#I haven’t spent this long on a piece in a wide minute

[4dr3n4lin3]

two friends

[ragingbookdragon]

All Work And No Play Makes Dull Boys

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

Word Count: 1.1K Warnings: Suggestive Themes

Author's Note: Guess who's back with an actual fic? Fantastic render by @ave661 Go check her out! Enjoy! -Thorne

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If there’s one thing Simon “Ghost” Riley knows about Spades, it’s that she, in all her infinite glory, never spares any expense when it comes to how she looks, and what her gear is. And the same has begun to occur for the 141 as well. It started small, bits and pieces rearranged, a few new knives and sidearms to try out, then it went to bigger things, new rifles and shotguns, and then it hit the gear. At random moments, Spades had pulled each man of the 141 into her room and stripped them down to their tighty-whities before she measured each inch of them—Soap and Gaz had gone willingly, it took Price a few days to convince, and Ghost? Ghost didn’t step foot in her room or anywhere near her when he learned what she was doing—no need though, she already had what she needed from him.

***

It’s a late evening in October when she comes to his door. She doesn’t bother knocking, never does, and unlocks it with a key she had made (he has no idea when and how she did it), stepping into his room. He looks up from the mission brief he’s been reading while laying on his bed, an unimpressed, almost annoyed look in his eyes as he glares at her.

“Don’t look so happy to see me, Simon,” she says with a sickly-sweet tone. “Someone might accuse you of actually liking me.”

“Out.” Is all he says.

She tuts and beckons him with a finger. “Come.”

They stare at each other for a solid minute before he exhales through his nose, annoyed and exasperated, and rolls off the bed; he stretches and rolls his shoulders before following her down the hall into her room.

“I’m not getting measured,” he says as he closes the door behind them.

“As if I don’t already have your measurements, Simon Riley,” she retorts and now he’s a bit unnerved because he’s never given her time to measure him, so how did she already have them? She doesn’t answer his silent question, merely walks to her room divider, and rolls out a fancy looking set of black gear. “I give to you, ‘The Gilded Reaper.’” She announces with a note of pride in her tone and a helluva lot of it in her expression.

He takes one look at it. “I am not wearing that.”

“YOU HAVEN’T EVEN TRIED IT ON!” Spades yells and thrusts her hand to it. “I spent a lot of time and money on this, and you are going to try it on for me whether you like it or not.”

“Am I?” he dares and it’s obvious he’s going to go for the door as she points at him.

“If you make me chase you down and drag you back here, I’m going to make you regret it entirely, do you understand me, Simon Riley?”

He’s almost tempted to do it just to see her follow suit with her threat; he glares her down before he lets out a long breath. “Fine.”

Spades smiles and chirps, “Thank you.” Simon dips behind the divider, tugging the mannequin with him and she rolls her eyes. “It’s as if you think I haven’t seen anything you have before.”

“It’s called ‘common decency,’” he retorts. “Maybe you should look it up.” She throws one of her shoes over the divider at the tuft of blond hair she can see. “That hurt.”

“I meant it. Now hurry up, I want to see it.”

It’s another few moments before he steps outside the divider, and she stares wide-eyed as he does.

“Well?” he asks, and he really means, “This is so fucking stupid.”

Spades takes her time walking in circles around him, pulling at belts, at the straps, checking if everything is fitting well enough before she stops in front of him, staring up into his golden mask.

“I like it,” she notes, and her voice lowers an octave, a tell-tale sign that she’s being honest; she only ever does it with him. “I think it’s you.”

“It’s ostentatious,” he deadpans.

“Careful, that’s a big word for a caveman’s brain.”

He rolls his eyes, not taking the bait of the insult. “I can’t wear this out on missions. It’s practically a neon sign that says, ‘Hey, shoot me!’”

Spades reaches up and strokes the gold mask. “Who said it was missions?”

Simon freezes up, body still as he gazes at her, and Spades looks awfully innocent as she dips her fingers below his golden mask, feeling his masked face beneath. It’s not often that Spades can render Simon completely silent, the two practically have a raging desire to be each other’s constant pissing match that there’s always something to say, and yet, he’s still quiet as she pulls her hands away and twirls around him to his back. Her hands slide up his sides beneath the cape, feeling firm muscle beneath.

“I made this just for us, Simon,” she coos, hands slipping down to his belt where she tugs it. “I was thinking we could take a trip to the mountains where I have that cabin and we could…play.”

“You mean hunt each other,” he breathes, and it’s low and heavy, she knows exactly what he really wants to say.

“All work and no play makes such dull boys,” Spades muses. “We’ve spent so much time working, Simon, we’re awfully dull, don’t you think?”

He lets out a low noise from his throat, a warning that should send bells off in her head, but all it does is urge her on, a grin worming its way onto her lips.

“Please, Simon,” she begs and lifts a leg on the outside of his hip, her thigh just beside his hand. “It would be so much fun.”

His head tips to the side, hand grasping her knee in an iron-clad grip and he spins them; Spades is back up against the wall in a flash and she gives him a flash of white teeth in a smile as he takes her jaw in a firm hand, tilting it up to get a good look at her. “We haven’t played hunt in a while. What makes you think you’ll win this time?” he challenges.

It’s true, Simon often wins their games of hunt, but it’s only because Spades gets tired of waiting and lets herself be hunted down. “Call it a feeling,” she replies, tugging at his center belt. “Should I give you the coordinates for our game, Ghost?”

He leans forward, close enough that she can feel the warmth radiating off of him and he remarks, “I’ll get ‘em on my own.”

As he pulls away, she watches as he turns and stalks for the door, only stopping when her voice reaches him in a provoking, “May the best hunter win.”

[meguwumibear]

A Night Out Dancing

Tomorrow your party will reach JuLai. Tonight Wolfwood wants to dance.

thank you @/firein-thesky for commissioning this piece for the @ficsforgaza collaboration

The sky above No Man’s Land is inky and starless. The air stale and still. Despite the hour, the world around you is oppressively warm and dry. Nights in the desert are usually bitterly cold. You’re not sure what’s gotten into the weather today.

Vash at least doesn’t seem plagued by strange temperature, but then Vash can sleep through anything, including Meryl’s jerky driving, so the comparison isn’t fair. Meryl’s fast asleep too, tucked neatly into the driver’s seat. You watch her toss and turn for a while, wondering what she dreams of. Someplace nice, hopefully. Somewhere lush and flourishing and green.

Even Roberto seems to have found sleep, albeit at the bottom of a bottle. He’s snoring gently in the passenger seat, mouth wide open, empty liquor bottle still clutched tightly in his hands.

Seems everyone’s immune to the hot desert night but you.

There’s a chance it isn’t the heat keeping you up. It’s possible you’re making excuses, blaming the external world around you for your insomnia so you don’t have to turn inward, so you don’t have to confront your building anxieties about what the future holds for your little traveling party. It’s going to crack and splinter apart, isn’t it? Like that land mass you once read about in a book that spoke of some far away planet called Earth. Pangaea. A supercontinent forced apart by shifting tectonic plates.

Tomorrow, you’ll reach JuLai, and everyone will drift away from you. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to remember what it felt like to be whole.

Fuck it. If you’re not gonna get some shut eye, you may as well make yourself useful.

Wolfwood is perched on a sand dune, resting against his cross shaped gun, lit cigarette in hand, nearly burnt down to the filter. He takes one final drag of it as he sees you approach, then snubs the thing out in the sand.

“I’ll take over the watch,” you tell him, eyes drawn to the little ‘o’ shape his mouth makes as he lazily releases the final dregs of smoke.

“Not your turn yet, sweetheart,” he replies. “Go back to sleep.”

If only you could.

“Haven’t been able to. Too much shit on my mind. No sense in my staring at the back of my eyelids when I could be doing this instead.”

Wolfwood stares at you through tinted shades he hasn’t bothered to remove despite the darkness of the night. The glasses are a part of his costume, of his carefully crafted mask that even after months of travelling together he’s still hiding behind. He told you he’s an undertaker, but he dresses like a priest. On a runaway Sandsteamer, you learn he is an orphan. You’ve learned nothing since.

“You should take better care of yourself,” he says, as if caring for yourself is easy.

“You’re one to talk,” you reply, eyes giving him a quick once over. It’s been a few days since you’ve spent the night somewhere with a working bathroom. Without a mirror or razor, the stubble on his chin has grown more and more pronounced. The hairs suit him, you think. Your fingers itch to run along his jaw.

“You’re staring,” he observes, mouth crooking into a smug grin because the undertaker or priest or whatever the fuck he is knows how handsome he is.

“Am I?”

Wolfwood stands slowly, brushing beads of sand off him as he does so. You try to keep your eyes on his face, on the slope of his nose, the dimples on his cheeks, but they wander anyway, along his broad shoulders, down his tiny waist. You’ll miss him when this is over, you decide.

“Wanna dance?” he asks suddenly. The question throws you off kilter. How long has it been since you’ve done something so mundane? Will you even remember how? Is it appropriate to dance given what tomorrow may bring?

“What about-”

“Needle-noggin and the lot are out like a light. No one will notice if we steal a few minutes for ourselves.”

He closes the gap between the two of you and links his right hand with yours, fingers interlocking. His hands are large and calloused from lugging around that heavy gun of his. Briefly, you wonder just how strong the guy really is.

 “But there isn’t any music,” you protest weakly. Wolfwood is frustratingly good at sapping away your resolve.

“Don’t need any. We’ll make our own,” he insists, slipping an arm around the small of your back and pressing you close, closer, and closer still.

This close to him, you can see deep into his eyes. There’s fear in them. Sadness too. He’s trying and failing to mask the emotions with a smile, with this dance. It must be so exhausting, you think, always having to pretend.

“One dance,” you surrender, relaxing into his embrace. He smells sharply of tobacco and nicotine, though you note hints of something a bit earthier underneath. Sweat, probably. It’s been a while since any of you have showered. “Then bed. Unlike you and Vash, some of us need our beauty sleep.”

A lopsided grin swims across his handsome face.

 “Aw, think I’m beautiful, sweetheart? That’s nice.”

There’s a biting remark on the tip of your tongue that never fully forms. Yeah, actually, you do think he’s beautiful. You’ve thought so ever since Meryl slammed the news van into him all those months ago. The impact should have killed him—it would’ve killed you—but Wolfwood simply rose up from the sand as if rising from an interrupted slumber. Beautiful, even with rivulets of blood trickling down his face.

“Shut up,” you hiss, cheeks heating as you think a bit too intensely about his sturdy body which is now pressed flush against your own. Has Wolfwood always been this tall? This large? His giant frame engulfs you as the two of you sway together, in tandem with Wolfwood’s quiet humming.

You rest your head against his sternum, listening to the sound of his heart beating quick and urgent like the wings of a bird. His chest vibrates as he hums his tune. You can’t seem to place the song. Likely, he’s making it up as he goes, the tempo slow and somber like a dirge.

“Where’d you learn to dance?” you ask him, conscious of the way your two left feet have nearly tripped him up twice. Lucky for you both he’s not just a hulking lump of muscle. He’s got a great center of balance too.

You chalk your awkwardness up to the loose, shifting sands and not to the odd sensation forming in the pit of your stomach. More unfamiliar than unpleasant. You swallow a few times in an attempt to settle it.

Wolfwood shrugs, spinning the two of you round and round in circles. “It’s not all that different than fighting.”

There’s truth to that, you suppose, remembering the fight on the Sandsteamer. Wolfwood refused to talk about the stranger you all watched disappear into the open maw of the sand ocean, but it was obvious the man once meant something to him.

“You’re thinking too much,” he says. “Just follow my lead.”

So you do. You let him whirl you around the desert dunes for what feels like hours, grinning up at him through thick lashes when you manage to step on his toes. Again. He laughs, a little too loudly, and you have to remind him that if he’s not careful he’ll wake your sleeping companions.

“What are you going to do if everything goes well tomorrow?”

For the first time all night, it’s Wolfwood who stumbles. The misstep is small, slight, if you weren’t so entangled, you may have missed it, but you are entangled so you feel everything. You feel his feet stall as the question leaves your lips. You feel the rise and fall of his belly as he takes a deep steadying breath.   

His hand travels up the length of your spine, coming to rest at the nape of your neck. He thumbs across your vertebrae and you recognize the ministration for what it is: a silent plea for you to let the topic drop and just enjoy this moment the two of you managed to carve out for yourselves amidst all the chaos of the world.

You let your head drop once more, tucking it beneath his collarbone, right above his heart, still rabbiting in his chest. He isn’t humming anymore. There’s nothing to help the two of you keep time as you continue to sway together, now gliding across the sand like worms.

Around you, the clouds begin to clear and bright, twinkling stars start to peek out from behind them. A soft breeze kicks up around you, and the sand particles scatter with it. Wolfwood—Nicholas—keeps you pressed against him as the temperature mercifully begins to drop.

Your mind still wanders from time to time, curious what tomorrow may bring.

Who cares, you decide. It doesn’t matter.

Tonight, you’re content to dance.

[danisbrainrot]

i had this idea myself but i’m too lazy to write it so i thought i’d share and i know u wanted to write something about natalie 😛

natalie getting her hair cut (maybe even bleached) by one of the yjs ‼️‼️ came to me in a dream but i haven’t been bothered to write it

lottie matthews x natalie scatorccio

I had to do my babies!! thank you for the ask, I was dying to write for nat!! this is an au where they crashed but lottie didn't get sent to switzerland, but moved in with natalie.

snip snip snip. the scissors felt natural in lottie's hands, but the danger of her hands holding such a weapon that close to natalie's neck worried her. she felt her hands shake as she began to overthink, before sucking in a deep breath and taking a step away.

"you alright?" natalie's keen eyes watched her through the mirror, concerned at lottie's reaction. "I swear, if my hair is above my ears again—"

lottie shook her head swiftly, "no, no. I'm not making that mistake again. . . just shaky," she replied. natalie snorted, absentmindedly playing with the ring lottie had gotten her for her birthday.

the pleasing sounds of scissors making their way through natalie's hair comforted the blonde. "my regrowth getting pretty bad," she commented. lottie hummed absentmindedly, which nat took to mean agreement. "I mean, not as bad as when we were rescued. . . but I think I should get it done again," lottie bit her bottom lip in concentration, ignoring what nat was saying as she focused on fixing the blondes split ends problem.

it was silent for a minute longer, even lottie's breath was bated as she pulled out a long strand of hair before snipping it off. "sorry, what were you saying?"

"nothing. since when were you such a good hairdresser?" natalie teased, a wide grin on her face.

lottie sighed, shaking her head, "I gave all my dolls haircuts," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "your roots need touching up, I've got foils but they might be dodgy," natalie snorted, shaking her head.

"thanks, lot. but I think I'll get that done by the pros," natalie teased, playing with her hair, amazed at the new feel. lottie smiled, proud of her work.

"you know what my payment is," lottie teased, jumping up on the kitchen counter, crossing her arms across her chest.

natalie rolled her eyes, sighing but getting up. "if I'd known you'd shrink out of your chores, I never would have asked you to move in," she joked, opening the dishwasher.

lottie raised a questioning eyebrow, "you would have let my parents send me to switzerland?" she asked, eliciting a chuckle from natalie.

"probably would've chased right after you," natalie retorted, opening the top cabinets to put away the cups.

lottie smiled softly, knowing that it was a sweet lie natalie told her. in fact, lottie was sure natalie only asked her to move in because she still felt some kind of need to protect her—as if she didn't leave her leadership behind in the wilderness.

"I hope you're okay with pasta for dinner, because that's all I know how to cook," natalie announced, snapping lottie out of her thoughts.

lottie rolled her eyes, and shook her head, "wow, I gave up switzerland, land of the meatballs, just for pasta every night," she sighed teasingly.

"after the shit we went through, I'm shocked more of us didn't go vegetarian. sometimes I see a piece of meat and. . ." natalie paused, realising that she wasn't joking anymore and instead leading towards dangerous territory.

the two had tried to avoid talking about the wilderness beyond silly jokes. it felt too real. like their trauma was haunting them—that the people they'd eaten were lingering around their house. the time they'd spent in those woods had such a profound impact on them, on their relationship, it was inconceivable that they could ever live without each other.

some nights, when the nightmares made them jolt, lottie finds herself flinging out of her bed and into natalie's arms—even though they both know damn well why she shouldn't be there. natalie was dating travis, and lottie wasn't mentally stable for a relationship yet. but still, that didn't prevent them from sharing a bed every so often. . . they convince themselves it was a perfectly normal thing for friends to do.

lottie sighed, watching natalie bend over to take out the cutlery holder. "did you hear tai's a vegetarian now? must have the same thought process as you," lottie mumbled. natalie chuckled again, looking at lottie in disbelief.

"that'll last three weeks. she loves pork ribs just a little too much," natalie teased, chucking the cutlery in the drawer, not bothering to check if it was in the right slot.

"are you sure you don't want me to redo your roots?" lottie asked abruptly. it would sound like a purposeful topic change to anyone except natalie, who knew the brunette was having her own conversation in her mind.

"okay, if you insist. but I'm not doing your laundry, that's where I draw the line," she joked, her mouth cracking up into a toothy grin.

lottie rolled her eyes, "like I'd let you in my room, I've seen you eyeing my pilgrim hat" she teased.

natalie licked her lips, "why would I want that when it looks better on you?" lottie felt her cheeks heat up, but before either of them had time to realise what that could mean, she quickly added, "nevermind, I might need it after you're done with my hair."

lottie snorted, rolling her eyes at the implication. "shut up. i'll get the foils now." a soft smile appeared on nat's face as she watched the brunette leave with a bounce in her step.

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Struggles 

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~1.3k

Summary: You struggle with your ADHD

A/N: Here’s a little fluff piece about real-life struggles.

Warnings: fluff

“You tried your best, Y/n.”

You sigh in frustration as you glance at the scene in front of you on the living room floor. It was chaos, dog fur, and failure all scattered across the rug as you struggled to figure this out. You held the confusing instructions in your hand with a scowl, but as the minutes passed, they continued to get more crumpled and less legible.

