it would somehow protect her from what had just happened. 

She had to blame it on her exhaustion and the slight adrenaline rush she got from the night’s events. She’d also never had a friend like him. Someone who always had the perfect thing to say, whose company felt so natural and necessary, who seemed to relate so much to everything she was feeling. It was admiration more than anything, she told herself. He was just her friend, and he’d stay that way. Yet, as much as she tried to convince herself that all of those times that night that suggested differently were just flukes, she ended the night with a looming thought that wondered otherwise.

[kalimagik]

Eyes for Her

James Potter x Reader

Marauders Era 

Word Count: ~2.5k

A/N: This is my submission for Millie’s ( @iliveiloveiwrite​ ) writing challenge! It took me some time to actually figure out the direction I wanted to take, but I think I found it and I hope you guys like it! I’m a sucker for a girl that can throw James Potter off his game ;) Feel free to like, comment, reblog, give me a follow! Even send an ask! (My next works will be the requests sitting in my inbox). Feedback always welcome! Happy Reading <3<3

Prompts: (bolded in text)

5. “Are you hitting on me?” “Only for the last year or so but thanks for noticing.”

8. “This is the part where you ask me out and I say yes.”

*Not my GIF! Credits to the owner 

They were friends. They were friends, right? Y/N knew that James existed, she was close with Sirius, so she was around all the Marauders a lot. James wouldn’t say that they were close - exactly. See, James Potter was always charming and smooth talking, especially with the girls in his year, but when it came to Y/N Y/L/N, he was tongue tied. Every. Single. Time.

There was just something about her that shut him down when she was around. He could barely get a coherent sentence out. She was just so beautiful and smart and had the ear of everyone the moment she opened her mouth to speak. Honestly, she could give James a run for his money. She could honestly take his spot in the Marauders and they wouldn’t even notice. Well, he did beat her in one area. He was a notorious ladies man. He’d flirt with them, charm them, but never actually date them because he only had eyes for her. James, recently, had been flirting with other girls more and more as a sort of practice for talking to Y/N. It hadn’t worked up to this point as it was already 6th year.

The other Marauders had noticed James struggle with this over the years and he was not living it down.

“Y/N’s helping me study tonight,” Sirius looked up at James in the Common Room. “You want to try and hang around tonight orrrr?” he smirked as the messy haired boy’s head shot up.

“You really hit a chord there,” Remus snickered, watching the scene unfold.

“Stuff it,” James spat. “I can do this. Tonight is the night I talk to her.”

“Talking is one thing. Will you get full sentences out is the real question.” Sirius pointed out.

James threw a pillow in Sirius’ direction to show the frustration he felt. The boys continued to tease him, but James stuck his nose in a book, pretending to read. In reality, he was planning what he could say to her in his head.

James was in the bathroom. He may or may not have been attempting to comb his hair before Y/N arrived. He looked into the mirror, mentally preparing himself.

“Hello, love. Good to see you. How did you do on that Charms exam? Mhmmm…maybe more aloof? Cheers! Good to see you helping Sirius, he could use all the help he can get –”

“I take personal offense to that one,” Sirius piped up, leaning against the door of the bathroom. “I think you should lead with a joke. That’s your best stuff, Prongs,” he chuckled, rubbing his neck nonchalantly.

“Snub off.” James acted coolly even though he felt wildly embarrassed to be caught in this situation. He was not supposed to be one of those guys that got nervous around a girl and practiced what to say in the mirror.

“Chill out,” Sirius shook his head. “I’m just telling you that she’s walking up here in like 5 minutes, so pull yourself together.”

James followed Sirius out of the bathroom, his hair as if he hadn’t ever combed it to begin with. He just sat on his bed when a knock sounded from the door.

“Ready there, Prongs? Can you act natural?” Lupin baited the short tempered boy.

James could only shoot him a look before Sirius opened the door for Y/N. James felt his voice caught in his throat the second she walked in. She just did everything so effortlessly. She seemed like she didn’t have a care in the world. He was usually like that, but why did she pull the cowardly lion out of him?

“Evening, lads,” she grinned that Cheshire smile. “What have we been up to in here?” she asked as she closed the door.

“James did some primping,” Peter giggled. James made a mental note to hex him later as he sent him a glare.

“For me, Jamesy?” Y/N chuckled before sitting at the foot of Sirius’ bed and opening a book.

“I- uhhh…ummmm, not necessarily…”

“So are you going to help me or not?” Sirius interjected. Despite all his teasing, he could be useful when James felt like he was drowning in front of this girl.

“Right. History of Magic. Why do you always need help for the most boring subject? Couldn’t Remus help you? He’s smart!”

“Moony has refused to help me study History of Magic. He says I make too much of a joke out of it.”

“You do!” Remus called from his four-poster.  

Once all the bantering settled down, the room did fall into a quiet, steady easiness. James pretended to be doing homework of his own while Y/N and Sirius went over Warlock Conventions and Goblin Revolutions. The dates and years too much for even James to follow. But, he wasn’t really paying attention to what they were studying. He was listening to the soft laughter that broke the silence every time Sirius made a joke. He was itching to say something, but what?

“Pads, you ever figure out the logistics of that prank?” Why had he said that? They didn’t even have a prank in the works. Sirius gave him a quizzical look that said he was thinking the same thing.

“Uhhh…” Sirius started.

“You guys are planning a prank? Can I help?” Y/N was fully interested.

This was not where he saw this going. He just wanted something to talk about, something so that she could hear that he could speak.

“Sirius, why didn’t you tell me? You said I could help with the next one!” Y/N playfully slapped Sirius’ arm as she turned back to James. “Tell me about it!”

“Uhhh…well, we were – uhhh…See, Remus concocted this charm and we were going too –” He was stumped there was no plan. He got all twisted up again. He shifted his glance from her focused face to Sirius’, only flashing a hint of ‘HELP ME!’ in his eyes.

James finally let out a sigh of relief as Sirius seamlessly took over. He was pulling bullshit out of thin air. James could usually do that. When Y/N left their room before curfew, James was breathing normally again.

“Hello, earth to James. Can you speak again?” Remus asked tentatively as James fell backwards onto his bed.

“That. Was. A. Disaster.” He spoke slowly, rubbing his hands over his eyes and under his glasses.

“You spoke a full sentence even if it wasn’t directly to her,” Peter offered.

“Shush!” James retaliated. “You literally told her I was primping earlier! I am in my right mind to hex you!” James tossed and turned as he went over the tragedy that turned into in front of Y/N. Maybe tomorrow would be better?

It was a new day and James successfully glided through his morning classes. He’d made a decision the previous night as he listened to Peter’s snores. He was going to ask her out today.

James peered around the corner to look at Y/N, trying to assess his plan of attack. She was surrounded by friends, but they all had been charmed by James before, they would be no issue. Maybe he should complement her or offer to carry her books? No, that would be weird. Or would it be sweet? Ughhh! Nothing seemed to be right!

“What are you doing, Prongs?” Sirius whispered in his ear. James jumped, not expecting anyone to talk to him. “Merlin, Padfoot! What did you do that for?”

“We’ve been standing here for 2 minutes!” James stood up to see that Peter and Remus were also standing behind him.

“You were doing that thing again where you watch Y/L/N.” Moony followed Sirius’s lead.

“Yeah, that’s getting pretty creepy, Prongs.” Sirius chuckled. James instinctively rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He didn’t realize how embarrassing this actually was until they caught him. At least the other Marauders were the ones who caught him and not Snivellus.

“I’m trying to figure her out, okay?” James tried to defend himself. Now that he thought about it, maybe he had been staring at Y/N a little more than usual lately, but that was only because he was figuring out how to approach her on his own.

Around the corner, he could hear the echo of her laugh. Oh, that laugh. The first time he heard it, it sounded like Christmas bells ringing and it just floated across the air. There was something so genuine and happy about the sound. James was hypnotized from that moment on and he knew that he had to take her out or get close to her. He wanted to be the one causing that laugh.

“Prongs? Prongs! JAMES!” Sirius finally got his attention again. “Where did you go there?”

“Did you see the look in his eyes?” Peter teased. “He was obviously thinking about Y/N!!” Peter sang her name and for some reason, that pissed James off.

“It isn’t like that, okay?” James felt his temper starting to flare. They’d all had crushes before, so why was this one the end of the world?

“Why don’t you just breath and talk to her?” Moony asked, actually trying to give some advice or provide his friend with some guidance.

“Of course I have, you prat. The moment I start speaking, my voice just doesn’t work and I forget what I was going to say.”

“You dunce!” Sirius cut James off. “Are we even sure she knows who you are? We know she knows me, but are we sure that you aren’t just the boy that hangs around with us?” Sirius knew he was poking the bear.

“Of course she knows who he is! Everyone knows who James Potter is,” Peter beamed, looking towards James for approval.

“That means nothing. She messes with him occasionally, so we know that,” Remus shook his head.

“Remus is right,” Sirius agreed. “You need to woo her. Do something romantic. That’ll definitely get her attention!”

The other two boys nodded in agreement, but James just stared at them, trying to figure out where they were headed with this.

“What if he does something big in the Great Hall during dinner. If he says her name, then that would definitely get her attention.” Sirius seemed to be calculating what would happen in this big plan.

“Uhhh, guys?” James said.

“I don’t know if big would be the way to go,” Remus replied to Sirius. “Y/N definitely doesn’t WANT everyone looking at her all the time. What if he did something in the library? He could bring her something while she studies? Say she looked like she needed it?”

Peter’s eyes grew wide at the idea as James tried to interject again. “Hello? Mates?”

“Madam Pince would not like that at all.” Peter’s eyes showed fear as he thought about the librarian. “I had a cookie in there once and I still don’t think I can ever unhear her screams…” Peter’s face glazed over as he thought back.

“Wormtail might be right, Moony. There’s no way to scare away a girl like getting her in trouble with Madam Pince. What could he do?”

“You guys do know that I am still here, right?” James was practically waving his hands over his heads to get the other marauders to look at him.

“We know that,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “But you don’t get to be a part of planning this time, Prongs. You’ve messed it up too many times. So, we have decided to take matters into our own hands.”

The boys all stood around whispering while James listened, understanding that he was getting no input. Minutes went by and the ideas seemed to be getting more and more out of hand. If it wasn’t for Remus interjecting, Sirius would have James spelling her name in the sky on his broom. Why was he ridiculously romantic? The whole bad boy thing definitely was used to cover that up. The ideas seemed to be getting better until they were interrupted.

“What are you all doing?” Y/N’s voice spoke a little louder than Peter’s, who was giving his idea. “Are you planning that prank that James mentioned last night?”

“Uhhhh…” All boys were speechless. How did they explain this? They were caught in the act.

He didn’t know what it was, but James felt a surge of confidence and not embarrassment. “My mates were actually trying to help me figure out how to talk to you.”

Peter, Remus, and Sirius’ mouths all fell open, eyes widened to double their usual sizes.

“Talk to me?” Y/N raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, you, love.”

“Love, huh? You’ve never called me that before. All my friends, maybe, but not me.” Oh, how sassy she could be. “James, are you hitting on me?” Y/N asked, head cocked, eyes focused on the boy with glasses.

“Only been trying to for the last year or so, but thanks for noticing.”

“That can be hard to do when you only have so many words to work with.” 

James glanced up to see the smile on Y/N’s face growing, bottom lip between her teeth. The rest of the boys were still in awe that this was happening right now. “So, yeah they were trying to figure out how to make talking to you easier for me. Sirius was being all romantic with these crazy ideas, but Remus wasn’t sure if that would be your style. Peter had –”

“Woah! Woah! Potter!” James quit his nervous rambling the moment her sweet laughter filled his ears. “So if I got this straight, then this is the part where you ask me out and I say yes.” That Cheshire smile was back. The same one that made his heart flutter the night before.

James coughed to clear his throat, planning the words in his head. She looked at him expectantly. She literally just said that she would say yes, so why was he freezing now? “Uhh, right, okay, so Y/N, would you like to go out with me sometime?”

“Of course, James Potter. I thought you’d never ask! Pick me up for Hogsmeade on Saturday? 10 AM before everyone else leaves? We can grab lunch. See you later, lads,” Y/N waved to the other three before kissing James on the cheek and rejoining her friends.

“Did she-” Peter started.

“Just ask-” Remus followed.

“You out and plan the date?” Sirius followed, completely baffled. “I didn’t even know she liked you, mate!” Sirius slapped James on the back. The boy was still speechless. Did that really just happen? His heart was beating hard in his chest. It must’ve been doing that the whole time and he didn’t even know it.

“Well fellas, I guess I have a date to get ready for,” James grinned, watching Y/N walk away.

[moonbeambucky]

Hey Neighbor (Part 11)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 3245 Warnings: fluff

Summary: You had a plan and then life came along with one of its own. With your future almost derailed you worked hard to get yourself back on track and finally everything seemed to be going right… that is, until your new neighbor moved in.

A/N: A huge thank you to my wonderful beta Sam @buckyofthemyscira​​ Feedback is always appreciated!

PART 10 | HEY NEIGHBOR MASTERLIST

It was cold. No, that was a massive understatement. It was freezing. It was the type of weather that caused a chill to settle in your bones before you had even stepped outside, and you definitely did not want to be outside. Not when the mere action of standing outside for more than one second caused your face to burn from the frigid winds.

You forgo style, bundling up in the thickest jacket you have with gloves, scarves and a hat. You were sweating under all your layers but it was better than freezing. Thankfully the wine bar you were meeting Wanda at was only a few more frozen steps away.

It’s warm in the small restaurant, packed with people looking to escape the cold just as you were. Wanda waves at you from a table and you questioned how she was even seated before you had shown up, considering the crowd this seemed like the type of place that wants your whole party available before seating.

“The owner is Sokovian,” she smiled, shrugging her shoulders proudly. “And we’re going to order the paprikash.”

There was no arguing with Wanda, though you did choose the other menu item you would be sharing. You liked tapas and sharing so you could have a bit of everything but what you wanted the most right now was some wine.

Time seemed to move by so slowly at the hospital today and you really couldn’t wait to get out. It was Saturday night but only you and Wanda were available to hang out and you didn’t mind that at all, in fact you really wanted to speak with her.

“So I wanted to talk to you…” You took a dramatic pause, taking a sip of wine for courage. “...about Bucky.”

Wanda’s eyes widened with intrigue as she leaned closer, a smile spreading across her face as she was ready to listen.

“That kiss on New Year’s was…”

Her hands shook with glee. “Oh my god I knew it!”

Your face scrunched with confusion. “What do you know?”

“You and Bucky! I knew this would happen. I called it and ahh I’m so excited.”

“Slow down there,” you chuckled, motioning your hands for her to settle down. “Wan, what I’m trying to say is that kiss was incredible.”

“Aaaannnnd?” Her mouth hung open wide with a smile.

“Wanda, this isn’t about Bucky!” Her expression dropped into a frown, she pouted as she took a large sip of wine. “Kissing him was amazing, seriously, he’s a fantastic kisser but kissing him made me realize how much I miss being kissed.”

When you first began college you were casually dating someone, wanting to enjoy life as a young student in New York. Then your world turned upside down. Working full time and going to school left you without a lot of free time and putting yourself out there to meet new people seemed more intimidating the longer you put it off. It was easy to just convince yourself that you didn’t have the time to devote to a relationship and everything was fine up until recently.

Wanda was right in a way, Bucky had a big impact on your life. Your friendship with him led to the larger friend group and soon you began to see things for how they looked on the surface. Everyone was in a relationship except you and Bucky, and you knew his opinions on dating.

Bucky’s kiss sparked so much inside you and ever since you’ve been trying to reconcile the feelings that you can’t let go of, longing and loneliness. Bittersweet thoughts plague your mind as you think about how much of a gentleman Steve is, placing his jacket over Peggy’s shoulders when she was cold, or how Sam knows just the way to get Wanda to burst out with joyful laughter; or Natasha and Clint and how they know each other so well as best friend’s do, their hearts filled to the brim with love.

You wanted all of that but truthfully you would settle for a fraction of affection. Maybe it was time to finally download some apps, go out a bit more and meet someone. It was a scary thought, too scary for the moment, but thankfully the wine helped distract you.

By your second glass you felt nice and cozy with warmth spreading across your cheeks. You eyed the last crostini, staring back at Wanda with a big hopeful expression because it was so delicious. She waved an approval, laughing as you cheered under your breath before grabbing it and taking a bite.

“So you’re going for it?” she asked, nodding to your phone on the table and the visible Tinder logo.

Wiping the corner of your mouth with your napkin first you answered, “Yes? I don’t know. I want to be but...”

Wanda grabbed your phone and tapped on the screen, much to your horror. “Look, there’s no harm in downloading the app, okay? That’s step one, easy. I won’t force you to sign up but you really should.”

“I’m scared Wan. What if no one likes me? What if I don’t have anything to say to someone and can’t hold a conversation? They’ll think I’m as boring as burnt toast and it’s gonna make me shut out the world forever.”

The wine comforted you again as you finished the glass, setting it down on the table and finding Wanda’s sympathetic eyes staring back at you.

“Y/N, you are not boring. You’re developing an organization with Tony freakin’ Stark! You’re a hardworking, kick ass social worker who saves lives– ”

“Wanda I– ”

“Don’t interrupt me while I’m hyping my best friend!” She said firmly while pointing her finger in your face. “You’re the glue to our whole group of friends. You’re an amazing, talented, beautiful, kind person and anyone that doesn’t see that isn't worth your time.”

Your lips had slowly pulled into a smile the more she went on. Leave it to Wanda to always have your back and know just what to say.

“Love you Wan, thank you. Okay, I’m gonna maybe try and make a profile by the end of this weekend…. Or next weekend.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes. “In the meanwhile you could always knock on Bucky’s door if you really wanted to.” Her brows rose mischievously.

“If I didn’t think it would ruin our friendship I would absolutely make out with Bucky every second of every free moment I had. Wanda, I swear you have no idea what those lips can do.”

Talking about Bucky suddenly made you feel a lot warmer and Wanda didn’t miss the large lump you swallowed as you took a drink. She smirked, holding back a comment she could have made. Instead the check arrived, saving you from any further embarrassment.

That night you stared at the app on your phone, contemplating whether you should make a profile or not. Craning your neck around you looked at the wall you shared with Bucky.

You hadn’t seen him much since the kiss on New Year’s, and your anxiety made you wonder if you had already ruined things. It was a silly thought. You shared a kiss, nothing more and as you are well aware, Bucky does not grow emotional attachments like that.

Opening your phone to your messages, you wrote a quick hello but then realizing it was a Saturday night you deleted your text without sending. There was no noise coming from next door meaning he was probably out, and the idea of interrupting him if he was with someone (which was a big possibility) made you feel really uncomfortable.

Tomorrow would be a new day, you can text him then when he’s alone.

You woke up with ambitions to be productive but the steady fall of snow that began to cover the city made you change your mind. Today was not a day to do anything despite needing to. You bundled yourself up in your comforter and made breakfast, carefully setting the bowl of cereal down on the coffee table as you tucked your feet into your blanket burrito.

Scrolling through Instagram you saw Bucky had posted a story from early in the morning, a black and white video of the snow coming down which reminded you to message him. You replied to his post, asking what he was doing up so early, then sending a secondary message realizing he might not have been up early but still awake.

Then your nerves got the best of you, thinking if that was in fact the case then you were probably disturbing him with all the messages you were sending now. You sent a final text, apologizing for bothering him, which probably made it all worse.

You shook your head, tossing your phone beside you as scrolled aimlessly to find something good to watch so you could distract yourself. Thirty minutes into a movie you heard a knock at your door.

Still bundled up, you shuffled towards your door, looking through the door and were surprised to see Bucky standing there.

“Hey,” you said, smiling as you opened the door.

He was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and light grey sweatpants. His hair was loose and looking a little bit wild, as if he had only combed it through with his fingers.

“Are you okay?”

“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. What’s goin’ on?”

