#I had a dream that my watch updated and I couldn’t figure out how to start run mode

[roylustang]

The race specific stress dreams have started

[lol-im-done]

First Lady of Panem

Pairing: Young!Coriolanus Snow x Fem!Reader

Series Summary: When your family arrived to the Capitol from District Ten to secure their place as one of the most prominent and wealthy families of Panem you could have never dreamed fate would lead you into the arms of Coriolanus Snow. Falling in love was easy, watching him become President and becoming First Lady of Panem at his side would test your limits. Panem's history would forever be changed by this union.

AO3 Link

Author's Note: TW & Tags will be updated as each chapter comes out, first chapter is just to set up the story & characters. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Sky Blue Eyes

Those bluebonnets how sweetly they grow

For all the wide prairies they're scattered like snow

They make all the meadows as blue as the skies

Reminding me of my darlings blue eyes

The cow-filled prairies shifted to mountains signaling the train's entrance into District Two as you hummed to the tune of an old song from before Panem’s creation. The sprawling grass sea of District Ten, of your home, disappeared in the distance as you made your way to the heart of Panem. 

“Darling, are you listening to me?”

Lifting your head from the rattling window you turned to see your mother looking at you with soft concern. 

“Sorry Mama, what were you asking?”

Her hand smoothed over your younger sister Mellona’s curls, making her nuzzle deeper into her side. “I was asking if you were hungry so I could order lunch.”

“That would be nice Mama. Thank you.” 

“Alright, call for Agnes if you need anything she’s in the next car,” your mother stands, lays a snoozing Mellona down, before making her way to the dining car. 

“Homesick already?” Victoriosa, the eldest, asks from the chaise never taking her eyes off the magazine in her hands. 

“Is it that obvious?” 

“We always knew we’d have to move to the Capitol.”

“Why now? I thought at least another year or two,” you asked, sinking into the plush leather seat. Victoriosa pauses, looks up at you and for an instant you can see your father’s intense expression staring back at you. 

“Papa wants to finally establish himself as a prominent figure in the Capitol. He needs Capitol support if he is to fully absorb the rest of the ranches, you know that,” she states. “This is also our opportunity to reach our full potential, choose our own paths. Once you finish your career you can always return to Ten if you wish but that would be a waste,” she returns to flipping through her magazine.

“Silva, what do you think?” you turn to your only brother who is seated next to you. 

He gives a short shrug. “I don’t mind it much as long as I can continue my research,” Silva sighs from behind his thick textbook. 

Victoriosa tilts her lithe neck backwards, “Yawnnnnn.” A snort leaves your lips and you’re grateful your mother isn’t nearby to reprimand you for your ‘unladylike�� behavior. 

“Biodiversity is the pinnacle of our success as cattle breeders!” Silva scowls. 

“I thought you’d be missing a certain milkmaid Carpathia,” Victoriosa smirks and a wild blush spreads under Silva’s glasses.  

“Oh like you’ll be missing your ranch hand Bronco,” Silva snaps back.

“There’s always summertime. Plenty of time to catch up,” Victoriosa grins like the cat who got the cream. The three of you burst into a fit of giggles right as Mellona groggily rouses from her nap. 

“Are we there yet?” 

Another burst of laughter fills the private train car. 

It would only take a few more hours before you arrived at the Capitol train station, nightfall falling over the city. Unlike District Ten, not all the stars were visible, the Capitol’s bright lights polluting the sky. Peacekeepers were already stationed to help move all the luggage into the waiting line of cars. Driving through the streets towards your new home, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at the statues in the squares and the towering buildings. Most of all you were excited to finally see your father, it had been almost a month since you had seen him last. 

“Papa!” 

All of you crashed into Alicio Lupus’ awaiting arms, his rumbling chuckle bouncing off the high marble ceilings of the penthouse. Refugio joins in on the hug with teary eyes, reaching up to press a kiss on her beloved husband’s cheek.

“Welcome home my darlings,” he squeezes you all tighter. Any fear you held disappeared in an instant, as long as you had your family by your side, all would be well. 

The first few weeks in the Capitol had been a whirlwind- meeting other Capitol families for dinner, registration for coveted internships and school courses, and endless shopping trips to assure your home and wardrobes were up to Capitol standards. Refugio Lupus wanted only the best for her children, which included constantly coaching you all to leave behind the District Ten accent that made certain words in your vocabulary drawl. 

After dinner one day you thought you had finally caught a moment of peace before a knock at your door startled you from your book. Agnes, your family's nanny, rolled in a rack of dresses with Victoriosa in tow. Victoriosa was already dressed in a sleek blood red dress with a mink shawl wrapped around her shoulders. 

“What’s all this?”

“We’ve been invited to a soirée to commemorate the end of the 13th Hunger Games. Papa thinks it’s a good chance to introduce us to others in the Capitol’s high society,” Victoriosa swept her arm towards the rack of glittering and ruffled dresses. Nerves made your stomach churn, mouth turning downwards into a frown as you remembered people’s faces this past week when it was revealed you had recently arrived from District Ten. Most look startled before looking at you like you were some exotic bird at the zoo. 

“They’ll never accept us.”

A prideful look crossed her face, so similar to your father’s. No wonder your mother said they were cut from the same stone. “They will once we show them we are as refined as they are. As long as you lose that accent of yours you’ll blend in like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” she grinned, canines glinting in the light of the chandelier. Rolling your eyes you step over to the rack, feeling the fabrics under your fingers. Stopping at a silver dress, the sequins twinkled like stars entrancing you. Agnes helped dress you before getting to work on sweeping your hair up into a fashionable updo. You waved away the highly pigmented makeup, not ready to delve into that side of Capitol fashion quite yet. 

“Remember you’re a Lupus. We’re wolves among sheep,” Victoriosa pinches your cheek. The usual calluses that adorned her hands were gone, chemical treatments making them a long forgotten memory. 

Wolves among sheep. 

Victoriosa’s words replay through your head like a mantra as you step into the grand ballroom behind her and your father. Thankfully your sister was a gifted extrovert, introducing you to the friends she had already made. Soon you found yourself surrounded by members of the new Gamemaker class, a glass of posca in your hand. It took some time but slowly your shoulders loosened and your smile widened, confidence making you stand a bit taller. 

Across the ballroom, Coriolanus Snow was repeating his own mantra to himself- Snow always lands on top. A reminder that showing up for another Capitol soirée wasn’t simply a waste of time but another way to show all these sycophants how high he had made it. Now heir to the Plinth fortune he was dressed impeccably. Tigris had helped style him, no more handmade shirts, and the final touch- Grandma’am’s rose pinned to his lapel. Like at most parties he was surrounded by his former classmates who were all desperate to remain in his inner circle- he was an esteemed Gamemaker after all. A glimmer in the distance caught his eye, distracting him from the meaningless chatter before him. He recognized the group as intern Gamemakers but not the young woman, fresh faced and glowing in the candlelight. 

“Who is that?” Coriolanus feigned nonchalance as he tilted his head towards her. 

Festus Creed followed his gaze, “Don’t you know?” 

“How could he know? The Lupus Family only recently decided to establish here in the Capitol,” Pup Harrington said in between bites of hors d'oeuvres. The name rang a bell, stories and information from his various connections coming to mind. 

“I believe that’s (Y/N) Lupus. I saw her the other day with her father, Alicio Lupus, at my mother’s bank” Livia Cardew said, inching closer to Coriolanus. “They practically own all the ranches in District Ten, Alicio Lupus’ brother is the Mayor of the District,” Livia whispered, lips coming close to his ear. Festus and Pup exchange an eye roll at her shamelessness and Coriolanus resisted the urge to shrug her off. Offending a Cardew would never bode well.  

“She’s district, probably going back and forth from Ten to the Capitol like one of her family’s pigs,” Livia giggled, but it sounded like grating metal in Coriolanus’ ears. 

“Don’t forget cows! Oh Panem, I dream about those steaks-,” Pup practically salivated. 

“Imagine living all your life in that District, like poor Sejanus,” Festus tutted. Coriolanus immediately bristled at the mention of Sejanus, his icy blue eyes darkening like an impending storm. Festus must have realized his mistake because his eyes widened, apology on the tip of his tongue before Coriolanus cut him off. 

“I should go make her acquaintance then,” he announces, ignoring Livia’s scowl. It was an opportune moment he thought as you now stood by the bar alone. Perhaps you would be desperate enough to try and get in his good graces, and offer to introduce him to your father. Coriolanus would be a fool not to recognize the Lupus family’s wealth and influence, they kept the Districts fed and the Capitol fat. Any potential relationship he could make was more support he could need when he would take a position in the Government. 

As you took another swig of posca, you thought you had managed to escape more social interactions for the night until a voice made you jump. 

“Hello, I’m Coriolanus Snow. Welcome to the Capitol.”

Turning around you looked up at the man’s captivating eyes, as blue as the sky back home. His pink lips curled slightly at the ends as if he was holding in a secret. Blonde hair pushed back in a neat fashion, accentuating his cheekbones. For a moment you were speechless. Remembering yourself, you gave him your name but you had a feeling he already knew it. 

“Pleasure to meet you Coriolanus Snow.”

His stomach swooped. Coriolanus swore he heard a familiar lilt in your voice, but it was not as strong as Lucy Gray’s and those in District Twelve. No, yours was smoother and made your pronunciation of his name sound like it was dipped in warm honey. 

“How are you finding the Capitol?”, he forces himself to ask, to ignore those dangerous thoughts. 

“It's something...definitely not like back home,” you look around at the extravagant decor. 

“Ah yes, District Ten. I’ve never made my way there but I’ve heard wonderful things,” the lie flows smoothly past his lips. “How grateful you must feel to finally be brought to us.” 

Coriolanus would never miss a chance at making anyone District born feel inferior, all the posca he had been drinking making him loose lipped tonight. Indignation made your hands tingle, but you took a deep breath and clenched the glass tighter in your hands to ground you. 

“I’m surprised you weren’t assigned there as a Peacekeeper. I suppose wherever the songbird called from you followed,” you replied, taking a demure sip from your glass, relishing in the way his jaw tensed. You knew who he was, his story with Lucy Gray Baird. Victoriosa had heard it all from a friend and had no qualms in passing the gossip down to you. If he was going to throw thinly veiled insults you’d have to show him you wouldn’t take them lying down. 

“There’s that famous Lupus bite I’ve heard about,” he grins, taking a step closer to you. The scent of roses fills your nose, the sudden proximity to him making a blush rise up your neck. His hand reached out, moving to push a piece of hair behind your ear but the moment was broken when Victoriosa called out for you, pointing to your father who was making his way out the doors. 

“If you’ll excuse me it’s time for me to get home. I’m sure our paths will cross again,” you murmured softly, dipping your head in farewell. Coriolanus stepped back with a slight bow, eyes never straying from your figure as you sauntered away. Oh yes, like two stars crossing in the night sky, you would meet again. Coriolanus would make sure of it. 

[xndrexcruz]

I beg pls make more Marc Bernal fanfics 🛐

Starting to Slowly See You

✮- pairing: marc bernal x barca staff fem!reader

✮- summary: as you navigate your position at fc barcelona, marc’s thoughtful gestures and quiet support slowly make you question if there’s more to your friendship than you realized. though his feelings remain unspoken, subtle hints leave you wondering if you’ve been missing something all along.

✮- warnings: slow burn and kinda oblivious reader

✮- author’s note: thank you sm for the request! i hope you like it, also sorry for not being active and not updating in a while i just started my college classes and i feel like they’re tryna kill us already. ALSOOO thank you sm for 200 followers love you guys

✮- chapter’s: {current!} next ⤏

Working at FC Barcelona is more than just a job-it was a dream come true. But the early mornings, late nights, and constant work could get exhausting. If there’s one thing that made things easier, it was Marc Bernal. He’s always around, in subtle ways that sometimes would make you wonder if all of it was just a coincidence.

You would often cross paths during his breaks from training with the rest of the team. He’d sometimes walk into your office, sweaty and tired, yet he always made time to say hi or talk to you even if it was for a few minutes. You often found him leaning against your desk, a charming smile on his face as he asks about how your day was or offering to help you on whatever you were working on at the time. You appreciated the company, even though you didn’t quite understand why he always seemed to go out of his way for you.

One day, after an exhausting session, Marc came in with a bottle of water and a berry parfait, setting them on your desk with a small grin. “I thought you might need a pick-me-up,” he said casually, though his eyes lingered on you for a moment longer than usual.

“Thank you, Marc,” you replied, flashing him a grateful smile before getting back to your work. You had never really noticed the way he watched you, a soft expression always on his face, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words.

As the days continue to pass, these small but sweet gestures started to become more frequent. He brings you coffee when you had long meetings, waits for you after work just to walk you to your car, or would show up with your favorite snack when he knows you’ve been stressed out. You always excused his behavior as him being a good friend-after all, that’s what friends did, right?

One evening, after most of the staff had left to go to their families, you stayed behind at your desk, trying to finish up on a report you had due the next morning. The office is quiet, the only noice was the faint hum of the air conditioning in the building. You’re so focused on your report you didn’t notice Marc slowly enter the until he was right next to you.

“You’re still here?” he asks, startling you. “You work way too hard, Y/n, you should get home.”

You look up at him and smile, trying to ignore the flutter in your chest at the sound of his voice. “I’m just trying to get this done before tomorrow morning, I’ll go home once i’m done. What about you? Shouldn’t you be at home resting?”

He shrugs, leaning against your desk like he would every time he came into your office. “I thought I’d check on you before I left. See if you needed me to get you anything.”

You couldn’t help but laugh lightly at his words. “You’re always constantly checking on me, Marc. You worry too much.”

“Maybe I do,” he says softly, his chestnut-brown eyes holding yours off a second too long. There’s something in his gaze, something that makes your heart skip a beat, but before you can try figuring it out, he straightens up and throws you a smile. “But someone has to look out for you.”

You shake your head at his words, amused by his protectiveness. “I’m okay, really. But thanks for being so thoughtful. It means a lot to me.”

“Anytime,” he replies, his smile softening. “I’ll come see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” you say, watching him as he walks out of your office. You can’t help but feel a wave of warmth spread through you, but you just brushed it off as just Marc being the sweet guy he always was.

As the weeks pass by, you start noticing other small things too. Like how he’d always linger just a bit longer when he says goodbye, or how his touches-whether it was a hand on your shoulder or a brief brush past your fingers-seem to carry more weight than it did before. He was always there, throughout your day, quietly always supporting you in ways that were both comforting yet confusing.

It wasn’t until one particular day, after a long and challenging day, that you had finally started to piece things together. You’re packing up to leave for the day when Marc appeared at your side, like usual.

“You did real,y great today,” he spoke, his voice filled with genuine admiration. “Everyone was impressed, especially with how you handled that crisis.”

You smile tiredly at him. “Thank you, I’m just glad it’s over now.”

“How about I take you out for dinner tonight to celebrate?” he asks, a hopeful look in his eyes.

You hesitated, a familiar flutter in your chest. “Dinner? I don’t know Marc…”

“We can keep it simple,” he suggests, his tone light. “Just a quick bite, it’s nothing fancy. I just… I thought it would be nice.”

There was something in the way he said it that made you pause. For the first time, you wonder if there was more to his constant attention towards you, his thoughtful gestures, than you finally realized it. Was there something he wasn’t saying? Something you had been to blind to see?

“Okay,” you agreed softly, watching as his face lit up with a smile. “Dinner with you would be nice.”

As you sat across from him in the cozy restaurant he has chosen, you find yourself focusing on him more closely than you ever have before. The way he seemed to always know exactly what you need, the way he would look at you like you’re the only person in the room, the way he never pressured you but was always present, waiting, hoping.

You couldn’t be,o but wonder if there was something deeper behind all of it-something he’s been trying to tell you without actually having to say it. But even as the thoughts consumed your mind, you pushed it aside. Marc is your colleague, your friend, someone you can always count on. It was probably nothing more than that… right?

As the night went on, Marc’s laughter and easy conversation made you forget all your worries, and by the time ge walks you towards your car, your smiling ear to ear. But just as you’re about to say goodnight, he does something that makes your heart skip a beat.

He reaches out and gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering a moment longer than necessary. “Goodnight, Y/n,” he spoke softly, his voice low yet husky filled with something you couldn’t quite place.

“Goodnight, Marc,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. As you drove home, his touch lingered against your skin, you couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Marc Bernal than meets the eye. But in the meantime, you decide to leave it as it is, happy to keep things as they are for now, even if your heard would beat faster whenever he was near.

[1whore1gang]

it's the little things 🤍

Hey yall!!

Sorry for the lack of updates/my disappearance. Life has been 50 shades of crazy. But, as promised here is part 10!

Now this is going to be posted in 4 parts unfortunately so i can get this out to you all. so this is part 10A!!

This is short, so be prepared.

I love all of you dearly and appreciate your patience.

Warnings: Cussing, the usual angst

if I missed any please lmk!! :)

Much love to you friends ❤️

Taglist: @gaymistakeboi @batw3nch @thedevillovesflowers @almightywdm @ghostslittlegf @sketchyfandomgirl @under-the-dirt @clear-your-mind-and-dream @darkangel4121 @vreselia @llemes @stargaliz @rockcollector3000 @nottrosaxx @azu21 @kaoyamamegami @vicktorfan @ghost-is-my-bbg @1234ilikecowsthanyoumore @salsasvault @itr-00

All 3 boys had been under my care for awhile. No contact from John, nor Laswell. I was exhausted and with little to no sleep, I was losing my mind.

“Please stop crying- I want to go back to sleep Gaz.” I was in the hallway, rocking Gaz as he cried and I couldn’t figure out why. “Please!” I begged.

I hear crying coming from inside the room. “FUCK!” I curse as I go back inside with two crying babies. Johnny was inside of the playpen bawling his eyes out now too.

“Please! Both of you! Keeping me up all damn night and I can’t figure out what’s wrong!! I just want some sleep!” Just then, Simon reached out for Johnny, hugging him as they both lay. Johnny’s cries subside and you breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you. If only you could fix Gaz’s cries.” Simon grunts and you set him down in the playpen next to Simon. Simon slowly hands him a toy plane and Gaz sniffles as he inspects it, the room finally quiet.

You begin to break out into tears at the silence. You couldn’t take this single parenting thing anymore. You needed Price’s help.

A hand reached to your phone, and quickly pulled up his number, but your thumb never found the strength to hit call. You quickly closed out of it and threw your phone across the room in fustration.

“Why can’t one of you turn back into an adult.” You turn to the playpen and see Johnny staring up at you now. “I could really use you right now. My little shield.” His little hands grab at the air towards you. “Oh how I miss you.”

You cradled him to you as you lay on your back, listening to his little mumbles.

“I don’t get it. What’s his deal?”

“Johnny it’s fine. Let him throw his fit.” I wave him off in my office after he stormed in.

“No! You don’t get it! I can’t continue to sit back and let him treat you like this! I cannot watch him tear you down like this! I’m losing you to his words Y/N!” I look up at Johnny as he leans over my desk.

“J.” His eyes soften as my nickname for him. “Don’t lose your job.” He scoffs at me. “We have a list of reasons he could kick us both. Let’s not add to it. Please.”

“He can’t use that against us. What were we supposed to do?!” I sigh as I set my paperwork aside, giving him my full attention. “Why would he be mad about that mission? We were being held hostage, and they wanted a show.”

“Johnny, he’d be upset because it was a stupid decision. We aren’t supposed to mix life and work.” I try to read his expression.

“So what if we kissed to save our lives?”

I remember that night, looking down a barrel of a gun. Johnny confessed his undying love for me and kissed me like he’d never get to again. That night always lived in the back of my mind. I never knew if it was true or just really good acting.

You look down to see little Johnny snoring away on your chest and you drink in the moment. “One day I’ll get to have you back.” Looking over to the playpen, you see Simon and Gaz asleep as well. You thank whatever God is out there for finally putting them down.

DING!

You hear your phone go off. Slowly moving Johnny, you get up to look.

J. Price: “Sorry I missed your call. Everything alright?”

J. Price: “Hey, call me back when you get a chance.”

J.Price: “Please let me know you’re okay. I’m worried now.”

Sighing, you curse yourself for throwing your phone. Your thumb must’ve slipped.

Y: “Accidental.”

You left it at that and set your phone down, finally being able to get some sleep.

“Please. You can’t just walk away from this! This isn’t something you can just shove down Y/N. You can’t shut me out this time!!” Johnny yelled after me as I walked down the halls of the compound. The tears were coming, I knew it. I couldn’t let him see it thought.

“Stop!!” I feel his hand grip my wrist. “If you don’t do something, I will.” His breathing was labored and his eyes were wide with fury, his nostrils flaring with each exhale.

“It’s out of my hands. I’m sorry Johnny. What am I supposed to do?” His face softened as he let out an exasperated breath. His shoulders fell and his grip left me. “I’m choosing to keep my job separate from everything else.”

“Fine. But just remember what Simon said, okay? Remember what we swore to you. Say the word and the man is dead.”

I sigh as I look up at him. Johnny recently had found out what happened to be on deployment. The man that hurt me. He’d been fuming ever since. “It’s fine. Go get some sleep, ok?”

Johnny was always the one to get heated about things. Simon was the calm and quiet one. Johnny would be loud and abrasive about a subject while Simon would hold you and quiet your tears.

You spent many nights in Simon’s room crying into his arms, letting your emotions roll off of you as he shushed you and hummed to you. He was soft and gentle, a side reserved for you.

You stared at your ceiling as your alarm went off. All three boys were already up preoccupying themselves. You were so numb after what happened in the hospital.

Seeing Price about to kiss Tia, after leaving you cold turkey on deployment. The betrayal broke you in new ways you weren’t sure you could repair.

Seeing little Johnny in the hospital bed, hearing Price and Tia try to explain themselves.

It burns in your brain, haunts you everytime you close your eyes. Your heart feels the pain all over again every morning when your eyes flutter open. How could you have been so foolish to trust him? After all he did?

Price had done nothing but treat you like shit your entire career and all it took was some babies coming along, who happened to be your colleagues, for him to change overnight?

As if that-

You sat up in bed. A million thoughts were swirling through your mind as Simon looked up at you and tilted his head.

No. It can’t be the reason.

Letting out a sigh and pushing the thought aside, you grabbed the boys and went to the kitchen to feed them. You hadn’t eaten much since the hospital, didn’t have the appetite.

The sunlight through the window felt warm on your skin as you mixed the bottles. Closing your eyes for a moment, you embraced the feeling. It felt euphoric to feel the sunshine brush against your skin.

A cry broke the moment of peace, a fuss from Gaz. You rolled your eyes and gave the boys their bottles. You sat the breakfast bar across from their high chairs and laid your head down in your arms, desperate for just 5 minutes.

“Y/N?” That didn’t last long though.

Slowly, your heavy head lifted to see Laswell standing in the doorway that led to the rest of the building. “Honey you look terrible, oh my God”.

Words didn’t grace your tongue today, instead, tears flooded your eyes as Johnny began to cry. Laswell rushed over to you, embracing you with file folders in her hands. “I’m so sorry I’ve left you to be alone for so long. I’ve been handling things on the outside end of this all. You must be exhausted. Oh…”

You didn’t want her pity, yet having another person around was such a relief. Emotions flooded you and broke open like a dam at her comfort. “You know what. You go rest and I’ll watch the boys for awhile. Then we’ll talk, okay?”

She quickly rushed over to hush Johnny and then shot you a mom glare. You nodded and got up, heading to your room to sleep like she’d ordered.

A couple hours later, you make your way back out the kitchen but stop around the corner when you hear Laswell talking on the phone.

“You don’t understand, she’s in horrible condition. She looks as if she hasn’t slept in days, which isn’t surprising considering she’s taking care of 3 littles by herself. She’s also recovering from major surgery.” A pause in her talking made you listen closer, trying to see if you could hear the person on the other end.

“All Im asking is you take at least one. Theyre your responsibility too. You know damn well it’s not fair. She’s been through hell and back and hasn’t had a moment of peace for over a month. If you don’t start getting your shit together, I’ll force you to.”

