#I meant to post an announcement thing yesterday but figuring out the gif was HARD

[fazedlight]

Andrea stared at the coin in her hand, trying to fight back the overwhelming nausea that kept calling for her to throw up a third time that night. Russell was… kind. Sweet. He didn’t deserve to be put at risk just for dating someone like her. A murderer. Andrea brushed back her hair, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. She could still hear it, the sharp pop of the governor’s neck as she twisted it. She could feel his last breath as it exited his body. Tom Harper was dead, and his blood was on her hands. After years of believing that she had left Leviathan behind… they had called upon her. And now she knew that she would never escape. Perhaps they would not summon her often, but she knew she would never know peace again. Breaking up with Russell was the easy part. Living with herself… was another thing entirely.

Shadows in the Sun is a rojarias (with supercorp background) one-shot!

This fic is a @supergirlmayhem fic! Thank you to @chaotic-super for the great art, and thank you to all the mods for running the event! I highly suggest checking out all the fics and art coming out for it!

And a special thanks to @luthordamnvers for inspiring me to write for this ship in the first place!

[yourlocalfictionalenthusiast]

IN LIFE, IN DEATH...

PART SIX

:Masterlist:

Warnings: Swearing, fighting, angst (sorry <3)

A/N: this was definitely meant to be posted like a week ago but here it is! <3

---

August 1994

The florescent lights of the hospital waiting room were starting to give you a headache. 

They were way too bright and flickered every so often that it made you dizzy to look at them. But you needed something to focus on to stave off boredom, so you focused your attention on the clock on the wall.

It read just after midnight and you silently cursed yourself, quickly pulling out your flip phone and dialing your mom’s number.

She was probably asleep by now, but thinking about her possibly waiting up and worrying made your stomach turn. The line rang for a moment, but then the ending tone chirped and you were left with her answering machine.

“Hey, Mom. Uh, we had a little accident at practice. Luke was practicing his guitar throw and he kind of threw out his shoulder. I’m gonna drop him off at home and then I’ll probably just stay at the studio so I’m not biking home so late. Okay, love you. Bye.”

You hung up the phone and shoved it in your pocket just as Luke appeared from behind the door. The nurse said something to him that made his eyebrows furrow but he nodded. As you got closer, you realized that his right arm was wrapped in a sling.

“So, you’re not dying?” You joked.

“I might as well be.” Luke pouted, lacing his other arm through yours as you start to walk out of the building and into the parking lot. “They said I can’t play guitar for two weeks.”

You hummed sympathetically, knowing more than anyone how much that was going to drive him crazy. “This is what you get for trying to be all ‘Rockstar’”

“Excuse you.” Luke said. “I am a rockstar.”

“Uh-huh.” You sarcastically nodded.

“You’re a jerk.” Luke grumbled petulantly, resting his head on your shoulder. “Here I am, in unimaginable pain and you have no sympathy.”

“Here’s a tip for the future, if you want sympathy then don’t make me drive through Hollywood past midnight.” You teased, lightly shaking him to show that you weren’t actually serious.

“I’m still surprised that Bobby let you drive ‘Amber’.” He gestured to the car you were walking towards.

‘Amber’ was a present that Bobby had gotten for his birthday a few years earlier and it was his most prized possession. Normally, he never would’ve let you take it, but he didn’t feel like driving and taking Luke to the hospital in the basket on your bike seemed a little impractical. So he had handed over the keys reluctantly.

“You got something to say about my driving skills, Patterson?” You asked as you unlocked the car and settled into the driver's seat. Luke got comfortable in the passenger seat, and winced as he looked over at you.

“Don’t get me wrong, (Y/n). You are many things,” He said. “But a good driver isn’t one of them.”

You flipped him off as you started the car and started pulling out of the parking lot. It was quiet for a minute, but just as you turned back on the street, Luke turned on the radio and a familiar song filled your ears.

“Mmm, yeah!

Tonight, I want to give it all to you,”

“Oh no.” You laughed, knowing exactly what you were in for from the way that Luke’s eyes lit up. He grinned as he cranked up the volume and shifted in his seat as much as he could, ready to give you the performance of a lifetime.

‘In the darkness, there's so much I want to do

And tonight, I want to lay it at your feet

'Cause girl, I was made for you

And girl, you were made for me,’

You were trying your best to keep your eyes on the road, but it was hard when Luke was being so frustratingly cute.

His hair was still messy from rehearsal so it stuck up in different directions and he had a dorky smile on his face as he drummed his fingers against the center console. You pulled up to a red light and Luke looked at you expectantly.

You rolled your eyes, but gave in, taking one hand off the wheel to make a makeshift microphone. Luke grinned as you both began to sing.

‘I was made for lovin' you, baby

You were made for lovin' me

And I can't get enough of you, baby

Can you get enough of me?’

One song turned into two, then three, then before you knew it, you had pulled onto Luke's street.

Unlike the rest of the neighborhood, every light in the Patterson household was glowing bright yellow into the night and Luke let out a heavy sigh.

"Thanks for driving me." He said, his voice suddenly a little quiet. You looked up to the window to see the shadows of Luke's worried parents as they passed the curtains and suddenly the levity in the air was gone.

"Of course." You said.

You both knew what was about to happen.

Luke had told you all about the famous Emily Patterson meltdowns, and how they had been getting more and more frequent since he formed the band. Luke spraining his shoulder was only going to give his mom more reason to push Luke away from music.

From your music.

"Hey," You reached over and interlocked his pinky with yours, making Luke raise his eyes from his feet. "Don't let her get in your head, okay? Our music is important, and I know she'll realize that someday."

Luke’s eyes held yours for what seemed like an eternity before lightly squeezing his pinky around yours. “How do you always know what to say?”

You laughed. “’Cause I’m the greatest best friend ever.”

Luke smiled, his eyes slowly drifting from your still connected hands back up to your face. “Yeah, you are.”

The softness in his voice made your heart skip a beat. “I’m serious though. We’ll get into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame someday and you’ll prove her wrong.”

Luke learned a little closer, his voice practically a whisper, "Is this your way of admitting that I actually am a rockstar?"

"Oh, shut up." You groaned as you threw your head back. "You're the worst, you know that?"

"You love me." Luke retorted.

"Unfortunately." You deadpanned. "Now get out of the car, dork."

Luke fake pouted as he wiggled out of his seat and started walking towards the door, he gave you a quick grin and a wave before disappearing into his house.

Once he was out of sight, you let out a sigh and leaned back against the seats, trying to remember the way his hand felt in yours.

---

2020

"(Y/n)! Where have you been?"

Alex demanded the second you stepped into the studio, a worried expression on his face. As soon as you left the diner so late, you knew that a lecture from Alex was coming.

"I’m sorry, Al." You said. "I just lost track of time."

"Were you with that guy from the diner?" He asked, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow.

"Someone's in trouble." Reggie loudly whispered to Luke who was next to him on the couch. Just like usual, Luke barely spared you a glance before he glued his eyes back to his songbook.

"I don’t think you have any room to be teasing anyone about cute ghost boys.” You said, mirroring his position. “How was your afternoon with Willie?”