Bucky looked relieved, dragging a few fingers down his temple. “I messaged you back and I don’t know… you didn’t respond so I thought… well I don’t know what I thought but I’m glad you’re alright.”

A soft smile pulled at his lips as he stared back at you which set your mind at ease. “Did I wake you earlier?”

“Nah, I was up. Couldn’t really sleep last night.”

“That sucks. I kinda wanted to sleep all day since it’s so gross outside but I know it’ll mess me up for tomorrow so I’m just being a potato.”

Bucky chuckled, giving your “outfit” a once over as he seemed to approve. “So, what do potatoes do?”

“Well this potato is finally watching Back to the Future.”

Bucky blinked rapidly, his mouth falling open with bewilderment as he stared at you. “What do you mean finally? You’ve never seen Back to the Future?” he asked, with a hint of exasperation in his tone.

“I mean…” you looked everywhere but at Bucky, pressing your lips together as you tried to break the news to him gently, “I’ve seen clips here and there and I know things about it… Doc Brown, the DeLorean, flux capacitor...”

Every word broke Bucky’s heart. “You’ve never seen Back to the Future?” he repeated.

“Wrong, I’ve seen about thirty minutes of Back to the Future.” You laughed as Bucky threw his hands up in shock. “Do you want to watch it with me?”

Bucky gladly accepted your invitation, locking up his place before he went into yours.

He muttered under his breath, still in disbelief that you haven’t seen this movie as he made himself comfortable on your couch. “The score! Do you know about the score and how amazing it is?!”

“I can’t wait for you to tell me,” you winked, anticipating an earful of musical knowledge. “Can I get you anything?”

“Nah, I’m good.” A chill ran down his spine that he tried to shrug off. “Maybe a blanket? Oh wait.”

He turned around to pull the fuzzy blanket over himself but it definitely wasn’t thick or large enough to keep him warm in this weather. The only real blanket you had was currently wrapped around your body so you wanted to share.

You took it off your shoulders and sat beside Bucky, removing the fuzzy blanket so you could drape your own across both of you. Then you placed the fuzzy blanket on top of that to add an extra layer of warmth.

You smiled looking at Bucky as you asked if he was ready to watch the movie though your eyes drifted to those lips of his, perfectly pink and so much softer than you imagined. The memory of your kiss makes your heart stutter and it takes a moment for you to realize you need to press play and not think about kissing him.

It doesn’t help that you’ve shuffled closer to each other. It’s for warmth, nothing more. Bucky tried his best not to distract you from watching but he was squirming in his seat, itching to talk about the music.

“See how the score begins softly? You hardly notice the drums. Then everything gets stronger, the drums, the horns, and as Doc spots the car coming down the empty street the score amps up even more signaling the danger. It’s fantastic!”

You didn’t say anything, you couldn’t. Somehow Bucky’s passion for his work had stunned you into silence and all you could do was nod, smiling so genuinely your cheeks began to hurt as you listened to him. Bucky may not realize the way he glows when he talks about music but you see it, he’s shimmering brighter than snow in sunlight.

It was nice to spend a lazy Sunday with Bucky, two potatoes that continued to watch movies and order in food when you were hungry. Plans with everyone for the following weekend were brought up but not once did he mention the New Year’s party. Not that you expected him to. It was nice not having the kiss awkwardly hang over your friendship.

“Blanket warm. I don’t want to leave,” he whined before getting up.

You walked him to the door, stealing a quick look at the way the sweatpants hugged his ass. Clearing your throat in an awkward cough you wished him goodnight, “I’ll try not to sit on my phone the next time you text me.”

Bucky leaned in to hug you goodbye but his lips made a detour, feeling them press against the soft skin of your cheek.

“G-goodnight Y/N.”

You stood in your doorway, waiting to let the breath out that you hadn’t realized you were holding in until after he closed his door. It’s nothing, just a friendly kiss on the cheek, nothing more than that.

“Hi Mr. Napoli.” You smiled as you approached the older man in his hospital bed. “I spoke with your son and he said he’s on his way.”

You had to repeat yourself louder a few times for him to understand but he gave you a gummy smile when he finally did. He had come into the hospital late last night after falling in his apartment and breaking his hip. Living alone had apparently become more difficult over the last few months so you’ve prepared options to discuss with his family when they arrive.

As Mr. Napoli continued to speak with you, your ears perked up at a loud conversation. Looking up for a moment you caught the gaze of a man staring at you as he stood over the bed of another man. He was tall and slim, dressed nicely in a suit under a wool peacoat. His hair was dark and slicked back though it was cropped short on the sides, with stubble peppering his face and neck.

He smiled, nodding as if to convey an apology for the noise he and his friend made. You felt your cheeks pulling the corner of your lips slightly but focused your attention back to Mr. Napoli.

“Miss, can I have more water?”

“Of course, let me ask,” you replied.

Scanning the area you checked for any nurses that might be around. Unable to find any that weren’t in the middle of something, you told Mr. Napoli you’d be right back with it. The ER kept the refreshments for the patients in a locked room so you walked towards the nurses’ desk in hopes someone there could help you.

“Thanks Stacie.” You smiled back as she needed to call the doctor to make sure this wouldn’t interfere with Mr. Napoli’s pre-surgical prep.

As you turned to step away from the desk you nearly walked into a body. Gasping, it took you a moment to realize it was the man from before.

“Sorry about that,” he said, chuckling lightly. “I wanted to apologize about before. Hope my buddy and I weren’t interrupting your work.” His tone was soft with a heavy New York accent.

“That’s alright, you didn’t,” you said, studying his features up close. His eyes were much darker than you realized, like deep chasms that were full of mystery. Pale pink lips pulled into a smile as he extended his hand towards you.

“I’m Billy.”

You shook his hand, able to tell right away that he was the type of guy that takes pride in taking care of himself. His hand was lotion soft, not a strand of hair was out of place and his skin looked so flawless you were a little jealous.

His gaze fell to your ID badge. “So, Y/N. How long have you been in social work?”

“So eager getting to know me, Billy?”

Billy shut his eyes as a smile crept across his face. “I can’t help it, I’m very observant.”

Your lips pulled into a smirk as you stared at him skeptically until Stacie called your name. She told you to wait a moment as she got the okay to give Mr. Napoli some water. Turning back to Billy you noticed his stance was taller and stiff.

He raised his hand to salute. “Former Lieutenant William Russo, US Marine Corps.”

“I get it now. You’re not just a creep that reads people’s name tags.” Your smirk gave way to a tiny smile and Billy relaxed.

Through a laugh he replied, “I try not to be.”

His smile was pretty, making his whole face light up, those eyes sparkling like onyx gems. Your attention was turned away for a moment as Stacie handed you a plastic pink pitcher full of water.

“Well, I have to get this drink back to my patient. It was nice to meet you.”

As you began to walk away you heard Billy’s footsteps rapidly catching up behind you.

“Wait, Y/N.” You turned to find him digging out something from his pocket. “Maybe I could take you out for a drink one day?”

He handed you a sleek black card which you put in your pocket. “Goodbye Mr. Russo,” you said, giving him a tiny salute that made him smile again.

Later that evening as you were getting your coat on in preparation to leave you felt something digging in your hip. You remembered Billy’s card from earlier, pulling it out now to finally read it.

The card was as dark as his eyes and in bold white text was the name of the company, ANVIL. Beneath it was his name and title, CEO. No wonder he dressed so well. His number was staring back at you.

You thought back to your conversation with Wanda, maybe you should go for this. You were still too scared to make a profile on Tinder, worried about what strangers might think of you but after meeting a gorgeous man that actually wants to take you out it gave you some renewed confidence.

Not wanting to seem too eager (or desperate) you waited two days before texting Billy. A day of back and forth texting led to plans to go out. Your heart raced with anxiety; maybe you weren’t ready after all.

PART 12

[demoneyesanddamagedsouls]

Sparring Partners

Chapter Two: Preparation

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the love on the first Chapter of this fic, I hope you enjoy this one just as much. I’m aiming to post a new chapter each week, not sure yet how many chapters this’ll have yet. Feedback and comments as always are so welcome, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if you’d like to be tagged for the upcoming chapters just let me know! xxx

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x F! Reader

I have also just created a playlist for ya’ll to listen to while reading. I hope it gets you even more invested! ✨COCKY COWBOY PLAYLIST✨

Summary: You and Agent Whiskey are long time rivals. As Statesman agents you both have been put up for the same promotion and this mission is your final chance to prove yourself. Have you got what it takes?

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Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Slight Language, mentions of food and canon-typical violence

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CHAPTER TWO: Preparation

You both leave the conference room minds reeling from all the information that was just given to you.

As one of the younger agents at Statesman, being chosen as a potential candidate for Champ’s position was a real honour. It showed that Champ really thought highly of you and your skills. After 8 years of working as an agent, going on your fair share of dangerous and difficult missions, taking a bullet more than once, and now training the new recruits with Tequila, you knew you had worked your ass off to get where you were.  However, even with all this experience it paled in comparison to some of the more senior agents, some with 10 or more years under their belt. Hell, the person you were up against had been on the job for about 15 years, making a name for himself as one of the most fearsome agents that Statesman had to offer. You knew for a fact that Whiskey had been hoping for this position eventually, it had been something he mentioned to other agents that you heard in passing. At the top of his game and at the height of his career you realised, this cowboy was going to be one hell of a challenge to go up against.

Whiskey mulled over this new mission and Champ’s offer over and over in his mind. He wasn’t particularly surprised that Champ had propositioned him as a potential candidate for this position, he was one of the most senior agents at Statesman. Probably the closest in age to Champ and with the extensive experience he had it seemed rather obvious, but Vodka? You were still so young, in your mid 20’s the world was yet to break your spirit. Mind you, you had that bossy tone down packed. He chuckled to himself. He was hesitant to admit but you had a certain leadership quality that you didn’t see in most of the agents here. Most were contented to follow orders and carry out missions as asked, but you always had your own way of doing things, always taking the initiative. He supposed you had a fresh and young perspective that Champ must see as endearing. He however, found your constant need to take charge rather infuriating. You always seemed to think you knew best and even if you were correct, more often than not he was resigned to admit, it was still frustrating as you always seemed determined to show him up. He knew you were going to be a challenge, so determined to prove yourself, and a damned good agent to boot. Fuck this is going to be harder than he thought.

Both of you walking in the same direction out of the room, neither of you realising the other is turning to walk in the opposite direction. Both too caught up in your own thoughts you collide into each other your head smacking into Whiskeys chest. Quickly recoiling from the unintentional contact your rub your forehead with the palm of your hand. “Dammit Whiskey, watch where you’re going for Christ’s sake.”

“Well jeez Vodka how am I supposed to avoid you and that ego inflated head of yours?” He scoffed, eyeing you up and down.

You scowled at him, “You think I have a big ego? Have you looked in the mirror lately Whiskey? You and that cocky ass grin of yours have got a lot of nerve talking about my ego.” Rolling your eyes, you swiftly turn and storm away from the narcissistic cowboy.

“If you liked my smile so much you should have just said so… sunshine.” He calls back to you as you walk away. You could practically hear the smirk in that smooth as silk southern accent.

What an absolute dick. He knew exactly what he was doing when he spoke to you like that. It infuriated you. The way his southern drawl echoed in your ears, his words dripping like honey, they way he called you those stupid little pet names. Everything about Whiskey drove you up the wall, he always knew just how to get under your skin. “Fuckkkk…” You growled to yourself as you stormed into your office your heeled boots clicking angrily through the hall. Why does he always have to be so intensely irritating? You needed to get that stupid fucking smirk out of your head and get prepared for your new op. Slamming the door shut and sitting down, you start reclining in your office chair taking a deep breath and relaxing. Whiskey’s scent had lingered on your clothes creating a cloud around you after you had slammed into his chest. Inhaling the smell of cinnamon and sandalwood, a soft oaky smell, your breathing began to slow and calm. You would never tell him but that was one thing you did unfortunately enjoy about Whiskey. He always smelt good. Why did he always have to smell so damn good? Shaking your head to clear your mind of any remaining thoughts of Whiskey you leaned towards your desk and opened your laptop. This was going to be a long night…

***

Pushing the door closed with your heeled foot, you stepped into your apartment and sighed. You were exhausted. Checking your watch, you realised it was now 10 minutes past midnight. Swiftly moving to the bedroom, you flopped onto your bed groaning as you flipped yourself over and pulled off your boots, quickly changing into your pyjamas. Finally laying back down in bed you stared up at the ceiling running over the research you’d done over the course of the afternoon and evening, and the plan you had organised for tomorrow. You had spent the afternoon working, collecting copious amounts of information on CleanPlanet and the history of their company. It seemed that they were attempting to pass as an almost ‘mom and pop’ style family-owned business “Dedicated to the bettering of the planet and all the people who inhabited it.” What a load of rubbish. You had uncovered multiple articles from smaller news publications questioning the companies credibility, some families of recently passed away individuals even coming forward and accusing the company of foul play in the deaths of their relatives. CleanPlanet was owned and run by Howard Jacoby and his wife Constance, two very well-off socialites and academics who were every bit as snobby as they appeared in pictures. At least you wouldn’t be dealing with them directly thank goodness you hated dealing with high society types, that would be Whiskey’s issue.

There was a particular video that had caught your eye whilst combing through their internet presence, a TedTalk style video starring the one and only Howard Jacoby. He was speaking about how the planet was struggling with things like overpopulation and pollution, a speech which sounded eerily similar to Professor Arnold’s work, the man who had assisted Richmond Valentine and encouraged his plot to wipe out most of the planet. You shuddered at the thought. Either way you and Whiskey would get to the bottom of this. If the company and its owners were planning on anything like what Valentine had tried to execute then you needed to figure it out quickly. Deciding you’d brief Whiskey in the morning about your hunch, you set your alarm and curled up in your soft cotton sheets. Looking out your bedroom window at the twinkling of the city lights, your head sinking slowly into your pillow. You drift off into a restless sleep, anxious of what tomorrow would bring.

***

You arrived at Statesman the next morning rubbing your eyes. Your sleep had been restless, anxiety of the coming days keeping you from a comfortable evening. Pushing the door to your office open you hear a chipper voice behind you. “Well mornin’ Vodka. You ready for the op today?” You turned to see Whiskey standing in your office door frame, leaning his broad shoulder against it with a large smile plastered across his face.

Rolling your eyes at his unnecessarily wide grin, “And what’s gotten you in such a fabulous mood this morning?” You say with an exasperated sigh as you drop into your office chair with a small thud. As soon as the words fall out of your mouth his smile somehow grows larger as he pulls out the arm that was behind his back forward as he saunters into the room. Holding a large paper bag, which as soon as you spot the smell hits your nostrils. Fresh pancakes. You look at him with sudden excitement and surprise, your mood instantly lifted and the last feeling of tiredness leaving your body as you inhale deeply.

“I thought I’d bring us some breakfast to get us in the right headspace for today. I also thought we should probably trade what we found out yesterday during our research to make sure we’re both on the same page…”

“Oh, so this is a bribery breakfast huh?” You questioned as you drag your eyes away from the mouth-watering food on the desk in front of you, finally taking a proper look at Whiskey for the first time this morning. The first thing you notice is that he is not currently donning his regular black Stetson, a rather big change from his usual cowboy appearance. Instead, he was showing off his thick, brushed back hair, his wireframe Statesman issued glasses resting on his strong nose, obscuring his dark brown eyes. He was wearing a gorgeous grey checkered suit with a white dress shirt underneath, a casual yet striking look on his glowing tan complexion. It was a very nice change for the cowboy. He cleans up well, you thought. Your gaze flicks up and you notice Whiskey’s cocky grin once again. He must have thought you were eyeing him up, not that you weren’t but you weren’t about to let him know that. You roll your eyes at him trying to keep his knowing smile at bay. “So, what are you after then Whiskey?”

“Well sunshine, since you always seem to know everything, I thought I’d get your run down on things this morning before we both head out to our separate ops today.”

“Ahhhh there it is, the usual candour I’m used to from you cowboy. I was worried when you showed up this morning with a kind gesture that I wouldn’t be enjoying any of that snarky wit I have become so accustomed to.” You look down at your computer and notepad, focusing on the research notes you had made last night in somewhat of a delirious, fever dream state. “Alright let me have a look…” you trailed off.

Whiskey sits down across from you at your desk pulling the steaming pancakes out of the paper parcel you had brought this morning. Setting up the two meals Whiskey observes you, wearing a pair of simple black high waisted work pants tapering at your waist, a simple white blouse tucked into them, the buttons undone just low enough to show off your neck and the top of your chest. He darts his eyes back up to your face, so you don’t catch him staring, nose scrunched up in concentration under your matching Statesman glasses as you palm through your somewhat excessive amount of research notes. He lets out a light breath of amusement seeing you like this, confused but copiously prepared, it was a nice change of pace from your usual so certain self.

Looking back up from your notes as you find what you were looking for you see the small meal containers opened on the desk, filled with pancakes with a small pot of maple syrup on the side. Turning your focus back to Whiskey you begin to go through what information you’d gathered that you thought was pertinent to the both of you. You ran through the notes you had made, both of you working your way through breakfast, Whiskey chiming in occasionally with a mhmm and a nod here and there. “One thing that kept bugging me last night was that Ted Talk type video of Howard Jacoby… talking about the human race being a plague on the planet that needed to be cured so the earth could thrive again…”  you trial off as a look of concern crosses your face, “It was really eerie and reminded me a lot of that professor that assisted Richmond Valentine in his attempt to have the world turn on each other.”

“Well, it seems I missed that video, that sounds mighty concerning…” Whiskey trails off, leaning his elbow on the side of your desk slowly pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. “Wonder what their testing at those new hospital facilities of theirs then…” He turns to look at you, the same worry sparkling in his eyes.

“My hunch is that they must be testing something similar to what Valentine did, something that can affect extensive groups of people on a large scale. Something that would be easy to distribute and spread, but obviously more related to the medical profession because of the labs…”

“Maybe some sort of virus or infection?” He chimes in.

“Seems more than likely… I guess we’ll find out more today. Speaking of…” You glance down at your watch realising it was almost 8:30am. Still so early for your tired demeanour, but almost time for you to both be heading off. Ginger had organised a cover story for you last night and sent in for a ‘staff transfer’ so that you could get into the CleanPlanet facilities and gain access to the hospital quickly. You needed to get to the bottom of this puzzling situation fast, especially as it seemed to be becoming more concerning by the minute. “I think its time for us to head off.”

“Seems it is.” Whiskey nods and swiftly packs the remnants of breakfast back into the paper bag, throwing it into the bin beside your desk.

“So, you know what my, rather detailed I might add, plan is but you have yet to share how you plan on approaching this op.” A slight leer in your voice, aiming to provoke him. “Care to share… cowboy?”

“If you must know, Vodka,” he drawls, the civilised tone from earlier gone in a heartbeat as the two of you pick up your bags and make your way down the hallway to the elevator. “I will be posing as a one of multiple wealthy investors eager to take a tour of CleanPlanet’s new business acquisitions. A high society gentleman looking to expand my portfolio into areas I have true passion for you could say. As it so happens, it seems that Howard Jacoby is searching for some people who share his vision and have a healthy wallet.” His voice dripping in sarcasm, for this type of persona was so unlike himself. A charmer by nature his honeyed voice had made many a lady fall victim to a one-night stand, but a high society man he was not. Whiskey cleaned up well, but he was certainly a working-class gentleman with a love for simple living.

“Well, your certainly dressed the part.” You say as you eye up Whiskey admitting to yourself that he was pulling of the sleek look. You shake your head clearing your mind of the potential minute attraction forming, focusing once more on where you were going. Stepping into the elevator and tapping the basement level button, you continued. “You definitely look like a pretentious asshole.” You say, chuckling to yourself as the elevator started to move.

