#Why am I keeping track of this day? It amused me greatly in a dark time

[iamterra]

Happy 5th year anniversary day to Raid Area 51!

They can't stop us all!

[mint-yooxgi]

{6} - Obsession

Yandere AU - Part of the EXO Obsession Series

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst

Pairing: EXO OT9 X Reader (with a particular focus on X-EXO)

Words: 3,742

Warnings: This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: It's finally here! Yay! After months of waiting, I really hope you all enjoy the update as well as what I have planned for the rest of the series. So, since this is posted on a Friday, Friday's will be Obsession posting days, but every two weeks! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Previous ~ Next

“How did you-“

“Find you? Get in?” He cuts you off before you can even finish your question. “Tracking you was the easy part. All I had to do was follow your scent. Once I picked up on that, I found this quant abode here and waited to see if you would actually show up. Once you did, I knew I had you. You’re cautious, I’ll give you that, but I’m quicker.”

Your eyes narrow as he stands up from the chair. Who knows how long he’s known about this place, and if he can find it, then his original most certainly can, too. You need answers, and you’ll make sure he give them to you.

“How long?”

“About three days,” he hums, nonchalantly.

“Why wait until now to make your move?” You watch him carefully, analyzing every move he makes as he starts to pace the opposite side of your room slowly, each step deliberately dragged out.

The grip you have on the blade in your hand tightens.

“It’s the perfect time, is it not?” Suho quirks a brow in amusement. You’ve never seen him act like this before, an air of arrogance surrounding him as he takes another step. “We’ve successfully infiltrated the compound. The morale of the team is failing, and you’re upset about the ring. What better time to make my appearance than now when I can make the first move? Tell me, has my other self offered you solace yet?”

“You should know,” you retort, shoulders tense.

“I bet he was livid when he found out you didn’t trust him with something as important, as precious to you as that ring. I know I was,” he chuckles, halting his movements for the time being in favour of turning to face you head on. “Let me guess, he told you not to hesitate to call him for anything at all.”

Your breath hitches slightly at the way he says those words, exactly as Junmyeon had said them earlier that same day. A smirk dances on his features: he’s got you.

“If only my original wasn’t such a coward,” he tuts. “We could have been together by now, but no. He’s too concerned about appearances and whatnot.”

“He’s doing better than you,” you counter, and he quirks a brow, clearly amused by your pointed tone.

“Don’t lie to yourself, love,” in an instant, he has you pinned to the wall, hand gripping your one wrist firmly enough to have you dropping your grip on the blade you’re holding. The blade falls to the floor with a small clatter. A gasp escapes your lips as you feel his breath ghost your ear, his voice low as he says, “I could hear your heart racing in excitement all the way across the room.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” your voice is low in response, playing him at his own game as your own breath hits his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. “Now, get off of me before I make you.”

You’re surprised by his bold actions, but also, from the way he’s been acting, you’ve been expecting him to get in closer any minute. You’d prefer not to be in this position with him for much longer, but perhaps you can use it to your advantage. It’s not like you’re enjoying all of this back and forth.

However, to a pair of prying eyes looking in from the darkness of the foliage outside your window, this position you find yourself in appears in quite the contrast to how you really feel on the inside.

“I’d like to see you try,” you can practically hear the smirk in his voice as he drags his nose along the column of your neck, pushing his body even further into yours as he keeps you pinned against the wall. His free hand that had previously been holding onto your waist drifts lower, grabbing the underside of your one thigh and tugging it up so your leg comes to wrap around his waist. He’s only ever dreamed of being in this sort of position with you, and now that he is, he wants to savour the feeling for as long as he can.

“Suho,” your voice is nothing but a warning, and you can feel him tense against you, a sigh falling from his lips.

“Again, with that name,” he leans back slightly, just enough to be able to stare into your eyes properly. “I’d prefer it if you called me by my name, love.”

“I’ll call you whatever the hell I want to until you get off of me,” you retort, and though you can see the amusement shining in his eyes, he reluctantly lets you go, taking a few steps back to give you some space. Rubbing at your wrist which had been previously held in his grip, you eye him warily, but you play along. For now. “Thank you, Junmyeon.”

A smug smile tugs at his lips, “there, now, was that so hard?”

You stare at him for a moment, adjusting your stance until you feel the coolness of the metal from the blade against your foot. In the blink of an eye, you manage to drop your body in a roll, grabbing the blade, once more holding it in your hand. Your stare is cold as you remain crouched low to the ground, holding the blade in front of you firmly.

“What is it that you want?” You ask, hearing him let out another sigh at your behaviour.

“I thought I- we made that obvious,” he replies, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “You.”

“Then why go to all this trouble to get me? Why not just take me now?”

“It’s like we’ve already said, we want you to come to us rather than us just taking you, but we will resort to those means if necessary.” He says.

“Even if that means hurting me?” This time, it’s your turn to quirk a brow.

“We wouldn’t ever dream of hurting you,” he replies with no hesitation. “The others, on the other hand, are fair game.”

“You of all people should know that hurting them would be like hurting me, no matter how you try and frame it,” you say. “Besides, what’s to stop me from plunging this dagger into my own heart right here, right now?”

“Ah, yes, your seemingly noble act of self-sacrifice,” he hums. “Go ahead, I won’t stop you this time. The others aren’t around to do anything about it either.”

“You seem confident I won’t do it,” flipping the dagger, you point the tip at your chest and you notice him falter slightly before righting himself once more. Seems he’s had a change of heart.

“You may talk big, but you and I both know that you don’t want to die,” Suho’s voice is level, confident in what he’s saying. “No matter how brave of a face you put on, I know the truth. The thought of death terrifies you.”

You grit your teeth, grip becoming so tight on the blade your hand starts to cramp. How he knows this fact is beyond you, and you’re shocked he’d even bring it up at all. Sure you may put on a tough facade for your team most of the time, but he’s right. Death has always terrified you, but your sense of duty has always overpowered that fear.

“Your silence speaks volumes, love,” he smirks, moving over to the patio doors attached to your room. His eyes catch a slight movement as he slides the door open, a gentle breeze drifting through the room as he turns his head to look at you from over his shoulder. “You have three days, and then we’re coming for you. You best be ready for when that time comes.”

Without another word, he’s disappeared, nothing but your open patio door serving as a reminder to what has just transpired in your room moments before.

Letting out a sigh of relief, you release the breath you had unwillingly been holding. The dagger in your hand falls to the floor once more as you relax your tense muscles. Everything has just gotten that much more complicated.

Clearing your mind in the next moment, you stand quickly, locking your patio doors and moving to set your alarm. The last thing you need is another unexpected visit from one of the other clones today.

Picking the blade back up, you keep it at your side as you walk through your house. Doing the only thing you can think of at this time to do, you call Kyungsoo.

Explaining the situation to him takes no more than two minutes, and you can hear him exhale loudly on the other end of the phone.

“You know what this means, right?” He asks, and you can hear some shuffling coming from his end.

“I am aware, yes,” you reply, running a hand over your face as you stare at your tired reflection in the hallway mirror. “I could use all the help I can get at this point.”

“We’ll be there in less than an hour,” is the last thing you hear before the line goes dead. Trust Kyungsoo to always be on top of things when stuff like this happens. Now, all that’s left to do is wait until they arrive.

Meanwhile, as soon as he ends the call with you, Kyungsoo lets out another sigh. You just can’t seem to catch a break.

“What’s wrong?” Yixing peeks his head over the monitors at Kyungsoo.

“Get Minseok, we’re leaving,” is the only reply he gets. “I’ll explain on the way.”

The two share a look, and it’s enough for Yixing to understand that this is about you. Something’s happened, and he knows it’s serious if Kyungsoo refuses to even divulge the topic while at the compound. Too many prying eyes, and ears for that matter.

Not even ten minutes later, the three of them are all packed into Kyungsoo’s car, heading straight to the highway in order to get to your place. Granted, they did have to dodge some questions from your strike team about where they’re going. Luckily, they managed to escape without too many suspicions raised. At least, that’s what they think.

“Is it just me, or are the techs all suspiciously acting real close to (Y/n) all of a sudden?” Baekhyun voices as the six of them go over their stations once more to make sure they didn’t miss filing anything that got stolen by the clones.

“Jun, Dae and I did sort of walk in on them talking about something in her office yesterday,” Sehun recalls, tapping the pen he’s holding on the bottom of his chin as he recalls the hushed whispers he had heard through the door. “It sounded important.”

“You guys don’t think something else has happened regarding our clones, has it?” Jongin furrows his brow in concern, sharing a look with each of his teammates.

“I don’t think they’re being completely honest with us,” Junmyeon adds, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Shouldn’t we give them the benefit of the doubt, though?” Chanyeol reasons, resting the clipboard he’s holding on his hip. “They are our teammates, I’m sure they’d tell us if it were important.”

“Baekhyun’s right,” Jongdae says, and all eyes turn to look at him. “Clearly there’s an air of distrust between us, especially now that the clones have infiltrated the compound and taken her ring.”

“What ring?” Jongin’s brow furrows even further in confusion. So far, he’s the only one who hasn’t received an explanation for it. “You mean the one she came in seething about today while we were in interrogation?”

“Yeah,” Jongdae confirms. “If Kyungsoo was the only other one beside me who knew about it, and Yixing and Minseok are practically uninvolved in this, I’d say they’re probably the people she trusts most right now.”

“This is ridiculous,” Baekhyun huffs.

“Like it or not, Jongdae’s right,” Junmyeon sighs.

“Wait, hold up,” Jongin interjects. “Will one of you please explain this ring to me?”

“It was her grandmother’s ring, given to her to give to the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with,” Sehun explains, a slight daze falling over his features as he recounts everything you told them. Once he’s done explaining, Jongin falls silent.

“Oh,” he breathes, the same thoughts coursing through his head as with the others when they first learnt of this ring. “Well, clearly we need to find the clones and get this ring back as soon as we can.”

“That’s the plan,” Chanyeol nods, only causing Baekhyun to frown with the growing tension now engulfing the room. Each of them want to be the one to get that ring back and destroy their clones first to prove to you that they are the one that is worthy to be yours.

“We need to work together, lest we want to fall apart,” Jongdae says, somewhat hesitantly.

A brief silence settles over the six of them, a few of them nodding their agreement. However, each pair of eyes holds wariness in them, not knowing if they can trust each other to the extent that they have in the past.

“Who’s going to give her the ring back when we find it?” Baekhyun asks, and it’s like someone has stolen all the air from the room as soon as the words leave his lips.

“I am,” both Jongdae and Junmyeon answer at the same time, immediately turning to glare at the other in response.

“I’m her second in command, it would make sense for me to return it to her in the end,” Junmyeon explains.

“And I was the one who got her into this mess with the ring in the first place, so it would make most sense if I’m the one to return it to her,” Jongdae counters.

“You just want to make yourself look like the hero in her eyes,” Junmyeon narrows his eyes at Jongdae, a silent warning to not challenge him right now.

“Like you’re any different,” Jongdae scoffs, standing up from his seated position on the bench. “You’re just hoping she’ll tell you to keep the ring once you present it back to her.”

“Now wait just a fucking minute-” this time, its Baekhyun who stands, a fire lit behind his eyes as the six of them begin to argue over who will get to present you your ring once they get it back.

With each passing minute, their voices grow louder. So much so, that their shouting can be heard all the way from outside the room, though half of it is incoherent. By the time another person enters the room, Chanyeol has Sehun pinned against the wall, sparks are dancing along Jongdae’s fingertips as Junmyeon takes a fighting stance, and Baekhyun is reaching for his switchblade to point at Jongin’s throat.

“Enough!” Dahyun’s voice booms across the room, successfully startling the six men out of their blind rage. “Now, I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but you’re all acting like wild animals. No, even wild animals have more decency than you guys right now. There is a crisis going on here, the last thing we need is to be infighting with one another. Pull yourselves together! Go home and get some rest; take a breather and start fresh tomorrow. There are bigger things at play here than what meets the eye.”

At her words, they all straighten themselves out. Sehun, Chanyeol and Jongin hang their heads slightly in shame, while Baekhyun, Junmyeon, and Jongdae all scowl.

“Good,” she nods once she sees that they’ve all calmed down somewhat. “Oh, and by the way, you two,” she motions to Jongdae and Jongin, “are cleared. Now, I repeat, go home and get some rest. We all need it.”

Without another word, she exits the room, leaving the six of them in a tense silence.

As each of them pack up for the evening, all of their minds are on one thing. Proving themselves to you by making sure that they are the only one to get your ring back for you.

Meanwhile, back at your place, you’ve just finished letting Kyungsoo, Minseok, and Yixing in. Quickly locking your door once more, you turn to face the men now standing in your hallway, two with looks of awe on their faces as they take in your house.

“Damn, (Y/n), didn’t know you had a home away from home,” Minseok muses, quirking a brow at you playfully.

“Maybe we should ‘stay with Kyungsoo’ more often, too,” Yixing jokes, causing you to crack a tense smile.

“Surprise,” you chuckle humourlessly, motioning with your head for them to head to the living room so you can all talk.

“Have you-“

“Already triple checked for bugs and any possible changes to my security system,” you cut Kyungsoo off. “I found none, but you’re free to check while I fill these two in.”

A nod is all you receive from Kyungsoo as you make it to your living room and sit on the couch, motioning for both Yixing and Minseok to join you. It takes about ten minutes to fill the two of them in since they kept asking questions. That, and you kept having to explain how you have this house, and why Kyungsoo was the only one to know about it. By the time you’re done, Kyungsoo rejoins the three of you.

“The good news is I found nothing,” he confirms what you’ve already deduced, you nodding to him in thanks.

“That’s good,” Yixing says, turning back to look at you.

“Hang on, I’m still not done processing what you’ve just told me about Suho,” Minseok shakes his head in disbelief. “That bastard did what?”

“Pinned me against the wall and grabbed my thigh to wrap my leg around his waist,” you reply calmly.

Kyungsoo’s eyes flash, “you failed to mention the leg part in your explanation earlier.”

“Did I?” You huff. “My bad.”

“Well, it’s very clear that you’re no longer safe here,” Yixing says. “At least by yourself.”

“That much is for certain,” you huff, leaning back on the couch.

“You’re still safer here than with one of us at our place,” Minseok notes, hand coming up to hold his chin as he thinks.

“That’s true, but who’s to say Junmyeon won’t do the exact same thing his clone did?” Yixing observes.

“I think Junmyeon has a little more dignity than his clone,” Kyungsoo adds. “Or at least, a little more respect for his captain.”

“I’d say so,” you sigh, bringing your one hand up to rub at your eyes. “He said I have three days. That means we only have two and a half to find them before they come for me. If that at all.”

“Already working on it,” Kyungsoo replies, pulling out his laptop from his bag. “Though I haven’t found much since this morning.”

“What program are you using?” Minseok leans over, watching as Kyungsoo types away on his laptop.

The two of them start conversing back and forth, working out the best means to find the clones before something else happens. Yixing takes this time to move beside you on the couch, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“Are you okay?” His voice is soft, expression showing nothing but concern for you.

“I will be,” you exhale a long breath.

“If those bastards so much as lay another finger on you…” he lets his threat linger in the air, eyes cold and unforgiving as they narrow at the wall.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Yixing,” you grin halfheartedly. “I’m sure it’ll all be okay.”

At least, that’s what you keep telling yourself.

“Either way, you shouldn’t be left by yourself anymore,” Minseok pipes up from beside Kyungsoo. You weren’t even aware he had been listening in.

“I agree,” Kyungsoo nods, not taking his eyes off of his screen for a moment.

“We should come up with a schedule then,” Yixing nods.

“Well, the others still think I’m staying at Kyungsoo’s place, so we have to time it so in case they go over to his place, he’s there when he’s supposed to be,” you comment, and you see them nod in understanding.

“So, night shifts?” Minseok turns to look at Kyungsoo, who glances up briefly and then proceeds to nod once before going back to focussing on his laptop. “Cool, then Yixing and I can rotate mornings and afternoons.”

“Sounds good to me,” Yixing says with a faint smile.

“You guys really don’t need to be doing this for me, you know,” you tell them, and you’re taken aback at the intensity of their stares as they all whip their heads to look at you.

“Of course we do,” Minseok replies, standing up from his position to come sit on your opposite side. “Your safety is our number one priority.”

“Okay, but I need at least one afternoon off per week,” you joke and they smirk along with you.

“Whatever you need, we’ll provide for you,” Yixing assures you, squeezing your shoulder lightly.

“Thanks guys,” you smile weakly, the stress of the whole situation weighing down on your shoulders even more so than before. Now, you can’t even be in your own home without worrying a clone will appear unannounced. “I really appreciate it.”

“Like we said,” Minseok pats your back reassuringly, “it’s no problem.”

The rest of the evening is spent finalizing the rotation schedule for the next three days. You’ve all agreed to take the next few days off just to be safe. Unless there’s an emergency, or something that one of them needs to grab, like equipment, none of you will be going into the compound for work.They’ll make sure nothing, no one can break into your house again. At least, not while they’re around.

The longer they spend with you, the better you feel. It’s nice to have the three of them there with you, not only for protection, but also for the company as well. If you were by yourself, you’d probably be extra paranoid right now. With good reason, too, for you have yet to notice that extra pair of eyes watching you, lurking just outside your house. Someone that your security system just can’t seem to pick up on.

[handy-dandy-monster-candy]

Ruathym, part Two

Rating: NSFW Words: 1219 Pairing: Male Drider x GN Reader

The second part of this dark “romance” for @kim-monsterlings

xxx

You play a game of cat and mouse, avoiding Ruathym in his own castle until he has no choice but to summon you through any servant who can manage to track you down. You learn the passageways like the back of your hand, daring to dart into any room at a moment’s notice to avoid the maids and soldiers and giant spiders that patrol the halls.

You’ve made a habit of crushing the little spies you find scuttling in the corners of the rooms you’re in for any period of time, checking every little crevice for webbing and four pairs of eyes. Instead of enraging him, your vehemence at maintaining some semblance of privacy seems to amuse Ruathym, who only continues to send smaller and smaller spiders to their deaths at your hands. Despite that, the back-and-forth between you two was just a way to pass the time. Ruathym himself never truly threatened or frightened you; that particular honour fell to his wife, the Queen.

Larger and more volatile in nature than Ruathym, the Queen hated the very air you breathed. An arranged marriage, there was no love lost in the relationship between the monarchs, but nevertheless there was a begrudging fondness between them that meant that she allowed you—his “pet”—to live. You learn very quickly to stay well out of her way, especially when she goes on one of her infamous rampages throughout the castle at any real or perceived slight.

The one spider you don’t avoid is Tinki, the kitten-sized spider that Ruathym gifted you with when you first arrived at the castle. Tinki is a colourful little ball of fluff who differs greatly from the earthy tones of most of the other spiders—incredibly venomous even to driders, but tame as a babe in your arms while you carry her around and rub her little thorax throughout your musings. She squeaks to let you know when you’ve been found, which is the only reason you see Ruathym coming before he can get a literal jump on you in the castle gardens.

“There you are.”

“Here I am,” you sigh back at the King, placing Tinki on your shoulder and scratching along her head as she wiggles her pleasure.

Ruathym lifts his brows. “I wasn’t aware I’d gotten a parrot. Get out of the dirt, you filthy little worm.”

“Worms are good for the earth,” you feel the need to reply, needling him even as you make yourself obey.

“And they’ll eat your eyes out when you’re dead,” Ruathym shoots back, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you against him.

You grimace. “Charming.”

Ruathym looks amused. “You can’t avoid me forever.”

“I can try.”

“And waste both of our lives? You’d be better off humouring the man helping you carry out your schemes.”

“I see no man,” you flatly reply, keeping your eyes on the King’s chest. “Only a very big bug.”

“Arachnid,” Ruathym grits out, though you can still hear a smile in his voice. “We eat little insects like you.”

You roll your eyes. “Bitch, bitch, posture, posture. What is it you want? I’m not giving it up in the garden again. You got thorns in my thighs the last time.”

Ruathym laughs, and you curse yourself for thinking that it’s one of the only truly lovely things about him. “I came to tell you that we’ve broken their ranks,” he says, startling you into a rare bout of speechlessness. “I have agents poised to strike at your beloved brother at my command. All you have to do is say the word.”

You take a moment to gather your thoughts. You remember being stabbed in your sleep in the shattered safety of your chambers by one of your most trusted advisors, the people turned against you by your charismatic younger brother. You remember your flight from the palace, stumbling and bleeding in the dark, the barking of hounds at your heels. You’d stolen a horse and fled into the forest, but the huntsmen chased you all the way to the cliffs where you tumbled with the poor beast into the frigid waters below.

You remember drowning, and you remember coming up for air against the rocks of the far shore after what felt like hours of being battered against rocks and down several mercifully small waterfalls. There, you were picked up by a scout of the driders who recognised your face, and you were saved from the brink of death just so that Ruathym could interrogate you and strike your deal.

Your fingers find the fresh scar tissue on your chest through your clothing, ice growing in the pit of your stomach. Ruathym is watching you expectantly when you finally look up into his ruby red eyes, and you give a short, sharp nod. “Do it.”

The King of the Driders flashes a feral grin down at you, all sharp teeth and gleaming fangs. Days later, distant smoke curls black and acrid from the direction of your former home, and you know the deed is done. You feel no triumph or grief; the fields in your heart have all but been salted, leaving you feeling only raw and tired. You almost sag back against Ruathym when he wraps his arms around you from behind like he had all those nights ago, drawing you away from the balcony and undressing you slowly. You don’t quite know why you allow it—the terms of the agreement had been fulfilled, after all—but you know that there is nothing left for you now that isn’t ash.

This time, when Ruathym takes you to bed, you don’t offer the token struggle. Instead, you surge up into his kisses with a desperate sort of passion, hands working the man’s thick, slippery cock once it slips free of his body. There’s a question in his eyes and you’re grateful that he doesn’t voice it, instead pushing you down against the bed and caging you in with his limbs. You hook your legs around his slender hips and push up into his thrusts when he slides into you, ignoring the burn of the stretch in your search for pleasure—for the ecstasy that you know will make it so that you don’t have to think about what you’ve done.