Across the room, you could’ve sworn Luke’s writing got heavier against the page. But when you looked over at him, he gave no other indication he was paying attention. 

“Don’t change the subject,” Alex's cheeks turned a little pink but he stood his ground. “You’ve been gone for hours.”

“Hey,” You walked up and rested your hands on his shoulders. “I’m sorry I made you worry. But you don’t have to. I’m good.”

“Of course I’m gonna worry.” Alex said, finally dropping his grumpy face and nudging you. “What else are best friends for?”

This time it wasn’t your imagination, Luke’s writing was definitely getting harder, enough to where it was going to rip a hole in the paper. Reggie and Alex noticed this time too and you all exchanged confused looks but before anyone could say anything, Luke jumped up from the couch.

“So! We should get working on this song.” He puts the page on the piano for you all to read. “I could use your help on the bridge, (Y/n).”

Alex shot you one last confused look and you shrugged before shifting your focus to the song. It was mostly finished, and with Julie’s poem as a guide for the lyrics, you were confident that it would be one your best songs yet.

Next to you, Luke scanned the page with the edge of his pencil, pointing at things he wanted your opinion on. Even with all the tension surrounding the two of you lately, it was nice to know that you were still a great team when it came to music.

---

For someone who learned that ghosts exist, that four of them from the 90′s were living in her best friends garage, and that they were all in a band together in one afternoon,

Flynn took the news surprisingly well.

Which meant that once Julie agreed to join the band, Flynn immediately started coming up with T-shirt ideas and new band names. You weren’t surprised at all when Julie announced that Flynn had booked a gig at the school dance a few days later.

You had all decided on the setlist that morning and had been practicing all day. Which meant by mid-afternoon, you had everything memorized. Since it was the first performance with Julie as a part of the band, you figured that letting her take the lead with vocals would be a good idea.

During the second break of the day, Luke and Reggie were messing around up in the loft, leaving you and Julie with nothing to do. So she offered to teach you a little about piano. It was a slow-going process but you were slowly getting the hang of it. "Okay, so, like this?"

Julie watched carefully as your hand flew across the keys. You miraculously played all the right notes to the song that Julie had taught you over the past half-hour and she beamed.

“Yeah! That’s perfect!” She said, “Play it again.”

Your finger was about to press down on the key, but then Alex phased through the doors. Ever since yesterday, you had been waiting for a moment to tease him about Willie. It was only fair since he just grilled you about being out all day.

“Hey, Al.” You greeted as you stepped away from the keyboard and wiggled your eyebrows at him. “And just where have you been?”

“Yeah, man, we gotta start practicing.” Luke said.

“For what?” Alex asked just as Flynn came strutting into the room. You noticed the colorful paper in her hand and nodded your head toward it with a grin. 

“For that.” 

Flynn set the paper down on the keyboard to Julie to see.

Alex whined as he looked it over. “Aw, man. We’re playing a dance?”

“Yeah, it’s how you build a following these days.” Luke said as he plopped down into a chair.

“Yeah, get with the program, Alex.” Julie said and Luke laughed.

The sound drew your eyes to his face and you can’t help but stare at him as you tried to remember the last time you and Luke had joked around like that. It used to come so naturally, but now even just being around Luke felt like a ticking time bomb of awkwardness. 

Luke’s eyes flitted up to yours for just a second and for the next few moments you couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking the same thing.

Flynn shouted, breaking you out of your thoughts. “The band is here?”

She then proceeds to wave to the wrong side of the room and you laughed as Julie gestured towards where you all were actually sitting. You all still waved back despite knowing she couldn’t see you.

“Okay, so now that Alex has graced us with his presence, we should get back to rehearsing.” Luke said and everyone nodded in agreement.

But before any of you could move, Carlos strolled in. “Hey, Julie, remember those orbs from dad’s pictures? I think they’re ghosts.”

Julie’s eyes went wide as she looked at the photos Carlos set on the keyboard right in front of her. She looked back and forth between all of you as Carlos rambled on.

“But don’t worry.” He said as he spun in a circle. “This room is clean, I’m not getting any ghost vibes.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. Carlos was exactly what you always pictured a little brother would be like. You had always wanted a sibling, but the closest you ever got was Reggie.

“If they come back, I’ll protect you.” Carlos puffed out his chest a little. “Because I’m the man of the house.”

Julie raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t dad supposed to be the man of the house?”

“There can be two.” He said as he pulled a salt shaker out of his pocket. “According to the internet, salt burns out their souls.” 

Your eyes all got wide and you backed up until you were almost against the wall. Reggie and Luke both yelped and jumped up as Carlos spun in another circle. Alex screamed as salt went right through his torso, but he straightened a second later with a sheepish smile.

“I’m okay.”

“You’re such a drama queen.” You snort as Alex flipped you off. Julie nodded at Flynn to distract Carlos and she led him out through the doors and back up to the house.

Once they had left, you turned to Julie with an excited smile. "Wait, before we start, I wanted to show you some old Sunset Curve songs."

"Ooh, okay!”

Luke opened his songbook and a page quickly fell out. You instantly recognized the cramped but neat handwriting and laughed at Reggie. "'Home Is Where My Horse Is'? Again, Reg?"

Reggie beamed. "It's a gift."

"Thanks, Buddy." Luke patted his shoulder before opening his songbook to a page in the middle and laying it across the piano for Julie to see. 'I think you’d kill this one."

Julie’s eyes scanned the page for a moment before flipping through the book. "Who's Emily?"

The color drained out of Luke's face as he scrambled for the journal. But Julie kept it just out of his reach. "And this another one, 'She Is Love’? Who knew you were such a romantic?"

You shared confused looks with Alex and Reggie. Of course, you all knew about ‘Unsaid Emily’. Luke always eagerly shared every part of his music with the band, even if it was just a few scribbled lines or a riff he thought of off the top of his head.

But it was clear from the guy’s faces that none of you had ever heard this song. Luke writing a love song was weird in itself, but him not telling anyone about it was even weirder.

"It's just something I tried." Luke said, a faint blush on his cheeks. "But you should flip to the next one. It's got a killer beat."

He played one of the first songs you had ever written for Sunset Curve 'Last Place' and Julie nodded along with a confused look. "So you wanna use a sample?"

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"Sample someone else's music." She explained. "I've heard that riff a million times. It's a classic Trevor Wilson song."

"Who?"

With a couple of clicks on her computer, Julie pulled up a picture of a middle aged guy leaning up against a guitar and your head started spinning.

"Guys, is that...?" You trailed off, hoping that you were wrong.

"It's Bobby." Luke finished.

"Seriously? I just told you his name is Trevor." Julie said.

Alex ran his hands through his hair, a slight scowl settling on his face. "Okay well then he changed it. That's definitely Bobby, he was our rhythm guitarist."

"He looks so old." You said, resisting the urge to reach out and poke the screen.

"He looks like a substitute teacher." Alex added, producing a slight chuckle from Reggie. 

"Julie, what were his other songs?" You asked. You had a feeling the bad news was only beginning. 

