#I just knocked his bumper off I know I didn’t really do all that damage

[the-acer-scientist]

guess who just got a traffic ticket and an insurance claim for their birthday ✨

(it’s me I rear ended somebody on my way home from the worlds worst day at work)

[lilaccrxsh]

Fight and Fall in Love - 1986!Pete "Maverick" Mitchell x F!Reader (18+)

Description: You and Pete Mitchell had mutual friends in the Bradshaw's, but whenever you were together all you would do is argue and rile the other person up. That was until Carole decided something had to be done...

Content warnings: unprotected sex, enemies to lovers, arguing, “there was only one bed”, 100% self-indulgence from the author

Word count: 3.4k

A/N: Honestly guys, this was just incredibly self-indulgent. Unfortunately, young TC/1986!Mav is literally my perfect type so I'm blaming everything on that. *posts this and runs*

Thank you to @unmistakablyunknown for being my beta and removing my dyslexia from the google doc <3

You had known Carole Bradshaw before she even became Carole Bradshaw. You’d been friends since middle school, growing up and facing all of the adventures life throws at you together. When she met Nick, or “Goose”, you were her maid of honour at their wedding. Carole was really one of your closest friends.

“Have you decided what you want to do for your birthday?” Goose was sitting with his arm around his wife, her smaller body curled into the side of him on the sofa. Bradley was asleep upstairs, so the house was silent and dark apart from the talking and images from the tiny television. 

“I think I just want something nice and small. Maybe just have friends over for dinner. Bradley can be involved then too.” Carole replied. 

“I like the sound of that. Who would you want to come?”

“I was thinking… just Y/N and Mav.” 

Goose peered down at Goose, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. 

“Why? I thought you wanted your birthday to be ‘nice’.” 

Carole laughed softly. “It will be. We need to get those two together in the same room so they can finally get over themselves.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“It’s so obvious that they’re attracted to each other.” Carole said plainly, “Whenever we all meet they can’t stop looking at the other constantly. They clearly like each other, they just don’t know what to do about it.” 

“Y/N and Mav!?”

“Yup.”

“But all they do is argue with each other?”

“Exactly.”

Carole just watched her husband as the penny dropped for him. 

“Oh…” 

“Uh-huh, so I think it’s only fair if we give them a little nudge, don’t you think?” 

“You’re the boss, honey.” Goose pressed a kiss to her hairline. “What did you have in mind?” 

~~~

You pulled onto the Bradshaw’s drive just as the roar of a motorbike engine cut off behind you. You didn’t even need to look in your rear view mirror to know who had just parked their bike right behind your bumper. 

For a moment you considered not even leaving your car. If this wasn’t for Carole’s birthday, you might have done. It would have been easy to just reverse back onto the road, even if you did take out the motorbike in the process. You didn’t dislike the sound of that. The only downside was damage to your car.

There was no point sitting there behind the wheel any longer. You grabbed your overnight bag off the passenger seat and climbed out. Standing before you was the one person you were hoping not to see tonight. 

Pete Mitchell looked exactly the same as the last time you’d met. Aviators covered his eyes, making his expression unreadable, his dark hair was still cut short for the navy, and he was wearing that patch-covered bomber jacket that was at least one size too big for him. Light washed jeans, a white T-shirt and that bomber jacket - was that all he ever wore? 

There was an awkward moment before anyone spoke. You just stood staring at each other. 

“No one told me you were coming.” Pete’s tone was neutral, apart from an underlying hint of annoyance. 

“No one told me you were coming.” You repeated. 

Again another moment of silence. You were the one to break it, slamming your car door closed and locking it. You stalked past him, marching up to the front door. Pete reached your side as you knocked on the door. You purposely stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge his presence. 

When Carole opened the door, she seemed shocked but strangely delighted, to see you two standing together on her doorstep. You were welcomed inside, it was nice to be back at the Bradshaw’s again. 

Soon you found yourself standing in the hallway conjoining the living room and kitchen. Carole was busy going back and forth. 

“Why didn’t you say he was coming?” You hissed at her, stepping aside so she could walk past you with a bowl. 

“Would you have still come?” Carole raised her eyebrows at you, a twinkle in her eyes. 

“Yes, because I love you, but I would have liked a bit of warning.”

“Oh come on, Y/N. Maverick isn’t that bad. He’s really great if you get to know him.”

“I think I already know enough…” Everytime you and Pete Mitchell were in the vicinity of each other it didn’t end wonderfully. One of you would end up taunting the other, resulting in a battle of wit and cynicism. No-one ever seemed to win. The residing dislike just seemed to continue to the next meeting. 

The man in question was too distracted at the moment to bother that you were standing in the doorway. He was crouched down, sitting back on his heels to fiddle around with little Bradley’s toy trains. The kid laughed as Pete imitated the sound of a train starting off, pushing it along the carpet as if it was chasing the engine Bradley was holding. 

“How can you dislike him, Y/N?” Carole was smiling widely, enjoying her husband’s best friend having a beautiful relationship with their son. You opted not to answer her. At that minute, you couldn’t conjugate a proper retort. In front of you was a side to Pete Mitchell that you hadn’t seen before - fun-loving and carefree. He’d always seemed put-out and on the offensive with you in the past. You wondered what it would be like to have a nice and pleasant conversation with him for once…

You only realised you’d been lost in thought, transfixed on the sight before you when Carole nudged your arm. She wore a knowing smile. 

“Help me with dinner?” 

~~~

The plan Carole had concocted involved you, Pete, and her guest bedroom. Her one guest room.  

So when the two of you were led into the guest room, the door closed behind you, you found yourselves on the same side… of one double bed. 

“This isn’t going to work.”

“I’m actually going to agree with you.”

Pete was the first to move from the doorway, scoping out the rest of the room and analysing the bed. There was no couch or anything alike. 

“Pete look, I’m not exactly delighted by this either.” 

He ignored what you’d said, instead rounding on you and asking a completely different question. 

"Why do you always call me 'Pete'? No one calls me that."

"Because that's your name, idiot. I'm not one of your flying buddies so why would I call you anything else."

Pete just shrugged, but the hard set of his jaw didn’t relax. Did he want you to call him Maverick? It seemed an odd way of showing so. 

"It's the night before Carole's birthday, are you really going to make a fuss?" 

He huffed, but conceded, dramatically throwing his bag onto the floor near the door. 

"I want the left side." Pete stalked over to the bed before flopping down on top of the covers, spreading out his legs the length of the bed and putting his hands behind his head. He pushed his aviators down over his eyes and then was silent. 

You stood, also still and silent, wondering whether or not you would be able to survive the night. But as you had said, both you and Pete were here for a reason and you both cared enough to not cause a scene. 

"I'm going to the bathroom." You told him, collecting your wash bag and sleepwear from your backpack. You received only an uncaring grunt from the man who you were meant to share a bed with tonight. 

You spent a decent amount of time out of the room in the hope that when you returned, Pete would have changed and maybe, if you were lucky, be asleep. 

Luck was not completely on your side. 

He had changed, or well, removed items of clothing. His bomber jacket and white t-shirt were laying in a heap by his bag. The only thing Pete was wearing when you re-entered the room were loose shorts. He was still lounged out on top of the covers, giving you no other choice than to stare at his incredibly well-sculpted torso. 

"Is that really what you're going to sleep in?"

It seemed Pete hadn't noticed your presence, as he jumped slightly when you spoke to him. He looked down his own body through the dark lenses of the aviators. Confusion covered his features as you could see the furrow of his forehead. When he let out a quick laugh, turning completely to you while smirking, did you realise you'd made a mistake. By commenting, you'd shown you cared in some capacity.

"Why? Too distracting for you, sweetheart?" Pete's grin was huge. 

Yes. 

"No."

"Sure." With that he took the aviators off, placing them carefully on the nightstand. 

You were still standing by the closed door, making no effort to join him. 

"Are you going to stand there all night? Some of us actually want to sleep."

"Has anyone ever told you you're an asshole?"

"Yes, frequently." 

Now he'd got rid of the glasses, you could feel his eyes following you as you circled the bed. He was still sporting that smug smirk. You cursed yourself for letting him get under your skin, and for showing him that he had done. 

You hesitated, hand resting on the covers, reluctant to pull them back and crawl under them. With Pete still lying on top of them, there would be no accidental touching. The sheets were crisp against your legs, part of you wished you’d packed longer pants to sleep in - not shorts. You lay on your back, not wanting to face Pete, or even turn away from him. You’d turned the ceiling light off before you came over, now the only light was from the lamp next to Pete. 

“Do you want me to turn this off?” He asked, as if he could read your thoughts. He still hadn’t moved. You hummed a response indicating that you did want him to. In the dark, maybe you could pretend he wasn’t there. 

Pete reached for the switch, and the two of you were plunged into darkness. Neither person spoke for a minute or two after that. Once your eyes had adjusted to the darkness, you could see the slow rise and fall of Pete’s chest as he breathed. You couldn’t believe what was happening. You were lying next to the man who you’d been at odds with for years… and he wasn’t wearing much at all. 

You would be lying to yourself if you hadn’t thought at least once that Pete Mitchell was incredibly attractive. All of the times you’d been out with Carole and Goose, be it at a bar or just somewhere with Bradley in tow, Pete would have a chorus of females giving him attention. Through all of the petty comments you’d throw at each other, there was always a tiny part of you that wanted him to ignore them. Ignore them and continue bickering over whatever stupid thing was causing an feud that day. Could you even go as far to say you enjoyed fighting with him?

This might have been the longest time you two had been in the same room without a negative snipe. 

“That’s actually too cold.” Pete suddenly whined, shuffling the duvet from under him so you both were covered. You lay still, unable to move as you felt his knee bump against your left leg. Once he was settled, silence fell over the room again. You weren’t tired. The amount of adrenaline pumping through you would make sleep impossible. 

“Pete?” You’d spoken before you even realised what you were doing. Pete seemed as surprised as you. 

“Yes, Y/N?”

"I have a question."

"Ok..."

"Do you always wear the dog tag?"

You asked because a sliver of light was reflecting from the metal around his neck. 

There was a pause before Pete answered. "Yeah. It's who I am." 

You wanted to roll your eyes but in a way, it was sweet. And then you wanted to roll your eyes at the fact you thought something associated with Pete Mitchell was sweet. 

Instead of rolling your eyes, you actually rolled onto your side. Your arms were held to your chest. You were facing Pete now, but in the darkness of the room you could only see an outline of his features. It was unfair how good his side profile looked. 

“Can I ask you something else?” 

You felt the covers shift, the mattress moving under you as Pete mirrored your previous action. He was dangerously close now, lying on his side facing you. His body warmth was keeping the air beneath the duvet cosy. You wished you could see his eyes, you wanted to see how he was looking at you in the darkness.

“Go ahead.” 

Your breath caught in your throat. This wasn’t the Pete Mitchell you knew. In a single second his whole demeanour had altered. He was now soft and tender, encouraging this conversation that was the first of its kind.   

“What is flying like?” 

This brought a light laugh from the man lying opposite you, but it wasn’t malicious. 

“It’s the best feeling anyone could ever experience.”

“The best, huh?”

“Ok, maybe the second best.” 

This time you laughed together. It was unbelievably strange. How had you been arguing before, yet now you couldn’t think of anywhere you would rather be. But unlike the silence this afternoon out on the driveway, it was comfortable. You just wanted to lie there, perfectly content. 

You heard Pete take a deep breath before speaking, almost in a whisper, “I want you to know, Y/N, that I’m sorry, for how I’ve spoken to you in the past.”

You bit down hard on your lip. 

“I’m sorry too. It’s all water under the bridge now.” 

“In truth…” Pete started to say something but he trailed off. 

“Yeah?” You prompted him, your heart beating fiercely in your chest. 

“I…” He couldn’t seem to say whatever he wanted to. After he had failed the second time, he decided actions might be better than words. You felt  the pad of his thumb touch your jaw. 

When you didn’t flinch, Pete brought his hand to rest. His palm cupping your jaw, his thumb gracing your cheek. You couldn’t help but relax into him, humming in content. When Pete heard you, his hand left your face and moved to the small of your back, bringing you across the sheet to him. The only thing between you was the thin fabric of your top. The one thing better than seeing Pete’s naked chest, was being pressed up against it. 

“Is this ok?” 

You were barely audible as you whispered a “yes”. Every part of your skin that was touching Pete’s felt like it was on fire, and every part that wasn’t, was still burning with an unbelievable intensity. 

“God you’re so beautiful, Y/N. You don’t know how hard it’s been to be around you and not be able to tell you that.”

He was tracing your face, his thumb smoothed over your cheekbone, fingertips nestling into your hair behind your ear. When you felt his lips on your forehead you sank into him, pushing your hips against his, wrapping your right leg over him. Pete kissed your forehead, both your cheeks, your jaw… and then your lips.

Your lips were barely touching at first, gracing each other in another attempt to gain consent. You’d be damned if you waited another second to kiss Pete Mitchell. You hadn’t realised for how long you’d wanted him in this way. The all consuming need to be needed, wanted, loved by him. 

When you kissed, it was impossible not to react. Your leg linked around his became wrapped around his waist. His hand came to squeeze your thigh, holding your bare skin against the muscles of his back. 

In a split second, Pete was on top of you. 

"Are we really doing this?"

"Yes we are."

You wanted to touch him. You wanted him to touch you, everywhere. It didn’t matter where his hands were, or how his weight felt on top of you, it was never enough. It would never be enough. Your own hands were grasping at his back, feeling the lean muscles tense and relax under your fingertips. 

“Tell me what you want, Y/N.” Pete didn’t stop kissing you, moving down your neck and collarbones. 

“I need you, Pete. Anything. Fuck me. Just touch me.” You were moaning incoherent thoughts as he sucked on one specific place under your ear. Pete’s low laugh against your skin when straight to your core. 

“As you wish, sweetheart.” 

Your hips rose completely off the bed as you felt his hand breach the waistline of your shorts. You were sensitive, all of Pete’s previous exploration of your frame had done its job. Pete found your clit, delicately circling it as you mewled under him. Your hips bucked again, uncontrollably and with force. 

“Careful, baby.” Pete cooed, steading your waist by shifting his weight. Pete’s intention was to turn you on enough that he could fuck you easily, but it would seem he didn’t have to do anything more. You were writhing already, and when he put one finger inside of you, you could do nothing but stifle an inaudible sound into his shoulder. 

Pete was in awe of your reaction. How responsive you were to him was even more of a turn-on than he could ever imagine. He helped you remove your shirt, and then take your shorts down over your legs. He threw the items out of bed. 

“You need to get these off, now.” You ordered, claiming some control over your own actions. Pete helped you fumble with his shorts, and soon neither of you were wearing anything. 

“Please?” In any other situation you would be embarrassed by how desperate you sounded. But this time, you didn’t care. 

The feeling of Pete inside you was intoxicating. Your legs were wrapped around his back, your arms around his neck. There was no possible way you could be any closer to each other. The way he continued to kiss you made up for all the times you hadn’t been with each other. With every peck, moan, movement, the tension that had built up between you two disappeared. 

“Y/N…” 

You loved how Pete said your name. It was becoming impossible to think straight. All your thoughts were centred on the feeling at your core, the mounting pressure that wasn’t ceasing. 

"Maverick…"

Pete’s call sign fell from your lips instinctively. Through the darkness you heard him gasp, followed by a filthy moan before he thrust into you again, hard. 

Your face was sheltered in the crook of Pete’s neck, so any sound you made was muffled. It was becoming very difficult to not cry out. You were so close too, it wouldn’t be long before you would come. 

“Fuck, Y/N, you-” But whatever Pete was going to say was overshadowed by the beginning of your orgasm. You began shuddering against him, moaning pitifully as you hit your peak. Simultaneously, it became too much for Pete. You both rode out your highs together, unable to pull away. 

You felt empty when Pete rolled off you, but you weren’t without contact for long. Pete lay on his back, you curled into his side, hand resting above his heart. He was holding your hand, your fingers intertwined on his chest. 

All that was heard throughout the room was the sound of heavy breathing. It was a few minutes before either of you were able to speak. 

“You called me Maverick.” He breathed.