That night, he’s especially rough with you, but you’re not gentle with him, either. You pull his hair and bite his lips until he hisses and swears and fucks you until your voice breaks. He claws at you when you ride his dick, breaking skin, but you can’t bring yourself to care as his neurotoxin obliterates every flicker of coherent thought you might have had, leaving you a wanton mess. He’s never touched you this way before, kissed you this way before, fucked you this way before; it’s as if you’ve awoken something in him, primordial and deadly, and you’ve become his willing prey. You come hard when he pushes you over the edge again and again, fingers cramping in the sheets, spine arching until you’re almost bent backwards in his arms.

You regain consciousness later in the night with his fingers in your hair petting you as gently as one would pet a sleeping pup, and you know in your heart that you will never leave him. You have nowhere else to go.

[dollscircus]

Adenn Baar’ur - Chapter 2

(Merciless Medic)

(Inspired by Stubbychaos Paz x Nurse!Reader fic)

Summary: Finding an injured Mandalorian wasn’t how you expected the night to end; surprisingly forming a strange friendship with “Big Blue” however he begins to realise that you have a connection with another mandalorian which was unknown to you.

Paring: Paz Vizsla x F!Reader. F!Reader & Din Djarin (Siblings)

Includes: Wounds, swearing - Canon typical stuff. Also flirting and fluff.

Words: 2,226

Chapter 1 Chapter 3

A03. (Sometimes chapters are posted earlier on A03)

Tag list is open! Just send me an ask!

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As you woke up, your body felt so stiff. Letting out a quiet and drawn out groan, you turned your head towards the shuffling sounds. Aki and your cots were only separated by a flimsy scrap of fabric, she was always a morning person which greatly irritated you and you curl into yourself and let out a shudder but you let out a yell when the fabric was suddenly pulled to the side and a body dropping on top of you. Aki shook your shoulders while demanding you to wake up while your arm flew and your hip bucked up trying to kick her off. After a few moments of you and Aki yelling and fighting you both stopped. The woman was still straddling your waist when you picked the pillow up and covered your face with it.

“Get up- Y/N. You oughta get up.” She dropped her head so it rested on your shoulder, her breath brushing against your neck. It sent a shiver up your spine so you rolled to the side and that caused Aki to fall next to you.

“Nope. Didn’t get much sleep last night.” You said through the pillow but after you finished you removed the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Aki playfully scoffed and turned her to you.

“Yeah because you took in a patient when you had just done a twelve hour-“ She stopped when seeing your expression, it was tired and soulful. She saw the dried tear tracks under and on your cheeks, her lips parted slightly and her eyebrow furrowed slightly.

“Oh, you had-“ She trailed off as you nodded your head and let out a quiet and sad chuckle, “Alright, get some more sleep.” She leaned in and placed a kiss on your temple.

Aki disappeared down into the infirmary leaving you in the cot again, exhaustion still lingered on your body and mind yet your brain refused to let you fall back asleep. Scrunching up your face and you brought your hands up to your face, cupping your face. Letting out an annoyed groan. Your mind was still groggy as you were waking up so the memories were slowly coming back to you. The thought of Big Blue crossed your mind, your thoughts apron these memories fondly. Smiling slightly as your arms dropped to your side than the memories of Blue mentioning rumours. Rumours about you. You didn’t know if you should be insulted or flattered.

You sat in silence for way too long, after laying in bed for an unknown amount of time. You threw yourself up and off the cot quickly dressing yourself after deciding that you might as well get on with work. You mean, you were already awake. You walked into the infirmary as Aki was sending someone away when seeing you she scoffed and pointed towards the door;

“You barely slept, go back to bed. Medic.” Aki was careful not to say your name aloud. She didn’t know why but you’ve only told your name to her. You never wanted anyone to know your name so you earned the simple name of ‘medic’ or ‘nurse’ around Navarro. However, you must’ve earned a couple of other names that you weren’t aware of.

“‘M can’t sleep.” You scratched the bad of your head, “Might as well work.”

The day went as most days do until the evening - people came in bloodied and bruised you and Aki would patch them up then send them on their way however when it got dark a typically when you would really get the crazies. As you threw away the last bits of bloodies rag, Aki worked to restock the supplies but let out a sharp curse causing you to glance in her direction;

“We’re outta bacta spray.” She groaned while closing the cabinet, “Guess we’ll get some tomorrow-“

You sighed and rubbed the back of your neck, trying to soothe the soreness you felt in your neck. Your whole body was sore, practically begging for you to rest but you continued to work even saying to Aki that you’ll go get some from your usual supple guy.

“You really don’t have to-“ She started, “It’s late and I’m pretty sure Karkolt has a thing for you.” Karkolt was one creepy son of a bitch but small so relatively harmless, you put of a fake smile and replied with a light chuckle that

“I’ll use that to get them for cheap prices then!” Before Aki could protest anymore, you slung a bag over your shoulder and left the building.

Karkolt was your supplier. You weren’t sure where he got his supply’s from but you weren’t going to pass up the discounts you get for having a cute face. Despite how late it was, Karkolt never seemed to sleep so when you arrived at his house you weren’t worried about waking him up. Knocking on the door, you waited for a couple of moments before he opened it without sounding like a horrible person. The best way to describe Karkolt would be unsightly. However, you offered your typical fake smile and tone while greeting him.

“Medic! Lovely to see you!” He greeted, you could smell his breath from where you were standing but you’ve been around him enough time to be used to it.

“Karkolt.” You said, “You got any bacta spray left?”

He smiled, a smile that sent shivers up your spine as he gestured for you to come in. As you walked, his hand hovered over the small of your back. Maker, you were thankful he never actually touched you than all self restraint would’ve gone out the window. Sitting down on a chair as Karkolt disappeared into a separate room, you silence for a few moments while listening to the distant sounds of rustling.

The door slowly opening caused you to jump and your hand to rest your weapon. You've never run into Karkolt’s other customers but you guessed they weren’t all upstanding folks. However, you were presently surprised by who opened the door. Big Blue. It was comical how huge he looked in the door frame, the thought caused you to giggle before greeting him.

“Nice to see you haven’t been stabbed again-“ You said with a smile. He looked you over before replying with an amused voice.

“You following me, Adenn Baar’ur?” Maker, you had forgotten how those words sounded when he spoke them. Please keep speaking. You shook your head trying to rid yourself of that train of thought as you rose to your feet and pointed at him.

“I was here first- Blue. If anything, you’re following me.” Playfully, you tilted your head to the side in mock suspicion before adding, “Besides, I don’t chase after men. Do I look desperate?’ The following few second of silence made you frown but Blue spoke before you could,

“Of course not, mesh’la.”

“Oi, don’t use words I don’t understand. Mandalorian.”

“Or what?” His tone was increasingly playful and you felt a real smile plagued your lips, “You'll throw me across a table?”

Did he just- He did! How did he hear about that? You don’t like fighting- you never go out of your way to start a fight but where you work and who you work with might cause you to. You thought the advent he was referring to was when you had to stop by the cantina to speak to Greef about a payment and one of the hunters decided to get handsy with you. So naturally you threw him across a table- you're deceptively strong and he had to learn that the hard way. You felt your cheek grow warm in embarrassment, is that what you're known for?

“How did you-“ You began to question but much to your annoyance Karkolt returned with bags apron bags in his hands. His presence reminded you, why was Blue even here? Karkolt looked to Blue and greeted him with,

“Ah, I was wondering why you hadn’t picked up your shipment! Nice to see you aren’t dead.”

You glanced up at Blue and he simply nodded at the other man, who seemed to notice how close you were standing to Blue, which you hadn’t even noticed until Karkolt did a double take.

“I wasn’t aware that you too knew each other.” The way he said it was odd, there was annoyance laced in with his fake cheerful attitude. You coughed while moving away from Blue, painfully aware of your actions now. Taking the bags from Karkolt, you pack your own bag while he disappears again presumably to retrieve whatever Blue was here for. You dropped a few credits on a nearby table while throwing the bag over your shoulder. Looking to Blue before leaving you smiled and uttered,

“Goodnight Mandalorian.”

“Goodnight, mech’la.”

“That better be a nice word you’re calling me.”

He followed you to the door, as you stood outside looking in he tilted his helmet to the side as he spoke; “what else am I meant to call you? I don’t know your name.”

“That’s by design. You don’t get that until the fourth date.” You stopped for a second to playfully smirk, “Besides, I don’t know your name either.”

“Also by design.”

“Of course, Blue.”

“Then two dates to go.” You could hear the smirk in his voice, hearing it caused you to bite down a wide smile.

“No this isn’t a date- chance encounter and first time you were stabbed. Not sure about mandalorians but I like my dates to be romantic and not bloody.” You teased but the hardy chuckle from Blue caused you to falter, made even worse by him leaning down so his helmet was closer to your face.

“Then what would class as a date?”

“Are you asking me on one?” Your teasing didn’t give up though, who would break first. Surly not you, you didn’t have an delusions that he was only joking so-

“What if I say I am?“ He cooed, MAKER- dammit. You broke first.

“Then- I would say; I’m almost always at the infirmary. Stop by sometimes.”

“You didn’t answer my question- what would class be as a date? What do you class as a romantic little medic?”

“I dunno.” You tapped a finger on his helmet guessing where his nose was, “Figure it out, Blue.”

Finally you pulled your eyes away from Blue and turned away, hiding the wide smile that shaped your lips and stifling a giggle. You felt like a schoolgirl, giggling over a guy but you said screw it to yourself. This might not be anything, could just be some playful flirting. Whatever this was, it was interesting. You were in a good mood as you approached the infirmary and opened the door. Calling out to Aki but you were greeted by something slightly more concerning.

Standing in the center of the room was a human. You had seen him before- knew he was a bounty hunter. His blaster was pointed towards you, you narrowed your eyes and reached your hand toward your weapon, however he shot at the wall next to you, demanding that you don’t move. Your heart was rapidly beating in your chest, you felt a slight tremble in your hands and legs.

“How may I help you?” You stared, the fear just about visible in your voice.

“The mandalorian- he was here.” You looked him over, finally noticing his poorly patched up wounds and bruised face; You barely hid the amusement at the thought of Blue beating the snot out of him.

“Yes, but he’s not here now-“ You explained

“Where did he go?” He yelled, starting to approach you.

“I don’t know- I don’t follow the people I-“ He was close enough to now so struck the blaster against your skull startling you with the sudden pain, the shock caused you to freeze for a second so you didn’t reach for your weapon. Grasping the collar of your shirt he lifted you up and slammed you into the wall, you couldn’t hear much from the ringing in your ears.

“Where did he go!” He demanded, you could feel him wrapping your weapon and threw it to the side. You grasped his wrists as stared him in the eyes.

“I don’t. Know.” He growled and swung and punched you in the ribs. Winded, you tried to draw in a breath but failed to. Much to your horror, you heard a crack.

“Where.Is.He?” You weren’t a stupid person, so you carried two weapon, a blade withdrawing it you plunged it into his hip. He yelled and pulled back and stared at you before raising the blaster at you. About to fire you raised an arm to defend yourself but the shot never came but a shuffle and loud thud instead.

Opening your eyes while gasping for air, the throbbing pain in your rib kept you from moving too much. The bounty hunter was on the ground while Blue stood above him, relief washed over you as your body tried to fall over but Blue caught you in his arms. You let out a pathetic whimper as the pain clogged his mind.

“So you’re following me?” You teased, your voice was quiet and painful.

“Baar’ur.” He said sadly, “I’ve got you.”

Your vision was fading and your body gave up while you passed out.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

[alirhi]

WF chapter 18

Title: Winter's Frost Chapter: 18/? Fandom: MCU Rating: R to be on the safe side Pairing: Loki/Bucky Summary: Loki never told anyone the real reason he became so obsessed with Midgard. Much better to let them think he wanted to hurt his brother than draw their attention to the one thing in the universe that makes the God of Mischief truly vulnerable.

"If I hadn't carefully orchestrated it myself, I'd be deeply embarrassed that I was defeated by this band of buffoons!"

Bucky shook his head, hiding a smile as he ran his fingers through Loki's dark hair. "Just because you're a genius doesn't mean they're idiots. They might prove helpful."

Rolling his eyes, Loki grumbled, "It took them three days and the deaths of eighty innocent people to even bother trying to assemble a team."

"And who killed those people?"

He tensed. "A building collapsed on them! It was hardly my fault. Though they were quick to assign the blame to me, of course."

"If a building collapsed on them, can you really blame The Avengers for not rallying in time to save them?"

"James?"

"Hm?"

Shaking his head, he framed his lover's infuriatingly pretty face with both hands and kissed him. "Do be a dear and shut up."

Bucky smirked. "Put my mouth to better use, then."

"Haven't I already?"

"Alright, that's enough!" Stark chose that moment to burst through the door he'd locked them behind so he and the other Avengers could argue uninterrupted. "Frosty, Manchurian Candidate, you're up. And quit slobbering all over each other! I didn't put you in here to make a porno."

"I didn't ask you to film us," Loki shot back, his playful smirk turning into a grin when he felt Bucky tense and shake beneath him with suppressed laughter.

"Can he even consent?" He glanced at Bucky. "Can you even...? Do you even know what sex is? Just how scrambled is your brain?"

"I've got a kid," Bucky reminded him, all amusement gone from his suddenly steely expression. "I think I've got a pretty good handle on the process, yeah. My memory's spotty at best, but I'm not a robot." Under his breath, he grumbled, "Just make sure Natalia-sorry, Natasha – sticks to English, and we'll be fine."

"No one will ever use those words against you again," Loki swore, letting out an irritated huff at Stark's pointed look and making a grand show of his reluctance to comply as he peeled himself off of his beloved's lap. "Well? What is it you need?"

"Information. What this Thanos guy is after, where he's going, how long we've got... We need to know what you know."

"In general? We haven't that much time." Bucky pinched his arm and Loki rolled his eyes again. "Pertaining to the issue at hand, I'm afraid I've very little to offer." Still, he and Bucky followed Stark back out into the main room, hand in hand, to face the rest of the rather tense people who still believed Loki had been trying to kill them only a week earlier.

"Why should we trust you?" Banner asked him point-blank before he'd even reached the table the others were seated around.

Loki snorted. "Oh, heavens, don't! Never trust anyone."

"Loki..."

Sighing, he gave Thor a snarky look and went on, "If I think there's even a chance your deaths will save my family, I will not hesitate to push any one of you in front of a blade or blast. My partner and daughter are my priority, first and always."

"For the record," Bucky piped up somewhat timidly, even adorably raising his hand like a schoolchild. He cast Rogers an apologetic look and mumbled, "Same. I love you, Steve – I barely remember you, but I love you like a very annoying kid brother. But if it ever comes to a choice between saving you or Eira, you're a human shield and I'm running very far away with her."

To his credit, Rogers laughed and ruffled his childhood friend's hair. "Even without your memories, you're still the same protective, pragmatic Buck. I wouldn't have it any other way. Anyone here take issue with parents prioritizing their child's life?"

Thor chuckled, looking uncomfortable. "I'll happily smack some sense into anyone who does. She's a baby; there should never be a second's hesitation."

"Speaking of shields," Loki cut in, hiding a surprised smile at the unexpected support and attempting to get the conversation back on track, "are we going to address the issue of HYDRA operatives within SHIELD's ranks as a group, or am I left to indiscriminately annihilate them all myself?"

"What?!"

"HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD?!"

"I keep telling you not to trust those shady government types."

"Fury's one of those 'shady government types' and he saved your ass, Stark!"

"Oh, did he? Is that what you call firing a nuke at New York City?"

"Fury didn't do that and you know it!"

"Um, no. I don't know that, actually. What I know is that your bosses tried to level Manhattan and I almost died on the wrong side of a wormhole to space, so trusting them? Not high on my list right now."

"For Frigga's sake!" Loki shouted, dropping his head into his hands. "No bloody wonder you people needed my help to 'defeat' me!"

Five incredulous stares – along with one embarrassed and one greatly amused – met this exclamation. Grateful that the stares at least came with silence, he began ticking points off on his fingers as he spoke. "Creating a scene in Germany so I'd be easy to find, allowing you to 'capture' me..." ensuring Thor's relative safety while getting him out of my way. Even with their gradually mending relationship, he'd never admit that aloud. Allowing the thought to pass by unvoiced, he skipped to the next: "Keeping that vessel you were on from falling apart or crashing before you could repair the turbine, setting up the portal in the most painfully obvious place on your little planet! Waiting around for you to catch up, ensuring Stark had safeguards in place before ejecting him out of a window so he wouldn't die – I quite like you, Stark. I would truly have hated to see you splattered on the pavement."

"Um... Thanks?"

Romanov was still staring at him as though he'd grown another head. He was tempted to do so, just to see if the saying proved true, or if her expression would actually change. "So you're saying you lost on purpose?"

"Oh, did you think five little humans actually brought down a God?" The mocking smile he gave her, and her sour look in return, brought him such immense joy that for a brief, shining moment, he almost forgot that the entire universe was in mortal peril. "That is adorable."

For the briefest of moments, he'd also forgotten about Banner. He cringed when from the other end of the table he heard a quiet, "Should I let the other guy out to play and see how 'adorable' you still think we are?"

"Even the beast won't be able to stand against Thanos," Loki pointed out, hiding his discomfort and getting back to the main topic. "And now that you have two of the artifacts he's hunting for, he'll be coming straight for you."

"No, we don't." Barton's tone started out casually dismissive, but grew more concerned as he went on. "I mean, they're here on the planet, but we don't have them."

Everyone seated around the table seemed to realize the full implications of the shit storm ahead of them at once. As expressions crumbled from bored or concerned to alarmed and then to an odd combination of panicked and weary, Romanov groaned. "SHIELD has them."

Loki was beginning to think he should simply glue his hand to his face. "I hate you all."

___________________________________________________

Next Masterlist

[thestartline]

NYLON JAPAN February Issue - Stray Kids Eng Trans

NYLON JAPAN February Issue - Stray Kids Eng Trans

The world based Stray Kids has appeared for the first time!

At the start of the year, I read a fortune telling column on some magazine, that I’ll have a new encounter during the latter half of the year. The new counter in the latter half of 2019 was with Stray Kids, and the fortune telling was true. The shock I had when I first saw Stray Kids. Their fluid but powerful dancing, vocals that captured anyone who listened to them, and their rap performance as goo as any hip hop artist. Anyone who sees their stage will for sure be captivated by them. For the first time, Stray Kids have appeared solo on a Japanese magazine, and on the cover of NYLON guys. After their debut in Korea in 2018, they quickly went on a very successful world tour, showcasing their popularity and significance not only within Asia but all over the world. They have finally announced their long awaited Japanese debut in March of 2020. As for a boy group which is world based, this might be something normal. We will introduce Stray Kids who will surely become the icon of all boys group, through their fortune tellings and special photoshoot by NYLON JAPAN.

Lee Know

Known for his powerful and flexible dance. From his beautiful sculpted face, he is named the “Dancing Gem” by the fans. From Korea. 

Fortune SKZ2020 >> Lee Know

The year which will determine which direction to go forward to. Your surroundings might be surprised by your decisions in March. Your childish side will need to be toned down. There may be a possibility that you’ll wish to pursue something on the world level in August. Need to be cautious of your responsible nature and how you may try too hard at times. On your own pace, have fun both personally and officially!

Changbin

A skillful rapper known for his dark voice. Also highly regarded for his lyric writing. Often teased within the group. From Korea. 

Fortune SKZ2020 >> Changbin 

Your heart will be filled with happiness in 2020. During the winter, you will be concerned with your surroundings more than yourself which might be troubling, but by April, you will find a peaceful solution. From May will be a time to learn, and there will be more areas which will need to be understood. By September, you may possibly try something new! If you feel stuck, try relying on I.N.!

Hyunjin

With his sweet face, he is a visual that everyone admits. A dancer that leads Stray Kids. From Korea.

Fortune SKZ2020 >> Hyunjin

Anyone who sees you will understand its a happy year for you. If there is anything you wish to try, try saying it out loud! If it is accepted, April may become a fun month for you to delve into it. June and July may be a little challenging, but from August onwards, you will be once again surrounded by everything you love.

I.N.

The youngest in the member in charge of vocals. A natural airhead that is loved by the members. His dimples when he laughs is his charming point. From Korea.

Fortune SKZ2020 >> I.N.

Your life will become richer, and you will step into something new. Early in the new year, a big offer might come your way, signaling your luck. During the spring, you will be strapped to something with history and order but think of it as a learning period! By September, you will be someone who is highly regarded. Your free spirit will always be by your side. 

Han

In charge of rap but also a skilled vocalist; an all rounder. Part of “3RACHA” along with Bang Chan and Changbin. From Korea.

Fortune SKZ2020 >> Han

A year which you might have a lot of responsible jobs coming your way, but always remember that you will be one smiling at the end. From January, you might be caught up on the past, but your goal is April! You will have new ties in surprising places, and if you want to be acknowledged, set your goal for September and you will succeed.

Bang Chan

The leader of Stray Kids and the brain of the group. In charge of writing lyrics and songs as well as producing. From Australia.

Fortune SKZ2020 >> Bang Chan

2020 is a year that might change things dramatically. From the start of the year to March, you will be able to rest. If you are sensitive to your surroundings, many new supporters will appear and you will have a strong wind to push you through in June. On the other hand, by September, you might possibly change tracks and be greatly successful. Your heart will be delicate so you will need the support of your members. 

Seungmin

Mostly in charge of vocals. His skills earned him second place in his companies audition. Also speaks English well, and is an intelligent character. From Korea.

Fortune SKZ 2020 >> Seungmin

The hobbies and fun things you are absorbed in might become part of work for you, a lucky sign. From January, your luck with personal relations seem great as well. By spring, captivating job offers will come your way. In August, some difficult things might occur, but if you believe it is a chance for you to step up and endure it, you will be able to uncover a new self that you didn’t know about. 

Felix

With his cute visuals, but extreme deep voice, he is well known for his gap. Pay attention to his sexy rap and sharp dance moves! From Australia.

Fortune SKZ2020 >> Felix

Both personally and officially, you will be happy. Be generous to yourself! There will be a lot of changes in January, but March and April will bring new chances and allow you get on board. You might be able to reach for something you have always been dreaming about in August. Be sensible in November to not be scolded at. 

In the cold and brisk breeze, reminding me of winter’s arrival, I met Stray Kids in Seoul, Korea. They entered the set still looking sleepy. During the waiting times, they played with the cats on set, or teased each other, showing the natural sides of the group, the average age of the members being 19 years old. Different to the powerful faces they have on stage, another reason as to why they are popular. A little different to their normal styles, with the colourful outfits and ennui concept. Feel their first story through NYLON JAPAN.