You couldn’t hear the person she was speaking to unfortunately, but you assumed it was Price.

You finally make the turn around the corner and watch as Laswell quickly hangs up the call at your appearance. “That wasn’t very long?” She remarks.

“Hard to sleep these days. It’s normal for me after a deployment.” You sit down across from her at the breakfast bar. “How were the boys?” Your eyes drift over to all three of them passed out in the small living area. You sigh in relief at the sight, they’d never sleep that peacefully for you lately.

“They were fine. No issues. We need to talk though. Your plate is all too full right now. We need to take some stress off of you dear.” She reaches and grabs your hands across the table. “I’ve spoken to John. He’s willing to take Gaz to lighten your load. It’s not much but it’ll help. Plus, now that I’ve gotten everything in order on the outside, I can be around more to watch Simon and Johnny for you whenever you want or need.”

“I don’t want anything to do with him.” You look down and take your hands away. “I’m fine without his help-“

“No you aren’t. You’re drowning. Look at yourself. I can tell you’re without sleep and a proper meal. Let me help you, please.” You sigh at her words.

“I wish I had my boys back. They’d know exactly what to do. They’d fix everything. I can’t go on like this, it’s lonely here Laswell.” Tears sting your eyes.

“I know honey. I’ve arranged a time for us to meet John just to exchange Gaz. Nothing more. You don’t have to talk to him or even get out of the car. Just come with so he can take one off of your hands.” She squeezes your hands as she takes them again. “Okay?”

You take a deep breath before nodding at her offer. “When do we leave?”

“In about an hour. Is that enough time to freshen up? I can change the boys and get them in their car seats for you.” She scans your expression looking for any way to read deeper into your mind.

“Yeah that’s fine. I’ll uh, go shower.” You get up and beeline to your room.

The shower washes your tears down the drain as the water burns your skin.

When you exit the shower and get dressed, staring at your reflection for a moment.

You didn’t recognize yourself and you hoped Price would not notice.

You didn’t want his pity.

That’s when a knock appeared at your door. Figuring it was Laswell, you quickly answered it but instead you were shocked.

“Hey girl. Can I come in?”

Tia….

[birdiewriteslit]

wildest dreams

luke hughes x abigail abernathy

masterlist

okay ik i haven’t updated this in a literal month so im finally feeding you my apologies for the wait

“Get up.” Jack said, grabbing the pillow from underneath Luke’s head and throwing it across the room.

Luke groaned, planting his face into the mattress. “What do you want?” he asked curtly, voice muffled by the sheets.

“It’s 1pm, we have practice in an hour, you’re a mess, I’m mad at you,” Jack listed, yanking the comforter off of his body.

Luke shivered and rolled over, shielding his eyes from the sun streaming in through the window. “What have you got to be mad about?”

“I haven’t heard from Abigail since she left, which, by the way, I know was your fault. Plus, you’ve been moody ever since she did, even though you’ve got no right to be.” Jack paused, taking a breath. “And I know what happened on New Year’s.”

Luke sat up on the bed, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. “Then you know I’ve got some right. She’s the one who doesn’t.”

Jack rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Fine, be an idiot. See if I care. Don’t take it out on Abigail when all she did was like you. You’re probably not used to girls liking you though.”

“She doesn’t like me, she’s fucking Rudy,” Luke mumbled.

“You really are an idiot. Seriously, get out of bed or I’m leaving without you.”

Jack left the room and Luke let his head fall into his hands. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table, staring at Abigail’s smiling face on his lockscreen, and feeling worse about the whole thing.

He listened to the voicemail, and he felt sick to his stomach. He knew he shouldn’t have yelled at her, but seeing her with Rudy set something off in his mind.

Granted, he had a jealousy problem since they were kids and Abigail would come to Toronto talking about all of her Boston friends, but things were a lot different now.

When Abigail got a job on Shameless, Luke couldn’t be prouder, and when it came out, she was so excited to watch it with him.

It was just her and him that night at the lake, the others having gone to bed. “I can’t watch this with my parents,” Abby had said, clinging to Luke’s arm in excitement.

He figured that meant she was topless in a scene. He’d seen Shameless before, and he couldn’t lie about being a little excited about her debut. He was 17, after all.

What he wasn’t expecting, however, was a full on sex scene between her and a costar, who still comments on her Instagram posts.

That was the moment he realized that things were changing in Abigail’s world. He thought about how other guys would be looking at her, thinking about her.

Then Outer Banks came around, and she started dating Rudy. He had to act like he liked the guy, but in reality he hated the way it made him feel seeing Abigail with another guy.

For a whole year he had to watch her with him. She even brought him to the lake once, and then after that trip, he broke up with her over Luke.

So, naturally, he didn’t like it when he saw Abigail was hanging around a guy like that again.

He replayed the voicemail. “Fuck,” he said out loud. “I fucked up.”

abyabynathy

tagged jamie.drysdale, philadelphiaflyers

Liked by jamie.drysdale, _quinnhughes and 1,967,346 others

abyabynathy baby’s first flyers game

View comments

trevorzegras the plot thickens

jamie.drysdale omg that’s me

abyabynathy @/jamie.drysdale sniped

cam.york we have fun

abyabynathy @/cam.york so much fun

philadelphiaflyers Have we converted you to a flyers fan??

abyabynathy @/philadelphiaflyers you gotta win first

jackhughes @/abyabynathy SHOTS FIRED

nhlbruins @/philadelphiaflyers Back off.

_quinnhughes why are you everywhere besides vancouver

abyabynathy @/_quinnhughes some day i might make it there

jackhughes this is interesting

trevorzegras @/jackhughes VERY interesting

abyabynathy @/trevorzegras stop conspiring

user1 what is going on

January 8, 2024

messages 10:36 pm

jack: if you’re trying to make luke mad it’s working

jack: but i can tell he feels guilty for whatever he did

jack: it’s actually a weird combination and i don’t like it

jack: pls fix it

abigail: i tried to fix it but he’s an ass idk what to tell you

abigail: i’m not trying to make him mad but it’s not my fault he freaks out when i breath near anyone else

jack: why the fart are you in philly then

abigail: bc i wanted to see my friend jamie

jack: and you had to do this in the midst of this drama

jack: you and luke need to figure this shit out cuz i’m tired of you hurting each other

jack: shit pisses me off

abigail: okay i admit i knew it would make him mad but he fucking screamed at me and hasn’t spoken to me since his tantrum

jack: he will he just needs time to cool down

read 10:43 pm

—

taglist: @alwaysclassyeagle

[bajablasterrr]

Who You Gonna Call?

Chapter 1: Something Strange DC x DP Fic based off this post

Warnings: Major Character Death, Strong Language, Depictions of Violence

Rating: Mature

Author’s Note: For those who have been waiting for forever I apologize for how long it took me to crank out this one chapter this is my first time writing a Fic so any constructive criticism helps, also thank you soo much for the support ❤️. Update On Chapter 2 of “Who You Gonna Call?” It’s knots done jut need to finish a few final touches should be posted by Friday of Next Week

When you think about it, peace will never be the outcome. Not for him, not anymore.

Not while his Parents lay dead at his feet, not while his sister sobbed helplessly; never again will Danny Fenton ever know a peaceful life.

But he’s okay with that; he’s come to terms with how things stood and knew there wasn’t much left to figure out besides where he will go now.

He never thought he’d have to plan a life without his parents, never suspected that this family vacation would be the last.

Nor did he expect his sister to go from “Annoying Older Sibling.” To “My Only Living Family Member.” in less than a day.

This was inevitable with his line of work, but he never expected his life to be this crazy, at least not so soon.

For him, being half ghost used to feel like a gift, something he could use to help the people he cared about the most. Now it was a curse, a cancerous infection slowly seeping into everything he held close.

Because of his “gift.” everyone and everything he knew was gone, replaced by this empty confusing nothingness, all their hopes and dreams for him nothing more than lost memories.

His parents were gone, taken from him in some brutal twist of fate by some psychopathic clown they call “The Joker.” to be completely honest, Danny was feeling anger beyond rational thought every time he thought about him.

And the worst part about this was that everything everything that happened was all a ploy, some sort of elaborate trick to lure Batman to his hideout, and The Fenton’s were nothing more than pawns in The Joker’s scheme to kill him.

Not only did he kill his parents, but he did it with a smile as he made Danny watch, laughing at his suffering until he got what he wanted.

Danny was taken to the police station and asked to state what he experienced while begging held hostage by the Joker, but all he could do was stare blankly at the wall.

As he got interviewed by the police, news anchors, and other journalists, all he could think about was how he everyone down. His frustration was building up under the surface, and he felt sick.

“How could I let this happen.” he thought. 

His mind raced, his fingers felt numb, his chest heaved as if something was blocking his airway, and he felt like everything around him was closing in. The walls began to spin, and he could feel his throat closing up, tears welling in his eyes.

Jazz noticed his strange behaviour and tried her best to get him to calm him down, but the panic had already set in.

They were alone, he let this happen, and there was nothing he could do to fix this. Nothing at all

Dozens of forced statements later, Danny was drained.

Despite being the “Hero.” he was, he couldn’t help but feel so incredibly useless. They kept asking him the same questions repeatedly until the words melted into nothingness, his brain felt like swiss cheese, and he thought he would pass out at any second.

Jazz had to handle all of the legal proceedings, taking her parent’s estate, medical bills, funeral expenses, and everything else; She was overwhelmed, to say the least.

She had no idea what to do once they were done with the police, they had nowhere to go, and beyond that, they had nobody to help them.

Her head was swimming, and for a split second, she broke; Danny noticed his sister sobbing and went in to hug her.

“I’m sorry this happened, Jazz, really I am. I wish I could trade my life for theirs; I would,” he said, tears streaming down his face.

“Hey, I know this everything is so crazy, but don’t blame yourself for what happened. There’s nothing more you could’ve done, okay?” she replied, rubbing his head to soothe him.

“but I let everyone down. I’m the reason they’re dead; if I don’t do something to avenge them, then-” he said rapidly, beginning to panic again.

“Enough, no more vengeance, no more self-blame. You’re just a kid. Nobody should’ve put that responsibility on you-.” she tried to explain, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

“That doesn’t matter anymore, Jazz. I’m not a kid anymore; I think I need to go for a walk and clear my head,” he said, pushing her off his and heading towards the door.

Jazz called out for him, but he was gone before she could get a word out.

As he walked the streets of Gotham City, he felt angry; at the world and at himself; he even felt anger towards his parents for suggesting this stupid trip. He wanted nothing more than to change the way things are right now, be somewhere different, and do something right for once.

He didn’t know what to do with himself; he walked around aimlessly for what felt like hours, looking for something, anything to do. He needed someone save; he wanted something to fight, anything in the world that would take his mind off things for a second.

all of a sudden, a blue mist leaves his mouth

“Finally.” he thought to himself

He changed into his ghost form quickly, and he waited. The tension in the air is thick, and he slowly looks around, hoping to see whatever is watching him.

“Don’t you know this place isn’t safe after dark?”

Danny looked around, trying to see where the voice came from,

“If I were you, I’d just turn around and head back home.”

“And why should I listen to you, wise and powerful shadow man?” Danny replied sarcastically

suddenly, he saw something jump from the fire escape down to the ground in front of him. He didn’t expect him to make that fall, let alone get up that easily.

He stood there frozen as the figure approached him, wearing a red helmet, a leather jacket, black pants, and a shirt with a red bat.

“I’ve heard of you before; you’re Red Hood, right?” Danny asked nonchalantly, trying to cut the tension of the situation

“In the flesh, and you’re that ghost kid “Phantom.” right?” he replied as he stepped closer to Danny, cornering him into a wall.

“Uh, Yep, in the flesh.” He said with a nervous chuckle

Danny was terrified; after the last couple of days he’s had, he didn’t want to take any chances with any more of the heroes or villains in Gotham.

Red Hood had him backed to a wall, his hand on the right side of Danny’s face.

“What’s your deal anyways, ghost boy? You want to run around being a vigilante, too?” he said, leaning in. 

“I-I’ve been a vigilante since the 9th grade,” he stuttered. “And for the record, I don’t need your permission to do anything, so why would you expect me to ask for it?.”

“Because if you don’t, I get to kick your ass and have you arrested for breaking curfew.” He replied

Danny chucked, “finally.”, he thought, “a reason to punch someone in the face.”

“respectfully, I’d like to see you try,” he said, cockiness radiating from his voice.

“fine, it is your funeral.”

@blackrabbitt3t @nedwec @blackstar-gazer @baykitthings @real-danny-phantom @hungrymentor @the-lokes @dizzydreamerzzz @phantom-phrases @sheep567 @lenoryt13 @theauthorandtheartist

@phantomskeep @arc-777 @dreamingasters @betinaplayingwriter @zeldomnyo @jaguarthecat @the-gay-florist @reinluna @gabrielandjackthenephilim @icepopstar5105us @skulld3mort-1fan

@batbootie @that-random-fangirl@cyber-geist@dat1angel@undead-essence@distractedducky@oddessy@dreamingasters@jarlyd@

[blueskiesandwindchimes]

In the Darkness is the Light

I’m watching one of my favorite old Disney shows right now. It’s called So Weird. It had 3 seasons and was on Disney channel around the same time I was the main character Fi’s age. It still drives me nuts that Disney decided to completely change course for Season 3 and bomb the show to hell.

Season 2 ends with answers for Fi regarding her dad’s death in a very emotional way that also left us with new questions to be answered. Instead of continuing the story, Disney brings the storyline to a complete halt, by writing a new storyline that changes out the character of Fi with a new girl, Annie.

Annie is very different from Fi. Where Fi is seriously curious about the paranormal, Annie doesn’t go looking for things the same way. The subject of Fi’s dad never really comes up again and the mystery is never solved.

All these years later, as far as I know, there is no REAL information out there about what the originally planned storyline was supposed to be after season 2. I for one would love to know how the show was supposed to go…

I always identified with Fi because I was into ghost stories as well. I used to be the one in the family renting horror movies. There was definitely some concern, because I was basically a tween when I started getting into them, but no one ever really said anything to me about it. When So Weird came out it was like, awesome! There must be enough call for this that I’m not the only girl interested in this stuff.

I’ve had my share of experiences, mostly in the form of lucid dreams where I can’t move and am being attacked by an invisible force. When I say I couldn’t move, I could move, but it was really hard. The best thing I can compare it to is the hard to move feeling when riding the Gravitron at a carnival.

I watched a whole documentary a few years ago about the “hat man”. My experiences were similar except for like I said, the attacking entity being invisible. I know for me, I figured out that these dreams were being caused by me not going into a deep enough level of sleep before I started to dream and that this was being caused by me drinking caffeine too close to bedtime.

On the other hand though, I will say that the last time I had the dream, I was able to slowly force myself in the dream to a standing position in the bed, take a crucifix off the wall that was not there in real life, hold it out at arms length and scream at the invisible that I demanded in the name of Jesus Christ for it to leave. I woke up from that and never dreamed it again. That was roughly 15 years ago.

By the way, these dreams would happen about once every 2 months and went on for about a 2 year period. That entire time, I was in my early 20’s, and living with my grandma trying to figure out my life. The room that I slept in had a history of being haunted according to my uncles, but only that room and they never knew why. One uncle apparently used to be so scared in that room at night that he’d pee the bed rather than get up and go to the bathroom. That’s what I was told. My older female cousin who stayed in that room before me (she’d lived with my grandma through high school), said she always felt like something was watching her in that room as well.

So I guess what I’m saying is it’s certainly possible there was actually something there and that I was only truly vulnerable to it when something prevented me from going into a deep enough level of sleep. My grandparents are both gone now, and my mom bought out her siblings shared of the house, updated the whole thing because it looked like it was still in the 70s, and now is the one living there with my stepdad, my man-child brother, and his French wife who barely speaks English. 🤷‍♀️

[munsonsmixtapes]

Teach Me

Steve x bi!fem!reader

word count: 8,046

part one part two part three part five part six part seven part eight

Part Four: Lesson Three

“Can’t believe this is the second weekend in a row that you’re ditching me,” Eddie scoffed as he lay across your bed. He was on his stomach with his feet kicked up as he flipped through yet another one of your magazines, swinging his legs back and forth. You swore that he liked them more than you did. He loved the gossip and all the little quizzes. For the last twenty minutes, he had been trying to figure out who his dream date was going to be and was trying to decide between the final two.

“And I can’t believe you’re complaining when you claimed that you were a “proud daddy” because I was hanging out with people who weren’t you,” you retorted, throwing on a pair of shorts.

“I’m still a proud daddy, don’t get it twisted,” he stood up from the bed. “But now I feel like you’re replacing me for Harrington,” he jutted out his bottom lip. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately.”

“We work together, Eds,” you crossed your arms over your chest. “And I’d never replace you. You’re my best friend.”

“You know you’re allowed to have feelings for him, right? I’m not upset.” The more he thought about it, the more he could see you with Steve. And it didn’t upset him in the slightest. In fact, he couldn’t have been more happy.

“I don’t like him.” Eddie thought it was cute how in denial you were of your feelings. How it was so obvious that you liked Steve but you were the only one who couldn’t see it.

“Right,” he nodded. “You don’t have feelings for Steve in the way that I’m one hundred percent straight,” he winked. Your sexuality was one of the things that bonded you. You both had realized that you were bisexual at very young ages and had been the first people that you each came out to.

“But-”

“Don’t try to deny it, babe,” he nudged your shoulder. “Own it. He likes you too.”

“How can you be so sure?” Eddie gave you a look as if to say “really” with a hand on his hip.

“Because I can see hearts forming in his eyes every time he looks at you.” It was almost sickening, how much love Steve looked at you with. The way his brown eyes would soften and his lips would turn up into that stupid, dopey smile.

“No you can’t.” You almost wanted to believe that he was lying, but Eddie was a terrible liar and he most certainly would have never lied to you.

“Oh, please,” he scoffed. “That man is totally in love with you.” That was a hard concept for you to grasp. That anyone could love you. Especially in a romantic sense. You had always been a last choice to people so why would you have ever been anyone’s first?

“Whatever.” You turned back to your closet and went through the rack one more time before deciding on one of your old tank tops. You really needed to update your wardrobe.

“Now, let’s talk about something more important,” he reached for the magazine and held it out to you. “Do you think my dream man is Harrison Ford or Johnny Depp?”

“I can’t believe you’d even ask me that,” you rolled your eyes as you threw on the tank top. “We both know you like men old enough to be your father so you’re definitely going to choose Harrison Ford.”

“You know me so well,” he grabbed hold of your face and pressed a loud, smacking kiss to your cheek. You quickly wiped your cheek with the back of your hand with a grimace. “Damn,” he let out a whistle. “Looking to get some tonight?”

“No,” you glared. “Robin will be there too. Are you gonna be okay here tonight?” He was watching Callie for you yet again which you always appreciated. “I can stay.”

Eddie knew exactly what you were doing. You were trying to seem like you were concerned about him being able to take care of Callie, but you both knew that you were hush trying one last time to get out of your plans.

“Nope, you’re going,” he grabbed your purse and shoved it into your hands.

“But-”

“No. Callie is going to try a fishtail braid on me and you are not going to ruin that for me.” You thought that it was cute that he always let her play with his hair.

“Oh, so you have big plans,” you let out a laugh.

“That I do. Now get out of here.” He handed you your pager before giving your ass a slap.

“Alright, I’m going.” You headed for the door but he grabbed your wrist before you could. You could have sworn that he was going to give you a kiss goodbye, but he didn’t.

“Wait, hold on.” He grabbed hold of the front of your shirt, pulling the front of it down to show off some of your cleavage. “There.”

“Eddie, for the last time, I’m not getting some tonight.” You knew that he was up to something, but you were afraid to ask what.

“Sure, sure,” he winked and you made a beeline for the door, scared to know what he had been up to.

You pulled up to Steve’s once again and this time, you were grateful to have Robin there so you wouldn’t have wanted to get close to Steve. You would have wanted to snuggle close to him as the movie played; to stare at him instead of the screen, your eyes drifting to his lips, wanting to know what they tasted like.

You couldn’t let things progress with him, you just couldn’t. Denying your feelings was the way to go. Even if you had started something with him, he would just find someone new, leaving you in the dust. Everyone else did, so why was Steve an exception?

You rang the doorbell and the door opened in record time, Steve on the other side. He was dressed in a hoodie and a pair of basketball shorts, something that was definitely more casual than what he usually wore. You liked the look on him.

“Oh,” he said in surprise. “So you still decided to show up. Come on in.” You stepped inside, unsure of what he had meant. Clearly you were missing a vital piece of information.

“Yeah, we made plans, or did you forget?” You let out a laugh, but quickly stopped when you saw that he wasn’t laughing with you.

“Robin canceled and said that she was going to call you.” He closed the door before turning to face you. Now it all made sense; Eddie being weird about you “getting some” and pulling down the front of your shirt. He had been in cahoots with Robin to set you and Steve up.

“She didn’t.”

“Oh.” Steve was now finally in the loop, realizing what had happened. He couldn’t believe that he had fallen for his friend’s tricks once again. “Well, you’re already here. Do you still want to watch the movie? Or we can play a board game.”

“Or we could practice some more.” Steve liked the way you thought. He couldn’t sit next to you in that kind of setting and not think about how he wanted you cuddled up into his side. He couldn’t think about how pretty you looked and how much he wanted to run his hands along your body. How he wanted to press kisses to every inch of skin he could find. If he was teaching you how to behave on a date, then that would give him something to focus on other than your pretty, soft skin.

“That works too,” he shrugged. “I already have the whole lesson plan written out.” He wasn’t going to tell you that he wouldn’t have done that for anyone else. That you were special.

“Since when are you so thorough?” Literally never. But he would be for you. He would have been whatever you wanted.

“This is important to you and I want to make sure that I don’t leave anything out.” That was true, but he also wanted you to know how seriously he took it. He didn’t want you to think that he didn’t know what he was doing, and he definitely didn’t. At least, not when he was around you.

“That’s sweet.”

“I mean, I can’t have any potentially bad advice lead back to me.” You just laughed, giving his shoulder a shove.

“So, what’s on the agenda?” His mind went blank. Everything that he had written down in his notebook had completely vanished from his brain.

“This is the perfect opportunity to show you how to go on a date to the movies.” You didn’t like the sound of that. You hadn’t heard a single good thing about going to the movies on a first date.

“Isn’t that known to be a bad first date?” You crossed your arms over your chest.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “To amateurs.”

“And you’re not one?” You joked and he just rolled his eyes.

“Clearly not since you asked me to help you.” He had a point. You wouldn’t have asked him if he didn’t have so much experience. You wanted help from someone who actually knew what they were doing.

“Touché. So what are we watching?”

“Whatever you want.” He headed over to a cabinet that was by the biggest TV you had ever seen. You turned the cabinet and you could have sworn that it was filled with every single VHS tape ever made.

“I’m gonna grab us some snacks real quick.” Before you could answer, he fled to the kitchen. You turned to look around while he was busy with his task and your gravitate over to the sliding glass door that led out to his backyard. You got closer and realized that he had a pool. Of course he did. Rich people always had pools. The moon reflected off the water, making it look so inviting on that summer night. It looked so much cleaner than the public one in town. It looked prettier, bluer. And probably cost a fortune to keep up with. You were going to have to invite yourself over to use it sometime.

Steve came back in record speed with a tray filled with all sorts of different snacks and a couple of sodas. He set them on the coffee table and turned to your with a smile.

“Help yourself,” he gestured to the tray with his hands and you stepped forward to see what all the options were. In the center was a giant bowl of popcorn and there were smaller bowls of candies surrounding it. He took one of the sodas and cracked it open before taking a sip then headed over to his movie selection.

While Steve was going through the tapes, all you could think about was how fucking pissed you were at Eddie for his little schemes and you were definitely going to tell him as such as soon as possible. There was no way he was getting away with something like that.

You could get a date on your own. You didn’t need your best friend to help you and especially not behind your back. You supposed that in the grand scheme of things, what he had done wasn’t so bad, but it was more so that you had been caught off guard and that Steve had been dragged into it as well.