"I did." The sultry tones in your own voice were a shock even to you. You leant forwards, taking the soft skin of his ear in your teeth. "Now, show me again why that's your call sign." 

~~~

The next morning, you and Pete walked into the Bradshaw’s kitchen together. Pete’s arm was around your waist, his hand resting on your hip bone. It felt so natural, you wished you’d done this before. 

Goose made an inhuman noise, pointing excitedly like a child at you and Pete. He was flitting between gaping at his two best friends and looking astonished at his wife. Carole was just smiling incessantly. 

What you and Pete didn’t know was that you'd unknowingly given Carole the best birthday present she could want. 

Masterlist

[suttttton]

My Deer Boy

Martin hits a deer with his car. Then things get weird. (Written for @febuwhump day 1: Head Wound) (content warnings: car accidents, serious injuries, torture) ao3 link in source!

I. Jon

It isn’t safe here.

Jon can hear it, can feel it buzzing in the air around him. His heart is pounding fast, a stuttering beat of danger danger danger. He needs to get away, to flee to where he knows there’s safety and food. The ground is rumbling beneath him, a predator approaching quickly, too quickly, and he needs to run.

But he doesn’t know what the right direction to run is because he can’t see. So instead he’s just standing here, trying to blink away the sudden pain of too-bright light piercing through the twilight darkness. Blink, blink, blink, but nothing comes back into focus.

He can’t stay here. It could be upon him at any moment.

He bolts.

And then—

The air is filled with an awful shrieking.

And then—

Something pounces on Jon, colliding with him, hard and fast and big, and his feet are no longer on the ground, and it hurts.

And then

—darkness.

II. Martin

“Fuck!”

The deer comes out of nowhere, jumping in front of his car much too close for Martin to stop or swerve out of its path. He slams on the brakes, trying to avoid it, but there isn’t anything he can do.

There’s a sickening crunch, and then the car is stopped, and everything is silent, and all Martin can do is stare straight ahead, chest heaving.

Crunch.

He forces himself to get out of the car. He isn’t quite unhurt—his neck is sore from the sudden crashing halt—but he knows he got off lucky. The deer could have come through his windshield, could have maimed or even killed him. As it is, the worst damage he’ll sustain is fighting with the insurance company to get his front bumper fixed.

The deer is almost certainly dead.

Oh god.

He finds it lying in the ditch several feet away. It’s a buck, lying limply on its side, neck slightly twisted. Martin feels sick to his stomach. Why did it have to jump out in front of him? He didn’t want to be responsible for its death! It—

It’s still breathing.

His heart stutters and he takes a step closer, watching its ribcage intently. He swore he saw movement there, but it could have been a trick of the light. Maybe—

But there it is again! Rise-fall-rise. Its breathing is slow and not quite even, but it’s definitely there. He didn’t kill it.

Not yet, at least.

Before Martin can think too hard about what he’s doing, he’s picking the deer up. He tries extremely hard not to jostle it too badly as he loads it into the back of his little van. He knows the worst thing you can do for a person after a traumatic injury is move them, but he doesn’t really have another option, does he?

He gets back into the front seat, and sends thanks to whatever god might be listening when the engine sputters to life. He pulls the car back out onto the road, ignoring his sudden, horrible vision of the buck waking up and proceeding to flip out while Martin is driving. Then, as quickly and carefully as he can, he drives to Gerry and Tim’s house.

III. Gerry

Gerry is about to go to bed when he sees Martin’s car pull up in the driveway, and he opens the door before Martin can knock. He doesn’t want to risk the noise waking Tim.

“What are you doing here?” he asks. Not the most polite greeting, but it’s late and he’s tired, and Martin has shown up entirely unannounced.

“I need to talk to Tim,” Martin says.

Gerry crosses his arms and raises his eyebrows. “You realize that Tim works the dawn shift, right? He’s sleeping.”

“It’s an emergency,” Martin says. And, yeah, he does sound quite a bit… frazzled.

“What is it?”

“I hit a deer! It, it just jumped out in front of my car, and—It’s still breathing, but I think it’s really badly hurt, and I wanted to ask Tim to look at it.”

Gerry holds up his hands. “Two things. One: You realize that Tim is a people doctor, right?”

“Yes, but I figured he could at least—”

“Two,” Gerry interrupts. “Why did you put the deer in your car?”

“What else was I going to do? I don’t just happen to have a, a deer transport vehicle lying around.”

“You’re going to get a wasting disease.”

“No, I won’t,” Martin says. “Can I please talk to Tim?”

“No,” Gerry says. “You need to take this deer to—I don’t know—an animal rehab center. Tim won’t know how to treat a deer.”

“I don’t know if it will last that long,” Martin says, and he’s looking at Gerry with those wide, sad eyes.

Gerry sighs. “How about this: I know stabilize. I can stabilize the thing, and then you can find an animal doctor to fix it. Alright?”

“Okay,” Martin says. “That—that makes sense.”

Gerry pats his shoulder as he steps past him, strolling across the lawn to Martin’s car. He doesn’t wait for Martin before he pulls the back hatch open, braced for the deer to leap out at him, antlers-first.

But there isn’t a deer in Martin’s car at all.

Instead, there’s an unconscious man.

Gerry stares in shocked silence for a few moments until Martin catches up. He waits for Martin to register the man before he says, keeping his voice as calm and steady as possible, “Martin, what the hell is this?”

“I—I—I—I don’t—”

“Did you turn the deer into a human so that Tim would heal it?” Gerry asks.

“What? No! I-I would never—And even if I would, that’s very advanced transformation, so I couldn’t—”

“I didn’t think so.” Gerry’s heart is pounding now, fast. He swallows. “But if you didn’t transform it, that means it must have transformed itself, which means—”

“Fae,” Martin finishes, pale.

Gerry nods. He swallows again. “Let’s go wake Tim.”

IV. Tim

Tim decides to deal with the Fae in the master bathroom. It’s large enough for his purposes, and easy to clean. Most importantly, it’s far from the living room, where he’s instructed Martin and Gerry to stay. They won’t be able to hear much of what happens here.

He ties the Fae tightly to a chair with flexible wires of cold iron, specifically designed for this purpose. Then he examines the extent of its injuries. Broken arm. Shattered hip. Worst of all is a brain bleed that would definitely be fatal without medical intervention.

He supposes that was its plan. Jump in front of Martin’s car, obtain fatal injuries, and claim a life debt against Martin.

Anger bubbles in Tim’s chest, and he heals the worst of the brain bleed. The thing will still feel concussed when it wakes, but now it will be able to wake. Which is good, because Tim very much wants to talk to it.

It only takes a minute or so. The thing’s eyes snap open wide, and it tries to stand up, struggling for a moment against the unforgiving wires and its brutal injuries. It lets out a cry of pain before collapsing back against the chair, looking at Tim with wide eyes.

Tim knows well enough what Fae expressions of pain look like, and it isn’t the kind of vulnerable displays that humans put on. It’s just trying to manipulate him, to ply him with pity. It won’t work.

“Alright, Fae,” Tim says, making sure that it can see the iron fireplace poker he holds in his hand. “Whatever you thought you were going to do with your cute little plan is over. I healed the worst of your wounds, so Martin does not owe you a life debt. You’re going to swear to me that you will leave us alone and bring us no harm. Then you can leave.”

The Fae doesn’t respond. It looks at him, blinking like it doesn’t understand his words.

“I’m more than willing to do whatever it takes to convince you,” Tim says, and he brings the poker down hard on the Fae’s injured arm, right where he knows it will be most painful.

The Fae screams, curling up into itself as much as possible. It pants for a few moments, getting its breath back.

“I’m waiting,” Tim says, unimpressed.

“I’m not a Fae,” it says in a small voice, and Tim could almost laugh.

Instead, he hits it again, this time aiming for its ruined hip. “I’m not actually an idiot,” he says, raising his voice to be heard over its whimpering. It’s crying now, tears flowing freely down its cheeks. It truly looks a pathetic sight, looking up at him with wide, wet brown eyes.

Tim rolls his eyes. “You won’t find any sympathy with me, I’m afraid,” he says, raising the rod to strike again.

The Fae quickly says, “I won’t bother you! Please. Let me go. You won’t see me again.”

Tim smiles. “Say, ‘I swear on my essence and my position in the Fae Court that I won’t harm or otherwise bother you, Gerard Keay, or Martin Blackwood, nor will I send any other force to do so.’”

The Fae repeats the phrase in a shaky voice. It’s still crying.

When it has sworn to do them no harm, Tim cuts away its bonds. He assumes that it will teleport away as soon as possible, go lick its wounds somewhere more comfortable. Curiously, it doesn’t. It stays very still, trembling and clearly struggling to control its breathing.

Then Tim pulls away the wires, and his heart drops. There are lacerations where the wire dug into flesh, but the bubbling burns Tim had expected are nowhere to be seen.

Tim looks up sharply, meeting the thing’s eyes. This time, he really looks. He should see some kind of malice there, a hostile intelligence.

Instead, all he sees is pure, innocent terror.

“Fuck,” Tim says, backing away from the chair, from the—Man? Deer?—as if that will make it better. As if that will take back what he’s just done.

Legs shaking, Tim goes to get Martin.

V. Jon

As soon as the man leaves, Jon tries to get up, but he immediately falls to the ground in a flash of blinding, white-hot pain. He can’t walk. He certainly can’t run. All he can do is lie on the floor, curled up as much as he can.

He hurts.

He doesn’t know what’s going on. He doesn’t know where he is or how he got here. He doesn’t know why he’s been interrogated, tortured. He isn’t Fae. At least, he doesn’t think he is. But he doesn’t recognize the body he’s in, hardly even recognizes the sharp, precise movements of his own mind.

His thoughts feel like static, his heart pounding a nightmare beat. He doesn’t want to be here. He wants to be free, he wants to be safe, he wants the pain to stop.

He digs his fingernails into his face, trying to ground himself. Trying to focus.

The door opens, and Jon lets out a fearful noise, pulling his arms up over his head. As if that would hide him.

“They can understand us, right?” It’s a new voice, this time. Softer.

“Yes,” the original person says.

Jon looks up. “Please let me go,” he says, and his voice trembles. The new person is bigger than the last, could probably hurt him much worse, if they wanted to. “Please, I promise I won’t bother you. I just want to leave.”

The person squats down, closer to his eye-level. “We will let you go, okay? We’re not holding you prisoner.”

Jon sobs. Even if the man is speaking honestly, Jon still can’t walk, couldn’t get out of here even if they held the door wide open. Will they be angry at him, when they realize that?

“I’m sorry we hurt you,” the person continues, their voice slow and gentle. “We thought we were defending ourselves, but that’s not an excuse. I don’t expect you to trust us after that, but I promise we just want to help you.”

“Why am I here?” Jon asks.

The man lets out a breath. “I—ah—I accidentally hit you with my car. You were very badly injured, but Tim is a healer, so I brought you here. We just—I wasn’t expecting you to turn into a human—so—”

Jon absorbs this, piecing it together with his memories of bright lights and loud, dangerous noise. It’s hard to think, with how much he’s aching, but it makes sense, almost. It settles his nerves, a bit, to know that this was all just an accident.

“Do you know how that happened? How you turned into a person?”

Jon shakes his head, preparing to flinch away if the person tries to strike out.

But they just smile reassuringly. “It’s alright. It was probably just a random bit of wild magic. Bad luck.”

Of course. It would be his luck to run afoul of a random wild curse.

“I’m Martin,” the person says. “Is—do you have a name?”

Jon just stares at him. Where would he have gotten a name?

Color rises in Martin’s cheeks. “I—I guess not. Um, do you—want a name?”

Jon’s eyes widen. First he gets hit by a car, then he gets tortured, and now he’s being offered a name? What kind of day is this? He nods.

“Okay,” Martin says. “Um—how about—John? Like, like, John Doe? Wait, no that’s—that’s terrible. Uh, how about Jonathan? Jon.”

Jon.

Jon nods, accepting the name. He feels like he should be buzzing with excitement, fluttering all over Martin, thanking him a thousand times for this gift, but—

Christ, he hurts.

Martin must see something on his face because he says, “You need to be healed. I know you probably don’t want to see Tim again, but I promise he won’t hurt you. He’ll fix you up, and then you can leave. Alright?”

Jon nods. Anything, to get rid of the pain.

“Okay,” Martin says. “Tim!” he calls over his shoulder. “Could you get in here?”

The man from before comes back into the room, staying close to the door, nearly as far as he can get from Jon. He’s no longer holding his heavy rod, and the hardness in his eyes is gone, but Jon can’t help tensing when he sees him.

“It’s okay,” Martin says. He looks at Tim. “You can fix his injuries, right?”

To Jon’s dismay, Tim doesn’t nod and immediately offer him some of his magic. Instead, he sucks his teeth. “It’s… not that simple. With the extent of his injuries, it’ll take several meetings for him to be fully healed. And—with the complications involved in the hip and the brain injury, I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing anything unless he was sedated.”

“Then sedate him,” Martin says. He looks at Jon. “Is that okay with you?”

Jon meets his eyes, kind and gentle, and nods.

“How? I don’t exactly have an anesthesiologist on call,” Tim replies. “We’d need to go to the hospital, and that will come with questions. Questions like: ‘What do you mean the deer turned into a person?’ And ‘Don’t you think we should run tests to make sure it isn’t a Fae in disguise?’”

“I don’t think he would enjoy a hospital anyway,” Martin says. He’s silent for a few moments. “I could make a sleeping powder? Would that work?”

“It’s not ideal,” Tim says. “But I guess it’s better than nothing.”

“Great,” Martin says. “Um—Would it hurt to move him somewhere a little more comfortable?”

“I’m not sure there’s much that would make his injuries worse, at this point.”

“Right. Okay, I’ll figure it out. Do you mind getting some water heated for me?”

“No problem,” Tim says, and then leaves.

Jon finds himself relaxing. He doesn’t have much of a reason to trust Martin, or any of these people, but he can’t help himself. There’s something about Martin that just seems so genuinely concerned. It’s impossible not to feel safe in his presence.

“Do you mind if I pick you up?” Marin says. “I’ll try to be gentle, but it might hurt a bit.”

“It’s fine,” Jon says.

Then Martin is lifting him like he doesn’t weigh a thing. (Which is accurate, he supposes. This form is much, much lighter than Jon is used to.) It puts a bit of pressure on Jon’s bad hip, and he grunts in pain, and Martin says, “Sorry, sorry,” and hurries to deposit him on the bed in the next room.

It’s soft. Much more comfortable than the hard tile floor.

“That’s better,” Martin says. “I’ll be right back. The sleeping powder won’t take long to make.”

He’s being honest—Martin comes back within five minutes—but those few silent minutes seem to stretch on and on and on, Jon unable to do anything but lay as still as possible, trying to ignore the constantly pulsing pain. He’s relieved when Martin returns and hands him a steaming mug.

“Drink the whole thing,” Martin instructs him, so Jon does as he asks. It tastes good, and seems to fill him with warmth. He closes his eyes once, twice.

After the third time, he doesn’t open them again.

VI. Martin

Jon wakes up about two-thirds of the way back to Martin’s house. He raises his head and looks around, blinking drowsily. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t seem particularly confused about the whole riding-in-a-car thing.

“How do you feel?” Martin asks.

“Better,” Jon mumbles, yawning and leaning his head back against the window.

“That’s good,” Martin says. “Um. We decided that you should probably stay with me? At least until your treatments are finished. Is that—Are you okay with that? It’ll be about two weeks, I think.”

Jon nods. “That’s fine.”

Martin doesn’t have a guest bedroom, but he gives Jon the bedroom. It’ll be better for his recovery, not having to sleep on Martin’s old, cramped couch. Jon is still quite drowsy from the sleeping powder, so he’s fast asleep before Martin even leaves the room.

And then, faster than Martin thought possible, Jon becomes part of Martin’s daily routine.

Every morning, Martin makes breakfast, and Jon watches his every move with apt curiosity. Every evening, they drive back to Tim’s house and Tim gives Jon another treatment. He starts bringing Jon with him on shopping trips, takes him out for coffee and sandwiches, even takes him ice skating one sunny afternoon towards the end of his recovery period (letting Jon lean on him the entire time, lest he slip and fall and undo all of Tim’s work).

He doesn’t know if Jon is thinking about the future beyond his treatments, but Martin is. He spends an afternoon trying to find a master-level transformationist who could reverse Jon’s curse, but it quickly becomes clear that such services would be unattainably expensive.

If they can’t turn Jon back into his true form, that means Jon is stuck with them for the long haul. Which means Martin needs to figure out how to help him carve out space for himself in human society. He tries to think of jobs that would work for a person who so recently was not a person at all. More importantly, he starts looking into breaking his lease, doing cursory searches for places with two bedrooms and reasonable rent.

He also starts looking into education options. Jon instinctively knows far more about human life than make sense for a deer, which Martin assumes was just part of the transformation, but he doesn’t know how to read, doesn’t know math beyond basic arithmetic, doesn’t know a thing about history or sociology or any of the sciences. Somehow, Martin doesn’t think Jon would be happy staying ignorant of such important bits of human knowledge.

Then comes the day when Tim pronounces Jon completely healed, and Martin takes Jon out for a celebratory dinner. He watches Jon smiling, his expression finally devoid of any kind of pain, and decides that talk of the future can wait until tomorrow morning.

In the morning, when Martin goes to the bedroom to call Jon to breakfast, he nearly screams in surprise. He rears back, both hands collapsed over his mouth, breath coming far too quickly. Then he stops. Forces himself to calm down. Buries the sinking feeling of disappointment in his chest. This is a good thing. Martin is happy.

Jon is a deer again, and that’s… good.

“Jon,” Martin calls, loudly, not wanting to risk being gored if Jon wakes in a panic.

Jon opens his eyes slowly, and then startles to full wakefulness, apparently registering the whole “once-again-a-deer” thing. He begins to move, so slowly Martin would almost describe the process as “delicate,” stepping off of Martin bed and onto the floor.

“I’ll just—uh—get out of your way,” Martin says, starting off down the hall. He can hear the clip-clip-clip of hooves behind him.

“Do—do you want breakfast, before you go?” Martin asks, and there’s a bit of a manic note in his voice as he turns around to face the literal deer in his house. He’s not as big as Martin expects, but there’s a slender stateliness about him. His antlers look very regal, Martin can’t help thinking, and then he lets out a wild giggle because there’s a deer in his house.

Jon tilts his head, and then looks toward the back door, to the forest beyond it.

“Right, I bet you just want to leave,” Martin says. He goes to the door and opens it, and Jon clip-clip-clips his way over. “Bye,” Martin says, ignoring the bolt of grief twisting in his stomach. He isn’t losing anything. This is good.

Jon bows his head towards Martin, and then he takes four ginger steps outside, and then he’s gone, racing toward the boundary of the forest in flying bounds.

Martin tries not to miss him.

VII. Jon

Jon returns to his life, but it isn’t the same.

Or, it is the same, but Jon isn’t. He has a name, and more than a name. He has knowledge now that he doesn’t know what to do with, that he can hardly hold in his deer-shaped mind.

Jon understands now what happened to him. The forest gives gifts, sometimes. Gifts that are desperately needed. Gifts that could save a life. A temporary transformation, a human form so that a human doctor could heal him. Long enough for his injuries to heal completely so he could step back into his old life as easily as if he’d never left.

Except Jon can’t bring himself to leave the forest around Martin’s house.

At least, not more than he has to. It’s winter, so he has to wander far for forage. His thoughts, though, such as he has in his too-slow, too-quick deer mind, always stay with Martin.

Sometimes, in the weeks that follow, he sees Martin watching him, and he feels the urge to flee. Sometimes he gives in to the urge, but other times, he raises his head and watches Martin back. He wonders if Martin knows it’s him. He wonders if Martin cares.

He wonders if Martin—

But that’s a dangerous thought, the one thing that Jon can’t let himself think.

He tells himself that he’s happy just to see Martin.

He tells himself a lot of things.

***

Then one morning, Jon wakes up with hands and feet and a runny nose, and he knows that this, too, is a gift from the forest. Another blessing, this one more permanent. An answer to the agonized question that Jon hadn’t really even known he was asking.

He feels—

—happy exhilarated terrified—

—but he doesn’t let himself think too hard about it. He has things to do, important things.

On four legs, Jon runs to the nearest village. On two legs, he finds a flower shop. There is exactly enough money in his pocket for a small bouquet, and he carries it gently as he walks the two miles to Martin’s cottage.

He knocks on the door, quickly trying to smooth down his hair, knowing that it’s a futile effort, that he looks like he has been rolling around in the forest all day. He hopes Martin will be happy to see him. He hopes the forest wouldn’t give him this gift if Martin didn’t feel—

Martin opens the door, and every thought in Jon’s head freezes.

“Jon?” Martin says, eyebrows furrowed.

Before he can lose his nerve, Jon holds out the flowers. “These are for you.”

Martin takes them. ““What—? How—?”

“Will you go on a date with me?”

Martin blinks. “I—Jon how are you here?”

“I’ll tell you later, just—Please answer the question. Do you want to go on a date with me?”

Martin laughs then, and it’s clear from the tone of it, from the look in his eyes that he’s still painfully confused, but it’s a lovely sound anyway.

Then he says, “Yes, Jon, of—of course I do.”

And Jon has a million things he wants to say, but Martin has already moved on, is back to asking his questions. So he reaches for Martin’s hand and gives it a squeeze and says, smiling, “I missed you.”

[sunnysidevans]

𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 - 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐬

Summary: What happens when you find out your shitty boyfriend cheats on you with a new coworker and you decide to show him just who he messed with and you run into a bit someone unexpected? 

Warnings: Language, Angst , Cheating , Weapons

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

First Person Point Of View: 

You couldn’t believe that this happened to you, how could you have let this happen? Your recent boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, had decided to cheat with the new girl in his law firm. You had detected the affair quickly as he became less and less, and became much more “work focused” as your mother liked to call it as you started to discuss your concerns. She believed he was a good man as did all your friends, who knew he was so good at lying? To you and the world huh? Your suspicions were proven correct when you decided to visit him at work the last afternoon with the fresh lunch you thought you could share together and found the two of them, coming back from their own lunch, making out in the parking garage of his office. Lucky for you he didn’t see you and you were able to slip away quickly. After slipping away you sat in your car and started to sob, you couldn’t believe this had happened, you just thought he was distant because of a big case, not another woman. As you pulled out of the parking garage that afternoon,  mascara streaked down your chin, you made the decision that if he wanted to cheat, you would show him just the women he cheated on. The rest of that afternoon you made your preparations and got things around and even did a small bit of retail therapy ( with the credit card he had given you of course ) and started the demise of your cheating ex boyfriend, Nathan. First you started prepping by taking a quick shower and applying minimal makeup because, why let him fuck up more mascara? As you laced up your black boots you grabbed the essentials and headed to the bar you knew he frequented after a good case. As you pulled up to the bar you noticed the ugly Ford 4x4 in the parking lot with his cheesy bumper sticker. You parked about a few cars down, giving yourself a nice amount of space between them so if for some reason he wouldn’t see you. As smooth as butter you ran your car key along the side of his truck, bumper to bumper. You begin to pop a tire with the small pocket knife on your keys when suddenly a tall brunette comes running from the other side of the parking lot, “hey, hey lady what the hell?!” he yells his hands out as you turn to him quickly knife in hand “mind your own business buddy” you seeth, slight tears in your eyes as he lowers his hands to his sides “well, you do have a knife, and you are popping tires on a car.. I mean it is a crime” he sighs watching you closely as you turn around again. “Just go inside and get a drink and don't you worry about me pretty boy” you mumbled, as you turned you knew you recognized him, he played in them movies that you and Nathan watched often, He was Captain America. He laughed behind you as he watched you pick the lock of the truck and disarming the alarm “you know I can’t let you continue to commit a crime” Chris laughed walking to you as he continued “so what exactly am I witnessing at this moment?” he asked as he watched you carve (Y/N) in both the headrest and the seat on both sides. “(Y/N) huh? So (Y/N) care to explain to me what is happening?” he asked again as he started to hear the sniffles from you and shortly after a sob. “Fuck him” you seethed through the sobs “fuck him and that ugly fucking bitch” you continued to seeth through your sobs. As you sobbed you took the bat and smashed the hood of the truck and continued you knocked out every light on the truck as eventually two arms grabbed your arms to stop you, a bold move as you were clearly loaded with weapons. “Hey hey” Chris whispered as he took the bat slowly “c’mon let's head inside okay? Hey it's okay, okay?” he looked at you as you once again let this asshole screw up your mascara. You sobbed in the arms of this stranger and watched as he led you inside slowly in which you’d be face to face with Nathan and the woman who created this mess. As you walked inside slowly with Chris by your side rubbing your arm, all eyes landed on you, mainly because you walked in with a gorgeous man on your arm but mostly because obviously they recognized who this man was. Chris sat you in a booth and went to grab some towels from the restroom as to help clean up the blood you didn’t notice before on your hands along with the mascara on your cheeks, he also covered you with the jacket as he left as you only had on a tshirt as it approached 10 pm. As you sat in the booth your eyes on the table eventually someone cleared their throat causing you to look up and be face to face with the eyes that used to hold nothing but love for you. “(Y/N) what are you doing here?” he asked hands on his hips, in an authoritative way not even a hot way as chris did it before “does it matter?” you snarked back adjusting Chris’s jacket on your arms. “I mean I’d like to know why my girlfriend is in a bar with another man's jacket on her arms” he snickered back as you sighed sitting up ready to snark back as someone cleared their throat behind Nathan. “From the story I’m gathering, you cheated on this young lady and she found out, knew you’d be here, with said mistress and she decided to take matters into her own hands, but of course I stopped her before she did any real damage” Chris spoke as Nathan turned to him, mouth agape as he recognized him as well as everyone else did. “W-What?” Nathan looked between the two of you as Chris sat across from you, handing you the towels so you could wipe your hands. Chris looked to you as Nathan stood at the end of the table, “would you like a ride home beautiful? Or at least let me order you a ride?” he smiled at you as the small smile crossed your face “I would like that actually, a ride would be nice..” you whispered standing as he put an arm around your shoulder, Nathan hot on your heels out the door. “You can’t just ignore me bi-” Nathan stopped mid sentence as he saw the damage you had done to his truck “What the fuck?!” he screamed running to the truck, noticing that all four of his tires were slashed, both sets of lights destroyed along with your name in both of his seats, door wide open in which most of his belongings were taken. Finally the young woman decided to join him outside and noticed the destruction to his truck, trying to comfort him as Chris snickered beside you “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy”. 

+

The car ride to your apartment was quiet as Chris had a quiet 80’s playlist playing. He didn’t push you to talk to him, didn’t push you to tell him what happened, he just followed your directions to your apartment. As he pulled up to your apartment and put his car in park he turned in the seat to face you, “I’m really sorry…” he whispered, you shook your head and shrugged your shoulders “I thought I was going to marry him ya know?” you turned to him as you continued “I just don’t know what I was thinking.. He treated me so well and then.. Well obviously you put two and two together” you sighed sitting up to take his jacket off “Thank you very much for giving me a ride home..” you smiled handing him his jacket back. “You don’t have to thank me, It’s the least I could do” he smiled as you smiled softly back “Is there anything I could do to repay you? Gas money?” you asked curiously, he shook his head and smiled “how about just a phone number? If you need a friend” he smiled back as you nodded slowly. You took his phone from him and entered your phone number making sure to add in the knife emoji next to your name.

+

 Two weeks Later .. 

A knock at the door startled you from your book and coffee as your cat jumped from his sleep. You sighed softly as you got up and opened the door to be greeted by a delivery man who looked to love his job so much. “Uh delivery for (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N)?” he asked unsure as you nodded and took the flowers. “Thank you” you nodded and shut the door walking to the kitchen counter as Chris follows shortly after bringing Dodger back from a walk. “What is that?” he asked curious leaning against the counter in front of you “I’m not sure was just delivered” you shrugged opening the note: 

“ My Dearest (Y/N),

I’m so sorry, I wish I never did these things and I wish I didn’t , Please I hope this is just the beginning of us rebuilding.. Again I’m so sorry, Please call me,Please talk to me, anything… I will always love you

Love, Nathan. X”

You scoffed handing the note to Chris to read as he read over it shaking his head tossing it into the trash “I wouldn’t keep them if you don’t want too. That note though was absolutely awful so you don’t want that” he laughed as he saw the smile on your face as you chuckled again shaking your head “maybe I’ll give them to Mrs.Carter down the hall.. She’s been quite lonely since her husband died” you smiled at him as he then chucked again, “what?” you asked, “I guess maybe he’ll think before he cheats” causing the both of you to laugh. This was the start of something much better than what Nathan ever had to offer you.  

[arvandus]

Touch (Pt 2)

Pairing: Dabi x Fem!Reader

WARNINGS: 18+ only please!  Drug abuse/withdrawal, adult language/themes, heavy angst, past trauma/abuse, anxiety/panic attacks, PTSD, fluff, pining, slow burn, eventual emotional SMUT. *please pay attention to the chapter tags as these warnings will apply at different times*

Synopsis: When you first joined the LOV to lend your healing quirk, Dabi  terrified you.  Not interested in attachments, he wanted to keep it  that way.  That is, until he needs your help. (Slow burn, soft Dabi).

Time Frame: Right before the League meets Overhaul

Additional notes: I took some liberty in giving Reader a backstory that fits in with the BNHA world and is important for the story.  If that bothers you, I apologize - just think of it as role playing!  Also, this’ll probably be broken up into 8-10 parts, roughly.  JUST KIDDING - this has now turned into an epic (roughly) 40 chapter series.  Oops.

Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters.

Recommended Chapter Song: Cradles by Sub Urban

Part 1

Artwork credit to @hellowon31​ on Twitter (https://twitter.com/hellowon31)

Part 2 - A Crack In The Armor

The pain came back, just as you said it would.   What you didn’t mention was that the numbness would gradually fade away.  It might sound nice to some, but Dabi hated it. He felt like he was driving towards a cliff in slow motion, waiting for the crash, unable to turn the wheel.  He had no control.  He hated this feeling of helplessness and traded it for anger instead. Why did he even ask for your help to begin with?

His answer was given to him as soon as your quirk’s effect finally stopped.  Dabi stared angrily at the empty pill bottles. It was amazing how quickly the brain adapted, his body acting as if he’d never had to deal with his damaged nerves before.  He had half a mind to hunt you down and demand you take care of it. He didn’t, of course, pride the deciding factor.  The scars were his, a series of choices made, a patchwork flag he wore into battle.  They were his burden and a reminder of his fight; he wasn’t going to give that up so easily.  Still, he couldn’t deny the temptation that surrounded him like a cloud, even if all he did was entertain the thought. 

Dabi waited all day for your visit until finally your characteristic knock on his door rewarded his patience.  He stood from his bed and cooled his features into their typical mask before opening the door. There you stood, keen eyes already assessing him.

“Can I come in?” you asked. Like the day before, he stepped aside just enough to let you pass.  He had discovered yesterday that he liked having your presence close to him… it gave his pulse a little rush.  He caught a whiff of your shampoo as you gingerly passed him and felt the softness of your shirt as it brushed against his own like a whisper.  His grip on the doorknob tightened.

As soon as Dabi closed the door behind you, you got started.  You were determined to be strictly business.  “How’re you feeling?” you asked, keeping your tone even, the perfect balance of concern and professionalism.  Dabi wanted to laugh.  Were you always this serious?

“Like shit.” He grinned. “That quirk of yours is potent stuff.”

You couldn’t help but let a grin escape in response to his candid words, a fracture in your hastily built armor.  “Not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“It’s a compliment.” He stated.

You felt your throat go tight.  Stay on task.  Stay on task.  You cleared your throat slightly as you averted your eyes from him.  “Well, let’s have a look.”

With a little less flair than yesterday, he removed his jacket like before, followed by his shirt as he turned around to display his back for you.

You could see that the bandages were seeped through.  You had laid them on thick since you knew you wouldn’t be able to check on him as often as you’d like – he was still going out to do Shigaraki’s bidding and you had others to look after as well.  You were planning on seeing him daily, but it looked like he’d need more. 

Your little checkups were far from over.  You couldn’t help but wonder what he thought about that.  You honestly weren’t sure what you thought about it yourself.

“I’m going to use my quirk and then change your bandages.  I’ll check on you again tomorrow morning before you leave.”

“How often do we have to do this?” Dabi asked.  His tone was difficult to decipher.  Concerned? Annoyed? …Hopeful?

You cleared your throat again, desperate for a glass of water, as you began to remove the soiled gauze. “I’ll probably visit you twice daily for the first week, then reduce it to once a day or every couple of days for the second week.  We’ll see where we are by then.  It’ll take at least a few weeks before it’s fully healed.  That’s only if you’re good though, and don’t go out and use your quirk for a bit.”

“I won’t make any promises.” He replied.

You sighed.  “Well, at least your honest.  Really though, you should at least try not to use it.”

“That’s up to the Crusty Hands.” Dabi replied.  “He’s the one sending me out there to try to recruit members and gather intel.”

You rolled your eyes at the nickname for Shigaraki.  “Couldn’t you ask him for a break then?” You asked, your head tilted. “No point in making you hurt yourself over lackey work.”

The question was innocent enough, but Dabi turned around and stared at you like you grew a second head. Ask Shigaraki for time off? The thought made Dabi bristle for so many reasons.

You quickly caught on to his shift in mood and tried to repair your previous statement. “Look.  I get it if that’s an issue for you. Maybe I could be the one to ask him.  I can make it a medical request, since I’m the healer.”

That option almost seemed worse.  He didn’t need to be excused from his duties like a child with a sick note. And he most certainly didn’t want you putting your neck out for him.

“Look, I know your still kinda new here.  So, let me break this down.  There is no ‘sick time’ in the League of Villains.  No vacation, no hazard pay.  We all got our jobs to do.”

Now you bristled, your shoulders tensing up and your arms crossed in front of you defensively. “Yeah.  And my job is to make sure you crazy idiots don’t kill yourselves before we complete our mission.  You know, the big long-term one where we change the world, not the pointless dirty work Shigaraki’s got you doing.”

“Pointless dirty work? That dirty work is how we reach that long-term goal, sweetheart.”   Dabi grinned devilishly.  “I didn’t realize you had such strong opinions about how we do things here.”

“Just the part about using your talents for recruiting street thugs.  Most of them are idiots that can’t tell Stain’s message from an anarchist bumper sticker.”

You were right, of course. Dabi chuckled.  You were more interesting than he thought.

“Look,” you said, your voice quieter as you uncrossed your arms.  “We’re all in this together come hell or high water, and I’m really hoping we can all see it through to the end.  If that means taking some time off to let your body recover, then I’d think that’d be worth doing.”

Dabi stared at you silently while something tightened in his chest.  Your need to hold everyone together like glue was admirable and almost… endearing.  He felt a sinking feeling in his gut.  He knew there was a high likelihood they wouldn’t all see the end of this, if the end ever even comes.  Did you know that but stubbornly hold onto your optimism?  Or were you really that naïve that you believed there was a chance that everyone could come out unscathed?  When the worst happens – which it inevitably will – will you blame yourself?

The thought bothered him.

For the first time Dabi’s mask slipped, and for the briefest of moments you could see the pity in his eyes.

“Thanks for the concern doll, but I got it under control.” Dabi said, his voice unusually calm. “Besides, if I took time off every time I hurt myself with my quirk, then I’d never be any use.”

Between his eyes and his words, there was no room for discussion, so you let the topic drop. 

You let out a defeated sigh. “Well then, let’s get started.” You placed your hands on his back.

Once again, the sweet balm of your touch spread across his skin, bringing back the relief he had missed. His body responded instinctively. His breathing slowed; his muscles relaxed.  He closed his eyes, relishing in the sensation.  You noticed the slightest drop in his shoulders and a pang of sympathy washed over you like a wave.  You wished you could do more for him, but you had to conserve your quirk for the others too.

You cleaned his wound quickly and applied fresh bandages without any more talk.  As quickly as it had begun, it was over.  Without missing a beat, he pulled his shirt back on while you packed your items.

You turned to leave, but paused for a moment before turning back slightly, your eyes bravely locking with his.  “Try to get some rest… it’ll help your body heal faster.”

Dabi didn’t respond with his usual quips.  Instead, his electric blue eyes stared at you in a way that made your blood pulse in your ears and the air burn in your lungs.  You stood captivated for a moment, locked in his gaze, before finding your way out of the maze of his eyes and left his room, hearing the quiet click of the door behind you.

 Without a word, Dabi sat on the edge of the bed and stared at his hands.  His brow furrowed in confusion.

This was supposed to be a game.  A game of walls and mazes and misdirection. He was the ‘Asshole,’ full of snarky comments and flirty quips all while withholding his true self.  He didn’t need friends, just coworkers so he could carry out his mission and bring Stain’s vision to life before his quirk killed him.  But your magic hands dismantled his walls, allowing you to walk right in and get in his head with your stubborn heart.  He had cared. For the briefest of moments, he cared.

It was his game.  Why did he feel like he was losing?

______________________________________________________________

Part 3

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[collecting-stories]

Dear John - John B Routledge

Request: can i request dear john by taylor swift with John B

A/N: I love this song so much, I think it always gets over looked as just another breakup song but it really is deeper than that.

TS Anthology Masterlist | Outer Banks Masterlist

_ . ◦ ⭐︎:*.☾.*:⭐︎◦∙._

Maybe the ocean should’ve given away the temperate feeling that cascaded over you as you stepped off the ferry, or maybe you should’ve known that the Outer Banks wouldn’t feel like home any longer. Either way, the warning signs were ignored as you stood on the dock hands clutching onto the straps of your backpack, that familiar feeling settling into the pit of your stomach. The feeling that had haunted you for a year, a long, excruciating year, of nothing but emptiness. And if it wasn’t for Pope graduating you thought, you wouldn’t be here at all.

-

“I’m going to fall!” You’re voice felt like it echoed in the darkness as you climbed out of the window and onto the roof with John B, your hand gripping onto his.

“You’re not gonna fall, I’ve got you.” He promised, pulling you as your knees found ground, collapsing against him. “See?”

“I see,” you laughed, leaning into the space between the two of you to kiss him.

The sun was just rising and he’d woken you up, insisting that the two of you watch the morning sky together. You had stayed up late with him the night before because he couldn’t sleep, plagued by nightmares of his father out at sea, and had practically begged you to come over and ease them. Exhausted yourself, though feeling guilty instantly for thinking you’d rather sleep, you had snuck out of the house and gone to the chateau.

“Hey,” he nudged you when you leaned your head on his shoulder, “stay awake.”

“I am,” you promised.

“No, you’re falling asleep. I want you to see this.”

“I am, I promise.” You repeated, blinking back sleep to watch the sun.

-

The road back down the cut to the Chateau was etched into your memory. A recent hurricane had taken down the tree you always thought was shaped like an arm, reaching out to grip passers by in terror, dragging them back to the woods. It was cut up in pieces now, lying on the shoulder, defeated by the storm and then again by men with chainsaws determined not to let some old tree stand between them and the rest of the island.

You steadied your breathing as you drew closer, heart pounding in your chest as your mind did it’s best to conjure up images of John B. You couldn’t help yourself. You had gotten so far away that you told yourself you forgot what he looked like, what his town looked like, and yet each landmark seemed to jump out at you along the way, familiar to you, however changed. You wondered how much of that would be true of John B. If he too was familiar but changed and in what ways? A new coat of paint, like the Wreck, just a fresh color covering up all the disappointment and manipulation. Or would he be like the ghost tree, cut down and pushed aside, had he retired his condescension and his snark.

-

“No, of course not,” you swore, holding your phone against your ear as you sat up on your bed, trying to apply enough pressure to the heating pad on your stomach, “I just don’t feel good, JB, the last thing I wanna do is go out tonight.”

It wasn’t technically your anniversary, that had been three days prior, when John B was busy with ‘stuff’ as he so eloquently put it and couldn’t get together. He’d promised to make it up to you and tonight he had intended to fulfill that promise, which might’ve been fine if you weren’t laid up in bed with ginger ale and saltines, trying to keep anything down.

“Oh well, I’m sorry that the last thing you wanna do tonight is spend time with me!” He snapped and you could hear the sound of things being slammed around.

“That’s not what I said!” You snapped. You were exhausted, the stomach bug had kept you unable to relax for the entirety of the day and all you were really hoping for was a little relief now.

“Look whatever, you’re still pressed about not spending the actual day together but I rearranged my whole day just to go out tonight!”

You knew it was a lie, it wasn’t even a necessarily good one. But still, the anger in his voice would’ve made you get up and go out if you didn’t think you could puke at any given moment. “I’m not upset about the other day,” you promised, “I know you had work.” You replied, “I’m really sick though John B, ask Pope, he’ll tell you.” You just wanted him off your back and for a split second you failed to realize that telling him Pope knew you were sick would only send him into a tailspin.

“Ask Pope?” John B repeated, “should I call him or do you just wanna slide the phone over…maybe he could do a fake sick voice too?”

“He’s not here!” You snapped, frustrated and a little more confident since he wasn’t physically in your room, just a disembodied voice on a phone. “He came by earlier cause I called Heyward’s for groceries. God, what is your problem today?”

“My problem is that my girlfriend is unappreciative of the fact that I had other shit to do and I put it aside to take you out.”

“I’m sick!” You practically yelled it, hanging up the phone and throwing it across the room before pulling your blankets over your head and closing your eyes. The phone rang again, ten more times in total but you ignored the calls, trying to get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow John B would be feeling different, better.

-

You pulled off the road and down the dirt driveway that Big John had always sworn he was going to pave. It had never happened, mostly because saying things and doing them were not actions easily connected in either of the Routledge’s minds. You parked behind an older Subaru that you recognised as Kiara’s, a ‘save the turtles’ bumper sticker on display near the license plate.

There were other cars, some familiar to you, like Luke Maybank’s truck, no doubt driven over by JJ, or Sarah’s SUV, but there were other cars you didn’t recognise. Ones that belonged to people you didn’t know well enough or know at all. You cut the engine but didn’t open the door, sitting there in the yard just staring at the house. Could you do this? Could you walk back in there? Would the parts of you that had taken so long to reconstruct, the pieces that you had to reassemble into some new version of a past you, survive inside that place?

It had been some months, years really, since you had run. Not so long that you had erased all the bad memories but long enough that they no longer played on a loop in your mind. John B wasn’t your only example of love, just the worst one.

The car door felt heavy when you shut it though not so much as the screen door on the porch of the chateau. It was Sarah who answered when you knocked, graduation gift tucked securely under your arm. She hugged you, looking a little more tired than you remembered and you wondered how much of a place you had to step in and say something. Was she there yet? That desperate place where she would listen because this wasn’t what she remembered wanting.

“How’re you?” You had never been mad at Sarah. Everyone always acted like you were, they scarcely talked about her, as if you were waiting for the chance to villainize her. In actuality, you liked Sarah, she was too good for this.

“Good,” her smile strained, “we didn’t think you’d make it.”

“I promised Pope I’d be at his graduation.” You replied, stepping inside with her. Pope looked up at the sound of his name, smiling at you, “I never break a promise.”

-

You stood there in the Chateau, eyes cast just to the side of John B as he tried to explain some trip to Chapel Hill that he took. You stared down the picture of his mom, smiling, and wondered if Big John was the same sort of man his son had become. Had she left because she was selfish or because she wanted her freedom back?

“…and I needed to get into the college to see the paper-“ he kept going, overfilling the story with details you didn’t think actually mattered at all.

“So what’s your point?” You tried again to get him there. Maybe it was the after effects of being sick but the exhaustion that you’d been feeling for the past year and a half had crept into your bones and settled there, wrapping you up like a blanket. You had no other way to explain yourself other than to say that you felt done. Done with this conversation, with his roundabout way of telling you something you didn’t want to hear, as if he got brownie points for ‘breaking the news’ delicately.

“Sarah and I kissed.” John B replied.

“Oh.” What emotion did he want you to have, which did he think you were still capable of mustering?

“I don’t love you anymore, I don’t think I ever did.”

You had to agree, really. You hoped he didn’t, at least, because if this was the way John B loved people, by draining them of any kind of life at all, you hated yourself even more for hanging on.

-

“Oh my god!” Kiara hugged you next, followed by Pope. John B was by the table, you had seen him immediately, waited for the ache but it didn’t come. He was watching you though, as if he was assessing the damage. “You look good,” Kiara said, “happy.

“Yeah,” you nodded, smiling, “I am.”

The house was just a house after all, just walls put together and not a prison. And John B was just a boy.

-

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[highpope]

and it always leads to you (and my hometown)

JJ Maybank x Reader 

notes: Surprise! She still writes! she livesssss 

This is based on Taylor Swift’s Tis the Damn Season (I reccomend listening before reading) 

warnings: uhm general angst saddness, a swear word thrown in here and there, no proofreading

we can call it even, even though I’m leaving

It’s different now. Things are different now. You want to ask if he’s okay, how things have changed. His blond hair darker now that summer is gone, the freckles faded and his eyes an icy blue. But for now, this has to be okay, his lips pressed against your own while the snow piles up outside. It’s better than being alone.

It’s the kind of cold fogs up windshield glass

He played with the rings on your fingers. His calloused hands running smoothly over yours. Your breath fogged up the windows of the same truck he used to drive in high school. The leather of his steering wheel was faded from where his hands rest and the radio is stuck on the same station from the summer prior. The exterior paint is chipping in new places and the bumper is dented from an accident one Monday morning last fall. You remember he had called you nearly crying, pulled off on the side of the road. You were surprised to hear from him. He had said he had no one else to call. 

You were walking back from class admiring the leaves falling down. His voice broke when you picked up the phone, almost like he didn’t expect you to.

“J, what’s wrong?” 

“It-it was an accident, I swerved. I didn’t want- there was a kid running across the road and I swerved and another car rear-ended me.” He inhaled sharply.

“You’re okay.” It wasn’t posed as a question, but he took it as one.

“Yeah, I think.”

“Do you- I can stay on the phone? Until everything gets sorted out.”

You did. You told him about your classes and how much you missed the beach and how pretty the leaves looked in Central Park. He listened. You told him you’d be home for Christmas. You stayed on the phone, silently, until the cops arrived to assess the damage and he was calm enough to drive home. He said he’d call.

He didn’t.

You can call me babe for the weekend

He drops you off at your parents’ house. The Christmas lights illuminating the block and reflecting in the windows. A picture-perfect scene. You want to invite him in, but you both know it’s a bad idea. You take your time getting out of the truck, grabbing your bag from the backseat before pausing and looking at him. You try desperately to memorize the shape of his face. The way his nose curves and lips purse. You open your mouth to say goodbye or say really anything in an attempt to reverse time, but he speaks first. 

“I’ll call you,”

“Yeah, sounds good”

“Mkay, bye babe”

It almost makes you stop dead in your tracks. Almost. You know he doesn’t mean it the way you want him to. Not in the way it used to. It probably just slipped out.

You don’t turn around until you make it to your front door, keys in hand.

He didn’t wait. The road is dark and the only evidence that he had been there is left in the tire tracks of the snowfall. 

The day you started dating had been the hundredth time he had walked you home. He never came in though, had to get home before his dad came home from work, he said. That didn’t stop you from offering. Every single time. On the day that he asked you out, you were stopped at the bottom of your sidewalk. His hands were shoved in his pocket as he rocked back and forth. 

“You’re sure you don’t want to come in?”

“No, no im good. Thanks though.”

“No problem, I’ll see you at school”

“Will you- uhm. Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

The memory makes your stomach hurt.

Time flies, messy as the mud on your truck tires 

Now I’m missing your smile, hear me out

He didn’t call. Or text. Or answer the door when you got up and drove to his house. 

You knew that showing up like that was a bit much, but you weren’t thinking. You hadn’t even realized until you were on the porch, knocking on the door that you had even driven there. Didn’t even know what you would have said. 

Maybe just goodbye. 

Maybe ask the question you’d been playing over in your mind since the night before you left for college.

“I don’t get it. What is changing all of a sudden?” he was sitting in his truck after dropping you off at home. Your life was packed into boxes you could see from the living room window. A now constant reminder that you were leaving in the morning. 

“Everything. Everything is changing. You’re going off and you’re doing great things while i’m going to be here. Stuck in the same fucking town as alw-”

“So, me going to college is somehow forcing you to stay here?”

He didn’t answer, only stared at the ground. 

“The plan was that we would do long distance. It’s not even a different time zone and we were going to visit and it’s essentially only a few months. We can make that work. You said we were going to make it work. The plan was-”

“Plans change.” 

“I don’t-”

“Stop telling me you don’t understand. You think I have enough money to drive up and see you? Or that I can take off work to do that?” 

You started yelling, heat pricking your skin as tears began to fall, “why won’t you try?”

He was silent. 

“We weren’t supposed to be changing.” 

He took a long look at you, eyes flitting across your face before finally speaking, “I’ll call you. I love you.” 

His tires spun as he drove away.

Do you?

and it always leads to you and my hometown

[seizethecringeofproduction]

Flashpoint 2: Advent Solaris - Chapter 2

CONTENT WARNING

 You will be brutally reminded of the DCAMU characters besides Damian and Raven in this chapter. You have been warned. The imagery in this chapter is NOT pretty. 

In the hours following the festival of the sun, Soleanna remained in shambles - reeling from the arrival of this timeline's biggest villain, Dr. Eggman. The castle town area had entire sections of itself barricaded off by the Soleanna royal guard due to the remaining damage that needed to be cleaned up and repaired from the previous night's attack. The New City area was left unscathed due to not being involved in the attack, but it and all of its residents were essentially locked off from castle town due to the tunnel between the two being closed off. Even tourists who were clambering to get back to their homes out of a desire to avoid what they likely knew was coming in the near future ended up being stopped by either entire areas of the country being shut down, resulting in massive lines lasting for entire blocks extending out from the train station and bumper-to-bumper build ups along the highway, or at least so said the news when it came to the latter.

For Barry, this did not help at all with his ambition of helping Sonic in the good fight against Eggman. In fact, it literally achieved quite the opposite.

Well after Barry spent a few good hours navigating the poorly designed, conforming New City district until he located the tunnel door again - all while lamenting no longer having his powers - he was introduced by not only the fact that the large ornate green door was closed but also guardian by a small troop of green-armored royal guardsman. These guardsmen, from what he could tell, were Soleanna's sole police force.

He would soon learn that they actually were more than capable of competing with Gotham City's police force in their sheer levels of corruption and incompetence.

It also should be noted here that quite literally, it appeared as though there were no women present within the ranks of the royal guard, as not once did Barry see a person wearing their green uniforms that even resembled the feminine form. It wasn't until he was stopped from entering castle town that reasons besides the obvious became considerations as to why no woman would want to join this organization:

"I'm sorry sir, nobody is allowed into castle town. No exceptions", one of the three policemen sternly said to Barry, putting out a hand to stop him from walking any further. Being a hero, Barry respected the law, though he didn't exactly appreciate it when they got in the way of 'the job'.

"I've got important business to deal with over there, I'll be right back."

"Whatever business you're going to do, I'm sure it can wait. We have severe building and street repair, as well as an investigation into the kidnapping of Princess Elise."

"Well" Barry quickly thought of something to say, hoping it would work, "I just so happen to be a forensic scientist! Best in the business, actually! So if you let me through that door and tunnel right there I can help you with that investigation!"

"You're not hearing me, sir" the policeman scowled, "The investigation is not about who kidnapped her, the investigation is about where her kidnapper went!"

"Well can you tell me where?"

"The giant battleship was last spotted heading towards Wave Ocean, and we believe towards the Dusty Desert part of the island after that. However, both areas are blocked off from public - that means you - entrance for the time being."

"So you guys are blocking off the area where your monarch's been brought to as a captive, instead of going in to rescue her?"

"Hey" the Policeman, clearly irritated with such sass, proceeded to 'bark' out "I don't tell you how to do your 'detective' job, you don't tell us how to do ours! Besides, rescue operations are G.U.N. and the blue wind's forte!"

Well I hate these guys already.

"You guys do know that a forensic scientist is different from a detective, right?"

"Does the difference matter?" the guard responded, "You guys both do practically the same thing, investigate stuff! All you do is work with DNA, and all a detective does is work with clues! Same difference!"

I want to slap this guy so hard right now, but I'd be arrested.

"The point is, I'm technically a cop just like you and your friends" Barry glared at the man, "From Central City, granted, but as you just said - same difference."

The guardsman once again scowled at Barry for his remark, with his arms crossed as well. It was evident that he did not take kindly to such 'disrespect', though also evident there wasn't much he could or felt like doing about it. Eventually the other man grunted and spoke to Barry in a somewhat defeated yet also still very disrespectful tone of voice:

"Alright, you can proceed to the castle town. On one condition."

"What condition?"

"If you can guess who the captain of the guard is, we'll let you through."

The smirk on the guardsman's face, as well as the snickering from the others, betrayed just how 'seriously' these men actually took their jobs. Barry likely did notice those looks, but there wasn't much he could do about it - other than give a look of both lack of surprise as well as complete boredom with this entire vacation.

Next time Iris and I talk about vacation spots, I'm being clear with her about never going back here again.

Barry rolled his eyes. If he had his powers he would just run along the water to the other side of the island, completely ignoring the 'bull' of these incompetent buffoons. However, while the Flash could do that in seconds, Barry Allen wasn't precisely capable of it. He would have to improvise in order to get anything done here.

"Let me take an educated guess here, are you the captain?" he said, unamused, pointing directly at the guard who presented the idea to him. For some reason, all of them found this entire thing incredibly hilarious. After recovering from bursting into laughter:

"Guess again!"

"Any of the guys behind you?"

Unfortunately for Barry, they all responded accordingly:

"No!"

"Nope!"

"Not me!"

Oh. My. God.

Barry now understood why Batman never worked with the police much outside of commissioner Gordon. He completely understood Bruce's distrust now. As a fellow cop, at least technically, he was beyond ashamed of these so-called men of the force. However, being powerless he had little choice but to go along with their ridiculous game which he knew damn well was for the most part, purely for their amusement. He hoped dearly that if he did find the captain, that there would be discipline for these guys - but something told him this was routine behaviour for Soleanna's police.

For at least a full hour and a half, Barry yet again found himself wandering the streets of Soleanna's New City district - this time looking for members of it's royal guard police force in order to ask where the 'captain' was. He tended to receive one of the follow responses from those he did manage to talk with:

"The captain? I think that guy's over there!"

"You mean that guy?"

"Oh yeah, I'm the Captain! Captain of being awesome!"

"I believe the captain has door guarding duty at the moment. At least, I think he does."

"The captain? Not me!"

"Not me!"

"That is not me."

"That's not me."

"Have you tried looking over there?"

By the end of it all, Barry's eye was twitching and his face locked in complete, total frustration. He found it incredibly hard to believe that such people were qualified for a position as important as defending the city, the country, the monarchy and most important of all the civilians. In his own thoughts:

These people aren't qualified to protect a slice of pizza!

Returning to the guards that he had first run to while also being absolutely tired, he glared at them as if he wanted to punch them - which he did - while they were still finding excessive humor in his misery. The guard who made him go on the search for the captain was the first to break from laughter just to ask him in a mocking tone:

"Do you have any clue who the captain is yet, forensic scientist?"

"No" Barry said, scowling at the man with incredibly intense anger - though said anger was ignored by the so-called 'police', who only mocked him with one more sentence:

"Well, maybe you should try taking DNA samples! Isn't that what you're people are good at?"

The bursts of laughter that succeeded that 'joke' did not help alleviate Barry's anger. Quite the contrary actually.

How the hell did these idiots get their jobs?

Thankfully for Barry, the laughter did not last long. Not long after it began in fact, did the door behind the guards open, revealing yet again the tunnel connecting the New City to the Castle Town district. Sighing of relief as the confused guards walked off to the side, Barry was ready to see what he could do about the ongoing situation of Elise's kidnapping. That is, until some unexpected burst of wind - or speed, really - flew right past him and knocked him straight to the ground.

Recovering himself quickly, Barry could see that this burst of speed was none other than Sonic - who had come speeding out of Castle Town and only broke from his running seemingly to take in the environment of the New City district.

Barry could see Sonic was not alone, however. Since the memories of this timeline hadn't begun to kick in yet, he did not recognize the figure who was following after the blur however. A yellow furred fox, with shining blue eyes, red-white shoes, white gloves and most uniquely of all two tails - that he could evidently use to fly somehow as Barry saw him clearly using them to lift himself just slightly off the ground to keep up with Sonic himself.

Barry took only a few seconds to process this newly introduced person before remembering with a speedster he had to make his introductions quick:

"Sonic? Sonic!" he exclaimed, before trying to head over to the blue, four foot tall Hedgehog and the even less tall fox. Luckily for him, he did in fact gain Sonic's attention:

"What's up?" the Hedgehog greeted, rather casually all things considered.

I'm talking to a four foot tall, talking, thing that is supposedly a Hedgehog. This is real. I am not on drugs. I am not hallucinating. This'll all be normal to me in the near future.

"I'm Barry Allen" Barry decided it was best to be upfront with Sonic, whom he was still having trouble believing was not a drug hallucination, "I'm a forensic scientist from Central City, and I know this may be sudden and out of the blue, but I want to help you with saving Princess Elise."

There was a moment of silence between all three parties involved in the conversation, though this was broken by Sonic himself:

"Well Barry, I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic's words were complete with a signature thumbs up, before he turned to the fox standing beside him, "And this here is Tails, my best bud!"

"Hi!" Tails casually waved, Barry returned the gesture, though in a nervous manner considering he still found it hard to believe any of this was really happening.

"And as for you helping me save Elise" Sonic remarked, "I appreciate the gesture but unless you got some powers, you'll probably just get lost in my dust!"