You shake your head as you turn to your wife and daughter with a determined look. The duo looked a little dubious, well Wanda did, but Natalya was resting her head on her mom’s shoulder as she waited for her crib to be done. She had one upstairs in the nursery, but Pietro had bought her another one and just dropped it off this morning. That was hours ago, and you still had all of the pieces sitting on the floor in front of you. To be fair you’d had to take a break to walk the dogs, but that had been only 10 minutes of your time. The remaining hours were just your inability to figure this out.

“No, Wands. Don’t worry, I’m...almost there.”

You cringe at your bad lie before grabbing the first piece that you’d set out to form one side of the crib. It wasn’t that this was exceedingly difficult, you just kept picking up the wrong pieces and there were too damn many of them, but it wasn’t that hard. You also kept getting side-tracked. You miss Wanda’s knowing look as she grabs the remote to turn off the cooking show you’d been watching all morning before deciding to come to your aid.

“Can I help at all?”

Wanda sets the remote on the table as she sits down on the couch behind you. You’re still looking at the side that you’ve organized perfectly, but haven’t started putting together. You turn to say hello to your daughter, and you smile widely as you look at the perfect sleepy bundle in your wife’s arms.

“It’s okay! I just need to read this part one more time…”

Wanda reaches out for your shoulder as you struggle to straighten out the instructions that you’d given up on. You’d gotten frustrated with the tiny print and the fact that none of the parts were actually labeled. You also had been a little distracted watching your cooking show and checking on your dogs to make sure they were trying to eat any of the packaging you’d left behind you. Fletcher had jumped in the box a while ago, and you hadn’t seen her come out yet. Your thoughts are cut off when you register the weight of Wanda’s hand on your shoulder and you look back up at her.

She’s smiling at you as she holds out her hand and motions for you to give her the instructions. You hesitate because you’d told her you could do this on your own, and you didn’t want to be proven wrong.

“How about I read it and you do the heavy lifting?”

You want to argue, but you are getting a little tired of this. The faster you get this over with, the sooner Natalya can continue her nap and Wanda can free herself up to do something else. You eventually nod before getting up and moving to the other side of the mess you’ve made so you can face your wife. You sigh heavily before grabbing the long piece that’s supposed to support the many, many posts of the crib.

“Okay, Wands. Ready.”

Twenty minutes later, the crib is assembled and you’re wishing you’d accepted Wanda’s help in the first place. Maybe having the television off would have helped, but it’s too late to worry about that now. After you made sure that everything was secure and it could hold your daughter, Wanda carefully set her down in it without waking her up. She sighs under her breath before smiling and grabbing your hand to lead you to the kitchen.

“Good job, detka. It looks great.”

You smile slightly before grabbing a drink and handing one to your wife with a sigh. You’re tired and could use a nap, but you feel like you’ve already spent most of the day putting that damn crib together. Wanda was thinking about what to make for dinner as you glanced down at your dogs who were at the edge of the kitchen sitting and panting in anticipation.

“I can’t believe it took me so long.”

Wanda had been getting ready to start breakfast when her brother had come by this morning. She’d been surprised to see him so early, and with a giant box to boot. She’d moved out of his way, and made sure his path was clear of toys, dogs, or cats as he brought the new crib he’d gotten his niece to the living room. You’d been sitting on the couch dressing Natalya up in her new outfit when he’d brought it in and your eyes went wide at the sight of it. He’d promised to put it together, but you’d insisted that it was fine and you’d do it. You’d told him it would be fun, and he’d just laughed as if he knew you’d never done it before.

After staying for a quick cup of coffee, he had to run to work, and you and Wanda were left staring at the big box that definitely wasn’t going to bother you. You’d started on it right after breakfast, and you’d attempted to multitask as you built it.

Wanda loved how enthusiastic you were, and how determined you were to do this yourself. However, she realized fairly quickly that today was one of those days that you struggled to focus. Sometimes you just went from one task to another and left most of them half-finished before remembering them hours later. Then there were days like this where you tried to be super-efficient and only ended up slowing yourself down.

You didn’t take medication for your ADHD, but you definitely had some somewhere that you’d gotten when you were first diagnosed. Wanda didn’t make you take it because most days you were fine, albeit a little scatterbrained, but it wasn’t detrimental to your everyday life. She also knew you didn’t like how they made you a little paranoid, so she just tried to help you out and get you to focus on one thing at a time.

“It’s okay, Y/n. It’s finished now, and we can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want.”

Wanda smiles as your face lights up and you start to think of the many possibilities now that you’re free. You start to list off your top five choices, and despite knowing that she’ll have to reel you in a bit and probably just pick a couple, she’s excited to get to spend this time with you.

“What are your top two, detka? The rest will probably have to wait until this weekend.”

Your adorable frown makes Wanda laugh, and she leans over the counter so she can kiss it from your lips. When your smile returns Wanda can’t help but move to your side and hold you, close. Figuring out dinner can wait. She’d rather give her adorable wife her full attention.

“We could take all of the kids on a walk later!”

Despite how many living things that would make the two of you responsible for at a time, Wanda smiles at the idea of going out and getting some fresh air. Boone and Rogue love hiking, and Fletcher hated her harness and leash, but Wanda secretly loved watching you try to get her to cooperate and walk like a dog.

“That sounds like a great idea.”

Masterlist

[buckysgrace]

Forty Three

CW: Accidental drugging!!

“I think we’re going to spend the night in a hotel,” Susan declared at last as everyone swallowed down another tense dinner. Billy wasn’t sure how many more turkey sandwiches he could get through. He was ready to let Pearl have her fill over the rest of Thanksgiving leftovers. Not that there was much left in general, but he still wanted something different, “Then we’ll come by before we leave tomorrow.”

“You don’t need to,” Kim spoke up softly, turning her gaze up slowly to face Susan, “What’s the point?” She asked her pointedly, her hazel eyes slightly glazed over. Billy looked down at his plate, sighing deeply as he knew why she was in such a bitter mood. He’d tasted it on her lips earlier. 

“I want to spend time with you,” Susan said in disbelief, her eyes widening as Kim’s tone, “I won’t see you again for a while.” She said a little softer, looking like she truly regretted everything that had happened. 

“You haven’t spent any time with me,” Kim pointed out dryly, Billy tried to nudge her to get her to stop but she ignored him, “All you’ve done the whole time is yell and scream because you think you’ve been treated wrong.” She replied as she took another large bite from her roll. She chewed on it angrily, looking tense as she brushed off the looks that other people were sending her. 

“I have been -” Susan tried to speak again, tried to make things better. Kim shook her head, dismissing her completely. 

“I don’t care,” Kim interjected, “It’s not like you’ve made the best choices either. It’s in the past, drop it or don’t come by tomorrow.” She snapped as she held onto Susan’s gaze for a long minute. Susan parted her lips, looking a little hurt before she nodded her head and kept quiet.

“Did you guys enjoy the beach yesterday?” Rosemary asked softly as she looked towards Wayne and Eddie, “They’re quite nice here. It’ll be too chilly to go before long.” She replied cheerily, looking at them interested.

“It was nice,” Eddie said as he looked towards Addi, “I don’t think the sun likes me though.” He mumbled, motioning to where his face was a dark red. Rosemary nodded her head softly, glancing over towards Sam before she spoke up again.

“We have an aloe plant,” She told him softly, “We could break off a piece of it, it’ll help soothe the burn a bit.” She offered with a gentle smile on her lips. Billy glanced back down at the table, noticing that Susan was oddly quiet and interested in the designs on her plate suddenly. 

They all settled into silence after that, but Billy still felt like something was eating at him. He felt that it was odd that no one else had confronted him about his relationship with Kim, like they were slowly letting it fade away for the time being. 

Halfway through dinner Billy noticed a sudden change in Kim’s behavior. She was no longer slumped over with saddened eyes and angry features. It was as if she’d randomly gotten a pep in her step. Her shoulders were back straighter, her lips curled into a smile as she continued to look at Billy with a dreamy look in her eyes.  He froze, feeling like it had nothing to do with any little bottles of alcohol she’d drank. 

She scooted a little closer to him, once people began to leave and clean up their plates. Her eyes were slightly darker, a little more intense as she rubbed her bare leg up and down the length of his. He looked over at her curiously, his mouth turning dry as she teasingly pulled the hem of her dress higher over her thighs.

“Hey,” He breathed out harshly, slightly alarmed at the way she wasn’t stopping. It was enough for him to know that she had on a pair of blue panties. He tugged it back down slowly, his heart hammering and his cock stirring, “Not right now.” He told her as he chuckled softly, feeling a little alarmed at her rash behavior.

“Why?” She asked him, oozing confidence and giggles as she twisted on her short hair. It had grown a bit, dancing across her shoulders now as her lips pulled into a wide smirk, “S’not stopped us before.” He watched the deep way she exhaled, her chest moving as she did so. He peered up at her curiously, noticing the way she was beginning to move her jaw. 

“Bit crowded in here,” He mumbled softly, glancing around to ensure that no one else had seen anything. Susan and Wayne were lingering near the door, looking like they were discussing when they should leave, “Let’s go to my room.” He replied gently, his eyes widening at how fast she jumped to her feet. 

He paused for just a moment, trying to be as discreet as possible as she did the complete opposite. He chewed on his bottom lip, sure that Rosemary’s eyes were staring at them as he followed her into his room.

She was on him in a second, pushing him against the door to close it roughly as her fingertips fell to his shirt. She fisted his clothing, her lips moving frantically against his as he blindly searched for the lock on the doorknob.

“Hey-,” He mumbled, struggling to keep up with her movements for once as her tongue traced around his mouth, “Hold on just a second.” He tried again but made no avail as her lips messily trailed against his neck. He jolted, feeling her fingertips pressing against his belt.

“I love you,” She spit out dreamily, her teeth grazing against his neck as she struggled with his jeans, “I love you so much. You’re so sweet. The sweetest boyfriend ever. Have I told you that before? Because it’s true.” She rambled on for a moment, sounding like she was far away. He cursed underneath his breath, hoping that his suspicions weren’t correct.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked her seriously, trying to pry her narrow body off of her so he’d be able to look at her features better, “Did you get into something?” He watched the way she darted her tongue across her lips, then did it again like her mouth was too dry. She moved too fast, jerking her body away before he could get a good look.

“No,” She giggled as she rested her cheek on his shoulder, “I just love you so much.” She replied sweetly as she rubbed her cheek back and forth on his shoulder. She giggled softly, stopping the movements for a second before she did it in the other direction. 

“Huh,” He said softly as he moved his hands up to her jawline again, “Have you been drinking?” He pulled her face back, parting her lips to test if he could smell the liquor on her tongue. It was minty. He looked at her eyes, stunned at how dilated they were. He exhaled loudly as his nerves began to settle over him.

“No!” She protested louder, her features wrinkled up in hurt as she looked at him, “Can’t I just be happy and in love with my boyfriend?” She asked him seriously as she rested her palms flat against his chest. She rubbed them up and down slowly, looking to be in awe. 

“I don’t think you should be that happy,” He mumbled underneath his breath, “You’re sure you didn’t eat anything?” He asked her slowly, hoping that she hadn’t done anything dumb. She wondered if Susan had something hidden away still, or if Eddie had given her something. 

“Other than the sandwich?” She asked him curiously, her hazel eyes looking at him in interest. He nodded his head quickly, hoping she’d give him some type of answer, “I had a piece of candy.” She said at last, after thinking about it for a moment. She moved her jaw again, like she kept locking it. He felt his eyebrows knitting together, thinking that a single piece sounded weird. 

“Yeah?” He asked her, “What kind?” He questioned her, wondering if she was just having a bad sugar high. He thought about it again, feeling like it didn’t make sense at all. She’d gotten into something. He was sure of it. 

“Russell and I had some York bars,” She mused as she licked her bottom lip again, “And then I had one of your candies, but it tasted terrible. Gross. Why would you have candy like that?” She looked at him in disgust, her upper lip crinkled up like it was something terrible. He dropped his hands, his heartbeat beginning to race. 

“What candy?” He asked her quickly, trying to gain her attention back to him. She stopped looking up at the ceiling, blinking a few times before she focused in on him again. He tried to remain stoic, but he feared he already knew her answer. 

“Um,” She paused as she lazily walked over, popping open his bottom drawer where he had his socks located, “These!” She exclaimed happily as she held out the baggy. He cursed as he took it from her, examining the little pills that really did look like candies. He took a deep breath. 

“Were you snooping?” He asked her softly, trying to pretend like he was teasing her. He glanced at her, hoping that she truly had only taken one. She was in for a long night regardless, but he knew she’d be more tolerable to just one little pill. 

“Yes,” She said honestly as she sat on the floor, watching him curiously, “I was gonna throw away whatever drugs you had but I couldn’t find any.” She stretched her long legs out, her dress riding up high over her thighs as she bounced her feet around. She looked up at him, a bright smile on her lips and her eyes filled with stars as she watched him. He understood the feeling. He’d stared at her in the same manner. 

“At least you’re honest,” He mumbled, realizing she’d accidentally taken just what she was searching for, “Do you want to take a nap?” He asked, worried that she didn’t have the endurance for how much she took. She was a lightweight in general. 

“No,” She answered quickly, “I don’t ever need to sleep. I feel so with the world, you know what I mean?” She spoke with her hands, looking at him wide eyed as she leaned back against his mattress. He leaned forward, running his fingers through her hair gently. 

“Yeah,” He nodded his head, “I really do. Why don’t we just hang out here then?” He whispered softly, fearing that she’d get too overwhelmed around everyone else. He didn’t want her to panic. He’d flipped out on the same thing, long before she ever came into the picture. Neil had made the situation so much worse; made him too paranoid. He was scared that since she didn’t know what she’d taken, that it would be that much worse. 

“No,” She breathed out, “I wanna tell everyone how nice life is. And how sweet you are.” She giggled as she leaned her head back onto the mattress. She gripped the sides of his neck, just a little too roughly as she leaned him towards her face. She laughed even harder, her eyes dancing over his features as she did so.

“Oh, but I think it’ll be better in here,” He tried to encourage her as he pressed his lips against hers repeatedly, “We finally get to be on our own. Isn’t that nice?” He asked her softly, watching the way she looked up at him in amusement.

“You’re so smart,” She breathed out, making him mumble underneath his breath. He’d have to hold onto that comment, perhaps use it for a future fight, “So smart and handsome. And I love you.” She told him sweetly, turning onto her knees so she could look at him better.

“Here,” He took a hold of her arms, giving them a gentle squeeze as he pulled her onto his mattress, “Just lay here and relax. I’ll be back in just a minute, alright?” He asked her, hoping that she would listen to him as he took a hold of the baggy of drugs again. 

“What are you going to do?” She asked him curiously, wiggling her way closer to him. She curled up to him, starting to tangle her limbs through his. He rubbed her skin softly, having a feeling this would be harder than he previously imagined. 

“The candy was gross, right?” He asked as she nodded her head slowly in agreement, “I thought I’d flush it.” He told her softly, hoping that it would be enough for her to understand. She parted her lips, nodding her head slowly like she understood completely. 

“I wanna come.” She whined a second later, linking her arms tighter around his chest as she pulled herself onto his lap. He sighed, trying not to get irritated because this really was his fault. He should’ve gotten rid of them a while ago, but he thought that he might have at least one more chance to use it once he was in the clear. It was too dangerous now. He didn’t want her to suffer. 

“You don’t have to.” He said softly, giving her nose a reassuring kiss as he tried to gently pull her from his body. Each time he untangled a part of her body she’d wrap herself up even tighter, clinging to him like she was his second skin. He thought that she was seconds away from sliding herself into his clothes, just to wear them with him. 

“I want to,” She whined, “Please?” She pouted out her bottom lip, flashing her pretty eyelashes up at him. She nudged him softly, continuing to whine until he sighed and nodded his head. He chewed on his bottom lip, hoping that they could do this in a secretive way. 

“We have to be quiet,” He told her softly as he brushed his finger across her bottom lip, “Not too loud. Sound good?” He asked her, hoping that she could listen to what he said. She knotted her eyebrows tightly together, nodding her head furiously as she slowly pulled away. 

“LIke a ninja,” She tried to whisper, but still spoke entirely too loud for his comfort. He sighed, watching as she gripped his left arm tightly and squeezed it to her chest, “Russell likes ninjas.” She said a second later, her feet dragging as he walked down the hall.

He felt too paranoid as he pushed the bathroom door open, nearly tripping over Pearl before he shut it roughly behind Kim. She swayed back and forth, her lips parting in surprise as she turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She stared for the longest time, a goofy grin on her lips as Billy quickly dumped the evidence of the drugs in the toilet bowl. 

“I feel like we should say something,” Kim stopped his motions before he could flush the pills down the toilet, “Something sweet because it’s candy.” She heaved out, giggling hard as she closed her eyes in humor. He desperately wanted a cigarette.

“Sure,” He told her quickly, hoping to get this over with, “Go ahead.” He urged her, praying that no one would try and see what they were doing. He didn’t see anyone lingering, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t find out sooner or later. There were too many people in the house to be this discreet.

“Oh, disgusting candy,” Kim inhaled deeply, a smile plastered to her lips, “You were terrible. Have fun dissolving in the ocean.” She turned towards Billy slowly, almost robotically before she burst into giggles again. He pulled a stiff smile to his lips before he flushed the toilet and then began to wash his hands. 

“Do you want to head back, and I’ll grab your pjs?” He asked her softly as he began to dry his hands off. He whipped his head around quickly, worried at her silence until he realized she was staring at the designs on the shower curtain.

“Huh?” She looked back at him curiously, her eyes still dilated as she slowly blinked and began to lick at her lips again, “Oh, yeah. Yeah. I can get my pajamas.” She said, sounding like she was floating on air. She pulled the door open slowly, humming as she walked back down the hallway.

He paused for a moment, trying to calm his own nerves before he walked out. He headed to her room first, scooping up her nightgown and a blanket. He decided to bring along a pair of socks, just in case she got cold. He left swiftly, only to bump into Rosemary who was waiting for him. 

“You two can’t be in there alone,” Rosemary pointed out to him, “That’s the rules.” She said sternly. He exhaled as he shook his head, knowing that there was no way around this. He chewed on his bottom lip, trying to think of an excuse before he decided that the truth was just better. 

“I know that but,” Billy breathed in deeply, “I was planning on getting rid of… stuff and I think Kim got into this, uh, stuff.” He said slowly, keeping his voice low in case anyone else was listening to them. 

