#Word Count: 4009

[lostandfoundbook]

Chapter 36

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Oliver's words rang heavily in her ears. He loved her, and he wanted to be with her, and he was sacrificing so much to say this to her. She felt that ball of anxiety radiate all the way up to her chest as she failed to sooth herself with deep breaths. She was sitting alone in her room, and there was nothing there to distract her. Nothing there to do but think. Her tears had dried and stained her face with whatever make up was left after she depleted herself of tears. 

She was going crazy. She was going crazy, and it was all Oliver's fault. He was the reason she was in the position she was now, for better or worse, and he was the reason she was going absolutely insane. She couldn't handle her own emotions, and the only reason she wasn't crying anymore was because of how dehydrated she was. She felt like an idiot. 

She was interrupted from her spiral by a ringing sound. It was her phone. She wasn't kidding when she said she didn't get calls often, so the sound really shook her out of the trance she had brought herself into. She dug around her table a bit to find the phone stuck in her purse. She fished it out and looked at the caller ID. It was her sister. What was she doing calling this late at night?

"Hello?" she warbled out as she answered the phone. "Alex! Sorry for calling you so late. I just got engaged." Her sister spoke out, sounding cheerier than ever. It only put Alex in a worse mood. "That's great, Ev, I'm so proud of you" she lied out into the phone. She couldn't care less about how her sister was doing. She was doing better than Alex, and she always would be. That was her issue with her. 

"I really just wanted to catch up with you. You used to always be awake at these hours when we were kids. I've been so busy incubator a little bun and growing my own family, there has got to be something happening with you. What's up?" Alex let a sigh out from her throat that latched onto the edges of it. It was rough and gravely itself. "Oh, no. Is everything alright?"

Alex bit her sisters head off. "You know what, Everly? I don't understand why you're pretending to be so happy go lucky when you had the same exact shitty life as I did. You have the same shitty parents, and yet you turned out just fine. I'm not great, Ev, and I'll never be great. I don't get how you do it. It's bullshit. It's all bullshit." She could feel her teeth gritting together as she finished off her rant. 

Her entire life felt unfair. She was dealt one hand after another of bad news and despair, and she was expected to keep pushing on through life without a second thought. She was done with that, and she was done in general. She didn't want to continue the ruminating, and she didn't want to continue the fighting, but it was the only thing she knew at this point. She was lost in her life, and in her soul. 

The other line was silent for a few moments before Evelyn replied. "I'm not, Alex. I'm not doing good. I'm managing, but I'm really fucked up because of what happened to us. It's not like that goes away overnight, and it's not going to just fix itself. I'm doing okay right now, but it's a day by day process. I have PTSD, Alex, and I see a doctor for it. You probably should too. What's going on? Are you okay?"

Her sister's tone didn't sound judging like Alex had expected it to be, and it didn't sound rude in any manner. She sounded concerned, and like she wanted to be there for her. The experience was foreign to Alex, and she didn't understand the quick change. Maybe it was the doctor her sister mentioned? Everything was muddled in her head. She released another sigh.

"I don't know, Ev, okay? I feel like my entire life is a fucking mess right now and nothing makes sense. I don't know who I can trust, and I don't even know if I should be talking to you right now. It's a lot." She replied back into the phone. She sat down on the bench on the side of her bed and wiped her face clean of whatever residual dampness was left over.

"Well, you don't have to trust me, but I'm here for you, Alex. I want to fix our relationship. My therapist said it would be good to try to amend the people I've hurt in my past, and that includes you. You were just an innocent bystander in all of this, Al, and I never should've compared you to her. Addiction is.... hard. I'm sorry I didn't understand back then. I wish I could say all of this to your face."

Alex could feel her heart breaking into even more pieces at that. It hurt her to know that her sister wanted a relationship with her too, because she didn't know if she could follow through with that. There were so many hurt feelings, and she didn't know if she could ever address them properly in a way that was useful. She couldn't put herself aside for longer than five minutes to see the bigger picture, or maybe, that was the issue.

Her life was expanding. She was becoming an aunt, and her sister wanted a relationship in her life. She was testing things out with Oliver, and he too wanted more. She couldn't take any more of him than he was physically giving her. It would be too much to ask. Could she really take even more? Could she take even more of him when he's already given so much? Food, security, a place to stay, clothes on her back, and now his love? All of it was too much.

"Listen, Everly, I'm really glad you're apologizing, but there's so much going on in my life right now. I don't know when, or if, I'll ever be ready to meet up with you again. It's been so long, and so much has happened. I'm so busy now, and I've just got so much scattering through my brain right now. I don't know if it would really be a good idea to meet in the first place." Alex said her piece and felt the load on her back lighten a bit. 

Talking to her sister was nice. She quite enjoyed it, and found herself being able to unwind a bit. She understood where she was coming from, and she was starting to sympathize with her. She could imagine her sitting on the other line, her hair pulled up into a bun like she used to when she was younger, excepted now she was more mature, and she was pregnant. Her swollen belly probably stuck out from her shirt, which had probably been replaced with maternity tops.

She was living her own life, and it was nothing like the life her parents had lived. She had broken the cycle of karma, and Alex was the only one left in the past. She needed to move on, and she didn't know how. She clung heavily to the words her sister said next. "You're trying to do better, too, Alex. I can tell. You haven't swore me out like you used to, and you picked up my phone calls both times. You're accepting my words to a certain extent, and I'm sorry that your life is so messed up right now."

Her sister let out a breath of air before she continued on the other line. "I wish you would feel able to talk to me more, because I want to be there for you. I want to be able to make it up to you one day, even if it's a really slow process. I know you don't like change" She finished off with a small laugh. This elicited a smile from Alex herself. 

"I don't know. I just feel like I can't accept anyone into my life anymore. Not after what mom and dad did, and not after all the other shit that happened. After I lost my baby, nothing was ever the same. Nobody ever stayed. Everyone left, and I didn't know how to cope with that anymore."

Everly finished her sentence for her, and repeated her sentiments from earlier. "You turned to drugs, I know. It wasn't your fault, I understand that now." Alex could feel herself having to bite her tongue. She got that Everly understood now, but it didn't change the way she felt about the situation. She was shamed and ridiculed for years, and it wasn't until recently that she felt accepted and safe enough to get clear. A reason to get clean. 

It made her heart hurt even greater. Nothing about this conversation was helping her. It was like a ton of bumps in the road leading all the way up to a big downhill drop. She wanted to escape from this. From everything. She didn't know what else to do. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lower lip until she tasted iron. "What do you think your therapist would think about me running all the time?" Alex asked out as she released her lip and stood up.

She had made a decision. Unless she was given some kind of sign, she was going to leave. She couldn't stay here. Everything reminded her of Oliver, and everything about Oliver reminded her of Everette, and her parents, and all the other things she would have to talk to him about. She wasn't ready for it, and she couldn't be the person to break his heart. She couldn't say it to his face.

She was going to have to leave the hotel. "Well, she would probably say that you need to slowly confront your fears. Take it a day at a time, and just accept what's coming your way. If you have all the tools to cope with what's going to happen, then you don't need to worry about the future. It's going to be okay. There's no need to run." She paused for a minute. "Did that help at all?"

Alex sighed in discontentment. It didn't help her. She could hear the advice a million times, but it didn't help her. She could see her future laid out before her like a path on a road, and there was a big wall leading to a dead end up ahead. There was no future here. There was nothing to prepare for, besides the slamming screeching halt of the car smashing to pieces. His heart, that is. 

"Yeah, thanks, Ev. Can I call you later?" Alex lied into the receiver end of the phone. "Of course! You have my number." Everly replied back before the line went dead. Alex slid her phone into the pockets of her shorts and shook her head. She needed to pack. If she was going to leave, she needed a set of clothes she could wear. They were her clothes at this point, right? Oliver wouldn't mind if a few tank tops and shorts were missing? 

She walked into her closet and rummaged around for a duffel bag. There were all kinds of things in here that she never expected. It was a massive walk in closet that bordered on it's own room with a giant dark brown island sitting in the middle. The entire room was made out of a dark wood, and it smelled like perfume from all the times she had gotten ready. She soaked in the scent of the room one last time before she located the bag.

She unzipped it and started shoving clothes in by the handfuls. Just enough for a couple of weeks, until she could get herself a job. She had a lot of skill. She could apply around the theatres, and maybe they would pick her up with the hotel on her resume. She zipped the bag closed and hauled it out of the room, where she was met face to face with Avery. It was a silent little closet, so people could easily slip into the room without her knowing, much as they did.

Avery was no one special, but she did put Alex on edge, startling her. "I didn't hear you come in!" Alex spoke out as she tossed her bag onto the bed. "Oh! Yes... I was just checking up on you. You've both been....quiet since yesterday." She had a look of worry on her face. She was wearing a white blouse with a frilly collar, with another pencil skirt. the epitome of fashion and business professional.

"I'm fine." Alex lied out. "You're going somewhere?" Avery responded, pointing towards the bag. It was as if the girl could read her thoughts. She wasn't fine. She could barely keep herself together long enough to stop crying. "Yeah." She replied out, turning towards the bag she just lobbed towards the bed. "I'm going to visit a friend. You don't mind?"

Avery shook her head and walked over towards Alex's bench and sat down. "I don't mind, but I think you're running from something. From someone. Why don't you talk about it with me?" Alex sat down beside Avery and pursed her lips. "What is there to say? He said he loved me." Avery didn't seem shocked. It was likely that Oliver told Avery long before he told Alex. She knew this, as well, and didn't let it weigh down on her. 

Avery was Oliver's friend. Oliver trusted Avery. Alex wasn't going to be there for Oliver when she left, so it was probably for the best that they had each other. They always had, and Alex couldn't get in the way of that. Avery tilted her head to the side and seemed to be analyzing the girl. "And that's a bad thing?" She asked out, staring at the make up stains across her face. "Yes!" Alex responded, shaking her hands in front of her as she did so.

"How come?" Avery replied back, leaning across the edge of the end of the bed. She seemed to be taking in the information of the situation the same way a viewer watches a TV show or the way a reader analyzes a book. It was logical for her, not emotional. Alex stood up with an exasperated sigh and pointed around the room. She could feel her emotions welling up in her chest again in the location where she thought they had run dry. 

"What do you mean, 'because'?! Look at everything he's given me! I can't keep taking and taking and taking without giving. I feel like I'm carving pieces of myself away just to be with him. It's like I have to die and rebirth myself just to breath. I don't understand what's happening to me, Avery!" Alex had said it a little louder than she had meant it, and she could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes again. She tossed her hands out to the side in a shrug.

"That's love, Alex. It hurts, sometimes, but that's how you know it's happening. That it's real. Have you ever considered the fact that you deserve to feel loved and accepted, as well? You don't allow yourself to rely on others, ever, and it might be to your own detriment."

The tears began to spill over her cheeks, and she could feel the heat of the liquid on her face as it poured down. She let out a small sob before replying. "I don't know, Avery, that's the problem. I don't know him, and he doesn't know me. We think we do, but we never actually talk. He barely knows who I am. How am I supposed to love somebody I can't even be myself around?"

Avery nodded her own head in a solemn motion. "Of course you feel that way. Look at how you grew up, Alex. You were raised to hide yourself away, and to constantly run from things. How can you expect yourself to be so open and accepting of new experiences when you can't even confront yourself? I don't mean this as a dig, but you have to look introspectively to think about what you want. You can run from Oliver, but you can't run from yourself. Not forever, at least.

She continued. "Listen. Why don't we just go back to my room for a bit and talk? We can talk through this. He doesn't have to know if you don't want." Alex found herself looking at the girl sitting at the foot of her bed, and instinctively, she just nodded her head. She felt exhausted. 

* * *

Entering Avery's room was like entering a completely different building entirely. It was entirely white with black accents, and everything seemed to match her. The entrance had a nice walk way with a table where she set her bag down as they walked in. Past that was open area space with a lower lofted ceiling. Back in the corner was a dining table and a kitchenette, with a big open window space out behind it. 

