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thetriumphantpanda · 1 year ago

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it's new, the shape of your body | javier peña

Take The Weight Off His Shoulders - Chapter Five

Chapter Summary | A dead end following a lead at work leaves you tense, with Javi only too happy to help you destress.

Chapter Warnings | Mention of drugs, drug related violence and the drugs trade. Zero knowledge of how journalists find information in the 90s but we ride with it. Explicit smut, these two do some stuff in public that the lord wouldn't approve, fingering, Javi is a dirty talking menace.

Pairing | dbf!Javier Peña x F!Reader

Word Count | 3.5K

Authors Note | So, as well as being a sexy little dbf!Javi fic, this also has another overarching plot that I'm starting to introduce in this chapter - I really hope you like the addition of this other part of the story, as well as these two finally getting it on! Another huge shoutout to @undercoverpena who has been such a rock with this chapter, helping me smooth out the kinks to get it to where I wanted it to be. Thank you for the support so far. If you're enjoying this then reblogs and comments really do help and if you’d like to support me further, please consider a donation to my Ko-Fi.

I no longer use taglists. Please follow @thetriumphantpandanotifs to be notified of new updates.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Ko-Fi | Series Playlist

There’s a spring in your step when you walk into work on Monday. You’d spent all of Sunday is some sort of daze, thinking about what had happened with Javi and all the things that he’d promised you over the phone. You let your hand wander a little on Sunday night, bringing yourself off to his promise of showing you exactly what you’d been missing, so much so that the lack of sleep from keeping yourself awake didn’t bother you as you sat down at your desk, taking out your notes to start working on the piece for the newspaper about the drugs bust in town last week.

“You seem more chipper this morning,” Your boss muses, setting down a mug of coffee next to you like she always does each morning, “You sleeping better?”

The answer is no, not really, just that you’re awake for a far better reason that pining for your dad’s buddy, now you’re awake because he wants you just as much as you want him and those daydreams and the visions that come to you in your dreams are far nicer to deal with than the wondering of if you were going to make a fool out of yourself in front of him.

“Yeah, much better, thanks,” You smile, picking up the mug to take a sip, “I’m gonna start working on the bust story today, hopefully it’ll be ready by the end of the day.”

She places a hand on your shoulder and gives you a squeeze, “Nice work,” She smiles back at you, “Your stories have been really well received recently.”

She leaves you to it, letting you open your notebook, you rip the old pages out, lie them out on the desk in front of you, picking up a pen, putting it to the fresh page to start formulating the bare bones of the story.

It’s easy to start with the facts.

1. There’s a house in town had been involved in a police raid.

2. A large amount of both cocaine and marijuana had been seized.

3. The house had been empty.

4. The police had spoken to the neighbours.

You circle the last point on your notepad: no-one could figure out who would be responsible for storing that amount of drugs at the address. Staring at it, seeing it in a new order, your brain begins to think, wondering about how you might be able to dig deeper.

Something, the instinct that made all of this possible, tells you to start with who owns the house. Fingers typing, suddenly remembering that you’d overheard your dad talking with your mom a few days ago about how they’d tried that avenue and come up at a loss down at the station, but not why.

Opening the webpage for the public records for the county, your fingers drill in the address, clicking on the search result that pops up. Leaning forward in your chair, chin propped on your palm, you scan the information in front of you. There’s a list of everyone who had ever owned the address since it was built, starting from the first all the way down to the last, which is where you realise what the dead end is. The last owner was dead. Had been for almost a year, and the property was waiting to go up for sale again, which meant whoever had been storing the drugs in the house was squatting.

You let out a frustrated sigh, because if the police can’t figure it out from here then what makes you think you can. Except, when you sit there, tapping your fingers against the desk in frustration and realise you’d been there. You’d been in that house a few months ago with Liv, who had dragged you to some kind of party.

Almost automatically you’re reaching for the phone and dialing the number you’ve got memorized for her. She picks up on the third ring.

“Hello, this is Laredo insurance, you’re speaking to Liv, how can I help?”

You bite back a giggle at her customer service voice, it’s so unlike the girl you really know, “Hello bestie,” You greet, which has her gasping down the phone.

“Oh my god have I forgotten a lunch date?” She asks.

“No, it’s okay, don’t panic,” You say, “It’s a really random question, but you know that party we went to a few months ago, do you know who hosted it?”

You can hear her clicking her tongue in the background as she thinks, “I can’t even remember who invited us,” She sighs, as do you, “I think I just heard about it from someone, who’d heard about it from someone else.”

“God damn it.” You mumble, head in your hand.

“Is it important?”

“I don’t know,” You answer honestly, “It was the place that got busted last week, and I’m just trying to do some digging, but it’s okay, I’m sure if it’s meant to be I’ll figure it out.”

“I have every faith in you,” You can tell she’s smiling on the other end, “Listen, I gotta bounce, but how about we do drinks later on this week?”

“Sounds good, phone me later and we can sort it out.”

“Alright, bye bestie!”

You laugh and wish her a goodbye, deciding you’ve gone as far as you can with this for today. You save what you have of the story, thinking you could send it to your boss for approval as is, but deep down you know there’s something here you can pull on, something bigger than just busting a house full of drugs and taking them off the streets to be dealt, so you keep it to yourself for the rest of the day.

“I’m heading out,” Your boss speaks as she walks past your desk on the way out, “Did you get the story finished?”

A smile thrown her way in response, trying to cover the fact that you want more time, “Almost,” You speak, “Just a few more tweaks and a couple of things I want to check, but I’ll get it to you as soon as I can.”

She nods, seemingly pleased that you’re wanting to make it as perfect as possible, “No rush, we can hold it for a few days until you’re happy with it.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“Well, you have yourself a good evening and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You wish her the same, watching as she heads out, leaving you in the office alone. You sigh, annoyed that there’s nothing further you can really do. You save the document, gathering your things and deciding you can worry about what to do next tomorrow.

When you emerge from the front door of the office and look across the parking lot to your car, you’re taken aback to find Javier’s truck parked in the space right next to it. He’s leaning against the driver’s side of the truck, casual as anything, with his ankles crossed over each other and his arms crossed over his chest. He notices you stood still, motions you with his head to come over.

Your feet carry you across the parking lot, shoulders heavy with stress and that niggling feeling that you’ve been missing something all day, the one thing that’s going to make you realise what’s going on, but seeing Javi slip his aviators off his face and tuck them into his shirt, shooting a smile your way, you feel a little better.

“What are you doing here?”

He shrugs, in that cool, casual way that he always does, “Wanted to see you,” He reaches out, taking your hand in his to pull you closer, but does so whilst looking around, making sure no-one either of you know can see you, “Wanted to do this.”

Then he leans down, presses his lips to yours, one hand cradling your cheek. It’s different to the kiss at the ranch, it’s not rushed. He keeps his lips pressed against your own for a while, pulling away, but planting one right on your forehead as he leans back against the car.

You bite your bottom lip between your teeth, smiling a little as you feel the temperature rise across your face, “How did you know what time I finished?”

“Lucky guess,” He shrugs, “Thought if you didn’t come out within an hour I’d have just gone home, tried again tomorrow.”

“You would have waited for me for an hour?” You chuckle, leaning against your own car behind you.

“Yeah,” He nods with a smile, “Would wait a lot longer but you know how it is, things to do.”

You settle your back against the passenger side of your car, rubbing a hand up one of your arms, “You seem tense,” Javi observes, “What’s up?”

You consider telling him the whole story, but there’s something niggling in the back of your mind that this is something you should keep to yourself for a while, just until you can try digging for more information first. If you keep drawing up blanks then you can ask him, see if his expertise can offer any ideas, but for now, you keep it vague.

“It’s just work,” You shrug, “Deadlines and stuff, but I’ll be okay.”

You watch him look at you, those beautiful brown eyes looking directly into your own, his mouth pulled into a smirk, “You wanna take a drive?” He asks, head tilting to his truck, “Let me help with some of that stress.”

That familiar pool of arousal is settling in your tummy, excitement thrumming through your veins at what he means. He wants to touch you, and God do you want to touch him right back. But it’s getting late, and you know you’re parents are going to wonder where you are soon enough. There’s not enough time to go driving around, but you think there’s just enough time for something else.

You grin back at him, reaching to grasp his wrist in your hand, somewhat aware of how big he is when you can’t fit your fingers all the way round it. You drag him back across the parking lot, and down the side of the your office building. It’s a small alley, definitely not the most romantic spot, but at least it doesn’t smell, and unless someone is coming looking, you’re not going to be disturbed, most people having gone home from the offices on either side of you.

You go down just far enough that you’re in the shadows, far enough that even if someone did wander past, you’re going to be hidden as much as possible. You drop his hand as you lean back against the brick wall, staring at him as he takes a step closer to you, hands settling on your waist.

“You want me here?” He speaks lowly, bringing his face closer to yours, so close that you could reach up on your toes and kiss him, but you want to see if he breaks first.

You nod your head, tipping it back against the brick, shoving your hips off the wall as some kind of hint to him, “What do you want, hermosa?”

“Want you to touch me, Javi.” You breathe, leaning up just a touch so he can feel the breath from your lips across his.

“But I already am.” He smirks, eyes flitting to where his hands are resting on your hips.

With a roll of your eyes, you reach your own hand down your body, coming to rest of the waistband of your work trousers. You motion your head a little, dragging Javi’s eyes down to where your hand is resting on the button of your trousers, making sure he’s watching when you pop it open, dragging the zip down and then leaving it like that.

His own hand trails from your right hip, warm fingers brushing the skin you’ve revealed, but he doesn’t move them further, just lets his fingers rest on the skin as he brings his lips to your jaw, kissing softly from your chin, all the way up to the delicate skin behind your ear, “Want me to touch you here?” He all but growls into your ear as his hand sinks beneath your trousers, wide palm cupping you through your underwear, bringing a gasp from your throat, “Yeah, sounds like you do baby.”

You bring your hands up to rest on his shoulders – something to grip onto as his fingers trace along the seam of your pussy through the thin cotton of your panties. His touch is gentle, but the way his mouth is pressing hot and wet to the skin across your neck is anything but. It’s searing, and exciting, and wrong but in all the right ways.

“If I dip my fingers under here,” He asks, fingers toying with the elastic of your panties, “You gonna be wet for me, querida?”

“W-why don’t you find out?” You choke out, feeling him smile against the skin of your neck as his fingers dip just below the waistband of your panties, fingers dragging over the curls on your mound, down lower, until they’re so close to where you want them.

He dips his fingers through your folds, slipping them into you so easily. Your mouth drops open, his own so close to yours that you could feel his lips on yours as you moan, his fingers dragging out of you and up to your clit, where he starts gently circling.

“What’s got you all worked up, eh?” He asks, his other hand coming to grip your chin, forcing you to look at him, your mouth dropped open as he works his fingers across your clit, “Can’t just be from me right here,” He muses, “You been sat at your desk thinking about me?”

He presses his fingers more firmly across your clit, it feels so good, the way he’s working you, “T-think about you a-all the time.” You croak out from your throat, hips starting to move with his hand, needing something more.

“Naughty little thing,” He breathes into your ear, teeth nibbling lightly at your earlobe as his fingers drag from your clit back down to where you’re so slick for him, his fingers slipping back inside you, but curling up, finding a spot inside you that no-one had even shown you existed until now, “Feel good?” He asks, “You tell me what works, okay?”

You nod, two of his fingers working in and out of you. It feels good, but it’s nothing compared to the way he made you feel before, when his fingers trailed over your clit in little circles. You grip his wrist, “Outside,” You say simple, “Like how you were doing it before.”

He presses his lips to yours, dragging his fingers back up through your folds, using his middle finger to draw light circles over your swollen bundle of nerves, “Like this?” He asks, which is punctuated with a moan from your lips. It’s loud enough this time that his free hand is flying to cover your mouth with his palm, shushing you as he presses his body against yours, pinning you in place, his own excitement no longer hidden from you. You can feel the bulge of his cock through his jeans, pressing into your side as the movement of his fingers speeds up, just a touch.

Whilst it’s a familiar feeling – it’s the way you’re used to bringing yourself off, more often than not to the thought of the very man in front of you – there’s something so different about Javi being the one to have you dangling over the edge, teetering on the edge of pleasure just with his fingers.

“Tell me, bebita,” He coos into your ear, “Has anyone else ever made you come?”

His palm is still covering your mouth, so you can’t speak, so all you do is shake your head in response, watching as his eyes darken and he sticks his bottom lip out a little in a pout, “Poor girl,” He says, his middle finger speeding up just a touch again, pressing harder, “Shall we fix that?” He asks, which has you nodding your head so ferociously that it should be embarrassing, “Go on then,” He coaxes, “I know you’re close, just let go for me.”

If someone had told you months ago, before he’d reappeared in town, that Javier Peña would be the first man to make you cum, pressed against the brick wall of your office, with his hand clamped around your mouth to stop you from crying out, you’d have told them to get lost.

Your entire body shakes as your orgasm starts to ripple through you. White hot pleasure explodes across your lower body, your fingers dig into Javi’s shoulders, fisting the material of his shirt as he finally drops his hand from your mouth, gripping at your waist to keep your upright when the shaking of your legs threatens to topple you to the ground. His fingers are moving across you more slowly, but are adding just enough pressure to work you through those aftershocks, until it becomes too much.

Your forehead hits his shoulder, your hands wrapping around the breadth of his broadness as he drags his hand from your trousers, slipping both around your back to drag you into his body, “Did so good for me, querida.” He praises, rubbing a soothing hand up and down your spine through your shirt.

“Felt good.” You manage to mumble into the material covering his shoulder, pushing yourself back up and off him, hand trailing down his chest to try and touch him, return the favour, but he’s gripping your wrist to stop you.

“Not tonight,” He says, “Just wanted to make you feel good.”

“But-” You try to protest, but his grip on your wrist is strong and you can’t move it.

“I promise I’ll let you return the favour, but not tonight, okay?”

You nod your head. Javi brings his hands to your trousers, zipping them back up and pushing the button through the buttonhole. He tugs the hem of your shirt back into place, before he presses a kiss to the tip of your nose. He glances at the watch on his wrist, clocking the time, “It’s late, querida,” He sighs, “We better get you on the road.”

And it’s a strange feeling, that this tiny little bubble is bursting so soon. You know it’s important to keep this under wraps, you’re sure no-one would be pleased to find out that Javier Peña, your dad’s friend, had been pinning you to a wall and coaxing an orgasm from you with his fingers, and there’s something about the secrecy of it all that makes it more exciting, but as you walk back to your respective vehicles, Javi so far away that you can’t reach out to touch him, it stings a little. Stings a little that you’re not going to get to be normal with him, that for now, your relationship, whatever that might be, is going to be kept secret, clandestine meetings and stolen glances wherever possible, when all you really want to do is grasp his hand in yours and shout to everyone that he belongs to you.

“We going to make this a habit?” You ask, unlocking your door and sliding into the drivers seat.

Javi keeps a hang on the top of the door, keeping it open for a while, “What?” He smirks, “Pressing you up against brick walls?”

“Pressing each other against brick walls,” You correct, “It’s your turn next time.”

He runs a ringer over his bottom lip, a habit you’ve known for years is something he does when he’s nervous or stressed, “I need you to know if I didn’t have to keep you a secret, I wouldn’t, okay?” You smile up at him, nodding your head, “I promise it won’t always have to be like this, but just for now, okay?”

“Okay,” You nod, “Now give me a kiss goodbye and let me go home.”

He does just that, leans down and gives you a kiss, one that you would class as proper this time, where he opens his mouth against yours, licks into your mouth, the coarse hair above his lip scratching lightly at your skin. He pulls away just a touch, pecking you on the lips once, then twice, then a final time, when you grip the collar of his shirt to keep him there just a little moment more.

“Go home, Javi.” You giggle when you finally let him go, “I’ll see you soon.”

He gives you a final chaste kiss to your lips then shuts your door for you, walking around your car to get in his truck. You wonder for a while if there’s going to a weird stand-off between the two of you, but he turns the key in his ignition and drives off with a final wave, leaving you to do the same.

When you pull up outside your home, you pull the mirror down, make sure nothing on your face gives away what you’d just been up to, smoothing down your hair. You take a second to take a few deep breaths, before you step out, going back to being the innocent daughter your parents still believe you to be.

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seungrem · 5 months ago

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tomie!enha (sunghoon) x (no pronouns)!reader

The Curse of Sunghoon

masterlist ~*+ - part 1 ~*+ - part 2 of ??

summary: It seemed everyone had become lost in their flawed tendencies since the arrival of the new student. His enigmatic spirit and flawless features made him impossible to miss- enchanting students and teachers alike. Uncanny in many ways, the boy’s name was Sunghoon, and for reader, it seemed his presence was nothing other than ill-fated.

( overview: please see warnings. no pronouns mentioned excluding occasional ‘em’s, student!sunghoon & reader & jungwon & heeseung, part 2 but it’s kinda just part 1.5 )

( warnings: mentions of blood, weapons, threats, fighting/physical aggression, death, not gross & not detailed gore, arrests/police, gangs/mob groups, manipulation, and stalkerish/obsessive behavior )

emoji code:

🌿 ( long story/series )

🧸 ( fluff crumbs )

🪐 ( Junji Ito - Tomie AU )

☁️ ( stands for y/n )

likes, comments, & reblogs r appreciated ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Your absence has been problematic..”

Rough gusts of wind brushed against ☁️’s skin. The sky was still cloudy from the morning’s rain.

“..Even more than your presence had been. Why’d your curse only now come around?”

Looking over the bridge’s stone guardrail, the student rested heavy arms down. The stream’s water rushed steadily under the structure, though not nearly as harsh as it had been a week prior.

“Why’re you over here sulking? Shouldn’t you be at school?”

☁️ turned to see Heeseung, his mahogany hair floating lightly as he stepped onto the bridge. Approaching ☁️, he stopped a few feet away and leaned against the guardrail as well.

“The school day ended four hours ago. Why’re you here and still in your school uniform?”

“I had a feeling that you’d be here.”

Eyebrows furrowed, ☁️ remained with a forward gaze. “So.. what do you want?”

“Now that Sunghoon’s gone and this place is “problematic” as you say, somebody needs to watch over you.”

“Oh.. I’ll be fine. I know who to look out for.”

“This a lot different than you think it is, ☁️.”

“I need to be alone right now, Heeseung. You can watch me from a distance, can’t you?”

“Well, people are usually dying to be this close to me-“

☁️ looked over to the boy to see a grin slowly growing along his face.

“Oh.. sorry. Too soon..?”

“Leave.”

“Why aren’t you drawn to me? Don’t you think I’m everything you want and more? Am I not handsome?”

“Are you serious?” ☁️ responded in an aggressive tone.

“You can’t reject me.. and I don’t take rejection very well.” Heeseung muttered between gritting teeth. He was shaking, which worried ☁️ slightly. “Wait.. you must still like Sunghoon. It can’t be a me problem..”

“Clearly.. I’m just not in the position to be interested in anyone. Now, I would like to sulk in peace, please.”

Heeseung stopped shaking, and took a deep breath. “Mhm. I’ll see you Monday.”

“I hope not.” ☁️ muttered, earning a scoff from Heeseung as he walked away.

I can��t believe that guy. He’s such a weirdo.. and his ego problems are a lot worse than Sunghoon’s.

Returning a gaze to the trees and flowing stream, ☁️ continued his thoughts out loud.

Now where was I?

After school, ☁️ would go over to the bridge and talk about all that went on throughout the day. Like how rumors of the archery teacher going insane were spread rampant after he didn’t show up to class the entire week. Other students stated that they’ve seen him creeping around on campus, but who knew of that was true. Rika also didn’t show up for the first half of the week. It seemed she hadn’t been sleeping, as she had bags under her eyes and didn’t say a word to anyone. ☁️ recalled that she still only had one bow in her hair. Both her and Hoshino have been on edge, but in contrast to Rika, Hoshino became meaner. As ☁️ would stand on the bridge every evening, one or two of Hoshino’s goons would pass by. It became so frequent that ☁️ would greet them on a first-name basis. On Thursday, accusations against Hoshino came about, with more rumors saying that he was the cause of Sunghoon’s disappearance. That was also the day that the young teacher (whose name ☁️ still didn’t know), confronted ☁️ in private. The teacher explained that he couldn’t remember when or how, but he remembers ☁️ being associated with missing items from his classroom. After pretending not to understand, ☁️ was on borrowed time. It obviously wasn’t good that the teacher’s memories were coming back, and ☁️ could tell that he was thoroughly investigating Sunghoon’s situation, which made the student anxious.

☁️’s trance was broken as footsteps echoed from the left side of the bridge. It was an older man, who looked at ☁️ and nodded.

“Be careful around here. The kids are reporting stories of ghosts.” The man muttered as he passed the student.

“Really? I’ve visited this bridge everyday and haven’t seen anything.” ☁️ responded.

The old man looked over the edge and pointed at the water below. Then, he turned, continuing his trudge down the bridge and onto the dirt path. ☁️ struggled it off.

Today was Friday, and rumors of Rika framing Hoshino for Sunghoon’s disappearance were passed around in ☁️’s first class. Both had been the subjects of much discussion, aside from one of the new students- Jungwon. Hours later, as ☁️ sat alone at lunch, police officers entered the cafeteria. Hoshino was apparently taken into police custody, but released later that day for unknown reasons.

After lunch, ☁️ attended the archery course, expecting to sit around as the students had been doing since Monday. To their surprise, the teacher was back, and extremely disoriented. His short, gray hair basically stood upright, and he stood hunched over with a cane. He, too, had noticeable eyebags and a disturbed expression. The old teacher was silent for a while before asking the students to turn themselves in for the murder of Sunghoon, as he was planning to do. You’ve could’ve guessed that the students, Hoshino especially, didn’t like this request. ☁️ felt the group’s hostility rise as the students shouted and eventually chased the old man out of the gym and into the forested area. For a man with a cane, it seemed he was perfectly capable of moving without it as he bolted out the back doors. ☁️ understood what they might do, and why they would do it- fear, anger, states of craze or madness, desensitization. ☁️ didn’t participate this time, and instead watched everyone run out of the room, with four or five students having been left behind. One student asked if they were actually going to turn themselves in, which everyone agreed not to.

