#Too much crowding in the pan I'll cook the rest in another

[sastielsfandom]

It's an incredible feeling when you finish a story once, and a different type of relief to finish it twice, Home, is finally finished.

Home

A rewrite of season 11, after Sam encouraged Castiel to watch Netflix in his room, Castiel was still there when Sam got home. The two misstep a lot, but find their footing in an unexpected way.

[m1dnyt3-w0lf]

Chapter 4: A Flash of Blue and Red

Word count: 4,369

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3

Jess hovered at the doorway with a skeptical look on her face. It took everything in me not to just push her out and close the door in her face so I could start my plan. Patience was a talent I did not carry.

“Are you sure you don't want to try other jobs? I mean, it's still light out.” She asks for the millionth time.

“I'm sure. Besides, my nerves are already worked up as it is with the applications I did. I'd rather not work myself sick with anxiety, you know?” I insist. Finally, Jess relented. She sighed and offered an apologetic smile.

“You're right. Sorry if I was overwhelming you, I just wanna help.” She says with a sigh.

“No worries, I appreciate it, really.” I reassure her with a smile. A silence drops between us. I awkwardly sway from one foot to the other. “So…”

“Oh, right, silly me.” Jess chuckles. “I'll see you when I see you then.”

“Bye.” I give another smile and a wave. Hopefully, not too soon.

She gives another wave and starts walking down the hall towards the elevator. I close the door and let out a sigh and drop my shoulders. Dealing with people was exhausting. I needed to wait for her to leave the complex and then the radius completely before I could even think about going to the nearby shops. I figured thirty minutes was a good limit. Just gotta figure out how to kill thirty minutes. Doom scrolling on my phone was tempting, especially since I haven't received any of my boxes yet.

I managed to unlock my phone and hover my thumb over an app until my mind cruelly reminded me I had dishes to wash. I groaned, dreading the act. I debated leaving the dishes for a while before deciding on doing them. Maybe this'll earn me some roommate brownie points or something.

I looked at the mess Miguel left from cooking. He said he would wash the dishes when he came back from work. I clicked my tongue a couple of times and tapped my fingers on the counter, thinking. Fuck it, I can't handle a messy kitchen. I get the pans submersed in water while I start the rest of the dishes. It took a hot minute but I got them all done. I huff and check the time.

Perfect. An hour had passed, which meant Jess would be long gone. I hurry to dry my hands and grab my things before rushing out the door. If I move fast enough, I should be done by late afternoon. My body buzzed with excitement as I walked out of the building and followed the trail on my phone.

"Sorry. Excuse me. Pardon me." I muttered in a polite tone as I dodged and weaved through the crowded sidewalk. I was, for once, thankful for my tiny stature. I checked my phone several times to make sure I was staying on track. I knew I was prone to getting lost, so any way I could prevent that was greatly welcomed. Last thing I needed was to call Miguel to come rescue me.

"Thank you so much for your time." I thank the sandwich shop owner who returned my polite smile.

"Thank you for applying!" She gave me a wave as I exited the shop. I stepped to the side of the door as I took out my phone to see what was next in my route. I had applied to three jobs, four now, and decided on one more application before calling it quits and heading home. I made excellent time as it was still mid-afternoon.

I settled for the nearby bakery and headed in the direction the route took me. The sidewalk wasn't as crowded in this part, which I was thankful for. I hummed along to my music as I took a turn and walked down the length before taking another turn. I come to a sudden halt, seeing a wall in front of me.

"What the—" I take out my phone to look at the route. I had taken my turn much too early. I turned around to head back the way I came, eyes still on my screen as I double-checked my mistake.

“Wrong turn, Miss?” A man’s voice called out to me. I looked up with a look of surprise. The man in front of me looked like an average Caucasian man.

“Oh, uh, yeah.” I answer simply as I move to the side to walk past the man. He followed my move, making me stop.

“Where are you headed? Do you have the location on your phone? Let me see, I can take you there.” He says with a smile. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something about his smile felt off.

“Oh, no, I’m good. It’s nearby. I just need to backtrack a bit.” I answer, trying to sidestep again. Again, he followed. My heart began to thunder in my chest.

“Come on, just let me see your phone so you don’t make another wrong turn.” He insists, stepping closer. Shit, shit, shit, shit. I fake a smile and chuckle a bit nervously as I stand my ground.

