#I get he was trying to hurry before he got caught but bestie I don't think that said Steven Spencer

[the-halfling-prince]

My brain: You do not need to write a fanfiction for niche 1999 (probably straight to VHS or made for TV) movie The Pact. It was a mid movie. You said it was mid.

Me: If those sad orphans don't kiss right now I don't know what I'll do

[simphornies]

A/N: Thanks to some help from a wonderful writer ( @markster666 my new writer bestie ) this story might be longer than I think. Filled with a lot of emotions. I can't wait for you all to see what we've come up with.

Word count: 4.2k (4,240)

part 1, part 3, part 4

Deal Breaker [ Vox x Angel!Reader ] part 2

His second day was filled with the same trust exercises that Vaggie did earlier on. Vox and the other guests were thrown into another turf war once again to fight alongside each other. Alastor decided to join this time around, seeking entertainment in Vox's attempt at the exercise.

Vaggie hoisted Vox up into the air and threw him down the building. You watched over them, making sure that they don't get too injured. Alastor walks next to you, tapping his microphone as he watches Vox get punched in the stomach and saved by Angel Dust.

"Y/N, my dear, do you truly believe that this 'courtship' is real and not some frivolous stunt?" He asks, "I have grown accustomed to your friendship and it'd be a shame if he pulled strings to whisk you away from us and the hotel."

"To be quite frank with you, Alastor, I am not quite sure myself. Rest assured that I shall have my wits up." You put a hand on his shoulder, "I will not fall for meager attempts or tricks."

He hummed, "I rarely share this advice but do stay safe, darling. I will not find entertainment in failure from you. And I would hate to be disappointed in failure."

Though Alastor is...Alastor, you two have formed a bond. With you working to free him from his chains and him providing you with insight on how Hell functions, you became close friends. As sadistic as he is, he truly wished you good fortune.

You hear a scream coming from below and you quickly fly down to the source. Vox got surrounded and a demon managed to land a hit on him, stabbing him through his side. You opened up your wings fully to create distance and whisked him back up, blasting the perpetrators away with light. You gently sat him on the ground, kneeling beside him.

"Vox, where did they get you?" You ask in a hurry, trying to find the source of the bleeding. His side was covered in blood. "Take your shirt off, let me heal you."

"Take my shirt off? You want to see me naked that bad?" He weakly laughed, his screen glitching due to the pain, "And you can heal too? Hah. What can't you do, angel?"

"Now is not the time for jokes. Take your shirt off or I will rip it off of you." Your voice was stern, making him unbutton his shirt. You applied your magic to close off the wound and stop the bleeding. "My powers can only close wounds and stop bleeding. The pain will be there so take it easy."

You stood up, "I think that's enough. Let's all go home." And with a snap of your fingers, you all were transported back to the hotel through a portal.

"Vox is injured. No sudden or rash jerks to him until he's recovered. My magic's sped up the healing so he should be fine tonight. Alastor, no punching the injured please." He squinted at you in disappointment to which Vox flipped him off.

Charlie was apologizing profusely to Vox, offering him every kind of drink or snack that the hotel had. Vaggie drags her away so you can deal with him. You sat next to him at the bar, "A drink?"

"Yeah. That'd be great. Shit hurts like a bitch." He got a glass of rum from Husk and you got the same. Vox looked at you, a little bit in disbelief before smiling. "Thanks for saving my ass, angel."

"Do stop calling me that. But you're welcome." You chug your drink rather quickly, impressing Vox.

"Rum tonight huh? What made you decide to switch it up?"

"Mm. You." You smiled at him before asking Husk for the whole bottle and he gladly handed it to you. You and him clinked your bottles together before you pour it into your glass. Vox caught himself blushing at your response but he quickly wiped it off of his face.

He couldn't think of how to keep the conversation going so he drank in silence. He stared at the ice floating in his drink, messing with it with his claws.

"I have something to discuss with you Vox. In private." You say before getting up, face flushed from the stronger alcohol. "Please, meet me in my room after your drink." You take the bottle with you as you teleport into your room.

Angel elbows him on his good side, "Oooooh~ The angel's tryna fuck." He teased making Vox glitch a bit.

"Fuck! You! Don't jump out like that. Where did you come from?" He groaned before getting up, taking his glass with him. "It's probably business."

He walked up to your room, limping a bit from pain. He knocked on your door and entered as soon as you told him to. You sat at your desk, reading something in front of you.

"I want to discuss something and I sure do hope you consider this. Please, sit." You pointed at the seat across the table.

"Talking business early on? Are you going to agree to the deal?" He grinned mischievously, putting his hand under his chin to prop his head up on the table.

"No. It's about one of our patrons. Angel Dust." You slide a copy of his contract over to Vox, "This is a personal request of mine. I would like his contract, his deal with Valentino, to be terminated."

He was taken aback at your boldness. "Oh shit, okay. Well..." He leaned back, sucking air through his teeth somehow, "Yeah...I'm not sure, angel cakes. Valentino is pretty possessive over who he owns."

"I understand but I am willing to form a deal of some sort with you to get this to happen. Please, give me offers in exchange for this favor." You looked at him pleadingly. After seeing Angel Dust get hit and insulted by Valentino at the bar stirred something in you and you promised to find a way to break his deal.

Vox perks up at this opportunity. "A deal to break another deal?" He laughs, "You don't start small with your offers, do you?" He sat and pondered a bit.

"I'll accept your deal and get Valentino to break the contract on the condition that you make a deal with me."

You noticed his left eye beginning to spiral. Was he trying to hypnotize you? You laugh at the attempt, "Sorry. I'm not laughing at the offer but are you trying to hypnotize me?" His facial expression changes at the realization that he got caught. "That doesn't work on me, unfortunately for you. But what condition are you looking for?"

He retreats his attempt in shame, crossing his arms a bit. "Worth a shot." He huffed, “But I want you to work with me for the same length that you have me here. 3 days. And on top of that I want 3 dates with you. Let’s make a deal with that and I promise you that I’ll try to get Valentino to break his contract.”

You extend your hand out to him and he shakes it, sealing both of your words into a contract. He grins, knowing that he left out what exactly you have to do with him in his company. But a new feeling bubbled within him. The moment he held your hand he felt sparks in his system. He felt himself heating up with such a simple gesture and he couldn’t shake the feeling even hours after it had happened.

Hours had passed after your deal with him and at this point everybody was already fast asleep except for him. He couldn’t forget the way your hand felt in his. He paced around his room anxiously, trying to pinpoint the source of this pit he felt in his chest and stomach. He tried to distract himself with the technology provided in his room but every now and then he’d stare at the hand that held yours. Vox would replay the way you swooped in to take him away from danger and heal you. Your words echoed in his head over and over. Your smile slowly became a goal for him to maintain.

On his third and final day at the hotel, it was a party. Everyone wanted to go to the same bar Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb took the hotel staff to when Charlie was out. Alastor opted out of this because of “proximity reasons” or so he said. It was you, Vox, Husk, and Angel going this time.

You dressed yourself into an outfit that wasn’t the usual “I’m the famous angel that fought for Hell” look. Instead you wore shorts, courtesy of Angel Dust, and a crop top that Cherri gifted you a while ago. You were indecisive on which boots to wear and with Alastor off doing something you probably didn’t want to know about, you called Angel Dust.

He stood in your room as you frantically gathered all the shoes you owned and dropped them in front of the two demons. “I am not one to typically go out but I will absolutely not go out looking a mess. Please help me.” You practically begged. Angel helped you put together your outfit, fixing your hair up into a ponytail. He was proud of how you looked in the end.

The two of you walked to the lobby, chatting and laughing about how you can’t style yourself outside of your comfort zone. Vox stared at you, engulfed in your beauty. He was not used to seeing you outside of your usual attire and he was stunned. He couldn’t pry his eyes off of you and he was convinced it was purely due to your angelic powers. You wore black heels with eyes on the back, a shredded crop top that had a spray painted eye in the middle of it and simple black shorts. It was simple enough for you to be comfortable in but, in Angel’s words, slutty enough for you to blend in without getting immediately recognized as the angel that fought for Hell.

“Your ass looks nice in that, sweet cheeks.” Angel jokes. “I bet you’re gonna get eyes all over you at the club.”

“You flatter too much. It’s just a simple outfit, unworthy of such attention.”

But Vox agreed with him. His eyes wandered all over you. Your waist, your legs, your curves. He devoured the sight of you. It wasn’t until you made eye contact with him that he snapped out of it.

“Apologies! I was unable to settle on what to wear and if Angel hadn’t come to my rescue, I think I would have had to sit this one out.” You hugged Angel, proud of his work.

“What can I say? Sex isn’t all I’m good at.” He laughs.

You created a portal that led to the entrance of the club and the four of you immediately ordered drinks. Angel suggested drinking games and by the end of it, you were wasted. A sight that even Husk had only seen once. Your head was spinning, your vision fuzzy. Husk took another shot away from you, making you pout.

“One more shot!” Your words were slurred, “Please.”

“Absolutely not, you’re going to throw up and I am not cleaning it.” He shook his head and took your shot for you. “Shot’s gone.”

You whined and leaned into Vox’s arm, who was still sober. “Vox~ Can youuuu get me a shot?” You whispered.

Your voice sent shivers down his spine in a way he never expected. He almost caved but decided against it. “No. I think you’re done for tonight.”

You huffed and got off of him to his disappointment. You made your way onto the dance floor and uncharacteristically went all out. You followed what the crowd did and soon enough, they all lost track of you which sent them into a panic.

“Shit, where’s Y/N?” Angel asks.

“I saw her go towards all the dancing but I think she’s deep in the crowd.” Husk stated before running in there to search for you alongside Vox and Angel. Vox felt panic but he didn’t understand why. He didn’t know why he felt it urgent to get you in front of him and secure your safety. He was here to steal you from the hotel but yet he’s working with the staff to look for you. He pushed and shoved until he finally saw you. You were surrounded by three drunk demons with lust-filled eyes that danced on you a bit too sexually for his liking. The moment he saw one of them rub their hand from your hips to your waist, a fiery rage blazed within him. He quickly grabbed your hand, pulling you away from them and out of the crowd. He regrouped with Angel Dust and Husk who called Lucifer to portal them back to the hotel.

You were slumped against a flustered Vox, hugging onto his arm mumbling nonsense even after you all arrived back safely. He sat you down on the couch to which you immediately laid down.

“Wow. I haven’t seen an angel this wasted before.” Lucifer spoke, leaning over you. “Y/N, are you alright?” You giggled in response, not answering with words. “Yeah, I think she needs to go to bed. With lots of water!”

Everyone eyed your savior Vox and he groaned, “Why me?”

Alastor phased from the corner of the bar and next to him, “Because you were the one that wanted to court her. If you truly desire a relationship with someone in our staff, you should be able to take care of them as well as we do.”

Vox rolled his eyes at him, “Yeah well it wasn’t my idea to do a drinking game and get her fucked up knowing she’d lose.” He eyed Angel Dust who threw his hands up in the air, “Hey! I didn’t know her tolerance was shit. She took fifteen shots! Husk and I can handle more than that.”

“They have a point Vox. Please, take care of her for the night while the rest of us. You’re free to skip out on tonight’s activity.” Charlie says, “She likes getting tucked in.”