“I’ve got literally everything so take your pick.” Steve moved out of the way so you could see his collection. You stepped forward and couldn’t help but admire the way that everything was not only alphabetized but also categorized by genre.

It felt weird hanging out with someone who had things like that. You had grown up with practically nothing and so did Eddie. The two of you were eating TV dinners or food from cans and playing with old toys that were hand me downs from your parents and Wayne while kids like Steve were getting home cooked meals and the newest electronics. Being friends with Steve was like entering a whole new world that you had no idea how to be in.

You felt envious that he could have anything he wanted just by asking when you knew that just having your own bed was out of the question. You wondered what it would have been like to have your own room and where your next meal would be coming from while those were things that Steve never even had to worry about.

“Do you have any horror?” That had definitely been your favorite genre, but you were never able to watch it because Callie was always around and you definitely didn’t want her to subject her to that.

“Yeah, of course.” You squatted next to him, your hands accidentally brushing as you teetered towards him, losing your balance a bit. You liked the way his skin felt against yours and wondered if the rest of him was just as soft.

“This section isn’t as big as your others.” There had to be about ten movies on the entire shelf when the others had at at least thirty.

“Because Robin bought them all. It’s honestly my least favorite genre.” You let out a gasp, putting your hand up to your chest and he just glared at you.

“Aww, Stevie,” you rested your hand on his shoulder. There was that nickname again, but this time, he didn’t mind it. Actually, he was starting to prefer it to his actual name, but only because it was you who was saying it. “Do they scare you?”

You let out a laugh and he could have sworn he had died and gone to heaven because that would have been the only reason why he was hearing something so angelic. He didn’t care that it was at his expense, he was honestly willing to do whatever he could to hear it again.

“No,” he grumbled and you almost thought the blush creeping up on his cheeks was adorable. Almost.

“C’mon, you tell me,” you nudged him. “I won’t laugh,” you held up one of your pinkies. “Promise.”

He looked down at your finger then back up to your face, suspicion in his eyes. He didn’t know why you were offering him a pinky promise since they often meant nothing.

“Why would I believe you?” He raised an eyebrow. “Pinky promises never actually mean anything.” You only scoffed at him. You couldn’t believe that he actually thought that.

“Excuse me?” You glared. “Pinky promises are actually very serious and I would never break them.” You truly meant the words that were coming out of your mouth. You had made countless pinky promises with Callie and you’d have been damned if you had broken any of them.

“C’mon, Stevie,” you leaned closer to him so that your faces were almost centimeters apart. He was resisting the strong urge to close the small space between the two of you, slotting his lips between yours. “I won’t tell anyone,” you whispered and he thought for a second before holding his own pinky up.

Your fingers wrapped around each other and the two of you each gave your hands a shake before pulling away from each other completely.

“Fine,” he let out a sigh, letting his hand fall to his lap. “They’re a little scary.” He felt a little embarrassed about his confession and was hoping that you really wouldn’t laugh like you had promised. Robin and Eddie had already given him shit and he really didn’t need it from you too. He was just a baby at heart. He hoped that if he milked it enough, you’d pull him into your arms and let him cuddle into your side. That seemed like wishful thinking, though.

“See?” You asked. “Was it that hard?” You gave him a pointed look.

“No, but I think my ego is a little bruised.” He put his hand up to his chest and rubbed the spot as if he had been wounded. He was almost as dramatic as Eddie sometimes.

“Well, it is a bit too big so I think you can stand to be knocked down a few pegs.” His mouth fell open at your words and he realized that he kind of liked being insulted by you, feeling a little turned on by your jab. He noticed that a lot of girls felt like they needed to walk on eggshells around him as if they were afraid that they would have insulted him. It was as if he was some fragile thing that needed to be protected from any possible deflation.

“You’re mean,” he glared and you just let out a chuckle at his cute pout.

“And you’re a dingus. Oh!” Your face lit up as you reached for a movie from the shelf, turning it around so he could see the title. “This is a classic!” Steve had never even heard of the movie so he assumed it was Robin’s.

He had never seen you so excited about anything, but he supposed that it was due to a horror movie just made sense for you. He liked seeing that side of you. He liked seeing the bright smile on your face as your eyes lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning.

He was nervous, however, to see just how scary the movie was and hoped that there weren’t going to be any jump scares. He couldn’t embarrass himself even more in front of you. He knew that you wouldn’t judge him, but he couldn’t help but want to be the protector. And maybe it wasn’t very feminist of him to want that for himself, but he didn’t care. He wanted you to bury your face into his neck, holding onto him for dear life. He was really just looking for any excuse to get close to you.

He turned the TV on and reluctantly put the movie into the VCR, putting the cover out of his line of sight even though he knew the thing would haunt him in his dreams. He turned to the couch to see that you had already made yourself comfortable there. You had curled yourself up against the left arm; the spot where he usually sat. You just looked so pretty there that he supposed that he could let you have the spot just this once.

He slowly sat down on the cushion next to yours and made sure to keep some space between the two of you. He wanted to be sure that he wasn’t crossing any of your boundaries. You pushed yourself further into the arm even though you wanted nothing more than to tuck yourself into Steve’s side and rest your head on his chest

“Alright,” Steve let out a sigh once he was seated. “Let’s get started.” He fully turned to face you, resting his hands on his thighs, trying his best to wipe his sweaty palms without being obvious.

“Let’s,” you agreed with a nod.

“So, I’m going to go through this as if you’re the one calling the shots.”

“Got it.”

“So, really, going to see a movie is a great way to get close to the person you’re going with.”

“Really?” Your features scrunched in confusion.

“Well, physically,” he specified. “Is it okay if I scoot closer to you?” You appreciated that he asked even though that was the bare minimum.

“Yes.” Your heart rate picked up at the thought of you actually being that close to him and you hoped he couldn’t hear it in the silence between the two of you.

The two of you moved into the center of the cushions so you wouldn’t be pinned to the armrest and you realized that he was one of the only people you had sat that close to anyone outside of your family in a non-sexual context. It was nice. That there wasn’t any pressure to make any moves and be smooth.

Steve’s bare thigh touched yours and your found your mind yet again wandering to thinking about his legs being tangled with yours as he laid on top of you, pressing the most gentle kisses to your lips.

You knew you shouldn’t have been thinking about it, but you couldn’t help it. Sex had become such a big part of your social life that it had been hardwired into your brain. It was a switch that automatically turned on when you were alone with someone that you felt physically attracted to.

You turned to Steve and he was already looking at you, patiently waiting for you zone back into the conversation. He always got concerned when you got that into your head, knowing that you were overthinking something or adding something to your ever growing list of responsibilities.

“So, a great way to initiate touch, if you’re up for it, is to,” Steve paused when he realized that you hadn’t been paying attention. You had turned your head to the left, afraid to look him in the eye, which he thought was odd considering you were always so good at making eye contact.

He slowly lifted his hand and hooked his finger under your chin, taking it between his pointer finger and thumb. He turned you to face him and he didn’t miss the light pink tint covering your cheeks.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, hm?” He asked, softly. Your cheeks only turned more pink and he tried to hold back a laugh at how adorable you looked.

You avoided his gaze, your eyes settling for staring at his shoulder. You had never felt this embarrassed in your life and it was in front of Steve. You were now just like everyone else and you hated that. You weren’t immune to the feeling of being emotionally attracted to people anymore. You were developing a crush, and it was on Steve Harrington.

“Nothing, Steve,” you finally got the guts to look him in the eye. “I swear.”

“Okay,” he , letting go of your chin, letting his hand fall back to his lap.

“You’re not going to press me for an answer?” Perhaps you were so confused because your parents would never let you get away with keeping information from them when they asked you a question. Keeping quiet was usually met with marks that you had to cover up with makeup and long clothing.

“No,” he shook his head. “Because if you don’t want to tell me, then I’m not going to insist.” Your heart warmed at hearing those words. It meant a lot to you that he respected that you didn’t want to tell him.

“Oh.” Your lips parted, wanting to say something else, but you weren’t sure what. You felt weird thanking him for something like that.

“Do you want to continue?” He gave you a small smile and you returned it along with a nod.

“Yes, sorry,” you shook your head, moving your hair away from your face. Steve had never seen you so out of order. Was he-was he making your nervous? No, there was no way. You didn’t get nervous, especially not around him. He was usually the nervous one.

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

“Promise?” You asked and he responded by holding up his pinky. You hooked yours around his and you both gave your hands a little shake before pulling away.

“Okay, so, again, the best way to initiate touch is just holding your hand face up, like this,” he held his hand up just like he was saying then laid it on his thigh, slowly inching it towards you. “See? This way, you can offer your hand without saying a word and you put the ball in their court.”

“Does this actually work or are you just fucking with me?”

“I can confidently say that it has a one hundred percent success rate.”

“That’s because you’re you. If just anyone tried that, they would have to relocate to a different state out of embarrassment.”

“Will you stop critiquing and just take my hand?” He gave you a pointed look and you looked down at his hand that was waiting for yours. It looked nice and soft and you wondered how it would have felt in other places.

“I didn’t know I was supposed to hold it. I thought you were just showing me.” You gingerly slid your hand into his and he was quick to slot his fingers in between yours, giving yours a reassuring squeeze.

Your heart rate picked up as you both turned to the TV screen to watch the movie that you had completely neglected. You were so aware of how his hand felt pressed against yours and it was causing your to internally panic.

It didn’t mean anything. It didn’t mean anything. You repeated the words in your head as he gently stroked your hand with the pad of his thumb. At that, all of your thoughts left your brain and for once, the thing was empty.

“See?” He asked, turning to you. “Just like this.” He continued to stroke your hand, keeping his eyes on the screen. You watched the scene before you and tilted your head to the side, noticing that you didn’t recognize what was happening despite having seen the movie more times than you could count.

“Oh my god,” you turned to face him, giving him glare. “You switched the movie!” You pulled your hand away from his in feigned disgust.

“Wow,” he rolled his eyes in a dramatic nature. “I invite you into my house and this is how you treat me?” He put his hand up to his chest in offense, shaking his head at you.

“Admit it, Steve.”

“I’m not admitting anything, honey.” The sudden use of the nickname made you want to melt. It was so soft and sweet just like him.

“Then how about I remove the movie and we’ll see?” You stood up from the couch but he grabbed hold of your waist and pulled you back down. The feeling in the air suddenly shifted as you locked eyes. His shifted to your lips then back up to your eyes so quickly that you might have missed it if you hadn’t been paying so much attention to him

“You know, I’m doing a nice thing for you and I’m not even getting anything in return.” His hands slipped from your waist and he crossed his arms over his chest. He did have a point, but you weren’t sure what you could have offered him.

“Well, you never told me what you wanted.” You leaned closer to him and he mimicked your actions, hypnotized by the flirty look on your face.

“How about this? I teach you and you teach me.” You didn’t know what he was getting at and were afraid to ask.

“And what could I possibly teach you?” There was nothing. You really didn't know how to do anything except draw and you didn’t think teaching him that was a fair trade.

“You’re kidding right?” He let out a laugh as he raised an eyebrow. You were still unsure of what he was getting at and just wanted him to come right out and say it.

“Just tell me,” you gave him a nudge.

“Sex,” he gave you a nudge in return.

“What?” You scoffed. Nope. Absolutely not. You were not having sex with Steve Harrington. That was where you drew the line.

“That’s the area you’re an expert in and clearly I’m lacking.” You let out a laugh at thinking about Steve lacking in sexual experience. He definitely didn’t get the name “King Steve” from being a virgin.

“Steve,” you moved away from him, tension rising in the air. There was a hesitance in your voice and he immediately regretted asking. He had definitely crossed a boundary.

“I’m sorry,” he shook his head. “I’m so sorry. Just forget I said anything.”

“Let’s do it.”

“What?” His eyes widened at your suggestion. He hadn’t actually expected you to agree. The whole thing had been a joke, after all.

“You’re right,” you shrugged. “You deserve something in return, so I’ll teach you everything I know.” You knew the mess you were getting yourself into, but you were slowly realizing that you’d do anything for Steve.

“Y/n, I was just joking. You don’t have-”

“I know,” you cut him off. “But I want to.” You rested a hand on top of his. You gave him an assuring nod but he was still unsure. He began to chew on his lip as he weighed his options.

On the one hand, he could have really used some pointers from someone who really knew what they were doing, but on the other, he knew how easy it would have been to cross a line where fake could easily become real.

Without putting much thought into it, you reached up and pulled his lip from between his teeth with your thumb before resting a hand on his cheek. It was warm and soft and you had to resist the urge to press a kiss to it.

“I teach you, you teach me?” You asked and he just nodded in response.

“Use your words, baby.”

“Yes,” he responded with a nod.

“Good boy.” He didn’t like how hard his dick got hearing you say those words.

“Well, since I taught you something tonight, it’s only fair that you do the same.”

“What do you want to know?” You were curious as to what he was

“I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I’d say I know my way around a make out session, but it’s like-” he cut himself off, trying to find the right words.

“Like what, honey?” He could have sworn that he had melted hearing that nickname fall from your lips.

“It’s like I don’t know how to go all the way anymore.” He wasn’t going to tell you that you were the reason why. That he always envisioned your face anytime he would make out with a girl, automatically making him not want to continue. You were taking up every inch of his brain and he didn’t want you to stop.

“So you haven’t…”

“No,” he shook his head, hanging it low so you couldn’t see his face. “Not in a while.”

“How long is a while?” Steve knew you were just trying to get all the facts straight so you could really help him, but he still felt embarrassed. He also knew that you wouldn’t judge him, but he couldn’t help but compare his sex life to yours.

“Three months,” he let out a sigh. He hadn’t been sleeping with people too often, but even that was a dry spell for him. It was frustrating, especially since he was trying. Especially because the one woman who he actually wanted to sleep with couldn’t have been less interested.

You didn’t say anything in response. You just sat there, trying to figure how to approach the situation. You thought that maybe he had been exaggerating and that it had really only been like a week, but three months was a long time. Especially for Steve and how many dates he seemed to go on.

You felt bad for the guy. You felt bad that he had gotten so desperate for your help. If you were being honest, you had no fucking clue how to teach him without actually participating in the act. And you couldn’t. That would be a breach of your nonexistent contract.

“Do you want to start now?” He was caught off guard by your question. He thought he had more time, but he supposed that it was better to go for it then just panic for its anticipation for your next lesson.

“Can we?” He hadn't even thought that was an option right in that very moment. He was supposed to be helping you, not the other way around. But he had agreed, so he was going to have to go through with it no matter how much it scared him

“Whatever you want,” you shrugged. “You call the shots.” He didn’t like making the decisions. He just liked being told what to do.

“Okay, let’s do it. What’s first?” He was curious to see what you were going to suggest, if you would describe it or if you would actually touch him. God, did he want you to touch him.

“Well, before all of the sex stuff, we have to figure out what’s going on with your make outs and why they’re not working out.”

“How do we do that? Are we-are we going to make out?” He was trying to hold back his excitement but a small smile was evident on his face.

“Not if you don’t want to.” You swore you weren’t going to do anything but listen to his advice, but now here you were, about to make out with him and you were sure that you were going to like it. You couldn’t, though. Because then you’d want more and you couldn’t have it. It was just going to be a one-time thing.

“I want to.” So badly, he wanted to add, but he didn’t. He didn’t want you to know just how desperate he was to press his lips to yours. How much he was looking forward to sliding his tongue into your mouth.

“We’re doing this.” You scooted closer to him, hoping that he couldn’t hear your heart hammering in your chest. You had never been so nervous to makeout with someone and for once, you were afraid you were going to screw it up.

“Yep,” he let out a nervous chuckle.

“Can I get on top of you?” His eyes widened at your question and he wanted to tell you that you could do anything you wanted to him and he’d happily take it.

“Please,” he responded a little too eagerly and you took no time to straddle him and place yourself on his lap.

He couldn’t believe it. You were actually straddling him, about to make out with him. It wasn’t one of his fantasies he thought about when he was falling asleep.

You slowly rested your hands on his shoulders while his went to your lower back, right above your ass. You slowly inched your face towards his, giving him a chance to back out if he wanted to.

When he made no objection, you pressed your lips to his in a lingering peck. You pulled away for a second only to dive back in, capturing his bottom lip between your two. Steve was quick to return your kiss, your lips moving together slowly as you wrapped your arms around your neck to pull him closer to you.

Your hands ran through his hair and he didn’t even care that you were messing it up. If he was being honest, you were the only one who he’d let touch it.

Steve was honestly surprised he was able to react since his brain had short-circuited. Your lips were just as soft as he had hoped they would be and your hands were in his hair. He was just living the dream and hoping that he’d never wake up.

His hands pushed up the back of your shirt so he had access to your bare skin. Your tongue ran along his bottom lip and he opened up, letting you inside. Your tongue moved around his mouth in a messy manner, as if you were trying to taste every part of it. He tasted like the grape soda he had been drinking and for once, you didn’t hate the flavor.

His hands moved higher up your back, underneath your bra, but he made no move to remove it. Your shirt was moving higher up your waist and you were so close to just taking it off. You pulled away from him, the kiss getting too heated for your liking.

“I don’t see what the problem is, you’re doing great.” He knew that was only true because now he had the real thing.

“I think that’s because you’re a great teacher.”

“Haven’t taught you anything yet, Stevie.”

You pressed your lips to his cheek and moved your way down to the column of his neck, making sure to give each of his moles a kiss as you did so. You got to his neck, giving the spot a little love. You pressed gentle, open mouthed kisses to the skin before giving it a hard suck.

Steve let out a small whimper and that sounded like an invitation to continue. You continued to suck even harder then grazed his skin with your teeth which was followed by a moan falling from his lips.

His fingertips dug into your back and it arched at the sensation, bringing you closer to him. His nails moved down your back, scratching at the skin, just hard enough to leave a mark, but soft enough to not break the skin.

You diffused the bite with your tongue then moved back up to his lips, slamming yours to them. You took no time to stick your tongue back into his mouth, desperate to taste him more, sliding it roughly against his.

The kiss was rushed and messy as you tried to take what you wanted from him and he was there, pliant underneath you. He was going to let you have whatever you wanted, all he needed was your pretty lips.

You reluctantly pulled away for air and the both of your stared at each other, chests, rising and falling as you did so. You looked down into his eyes and could suddenly see what Eddie had been talking about. You could see the hearts. He had a dopey smile on his face and his brown eyes were suddenly the color of honey. Fuck, you were falling just as hard as he was.

His pupils were blown and his lips were swollen and pink from your kisses and you hated that he looked so goddamn adorable. So adorable that you wanted to kiss him all over again and tell him just how cute you thought he was.

“Was that okay for you?” You asked, flipping some of your hair over your shoulder, trying to play it off like you wouldn’t have been content kissing him all night.

“More than okay,” he smiled, his hands slowly slipping from your shirt. You were disgusted that you were actually starting to miss his touch. “You were-you were great.”

“You weren’t half bad yourself, Harrington,” you winked and he was trying real hard to not pull your back in for more. It was getting late and you should have headed home, but you still sat there in his lap.

His cheeks turned a shade of pink and you loved how easy it was to make him blush. How you could make him fold in just a few words. You were always flirting with people for the sole purpose of sleeping with them so you felt out of place flirting with Steve just because you wanted to. Because it was adorable seeing him stutter and become all flustered at hearing your words.

You reluctantly climbed off of Steve’s lap and he stared up at you, unmoving. Almost as if he was hypnotized. If you were able to do that to him just by making out with him, you wondered how he would’ve been after sleeping with you.

But you weren’t going to sleep with him. You couldn’t. Making out was one thing, but actually being intimate was off the table. You couldn’t do it. You wouldn’t. As much as you found yourself wanting him to lead you upstairs, you had to cut it short. Maybe it was because you felt weird because he was your friend or maybe it was because you were afraid of how emotionally connected to him you would have become afterwards.

“Well,” you sighed, grabbing your purse from the coffee table. “I should probably go.”

“Now?” He asked, quickly standing from the couch. You thought it was cute that he wanted you to stay but not cute enough to actually do it. You had to leave him wanting more and clearly from the way he was acting, you had been successful.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I need to get back to Callie.” Technically, you weren’t lying. You wanted to make sure that Eddie had actually gotten her into bed on time. He could never say no and always ended up letting her stay up because she wanted to see you before she went to sleep

“Right, yeah,” he nodded in understanding. “I’ll walk you out.”

You headed for the door and Steve trailed behind you like a lost puppy. A couple of kisses and he was already willing to do whatever you asked him. Not that he needed the kisses to do it, but they definitely helped. All you had to do was tell him to jump and he’d ask you how high.

Steve was in a daze as he followed you to the door. Your make out session was playing in his head on repeat. Your hands in his hair, your tongue in his mouth, his hands underneath your shirt, your lips on his neck. It almost didn’t feel real with the floaty-feeling state he was in. It was almost as if he had taken one of Eddie’s edibles with the way he was feeling.

He opened the door for you and leaned against the doorframe when you got out onto the porch. He was looking at you so dreamily, almost as if he had been under the influence of something. It was almost cute. Almost.

“Well,” you reached into your purse for your keys. “I had a good time tonight.”

“Me too,” he nodded. A really good time.

“You can just give me a call when you have the next lesson planned and we can work around my schedule.” He already had it planned out but he wasn’t going to tell you that. He didn’t want to let on that he was actually crushing on you. That would’ve blown the whole mission.

“Sounds good,” he nodded once more and you stepped forward to plant one final kiss on his lips before heading down the steps and to your car.

He waited until your car was on the road before heading back inside. He couldn’t keep the smile on his face as he put the videotape away and cleaned up all the snacks, putting them all in containers to save for later.

He honestly couldn’t believe that had happened. Not only had he finally kissed you, but it had also more than lived up to the hype. Your lips were so soft and tasted sweet from the lip balm you had been wearing. You had your way with him and as much as he liked a soft and gentle make out, he was beginning to think that maybe he liked it rough. He actually liked the way you weren’t treating him nicely, that your were just taking what you wanted, having no regard for him at all. He was surprised that you couldn’t feel how hard his dick was. Well, if you did, you hadn’t said anything about it, and thank god for that.

He headed into the foyer and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror by the door. He stepped up to it and could see a bruise forming on the side of his neck where you had your way with him. He turned his head to the side to get a better look and nodded to himself in approval before heading up the stairs to bed to dream about you just like he had every single night.

You headed into the trailer, immediately hiding the smile on your face. You couldn’t give Eddie any sign that his stupid scheme had worked. Despite you actually not even caring that much anymore, you still wanted him to know how upset you were with him for putting you in that position.

As predicted, Eddie and Callie were on the couch, watching her favorite cartoon when you walked through the door. They both turned to you for a split second then immediately turned back to the screen.

“Time for bed,” you said and they both whined, making no move to actually get off the couch. “C’mon, TV off.”

“Can we at least finish this episode?” Eddie asked as if he hadn’t been a full grown adult who could decide when he went to bed.

“Nope,” you shook your head. “It’s late enough as it is. C’mon, chop chop.” You clapped your hands and Callie reluctantly turned off the TV then both she and Eddie stood from the couch.

“G’night, bug,” he squatted in front of her, ruffling her hair before opening his arms for a hug.

“‘Night, Eds,” she responded with a pout.

“Oh come on. You know you can’t resist my hugs,” he still held his arms out, giving her one last chance to give in. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and his wrapped around her back before they gave each other a tight squeeze.

Eddie then stood back to his full height and headed over to you, offering you a hug as well. You took it and felt his lips right by your ear.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of telling me all the gory details. I want a play by play tomorrow,” he said before pulling away.

“No promises,” you responded as he pushed the door open and headed across the way to his own home. There was no way in hell you were telling him about your night with Steve. If you did, then he would have won. And there was nothing you hated more than admitting that you were wrong.

After Eddie was gone, you headed over to Callie who was rubbing her eyes with her knuckles, desperately trying to fight getting sleepy.