“No, it’s fine, really!” I insist as I pocket my phone, his eyes watching my movement closely. Attempting to phone Miguel or the police was impossible at this point. My only hope was to somehow escape to the sidewalk. I glance behind him at the thought, only to see said sidewalk empty. Wow, what happened to “the city that never sleeps”? My eyes focus back on the man, taken aback to see him closer than before and forcing me to take a couple of steps back to keep the distance between us.

“Listen, Miss, just hand over the phone, and you can get on your merry way.” He says, never dropping his smile that seemed to get creepier and creepier as the interaction progressed. He continues to advance, and I continue to back away. His advances eventually push me back behind the corner, out of sight of the sidewalk. Now, I was really in trouble. I could feel my fear slowly overwhelm my body and kick in my fight or flight. My eyes dart around for both an escape and a weapon, but nothing proved suitable or even chance-worthy. My surroundings were nothing but garbage bags and soggy cardboard. I look back at the man, his smile sinister.

“H-hey, man, I’m just trying to pass by.” I try to reason, my confident tone betrayed by my stutter.

“And you will, after you give me that phone.” He says nonchalantly. My back meets the wall.

“Listen, we can be buddies, right?”

“Of course we can. And buddies give their buddies their phone.” He grins. “And their wallets.”

Great, now he wants my wallet, too. I think bitterly.

“Not always…”

“Sometimes they do. This is one of those times.” He replies, now only a few feet away.

“Look, you don’t have to do this.”

“What if I want to?”

“Well, uh, ya see—” My words die in my throat and get replaced with a scream when he launches himself and roughly grabs my arms, pinning me against the wall.

Then he was screaming.

His hands were torn away from me as his scream got further away. My eyes widened as I watched him just suddenly launch backward away from me. I was left to gape at him in silence. Another man dropped down from above, then slowly stood. His hulking figure faced the first man, giving a beautiful view of all of his back muscles. I couldn't help the slow trail of my eyes down his back.

Holy shit, that's an ass. I thought as I stared. The man turned his head over his shoulder to look at me. I snapped my eyes up to his face, or rather “face” since he was wearing a mask, as my cheeks bloomed red. He turned back forward, but the perpetrator had already run away.

My heart hammered in my chest as I watched the man turn to me. Even with a few paces between us, he still easily cleared over me. I gulp, never in a million years thinking this would happen to me.

“Spider-man.” I whisper softly. The giant man clad in blue and red narrowed his eyes, at least, I think they're his eyes, at me. He started to advance, and I backed up instinctively only to bang my head against the wall behind me. I hiss and rub at the spot, cursing myself for forgetting about it. I looked up at Spider-man and gasped. He was already right in front of me with his hands on his waist. I, once again, couldn't help my wandering eyes. Why did he look so good?!

“You need to be more careful.” He said. I blink and look back up at him.

“Come again?” I asked, not having heard him. His eyes narrowed more as he sighed.

“I said, ‘be more careful.’ You could've gotten seriously hurt if I wasn't there to save you.” He scolded. His voice sounded distorted as if he had a crappy mic. It wasn't too hard to understand, but it sure made things a little harder to hear.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I know. I just had a…bad stroke of luck.” I say with a nervous chuckle. His hands lifted off his hips to instead be crossed across his chest. My eyes looked at the movement before quickly looking away.

“Right.” He sounded unconvinced. “I'm taking you home.”

“What? No, wait, I still have a couple more places to apply to!” I tried to argue. Suddenly, his face was directly in front of mine.

“Home. Now.” He growled out, the sound coming out deeper than intended…I think.

“Okay.” I squeaked out. He stood again and lent me his hand. I looked at it for a moment.

"It's a hand. You're supposed to take it." He tells me. My cheeks color in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I know that." I place my hand in his. He gives me a quick tug, and I yelp as I'm lifted clean off the ground and into his strong arms. His arms find a home around my waist while my arms are quick to find a home wrapped around his neck. I feel my cheeks flush.

"A warning would've been nice." I huff at him. He only responds in a chuckle. He shifts his hold on me, freeing one arm while the other holds me against him. The touch sends a shiver down my spine. I huff again, mostly out of embarrassment.

“You might want to hold on.” He tells me. I look at him with confusion.

“Wait, why?”

“I warned you.” I open my mouth to respond, but my words quickly die into a scream when he shoots out a laser-like web and propels us up into the air. I wrap my limbs around him like a koala and squeeze tightly. There’s a moment of weightlessness where I felt like I was floating. If it weren’t for Spider-man’s hold on me, I probably would’ve floated away.

Then came the dive.