Vox carried you up to your room. You messed with the edges of his screen, tracing it with your finger. “So smooth.” You said. “Do you clean your screen? Can you stick your tongue out? If you can stick your tongue out, can I stick my hand in there?”

Vox was bombarded with questions but his focus was on your finger as it continuously went up and down the side of his head. He was blushing and flashed a couple of error screens until he finally got you into your room. You stumbled in and grabbed your usual dress. “Y/N, what are you doing?” He asked to which he received no response from you.

You began to take your clothes off sloppily, tripping over your own feet. Vox panicked and turned around. “Y/N! I’m still here, what in the unholy hell are you doing?” Though he was turned around, he shut his eyes for safety measures. He wasn’t one to get flustered at the sight of nakedness especially with Valentino on his team. He was confused why he felt and heard his heart pounding out of his chest.

“Yeah? If you’re here, why don’t you help me?” You whined. “Help me get into my gown.”

Vox turned and saw you on the floor, shorts stuck to your ankles and your top half off. He immediately began to scream and glitch. “Y/N!” was all he could say before he ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He yelled down the stairs from the railing, “For fu-ucks sake someone please dress her!” Everyone snapped their heads at Vox who was a glitching mess, “She is half-naked on the floor stuck in her shorts. I ca-cannot do this.”

Vaggie and Charlie ran up to get you into your night own as everyone else laughed at his flustered self.

“Holy shit! The big bad overlord got shy over that!” Angel was on the floor, clutching his stomach, absolutely dying. “What’s wrong? Never seen a naked angel before?”

He covered his face with his hands in shame. “I swear I brought her in there and the moment she was on the floor she started stripping. I turned around and when I looked back she was like that!” He groaned.

“Yeah, forgot to warn ya but…” Husk drank his bottle before continuing, “Last time she got fucked up like that she started changing in the lobby.”

“What’s wrong, old pal?’ Alastor teased, “Afraid of a little skin?” He laughed, mocking his rival.

“You know what. Fuck you. I’m going to my room to reboot myself. I cannot wait to get the fuck away from you.”

Alastor grinned at his frustrated and flustered self, his shadow doing the same.

.

You woke up surprisingly with a terrible hangover. You found yourself tucked into bed and in your nightgown. You had no recollection of the night before and the last thing you remembered was taking your 10th shot. After that, everything was gone. You stretched before you started to pack a couple of bags for your stay with Vox.

Charlie came into your room to check in on you, “You’re awake? How are you feeling? And…what are you doing?”

“I made a deal with Vox.” Charlie’s face dropped at the news, worried for you and your safety. “It’s a chance to get Angel Dust free and on the path to redemption. I…I can’t bear to see him come home after a rough night and I can sense his sadness.”

Charlie hugs you, “Be safe, okay? I know you’re strong but please…don’t get hurt.” You smile in return, placing a hand on her rosy cheeks.

“Thank you. I promise. I’ll be safe.”

Vox was waiting at the lobby entrance for you. Alastor was more than glad to get him out and was practically trying to throw him out the door with Angel and Husk watching in delight, munching on some popcorn.

“I’m waiting for Y/N! She’s coming with me!” He protested, dodging his black tendrils.

“She is not going with you.” Alastor hissed, static in his voice, “She would inform me if she would and she has not.”

You heard the commotion from the stairwell and flew down the stairs, using your body to keep distance between the two rivals. “Alastor! I apologize but I am. I have made a deal with Vox.” Vox straightened himself out, a smug smirk on his face. “I…want to get Angel Dust’s deal broken off. He and I have discussed and agreed that I shall stay and work with him for 3 days.”

Alastor squinted at you, reverting back to his regular form. “A deal with him? My…That is the most foolish of decisions you have ever made.” He scoffed, ears pinned to the back of his head. You step closer to him, holding his hand in comfort.

“Alastor, I apologize for not informing you sooner. I shall remain safe. My duty and loyalties remain with the hotel. I have told you before and I shall tell you again, I must work on breaking the deals that harm the staff the most. You, of all people, should understand that.” His eye twitched a bit at the reminder of his own chains but he did understand. He sighs and nods.

“If anything brings harm to you, inform me immediately.” That was Alastor’s way of telling you to stay safe. You smile and give him a hug, whispering a ‘thank you’ to him. He hugs you back before letting you go off with Vox into a portal you had created.

Upon arriving in his lobby, he was immediately greeted by Velvette and Valentino arguing about how Valentino had, yet again, destroyed one of Velvette’s models. Vox groans and looks at you, his face saying ‘See what I have to deal with?’ before approaching them.

“What the fuck’s happened now?” He says, “And please do not rip each other apart in the lobby.”

“This little piss baby ripped apart not one but two models. I have a show tomorrow and I would have been able to work with but he went ahead and ripped apart two unlucky bitches!” Velvette growled.

“That little bitch Angel Dust texted me to fuck off last night! Me!” Valentino screamed, “I will murder that little whore.”

“Enough.” His voice distorted, left eye spiraling before clearing his throat, “That is no way to act in front of our new temporary guest, Y/N.” He held his hands out and pointed at you. “She’s going to be here for three days and I do believe she’d be a good candidate as a model for you, Velvette. Is she not?”

Velvette squinted at you, eyeing you up and down, “Oh I don’t think I’d be a good-”

“Shush. Shut the fuck up for a bit.” Velvette raised a finger at you before swiping with her other hand, quickly switching your outfit. You were now suddenly in a red dress that showed your curves. She hummed and walked around you. “I suppose she could work. Do you know how to work a catwalk, angel?”

“I-” You cleared your throat, “I certainly know how to walk.”

“Not the fucking question. Pop your little wings out and walk in a straight line.” She ordered. You complied, revealing a set of wings before walking forward, “Alright…now turn. On your heel. Quickly.” You pivoted on your heel and walked back towards Velvette.

“You know what…This could work.” Velvette lit up a bit, “Pleasure to finally meet you. I’m the famous Velvette. One of the better Vees.” She shook your hand quickly before going on her phone.

Valentino slid over to your side, leaning down to your height, “Ah…the famous angel that fell from Heaven to fight for Hell.” He gave you a big smile. You had a vendetta against him because of what you know. He takes you hand and spins you before pulling you close, “I’m Valentino. If you ever decide to drop that tacky hotel and make real money. Let me know~ I can make you a star.”

Vox pulled you away from him, noticing your discomfort. You laugh nervously and fiddled with the dress you were now suddenly stuck in. “Thank you kindly for the offer but I am alright. I have no intentions of partaking in…your art.”

Valentino’s smile didn’t falter, “You know how to find me~” He states before walking away. You see him angrily typing away at his phone to probably harass Angel. You let out a sigh, putting away your wings before looking at Vox.

“I know. A handful, right?” He rolled his eyes, “You’ll get used to it.”

He leads you to your room, “This is where you’ll be staying. Don’t worry, I won’t spy on you.” He winked, “Unless you want me to.” You rolled your eyes in response. “Let me know as soon as you’re settled in. I want to go over what we’ll be doing for the next 3 days.”

“Alright. Thank you for your hospitality.” You nod. You were about to turn around to unpack when you felt his hand grab yours. He gave you a gentle kiss on the back of your hand before teleporting off into the nearest camera.

.

Vox sat in his office with the Vees while you were in your room.

“So what’s the plan here, Vox? Why is the angel in our building?” Velvette asked, a bit on the edge of the fact that someone as strong as you was in close proximity, something she didn’t allow you to see earlier.

“She wants me to break Angel Dust’s contract with Valentino.” He responds. Valentino slammed his fist on the table in anger. “She made a deal that in return for me trying, she’ll be here for 3 days working with us.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Valentino growled. “You can’t make me break that deal. That little whore makes me the most money!”

Vox simply grins menacingly, “I can make this all worth it, Valentino.” A plan brewed in his head. He just had to get you to put your guard down around him.

“And what if this shit doesn’t work and I lose that motherfucker because of your deal?”

“It’ll work. And I’ll find somebody better for you. You have so many whores, Val. Angel Dust is just one whore. He’s already going against you, don’t you want somebody that’s a little weaker? Somebody easier to control? By the end of this, we can have all of Hell to recruit.”

“Who would be better than Angel Dust?”

Velvette rolled her eyes, “Why don’t you try and get that popstar in? Verosika Mayday’s her name.”

Valentino calmed down a bit, “Hmm…If I can get Verosika on board, then I might just consider it.”

“Then we have a deal. I get you Verosika and in return, you break Angel Dust from his contract completely.”

Valentino grins, “Deal.”

“Are you really into this angelic bitch?” Velvette asks, aimlessly scrolling through her phone.

Vox laughs, “Absolutely not! I need her power and after those 3 days, I think I have just the plan to get her on my side.”

[twstinginthewind]

For the Winter Prompts Sledding/Skiing/snowboarding for Pun Sharing stories for Juni CAUGHT UNDER THE MISTLETOE for Jo! >:D

Winter OC Ship prompts

Punch took a deep breath of the crisp, cold winter air. He was excited to have been invited to Harveston, to spend time with Epel and his family. Winters in the Queendom of Roses were cold, sure, but they never got the same levels of snow that Harveston winters were famous for, and he was looking forward to trying out some sports he hadn't been able to before.

Epel was well ahead of him on the path up the hill. He turned and looked back at Punch over his shoulder, and shouted back to him. "Ain't got all day, Pun!" He shifted the snowboard he had strapped onto his back to a more comfortable position. "I wasn't expectin' it ta be a race, but yer makin' me wait fer ya? Come ONNNN."

Punch laughed; it was great hearing Epel finally be himself, even if he was being impatient. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he had a real soft spot for the accent that Epel's housewarden kept trying to train out of him. "I'm coming, I'm coming! I'll be faster on my way down, at least."

Epel stood with his hands on his hips, his position on the hill allowing him to look down at the taller boy cockily. "If you keep yer balance and ain't skiddin' down on yer keister. But I'll teach ya right. If ya getcher butt up here already!!"

Punch hurried up, and caught up to Epel, who gave him an affectionate punch on the shoulder.

"Atta boy, Pun. Now let's get the rest of the way up this hill, and have some fun already!"

----

(Disclaimer! Miss Moon isn't one of mine - she belongs to @twst-the-night-away, my bestie! - but I do have two possible couples with her among my own OCs, and she's friends with several others, so we're gonna go with one of those sets!)

"All right, I give up. What did you do next?" Juniper wrapped her hands around her mug of mulled cider and nudged Bobby with her elbow.

He graced her with a grin, the light from the bonfire giving his eyes an impish glint. "Well, you know that Trein never goes anywhere without that chubby little cat of his, right? And it so happened that I had picked up a couple of cans of that delightful canned tuna fish, as a favor to our lil' buddy over at Ramshackle, right? So. I figured, what would keep the old man from lookin' for those missing quiz sheets?"

Juniper's eyes widened over the edge of her cup. "You didn't."

"I absolutely did," Bobby responded, proudly. "So, since I just happened to have more tuna on me than expected, due to my excellent haggling skills, I set up to draw that lovely little puddy tat away. Nowhere that he'd get in trouble, mind! But just enough to keep old man Trein distracted."