“Stuff?” Rosemary looked at him for clarity, shaking her head like she didn’t understand. He pursed his lips together and shut his eyes, feeling like he was about to be scolded in the worst way. He knew that the situation could be even worse. Neil could be the one finding out. 

“Ecstasy.” He said at last as he opened his eyes again to look at her. Her lips parted in disbelief as she took in his words. He glanced away from her, sure that he already knew what she was thinking. 

“Oh,” Rosemary’s eyes widened, “William.” She breathed out, using his full name this time. He gulped as he looked towards her again, lightly shrugging his shoulders as he tried to figure out what the best way to handle this was. 

“I tossed the rest of it. I was going to do it before, but I forgot about it,” He mumbled underneath his breath, “I don’t think she knows what she got into, and I don’t want her to realize and freak out. I’m just going to watch over her.” He explained, trying to keep himself from growing guilty. He wouldn’t have kept anything had he known that she would’ve gone through his things. 

“I’m going to have to tell Sam.” Rosemary added softly, making his eyes snap towards her. He shook his head, knowing that it was a bad idea. He always freaked out worse when he thought that Neil knew. He didn’t want the same for Kim. It had been bad enough with Ketamine, but this was fresh in her system and would last hours. 

“Do you have to?” He asked her quickly, hoping that there was a way to change her mind. She tilted her head as she looked up at him, her eyes softening. He wondered if he should point out that Sam hid Kim and Billy’s relationship from her. It might change her mind, but he didn’t want them to fight either. 

“Yes.” She answered him softly, looking like it was already a done deal. He sighed as he chewed on his bottom lip before he nodded his head. 

“Just-, Just don’t make a big deal about it. She’ll have a rough time if she starts freaking out.” He explained softly, still worried for her. He looked back at the door, figuring there wasn’t a point in hiding her away. Still, he felt like this was his problem to deal with. He wanted to be the one to take care of her. 

“Does she need anything? Snacks or food? Medicine?” Rosemary asked a second later, looking like she was seconds away from going inside and checking on her. Billy nearly stopped her, worried that if she did Kim would grow paranoid. That’s what always set him off. 

“I think she’s okay right now,” Billy breathed out softly, “Just try and keep everyone else from fighting.” He mumbled, hoping that Susan would leave quickly so it wouldn’t be an issue again. Rosemary nodded, glancing up at him slowly.

“I’m glad you’re taking care of her,” She mumbled softly, “But this is the only and last time it happens. Understand?” He quickly nodded his head, feeling like she was giving him a chance that he didn’t quite deserve. 

He walked away from her, pushing his door open before he quickly opened it and closed it behind himself. He breathed in deeply as he locked it behind him, trying to get himself ready for the rest of the night. It would be long. He hoped that she’d be able to sleep. 

“Why are you on the floor?” He looked at her curiously, realizing that she was sprawled out like a starfish in the middle of his room. She kept tilting her head, and moving her arms like she was trying to make a snow angel. He shook his head softly, watching towards the radio and turning on a station she’d enjoy. 

“I can feel the Earth moving underneath me,” She breathed out, “Like it’s like- Like I’m flying but I’m on the ground you know?” Billy rubbed at his temple, shaking his head at her statement.  He understood what she meant in some way. He knelt down next to her, pushing her hair from her face to get a better look at her. 

She sat up on her knees suddenly, pulling herself closer to him as she began to twist her body against his again. He struggled a bit before he fell back against the wall, letting her crawl on top of him as she started to move her face against his. 

“What are you doing?” He questioned her, gripping her shoulder softly as he looked at her in confusion. She pouted her lips out before she moved her face up against his again, rubbing her cheek against his slowly.

“Feels nice,” She mused softly before she burst into giggles, “I’m just like Pearl.” She laughed, making a smile form on his lips. She was too cute for her own good. He rubbed at her sides gently, hoping that he was keeping her relaxed. 

“Yep,” He agreed softly as she fell on top of him, laying her entire weight on him. She meowed in response, giggling as he swatted at her behind, “You’re just like your cat.” He nodded his head, fearing that it was going to be a very long night for the both of them.

“You know, I do want to marry you and have kids with you,” She spoke eagerly as she continued to brush her cheek against his, “I was thinking maybe after college. For kids at least. I just already have my wedding planned out and I want it to be fun for us.”

“Mhm, what do you have planned out?” He asked her, knowing that the more she was distracted the better. He tilted his head in confusion as he waited for her to speak again. She crawled off of him gently, moving across the floor in amusement. He drew his eyes away from the way the hem of her dress was riding up along her backside again. 

“I sketched some things out,” She giggled as she held her face in her hands, “It’s silly.” She shook her head roughly, grinning as she tried to shield herself from him. He cocked his eyebrows in surprise, not recalling her mentioning that before. 

“Show me,” Billy said, watching as she tried to pull herself up off of her knees, “Wait, I’ll get it. You stay here. What does it look like?” He asked her seriously. She pulled her hands away from her face for just a second, just long enough to speak. 

“It’s the pink one you got me a while ago.” She giggled as she pulled her hair in front of her face, like she was trying to hide herself away. He grinned, moving a little closer to her so he could kiss her soft cheeks. She wiggled underneath him, smiling deeply from the sensation.

“Be right back.” He promised, a little eager to get his hands on this mystery book. He wondered how long she’d been working on it, if she had thought of him the whole time. 

He left a second later, quickly bounding down the hallway into her room. Pearl was standing on top of one of her pillows, kneading her paws against the soft material as Billy shook his head. He began to search through her stuff, before he found it. He had an itch to look at it first but decided to wait. 

“Here,” He handed her the book, “Do you want to show me?” He asked her kindly as he joined her on the floor again. She scooted closer to him, linking her arms around his bicep before she began to rub her chin against his skin again. He shook his head. 

“Mhm,” She stretched out dramatically, her dress riding up from the way she pulled her legs up. He promptly pulled it down, knowing he didn’t need any distractions in that way, “Wow.” She said as she held the book in her hands. 

“What?” He looked at her curiously, trying to figure out what was going on in that pretty little mind of hers. She shook her head softly, her lips parted as she continued to stare at the book in awe.

“It’s so pink,” She breathed out as she turned to look at him with wide eyes, “Have you ever seen pink be this pink before?” She asked him seriously, her eyebrows knitted together tightly as she spoke. He fought the urge to squish her face in his hands. 

“I don’t think I have,” He chuckled as he kissed her cheek, “Show me.” He nudged her softly, wanting to see what secret things she had hidden away in her little journal. She paused for a second, shrugging her shoulders gently before she began to flip through the pages. 

“I thought of a beach wedding,” She grinned as she showed it to him, “Here’s some of the venues around here.” She explained, pointing to the places that she had glued neatly on the pages. He observed in interest, looking at her neat handwriting and the way she labeled her favorite ones by different colors. 

“When did you get time to look all of this up?” He asked her seriously, gently touching the pages as he looked through the book with her. He felt a little guilty, realizing how badly he would’ve rushed everything had they gotten married when he wanted to. She really did deserve to have the wedding she’d been planning. 

“Silly goose,” She giggled as she leaned forward to kiss his nose, “I’ve had it planned for a while.” She smiled brightly, still wearing a dreamy look in her eyes as she began to rub her skin against him again. He exhaled deeply, his heart fluttering. 

“You always wanted to return to San Diego?” He asked her curiously, watching as she nodded her head enthusiastically, “So you could marry Steve here?” He teased, although he wasn’t really sure if he wanted to know the answer or not. 

“Stop,” She drew out the o dramatically as she stared over at him, licking her lips hard. He sat up on his elbows, wondering if he should get her some ChapStick, “That’s so humiliating. I haven’t had a crush on him for like-,” She paused as she counted on her fingers, “Three months. Maybe four. That’s a long time.”

“It has been a long time, my bad.” He reassured her, nodding his head as he furrowed his eyebrows together in agreement. She smiled as she flicked to the next page, showing off the different color flowers that she liked. He had a feeling he’d have to whisk this book away too. 

“He might be a cute daddy though.” She giggled; her eyes squinting shut tightly as she shook her head. He grinned in response; too taken aback by her manner to care about what she was saying. 

“Oh you think so?” He teased her, pulling her a little closer. She shrugged her shoulders, mocking a bashful look before she buried herself into his chest. He shook his head, glad that she was being so open with him. It felt nice, normal. 

“I do,” She giggled harshly, covering her lips with her hair, “Don’t you?” She peeped up at him curiously, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read the expression on his features. 

“That’s your opinion.” He said at last, shaking his head at her odd demeanor. She pouted her lips out, looking like she wanted to ask more as he continued to try and flip through her book. She nudged him, drawing his attention back to her. 

“Do you think Gina will be a hot mom?” She asked as she wiggled herself underneath him, laying the back of her head on top of his hands. She laid over the book, keeping him from looking at what dresses she liked. He raised an eyebrow, wondering if she even knew what she was talking about. 

“I don’t know,” He laughed as he watched her, “Do you think she’ll be a hot mom?” He asked her teasingly, throwing the question back at her. She paused, looking like she was genuinely thinking about it. 

“She’s got big boobs.” She said at last, looking deep in thought as she brought her hands up to her own chest. He watched the way her hands lingered, how her expression relaxed before he swatted her hands away. He didn’t think it was a good idea for her to get horny. He was sure she wouldn’t be able to stay quiet. 

“I didn’t know you were such a slut.” He teased her as he brushed his lips across her knuckles. She looked up at him in disbelief, like he’d said something mean. 

“I’m not a slut.” She pouted, sounding sad suddenly as she watched him. He quickly shook his head, hoping to ease things back over with her as he pressed his lips against hers once again. 

“I’m just teasing you,” He reassured her, shaking away any bad thoughts she might have, “But I really wanna see your dress.” He mumbled, watching the way she began to roll around again. He once again reached over, pushing her dress down over her thighs so she wouldn’t be exposed. 

“I like these dresses,” She pointed out, then paused as she turned the page and pointed to a specific one, “This is my dream dress.” She said specifically, looking at it in awe. He took in how puffy, big and white it all was. It was pretty, but it was over the top. He grinned as he turned towards her, realizing that she would look like a princess. 

She began to grind her jaw roughly, making him reach up gently to touch her chin. She kept doing it, staring at the pictures before she darted her tongue out again. He hated how sore his jaw got the same way and hoped that he could keep hers from getting too sore. 

“Relax,” He said softly, “Try and chew on this instead.” He mumbled as he sat up and grabbed a piece of gum for her. He watched the way she eyeballed it curiously before she nodded her head and took it. 

“Okay.” She said cheerily as she sat up. She crossed her legs, her dress completely bunching up around her hips. He breathed in deeply, doing his best not to stare at her underwear as he watched her unwrap the gum and stick it in her mouth. 

‘Drink this.” He pushed a glass of water towards her, urging her to take a sip from it. She stopped mid chew, one of her eyebrows raising and her bottom lip curling in disgust as she promptly shook her head in disagreement. 

“I don’t wanna.” She said at last, lightly nudging the water away from her. He pressed a smile on his lips as he tried again, hoping that she’d listen this time. 

“If you love me you’ll drink this,” He told her softly, knowing that it would make her drink. He watched with wide eyes as she began to chug it down. He gripped it softly, shaking his head, “Slowly. It’ll taste better like that.”

“Delicious,” She drew out playfully, “Your best work yet.” She replied as she licked the remaining water from her lips. She smiled widely, her eyes crinkling up in enjoyment. He shook his head softly.

“You’re funny,” He smiled at her, “You have jokes?” He questioned her, watching the way her eyes sparkled in amusement. He was glad she was at least enjoying herself. He just hoped she’d remain like this the rest of the night. 

“I have a lot of jokes.” She said a second later before she placed herself onto her stomach. He watched with interest as she began to roll herself across the floor slowly, stretching her fingers and toes out wildly as she did so. He didn’t blame her. The first time he’d taken it he’d stripped himself naked and wrapped himself in the fluffiest blanket he had. 

“Oh yeah?” He questioned as she came to a halt, her expression still goofy as she continued to touch the floor, “Tell me.” He demanded, watching the way that she stalled for a moment. He observed the way her eyes moved back and forth as she thought to herself. 

“Are you a magician?” She asked him, grinning wildly as she spoke, “Because every time I look at you, everyone else disappears.” She looked at him proudly, waiting for his reaction like it was the funniest thing she’d ever said. 

“Ha,” He said softly, “That was a pick up line, not a joke.” He pointed out a second later, watching the way she crawled up towards him. She settled on her knees, pushing his legs further apart so she could settle in front of him. 

“Oh shoot,” She pouted her lips out, “Darn. I thought it was good too.” She said a second later, furrowing her eyebrows together like she was trying to think of another joke to tell him. He grinned as he gripped her waist and pulled her a little closer. 

“It was pretty good,” He confirmed as he brushed her nose against hers, “I’m very flattered you think of me in that manner.” He teased, settling back a bit as she started to climb on top of him again. 

“I love you,” She said gently, “You’re the sweetest, most kind and sexiest boyfriend ever. You’re so caring.” She mumbled as she rubbed her face against his again, scooting closer so she could wrap her legs around his waist and rest there.

“Mhm, alright,” He said softly as he shook his head, reaching over to grab his cigarettes, “Here.” He pressed one in between her fingers, watching the way she twisted it back and forth. He thought about how she’d smoked the last time at the party. 

“I don’t like smoking,” She groaned, “Tastes yucky.” She told him seriously as she tried to place it back in his hand. He held his palm out, stopping her as he reached over for a lighter. He always liked smoking when he was high. Everything tasted different and the smoke felt funny coming off of his lips. 

“Just trust me.” He said slowly a s he pressed the cigarette between her lips. She looked at him curiously, following his every movement as he lit a flame near her lips, “You can exhale.” He said a second later, watching the way she just let it dangle between her lips. 

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, nodding as she brought her fingers up to the cigarette and exhaled softly. He breathed in the taste of her smoke, hoping that it would relax his own nerves. Her features wrinkled up into bliss, into awe as she brought her free hand up to her lips.

“Oh,” She said, still staring down at the burning cigarette as she held her fingers up against her lips, “Huh.” She hummed again, taking another hit before she passed it to him. He grinned as he pulled the cigarette up into his lips, taking a few more drags than her.

“Yeah?” He questioned her, letting the nicotine linger on his tongue before he held it out to her again. She observed it for a moment before she brought it towards her lips again. She hummed for a moment. 

“Wow,” She giggled as she passed him the cigarette again, “Feels funny on my lips.” She mumbled, exhaling deeply as she traced her fingers down from her lips, to her throat and then to her chest. She lingered her fingertips there as she took another deep breath.

“Mhm,” He hummed as he observed the amusement in her eyes. She turned from his gaze, temporarily distracted as she stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes drifted towards the window, looking at the stars from the night sky, “Want another?”

“No,” She mumbled as she rested her cheek against Billy’s shoulder. She wrapped both of her arms around his torso, squeezing tightly, “You’re so soft. So warm.” She held herself against him, nuzzling her cold nose against his warm skin. 

“Are you calling me fat?” He teased her softly as he began to rub his fingers up and down her back. She groaned, squeezing him tight enough to draw a groan from his lips. 

“You’re not fat,” She whined as she looked up at him, “Just soft and squishy.” She said cheerfully, looking up at him with warm eyes. He chewed on his bottom lip, getting a clear look of just how strung out she still was. He felt a jolt of guilt traveling up his stomach again. 

“That’s not very reassuring,” He mumbled as he took another drag, careful not to drop any ashes on her hair as she nuzzled her face deeper into his skin, “What are you doing now?” He asked her curiously, feeling her nose moving like she was smelling him. 

“Snuggling,” She mumbled, “I’m sorry.” She apologized a second later, taking him by surprise. He leaned towards his ashtray, putting out the butt of his cigarette. He cupped her face a second later, noticing that her expression had dropped from amusement to grief.

“What for?” He asked her softly, not wanting to push too hard in case her emotions became overwhelming. He knew how it felt when it all grew to be too much. She took a deep exhale, holding it tightly in her chest as tears formed in her eyes. 

“Everything bad that I’ve ever done to you,” She breathed out slowly, “If I’ve ever made you mad or upset. Or hurt your feelings.” She shook her head, looking defeated as she rested her cheek against his palm. He brought a soft smile upon his lips. 

“So you’re getting deep now.” He teased her softly, feeling like she was being ridiculous. He didn’t tell her that. He’d let her ramble the rest of the night about her feelings and thoughts. It was better than the alternative; having a bad trip. 

“I just want to apologize.” She said as she sniffled again, her cheeks damp and eyes puffy. He brushed away her tears softly, shaking his head as a way to dismiss whatever she was thinking about. 

“You’re fine.” He told her softly, giving her face a reassuring squeeze to let her know he was serious. She shook her head, still wearing a disappointed look in her eyes. 

“You don’t mean that.” She said, pouting her bottom lip out as she sniffled again. He patted her cheeks softly, hoping she knew how ridiculous she sounded before he moved his hands down to her hips. 

“You’re just dramatic,” He mumbled as he pressed his fingertips against her ribs softly, “But you’re also very sweet and kind. And you’re forgiven.” He told her a little softer, hoping that it would be enough for ehr to relax. 

“Do you promise?” She asked him seriously before she began to brush her cheek against his again. He made a face as she pressed her wet skin against his. He patted her sides as he bit back a sigh. 

“Yes,” He responded dryly, “I promise.” He told her truthfully, cupping her face again so she could look at him and know that he was serious. She stopped for a moment, scooting a little too close to look into his eyes. He blinked roughly, having a hard time looking forward as she pressed her nose against his. 

“Okay,” She settled back into him happily, laughing into his chest, “Good.” She mumbled as she rested there for a minute, her grip growing tighter and tighter around him. She laid there for a few minutes in silence until she began to scramble off of him, fanning her face.

“Do you want your pjs?” He asked her curiously, reaching up onto the bed to grab for them. She shook her head, her cheeks flushed. 

“No,” She whined as she roughly pulled her dress over her head, stalling for a moment as her elbows got tangled through the sleeves of her arms, “It’s hot.” She persisted, pushing it off of herself until she sat with only her panties on.

“No bra?” He asked, feeling a little nervous as he drew his eyes up towards the top of her head. He forced his eyes to linger there, afraid that his dick would get other ideas if he looked at her naked flesh. He wasn’t risking any funny business with her. 