I pressed myself against my supposed hero as a scream came tearing out of my throat. Fear coursed through me as my fight or flight kicked in once again at the sudden sense of plummeting towards earth. My eyes had screwed shut long ago, and, frankly, that probably made the feeling worse. Almost as soon as it began, the rise shot us back up into the air. I gasped, feeling like the air was being rushed out of me. Then, the weightless feeling. The fall. Rinse and repeat. I screamed myself hoarse and to the point of tears. I was practically crying from the experience. The masked man carrying me at least had some courtesy to stop on a rooftop and allow me a break.

“You’re shaking.” He comments casually. Oh gee, I wonder why I could possibly be shaking. Couldn't possibly be because I was just launched through the air against my will.

“Shut up.” I whisper weakly instead. He helped me down, keeping a firm but gentle hand on my arm to keep me balanced. My legs shook from the fright and the sudden need to hold my own weight. I took several, shuddering, deep breaths as I attempted to brush my windblown hair back into something presentable again. “You swing like you’ve never had a passenger before.”

“My passengers are usually escaping death,” he replies. I shut my mouth immediately. I probably sounded like an ungrateful Karen with the way I was complaining. I've seen all the videos of Spider-man saving people. All of them in some kind of life-ending trouble that made him need to sweep them away as quickly as possible.

“Right, sorry.” I mutter sincerely. I shifted uncomfortably. “What I meant to say was thank you for saving my life.” He tilts his head a bit at me. It was impossible to see what he was thinking with his face covered. Not even his body language was giving anything away.

“You’re welcome.” He says. I nod and clear my throat.

“Ready to go again?” He asked. I nodded.

“Yeah.” I let him pick me up again, my cheeks once again flaring up in the usual red hue. I turn my face away from him and look out into the city beyond. I didn't recognize anything around me. Then again, I didn't make a regular habit hanging out on rooftops. I furrow my brows as a realization hits me. I turn my head to look at the side of his face. “Wait, I haven't told you where I lived yet.”

I feel his entire body freeze and stiffen, his muscles turning rock solid under my hands. The act only made me blush more, but I did my best to ignore it. I watched him keep his gaze away from mine, waiting for a response.

“I…no, you didn’t.” he responded simply. I nervously tap my fingers along his back, feeling the muscles ripple slightly under my touch.

“Is this a bad time to tell you I don’t actually know the address?” He snapped his head towards me, our noses touching from the sudden turn. I yelp and move my head back to allow some space between us.

“What?!” If I wasn't held securely against him, I would’ve jumped.

“I just moved here, and I'm not the best with directions.” I mutter. He groaned and used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“¿Que la chingada, que voy hacer contigo?” He muttered to himself. I blinked. Spider-man spoke Spanish? I couldn’t recall any news article or post talking about him speaking Spanish. I squirreled this information away for later.

“I know the name of the apartments, though!” I try to reassure. The “eyes” of his mask narrow at me.

“Tell me.”

“Tempest Apartments.” I tell him. He nods.

“I know where that is. Hold on.” Immediately, I held onto him tighter. He headed to the edge and jumped off. I had to bite the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't scream again. I felt bad that I might've blown out his eardrum with my screaming earlier. However, the suppressed screams turned into tears that squeezed out and slid down my face. I tightened my hold as much as I could in an effort to feel some type of safe while hundreds of feet in the air. Whimpers left my mouth each time we fell in the swing. It might've been my delirious mind, but I swore I felt his arm tighten its hold on me. It felt oddly comforting, weirdly enough.

We made it to our destination after what felt like hours. He helped me down like before. I couldn't deny how a powerful being like him being gentle fascinated me. I've seen clips of him bending metal like bread, and yet, here he was holding me like a porcelain doll. I felt my body come alive at the thought. My mind also went haywire with story ideas I could be writing for weeks.

“Miss?” I blink my focus back on Spider-man.

“Oh, sorry, what was that?” I ask. He sighs.

“I was telling you to get into the basket.” he motions to the webbing on the ground. I look at it in confusion.

“Wait what?”

“I’m going to send you down into the alley over here. Then you can go into the apartments safely.” He explained in an annoyed manner. I wince a bit at his tone.

“Why couldn't you just land me in front of the apartment or something? You’re Spider-man, aren't you?”

“I’m also a wanted vigilante, or did you forget?” He retorted. I open my mouth to speak but quickly close it.

“Right, sorry.” I looked at the basket of webs. I eyed it suspiciously. “Is it going to hurt?”

“They look like lasers, but they dont feel like them.” He reassures me.

“Can it support me?”