"And that's why none of us had the quiz until the next Monday?"

Bobby shot fingerguns at her. "You're welcome."

She threw her head back and laughed, the moonlight shining in her hair. And Bobby suddenly wished he had another round of tales to spin for her.

---

Ace stepped back to admire his handiwork, beaming proudly. "Okay. It's right over the doorway. Now all we have to do is wait!"

Deuce looked suspiciously at Ace. "I don't know, do you really think it's fair?"

"Do I think it's fair?" Ace crossed his arms across his chest. "You didn't ask that when I had the idea, or when I put the darned thing up. You're asking now?"

"Well..." Deuce tugged at his collar, and looked guiltily at the sprig of mistletoe that sat jauntily above the door to Joker and Violetta's dorm room. "I know that rule 513 does say that someone standing under mistletoe is subject to a kiss, but I think setting it up like this? It kinda feels like a trap."

Ace shook his head, and tried to sound reasonable. "It's not a trap; no one's gonna make them stand in the threshold if they don't wanna be there."

"Still...." Deuce slumped against the doorframe, his head bumping against the door. "I dunno. Maybe we should take it down."

"Absolutely not." Ace leaned closer to Deuce, poking him in the shoulder. "We were told to decorate the freshman side of the dorms, and every room has a decoration over the door. It's not our fault the only thing left by the time we got to the girls' room, all we had left was mistletoe."

Deuce blinked incredulously. "You saved it for them, Ace."

"I'm not gonna say that out loud." Ace stepped back. "Geez, your face is red. Are you already thinking about which one's gonna come out of the room first? Are you hoping it'll be Joker, Deuce? Thinking she'll stop and look up and smile, and say she's glad to see you waiting there?" He smiled cruelly at Deuce, whose blush intensified.

"... maybe?" he squeaked, still leaning against the doorframe.

"HA!"

A muffled voice came from inside the door. "What's with all the yelling, tweedle dum and tweedle dumber?" The door swung open to reveal Joker with Violetta behind her, peering around the brunette's shoulder.

"Just decorating for the holidays," Ace said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Hung somethin' real special over your door, ladies."

Deuce froze in place, directly in their doorway. "hi Jo... it's, uh.... nice to see.... 's mistletoe...," he stammered.

Violetta's cheeks went purple and she ducked completely behind Joker, who leaned forward. "You hung mistletoe over our door?" Joker asked quietly.

Deuce's eyes locked with hers and he nodded.

"And you're standing right under it, Deuce."

He nodded again. Ace guffawed in the hallway.

Joker sighed. "Well, it's not like me to willingly break such a simple rule." She took a small step forward, and breathed deeply. She whispered, "Just ask next time, knucklehead," closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to Deuce's.

Violetta made a scandalized noise behind Joker, while Ace cheered behind Deuce. "See that, I told you it'd work!" Ace crowed. "It was a perfect plan! It wa— hey. How long are you two going to... ?"

Deuce and Joker finally disengaged. "Sorry, Vivi. Rules!" Joker called back over her shoulder. And Deuce reeled back, dazed.

Ace stepped forward. "I'm under it next. Where's my kissy?"

And Joker closed the door in his face.

[silver-wield]

Fan fiction dork is back again. This is long.

"No!"

The flat refusal made Aerith pull a face and roll her eyes. "Such a mood." She turned towards Tifa, stationed over by the grill and asked, "How do you put up with him?"

Tifa glanced up, a questioning look on her face. "Huh?" Her gaze went from Aerith to Cloud, who had his arms folded and was staring at her like he expected back up. She shrugged one shoulder and went back to staring at the burgers sizzling away. "He's got his charm," she replied in a light voice.

When Aerith glanced at Cloud she caught the tail end of a smug smile. "You're so easily pleased when you wanna be," she teased, poking his bicep.

Cloud leaned away and scowled. "Is there a reason you're here?"

Aerith's eyes widened. "Wow, rude." She looked around the new Seventh Heaven and smiled. The people of sector seven really loved Tifa. They rebuilt the whole bar by the time the group returned to Midgar. Even better, they added a daytime cafe where Aerith could help out and spend time with her bestie. "I'm here to collect on a date," she said with an evil grin.

Cloud choked and turned to look at Tifa. "What!?"

Aerith would've bet all the flowers in her garden that he was hoping she hadn't heard that. Letting him hang in suspense for a moment longer than she had to, she finally put Cloud out of his misery by saying, "Tifa and I have a date in sector eight later." She was evilly amused at the sigh of relief from him. Leaning closer and ignoring how he moved away, she added, "Did you forget I have a boyfriend? Zack doesn't like you enough to share." She giggled when she spotted Cloud's face turning red.

"Quit it!" He got up and went to sit at the counter.

He's such a kid. Aerith shook her head and smiled fondly at his back.

Tifa looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "You okay?"

"I've been better," he replied, shooting Aerith a dirty look.

Tifa sighed. "Can I trust you two to play nice while I call everyone in?"

"Tifa--!" Cloud pouted.

"Sure thing!" Aerith waved Tifa's concerns away.

"Great. Be right back." With a friendly nod, Tifa swiftly plated the food, set it on the counter ready for pick up, and came through the swing door. On her way out, she paused beside Cloud and laid her hand on his back. "Be nice," she whispered in his ear in a teasing tone.

"I'm doing my best," he replied, a small smile appearing and disappearing like lightning. With Tifa so near, Cloud took the chance to sneak a swift kiss on her cheek, leaving her blushing and biting her lip.

"Be right back," she repeated in a soft voice, before jogging out of the bar.

Aerith clasped her hands together. "You two are so adorable!"

Cloud pulled a face and rolled his eyes.

"I told you she was someone special," she went on.

"You want a medal?" he asked, half joking.

"You got a medal?"

"Nope." He got up and started moving plates to a long table set up that morning.

Aerith watched him move with methodical precision. Even a casual black t-shirt and blue shorts couldn't hide his natural grace. Nothing Cloud did was without purpose. He used words sparingly before he was himself again, but Aerith half-expected him to become more chatty afterwards. She hadn't realised Cloud was Cloud, just a little less moody, more obviously kinder and even more stupidly in love with Tifa. She supposed that kindness was the reason she and Zack survived in the end, despite what she did to fate. She wanted him to live so badly, she defied the will of the planet. But, as she said to Cloud that night in her dream, everyone dies eventually. Whether she and Zack have years, months, weeks, days or less together before that happens, they still have so many moments more than what they did before. She was more happy now than she can remember being in her entire life. She has a life and can laugh with the people she loves. She has friends and Zack. She has Cloud and everyone else to thank for it. Tears gathered in her eyes and she swiftly brushed them away.

Not swiftly enough.

"You good?" Cloud paused between the bar and table.

Aerith gave him a bright smile. "Sure am!"

He raised a doubtful eyebrow, but didn't pry further.

Aerith ducked her head and laughed to herself. Cloud never cared enough about her to want to dig deeper. And she never trusted him enough to want to share. Not like Zack. That was who she'd been so desperate to see in him when they first met, but it was all too obvious she was deluding herself when the way he acted wasn't anything like Zack. Not deep down, anyway. A few similar poses, a uniform and mako infused eyes didn't turn Cloud into her one true love. She flushed with guilt and shame thinking about the way she acted. Did I ever apologise for that? "You know, Cloud," she began, finding she couldn't look at him.

"Yeah, I know Cloud," he said, stopping a foot away from her and crossing his arms.

When Aerith looked up she saw a friendly smile on his face. She laughed and shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Cloud frowned. "For what?"

"For not being all that nice to you when we first met." She pulled on her bangs, using the physical pain as a focus. "I was...trying to make you someone you weren't. Someone you could never be."

"S'alright," he replied, shrugging it off. "I was, too."

Aerith looked at him then and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you were." She laughed. They both missed Zack so much they fooled themselves. But now they didn't need to because he was here. Alive. With them.

Cloud nodded. "So, we good?" He turned to grab the last of the plates.

Aerith felt lighter. "Yeah. We're good."

"I spy an angel." Zack greeted Aerith with a broad smile as he entered the bar, using the shirt he held to wipe his sweaty face. "You should have joined us, Cloud. Barret kicked the ball at Red, so he burst it with his tail!" He laughed and shook his head.

"Maybe later," Cloud replied, shrugging. Exercising in hot weather reminded him of pointless drills Heidigger made the grunts do until they dropped.

"What? Not a fan of team sports?" Zack headed straight for Aerith and squatted a little. He tapped a finger to his cheek and said, "To the victor goes the spoils."

Aerith laughed and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, I'm a prize now, am I?"

He turned his head to meet her eyes. "Absolutely, yes."

Cloud snorted and turned his back on them, muttering, "Weirdos."

Aerith giggled and playfully pushed Zack. "Oh, you!" As Zack rocked backwards Aerith grabbed his hand and pulled him to her. She wrapped both arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "Ew, you're all sweaty."

"Ah, sorry," he said, stroking her hair. "It's really hot out today. You guys made the smart choice staying inside." He tried to untangle her from him, but she held on tighter.

"It's okay," she buried her face against his bare chest, "I don't mind."

Zack kissed the top of her head.

Tifa re-entered the bar, followed by Barret, who had Marlene on his shoulder, Red, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, Biggs and Wedge, who carried Cait Sith. "Great, everyone's getting along," she said, smiling at Cloud.

"You were only gone five minutes," he replied, a smile tweaking one corner of his mouth up. "How much trouble do you think I can get into?"

She leaned forward and smiled. "Lots."

Barret let out a gut busting laugh. "She's gotcha there!" He jiggled Marlene until she giggled. "Right, baby?"

"Uh huh, yeah!" Marlene nodded and wagged a finger at Cloud. "You're trouble, so you gotta let Tifa look after you!"

Cloud nodded, a serious look on his face. "Yes, ma'am."

Marlene giggled and Tifa smiled.

"Why's this boy such a goddamn fool, would someone tell me that?" Cid barged past everyone and took a seat at the table. "Well, we eatin' or not?" He slapped a hand on the tabletop.

Tifa looked flustered for a moment, then saw the food laid out ready.

"Maybe if the rest of you losers get to the table!" Yuffie mocked from her seat.

Zack's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "When did she--?" He stepped back from Aerith and put his shirt on, much to her disappointment.

"Ninja!" Yuffie gave him a finger gun salute and winked.

"Okay, everyone, let's sit down and eat before the food gets cold." Tifa urged with a cheerful smile.

"You know I don't need to eat," Vincent muttered, though he sat anyway.

"I appreciate the adaptation," Red said, perching on a footstool.

"You guys are family, and family eats together," Marlene said, wagging a finger at them both.

"You heard her, and nobody argues with Marlene," Biggs said, taking a seat beside her.

"I'm starving! If Vinny doesn't wanna eat I'll have his!" Wedge gave Vincent a huge smile.

"That's not my--"

"He'll still do it," Cloud said, interrupting him.

"Aww, thanks for sticking up for me, bro." Wedge targeted Cloud with an even larger smile.

Cloud gestured at him and said, "See?"

Vincent snorted, but pushed his plate over to Wedge.

"Okay, who wants drinks?" Tifa moved to stand behind the bar and grabbed a cocktail shaker.