Barry wanted to say something, though knew damn well that unless he regains his powers, the hedgehog has a point. A very accurate point.

"That, actually is a fair point, to be honest."

"Heh, don't feel bad about it though. Not your fault you're not the fastest thing alive!"

Oh, you're gonna eat those words when I get my powers back.

Barry held back the explanation of who he was. The payback for that line would come. Just not now.

"Fair, fair enough" Barry held in his urges quite well, "But, before you go, can you at least tell me if you've had any luck yet?"

"Well, I kinda did actually" Sonic revealed, explaining the events Barry had unfortunately missed out on, "Me and Tails rescued her out in the desert, even fought a giant dog robot! Got her out of the desert just fine, but then some crazy dude attacked me out of nowhere! Said I destroyed his world, luckily Amy was there to help hold him off but Eggman kidnapped Elise again. Now I gotta go to the warehouse district to meet with Knuckles, he says he has information as to where Eggman took Elise off to!"

I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume Knuckles and Amy are more talking animals I'd normally write off as Darkseid or Zoom having injected me with crack or bath salts or something.

"Do you know where the warehouse district is, Barry?" Tails asked, "We've never been here before, and honestly this city can be pretty hard to navigate."

"You're telling me, Tails" Sonic snarked, "Just to get through the door I had to guess who the captain of the guard was!"

"You too?" Barry was absolutely stunned, "They did that to me like just a few minutes ago! I don't know what kind of police force they have around here!"

"Tell me about it!"

"But, why didn't you just run around them, like, on the water or something? Wouldn't you be fast enough?"

"Oh" Sonic rubbed the back of his quills, suddenly becoming visibly nervous as he explained why said event didn't happen, "Long story, but me and water don't precisely get along."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah."

"Ahem, guys?" Tails gained back both of their attention, "The warehouses?"

"Right, sorry" Barry replied before turning his eye contact back to Sonic, "From what I remember from my own hours wandering around this place, all you gotta do is head that way" he pointed directly to what was the north, "No turns, and-"

With a single burst of wind followed by the sound of two tails swishing around to keep up, Barry knew the speedster had already dashed off. Looking in the direction he pointed off to, he could only see the blue blur of Sonic's dashing speed for only a few seconds before it dissipated. He then let out a sigh, wishing he could help with his own speed. Instead he could only walk in the direction he pointed to, though he figured by the time he arrived at the warehouses Sonic, Tails and apparently 'Knuckles' would all be long gone and moving on in their adventure without him.

It's bad enough this timeline doesn't have any of the faces or names I remember aside from Iris.

But this is just rubbing salt on the wound.

Barry would have kept walking through the streets of the New City district, had he not been distracted by a noise coming from a lone alleyway, shrouded in the darkness of the buildings towering into the sky above. The noise was like a loud, metallic clang, loud enough to gain his attention - though in a city district with no automobiles that wasn't hard. Barry assumed it had been a garbage lid, or something metallic in nature, hitting one of the building walls in the alley. Though, all he could see was darkness.

Pitch, black, darkness.

Swallowing a bit due to an eerie, cold feeling running down his spine, Barry tried to turn away and resume walking. That was however, when a voice spoke to him. From the darkness of the alley.

"Such a pity, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

Turning to the voice to see who was talking to him, even stepping closer - to the edge of the darkness though not a single step closer, all Barry could see now were the eyes of some person or creature standing before him. Eyes emerging from the shadow - bright, emerald green, and reptilian in nature.

"Such a pity to remember a past that no longer exists" the figure to whom the eyes belonged to spoke, "And to be a misfit in the present that you created. Is it not, Flash?"

"How do you know about that? And how do you know my identity?"

"Oh, I know many things, Mr. Allen."

"Who. Are. You?"

"I'm someone who can help you accomplish precisely what you want, and more."

"Yeah, right. Like I'm going to trust some creepy guy in an alley who says that." turning away, Barry was yet again going to walk away, though the figure proved quite persistent.

"Wouldn't it be delightful if you could go back to your previous timeline, with the knowledge you have now?"

Hearing those words. Hearing that idea. Seeing the imagery in his mind. It got him to at least turn back to the pair of eyes in the alley, with a confused yet inquisitive face. He didn't fully believe such a thing was capable, but figured a being who knows of his previous timelines at all was at least worth listening to. However, giving it thought and remembering what he knows about his flashpoints, he was quick to attempt a debunking of the idea:

"That's, that's impossible." he said, "The mere act of time travelling causes ripples that affect everything around it. If you, or I, tried to go back to that timeline, it wouldn't work. It would be a completely different timeline no matter what."

"That is true" the figure admitted, only to follow up bluntly, "If you time travel as sloppily as you do."

"Sloppily?"

"It is true that time is not entirely linear." the figure explained, "Though even the most unruly fan blade or flat surface can be straightened out with a firm enough hand. Time is much like a plate of food. Your method of traversing the stream of time is to smash the entirety of the plate into your face, when it is much cleaner to instead use precision, devouring one piece at a time using the proper utensil."

"What, what exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying" the figure then allowed the darkness from around itself to reveal its full form. It did not step closer or anything of the sort, rather the shadows seemed to actually recede from the being on their own accord, perhaps on the commands of the figure itself. The whole scene made an even colder chill run down Barry's spine.

Then came the creature's appearance. It resembled a hedgehog, of the Sonic variety, though it had two quills which were curved. It was also mostly a deep black in coloration, with pale blue stripes on the quills, arms and legs - as well as a puff of white fur on the chest. Pale metallic rings around it's gloves, and more complicated shoes that seemed to be of the advanced technology variety.

Most pressing of all however, was the fact that upon this creature's pale skinned muzzle, was no mouth. Barry wanted to bring it up, but he felt it unwise to do so.

As if knowing what Barry was going to ask next, the being introduced itself:

"Allow me to introduce myself, Flash. I am Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark."

"Mephiles…"

I really wish Constantine were here right now so he could tell me if this guy is like Raven or like Trigon.

"What" Barry nervously said, trying to keep himself from shaking too much, "What do you want with me?"

"Nothing, at the moment" Mephiles spoke, without a mouth his intentions were impossible for Barry to read, "There is quite literally nothing Barry Allen could potentially offer me, though is quite a lot that I could offer you."

"Like, what?"

"For one, I could give you the chance you want. A happier ending. I could give you a chance to go back to your own timeline, to warn your friends of the mistake they are about to make, to save your nephew and his friends from their cruel fates. All without the sloppy changes you brought up not too long ago."

"You're bluffing."

"I assure you, I am not."

Mephiles then held out a hand in front of Barry, and within his hand came a sphere of dark indigo energy, surrounded by what appeared to be blackened electricity. Barry flinched at first, though soon peered into this ball of dark energy - within moments, he gasped. He was actually looking at the main room of the Watchtower, the headquarters of the Justice League. Bruce, Clark and Diana were informing him and the rest of the League about the plan to assault Apokolips, while also briefing the Teen Titans about it remotely as well. The scene in the sphere looked like it was directly from Barry's own eyes as well - he remembers everything. Clark, Bruce and Diana's positioning, Clark slamming his fist down to show how serious he was about the attack, Constantine's skepticism about it. Everything was there.

In a moment of desperation, Barry snatched at the energy ball - though Mephiles pulled his hand back just as he did so, with the ball of memories disappearing with him. Barry was now on the ground of the alleyway, peering up at Mephiles from beneath - all he had were Mephiles' green eyes to gauge his intentions with. Still, Barry was too shocked to say anything other than:

"How did you do that?"

"You're not the only one who can travel through time" Mephiles explained, "Using speed to do the job is far too sloppy. I use far more precise methods."

"And, you can put me back into that timeline?"

"Complete with your memory and all, yes. It will be just like you came into it from a portal. Seamless, precise. As though a God made it happen."

Wally...Wallace...Iris...Conner...Billy...Barbara...Hal...Zatanna...Everyone...

"Then do it" Barry's tone changed to one of pure determination as he stood up, attempting to tower over Mephiles - though the mysterious being seemed to not be intimidated, "Do it now."

"Patience" Mephiles told him, "There is plenty of time for you to return, the moment is not going anywhere, and thanks to your prior adjustments to time travel neither are your memories."

Closing his eyes, Barry took a deep breath. All he could muster the will to say was:

"I can't help you do much of anything without my powers."

"Oh" Mephiles nonchalantly remarked, "I am quite aware. However, I can not help you to restore them here. It is best we retire to a domain of mine where such a feat is more easily done."

With that having been said, Mephiles gestured to what was at first merely the other end of the alleyway - a dead end of brick and mortar. However, within seconds a far larger sphere of dark energy appeared - soon turning into what was recognizable to Barry as a portal, more often referred to by him as a 'boom tube'. Mephiles gestured for him to walk inside of it, though as soon as Barry did he was pelted by second thoughts:

At first, his reasoning was simple. A chance to save both of his nephews. A chance to save Superboy, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Batgirl, Zatanna and all the other heroes that those horrible monsters slaughtered. A chance to restore the world to the state he remembered.

But then, he thought about it longer.

Just before entering the portal, he remembered. This timeline was, to him, brand new. In a few hours, if not sooner, he might begin to gain his memories of it, and everything of it will be , Tails, possibly even Mephiles. It will all be normal to him, and he will vividly remember all that he missed out on.

Absence of evidence doesn't always mean evidence of absence.

Clark, Bruce, Hal, even the Titans. They all could very well exist in this timeline for all he knew. Just not relevant enough to appear in books. The only ones he knew did not exist yet were Wally and Wallace, who simply haven't been born yet. Perhaps Clark is even light years away on a surviving krypton. Who would he be to bring them back to their previous selves, thrusting them back into a war with that monstrous dictator. A war in which, as he witnessed himself, did not end well for many of them.

With further thought, his answer was clear.

"No."

He stopped in his tracks, virtually one step away from actually walking into the portal. He turned to Mephiles almost defiantly, explaining to the mysterious being:

"I created one timeline out of my own selfishness. I don't know if versions of my friends exist here or not, but who am I to ruin any of their lives by dragging them back into that stupid war? I don't care what you're offering me, I'd rather become the Flash on my own and let whatever versions of my friends who are here live their lives in peace."

As Barry yet again stormed off, Mephiles could only softly laugh, before speaking to Barry just as he was one step out of the alleyway.

"I thought you might say that, Mr. Allen. Have you forgotten how your many 'flashpoint' timelines have ended?"

Oh No…

"Oh yes" Mephiles remarked, "Let's see, the first one you created had two warring factions decimate both each other and the entire planet, killing millions in the process. The second one you created ended up conquered and utterly decimated by a certain warlord from across the galaxy, if I'm not mistaken. Either way, both timelines ended in complete and utter disaster - and there's not much guarantee that wouldn't have happened even in your original timeline at some point either. So what precisely makes you think that it wouldn't happen this time?"

Barry closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, even clenching his fists before responding to the demon:

"Because...there is no Trigon. There is no Darkseid. The only alien invaders here were single handedly destroyed by one person already. This timeline seems pretty safe to me."

"Safe? Is that so?"

"From what I can see, yes."

"Well then, I implore you to take a closer look."

With Mephiles gesturing once again back at the portal he had created, Barry walked a few steps closer and peered his eyes closer into its light. Soon, a grizzly sight materialized into it. A city. One not too different from Metropolis or Gotham, or even Soleanna. Completely destroyed. It's surely once prosperous skyscrapers and high-rises are either damaged, destroyed, or even leaning. Water replaced with lava, entire tornadoes of fire running amuck through the ruins of what was surely once a land teeming with life and activity - though now only death and destruction.

There was no sign of life.

Only destroyed cars. Destroyed buildings. Massive canyons of what were once highways and streets, filled with lava and fire. Demonic beings made of molten rock and magma roamed the streets as well as the skies - ensuring any survivors would dare not venture too far outside.

Barry looked upon this sight with horror. His jaw dropped. His legs, his body backing away from it. All he could muster up the courage to say was spoken very weakly, his entire body shaking as he let it out of his mouth:

"Please, don't tell me…"

"Yes" Mephiles was blunt about the truth, "This is the future of this timeline, if you and I do nothing to prevent this from occurring. Just like all of the others."

Barry was completely and utterly silent for what felt like an eternity, even if it was only a few short moments.

Just when he had thought this timeline was finally going to be one in which there was just peace and happiness.

He learned that he was wrong.

Still shaking, he turned to Mephiles, and all he asked was but one simple question:

"What can we do to prevent this?"

"Follow me."

It was only two words, but with those two words Mephiles stepped into the portal to the 'future' and disappeared into it - the vision of the ruined city's skyline disappearing back into the void of energy as he did so.

Barry however, hesitated. In his mind, countless thoughts about what he was doing and who he was putting his trust into raced through his mind - though a few thoughts and internal debates stood out amongst all of the others.

He's the only being that might be able to help me stop Darkseid without so much horror and death.

He's clearly a demon, how do I know he's not just lying to me about everything?

Even if I decide to stay here, this timeline might be doomed too if I don't do something about it. Assuming what I saw was what he said he was, and after him showing me my last timeline, should I even doubt him at all?

Is this a gamble I want to risk taking?

I suppose yes, yes it is.

And so, Barry took his chances and walked after Mephiles into the unknown. Disappearing into the void of the time portal with it vanishing just seconds after he did so - leaving the entire scene looking as though nothing had happened at all, besides a small cool breeze through the alley that displaced a few newspapers that had long since been thrown to the ground.

Barry had little idea of the part he was playing in the grand scheme of things, or who was putting all of the pieces of this puzzle together.

All he knew was that he wanted to do the right thing.

________________________________________________________________

It can't be…

Please tell me this isn't happening to me again…

Standing on the edge of a cliff, Barry fell to his knees. Eyes widened in shock. Lips quivering. Everything he was seeing, was exactly why he didn't want to open his eyes when he first arrived. This was the very thing he was afraid of.

The future.

All around him, now life sized, was what remained of a long since destroyed city. Entire streets caved in like massive canyons, alited by the fiery magma from the center of the planet, rising up to serve as massive rivers through the landscape. The sky was a mix of blood red and charcoal black, reflecting the lava and joined by the suffocating smoke rising to take the place of clouds. Skyscrapers, High Rises, Houses, everything of the sort was all left in ruins. Some buildings were flat out destroyed, others slanting, others with massive holes within them, others just now finally collapsing into dust or falling over for good.

There was no sign of life that Barry could see that wasn't some type of flying or land dwelling demon made of molten rock. None of them seemed to pay him or Mephiles any mind, though they clearly relished in setting ablaze anything they could.

As he gazed upon this future, all Barry could think was how unfair it all was.

What did I do to deserve this? He thought, I just wanted to save my mother's life! I just wanted to save the world!

Mephiles, standing behind Barry, seemed to know precisely what he was thinking with the words he said to him next:

"Amazing how unfair and unforgiving time seems to be, is it not? Just when you believe you're living in paradise, it all comes tumbling down. Such is life, so they say."

"Why?" Barry asked, "Why does this have to happen?"

"There is no real reason why any of this happens" Mephiles explained, standing next to Barry now, "Time itself has no sentient mind capable of any reasoning. It's all just a series of rather unfortunate events. A game of russian roulette, as your previous timelines' people would put it."

Barry's eyes scanned across the landscape one more time before turning back over to Mephiles. Still recovering from the revelation of yet another doomed timeline, all Barry could bring himself to say was:

"What is it you said about fixing this?"

As if expecting this, Mephiles responded casually - as though he knew far more than Barry had counted on:

"There is only one way to prevent this from happening. You will have to destroy the person responsible for causing this future. And before you say it, no, it is not yourself."

"Then who is it?"

"Allow me to show you" Mephiles then began to walk away from Barry, looking back only to gesture for him to follow. Barry, having no one else to turn to and nowhere else to go, complied to the gesture - following the entity through what remained of a once bustling city.

Along the way to wherever Mephiles was taking the depowered hero, was an extended look at the carnage that was set to destroy this timeline.

Barry's spine shivered with all that he saw. Boarded up buildings. Busted windows. Empty, rusted and long out of use cars. Entire blocks of street aflame with no water to put any of it out. Most horrifyingly of all, he could make out charred human, animal and even 'hybrid' corpses alike among the rubble - just barely visible due to how their blackened remains blended with the piles of ash and debris.

While in the previous timeline he was spared the sight of what Darkseid did to earth, when he did finally see what was left it was not much different from this.

With only the ambience of the dead city and it's demon destroyers chiming along with his and Mephiles' footsteps, there was nothing much to distract Barry's mind from beginning to envision the bodies of his fallen comrades of the previous timeline with every body that he found.

Several bodies he saw were hanging from the balconies of rooftops, being torn apart and eaten like roasted meat by a flock of those large, flaming bat-like demons that dominated the airs of this horrible world. Immediately, Barry's eyes began to water as he remembered the fates of Hal Jordan, Barbara Gordon, Zatanna, and even Shazam at the hands of the abominations that the sadistic beast of a so-called 'new god' had named 'Paradooms'. When he looked at those demons, he saw in this mind the Paradooms. When he looked at the corpses, they became his friends. He became mortified.

Another body he saw had it's head twisted, neck completely destroyed due to being forced to turn almost completely in the opposite direction. In addition to being charred black by the flames and ashes surrounding itself and its environment. Barry couldn't help but think of Conner, the young Superboy. He had hardly spent more than a few years experiencing the world before his time was cut short but one of those monstrosities, his neck snapped as though he was nothing. There was not even time to mourn him.

I'm so sorry...

The various other bodies around reminded him of various others as they were littered throughout the streets. Jaime Reyes, Donna Troy, Roy Harper, Karen Beecher, Garfield Logan. All of them did not have specific injuries, though in Barry's mind as he saw the corpses of this timeline's dead he could only become more horrified as his brain forced the images of their corpses lying about in their place. All of them heroes, none of them deserving of their fates.

Please, forgive me...

That's when he saw things which made him stop. Two corpses, barely protruding out from the rubble of the various debris. In reality, they were too charred for any identity to be discerned. In Barry's mind however, they became his cherished nephews - the two Kid Flashes. The two who followed in his footsteps, who were set to carry his legacy. They were, both dead. From Wallace's mouth was just a bit of blood, and Wally's face was looking directly at his uncle with a face of shock.

Upon seeing them, Barry lost all focus on following Mephiles and ran to the two of them - now on the verge of crying.

No, no no no…

Going to his nephews' sides, Barry scooped their corpses into his arms and embraced them tightly. Not wanting to ever let them go, he closed his eyes and let his sobs be released from the bottom of his heart. They were not just his sidekicks or proteges. They were his family. He was supposed to protect them. Yet here they were, both lying dead. As hard and as tightly as he held them, they did not spring to life. They did not utter a single word. They remained motionless, silent. Cold. Gone.

Placing their bodies gently to the ground of the city's ruined streets, Barry could only continue sobbing inconsolably as he placed his hands to his eyes.

We knew the risks...

That doesn't make the pain go away…

Soon, Barry could feel a hand on his shoulder. Letting reality turn to what it was, and the bodies return to being anonymous corpses in a sea of fire and despair, Barry looked up to see Mephiles looking directly at him once more.

"I know it hurts" the being spoke, Barry now looking back at the bodies to see the reality of what he was holding, Mephiles continuing on, "Being cursed with the memories of such a nightmare. However, let it be your motivation. With it and my assistance, you just may be able to prevent such a fate from happening to your dearest loved ones again. As you can see, you're still quite in danger of that happening as we speak."

Barry closed his eyes, letting his hands leave from his face and instead clenched them into a fist. He took deep breaths, letting his sadness leave from his body as he soaked in the reality of what Mephiles was saying.

There was a large part of him that still did no want to trust this being, though based on Mephiles' far more controlled version of time travel and his knowledge of what Barry thought was permanently erased from the pages of time, he figured that if anyone was going to help accomplish anything it would be him.

He just hoped he had his faith in the right place.

Barry turned to Mephiles and gave a silent nod, his face attempting to be without emotion - though he still mourned for all of those lost on the inside.

Mephiles returned the silent nod, and with only a few seconds of looking back at the two disfigured corpses, Barry got up and resumed the long, silent walk. This time, kept his eyes square on the street, making sure they never strayed far away from directly ahead of him, directly onto his feet, or directly on Mephiles.

Darkseid might be long gone.

But the wounds he's inflicted are still fresh.

Though it took hours of traversing the ruined, hellish landscape of what was once a vibrant and healthy world, eventually it was clear to both Mephiles and Barry that their destination had been reached. While Barry's legs had begun to ache due to the long trek through both ash-filled streets and near-volcanic soil, Mephiles seemed perfectly fine. It was also apparent that with all of the dark fire dominating the sky outside, there was no way of knowing for sure what time of day it was or how much time their walk had actually taken.

Not that Barry cared. He wanted to make sure this nightmare never happened.

He was still waiting for the reveal as to how that could be done.

When Barry did begin paying attention more to his surroundings, he saw that he was no longer outside where even the rain seemed to be particles of fire or volcanic rock falling down upon his head - instead he was inside of some aged, abandoned building. He and Mephiles' footsteps both became metallic clangs due to the floor being nothing but a metallic surface. Doors were all effectively broken, and when they weren't fully collapsed or leaning off their hinges they creaked very noticeably whenever moved even slightly - if they moved at all.

Brown, crusted rust was present on virtually everything - and often joined by exuberant amounts of dust. Even the floors had enough mold and grime on them to leave any reflection beyond proper comprehension.

The lights, there were hardly any. Barry could now hardly see Mephiles at all as they traversed the hallway of this mysterious facility - there was just barely enough light to tell where he was. He now truly had to be sure to keep an eye on the being in order to have any direction at all.

What is this place?

What was this place?

Barry did not have to think about the past of this strange facility long though, for soon Mephiles walked into a room with actual light emitting from it - and Barry followed in. The light was not from an actual light fixture but rather from a large computer monitor that despite all of the odds still seemed to be functioning perfectly. It gave the room a blue-green tint to it, but at the very least Barry could see both himself and Mephiles far more clearly than within the dark hallways.

Mephiles did not waste any time with talking, instead he went directly to the keyboard beneath the monitor and began inputting various characters into the machine. Barry watched, though he remained silent he had a massive plethora of questions about what was going on. At the very least, Mephiles did explain:

"Here are my records of the event that caused all of this to happen. The day of disaster."

Barry's attention was pulled towards the monitors as various information popped up onto it. Articles. Headlines. Video clips. Images. The works.

The first image that Barry noticed was a photograph of the Egg Carrier, the battleship that 'Dr. Eggman' owns. The next image was accompanied by an article, and seemed to show a massive ball of flame in the center of Soleanna, with all of Castle Town being set ablaze. All of it said the same thing - the flames destroyed the world. The flames of disaster. The flames of a being known only as Iblis.

"Iblis" Barry muttered as he analyzed all of the articles. All of the images. As he repeated that name in his head, he knew what word meant. He had learned long ago what it stood for in Arabic, and Damian would say it a few times himself. He knew well enough that if a beast was nicknamed that, said beast was not good news.

Iblis….the flames of disaster…

"So, Iblis, destroyed the world?"

"Technically speaking, yes" Mephiles explained, "But he did not destroy it alone. Someone released him, unleashing him to take part in the destruction of this world."

"And who would that person be?"

"The Iblis Trigger is what they call him" with a bit more typing on Mephiles' part, a single, large image was brought onto the screen - this time the figure was clear and in color. "But most people knew him, as Shadow the Hedgehog."

When Barry looked upon the photograph of Shadow, his eyes widened. He looked exactly like Mephiles. He was a hedgehog, about the same height as Sonic, and had curled quills with stripes on them - as well as his arms and legs. The cuffs of his gloves, the advanced shoes, all of it was the same. The only difference was in the fact that Shadow had a mouth, had normal eyes of a red coloration, and his stripes were also red instead of the pale blue sported by the entity that Barry was standing in the same room with. Of course, the similarity between the two still had to be addressed:

"He looks, almost exactly like you."

"Yes" Mephiles coldly remarked, "He does."

"I'm taking it that this is going in the direction of me having to defeat Shadow?"

"You're taking it correctly, yes."

"Well, what can you tell me about him before I go off to do that?"

"Shadow the Hedgehog" Mephiles said as he turned to the monitor, "The Ultimate Lifeform. Created on the Space Colony ARK approximately 250 years from this current point in time, 50 years from the present we recently left. The full story behind his creation remains hidden in both classified and destroyed government documents, but it is certain that G.U.N. funded and supervised the project during the entirety of it - and that the late alien warlord Black Doom also had a level of involvement at some stage."

"I see…"

I had a bad feeling about G.U.N. from the moment I read about them.

"In addition" Mephiles quickly stated, "His creator, Professor Gerald Robotnik, was in death the mastermind behind a plot to crash the Space Colony ARK into planet earth - a plot which Shadow himself supported. It should come to no surprise that when the day of disaster occurred, those who survived were quick to turn their blame onto Shadow himself."

"So, if I take out Shadow, I stop this future from happening?"

"To put it bluntly, yes."

"Alright, so, where is he?"

Mephiles laughed at Barry's brash remark, turning to him while still finding humor in his statement. His immediate response was a very blunt:

"You're not going to take on Shadow in your current state. He would make mincemeat out of you in seconds, if what he accomplished with the Black Comet is any indication."

"Fair enough" Barry admitted, with a slight nod, "I'll need to get my powers back, but it doesn't seem like there's any rain or lightning going on in this world, how are we going to recreate the experiment?"

"Oh, I have my ways."

Barry soon learned to at least partially regret agreeing to Mephiles' method of getting his powers back - though it wasn't as though there was much in the way of other options.

There he was, strapped down to a cold, metallic table. Held onto it only by leather straps. Due to the room being poorly lit - only illuminated by dimmed red lights - he was unable to see much of his surroundings, only able to make out the vague shapes of various machinery and test tubes around him. He could not even see where his so-called 'helper' was. Though hearing his voice was enough to reassure Barry that he was in fact in the room:

"Remember. This is necessary."

"This, this isn't how my experiment went."

"I know." Mephiles remarked, "Though it would take far too long to locate a thunderstorm that would help you."

"But, don't you have hyper advanced time travel powers?"

Despite Barry telling the truth, he received no response. As he looked around to try and see where Mephiles was in the room, all he could see was a purple gemstone floating in the air - it's color being seen by him due to it glowing brightly as it was released into the air, presumably by Mephiles himself. Barry focused on it, and was able to see it was similar to the shape of the emerald the princess had prior to her kidnapping. At least, he made that out moments before it began to electrocute him.

From the moment the gem's energy surges began to strike his body just as the lightning strikes that typically give him his powers, Barry couldn't help but scream and writhe in pain and agony. His reflexes and instincts fought to break from the restraints as his clothes, hair and flesh were being seared by the continuous blasts of pure chaos emerald energy. It was a pain far worse and agonizing than a mere lightning strike.

Mephiles, for his part, only watched. The being sporting no mouth, his level of enjoyment could not be read. Though he did absolutely nothing to soothe Barry's pain.

Barry could not even form cohesive thoughts during this grueling process. All he could think about it was how much it hurt. Whatever energy was coming from this 'emerald', it was not normal. It was not anything he had studied or read about. It was far too painful, burning away at everything it touched on his body as though it were acid. And he was completely, utterly defenseless.

Barry's body was absolutely destroyed. There seemed to be almost nothing left of his skin not long into the 'experiment'. It all looked like bleeding, inflamed muscles and fibers. In some spots, even the bones appeared to be visible. What skin did remain, was scorched by what looked like the most extreme case of chemical burns imaginable. His hair was virtually destroyed, only small particles of it remained.

Even so, the 'treatment' continued. Mephiles remained silent during the entire ordeal, and did not seem to even consider pausing it, despite Barry's loud and agonizing screams likely echoing out well into the hallway.

There was nobody there to help him, however.

Only Mephiles.

He who had organized this.

All Barry could do is continue scream, whimper and groan in pain as the emerald continued to pelt his unprotected body with it's pure energy surges. It was amazing that he was able to move at all still, though the mere act of doing so caused him only further pain at this stage.

He could feel his own blood forming a puddle underneath his back, pouring like a stream down to the floor beneath him. It stung every time his flesh touched it. Like the wrath of a powerful hornet, though the emerald's burns were still far worse.

Though granted, the latter weren't stopping.

With the table becoming increasingly like a frying pan, with him as the main course being cooked upon it, he was sure of it.

This was the end.

His gruesome, horrific ending.

Or at least,for any normal mortal being it would be. Not for the Flash.

One final, massive surge of chaos energy flowed through the room and completely destroyed it in a fiery explosion. The test tubes and beakers. The table, and seemingly Barry himself were all destroyed in an instant by the blast. All except for Mephiles himself. He remained unaffected, and as the smoke cleared the emerald itself lowered into his hand. The room was now pitch black, completely caked in darkness save for Mephiles' glowing green eyes and the purple emerald that had seemingly roasted Barry alive.

Without saying a single word, Mephiles walked out from the room and into the more moderately lit hallway, only stopping the moment he left the room. Turning back to face the entrance to the room, he saw the outcome of his 'experiment'.

Barry.

Still, shockingly, alive.

As well as healing.

His skin was still badly burned at this stage, though the bulk of his flesh had grown back - and was doing so rather rapidly. He lacked his civilian clothing of course, those having been long burned to nothing, though at the very least his blonde hair was growing back steadily. From the way he was looking, it would be within the hour if not sooner that his body would be completely restored to normal.

Breathing heavily and still getting himself reorientated with the world, Barry turned to Mephiles the moment he spotted him in the dim lights of the hallway.

"What. Was. That." he said between deep breathes. A large part of him was still infuriated at what he had just gone through, even it was under the guise of restoring his powers.

"Pure chaos energy" Mephiles explained, holding the purple chaos emerald in his hand, "Generated by the Chaos Emerald. It has similar properties to your so-called 'speedforce', among other various energy sources from your previous timeline. Very few could survive the pure, chaotic blasts of it that you just took. Let alone have their powers restored."

Chaos Emeralds….those things that Eggman wants…

They're definitely worth studying more, but I need to stay focused...I need to find and have a 'chat' with that 'ultimate lifeform' character…

"Anyway" Barry said as he held his head with one hand as his flesh, skin and hair continued healing, "First, I'll need to make myself a new suit. Then, I suppose you'll have to take me to where Shadow is."

"Luckily, there is little need for complications with the latter of which you speak."

"What do you mean?"

"He happens to be here as we speak."

[rina-writes]

Calm Waters (Part 1)

Summary:  For the last five years, you have been locked away twelve to sixteen hours a day in a cell...filled with water.  Your ability to hold your breath underwater for extended periods of time has led to a series of unfortunate events that led to your captivity.  The only time you get outside of your cell is as a worker at the aquatic theme park where you are trapped. You had resigned to your bleak life until one night, the newly hired, attractive lifeguard, Grayson Dolan, falls into your tank as a result of a prank.  Saving his life could be the start to saving yours.

A/N: This is probably the most unique thing I’ve written on this blog because it’s a sci-fi AU.  You know how a lot of original content being a former fan fiction (ie. 50 Shades originally being a Twilight fic)...this is the opposite haha. Where this is an original concept that I made a fanfic using the twins since they are my current muses.  Sooo....definitely let me know what you think!

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, loss of parents, captivity, and bullying.  There is also lots of fluff and teenage romance!

If darkness had a temperature it would be cold.  That’s what you decided after five years in the cell.  It didn’t matter that the water was always kept at 67 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimal temperature for your survival, it always felt cold.  In the ocean, the vibrations kept you warm.  The sounds of a whale calling to it’s lover, dolphins whispering hello, and sharks chewing their prey all prickled your skin in tiny waves.  You didn’t get that in your cell, because it was just you all alone until morning.  Then the cover would be lifted and you could embrace the world.

If freedom had a temperature it would be warm.  It would be sunshine of a cloudy summer’s day or the cotton candy machine churning out treats for a long line of toddlers.  It would the smell of butter popcorn and the snug fit of a new promotional cap.  While your world was small, you savored the seconds of your warmth outside of the cell.  You knew your days of warmth would continue to decrease as you got older and you wanted to cherish it.  This was your so-called youth that you overheard your audience joke about in between performances.  Youth, the thing that you knew you possessed, and the one thing that was being taken away from you in order to provide it to another.  Youth, the phrase that you understood in concept, but not what it showed in practice.

Until he fell into your cell.

It was what started it all.  His kindness and curiosity launched you into a journey of discovering what it meant to be young.  What it meant to live for today and tomorrow, making mistakes, learning from them, and making new ones.  Falling in love. And ultimately, breaking out of your cell.

You were sleeping when it happened.  You learned to find comfort in the dark.  You would sink to the bottom and roll yourself into a ball.  The entire side of your body would lay on the smooth, cold floor. As you rocked yourself to create small waves in the water, that always felt heavier at the bottom, you would fall asleep.  You equated it to “tossing and turning” in a bed, a feeling you had not experienced since your confinement.

The moment his body hit the water, you felt it through all of your nerves.  It was like an electric shock.  Your eyes opened, despite not being able to see anything, but your skin told you everything you needed to know.  Your legs fluttered behind you as you glided toward your target.  It almost seemed insulting to call it swimming as your technique was so graceful that it looked like a dance.  

At first, you didn’t know what it was.

The creature in your cell was about 5 feet and 11 inches in length, 180 pounds, and terrified.  It was thrashing around, causing more waves in the water and alerting you of its presence.  Your hands reached out and touched what you could identify was the middle of it’s back.  It was covered in a jean jacket, that felt tattered even in the water.  It was at that moment that you realized it was a person and one that didn’t want to be here.  

You knew it wasn’t a threat.  Most threats came in the form of scientific experiments.  These tests were accompanied by a bright white light and white lab coats and shades staring at you almost in the nude. They wanted you to feel scared and powerless, so they would never sneak up on you in your own terrain.

Your touch obviously scared the person more, and with a gasp, you felt the last bubbles of breath leave their lips.  Now terrified, you pushed the person towards the top of your cell.  You figured there had to be a break in it somewhere if someone fell in.  As you  neared the top, you heard the sounds of distant laughter and footsteps.  You knew the sounds of mockery when you heard it.  It sent a chill up your spine, and a bit of anger burned in your heart.  Why did people always have to hurt others?  You saw a bit of light towards one of the edges of your cell and you pushed the person toward it.  With a few hefty pushes, you finally got the person over the edge.  You continued to push and push until the person was laying on ground beside your cell.

You poked your head through the hole and looked around.  It looked different at night than during the day. At night it looked abandoned and scary.  You couldn’t see the other cells from where you stood at all, despite knowing that the dolphins were one over and the hammerheads were on the other side.  Your eyes narrowed in on the person as they got used to the darkness.

Your brows furrowed as you recognized him.  His usually styled dark brown hair was wet and stuck to his forehead, his full brows relaxed, his hazel eyes shut close, his sloped nose twitching as he sucked in air and his full pink lips stuck shut.  Grayson was quite popular since his arrival.  All the girls liked him and all the boys envied him.  To assert their status, some of the guys started picking on him.  They would point out that he only wore old clothes and knock offs, and that his mother did all his hair cuts at 18. It seemed as though their latest stunt was tossing him into your cell.

They didn’t know what was in here.  This area had been closed off, but it was easy for workers here to get to if you knew how.  The cover didn’t allow people to see inside, especially not at night, and during the day, it was too risky to come up here without getting caught.  You often heard people whispering above you, but no one ever broke in.  You assumed it was neighborhood kids daring each other and backing out of it the moment it got too real.  Most likely, Grayson didn’t know the rumors about the “dangerous creature” that lurked the last cell.  He probably tried to look cool and pretend to go into the cell.  They probably pushed him.

You rested you cheek on your arm which was resting on top of the tank.  He really was handsome. Tomorrow, this damage to your cell would be repaired.  You wouldn’t be able to exit it on your own.  Part of you wanted to take your freedom and do something great with it.  Runaway and save yourself from this hell hole.  

Instead, you watched the breath finally enter through his lips and the rise and fall of your chest.  You told yourself you wouldn’t get far.  That no one els like was ever able to successfully blend in and you were the last person to be able to assimilate into society. But this, watching him, was something you could do.  

You reached a hand out to touch his arm and then move to his shoulder and then to his cheek.  His eyes fluttered open and you retracted immediately.  Those hazel eyes squinted at you past his long lashes.

“Angel…” He whispered.  He coughed, water coming out of his mouth as he turned on his side.

He may have said more, but you retreated to the bottom of your cell.  You curled into your ball and rocked yourself as fast as you could.  You tried to forget and fall asleep.  You tried to pretend that tomorrow would be another day and you wouldn’t have to suffer the punishment…

Surprisingly, it was a normal day the next day.  At sunrise, the glass top of your cell slowly rolled back, allowing the light to slowly seep through.  You floated upward with trepidation, worried that there was danger waiting for you at the top.  However, as usual there was nothing.  You stepped out on to the roof and looked out over the town.

The houses looked like little dots next to the long spiraling streets and highways.  You could see cars slowly moving in bumper to bumper traffic, and the specks of people leaving their homes.  You wondered, like you always do if you looked like a speck too.  You walked to your clothing station, waving at the dolphins as you walked by their cell.  You hummed so they knew you were near.

Doris, the eldest dolphin, waved her left fin and then flipped around to twitch her tail fin twice to the right.  You sighed and nodded understanding her message.  One of the youngest dolphins was still having trouble sleeping.  It was “rescued” from one of the fishing traps in the sea and was still adjusting to captivity.

You motioned with your hands at first creating a cover for your eyes with one hand and then letting that hand drop into a fist on top of your open palm.  I’ll see what I can do.

You continued walking and opened the storage container.  As far as other workers at the park knew, this was where they kept the cleaning supplies.  Only you knew that this was where you got your clothes. As you put on your uniform, a white polo shirt and white wide leg shorts, you stared in the tiny, broken reflective piece of glass you kept there as a mirror.  Your mother once told you that you couldn’t run around naked because it wasn’t polite. Yet, every night, you stripped off your clothes to your undergarments and every morning you got dressed on this roof.  When you first were captured, you would hide away as you got changed.  Then you realized that you were just a speck.  Not just in terms of distance, but also of importance.  No one would ever be curious what you looked like without your clothes.  

Angel

The word popped into your head and you shook your head violently as if trying to get it out.  It was the way he said it, his chest puffing up with air and then that air releasing from his mouth almost like a gasp as he looked at you with these hopeful eyes.

It didn’t matter.  Grayson worked the wave pool as a lifeguard.  He didn’t even work near the performance arena.  Even if you did run into him, he wouldn’t recognize you.  It was way too dark for him to make out your features.  Still, you had to confess that the thought of him made you excited. The fantasy of him falling for you, the real you, was one that could keep your mind occupied for a long time.

You put on your socks and your shoes, your skin always drying quickly.  Your hair took a few minutes longer, but you put the cap on anyway.

Pete’s Ocean Land.

To some people it was an affordable, local Sea World that saved aquatic creatures from the beach a couple miles away.  For you and the other aquatic creatures here, it was a prison.  At least you got the chance to leave, because of what you were.  The dolphins, sharks, seals...none of them had the ability to just stand on their legs and play human.  That’s why you did your best to help them.  Making sure they had good food, alerting when they were sick, and keeping them company when you could.  It was easier since they understood you.  

You had inside jokes.  For example, your main job at Pete’s Ocean Land was as one of the lead dolphin performance instructors.  Prior to your arrival, they couldn’t get the dolphins to perform any tricks, but you were able to convince them to do it.  While you yelled out commands to the crowd, in reality, you were signing the moves to them.  The dolphins would often sign back rude or unseemly comments that made you stifle your laughter.  Sometimes, they would even ask you who they should splash and you always chose someone who was ruining the event for someone else.

The best part was, the language was a secret.  No one knew about it, not even your captors.  It allowed you all to speak freely and have a bit of community.  You didn’t know the origin of the language, but it was one your mother taught you back then. You always assumed it was the language of her people.

Your  mother.  Your father.  The images of your parents brought both happy and sorrowful memories for you.  Your father was human, but your mother was...whatever you were.  It wasn’t quite clear.  Mermaid sounded a bit far reaching as you didn’t have a fin or gills.  If you had to describe your activity under water, it was holding your breath under water for long periods of time and gracefully swimming.  Essentially, you were an amphibian.  On the outside, however, you appeared like a completely normal 18 year old girl. That was how you were raised until you were 13 years old.  Your parents died in a mysterious fire and on the way to the police station to get you up for adoption, you were told that your uncle would take you in.

Your uncle, aka Pete, was your dad’s eldest brother.  Apparently, your uncle had tried to persuade your father to put you and your mother in his little exhibit for years, but your father refused.  With him out the way, he now could do whatever he wanted with you. He told people he put you in the best boarding school, but in reality, you were locked away in one of the old tanks at the park.  You called it a cell, but you knew what it was...it was a tank just like the other animals.

At 13, you ability to breathe under water wasn’t that strong, but Pete trained you.  If you could call it that.  Locking in that cell until you clawed at the glass for help.  He would invite scientists who would push and prod you without a warning, and often with out anything on.  You felt disgusting and less than human...thus leading you to feel like you were.

In the five years you lived in captivity, the only hope you had was your job.  The occasional little girl that said she wanted your job when she grew up, or listening in on what was hip these days as teenagers conversed in the cafeteria, gave you the will to keep pushing forward.

You considered yourself lucky that Grayson had scurried off and was not found by any of the personnel. It allowed you to keep up appearances.

“Aurora?” You heard a voice ask behind you.

That was your name at the park.  Obviously, your uncle couldn’t let you just walk around using your real name when you were supposed to be away.  To emphasize your difference more, your hair was frequently dyed bright red.  You hated it because when it was freshly dyed it would taint the water in your cell and your uncle wouldn’t bother to change it for days. 

“Yes?” You said closing the cabinet.  You expected it to be one of the workers here to feed the animals.  Whoever they were, they were early.

Your eyes widened when you turned around to see Grayson standing there.  He looked different in the light.  His skin was so tanned, the muscles in his arms bulging under his white polo shirt.  His white shorts hit him different at the waist, like he was a model or something.  His hair was styled up in the front  and he was cleanly shaven.  His eyes, twinkling hazel eyes that looked green in this light, stared at you brightly.

“It was you! You’re the person that saved me!” He yelled.

You dashed forward, your eyes darkening in a way that Grayson had not seen anyone’s eyes change before.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” You said in your sternness voice  “But do not come here and yell at this time of the morning.  The hammerheads are still sleeping and they get restless.”

Grayson’s jaw dropped.  He let out a soft laugh that faded into a smile.

“I heard you were serious about this, but I guess I didn’t realize how serious.” Grayson put a hand on his chest and dropped his voice to a whisper.  “I won’t wake them.  I just, I can’t believe it’s you.  Last night…”

“What are you talking about?” You asked him frowning.  

Your uncle taught you how to deflect any weird questions and it was always by gaslighting.  Did you really see that?  Are you sure I said that?  He taught you threw practice and it hurt you to cause Grayson the same pain that you endured.

Seeing Grayson’s eyes saddened only made it worse.

“Please,” Grayson whispered.  “I don’t know how you were able to save me, but you are my guardian angel.  I can’t thank you enough.”

“I-I…” You stammered as you stepped away.  How could you deny something so sweet?

“Be honest…” Grayson asked.  “Is it just an empty tank?”

Your eyes widened.  Could this be the silver lining?

“Yeah…” You nodded, walking him over to your cell.  It was the first time you ever looked at it from this angle.  It looked so big, but down there, it felt so small. 

“Whew…”  Grayson said with a smile.  “I didn’t really buy that it was a monster or anything...but can’t say I’m not glad.”

“No monster down there.” You said, bitterly.  “The monster is up here walking around in sheep’s clothing.”

There was a silence.  Grayson looked at you, strangely.  You wanted to curl into your little ball.  You almost settled for the next best thing, running away, when his laughter stopped you.

“You’re so edgy, I love it.” Grayson grinned. 

You forced a laugh.  “Ha, yes, edgy.”  You didn’t really know what that meant, but you would figure it out eventually.

Grayson looked nervous and he glanced away from you.  You also took the opportunity to look at the sun.  You didn’t have a watch, but from the sun you could tell your shift was starting soon.  You needed to prep the performance arena area.  You motioned to leave when Grayson stopped you by grabbing your wrist.  His skin was so warm now.  It was warmth of the sun on the cloudy day, of the cotton candy machine, of butter popcorn...it was that warmth.

“Can I take you out to dinner?” He blurted out.  “I-I can invite my brother and his girlfriend if that would make you feel more comfortable for a first date.”

You shook your head. “Dinner? Date? Oh no, I can’t do that.”

You couldn’t leave the premises.  Even if you wanted to, you didn’t have anything else to wear.  He would know that something was wrong when you came in your uniform, soaking wet.

“How old are you?” He asked.  “Are your parents strict?”

“18...and sorta.”  Your real parents were not strict at all, but your captor was a demon.

“Hm,” Grayson rubbed his chin with his right hand.  “What about lunch at the cafeteria?”

You ate there anyway. There were no rules about you eating with coworkers.  You were just so weird, no one wanted to talk to you.

“Okay.”  You nodded.

His face lit up with the brightest smile you had ever seen.  You felt like your heart had been wrenched.  You felt your face get hot and you looked away.

“See you in front of Lu’s?” He asked.

You nodded again.  That was the burger joint in the cafeteria.  It was where everyone ate and the line was always long.  You never bothered to wait because it was lonely to stand on line by yourself.  Now, you had someone to talk to while you waited.

You heard Doris making noises and you turned around.  Grayson made an “aww” noise and ran over to look at her.  Standing behind Grayson, you saw that Doris was signing you a question.  She moved her head in a circle to the right before lifting and dropping her tail fin three times. That was an easy translation...

New mate?

“Grayson, let’s go.” You said, pulling his arm.  “Doris, is just trying to rile you up.”

“I don’t mind,” Grayson said, but he still allowed you to pull him, liking the way it felt to be held by you.

Behind your back, your crossed your index and middle finger before pulling your crossed fingers in a straight line toward the right.

Shut up.

You heard Doris make another sound as you both exited the roof area that you easily recognized as her laughter. 

By lunch time, you stood by the cafeteria with your head down.  The cafeteria was really just an outdoor food court with an awning made of cement covering each of the restaurants and a seating area.  It had archways all around that allowed people to enter from all side.  It was painted a pee yellow color that you hated, but you weren’t sure if it was only because you hated this place.  

With your (terribly) dyed red hair, people often stared at you.  When people tried to talk to you and realized that your vernacular and knowledge of the world was trapped to five years ago, you were seen as some kind of freak.  Once enough people realized you were weirdo, the bullying began.  They would make fun of you, sometimes pretending to be your friend only to humiliate you.  They would throw food at you.  The worst was just the laughing.  It felt like everyone who laughed just laughed at you.

“Hey Rory!” Grayson said.

You looked up to see him waving at you theatrically.  You pointed to yourself and he nodded with his laugh.  His laugh didn’t feel like daggers.  It felt comforting.

“Yes, you.” Grayson laughed.  “I wanted to give you a nickname and I think Rory is kind of cute.  You can call me Gray.”

“Okay, Gray.”  You felt a tingle of happiness.  You hadn’t had a friend or a nickname in so long, you forgot what it was like.

“Shall we?” He asked, gesturing to the long line, and you nodded.  

As you stood in line, you sucked in a deep breath.  All eyes were on you and you felt your entire body tense up.  You stared at the ground and said nothing as the line slowly inched forward.  Grayson cleared his throat and if you had looked at his face, you would have noticed his bashful expression.

“So, besides saving stupid lifeguards, what do you do in your free time?” You looked up to meet his eyes and saw his shining, pearly white smile.

Your eyes darted to the people around you, but this time you realized that it was not YOU they were staring, it was HIM.  Suddenly, you realized that people didn’t even see you around him because he was so gorgeous.  For some reason, this emboldened you to raise your head, just a little.

“Uh, I don’t really do much outside of work.” You said, trying to seem normal.  “I actually really like working with the animals.”

“Oh I see.  Do you want to be a marine biologist or something?” Grayson asked.  “I think you would be good at it.”

“I don’t know.” You bit your lip.  “I’m kinda known for being dumb.”

Grayson’s brows furrowed and you worried you somehow offended him.

“What do you mean?” Grayson asked.  “I see you rattle of facts about every species in this place every day, answering the wildest questions with grace.  Who is calling you stupid?”

You blushed.  “Well, outside of the water, I don’t really know much.”  You smiled.  “I mean, Doris doesn’t know what’s happening on Facebook.”

“Wait, you don’t have social media?” Grayson asked, his eyes going wide. “Like, nothing?”

You shook your head.  Grayson’s jaw remained wide for awhile and then he nodded.

“Oh right, strict parents.” He reminded himself.  “So, like how do you usually date people?”

“Ha, I don’t.” You gave a soft laugh that showed your shock at the ridiculous question.

Grayson smirked a little bit. “I mean have you ever kissed anyone?”

You thought about it and you did.  Before all of this, before you knew how different you really were, life was pretty alright.  You had your first kiss when you were nine, and shortly before the fire you had your second kiss with a boy in your class.  He said he wanted you to be his girlfriend, but he wanted you to think about your answer.  It was over a vacation break, so you had quite a bit of time. It was an easy decision, you were going to say yes. You just never got a chance to tell him.

“I have, when I was younger.” You glanced at him. “You?’

“Uh yeah, a few times.” Grayson looked away.  If you hadn’t kissed that many people, there was no way he was going to list his previous rendezvous.

“What do you do outside of work?” You asked, wanting to learn more about him.

“Typical stuff I guess.  I surf, skateboard, hike…” He continued to list outdoor activities that you remembered partaking in or hearing of during your childhood, but it all seemed distant now.

“You’re really active, huh?” You remarked.

“I like it!” Grayson jokingly flexed his muscle.  “I like to stay fit. Do you exercise?”

“Uh, I swim.” That wasn’t a lie.

“Ha, no kidding!” Grayson joked.  “A little embarrassing to be saved as a lifeguard.”

You smiled. Before you could respond, you realized you were at the front of the line.  It felt like a couple seconds with Grayson.  Time just flew with him which usually only happened during your performances.  The rest of you life was counting the moments until it was over.  You almost wished you could relish in this a bit more.

“Can I get the beyond burger, with the vegan cheese  fries?” Grayson ordered.  He smiled at you. “What would you like?  It’s on me.”

“What’s the beyond burger?” You asked, tapping your chin.  You usually went to the less frequented pasta place and got their pasta of the day.  You would split it for dinner, learning over the years that no one would feed you if you didn’t do it yourself.

“It’s a meat substitute.” Grayson explained. “I’m vegan, so…”

Grayson was getting embarrassed.  Being vegan wasn’t super popular in your area.  When he first starting working at Pete’s Ocean Land, the other boys ridiculed him for it, claiming there was no way he could have six pack without eating meat.  He soon learned it wasn’t worth arguing and just stopped talking about it.  It felt weird to have this conversation again and he didn’t want you to judge him.

“I’ll try it too.” You said to the person ringing up the order.  

Grayson’s eyebrows went up in surprise.  “Alright, well let’s throw in some vegan shakes too.”

The person nodded and gave the total. Grayson put it on his employee card and took the receipt.  You waited on the pick up line, rocking back and forth on your heels.  Conversation was so difficult for you, but you worried he would ask you more questions if you didn’t beat him to it.

“What do you want to do?  Is it your dream to be a lifeguard?” You asked.

Grayson laughed, shaking his head.  “No.  In my dream world, I would be a pro surfer, but right now, I could settle for being a diving instructor at some fancy resort.”

“You must really like the ocean then.” You deduced, a bit of hope in your voice.

“Yeah, I mean obviously I care about animals since I’m vegan.  But, ocean animals are like so cool.  It’s a whole ‘nother thing seeing them in their natural habitat and not in tanks.” Grayson paused and his voice drops into a whisper. He leans in to your ear  “Like don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Pete rescues these animals, but you never see him put them back.  They just stay here forever.  How sad.”

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up as you felt his hot breath on your skin.  It didn’t help that it felt like he was talking about you.  You would also have to stay here forever.  How sad.

“I wish we could set them all free.” You said in a low voice.

Grayson smiled.  He was staring at you with a soft sweet smile that made your heart loop-di-loop. “Yeah me too.”

The number on top of your receipt was called and Grayson went to retrieve your food.  You looked around the seating area for an empty space, chewing on your lip nervously.  You also hated looking for a seat, this where people would usually try to tease you or throw stuff at you.

“Come on, let me show you my secret spot.”  Grayson was holding your food in to-go paper bags, a move you hadn’t noticed until now.  

You follow him out of the cafeteria and around the corner.  There were some stairs that were blocked off, but Grayson ducked under the barrier with ease and confidence.  You followed his lead and walked up the steps to the top floor.  It was the roof of the cafeteria and there were tables with benches attached scattered around.  There was an umbrella on a few of the tables and Grayson chose one to sit under.  You guessed that people were once able to eat up here, but it was closed down for some reason.

“Nice and quiet.” Grayson remarked.

You sat down on the bench just as a cool breeze tickled you skin.  You didn’t feel like you were in your prison.  In this moment, you felt like you were on a real date.  With a very handsome guy who treated you to lunch and wanted to get to know you.  It was your first dose of normalcy in a very long time.

Grayson separated your meals, tearing the bag to use it as two plates.  You unwrapped your burger and inspected a bit before taking a bite.  Grayson was pretending not to stare at you, but he couldn’t help it.  He wanted to see your reaction.  Your eyes lit up.

“It’s delicious!” You said, covering your mouth as it was still full.  “I haven’t had a burger in a long time, but this tastes amazing.”

Grayson grinned. “I’m glad you like it.”  

You continued to devour your burger and Grayson watched as he fought back laughter.  He finally started to eat as well, but he would take bites without much thought, focusing mostly on you.

“Try the fries too.” Grayson suggested, pointing at your fries.

You nodded, shifting what was left of your burger to one hand and grabbing your a fry with your now freed hand.  Your eyes widened.

“This taste better than the cheesy pasta at Marco’s!” You remarked making Grayson laugh.

“As a mix of Italian and Irish, I can confirm that Marco’s may not be the best judge of cheese.” Grayson gave a bright grin. “But it’s really a cheese substitute sauce that add more seasoning to take compensate for the different flavor.”

“It’s amazing…” You gushed, eating more fries.

As you polished off your food, you couldn’t help but wish you had saved some for later.  It would have been nice to enjoy this for dinner instead of as one meal.  At the same time, something told you that it wouldn’t taste as good cold.  You hoped it would hold you over through the night.

“I love a girl who can eat.” Grayson said, sitting in front of his empty food wrappers.   “You almost gave me a run for the money.”

You gave him an embarrassed smile.  Your mother always criticized you for eating too quickly.  It would give you gas and cause uncomfortable bloating.  It had been so long that you had eaten something that you truly enjoyed that made you revert to your old habits.

“It’s not good for you.” You said, echoing our mom’s words.  Your eyes danced over to the milkshake, and your mother’s lecture was out of your mind.  You reached for it and took a sip.  

“This is amazing!” You said, sucking it down faster.

“You say that a lot.” Grayson teased, taking tiny sips of his milkshake.  “They are sweeter than real milkshakes to make up for the lack of fat, but I think this is made with oat milk.”

“I really like it.” You said, taking a breath of air.  “I want to eat more vegan food.”

Grayson grinned.  “There aren’t many vegan options here, but there’s plenty outside the park.  If you’re down, we can have a picnic or something after work.”

You face saddened and you shook your head. “I really can’t.”

“Where do you live?” Grayson asked.  “I am pretty good with parents.  Maybe if they meet me…”