Off to the left, the complex opened up more and the ceilings raised up high. This was where the living room was, and was where Avery directed Alex towards. Across the walls were self made art pieces, and Alex could tell that Avery had painted them herself. "Your place is so beautiful." She remarked as she passed through, and wiped a hand across her eyes. They were damp again.

She hated crying. If she were being honest, she hated showing any emotions. It was a moment of weakness she didn't like to revel in, and it made her feel like an idiot. It could've been from all the times her parents belittled her and yelled at her, but maybe it was the fact that she didn't like the reason she was crying. Over a boy. She felt like a cliché. "Thank you" Avery replied back as she sat on the couch and motioned for Alex to join her.

She sat down, and noticed the lushness of the couch. It was softer than it looked, and she sank right into it. She wanted one of these couches for herself... or... maybe she didn't, because she wouldn't be able to afford it soon. If she went through with her plans, then she would only be left behind with 50 thousand dollars. It sounded like a lot, but to live off of it, it wasn't. 

Nobody in her fanbase would understand. She couldn't talk to her PR, and she likely couldn't fix her career after this. Not after it had been entangled so heavily with Oliver. How does she move on after him? After being tied up so woefully with this man? She closed her eyes and let the emotion of the situation hit her. She was really considering running, again. For the millionth time.

"I think I have to leave the hotel, Avery. I don't know if I can stay here." Alex finally said, breaking the silence. "Alright. And what exactly would you do after you left." The ginger haired girl asked back. This stumped Alex. "What? What do you mean? Most people ask where you would do, or ask why you're leaving. You're asking me what I'm going to do?" It seemed like an obvious question. She was going to live her life the way she intended to. She was going to get back to theatre, and she was going to start directing more. She would get a job. She might even be happy, if she let herself.

"Yeah. I'm asking you what you're going to do. Are you going to turn to drugs again? Because you could always do that here." Avery seemed quizzical in the way she spoke, as if there were some secondary reason for Alex wanting to leave. Some bigger picture she didn't yet understand. "It's not like that, Avery. I feel like I'm suffocating here." Alex's voice hitched as she spoke, and she could feel the tears rearing their heads back in. 

She wiped at the corners of her eyes as she continued to talk, smearing more make up. She could feel her pulse begin to race as she talked. "I can't open myself up to Oliver. He doesn't understand me. He thinks he does, but there is so much to me that he doesn't understand. He can't know what it's like to sit up every morning waiting to see if your parents are going to be cognizant enough to say goodbye to you before you go off to school. He doesn't know what it's like to have everybody looking at you like you're a failure, and like you're just a repeat mistake of your parents."

No matter how much she wiped, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Once she had gotten it all out there, she couldn't stop the flow of emotions. It came tumbling out like word vomit looking for a place to land. None of it came out softly, and she couldn't help the struggled sobs that left her mouth. If she hated crying before, she hated whatever was happening here. Avery reached out and put a hang on Alex's shoulder.

It was that small act of comfort that caused Alex to fully break down crying. "I just can't do it, Avery." She wailed. It was a tormented cry, and she couldn't help but hug into the girl as she drew her closer into her chest. "It's going to be alright, Alex. If you have to leave, you have to leave, but you will always have a place here at the hotel. I don't want you to think that you're running away from us forever." She pulled away and looked Alex in the eyes before wiping her hands across her cheeks the way a mother would her child.

She wiped it on her skirt before drawing Alex into another hug before pulling apart completely. "Let me get you some water. You're probably dehydrated at this point." Avery stood up as she talked, and walked over to the kitchenette. Alex took a deep breath into her chest and blew it out, attempting to release the leftover emotions. 

She reached back into her pocket and pulled out her phone, looking for Benji's contact. If she was going to be staying with anyone, it was going to be Benji. She trusted him the most, and he was always there for her in the past. He had his own history with Oliver, so he has to understand where she was coming from. It was all going to be okay. She slid open his messages and typed one out. 'hey? can i stay with you for a bit? i dont want to talk about it' 

She slid the phone back into her pocket before Avery returned with the water, and a bag of make up wipes. "Here. These are both for you. It's getting really late. I really don't think you should go anywhere tonight. It's already 11pm, but you can stay here on the couch if you want, or we have a pull out bed upstairs in the other room, if you wanted to stay." Alex took the glass of water and took a sip before setting it down and grabbing the wipes.

"The couch is fine, thank you. I just can't go back in there tonight. I'm sorry." She replied before dragging the make up wipe over her face and removing the left over crumps of eyeliner and mascara hidden across her face. "Don't apologize to me, you have nothing to apologize for." Avery replied before beginning to walk away from the girl. She did have something to be sorry for, though. When Oliver realized she was gone, it was going to break his heart. He would easily be able to connect his declaration to her leaving. This was going to be the hardest on him.

[genshin-obsessed]

Could I request fluff in a School AU where Zhongli is reader's senpai and she confesses to him on his graduation day in front of the whole school?

Howdy! This seems... so cute! Like recently, I've been watching a lot of slices of life anime and like... CUTEEE ^w^ honestly, this was meant to be a lot shorter but somehow... I accidentally typed too much. Because of this, it's rushed at the end but that's because I needed to finish it ;w; also, yes i am your best friend, didn't you know?

Character: Zhongli Word count: 4009 this really got out of hand Extra: School AU; I used Tartaglia's real name (Ajax); and it's a bit long! Don't mind!

warning: descriptive panic attack in the beginning so please proceed with caution.

Your hands were actually cold from how scared you were. They were shaking slightly, your heart was pounding in your chest, practically ready to burst out. Your vision was slightly blurry, sending you into a blind panic.

You couldn't breathe- you were sure you were going to die. Your back hit the cold wall but you could barely feel it as you slid down, hitting the ground below you. Your hands slammed against your chest, curling around the shirt of your uniform as you begged your body to just... breathe. Why couldn't you breathe? What the hell was happening? Y-you didn't want to die! Not now! You were too young!

The constricting feeling got stronger and it felt like you weren't ever going to be able to breathe. You closed your eyes to avoid seeing how everything was slowly caving in on you. You didn't want to see it.

"Hey, hey..." you felt hands touch your shoulders, but you barely registered them. They felt as light as feathers. In seconds, you felt your hair be pushed out of your face and so you tried to open your eyes. You could make out a face- barely. It was a boy, he seemed worried. "I'm going to help you stand, ok?" You just nodded, feeling the tears pouring down your cheeks. Your heart beat was so uncomfortably loud in your ears, it hurt.

After a few moments... you felt a cool breeze on your cheeks and the tightness in your chest began to loosen. The walls that had been caving in around you stopped and were just gone. You slowly opened your eyes and looked around- you were outside.

"Breathe with me." The boy said, sitting in front of you. He breathed in for four counts, held for seven counts, and breathed out for eight. At first, you couldn't follow too well, but he didn't seem bothered. He just breathed in and out repeatedly until you finally felt yourself calm down. Your face was tingling and you hated it- it felt so gross.

"There you go." He said with a smile as he pulled all your hair back and up, to free your neck. "Feel better?" You slowly nodded, sniffling as his face finally came into view. He was... cute. He had dark brown hair, with orange highlights, fair-toned skin, and orange eyes.

"Y-yes... th-thank you." You murmured, looking down. He brought you outside. That's what you were originally trying to do, but your panic attack hit so fast, you couldn't even make it to the doors. But he knew and he brought you out there.

"It's not a problem. Are you doing ok? Do you need anything?" He asked as he held out a water bottle to you. "Sorry, I drank some earlier but you should really hydrate after all that."

"Um... o-ok..." you said, shakily taking the water and opening the top. It seemed like he had just bought the water, seeing as how it was almost full and still cold. You brought the bottle to your lips and began to drink.

"Slow sips, don't rush it." He reminded as he readjusted your hair before using a hair tie on his wrist to tie it up.

"You just... have a hair tie on your wrist?" You asked, seeing the indentation of it on his hand.

"Yeah, I'm friends with these girls who always need one but never bring one. So, I started doing it. Silly, I know, but it can be handy for other things. And I'm glad I had it, seeing as how it helped you." His smile was so radiant even though it was a calm one. "Here." He reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief, slowly dabbing your face.

"You didn't have to help me." You said quietly, mainly to yourself but he heard it as well.

"I suppose I didn't have to, but it would've felt wrong not to. Who just watches someone have a panic attack and walks away?" He said with a smile as he finished up, before fanning your face a little. Your cheeks were still pretty red, but that wasn't surprising.

"... (y/n)..." you murmured, making him tilt his head.

"What was that?"

"Oh, my name. It's (y/n)." His eyes widened a little before a smile spread on his lips.

"It's very nice to meet you, (y/n). My name is Zhongli. I hope we can be good friends."

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

That was the day you fell for your upperclassman named Zhongli. He was a really sweet guy, super popular, thoughtful, and always prepared. Since that day, every time Zhongli saw you, he walked over, happily greeted you and asked how you were feeling that day. At first, you would awkwardly reply, but then you got used to it. Sometimes, you'd see him walking with his friends and he'd stop to come say hi to you before classes. You two didn't live near each other, but he still made an effort to walk with you as far as he could. Every now and then, he'd show up to your class before it started and give you a snack, whether it be candy, a drink, maybe something healthier.

Honestly, it was no surprise you eventually fell in love with him. You two talked all the time and he was just so perfect. He took care of you without even realizing it! Some days you'd forget breakfast and that would be the day he stopped by to give you an apple because he brought an extra or something. His kindness knew no bounds.

Your friends teased you all the time about it. The cutie upperclassman who’s always hanging around you, giving you food, drinks, helping you with homework and everything else. Let's not forget the way you'd respond. Your cheeks would turn bright red, you'd look away awkwardly, barely being able to stutter out a thank you. Zhongli was really attractive and a lot of girls liked him- even some guys. So you being added to that list was inevitable.

"It's because he didn't study." Xiao recalled, rolling his eyes as a dejected Ajax followed him and Zhongli.

"No way! I stayed up all night to study!" The orange-haired boy responded with a pout as he glared at his shorter classmate. 

"Cramming everything the night before a test almost never works, you should've known that." Zhongli said with a smile as he looked over at the two.

"I heard you never study." Ei added as she looked up at Zhongli, who's eyes widened.

"Who said that? I study all the time."

"Uh, taking notes and rereading them that day and never touching them again isn't exactly studying." Xiao stated as he looked up at Zhongli.

"Yeah, you're like superhuman dude." Ajax said with wide eyes. "You always get the best grades- especially in history- and all the teachers love you, man!"

"That's because he doesn't talk in class 24/7." Ei shot with an eye roll, to which Ajax's eyes widened.

"I don't talk 24/7! I just happen to always have important things to say." The group went on their way as they kept chatting when Zhongli spotted you out of the corner of his eye. A small smile appeared on his face and he stopped, making his group stop too.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

"Ahh, it's that little cutie you talk to all the time." Ajax said as he threw his arm around Xiao's shoulders and leaned forward a bit. You were talking with your friend, Pocket, giggling about something. Zhongli's smile softened and he nodded.

"They are cute, aren't they?" For a moment, his eyes were locked on you and only you. The entire world vanished for a moment as he heard your sweet laughter ring in his ears. 

"You should introduce me- OW!" Ajax exclaimed when Xiao's hand slapped his face. "What the hell, dude?"

"Stop looking at those two. (y/n) is out of your league and that other girl wouldn't be interested in you even if you were the last man on earth." Xiao replied coldly, crossing his arms.

"That's- you don't know that! What? Is the other one more your type?"

"No way," Ei replied without missing a beat. "Neither of you are her type. I know her, she's a good friend of (y/n)'s. We share a class together."

"She's an upperclassman? How come we haven't seen her?" Ajax asked, making Ei shake her head.