He looked from me to the webs and back to me. “I swing on these webs. Why wouldn’t they support you?”

Can’t argue with that logic. I thought. I chewed my lip and shifted from one foot to the other.

“You…you’re not going to drop me, right?” I looked up to where I guessed his gaze was. I saw his body visibly shift. He no longer seemed intimidating or superhero-esque. He had shifted into something more human, I guess? For lack of a better way to describe it. He moved closer and gently held my arms. He pulled himself closer to me, crouching slightly to meet my face with his. My eyes widened at the gesture, feeling completely seen for a moment.

“I didn’t drop you while swinging, right?” He asked me. It wasn't condescending or sarcastic. It was a genuine question. I shake my head in response, eyes still on him. “Exactly. Can you trust me not to drop you now as well?”

“Yeah, I can trust you.” I say finally with a slow breath. He nods and moves away, his hands slowly sliding off my arms. The action left a tingling feeling in its wake. I take another slow breath. I walk over to the basket of webs. He helped me step in and sit me down onto the webbing, shifting me a bit so my weight was properly dispersed. He then created a sort of pulley system with his hands and pulled on the web to pull me off the ground. I yelped a bit as everything shifted. I desperately clung onto the webbing around me. It felt silky to the touch but clung to my skin like syrup. It was a very odd texture.

“You okay?” He asked, to which I responded with a quick nod. He gave a small nod back and moved me closer to the edge. I cautiously looked down and gulped. We were several stories high, and I wanted nothing more than for this moment to end.

“I'm going to start lowering you down.” His words sent a shock of panic through me.

“Wait!”

“What’s wrong?” He immediately asks. I take a slow breath to calm my nerves.

“N-nothing, I’m ready.”

“Are you sure?” I nod at his question.

“Just hurry up before I psych myself out.” So he starts lowering me down. I started to look down, but he called my attention.

“Hey, hey, no. Look at me.” I looked up at him immediately. “That’s it. Keep your eyes on me.”

I suck in a breath and swear I feel my heartbeat stall a moment. My eyes are glued to him, and only him, the rest of the world fades. I didn't want to disappoint Spider-man. Slowly, he gets further and further away from me as the sounds of the nearby street become louder and louder.

“You're doing so good,” he calls down. “Tell me how you're feeling right now.”

“I’m doing fine.” I called back up. The urge to look down to see how much longer I had to go ran through me.

“Good, good. Say, are you new to this side of New York?” My mind immediately lost the thought.

“What?”

“Are you new to this side of New York?” He repeated.

“Oh, uh, yeah, you could say that.”

“Explains why you don't know your way around.”

“Yeah, well…” I let my words trail off.

“You should be more careful, maybe get someone to show you around.”

“That's what my roommate says.”

“Your roommate is a smart guy.”

“I never said he was a guy.” I squint my eyes up at him, no longer to see any defining features other than his figure. I felt my butt hit the ground, a yelp escaping my throat. The web goes slack enough for me to crawl out with ease. I stand and brush at my pants before looking up at Spider-man.

Except he was gone.

I blink in surprise. Where did he go? And how did he run off so fast? I swear my eyes were not away for long. I furrowed my brows as I scanned where he was standing. My eyes latched onto the abandoned web and trailed down to the limp basket at my feet. I hum a bit. No one was going to believe me that I was saved by Spider-man.

“Not without evidence.” I take out my phone and snap several pictures and take a video. I lift the web basket and spin it around. I expected the web to have some weight to it, but it didn't. It was just as weightless as a normal web. It gave off a dim, red glow that I was sure glowed like a neon sign at night. It was a wonder how he’s eluded anyone with these as his transportation.

A car honked, making me jump and snap out of my thoughts. I looked toward the street. I needed to get home. I dropped the webs and hurried onto the sidewalk, making a speedy trip into the complex and up to the apartment. My mind was reeling with the events, ripping apart every bit of the interaction. I enter the apartment with my head very far away.

So far away, in fact, I didn't even notice Miguel on the couch.

“How was job hunting?” He asks, his voice dangerously calm. I freeze on my walk to my room. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and a cold sweat began to develop. I slowly turned to Miguel, who had shifted his head enough to just barely look at me from the corner of his eye. He sat with his arms crossed and a frown on his lips. Talk about a disappointed dad pose.

“Uh, it was good! I applied to a lot of places, and Jess even showed me a couple of other places to apply to.” I say with a smile, appearing nonchalant. Maybe if I played it cool, he wouldn't suspect a thing.

“That so?”