☁️ heard that Rika had skipped this archery class to target the young teacher. She seemed to mistakenly think that the man was framing her, and he was the reason she was being accused of Hoshino’s arrest. ☁️ recalled Sunghoon’s interaction with Rika the week prior, when he was still alive. He handed Rika a bag full of papers and files, and then she was on her way. Sunghoon had never clarified what his scheme consisted of, and part of ☁️ wish that he had. From what ☁️ heard from teachers’ gossip, the young teacher had a few stab wounds but was still alive.

☁️ flinched at the sound of footsteps once again. It was Hoshino- who looked as if he was ready to fall asleep standing up.

“☁️.”

☁️ took a step back.. expecting the worst. “Y-yes?”

“Have you seen Smiley? It’s been hours since he’s came through here.”

Smiley was one of Hoshino’s goons who ☁️ saw regularly, and earlier today, ☁️ walked from the school to the bridge with him. ☁️ remembered waving goodbye before Smily walked deeper into the forested area. Ironically, Smiley wasn’t very amiable- or smiley. He was nice to ☁️, though, thus the two interacted often.

“Yes, but it’s been a while since he walked down that path. I haven’t seen him walk back.”

“Shit.” Hoshino muttered as he hurried past ☁️ across the bridge.

“Let me come with you. It’s getting dark.” ☁️ blurted out impulsively. Hoshino appeared confused, but nodded hesitantly in agreement.

The two walked side by side off of the dirt path and into the forest.

“Where are we going?” ☁️ asked, looking around.

“To where we.. scattered.. Sunghoon.”

☁️ exhaled.

“Sorry. How have you been holding up?”

Baffled, ☁️ looked over to Hoshino. “I’ve been okay. I have my thoughts, but I’m sure you have yours, too.”

Hoshino nodded.

“Can I ask you a question, though?” ☁️ continued.

Hoshino nodded again. The sky was fading into an orange hue as the two walked.

“What happened today? How’d you end up in police custody, and how’d you get out?”

“I don’t know who said what, but that crazy bitch Rika was how I got out. One of my guys caught her burning clothes and documents in this forest yesterday. She wasn’t burning evidence for me, though. She was doing it for herself. I don’t think she anticipated sparing me. I’m confused about it all myself. I don’t know what she’s doing- I don’t know anything. It’s really pissing me off.”

☁️ raised an eyebrow. Hoshino had eyes and ears everywhere, so to hear that he was clueless was scary in itself. ☁️ still didn’t understand how he ended up becoming accused, though. The two stopped upon seeing a body lying on the floor in the distance.

“That’s gotta be Smiley.” Hoshino ran over to the body with ☁️ close behind. “Shit, shit, shit. That’s him.”

☁️ leaned down to feel the boy’s pulse. Placing two fingers under his jawline, ☁️ felt Smiley’s cold skin touch his own.

“He’s dead, Hoshino. What happened?”

“It’s getting dark, I’ll take you home.”

“I really wish we met under better circumstances. I’m sorry for putting you through all this.” Hoshino shook his head, and then ran a hand through his fluffy black hair.

“Don’t worry about me. What happened to Smiley?”

“I think- no, I know it’s the old teacher. Everybody’s been saying that he’s been lurking in the woods since what happened last week. It only makes sense.”

“How’s that old man gonna take Smiley out, though? I thought you guys took care of him when you chased him.”

“The others beat him pretty bad. I didn’t think anything of it.. He’s unpredictable right now.”

“An old person said that there were ghosts in the area. Maybe that has some correlation?”

“You haven’t seen what’s under the bridge yet?”

With a head tilted to the side, ☁️ squinted.

“What do you mean?”

“Make sure you have no plans tomorrow. I’ll pick you up here.”

☁️ remained silent and nodded.

“Are you okay being here alone tonight? If you need me to, I can stay.” Avoiding eye contact, Hoshino gestured to ☁️’s home- which they stood right in front of. It was a tiny apartment complex ☁️ was renting out while attending school in the countryside.

“I have someone watching over me, so I’ll be okay. But.. are you gonna be okay? You don’t look good. At all.”

“It’s been a rough week... I never wanted any of this.”

“I know. But it’s still going to be here tomorrow. Go home and get some rest.”

Hoshino nodded. “Does twelve-thirty work?”

☁️ sighed and nodded.

“Have a goodnight.” Hoshino muttered before turning around and walking home in the darkness. ☁️ waited until Hoshino was out of sight to turn around.

Walking to the front door, ☁️ heard a familiar voice whisper out. Heeseung was nearby.

“☁️~”

☁️ carefully turned around and walked back over to the sidewalk, where Heeseung now stood.

“How do you know where I live?”

“I watch over you, remember?”

“Right.. what do you want?”

“I’m going to join you two tomorrow. Also, no more of this walking through the forest when it’s nighttime. Not with everything going on.”

☁️ nodded. “I’ll see you at twelve-thirty.”

“Who’s this?” Hoshino muttered, pointing to the tall boy waving from across the stream. Another boy accompanied him, though ☁️ very faintly recognized him.

“His name is Heeseung. I don’t know who the other guy is.”

“Why’s he wearing a school uniform on a Saturday?”

“I don’t know. It’s kinda his thing.”

The two approached Hoshino and ☁️ with flashy smiles.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Heeseung nodded to ☁️ and then looked at Hoshino. “This is my friend Jungwon. He’ll be joining us today.”

“Uh, I’m sorry?” Hoshino grimaced. “What do you mean “joining us?” Neither of you were invited.”

“Now, now. Let’s not get worked up. We’re all here for the same thing.” Jungwon spoke, rather irregularly. His tone was crisp and elegant, as if he wasn’t from this century. Unlike Heeseung, he wore normal clothing- a black hoodie and grey corduroy straight pants.

“What.. thing?” ☁️ asked, raising an eyebrow.

Heeseung gestured to Hoshino, who walked off of the bridge and down the tiny hill in which its side stood exposed- it was where ☁️ had left Sunghoon’s organs. The stream’s water continued its pace as ☁️ shuffled behind the others. ☁️’s stomach dropped upon seeing a skeletal structure growing from the stone abutment. Short pieces of skin draped off each bone and fluttered in the wind as if it were cloth. The body’s brain could be seen through the eye sockets, and the ribcage pierced through the heart. There were no legs, and the pelvis bones seemed to grow straight out of the stone structure. Whatever it was, it still had parts of organs and muscle along the body.

Feeling queasy, ☁️ sat on the ground and looked away.

“What the fuck is that.”

“The ghost everyone has been talking about.” Hoshino replied, sitting next down beside ‘em.

“This is where you left Sunghoon’s heart. Is it not?” Heeseung asked, looked down at ☁️.

“Yes… Is this him?” ☁️ asked, feeling even more sick.

“Somewhat. Do you know what he is?” Jungwon replied. Heeseung shot the boy beside him a concerned look.

“What do you mean?” Hoshino asked.

“It’s okay. I need to speak with Heeseung.” Jungwon replied, walking back up to the bridge’s path with Heeseung following behind him.

“How long have you known about this?” ☁️ looked over to Hoshino.

“A few days. I didn’t know it was of Sunghoon’s body parts, though. Only weird ass person would do some shit like this… I still think it’s that teacher.”

“If those two know about this, do you think they could help us figure out what happened to Smiley?” ☁️ whispered, pointing at the bridge above.

“They know. Heeseung.. brought Smiley back to life. I don’t know how, but that guy said he saved Smiley’s life the night that we found him. He’s recovering at home.”

“Oh, that’s great.” ☁️ sighed, relieved. Quickly glancing at the ghostly figure in front of the two, the student wrapped an arm around the knee. “Why are his organs in such good condition after a week? His heart is still.. beating. There’s no blood pumping through it.”

“I don’t know. This is really weird, though.”

Hoshino muttered before ☁️ nodded in agreement. “Let’s get outta here.”

Hoshino stood up first, him then helping ☁️ up. It was then that ☁️ noticed the scar along the side of Hoshino’s face- it stretched from his left ear to the end of his eyebrow. The two made their way to where Heeseung and Jungwon stood, them seemingly bickering.

“Everything okay?” Hoshino interrupted before they turned their attention to ☁️.

“Yes. That’s all I’ve needed. I’ll see you two in class.” Jungwon nodded to Hoshino and ☁️, and then turned around after glancing at Heeseung.

“Ready to head home?” Heeseung smiled, motioning ☁️ forward.

“Actually, I was going to take ☁️ home.” Hoshino responded, looking from ☁️ to Heeseung.

“There’s no need if I’m around. We should get going. It’s not safe around here-“ Heeseung took a step forward and lightly grasped ☁️’s arm, leading the student away from Hoshino. ☁️ turned around to face the boy.

“I’ll see you on Monday.” ☁️ called out, attempting a smile before practically being dragged by Heeseung.

“Yeah. Right.” ☁️ heard Hoshino mutter.

“I didn’t know that you were off of the market.” Hoshino teased after catching up to ☁️. The two walked to school under the trees’ pink archway- them only four or five blocks away.

“What do you mean?” ☁️ responded, half surprised to see the boy next to him.

“Heeseung… You know, you could’ve just told me.”

“We’re not dating.”

“Does he know that?”

“I think so.”

The walk was quiet for a minute before Hoshino cleared his throat.

“So..” He began. “I told you that I owe you for what happened. You need anything?”

☁️ sighed. “I.. don’t need anything. But, I do think it’s a good idea for you to lay low for a while.”

“Right...”

“As in keep to yourself. Don’t talk to teachers or other students. And don’t pick on other people.”

“I don’t pick on other people.”

☁️ looked over at Hoshino with rolled eyes.

“I just need to keep everyone in line.”

“Just a suggestion.”

“And I’ll take your suggestion seriously.”

☁️ looked over to Hoshino again.

“I never see you talk to anybody like this. Not even your goons..”

“And you’re going to ask why I’m talking to you, right?”

☁️ nodded.

“Well, I’m not sure. You have such a genuineness to you. You’re always so.. calm and composed and grounded. It’s intriguing.”

Unsure of the compliment, ☁️ nodded.

“You probably just haven’t spent much time around me, in honesty.”

“Well, I’ve been trying. Your friends seem to plot against me, though.”

☁️ nodded again, seeming to grasp what Hoshino was trying to say.

“I don’t need more rumors, so I’ll see you later.” Hoshino whispered, him then walking away from ☁️ as the two approached the campus.

☁️ walked into the building to find there wasn’t much traffic in the hallways. Checking the time, the student had a few seconds to get to class.

“Shit.”

The teacher walked into the classroom later than she usually had- a few minutes after the bell had rung. ☁️ slouched against the wall, awaiting her usual spiel. As she opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by the sliding door’s abrupt opening. Jungwon walked in with straight shoulders and a pair of clear-framed glasses. He turned his attention to ☁️, and then to the teacher as he ran a hand through his straight, black hair.

“Hello, I believe my schedule has been changed.”

“Oh right, please come and introduce yourself.”

“Hello, everyone. I’m Jungwon. I just moved here earlier this week.” Jungwon’s voice was much more bubbly than ☁️ remembered.

“Very nice to have you join us. You can choose any seat that isn’t currently taken.” The teacher responded, with an obvious uninterested tone.

Jungwon scanned the room, eventually locking eyes with ☁️. He walked over to the empty seat beside ☁️, the one Sunghoon used to sit in, and gently placed himself in it. The teacher opened her mouth to speak again, but the sliding door slammed open once more. This time, Sunghoon walked in. He looked as he usually did- black hair neat while still swaying as he moved, shoulders straight, and skin fair and flawless. The only difference were the sunglasses he wore on the tip of his nose. Upon his entrance, the entirety of the class had a reaction.

“Su-Sunghoon?” The teacher asked after freezing in place. She shook slightly, eyes locked on the boy before falling to the ground. ☁️ gasped and held a hand over the mouth at the sight of him. A student in the back of the classroom threw up beside their desk. It seemed everyone else was wide-eyed or frozen in place. Sunghoon smiled at the students’ response and approached Jungwon.

“I’d like my seat back.” Sunghoon teased, his eyes (despite them being blocking by the sunglasses) seeming to pierce through Jungwon.

“This one’s taken. There’s another over there.” Jungwon replied with a far different tone, his eyes not leaving Sunghoon’s.

“Then why don’t you go sit in it?” Sunghoon instructed, gripping Jungwon’s shoulder as he spoke. Jungwon smiled- probably out of anger, and nodded slowly while pursing his lips. He reluctantly stood up and threw his bag around his shoulder, walking to the other side of the classroom and sitting in an empty seat. The class then sat in silence, aside from the one student who began crying softly as the teacher remained on the ground.

Sitting across from Sunghoon and beside Jungwon, ☁️‘s stomach was left in the first classroom. The cafeteria wasn’t nearly as loud as it would be any other day, and ☁️ couldn’t eat anything. ☁️ also couldn’t tell if Sunghoon was staring at ‘em, or if it was just the sunglasses. Eventually, Sunghoon broke silence between the three.

“So, ☁️.”

☁️ froze, slowly raising his gaze from the table to Sunghoon’s face.

“I heard that the old archery teacher was still stalking students on campus. Is that true?”

A lump in ☁️’s throat, the student struggled to get words out. “I’m not sure..”

“So he hasn’t overstepped his bounds with you?”

“I haven’t actually seen him.. I’m not sure if that rumor is true.”

Sunghoon nodded after licking his lips.

“So, Jungwon.” He continued, though his next words were nothing less than pure audacity and snide. “What’re you doing here?”

Jungwon slammed his fists onto the table and slowly looked at Sunghoon.

“Well, you see. There’s this thing that continuously causes problems in this specific area. I have to make sure that every problem is resolved before I can finally get rid of that thing. Sound familiar?”

“I truly wish you the best of luck with that. You’ll really need it.”

If ☁️ didn’t know any better, ☁️ would say that they were threatening each other. Deciding it was best not to get involved, the student remained silent for the rest of the period.

As the three stood from their table upon hearing their bell, Sunghoon motioned ☁️ to follow him.

“I have to pay someone another visit.”

Despite wanting to say no, and wanting to stay away from the dead boy standing in front of him, ☁️ was too scared to oppose.

The two walked side by side away from the crowd of other students, down a separate hallway and then up a staircase. Eventually, Sunghoon and ☁️ stood outside of a classroom. After knocking lightly, Sunghoon swung the door open. The lights were off and a small lamp on the teacher’s desk was on, illuminating a corner of the dim room. ☁️ recognized the young teacher- though today, he had bandages wrapped around his neck and arms. The sleeves of his white button up were rolled up above his elbows, displaying the white wraps. He seemed to be talking to another woman, presumably another teacher.

“Could you excuse us, please?” Sunghoon asked, stepping inside of the room.

“Oh, h-hello.”

“Do you have a moment?”

“Sure..” The two teachers glanced at each other, the man clearing his throat shortly after. “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind conversing in front of another teacher, right?”

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow. “I do mind. We need to speak in private, Mr. Achigai.”

Exhaling, Mr. Achigai pursued his lips and nodded, signaling the woman to leave the room.

“☁️, why don’t you keep her some company?” Sunghoon looked over his shoulder, his eyes directing ☁️ out of the room as well. The student nodded and stepped out after the teacher, sliding the door shut. ☁️ eventually turned to the woman- who seemed to be middle aged. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before the woman cleared her throat.

“Have you heard the rumors surrounding that boy in there? About why he was missing?” She whispered, it almost sounding like a croak. ☁️ nodded.

“A boy doesn’t just come back to life after getting killed. You should be really careful around him.”

☁️ grimaced at her words, whispering back, “How do you know that he died?”

“When the kids talk, the staff hears about it. An accidental death in the gym isn’t something that can be covered up.”

☁️ took a few second to ponder. “If you knew about it, why hasn’t anybody reported it?”

The woman looked around. “It isn’t in our authority. We can’t just accuse an entire class, and with no evidence but what others are saying.” She paused, looking at the closed door beside the two of them. “We got lucky when someone was able to get the ringleader “arrested,” but something weird happened.”

“It was a lack of evidence, right?” ☁️ interrupted.

“Well, technically. Mr. Achigai knew a student stole some personal documents from him a week or two ago. He thinks that this student was trying to plant evidence on that ringleader, which led to the arrest.”

“And did he mention who did this to him..” Pointing to the neck and arms, ☁️ awaited a response.

“I’m sorry, it’d be inappropriate for me to name names.. but-“

“Rika, right?”

The teacher looked around and shook her head. “I’ve already told you too much.. and you’re a student. Our classes are coming back soon and I need to-”

“Wait, wait.” Holding a hand up to stop the teacher from leaving, ☁️ continued. “Rika was caught burning paper and clothes in the woods. She was trying to remove herself from the situation she was put in, but saved the ringleader in the process.”

“What situation?”

The door was abruptly swung open, and Sunghoon gazed expectantly at ☁️ and the teacher.

“Excuse the intrusion.” Sunghoon said as he faced the woman. The woman nodded, stepping aside to let Sunghoon walk out of the classroom. ☁️ turned around to see Mr. Achigai leaning against his desk, arms folded. Sunghoon motioned ☁️ to walk beside him as the woman slipped back into the classroom. As she did, her eyes met ☁️'s in a silent exchange, the two conveying a message to the other: "Use this information wisely." ☁️ caught up to Sunghoon as a bell rung.

“What did you and Mr…”

“Achigai.”

“..Mr. Achigai talk about?” ☁️ looked up at Sunghoon as students began walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. The crowd split into two as they passed ☁️ and Sunghoon, the two receiving nervous glances as they moved.

“I asked him if he knew the whereabouts of the archery teacher. I also asked if he was aware of what he was doing.”

“What’s he doing?”

Sunghoon didn’t answer until they reached the stairwell, and all of the children had passed.

“Killing students in the forest. Collecting body parts. Following me wherever I go.”

“Hoshino was right, then.”

“Speaking of. What’s your relationship with him? Seems you two have gotten awfully close.” Sunghoon looked over at ☁️ with an expressionless glare.

“I wouldn’t consider him a friend.. more of an acquaintance. Seems I’m on his good side.”

“Yeah, well. He’s not on mine.” Sunghoon mumbled as he began descending the stairs.

“Hey, Sunghoon.” ☁️ called out, making the boy stop in his tracks. He turned around, and locked eyes with ☁️. “Are we going to talk about.. you. And why you’re here?”

“I’m a gift, and you’re luck enough to have received me twice. Lucky you!” Sunghoon laughed manically as he began walking into the hallway. ☁️ flew down the steps and jogged to catch up to him, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Sunghoon!”

☁️ lightly jogged to catch Sunghoon down the school’s stone driveway. The boy looked over his shoulder and began walking a bit slower, allowing ☁️ to catch up.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you since you disappeared.”

“Oh, sorry. I forgot that I agreed to meet someone around that time.”

☁️ nodded.

“Ready to talk now?” Sunghoon turned his head to face ☁️, an eyebrow raised.

“Mhm.”

Stepping onto pink petals scattered across the stone beneath them, Sunghoon and ☁️ entered the cherry blossom archway- reviving their daily routine.

“Last week, Rika told us that she was following us home. The wind blew one of the bows in her hair over to our direction, and I picked it up before she could retrieve it. Later that week, I left the bow in Mr. Achigai’s room so that he suspected her of stealing from him. From what we’ve both gathered, my plan was successful. Only one person wears those bows daily, so I knew that Mr. Achigai would figure it out. I told Rika to plant the documents on Hoshino somehow, and I’m sure she would have if I didn’t get impaled by arrows. From what you’ve told me, I think she got scared, and decided to discard everything.”

“I didn’t tell you that..” ☁️ faltered.

“I’ll get to that. But last week, on my phone, I had a message to the local authorities scheduled to be sent. It was targeting Hoshino, and with the planted evidence, and the information I was providing them, he would’ve been taken care of. He’d be in despair instead of having his blood shed.”

“That’s.. a lot.”

“I thought you’d be proud of me for doing such an ethical thing.”

“I am.. but can you get to how you’re here right now?” ☁️ huffed, still curious and confused.

“All that glitters is not gold, but perhaps it’s diamond. Think of me as the diamond.“

“I’m.. still not following.”

“I won’t say anything more, but I will say that I heard everything. When I was gone and you stood on the bridge. I heard it all. That’s the only reason I can actually relay this information to you.”

“So that ghost skeleton was actually you?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t have ears when I spoke, though. And I’m still confused.”

“You’re going to be, and that’s okay. I’m back now. That’s all you have to worry about.”

The two remained silent for a moment.

“Oh, I recall hearing that you’ve met Heeseung and Jungwon, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, you’re not allowed to be near them anymore. No matter the situation.”

☁️ stopped walking with furrowed eyebrows. “What? Why?”

“They’re not normal, and they’re not friendly.” Sunghoon explained, stopping as well.

“Heeseung said he watched over me while you were gone. How’s that not friendly?”

“He only did so because you didn’t pay him mind. Also because he knew I was coming back, and if anything happened to you, then there’d be a lot for him to clean up. Jungwon isn’t friendly, no matter how bubbly his voice or how much he smiles.”

☁️ nodded, and the two continued their stroll.

“So you three know each other? Where from?”

“We’re pretty much brothers. Not literally but figuratively and.. biologically.”

“I think that statement is a bit conflicting..” ☁️ mumbled.

“All you have to know is that they’re not nice. They’re biologically not capable of sympathy or compassion. You cannot be near them.”

“So are you capable of that?”

“I’m not sure.”

“So why can I be near you and not them?”

“Because you’re apart of my purpose, now. I moved here to see what would happen. And then I met you.”

“Oh..” ☁️ sighed with rolled eyes. The two began walking again. “.. And why am I apart of your purpose?”

“Well, you’re the first person who hasn’t fallen for me upon my pursuit. You can’t be manipulated or forced to do anything you don’t want to. It’s intriguing. And I want to know why.”

“That’s how it normally goes.. you can’t force-“

“That’s not what I mean. It’s okay, you won’t understand. You’ll know one day. Or you won’t.”

The two remained silent again as ☁️’s turn came about, causing the duo to slow down to a halt. The student turned to face Sunghoon, but heard the nearby bushes rustling. Noticing ☁️’s change in gaze, Sunghoon quickly turned around and scanned the area.