"She's got an advanced class. Those classes that count as college credits." Ei explained as she placed her hand on Zhongli's back and pushed him forward a little, causing him to break out of his trance. "Go talk to them. We'll go on ahead." She began to walk ahead, urging Xiao and Ajax to go as well.

"Ah, cutie incoming." Your friend Pocket said as she looked at Zhongli and waved. "Good afternoon."

"Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Zhongli said, making you and Pocket shake your heads.

"I was just leaving actually!" Pocket said as she waved before turning and walking away quickly. You rolled your eyes a little playfully before turning to your crush.

"What's up, Zhongli?"

"Nothing much, I just saw you and wanted to say hi. How are you feeling today?" You smiled at the usual question and nodded.

"Good, actually. I did really well on my test I took yesterday, so that definitely made me happy!"

"Oh, congratulations! Not that I'm surprised, you're pretty smart." He said, patting your head. Your cheeks flushed red and you looked away shyly.

"I-it's just because you helped me study." 

"Yeah, but it's your own little brain's doing for keeping all that information together until you could take your test. You should give yourself more credit." He said as he poked your forehead.

Your heart was pounding in your chest from just that little interaction and you suddenly had the urge to confess. What if you just... blurted it out now? Said it, asked him out, see what would happen? No, no way! What the hell were you thinking? He wouldn't feel the same. Zhongli was friendly with everyone. That didn't mean you were special. Slowly, all that excitement just vanished and you felt a coldness settle in your heart.

The two of you made light conversation as Zhongli walked you back to your class before you parted ways. Throughout the day, you couldn't help that small bit of sadness that followed you at the thought of Zhongli not liking you back.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

APPARENTLY, it was so bad, your friend had to take action. Sure, maybe you couldn't confess to Zhongli, but why not just see what he thought.

Pocket waited outside of Zhongli's class, planning on what she wanted to say. Maybe her approach was going to be aggressive, but she needed to get answers now so she could finally push you to confess!

Finally, all the students began to file out of the class and Pocket patiently waited and waited until Zhongli walked out with Ei and Ajax. She immediately called out to Zhongli, making him stop.

"Oh, hello. You're (y/n)'s friend, yes?"

"Yep, that's me. Don't mind me being a little forward, but do you like (y/n)?" Ajax and Ei's eyes widened as they didn't expect you to be that forward.

"Um... they're a good friend of mine, so of course I do." Zhongli replied as he turned to face her.

"I meant like romantically. Do you like (y/n) romantically?" Zhongli fell silent as he gazed at the short girl in front of him.

"Why... do you want to know?" Now the empty halls were uncomfortably silent as Pocket practically stared down Zhongli while Ei and Ajax watched quietly.

"It's a simple question. I'd like for you to answer it." Pocket pressed, placing a hand on her hip. Ei was a little... confused. Pocket was never like this, she was actually quite the shy and kind girl. Not whatever the hell this was. She looked over at Ajax, only to see his eyes glimmering, making her jab his side.

"What if I don't want to?" Zhongli replied, a look of seriousness falling upon his piercing orange eyes. Pocket began to walk toward him and stopped when she was just a foot away from him. There was a significant height difference, but she didn't seem bothered at all.

"Just making sure you won't get in my way." Now Zhongli was confused, that's the last thing he expected out of her.

"Wh-what?"

"I like (y/n) and I wanted to make sure you won't be getting in my way." She replied with a shrug. "Good to know." As Pocket began to walk past him, Zhongli grabbed her arm and stopped him, staring down at her.

"Yeah, I do. You can like them all you want, but I won't take that lying down." 

"Oh? Aren't you graduating in a week or something?" Pocket shot back, making Zhongli's hand tighten around her arm for a moment. He didn't say anything, but Pocket got what she wanted right there. Once he let go, she kept walking, briefly looking at Ei and sending her a wink. 

Ei's eyes widened as all three of them watched Pocket walk away before she looked at Ajax, beside her, then Zhongli, who seemed... upset. 

"Woah! I didn't think she was capable of that!" Ajax said, making Zhongli roll his eyes.

"I think... it was a ruse." Ei said slowly, looking at Zhongli. "She likes this one guy, I heard her talking about him, he's in our class. That one guy, with the red hair." 

"There's a lot of guys with red hair, that doesn't help at all." Ei rolled her eyes at his words and sighed.

"Diluc- that guy. Quiet, smart, rich, has that annoying brother." Oh, that guy.

Well, she can like two people at the same time." Ajax replied, making Ei look at him, unconvinced.

"She'd ask (y/n) out but not that guy?" Ajax just shrugged as both of them looked over at Zhongli. "You ok?"

"Fine. Come on." Zhongli said with a dismissive sigh as he began walking in the same direction they were previously headed. So many thoughts weighed heavily on his mind after that simple interaction and he wondered if there was any truth to Ei's words. Was she... messing with him? Was it an attempt to get him to admit he did like you? Well, she did it- she figured it out. Now here he was, a bit of a mess wondering if he should just outright tell you. 

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

"You should just ask him out!" Pocket said as she rushed after you on your way home.

"No way! What if he says no? Do you know how embarrassing that would be? Besides, he's friendly with everyone. He hasn't exactly given me any reason to believe I'm special." You replied as you rubbed her face.

"You'll never know unless you try." Your friend explained, but you were adamant. "Come on, (y/n), are you really ok with never trying? What if he does like you?" You abruptly came to a halt, your eyes widening.

What if... Zhongli felt the same way? That would make you so happy. Being able to hold hands with him, hug him, spend a lot more time with him... kisses- ah! it was too much!

You slowly lowered yourself to the ground, covering your red face, hearing Pocket yell behind you.

"What the hell? Are you ok?!" She bent down beside you and pushed your head back, making you lower your hands. Your face was bright red and it made her laugh. "Oooh! so you're thinking of dating him~" you smacked her arm, which just increased her laughter. "Sorry, sorry, but that should be motivation. What if you could have him? Doesn't that make you want to try?"

It did... it really did.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The week following was extremely busy for Zhongli and all the graduates because... graduation was coming up. They had entrance exams, college admissions, homework, and finals all coming up together. Zhongli and the other upperclassmen were drowning under the pressure.

You were able to find a moment in which you gave him a small handmade chocolate to help with all the upcoming stress. Not only that, but you intended to confess. Thing was... when it came time, all you could do was hold out the chocolate and wish him luck with the entrance exams. He smiled brightly, thank you, and ruffle your hair as he left. You were disappointed, that was your best chance... and you flaked! But that smile was all worth it. You could see some of that tiredness lift when you gave him your gift. 

"I'm... rooting for you, Zhongli." You whispered to yourself as you watched his figure disappear down the halls.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

"This is your last chance." Pocket said as she grabbed your arm, making you stop and look at her. "He will leave after this, don't do it, (y/n). Don't miss your opportunity. You frowned as you met her eyes before looking away and shaking your head. No, no way! You couldn't do it.

"What makes you think I can do it now? In front of the entire school? I couldn't tell him in the hallway a week ago." You said, dejected and feeling the overwhelming sadness coming back. No way, you'd just have to wait till after. 

Pocket opened her mouth to speak, but that's when the ceremony began. Unfortunately, you two wouldn't have much time to talk so you quickly made your way to your seats.

The graduating class was quite large, actually, so finding Zhongli wasn't easy. But you kept your eyes peeled, and of course, your friends ended up spotting him first.

The ceremony was quite long, almost hitting the two hour mark. The last and final bit was the walk across the stage. Your eyes were locked on Zhongli the entire time, watching as he smiled and waved at his family and friends. You might've been too far away, but you did notice his golden-orange eyes searching the crowd. So, you did what you thought might help and stuck out your arm and waved.

You watched his face light up and he waved back excitedly as if he'd been waiting to spot you. Just that simple act made your heart flutter. As the ceremony progressed, Pocket's words kept ringing in your head. What if you did just confess to him? Take your chance? The more you thought about it, you felt the fear creeping into your mind. What if he rejected you- and he most likely would.

You frowned and turned to Pocket, but she shook her head, being able to read your thoughts as they were so clearly written on your face.

"Look, I would never push you into a situation that would end in failure. Especially not right now. Trust me." She said and the look she had in her eyes... it instantly put your nerves to ease.

"Ok, I trust you." 

The ceremony flew by, mainly because you were still slightly anxious and it felt as if time was moving so fast. It's not like you didn't want to confess and Pocket's added confidence did help comfort you, but not 100%. 

"There," Pocket said as she dragged you by the arm and pointed to where Zhongli was. He was smiling as he talked to some of his friends, probably elated to finally be graduating. "Ok. I believe in you! Go confess." Pocket said in a slightly loud whisper as she nudged you forward.

You steeled your courage and took a deep breath before slowly walking to Zhongli. He smiled as he saw you, waving to you immediately.

"Ah, (y/n)! Thank you for coming." He said with a smile as his friends turned to smile at you as well.

"We saw you and your friend, you two were really loud." Ei said with a chuckle, referring to your applause when Zhongli walked across the stage. You felt your cheeks flush red and looked away.

"Oh, yeah... sorry about that."

"No way!" Ajax said with a laugh as he leaned toward you, "if only you were that loud when I walked across the stage."

Zhongli and Ei quickly pulled the pouty boy away from you as Zhongli stepped towards you, quickly sending a message to his friends that he wanted to speak with you. They just stepped a few feet away to continue their conversation. 

"Are you ok? You look nervous." Zhongli murmured, noting the slight discomfort in your gaze.

"Um, yeah, I just have..." you paused and took another deep breath. "Ok, so you've been a very close friend of mine since the day you helped me out with my panic attack. You've always been there for me, you're always looking out for me, and you're like... you've never left me alone. You don't let me feel alone either." As you spoke, you found the words coming to you easily. You didn't notice it, but the group of graduates and their friends around you began to look towards you two. Zhongli noticed and his face flushed red, but he didn't say anything.

"That's because you're really important to me, (n/n)." He said softly, smiling down at you. You couldn't help but feel your heart flutter at the way he spoke your nickname.

"You're important to me too... a lot more than I realized. Zhongli, I really like you. Like a lot. I wanted to ask- and I hope this isn't a bad time- but will you be my boyfriend?" There was a silence that hung in the air for a moment and it sent a wave of panic through you.

Zhongli's eyes were wide, sure your speech sounded like it was going towards a confession- and it did- but he still didn't expect it. His eyes softened and he smiled, reaching out to touch your cheek.

"Ah, beat me to it." He chuckled, making your eyes widen. "But yes, I'd love to be your boyfriend." 

"Go Zhongli! Look at your red face!" Your eyes snapped to Zhongli's friend, Ajax, who was staring with the biggest smile. That's when it dawned on you that you just confessed in front of the entire graduating class of 200 students! AND their friends!

"Shut up, Ajax." Xiao said as he slapped a hand over Ajax's mouth, but it was too late. Zhongli's other friends were also cheering, either sending a remark or just letting out a whistle- in an attempt to tease their friend and it worked. Zhongli's face was bright red but he just laughed it off.

"Ah, thank you everyone." He said graciously as he wrapped his arm around you. "Don't worry, they're not making fun of you. They're just teasing me." Zhongli was popular, so it wasn't surprising most of the graduating class was fond of him.

You slowly hid yourself in his chest, covering your face. That felt so embarrassing and you slowly looked to the side to see Pocket... with her phone up. 

"Oh, yeah, I wanted to make early memories!" She said with a giggle, making Ajax's eyes widen.

"Shortie! Send me that!" He said, running over to her with his phone out, airdrop ready to go.

"Leave her alone-" Xiao yelled, running right after him. 

"I know it's in front of a lot of people, but... can I kiss you?" Zhongli asked with a slight smile. Most of the people around you were still watching you two, but they were engrossed in their conversations about how cute the confession was.

"Q-quick one." You said with a nod, making him take your face and lean in. The kiss was indeed short, but it was sweet and seemed like a... preview to what a much longer kiss would be like from him. 

Of course, Zhongli's friend didn't let that go either, letting out a loud "ooh", embarrassing both him and you.