“It’s tight,” She whined as she rolled onto her back, “You should take yours off too.” She grinned, holding her arms out wide as she pressed her foot against his thigh gently. He kept his eyes focused on the ceiling this time, ignoring how she was slowly wiggling herself closer. 

“What if I get cold?” He asked her playfully, suddenly feeling like his throat was dry. He felt the temptation to look upon her, but he wouldn’t. He had a feeling things would go south if she got too frisky. 

“I can warm you up.” She replied slyly, cocking an eyebrow as she watched him. She pushed his legs apart again, slowly crawling over top of him again. He breathed out harshly, feeling a tightening in his pants as she settled over his lap again. 

“I think you’re a bad influence.” He teased her again, but swore he felt a little nervous from her actions. He’d love to do nothing more than touch her, but knew that she would be far too loud. He was trying to be a little respectful towards Rosemary and Sam. 

Her lips fell onto his, slow and sweet as she gripped his chin tightly. He exhaled against her lips, trying to control his own movements as she lightly slid her tongue across his bottom lip. She replaced her tongue with her teeth, nibbling softly as a moan slid off of her tongue.

He sighed in surprise, groaning softly at the way her mouth dragged against his again. He closed his eyes, enjoying the minty taste on her lips. She moved her hands down further, gripping a hold of his sides as she rocked against his bulge. 

“What are you doing?” He asked hotly, his dick filling out from the warm heat he could feel coming from her thin panties. She licked at his lips again, whining as she continued to rut against him. 

“Feels so good,” She gaped as she ran her hands along the curve of his body. She rocked herself back and forth on his thigh, gasping as she did so, “Billy you feel so good.” She whimpered, her eyes filled with flames as she looked at him. 

“Shh,” He mumbled, bringing his hand up to his mouth, “Maybe we should do something else.” He suggested, confirming that she wouldn’t be able to stay quiet. The walls were thicker, but he wasn’t sure if they were that thick.

“Please,” She begged, her voice as sweet as sugar as she brushed her nose against his, “I’ll be good. I promise.” She whimpered, her tone shaking as she continued to rub up against him. He closed his eyes tightly, unable to deny his own lust as she moved her hand down and pressed her palm against his hardening cock. 

“You have to be quiet.”

“I will be,” She nodded her head eagerly, “Just please.” He nodded his head, almost feeling like he was condemning the both of them as he hooked his fingers through the band of her panties. He wiggled them down slowly, trying to take his time before she quickly pushed the clothing away on her own. 

He nodded his head softly, watching the quick way she rested fully on her back against the hard floor. He felt his eyes lingering against her flushed cheeks, the lustful look in her eyes and how her lips had parted as a soft moan escaped her lips.

She reached between them, her slender fingers wrapping around his hard cock and stealing the air from inside of his lungs. He watched in awe at the way she slowly slid her hand up and down the length of his cock, squeezing softly near his base to earn a groan from his lips.

He exhaled roughly, shifting a little closer until the back of her thighs were resting over his legs. She wiggled urgently against him, pressing his cock against her wet folds. She licked her bottom lip, her flush spreading down to her neck as he brushed her hands away from his dick.

He pressed his reddened tip against her fluttering hole, enjoying the way she was trying to wiggle herself up onto his cock. He grinned, his eyes flickering up to her desperate expression as he slowly slid himself inside of her. He huffed deeply, groaning at the way her smooth walls stretched around his girth. He felt his own eyes fluttering shut for just a second, enjoying how wet and tight she felt all at once. 

“God,” Kim breathed out in awe, her eyes fluttering as a dazed smile formed on her lips, “Wait. Don’t move. Just stay- stay there for a minute.” She begged him as she lightly dragged her nails up her torso. She sighed loudly, a delighted expression across her relaxed features. 

“Fuck,” He sat up on his knees a little bit better, “Like that?” He replied hotly as he dragged his palms down her knees, her thighs and then to her waist. Her skin was warm, vibrating against his as her cunt squeezed roughly around his throbbing cock. 

“Uh huh,” She sighed deeply as she ran her fingers across his back, “Feels nice. Just wanna savor you.” She mumbled, her eyes flashing as she pulled him down a little closer. He grazed his lips against hers slowly, enjoying the sensation of her soft lips against hers for just a moment.

He kissed her passionately, groaning as her fingertips fell to his dirty blonde curls. She knitted her fingers through his hair tightly, pulling him closer as her lips moved against his frantically. He groaned in response, covering her moan with his own at the way that she rutted her hips up towards him.

He groaned at the sensation of his cock sliding deeper into her wet cunt, enjoying her velvety, wet walls that squeezed him tightly. She whimpered against his mouth as she arched her back up closer to his skin. He sighed at the feeling of her pink nipples brushing against his skin, at how whiny she grew.

“Move,” She demanded, her eyes flashing full of lust as she pulled away slowly from his mouth but not before flicking her tongue against his lips, “Billy, please.” She whimpered a second later, like she could no longer wait before she began to drag her hips up and down the length of his cock.

Her motions brought a smirk to his lips as he suddenly thought about how impatient she could be, how urgent she grew when she wanted to cum. He felt a little bad, knowing that it would be difficult for her to reach her peak if she was even able to. The time with her had been the only time he’d cum with the drug pumping in his system.

“Such a desperate little whore,” He tsked at her, groaning as he slowly pulled his thick cock from her warm cunt, then thrusted back into her. She whimpered loudly, her pouty lips pressing together as she turned her gaze up towards him desperately and nodded her head, “You like my cock, baby sister?” 

“Yeah,” She cried out, looking up at him blissfully, “Love my big brother's cock.” She moaned out as she wiggled her body closer to him. He groaned as his fingertips dipped into her soft flesh, squeezing harshly as he dragged her body against his hard cock. He moved his lips down slowly, kissing her sweaty skin.

Her grip on his hair increased as he brought his lips around one of her pink nipples, flicking his tongue against the sensitive bud. She whined in response as he continued to press her back into the hard floor. 

“Wanna cum, wanna cum so bad,” She cried out as she rolled herself up and down the length of his cock, “Please, please make me cum.” She pleaded with him, her eyes dark and hazy as she sat herself up by her palms. He groaned, sitting back as he watched her work her cunt along the curve of his cock. 

“Trying, I’m trying, baby,” He encouraged her, licking his lips as he watched his cock disappear inside of her wet cunt again. He breathed out harshly, feeling the sweat beginning to form at the base of his neck, “You’re so pretty.” He mumbled a second later, enjoying how her flushed skin molded together with her freckles.

She whined as she rolled her head back, her hips grinding forward in complete bliss as he brought his hand down against her clit. He rubbed her sensitive bud in soft circles, slowly pressing down harder before gently moving away. Her moans encouraged him, making him repeat the movements in hopes that she’d reach her high.

“God, daddy.” She moaned even louder, quickly making him move his free hand over her mouth. He watched the way her eyes fluttered, how her features continued to twist into pleasure as he rocked his cock deeper inside of her wet walls. He grunted, enjoying the way her tongue flicked over his palm

“You’re insatiable,” He told her quickly, as a jolt of pleasure traveled up his spine and through his bones, “Little minx.” He grunted out roughly as he gripped his fingertips a little harder into her soft face. She whimpered underneath him, her eyes wide with pleasure as she continued the same frantic movements. 

The sound of the flesh meeting, of her wet pussy clenching around his thick cock echoed in his ears like a nice melody. He could feel him cock throbbing against her walls, grunting as she slid him in deeper with each thrust. Her moans were growing louder despite his palm over her mouth.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his eyebrows knitting together as he did his best to keep his composure. His stomach muscles were clenching as it became harder and harder to breathe. He was doing his best to keep from reaching his high, wanting her to feel as good for as long as possible.

“Fuck,” His forehead fell against her own, their sweaty skin mingling as he dropped his hand to her hip while he roughly pressed his thumb against her clit, “Fuck, oh holy fuck, baby.” He nearly whined, his hips pressing against hers urgently as he came down from his high.

He groaned, his lips brushing against her pouted ones as thick ropes of cum painted her fluttering walls. He breathed in her air, holding onto her tightly as his heart hammered roughly inside of his chest. Everything felt too good, too intense.

“Billy,” She whined, still trying to grind against him, “I’m not there.” She pouted her lips, moving a little too far as his softening cock slid from her slippery cunt. He groaned, sitting up a bit as she crawled over on top of him.

He nodded his head, his face entirely too hot as she began to rut against him. He groaned softly, lazily placing his hands on her hips as her warm pussy slid against his skin easily. 

“God,” She whimpered as she continued to grind against his hip, “Why can’t I cum? I need it, need you again.” She whined desperately as she licked away the sweat from the side of his neck. He rubbed his fingertips against her skin, squeezing softly. 

“Relax,” He mumbled as he drifted his lips across her mouth, “Just give me a few minutes.” He reassured her, slightly worried that this might be an all night thing. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to give her the same intensity from a few weeks ago. 

“I don’t wanna wait,” She pouted as she rolled off of him. He shook his head softly, trying to catch his own breath as he stared up towards the ceiling, “Ouch.” She mumbled as she faced away from him, one of her hands resting on her chest as she took deep breaths. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked her, still trying to come down from his last high. He thought that his dick would be far too sore to do another round. He rolled onto his side, prepared to hunt down her vibrator and hairbrush. 

“My heart is beating too fast,” She spit out as she inhaled sharply, her chest moving roughly as she spit out rapid breaths of air, “I think I’m having a heart attack.” She spoke truthfully as she held her hand over her chest, looking towards him panicked. 

“No, no you’re not having a heart attack,” He reassured her, rolling over better so he could try and soothe her, “You’re fine, just breathe deeply.” He encouraged her, feeling bad that she had spiraled deeply. He thought that it wasn’t that bad, that her emotions would change once she stopped focusing on the way her heart was beating. 

“I think I need to go to a hospital.” She said shrilly, sitting up a bit as she dug her fingertips into her thighs tightly. She continued to breathe harshly, her eyes darting back and forth as an alarmed look spread on her features. He joined her, pulling her close to his chest as he gently rocked her back and forth. 

“You don’t need to go to the hospital,” He spoke softer, trying to get him to focus on him rather than the way she was darting her eyes around the room rapidly, “You’re fine. Just a little anxious. Let’s breathe together.” He guided her, gently tapping his fingertips against her back as he took deep, slow breaths. She struggled for a moment before she was able to calm her breathing enough to follow his lead. 

It was some time later when she fully relaxed, slumping her body against his as her eyes peered wildly at the wall in front of her. He sighed, resting his head against hers as he gave her another reassuring squeeze. She held onto his biceps, squeezing softly as she remained tense against him.

He rubbed her skin softly, moving his hands across her arms and shoulders to try and ease the tension in her body. She blinked a few times, like she was finally drawing out of whatever trance she was stuck in. 

“That feels nice,” Kim sighed gently, her voice no longer panicked as she lightly turned to face him, “Really nice.” She nodded her head softly, her eyes fluttering for just a moment. He wished it would be enough for her to relax and sleep, but he knew it wasn’t possible. He was always away for days after he got high. His mind just never seemed to want to shut off after. 

He moved for a moment, beginning to slide his boxers on quickly when he was stalled by her palm connecting with his ass cheek. He jumped, looking at her curiously as a goofy grin spread on her lips again. He chuckled softly before he grabbed something from his dresser and shut the lights off. 

“I’m not sleepy.” She protested, her voice whiny as she spoke. He shook his head, standing up on the bed for just a moment to push a few of the stickers onto his ceiling. 

“Look,” He mumbled as he looked back down at her, showing her the little stars that he was going to gift her for her room, “Don’t they look neat?” He asked her, grinning at the way her eyes were quickly glued to the lights. He suddenly wished that he had a lava lamp. Those were always fun to stare at. 

“Woah,” Kim drew out dramatically, her eyes flashing as she stared at them, “They’re so pretty.” She reached her handout towards the ceiling, swiping her fingers softly like she might pull them from the ceiling. He chuckled softly, watching her in amusement for a while.

He could feel himself beginning to doze off a few times as he laid next to her. She was clearly distracted, still staring up at the pretty colors of the fake stars as he did his best not to sink into the mattress. 

“What?” He blinked, looking over at her curiously as she nudged at him. She pouted her lips out and he wondered if he had missed whatever she had said. 

“Hold me,” She whined as she held her arms out straight and fell into his lap, “Feels nice.” She squealed softly as she curled up to him. He pressed his fingertips into her skin softly, enjoying the feeling of her boobs against his bare skin. 

“You’re a dork, you know that?” He asked her seriously, stifling a yawn as she began her cheek up against him again. He enjoyed the way she tossed her long leg over his body, wiggling herself even closer. 

“Your dork,” She said as she continued to brush her cheek and body against him, “You feel good.” She mumbled again. He petted at her hair softly, wondering if she would enjoy a shower. He always liked just standing in the water, the feeling of the jets always a nice sensation. 

“Do I?” He questioned her, smiling as she hummed in response. She was soft for a moment as she traced her fingertips up and down his bicep. He pressed his cheek against her forehead gently, holding her a little tighter. 

“I wanna sleep,” She turned to look up towards him, “But I can’t sleep, it's like my mind is racing.” She said, looking at him in disbelief like she wanted the answers. He pressed his lips together, afraid that she’d freak out again if she knew the truth. 

“Mhm,” He mumbled as he rubbed his thumb across her skin, “What are you thinking about?” He watched her curiously, sitting up a little bit as she fell onto the floor again. He sat up, his eyebrows raising at the rough way she snapped her head up and motioned him to join her.

He grumbled underneath his breath, feeling like his body was too sore to sit on the floor again. He joined her regardless, laying on the opposite side of her so that their cheeks were pressed together. 

“Oh,” She giggled softly as she rubbed her nose against his skin again, “Nothing.” She said at last, leaving him in the dark to whatever she was thinking of. He turned towards her curiously, watching how the glow of the lights danced across her skin. He averted his eyes for a second, checking the time to see that it wouldn’t be long before the sun started to rise. Which meant, hopefully, that the drug was almost out of her system. 

“That doesn’t sound like nothing.” He told her as he turned his direction back to her. Her eyes were staring back towards the little stars that were decorating the ceiling. He pursed his lips together, wondering if she knew how cute she was. 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” She turned her head towards him, “Please.” She said at last, her tone so urgent that it took him by surprise. He paused, unsure of what she wanted to hear. He supposed he could tell her that he’d spoken to Neil, that he still felt guilty over what had happened. But something about that didn’t feel right. There was something else that was bothering him. 

“You remember Adrian?” He felt a little surprised as he asked the question. He peeled his eyes back up towards his ceiling, trying to ignore the way his heart was racing now. He felt nervous, worried that this would be the end of it for them. 

“Yeah,” Kim mumbled as she mindlessly ran her fingers through his curls, “He was cute too.” Billy grumbled in response, not sure that he appreciated her referring to him as cute. He watched the way she pursed her lips together tightly, like she was trying to hide the smile that was forming. 

“We used to be friends.” He started there first, still trying to figure out a way to wiggle himself out of what he’d started. Kim hummed in response, her fingers still twisting around his curls. He closed his eyes at the sensation, trying to focus on that rather than the worry that was beginning to chew at his stomach. 

“Yeah, I remember that.” She said softly, sounding like she was stuck in another dream. He figured that now would be the best time to tell her. Hopefully, if things went bad, she’d forget about it when she snapped out of her state. 

“We sorta-,” He paused, staring straight ahead so he couldn’t look at the disappointment in her eye, “We messed around.” He said at last, the words burning on his tongue like coals in a fire. He felt like his heart stopped, his lungs filling with ice as his sentence bounced around the room. He wouldn’t give himself the satisfaction of looking at her, still too fearful of what she might say. 

“You’ve been a boy?” She looked at him curiously as he continued to look ahead. He waited for her to scream, to call him disgusting, “Does he kiss better than me?” She asked instead, making his eyes snap over towards her in disbelief. 

“That’s what you’re worried about?” He asked her seriously, watching the way she licked at her lips again. She looked at him for a long moment, like she was trying to understand what he might be worried about. 

“Well-,” Kim paused as she looked down at her lap, “I don’t have the parts that he has, so yes.” She said at last, fanning her hands over her lap like she was missing something. He scoffed as he turned away, feeling like his cheeks had grown too hot. 

“Oh Jesus,” He sighed deeply as he rubbed at his temple, “I didn’t touch his dick.” He protested, suddenly not surprised at all from her question. He waited, sure that she had a million different questions on how men had sex. 

“That doesn’t seem very fun,” She said, her features wrinkled up, “Ha. You said something similar when I kissed Robin.” She smiled triumphantly when he turned to face her again. He shook his head, feeling like there was a laugh bubbling in his chest. 

“You are a mystery to me.” He told her truthfully, feeling like any other girl would quickly redress and have nothing to do with him again. He was sure that she would’ve returned to Hawkins with Susan after he came clean. 

“I mean-, I kissed Robin.” She said slowly, looking at him seriously like there was some comparison to make. He wished he could smile. She was trying, but their experiences were vastly different. 

“Once.”

“Who knows if I would’ve done it again though,” She said breathlessly, furrowing her eyebrows together tightly, “I mean I could’ve if I wanted to.” She replied forcefully, nodding her head at him as she turned to look at him better. 

“Mhm.” He hummed along, a little amused at her antics. She frowned at his response, lightly poking him as she rolled over onto her back again. 

“I just didn’t want to,” She shrugged her shoulders so high that it brushed against the top of his head, “I mean who cares? I don’t care.” She said at last, nodding her head like it was the end of the conversation. He felt his eyebrows raise this time. 

“You don’t care?” He asked softly, feeling like there must be something hidden. She looked at him in confusion, like she couldn’t understand why he would ask such a question. 

“No,” She said quickly, “I don’t. You’re still the softest, most sweetest-” She began again, looking like she was heading into a long ramble again. 

“Okay, okay,” He stopped her, shaking his head at the way her lips were beginning to brush against his skin as she spoke, “I get it.” He told her, grinning as she repositioned herself so she could look at him. He rubbed at her sides softly, trying to ignore how close her perky tits were to his face. 

“I don’t think you do,” She pouted, “I’m just trying to tell you how much I care.” She grumbled as she rested on top of him again, curling up against him. He looked around, reaching blindly until he found his shirt and a pair of her panties. 