Suddenly Whiskey was directly in front of you looking you up and down. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been eyein’ me up little lady.” He says, voice velvety smooth. Pinned down by his gaze you suddenly feel cornered, claustrophobic in the small metal space. You feel your face begin to heat up with an incriminating red tint, uncertain whether it was from anger or something more primal, you quickly sidestep his imposing figure. The elevator dings and you swiftly exit the elevator, “You wish cowboy.” You respond, a quick exhale escaping your mouth as you calm your racing heartrate. Why was he trying to rile you up before such an important op? Why does he have to be such a cocky arse? Eyeing him up? He’s got to be kidding. He’s the absolute last person on the planet that you could ever be attracted to. He does nothing but irritate you. He may be attractive, you begrudgingly admit, but you certainly were NOT attracted to him.

You hear him chuckle behind you, “Did I touch a nerve there sunshine?” he drawls behind you as you both head towards the garage where Ginger would be waiting. Rolling your eyes in anger to yourself, you choose to ignore him. Responding would only make him continue.

Pushing the doors open to the garage you see Ginger talking to one of the mechanics. As she hears the doors swinging, she turns to you quirking her eyebrow, seeing you seething with annoyance. “Everything alright here agents?” She says, confusion evident in her tone.

“Fine Ginger,” your voice comes out strained attempting to mask your irritation, “So what have you got set up for us for the next few days?”

“For you Vodka I’ve organised this ID card so you will have access to the basic areas of the hospitals but there are higher clearance areas which I wasn’t able to duplicate. You’ll have to figure that out when it comes to it.” She hands you a small ID badge attached to a clip which you then hook onto the belt loop on your pants. “I’ve also got small earpieces for the two of you to keep in communication while inside the facilities. They’re undetectable but very effective so try not to scream while wearing them if you can.” She passes you both the tiny in ear tech piece.

“Thanks Ging.”

“Now for you Whiskey,” She pulls out a small wallet and a set of car keys, “Here’s a new wallet with your cover identity and some cash to show off of course.”

He chuckles to himself pulling out his new drivers’ licence, “Introducing Duke Silver!” He smiles and bows towards you and Ginger. You roll your eyes again, scoffing at his ridiculousness.

“And… If I can finish, Duke.” Ginger continues giving Whiskey an exaggerated frustrated look, “Here is your new automobile.” Handing him the keys she gestures to a car sitting behind her. A brilliant turquoise blue Shelby Cobra 427 with white racing stripes down the middle.

“Alright… Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Whiskey dashes over like an excited child to admire his new personas gorgeous ride.

As Whiskey admires his new toy you turn to Ginger, “What do I have the luxury of driving to ‘work’ then Ginger?”

Passing you the keys she gestures to the car behind Whiskey’s, a slightly beat-up silver Toyota Corolla. “Sorry hon, you unfortunately need to blend in as a semi-broke medical student.”

You sigh, clutching the keys in your hand. “Thanks Ging.” Walking over you pass Whiskey, still ogling his own ride, making your way to the new car you’d be enjoying for the next few days. A far cry from your own beautiful red Mustang you sighed once more. The two of you hop into your cars and adjust the inside to what you need, throwing your bags into the back seat. You look over at Whiskey and slump into your seat, incredibly jealous. “That looks like one fun car to drive…” you mutter to yourself, green with envy. “Lucky bastard.”

Whiskey revs his engine excitedly, “Thanks darlin!” He shouts to Ginger over the loud purr. Turning to you he winks, bringing your irritation back with full force. “Have fun at ‘work’ then sunshine. Talk to you later!” His voice ringing out across the concrete as he drives off, the garage doors opening as he takes off out of the facility.

“I guess I’m off too then, see you later Ginger!” You smile at her as you close your door, taking off after Whiskey ready to face whatever the day would bring.

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

Permanent Tags:

@hrk-fic-recs  @misslexilouwho  

[randomfandomimagine]

Love’s Worth Running To. Chapter 1: Reunited

Pairing: Barry Allen x Stephanie Williams (OC)

Fandom: Justice League / DCEU

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CHAPTER INDEX • NEXT CHAPTER ➡

AO3 

A/N: It’s finally here, I’m so freaking excited!! I have so many ideas for this series and I love them all, it’s going to be really fun writing interactions between Barry and Steph and with the Justice League too! Not to mention how many things are going on with the plot and the villains and the heroes! 

I hope you like this series, or at least the first chapter, I’m quite satisfied with it so far. If you could reblog it and/or leave feedback, it would really mean the world to me!

The sun shines bright, at the highest point in the sky. The air is mildly warm. Summer is near. The park is completely empty at that time, too early still after school has just ended. Soon the place will be filled with loud children running, shouting and playing. She hopes he will arrive before them.

Stephanie absently-minded kicks her feet up, moving in the swing and wondering where he could be. His swing next to her is empty. It gently sways with the breeze.

“Tephie!” Soon enough, a little boy comes running her direction. He trips and stumbles as her approaches her.

“Barry” She mutters, forcing the swing to a halt when she notices he’s crying. “What happened?”

“They hit me again” It is then that she notices the red bruise on his cheek. “I ran”

“Are you okay?” The little girl jumps off the swing, meeting him halfway as he finally reaches her.

“Yeah... I’m okay...” He grits his teeth, averting his teary eyes from her.

Stephanie frowns at first, never before having seen him angry except for on occasions like that. Because of the bullies. In any case, she doesn’t understand why the other kids pick on Barry so much.

She then takes his hand, smiling at him, and starts running. He was just starting to recover from his own dash, but he gladly follows after her even as he huffs again.

“Where are we going?”

Stephanie doesn’t reply. She only giggles, squeezing his hand as they run through the park. They reach a small hill, patiently climbing their way to the top. They look at each other, never letting go of their hands or stopping to catch their breath. Now they’re both smiling.

Once they’re at the top of the green hill, Stephanie finally stops. Barry stands by her side, watching in confusion and curiosity. The little girl watches the clouds for a moment, craning her neck up and squinting her eyes at the bright sun.

After taking a deep breath, Stephanie lets out a very loud high-pitched shriek. Startled, Barry jumps in place. When she looks at him, that smile is still adorning her features.

“Try it!” She encourages him between giggles. “You’ll feel better”

Barry gawks at her, but Stephanie tugs at his hand. Giving in, he takes a deep breath. When he starts screaming at the top of his lungs, the little girl dissolves into giggles. He stops for a moment, glancing at her in surprise.

“I do feel better”

“Then keep doing it!”

The two of them join together in a thunderous harmony of shrieking voices. Their frustrated and boisterous screaming evolves into giggles. Soon after, their laughter has completely taken over. They laugh and laugh until their stomachs hurt. Looking at the other only causes them to laugh harder. But they don’t stop staring at the other.

They don’t stop smiling.

And laughing.

The alarm clocks startles her awake. Stephanie opens her eyes, meeting with the direct sight of her plain white ceiling. She groans, feebly sitting up and passing a hand through her messy brown hair. Her eyes are instinctively directed to the framed photograph on her beside table. The boy of her dream is looking at her through time, immortalized in that image. She smiles to herself. Barry Allen, the one and only. The little girl next to him, a younger version of Stephanie, is smiling wide. His arm is on her shoulders and neither of them could be happier.

Shaking her head, Stephanie gets to her feet. She calmly walks to the bathroom to get ready for work. Even as she combs her hair, as she brushes her teeth and gets changed from her pijamas to her street clothes, her thoughts wander.

That boy keeps running through her mind like he does every morning. Every day. He brings a dull ache to Stephanie’s chest. The sting of nostalgia. The big what ifs that make her head fuzzy. The yearning for regaining what she once had.

Like every morning, Stephanie forces those thoughts away the moment she leaves her apartment. She just takes a deep breath and ventures into the streets of Central City. She has a life of her own now. Without him. As much as she misses Barry Allen, she hasn’t talked to her childhood best friend in years. It’s best to forget about him. She probably won’t see him again.

Or at least... that’s what she thinks.

_

The Batcave is quiet that morning. As Barry absently walks in, he hopes it’s a good thing. Dropping his bag from his shoulder down to the floor, he glances around. Everything is in order. Bruce and Diana are sitting in a small round table, smiling as they chat over coffee. Victor and Arthur share a slightly bigger square table not far from them, playing cards in a mildly aggressive way that seems very much amusing to them both. Clark is intensely typing on his laptop, resting his back against the wall.

“Hey, everyone!” Barry greets them, making a little wave when they turn their heads.

“Barry” Bruce greets him back. “Everything okay?”

“Yup, pretty normal” He shrugs, going to stand between the two tables. “And here?”

“Everything is calm” Diana tells him with a warm smile.

“Really?”

“Yes”

“Just the usual” Clark pipes up, still not looking away from the screen. “Saving some people every now and then”

Barry nods his head in response. He has done that some days himself – moving a person away from a speeding car, helping people stuck in burning buildings, even getting kitties down from trees. Nothing ‘save the world’ worthy, but important nonetheless.

“So…” The boy begins, letting his dark eyes wander around the room. “If everything’s calm, what are we all doing here then?”

“Hanging out” Victor simply replies, brow furrowed in concentration as he stares at the deck in his hand.

“Hanging out, huh?”

“Isn’t that what friends are supposed to do?”

“Aw, Arthur… you consider me your friend?”

Arthur glares at Barry, fighting a smile, and shakes his head at him. “I take it back”

“Fine, okay, um…” Barry fidgets in the spot, having lots of nervous energy at the start of the day. “I’m going to get to the store, anyone want something?”

“A sense of purpose” Victor replies sarcastically, causing Arthur to chuckle.

“Yeah, I have like… 3 dollars” Barry says, digging some wrinkled bills from his pocket.

“No, thank you” Diana kindly says, playfully tilting her head at Victor in response to his comment.

“A new member to the team would be great” Arthur smirks too. “Maybe that way it’d be easier to deal with you”

“That’s it, mister” Barry points a finger at him. “I was gonna get donuts for everyone, but you’re not getting any”

Everyone chuckles, including Arthur, and they all continue with what they were doing before Barry came in. Slightly restless still, the boy sighs and picks his bag back up.

“Be right back” And he speeds off, setting the wheels of destiny in motion.

_

Stephanie takes a deep breath, trying to concentrate in the present. The investigation is leading nowhere, and so that dull and routinely day becomes something even worse: a waste of time. When she moves away from the microscope, Stephanie’s eyes are directed to the corridor outside the room when they detect movement.

Her smile, which had been missing, returns like the sun on a cloudy day when she sees Ben walking towards the lab. He seems to be the only dash of color in her usually gray days.

“Sorry I’m late” Ben says as soon as he walks in, dedicating her a smile that spreads warmth within her. “I had so much to do this morning”

“It’s okay” She takes her glasses off and stands away from the table.

“Any luck with the samples?” He absently asks as he puts his white lab coat on.

“There’s no change” Stephanie sighs in defeat. “The molecules have been exposed to that force field for days now and there is no reaction”

“That’s odd…” Ben frowns and approaches her. “Is the computer still glitching?”

“I haven’t touched it this time” She jokes, even if her tone holds more irritation than playfulness this time. “I don’t think it has an effect on the results in any case”

Her partner quiets for a moment, typing and reading the screen. After he has checked and introduced some commands that will alter that force field, he turns to her.

“Do you think we’re doing something wrong?”

���I don’t know…” She pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling the start of a headache forming in her forehead.

The silence settles for just a second. It falls on them forcefully, heavily.

“Why don’t you go get some coffee?” Ben kindly touches her shoulder. “The fresh air might help”

“You just want me to get you some coffee” Stephanie smiles in spite of herself.

“I didn’t say that” A cautiously playful smiles draws on his lips. “But if you insist…”

“Fine...” Her smiles lingers even as she jokingly rolls her eyes. “The usual?”

“Yes, please” Ben innocently replies, even if he’s observing the experiment.

Stephanie shakes her head to herself, taking her lab coat off and leaving the lab.

The wheels of destiny start spinning faster and faster.

_

The hubbub fills the establishment. Stephanie taps her foot, trying to distract herself while she waits in line. The queue isn’t moving. The other costumers also scoff, sigh and roll their eyes at whoever keeps them waiting like that.

“I know I’m twenty cents short! But c’mon, it’s just twenty cents!” A loud voice comes from the counter, at the very start of the line. “I’m craving that donut so much! Can’t you like… I don’t know… make an exception or something?”

“I can’t let you take them if you don’t pay, sir” The clerk replies in the most bored voice Stephanie has ever heard. “Give me all the money and you can have your food”

“You don’t understand” The more she hears that voice, the more Stephanie thinks it sounds familiar. It’s not exactly the tone, but the cadence and fidgety hint to it. “I have been, um…. Running... around all day, I need to eat something!”

Why is that voice so familiar? Just as she is leaning to the side to try and get a look at him, Stephanie’s heart skips a beat when she places where she heard that voice before.

It can’t be...

Her heart is now thumping inside her rib cage. The butterflies coyly start to unleash in her stomach, but she tries to keep them at bay. She shouldn’t get her hopes up.  

Cutting in line, she quickly moves to the start of the queue to take a look at that person. A tall thin boy with dark hair is leaning against the counter and impatiently drumming his fingers against the glass. He passes a hand through his short hair. That second in which he hasn’t noticed her presence yet feels like an hour before she finally pipes up.

“I can’t believe it” She grins when she sees him, even if she’s shaking with excitement. “Barry? Barry Allen?”

He turns his head in her direction. His dark brown eyes are awfully familiar to her, and that’s how she knows it’s really him. The smile that appears on his lips next, sweet and bright, is the last proof she needs to confirm his identity.

“Stephanie? Is that you?” The boy squints at her, forgetting about the food. “Stephanie Williams?”

“Yes!” She chuckles, bouncing in the spot. “It’s me!”

“Steph!” Without thinking twice, Barry throws himself to hug her. “Oh my gosh!”

A big feeling of warmth envelops her as he presses her against him. Several years have gone by, but it feels like time hasn’t really passed at the same time. Stephanie feels like her ten year old self again as she is squished by one Barry Allen’s bear hugs.

Memories overwhelm her. Hot summer afternoons in the park. Movie marathons that turned into sleepovers. Chilly autumn evenings. She is even reminded of their pirate phase. All those thoughts fill her with a nostalgia that, for the first time in a decade, isn’t filled with melancholy.

“You look great!” Barry exclaims as he breaks away, much too soon for her taste, and takes her by the shoulders. “You have the same face”

“Thank you” She laughs a little, taking it as a compliment. “You have changed a little”

“It’s the jaw, isn’t it?” He jokes, passing a finger through his own face. “Makes me look older”

“I’m so happy to see you, Barry” Stephanie grins, clinging on to him and hoping the moment can last forever.

“Why, what’s wrong?” He fondly squeezes her arm. “Are you having a bad day? Who do I have to kill?”

“Same old Barry...” She laughs, shaking her head in amusement.

“Excuse me” The clerk’s voice reminds them that they aren’t alone in the establishment. “Are you paying or not?”

The both of them pause, bearing similar embarrassed expressions as they glance at the queuing crowd that stare at the pair in annoyance. When they realize they are still tightly holding on to each other, they awkwardly step away.

“Um… I’ll pay for that” Stephanie offers, politely smiling as she picks up her purse.

“Oh, thank you!” Barry effusively replies, clapping his hands together. “You’re my hero”

She laughs a little, endeared by his comment. The clerk finally hands him his donuts and the rest of his order and Barry grabs it with an excited little bounce. Then he turns to Stephanie once more, smiling from ear to ear.

“Look, I gotta run” He mumbles, fondly staring at her. “But it’s been great to see you”

“Oh, uh… yeah…” The girl sheepishly smiles, putting her hair behind her ear. “It’s been great to see you too”

Barry must have noticed the disappointment in her voice, because he frowns as he observes her. Then, after a brief pause, he places his hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, since you saved my butt back there… I could uh…” He stutters for a moment, ultimately clearing his throat and blushing under Stephanie’s amused gaze. “We could go out for a coffee sometimes, I’m paying”

“Y-Yeah!” Her face instantly lights up. “That would be great!”

“That way we can catch up!”

“You’re right, it would be lovely!”

Barry looks over his shoulder for a moment, bothered by the people that still crowd around them. Then he gulps and stares at her in expectation. Seeing as Stephanie just stands there, grinning, he insists.

“When are you free?”

“Oh” She chuckles in embarrassment. “Today I’m all booked, but tomorrow after lunch I’m free”

“Great!”

“Great”

“See you here tomorrow at… let’s say… 4pm?”

“That sounds great”

“Cool”

“Cool”

Barry and Stephanie still stand there, staring at each other. It feels as though that invisible string that had been so taut, keeping them apart, now won’t keep them separated any longer. Like they are physically incapable of moving away.

A wave of emotions has taken over them. All those feelings that they had forgotten, that they were once so used to when they were children and saw each other every day. The excitement slowly bubbling in their chest that spreads down to the stomach and groww bigger and bigger, the way they couldn’t stop smiling and their faces end up hurting from the big gesture, the pleasant nervous butterflies in the stomach...

“Well” Barry finally makes the move, resting his hand against Stephanie’s upper arm and lovingly squeezing. “I would love to stay, but I really really gotta go”

“S-Sure, of course” Hiding the pain in her heart, she steps to the side. “I have to go back to work too”

“See you tomorrow!” He waves goodbye and hurries to the door.

Stephanie stays there for several more seconds, watching the spot from which he disappeared. She sighs. Before the sadness can overcome her, however, she tells herself that she will see him tomorrow. After years separated, Stephanie and Barry will finally be together again.

_

When she returns, everything is the same at the lab. Oddly enough, it feels completely different at the same time. With her chest full and the stomach suffering the remaining of the butterflies, Stephanie walks inside. She puts her lab coat on and approaches Ben.

“I’m back!” Seeing as he is still busy with the computer, she only leaves the small plastic tray in the table beside him. “Here’s your coffee, Ben”

The young man absently turns to her and has to do a double take. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise when he takes a better look at her.

“Look at that smile…” He says, putting a hand on his hip.

“What?” Stephanie scoffs, rushing to pick up her coffee to have something to do. “It’s not like you haven’t seen me smile before...”

“I know, but that smile feels different…” A sweet grin slowly makes its way to Ben’s face. “More genuine”

“Maybe…”

“So why the change?”

“I don’t know” She lies, feeling herself blushing.

Ben peers at her for a moment longer, but ultimately gets back to work. Stephanie sighs in relief and absently returns to the experiment herself.

She does know the reason behind that change... Barry Allen. That constant presence in her life even in his absence. That boy she could never forget and that, she is happy to realize now, she doesn’t have to. Stephanie has been reunited with her beloved childhood friend, and the best part of all is she will see him again very soon.

Tag list: - // Ask to be added to be notified when I post for this series!!

[hetalia-nordic-trash]

The Heart Gambit (Dennor) - 1 Where I Want to Be

Word Count: 1,575

Summary: Mathias is attending a boring party for the competitors, but things get interesting when he spots Lukas from across the room.

Author's Note: Here's the first full chapter! I had a great time writing it so I hope you enjoy it and do leave me some feedback so I can keep getting better!

Previous: 0-Introduction

---

Mathias stood at the balcony soaking in the view. The sun had already dipped below the mountains and he watched as lights in the valley below flickered on, waking up the night. He took in a deep breath. The air was much crisper here than he thought it would be. It almost made his lungs feel younger. He swirled his champagne glass and starred down into the valley, wondering if a fall from this high would kill him.

He felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Hey man, if you're gonna fall something, at least make it look cool!"

He laughed at the familiar voice. He turned to see his manager, Alfred. Mathias playfully pushed Alfred's hand away.

"Aw come on! I haven't had THAT much to drink!" Mathias said, laughing.

Alfred leaned back against the balcony railing, taking a sip from his own glass.

"So, what are you doing out here when the party's happening in there?" he said, gesturing to the room behind Mathias.

Mathias glanced behind him at the "party" that was being held for him and Lukas. He didn't really consider it one. It was too formal and stuffy. Everyone was dressed too nicely and talking too quietly to be having fun. Light classical music drifted over the droning murmur of the party guests. Mathias had been to his share of parties, but he found it hard to have a good time when he was expected to make constant polite conversation with people and act just as buttoned-up as everyone else.