[juancarlos-ortiz]

Marked for Carnage - Chapter 6 (Juice x OC Fic)

Marked for Carnage Masterlist

A/N: Chapter 6 is here! It's been literal months lol but here we are. Warning this chapter does contain talks of domestic violence, drug use and drug dealing. Enjoy!

Word Count: 4009 words

Ronnie huffed as she slammed her front door closed. Irritation coursed through her after Agent Stahl's little visit. Juice remained where he stood in the living room, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Got pretty shitty timing, huh?" he said. Ronnie laughed softly and shook her head. "Nah, don't worry about it. Clearly they don't have shit if they're pushing out to family members," she shrugged. She moved past him, their arms brushing lightly together, sending goosebumps across her skin. Ignoring the reaction, she opened her pantry and scoured for lunch items. Closing the doors she turned to Juice. "So, I don't have anything for lunch in the house. Not really much of a cook," she admitted, her skin feeling hot as the embarrassment washed over her. She was 28, wasn't she supposed to know how to at least cook a basic meal by now? Work and school has always been her priority, leading her to live off takeaways and microwave meals - she always tried to get servings of vegetables if she could.

Juice smiled and shrugged. "Wanna go to the supermarket and we can find something to make together?" he asked. She perked up, not expecting that suggestion. "Really?" she asked. He smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I'm no Gordon Ramsay but I can make a decent sandwich." 30 minutes later they dumped the grocery bags on her counter and began to unpack the ingredients. Fresh bread, different deli meats, lettuce and tomatoes as well as condiments other than ketchup were now lined up on the counter top. Juice began to slice into the loaf - he claimed that buying a fresh loaf whole and slicing it yourself was the secret ingredient to the perfect sandwich. Ronnie pulled out plates and laid out the slices as he handed them to her. She had never had this much fun in the making food before. Juice put her at ease so naturally. They laughed and poked fun at each other. Ronnie stood in front of the two plates with all of the ingredients now prepped in front of her ready to assemble the sandwich.

Suddenly, there was heat at her back as Juice stood behind her, crowding her against the bench. "Ok so, just start putting it together how you would like," he said, his breath moving over her ear gently. She held in a shudder. "How do you like it?" she asked, her eyes bulging as the words came out, the unintentional innuendo making her want the ground to swallow her up. Juice just laughed, the vibration reverberating through her back. "I'll show you how I like it, Ronnie," he said, making her stomach cartwheel. He leaned against her further as she watched him grab various elements to make his sandwich. She could only focus on his hands though, watching them move and flex, wondering how they would feel grasping her hips and ass… "Your turn," Juice said, snapping her out of her dirty thoughts. He from behind her to stand next to her, smirking as if he could hear every nasty little thing she was thinking.

She cleared her throat and began to make her own lunch, trying to remember the order he had picked things up. She topped it off with the other slice, smiling brightly at Juice. His heart skipped at the sight. "Looks good, rookie," he teased. They took their lunch to the living room and sat down, beginning to eat. "Oh my god," Ronnie said after the first bite. "That is really good bread." Juice nodded, smiling at her. "Told you." They finished their meals in silence, Juice leaning back and closing his eyes in satisfaction his hand on his stomach. Ronnie took the two plates back to the kitchen before rejoining him on the couch. "So," Juice started. "Wanna tell me why you need club protection?" he asked. Ronnie stilled and swallowed thickly. Her palms began to sweat a little and her heart rate picked up, squeezing her eyes shut just at the thought of Mark. Juice watched her intently, taken aback by her reaction.

"Hey," he said softly, moving over and resting a warm hand against her back. She couldn’t hold back her shudder this time, her senses in overload. "I'm sorry, you don’t have to tell me if you don't want," his voice was close to her face and she opened her eyes, finding him a lot closer to her now. She dropped her gaze, landing on his lips before bouncing back up to his eyes again. This happened twice more, Juice's hand moving from her back up to cup the side of her head, his fingers pushing into her hair. Ronnie closed her eyes again and slowly pulled herself back from him. "Friends!" she thought. "Nothing more than friends." Juice followed her lead and put a little space between them, smiling sheepishly and swallowing. "Sorry," he mumbled again. Ronnie just smiled. "It's ok. I wouldn't say its club protection, more like Piney being stubborn," she laughed, trying to be as casual as possible.

Juice waited for her to continue. "My ex lives in Charming," she explained. "He's pretty much the reason I left in the first place. He was always a bit of a douchebag but when I we started our senior year of high school he dropped out and started dealing. He used before, but I never judged," she shrugged, looking down at her hands. "But it was when he started dealing that things got bad. He was selling to underage kids you know. Like 13 year olds. I didn't like that, I said so and he hit me. And then after he had done it once it became his go to 'punishment' whenever I did or said something he didn’t like. Which was a lot." Juice's face twisted in disgust. Dealing to kids was already shitbag territory but smacking people around, especially the woman you’re in a relationship with? Juice was surprised Opie hadn't already buried this guy. "Your dad and brother just let this happen?" he asked, unclenching his jaw.

Ronnie shook her head. "They didn't know for the most part. Mark made sure the bruises were in places I could easily cover up. He knew who my family were, he didn't have a death wish completely. Opie wasn't around much anyway, spent all of his time with Jax when he ran away from Mom's and came back to Charming," she swallowed the lump in her throat. "One day though, Mark forgot about his own rules and landed one right here," she pointed to her lower lip and Juice could just make out the smallest scar that he hadn't noticed before. "Split my lip so bad I had no choice but to go to the ER," she shrugged, huffing out an unamused laugh. "Tried to get Jax to take me but he just told Opie and dad. Fuckin' snitch." Juice inhaled deeply, letting her finish. "Piney and Ope started threatening to do all sorts of shit and I just… I couldn't let them. Made them promise that they wouldn't touch him. He's scum but he's not worth 25 to life. Opie wanted to take it to the club but he was only Prospecting at the time and somehow I managed to get dad to agree to drop it. But still I just knew that unless I packed up and moved to a different state, I would never really be rid of him."

Ronnie sighed and leaned over, grabbing her glass of water and taking a large gulp. Sitting it back down she continued. "So yeah, I left and went to school. Started to make a life for myself, stopped looking over my shoulder. But paid the price of missing out on 10 years with my family. And then Opie got released and my dad started hounding me to come back. So I did, hoping that Mark had moved on or something. But," she sighed again pursing her lips. "But?" Juice said, his eyebrow cocked. If this fucker had hurt her again he'd be doing some digging later that night. Hell, even if he hadn’t he would probably still do a deep dive on the guy, find out anything he could to potentially ruin his life. "But he's still here. When I left work the other day he was parked in the lot. Called out to me and then followed me for a few blocks. Freaked me out at the time but honestly, the whole protection thing is probably overkill. I'm sure he knows by now that dad and Opie know. He would have to be really dumb to try something," she said.

"Sounds like a real jerk off," Juice said, trying not to show in his voice how riled up he had become. The idea of anyone, let alone some piece of shit, laying hands on Ronnie made him seethe. Leaning over he lightly grasped her chin, running his thumb gently over the scar on her lip. Her mouth parted slightly as her breath hitched. "Not gonna let him touch you ever again," he said sternly, his eyes trained on her mouth. She smiled softly. "I can handle myself Juice," she declared, amused at how this usually fun and goofy guy had gotten so serious so suddenly - and over her no less. He just nodded, pulling his hand back and smiling. "I know you can baby," he winked, sending her into internal tailspins. She rolled her eyes and flopped back on the couch. "Don't do that!" she exclaimed. He laughed and sat back next to her. "Do what?" he asked teasingly. "You know what. We're supposed to be friends here and you're making it extra hard." Avoiding the obvious dirty jokes Juice continued laughing. "What? I treat all of my friends this way," he said, smiling down at her. "Mhmm," she said. "You call the Prospect baby?" she taunted. He poked her in the side. "Prospect ain't my friend."

Ronnie huffed out a breath, trying to blow a piece of her hair out of her face that had come loose. It wasn't sweltering hot yet considering it was only 9 in the morning but the physical process of removing all of the remains from the soil plus the coroners windbreaker she was required to wear out on a job was making Ronnie sweat. "Ok, last one," her boss said, placing a final bone - an ulna to be precise - into the third body bag. Claire Richards had been the coroner at St Thomas for nearly a decade and was a no nonsense, no bullshit kind of person. Which Ronnie liked perfectly fine. After working under her for a short amount of time, Ronnie could easily say she had learnt more than she ever had at her previous assistant position. She was honest and firm but never a total asshole in her management style. "Alright lets get these back to St Thomas and start IDing," Claire said, zipping up the bag and pulling her gloves off.

Ronnie grunted, pushing the last gurney into the van before running around and getting into the passenger seat. "I hope you don't mind what I'm about to say next," Claire said, making Ronnie arch a brow. "There's a good chance those bodies back there are bikers," Claire said, jerking her thumb back to where the bones lay in the bodies. Ronnie turned her head back, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Is that an educated guess or are you just making assumptions?" she asked, trying to keep any annoyance out of her voice. She knew the club delved into dark shit from time to time but to straight up assume immediately that this was their fault seemed like a bit of a stretch. "Those bones are old," Claire explained. "Like 15 years old. You would know that back in the early 90s the Mayans and the Sons had a couple of years of straight up violence. A lot of blood was shed. You saw those bullet holes right?" Claire asked, referring to the wounds found on the skulls. Ronnie nodded, chewing her bottom lip.

"Three sets of remains, bullets to the head and all old enough to match up to the dates. I'd say those are either Sons or Mayans we have in our van today, Veronica." Ronnie tilted her head. "You’re not even from Charming, how do you know all of this?" she asked. Claire tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as they passed the 'Welcome to Charming' sign. "I'm a morbid person I guess. And I like history." Ronnie turned her head to look out the window. Her stomach was unsettled and she felt anxious. She was 12 when the SAMCRO-Mayan war had started. And she knew that the Sons hadn’t lost as many as the Mayans - those they had had been given funerals. No one ever went missing, so the chances of the bodies being Mayans were high. Ronnie just hoped there was nothing to tie the club, especially her father, to it.

Ronnie chewed the tip of her pen, not taking her eyes off the paperwork in her hands as she walked down the hallway towards the morgue. The rest of her morning had gone quite easily with all 3 of the remains having identifiers that made finding out who they were much easier than she and Claire had anticipated. She pushed through the double doors still reading over the papers in her hands. The sound of a low two toned whistle made her freeze. Crossing her fingers that one of the bodies in the freezers hadn't suddenly become reanimated she slowly turned around, half relieved half taken aback to see Jax, Clay and Tig all standing around an open freezer, the draw with one set of the bones pulled out. She smiled awkwardly. "Um, hi?" she said. The men turned to face her fully, Clay's eyes narrowing at her suspiciously as if she was the one doing something she shouldn't.

Ronnie noted the wrench in Tig's hands, their intentions suddenly becoming clear. "No point in doing that," she pointed to the tool. "They've already been IDed." The three men all looked at each other in confusion. Jax yanked open the freezer next to him, grabbing the tag and reading it. His face dropped and looked up at Clay and Tig. Ronnie was rooted on the spot, unsure if she should be telling them to leave, leaving herself or - stupidly - standing guard at the door so all 4 of them wouldn’t be caught. "Lowell Harland Senior," Jax said, his voice low and cold. "This is Lowell's old man," he continued. Ronnie cleared her throat, getting the attention of the three of them. "I'm just gonna," she pointed towards the door and spun on her heel attempting to flee. "Veronica," Clay's voice had her pausing. Turning slowly, she looked at him. "Yeah?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"This ain't gonna be a problem, is it?" Clay motioned towards the opened drawers. Ronnie swallowed. She was pretty certain Clay would never actually hurt her but she knew that he was the kind of guy who wouldn't stop at anything to get his own way. She shook her head rapidly. "No, of course not." Clay nodded at her once. "Good girl." She smiled and fled the room, her skin crawling at his praise. She had never had a problem with Clay but she didn't find him to be as kind and approachable as John Teller. Turning the corner she leant against the wall, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. Why the hell would Lowell Sr be tossed into an unmarked grave with Mayans? Mayans she was now certain had been put there by the Sons. Ronnie wasn't sure but she sure as shit didn't want to know more than she needed to.