“Mhm! And it's been a long day, I think I’m go-”

“Sit down with me first.” Shit.

“What was that?” I hoped I heard wrong.

“I said ‘sit down with me.’” Nope, I didn't hear wrong. I chew the inside of my cheek as I walk over and sit on the opposite end of the couch. I can feel my nerves start to creep up on me. Miguel kept his eyes on me like a hawk as I sat. I gulp and clasp my hands together.

“So, uh, what's up?”

“How many jobs did you apply to?”

“Uh, I actually didn't keep count.” Which was true.

“And you just got home with Jess from applying?” I saw the trap from a mile away. Jess probably told him when she dropped me off. I sigh.

“No.” I mumble. There was a thick silence following my response.

“I told you, you can't go out on your own.” He says after a bit, effectively breaking the silence. He sounded disappointed.

“Miguel, I'm a grown woman! You can't just have someone babysit me every time I want to go out!” I argue immediately, hating my loss of independence.

“Until you know your way through these streets, I will!” He argued. “This isn't Hollywood! New Yorkers can smell a newcomer from a mile away!”

“I know that-”

“No, I don't think you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't have pulled this stunt!”

“I just walked out!”

“You were reckless!”

“I can take care of myself!”

“No, you can't!”

“How stupid do you think I am?!”

“Stupid enough to pull this stunt, clearly!” Silence befell us, our glares rivalring the other’s. I felt tears start to prick my eyes and was forced to look away. He was right. I could've gotten hurt, or worse, if Spider-man wasn't there to save me. I let out a shuddering sigh, accepting defeat.

“I won't go out alone again.” I mumbled. I could practically see the tension melt away.

“I know it seems unfair, but this is for your safety.” I hear him say behind me. “Can you look at me, please?”

I turn to look at him with a soft huff. He looked sympathetic.

“I’m sorry for calling you stupid, I'm just worried about your safety. I’m glad you got home safe, though.” I debated on telling him about my encounter with Spider-man.

“Thank you.” I say, deciding it was probably best to make him think nothing bad happened. All that worry can’t be good on his cholesterol or something. He stared me down for a moment before relenting.

“I’m going to wash those dishes, and we can order in for dinner. Get a chance to get to know each other better.” He says. He starts to get up before I stop him.

“Oh, actually, I washed your dishes for you.” He looks at me.

“You did?”

“Mhm.” I reply with a nod.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I say. The energy between us once again feels chill. He sits back down.

“How do you feel about Chinese?” He asks, grabbing his phone out of his pocket. I smile.

“Sounds good.”

Translations

Ch 5

Tags: @crocs-blogs @madschiavelique @arithestrawberry @eveandtheturtles @obi-mom-kenobi @thelaundrybitch @symmetricalkazekage @raphsmuneca @tojishugetiddies @kazunewolfwood-blog

[annlillyjose]

Dairy Whiskey – Update 02

[image description: a branch of clustered dark green leaves in the background. in the center, a white serif font reads, “dairy whiskey – update 02”. / end id]

hi hi hello! guess who’s back with another dairy whiskey update! it’s me.

so, there’s not much to share about what happened behind the scenes for this update, because it was a little while back and i really don’t remember what exactly happened. all i can say is, this update covers the longest chapter in the whole book, complete (as of now) at 11,293 words. crazy, i know. concerning, too, i know. but you gotta do what you gotta do to keep the story going.

the draft is at 30k rn and the goal is 50k. please send me some good vibes so the next 20k can somehow just happen to me.

enough with this blabber. moving on to the update.

excerpts and taglist under the cut.

disclaimer: this is an original work of fiction. plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated.

TWs: this novel deals with themes of childhood and religious trauma, sexual, emotional, and substance abuse, mental health issues, self-harm, abortion, etc. so please be kind on yourself and read ahead only if you feel comfortable. This update in particular deals with a lot of graphic mentions of self-harm, knives, blood, and suicidal ideation, so please feel free to skip this update if it might upset you at all.

because i intend on publishing this book, i will not be elaborating on the scenes i'm sharing. i'd like to keep the plot private, but i'll mention what every excerpt is about. i hope it'll make some sense, but if it doesn't, i sincerely apologise.

chapter four – gold, frankincense, and myrrh

this chapter begins with dinah's father being gone, and her getting ready to go to church to meet austin.

this is the opening.