"Oh you know," he chuckled, half-heartedly. "Just taking a breather. Fancy gatherings aren't exactly my thing."

Alfred took another sip from his glass and he patted Mathias on the back.

"I know, I know. You were never really a 'shake hands and make small talk' kind of guy, but that interview you did has everyone buzzing about you! You make that guy Lukas seem like a huge nerd! And everyone loves a confident guy!" Alfred said, beaming at Mathias.

"I know you don't like it, but if you could just go shake hands, make a few snarky comments, it would really help me land this sponsorship for you!"

Alfred stood up and took another sip from his glass, only to find it empty.

"Well, duty calls. You got this!" Alfred cheered, giving a big thumbs up before walking back inside.

Mathias downed the rest of his drink and signed. He headed back into the main room, passing party members and doing his best to make small talk.

"Hey look it's that Kohler guy!"

"You're gonna win this weekend right?"

"Wow! You're so much taller in person!"

Mathias tensed up.

"Haha... thank you... I-" he caught sight of someone across the room at another balcony.

Could it be?

Lukas was there, leaning on the railing and staring off into the darkening night sky. He wasn't entirely sure what made him do it, but he found himself gently pushing past the party guests, muttering some polite "excuse me"s and "sorry"s. He almost ran over but stopped just short of the balcony doors. He felt a pang of fear in the pit of his stomach. Why did he want to talk to Lukas so bad? He doubted he wanted to speak to him after the interview. But, if anyone would understand how much these things sucked, it would probably be him.

He took a deep breath and stepped through the doors, slapping Lukas on the back.

"Well, well, well! So we finally meet! What are you doing out here when the party's in there?" he asked him with a forced grin.

He jumped a bit as his hand was slapped away.

"What the hell!? I'm not Lukas!" apparently-not-Lukas yelled.

The guy turned around to face Mathias. He did look just like Lukas, same jawline and platinum blond hair. Although, his eyes seemed strangely purple compared to Lukas's sea-blue eyes. Not that Mathias had been staring at pictures of him, of course. Mathias put his hands up.

"Oh! My bad! You look just like him from the back! Even more so from the front!" he replied, trying to laugh it off.

The guy let out a sigh and huffed.

"I'm his brother, Emil. Don't feel THAT bad. It happens more than I like" he said as he eyes Mathias up and down.

Emil furrowed his brows.

"I take it you're Mathias. The guy he won't stop complaining about." Emil said, crossing his arms.

Mathias laughed a bit.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" he joked.

Emil looked out over the balcony.

"Ok, Mr. Big-shot. Tell that to my nerd brother who wasn't exactly happy with how you made him look in your little interview," he said flatly, turning back to Mathias.

"Though, I doubt he'd ever tell you that. It would ruin his "strategy",".

Mathias laughed nervously.

"Aren't you worried about giving his strategy!?" he asked grinning. "Keep this up and I'll snag that win for sure!"

Mathias's laugh grew more confident and put his hand on Emil's shoulder. Emil picked Mathias's hand off his shoulder and placed it on the balcony railing.

"If I'm being totally honest, I don't really know if I want him to win," Emil said under his breath, resting his hand in his hands as he looked over the balcony.

Mathias's demeanor softened. He walked over to Emil and stood next to him, looking out at the night sky.

Emil sighed.

"When you said that Lukas didn't have a life outside of chess, yeah it was mean, but the worst part was it's kinda true. I like my brother and all, but every day is the same thing: combing through old books for strategies, helping him practice, and trying to get him to sleep and eat like a normal person, and-"

Emil sighed again as if he caught himself in an old habit. He stood up properly and started straightening out his clothes.

"If Lukas wins, I'm not really sure what he'll do with his life. At least if he loses, he'll still have something to keep himself busy with. Though, I'm getting a little tired of chess," Emil said, trailing off. "I should get going, actually. He's probably waiting for me back at the hotel."

It hit Mathias that he's completely forgotten that he was even at the party. He only wanted to know more about Lukas.

"I'll walk you out!" he quickly straightened himself out. "I'm just about ready to get out of here myself."

The pair walked towards the elevator. Mathias did his best to smile and wave at the part goers, desperately hoping that Alfred wouldn't notice him leaving early. He stepped into the elevator with Emil and waited for the doors to close.

"So, why is Lukas's life just...chess?" Mathias asked, delicately.

Emil stared at the floor counter as it ticked down.

"Lukas loves knowledge and books and reading and all that. He values intellect. Chess just so happened to present itself to him as the ultimate game," Emil shifted a bit. "At first, it was kinda more casual. He'd read a book or two and play a few games here and there. But the better he got, the more he wanted to read and practice and win that I'm pretty sure he forgot anything else."

Mathias stiffened a bit. Lukas had probably read every book on Chess there ever was, he was definitely serious. How dedicated was Lukas if he was willing to forego eating, sleeping, and -

"Has he ever had, like a girlfriend or something?" Mathias asked, instantly wishing he could suck the words back in as soon as he spoke them.

Emil shook his head.

"Nah. He almost had a boyfriend, but he wasn't...priority at the time..." Emil trailed off again.

The elevator dinged as they reached the ground floor. The two stepped out and walked outside. Thunder rolled in the distance.

"Well, I better try to beat the storm. You know, you're not as annoying, arrogant, or obnoxious as Lukas says you are," Emil said as he pulled on a jacket.

Mathias felt a little hurt in his heart, but he knew what he wanted to see Lukas. He had to talk to him. About the interview, the party, the match, everything.

Emil started walking away.

"Wait!" Mathias called out.

Emil turned around as Mathias caught up to him.

"Let's uh, let's grab a drink tomorrow, and maybe you can tell me more about yourself and Lukas. Between you and me, you seem much cooler haha! And maybe Lukas isn't the buttoned-up nerd I'm pretty sure he is!" Mathias beamed.

Emil smiled for the first time that night, small but genuine. He pulled out a napkin from his jacket and scribbled an address on it.

"Oh no, he definitely is!" he replied, laughing a little.

Mathias took the napkin and checked the address. It was right by the hotel he was staying at.

"Alright see you then! This better be a good bar, you know! I need a real party after having to put up with this stuffy garbage all night!" He cheered as Emil walked away.

He wasn't sure, but Emil looked back and seemed to wink at him.

"For sure! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

Mathias paused for a moment and sighed at the new silence. He trudged back inside and made his way back up to the party. After all, he still had hands to shake.

---

Next Chapter: 2-The Arbiter

a/n: I hope you liked the first chapter!  I also apologize for the poor proofreading. it's just me proofreading these so if you see a critical error feel free to DM me and I'll fix it!

I’m going to take this time to plug my non-hetalia work “ Intro to Love ” about a college student who struggles to keep her superpowers a secret and while making new friends.  How much of her normal life will she give up to save her friends from a mysterious villain that drains students’ brains and turns them into zombies? The complete Chapter 1 is out NOW!

Thanks again for reading! Send some feedback my way! Can’t wait to continue this story!

Quotev link: here

[prettyinpymtech]

Did I Mention

Part 3

Series Masterlist

Poe Dameron x Princess!Reader

Summary: Poe refuses to agree with General Organa’s decision when she invites royalty to advise the Resistance. Despite his protests, Leia trusts him with her safety during an undercover mission. Maybe there’s a chance to change his misgivings of their new guest.

A/N: This is probably my favorite chapter so far! Please like, reblog, and let me know what you think! Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!

Maybe you were better off spending a night with rathtars.

It had been impossible to get any sleep with Poe by your side, snoring much too loud for your liking.

The early light of morning was a welcome relief and you quickly hurried to the windows, drawing the curtains open in hopes the activity outside would be enough to wake Poe and put a stop to his incessant snoring.

You didn’t bother hiding your smile as he groaned in protest and reached for the blanket to cover his form.

 “Good morning, Commander.”

His brown eyes peeked through an opening in the blankets. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready.”

“I thought we were going to meet your boyfriend later.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh, right. I forgot. You’re married.”

You scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. We’re engaged, remember?”

“For now.”

Exasperated by his remarks, your dropped your luggage on top of him. A sweet smile graced your lips in mock apology. “Sorry about that.”

Poe grumbled but didn’t say anything more.  Your attention returned to the outfits in your luggage, considering the most appropriate choice for your tasks.

“Did he say where he wants to meet?”

You looked up at him, remembering you had yet to discuss the plan for tonight.

“Leif invited us to have dinner with him.”

“Dinner?”

“Something wrong?”

“No, I just-Does he know I’m coming with you?”

You hesitated with your answer.

“I thought it was best not to bring it up.” You had no interest in answering any other questions and decided to change the subject. “You should start getting ready. We still have a lot of shopping to do.”

“Shopping? For what?”

“We’re having dinner at the Golden Crescent. You’re going to need more than a jacket to get in.”

He pouted, clearly not happy with this new development. You smiled at his antics, finding it just a bit endearing. But his efforts were deliberately slow and you quickly disregarded the notion that he was anything near endearing.    

Once he was ready, you began to guide your course in a path far different from the magnificent structure of the city. Poe had questioned your direction more than once, surprised by the sheltered and narrow streets.

His uncertainty finally subsided once your destination came into view. It had been almost a year since you had reached Coruscant, but the small shop remained unchanged. Bright colors helped distinguish the building from the surrounding shadows.

You wasted no time walking inside. A young Twi'lek girl, with soft lavender skin and a bright smile immediately greeted your arrival.

“Y/N!”

“Kali! It’s wonderful to see you! Where’s your mother?”

Poe watched with amusement as you hugged the young girl. The scene was enough to invite the appearance of another Twi’lek woman, with dark purple skin and the same kind smile as her daughter’s.

She reached forward and embraced you, still as warm and gracious as the first time you had met her. You almost forgot you had a guest with you until the older woman focused her attention behind you.

“I see you’ve brought me another customer.”

Poe seemed a bit uncomfortable, clearly unsure if he could trust the woman with his true identity. You brought a hand to his shoulder and smiled.

“Mila, this is Poe. He’s from the Resistance.”

The older woman nodded, studying his form. “Well then, you are certainly welcomed here. I’m glad Y/N has found herself such a handsome man.”

You cleared your throat, ignoring Poe’s smirk. “We were actually hoping to buy some of your outfits.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Dinner at the Golden Crescent.”

Kali gasped when she heard mention of the restaurant and ran up to her mother. “Can I help Y/N pick out a dress, mommy? Please?”

“Of course, sweetheart.”

She grabbed your hand and led you to another corner of the store separated by curtains, leaving Mila to assist Poe with his search for a suit.

She didn’t say much, only offering a word or two while combing through her materials. Poe, uncertain of what to do, looked around in appreciation.

It was a charming shop left completely unbothered by the chaos of the city. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls, along with a few that clearly belonged to Kali. He smiled as he passed her work, fascinated by her depictions of an astromech droid, a Bantha, and something Poe could only identify as a ship. As he neared another of her paintings, he found himself staring at three figures. Poe easily recognized the young girl and her mother, but considered the third figure with features similar to yours.

“Is that Y/N?” Poe asked, pointing to the painting in question.

“Yes.” The older woman didn’t even glance in his direction, far too engrossed in their pursuit. She didn’t allow him to ask for more details as she ushered him inside a fitting room with a suit that she insisted would look quite nice on his form.

He had no interest in protesting her wishes.

Poe changed into the attire, as instructed, and reflected on the image. The more he thought of it, the more he was certain the third figure was your own semblance. There was a significant connection you held with the young girl and her mother and his curiosity was beginning to intensify.

A few minutes passed before he heard your voice, indicating you were no longer in need of an outfit. It occurred to Poe, as your laugh resonated throughout the shop, that he had never seen you quite this happy. He wasn’t too irrational to realize he was partly to blame. He was aware his stubbornness was a feat far too demanding for any individual.

Poe looked into his reflection and was impressed to find the garb Mila had presented him with was quite appealing. He would have to come back at a later date when another mission would require an outfit such as this.

He walked out of the fitting room, exaggerating his strut as he modeled his outfit.  “How do I look?”

You rolled your eyes at his conduct, clearly not amused.

Kali, on the other hand, laughed as she watched him. “You look like a pirate!”

Well, that certainly wasn’t what Poe was expecting. Now it was your turn to laugh as he widened his eyes in mock embarrassment.

Mila shook her head at her daughter’s remarks. “Kali.”

“That’s alright,” he said. Then, turning his attention to Kali, he asked, “But a handsome one, right?”

The young girl shrugged. “I guess.”

That answer was enough for Poe. He tickled her sides as reassurance that her comments had not upset him.

He kept her company while you gave Mila your credits, though she had maintained it was not necessary. The departure was teeming with warm embraces and promises of another visit. Kali had held Poe tightly when he said his goodbyes, but a vow to return with BB-8 seemed to please her.

Mila had observed him more than once while exchanging a few words with you and, with a nod, she embraced you one last time before it was time to leave.

As you wandered to other nearby shops, Poe quickly realized the difference in your demeanor. The energy and wit you had this morning was now replaced with a sudden reluctance to return to your hotel room.

You had been in the process of inspecting a rather large hat at a stall before Poe decided to voice his concerns.

“We should start heading back. It’s getting late.”

He had been met with quite a bit of protest, but you finally relented and allowed him to lead your return. It was a bit of a difficult task to do, however, when Poe would have to chance a glance over his shoulder every so often to make sure you hadn’t wandered off.

It was during another of your stops that Poe, in a moment of annoyance, decided to grab your hand and guide you away from the market stalls.

He was too occupied with his search for the hotel, that he didn’t even notice your glare as you walked in silence.

“You’re still holding my hand.”

Poe turned to meet your gaze. “What?”

You lifted your joined hands and Poe quickly released his hold, mumbling a quick apology.

Your stroll was once again met with silence. Hoping to interrupt the quiet, Poe made an attempt at a conversation.

“So how long have you known Mila and Kali?”

You shrugged. “A few years. I used to visit them whenever Leif was too busy with work.”  

Poe noticed a slight frown at the mention of the senator’s name.

“What happened between you two?”

The question had escaped his lips before he could even consider his words. You didn’t seem to find any reason to answer him and he imagined you didn’t wish to discuss the topic.

“Never mind. Forget I asked.”

He began to walk away before you finally spoke.

“We dated for a bit.” Once you had his attention, you continued. “Our parents had known each other since we were kids and I guess it just made sense. He had convinced me to ask a few friends I had in the Galactic Senate to nominate him as our representative and I let him.

“A few months had passed before I met Mila and Kali during a goodwill tour on Ryloth. Their village had been burned down by stormtroopers and they were in desperate need of aid. When I asked Leif to bring Ryloth’s plight before the Senate, he refused. My testimony was ignored and he persuaded all of the senators to vote against me.” A bitter laugh escaped your lips. “He had used me. He had no intention of helping me present my findings to the New Republic, he only needed me to get him elected.”

Poe finally realized what happened afterwards. “That’s why you joined the Resistance.”  

“I knew the Senate wasn’t going to listen to me, so I thought the Resistance might be more supportive. Leia helped me find allies to relocate the people of Ryloth and we gave them enough credits to find a second chance elsewhere. I couldn’t have done any of that without her.” With a soft chuckle, you added, “She’s pretty incredible.”

Poe couldn’t help but smile.

“She is.”

Another moment of silence passed, but this one was much more comfortable than the previous instant. Finally acknowledging the task at hand, you began to turn away.

“I guess we should start heading back.”

You stopped when you felt Poe reach forward, gently capturing your hand in his.

“Listen, for what it’s worth, being your fiancé isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Fearing his words had upset you, he tried to correct his remarks. “I mean-what I meant to say was-“

His unfortunate attempts were interrupted when you began to laugh.

“I know,” you offered.

Poe’s gaze settled on your joined hands, noticing neither of you had bothered to release your hold. He began to apologize once again, but you simply held him closer. Offering a warm smile, you gestured towards the direction of the hotel.

“Come on, let’s head back.”

[thechosenburrito]

The Heart Gambit (Dennor) - 1 Where I Want to Be

Word Count: 1,575

Summary: Mathias is attending a boring party for the competitors, but things get interesting when he spots Lukas from across the room. Author's Note: Here's the first full chapter! I had a great time writing it so I hope you enjoy it and do leave me some feedback so I can keep getting better! Previous: 0-Introduction --- Mathias stood at the balcony soaking in the view. The sun had already dipped below the mountains and he watched as lights in the valley below flickered on, waking up the night. He took in a deep breath. The air was much crisper here than he thought it would be. It almost made his lungs feel younger. He swirled his champagne glass and starred down into the valley, wondering if a fall from this high would kill him. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder. "Hey man, if you're gonna fall something, at least make it look cool!"

He laughed at the familiar voice. He turned to see his manager, Alfred. Mathias playfully pushed Alfred's hand away. "Aw come on! I haven't had THAT much to drink!" Mathias said, laughing. Alfred leaned back against the balcony railing, taking a sip from his own glass. "So, what are you doing out here when the party's happening in there?" he said, gesturing to the room behind Mathias. Mathias glanced behind him at the "party" that was being held for him and Lukas. He didn't really consider it one. It was too formal and stuffy. Everyone was dressed too nicely and talking too quietly to be having fun. Light classical music drifted over the droning murmur of the party guests. Mathias had been to his share of parties, but he found it hard to have a good time when he was expected to make constant polite conversation with people and act just as buttoned-up as everyone else. "Oh you know," he chuckled, half-heartedly. "Just taking a breather. Fancy gatherings aren't exactly my thing." Alfred took another sip from his glass and he patted Mathias on the back. "I know, I know. You were never really a 'shake hands and make small talk' kind of guy, but that interview you did has everyone buzzing about you! You make that guy Lukas seem like a huge nerd! And everyone loves a confident guy!" Alfred said, beaming at Mathias. "I know you don't like it, but if you could just go shake hands, make a few snarky comments, it would really help me land this sponsorship for you!" Alfred stood up and took another sip from his glass, only to find it empty. "Well, duty calls. You got this!" Alfred cheered, giving a big thumbs up before walking back inside. Mathias downed the rest of his drink and signed. He headed back into the main room, passing party members and doing his best to make small talk. "Hey look it's that Kohler guy!" "You're gonna win this weekend right?" "Wow! You're so much taller in person!" Mathias tensed up. "Haha... thank you... I-" he caught sight of someone across the room at another balcony. Could it be? Lukas was there, leaning on the railing and staring off into the darkening night sky. He wasn't entirely sure what made him do it, but he found himself gently pushing past the party guests, muttering some polite "excuse me"s and "sorry"s. He almost ran over but stopped just short of the balcony doors. He felt a pang of fear in the pit of his stomach. Why did he want to talk to Lukas so bad? He doubted he wanted to speak to him after the interview. But, if anyone would understand how much these things sucked, it would probably be him. He took a deep breath and stepped through the doors, slapping Lukas on the back. "Well, well, well! So we finally meet! What are you doing out here when the party's in there?" he asked him with a forced grin. He jumped a bit as his hand was slapped away. "What the hell!? I'm not Lukas!" apparently-not-Lukas yelled. The guy turned around to face Mathias. He did look just like Lukas, same jawline and platinum blond hair. Although, his eyes seemed strangely purple compared to Lukas's sea-blue eyes. Not that Mathias had been staring at pictures of him, of course. Mathias put his hands up. "Oh! My bad! You look just like him from the back! Even more so from the front!" he replied, trying to laugh it off. The guy let out a sigh and huffed. "I'm his brother, Emil. Don't feel THAT bad. It happens more than I like" he said as he eyes Mathias up and down. Emil furrowed his brows. "I take it you're Mathias. The guy he won't stop complaining about." Emil said, crossing his arms. Mathias laughed a bit. "Hey, I'm not that bad!" he joked. Emil looked out over the balcony. "Ok, Mr. Big-shot. Tell that to my nerd brother who wasn't exactly happy with how you made him look in your little interview," he said flatly, turning back to Mathias. "Though, I doubt he'd ever tell you that. It would ruin his "strategy",". Mathias laughed nervously. "Aren't you worried about giving his strategy!?" he asked grinning. "Keep this up and I'll snag that win for