You thought about your parents.  They would have loved Grayson.  He was sweet, polite, well-mannered and had a great sense of humor.  Your father would have probably tried to come off as intimidating, but then he would warm up within seconds telling embarrassing jokes.  Your mother would have made some iced tea or something and offer some of her homemade shortbread biscuits.  Tears stung your eyes and you blinked quickly to shove them back.

“No.” You shook your head again.  “It wouldn’t work.”

Grayson pursed his lips.  “Can I call you?  What about walking you home from work?”  

You shook your head sadly to both questions making Grayson sigh.  With slumped shoulders he announced why he was pushing you so much.

“Rory, my shift starts in 20 minutes. I can’t wait until tomorrow to see again.  I just want to spend more time with you.” Grayson leaned forward.  “I mean don’t you feel the connection between us?”

You blushed.  Of course you did, but not because you “saved his life.”  For the first time, you were just you.  You weren’t some freak being tested and experimented on.  For so long, your human status had been ripped from you and allowed you to be treated like garbage.  But Grayson saw all animals equally and it made you believe that he would be able to accept you too.

“I do.” You said, finally.  “But, I think we should take our time.”

Grayson nodded.  “Alright. That’s completely fair.”  He laughed nervously.  “My brother always says I fall hard way too quickly.”

You smiled.  Your friends used to say that about you too.  “Tell me more about your brother…”

You and Grayson talked for fifteen more minutes about your childhood and old memories.  It was easy to blend in with Grayson since he enjoyed reminiscing.  He didn’t ask you about current events or quiz you on gossip.  Talking with Grayson was easy and your mouth got dry from speaking and laughing.  Most of your interactions were with the other aquatic captives and that was all signing. You hadn’t heard yourself say things outside of the performance script in so long, you forgot that you had opinions and interests.

In the five minutes before Grayson’s shift, you cleaned up and took your trash downstairs to dispose of it.  Grayson reached into hug you and you tensed up a bit.

“Sorry, I smell like chlorine.” You apologized.

Grayson laughed.  “Don’t we all?”  

He hugged you tightly and you realized he was a liar.  He didn’t smell like chlorine at all, but of the most refreshing floral scent you had ever encountered.  It was almost like the smell of freshly washed linen being fluffed on a bed.  So comforting.  He waved to you and ran off to the wave pool.  You watched him run away before going to feed the dolphins.

[cake-writes]

Compromise (Part Three)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Story Warnings: Mom!Reader, Dad!Bucky, Ex-Relationship, Co-Parenting Drama, Angst, Fluff, Separation Anxiety

Summary: You didn’t want to trust him again, because every time you did, Bucky broke your heart just a little more. Deep down, though, you wanted to get along with him. You wanted to be amicable. You wanted your daughter to know her father. You’d always wanted that. It just required a compromise.

Interlude #1 / Master List

To say you slept terribly was an understatement.

You were too nervous, too keyed up to sleep. Not only were you worried about Winnie, but the prospect of car shopping with Bucky was an additional stressor. Why had you even agreed to it in the first place? Yours was just fine. A beater, sure, but it still ran. Kind of.

Deep down, you couldn’t help but appreciate that he cared about Winnie’s safety. You just didn’t like the nagging. He’d been on your case for the last few months about your car, ever since you got into an accident on the way home from the grocery store. A fender bender, nothing serious. It wasn’t even bad enough to warrant repairs – just a few dents and scratches on your rear bumper. The other driver gave you a couple hundred bucks for damages, which you used on birthday presents for your little girl.

That said, you weren’t poor, just frugal.

Most of Bucky’s child support – a couple thousand dollars a month – went straight into savings for Winnie’s college fund. The rest was used on doctor’s appointments and medicine. Despite the fact that she also had the serum in her veins, she still got sick like a normal child. Between croup and colds and ear infections, you’d dealt with it all; even her asthma, unpredictable as it was. It flared up at the strangest times, not from overexertion or allergies like one might expect, but randomly and you hadn’t yet figured out the cause. Neither had her doctor, let alone Bruce for that matter.

Of course, the serum did affect her some. She grew slightly faster than her peers; although she was a little over three years old, now, physically she was more like four. Then again, that shouldn’t have come as a surprise, as your pregnancy only lasted eight months instead of nine. Technically she was a preemie but she certainly didn’t seem like one, having been born at a standard six pounds, five ounces.

Standard. Normal.

When she ran, it was at a normal speed too, and she definitely couldn’t lift anything heavy. She had a tendency to trip and fall flat on her face, so her reflexes weren’t exactly enhanced like Bucky’s, either, though her skinned knees did seem to heal faster than the norm.

To you, Winnie was a normal little girl through and through. She played with dolls and stuffed animals, drew with crayons and markers, and had temper tantrums on a regular basis. She liked to dress like a princess, watch Disney movies, be tucked in and read to. She even snuck into your bed at night when she had a nightmare.

She was normal. Mostly.

The fact that her Mommy and Daddy were separated made her a target in preschool, and you hated it. Her friends often babbled about their parents, plural, whereas Winnie usually only got to talk about you. You knew how much it bothered her. 

It bothered you, too.

Morning came before you knew it, and you were anything but bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. By the time you left for the compound, it was a little after nine and you’d already downed about a gallon of coffee. Even though you’d been a barista for almost a decade, you never really used to drink coffee much until you had Winnie. Then, all of a sudden, you completely understood why it was so popular.

There were no hassles at the gate this time. Bucky’s name held enough sway that you didn’t have to repeat yourself after yesterday. You kind of liked it – always had, if you were being honest. Not that you’d ever admit it. Especially not to yourself.

Yawning, you made your way up the handful of steps and through the glass doors. You’d texted Bucky right before you left and although he wasn’t there to greet you this time, you vaguely remembered where to go. At least you could take the steps more slowly this time, now that you weren’t being watched.

The compound was incredibly quiet for a Sunday morning in comparison to the tower. There was never a dull moment there, but here, even with all the buildings, it wasn’t noisy at all. Instead it was tranquil – relaxing, almost. You could even hear the faint sound of birds chirping outside as you knocked on Bucky’s door.

On the other side, you picked up the deep rumble of his voice. It wasn’t quite loud enough to make out, but you could easily assume what he’d said when Winnie asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s Mommy,” you answered cheerfully.

You heard her squeal, and then she relayed the information like Bucky had no doubt asked her to do. “Mommy’s here! Can I open it now?”

He spoke again – louder, this time, closer to the door. “Sure, princess.”

There were a couple seconds while she fumbled with the handle; she was barely tall enough to reach it at home, and this one was the same. Bucky might have tried to help, you weren’t sure, but soon enough the door was pulled open and a little brunette blur promptly attached itself to your leg.

“Mommy!” Winnie said happily, peering up at you with her big blue eyes. “You’re back!”

“Of course I am, sweetpea! Did you miss me?” you asked with a smile.

While normally you would have ruffled her hair, you noticed that she had two braids on either side of her head, secured by tiny pink elastics you didn’t recognize. They were very cute, but who’d done them up for her? Natasha? You were sure that none of the boys knew how to French braid. Why would they?

That particular thought made you wonder if there was something going on between her and Bucky. She was here yesterday, too. She’d tell you if there was, though, wouldn’t she?

“I missed you lots, Mommy,” Winnie told you, letting go of you to hold her arms up in the air. She wanted to be picked up.

You, of course, hoisted her up with ease and propped her against your hip, holding her little body just a smidge closer than yesterday – not tight enough to hurt, but you were ecstatic to have her in your arms again. “I missed you lots, too, baby.”

Then you finally looked over at Bucky and found him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. The way his tight black t-shirt strained over his biceps made you feel a little hot under the collar, but what really caught you off guard was how his lips were just slightly curled up at the corners, like he was trying not to smile.

You made a joke in an attempt to distract yourself from the fact that he was always too damn attractive for his own good. “So can I come in? Or do I have cooties?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, then, blinking like hadn’t really thought of it – and then he stepped aside to allow you entry. “Sorry. Go ahead.”

“If anyone has cooties, it’s Daddy,” Winnie made a point of saying. “He’s a boy.”

You let out an undignified snort as you crossed the threshold. “Is that right?”

“Yeah! Boys are yuck.”

“Boys are yuck, huh,” Bucky remarked, closing the door behind you with a soft click. Then he muttered under his breath, “Sure hope it stays that way.”

That comment coupled with the suddenly wary look on his face made you laugh outright. Bucky hadn’t made you laugh in a long time; you were too busy arguing with him to do much else. “Isn’t it a little early to be worrying about that?”

“Sweetheart,” he drawled, “you’ve already got her college fund set up. Don’t talk to me about ‘too early’.”

You huffed, but it was in jest. “That’s different.”

“Yeah?” At that, he offered you a roguish grin that made your heart skip a beat. “How’s it different?”

Now, it wasn’t witty banter, per se, but something was different for sure. The dynamic had shifted between the two of you, somewhere between the time you told him goodnight and your mid-morning arrival. It was a small change, but you could feel it in the air: a distinct lack of tension.

Unfortunately, it also made an indignant flush come across your cheeks. He was teasing you. He hadn’t done that in a long time, either.

“It just is,” you responded unhelpfully, setting Winnie down on the sofa before you sat down next to her. You purposely kept your back facing him to conceal the fact that you were blushing like an idiot and you didn’t even know why.

No, that was a lie. You did know why.

This felt entirely too familiar.

Thankfully, Bucky seemed to pick up on your change of tone and let it go in favour of asking, “Have you eaten? We only got up a few minutes ago.”

By ‘we’ you assumed he meant Winnie, because he never used to sleep well. Nightmares usually kept him awake, and while you knew he wasn’t a morning person, he got up at the crack of dawn anyway. Bucky told you once that he liked to watch the sun rise. The peace and quiet helped him think.

“Not yet,” you answered, fussing with the wrinkled collar of Winnie’s dress. Another distraction. You’d dropped off a few different outfits for her in an overnight bag last night, along with her inhaler, some toiletries, and of course Mr. Squiggles. Now she was dressed in her Sunday best, but in all actuality, she probably just wanted to wear a pretty dress.

“Daddy said he wanted to make Mommy’s favourite pancakes!” Winnie piped up, and you instinctively tensed at the admission.

That’s right. It was Sunday.

Bucky awkwardly cleared his throat, but made no attempt to correct her.

There was a brief pause – stunned silence – until you regained your bearings enough to ask, “Did he, now?”

“Uh huh!” Winnie told you, nodding excitedly. “Blueberry!”

Your brows rose as you turned to him. “You remember that?”

“Of course I do.” Bucky rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Why do you think I used to make them?”

Your heart instantly warmed at his admission – and ached, because of the memories. He was on missions more often than not when the two of you were together, but without fail, whenever he was home on a Sunday, he made blueberry pancakes. His Ma’s recipe, he said.

They were the best pancakes you’d ever eaten.

“Well,” you began nervously, “it is Sunday.”

He met your eyes, then – gentle, warm. Just like how he used to look at you.

“Daddy,” Winnie whined. “I’m hungry!”

“Yeah, Daddy,” you chimed in, feeling a little lighter than before. “I’m hungry, too.”

Bucky grumbled an easy, “Yeah, yeah,” as he got to work, but his tone didn’t match the amused expression on his face. You didn’t fail to notice the light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

That was when Winnie started to tell you about the show she was watching on Netflix, the same cartoon you’d glimpsed yesterday. You were interested in what she had to say, of course you were, but not as much as you normally would have been because her father looked so fucking good right now.

He’d remembered. As innocent as that was, your body’s reaction to it absolutely wasn’t. Call it Pavlovian conditioning, but the first time he made those pancakes for you was the morning after you first slept together. That was the same night Winnie was conceived. 

When Bucky pulled out a frying pan from one of the cabinets and set it on the lit stove, you couldn’t help but notice how his t-shirt stretched over his muscles underneath, not to mention those sweatpants which did nothing to conceal his fantastic ass.

You’d already seen and sampled what he had to offer, but hell if you didn’t want to have another taste anyway. Not that you ever would.

He started to lay out all of the ingredients on the counter, including a punnet of fresh blueberries but you were more focused on the way he worked with such finesse, like making breakfast for the three of you was a normal, everyday thing for him to do.

It was, once.

Then, as Bucky mixed everything together in a large bowl, he finally glanced up only to catch you staring.

Shit.

You immediately tore your eyes away, heart pounding a frenzied tattoo within the confines of your chest and you made sure not to look back again. Instead, you feigned interest in the show Winnie was babbling on about, squeezing your thighs together to alleviate the sudden ache in between.

You needed to stop.

He wasn’t good for you. He wasn’t good for Winnie.

Right?

But your thoughts just kept drifting back to him anyway. You couldn’t help it. It was during times like these that your memories got the best of you, because you knew he was more than capable of being a good father if he wanted to be. You’d seen it not only while you were pregnant, but during the first couple of months after Winnie was born.

What’s worse was that Bucky was capable of so much more, too. He could be downright wonderful. A good boyfriend. A supportive partner. An attentive lover. He was all of those for you once upon a time.

It wasn’t until the pancakes were done and you finally met his eyes again from across the kitchen table that you knew you were in too deep. You’d never gotten over him, not really – and being here with him and your daughter, so sweet and domestic for the first time in years, was what made you finally realize that.

You still wanted to be with him. 

You wanted to be a family.

Part Four

[infinite-rabbits]

Emergency: Please help

So this happened yesterday. I made a few posts of it here and was messing around on tumblr to distract myself from all of the stress, but now the seriousness of the situation is really hitting us.

My roommate and I are both out of work due to Corvid-19. We’re not sure if we’re getting paid for our time away and there isn’t much communication from our jobs. Yesterday we got hit hard enough from someone who was gunning it out of a parking lot that they totaled the car. I know this doesn’t look like a lot of damage, but apparently the frame is completely messed up and the insurance company is going to take the car and possibly give us enough to replace it??

The worst part about this is that we had barely enough money to last over the next two months being out of work. We had rent covered, food, and bills once we pooled our money together.

But now we have to loose a huge chunk of that money because he has to pay the deductible on the insurance.

So I’m going to do what I really wished I would never have to do. I have to ask for your help. Please, if you can donate anything at all, doesn’t matter how big or little it is, you can send it to me through my Ko-Fi: HERE Or you can IM me and I can give you the address my paypal is linked to. If you can’t donate, please please please just reblog this. The more people see it, the better.

Thank you for any help you can give, little or small, it means the world to us.

Full Story of what happened under the cut:

So uh... we ran out of bread last night and we're close to being out of PB&J. This morning we decided to go out and get some more because, well, it's hard to get ahold of because everyone's panicking and it's one of the main things in our diet right now. The roomie and I headed for Walmart, and while we were on a 2-lane road in the left lane, some douchenozzle shoves his way through the heavy traffic out of a parking-lot and rams us on my side. We weren't even going that fast. We were actually coming up to a stop-light, so my roomie was slowing down. He hit us hard enough to make us spin-out and do a full 180degree turn. The back passenger door was absolutely wrecked and I was lucky he didn't hit MY door, but because he hit my side, I'm really starting to hurt now. The back driver wheel hit the median while we spun and it actually hit so hard that it knocked the wheel itself off of the rim and scraped the metal. Somehow we didn't hit another car and we wound up in the right-hand lane completely turned around and facing the wrong direction. I was SO pissed that I got out of the car and screamed at the guy. Both of us were shaking and I was choking because when he hit us, some white stuff flew  into the car and I breathed it in. Still kinda choking on it. (Found out later it was probably the stirofoam that was under his bumper.) I manage to kinda stop traffic enough for us to get the car out of the lane and into the parking lot beside us, after which we realized that we couldn't drive any further because of the wheel being messed up. He stayed in the median and called for someone while we called the cops and the insurance company. Then I noticed there was a damn kid in his car. She was like, 2-3 years old and didn't look like she'd been strapped in because she was just climbing from the back to the front seat to see what was going on. He sped through fucking traffic and t-boned us with a kid in the back seat. This whole time, he's over there refusing to come and talk to us until someone else shows up. Turns out, he needs a translator. That's fine. In our area we get a lot of tourists so I just assumed he wasn't from around here. I would have assumed his car was a rental if it hadn't been for the brand new paper license plate. They get their car into the parking lot too and his bumper is all but falling off. A lady shows up to take care of the kid, which seems fine. But then another guy shows up. Then another guy. And Grandma shows up too. For some reason the whole family shows up and are hanging around while we wait for the cop. Normally I wouldn't care, but being surrounded by this many people while I'm already anxious was a bit much for me and made me uncomfortable. I'd already called a friend and cried over the phone with her and being surrounded made me feel stressed. Finally the cop shows up, gets our stories and our information, then goes into his car for basically an hour to have to fill everything out and get it all in order. Luckily we just get given a sheet of paper with all of the information we need on it. Then he glances at them and says to us, "They're gonna be pissed." He wound up getting a ticket among who knows what else because of his reckless driving. The cop leaves and they're visibly angry. Then one of the guys who showed up approaches us. Something about him immediately rubbed me the wrong way, like I got a bad vibe from him. He asks us if we're alright, and I tell him no because our car's wrecked and I'm starting to hurt. Then he tries to get us to lie. Like the dude straight up look sat my roommate and says, "If they ask what happened, tell them--" I have NEVER cut someone off so fast before. I told him: " NO. If they ask, we are going to tell them EXACTLY what happened." And this douche has the NERVE to say: "Well next time you really shouldn't be going so fast. Then you can stop when something like this happens." Like, he's legit trying to turn this around to be my roomie's fault. Keep in mind: we were coming up to a stop light. We were actively slowing down. The speed limit in there is 45. My roomie couldn't have possibly been going more than 35 at the absolute most, and even that's pushing it. I just GLARE at this guy and say: "NO. Even the COP said WE HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. HE hit US. You need to walk away." I'm... I'm tiny. I'm not even fully 5'6" and I'm sitting here in my stupid Jurassic Park tank top and hole-filled shorts just glaring daggers at this guy. Don't you dare come at me with your stupid scorpion gold chain necklace thinking you're all big and bad and thinking you're going to intimidate me when you're outright coming after my roommate. I'm a wuss when someone comes after ME and I'm by myself, but you put me in a room with people I care about and have someone go after them? All bets are off. Thankfully he just got pissed off and turned away. The whole family climbed into the back of their other van except for like two who went into the translator's car, and they all drove off. For like an hour. We were left sitting there trying to contact the insurance company again, making sure they got all of the files they needed, making sure they got their statements, and figuring out if it was getting towed tonight or not. Then the translator and one of the other guys show up and start messing with their van. First they back it up...and the bumper nearly completely falls off. Then they sit there for a few minutes and try to get it on. The guy driving it goes very slowly out of the parking lot, leaving his entire front in the right-hand lane for some reason while he's waiting to go and then finally does. The other guy on the other hand almost causes another accident. So he's behind a truck that's also waiting to turn out. When the truck goes to pull out, this dumbass SLAMS down on his gas, nearly rear-ends the truck, slams on his breaks, and then once the truck is out of the way, he zooms out of the parking lot without properly looking to make sure no one else is coming. I really don't understand it. But from the looks of things, they probably aren't going to be calling their own insurance company. The car wasn't even registered under the guy that rammed us. It was someone else's name of the same address. So he just wrecked someone else's newly bought car. All of it sucks, my roommate's car is totaled and we are gonna see if we're getting any money for it tomorrow, and I'm in pain so the insurance company is gonna have to send me a doctor over all of this. We're out $500 for the deductible and I'm.... honestly really frustrated. All of this because of Bread, Peanutbutter, and Jelly. Thankfully a friend of ours came to pick us up and also brought us those three things, but now the adrenaline is starting to wear off and I'm getting *really* tired. I'm going to get myself some coffee and try my best to focus on the one-shot I started before the crash just to keep myself awake for now. For the most part I was typing all of this here because it's a safe place to store the information in case I forget anything. But also I kinda wanted to let you guys know why I hadn't posted anything yet. I was saying I wanted to do one short-story a day and I fell behind yesterday because I was doing character-designs for one of the other stories. So I feel guilty falling behind today too. Even if I do have a good reason for it. Stay safe out there, everyone. It's getting really crazy.

[bellero]

The Parker Twins - Part 3.

Summary: This is just a reimagined version of Homecoming but Peter has a twin sister.

Warnings: The occasional swear, arguing, mentions of dead parents.

Authors note: I haven’t updated this in forever, however I want to get back on track with my writing. Also, I decided to miss out the trip to Washington so it gets straight to the angst! Also remember to leave feedback!!

The Parker Twins Masterlist

—————-

May had allowed you to stay home from school after learning about what had happened at the party. You had spent the majority of the day moping around alone, Peter was in school and May was at work, you were bored. Tony had managed to get every trace of the video removed, of course that didn’t fully undo the damages as the entire school was present and saw you punch Flash in the face but still, it was something.  

You were currently in bed, facing the wall with your duvet up to your neck and earphones in your ears, music at full volume. The feeling of dread was still prominent throughout your body, you knew you’d have to go back to school, you knew you were going to have to face up with what you did. I mean sure, Flash deserved it because he was being a total dick but that didn’t stop the pounding voice in the back of your head yelling at you for reacting so irrationally.  

You let out a groan when you heard a knock on the door, you ignored it and threw the blankets over your head letting out a small sigh when the knocking stopped. You turned up your music all the way, blocking out any noise from the outside world. You were about to fall asleep when somebody ripped the blanket away from your body. You shot up and glared at the figure in front of you, “what do you want?” you grumbled as you took out your earphones.  

Tony leant against your desk with his arms crossed, “a little birdie told me you didn’t go to school today… I was just wondering why” you frowned with a furrowed brow, “I punched a guy in the face, Tony, in front of the entire school. I’d rather not show my face in that hellhole again, thank you very much.” You reached down and grabbed your blanket, “now, if you don’t mind, I was going to take a nap. You may show yourself out” You said gesturing towards your door, you led back down and pulled the blanket over your face. You heard Tony let out a sigh, “fine, I guess I’ll need to find somebody else to test out my new lab equipment”.

You quickly climbed out of bed and onto your feet, “test out what now?” you asked, pushing hair out of your face. Tony smirked, “we’re moving the headquarters upstate, I got a bunch of new lab equipment. Thought it’d be boring to test it out myself” you nodded your head.

“Yeah, I already know about the move upstate. Hello, I hack you for a living. But- why did you come here?” You asked, Tony rolled his eyes at your hacking comment “Peter left Happy a voicemail saying how you were moping about, thought you’d rather do something useful with your time other than lay in bed listening to, whatever that crap was”.  

You furrowed your eyebrows at his comment about your music taste, “gimme 10 minutes” you said, pushing him out of your room.

You stepped out of your room but stopped at Tony who was looking at the photos on the wall, “that’s my uncle Ben… He died a few weeks after Peter got his powers” you said as you walked over to stand next to him. He pointed at the one next to it “those your parents?” he asked, you nodded your head “I don’t really remember them, same with Peter. Most of our memories have come from photos and home videos… It’s weird, they’re my parents. I should be able to remember them but I just… don’t. Peter remembers way more than me, I don’t get it” you shrugged, you walked towards the fridge and started writing on the magnetic notepad attached to it.

Gone out with Mr. Stark. Be back soon. Love, y/n.

You grabbed a jacket, “what’d you mean you can’t remember your parents?” Tony asked, you shrugged your shoulders, “I dunno. The only memories I’ve ever had of them have been from photos and stuff. Peter remembers them, he can’t remember much but he remembers them” you explained as you walked out of your apartment, Tony stood around as you locked the door.

You and Tony walked side by side as you exited the building, you let out a whistle “nice car” you said as you ran you hand along the bumper, you opened the door and sat down. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a car person” Tony remarked as he turned the engine on, “seatbelt” he said which made you roll your eyes. “I’m not a car person, I just know a good car when I see one” you muttered whilst clipping in your seatbelt.  

“How’s Peter handling the whole Spider-Man thing?” Tony asked quickly glancing over at you as he drove, “I mean… he’s handling like you’d expect a teenager to handle it. Although he has quit band practice, and he almost quit the Decathalon. I don’t know, I think he feels like he HAS to protect people, I mean he’s still a kid… he shouldn’t be throwing away his life to be in some dumb suit” you finished with a huff. Tony pondered over what you had said, he slowly nodded his head “I get it… I was like that when I first became Iron Man, I was obsessed with the suits. It made me feel complete, y’know?” you nodded your head, “also, I designed that suit so stop insulting it” you grinned and shook your head.

————

You were stood outside of the Avengers HQ with Tony stood next to you, “so, what’d you think?” he asked looking over at you, he started walking towards the entrance, you quickly followed. You looked around, “I mean… it’s a bit… loud? I thought top secret military bases were supposed to be inconspicuous… This is a huge white building with Jets in the front yard” you observed whilst putting your hands in your pockets, “okay. One, this isn’t a military base, it’s a headquarters- don’t roll your eyes at me, and two, I chose the design so shut up” he said causing you to let out a snort.  

You walked into the building, you stopped for a second and slowly spun around taking everything in, “holy shit. This place is huge!” Tony looked smug, “but seriously, your design sucks” he flicked the back of your head, “ouch! You don’t have to be a dick about it, jeez” you muttered whilst rubbing your head, “let’s go show you that lab” he said, changing the conversation. He placed his hands on your shoulders and started to steer you in the direction of the elevators.  

You waved at Happy who was exiting one of the elevators, “is everything set up?” Tony asked, Happy nodded his head “yeah, there’s still some stuff at the tower but they’ll be going out with the plane” he explained whilst ignoring your little wave. They exchanged a few more words before you and Tony stepped into the elevator, “bye Happy!” you yelled just before the doors closed, “so, is his name really Happy, or is that just a nickname because obviously it doesn’t match his personality…” you trailed off causing Tony to laugh a little, he shook his head before stepping out of the now opened elevator doors, you followed. He spoke as he walked “his real name is Harold, but I wouldn’t advise calling him that” you nodded your head and followed him through a sliding door.  

You froze in your spot and gaped at the room you were currently stood in, “you’re going to catch flies” Tony muttered before walking over to a table. You slowly walked around the room, running your hand over different machines and work tops, you stopped and pointed towards a robot with a dunce cap on its head “why did you put a dunce cap on a robot?” you asked, Tony looked over at you “oh, that’s Dum.E. He tipped coffee on the worktop and caused some water damage” you frowned at his comment, you took the cap off and patted the robot on the head. You walked over and stood next to Tony, placing the small cap on the table next to you. He pressed a button on the side of the table making a hologram appear in front of you, you let out a small laugh “that’s awesome” you held out your right hand and made the hologram of your brothers suit spin. Tony waved his hand again “I wanna figure out some upgrades for your brother’s suit-” he began before you quickly interrupted him which caused him to look at you in surprise “yeah sounds cool, but, how about instead of working on my brothers already perfect suit we make me my own suit…” you trailed off, he cocked his head “yeah. We can make it white and gold… it’ll be great! Plus, it’ll give you the chance to really challenge some of this newer equipment” you turned to him, he pondered it for a moment before bringing up a clean slate on the hologram, “okay, kid. You’re in control” he said, you bounced on your feet for a moment, “I was thinking of making it like yours… Y’know with thrusters since I can’t exactly swing from buildings. Obviously, I don’t have the room to hide a giant suit so I’ve been playing around with the idea of nanotech… I could hide it in a small bracelet or something, I don’t know” you quickly shied away when you realised you were rambling. Tony nodded his head “you’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?” you shrugged your shoulders, nodding your head ever so slightly “I mean… I guess? I see what Peter does, helping people… I want to do that; I want to help others… I mean, I’m pretty useless in every other department” Tony frowned at that, “so why not put what I’m good at into use” you shrugged your shoulders.

Tony was about to respond when your phone pinged, you looked and saw a text from Aunt May, you let out a groan “Peter hasn’t come back from school, May’s freaking out because he isn’t answering his phone” you quickly replied and pocketed your phone, “could you drop me back?” Tony nodded his head.  

As he drove you back Ned rang you, “he’s done what?! Okay, thanks for telling me. I’ll see you at school. Bye” you hung up the phone and let out a groan of frustration, Tony glanced at you “everything okay?” he asked, you sighed and shook your head,

“Peter found this weird glowing thing from these criminal guys who are using them to make weapons, he put a tracker on one of them and found out that there’s a buy going down on some ferry so he’s gone to stop it” Tony tensed up slightly and pulled up outside your house, “thanks for today. I really needed an excuse to leave my bed” you said whilst climbing out of the car, “bye!” you waved before stepping into the apartment building.

————

It had been a few hours; Peter still wasn’t home. You and May had seen on the news about being split in half, you knew Peter was part of it. You were sat down as May was pacing the room. Your head shot up when the door opened, you furrowed your eyebrows at your brothers’ state, he was wearing hello kitty pyjama trousers and an oversized ‘I survived my trip to NYC t-shirt “hey” he whispered at May, she inhaled deeply and walked over to him,

“I’ve been calling you all day. You didn’t answer your phone. You can’t do that. Then this ferry thing happens. I’ve called five police stations” she spoke, she was clearly still panicking, “five, I’ve called five of your friends”  

“May, I’m okay. Honestly. Just relax, I’m fine” Peter spoke quietly trying to soothe her.

May turned to face Peter, “cut the bullshit. I know you left detention. I know you left the hotel room in Washington. I know you sneak out of this house every night. That’s not fine.” She took a breath “Peter, you have to tell me what’s going on. Just lay it out. It’s just us” she said motioning between you and her. Peter’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears “I lost the Stark internship” he said quickly glancing at you, you stood up “what? What happened?” you asked walking over to him, he collapsed onto the sofa as tears started streaming down his face, he shrugged of the hand you placed on his shoulder which caused you to step back a bit. May shot you a sympathetic look, assuming he was too emotional to want comfort.  

Peter let out a sigh “I just thought I could work really hard. I screwed it up” May started stroking his back “it’s okay” she repeated softly,  

“I’m sorry I made you worry” Peter said with a sigh, May shook her head

“You know I’m not trying to ruin your life… Just- I used to sneak out too” she sniffed Peter’s hair, “and take a shower. You smell like garbage” she said making Peter laugh slightly, he shook his head at her comment “I know” he stood up and walked towards the bathroom, not giving you another glance.  

You turned to May “do you think he’s mad at me?” you asked wringing your hands together, she cocked her head to the side “why would he be mad? This isn’t your fault” she said, you nodded your head.  

“Anyway, how was it hanging out with Tony?” she asked, you smiled and nodded your head “yeah it was really fun, he let me test out a bunch of new equipment” May smiled at your excitement, “that’s great. I’m going to head out and grab some Pizza, will you talk to Peter for me? I know he’s holding back about something and I know he’ll tell you” you nodded, she placed a kiss on her forehead “be back soon” she said and walked out the door.

You walked over to Peter’s bedroom and knocked on the door “hey, can I talk to you?” you asked, you didn’t hear anybody respond so you slowly opened the door and frowned at your brother who was lying in bed, “I’m sorry you lost the internship… I know how much it meant to you” you said whilst leaning against the door frame, “if it helps May’s gone to get some pizza”. You sighed when he didn’t reply.

“He took the suit… Mr. Stark took the suit” he swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood up, “he also said that you told him I quit band. Why would you do that?” he asked, you narrowed your eyes “he asked how you were coping with being Spiderman, I said you quit band. So what?” you asked crossing your arms, still confused by his irritation towards you. He let out a groan of frustration “you were with him all day today?” he asked, you nodded your head “I know you told him where I was, this happened because of you” he spat, you quickly sat up straight and stared at him, “excuse me? What happened was not my fault. You’re the one who thought it would be a good idea to chase after those men despite me, Ned and Tony saying that it was a bad idea” he went to speak but you interrupted “and you know what? I’m glad Tony stopped you. You could’ve hurt those people, Peter. You could have died” you sucked in a shuddering breath “I’m sorry you lost the internship. I really am, but I’m not getting the blame for your screw ups” you turned and slammed the door before storming off to your room.

——————

The Parker Twins Tags-

@winchesters-favorite-girl @mersuperwholocked-lowlife @platonic-plots@daughters-and-winsisters @just4muggles @humanexile @family-business-one-shots @rosegoldquintis @sassy-specter @unicorn-sparkles123 @saturn-aka-six @octo-cow52 @thegirlwholikestomanythings@zeusmyster @6gotosleep9 @miyaint @grimzszs @sara29392 @deansdeliciouspies @emwinchester1 @lizlil @antiscocialfanwarrior@anothershorthuman @mellilla-rose @paintballkid711 @ixchel-9275@ficnalunaus @steve-rogcrs @floral-marauders @havlindzk@bellamyblakemorley @slothalicious-bae @ellaorelizabeth @klanceiscannon14@sydm15 @thetruthisiamironwoman @i-meant-trash-panda @hazthotsterfield@i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction @booksandmischief @twobitss@sheerioasteroidpanda @supernatural-demigod @jiminslonglostjams @chloe-geoghegan1 @dovexparker @wiseeggspickleslime @tywys @griff1ndor @bisexual-disappointment 

[hell-much]

05. your car slid into a snowbank and i’m the mechanic that comes to tow you (For the Sansaery ask prompt =D)

So when I first read this, I had no idea how to make this work... then it started to grow on me and... what do you know a little over 4000 words later -can someone tell me how to write short things, please?!- here we are. Hope you enjoy it and that Sansa as the mechanic works for you. :)

Thanks for the prompt!

---

It was a simple lesson that you read just about everywhere, and everyone and their fathers will happily tell you. If you ever feel your car starting to skid while driving, do not, under no circumstances hit the brakes; instead, get your foot off the gas and slowly try to stir it back into the lane.

Not exactly complicated.

Except it absolutely was.

Margaery's instincts to bring the car to a stop worked a lot faster than any common sense or competent advice. When she felt her car starting to lose grip, at the sixty kilometres per hour she was going, she hit the brakes. Hard.

The next thing she knew, she had slid off the road, the car coming to a forced stop with a solid thud and the inside of the vehicle going completely black.

For the first moment, her hands were trembling and tightly wound around the steering wheel all at once, and she needed a moment to collect herself. It took her an instant to figure out that her lack of vision did not have anything to do with shards of glass from the windscreen damaging her eyes. It was only completely covered in snow.

To her further discontent realising that did not help things along a great deal, nor did turning on the wipers. The lights of the car were buried firmly into the easily two-metre-high snowbank at the side of the road.  Only the moonlight shining through the windscreen offered a bit more vision than before.

A look out of the side and back showed her that she was not too far off the road. Another deep breath later, she put the car in reverse, and gently pressed on the gas pedal. She heard the car's engine roaring up, felt the vibrations of the wheelspin go through every part of the car, but nothing happened; she did not move an inch.

In a mixture out of stubborn helplessness and madness, she tried the exact same thing five more times, not entirely surprisingly with the exact same result.

When, at last, she got out of the car, to try and figure out if there was something she could do, the full extent of how screwed she was here became clear to her. The hood of the car was firmly stuck in the snowbank and the tires more than halfway buried in deep snow.

Shivering, she slipped back onto the driver seat, turned on the reading light and fished her phone out of her purse. As every independent and self-providing adult in her situation, she did the only reasonable thing; she called her dad.

Her father spent the first ten minutes listing all she had done wrong here to land in this situation. And then another fifteen describing things she could try to get the car back on the road -none for which she had the necessary equipment. Eventually, he surrendered and told her he would call his automobile club and have a towing vehicle send to her.

Margaery couldn't help a queasy feeling once she'd hung up the phone, wishing she'd stayed on with him a little longer. The realisation that she was right in the middle of nowhere, all by herself was hitting her full force. Each and every urban legend that started exactly like that came to her mind precisely in those moments, and she quickly pressed the button for central locking and fished in her purse for her pepper spray.

Like that, with the heating cranked up all the way and the radio turned on she found it bearable.

The ninety minutes it took for the light's of the truck to appear in her rear-view mirror were among the longest in her life. Only with them, a new sense of uneasiness settled in her chest. She had absolutely no idea who was coming for her help, but they doubtlessly knew that she was stuck here all by herself.

Her hands tightened firmly around the can in her hand and even as she saw the tall, lean figure in the lights approaching she still shrieked when there was a knock to her window.

How fast this kind of anxiety could be replaced by absolute bewilderment she had not known previous to the pale, friendly looking face, and most definitely feminine features of a woman appearing at her car window.

She rolled down the window, and still a good deal confused. "You're the mechanic?"

As the words left her mouth, she felt incredibly stupid. She decided to put the biased way of expecting a man to the adrenaline that still coursed through every single cell in her body.

The woman did not take offence but merely shot her a smirk. "If that'll work for you."

Margaery allowed herself another moment to collect her nerves before unlocking the car and stepping out into the freezing night air. She stood by and took in the woman taking in the damage with the help of a flashlight.

"My first guess would be a broken front axle," the woman observed after a short while. "But we have no way of knowing until we get you back onto the street.

Margaery stood by as she gathered the towline connected to the truck and attached it beneath the rear bumper of her rental. The truck already being parked in an appropriate distance and angle, left the mechanic to only activate the towing mechanism by hitting a button on the side of the truck. The towline tightened, and after a second or so the car hitched out of the holes it had buried itself into. An ugly scratching noise followed once it moved back onto the concrete of the street.

Margaery stepped around the car together with the mechanic, and she grimaced once she saw the hood properly dented in. It looked like she had driven into a brick wall, not a simple snowbank. There went her deposit.

"I'm afraid you are done with driving for tonight," came the remark of the mechanic. "We'll have to take you back to the workshop."

"Shit," Margaery mumbled. So much for her hope to arrive by tomorrow morning.

The mechanic took Margaery in for a flash; shivering, with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Why don't you go ahead and sit in the truck? I'll have this up on the platform in a couple of minutes, and then we can get out of here."

The question of whether she needed any help was on the tip of Margaery's tongue, but she caught herself before she could make a fool out of herself. She did not know the first thing about cars, or any of this, and would be properly useless.

As instructed, she climbed into the driver's cabin, pulling her scarf lose at the comfortably heated air that surrounded her. A quick try at a google search showed her that the internet connection was more or less non-existent, and for a moment, she considered how lucky she had been to make a phone call. A night spent out here in this cold, middle of nowhere was anything but desirable.

Dropping her phone into her lap, she took a look over her shoulder. She saw through the window that the car was already loaded up onto the truck and the mechanic was just putting what appeared to be finishing touches on securing it properly.

The woman climbed into her seat a moment later. She ridded herself off her jacket, and gloves, shooting Margaery an encouraging smile as she moved along. "We'll probably be able to fix it within a couple of days. Nothing too complicated."

A couple of days were an eternity when you hardly had more than that off from work. "Any chance I can get a rental car from somewhere tonight?"

"Tonight?"

Margaery nodded and noticed perfectly manicured nails coloured with bright red nail polish -what kind of mechanic had hands like that?- turn the key in the ignition.

"Low chances to be honest," she answered after a moment of contemplation. "We have a couple of rental companies, but none of them will open before tomorrow morning."

Margaery made a small sound of frustration.

"Where were you headed at this time anyway?"

"Queenscrown," Margaery answered with a sigh. "My connecting flight was cancelled because of the weather."

"And you thought driving in this weather was the better option?" The daunting in her tone was evident, and Margaery glanced in her direction just in time to see her smirking.

Margaery pursed her lips, because, yes, hearing her say it out loud it did sound like an entirely foolish plan.

"You are not from the North, are you?"

"What gave me away? My extraordinary driving on icy roads?"

The mechanic chuckled. "That, yes," she gave her a quick glance up and down while steering the truck onto the road. "And your outfit choice."

Margaery frowned and glanced down on her woollen coat, scarf and leather boots. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

She received a smile and a shake of her head in return. "Forget I said something."

"No," Margaery insisted. "Please do tell."

The woman threw her another quick glance that suggested she'd humour her. "It's pretty." The way she said it did not exactly sound like a compliment. "And Northerners do not really look for pretty in their outfit choice but for practical and preventing hypothermia."

Instinctively Margaery's fingers picked at her Burberry coat and her large scarf. She was not wrong. It did look more like it was made for a stroll through a ski town than anything else.

"I didn't mean to offend you," the mechanic added a moment later.

An instinctive "You didn't." did not make it past Margaery's lips once she spotted the smile the other woman bit away. She had meant to offend her, even if it was just a little.

"It is my first time in the North," she answered instead. "I'm from the Reach."

"Long way from home," the woman noted and flung an intrigued glance Margaery's way. "What brings you to Queenscrown then? Boyfriend there?"

"No," Margaery returned. "My brother is stationed there for the past six months. He's been having sort of a rough time."

"Military?"

"Yes," she sighed in return.

She'd been worried about him; it was the longest time in all their life that they had not seen each other and he'd sounded depressed when they talked. She suspected it had some connection to the drama surrounding his forced transfer to the North, after all the uproar about the affair with his superior.

"I have a cousin who is stationed in Queenscrown," the mechanic gave back after a moment of silence. "It can be rough. Plus it's not exactly the North's advertising location for a vacation."

"No, it doesn't seem to be."

"The good news for you though is that we have a daily train from Wintertown that brings you there in under seven hours."

While seven hours was still a hell of a long time to get from one town to the next, Margaery accepted it as a silver lining. If only because it would save her from any more driving in this icy hell.

Even now, when she was not driving herself, those narrow, dark roads still made her anxious, and she wondered one more time how she had ever considered this a good idea.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she stole the one or other glance at the woman next to her. She was leading the truck so effortlessly and safely along the roads; not even lose her stability when fishing for a water bottle behind her seat that she held out to Margaery a moment later.

Most definitely not what she'd thought a mechanics hands to feel like, Margaery thought once again, when perfectly manicured and soft fingers brushed against her own. "Thanks."

"It'll only be another then minutes or so," the woman informed her when the first lights of the town came into view in the distance. "I have a friend who owns a B&B who might be able to set you up for the night. Chances to get a hotel room at this time are pretty low."

"Does this town have a curfew I am not aware of?" Margaery mumbled with a shake of her head, smiling when it brought a melodic laugh from the other woman.

"In winter it can feel a bit of a ghost town at night," she acknowledged.

Margaery found that statement proven when they drove through an almost empty main street. They passed a total of one other car on the roads, and all restaurants and even bars were pitch dark.

The mechanic pulled the truck into a driveway leading up to a big parking lot and an, in comparison, small garage at the other end of it.

"Let's get inside," she suggested. "I'll call my friend, and we'll finish the paperwork."

Margaery let herself be led through a roll-up gate, into a dark garage and workshop. They came to a stop in front of a door on the other end of it, that she unlocked. Subsequently, she switched on the light and led her into a comfortably heated office room with an adjoining kitchen.

"Have a seat," the mechanic told her gesturing to one of the desks while shrugging off her own jacket and pulling off her beanie.

For just a short moment, Margaery had trouble following the offer, finding herself entirely caught off guard by seeing the other woman in proper light for the first time. Out on the street and inside the truck she'd figured her to be easy on the eyes. Still, that vague assumption had by no means prepared her for the contrast of bright red hair, braided into a delicate updo, and sparkling blue eyes; not to mention her smile.

"How about a coffee?"

Clearing her throat, Margaery pulled at her scarf and fidgeted with the first buttons of her coat; then she managed a smile of her own. "That sounds divine."

The redhead stepped behind the desk Margaery had taken a seat at and pulled two forms out of a filing system, placing them in front of her along with a pen. "Why don't you get started on these and I'll get us some of that divine caffeine ."

Margaery nodded, shrugged her coat off and just as she'd leaned over the form, scanning the required fields. Only a second later her mind forgot all personal details she'd ever known. On her way to the small adjoining kitchen, the redhead had unzipped the top of her white overall, slipped out of the sleeves and tied them around her waist.

The form-fitting black sweater, with a plunging neckline and the dangling silver necklace, was not what Margaery had expected.

"Medium roast, okay?" she asked over her shoulder while fishing for the coffee capsules on one of the shelves.

Margaery nodded, but did not have her face under control fast enough for the other woman to see it. She smiled at Margaery still, turned back and filled the water drunk of the coffee machine.  Margaery focused again on the form in front of her, starting to fill in the first field, when a plate of chocolate chip cookies was placed in front of her.

"Help yourself," she said, taking one off the plate herself. "This is my best batch so far."

Margaery watched her as she spun around back to the kitchenette, taking two cups and saucers out of the cupboard. Absentmindedly she picked one of the cookies off the plate, taking a bite as she brought her attention back on the page before here.

"Oh wow," she muttered after only a short moment.

The redhead shot her a smile, while slipping a capsule into the coffee maker. "Good wow?"

Still chewing Margaery covered her lips with her fingers and nodded. "Absolutely." That had to be one of the best cookies she'd ever tried. She dropped the pen altogether and focused her full attention on eating the delicious treat.

"So you know your way around cars, and you bake?"

Redhead smiled as she took the first filled cup out from under the machine and placed it in front of Margaery. "Not talents you'd consider to go together?"

"No, I just think it an unfair division of talents." Margaery chuckled wiping her hands on a provided napkin. "I am useless in both the kitchen and in anything technical."

The other woman graciously sunk into her office chair, a cup of coffee in front of her; a cookie between her lips while turning on the computer and typing in her password.

"So, you own this place?"

Smiling eyes glanced away from the computer screen and at Margaery. "You sound surprised?"

Shaking her head already, Margaery still tried to piece her answer together so she would not be offended. "It's just… you don't seem like the type?"

Yeah, that not trying to sound offensive thing had gone down great for sure.

Luckily her opposite looked still more amused than offended, her smirk had turned a little broader, and she raised her eyebrows. "And what type did you expect to own a workshop?"

Not wanting to dig her own hole any deeper Margaery shook her head and shrugged. "Forget I said something, it was stupid."

"No, no, I'd like to hear more about how feminist and knowing how to do an oil change do not go together."

She was teasing her, her tone playful, so much that it actually finally drew a smile to Margaery's face.

She leaned forward then, her chin resting on crossed hands. "It's a family business. My sister owns it and runs the more practical side of it. I just help out with the administrative tasks and with some of the basic things I picked up along the way."

Content that not all her instincts had failed her Margaery focused her attention one more time back at the form.  "This is isn't your full-time job then."

"Does that disappoint you?"

Making a feigned thoughtful face Margaery tiled her head but gave her most dazzling smile. "Maybe a little?"

"I'm finishing my history MA this year."

"Impressive," she noted.

"Not as impressive as," she leaned over the table to get a better glance at what Margaery had managed to fill in on the form. "Surgical resident at KLU Hospital." Her eyes darted to the sheet one more time. "Margaery."

She said her name through a glance up at her and made it sound like it was her new favourite word.

"I couldn't do that," she added then, leaning back again, taking a sip from her coffee. "People's lives being your responsibility… that is a lot of pressure. Do you have a speciality in mind yet?"

"Neurological?"

Red-head chuckled. "That sounds like you are asking me."

Margaery rolled her eyes, "I might have been … struggling with that question for a while now."

Having the legacy of Olenna Tyrell to live up to a challenge she had always been happy to take on and succeed at. But the further she got in her residency, the less her grandmother's field of expertise seemed what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

A soft, so-very-not-a-mechanics' hand reached out and covered her own for a short moment. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Margaery bit her lip, her eyes drawn to the pale, warm hand on her own. She wasn't upset. But she also found that she didn't want the touch to go away.

"I'm fine," she settled on with a small smile. "Thanks."

To her joy the warm palm lingered for another moment, and the smile that was sent her way along with the touch was equally full of warmth.

The moment was interrupted by the buzzing sound of a phone ringing, and yet it still needed a couple of seconds to entirely leave them. Hands retracted, but blue eyes remained firmly on her for a long moment, even while she fished the phone out of her purse. The soft smile only wavering when her eyes darted to the name on the screen.

"Excuse me for a moment?" She pushed her chair back and got to her feet, taking the call into the workshop.

Margaery tried her best to gather her focus for long enough to finally fill out the insurance form but didn't get much further as parts of the redhead's voice reached her through the door cracked open.

She sounded apologetic, Margaery was sure she made out the word "Sorry" a couple of times and something along the lines of "I don't think this will work out.".

The woman's smile had dimmed when she returned to the desk; a frown on her forehead, while she was clearly avoiding to look at Margaery just then, fiercely clicking at something on her screen.

"Is everything okay?"

Margaery could see on her expression how she went from wanting to tell her everything was fine, to actually settling on the truth once she looked at her.

With a heavy sigh, she fell back against her chair. "I'm just so bad at this."

Margaery was unable to help the lopsided smile any more than her words. "I thought we settled on me envying you because you are not bad at anything?"

That managed to wipe the tension of the other woman's face for a short moment, and she chuckled. "Sorry to disenchant you there."

It burned on Margaery's tongue to ask what exactly happened, but it did not feel like within her right towards someone she'd met only a good two hours ago.

Luckily she didn't have to ponder over boundaries, because the redhead rested her chin on a hand, looking at her with a half-smile. "Full disclosure?" she asked with a sigh. "I was sort of on a date when your call came in."

"Oh."

Margaery hoped that it sounded apologetic like she intended and did not give away too much of truckload of disappointment she felt emptied over her head.

It figured that she was seeing someone; looking like she did, she was probably one of those girls who did not stay single for longer than a very short period of time in-between relationships.

The other woman made a dismissive hand gesture. "It serves me right for making plans when I'm on-call. I simply did not assume anyone would be foolish enough to drive tonight."

She gave Margaery another one of those teasing smiles, that had excited Margaery before, only now it felt border lining on cruel.

"At last an explanation for your outfit," Margaery pointed out, wanting to talk about anything but her date. "I figured that wasn't your typical attire beneath your working clothes."

The redhead looked down on herself. "Oh. No. Sorry to disappoint you."

Oh, you have no idea.

Finding it hard to look at her Margaery glanced own and tapped the pen against the still only halfway finished form. "I'm still sorry for ruining your night."

A shrug went over slender shoulders. "There was not a whole lot to be ruined." Margaery glanced up just in time to see one of those gorgeous smiles sent her way. "If anything I feel I should give you a discount, for giving me a reason to get out of there."

Margaery's finger tightened around the pen, drawing small lines along the edge of the sheet, glad to have something to focus on, despite the tall, gorgeous woman in front of her. "Bad match?"

"Actually no," came the prompt reply. "She was lovely."

She. Margaery had a hard time just about then to suppress a joyous smile that wanted to spread over her face.

"But?"

"But," her eyes were fastened on Margaery in a way that had warmth rise to cheeks. "There was no chemistry."

This woman had a way of emphasising single, harmless words in a way that did things to Margaery. She was not someone who blushed or got flustered, but that woman had her as close to it as she ever was.

"And in my experience, that is nothing that develops over time."

"No," Margaery agreed in a quiet tone. "That's not something you can force."

When her eyes darted from her face to her hands Margaery thought for a moment she'd reach out again; the question that came instead felt a little like a cold shower. "Would you like another coffee?"

"I shouldn't," she pressed out through a forced smile, hands cupping the empty coffee cup.

The soft smile remained in place, but she pushed back her chair. "Perhaps we should be going then. It's late."

Margaery could not say what she had expected, if she should have expected anything, but this felt cut all too short. Still, she followed suit to the other woman getting to her feet. Was it possible that she had read the situation so false? Hyped up on all that leftover adrenaline and caffeine, she couldn't exclude it.

The other woman went on peeling herself out of the rest of her overall, and Margaery failed graciously at not appearing too obvious in not admiring the tight jeans that revealed themselves underneath.

"I just came out of a ten-day night shift," she told her, in an attempt to fill the silence, shrugging her own coat back on. "This is basically lunchtime for me."

"I imagine it's hard to get into a normal rhythm after that." Her curves accented so well by the clothing disappeared underneath a thick black down coat.

"Hence my nightly driving, trying to make the best of a sleepless night." Margaery shrugged, fishing the unfinished forms off the desk. "What do I do with these?"

"You can drop them off tomorrow. No rush." The door leading back to the workshop was held open to her.  

It was cold in the garage and Margaery wrapped her arms around herself while the other woman locked the door behind them. "Did you ever call your friend?" Margaery wondered out loud. "About that room?"

"I haven't."

All the sudden Margaery found eyes looking at her with new intensity.

"I still can if you want me to," she added, taking a slow step towards her, playing with the keys she held between long fingers.

Margaery swallowed, a tentative smile forming on her lips. Every nerve ending in her body felt suddenly on alert; in the very best way. "That depends on the alternative."

"You could come back to my place."

Heat coiled inside Margaery.

Without a doubt she was crazy to consider it; off the top of her head, there were twenty very good reasons why this was a bad idea.

Only she'd also never been more certain she'd regret not doing something for all eternity.

The redhead stood tall in front of her, still in a reasonable distance, but that could not lessen any of the intensity this moment had. For the first time tonight, there was a hint of shyness in her features, an indicator that this was not something she did on a daily basis.

It was just that quality that had Margaery nod her head at last. "If you'll have me."

A soft smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "My pleasure."

She let herself be led to exit towards the parking lot, where she came to a stop in the door that was held open for her. In the lights from the street, she saw blue eyes taking her in.

"One more thing," Margaery said, looking up at her, pursing her lips for a moment.

She received an expectant look in return.

"What's your name?"

The redhead chuckled melodically. "Sansa. Sansa Stark."

Margaery pushed herself off the door frame then and went a couple of steps backwards into the parking lot. "Pleasure to meet you, Sansa."

[thelostandforgottenangel]

Could you do an angst Fic? I want you just to run with it but I want to see something to do with a crash maybe the ocean in some way... I don't know use your own character but please do something just heartwrenching for us ... Only if you want too

Not my best writing but... Here you go Sorry it took me so long

She had boltedfrom the lair hours ago running to the garage hopping in her truck she andDonnie had been working on for the last two days turning the engine over beforepulling out racing down the street heading for the coast just wanting to getfar away from the source of her pain as possible

Raphael had losthis temper again and she was the one to take the brunt of it all

She had beendriving for an hour only stopping long enough to get her a drink at a gasstation before heading for a part of the coast that was quiet and abandonedmeaning it would be safe to go and calm down, let him cool off before headingback to tell him she was sorry

She had justturned towards the road that headed towards the stretch of beach when sherealized somebody was following her looking up in the rear view mirror as shetook the curve seeing the SUV was staying on her tail as she started to pullover like she was looking for something going to let them go around her seeingthem pulling up behind her

Within secondsseveral men were getting out of the vehicle with guns in hand

Purple dragons

She grabbed herphone from the seat as she hit the gas taking off fast hearing their angryyells jumping back when she shot off seeing them getting back in the car flyingafter the retreating truck as she hit the phone button feeling the truck jarsideways as they hit her from behind, her phone dialed the first number thatcame up before she got hit again knocking it out of her hands

She wasn’t sureif it had been picked up as she screamed out when they pulled up next to hersideswiping the right side as the left hit the guardrail sending a high pitchedscreech into the air as she tried to force them back over “BACK OFFJERKS…. Someone if you answered the phone-” she looked up as theyslammed on their breaks before the car slammed into the back of hers as shetried to lose them

Whoever was therebehind her moved back up this time forcing her into the side harder before shesaw the car tipping she forced the wheel over pushing them back looking up tolate to see the curve where there was a dead drop off down into the ocean, sheimmediately slammed her foot down on the break pad only to realize to herhorror nothing was happening to slow her down

Her breaksweren’t working “No – no come on not now!”

She tried to pushthe door open only to find it was wedged shut before the truck slammed into theguardrail flying over the side when if flipped sending the vehicle into a freefall

