#I would kindly ask that you direct me to it post haste please

[jincherie]

florescence | ii

❀ — pairing: taehyung x reader x seokjin ❀ — genre: hybrid au, hybrid tae, hybrid jin, poly au, fluff, smut (future), angst ❀ — words: 6.8k+ ❀ — rating: sfw ❀ — warnings: more shy and blushing boys, maybe a little tugging of the heartstrings towards the end u know how it is ❀ — notes: another hybrid taejin update!! i decided to throw this up since I’m working on fox rain and aiming to have it out this weekend, but just in case I’d like to publish at least something,, you know??? anyway I hope you all like this part!! man was it a mess before i edited and fiddled with it fhbjfbjf please let me know if there are any sudden cut off sentences lol

Okay, so maybe you’re lonely, and maybe there is something missing in your life, a void that you maybe want to fill with a companion that may or may not be of human origin… You’re perfectly content not doing anything about it though, until your best friend calls you in desperate need for your help and you suddenly end up coming home with not one, but two hybrids that may or may not have been on the way to the chopping block had you not taken them in. They’re more than a little rough around the edges, and the situation is less than ideal but… maybe the best things don’t always come in perfect, shiny packages. Maybe they just need a little time to bloom.

— posted; 29.08.2019 // masterlist || prev. | next.

In the first three days at your home, the hybrids are… somewhat withdrawn. They don’t shun you or ignore you, but are notably wary in your presence, hesitant to act when around you. They’re both somewhat shy, Taehyung markedly more so than Seokjin, and while you long to talk to them and try and ease them into their new lifestyle a bit more, you try to hold yourself back and give them the space they need to adjust on their own. You know it takes time.

It’s hard, though, and at several times throughout the three days, you find yourself wondering—should they really be this shy?

You’re new, this situation is new, everything is new to them. Shyness is expected. You know that, but… you can’t help but feel something is off. Something doesn’t add up, and while you haven’t figured out exactly what yet, you’re keen to pinpoint it soon.

The first day they spent in your home, was essentially nothing more than a night since you really only brought them home that night. The next day though, the second day, the two hybrids wake early and spend hours wandering around and taking in every little scent and inspecting every item in your house, allowing themselves to grow as familiar as they can. You notice that they seem to take turns leading each other and choosing where to go, but they never part. You notice with spark of affection, that Taehyung grasps Seokjin’s sleeve out of habit as he follows him, gazing around with wide eyes and waddling behind him like a little duckling. When it is his turn to explore, he leads the other male with the same soft grip on his sleeve. You think it mustn’t be unusual since Seokjin doesn’t even bat a lash.

Other than exploring, the two hybrids seem content to nap and cuddle with each other, mostly on the bed in their room. It brings a smile to your face when you walk past and catch sight of them, Seokjin clutching Taehyung’s shirt in his sleep, and Taehyung hugging him like a stuffed toy. Taehyung is quiet, but Seokjin is letting out soft snores that, were he a feline hybrid, you might mistake for purrs.

When they wake, you ask them what they want for dinner tonight, and for the days coming, but even in this, they’re hesitant to voice their desires.

“Is there anything you really like?” you ask, pushing gently for an answer you can work with. “Any dish or type of food?”

“Uhm…” Seokjin blinks, eyes flicking from you to the ceiling, and then back to you. “I… It’s okay. We’re happy to eat whatever is being served. You d-don’t have to go out of your way to…”

“Seokjin, it’s not a bother,” you say, hoping to remind him that you chose to take them home. “I’m asking because I’m happy to make it, or buy it. Is there something you like?”

It takes a few pointed looks and verbal prompts before Seokjin finally admits his love for meat and ramen dishes. You also learn that Taehyung really likes healthy meals, with meat and vegetables, but he also likes desserts. Of course, it isn’t Taehyung that tells you this, but Seokjin. The russet-haired hybrid still refuses to talk to you. Deep down, you’re a little frustrated, and a little sad and hurt both at Taehyung’s silence and the distant, withdrawn behaviour of the two, but you know it’s unreasonable to feel that way. You understand that whatever experiences they have had in the lab aren’t ones that are easily forgotten in just one night. You can only hope that eventually they will allow themselves to open up a little more and will just bear with it in the meantime.

Later in the night, after eating the ramen you cooked up for the three of you, you plan to go sit with them and ask their opinions for some clothes, since you need to order them.  Currently they only have a few sets between them and to you, that’s unacceptable. You’d like to go out to an outlet or shopping centre with them to get them a wardrobe of things they like, but also know to wait until after they have settled in a bit more. Still, in the meantime they need some clothes to wear that aren’t plain white and almost threadbare. So after tucking away the last plate into the dishwasher and turning it on, you gather your laptop and turn towards their room—except you don’t get very far, barely even a step, before you stop in place.

The door is shut. It seems they’ve retreated for the night.

A little bummed but ultimately understanding, you call out a soft ‘goodnight’ and move to your own room. You think you hear Seokjin call softly back, and although you’re not sure, you’re willing to take what you can get.

Since they weren’t there to supervise your choices, you only buy them two outfits each. You know a few economic clothing sites that cater to hybrids, so the dent in your wallet isn’t too big—you know it will be when you eventually take them out for a big shop, though. If you start preparing yourself for the pain now, it will probably hurt a little less in the future.

Humming to yourself, you sit and browse for a little over an hour, sifting through the many tabs you opened so you’d have all your favourites in front of you. For Seokjin, you end up placing some dark jeans and loose pants, along with a grey hoodie with fluffy insides and a peachy light orange long-sleeved shirt, into your cart. You don’t have much basis for your decisions, except that you thought they would suit him and they weren’t too garish or out-there. When you choose Taehyung’s, it is a little harder if only because he’s a bit more difficult to read. You end up selecting some loose black pants and jeans, the same as Seokjin, and a soft-looking dark green button-up, as well as a fluffy hoodie. You have a feeling he’ll appreciate the comfort aspects more than anything. The sizes you chose were a bit of an in-the-moment guestimate, but hopefully they won’t be too far off the mark.

You bought them online, so you’re not really expecting them any time soon—you took time off work the night you brought the boys home so you don’t have to worry about the delivery coming when you’re not here. Well, that is, unless it’s incredibly late and comes in two week’s time or more. Hopefully it will arrive within the two weeks you took off, though. You don’t think you’d get away with asking for more time, even though your job isn’t all that traditional and it’s common knowledge that although each hybrid is different, they all need an adjustment period of sorts to settle into their new home and initiate and complete the bonding process. You’d managed to get two weeks without a problem, but you feel as though any longer than that would be pushing it.

Contrary to what you expected, the clothes actually arrive the very next morning. You’re fresh out of the shower, dressed for the day ahead, and entering the living room where the hybrids are curled tentatively on the couch, when you hear a decisively loud set of knocks. The two hybrids flinch, Seokjin almost falling off the cushion of the couch from the extent of his reaction. Biting your lip to hide your smile, since it was funny but also you don’t want to embarrass him, you make your way to the door and peek through the peephole before letting out a surprised noise and swinging it open right away, accidentally bumping the handle into the wall in your haste. Yikes, hopefully it didn’t dent.

“Miss—?!” Seokjin’s alarmed voice sounds from the living room, and you hear him scrambling from the couch and rushing over. You must have startled him by swinging the door open so quickly and making such a ruckus.

“Delivery for Miss y/n l/n?” It’s an elder gentleman at your door, dressed in the uniform of the company that usually delivers your packages. In his arms is a large box, the site you bought the clothes from last night displayed on the sticker.

“Oh, that’s me!” you smile at him, and he returns it kindly. You take the box from his hold, awkwardly shuffling it under one arm so that you can sign his little digital delivery pad. “Thank you very much!”

“No problem.” You receive another smile, and then the postman is nodding his head in farewell and returning down the path to wherever he parked his van.

Making sure to wait a moment to be polite, you close the door once he is far enough and direct your gaze to the box in your arms as you turn around. This is probably why you don’t see Seokjin and Taehyung straight away, and why you let out a short, startled scream as you look up and catch sight of them hovering closely. They jump in response to your scream, and you can’t help the sudden laugh that rises at the situation.

“Sorry! Sorry, didn’t mean to scream,” you say, trying to meet their eyes as you speak. You manage to catch Taehyung’s for a split second before he tears them away, his cheeks colouring slightly as he ducks his head. Well, you’re counting that as a little victory.

“Who… Who was that?” Seokjin asks, seeming torn between curiosity and concern as he tilts to peer at the door behind you.

“It was the postman,” you explain with a smile, holding out your hand for him to take on instinct as you move past him. He doesn’t notice it for a moment, but when he does he stiffens and his wide-eyes whip to your face. Realising what you’ve done, and somewhat embarrassed by how your hand was just hanging there, you retract it and turn back in the direction you’re walking, clearing your throat.  “He was delivering something I ordered. It came so quickly! I’m sorry if you were surprised, if I’d known it was coming today I would have told you ahead of time.”