Q. Firstly, please tell us how you feel about today’s shoot.

Bang Chan: As it is our first appearance on NYLON JAPAN, we are very honoured just by that. It has created a new precious memory for me. 

Lee Know: Today’s set is a famous shooting area! I have always wanted to come here, so I am very happy to be here on such wonderful opportunity.

Changbin: It is a derelict amusement park, and it was great to be able to shoot in the unique atmosphere. I was able to have fun by feeling like I was back in my childhood.

Hyunjin: From the styling, it had a different feeling to our other photoshoots. Personally, I had a lot of fun as the costumes were different to usual styles. 

Han: It’s been a while since we had a location shooting! As it is surrounded by mountains and trees, the air was good and I had a great time from the morning. 

Felix: As we began filming from the morning, I felt refreshed and because we were with the members, I had a great time!

Seungmin: I have actually seen a Japanese photo book before, and it was interesting because I was wearing something similar as to what the model was wearing in the photo book. There were many cats in the set, and it was really funny to see Lee Know taking care of the cats because he seemed like a butler.

I.N.: The shoot was fun, but because I heard it was the ruins of an old amusement park, I was a little scared at first. However, the air was nice and I was able to shoot with a good feeling. 

Q. You wore outfits with a lot of colours today, but do you have any styles you are liking recently?

BC: Always black! I think its my colour. All black fashion, I usually like to wear monotone looks. 

LK: I actually am not really interested in fashion... I used to think about it before, but these days I like to wear whatever is most comfortable.

CB: As winter is approaching, I want to wear things that make me seem softer, or things that are large and relaxed styles. 

HJ: I usually wear cute sweats, hoodie t-shirts, and big sweatpants so I think I’ll like to wear warmer things for the winter. 

FX: Its getting quite cold recently, so I like wearing a fur hood outer these days! I like to feel the warmth from my outers. 

HN: I don’t really prefer any fashion styles, but my style is quite showy compared to the others. The costume I wore today was colourful and I liked it, I want to keep trying lots of styles.

SM: I often like to wear long padding downs, long coats, trench coats, and long outers in general. Coats that go to my knees are warm and I like them. I was happy because my costume for today was a long coast as well. Its my style!

IN: I’m interested in street fashion these days, I used to like clothes that fitted my body, these days I like wearing wide pants, kind of like a newtro (new and retro) style.

Q. What is your favourite (pop) culture?

BC: I have always liked games, but recently, I’ve been busy and haven’t been able to do it much. But whenever I have a little time, I always want to do it... its a stress reliever for me!

LK: I watch a lot of films. Recently, I watched a film released in 2003 called “A Tale of Two Sisters” with Han. It was a horror film, but it was really great!

CB: I’m into music and YouTube. I’ve been listening to senior Kpop artists such as TVXQ and Super Junior, groups I was into when I was younger. On YouTube, I watch funny contents with fresh ideas.

HJ: I’m really into an artist called “Leellamarz” these days, I’ve only been listening to them. I have always been the type to only focus on one thing when I’m into it. 

HN: I like band music, so I’ve been listening to “One Ok Rock”, and recently, I’ve been listening to an English band called “Young Blood”. It’s great.

SM: Listening to band music is a hobby of mine. After listening to DAY6 senior’s songs, I listen to a lot of rock bands these days. It’s great fun to listen to the vocals, keyboard, and bass individually. I don’t know many bands so I’m still learning. The band I began to like recently is “Green Day”. I think their music is fun and good. (Bang Chan began to sing Green Day) If I’m ever going to play any instruments, I want to try the melody parts like the guitar, keyboard, or piano!

IN: Rather than watching movies, I like reading reviews other people wrote. I like to compare my own thoughts to how other people found it. I look for many reviews and enjoy reading them.

Q. Then we’ll move onto questions about music. Unlike other groups, Stray Kids can self produce their songs which is a strength, but is there anything you pay attention to or focus on?

BC: We create our own songs and weave it into the concept, making a performance. And, I think it is the most important part about self producing is to definitely put our message into our songs. We believe it is our strength to be able to tell our message from the bottom of our hearts, and Stray Kids cannot exist without that, which is our self producing. 

HN: As Bang Chan said, we like to make songs that our fans can understand, but what we focus on is having others relate to us. We try to incorporate all the feelings, anxiety, and experiences that people our age might feel into our lyrics, and we really try to have other people relate to us. 

Q. What do you think are the problems of the people in their 10′s have?

HN: There are a lot of young people now that don’t know what to do with themselves now, right? They are facing who they are on the insides, but they aren’t sure. So, I focus on putting in the feelings of not knowing what to do, or not knowing which way is the right way in the lyrics.

Q. Next, I’ll ask a question your beauty. Please tell us the secrets on how you stay good looking all the time

HN: Honestly... I was born good looking so... hahaha! There isn’t anything. Next, fashionista Changbin!

CB: I think its better if you don’t stress if you want a nice or gentle look. Its important to think positively all the time!

BC: To take in nutritional food once every day! There’s no point if your body isn’t healthy!

SM: Rather than being good looking, I think it is important to keep in mind the feelings I had towards music when I started as a Stray Kids member. A straightforward heart!

FX: When I’m on stage playing with the members or performing, or when I am communicating with the fans, I think thats when we look the best.

HJ: Isn’t how good we look on stage the true style for us? Even when we make a little mistake during practise, we practise until we go on stage and make sure the outcome is a 100%. We can accomplish that because we try that hard. We heighten ourselves to the best version of ourselves, and as professionals, we showcase the perfect version on stage. I believe that is how Stray Kids maintain our good looks, 

LK: I used to go on diets and care about how I look on the outside, but now I’m focusing on who I am, trying to face my own heart. 

IN: Who I am on camera and off camera, me on stage and off stage, I try to make sure its all the same me. My definition of good looking is whoever that can be truly who they are, wherever they are. I always try to maintain that mindset!

Q. Okay, so how you maintain your good looks differs. How about a easier question now - please tell us anything that you specifically focus on in terms of eating habits

HJ: I always make sure if there are no eggplants in my meals! I really don’t like eggplants. The members always try to make me eat eggplants, so sometimes I eat them without noticing. 

BC: There is something that I specifically focus on. It’s table manners. To not make noise when I’m eating, if I blow my nose I make sure I won’t trouble the people around me. It’s also important to chew a lot during meals, so I try to chew a lot.

SM: I don’t eat dinner the day before a shoot. Instead, I eat everything I want to eat for breakfast and lunch! I’m the type to lose weight if I don’t eat, so I make sure of how much I eat the day before. 

HN: On off days, there are days where I don’t eat properly, but I have decided to eat something I really want to eat deliciously once a day! Within the group, I don’t have a lot of likes and dislikes, and I think I eat a lot. Even if I bloat the next day, there’s no point if I have no strength! Really, its an excuse though haha.

FX: I’m starting to like eating spicy foods! But, when I eat spicy foods, my body doesn’t handle it too well. I get stomach aches. Days before I have schedules, I refrain from eating spicy foods.

IN: I don’t snack at night! I really bloat easily.

Members: Han is a night snacker, so I.N. always says he’s envious of him!

IN: When I began snacking at night, I can’t stop. I eat the next night too... I can’t stop myself. So I made a promise with myself to stop. I allow myself to snack at night about twice a month!

BC: I try not to snack at night, but I usually can’t help myself and end up eating.

LK: To work out, I’ve been taking a lot of protein lately. I eat whatever I want to eat and take in proteins. I heard about green tea diet before and I was drinking Green Tea frappuccino but it was no use... But, salad and hamburger is good for dieting. Because its filled with carbs, proteins and vitamins, right?

Members: That’s Lee Know’s excuse!

CB: I should take care of what I eat, but I don’t. There is one thing I do focus on, though. I don’t eat cold food and cold drinks. Cold food isn’t good for the body... But, if there are only cold food, I warm it up in my mouth before I drink it in. It’s good for digestion too.

Q. The key content for this month is “fortune telling”, but have any of you had your fortune told before?

LK, HN, IN: We have!

Nylon: Did you believe the results from those fortune tellings?

IN: I was told 2015 won’t be a good year, but 2016 will be better...

HN: At that time, I.N. and I were part of a project. We went to a fortune telling together, and we were told “August will not be a great month” and August was really crazy. I was scolded all the time! Even the smallest things I was scolded for... I should only look at the positive things from a fortune telling, haha!

LK: I was told that my luck will go up when I’m around 30... 

Members: Hahaha! How many more years do you have to wait?

IN: I actually don’t believe in fortune tellings. My parents went to a fortune teller before, and the fortune teller told them their son will either become a judge or a prosecutor. Thats why I didn’t believe in it... but, when I went with Han when I was a trainee, I thought fortune tellings are quite nice, so now I believe in half of it? 

Q. A lot of the readers of NYLON JAPAN are people who treasure their individuality. Please give an advice or message to those who have dreams and ambitions. 

IN: Don’t care about what other’s say about your individuality, and work on your own pace!

BC: There probably are people around you that accept your individuality, and people who relates to you and became your friends. I think it is important to be able to push on for what you enjoy. 

HN: I want the people to talk about how happy and blessed they are. Even having a dream is a big part of happiness. I hope your dreams will come true!

Q. The theme for NYLON JAPAN’s 15th anniversary is “NEW POWER NO BORDER”, but is there anything of this that you relate to?

FX: NEW POWER NO BORDER! (in his native accent)

BC: We always say our greeting by saying “STEP OUT!”. This “step out” means “stepping out of the borders”. With our own style, and our own music, we want to step out of the borders! This “Border” means “border” right? That’s something I relate to. 

Q. What do you want to tell the youths?

HN: There are people with dreams and people without dreams. Those who have dreams may stumble at some moments, and hard times may come along. But, if you can get over those hard times, your dreams will definitely be accomplished. For those who do not have dreams, don’t worry and look at who you are carefully. It’s not late when you find interest in something new, and I hope you’d be able to have some space for that in your heart. “Those who are talented cannot surpass those who try, and those who try cannot surpass those who have fun.” Even at the hardest times, trying your best won’t backstab you, and whatever you are doing, having fun is the best. I really want to tell them those words!

BC: It’s a little simple, but “Just enjoy!” Even at difficult situations, I think the winners are those who stay laughing. If you can have fun, good times will come. You’re still young, and life is long so “carpe diem” !

IN: Even if you can’t see the future, don’t worry about not being able to see, and it’ll be good if you focus on where you are now. 

Members: Those are words for us too

Q. Within your busy schedules, what stimulates you?

LK: This is obvious, but STAY’s are a biggest motivation! This is a fact!

BC: We’re really busy and there are so many things to get done, but interestingly, when I’m talking to the members, I think “maybe the future is bright?”. I feel like I don’t have to worry. The members help me. The existence of a group is good for the energy too. We can take care of each other and stimulate each other!

Q. I didn’t think you’d enjoy this as much. Now, the interview has come to an end. Lastly, you announced your Japan debut! Please tell us how you are feeling about your Japan debut

BC: It has been about a year and a half since we debuted as Stray Kids in Korea, but we are “debuting again” in Japan, which is a new feeling. Everything is new and exciting! We really can’t wait for our Japan debut! We’re all very motivated! Fighting!

Japanese to English Translation by @yarn1003 (skz acc on twit)

!! Please give credit when reposting !!

[mechaneyi]

Little bit of fanfic for The Wayhaven Chronicles, featuring Detective Azar Balar and Adam du Mortain. It's been a story in my head for a long time and I finally wrote it. By no means am I brilliant writer, but it brings me joy. Thank you @seraphinitegames for the amazing work you've created, the inspiration you have provided and being a light in dark days.

Criticism is welcome, but please keep it constructive and civilized. Please keep in mind that this is my interpretation of the characters and they may not agree with yours and even less with what Mishka has planned.

If you enjoy it, please share. It's incredibly rewarding and motivating. Thank you for reading.

---

Blood & Rain

Azar can’t even remember when it really started to go sideways. Was it when they split up to look for firewood? When he investigated what looked like blood on the forest floor or when he triggered the trap that had driven a wooden spike into his side under excruciating pain? Or maybe his scream that alerted the Trappers.

This was supposed to be a week of vacation - just Adam and him in the wooded mountains. Time spend away from the knowing smile of Nate, the prodding quips from Felix, the amused grin from Mason and the agency, as well as Rebecca. It wasn’t that Azar disliked any of them, but it could be difficult finding some privacy with Adam, something he enjoyed greatly, now that the stubborn vampire had allowed the walls to crumble.

But instead of a well deserved break, Adam is running through the rain, with Azar over his shoulder, in an attempt to put some distance between them and the hunters.

Both are bleeding, though Azar noticeably more severe.

He doesn’t know how long Adam has been running, all he knows is that every stride he takes, agonizes the wound in his lower abdomen and all he can do is to try his hardest not to scream and give away their position. And so he focuses on the fast breathing of Adam and the sound of the heavy rain hitting the canopy high above him.

It feels like an eternity until Adam finally slows down, his breath now ragged.

“You have to stop.” Azar says with gritted teeth. Despite his own pain, he’s worried about his vampire. He’s expecting Adam to argue but to his surprise, he is not.

“We’ll rest here for now.” He says instead and gently lifts Azar of his shoulder, who lets out a low yell when he’s moved. Before he leans against the broad shoulders of Adam, he can see the large stain he left on his shoulder. He knows he’s in trouble - that they are in trouble. They are out in the middle of nowhere, no agency facility nearby, no town close and their communication abilities limited, when they had to leave their equipment behind.

This area was supposed to be safe. There had been no reports of Trapper or rogue activity.

When he finally turns around, he can see why Adam stopped. It’s a small cabin, probably from human hunters. No smoke is rising and no lights can be seen. It appears to be deserted.

Azar slings his arm around Adam’s waist tighter. The difference in height doesn’t allow him to place it around his neck. But Adam does what he can to support him, moving closer to the wooden structure.

“Let us hope they have a first aid kit and possibly a radio.” The imposing vampire attempts to sound optimistic but looking at the tiny cabin, Azar has his doubts. He wouldn’t mind a nice surprise though.

“At least it will be dry.” Azar says between heaves.

When they reach the door, Adam snaps the lock that attempts to keep them out and opens it.

The inside is the most welcoming thing Azar has ever seen. A couch, a fireplace, a tiny kitchen area and a few armchairs and two doors. All of the furniture seemingly selfmade. No wonder, considering how far off the beaten path they are. Everything bought was small enough to be carried here by a person.

Before he can distract himself further by the new surroundings, Adam slowly places him on the couch and once again, a pained groan escapes Azar’s lips. Automatically, he clutches his side and he can feel the warmth of blood slicking his freezing fingers. He leans back, eyes closed and takes a deep breath, something he regrets immediately but it helps to calm his nerves a bit. When he finally opens his eyes again, he sees Adam.

Those green eyes are filled with exhaustion, pain and deep concern, his brows furrowed as he stares at the wound. There’s something else in those eyes, something Azar never thought he would see - hunger. But despite everything, he’s not concerned. He trusts Adam and he trusts his self control. He had brought it up before - that he’d be willing to give some of his blood to help, but Adam wouldn’t have it.

But now… they’re options are severely limited and the modified weapons of the Trappers had not left Adam unscathed. His coat shows signs of burns at several spots, and there are a few smaller injuries on his hand and face that haven’t healed. Adam was supposed to have his ration this night but that obviously didn’t work out and now he’s running on fumes.

“I will look around. Keep pressure on the wound. I will see what I can find.” With hesitation, Adam turns away and starts to search the small cabin. Azar attempts to take off his coat. It’s soaking wet and he can feel the cold creeping into his limbs and bones. It’s not a good sign and he knows it. He knows, that even if there is a first aid kit… it may not change anything.

Ever since his car accident during his rebellious youth, that required him to be resuscitated, he’s felt, when his life hung in the balance. Just as he felt it, after Murphy had torn into his neck. And now… now he feels it, too.

With a lot of effort, grunts and curses, he finally rids himself of the drenched coat. He’s scared to look at his side and when he finally does, he wishes he hadn’t. It���s an angry looking, bloody mess. If it had been any other situation, leaving the spike in the wound would have been preferable but the contraption had hit him with enough force to first impale him and when throw him off. He wonders if that was the intention, to ensure that the victim would bleed and be easier to catch. It would make sense for supernatural folks, who often have an increased healing ability - something Azar severely lacks. It would weaken them but they could heal, after they were caught.

And so he pushes the coat against the exit wound and presses his hands against his abdomen, gritting his teeth hard, not to scream. He closes his eyes, trying to calm his breathing and keeping the nausea at bay and only listening to the drumming of the rain against the roof…

“Azar!” He hears his name being called but opening his eyes is hard. “C’mon, look at me, Azar!” The desperation in Adam’s voice gives him the strength to open his eyes - ever so slowly.

Adam is kneeling in front of him and Azar can literally feel some of the tension dispersing from those broad shoulders when their eyes meet.

“You have to stay awake.” He says, placing a hand on his leg. “You cannot give up.” The softness in his expression is one that Azar has become incredibly fond off and he doesn’t want to leave it behind, not if he can help it.

“I found a radio. We may be able to contact the agency.” While that certainly would be a good thing, Azar isn’t sure if that will matter. The numbness that has started to spread through his body, the fact that even lifting his head seems to be an insurmountable task, tells him that his time is limited. He doesn’t want to die, but he has to be realistic about it. And yet, he can’t bring himself to tell Adam. He’s not sure, if the vampires knows - deep down - or if his own condition and weakend state hides the truth from him.

Azar tries to get up but fails miserably. He’s too weak.

“What are you doing?” Adam asks, deep creases on his forehead.

“Going to the radio with you.” Azar responds with slurred words. When Adam shakes his head, Azar says what has to be said, even if he doesn’t want to.

“It could be the last time I can talk to my mother.” Adam tilts his head and squeezes his eyes shut. He knows.

“Do not say that.” The expression on his face when he next looks at Azar is heartbreaking. “I cannot lose you.”

“Adam…” is all he can reply and with all his strength, he reaches for the large hand still resting on his leg. There’s no need for further words to convey their feelings.

But there is something he needs to say.

“I want you to drink from me.” Adam’s eyes shoot open in shock.

“No, absolutely not!” The determination behind those words is a bit annoying.

“Adam, you need to feed. Without you at full strength… there’s no chance…” If he’ll die anyway, he wants Adam to survive, to get rid of the Trappers or at least escape from them.

“You lost too much blood already. If I would drink from you…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. But the severity in those words tells Azar that Adam won’t budge. At least not now. He sighs.

“Help me up, then?” Azar eventually says and despite clear hesitation, Adam eventually does so. Being lifted up doesn’t hurt as much anymore - not a good sign. And so they make their way to the other room. It’s small, like the rest of the cabin and just about fits the radio setup and two people in. Adam places Azar on the chair and after giving him one more concerned look, gets to work on the radio.

It takes a while and Azar loses track on what he is doing, only occasionally hearing Adam’s voice calling for the agency and stating his name. But then, suddenly, there’s a response.

“Adam? Thank goodness! You were due to call hours ago! What’s happening? Are you two ok?” Nate’s soft voice gives Azar some energy. It’s good hearing the others again - even if it’s one last time.

“Negative. We encountered Trappers. Azar is seriously wounded. We need medical assistance immediately and an extraction. Over.”

“Adam? Where is my son? What happened?” This time it’s Azar’s mother, Agent Balar. The fear is thick in her voice.

“He was caught in a trap and is severely injured. I am sorry, Rebecca.” It’s information he never wanted to share with the Agent again. Of that, Azar is certain. Adam has an incredibly respect for his mother and with everything, he’s likely blaming himself for what happened.

“Give me the radio.” Azar says and reaches out with a shaking hand. Adam nods and hands him the device.

“Mom?” He says and he hears a relieved sigh on the other line.

“Azar! What happened?” She cannot hide the trembling in her voice.

“Mom, I’m hurt - badly. I…” he swallows hard. “I’m not gonna make it home.” Adam stares at him with such a mournful expression, that it tightens his chest.

“No! No, you’ll be fine. Give us your location and we’ll send help!” She cannot cope with the words a mother never wants to hear.

“They won’t make it in time.” The truth. “I don’t have long and the Trappers could be here any minute.” Adam falters and sinks to his knees. Azar wants nothing more than to embrace him and tell him that everything will be alright.

“No, no, no! You don’t know that.” She wants to believe it so badly that all her experience, all her years on the job means nothing.

“Mom…” He addresses her but he looks at Adam. The green eyes shining lighter, now that they are filled with tears. He says her name but he really is talking to the man in front of him. The man he loves.

“I don’t want to die.” He says and he feels his sight begin to be less clear, as his own eyes tear up.

“I… I want Adam to turn me.” Adam’s head snaps up, clearly shocked at the statement.

“No!” Rebecca shouts almost immediately. “It’s too risky!”

“Don’t ask that of me.” Adam whispers only for him to hear.

“It can kill you and we don’t know how you’re blood would interfere. You can’t!”

“I’m dying, mom. I’m getting weaker and more tired by the minute. If it kills me… at least I can still save Adam and give him a chance until reinforcement arrives.”

The pleading is now in his own voice.

“And if it doesn’t… If Adam doesn’t mind the idea of me being around…” It’s foolish to think of eternity and immortality when he’s currently actually dying but he cannot help it. The idea that he would experience decades - centuries not only with the man he loves, but the friends he’s made with unit Bravo… is so very appealing.

“Azar…” His mother is now sobbing on the other end. He cannot imagine what she must be going through.

“Mom… I want your blessing. For me and for Adam.” His eyes have never leave Adam. He knows that his emotions, along with his instincts are fighting a fierce battle inside of him. He sees the hunger and the longing but also the fear, concern and care.

“Don’t make me do this,” Adam whispers again.

“I don’t want to die in vain, Adam” he whispers back. “If you don’t want to turn me, at least drink from me. I’ll rather die giving you strength than for no reason at all.”

The thought of bleeding out, his blood spilled uselessly over this cabin and Adam getting caught, hurt or worse by the Trappers is unbearable. He can accept not being turned, he knows that it may not work to begin with… but he needs Adam to recover, needs him to be able to fight, to survive - to be safe

Adam still shakes his head, though less vigorously than before.