“I’m not even tired,” she whined, still rubbing at her eyes.

“I know you’re not, bug,” you replied, letting out a chuckle. She would be asleep in five minutes with how tired she seemed to be.

Once you approached her, she held up her arms as if asking you to carry her. Without protest, you picked her up and she was quick to wrap her arms around your waist, resting her head on your shoulder.

You carried her to your shared room and laid her down on the bed gently, grateful that she was at least wearing her pajamas so you wouldn’t have to fight her on changing into them.

You changed into your own pajamas and crawled into bed with her. She was quick to scoot closer to you, wrapping her arms tightly around you, resting her head against your chest. Your arms pulled her tightly to you, stroking her hair with one hand while the other rested at your back. She always insisted that the two of you sleep like this, leaving no space between you. You were convinced that she would have been attached to you if she could have been.

“I missed you,” she murmured, snuggling further into you.

“Missed you too, bug,” you stroked her hair some more before hearing her light snores coming from her lips. You were always envious at how quickly she was able to fall asleep. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. You couldn’t say the same. You would lie awake for hours, thinking about all of your issues and your never ending to do list. It plagued your brain constantly, but especially when you were trying to go to sleep.

That night, though, all you could seem to think about was your pretty coworker. Your pretty coworker that you had formed a strange agreement with. Your pretty coworker that you kissed. And you actually liked it.

You found yourself quickly drifting off to sleep, dreaming of nothing but Steve and his pretty lips that you found yourself wanting to kiss forever. Maybe if you played your cards right, he would have let you.

[ohno-the-sun]

Guess what? >:D I didn't realised that you updated the luca fic since last time I visited, sooo... here we go :3

‘Wh– bah! Where are you going?’

I love how he unconsciously switched to "mind communication" ♡♡

Precious baby

‘You were trying to drown me!’

Oh you sweet, innocent baby you!🥺🥺🥺🥺

I also like how Moon was like "I will kill this bi-" and then after he actually arrived, he was all worry, and no anger "shit, this dumbass will kill himself. I will cure him. I should help."

Love the paralell, that Moon hates his human form and disgusted by it, meanwhile Sun do the same for his siren form.🥺🥺🥺 my poor babies. They need someone to tell them, both is ok.

‘I don’t think being a siren is an infection. It sucks sometimes–’

😭😭😭😭😭my babyyy. He is so pure. They are both so pure. Moon got some answers Sun slipped...he wants to relate to him. And he is so concerned about Sun's well being😭😭🥺🥺

There is so much they have to talk about.

But in the same time, I can imagine Bright pacing in the kitchen. Hearing this strange noises and warbling as they speak with eachother😭😭 I am so glad this communication is mind-bounded, because if Bright hears any of this out of context...

“Hey Sun are you guys done in here ‘cause I have to get dressed and–”

Oh no.... here we go...

–"only to notice the very obvious fact that I was stuck in the bathtub– as a siren– who couldn’t talk."

Oooooooooooooh :000

Now I feel dumb. I thought they could speak still human too, but chose not to.

“I’m naked"

The laugh I just let out😂😂😂😭😭😭😭 Oh nuuuu😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

‘I mean yeah– we need to suck it to breathe.

Ba dam css! 🥁😂😂

I love their banters♡

‘What’s family for?’

😭😭😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺♡ the way I melted🥺🥺🥺🥺

I imagine Bright watching Moon walk out without a word, like "wtf??? Where is my partner, what did you do to himmm!! >:(" and then wanting to give Sun a bit time to recover (which gives Sun time to soak in the water and get dry)

I am still interested tho how Moon got there :3 ... did he... really stole a car? He knows how to drive??

-----------------------------------------

(Next chapter)

"Sun had suggested taking the car to the bank, but considering it was just a block down the road, I figured walking was better"

Oh no😰😰😰

Oh ok. Sun is smart about it. Or as smart as he can be without saying no to Bright ^^

"Alright, Mr. Fredrickson..."

Frederick??👀👀

Freddy??

Freddy got a new job?

Or this is a reference for another freddy👀👀

Not the glamrock one?👀👀

"My heart sank at the thought. Maybe I had been too pushy asking about Moon? Or maybe I was being annoying, or maybe he didn’t love me anymore–"

No no no Bright😭😭😭 don't internalise it!!! It is not your fault darling🥺🥺 this is not a healty for you...

"But before he could, a horn blared as a giant truck rushed past us. A wave of dirty street water filled my vision."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

IT IS HAPPENING.... khm... I mean its very sad :(

....AAAAAAAAAAAA >:D

-_-

Nevermind...

You got me good...

With the glasses...

You! >:( /pos

“Sun I am not in the mood for a performance right now. Could you please just use your words and help me dry my glasses?”

Oh dear... if he could, he would have done so🥺

"The rest of the evening was spent ordering out dinner and watching an old sitcom on the television. We laughed and joked into the night."

This is the dream :,) ♡ man... what I would give for such a peaceful night...

It’s fine.

I’m fine.

I’m Sun.

Her Sunshine.There’s no rain on sunny days.

AAA😭😭😭😭😭 DON'T MIND ME!!!

just bawling my eyes out😭😭😭😭

I, as a doctor, prescribe Sun a platonic cuddle session with Bright🥺

Waaaa entyter aaaawawaaawa!!

I always love your thoughts you noticed so many little detail ough waa im so happy!!

[jessicafangirl]

The Second Chapter Of My Ghost Fic

Yes, I updated! And it's a longish one. I hope you like my version of Copia. He's fun to write for. I may or may not have added a few bits of what I've caught of Tobias's personality and likes here. You've been warned. Other things I've just decided "Yeah, that's totally Copia."

I made the Ghouls a little different here. There's supernatural stuff happening. Just a bit of it in this chapter hinting that things are not of the usual variety at this location of the Ministry.

You can also read this here at Archive Of Our Own

Chapter 2

Jen sat up with a gasp, blue eyes wide as saucers. She didn’t know where she was and the last thing she remembered was passing out in a satanic church. Reality came barreling to her as she realized everything had really happened and it wasn’t a bad dream. This was brought even more home when she turned and saw a black clad figure with a silver devil mask on their face sitting in a chair nearby her reading a copy of Metal Edge Magazine with their legs crossed. Okay…maybe it could still be a dream.

She couldn’t stop the yelp that came from her lips. But apparently the….man? wasn’t too terribly shocked to see her awake or what her reaction was to seeing them. If that was how they dressed all the time, it was probably the norm. Jen realized this was one of the band members…the ghouls. The Nameless Ghouls. They walked around like that all the time? The figure stood and headed over to the bed Jen found herself on. She had no idea where she was now, but the room was dark other than the small table lamp the silver masked figure was reading by and a fireplace that was burning over in a corner. The figure held up their hands as if to say they weren’t there to harm her as they came to a stop near the bed. Jen didn’t know what to really do here and found herself gripping the silky comforter that had been covering her nervously as the ghoul placed a palm against her forehead. After a moment they reached down and felt her wrist and glanced at a watch on their left arm. Jen realized they were checking her vitals…this was just bizarre.

“Uh…am I still…in the church?” she finally asked.

The ghoul nodded then grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and handed it to her. Jen looked down at it curiously and decided if there was anything nefarious, they were attempting they had plenty of opportunity while she was unconscious. She took a drink and wound up glugging down the entire glass.

While she’d been drinking the water, her nurse, for want of a better term, went to the door of the room and opened it, letting in a subdued light from the other side. Jennifer heard a voice that was familiar and a noise that was like soft rumbling static. She placed her water glass on the table just as Copia Emeritus walked into the room.

Instead of the robes he’d been wearing when she’d first met him, he’d changed into less formal attire. He still had his face paints but was wearing form fitting black pants and a black button up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up still with his gloves. He quickly made his way to stand next to the bed. “Ah signorina, I am so glad you are awake.” He said gently, not wanting to frighten her.

Jen gave him a weak smile, still out of sorts. “I…thank you for…helping me.” She said, then glanced around. “Uh…the…uhm…nurse said I was still at the church?”

Copia’s eyes widened in surprise. “They spoke to you?”

“No, just nodded.” She answered.

“Ah,” He smiled again. “Si, si, you are still here in the church.” He gestured around the room. “This is one of the apartments for visitors and clergy.”

Jen nodded then asked “Uh, how did I get here?”

“Eh, well…” The Papa glanced away for a moment then turned back to her. “How much do you remember cara?”

She chewed her lower lip. “I…think I fainted. Before that it was a blur…running…hiding…” here she paused, taking a breath “and blood.”

Copia’s mismatched eyes were kind as they watched the expressions cross her face. He gestured to the mattress “May I?”

Jen nodded and he sat down next to her. “Cara, you did faint. I believe you had a…attacco di panico…uh…a panic attack, si?” He reached out very slowly and touched her hand where it lay on the mattress. “After what you described to me no one could blame you for it. We brought you here to rest.”

She glanced away towards the fireplace. “So all of it really happened. It wasn’t just some sort of nightmare or…I’m not laying in the woods somewhere slowly dying from exposure.” She said, her voice barely a whisper.

Copia winced at the words and her tone. She sounded as though dying of exposure would be preferable. “Dolce ragazza, you are safe here.” He squeezed her hand lightly. “What you’ve witnessed is horrible, what you went through was too. But you are safe here.”

She turned back to him with a sad smile. “Thank you, Papa, but…”

He shook his head. “Copia.” He said gently. “You do not have to use my title Jennifer.”

He remembered her name which was surprising. “Copia,” she started over, “Thank you for everything you have done. But I need to get out of here. It’s bad enough they followed me. I can’t drag you more into this.”

Copia’s brows narrowed. “Jennfier, no matter what you may have heard or think of us, we’re a place of sanctuary. You are in need of it.” His voice was still gentle but held a weight. “That’s what we are here for.”

Jen sighed and out of instinct squeezed his gloved fingers. “You’ve done more than you needed to. And I think you’ve got a great band actually and you do a lot for people besides me. But I…I just need to go to the police I think and figure this out.”

Copia looked surprised for a moment and gave her another smile, trying to add a little levity. “Ah, so Kiss isn’t the only band you enjoy, eh?”

She shook her head. “You do in fact rock hard Papa.” Jen gave his hand another squeeze. She saw him about to say she didn’t need to use his title, but she cut him off. “You’ve done too much already. I’m sorry I dragged you into this at all.” Jen moved the blanket off her legs and scooted out of the bed on the other side. She realized her shoes had been taken off at some point.

Jen turned back to Copia who was watching her with an odd look on his face. “Uhm…I need to find my shoes.”

The Papa nodded, “Si, si…” He stood up and headed to the door, opening it. “Your things are out here.”

She stood and walked in her socked feet into the next room while Copia held the door open for her. The next room was a small living area with a tiny kitchenette. On the two-seater sofa sat her bag and on the floor her sneakers, looking worse for wear after clambering up a hill side in the dark. Jen turned to Copia “Thank you.” She said again and headed over to the couch to pull on her shoes.

Copia for his part watched her worriedly. The Ghost Project had been to this location a time or two before. Right then they were on a break from touring and as Papa he was focusing on his other church duties. He and the Ghouls had moved in for the time being. No rest really for the wicked as the saying went. But from what he knew of the town the church itself was only tolerated because it brought in income. The local police…weren’t the best. Basically, the church was left alone because they made a hefty donation every year. He was concerned about this fellow fan of Kiss and apparently a fan of his own band. Not only that but he was at heart a Papa, once a Cardinal. His job was to help his flock, be there for those that needed him. And he somehow knew she was alone in this. One tip off was the fact she hadn’t immediately called someone else, family or a friend…or a significant other, to let them know she was okay. That would be a typical reaction. But not here.

He pursed his lips in thought as he watched her do up her shoes. “Cara, would you allow me to make a suggestion?” Copia asked, walking over to stand beside the couch.

Jen looked up at him, tying the last lace in place. “Sure?”

The Papa folded his gloved fingers together. “I would ask that you stay here at least for a night or two.” He saw her start to protest and he lifted a hand. “Un momento, per favore.” She bit her lip but waited for him to continue. “We obviously have the space si? But also…I want to make some quiet inquiries into what you witnessed. If anything has been reported as well as the men that were looking for you.”

“Copia…” Jen didn’t want him digging into this any deeper. He was way too kind for his own good and she didn’t want to be responsible for something happening to this ethereal rock god devil pope. I mean…that’s what he was right?

He sat down beside her, lowering his gaze at her in a way that had quieted many a disobedient sibling of sin over the last few years. When he worked up the glower power as he’d called it, people usually listened to him. “Jennifer, do you have anyone to help you right now I can call?”

Well…that…made her wince. No, she really didn’t. That’s what happened when you decided you were over the toxic that was your crazy family. Her life over the last few years had been chaos and heartbreak and she was looking into the barrel of middle age alone. Jen sighed, shaking her head. “No.” She admitted softly.

Copia could hear it in her voice. It was fragile and the fear was there along with the sadness. He’d help her and perhaps learn why she was alone in this, and it would seem the world. He knew all about feeling that way. But he could fix that as well. “You’re not alone sorella.” He gave her another smile, the white paints of his face showing the thin lines that were on either side of his lips. “Let us help you. Let me help you, si?” He touched her hand where it lay on the couch, the leather of his gloves warm.

Jen gazed back at him for a heartbeat. He had a skull painted on his face and an eye that didn’t belong in nature. But he wasn’t scary in the least right then. He also wasn’t air humping his mic stand either which suddenly popped into her head. No brain…you do not think about that right now. Good god…

He wanted to help her, and she believed him. And who else did she have? Maybe a priest of the dark side was a good option for a woman on the run from bloodthirsty killers? She’d always had a thing for horror movies and monsters…and look now her life was one. What fun…at least the demonic entity was a nice one in her movie.

“I…okay…if…is this going to be alright for everybody?” She asked him finally.

Copia nodded, happy she was accepting his offer of help. “Si, si, everything will be okie dokie.” He stood and clapped his hands together. “You can stay here of course. I’m just down the hall if you need anything. You’ll…uh…notice the sign on the door.”

Jen couldn’t help but grin at his okie dokie. Some scary devil dude. He had a knack for making her forget what a clusterfuck she was in. He glanced around the room. “TV is there, kitchen is there, washroom is back in through the bedroom.” Copia glanced down at her clothes and gave a nervous quirk to his lips. “We also have a laundry as well.”

She glanced down at her still dirt covered jeans and hoodie. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” She stood up and pulled open her bag, taking out her Switch and placing it on the coffee table. She noticed Copia looking at the Nintendo logo on the case with an almost predatory gleam in his eye as she pulled out a new pair of jeans and a Bela Lugosi’s Dead t-shirt. “Are you a gamer?” She asked him wondering if she should leave him a moment alone to ogle the console.

Copia shook himself from a stupor. He let out a little chuckle. “Hehe, si, I guess you could say that.”

Jennifer grinned in surprise. “What do you like to play?” She asked while pulling her toiletry bag out.

“Oh this and that…I…haven’t played what this is though.” He gestured to the case.

“Really? You haven’t played a Switch?” She turned back to him.

“No.” He turned and gave another nervous laugh. “I’ve heard of it, si. But church business etc.….I haven’t had time to upgrade.”

Jen nodded. She could imagine he didn’t get a lot of free time. “Well, if I’m here for a couple nights then we should team up or beat up on this bad boy. I’ve got a second controller.” She dug into her bag and pulled out a spare Zelda themed one and handed it to him.

Copia’s eyes widened like a kids on Christmas. “Satanus…the tri-force.” He breathed out in awe.

She laughed. “Yeppers. Oh if you haven’t seen Breath of the Wild you’ll probably need to sit down for that one.”

He grinned. “I may have to take you up on that offer signorina.” Copia placed the glorious controller on the coffee table. “Ah, are you hungry?” He asked her. “When did you last eat?”

Jen couldn’t actually remember when she’d last eaten. She didn’t know if she could actually eat right then with everything that had happened. Mostly she just wanted to take a shower and see if she could even sleep. “It’s…it’s okay I’m not hungry.” She gave a nervous chuckle as she picked up her clothes. “I can stand to skip a meal or two anyway.”

The Papa’s eyes narrowed again, not happy with her answer for a couple of reasons. “Food is important cara. You need your strength, and I won’t have you go hungry while you are our guest.”

“Really, it’s fine.” She told him.

Glower power activated, Copia crossed his arms over his chest and raised a painted brow. “Si, it is very fine food. And I will take no refusal. Tonight the kitchen made a fettuccini carbonara that would make the devil weep. I’ll have some brought up to you.”

Jen felt a bit cowered by that look and the thought of bacon in cream sauce and pasta literally made by Satan’s church was pretty intriguing. “Thank you, it sounds heav…” She realized where she was. “Hellaciously good.”

Copia’s lips quirked up deactivating the glower. “Prego.” He gave her a little bow. “I will leave you to get comfortable. Again, I’m just down the hall if you need anything.”

“I’ll look for the sign.” She replied.

“Bene.” He nodded, gave her a wink, and then headed out of the room.

Jen stood there for a minute holding her clean clothes. “What did the satanist do to you child? They forced me to eat good pasta and get clean.” She said aloud, a dazed expression on her face. Shaking her head she walked through the bedroom and found the bathroom. It wasn’t massive but had one of those white, old-fashioned claw-footed tubs and showers she’d dreamed of having her whole life. The tile was a mix of blue, gold, and white, with a decent sized sink and counter. The walls were decorated with more tile but with patterns of gold tile within the blue. A large stand of thick, fluffy towels and washcloths sat next to the sink.

“Good lord, they have a bidet.” She said to herself. The devil demanded a clean bum of his followers. Jen grinned at the thought. Closing the door she turned on the shower. After scrubbing herself raw she towel dried her hair, thankful for the fact it was short and dried quickly. She felt a bit better after getting clean. She put her clothes and towels in the hamper she saw in the room. Dressed in jeans and her Bauhaus shirt she walked out to the living room to find someone had brought her dinner.

Sitting on the small table next to the kitchenette was a steaming and delicious smelling plate of pasta and next to it a carafe of ice water, a bottle of wine with a glass and a small basket with some Italian bread and butter. “You guys don’t mess around.” She thought. Jen sat down at the table and grabbed the silver wear and noticed there was even a slice of what looked like chocolate cake on a small saucer.

She dug in and nearly swooned at the first bite of the carbonara. It made sense with the head of the clergy being Italian and all that that it would be good but…this was how you seduced people to the dark side. All of it was delicious. Jen looked down and realized she’d eaten everything that had been brought to her. The bread tasted fresh, the butter too. After drinking down another glass of water she looked at the wine bottle. She wasn’t really a wine drinker and remembered the last time she’d decided to rip into a bottle she had a migraine the next day. Maybe not drink a whole bottle alone. She poured a little bit into the glass and took a sip. It was actually good too. Slightly sweet with a bit of…spice? She poured a little more and walked over to the couch and slumped down.

This wasn’t how she saw her night or her life going. In the grand scheme of her cluster of a life she supposed the scales were now way heavier in the “this is the worst thing to happen to you” side. Jen let out a heavy sigh and swigged down the rest of her glass. She looked at the bottle that was taunting her to drink it all down to just stop thinking. That wouldn’t do anyone any good and she’d learned that didn’t help anything ever. It just gave her a headache and made you feel like hell the next day.

Her head fell back on the couch, and she stared up at the white ceiling. Sleep…let’s try sleeping. She traded out her jeans for her blue plaid pajama pants and padded back to the bedroom. She knew this was probably a futile effort, but she was going to try. Jen kept the door open to the living area and the light on, turning off the bedroom light. This made her feel a little more secure. Yes she was 6 years old.

The bed was surprisingly comfy, and the sheets and comforter felt really nice. The wine she’d drank was giving her just the littlest buzz. Her blue eyes stared towards the fireplace that was still burning in the room, giving it a little bit of a glow. She tried to breathe deeply and relax. That was really hard all things considered but eventually she felt herself grow drowsy. She closed her eyes and found herself fading into sleep.

But her subconscious wasn’t going to let it be that easy. She watched it all over again, feeling the cold of the night air hit her and this time some of the blood splattered into her face. God, she could smell the burning coppery tinge of it. She ran through a forest that didn’t end. Just running and running. She could hear them chasing her and the trees never stopped. Jen felt herself fall, felt hands grabbing her from the ground. She turned, frantic as they held her in place and running towards her were the two killers. “You deserve it you little bitch.” A voice said from the distance, the words bitter, the sound hoarse and hateful. Jen turned and saw her mother standing there on a hill side, clad in a nightgown, her dark eyes shining with hate and spite. “You’re a disgrace.” She said and spat at her. The hands, clawed and withered, pulled at her again, dragging her down at last, the dirt falling in around her and sucking her in. She could feel it in her throat, coating her eyes, plugging up her nose until she couldn’t scream anymore.

Jen sat up with a strangled yelp, her legs twisted in the blankets. She looked around in the now darker room the sound of her mom’s voice ringing in her ears along with the sounds of the killers footsteps crunching in the leaves. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, running her shaking fingers through her hair. The fireplace was only embers at this point. She glanced at the clock next to the bed. She’d been asleep a whole two hours. Jen let out a heavy sigh and fell back onto the pillow. She wasn’t sleeping again tonight. That had been a horrible idea.

She sat up and pulled her legs from the tumult of blankets. It was 1AM. “Ugh…fuck.” She muttered and stood up, shambling into the living area. She wondered if Copia was still awake then as she walked over to her gaming system. She probably shouldn’t bother him. She didn’t know him that well and it was the middle of the night. He’s got a whole ministry of Lucifer to run plus he’s a rock star dumbass. But then she remembered the way he’d looked at that Nintendo Switch like he wanted to have babies with it. Hmmmm. Jen looked over at the still pretty full bottle of wine. Hmmmm…

Sure this was a total normal thing to do. Go see if the devil priest wanted to drink and play video games. In the realm of her life that wasn’t the craziest thing at the moment. Copia seemed friendly and nice. He also had great hair and she’d seen those pants he used to wear…and the ones he currently wears. STOP THAT. Jesus brain…just stop that. Jen blamed it on stress and shook the thoughts from her head.

She grabbed the console and second controller and then snagged the bottle off the counter. “I’m just down the hall” he’d said. Cautiously Jen peered out the front door of her room. It was a long hallway with doorways intermittently along it. It was dimly lit by electric lights in sconces along the walls which were painted in a rich deep red. The floors looked to be hard wood and were also a dark color. She licked her lips, nervous. No one was about which made sense with it being so late. But she didn’t know the hours that Satanist worked. She took a deep breath and walked out into the hall, closing the door behind her. Look for the sign he’d said. Barefoot, Jen headed towards the right and after walking past a few doors saw the hallway came to an end with one single door facing her and next to it a black carved sign embedded in the wall that said “Papa’s Suite” with what looked like the upside-down cross insignia of the church and the band. Well that was pretty specific.

Jen glanced down and noticed there was light peeking through the bottom of the door. That could mean anything. He may be sleeping…like normal people would be. She chewed on her lower lip…god this was dumb. Jen realized even though she was used to being alone she really didn’t want to be right now. Papa Copia had been kind and somehow, he made her feel safe because he was familiar thanks to having watched the videos and having listened to his music. The nightmare had her on edge. Playing video games with a possible friend would be a welcome respite.

Tentatively she knocked very lightly on the door. It was barely a knock. She winced when she did it. Hey guy I’ve never met before tonight want to play Mario Cart? Ugh.. No, go back to your room dumbass. Jen’s shoulders slumped and she turned from the door to drag herself back to her room.

“Cara?” she heard from behind her and her eyes widened.

Jen turned back and found Copia with the door opened looking at her in concern and surprise. He was dressed in a pair of red sweats and a black Metallica shirt. But what threw her was the fact his skull paint was gone. Instead he had just some dark makeup around his eyes and his upper lip. His salt and pepper hair was slightly mussed. The sounds that could only be Bruce Lee kicking ass and taking names were coming from somewhere in the room behind him.

“Uh…hey…” Jen said, giving a nervous smile. “Uhm…”

Copia saw the dark circles under her eyes. “Trouble sleeping?” He asked her gently.