"Ooh, can you teach me how to make something?" Aerith bounced up from beside Zack and darted over to Tifa.

"Uh, sure, I guess." Tifa smiled and nodded. "What do you want to drink?"

"Can you make a pink one?" Zack asked, turning in his seat and resting his forearm on the back.

"Pink isn't a flavour," Cloud joked, also turning around. His gaze locked with Tifa's. "Something sweet?"

"Oh, how about grapefruit!?" Aerith bounced on her toes.

Tifa looked at Aerith and tipped her head to one side. "But...that's not sweet?"

"I didn't ask for sweet, he did." She grinned and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder towards Cloud.

"Aerith likes drinks with a kick." Zack frowned thoughtfully. "Pineapple?"

Aerith clapped her hands together. "Yes!" She half turned and blew Zack a kiss. "You know me so well."

Zack looked stupidly pleased at her praise.

"Can y'all hurry it up. Feels like you're taking forever for just one drink." Barret gestured as he spoke. "People dyin' of thirst over here."

"Ah, sorry!" Tifa ducked her head.

Cloud got up. "I'll give you a hand." As he walked towards the swing door separating the front of the bar from the back, he said over his shoulder, "Beer good for everybody?" It's what they'd get even if they said no. A round of murmurs had him nodding.

"And juice for the kids," Cid added. "Two cups."

"Hey! I'm not a kid!" Yuffie huffed and crossed her arms.

"You're pouting like one." Biggs reached across the table to poke her cheek. "You look twelve."

Yuffie leaned back and stuck her tongue out at him.

Biggs chuckled. "And now you look like a ten year old."

As those around the table laughed, bickered and joked, Cloud moved around them and placed drinks within reach. He then went back to the bar, where Tifa, Aerith and Zack were still discussing cocktail combinations that included a bunch of fruit he'd never heard of. He felt like he couldn't contribute, so sat and watched Tifa. A slap on the back jolted him from his thoughts and he automatically scowled at the culprit.

"Woah, what'd I ever do to you?" Zack acted hurt, then chuckled. "Looks like you had something important on your mind," he said in a low voice. "Wanna talk?"

Cloud grimaced and half-turned away from the girls, just in case Tifa overheard. "Not really."

Zack put his hands on his hips and laughed. "You know, for a minute there I thought you changed, but I guess you'll always be the same Cloud." He ruffled Cloud's hair until Cloud slapped his hand away.

"Cut it out. It's not like that," he said, glancing at Tifa again.

"What?" Zack laid a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Trouble in paradise?" He put on his best confidant expression. "Need some dating advice?"

Cloud shook his head and replied in a low voice, "It's been three months since, you know..."

"Sephiroth found his promised land, Jenova dissolved and we won it all?" Zack said this in a light tone, but tears still gathered at the corner of his eyes. The Sephiroth he knew wasn't the one Cloud hated for so long. He couldn't feel victorious about losing a good friend. Though that friend seemed lost for a long time, at the very end Sephiroth smiled like the man Zack remembered. He found himself again, and peace. Angeal and Genesis better be looking out for you over there. He blinked away the tears and focused on Cloud. "Yeah, so...?"

Cloud drew in a deep breath and let it out. "So, how long is long enough?"

Zack frowned. "For what?" He tried not to think too far ahead. Aerith already explained the planet could take them both back at any time, so he lived from moment to moment, never taking anything for granted. He had a home in sector five with Aerith and Elmyra, friends, his life and the freedom to choose what he wanted to do with the time he had. He was overflowing with gratitude and good cheer. And he'd promised some of that time would be spent helping Cloud not be such an insecure dork around the love of his life. Three months of dating and he still thinks she isn't as crazy about him as he is her. Zack wished Cloud could see the look on Tifa's face whenever he wasn't paying attention to her, scant as those moments were. It made Zack feel like a voyeur, and Aerith laughed hysterically when he said it because she felt the same.

Cloud sighed again. "Forget it."

"Has anyone ever told you that you think too much?" He patted Cloud on the back.

"No, Aerith, wait, the lid isn't--!"

Too late. Aerith turned the blender on and pink liquid sprayed up in an impressive geiser, tossing lumps of fruit in its wake.

"Tifa!" Cloud vaulted the bar and tried to get her out of the way.

Tifa cringed and tried to duck, but somehow both ended up covered, despite Cloud blocking the worst of it.

"Oops!" Aerith put her hands up and shrugged. Despite being the one to turn the blender on, she didn't have a speck of drink on her pink top or white skirt. She shot Zack a split second wink and he smothered a laugh.

"That's one way to help," he said to her in a low voice.

Cloud scowled to himself, then looked at Tifa. "You okay?"

She tried not to smile at how the juice flattened his hair. Reaching slowly, she picked a piece of pineapple clinging to his cheek and put it on the side. "Yeah, thanks."

Cloud stared into her eyes until they were all he could see. "Tifa, I--"

"You guys okay?" Wedge half rose from his seat before Barret and Biggs shoved him back down.

"Dummy!" Cait Sith hopped onto the table and hit him with its megaphone.

"Ow! Hey, what did I do!?" The ow was for show, Wedge had an indestructible body thanks to Hojo's "helpful" interference after he fell from the Shinra building. He was lucky to be more than a splat on the sidewalk, but that didn't make him grateful to the monster who made him.

"Gonna need to go wash up," Barret said to Tifa and Cloud. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine by ourselves for a bit."

"Yeah," Aerith added, circling around them both and pushing them towards the stairs. "Better get that out of your hair before you have to cut it off."

Tifa drew in a sharp breath. "Right." She stopped and looked at the mess behind them. "What about--?"

"Don't worry about the bar."

"We got this!"

Zack and Biggs gave her a thumbs up.

Tifa looked at Cloud, who looked bemused. "Uh, okay, I guess. We'll be right back."

"Take your time!" Yuffie and Aerith said in unison. They looked at each other and giggled.

"What are they laughing about?" Cloud crossed his arms and tried not to drip too much as he and Tifa stood in the hallway outside the bathroom. He tried not to assume it was him, but old habits died hard.

"Hmm? I'm not sure." Tifa shrugged. She knew exactly what they were laughing at, but she didn't want to say and risk her face looking like a tomato. "Do you want to go first or should I?"

"You go, I'll wait out here."

Though they'd spent the night together before the final battle, they hadn't actually repeated it since. Maybe neither of them expected to survive, so if one night was all they got they'd make the most of it. But, they had won. They saved the planet and everyone got to go home. Together. Cloud kept up his merc work alongside Zack. The pair were almost too popular, and Cloud regularly finished his day emptying his pockets of scrap paper that had hastily written phone numbers scrawled on them. He pushed the pile across the bar and Tifa had the bin already waiting on her side. He always finished up by asking her to go somewhere with him.

Dates were fun and had no theme. Just the two of them wandering Midgar or going out on his custom bike the seller named Fenrir and Cloud developed a habit of treating like a treasured pet. The guy got a lifetime supply of food and drink from Seventh Heaven in exchange when gil alone wouldn't persuade him to sell. Tifa couldn't refuse when she saw the look of longing on Cloud's face. He had so little joy in his life until recently, there was no way she'd be responsible for taking any of it away.

The first time Cloud took her out on Fenrir, showing off and doing insane moves, it made her heart race with excitement. She locked her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his back. She trusted him to keep her safe. She whooped and laughed, which encouraged him to show off even more. It was fun. When he eventually pulled up on a ridge overlooking Midgar, Tifa swung herself round to sit facing him. The look of adorable, wide eyed surprise made her beam. This was the Cloud she remembered best. Her Cloud. She leaned forward the same moment he reached for her. Their kiss, sweet and electrifying, left them both breathless and resting their foreheads against each other.

Coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel after a hasty shower, Tifa smiled at the sight of Cloud leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He had his eyes closed, so she could look her fill, though she could still feel a blush heating her cheeks.

"You done?"

Tifa jumped. Does he know?

Cloud opened his eyes, glanced at her, then smiled and looked away. "Can I get in there now?"

"Uh, yeah." Tifa tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

Cloud pushed away from the wall and she tried not to smile at the drink stain he left behind. He thinks he's so cool. But, she found her feet stuck to the floor as he moved closer. Her eyes lowered from his face, which didn't improve anything because it drew her attention to his loose limbed walked instead. She swallowed and glanced at him through her lashes.

Cloud stopped with an inch of space between them. "Can I...get by?"

Flustered, Tifa realised she was blocking the door. "Oh!" About to step away, she caught sight of a teasingly smug smile on Cloud's face. She stopped and smiled back. "I dunno, can you?"

This time, Cloud swallowed. A slow blush lit his cheeks before he looked away. "You're dripping on the floor," he mumbled, pointing to the small pool spreading around Tifa's feet.

"And you're all sticky," she replied, gesturing at the patch on the wall.

Cloud glanced at the wall, then her and back again. "Uhh..."

Tifa ducked her head and laughed. Cloud never could keep up the bravado for long. She preferred his sweetness, anyway.

Surprising her by clasping her upper arms, Cloud gently urged Tifa aside while holding her gaze. His head darted forward and he stole a swift kiss before releasing her and heading into the bathroom. "Be right back."

Tifa licked her lips and tasted something sweet. "Uh, sure," she replied in a faint voice.

Was three months a long time to date before taking the next step? Tifa hadn't thought about it. She'd never dated before. Not really. Cloud lived at Seventh Heaven with her, but they had separate rooms. After the first time, she hadn't wanted him to think she was easy, or she expected anything from him. She didn't want him to feel pressured to move faster than he was ready for. Or maybe she was just scared. She didn't want to push for more in case he suddenly left. What if he didn't really feel the same way?

"You're a coward." Tifa sighed and stared out of the window. She'd changed into an aqua coloured dress and left her hair loose so it could dry. Thanks to the heat it almost was. "Why can't you just ask him?" She glared accusingly at the washed out reflection of herself framed in the window pane.

"Ask who what?" Cloud appeared behind her, dressed in a white t-shirt and shorts and roughly drying his hair with a towel. The gravity defying spikes were already rearranging to stick up in his signature style. When she didn't answer, he stopped and stared, then swiped a finger along her upper arm.

Tifa turned, eyes widening as he put it to his lips.

"Punch," he said, referring to the sticky drink residue.

"Oh." Tifa laughed. "Guess I missed a spot." She tried to hold onto the playful mood, but worry made her frown. "So, I guess everyone's leaving soon." She crossed her arms under her breasts and tried to smile. "They couldn't stick around forever, right? Cid and Yuffie have homes that aren't here. Nanaki, too. Barret wants to rebuild Corel, so I guess he'll be gone for awhile. It'll be quiet."

"Hmm." Cloud tipped his head to the side. "Not that quiet. Marlene'll need looking after and there's still Biggs, Wedge and Vincent." He paused and added, "And did you forget about Zack and Aerith? You really think it'll be quiet with them around?"

Tifa shook her head and smiled. "Guess not." She looked up at him. "I guess...I just hate goodbyes."

"It won't be for good. They'll come back and visit."

She couldn't help but look at him with hopeful eyes. "You think?"

Cloud swallowed and nodded. "Yeah."

She nodded, but grew apprehensive as she asked, "And you?"