“Is that really what you want?” Rebecca’s shaking voice comes through.

“It is. I don’t want my death to be meaningless… I don’t want the Trappers to win… I don’t want to lose… don’t want Adam to lose. He’s hurt, too, he needs blood.” There’s a long moment of silence but their eyes never break contact, even if it’s harder to keep them open and to hold the radio to his lips.

“Adam… I couldn’t safe my husband and I can’t safe my son. But you can give him peace…” she sobs loudly.

“Thank you, mom. I love you. And I love the others as well. Tell them that.” He too can’t hold the cracking of his voice back anymore, tears now freely streaming down his face.

“I love you, Azar, my baby boy…” after that, she breaks down and Azar can hear her wailing and crying and as he lowers the radio it slips from his grasp.

“Adam…” he begins but Adam’s head whips around, towards the door.

“They found us, didn’t they?” Azar says slowly, his speech now becoming more slurred and Adam nods. “Please…” Azar begs.

Almost in slow motion, Adam gets up. He stands in silence and motionless for what feels like an eternity. But he then moves closer. For the first time since all of this went to hell, Azar can feel a smile forming on his cracked lips.

“Thank you.” His words drag. When Adam reaches him, he leans down, resting his forehead against Azar’s.

“I’m so sorry…” He says and tears soak into Azar’s bloody shirt.

“It was never your fault. None of it.” He says between slowing breaths. “Thank you and no matter what… I love you.” Despite their relationship, they never tossed those words around freely. Both feared the implications behind them, but not now. Now it was the ultimate truth - the only thing that matters.

“Meus amor aeternus…” Adam whispers and even though Azar doesn’t understand the words, he understands the meaning and he lets his head slide to the side, baring his neck.

Even though his senses are beginning to dwindle, he can feel lips placing a gentle kiss on his neck, before sharp teeth pierce his skin. And before everything fades to black, he is blessed with one more moment of bliss.

---

Adam’s tears fall freely, as he sinks his fangs into the neck of his dying love. Nothing had prepared him for this. Nothing could describe the sorrow he feels. He wants to believe that his bite will take, that Azar will wake up again - changed but alive - but he knows the chances are low. He had lost so much blood already, was so weak… but he cannot deny him his last wish, even though he feels like he would rather die with him than to go on without him.

But he bites and he drinks and he gives him his own venom as he has asked. When the blood hits his tongue, his senses explode. Even now, as he lays dying, Azar gifts him with power beyond belief. He stops and his eyes roll into the back of his head. Adam’s wounds heal instantly, his senses so sharp, that he can hear the panting of the Trappers even through the rain and wind. No shadow can hide things from him anymore, no shrub can camouflage the Trappers that have now become lambs that are marching to their own slaughter.

His overwhelming sorrow changes to nearly uncontrolled rage. But before he gives in, he lifts Azar up and gently places him on the couch. He cannot feel a pulse, cannot hear his heart beat anymore, cannot see those dark blue eyes and that regret he feels, that pain, just fuels his rage.

The hunters would not survive this day. They would never cause this pain to anyone again. They would become the hunted. And with one last look at the body in front of him, he turns around to stalk his prey.

---

“I am so sorry, Rebecca.” He says, his voice empty and flat. He had waited for hours, had hoped for Azar to open his eyes, wild with hunger… but he had not. He was still on the couch, just as he had placed him there.

“I will bring him home.” It’s all he can offer. To bring Azar back to his mother, to give him a funeral, to have a place where he can visit… though he doesn’t know if he can. Not for a long time… maybe never.

He ends the call, returns to the living room, steps over the bodies on the floor and picks up the shell of the man that meant everything to him. He feels so much lighter now as if something important has left Azar’s body, and with great care, he begins his march to the extraction point, holding the body close to him as if he were still alive.

He doesn’t know how he can face Rebecca or the rest of the team. Despite Azar’s last words, he is responsible. They should never have split up. He should have never taken his eyes off of him.

He continues his way down the mountain. The rain had finally stopped and at an exceptionally beautiful spot, he stops for a moment. The sun against the dark sky gives the yellow autumn leaves an almost magical glow. He knows, that Azar would have loved it and he can feel his chest tighten. He would never be able to share this with him again.

He looks down at the body in his arms. His heart stops. Dark blue pools glance up at him and the wind picks up as the leaves dance above, just as the two hearts beneath them beat as one.

"Adam..."

[flutteringphalanges]

Summary:  “Am I in Hell?” Agatha’s voice was hoarse, a hint of fear in her tone. “That depends on your definition,” Dracula answered. “Perhaps.” His fingers felt cool against her burning skin, the fever raging through her body. “If you’re going to kill me, then do it,” she mumbled. The count chuckled, gazing into her eyes. “On the contrary,” he smirked. “I’m going to save you.”

((In which Dracula cares for a gravely ill Agatha))

Characters: Agatha Van Helsing/Dracula

Rating: T (possibly M for upcoming chapters)

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N:  Sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for all of your reviews/comments/kudos/etc! You guys are the best! Now, as promised, the next chapter!  Alright, poll time! I am considering changing the rating of this story from "T" to "M". But I wanted to hear from you guys first because it did start as a "T". Please let me know in your feedback your thoughts on that! Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated! Until next time, stay safe and healthy! -Jen

                                            Chapter Six

If it hadn't been for the fact that her muscles were rather sore and a few, ugly purple bruises had blossomed against the pale skin of her thighs, Agatha might've thought that perhaps what occurred last night had only been a dream. She laid in her bed, twisted within the white sheets like an insect trapped in a spider's web. As she gazed up at the ceiling, a part of her wished the very roof would collapse and take her out of this world. It'd be better than facing him. Oh how her very blood was boiling.

She forced herself upright, eyes scanning around the room for something-anything to cover her bare body with. Yet again he had destroyed her clothing, a dress he'd in fact gifted her himself. Off to the far side of the room draped neatly over a chair was one of his white shirts. Of course he would. How very gracious of him. Maybe she'd return the favor when she staked him in the heart. Ignoring the aching feeling between her legs, she stood up and walked over, snatching the garment from the chair. She was going to kill him. Really, truly murder him this time.

"You certainly out did yourself this time, Agatha Van Helsing." She muttered to herself as she descended the stairs. "Sleeping with the enemy. How utterly pathetic and dim-witted of you."

As she made her way towards the dining room, bare feet lightly smacking against the cold, stone floor, she was met by quite the sight. The once pristine area now glistened with shards of broken china. She glanced at the floor, now becoming more cognizant as to where she stepped. Against one of the walls was a splintered chair as if someone-Dracula, had kicked it full force in order to get it out of the way. Why he hadn't straightened up afterwards was unclear. The most logical reason she could guess was that he wanted her to see what they'd done.

Her nostrils flared as she scanned the destruction, noticing a reasonably sized piece of wood that had fallen off. Walking over to it, she grabbed it and studied it carefully. With enough force, it would surely make quite the stake. Now she really was going to end him.

In the heat of the moment, Agatha hadn't exactly considered what she'd do after killing Dracula. Storming down the dark, stone hallway, she was already chilled due to how little the Count's shirt covered her. She certainly couldn't make it down to any village before dying from hypothermia. Not that she even had a way to get there. No horse. Not even a decent pair of shoes for walking. His surely wouldn't fit. Damn him to Hell for being so tall in the first place.

Memory served her surprisingly well as she traveled down the chamber and into the dreaded room of boxes. Trying her best to not think about what, or who, still lurked within them, she scanned the area for her target. When her eyes finally fell upon the sleek, wooden coffin, her heart began to pound. Excitement. Anxiety. Fear. Uncertainty. She was going to do this. She was really, truly going to do what her grandfather couldn't. As she stepped forward, one hand gripping the stake, the other reaching for the casket's lid a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Well, a good day to you too, Agatha Van Helsing." Count Dracula stepped from the shadows, his mouth curved into a mocking sneer. "Though, I must say, it is quite rude of you to attempt to kill your host." He strode forward, plucking the stake from her fist before crushing it into splinters. "Especially after the night we had."

"How…" she stumbled, blinking in utter shock. "How are you...aren't you supposed to be asleep?! It's daylight!"

"Well, I was going to attempt to offer you breakfast in bed, but you changed my plans." His eyes flickered up and down, taking in her appearance. "Always a pleasure to see you in my clothes. Though, I've grown quite fond of you without them."

Agatha frowned deeply, expression one of fury. "You foul swine," she hissed. "You tricked me!"

Dracula let out a loud cackle, clearly overly amused by her words. "Tricked you? My dearest nun-well, I don't suppose that title fits after what we did. But you, from what I remember, instigated it! Who was I to deprive you of sex? It was but an honor to serve you." He took a step closer, Agatha's back bumping into the empty coffin. "And I don't regret a second of it."

That filthy, conniving bastard. Without a moment's thought, Agatha balled up her first and punched Dracula square in his jaw. There was a crack, and a sharp pain shot up from her knuckles to her wrist. She had successfully broken her hand on the vampire's face. Unable to stifle back a howl, she reeled backwards and clutched her injured hand to her chest. Agatha tried to fight back the stingy tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.

"Let me see your hand."

Instead of the snide remarks and teasing she'd expected, Dracula was looking at her with surprising concern. She turned away from him not wanting to meet his gaze. She felt stupid. Ridiculous. Instead of hurting him, she managed to damage herself. Nothing was going according to plan and she hated it.

"Agatha, let me see your hand."

"No," she muttered. "It's fine."

"It most certainly is not. Now quit acting like a child, and let me look at it."

Even though she didn't want to, something within her caused her to turn around. Dracula met her eyes momentarily before he reached forward and grasped her hand in his. She winced slightly in pain, but was surprised how careful he was. His brow furrowed in concentration as he looked it over, frowning at how it swelled and her fingers bruised dark purple and blue. It was a pretty impressive blow to say the least. Even if it backfired.

"This is going to need to be wrapped," he mumbled. "You did quite a number on yourself."

"I was trying to do quite a number on you," she answered, causing Dracula to chuckle. "It's not funny. Your...stone face broke my hand!"

"It'll heal with time," the vampire stated, giving her a half smile. "You have an impressive strike. If I were a human, perhaps you would've knocked me out."

"I wish I had," Agatha frowned.

"Take a compliment when it's given to you, Agatha," he smirked. "I rarely give them out often...genuine ones, I mean."

Gingerly letting go of her hand, Dracula began to remove his shirt. Agatha immediately stiffened, her eyes growing wide as he tore it off to reveal his pale, toned chest. Heat began to rise to her cheeks as she watched him, unable to tear her gaze away.

"What in God's name are you doing?!"

"Why, making you a sling, of course." The Count smiled, ripping the fabric into a long stripe. "Do I make you nervous?"

"Uncomfortable…" Agatha tried to avert her stare once more, but found herself instead peeking at him out of the corner of her eye. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"I've been alive for centuries, Agatha. You learn a lot of things, as you've clearly witnessed." His breath tickled her neck as he leaned over, adjusting the makeshift sling around her. She shivered at the sensation and Dracula smiled. "I'm a man of many trades. Many of which I plan to show you. But…" He leaned back, just far enough so that he could make sure his dark eyes locked with hers. "After that hand of yours heals."

"I don't plan to stay for that long." Agatha exhaled, letting out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Whether that means you're dead or not, I don't know. But I am not staying."

"That's what they all say," the vampire smiled. "You'd be surprised. The castle grows on you." He held a finger to Agatha's mouth when she opened it, the nun scowling when he did. "Now I want to take care of that hand properly. Are you going to follow me upstairs or do I have to carry you?"

She considered punching him again, but the last thing she needed was to be completely unarmed. Slouching her shoulders, she gave him a curt nod. Dracula beamed and, with a bow of his head, led the way.

"So last night," Dracula began, breaking the silence as the two made their way out of the cellar. "Comments? Critiques? Oh, I do hope no concerns."

"I don't want to talk about it," Agatha muttered, trying to keep her attention forward and away from him. "I'd like to think of it as a nightmare."

"Pity," the vampire sighed. "I had quite a lot of fun myself. I never realized you were so flexible."

"Shut up," the nun hissed. "Before I find another stake and jam it down your throat."

"An interesting twist on foreplay, but I could get into it."

They reached the foyer before Dracula could make another remark. The vampire motioned towards a chair inviting Agatha to sit down. After their heartfelt conversation in the corridor, running into the fireplace seemed much more welcoming. But she did as he suggested and took a seat, still cradling her broken hand.

When the vampire darted out of the room, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Had she really been the one who started it all? Flung herself onto him like a hungry animal gunning for its prey? The more she really thought about it, the more she began to remember. His mouth on hers. Bare chest pressed to bare chest. His cool hand sliding down her thigh, fingers going into...Oh Christ, it had been her! Agatha groaned, hitting her head against the headrest. It had been her all along. And not only had it been her, but she had LIKED it. Really, liked it. Oh God. Was the room getting hot? She felt like she was on fire.

"Agatha? Are you alright?"

Once more Dracula's usual teasing tone changed to one of concern. Agatha opened her eyes to find him hovering over her, uncertainty and worry etched across his features. She swallowed hard, brushing a lock of her hair back as she attempted to recollect herself. Now was not the time to think of such things. Especially not around him.

"Never better." She responded, trying to maintain her dignity. "Just resting my eyes."

"I see…" the vampire eyed her inquisitively. "May I have your hand?"

She nodded and Dracula bent over and carefully undid the sling. He was meticulous, focused as he gingerly took her hand and began to wrap strips of cloth around it. In the beginning it stung a little, but soon she was completely bandaged up. Agatha studied his work, marveling at his precision. If he wasn't a blood thirsty brute, he'd have made an excellent doctor. Though his bedside manner would need lots of revision.

"How does it feel?" He inquired, eyes flickering from the cast to her face. "Does it hurt?"

"Not as much as it did before," Agatha admitted. "I suppose I owe you a thank you and…" She chewed on her bottom lip knowing she'd most likely regret it later. "An apology...for punching you in the face."

"Believe me," he smirked. "I've dealt with far worse." He appeared to hesitate for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "I'm sorry about your dress. I'll replace it. Again. Perhaps I should invest in a few."

"I still don't plan to stay, you know," Agatha said rather bluntly. "But...I wouldn't be opposed to something in lilac. I am rather fond of the flower."

Dracula seemed to consider this before giving her a nod. "I'll look around." His tone was genuine. Friendly. "But I do intend on putting up with you a little longer."

"Not if I rid you of this earth first." Her voice was firm, but the small smile that found its way onto her face took away from her intended threat.

"I suppose we'll see, dear Agatha," the vampire replied with a wide grin. "I suppose we'll see…"

[freckled-words]

Count The Teeth - Part Eleven

I am just. I don’t even know? I swear I remember posting this final chapter last year with the whole series, I swear I did, but as far as my tumblr account can tell, it doesn’t exist.....I hate tumblr sometimes, I really do. So if this is already in existence, then let’s just roll with this being an odd duplicate.

I’m not going to post all the prior links here, as I’m setting up another post that will have EVERYTHING on it, including the original one shot ‘Smoke and Blood.’

I can’t even remember if this was edited. Regardless, enjoy this random end chapter XD

It had been the oddest thing when you left NateMare licking his wounds.

You’d gone to the driveway and found a taxi waiting for you. The driver said the fare had been taken care of and he was to take you wherever you wanted. When you asked him who had covered the tab, he said a well spoken gentleman had done so. 

Seeing your disheveled appearance in pajamas, the taxi driver became curious as to why you were there. 

You went with an elaborate story. It was your birthday, and your asshole brother had kidnapped you and brought you here for a spooky adventure. You’d gotten fed up with his childish antics and had decided to leave. You added that it was likely your brother’s friend that had paid the taxi driver.

When you got home, you took a long, luxurious, hot shower and collapsed into bed. Your exhaustion was deeper than you’d thought, leading you to sleeping for a straight 12 hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 months later…

It had taken him a month, but Mercer had kept his word. He’d found each of his victims that had been put into a coma, and brought them out of it. When questioned about what had happened to send them into the coma, they all had the same story. They’d been out at night, and they came across a man looking for directions. After they sent him on his way, they’d become dizzy and passed out.

Authorities believed that the victims had been distracted by the man asking for directions, then jumped by a second person that knocked them out and then drained them for blood. Reddit was running rampant with theories about a team collecting blood for the black market.

You supposed it was better than them getting freaked out about a rampaging vampire. The last thing the city needed were civilians taking up guns, pitch forks, torches, and stakes to go after people that were innocent.

In the following months, you remained on alert. NateMare’s promise of retribution had left a fairly strong impression. Armed with the knowledge of something to use against him, you’d set up a collection of weapons throughout the apartment.

In the kitchen, you had a bucket of blessed water by the sink. In the living room, you had a Super Soaker loaded with the stuff and in your bedroom, you had a spray bottle at the ready. You knew it would annoy and delay him at best, but at least it was better than just standing around and letting him curse you again.

You were so intent on watching for hints of a smoke cloud, you didn’t think to watch for any bats.

Which was how Mercer caught you off guard.

You’d spent the day out with one of your friends, and had lost track of time. It was dark when you made the walk home. The night was overcast and the wind was much colder as winter was settling in.

Despite your thick jacket, you still felt the chill. Your hands were stuffed into your pockets and your shoulders were hunched up to your ears. Your attention darted between the people walking towards you on the sidewalk and the people that were walking parallel to you across the street. Leaving no room to focus on your surroundings behind you.

An arm went around your shoulders, pulling you in against a tall frame. Startled you made a noise that was barely a word and some kind of squeak.

A familiar voice chuckled, making the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. You didn’t dare look up, not wanting to get caught by his eyes. 

“What are you doing here Mercer?”

Mercer’s arm squeezed a little tighter, guiding you forward to keep walking.

He was greatly enjoying himself. You could tell from his voice as he replied, “Well hello to you too. Can’t a friend just come around for a visit now and then?”

“We’re not friends.”

“Oh, you wound me.” He lamented, without an ounce of actual dismay.

“Did you come here to get some payback for soaking you?” It was the first thing that came to mind, and you were kicking yourself for not bringing your tiny spray bottle with you when leaving earlier.

You caught sight of Mercer’s hand as he waved that thought off, “Not at all. I’ve gotten over that little trifle. As I said, I’m just here on a friendly visit.”

“At what point between you and NateMare trying to kill each other, did you and I become friends?” You could see your apartment building up ahead, and at this point, you were just utterly perplexed as to what was happening with Mercer right now.

He ignored your question, “I had some time to think while I went from hospital to hospital, and I’ve come up with a fun idea. One that I’m sure you’ll see the benefits of.”

You knew it was stupid, you could hear yourself calling it stupid, but when you both stopped in front of your building, you looked up. 

The bugger was genuinely amused, smiling brightly and in all innocence. There was no glow to his eyes and you didn’t feel any part of you go numb. He was playing nice. For now.

You shrugged off his arm and moved around to stand in front of him, “And what idea is this?” 

“Well, as we’re both aware, my dear, baby brother is all in a huff about you letting me go. The set of lungs on that boy, I swear. My ears were throbbing for an hour after his hollering.”

You winced, but you weren’t surprised Mercer had caught that.

“I was thinking to myself about how much trouble you and he were, going around and messing about in my handiwork. Good job on digging up the family history by the way. Anyways, I thought I should probably keep tabs on my brother, make sure he doesn’t come barging in on me at some point unexpectedly. The only problem is that I’m terrible at tracking idiots.”

You shuffled on the spot, getting colder by the minute. Mercer was clearly intent on dragging this out, and you doubted he’d just let you walk away. But you had no intention of inviting him inside.

“So I came to the only logical conclusion: You! I knew he was bound to come knocking on your door at some point and figured I’d keep watch. I tell you, watching a mortal for a month is boring. Which is why we’re having this chat. Much more engaging than just hovering about bored out of my mind.”

Your blood pressure rose at his declaration of stalking you for the past month. You thought you’d felt eyes on you, and it made you twice as jumpy. Knowing it was this nuisance didn’t make you feel any easier.

Processing everything he was saying all together, you just about threw your hands up.

It was the same damned position you’d been in 5 months before, only now it was reversed!

“Clearly you two are related.” You grouched stomping your feet. The cold was seeping through your boots and socks, making your feet ache.

“I am not helping you find NateMare. You are not hanging around here to wait for him to show up! And I’m not getting involved with either of you again!” You didn’t care if the neighbors heard, for all they’d understand, it sounded like a romantic issue.

You spun on your heel and stomped up to your apartment door.

Just as you put the key into the lock, a decent sized bat flew around you and clung onto your chest. You looked back over your shoulder and saw no sign of Mercer. Glaring down at the bat, you hissed, “You are not coming inside, let go and go away.”

The bat merely wiggled its ears, and much to your chagrin, he nuzzled against your coat. Even worse, it was adorable.

You heard people, more tenants that belonged to your building, coming up behind you. 

Suppressing a frustrated scream you unlocked the door, and kept your body turned away from the approaching people.

You wrapped your arms around yourself, concealing Mercer as best you could, and made a beeline for the staircase.

Huffing up the stairs you swore at him, “You’re in so much trouble. I have a bucket filled with holy water in my kitchen and it has your name all over it buddy.”

The impudent bastard gave a tiny squeak. One that conveyed no distress in the slightest.

A glance down and there was no mistaking a smug smile, even on a bat.

You didn’t stop until you were inside your apartment, at which time you were breathless and sweaty under your coat.

“You make one damn comment about me being out of shape, and I will seriously drown you.”

“I’d very much like to see you try.”

You’d been locking your door, putting your back to the living room.

It hadn’t been Mercer that had replied.

Stiffly, you hit the light switch next to the door frame and peeked over your shoulder.

NateMare lounged back on your couch. His body was relaxed, but his expression was one that read murder.

The sound of dripping drew your eye to the kitchen. Your bucket of holy water was on the floor, along with a puddle of water and some that was dripping off the sink's cabinet doors. 

“NateMare-”

“Shut it.” 

He got to his feet and stalked towards you, “You should consider yourself very lucky. Had I gone after you that same day, I would have happily ripped your esophagus out of your throat.”

You swallowed thickly.

“But I took some time to calm down, recover, and think about it. I changed my mind.”

He stepped closer, leaving two steps of distance between you, “I’ve come to realize that I enjoy having a minion doing my bidding. Unlike some other… people… I could name, I don’t have a host popping out brothers every damn holiday. Plus, you’re already semi-trained.”