"'Get Lost'." She said and your heart sank even further.

"I wrote that." Luke said as he tugged his strap over his head. You could tell he was getting angry beneath his calm exterior, and the same feelings were rising up inside you as Julie went on. 

"’Long Weekend'?' She continued. 

"That one too." Reggie said. "It took (Y/n) and Luke like a month to finish."

"This is freaking me out!" Julie rubbed her temples. "This whole time I thought you were connected to my mom. But you're actually connected to Carrie's dad?"

"Add it to our list of questions." Alex sighed, his leg bouncing as he sat in front of his drum set.

“We used to talk about music all the time.” Julie said sadly. “He never mentioned you guys.”

"Of course not." You scoffed and Luke walked across the room and threw a dart at the board with enough force to put a hole in the wall. “He takes all the credit and doesn’t even mention us.”

“And he’s rich.” Julie flipped her computer screen around to show a photo of a huge mansion. “He has his own helicopter.”

Luke abandons the darts and makes his way over to the screen as Alex jumps up. “Man, we live in a garage!”

“It’s not about the money.” Luke huffed. “It’s about the music!”

Reggie whined. “It’s a little bit about the money.”

“A little about the money.” Alex emphasized.

“He could have at least shared it with our families.” You said, thinking about your mom and how she used to work extra shifts to take care of the both of you. 

Reggie nodded in agreement. “Then maybe my parent’s house wouldn’t have gotten turned into a bike shack.”

Luke took a deep breath. ”What he did was steal our legacy.”

There was a moment of tense silence before he spoke up again.

“Where does he live?”

Julie hesitated. It was clear that all of you were angry, but Luke was on another level. His music was everything to him and being betrayed by Bobby was clearly getting under his skin. You gave her a pleading look and she sighed.

“Above the beach in Malibu.”

Luke glanced at the three of you, asking a silent question. You all nodded and Luke threw on his jacket, a look of determination on his face. “Let’s go teach him a lesson.”

Julie got up from the bench and tried to protest, but you all phased away.

-

As you walked into the front door of the mansion, a million memories raced through your head.

Of days when the five of you would go down to the pier or the park and play for hours, or take a drive around the city in Bobby’s car and talk about being famous one day. You used to joke about someone breaking off and starting a solo career, never actually thinking it would happen.

But clearly Bobby took it a little too seriously.

You and Alex walked to one side of the house while Luke and Reggie searched the other side. Every wall you could see was covered in awards and photos of his performances along with a giant portrait of his face right above the living room. From a little further down the hall, Alex shouted your name and you walked over to see him pointing at a display of shiny silver records.

“Have you seen these records? They’re Platinum.” He said.

“Platinum?” You repeated in disbelief. You ran your hands along the frame and were shocked that you could actually touch it. Across the room, Luke grumbled.

“He recorded ‘My Name Is Luke’.” He said. “My name is Luke!”

Suddenly, you heard the front door open and Bobby walked in.

“There he is!” Reggie called and you all turned to face him as he walked up the stairs. You snorted at his outfit choice and Reggie scoffed, clearly thinking the same thing. “He wears sunglasses indoors.”

Luke and Reggie started bouncing up the stairs after him but you and Alex hung back. 

“Wait!” Alex called. “You know, It’s my first time haunting someone. I want it to be special.”

You stifled a laugh as Luke and Reggie exchanged confused looks before continuing up the stairs.

“I made that weird, didn’t I?” Alex cringed and you patted his shoulder.

“Definitely.” You laughed as you nudged him forward. “Come on.”

You reached the top of the stairs just as Reggie and Luke phased through a door at the end of the hall. Alex was quick to follow but you found yourself stopped in front of what you assumed was Bobby’s office. 

It was a huge room with expensive guitars and fancy furniture. It looked like every other room in the house, but for some reason, you felt like you needed to look in there.

Alex noticed your hesitation and frowned. “You coming?”

“I think I’m gonna look around a little more.” You said.

“You sure?” He raised an eyebrow and you nodded.

Once he was gone, you walked into the room and spun around, taking in the sight of even more awards lining the walls. Your blood boiled thinking about all the hours you had spent writing them only for Bobby to take the credit.

You crossed to the desk to find the bottom drawer cracked open. You tried not to open it, but your curiosity won out. It slid open and you saw that it was completely empty except for an old shoebox that was pushed all the way to the back.

The lid was covered with a thin layer of dust like it hadn’t been opened for ages. It took a minute of pulling, but you finally got the lid off and peered inside.

The first thing you saw was a guitar strap. It was black with white skulls and flowers lining the sides. You recognized it instantly as the one Alex got Bobby for his 17th birthday.

The second was a picture of Sunset Curve playing at the winter formal freshman year. You cringed while looking back at your questionable fashion choices, but the memory still brought a smile to your face.

Finally, there were a few picks spread out across the bottom of the box, and a faded napkin from the diner. 

A wave of confusion and regret washed over you.

So Bobby hadn’t forgotten about all of you.

Maybe he was a music-stealing weasel that you wished you could deck in the nose. But why would he keep all of this stuff if he still didn’t care deep down? If that seemingly always grumpy but secretly dorky boy you had known wasn’t still in there somewhere?

Suddenly, you heard screaming down the hall and you quickly closed the drawer before following the noise. It led to the bathroom door, where Luke and Reggie leaned up against the wall as Alex held the door shut. Then he backed up and the door swung open.

Bobby stumbled out with a terrified look on his face, running down the stairs while he mumbled to himself. The boys laughed and high-fived, grinning at you before phasing out again. You groaned and started walking downstairs where Flynn was sitting on the couch rambling to Carrie as Julie snuck into the backyard.

You followed Julie cautiously, knowing that she would probably be mad at you for leaving earlier. When you walked through the screen door and heard her start to lecture the boys, you knew you were right.

“So, did you guys have fun?” She asked, crossing her arms.

“You would do the same if he stole your music.” Luke said defensively.

“But you guys have new music with me.” Julie added. “And the best way to get back at him is for this band to do great. First we have to play dances, then clubs.”

“Then tours. I know.” Luke said and Julie sighed.

“I’ll see you guys at the school. We go on at 9:00.” She frowned. “Please don’t be late.”

“We’ll be there.” Alex said reassuringly. “Don’t worry.”

Julie turned and walked back through the screen door, giving you a tight-lipped smile as she passed. 

“I don’t care what Julie says. I’m glad we scared Bobby.” Reggie said as he glared up at the mansion.

“I mean, maybe it was a little harsh.” You said and all of them stared at you in disbelief.

“Harsh?” Luke sputtered, like he couldn’t believe that just came out of your mouth.

“I found some stuff upstairs.” You tried to explain.

“What kind of stuff?” Reggie asked.

“The picture of us playing back in freshman year, some of our old picks, his old guitar strap.” You said, but the boys didn’t look convinced. “Guys, Bobby was our friend. We shouldn’t forget that.”

Alex and Reggie looked a little conflicted, but Luke didn’t budge. “How are you so cool with this?”