“You’ve said it already,” He reminded her gently, “It’s really alright.” He began to dress her, much to her whining as she languidly moved to pull the articles of clothing on herself. He shook his head, but savored the feeling of his fingertips against her skin. 

“I love you,” She told him quickly, “And nothing about what you’ve done will change that.” She breathed out dreamily, moving her hands against his cheek slowly. He glanced up towards her, letting a warm smile spread on his lips as she continued to squish on his cheeks.

“I love you too,” He mumbled, sitting up a bit so she could stop pressing against his skin, “Are you hungry or anything?” He asked her, fixing the shirt over her thighs. She tilted her head curiously. 

“No.”

“How about some more water?” He asked her, watching the way she furrowed her eyebrows together as she thought about it. She started to grind her jaw again, making him reach over to hand her another piece of gum. 

“Only if there’s ice.” She said a second later as she unwrapped the piece of gum and popped it in her mouth. He paused for a moment, slightly wondering where the last piece had gone. He sighed gently, hoping that she hadn’t swallowed it. 

“I’ll be right back,” He told her as he stood to grab the glass, “Do you have to go to the bathroom or anything?” He looked at her seriously, still not quite trusting her to be on her own. 

“Nope.” She said, popping the p dramatically as she began to roll around again. He sighed deeply, pausing her movements for just a second as he stared down at her. 

“Stay here.” He told her, pointing a finger lightly in hopes that she knew that he was serious. She grinned, staring up at his finger before she nodded her head. 

“I’ll stay right here.” She replied as she laid on her side again and began to roll back and forth. He chuckled underneath his breath before he turned away, exiting the room quickly. 

He crept down the hall, doing his best to stay silent as he walked to the kitchen. He knew the only one that would really stir would be Max, but he doubted she’d come out to check what he was doing. If she was even here.

He glanced down at his foot, feeling soft paws on his skin before he heard Pearl meow. He sighed, popping a few more cubes of ice into the cup and filling it before he scooped Pearl up with his free hand. He swore a goofy expression formed on her face as he carried her back to the room. 

“Here,” Billy handed Kim the water first, ensuring that she actually drank some of it before he presented the next gift to her, “Here’s your nosey cat.” He said, his eyebrows wrinkling up in amusement at the delight that spread across her features. 

“Pearl!” Kim squealed in happiness as she scooped the kitten up. She giggled as she began to rub her face over Peal’s little cheeks, “Oh your fur feels so funny!” She grinned brightly, amusement burning into the lines on her face. 

“You’re petting her backwards.” He observed a second later, watching the way her hand swooped up Pearl’s spine in a backwards motion. She looked up at him, like she wanted to say duh. 

“It feels funnier this way,” Kim replied quickly as she held Pearl out to him, “You try it.” He looked at her curiously before he brought his hand across the kitten. By the time he reached the top of his head, Pearl was swatting at him and trying to bite him. He yanked his hand back quickly, a little offended that she didn’t do the same thing with Kim. 

“Feels a lot funnier,” He agreed, “She’s a brat.” He said at last, watching the way Pearl arched her back as Kim continued to pet her. He shook his head, joining Kim on the bed as the rays from the sun began to dip in through the window. It decorated the room, bounced off of her pale skin and lit up against the walls.

Kim was quiet for a while after that. She curled up against his side, Pearl laying on her chest as she continued to brush her fingers through the puffy fur. He watched with interest for a while, feeling himself slowly zoning out as she hummed along to the music that was playing in the background. 

“What time is it?” She asked him curiously, turning to face him. He looked at her, noticing that her eyes had grown back to normal. He leaned over, cupping her chin gently in hopes that everything was slowly going back to normal. 

“Almost six in the morning.” He responded as he looked over at what time it was. She moved her head towards his chest, exhaling deeply. 

“Wow,” Kim said, her eyes flashing wide, “We haven’t even slept tonight.” She said in awe, blinking a few times like she was waking up from a dream. He watched as Pearl lifted her paws up to Kim’s chin, resting them there as she slumbered on. 

“I wasn’t tired,” He smiled as he brushed his nose against hers, “What about you?” He asked her softly, wondering if she was becoming aware of what had happened. 

“Mhm nope,” She smiled brightly, “Did I act funny? Something seemed off.” She said at last, drawing the words out slowly. She pulled her hand up to her jaw, holding onto it softly as she chewed on her gum. 

“No,” He shook his head, “You acted fine.” He told her as stoically as possibly, but was unable to stop the grin that was forming on his lips. She groaned loudly, pulling her hands up to her face. 

“Billy.” She whined softly, peaking her eyes out through her parted fingers to look at him in worry. He pressed against her skin softly. 

“You may have gotten into something of mine,” He replied sheepishly, “But it’s all gone now.” He told her reassuringly, hoping that she wouldn’t get mad. He felt really bad about what had happened, really guilty. It was enough to make him worried about doing drugs at the house. He supposed that was off the table for a while. 

“Oh shoot,” Kim groaned as she held her hands in her face, “This is bad.” She sighed deeply, rubbing at her face as she shook her head. He grinned, patting her back gently. 

“Nothing is bad,” He said softly, “You did good. There’s no reason to freak out now. I’m sorry.” He reassured her, then apologized quickly. He really didn’t plan on her finding his little pills. He supposed it was a good thing. He wouldn’t have to deal with that temptation anymore. 

“I shouldn’t have gotten into your stuff,” She mumbled underneath her breath, “They looked like candies. They betrayed me.” She pouted her lips out, looking a little disappointed as she held Pearl to her chest. 

“Yeah, they did,” He chuckled as he pushed her hair behind her ears, “I love you too.” He said softly, hoping she knew just how much her words meant to him. 

[pocket-lad]

CH 4- The Second Encounter

Prev

Adelaide flinched as Ian basically sprinted toward the counter. He was instantly way too close and whatever he dropped made a loud noise as it clattered to the ground. Disoriented and confused, Adelaide took a couple steps back.

“What…what happened?” Ian breathed, eyes wide and hands hovering as if he wanted to offer help.

Adelaide silently tried to work out what was wrong. Then it dawned on her. She was absolutely covered in rat blood. That couldn’t have looked good.

“Oh, no, I’m fine. We just demolished a rat. None of this blood is mine.”

Ian stared back, a little disgusted but still very concerned. “I-”

“Speaking of, I was actually wondering. We’ve got the rat right inside there. If I brought it out, would you mind cooking it? We’ll cut it up and everything, I just want-” Adelaide lowered her voice for this part, aware that Sarah watched from a distance. “I just want Ollie to be able to have some good, warm food before we leave.”

“Uh, slow your roll there…Della…I haven’t - I haven’t seen you for days. What happened?”

Oh.

Adelaide completely lost track of time, but she supposed she should have at least tried to keep Ian updated. He didn’t need to know what she was doing every second of every day, but it had been quite a long time.

“Oh…yeah…uh, sorry. Lost track of time…I guess,” she muttered weakly. It was a pretty shitty apology, and they both knew it.

“I was beginning to think - to think you were hurt! You live in the walls, but not uh, not these walls. Just let me know you’re alive next time.”

Adelaide resisted every urge to bite back. This was Ian caring about her. It was not him trying to control her and it was not him infantilizing her. He was exhibiting care, and she fought to keep that at the forefront of her mind. “Right…sorry.”

Ian sighed as he collapsed back in a chair, rubbing his face. He let himself relax now that he knew she wasn’t bleeding out. “You look horrendous. You know that?”

“Thanks,” Adelaide spun in a circle, showing off her ruined clothes. “So about that rat-”

“I’m not touching a dead rat. And I don’t think Sarah wants one dragged across her counter.”

Sarah called out from across the room and waved with her hand. “That counter’s seen much worse.”

“We’ll cut it up so you can’t even tell it’s a rat. I’ll even put it in the pan or whatever. Come onnnn,” Adelaide goaded. She gazed up at Ian expectantly.

“I’d love to know how my life ended up like this,” he said.

“So that’s a yes.”

“That is a yes.”

Adelaide triumphantly laughed and ran backwards toward the wall as she spoke. “I’ll be right back. It might take a minute, but I shall return.”

Ollie waited inside impatiently. “That was impressive,” she said.

“Hey, what can I say?” Adelaide boasted.

“I still can’t believe a Bean listens to you!”

Oh, that’s what she meant. Adelaide still chose to take the compliment. “Yeah, well…let’s get this thing cut up.”

They spent the next hour skinning and dicing up the rat carcass, getting even dirtier in the process. Eventually, they widdled it down into sizable chunks and piled it onto fabric to make it easier to drag. While it cooked, Ollie would take the skin back to her dad.

“See you in a bit?”

“See you in a bit.”

Again, there was that weird pause, like both of them were waiting for the other person to do something. They just could not seem to figure out what that something was.

Adelaide once again ran out of the walls, albeit much slower this time now that she had cargo.

Ian was back on the couch, so she shouted for him. He extricated himself from Sarah’s arms and wandered into the kitchen. As he approached, he covered his nose with his sleeve. “Oh my gosh, that is…that is disgusting.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes. “It’s just meat.”

“Mhm,” Ian said, trying not to gag.

“You’re gonna cook with one hand?”

“Mhm.”

To prove this, he reached way over Adelaide’s head to grab some kind of oil. He poured it in a pan and turned on the stove.

One by one, Adelaide heaved each piece of meat over her head and tossed them into the pan, accompanied by a loud pop as they landed. She dodged the little specks of hot oil that splashed out at her and ignored Ian’s amused laughs.

After doing all she could do, Adelaide’s brain turned off as she settled herself on the counter and watched Ian cook. And true to his word, he did it all with one hand while the other occupied itself covering his nose. The way he just knew what to do and when to do it was mesmerizing. Ian claimed he wasn’t any good, but compared to the stale crackers Adelaide consumed her whole life, whatever he made could be considered gourmet.

By the time the meat was cooked, Ian felt it was safe to remove his sleeve from his nose. He dumped the food onto a plate and presented it to Adelaide. “How’s that look?”

“Perfect!”

Adelaide could see the steam rising from the plate, so she figured she probably wouldn’t be able to take it into the walls yet. “You want some?” she offered.

“Uh…no - no thanks,” Ian said. “Is your friend coming?”

“No, I’m gonna take it to her. She’s not ready to leave the walls just yet.”

“Am I really that ugly?”

Adelaide laughed, but there was a more serious point to be made. “No, but you’re really that scary. I don’t think she’s over being grabbed. And you remember how long it took me to come out of the walls after we first met.”

“What was it? A week or two?”

“It was a whole month!”

“Ah, right, right.”

Adelaide thought back to just how daunting it was to leave the walls after their initial encounter. It was even more daunting when she finally decided to introduce herself properly.

***

It was time. Either her boredom or curiosity grew too strong - probably both. She justified it as a stakeout. If the Bean knew about her, she needed to know more about him, figure out what his intentions were.

It had been about a month since Ian caught her, and besides the occasional food left out, he gave no indication that day ever happened. He didn’t poke around (at least not that she was aware of), he didn’t set traps (at least not that she was aware of), he didn’t do anything.

Adelaide only took the food that one time when she was sure he was out. After that, she refused to take anything. She didn’t take handouts. She could fend for herself.

As time went on, Adelaide grew suspicious. Why was the Bean acting so normal about the situation? He was a scientist! If she had a tiny person in her walls, she’d be unbelievably curious.

Regardless of the reason, Adelaide ventured to a part of the walls she hardly used. On the far wall in the living room, there was a low bookshelf with a hole in the wall behind the first shelf. It was already a weak spot, so when Adelaide first moved in, it took no pressure at all to force it open. She thought she could use it as a spot to spy on the Bean, but it proved useless. Until now.

As Adelaide hiked through the walls, the dust grew exponentially. She had to keep herself from sneezing, especially since she could literally hear the Bean walking about the house.

She made it to her destination and paused. What was she doing here? If anything, Adelaide needed a really high vantage point, but none existed. All of Ian’s furniture was just too low, and the cabinets were currently completely inaccessible.

Obviously, Adelaide grew nervous. She was pushing her luck. But with nothing better to do and not wanting to waste a trip, she squeezed through the wall to the shelf.

The books were pretty neatly organized, but there was a spot where one book leaned slightly into another, leaving a gap just big enough for her to stand in if she ducked a little.

Adelaide stood in that gap for a while, watching. Ian wasn’t in the room at the moment, so she awkwardly waited, which gave her time to think about how idiotic and pointless this plan was. When Ian returned, she stiffened. He was taller than she remembered.

Adelaide was mildly convinced he could sense her presence, but he just plopped down on the couch and leaned over the coffee table, studying something she couldn’t make out. He really was just a normal guy doing normal guy things. He wasn’t some evil mastermind who existed to eliminate the borrower species. Unless he was studying his plans to eliminate the borrower species. Hmmm.

Adelaide sat down after some time. It felt almost invasive to spy on him, especially when he wasn’t doing anything nefarious, but she reminded herself he invaded her life when he captured her and held her captive.

At one point, Ian picked up the phone and ordered a pizza. Adelaide watched with awe when he picked up the phone so easily and spoke to the person on the other end with practiced confidence. How badly she wished she could do that.

Time continued to pass but Adelaide only watched. It was almost relaxing, losing herself in his movements. The way the bones in his hand flexed when he shifted a paper, the way his eyes flicked back and forth as he read. It was all so familiar but so foreign.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Ian rocketed to his feet, making Adelaide jump. She hit her head against the book she leaned against and only just managed to suppress an “ow”.

Ian froze for a split second, to the point where Adelaide was half-convinced she imagined it, but made his way to the door. He didn’t look in her direction, so maybe he really didn’t hear her. Just to be safe, she remained standing. If the Bean gave the slightest hint that he knew she was there, she would bolt.

He returned momentarily with a steaming box in his hands. The savory smell of pizza permeated the air, making Adelaide’s mouth water. What she wouldn’t give to have some warm food. Too bad she wasn’t going to accept it from a Bean, and she absolutely, under no circumstance, was going to ask .

Ian sat back down. “You hungry?”

Adelaide froze, too afraid to even breathe. Was he talking to her? Who else could he be talking to? Her suspicions were confirmed when he glanced her way, and it only took him two seconds to locate her on the shelf. That was it. Adelaide took off into the walls, heart pounding so hard she thought it was going to fly out of her chest. She pushed her luck. Of course she pushed her luck. She wouldn’t be able to go borrowing for weeks, probably.

“Hey, c’mon!” Ian called. “I wasn’t gonna-…ahhh.” He waved the thought off, assuming she wanted nothing to do with him. He sat there for a moment, staring distastefully at the pizza box. He didn’t even like pizza that much. Then he stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, settling on the floor with the box next to him. If she was still there, he wanted to talk to her, regardless of whether she wanted to talk to him. He couldn't take 'no' for an answer just yet.

As it was, Adelaide remained next to the hole just inside the wall. She pressed her back against it, heart still beating, but she didn’t run back home. She could hear shifting as Ian got closer, and she was momentarily worried he’d try to get at her, but he just kept talking.

“Looking for something to read?” Ian chuckled. Then he wondered if she actually could read. “I’d have to recommend Chaos: Making a New Science by Gleick. It’s rudimentary and a bit - a bit technical, but uh, it gets the point across. In fact, it, well…I very well could be talking uh, to myself right…now.”

Ian pulled the book he was talking about off his shelf and flipped through it while he spoke.

Adelaide, meanwhile, was incredibly confused. What was he getting at? She really should just go home, but something was stopping her. It was something Adelaide hadn’t let herself feel in a long time. She wasn’t even trying to feel it right now, but somehow, the feeling frustratingly snuck its way through her defenses. Adelaide felt lonely. (Which was completely irrational, of course. She’d been alone for years now. There was no reason for that to change.)

Spurred on by this feeling, Adelaide made a bold choice. She peeked around the corner and out into the world beyond (Ian’s living room), but when she was met with Ian’s gigantic face not a foot in front of her, that boldness evaporated. She squeaked and recoiled back into the wall again, which was dumb, considering he saw her. There was no taking that back.  She took a deep breath, mentally smacked herself upside the head, and peeked back out again.

“Hi,” Ian said, smirking and waving at her.

Adelaide flinched when his hand came into view. “Hi.”

“So….Adelaide, huh?”

Adelaide winced. She remembered telling him her name was Marcy upon their initial meeting, then writing her real name on a note and leaving it on the counter. “Yeah,” she said shortly, eyeing him suspiciously. She wouldn’t bring her whole body out yet, too scared he’d grab her.

“Why?” Ian asked, referring to her lie.

“What reason did you give me to tell you the truth?”  Stop antagonizing the giant .

Ian genuinely thought about that for a moment. “Mmmm,” he hummed, which was the closest he was getting to acknowledging her point aloud.

“I’m gonna go,” Adelaide decided, too overwhelmed. He was so big and so close. Her whole field of vision was his head and chest. She couldn’t even see the room beyond him! Every movement he made, no matter how small, was magnified tenfold, and at least half of those movements read as him grabbing at her.

Not to mention his eyes. They studied every inch of her, and that feeling of being a bug under a magnifying glass returned, his gaze burning as if it was the sun. What was he thinking? What kind of information did he gather about her just by looking? His eyes held her captive, and it felt like he could see into her soul.

“No pizza?” he asked.

Adelaide wanted pizza so bad. “No, thanks,” she said. She turned to go.

“Ah, you’re just so…little,” Ian declared, watching her move. The same way Adelaide was fascinated by how something so big could function, Ian was fascinated by how something so small could function. The movements he unconsciously made every day, all in impossible miniature.

“Don’t,” Adelaide warned.

“Don’t what?”

“Do that.”

“Do what?”

“I’m not cute. I’m not adorable, or small.” Adelaide found herself inching out of the wall, spurred on by her annoyance. “I’m not some helpless animal that needs fawning over, so don’t even start.”

“I mean objectively-” Ian started, but noting her increasingly hostile demeanor, he corrected course. “Sure, no, of course you’re not, uh…small.” He held up his hands in mock surrender, which made Adelaide flinch again. She realized how far she was from the wall, and how open air surrounded her on all sides, minus the shelf miles above her head.

Whatever Ian actually thought, he didn’t say. “What are you - what are you doing over here?”