He smirked and held up a hand. Smoke gathered in his palm, and formed a thick section of chains.

“Hell. To. The. No.” 

You’d done this song and dance and you were not doing it again.

Turning to face him, you pried Mercer from your chest and shoved him into NateMare, “Here, talk to your brother. Take it outside!” 

Stunned, NateMare had dropped the smoke chain and grabbed Mercer on reflex. 

Unprepared, Mercer didn’t have a chance to resist being shoved into NateMare’s hands.

The two stayed frozen and dumbstruck to the spot while you threw off your coat and went to get your mop and bucket.

There was another second of silence until you heard, “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

There was enraged squeaking, a bit of scuffling, the sound of a grunt, and then silence.

When you returned to the kitchen, you found the two were gone, and your balcony door wide open.

You were in the clear. For now.

[breanime]

Heartworm (Part Eleven)

Look who’s alive! Heartworm is back! And since it’s been SO DAMN LONG since I’ve updated, and you guys have been so patient and cool about it, I’ve got a nice, 7k chapter for you guys here. Fun fact: This was the chapter I’ve been most excited to write...if you’ve been following me for a while, I’m sure you’ll be able to see why...

WARNING: steamy, descriptions of violence

*gif not mine*

The warehouse that Billy took you to was leagues better than the crackhouse he’d been sleeping in. It was spacious; well-equipped with weapons, tech, and security measures, and occupied by a handful of ex-military men.

“What the hell is this?” One of them asked as you walked in behind Billy, eyeing you suspiciously.

“This is Y/N,” Billy said simply, his tone of voice commanding respect effortlessly, “She’s with me.”

The man didn’t look entirely satisfied with that answer, but he didn’t look like he wanted to argue with Billy, either, so he kept quiet.

“Come on,” Billy turned to you, “I’ll show you where we’ll be staying while me and the boys finish putting everything in place.”

You followed him, hand in his, towards a locked room at the back of the warehouse. This was obviously Billy’s room—the only actual room in the entire space—and it had a mattress, a few half-empty duffel bags, and a window. A quick glance into the bags showed they were full of ammo. Billy set your bag on the ground, and you turned towards him. “So I… I just wait here?” You asked.

He nodded. “We’ve got internet, untraceable, of course,” he told you with a slight smile, “You can surf the net.” He walked over to you and placed his hand on your face, fingers lingering on the bruise. “You’ll be safe here. I promise.”

“I know I will be,” you said back, “But… how long do we have to stay?” You asked.

“It depends,” he answered with a sigh, “There’s still some things we gotta iron out before we can do this; I gotta go over the plan with the guys, make sure the route’s clear, make sure the bank’s had their latest shipment of cash… But once this is over, we’re out of here,” he promised, eyes boring into yours, “Me and you, Y/N, just like it was meant to be.”

“Me and you,” you repeated, letting the idea calm you. You trusted Billy, you did, but when you walked in and saw all the other men… There were more guys in his crew than you had thought, and more people usually led to more complications. Before you could let your concerns be known, Billy leaned down and kissed you, effectively rendering you speechless and content.

He was smiling at you when you opened your eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.” He said. “I gotta get back out there and get started,” he kissed your forehead, “If you need anything, just let me know.”

You watched him go, crossing your arms when he shut the door behind you. Not to be shut out, you went over and cracked it open, hearing Billy address his guys.

“Y/N’s gonna stay with us for the next few days,” he told them, his tone leaving no room for argument or questions, “She’s in on what’s happening here, and she’s not to be disturbed.” You couldn’t see him, but you imagined him looking into each and every one of their faces with as he talked, silently challenging any of them to even think about questioning him. “Now, let’s get into position. Jose, Mike, you’re with me. Todd, Geno, behind the counter. Jake’s taking point.”

The men shuffled about, moving to where Billy directed them, and you stood by the door and listened to them go over the routine. Billy made them do it again and again, rearranging the teams and positions so that every man would be able to cover any of the other jobs. You listened for a good two hours before you, invested and impatient, walked out to watch.

Billy was leading three men into the area that you assumed was supposed to represent the bank, and all three of them had their guns drawn. Two of them stood at the side, pretending to be hostages, and three were behind a stack of boxes, probably playing the role of the bankers. The last man was standing off to the side, gun at his hip. You watched as they practiced, arms crossed and taking mental notes. You knew Billy knew you were there, his head had tilted to the right ever so slightly when you’d stepped out of the room, and you knew he was aware of your presence. The guys followed Billy’s every word to a T, moving when he told them to move, adjusting when he told them to adjust, asking questions and seeking clarification from him whenever they needed; he was a natural leader. You’d always known it, you’d seen him lead at Anvil, knew he’d been a great leader in the Marines, but it was always something to see him in action like this. The pride you felt was so strong, you couldn’t keep the smile off of your face as you watched him explain the angles of the security cameras to an entranced Jose.

“Good,” Billy said, straightening up and pushing his mask off of his face. His dark eyes flashed over to you for a second before he turned back to his crew. “Todd, I want you over there,” he pointed with his gun, “as the security guard. He’s an old retired cop, clean record, but he might decide he wants to try being a hero.”

“We need another hostage then,” Todd said, moving to the space Billy had pointed to.

You raised your hand. “I’ll do it.” Billy turned to you, eyebrows raised. You shrugged. “I’ve been watching you guys long enough, and I was listening the last couple of hours, anyway,” you confessed easily.

Billy eyed you with a mixture of surprise, affection, and amusement in his eyes before nodded his assent. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed, “Y/N’ll be the other hostage.”

You practiced with the guys for the next three hours, and you started to like them. They were all ex-Marines, though none of them had ever reached the levels Billy had during their time serving. Jose, you learned, had a wicked sense of humor and was even able to make Billy crack a smile as you practice. Jake was clearly Billy’s favorite, and you could tell that the other man looked to your boyfriend. Billy, to your surprise, encouraged you to switch up your role, and moved you from hostage, to bank teller, to look-out. He’d even supplied you with a gun, placing it into your hand himself before going back to directing the crew. The guys had been doing well when this rehearsal had started, but even you—a civilian—could tell that their methods and procedure had improved greatly over the last few hours, and that Billy was training them to be an unstoppable force.

You were playing the role of the look-out when you heard a door slam. You, Billy, and the Marines, all turned at once, guns drawn.

“Yo, yo!” A man walked through the door, voice cheerful. “How we doing?”

“Bobby,” you heard Billy mutter from behind you. He walked towards this Bobby, passing you with a small frown on his face. “We’re gettin’ there. All good with you?”

“Yeah. Schedule’s same as always. 9 am tomorrow, 300 grand. That chicken’s gonna be ripe for plucking.” He and Billy stood in front of each other, and you frowned when you noticed what he was wearing: a uniform. If anyone saw him come in with that, it would be so easy to track him down. One simple description of his outfit could bring this whole operation down, could cause everyone to lose it all—it could cause you to lose Billy.

It seemed that Billy had the same thought as you did, and you and the vets all gathered behind him as he looked at Bobby. “Planning on wearing that uniform?” Billy asked, voice casual as he looked to the side, his shoulders tense.

Bobby scoffed. “Yeah, Billy, I’m that dumb.” He blinked, eyes landing on you. “Who’s the broad?”

You could feel the tension mount in the room. Billy narrowed his eyes at Bobby. “This is Y/N,” he said slowly, clearly, “She’s with me.”

“Uh huh,” Bobby sounded unimpressed, “so are we all allowed to bring our girls here or just you, jarhead?”

“She’s cool,” Jake said, speaking up before Billy could, “Don’t worry about it, Bobby.”

“Yeah,” Jose added, “She’s been helping us prep while you’ve been on your 9 to 5.”

“Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?” Bobby said back.

“Dressed in your easily-identifiable uniform,” you muttered.

Bobby glared at you, and Billy took a step up, blocking you from his view. “You took a risk wearing that here,” he said. His voice was controlled, but you knew he was starting to get angry.

“I took a risk offering this job up to all you jabronis,” Bobby said back, unrepentant, he moved to the side so that he could see you behind Billy, “and the pretty civilian, I guess. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be hitting some grocery store for chump change.”

Billy smirked. “Let’s go again,” he said, voice loud in the open space of the warehouse. “Bobby, you joining us?”

Now it was Bobby’s turn to smirk. “Can’t let you jarheads have all the fun.”

Billy turned, giving out orders. “…and Bobby, you take the waiting area.”

Everyone—including you—moved to your assigned position except for Bobby. “Waiting area,” he asked, annoyed, “That’s bullshit. I’m coming in with you. What’s the point?”

“The point is,” you spoke up, “everyone knows each other’s job and positions. In case anything goes wrong, everyone will be able to adapt and things can still go as planned.”

Bobby glanced over at Billy, who was smiling over at you, pleased with your response. Bobby turned back to you with a smile that was anything but friendly. “Pretty and smart,” he said, chuckling as he moved into position, “I like that.” He glanced over at Billy again, smirking. “Too bad you’re with Russo.”

You elected to ignore him and went over to the area for the hostages, where Billy had told you to be. You watched as Billy went through the drill, heart pounding as he shouted out: “Everybody get down! I wanna see some hands!” You pictured them doing this for real, without you, with real risk and real rewards. You watched, feeling the worry creep up into you, as Billy pretended to hit one of the guys and moved forward towards the fake counter. When they did this for real, they would be up against anything—who knew how dedicated the guard would turn out to be? Or how pliable the customers would end up being? What if one of the guys messed up, or got hurt? What if someone ratted on Billy? What if someone called the cops while they were still there? What if Brett got the call and he and Billy came face to face?

What if Frank was there?

Your anxious musings were interrupted by the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and you looked up to see Bobby flat on his back on the floor with Billy standing over him.

“Shit, Billy,” Jake said, taking his mask off and looking down at Bobby, who was groaning as he sat up.

“What are you doing?” Todd asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

“Bobby’s smart,” Billy said calmly, his voice clear even through his mask, “Keeping us on our toes. There could be a bunch of vets in there waiting to cash their checks.” He flipped his mask up, his eyes immediately going to you before looking back at his crew. “Anyone could decide to play here.” He looked down at Bobby. “Ain’t that right?” Bobby took his mask off, and there was blood trickling down his face. Billy continued talking, undisturbed by Bobby’s injuries. “So we gotta get control fast,” he went on, “then we gotta keep it.” He held his hand out to Bobby. “You alright?”

Bobby swatted Billy’s hand away and struggled up on his own. “You hit like a Marine,” he said, breathing hard.

Billy smirked, and you felt yourself grow warm at the look on his scarred face. “Yeah, I do.”

Later that night, you laid in bed with Billy’s arms around you. The guys were camping out in the warehouse; Billy had declared that they all had to stay there until the job was done, and no one was going to question his authority. You had your head on Billy’s chest, and even though you were both fully dressed (both for the sake of common decency, and because the warehouse got cold as shit at night), it was still so intimate that you almost felt guilty for enjoying it. Billy and his crew were going to commit a crime, take money that didn’t belong to them, maybe even hurt a few people and you… You were okay with that. The money—a whopping 300 grand—meant next to nothing to you, it was Billy that was your priority. You would do anything to be with him, and if that meant being okay with this job, with robbing a bank, then that was what you would do. Billy’s chest moved up and down as he held you, breathing softly, with one hand on your back. Your hand was under his shirt, resting over his heart, right where it belonged. His mouth was on the top of your head, in your hair, and his voice was muffled when he spoke.

“’M worried about Jake. Bobby, too,” he said, his fingers twitching on your back.

“Bobby’s kind of an ass,” you said, “but he seems reliable enough to get the job done. Why are you worried about Jake?”

“He’s off,” Billy reported, “When I was out there, making sure the guys were good, he was shivering, wanted to go home…”

“It’s cold in here,” you said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“He’s feening,” Billy said, disgust clear in his voice, “I wasn’t sure before, but I am now. He’s an addict. That makes him weak.”

“And weakness makes him a liability?” You asked, knowing the answer.

Billy looked down at you, his dark eyes meeting yours. “When it comes to this? Our plans? You?” He shook his head. “Us? It absolutely is. He messes this up for us, he puts you in danger, and I’ll pull the trigger on him myself.” He watched you closely, looking, you thought, for a sign of distress or shock or disgust from you at his words. He didn’t find it, and he never would.

“I can’t wait for this to be over,” you confessed, “I just want you to be safe, away from all of this shit…”

“I know,” he kissed your forehead. “And we will be. I promise. We’re gonna do this job, get the cash, and you and me are getting out of here.”

“What about Frank?” You asked. You couldn’t help yourself; Frank wasn’t even in town yet, but he was your biggest obstacle.

“I’ll deal with Frank,” Billy said, “Whatever happens between me and him, you’ll be taken care of.”

“I don’t want to be taken care of,” you said back, sitting back, “I want to be with you. This, all of this, isn’t worth shit to me if I don’t have you.”

Billy smiled and pulled you back to him, kissing you softly. “I love you,” he whispered against your lips, “and I’m gonna take care of you.”

“I love you, too,” you said back, eyes still closed as he kissed you again, “I love you so much.”

You woke up in Billy’s arms for the next four days. He’d kiss you good morning, holding you close to him, and you would have to fight every urge in your body to pounce on him. Instead, you’d get up with him, greet the guys, have breakfast, and watch them practice for the heist. Sometimes they asked you to play a customer, and you would, but other times you would just watch. In between these rehearsals, you’d asked Billy to help you re-familiarize yourself with self-defense techniques. So he always made time to train you, helping you get the proper footing, teaching you the best way to throw a punch, helping you learn how to use a knife to your advantage—critiquing your work the other day with the Chucks, and some of the guys even joined in, helping you practice with opponents of varying sizes. They were always careful with you, knowing good and well that Billy was always watching, and that there’d be…consequences if they really hurt you, but really, it was all in good fun. You didn’t ask for any training on day five, the day before the job. Instead, you stood on the sidelines, watching the guys and offering your observations.

Billy turned to you after their last go-through, pushing his mask off of his face. “How was that, Y/N?” He asked.

“Great!” You said back. The guys all laughed, high fiving each other and looking quite pleased with themselves. You were, as it turned, out, a tough critic. “Everyone was on cue, all exit points were covered, and everything was perfectly timed.”

“I don’t know how we’re gonna do this without you tomorrow,” Jose said, grinning, “We’re all so used to you, it’ll be weird not having you with us.”

Billy came to stand beside you, smiling over at you proudly. “She’ll be here waiting for us when we get back.”

“Yeah, about that,” Bobby said, voice unnecessarily loud, “Who’s gonna watch her while we’re out?”

“Watch me?” You repeated. “Why would anyone need to watch me?”

“You know,” Bobby said, taking a step towards you, then stopping when he saw Billy’s face, “Just to be safe, make sure you’re not tempted to make any calls or—”

“—Bobby, shut up,” Jake hissed, holding himself as he shivered.

“Y/N’s one of us,” Jose added, and Todd nodded behind him, “She’s in on it just like we are.”

“That reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Bobby went on, “Is she getting a cut of this too? We payin’ her some kind of hush money fee?”

“Don’t worry about what she’s getting or what she’s doing,” Billy said, voice low and dangerous, “It’s none of your concern.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I mean, we’re all putting our lives on the line here, and we’re all getting an equal cut, except you, of course, since you’re running it,” Bobby kept going, as bold as always, “But what about your pretty little girlfriend here? She gettin’ a cut? We makin’ adjustments for her?”

Billy walked over to Bobby with his shoulders squared. He moved quickly, his footsteps barely even making a sound on the concrete floor. He stopped in front of Bobby, and Bobby straightened up, probably—hopefully—remembering the last time he tried to stand up to Billy. “I’m only gonna say this one last time,” Billy said, addressing the room, but staring at Bobby, “Y/N is with me, and she’s on our side. That’s all anybody needs to know.” He turned, voice a little louder now. “Anyone else have something to say about Y/N being here?” He was met with silence. He turned back to Bobby, dark eyes glaring. “We good?”

Bobby nodded. “Yeah, man, yeah. We’re good.” He took a step back. “I’m not worried about Y/N…” He glanced over at you before looking back at Billy. “…I’m worried about Jake.”

All eyes turned to Jake, and you had to admit—he didn’t look too good. His skin was greasy and pale, and he was shivering and shaking. He glared back at the rest of you. “I’m fine. It’s just freezing in here.”

“Right,” Billy said slowly, eyeing him up and down. “We should all get some rest. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, and we want to be sharp.” He held his hand out for you, and you took it. “See you in the morning,” he said. The men practically scurried to their sleeping areas, even Bobby, and you knew that things would go smoothly tomorrow…

…except Jake shuffled to bed, and even when he got into his sleeping bag and pulled the covers over himself, he was still shaking.

You let Billy lead you to your room and sat down on the bed as he locked the door and put his mask and gun away. “Is Jake gonna be okay?” You asked.

Billy sighed, stripping his shirt off. “He’s gonna have to be,” he said, “After tomorrow, he can check himself into a top-notch rehab or buy his weight in smack, it doesn’t matter to me.” He was taking his pants off now. “We’ll be long gone by then.”

He crawled onto the mattress, and you opened your arms and hugged him to you. “I can’t wait,” you said.

Billy kissed you, pushing you down onto the mattress, his weight and warmth bearing down on you comfortably. You melted under his touch, and you felt Billy growing hard through his boxers. His tongue was in your mouth, one hand was already in your panties, and the other was on your neck, moving your head this way and that in order to deepen the kiss. “Tomorrow, we’ll have enough cash to get out of here,” he said, his mouth moving down to your neck, “We can start our lives together.” He slipped a finger inside of you, and you gasped, eyes closed, at the sensation. His mouth was wet and warm on your flesh, and you sighed when he lowered his head even more and started to kiss your breasts, pushing your shirt up to give himself access to your soft chest.

You put a hand in his hair, still not entirely used to its shortness. “Billy,” you sighed out, “Are you sure we should be doing this? The guys…”

“They’re occupied,” he said against your flesh, “They won’t bother us. Besides,” he lifted his head, and his dark eyes were shimmering with affection and desire for you, “I need to feel you,” he pushed another finger inside of you, and he smiled when you moaned, “Baby, you feel so good… Do you know how hard it’s been to keep my hands off of you? I just got you back, and I haven’t been able to touch you in days.” He kissed you again, long and hard this time, making your toes curl from the force of it. You could feel his love in that kiss, could feel how much he wanted you, and you hoped he could feel your desire as well. “You know,” his mouth was on your neck now, “since I’ve been sleeping with you, I haven’t had any nightmares…” He kissed your collarbone before pulling back and looking at you again. “This is how it could have been,” he mused, “Me and you, if I hadn’t fucked it all up.”

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pulled him back down to you. “What could have been doesn’t matter,” you said, kissing his nose sweetly, “What matters is that we’re here, together, now, and always.”

Billy smiled, and it was like that smile was so bright and beautiful that it erased the scars on his face, making him look like the same old Billy to you; your Billy. He leaned in closer and kissed you before he spoke. “Let’s get you out of these clothes, baby.”

Billy stripped you, kissing each piece of exposed flesh before moving onto the next article of clothing. Once you were naked, he took off his boxers and threw the covers over the two of you, smiling down at you. You kissed him, rolling your hips below him, and were rewarded with his pleased groan at the feeling. “Billy,” you whispered, “please…”

He knew what your short plea meant, and he kissed you once more before crawling down your body, kissing and sucking along the way, until he settled down between your legs. You closed your eyes and let your head fall back as Billy licked into you, his warm tongue exploring your folds with gusto. You thought you heard him groan out your name, but you were distracted when he added two fingers to his ministrations, curling them in time with his tongue as he licked, kissed, and sucked your most intimate parts. Your legs threatened to crush his head, but he wasn’t deterred. You clamped a hand over your mouth to stifle your growing moans, and Billy rewarded you for your consideration by making you cum, your legs shaking around his head as he lapped it up eagerly, not even taking a moment to slow down—let alone stop.

When you finally came back down and opened your eyes again, Billy was sliding a condom on, and you bit your lip in anticipation. He grinned when he looked up at you, as eager and excited to be with you as you were to be with him. He leaned over you, kissing you slowly, and you sighed into his mouth. He was so close to you, his body on top of yours, his lips on yours, but you wanted—needed—him closer. As if he could read your mind, he slid into you, obliging your silent request with his lips still on yours, silencing your moans of pleasure. Billy felt exquisite, and you rolled your hips, adding pressure to the feel of him inside of you.

“Fuck,” he groaned, dropping his mouth to your ear, “You’re incredible. Baby, you feel so good.”

“Billy,” you sighed, “oh my God, please don’t stop.” You weren’t sure if it was the fact that you hadn’t had sex with him in nearly a week, or the pressure and tension of your life as fugitives, or the fact that he would be going on a dangerous mission in the morning, but you felt especially sensitive as Billy rocked against you, every movement making you tremble with pleasure, every kiss making you float with desire, and every touch making your flesh burn. “I’m cumming,” you gasped out, “Baby, I’m cumming!”

Billy pushed his hips into yours further, grinning down at you. “Cum,” he said, breathing heavily as he increased the pace, hips slamming into yours, “But look at me. Open your eyes and look at me, baby.” You did. He was staring down at you with those damn dark eyes, a look on his face that was so heavenly and sweet you were sure you were staring up at an angel, or a very beautiful demon, scars and all. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, Billy,” you said, meaning it with every single part of your body, every bit of your soul, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” he groaned, placing a hand on the side of your face.

You closed your eyes then, too keyed up to keep them open, and felt your stomach tighten as your climax got closer. You pulled Billy down further, kissing him so that he could swallow your impending cries. You came, body shaking with pleasure, and Billy continued to fuck into you until he came too, mouth on yours.

Billy dressed you, kissing you softly, and crawled back into bed, holding you to him. “This is gonna be our last night holed up in a place like this,” he said, voice low and soothing, making your eyes droop, “After tomorrow, we’ll be on our way to safety. Immunity.” He kissed your forehead. “We’ll get a nice place on the beach somewhere, and I’ll wake you up with kisses every morning, and go to sleep still inside of you every night.”

“You better come back to me,” you said, eyes closed, “After tomorrow, when it’s all done, you’d better come back, Billy. I can’t be alone again.”

“I know. You won’t be. I’m coming back, baby,” he assured you, mouth on your forehead, “I’ll never leave you again.”