~~~~

She couldn’tscream as the truck dropped fast hitting the water hard slamming her forwardalmost knocking the woman unconscious as she bounced off the door dazed for amoment looking up as she went under the surface seeing as she dropped thepressure was cracking the windshield before she looked down seeing the cab wasfilling with water fast grabbing her seat belt trying to get it loose jerkingon it hoping it would unlock as the water got higher wishing she would havethought to grab her bag hitting the glass hard with her elbow feeling fearrising with every foot the water came up

She hit the glassseveral times before trying to get her seat belt free when the belt tightenedas she tilted her head as she gasped for air when the water got to her neckletting her terror get the best of her “HELP ME… RAPH!!!”

She took one moredeep breath ducking down so the water went over her face holding her breathtrying to stay calm as she hit the window with her elbow just wanting to getthe glass cracked before wiggled the buckle hard feeling it had become stuckgetting the belt to loosen up on her body shifting in the seat pushing upwardgetting her head up to catch one last deep breath before the water took overthe rest of the cab dropping back down looking around having to close her eyesas the salt water burned them feeling her way around trying to find somethingto cut the restrains

She had fiveminute to get out until holding her breath would become unbearable knowing shewouldn’t let it go until she had given up and she wasn’t giving up – not untilshe got to tell Raphael she was sorry for being a brat

She quicklystarted kicking at the windshield from her prone position trying to force itout pushing hard until it became obvious to her panicked mind it wasn’t goingto move even though it had cracked it was compressed down by the water pressuretrying again to kick the windows just needing to break one since neither of thedoors were coming open when she pushed on them feeling the cab jerk wonderingif she had just hit the bottom

She heardsomething hit the window to the left opening her eyes a she caught a glimpse ofa dark figure backing off slightly just seeing a dark blob before leaningforward seeing a three fingered hand showing her a welcomed sight

One of the guyshad found her

Her smaller bodyshifted moving forward reaching out to touch the glass placing her hand overwhere the other’s rested unable to make out who it was with her vision blurredsmiling threw the panic that was filling her body unable to keep it togetherfor much longer hitting the window once as her lungs started burning waving forhim to listen to her quickly signing to him a small message seeing the figurefreeze before he placed a hand on the glass quickly doing a hand motion ‘Tellhim yourself’ she waved for him to get her out understanding as thefigure shifted back looking around tapping the glass twice before they was gonefrom her line of sight

She understoodthe tap meaning they were trying to get her out but at the last second oftrying to push the door out something sliced her arm looking down to see redwisps curling into the water from the deep wound making her cry out when thesalt water hit the open cut before she could stop herself the air left herlungs in several large bubbles before water filled her mouth choking to clearher throat of the foreign intruder but more filled its place

Her body startedstruggling for air hands searching for the object so she could cut the strapkeeping her pinned to the seat

She looked upjust in time to see the figure return before her vision tunneled

… … …  … … ……

Raphael had beenout for over an hour trying to find the girl

He had gone tothe garage two minutes after her going to apologize to her knowing she had justbeen worried about him and how had he repaid her concern; he had spun on hergrabbing her by her throat yelling so loud it had drawn his brothers to thekitchen seeing the way she had stared at him before she had taken off runningpast the brothers when he whirled around throwing the cup that had been in hishand

He never wantedto see that look again as long as he lived… at least not from her

He had walked intothe garage area looking around for her when he realized the small pickup theyhad been working on was gone grabbing his leather riding suit before gettinghis bike shoving his helmet on his head just as he took off looking everywhereshe could have gone wondering if she had ditched the truck to go hang out at afriends

He was debatingwhether to check them when his phone had rang pulling the motorcycle over fastanswering it when he saw it was his friends number seeing her picture flashingon the screen “Ay where the hell are ya at I been all over this damn…” hecould hear several banging sounds at the exact moment she started screaming onthe other side as what sounded like something scrapping against metal met hisears hearing a choked cry as it happened again

“BACK OFF JERKS….Someone if you answered the phone - No – no come on not now!”

He took off downthe road when the line went silent after hearing what sounded like a crashbefore she had cried out as the truck slammed into something tracking her signalseeing her phone had stopped moving ten minutes out by the ocean before herphone’s signal was gone

He flew down theroad faster heading for the position she had last been at looking around seeingtire marks looking at how they seemed to come together before he slowed downlooking around hating the way his gut started to tell him something was reallywrong

Once the tracksstarted getting more sporadic he stopped pulling the bike off to the sidebehind some brush so it couldn’t be seen from the road checking the area overas he headed back to the side following the tracks able to piece together whatwas happening

Whoever had beendriving the car that was being slammed into the guardrail over and over hadbeen fighting to stay on the road veering away from the drop off to push theother car back

Someone had beenafter her and they didn’t care if she was dead or alive in the end “AY!BABE! C’mon where ya at…?”

He looked uphoping to see her sitting on the side of the street next to the rocks but therewas no sign of her looking off to the side overlooking the ocean praying if shehad gotten out she hadn’t fell over the side… or whoever had come after herhadn’t grabbed her

He took a quickstep back when something made him look over before his feet took off runningdown the road seeing where the cars had gone before stopping as his golden eyeslanded on the curve where there was more damage to the guardrail only this timeit looked like one of the vehicles had slammed into the side seeing a frontbumper lying off the side wrapped over the railing that had snapped on impact

He tried to trackthe tires to see which car had slammed into it before seeing the attacking carhad slammed on their breaks before driving on down the road fast to leave thescene but the second hadn’t even tried to stop hitting the thick metal bar at areckless high speed looking around before seeing some water on the road thirtyfeet back having walked past it until he realized it hadn’t rained in overthree weeks

He lifted theface mask to his helmet touching the liquid seeing it was oily before sniffingat it -  break fluid – her breaks had been cut leaking down the road andthat was where it had finally exploded meaning even if she had tried to stop itwouldn’t have worked

This had all beenplanned

He quicklyapproached the side looking over not seeing anything below before his eyeslanded on the bumper she had to have been going fast because it hadn’t shiftedfrom the angle it had hit seeing at the last second she had tried to turn thewheel

He looked downagain seeing a sticker on the edge it was messed up but he recognized it sincea certain female had stuck it to the metal while she and Donatello had beenunder the hood

He pulled hishelmet off as he fished his phone out of his pocket dialing the woman’s phonehearing it going straight to voicemail moving to go get his motorcycle asDonnie started ringing him looking down seeing her phone was close by notunderstanding until something in his chest made him turn around looking down atthe railing again

~ RAPHIE! ~

He jumped back atthe sudden screech in his head looking around wondering where it had come frombefore looking back to the water twenty feet below when it connected, he hitthe panic button that had been programmed to be on the screen of all the cellsDonatello had made before dialing Leonardo’s phone putting it on speaker as hepulled his riding suit off tossing it over the bent rail placing his phone inhis helmet laying it down gently as he saw the line had been answered