“It’s okay…” Seokjin begins, his sentence trailing suddenly. You hear shuffling behind you as you continue into the kitchen, a whisper that sounded suspiciously like Seokjin brushing your ears. You reach the kitchen table and turn back just as Seokjin is pulling his head away from Taehyung’s, tall ears flicking. Seokjin’s dark eyes catch your own, teeth sinking into his lip for a moment as though he’s mulling over whether to voice this next thing or not. He seems to decide to voice whatever is on his mind, “Um, w-what did you order?”

“I’m glad you asked,” you say, smile warming. “It’s actually something for the two of you.”

They’re still for a moment as your words sink in, but the second they do the hybrids are perking up. Taehyung’s eyes have adopted a light glimmer, ears straight upright amongst his russet locks and betraying his interest. Seokjin is looking at you in a similar manner, except with much more shock displayed across his handsome features.

Grasping your keys, you use the pointy end to cut through the tape on the box, excited to give them their clothes so they’d have something that wasn’t plain and white to wear. You turn back to them, open box in your arms and a bright smile on your face.

“F-For us?” the charcoal-haired hybrid finally stutters, his fluffy tail whipping behind him and his ears tilting down slightly. You panic, smile dropping as you interpret his body language as upset. His hands come together, grasping each other. “You bought something f-for us?”

“Ah, yeah…” you bite your lip, eyes flicking between the two of them. “I bought you some clothes because you need them, and I was going to buy them with you but you were asleep so— I, uh, I’m sorry if this upsets you.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen, before he turns his gaze to his friend and smacks him on the back. Seokjin jerks, gasping in realisation.  “Oh no, no please don’t be sorry! It’s… It’s just… well we haven’t really gotten anything like this before… Or, well, anything...”

It takes a moment for his words to sink in, and when they do you’re overcome with an overwhelming combination of anger at the injustice of it and sadness at the realisation that with the life they’ve had so far, of course such a situation would never arrive. Who, in a lab, is going to take the extra time to buy them personalised clothes and items? The answer is no one, and it saddens you. Well, you suppose, time for that to change.

“I see,” you say, mulling over how to say what you want next. You allow a cheeky smile to slide onto your lips “Well… this isn’t the only thing I plan on getting you, so you better get used to it quick.”

Both males’ cheeks burn bright at that, but you can tell that your words make the two of them happy. You nod your head towards the box still in your arms. “Well, do you want to see what I got you?”

Sharing a look, the two hybrids nod hastily before shyly coming up and peering into the cardboard box. The first item you can see on top is one of the pants, and you tell them to take them out, explaining what you got for each of them as they do.

Their eyes are bright and tails lashing in glee as they survey the bundle of clothes in their arms, despite how small it is. Seokjin asks if they can try them on, and when you answer, “of course!”, he is quick to grab Taehyung by the sleeve and drag him back to the room. From there, they try on both pants and shirts you bought for them.

Each time they come out to show the outfit, blushing but still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you move closer to make sure each article fits properly, and that they’re not too tight or uncomfortable around parts like their tails. Both hybrids go completely pink when you ask and help them check that, the colour even going so far as to stain their necks. Ultimately, it seems your tiny haul was a good one. The pants all fit, and the shirts too—well, for the most part. Taehyung’s fit nicely, loose enough to be comfortable and breathable, but you’d overestimated sizing a little bit when you’d factored in Seokjin’s broad shoulders. The hoodie and shirt are a little oversized on him, but to your surprise he seems to like it like that. A soft smile curls at his lips as he looks down and wriggles the tips of his fingers where they’re visible peaking out of his sweater-paws.

Both hybrids are smiling, seeming content at their gifts, but still… you want to put to rest the niggling question in the back of your mind that asks, what if you messed up and they don’t actually like them? Clearing your throat, you catch the hybrids’ attention easily from where you are, leaning against the table.

“We’ll get more things for you to wear another day, but for now… I hope these are enough.” You rub the back of your neck, suddenly feeling a bit bashful. “Do you… do you like them?”

Seokjin blinks, before straightening and taking a few steps forward. “Yes! Yes I… I really like them. They’re soft, and comfy. They smell a little odd, but it’s just because they’re new!”

His answer makes you smile a little, a flush of affection washing over your chest at how cute he is. “Ah, I’m glad. I really—oh!”

You freeze in place, hands almost slipping from their grip on the table in surprise. You very suddenly register Taehyung very close to your face and feel the tip of his nose brush your cheek, making your heart stutter. His nose is soon replaced with a brief brush of something wet that drags quickly over your skin, leaving you reeling as Taehyung pulls back with crimson cheeks and takes one look at you before turning tail and scuttling back towards his room. He disappears around the corner, the sound of the door shutting softly greeting the air moments later. Both you and Seokjin stand in shock for a moment.

“Oh…” Seokjin seems bewildered, but something akin to cheekiness glimmers briefly in his dark eyes. You feel your face begin to flush with heat as the realisation sinks in that Taehyung just licked your cheek. “Uh… he likes them too.”

Unsure what to say to that, you merely let out a grunt. Well, certainly not how you expected this scenario to play out. You can’t deny the tiny spark of hope that has spawned in your chest, though. Time, you just need to give them time.

x     x     x     x     x     x     x

‘Guidebook for Subjects of Batch #2991

Subject: F1204— Kim Seokjin Additional DNA: Canidae—Vulpes Vulpes Approved for progression beyond laboratory?: Yes ☐  No ☒ Observations/reasoning: Unlike ‘littermates’, subject failed to demonstrate initiation of imprinting and bonding procedure despite ample fodder and presented opportunities—did not respond to attempts from Handlers to induce natural protocol. Unclear whether from inability or refusal. Subject is also only one from litter possessing mutated colour variant in animal DNA—presents as ‘silver fox’ rather than expected ‘red fox’. Subject meets all other aesthetic requirements and has been observed to play previously, however subject is shyer, more withdrawn than littermates and will not play with humans. Does not meet aims and requirements of batch for suitable companionship, cannot be moved forward in procedure. Not approved for next stage.’

‘Guidebook for Subjects of Batch #5991

Subject: D1230— Kim Taehyung Additional DNA: Canidae— Cuon Alpinus Approved for progression beyond laboratory?: Yes ☐  No ☒ Observations/reasoning: Demonstrates unwillingness/inability to initiate imprinting and bonding procedure when in optimal environment and presented with ideal cues. Completely contradictory to social nature of the animal this batch is spliced with (Dhole/Asiatic Wild Dog), subject presents as incredibly shy and withdrawn with marked refusal to speak when interacted with. Subject appears to get along with littermates however is observed to withdraw completely around handlers and other human figures. Testing reveals larynx and speech organs functioning within normal limits, however subject refuses to use them. Aesthetic requirements of batch are met. Subject demonstrates refusal/inability to bond with humans and incredibly shy and withdrawn countenance, and therefore does not meet requirements for ideal companionship of this batch overall. Subject not approved for progression to the next stage.’

-

Over the past few days, the two hybrids have begun slowly unfreezing and allowing themselves to grow a little closer to you, bit by bit. You’re not trying to complain—you’re overjoyed at the progress actually—but scrolling through your social media feeds and seeing your friends with their own hybrids makes you remember all the stories you’d heard from when they first got their hybrids, and when you compare them to your own…. You can’t deny how they don’t match up. You can tell that both hybrids are shy, but you’ve never heard of anyone else having a hybrid that was shy to this extent. You’re actually a little confused too, because as far as you know from what Seulgi has told you in the past, all hybrids are created with the inner drive and instinct to bond with their owner, or at least someone that is closest to them. It’s a process that is set in motion in the first few weeks of them living in their new home, and it’s a somewhat obvious process, for most hybrid species. The need for a bond usually overrides any shyness or hesitance the hybrid may have within the first few days, but you’ve not noticed anything like what you’ve read and heard the start of the process to be like in either Seokjin or Taehyung, who has steadfastly remained silent and has yet to speak to you or hold your gaze for more than three seconds at a time. You went to search on the internet, wanting to know whether it was normal for their hybrid types, but then you realised that you didn’t actually know what kind of hybrid they even were.

That was when you’d remembered that you have such a thing as their hybrid guidebooks, and you’d promptly upturned your room searching for wherever you’d left them.

The hybrid guidebooks, made by the lab and the workers who created them with the facts of their creation along with observations on them from conception onwards. It didn’t take you too long to find them, and as soon as you did you plopped down and dove in. It was already late and as far as you knew the hybrids in question had already headed to bed, so you felt safe to read them. It was only just now that you finished reading them, and in all honesty, you think you might be about to cry.

With each book, when you went to read the next page, you were shocked to find it completely blank. A quick flick through the remaining pages revealed very much the same thing. The book isn’t all that thick, but still you’re surprised at the magnitude of pages left untouched. Perhaps they are left there for you to make your own observations? Seulgi should have told you it would be as unhelpful as it is helpful. It takes you less than a minute to reread all the meagre information provided to you, your heart clenching and sinking in your chest.