Billy was gone when you woke up the next morning, and you got dressed quickly, hoping you didn’t miss them before they headed out to the bank. You walked out into the warehouse to see the three cars ready to go, and Billy standing with the guys. Except…

“Where’s Jake?” You asked, looking around the empty space.

“Jake split,” Billy said, “Snuck out last night.”

“Did he go to the cops?” You asked, thinking of Brett.

“Nah, he went to score,” Billy shook his head. “I thought he could hold out for another 24 hours…” He turned to address the guys. “This is why we practiced, so when things like this happen, it doesn’t slow us down. This is why we build contingences into our plans. Mike, you’re off the bench.”

Mike popped up, eager to be a part of the robbery. “I can help, too,” you spoke up. Billy turned to you, frowning. “I know all the plans and roles, and it’s better with a full crew.”

“No,” Billy said, “You stay here where it’s safe.”

“She makes a good point, Billy,” Jose said, glancing at the others for support, “Y/N could take Mike’s spot-on point.”

“She’d still be safe,” Todd added, “she would just fill up a bag and get back in the car. She’d barely be in the bank for more than 3 minutes.”

“She can get Jake’s cut,” Bobby said, surprisingly generous, “We need a full deck on this one, Billy.”

Billy glanced at you, and you could see he wasn’t happy with where this was going. “Fine,” he growled out. “Y/N, you ride with me.” You grinned, grabbing Jake’s left behind mask and bag, and walked over to the black van Billy would be in. He grabbed your arm as you opened the car door. “Stay close to me,” he told you.

You nodded. “I will. I promise.”

The ride to the bank was silent. The crew was riding in three cars, and each car had a radio for communication, but there was nothing to be said. Billy pulled down his mask once you were a block away from the bank, and then turned to put yours on for you. “Anything happens, it gets too heated or the cops show up or something goes wrong,” he told you, “I want you to run. If I don’t come and get you by tonight, then I want you to go back to the warehouse, take the money I have stored away, and get out of town, okay?” You nodded. “If we get caught up or arrested, you tell them you’re a hostage and I made you do it.” You could hear the strain in his voice. “Call your detective friend and tell him I kidnapped you and forced you to be a part of this.”

“Billy—”

“—Promise me,” he ordered.

You took a breath. “I promise.”

Your heart was hammering by the time you pulled up to the bank, and you jumped out behind Billy, rushing into the small bank. The security guard was sitting by the door—just like Billy said he’d be, and he stood up, shouting “hey” when Billy led you in. Without wasting a second, Billy cracked the guard in the face with his gun before pointing it in front of him.

“Get your hands up!” He screamed over the shocked cries of the people in the bank. “I wanna see hands!” Bobby ran past Billy into his position in front of the counter, and you stood between the door—in front of Todd—and behind Billy. “Everybody stay cool,” Billy said, advancing on the counter, “Nice and cool…” He regarded the customers; they had their hands up, clearly terrified. “That’s it… Move!” He barked.

The customers scattered, and Mike moved to zipties their hands as you pointed a gun at them, making them gather in the corner. Your back was to Billy, and you heard his cool, commanding voice say “you there, move away from the counter.” You glanced back to see the two bank tellers behind the window, one with her hands up, and the other staring at Billy with wide eyes. “Move back!” Billy screamed, making both of them jump and shuffle backwards. You glanced back down at the customers who were kneeling down on the ground, tied up and crying, before turning back to watch Billy. “That’s it…” Billy said. “Everybody stay ice cool…and nobody dies today,” he lowered his gun, but that didn’t make him look any less intimidating. He pointed at the older woman behind the glass, a strangely commanding figure herself. “You, manager, come here.” The woman moved in front of her employees, glaring at Billy. You liked that. She was the only person in the room who wasn’t shaking in her boots.

Billy must have liked it, too, because he walked up to the counter and leaned on it casually. “Now what is your name?” He asked, interested.

She squared her shoulders, and your admiration for this woman grew. “Lillian,” she answered proudly.

You could hear the smirk in Billy’s voice as he spoke. “Well, Lillian, I’m gonna need you to move towards whatever button you gotta push,” he pointed to the side with his gun, “to open that door over there. You understand me?”

Lillian nodded. “Perfectly. But I’m not going to do it.”

You froze. Oh shit.

There was a pause, and you knew everyone in the bank—from the terrified customers, to the threatened bank tellers, to the crew in their masks—was holding their breath.

“You’re not… You’re not gonna do it?” Billy asked, and you pictured him blinking rapidly under his mask. She shook her head, completely at ease. Billy stepped back from the counter. “You’re not gonna do it,” he repeated, “I am telling you to!”

“That door won’t open,” Lillian said, raising her voice to match Billy’s.

Billy sighed, placing both hands (one with a gun in it) on the counter. “Lillian, why’re you doing this? Hmm?” He asked.

“It’s on a timer.”

“There’s not one person in this entire place who believes that door is on a timer,” Billy said back. Bobby was watching the exchange closely, nervously turning his head from Billy, to Lillian, and back again. “So trust me when I tell you that today is not the day to do this.” He punctuated his words by tapping the gun on the glass. The other two tellers jumped at the action, but Lillian didn’t seem affected. She was, by all definitions, a bad bitch. “So give some thought to why you wanna see tomorrow,” he went on, his voice menacing and low, “and open the damn door.”

“This is a family business,” Lillian smiled, “My daddy fought a world war, built this place from nothing. He’d turn over in his grave,” she said, and Billy turned around, rolling his shoulders the way he did when he was agitated, “if I would let you all just walk in here and take whatever you want.”

Billy was looking at you, it was a little hard to tell with the mask, but you could feel his gaze on you, hot and steady. You didn’t know how well he could see your eyes through your mask and his, but you hoped he could see that you believed in him, that you weren’t afraid because you were with Billy, and he’d said he’d take care of you. Billy nodded, glancing over at Bobby before reaching into his coat pocket. “Okay,” he said lowly, almost to himself. He pulled out a hand grenade, and your eyes widened. Where the hell did he get that from?! “Does everybody know what this is?” He asked loudly, addressing the room. “Yes! That’s right,” he pointed over at Lillian, waving the grenade in the air as if it were a piece of candy and not a deadly, highly dangerous weapon that one probably shouldn’t be carrying so casually in one’s pocket, “It’s a grenade! An M67 fragmentation grenade.” He inclined his head towards Bobby. “You wouldn’t believe how many of these the US Army is missing.”

“Lillian, please,” the man behind the counter begged, “just open the door.”

“I won’t.”

“It’s all insured, anyway!”

“That’s not the point,” she said, annoyed.

“Lillian,” Billy said, humming her name, “you’re makin’ me kind of nervous. Your behavior it’s… it’s erratic, it’s… it’s irrational. Like you could do anything, at any time, without reason.” He raised his voice. “Anyone else gettin’ that same vibe off of Lillian, or is it just me?”

“She a crazy old bitch,” Bobby spit out.

Billy held his gun out, pointing at Bobby in agreeance. “Well, I don’t have time for crazy, Lillian. So I’m gonna give you till the count of three, and then I’m gonna shove this,” he held out the grenade again, and almost everyone, save you, Billy, and Lillian flinched at the sight of it, “through that little slot on the counter right in front of you. And then you will all really be on a timer.”

“It won’t fit, dumbass,” Lillian said back, almost making you let out a nervous laugh, “It’s designed that way. So I’ll just take my chances.” She put her arms up in an easy shrug. “You clowns are not gonna rob my joint, so just take your little sorry asses all up outta here.”

Billy raised his gun as she spoke, pointing it at the glass, and you sucked in a breath. You didn’t want anyone to get hurt going into this, and now you really didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Lillian’s courage was impressive, and you wanted her to see another day. But before Billy could say or do anything, the man behind the counter pushed Lillian aside and pressed the button to open the door, ignoring her protests.

“Get in there!” Billy yelled. “Right now!”

You ran in after Bobby, and you felt Billy’s dark eyes on your back. Bobby made everyone line up on the wall behind the counter, customers included, as Billy came in and instructed them to put their hands together, his voice calm and almost friendly now that the door was open. Billy went around zip-tying everyone’s hands together while you, Bobby, and Mike started grabbing the cash and stuffing it into bags.

You heard Billy moving behind you, calmly talking to the customers and tellers. “Nice and calm,” he said soothingly, “nice and easy.” You could tell then that he wasn’t going to hurt them—any of them, and you felt a part of you relax. Once your bag was full, you moved to the side to make room for Bobby to run past you and into the safe room and turned to watch Billy. He was standing in front of Lillian, and she glared up at him. “Hands,” he said, and you could hear a playfulness in his voice, making you roll your eyes and smile behind your mask.

“We’re done!” Mike reported, standing across from you, bag slung over his shoulder and gun pointed at the helpless civilians.

Billy moved back, strutting around the small space with confidence and ease in the tense situation. “Thank you all for your cooperation,” he announced, “Lillian, you’re a crazy old bird, but I think I like you.” Lillian scowled. “Now, if it weren’t for this guy,” Billy pointed at the man who’d pressed the button and opened the door, “you would all be dead. So the next time you see him, do the right thing. Make him employee of the month or something.” Calmly, Billy raised his gun and pointed it at the man’s face.

“No! Wait! No! NO!” The man screamed. Lillian and the others made similar noises of concern and protest, and you swallowed. This was all a part of the plan. Everything would be fine.

“You’re coming with us,” Billy said.

Bobby grabbed the guy by the back of the neck and pushed him out of the building. You, Mike, and Billy followed. You turned back and gave Lillian a goodbye wave, and you heard Billy chuckle beside you. Mike and Bobby shoved the guy into the van, and you were about to get in when you heard Billy scoff.

“Look at this,” he said. You turned and saw Jake’s red mask and army jacket. The asshole showed up after all—probably high.

“RUSSO!” You froze. That wasn’t Jake’s voice. You knew that voice. You hadn’t heard it in years, but you knew that voice…

“You’re late, you son of a bitch!” Billy screamed, not at all worried that he’d said his name out loud, and clearly not realizing that the man he was talking to wasn’t Jake.

“Billy,” you said softly, your voice coming out as a whisper. Your body was stuck, your heart was pounding, you didn’t know what to do. “Billy,” you tried again, but your voice wasn’t loud enough. Billy was right in front of you, but he couldn’t hear you.

“Get out of here, Jake. Right now!” Billy said, moving in front of the car.

“Billy, no,” your mouth was dry, your tongue felt like it was made of lead.

Frank was walking towards you all now, his gait determined. “Russo!” He called again.

“Billy,” you said, voice shaking, “It’s Frank.”

Billy had been turning, about to get in the car, but stopped. You didn’t know if he’d heard you, or if he’d finally recognized Frank’s voice, but you saw the change in him. He froze for a second, and in that second, it was like there were only three people on the street: you, Billy, and Frank. You and Billy watched, connected in your silent panic, as Frank ripped the mask and jacket off. He was wearing his bloody punisher vest, and you felt tears in your eyes. No, no, no. This was all wrong. He wasn’t supposed to be here, you were supposed to escape, get out of town, before Frank even came back—this was all wrong. You looked at Billy, who for some reason didn’t get in the car. Instead, he walked towards Frank, breathing heavily.

“Billy, let’s go!” Mike yelled.

“Come on!” Todd called from his place in the driver’s seat.

Even Bobby was scurrying away, and you heard the revving of an engine somewhere close by. But Billy was in his world, staring at Frank, his chest heaving with how hard he was breathing.

“You should have stayed in your whole, Bill,” Frank said, and your blood ran cold.

Someone screamed, and one of the guys yelled “take him down!” before you heard bullets in the air. You slammed yourself against the side of the car, peeking over it to check on Billy. He hadn’t moved, he was still in the street facing Frank. You watched him take his mask off, and you could see his face from where you were. His eyes were wide and broken, his mouth hanging open as he panted, eyes fixated on Frank. Frank, for his part, had jumped behind a parked car and started shooting. Mike ran up beside Billy, trying to grab him to take him away, but Frank shot him down, and you jumped as you watched him fall to the ground. Geno hit the gas and drove towards Frank, trying to run him down, but Frank shot him in the chest, and the car hit another, crashing into the side of the street as Bobby jumped out of the car with a semi, shooting at Frank with bullets so loud, your ears popped.

“Y/N,” Todd cried, “Get Billy! We have to go! Now!”

You ran out, heedless of the bullets flying in the air, and nearly tackled Billy. “Billy, we have to go!” You said, hands on his shoulders. “Come on!”

Billy blinked, looking down at you with wide, wet eyes. He shook his head quickly, getting himself out of his trance, and grabbed your hand, pulling you away and pushing you into the car before getting in with you.

You looked passed him and saw Frank jump into a car. “He’s right behind us!” You shouted, turning to Billy.

Billy’s eyes were unblinking as he stared straight ahead. His breathing was labored, and you could see that he was on the edge of a panic attack.

“Billy?” You called, putting your hands on his chest. “Billy, are you okay?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he just started blinking—hard—and his whole body twitched as if the simple action hurt him. You called him name again and again, trying to get his attention, trying to bring him back.

But you knew he was too far gone. And what was worse...

...You weren’t sure if even you could get him to come back. 

*******************************************************************************************

LILLIAN!!!!! Do you know how hard it was not for me to type in “Billian” whenever I wrote her name? Do you know how hard it was not to make this into a really weird OT3 situation?! Haha--I love that crazy old bird. Let me know what you thought of this, please! I’m excited to be writing this one again!

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[deathbyvalentine]

Harrowing Commissions

Sebastian

The light from the fire flickered, making the shadows in the room shudder and jump. Starting, the maid in the armchair jumped up, adding another log to the flames. It was a room with a lot of shadows - part bedroom, part parlour and part study, odd objects littered side tables and shelves alike. The walls that were not dominated with bookcases were dominated instead by windows or portraits. The room was dark, the windows blocked out by heavy curtains. In all of the clutter, it would be easy to miss the young man lying in bed, surrounded by pillows and cushions, holding a faded blue book in his pale hands. 

Only his cheeks had colour in them - a feverish flash of rouge. His hair and eyes were dark. His lips moved in silent prayer as his eyes flickered over the paper thin pages. A cough came over him, wracking his thin body. His attempts to muffle it did no good - the maid immediately bustled over with a tray of bottles and ointments. Propping him up, in a business like manner she rubbed a foul smelling liquid onto his chest. It appeared to the job and the odd whistling his breathing had taken on faded. She lay him back down and began to fluff up the pillows around him, fussing in such a way it betrayed her fondness for her patient. 

 He caught hold of her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. “It’s soon, isn’t it? It’s going to be soon.” She stared at him, unsure of how to respond. It didn’t matter. A few more moments and he picked up his beloved gospels, resuming his study.

*   

Alice

The clock was just chiming... a number when the latch to the servant’s entrance to the kitchen lifted. The hearth fire was still burning, so when the young lady slipped in, she managed to avoid kicking over the mop and bucket just to the side. One hand held her boots, the other her skirts to keep the rich fabric off the dirty stone floor. Now safely inside, she placed the shoes down beside the door and collapsed onto the bench alongside the long wooden table. Idly, while looking into the small flames of the fire, she picked a grape from the fruit bowl and popped it into her mouth, enjoying the sweet burst of flavour. 

She pulled the pins from her hair, letting the curls cascade down her back. She winced a little and inspected her fingertip a moment after. One of the jewels had caught her funny and sliced her. A small bead of blood welled up. She blinked at it for a moment before placing her finger in her mouth too, soothing the wound. Outside, the sun was beginning to creep up over the horizon, painting the sky in pinks, indigos and purples. She should slip to bed before the breakfast preparations begun - she knew her mother had slipped an extra coin to one of the servants to report on her, but she wasn’t sure which one yet. If she slept now, she had enough time to be woken for breakfast and pretend to be as fresh as a daisy. 

She stood, stretching once. Then she disappeared up the servant’s corridors, knowing the route to her room by heart. Her boots lay forgotten by the door.

*

Thomas

“Behold, a story for the ages! Be dazzled, wondered and amazed at the power of - “

No, that’s not right. You’re not writing a circus side show. 

“Come and be welcome in an epic spreading centuries. Heroes, lovers and villains convene in this - “

You’re not writing a fairytale either. Think Thomas. What are you trying to do here?

“This year, a new play arrives that will reveal not only the essence of characters within it, but those who watch it. Watch the story unfold and let it awaken something within you too. We all wear masks. The hero, the lover, the villain.... This is an invitation to find out exactly what is behind yours. If you dare. If you’re brave enough.” 

That’s the advertisement done. Now I just have to finish the damn thing. 

*

Eloise

“He loves me... He loves me not. He loves me... He loves me not - ” Petals drifted to the floor like morning snow, to be crushed as the woman paced barefoot, releasing their too-sweet perfume into the air. The floor was almost slick with them, the top layer bright and pink, the bottom little more than browning sludge. Her skirts trailed, disturbing the petals enough to reveal how many lay beneath. It seemed that everything in the room was coated with petals or dust. But still, she walked.

“He loves me.” She stopped short at the mirror, allowing a slight smile to spread across her beautiful face. She reached out with gloved hands, her fingertips just touching the spotless surface. Her fingers left a slight smear and she recoiled, finding the bell on the sideboard to frantically call a maid. The mirror being obscured simply would not do. She stepped back and let the bustling girl come in with a cloth, the door creating a semicircle of clear floor. The girl didn’t touch anything else, didn’t even ask about the petals. She cleaned the mirror and was gone in a flurry of business like activity. There was a breath, a moment where everything was still.

“He loves me not.” The slow chant resumed, almost lyrical in its cadence. Another petal tumbled to the ground. Another step was taken.

*

Charles

Day 15 “... My sleep was greatly disturbed last night by a number of dreams. Such visions! Such phantasms! I believe this is a sign that my work is taking me closer than ever before. A number of studies has found that sleep is when the mind is most susceptible after all. I plan on capitalising on this by distilling a mineral (imported from Italy) into a chemical that is supposed to induce a most coherant train of thought. Lucidity and revelation are of course, key and I have high hopes for this latest experiment granting me fresh sight and new contact.”

Day 20 “Well, that did not go exactly to plan. The chemical did indeed induce a number of wonderful sights, but as always, the body was not willing. My hands trembled so violently it shattered the simmering glassware and I was forced to retire, bedridden for several days. Every failed avenue is a clue however, and I refuse to consider it an utter waste. In brighter news, a letter has arrived from my Vatican friend’s expedition. He promises to send his logbook as he believes there are some encounters I will be interested in. I await this with baited breath - he has always given me fascinating data before.”

Day 23 “A small break while I was forced to deal with one of the children’s latest indiscretion. Did the good lord grant us families purely to curb the progress of the human race? I can only assume so. No matter, tomorrow I try some new components from America, promising to engage with the energy that sits around us all, invisible but present all the same.”

*

Elizabeth

She tutted and held the glass up to the light, turning it this way and that. Placing it back on the table, she snapped her fingers at a passing maid, steering her towards the sparkling glassware. “Do you really think this is good enough?” Not waiting for an answer, she shook her head. “There are still fingermarks on the stem. Polish them again. I shall check on your progress in an hour.” 

Sweeping from the room, she entered the busy hallway. Preparations were underway. Everywhere you looked there were maids carrying fresh linen, silverware or carpet beaters. Butlers converged in corners, talking about how best to organise the cloakroom, the game room, the parlour. A smile tugged at her lips. She was rarely as pleased as when the house was alive like this. There was something pleasing in the shifting bodies, the business of it all. It reminded her of a great beehive of which she was the queen. 

Pausing on the upper landing, she rested her hands on the (gleaming, shining) banister. The house would be perfect for the ball, of this much she was certain. If only her family were as easily polished up.  Or perhaps as easily put away as the silverware was, only to be brought out at special occasions. With an amused smile, she shook the thought out of her head. They would be perfect. She would make sure of it. When she set her mind to something, she never failed.

*

Georgiana/Mystery Member #1

She held a fork up to the light, turning it this way and that. Frowning at what she saw, she clicked her fingers at a passing maid. With an eyeroll, the girl sloped over, hands placed in her pinafore pouch in a most slovenly manner. Letting the fork fall to the table with a clatter, she clucked her tongue. “There are still marks on the cutlery. Fix it. At once.”  “Yes ma’am.” The maid replied, though she could swear she saw a hint of a smirk on her face. Her cheeks flushed red though she kept her head up high. What impertinence. She may not be the lady of the house but she still deserved respect. Elizabeth would never deal with such nonsense from her servants and yet these girls thought they could get away with it with her. She stalked from the room, being sure to make her heels click on the floor in a way she thought of as most stately. 

She got the same response when she found a smudge on the guest linen, two scullery maids very almost giggling. Hating herself as she did it, she invoked the most compelling line she could think of. “Of course, if you would like me to explain to Elizabeth why your work is not up to scratch, I would be happy to explain.” Instantly, their smiles disappeared and a solemnity appeared in their eyes. The rush of power only lasted an instant. It was borrowed, after all.

One day she would be married and she would have her own house, bigger and grander than this. She would have maids that straightened their backs whenever she swept past and butlers that refused to lift their eyes to look at her directly. She would hold all the keys to the house on a chain on her waist and she would never have to ask for something twice. One day. 

*

Mystery Member #2

Dearest friend, I write to you with a matter of great urgency. Too long I have been silenced and now the time has come for me to finally beg for help. I am not sure what may befall -

I am not sure if harm will - I am sure great harm will befall me if this letter was discovered, so I beg you and your servants to be discrete. If you investigate, keep my name off your lips and papers. You must be wondering why I chose you. Well, your kind and - 

your gentle and good - 

Well, you would believe me. The constabulary would surely find me mad if I approached them with my tale of woe and I would be in Bedlam before the month was out, which would suit my captors fine.  To be clear, I do not want them harmed - I do not want violence -  I just want to escape. A safe haven. An oasis. Away from this den of iniquity and sin.  Eagerly I wait for your reply. I know you shall not fail me. With love.

*

The House

It sat, quietly for now, among gardens and fields. If arriving by carriage, it snuck up on you. A turn in the road and there it was, looming and large, casting shadows easily around it. If arriving by foot, it simply waited for you to arrive, watching you with its many windows, glistening in the sun. 