Ronnie grinned as she hopped out of her car in her driveway, waving at Juice who was sat on his bike parked at the curb. "Man, am I glad to see you," she huffed out, her skin flushing at her sudden confession. Juice cocked an eyebrow. "Are you now?" he asked, strolling towards her and stopping only inches away. She nodded, smiling sweetly at him. "Rough day?" he asked. She huffed a breath. "You have no idea." She walked up the path and let them both into the house. "There's this thing on at the boxing ring this afternoon. You wanna come? Just as friends," Juice shrugged. Ronnie laughed softly. "Yeah ok. Fights?" she asked. "Bare fist boxing," he nodded. "Okay, let me get ready and lets go."

Ronnie smiled as Juice held his hand out to her, helping her get off his bike behind him. He pulled his helmet off and swung his leg over, standing up next to her. She stood and waited for him to help her take her own off, shivering a little as his knuckles brushed against the skin of her neck and chin. "You got family who ride and you can't even work your own helmet," he tsked, shaking his head teasingly. She softly drove her fist into his stomach in a light punch. "Those things are death traps," she pointed to his bike. "I hate going on them." Juice frowned. "You've never said anything to me," he murmured. Ronnie avoided his stare, smiling timidly. "Well I don't really mind it when it's your bike," she admitted. Juice grinned like a fool and threw his arm over her shoulders, guiding her towards the building.

Once they were inside they found a seat on one of the amphitheatre seats. They watched on as Half-Sack seemed to drop opponent after opponent. Tig, Bobby and Chibs, who Ronnie had yet to formally meet yet, were in his corner, yelling out advice - some helpful, some ludicrous. "I'm gonna go get a beer, you want anything?" Juice asked her. She nodded, reaching for her wallet but he grabbed her wrist. "I got you," he winked and turned to leave. Ronnie smiled, watching him leave. Suddenly, someone sat themselves in the seat next to her. It was a young woman, with reddish brown hair and a nasty cut across her nose with bruising around her eyes. She smiled at Ronnie. "You hittin' that?" she asked, pointing at Juice. "Excuse me?" Ronnie asked, furrowing her brow. "You his Ol' Lady?" the girl asked again, her eyebrow raised.

Ronnie scoffed and shook her head. "No, we're just friends. Why? You tryna hit that?" Ronnie asked, hoping she didn't sound as jealous as she felt. She and Juice were friends. He was a grown man with wants and needs, of course he could do what he liked with whomever he liked. But Ronnie couldn’t help the souring feeling in her stomach at the thought of him touching someone else. The girl laughed and shook her head. "Nah. He's mine," she pointed towards the ring and Ronnie's eyes widened. "The Prospect?" she asked. The girl smiled proudly and nodded. "I'm Cherry by the way," she held her hand out to Ronnie who took it and shook firmly. "Ronnie." Cherry turned back to face the match. "What happened to your face?" Ronnie asked.

Cherry turned to look at her with an amused expression. "A little forward, don't ya think?" she smirked. Ronnie shrugged. "No real way of asking politely is there?" Cherry frowned. "Yeah I guess not." Ronnie blinked and looked towards the match where Half-Sack was pummelling a man surely half to death. "The Prospect didn’t do that, did he?" she asked. Cherry shook her head. "Nah, Kip ain't like that. At least not with me," she motioned towards her battered nose. "Took a skateboard to the face." Ronnie's jaw hung open. "How the hell did that happen?" she asked. "Presidents Ol' Lady swung it at me," Cherry clarified. Ronnie sat back bewildered. "Gemma?" she was puzzled. She knew what the woman could be like when something pissed her off but a skateboard to the face? Seemed a little excessive.

"Yeah well, what happened on a run didn’t exactly stay on the run and I had to pay the price," Cherry shrugged. Juice came back with their beers, handing one to Ronnie. "Hey Cherry," he smiled at her. Cherry grinned back, her eyes darting between Ronnie and Juice. "Hey Juice. Pretty little friend you've brought along tonight," she jutted her chin towards Ronnie who tsked in slight embarrassment. Juice just nodded. "She is, isn’t she?" he nudged her gently with his elbow. Ronnie avoided his stare and watched the fight. Half-Sack was back in the corner being spoken to by Tig and Chibs. Suddenly, Clay appeared before them, giving Ronnie a fright, her smile slipping as she remembered what had happened earlier that day. He just smiled tightly at them both before moving to sit on the other side of Cherry.

"He's not gonna do it," Juice mumbled under his breath. "Huh?" Ronnie asked. Juice leant his head towards her so he could explain quietly, but nearly all of Ronnie's concentration left her head when the combination of his cologne and the leather scent of his cut washed over her. "Prospect is meant to be throwing this fight. But the little shit has too much pride I reckon," he explained, the low volume of his voice making it sound raspier, sending goosebumps skittering over Ronnie's skin and skimming up her spine. She nodded, knowing her numb tongue couldn't do its job right now. The fight started back up and Ronnie could vaguely tell that Clay and Cherry were talking. The Prospect was seeming to tire out and slow down, his opponent getting some good jabs in. Suddenly Cherry reared back before throwing her arms around Clay and kissing his cheek.

"Oh shit," was all Juice said as they saw Half-Sack zero in on what was happening before his rage began to refuel him and he started throwing punch after punch. Ronnie and Juice both winced as the guy got completely pummelled, Tig and Chibs racing into the ring to pull the Prospect off him. Ronnie and Juice recounted it later, laughing as walked up the driveway to her front door. "That guy is going to need some serious healing time," Ronnie said as she pushed her keys into the lock. Before she could open the door Juice grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him, standing her in front of him. She looked up at him, confused. Juice leant in, making her gasp softly. His lips landed on her cheek, the corner of his mouth just meeting hers. He pulled away, delighted at the shock on her face and the sparkle in her eye.

He couldn’t help himself, he just wanted to touch her all over, and mark her as his. But they had decided on being friends for the time being so this would be as far as it goes. For now. "I really had fun with you tonight," he beamed, rocking back on his heels with his hands now planted in his pockets. "Me too," Ronnie hummed. "We should hang out more often. I mean, you’re at my place all the time anyway but it was fun to get out," she stammered, trying not to word vomit completely. Juice nodded, stepping around her to open the door. "I'm gonna head to bed, but there's beers and stuff in the fridge if you want. You're probably missing out on some club party just to come babysit me, huh?" she gibed. Juice just shrugged, his lips pursed. "I really don't mind. It's nice to be out of the clubhouse for a while. It's always so loud and crowded there." Ronnie nodded, smiling tightly. "Ok well, goodnight Juice," she wrung her hands together. "G'night Ronnie," he smiled, taking a seat on the couch. Ronnie walked to her room and closed the door leaning back against it, her hand ghosting over the skin he had kissed. Yeah, sure. Just friends.

[justmeinadaze]

Saying Sorry Part 2 (Steve X You)

Warning: Angst because I live and breathe it to survive. Smut of course <3 These two still bicker but not as aggressively as the last chapter. There's some deep diving into Steves need to impress his papa so trauma for little Steve. His dad is a dick (of course) and does pop him. Reader steps in. Cameo from Andrew again and Steve throughly beating his ass. Um, the rumors are mentioned again about the reader being a slut (which she isn't). I think that all.

Word Count: 4009

“Oh my god. I’m so excited to see this movie. Aren’t you?!”, Steve glanced at you and noticed your head was hanging. “Y/N? Are you okay? We…we can watch something else if you want.”

“No, no Steve. I want to see it to. I just…” You pouted as you leaned against the wall outside the theater door. 

“Hey. You can tell me anything. You know that right?”

Your eyes meet his soft brown ones as you exhale a long sigh. “I feel bad that you had to pay for my ticket.”

“Y/N, honey.” You giggle when he calls you that. He’s never said it before and you can’t help but blush. “I seriously don’t mind. I like hanging out with you and I know things are a little hard for you right now. It’s fine.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m using you or something.”

Steve leans down wrapping his small arms around you. “Even if you were, I wouldn’t care. You’re my best friend. You can use me for anything.” You lightly punch his chest when he coyly wiggles his eyebrows. 

################

When you woke up the next morning, Steve was already gone. 

Jesus Christ, what the fuck did I do? What if tells people? What if he makes the rumors about me worse? What do I even say to him? DO I say anything? Fuck!

That day you wondered the halls like a ghost, hoping to remain invisible. You were completely lost in your brain trying to figure out what yesterday meant if it meant anything at all. You were still so angry with Steve for everything that had happened in your past but you did miss him. He always seemed to hate you now but he followed you around the party and came over the next day to make sure you ok. Steve fucked you like how you imagined he had with every other girl in Hawkins but when you asked him to stay…he did. No sarcasm, no King Steve bullshit… He encircled you in his arms and held you to him like no one or nothing else in the world mattered. 

“Fuck! Shit. I’m sorry!” While dealing with your mental crisis, you had accidently run into someone knocking you back slightly. Your breathing stopped when you realized whose hands were trying to steady you.

“Hey, um, no it’s ok.”, Steve immediately dropped his arms to his sides. “Are, uh, are you—”

“Come on, Harrington! Let’s kick some shirtless ass.” Tommy sauntered to his friend, patting him on the back before realizing you were there. “Hey Y/N! How’s my new best friend doing?” He reached out to grab your chin and you angrily slapped it away.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m alright with not. I heard from Andrew you two did enough touching the other night. That’s why Stevie here had to kick you both out of his party.”

Steve’s head aggressively turned towards his friend. Was that the rumor going around? There were people in the room when he threw the boy off you. How could they twist the truth so much and have people believe it? When he turned back to you, your eyes were full of fire.

You scoff as you push them both out of the way and head into the gym. 

“Y/N! Y/N, wait.” You heard him trying to get your attention but chose to ignore him as you climbed the bleachers and took a seat, throwing your bag to the side. “Y/N, I…I seriously had no idea he was saying things like that.”

“Who cares? Definitely not you if you aren’t going to tell douchebags like Tommy the truth. Go ahead, may as well put a spin on your own rumor.”

His eyes narrowed as he glared at you. “I would never do that.”

“Lucky me then, huh? It’s ok for you to encourage them but at least you don’t spread them. No, King Steve is a gentleman.”

“Harrington! Can we get fucking started or not?”, the P.E. teacher shouted across the court. He sighed, angerly twisting away from you and heading for his team. 

You tried to focus on your notes for your next class but your eyes kept wondering to the men in front of you. Steve was obviously upset as he played and you couldn’t help but feel slightly concerned for him. You had seen that frustrated look in his demeanor many times in the past. Usually when he felt like things were out of his control. 

“Steven! Come down here now!”, his dad roared from downstairs. 

Twelve-year-old Steve looked over at you as worry flickered across his face for a moment before he smiled. “I’ll be right back, ok?” You nodded before he slid off his bed and exited his room.

His dad voice practically shook the house as he screamed at his son. Carefully, you opened the door and walked down the hallway, leaning over the banister. The boy hung his head as his father paced back and forth. 

“What am I going to do with you?! How am I supposed to trust you now?”

“Dad, I swear I didn’t—”

“Don’t give me that excuse again! Whose beer was it then?! You were the only one here yesterday unless you had that girl with you—”

“But I wasn’t here yesterday either! I was with Y/N and her family—”

His father reached out and smacked Steve across the face. “Stop talking back to me! I am your father and I demand respect!”

You didn’t even think twice about your actions as you flew down the stairs and put yourself between them. “No! Leave him alone! He was with me yesterday.”

The sound of their heavy breathing filled the room before his dad pointed his long index finger past you towards his son. “We’ll talk about this more later.” With that, he turned on his heels and stomped towards his office. 