“I’m not!” You sighed, talking a little louder than you meant to. “God, of course I’m not okay with it, Luke. I put just as much of myself in those songs as you did. But I think we’ve done enough. Besides, it's not like we can even confront him anyway.”

“Maybe we can.” Alex said and you all turned to look at him. “I mean, Willie knows a lot about ghost stuff. Maybe he knows a way we could talk to him.”

“Let’s go find out.” Luke smiled mischievously.

You frowned but nodded. “You guys go. I’ll meet you at the dance.”

“(Y/n)-” Luke started but you had already disappeared in a flash of bright white.

-

If there was anything you didn’t miss about being alive, it was school dances.

You were always wrapped up in work or band stuff to be able to go, let alone ask anyone to be your date. Playing at the freshman winter formal was the first and only time you had ever set foot in a dance until tonight.

Your eyes scanned the gym in awe as you followed Julie through the dancing crowd. There were bright lights and balloons everywhere. There were a few kids dancing but it wasn’t very crowded, but it was still early and you hoped more people would be there to see you perform.

Once you and Julie reached the stage, Flynn grinned from behind her DJ booth and gestured to the backstage area. Julie fiddled with the bottom of her shirt nervously as you both walked behind the curtain.

Flynn gave Julie a hug and you laughed as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Are they here?”

“(Y/n) is.” Julie explained and Flynn waved in your general direction in response. “The boys will be here later. At least I hope.”

“I’m sure they will be.” You tried to reassure her. “They know how important this is.”

Flynn nudged Julie’s shoulder with a grin. “Well, let’s get your stuff set up then.”

-

By the time 11:00 rolled around, you were ready to track the boys down and kill them again.

The dance floor was twice as crowded as it was when you got there, and everyone was impatiently waiting for the main performance. You knew that wherever the boys were, they must’ve just lost track of time and didn’t know they were late. But that didn’t stop you from being angry. Especially when you saw the look on Julie’s face.

“Hey,” You sat on the floor next to her while she stared sadly at the projector. “I’m sorry they’re not here.”

Julie just shrugged. “I was really looking forward to playing tonight.”

Your eyes drifted to the crowd, then to the projector, then to Flynn and you got an idea. “Maybe we still can.”

She furrowed her eyebrows but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“We can perform the songs. Just the two of us.” You started. “Flynn can play some backing tracks and we can still rock this place!”

Julie looked nervous and a little hesitant but she called for Flynn and the girl raced over immediately. She explained the plan quickly and Flynn grinned in approval and assured you that she would take care of the backup music.

A pit of butterflies opened in your stomach. You hadn’t performed without the boys for years, but with Julie to lean on, you were fairly confident that you could get through it without throwing up.

You went on with Julie as planned, pushing thoughts about what the boys must be doing off to the side so you could focus on the performance at hand. It wasn’t quite the same, but it didn’t seem like the audience could tell. You belted your hearts out as they danced along, and both yours and Julie’s nerves disappeared as you got lost in the music.

It ended with a thunderous round of applause and you and Julie taking a bow at center stage. You took your cue to phase away and there was another wave of cheering as Julie waved and joined you in the backstage area.

-

As the crowd of students began making their way home and the stage was being torn down, you sat on the gym floor beneath a colorful balloon arch with Julie. Flynn had made her way to the cafeteria, taking advantage of the fact that there were no adults to stop her. 

You watched the last few students leave, including the blonde boy you’d noticed staring at Julie all night. You turned to her with a playful smile. 

"So? When were you going to tell me about the cute boy who obviously likes you?" You teased and Julie sighed.

"Nick is Carrie's boyfriend." She said as her eyes drifted across the empty room and you smiled sympathetically. She elbowed the air next to your ribs, "When were you going to tell me about Luke?"

"What about Luke?" You asked, trying not to blush.

"Don't play dumb, (Y/n)." Julie smirked. "It's obvious."

You groaned, falling onto your back against the floor and Julie laughed. "How obvious?"

"(Y/n), you wear his jacket like everyday, and that song in his journal was one hundred percent about you." Julie laid down beside you.

You snapped your head sideways and Julie laughed again at your shocked expression. "What?"

"Come on." She said. "Who else could that be about?"

You thought back to earlier, when Luke looked like a deer in headlights as Julie read the title out loud.. But you knew there was no way that it was about you. I mean,  Luke never exactly had a shortage of girls that wanted his attention. 

Just as you were about to point this out to Julie, there was a series of bright lights and Alex, Luke and Reggie appeared in front of you. You and Julie stood up, wearing identical glares, the anger you both felt earlier returning in full force. But before you could say a word, Luke launched into an apology.

“We are so sorry that we bailed on you guys.”

“The night just got away from us.” Alex added, looking everywhere but your face.

“It was about Carrie’s dad, wasn’t it?” Julie asked and when none of the boys answered, she scoffed. “You know what? Save it. Bands don’t do this to each other, friends don’t do this to each other. This whole thing was a mistake.”

“You mean the dance, right?” Luke asked hopefully and Julie shook her head.

“I meant joining a band with you guys.” She said, trying to keep a straight face. You could tell she was holding back tears as she ran out of the gym.

Once she was gone, you took a deep breath and faced them.

Alex immediately stepped forward, guilt etched on his face.”(Y/n), We’re so sorry.”

“I’m not the one you should worry about apologizing to.” You said, looking towards the doors where Julie left just a second ago. Alex followed your eyes and sighed, grabbing onto Reggie’s shoulder and steering him towards the door.

There was a moment of heaviness as you took another deep breath. You realized with a start that this was the first time you and Luke had been alone in months. Talking used to come so easily between the two of you, but now you found yourself struggling to find your words. 

“We really are sorry, (Y/n).” Luke said quietly. “We didn’t mean to hurt Julie. Or you.”

You scoffed, kicking your foot against the linoleum of the gym floor, “But you did, and for what? A chance for revenge?”

“No! Well, yeah. But there was something else that happened. You won’t believe-”

“What could’ve been more important than being here?” You asked, cutting him off. You forced yourself to look up and found him looking back at you intently. 

“If you just let me explain, I promise I would never purposely leave you hanging.” 

“But you have been leaving me hanging, Luke!” You fired back, your voice nearly echoing in the empty room. The second the words left your mouth, you felt nauseous. After months of keeping those words on the tip of your tongue, you had expected saying them to feel better.

Luke winced at your words, but kept your gaze, “Hey, I know I’ve been..” He paused, knitting his eyebrows together, “distracted”. 

“That’s one word for it.” You said and Luke took a cautious step closer.

“It’s just that everything has changed so much.” He said, and for the first time tonight, he looked away, “Even before we died.”

You opened your mouth to say something, but he cut you off, seemingly unable to stop rambling.

“It’s like there’s so many things I’ve been trying to say, but I can’t make the words come out. And it all gets so tangled up in my head and I just end up saying nothing.”

You could see him getting more frustrated as he continued on. “I’m sorry for everything. For being late, for being such a shitty friend and being so far away lately. I just-”

He took another step forward, eyes never leaving your face. “I’m just afraid of losing everything.”