Seokjin was deemed a failure because his animal features hadn’t been the same as the others in his batch and he was reserved around humans, and Taehyung’s extreme shyness had been his downfall— and because they were deemed a failure due to those “faults”, they’d almost been sent to their death just days ago.

You blink, feeling a stray tear slip from the corner of your eye and drip down your cheekbone. Rage and disgust fill you in a violent, roiling motion before it disappears and leaves an empty ache. That isn’t fair at all. It’s no fault of their own that they didn’t meet whatever ridiculous requirements the lab held for them, and it is completely and utterly unfair the life they’ve been given so far. You slam the booklets down on the bed, taking a moment to allow your remaining tears to fall and the sadness their profiles had elicited to settle. Once you’re sure you are a little calmer, you allow yourself to ponder the information you’ve learned.

As much as you dislike the implications of what you read, it does explain a lot—knowing their breeds helps a bit, and also explains the act of thanks Taehyung saw fit to bestow upon you when you gave him clothes, but you’re also somewhat relieved at the knowledge that the way they’re acting isn’t because of you, per se, but rather is part of their observed and already-existing behaviour before meeting you. Still, a part of you longs to get closer to them and begin easing down the walls they have up— but you suppose with their personalities it may take a while. You’re willing to wait and do what you can to ensure they’re happy and content in the meantime, but still… Your mind can’t help but come back to the parts that seemed to stick with you the most.

Refusal to initiate bonding process. The question lingers in your mind, but you aren’t sure if you want to know the answer— what happens if your hybrids never imprint or bond with you?

Something heavy presses over your chest at that, and you feel your lips tug down of their own accord. It’s probably better if you don’t worry about things like that so early on. They’ve only been here a few days, after all. Flicking your bedside light off, you settle back into the covers and resign yourself to finally going to sleep, even if it’s hours after you probably should have. You’ll sleep now, and when you wake in the morning you’re going to do your very best to make sure that these two hybrids have everything they want and need and that they feel comfortable and safe in your home.

And if you can manage to get even just a little bit closer to them, that’s a plus too.

x     +     x     +     x

You spend the next day researching more on hybrids and the animals they’re spliced with and amassing a long list of things that you think will probably help them grow more comfortable and feel more at home here with you. You also intend to stock up on food that you’ve noted they like, getting some extra things as treats. You don’t imagine they ever had the chance to try caramel popcorn at the laboratory. Initially you’d only intended to make a small list, but now the one you have scribbled down is pretty impressive with its size. Watching the money come out of your bank account is going to hurt, but you’ll make it back soon enough and you’d rather spend it on them than anything else. Still, you make sure to shorten it a little bit down to some ‘essentials’ that can be retrieved in one quick trip.

You don’t have to bother being sneaky with your researching, because the hybrids stay holed up in their room or bathing in the sun in small courtyard around your front door area—you note that Taehyung in particular seems to enjoy that, always appearing the picture perfect definition of ‘at peace’ whenever he curls into the hammock you have there and lets his eyes flutter closed. He still hasn’t spoken to you, and since you know that’s not exactly… unusual for him now that you’ve read his guidebook, you do your absolute best to let go of the tiny shreds of hurt you feel each time he withholds his voice from you.

Ever since you introduced your television and Netflix to Seokjin, his favourite place has become the plush black couch pressed in the corner of the living room where he proceeds to watch a number of things from cartoons to crappy soap operas to cooking shows. It is in these moments that his guard lowers and you catch him grinning openly, and part of you wants so badly to take the opportunity to talk to him a bit more but you can’t… bring yourself to. You don’t want to ruin and intrude upon the little bubble of comfort that he has built for himself here. You just have to be patient, and wait for that bubble to gradually expand and encompass you as well. No big deal, you can do it.

Still, even though you reassure yourself with those words you can’t help the tiny part of you that fears still—what if they never grow used to you? What if they never accept you, never let you in? The prospect of it is a bit gutting—these are now technically your hybrids, this was your one chance at finding a good companion and even if they never warm up to you, you can’t just give them away. You made a commitment, took a chance, and if it turns out that they don’t take to you then the cold reality is that your one chance will have been blown.

Suddenly deciding you’ve had enough of thoughts like that and need a breath of fresh air, you gather your list and grab your bag. You know that you’d be better off staying and spending time with them, since they’re not secure in their environment yet, but… you’re also torn between that and giving them more space to get habituated. You war with yourself for a while, but eventually come to the decision that you may as well go and get everything now while there is still enough time left in the day. You can zip in and out and be back before they even know you’re gone, you reason. A feeling in your gut tells you that you probably shouldn’t, but the urge to step out for a moment and get some things that potentially might make the hybrids happier is stronger than you can ignore and you find yourself scribbling a quick note to let the hybrids know where you are in case they actually notice you’re gone.

You pass Seokjin on the way to the door, and he spares you a brief glance that you take as the opportunity to flash him a smile. He flushes at once, instantly whipping his head back around to face the TV as he avoids your eyes in what seems to be embarrassment. You catch it as he curls further into the cushioning, hands gripping the soft orange material of his shirt and his fluffy speckled obsidian tail coming to curl over his lap. Smiling to yourself, you place the note in your hold onto the kitchen table as you pass and then slip quietly out of the house. Taehyung isn’t on the hammock so you presume he is in the room inside.

In the note you essentially told them you were stepping out for a bit, and not to worry because you’d be back soon. You don’t really think much of it and considering how aloof they’ve been overall, you assume they won’t even miss you while you’re gone. The most you expect is a brief thought wondering where you went.

It seems you are fated to be proven wrong, however. While you only meant to be gone for maybe an hour, an hour and a half, the trip itself for everything you have on the list takes a bit longer than intended. When you arrive home, your arms laden with bags, it’s getting to late afternoon and you’re surprised the second you step inside to find the two hybrids waiting anxiously by the door with wide eyes.

“Mistress!” Seokjin steps forward, and you presume it’s the alarm colouring his tone that causes him to forget what you told him the other day about calling you that. Taehyung trembles behind him, looking at you with big glossy eyes for a moment before darting forward and taking some of the bags from your hold wordlessly, ferrying them to the kitchen. You don’t doubt he’s still listening as Seokjin continues, a waver present in his smooth voice that makes your chest ache. “Wh-where did you go? Why did you go? Wh-what—”

You flounder, arms too full for you to comfort him as your instincts scream for you to. You panic when you see his eyes glossing, the first signs of tears beginning to gather at the corner. Heart lurching into your throat, you dart to the kitchen and deposit the bags by the bench before turning to comfort Seokjin—and nearly running straight into him as he’d been hot on your heels the second you moved.

“Oh, Seokjin,” you murmur as you take in the sudden crestfallen expression on his handsome features. The panic returns as you see the first fat tear roll down his cheek; you realise quickly that it’s something much more than a brief trip to the shops without them on your end that has him so worked up. Your hands fly to grasp his own, holding them gently—his fingers clutch back desperately. “Oh, Seokjin— hey, it’s okay. I’m so sorry. I left you a note so that you’d know—what’s wrong? Please tell me why you’re upset.”

The male had been holding it together somewhat before you spoke, but the second your words brush his ears he can no longer hold back his sniffles and the wobbling of his chin, his ears flattening almost completely against his head. You witness the conflict on his features, the way his arms twitch with the urge to take his hands back yet the way he also leans into your touch, shuffling closer unconsciously. You suspect he doesn’t know what he wants let alone what’s going on, and you feel even worse that he’s gotten so upset on your watch.

“Did you go to return us?” he asks, avoiding your question, voice clear despite its wobble and the sob that climbs his throat. He tears one hand away to rub at his eyes, sobbing into his shirt sleeve like he is ashamed that you’re seeing him like this. “D-did you go to see if you could t-take us ba-ack?!”

You can feel the horror distort your features as his words registered in your mind—did he think that? Did they both think that? You left them a note, you didn’t realise they’d… oh, god.

“Why would I want to return you, Seokjin?” you ask softly, meeting his eyes and aching at the heartbreak you find in their amber-hued depths. “Why would I want to take you back?”

He clenches his eyes shut, biting his lip to contain the whimpers climbing his throat, but to no avail. They all come spilling out when he opens his mouth to answer you, his shoulders curving as he curls in on himself slightly.

“Because we’re failures,” he sobs, lifting his arm to hide his face in his elbow again. Each word that slips from his mouth flings another shard of pain to pierce your heart. “We didn’t pass the requirements, we’re not fit to be c-hic-companions. I-If no one at the lab or at a shelter wants us, then why would you?”

You’re speechless for a moment as he cries into his arm, your eyes wide as you flounder for what to do, how to proceed. Fuck it all, you decide. You’re going to go with your instincts for once.