“I’m taking you home.”

“I’m also spending the night.”

“Who said you could?”

“I have a stalker now. That means you have a stalker, too. It’ll be taken care of soon, though.”

“The way you talk is so insane.. and scary.”

With pajamas on, ☁️ walked over from the bathroom to the bed and sat down. Sunghoon pulled the curtains shut as the sky became darker.

“I’m simply being honest. It’s not like anything would happen to you, though.” Sunghoon stated, pointing to himself as a way to say “I’m right here!”

“Right..” ☁️ nodded. “I have a couch you can sleep on. I’ll give you one of my pillows and blankets, too.”

“I’ll take the bed, actually.”

“Um.. no? Go over to the living room. I’ll bring the stuff out.”

“Either I sleep in the bed or we both sleep in the bed.”

☁️ stared at Sunghoon, who was unwaveringly dead set on sleeping on the bed. Sunghoon walked over to where ☁️ sat and crossed his arms.

“Fine dead boy, it’s all yours.”

“The point was to get you to lay down with me.”

Grabbing a blanket and pillow from the bed, ☁️ walked past Sunghoon.

“I know. Have a good night.”

BONUS:

☁️ awoke to being lifted from the couch bridal style. With the blanket still wrapped around ‘em, ☁️ rubbed the eyes and opened them to see Sunghoon.

“What’re you doing?” ☁️ mumbled.

“Taking you to your bed.” Sunghoon whispered back as he softly laid ☁️ onto the bed and draped the covers over ‘em. “Goodnight.”

a/n: 2 months late don’t kill me pls :,)

likes, comments, & reblogs r appreciated ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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boundforfreedomsonsal · 5 months ago

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ANNOUNCING…”BOUND FOR FREEDOM WEEK”, YEAR 6!

(Artwork by @starlitskvader)

WELCOME BACK ONCE AGAIN, EVERYBODY!

Apologies for the delay on our announcement this year; Real Life has been especially busy for your friendly neighborhood Mod, so I haven't had my usual time/energy to prepare. But I'm ready now, so let's all begin preparing for...

BOUND FOR FREEDOM: SONIC x SALLY WEEK, YEAR SIX!

To make up for the late announcement, this year our week-long event will run from SATURDAY, AUGUST 31st TO SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th! You can participate either by submitting directly to this blog, or else by tagging your post with any of these tags: #boundforfreedom, #sonally week, and/or #sonsal week (make sure to include at least one of these tags within the first five tags of the post so that they will show up in Tumblr’s Search). If your submission is not reblogged here within 24 hours, please message either this blog directly, or the blog runner, @gojira007

As has become tradition, our usual daily prompts will be unified this time around by a THEME! You’re free to make of that theme what you like; maybe you use it to supplement your piece or link your contributions together, or maybe you use the Theme itself as your inspiration if the daily prompt isn’t really doing it for you, or maybe you just ignore it all together! But whatever you want to do with it, the theme is there to help really bring this year’s event to life.

And as to what that theme is? Well, last year was a Big Anniversary, the 30th anniversary of the SatAM cartoon that introduced us to this Ship in the first place! After a big event like that, things can't just go back to normal; it often means you have to reflect on things, to look forward and see what lies ahead. So in keeping with that?

THIS YEAR’S THEME IS…“CHANGES”!

As always, All mediums are welcome! Fan art, fanfiction, headcanons, whatever you can think of…as long as it’s about showing some love for Sonic x Sally, it’s welcome here, so long as it follows our rules, which you can read here: https://boundforfreedomsonsal.tumblr.com/aboutrules

In addition to this year’s new prompts listed below, you are also free to use the prompts from previous years as well, which you can find in our Prompts archive here: https://boundforfreedomsonsal.tumblr.com/prompts

If you aren’t able to submit in time for a day’s prompt, don’t worry about it! We’ll continue to accept submissions for all prompts starting from the day the new prompt is introduced onward (and yes, that does include promots from past years).

If you want to begin preparing in advance, our new prompts are listed below the cut.

I look forward to seeing what everybody has to offer, and I’m very eager to share my own SonSal Love too. ^_^

2024 Theme: CHANGES

Day One (Satujrday, August 31st): “AGE”

Day Two (Sunday, September 1st): “SCENERY”

Day Three (Monday, September 2nd): “FASHION”

Day Four (Wednesday, September 3rd): “DIRECTION”

Day Five (Thursday, September 4th): “MIND”

Day Six (Friday, September 5th): “REFLECTION”

Day Seven (Saturday, September 6th): “TRANSFORMATION”

Day Eight (Sunday, September 7th): “FATE”

#sonic the hedgehog: the movie #sonic satam #archie sonic #sally acorn #sonally #boundforfreedom #boundforfreedom year six #mod post

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macabr3-barbi3 · 3 months ago

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God, That's Good!

Chapter 10: Kiss Me

Charlie and Vaggie hatch a plan, and Husk and Angel learn of some similarities between themselves.

Tags: Chaggie, Huskerdust, we have other relationships to flesh out besides Radioapple everyone! Val is tied with Sera for being The Worst™️

HEYYO WE'RE AT CHAPTER 10!!! TWO CHAPTERS TO GO UNTIL THE END OF ACT ONE 🥳🎉

As always, a huge thank you to my beloved @fraugwinska and @minkdelovely for their support and excitement about this story, as well as everyone else that likes or comments and reblogs 💗

Act 1: Chapter 1 🥧 Chapter 2 🥧 Chapter 3 🥧 Chapter 4 🥧Chapter 5 🥧 Chapter 6 🥧Chapter 7 🥧 Chapter 8 🥧 Chapter 9 🥧 Chapter 10 🥧 Chapter 11

Charlie is pacing when Vaggie enters the room with a creak of the door, her dress swishing around her legs when she turns and spots her in the doorway, cheeks tinted from the exertion and her braid still swinging. “Vaggie,” she says softly, and whether it’s the stress of the night or her desire to finally, finally be closer, she’s propelled across the room in a few short strides and throws her arms around Vaggie’s neck, hugging her tightly. There’s a brief moment of hesitation where Charlie worries that she’s overstepped, crossed some kind of boundary.

And then Vaggie’s arms are coming up as well, wrapping around Charlie’s back and pulling her even closer.

Charlie could cry. She lets them stand there in comfortable silence for a moment before pulling back- she’s startled to find that her eyes are damp, hurriedly wiping at her eyes with her sleeves before Vaggie can see it. “I’m so glad you came,” she says, and Vaggie’s smile is soft and sweet.

“I couldn’t have stayed away. I have a proposition for you- and I completely understand if the answer is no, so please don’t feel obligated in any way to agree with what I have to say.” Charlie quirks an eyebrow, and Vaggie steels herself with a deep breath. “I want to take you away from here,” she says, and Charlie’s heart leaps in her chest. “I see the way that your guardians are towards you, and forgive me if I’m being too forward but you-”

She takes Charlie’s hand, stepping closer to her again and putting Charlie’s hand to her chest. “You are so radiant and beautiful, and I can tell that you feel so deeply about helping others when you talk about it. Your keeper may be a Judge but he is not a good or just man, and that Beadle is no better; they won’t let you be what I can see, so clearly, that you want to be.” She lifts Charlie’s hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss there. “I want to help you become that. If you would allow me to take you away from New Orleans, I would do anything to help you realize your dreams- whatever they are.”

She does tear up then, her eyes wet and her smile wobbling, and Vaggie looks worried for a moment that she’s done something wrong. “I was going to ask you to get me out of here,” she admits. “I just heard before you arrived; Adam plans to marry me. My own caregiver! Expecting that I would simply agree to be his wife when he’s basically my father.” Her stomach churns as it had when she heard them speaking, and Vaggie looks just as shocked as she had felt. “I would rather die, Vaggie. I’ve no idea what sort of timeline he expects but knowing Sera- who gave him the idea, and I will never forgive her for it- they will try to rush it. They might expect me to marry him as soon as Monday.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Vaggie says, and her hand comes up to cup Charlie’s cheek- and Charlie was right, to be so close to her without the wall in the way was perfect, her palm a warm, comforting presence on Charlie’s face. “I promise you, I’ll take you far away from here. I had already made arrangements with a friend to shelter you for the evening- you would only need wait here until I let him know that I would be bringing you, just to make sure he has no company that might get word back to the Judge, and then I would return to fetch you.”

“Tonight?” She looks at Vaggie’s shorter stature, her determination clear in the set her her jaw, the crease in her eyebrows. “Where would we go from your friend’s place?”

“Wherever you want,” she says. “I plan to travel North eventually- I wouldn’t presume that you would go with me automatically, but if there’s anywhere else-”

Charlie cuts her off with her own hand along the delicate line of Vaggie’s jaw. “North sounds perfect,” she says quietly, her eyes tracking the swallow Vaggie takes down her throat. She was so beautiful, and to know that their plans had somehow aligned so perfectly with one another’s was a sweet, heady cocktail that had her stepping closer still, a mere whisper of space between them. “Anywhere would be perfect with you.”

“Charlie,” she breathes, and her eyes dart down to Charlie’s lips before meeting her gaze once again.

One could call Charlie naive. Innocent. Unaware of the world and inexperienced with the way she had been sheltered. But she had seen couples in love, the tender kisses that they shared when they thought no one else was looking, the longing looks that they exchanged when being observed. She understood- and she wanted that with Vaggie.

“Would you kiss me?” She asks quietly, adding on a soft, “please” for manners’ sake. And Vaggie obliges, pulling Charlie slightly down so that their lips can meet for the first time. It’s a soft press of their mouths, sweet and perfect, and Charlie feels her face flame at the thought of anyone seeing such impropriety- they were not married or engaged, they would both be ruined if anyone found out and told Sera or Adam. But her caregivers were gone, and the night was quiet and still; there was no one to see them, to judge them or tell them to stop.

She pulls away with a soft gasp, and Vaggie is so lovely like this- her dark hair escaping her braid, cheeks blushing and her eyes wide. Charlie was already sure of her choice but this cemented it- she wanted Vaggie. She wanted to flee North with her, to whatever life they could build together, far away from the oppressive atmosphere of New Orleans, of Adam and Sera. Their time of knowing one another had been brief, but it was enough for her to know what she wanted.

Vaggie’s fingers card gently into her hair. “May I kiss you again?” She asks, and Charlie’s affirmation is lost between her lips as their mouths join again, and again, and again.

Husk had stayed in the shop until that Niffty girl had left, waiting for Alastor to head up the stairs following a series of concerning sounding thumps. As soon as he had gone Husk slipped out, more desperate for a drink than anything else, but he found himself wandering closer and closer to the market, unsure of what exactly had led him there until he spotted the bright pink lights of the whorehouse that Angel worked at. He had been thinking about the young man frequently- too frequently if he was being honest with himself, always catching his mind wandering to those eyes of his, the soft, sweet smile he had given him when they had parted ways. They still saw each other every now and then, short waves and hushed greetings whispered when they got the chance, but that Valetino watched Angel like a hawk when he was so much as a few feet away from the house.

There was more to him than a prostitute, Husk was sure of it. He wanted to see him again, see if he could coax more of that other person out of him- but regardless of how drawn he felt, he drew the line at paying for sex. Maybe if he hung around a while, Angel would come outside- Husk could catch him then, talk to him a little bit. Maybe he could get through to him, convince him that the brothel wasn’t the best place for him.

Not that Husk knew what the best place for him was, but surely anything would be better than here. New Orleans was dark and dangerous and rife with secrets that Husk knew all too well. If he could steer one person away from the tar pit, he would consider that a job well done.

“Just gimme a fuckin’ minute, Vel- tell him I’ll be right back.”

Husk looks up from his feet to see Angel coming out the brothel door, his head tilted down and hands fumbling in his pocket for something. There’s a woman in the doorway, her dark eyes narrowed as she watches Angel basically run around the corner. She looks up and spots Husk, her mouth downturning into an angry sneer. “Fuck’re you lookin’ at, geezer?” She demands, and doesn’t wait for a response before the door slams shut, the windows of the establishment rattling. He waits a moment to ensure that she won’t step back out with that Valentino before he follows Angel’s path around the back of the building.

He’s pacing when Husk finally sees him, his strides jerky and frantic as he fumbles with whatever is between his fingers- Husk sees the flicker of a match before a breeze blows it out, and in the brief moment of lighting he catches sight of Angel’s face- eyes wide and frightened, a deep bruise forming along his cheekbone. “Come on, come on,” he was muttering around the butt of a cigarette, hands diving into his pockets for a new match.

Husk approaches like he’s a wild animal- timid, unpredictable. “You need a light?” He asks softly, and even with how soft he had been Angel is still startled enough to drop his book of matches into a puddle at his feet. “Sorry- I guess you really do now,” he apologizes, and he’s only a little pleased when the man’s shoulders relax ever so slightly upon realizing it was him.

“That was my last book,” he says, and though he’s aiming for nonchalant Husk can hear the frayed nerves in his voice. “Ya got somethin’ to help me out?”

Husk digs into his own pocket and pulls out an actual lighter- he steps closer to Angel and brings his hands up, one flicking the lighter to bring forth a flame and the other blocking the wind so that he could light Angel’s cigarette for him. Angel takes a deep drag off the thing, the end burning brightly enough for a moment that Husk can see the bruise on his face with stunning clarity, along with the ones that littered his neck and the bit of collarbone that showed. “I hear those things are bad for you,” he says, nodding at the cigarette, and Angel scoffs.

“Better than coke, isn’t it,” he says absently, taking another long inhale. “Cheaper, too- don’t have to work so hard for a share a’ these.” He blows the smoke out in an exhale, casting his eyes over Husk’s frame. “What brings ya this way so late? Don’t tell me ya changed ya mind about takin’ me for a ride.” His tone is teasing, but the look in his eyes is distant, the different colors equally as dull as he looks more over Husk’s shoulder than actually at him. “We usually stop takin’ customers this late, but money is money to Val-”

“Yeah, I’m not here for that,” Husk interrupts, and the relief in Angel’s posture is easy to spot, tension dripping from his shoulders. “I was just out for a walk, noticed you leaving the house in a rush. Figured I would see if you were okay.”

“Oh, peachy,” he says, his tone sarcastic. “I mean, really just dandy.”

“Why don’t you leave?” Husk can’t stop the question, and Angel just laughs hollowly.

“Workin’ for a psychopathic freak is more of a hobby than a necessity, didn’t ya know?” He shakes his head, his blonde hair falling from its careful styling and into his eyes. “Ya don’t know what I’ve done- the shit Val knows, the shit he has on me, it’s safer for me to stay with him than it would be on my own.”

And boy, if Husk didn’t know that particular feeling of being trapped too well.

“Hey, you ever wanna talk to someone, I know how you’re feeling. I’ve been there; Hell, I’m still there.” He takes a step closer, his hand slipping from Angel’s shoulder to rest lightly on his bicep- green and brown eyes catch Husk’s dark ones, his breath seeming to simply stop. “You ever wanna try and get out of this shithole-”

“Angel, baby!”

The hair on Husk’s arms stands on end, his posture immediately tense when he hears a voice that could only belong to Valentino. Angel has frozen as well, immediately stepping back from Husk and pulling his arm from his grip. The tall man just drapes himself across Angel’s shoulders, running a darkly tanned hand across Angel’s chest and abdomen, settling possessively on his hip. “Who’s your friend, baby?” He asks, his voice low and accented in Angel’s ear, and Angel’s eyes dart over to Husk and then away.

“Just a John,” Angel mutters. “I was tellin’ him to come back in the mornin’. Ain’t that right?”

“Yeah,” Husk agrees, eyeballing the way that Valentino’s fingers dig harshly into Angel’s hipbones. “We were just finishing up- I’m on my way.”

Val’s eyes narrow, his gaze tracing up and down Husk’s body and sneering. “Estupendo,” he leers at Husk, and then to Angel- “how about you head back in, bello? I’ll have a chat with our friend here about our working hours.”

Angel’s eyes widen, darting between Husk and Val in a frenzy. “He was just leavin’, Val, it’s fine-”

Fingers dig sharply into Angel’s jaw, forcing his words to a stop. “Go. Inside,” he repeats. “Don’t make me repeat myself, cariño.” He releases Angel when he nods, eyes closed and defeated- his fingernails had left tiny indents on his cheeks. “Make sure Velvette covers up those little love bites!” He calls after him as Angel scurries inside the house, and then his dark, mean eyes are back on Husk. “If you come near my little puta again,” he says, the accent thick and angry in his voice. “I’ll make sure he gets much worse than a couple of bruises. Do I make myself clear, cabrón?”

Husk might not have spoken any Spanish, but the tone was clear enough. And as much as he wanted to knock the pimp onto his scrawny ass, he didn’t want to get Angel into anymore trouble.

At least, not until he could figure out a plan to get them as far away from New Orleans as possible.

“Crystal clear, sir,” he says, with as much contempt as he can muster, and Val smiles meanly before he vanishes through the door as Angel had, leaving Husk alone in the alleyway.

Act 1: Chapter 1 🥧 Chapter 2 🥧 Chapter 3 🥧 Chapter 4 🥧Chapter 5 🥧 Chapter 6 🥧Chapter 7 🥧 Chapter 8 🥧 Chapter 9 🥧 Chapter 10 🥧 Chapter 11

#rip sir pentious #hazbin hotel #alastor #hazbin alastor #lucifer hazbin #radioapple #human lucifer morningstar #human alastor #sweeney todd #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #ily frau <3 #God That's Good #GTG #slow slow slow burn #my stuff <3 #ily mink <3

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ellethespaceunicorn · 2 years ago

Text

Bright Like The Moon: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: I Know This Much Is True

Rating: M for Mature, 18+, Minors DNI

Fandom: Night Hunter

Pairing: Walter Marshall x Black!OFC

Word count: 4K+

Series Summary: Walter Marshall has urges, dominant urges to be in control of everything. Sexually and otherwise. Being a detective and father of a teen daughter doesn’t afford him those luxuries. Kamaria Mansfield left a long-term relationship where things turned toxic. She was hospitalized with extreme PTSD as a result. As a newly-hired intern with Minnesota PD, she hopes long hours will keep her mind occupied and hold pessimistic thoughts at bay. Takes place post-film.

Series warnings: past toxic D/s relationship, PTSD, therapy sessions, sassy therapist giving less than professional advice at times, unprotected p in v (wrap it up y’all), mentions of psychiatric hospitals, angst, fluff, mutual pining

Chapter Summary: The meeting of Walter and Kamaria, however brief, is enough to ignite a flame.

Chapter warnings: Therapy session, mention of past eating disorder, blink and you’ll miss it fluff, mention of fat shaming, angst, masturbation, mutual pining

A/N: Bless Grammarly for acting as my beta for this chapter. (Currently looking for a beta, if you have time and patience.) This is quite a long first chapter but I wanted to give Kamaria and Walter an even playing field to start with.

Dividers: @firefly-graphics

Support/Reblog banner by me

Story Art by me

Cross-posted on AO3

Series Masterlist

My Masterlist

“I think you are going to be an excellent fit here, Ms. Mansfield. How about you come in bright and early Monday morning and we get you situated with a desk and show you around?” The hiring manager stood up, fixing his blazer before putting a hand out to shake.

“That sounds perfect, Mr. Lind. I look forward to it,” Kamaria took the offered hand and flashed a grin before being shown out of the building. She nods her thanks, turning to walk down the steps of the police station, her long butterfly locks swaying over her shoulder.

‘These steps are decrepit as hell,’ No sooner did that thought occur when her toe catches on a crack and she starts to tumble forward only to be caught by two very strong arms.

“Oh my gosh, thank you so much, I need to pay attention to where I-” She stops in her tracks, moving her locks out of her face and looking up to see who caught her in the nick of time. Concerned yet gentle cornflower blue eyes stare back at her, his mocha-colored curls dance in the wind and mesmerize her just long enough to catch her breath.

“I’ve told them these steps are a lawsuit waiting to happen. Are you alright, Miss?” That accent and the timbre of his voice set Kamaria on a journey that settles on surprise. If her espresso skin could blush visibly, it would be all over.

“I’m good now. I got the job and not even an almost sprained ankle can take me out of the clouds today,” Kamaria looks away from his face finally and looks back to the building before looking back at the man. “You work here too?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Detective Walter Marshall,” Walter switches his coffee from his right hand to his left and reaches out to shake hers. He pauses for a second too long, but she barely notices when his thumb grazes the back of her hand slowly.

“Nice to meet you, Detective. Intern, Kamaria Mansfield,” She giggles at her little joke. “Anyways, I have got to be off but it was nice meeting you, and thank you again for saving my life.” She touches his strong arm, giving it a quick squeeze, and walks around him down the last couple of steps onto the sidewalk. She doesn’t notice the way he turns around to watch her walk away to the station parking lot.

Kamaria has just enough time to return home and change clothes to make it to her therapy session on time. She sits in the waiting room fiddling with her fingers, noting that she has to get to the nail salon before work on Monday so her manicure will be flawless. Self-care is very important to her and it makes her feel a bit dainty as well.

‘Dainty is not a word I would use to describe you,’ The words of her ex burn through her mind. She closes her eyes and pictures floating through the clouds at night illuminated by the moon. She is just reaching it as the door opens to her right and her attention is being moved elsewhere.

Her therapist steps through the door and greets her with a wave. “Kamaria, right on time as usual. Come on in, honey.”

Kamaria gets up from her chair and grabs her bag and coat then enters the office. She closes the door behind her and sits on the big fluffy purple couch opposite where her therapist sits with her trademark notebook.

“So, don’t keep me in suspense. How did the second interview go today?” Yada can see the smile forming on Kamaria’s face as she situates herself on the couch.

“Well, I got the job!” Kamaria bounces a little in her seat, excitement about the fresh start all over her face.

“Oh, that is so wonderful. You deserve it, girl. I don’t even have to ask if you are excited, you are lighting up this entire room with that smile,” Yada makes a quick note in her notebook before turning her attention back to Kamaria.

“Now, as sensational as this news is. I do want us to get back to the grander topic at hand,” Yada clears her throat and begins to speak again, “Last week, we talked about your fresh starts. New apartment, a new car, and a new job. But there is one thing you seem to have a hard and fast answer to. No new relationships. And trust me, I understand why. You have been through so much, but you have also overcome so much. And I want you to explain to me again why you feel as though remaining at arm’s length with everyone is the best option for you.”