There was an edge to his voice, like it was hard for him to get the words out. As he inched a little closer, you reached out your hand, fingers inches away from his when suddenly he jumped back. A purple shock flashing in the middle of his chest.

Luke fell to the ground, groaning as he clutched his side. You crouched next to him and his eyes fluttered open slowly. “Ow.”

“What the hell was that?” You asked and Luke sat up.

“I don’t know.” He said, rolling his shoulders, “That’s never happened to me before.” 

Suddenly, Alex and Reggie phased back into the gym, both of them looking just as shocked. 

“Guys, something so weird just happened.” Reggie exclaimed. Alex took in the sight of you and Luke sitting so close to each other and cleared his throat.

“Should we come back later?”

You glared at him. “Let me guess, you guys also got shocked with creepy purple magic?”

“How’d you know?” Reggie asked, wide-eyed.

Alex sighed at him before he turned back to you. “We definitely need to figure out what the hell just happened.”

“Yeah, let’s go home.” You said and Luke cleared his throat, staring at Alex and Reggie.

“Uh, you guys go. We’ll be there in a minute.”

Alex gave you a questioning look and you nodded, and with another flash, they phased out.

It was quiet for a minute as you both processed everything that just happened. You and Luke hadn’t had a fight like that since you were kids, and that was the most he had said to you in over half a year. Your head was spinning with all the change.

Luke rubbed the back of his neck and you could almost feel how nervous he was. “So..”

“So…” You repeated.

Luke turned a little more towards you and quickly wrapped his pinky around yours. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he smiled.

“Truce?” Luke asked.

You nodded, smiling as you squeezed back. “Truce.”

-

In Life, In Death Taglist:

@ifilwtmfc @instabull @wanniiieeee @tenaciousperfectionunknown @charliegillespiewife @merceret @itismeasmolpotato @lilostif16 @dangerouslyclose @iainttakingshitfromnobody @givemebooksorgivemedeath @sunsetcurvedotmp3 @askgeoff @mayleenicole5676 @puppy11148 

JATP Taglist:

@caitsymichelle13​

Let me know if you want to be added!

[lils420]

A lil something for the kids - Part 6

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader (I promise you we‘re close)

Summary: Y/n has now arrived in Wakanda, but will they take her? A night has passed since Part 5

https://lils420.tumblr.com/post/617186196866646016/lils420

Warnings: None

Y/n was woken up the next day by the soft buzzing of the jet she was in. Quinjet Rogers had called it. He was sitting on the pilot seat, seemingly in thought, and flying the plane effortlessly. Y/n couldn’t help but wonder how many times he had done it before. Through the windows, y/n was able to see the low plains of what she believed was Kenya, immersed in the red-golden twilight of the sun rising. It was breathtaking. She also saw her reflection, which, she figured, wasn’t half as beautiful. Still wearing the blue overcoat, she looked worn out. The stress of the past week had caused her to loose weight and with it, the inner glow of a healthy person. Her y/h/c hair wasn’t as lively as usual, missing it’s vitality. Suddenly, y/n longed for a warm shower to clean herself up and wash her troubles away. She shuddered and pulled her coat tighter around her before standing up and making her way to the cockpit, taking the seat next to Steve.

“Good morning”, he greeted her as she made herself comfortable, “You look about as alive as I feel.”

Y/n made a quiet noise half-way between a laugh and a snort. “Must feel like being a zombie then.”

“That would be highly accurate”, Steve smiled, “But in good news, we’re almost in Wakanda.”

Y/n felt obligated to point out that there was not a single house in sight, yet alone the technological advanced super nation that Steve had described Wakanda to be, but she kept her mouth shut. What point was there to keep asking questions about things that seemed normal to the Avengers if the only outcome was her making a fool of herself. Instead, she busied herself with inspecting the numerous buttons in front of her and Steve. Her time away from earth had taught her multiple things of planes and aircraft, even though she felt that she was not half as comfortable in a cockpit as Steve was. There also was a third chair in the cockpit, which Thor had sat on until yesterday. Y/n had liked Thor, with his big heart and boyish grin. Because he seemed to trust everyone and everything, he had told her about his own story yesterday. About his adopted brother Loki, about Aether, and the death of his mother. And repetitively also about Jane, his ex girlfriend, which, turns out, had not been dumped by Thor but vice versa. They had said goodbye to Thor at about midnight, because he wanted to defend Asgard, his home town, from something called Ragnork and therefore had to continue his quest. Although y/n had no idea what it meant, she felt the urgency in his voice when he talked about it and in that she saw Thor’s great love for his people. And when she watched him practically ‘beam’ himself into the sky, on a light way as strong and beautiful as her own power, she felt a sudden wave of sadness that their acquaintance had been over so quickly. Even now, just looking at the chair, she missed him, in a weird, but familiar way.

“Are you ready?”, Steve asked, interrupting y/n’s thoughts. She nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” As if on queue, the quinjet dipped into the protection that had shielded whatever lay inside from outside eyes, and gave sight to an enormous city. In the middle pranked a combination of skillfully designed towers, weaving and reaching into the sky, announcing modernity and progress to anyone that looked at them. Surrounded by equally elegant housing, the city stretched until the very outskirts of the mountain it had been build upon, just reaching the spot where Steve and y/n had entered. People where walking around, talking, flying, some with animals, some with weapons, covering the city, up until the more traditionally build suburbs, which promised the continuity of tradition in the modern world and interlinking past and future in a perfectly build present. Y/n hadn’t realized she had stopped breathing until she exhaled audibly. “So this is Wakanda”, she remarked softly. Rogers flew straight over the city, giving y/n the opportunity to inspect it closely, leaving her even more overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of it. Even when Steve had landed the plane, near one of the towers, and they climbed out of it, she had to remind herself constantly to keep her mouth shut. It was hard, especially when they were greeted by a committee made up of female warriors, that radiated strength and security. One of them stepped forward. “Captain America”, she stated confidently, “What a pleasure to see you.” Both made a cross with their arms, a form of greeting y/n supposed, before Steve answered. “Good morning, Okoye. Thank you for having us.” “Don’t thank me”, she retorted, “If it was going my way, we would keep Wakanda closed. I do wonder what you put in T’Challa’s head that he keeps agreeing to see you.” Steve shrugged apologetically, before Okoye looked at y/n. “So this is her? The Fire girl? She does not look like much.” Okoye’s eyes lingered on y/n for a little longer, and y/n felt herself shrinking into the coat, as if it could protect her. In an even more helpless attempt to escape the gaze, she clinged onto her backpack. Then, abruptly, Okoye turned around and went towards one of the towers. Steve and y/n followed her, behind them the rest of the warriors.

The inside was architecturally as impressive as the outside. They went through multiple long corridors before entering what y/n believed was the the kings headquarters. T’Challa. “My king”, Okoye announced, “Captain America and the Fire girl.” She went to stand on the side, making it possible for y/n to see the king. He was a handsome man, a little older than her, wearing a black suit and sitting on a throne. Around him, there were about six other people, an older lady for example, who by the facial resemblance could have been his mother, and one that did not look older than eighteen. “Good morning”, T’Challa spoke in a clear voice, and once more, their arms were crossed as a greeting. For a moment, y/n was not sure whether she was supposed to do it herself, but she decided against it. After all, it could be reserved for the elders or people of importance and her doing it could be an offense which she did not mean to happen. “So this is her.” T’Challa’s eyes traveled up and down y/n, but unlike Okoye’s, they seemed friendly, almost curious. “What is your name, Fire girl?”