“Oh, Seokjin,” you coo sadly, tugging him to you by the hand; you release it once he’s close enough, slipping your arms around his waist and pulling him close. You rest your chin over his shoulder, guiding his head down to your neck. “Come here.”

He stiffens instantly, and you almost worry he’s going to tear out of your hold before he lets out another heaving sob and buries his face in your neck where it meets your shoulder, arms coming to clutch you desperately. You can feel his ear pressing against the side of your head as you coo, rubbing his back with one hand and using the other to card softly through the hair at the base of his neck. He absolutely melts into your arms.

“Seokjin, I didn’t go to return you, and I am so sorry for anything I did that led you to believe that.” You rest your head against his slightly, letting out a soft noise when he tightens his hold at the action. “I’m sorry for what happened to you before you came here, but please believe me when I say I’m going to do my best to make sure you feel safe, and happy, and loved here. I won’t ever return you, or Taehyung. You aren’t failures, you don’t fall short. You’re perfect and I’m glad I ended up with the opportunity to meet you. Okay?”

While your words did serve to comfort the male in your arms, they also made him sob that bit louder and harder into your shoulder. You turn, catching sight of Taehyung staring at you from the kitchen threshold with tears a split second from falling in his eyes and his bottom lip wobbling uncontrollably. You open your arm to him wordlessly and he doesn’t hesitate to dart forward and join Seokjin in clinging to your form, shoving his face into the other side of your neck. You hear him sniffling, can feel his chest wrack with sobs, but you don’t hear him wail as Seokjin does.

You do your best to soothe them both as much as possible, running your fingers through the hair at the back of their necks and rubbing over their broad backs. With Seokjin’s words from earlier, you realise that this whole time part of their distance has likely been due to the fact they thought you weren’t going to keep them. They were scared to get settled in and accept you, because if they did and then you turned them away, it would break their hearts. Your very first meeting you’d swooped in just in the nick of time to save them from a glorified execution, for crying out loud. You don’t doubt that the situation they’ve been in is one that led to a lot of feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness—you can kind of understand the thought pattern that can result, and once more the realisation of how they must be feeling truly saddens you.  

You guide them to the living room, easing onto the bigger couch that occupies the space, and the two of them waste no time in curling onto it next to you, very much still clinging to your form. Gradually, with many whispered assurances that you aren’t going to return them, they are here for good or as long as they want to be, you manage to soothe their sobbing until it is just the occasional hiccup and sniffle that pierces the air. From your position between them, caged in by their arms and the faces pressed to your neck still, you can see their ears flicking and shifting from the corner of your eyes and have to squash the urge that rises within you to pet and scratch them. Someone once told you it was considered rude to do so, and you try and keep that in mind as you do your best to refrain from giving in.

As you peer out the window and take note of the darkened skies, it is with regret that you begin to shift between them. Seokjin lets out a low whine, Taehyung silent but his grip tightening around you.

“Are you feeling better?” you ask, voice soft. It’s directed at both of them, although you’re only expecting one vocal answer.

“Yes,” Seokjin croaks, pulling away with a sniffle and averting his eyes. It seems his actions are finally catching up with him, along with the resulting embarrassment they appear to cause him. “Th-thank you m—y/n.”

You feel Taehyung nod against you, but contrary to what you expect him to do next he actually burrows his face deeper into your neck. It takes you a moment to think of why he does that instead of pulling away, when you feel the heat of his cheeks against your skin and realise he probably is also embarrassed and just doesn’t know how to act about it. You turn and press a kiss to his scalp, close to his ear, and pull Seokjin back to plant one on his forehead. He lets out a squeak, hand slapping to his forehead as he stares at you with impossibly wide amber eyes. Violent pink flushes his face and you almost stop and wonder if he’s actually okay for a moment.

“I’m glad,” you say, meeting the hybrid’s eyes so that he can see how serious you are. “I don’t intend on giving you back, Seokjin. Please tell me next time when you’re worried about such things—both of you—and I’ll do my best to make you feel better, okay?”

They both nod, Taehyung finally pulling away with burning cheeks and averted eyes. You can’t help the fond smile that slips onto your cheeks. Considering how embarrassed they are right now at the emotional mess they just were and how desperately they’re trying to reclaim the distance between you, you decide to let them off the hook and move on to the subject that always seemed to catch their attention.

“Alright, now that you’re both feeling a bit better—how about we make dinner? I got some snacks and there’s a movie I’m going to watch after, if you want you can join me.”

You don’t think you’ve ever seen anyone’s face change from downtrodden to excited as quickly as theirs do. Laughing, you rise and drift to the kitchen with the two beautiful boys trailing after you, and go about showing them how much you care in one of the ways you’re best at. Dinner is made with them tending to every task you ask of them, and once the food is in your tummies and the table is cleared the three of you move to the couch, snacks in tow.

When the movie begins to get into the swing of things, you feel the two hybrids inch closer on the couch, and can’t help your smile. A part of you aches as you imagine how they must have felt earlier, but you can’t help but hope that from this point onwards, they’ll finally begin to warm up to you like you long for. You want them to feel safe and happy, like they deserve, and damn it if you won’t do everything in your power to make that a reality.

  masterlist || prev. | next.

p.s; please let me know what u think! and if u like this, please let me know by liking and/or reblogging!! it doesn’t seem like much, but I’ve been struggling with a bit of a low mood lately and tbh it’s the little things like seeing people enjoy my stuff that help keep me afloat 

if you’d like to support me, feel free to send me a kofi and aid my poor uni student ass :’) thank u for reading, ily!

[romanssippycup]

Caesar the Serpentine

This is based on @daddy-devil‘s headcannon about Logan owning a snake. I tried to make this funny. I will go ahead and tag my friend @tinysidestrashcaptain as well as the owner of the post himself @what-even-is-thiss. There are no ships in this. Only funniness and there is a snake. Ball Pythons usually grow up to a couple feet, but this one in the story is still young so its about 15 inches. So if you don’t like snakes. Don’t read. Please enjoy!!

It was only a week ago that Logan had recently began to research snakes and within three days, he had the whole ecosystem for the pet set up in his room. Another day went by, double and triple checking to make sure everything was as it should be before he slipped into Roman’s room and delicately captured the snake that he wanted, which happened to be a Ball Python. Logan instantly decided on the name Caesar after figuring out it was male, and began to analyze and care for his pet.

At first the snake was weary of his surroundings, but soon settled down and enjoyed his new master’s company. Logan understood it wasn’t a real snake and that it was made in Roman’s room, but it acted in many similar ways as the real life version would. Now the snake was completely comfortable with using him as a climbing toy, at which Logan would allow, but only to a certain extent. As Logan became more and more fascinated with the snake, he spent more time studying it, which meant less time with the other sides.

Of course they would start to get concerned that Logan was overworking himself again, so it was inevitable that Patton burst into his room first only to find a hissing reptile resting on Logan’s shoulder.

“Logan! Are you o-” As patton bust through the door, his words fell short as he watched the serpent raise his head and glare in his direction.

“Shush Patton. Caesar is trying to rest.” Patton’s immediate feelings were mixed with adoration and fear.

“Aww...That’s cute! ...I think.” Patton cautiously crept into Logan’s room as he saw no opposition from the logical aspect. His heart warmed a little more as Logan carefully reached a hand to stroke its scales gently, relaxing it once again. “Alright that is adorable! I can tell he’s snaked his way right into your heart. Ehehehe!”

Caesar instantly raised his head at the moral aspect and hissed violently, causing Morality to jump back in fright. Logan smirked at the situation and gave his snake a couple pets in reward.

“My thoughts exactly Caesar.”

“So, his name is Caesar?” Virgil, who had been standing in the doorway for some time unbenownst to the others, causally walked in and examined the snake for himself.

Patton quickly recovered from his scare. “You mean hisssssss name.” Logan’s mouth curled into a grimace at the unwanted pun. “Yes...that is his name.”

Virgil chuckled and approached the snake calmly. In return, Caesar lifted its head towards Virgil with a curious invitation. Logan was about to warn Virgil, when the darker aspect’s hand was allowed to gently invade Caesar’s personal space.

Logan and Patton’s eyes both went wide with surprise at how much the snake trusted Virgil upon their first meeting.

“Fascinating…”

“Wow Virgil! You must be a parseltoungue!”

Virgil scoffed as the snake continued to let him pet it. “No...Misunderstood animals in Roman’s kingdom just take more kindly to me at first sight than you guys.”

“What’s this about my kingdom?” Boomed a voice from down the hallway.

Logan’s head snapped towards Virgil and displayed the message to Virgil that Roman has no clue that Logan had stolen it from his room. With as much haste as gentleness could provide, he picked the snake off of Logan’s shoulders and into the pocket of his jacket. The hiss of protest being smothered by the fabric of Virgil’s clothing just as Roman entered the room.