“Nothing,” Adelaide said a little too quickly, tightening her grip on her bag.

“Nothing?” Ian repeated incredulously, eyebrows raised. “Nobody’s ever doing nothing.”

“Spying.”

“Oh, good. Great. Excellent. Why?”

Adelaide shrugged.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” he said casually.

Adelaide backed up, afraid she made him mad. She thought being honest was the best route, but maybe she should have sugar-coated it more. Nobody liked to be spied on.

“Hey, hey, you don’t need to do that. Just talk to me. I’m uh, I’m friendly.” Ian gave her a crooked smile. As Adelaide retreated, he leaned in closer, maintaining the same distance, which made Adelaide continue to back up even further until she bumped into the wall. “Why are you so nervous?”

“Because you kidnapped me.”

“And I, um…let you go. Come on, talk to me. Tell me about yourself.”

“Why?” Adelaide asked defensively.

“Because I’d like to know who’s living in my walls…You sure you don’t want pizza?”

“Who’s living in your- what gives you the-” Adelaide dragged her hand down her face, resetting. “No. No, I don’t want pizza.”

Ian reached toward the floor out of sight, and his hand returned with a slice of pizza in it. He took a bite and Adelaide both looked away and shut her eyes to avoid engaging with a Bean while it ate, but she could still clearly hear him chew and swallow.

“What’d I do now?” Ian asked, mouth full. It was hard to miss her reaction.

“Can I go?” Adelaide asked irritably, too scared he’d stop her if she tried. She’d do anything to avoid ending up in that hand again.

“I’m not stopping you.” Ian watched her intently, waiting for her next move. He was pretty sure he already knew what it was, anyway.

“Why are you so casual about this?”

“Oh, I have about a thousand questions, but every time we make direct eye contact, you flinch away, so uh…”

Adelaide forced herself to maintain eye contact. “I do not!”

Ian laughed. “Does anyone ever call you Della?”

“No. That’s stupid.”

“I kinda like it.”

“Well I don’t.”

“Della, if you’re uh, going to keep living in my walls - and believe me, I do not mind at all - if you’re going to keep living in my walls, quit spying, okay?” Ian stood up, sensing the conversation was over. He admired her bravery, but she wasn’t ready to talk to him just yet. They’d get there.

Baffled, Adelaide ran to the edge of the bookshelf so that she could see his face. The shelf she was on came up to Ian’s knee, so she had to look wayup. She immediately regretted the decision and averted her gaze, but said what she needed to say. “How can I guarantee my safety, then? How will I know you’re not going to hunt me down?”

Ian looked down at her. “Uh, you can’t, really. You’re just gonna have to trust me.”

“What if I keep spying?” She didn’t mean for it to sound like a challenge, but she suspected it came off that way.

“Then nothing. I just thought we could - we could try for friends.” With that, Ian bent to pick up the pizza and returned to the couch. He looked across the room at Adelaide. “Last call,” he said, waving the pizza box in the air.

Adelaide considered it, then scolded herself for considering it. She wasn’t sure she could bring herself to say no though, so to avoid any temptation, she ran back inside. Friends? With a Bean? Yeah, right.  That was exhausting.

But wasn’t that what she came out for? Sure, she needed to find out if Ian had any intentions of finding or hurting her, but another part of her needed to feel some kind of connection to another being. Preferably, it would have been another borrower, but seeing as she was fresh out of those, the only other option was the resident Bean.

She was definitely done for the day, that was for certain. But maybe she wouldn’t wait a whole month until next time. Maybe she’d visit again, definitely under more controlled circumstances. She wasn’t sure how to achieve that, exactly, but once she figured it out, she’d consider a third meeting. Until then, she needed to find some food.

***

Adelaide was obviously incredibly glad she made the decision to talk to Ian that day. They wouldn’t be where they were today if she hadn’t taken that step, but she also wondered if it was inevitable. Would Ian have left her alone for the rest of their lives if she didn't initiate that conversation?

Either way, she understood why Ollie wanted to keep her distance. She would let her friend come out in her own time, even if that meant she never introduced herself.

Adelaide definitely wanted them to meet each other, sure, but she was a little worried it would go very poorly. She and Ian didn’t start getting along until well after their second meeting, and they still butted heads today. She felt Ollie was probably very similar in that regard.

That meeting wasn’t going to happen today though, so in the meantime, she needed to bring Ollie this food before it cooled down.

.

Next

[skyward-floored]

Ooooh, another thought for your Incredibles au writing! I know you've already done a Malon rescues Time from Majora, but could you maybe continue your story from Plane and simple, where they have to rescue him now from Dark Link? (I've finally read through everything you've got on AO3 for this au, and I'm at work for three more hours, but I had to get this to you before I forgot!) Thank you, you're amazing! 💖💖💖

I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t written much of that scene yet! (though I am planning to!) XD

I’m sort of working my way through the movie events starting at the beginning (with changes of course!) and since Time being freed is a later on one, I don’t have very much of it written.

Buuuuut, all that being said, I have worked a fair amount on the scene that comes directly after Plane and Simple. They’re not at the point of saving Time yet, but it’s leading up to it. And since you asked so nicely and I’d hate to leave you without anything, I’ll share the scene as it is right now! It still needs a little editing, and is subject to change of course, but this is what I’ve got so far :)

(The scene before this one)

———

Malon brushed some sopping wet hair out of her face, looking around at all her sons treading water alongside her. They all looked pale and shocked, eyes wide with adrenaline, and were looking to her for direction.

She took a deep breath, ignoring all her aches and pains she had received in the past ten minutes or so, and pushed away her anxiety.

Time to get down to business.

“All right. Those were short-range missiles. Land-based,” she explained, then pointed off towards where the trails from the missiles were still in the sky, lit by the setting sun. “That way is our best bet.”

“You want to go toward the people that tried to kill us?” Wild gaped, and Malon nodded.

“If it means land, then yes.”

Legend frowned from his piece of debris, brushing his bangs out of his face. “Surely you don’t expect us to swim there?”

“It’s gotta be miles away,” Wind murmured.

Malon gave them all a firm look. “I expect you all to trust me. We’ll make it work, just like we always do. Now come on, let’s get to work.”

They quickly rigged up a flotation device then, pulling debris together with Malon’s lasso to create a rather messy raft. Malon held her rope tight as they all piled on, almost afraid the raft would fall apart if she let go, but the knots held. Legend turned into a rabbit to save space, and Hyrule quietly held him as Wild kicked his legs with his super speed, propelling them across the waves, Wind helping where he could.

Land eventually came into view, just like Malon had said, but it was well after dark by the time they all made it to shore and dragged themselves up onto the beach, both physically and mentally spent.

Malon collapsed on the ground, taking a moment to let her aching muscles relax, and glanced over at who had landed next to her. Wild lay a little ways away, looking half asleep on the sand as he breathed heavily, exhausted from helping propel the raft. He caught her staring and shifted to look back, still out of breath.

“What a trooper,” she murmured with a smile, reaching over and brushing a hand through his hair. “Good job hon. I’m so proud of you.”

Wild smiled tiredly back. “Thanks mom.”

They all eventually dragged themselves to their feet, making their way up the beach and to a nearby cave. Twilight and Legend gathered a few pieces of driftwood so they could make a small fire to dry off with, and by the time it was built, most of them were shivering from their damp hair (though the suits were doing their job, Malon realized to her relief).

The warmth helped though, and soon they were all huddling around the little fire. Wind and Wild were both leaning tiredly against Twilight, looking half awake, and Hyrule sat next to Legend, the two of them slightly huddled together.

After a long while, Malon let out a tense breath, and they all turned to look at her.

“I think your father is in trouble.”

Legend snorted at that. “In case you haven’t noticed mom, we’re not doing so hot ourselves.”

A few chuckles went up at that, and Malon stood, sufficiently dried and rested from her time by the fire. She stretched a bit, loosening her stiff muscles, then dusted off her pants.

“I’m going to look for him. And that means you’re in charge until I get back Twilight,” she instructed.

“Aw, what?” Wild and Legend complained at the same time.

Twilight smiled. “You heard her.”

“Mom, you can’t just go by yourself,” Wind protested worriedly, “these guys are—”

“Dangerous,” Malon interrupted. “And trust me, I’ve been in this sort of situation many times. I know what to expect, and you all don’t, so I want you to stay here and stay safe.”

She reached into her pocket then, pulling out the masks Fi and Ghirahim had given her, which she handed over to her boys.

“Put these on,” she said, and they all gave her slightly confused looks. “Your identity is your most valuable possession here. Protect it. And if anything goes wrong, use your powers.”

Wind frowned. “But you always say never to use our powers in...”

“I know what I said!” Malon said with a surge of exasperation, and they all went quiet. She sighed and took a steadying breath, then gave Wind an apologetic look.

“Do you all remember the bad guys on those shows you sometimes watch on Saturday mornings? Or the ones in the books you all like to read?” she asked, and they nodded. “Well, these guys are not like those guys,” Malon explained seriously. “They won’t exercise restraint because you’re children. They will kill you if they get the chance. Do not give them that chance.”

Her sons went silent, but nodded as she finished, their expressions equally worried and serious.

“Twi, I’m counting on you,” Malon said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t be afraid to use your abilities. You’re stronger than you think.” He looked intensely worried, but nodded anyways.

“Mom?” Hyrule said quietly, so quietly that Malon didn’t realize he’d spoken. “There’s something I...”

Malon still didn’t hear him. “I’m counting on you all. Be strong, Wind, make tornadoes if you have to. Don’t be afraid to use your skills Legend, Hyrule. And Wild, if anything goes wrong, I want you to run as fast as you can.”

Wild perked up immediately, a huge smile on his face. “As fast as I can?”

Malon smiled back. “As fast as you can.” She leaned forwards and drew them all into a tight hug, then stood up again. “Stay hidden. Keep each other safe. I’ll be back by morning... with your father.”

Then she slipped out of the cave.

She’d barely reached the edge of the jungle when a voice called her name, and she turned to see Hyrule jog up, his face distressed.

“Mom, before you go, I just wanted to say that what happened on the plane, I-I’m sorry. I wanted to help, I mean, when you asked me to, I just...” he stuttered, then lowered his head. “...I’m sorry.”

Malon felt her heart ache, and she placed her hands on Hyrule’s shoulders before drawing him close, giving him a quick hug.

“Oh honey, it isn’t your fault,” she murmured gently, “It wasn’t fair for me to suddenly ask so much of you, I’m sorry I yelled.” She pulled back and met his eyes, giving him a serious look. “But things are different now, and doubt is a luxury we can’t afford.”

She cupped his cheek in her hand, and Hyrule swallowed, still looking uncertain.

“You have more power than you realize, honey,” she said more softly, “I know you can do this. Don’t think so hard. And don’t worry. lf the time comes, you’ll know what to do.”

She let go of Hyrule, and gave him one last reassuring smile before she turned and ran into the jungle.

“It runs in the family.”

[nightghoul381]

I'll Keep You Warm~ William x Reader

Yet another entry for @aquagirl1978 and @violettduchess's challenge. Thank you again for hosting, I'm having a lot of fun with these prompts.

Prompt: 7. Camping Pairing: William Rex X Reader Genre: Fluff + a smidge of spice Word Count: 1458 (The fics keep seeming to get longer as I continue this challenge :p)

“I’m terribly sorry, I don’t see a reservation for you Earl Rex. On top of that, I’m afraid we’re full up and haven’t got a room to spare.”

The innkeeper was visibly upset. He had spent the past few minutes searching his records to see if somehow there had been a mistake. Will just smiled, completely unbothered by your sudden lack of lodging for the night.

“It’s no trouble at all, your assistance has been greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful evening.” Will responded graciously, wrapping his arm around your shoulder, and guiding you out of the inn.

When you were out of earshot you couldn’t help but sigh, “Where are we going to stay then?”

You and William had ben sent out to discover the cause for a recent rash of disappearances from a remote village.

This remote village, however, only had one small inn and Victor had assured the two of you that accommodations had been taken care of. Just before you had left, Victor had stopped you and handed you a small envelope, insisting that you wait until sunset to open it.

Glancing at the sky, the sun had begun its descent, but was still plainly visible. Shrugging, you decided that opening the envelope early wouldn’t be that bad, and hopefully it would have the address of the residence that Victor must have intended for you to stay at.

Unfolding the small piece of paper, all that you found was a crudely drawn map with an x marking the end of a dotted line.

“Um… I think he may have planned for us to stay somewhere else,” You muttered, handing the scrap of paper over to William.

“Ah, I see… He intends for us to stay at wherever this X is supposed to be.”

Will chuckled, glancing once more at the map before tucking it into his breast pocket.

“Off we go then.” He smiled, taking your hand in his and leading the way toward the first landmark.

After a short walk out of the village, you arrived at a gnarled tree. Will assured you that this was what the swirling blob on the map was supposed to represent and you had no choice but to acquiesce to his judgement. Soon you had made your way past a pile of rocks resembling a layered cake, a tiny farmhouse, and finally had reached the final landmark…a fairly wide stream.

Across the water, you were able to see a small tent sitting within a clearing.

“A tent?” You asked incredulously.

Will let out a bark of laughter and took off his cloak, holding it in a balled-up bundle on his shoulder. He began wading through the stream, the water quickly coming up to the middle of his back.

Too stunned to move, you merely watched as he emerged on the other side, clothes soaked through.

“Well come on then,” He shouted, waving you across. The grin on his face brightened as you hesitantly entered the water.

“Oh! It’s freezing!” You squeaked, leaping back onto the shore. Will’s laughter once again rang out and you felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Come along, little robin. I’ll have a fire started here in a moment to help us dry off.”

Taking a deep breath, you trudged through the icy water, shivering as you finally reached the opposite shore. Almost immediately, Will was behind you, hands pressed against your waist.

“My, my, you truly are soaked through, aren’t you?” He purred in your ear. A shiver ran down your spine for a completely new reason as he began slowly unlacing your dress. “We simply can’t have you stay in these sopping clothes any longer can we?”

Clawing your way to the rational side of your brain, you held Wills hands still, letting out a long breath.

“I am not about to expose myself out here where anyone could come across us!”  You insisted through chattering teeth. “I’ll just sit by the fire and I’m sure I’ll be warmed up in no time.”

Moving to take a step towards the flickering flames, Will tightens his hold on your waist.

“No one will come across us, dear robin.” He whispered, his breath ghosting across the back of your neck.

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Victor clearly intended for us to go camping tonight. And naturally, understanding that we are lovers, he would have done his best to ensure that we would be completely secluded.” Will’s soft voice murmured, his tongue darting out to trace the shell of your ear.

“But why would he have us cross the stream like this? Surely it would have been just as easy to set up the campsite on the near side!”

Pressing his forehead to your shoulder, Will gently unfolded the map, and pointed to a small dark line that crossed over a longer, pale line, and from there the path continued parallel to the pale line until reaching the X.

“There was a bridge!?” You huffed, spinning around to scold your lover.

Your words were cut off as you came face to face with him, his crimson eyes burning into you with a fierce passion.

“Forgive me, my dear. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see you like this.” He sighed. “You have no idea how deliciously your dress is clinging to your body.” As if to make a point, he ran his hands over the curve of your hips, eyes trailing along behind.

“You are incorrigible, William Rex.” You tease, letting your eyes flutter closed as he continues his exploration of your body.

A sudden blast of wind buffets the two of you and you both realize that, despite the heat in the air between you, the world outside has begun to cool. Long shadows are now stretching from the trees and the crisp evening air is doing nothing but causing you to feel even colder.

“I do still think it would be beneficial for you to remove that dress. I will take full responsibility for keeping you warm in its stead.” Will hushed, bringing his fingers back to the laces on your dress.

Still a bit nervous, you relent to his hand and allow him to remove the soaking garments from your form, before he strides over to a nearby branch, draping your clothes, followed by his own across it.

You try to steady your breathing as you take in your lover’s physique. Supple, toned muscle traces its way around his lean frame, and you can feel heat pooling in your belly as he turns back to you in nothing but his undergarments.

His soft chuckle pulls you from your reverie and you cough in shame, quickly moving closer to the fire, arms crossed over your chest. As you gaze into the orange tongues of fire that dance before you, you feel a heavy weight settle over your shoulders.

Will’s cloak is draped over you, providing a comforting warmth that you gladly huddle into. A contented sigh escapes your lips, as you settle onto the ground beside the warm glowing embers. Your lover is quick to pull you into his arms, clinging to you as though you were the most precious jewel.

“I’ll keep you warm. I promise.” He vowed, running his hands up and down your arms. The friction was wonderful and soon you were feeling quite comfortable. Leaning back against Will’s chest you gazed up at his face, famed by the silver moonlight, he looked like some ethereal being.

Will leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead before asking, “Shall we get some rest?”

“I think that would be nice, hopefully our clothes are dried by tomorrow.” You tossed out your reply as you shuffled out of his lap and stood. Pulling the cloak tighter around your shoulders, you watch as Will made his way over to the tent where a thin mattress was waiting.

“Oh! It looks like Victor had thought this through more than I assumed.” He spoke, disappearing into the tent, only to emerge moments later with a stack of fabric.

“It seems he has provided a set of pajamas.” Will laughed, as he held a warm looking nightgown out to you.

Instead of taking the outfit, you pushed Will onto the mattress and wrapped your arms around his neck, the cloak falling away as the tent enclosed you.

“You promised that you would keep me warm.” You teased, pressing your lips to his.

“Well, I can’t go back on such an important promise.” Your lover grinned as you pulled back.

He returned your kiss, and the two of you gladly indulging in each other’s warmth as the cool night marched on around you, eagerly fulfilling that very same promise.

[frighteneddraz]

Anthology of Arik 1

Arik sat staring at the empty bottle of liquor, the strongest his money could buy: a dwarven drink called “Dragonfire”, so named because it tasted of pure fire and because it had a habit of blowing up when exposed to even the slightest open flame. He could no longer even get drunk anymore, at least not on alcohol. Anger though? That he could still lose himself in, so he did what any miserable asshole in his position would do: He got in a fight. Sighing, he dragged himself to his feet and scanned the bar, in the city of adventurers, there was bound to be someone he could fight without having to worry about killing them, and to that end he was quite right.