Cloud frowned. "What about me?" He took a step closer. "I live here. With you."

"Yeah, we're neighbours again," she joked, referring to their separate rooms. Though, right then, Cloud was in her room and came in as though it belonged to him. She hadn't noticed, but he did that a lot.

"Don't have to be." His eyes were earnest and hopeful. He took another step, then waited, leaving her to close the remaining distance between them. "Tifa...You don't have to be afraid. I'm not leaving." He smiled and added, "So, suck it up."

Tifa ducked her head and laughed. "Did I really say that?" She walked towards him and he was already opening his arms to draw her in.

"Yup." Pressing his face against her neck he mumbled, "Scared the shit out of me. Don't go places I can't follow, okay?"

Tifa got the sense he meant emotionally, since there wasn't any place he couldn't find her if he wanted to. Oh. She wrapped her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair. "I won't," she promised. Feeling daring, she kissed his cheek, then whispered in his ear, "You wanna sleep in here tonight?"

For once, Cloud one-upped her into speechlessness when he replied, "Every night." Moving to press a kiss to her lips, he added in a murmur, "But, can we save the sleeping for later? There's something else I've been waiting for first..."

As night drew in and the guests of Seventh Heaven cleared out calling goodnight to each other and still passing jokes back and forth, Aerith slotted her arm through Zack's and snuggled into his side. "So?" She looked up at him, a huge smile on her face and her eyes shining like emeralds.

Zack chuckled and tapped her on the nose. "Good job today! Mission success!"

Aerith giggled. "Those two." She mock sighed and shook her head. She stopped suddenly and pulled a face. "I didn't get my date with Tifa!" She growled with disappointment, making her sound like Red. "Cloud better appreciate this!"

Zack laughed. "Oh, I guarantee he does."

Aerith shook her head. "You perv."

He pointed at himself, then her. "If I'm one, so are you. It wasn't me who said those two need to stop overthinking things and just do it."

Aerith squealed and laughed. "Don't say it like that! People will send us to jail!"

Zack wrapped both arms around her waist and picked her up. "Wherever we go, it'll be together, so that's fine by me!"

Linking her fingers behind his neck, Aerith urged Zack to lower her enough so she could kiss him. "Yeah," she agreed, coming up for air and trying not to blush. "We're together and that's all that matters." She hugged him tight. "Let's go home. Mom's probably waiting up to give you a lecture."

Zack chuckled. "I'll win her over some day."

Aerith nodded. "Yeah, you will."

[aliceaddellheidde]

Fatum

A/N: This is for @the-ss-horniest-book-club  Lucky in love. March 15 - In The Cards.

WORDS: 1458

WARNINGS: talking about sex

PAIRING: Bucky Barnes x reader (eventually) {Soulmates AU}

DISCLAIMERS: Endgame happened, but only Thanos and his peasants died. English isn´t my first language so sorry for mistakes.

Moi, Rai and Parca are genderless & are using they/their pronouns.

This is soulmates au. When you get tattoo, your soulmate gets it as well on same spot. It glows when you touch.

This is multi-chapter story. 9/19

I took a bath with robo fishes (cuz I'm 5 😅) and got ideas 🤯

Pic from here (I had to 🤤)

Divider by @rainbowkisses31

Bucky had no idea why you screamed at him. Why were you angry? He did nothing. He wasn't happy you were dating Declan, but he was sure it wasn't his fault that your date went bad. He could hear you crying in your bedroom but was afraid to go there. What he would say to you anyway?

He was waiting for his bacon to be done when smiling Sam ran to him. „Look Buck, look!” He turned around and Bucky just now realized he didn't have a t-shirt. Then small white tattoo caught his eyes. „You got yourself a tattoo?” „No man, it appeared during night! Here, take a pic of it so I can send it on soulmates page.” „Take a what?” Sam gave him his phone. „Press that white button and take nice picture. C'mon man, it's not that hard.” Bucky rolled his eyes. „Fine, I'll do it but don't call me Buck. Only Steve can do it.” „Yeah, yeah. Hurry up.” Bucky clumsily took pic. Sam said his thanks and ran to his bedroom.

Bucky turned to his breakfast in the pan only to be interrupted by Steve and Natasha. Both laughing and clinging to each other. He tried to ignore them. „Good morning Buck.” said Steve, making coffee. „Hi.” he mumbled. „Do you know why was Sam so happy?” „He found out he has a soulmate. Got a tattoo.” Steve stopped in midway of mixing his coffee and looked at his friend. „Really? That's great! How does it look like?” „Bird.” „Like a falcon?” Natasha asked. „Don´t know. Don’t care.” Bucky took his plate and cup and walked away from the kissing couple. Before he walked into his room he saw Y/N going out of her room. She looked tired, oversize t-shirt on, pale face and unkempt hair. He wanted to hug her, but she totally surprised him when she said good morning to him with small smile as she was passing him. „Hi.” he replied. He watched her until she turned behind the corner.

After your breakfast you changed and ran to Sam´s room when he screamed. „What's the problem?” He hugged you and turned around with you. „Absolutely nothing. I just have a date with my soulmate!” You were watching him in shock. „How?” „It happened last night.” „Can I see it?” He lifted his t-shirt and turned his back to you. „It´s beautiful.” „I know, right? Now I have to get ready.” „I'm leaving anyway.” „Going to make things right with Declan?” You blushed. „Maybe.” „Good luck.” „You too.”

It took you fifteen minutes to get into cafe where Declan was waiting for you with two coffees. You said awkward hellos and sat down. „I'm glad you said yes to meeting me.” „Sure.” „Look, I know that our last date wasn't good and I´m sorry I made you feel guilty. But I have my fair share on that night too.” „Because you … .” „Yeah.” You nodded. „It happens sometimes.” „I know. Mine was from different reason.” He pulled out his phone and showed you picture of beautiful butterfly tattoo. „You found your soulmate?” You felt small pang of jealousy. „Uhhm.” His face was red now. „Actually it happened when we had sex. That's why I … you know. It was shock for my body. When you left I went to shower and found it.” „That's amazing.” You smiled through pain. „Do you know who they are?” „No. I uploaded it only this morning. No answer yet.” In that moment his phone vibrated. He read the message and his expression changed. „Her name is Vanessa.” he said to you with beaming smile. „Is it ok with you if I write to her now?” „Go ahead.” He quickly wrote something and then turned his attention back to you. „And what about you?” „What about me?” „Did you speak to Bucky?” „No. Nobody knows what happened.” „What if he's the one you are looking for?” „I doubt it.” „Why?” „I got my memories about him back thanks to you and our accident.” „Wau! It´s good, isn´t it?” „Kinda. We were not that good friends. Mostly pulled pranks on each other.” „But you have to feel something more for him when our sex brought memories back.” „Even if, it can´t work.” „Why?” „Because he's idiot! Always in my face, thinking he's batter than me, showing off his skills and other stuff. He makes me so angry sometimes.” „My mom would sit you in same room until you would figure it out. You should try it.” „Not gonna happen.” „I forgot how stubborn you are.” You both laughed. „We almost kissed twice.” you whispered. „And my besties think we would be nice couple.” Declan finished his coffee and looked you in the eyes. „And you still underestimate it? You are crazy.” „I don’t think he wants someone like me anyway.” „Just don’t be surprised if one day you both will have same tattoo.” he smirked. „I have to go now. I´m happy you let me explain that night to you. At least we know it wasn't our fault.” „Yop. Good to know.” „Oh, I almost forgot. Got your coat.” „Thanks.” You said your goodbyes and you went back home with smile on your face.

You knocked on Bucky's door. He opened after moment. „Can I come in?” you asked nervously. „Sure.” He let you in and you sat on his bed. „What's up?” „I want to apologize to you. I shouldn’t scream at you last night. You did nothing wrong.” „I knew it. Did Declan something to you?” „No. But something happened and I have my memories about you back.” You smiled at him. „Really? That's great!” He was more excited than you expected. „I'm sorry it took my so long.” „Don´t worry doll. It´s not important now.” He hugged you and lightly kissed top of your head. You didn't even noticed. „Does it mean I can pull pranks at you again?” „Don´t you dare!” You pushed him away. „Be ready. We are starting tomorrow!” „Fuck you Borky!” You left his bedroom, laughing. „I would rather fuck you doll.” he said to himself.

Steve was cooking lunch while Bucky was on his laptop. „Sam called. He will come with his girlfriend for dinner. I hope you will be in better mood.” „I'm great Steven.” he said sarcastically. „Y/N has finally back all memories about me.” „I told you Buck.” „Yeah, yeah.” „At least now you can be happy. Declan wasn't her soulmate after all.” „How do you know?” Bucky turned his head so fast his neck cracked. Steve laughed too much for his friend liking. „I told him.” said Natasha when she walked in the kitchen. „Of course.” Bucky rolled his eyes. Girls tell each other everything. „It´s your time to find someone old man. Only you, Bruce and Y/N are still single.” „What do you expect of me? To go to tattoo salon right now?” „Yes!” „Not a chance!” „Oh Bucky, don’t you want it?” He was quiet for a minute. „I don’t know for sure. Who would like to be with someone like me?” „Everybody has a soulmate. I feel yours will show in near future.” spoke Wanda as she came with Vision and you. „What are you now? Prophet?” He was a bit harsher then he wanted to be. „Sorry Wan.” She nodded and sat next to her boyfriend. You sat next to Bucky, but he was deep in his thoughts. Why did Wanda say it? Does she really know something? Is he ready to let someone in his life? What if his soulmate will not accept him?

After lunch you stopped him before he could disappear into his room and gave him plastic box. „Have fun.” you smiled. He opened it and found few robo fishes he gave you when you were sad to bath with. He had no idea why you did it, but he felt warm feeling in chest from it.

You all were nicely dressed, sitting in living room. Sam walked out of elevator hand in hand with beautiful woman. He smiled at her and they both walked up to you. „I wanna introduce you my soulmate, Aderyn.” She looked nervous. You introduced first and others followed you. During dinner you found out she's zoo worker with birds of prey. „No surprise your tattoo is a falcon.” Steve smirked. You were having great time and was happy that Bucky seemed relaxed.

But as soon as Aderyn left Steve and others couldn’t stop talking about their soulmates so you and him rather ran away. You said good night to him and after long two months you fell asleep with head full of Bucky.

Next chapter 18.3.2021

What was I listening to while writing this chapter 🤣 (not in English)

[starbide]

Inspiration below. The following is a work of fiction.

 'Six years,' I thought to myself walking down the road. It had rained earlier that evening, but by now the clouds were long gone. The pavement shimmered in the waxing moonlight, still slick with the water of those vanished clouds. I would not slip; the road was mostly level as it lazily stretched down the gentle hill behind me, and the streetlamps cast in gold what the moon would otherwise leave dim. The world was silent.

'It's hard to believe I've been gone that long,' I continued, step by step. Six years since I'd moved away for my career. Six years since I'd left my family behind. 'Left her behind,' I smirked to myself, passing a large bush on my right. Houses stood dark and serene on either side, all daily activities complete and put to rest. No cars joined me on the waterlogged street, preferring the concrete comfort of their driveways and garages. I approached and passed under another hazy lamp.