Rains had calmed by that day’s sunrise, unfurling a mute mustard morning, soaked in shattered birdsong. Old teakwood doors breathed again in their frames. Warm rays of golden sunlight cusped the living room’s corners. Through an open window, a chiffon breeze swung its way in, humming against cold concrete. Abstract shadows of guava branches rippled on one of the walls. Father had been gone for six days.

here's an excerpt of dinah being confused by the smell of food in their house because after the grandmother died, nobody had been cooking. guess who's the chef today?

The clank of steel vessels drew me to the kitchen. At first, I thought it was a mouse, but when the noise persisted, I got closer to the door. Ephron’s silhouette staggered on the beige wall. I should’ve walked away, but the smell of coriander and garam masala tingled my skin. With grandmother now gone, there had been no cooking in the house. Since coming back, I’d eaten a whole packet of milk bread that had expired half-way through.

The kitchen had begun to smell like fungi and neglect. But today, Ephron had reopened it. Wearing a blue t-shirt and a pair of black shorts, he sauteed onions in a non-stick frying pan. Beside an open pressure cooker on the counter, boiled potatoes were waiting to get mashed in a glass bowl. In a ceramic plate, chopped tomatoes and shallots crowded next to each other. Next to it, on a steel lid, was a spoonful of turmeric powder.

honestly, just reading this back is making me hungry. talking about hunger, here's a big excerpt, featuring all the foods mariam used to cook for her kids (when she was still around).

On all school days, mother would make chapatis for breakfast. She made the dough in boiling water and kneaded it soft on the grinding stone. Then she’d rest it for an hour under a piece of wet muslin cloth. When we sat at the table for breakfast, she’d first give us a glass of Horlicks. We had a race amongst us on who would finish their glass first, and it was always Ephron who won. By the time we were done, which wasn’t much later, there’d a hot chapati glazed in ghee on our plates. We’d each eat two and sprint out the front door in our navy uniforms and ScooBee Day backpacks. In the evenings, we ate aval – flattened rice cooked in shredded coconut and jaggery. Some days, she made pazhampori – ripe banana fritters – and on others, carrot halwa, grated beetroot slow-cooked in coconut milk and sugar, or fruit salad with vanilla custard. In the weeks following Christmas and Easter, we ate dry plum cake with lemonade. She bought us Good Day cashew biscuits and filled our snack bowls with salted almonds. Because she preferred a low-on-rice diet, gran disliked mother’s feeding choices. But, relentlessly, she sticked to serving us hot chapatis on school mornings. After she left, there was more variation in the breakfast menu, with idli, dosa, appam, idiyappam, tapioca, jackfruit, yam, and other tuber crops from the landholding. Still, after all those years, the grease of her ghee-coated chapatis remained unmatched, like many other things after she broke off. The cracks of this insufficiency widened, forming a ridge; a cliff from the end of which we dangled, like Christmas ornaments with their enamel coating chipped off.

now if that doesn't make your mouth watery, i don't know what will. but let's move on for now and read a scene where dinah is in her post-meltdown phase, relying on ephron a little bit and trusting him a little bit, mostly because she can't move her body and has no energy left in her to fight. honestly, feels girl! i see you!

Aftershave evaporated from his face, swinging heat waves against my cheek. I submitted to my body’s tiredness. The room began to heat up with the sun now hitting straight through the window. On the red refrigerator, the window’s rails formed shadows in grids. Ephron’s breath rumbled politely in my ears. Nauseous and dizzy, I made no attempts to leave. Instead, I closed my eyes to pitch black.

now, let's see what dinah does when the father comes home and orders her to make him a lemonade.

I hated father, so I put dishwashing liquid in his lemonade. I scooped out the froth and served it to him in a fancy glass with enamelled blue flowers on it. I hated father, so I wanted to make him feel something.

can we all take a moment to appreciate her anger issues? to be fair though, trust me, there's reason enough.

after this, dinah has a conversation with ephron where he reveals a secret he had been keeping for a long while, and like the chaotic humans they are, they end up in a fight. but gladly, this fight ends up in more resolution than the previous ones and they end up falling asleep on the floor in dinah's room.

quick note: yes, ephron is still an abuser and this is not a redemption arc. this is not a story that will justify an abuser or take sides with one. this is only a story that explore a more nuanced relationship in all its complex, messy, and concerning ways.

vignette four – forgive me, abba

this vignette details a secret that ephron had been keeping, but is written sort of in the form of a prose poem. for spoiler reasons again, sharing only the last part of it.

But you are a father, and even when his hands overflow with yours and the taste of you keeps dripping from his mouth, he keeps shut. He sets himself on fire because everything will be okay. The fire spreads, the town dies, the sky turns blood red.