“Y/n Y/l/n.”

“And you had contact with an infinity stone?”

“Yes”, she confirmed, hectically adding, “Your majesty.” It earned her a smile from the king, who tilted his head. There was a pause, and y/n was once more not sure what to do. Did they expect her to elaborate on this matter? Was she only to speak when spoken to? Nervously, y/n dug her nails into her palms. Luckily, Steve continued to speak. “T’Challa, I know that I have once already asked for your favor and believe me, I would not do it again if I saw another way. I come to you today to ask you to provide a place of safety for y/n, as you so reliably did before.”

“Yes, but we froze the other one. You don’t expect us to freeze her, do you?”, the young girl had spoken, and although some approvingly murmured at her words, it was met with a sharp look from T’Challa. “Shuri, be quiet.” Steve continued. “She is strong, so I believe she would grow to be an asset for Wakanda’s safety but she cannot control her power well. She is in need of safety procedures only Wakanda can provide.”

“How do you expect us to train her?”, a middle aged man inquired, “not one of us has this power.”

“I believe she can train herself. She needs guidance in dealing with her strength, just as, I am sure, you needed guidance, T’Challa, after earning the strength of the Black Panther. But her power is unique, and she understands it, so she will be able to control it.”

‘What a lie’, y/n thought to herself, but the Captain’s words gave her confidence. “How skilled you are in the methods of rhetoric”, the older woman observed gently, “I want to believe you.”

“But we shouldn’t”, the middle aged man argued, “Our highest priority should be Wakanda. What if we cannot contain her?”

“But what if we led her go and she becomes a danger to Wakanda from the outside. What if we cannot defeat her? This way we ensure she stays on our side”, T’Challa answered. The other man scoffed. “You are naive to believe in a moment of power she remembers those who once taught her, my king.”

“I did”, T’Challa answered coldly, “and so did my father.” A short pause followed, in which y/n unclenched her hands a little. It was strange to be spoken about in room she was in as if she weren’t present, but she didn’t dare to speak. The stakes were high, and even if she hadn’t seen what security measures Wakanda had, she already felt at peace here. She’d do anything to stay. It was T’Challa who broke the silence. “And we must not forget, she carries the power of an infinity stone. If we could find a way to use it, to channel it, it would be an extremely powerful weapon.”

“I am sure I could find a way”, Shuri said cockily, “It could not be harder than the metal arm I had to make for the broken white boy.”

Her response was met with a defeated sigh from the middle aged man. “Fine”, he said, “if you want to test it, you can. But, my king”, he looked T’Challa directly into the eyes, “there is a reason why Wakanda is closed to foreigners. I believe you should reconsider.”

But T’Challa had already stood up and made his way to Steve. “We will take her, Captain”, he extended his hand, which Steve promptly shook. “Thank you”, he replied and for the first time, y/n saw relief in his face. She hadn’t realized how fragile this situation really was.

It was Shuri who led y/n away from the others after they had said goodbye to Steve, who would return to New York. They went down the tower until y/n wasn’t sure whether they were under the earth or not. It was a labyrinth of corridors and she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that they weren’t supposed to keep others out, but her in. Shuri had given her a few clothes, which y/n carried attentively. It was nothing special, a few shirts, trousers, a hoodie, some underwear, but she briefly wondered where this stuff came from. No one she had seen until now was wearing western fashion. Maybe it’s to show them, y/n caught herself thinking, how much of an outsider I really am. As if her complete lack of understanding regarding their culture didn’t make it obvious. Silently, she decided to read up everything she would be able to find about Wakandan culture. She didn’t remember ever feeling this ignorant. Shuri stopped in front of a corridor with three doors. She motioned at one of them. “Behind this door there is a small kitchen, it’s usually not used for more than coffee breaks but it has a microwave and a fridge, so maybe we can stock it up for you.” Y/n smiled thankfully as they moved down the corridor. “This one is your room. It’s quite small, but I am sure you’ll manage.”

“Thank you, Shuri”, y/n was excited at the prospect of her own room. After all, she hadn’t had one for the past five years. “Behind the last door”, Shuri motioned at the door in the back, “is your training room. I should warn you though, there is another person in there. The white man that Captain America send to us a few months back.”

“He just leaves there?”, y/n asked, before fearing something worse, “you didn’t make him move out of the room for me, did you?” “What?”, Shuri laughed, “oh you silly Fire girl. No, he’s frozen. Like a popsicle.” Of course, y/n remembered, they froze him. “God, I am admirably slow today”, she sighed, “Thank you for showing me the way.” “No problem. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow”, she opened the door to y/n’s room before handing her a small key, “We’ll wake you at eight.” And with that, she made her way back up the tower.

Y/n entered the room, which, for her, was not small at all. It wasn’t a loft, but she felt at ease right away. With the wine colored curtains and the small windows, which showed her that, in fact, they were not under the earth yet, it felt cozy. Y/n put down the clothes on her bed and her backpack on the floor. It carried the few belongings that had survived the way back to earth. Slowly, she started unpacking. A few pictures, a notebook, an old purple teddy bear and a broken watch. Initially, she had been surprised when she had found them on her spaceship but now, knowing that Clint had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., she was almost sure he had made sure she could keep these things. Somehow that eased her hate for him. Y/n reached into the pockets of her blue overcoat and pulled out the envelope Steve had given her. It was brown and small, but it felt heavy, as if a considerable amount of paper was inside. Y/n y/l/n was written on the front, in a font that y/n would recognize anywhere. It was Clint's handwriting. She held the letter in her hands for a while before putting it on her nightstand. It had been a tough few days and she didn’t have the capacity to read it right now. Although it was merely midday outside, y/n was exhausted. She decided it would be best for everyone if she went to bed, but first, she was going to have her well deserved shower.

@broco8

[ive-always-been-a-pirate]

So, Tumblr thought it would be cool to eat my birthday post to my lovely friend and dark counterpart @optomisticgirl....which is actually super NOT cool. Anyway, I’m posting this a little late, but here it is! Happy day of birth, my Aries partner-in-crime! You are a lady, a scholar, and a wonderful human being.

A little classic literature and verbose Killian smut :) M-rated for certain.

“Well, that’s a long face if I’ve ever seen one,” Granny announced, leaning over the counter to snatch the empty hot chocolate mug. “What’s got you down, Sheriff?”