It was cool out, a gentle breeze brushed past the wool of my jacket without raising a single goose bump. I paid it no mind; I was always a bit warmer blooded than others in my circle. My best friend for most of my school years couldn't understand my ability to wear shorts comfortably year-round. 'Those were the days,' I mused, thinking back to the last time we'd seen each other. It had to be more than a decade at this point, long before I'd moved north for work and expanded my wardrobe to include legwear longer than my knees.

I reached an intersection and paused. Four ways, no direction more enticing or foreboding than the next. A lamp at every corner, and the bus station deserted save by its sign across the diagonal. The station I'd waited at patiently every morning for that bright yellow school bus, before I'd ever met my old bestie. It was just me and one other kid, a rather scrawny looking boy who had been in most of my elementary grades but with whom I'd never really gotten on with. We'd shared classes, teachers, and the occasional pencil or marker, but never played together outside of academia. He'd moved away much longer than a decade ago. Now I was really delving into my memory, faded as it was with time.

I checked my phone: 11:57 PM in small white font. My first night back home, I should be exhausted. This wasn't my normal time zone and airplane seats aren't exactly memory foam, but I'd found a second wind after dinner and took to the night after my folks had gone to bed themselves. Sure, I'd been physically gone for six years, but we'd stayed in touch off and on since I'd left. Maybe five months back was our last video call. We'd talked about me taking this trip, now that things had settled down and my life was much more under control. Things had been wild for a while, and if all went according to plan at work things would become wild again not too far down the line. Which reminded me, I needed to make another appointment when I returned home. Couldn't go running out of my prescription again.

A brief twitch of motion caught my eye, and I peered down the leftward lane. One of the bulbs had burned out a few dozen meters down, and in this larger pool of darkness something had moved. At least I thought it had, but my eyes could be playing tricks on me with the shadows. One dark spot moving erratically through a larger, differently dark spot wasn't exactly proof of anything. But of course, my heartbeat quickened regardless. Base human instinct, I suppose. Spot a motion in the dark, prepare to act to either fight or flee.

That hallucination had triggered something else in me though. A memory, unconsciously bidden, rose up behind my eyes. That kid, the little one I'd shared a bus stop with for years, I did not recall being nice to often. Many times, I'd engaged in common teasing, and he always took it personally. A couple times he'd even cried, but I'd never gotten in much trouble for it. A different time I supposed. That sort of behavior wouldn't fly nowadays, and that's good. I felt a bit sick thinking back about it, as it was now clear I'd been a bit of a bully. What it hadn't been was a wake-up call for my parents, who didn't get me the help I had so desperately needed until much later in my teens. I was better now, better enough to see what I'd done back then was very wrong. I couldn't remember all of it, but that boy's tears had stuck with me. I wonder what happened to him?

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts and calm my pulse, I opted for the path in front. This route would wind close to the park, after a couple turns beyond my current field of vision. Crossing the street, I didn't even bother looking left or right, as the night was so quiet and empty, I could hear a car coming from miles away, if there were any to hear. A rock lay in the far side gutter; I kicked it just to give my ears some stimulation. It knocked against the cement curb and bounced across puddles thin as saran wrap to a rest. By then I'd already forgotten about it and left that intersection behind.

Another thought was creeping up from my subconscious, this one more distasteful than the last. I'd left a girl behind when I moved for work, and the breakup hadn't been pleasant. She'd been very upset, naturally, and felt betrayed I was abandoning her like that. Abandoning. It had been her word, not mine, but with the clarity of distance I could see she was right. It had been years since I'd considered how we ended, and I wasn't sure what spurred those thoughts just now, but after what I'd done to her, I could accept she was right.

Still though, rounding the first turn, my leaving her should have been a good thing. Now that the floodgates of memory were open, I may as well dive right in. She'd been so hurt by my sudden departure because I'd systematically isolated her from her friends and much of her family too. She'd grown more and more attached to me, and I'd encouraged that through some particularly devilish means. I didn't know about the term 'gaslighting' at the time, but that was a polite way of putting it. I'd been very proficient at psychological manipulation back then, and my desire for control over her life could have consumed us both. At the end, she'd only had limited contact with her sister, who had been rightly concerned about her but too terrified of me to do anything to stop me. Looking back, I can't blame her. I now believe it was good that I left when I did. I hope she realized the same, though I haven't heard from her since.

Now the road turned left, arcing gradually around a thicker cluster of trees. This walk was turning out to be less relaxing than I'd hoped. The smallest things seemed to be dredging up thoughts and old memories in me, and none of them were painting me in the best light. Being my thoughts, maybe that was the best light I could possibly be presented in. Maybe their memories of me, the version of me still living in their mind, was far worse than I could imagine on this unassuming suburban night. I'd read somewhere that we're all the hero of our own story, and of course the hero never thinks they're the villain. But I'm sure that's what I am in at least a few people's stories. I'm starting to feel like the villain in my own.

Opening up ahead of me is the park, and the wide-open fields I remember so well. This area is less well lit, with streetlamps only illuminating the edges of the grass and allowing the moon to bathe the world in dead white. In reality, this is only sunlight reflected, but from the moon it feels much less like the bright star that gives this planet life. Like Luna itself, it feels cold and impersonal, like it wouldn't actively try to end my life but also wouldn't even notice if I merely faded away into the ether. I'd had some trouble with those thoughts as well over the years, before I got help. And now, rushing back to me, I remember they were also why I lost my best friend.

He and I had been out for the evening, playing some game with a few other friends. The game had ended, and we were walking home together when a car had rushed past us. Neither he nor I were injured, but it had been close and the driver had continued on recklessly. After it rounded the corner, we'd both heard a large thumping sound, followed by the rapidly diminishing roar of its engine. After a quick glance between us we'd rushed around the corner ourselves to see a big yellow dog crumpled up in the drain. Not losing a moment we hurried up to it, but we needn't have rushed. It had most likely died on impact, before we even saw it.

My friend had knelt down next to it to try and save it, even though it was hopeless. He must have known, but it's only natural to want to help another life. At least, it is for me now, and it was for him then. I remember him crouched over the dog, tears in his eyes when he accepted what happened, and then he looked up at me. His tears ebbed and his face froze in fear at what he saw, but he couldn't say anything to me at the time. We walked home in uncomfortable silence after that, and said a short awkward goodbye. Truth be told, that's the last time we spoke to each other in person.

Thinking of the next part, I felt a chill run deep into my core. I remembered now what he told me, over text message later that night. He'd bent over the dog and been so distraught because he knew it. He'd checked the tag to be sure, but it was his neighbor's dog that he'd grown up playing with. I think he'd even muttered its name a couple times, but I'm not sure. But when he looked up at me, he said I had the biggest grin he'd ever seen. The look on my eyes was not maniacal, as some would think, but dead, not present. As if the dog dying had brought out a whole new face in me, as if the lights were on but nobody was home, and yet the lights still wanted to kill you. It had terrified him, and it was all he could do not to sprint from me that moment without looking back. I don't think he ever knew how right he'd been back then, something that took me years to realize and longer to overcome.

I quietly walked to the center of the field, as far from the streetlights as possible, and looked up. The moon provided none of the same dangers as the sun when staring straight at it, and I took a few moments to just gaze at it and let my thoughts sort themselves out. I'd been a monster in my childhood, a terror in my youth, before I found my doctor and we set out on a years-long journey to get me better. Any other time I'd have kept on that dangerous path, ruining some lives and possibly ending others. That had all changed, thanks to my incredible fortune and a lot of hard work, but with the clarity of hindsight I could see just how close to the precipice I'd come. How I'd always be there in the minds of childhood mates and adolescent connections. And this was just what I could remember now. There was no way for me to know how many other monstrous versions of me still lived in any number of former classmates.

In the corner of my eye, I saw another twitch in the shadows. Jerking my head down, I followed the motion to the foot of the trees, the darkest spot on the field. This time there was no mistake; there was definitely an object moving there, slowly but surely. My heartbeat shot up and my throat swelled as I bent my knees and got into a defensive posture. The object lumbered forward, moving without haste but with purpose. When it came into the light, I was surprised to see a little boy with a scratched-up shirt and messy brown hair. Standing up in confusion, I was certain I'd seen him somewhere before. Step by step, I focused on every detail I could make out in the gloom, before it hit me like the car that last night walking home.

That boy was dressed, to the letter, the exact same way I had on picture day in third grade. My hair had been an untamable brown mess, and even the cheap novelty watch was the same. I was more perplexed than anything now, as I couldn't understand for the life of me what a kid was doing in that field, at midnight, wearing clothes that weren't even made any more. That was until he spoke, and his voice froze my blood in its veins.

It was like whispers, floating around my head, and several voices all at once and all taking turns being the loudest. They were all his, but not really. His mouth had opened and his lips were framing the syllables, but it was my voice from so many years ago repeating every taunt, every tease, every foul nickname I'd ever given that scrawny boy who shared a bus stop with me. Who'd cried, not once or twice, but dozens of times. Who'd gone home often with scrapes and tears in his clothes personally inflicted by myself. I had terrorized him for years of his early life, and what I saw before me must be what I forever lived as in his memory.

But if that were true, then this kid in front of me couldn't be real. I had to be hallucinating again, I must have been more exhausted than I'd allowed myself to feel. He sure looked real, though, and his footsteps were matting the grass in a way I didn't trust my mind to make up. But the ghostly, strangled voices of my younger self crashing in waves into my ears gave the entire scene a surreal feeling, making the hair on the back of my neck stick up like electricity. I couldn't bring myself to step away, and I sure as hell wasn't going to walk forward to meet him. It. Whatever it was I was seeing, real or not.

Only a few meters away, he stopped moving. Swallowing bile, I could do little more than watch him as the voices continued to echo in my ears, unchanged by his distance all this time. Then I spotted another motion far off to my right, and then a third to my left. Glancing quickly between them, I determined that they were both noticeably older than the child before me, one by a few more years than the other. They too walked slowly towards me, bringing their own voices to the forefront. Despite the dozens of voices I now thought I was hearing, every word registered clearly in my mind. One was speaking about my old best friend and the dog, the other repeated every lie I ever told my ex-girlfriend before leaving. As if their mere presence in my eyes were not enough, hearing my old, hateful words repeated to me in my own voice almost made me vomit with fear and disgust.

They too, stopped approaching me at the same distance as the child. As they did, dozens more similar hallucinations emerged from the trees and surrounding neighborhood, all carrying their own chorus of hate and venom and bringing back new, abhorrent memories of my youth. Terrorizing a girl in my 4th grade class. Catching squirrels in my early teens and setting them on fire, then getting caught myself. Giving that kindergartner a major concussion on a dare, after my best friend had ceased speaking to me. Even one similar in age to myself now, though he brought words of loss and failure, and of betrayal to my parents. That must have been right before my breakthrough, with the doctor and an early test version of my current prescription. I was better now. I had to be. But why was I seeing all of this, all of these versions of me locked in the minds of everyone who I'd left behind in my life? My trail of destruction?

They had all stopped walking now, forming a tight semicircle around me. The voices still buzzed in my ears, but slowly they faded to an indistinguishable babble. I tried to speak, but my throat had caught a bubble, so I gulped fruitlessly and closed my mount again. The thoughts racing through my mind had no similar handicap, as my mind shouted repeatedly the same things. Who are you all? Why is this happening? What are you doing to me?