Kamaria was dreading this conversation at the end of her last session, but she knew that it would come up again, just not so soon.

“I will be completely honest. My trust in people has been tested to within an inch of its life. After everything that happened with Christopher and that mess with Britnee, I don’t have a lot to go on with people. I can be kind and courteous with people around me. But for them to be able to know me, they have got to assure me that my trust isn’t going to be treated like some easy thing to gain and maintain with barely anything in return. I need someone on my side who is going to want to know me for me and someone who is willing to take things at my pace.” She bites her lip, a nervous habit, trying to find the words.

“And for them to take things at your pace, you would need to allow them in to know certain things about your past relationships,” Yada says, nodding her head.

“Allowing someone in back then was easy. I was young and I was able to pick myself up after every scrape. Now, though? It seems like every little bump in the road is a hurdle that I am crawling on my hands and knees to get over,” Kamaria looks to the ceiling and the floor and everywhere but Yada.

“Do you still hear Christopher’s voice at all? I remember you saying you can still hear his snide comments when you’re anxious. Does it happen at other specific times?” Yada tries to keep the conversation going.

“A year. It’s been a year since I was in the hospital. Even longer since I’ve seen…him,” she pauses as her mind races, “I still can’t look at myself in the eyes in the mirror for more than ten seconds without hearing him call me fat or ugly or stupid. When I’m down, I feel like he’s on repeat. When I try and sleep, it’s him all over again reminding me that I can’t fit any of my old clothes. Clothes, mind you, that only fit me when I was anorexic because he forced his portion control on me,” She can feel herself getting angry and closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. “I refused to pay attention to his voice when I heard it during my interview, which is something, I guess.”

“That is more than something, that is amazing,” Yada tilts her head and tries to get Kamaria’s attention. “So, I take it restful sleep is still evading you?”

Kamaria nods, not looking up from a spot on the carpet. It is the one spot she tends to use as a focal point when making eye contact is too difficult. She thinks it would be better to find a new spot because Yada is very used to seeing her gravitate toward that specific area where heavy foot traffic has affected the carpeting.

“Kamaria, I want you to look at me and listen well when I say this.” Yada clears her throat a little too loud.

Kamaria looks up at Yada, tears unshed in her eyes, teeth worrying her bottom lip.

“You are doing swimmingly right now, whether or not you have anyone in your life to share it with. But don’t you think confiding in another person who wasn’t getting paid to listen to you would, I don’t know, be fulfilling in its own right?” Yada asks, with a gentle smile.

Kamaria thinks about it for a second before answering. “I mean, my insurance pays so it’s not like-”

“You know exactly what I mean, so don’t even play with me.” Yada wipes the smile off her face and makes a note in her notebook again.

“Ok, ok! I know what you mean. Someone who I can talk to about the little stuff and the big stuff would be nice. A friend would be nice,” She suddenly is very interested in her hands.

“I think now would be a good time to discuss your homework for next week.” Yada gets up and sits at her desk, waking the screen on her computer, and brings up the schedule for next week.

“I figured my homework would be to have a good first week at work.” Kamaria slyly says, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, nice try,” Yada nips that one right in the bud. “Your homework next week is to make a friend. I want you to connect with someone at work. I don’t care if it’s your manager or your coworker at the next desk over. Hell, I don’t even care if it’s the mailman. I want you to let someone in. Let them know something more than your name and your position. Give them something to go on, and make them want to get to know you. You don’t need to give them your phone number or your address. But, lending someone an ear on a rough day can go a long way. And something tells me being in a police station all day is gonna have your ears ringing by the end of Monday, so keep that in mind for the others around you.” Yada adjusts herself in her chair and tilts her head to let Kamaria know she is not trying to upset her.

“So my homework is to make a friend?” Kamaria asks, thinking she couldn’t have heard that right.

“Yes, my dear. Your homework is ‘Make a Friend’. And you can do this. You are very charismatic when you wanna be. If you don’t shut people down so quickly, I’m sure you’ll find people who want to get to know you. It’s not like you need to tell the first person you see that you are in therapy for PTSD and that you have trust issues,” Yada turns her attention back to her laptop, before quipping, “You could always save that tidbit for the second person.”

“Yada, you are a mess,” Kamaria giggles despite herself. “So, if I just let someone in a little, then I complete my homework?”

“I don’t like how you said ‘a little’, knowing just how little you tend to let people in. But, yes. Just give them something. Something they wouldn’t find out from your personnel file. How’s that for specificity?” Yada winks at Kamaria over her computer screen.

Kamaria takes a deep breath and exhales dramatically. “Well, that is about as specific as I suspected you would be if I’m honest. Kinda surprised you don’t have a worksheet for this.” She smiles at the thought.

“I can make one if you just give me a second.” Yada holds up a finger at that.

“No, Yada, that was a joke. Puh-lease don’t make a worksheet on me making friends as an adult. This is already halfway to depressing.” She is already overwhelmed and she hasn’t even stepped foot in the office as an employee yet.

“Ok. I won’t make one. Yet. Don’t test me, though. You know I’m a woman on a mission with a template and a little bit of time,” Yada raises an eyebrow when Kamaria tries to roll her eyes at that. “It would be in your inbox so fast, it would make your head spin.”

“From experience, I know that’s true.” Kamaria thinks of the worksheets currently unfinished in her email.

“So, we’ve got your homework set up. And I have your work schedule. So we will be meeting virtually during your lunch break on Friday and see how everything is going and then we will move on from there if that time continues to work for you, ok?” Yada saves the appointment time and comes around the desk to sit back down in her armchair.

“That sounds wonderful, gives me the whole week to give you the hot gossip floating around the office.” And hopefully, I will have a friend by the end of the week…

“Save the hot goss, just give me the deets on who intrigues you and feel free to keep those eyes and ears open for the singles too. No need to jump down their throats, just watch out for jealousy and pettiness.” Yada crosses her legs and turns a wide smile toward Kamaria. “Even though I wouldn’t recommend an office romance, a little office nooky wouldn’t be terrible for you, girl.”

“Wow. That is highly unprofessional but I will remember you want me to get laid.” Kamaria is once again glad she can hide her blush.

“Might be a little unprofessional, but still, you’d be surprised how good an orgasm could be to the soul when it’s someone else giving it to you. Arrangements aren’t exactly frowned upon when certain people have issues with maintaining relationships.”

“Arrangements? Are you trying to be polite about fuck buddies?”

“Call it what you want, just know you don’t have to be alone all the time. Sometimes, all you need is a soft shoulder to lean on and a strong back to realign you and yours.” Yada giggles at her own words and soon Kamaria joins in.

“I swear, this is not how I thought this therapy session would end, but I can’t hate. This is a good way to end it, I think.” Kamaria smiles genuinely.

“I agree. I will see you next week, don’t forget to pace yourself and have a lovely week.” Yada gets up to walk Kamaria to the door before shutting it behind her softly.

That woman doesn’t need to be that intense all the time, but if she wasn’t I’d be a lot quieter and she knows it, Kamaria thinks to herself as she walks down to the parking lot to get back in her car and head to her quiet apartment. She listens to the radio on the way home and thinks of the cute detective that ‘saved her life’. At least, that’s something to look forward to on Monday, seeing his smile again.

After getting some Thai takeout, she makes it home, leaving her shoes at the door. She eats while watching some old Kitchen Nightmares episode on tv. After dinner, she cleans her dishes and the kitchen and then the living room before everything is back in its place and the world seems orderly again.

She retires to the bedroom, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her eyes focus on her favorite painting on the wall, a replica of Salvador Dali’s La Persistencia de la Memoria. Memory is truly persistent. Thoughts of her time with her ex flood her senses and her mind is reeling.

What if I have an episode while at work? What if everyone finds out I was a failed submissive and my Dom, the one that was supposed to love and protect me, hurt me worse than anyone ever has? What if…

This is the spiral she was hoping to avoid earlier in the day. It seems to have found her now, in the safety of her own home. She turns and grabs her favorite stuffed animal, Beary Allen, named after The Flash. She holds him in her hands while counting backward from 10. With each number, she lets go of a negative thought until she is back to 1.

1…her loneliness.

That loneliness drives her urge to make a friend. Yada wouldn’t like to think about what that loneliness could make her do to make a friend, possibly. But she can’t think about what more Yada might be upset about.

She needs to do what makes her comfortable and what will keep her safe. She places Beary back on the bed and opens the drawer of her nightstand to take her melatonin. Taking off her clothes and leaving just her shirt and panties, she lays back in bed. She’s been tense on and off all day long from the interview to therapy to…Walter.

A ruggedly handsome bear of a man. Strong arms ready to catch her like a breath she didn’t know she needed to take. She liked that feeling. That feeling of safety, however fleeting it was. That little flutter moved from the top of her head down to her toes before radiating through her most intimate of places. Usually, she would ignore this arousal until it was too much and she would abuse herself most lovingly. But at this moment, her urges demanded to be sated forthwith.

She moves her hand from the bed to her panties. Lightly rubbing her nether lips over the silken fabric, she pushes in finding her swollen button. Her light moan escaping startles her for a moment before giving in to relax again. Moving her panties to the side, she lets a finger gather her sweet nectar and circles her nub. Her thoughts move to Walter and how he would guide her through her relief.

He might tell her to use all her force on a clitoral orgasm. Or he might even assist with his fingers and tongue, taking her care personally. She imagines his thick digits inside her heat while two of hers slide inside, the other hand focusing on her tumescent clit. She finds that bundle of nerves inside her core and massages it all but gently, her eyes screwed shut and she imagines calloused fingers and a slippery, soft tongue laving on her.

It doesn’t take long before she feels the flames ignite within her, eyes open and aglow with surprise as Walter’s name falls from her mouth. She waits until the flutter of her inner walls ceases, then slowly removes her fingers. She moves to her bathroom to pee and wipe away the remnants of her needfulness. Washing her hands, she avoids looking in the mirror for fear of what her eyes may convey to her.

She crawls back into bed and cuddles Beary, turning off the lamp. Melatonin already working through her system, she turns to her side, smiling at how that was the first orgasm she has been able to achieve in weeks. Earlier attempts were thwarted by time, patience, or worse yet, her psyche not allowing her to feel worthy of peacefulness.

She can’t afford to think whether she would be worthy of Walter’s touch. That would be too much. He’s probably married, just my luck.

For now, she would just bask in the chance to see him again on Monday morning. That will be enough.

Walter spends most of the day in and out of the interrogation room and his office. His latest case is a pain in his ass, but at least the day is almost over. Closer to the weekend and closer to Monday morning to see Kamaria again.

Those few moments with her weren’t enough. He could tell her smile didn’t reach her eyes and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know more about her. Whatever she was willing to give to him, he would embrace.

He could still feel how soft her hands felt, he could still see the look in her eyes when he caught her before she fell. That tiny moment of vulnerability had his heart racing. She felt so small and so in need of his help that his protective instincts were moving him before he could even think to move.

At the end of the day, he leaves his office while grabbing his belongings. As he enters the doorway, Rachel walks up to stop him.

“Hey, I was hoping to catch you to see if you wanted to grab a drink?” A hopeful smile graces her face.

“I’m knackered. I will be lucky if I manage to shower before passing out.” He steps around her, offering a sincere smile.

She steps closer so only he can hear her. “Look, I know we didn’t exactly leave things in a positive light, but I think if we could just talk some things out, we could-”

Walter stops her dead in her tracks and puts a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to make himself appear smaller and less intimidating. “There is nothing to talk out, Rachel. I told you what I wanted. You told me you couldn’t give it to me. From this moment on, we are nothing but colleagues. Maybe one day we can be friends but not until you realize that being around you is hard for me right now. Only time will help that. I’m going to go home. You should too.”

She moves her shoulder and his hand falls. “And I told you, I do what I want when I want. You will never get to tell me what you think I should do again.” She practically snarls at him, all but running back down the hall.

It was true. Rachel was not submissive. If anything, she was just as dominant as he was. And, if he wanted that, that would be perfect. Rachel was nice, attractive, and intelligent. But, as it was, he wanted a true submissive. Someone who would look to him for guidance. Someone he could take care of and dote on.

His mind returns to Kamaria to rid his thoughts of Rachel and her sour attitude as he walks to his truck. His thoughts scream of her amber eyes looking up at him in surprise and her lovely hair cascading back over her shoulders. How he would love to sweep her hair behind her ear to make her smile at him once again.

As he turns the key into the ignition, the radio comes on playing ‘Beggin’ by Maneskin. He tries not to let his mind wander too much on the idea of Kamaria begging on her knees in front of himself, but even a strong man knows when his mind is winning out over everything else.

He makes it back to his home, barely pausing after putting the key in the lock and unlocking the door, closing it behind himself. He kicks off his boots by the door and peels off layer after layer on the way to the en suite shower. He turns on the water, allowing it to get to the right temperature while he stretches his back and feels a few knots untangle.

He steps into the spray and lets the water cascade over his hairy chest before turning around and tipping his head back to quickly wash his hair. He grabs his body wash and starts to lather all over but makes the mistake of lingering too long over his cock. It wakes to his touch and his thoughts go back to how small Kamaria felt in his arms.

As he fists himself, he thinks of how he describes her as small. She has wide hips, a deliciously juicy ass, and a hefty bosom. He wonders if she knows the effect she has on him. If she even gave him a second thought after she left him gobsmacked on the steps. He ponders if she always smells of fresh fruit or if that was just a scent she picked out for the day. Something peachy or perhaps apricot?

He imagines her supple lips wrapped around his cock and soon he’s breathing heavily and spilling over his fist as Kamaria’s name stumbles out his mouth. The water starts to run cold as he watches the evidence of his ministrations slide down the drain. He exits the shower and towels himself off before walking back to his bedroom to what will probably be another night of fitful sleep. At least the orgasm helped him relax a bit.

He pulls the covers down after pulling on a pair of clean boxer briefs and practically falls into bed as his mind settles on that sweet smile and the way her hips swayed just for him, at least that’s what he decides to believe.

Until that nagging little voice in his head tells him that she would never be interested in him or his desires. She probably has a boyfriend anyway, he thinks to himself while tossing and turning in bed all night long.

A/N: Thank you for reading and please comment with your thoughts on this chapter, and do be kind, it is my first time writing in over two years.

Chapter 2

#walter marshall #walter marshall fanfic #walter marshall x black!plus size female #walter marshall x black!plus size female oc #walter marshall x ofc #walter marshall x black!ofc #ellethespaceunicorn fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill #walter marshall fanfiction #walter marshall fic #night hunter #night hunter fanfic #night hunter fanfiction #bright like the moon

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onekeii · 2 years ago

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9:28pm. lee felix

pairings: lee felix x fem!reader

genre: romance, fluff

warnings: mentions of food, reader struggles to eat, reader is having a bad day, not proofread

word count: 900

a/n: my friend was feeling a little down today so i quickly wrote this for her <3 we all need a little lee felix in our lives

masterlist

reblog if you enjoy!

It was Monday again. You followed the same routine you do every day. You hit snooze two times, finally growing sick of falling in and out of sleep and rolling out of bed on the third ring. Your morning shower doesn’t wake you up like you thought it would, only making you miss your bed even more after you step out into the cold. Not just your bed, but Felix’s too.

You wished you could stay there all day, wrapped up in his arms as he pulls the blanket over the two of you, hiding you from the harsh world you would soon have to step in to. As you pass him on your way to the kitchen, it takes all your strength to lightly nudge him awake.

“Felix, wake up, I’m going to make breakfast,” you coo, wincing when he scrunches up his face.

You hated doing this every morning, pulling him out of his peaceful slumber. But if you didn’t, he would be late for work. It was just another Monday – you both had lives to get on with. Groaning, he stumbles out of bed with his eyes shut, mumbling a quick good morning before disappearing into the bathroom.

Breakfast was just another variation of French toast. You both ate in silence, mentally preparing for the day ahead. Prodding at your toast with your fork, you eventually let it fall to the plate with a clatter and take it away, scraping what you didn’t eat – most of it – into the bin.

“Are you not hungry?” Felix asks, eyebrows furrowed with concern, “You’ve got a long day.”

“I just didn’t feel like it today – I’ll grab a snack on the way there.”

He’s still suspicious, but trusts your judgement. He doesn’t say another word on the matter. When he’s done, he walks you to the bus stop, kissing you goodbye on the cheek before heading for his stop, which was in the complete opposite direction. You always reminded him that you could make it to the bus stop on your own, but he insisted on walking with you anyway.

“If it means we get to spend an extra few minutes with each other, I’ll take it,” he pointed out.

Those extra few minutes were usually enough to prepare you for the day. Not today, though.

Your morning was spent staring at your unread emails. There were always so many on a Monday. Why do people email over the weekend? You held your head in your hands. Four hours later and you still hadn’t responded to a single one. When your boss checks up on you at lunch, she smiles at you pitifully and allows you to take the rest of the day off, believing your lie about having a migraine.

You did not have a migraine. You still felt like crying, though, and you almost did on the bus home. The bright lights of the office and the ticking of the clock only made you feel worse, reminding you of every passing minute that you spent staring at your screen.

When you finally got home, you crawled back under the bed covers almost immediately. You had been thinking of this all morning, but it didn’t feel right. The covers were cold, and your boyfriend’s body next to yours was missing. You check your phone, wondering if he’s updated you about his day, eager to feel his presence even a tiny bit.

[Felix] i’m sorry, but i have to work late today

[Felix] i was really looking forward to your cooking tonight, too

[You] it’s okay, i came home early anyway

[You] i didn’t feel too well

[Felix] i’ll be back as soon as i can

[Felix] take care of yourself. for me, okay?

Putting your phone down, you decide to pass the time until Felix’s, now postponed, return by sleeping.

When he finally returns, it’s already 9:28pm. You’re sat up in bed, in the same position you have been for hours, biding your time by watching any random video that was recommended to you. This one was an analysis on a movie you had never even heard of before.

The door slowly creeks open, his head popping out from between the crack to check on you. He says nothing, only sticking his tongue out and pulling a silly face. You laugh for the first time all day. Satisfied, he shuts the door and returns a couple minutes later with a mug in his hands, hot steam escaping from the top. He waits for you to sit up before carefully handing it to you.

“Hot chocolate?” you ask, trying to make out what the drink was from the smell, your vision hindered by the darkness surrounding you.

“For the prettiest girl in the world,” he smiles, closing the blinds, which you had been meaning to do since you came home.

He crawls under the covers from the bottom end, peeping his face out from the top with a boo! You scoff, but he just grins.

“Made you smile.”

“You always make me smile.”

He rests his head on your chest and wraps his arms tightly around you, careful not to nudge you too much that you spill your drink. Your day ends with everything in your world put right – Felix’s restful figure snuggled up to you, his head rising and falling on top of your chest with every breath you take.

taglist - taglist is open!!

@sockjam @abi121 @chiimtopia @foxinnie8

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ppumeonae-bigvibe · 2 years ago

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“hey. hey, look at me.”

↖ navigation: seventeen masterlist || main masterlist

pairing: bf! vernon x gn! reader ↬ tags: non-idol! au, mentions of plans being rescheduled, big sads but vernonie the bestest boy

summary: (something about vernon being a soft klutz just got me) while you two had plans to hang, your work had other plans [sorry idk what to say but this is a self-indulgent fic] word count: 530 words

from the corner of his eyes, vernon had already seen you peek through the doors of his room multiple times (read: 5 times). mildly amused and exasperated, he wanted to call out for you, maybe pull you in his lap and ask why you were tip-toeing around him.

but he decided to wait it out.

he knew you’d come to him eventually.

surely enough after much pacing outside his room, you finally knocked on the door and vernon’s heart soared.

“can i come in?” you beamed sheepishly, hands clutching the door frame as you stood by the door.

“yeah. come here.” vernon pats the empty space on his lap, eliciting an eye-roll from you. dummy.

better that you smiled than frowned, he silently admires how beautiful you seemed with a smile on your face. you made your way across the room and opted to stand before him. reaching out, you lightly cupped his face in your hands and he leaned into your touch.

“what did you want to talk about?” he blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity. your eyes widened a fraction, and the hands warming his face dropped to your sides.

“you know about my upcoming day off on wednesday?” vernon nodded his head.

he actually had a surprise planned for you, under the disguise that you two were going out to eat, but he was gonna act like the restaurant canceled his order, and he was gonna bring you to picnic at this really nice park and—

“i can’t.” if his thoughts were a car, it would have come to a screeching halt, smoke and all. vernon cocked his head to the side, refocusing his attention back to you. “you can’t…?”

“like, i can’t have that day off. i know, it’s really sudden.”

“so that’s why you were pacing outside my room for a good 30 minutes?” vernon wanted to laugh at how cute you were.

if anything, vernon didn't mind at all. worry and stress marred your face and he laced his hands in yours. the pout on your face said otherwise and you ran your hands through your hair.

“i’m trying to negotiate for a half day on wednesday, but we’re still discussing what can be done. earliest i can have is friday, if not next monday to compensate for that day off. nothing has been confirmed but trust me, i’m fighting for that day off because i earned it. we…”

“hey. hey, look at me.”

vernon was surprised to see the frustration in your eyes, immediately getting out of his seat to wrap you in a hug. holding you tightly, he whispered, “you’re so lovely. i really appreciate the lengths you went to get that day off for us to spend.”

“i know this can’t be helped and i was really looking forward to spending more time with you so i’m bummed.” you let out a soft sigh, your arms pulling vernon closer to you. “thank you for telling me anyway, really. a minor setback isn’t going to break us. you know you can always come to me if anything, yeah?”

“yeah. i love you.”

“and me too, i love you just as much.”

@ppumeonae-bigvibe ‘s work ; likes and reblogs are appreciated <3

#ppumeonae-bigvibe #seventeen kpop #seventeen vernon chwe hansol #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #seventeen vernon x reader #seventeen fluff

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darklydeliciousdesires · 1 year ago

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Lost & Found - Chapter Twelve.

Thank you so much to everyone for your reads, reblogs and reviews. I appreciate you hugely :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven

Words - 3,465

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, Minors DNI. Recounts of kidnap, child trafficking, physical/verbal/sexual abuse.