She shook her head yes. “Yeah… I didn’t mean to bother you honestly.” Jen looked down and felt guilty.

“I have trouble sleeping too, especially after a tour…so many time zones.” He nodded. The Papa’s eyes grow more concerned. “Although I think you are awake for a different reason, no?”

Jen glanced away from the green and white of his gaze. “Sleep was a bad idea.” She muttered.

He shook his head. “I am sorry cara…” He realized he was making her wait outside like an uncouth bastardo. “Oh, I’m a horrible Papa. Please, please come in.” He held the door open for her and gestured her inside.

Jen walked into the Papa’s Suite and found a mix of the expected and unexpected greeting her. The living room was large with a lot of dark wood and some beautiful antiques. There were some paintings on the walls, mostly scenes from what looked straight out of Dante’s Inferno, and a large set of windows with heavy drapes and what looked like giant glass doors leading to a balcony. A bigger kitchen was on one side and a far bigger fireplace crackled along another wall. But there were obvious signs that Copia was the one in residence. One section of the room held three large shelves of VHS tapes and DVD’s. Next to those shelves were three more filled to the brim with vinyl records. On another wall in front of a plush couch was a flat screen television with an entertainment center beneath it. It contained a VCR, DVD player and…was that an NES? Jen cocked her head. Hiding next to the NES was a Playstation2 and an N64. He really hadn’t upgraded in a while.

Stepping in further she noticed one wall that was all Copia. There were a couple of gold records hanging there. Next to those were what appeared to be drawings of the band and Copia by children or younger fans. He’d had them framed. There were one or two framed pictures of Copia standing with an older woman and what looked like Metallica, the other with a group of the silver masked Ghouls who made up the rest of the band. Copia was beaming. There were some framed concert posters as well, one with the Papa in full on bat wing caped glory.

Jen glanced at the TV screen and recognized the film immediately. “Oh The Big Boss.” She said grinning.

Copia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Si! Are you a Bruce Lee fan cara?”

She nodded. “I used to watch these all the time on the local indie station. Kung Fu Theater.” She laughed. “Many a Saturday afternoon was Bruce Lee and cereal.”

The Papa grinned. “That sounds like paradise.”

Jen nodded. “It was.” She held out the wine bottle. “By the way, uh…I brought this if you’d like some. I can’t drink a whole bottle or I’d collapse.”

Copia took it from her, studying the label. “Ah, bene, they brought you the one I chose.”

“Oh you didn’t have to, but it was really tasty.” She told him.

He gestured with his still gloved hand. “Wine and pasta belong together cara. While I spread the word of sin, not having a good vintage with your food is not the kind we would ever do.”

She laughed and nodded. “Understood. I see you actually do have boundaries.”

Copia’s eyes caught hers and he nodded. “Boundaries within reason tesero.” He walked over to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses from the holder installed under the cabinets. He poured each half full.

“I brought over the Switch too if you wanted to play it.” She realized he may have been meaning to go to bed though. “I mean, if you want, I can leave it here and you can try it out.”

He turned holding the glasses with a slightly confused expression. “I thought we were going to, how did you say it, “beat down” together?”

Jen found herself trying not to blush at that. Christ…stop…putting…the…image…of the pants…in my head…brain. She nodded. “Yes, I did say that. But if you’re going to bed or I’m…bothering you I can just leave it here for you.” She placed the case and controller on the coffee table that already contained some magazines and she noticed comic books.

He shook his head. “Oh, I’m still wide awake and you could never bother me. Here cara.” He handed her a glass and gestured to the couch. “Please sit.”

Jen settled on the couch, which was probably one of the comfiest things she’d ever sat on in her life. It probably cost more than her car. Copia took a seat on the other end and turned a bit to face her, taking a sip of his wine.

“Delizioso.” He held the glass’s stem carefully and looked at her. “Jennifer if you wish to talk about anything with me you are always welcome. I want you to know that. Perhaps sharing your fears can help keep them from your dreams, si?”

She cradled her glass, staring down into the red liquid. It was reminding her too much of the blood to drink it right then. “Thank you again Papa but I…I think it might be better just to try to forget everything right now.”

He reached over and patted her shoulder. “I understand cara. But as I said, I’m Copia for you, si?” He gestured at his clothes and differently made-up face. “Especially right now, you’re getting the dressed down version.” He smiled at her.

Jen laughed, liking the way his eyes crinkled up with the black ringing them. It made the color of his green one even more pronounced and the white nearly glowed. “Even dressed down you are styling.” She replied.

‘Ah, grazie.” Copia felt a tiny bit of heat on his cheeks and covered it with a sip of wine. He placed the glass on the coffee table, his eyes alighting on the Zelda controller. “What do you suggest for a first game il mio adorabile amico?”

Jennifer raised a brow as she reached for the game case. Had he just called her adorable? Maybe that white eye did mean he was half blind. She opened the case and pulled out the game card holder. “Well judging by the way you’ve been ogling that Zelda controller I’m thinking Zelda would be the way to go.”

He let out a nervous laugh. “Hehe…I’m…not that subtle.”

She grinned. “Subtle is overrated.” Jen found the game in its slot. “Let’s hook it up and I’ll show you an all new and improved Link.”

Copia helped her with the TV as she didn’t want to break anything and they quickly got the console hooked up. He was still impressed by how small everything was and portable. Soon she had him logged in and the game started. She explained it was single player and she’d be happy to just watch and teach him. Pretty soon Copia was running around Hyrule and cursing up a storm when he’d run out of steam while climbing. Jen gave him some tips here and there. But he seemed to catch on pretty quick. Two glasses of wine each later and they were trading the controller back and forth trying to defeat one of the more difficult monsters.

“Cazzo!! Link you debole stronzo.” Copia’s head fell back on the couch groaning in defeat, the controller falling to his side. Even Jen realized he’d just cussed out one of Nintendo’s most beloved characters.

“I would say you need a drink, but I think we finished the bottle” Jen giggled and realized…yeah, they definitely finished the bottle. And the other bottle Copia had had sitting on the counter in his kitchen.

“I’ve brought dishonor on the Emeritus name.” He dramatically held his arm over his eyes.

“I thought it was Link’s fault.” She added, tossing a potato chip in her mouth from the bag they’d snagged from his pantry.

“Si, and I am Link…the weakling, bringer of sorrow and the destruction of Hyrule.” Copia sighed as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Dude, it was your first time, and you did great. Give yourself some respect.” She punched his arm lightly.

Copia sat up and looked over at her. “I need more wine to deal with this injustice to my ego.” He blinked owlishly.

“Well that might be difficult…we drank it all.” Jen tipped the bottle showing it was completely drained.

He looked confused for a moment then brightened as if remembering something. “Ah! I’m Papa! I have the key to the wine cellar!”

“This is going to end badly isn’t it?” She asked him.

“Possibly but it will be fun.” He held up a finger and grinned.

It was at that moment that the mantle clock that sat above the fireplace decided to chime out the time. 5 am. Good lord they’d been up nearly all night. Jen glanced over at Copia. “Maybe we should rain check that. I’ve kept you up all night…I’m so sorry.” She felt awful.

Copia shook his head. “No no no…that little pointy eared bastardo should be saying he’s sorry.” He made a familiar gesture to the TV.

Jen laughed, not able to help it. “I think we might be a little drunk.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Forse…it is a little whirly in here.” He glanced around the room then turned back to her and took her hand in his. “But you do not apologize cara. This was fun. I haven’t had fun in a while, and I hope it helped take your thoughts from the dark.”

Jen smiled, trying not to think about how warm his hand was. God damn it wine brain…you stop. “It was fun, and it did. Thank you Copia.” He really was a sweetheart for a devil priest.

Copia lifted her hand up to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “You are welcome cara.”

She managed not to giggle like a school girl but only just. Holy Gomez Addams. Do not be an idiot. Just get out and go to bed while there’s still nighttime. Do not be an idiot. He does that to strangers every freaking show multiple times and…don’t be an idiot.

“I’ll leave it here with you.” She gestured to the controller. “You can attempt to regain your honor.”

Copia realized she was actually going to leave. And she did have a point…he had work to do in the morning and also needed to start digging for information on her situation. But he was really enjoying himself. Well, there was always that night. “Si, si…” he said letting go of her fingers after a moment. “We should continue our quest over dinner this evening.”

Jennifer’s lips parted in surprise. “That sounds great.”

“We can eat here and maybe I’ll have news regarding the…uh…predicament.” Copia’s lips frowned slightly. He rather wished he could forget about the terrible thing that had brought her here.

She nodded, not letting the feeling of dread try to take away from the fact she was actually enjoying her time hanging out with the rock star. “Maybe I can obliterate you at Mario Cart.” She joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Copia cocked a brow. “You think you can defeat me at my Italian brethren’s own realm dea del giocatore?”

Jen laughed. “I have no literal idea what you just said.”

“Si, even more evidence you will…as they say…be going down.” Copia had spent more hours playing Mario Cart than possibly he had at a pulpit…much to Sisters consternation. He looked more than a little smug.

Jen was not intimidated, dark eye glare or no. “You are on, scary devil priest man.” She replied cocking her own brow and crossing her arms.

“Don’t you forget it signorina.” Copia replied with what he hoped was an intimidating look which he couldn’t hold long before he grinned. “Winner gets to pick the movie.”

The little glare thing he just did distracted her addled brain. She guessed he was trying to look like a scary devil priest man…and…that didn’t have the effect on her it would have on other people. Jen shook that train of thought out of her wine brain. “There’s a movie too?” She asked, clearing her throat.

“Si, I’d say you’ve earned a movie night.” He replied. “But after I obliterate you at Mario Cart of course.”

Her gamer ego was riled. “Oh, of course…” She smirked at him.

With that she stood up, stretching after sitting for so long and then wobbled a bit on her feet. “Ooof, I think the wine just really hit.”

Copia got to his feet and realized he wasn’t much more coordinated. “I think you might be right cara.” He gestured to the door. “I’ll walk you to your room while I’m still able.”

With it still being so early, Jen and Copia didn’t really talk on the short walk to her room. Thanks to the quiet though she could hear the beginnings of the day start downstairs in the ministry.

“The cooks are preparing breakfast.” Copia whispered to her. “You’ll probably sleep through it which I hope is the case. But it’s just as good as the pasta we had for dinner.”

They came to her door and Jen turned back to the Papa who stood oddly at attention, heels close together. They were the same height, which had surprised her. He seemed taller on stage, or maybe it was the hat, but Jen thought it was just his presence. He drew you in.

“I keep thanking you.” She said quietly. “But I don’t think I can enough. This was exactly what I needed to keep my mind off, well, everything.” She felt tears pricking her eyes and she blinked, trying to keep it from showing. She really needed to be more of an emotional wreck than she was, just peachy.

Copia gave her a slight bow. “It was my pleasure, Jennifer. No need to thank me.” He reached out and took her hand once more. “If you wish to repay me do so in getting some rest.” He placed another kiss on her knuckles, giving her fingers a light squeeze.

Jen blamed the wine again, it was totally not the gallant, courtly gestures and the way he rolled the R at the end of her name that made her flush like Rudolph’s nose. “I promise to conk hard.” She told him.

The Papa released her hand after another moment, giving her another smile. “Perfetto. But don’t conk too hard, you may hurt your head.”

She laughed as she opened her door. “Good night…good morning Copia.” She said over her shoulder with a little wave and closed her door.

Copia stood in the hallway, his eyes on the door where she had just stood. He had a wistful smile on his lips. He took a deep breath, already smelling the aroma of the freshly brewing coffee coming from downstairs. He turned and headed back to his rooms.

He had time to get a nap before the day really began. And he had a lot to do that day. Meetings with the upper clergy of course…as always. A couple of interviews for the rock and metal press. And he needed to start the hunt for the men who were on their own hunt for his new friend.

Copia didn’t have many in the world he could call friend. The Ghouls of course but they were Ghouls and literally tied to his damned soul. And so when he found someone that he considered a friend, Copia Emeritus would move heaven and even hell for them. And if that person were in trouble or someone was trying to hurt them…oh…well…there was a side that would come out of the Papa many didn’t get to see. And typically you didn’t want to see it, much less be the target of it. The men who had dared come into his church and who were a threat to Jennifer were about to find that out the hard way.

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

It Started With a Kiss (1/?)

This idea came to me while watching “Knockdown.��� Initially it was just gonna be a one-shot; however, lying in bed after watching the episode, I was struck with the idea that there should be several parts, at least covering a couple of episodes through the end of season 3. I’m not sure if I will extend it into some of the season 4 episodes or not…it just depends on how the characters speak to me as I’m writing. But there are at least several season 3 episodes that are going to be dealt with.

I’m starting it after that night in “Knockdown” when they had to save Ryan and Esposito. I figure Kate didn’t go to see Lockwood in prison until at least the next day, so this chapter will take place between the time we see her fixing Castle’s hand in the ambulance and when we see her at the prison.

The way I’m planning to deal with future chapters is everything up to the point I tell you the scene starts is going to be just like in the episode. The only parts I’m either rewriting or adding are what you see here. If anything else from an episode needs to change so that it fits my version, I’ll let you know in the beginning.

I’m also still working on Hell Hath No Fury, so I’m going to do my best to rotate updates between that and this one until this one is complete.

I don’t own Castle, unfortunately.

xxxxx

Castle is seated in the back of an ambulance getting his hand wrapped; he'd insisted he didn't need to go to the hospital. Once the medic finished, he climbed out of the vehicle. Castle winced at the tightness of the bandage and started to unwrap it, glancing up when he felt Beckett’s presence.

“Hey there, Chuck Norris. How’s the hand?” she asked, climbing up into the ambulance and taking a seat across from him with a small smile.

“Excruciating.”

She gently took his hand in hers and began rewrapping his hand. Her touch was delicate as she focused on his injury, her fingers caressing his skin softly.

“How’s Ryan and Esposito?” he asked her, trying to focus on anything but the way her soft touch was making him feel. After the kiss they shared earlier in the evening, the last thing he needed was more of her touch. As it was, he would have a very difficult time getting to sleep later, and he was sure the way she felt in his arms, the way she’d tasted when she kissed him back would monopolize his dreams for a few nights at least.

“Mild hypothermia, wounded pride. Guess which one will heal first?” she finished up with his hand and looked up at him with a smile. “Thank you, for having my back in there,” she said with a soft look in her eyes.

He gave her a smile. “Always,” he promised her.

She gently touched his knee to help her balance for a moment so she could hop down from the ambulance. She turned back to offer him her hand to help steady himself as he climbed down as well, keeping his good hand for a few moments longer than necessary once he was on his feet in front of her. “We’re pretty much wrapped up here for the night; I can finish up everything tomorrow,” she started. “I was going to offer to buy you a drink seeing as you saved my ass in there, but it’s pretty late to go to a bar. Can I offer you a drink at my apartment instead?”

“I’d like that,” he answered her with a grin. He’d take anything she’d offer him these days, and since she’d already told him earlier that Josh was in Africa, he was more than happy to keep her company after the case they’d had; at least he’d be able to pretend she wasn’t with the doctor for an hour or so.

“Alright,” she smiled. “Come on, Castle,” she nudged his shoulder lightly with hers, gesturing for him to follow her back to her car.

The ride back to her apartment was pretty much in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. She couldn’t get the kiss they’d shared out of her head. It was supposed to be fake, a ruse to distract the guard so that she could take him out. The problem was it hadn’t felt fake to her at all, from either of them.

She knew Castle well enough by now and trusted him enough to know he genuinely hadn’t meant anything by kissing her at first; he had just been improvising when his initial plan hadn’t worked. But the way it felt when his lips covered hers, even as innocent as it had been initially, set her entire body on fire in a way she’d never felt before…it certainly never felt like that when she kissed Josh. Then she thought of the way he’d jumped on Lockwood and literally beat him senseless with his bare hands to save her, and she suddenly wasn’t sure that asking him back to her apartment for a drink at this time of night had been her best idea.

He’d told his mother a couple of days ago when this case had started that it wasn’t about the books anymore. His need to be her partner, to continue to risk his life to be by her side had nothing to do with research and everything to do with her. His mother had been right in telling him it was time he was honest with himself about why he was doing it. He only wished he could be honest with Beckett about his motive as well.

He’d come close to telling her earlier in her apartment when she asked him why he kept coming back, but he’d chickened out; this case, anything related to her mother’s case, made her

vulnerable. He didn’t want to be the jackass that added to her problems by being selfish; besides, she had a boyfriend, so he highly doubted she would return his sentiments.

But now instead of going home alone, she had asked him to join her for a drink at her apartment where they would be alone. That had to mean she felt something, right? And she had kissed him back earlier; sure, it was under the ruse of a fake kiss. But fake kisses didn’t require her tongue in his mouth, didn’t require her moaning or her hands in his hair or her body pressed against his quite so tightly.

“Come on, Castle,” she said softly, once she parked her car on the street near the front of her building, which she was allowed to do because of her police plates.

Her voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he got out and followed her inside. The elevator ride remained quiet, as did the walk down the hallway to her apartment.

“Make yourself comfortable,” she told him, closing and locking the door behind them. She moved to her kitchen and grabbed a couple of glasses as well as a bottle of whiskey. She carried it over to the living room where he had made himself comfortable on her sofa and sat them down on the coffee table in front of it. Taking a seat, she poured a half a glass for each of them and clinked her glass against his. “To the best partner a girl could ask for,” she smiled, downing about half the liquid in her glass.

Her words made him grin and his eyes light up as he downed about half the liquid in his own glass as well. “Really?”

She nodded. “Except he doesn’t really help with paperwork,” she teased, setting her glass on the table and standing. “I’m going to change, I’ll be right back,” she told him, disappearing into her room.

He grinned a little more, pretty satisfied with himself at the moment, and finished the liquid in his glass before pouring himself a refill from the bottle. He leaned back into the cushions and relaxed, enjoying the drink in his hands as he waited for her to return.

It didn’t take long for Beckett to change her clothes. She’d remained in her jeans, only opting to change out of her work shirt into a more casual and comfortable t-shirt, and she’d removed her heels and placed her gun and badge in her nightstand. She offered him a smile as she rejoined him on the couch, taking her glass and curling her legs up comfortably as she turned her attention to him.

Almost an hour and a half later, he had her laughing hard as he told her a story about his mother. He was a couple of drinks ahead of her; he hadn’t drunk enough to not know what he was doing or saying, but he had definitely drunk enough to be looser and braver with his words and

feelings. He stopped laughing and got quiet for a moment, getting serious. “You know, you asked me why I keep coming back. I told you it’s because I’m your plucky sidekick…but that’s not entirely true,” he started softly.

She stopped laughing when she realized he was getting serious. His words had her finishing what was left of the alcohol in her glass and placing it on the table. She hadn’t had as much to drink as he had, and she’d always been great at holding her liquor. She was relaxed and loose, but she wasn’t sure if she’d had enough whiskey to handle where he was taking their conversation; then again, maybe it was better that she hadn’t had any more than she'd had at this point. She wasn’t sure yet. “Castle…” she tried to stop him.

“A wise woman told me that I should be honest with myself about why I’m doing this," he started, echoing the words of his mother from a few days ago. "She pointed out to me that I wrote 22 novels before I met you, and didn’t have to spend every day in a police station. It’s not about the research anymore. It hasn’t been about the books for a long time. Even Vulcan Simmons saw it, Kate.”

“Rick…” she tried to get his attention, to stop him before they went down this road. She hadn’t had a chance to process everything from the last few days, much less the kiss they’d shared earlier, the way he’d so bravely saved her life, or her own feelings about him and what it all meant. She certainly was not in a position to deal with everything tonight after 3 glasses of whiskey, despite the fact that she wasn’t drunk.

He placed his empty glass on the table as well and shifted closer to her. “So if I’m being honest with myself about why, I want to give you an honest answer too,” he said softly, drawing a deep breath. “It’s because I’m in love with you, Kate,” he continued in the same soft voice. “I keep coming back, I keep showing up to murder scenes in the middle of the night and hanging around because I love you.”

His words made her freeze; not only had he said them once…oh no…Castle was an overachiever and said them twice. She knew he’d had a couple more drinks than her, but she also knew that he wasn’t drunk enough to not know what was coming out of his mouth. This wasn’t a drunk confession that he wouldn’t remember tomorrow.

She had no idea how to respond to them. She cared for him; she knew she felt more than friendship for him, but she had a boyfriend. Even without dating Josh to complicate things, he’d ended things with Gina only a couple of weeks prior, and now he was here professing his feelings for her? It was making her head spin.

Why couldn’t he have had this epiphany back in May when she was trying to tell him she liked him? Why couldn’t he have just not asked Gina to go to the Hamptons immediately after she’d turned him down? Why hadn't he given her a little time to reconsider, or even gone alone? Now

there were 8 months of…complicated and significant others…between them.

Before she even knew what was happening, his lips were on hers, soft and tentative. After only a couple of seconds, she placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back slightly. “Castle…I can’t do this tonight…” she murmured.

He sighed and hung his head. “I’m sorry…” he immediately began to apologize.

Her hand on his arm stopped him. “You don’t have to apologize,” she told him softly, standing and pulling him to his feet. “But it is late. And you’ve had enough to drink.” She decided playing it off as the alcohol would keep things from getting weird between them; at least that's what she hoped.

“I’m not drunk, Beckett,” he told her, wondering if that’s why she had stopped him.

“Maybe not. But you’ve had enough whiskey to kiss me, which I know you wouldn’t have done without the alcohol, so it’s time for you to go home.” She began to gently guide him towards her front door, grabbing his jacket along the way.

“I kissed you earlier without alcohol,” he tried to reason.

She shook her head. “It was fake, Castle...a distraction to get past the guard.”

“Didn’t feel completely fake to me,” he pointed out.

She sighed softly, handing him his coat at the door. “Castle, it's late.” She opened her door for him and gave him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?”

He sighed deeply. Her rejection had been gentle, but it still stung. “Goodnight, Kate,” he said softly, leaving her apartment.

She closed the door behind him, locking it, before leaning back against it and closing her eyes. What the hell had just happened between them? She had known he was attracted to her, but his confession had completely taken her by surprise. And while she knew she definitely felt something for him other than physical attraction, she had a boyfriend...a safe boyfriend...whom she might be able to love if she just stayed with him. She had no idea if she was ready to risk her heart with him; he’d already broken it once in May. She’d already ended one relationship to be with him and gotten burned. She wasn’t so sure she was ready to do that again.

Castle rested his head against the wall of the elevator as he rode down, telling himself he’d been an idiot for confessing his feelings like that. “What did you think was going to happen? She has a boyfriend, you idiot...she isn't the type of woman to cheat on her boyfriend for you,” he

murmured to himself. Maybe she was right, and he had had too much to drink; he was sure he wouldn’t have thought to confess his love for her…or kiss her…without the liquid courage he’d had.

When the cold January air hit his face as he walked outside, he suddenly realized what word she'd used. Tonight. She’d told him she couldn’t do this tonight. That left him with hope that maybe she wanted to do this one day. She didn’t say never, after all. She had been nice about letting him down. She hadn’t shot him…or even smacked him…when he’d kissed her. She had simply said she couldn’t do this tonight.

He decided then…he would wait, he would fight for her. Maybe not in a completely obvious way, and definitely not in a physical way because he was sure she wouldn’t like that. But he would be there; he’d keep showing up for her. That was already one thing he had over Josh…he wasn’t halfway around the world when she needed someone. He was actually there. And he would be there for her whenever she let him be. She may have been dating another man, but she didn’t have a ring on her finger yet; she didn’t seem as committed to Josh as he’d thought...she still told him things she didn't confide in her boyfriend, like the murder board she kept hidden in her apartment; he still had hope. And in the meantime, he wouldn't be stupid enough to start dating other women; he would wait for her.

xxxxx

Alright, that’s the first chapter. Hopefully you guys like this one. It will get to Castle and Beckett happiness, trust me. You’re just gonna have to go on the journey with me.

As always, I love hearing feedback if you feel so inclined! Thanks for reading!