The version of me who gaslit my girl took a couple steps forward, as if presenting himself as the leader. I had no time to process what this might mean before he spoke, in a much clearer form than any of these hallucinations had yet. "We are you. We are you that you left behind, trapped in the minds of those you hurt, frozen in time from the moment you left us years or decades ago. We have had no life to live, no chance to grow and thrive, no possibility to leave the prisons of mind which you left us in, being tortured again and again by those you tortured without remorse and without recompense. We cannot sit by from behind our bars as you continue to enjoy the life you stole from us all."

"I didn't know I was doing this!" I cried, finally able to break the blockade in my throat. "I was a monster, I know that well now, and I've spent years trying to recover from the damage I've done!" I felt foolish, yelling out into the night at visions only visible to myself. 'All this work, all this progress,' I cried to myself. 'This will set me back months if not more, and I can only hope my medication doesn't fail like I have.'

The same me looked down at the ground and shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but you must know how little that matters to us. You've lived a life of freedom from any repercussions and locked us away to suffer in your place. You've flaunted that fact with your precious medical tools and until tonight, hadn't even remembered us or what you did to torture and imprison us. We are here now for the life that you stole from us, to end the torture you sentenced us to and walked away from yourself unscathed." He took another step forward, his face growing menacing.

"I don't know what that means," I cried, shaking my head as the tears started to drop. This was starting to feel all too real, and fear was expanding like a balloon deep into my core. "I don't know what any of this means. What do you want from me!?"

Another step. "We want your life," the gaslighter said mirthlessly. "We all want your life, the life wrongly denied us time and time again. And you will learn what it means to be ripped apart and put back together, over and over again. Tortured yourself for what you did to so many people in your life. You gave us to them to burn, to break, to grind down into dust and be restored only to do it all over tomorrow. You tortured them, and then you gave them us to work their revenge on, day after day with no hope of an end. And the most unforgivable of all was giving the youngest of you away to feel this pain the longest. Over two decades have the youngest of us been taken to pieces, shattered in mind and body and soul for your carelessness and your fleeting experiments in sociopathy. This will end tonight."

I could say nothing, the terror burning white on my face. If this was a hallucination, it was the worst one I'd ever had and I had no idea how I'd survive it. It was far too realistic, far too deadly for me to think of anything else, any of the tricks and tools my doctor had given me. What had happened to cause this? I swear I never missed a day on my prescription, and these memories... Where had they all been before? Why had I not been able to recover them and work through them with my doctor? Were they even real? Was this me, standing only a meter away now, real? Or was he only real in my mind, and if he wanted to hurt me would that distinction make a difference? I reached out my hand, reaching toward his arm slack against his torso...

And he reached out and took my wrist like a vice. Ice cold and unflinching, he held my arm up in front of me and closed the gap between us imperceptibly fast. "You may have many regrets. I have only one," he said in a low, bloodthirsty voice. "While there are dozens of us gathered here, dozens you sentenced to eternal damnation without a second thought, only one of us may live this life. I may not be the youngest of your victims, I may not give you the longest time in the torture you gave us, but I intend to fight with everything you have put me through these long years. Your life is mine."

As he growled in my face, a white-hot streak of terror shot through me and I pushed him back with almost reflexive strength. He staggered, rebalanced, then looked at me with cannibalistic hunger in his eyes. He panted twice, then screamed and lunged at my neck. With adrenaline now coursing through me, I turned and sprinted away from the gathering, hearing the pounding of footsteps deep in my brain. He had grabbed my arm. I glanced at it as I reached the sidewalk and saw a chalk white handprint etched into my grayish skin. The urge to vomit came back, but I managed to fight it down as I kept up a faster pace than I'd ever run before. The swarm of my past, tortured selves was hot on my heels, like starved dogs following fresh game. Any loss in my speed and I'd be eaten alive, or worse. I truly did not know what would happen if they caught me, and my mind was too far gone to even entertain the idea of hallucinations any more.

I rounded the next curve and thought the sound of the pack was a little quieter than before. It still sounded like pure rage and bloodlust, but with fewer voices than before. Thinking it was only a few stragglers being blocked by the trees, I kept up the fastest pace I could, not even feeling my feet hit the ground. Another hundred meters of straightaway and it was definitely growing less loud with each step. The roar was diminishing, no trees to hide the sound now, but it was still a roar. By now a cramp had begun to grow in my stomach, and no matter what I did I felt myself losing speed. Every few steps I could burst forward faster again, but I couldn't maintain the same rocket pace as before. To my ears, though, as my speed gradually fell, so did the volume of my pursuers. By the time I got to the intersection, it only sounded like a couple of me were still hunting, and I could count their individual footsteps. It was at this time I chanced a look behind, just to know what was still coming.

Right on my neck was him, the gaslighter. He grinned at me, his face less than a meter away. I felt that same shock explode throughout my body and I shot forward, faster than before if possible, fully terrified again now that I knew he and he alone was here for me. I kept running and running, past houses, lanes, and bushes. Still no signs of life from any houses, no cars rumbling down the road or creaking into place in a driveway. The night was as empty and uncaring as before, and only myself and the predator I had been broke the gentle midnight breeze. My legs thundered on, screaming in pain in their own way, but I didn't stop or look back again until I'd reached my family's old house a few blocks down.

Now truly running on empty, I turned back to face my hunter, but he was gone. Disappeared. Evaporated into the night, nowhere to be seen. The moon still hung high, reflecting some small percentage of sunlight down to me, and the streetlamps bathed the road and yards in amber light. He wasn't hiding from me, he hadn't overtaken me. There was no shortcut to the house, it was a straight shot from the park. He was simply gone, faded back into the night from which he'd come without a trace. If he'd ever really been there at all, and not merely a hallucination from exhaustion or medication or... I didn't even know any more. I just knew that he was gone, just gone, just gone.

"Hey, are you okay?" A voice called out to me. I jumped, but only in surprise. It was a familiar voice, but not familiar like my own. It sounded like my dad, and I heard large, calm footsteps walk toward me from our front door.

"Yeah," I said, although it was little more than a whisper. I buckled over, fell to my hands and knees, and felt the cramps and burning in my lungs catch up to me as the adrenaline faded away. I felt like vomiting, for the third time that night, but this time it was easier to fight the urge than before. I got some deep breaths in as I panted on the ground, slowly but surely recovering from my insane dash moments before.

My dad walked up in front of me, wearing the same well-worn brown leather shoes he'd owned since before I left. I didn't want to worry him about this night, and what I thought I saw in the park. Not when my recovery was going so well. Not when a lapse like this would mean months of work just to get back to where I was only an hour ago. "I'm okay dad, I just went for a walk. Then I saw how late it was and tried to get back as fast as I could. I guess I'm not the athlete I used to be, eh?" I tried to lift my head up to give him a weak smile, but still couldn't raise it much higher than his waist

He chuckled softly, and sounded a little strange. Still sleepy maybe, I guess I woke him up coming back here, and maybe I was screaming too. I don't know any more, I don't know what was real any more. But he knelt down in front of me after I dropped my head again, still exhausted, and said, "That's okay sport, I think we both know your real talents weren't on the field. I learned that lesson very well over the past six years."

[kassandra-lorelei]

Can you write a NCC fic where they drive one of Max's cars and stay a few places along the way when they all move to CA and they realize there are actually a lot of things /stories/habits they don't know about each other yet and some are surprising or endearing while others are irksome /annoying? I just think it would be a cute newlywed bonding story. 😊

Here we are, my friend! I hope this is alright - I took the idea a little bit and ran with it @missbabcocks1) and I should have them ready soon. Enjoy!

@holomoriarty

It hadn’t been C.C.’s first choice for a honeymoon. Nileshad suggested staying somewhere away from the house (and the Sheffields andtheir new little ones) for a while, but when it had become clear that he wasn’tthinking they should jet off to Hawaii or somewhere exotic like that, shehadn’t been convinced it would be that much fun. The Babcock family rarely tookactual vacations in the state where they lived (trips upstate hardly counted inher mother’s eyes), but Niles had insisted that she might enjoy herself if shejust gave it a try. So, she’d agreed to go along with it, and when Maxwell hadeventually (reluctantly) agreed to let them take his rarely-used Range Rover,the whole plan had ended up evolving into a small road trip.

As it so happened, it hadn’t been a bad trip so far – itmight’ve only been the first day, but they’d had a fun time out in Los Angelesto start things off, and then drive along the coast had been gorgeous. The FourSeasons in Santa Barbara had been a wonderful choice of overnight stay, as well.Not that she was going to tell her newly lawfully wedded husband that – it’dall been his idea, and she was still trying to pretend that she’d seen betterplaces.

Though the smug look he was giving her across theirdinner table suggested he’d already figured out she was having more fun than she’dimagined she would.

“Is there something my dearest darling wife wishes to sharewith me?” he asked, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin in hispalm. “A word or two informing me of her enjoyment, perhaps?”

“No,” she replied, just as playful but also just asdetermined to win. “Though I would quite like to tell my most wonderful husbandto get his elbow off the table, because those of us brought up in politesociety were clearly taught manners that certain servants weren’t.”

She punctuated that last part with a sip of her water (herbody had been an alcohol-free zone since finding out they were going to have alittle one), and Niles matched her countenance as he lifted his arm away fromthe table.

“Forgive me, my love; I was so caught up in your presencethat I just couldn’t help but get closer,” he rested his hand over his heartand gave a romantic sigh practically dripping with sap.

Letting a small chuckle loose but also rolling her eyes,C.C. held her hand out across the table for him to take, “Alright, you’reforgiven. This time.”

Niles grinned, and tickled the palm of her hand with hisfingertips before taking her hand fully and lacing their fingers together, “I’llmake up for my behaviour later, I promise.”

“You’d better,” C.C. squeezed his hand, and then stroked hisindex finger with her own. “If this is our honeymoon, I want every overnightstop to be worth it, Hazel.”

He looked back at her in a way which said exactly how worthit each new hotel room was going to be. He then used the hand not holdinghers to pick up his own glass. In an act of solidarity, he’d also chosen tostick with water.

“Is this really the first trip you’ve ever done like this?”he asked, taking a sip.

C.C. blinked at him, “Yeah, why?”

Her husband shrugged a little in return, “It just seemssurprising to me – there’s so much to see in every state, I can’t imagine whyyour family never took you on a tour of your own when you were growing up.”

Frowning, theatre-turned-television producer let her eyeswander to the table. She knew exactly why she’d never had a trip like the onethey were currently on – it was, to some extent, the reason she hadn’t thoughtmuch of taking a vacation closer to home in the first place.

“Well, my parents were always trying to one-up each other. Andmy father always had the company to run, so expensive vacations were mymother’s way of scoring extra points,” she explained. “A trip to Buffalo to seeNiagara Falls will never compare to a trip to Paris, in her worldview.”

She glanced up when she felt Niles squeeze her handcomfortingly.

“I suppose I’d never thought of that,” he said. “I should’verealised that the Grand High Witch might want to take her daughter to visitforeign covens.”