“You okay?”

She took a moment to assess that, pulling the helmet from her head as she looked over at the clubhouse. “I think so.”

Guero slid an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek. “Just remember, everyone here is a friend. Nobody wants to hurt you.”

“It isn’t that,” she quickly corrected, fluffing her hair as she let out a long breath. “It’s just the last time I came here, I was still so scared and bent out of shape. I hate the term triggering, but that’s kind of what it is.”

He could understand that stance. The clubhouse was home from home to him, but for Emma, it symbolised a time she was desperately trying to move forward from, being so distrusting and suspicious of the new place and everybody within it, all bar him. And maybe one other person.

“Tell you what, we gotta head in now, but I know EZ will want you to confirm everything I’ll go in there and tell him. You wait with Lee, and I’ll come get you when we’re done.” It was Monday, Guero calling EZ on Saturday night and informing him he had something to bring to the table, his president telling him he’d schedule something for Monday. It was a lot easier for communications if the guys didn’t all have raging hangovers, as was the norm for a Sunday.

She nodded, receiving a kiss from him before he pointed her in the direction of the workshop, Emma walking over, looking all around as she did. It was much bigger than she’d noticed when there in the darkened early hours of the morning, bits of bikes littering the immediate space around the workshop. It was very in place with the haphazard collection of scrap that walled their surroundings.

“Oil hose, we ain’t buddies. Why’d the fuck do you keep leaking, you’re brand new!” she heard Lee muttering, coming to a stop and clearing her throat. “Emma! How you doin’, how’s it going, you good?”

She smiled at her chirp. “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Or at least better than when you last saw me.”

“I’ll fuckin’ say!” she snorted, clamping off the hose and shaking her head, giving it the double middle finger salute, standing to wipe her dirty hands on a rag. “You look great, sugar. Put on a couple of much needed pounds, I see. You were kinda scary skinny when we met.”

She remembered back to the shocking sight of herself in the bathroom mirror, nodding as she fiddled with her hair. “Yeah, I was. I never want to see a protein bar again, or I’ll barf. It’s what I survived on in the container.”

Lee snorted softly, raising her eyebrows. “I can see why. If nothing else than they taste fuckin’ awful. My old man snacks on ‘em and I can’t bear the damned things. Taste vile, like dried dough, stale cookies, man!” She paused for a second, looking between Emma and the bike she was working on, feeling awkward.

It was entirely mutual.

They had shared a personal experience together, Lee being the person Emma had trusted enough in a state of fear and anxiety to look after her, yet not knowing one another at all. The elephant in the room that was Emma’s arrival in her life also made it difficult, Lee knowing she was tiptoeing around blurting out that very question. She curbed her usual bluntness, though.

“Cut looks like it’s healed nicely,” she finally spoke, Emma approaching the bike she was working on, wondering how anyone kept it on two wheels. It was enormous, reminding her of one her dad had when she was five.

She thumbed her head, nodding. “Yeah, it did. Guero took the stitches out for me last night as they were starting to come undone and push out.” Lee resisted the urge to say that a biker with a cute smile and a steady hand could have still ballsed it up easily, noting it wasn’t a necessary observation when he’d done a good job, Emma continuing. “Do you want a hand with anything?”

“Nah, don’t want you to ruin your dress, sunshine,” she replied, waving her hand casually.

Emma smirked, looking down at the beige, pink and blue flowery dress she had on with her new (to her) cowboy boots she’d bought from a thrift store a few days back. “It only cost a couple a’ five bucks, it’s not irreplicable. I need to get to buying some better clothes, actually. Guero has a limit of twenty minutes with being taken shopping before he gets bored, so I don’t want to torture him.”

A couple a’ five bucks, Lee recognised that syntax instantly. New Jersey, although Emma didn’t have the accent at all. She’d served with troops who hailed from the garden state, and they used the same speech patterns. “He’s just like Obispo.” A slight twitch of her eye confirmed that it was a name she hadn’t heard. “That’s Bishop’s actual name.”

“Ahh.”

“Yeah, so me being somewhat of a loner where girlfriends are concerned, I just go by myself to circumvent the fuckin’ sour face and frowning,” she snorted, once again trying the hose only for oil to come dripping out. “Fuck’s sake! Fuckin’ thing! Complete bastard!” she fumed. “So yeah, if you ever wanna come with me, I’d love the company.”

“I’d really like that. Thanks, Lee,” she smiled, looking down at the oil stopped dripping, Lee clamping the hose off once more. Her eyes took a little tour over the drips, noticing something that perhaps the pretty lady mechanic might’ve missed. “Here, the sealing washer has dropped out. That’s why it’s leaking.”

Lee rolled her eyes. “Well, I’ll be fuckin’ bent over and poked up the butt with a ten-inch cock!” she exclaimed, Emma snort laughing at her expression, remembering back to the afternoon before where she’d received just that. She wasn’t sure Guero’s cock was quite that long, but it couldn’t be too far off. “Thanks, sugar. That’s a good eye you have, especially knowing what it was. Alrighty, let’s get it back on the hose.”

“My dad used to do up old bikes. Some he kept; most he sold on. I’d sit in his garage and help him, so I picked stuff up,” she explained, Lee nodding as she listened, refitting the hose with its sealing washer back in and unclamping it. No drips.

“Yes! Gimme some knucks!” She held her fist out, Emma bumping hers against it with a smile. “I might have to take you up on your offer to help me out. I just got rid of my last guy; he became too preoccupied with the idea of joining the MC.”

“Oh, was it Bottles?” she asked curiously, Lee shaking her head.

“Nah. He was a guy they wouldn’t even consider. Didn’t have the mettle, and you fuckin’ gotta have balls to live in this life.” Emma could well imagine. It was the same as people willingly wanting to join the life she’d left behind. Entrenched in the world of the mafia, only the strong survived. Was she strong, she wondered, or just lucky? She’d gotten out alive but not unscathed, so perhaps a little of both.

“Sounds like what I’m used to,” she replied quietly, picking a crumb of mud from the bike’s exhaust pipe. They fell into an uncomfortable silence, Lee chewing the inside of her cheek as she looked between Emma and the Harley a few times. “You want to ask me about it, don’t you?”

She did. It had been itching at her curiosity, but she didn’t want to be insensitive. “Yeah, but only if that’s cool with you. You can tell me I’m being a nosey ole’ bag if you like, I don’t mind. I mean shit, I dunno if you’ve even fuckin’ said anything to Guero yet. Yeah, yeah ignore me, pay no mind, I’ll shut up.” She made an annoyed noise in her throat, shaking her head of wild, blonde waves. “Poor chick walked up to your fuckin’ workshop all of ten minutes ago and you’re expecting her to spill!”

Emma sensed a very good person within Lee, someone she could perhaps come to call friend. “It’s okay, I’ll tell you. You got a seat?”

Two old beer bottle crates were proffered forth, Lee pulling out her cigarettes and lighting up, offering the pack to Emma as they sat down. “Don’t smoke, but thanks. So yeah, I was in that container because I ran away from Rocco Lombardi, who’d been holding me prisoner for nineteen years.”

She went into her explanation, not quite as detailed as the one she’d given Guero, but all the same, it contained enough details to make Lee’s jaw drop in absolute horror at several points throughout. By the time she was finished, the woman at her side sat with her hands clasped over her mouth, shaking her head.

“Fuck.”

“Sums it up nicely, huh?”

“Fuck!” She dropped her hands in her lap, scoffing in disbelief, her eyes bewildered. “I’m not a hugger, I really ain’t, but Christ, sugar.” Emma felt herself pulled into slender, tattooed arms, Lee stroking her back as she held her. “You’re so brave, enduring all that. Fuckin’ fuck, no wonder you were that way when you first arrived here!”

She shrugged a little, chewing her thumb as they parted. “I don’t know if I’d call it brave entirely. I kind of froze myself to it, accepted my fate. Like I said too, Marie made it better. At least I had her, but it’s still kicking me in the ass, that I abandoned her.”

“I understand,” Lee nodded, shaking herself suddenly. “Well no, I don’t, but I get what you mean. Listen, babe, you couldn’t stay for her. She might’ve been mom to you, but you know you didn’t fuckin’ belong there, and what’s more so did she. I bet she completely understands.”

“Unless she’s worried out of her mind that Rocco offed me and my body got dumped into the sea or similar.”

“Why not reach out to her? I can bet as soon as Marie reads that message, she’ll be smart enough to delete it. But like, don’t let me dictate. If you wanna just vanish it’s up to you, your call, you make the decision.”

Emma continued chewing her thumb for a few moments, weighing it up. “I think I might, you know. Think I might. Her and the kids are literally the only things I miss.”

“At least you’d be able to let her know you’re alright before you move on,” Lee smiled thinly, folding her arms on her thighs and resting her head down. She was tired. Not that she didn’t love her husband to his very bones, but she did wish his horny time wasn’t between one and three in the morning. “About that, though. How will it sit with you, knowing of course that the club deals with the very man you escaped? I mean whatever it is that’s bloomed between you and pretty boy specifically.”

Of course, it had played on her mind, being right there in the midst of Rocco’s drug runners ever since she arrived. Since things had turned up a gear between her and Guero, though, she’d been too dizzy with happiness to think more on it. Lee’s question was valid, though. “I knew exactly who and what Guero was from the first second I saw him, a member of the MC who ran drugs for Rocco. I’m fine with it. I know it happens, I might’ve come here all shaky and wide eyed, but I’m not a naïve woman.

“Living in the world I did for so long; I know the deal. I just have to hope that he never comes to visit unexpectedly, but why would he? As long as the guys continue to keep on running his heroin over the border and up to the docks, he won’t have to move his ass to oversee anything.”

Thinking on her words, Lee had to admit that it made perfect sense, such a standpoint. She’d survived in a world steeped in organised crime; she’d acclimatise perfectly to being involved with an outlaw. With a few layers of her trauma peeled back, it was clear that Emma was intelligent, sensible and strong. Probably a lot stronger than she realised.

“Well, here’s fuckin’ hoping he stays up on his Staten Island throne, huh?” Just then they were disturbed by the approach of the one Lee had referred to as pretty boy, Emma’s face lighting up. Lee side eyed her with a little knowing grin. She remembered that face, back when she’d begun dating Bishop, often catching her reflection and trying to dial it back. Such had never been attainable. She loved him way too much.

“Can I steal my girl?”

Emma thought her heart was about to thump clean out of her chest, hearing him call her that. Lee’s reply was the perfect antidote to her falling too far into enamoured dizziness, though.

“No, she’s mine now, you can’t have her back! I need her, she has good eyes for things I apparently miss, like fuckin’ sealing washers.”

Guero cocked his head, looking entertained. “If you actually wore your glasses on your face rather than your head, you’d miss a lot less.”

“Bah!” she dismissed, standing up and lighting herself another cigarette. “They make me look old!”

“That’s because you are old.”

Oh, his smart mouth. How it’d be his downfall. “You know it’s never, ever wise to anger a woman who can tamper with your brake lines and make it look like a manufacturing fault, don’t you, Ortiz?”

His eyebrows fluttered, his grin widening. “I’ll make sure I never do, then.”

Her lips tightened, her eyes narrowing as he laughed. “Fuckin’ smart ass. Get outta here!”

“I was going anyway.” He received a soft elbow from Emma as they began to walk, calling over her shoulder to Lee that she’d see her later. Walking back over to the clubhouse, he could feel Emma’s body beginning to tense at his side, placing a splayed hand across her lower back. “S’okay, mamas. You’re not gonna have a big audience, just EZ and Bish.”

Those words reassured her, Guero opening the door and gesturing with his hand, Emma entering the clubhouse. The sound of laughing as pool balls clicked and music she recognised as Motorhead (one of Guero’s favourite bands) filtering from the speakers filled the space, the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke just as strong as she’d remembered. God, she could really go to town on cleaning the place, she thought, being steered to her right.

There at a table sat EZ and Bishop, the former standing with a wide smile. “Well, well. You look a hell of a lot better than you did two weeks ago, sweetheart.” He reached to pat her arm gently, gesturing to the couch opposite where he and the president were sitting.

He could see the nervousness flickering in her eyes still, of course knowing she wasn’t out of the woods from her ordeal just yet. It’d take a long time, but the improvement she had made was noticeable. She stood a little taller, looked much less anxious even though it of course was still just under the surface with her.

She moved to take a seat, jumping a little when Gilly loudly celebrated his potting of a ball over at the pool table, her stiffened body relaxing a fraction when Guero took his place at her side.

“Good to see you looking less spooked, Emma,” EZ acknowledged with a nod and a wide smile. “Again, I apologise for my actions when we first met.” She wasn’t convinced that the apology was at all genuine, something about him giving her a feeling of unease. “Alright, tell us what you know about this alleged trafficking you think we’re gonna be propositioned to get involved with.”

As if speaking of Marie earlier to Lee had invoked a little of her courage, Emma’s reply was forthright and crisp. “There’s nothing alleged about it. They’ve been dabbling in it for nearly twenty years, snatching children from the arms of their parents, but in recent times they’ve become much shrewder. Runaways, young kids on the streets, those who won’t be so easily noticed as missing, like I was.”

“And you heard him say in as many words that he planned to begin bringing undocumented kids over?” Bishop asked, his eyes narrowing at the very thought of any other children facing what Emma had suffered. Guero hadn’t gone into huge amounts of detail, but what he had shared with them, it’d been bad enough.

She scoffed a little, cocking her head with a shy smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “He was never stupid enough to say it in as many words, but I got to know his lingo, his code phrases. Tiny consignment meant kids, and when he called meetings at his home, usually under the guise of an innocent guy's night playing poker, I’d overhear. It was always his intention to begin running the tiny consignment along with golden brown. You’ll get the reference if you’re familiar with the song by The Stranglers.” Of course, she meant the heroin, the song long thought to either be about a girl of Mediterranean heritage, or the pleasure of the narcotic.

Both men nodded, Emma continuing. “I have no idea when he’s going to put his proposition to you, I’m afraid I can’t be helpful there. At a guess I’d say a while, though. He probably wants to ensure the runs you’re making for him continue to go smoothly before you’ll be expected to begin trafficking children, too. Just know that he will, and if you don’t comply, well.” She paused, gulping. If they didn’t, they’d all be dead, and she’d be back on Staten Island. “I don’t have to spell it out for any of you.”

“I guess we play the waiting game. Moving heroin is one thing, trafficking kids? We aren’t about that,” EZ spoke, exchanging a glance with Bishop.

He began nodding, scratching his beard. This was what he’d been waiting for ever since their first meet with Lombardi up in Vegas. Here it was, the other shoe. “Emma, we appreciate your information. If there’s anything we can do for you, just say the word.”

“There is, actually. I need access to a doctor, but I can’t use my real identity. He’ll be looking for me, and while reason dictates that if he had any clue where I was at all, he’d have found me by now, I want to remain vanished. I don’t know what that’ll look like long term, but I do know that right now I need help from a doctor off the books. Do you guys know of anyone?”

“I do,” EZ confirmed, “I’ll give him a call and get back to you on it. He can be discreet for a price.”

She nodded, feeling relieved. “Thank you. One more thing. Can I borrow a prepay, please? Not one you contact Rocco on?”

Bishop rose from his seat, going behind the bar and shuffling around, coming back with an old Samsung flip phone and handing it over. “Thanks again, baby. Don’t worry about him either, we ain’t gonna advertise that you’re here to nobody. You’re safe with us.”

She thanked him, taking the phone and flipping it open. Taking a few moments, wondering how to word her message, she rested her hand to Guero’s thigh as Bishop and EZ walked away, placing the phone in her lap and beginning to chew her thumb...

Marie was cleaning down the counters in the kitchen of her beautiful mansion when her phone dinged, reaching a well-manicured hand across to grab where she’d placed it out of the way in a large, ornate fruit bowl. Opening the message, her eyes widened.

Safe. Pinky swear. Love you all the world, mom xxx

“Oh, Mother Mary!” she sobbed, a hand flying to her mouth as her knees buckled, taking her to the floor as she cried tears of pure relief. Pinky swear, love you all the world. Only one other person knew it was their thing, and that was the little girl she’d raised into the young woman she thought of as her own. And she was safe. At last.

Love you too, Emsy. Will love you forever. Don’t you ever come back. It’s your time to live. I’m so proud of you xxx

Pressing send, she immediately deleted all evidence of the messages, while over two thousand miles away, her daughter by love rather than blood sobbed in the arms of her boyfriend after reading her reply.

#guero mayans mc #guero mayans mc fanfiction #mayans mc fanfiction #guero fanfiction #guero x ofc #guero smut #mayans mc fanfic #mayans mc fic #mayans mc season 5

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 7 months ago

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Winter's King 26

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, cheating, violence, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You are a maid to the Duke of Debray, a lord of the Summer Kingdom. That is, until the king of Winter appears with his particular air of coldness. (Medieval AU)

Characters: Geralt of Rivia

Note: Monday's are for pain.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

"More wine," Queen Jazlene demands.

You stand at her shoulder, awaiting her every command. The familiarity of your duty feels safe though you cannot deny the peril all around. You move forward cautiously, sending a glance to king.

King Geralt has not said or done much. He's hardly even touched his plate. For the first time that night, to your surprise as much as your relief, he looks at you. You pause, hand hovering before the ewer.

"Another cup won't fare you well on the morrow," he girds.

Jazlene huffs, "what else am I to do in this dull place but drink?"

His lashes lower and he sits back. He props his elbow on the straight arm of the chair and gazes out at the boards full of bawdy voices and steps. He tilts his head as his pale sight skewers the chamber.

"It is a banquet," he utters flatly. You remain close to Jazlene but retract your hand.

"It is, husband, what do you propose?" She's breathy, almost hopeful. She peers out across the plucking of strings, "a dance?"

"I know some steps," he extends his fingers, "suppose... there won't be much dancing on the road and Lord Vesemir did go to all this effort."

"Truly? A dance?" She squals and grabs his forearm, "husband, is this not some cruel jape?"

His jaw squares and he looks at her without humour, "only a suggestion. We are... married. The people should like to see king and queen together."

You step back, as surprised as the daughter of Debray. The king himself hardly seems eager but he is ever aloof. You wonder if it is genuine. His refusal to look at you has you uncertain. Does he regret his missteps or are you once assuming too kindly of him? He has taught you those last few days to be skeptical. You are less than grateful for the lesson.

"I would very much love to dance," Jazlene seizes his large hand and he winces, "thank you, thank you, thank you." She chants in excitement as she rises and the king steels himself as he does the same. You're not so sure her glee is specific to her partner, but rather the act.

You can’t help but pity the queen. It’s clear she’s desperate for excitement. It would explain her flirtations and her tantrums and all her behaviour. Still, the isn’t the little girl flitting around her father’s castle anymore; she is the queen and her misdeeds will have consequences should she carry on.

Your eyes drift out as a lull ripples over the chamber followed quickly by a tide of murmurs. The king and queen emerge from behind the royal table as curiosity thrums all around. The troupe continues to strum as Jazlene can hardly contain her elation despite the king’s stoic propriety. They begin the steps; hers jouncy, his flat and formal. She hardly notices her partner’s nonchalance.

The other partners give breadth to the royal couple as others pause to watch. Whispers and cheers, some whistles encourage the king and queen. It is the first that any have seen the royal couple as one.

You watch but hardly take in the scene. Your mind wanders to the chamber in the tower, then to the queen’s rooms; you hear only Geralt’s gritting frustration and the queen’s shrill defiance. They play their parts but you are not convinced.

You peer around and your eyes catch on a shock of rusty orange. Gilles stands by the doors, amid as cluster of other guards. Where his fellow soldiers drink ale and grumble, he stares at the royal pair, bound by the sight of the queen on the king’s arm.

You follow his gaze and meet King Geralt’s golden irises. His brow twitches and he quickly draws his attention back to his queen. You are confounded by him. You cannot figure if he truly has reconsidered his intent or he is merely hiding. He’s shown you before that he can feign whatever role suits his means; gallant king, pensive man, troubled soul. In the end, his only concern is his own will.

Your chest rents deeper amidst your doom-laden thoughts. When did you grow so cynical? It’s these Hinterlands; their chill invades even the soul. Your lips tug down and you put your eyes to the stone wall. You need only see the night through. The road will keep all too busy for recklessness.

As you stand there, you sense a shift, and turn to look over your shoulder. Lord Vesemir waves in your direction, bidding you to him with a pointed finger. You squint and peer back at the queen and king. You cannot disobey the host even if you are bound to a higher title.

You sidle along behind the tables and stop behind the white-haired lord. He pushes his chair out, leaning into the straight wooden back. He looks up at you, cheeks ruddy with drink.

“Little dove,” he grits, “how amusing, isn’t it, to see the king afoot on the boards.”

“My lord,” you agree evenly.

“I must say he never took so happily to the dance lessons as he did the sword,” Vesemir chuckles, “though he is graceful in both. My own feet do not listen to each other.”

You bow your head, signaling your attention. You tilt your ear to him and stare at the table.

“If any knew to watch for it, they would see he does prefer another partner,” the lord sighs, “alas, it would not be wise, as I’ve told him. A king cannot so quickly descend into folly. How many times did I say the same to his own father?”

You lower your lashes.

“I believe he has heeded my foreboding,” Vesemir reaches for his goblet and grunts as he finds it empty, tilting it to show his disappointment. You move forward to grab the jug of ale and pour him a new cup. He thanks you as he watches you. “And you. You had a restful night? You were provided the promised chamber? A bed?”

“Yes, my lord, thank you,” you say, “it is rather much for a maid.”

“We both know you are not any maid,” he pauses to gulp, “tell me, dove, do you find my halls too cold?”

You set the jug down and step back on your heels. You fold your hands and consider his question as a riddle. You know not how to untangle the words of nobles so you will not try.

“Cold, yes, but not intolerable, my lord,” you answer.

“Hm, yes, but you may line your wool a bit thicker,” he reaches to pinch the cuff of your sleeve, “you would not shiver so much.” He rescinds his touch and looks into his cup, swirling the ale, “and your former castle, what was that like? Suppose the Duke of Debray is a rather busy lord, the way he scurries around like rat.”

You hesitate. You cannot tell if he refers to Lord Dustan’s betrayal.