But it will be okay. You are a father.

Your son is your son only until you feed him fear.

After these pass, he is a house, and his secrets – arson.

so, that's it for this update. hope you enjoyed reading my work. like i mentioned, please send me your best writer luck vibes because finishing this novel is not only a need, but a necessity right now. i need to be able to get this out of my system before i can work on anything else. and besides, i've been working on this for almost two years and i have to wind this up as soon as i can.

hope you have been keeping well and hope writing has been going good for you.

– love and light, ann!

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[dragon-kazansky]

Made with love | Helmut Zemo

Chef Zemo AU! 👨‍🍳

Gender neutral reader

Collage by @realremyd

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Part 8

Helmut Zemo was waiting outside of the airport with his car. He parked as close as he could to the doors, right where you should be able to see him when you came out.

It had been a month. You had gone back home to sort out your affairs, with the help of your darling friend Wanda Maximoff, and had done everything you needed to. Things you had sent over were now tucked away safely at home.

Your home. The one you would now share with him.

He checked his watch for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. He had closed up the restaurant today, wanting to spend it all with you. He just wanted you back in his arms.

Every time the doors opened he would wat h the crowds with Ken eyes, waiting. Yet, you hadn't come out. He sighed as he waits.

Both you and Wanda assured him you would arrive in time. You were even bringing another friend to stay a while.

Over the last month you had been constantly messaging and calling one another. Mostly about all these plans you had cor the restaurant, but also about the two of you.

Helmut promised that once you had moved in, he would spoil you. He was going to make you so very happy.

The doors opened again. His eyes focused on the crowd. His heart began to race and his lips curled into a smile.

There you were. Just as beautiful as he remembered.

Your eyes found his. Friends instantly forgotten, you run toward him. Helmut pushes off his car, opens his arms wide, and meets you about halfway. You collide into him. His arms are instantly wrapped around you and his lips claim yours.

Wanda and Natasha stand by, watching you.

Natasha had heard lots about this Helmut Zemo. Though Wanda was your best friend, Natasha was a special friend too. She was protective over you and wanted to meet the man who had stolen your heart.

Wanda coughs loudly.

You pull away from Zemo, but kept your arms around him, turning to look at your friends with a sheepish smile.

Helmut wasn't even looking at your friends. He could see only you.

"This is Natasha, my other friend. I've told her all about you," you say, looking at him.

"It's nice to meet you," he says, glancing at her. She nods.

"Likewise."

His eyes turns back to you and he has that goofy smile on his face again. He unlocks the car and let's you all in, obviously with you sitting upfront with him.

"Any news on Stark?" You ask, once the car sets off.

"He is doing well. His restaurant is a success."

"And Escorpión Morado?"

"Still open."

You don't like the look on his face or the tone of his voice.

"Helmut?"

He glances at you.

"Stark is stealing my customers. Business is declining and I don't think we have much time before it's out of control."

You look at him, lips tugging into a frown.

"Good thing I'm here then."

He glances at you again, his own lips curling into a smile.

"Yes. It is."

He drives you to the apartment, the girls follow you both up to where Zemo lives and you all enter the main living space.

"My new home."

Helmut comes up behind you and snakes his arms around you, pulling you into his chest. He kisses your cheek and then rests his head in your shoudler.

"Our home."

Wanda taps Natasha on the shoulder and they make their leave, going to stay at the hotel. Once the door closes behind them, Helmut turns you around and kisses you again.

"Welcome home."

You smile softly.

"Thank you."

You were a Sokovian citizen now. It was a lot more straightforward than you had thought.

You're very happy to be here.

"So, the restaurant. I take it it's not open today."

"No. I let Sam and James have the day off so I could meet you and bring you home. Your things are in your room."

"Thank you, but still, are you prepared to go through with this?" You ask.

"Yes. Help me save my restaurant. I need you."

You smile.

"I know you do."

You take both of his hands in yours and hold them, squeezing them lightly.

He smiles handsomely at you. He's never felt so lucky in his life before.

"Where do you want to get started?" You ask.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, obviously the menu is important, but what if we start planning the new look for your restaurant. Let's show Stark that with have both good taste in food and interior design. I was doing some shopping and found a fee things. Want to check them out?"

He nods. You ask him to take a seat while you fetch your laptop. You open it on the table in front of you, as you sit next to him.

You're sitting nice and close. His arm settled right next to yours. His knee nudges yours lightly as he rests his elbows on his open lap.

You open up all the tabs you had saved.

"You really have been doing your research," he chuckles.