It had been used to house soldiers once and it hadn’t forgotten it. If you looked closely enough, the marks were still there. A scuff on a door frame where a sword had caught passing through, the basement with a forgotten box of munitions sat, covered in cobwebs and caked in dust. Soldiers had slept here, loved here, mourned here. Entire lives had been acted out with the house as a constant backdrop.

It used to house monks and it remembered this too. In its carvings, its windows, in paintings of men that nobody could recall the names of. There was a reverence that could not be simply scrubbed away like old paint. It lingered like perfume. It stayed in the bones of the place, the memory becoming as essential as the bricks.

A ball was to be hosted soon enough. The servants and the family prepared, gardeners tidied the grounds and merchants came to and from carrying exotic goods. It was not the first party it had seen and it most certainly would not be the last. The house looked its best when filled with people. It was not a place made to be empty, to be unusued. It always had a purpose and its purpose now was simply to host. 

[abrunettefangirlnerd]

(Un)Broken

Pairing: Tony x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader

Plot: You and Steve were together before the Accords but he left you without a goodbye. Overtime your heart started to heal. Though are you ready to let someone else in?

Chapter: 7/9

 Part One    Part Two    Part Three    Part Four    Part Five    Part Six

Much time has passed since your first kiss with Tony. Your relationship has grown tremendously. You both sleep in the same room now, you’re there for Tony during his panic attacks, Tony holds you at night when you wake up screaming from nightmares, and you both have told each other everything. Tony told you that he was always so mean to you because he knew that if you became his friend his feelings would intensify. He didn’t want to cause a problem between you and Steve, even though he wanted to be with you so badly it killed him every day.

             Muffled shouts invade your dreamlike state confusing you. The world around you starts to slowly dissipate as the darkness behind your eye lids come into focus. Peace-full serenity is harshly taken away by a shaking body next to your own. Becoming fully alert, you flip on your opposite side and try to console Tony.

             His eyes remain closed as he shouts for someone to stop. Placing your and at the top of his head your fingers gently graze through his short locks. You know waking him up immediately unless needed can cause adverse reactions from him. Tony made you promise not to wake him until he has calmed down a bit, he doesn’t want a repeat with what happened to Pepper Potts.

“Shhh…” You hush. “You’re okay. Everything is okay. I’m here.”

“NOO!” He thrashes away. “Me… me…”

“Not you, doesn’t have to be you.” You coo.

             This goes on for a while until he calms down enough to be woken up. Tony tells you that he was remembering a time when he saw everyone on the team dead, including you. He says that was the moment he realized the extent of his feelings for you. He couldn’t believe how much his heart broke at the though of you gone forever.

             Tears stream down his rosy cheeks as you hold his head against your chest. You don’t make him continue, you don’t need him to, and you assure him that everything is okay. Reminding him that you are okay seems to calm Tony down even more to the point he is no longer shaking.

“I love you,” you kiss the top of his head. “You’re okay.”

“(Y/N) can I ask you something?” Tony’s voice interrupts your memory.

You turn around from the stove to assess his demeanor. Last time he wanted to ask you something it had to do with something in his lab, and you had no clue what he was talking about no matter how many times he explained. Though taking a chance you nod your head with a smile, curious to see where this is going.

“First off,” he takes a deep breath. “Do you love me?”

“Of course I do.” Your heart rate increases with your nerves.

“I know I haven’t always been kind to you, and I don’t know where we would be today if it wasn’t for… other circumstances.” He comes loser and takes your hand in his. “But I do know that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

             Tony wraps his free arm around your waist and gently sways you back and forth on the tile. You can feel how fast his heart is racing and how sharp his breathing is. Feeling your own nerves intensify, your mind races trying to figure out what is going on.

“You put up with my distant sarcasm, my less than adequate baking skills, and the spider-ling that is here all… the… time. You are the most beautiful and brilliant woman I have ever had the pleasure to know. I love you greatly and will you,” he gets down on one knee, “please give me the extraordinary honor of being with the most amazing woman I have ever known forever, and marry me?”

             Practically in tears, you nod your head almost violently. Never have you been this speechless. Usually you can see things like this coming, mostly because Peter has a difficult time keeping his mouth shut. Obviously he doesn’t know or otherwise you would have been prepared for this. Though not knowing makes this even better.

             Tony engulfs you in a hug before placing a long passionate kiss on your lips. He lifts you up in the air and spins you around the kitchen as the room fills with laughter and excitement. You’re getting married. You’re getting married to Tony Stark. The man you love with your whole heart.

If only it was ever that simple…

             The big day is finally here, the day you get to start the next chapter in your life with someone amazing. Tonight is the rehearsal dinner and Wanda came back with Vision to be your maid of honor. For anything pertaining to the wedding the conflict from the Accords is temporarily on hold. Tony wants you to have all the people you love around you, even though they don’t see eye-to-eye.

“Honey could you zip me up?” You shout from the closet. “I can’t reach.”

“Darling you forget,” his warm hands flood your exposed back. “I’m better at unzipping.”

             Giving him an amused look in the mirror he smiles to himself as he complies and lifts the zipper to the top of the light peach colored dress. Wrapping his arms around you his lips gently dance against your exposed shoulder. Leaning into his hold you feel completely at ease. Getting things ready for this wedding has been stressful, though all weddings are, but Tony has been a big help in keeping your feet grounded.

             The heels of your palms press against your temples in the hopes of squeezing out the biggest headache you have ever had. The wedding is only a month away and you are trying to finalize everything. Only problem is various aspects have had to change, a few times. Now it is hard to tell from your notes what it is exactly what you settled on for food, music, and if did go ahead and get the dress altered already.

             Wanting to give up for the day, you feel two warm hands take ahold of your tense shoulders. Immediately they start to massage the knots you have formed over the last year. Honestly you never thought it was going to be this difficult. Now you see why people hire wedding designers, but you insist on doing it.

“If whatever it is causes you this much stress I say throw it out.” Tony’s soothing voice soaks in your ear.

“What if that includes my dress?” You grumble, “or food?”

             Massaging you for a few moments longer, his hands find their way to yours. Lifting them he kisses each while you eagerly wait to hear his response. This wedding will be everywhere and the stress of the media is 85% of your headache.

“Honestly who needs a dress?” He shrugs, smiling. “We could have a naked wedding, save us money. Then we can get cheeseburgers from McDonalds as the food.”

“As tempting as that sounds,” you can’t help but laugh because you know he would so go through with this plan. “I don’t want to be naked on every magazine in the world that wants to cover your wedding.”

“OUR wedding.” He kisses your temple. “Me? I just need you there. Make the rest of it look the way you always dreamed of, as long as I am the one waiting at the altar. I love you but forget about the nosey paparazzi. Choose what you want.”

             Tilting your head far back enough to see him, your eyes ask for a kiss and he quickly delivers. You whisper a thank you and kiss him once more before directing your attention to the mess in front of you. Doing what Tony suggested, you take out what you don’t want and change some to fit your dream wedding. Doing it the way you want, the wedding begins to look more simple than extravagant. You’ve never wanted a huge expensive wedding, you always thought it took away from the focus of the bride and groom. Everything else can be simple but you two with your fancy gown, his tux, and your love. You want people to remember the extravagant love you feel for each other, not how much money was spent on one night.

             The ride to the banquet hall consists completely of soft kisses, champagne, and gentle whispers. Paparazzi surround the entrance and the flashing lights take turns blinding you. Pausing every few seconds to allow a picture you start to feel overwhelmed with their questions concerning your ex. Noticing your discomfort Tony places a reassuring kiss on your temple and with his gentle touch, leads you through the doors.

             Stopping dead in your tracks Tony advances a few paces and turns to face you. Your face has lost all color and your breathing becomes shallow. Confusion and worry floods his eyes as he examines to see if physically you are alright. Placing his hand on your cheek, Tony asks you what is wrong.

“Behind you,” you manage to whisper.

             As Tony turns to see, he comes into full focus. Right in front of you stands the man you once loved, the one that left you behind, your fiancé, well your ex-fiancé. Steve Rogers.

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[the-evisceration-station]

I’m so exited for the next piece of for you above all, I love loveee your dead doves and angsty stuff bc you do subjects that most people won’t touch ( and you don’t even do it cringly Lmao ) but you rarely write soft and happy addybeth so I’m very excited for the next part, also I really love that series as a whole ❤️ I think you’re the only addybeth writer left standing and it’s so good to see you keep writing for them and talk about them here and even take prompts, I appreciate it so much 🥺

Hey, dude! Thank you so much! I know it’s taking me a long time to finish the for you, above all pieces, but like...the soft stuff just honestly doesn’t come to me as easy? I spend a lot more time messing with my softer pieces, scrutinizing and rearranging, and deleting shit cause it looks bad to me. 

I definitely have more experience writing the nasty shit other people don’t want to touch, like damn. Most of my early fandom days were in horror fandoms, horror threads, stuff that has more gore and dark content in canon so I’ve spent a lot more time developing my dead dove craft than anything else tbh. These days I’ve been branching out for a lil bit now, and oh shit I’m rambling, what was my point? Oh, oh, it’s that I find softer/romantic pieces more challenging so it’s another reason the updates on those tend to be more spaced out.

Also because half the time in a canon part of whatever story, something bad happens. Cause something bad always happens, right? 

And see, this is the part where lotta folks go, “how can I make this better?” 

But it’s the part where I go, “how can I make this even worse?” 

Nonetheless, I do greatly enjoy exploring the potential of Addy and Beth to have a healthy relationship!! I think that potential does exist for them in canon, but because of the events that unfold and their failure to resolve the issues between them before those events, that possibility is never realized. Their relationship is so fascinating to me because it’s so deep, so layered, so embedded into them. Addy and Beth can bring out the worst in each other and they can also bring out the best in each other. These things are not mutually exclusive. Canon plays out the way it does, I’d say Addy is almost unintentionally Beth’s ending and Beth is very intentionally what Addy believes is her beginning. It’s not happy or pleasant, but it is powerful. But I love both of these characters and no matter how canon actually is, I adore the idea of them being happy together. In another world, at another time, or under different circumstances, I think they could have that, and I like the idea of giving them that. It’s why I started that collection! 

I am not the only writer left standing though! I refuse to believe it, I’m positive of it! I’ve even seen other writers talking about working on Baddy fics, or planning Baddy fics, and what have you. I think it maybe just feels like I’m the only one, because I tend to post one-shots as opposed to longer pieces. So the pieces that a different author might post might be like, like 20k or something. While the average lengths of one of my fics is probably like 4-5k. So when I’m whipping out four or five shorter fics a month, it’ll amount to another fic that someone else might be working on that’s like one longer story. 

Does that make sense? It probably takes the other person more time since they like, are writing a longer thing. Wow. I could’ve just said that and been done with it. Why do I make things more complicated than they have to be? Why do I drone on and on about nothing? Well shit, that’s actually the first series I posted on the Ao3 I associate with this account. It’s some Riverdale shit, the first part is like 3k of pure torture porn and then the rest of it is just going on and on about nothing. Absolutely nothing. I wrote 30k of nothing because I was disappointed and spiteful, imagine that. Why am I telling you this? 

Because it’s my patten. I am answering your ask the same way, going on and on about absolutely nothing. Is it annoying? Amusing? Somewhere in between? Neither? I have a knack for nothingness. I’m still doing it. I can’t turn it off. Or can I? 

I should go up and delete all that, you didn’t ask for any of this, my dear nonny. In my defense, I’m kinda high and I’m not even really answering your ask anymore. I’m just typing out my stream of consciousness at this point but I’m about to scroll up, reread, and regroup here. 

Well, just reread. And with that, I am going to thank you again! Your kind words warm my wicked little spade. I’m still accepting prompts too. I obviously take a long time to get to them, and no, I don’t write all of them. I’m honest if there’s one that I’m going to turn down, either because I feel it’s already been done or because it’s not an idea I feel equipped to write or particularly interested in. But that isn’t to say I’m not up for at least hearing out whatever, cause I totes am. I’ve written some weird shit, my dude. I’m up for hearing. Literally. Whatever. 

On that note though, have you considered writing, my dear?? 

Because while I absolutely believe I am far from the only writer left standing in our fandom, it never hurts to have more join the pack! Maybe you should try your hand at it? Realize some obscure but beautiful vision you have for Baddy and share it with the rest of us? Headcanons for RiRi you’d like to explore more in depth since it’s very likely we’ll never have more canon info on her?? 

I’m not saying you have to write, buddy. I’m not trying to put any pressure on you. Not by any means. Even if I was, you don’t have to listen to me, who the fuck am I? Some internet rando who’s not wearing pants. You’ll allowed to do whatever you want to do with your own free time! I’m just throwing the idea out there, in case you might be interested. I’m always here to encourage you, if you’re feeling it but not sure how to get started, or something. A fandom can never have too many writers, especially not rather niche ones, like ours. 

Well dude, sorry for rambling on so and losing track like ten times. Anyway, um, yeah. I appreciate you and I’m gonna keep chugging along here. I’m glad you’re excited, though I can’t promise when I’ll update that collection exactly. It’ll definitely be this month though, at least. My aim is to finish and post three of my Baddy fics this month. And also, rest assured, I’m sure I’m not the only one!

[rosemaidenvixen]

A Secret’s Worth

Chapter 1: Claire

Ao3

The building itself was utterly unremarkable, a boxy structure of beige bricks and plexiglass windows. But to Claire this building was a huge first step.

Claire walked up to the front door and pushed her way inside, other students milled around in the large corridor, occasionally opening or shutting the blue lockers that lined every side of it. Claire headed in, navigating her way through the crowd while taking in more of her surroundings. The walls and lockers had a slightly worn look and the air smelled faintly of sweat and rubber. Despite that Claire couldn’t help but smile, feeling lighter with every step.

High school, not the snooty prep school her mom kept pushing her to consider; real actual high school.

Claire broke free of the crowded hallway and into an outdoor area full of concrete picnic tables. She glanced around until she spotted the table Mary and Darci were at and jogged over to meet them.

Mary noticed her approaching and waved “Claire-Bear! Over here!”

Claire slowed to a stop and slid into her seat “It’s great to see you guys, you have no idea how excited I am now that we’re starting high school together,”

“I know!” Darci gushed “I can’t wait to try out for the cheerleading squad,”

Claire snorted “I still think you’re nuts for not going for theatre club,”

“What can I say? The pom poms are calling me,”

“Both of you are missing the big picture,” Mary paused for dramatic effect “All the boys that will fall at our feet!”

Claire and Darci groaned in unison. Not this again.

Mary smirked at her friends “Trust me on this,” she brandished her phone in their direction “I have over a thousand followers already, so it’s only a matter of time before I’m the queen bee of this place,” she let out a dreamy sigh “And then admirers will follow,”

Claire didn’t know why she was surprised, the schools and grades they were in might change, but some things never did “Don’t get ahead of yourself Mare, this is just our first day, it doesn’t matter how many followers you have, boys are hardly going to be lining up to--”

“Give it back!”

“Come on, you always make tons of extra,”

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean--”

All three girls turned in the direction of the new voices.

Two boys were heading towards them, a red headed one holding a paper bag, and one in a blue jacket making a grab for the bag that redhead was holding.

They froze upon noticing the girls eyes on them, before quickly jerking into semi-normal postures.

“Uh...Hi?” blue jacket boy said with a nervous smile.

Darci raised an eyebrow at them “Hi?”

Claire turned in her seat to take in the newcomers; redhead was somebody new, but she could have sworn she had seen blue jacket before.

Mary narrowed her eyes in suspicion “Can we help you with something?”

Redhead perked up “Actually yes,” he fended off one more attempt from blue jacket to take the bag and held it out towards Claire “My friend here was baking last night and accidentally made too many, would you mind taking them off our hands?”

Curious and just the slightest bit sceptical, Claire accepted the bag. Mary and Darci leaned over to get a better look as Claire reached inside.

“Are these…”

“Macarons!” Darci squealed.

Mary plucked one of the cookies out of Claire’s hand and held it up for examination “Hang on, you  made  these?”

Blue jacket forced out an awkward chuckle “Yep...sure did,”

That’s when it clicked. Last February. Her mom’s fundraiser at the hospital. What was his name, John? Jake?

“I don’t think we got your names,”

“Oh! I’m Jim,” he gestured to the red head by his side “This is Toby,”

Toby winked at them “The one and only,”

Claire smiled back “Nice to meet you, I’m Claire,”

“I’m Darci,”

“I’m Mary,”

The conversation fell flat as none of them could figure out what to say next.

Claire fiddled with her thumbs “Are you guys freshmen to?”

“Yep,” Toby said with a confident smirk “We’ll probably have a lot of classes together,”

“Having students in the same grade share classes would make a lot of sense,” Darci said with just a hint of sarcasm, although judging by the grin on her face she was more amused than anything else

“Well, it was nice meeting you guys, but Toby and I have to...get to our lockers, so...I guess I’ll see you later,”

Claire brushed a few loose strands of hair out of her face “I would like that,”

Toby took it in stride but Jim was blushing so hard he looked like a tomato. He stuttered out his own goodbye before making a hasty retreat with Toby in tow.

Claire turned back around in her seat only to come face to face with a very smug looking Mary.

“What?”

Mary gave her a knowing grin that would have been more fitting on a feline “Didn’t someone just say something about not getting ahead of ourselves?”

A blush burned to life across Claire’s cheeks “It’s not like that! They just seemed nice,”

Mary waved a cookie under Claire’s nose “And the macarons?”

“You heard what he said, Jim just made extra and they were sharing them,”

Darci popped one of the aforementioned macarons into her mouth “So that’s why you were giving him goo goo eyes the whole time,” she mumbled through a mouthful of crumbs “Just the cookies?”

Claire fixed Darci with a level stare as she finished chewing the cookie, an oh-so-innocent look on her face, Mary snickered from across the table. All Claire wanted was to talk to people in her new school,

Preferably dark haired boys that baked macarons and got punch for their moms at parties,

Without her friends reading too much into it. Was that so much to ask?

“Et tu Darci?”

*

Lockers and brick walls surrounded her on three sides, another dead end. Claire groaned before turning around and heading back the way she came. Seriously, why did this place have to be so huge? This was the third time this week Claire had gotten turned around on her way to the choir room.

The back of someone’s shirt looming just inches in front of her face pulled Claire out of her grousing. She stopped in her tracks to avoid a collision. A loose crowd of sorts had gathered, growing thicker as the hallway continued on, a low buzz of whispering and hushed conversation rippled through them.

Mary and Darci were standing off to the side, Mary was on her tiptoes trying to see through the mass of bodies while Darci just looked anxious. Hoping her friends had some idea of what was happening, Claire walked over to them.

“You guys know what’s going on?”

Darci turned upon hearing her voice “Jim Lake started crying in the middle of the hall,”

Hearing that name caused Claire to freeze in her tracks.

Jim Lake, from the fundraiser, macaron boy.

“He was crying? Why?”

“No one knows, one minute he was fine, the next he was sobbing on the floor,”

Mary spoke up for the first time, startling both of them “Which is why we’re going to figure out what happened,”

Before she could ask Mary exactly what she meant by that, Señor Uhl’s voice started booming from the other side of the crowd; in response, the gathered students started to walk away, a few straight up ran.

Claire was right about to join them, if there was one teacher who’s bad side you did  not want to be on it was Señor Uhl, when Mary grabbed her and Darci’s wrists, pulling them down the hall after her as she dashed away.

After numerous twists and turns Mary finally let them go and peeked around the corner of the corridor they were in. Claire glanced around, the halls were clear now, class must have started. She gave her jacket zipper a nervous tug, if she got caught ditching classes in her first week of school her mom would be pissed.

Whatever Mary’s scheme was Darci was having none of it “Mare, what are you--”

“Shh!” Mary hissed and made frantic shushing motions at them before jerking back and pressing herself against the lockers.

Curious, Claire risked a peek around the corner and saw Toby jogging up from the opposite end of the hall. Gone was the over confident boy they had met on Monday, this Toby looked ashen and postively stricken. He slowed to a stop and went through a door on the wall perpendicular to her, disappearing from her sight.

Less than a second after the door shut behind him Mary ran ahead, Claire and Darci following on her heels. In one fluid motion Mary slid to her knees and pressed her ear against the door. Dacri hung back, restlessly glancing back and forth down either side of the hall. Claire recognized this room, this was the front office, she’d been in here a bunch of times while she was getting registered.

It was only then that she noticed the sound of voices coming from inside.

“Do you have any idea why James-- Jim, was so out of sorts?”

That was Mr. Strickler, their history teacher. He was talking about Jim. The desire to snoop overriding every ounce of common sense in her body, Claire moved next to Mary and pressed her own ear against the door. Darci muttered something about how her dad was going to ground her until she was thirty before joining them.

“I know you’re worried about Jim, but if he needs help, any information you can give would be greatly appreciated, and I promise, nothing you say will leave this room,”

Claire’s hands were trembling against the wood of the door, her pulse pounded in her ears like a drum. She shouldn’t be listening to this. She should not be listening right now.

Toby’s voice rang out next, sending Claire’s heart straight up into her throat “It’s just that...today’s his birthday…which was also the day his dad walked out...ten years ago,”

Claire had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping.

She had a feeling that she just learned something she had  no  business knowing.

Strickler was saying something else now but Claire didn’t hear.

No wonder Jim had started crying.

Claire was yanked back to reality by Mary and Darci pulling her away from the door. It was just in time to, no sooner did they sprint back around the corner than Toby came out and started heading in their direction.

The girls froze and pressed their backs against the lockers as hard as they could. Claire held her breath as Toby stepped around the corner and walked right past her. Mercifully, Toby didn’t look up, keeping his head slumped down, staring at his shoes as he walked by. Immediately after Toby was far enough past them, they raced into the nearest bathroom for cover.

They stood in silence for a few seconds, the only sound their frantic breathing echoing off the stall doors, while they waited for someone to burst through the door and bust them for eavesdropping. After a few minutes passed, it slowly became apparent that they had gotten away with it.

For better or worse.

Darci spoke up first “That was...wow,”

Claire eyed Mary uncertainly, she knew her friend was a huge fan of gossip, but this... “You won’t share this on your blog, right?”

Mary leaned back against the wall and sank to the ground “No,” she mumbled “I just thought he didn’t get on the football team or something, not...this,”

Claire turned and leaned heavily against the bathroom counter, porcelain cold against her palms. She wasn’t naive, she knew that just because she had a mom and a dad didn’t mean everyone else did. Some kids had just one, or an uncle, or a grandma, even two moms or dads.