Lifting her frustrated eyes from the leatherbound book she’d borrowed from the library at Belle’s insistence, Emma attempted a casual smile before addressing the inquiry of the woman who owned the place. It was a rather half assed try, but what was the point in pretending all was well when it certainly was not? They’d been chasing their tails for days over how to put a stop to the Evil Queen’s most recent reign of terror, galavanting through a handful of untold stories until they landed on an author who was dreadfully familiar and the answer to all their problems - according to an odd inkling Henry had while thumbing through a newly discovered version of the storybook. If she’d known sending him with Killian to the author’s abandoned mansion in search of an alternate text would amount to her reading not one but four Shakespeare books - well, she definitely would have thought twice about needing more information.

The whole idea was starting to feel like ‘much ado about nothing’ - pun very much intended.

“I'm fine,” Emma sighed, tracing the cover of As You Like It with a distracted finger. “Just not thrilled with everyone’s book recommendations for the Savior lately.”

“Ah, I see,” the old woman nodded as she caught sight of the small stack of novels. “Those aren’t exactly easy reading from what I’ve heard. I’m guessing it’s research?”

“It’s supposed to be,” Emma answered as she flipped through a few pages. “But with the way this guy writes, it’s hard enough to understand what’s going on in the story let alone figure out if it might give us a clue about how to figure out what Regina’s other half is up to.”

“Her ‘worse’ half, I can assure you,” Granny commented as she peeked at the words. “It does look quite complex. Not Henry’s forte either, I take it?”

“He’s been helping Regina sort through things in her vault since yesterday so I’m on book patrol,” she explained, gesturing toward the pile. “Well, failing at book patrol.”

“I wish I could help, but I must say that this Shakespeare guy is even out of my league,” Granny replied, her expression sweet and sympathetic. “But I’m happy to grab you a fresh cup of cocoa and a bearclaw while you keep at it.”

Emma let another exasperated exhale escape her lips but she offered a nod of agreement. Dropping her eyes back down to the text on the pages in Romeo and Juliet, she came across a set of words that she’d read a few times already.

“Ugh - but what does it mean when your ‘bounty is boundless as the sea’?”

She was just about to slam the cover of the sappy, tragic tale closed when the bell above the diner door gave a soft ding. Her attention was quickly pulled that way and it didn’t take long for her to be glad that she’d looked up.

Speak of the sea, she thought with a secretive smile.

“Afternoon, love.”

His voice was smooth and calming in a way that would forever soothe her, a fact she knew her eyes gave away the second she witnessed his handsome smirk. He was always so perceptive to her reactions and it was useless trying to hide just how much she admired watching him walk into a room. She’d given up on her charade of being unaffected by him long ago - and he’d made sure to prove to her a million times over just what a worthwhile decision that had been.

“Captain,” she replied with a bit of a relieved grin, watching his eyes respond to her playful nickname. “Coming to wallow in my misery with me?”

“Misery you say,” he countered, placing a gentle kiss against her hair before grabbing one of the books for analysis. “How could being required to read all day make you miserable? That’s a lifestyle that might even rival a pirate’s.”

He hopped up onto the stool next to her, his fingers flipping through a couple of pages as he joined in her fruitless work. There was something to be said about how willing he was to jump right into just about anything with her. Yes, definitely something - but words were sure as hell not her thing today.

“It’s not the task I’m annoyed with,” she told him as she watched him narrow his eyes at the story. “Just the material.”

“Hmmm,” he pondered, stealing a sip of her drink. “What's not to like about it, love?”

“It's just that Shakespeare can be a little….wordy.”

He grinned at that, running his tongue absently over his bottom lip as he pressed a hand down to prop the book open. The navy blue of his studious stare was almost as deep as the text he was currently immersed in - a particular play about a wild bird of a woman who people thought needed taming. She’d scoffed at the title initially, but it was almost too humorous to watch him bite back his grin when he noticed the book’s name.

“It does seem rather seeped in a wealth of various language techniques,” he remarked as he kept his sight on the fancy writing she was so irritated with, the edge of his mouth curving upward after a moment. “This William appears to be quite the clever man.”

It hit her then - the strange connection she knew she should have drawn from the beginning. She was so busy being perplexed by the author at hand that she hadn't realized she'd just turned his work over to another man who prided himself on an impressive vocabulary. Shakespeare probably had the literary world cornered on lavish language, but as far as this realm went, the pirate at her side was quite the contender.

“I guess,” she somewhat agreed, tilting her neck at him. “Any chance you understand this better than I do?”

He took a moment to process her question before his eyes moved back to hers and he picked up on the intent behind her curiosity. Matching the angle of her head, he radiated pure amusement and the curve of his mouth that told her he didn't plan on brushing that aside.

Oh hell, what had she just gotten herself into?

“Though I believe you're discrediting your ability to decode, I suppose I could offer my insight,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I'm all ears, love - how can I help?”

The next hour was almost more torturous than the past few had been. Sure, she’d recruited the help of a man who could not only decode ancient Latin inscriptions but also seemed to have a talent for picking apart the work of history’s greatest playright, but that was the problem. He was the always captivating and completely distracting….problem.

“Still with me, Swan?”

“Oh - ummm, yeah,” she said suddenly, blinking several times as she tried to pretend she hadn’t been staring. “I’m just not sure why he’s constantly comparing her to a wasp. He could have picked something a little….nicer.”

“I don’t think it’s meant to be degrading, love,” Killian told her, tapping his fingertips on the counter. “I believe the goal here was to illustrate her as a bold woman - one who stands her ground and speaks her mind.”

Emma didn’t miss the way he looked at her with raised eyebrows, the parallel floating in the air between them hanging heavily as she watched him. They hadn’t made it through the entire text just yet, but she’d read enough to know that she had a few things in common with the leading lady.

“She’s a spitfire,” he smiled, winking once before taking a sip from the mug Granny had passed him. “I dare say she’s what makes the story worth reading. Quite passionate, wouldn’t you say, Swan?”

Emma felt a familiar heat run down her spine at the sound of his innuendo ridden words. He’d said something like that to her once before and the way the accented inquiry seemed to slip off his tongue made her skin tingle. Passionate was a word that definitely came into play whenever he was around and despite the way her morning had started, she’d ended up right back beneath that same adjective once again.

Damn him, she thought as she bit her lip.

Their study session drifted on and with the minutes ticking by, Emma felt her patience start to thin. Watching his skilled finger point out what he believed might be crucial details was a tempting sight rivaled only by the continuous taunts of his academic tongue. Honestly, how he could sound so intelligent and so sinful at the same time was completely beyond her - but she certainly wasn’t upset that he could accomplish such a thing.

Emma listened to a list of clever explanations pass by his lips, each more hypnotic than the previous one. She knew the use of words like ‘volubility’ and ‘peremptory’ should have made her ask questions, but watching the way his mouth moved as he read each one pointed her curiosity in a very different direction.

“So why does he have to say things like ‘utterth’? It doesn’t seem necessary when he could just write ‘said’.”

“A fair question I suppose,” he agreed as he closed the book, his eyebrow arching as he tilted his head. “But it’s about the romantic element of writing, love.”

“Hmmm,” Emma pondered, matching his expression. “Romance, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm. I mean, the word ‘said’ doesn’t seem so appealing when a man can ask….or request….or even plead-” he answered, leaning on the counter a little more as flirtation filled his eyes. “-or even utterth.”