sure!" Mathias's laugh grew more confident and put his hand on Emil's shoulder. Emil picked Mathias's hand off his shoulder and placed it on the balcony railing. "If I'm being totally honest, I don't really know if I want him to win," Emil said under his breath, resting his hand in his hands as he looked over the balcony. Mathias's demeanor softened. He walked over to Emil and stood next to him, looking out at the night sky. Emil sighed. "When you said that Lukas didn't have a life outside of chess, yeah it was mean, but the worst part was it's kinda true. I like my brother and all, but every day is the same thing: combing through old books for strategies, helping him practice, and trying to get him to sleep and eat like a normal person, and-" Emil sighed again as if he caught himself in an old habit. He stood up properly and started straightening out his clothes. "If Lukas wins, I'm not really sure what he'll do with his life. At least if he loses, he'll still have something to keep himself busy with. Though, I'm getting a little tired of chess," Emil said, trailing off. "I should get going, actually. He's probably waiting for me back at the hotel." It hit Mathias that he's completely forgotten that he was even at the party. He only wanted to know more about Lukas. "I'll walk you out!" he quickly straightened himself out. "I'm just about ready to get out of here myself." The pair walked towards the elevator. Mathias did his best to smile and wave at the part goers, desperately hoping that Alfred wouldn't notice him leaving early. He stepped into the elevator with Emil and waited for the doors to close. "So, why is Lukas's life just...chess?" Mathias asked, delicately. Emil stared at the floor counter as it ticked down. "Lukas loves knowledge and books and reading and all that. He values intellect. Chess just so happened to present itself to him as the ultimate game," Emil shifted a bit. "At first, it was kinda more casual. He'd read a book or two and play a few games here and there. But the better he got, the more he wanted to read and practice and win that I'm pretty sure he forgot anything else." Mathias stiffened a bit. Lukas had probably read every book on Chess there ever was, he was definitely serious. How dedicated was Lukas if he was willing to forego eating, sleeping, and - "Has he ever had, like a girlfriend or something?" Mathias asked, instantly wishing he could suck the words back in as soon as he spoke them. Emil shook his head. "Nah. He almost had a boyfriend, but he wasn't...priority at the time..." Emil trailed off again. The elevator dinged as they reached the ground floor. The two stepped out and walked outside. Thunder rolled in the distance. "Well, I better try to beat the storm. You know, you're not as annoying, arrogant, or obnoxious as Lukas says you are," Emil said as he pulled on a jacket. Mathias felt a little hurt in his heart, but he knew what he wanted to see Lukas. He had to talk to him. About the interview, the party, the match, everything. Emil started walking away. "Wait!" Mathias called out. Emil turned around as Mathias caught up to him. "Let's uh, let's grab a drink tomorrow, and maybe you can tell me more about yourself and Lukas. Between you and me, you seem much cooler haha! And maybe Lukas isn't the buttoned-up nerd I'm pretty sure he is!" Mathias beamed. Emil smiled for the first time that night, small but genuine. He pulled out a napkin from his jacket and scribbled an address on it. "Oh no, he definitely is!" he replied, laughing a little. Mathias took the napkin and checked the address. It was right by the hotel he was staying at. "Alright see you then! This better be a good bar, you know! I need a real party after having to put up with this stuffy garbage all night!" He cheered as Emil walked away. He wasn't sure, but Emil looked back and seemed to wink at him. "For sure! Goodnight!" "Goodnight." Mathias paused for a moment and sighed at the new silence. He trudged back inside and made his way back up to the

party. After all, he still had hands to shake. --- Next Chapter: 2-The Arbiter a/n: I hope you liked the first chapter!  I also apologize for the poor proofreading. it's just me proofreading these so if you see a critical error feel free to DM me and I'll fix it! I’m going to take this time to plug my non-hetalia work “ Intro to Love ” about a college student who struggles to keep her superpowers a secret and while making new friends.  How much of her normal life will she give up to save her friends from a mysterious villain that drains students’ brains and turns them into zombies? The complete Chapter 1 is out NOW! Thanks again for reading! Send some feedback my way! Can’t wait to continue this story! Quotev link: here

[axwalker]

Tears in Heaven 4: Start Over

Synopsis: Alexis O’Brien is about to get married but memories of her old life are coming back to haunt her.

MASTERLIST

Pairings: Liam x MC, Drake x MC (TRR)

Warnings:  NO ONE UNDER 18 should read this story. This is an 18+ blog.

This story will deal with very dark subjects such as death, severe depression and suicide attempt (among others) if you’re triggered by any of those issues, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS STORY

A/N: The story will go back and forth between three different periods of time (2010 / 2015 / 2020)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Word count: 5,010

Songs inspiration: Tears in heaven by Eric Clapton

THANKS TO:    @burnsoslow​  Thanks for beta reading and correcting so many mistakes. I love you!

And to    @pedudley​   your comments and feedback are the best. LOVE YOU BOTH! ❤️❤️❤️

March 2015

Bastien was extremely worried about Drake. He thought that some time and distance would help Drake heal, but he seemed to get more and more depressed every day. He spent his days on the couch or in the hammock looking at the sea with a bottle in his hand. His gaze was lost, empty.

The nights were even worse; he didn’t sleep, and the rare nights where he was able to close his eyes for more than a few hours, he woke up sweating with a nightmare - reliving that day, over and over again.

He had barely spoken since he had arrived in Spain. Andrea, Bastien’s wife, had convinced Bastien to try and reach Alexis in Cordonia, but Liam had told him that she was as destroyed as Drake was. Bastien suggested bringing them back together, maybe flying Alexis to Spain. He was convinced that seeing her would help Drake, and vice versa, but Liam had said that Alexis was too weak to travel.

“Son, you can’t keep going like this. You’re going to kill yourself,” Bastien said one night, tired of feeling useless.  

“What difference does it make?” Drake took a swig directly from the bottle. “Why should I live after … after what I did?” He felt empty; the guilt was eating him alive, and the only person that could have saved him hated him even more than he hated himself.

“Drake, I’m sure that if you reach out to her- “

“No! I told you already. Do not contact her! I’m not good for her.” He noticed that his bottle was empty, so he stood up and lurched into the kitchen. Bastien followed him. “I destroyed her life … I … destroyed everything ...” He opened the bottle and took a big gulp. “Everything I touch … it dies. My dad died, my mother left, and now T … T… Fuck! I can’t even say his name.”

Bastien placed his hand on his godson’s shoulder. “Son, it wasn’t your fault.”

Drake barked at him, “What the fuck do you know, Bastien? It was my fault, only my fault. I swore to her that I’d protect them. It was my job to keep them safe.” It hurt too much to even breathe. He laid on the hammock again. “Please leave me alone.” He closed his eyes, trying to remember them: his pure laughter and her beautiful face, his little hand gripping his or her soft body against his at night, all the Sunday mornings taking him to the forest and the spicy breakfast waiting for them at the cabin. Maybe if he focused hard enough, he could make time go back.

June 2010

Drake and Alexis had been living together for two days. After another horrible fight with her father, she had finally had enough, and, tired of the way he treated her, she had left to live with Drake at his cabin.

They spent their first 48 hours completely lost in each other. Their second night together, they were both wrapped under a blanket watching the stars on the terrace, when it hit him. All he wanted from life was already there in his arms. So he held her even tighter and, after only eight months since meeting her, he whispered the question in her ear. She couldn’t believe it at first - it was too soon, they were too young, there were a million reasons not to do it - but she was completely crazy about him, too. Her eyes watered before she screamed a loud “yes” into the night. He kissed her deeply and ran to get his grandmother’s emerald engagement ring. It suited her perfectly. It was meant to be.

The wedding preparations had been hectic. They didn’t see the point of a long engagement, so they had set the date for two months from then: the 18th of June, a Saturday.

“Are we completely crazy?” he asked her, grinning after they had gone to the town hall to register their marriage application.

She laughed. “Yeah, completely,” she said, snuggling against him as they walked, “but I love you so much.”

“Me too, baby.” He kissed the top of her head. He was the happiest man in the world.

They didn’t have a lot of money, so they were going to have a small wedding in the forest behind their cabin. All their friends had offered to cooperate, but Drake and Alexis were adamant: They were only going to accept manual labor as wedding gifts. Drake, Liam and Leo brought the tables and chairs for the ceremony and the reception. Bertrand helped them with all the wedding documents, Maxwell was in charge of the music, Savannah decorated the place with Alexis, and Olivia was paying her chef to make the wedding cake. Bastien was working on a special surprise in his woodshop and would be in charge of the BBQ for the big day.

One day before the wedding, Drake was preparing the salads for the BBQ while Alexis and Maxwell chose the songs for the party.

“Guys!” Maxwell said, panicked. “You don’t have a song?”

“Not really,” Alexis paused. “We danced for the first time to ‘She Will Be Loved,’ though.’”

Maxwell grimaced before speaking. “Really? Maroon 5, Blossom?”

“Hey! I love them!” She laughed.

“Don’t get me wrong, Lexie. Adam Levine is the sexiest man alive. But ‘She Will Be Loved’ is not a wedding song.”

Alexis was about to respond when Drake intervened, blushing. “I have one.”

Max and Alexis turned their heads in unison. “You have a wedding song?” Max arched his brows.

Drake shook his head, exasperated to be having this conversation with Maxwell. “It’s not a wedding song, Beaumont. It’s just a song I like.”

Alexis looked at Max meaningfully. “I think Bertrand was looking for you outside to help with the flower arrangements, Max.”

He winked. “Of course, Bertrand is looking for me, riiight.”

When he left, Alexis circled her arms around her future husband’s waist. “What’s the song, babe?”

He sighed, wondering when he had become such a damn softie. “Van Morrison, ‘Crazy Love.’ He looked into her bright eyes and smiled as he cupped her face. “Do you like it?”

“I love it; it’s one of the most romantic songs ever. Why do you like it?”

He smiled sheepishly. “One night after I dropped you off at your father’s house, I put the stereo on, and that song started playing. Listening to it I realized how well it suited you, us.”

That man was going to make her crazy. She crashed her lips against his as he grabbed the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss, letting his tongue meet hers. After a few seconds, he gripped her hips and lifted her to sit her on the counter. She straddled him, while his lips and teeth explored and bit her neck and her hands roamed over his back.

Max cleared his throat. “Fuck! Leo was right. I owe him $20.”

Leo entered the kitchen with a screwdriver in his hand. “Li and I set up the bar …” He stopped to see Alexis combing her hair with her hand. “I told you, Maxwell, you can’t leave these two alone - pay up.”

“Fuck off, Leo.” Drake exchanged a wink with Alexis and went with Leo to check on the improvised bar the brothers had set up in the garden.

The rehearsal was fast; after it, everyone went to sleep early as the preparations had left them exhausted.

The next day, Alexis woke up at Olivia’s apartment feeling giddy with happiness.

“I can’t believe I’m getting married today.”

“If you want to bail, I have the getaway car ready, darling.” Olivia was only half-joking.

Alexis shook her head before she warned her best friend, “You’ll understand one day, Liv. You’ll fall in love like we did, and all of this will make sense to you, I promise.”

“Shoot me if I ever get that sappy. You have my permission.”  Olivia opened the door and let a woman in. “This is Clara; she will do your hair and makeup.”

Alexis was about to protest, but Olivia raised her hand. “I know you said you didn’t want this kind of gift, but it’s your wedding day, and you deserve this, Alexis.” She looked at her friend through the mirror of the dresser as she talked. “I can’t cook a BBQ or build improvised bars, but please let me do this.”

Alexis understood what her friend was trying to say. “I love you too, Liv.”

Olivia waved her hand, smiling. “Shit, you’re going to be cheesier than usual today. God help us.” She squeezed Alexis’s shoulder. “Still no news about your father?”

Alexis shook her head. “Not yet. He said that if I married Drake, I was dead to him. He hates him only because he has no money. If he knew him better …” She sighed sadly. “Anyway, it'll all be okay; maybe he’ll show up at the cabin.”

Olivia disguised her sadness for her with a smile. “Maybe, darling. I’ll go change.” She called Drake the minute she left Alexis’ room. Olivia knew George O’Brien, and she was sure he wasn’t coming.

Alexis texted her father the address of the cabin; she was sure he’d regret his decision and would arrive at the last minute, or at least she hoped he would. She hadn’t asked anyone else to walk down the aisle with her.

Drake intercepted Bertrand when he arrived at the cabin.

“Alexis’s father won’t come; I know she was still hoping that he would, but that fucking asshole doesn’t give a damn about her.” Drake’s heart broke just thinking about her waiting for George. “Could you walk her down the aisle? Max is officiating the ceremony, but I know Lexie cares a lot about you, too.” Bertrand assured him that he was proud to accept.

Bastien had built a beautiful arch for the ceremony, and Liam and Leo had placed chairs all over the lawn for their 30 guests.

‘Here Comes the Sun' started to play. Drake waited at the end of the aisle with his heart beating as hard as it could without actually leaving his chest.

After what felt like an eternity, she appeared on Bertrand’s arm. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was; she was gorgeous. Her long white dress made her look like she was floating, her wide smile illuminated her whole face, her dark eyes were glistening with happy tears. Suddenly, he noticed his own eyes watering for the second time in his life, and he didn’t care. Her. All he cared about was her. He couldn’t wait to have her next to him.

Finally, they reached him, and he felt like his heart was going to burst with the smile she reserved only for him. He squeezed her hand, and they stood in front of Maxwell, who had gotten ordained on the internet for the ceremony.

Maxwell took his role very seriously. “As the great poet George Eliot once said:

What greater thing is there for two human souls

than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen

each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow,

to share with each other in all gladness,

to be one with each other in the

silent unspoken memories?”

Drake and Alexis exchanged a loving glance, as Maxwell proceeded with the ceremony until he reached the part where they had to share their vows.

“I think we’re all impatient to hear Drake’s vows, so let’s start with him.”

Drake turned to face Alexis, who was staring intently at him through her eyelashes. “Fuck, Lexie, stop looking at me like that or I won’t be able to say this.”

She beamed at him.

“I’m not good with words or feelings, so when you suggested that we should write our own vows, I almost choked.”

Their friends laughed.

Drake locked eyes with her. “But then I realized this wasn’t difficult at all. Because the truth is that I love you. I love your beautiful smile, your bright eyes, and the fire in them when you get angry.” Alexis shook her head, smiling through her tears. “I love how much you enjoy every single moment of your life.” He grinned at her. “I couldn’t live without smelling your cherry scent in our pillows or without you dancing all around the house.” He gently stroked her cheek. He was dying to kiss her, but he kept talking. “I love the light you have cast into my life since the second we met, and I swear I’ll always protect you, take care of you, and make sure that your beautiful light keeps on shining.” His voice betrayed his emotion, so he paused for a second. “I’m eager to start our lives together because I’m not sure about a lot of things, but I know without the shadow of a doubt that I’ll love you until the day I die.” He leaned and kissed her forehead.

“I love you too.” Alexis was crying. “Shit! I won’t be able to do this.” She took a deep breath as a grinning Drake gripped her hand reassuringly. “Every day I spend with you is the happiest day of my life. You’re strong, smart, and the most beautiful soul I’ve ever met, even when you try so hard to hide it. I love that smirk that is so you -” she caressed his face tenderly - “those crinkles around your eyes when you smile, your strong hands and your legendary stubbornness. I’ve never felt so safe and so loved before, and I want you to know that I love you with the same intensity, the same fierceness. I promise I’ll always be your partner, your best friend, your lover. I can’t wait to be your wife because I know I’ll love you until the day I die.” She smiled through her tears pronouncing the same words he had told her a few seconds ago.

Maxwell was crying, unable to proceed with the ceremony for a few minutes. “I don’t think I was the best person to do this. You’re so adorable, guys!”

Drake and Alexis laughed with the rest of the guests.

They exchanged their rings, visibly excited, promising to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. Finally, Maxwell declared them husband and wife.

“Drake, you may kiss the bride.”

He cupped her face and whispered so only she could hear him. “You have no idea how much I love you, baby.”

Before she could answer, he kissed her softly, slowly deepening the kiss until they heard Maxwell cheer with the rest of their friends.

“I’ve never been this happy, Drake.”

“Me neither, Lexie.”

The party was exactly what they wanted: stress-free and laid back. Bastien was in charge of the BBQ, and they had set up a salad buffet to go with it.  Fordessert, they would serve wedding cake and had set up a corner next to a bonfire where guests could prepare their own s’mores. Liv and Liam gave their toasts, and soon it was time for their first dance.  Maxwell gave Drake a knowing look before playing their song. Drake stood up and offered his hand to her; she grinned at him and followed him to the improvised dance floor Drake and Liam had set up.

I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles

And the heavens open every time she smiles

And when I come to her that's where I belong

Yet I'm running to her like a river's song

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

He placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her against him, letting his eyes roam over her beautiful face as they danced. “You look so gorgeous, baby. I can’t wait to have you all to myself tonight.”

She bit her bottom lip, blushing. “You’re much better with words than you think, Drake.” She placed her head on his chest as he led her across the dance floor, the sandalwood invading her nostrils. “And me neither, I can’t wait.”

She's got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down

And when I come to her when the sun goes down

Take away my trouble, take away my grief

Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief

He spun her around confidently. “Wow, I didn’t know you were such a smooth dancer, Walker.” She winked at him, making him laugh.

“I might’ve received a tip or two from Maxwell,” he admitted sheepishly.

He looked so adorable when he was flustered. “Fuck, Drake! I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby.” He leaned down to her face and gave her a nose kiss before spinning her again.

Yes I want to throw my arms around her

Kiss her hug her kiss her hug her tight

And when I'm returning from so far away

She gives me some sweet lovin' brighten up my day

Yes it makes me righteous, yes it makes me feel whole

Yes it makes me mellow down in to my soul

With the last notes of the song, Drake asked h,er smirking, “Are you ready?”

She nodded, puzzled, and he elegantly dipped her at the end of the song, making her laugh with that throaty laugh he loved so much.

“I’m happy to see I can still surprise you, Mrs. Walker.”

She beamed at him. “I’ll never get tired of how good that sounds.”

April 2019

“Alexis.”

“Hello, Drake. We need to talk.”

He opened the door and gestured for her to come in.

When she entered the cabin, a hundred memories came flooding back: the day she had moved in, the nights they had spent stargazing, the day they had married, and so many others that she tried to avoid because they were too painful. She couldn’t avoid a quick glance to the floor upstairs, but turned her head fast, refusing to think about that room.

Drake watched her move around the cabin, without sitting, her eyes darting everywhere. She’s nervous.

Without a word, he went into the kitchen, took a bottle of whiskey from a cabinet, and poured two glasses.

He came back to the living room and saw Alexis still standing next to the door, like an uninvited guest in her own house. In her old house, Drake corrected himself. He gave her the glass and she gulped it.

“Thank you, I needed that.” She pointed upstairs. “Still the same?”

He took a sip of his whiskey and nodded, still silent. He fixed his piercing eyes on her; she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but her beauty was different now, miles away from the lively, sunny girl he had met. Drake watched her bite her bottom lip as she always did when she was nervous. He knew that the next step would be to twist her ring … except it wasn’t his ring anymore. She was wearing a huge diamond engagement ring, and he immediately guessed the reason she was there. Savannah had warned him a few months back.

The faster they’d get to it, the faster she’d be out of his life again. For good this time. He gulped his own glass and asked her, “What are you doing here, Alexis?”

“Um …” Her heart was still racing; she didn’t want to cry, but being there brought back every painful memory she had in that cabin - every laugh, every look, every word. She swallowed hard and forced herself to talk. “I need the divorce papers; we never signed anything.”

“Of course,” he smiled bitterly; “you need to be divorced to get married again.”