“There’s always work for servants in a castle,” you say, “summer or winter. We were kept busy though not many ventured to Debray. It was always the lord that traveled.”

“Mm, yes, you would not guess it but this vulture’s nest is rarely so lively as this. You’ve only seen it invaded by the king and his horde. When the winter is falling, it is so quiet. The snows drown out the noise below and the ice sparkles as diamonds...” he describes dreamily, “it is calm, peaceful. Not as life is at court. I prefer it. I was never one for that farce.”

You look at him, listening intently. You think of the cave, of the moths, the desolation nestled within those icy walls. This place is beautiful despite its frosted bite. You might’ve seen clearer sooner were it not for the shroud cast on it by crowded halls.

“It is safer here,” he continues, “and even as peace is declared, times will grow no less turbulent. Wars do not end so cleanly.”

You furrow your brow and watch the lord, trying to unfold his words into their true meaning. He chuckles and empties his goblet once more. He sets it down and stands.

“Perhaps this old man does ramble in his cups,” he shakes his head, “I thank you, dove, for your ear. Loyal as you are, gentle too. You could not know what spell you cast.”

You retreat as Lord Vesemir angles his broad figure around his chair. He beckons as he turns and for a moment, you think he gestures at you. Instead, the maid, Ezme, appears from the shadows and meets him at the end of the table. He speaks to her as you back up against the wall. He walks with her from the hall as you stare after them.

His words echo in your head.

What did he mean to say all he did? Another warning of what you already dread? A suggestion that you simply could never heed? Does he suggest escape even as he denotes your futility? Or does he simple speak for nothing more than his own voice?

You look back to the king and queen. A new pitch picks up as the music swells with the stomping feet on the boards and the japes and jeers. Amid the revelry, the king remains as staunch as always, and once more, your eyes meet.

Lord Vesemir is not mistaken. There is only turmoil ahead.

⚔️

The night ends in a march along the corridors. You keep a distance from the king and queen as they walk ahead. Jazlene leans on her husband as she drunkenly babbles. Despite his discouragement, she kept to her wine. Ahead, Gilles walks with his hand on his sword.

The guard opens the queen’s doors and the king escorts his wife through. You tarry in the archway as the ginger-headed man takes his post but cannot restrain from peeking within. Jazlene falls onto her mattress and sighs, giggling into a chattering shiver.

“Oh, it is so cold,” she hugs herself, rubbing her arms.

“You should not wear satin,” the king remands.

“Rats to that!” She sneers and pushes herself up on her elbows, “I was plenty warm on the boards...” she looks at him coyly and grins, “with you, husband.”

“And the wine in your belly does convince you of warmth,” he tuts. “I’ve known many men who drank themselves to death thinking it could cure the cold.”

“Ugh, you are so dour,” she chides shrilly and sits up, reaching for him, “husband, we have a long road ahead. Will you not make use of our last night in the castle?”

He huffs, “you are drunk and I must see Lord Vesemir about our travel-”

“It is late. You might see to it in the morn,” she whines.

He exhales again. He looks down at his boots and tilts his head to his side, but does not raises his eyes. He flicks his fingers in your direction, “close the door. I will see my wife abed.”

Jazlene falls back and purrs. You can tell by the loll in her head that the wine will see her unconscious shortly. The king puts his hands to his hips and watches her as you back out and Gilles pulls shut the doors, not without undue force.

“Go then, maid,” he snarls as he steps back against the wall.

You obey. You are not certain whether to return to the chamber you shared with Ezme or to search out the servants’ quarters. You make no determination before you’re stopped the same slender shadow as the night previous.

It is Ezme, as if she was summoned by the very thought of her. She is silent as she nods and turns to lead you onward. You follow without bidding. Your stomach churns as you already know she is not taking you to sleep. Something is amiss.

You stop before a set of doors marked by iron vultures’ heads. She knocks and enters, letting you in after her. Within, Lord Vesemir sits before a fire, the glow flickering over him as he watches the flame. His shirt is untucked, his jacket disposed, and his hair hangs around his bullish face.

“Dove, your wings cannot weather these winter winds,” he declares sonorously.

You’re silent. Ezme closes the doors as you remain close to them. You peer around warily. She goes to the lord of the castle and he reaches to squeeze her hand. He brings it to his lips and kisses it. You blink as you stare at them. They are...

“Please, sit down,” Vesemir insists, “I suppose we will be waiting some time for our king.”

You don’t understand. Lord Vesemir and Ezme? A noble and a servant. Yet he warns King Geralt against the same with you. It is their manner, you suppose, to do what they would tell others not to.

You don’t move. You crane to look at the doors then back to the maid and her master. It seems both Geralt and Vesemir agreed upon his attendance there that night but what place do you have there? You are not so brazen as to ask.

You relent and come further into the chamber. You sit upon the wooden stool close to the wall as Ezme lights another lamp and sets it on the table. You wring your hands in your lap as you wait in silence. The lord lowers his head, patient as he closes his eyes. Or perhaps, fatigued as you are.

Time sifts through the air like sand through a sieve. Slow and grinding. You stare at your skirts as the other maid drifts like a wraith and the lord sits as a statue. The longer you wait, the deeper the pit grows in your gut. You are owed no explanation but you long for one.

Finally, there is a tap at the doors. Just the one. Hard but not violent. Ezme moves to open the door. You stand out of habit and a large shadow enters. It is the king. His golden eyes catch the lantern light as he sees the Lord sat before his hearth.

“Vesemir, I have much to do before the sun.”

“Aye, don’t I know,” the lord says calmly, “so you best listen and not waste time or breath.”

The king angles his head, both curious and skeptical. You shift on your feet and the movement draws his attention. He winces as he sees you and his shoulders tense. He peers back at the lord in the light of the fire. He clears his throat.

“Vesemir, what is your meaning here?” The king demands.

#geralt of rivia #dark geralt of rivia #dark!geralt of rivia #geralt x reader #the witcher #winter's king #au #medieval au #series #fic #dark fic #dark!fic

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bucky-barnes-diaries · 2 years ago

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How to keep seeing Smut and other writers content

Back in September 2022, Tumblr introduced a new feature called “Community Labels.” You can read Tumblr’s official post about it HERE.

In theory, it seemed like a great new system to allow more Mature Content to return to Tumblr. It would allow more freedom for creators to post and express themselves however they wanted!

But in practice, the feature, as it is now, is absolutely awful! As soon as a post get a Label slapped on, it’s basically dead. Shadowbanned! Censored! Nonexistent!

The reasoning is because Tumblr made Community Labels a forced feature for everyone, meaning that every single blog on this platform automatically have Mature Content set to “hide.” Posts that have a Mature Label on them won’t show up on the dashboard, on blogs, or in the tags for you.

A lot of people don’t know that this feature exists, and are missing out on a lot of posts from their favorite creators.

If you still want to continue to be able to access, read and support all the smutty fanfictions and posts, you have to go into your settings and set “Mature” and “Sexual Themes” on “show.”

How to change settings:

— PC

— Mobile

All credit to @thelaundrybitch for making such thorough explanations on how to change settings!

There are loads more help in the #community labels tag with more information about Labels, how they are killing creative outlets for creators, and how to change your settings to be able to view all the Mature Content!

Please reblog and spread around! Since Tumblr won’t do or say anything about writers concerns about the Labelling issue and won’t listen to the changes that we are suggesting, it’s become our job to make people aware of this new feature.

As a bonus! Every Monday from 6AM to 6PM EST, Tumblr opens their ask on their official WIP BLOG page, where you can share your feedback about Tumblr. HERE is my post on the suggestions I’ve put forward to @staff on how Community Labels can be improved. You can, of course, come with your own concerns and don’t need to follow all of mine. I’m hoping more people will take this chance to voice their opinions about the ongoing issue with the Community Labels.

Now with this new feature implemented, it’s another of the many hurdles content creators have to go through every time they post. Right now is the time to show your support to your content creators! Shower them with love and praise! Comment! Reblog! Send asks! Don’t just sit around and do nothing and then get surprised/upset when your favorite creator leaves this platform due to lack of support. Be the support that they need right now!

#community labels #reblog to spread awareness #my post

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trulybetty · 1 year ago

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Sunday | Week In Review II

Sunday Week in Review II.

How we all doing?? Did we make it through the week? (I wrote this placeholder start on Monday, future B, I hope you made it through unscathed)

Narrator: In fact, she barely made it through the week unscathed. It was a weird limbo state of a week that she couldn’t quite understand was so quick but so fucking long at the same time…

So as a result, I really didn’t read much this week - you should see my tabs that I have open for my TBR list this week and I have a lot of mentions/reblogs I will be responding to the next couple of days.

Anyway, on with the week in review…

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Strings Part III (I feel like I hit publish on this six weeks ago, this is how long this week has felt)

Dipped by foot in the Catfish pond this week also...

Stood Up

Flings

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Six Sentence Sunday by @gnpwdrnwhiskey I love Sunny & Whiskey any day of the week, but throw in tiny long-eared adorable puppies? *dead*

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 1: Welcome to Torrey Hills by @rhoorl They're here... What an opening chapter! This one introduces us to the Delta boys and where they are post-Colombia and sets up for what I know is going to be a fantastic ride! I also heard that the residents of Mulefall Court (snort) have come to play today...

Working Title by @rhoorl Also started this fic this week by Jess too, only one chapter in but I'm very curious how this is all going to play out. Dieter Bravo and a slow burn? Has my name all over it!

The Layover | Chapter 10by @goodwithcheese I'm ignoring the fact that we're in the home stretch of this story - but it's one that just keeps on giving and this week's update was no different! Also, are you team Jules x Benny or team Jules x Santiago?

Sage by @softlyspector This is part three of the Honeyed series, and I don't know how to sum up in a couple of lines how much this series has touched me. Joel AU where he's a tattoo artist might sound on the surface a little ways out there, but trust me - the characterization stays true and the slow burn here is something else. I've yet to reblog it with my comments as I'm still taking it all in - trust me, there's not been a day this week I've not thought of this series.

First and 10 by @something-tofightfor This was actually a re-read and I was surprised to find I hadn't shared it already. We've had @ladamedusoif with SNL's Mr. Ben, now I introduce you to @something-tofightfor's SNL Wing Pit Daniel. He has lived rent-free in my head since I read it and this one shot, I've lost count of how many times I've gone back to read it.

Things I’m Looking Forward to Starting…

No list this week as I can't keep a lid on my TBR list as it exploded this week with my weird head space - which means a lot hopefully a long list of fanfics read next week! 💕✨

Posts I Enjoyed This Week…

@jomiddlemarch’s TLOU x Ted Lasso master list put together by @tessa-quayle When I first read TLOU crossover with Ted Lasso a couple months back I was a little dubious about how the two would work. But I’m telling you - it works. I also adore the relationship between Joel and Grace, so much so that reading their back and forth it’s easy to forget she’s an OC. Everything @jomiddlemarch does with her OC is what I strive to achieve with my own - a flawless submission into an established world.

Dave York Hip Bounce Honestly? Do I really need to explain this one?

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week…

@gnpwdrnwhiskey informing me that there is A HIPPO EMOJI!!! 🦛 <— look at it!

Finding out You can “rewind” gifs (I refer you back to the Dave York hip bounce post)

Justified (TV Show) - even though I'm not entirely sure what is going on at any given time (I watch while I work), I'm now on season two and Raylan is still shooting an alarming amount of people and I'm shocked by the lack of presence of internal affairs. Also, resisting the urge to talk with a Southern accent, much like the week I spent singing everything I spoke in a cockney accent after watching Sweeny Todd…

This Week’s Song…

This song has eaten up and spat me out since I heard it a couple weeks ago. I’ve not gone a day without playing it on repeat and each time my little brain is blown like it’s the first time.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday and here's to a better week!

Feel free to share your weeks in review, detailed or not, and tag me in it if you do! 💕 xx

Other week in reviews I think you should check out...

@rhoorl's week in review

#betty's sunday in review #still haven't thought of a better name #so this is it #Spotify

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peterparkers-bad-youtube-apology · 2 years ago

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Tsunami

Wipeout - Chapter 10

Pairing: Surfer!Tom Holland x Reader

A/N: Alright loves, after there is this there is one more chapter and a short epilogue! I hope you guys like this chapter! Let me know what you think please! Feedback is so appreciated! I love to read your comments and reblogs so much! Also if you want to talk to me or say anything anon my inbox is open! I love you guys the most xx

Warnings: Fighting, angst

Summary: Adrien takes you out and someone isn’t happy about it

Taglist

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

❀ ゜.・゜-: ✧ :-　　-: ✧ :-゜・．゜❀

You’d been miserable all week. A date was something you should look forward to, but you’d been dreading it. You’d spent most of the week locked up in your room, sobbing your eyes out. Constant confusion, anger, and sadness swirling in your mind and stomach. You hadn’t talked to anyone but grace, though you probably hadn’t said more than a dozen words to her.

It seemed fitting that a storm would set in once the day finally arrived. The sky was light grey when you woke up, and by noon it was nearly black. The forecast was calling for thunderstorms that evening, and the sun wasn’t set to return until Monday.

“You know, you can probably use the weather as an excuse to cancel if you really want to,” Grace smiled at you as you stepped out of your room, “Then you could stay home and watch a movie with me instead.”

You shook your head, “No, it’s too late now, it’d be rude.”

She nodded and took a step forward, placing her hands on your shoulders, “Well you look cute,” she looked you up and down as she spoke. You’d worn simple jeans and busted out a rain jacket that had been shoved to the back of your closet for months, “It’ll be fun, the streets smell like rain, and you haven’t had an excuse to wear your cozy clothes out in a while. That’s sort of exciting isn’t it?”

You appreciated her trying to lighten the mood, even if it wasn’t doing much, “Thanks Grace,” you took a deep breath and tried to force yourself to look on the lighter side of things, “It’s sort of nice to get all bundled up, and I do like the smell.”

“Yeah, see? This is gonna be great,” she squeezed you, “And when you get home we’ll make some nice warm tea and you can tell me all about the date.”

“Right,” your throat was burning, “I, uh, I won’t be out long, but I’ll text you when I’m heading back. It shouldn’t be more than an hour or two.”

“Okay,” she pulled you into a hug, “Well I love you, I hope you have fun,” she kissed the side of your head as she pulled away, “And try not to think too hard while you’re there, just focus on him and you okay?”

You couldn’t say what exactly set you off, but something in you snapped. Suddenly large, hot tears were streaming down your cheeks. Your bottom lip quivered as you hiccuped and tried to force it all back down. Worry over took Grace’s face as she pulled you back into her.

“Oh babe, don’t cry,” she rubbed your back to try and soothe you, “It’s okay. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. It’s not too late to cancel, I promise.”

You sniffled and hugged her tight, burying your face in her shoulder, “It’s not that Grace I’m excit-” you cut yourself off, “Well I thought I was excited, I don’t know, I just don’t know how I’m feeling. I don’t know what I want.”

“I’m sorry,” she rocked you, “It’s okay. I’m here okay? You can tell me anything.”

“I know,” you mumbled, “I just don’t know what’s going on, there’s Tom and London and then he just asked me out and I thought it would be a good idea but now I’m just confused,” you cried against her shoulder, you felt like a child.

“It’s okay,” she repeated, “It’s okay. Just take a deep breath alright? Everything will be okay,” she pulled back from you and wiped your eyes, “Tom’s a dick alright? Next time I see him I’m gonna hit him.”

You sniffled as a broken laugh divided your sobs, “It’s not his fault Grace, it’s just me,” you took a deep breath to try and regain your composure, “I should have listened to you and broken things off a long time ago.”

“It’s not your fault, you can’t help your feelings,” she tried to assure you, “I know this definitely isn’t what you want to hear right now, but if this is really all about… that. You need to talk to Tom about it, you know, get everything out in the open.”

“What’s the point? I already know what he’ll say,” you scoffed as another sob tore through you, “I’m so stupid Grace! I know what he’s like! I don’t know what happened, it was like everything was fine and then one day I was in love with him!”

“You don’t know what he’ll say,” she sighed, “I don’t know how Tom feels, but I do know that he cares about you a lot. I know if I called him and told him you were sitting here crying he’d drop everything and rush over here to try and make you feel better. I know that’s some kind of love, and I don’t know if it’s the kind of love you want it to be, but it could be. You’re never gonna know that though if you don’t talk to him about it.”

You sniffled and fell into her shoulder again, “I love you Grace.”

“I love you too,” she squeezed you tight, “I can pretend I’m sick if you want?”

You shook your head and wiped your eyes. You pulled away from her and took a deep breath, “No, I’m still gonna go. I’ll just keep it short.”

She frowned, “Are you sure? You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“I know, but if I tell him you're sick or it’s the weather or something he’ll want to reschedule,” you blushed, “And I’d feel rude just telling him I don’t want to go like ten minutes before we’re supposed to meet up.”

She nodded in understanding, “Well you can text me if you change your mind.”

“I will,” you smiled, “Thank you.”

“Of course, try to have fun,” she smiled back.

“I’ll try,” you promised, “I’ll text you when I leave.”

You took a quick pit stop in the bathroom to compose yourself. You splashed some cold water on your face and did a little deep breathing. Once you were sure no one could tell you’d been crying you left for his house. The drive felt longer and more ominous than usually, the dark skies and slick roads forced you to keep all your attention on driving. Once you were safely parked at the curb you pulled out your phone to let Adrien know you were there. The front door was already opening when you glanced up, you expected to see Adrien stepping out, but instead you found Tom. He was trudging through the rain in a pair of sweats and a white tee, he hadn’t even bothered putting on shoes. He didn’t even make it halfway to your car before he was totally drenched. He looked like an idiot, soggy idiot, but he still made your heart pound. He waltzed right up to your window and knocked, leaning down as you rolled down the window just a crack, attempting to keep yourself dry.

“What are you doing?” you frowned at him, “Don’t you own a jacket?”

“Saying hi,” he hummed, “Roll the window down.”

“Why?” you huffed, “It’s pouring, I’ll get soaked.”

He rolled his eyes, “No you won’t, it’ll only be for a minute.”

You shot him a dirty look as you rolled the window down, “There. Now what do you want?”

He shrugged, “Just thought I’d come to wish you luck, you know, break a leg and all that.”

“That’s theater,” you hummed in response.

“Yeah, so is this,” his eyes flicked over you, “Grace called me.”

Your eyes widened, “What about?”

“She said you were really upset, that you’d been crying all morning,” he frowned, “I just wanted to check on you. Cause you know, if you don’t want to go on this date or something you don’t have too. I’ll talk to Adrien for you if you want.”

“It’s not about that,” you snapped quickly. His eyes flickered to the front door and yours followed, Adrien was on his way out, “I want to go on the date.”

“Well what were you upset about then? Grace said you wouldn’t tell her,” he frowned at you.

“So what? She just called and told you I was crying and then hung up?” you raised a brow.

“No, she called about work, you just came up.”

“So you two were gossiping about me?” you glared at him.

“No, I just asked,” he blushed, “We haven’t talked all week so I just asked if you seemed excited. She said she couldn’t tell because you were crying all morning and when I asked why she said she didn’t know. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he leaned into your car and spoke a bit quieter, “I mean it, if somethings wrong I’ll talk to him.”

Adrien knocked on your opposite window. You were surprised you were staying so composed. Your chest felt heavy, your heart was aching.

“I’m fine, just pmsing,” you unlocked the car door to let Adrien in.

Tom pursed his lips as Adrien entered the car. You greeted each other with smiles.

“Hey,” he grinned and peaked over at Tom, “Came to say hi Tom?”

He nodded and smiled playfully, “Yep, just making sure (y/n) knows to have you home by ten,” he teased.

“I’m sure I can manage,” you pursed your lips, “I’ll see you later.”

Tom’s eyes flicked between you and he nodded, “Yeah, you too. Have fun.”

You rolled up your window and Tom retreated to the house. You took a deep breath and turned to Adrien.

“Are you warm enough? I can turn up the heat,” you offered.

“I’m fine,” he smiled at you as he buckled in, “So what did Tom want?”

“He was just telling me to be careful,” you lied, “The roads get really slick when it hasn’t rained in a while.”

“Good, I was worried, it seemed really tense, and I know how Tom can be.”

You furrowed your brows, “What do you mean?”

“Well you know,” he shrugged, “He can just be a bit of a prick sometimes.”

Your lips pulled to a line and you turned to the road, “I guess.”

“I don’t mean anything by it,” he corrected himself quickly, “Tom’s my mate, he’s just got his moments you know?”

Sure you and Tom had your fights and issues, but it bugged you when someone else talked bad about him.

“I guess,” you repeated, “I think Tom’s really sweet, but it’s probably different living with him.”

He nodded, “Yeah, probably,” he bit his cheek and tried to move on, “You look really nice by the way, cozy.”

“Thanks,” you kept your eyes on the road, “I missed wearing sweaters and everything.”

“Me too, plus it’s a nice little break from the heat,” he hummed as you drove along, “Have you had the chance to eat here yet?”

“No, but I’ve heard it’s good. Have you been?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I just got some pad thai, but it was really good.”

“That’s good, hot food sounds great,” you were so glad the restaurant was close to his house.

When you pulled into the parking lot Adrien held the front door for you. You were seated right away, in a small two person booth in the back of the building. It was cramped, and louder than you would have liked.

“Too bad we can’t sit outside,” Adrien smiled apologetically from across the table.

“That’s alright,” you assured him, quickly turning to the menu.

You got a few minutes of silence as you read over the menu, but those were confiscated once the waiter returned to take your order. You fiddled with your hands in your lap as you tried to think of something to talk about, unfortunately your mind kept wandering elsewhere.

“So, have you heard back from any of your internships yet?” Adrien asked.

“No,” you couldn’t say why you lied, “I’m sure I will soon though.”

“Well they’ll probably all want you,” he chuckled, “Do you think you’ll keep working if you get one?”

“Probably not,” you licked your lips, “I guess it depends on how much they pay, but I’d like to just focus on that.”

“Makes sense,” he nodded in approval, “Don’t want to overwhelm yourself or anything.”

The conversation felt formal, too formal for a date. You tried to loosen yourself up, to relax and have fun, but something held you back. You just didn’t know Adrien that well, which was the point of going on a date, but still. You didn’t feel comfortable joking around or teasing him. It wasn’t like when you hung out with Tom, everything came easy with him.