Steve roughly grabbed your wrist and tugged you back upstairs. “I said I’d be right back! Why did you do that?! I can handle him!” 

“He hurt you…”

“And I can handle it!” He placed his small hands on his hips as he glared at the floor. Suddenly, he slowly felt your arms wrap around his waist. 

You softly smiled in his chest as his body gradually released the tension before hugging you tighter to him. 

“Steve! Focus! Come on, man.”, one of his teammates hollered at him. 

“Andrew! Switch with Tyson.”, the coach instructed and you immediately sat up straighter. You didn’t even notice Andrew was in the gym. He wickedly smiled at Steve as he took off his shirt and threw it to the side. 

Steve bounced the ball in front of him before shoving his shoulder against the man’s chest and running around him to make a basket. One of the other players collected it and tossed the ball to Andrew who mockingly bounced it in front of Steve. 

“So, Harrington, have you heard any good rumors lately?” He tried to run around him but Steve slid his arm underneath him and took the ball from his grasp. “All that Mr. Chivalry bullshit just for the outcome to be the same.” He laughed as he tried to block him but Steve swished around him, making another basket. 

“There we go, Harrington! Good job!”, the coach clapped as someone passed Andrew the ball again. 

The boy’s eyes flicked towards you before glaring at Steve. “Should have just let me fuck her. At least her and I both would have gotten something out of it.”

Steve charged at Andrew’s stomach, tackling the boy to the ground as they began delivering blows. 

“Harrington!” Tommy and some of the other kids managed to pull them both apart. “Walk it off, man!”

You found him a couple of minutes later, leaning against the wall outside with his hand pressed against his nose. The sound of your sneakers crunching on the ground caused him to snap his head in your direction. 

“What?! You come out here to yell at me about defending you or something?! Jesus fucking Christ!” He stood up and angrily began to stalk past you but before he could you wrapped your arms around his waist, leaning your head on his chest. You felt the tension in his body slowly deflate as his hands reached up to hold you closer to him. 

#################

“Ow!”

“Oh, don’t be a baby.”, you roll your eyes as you press the tissue towards his bloody nose. You both were sitting on bench near the gym in the hallway outside of the girl’s locker room. A smile twitches for a moment on his lips as he watches your eyes focus on his face.  

“I’m sorry…that I, uh, didn’t correct Tommy. I should have. I will! I promise.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate that.” You tossed the bloody tissue in the trashcan beside you before placing both palms on his cheeks to check his features. “Well, sire, you shouldn’t have any bruising but your face is probably going to be a little sore.” 

As you start to drop your hands, he immediately raised his own keeping yours pressed against him. You sighed, reaching your thumb out to caress his bottom lip. 

“What about you?”, he asked.

“What ABOUT me?”

“Are you sore?” Steve’s brown eyes fell to your mouth as you smiled, sucking your bottom lip between your teeth. The sight made him chuckle but not in a mocking sort of way. It sounded like the way he used to laugh when you would watch scary movies together and you would shriek before hiding in his side. Or when you would tell him the stupidest joke he had ever heard but you were so ecstatic to tell him that he was more amused by your own reaction than the joke itself. 

“Steve—” The sound of the bell cut you off as you dropped your hands from his face, quickly grabbed your bag, and he lost you in a sea of students.

He thought about you for the rest of the day, searching for your face in every classroom he passed. In the hallways, his eyes would swivel towards your locker but you were never there when he was. 

“What’s wrong with you, dude?” Tommy threw a balled-up piece of paper in Steve’s direction. “You’re lucky Coach didn’t pull you from the game tonight.”

“Eh, would have been worth it to punch Andrew in the face.”

“Come on, Harrington. Asshole talks trash all the time—”

“I know but this is different.”

“How?”

“Because he didn’t have sex with Y/N. I kicked him out because he was being aggressive with her.”

“Ok, now I’m even more confused. Who cares about some slut and her reputation? Like this will make up for the hundreds of other guys she’s been with.” Steve glared at Tommy as he rose to his feet.

“Because she’s not a slut! God, how did those rumors get fucking started anyway?!” He slams his fist into the lockers behind him as he ran off towards the boy’s locker room. Unbeknown to him, you were leaning against the wall down the adjacent hallway listening to him defend you. It didn’t make up for everything you had been through these past two years but it was definitely a start. 

#####################

You snuck in just as the game was about to start, finding a spot in the back corner against the wall. Steve panted from the pregame practice, scanning the crowd till his eyes found yours. He grinned at you and you returned it with a small awkward wave. As he continued to look around, you noticed his smile faulter and followed his gaze to find his parents coming into the gym. 

Your heart broke as you watched that termination ignite in his eyes that always came along when he felt the need to impress his dad. 

“Steve! You did so good!”, you jumped up and down as you gave him hug, not caring that he had just gotten out of pool. 

“I came in third, Y/N.”

“And? That’s amazing. Out ten kids, you placed third. Be proud of yourself.”

He smiles as he playfully pushes your shoulder. “Thanks for comin’, honey.”

You beam up at him but both your happiness’s are short lived when his dad saunters over and ruffles his soggy hair. “Ah! Maybe you’ll do better next time, son.”

Steve struggled through the entire first half of game. The other team kept swiping the ball out of his grasp or whipping around him when he tried to block them. The buzzer rang signaling half time and the cheerleaders swarmed the court to do their routine. You tiptoed down the bleachers and towards the locker rooms where you heard the coach screaming especially at him. 

“NOW GET IT TOGETHER, SON! Or I swear to God, I will cut you from this team so fast—”

The door swung open and his sweaty figure came into frame as he locked his fingers over his forehead. Abruptly his foot shot out and kicked the lockers across from him as he let out a grunt of frustration. 

“Well, that’s dramatic.” He jumped as he turned to look at you.

“I can’t deal with you right now, okay?!”

“I’m not here to make you feel bad or anything like that, Steve. I just… you’ve always let him get under you skin. You’re better than this. I’ve seen you play.”

“Yeah, and the fuck would you know about it, hm? Your parents don’t give a fuck about your future and what you do with it.”

“Neither do yours! If they did, they would realize how talented you are and actually be there for you instead of running away to whatever bullshit excuse your dad gives you.” As you turn to leave, you pause to face him again. “And my parents do care, not just about me but you to even though you tossed me aside to impress people who are exactly like him.”

His sneakers squeak as he jogs over to you and blocks you from leaving as he leans down to hug you. “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I’m just—”

“I know. Don’t worry about it.” You can’t help but smile when he doesn’t let you go. “Um, Steve? You’re really sweaty.”

“Oh shit! I’m sorry.”

“You got this, ok?”

“Y/N? Um, not that I mind but why are you being so nice to me? After everything I’ve done.”

“Calm down, Harrington.”, you giggle. “I’m not saying I want to go steady or anything.” You shrug as your eyes meet his. “Maybe because I’m finally seeing little glimpses of the boy who used to be my best friend.”

He smiles as he watches you head back towards the gym. 

###############

The second half of the game, Steve made up for his missteps helping his team get ahead of the other. Hawkins won with a substantial lead and he was noted as making the most points that night. 

You waited for everyone to leave the area lingering behind to allow all the students time to get to their cars and leave. To your dismay, his parents did the same thing. 

“Steven! Not your best, I must say.” Steve’s eyes fell as his dad patted him on the back. His mother grinned at him as she brushed a piece of his damp hair away from his face. “This is your junior year, son. You know you have to step it up!”

“I think he did pretty well.” All three Harrington’s turned to look at you as your shoes obnoxiously banged against the wooden bleachers. “Especially during that second half.”

“Excuse me, miss. Thank you for your opinion but this is between me and my son here.”

“Oh, not a problem. I just know if I was his dad and I would be damn proud to have him as my son.” You smile in their direction before heading to your car. Thankfully everyone had left so no one would be there to harass you about what you were even doing there. As you started unlocking your car door, you noticed Steve’s parents walk towards their BMW without him. 

You sighed as you watched them drive off before you felt a hand grab your arm and turn you around. Lips meet yours, startling you before you realized you recognized the taste. Steve blindly reached behind you for the door handle and you moved to the side to help as his palm held the small of your back, guiding you into the backseat. 

His fingers fumbled with the button on you jeans as he finally undid them and tugged them down your legs. You smiled as you pushed him back with your palm into a sitting position and wrapped your legs around his waist. Steve grinded his hips against your center making you moan as his hand clung to the back of your neck, keeping your lips firmly pressed to his own. 

You reached down, pulling lightly at the waistband of his shorts and he grinned into your kisses as he lifted his hips to pull them down, releasing his cock from its confinement. Your lust blown eyes watched as he spit in his hand and stroked it along his cock before reaching between your legs to move your underwear to the side.

Lifting your own hips, you hovered over his tip before gradually allowing him to invade your entrance. You both let out a groan of approval but something in yours caused him to open his eyes and watch your face. Your eyebrows were furrowed together as you rolled your hips, slowly allow your body to take him inch by inch. 

The first time he fucked you, he didn’t give you any time to adjust as he took from you what he wanted and you allowed it. A different type of passion was in charge that evening. What was controlling him now wanted you to enjoy him as much as he was enjoying you. 

Steve’s palms reached out to cup your cheeks, bringing your forehead to his own. 

“Such a good girl, baby. You’re doing so well. There’s no rush, okay? Go as slow as you need to.” You whimpered at his praises, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. As your hips fully connect with his own and he bottomed out inside of you, he growled, running his tongue along the side of your neck. 

“You taste so fucking good, honey. Fuck…”

Steve calling you honey triggered something inside of you; memories you tried to keep locked in the back of your mind. Memories of him playfully teasing you as you giggled during sleepovers. You two walking to the diner near your house to share a meal before going to the cinema in town. Him comforting you when the kids he now called friends made fun of you.

He was too lost in you to notice the images that flashed through your eyes. Your head fell into the nook between his shoulder and neck as you grinded and bounced on top of him. His fingers tangled in your hair as he clung to the back of your head, meeting each smack of your hips with a thrust of his own. 

Your arms clasped around his neck and he did the same against your back, pressing you tightly to him as he pumped into as hard as he could. 

“Cum for me, Y/N. Please, baby. I’ll cum with you.”

Your eyes rolled back as you panted into his skin, nails digging into him as your body trembled and you came. Steve grunted at the feeling as your pussy clung to him before lifting you off his cock, pumping himself rapidly until ropes of his seed hit his thigh. 

His head fell back against your seats, closing his eyes as he listened to the sound of you reaching forward into your glovebox to grab a napkin and clean him off. As Steve pulled up his shorts, he heard your breathing get heavier causing his eyes to flutter open and turn towards you. 

You had curled your body on the opposite side of the backseat, your eyes glassy with tears you tried to hold back. 

“Y/N? Are you ok? I…I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Steve, what are we doing? What is this?”, you gesture between the two of you. “I mean…even when we were friends you were never attracted to me—”

“Who says?”, he interrupted. “Who says I didn’t find you attractive? We were kids so I wouldn’t say ‘attracted’ but I always thought you were beautiful.”

“Oh, ok, Harrington. Let’s play that card. We were kids but we went on double dates together. I watched you make out with a ton of girls and I know Carlie Jameson sucked your dick freshman year. Why did you gravitate towards them instead of making a move towards me?”

“Ok, again, you keep throwing things like that in my face when you did the exact same things! YOU made out and grinded on most of the dates you brought with you even though you claimed to not really be into them. If we’re going by YOUR definition of attraction then in that case you weren’t into me either.”

“What the fuck do you mean by MY definition?”

“You’re implying that sex equals attraction and it doesn’t.”

“Oooo listen to you using big words.” Steve rolls his eyes before turning to glare out the car window. “I…I was attracted to you. You were unbearably kind to everyone but yourself. You were adorably goofy. That summer you taught me to swim, every time you jumped in you would make this silly face or quote a movie.” He smiles at the sound of your giggle. “And I guess you were cute with your stupid fucking hair and beautiful grin.”