A rare pang of guilt stabbed at Logan’s mechanical heart as he watched the creature he had grown fond of, forcefully shoved inside of a tiny space. He would have to make it up to Caesar later.

“I’ll ask again. What is this about my kingdom?”

“Oh Logan has a s-”

“Patton!!” Both Virgil and Logan cried out at the same time barely saving Patton from letting the cat out of the bag.

“sssssssteak!!!! Yeah steak!!! He has a new steak recipe that he got from your kingdom that he wants to try.” Logan and Virgil both facepalmed together.

Roman blinked in disbelief. “Do you really expect me to believe that Patton?”

The moral trait sighed and hung his head. “No…”

“I didnt think so.” Roman then turned his head to the other two sides and sighed.

“What did you steal?”

“ You mean what Logan stole? Yeah I’ll show you, but you have to let Logan keep it.”

“Haha! And why would I do...that?” Roman’s voice trailed off as the Ball Python entered into his line of sight, wriggling in irritation from being stuffed in Virgil’s pocket.

“A serpent?” Roman’s complexion turned to one of disgust. “Oh heavens yes please keep it. If you feel so inclined to of course. I hate those things in my realm.”

The tension in the atmosphere lifted and Logan breathed a sigh of relief. Virgil carefully pet Caesar, calming him down before transferring him back to Logan’s shoulder.

“My apologies Caesar.” Logan stroked his snake’s underside in regret. “ I will make it up to you later.”

Roman scoffed. “You gave the foul beast a name!? It’s hardly deserving of one. Ugh whatever. But don't let me find that thing wandering the mind palace or else…” he shook his finger warningly at the snake loving aspects behind him before strutting out of the room, obviously on his way towards the kitchen.

Patton rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Sorry kiddos...but at least you get to keep it! But im gonna have to agree with Roman on keeping it caged I mean...I don't want it slithering into any room unnoticed.” The revolting wiggle Patton gave brought a chuckle to Virgil’s lips. “Anyways though, have fun!” And with that, Patton bounded out of the room.

This left Logan and Virgil alone with Caesar who looked as if he had forgiven the two sides on either side of him. After a moment of silence, Virgil turned to the other side with a glint of mischievous shining in his eyes. Logan cradled Caesar close to his chest defensively in response.

“No Virgil! We are NOT using Caesar to prank Roman!”

Three days later..

“...”

“...LOGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!”

[acrimsonphoenix]

Getting Help

Instead of leaving the house with her phone, Leo finds Karen after her mother and Zach are kidnapped.

Almost as soon as she meets her, Leo becomes Kastle shipper #1, obviously.

AO3

Leo threw herself into her desk chair and crossed her arms. She couldn’t believe that the kind and funny man that she’d come to know as Pete was really a dangerous criminal named Frank Castle. Pete had always been so nice to them and helped them out so many times. If he really did all those bad things the media said he did, why would he have visited them again and again just to do nice things for them? 

She chewed on her bottom lip. Maybe the media had it wrong. She’d learnt in school that even the media could be wrong sometimes, and she’d also seen it herself after her father’s death. The media had called her dad a traitor, although he had actually tried to uncover something very wrong that the US army was doing in Afghanistan. As most media were saying bad things about her dad, only a few of them, mostly smaller websites, were saying that some of the information wasn’t quite adding up and that there must have been more to the story. So Leo knew she needed more information.

She uncrossed her arms and opened her laptop in front of her. Then she went to Google, typed “Frank Castle” into the search bar, and barely a second later, she was faced with several million hits. A lot of them, including Wikipedia, were calling Frank Castle a terrorist and listed the many bad things he’d done. Apparently there had been a court battle about a year earlier where he’d admitted to all of his crimes and was sent to prison, but he’d then broken out of that right the next day. Leo kept scrolling, and came across an article that was called “What is it, to be a hero?” in the New York Bulletin. When she clicked on it, it turned out to be a profile of Frank Castle, written by a woman named Karen Page. The profile was much longer than the other articles, so Leo settled her arms on to the desk to read it.

According to the article, Frank had been a soldier who had been sent to other countries to fight several times. He was a really good soldier, too, because he even got medals for it. Frank’s family had been killed when a police operation had gone wrong, and Frank himself had only barely survived. The DA and the police were trying to cover everything up, and even tried to have Frank killed when he was in hospital.  So when the police and the DA wouldn’t do anything to help get Frank justice, he took matters into his own hands and killed everyone involved in his family’s death.

Leo swallowed. She could understand Frank a little bit. When her dad had died, she sometimes wished that the people who killed him and who told lies about him would get killed, too. She knew that thinking like that was a bad thing to do, but she couldn’t help it. Her dad had been one of the best people in the world and he was dead just because he had done the right thing.

When she looked at the linked articles at the bottom of the page, she noticed that they were all written by the same woman, Karen Page. There was even a new article that was less than 24 hours old about an explosion in a hotel she’d heard about on TV earlier, and it said that Frank had not caused it, but that he had tried to protect Karen and everybody else there by taking out the actual terrorist, Lewis Wilson. Both from the profile of Frank Castle and the article on the hotel incident, it looked like Karen Page knew much more than some of the other journalists; at least, she seemed to know more sides to stories with Frank. 

Her mother’s voice pulled Leo from her focus.

“Leo! Come down and get started on your homework, please! We’re going to eat in about an hour.”

“Coming,” Leo yelled back and then closed the laptop with a sigh.

___ 

Leo’s heart was racing as she cowered in the darkness of her wardrobe. As soon as she’d heard her mother’s screams downstairs, she’d run and hidden herself. It was quiet for a few minutes by now, and a few seconds ago, she’d heard the front door fall shut. Leo waited for another few minutes, all the while carefully listening, but it seemed that those police men – or whatever they were, something hadn’t felt right about them – were gone, and with them, Zach and her mom.

Leo slowly pushed the wardrobe door open and peeked through her window down on the empty street. Nothing but the usual sight of their neighbors’ cars. She took a deep breath and looked around her room. What if the men came back for her? She had to get help. But from who? If it was really the police who’d taken her mother and her brother, she couldn’t trust them. And if it wasn’t, whoever was after them was probably trying to find her, too. In any case, she probably didn’t have very much time.

Her eyes fell on to the laptop on her desk and an idea shot through her head. Maybe a journalist could help her. From what she knew, journalists often dealt with sensitive information, and had to deal with threats from both bad guys and the government. She opened the laptop and was faced with the profile of Frank Castle once more. Karen Page. She clearly knew a lot about Frank Castle, so maybe she could help.

Out of habit, Leo’s hand reached for her phone next to her laptop on the desk, but then she paused. She’d read somewhere that the police could track mobile phones even when they were off. So she pulled her hand back, and instead took a small piece of paper on which she wrote the directions to the Bulletin office. Then she got the small wallet with her pocket money, and quietly left the house via the bathroom window, just to be safe. 

About an hour later, Leo got off the bus in front of the Bulletin offices. She swallowed as she stared up the building, and rubbed her arms. In her haste, she’d forgotten to take a coat before she left, and it was freezing.

The receptionist looked her up and down when Leo approached the front desk.

“I – I’m looking for Karen Page, please?” Leo said nervously.

“And your name is?” the receptionist replied in a bored tone as she picked up the phone.

“Leo,” Leo replied, deciding to leave her last name out of it, just in case.

“Just Leo?” the receptionist said as she raised her eyebrows. Leo nodded.

The receptionist punched a few numbers on the phone, and a second later, she said “Hi Karen, it’s Jenna from reception. There’s a girl here to see you, probably around 12 or 13 years old, says her name is Leo.”

Leo bit the inside of her cheek as Jenna was waiting for a reply.

“Ok, I’ll send her up,” Jenna said. She hung up the phone and turned to Leo.

“Elevator’s over there. Third floor, down the hallway, fourth door on the right,” she said.

Leo nodded with wide eyes.

“Ok, thank you,” she replied.

 When she stepped out of the elevator on the third floor, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes walked towards her.

“Are you Leo?” she asked with a gentle smile.

Leo nodded and noticed that there were two cuts on the woman’s forehead.

“Nice to meet you, Leo. My name is Karen,” she woman replied and held a hand out that Leo shook hesitantly.

“Jesus, your hands feel like ice. Where’s your coat?” Karen exclaimed.

Leo didn’t quite know what to say, but Karen seemed to understand anyway.

“Come on, let’s get you warmed up.”

 ______

A little while later, Leo was settled on a small couch in Karen’s office with a cup of tea in her hands and a blanket over her shoulders. The space was quite cluttered – there were filing boxes and stacks of paper everywhere, along with countless post-its.

Karen settled on to the couch next to Leo.

“So, Leo,” she said kindly. “Your last name wouldn’t happen to be Lieberman, would it?”

At that, Leo fixed her with an alarmed look. “How do you know that?” she asked concernedly.

Karen smiled gently.