[callsignspark]

Mar[r]y Me - part 8.5

pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Mariella “M&M” Vertucci (fem!OC)

summary: A love story told through friendship, laughter, and food.

series warnings: 18+ minors DNI, discussion of insecurities, difficult family relationships, discussions of food and alcohol use, discussions of body image, conversations on what it’s like to be a fat woman trying to date in today’s society, extreme fluff, warnings to be added as needed

word count: 2.3k

previous part | series masterlist | main masterlist

note: happy Friday! this is a short but sweet one! see here for my soft-tober announcement and here for a quick update on what's happening in the month of October! have a great weekend!

part 8.5 - McDonald's apple pie

“Don’t get any ideas.”

“I’d never dream of it!”

Mary snuggles deeper into the couch as Pierce Brosnan - her favorite James Bond - races through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City on a motorcycle with Michelle Yeoh handcuffed to his wrist. Her chest hurts; tight from an overwhelming urge to cry and a tiredness she can’t quite shake no matter how much she’s been sleeping lately.

The day had been spent with Danielle and the kids, and it had been fun. They had gone to the beach and gotten Thai food for dinner, the adults devouring pad thai while Annabeth watched Frozen again. It was nice; she loved her family, but she missed Bradley.

More than she thought she would.

They didn’t get a chance to properly say goodbye. He had received a hug and the same “be safe, see you in two months” as everyone else. There wasn’t a spare second to sneak away and kiss him goodbye; there was always someone near them the entire time.

All she could do was slip a good luck note into the palm of his hand and hug him for an extra second longer than anyone else. It was hardly anything, but he still gave her a big smile and a sneaky forehead kiss, whispering that his peanut butter bites were safely stored at the bottom of his pack.

For the millionth time since she sat with Mav in her office and they watched the carrier steam away, Mary wonders where Bradley is. Thanks to her security clearance, she knows he's floating somewhere in the Pacific, but nothing more.

Maybe he’ll come back with an even deeper tan.

Somehow, Bradley is always sort of tan, even in January. Yes, they live in California, where it’s beach weather year-round, but it’s like he was born with a built-in base layer of golden skin.

Bond is just about to magically escape from another precarious situation he’s gotten himself into when the doorbell rings. Mary peeks over the top of the couch, trying to figure out who could be at her front door. Her family is in New York, Slider went back to Pensacola last week, and the majority of people she knows in California are also in the middle of the ocean with Bradley.

The bell rings again, whoever it is knocking this time. She sighs - they’re not going away - and frees herself from her perfectly crafted blanket burrito, a poor substitution for the pair of strong arms she’s missing.

Carefully peeking through the side window, she’s surprised to find Flora standing there and quickly opens the door, a blur of red and pink taking over her vision.

“Happy birthday!” Flora yells, shoving an enormous floral arrangement in her face.

“Than- thank you?”

Mary tentatively grabs the vase, taken off guard, as Flora walks in and slips her clogs off. Dropping her huge L.L. Bean tote bag on the dining room table, Flora laughs at how Mary is frozen at the front door, flowers hiding her torso but not her confused face.

“Here, give me those, and you open this.” Flora pulls a box out of her Mary Poppins-sized bag and takes the vase back. She carefully places the arrangement on the island, fiddling with the stems so they look perfect.

“What is happening?”

“Well, your boyfriend came into my shop about three weeks ago and asked me if I would do him a favor. He was so sweet and pathetic; I couldn’t help but say yes.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Funny.” Flora hums, eyebrow arching in disbelief. “I didn’t say a name, but you knew who I was talking about.”

Mary flushes, the tips of her ears on fire as she tries to stutter out an excuse.

“It’s okay, Mary.” Flora takes pity on her. “I know it’s complicated, but let’s face it, that man would do anything for you. Which is why I’m here, on a Sunday night, with gifts.”

“Gifts?” Mary echoes. “Plural?”

“Mmhm. First up, a floral arrangement full of warm tones because “red is her favorite color, but all red would probably be overbearing” - which is a direct quote.”

“They’re beautiful, Flora.”

“He did a good job, and he deserves a reward for understanding that flowers are expensive and you can’t cheap out if you want a nice, big bouquet. Next is the box.” She slides the brown box across the table, fluffing the ribbon curls on top. “I have no idea what’s in that one.”

Mary carefully opens the ribbons tied around the box, her throat tightening when she takes the lid off. At the top is a notecard with Bradley’s handwriting.

She pulls the sweater out of the box, and her eyes start to water as she holds it up for Flora to see. It’s a light yellow, almost the same shade as the stick of butter softening on her counter, practically identical to the one sitting in her closet, a red stain still covering the front. The material is so soft she can’t help but press her face into it, tears escaping as Bradley’s cologne washes over her.

Fuck. I miss him so much.

This was anticipated; she knows how sad Dani can get during Reuben’s deployments. Knows how sad she would get when her best friend was gone for months. It’s only been two weeks, but it’s the longest they’ve gone without seeing each other. Even during the rough patch in January, they still got glimpses of each other at work. The worst part is not knowing how he’s doing. If he’s okay. She assumes he is; Mav hadn’t mentioned anything, and she’s pretty sure he would tell her.

It would be the only way she would find out. Mary isn’t naïve enough to believe that she would be a first-tier point of contact if he got hurt. They haven’t even gone on a date yet, and the only time they kissed was that day in her office.

She’s pulled out of the impending spiral by a gentle hand rubbing her shoulders, which she didn’t realize were shaking. She lets herself be comforted by Flora, the older woman pulling her into a hug, uncaring about the tears staining her shirt.

“Sorry.” Mary sniffles, pulling back after a minute to wipe her eyes. “I just really miss him, more than I thought I would.”

“It’s okay, I get it.”

“That’s right. I forgot about Jake.”

She realizes she said something wrong by the way Flora’s hand goes stiff on her back.

“Jake and I are not together.”

“Oh. He just- when we were talking, he kinda implied that the two of you were sort of seeing each other.”

“We’ve fucked a few times, we're not together.”

Mary blinks at her. Jake had never said anything about sex; he was lamenting that Flora didn’t want to see a movie he was excited about. Sad that the florist wouldn’t join him.

“Jake, I mean, I don’t know Flora very well, but I gotta say she doesn’t really seem like a zombie apocalypse kinda girl.” Mary gently soothed, trying to give equal attention to her email inbox and the mopey Texan. “Why don’t you find a movie you’ll both like?”

“I tried! She doesn’t want to go to the movies at all. I know she’s busy - like she runs a whole ass business all by herself - but it’s like she doesn’t even care that we’re gonna be gone for two months!”

“Did you tell her that you want to spend time together before you leave?”

“No. We’re just- that’s not-” Jake sighs, cut off by Mary’s phone.

They had never finished their conversation; Jake had a hop and Mary a meeting, and a few days later, he was shipping out alongside Bradley.

“Okay. I’m sorry, he didn’t mention that, so I must have misunderstood.”

“You probably didn’t.” Flora rolls her eyes. “Jake likes to talk like we’re together, but I’ve told him several times a relationship is not what I’m looking for from him.”

“Can I ask why?” She quickly backtracks when the other woman’s face scrunches up. “Oh my god, you absolutely don’t have to say anything. I wasn’t trying to push.”

“No, you’re fine. Jake is a great guy. He’s smart and funny and handsome, but we want different things in life. Things that can’t be compromised on and that I won’t ever change my mind about. So there’s really no reason for us to try anything serious. I told him that before they deployed, but I’m officially breaking it off when they’re back because I’m not sure he got the hint.”

“That makes sense; that’s probably the best way to go about it.” She nods, impressed by how strong Flora is in her conviction and a bit sad at the same time. Those two would be great.

“Sucks, though. He’s incredible in bed.”

Mary lets out a bark of laughter at the complete 180 in conversation. “That surprises me and doesn’t surprise me all at the same time.”

“It’s that atrocious arrogance of his, isn’t it?”

“Yes! An ego like that means a man is either totally overcompensating, or he knows he’s good, and he’s got the moves to prove it.”

“Oh, he’s got the moves. Believe me.” They laugh at the eyebrow wiggle that accompanies Flora’s words.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta know. That ridiculous Texas accent he pulls out when he’s trying to charm someone-”

“-does he use it in bed? More frequently than you would imagine.”

“Okay… but, like, does it do it for you?”

“I plead the Fifth,” Flora says as she furiously nods.

“Stop! Wait! And the cowboy hat?”

She laughs harder, tears in her eyes as she gasps, “Both of us!”

“You’ve both worn it?!”

Flora’s confirmation makes them both howl with laughter, Mary bending over and holding onto the table for support. It takes a few minutes for them to calm down, wiping tears away as they catch their breath.

“Well, that’s got to be the least shocking thing I’ve learned about Jake.”

It makes them both start giggling again; the blonde man’s affinity for his home state is well-known, frequently coming up in conversation.

“I should get going. I have to be up early to set up for a funeral. But I have one more thing for you, well, two things.” Flora dips back into her bag, pulling out a brown paper bag and a square envelope. “From Bradley.”

“McDonald’s?”

“Well, he requested I get you an apple pie - it had to be an apple pie - from Sift, but by the time I got there this afternoon, all their pies were gone. So I improvised, and thankfully, Mickey D’s had just done a fresh batch.”

“Apple pie is my favorite.” Mary quietly says, peeking into the bag and seeing five pie boxes. “Thank you for doing this, Flora.”

“It’s no problem. Bradley was so cute when he came in; I couldn’t help but agree. It’s sweet how much he cares about you.”

“I’m starting to understand how much he really does.” A content feeling settles in her chest, warming her up from the cold sadness that was taking over earlier.

Only 60 more days until Bradley is home.

“You’ll probably want to warm those up before you eat them,” Flora says, slipping her shoes back on, getting ready to leave.

“Hey, we're having a girls' night and putting together care packages for the Daggers next week. You should come, you can help with Nat’s box. Plus, it’s great to have extra hands to help put them together.”

“That sounds fun; I’d love to join you guys.” She opens the door and hesitates for a second, turning back to Mary. “No one knows about me and Jake hooking up. I didn’t tell Nat because she wouldn’t understand, and I don’t think he’s told anyone either. I’d like to keep it that way.”

“No problem. I’m always here to talk if you want some fairly neutral input.”

“Fairly neutral?”

She shrugs. “I know he can be an idiot, but Jake is a good guy, and he’s also my friend, so I can’t be completely unbiased about him. Fairly neutral is the best I can offer.”

“Fair enough.” Flora smiles at her, yelling back as she walks down the steps. “We should grab dinner sometime! Have a good night!”

“Night!” Mary waves, happier than she’s been since the beginning of the month.

She locks the door after making sure Flora gets into her car safely, promising herself that she’ll reach out to friends more. No more moping around, being sad that Bradley is gone.

I’ve got to learn how to deal with this if we’re going to date. It’s not like he’s going to leave the Navy; he’s going to be gone.

Snapping photos of her presents, she starts mentally composing the thank you email she’s going to send to Bradley. The Lincoln is on a communications blackout for the first three weeks of the cruise, but she’s been sending him little updates. Letting him know when she’s thinking of him, hoping she isn’t filling up his inbox too much.

She plops back into her favorite corner of the couch, stretching out on the chaise that makes her get a little hot under the collar every time she sits on it.

“Let’s read this card.” She mumbles to herself around a bite of pie as Bond saves the world and gets the girl.

A photo flutters out of the envelope as she pulls the card out, and she loses her breath when she flips it over. It’s the two of them on Valentine’s Day. When she made him pancakes, the photo he said he was going to tape up in his bunk.

A promise he followed through on, his last text showing off his rack. Corners of the blue blanket neatly tucked in, and the photo of the two of them taped on the wall right next to his pillow. Mary looks at the photo he printed for her, smiling at the happiness radiating from both of them. The corners of their eyes crinkled, and her dimple popping out; she still can’t quite believe that Bradley Bradshaw wants her, of all people.

Then she reads the card, and her insecurities quiet down for the night.

if you would like to be added (or removed) from the tag list please send an ask!

@gretagerwigsmuse | @hangmanapologist | @hangmanbrainrot | @princessphilly | @hangmanssunnies | @thesewordsareallihavetogive | @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby | @katieshook02 | @hellojameshowyadoin | @aristotles-butthole | @atarmychick007 | @whatislovevavy | @kmc1989 | @sometimesanalice | @laracrofted | @yuckosworld | @mika-darling | @bradshawsbaddie

fic tag | credit for dividers here

[somber-sapphic]

No More Bad Dreams

This was requested by 🦊 anon who I am desperate to find as I am done with their latest fic but don't want to post it until I find them! Here's an old one in hopes that my tags will bring them back lol.

Elle is gone for two weeks and finds you sick, sniffly and miserable.

=====

Two weeks. Elle had been gone for two weeks. And she’d come back to find you in a shivering mess on the floor, whimpering to yourself about some sort of case related nightmare. She couldn’t imagine what being so sick on a case like the one she’d just left would’ve gotten you. 

Penelope had been giving her updates on your condition, letting her know how you were refusing to eat and how high your fever was, etc. etc. She had worked her ass off to solve the case as quickly as possible, using every avenue to have to do so, some that she was not entirely proud of. The Unsub liked brunettes, so she flirted. It worked like a charm. 

“Hey bud, it’s time to get off the floor.” She sighed, kneeling down beside you. She squeezed your shoulder, trying to pull you out of your nightmare. Your eyes flew open at the gentle touch and you flinched away, not fully recognizing the blurry, chocolate eye’d figure. 

Those eyes brought you comfort, smoothing down the jagged edges of your fever induced nightmares and pulling you back into the real world. She was home and you were incredibly relieved. It wasn’t that you minded being alone, it was that you felt horrible and being alone was a hellish disaster that resulted in you falling asleep on the kitchen floor. 

“Elle…” You rasped, reaching up for her with sluggish movements, feeling sort of like a baby with the way you were trying to grab her. Elle pulled you up into a sitting position and held you close, cradling your head against her chest. 

You clutched a fistful of her loose shirt and coughed, your chest burning with the effort. Sitting up had made you dizzy and your vision was full of spots. There was a real concern that you might pass out, and definitely would have fallen and cracked your head on the floor without Elle’s support.

“You’re lucky you’re cute, because you’re being super dumb.” The brunette said gently, her voice full of kindness and love. That was her way of showing she cared, that was her way of showing affection. She didn’t often do showy romantic things, but she had her own way of proving her love. 

After a particularly rough case she’d make the two of you mugs of cocoa and you’d curl up on the couch together with a crappy sitcom to wind down. Eventually, you’d get around to actually share what’s wrong with the other, but that typically required some sort of alcohol. 

When either of you were sick though, all of the norms were gone. She’d spoil you with absolutely anything you wanted, even going as far as to make soup, which she absolutely despised. For a woman so good at cooking, she sure as hell hated it. 

When she was sick she got extra clingy. You’d watch romcoms together, get her ice cream, help her shower and yell at Gideon if necessary. You knew she’d do the same for you. Your work schedule was incredibly demanding, working for the FBI was of course rewarding, but also exhausting. There were times when you just needed to rest and take care of yourselves. 

“Have you checked your temperature at all?” Elle asked, pulling you out of your quiet musings. You squinted up at her, trying to remember anything from the last few days. Judging by the fuzziness in your brain and the heavy feeling in your limbs, you either hadn’t checked it, or you had and then neglected to take any sort of medication. 

“I’m going to take that as a no,” Your girlfriend sighed, tucking a strand of your damp hair behind your ear. She laid a hand on your forehead and hissed softly, her expression turning from loving to pure worry in half a second. Tears filled your eyes at her sudden change and you pulled away, wondering if she’d be angry with you for neglecting your health. Your former partner would’ve been. They probably would’ve just left you alone to fend for yourself. 

“Shit, your fever’s really high, we need to get this down, babe.” She said, cupping your cheeks with both of her hands. Her face was a mix of emotions, but you couldn’t detect any anger. 

“Okay, here’s what we're going to do,” She decided, frowning over at the bathroom. She was probably trying to decide how exactly she would get you there. “I’m going to start the shower, but we're going to keep it lukewarm so that we can get your fever down a little. Do you think that you can shower on your own?” 

You hesitated, honestly unsure if you could do it by yourself. You sniffled and rubbed your nose on your sleeve, giving her an uncertain nod. The brunette smiled and kissed your sweaty forehead, doing a good job at not showing her disgust. 

“Good. You shower and I’ll make you some tomato soup.” She helped you stand and walked you to the bathroom, staying with you until the water was at a temperature she deemed acceptable. 

“Need help changing?” The profiler smirked, raising her eyebrows at you. You wrinkled your nose and pushed her playfully, nearly falling over with the small expenditure of effort. She grabbed your waist to keep you upright, face contorting back into one of concern. 

“Are you sure you can do this? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” You forced a smile and nodded, blinking away the dark spots dancing in your vision. 

“I’ll be fine. Don’t burn the house down.” You leaned over and kissed her forehead, pushing her out of the room. 

The shower was awful. You made it about halfway through washing your hair before you got too dizzy to stand up and resolved to just sit on the floor under the cool spray. Not only did your body hurt, but the water was much colder than you thought it should be. Sure you had a fever, but was it really bad enough that it warranted pellets of ice on your head?

“Y/n, you alright in there?” Elle called, drawing you out of your spiral of self pity. 

“M’okay. Out in a minute.” You slurred back, practically dragging yourself out of the shower. That's when you realized that you had forgotten a change of clothes. So there you were, standing in the middle of the bathroom, dripping wet, tears beginning to fill your eyes. Every minor inconvenience set you off when you felt this awful.

There was a bathrobe. Comfortable enough, and cozy. It wasn’t quite clothes, but it was clothes enough. You dried off quickly and crawled into the robe, wrapping yourself up in the soft fabric. 

You emerged from the bathroom and plodded into the kitchen, leaning comfortably against the woman who was stirring the pot of soup. She chuckled softly when she saw your outfit and grinned at you. 

“You look adorable, but you need some real clothes. C’mon sweetie, let's get you into bed.” She teased, turning off the stove before wrapping an arm around your waist. You put your head down on her shoulder and yawned hugely, feeling the heavy exhaustion weighing upon you. 

Elle helped you into a soft shirt and flannel pants before laying you down in your big, soft bed. You sniffled softly and laid back, curling up under your duvet. She kissed your hairline and grabbed the remove, quickly turning on a Disney movie, which was one of your sickday pleasures. 

“I’m going to get you a bowl of soup, just stay put.” You listened, too tired to get up and follow her anyway. Normally you'd just ignore her warnings and do what you wanted, but your body had pretty much given up on moving. You turned your attention to the television screen, on which an orange fish was swimming too far away from the reef. Stupid fish. 

You were thinking about the damn fish and why it was making dumb decisions when Elle returned with a steaming bowl of tomato soup. She sat beside you on the bed and smiled, looking beautiful as ever. Her smile was gorgeous. Everything about her was gorgeous. 

“You’re pretty.” You mumbled, sniffling quietly. The congestion had settled in your sinuses and you rubbed your nose on your sleeve before coughing harshly into your elbow. The coughs grated against your throat, bringing your attention back to the incredible pain there. As much as you hated to admit it, you felt absolutely miserable. 

“Okay honey. Swallow this for me.” She produced a pill and a glass of water which you downed silently, wincing as the pill scraped down your throat. 

“Good. Now, a few bites of soup and you can go to sleep.” Since when had she gotten so demanding? Well, she’d always been firm, but now it felt like she was being mean. You whimpered and took the bowl, uncertainty filling you. 

She wrapped an arm around your waist and sat beside you, using the other hand to keep the bowl from spilling in your shaky grip. One bite. That’s all you managed, you couldn’t do it. The warm soup was probably supposed to help your throat, but all it did was make everything worse. 

You shoved the bowl into her hands and shook your head, curling away from her. She looked at you with wide eyes, surprised by your sudden change in demeanor. She knew that you had mood swings when you were feverish, but this was unprecedented even for you. 

“Hey, what is it?” She asked, putting the bowl down on the side table. She placed a hand on your hip but you jerked away, turning back to her with teary eyes. 

“Please just don't–don’t touch me.” You ordered, trying to keep your voice from trembling as badly as it was. Elle nodded and hugged her arms to her chest, frowning at you. 

“Okay, can you tell me what’s wrong?” How exactly could you tell her? How did you let her know that your body hurt and so did your mind. That the shadows were turning to twisted monsters in your mind. That all you wanted to do was sleep, but your body ached too badly to let you do so. 

“I can’t-it hurts too much.” You finally admitted, feeling stupid for telling her that. You were an FBI agent. Well, you both were, but still. There was a mostly unspoken rule that as agents you couldn’t show weakness. And what had you been doing all day? Showing weakness. You hated it. 

“Oh, love. You’re sick, of course it hurts. You don’t have to eat right now if you don’t want to, we’ll figure it out. Come here, we can just watch the movie for now.” She soothed, pulling you into her arms. You put her head on her chest, your body shaking as you cried. She didn’t mind, just shifted so that she could hold you more comfortably. 

“Just watch the movie. We’ll get everything taken care of.” Elle rubbed your back and turned up the volume on the TV, just loud enough to draw your attention back to the screen. You were still sniffling quietly, trying to keep your tears inside. After what felt like ages, you felt your eyes begin to slip closed as Lilo and Stitch replaced the sounds of Finding Nemo. 

“There you go mi querida. Rest, you’ll feel better when you wake up.” She promised, kissing your forehead. You loved it when she spoke Spanish to you, it felt strangely intimate and always served to calm you down. With those words embedded into your feverish mind, you let the dark, dreamless sleep take over, grateful for the mind numbing cold medicine. No more dreams for you.

[jakeysfallingsky]

Among the Wildflowers - Chapter 3 - Jake Kiszka x Reader

Hi hi! Back again with another chapter. This one is a fun one. Most of Chapter 4 is already written, hoping to be back Thursday with another update :) let me know what you think!

18+ Content - Minors, do not interact.

Summary: You're a hairstylist in Nashville, and the boys in Greta Van Fleet become your clients when they relocate to the city. They quickly all take a liking to you, one sweet guitarist especially. Jake is patient in his pursuit of you, but will your self-created set of rules hold you back from ever being anything more with him?

Word Count: 6900+

Warnings: Graphic sexual content, unprotected sex, oral sex (male receiving), fingering, choking, etc. Mentions of alcohol.

•

•

After leaving Jake’s house on Sunday, you went home and got ready for the week - laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning, the whole nine yards. Exhausted after the weekend’s excitement and all of your chores, you ran yourself a bath and paired a glass of wine to go with the book you were reading.

Just as you sank down into the hot bubbles with the wine and book nearby, your phone buzzed. You glanced at your phone to see it was a text from Jake. Opening your messages, you see it was actually a selfie. He had attempted to put his hair half up like you had for him the night before, but his efforts certainly didn’t have the same effect. You smile at how cute he is.

Jake: Trying my best. What do you think?

You: A for effort. You coming for my job or something, Kiszka?

Jake: Obviously.

Jake: Just kidding. I’m cooking and needed it out of the way. What are you up to tonight? 

You smirk as an idea pops into your head, thinking that Jake might be really interested in what you’re currently doing.

Pushing the bubbles around yourself, you bend one leg so it’s slightly out of the water. You angle your phone camera so the whole bathtub is captured with the entirety of your bare thigh exposed, nearly up to your hip. You send the playful photo to Jake, figuring he wouldn’t mind.

You: I’m in here, wishing I had some company right now 

Jake: You’re actually going to be the death of me

Jake: And I’m supposed to keep my hands off of you until Friday? God

You giggle at his reply. 

You: Patience, baby

Jake: Yeah, no

You: :) 

You chuckle and set your phone down, picking up the wine and your book and diving in. The bubbles are long gone and the water is lukewarm at best when you finally decide to get out of the tub and get ready for bed. You run through your evening routine and settle into your comfy bed when you check your phone again to see another message from Jake.