She hugged herself, knowing how hard the situation was for both of them.

Drake poured himself another whiskey before adding contemptuously, “That’s a nice ring. I wonder when he bought it.” He downed the content of his glass in one gulp. “I wonder how long he had been waiting to make his move, to take you away from me.”

Alexis couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Do not speak of Liam like that! He was always a good, loyal friend to you and to me. He was the one here picking up the pieces when you left.” She hadn’t realized that she was almost yelling or that her eyes were full of tears. “You left and never once looked back!”

Her words infuriated him; he didn’t yell, but his voice was full of anger. “What the hell, Alexis? Did you just say that I left and didn’t come back? Me?”

She turned her back, angry - not only at him, at herself, too, at their damn fate that had played such a cruel, horrible joke on them.

He cut the distance between them and stood in front of her, making her face him. “I left?” he asked again. “And what about what you did?”

She recognized the pain in the eyes she had avoided looking at for so long, and the anger faded. “What if I say it’s my fault? What difference does it make? It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Drake shook his head, frustrated; as much as it still hurt, as much as he hated to admit it, they didn’t belong together anymore. “You’re right, it doesn’t.” He sighed; he was eager to see her leave and take all the painful memories with her. “Did you bring the papers?”

She took a deep breath before speaking. “It’s more complicated than that. We never made our separation official, so as far as the law is concerned, we’re still together.” He kept staring at her with his arms folded over his chest. His gaze made her extremely nervous, but she forced herself to finish what she needed to say. “I spoke with Rashad, we need to file an application and set a date with a judge for a … meeting.” She put a strand of hair behind her ear.

Drake frowned. “What kind of meeting?”

“It’s called an “attempted conciliation” meeting. It’s mandatory in Cordonia if we want things to go faster. After the meeting, we only have to wait 15 days to sign the papers and everything will be over.”

She seemed cold and distant, talking about the life that they had shared together like it was a simple legal procedure. “Send me the date and I’ll be there, the sooner the better.” He watched her twist his ring again and couldn’t avoid the surge of anger. “This marriage was a fucking mistake anyway.” He regretted his words as soon as he said them, but it was too late.

She looked at him sadly; he had never shown her cruelty before. “Maybe it was a mistake for you.” She took her purse and walked to the door.

“Alexis!” he called before she left. “It might have been a huge mistake; I don’t know. But I don’t regret a single minute of it.” He fixed his chocolate eyes on hers; she seemed so vulnerable again that he had to actively stop himself from taking her into his arms.

She answered through her tears, “Me neither, Drake. I don’t regret anything.” She threw a last glance at the floor upstairs and left.

She drove for a few miles until she was forced to pull over. Her hands were shaking; she couldn’t drive anymore. Forcing herself to steady her voice, she immediately called Liam because she knew how worried he would be about her. She told him that she was all right and that he should go to his meeting with Bertrand and Francesco; she would see him later at her apartment.

When she hung up, she called Max. He arrived an hour later with Olivia, and they took her to Maxwell’s loft in the capital.

“Something to drink?” Maxwell asked.

“Whiskey, double.” She took off her coat, still shaking.

“Here, Blossom.” She gulped it fast.

“Now, tell us everything, Alexis,” Olivia said while she prepared a vodka martini.

“It was so surreal to see him again. He looked …” she sighed, “older, obviously, but still very handsome.” She couldn’t avoid the sorrow in her eyes. “He hates me.”

Olivia arched her brow and simply stated, “Liam.”

She nodded. “Yes, partly,” she shrugged, “but he’s also angry about the last time we saw each other.” Her eyes watered, but she rubbed them hard. “I’m not going to cry. Liam is in the middle of some intense negotiations for the duchy; he doesn’t need to worry about me, too.”

“You can be so fucking frustrating, Alexis.” Olivia looked at her, exasperated.

Maxwell shook his head. “Bravo, Olivia, subtle.”

“I don’t give a damn if I’m subtle or not. Alexis, you need to stop worrying about Liam, or Drake, or anyone else, for that matter. How do you feel? What did you feel when you saw Walker?”

She stared back at her best friend, twisting her ring. “Nothing. I mean, I felt sad for us, and going back to the cabin, to the last place I saw Tho- … him was extremely hard. But I feel absolutely nothing for Drake anymore.”

Olivia squinted at her. “Please, Alexis. You saw Drake again. The man that we know you loved like crazy, who you shared your life with for five years, and you pretend that you didn’t feel anything? You’re shaking, for Christ’s sake. You need to talk, darling.”

Alexis turned to Maxwell for support, but he shrugged. “I don’t approve of her brutal interrogation techniques, but I agree with her; you had to feel something, Lexie. That doesn’t mean you’re being disloyal to Li.”

She dropped the glass on the table and stood up, angrily looking for her coat and purse. “I have no feelings for him anymore. Nothing. He left me without a fucking regret.”

Maxwell shook his head. “You know that’s not exactly true, Blossom. You know why he left.”

Alexis was furious. “I can’t even believe what I’m hearing. If you’ll excuse me, the man that loves me, that I love, is worried sick waiting for me. Have a good night.”  

She left, slamming the door.

Liam spent the afternoon working in his office in Cordonia. He was very satisfied with the deal he had made with Francesco and the Italian government. He had already succeeded in making Valtoria the richest duchy in Cordonia, and his new goal was to transform it into the most successful business center on the Mediterranean coast.

While he was searching for the contracts, he came across the invitation Bertrand had given him for his fifth wedding anniversary party. He was in quite a conundrum; on the one hand, it would be inappropriate for them not to show up. Bertrand was his number two, his closest employee. On the other hand, Drake was back in Cordonia, and he was surely going to go too; after all, Savannah was his sister.

His memory drifted back to that day at the clinic. He had been so confident that it was the right thing to do that he hadn’t doubted his actions, but now he wasn’t so sure about it. Drake’s grief still haunted him. He wondered how their “reunion” had gone. He decided to cut his day short and go check on Alexis.

Her job as a freelance translator allowed her to work from wherever she wanted, but she spent most of her time in her city’s loft. Liam hoped she would easily accept her new role as the duchess of Valtoria when the time came, but he was aware that it was going to be a tough adjustment. As much as she tried to hide it, the weekly royal etiquette lessons she took with Regina were torture for her.

She was already in her room when he got home. He undressed and went to join her in bed. When she sensed his presence, she turned around and laid her head on his chest.  

He caressed her face with the back of his hand. “How did it go, my love?” he asked softly.

“As bad as expected, but I don’t want to talk about it, Li.” She looked for his lips, and he immediately kissed her back.

He needed to claim her as much as she needed to forget. He took off her silky robe and made love to her passionately and lovingly, trying to make her forget about everything else.

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

Drake sat in front of the fireplace with Savannah's invitation in his hand. He refused to go back to those days where alcohol was the only thing he used to numb the pain. He let himself get lost in the flames while he thought about them, about all the nights they had spent exploring each other in front of that same fireplace. About all the stories she had read to him while she snuggled on his lap. And now that life was gone, and she was with Liam.

With Liam.

When Savannah had called him all those months ago, he had refused to believe it, but then she had sent him their picture in an email, and everything had fallen into place. Especially that last day at her clinic.

Well, if she could move on, he could do it too. He had a new life, a new job, and was dating someone new.

He had come back to Cordonia determined to get a semblance of a life back. He knew himself well enough to realize that he would never love again, or at least never with the same force, with the same intensity,  but if he was going to fulfill the promise he had made at his grave, he needed a new life.

The job he had gotten at Ezequiel’s clinic was the first step; dating Kiara was step two. He wondered if he would truly forget her one day if one day he would wake up to realize she didn’t occupy his every thought. He certainly hoped so; she was marrying Liam soon.

A new family or kids weren’t even a possibility. He might forget Alexis one day, but he would never forget about Tom.

Tagging: @ao719​ @yukinagato2012​ @kingliam2019​ @texaskitten30​ @cordonia-gothqueen​ @bebepac​ @nomadics-stuff​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @gardeningourmet​

Permatag: @ac27dj​ @twinkle-320​ @kimmiedoo5​ @marshmallowsandfire​ @loveellamae​ @burnsoslow​ @mskaneko​ @pedudley​ @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore​ @lauzales​ @pug-bitch​

[littledrummeraussie]

the closest to heaven that i'll ever be. / getaway series

Word count: 5000+ Warnings: Maybe a few bad jokes. Author’s note: The third part of my getaway series. Hopefully it puts a smile on your face during this hard time. Please stay safe and wash your hands! 😉 Feedback is always appreciated! Much love!

getaway masterlist. / masterlist.

When the next morning you woke up to the sun shining through the windows, Ashton decided it was time to explore the forest trail he found the previous day on his run. Even though you knew what your answer will be, you still let him convince you with kisses and nuzzles as he listed all the perks of spending time outside – most of them being his impeccable company by your side, and honestly, how could you say no to such promises? With the biggest smile on his face Ash pulled you out of bed, already reaching for some comfortable clothes to wear on your upcoming adventure.

After breakfast you left the cabin to go on your little trip through the woods, hands interlocked, taking your time enjoying the scenery around you, and talking about your next step. You knew things won’t be perfect when you get back to your everyday lives, but you wanted to make an effort in trying your best. This meant time, work, and honesty towards each other. But when you looked at Ashton as he told you how he hoped that you can keep being open about your thoughts and feelings, you knew you were on the right track to come out of this stronger than before.

In the end you found yourselves in a nice little clearing with a breathtaking view, and Ash decided it would make a great place for taking some pictures. It’s been a while since you’ve stopped in your lives to capture something like this, and you both appreciated it for what it was – a calm, happy moment shared by lovers, enjoying the time they get to spend together. Ashton pulled you to his side, embracing you in a hug and pushing his cheek against yours, making you laugh as he started grimacing, trying for the silliest faces he could. He laughed with you about his own goofy attempts, and you couldn’t stop giggling for the next few minutes, all of your pictures ending up blurry in the process. He tugged you closer to his chest, kissing you with his happiest smile, and once again you felt like you were finally home.

By the time you arrived back to the cabin you were both exhausted, the day spent outside and your long walks making you ready to drop. After a quick shower and a late lunch you ended up on the couch, a blanket wrapped around you as you lay back on the pillows with Ashton lying on top of you, his head resting on your breasts. He made a happy little sound as you started to comb your fingers through his hair, nuzzling closer to your touch.

”You’re nice and comfy,” he said with a content sigh, his voice already sleepy.

”Of course, you’re resting on my boobs,” you made a comment with a laugh, and he scrunched up his face.

”Shh, pillows don’t talk.”

”They also don’t play with your hair to help you fall asleep,” you smiled, brushing the dark locks back from his forehead.

”This one does,” he mumbled, snuggling closer to your chest.

”You want me to keep going?” you whispered, fingers still running through his hair.

”Please?” Ash looked up at you with big eyes and a slight pout, and you just nodded, hand still in his hair.

Within minutes his breaths evened out and he was quietly napping against you, his weight on you once again a reminder of just how much you’ve missed these moments between the two of you. His presence filled you with peace and hope that you will be alright. You knew Ashton was trying his hardest – just thinking about how he took care of you the previous days made you appreciate all his efforts even more. He did everything he could to show you how much he cared about you, about both of you – clearing his schedule, finding a remote place where it could be just the two of you. All his words, all his actions made it clear that he won’t give up.

You remembered how he looked at you after he fucked you in the shower, how he promised you that he will love you even if you cannot love yourself. Blaming yourself for ending up in this situation was one thing, that you could handle – but Ashton blaming himself was a different thing. He might have kept quiet about it, but you knew that deep inside he was hurting. During last night he held you close, wrapping his body around yours as he talked about some of his favourite memories he shared with you, reliving the good times you had together. After everything that happened between you, he wanted to make you feel loved, to know that you were the most important person in his life. He seemed like the stronger one, but he needed you to take care of him as well.

Your words hurt the both of you. Even if he knew that you didn’t actually mean it when you told him how much you hated him, it still felt like a slap in the face. He pushed through it, he made it clear that he won’t let you feel anything else just love for the two of you. But for that you needed Ashton to feel, to know that you were ready to love you again – your relationship, yourself, and most importantly: him. It was your time to care for him, and if it meant that you have to stop doubting yourself in everything you did, and start focusing on how much he gave you and how much you can give back, then that is exactly what you were doing.

You felt yourself nodding off as well, Ashton’s body warm and comforting against you, your fingers slowing down in his hair, when he started shuffling a little. You opened your eyes to see him nuzzling his face against your stomach just under your breasts, then he mumbled something in his sleep.

”Baby?” you smiled, caressing his cheek as he again started mumbling.

”Hmpf?”

”Did you know that sometimes you talk in your sleep?” you asked, brushing the hair behind his ear.

”No, I don’t,” Ash answered, still half-asleep.

”Then what’s this?” you bit your bottom lip to stifle a laugh, trying not to shake him.

 Ashton did talk in his sleep, mostly when he was extremely tired – or when someone was playing with his hair while he was sleeping. You were not sure if he knew about it, or if he simply didn’t want to acknowledge it. Calum told you that they did record him once when they were younger, and that just made Ash really embarrassed, almost to the point where he did not sleep for days just so he can prove them wrong. He failed miserably; the guys never tried it again.

You’ve never really asked him about it, first you’ve just thought that Calum tries to make him flustered in front of you when you’ve started dating. But after long flights and tours, when Ashton finally fell into bed next to you, cuddling up to your side, he did start mumbling about everything his sleepy mind came up with, and you found the whole thing really sweet and intimate. Other times when he took a nap on the couch, head resting in your lap, your fingers running through his hair as he lightly snored, he hummed his appreciation, sometimes whispering about how much he enjoyed the touches.

The first time you knew that you were having trouble with your relationship was also the last time when he slept in your lap like that. He asked you if you’ll be able to come to the concert his friends were throwing that night, but you needed to say no; your inbox was going off with concerns from your colleagues, and you needed to solve their problems as soon as you could. Ash sighed, leaning down to kiss your hair and whispered a short “maybe next time” in your ear, then left you with the promise that he will be back around midnight. He did send you a few pictures and videos while he was at the show, but you just didn’t have time to check those – in the end, you just fell asleep on the arm of the couch.

Midnight came, and with it Ashton arrived as well, slightly tipsy from the party he attended. You woke when he crawled over the couch and put his head in your lap, sighing happily as he nuzzled against you. He was going on and on about the concert and you were trying to keep up with him, still drowsy after waking up so suddenly. By the time you would have been able to answer him, he was fast asleep, hot breath puffing against your thighs. With your fingers combing through his hair you started to watch the things he has sent to you, wanting to give him a few minutes until you had to wake him to go up to the bedroom. Ashton nuzzled against your palm, then when you caressed his cheek to try and wake him, he suddenly started muttering.

”Ash?”

”Don’t… go…” his lips were barely moving as he pushed closer to you in his sleep. ”Stay… don’t lea– don’t leave… stay… with me… ”

”I’m here, Ash,” you quickly brushed away the tears from your eyes. ”I’m here.”

”Stay… with me…”

His words broke your heart, and you promised yourself that you will do everything you can to make up for the time you have spent on your job instead of him. Little did you know that that night was the last time when he asked you to go with him. When the next show came around, he left the house without a word, leaving you behind.

 Ashton slowly looked up at you, eyes blinking against the light in the room, gaze still sleepy. He burrowed closer to you, fighting off the last of his dreamy haze. His hazel eyes were shining, and you could see a question being asked in the way he stared at you. What did I say to you?

”You’re really cute,” you smiled at him instead. ”And kinda sexy.”

”Exactly what I wanted to hear first thing when I wake up…” he chuckled, a blush colouring his cheeks.

He stretched his arms as he sat up, moving in a way that should have been forbidden in every single part of the world – he arched his back, muscles tensing and relaxing under the shirt that hugged his body. Before he could move further, you sat up to wrap your arms around his waist and pulled him back against you on the couch. Ashton landed on you with an “umpf” sound, laughing at your attempt to keep him close.

”You’re okay there?” he tilted his head back to look at you. ”Am I not crushing you?”

”You’re exactly where I want you to be,” you smiled at him, hands resting on his shoulders.

”Lying on your boobs?” Ash grinned at you, wiggling his eyebrows.

”Pretty much on my whole body, but yes,” you leaned forward to kiss his forehead, and that made Ashton scrunch up his face in another smile. ”On my boobs.”

He reached for your hand to interlock your fingers on his chest, rubbing his thumb over your skin as he started telling you about the dream he had just before he woke up. Your other hand went back to his hair to play with it as you’ve talked, and sometimes he lost track of his thoughts because of that. Ash laughed at your attempts to try and distract him, and when it was your turn to tell him something, his hands slid down to your legs, slowly brushing his fingers over your skin. He rubbed your calves, then made his way up to your knees, circling his finger around the bone, drawing patterns on it with his fingertips.

”Are you lost?” you lightly tugged on his hair as his hands disappeared under your skirt, skimming higher and higher on your thighs.

”Oh no, I know my way around here,” he answered, then looked back at you again, eyes sparkling with mischief. ”Hmm, no panties?”

”Didn’t feel like it,” you smiled at him, biting your lip as he licked his own.

”Naughty,” he smirked at you, lightly grabbing onto you. ”Really… naughty.”

”Says the person who likes to take them off of me… before we go out… or when people come over…”

”To be fair, you’ve never stopped me,” Ash answered, still caressing your thighs. ”You seemed to like that game… I remember someone getting really… excited, on several occasions…”

”I’m sure it was more like… one or two times,” you teased him, still tugging on his hair as he grinned.

”Such a shame. Guess I’d better up my game?” he stuck his tongue out at you.

”Could put that tongue to good use,” you laughed at him. ”Just saying.”

Ashton winked at you, and before you knew it he turned around, lying back down on his stomach, resting his weight on you. He pushed your shirt up, nuzzling his face against your skin as he started lightly kissing your stomach, slowly making his way down. You grabbed his face and tilted his chin up, biting your lips.

”What are you doing?”

”What does it look like?” he quirked an eyebrow at you, then slowly licked over your navel. ”Cause I think you know…”

”Something naughty,” you felt yourself blushing, and the next moment Ash just started laughing, pushing his forehead against your belly.

”You’re so cute,” he looked back up with a smile, resting his chin on you. ”One moment you are all sultry, and the next you get bashful and can’t even talk about me wanting to lick your pussy…”

”Aaaaaasssh!” his words made you all hot and bothered, but also just really embarrassed, like you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have.

You hid behind your hands as you’ve tried to pull away to curl up in a ball, but his hands on your hips and his weight on your body kept you pushed into the couch. He reached for your hands to interlock them with his own next to you, then nuzzled your stomach again, kissing and licking the skin, lightly nipping the soft flesh with his teeth.

”Oh, no – no, no, no. No going away,” he pressed his lips against one of the marks he left on your skin, then looked up at you with dark eyes. ” I’m gonna eat you out and you’re gonna enjoy every second of it.”

”How could I not?” you let out a breathy sigh, and he chuckled against the fabric of your skirt.

”Exactly my thoughts.”

His lips and nose lightly skimmed over your lower stomach and thighs, leaving hot puffs of air wherever he stopped, pushing his mouth against the fabric to tease you. When he finally reached the edge of your skirt, he locked his eyes on you as his teeth grabbed onto it and slowly inched it up your legs, pushing and pulling it out of his way. He squeezed your hands before he slipped lower, pushing his shoulders under your thighs, spreading your legs wider. As he was kissing over your inner thigh, you grabbed onto his hair again, lightly tugging on it until he looked up at you.

”You seem lost,” you licked your lips with a grin. ”Do you need a map?”

”Still good,” he kissed the crease of your thigh. ”Think I found the treasure.”

With that Ashton stuck his tongue out and licked a line up your slit, lightly swirling it around your clit. You could feel his chuckle against your skin as you moaned, and he repeated his action, brushing his lower lip against the sensitive spot.

”Tease,” you pulled on his hair as he again did the same thing, this time with a little more pressure on your clit.