“I’m a journalist. I’m good at recalling information and making connections. A few weeks ago, I looked up some information on your father, and it said that he had a daughter named Leo,” she said patiently.

Leo looked down at the cup of tea in her hands to fight back tears that suddenly threatened to fall.

Karen rubbed Leo’s shoulder.

“Hey, it’s alright, ok? You’re safe here, I promise you that.”

Leo exhaled deeply. “They took my brother and Zach. They looked like police but there was something weird about them. I don’t know where they took him. I think they know Frank Castle has been visiting us,” she said, her voice trembling lightly.

Karen frowned. “When was this?” she asked.

“About an hour ago,” Leo swallowed.

“Have you talked to anyone else about this? The police? A neighbor maybe?” Karen asked.

“No, I didn’t know who to trust. But you wrote a lot of stuff about Frank Castle and you seemed to know more about him than other journalists so I thought…” Leo trailed off and then fixed Karen with a pleading look. “You have to help me, please. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose mom and Zach, too.”

Karen’s expression became sympathetic, and she hugged Leo with one arm.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help you, I promise,” she said. “And I can also tell you that Frank will do whatever he can to keep your mother and your brother safe, ok?”

Leo nodded hesitantly.

“Let me figure out what’s going on,” Karen said as she stood up. “You drink your tea. Are you hungry?”

“A little bit. We were supposed to have lunch when those men came,” Leo said sheepishly.

Karen walked over to her bag and pulled out a sandwich.

“Here you go, have this. I’m going to make a phone call, alright?” She handed the sandwich to Leo, and then walked over to the window and slightly turned her back to the girl.

 She dialed the number that Frank had called her on before he’d rescued her in the hotel. After a few rings, she heard his gruff voice.

“Karen? Something wrong?”

“Kind of. I have a young visitor by the name of Leo here,” Karen said as she threw a small smile at Leo who was nibbling away at the sandwich.

The response was a relieved sigh. “Leo’s with Karen,” she heard Frank say to someone else in the room.

“She alright? Those bastards took her mother and brother,” Frank said angrily.

“Yeah, I heard. She’s fine. She knew that she couldn’t go to the police so she came to me because I’ve written so much about you,” Karen summarized quickly.

She heard Frank converse with someone else in the background. Then he talked into the phone again.

“’kay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. Take her to Astoria Park. There’s a pool that Leo knows. David’s going to meet you there. Don’t tell her that, though, ‘right? Just in case there’s a change of plans,” he said.

Karen swallowed. “Ok, we’ll head over there right away,” she said.

“’kay,” Frank confirmed. “Take your gun, ok?”

Karen hummed in assent.

“Ah, you ok, after, you know, yesterday?” she asked quietly. She bit her lip and looked out on the street.

Frank paused for a moment.

“Yeah,” he finally replied.

Karen nodded to herself and folded an arm across her middle.

“Am I right to assume that your mission is about to come to an end?” she asked as she tried to keep her voice from shaking.

“Yeah,” Frank said quietly.

“Take care of yourself, ok?” she asked. “This may be an end, but it doesn’t have to be your end.”

Frank hummed noncommittally.

“Ok, then, bye,” Karen said with a sigh.

“Bye,” Frank repeated. “And, uh, thanks.”

 Karen needed a moment to compose herself. This was it then. She just prayed that Frank would get out of this whole disaster alive so that she could see him again. Her stomach felt queasy, and so she quickly turned to Leo to distract herself.

“So, ah, we’ve got to go to the Astoria Park. Apparently there’s a pool that you know?” she said as she walked back to the couch.

“Yeah,” Leo said. “We used to go there a lot when we were little.”

“Ok, then let’s go. Take the blanket,” Karen said as she went to get her purse.

“Was that Frank?” Leo asked.

Karen paused. “Yeah,” she said.

“Is he ok?” Leo asked again.

“Yeah, I think so,” Karen replied as she dug through her purse to check that she had everything.

Leo got up. “Is Frank your friend?”

Karen looked over to her and ran a hand through her hair.

“Yes. Yes, he is.” She swallowed. “He’s going to keep us and your family safe, ok? I know that. Come on, we have to go now.”

Leo bit her lip, but then she wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and followed Karen to the door.

 ______

About 45 minutes later Karen parked her car outside of Astoria Park, and she and Leo walked over to the pool area.

Karen made them stand in the shadows behind a large column while they were waiting. About ten minutes later, they suddenly heard a voice calling out for Leo.

Leo stared at Karen with wide eyes.

“That’s my dad,” she said incredulously.

Karen nodded. “Yes, it is.”

“But, that’s impossible,” Leo said in confusion.

Karen peeked around the column.

“No, it’s really him. Look for yourself,” she said with a smile.

Leo hesitantly peeped around the column herself, and then she slowly started to walk towards the man calling for her.

Karen leisurely followed Leo to give the two some space. As she watched their tearful reunion, she exhaled slowly. She just hoped that wherever Frank was right now, that he would finally be able to finish that war that he’d been raging for almost one and a half years now, and that he would be able to start a new life afterwards. He truly deserved it.

 Finally, David looked up.

“Hi, uh, I’m David. David Lieberman,” he said and held out his hand. Leo was still wrapped around his middle and did not seem to have any intention of letting him go.

Karen smiled and shook his hand.

“I read a lot about you. I’m Karen Page,” she replied.

“I know,” David replied with an inscrutable expression on his face. “Thank you for keeping my little girl safe.”

“You’re welcome. But I didn’t have to do much,” Karen said as she ruffled Leo’s hair. “Leo here did most of the work by coming to me.”

“Yep, that’s my girl,” David said as he hugged his daughter once more.

 A few hours later, Leo and David were sitting in the van waiting for Frank.

“So, are Karen and Frank friends?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” David replied as he scanned their surroundings.

“I think Karen really likes him,” Leo added.

“Well, he really likes her too, I think. He took a bullet for her,” David said off-handedly.

“Really?” Leo’s eyes were as large as saucers.

David looked at her and only just seemed to realize what he’d said.

“Uh, yeah. Yesterday. There was this crazy guy who tried to hurt her,” he said slowly.

“Lewis Wilson? The guy who tried to blow up the hotel?” Leo asked.

“Yeah,” David replied and narrowed his eyes. “How’d you know about that?”

Leo shrugged. “Google,” she said.

David raised an eyebrow.

“Well, yeah. Anyway. Karen’s important to Frank,” he said as he looked back at the street outside.

“Do you think they’re dating?” Leo asked pensively.

“Honestly, I have no idea what they are. I don’t think they even know it themselves,” David asked.

Leo looked out on to the river.

“If they’re not dating, I think they should. I think they’d be great together,” Leo said firmly.

  _______

It was over. It was finally over.

 Frank couldn’t quite believe it as he sat at the dining table in the Lieberman’s house on a Sunday afternoon. They had just finished lunch and were now making conversation over their empty dessert plates.

 Leo was particularly interested in Karen and kept asking her questions, from Karen’s work about her previous life in NYC and her childhood in Vermont.

 Karen answered all of Leo’s question patiently, and returned some of the questions herself, asking about Leo’s hobbies and favorite school subjects and her friends.

 At some point, Karen excused herself to go the bathroom, and as soon as she was gone, Leo fixed Frank with an amused look, her eyebrows raised.

 “Does Karen know that you have a crush on her?” she asked with a giggle.

 Frank scowled. “Wha’?” he asked, perplexed.

 “Yeah, you’re totally in love with her,” Zach agreed as he made kissing noises.

 Frank shook his head.

 “Look at those two,” he mumbled under his breath. “Think you both had too much sugar,” he said a bit louder.

 “Nu-uh, but we do have eyes in our heads,” Leo added joyfully. “And you totally have googly eyes for Karen.”

 Sarah was biting her lip to keep a semblance of a straight face, but David’s grin was just as wide as his children’s.

 “You know, back in my day, this would have been a classic case for ‘Frank and Karen, sittin’ on a tree, k-i-s-s-‘” he started, and Leo and Zach joined him for the end. “-i-n-g!”

 “Yeah, you really enjoying yourselves, are ya?” Frank made a dismissive gesture, but he couldn’t stop his cheeks and the tips of his ears from turning a light shade of pink.

 “Ha! More evidence!” Sarah finally joined in too as she pointed at his face, and the entire Lieberman family broke into laughter.

 “Alright, alright,” Frank said with an irked expression as he started to collect the dessert plates from all over the table. Zach continued to make kissing noises, while Leo and David overacted a couple looking adoringly at each other.

 In that moment, Karen returned from the bathroom.

 “Oh wow, what’d I miss?” she asked as she was looking at the merry scene in front of her in surprise.

 “Nothin’. Jus’ the Liebermans bein’ their normal annoyin’ selves,” Frank said curtly as he got up with the stack of dessert plates.

 “Let me help you with that,” Karen said and followed him into the kitchen. As they were loading the dishwasher, they could hear kissing and cooing noises, amongst warning hisses from Sara.