Emma felt a wave of chills take over her body at the sound of his thick accent and at the sight of his subtle bedroom eyes. It was an evolving scene she'd witnessed many times before and as he challenged her with that coaxing smirk, she knew this would only end one way.

“Quite interesting that a writer can gather such a reaction from you, Swan,” he breathed. “Suggestive words like ‘nay but to live in the sweat of an enseamed bed, sowed in corruption-’”

“Wrong story, Killian,” she cut in, her own stare shifting into a state of daring. “I read that one two days ago.”

“I know,” he nodded, his eyes playful and simmering. “But it never hurts to review the text - you know, just to….really get into it.”

The heat built between them quickly, surely enough to start a fire with the nearby stack of novels as kindling - and yes, she had considered that since the moment she saw the flicker of blue flames in his attentive gaze. Yet there was something else that appealed to her the longer he read and the more he allowed the vague stories by Shakespeare to wrap around his lilting tongue. She couldn't fully explain just what was happening, but when he finally closed the cover of the text he'd been analyzing, Emma decided they'd studied enough - at least for now.

“Well, if you’re going to put it like that-” Emma breathed wantonly, flicking her wrist so that a thin swirl of smoke surrounded them. “-then I'd prefer to listen to you continue in private.”

The feel of her magic drew a heat through her body as he took her hands in his, the quick movement pulling them together as the space of the diner vanished. The absence of company suddenly filled Emma with pure need and the intoxicated look on his handsome face once the cloud dispersed told her he felt the same.

“Come here then, darling,” he beckoned once he steadied from their quick transport to one of the inn’s upstairs rooms. “I'll tell you whatever you'd like to hear.”

“Just….you,” she replied as she chased his lips, her body quivering as he tugged quickly at her shirt. “I want to hear you.”

His smile spread as his breath lingered over hers, a soft brush of his lips taking her under and into that sea of passion he seemed to always pull her to. With his touch tracing her cheek, Emma felt her legs weaken familiarly and he instantly adjusted to keep her upright. With his palm hot against her lower back, she reached up to curl her fingers around the collar of his dark leather jacket. It was a move she couldn't resist and one he'd still never tired of if his low moan against her mouth was any indication.

“You'll be the death of me, love,” he mumbled as his hips leaned into hers. “Though I’m hard pressed to find myself upset at the thought.”

“Hard is-” she grinned, her mouth falling open as his teeth traced her collarbone. “-one way to say it.”

“Suppose I should see if there’s a few other ways I can add to that list,” he said with a gasp as she ripped open his shirt. “You’ll need to be a little more indecent for those though, Swan.”

“Seems reasonable,” she smirked as his fingers deftly curled around the fabric of her sweater. “But only if you are first.”

He chuckled at that, a dark and needy sound that went right to her core. She’d never been so easily affected by words or by the lilting tone his seemed to wrap themselves in, but he’d always had a way with that - turning her into a desperate mess with a mere mumble or whisper. Emma felt her knees tremble as his hands brushed her bare skin, their clothes pooling at her feet as he lifted her onto the bed. The mattress creaked as expected - a little fact they’d picked up on one night when they’d had a bit too much to drink and decided to rent a room just up the hall instead of heading home. The noise wasn’t off putting in the least and the low moan the escaped his throat as her touch found his shoulderblades was proof of just how much he didn’t care about the bedsprings.

“Love, lift up,” he requested, rutting against her once as he prompted her to move. “Legs around me.”

Emma followed his heated directions, wondering just where her stubborn spirit had gone. It didn’t seem to exist in the same realm as this passionately wordy man, especially when he was using his tone to tease and tantalize her. The firm feel of him between her thighs began to pull a shaky breath from her lips, but he swept her into a deep kiss that dissolved it instantly.

He’d always been good at that too.

“They’re only words, Swan,” he told her as he paused a moment, his mouth gentle against hers as he pushed inside with a smooth thrust. “But you know there’s plenty I love telling you.”

“Oh,” Emma reacted as her arms draped around his neck. “Like what?”

“A multitude of things, darling,” he answered with a grin against her neck. “Perhaps more colorful than anything you’ll read in any one of those books downstairs.”

“Hmmm,” she pondered as he anchored himself above her. “You might have to prove that to me.”

“I intend to, darling,” he laughed, sliding forward a little deeper. “We, fortunately, have all night for just that.”

“Good thing you have such an-” Emma said with a soft moan, her fingers pressed into his back. “-extensive vocabulary.”

“Oh, love,” he replied, his hand tight on her thigh as he hitched her leg up a little higher. “You haven’t heard anything yet.”

The course of the night proved just how much Emma truly hadn’t ever had the opportunity to listening to. Little praises of his familiar ‘there, Swan’ and ‘yes, just like that’ were mixed in with his heavy accent and punctuated groans while she attempted to remain coherent enough to hear more. He said her name endlessly, like it was a mantra he couldn’t keep from clinging to as he moved relentlessly against her. She wasn’t sure how long they’d been at it by the time she finally fell apart, but he held her tight in his lap as he followed her into the verbal abyss of finishing together. Emma knew her mind was clouded with pleasure, but she was almost positive he’d been mumbling something quite filthy in a language she didn’t know he spoke when she collapsed against his chest. His hair was damp and her fingers carded through it lazily while she regained her own ability to talk.

Not that much needed to be said after something like that - well, maybe one thing.

“Killian?”

“Hmmm?”

“I love you-” she told him as she nuzzled his side. “-and thank you for helping me with the books. I know you had other stuff to do today.”

“Perhaps, but you know this is always my first choice,” he countered, twisting her hair around his finger. “Naked while I tell you all the obscene things you coax me into to saying.”

“Alright, you’ve made your point,” she breathed happily as she leaned up to kiss him. “Now we might have time for a little nap before the studying must resume if you’re interested.”

“I may be,” he said thoughtfully. “But I can think of something else-”

“Hey,” she cut in, weakly trying to stop his obvious and honestly very wanted advance. “Shut up….”

“Oh, Swan,” he laughed, flipping them over and starting down at her with an intention she’d grown to love. “We both know that’s not what you want.”

His lips melted against hers as his hands took hold of hers, his fingers wrapping skillfully around her wrists as he proved just how fast he could talk her into anything. Whatever argument she was pretending she might have planned disappeared as the sheets tangled around their legs and he used his mouth in so many more ways than one - a feat only he could manage so perfectly.

“Perhaps not,” she admitted as his blue eyes darkened. “So why don’t you tell me what you think I want?”

“Sounds like a dangerous game you’re interested in playing, love,” he said with a devilish grin. “But whatever you say.”

“Hey,” she teased. “That’s my line.”

“Well,” he quipped, the hint of a challenge in his gaze. “Let’s see if we can make your lines a little more interesting.”

Tagging some folks: @xpumpkindumplingx, @themmaswan, @spartanguard, @laschatzi, @kat2609, @captainswanismyendgame, @timeless-love-story, @cat-sophia, @eala-captian, @kmomof4, @cherrywolf713, @ilovemesomekillianjones, @phiralovesloki, @deathbycaptainswan