“Hey, hey now. That’s below the belt…insulting my hair.”

Steve turns back to face you and you both genuinely laugh for the first time since you two had been close. 

“You just always seemed to like the ‘pretty’ girls; long blond hair, big tits, and IQs that max out at room temperature. I just… I didn’t want to lose you by asking if you wanted to try taking our relationship further especially since, to me, there was a high chance of you saying no since I’m not like them.” You sighed as your eyes met his. “I guess it doesn’t matter. It happened anyway… you chose them over me.”

Steve looked away from you in shame. “You’re right. I’m a fucking asshole.

You reach out with your fingers and grip his chin, turning him to face you again. “Steve, what is this. What are we doing here?”, you repeat your earlier questions. 

He sees you pleading with your eyes, begging for him to be the guy he used to be. The guy who took you to the movies holding your hand during every scary or action filled scene. The man who sat with you in the library, willingly letting you see how stupid he felt when it came to subjects you seemed to easily understand. The guy who brought you presents during any holiday just to see you smile, whether it was something small like a rose he stole from his house or book he saw you browsing when he went with you into town. 

The boy who called you honey and sweetheart while you cried over the phone over something another kid said or to calm your worries when his dad would scream at him and he would run to your house to spend the night. The guy who fell for you the moment he met you.

“I can’t… I can’t be what you need me to be, Y/N.”

You nod your head in understanding as you release him from your grasp. “I understand.” Your eyes fell to the floor, unable to watch him as he exited your car and headed for his own. 

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Interlude 2: Henry & Georgia

Part 9 of Sometimes All You Need (A Getaway Car)

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Reader

Description: Christmas Dinner wasn't great for anybody in the Seresin household. But it started out with so much potential. Georgia's always counted herself lucky for having married the man she loved and having five beautiful children with him. She never would have expected to see her husband fall from his pedestal in such a spectacular fashion. At that moment, she's left with some hard decisions. And maybe they're not that hard at all? Disclaimers: Arguments, Alcohol, Homophobic Language Warning: Female Reader Word Count: 4009 Author Note: Here’s part 9 of Sometimes All You Need (A Getaway Car). By popular demand, have Mama Georgie's perspective for the Christmas Dinner fight and what comes after! Thanks to @desert-fern for beta-reading this chapter for me as I dive into a character's perspective that I'm not used to! AO3: Cross-posted Here!

My Masterlist

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Georgia Marie Seresin, known to her friends and most of her family as Georgie, has always counted herself as one of the luckiest women in the world. She’s never once regretted the path her life has taken. Not once, not ever. After all, what was there to regret when you’re married to a man you’ve loved for most of your life and have five gorgeous children? Sure they’ve all chosen to do different things and maybe veer from the path their parents took, but that’s normal right? After all, Georgie herself is a Navy-man-turned-pastor’s daughter, but she’s decidedly not a pastor’s wife. So it had never even occurred to her to wonder why Henry was so controlling over their children's choices. It was easy to excuse his bad behavior as disguised concern, concern he couldn't or wouldn't show otherwise.

But thirty-seven years of marriage later, and she’s finally starting to question a little bit about the man she’s hitched her wagon to. The first straw was when Jake joined the Navy instead of going to law school like Henry had always planned. That cold anger? It’s something Georgie’s never felt from her warm, usually jovial husband. Henry had cut Jake down like he wasn’t worth his love or affection. The place Henry had relegated Jake to? That’s where he'd stayed ever since he went to the Naval Academy, a tall, gangly boy, barely eighteen. Georgie has never understood why Henry hated Jake so much for going after his dreams.

The second straw? That had been when Eliza came home from New York over Easter her final year of college and introduced the family to Bethie. Not as her friend or roommate, but as her fiancée and the love of her life. Georgie can still remember the joy she’d felt in seeing her baby girl that happy. As a mother, it was one of the best moments of her life. But Henry, he’d shut down. He spent the entire week ignoring Eliza and Bethie. But it hadn’t been for long. 

Over Easter dinner, Henry had said things that Georgie could never condone, about the child she bore under her own heart and raised with more love than she knew was possible to come from her heart. Georgie can count the number of times she’s been livid with Henry on one hand. This time, her anger comes out in a knock-down-drag-out. It’s a fight of the kind she’s never had with her husband. After that, she and Henry come to the uneasy truce that he can ignore Eliza and Bethie if he so chooses, but he can never say words like the ones he believes ever again. Not if he wants to keep up the appearances that he has a happy married life any longer.

That shaky miserable truce holds for several long years. Then Georgie gets a call from an unknown San Diego number. It's a female voice, shaky and quiet. She introduces herself, explains that Jake calls her Gorgeous Girl, and that she wished it were under better circumstances that she was calling.

"Mrs. Seresin, it's Jake." She'd sobbed, sounding so young and distraught on the phone. "He's in the hospital. He's hurt really badly, a-and, I'm his emergency contact, but it didn’t feel right keeping that he was injured from you."

The pain in this young girl's voice reminds Georgie of how she'd feared that something bad would happen to Henry when she'd first fallen in love. The difference is in how Jake's girl had experienced the pain and the fear. This unknown girl’s concern for her son had been enough to set Georgie into motion.

"Henry, something terrible has happened." Her husband had barely raised his head from the papers arrayed on the desk in front of him. "It's Jake. He's injured, quite badly, and in the hospital. I'm flying out as soon as I can."

"That's fine. Take one of the boys with you. Not Henry, I need him for some meetings on the ranch. Take Will, instead." He hadn't asked, even once how Jake was, if he'd be okay. In truth, Georgie had taken his tacit permission at face value and called Will and Henry. Her sons’ concern was enough to hold her together until she could get to her Jake. 

As it turns out, Georgie was right to worry. Both Jake’s Sweetheart, and Jake himself look worse for the wear when she marches into the hospital room they’ve put her baby boy in. At first sight, Georgie’s heart goes out to Jake’s girlfriend. The poor girl looks exhausted. She’s swaying on her feet, her lips bitten and chapped, and her eyes red-rimmed as she clutches to Jake’s limp hand like he’s her lifeline. And Jake. Her Jake. He’s silent and still, his face pale and chest moving only due to the ventilator he’s strapped to. Her hurricane boy, born in the middle of an unseasonably early storm, has never been so still.

Jake’s girl is far too easy for Georgie to adopt. She’s so completely concerned about Jake that it’s barely any time at all before Georgie’s herding her home and making sure she’s sleeping and eating. Georgie and Will end up staying in her beautiful home and honestly Georgie’s not sure how this sweet little thing has kept it together so well. Her strength shines with every word, even if Georgie can faintly hear crying from behind closed doors every night. 

When Jake wakes up, Georgie finally sees how happy her son is. Just the sight of his girl walking through the door has the biggest grin curling on his face. Jake’s still pale and wan, but looking at how he is with his girl, and you’d never know how badly Jake had been hurt. Georgie decides then and there that this girl is good for her son. Jake’s always run far away from any of the stability that Georgie has always wanted for him. Until he mentioned his Gorgeous Girl. By the time Georgie heads home, she’s so ecstatic about Jake’s fortunes in love that she’s content to ignore everything her husband has to say about Jake.

Then Jake brings her home for Christmas. It’s good to finally have all the kids under one roof, much like all of the Christmases the Seresin’s have shared since Henry Jr was born. Henry’s cold from the moment he sees Jake standing in the kitchen. Even seeing his son happy isn’t enough. They make it through Christmas Eve before everything seems to get indescribably tense. 

The kids are giggling and laughing as they open presents before bed on Christmas Eve. Jake’s smiling with Jordan on his lap while his girl’s cuddling James. She’s even won over the pickiest Seresin kids in the house. Then Jake drops to his knee in front of her. 

“J-Jay? What are you doing?” Jake’s sweetheart’s voice is tremulous, like she can’t believe what she’s seeing.

“I know we usually open a gift on Christmas Eve, but what I’m asking you might just be the best gift I’ve ever received in my life. My gorgeous girl, you’ve stuck with me through thick and thin. Since the day we met, you’ve had me wrapped around your fingers. I love you so much. Would you do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” 

Hearing the love in Jake’s voice has Georgie misting up a little too. Jake’s sweetheart is crying, tears dripping steadily down her cheeks as she nods and kisses Jake like he’s the most important thing in her life. Georgie’s startled out of her joy when Henry rises from the loveseat where he’s sitting next to her and marches angrily to his study. Jake and his fiancée don’t seem to mind. When the kids all head up to bed, Georgie goes in search of her husband.

“Henry?” Her voice is soft as she shoulder’s open the heavy door, a couple of mugs of spiked hot chocolate in her hands.

“I brought some hot chocolate, just how you like it.” Henry just glowers down at the papers he’s rifling through.

“How can you be happy about this, Georgia?” He sounds bemused.

“How can you be anything less than happy right now, Henry? Our son’s getting married to a girl who loves him just as much as he loves her!” Georgie perches on the arm of the big desk chair, handing her husband a mug while enjoying the warmth of his arm curling around her waist.

“He doesn’t realize how wrong she is for him, Georgie. Our son. We raised him with lofty goals in mind. Where did we go wrong?” Georgie cards her hands through the salt-and-pepper dotting the love of her life’s hair.

“What makes you think we went wrong, Henry? Our sons and daughters are happy and healthy. They’re well-educated, successful, and they’re finding love with the people they love and who love them.”

The grumbling growl that pours out of her husband’s mouth takes Georgie by surprise. “Henry and Will are the only ones of our kids who’ve made good matches. We can get on a stage with Henry and Melissa and Will and Hannah. This girl Jake’s brought home? She’d just embarrass us wherever she went. Can’t you see how Jake is with her? She’s making him do things like he never would have before. Playing around in the hay behind the barn like a pair of kids?”

“They’re so young, Henry.” Georgie’s voice is gentle. “They’re allowed to have some fun. Hell, Will, Henry and their wives were playing in the hay too.”

But Georgie doesn’t get an answer from her husband. Or at least, not one she particularly likes. Christmas Day dawns cold and clear but filled with laughter. 

Henry’s persistent in his avoidance of Jake, Eliza and their fiancées. Will, Henry Jr, Melissa and Hannah do their best to make up for it, and well, James, Jordan and baby Sarah are all over Jake’s sweetheart like she’s already family. When the family reconvenes for Christmas Dinner, it’s a blessing to see the long table groaning with delicious food and surrounded by smiling faces. Everybody’s in their festive best, and Georgie can’t keep her eyes from Jake and his sweetheart. Her son is different with this girl, softer, gentler, kinder, and sweeter. There’s a new strength in his eyes, something gentle with a core of steel. Of course, that’s when the third straw makes its appearance.

“Jacob.” Georgie’s bracing for a fight the minute Henry opens his mouth and turns suddenly cold, flinty green eyes on his youngest son.

“Yes, sir?” Jake keeps his eyes on his plate, but Georgie doesn’t miss how her son clutches to his fiancé’s hand like she’s his lifeline.

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you, boy.” Jake’s eyes are burning as he looks up to his father and not for the first time, Georgie wishes she were telepathic, if only so she could tell her husband to shut up.

“Are you thinking this through? I’m sure she’s nice enough, but what makes you think she’s appropriate for a man in your social standing?” Georgie’s eyes snap to her husband for the first time since he opened his mouth. The sweet girl Jake brought home, Jake himself, neither of them deserve what Henry is saying. Not at all.

“Appropriate for a man of my social standing?” Georgie knows exactly what that particular tone means. The last time she heard it was before Jake left them for six long years. “I wasn’t aware I had a social standing, Pops.”

Jake's sitting stiff-backed in his overstuffed dining chair, and while Georgie knows exactly how Jake is going to act and react and respond here, she has no idea how Jake's sweetheart will. A part of Georgie hopes she'll cry, because at least then Jake's attention will be on her. But Georgie also knows Jake's sweetheart well enough to know there isn't a chance of that happening.