 Karen looked at Frank questioningly.

“Yeah, they think they’re smart,” Frank said with a roll of his eye.

“Well, maybe we should turn the tables then,” Karen said with a wink.

She threw a quick glance at the Liebermans and then pulled Frank into a passionate kiss that left both of them breathless.

The room had become completely quiet as the entire Lieberman family stared at them. Karen reached for Frank’s hand and walked back to the dining table with him.

The Liebermans were throwing each other confused glances when Karen and Frank sat back down.

Leo cleared her throat.

“Are you and Frank dating?” she asked point-blank, earning her a warning look from both of her parents.

“Ah, yeah, for a while now. Why?” Karen replied with an angelic expression. Her hand squeezed Frank’s under the table. “More water, anyone?”

[salty-apples]

Chapter 14: Daughter of Ilekov

Marya did not feel settled. At all.

Seated in one of the Valles many gardens with the occupants of the high house, she was struggling to pay attention to the amusements of her hosts. Her mind kept wandering. First on the letters, then to the almost finished dress and on a niggling feeling that she might have forgotten to lock her shop door. She kept pulling at the collar of her dress as she tried to swallow her tea, a sight which escaped the notice of the Valles.

"What do you think of the riddle?" A low voice said in her ear. She jerked sharply and turned. Master Beau, she had forgotten, was beside her and he was speaking to her. She flushed, embarrassed at not paying attention. Beau chuckled. "It's alright if you have no answer," he told her kindly.

Time seemed to drag for Marya. Her foot tapped the ground in an unsteady rhythm as she waited for the afternoon to reach its end. She almost ran back to Needle street after leaving the Valles, rescinding Master Beau's offer to have a carriage send her back. With thanks for her company and a kiss on her hand, he saw her off to the estate gates and as she walked down the hill and out of sight.

On reaching Needle street, Marya found Mistress Liso standing outside her shop, whistling and waving at her. Surprised, she waved back and walked past quickly. Her heart beat faster as she hoped her fears about the shop door were unfounded. As her hand turned the handle, her heart sank. Hurriedly, she rushed in to see if Deva's dress was intact. Relieved that it was alright, she finished it quickly, packed it up in a crate and labelled it for the letterman to pick up from her building's letter post.

When the crate arrived in high house, there was an air of expectation and excitement. Lady Bette and Lady Nettie were banned by their daughters from being at the dress' unveiling. Smiling, they left the tea room and left Beau at the door arguing for why he was entitled to seeing what his money paid for.

Defeated and mumbling about wily sisters, he withdrew to his office where Forley was waiting for him with the day's letters and notices.

"A notice from High Court, sir," Forley announced as he came in. Beau gestured for him to hand it over as he pulled his chair away from his desk to sit down.

The notice held nothing of interest to him. "Reward of twenty gold bags for information on the whereabouts of the heir to the Ilekov fortune and holdings," he summarised for Forley.

"Does it say anything else?" Forley asked as he held out the next article to be read.

"Nothing much," Beau answered in an almost bored tone. "Just says she is the new Donna of Ilekov and she has been missing for five years."

"Didn't you know the late Don's wife?"

"Aunt Satiné's sister? Not really," he responded as he thumbed through his correspondence. "She was not the most pleasant person to be around. Mother just bore her behaviour for Aunt Satiné's sake."

"Do you think the new Donna will be found?" Forley asked as he handed his master another letter.

"Missing for five years? She is either dead or living in another country."

Forley had nothing else to say until a knock sounded on the door.

"Who do you think it is?" Beau asked him.

"Your mother, I'm sure. Sounds like her."

"I can hear you!" Lady Bette's voice came through the door. Beau laughed while Forley sniggered as Lady Bette opened the door with a false frown on her face.

"Such rudeness from both of you," she scolded them without vigour.

"Apologies, my lady," both men intoned as they bit back their laughter.

She huffed and turned to face her son. "A pen and some paper if you can spare them, please. I have a letter to write."

Forley dropped his load on the table and furnished Lady Bette with her requested items. "Thank you dear," she smiled at him and he bowed in response.

As her hand touched the door knob, Beau spoke up.

"Have you heard, mother?" He started. "The High Court has launched a search for the new Donna of Ilekov." Lady Bette sucked in a sharp breath, a sound which Forley did not miss.

"Really?" She answered.

"Yes, yes," Beau answered, oblivious. "I got a notice from them this morning. Twenty gold bags for a reward, can you believe it? Wasn't Aunt Satiné's sister the old Donna?"

"Yes," she answered, her voice sounding shaky. Forley squinted. Suspicious behaviour from Her Ladyship yet he said nothing, hoping Master Beau had noticed as well.

"Ah well," Beau continued to speak. "I hope their search is not for nothing." Lady Bette said nothing and she exited the room quietly.

Lady Bette knew she had no time to lose. Remembering her conversation Marya on her past, she had a feeling that Marya had no desire to return to Ilekov, whether as a commoner or as a noble. A thought passed through her head. To have been referred to as Donna, somehow, her father must have legitimised her before his death. She had to send a note to Marya immediately.

'If you wish to leave, now is the time. High Court is looking for you. Just let me know what you need and I will help you.

-Bette.'

Brief and to the point, the note was entrusted to a passing footman to deliver to Marya's shop.

It never reached Marya's hand.

Mistress Liso was working in her front room, right in front of her largest window where every passerby could see her. On her body form, she was draping a midnight blue fabric; garnering attention for the unusual colour. Looking out of the window, she saw the Valle footman pass. "Call him for me," she directed one of her assistants. The assistant ducked out of the shop and came in a short while later with the footman.

"Morning's greetings, Mistress Liso," the footman greeted with a bow.

"Morning's greetings," she responded with a smile. "Where are you off to, young man?"

"Mistress Marya's, ma'am," he was happy to answer. Mistress Liso was a friend of his wife and her question did not seem strange to him.

"Mistress Marya's, is it? Do you have anything for her? I am on my way to her shop myself." She made a show of dusting off her apron and directing her assistants to put away her drapings.

"I have this note from Her Ladyship. I would be grateful if you could give it to her." He handed the note to Mistress Marya, glad he did not have to make the walk to the poor end of Needle street.

"Of course, my dear," she waved his gratitude off. "She will get this in all haste." Thankful for her help, the footman left her shop and went back up the street.

Mistress Liso waited for him to be completely out of sight before opening the note. Her eyes scanned it and irritation marked her features. Lady Bette wanted to help the girl now, hmm? Not while Liso was still around. She tore up the note with a flourish and threw it up in the air with laughter. Oh Marya, she thought with glee, soon I will be rid of you.

And soon came soon enough.

A month went by and the town was still. Marya was still attending afternoon tea with the Valles. Lady Bette was watchful, watching to see signs of approaching danger. But Marya seemed calm. Her face gave nothing away. It did not put Lady Bette's ruffled spirits to rest still.

Another week came by and Marya's attendance at afternoon tea was required. Beau was preparing to go into town and fetch Marya as his mother watched him put on his coat. She was particularly unsettled and it showed in her sighing and fidgeting.

"Are you alright, mother?" Beau had not seen his mother like that in a long time. Her eyes were dewy and her breaths were coming in short gasps. She shook her head and attempted to smile. "I was just thinking, dear. Do not worry," she told him.

Beau smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back with Marya soon. Hopefully, her presence will lift your mood." Lady Bette smiled at his claim and watched him stride out of the house and climb into the carriage.

Beau did not think too much about his mother's downed mood. It was almost the time of the year for his father's rememberance; an event which never failed to sink his mother's feelings for weeks on end. For the first time, he was glad for the coming ball and he made a note to himself to remind Forley to have his tailors refit his jacket.

The sound of drumming and many feet marching in unison drew his attention. "What's going on?" He called out to the carriage driver. "What's happening out there?"

"All of Needle street is out, my lord!" The carriage driver called back to him. "There seems to be something like a small army coming up from Diamond road and into Needle street. Everyone's out and blocking the road."

A small army? Who had allowed their entry without his permission?

"Where are they headed?" He called out again.

"They seem to be heading towards- goodness! My Lord, they are stopping in front of Mistress Marya's!"

Beau had to see what was going on for himself. He let himself out of the carriage, not waiting for it to roll to a stop.

"My lord, wait!" His driver called after him as he took off down the street. Dodging people, he ran down the slope of Needle street and screeched to a halt in front of the alley way. In front of him were enough men to form a calvary division, each one dressed in a uniform of red and black with befeathered flat caps. Every third man carried a standard of a design he had never seen and a carriage with horses finer than any in the Valle stables was parked across the street with more similarly clothed men guarding it.

He walked up to one of the men, judging from the trim of his uniform that he was a senior officer. "Who are you and where are you from?" He asked the man. The man gave no answer.

Beau heard Marya's door open and he turned to see her walk out of her shop, her landlord and another officer behind her. Her head was bowed and the officer had a hand on her shoulder. A sudden panic seized him. "Step away from her!" He cried out.