“Ay Fearlessfollow my phone’s signal and get here quick, I found 'er – I think” he couldhear Leo saying something but didn’t have time to listen running back a fewfeet having to swallow down the fear that rose in his gut hating that he wasabout to have to jump but by the looks of things the girl was still in thetruck “Fuck pray ‘m wrong…”

~~~~~

He took a deep breathletting it out slowly before bolting forward jumping over the side droppingtowards the water getting a lung full of air before he was under the waterlooking up to scan in front of him, he could usually see pretty well but wasunable to see much nonetheless the outlined shape of the truck was easy to makeout on the light sand covered floor below him

He surfaced for amoment not sure how far down it was but could only guess he was up for a swim,she had to be a good fifty feet down if not more

It took a momentbut he got a big breath diving down fast swimming straight for the bottomgetting there faster than he thought he would seeing the cab shaking beforeseeing a small form kicking around trying to break the glass

He dropped nextto the driver side seeing the woman was in the seat with her feet against thewindshield pushing with all her might before he saw the way her hair wasfloating panicking when it hit him the cab was full of water pulling on thedoor hard trying to pull it open as he saw the driver’s side was demolishedpushing upward landing on the other side seeing she was still holding herbreath but she was human it would only last so long he pulled on the doorseeing it was the same as the driver side and he had no traction to get the dooroff with the sand shifting under his feet

He quickly wentback to the driver door as the woman kicked at the window hard looking aroundwith her hands for something to help her keeping her eyes closed; he tapped onthe window seeing the way she recoiled when her eyes shot open looking at himin fear before he placed his hand on the glass feeling his heart soar as sherelaxed seeing his three fingered hand

She knew it wasone of them

She shifted inthe seat letting him see she was restrained to the seat by her belt he had toldDonnie needed replaced before she reached out placing her hand against theglass under his grinning brightly but he could see she was frightened and wasrunning out of air fast looking like she was seconds from losing it

She hit the windowonce answering what he already knew she couldn’t hold it anymore as she startedsigning to him saying something that he almost didn’t catch

‘Tell Raphie I’msorry’

His heart jumpedinto his throat as she placed a hand back on the window waiting for hisresponse making him do a quick hand motion telling her she could do it herselfseeing a resolve in her face as she started waving for him to get her out as heshifted looking for a way to actually accomplish that before tapping the glasstwice getting a nod from her

She understoodbefore he kicked off the floor rising fast to the surface getting more airbefore plunging back under the water pulling his sai wedging it between thedoor and roof trying to pry it open from the top as she kicked at the door hardfrom inside 

She suddenlystopped moving a moment before air bubbles float past him looking down seeingshe was struggling holding a hand over her mouth as the other searched blindlyfor something as he hit the glass drawing her attention to him the moment hereyes dulled closing seconds later

He tried hittingthe glass harder but she didn’t move seeing her long rose gold locks werehaloing around her head realizing too late she had lost her air as he turnedhis sai holding tight to the base keeping the spikes along his arm punching theglass seeing it seemed unbreakable hitting it two more times before the glassfinally shattered under his knuckles

He knocked allthe glass out quickly reaching forward grabbing her trying to pull her outforgetting she was still hooked to the seat digging into his weapons pouchpulling out a throwing star, sawing the belt off and yanking her free of thetruck kicking off the bottom keeping her tightly pressed against him

They broke thesurface a moment later as he gasp for air pulling her up so her head was abovethe water calling out to her as he shook the woman in his armslooking her over seeing she wasn’t moving brushing her hair out of her facelooking for any signs she was okay glancing around quickly spotting the beach afew yards away “Jus hang on for me… I gotcha jus hold on fer me”

He wanted to gether out of the water fast so he pulled her onto his chest keeping his shellbeneath them as he swam closer until his foot brushed the bottom picking her upin his arms as he got out of the water dropping onto the sand patting her facehoping to stir her pressing his hand to her throat when she didn’trespond “Babe… ay c’mon” he pressed his fingers firmly intoher neck looking her over when he didn’t find a pulse

He startedfeeling sick as his eyes locked on her seeing she was white wondering how longit had been since she stopped breathing before his mind snapped making him move

Raphael beganpushing on her still chest with one hand making sure his movements were firmbut gentle while supporting her head in the other fearing he might fracture herribs if he pushed too hard.

She didn’trespond to it still unmoving as he looked up to see if his brother’s had foundthem yet so he was on his own watching for any signs of life from the woman, hequickly remembered what Donatello had taught them about CPR for a reason justin case something like this ever happened and he wasn’t around

He carefullyleaned her head back to open her airways puffing air into her mouth beforepulling back pushing down on the fragile chest again as small amount of waterbegan to run out from between those pale lips telling him what he alreadyfeared.

Her lungs werefilled with water.

He leaned downbreathing into her again pumping her chest several more times putting moreforce into his movements “C’mon,  breathe...” he beggedquietly watching her face for any signs that it was working.

Raphael puffedmore air into her mouth holding tight to her face pulling back to do more chestcompressions looking her over quickly “Open yer eyes – c’mon pleasewake up… don’t leave me-”

His heart jumpedas she suddenly started choking moving her head to the side as she heavedgasping for air as water came up in short gushes hitting the sand under her,Raphael finally found he was able to breathe himself sitting up taking thewoman into his arms, patting her on the back and bouncing her lightly on hislap when she wrapped her arms around his neck holding tight to him.

“There ya go” hesoothed, “Just breathe. Let it out. I got ya get it out”

Her bodyshuttered as she began to sob clinging tight to him mumbling something underher ragged breaths as she looked up for an instant still looking lifeless asshe looked over his face “Raphie – you…” she was shifting inRaphael’s lap regurgitating what seemed like a gallon of water keeping a gripon his arm coughing between the flow of sea water exiting her body until hepulled her up patting her on the back hard hearing her spitting out theruminants that still filled her mouth “You found me” he lookeddown as her dulled blue eyes found his golden before he was hugging her tightlyhearing the ragged intakes of air into her lungs as she held onto him for dearlife smiling when he looked down at the woman in his arms “You heardme… I didn’t think you’d find me”

“No matter whatthe hell I say I’ll always find ya” their eyes met againsomething unspoken between them before she dragged him closer pressing her lipsto his pulling him down so his mouth was flush to hers before she pulled awaylooking over his face with a soft blush coloring her cheeks as his golden orbsopened looking her over carefully as she moved back realizing just what she haddone “That was – uh… was that a thanks”

Her eyes came upslowly with a small shrug not meeting his gaze “Maybe-” hereyes watered slightly before she turned away from him unsure how to explain allof that without feeling stupid “Or it was just cause I have beenwanting to-”

A deep chuckleleft him before he lifted her chin crushing his lips against hers leaving herlimp in his grasp “Good - cause I feel like it sucked as gratitudeafter scaring me like that you little shit” he pulled her back beforeshe could say anything and kissed her again going to do so until he waspositive she would be okay

[themurphyzone]

Oneshot: Make Believe

Summary: When actors from Darkwing Duck go missing, Drake Mallard and Launchpad are beyond ecstatic to finally have a case that doesn’t just involve stopping a Beagle Boy from purse-snatching. But hero work always leads to a dangerous truth. 

Drake Mallard flopped onto his bed with a splitting headache. He’d spent two hours on a stakeout and the only action he had was just another Beagle Boy purse-snatching. That old lady should’ve been grateful, but she screamed about killer shadows returning and smacked him in the head with her purse. 

He groaned and reached for a bottle of painkillers. Seriously, what did she keep in that thing anyway? 

Rocks, bricks, and medieval torture devices? 

He’d only taken up the mantle a few weeks ago. Drake knew he shouldn’t expect results right away, but he figured there would at least be a journalist or two seeking a new and fresh story. 

He was still an unknown figure in Duckburg, so he had to brainstorm ways to boost his public image. Business transactions at McDuck Enterprises, failed revenge schemes at Glomgold Industries, and Gizmoduck dominated the local Duckburg news. He needed to take a case that would supersede all three of those things, something that would circulate through the major networks and social media alike for weeks. 

Roxanne Featherly criticized everybody she reported on, but Drake was willing to tackle negative publicity. If he could prove his own bullies wrong as a duckling, he could certainly shatter expectations all over again. 

And maybe, just maybe, he could inspire a kid to triumph against the world. 

He could be a hero. 

A sudden rumble shook the foundations of his apartment, and Drake instantly went on alert. 

“Who’s there?” he called, throwing open the door to his bedroom. “I’ll have you know, I was top of the class in Quack Fu! Beware my fists of fury, thieve!” 

But the living room only contained a couch, a TV, a table, the front half of a limousine sticking out of the wall-

“If you’re trying to kidnap me, you’re doing a very poor job! And I definitely don’t appreciate your pitiful attempt at redecoration!” Drake shouted, his fists raised in a basic defensive position. 

“AH! THERE’S A KIDNAPPER IN HERE?” someone screeched. 

“Aha! So you admit your motive!” Drake exclaimed triumphantly. In the darkness, he could only make out vague shapes. But there was a tall, muscular someone in front of him. That was an undeniable fact.  

“Have at you, fiend!” Drake yelled, rushing at the tall, blobby shape and knocking it down. He drew his fist back, but his attacker’s hat fell off, revealing bright red hair that no darkness could ever hide. 

“THE KIDNAPPER’S GOT ME! HE’S GONNA SACRIFICE ME TO THE MOLE MONSTERS!” 

“Wait, Launchpad?” Drake asked, lowering his fist. He knew that voice. He never would’ve tried the hero gig for real without it. 

“HE KNOWS MY NAME! NOW HE CAN MIND CONTROL ME WITH A MAGICAL AMULET!” 

Drake scrambled off Launchpad and turned on the lights. “Launchpad, we’re the only ones in here. There’s no kidnapper.” 

Launchpad sat up, scratching his head as he surveyed the living room, his eyes falling on the damaged wall and limo. He chuckled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “Oops, guess I’d better let Mr. McDee know about this. He’s not gonna like it though...so, how are you?” 

He popped the question like they just randomly saw each other in the grocery store. 

“Disregarding the whole kidnapping and crashed limo thing? I’ve been better, I guess,” Drake shrugged. “Mostly I was just hoping I could stop something bigger than a Beagle Boy purse-snatching.” 

“Stopping a theft is good,” Launchpad said earnestly. “Stealing is wrong.” 

Drake knew Launchpad was right, though sometimes the childlike honesty was a little uncomfortable. 

“I saved the purse without too much trouble, but I was smacked in the head by its owner,” Drake said. 

“Gee, that’s too bad,” Launchpad winced. “It hurts just thinking about it.” 

“Yup,” Drake sighed. He turned on the TV, quickly flipping to the news when the screen displayed a rerun of Darkwing Duck. 

Launchpad didn’t protest or comment on the switch. The circumstances under Jim Starling’s disappearance were too fresh on their minds. Through some unspoken agreement, they refused to consider the possibility of their idol’s death. 

Jim Starling. 

Drake didn’t know how to feel about him anymore. On one hand, Starling saved their lives. But on the other, Drake and Launchpad’s lives wouldn’t have needed saving if Starling hadn’t set the studio ablaze with his jealousy-induced rage. 

Drake thought he’d honored Starling by accepting the role in Boorswan’s rather...unique vision. 

But Starling just considered him a knock-off replacement. 

“Hey, Launchpad,” Drake said quietly. Launchpad’s gaze tore away from a clip of Gizmoduck accidentally beaning Roxanne Featherly with a lemon meringue pie during an interview. “You told me to honor Jim by taking up Darkwing Duck. How do you know I’m just not replacing him?”

“Cause you aren’t,” Launchpad insisted. “Let’s say you and Jim are both pilots instead of actors and you’re both working under this really important guy. Then Jim goes missing for a decade and during that time the important guy hires you to pilot him around. Then Jim comes back, you wanna meet him, then he yells in your face in a houseboat and storms off. Get the picture?”

Drake forced a smile. “Uh, yeah! Oddly specific analogies really help me get the picture. Thanks.”

Launchpad clapped him on the back so hard that Drake nearly fell off the couch. “No problemo,” he said, his attention returning to the TV. “Huh, they got a missing person case going on.” 

Drake leapt to his feet. “A missing person case?” he exclaimed, suddenly feeling wide awake. He quickly turned up the volume. 

“-actor-turned-salesman Jack Russell has been reported missing. He was last seen walking by the water cooler factory in the industrial district. The investigation is still pending.” 

A picture of Jack Russell flashed onscreen. The dog’s hair and muzzle had long turned gray, but there was no mistaking those long, floppy ears and enormous nose. 

“Is that-” Drake gasped. 

“The actor who used his background as a salesman to deliver rapid-fire marketing-based threats as the Liquidator!” Launchpad exclaimed. “Man, that’s too bad. Vanished into thin air like Jim.” 

“Like Jim,” Drake agreed. “You don’t suppose there could be a-” 

“-suspicious connection behind the disappearances!” Launchpad and Drake finished together. 

“Now that we’ve established that particular possibility, let’s head to the industrial district, partner!” Drake exclaimed. 

“Partner?” Launchpad gasped. He bounced up and down uncontrollably. 

“Sidekick doesn’t have the same ring to it,” Drake admitted. “You get the limo outta the wall, I’ll get into my costume, and together we’ll solve this mystifying mystery perpetuated by the machinations of the malicious criminal mind!” 

Launchpad’s jaw dropped open. “You’re really good at that alliteration thing!” 

Drake grinned as he disappeared into his bedroom. “Don’t wanna boast, but I was one of the best drama students in my school!” he called over his shoulder as he donned his Darkwing Duck costume for the second time that night. 

“Duckburg. A peaceful, quiet night. The moon and stars shine over the empty streets, not a soul to be seen. Yet not all are slumbering peacefully in their homes, for villains lurk somewhere in the shadows. For he is the terror that flaps in the night, the typo in the villain’s manifesto, he is Darkwing Duck!” 

The limo swerved to the side, the front bumper clipping a stop sign. Darkwing yelped and grabbed the seat with both hands, wishing he hadn’t ignored his agent’s suggestion of creating a will. 

“Great monologue!” Launchpad said, still applauding. 

“Uh, Launchpad...if you don’t mind, WE ARE ABOUT TO CRASH INTO THE BRIDGE!” 

Darkwing covered his eyes in preparation for the inevitable.

“Love the dramatic flair, especially when you say-oh no, the bridge!” 

Darkwing smacked his bill against the glove compartment as the limo’s front slammed against the concrete support beam of the bridge. His seat belt was the only thing that saved him from being flung out the window. 

Shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness, Darkwing grappled for the door latch and stumbled out, clinging to a telephone pole for support while his heart rate slowed to a less dangerous hypertensive level. 

“Oops,” Launchpad grinned sheepishly. “At least we’re at the factory now. So are you going to use your superior sleuthing abilities to catch the crook?” 

Finally recovering from his near-death experience, Darkwing straightened up. “There’s no guarantee we’ll catch the crook now, partner. But there could be some kind of clue. Signs of a struggle, a form of identification, something.” 

Launchpad tsked. “It’ll be awful hard to find a clue with all this litter lying around.” He scooped up an armful of discarded advertisements. “There a trash can around here?” 

Something small and rectangular slid out of Launchpad’s arms, landing face-up at Darkwing’s feet. A duck’s head was emblazoned across what Darkwing initially assumed to be a business card. 

But business cards didn’t normally depict masked, malicious-looking ducks. Darkwing scrutinized the card, even using a magnifying glass in case the words were written in very fine, small print. But there was no name, no address, no telephone number. 

There was nothing written on the back either. 

“Launchpad, we found a calling card,” Darkwing said as the taller duck returned from dumping the advertisements into a trash can. “I have a theory that it was purposely planted by the perpetrator.” 

Launchpad only looked at the card for ten seconds before pulling away, his shoulders hunched and his eyes uneasy. “He looks kinda like you.” 

“Well, I can see it in the beak and face, but my hat is way more stylish. Who wants to go around wearing a ragged stop sign on their heads?” Darkwing said, deliberately turning the card face-down. 

He didn’t want to look at the card for longer than necessary. Something about that smile with sharp, yellowed teeth made him nervous. He ran a hand through his cheek feathers, praying they weren’t as ragged as the picture on the card. 

“You alright, DW?” Launchpad asked. 

“I’m fine. This lead is a bust though. We should find a-wait, DW?” Darkwing asked, the nickname halting millions of questions that were currently running through his head. 

Launchpad nodded. “I want to call you something too. I mean, I know the show usually called him ‘the Darkwing’ or ‘the Masked Mallard’ or something but I can come up with something else if you want. I got it! I’ll call you the Purple Pimperbill!” 

DW didn’t have a bad ring to it. But mostly he wasn’t keen on being saddled with the second suggestion. 

“DW sounds great, LP,” Darkwing said. 

“Darkwing Duck gave me a nickname,” Launchpad breathed, collapsing in a dead faint. 

While waiting for Launchpad to wake up, Darkwing flicked through the local news on his phone. 

So far, the police had discovered nothing. It seemed like everyone was banking on Gizmoduck to rescue Jack Russell. Well, almost everyone. Roxanne Featherly was adamant that the police could handle it and Gizmoduck should keep his oversized wheel out of the way. 

For once, Darkwing was inclined to agree with her. Gizmoduck just didn’t seem like the investigating type to him. 

Another headline popped up. 

BREAKING NEWS: ESTEEMED UNIVERSITY OF DUCKBURG PROFESSOR DR. TINO CHICKPEA KIDNAPPED IN BIOLOGY LAB. CLICK TO SEE SECURITY FOOTAGE. 

Tino Chickpea. Bushroot’s actor, Darkwing recalled. His love for plants wasn’t just a trait made up by the show.

Launchpad coughed, finally coming back to the conscious world.

“Glad to see you awake,” Darkwing said, practically shoving his phone in Launchpad’s face. “We have a video lead now! Whoever our kidnapper is, he’s not smart enough to avoid getting caught on camera!”

He played the video.

The security feed didn’t have audio, but Darkwing could practically hear Dr. Chickpea gently encourage his budding sunflowers. As the professor measured water in a beaker, shards of glass scattered across the floor. A caped figure stalked towards Dr. Chickpea, who didn’t appear to notice the intruder until the very last second. His beak went wide, but the intruder knocked him out with a single blow to the head.

Launchpad rubbed his own head as if he could feel the migraine that sort of attack would inevitably cause.

The intruder slung Dr. Chickpea over his shoulder like a dead weight, then lingered by the desk for several seconds as he removed something from his pocket and shut it inside a drawer. 

With a flourish of his black cape, the intruder faced the security camera. 

Black mask. Ragged, crimson hat. Messy feathers. 

Darkwing compared the face on the card to the criminal in the video. It was a perfect match.  

The intruder laughed directly into the security camera lens. Though Darkwing couldn’t hear it, he was pretty sure living bodies weren’t supposed to contort like that. 

Finally, the intruder sauntered offscreen with Dr. Chickpea in tow. 

The video was over. 

“He left the calling card here, Launchpad,” Darkwing said, pushing down the uneasy feeling in his stomach. “And deliberately planted evidence among Dr. Chickpea’s beloved plants.” 

“I thought he put it in a drawer,” Launchpad said. 

“They’re in the same room. It still counts,” Darkwing replied. He struck a heroic, confident pose to rid himself of his previous misgivings. A kidnapper that had successfully nabbed two former Darkwing Duck actors was running rampant and needed to be stopped after all. “We should get to that bio lab. To the limo, partner! We’re going to the University of Duckburg!” 

“Alright! I haven’t been to that place since I accidentally crashed the Sunchaser into the field by the Fine Arts building!” Launchpad exclaimed. 

It normally took half an hour to reach the university from the industrial district, but Launchpad’s driving shortened the journey by fifteen minutes. Though Darkwing held a great preference to not bumping into curbs with every turn of the wheel, he had to admit that Launchpad saved plenty of time. 

As Launchpad pulled into an alley to avoid parking next to the police cars surrounding the street in front of the university, Darkwing searched for a layout of the campus online. He found a color-coded map that would suit their purposes tonight. 

Much to his surprise, the biology building wasn’t far from the giant archway in front of them that marked the university’s entrance. That would greatly simplify the investigation. 

Now it was just a matter of sneaking past the police officers. 

“Here’s the plan, LP,” Darkwing said, snapping his fingers in front of Launchpad’s face when his expression glazed over from the nickname. “We’ll work on your fainting habit after this case is wrapped up, but our main priority is getting past those officers.” 

“Or we could just ask them for information,” Launchpad said. 

Darkwing shook his head. “While that would be our simplest option, I’m not a recognizable public figure yet. They’d probably just mistake us for costumed partygoers.” 

“Too bad you’re not Gizmoduck levels of recognizable yet, huh?” Launchpad asked. 

“And what does that mechanical menace have that I don’t?” Darkwing muttered, painfully aware of how Gizmoduck content had a tendency to circulate around social media. Sure, most of the videos consisted of suit malfunctions, but the recognition levels were the part that counted. 

Launchpad pointed to the university. “The police’s attention for one thing.”

“Huh?” Darkwing peeked out of the alley, concealing his beak with his cape so the bright color didn’t give away their hiding place. 

Sure, Gizmoduck was the self-proclaimed superhero of Duckburg and finding a kidnapper naturally came with the territory, but that didn’t mean Darkwing was pleased to see him. The mechanical menace’s beak flapped multiple times as if he was speaking a mile a minute. Several of the officers held pens and paper out, which Gizmoduck quickly signed before trying to get back on topic. 

One of the officers pinched the edge of Gizmoduck’s beak and gently shook it, much to his embarrassment. 

Darkwing didn’t like Gizmoduck, but he knew this was their best opportunity to sneak past the officers. 

And seeing Gizmoduck being treated like a little boy was comedy gold. Too bad his phone camera didn’t capture videos from this distance. 

Darkwing and Launchpad crept out of the alley, ducking behind a police car for cover. 

“M’maaa...ma’am I must ask that you focus on the question please,” Gizmoduck declared. “Did the kidnapper leave any fingerprints or other forms of evidence behind?”

“Are you sure you aren’t wearing yourself thin?” a brown-feathered officer asked. She looked torn between wanting to hug Gizmoduck and maintaining a certain professional distance. 

“He doesn’t look good,” Launchpad whispered. 

“How can you tell? You can’t even see his expression,” Darkwing said. 

Launchpad shrugged. “He’s been busy lately. Hasn’t been around his lab much either.”

Darkwing blinked at him. Launchpad was more well-connected than he realized. 

“As fascinating as Gizmoduck’s personal life is, we should really be going,” Darkwing said. 

After a quick check to make sure Gizmoduck and the officers hadn’t spotted them, Darkwing and Launchpad made their way across the street and ducked behind a thick bush before finally sprinting to the archway, where a support column blocked them from the officers’ line of sight. 

“Oh man, that was awesome!” Launchpad exclaimed. “Only thing we need is a musical accompaniment!” 

“Smooth jazz on saxophone would’ve been so perfect,” Darkwing said. “I’m definitely the saxophone type. Smooth, classy, magnetic.” 

“Yeah, I can see that,” Launchpad said. “What kind of instrument do you think I’d have?” 

Darkwing thought for a moment. “Cymbals. Or some kind of percussion. I don’t know, cymbals crash, you crash, I think it fits.” 

“We should put wheels on cymbals,” Launchpad mused. “Then you’d get twice the crashiness.” 

They headed to the biology building, which had a helpful ‘Biology Hall’ label attached to the doorway. Darkwing stopped Launchpad before he could enter.

“Let’s look around the perimeter first,” Darkwing said. “There was shattered glass in that security footage, so there’s likely a broken window used as a point of entry.” 

Launchpad nodded. “Exactly like the thirtieth episode!” 

“Yes, precisely,” Darkwing agreed. “And once we’ve located the broken window, it’s a simple matter of finding whatever the kidnapper left behind!” 

“Let’s do this!” Launchpad exclaimed as they rounded the corner. 

“That’s the spirit!” Darkwing shouted. 

Turned out there were a lot of broken windows. 

“Maybe I should look into the next few labs,” Launchpad said. “Your feet aren’t looking so good.”

Launchpad’s feet were covered so the glass shards didn’t affect him much, but Darkwing wished he had the foresight to bring boots along.

“Working through the pain!” Darkwing grunted, though every step felt like a million pins were digging deeply into his lacerated feet. “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be fine. Boost me into that window on the end! I have a feeling this could be it!” 

Launchpad bent over, allowing Darkwing to climb onto his back and reach the last window. The glass had been entirely knocked out of the pane, the sparkling shards scattered all over the lab. Darkwing pushed off the wall with his hands, heaving his lower body through the window. 

Darkwing dusted himself off, then helped Launchpad through the window. 

“Whoa,” Launchpad said in awe. “Tino Chickpea sure loved his plants.” 

It looked as though the professor had turned his lab into a miniature greenhouse. Shrubs and saplings lined the entire back wall, while flowerpots rested on the tables. The cabinets were full of fertilizer, seeds, and water. 

The artificial sunlight lamps hanging above the flora made it possible to see without the use of a flashlight. 

Darkwing avoided the shards as best he could, though he was pretty sure the smaller crystals were still burrowing their way into his foot. There was a desk in the middle of the room, directly in the line of the security camera. A sink had been built into it, the kind that students normally used in science labs. 

A shattered beaker laid on the floor, the glass surrounded by a puddle of water. 

“Aha! So this is the lab where Dr. Chickpea was unceremoniously abducted by our avaricious avian,” Darkwing said, heading straight to the drawer where the kidnapper had purposely left something behind. 

The middle drawer contained a black recording device. 

They were trying to leave a message. 

“That’s weird. I thought criminals wanted to get away with their misdeeds,” Launchpad said. 

“So did I,” Darkwing admitted. 

Instead of keeping his kidnappings under the radar, it seemed as though the masked villain enjoyed being in the open. 

Darkwing hit the play button, hoping the tape would explain some sort of motive behind the kidnappings. 

A guttural sound came out of the recording device, followed by harsh, gravelly laughter. Darkwing tried to turn the volume down, but the laughter only seemed to get louder. 

“I am the screeching fingernail on the chalkboard of justice! I am the devastating blight on the potato field of peace and goodwill! I AM NEGADUCK!” 

Darkwing and Launchpad backed up from the recording device as if it had been possessed by the devil himself. 

The voice spat out every good value as if they were nothing more than a disgusting, grimy stain in a twisted perversion of Darkwing Duck’s triumphant introduction.

“Hello, Dipwing Dork. We haven’t been properly introduced, have we?” the voice crooned, every word oozing like deadly, acidic honey. “But I’ve been watching you, and you think you’re oh-so-noble letting my...no, your lackey feel like he’s helping. Newsflash, dimwit. He belongs to me. You stole him. I’ll take him from you. I’ll take everything from you that you stole from me!”

“I didn’t steal anything from this...Negaduck guy,” Darkwing said, picking up the recording device. He’d heard enough. He prepared to throw it out the window, but a tingle ran up his arm and evolved into a painful shock that made him drop the device on his foot. 

“Nuh-uh-uh. I’m not finished yet. Just one last order of business. I have two actors. You may have noticed something they share in common. And like any collector, I’m not satisfied until I have them all. Maybe I can even score a few...exclusives. Oh, I believe I mentioned this device was set to self-destruct once the recording’s done?” 

Launchpad barely managed to grab Drake and take cover behind the desk in time as the device exploded, creating a huge hole where the window used to be. Thankfully, Dr. Chickpea’s plants were unscathed. 

“I’ve never heard of him,” Launchpad said. 

And Launchpad regularly associated with a family who faced down practically every type of villain in existence. 

“A newcomer to the scene then,” Darkwing said, struggling to his feet. The pain was flaring up again, but he ignored it. “Jack Russell and Tino Chickpea played two members of the Fearsome Four. Negaduck’s going after the last two. We have no choice but to emerge victorious against this vile villain.” 

“Dan Rattigan and Michael Bill,” Launchpad supplied. “The actors for Megavolt and Quackerjack. They run a toy store downtown. Been there a few times with the triplets. They’re a big help when I faint in there.” 

“Given the current time, it’s more likely they’re at home,” Darkwing said. “And unless a headline breaks about them being kidnapped, we have no way to reach them.” 

“Actually, they’d be in the toy store tonight,” Launchpad said, pulling up a picture of a video game console on his phone. “It’s the midnight release of the Gigashark X. It’s been superhyped up lately. Louie’s been trying to get Mr. McDee to buy him one, but Mr. McDee isn’t budging.” 

Darkwing checked the recent news on his phone, but there was nothing to indicate that Dan Rattigan and Michael Bill had been kidnapped. 

Since Negaduck was deliberately leaving evidence of his criminal activity behind, he probably wouldn’t care much about kidnapping the former actors in front of an audience either. 

If anything, the recording raised more questions than answers. 

“Alright, let’s get to that toy store,” Darkwing said. “And please try to resist fainting this time.”

“Sure thing, DW,” Launchpad agreed. 

After some debate, Darkwing and Launchpad decided to leave through the front entrance so they didn’t have to deal with the glass. Then the door burst open. 

“LEAF-ING SO SOON, THIEVES?” 

Darkwing and Launchpad instinctively put their hands up as Gizmoduck rolled into the lab, shining a spotlight on them as if they were a pair of criminals.

“Mistaken for a kidnapper by a guy who can’t even make a pun worthy of a Saturday morning cartoon,” Darkwing muttered. 

“Believe me, I’d love to be more creative with those,” Gizmoduck sighed. 

Launchpad waved. “Hi, Fen-” 

Gizmoduck broke into a coughing fit. 

“Uh, guy I don’t know whose name definitely doesn’t end with ‘ton’!” Launchpad corrected himself hastily. “Man, that was close.” 

“Launchpad!” Gizmoduck groaned. “You’re as bad as M’ah...Officer Cabrera. Hold on, why are you even here? And with the criminal too!” 

“I’m helping DW on the missing actor case,” Launchpad replied. “It’s been really cool so far. It’s just like being on the Darkwing Duck show!” 

“And if you watched the security footage, you’d know that the kidnapper’s costume is similar yet different than mine,” Darkwing added. 

“So did you use your super-cool telepathic abilities to find us?” Launchpad asked. 

“My suit can track heat signatures,” Gizmoduck said. “I don’t have telepathy.” 

While the chance meeting was nice and all, Darkwing knew they really needed to get back to the case. He clapped his hands, getting Launchpad and Gizmoduck’s attention. “Yeah, great to meet you. If you don’t mind, Launchpad and I will be heading to a toy store now,” he said, insistently tugging on Launchpad’s arm.

Unfortunately, Launchpad was too heavy for him to move. “I know! We should team up!” Launchpad exclaimed. His arm snaked around Darkwing’s shoulders, and he managed to get Gizmoduck tucked under his other arm for a group hug. 

Darkwing tilted his head slightly so Launchpad didn’t accidentally choke him, and Gizmoduck’s beak opened in surprise as he wobbled unsteadily on his wheel. 

“We’re gonna be like one of those buddy cop shows where they don’t mesh well at first but through a series of mutual understandings we come together and save the day!” Launchpad exclaimed, pulling their heads closer to his chest. “To the toy store!” 

“To the toy store!” Gizmoduck shouted. “Wait, why are we headed to the toy store?” 

“We’ll fill you in,” Darkwing said as he tried to wriggle out of Launchpad’s iron grip. 

Gizmoduck was terrible at the whole secret identity thing. Even if Launchpad hadn’t slipped up and called him ‘Fenton’, Darkwing would still know that Gizmoduck’s M’ma was on the police force.

Because his armor was too large to fit in the limo, Gizmoduck had gone back to his alter ego, Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera, for the time being. Fenton added Darkwing Duck to an alarmingly large list of people who already knew his secret identity. 

The Gizmoduck armor was currently inside a large duffel bag, stowed safely in the back. It seemed like an incredibly cumbersome way of keeping the costume nearby. 

Darkwing explained everything they knew about the case, and Launchpad interjected a few times to compare an event to something that happened on the Darkwing Duck series. 

“I think the components of the recording device were already prone to overheating,” Fenton said after Darkwing summarized the important points of Negaduck’s message. “Though under normal circumstances, it would be a few sparks here and there or a small flame that would easily be put out. This Negaduck guy likely added a small time bomb that would go off after a certain amount of time when the play button is pushed. Too bad it couldn’t be salvaged. I know someone who could’ve examined the parts for us.” 

Darkwing didn’t care much about the science behind the recording device though. It exploded. That was all he needed to know. 

“Fenton, you’re one of the best scientists I’ve ever met. Sure you could have done it too,” Launchpad said. 

Fenton blushed. “Uh...I don’t know about that. I get the basic concepts and stuff, but I don’t really have, say, advanced knowledge of electronics. That’s more of Gandra’s thing.” 

“He’s an official employee under Mr. McDee,” Launchpad said. “Scientist superhero is a pretty good job title.” 

Darkwing raised an eyebrow. “So he just sends you out whenever he needs some superhero-ing done?” 

Fenton shook his head. “I’ll admit I had a brief stunt as...well, a sell-out superhero under Mark Beaks for lack of a better term...but I could never work like that again. Deciding who doesn’t get saved or not saved based on an app? It was terrible. And I still barely know what I’m doing half the time. I repeat puns like three times in the course of a single confrontation. I still pie people in the face by accident. I’m not sure how half the contraptions on the armor work.” 

“Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out,” Launchpad said. “Gyro and Mr. McDee and the kids and I think you’re amazing. You already have a strong moral code as a hero. You’ve got this.” 

Fenton smiled. “Thanks, Launchpad. Still, I’m glad you guys are helping me with this kidnapping. It’s been kinda tiring lately.” 

“We should do an interview together. You can promote me as Duckburg’s newest hero, and I can give you a few pointers in managing your fame,” Darkwing said. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Fenton laughed. 

Teenagers and young adults lined the sidewalk leading up to the toy store, complaining loudly when the employee only let ten in at a time. It seemed like every teenager in Duckburg was here. So far, everything looked normal and there was no sign of a black-masked duck anywhere. 

“From what you told me, I just assumed Negaduck already kidnapped the former actors,” Fenton said as Launchpad parked behind a delivery truck. The hood ornament of the limo crunched against the back bumper. “But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.” 

“We might have time. If we can get to Dan Rattigan and Michael Bill now, we might be able to take them to a secure location and rescue the other two actors,” Darkwing said. 

“McDuck Manor would be our best safe zone,” Fenton suggested. 

“Launchpad can drive them there,” Darkwing said. “You and I will find Jack Russell and Tino Chickpea and apprehend Negaduck.” 

Launchpad grinned. “Alright! I get to drive two actors from my favorite show!” 

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Fenton said. “Got any ideas on how we’re getting in though?” 

“Easy. Name brand recognition,” Darkwing said. 

Launchpad and Fenton stared at him blankly. Darkwing couldn’t be the only one in their group who was willing to take advantage of fame, right?

“Starting to see why all those posts trend about Gizmoduck on social media. You should really get a PR manager for that,” Darkwing suggested. “Just roll up as Gizmoduck. The employee will let you in cause you’re famous, and me and Launchpad too by association.” 

Fenton frowned. “I don’t like taking advantage of being well-known like this. And you’re a little too excited about fame by association.” 

Okay, maybe he also wanted to try negotiating a cut of the toy sales by using his connection to Gizmoduck. But hey, a guy had to get publicity somehow. 

“Hello there, citizen!” Gizmoduck called to the employee managing the door, who finished counting another group of ten and regarded Gizmoduck with half-lidded eyes. “Beautiful night, isn’t it?” 

“I guess,” the employee yawned. “Get back in line. Like, way over there.” 

He pointed to the end of the street, where the line only increased in size. 

“Sir, this is an important matter,” Darkwing stated. “We have it on good evidence that a crime most foul will be committed here tonight.” 

“Technically, the evidence was destroyed,” Launchpad added. 

Darkwing put a finger to his beak to hush Launchpad. The employee didn’t need to know that. 

“A kidnapper has been targeting actors from Darkwing Duck. Two of your co-workers are on his list,” Gizmoduck said. “If you’ll let us through, my associate Launchpad will drive them to a secure location while Darkwing and I catch the kidnapper once he shows up.” 

The employee rolled his eyes. “I’ve heard plenty of stories tonight. People just don’t wanna wait in line, you know? Now get to the back and I might consider letting you in when it’s your turn.” 

Darkwing marched up to him, ready to protest that lives were at stake, but broke into a hacking cough instead. Thick clouds of red smoke flooded the air like evil incarnate in a gaseous form. Gizmoduck activated several fans on his suit, but it wasn’t effective against the dense smoky dread that had pierced its way into the atmosphere. 

Confusion and panic snaked their way through the crowd. Teens tried to run, only to collide into each other. Total strangers clung onto each other for dear life. Several people rushed out of the store to see what was going on, despite Gizmoduck trying to order them back inside. 

“I AM THE BLAZING INFERNO THAT RAVAGES YOUR CITY. I AM THE VENOMOUS SNAKE THAT LURKS IN YOUR BACKYARD. I AM NEGADUCK!” 

The proclamation was followed by harsh, gravelly laughter, which terrified his audience even more. The smoke made it impossible to pinpoint Negaduck’s location. 

“My heat sensors can’t detect him!” Gizmoduck coughed. “There’s too much interference!” 

Darkwing clenched his fists and dropped into a basic defensive position. 

“I was wondering when you’d show that face I despise so much,” the voice hissed. “I was about to go rob a few banks while I waited. Blow off steam.”

Darkwing tried not to twitch. He felt something press against his back and he jumped, only to realize that it was just Launchpad covering his blind spots.

“Face it. You’re nothing more than a fanboy in a costume. A hack. A fake. How pathetic. I’d get more of a challenge out of an eroded pebble!” 

“Shows what you know. You’ll never scare me!” Darkwing said, allowing his cape to flare out. His heart hammered and threatened to jump out of his chest at any given moment. Negaduck was just another bully, he told himself. Darkwing had dealt with plenty of those. “Do you know who I am? Let me tell you, I am the terror who flaps in the ni-”

Something heavy slammed into his back before he could finish, knocking him to the ground. Gizmoduck and Launchpad cried out in warning, but Darkwing could barely hear them over the massive cacophony. 

Darkwing’s back erupted into sheer agony. Something was putting massive pressure against his spine, pinning him in place. Fingers dug into his vertebrae, threatening to sever a fragile nerve. A hand clamped down on his neck and squeezed. Darkwing could only make choked, pathetic noises while an eerie cackle rang in his ears. 

Black spots danced in Darkwing’s vision. He couldn’t yell at Launchpad and Gizmoduck to run and find help. He couldn’t make out anything except a pair of furious, insane eyes. 

The harsh laugh formed a chilling soundtrack as the darkness closed around him. 

“Unhand us at once! Michael and I need to be at the store tonight! You’ll be hearing a call from my lawyer if you don’t let us go!” 

“My plants are on a very strict water schedule!” 

“I was taking a walk to cure my insomnia! What did I do?” 

“Is this some kind of joke to you?” 

“Would. All. Of you…SHUT IT! I CAN’T HEAR MYSELF THINK WITH ALL YOUR STUPID YAKKING!”

Darkwing’s neck throbbed. His back ached. His lacerated feet stung.

He took it as a sign that he wasn’t dead.

“DW! Where’s DW?”

Launchpad.

“I’m right here!” Darkwing tried to say, but something that tasted an awful lot like spandex covered his beak, preventing him from reassuring Launchpad. 

“No pet names! Darkwing Duck doesn’t do pet names, nicknames, or any of that other junk!” 

Darkwing opened his eyes, surprised that the material covering his face wasn’t blinding him. 

Launchpad was bound to a high-backed chair, his wrists restrained by many coils of rope. Several rows of empty seats stretched out behind him. 

It was a studio audience setup, Darkwing realized. 

Four old men were strapped to the floor on a green screen. They whispered to each other in soft tones, shooting confused glances to Negaduck, who barked orders at them to shut up while he rolled a large camera into the center of the setup. 

They found the actors of the Fearsome Four, but not in the way Darkwing had hoped. He’d been thinking more along the lines of a daring rescue where he thoroughly defeated the villain and received countless requests for public appearances afterward. 

Gizmoduck wasn’t here. 

Darkwing knew Gizmoduck was either running damage control or going to McDuck Manor for help if Negaduck hadn’t gotten his slimy hands on him, but he seriously needed to hurry up. 

Negaduck pounded on a piece of sound equipment whose wheels were trapped on a piece of metal in the floor. After several minutes, he screeched so loudly that the walls shook and tore through the metal with a chainsaw. The metallic sound grated on everyone’s ears, but Negaduck didn’t listen to anyone’s pleas for mercy. 

With Negaduck distracted, Darkwing could escape, rescue Launchpad, evacuate the Fearsome Four, and save the day! Darkwing grinned, feeling the spandex crinkle against his cheeks. 

First things first, the mask that encompassed his entire head had to go. Darkwing grunted, but his hands refused to come up to his face. He could only twitch his fingers against his sides. His legs were bound too, so he couldn’t use his feet either. 

So Negaduck thought he was clever enough to restrain Darkwing Duck with a series of intricate knots, did he? Little did he know, Darkwing had some Junior Woodchuck merit badges under his belt! Tying and untying knots had been one of his specialties! 

Darkwing looked down, though the mask limited his range of motion. But he didn’t find a large rope coiled around his body. 

Instead, a gray suit covered him from his neck down. At first, Darkwing thought Negaduck had changed his clothes while he’d been unconscious and cringed at how creepy that sounded, then he felt his fingers brush against the fabric of his Darkwing Duck costume, much to his relief. 

Darkwing leaned back, taking a deep breath and tried to think of a new plan of escape. His head brushed against another piece of fabric, and he jerked forward in surprise. A red, high-collared cape covered his back. 

At least he thought it did. It was hard to tell with his limited head-turning capabilities.

The costume was vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn’t pinpoint where he’d seen it before. 

“Where are we anyway?” Launchpad asked. “I dunno, I thought I was at a toy store with DW and Gizmoduck.”

“As my biggest fan, I thought you’d appreciate seeing me in action,” Negaduck said, leaning against the metal gate that separated Launchpad from everyone else. “Had to knock you out like the hack and Feeble Four though. Can’t have you revealing my location before the big show.” 

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp, yellow teeth. 

Launchpad shrugged. “Sorry, I think you confused me with someone else. I’ve never seen you before. Well, unless you count that security footage in the lab.” 

Negaduck laughed humorlessly. “That cheap camera didn’t capture my best side.” 

“What big show?” Michael shouted. “If you’ve tied us up here, the least you could do is explain why!”

Negaduck snarled in his direction, and Michael quickly hid his face. His entire body trembled, and only a brief touch from Dan managed to calm him down again. 

“Aw, Mikey,” Negaduck chuckled lowly. “You’re too impatient. I was just getting to that part. SO DON’T INTERRUPT ME WHEN I’M TALKING!” 

Negaduck’s fist collided with Michael’s head, knocking out the former TV villain instantly. Dan and Launchpad pleaded for Michael to wake up, Tino stuttered incoherently, and Jack averted his gaze and refused to speak, as if it would somehow shield him from Negaduck’s wrath. 

Darkwing threw himself forward, trying to scream Negaduck’s name to get his attention. He needed to draw his ire, get him to turn his wrath away from an innocent person, but the suit prevented him from moving more than an inch. 

Darkwing strained against the suit, but it was tightly pressed to his chest and limbs. He gasped for breath as the suit closed in around his body, constricting his movements even further. 

He’d never been claustrophobic before, but he was sure he’d be developing that fear soon enough. 

“Ah, I see our guest star is getting restless,” Negaduck drawled. “You’re all just dying to know what’s happening, aren’t you? My biggest fan, don’t you wanna know who our guest star is?” 

“I’m not sure I like this,” Launchpad admitted. 

Negaduck ignored him. “We’re on the air in one more minute. Those bumbling morons make it so easy to hijack the airwaves.” 

He sauntered in front of a camera, adjusting his ragged hat and cape. 

A green light flickered to life. 

“Attention, Duckburg! You’re bearing witness to the debut of Negaduck! And don’t even think about tuning out, because all your channels are filled with nothing but me! Not that it’s a huge competition. I’m sure you all prefer watching a grim and gritty villain than whatever passes for entertainment these days!” Negaduck laughed.

Darkwing didn’t know how Duckburg was reacting to this, but he doubted they were laughing along. 

“Years ago, a show was canceled prematurely. I was...invested in this program,” Negaduck ranted. “The idiot executives thought they could sweep it under the rug and pretend it never existed. But the joke’s on them. In just a few moments, everyone will be able to see the long-awaited season finale of Darkwing Duck!” 

“You left Michael half-dead for this?” Dan shrieked, ignoring Tino’s attempts to hush him. “A fanboy who can’t accept that a silly show ended. I can’t believe this.” 

“Believe it,” Negaduck growled. ”BECAUSE I DON’T RECALL TELLING YOU TO SPEAK!” 

Negaduck kicked Dan in the side, hurling furious diatribes about where he could stick his electronics. Dan whimpered in pain and curled into a ball to protect himself. Tino trembled violently, while Jack pursed his lips and avoided looking at Negaduck. 

Launchpad looked away, fiddling with his restraints. “So that’s why he’s got the masked evil twin and the bombs,” he said quietly. “I...I don’t wanna believe it either.” 

As Negaduck stalked towards Darkwing, something clicked in his mind. 

He knew this suit. It was in the last episode of Darkwing Duck before the series was canceled. 

Hadn’t he spent countless hours theorizing over TV Darkwing’s evil doppelganger? 

Negaduck knew the Fearsome Four actors. He was invested in the show. He knew Darkwing would investigate the kidnappings. 

And most importantly, Negaduck believed Launchpad was his biggest fan. 

Negaduck dug his hands into the fabric of the villain suit, and Darkwing shuddered as he felt sharp-tipped fingers press against his ribs. 

“You think a few very painful explosions can stop me?” Negaduck snarled. Darkwing resisted the urge to gag on his rancid breath. “Now, let’s see who you really are.” 

Darkwing had seen those blazing, madness-fueled eyes before. And just like last time, he was caught off-guard, aching, and helpless. 

The spandex mask came off with a sharp yank. Negaduck carelessly tore out several of Darkwing’s feathers along with it. 

“Jim Starling?” Darkwing asked, the name tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop it. 

For a moment, the only sound was Launchpad’s choked gasp. Darkwing was sure Launchpad had figured it out already. He just didn’t want it to be true. 

Negaduck’s hand went slack and Darkwing took several deep breaths, savoring the air he’d been deprived of. 

But it didn’t last long. 

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Negaduck roared, an animalistic howl escaping him. Darkwing’s vision blurred as his beak smashed against the ground. 

“YOU’RE TALKING TO NEGADUCK NOW! I’LL GROUND YOUR SKELETON INTO DUST AND BLOW IT UP WITH A MISSILE! AND THERE’LL BE FIRE! LOTS OF FIRE THAT WON’T LEAVE YOUR ASHES BEHIND!” 

Darkwing’s entire body was on fire. His muscles protested, his legs throbbed, and no matter how deeply he breathed, he couldn’t get enough air to travel to his lungs. 

But he had to get up and keep fighting. He couldn’t allow Jim...no, Negaduck... he had to think of them as different entities, to hurt four innocent people. 

Darkwing strained against the suit, finally freeing his arms and latching onto Negaduck’s ankles. Negaduck snarled, striking every part of Darkwing’s body with his feet, but Darkwing refused to let go. 

With his legs still trapped, Darkwing was relying heavily on his upper body strength. He endured Negaduck’s kicks for just a few seconds longer, then abruptly tugged on Negaduck’s ankles, knocking him to the ground. 

But his attack only fueled Negaduck’s murderous desires, and Negaduck freed his feet from Darkwing’s grasp within seconds. Darkwing’s head swam as Negaduck slammed him facefirst into a metallic strip. 

“DW!” Launchpad shouted, struggling against his bonds. “Jim, you gotta stop!” 

Negaduck glowered at Launchpad, his hand still wrapped around the back of Darkwing’s head. “The name is Negaduck!” he screamed, sharply yanking Darkwing’s head back. Darkwing made a pathetic noise as his neck ached in protest. 

“You’re still Jim Starling though,” Launchpad said calmly. He was the only person in the room who wasn’t intimidated by Negaduck’s violent inclinations. 

The crushing pressure around Darkwing’s head vanished, and he hit the ground facefirst again, but not by Negaduck’s doing. Compared to everything else he endured, it felt like he’d fallen onto a pillow. 

“You’re my fan,” Negaduck growled. “Support me.” 

But Launchpad shook his head. “Not this. Never like this.”

Negaduck took a step back, the madness in his eyes being replaced by...was that grief? 

Maybe it was the lack of oxygen talking.

In a swirl of his tattered black cape, Negaduck swept out of the room, his hasty footsteps echoing off the walls. 

It took several tries and shouted instructions from Darkwing, but Launchpad finally untied the restraints binding him to the chair. He rushed over to Darkwing, stepping behind him and lifting the high-collared red cape out of the way. 

Moments later, Darkwing heard something being unzipped as he pulled his legs free of the trap he’d been forced to wear. 

“The Darkwing Duck trivia said that Jim-” Launchpad paused, glancing to the door in worry. “-well, apparently he spent six hours stuck in the doppelganger costume cause the zipper wouldn’t work and he wouldn’t let anyone cut him free.” 

“Your production trivia knowledge comes in handy,” Darkwing said, smiling at Launchpad despite his aching beak. “Come on, let’s get these actors free.” 

Dan and Tino’s restraints came undone in a simple tug, Jack’s took a bit more effort, and Launchpad had to carefully slide Michael out while Darkwing undid the complicated knot. 

“That was Jim?” Jack asked in a small voice. His long ears hung limply as he bowed his head. “You’re sure?” 

Those were the first words he’d spoken all night.

“I’m afraid so,” Darkwing admitted. “Are you alright? I mean, I know you were kidnapped and taken here against your will...sorry, Mr. Russell. It was a dumb question.” 

“I’ve seen better. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on my friends,” Jack promised. “Jim needs to be stopped.” 

“You’ll be fine?” Darkwing asked. 

He glanced at Michael, who was still out cold. 

Jack nodded. “Don’t worry about us. Best go before Jim gets away.” 

Darkwing and Launchpad followed the trail of destruction. Overturned desks, shattered pictures, and shredded paper littered the hallway. 

Negaduck was standing in front of a large mirror that covered the far wall of the room. 