“Adrien,” even his name felt formal, “What do you do for fun?”

You cringed at your own words, you sounded like you were interviewing him.

“Well I go out surfing sometimes, I like rock climbing, mountain biking, anything I can do with my friends really.”

You never knew he was so outdoorsy, or that he liked hanging out with others so much. He never seemed that social to you, he was always quiet, and wasn’t usually at events with you and your friends.

He continued on with his description of the rock climbing gym. It wasn’t that it wasn’t interesting, it sounded fun actually, but you just couldn’t focus. You were staring at his hair. It was cute, perfectly styled, he obviously put effort into his appearance. Tom always had this mop of messy brown curls that somehow never got frizzy, no matter how frequently he played with it. Half the time they were still wet from his latest surf session. When he got out of the water he loved to shake his head like a dog and flick water all over you.

“That’s cool,” you commented, “Rock climbing seems dangerous.”

“Well we just go at the gym. It’s right by your house actually, it’s really cool, they have this big…”

“... and there’s a slide at the top, so you can slide down once you reach the top,” Adrien finished with a smile.

Adrien had nice eyes, they were a striking, vibrant blue. As beautiful as they were, they had nothing on Tom’s eyes. Tom’s eyes were warm and inviting, a deep brown you could get lost in endlessly. They crinkled up when he laughed and widened whenever you told him a story. You loved Tom’s eyes, they made you feel at home.

You smiled back at him, “That sounds fun. Is it very hard?”

“Well it depends on the path you take, see they’re colored and the different colors are…”

Nothing beat his smile though. He always smiled with his whole face and laughed loudly at your jokes, even the bad ones. The best was in bed, when you’d lay on his chest and he’d laugh. The way his chest rumbled under you, the way he’d lean down to kiss your head afterwards. Everything about him made you feel good.

He set a mug in front of you and a cup in front of Adrien.

Tom had a voice like honey too. Sometimes cooing softly at you while you cried, sometimes whispering nasty things into your ear in the middle of a party. It was always sweet, always made you want to listen. Even when you were angry you could never tune out the sound of his sweet voice.

“I’ve got some tea for you,” the waiter interrupted your thoughts with a smile.

“I can’t believe you got ice tea,” you tried to tease.

Adriend hummed, “I can’t stand hot drinks.”

“Really? What about hot cocoa? Or coffee?”

He shook his head, “No, I can’t do it, it all just tastes burnt to me.”

You tried so hard to invest yourself in Adrien, but you struggled to pay attention. Not only was your mind set on wandering back to Tom, but you two were at odds about almost everything. Your taste in almost everything was opposite, music, foods, weather, the kinds of pets you liked. It wasn’t like those were deal breakers, or you couldn’t get along, you just couldn’t seem to connect on anything.

You loved hot drinks, hot cocoa in particular. Tom made great hot cocoa, you had no idea what he did to it, it was just always special when he made it.

“That’s funny,” you commented, though you sounded awfully monotone.

As sweet as Adrien was, he just wasn’t for you. The date dragged on and on as you ate, you resisted the urge to check the time again and again. When he offered to pay you insisted on splitting the check, not wanting to put him out for a date you didn’t like. You tried not to act excited as you got into the car and drove him home. You gave him a quick goodbye hug and celebrated the fact that he didn’t ask for another date. You couldn’t wait to get home and snuggle up with Grace, hopefully you could forget all about the awkward night.

Adrien waved to you as you drove off. He headed inside, hoping to go back to his room without another awkward run in. Unfortunately for him Tom was seated right in the middle of the couch, obviously waiting for him.

“You’re back early,” Tom sounded smug, he was almost smirking.

“Well we were just getting dinner,” he replied, “It doesn’t usually take that long.”

Tom shrugged, “I don’t know, (y/n) and I are just out for longer than that usually. I guess you don’t have as much to talk about though.”

All Adrien wanted was to wipe that stupid, smug look off his face.

“What do you want to hear Tom?” he glared at him, “That we hated each other? That it was awful? Did you want me to walk in here and tell you how I just think she’s bitchy and awful and I never want to see her again?”

Tom’s eyes widened before his face scrunched to a scowl, “No, if you call her a bitch I’m gonna put you in the fucking hospital.”

“You know that’s not what I said,” Adrien snapped, “I’m going to bed, and I’m not telling you shit about the date so don’t bother asking.”

Tom stood as Adrien tried to walk away, “Probably because it went awful huh?” he smirked again as he stepped towards him, “I told you you know? Told you it wouldn’t work out.”

“Why are you so obsessed with us?” Adrien spun to face him again.

“‘Us’?” Tom scoffed and rolled his eyes, “There’s no ‘us’, there’s you and then there’s her. There’s only an ‘us’ in you’re fucking dreams.”

“Obviously there is an us, we just went on a fucking date!” he stepped towards him, “You know what Tom? I think you’re just jealous.”

“Jealous?” Tom laughed, “Oh as if.”

“Oh please, it’s obvious! You’re jealous because she went on a date with me and not you,” Adrien jabbed his finger into his chest for emphasis.

Tom glared at him as Harrison stepped into the hallway, “What the hell are you two yelling about?” he glared at both of them.

“Nothing,” Tom shoved his hand away from him, “I was just congratulating Adrien for his shitty date.”

“Tom,” Harrison warned.

“No Harrison, he’s right, it was a shitty date,” Adrien agreed, “It was shitty and boring because you’re little fuck buddy is shitty and boring!”

Tom had swung at Adrien before anyone could even blink. His fist connected with Adrien’s cheek, making him recoil as Tom tackled him. Adrien swung back at him from the ground, making contact with his eye, but not managing to throw him off. They wrestled on the ground as Harrison ran for them.

“Tom get off!” Harrison barked at his friend as he yanked him off of Adrien.

“You heard what the fuck he said! He deserved it!” Tom glared as Adrien got off the ground.

Harrison stood between them, a hand on Tom’s chest to keep from trying to grab Adrien again, “Yeah it was douchey but that doesn’t mean you can hit him!” Harrison glanced back at Adrien, “And you! What the fuck is your problem! I don’t care how bad the date was or how much of a dick Tom’s being you don’t have any right to say that shit!”

Adrien’s cheeks darkened shamefully, “Yeah, whatever, I’m going to my room.”

Harrison nodded, “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

“Better fucking stay in there,” Tom grumbled as he shoved Harrison’s hand off of him, “I’m going to the beach.”

Tom went stomping off to the garage and Adrien to his room. Harrison let out a deep breath and went to the kitchen for a beer. He tossed the bottle cap into the recycling and went back to his room. He fell onto his bed and reached for his phone. Hoping to prevent another fight he punched in your number.

It rang a few times before you picked up, “Hello?”

“Hey, sorry to bug you,” Harrison rubbed the back of his neck, “Do you have a minute?”

“Oh, sure,” he could hear you shuffling and Grace mumbling, “What’s up?”

“It’s about Tom,” he pursed his lips, you were silent, “And Adrien. They got into it after Adrien got home.”

“What do you mean?”

“They got into a fight,” he clarified, “Like Tom hit him.”

“What?!” you gasped, “What the hell happened?!”

“Well he hit Tom back,” he chuckled.

“Harrison!”

“Sorry. I broke them up,” he explained, “I don’t want to make you feel bad or something, but it was definitely about you. Tom’s barely said a word since he found out about the date. I’ve been trying to get him to talk about stuff but he doesn’t want to open up to me,” he sighed, “I don’t want to sound like a dick here, but whatever’s going on between you two, you really need to talk about it. I’m worried about him, and you.”

You were quiet for a minute. He heard you let out a sigh before you answered.

“I-I know,” you mumbled, “I know we need to talk. Thank you for telling me Haz. I’ll call him in the morning okay?”

He nodded, “Okay. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you promised, “Haz?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Aw,” he cooed, “You’re making me blush.”

“I mean it. I’m sorry you had to deal with… Well I’m sorry you had to break them up.”

“Ah don’t worry about it, you can just back me up next time I get into it with someone okay?” he joked.

You laughed, “Alright. I’ll talk to you later okay?”

“You too, and (y/n)?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you too.”

“Aw,” you cooed back at him, “Have a good night Haz.”

“Yeah, you too. Say goodnight to Gracie for me too okay?”

“I will,” you assured him before chiming once again, “Night.”

The line went dead and Harrison brought the bottle to his lips. He took a long drink and fell back into his bed.

next chapter

❀ ゜.・゜-: ✧ :-　　-: ✧ :-゜・．゜❀

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hellowhisperingstars · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter Eleven: The Ring

Summary: Trapped in your fathers house you finally see how far he'd go to get his way and Steve gets to the bottom of your personality change.

Pairing: Rockstar/Bar Owner!Eddie Munson x Baker!Reader

Words: 8.2K

Warnings: 18+, Y/N used, cussing, alcohol abuse, verbal abuse, reader gets slapped once, forced relationship, blackmail, break up, heart break, controlling parents, step-parents, chauvinism, angst and hurt. Let me know if I missed anything!

A/N: Here we go! A short but important chapter for you guys! Thank you so much for all the love you have given the story thus far! I love and appreciate every like, comment, and reblog you all give! There are only four more chapters left!

Likes, comments and reblogs are always greatly appreciated! <3

Please let me know if you would like to be added to the tag list! I will be double checking if you have your age in your bios! AGELESS OR BLANK BLOGS WILL NOT BE ADDED TO THE TAG LIST!

Previous - Masterlist - Forward

Saturday turned to Sunday and you refused to come out of your room the whole day. The food that Daniel and Alice tried to give you was left outside your door mostly untouched, minus a few bites here and there. But all you really did was laid in bed wishing that this was all just some fucked up dream. That you would wake up and he would be right there next to you with a goofy smile on those plush lips. Sunday rolled into Monday and in the early morning before the sun was even in the sky you woke up in your childhood bed feeling more alone then you have ever felt in your life. Your hand reached up to fiddle with the pick that had been a comfort to you while Eddie had been in New York only to find that your neck was bare of any sort of jewelry.

‘That’s right.’ You thought. You had given it back to Eddie when you broke up with him. Tears welled up in your eyes and you couldn’t understand how you still had any water left in your body to produce them. God, you have been so stupid. You should have just told him. He could have done something and you would be with him right now!

Pulling the blankets over your head you thought of him, remembering all the good times you had up until Saturday. You didn’t want to think of how broken he looked when you broke his heart so you tried to push that aside until all you could hear was the memory of his voice as he praised you, called you a good girl, told you he loved you, that everything was going to be okay. You had to hold onto that. Everything was going to be okay. He would be okay. Keeping him safe was the only thing that mattered now.

You laid in bed a little longer before you decided to get up and greet the hell your father is making of your life. Plus you needed to call the bakery to have Tiffany and Ada take over for a while until you got back. Slipping from your sheets you headed around your bed and into the attached bathroom to do your morning routine, half assed as it may be.

Once dressed in your comfiest clothes, you were depressed and didn't care, you wander from your room, your slippers thudding on the hardwood floor as you walk down the hall to the top of the stairs and then down into the entrance hall on your way to the kitchen hoping you might be able to stomach some coffee. You still felt sick after breaking up with Eddie, despair still laying over you like a mourning veil. You smiled a little at your old friends when you walked into the kitchen. Daniel and Alice were bustling around the kitchen starting to get things ready for breakfast when they noticed you.

“Y/N!” Alice said as she set down the jar of jam she had in her hands and swiftly moved over to you to give you a hug. You gladly wrapped your arms around her, you have never needed a hug so badly in your life. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay.” You said quietly, you knew out of everyone who worked for your father they would be the ones that would know the least about your current situation and you didn’t want to worry them. So you just smiled trying to play like nothing was wrong as Alice pulled back to look at you.

“You look tired.” She said cupping a hand to your cheek in a mothering way. “Let me get you some coffee hmm?”

“Yes, please.” You nodded as you let her go and moved over to Daniel who was cooking a pan full of eggs. He was a master multitasker as there was another pan and a griddle out already filled with sausage and pancakes. “Hi Dan.”

“Well hello young lady,” He greeted holding one arm out for you to give him a side hug. “Glad to see you out of your room. I was worried about you.”

“Probably just a little stomach bug. Feeling better today.” Placing your head on his shoulder you watched him cook for a few seconds before you let him go. “Did your daughter have a nice graduation?”

“She did. Thank you for the cake. It was beautiful!” He said as Alice came up with your cup of coffee. Just how you liked it.

“You remembered…” You smiled slightly at her as you took it from her hands.

“Like I would forget how my favorite person likes her coffee.” She said with a roll of her eyes as she started back on filling a little bowl with jam.

“I thought I was your favorite person?” Daniel said fake offended while he looked over at her with wide eyes.

“You're my favorite husband.” She laughed smacking him on the back with a hand towel she grabbed off the island counter.

“I should be your only husband.” He shot back, giving her a funny look that made you both laugh.

Leaning on the counter you sipped your coffee and made a face when Alice waved you off when you tried to help her plate the butter for toast. Taking a seat at the island you chatted lightly with the couple until you heard your father moving around upstairs. It had to be him since Evelyn likes to sleep in until noon. Moments later you hear the front door open as Daniel slides a plate filled with a small portion of breakfast in front of you. Eggs, two pancakes, and some sausages. It looked amazing but your stomach turned at the thought of food.

Daniel gave you a serious look. Like an upset parent. “I know you didn’t eat much for lunch or dinner yesterday. So eat this.”

Not liking his scolding look you pick up your fork to take a little bite of sausage. Chewing slowly as he nodded at you satisfied that he got you to eat at least something. You watched as he turned back around to finish his cooking at the stove.

Oscar walked in then phone in his hand as he just barely looked up. “Morning.”

Alice and Daniel greeted him but you stayed quiet, your eyes focused on your plate, pushing the bit of eggs around the ceramic dish. Your stomach started to feel uneasy so you stood up quickly and grabbed your coffee as you moved towards the door. You couldn’t stand Oscar on a good day and you definitely couldn’t stand him now, you needed to get out of there. Stay in this room any longer and you were liable to throw something at him. “Please excuse me.”

“Y/N?” Alice called back as you walked out of the room. She looked at Daniel who looked just as worried but could only shake his head with a shrug.

“I'm sure she’ll be fine.” Oscar said as he made his own cup of coffee. “Mr. L/N should be down soon.”

“I’ll start preparing the dining room.” Alice muttered as she grabbed a few filled plates and left the room.

You locked yourself in your room again, setting the cup of coffee down on your vanity, your stomach rolling from the bit of sausage. You sighed, first things first you needed to call the bakery. Tiffany and Ada should be there already getting the treats for the morning rush prepared so one of them should answer the phone. Moving over to the nightstand by your bed you grabbed the cordless phone that sat there, when you were younger you were lucky enough to get one in your room. All your friends from school were jealous of your phone, they would come over and use it to call their boyfriends or girlfriends so their parents wouldn’t listen in or to prank people after school. The only problem with this phone was that anyone else in the house could just pick up the phone and listen in to any conversation if they wanted to.

You dialed the number for the bakery and waited as it rang, and rang, and rang. Moving over to your vanity you sat in the matching chair as someone finally answered the phone.

“Sugar Cloud, how can we make your day sweet?” Tiffany’s voice called out. It made you giggle.

“Oh my god,” You laughed a bit, “Is that what we sound like when we answer the phone? We sound like a sex line.”

“Y/N!” Tiffany sighed in relief. “Where are you? Are you okay? When no one answered upstairs this morning I almost broke the door down! I thought Oscar killed you or something I was about to call the police!”

“Shit, I’m sorry.” You said as you leaned forward putting your elbows on your knees. “The family issue got a little more serious than I expected so I have to stay at my dad’s place for a little while. I was just calling to see if you and Ada can take over the run of the bakery until I get back.”

“Yeah no problem.” Tiffany said in a light voice. “I’ll let Ada know, we’ll take care of everything.”

“Thank you.” You sighed. You discussed a few things after that. Inventory, how to pay everyone, and to call her at this number if anything went sideways.

“And you call me if you need us.” Tiffany said in a serious manner. “Ada and I have no problem with coming up there to steal you away.”

“I will.” You smiled at your friend though she couldn’t see it. “Thank you.”

You both said your goodbyes and you stood up bringing the phone back to its cradle. Placing it down you looked at your nightstand, the drawer still slightly open from you shoving something in it the night you got here. Pulling it out farther you looked at the piece of notebook paper that sat on top. You could call him… Tell him everything. Your stomach rolled again as you grabbed the paper and opened it. Looking at the name and number that you had hastily scratched on it while sitting in your car was almost unreadable but you managed. Daniel Christianson. Eddie had said to call him if you needed help… Carefully you picked up the receiver in your shaking hand and punched all the correct numbers into the phone as you took a breath before holding it up to your ear. It rang only once.

“Christianson.” His deep voice answered. Having seen his photo around town more than once you had a good idea of what this guy looked like but you were surprised with how deep his voice was. It wasn’t what you had imagined.

A moment of silence later he spoke again more curious than annoyed. “Hello?”

“S-shit.” You floundered for a moment, the words you so wanted to speak getting stuck in your throat before your nerves got the better of you. Anyone could pick up and listen in. Panic. You stuttered out quickly, “S-sorry, wrong number.”

And you hung up.

Closing your eyes you put the phone against your forehead. You were such a wimp.

The day went on much the same as Sunday did. You stayed in your room away from everyone not wanting to see your father or Oscar, Alice came in only once to give you a lunch that you barely touched. The full plate ended up back in the hallway. And by the time dinner rolled around you had picked up the phone to call Mr. Christianson at least four times. And each time you chickened out. Groaning you flopped back onto your bed, your hands over your face. Just pick up the phone and call the fucking guy! Tell him everything and you can go home! But.. What if Oscar or your dad picked up somewhere else in the house? Then your dad would know you were going behind his back and release everything about Eddie! Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fucking, fuck!

A knock on your door made you jump and you took a moment to settle your racing heart. Sitting up you looked over at the door. “What?!”

Evelyn opened the door and leaned on the frame for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest. She was dressed nicely in her normal ‘i have money to burn’ way. “The Malloy’s are here for dinner. Your father wants you dressed appropriately and downstairs in twenty minutes.”

You stared at her for a moment before you nodded your head and turned away from her. You waited until you heard your door close and her heels click away before you even got off the bed. You would get ready but you would do it in your own damn time. In the end you took an extra fifteen minutes to get dressed, you didn’t even try hard but you looked nice… enough. A pretty dress, some wedges, and light makeup. You put in the bare minimum, but at least you didn’t look tired and dead anymore.

Slowly you moved out of your room, closing the door behind you as you walked towards the stairs and then down them carefully. You could hear the chatter and laughter from the living room and you took a breath before you entered the room, their words stopping briefly as you moved in. “Sorry I’m late.”

Your father gave you a look of disapproval as Peter stood up from his seat moving around the coffee table to greet you. “It’s nice to see you again Y/N.”

“Yeah, you too.” You gave a weak, forced smile. You hated him. His presence only reminded you of what you couldn’t have.

“How have you been?” He asked, sounding almost genuinely curious.

Blinking at him you shrugged a little. “I’ve been… better. How are you?”

“Better now that I get to see you.” He smiled in that charming way that made you feel gross.

“Dinner is ready.” Alice said as she opened the doors that attached the dining room to the living room. Looks like you were right on time.

“Thank you Alice.” Your father said as he stood up and gestured for everyone to move into the other room. “Shall we?”

You watch as Peter and his parents start to move towards the dining room, before you decide to follow a few steps behind him, mostly so you don't have to walk next to him. But he stopped and waited for you so you gave him a polite smile. ‘Fuck’

Together you walked into the dining room and took the seat that Peter pulled out for you. You gave him a quiet thanks as he sat in the seat right next to you, unfortunately, your step mother and his mom took their seats across from you with the two dads at the heads of the table. Oscar had made himself scarce it seems. That was fine with you, you had no desire to see his smug face at the moment.

Dinner was already on the table and carefully everyone started to pass around plates and bowls filling their plates as they chatted about god knows what you honestly weren’t listening. Daniel and Alice did a wonderful job with dinner. It looked amazing, but in the end your plate was sparse compared to everyone else's. You didn't want anything too rich or heavy that would make you wanna throw up.

“Watching your figure?” Peter asked as he looked at your plate before smiling up at you.

“No,” You said tightly as you poked some mashed potatoes with your fork. “I haven’t been feeling well recently.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He said as he cut into the chicken on his plate. “But I’m glad you decided to stay with your father for a while. Hopefully being here will help you relax.”

‘Not likely.’ You thought as you took a bite of your own small piece of chicken. You chatted lightly with the others at the table when the moments were right, making it look like you actually cared about anything they were saying. Glancing up at your dad he gave you a tight, serious smile that made you want to roll your eyes so you just looked back over at Peter and attempted to make small talk with him as you ate your dinner. Thankfully once Peter started chatting it was hard to shut him up so all you really had to do was nod and smile and throw out a ‘mhm” at the appropriate time and he was putty in your hands. Putty you would wash down the drain if you could.

Soon dinner was finished and dessert was served, you ate as much of that as you could cause you loved Daniels creme brulee. By the end of it you felt sick again but it was worth it. Once everyone started to stand you tried to excuse yourself so you could hide away back in your room as everyone else went to have coffee in the living room but your father stopped you.

“Where are you going?”

“My room.” You sighed.

“No you’re not.” He said as he smiled at Mrs. Malloy who walked by. “Go in that room and talk to them.”

“I talked to them at dinner.” You said looking away from him. “I don’t feel good and I want to lay down.”

“You will go in that room and continue to be a good host.”

“I’m not the host you are. They aren’t here for me.”

“On the contrary,” He hissed back as he grabbed your arm and moved you towards the room. “Play nice and gi-”

“Give him whatever he wants.” You repeated as you crossed your arms over your chest before you walked into the living room and took a seat in one of the open chairs. This was going to be the longest night of your life wasn’t it?

One hour turned into two and now you had started milling about the living room as your father chatted about business with Mr. Malloy. The wives were discussing some fashion designers that Evelyn loved. You on the other hand were staring out one of the large picture windows that looked into the backyard when you felt someone come up next to you. Looking over your shoulder you gave a tight smile to Peter as he looked out the window as well.