”Hmm, but you like it,” he hummed against you, spreading your pussy lips with his fingers as he licked over your entrance. ”You’re so wet, baby, fuck.”

”Fuck, Ashton! Please!” you whined as he looked up at you, a grin on his face.

”Only because you used the magical word.”

He gave you one last wink as he grabbed your ass to pull you closer, getting to work. You threw your head back as you moaned his name, losing all coherent thoughts as he licked your pussy, his lips closing around your clit to suck on it. He answered your noises with his own sounds, humming contentedly, like pleasuring you was the single most amazing thing that could have happened to him in that moment.

Ash was playing a game with you – sometimes he held you down, so you couldn’t move, and he gave you all of his, lips and tongue working against you until you felt like you will explode. Then he stopped. Gave you a grin before kissing your thighs, waiting for you to calm down a little. After that he let you pull him closer, grabbing his hair as he let you ride his tongue, chasing your orgasm until he pulled away again, chuckling as you whined.

”Where did that smart mouth go, love? Huh?” Ashton pressed a kiss on your lower stomach as he gave you another break to catch your breath.

”Definitely nowhere near your cock,” you bit your lip to hold back your laugh, and Ash just shook his head with a smirk.

”Let’s see how you like this, witty girl,” he said as he pushed his finger inside, slowly moving it to tease you. ”Do you think you can take more?”

”I’m used to much more…” you looked down while still biting your lips, and he just pushed a second finger in.

”More?”

”Hmm, more,” you moaned, and he locked his lips around your clit, rubbing his tongue against it as his fingers started to pick up the pace.

”Are you close, baby? Gonna cum for me?” he asked, fingertips rubbing against the sensitive spot inside you.

”You need to work for that,” you pulled on his hair when he licked you again, a glint in his eyes as he looked at you.

”I like a good challenge,” Ash said, pulling his fingers out.

Before you could complain, his fingers started stroking your clit, tongue slipping inside your pussy to fuck you with it. He knew exactly what to do to make you cum, and he was ready to pull all your strings to get you there. You let go of his hair as you put your hands over your mouth, trying to stifle the moans he pulled out of you, feeling yourself getting closer and closer. Then suddenly he let go of you as he pushed himself up, grabbing your wrist and pulling your hands away, kissing you roughly as you tasted yourself on his tongue.

”I wanna hear you moaning my name as you cum,” Ash pushed his face against yours, lightly biting your lips. ”Want to hear you scream as you lose your mind.”

”I’ve already lost it,” you whined as you kissed him back, and he hummed happily. ”But would happily lose it again for you.”

”You don’t need it now, do you?” he chuckled, pressing his lips against your jaw.

”Stop talking and make me cum, you fucker,” you pushed on his shoulders to guide him back between your legs, and he again just laughed, kissing his way down.

”You’re so impatient, love,” Ash pulled your legs over his shoulders again. ”Are you sure you can take it?”

”Fucking hell, Ashton!”

You didn’t need to ask him again, he just got back to work, tongue and fingers working together to bring you over the edge, this time for real. Your moans soon turned into whines as he chased you towards your orgasm, his name the only thing on your lips as he made you come. He held your hips down as he continued, eating you out for another minute until you stopped riding his tongue. He licked through your folds, wanting to be soothing but making you shake in the process, and Ash just giggled as he pushed himself up to you again, holding your face in the palm of his hand as he kissed you.

”Delicious,” he smiled, nuzzling his nose against yours.

”Not as good as you,” you scrunched up your face, running your fingers through his hair.

”You want a taste?” he wiggled his eyebrows at you, pushing his hips against yours, his cock hard and straining against his pants.

”Hmm, in a second,” you smiled at him, pulling him close to kiss him.

Ash sighed happily into your mouth, resting his body on yours as you kissed, giving you a few more minutes to enjoy the pleasure still running through you. His hand sneaked under your shirt to lightly cup your breasts over the bra, pushing his fingers under it to tweak one of your nipples.

”I’ve thought it’s my turn,” you bit his bottom lip with a smile, pushing on his shoulder. ”Alright, up! Get off me!”

”You’re bossy,” he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you up with himself. ”Why do I love you?”

”Maybe for that smart mouth,” you stuck your tongue out at him, and with that you licked a line up his neck.

”You do know how to use it,” he sighed as he leaned against the back of the couch, his hands resting on your hips.

”We’re just getting started,” you whispered, kissing into his ear. ”And this time it definitely goes near to you cock.”

Ashton groaned at your words, pulling you down in his lap as he pushed his hips up, pressing his hardness against your pussy. You slowly started moving on him, the friction against your clit making you bit your lips, his cock throbbing against you inside his pants.

”Don’t tease me, baby,” Ash whimpered, pulling you closer more and more. ”Please…”

”Only because you used the magical word,” you chuckled as you repeated his own words, and Ashton let out a sound between a laugh and a moan.

”God, I fucking love you.”

You kissed his chin before getting out of his lap, kneeling down between his legs to finally give him what he craved for. You tugged on his sweatpants and he lifted his hips, letting you take it off of him. You looked up at him with a smirk, and you could see that he knew what you were thinking about.

”No underwear? Really, really naughty.”

”I’ve learned from the best,” he winked at you, and you rolled your eyes at him.

”Obviously.”

Ash laughed again, the sound turning into another moan as you licked over his tip, only touching him with your tongue. You locked eyes as he looked down at you – his gaze dark and full of lust, full of pleading for you to do more. You slowly wrapped your lips around the head of his cock, lightly sucking on it, pulling away until it rested on your bottom lip, looking up at Ashton with big eyes, almost like waiting for something. He slid his fingers into your hair, both of you letting out a sigh at the familiar touch as he pulled your head forward, his cock sliding into your mouth.

He brushed through your hair as you started to suck him, one hand resting on his thigh, the other grabbing onto his shaft, stroking it up and down. You let him slip out of your mouth, licking the underside until you could wrap your lips around him again, working him a little harder. Then you put both your hands on his thighs, the sign clear to him, and you could feel his fingers lightly pull on your hair to look at him. His eyes asked for permission, and he didn’t move, just when you nuzzled against his hand. With another groan he started moving your head up and down his cock, setting a pace he liked, his length rubbing against your tongue.

”So good, baby, you’re so good,” Ashton babbled, his words slurring as he got lost in his pleasure. ”Love that smart mouth on my cock, fuck!”

You hummed around his hardness, the vibration making him shiver, and you knew he was getting close. You sucked him hard and long, tasting him on your tongue until he pushed you back, his cock sliding out of your mouth again. Ash was already taking off his shirt, a light sheen of sweat covering his body. He reached forward to quickly help you up, tugging the skirt down your legs, then pulled you into his lap, your legs resting on either sides of his thighs. Your shirt quickly followed his on the floor, his fingers doing quick work on the clasps of your bra to get rid of it as soon as he could.

”If you do not fuck me right now, I’ll probably die,” he groaned against your neck, his hands grabbing your ass to pull you closer to his cock.

”We wouldn’t want that,” you bit your lip to hide your smile, fingers sliding into his hair at the nape of his neck. ”I prefer you alive, you know that, right?”

”Right now I would prefer you on my cock,” he slid his length against your pussy lips, making the both of you moan.

”So impatient, aren’t we?” you kissed the soft spot behind his ear, your teeth lightly tugging on his earring.

”Y/N, please,” he pulled your face closer, kissing you, voice barely above a whisper.

Pushing yourself up on your knees you held onto his shoulders, letting him grab his cock and run the head between your lips until he pushed the tip inside, letting you slowly slide back on him, his hard length filling you up inch by inch. You could have come just from feeling him inside you, and from the way his cock was throbbing in your pussy, he must have felt the same way. Ash grabbed your ass as he pulled out and pushed back in, starting to fuck you quickly.

One of his hands slid up your back to pull you forward, his lips closing around your nipple to suck and bite it, his breath hot on your skin. He switched to the other, teeth lightly scraping against the hard nub as you shifted in his lap, the tip of his cock rubbing against your spot, and you knew you were lost. Still grabbing onto his shoulders you started to ride him, moving up and down on his cock to feel that perfect feeling of him being inside you, the way your clit rubbed against him, how your thighs were shaking as you got closer and closer.

You collapsed against his chest as your pleasure reached you, Ashton wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close as his orgasm followed, still fucking you to get the most of his own pleasure. He pressed his lips against your jaw, kissing it as you buried your face in his neck, trying to catch your breath. His fingers lightly ran up and down your back, holding you close, his touch loving and comforting. You slowly looked up at him, leaning your forehead against his, and he nuzzled his nose to yours, kissing your lips in the process. There was a smile on both of your faces, your movements soft and slow as you cuddled against each other, enjoying your afterglow.

Your hands lightly held his face, rubbing your thumbs against his stubbly jaw, and Ash nuzzled against your palm, eyes shining, a permanent blush on his cheeks. He pulled your hand to his lips, softly running them over your fingers, kissing the skin of your wrist.

”Sunshine,” he whispered, pushing his lips against yours again.

”Little moon,” you kissed his forehead, brushing your hands through his hair. ”My moon.”

”Yours,” he sighed happily against your neck as he pulled you to his chest again. ”Only yours.”

 ”Ash?” you asked a few minutes later, slowly looking up at him. ”Are you… really drumming on my ass?”

You finally gathered yourselves and pulled away from each other just to lie back down on the couch, Ashton on his back, you on his chest, the blanket wrapped around you. His hands were running up and down your back, and you didn’t mind it when he rested them on your butt, but this caught your attention.

”It’s nice and round,” he winked at you, his grin never leaving his face.

”You just can’t help yourself, can you?” you laughed, crossing your arms over his chest, resting your chin on them. ”Drummer boy.”

”Needed to catch up on my practice,” he tapped your nose with his finger, and you scrunched up your face.

”You’re so silly.”

”You love my silly,” he answered, patting your butt once again.

”I love you, silly,” you leaned forward to kiss him, and he pressed his lips against yours, a smile on his face.

”The best feeling in the whole wide world.”

He wrapped his arms around your back, and you rested your head against his heart, listening to it as it slowed to a steady beat. Ash ran his fingers through your hair, lips brushing against your temple as he kissed it.

”Don’t fall asleep on me,” he whispered with a smile in his voice.

”I’m not,” you yawned, cuddling closer to him. ”And if I do, you will just take me to bed.”

”Maybe once my legs stop shaking,” he chuckled, chest vibrating with a laugh.

”Was it that good?” you opened your eyes to look up at him, biting back your grin.

”Don’t get cocky,” Ash tickled your side, still laughing.

”Oh, but you did…” you winked at him, burrowing into his chest as he huffed at you, then pulled you up to press another kiss on your lips.

”Silly little sunshine,” he nuzzled your nose with his brightest smile. ”…and this is why I love you.”

part 1 // part 2 // part 3 // part 4 // part 5 // part 6 // part 7 // part 8 // story tag.

[whatshername-please]

Out of the Water - Chapter III

Synopsis: You were very proud to be a mermaid, thank you very much. You didn’t want to be where the people were. Actually, you’d rather avoid it. Defending the merfolk was the biggest goal in your life… well, it was until you meet a certain pirate… it seems that your family really had a thing for humans, after all. Not that you’d ever admit it…

Pairing: Harry x reader

Word count: 3564

Part 3 of ?

Warnings: none? Possibly grammar mistakes? Also, some cuss words

A/N: English isn’t my first language, so I’ll probably mess up some tenses, grammar and stuff. Go easy on me, please. Feedback is always appreciated.

_________________________________________

“Maybe it’s contemporary art”

You pointed at the destroyed painting on the floor which made Mal stare at you in disbelief. Ok, maybe now wasn’t the best time for light hearted jokes.

Thus, it was probably better not to say anything about the curtains being all torn up since no one took notice of them…

Ben’s castle was not very different from the rest of Auradon: dead silent and a wicked atmosphere hovered in the air. Well, it was until everyone started searching for the king.

Everyone was calling for Ben but that made absolutely no sense, you thought. If Audrey had gone to the castle, she’d have turned Ben to stone or something, making impossible for him to answer. All the noise would just draw her attention, if she didn’t already know you were there which was very likely, by the way.

Really, why couldn’t she set Ben’s clothes on fire, break his favorite clock, shave his eyebrows? It’d have been so much easier to deal with.

Humans always had to make everything more difficult, hadn’t they?

You had gone through the whole the castle and found no one and also Dude had lost the track of Ben’s scent, the best option now would be to go back to Auradon Prep since it was the last place Audrey was seen at. But of course Mal wasn’t entirely convinced that the castle was empty and you were checking the last room left: it was a large hall full of coats of arms, vitrals and armors.

Why were there so many armors? Questionable decorating choice, if someone asked you. And unless Ben was hiding inside one of them, he wasn’t there either. Coming to Ben’s castle had been a completely waste of time.

“Hey!” someone called you, way too over-excited. “We weren’t properly introduced yet, I’m Gil”

The muscular boy extended his hand smiling widely at you. You shook his hand, presenting yourself.

“Are you a princess?” he asked. While Harry called you a princess with disdain, Gil appeared to be genuily interested in you, then again, he was fascinated by everything in Auradon, from the leaves on the trees to the berries in the bushes.

“I am” you answered him.

It seemed to be physically impossible, but his smile grew even bigger than before.

“I’ve never met a princess before. Your highness” he bowed and then looked at you with gleaming eyes “Have I done it right?”

Gil looked very proud of himself and it broke your heart. It was infuriating to think how many wonderful kids were stuck and forgotten on that Isle. For 20 years no one thought or cared about them, even now most people believed that the Isle’s inehabitants were dangerous and past redemption. You dared King Beast to look in Gil’s eyes and say he was a criminal who deserved to be punished for the rest of his life.

“Yes, you did. But you don’t have to do it, really.” you said and he nodded in agreement. Ok, you decided, out of Uma’s friends Gil was your favorite.

All you wanted to do was to find Audrey and go back home, but what was an already difficult task in itself was getting even harder because of Uma and Mal incessant bickering. You tried to ignore when Mal said she wandered what fried octopus tasted like. One thing that never entered humans’ head was that mermaids and fishes were friends, one day you were hanging out with a squid or a crab and suddenly they were fished and eaten by some unfeeling human. Sebastian still had nightmares about the time he got trapped inside your uncle’s…

Oh, wait. Did that armor just move?

Shit.

Everyone noticed it too, excepting Uma and Mal because they were too distracted fighting with each other.

“Girls!” Harry yelled “We have a situation here”. You wished you had a phone to take a picture of Uma’s face at this moment. She looked outraged by the audacity of Harry to cut her off.

At least now everyone was completely aware of that all the armors in that cursed place were moving towards you and ready to cut you all into tiny pieces. Drawing back wasn’t even an option since you were completely surrounded, the only chance you had to get out of this mess would be to fight.

WHY WERE THERE SO MANY ARMORS? If you survived this, you’d have a long talk to Ben about interior design.

Good thing everyone was optimistic about defeating them because, by your account, you were way outnumbered… not that Uma and Mal seemed to care since they were quarreling again. Evie was the one who got fed up with all the nonsense and stepped in and, while she tried to talk them into their senses again, you took the comb from your hair, ready to make it assume its true form. If Fairy Godmother didn’t have a rule against magic… or weapons being unnecessarialy used, you wouldn’t even bother changing your trident into a hair comb. You looked super badass carrying your trident around like the bitching sea queen you were…

Would be….

Whatever…

“Will you really brush your hair now, princess?”

That.

Mocking.

Tone.

Again.

You could either punch him right now or wait for an enchanted knight to do it…. but you had a better idea.

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open when he saw the comb that had been in your hand the moment before become an imponent trident. You watched with delight that ridiculous smirk on his face change into a shocked face. It always amazed you the look people made when they realized that your cute hair pin could make someone bleed to death, and Harry Hook did not disappoint you.

That would answer his question about your fighting skills.

The jerk.

But you had no time to think any further about Harry Hook and his pesky presence, the knights were near and you had a battle to face.

————–

It was official, you hated the human world and the ridiculous armors they used as house decoration. If Belle and the Beast (did he even have a name or his name was really Beast? Whatever…) hadn’t decide that every single corner of that castle needed to have a knight’s suit, you wouldn’t have had to be dodging swords attacks coming from every single angle that you could think of. It didn’t matter how hard or fast you hit them or that they were too heavy to react because they were enchanted. They could be slow to strike, but they neither got tired nor hurt, so you could attack them as much as you wanted and it didn’t make any difference, you were just scratching the metal. They were many and you were only 8, this wasn’t a fair battle, at all

“We need magic to defeat those things” you shouted to Mal while hitting a knight right in his chest, he stumbled a little but regained his balance fast enough. At the same time that you avoided another hit, you caught a glimpse of Harry who was close to you and unaware of the armor approachinh him from behind.

C'mon Harry, turn around…

Gosh, you had to do everything.

The knight striked again, but you avoided the blow. Taking this as a cue, you ran towards Harry and, as you did so, you managed to knock down the armor that was ready to attack the pirate. The sound of metal hitting the floor made the boy turn his head, he saw the armour laying on the floor and gave you a surprised look; either the boy didn’t expect you were able to fight or he didn’t expect that you would put yourself at risk to help him.

“You can thank me later” you said already attacking another hellish knight.

Thank goodness Mal had heard you and decided to use her magic against the cursed armors and before you could blink, the knights stopped moving and fell in the middle of the room.

It was about time.

Everyone was celebrating the victory, there were no more Uma’s crew or Mal’s gang, all of them were friends and, well… it ended as fast as it started. In one second they were cheering and laughing and in the other they rememrebed they didn’t like each other. The friendliness lasted two seconds, it was a new record.

Both gangs walked away from each other, Uma and her pirates stood on one side, and Mal and the VKs stood on the other. Celia and you decided to stay away watching them from afar.

Evie, who seemed determined to make everyone to get along, proposed an icebreaker and it took all your willpower to not to laugh at your friends’ faces upon hearing this. You have never heard so many groans or seen people looking away so fast in your life: Uma was probably deliberating all the choices she did in her life and looked like she could use a drink, or five, while Gil was just confused. Carlos and Jay were clearly unconfortable and would prefer to sleep forever than to go through this, and the only reason Mal didn’t shut Evie down right at the spot was because she dind’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. And Harry…

It was a surprise to you when he didn’t come up with some ironic comment. Actually, he looked rather astonished when Evie complimented him and it appeared he was about to reply her before Uma cut him off.

And then she and Mal restarted their usual bickering.

Maybe the icebreaker wasn’t a bad idea, after all.

“Summer School?” Harry laughed “No wonders she wants revenge”.

Not that you’d ever say it out loud, but the pirate had a valid point.

Finally, they decided on following Uma’s initial plan to the joy of the sea witch’s daughter. Apparently, Audrey was still in Auradon Prep, so the girls would go and check her room for clues, and the boys would look out for Ben.

Everyone was ready to leave, but before the team split you spoke up.

“Actually, I’m going with the guys, ok?”

“Why?” Mal questioned you, raising an eyebrow.

“Because if Audrey shows up it’s better that at least one person knows how to use magic” you explained.

“No, the amber is the only thing that can defeat her, you wouldn’t stand a chance” Mal was clearly annoyed that you were holding them back, but you ignored the whay she glared at you and went on.

“Even so, I may be able to hold her off with my trident. You, Uma and Evie got brains, strenght and magic. Jay, Carlos, Gil and Harry, on the other hand….”

Your eyes lingered on the boys in front of you who, you knew for a fact, would kill each other in the first opportunity.

“Too edgy” you pointed to Jay.

“Too pure” and Carlos.

“Too bubbly” Gil.

“Too…” you looked Harry up and down and shrugged “Honestly? I can’t even describe him.”

Mal went silence for a moment, deliberating whay you had said, while everyone else was staring at you with a look you knew too well. It was the famous “I can’t believe she actually said that” face.

“Fine, you proved your point” Mal finally declared and the ofended look on Jay’s face almost made you laugh. You’d have to apolize to him later… But right now you had a king to find before Mal snapped at you again.