It was supposed to be a dance studio, but the floor was in need of a good polish, the ballet shoes were worn and frayed, and the mirror was cracked and distorted their reflections. 

“That’s me in there,” Negaduck murmured, reaching up to touch Darkwing’s reflection. He hunched over the bar, breathing slowly. “There I am. Adored, respected, beloved by fans.”

His voice was no longer Negaduck’s husky growl, but it wasn’t the familiar pitch of Darkwing Duck either. 

No heroic bite, no confidence, no cockiness. 

“Jim, we can help you,” Launchpad said quietly.

Darkwing braced himself in front of Launchpad, ready to lash out if Negaduck’s short fuse went off. 

Negaduck didn’t acknowledge them. 

“But it’s not real, is it? Just some stupid fantasy of a has-been who’s not even fit for a cameo. That’s what being a hero gets you. Insults and scoldings and everyone wondering why you couldn’t have a productive life even though you get injured every single day of your washed up career just to entertain them.” 

“Jim, please stop,” Darkwing whispered.

Negaduck screeched, tearing out the bar and smashing it against Darkwing’s reflection. 

“WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST LET ME BELIEVE I HAD A CHANCE?”

Jagged mirror shards splintered everywhere, leaving an empty, tattered wall behind. Negaduck clawed at the wall, shredded wallpaper falling to the ground.

This was the man he once looked up to. 

This was the man who shaped his worldview.

This was the man who gave inspired him, enabled him to fight back, and helped him through hard times. 

And now he was gone, though some part of Darkwing prayed that wasn’t the case. 

The next few minutes passed by in a blur. Darkwing couldn’t watch Gizmoduck restrain Negaduck and walk him into an armored vehicle. He couldn’t watch the paramedics aid the former actors. He couldn’t watch Scrooge McDuck order several skilled technicians to cut the hijacked airwaves and restore the normal programming. 

“You need medical attention too, DW,” Launchpad said. 

Launchpad was right, but Darkwing buried his head into the taller duck’s chest instead. 

Maybe it was selfish, but he desperately needed this. 

Drake’s hospital room had been dubbed ‘The Superhero Suite’. Launchpad had explained they treated any injuries Fenton received as Gizmoduck here. And doctor-patient confidentiality extended to secret identities as well. 

Drake had several finger-shaped bruises around his neck where Negaduck had tried to strangle him. Drake had almost forgotten what it felt like to breathe normally. And he was lucky to not have an infection on his feet from the broken glass. 

“This is so weird,” Fenton said. “I’ve never seen you without your mask before!” 

“Just don’t go calling me Drake Mallard when I’m in costume,” Drake warned. “Cause the identity thing is something you need to work on.” 

Fenton laughed. “Yeah, I get the same lecture from all the other critical people in my life. Guess people are a little more observant than they portray them in the superhero shows!” 

Drake fingered his bedsheets, trying to think about anything but a certain show. “Sure they are.”

“Ah, sorry. I forgot. I’m just gonna change the subject before I strike a sore spot, okay? I’ve got good news. Launchpad’s smoothed everything over with Mr. McDuck. He’s less angry about the blown up limo now. And I’m pretty sure the kids are throwing an ‘I’m so happy you’re not dead’ party for Launchpad.” 

“When did the limo blow up?” Drake asked. He didn’t remember that part. 

“Launchpad parked too close to the delivery truck where Negaduck was keeping his kidnapped victims,” Fenton replied. “He couldn’t get the doors open so he could throw you, Launchpad, and the two actors-turned-shopkeepers in. I guess blowing up the limo was the logical thing for him. Or he just liked explosions. Maybe both.” 

“And the actors? How are they?”

“Recovering on a floor below us,” Fenton said. “Michael needs to be observed for a while, but he’ll pull through. So will Dan. They’ll be running their shop in no time. Jack said he’d be helping Tino with some community gardening. He says nature has a calming influence on Tino.”

Drake sighed in relief, just happy that the actors would be alright. 

Fenton twisted his tie, scuffing the floor with his feet and avoiding eye contact. “Drake, I stopped by for another reason. I just wanted to...say...um, I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. From the bottom of my heart sorry. Really badly-” 

“Fenton.” 

At the sound of his name, Fenton looked up. 

“Don’t go putting this on the record, but I have no idea what I’m doing either. Nobody wrote a Superhero-ing for Dummies manual, you know,” Drake said. 

“You wanna learn together?” Fenton asked, finally smiling back. “Launchpad said you’ve got all sorts of neat moves on you. If you teach me a thing or two, I can get you a few gadgets. It’ll protect you better in the field.” 

“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Crackshell-Cabrera. I humbly accept your offer,” Drake bowed dramatically, much to Fenton’s laughter. 

“My two superhero buddies are bonding!” an excited voice said from the doorway. “It’s everything I dreamed and more!” 

Drake coughed. Launchpad’s childlike honesty was nice at times, but it could be downright awkward too. 

“Nice to see you, Launchpad,” Fenton said, patting the chair next to him. “Things going good at the Manor?” 

Launchpad happily accepted the invitation. “Yup! Louie was upset that he missed a late night episode of Ottoman Empire. The whole taking over your TV thing, you know. Dewey and Webby clung to my legs for a whole four hours. That’s gotta be some kind of record. Huey and Della were out doing some Junior Woodchuck mother-son camping trip, so they missed out. They’ll find out soon enough, I guess. Mr. McDee says Negaduck was taken to jail and they’re gonna be setting a trial date in a few months.” 

“Negaduck won’t be in jail forever,” Fenton said. “Probably just long enough to recuperate, but he’ll be causing trouble on the streets.”

At the mention of Negaduck, the jovial atmosphere sobered. 

Drake plucked at his bedsheets. He wanted to believe Jim Starling and Negaduck were two separate people, but reality said otherwise. He couldn’t live like Negaduck, who desperately tried to relive the glory days of his acting career. 

But being a hero wasn’t something a person could make-believe. 

Jim must’ve believed in the ideals and dreams of Darkwing Duck once. He’d inspired Drake and Launchpad after all. How many other children saw him on television and adopted Darkwing Duck’s beliefs? 

“I think we should help Jim,” Launchpad said. 

“What? He tried to kill you guys a lot!” Fenton protested. “He’s selfish, egotistical, and doesn’t care who he hurts. Why would you wanna help someone like that?” 

Fenton hadn’t grown up with Darkwing Duck the way Drake and Launchpad had. And frankly, Drake thought the idea was crazy too. 

But nobody, not even Jim Starling, Negaduck, or whatever he called himself deserved to rot in their own madness. 

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Drake replied. 

“For Jim,” Launchpad said. 

“For Jim,” Drake echoed, placing his hand over Launchpad’s. 

They looked expectantly at Fenton, who sighed in resignation. 

“I have my doubts, but you’re right. Heroes save everyone, whether they deserve it or not. Let’s do this for Jim,” Fenton said. He squeezed Launchpad’s and Drake’s hands. 

Jim Starling once showed Drake how to get back up and stand on his own two feet. He showed Drake how heroes suffered setback after setback, but it didn’t stop them from saving the day. 

It was time to return the favor. 

[shesawriter39049]

|FAMILY TIES| M| MAFIA AU| 2

SMUT/ANGST 

SUMMARY: A powerful alliance made up of 4 families spanning over a decade, is suddenly turned on its head when one family has a new leader after an unexpected death. Well let’s just say he’s not down to follow the somewhat civilized rules your families have inforced. Sooo now, it’s game on…

THIS CHAPTER IS VERY STORYLINE HEAVY AS FAR AS LUXX & TAE ARE CONCERNED.... BTW

15k 

WARNINGS: HMMM, DIRTY TALK, ORAL( M/F GIVING AND RECEIVING) SLIGHT LINGERIE KINK, LIGHT CUMPLAY, OVERSTIMULATION LIGHT DOM TAE, FACE RIDING, CAR SEX...KINDA LOL

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

His eyes were studying yours his whole aura seemed..different…the way he looked at you was a lot softer now as his touch also changed, it was more so him needing to make sure you were calm. As his hands rubbed light circles along the small of your back, he could feel you start to melt into his touch. Yes, this was your life..the only one you knew but that didn’t make shit like this any easier. 

Letting a deep exhale release from your lungs, your hands found their way into his hair reconnecting your lips to his taking advantage of the moment. He could feel you smile into the kiss and that let him know you were good. He chuckled lightly against your lips ,still not breaking the kiss, the way he caressed you in his arms just screamed “That’s my girl”.It was like..he could sense that you were at ease, because he was there, and you had his back, down to start a fire the minute he was. 

His hand snaked up your neck, pulling you in tighter, as he deepened the kiss. Mr.Kim couldn’t control himself around you tonight, and you weren’t complaining it was rare, that he got like this and you loved it. letting himself get completely out of his head and just live in the moment with you. But the moment came to an abrupt halt once as your body jerked from a sloppy ass turn the driver took a low grunt leaving both of your lips in aggravation as you tried to keep your cool. Not a smooth driver by any means, shit it felt like you were a second away from slamming into the door. Currently questioning if you were in a game of bumper cars to be honest, because that would make a lot more sense. 

In all honesty he was driving like he was nervous, another rookie mistake. Neither of you would ever feel uneasy by one of your driver’s skills,even if they were doing 130 down a dead end they were always smooth. Also, as the driver sometimes you don’t know what happened or why your picking someone up. The less you know the better, that way if ever questioned, the honest response is “I was just told to drive”. So with that being said, your driver wouldn’t speak without being spoken too, which so far is the only rule this rookie is following properly.

Taehyung called it off rip …he was just probably some guy, who was broke and needed some cash. He’s not valuable to Marco, he doesn’t know much, and on top of that he’s terrified, not only of fuckng up but more importantly his passengers.The two of you were known to do some pretty serious damage together if need be. You could go from danity and vulnerable to heartless and lethal within seconds. Which is why it was crucial for him to go undetected, if the two of you caught on he didn’t stand a chance. Little did he know he blew it the minute Taehyung got in the car. You watched his brow furrowed in frustration at his ammature driving, the grip on your waist tightening, you could tell by the look on his face he was beyond pissed. Ready to snatch his ass right out of the driver’s seat, and end this pathetic excuse for a kidnapping or whatever the fuck it was..he wasn't impressed to say the least. As bad as Tae’s temper was,he wasn’t a loose canon. Even though this guy seemed like a complete cake walk, unless you two were in immediate danger there’s no way Taehyung would make an impulsive decision like that with you in the car. Even the slight risk of you getting hurt because of something he did would ruin him. He hid it well, but him being protective over you goes way deeper than just the family business. 

Knowing he had to find a distraction so he could stop envisioning repeditaly bashing this man's head into the window until his skull was in dicetable pieces. I guess he’s lucky his favorite lady was already on his lap.. Reclining your back to rest against the driver’s seat with a mischievous smirk which he read you clear as day..you two were about to give this rookie the ride of his life. One of his favorite things about you, no matter how girly you were..hair, nails,makeup, high heels..you weren't afraid to play dirty.  

“Oh, by the way I bought you something…” his hands roamed up your sides as you kicked your brow up out of curiosity. Your dynamic had changed over the past almost 6 months, all of the built up sexual tension finally came to a head after the two of you closed a pretty dangerous deal is Sao Paulo. The leftover adrenaline coursed through your veins as he had you bent over a balcony 20 stories up. Hand around your neck, he fucked you until you couldn't even see straight, and once your legs gave out he laid you on chaise lounge and kept goin… But that’s about all it was, Taehyung somehow mastered the art of not getting in his feels,but every once in awhile his heart would pick a fight, and lately it’s been knocking him on his ass. 

You knew he was just trying to make small talk..but he’s never just randomly bought you something, unless it was like food,liquor, or a hotel suite “I actually bought it a while ago,but ya know, you just had to be a fuckin brat” His words came out almost in the form of a growl as he coyly reached in the pocket inside your coat, sliding your 9..down your sleeve. Which drapped on the floor, cradling it in your hand, due to your jacket hanging off your shoulders, the gun and your hand were completely covered.

Rolling your eyes not even bothering to actually verbally give a response,which only made him chuckle. He really wasn’t phased by you he’s known you damn near your whole life, he just..ya know.. wanted to choke your bratty ass sometimes that’s all.

“Clearly you still haven’t learned your lesson..” You felt a hard smack on your ass but you knew it was coming, keeping your eyes trained on his as you just shrugged nonchalantly in response. Trying to play it cool but he left one hell of a sting, already feeling the heat start to pool between your thighs.”But I feel like I’d be torturing myself more than you …” Adjusting his tone slightly, the arousal dripping from his lips clear as day, it as insane the cast that hung over the two of you right now. The energy that radiated between you did not reflect the situation you were currently in whatsoever! God you loved the way he looked at your body, as he massaged up your thighs it was like you could physically see the affect you had on his own, as he slowly let himself go piece by piece.

 “When I saw it I knew you’d look sooo sexy...while your pretty little mouth was wrapped me…ass up…wearing my favorite pair of Louboutins” The smoothness in which he delivered that you honestly couldn’t even be pissed at him assuming he’d get his way. He definitely had a lingerie kink and you knew It was a piece from Agent Provocateur, it was one of his favourite brands and he wasn’t shy to pick out what he liked. But typically it was while you were already ordering, he’d never done it on his own before! On the surface the two of you may appear to be 100%  lost in your own world, completely unaware of your surroundings. All the random side turns this twat rockets taking down side streets. But Nah, you were well aware, just waiting until the time was right, while having a little fun in the meantime. 

 You weren’t going to let him know how genuinely happy the idea of him lingerie shopping made you, not the way your ego was set up. “And who says that you’ve been good enough to have my lips wrapped around your dick Mr. Kim?” Cocking your head to the side slightly capturing his gaze with yours, as a cocky smirk landed across his lips. Lacing his tongue against his plump bottom lip as he readjusted your position on his lap, rolling his hips up into yours. 

“We both know, especially tonight …I’ve been more than good my baby …” Fuck how was it possible for his voice to get deeper, digging his nails into your ass through the thin fabric of your dress. Signaling for him to scoot closer he leaned in for a kiss,the grip on your waist got tighter as he already knew what was coming. Slowly creeping your hand up the back of the driver's seat strategically placing your gun between the gap in the head rest causing the hammer to make a slight clicking sound as the muzzle hit his neck . Granted this was not an ideal position but you’ve done this long enough, were you could make it work.

Your tongue still hadn't left Taehyung's until you both felt the car come to a complete stop, as he gasped in utter panic once he realized what was happening and at that point Taehyung had enough. “Alright, fuck this..”The whole car jerked, while he gently removed you from his lap, it still amazed you how quick he could switch gears. He went from caressing you to slowly fumming in the matter of seconds you watched him grunt, rolling his eyes in frustration as he quickly climbed over the seat hopping into the passenger side as you adjusted yourself still keeping your gun at the back of his neck. “Keep drivin…” Surprised by how relaxed his tone was in comparison to the look on his face. Taehyung searched him quickly before taking his own gun in one hand and his phone in another .

“Amature move number 10 sweetheart, you never. stop. driving…” you whispered out boldly against the skin of his neck as your lips brushed his ear. Tae couldn’t help but smile at the sight of you ,he thought you were the sexiest thing he’s ever laid his eyes on . Even if his pride wouldn’t let him admit it this man was becoming so consumed by you it’s unreal! Accidently catching his gaze, it felt like your heart stopped for a moment when you realized the way he was looking at you. The moment was short lived though, regardless of the situation you were currently in. You should’ve known better than to think Kim Taehyung was allowing himself to actually fucking feel more than a orgasm.

 “She’s right, for all you know she could’ve just been fuckin with you. None of my men would’ve stopped driving, or jumped when I gouged at the seat nor would they have made that sloppy ass bang around the corner…..so I‘m only gonna ask this once...and don't you dare lie to me. I’m really not in the mood for games tonight, what fuckin’ character sent you?!“

Lucky for the driver in the midst of all this one of Taehyung’s men called, so he was temporarily distracted leaving you to deal with it.Signaling to you with his gun, which let you know he wanted you to continue his interrogation, while he was preoccupied.  His delivery was just..fuck..…it always did something to you when he was doing business he was so stern and such a fucking man!! He never had to yell for people to know he wasn’t to be fucked with! He’s a pretty boy who likes designer things, yet It was so effortless for him to balance the two, he could look like a Blue Blood or a guy from The Dot, and have respect from either party. 

Before you even had a chance to open your mouth, his eyes shot back in the driver's direction, I guess the nano second of silence was far too much for Taehyung to handle ”Did I not just say, I’m not in the mood for this shit? The fucks the matter with you?”Grazing the hammer with his index finger, cocking his head to the side while his tongue grazed his teeth. His accent that sat typically mild on a day to day basis, always grew even thicker once he got frustrated. Even faint, in combination with the deep rich tones of his voice..you were ready to get on your knees whenever and wherever he wanted. Granted this probably shouldn’t be running through your mind while you guys are technically in the midst of being kidnapped with a gun to a man’s head.  But that’s the kinda shit that runs through your mind regardless of the situation when your dealing with Kim Taehyung.

Believe it or not, this man was either stupid or..just..well stupid because he still stayed quiet , which at this point you assumed he was playing the same game they all did and you weren’t in the mood . “Oh for fucks sake, spare me with the “I’d rather die than talk” bullshit please ! Trust me this mother fucker doesn’t give a fuck about you, it will get you nowhere!” Your tone was cold as all hell reflecting no type of emotion, you’d been through this far to many times for you to even be slightly amused. 

Suddenly the energy around you felt suffocating..something just didn't feel right, and in that moment...all your patience flew out the window. Knocking the muzzle against the back of his neck even harder this time, causing his head to jerk a little when you still got NO response. You flicked the lock with your finger until it clicked which immediately got Taehyung’s attention because that sound meant you were about to release from your register “Your a second away from your organs being splattered along the dash kid” Raising your tone out of pure frustration, but it didn’t take you guys long to realize that it actually sounded like he was almost…crying? Well, fuck, clearly this wasn’t going the way you anticipated, completely dumbfounded who the hell kidnaps someone..and then has a mental breakdown!? 

The look on both of your faces mirrored the same level of confusion, I.E WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON!?

 “Jesus kid are you crying, seriously!?” Ducking his head down slightly trying to get a better look at his face “Seriously?? Am I getting punk’d or something!? How old are you?!?” Pulling the drivers hat off ,flicking the light on. To your surprise the tone was, calm, and warm actually,complete contrast to how he originally approached him. An almost sympathetic sigh left his mouth when he looked over at him, this kid looked like he was barely 18!  The word “kid” was used very frequently in Boston, but buy no means did you actually think he was actually barely legal!

“Of fucking course!” You whispered out low in frustration and slight disbelief, shaking your head, as it now was all starting to make since. He wasn’t just a rookie he was a child, you guys didn’t do business like this..unless they were  in the family you didn’t involve kids. Even though you felt bad you still didn’t remove the gun, deep down you knew this wasn’t some trap, Marco just didn’t give a fuck, but you were trained to never underestimate anyone! Just wanting someone cheap … that was easily impressionable, and disposable.

This life wasn’t for everybody that’s for damn sure, on the surface it looks great, the money ,cars,planes, trips you name it. But it does something to your spirit, after some of the shit that you see in this line of work. I know it sounds cliche but it's true..your never the same…God forbid your in a position where you’re the one deciding if and when someone will take their last breath. You gotta have a strong ass heart,and a lot of the time you almost gotta act like you don’t have one at all, and it’s hard still…even for you two. Mr. Kim could attest to that better than anyone…

In this moment not caring how young he was…Taehyung was getting pissed that he hadn’t answered his question! Like I said there's a time and place for everything, he didn’t expect you to worship the ground he walks on. But in a situation like this when Kim Taehyung asks you a question you answer, simple as that.You watched his head cock to the side, eyes extremely focused on the divers mannerisms, you couldn’t tell if he was enraged, or concerned, as he was still on the phone with one of his men. All you could do was hold your breath and pray he didn’t do anything crazy

.“Alright, you know what?  I‘M done, I’m done with this conversation! I don’t care who fucked up were..just fix it! Jhonny,put me on speaker..” pausing taking in a couple slow breaths, using his index and middle finger to pinch the bridge of his nose, almost indicating the conversation was giving him a migraine and knowing Taehyung’s lack of patience..it probably was  

“Alright boss..” 

 “If you guys are smart, you’ll make sure nothing else goes wrong tonight, I’m not in the mood for this amateur bullshit! Oh by the way you mother fuckers literally let me get kidnapped by a kid that can’t even grow fucking facial hair! Get your shit together!”  Tossing his phone down on his lap, letting out a deep sigh in aggravation as he ran his fingers through his hair. His phone went off almost instantly once he hung up, probably sending him directions. 

Still, in the midst of all that he stayed dead silent in the drivers set, jaw cinched ..trying to look tough, yet you could see how glossy his eyes were, they were probably burning from him trying to suppress his tears.  “Alright, well now that i’ve clarified my men are incompetent and you’re probably not even old enough to buy cigs..pull into this parking lot, then your gonna pull out…bang a uey, and we’re going in the opposite fuckin direction.”

His delivery was so chill it was almost comical, there wasn't even a hint of concern in his voice, already well aware the driver would follow his instructions. You watched his shaky hands pull into a lot of what appeared to be a diner . Pulling out, and doing exactly what was instructed of him “Good boy …” He coaxed and it seemed to put the kid at ease “Make a left at the next light. “ . Taehyung knew what he was doing, purposely waiting until the driver seemed a little calmer before he started to ask him questions.. “Ok. I’m gonna say this one more time, and if you don’t respond I’ll revert right back to that motherfucker I was when I first got up in the front seat . You're already pushing it because my biggest pet peeve is repating myself...yet here I fuckin go soudnig like a damn parrot!”

 He kept is tone low and stern but still he wasn’t yelling, it was rare he did. “If I’m being honest I don’t care how young you are I’m not the one that hired you.  At the end of the day the job you accepted put her life in danger and that alone is enough for me to bash your fuckin head in.” Cocking his head to the side leaning in a little closer as he tried to read the kids expression. Barely centimeters away from this kids face, a knot forming in your own stomach just from observing..you heard him sniffle and clear his throat .

“I-I didn’t do anything to your driver by the way , I actually don’t know where he is ...the car was empty when I got in it” He paused needing to focus on the road but you also knew he needed to calm down. 

“After you make this turn your going to stay straight for a while . Then hang a right into the gas station…Keep goin..” The combination of warmth in his voice and of course pure fear encouraged him to actually continue 

”I’m- I’m 18, he comes to the packie I work at, I just turned 18, and the day I did my foster mom put my ass right out! I -He asked if I wanted to make some quick cash …he just said I’d have to drive a car. I had an hour to get you guys to someone else..”  It hurt more than you thought to hear this young kid say what the both of you already knew, which is that he was just a pawn in Marco’s game. But both of you became slightly intrigued the more he spoke, he knew Marco probably didn’t deal with him directly but did he know a name? A location? ANYTHING!

“Shit I’m screwed , I had one job ! One FUCKING job ……then you get paid..that’s all I had to do…that’s all I had to do..” you heard him whisper out the last part,actually almost sounding like he was outta breath. Repeatedly it like a prayer, both of you zoned in on him, making sure in his sudden panic he wouldn’t suddenly try to do something irrational. This was all in a day’s work ..at the end of the day he had a job to complete and so far he hasn’t, at a 9-5 that could get you written up or fired..in this line of work it could get you killed.  

You watched Taehyung’s expression change slowly, he felt bad, really bad. “Shit man, “ Tae huffed in frustration running his fingers through his hair “You know there’s a chance he’ll kill you if you don’t bring us in right?” 18 or not Taehyung wasn’t going to sugar coat it he’d rather you be braced for the worst then leave you in the dark . His eyes glanced over at him and he just nodded.

”Yeah, but I don’t have much here, never have it wouldn’t be shit for me to use the money I have and hop on a greyhound or something..” He was trying to sound strong but you two saw right through it ,he probably barley made $10.00 a hour. All the money he had would probably only cover the bus ride and one night in a motel .

  “Pull in here …” he instructed as calm as ever noticing his blacked out Jaguar parked behind a semi. You could feel the car start to slow up, before actually coming to a complete stop right in front of the driveway, he was having second thoughts, I mean not that you blame him. “I really wouldn't do this If I were you” you heard a deep slow exhale leave Taehyung’s body as he adjusted his gun in his hand “Don’t push me, would you prefer I just let you pull the trigger yourself? Because you essentially digging your own grave right now, pull. in.to .the driveway...now.”  Taehyung’s voice was barely above a whisper but the authority behind it spoke volume as his eyes cut over to the drivers, You felt a knot form in your stomach..praying the driver wouldn’t do anything stupid. You watched his grip get tighter on the wheel, knuckles flushing the palest shade of ivory,  the headlights caught Taehyun’s men’s attention.

Two of them started walking over..trying to see what was taking so long now it was 1 against 4. You watched his eyes flutter as he let out a low defeated sigh while putting the car back in drive, once pulled in Taehyung’s men were quick to yank him out the car, slamming him against the hood “HEY! Mazda..chill he’s just a kid..leave him be…I got this…I got him…”  shoeing him away as he stepped closer. Once Mazda released him you watched him drop to the ground it was almost like his entire body caved in.

Taehyung walked over, opening your door “Hey,Can you go stand by my car baby doll? I just need to have a quick word with our little buddy over here..” 

Your brow immediately arched so much attitude laced across you face as you crossed your arms against your chest..for one..the pet name threw you off..and two since when are you not allowed to be in on business conversations? Incase he forgot you were BOTH kidnapped, he detected you weren’t pleased letting out a deep huff, leaning down sliding his tongue into your mouth effortlessly. Forcing his way in with such ease..it was so quick you were almost confused it happened, yet somehow he was able to explore what felt like every inch of your mouth.Causing you to moan against his tongue, it was crazy how easily he could get to you now.

”Please, I need him to talk and I don’t want the two of us tag teaming him...promise I’ll fill you in once we leave...” His plea came out in a low whisper.. As his hand massaged the back of your neck…how could you say no when he just kissed you like that, more importantly he was right. This kid was fragile It was clear that Tae cracked his shell a little, in more ways than just utter fear. Letting out an exaggerated huff as you hopped out of the car, but of course because your, you a dramatic exit wouldn’t be complete without you rolling your eyes at him. In which he just chuckled while you swayed past ,placing a quick pat on your ass as you headed towards his men .

Taehyung crouched down in front of the kid, that was now sobbing. Planting his hand on his shoulder “Hey..” his tone was somber trying to get his attention ..”I’m gonna help you out a little..you can keep the car, my men will give you a new plate and some cash…but I need you to help me out first…” His eyes widened..after hearing that. In all honesty he probably did not have the money for a greyhound, and if he had a car…he could maybe sleep in that instead of a motel and save money. 

Nodding his head eagerly in response “What the fuck was this about?” Pausing for a moment not sure if he was having second thoughts or just trying to get his thoughts together, so Tae thought he’d try to coax him along “Listen, If I wanted to hurt you, I would’ve done it already…and I still can, Not to sound like a total dick but what happens to you once I pull out of here has no affect on my life.” 

Pausing purposely really wanting that resonate with him, making sure he understood that Taehyung really didin;t have to help him.

“I’m trying to help you, but I need you to help me too..do you understand?“ Still keeping his voice calm even though at this point he was about out of patience this boy had about 2 seconds to speak…and it was clear he picked up on it 

“Yes….” His almost passive response was met by Taehyung's unforgiving glare, play time was over..he needed answers. “I-honestly don’t know the reason…the guy who comes into the packie they call him Zeb, but I don’t know if that’s his real name. it’s-it’s not like they told me hey we’re planning a shoot out, but I was at the party the whole time as a server. They told me to go in and interview, I guess they were hiring more people for just that one event .I -I did have a que to leave..it was prior to the shootout..so I guess that technically clarifies they were in on it.” 

Taehyung’s eyes studied him as he talked, watching his mannerisms, his eye contact..eye movements..even the way he was fidgeting. Trying to see if he seemed..genuine or rehearsed “Only other thing I know is Zeb is usually always with someone, but the day he brought me my clothes the car was different. Memorable I guess? Typically he was always in something I don’t know more low key..this one was an old school candy apple red corvette…I don't know if that helps but..that’s all I got, a possible name and a car...I’m sorry. I’m just really sorry...” Throwing his hands up while letting lout deep exhale,body still trembling slightly but Tae could tell he felt relieved to get that off his chest. To  be honest, it didn’t really help, the problem is..Marco probably had new men because none of Leos would help and Tae didn’t know any of them yet. But the car was definitely something to look out for, and he could also do some snooping on Marco’s soilders at a later date.

Giving his arm a squeeze before standing up with a slight smile,abruptly signaling  for his men to come closer “Jhonny, Benny search the car first, make sure there isn’t anything we need…before he leaves. I want a full z30 on this bitch, head to toe! Twice if you have to, run over it with a BL when your done to double check, also leave him with a envelope…” Finally bringing his gaze over to this child, not even asking him,what his name was. I guess Taehyung felt he deserved to keep that to himself, he was already thrown into way more than he bargained for. He seemed so overwhelmed by it all, I don't think it really set in until now. “Take care of yourself kid! Use the money wisely…just lay low for a little Im sure this will all pass ” 

The boy sniffled and nodded, “Thank you!” Was all he was able to croke out before turning back to Jhonny for further instruction.

While you stood posted against his car, you were actually too far away to hear what was discussed, his face had you curious. A couple guards, were sprawled around you after what happened earlier they’d be damned if they let you out of there site.  Walking up to you, grabbing your waist pulling your body into his, massaging your ass in his palm, fuck it felt so good to have him like this. To have him this close outside of sex…don’t worry you still knew better but fuck it felt good. 

 “Were about to head out,you wanna run in there and grab yourself something to keep you Preoccupied before we go?” Waiving a 50 in your face, with a slight smirk. Snatching it right out of his hand like a big kid as you skipped into the gas station. His eyes immediately shot over to one of his men, in which they took the hint with the quickness to follow you into the store. The minute he heard the door close behind you, the base in his voice echoed throughout the almost empty lot, he was cutting into his men, hard. While you were picking out all of your goodies you heard a couple loud thuds outside not even wanting to know what was happening .

The sound clearly startled the clerk as he went to check outside, and you knew this wouldn’t be good. Both yourself and his guard ran out behind him, only to find Tae, striking the icebox with his fist. Each grunt that left, his chest subsided little by little. “Hey! what the hell do you think your doin man!?” 

Shit, shit shit, he actually yelled at him,  clearly he didn’t know who he was dealing with.. I mean yes obviously Tae is destructing his property so he has every right to be upset this just..fuck this  wasn’t a good time to address him in that tone of voice. “Nothing to see here man I’m just leavin..” His tone of voice was alarmly calm in contrast to the blows he was taking to the iceox as well, as his bruised,slightly bloody knuckles. God he had such nice hands why did he have to fucking attack the icebox!  His eyes gazed up at the clerk jaw tight, while his hand rested on his hip, suit jacket, no I’m sorry let me specify his Versace suit jacket was on the ground in front of him. 

The sarcastic chuckle echoed across the empty parking lot “Are you fucking kidding me!? You’re damaging my property and your bitch over here has a bunch of shit in her hand she didn’t pay for..” You went completely wide eye and actually speechless at the derogatory slur as you honestly didn’t realize you had the stuff in your hand, before you could even say anything you found yourself distracted by Taehyung. You watched his expression change it was almost like he backed out, strolling towards the clerk slowly..too slow actually “You know what man..your right I’m sorry let me pay you for the damages..” None of you expected that..his tone even changed..it as lighter..a slight smile moved up is face, as he cranked back decking the clerk dead in the face. He was literally on the ground, blood oozing out his nose, while Mazda reached over to grab Taehyungs blazer off the ground. 

Tae singinally for you to come in his direction with his middle finger and you followed. Purposely stepping over the “gentleman” as you walked, lightly digging the heel of your red bottom in his abdomen as you amouvered over him. You heard he rasp our the word “Bitch” causing to to turn around, pressing your heel firm against his throat, until he was damn near crying “I’m sorry  what was that!? Yeah like I thought, who's the bitch now!”  Tae’s grip on your arm was damn near the only thing stopping you from legitimely gouging his adam's apple out with your shoe!

“I really should come back and unload a good 15 rounds through this bitch!” Pausing slightly..letting his eyes scan the perimeter of the gas station “Actually..meh..I still might..oh have fun getting that nose realigned, you got a bit of a hump anyway..maybe they can even that out for ya!!“ Turning away slowly taking his time strolling back to the car, hands stayed connected to your  waist the entire way, his grip was firm, wasit flesh to your ass.  As dysfunctional as it may sound, seeing each other in this element was one of your biggest turn ons you’d consider it a knink but I dont ink there a “mob/mafia” kink list.  Both of you guys equally powerful, and dangerous in your own right. He felt just as secure with you as you did him!

The plan was standard...simple, Taehyung would drive you two himself, but one of his men wouldn’t be more than 10 feet away as you guys commuted through the city. The drive from the gas station to the bridge was about 35 minutes. Upon crossing the bridge the other 3 cars would tail him as he crossed into the city.  The driver that would ghost him the whole drive had a very standard car, just a black chrysler 300 nothing that would seem suspicious or draw attention, under the hood it was a damn monster but he the surface it was low key. Taehyung on the other hand, he was a different story, not sure why they brought this particular car for him. It was a matte black Jaguar F type, it had racing tires and a turbo engine and sat lower than it’s supposed to. Point being it looks like a race car, you just felt like it would draw attention to him, not too familiar with who ran this territory as well as how clean there cops were. The car just screamed “Money..” so you knew he would catch people’s attention just out of curiosity. Taehyung’s tires alone were enough to get him flicked, but he was a drifter, so more than likely he asked for this one.

All four cars pulled out together and actually stayed in a straight line a good 3 miles. So much had gone on you didn’t even know what time it was, the party started early..around 5..so between that and the commotion it was only pushing 11 at night. Taehyung’s hand found a firm grip on your thigh as he drove.. Not saying much, and you were fine with that, you knew he had a lot on his mind right now. You felt his palm starts to massage your thigh, slowly making its way higher, and higher..eyes fluttering over in his direction while his stayed focused on the road. The sound of some form of R&B floated through your ears in the background, you were tensing your thighs not giving him what he wanted. You could feel, his nails digging into you until you spread your legs the way he wanted. 

“God your so damn sexy....” Always down to give you endless amounts of praise.

Letting his index finger sooth up your slit and your eyes glanced over at him, his jaw laxed and his neck reclined, there was nothing sexier than the way he reacted to your body. You could’ve sworn he was the one getting pleasured with the form of euphoria he was in. His fingers rocked up and down your clit  ,rubbing gentle circles, you could phsycaly hear how wet you were …his fingers were damn near sticking to you. “Tae..” Reclining back in your seat, letting your eyes flutter shut as you spread your legs even further, the needy cry left your lips as he slid two fingers in.

 “Baby, your already soo fucking wet, fuck, goodamn” His voice was so calm., and so smooth, as it laced through your ears, it was almost like you could feel every words course through your body. Going in knuckle deep making you slouch down completely in your seat, tightening your walls around his fingers “I know you fuckin love it when I get angry, You were standing over there with no fucking panties on just dripping down your thighs weren’t you baby? This pretty little pussy was just throbbing for me..” He continued to work you with his fingers, adding a third, as he curled them against you.

“Yes, fuck you already know how much I love it..oh my god you feel so good!” He continued to work you, while you felt yourself run down your thighs and his custom leather seats ..until you heard the GPS cut in letting him know he’d be turning in a half mile. You knew at that point once he entered a main road he’d need to focus. Needing him to stop before you got any closer you took a firm grip on his hand pulling his fingers away and lacing them into your mouth with a moan, purposely as you knew how much he loved that…a hiss left his lips as he watched  a slight chuckle leaving your lips as you pulled away. His hand landed right back on your thigh, still keeping a firm grip on it,, almost as if he didn’t want you to forget what he could do at any second..You watched him approach the fork in the road and you knew that’s where they’d separate. The road was quiet..didn’t seem like there were too many business on this side of town slightly rural.

While stopped at a light you both watched a black car pull out a lot and turn into the lane to your right, it was a standard cadillac, the windows slightly tinted . Neither of you seemed concerned Taehyung’s eyes did cut over quickly just out of habit, once the light turned green the car hesitated, it was almost like he purposely waited to go, wanting to be a couple feet behind Taehyung . It didn’t take long for one of his men to notice as he creeped up his speed a little to lock in the space behind him, incase this guy tired too. “Who the fuck are you..” you heard him whisper out to himself, he didn’t seem concerned, moreso intrigued.

 ‘Don’t worry boss I see’em” The voice that came through the speaker was Mazda, Johnny and himself are Taehyung’s right hand soldiers and he was also one hell of a driver. Taehyung sped up purposely to see if the other driver would react and he did. The grip on your thigh got tighter and you already knew you needed to make sure your seatbelt was buckled as tight as it could. “Once the light turns green, I’m blowing all of em the next 4 miles ..” He spoke into the speaker , Mazda didn’t verbally respond but you heard him pump his gas a couple times, causing a mischievous smirk to move up Tae’s face “Thatta boy..”.

The minute the light went green, he eased into it..staying at a steady 40 for a minute before quickly moving up towards 90. Blowing through the next 2 lights, as he approached the 3rd he clearly had a split second decision “Hold on love” He was still pushing 90 when he cradled the wheel in his hand, making tight, tightttt turn, completely spinning around in the center of the road. No other car would be able to handle a turn like that, thank God the road was pretty much dead or else you probably would have shit a brick with how fast he whipped that turn. Driving back in the opposite direction, before making a quick right down a side street. You heard tires screech and a slight thud, which Taehyung ignored if anything, the caddy hammered the break trying to keep up with Tae and whip that turn and Mazda purposely tapped him to give you guys time to speed off. His eyes glanced down at his Gps, noticing 2 streets down, was a dead end residential cul de sac. Easing down on the gas he turned down the side street. Upon approaching a stop sign he knew he needed a place to lay low for a couple minutes. 

One if his best skills is being quick on his toes deciding he was  going to his left,pulling up just enough to turn around. Shutting his headlights off heading down the side street, in reverse,not even sure if you could breathe at this point. Bagging into the driveway of the house at the end of the street. All the lights were off but it as clear people were home, fingers crossed know one looked out there damn window. “Where did you go!!?” Mazda finally spoke out probably tired of trying to find him. Taehyung had a tracker on the car he was driving but no one had one on his. Not trusting the possibility of someone snatching one of his mens work cars.

“I see you, stay where your at..I’ll be….” Pausing mid sentence watching a car creep down the opposite end of the dead end,but he actually had his lights on, another rookie move. You could tell by how slow he was driving he look for you two. “There ya go..keep drivin’ buddy..”  you felt his hand massage up your thigh, just trying to keep you calm. Squeezing his hand a little to let him know you were still good, even though your stomach was in 23422 knots you were still good. “Find me a busy Main rd, now! Unless you want to just start firing rounds at every damn car that looks suspect , so yes that means I’m firing rounds at every fucking black car I see …” you could hear it in his voice , he was tired, cranky,and fed up ! In his mind there’s no reason he should’ve been in this position to begin with. You watched his GPS reroute him, keeping his lights off until he made his way out of the subdivision. Once turning onto a back road, you watched Mazdas car pull into the left lane and it wasn’t long before that Cadillac was back.

“Alright buddy you wanna run , we can run !” Taehyung pressed on the gas , he could see a pretty busy intersection approaching at the end of this backroad.“How much do you trust me ?” He quickly glanced over at you honestly not sure if you wanted to respond.

 “Ughh, Fuckkk, more than I wanna admit ,why?” He could hear the timidness in your tone, not responding just smirking down at you with a dark chuckle that made your stomach turn. Reaching down to grab your hand, intertwining your fingers with his, he could sense you were nervous..pulling your hand up to his mouth leaving a couple delicate kisses. Fuck who was this man!?? Because this is not at all what your use too..Once the arrow turned green to approach the intersection he hit the gas to damn near a hundred and so did the Cadillac “Fuck Tae!!” You gritted our through clenched teeth. This street was busy really busy, as he weaved his way through lanes . In and out, in and out until he got were he needed to be, at this point the cady couldn’t keep with his his speed, skill or the aerodynamics of Tae’s car which allowed him to do this so effortlessly. There was only one turn needed before it was a straight shot to the bridge . The light was yellow , and you guessed it he blew it , turning red right as he was turning , taking a tight grip on the wheel spinning, damn near doing a burn out into the turn lane. “Kim Tae-fucking -Hyung” you damn near  screamed at him and all he did was laugh as he barely merged you two in between a truck and a semi that was also pulling into the lane from a gas station. 

It felt like your heart was in your damn pinky toe as you waited for the light to turn green. The minute the tail of his car pulled into the lane a truck blew by, if he miscalculated even by an inch you two could’ve been dead ! He smiled his big boxy grin back at you , and you couldn’t help but laugh “Shit Tae I almost pissed myself! What the fuck!” Punching his arm playfully even though in all honesty he deserved it . Leaning over placing a ton of messy kisses all over your face as you tried to swat him away, to be honest you did love the adrenaline rush, it didn’t take long for your yelling to turn into laughing!

Remember how I said he wouldn’t make impulsive dangerous decisions with you around? Well that was only if he wasn’t the one in charge, Taehyung was genuinely calm the entire ride. He knew how skilled of a driver he was and how much his car could handle. Even if it didn’t feel like it to you he was in control the entire time. The ride to the bridge the rest of the way was smooth . His men all tailing him when needed, the drive into the city was still another half hour though, the windows were cracked while Taehyung’s playlist streamed in the background  the cool airbrushing  over your skin made you doze off at some point. Glancing over at you periodically as the wind dusted over your body, you looked so beautiful and so peaceful, he literally wanted to scream, he found himself squeezing the wheel tighter than usual. Almost purposely wanting to inflict more pain on his already pulsing hand. How did he let himself get to this point with you? And why can’t he snap out of it tonight? It seems like everytime he catches himself, he slips right back into it.. He spent the entire drive home trying to wreck his brain, to rationalize what happened today. There just didn’t appear to be a point, it all just seemed like a waste of money and what was accomplished? Between the shoot out, ,the attempted kidnapping, AND who the fuck was in the Cadillac, and the red Corvette? Was this maybe a distraction for something bigger? Or was Marco just really this incompetent? Or were you two wrong was it even Marco? Who the flying fuck is Zeb!? The fact that nothing made sense..was unsettling to say the least, maybe that was the point…to make everyone feel uneasy…

Waking up to a couple airy kisses on your neck “Come on baby…” He whispered against your skin as your eyes fluttered open, you almost thought you were dreaming actually. He never used the pet name outside of sex, clearly he must be fucking delirious and exhausted … vision still a little blurry as you watched him walk over to open your door. Then you realized where you were, Taehyung owned a gentlemans club a really nice one actually it was in a 3 story brick loft, he had a secret penthouse apartment on the 3rd level. That only certain people knew about , it looked like something straight out of Aricturtial Digest . But due to the location Tae never kept anything..of value here, which may sound mind boggling as this place was lavish as all hell but the nice couches, the custom bed, full bar, walk in glass shower and blah blah blah, that didnt mean shit to him. Important stuff he stored, like pictures of his mom and family, gifts from his parents, family airlumes , that’s what mattered. Which he kept at his house which was gated , completely isolated and heavily watched. At the end of the day, yes this man loved a good Gucci suite but he knew what really mattered in life, and it wasn’t all this material shit. There was a separate closed off entrance to the building..it took you down alley..which was sandwiched between the club, and a packie that was beneath a small apartment complex. Your families owned the complex under a alailas LLC name as well, a lot of Tae’s soldiers lived in that building.  There was “secret” back entrance ,a double sided iron gate, you walked through to a covered courtyard esque walkway that lead to the back door of the building in which you were both greeted by one of his guards.

 “Bengie’s here by the way!” ..Bengie..short for Benjamin…slang for $100 bills..Bengie’s real name was Hoseok, he was there best launders, money, drugs, you name it, you figured he must’ve been here to either do a pick up…or a drop off on a run he just complete. He wasn’t to be fucked with, as he was also one of there cleaners if need be. Meaning if things got messy and someone had to be taken out….Bengies your man. Which is insane that he dose such a gruesome job because when this man smiles your face literally feels compelled to do it with him, like you don’t have a choice.

You two walked down the hallway,this wing of the building is where all the business that did not pertain to the actual club took place, The smell of expensive cologne and cigars hit your nose“ Hey, I need to make a couple calls, hang out here for a minute then will go upstairs for the night okay?” His tone was almost somber has he stroked your face, he knew you were tired..just nodding in response, as you continued to stroll down the hallway. Upon looking to your right you spotted a familiar face, the room was guarded instantly stepping aside once you go closer “Damn, they actually let your ass back over the border!?” Leaning against the door frame with a slight smile on your face as he glanced over at you. Always in black and always wearing sunglasses. He was tall. Not super skinny either, had a pretty good build on his, Dark locks that typically sat parted to the side, occasional falling in his face. Like Taehyung his skin also always kept a warm olive complexion but Hoseok in contrast to Tae, held a much thicker accent when he spoke. “Hi lovely” Smiling back at you as he strolled over giving you a warm hug. He always smelled amazing and he was fine, damn fine, but unlike Jimin and Namjoon, he was someone that could call Taehyung Tae Tae and he would answer. So you’ve never even entertained the thought no matter how good he looked! Also more importantly he had a lady..her name was Lola, but you all called her Bunny. On the surface she was a ballet  instructor but behind closed doors she was one of the accounts within the circle.  

Unlike Taehyung, he wouldn’t live in fear, no he didn’t broadcast it but it wasn’t necessarily a secret either.“I heard you two had an interesting night..” 

Scoffing in response as you ran your fingers through your hair“Yeah something like that, I still don’t get what really happened, just seemed like a damn mess to me ”

“I literally wanna rangle his throat, I can’t stand the kid, I already told Tae next  time I see him I’m knocking his ass out, bottom line!”  You watched him stuff some packages in a black leather YSL overnight bag.

 “Where ya headed?” 

“Hong Kong, then I’m stationary for a little bit. Thank God Bunny’s ready to kill me..” Smiling over at you as he continued to pack, still blew your mind that he did the type of work he did..he just doesn’t look like the type. But that’s what makes him perfect for the job.

‘Hey Luxx? V said he’s ready when you are!” Almost jumping at that offer god you were so ready to get in bed.

 “Okay tell him I'm on my way..” The guard nodded before stepping out and you walked over giving Hoseok one more hug before you left. You hugged him tight, you always did, he had one of the riskier jobs and you just never know..you never know. As cynical as it may sound, in this line of work, nothing promised, nothing.  

He chuckled a little once he felt the grip you had on him “Don’t worry sweetheart, I always find my way back home..You know this! I got too much to come back to, to go down without a hell of a fight!” Glancing back at you with a wink before giving you one of his infamous big smiles, that again it was impossible not to do in return.