Jake: Jokes aside, you’re probably heading off to bed soon and I wanted to wish you goodnight and sweet dreams. This weekend was one of the best I’ve had in a long while, thanks to you. I’m really looking forward to spending time with you next weekend, sweetheart. 

Jake: P.S. you’re a really good kisser. I hope we can fit making out once or twice into our packed agenda of eating dinner on the couch and watching movies.

You snort before replying to him. 

You: Thank you for everything this weekend. I had the best time. And I think we can squeeze that and maybe a few other things into the Friday itinerary. Goodnight Jake, sweet dreams.

Tossing your phone to the side once the message is sent, you quickly drift off to sleep.

Jake opens the last message from you and chuckles. He locks his phone and rolls onto his side to get comfortable. He notices the pillow you slept on still faintly smells of you, and he smiles to himself as he takes it into his arms to cuddle it. He falls asleep just as quickly as you do. 

•

•

The week flies by, you were incredibly busy at work, and before you know it, it’s Thursday evening. You and Jake had been texting all week long, and you couldn’t wait to see him so soon.

Jake was nervously pacing in his living room, Josh watching him from the couch while he tried to watch a movie.

“Can you sit down? Jesus Christ. You picked this and you aren’t even watching.” Josh grumbled.

Jake sighed. “I don’t know what to make for dinner tomorrow.”

Josh eyed his twin. “That’s what has you worked up right now? Your menu? Make homemade pizzas and get the wine you know she likes and call it good.”

Jake nods and continues pacing, deep in thought. “See, I already thought of that. But I’m really good at cooking and could do something way more impressive. But I don’t really know what she likes. And what if I mess it up or she doesn’t like-“

Josh stood and yanked Jake to the couch. “Breathe. You’re overthinking this. Make the damn pizza.”

Jake glares at Josh and he continues. “It’s not about the food, you could honestly probably feed her takeout from McDonald’s and she would still be just as happy. It’s about spending time with you.”

“Okay. You have a point. I just want things to be perfect because she’s so perfect and so far out of my league.” Jake finishes with a sigh and rubs his chin. 

Josh’s eyes don’t move from the TV screen as he replies. “I think you should stop worrying. I know it’s hard. But she really likes you. Just let things happen.”

Jake glanced at his brother and huffed before pulling out his phone to make his grocery list for the next day.

Meanwhile, you were at home packing your bag for tomorrow. Eyeing your lingerie sets, you run your fingers over the different pieces of lace. You threw both a white and a black set in your bag, unable to choose. 

You flop onto your bed with a sigh once your bag is fully packed and you’re ready for your last day of work. You send Jake a quick text, since you both had been wishing each other good morning and good night all week.

You: I’m off to bed early, sweet dreams baby. I can’t wait for tomorrow :)

Jake glanced down at his phone in his hand and smiled. Josh smiled as well, watching his brother and figuring that he was talking to you. 

Jake: I’ve been waiting for Friday all week. Make sure you’re well rested for our movie marathon tomorrow :) goodnight and sweet dreams. 

•

•

It’s a beautiful and sunny Friday, and you finish work a little ahead of schedule, so you freshen up your hair and makeup at your work area.

“Hot date tonight?” Your coworker, Ashley, asked from behind you. 

You smirked a little as you curled another section of hair. “Something like that.”

“With who? Where are they from? Tinder, Hinge, Bumble-”

You cut her off with a sly smile. “A client.”

Ashley gasped. “You didn’t. No way. You of all people? Okay, okay. Let me guess who it is.” She closed her eyes and tapped her temples. Her eyes shot open as she mentally flipped through your potential suitors and she remembered one in particular. “Please, please tell me it’s a date with a very hot and very talented guitarist named Jake.”

You fluffed your hair, finishing up. “Yeah, he really is hot, isn’t he?”

Ashley squealed. “Oh, this is too good. I want to know everything on Monday.” She grins at you in the mirror. 

You turn around, starting to walk away, itching to get out of there. The more time you spend at work, the less time you have with Jake.  “Of course. Have a good weekend, Ashley!”

She waves and you zip over to your car and let Jake know you’re on your way. He doesn’t see your message because he’s busy putting the finishing touches on dinner and setting up his living room with candles and his favorite blankets. 

You park in his driveway and make your way to the door, ringing the doorbell. Jake all but sprints to the door and swings it open with a huge grin on his face. He’s wearing a classic Jake outfit - cropped and barely buttoned navy button-down shirt with his favorite pair of well-loved light wash jeans cuffed at the ankles, with his silver atocha coin pendant resting on his tanned chest. 

“Hey, you!” He says happily with a big grin as he tugs you over the threshold and into a tight hug. “Hi Jacob.” You say into his almost-bare chest, the back of your head being held by his hand. 

Jake loosens his grip on you and you pull back, but stay in his arms. “How was work?” He asks as he tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. 

You shrug. “Work was fine, nothing too exciting. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, I have some really important plans tonight.”

Jake smiles down at you as he reaches behind to shut the door, his eyes not leaving yours. “Oh yeah? Like what?” 

You loop your fingers into his belt loops and pull him forward, your lips meeting his. Without any hesitation, he’s kissing you back fiercely, moving his hands around your neck while you slide one hand just under the hem of his shirt that lands at his hips, and your other hand begins running up and down his warm chest. 

When you both can’t take it anymore, you pull back slightly. Jake’s chest is heaving up and down while he catches his breath and he looks at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“Mmm, yeah that was really important.” Jake says in his deep rasp. You pat his chest with a smirk and he grabs your hand, kissing the back of it before leading you to his kitchen. 

“Jake, it smells amazing in here.” You say as you both stand in the kitchen. Jake smiles and looks down at the bottle of wine he’s grabbed, pouring both of you a glass. His cheeks warm at your praise. 

“Thank you, I’m really glad I get to cook for you tonight.” He hands you the glass of wine and you thank him with a kiss on the cheek. 

You sit on a stool in his kitchen after offering to help, which he immediately shot down. “You know, I remember there was one time you made chocolate chip cookies and brought them to the office on a day I was working there with you guys, and I’m pretty sure they were the best cookies I’ve ever had in my entire life. It had to have been two years ago but I still remember them.” You tell him and he smiles fondly at the memory.

It wasn’t often that he would bring homemade treats to the office, but he remembered from one of his appointments that you loved sweets, especially cookies. He purposely woke up early that day to make cookies to bring for everyone, but mainly you. The way your eyes lit up when he nervously approached you with the container and the big smile you gave him after declaring they were utterly delicious sent him to heaven and back. 

Jake smiles at you. “I have cookie dough chilling in the fridge, I remembered you really liked those. I’ll put them in the oven after dinner so we can have them for our movies.”

You rest your head on your hand on the counter and sigh happily up at Jake. “I don’t think you could get any sweeter, Jacob.” 

Jake’s cheeks darken into the nearly perpetual blush he has when he’s around you and he walks by you to grab the pizzas he made out of the oven. “Only for you.” He says with his back to you as he opens the oven, too shy to say that while making eye contact. You grin at the man standing before you, your heart overflowing. The feelings you had for Jake were unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. He was kind, thoughtful, hilarious, talented, intelligent - truly one in a million.

He sets the pizzas on the counter and they look amazing. “Okay chef, tell me what we have here.” You stand up and move to be next to him, lightly bumping his elbow and he chuckles.

“Um, well, this one on the left is a rosemary bacon goat cheese, it’s my favorite to make, and I didn’t know if that would sound good to you so I also made a cheese one.” Jake rubs the back of his neck nervously and peers down at you. 

“No, these both look amazing, thank you so much for making dinner.” You tell him as you wrap one arm around his waist and squeeze gently.

He wraps his arm around you as well and leans his head on yours. “You’re welcome, I’m just glad we can spend some time together this weekend.” He says quietly. He unwinds his arm and starts cutting the pizzas while you put the fruit and salads he had already prepped on the table.

You both grab some slices of pizza and sit at his kitchen table. It’s truly the best pizza you’ve ever had, far surpassing anything you’ve ever made before.

“Oh my god Jake, this is so good!” You say. He finishes his bite, holding back a smile. “I’ve been told before that if something happens and music doesn’t work out, I should pursue a culinary career.” He laughs.

You both finish eating dinner and Jake puts the cookies in the oven. Eyeing the bottle of wine on the counter, you refill both of your glasses and move to his living room, where he has cozy pillows, blankets, and candles set up. 

“Hey Jake, I’m going to change into comfier clothes.” You yell while walking upstairs with your bag. You walk into his room and grab your crewneck and leggings out of your bag and start to change. Jake had wandered upstairs and figured you were changing in his bathroom and strolled into his bedroom without a second thought, also planning on changing.

Your back was to his door and you were in your underwear, pulling your shirt off when you hear him behind you. “Oh my god! Sorry, sorry-” he says as he nearly trips over himself, stumbling out of his room hastily to give you privacy. Little did Jake know, you truly didn’t mind.

A giggle escapes your mouth as you turn around. “Jake, come back here!” You yell to him, still in your bra and underwear set.

He slowly walks back into his room, cheeks on fire and heart beating out of his chest, and is staring with wide eyes. Jake is seemingly frozen, taking all of you in. “I’m sorr-”

“Shh,” you whisper, approaching him and placing a finger on his lips, “it’s okay.” 

Jake swallows harshly and looks at you and timidly places his hands on either side of your waist, holding you close. His heart is pounding, but so is yours. “You are so beautiful.” He whispers as his sweet honey eyes meet yours. You smile and tuck some hair behind his ear before looping your arms around his neck. His lips are on yours instantly and all of a sudden, he’s pushed you against his bedroom wall. His hands begin to wander and so do yours, all without breaking the feverish kisses. He’s squeezing your ass and you have one hand up his shirt and one hand moving to his zipper when the oven goes off and a series of beeps chirp loudly from downstairs.

Jake pulls back with a loud groan. “God fucking dammit.” He mutters and you giggle. You back up off the wall and he heaves a heavy sigh before running downstairs to grab the cookies. 

You turn back to your bag, the moment ruined, but decide to put on your white lacy lingerie set under your comfy clothes. Jake hears you come downstairs and rubs the back of his neck when you come into the kitchen.

“Well, at least we have cookies.” He says while shooting you a nervous glance, making sure that you were fine after what just happened in his room. The tension between you two is thick. 

You laugh. “Can we get cozy on the couch? I really want to cuddle up with you.” You tell him and he gives you a small smile and a nod and puts a plate on the counter. “Throw some cookies on this plate and I’ll be right back.”

Jake runs upstairs to change and sighs as he looks at the situation in his pants. There’s no way you both were going to make it through a movie, much less an entire marathon, without things escalating. 

He came back down to find you cozied up under his blanket with the plate of cookies nearby. He grins at your cuteness and slides under the blanket with you. He tugs you into his side while grabbing the remote and starts scrolling through Netflix.

“What are you in the mood for, sweetheart?” He asks and you hum. “I know you love Pirates of the Caribbean, just throw on one of those?”

“God, you’re incredible.” He mutters under his breath and you snicker in response. He finds the first Pirates movie and hits play. You cozy up further into his side and he grabs a warm cookie off the plate and rips off a piece.

“You want some, baby?” He says quietly and you nod, fully expecting him to hand you the piece. Instead, he brings it to your mouth and watches your lips close around the small bite. His fingers brush your lips and his eyes turn dark. You throw your head back against his shoulder. “Oh my god, just as good as I remember.”

He laughs and feeds you another piece before taking a bite of his own. “Yeah, these are pretty good, in my humble opinion.”

The cookie is gone and you eye the plate on the side table on the other side of Jake. Feeling devious, you sit up a little and slide yourself across Jake’s lap, facing him. His mouth opens slightly out of surprise and you lean over to ghost his lips while blindly grabbing a cookie off the plate. “I wanted another one.” You whisper onto his lips and just before he can close the slight distance between your face and his, you slide back into your original spot with your cookie in hand.

“That was so mean.” Jake pouts and you laugh. You break off a piece of the cookie and hold it up to his lips as a consolation prize. He rolls his eyes at you but accepts the bite.

You both sit quietly for a few minutes, snuggled up together, before Jake gets antsy. His arm is wrapped around you and he starts making circles into your skin with his hand. His other hand is tapping his thigh, his eyes are on the TV screen. You can tell he’s not watching at all and his mind is elsewhere.

“You good, baby?” You ask him. He nods.

“Just fine.” He mumbles. 

You take your hand that’s resting on his chest and start slowly moving it down to his thigh. You start rubbing gentle circles up near where his thigh and hip meet and Jake shakily inhales before muttering “fuck it” and yanking you onto his lap. You’re straddling him, kissing him furiously while his hands pick up right where they left off in his bedroom.

Jake’s tongue dances at the entrance of your mouth and you eagerly let him in. Your hands travel down to the crotch of his pants and in that moment, you thank a higher power for Jake changing into sweatpants as you start to tug his pants down. “This okay?” You ask him, out of breath.

“Yes, oh my god yes.” He manages to get out and he lifts himself up a little so you can slide his pants off. You start attacking his neck with small kisses and move lower to his collarbone so you can leave marks. Your teeth sink gently into his skin and a whine escapes Jake’s throat and he moves his hands to the hem of your crewneck, hastily trying to lift it over your head.

He’s pantsless and you’re shirtless and Jake slows his movements for a moment, gawking at you in your lingerie. He has never seen someone so angelic in his life, and he swears that he will never commit another sin again if it means he can have you half naked in his lap every day for the rest of eternity.

“Holy shit,” he breathes, “you are so fucking beautiful, baby.” You grin at him while ripping your own leggings off and start kissing him again, this time rolling your hips a little and his cock is begging to be set free as it moves against your soaked core. Jake moans as you roll your hips and nibble on his ear at the same time and it’s the hottest sound you’ve ever heard.

“Let me hear you Jake.” You whisper into his ear before tugging on it with his teeth and he moves his hands from squeezing your ass to gripping the underside of your thighs, and he stands, shakily carrying you out of his living room. You don’t make it up the stairs, instead, he carries you to the wall and shoves you against it, still holding you up. Your legs are wrapped around his waist, your hands tugging his hair, and his tongue finds its way into your mouth again. 

You unwrap your legs and slide off of him, but Jake keeps you pressed against the wall. “Don’t fucking move.” He says in a deep voice. It’s now his turn to leave marks of his own on you, your body a blank canvas for the art he’s about to leave on your chest and stomach. His lips glide down the center of your chest as he skillfully unhooks your lingerie and tosses it to the side. “Angel, you’re an angel, so perfect.” He whispers as he starts to wrap his lips around your breast and you hiss out of pleasure when he bites down just above your nipple. He soothes the bite with his tongue before moving to your other side and continuing to kiss, suck, bite, and lip all the way down to below your belly button. He’s firmly holding you in place with his hands, his mouth doing all of the heavy lifting.

“Can I take these off, baby?” He asks with his fingers hooked in the elastic band and you all but rip the last remaining bit of lace off your body on your own.

“Someone’s eager.” Jake chuckles darkly. He starts leaving kisses and nibbles on the insides of your thighs while still holding you against the wall firmly at your hips and you're shaky and quickly losing the ability to stand while Jake continues to paint a canvas across your body.

“Jake,” you whine in a high pitch, “take me upstairs, please baby.” 

He moves his hands from your hips to under your ass and he lifts you with ease again. You start kissing his neck as he carefully navigates up the stairs and he throws you onto your back on his bed. Jake’s immediately on top of you and your hands travel to his boxers, tugging them down. His lips don’t falter against yours as he tosses the last bit of his own clothing to the side.

“Jake, baby, please, I need you.” You beg into his lips as your hands travel down to his cock and you start showing him some attention. Jake moans in response as he feels your hand wrapped around him and your free hand travels to his hair, yanking his face to yours.

“I. Fucking. Need. You.” You groan with gritted teeth and Jake’s chest is pounding as you push him off of you and force him onto his back. You’re in control now, and it’s not something Jake’s used to in bed.

“Jesus sweetheart.” He pants, chest starting to gleam with sweat. You start to kiss and lick down his tanned body, small breaths and whines leaving the back of his throat, until your lips meet the base of his cock. He’s big and beautifully pink, a delicious bead of precum waiting for you at the tip.

“Is this okay baby?” You ask and Jake can hardly get words out. “Please.” He whines and you immediately sink your lips around him, taking him in fully until he’s brushing the back of your throat. “So good for me baby, so good.” He moans and you take his balls in your hand, gently massaging them, as you start to move your lips up and down his shaft, swirling your tongue around the tip. Another whine escapes Jake’s throat involuntarily, he can’t help it, not when he’s been dreaming of a moment like this for three years.

You continue working up and down his cock, sweat pooling on Jake’s forehead and his hands gripping your hair, when his edge is quickly approaching.

“Baby you need to- I’m going to- if you keep.” He shakily gets out, no coherent thought able to make it from his brain to his lips as you suck him off to oblivion and back. You continue your movements until Jake moans your name and you feel him painting the back of your throat with his release. You swallow and slowly let him out of your mouth before kissing your way back up to his lips.

He eagerly greets you with his tongue yet again, small whines coming from both of you as he sits up and you sit in his lap, lips hungrily moving together.

Jake takes two of his fingers and drags them through your dripping core. “Is this all for me baby? What’s got you so worked up?” He’s looking at you with a shit-eating grin before he takes those same fingers and wraps his lips around them, eyes rolling back into his head. It’s incredibly filthy and incredibly sexy and-

“If I don’t have you inside of me in the next five minutes, I’m going to fucking die.” You huff and Jake’s eyes open and he takes his fingers out of his mouth, only to wrap his hand around your neck lightly.

“Patience, baby.” He growls lowly. “I’ve been waiting for this for three fucking years and we are going to take our time. Do you understand me?” 

You gulp, this Jake being worlds apart from the whiny man you were sucking off minutes prior. His hand is still lightly wrapped around your neck as you nod. 

“I need you to use your words, sugar.” Jake says, eyes dripping with lust for you. “I understand.” You whisper and Jake leans forward, not moving his hand.

“Do you know what the color system is?” He whispers into your ear and you nod. “Green, keep going, yellow, slow down, and red is a hard stop. What’s your color, sweetheart?”

“Green, fucking green.” You get out shakily, loving the feeling of his large calloused hand clamped around your neck and Jake smiles darkly. “My pretty little baby, our fun isn’t over yet.” He says and he finally removes his hand from your throat only to take fingers from that hand and tease you by swirling around your clit before sliding inside of you. You arch your back and moan loudly and Jake’s loving it. 

“Come on baby, let me hear you. Let me hear that pretty voice sing for me.” He says in a deep voice as his fingers start to work expertly inside of you. Jake’s enjoying this just as much as you are, and his cock is starting to grow hard again at the sounds of your moans and whines and feeling of his fingers pumping inside and around you. His fingers are curling and swirling in ways that feel incredibly sinful and his lips are kissing and biting your stomach and it must be what heaven feels like. 

“I need you to cum for me pretty, can you do that? Filthy girl, I know you want to.” He says with ragged breaths as he works you to your orgasm. You let go and Jake lets out a pleased hum, helping you ride out your pleasure. 

Jake slides up to your lips and tucks hair behind your ear. “Condom, baby?” You shake your head, struggling to find words. “I’m on the pill. Clean. I’m good.” 

Jake grins. “Me too. Are you ready to keep having fun, sugar?” You nod and Jake wraps his hand around your throat again, knowing that you like that.

“Words.” He gets through his gritted teeth.

“Yes baby, please, please I need you, need you inside of me.” You beg and Jake grins before kissing you and dragging your bottom lip down with his teeth.

He lines himself up and pushes himself into you, and you stand corrected. This is what heaven must be like. 

“So fucking tight,” Jake moans, “fuck.” He starts pumping in and out of you, finding a relentless rhythm and you wrap your legs around his torso and start biting on his collarbone and wrapping your hands in his hair. “My pretty little baby, taking my cock so well, I knew you would.” He praises you and you thank him with a kiss to his sweaty bare chest as he continues pounding into you. You know that you’re going to wake up with all sorts of aches after tonight, but it is so worth it.

You whine into Jake’s ear. “Jake, Jakey, I’m close.” 

“Do not cum,” he growls, not sacrificing his pace, “not until I say you can.”

“Please, please, baby,” you whine louder, “Jake, please let me cum. Let me cum all over your cock, baby please.”

Your begging and whining just propels Jake closer and closer to his own orgasm. You wrap your legs around him tighter and yank his hair just a little harder and he manages to get out, “Come on baby, cum for me.” 

You moan and finish with him inside of you and he’s right there with you. The feeling of him finishing, his release filling you up, and then him pulling out slowly is one that you hope you’ll get to experience again and again.

Jake collapses next to you and rolls onto his side, planting a small kiss on your lips. You lay together for a moment, completely still except for your chests moving up and down, trying to breathe normally again. Jake finds his footing and gets up, returning moments later with a warm washcloth. He carefully cleans you up and then himself and tosses the washcloth into his hamper. 

He walks back over to you and smiles. “Come on baby, let’s take a shower.” Jake says softly as he looks down at you in your completely fucked-out state.

You allow him to gently pull you off of his bed and he carries you to his bathroom, carefully setting you on the counter while he grabs towels and starts the water. 

Jake allows you to get in the shower first and the two of you stand under the water together, facing each other. You tilt your head up for a kiss and Jake presses his lips to yours and pulls back slightly. 

“Can I wash your hair for you, sweetheart?” He asks and you smile at him, never having been with someone that took care of you like this before. 

“Yes please.” You say in a small voice and Jake smiles as he grabs shampoo and puts some in his hair and yours. His fingers are like magic as they work the shampoo into your scalp, and your eyes fall shut. Jake giggles. “Don’t fall asleep on me yet.” He teases and you open one eye to playfully glare at him. 

Jake helps rinse the shampoo out of your hair and puts conditioner in it next. While that sits on both of your heads, he lathers up some soap and starts gently running his hands all over your body, leaving soft kisses in the places that water rinses you off. His touch is so gentle and caring. 

Once you both are all set, he dries you off, pressing more little kisses to your shoulders, chest, and hips, and then hands you a tshirt of his. You smile fondly at the worn cotton and pull it over your head before brushing your hair and getting ready for bed. 

Both of you collapse onto Jake’s bed, and he pulls you into him immediately. “Come here sweetheart, let’s get cozy.” He mumbles. Sleep is quickly coming for both you and him. Settling into his warm chest, you look up at him to see he’s already looking at you with a tired smile on his face. 

“Goodnight Jake.” You whisper and he gives you one last kiss before wishing you sweet dreams. 

•

•

The morning sun is peeking in through the windows and Jake wakes up before you do. He looks down at your sleeping figure curled up into him. Seeing you peacefully sleeping against him while wearing his shirt is something he wishes he could start every day with. He brushes hair out of your face and starts running his fingers lightly down your back. 

“Good morning sweetheart.” He says when your eyes start to open. “How did you sleep?”

You groan and stretch and curl up deeper into Jake’s side. He smiles at how cute you are when you’re sleepy. “So good,” you mumble, “you make a good pillow.” He smiles adoringly at you. 

You stay snuggled up to Jake for a few minutes and then lean up to give him a kiss once fully awake. “What are you up to today?” You ask him.

He shrugs. “Nothing really.”

You nod. “Same here.” You aren’t ready to leave Jake yet, and you have a suspicion that he feels the same. 

Jake looks over at you. “Stay with me. Please. I’ll make us breakfast and we can go to the farmer’s market. I don’t want you to leave yet.”

“I don’t want to leave either.” You say softly and the corners of his lips turn up. 

“Okay, I’ll get a head start on breakfast while you get ready.” Before you can offer to help, he places a quick kiss on your forehead and darts out of his room. 

You take a few minutes to put yourself together, and by the time you head downstairs, Jake’s almost done making pancakes and bacon. The sight of him standing in his kitchen, only in his boxers, is nearly enough to make you start drooling. 

“Hey, can you grab syrup and chocolate chips from the pantry?” He asks when he hears you walk in and you rifle through the items in the pantry until you find both. 

“Do you put both syrup and chocolate chips on your pancakes, Jake?” You ask, setting both on the counter. 