His voice startled Marya and her landlord. Her head shot up, a watery smile on her lips. As she came into view, the uniformed men took a knee and bowed their heads. The uniformed man beside her whispered something to her and she nodded. "It's alright, cousin. He is a friend," she answered quietly.

To the onlookers of middle street, the spectacle was going to feed the town's appetite for gossip for days. The crowd in Needle street had swelled as more and more people from adjoining streets and avenues poured in to jostle for a view of the goings-on at Marya's shop. In the distance, Mistress Liso gleefully whistled to herself as she thought of the bags of gold sitting in her workroom.

Beau was stunned when Marya was in full view of the entire street. Gone was her practical over dress. Instead, she was dressed in a black gown trimmed with gold braid and a tasseled blood red cloak. Her hair was brushed and pinned up with gold pins. She was beautiful and he pinched himself for once thinking her simply pretty. But she looked sad and almost in pain.

Marya held his hands which he held out for her. "Are you alright, Marya?" He asked her as he searched her eyes for a trace of the Marya he knew. She smiled in response, the smile never quite reaching her eyes.

"I am well, Master Beau," she answered. "But I have to go home."

He was confused. "Home? Where is home?"

"Ilekov."

Recognition dawed on him and his jaw dropped. "Send my love to your family for me," she continued to speak. "Tell them I will miss them."

As she spoke, officers moved things out of her shop. Several crates left the confines of the tight rooms Marya had called her home for a year. From the periphery of his vision, Beau counted ten crates. That was all of Marya, packed up and ready to leave.

"Will you come back to visit?" He had to know. His family would be heartbroken and he- He was beginning to find that his chest was constricting.

Marya reached up on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The action drew gasps and loud whispers from the crowd. "Goodbye Beau," she whispered as tears began to gather in her eyes. Slowly, she slipped her hands out of his and walked to her carriage.

Blinking, almost as if he was in a dream, Beau watched a dejected Marya leave town.

[cathygeha]

DUKE WITH BENEFITS

by MANDA COLLINS

Release date: June 27, 2017

Jacket copy:

LADY + DUKE = TRUE LOVE?

 Lady Daphne Forsyth is a brilliant mathematician with a burning passion for puzzles. When she learns that the library belonging to her benefactress houses the legendary Cameron Cipher—an encrypted message that, once solved, holds the key to great riches—Daphne is on the case. Unfortunately, her race to unlock the cipher’s code is continually thwarted by a deliciously handsome distraction she hadn’t counted on . . . and cannot resist.

 Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, is curious as to why Daphne is spending so much time snooping around his aunt’s bookshelves. He’s even more intrigued by her bold yet calculating manner: She is unapologetic about her secret quest . . . and the fiery attraction that develops between them both. But how can they concentrate on solving a perplexing enigma once the prospect of true love enters the equation?

 Duke with Benefits is the second in Manda Collins' Studies in Scandal series set in Regency England.

 Author Bio:

Manda Collins is the author of several books, including Ready Set Rogue and The Lords of Anarchy series. She spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. When she’s not writing, she’s helping other people use books, as an academic librarian.

EXCERPT

“There you are, my dear,” said the Earl of Forsyth with a beaming smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Maitland saw at once that Daphne favored him. Her green eyes were the same shade as his, though there were lines of dissipation bracketing the earl’s. And though his expertly cropped blond hair was shot through with silver, what remained of its original color was the same shade as hers. But whereas Daphne’s gaze was focused off to the left of whomever she conversed with, like a bird hovering just over a branch, Forsyth’s speared one with cold calculation. As he did to Daphne now.

“You are looking well, Daphne,” the earl continued, stepping forward to embrace his daughter, who looked as uncomfortable with the contact as Maitland had ever seen her. “The sea air agrees with you. As I knew it would.”

“The sea is very beautiful,” Daphne replied woodenly. “Why are you here, Father?”

“Is that any way to greet your Papa?” the earl chided, stepping back from her and wandering farther into the room, standing to stare out at the gardens below through the window. “I’ve traveled all the way from London to see you. And this lovely estate. I must admit that when I first learned of your inheritance, I thought it was all some sort of trick. But you would have your own way and leave the loving bosom of your family no matter what I said. Now that I’m here, though, and see it in person, I must admit that it’s a lovely spot. And your chaperone, Lady Serena, is quite beautiful, isn’t she? A widow, I take it?”

His jaw clenched at the man’s mention of Serena, and Maitland thought perhaps it was time to announce himself. Daphne seemed not to realize he’d followed her in, and the earl was too busy waxing rhapsodic over the beauties of Beauchamp House.

“I don’t believe we’ve met, Forsyth,” he said forcefully, stepping up to stand side by side with Daphne. He gave a slight bow, perhaps not quite as deep as was warranted, but not caring. “The Duke of Maitland. I am a friend of your daughter’s, you might say.”

What he meant by that last, he could not say, but the man made every bit of protective instinct within him go on the alert. He was her father, but all the same Maitland knew that Daphne was no safer with him than she would have been with Sommersby if he still lived.

At the sound of the duke’s voice, Lord Forsyth turned with almost comical haste from the window and stared. For the barest flicker, he looked angry. Well, if he were upset at the knowledge that his daughter was not without friends, then he would simply have to swallow it. Because Maitland was damned if he’d leave her alone with the fellow.

“Duke,” Lord Forsyth said with a tilt of his head, “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I was a friend of your father’s, and had little notion I’d be meeting you here. He was a good man, your father.”

His father had been nothing of the sort, but Maitland was hardly going to discuss it with Forsyth.

“I am here visiting my sister, Lady Serena,” Maitland said coolly, letting the other man know in tone rather than words that he had not appreciated the older man’s speculative words about her earlier. “And of course my cousin, Kerr. He only recently married another of the heiresses here, and resides here with her.”

Forsyth’s eyes narrowed at the implication that Daphne was well protected should her father wish to cause trouble. At least that was the message Maitland was endeavoring to send. And by the looks of it, Forsyth read him loud and clear.

“Capital, capital,” the earl said with false cheer. “A merry party you must all make here. I had no idea you were in such fine company here, Daphne. No notion at all.”

“Because we have not spoken since I left,” Daphne said, looking from her father to Maitland then back again, as if wondering what went on between them. “And now, father, I really must ask you to leave. I have a great deal of work to do and . . .”

“Don’t be absurd, Daphne,” her father said with a shake of his head. “I only just arrived. And there is something very important I must speak to you about.” He turned to Maitland with a raised brow. “I’m sure you’ll excuse us, Duke. I’m afraid what I need to tell my daughter is private family business.”

Maitland was opening his mouth to tell the man he would leave Daphne alone with him when hell froze over, when Daphne did it for him.

“Maitland stays,” she said, reaching out to grasp him by the arm. It was as much of a cry for help as he’d ever thought he’d see from her. Wordlessly, he slipped her arm into his, as if they were about to promenade round the room. He covered her hand with his, keenly aware of the thread of tension in her.

Once more, the earl’s eyes narrowed, and he turned an assessing gaze on Maitland, perhaps realizing for the first time the threat coming at him from that direction.

His jaw clenched, Forsyth said grimly, “Very well. If you wish your friend to witness our dirty linen, so be it.” As if needing to be in motion in order to speak, the earl began to pace the area between the window and the fireplace. “You know, Daphne, you left me without any obvious means of recouping what I lost from years of paying that tutor of yours, old man Sommersby.”

“You agreed to pay him,” Daphne said tightly. “After I threatened to expose . . .”

Hastily, Forsyth continued, “And I am currently in need of funds. As such, I must insist you return to London with me for the time being and meet a particular gentleman who has expressed interest in marrying you. Though his birth is not as high as yours, he’s quite wealthy and will make you a good husband, I trust. He’s assured me he has no concern about your odd ways, if you’re as beautiful as your portrait.”

Before Maitland could burst out with the string of invectives the other man’s pronouncement inspired in him, Daphne said, “I cannot marry this person. I’ve never even met him. You promised me that I would not have to marry someone for money as long as I won enough at the tables. I did so. You promised me, father.”

“I never actually promised, Daphne.” Forsyth said with a shake of his head. “If you chose to interpret it as such, that is not my fault. Now, go pack your things.”

Daphne’s hand on Maitland’s arm gripped him tightly. And before he even knew what he was doing, he said, “I’m afraid that’s impossible, Forsyth. Daphne is staying here.”

“I don’t know who you think you are, Maitland,” said the earl through clenched teeth, “but I am her father, and I am well within my rights to take her back to London. Now, kindly take your hands off of her and let her go pack.”

“It might once have been your right, Forsyth,” Maitland said coldly, “but Lady Daphne is my betrothed now and as such, she will remain here. With me.”

Copyright © 2017 by Manda Collins and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press.

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 Review to be posted closer to release date!