His target stood at 5’2”, and probably just as wide, with more muscle than Arik had assumed was possible for a mortal man. Given his bald head and the sheer mass of his beard, Arik assumed the man was of dwarven blood, the fact he seemed to also be drinking Dragonfire made that assumption a near certainty, seeing as most other races would find their livers shutting down after only a few shots of the stuff. Striding up to him, Arik stood looming over the man. He was ugly, with a misshapen face and a nose that had been broken more times than Arik could probably count, his dark beard hung to his waist and his thick brows were out of line with one another, giving his face a strange slant effect. As though it were meant to be viewed horizontally, something Arik would realize almost immediately was rather apt. 

Arik’s approach was straightforward and rather rude, striding up to the half-dwarf, Arik’s hand formed a fist and crashed into the man’s table, the force of the blow knocking it over and spilling Dragonfire all over the floor. It was effective, without even so much as a word, the stranger stood up, downed what remained in his cup, and hit Arik harder than Arik had ever been hit before. There was a crunching sound, Oh, that’s my teeth and jaw, Arik thought rather nonchalantly. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. The blow may even have snapped Arik’s neck, Arik wasn’t sure, if it did, the bone had repaired itself well enough by the time Arik came to again, sitting with the half-dwarf on the street, though as Arik ran his tongue around inside his mouth, he was unsurprised to find all of his teeth were in pieces.

“Shit” were the first words out of Arik’s mouth as he sat up, though the first thing was a not insignificant amount of blood

“Aye, I’m rather surprised you’re alive, haven’t hit a man that hard in a while,” the dwarven man responded, continuing: “course, no one has been dumb enough to spill my drink in a while.” He took a long draught from what appeared to be a new bottle of Dragonfire. “The fuck is wrong with you anyways? Your brain scrambled or something? Speaking of, how many fingers am I holding up?” the dwarven man asked, holding up 3 fingers while continuing to drink.

Arik didn’t respond, simply pulling out a dagger and getting to work removing the tooth shards that were preventing his powers from regrowing his teeth and repairing his jaw. The dwarven man looked on rather indifferently, as though the whole thing were just another Tuesday afternoon for him. They sat in silence for a while, the only sound was the sickening noises of Arik’s amateur dental surgery. Finally, Arik finished, the ground in front of him covered in tiny tooth and bone shards as well as an impressive pool of blood. Arik’s tongue felt around in his mouth as his new teeth grew in, and his jaw repaired itself.

Finally Arik regarded the dwarven man and said, simply, “I couldn’t get drunk.”

Tordek regarded the stranger who had just spent 20 minutes doing unholy things to his own face. The moron, or perhaps, lunatic would be more apt, who dared spill the drink of Tordek the Strong because he couldn’t get drunk. Tall and dark haired, with green eyes and a face that belied years of battle, despite the fact the lad couldn’t be older than 22.

Tordek simply grunted “Name’s Tordek. Don’t do that again, most aren’t as pleasant as yours truly.” Arik sighed, his battle frenzy and the pain in his mouth both now gone, he simply stood up and left the strange dwarven man without so much as another word. Maybe the adventurer’s guild will give me something I can kill, Arik thought numbly. If I have something to kill… I at least have something else to focus on. Arik looked up at the massive tree that made up the center of town and inside which the Adventurer’s Guild sat. And maybe I’ll get lucky, and this next job will kill me, Arik concluded darkly.

[lxvsiick]

O U R | TEASER

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

After a chaotic day spent with his friends, Taesan finally found his sanctuary—the library. The quiet hum of whispers and the scent of old books calmed his racing thoughts. He needed this, away from all the noise and distractions, a moment just for himself.

He walked to his favorite spot: a secluded corner near the tall shelves, where the classics were kept. Picking out a novel, he sat down and exhaled deeply, allowing the stillness to settle over him. It felt good to be alone with a book, where no one demanded his attention.

As Taesan dove into the story, absorbed by the pages in front of him, a presence interrupted his peace. He noticed a figure moving beside him, but he didn’t bother to look up. Someone was reaching for a book from the top shelf, but it was none of his concern.

That was until—

Thud!

The impact was sudden and hard. Something heavy had smacked him on the top of his head. His hand flew up to rub his scalp, and he cursed under his breath, wincing from the pain.

“Are you kidding me?” Taesan muttered, his voice low but irritated. He stared down at the book that had fallen—a thick, weighty art book, clearly no lightweight. His annoyance simmered as he prepared to give whoever dropped it a piece of his mind.

Taesan raised his head, ready to snap at the careless stranger—but the words died in his throat.

Standing there, wide-eyed and flustered, was a girl. And not just any girl—she was beautiful. Her black hair framed her face perfectly, and the soft glow of the library lighting seemed to highlight every feature in just the right way. Taesan froze, completely forgetting about the pain in his head or the curse he was about to hurl.

Time seemed to stop.

He stared, mouth slightly open, utterly lost in the sight of her. Her lips were moving—she was saying something—but it all sounded muffled, like he was underwater. Taesan couldn’t hear a word. All he could focus on was her face: the way her brows furrowed in concern, her lips forming what looked like an apology, and the way she looked at him with genuine regret.

But Taesan couldn’t process anything she was saying. His thoughts were spiraling. Who is she? Why haven’t I seen her before? How does someone look that perfect in a library?

“Shit, I’m so sorry!” the girl was saying, her voice laced with embarrassment as she bent down to pick up the book. “I didn’t mean to—”

But Taesan wasn’t listening. He couldn’t. His mind was blank except for her. He blinked, struggling to regain his focus, but her beauty had thrown him off balance in a way he had never experienced.

She continued, trying to explain or apologize, but to Taesan, it was all a blur. His heart was pounding, and his mind felt foggy, like the world around him had slowed down.

She glanced at him one more time, probably expecting a response. But he couldn’t even muster a word. Instead, he just stared, dumbfounded, still rubbing the spot where the book had hit him.

“I—I’m really sorry,” she stammered, giving him a small, apologetic smile before walking away.

Taesan watched as she disappeared around the corner of the bookshelf, and the silence of the library slowly returned. He remained frozen, his hand still resting on his head, though the pain had long faded.

A few moments passed before Taesan finally blinked, his senses returning to him. The noise of the library came back—the rustle of pages, the soft whispers, the distant sounds of people moving. He looked down at the art book lying next to his chair, still open on the floor.

But none of it mattered.

He couldn’t remember what he had been reading, what had happened just minutes ago, or even the words he had been about to speak. All he could think about was her. Her face was etched into his mind, as clear and vivid as if she were still standing in front of him.

Taesan shook his head, trying to snap out of it, but it was no use. He was completely and utterly distracted by the girl who had dropped a book on his head.

And worse, he didn’t even know her name.

MASTERLIST | PART 01

[doctors-journal]

11 July

The detective seemed to be a little more himself this morning at least. He even joined me at breakfast for a hasty kiss and a piece of toast.

“I have found us another client,” he declared as he ate, “an American by the name of ‘Garrideb’ who is looking for a long lost relative of his in England. His source is unfortunately outdated, so we have compiled a wide net and we shall see what we find. What do you say, Doctor?”

This came as a surprise to me. I thought he would be preoccupied with his “Moriarty,” but it’s probably for the best that he’s turned to something else.

“Come, Doctor,” he said, “we have not a minute to waste.”

He ushered me out to the bus stop.  I would say that I have crossed the whole city in my time working with the detective, but I am certain that the next time the detective gets it in his mind to go on one of these errands, I will discover whole new places that I didn’t know existed.

 It was a hot day for standing out in the sun waiting for buses and hurrying from door to door. I have spent longer shifts on my feet, but it wore me down hour by hour. It didn’t help that the detective knocked and then stood silently, waiting for me to awkwardly explain our errand to whoever answered.

“We’re looking for someone with the name Garrideb,” I said.

And each time the person answered with varying degrees of annoyance and confusion, “Who? Never heard of them. No, I don’t know anyone with that name.” They all began to blur together.

One woman was especially surprised by the question and to my amazement she answered, “You have the wrong address, George Garrideb lives down the street at number 20.”

I glanced at the detective, but he didn’t say anything, so I thanked the woman and we went to number 20.

Thankfully, the detective finally took the lead to talk to the old man who answered the door. “Hello, I’m Stephen Escott,” he explained in a voice that wasn’t his own. “I’m a plumber, you see. I was just in the neighbourhood and I noticed the age of the pipes going into your house, and I was wondering if you might want a consultation. How old is this house?”

The man seemed taken aback, but he answered, “Oh, must be 80 years.”

The detective nodded and then jumped to the next question. “That’s what I thought, and how long have you lived here?”

“Twenty some, twenty seven maybe, no that can’t be right…”

“I see, I see. And have you had any trouble with the piping?”

“Well, you know, in one of these old houses, it’s a miracle anything works right, but I get by. Say, what’re you selling?”

“Nothing, nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted me to take a look and make sure everything is in ship shape. I was just talking to your neighbour down the way at number 13. His house seems to be in a similar condition. Do you know how long he’s lived there?”

“Hm… Could that be six years, now? Though I don’t see what that has to do with my pipes-”

The detective cut him off. “I see. Any more recent arrivals in the neighbourhood?”

“There’s a young couple who just moved in, but I really don’t need any plumbing work. Good day.”

The man shut the door before the detective could spring another question on him.

That was about all we got out of a long, hot day. I don’t know why we’re looking for Garridebs. We got back to the flat for a late dinner and then I just came up to my room. The detective is probably still in the living room, curled up in his chair with a cigarette and his Sherlock Holmes book.

I haven’t been this tired since I came back to England, and I was hardly even doing anything at all.

[nymphie-mama]

TOUCH ME

part 1

PAIRINGS: JJ Maybank x Routledge! reader

SUMMARY: in which the reader is “off limits” but jj wants more.

WARNINGS: smut. secret relationship. piece started in early august, not touched since. not proofread.

REQUEST: I believe that the person who requested this wanted fluff, but I have ideas. if they want me to come back to it with fluff, I can: 

“Hey hey! Can I request this prompt ‘you were put on this earth to give me a headache with JJ Maybank I think it fits him… 💞💞✨ “- anon

A/N: wow, she comes back ! yeah, i won’t lie, i have no idea why i was gone for so long. i also dk how long i’m going to stay, so hello and maybe goodbye again. xoxo.

It’s been a few days since the other night in the hot tub. You and JJ haven’t talked about it or done anything else, but it’s clear it’s been on JJ’s mind. 

You can tell by the way he looks at you; the way his hands are always subtly touching you. You hate to admit that his touch leaves a warm sensation on your skin, regardless of where it is. He presses his hand on the small of your back or your hips when he needs to get past you, and he makes an effort to touch your hands when he gives you something. Every time he looks at you, his eyes glaze over, and his jaw slacks. Sarah shot you knowing glances and laughed, but no one could see JJ the way you could right now. 

Tonight though, he needs you, and he’s not hiding it well. In the hammocks at the chateau, he lay right next to you and trailed his hands right where he wanted them; right where you wanted him to be. But he stopped just before reaching that spot and giggled at the way you squirmed under him.

Back on the couch, he had almost insisted you sat on his lap, but a wide-eyed glance from John B made him settle for next to you. As long as you were close. 

He was getting antsy. Wrapping his arm around your waist and dragging his hands up your thighs agonizingly slow. Making an effort to whisper in your ear instead of speaking to you normally.

“What do you want?” you whispered to him.

“You,” he said, not missing a beat or taking his eyes off John B and Pope.

“You were put on this earth to give me a headache,” you said, leaning away and rolling your eyes.

“Please, Y/N.” He finally made eye contact with you, and you felt like putty in a second, “Kiss me.”

“Not here.”

“I know you want to. You have to feel something, after the other day. Its all i can think about.”

He was right. You've spent the last few days thinking about all the ways he could use you. Anything he had done had you dreaming of more: thinking about what else his tongue could do, besides rolling a blunt. How his fingers could feel just right when they were between your thighs instead of his hair.

“We’re in the living room. With our friends.”

He thought for a second, “There’s always the hot tub. I’m sure we can sneak away for a minute.”

“I’m not having sex with you in the hot tub again.”

He scoffed at you, but he turned away and joined the conversation again. His arm snaked around your waist, keeping you close to him.

Eventually, Sarah and Kiara left, and Pope was on the pullout couch; which was where JJ was supposed to be. Instead you were against your bedroom door with JJ’s lips on yours.

“I was starting to think this wasn't going to happen again,” he said, catching his breath with his forehead against yours.

You didn’t have another moment to think before he was bringing you to your bed and making a hurry to remove his clothes.

Once both of you were naked, JJ was sure to take his time with you. Soaking you in, driving your scent into his memory. He dragged his fingers down your body slowly but determinedly, kissing along the same trail.

“J...” you whispered, eyes shut and breath shallow.

“Shh, princess. I'm getting there,” he said, standing up and bringing your hips to his. His hands stayed on your waist, tightly but not painfully. You could feel him against you, somehow already painfully hard.

His fingers found your clit and your breath hitched. He kept steady circles around it as he easily put a condom on. Without hesitation, he continued his circles as he bottomed out in you, letting out shallow grunts with every inch.

Soon enough, JJ found a rhythm that worked wonders for you both.

“You have to be quiet, we can't have them hearing us,” he said, bringing his hand over your mouth but continuing his thrusts in and out of you.

Maybe it was the rush of being caught, or maybe it was having waited for a relationship with JJ for so long; but being with him, around him, felt perfect. He was nothing like any other guys you had been with, it felt like he was made for you. But maybe he just knew what he was doing.

It was only a matter of time before a wave was rushing over you. Your legs wrapped around his waist, letting him reach from a better angle. His free hand came up to your chest, massaging your breasts. He could tell you were close.

“Come on, princess,” he said, eyes rolling back and voice hollow, “Are you going to cum? Cum for me, please baby.” He was almost begging, waiting to feel it again. Almost like it was a command, your body listened, and a euphoric feeling came over your entire body. His hands both came back to your waist, so he could help your hips meet his in the middle during his final thrusts.

Within another few minutes, JJ was fallen over next to you, cooling down from his high. You were both panting, cuddling up with each other.

“I knew you'd come back for more,” he said, chuckling and brushing hair out of your face.

“Shut up, Maybank, and go back to the couch,” you respond, only half joking.

Just as he is getting up to go (some twenty minutes later), Pope is walking out of the bathroom.

“Ignorance is bliss,” he whispers, and JJ exchanges a glance with you before both boys go to sleep on the couch.

taglist: @surftrips (send me an ask to join the taglist !)

[p-taryn-dactyl]

Gasoline

a/n: hi! so this is my first time writing for Wanda romantically and idk how i really feel about it but this prompt popped in my head and i just felt like it fit her the most. edit: all 3 parts are out!!

warning(s): arguments - fighting; insecurities (both); fear; terribly written arguments; very slight mentions of emotional abusive past

wanda maximoff taglist:

word count: 1.2k

disclaimer: i try and write wanda maximoff as rromani and Jewish as she is in the comics, her descriptions will be akin to those in the comics, i haven’t read many of the marvel comics so if i get something wrong, you are free to tell me (respectfully) in my ask box or dms <3

You don’t know how the argument started. One minute, you were enjoying a nice quiet evening with your girlfriend, reading on the couch while she did magic in the kitchen. Not literal magic, though you know she could, but cooking up the most delicious of smells. It could’ve started after you stated how nice it was to finally have some time together. After all, in the past couple of weeks, you’d only seen your girlfriend a couple of times.

Now, dinner forgotten on the counter, your book strewn across the couch, you and Wanda stood across from each other, arguing over the most trivial things.

“That’s not what I was saying Wanda! I just was enjoying some time together!”

“So you think I’ve been neglecting you?”

You threw your hands in the hair, exasperated.

“Wha-no! That’s not what I was saying at all! I understand you have to go on missions and I respect that but I also want days where I can just spend time with my partner!”

Wanda was silent for a moment before answering.

“Do you?”

You scrunched your eyebrows in confusion.

“Do I what?”

Wanda’s eyes took on a reddish glow, her power boiling under the surface. The last few weeks, to put it simply, had been hell. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the victims of the villain she had been too late to defeat. Every time she got to be alone, some lunatic attacked Times Square. Your supposedly simple comment was like throwing a match on a puddle of gasoline.

“Do you understand I have to go on missions? Because every time I come home, you point out I was gone! I know I was! I was surrounded by hurt people, by my struggling fellow Avengers, and I knew I wasn’t with you!”

Her voice slowly got louder, freezing you into place. Your breathing increased but you tried to calm yourself down.

Wanda wouldn’t yell at you, she knew your history, you had no reason to be afraid.

Oh how wrong you turned out to be.

“I’m tired of it, Y/N! I’m tired of coming home and hearing you complain about me being away! My job is hard enough!”

With every octave her voice rose, your chest starting heaving with labored breaths. Wanda, in her anger, didn’t seem to notice your quiet state, how you had practically curled in towards yourself, how your eyes had gone wide. She raised her hands in the air, frustration rolling off of her in waves.

“It’s so annoying! Maybe if it bothers you so much that I’m away, I’ll just quit! Huh? Then more people would get hurt because I wasn’t there, all for the fact my girlfriend can’t spend a few measly hours alone!” She only paused to catch her breath, before yelling out something she would immediately regret, “Maybe I shouldn’t come home at all, how would that make you feel?”

The air was sucked out of the room. Wanda felt her eyes widen as she realized what she had said and done. It was like she could see you again, you staring at her, eyes wide with betrayal, glossing over with past memories. Memories she knew you had started to forget. Memories of long night spent huddled in a corner as they yelled at you, as they broke you down into a million pieces and then didn’t pick you up.

Wanda covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head.

“No, Y/N, that’s not what I-”

She took a step forward, arms reaching out to console you, but paused at your reaction.

You flinched.

It was like running into a brick wall. Wanda felt like someone had dropped ice water on her.

You took a shaky step back, Wanda’s heart breaking at the fearful look on your face. You swallowed a few times before speaking, your voice surprisingly clear.

“I think- I think I’m going to stay at Yelena’s tonight.”

With that, you grabbed your phone and keys and walked out the door, not once looking back at Wanda, who remained frozen in the kitchen.

Once she heard the door shut, she snapped out of it.