~~~~~~~~

The two of you made you way up to his apartment, ironically it always seemed like you ended up here around the same time frames . After 10 when one or the both of you were feeling needy. Like I mentioned it was beautiful the man had great taste. You could either take the stairs or a private elevator both were key coded, and I believe his apartment door was literally bullet proof. Not that it mattered there was always a guard posted outside the door. It was a very open floor plan, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, a walk in closet, full bar, gorgeous hardwood floors with high ceilings, exposed brick throughout.Taking your coat and shoes off you sat on his plush California King, when you watched him stroll over in your direction, only removing his suit jacket at this point slowly placing his hands on your waist “So, I know I said we could go to bed..” the minute he said that you rolled your eyes…already knowing were this was going “ Butttt…I gotta meet with Hoseok before he leaves for Hong Kong…” You couldn’t help but pout, you understood but you were feeling selfish you didnt care you needed him your thighs were still throbbing.

 Picking up on the oblivious pouty lip he climbed on the bed hovering over you, letting his lips brush over yours “But, go get in the shower, relax a little and when I get back up here….” He started leaving kisses down your neck, sucking down on the already bruised skin from earlier in the night. “ You know I’ll take care of you, I always do. I’ll eat your pretty little pussy until you come so hard you can’t see straight..” He breathed out against your neck as he hand crept up your dress, Teasing your slit with his middle finger as you arched into his touch.

 “Tae..” The breathy cry left your lips, as he slowly slid two fingers in , rocking them back and forth..pulling out to lace his tongue around them. Licking your juices off his fingers like it was the best thing he had all day “Soo fuckin good” . A cocky smirk left his lips as you whined once he pulled away

“I promise I’ll be back baby! I’m gonna turn on the shower for you before I go, if you need me call me, but Brice is posted outside the elevator if you need him.” You heard his voice echo off the marble walls of his bathroom. Placing a quick kiss on your forehead before heading out the door.Far too tired to dissect the sudden subspace he seemed to have crept into were he actually acted like he had feelings. 

Rolling out of bed you walked into his bathroom, it was all gray and white marble, his shower big enough to fit about 10 people and it had 4 shower heads,. Throwing your hair in a bun you stipped down before stepping in the shower. Just sitting down on the bench letting the water and steam consume you as you tried to relax. You stayed in there for maybe a good 20 minutes the sinks were on the opposite side of the room behind a wall, wrapping a towel around your chest you walked over wanting to brush your teeth before getting in bed you noticed a familiar box. It was from Agent provocateur, you felt like a kid on Christmas. Who didn’t love surprises, you honestly we’re not sure if he was serious or not when he said it in the car. it was really sexy that he wasn’t afraid to pick out what he liked. It was a 4 piece set, a bra, suspender, panties and thigh highs for the suspenders to hook through. All 3 clothing pieces had black trim, the actual material was a mesh tuell, so the bra panties and suspenders were completely see through with slight black and silver glitter throughout. The underwear were a cheeky fit, and the bra had amazing support , the pieces just hugged every inch of your body perfectly.. Taking your hair out of the bun, lathering your body in lotion before putting the pieces on, giving yourself a couple one overs in the mirror. You couldn’t even deny it, you looked good, damn good! Walking out of the bathroom, strolling into the bedroom you were too focused adjusting the straps to the suspenders to notice was was standing in the doorway. He cleared his throat and you instantly snapped up, eyes meeting his with a slight smile as your ran your fingers through your hair, strolling over to the bed slowly, making sure to let your hips sway as you walked. He watched your every move carefully  as you readjusted on the bed, reclining on the bed slightly keeping your eyes locked with his.

You’d never get over the way he looked at you in moments like these, it’s what kept you coming back. When the two of you had sex, all his walls came down that’s when he was vulnerable and affectionate, the first time he ever called you baby was when he buried deep was inside you, hand around your throat making you cum. Typically that’s the only time you heard that name until tonight.. You watched his eyes trace over your slowly , letting his tongue trace over his bottom lip taking in every inch of you. God you looked even better than he imagined . Still leaning against the door frame, hand in his  pockets, head resting against the wall he hadn’t said anything yet and it was killing you . It was like he could sense it though the minute you went to speak up “I don’t know why you’re staring at me like that you know what position I want you in . You’re only torturing yourself I’m sure your already soaked, lay the way I want you…” His voice was so calm, yet so assertive, and he was right you were already soaked, the sound of his voice alone did things to your body that you couldn’t even explain. You could tell the mood he was in tonight, not wasting any time your rolled over,  crawling up the center of the bed. Getting down into one of the deepest arches you could! You heard a deep growl leave his chest as he walked towards you . 

His hand soothed up your ass slowly before slamming back down on it hard causing your whole body to jerk. “Don’t make me have to tell you what to do next time, you already know what I like..” You felt the bed shift as he crawled up the bed , lips finding their way up your back as his hands massaged your shoulders, Letting his hands palm your hips and he gently grinded his clothed body into yours, just teasing you for the hell of it. Digging his thumbs into your sides “Fuck your so perfect, god. Look at you.” The sound of his voice almost like he couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe he got so lucky. Marveling at how amazing you looked in the mesh material, how confident and sexy he could tell you felt in it. His hands moved up the front of your body, massaging your breasts through the thin material as they traveled. Letting one hand find a place around your neck, With a firm grip he pulled your body against his, making you flesh with his chest. Reclining your neck against his shoulder as he sucked on the skin beneath your ear. His other hand teased your bottom lip as he watched you suck his fingers into your mouth, a slight moan leaving your lips.

“Your so damn sexy you know that? ” his words coming out almost as a moan as he rocked his hips against your ass, sliding his fingers out, creeping past the hem of your panties to  massage your clit. Digging your nails into his arm your neck rolled back on his shoulder, grabbing the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to yours.  He kissed you hard, lacing his tongue against yours as you moaned out into his mouth, deepening the kiss bringing his hand up to cup your face, while his other left your core to squeeze your ass. “Bend over for me baby..” Re adjusting your body in the same deadly position ou started in, like he said earlier he loved you ass up , lingerie. Grabbing both thighs he let his hands roam your body, starting by massaging your hips as kissed his way up the back of your thighs. Slowly making his way over to your ass alternating between kisses, and digging his teeth into the sensitive skin leaving small little reminders that every inch of you was always his regardless.

Breathy moans left your lips and your hands palmed sheets in anticipation “Baby , have I ever told you how perfect your pussy is ?” Before you could even respond you felt his finger hook the material out of the way.. his lips kissed up your folds . While his hands massaged your ass, you could hear him moan against your core. Always sounding like he was genuinely enjoying pleasing you at first they were just simple kisses, the feeling of his plush lips along your core. Then suddenly his tongue got involved and your whole body jerked away from him  , as you were caught off guard by the sudden feeling causing his hand to slam down hard on your ass again . Rule number one when he was in control he was in control unless he told you to move you didn’t move. 

“Tae..” the cry left your lips so faint as you face meet the bed, keeping his tongue flat and complete extended from his mouth he made multiple slow long, strokes up and down your slit, occasionally teasing your entrance with his tongue. The grip on your ass got tighter , your body was still subconsciously jerking away from him, it had been literally almost 2 months since he tongue was on you like this, and you were so sensitive. “Be a good girl, you can take it..” Letting his tongue roll against your clit before sucking it in his mouth completely , while he effortlessly slid two fingers in, you were already dripping down his face.

 “Oh fuck.” You felt your body jerk again but this time you accidentally slid further down on the bed, which was a mistake because it actually gave him better access.  It felt like your mind went blank when he touched you, nothing else mattered all you could focus on was how fucking good you felt. As he continued rocking his fingers against you, long enough to hit all the places you needed while the moans leaving his mouth sent vibrations echoing through your entire body.

“God you have such a pretty pussy, always gets so fucking wet for me, taking my fingers so well..” He praised against your folds, which only made you tighten your grip around him “Arch up more for me baby, come sit your pussy on my face..” God the sound of that set your stomach on fire , flipping over on his back, he reached out for your hips. Placing you right were he wanted you. He always preferred for you to ride his face from the front, because then he could see every expression on your face. He had you your body slightly elevated so his fingers could access you as well. Snaking his hand behind your thigh sliding 2 fingers in slowly curling them upwards as he wrapped his tongue around my clit . Sucking in slowly and your entire body immentially tightened around him, thighs already starting to spazz.

Rolling his tongue up…and down ending the motion by wrapping his lips around the tip of your clit suctioning his lips around the nerve humming out, radiating vibrations through your core. . Treating your clit the same way he did your mouth, his tongue, licked, sucked, twirled, it’s way around every inch of your most sensitive area.“Oh-myyyy-fuckkkkk” it felt like you were straining to get words out, your body reacted to him like its been years since you been touched..like this. 

Arching back slightly letting your hands roamed up the front of your body before finding their place in your hair as you started rolling your hips up into his mouth. Which he fucking loved, this man lived for you to ride his face. Reclining your head back,as your eyes fluttered shut .It felt like he placed his entire mouth on it , his tongue moved slow but wide …it was like he was getting in …every inch of you. Placing his tongue directly on the head of your clit ,flicking it…toying with you a little giving you the sensation of anticipation, your body jerking against his tongue every time. Occasionally teasing at your opening siding his tongue in:..and out …”God yes, fuck baby…”you were starting to grow more and more sensitive as he let his tongue mercissily attack your clit.

Thighs trying to clench around his head involuntarily, you could hear him growl against your dripping folds as your juices ran down your thighs and his face , as he’d yanked your legs apart so you weren’t restricting him. His hands steady massaging your thighs, moving to cup your ass so he could push you closer into his mouth.,You could feel him start to slow down and you wanted to cry you were so close and you knew exactly why. Looking down eyelids heavy only to find him looking up at you as he rolled his tongue against your core . He loved  eye contact …every time  you’d look away he slow down or smack your ass.. “Good girl” His words came out gravley against your center as he slid his hand back under your thigh to continue working you with his fingers. The base in his voice sending waves through your body “Fuck ..baby dont stop, don’t-“ As your msucles started to tense, his motions got more Intense sliding his finger out making you sit completely against his mouth before just applying steady pressure . Sucking on your clit until your entire body unravled above him and he didn’t stop .

Your body collapsed down on the bed over him as you clawed at his sheets, not even able to cry out anymore while your entire body trembled. Your mind was still hazy,you almost felt high you were on such a wave right now.His hands found there way to yours  intertwining your fingers with his, but don’t be fooled this endearing moment was also a way to keep you put.  He could feel how hard you were shaking and he didn’t ease up, keeping his lips pressed against your clit as he left faint kisses up and down your core, wiggling his fingers free, his hands roamed up and down your back as you tried to remember how to breathe. Wiping his face with his hand, as he smirked up at you.. Rolling you over gently he hovered over you, kissing your forehead, while massaging your thigh. Leaning down letting your lips connect to his, the taste of your juices fresh against his tongue as you moaned out into the kiss. 

Panting against his tongue, while your chest felt like it was collapsing..thighs still spazzing even as you laid flat on your back “Breathe, baby breathe..” breaking away from the kiss to press his lips over every inch of skin he could reach in an attempt to calm your body down. 

The moment was great until outta nowhere you heard a loud bang on his door the two of you couldn’t help but jump as his apartment was completely silent prior, “You have got to be shitting me..” He rolled of the bed beyond furious grabbing his gun off the table before walking over to check the monitor to see who was at the door. It was one of his guards and…Namjoon? You heard slight conversation but you couldn’t make it out, your body too weak to care honestly.

“Hey Luxx? Can you come out here for a second? “ Jumping of the bed, almost falling actually as your legs still felt like mush, grabbing a robe before tilting your head out of the room 

“You have got to be shiting me! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for your ass!? Why is your phone dead!?Do you realize I could be sleeping or,getting fucked right now!? Instead I’m not I’m here but clearly you did so at least one of us are happy!” He was furious,But Taehyung and yourself couldn’t help but snort out a laugh at how angry he was.. and then it clicked, you kinda sorta forgot to call your dad. You stared back at him completely blank, I mean what the fuck was there for you to say? You fuked  up.. 

“Really luxx? You know the way Sunny is! Are you trying to get my dick cut off?Have you forgotten how much you beg for this thing?!You heard me tell him I’d-!” Even Though his tone was slightly playful he was serious, he promised your dad he’s get you out safe, so it wasn’t a good look by any means that it’s going on 230 in the morning and he hadn’t heard from you. He was honestly probably planning Taehyung’s funeral as we speak. 

“Shit, I know, I know,I’m sorry, I’m really sorry tonight was just..a mess! Joonie  call my dad please.“

  ‘Sure..” His tone was beyond dry he was officially done with you for the next few days at this rate. Placing the call on speaker you heard it ring, and your stomach turned 

“Talk to me kid, did you find her?! God I swear If not I’m gonna kill Tae-” 

” Hi dad…” Trying to sound as sweet as possible but that shit wasn’t flying…’

“Are you fucking kidding me !? God your lucky your my baby girl because if you were my son I’d bash your head in in right now, I’ve been having a heart attack! If it wasn’t for Taehyung having the common sense to at least call HIS father. I wouldnt have a clue where you were! Shit Y/N..I’m just..” The more he talked the calmer he became...originally his tone was on 10..damn near screaming through the phone “I’m glad your okay especially after what happened with Park Jr tonight!! I just- I’m just glad your okay…!”  his tone now went from calm went  to almost..exhaustion but the more important thing in all of this ..what the fuck happened to Jimin!?  

All three of your faces reflected confusion and concern “Dad…” Your tone indicating you needed him to go into greater detail…there was a slight pause before he continued which only had you more concerned .

“He’s fine, at least in comparison to the guy who tried to hit a lick on him. I don’t know for sure..he got a phone call from someone who he thought was one of the caregivers…but apparently it wasn't…” Your brow furrowed in, in frustration, and confusion honestly. He was being very vague which was frustrating to say the least 

“For what? Tree? ‘ Taehyung cut in. Your father let out a deep sigh it was clear he didnt wanna get into this tonight.

 “It was laced, purposely it was a special batch that was intended to go overseas..actually it’s one of the batches that’s supposed to go with Hoseok…Which I’ve already dealt with by the way.”   You all still stayed quiet, there were too many missing pieces to this story. But more importantly, somethings wrong..really fucking wrong how are people suddenly infiltrating your circle so easily!?

“Alright, well with that being said, meet at the ferry at 1..were going to the Island to meet Dino for dinner..please don’t call Jimin let him rest, he’s still a little bruised up, he will be there tomorrow! Luxx, baby I love you, Taehyung, thank you! ..thank you..Joon, sorry she wasted your night! “ He hung up after that, abrupt and in true Sunny fashion, granted it was pushing 3Am though. Still he didn't even wait for any of  you to respond, because he didn't want one. Not in the mood for a million questions while you 3 just kinda stared at each other mind fucked. 

Dino was Leo’s brother, the island was private property and you guys owed a ton of land over there, and ran some of your business on that side of town. The air stayed silent until You heard a morbid chuckle come  Namjoon’s direction “Tomorrow’s gonna be fun..well, it’s late, as hell and I’m exhausted so I’ll see you guys at 1 ….apparently! Lux I’m still mad at you..but I’m just glad your okay!” You smiled back at him,. Reaching over to give him a quick hug mouthing out “I’m sorry” as you pulled away.

  “V, always a pleasure man!” . Once he walked out, Taehyung’s eyes cut over to you, He was pissed, his word was all he had, so he still wasn’t happy that you never told your dad you two were okay..even if it wasn’t until you guys back to his apartment that’s still been damn near 2 hours! He didn’t say anything as he grabbed a glass off the counter, that had some sort of Bourbon as he walked over to have a seat on the couch.

You let out a whiney sigh before following  him, crawling over to straddle his lap, he wasn’t happy, not even a smile in site “Baby I’m sorry..I’m sorry…” 

Taking the last sip of his drink his brow raised in slight amusement of your whining “Mmm,you’d be really sorry if one of your uncles showed up here with a gun to my head huh?” His tone was stale, fuckk you were in trouble..You were pouting and he didn’t care, he straight faced the hell outta you. Leaning down you nuzzled your lips in the crook of his neck, while your fingers worked the buttons of his dress shirt, leaving kisses down his neck to his collarbone. Once his shirt was unbuttoned your hands went to work his belt buck, he still didn’t say anything eyes trained on yours,.Pulling the zipper down, you started palming him through his boxers.

“You can look at it all you want but it’s not gonna suck itself” There was no sense of warmth in his tone at ll yet, for some reason that turned you on even more.  He lifted his hips a little so his pants and boxers weret adding pressure, he was already semi hard, which isn’t surprising. Damn near everything you did turned him on “Don’t even think about..” you looked back at him in confusion as to why he would stop you from sucking him off “Take your damn robe off..you know better” How could you forget again..ass up, untying the rob letting it fall where it landed “If your good maybe I’ll play with your pussy while my cocks in your mouth, I’m sure she’s still soaked,  probably actually getting wetter as I speak…” His tongue laced his bottom lip as he watched your every move.

Lowering yourself, placing your tongue right at the base licking up slowly, lapping your tongue around the tip and back down the other side .Repeating the motion until he was completely coated, breathy moans started to leave his lips as his hand found the back of your neck. Once you knew he was lubricated enough you took half of him in your hand and the rest in your mouth. Placing your lips on the tip, going as low as you could before you started to gag “Fuckkk, that’s it baby…” Pulling back you spit slightly on his tip letting it drip down as you started to work the base in your hand, bobbing your head, letting your lips touch your hand every time so every inch of him was covered. Moaning out against his cock as you honestly enjoyed pleasing him hearing his low gravely moans because of you were one of your biggest turn ons. You felt him start to palm your ass with his opposite hand, still keeping one in your hair. His fingers started teasing your slit which was still drenched “Fuck baby, your still so fuckign wet, you like sucking me off baby? Does it make your pussy wet knowing how good you make me feel ? Fuck you take me soo well.” He started rocking your body as he worked you clit causing you to bob your head harder but he wasn’t too rough so you didn’t mind, as he slightly rocked his hips into you. 

“God, I love fucking your throat” Your moans against him got even louder as he started rubbing your clit more aggressively before sliding two fingers in. You keep bobbing your head and working him with your hand, as you got closer to the tip you’d suck down a little harder knowing that was his soft spot. Your eyes fluttered up, just in time to watch his close in pure pleasure as he sunk down deeper into the couch.You could feel him pushing harder and harder against your tongue and you knew he was close. Pulling back you swirls your tongue around his tip a couple time before fully deep throating him. Letting him hit the back of your throat everytime he actually loved hearing, and feeling you gag around him. You knew your limits though, almost able to take all of him in once you were warmed up enough, throat completely relaxed.

“Fuck, keeping going baby, make me cum, I’m so close Y/N fuckk..” You couldn’t even believe the sound of his voice right now it was soo deep, and breathy he was so vocal tonight and fucking loved it. You felt the grip on your hair get tighter and you swatted his hand away from your clit, you knew he was close and having him working you while you worked him was too distracting while trying to get him off. Too fucked out to even care as he looked down at you with hooded eyes. Taking him back in your hand while you worked the tip with your mouth, applying more pressure towards the tip you feel him start to throb repeatedly and you knew it, he…was cumming “Fuckkkk” he looked, and sounds so good when he comes, the words coming out in a low breathy moan as you watched his chest rise and fall. Not pulling away until you made sure you took all of it, not leaving a single drop. Releasing him from your lips with a loud “POP” as you smirked up at him, gripping your waist he yanked you up on his lap. Gripping the back of your neck, crashing his lips into yours. Taehyung  actually loved the taste of his own cum, your tongue lathered along his was the only thing he wanted while his body was fully coming down from it’s high.Grinding our hips into his as he kissed you even deeper, he was still moaning into your mouth , and you felt like you could come all over again just from that alone.

You felt him start to laugh into the kiss before pulling away “I’m still mad at your bratty ass.” A snarl left his lips as he swatted your ass, just plopping your head down on his chest, not even bothering to respond. You just sucked the life outta his dick he’d get over it. Wrapping one arm around your waist the other found you hair, gently running his fingers through the strands. Before you knew it you fell asleep,his first instinct was to move you, it felt ..too good to have you that close to him like that. But he didn’t, to be honest he needed it because he couldn’t sleep, way too much on his mind. They found his driver and he was pretty banged up. “Justin” is just a generic name for the driver, trying to keep them as close to a John Doe as possible.., he actually wasn’t sure which one of his guys were picking him up. It was Andre and he was 19…the youngest person on the team and the ONLY reason he’s involved is because he’s one of his father’s guards son. 

To make it worse it was his first and probably his last job,due to him technically getting car jacked that’s a pretty legit and unfortunately common thing so he was taken to a regular hospital. All Taehyung could think about, was due to Marcos ignorance two young kinds got fucked..he was furious ...and now Jimin. He may have technically been one of your fathers men but you guys all worked together..it took everything in him, not send his men to drag Marco back to him by the balls! It also didn’t help that he couldn’t figure out who was tailing him in that car. The one thing Taehyung always had was control…and it seemed like that was slipping away away between work and you, he just couldn’t shut his mind off. After getting zero sleep he decided to make a trip to the hospital around 6am to see Andre!

Not sure when he put you in the bed, but clearly it happened at some point also removing the lingerie  as he knew it had to have been sticky and uncomfortable by now. You were woken up by the sound of your phone having a seizure as your assistant was calling. Once you looked down you noticed it was a quarter to 10 “Yeah..” Your throat was raw as you spoke, you could blame a combination of Taehyung and lack of sleep 

“What are you doing about clothes? I’m assuming you don’t have any with you sooo..am I bringing this rack over and your makeup?” Rolling over on your back letting out a deep so breath, fuck you were still tired “Ughh..hold on a sec” You could hear the based in his voice from across his apartment, you knew how iffy he was about just anybody knowing he also lived here. So you thought you’d ask if he’d prefer one of his guards to grab your stuff. Placing the call on mute you through on a rob as you were completely naked and you didn’t wanna run the risk of someone being out there, making your way to the spare bedroom you knocked on the door frame. It was open but out of respect for his call you wanted to give him a heads up, he was speaking in his native tongue and you were pretty sure it was his father. 

Due to doing a lot of business in Korea you understood it a lot better than you spoke it, you could already tell from the tone of the conversation it wasnt good. Smiling up at you he signaled for you come in, placing whoever on hold “Yes?.” you could tell from his voice and his eyes he was stressed and tired, dressed in a all black, black fitted bomber jacket, black veck, black skinnies, black boots, and a black hat. To be honest his outfit choice was kinda casual for him, granted everything was designer and still probably 2 grand on his body but..you just knew he was in a mood, and this was going to be a long ass day.

 “I need, my clothes and stuff, well actually I guess I could get ready at my place…”  Having a split second decision as you honestly didn’t stay over long after sex not that he’d ever put you out.But let’s just say you’ve been there done that and it typically dosen’t end well. Yet his face almost looked annoyed once you said that..

“Actually I just sent Jhonny to get you breakfast from you favorite little cafe up on 22nd he can swing by a pick it up.. You had a long night.. Just relax…”  Pausing for a second as you clearly didn’t expect that, and you weren’t complaining .

“Oh..okay..thanks..so that means you got me waffles?” Your tone showed you were uncertain and he just scoffed rolling his eyes 

“Yes..” While in contrast he was clearly saying “No shit!” without actually saying it 

“Well you know I like Powdered su-” 

“ Really? Luxx get outta here I know what I’m doing!” Swatting you out the room as he stepped back on his conversation, and now you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, taking the call off mute “Hey..yeah Johnny’s gonna come get it, so just pull a couple pieces off the rack, and grab my makeup bag, the big one with the standard LV monogram has everything I need in it..k..thanks!”

Your curiously got the best of you as you lingered by the door, from what you can make out it sounds like a distributions went south. You guys dabbled in a ton of trades one of your most successful outside of drugs? Counterfeit goods, especially luxury ..the irony in that right? All the people that buy  high quality “designer” things on Amazon and AllieExpress and etc that know there knock offs, or from The Alley in LA. There's a good chance they came from your shop one way or another..even if your just the person that provided the connect..that still came at a fee. Both of your fathers owned a couple shops that produced the goods. It seems something went wrong with one of the freight trucks but you couldn’t really understand it. But since it’s business you were also involved in first hand you knew you’d hear about it so you gave up on trying to translate, heading back to his room, deciding you’d shower, brush your teeth and curl your hair since you at least had your flat iron here and hopefully by then you’d have clothes and food.

Before hopping in the shower you tried giving Jimin a call but he didn’t respond, you couldn’t help but get concerned when a couple minutes went by without him reading your text. Part of you wanted to send one of your men by his house, and or the dispensary but you decided to stop acting psycho and wait  until you saw him at 1!Halfway through doing your hair, Tae came into the bathroom, you had your headphones in so you didn’t even hear Johnny come back. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror in nothing but a sheer pink bra and panty set, of course you had a ton of lingerie here if nothing else. His hands cupping your ass as he entered the room, already having your waffles on the plate, Whipped, creamed, powdered sugar, and strawberries already on top. You couldn’t help but smile at the fact that he got your order right, but you weren’t going to say anything but thank you, this man’s ego is big enough. 

“Yeah I know I’m the shit, now stop doing you hair and eat, because you know if it gets cold you won’t eat it!” He was right you hated cold food and you weren’t a fan of microwaving shit either. 

“But I’m doing my hair, this is a process if I stop I won’t wanna finish..” Rolling his eyes and he leaned against the wall 

“Right, but again, your bratty ass does not eat cold food Luxx, what the hell do you want me to do? Feed you?” You actually hadn’t thought about that but it didn’t sound like a bad idea, You shrugged batting your lashes at him, a dramatic sigh left his lips and he walked towards you “Oh fuck me” you could help but laugh at his angry mumbles

 “Wow, wait till all the guys hear about what there boss did…” Smirking over at him as he picked up a waffle on the fork, eyes meeting yours completely unamused 

“If you tell anybody I did this I’m never giving you head ever again! Now open your damn mouth” Almost choking on the first part of that but you knew he was all talk he’d actually cave first.

He stayed pretty quiet at first while he fed you a couple pieces while you finished your hair, but you could tell something was on his mind  “Hey, umm about last night, -” You already knew where this was going, letting out a deep sigh as you rolled your eyes,.

“Kim Taehyung if your standing here about to apologize for actually being human for once and just living your life.I’ll burn your ass.” 

“Luxx-” He tried to cut you off, and he got off the counter..stepping back from you a little.. tone surprisingly calm in comparison to how harsh yours was but you weren’t having it.

“No dude FUCK THAT, I thought we squashed this shit MONTHS AGO!!” Your voice echoed off the walls, you were literally screaming, you never yelled at him before, not even if it was work-related. 

“ I’m so tired of this, I guess I must just be real fuckin’ stupid for repeatedly putting myself through this!! I’ve known you for damn near 17 years ! Okay, neither of us has ever said he wanted this to be an actual thing, but fuck! You’re exhausting…how can you keep switching gears!? You literally bought me out a $500 lingerie set, just because. Yet we’ve never gone to dinner, or even hug out... just the two of us without you having to relate it to business. “Oh let’s go out to dinner to discuss this new deal..” Yeah sure Tae let’s go out to dinner at 11 at night half drunk to discuss fucking business!” 

Your eyes shot over in his direction surprisingly he gave you direct eye contact, jaw tight..letting you have your moment. But to be honest, for some reason it only made you angrier ”Or fuck just remove me from the equation, in general, your like this with any girl you’ve ever entertained!  In case you forgot the night your mom died..mine did too! I felt the same fucking pain as you and I watched my dad crumble the same way! But I didn’t let that fucking tarnish me, believe it or not I’d still wanna fall back in love one day! We can’t change the life we’ve grown up in, and in all honesty, for the most part, were pretty fuckin lucky! But as strong as you are with everything else..it’s almost  like you’re so terrified of your life that you won’t let yourself Live it fully..”

It didn’t even feel like you took a single breath while you spit all that out, not having the energy to continue at the volume you were originally. “ I mean shit It’s almost like having a sugar daddy at this point..” The minute you said that his eyes cut over to you, the look he gave you was cold, he didn’t ike that ...at all.

“You know exactly what I mean Taehyung, No emotion right? The only time you let me feel something is when your balls deep in me! The way you were yesterday…I’ve only gotten that once in a blue moon and that’s fine if that’s the way you want this to be. But you need to get your shit together stop playing games..it’s either black or white because clearly, shades of grey stress you the fuck out!”

Whipping your flat iron across the room, not even caring that it splattered along with his marble.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this...I don’t know how it got to this point...” He was looking at you but he wasn’t really looking, damn near looking straight through you...

 “It’s not even just that, It concerns me, with everything you deal with that your so closed off, maybe ‘i’m being naive and assumed because you at least show me more affection even if its brief….  than you’ve showed anyone that I’m..like…I don’t know.. fucking special or something and you’d-” A dry scoff left his mouth as you said that, instantly pissing you off as you weren’t even sure how to interpret that! Was he agreeing you were naive? Was this secretly how he treated other girls? 

“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Your tone was stale, and lacked emotion at this point because why should you be the only one showing any? The room fell silent for a moment and to be honest, the silence was awkward, to say the least. Clearing his throat as he walked towards the door, leaning against the frame…

“It means as a man, it’s my job to keep the people I care about safe and I can’t even do that right now.” You watched him fiddle with the two Cartier rings on his fingers Clearing his throat again before continuing “ I can’t even keep my men safe right now, and I hate it!  It was Andre by the way..he was the driver who was supposed to pick me up..now he’s probably going to spend his 20th birthday in the hospital having fucking surgery, because of me. That alone kept me up all night, now imagine if that was-” He cut himself off, shaking his head, almost like he was telling himself to stop, not even wanting to continue that thought,you watched his nose twitch as he huffed in a deep breath. 

Your mind couldn’t help but wonder where he was going with that.. Yet as frustrated as you were you felt for him when he said that and you were sure your facial expression probably reflected it. Regardless of the fact that his father still ran their circle along with his brother over the past year Taehyung has been given a lot more authority to run his own trades. So with that being said his men weren’t his father‘s responsibility they were his and I guess you don’t really think about it because you’ve been treated like an adults your whole life but most of the men calling him boss are old enough to be his father. Yet in his eyes it’s his job to keep them paid and even though a lot of them are technically his security he feels like it’s still his job to try to not put them in positions where they have to risk their lives for him constantly. 

At the end of the day regardless of how smooth it was running you guys don’t just own a couple Dunkin Donuts and call it a day,it’s still drugs, weapons,counterfeit goods and even the occasional “Hit teams”. So yes, granted Taehyung should be a little heartless and removed when it comes to business, but not his personal life and that’s where he was struggling.

 “Again, I’m sorry about yesterday, your right, I can’t do shades of grey, I was...I was just having a moment. Were different people Luxx just because your so willing to subject yourself to that kind of pain..doesn’t mean I am… I can’t!..And I won’t apologize for protecting myself…I’m not my father…” His voice broke slightly as he finished his thought….

“Like you said it’s either black or white, we both knew what this was when it started and somehow it drifted away from that. It’s on you, if you wanna take it back to how it was…or let go...” 

Your jaw clenched involuntarily  as those words left his lips, he was right, shit had shifted, and you’d prefer if you were both on the same page. You just couldnt wrap your head around the fact , that that’s where he took this..so willing to disreagred that fact thst theres clearly so much more than sex here..so much more! Damn fear held that much power over him huh?!

He was also very mono tone as he spoke, no emotion came through, he looked fuckng exhausted. It was clear everything that was going on was eating him up…regardless that broke your heart.

“Okay?” There was a slight inflation in his tone for the first time...you silence catching him off guard.

“Yup, I got you…”There wasn't even a word to describe the amount of sarcasm and pettiness that left your lips right now.

“Y/N-”

“I said, I.Under.Stand….V I got you..” The slight change in the way you addressed him has his eyes bulging out of his sockets. Ya know he actually had the nerve to look somewhat hurt? A dry scoff leaving his lips. A ring on his cell pausing any additional conversation. 

“Alright, well, I’ll be downstairs let Brice know when your ready to go….” He wouldn't even fucking look at you, It was crazy how he already seemed emotionally disconnect from the conversation. Yet no matter how pettie you were being you actually wanted to cry. 

You heard him walk out of the apartment. About 10 minutes went by of you just sitting on the counter, sobbing actually, it just felt like everything was sitting on your chest. To be frank you weren’t sure exactly what made you breakdown.., your head hurt, actually correction your entire brain hurt, from Marco, to Taehyung, to the distribution truck, Jimin now Jordan ..it was just a lot! You finally pulled yourself together though, you didn't have a choice, your original plan was to get all glam and wear a dress and thigh highs but the ambition for that went out the window, If you didn’t look like death from your previous night you wouldn’t have put on makeup. Throwing on a pair of blacked out aviators letting Brice know you were ready to go. To your surprise once you got in the blacked out Escalade Taehyung was also in the backseat. He didn’t say anything , and neither did you, the ride to the ferry was silent but luckily for both of you having business to attend to on your phone not as awkward as it could’ve been. You got one glance at him,  as his eyes cut cross to your window once a red corvette drove by… the look in his eyes were different, his eyes looked more prominent. They actually looked slightly puffy..had he been crying!? You knew better he’d rather shank himself then cry…but it definitely looked like it!.

Upon pulling up, you were confused to say the least  “What the fuck” Both breathing out in unison actually, which is the first thing you two had said to each other since your argument. The state trooper was there, and so was damn near everybody else..what I mean is, all 3 of the families involved, anybody that worked close within their circle was there. Meetings never went down like this,,,usually they’d just get conferenced  in. There was a good 35/40 people waiting to load this ferry, expect Leo’s, you figured they were already there since Dino called the meeting.. Fuck even Hoseok was there..why the hell was he not on his plane to Hong Kong!? 

Then you also noticed Namjoon, Jimin,Bunny..shit was serious if they were all here. “Yeah because this doesn’t look sus or anything!” You breathed out in sarcasm, while a low chuckle left his body yet he still hasn’t said anything else to you. Both exiting the truck going seperate directions. Hoseok’s lady noticed you right away running over to give you a hug “Luxx!!” Squeezing you tight, before descending into casual conversation which you were only partially listening too. She was a complete sweetheart, and honestly perfect for Hoseok! But your eyes couldn’t help but trace Taehyung. He just seemed like he was on an extremely short fuse today, didn’t matter that you were upset with him you still cared, always would. As you all waited for the Ferry to load, you watched a red porsche pull up  which didn’t mean much to you at first, then you recognized it. That was Leo’s it was his prized possession actually he rarely..rarely drove it!

Marco and one of his men stepped out the car “Fuckk..” it came out as a low whisper while your eyes immediately shot over to Taehyung, luckily Hoseok wasn’t far behind. It was clear Marco wasn’t invited though, some of the guards appeared to be asking him to leave. Originally blocking him from everybody else but Tae pushed his way right through the line, he didn’t need or want security right now.“Nah please let him through,so we can welcome him to the family properly..” Hoseok breathed out with a sly smirk and you knew this wouldn’t end well, these two were trouble together, have been since high school. Believe it or not Hoseok had an even shorter fuse than Taehyung. Everyone started to crowd around them them, blocking your view, which only gave you fucking anxiety.. As you started walking over in that direction..”Fuck yeah, where’s your boy from last night!? How’s his face feelin? Ya know if need be and he’s in a lot of pain I know a guy who has great bud!” You couldn’t see him but you could hear him, Jimin found his way over there.You could hear voices bouncing off of each other but it was getting harder to tell who was who until…

“Did you really show up here today? Are you really that fuckin stupid?!” You knew his voice anywhere..the base shot through everyone else and all you could hear was him, followed by a loud eruption of pure chaos..

There ya have it! Lol sorry it’s long hope you enjoy..

part 3 is up