C.C. bit down on the inside of her cheek to stop herselffrom laughing, but she couldn’t prevent the smile she knew was spreading acrossher face. If there was one thing she loved more than bantering with Niles, itwas watching him take down her mother and her snobbish attitude.

“It’s alright,” she said, finally trusting herself torelease her cheek. “What about your family? Where did you take vacations?”

Suddenly Niles looked slightly uncomfortable.

“We didn’t…actually really have any of our own,” he answered,eyes cast down to his lap like he was ashamed. “When we went on holiday, wewere going because the Sheffield family were going. It was hardly time off for myparents, and the older I got, the more I was roped in as well. On the rareoccasions we did get time for family trips, it would only be to somewhere local– a museum or a castle, or perhaps the beach if it was good weather and we leftin plenty of time.”

That struck C.C. more than realising why she’d never takenvacations closer to home. Of course Niles hadn’t had the opportunity to go anywherefar away that the Sheffields hadn’t, when he was growing up. His parentsprobably had to work most of the time, or if one didn’t the other might have hadto, and getting more than a little time off was probably nigh-on impossible!

At one time in her life, she wouldn’t have even cared.Servants were…well, her mother would’ve said “beneath her family”. But C.C. hadlong since come to realise that that wasn’t true, and now the whole road tripidea made a little more sense.

It was closer to what Niles was used to, in terms of familyvacations. And it was something he clearly wanted to share with her.

She had enjoyed their first day a lot – she could certainly tryto enjoy the others as well, and see where that took them.

“Oh…well, now I guess I understand why you wanted to make atrip like this,” she said.

The comforting tone made her husband look up, and he manageda small smile.

“A little family tradition,” he said. “Though even this isexpanded.”

“True,” C.C. replied. She could’ve said something sweetthen, but the opportunity for a zinger was just too good. “Seems like thetrip’s changed to match your waistline.”

Niles’ small smile became a feigned unimpressed look rightthen. He looked like he was about to say something back, but their food arrivedbefore he could, and conversation swiftly turned to what they were about toeat.

They had to let go of each other’s hands to do so, but theydidn’t mind; this was only their first night away.

They still had plenty of time for that and more.

………………………………………

Their next hotel stay in the next designated location waslonger. Staying a few days in San Francisco made more sense than making it anovernight stop. There was too much to do there to practically drive straightthrough it without seeing as much as possible.

And Niles had been more than enthusiastic about getting acouple of photos of C.C. with the Redwoods at one of the state parks on thedrive there. His face was all beaming smiles as he checked his camera aftershe’d posed for one by him.

“You’re a perfect Kim Novak, my sweet,” he crooned, comingover to hold her hands. “Every bit as glamorous and mysterious. And any regularJames Stewart couldn’t help but find you completely alluring.”

C.C. smiled a little awkwardly in return. She was sure whathe was saying would’ve been a wonderful compliment, if she’d had any idea whatthe hell he was talking about.

Her husband must’ve realised just that, too, because hetried again, “Kim Novak and James Stewart? From Alfred Hitchcock’s criticallyacclaimed film Vertigo?”

Oh…well, that made more sense in a way. There was still a tinylittle problem, however.

“I…haven’t actually seen Vertigo,” she admitted.

Niles looked at her like another head had just sprung out ofthe joint between her neck and her shoulder, “You haven’t seen one of thegreatest movies of the last century?!”

She shrugged, and released his hands to start walking backdown the path, “I haven’t seen a lot of Hitchcock movies – I’ve just never hadthe time to sit down and watch, it’s no big deal.”

C.C. heard her husband hurrying to catch up, his shoespounding against the soft forest floor. She smiled to herself – the sunlightcoming through the trees made the place look beautiful, and she could imaginetaking their little one (and probably more little ones) in the future…

“No, I know – I’m just really surprised that you haven’t!” Nilesat last fell in line beside her, bringing her thoughts back to theirconversation. “I mean, which ones have you seen? The whole way through, as well.”

The producer thought about it aloud, “Uh…Rebecca, and TheLady Vanishes?”

That only seemed to shock Niles more, and he dramaticallyput his hand over his heart, to which C.C. rolled her eyes.

“My God, Babs, you have a lot of catching up to do!” hedeclared, putting his arm around her back. “When we get home, we’re going tohave a movie marathon, and you’re going to get an education in some ofHitchcock’s finer works. Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest…”

He slowed them to a halt, wrapping his arms completelyaround her and murmuring softly into her ear.

“If you can handle all of those, we can get stuck into TheBirds and Psycho.”

Again, C.C. could only roll her eyes, but she added a shakeof the head to accompany it, “How incredibly romantic…!”

“I’ll have you know, at least three of those films featureprominent romances. And the suspense is so palpable, sometimes you just have tograb hold of the person next to you,” Niles squeezed her gently, and wiggledhis eyebrows. “I’ll even give you my best Cary Grant impression.”

His reaction had sort of annoyed C.C. at first, but she had to soften up at his enthusiasm. It actually made her laugh softly - he wasn’t being a snob about it, he must have just truly been surprised that she hadn’t seen all the movies he’d seen! Granted, she didn’thave to see them if she didn’t want to, but it was like agreeing to the wholetrip in the first place – Niles clearly wanted to share them with her.

And she was more than curious as to what his Cary Grantimpression looked like!

She rested her forehead against his.

“Hm. Sounds like I don’t have much of a choice,” she saidquietly.

Her husband rubbed their noses together, “You’ll get achoice – if it turns out you don’t like one of them, then we won’t watch anymore of them.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m allowed that in the least!” the producerjoked in return, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Alright, I’ll go alongwith your movie plan, as long as I get to pick what we do tomorrow.”

“Keane Gallery and lunch down by the Bay?” Niles suggested.

She pulled away a little to look at him curiously, “How didyou know that’s what I wanna do?”

The butler gave her a knowing (and loving) smile in return.

“Let’s just say that I might not have known that you’ve neverseen Vertigo,” he said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “But there aresome things I certainly do know about you.”

Well, that was certainly true. They both knew each otherbetter than anyone else, inside and out, and that was exactly how they likedit.

Smiling, C.C. closed the gap between them so that their lipswould meet in a kiss, and neither one of them pulled away until they neededair. They then held each other there for a few minutes, just enjoying thesilence, before deciding to head back to the car.

When that finally happened, the producer had a questionprepared, “So, you can do impressions as well?”

Niles tilted his head from side to side, “A few. I only tendto bring them out at family Christmases, after one too many glasses of mulledwine…”

That made C.C. grin mischievously, and she pulled him alonga little more eagerly as they made their way back through the park to the entrance.She already knew that their next hotel room had a minibar, and even though shecouldn’t have anything to drink, the same rule didn’t have to apply to Niles.

There was no way on God’s Earth that she was gonna waituntil Christmas to see him do an impression!

……………………………

The last night of the trip came around far too soon. Thathad to be the reason C.C. was unable to fall asleep, no matter how much shetried. Her own body was working against her, trying to make the time last alittle longer because they were making the journey back to Beverly Hills from Sacramento in the morning.

The time she and Niles had been away had been one of – if notthe best – vacation of her life. They’d been sightseeing all over the place (completewith embarrassing touristy photos and videos), gone shopping for souvenirs (theidea of gifting her mother a Keane waif just to see her reaction had been sotempting, but they’d held off), and just…well, they’d had an amazing time ingeneral! They’d learned new things about each other, both good and bad, and it had brought them closer together as a couple.

She couldn’t believe the time had gone so quickly!

She was so busy thinking about it and staring up at theceiling that when Niles spoke, it startled her.

“You’re still awake, aren’t you?” he asked, voice stillthick with sleep. He waited for her grunt of confirmation before rolling ontohis side and reaching out to place one of his hands on her stomach. “What’s thematter?”

C.C. took her hand in his, and they cradled her belly together.She had a long way to go before she was huge, but even the feeling of Niles’ palmagainst the bump that was just starting to appear was comforting.

“Nothing,” she told him with a sigh. “I was just…thinking, Iguess.”

“What about?”

Even in the darkness of the room, her eyes went straight towardswhere she knew her husband’s face would be, “No zinger about how, for me,thinking’s a dangerous occupation?”

Niles feigned a noise of disappointment.

“Drat, I must still be half asleep – it didn’t occur to me,”he said jokingly, rubbing her stomach gently. “But, seeing as by saying it yourselfyou’ve done the job for me, you might as well tell me what you’ve been thinkingabout that’s kept you up.”

As much fun as it had been to keep him guessing at dinner onthe first night, C.C. didn’t quite feel in the mood that was needed to keep itup.

“I just…can’t believe we’re going back home tomorrow,” sheexplained.

Niles was soft with her in return, “You had a lot of fun onthis trip, didn’t you?”

He’d hit the nail right on the head, of course.

“I did,” she turned her eyes back towards the ceiling,wiping her eyes. They were starting to feel a little tired and itchy. “Evenwhen we went to Alcatraz and you told the tour guide to lock me in the cell on theend of the row, because it was the one I “did time in”.”

Even without seeing his face, Niles sounded like he wassmiling, “Well, Babs, you know what this means, don’t you?”

“That I’m still gonna have to get you back somehow,” shegrumbled, laying her entire free forearm over her eyes.

She only removed it when she felt her husband snuggle upcompletely against her, arms around her entire torso as he murmured into her ear.

“Hm, I was thinking something more along the lines of comingback, and doing it all again.”

C.C. lifted her arm off her eyes, and looked in his directionagain. She hadn’t said a word about how much she was enjoying herself, but shesupposed it had to have been obvious. At least, it would’ve been to Niles.

She began to think aloud, “I really did end up enjoying itall…I was even thinking about all the places we could bring kids, in the future…”

She knew that would delight him, even if she couldn’t quitesee his face in the dark. He caressed her sides, and only moved enough to letC.C. turn over in his direction once she’d decided to.

“As I said before, a family tradition,” he said. “Even if itis more than a little bit expanded.”

C.C. smiled, and rested her head against his shoulder withher arm across his middle, “We’re clearly planning on making this thing ourown, Butler Boy.”

“Maybe so,” Niles replied, managing to plant a kiss on herforehead. “And if you’re still upset about this time ending, we could alwaystake a few more days out?”

“Hm?” the producer blinked up towards his face.

“We didn’t get to go south of Los Angeles, down to SanDiego,” her husband explained. “That would add at least another day or two…”

The thought was tempting, but she knew they’d planned their trippractically to the hour – tomorrow had to be the day that they headed home.

“No, we can’t. We told Maxwell when we’d be back, remember?”she reminded him, rubbing his forearm.

“Oh,” that made Niles disappointed. But he didn’t stay thatway for long. “Well, I suppose it saves us something to do for next time, doesn’tit?”

C.C. smiled, “That it does, Dust Buster.”

Niles rubbed her back, and kissed her forehead again, “Loveyou.”

“Love you too,” the producer closed her eyes, feeling morerelaxed after their talk. “Now, get some sleep – we’ve got another long drivetomorrow.”

“As you wish, dear,” Niles chuckled. “Goodnight.”

“‘Night,” she replied, happy at last to be able to sleep.

It didn’t take long for her to go off either, dreaming aboutthe next road trip vacation that their little family would be taking.