And sometimes...moms or dads weren’t good people.

Claire lifted her head to face her reflection. It might not have been her idea to eavesdrop, but she could have stopped Mary, instead she’d gone right along with it. And now they all knew a big fat personal secret that none of them had any right to know.

Needing something to do with her hands, Claire turned on the sink and splashed her face with water. She might have just met Jim, but he seemed really nice, nicer than most of the other boys their age. And now he was going to have to deal with being the kid that started crying in front of everyone.

Claire wanted to do something, anything, to make him feel better. About his dad and for what just happened. But if she tried to reach out and cheer him up he’d probably just think it was out of pity.

Not to mention that she could  never  let it slip that they knew about his dad.

Her hands went limp under the streaming faucet. How could she reach out without seeming insincere?

[cursed-ice-spirits]

Rebecca’s First Year: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Lonely Path

Prev: Here

First: Chapter 1

Next: Chapter 3

-

Rebecca woke up extra early. Mainly because she couldn’t sleep and ended up painting until she saw the sun rising, and because she wanted to avoid contact with her uncle as much as possible. 

It wasn't this easy to avoid him, so she’s taking this chance and enjoying it as much as she can. 

Rebecca presses a button on her trunk and watched it shrink until it was small enough to put it in her pocket, then turned to her black owl. 

“You need to get in your cage, Aurora,” she said tiredly. “And please don’t make any noise. I don’t want to wake anyone up.”

Aurora squawked but surprisingly obeyed. Rebecca let out a huff of amusement as she picked up the cage and started heading down the stairs quietly to get herself some bread or a snack at least. 

Hogwarts huh? Let’s hope it’s better than home. 

She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she spotted her mother in the kitchen.

There goes that idea. 

“Mum?” Rebecca said softly. “What are you doing up? It’s 2 AM. You should be asleep.”

Like she should be saying that. 

But still, her mother needs rest. 

Her mother looked at her and slowly and unsteadily got up from where she was sitting. “Becca.”

Rebecca froze. Ah, that dreaded nickname. She always hated that nickname and thinks it makes her sound childish. She allows her mother to call her that but not without a snap of “Bex, not Becca.”

This time she doesn’t, because it’s a sign of it being a good day. 

Thank goodness. 

Her mother went over to her, and Rebecca sighed as she let herself be sat down on the chair and stayed still as her mother started brushing her hair, not even twitching when she was a little too rough in some places. She was used to pain, but she didn’t care anyway.

A good day is a good day. They happen in fleeting moments but she’ll cherish them anyway. Anything other than a bad day. 

Her mother started singing a soft lullaby as she continued to brush her hair, and Rebecca closed her eyes.

She has time. 

—

She was at Platform 9 ¾.  Alone again. Earlier than expected but she wanted a good seat and not deal with anyone bothering her. That’ll be annoying.

A long time ago, she would have expected her parents and brother by her side, Ja— her brother laughing as he celebrated her first year at Hogwarts and her mother fussing over them while her father greeted coworkers with their kids.

That was before everything happened. Before everything went to hell.

Rebecca blinked rapidly and she rubbed at her eyes.

Dammit, Lord. You can’t cry now. Not when you came out of beatings unscratched.

She sighed and squared her shoulders. She can search for answers in Hogwarts. Don’t chicken out on this opportunity to kick her brother’s ass. 

Rebecca walked to the train. 

Her name is Rebecca Vivian Lord. She’s strong. She’s lived through storms and survived. She lived through finding about her curse. She lived through that thing, she can do this. 

Be brave. 

—

Time went by slowly as Rebecca read while waiting for the train to start moving. She saw a family of redheads and recognized a few of them from Diagon Alley. 

Didn’t matter anyway. She was here to search for her brother. Not make friends. They never last long anyway. 

Rebecca let out a sigh and pulled out her wand — The Parrish Wand. 

Evelyn Parrish. How interesting. The moment Evelyn told her good luck, she ushered Rebecca out of the shop and didn’t answer any questions and that drove her mad. 

How did she see the mark? Only her own blood can see it, her own blood. Unless she allowed it or the ice was recently melted but she didn’t remember any cold air or herself allowing the notice-me-not enhancement to fade. 

It was frustrating. 

Rebecca let out a huff and fumbled with her hair ribbon. She had hoped to find her the next day but unfortunately, the shop was empty when she came, with a sign that said Evelyn was traveling. 

A pity. She hoped to get some answers for once in her life. 

When was the last time her family didn’t lie to her face? Who didn’t? Oh that’s right, Ange—

The face of a tanned girl with smiling green eyes flashed under her eyelids and she forced herself not to flinch.

She died 3 years ago, you idiot. Why are you still torn up over it?

Oh that’s right. It’s because it was all her fault. Just like how it was her fault that Jacob vanished. Just like how it was her fault for BEING A FUCKING BABY—

Rebecca slowly set down her wand and forced herself to open her book, fingers shaking. 

Not now. 

Do not have a breakdown now.

She’s fine. She’s okay. 

She’sokayshe’sokayshe’sokayshe’sokayshe’sokay—

The cold air and the frost starting to form on her fingers says otherwise. 

—

The trip after she got off the train was a blur. First, she had to follow the rest of the first years along the path to find a giant of a man, who was responsible for taking them on the boats. She sat in a boat with a black girl and two others, but she was too busy focusing on the beauty of the boat ride to memorize their faces (she needed to draw the scenery later, the view is gorgeous). Then they were ushered into the Great Hall, and the rest was immediately tuned out by Rebecca. 

She already knows this anyway.

And now, the sorting. 

“Lord, Rebecca!”

Rebecca snapped out of her thoughts and looked up lazily. A wave of whispers started. A glance around her showed several students putting their heads together, whispering in low voices as they blatantly stared at the crowd of first years, at her (even though she had yet to step forward), like they were animals. Some were standing on their tip toes, searching for her, but she was so deep into the crowd, she was hard to notice, especially with her height.

Thank goodness for that for once.

“Lord, Rebecca?”

It seems like she waited too long. What a pain. She had enjoyed the anonymity.

But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

She knew that very well. All her good memories seem so far away.

Rebecca let out a deep sigh as she straightened her shoulders and walked confidently, not strutted mind you, to the stool. The whispers grew even louder, but with years of practice, she tuned them out. She knew what they were saying anyway.

She glanced around the room as she sat on the stool.

Some gazes were curious. Some were outright hostile.

Judging her because of her family and brother already, huh? People never change it seems.Ugh.However, only one set of eyes were not either those. A set of eyes belonging to a second year Ravenclaw with dark blue eyes and red red hair. They were narrowed and assessing her, calculating, but then they lit up with recognition when Rebecca met her eyes with her own hazel ones.

Interesting, very interesting. 

But before she can think more about it, the hat settled on her head and completely obscured her vision. Scowling, she sat back and heard a voice speak in her mind.

Well well well. Another Lord. One with the curse too. I admit, I had thought the curse would be broken after Ja—

“Do not speak the traitor’s name,” She hissed in her mind. 

You hold a lot of anger for him. The hat observed. 

“You tend to do that when your brother lies to your face and leaves you alone,” She said. “You know about the curse.”

It wasn’t a question. 

And the Veer. It agreed. You and your brother have very strong mental shields but that isn’t enough to stop me. I know about the curse from your ancestors over the centuries. Your grandfather, in particular, had stories prepared to pass on to his fellow students.

“My grandfather was a fool,” she said bluntly. “He shouldn’t have told stories of the curse but he can never keep his mouth shut around his peers. Always wanting to brag and please.”

“But,” she admitted softly, remembering his death the year before. “He grew up and he cared. Tried to fix his mistakes for all that’s worth.”

Indeed. And he grew up a great and powerful man just like his ancestors. Your mother’s ancestors, on the other hand, turned out the opposite.

“I am not like them,” She told it, remembering everything her mother said before everything went to hell. “Far from it.”

I know. It said simply. Now, to sort you. You are sly, cunning, and ambitious, but also kind, hardworking, and fair. A perfect blend of a Hufflepuff and Slytherin if I do say so myself, but it seems you’re more suited for Slytherin.

“So sort me there.”

Patience. Now, sorting you in Slytherin will help your ambition grow. To travel the world? To break your curse? To find your brother? Those great ambitions will do great in Slytherin and urge them to grow into something more and help you succeed. But you will be despised and looked down upon. You will be alone and distrusted even in your own house. You will be stronger, but you will never heal from the emotional and physical bruises inflicted on you. Alone, distrusted, but great and powerful. 

However, I do feel that your hard work will get you far, not your ambition. Sorting you into Hufflepuff will also help you greatly. Hufflepuff will help you gain friends that will stand by your side as you track down your brother. The road will be rough as you go, but you will gain loyal friends along the way. You may not be powerful, but you will heal and grow from your scars with the help of friends. 

Well, Miss Lord? What do you choose? I take account of your choices y’know. 

Rebecca tilted her head and frowned. She does have her ambitions and she is just as resourceful as her brother and father, but is she good enough for Slytherin? 

Yes, she is. 

But there’s also Hufflepuff to consider. Is she loyal? Is she fair? Is she hardworking? She likes to think she’s all three. But does she value her friends and family more than anything else?

A year ago, she would say something like:

“Yes!”

“Absolutely!”

But now? When her father lied to her father and left, when her brother vanished because of his stupidity? Because of her curse?

She’s not so sure.

Rebecca frowned as she lifted the hat from her eyes to look at the hundreds of eyes judging her through blood alone.

Wise Ravenclaw (Dark blue eyes narrowed as she tapped the table patiently, her housemates whispering Why is it taking so long? It’s been over five minutes), where the intelligent and witty reside. 

Brave Gryffindor, where those with courage, nerve, and daring dwell. (Bill Weasley sticks out as he stares at her, curious, cautious, and bored. 

He doesn’t seem to recognize her. Good.)

Cunning Slytherin, where you can make real friends with the cunning and ambitious. (And where the dark go. Some gazes were curious and some were narrowed. A set of purple eyes were hostile in particular). That’s the house that knows her brother the best. She can hear her brother’s name leaving their lips as she whispered and whispered. 

Loyal Hufflepuff, where the just and hardworking belonged. (Soft blue eyes belonging to a blonde hair with a bright and curious smile, and a small frail girl with silver hair and kind eyes staring up at her, Rebecca wonders if they are some of the loyal friends the hat talked about).

Four houses, four choices. And she can only choose one.

Rebecca frowned and lowered to the hat. 

“Put me where you think I will fit best.” She told it. 

Very well. Hufflepuff it is.

….wait.

What?

Rebecca’s mouth fell open in shock. 

Surprised? Well… You’ll fit in Slytherin with ambition, cunning, and slyness. However, I think your hard work will help you, not your ambition. I think your loyalty will keep you going.

“Slytherin is a fantastic choice for you but it’s a lonely path. Hufflepuff is the house for you!”

The Hufflepuff table exploded into applause. Rebecca frowned as the hat was taken off her head and she was ushered to the table. 

She sat in a lonely corner, head in her hands as she tuned out the sorting again and she pondered over the Hat’s words. 

Real friends huh?

Let’s hope it gets better. If not, she can deal with another hell to dread. 

Anything is better than home. 

—

“You dropped this.”

“Hm?”

Rebecca looked over her shoulder and saw the same redheaded girl standing behind her, holding out a locket, which her brother had given to her long ago. 

How strange. She thought she had pocketed it to keep it safe regardless of her feelings towards her brother. 

“Thanks,” she said slowly as she took the locket. She placed her thumb on the gem, watching it glow briefly, and clicked it open, ignoring the pain in her chest when she saw her brother’s side in the picture. “How did you know it was mine?”

“Your initials are on it,” the redhead shrugged, turning around. “It was fairly easy to connect the dots with RL.”

She wasn’t leaving. Huh. 

“Has it?” Rebecca asked quietly, snapping the locket closed again and, after a moment of hesitation, put it on. “I’m sure there are others with the same initials.” 

She eyes her. There’s no way this girl can open her locket. If she wasn’t her, it’ll prick her instead and refuse to open.

“You’ve been watching me at the feast,” Rebecca said. “Why?”

The girl just shrugged again. “You have your father’s eyes,” she said instead. 

Rebecca immediately blanched and the locket chattered to the floor. 

“An acquaintance directed him to me,” the girl continued, pretending nothing happened as she pulled out a small box and letter. “He was looking for information for his son, which I was unable to give to him, unfortunately, but when he found out I attended Hogwarts, he insisted I give these to you. For your birthday.”

And the girl handed them over. With shaking hands, Rebecca took both of them and held them to her chest. 

“I’ll be going now.” The girl started walking away. “Tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’, and you should be able to get in the Common room.”

“W-Wait!”

Rebecca curses herself for stuttering as the girl turned back around, bored blue depths turning curious as she raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?” 

“W-Who are you?”

The girl stared at her, dark blue eyes burning into her own. Staring long enough that Rebecca furrowed her eyebrows and straightened her shoulders instinctively. Then the girl said:

“Call me Veronica.” 

—

Rebecca entered the Common Room close to midnight, clutching the box. She was barely aware of where she was going until she found herself in front of the Common Room and tapping the barrel like what Veronica said. 

She raised her eyes to the clock. 

3..

2...

1...

Midnight. 

September 2nd. 

Happy Birthday she supposed. 

Rebecca felt nothing about her birthday, just like last year. Why should she? It’s nothing without her brother and father. And her mother...

She sighed and collapsed on a couch.

So her father had the courage to send her a gift AND a letter, but not her brother huh?

Shows what she knows.

Rebecca lowered her eyes to her lap and stared at the box and letter, then shook her head and stood up.

She’ll open them later. Tomorrow.

[solei28]

Tiny Sweets- Bucky/Reader One-Shot

Notes: I’m not really good at reader fics or one-shots, but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Feedback will be greatly appreciated. I also have this up on AO3 under Casual Encounters. My profile is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solei89/profile if you want to follow me there. Just saying. You can if you want :D. I hope you enjoy it. 

It was quiet and cold this morning. Most people were still in bed, wrapped up and warm. How he wished he could enjoy that peace of mind. Instead, one James Buchanan Barnes was dragging himself through the freshly fallen snow. A nightmare still fresh in his mind.

After he shot up from the horrific dream, he decided a walk would help him. So, he got dressed and left his Brooklyn apartment. He made his way to a nearby park about 15 minutes from his building. After aimlessly walking around for however long he did (he wasn’t keeping track), he felt the need for a cup joe sinking in.

He left the park from a different side he doesn't usually go through, hoping to find something open this early (it was 7:15 am) on a Sunday morning. To his surprise, there was a small cafe open on the corner parallel to the where he exited the park.

He made his way over to the shop that had a hanging sign that read Tiny Sweets. When he walked in, he was immediately struck by the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked treats. The place was small and only had 3 round table scattered about and one table tucked in a corner by the window. He decided he would sit at the table by the window so he could see who, if anyone, came in.

“Good morning!” a cheery voice pulled his attention to the counter.

James was floored by your beauty and the bright smile on your face. Your eyes were kind with a hint of mischief. Your lips were succulent and he imagined for a moment what they tasted like. It was only when you frowned a bit that he noticed he was staring at you.

Clearing his through he quickly said, “Morning,” voice gruff and low.

Your smile perked up again. “What can I get you?”

James walked up to the counter. “A coffee, please.”

“Sure thing. How do you like it?” you asked.

His mind may have wondered to something more intimate, but he snapped himself out of it quickly. “Cream and 2 sugars.”

“Coming right up.” You walked over to a shelf with mugs. “Is this your first time here?”

“Yeah,” he answered while he watched you intently as you made his coffee.

Turning with the mug in your hands, you made your way back to the counter. “Welcome to my shop, Tiny Sweets.”

Your voice was melodic. James found himself completely enamored by you, yet he didn’t even know your name.

“Thank you,” he finally managed, taking the mug from your hands. It smelled heavenly.

You looked at him and your eyes lit up for a moment. “Hold on.” You went over to where there were an array of tiny baked goods, grabbed a small plate and put a pastry on it. “Here you go. Its a strawberry and cream puff pastry. It’s on the house.”

James blinked in surprise at the generous offer. “You don’t have-”

You cut him off before he could protest. “I already did. Besides, you look like you could use a pick me up. Enjoy it.”

James smiled shyly at you and thanked you again before stuffing some bills in the tip jar. He ignored the look you gave him because you knew he was still trying to pay for it. He made his way over to the table by the window. The coffee was perfect, and he had to hold in a moan at how delicious the pastry was. He could see himself in here every day of the week.

James had been frequenting Tiny Sweets for a few months now. You saw him at least 3 times a week. Sometimes he would come in as soon as you unlocked the door. Other times he would come in after the morning rush. This time, he came in the evening and he was with someone.

“Hi, James!” You greet him with that big smile that makes him melt.

“Hi, Y/N,” James says shyly. The tall, dark handsome fellow he walked in with elbows him in the ribs and it hit you that he was the Falcon. “Oh, this is my friend, Sam.”

“Hello, Sam,” you say stretching a hand over the counter.

“Hey. Nice to finally meet ya,” Sam says excitedly shaking your hand.

You quirk an eyebrow up and look at James, who can’t seem to look at you. “Well, I hope whatever he’s told you is good. I got a reputation to keep,” you joke winking at James when he finally makes eye contact.

He feels his cheeks go red and tries to hide behind the hair framing his face.

Sam laughs. “Only the best things about you. Especially, about these tiny desserts.”

It gave you butterflies to think he may actually like you the way you like him since he had told his friends about you. Ever since that first cold morning he walked into your little shop, you were strangely drawn to him. Yes, he was extremely handsome and attractive, but there was something in his eyes. Something that made you want to get to know him.

Your conversations were short with him, and he sometimes seemed to be battling internally. Then, you found out he was the Winter Soldier and understood a little better what you had seen in his eyes. He was longing for peace of mind. A peace he knew he didn’t deserve, and yet he still yearned for it. You knew you wanted to show him he deserved to be happy. You were just too chicken to ask him out so you could.

James looked up at you. “Can I a coffee, doll? Oh, and whatever this idiot wants.”

You felt your chest swell at the pet name. Maybe, he really did like you. “Sure thing. What will you be having, Sam?”

“A latte and any one of those fine desserts you have there,” Sam said pointing to the display of sweets.

“You fellas have a seat. I’ll be right over with your order,” you said to them and sauntered away. You missed James’s lingering look before Sam dragged him to a table.

“Dude, she’s beautiful,” Sam whispered looking over to you, making sure you didn’t hear.

“I know,” James said a smile tugging at his lips.

“So, when are you gonna ask her out?” Sam asked.

James looked down at the table. How could someone as sweet and kind and beautiful as you want to go out with a broken man like him?

“Hey, Frostbite, listen to me. If you don’t ask her out, I will,” Sam said with a shit eating grin. He loved ticking James off.

“They will never find your body,” James growled in a low voice.

“So, stop wasting time. A gal like that is hard to find. Besides, she likes you, too.” Sam was amused by the confused face looking back at him.

“What? What makes you say that?” James asked with genuine intrigue.

“It’s the way she looks at you. And, that wink she gave you.” Sam waggled his eyebrows.

James shook his head. Come to think of it. You did look at him with a certain spark in your eyes.

“Here you go, guys,” you said coming over to the table with a tray. You placed the coffee and latte down in front of them before placing a plate with 6 different cakes and pastries on it between them. “Here we have red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and frosting, german chocolate cake, lavender lemon cake, caramel apple cream puffs, almond danish, and vanilla bean puffs. Enjoy!”

Sam’s eye grew wide looking at the treats. “Thank you, Y/N!”

“You are very welcome. Let me know if you need anything else.” You gave James a shy smile before hurry back behind the counter. One he did not fail to notice.

Maybe, she does like me… He looked at Sam who was too busy trying to figure out which treat he wanted to try out first. James quickly took the red velvet cake when he noticed Sam stared at it longer than the rest.

“Hey! I wanted that one,” Sam groaned.

“I know,” James said and took a bite. He made an obscene sound and rolled his eyes into the back of his head. “It’s so good,” he mocked.

“You’re a real asshole, Bucky.” Sam hastily grabbed the lavender lemon cake and shoved it in his mouth. He, too, made an obscene sound as he chewed.

“Are you 2 ok?” you asked from behind the counter.

They both looked at you embarrassed at how they were behaving. James looked down and apologized for both of them. You just laughed at them and went into the kitchen.

James looked at Sam and kicked him under the table. “You idiot!” he hissed.

“You started it,” Sam scoffed.

“I don’t know why I came here with you,” James said grabbing the german chocolate cake.

“It was either I came with you, or I stalked you here,” Sam said simply.

James shook his head. He just wanted some quiet time at his favorite coffee shop with the girl he was smitten with. Now, he just made an ass of himself in front of her because of birdbrain.

When they were done fighting over who got to have what treat, Sam got up and walked over the counter. James watched him suspiciously.

“Hey, I’m really sorry again for that unflattering display earlier,” he said sheepishly.

You chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Hell, I'm flattered that something I made could make people of your caliber make noises like that.” Both Sam and James were puzzled by that.

“Our caliber?” James had gotten up and was now standing next to Sam.

“Avengers.” You were amused at the look on their faces. “Come on, now. Give a girl a little credit. You think I didn’t know I’ve been serving coffee to Sergent Barnes for months. Especially, after strolling in here with the Falcon.”

James and Sam looked at each other and then back to you. Your eyes were sparkling and you had a mischievous smirk. James did not think you knew who he was. How could you still be so sweet after finding out?

“So, you know about my past?” James asked in a small voice, eyes searching your face while he waited for an answer.

You looked him in the eyes and when you spoke it was firm but not unkind. “Yes, I know about what you were forced to do.” You sighed. “James, your past is just that. Your past. We all have one. Some are worse than others, but what matters is that you don’t live in it. You push forward and learn to become better in your present so you have a brighter future. That’s called living.”

He was struck by your words and all he could do was stare at you, mouth slightly open. Even Sam seemed to be at a loss for words. When you gave him that bright smile he cherished, James’s faced softened.

“Y/N, would you like to grab dinner tonight?” he asked with new found courage.

Your smile grew wider, and your eyes crinkled. “I thought you’d never ask, James.”

He looked relieved and almost like some burden lifted from his shoulders. “Bucky. You can call me Bucky.”