“Wait-!” She stepped forward before realizing it was too late. Tears welled up in her eyes, angry at herself. God, how could she be so stupid? You had told her about your past, how it had scarred you. And she just-

Oh no. What if you didn’t come back? Had she broken the one thing that was whole in her life? Why had she allowed one innocent comment to anger her so?

With every thought running through her mind, Wanda ran her hands through her hair, the dark brown strands sticking every direction. Crying, Wanda fell to her knees, head shaking. With one wail, she let out a burst of magic, shaking the cabinets and counters. Curling up against the island, Wanda pulled out her phone and opened your contact. But she couldn’t convince herself to call you, she was sure you wouldn’t answer. Leaning her forehead against the cold metal device, Wanda spoke out loud.

“Oh Y/N, beba. I’m sorry. Žao mi je moja ljubavi.”

—————————————————————————————————

At Yelena’s apartment, you weren’t much better. Curled up in a soft blanket on the couch, you listened to your best friend rant about she was going to kill your girlfriend.

“Yelena.” You murmured softly, making your friend stop talking and come to sit next to you on the couch. She handed you a bowl of mac n’ cheese but you shook your head.

“Are you sure? I didn’t add hot sauce this time, I promise.”

You giggled at what she said but still didn’t take the bowl. A wave of sadness overtook you, tears welled up in your eyes, and you leaned your head backwards on the couch.

“Oh God, ‘Lena, how could I have been so stupid?”

Yelena tried to comfort you but you continued.

“Why did I have to say something? I mean the night was going so peacefully and nice and I just had to run my mouth! I should’ve known she was stressed and now,” You sobbed, tears rapidly falling down your face, “Now, she doesn’t even want to be around me! What if when I go home she has all my things packed? Oh no, what if, what if she finds someone else? Someone who doesn’t complain when she’s gone or looses sleep just because she isn’t there in bed? What if-”

Yelena gently but firmly grabbed your hands, the look in her eyes making you pause.

“You’re spiraling, Y/N, come on, take a deep breath, in and out,” she rubbed your back, pulling you in for a hug, “It’s going to be alright. Wanda loves you and even though she totally messed up tonight, she’s not going to find someone else or kick you out. You are irreplaceable.”

You smiled against Yelena’s shoulder, tears stilling falling from your eyes.

“Is it okay if I spend the night?” You mumbled against your friend. Yelena looked over to her phone, which she had put on mute, where 75 call notifications lit up her screen. All were from Wanda. Looking back to your shaking form, your best friend tightened her arms around you.

“You can stay for the night Y/N or however long you need.”

——————————————————————————————————-

a/n: ok ik that really didn’t make sense but thank you so much for reading! if anyone wants a part two let me know! Hopefully i did okay while writing Wanda’s character! feel free to send in requests for her <3

italics were words in serbian:

beba = baby

Žao mi je moja ljubavi = I’m sorry my love

[yelenaslyubov]

a/n: haha… hey everyone. so it’s been a minute and i apologize. i’ve had a horrible writers block for the past few months and i still kinda do but i’m also trying to work through it. so i bring you a small blurb from my follower celebration. i figured it was fitting since the anniversary of black widow was a few days ago. i hope you enjoy and i will try my best to have more writing out soon. i’m hoping i can have a piece out about a certain character i haven’t written before from the most recent mcu film👀👀👀i love and miss you all and i hope you enjoy🫶

requested by @yelenabelovasbxtch

pairing: yelena belova x female reader

prompt #33: “make me”

warnings: implied smut, language, fluff

description: you and yelena spent a lazy sunday together before things get heated and someone interrupts your fun

translations: detka- baby

word count: 469

main masterlist || yelena belova || requests

Lazy Sunday

⋆┈┈｡ﾟ❃ུ۪ ❀ུ۪ ❁ུ۪ ❃ུ۪ ❀ུ۪ ﾟ｡┈┈⋆

Every Sunday morning rolled around the same as the last. You and Yelena shared lazy snuggles until one of the two of you dragged the other out of bed.

This particular morning, you sensed a cold bed beside you. When you raised your arm to wrap it around your lover, just as you suspected, she was nowhere to be found.

Once you woke up a bit and could process your surroundings, you could hear the shower echoing from the bathroom. Luckily the door was wide open where you could see just enough to satisfy you. You didn’t know how long Yelena had been in there so you figured you would rest until she came back to you.

As it appeared, you must’ve fallen back to sleep because you awoke as Yelena slipped back in bed freshly showered and as toned as ever. Her comforting grasp never failed to make you feel at home.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, my love.” The rasp in her morning voice was like rich honey and warmness in your soul.

“It’s okay. I haven’t been asleep for long,” you responded. “Why are you up early and getting ready?”

Yelena groaned and sat up in bed. “You forgot again didn’t you?” You laid there with a puzzled expression. “Natasha? Coming over this morning?”

“Shit, I forgot.”

“Ahhh really?” Yelena faked her surprise. “So that means you need to get up, sleepy head.”

“Nooo,” you whined.

“Yesss. You need to get dressed.”

“No.”

“No?”

“That’s what I said, no.”

“Get up.”

“Make me.”

Yelena raised her eyebrow and smirked. All in a quick motion she hovered over you with your arms pinned down to the bed right above your head. She pressed her thigh firmly between your legs, making you whimper from the pressure.

“I can make you do a lot of things, detka. Maybe you’d like to see just how good you can be for me.”

You looked into her eyes and saw nothing but dominant pure lust. She leaned in for a kiss slowly but stopped right before she met your lips.

“Yelena!” You both heard Nat yell through the apartment.

Yelena hastily climbed off you and off the bed while you were left unfulfilled. She turned around before exiting your room and looked you up and down.

“Why so upset?” she asked with a smug look. “Maybe next time you won’t have such an attitude and you’ll get what you want. For now, put some clothes on and meet us out here in five. I love you, byeee.” She said the last part as she opened and closed the door to leave you alone in the bedroom.

You threw your head back and groaned before getting up and doing as she wished, throwing some clothes on and greeting Nat with open arms.

//

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[sacredsorceress]

Cake || Bucky Barnes

pairing: bucky barnes x avenger!reader

summary: you and your boyfriend bucky barnes head down to the wilson residence for a barbecue. sam’s nephews adore the both of you and as you watch bucky play with the kids you’re ready to tell your boyfriend that you’re pregnant

a/n: gif credit- @davidsfincher ; i will never get over this scene. reblogs and/or replies are super appreciated!!

word count: 2.7k

warnings: pure fluff based on episode six, mentions of pregnancy

masterlist || request || taglist

“I say we get the vanilla one.”

Standing besides you in the supermarket aisle with his arms crossed, your boyfriend turned to look at you with disgust written all over his face.

“Vanilla?” Bucky said, shaking his head. “Are you kidding, Y/n? All kids like chocolate.”

As he was speaking, Bucky reached out to pull one of the chocolate cakes off of the shelf it was sitting on, but you swat his hand away.

“Oh yea?” You asked. “And what makes you the expert on what kids like?”

Uncrossing his arms, he waved his hand in your face.

“Metal arm.” He said. “Also don’t pretend like Sam’s nephews didn't love me last time we were there.”

You couldn't argue with that. The last time the two of you had been to the Wilson residence in between missions, Sam’s nephews absolutely adored the super soldier. They couldn't get enough of the one hundred and six year-old man with the vibranium arm and the fun they had messing with him.

You had just as much joy watching the interactions between the three of them. You couldn’t help but entertain the idea of starting a family of your own with Bucky.

The two of you had been dating for years- not including the five year blip the two of you had been snapped from existence in- and had often discussed the idea of getting married and having children in the future. You didn’t think you would be ready yet, but as you watched children be in absolute awe of your boyfriend, you felt as though the pieces began to fell into place.

And funnily enough- they did.

You had been feeling sick and exhausted for the past few weeks, but you figured it was on account of the missions you had been going on with Sam and Bucky. When the symptoms continued while you stayed at the Wilson’s home for the weekend while Bucky helped Sam fix the boat- you had taken pregnancy test.

It was positive.

Although you knew that you and Bucky could handle it, you were still in absolute shock realizing that you were going to be starting a family- you were going to be responsible for more than just making sure you and your friends didn’t get killed fighting bad guys- you were going to be a parent.

The only person who knew was Sam’s sister, Sarah. She was the only one inside the house when you had taken the test and when she had heard you pacing around the bathroom, hyperventilating, she opened the unlocked door and immediately saw the pregnancy test in your hands. You had sworn her to secrecy, making sure she didn’t tell your boyfriend or her brother, promising her that you would tell them when the time was right... but with the mission in New York City coming immediately after your stay, you hadn't found the right opportunity to tell Bucky yet.

However, you told yourself that you finally would tonight... after attending the barbecue.

“Yeah, yeah.” You rolled your eyes. “I can’t argue with that. They did love you, but that doesn’t mean you know anything about cake.”

Reaching his hand out for the chocolate cake again he scoffed. “I’m not taking advice from someone who wants to bring a vanilla cake to a party-”

You swat his hand again. “We’re not getting the chocolate.”

“Yes,” He insisted, inching his face closer to yours. “We are.”

“No. We’re not.”

“Can I help you guys with anything?” You heard a worker ask from behind you.

Backing away from your boyfriend you smiled, shaking your head.

“No, we’re fine. Thank you.”

As you watched the worker nod before walking down the aisle, you turned back to your boyfriend.

“Okay fine.” You said. “We’ll compromise. Ice cream cake?”

You watched as Bucky’s eyes widened. “Wait! There’s ice cream cake?”

Twenty minutes later you and Bucky had arrived at the barbecue, your boyfriend taking the cake out of your hands as he stepped out of the car.

As you made your way around the front of the vehicle you watched as Sam’s nephews bombarded Bucky, play fighting with him as he faked attacking them back, making sure to dodge their fists from knocking over the cake in his hands.

You couldn’t deny the way the sight made your heart fill so much you swore it could’ve exploded right in your chest.

As you watched the scene unfold, hearing the laughter erupting from the children around him while he faked getting hurt, you heard Sarah come up behind you.

“You know,” She said, crossing her arms and standing beside you. “You almost scared me to death watching you on the news.”

Glancing at her beside you, you shrugged. “I was fine.” You said. “That wasn’t the first fight I’ve been in.”

“I just can’t believe they let you go.” She said.

“What? What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?” She laughed. “I can’t believe they would let you go do something so dangerous like that knowing you’re-”

Before she could finish her sentence you swat at her arm, rapidly shaking your head, checking around you to make sure no one was listening to your conversation or had heard what she had just said.

“I didn’t tell them yet.” You told her in a hushed voice.

“What?” She asked. “Why not?”

“I couldn’t tell them. If I did they would have never let me go- especially Bucky- but I couldn’t let them go in by themselves like that. You’ve seen the Flag Smashers, Sarah.”

“How long are you going to keep this a secret?” She asked.

“I was going to tell him today.” You told her. “We just needed to sort out the Flag Smashers before I could even think about telling him I’m pregnant-”

“You’re pregnant?”

At the sound of Sam’s voice, you and his sister immediately spun around to be met with Sam standing behind you, only a foot away.

You watched as his mouth dropped and his eyes grew wide and you felt your heart began to race in your chest, knowing that you had just exposed your secret to Sam- you and Bucky’s shared best friend.

“Sam...” You said.

“I-” He stumbled over his words, trying to piece the information together. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yes, but you can’t tell Bucky.” You pleaded, gripping his bicep. “I haven’t told him yet.”

“What?” He exclaimed looking between you and his sister. “How long have you known? Why haven’t you told him yet?”

Playing with one of the rings on your fingers, made anxious by the conversation, you focused your gaze on the water behind him, not able to meet his eyes.

“I found out last time I was here.” You said. “So I found out like a week ago. You can't blame me though, Sam, if I told him he would of never let me go help you guys in New York.”

“Yeah!” Sam nodded. “Neither would I. You could of died!”

“But I didn’t!” You said. “Just don’t tell him okay, Sam? I’m going to tell him tonight.”

Before anymore could be said, you heard the sound of your name being called by Sam’s nephews and spun around to find them running in your direction.

“Hey guys!” You laughed, a smile reaching your face once again.

Watching them run towards you, you knew what they wanted before they even had to ask. Stretching out your arms, you moved your hands in the direction of each of the boys, using your powers to lift them a maximum of three feet above the ground- not wanting to upset their mother. You smiled as you watched the boys laugh about how “awesome” it was in awe as they looked down at the ground three feet below them.

You felt Sam’s hand land on your shoulder.

“I’m happy for you, Y/n.” You heard Sam say, leaning in closer so no one outside of your current group could hear him. “You both are going to be great parents. Just tell him soon, okay?”

He pat your shoulder one last time before walking past you and his nephews you were still currently floating midair.

“How come when I ask you guys if you want to fly you say no?” Sam asked.

“She’s using magic!” Cass exclaimed.

“Yeah, Uncle Sam.” AJ agreed. “That’s way cooler.”

Sam threw his hands up in the air, walking in the opposite direction and as he did you lowered the boys to the ground, much to their disappoint. When they scurried off in the direction of their uncle, your eyes met Bucky’s staring at you, smiling from across the way of where you had just been levitating Sam’s nephews.

“Look at you!” He said, smiling, reaching out his arms for you.

“Me?” You laughed. “You just had a whole choreographed fight scene with the boys. You’re like their cool uncle.”

You watched as your boyfriend pulled off his sunglasses and smiled at you, resting his vibranium hand on your waist.

“Only if you’re their cool aunt.”

You smiled. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Afterwards the two of you went to eat and spent the remainder of the meal sharing a table with Sam, his sister and his nephews. Despite the dangerous mission the three of you had been dealing with the past week, the table was full of laughter and joy that you were happy to welcome in.

Even when the cake that you had brought was sliced, you and Bucky smiled at each other from across the table when the boys scoffed down their slice of ice cream cake that contained both vanilla and chocolate- your compromise having worked in the end for the better. At times you even used your abilities to pull the fork out of your boyfriend’s hand just as he was about to bite down on a slice of cake, hearing the boy’s laugh as they watched the super soldier roll his eyes at you.

“Ha ha.” Bucky would say. “Very funny... what is that? Three times now? Really, Y/n?”

But he knew you would continue to do it as long as you continued to hear the sounds of awes coming out of the boys’ mouths and he couldn’t fault you for that. Instead sneaking you a smile when you brought the fork back into his grasp.

At the end of the evening when everyone had began to make their way home, the sun setting over the horizon, you helped tidy up with the Wilson siblings. When the tables were all wiped clean, you brushed your hands off on your bottoms, watching as Bucky sat on the edge of the dock, the golden hue of the sunset setting on his features.

Glancing over your shoulder as Sarah ushered her children back home, you saw Sam throw you a thumbs up. When your eyes met his you smiled, mouthing a “thank you” before he turned in the direction of his sister, following her path back home.

Sighing to yourself you turned back to your boyfriend.

You were going to tell him. You were going to finally tell him you were pregnant.

You took one last deep breath, taking in the last moment before Bucky and your’s life changed forever.

Making your way towards your boyfriend you kneeled behind him, your chest meeting his back as you wrapped your arms around his chest.

“Hi.” You whispered.

“Hi doll.” He hummed, moving his hands to hold yours that were resting against his chest.

“Had a nice day?” You asked, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against his cheek.

You felt as his chest rumbled when he chuckled, staring out over the water while the sun continued to set, its reflection turning the water gold.

“Yeah.” He said. “I wish it could be like that every day, you know?”

You knew what he meant. You understood that he was talking about the peace, the joy, the laughter- the normalcy. You understood that he was talking about how your lives were so hectic and always would be due to the hand you had been dealt with super human abilities. You could never have a normal life, but you also understood that it was more than just never having to fight or go on a mission again- it was the feeling of family, of caring and of love.

“I know it can’t be like that every day.” You said. “But would you... would you settle for most days?”

You felt his hands squeeze yours a bit more, tilting his head back to get a better look at you.

“What are you talking about?”

“Would you settle for most days, Buck?” You asked again. “Would it all be worth it even if you still had to fight?”

He answered in a heartbeat.

“Of course it would.” Bucky said. “I’d fight for one day of this.”

You unwrapped your arms from around his chest, moving to kneel besides him on the dock so he could face you. Knowing what you were about to say, you took in the moment, breathing in the fresh air and memorizing the way his face looked in the golden hour.

“I’m pregnant.”

You watched as his face dropped and you were almost worried until a wide smile reached across his face.

“You’re pregnant?” He asked, so in disbelief he sounded as though the wind had been knocked right out of him.

You smiled, nodding your head and took his hand in yours. “I am. I found out a few days ago-”

“Wait.” He cut you off. “A few days ago? Did you know you were pregnant when we fought in New York City?”

Staring at his face now, confronting the issue, you were suddenly very interested in the frosting he had somehow gotten on the bottom of his shirt, tugging on the hem and scratching it off.

“Y/n?”

“Okay, yes. I knew.” You confessed.

Rather than the fed up, overprotective reaction you were expecting, you felt Bucky’s hands reach to cup your face, forcing you to look at him. Rather than anger in his eyes, all you saw was worry and you were wishing you had never gone and fought just so you could save yourself from seeing him like that.

“Promise me you won’t fight anymore.” He said. “At least until the baby’s here- God I can’t believe we’re having a baby- just promise me okay? If anything happened to either of you I wouldn’t know what to do with myself-”

“I promise, Buck.” You assured him, smiling and beginning to feel tears prickle in your eyes. “We’re gonna have a baby.”

You watched as he began to smile once again and the two of you couldn’t help but laugh- so consumed in complete and utter joy. You and Bucky had gone through so much- especially within the last few months- but as you both sat there, so happy you couldn’t help but laugh, you realized it was worth it and you would go through it all again if it meant that at the end of the day you two would come back to each other every single time.

For the first time in your life, you watched as tears of joy began to fill his eyes, almost as if they had begun to wash away the years of pain that he had suffered previously. Although he was sure he hadn’t fought his last fight... he was sure he was going to be okay. He was happy. He was going to share his life with you. He was going to be a dad.

“We’re gonna have a kid.” He repeated the words, almost as if to convince himself that they were true.

“You’re gonna be such a good dad, Buck.” You told him, laughing through the tears that had begun to fill your eyes. “If you’re half as good at being a dad as you are the ‘cool uncle’- our kid is in good hands.”

“You think so?” He asked.

“I know so, Buck.”