“Your fathers garden is beautiful.” He started as he looked down at you.

“The gardeners work hard to make sure it’s perfect. They do a great job.” You nodded as you looked back outside.

“Will you take a walk with me?”

“Sure,” Nodding your head anything to get out of this damn room. The both of you moved towards the french doors that would take you into the backyard and like a gentleman he was raised to be Peter held one open for you as you slipped outside and took a few steps down from the small cement patio into the garden listening as he followed. The backyard was large. Filled with different kinds of flowers and trees, the grass is a healthy green and if you were to walk on it with no shoes the blades would be soft and inviting. A good place to have a picnic. You did that a lot as a kid with Nana and Steve. Picnics in the garden were one of your favorite things when you were little.

“It’s even better up close.” Peter said as he left the patio and joined you in the flowers. His hands slipped into his suit pockets. You realized you had only ever seen him in a suit. Did he even own casual clothes?

“They are.” You nodded as you moved towards the rose bushes that lined the walkway. You played with the soft petals for a few seconds before you dropped your hand and continued to walk towards the large three tiered fountain that sat in the middle of the backyard. You used to love sitting here and reading when you were younger, the falling water was calming. You needed that calm right now.

You walked in a circle around the fountain until you reached the other side and stopped in shock as you looked at Peter. Who was down on one knee. A small velvet box holding a ring in his hand. “W-what are you doing?”

“Y/N,” Peter said with a smile on his face. “I know we haven’t known each other long. But I-”

“Don’t,” You said, shaking your head a little at him. This was insane. “Please get up.”

He ignored you though and pressed on. After all, girls were always shocked when they were proposed to weren’t they? “I love you. I’ve loved you for a while now. Since the first night I met you, here at your fathers home for that business party last summer.”

“Please stop. You don’t even really know me!” Tears welled in your eyes. You didn’t want this. Looking up at the house you could see both sets of parents watching you from the windows. In one the Malloys stood there looking excited, his mother practically bouncing in her spot, her hands clasped together on her chest like this was the most romantic thing she had ever seen, while his father just looked proud. Your gaze shot over to the other window and you noticed that Evelyn looked bored and your father gave you a very serious look. A silent threat. ‘Give him what he wants.’ Did that have to be you? “Peter, we only went on one date.”

“A wonderful date.” Peter chuckled as he held the ring up a little higher. The diamond on it was huge. It sparkled in the light of the setting sun. “And I want to date you for the rest of my life. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“Peter…” Closing your eyes you looked up at the sky for a moment before you glanced back at your father who was nodding at you silently. If you didn’t do this… ‘Eddie…’ Taking a deep breath you bit your lip before you nodded slowly. A very quiet and weak "Yes…" left your lips.

Peter's smile brightened as he stood up and grabbed your left hand delicately so he could slip the ring on your finger. Throwing his arms around you he pulled you into a crushing hug and you closed your eyes letting your tears fall. They would think they were from happiness but you were spiraling. You were never going to see Eddie again… were you?

When the two of you walked back into the house you were pounced on immediately by his mother who was practically exploding with happiness. You let her take your hand from Peters so she could coo over the ring that felt heavy on your hand. She was already talking about the wedding and how wonderful it was going to be. Stating how she had always wanted a daughter, when all you wanted was a moment to breathe. To grieve the loss of your freedom.

For another hour you were stuck in the living room sitting between Evelyn and Mrs. Malloy as they chatted about the wedding, you couldn’t breathe. You sent a glare across the room at your father who laughed with Mr. Malloy, his hand on Peter's shoulder as they congratulated him on his fine catch most likely.

It was only after the Malloy’s had left for the evening that you practically stomped into your fathers office not caring that you were interrupting him as he spoke with Oscar. You were past your initial shocked heartbreak and have dived head first into anger. Throwing the door open you entered and looked at the assistant while pointing towards the door. “Get out.”

Oscar glared at you before he turned back to your father to continue what he was saying. “As I was sayi-”

“I said get out!” You seethed.

“We'll continue this later.” Your father said as he glared at you as well. He waited until Oscar had closed the door behind him before he started in on you. “This couldn’t have waited? I’m sure it’s not going to be as important as what Oscar was going to tell me.”

“How dare you…” You hissed as you walked towards his desk. Pulling the ring off your finger you chucked it at him watching as it hit him in the chest before it landed on his desk with a little clatter. Hoping you had scuffed it in some way. “You said date Peter not marry him! I won't do it!”

“You will.” He said as he picked up the ring from where it landed and looked at it. Still perfect. “Did you forget all the dirt I have on your little rock star?”

“How could I forget when it’s been dangled in front of me every minute I’m in this goddamn house?”

“Watch your language when you talk to me.” He sneered at you as he walked around his desk stalking closer to you. His movements were quick until he was standing over you. Doing what he does best, making you feel small. “Are you even aware of what I am doing for you? Yes you are helping me and in turn I am setting you up for life! With the money that the Malloy’s have you never have to work again. Who knew I raised such a selfish, ungrateful child?”

“Me?” You asked in shock pointing to your chest. “I’m the selfish one? I gave up everything and you have the nerve to call me selfish? I left my home, my job, my friends, I hurt the one man who actually loved me because of you. I love Eddie! I'm only doing this to protect him from you! So don't you dare call me selfish! The only selfish person here is you! Don’t start acting like you give a shit about m-"

A gasp rushed past your lips, your cheek heating up and pulsing with the beat of your heart. One minute you were looking at your dad the next thing you knew you were staring at the bookshelves. Tears welled in your eyes as you brought your hand up to cup the throbbing area. He slapped you. He had actually slapped you.

“Listen to me you little shit.” He hissed, thrusting the ring back into the hand not cupping your cheek. “This has been in motion for months. I don't care if you don't love him. Love has nothing to do with this. I tried to give you the chance to fall for him on your own, obviously that didn't work, but it doesn't matter anymore because it was always going to end this way. You have been promised to Peter from the very beginning and you will marry him at the end of the month. Everything is already arranged. Evelyn and Charlotte have taken care of most of the planning before tonight even happened. All you have to do is play your part as the blushing bride and once it's done I'll get the money from the Malloys for the company and you will be in Chicago with Peter. We never have to see each other again if that's what you want but you will do this or Munsons reputation goes down the drain. Am. I. Clear?”

“... Crystal...” You mutter as you glare up at him, tears still sitting on your lashes. You dropped your hand from your cheek letting him see the spot where he had hit you.

“Good. Now get out.” Your father snapped as he turned away from you walking back to his desk so he could continue his work that you had in his mind so rudely interrupted.

Slowly you backed away a few steps before you felt okay enough to turn your back to him and walked towards the door. Your hand gripped the ring so tightly you prayed it would be crushed in your grip. As you got close to the door something caught your eye and you turned your head to the left slightly to see what it was. On the wooden table by the door sat a bottle of your fathers favorite whiskey. It mocked you, tempted you. Slowly you moved to it, your hand coming up to grab the neck of the bottle. It wasn’t until now that you finally, truly, understood why your moms drinking got so out of hand.

Your father looked up from his papers as he heard the glass scrape across the wood, seeing that you had grabbed the whiskey he snorted as he looked down again with a shake of his head. A mocking tone to his voice as he muttered out, “Like mother, like daughter.”

That hurt. Taking in a deep breath you opened the door and walked from the room putting more distance between the two of you. You sent a glare to Oscar as he walked back into the office, closing the door behind him as you headed towards the stairs and to your room, the only place in this damn house you felt safe. So much for your three drink rule…

Steve was worried. It’s been a full seven days since you broke it off with Eddie and he hadn't heard from you in over a week. It was driving him crazy that he had no clue what had happened to you once you left the bar that day. He didn’t even know that you were even engaged. He had tried to call you off and on over the last few days but no one would answer your home phone. He figured you had been screening your calls so if he dropped in unexpectedly you would have to deal with him. Grabbing his keys off the coffee table in his studio, he locked his door, and jogged down the stairs to the main floor of the bar. He looked around for a moment hoping that his friend had finally gone to bed but when he looked on the couch there was Eddie, right where he left him last night, a beer bottle clutched in his hand. “Isn’t it too early to be drinking?”

“It’s not early if you never went to sleep,” The metalhead grumbled before he looked up from the couch he was lounging on. "Where are you going?"

“To see Y/N.” Steve said, as he stopped fiddling with his keys to look at his friend. His hands moved to sit on his hips. “She's not answering her phone and I wanna get some answers. None of this is adding up.”

“I'm coming with you.” Eddie said as he sat up quickly putting the bottle on the metal box they used as a table. His movements wobbly, making him fall back onto the couch.

“No. You're staying here.”

“Why?” Eddie asked through clenched teeth.

“One you've been drinking all night and can’t even get off the couch without falling over. And two she's more likely to talk to me alone.”

“I haven’t been drinking all night! Just… most of the night.” Eddie growled as he watched Steve fiddle with his keys again, before he sighed in resignation. His eyes held sadness as he looked up at him. “Will you at least tell me how she is?”

“Yeah.” Steve nodded. “I can do that. See you in a bit. Don't do anything stupid.”

Eddie flipped him off as he slumped back onto the couch. He's been utterly miserable since you broke it off with him. He didn't understand what he had done to make you turn on him like that. His brain wouldn’t stop replaying the moment you said goodbye to him. Searching for some kind of sign to see where he went wrong hoping that he could find a way to fix this. It made sleeping incredibly difficult when all he saw was you walking away from him. Thankfully beer helped dull the pain. At least a little bit. Sighing he grabbed his beer again, guess he just had to wait until Steve got back.

Twenty minutes later Steve pulled his old BMW into the back parking lot of the bakery, stopping his car next to yours. At least your car was here. That was a good sign right? He practiced his argument in his head as he got out of the car, quickly moving through the lot, and into the kitchen of the bakery. He just hoped you were willing to talk to him.

“Hey ladies,” He smiled as he walked towards the stairs that lead up to the second floor. “Has she come down yet?”

“Oh… she's not here.” Tiffany said as she placed the piping bag in her hands down. The cookies could wait a moment.

“What?” Steve asked, his brows notched together, hands landing on his hips. “Her car is here… Is she gonna be back soon? I can wait.”

“We don't know when she'll be back.” Ada shrugged half heartedly as she placed some muffins on a display tray. “Her dad's guy. Fuck. Tiff, what’s his name?”

“Oscar,” She sighed.

“Yeah, Oscar came by a couple days ago and she hasn't been in since. She's at her dad's place. Said it was some kind of family emergency but didn’t go into detail. Do you know what it is?”

Shaking his head, ran hand down his face in frustration. “No. I don’t know anything. I'll figure it out though. Thanks ladies.”

“Steve…” Tiffany said in a voice he couldn't read, stopping him in his tracks as he moved towards the door again. “Something happened before she left. Her and Ada came in from the bar that Monday and were in good moods but her dad was here waiting in the office for her. Once she went into the office that changed. When her dad left, she left not long after and she wasn't herself. He did something and I don't know what. All last week she was off. She called on Monday though that’s how we know where she is.”

“Shit. Okay. I’ll go talk to her.” Steve said with a nod. Giving a quick goodbye he left the kitchen and headed out towards the parking lot to his car. Looks like he would be making a trip up to Indianapolis.

Your cousin stared up at the large house as he pulled into the driveway. The house always looked cold to him, like his own parents' home. But it held memories for him, mostly happy ones. Ones he made with you and Nana. Turning off the car he pulled the key out and stepped from the driver's seat, closing the door behind him, before he started up the walk to the front door and rang the doorbell. He only waited a few minutes before Alice the housemaid opened the door. “Hey Alice.”

“Steve!” She smiled at him, opening the door wider to allow him in. “Haven’t seen you in a while. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing okay. You?”

“Good good. Here to see Y/N?” She asked as she closed the door once he was inside out of the heat. When he nodded she pointed him in the direction he’d find his cousin. “She’s in the dining room. Looking at wedding details.”

“Wedding… details?” Steve asked, confused as he looked over at the room in question.

“You don’t know?” Alice asked with wide eyes like she let a secret slip. “Y/N is engaged to Peter Malloy.”

“What?" Steve snapped his head back to Alice. "Since when?"

"Since Monday night."

"Fuck. Excuse me." He said before he started to move farther into the house calling back a thanks as he marched into the room. He stopped as he got into the room looking you over in shock. You didn’t look like yourself. Your hair was styled differently and your whole outfit all the way down to your heels screamed business man's wife. You were staring at three different colored linen napkins as you fiddled with a set of pearls that sat around your neck, Nana’s pearls, your large diamond engagement ring practically blinding him when the light hit it. Anger swelled in his chest at you. “What the fuck?! You break up with Eddie and then get engaged days later?!”

“Steve?” Your head snapped up to look at him as he started moving closer to you. Confusion is clear on your face. “What are you doing here?”

"I came to talk to you." Up close he noticed how tired you looked, the slight hollowness to your cheeks that wasn't there before worried him, it was like you haven’t been taking care of yourself, and he could barely make out a small healing bruise on your cheek bone. His hand went up to touch your cheek. “What the fuck happened?”

“It’s nothing…"

"That doesn't look like nothing."

"It's fine, Chippy, just drop it.” You knew if you told him you would cry and you didn't want to lose it in front of him so you thought maybe you could distract him. Turning you grabbed two of the three different color napkins and held them out for him to see. “I'm glad you're here though. You can help me. This one is ivory and this one is more of an off white cream. There’s also just a white one but I don't know if I like that one very much.”

“What are you doing?” Steve asked quietly, confused by this whole situation. You weren’t acting like yourself. “You’re engaged to Malloy? You hate that guy.”

“He’s… not that bad once you get to know him.” You said your voice started to shake as you looked up at him. When he didn’t say anything, anxiety rolled in your chest making it feel tight. Your hands were trembling as you looked down at the linen. "Please Chippy… Just pick one."

Your cousin looked at you before he took the napkins out of your hands, throwing them on the table. “Talk to me. This isn’t like you. You were happy with Eddie. What happened?”

“I can- I don’t want to talk about it.” You said turning away from him quickly to look at dinner plate options, your bottom lip quivering just a bit. Moving one away from the others into a reject pile. “This one is ugly.”

“Birdie I-”

“Steve please just…” You shook your head.

“Talk to me. I’m worried about you.”

He watched your breathing start to pick up, you were wringing your hands in front of you as you thought for a moment before you dropped them, your mind seemed to be made up. Quickly you moved to the dining room doors pulling them away from the walls so you could close them quietly. Once the doors were secured you turned and rushed back to him, your heels clicking on the wood flooring the only sound in the room for a moment. “My dad is blackmailing me into marrying Peter.”

“What?!” Shock covered his features. His voice was a little louder than he anticipated.

“Shhhh!” You hissed at him before looking at the door making sure no one was going to walk in and ask what happened. Glancing back at Steve you started to explain. “I don’t know how, but he was able to get Eddie’s old criminal record and finances. If I don’t do what he wants he’s threatening to release them to the public and ruin Eddie’s image and everything he worked so hard for. He has everything Steve.”

“Jesus Christ…” Wiping his hand down his face he looked around the room like someone was going to pop out at you both before he turned back to look at you. “What does he know exactly?”

“He knows about when Eddie went to jail for possession and dealing, he knows about Chrissy dying, and he knows that…” You took a deep breath. “He knows that Eddie's been paying child support for the last four years.”

“Child support?” Confusion bloomed on his face making his brows drop down over his eyes a little as the space between them bunched up a bit. “Eddie doesn’t have any kids.”

“That’s what I told him but he showed me the papers Steve! It’s all there. He’s been paying a thousand dollars a month to someone named Abigail... something.”

“Fuck.”

“That’s why I did it. That’s why I broke up with Eddie. I had to keep him safe from my dad.” You said tears in your eyes as you looked up at him. “I had to keep all of you safe. If he could look into Eddie’s past; there's nothing keeping him from looking into everyone else's and finding skeletons that he could use to his advantage. Even yours Steve.”

It took Steve a long time to get a breath in as he contemplated everything you told him. Putting his hands on your shoulders he squeezed them a little. “Come with me. We’ll go back to the bar and tell Eddie everything. You don’t have to do this.”

“I can’t just leave.” You shook your head at him. “If I do, dad will know I said something and release everything. There’s an engagement party tonight and I have to be there for it. It would be suspicious if I didn't go.”

“I’m not just going to leave you here to deal wit-”

The door opened cutting Steve off mid-sentence making him drop his hands from your shoulders as Peter walked through the dining room doors. “Why are the doors closed Sweetheart?”

You flinched at the pet name. You hated it when he called you that. It sounded gross coming from him, only Eddie could call you Sweetheart. Ignoring his question you looked over at Peter as he got closer, forcing a smile onto your face. Clearing your throat you gestured to your cousin, “Steve stopped by for a visit.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at Peter when you flinched.

“Ah! Steve!” Peter said with a smile as he wrapped one arm around your waist pulling you to his side and holding the other out for Steve to shake. “It’s nice to see you again. I was hoping you would stop by. You’re so important to Y/N, I was hoping the two of us could get to know each other more. Since we’ll be cousins soon and all. Did you come to help with wedding details?”

“Not originally,” Steve said, shaking the man's hand. His grip might have been tighter than necessary before he turned his head to look at you, his face was calm but his eyes said something different. “But I’m here to help. All you have to do is ask. You know that right?”

Your throat closed around your words as you tried to speak but when nothing came out you just nodded. Tears were still in your eyes as you looked away from Steve back at the table full of last minute things.

“That’s great!” Peter smiled as he looked down at you. “It’ll be nice for her to have some help. The little lady’s been pretty stressed out the last few days since the engagement. Luckily my mom and Evelyn took care of all the big things, right babe?” His gaze moved back up to Steve as one of his hands came up to gesture at him like he just had a greatest idea. “Hey we should get together sometime, maybe at that bar you work at, get to know each other. Y/N tells me you were co-captain of your swim team in high school. I was also on the swim team in school. I was the captain though.”

Steve gave a noncommittal sound that could be misheard as interest but knowing Steve like you did that was his 'I don't care' sound.

Glancing between Peter and Steve you give your cousin a serious look as you clear your throat to break the quiet tension. “Steve has to get going unfortunately. You have to open the bar soon, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Steve nodded, thankful you had given him an out. The sooner he gets back to the bar the sooner he can get Eddie up to speed. And maybe confront him on that kid bullshit. “I’ll have to check my work schedule to see if I have a free day soon to… hang out.”

Peter dug into this pocket to grab his wallet and went through it for a moment before he pulled out a card and handed it to Steve. “Here’s my card. Got all my info on it. Give me a call when you find the time or if you get into legal trouble.”

Steve looked down at the card and then back up to Peter. Surprise evident in his eyes, “You’re a lawyer?”

“The best in Chicago.” He looked proud of himself.

Your cousin’s eyes narrowed slightly at your new fiancee, he was a lawyer and is keeping you hostage in a forced engagement… Did he know about the blackmail? Being a lawyer didn’t he know that all of this was highly illegal? “I’ll be sure to call you. Birdie, let me know if you need anything okay? Anything at all.”

“Okay,” You nodded, giving him a little smile. You knew what he meant. Call him if you need to run.

“Oh shit, I know you have to work but if you get off early enough you should drop by the Conrad tonight. We are having our engagement party there. I’m sure Y/N would love to see you.”

“Yeah maybe.” Steve nodded his head putting the card in the pocket of his pants. “Saturdays are one of our busy days. I don't know if my boss will let me off at such short notice.”

“Your boss is that Munson guy right?” Peter asked, looking thoughtful before he started to chuckle. Oh how you wanted to punch him in his smarmy little face. “I hope there’s no hard feelings between him and I… But you know how it is. The best man wins in the end.”

“Uh.. yeah.” Steve said with a small nod before he pointed to the door. “I should go.”

“I’ll call you.” You said as he hugged you tightly. Giving you the comfort that you’ve been needing that last few days. You felt sick again as you watched him leave, there goes your only hope of things going back to normal. Maybe now you would have the balls to call Mr. Christianson and actually talk to him. End this once and for all.

“Have you picked out the napkins you wanted?” Peter asked, bringing you out of your thoughts as he turned to look at the table full of items.

“I was thinking the cream would be nice.” You quietly said pointing at it. You didn’t give a fuck about napkins.

Peter laughed then and shook his head using his fingers to grab the linen and toss it into the reject pile. “No. That would clash with the colors mom and Evelyn picked out. Plus, it would look like a giant pad of butter on your pretty white dress. We’ll stick with the white.”

Closing your eyes you took a deep breath to calm yourself as you nodded slowly, muttering a quick, “Of course. How silly of me.”

“It’s alright babe. Sometimes you just need a man to make the final decision.” He smirked at you as he turned to walk out of the door slapping your ass as he went. “See you tonight!”

Anger coursed through your veins as he left. You wanted to scream. Wanted to throw something. Anything. Looking at the table filled with wedding things you grabbed the closest thing to you, a pretty porcelain dinner plate and chucked it across the room. The shattering sound it made calmed you a little as you felt a bit of your anger leave as you took in shuttering deep breaths. The white dish lay in pieces on the floor, broken, much like your life.

“What was that?!” Alice said as she rushed in to make sure you were okay. Worry in her eyes.

“It slipped.” You said dully before you looked over at her hoping she would just leave it at that.

Nodding her head, Alice looked at you in understanding. “I’ll go get the broom then.”

Getting back into his car, Steve stared at the house that once held so many memories for him. Playing with you as kids in the backyard or in the living room, family Christmas parties, birthdays, cuddling on the couch with Nana between you two as she read you both a book. It wasn't heaven but it was always nice.

But now Steve saw it for what it really was. A prison. And you were a prisoner, trapped in your own solitary confinement. Shoving his keys into the ignition of his car, Steve turned it on and backed out of the long driveway. He had to get back to the bar and hopefully find Eddie sober enough to hear what he had to say. And clear headed enough to call his fucking lawyer.

Tag List:

@eddiesprincess86 @haylaansmi @micheledawn1975 @chloe-6123

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie x reader #eddie munson fanfic #dom!eddie munson #sub!reader #rockstar!eddie #barowner!eddie #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things fanfiction #st s4 #sugar cloud series #multi chapter

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