You and the guys left the castle and followed Dude, who had detected Ben’s scent.

“I’m not edgy” said Jay with a pout, looking too adorable to be taken seriously.

“Didn’t you almost break your arm trying to learn R.O.A.R just for the sake of beating Chad? Or what about that time when you got into a fight with a guy twice your size because he said the only reason you won the tourney game was because everybody on the other team was scared to come near a villain kid? ” you asked him.

“Hey! You were encouraging me!” he reminded you, laughing about the incident.

“I was not” you denied, putting your hand on your chest in a mocking manner “How dare you to suggest I’d ever do something like that”. You tried to make a serious face, but broke into a smile in a matter of seconds as you remembered that day. "Did we punch him, though? I can’t recall".

“No, Carlos stopped us… he is too pure” the VK teased, and Carlos didn’t take it kindly. As he passed by the both of you, he hit Jay’s arm hard enough to make his friend yelp.

“Come back here, Carlos” Jay called and ran after him “I was only joking”.

You giggled.

Humans, what dorks.

Minding your own business, you kept walking silently. Your friends were ahead, making sure to not lose Dude from their sight. Things appeared to be safe, at least for now, so you decided to change your trident into its pocket version, and with one quick motion of your hand, it became a hair comb again.

“How do you do that?” it was Gil who asked and he seemed utterly puzzled by your trident.

“Oh, it’s magic.” you said while Gil observed with narrowed eyes you place the enchanted comb in your hair, the boy was staring so intensively at it that looked like he was wainting for the comb to burst into flames or something “It’s no big deal, really”

“Yeah, you’re probably used by it, right? But we don’t have magic on the Isle…” he looked down, ashamed of being impressed by something that was so ordinary to you, and you felt terrible. You didn’t mean to upset him.

“Oh no, I mean… I just never really thought about it…” you tried to explain.

“Of course you didn’t, why do people in Auradon would think how their lives are perfect?” Harry, who had been oddly quiet, spoke. However, if he were expecting you to ague with him, he’d be disappointed. The pirate could get on your nerves but you couldn’t be a hypocrite and deny all the privileges you had just because you were born on the “right” side of the barrier.

Of course Harry didn’t know that was how you felt about the barrier and took the lack of a response as an confirmation.

“How nice it must be to have everything, huh?” he tried to sound cynical, but you could hear the hurt and bitterness in his voice.

“King Triton has a trident too, you know.” Gil said absently, ignoring completely the tension between Harry and you “It was on the Isle two years ago, we almost got it”

“Yeah I know. I nearly killed my cousin when I discovered she messed up with grandpa’s trident” you remembered like it was yesterday. Your cousin Arabella decided she wanted to prove her worth by summoing a storm using your grandfather’s magical trident. If this wasn’t reckless enough, she also lost the trident that ended up on the Isle. Thanks to Mal and her gang the trident was recoreved before your grandfather noticed it was gone.

What a day.

“Wait, your grandfather? Are you…?” Gil’s eyes widened when he realized who you were.

“Yeap, King’s Triton granddaughter, that’s me.” you finished his sentence, very proud of being who you were.

“Then you are a mermaid!” the blond boy’s eyes moved to your legs and he frowned at them, as if he couldn’t understand what they were doing there “If you are a mermaid, where is your fishtail?”

You chuckled and explained. It wasn’t the first time someone asked you that, but you didn’t mind. Actually, everytime you had the chance to brag about being a mermaid, you did it.

“When I need to be on land I turn into a human”

“Uma is Ursula’s daughter, did you know that?” it amazed you how Gil was capable of saying anything in such a light manner. Most people would be very cautious about speaking of the former villain of someone’s family in their presence but not Gil, he definitely didn’t mind bringing the subject up.

If you knew that Uma was the sea witch’s daughter? IF YOU KNEW THAT. You have been talking about this girl for years and, in the past months, you literally hid her in your room. YOU DID KNEW THAT.

This was what you really wanted to say, but instead you laughed it off “I think I’ve heard her name a few times”.

“Is it his trident?” it was Harry the one making a question now and, for the first time, he seemed genuinely curious and not just being sarcastic or cunning.

“Oh no… it was a gift from him, actually. It’s not as powerful as his, though. But it’s good enough” one thing that never ever bothered you was to talk about your life as a mermaid. If someone ever decided to write a tale about you, people would stop thinking that every mermaids’ wish was to become human.

You just loved being a mermaid and nothing would ever change that.

“What can it do?” he inquired, taking a closer look at the comb in your hair. He was wondering about the damage that could cause, no doubt.

“It can control water, for the most part. But is also good to beat the shit out of my enemies”

He smiled.

Harry Hook had sincerely smiled at you.

Maybe people were right, maybe you were born on the Isle and were switched at birth with some kid from Auradon. It would explain your talent for befriending villain kids.

You have never made friends easily, better saying, people didn’t want to be friends with you because of your reputation of being temperamental and moody, which wasn’t entirely true. You just didn’t care about being on the spotlight or doing what people expected you to do. Did you have to to sing along with woodland creatures just because you were a princess? Your area of expertise was marine life, for crying out loud. Squirrels and mice freaked you out! Once, a guy asked you on a date and thought it would be a good idea to go to a sea food restaurant!

You weren’t moody, humans were the ones who had the emotional range of a barnacle.

Also, a lot of people in Auradon were too self-absorbed, they thought everyone had a lovely happy life like them. Everytime you brought the Isle up they said you were overreacting and that it couldn’t be that bad. You wondered if they could see the black clouds that covered the place or if they even remembered that all Auradon’s leftovers were sent there.

You tried to be patiente but sometimes -well, most of times- you could not help yourself and ended up speaking your mind. At least from now on, you could claim that you have never cursed anyone out of spite.

Thanks, Audrey.

“If we’re getting to know each other, I have a question for you” you said to Harry who arched an eyebrow, curious about what you were going to say “Is your accent real?”

He blinked in confusion, not sure if he had heard you right.

“Yes! What kind of question is that?” he was perplexed by what you asked. Harry wasn’t used to people commenting on his accent and the times someone had said something about it, it was always to make fun of him - and Harry always made sure they learned not to do it again. So, he didn’t know if you were serious or simply mocking him.

“I don’t know. I believed you were being dramatic, to be honest. The eyeliner, the coat… The accent could very well be part of your pirate aesthetic” You didn’t want to sound rude or anything, you honestly imagined the accent was only him being theatrical, but since he didn’t answer right away (not even a ironic remark), you added quickly “It’s a lovely accent, it suits you”.

At first, you expected him to shut you down or tell you to fuck off. However, as he didn’t reply anything, you thought you really had offended the boy. You were ready to apologize (you could be the sea bitch, but you weren’t rude…). Instead, he bursted into laughter and you frowned, not understanding what was so funny to make Harry Hook laugh like that.

That boy was completely unpredictable.

“It’s not an aesthetic, lass. I’m a pirate” it was the first time since you met that Harry seemed so amused and it wasn’t at someone’s expanses. “Why did you think this?”

“Well, you do walk around carrying a hook” you pointed to the sharp object he kept holding since the moment you laid your eyes on him.

“And who are you to judge? You have a magical trident in your hair.”

It was your turn to laugh, maybe Harry wasn’t that bad.

“Fair enough, I can’t argue against it” you agreed with him,

Upon hearing your words, his mouth twisted into a smug grin…

“I knew you would warm up to me, princess”

Yeah, you took back what you thought seconds before, Harry Hook was insufferable. You huffed in annoyance and walked away from him and his pompous attitude.

Humans were never worth the stress.

[221bshrlocked]

He Who Desires (2)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Words: 2819

Warnings: heavy flirting. lots of inapropro touching. some dirty talk and a little hint of angst in the end

A/N: The next part will most likely be the last. Or there might be two more parts. I am not sure. Just going with the flow. Comments are always appreciated. Please, feedback will definitely help with my writer’s block.

Previous Part | Next Part

You woke up the next day thinking you’d find awkwardness with Bucky, surprised by how nonchalant he was being about the previous night. You spoke with him and Steve about the new commissions and where the money might be coming from, going over the plan for the hundredth time before telling Steve that the two of you still had everything under control. 

“By the way, how did you manage to make them leave last night?” Steve’s question caught you off guard and Bucky could tell you wanted to avoid that talk so he began collecting his files before responding.

“She was just being her friendly self Steve and that’s why they invited her over. Got a problem with that?” Bucky dared to look at you and saw your doe eyes looking right back at him, a part of him entertained by the sudden effect he had on you. He didn’t want to make you feel worse at this moment however, especially in front of your boss. So he turned around and began to walk away, laughing at Steve’s response before descending the stairs to leave.

“None whatsoever. We’ll uhhh talk later.” You shut off the computer before following Bucky to ask him something before he left.

“What time should I be ready? And what’s the dress code?” You pretended to busy yourself with the coffee maker, refusing to look at Bucky until he left.

“I’ll pick you up at six sharp, and don’t worry about the dress code. You’ll be getting something in the next few hours, courtesy of Romanoff and her impeccable taste. See you later doll.” Bucky winked at you before shutting the door behind him and you realized that you had another reason to be nervous because there was no way in hell Nat bought something you would wear.

You tried to distract yourself with numerous things but realized that until the clothes would arrive and the night would be over, you wouldn’t be able to regulate your heart rate. You snapped out of your thoughts when you heard the front door bell go off a couple of times, running to it before the person decided to leave.

“Hi I have a package for Ms. Croft.” You stared at the young man before signing his tablet and taking the box, making sure to remember and call Nat because the name wasn’t obvious enough. You cut the tape and opened the box, eyes widening in horror because your hunch was right.

“I’m going to fucking kill you when I see you Nat. Satin? And a self wrap? Fuck!” You threw it away and decided to ignore it until it was time to get ready. Going over the players and the plan one more time, you made sure you recalled all the details before hitting the shower. You got out just in time to answer Bucky’s text, telling him you were almost ready before fixing your hair quickly. You tried to see what you could possibly wear beneath the dress and realized a bra wouldn’t work out. This was getting better by the second. 

“Oh what the hell,” you whispered at your reflection before putting on the stilettos and descending the stairs. As you unlocked the door behind you and walked to Bucky’s car, you were surprised to see him standing with your door open. He hadn’t noticed you so far, too busy looking at his phone to see you approaching him. When he heard your footsteps however, he looked up and almost dropped his phone.

“Is this okay?” You reluctantly asked and watched as he slowly approached you. He touched the knot on the side of the dress and smiled up at you before leaning down and kissing your cheek.

“You look stunning Y/N.” Bucky’s smile grew when he saw goosebumps erupt on your skin, stepping aside to let you inside the car before shutting the door behind you. Neither of you said anything for the first few minutes, and Bucky could tell you were more than nervous from your elevated heart rate.

“Listen Y/N, if you’re uncomfortable at any moment throughout the night, let me know and we will leave in a second. I don’t want to force you or anything since you didn’t sign up for this. I’m really sorry I couldn’t stop them from coming last night and for tonight. But I just want you to know that I’ll be next to you all night long alright?” He looked over and saw you nod at him before chugging down some water.

“And before I forget, where can I touch you and where can I not touch you?” Bucky knew there was no nice way of asking the question and he hoped you’d understand his intentions.

“Whatever sells the story Buck. I’m fine with you touching me but not if someone else does.” You hadn’t really thought about the meaning behind your words and flushed under Bucky’s smirk.

“Is that so darlin’?” 

“Well, I didn’t mean that I’m- it’s not like there’s any...fuck I didn’t mean it that way it’s just that you’re my dom I mean boss, fuck no no you’re my partner...okay this isn’t how I imagined the night to start.” You suddenly felt Bucky’s hands reaching for your hands and intertwining with them.

“Hey Y/N, it’s only me sweetheart. You don’t gotta worry about nothin alright?” Bucky decided to take it down a notch since you haven’t even made it to the club yet. You seemed to calm down a bit, finding some comfort in the cold hand squeezing your own. 

When you finally made it, Bucky parked the car and walked out to open the door for you, throwing the keys to the valet before taking your hands and pulling you close to him. “If I make you uncomfortable at any point, just say you want to use the bathroom and I’ll take it down a notch.” 

“You’re already making me uncomfortable,” you whispered more to yourself than him and quickly said nothing when he asked you what you said. Bucky showed his ID at the door and walked right through with his arm wrapped around your waist. You were amazed by how realistic the camouflage looked on his arm and wondered how he managed to not touch anyone with it. Approaching the bar, Bucky asked you what you wanted to drink and ordered the same as well.

“Two Jack and Coke please,” he handed the bartender a twenty dollar bill before scanning the room to see where everyone was. Spotting his boss at the end of the room, he grabbed your drinks and led you easily through the crowd.

Bucky’s arm tightened around your waist as soon as you were in front of everyone, quickly introducing you to everyone before sitting at one end of the couch. You were about to sit next to him when he asked you to take the other side, wanting to make sure that you were on his left so he wouldn’t need to pay extra attention. You, however, hated being near his metal arm. It wasn’t because you were uncomfortable by it, on the contrary, you enjoyed it a little bit too much and were afraid he’d figure this out.

“So James, how come you haven’t talked about Y/N at all? Do we have to find out you have a girlfriend by accident?” Kaleb asked and you couldn’t help but feel everyone’s eyes on you, especially the men. Bucky chuckled before coming up with some excuse about liking to keep his private life private. He turned to you and watched as you sipped your drink before smiling up at him. While Bucky talked and joked with his partners, you watched everyone and pretended to not understand what anyone was talking about, already committing to memory their body language and choice of deals. 

Suddenly, Ryan got up and approached the empty seat next to you. You quickly uncrossed your legs and smiled up at him before scooting closer to Bucky. 

“So tell me Y/N, how’d you guys meet? Is there like a website for this thing or do you just put flyers out and see if anyone-” Before Ryan could finish his question, Bucky was already standing up and taking you with him. “Sorry but she likes this song a lot, don’t you doll?” You nodded and squeezed his hand before making your way to the dance floor.

“Jesus fucking Christ they have no sense of shame do they?” You asked and laughed when Bucky told you they were lawyers so the answer was a hard no. You turned around and saw everyone staring at the two of you and realized you weren’t even dancing and before you could tell Bucky you should maybe pick it up a bit, you felt his hand hold your wrist and turn your around. Your back hit his chest harshly and you turned enough to see him smiling at you before leaning his head in the crook of your neck. 

You weren’t sure if it was the drink or the way Bucky was touching you but you suddenly felt dizzy from the proximity, sighing and melting into his arms as his hands roamed from your neck down to your stomach. Bucky knew he should hold back and not push your limits but then he felt your hands comb in his hair and softly pull on it and he lost all control he had. 

You look at me and girl you take me to another place Got me feeling like I'm flying, like I'm outer space Something 'bout your body says 'come and take me' Got me begging, got me hoping that the night don't stop

With every beat, Bucky got bolder with his touches, with one hand wrapped across your chest and laying just above your breast while the other continued to push your hips and roll them against his crotch. He opened his eyes and saw your lips parting, chest beating violently against his hands and eyes shut and focusing on him and he knew right at that moment that this wasn’t all an act. It was more than that. For the two of you.

Bailando, bailando, bailando, bailando Tu cuerpo y el mio llenando el vacío Subiendo y bajando (subiendo y bajando) (Bailando, bailando, bailando, bailando Ese fuego por dentro me está enloqueciendo, me va saturando

As soon as Bucky sang along and bit down on your shoulder, you moaned against him and opened your eyes in horror, knowing he definitely heard that last whine. But then you saw the absolute need in his eyes and convinced yourself that maybe, just maybe, he was reciprocating your feelings. You didn’t bother holding back, continuing to gyrate against his chest and crotch and smiling when you felt something hard poking back at you. Bucky grabbed your neck and twisted it so you could face him and before you could say anything, he was attacking your lips and swallowing your whines, not caring that the two of you were in a public space. 

Girl I like the way you move Come and show me what to do People tell me that you want me Girl you got nothing to lose I can't wait no more (Ya no puedo más) I can't wait no more (Ya no puedo más)

You could tell Bucky was struggling with keeping himself together because the more you kissed back, the harder he was grabbing at your waist. Reaching for his flesh hand, you dug your nails into his wrist and almost fell right down when you heard him growl against you. Had he not held you harshly against him, you were sure you would’ve made a scene. Not that you weren’t already. Without missing a beat, Bucky turned you around and pulled you flush against him, wrapping his arms around your back to keep you as close to him as possible. You wanted to look away from his intense gaze but couldn’t, throwing your head on his shoulder when you felt his thigh part your legs and continue to dance shamelessly. 

I wanna be contigo And live contigo, and dance contigo Para have contigounanocheloca Y besartu boca I wanna be contigo And live contigo, and dance contigo Para have contigo una noche loca Tú, tremenda loca

Your short dress began to rise up and you wanted to tell him that he should stop but then you heard him whisper the filthiest thing in your ear and as you whined at the sensation, Bucky increased his ministrations, going as far as pushing you down on his thighs. He could feel the wetness seeping through your panties and when he looked down, he could vaguely see a wet spot forming on his pants. Not wanting to embarrass you any further, he slowed down a bit but made sure you weren’t going anywhere. Raising your chin, he looked into your eyes and leaned forward one last time to capture your lips with his own. He swirled his tongue skillfully around yours and chuckled when he felt your wrap your arms around his neck and keep him there. 

I look at you and it feels like paradise (estoy en otra dimensón) You got me spinning, got me crazy, got me hypnotized I need your love, I need you closer Keep me begging, keep me hoping that the night don't stop

As the song continued and everyone danced around the two of you, you felt your heart skip a beat when the metal shifted in Bucky’s arm, letting you know he was either ready to fight or nervous. 

“Fuck okay, doll I’m just gonna say this and I know I shouldn’t because we’re in the middle of a mission but fuck it. I can’t stop thinkin about you and I know you might think this was because of yesterday but this was long overdue. I keep thinkin’ about your lips and your soft skin and those little fucking sighs whenever I touch you and I can’t hold back anymore. I know I’m technically your boss but who cares. There aren’t any rules about this. Tell me if I’m outta line but just- if you feel the same way, please. I need you darlin’, I crave you every second of every fucking day. And you’re killin’ me with this. Goddamn when you walked out and I saw your nipples poking through this fucking satin, I wanted to take you right back inside and fucking devour you. Got me so hard baby can you feel that? Can you feel how fuckin hard my cock is for you sweetheart?” Bucky pushed your lower half to him and you moaned when you looked down and saw the bulge on the front of his pants.

“Bucky, please...let’s leave. Fuck me, please. I- I’ll be a good doll, I promise.” You hesitated saying the last bit but let out a long breath when you saw his eyes fill with hunger.

“Fucking hell, baby where’ve you been all my life?” Bucky asked before stepping out once he realized the song was done. “Shit, I can’t. Not now sweetheart. We gotta get through tonight first but I promise. I promise I will take you home and worship every inch of your body, beginning with that sweet sweet pussy I can smell.” He gave you a quick peck before walking back to your group and staring down anyone that thought to say something about the two of you. Ryan knew it was best to not ask or flirt with you again after the little show the two of you put on for everyone. 

Bucky sat down and pulled you right on top of him to cover his boner, laughing when someone joked about getting him some ice. You asked one of the waiters to get you an iced water to calm yourself and continued to watch everyone talk about their commissions. By the end of the night, you had managed to get close enough to two partners and copy all the data on their cell phones, making sure that everything was sent to Steve and deleted from your phone in case they suspected the two of you. Once everyone was leaving, you stood on the side and waited until the valet brought your car. 

Bucky was so busy chatting up the driver that he didn’t notice you were gone until it was too late. He turned around and called your name a couple of times and when he looked down at his phone to track the GPS in your heels, his heart sank. And he realized that the mission wasn’t as easy as the two of you originally thought. Quickly dialing Steve, he got in his car and drove to the house, already coming up with a plan to get you out.

“Steve, Y/N’s been taken.”