"I have. New furniture, new floors, new decor and lights. You can pick everything, it is your restaurant. Remember, we're not replacing the restaurant, we are sprucing it up, giving it a new look."

He smiles softly as he looks at you.

"Well, take a look, Helmut."

He turns his eyes back to the laptop, wishing to look at you little longer. He scrolls theough the choices and you make notes on all the things he likes. You help him because what looks good with what, and before you know, you can almost see how it will look.

A couple hours later you get a message on your phone.

Wanda: Breaking in the mattress yet? ;)

You: OMG, WANDA, STOP!

Wanda: What have you been doing then?

You: Redesigning the restaurant. What about you and Nat?

Wanda: Drinks!

You roll your eyes and reply:

You: Not surprised. Have fun! See you later.

You put your phone down and ignore any incoming messages after that.

"Are you hungry?" Helmut asks, raising from the sofa.

"Yeah, actually."

He holds out his hand. You take it and let him pull you up and lead you into the kitchen. He only let's go of your hand to grab his apron and put it on. He then, very smoothly, moves around the kitchen grabbing ingredients.

"What are you making?"

"Schnitzel," he grins at you.

"Is there anything you can't cook?" You chuckle. It's very clear this man has done some globe trotting of his own.

"Many things, but I can also make many things too," he winks at you as he sets up a pan, ready for cooking.

You come to stand beside him. He presents two pieces of pork which he quickly works on pounding thinly. He sprinkles them with salt and pepper.

"Have you ever had schnitzel?"

"No. Which I should be ashamed of considering I have been to Germany."

"Then it will be my honour to give you your ever first!"

You chuckle softly.

He slides over to the empty space of his counter and puts down a bowl and two plates. One plate with flour and salt, the bowl with eggs which he let's you beat, and the final plate with breadcrumbs.

This man's own kitchen is stocked with everything he could need. As you look at him in his own kitchen, which you suppose you can also call your own now, you realise just how much he loves cooking.

"I'll do the first one, you can do the second one, alright?"

You nod.

You watch as he picks up the first piece of pork. He coats it in flour on both side, then into the egg on both sides, and then into the breadcrumbs. He shakes off any excess and pops it into the pan he prepared.

"You next."

You pick up the other piece and do exactly as he had done. Into the flour, into the egg, into the breadcrumbs. You shake off the excess like he had done and he steps back as you place it in the pan.

What you didn't expect was for him to cage you in. He lifts one of your hands to the pan and stands right behind you as you now both cook.

You can hear his soft breathing in your ear. The hand he has resting on your hip make your spine tingle. You're very much aware of how close he is to you.

His lips brush against your ear.

You shiver involuntarily.

He chuckles softly, his breath brushing the shell of your ear.

Before you can think too much about what he's doing, he promptly take the schnitzel out of the pan and onto a plate with paper towels on it. He leaves you rather quickly, going to pick up some leafy salad from fridge.

You take a deep breath and try to keep your composure. God, the way he makes you feel!

He returns and plates up the schnitzel, slicing a lemon and placing the slices on top of each one, serving with a bit of the salad.

He turns to you with a smile.

"Schnitzel."

You chuckle and take one of the plates. You both sit down and tuck in. Once again you're left blown away by this man's skill, but there was also the fact you helped.

Zemo makes a low moan after eating some of his.

"This is good."

"I should hope so, you made it."

He chuckles, looking at you.

"Actually you did. This is the one you prepared."

You look down at his plate. He had purposely taken the one you had done. You smile softly.

"You're eating my one?"

"Yes."

You bite your lip shyly. Once again he leaves you a shy blushing mess.

When you finished eating, Helmut cleaned up, though you did make a fuss about helping him. After losing that little argument, you headed to your room.

For a spare room it was big enough for you. You could fit in quite nicely here. You unpacked your cases and spent a bit of time planning on where this is would go or what you would need to buy. This was your space. You would make it your own.

A knock on the door had you sitting up on your bed. Your handsome chef enters the room and smiles at you.

"What do you think?" He asks.

"I like it."

Helmut sits down on the bed with you and pus you into his side. You cuddle against him, feeling content.

"I'll get to see you every day now."

You chuckle softly.

"Yes. Lucky bastard, aren't you?"

"I'd say so."

You kiss him softly. He places a hand on your cheek and looks at you with the softest gaze.

He almost wants to say it.

He doesn't.

Not yet.

You smile softly as you close your eyes and sit with him in the quiet room.

Today is the beginning of the next chapter of your lives.

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