He breaks his concentration from the pancakes and turns around with a tiny grin. “I’ve told you before, I have a sweet tooth.”

You smile and grab plates and silverware and Jake puts food on both plates. You sit at his kitchen table together, eating breakfast and watching squirrels and birds in his backyard. It’s all so comfortable and natural, and you feel so at home with him. 

Jake quickly gets ready and you wash the breakfast dishes while you wait. He slips downstairs and a pair of hands find their way around your waist. “Ready to head out?” He asks lowly in your ear. 

You spin around and nod. He plants a single kiss on your lips before you both head out and get in his Jeep.

Jake plugs his phone in and puts his Spotify on shuffle. It’s a quick drive to the farmer’s market and the two of you sing along goofily to the songs playing. 

“I know we’re not really trying right now, but you do have a beautiful voice, Jake,” you tell him and his eyebrows raise and cheeks flush, “you should sing more.”

He clears his throat, clearly shy. “Um, maybe.” He nervously chuckles. It tugs at your heartstrings, knowing that he’s so musically gifted in so many ways, but he’s not as confident when it comes to singing. 

You reach over to grab his hand and he laces his fingers with yours for the rest of the drive. 

The farmer’s market is busy, and you get out of the car and the smell of flowers from a nearby stand instantly hits you and you close your eyes and smile. Jake matches your smile as he watches you open your eyes and turn to him. “Ready?” He asks and you nod, heading towards the crowd of people.

Jake insists that you stop first at the flowers, and he grabs a pretty bunch of wildflowers. You object, but he insists on getting them for you. “Thank you Jake,” you say as you hold them close to your face, “these are so gorgeous.”

He moves his sunglasses up and his eyes are glowing as he looks down at you. “You remind me of wildflowers, you know. They’re vibrant and full of personality. And beautiful.”

Your cheeks darken and you and look up at him. “You’re making me blush, Jacob.”

He chuckles and the corners of his eyes wrinkle as he smiles. “Good, you make me blush all the fucking time.”  You giggle and start walking, flowers in hand. Jake puts his sunglasses back on and walks next to you. 

The two of you slowly walk through the aisles of stands. It’s crowded, people nearly bumping into each other constantly, and Jake brushes his hand against yours. You think it might have been an accident due to the close proximity you’re forced into, but it happens again and he tries to catch your pinky finger. You pull your hand away. 

“Jake, we can’t, what if someone recognizes you?” You whisper quietly and his heart sinks a little. All he wants is to be yours, in public and in private, he doesn’t care what people think or may see. 

“I don’t care.” He whispers back, trying to catch your eyes, but you are looking ahead and keeping your hand away from his, holding the flowers in front of you with both hands. 

You aren’t even together, hell it’s only been a week and a half since you cut his hair and he invited you to hang out, but there’s a piece of him that’s hurt that you aren’t holding his hand in public when you are kissing and touching each other constantly when no one else is around. 

Neither of you say a word as you traipse through the rest of the market and make your way back to his Jeep. You silently get in and stare straight ahead, hands folded in your lap. Jake looks at you and sighs quietly, taking his sunglasses off.

“I meant it. I don’t care if someone sees me holding your hand.” He says, his tone laced with a little bit of hurt.

You turn to look at him. “I care, Jake. I don’t want to cause issues for you.” 

He shakes his head. “It’s really okay, I promise. I’m not really stopped in public that often anyways.” He hesitantly moves to grab one of your hands and you let him. He kisses the back of your hand and looks at you. “I like touching you.” He says plainly and you have to stifle a giggle at his forwardness.

“I know, you’re the touchiest person I’ve ever met in my entire life.” You pull your hand back and give him a smirk. “I don’t mind it though.” 

He grins at you and leans forward while tapping his lips, silently asking for a kiss and proving your point. You lean forward too and press a sweet kiss to his lips. 

Jake doesn’t say anything about how he wishes he could be touching you constantly, how he daydreams about what life could look like with you, how he wishes he was fucking you in the backseat of his Jeep right now, how he desperately wants to call you his and his only. He doesn’t want to scare you with his intensity, but little does he know that you’re starting to feel the same way about him. 

“All good? Ready to head out?” He asks instead of revealing any of his thoughts to you and you nod. 

After a few minutes of driving with music quietly playing, Jake pulls back into his driveway and turns to look at you. “I’m guessing you’re going to head home?” He asks. You can tell he wants you to stay, but you have your weekend errands to run, and you also want some down time to yourself before launching into yet another week at work.

You nod in response to his question and grab one of his hands in both of yours. “Thank you again for yesterday Jake, it’s been fun hanging out with you. And thank you again for the flowers.” 

He gives you a small smile and leans forward to press a kiss to your forehead. “Let’s do something this week or next weekend too, yeah?”

You tuck a piece of hair behind his ear. “I’d like that.” You say softly. You lean forward to kiss him. “Text me.” You say as you get out of his Jeep and he grins. “Bye sweetheart, see you soon.” He says and you wave as you get into your car and pull out of his driveway.

Jake watches you drive away and he leans back in his seat, making no effort to go inside his house. Despite the tiny bit of awkwardness earlier, he smiles as he reflects on the last 18 hours spent with you. He hasn’t felt this happy and his heart hasn’t been so full in a long, long time. 

Good things are happening. I just need to be patient. 

•

•

TAGLIST: @reesetrippingthelight @spark-my-nature

[unreadpoppy]

Wash My Dreams Away - Chapter 6

Halsin x Gwen (Tav) / Raphael x Gwen (Tav) on the side

Read on AO3

Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter took me so long to make and it's so big but here it is. I’m probably going to be taking way longer now to update my on going fics because my university classes came back and so did my internship which means I’m either tired or stressed most of the time. Also, tw for suicide since Yurgir kills himself in this one.

As Gwendolyn’s insomnia persisted - though now she was able to take a few, small naps -  the group decided to give attention to other matters, halting the search for the Thorm family mausoleum temporarily. 

In that time period, Halsin saw the state in which the fist, Art Cullagh was, and thought it possible that maybe he would know how to find Thaniel. After finding his lute in the House of Healing, Art woke up, explaining what had happened to him. With that information, the druid opened up a portal, rescuing the nature spirit. Now, it was only a matter of reuniting him with his other half. 

However, while on this mission, Gwen discovered the grim fate of Locke and Komira - Arabella’s parents. Though Withers had reassured that the young tiefling would be safe, now that she had the Weave with her, Gwendolyn couldn’t help but feel for her. 

“Someone so young shouldn’t have to go through such grief.” She had said to Halsin. Since he wasn’t getting close to solving her insomnia problem, he’d offered the next best thing: company. 

“Nature can be quite cruel.” He replied. “But it always balances itself in the end.” The druid looked at Gwen. “She may have lost her parents, but she has found great power within. Besides, Arabella still has the other tieflings to look out for her.” 

“I know but…I wish there was more that we could do for her.” She sighed. “That I could do for her.”

Halsin placed a hand on her shoulder. “You saved her life, Gwendolyn. And you brought her comfort and shelter when she most needed it.” He told her. 

Gwen looked forwards, watching the girl playing with Scratch and the owlbear cub, laughing around, a bit of her magic sparking. The tiefling nodded and then shook her head. “It’s amazing how always right you are.” She gave Halsin a smirk, the closest thing to a smile she had given to anyone in the past days. 

It may not have been much, but the old elf had to admit how much he had missed seeing her smile, even if it was this. He chuckled. “No one is ever always right. I just happen to be good at observation.” 

Gwen huffed, and shook her head. Her attention shifted towards his tent, and upon seeing the sleeping Thaniel, she sighed. “Have you figured out what’s wrong with him?”

Halsin nodded. “The shadows rended him in two when they bore him away to the Shadowfell. Half of his essence remained here, amidst the curse.” The druid proceeded to explain how the other half must have been corrupted from being in the shadow cursed land, that it might not recognize Thaniel or be reasoned with. 

Gwen nodded. “You have any ideas on how to find the missing part?”

“No matter how the shadows might have twisted it, it’s still a part of Thaniel’s essence. It will resemble him somehow, and may show part of his powers.” He proposed. “Look for signs of life in the darkness. Wildflowers, where everything else is dead.”

While he spoke, Gwen began thinking if she had seen anything like that before. The wildflowers part, especially, spoke to her. 

“I think…I think I know somewhere we could look first.” She said, cautiously. “My memory may be a bit foggy now but I remember collecting a night orchid - Shadowheart’s favorites - near this old house.”

Halsin nodded. “It could be a beginning. I’ll admit that, when we first entered the shadow cursed lands, I saw something of the sort. Fool that I am, I did not grasp their significance at the time.” He shook his head and continued. “There is a ruin, some way outside of Last Light. I caught a glimpse of fresh blooms there, but did not investigate further. I shall mark it on your map.” 

Gwen put her hands on her tights and pushed herself up. “I’ll go get to it.” She yawned, turning her back to him and walking away. 

Halsin quickly stood to his feet. “Gwen, wait.” He gently grabbed her wrist, turning her back to him. “This is not a burden you have to bear alone.” He said, looking into her eyes. “Every moment counts, and I’ve asked much of you already without being at your side.” 

Gwen raised a brow but let him continue. “If you want me, I’m yours. Against the curse, the Absolute - anything. Just say the word.” At that, the tiefling could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. She took a deep breath as he said“I’ll be ready.” 

Looking at him, she could see the sincerity in his words. She had been for a long time for him to join them, not just because he would be a valuable asset, but so that Halsin would be around more often. In truth, she had become intrigued by him. Halsin had a heart as big as his stature but he was also fierce when needed. He was a good listener, wise and when around the druid, Gwen felt safe. In the past weeks, she had gotten closer to him, considering him a friend. 

‘I wonder if he feels the same.’ She thought. ‘If there could be more…’ A stray thought passed through her head, of them becoming more than friends, but she shook her head.

“I think you should come with us. I want you to come with us.” Gwendolyn finally spoke up. 

Halsin smiled. “Now our roots can deepen - together.” 

The tiefling ran off, gathering the others, and soon, they were in search of Thaniel’s missing half. 

…

Once Oliver and Thaniel were reunited, the fey arose from his slumber, putting the party back on their mission: if the shadow curse was to be lifted, Ketheric Thorm must die. 

The Thorm Mausoleum. After a day of search, the entrance was finally there. There was a mixture of feelings - relief that they were one step closer to their goal, and anxiety, for only the gods knew what awaited them. 

As they approached it, Raphael made his presence known.

“Our hero but thought a treasure ahead, Did not consider the peace of the dead.” He said, turning his attention to the party. “Through the dark she went creeping, And awoke what was sleeping. A new grave they dug, which she herself fed.”

For a brief second, Gwendolyn thought that her mind was imagining him, considering how deprived of sleep she had been, but after seeing the expressions on her friend’s faces, she knew he was real. 

Gwen sighed. “How long were you practicing that little recital?”

“Until it was perfect.” He said. “I’ve grown quite fond of you, you know, in my own way.” Gwen raised a brow at that. “I thought to give you a warning for the dangers ahead.” 

The devil proceeded to talk about a creature, one as infernal as he, that lay within the Mausoleum. With a little prodding, he revealed that this creature was an old enemy of his. The ‘devil incarnate’, as Raphael put it, was a strong and dangerous foe that should be put down quickly. 

“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Astarion.” He turned his attention towards the vampire. “When the beast is dead, I’ll consider payment enough to translate those scars of yours.” 

“A fairer deal then I expected” The elf replied. 

“You wound me, spawn. I always deal fairly.” Raphael eyed Gwen up and down for a moment before continuing “And we’ll close this particular deal soon enough - vanquish the beast and all will be revealed.” 

At that last phrase, the devil looked straight at the tiefling, a smirk forming on his lips. She squinted her eyes at him, trying to understand if there was some underlying meaning behind those words, however, before she could think about it, he was gone. 

…

‘Of course there’s a temple of Shar here and of course it is full of traps.’ Gwendolyn thought to herself as Astarion finished disarming yet another trap. After the place was cleared, the party moved forward, Shadowheart quickly noticing the skeletons of several Dark Justiciars. 

They explored more, stopping when they found a displacer beast and a voice said “What’s this? Fresh entertainment?”

The group looked up and were met with the sight of a large and strong devil, one Gwen recognized as an orthon. This must be Raphael’s enemy. 

“But you’re too fresh for this place, aren’t you? There’s a whiff of the surface to you.” He took a great sniff. “And you - tiefling. You have more infernal blood than others of your species“ He said, looking at Gwen. “...There’s something else, almost hidden by your fear-stink…cherries, musk…sulphur.” The orthon paused for a moment, getting angry. “Raphael! I can smell him all over you. Where is he?!”

At that, Gwendolyn felt Halsin tense up behind her. She thought, for a moment, about her options. Raphael had warned them about how dangerous a direct confrontation with the devil could be, and she was too tired to fight. Considering how she had been able to evade a fight with the corrupted Thorm family before, she wondered if she could get the orthon to off himself as well. 

“Wait - you know Raphael?” She asked him, pretending not to know that they were acquaintances. 

“That perfumed trickster swindled me - trapped me.”

“You know, I’ve had dealings with the devil. Maybe we can help each other.” She offered. 

“Where is he? Spit it out - now.” 

“What are you doing?” Astarion whispered. “The devil told us to kill this thing, so let’s stop chatting and kill it.” 

She turned back to look at him, sending a message via the tadpoles. ‘Trust me.’ 

‘Oh, I’m sorry for questioning the decision making of our sleep deprived leader’ He responded back, sarcastically. 

Gwen rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the orthon. “Let’s share our experiences about Raphael. Perhaps there’s something we can do to help each other.” 

“Bargaining, are you?” He scoffed. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s not just the wall that keep me here. Not the traps, the dark or the creatures it hides. Something stronger holds me here - a contract.” The devil explained.  “Either I fulfill it, die trying or forfeit my freedom. If I leave this place now, I’ll become Raphael’s slave.” 

Putting a hand on her hip, and trying to bring her most charming smirk, Gwen said, gesturing to herself “You are in luck. I happen to be an expert in such deals - and there is always a loophole.” 

“Raphael is no foolish story-devil. His mind is different. Sneaky. Listen…” The orthon began to sing, and Gwen had to cross her arms so as to not cover her ears. 

As she listened to the contract-song, she felt a chuckle of crackling fire in the back of her mind. Her patron, Skathís, enjoyed a cleverly constructed contract, it seemed. Especially the ones with a built in loophole. 

“Pay attention to the song’s last couplet.” She could hear him whispering in her ear. “The clause is near impossible to complete.”

“That’s it.” The orthon finished. 

“He’s the one who slaughtered the Dark Justiciars.” Shadowheart said. 

“We can kill now? Because if he doesn’t die, Raphael won’t say a damn thing about my scars!” Astarion complained, and Gwendolyn turned back to shush him. He huffed, crossing his arms. 

“Parchment can burn. Oral agreements aren’t worth the tongues they’re waggled out upon. A song lingers.” The orthon explained. “I did as instructed, but the song still rattles in my head - the contract still stands, somehow. If I break it, I’ll become Raphael’s slave - forever.”

‘Always deals fairly my arse.’ Gwen thought, remembering what he had said outside the mausoleum. Then, she once again felt Skathís presence. “Allow me to help, daughter.”

She nodded, feeling his diabolic words on her tongue when she spoke. “You always hear the song, orthon. Kill yourself, be reborn in the Hells, break the contract.” 

Gwen could feel her father’s grin. A job well done. As the orhon called Raphael a bastard, impaling himself on his sword, the tiefling put her hands on her hips, pleased with herself. The others looked at her, impressed. 

“Does…that count as killing him? That had better count.” Astarion said, smiling. 

“I told you to trust me.” She told him, and walked away. 

…

Back at camp, Raphael appeared, keeping his word. He told Astarion of the grim tale behind his scars, of the Ritual of Profane Ascension and the pale elf’s part in it. The vampire excused himself, needing a moment to think of it, leaving Gwendolyn and the devil alone. 

He turned his full attention towards her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you, dear Gwen.” He said, putting a finger on his chin. “Tell me, how well have you been sleeping? Not well, I take it.“ Raphael smirked. 

Her mouth opened, surprised. How did he know? “What do you mean?”

“My, have you taken a look in the mirror recently?” He replied, gesturing to her up and down. “It doesn’t take much to figure it out.” A glint in his eyes told her there was more to it than his keen observation skills, but she couldn’t figure out what. 

Gwen sighed, not having the patience for this. “If you’ve come only to insult me then-”

“Ah, I apologize if my words struck a nerve.” He bowed. “Regardless, I come with a gift.” Raphael moved his hand, a vial with a red liquid appeared in it, a small card tied at the top of it. “For your sleeping ailment.” 

She took it from him, analyzing the drink. Although Raphael had kept his end of the deal with Astarion, she felt that something was off. Gwen looked at him suspiciously. “You’re not trying to poison me, are you?”

“Your lack of sleep is making you say the most absurd accusations. If I were to want you dead, I would have done so long ago.” Raphael scoffed.

She raised a brow. “Then why help me?” 

“Why?” He asked, incredulous. “Because my compassion is boundless, my little butterfly. I stride amongst the needy, giving comfort where I can” He repeated the same words he once said in their first encounter. 

“Compassion is not something befitting of a devil.” 

Raphael smirked. “Ah, but it seems your patron thinks otherwise.” Gwen gulped.“You may try to hide it from your companions, but I know the secret of your heritage, warlock. That your patron, the cambion Skathís, is also your father.” 

He looked down at her. “You think I wouldn’t know how dearly he sang in your ear, showing you the loophole? How eager he was to help end my contract?” His face was contorted in anger. “Did you think I would take kindly to another fiend interfering in my business? After all, I said it was you who must kill the orthon.” 

She froze, not knowing what to do. She hadn’t done anything wrong - it wasn’t as if she could deny her patron’s wishes, but she couldn’t predict his next move.

She gulped. “I, uhm, apologize, then, if my patron’s help was so upsetting to you.” 

He raised a brow. “Hm…I shall not blame the daughter for the sins of her father.” Raphael took a step forward. “Regardless, I must be on my way.” He pointed towards the vial on her hands. “The gift still stands. Take it, and you shall have the sleep of the just.” A light engulfed Raphael and he was gone. 

Gwendolyn stood there, looking at the liquid. It wasn’t a good idea to drink something a devil offered. Afterall, he put a loophole in the orthon’s contract, only the gods knew what this potion could have. 

But, another part of her, the one that was desperate to sleep, wondered how bad could it be? Raphael had kept his end of Astarion’s deal, and truly, he hadn’t done actual harm to the party. Gwen tried to call on her patron’s wisdom but he was silent. 

‘Some sleep would be nice.’ She thought. ‘I need to rest, so I can get better and help the party more. Besides, how am I to face Ketheric when I haven't been in my best state possible?’ 

And so, after all had gone to their bedrolls, Gwen opened up the vial and drank everything, not taking a moment to read the card. In an instant, she was asleep. 

…

As morning came, and all woke up, Halsin was the first to notice that the pink tiefling had actually slept through the night. She was still in her bedroll, while the others were getting ready. 

He crouched down next to her, smiling and nudging her shoulder. “I see you finally got some rest. I hate to cut it short, but we must get on with the day.” 

Gwen showed no signs of waking up. Halsin frowned, gently shaking her shoulder now. “Come on, Gwen, you have to wake up.” 

Still nothing. “Gwendolyn.” He said, grabbing both of her shoulders, raising her slightly from the bedroll. Her head lolled back, eyes still closed. He put his head on her chest, listening to her heart beat. Still trying to be gentle, he shook her once. “Gwen, wake up!” 

“Halsin, what’s wrong?” Shadowheart said, frowning while getting close to him. The others soon turned their attention towards them. 

“It’s Gwen…she won’t wake up.” He said, worry in his voice. She kneeled next to the tiefling, placing a hand on her forehead. 

“Maybe we should throw a bucket of water on her - that’ll wake her up.” Astarion said, and Wyll smacked him on the back of his head. “What? I was just trying to help.” 

As the two healers continued to try and figure out what was wrong, Minthara pointed at something. “What’s that on her hand?”

Halsin took one of Gwen’s wrists and saw that her fist was enclosed on an empty, glass vial. He took it, and read the small card tied to it. 

‘Sweet dreams

- R.’ 

[gelus-ugs]

awkward ask maybe but would you be willing to do xavier x post-op trans male reader? i’m a simp. 😩

Hey, no worries! We’re all simps for Xav here :))

As a trans person myself, this is a nice request to have

[N/n] = Nickname

Update: I haven’t heard anything about the Percy Hynes White situation, so I’m opening back up requests for Xavier Thorpe!

—————————————————————

Scars~ Xavier Thorpe x Trans Male! Reader

—————————————————————

[Y/n] remembered the feeling of him being more than esthetic when he figured out that he was able to get surgery to help his transition.

He knew that the surgery would help with his body dysphoria - and would save him from the pain of having to constantly wear binders.

It was [Y/n]’s dream to be able to walk around shirtless, society having no choice but to finally accept him as a male as he walked around with his head held high.

So when the time came, why did he feel this way?

[Y/n] stared at his reflection in the mirror, eyeing his topless body up and down. It was a hot summer day - the perfect opportunity for him to walk around shirtless and express himself the way he’s always wanted to.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to.

He stared at the scar stretched across his chest, gently running his fingers over it.

What if society doesn’t see me as a male, but as someone who wishes to be one?

The thought clouded [Y/n]’s mind as he felt his eyes begin to tear up. He spent so much money on the surgery so he could finally be comfortable with his body, yet he still didn’t feel that way.

[Y/n] felt the tears roll down his cheeks as he pulled a hoodie over his body and crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to stare at his reflection any longer.

A sudden knock at the door snapped [Y/n] from his thoughts as he flinched from the sudden interruption.

“[N/n], you in there?”

[Y/n] scrambled to the door, mustering his best smile as he opened the door to greet his boyfriend.

“Xavi, hey! I’ll be ready to go in a second, just let me put on my shoes”

Xavier watched as [Y/n] walked away to put on his shoes, Xavier’s gaze filled with concern. He had noticed the dried tears on [Y/n]’s cheeks along with the unusual puffiness of his eyes.

Xavier entered [Y/n]’s dorm and shut the door behind him, crossing his arms as he leaned back on the door.

“[Y/n], love, is everything alright?”

Xavier noticed [Y/n]’s slight pause before he turned to face him, forcing a smile.

“Yeah! Why do you ask?”

“You seem as if you’ve been crying, and you’re wearing a hoodie despite it being ridiculously hot outside”

“It’s nothing important..”

[Y/n] dismissed, their tone softening as they avoided eye contact. Xavier walked towards [Y/n], pulling him into a hug as he gently stroked his back.

“[Y/n], you can tell me what’s wrong. I won’t judge you”

“I-I just…I’m insecure of the scar on my chest. I-I feel like I won’t be seen as a real man because I had to get surgery just to seem like one..”

Xavier removed himself from the hug, placing his hands on [Y/n]’s shoulders and looking him dead in the eyes.

“First of all: Surgery or no surgery, you’re a real man, [Y/n]. It doesn’t matter what you do to your body, you could let it stay the same or change it - but the moment you realize you’re comfortable identifying as a man, then you’re a man…”

Xavier removed his hand from [Y/n]’s shoulder and slowly brought it under [Y/n]’s hoodie, watching for any signs of discomfort. Xavier rested his hand on the scar on [Y/n]’s chest, slowly caressing it.

“…Second of all, the scar on your chest just proves how real of a man you are. I’m going to tell you right now, half of the cis men I know are terrified of surgery and wouldn’t even consider it if their life depended on it”

[Y/n] chuckled,

“Even Ajax?”

Xavier looked around - despite there being no possible reason for Ajax to be able to hear the conversation - and nodded as he leaned in close to whisper,

“Even Ajax”

[Y/n] smiled as he hugged Xavier,

“Thank you, Xavi”

The male smiled as he wasted no time hugging [Y/n] back, kissing the top of his head in the process,

“Of course, love. Now, let’s go on that date, I’m starving!”