Her eyes go hurt and sad for the shortest time before she wraps an arm around Jake's and settles in for the storm that's brewing. Georgie catches Hannah's eye and motions for her to take the kids to the sitting room clear on the other side of the house. Nobody notices Hannah ushering the little ones away.

“Ridiculous. I thought the Navy was supposed to teach discipline, not show my son how to whore around." Jake's sweetheart's face falls the moment she hears Henry say the word 'whore'. She looks incredibly small and distraught, more so than when Jake was hurt. Jake wraps an arm around her before facing his father again. "Is she knocked up? Is that why you brought that cheap little slut into my house and introduced her to your brothers and sisters? To your niece and nephews?” 

Georgie wishes more than ever that she had stood up to Henry before this. That she had when Henry first started to beat Jake down for following his dreams. Because she knows the difference in Jake. Could Henry have seen the difference if he'd come to San Diego when Jake was in the hospital? A part of Georgie's just not sure. But the one thing she does know is that the kids don't need to hear this, not at Christmas. It's a good thing that Hannah has whisked them away.

“What did you say about her?” This house and dining table have both seen their fair share of Seresin fights. Between the kids, between Henry and Jake and between Henry and his eldest son as well. But all of a sudden, Georgie realizes that this table - this house - has probably never seen a fight like this one. Jake, her emotional, sweet, youngest son looks cold and detached.

“You heard me, son.” Henry, on the other hand, looks excited in a sick sort of way.

“I did hear you, Dad.” Jake looks all of a sudden like a man Georgie's never seen before. Certainly not a man she's ever raised.

“I wanted to make sure that I heard the right thing. Let’s get one thing clear. I found the love of my life in San Diego. She’s not a whore, she’s not knocked up, though that’ll happen as soon as she lets me put a baby in her. She’s not cheap. My gorgeous girl is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met."

This level of love, of devotion from Jake has Georgie tearing up. Her youngest son has definitely grown up. All of a sudden she realizes why her dad was so keen on Jake going into the Navy. If he'd stayed in Texas, he would've lost his spark, his strength. He would've become a shell of himself rather than the man facing down his father for the woman he loves who is sitting at the dining table.

"You’re not in the Navy so you have no idea what it does to a relationship to be apart from someone for months, maybe years at a time, when you love them. It takes a special person to withstand the deployments, the stress, the injuries, all of it. I found that person and I asked her to marry me. I brought her home because I wanted her to have a support net, people she could rely on when I’m deployed so she’s not alone in a house like a mausoleum all by herself.”

“I’m in my right mind, old man. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’ve been thinking about marrying her since the night I met her. There isn’t another woman in the world for me.” When Jake kisses the ring on his fiancee's finger, Georgie has to pat away tears.

But obviously Henry isn't done yet.

“Georgia.” She's more than a little shocked, hearing the vitriol in her husband's voice, and if she looks like a deer in headlights, she's sure her children will forgive her.

“Where did we go wrong? These two,” He's growling, pointing at Jake and Eliza in turn. “Why do they always have to be such fucking embarrassments? You let Jake spend too much time with your dad so the little idiot joined the Navy and brought back a woman who probably couldn’t sit through a fancy dinner without embarrassing the family. And then there’s Eliza.” 

Georgie's left shell shocked as her husband  spits out words that she'd told him she never wanted to hear again. Or else.

“Our daughter couldn’t even turn out right, huh? If I had my way she would’ve been married to the youngest Johnson boy. He’s perfectly respectable. But no. We let her go to college in New York and she came back with a girlfriend. Disgraces, both of them.” 

Eliza and Beth are struck just as dumb as Georgie is, and as her mind races, she numbly catalogs the tears swimming in both of the girls' eyes. Just as she and Jake both open their mouths, a chair gets pushed back from the table, the squeal startling her from her stupor. It's Henry Jr, and he's glaring at his father like he never has before

“Jake, Will, Eliza, Maggie, Mel. We’re leaving. Now.” His voice booms in the chilly silence permeating the room, even as his siblings jump to attention. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Henry’s always taken more after his father and less after her, but in this moment Georgie sees herself in her eldest son.

“I’m going to celebrate Christmas with my siblings. My siblings who I love because of who they are, not the political power they’ll bring me.”

Henry's face looks sad and older than its years when he turns to Georgie next. “I’m sorry, Mama. I can’t sit here and hear my siblings and their fiancée’s get insulted like this, not anymore. It’s something I should’ve done months ago, when Eliza first brought Bethie home.” 

Georgie's heart breaks at those words. Damn Henry. Damn him to hell and back. He might have just lost their children and grandchildren - for him and her. It's no wonder that a tear spills down her cheek as Georgie musters her voice enough to ask, “Will you at least take some of the food with you?"

“Yeah, Mama. Eliza, can you help Mama pack up enough food for all of us?” Georgie’s not sure what else she’s supposed to do other than nod silently in agreement.

“Jake and Beth. Can you grab your bags? The four of you will stay with Will and Hannah or Mel and I. We can figure out who’s staying where in a bit.” The kids erupt in a flurry of activity, Eliza rushing into the kitchen to grab tupperware to pack some food up almost immediately after Henry places his ultimatum at his father’s feet.

With the colossal table empty between Henry and her, Georgie can’t help the rage clouding her thoughts. The fool is just sipping on his whiskey and eating his food like it’s another perfectly normal day. But it’s not. He just imploded their entire family with a few words and it’s obvious that as much as her children love her, that they’ll pick each other over their parents. Georgie’s not sure how she does it, staring silently at the face of the man who she once knew better than she knew herself even as her stomach rebels at the thought of another morsel of food passing her lips. It feels like she’s sharing a table, a home, and a life with a stranger.

Georgie pushes away from the table, ignoring the incredulous look on Henry’s face at the unsightly squeal that rips through the dining room and the jangle of silverware and cut crystal glasses. To his credit, he doesn’t even try to get up as she walks to the foot of the stairs. All of her children are in the foyer, Melissa, Hannah and the twins holding the bags of gifts while Beth and Eliza have their bags in their hands. Henry’s got Sarah in his arms and one of Eliza’s bags in his hand. The only two missing are Jake and his Sweetheart. They walk down the stairs soon after. Jake perfunctorily kisses her cheek, but she manages to manhandle her son into a hug. His stiff muscles finally give in, and Georgie leaves it be after a few minutes.

It leaves her to look at Jake’s Sweetheart, and the poor thing is biting her lip and wringing her hands together. It looks like she’s trying to think of something to say, but instead Georgie takes both of her hands in her own.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. No matter what my husband says, you’re family to me. I can’t wait to see you marry my son. You make him so happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted - my children happy.” Georgie doesn’t let the shock on her sweet soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s face faze her though. She squeezes the poor girl tight, ignoring how her eyes are misty when she pulls away.

“That’s why I gave Jake the ring my father, his Grandpa Jacob, gave my mother. I hope I’ll see you soon?”

It doesn’t surprise Georgie at all to see how Jake smiles, just once in her direction and nods. But as soon as the front door closes, she unleashes the rage she’s been holding at bay for the better part of her life.

“HENRY DAVID SERESIN!” The volume and pitch of her voice startles her a little as she stalks back into the formal dining room. She’d worry about the dogs, but honestly, the two of them are probably out in the backyard anyway.

“What the hell was that?!” Her voice is a dangerously smooth purr as she fixes her eyes on her husband’s face.

“That, Georgia, was my disapproval for our ridiculous twins. I’ll never understand how I let you coddle them so much.”

“Shut up, Henry.”

“What? What did you just say to me?”

“I said … Shut Up!” There’s no respect in her voice, not anymore.

“I’ve spent more than half my life with you. And I loved you, with all my heart. But you’re not the man I fell in love with.” 

Henry looks a little shell shocked and to be honest, Georgie’s not sure where this came from, but boy does it feel good.

“I trusted you. Every decision that you made for our children? I had faith that you had their best interests in mind. And then you single handedly chased our son away. And then you irreparably hurt our daughter because she fell in love. And just when I had all of my children under our roof again, you chased them all away again.”

Georgie’s breathing raggedly as she stares into her husband’s dead eyed gaze.

“Well I’ve had enough of this, Henry.” 

Henry can’t even pretend to look worried or confused. Is this what a man who loves his wife acts like when she’s angry with him?

“What are you going to do, Georgia? Everything you have, you have because I gave to you.” There’s a cruel tint to Henry’s voice as he stands up and grasps her face.

“No, Henry. Everything you have, you have because I gave it to you." She wrestles her way out of his firm grasp. "The political power, the success, the successful cattle farming business? It all came out of the money my daddy gave me when I married a farmhand’s son with lofty aspirations but not a penny to his name. And you know what? I’d give anything to have that man back instead of the monster he became.”

Georgie’s words seem to ring in the empty house as she marches up to the bedroom and packs a few bags. It’s not until much later, when she’s driving to her sister’s house that she realizes that Henry never came after her. It hurts, the thought that nearly forty years of love didn’t even merit a try at reconciliation. But for her sons and daughters, she’d do anything, even rip her heart into two.

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

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[stuckysbaby1938]

In the beginning

Summary: when you get captured by Rumlow and Steve comes to your rescue. Once he has you, he doesn't want to let you go.

warnings: DD/LG lifestyle, mentions of needles, drugging, little space, Rumlow being Rumlow, threats, very light panic attack (just reader saying she can't breath), abuse, mentions of blood, reader cries a lot, choking, mentions of murder, parental death, cursing, pet names (princess, baby, honey, angel, doll),

first person narrative, reader is named in this story

Word count: 4009

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

"Oh, I'm sorry." I was walking home from the store when I bumped into a tall man. He didn't respond so I tried to walk around him. He stopped me, so I tried to walk backwards only to walk into another chest. I looked behind me to see another man as the one in front started walking towards me. I begin to panic. Two more men came from either side of the street. "Don't worry, we're gonna take good care of you." Right after the man in the front spoke, I felt something poke my neck and then it all went dark.

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

When I woke up I was in a small room. I immediately started to feel little from fear. I looked around, trying to find a way out when a man opened the door. He was the same man that I bumped into. "Don't be scared, baby." I crawled into the corner, feeling tears burn my eyes. "Don't cry." His voice, which was soft at first, turned cold. It only made me cry harder. "Stop crying." He walked closer. I tried to scoot back, but I was already cornered. "I said stop crying!" He yelled. He came closer. He covered my mouth with his hand. "If you don't stop crying, I'll give you a real reason to cry." I couldn't breathe.

"So are you gonna stop crying? Huh?" He tightened his hand. I nodded as best as I could with his hand forcing my head back. "Good girl." He whispered in my ear. He leaned in close, to close. He started to drag his nose along my neck, making me pull away. He pulled back and looked at me with fury in his eyes. I heard it before I felt it. Heat spread through my cheek from the force of his hand. Tears continue to fall from my eyes. He raised his hand again but he never struck. He put his hand down and turned to the door, laughing as he left. I rolled myself into a ball and cried until I fell asleep.

When I woke up, he was there again. I immediately cower away from him. "You must be hungry. Eat." He slide a tray close to me. I just looked at him from the floor. "I never told you my name. I'm Brock." I didn't respond. "Eat or don't eat. It's up to you, but this is all you get." He got up and left. I looked at the tray. It had a sandwich, a cup of fruit, and a carton of milk like you would get in a cafeteria. I was hungry but didn't want to eat. So I tuck my arms in my shirt and tried to sleep.

I woke up to a bang outside and started to cry. Rumlow walked in and I noticed the blood on his forehead. "You're coming with me." He grabbed my arm and drug me out of the cell. I started to scream only for Brock to slam me into the wall and put his hand around my throat. "You listen to me, you little bitch. You're gonna do what I say so we can get out of here and if you even think about screaming, then I'll cut your fucking tongue out, you hear me?" I nodded. He released my throat and held a finger to his lips. He started walking and I followed him into room after room.

When we got to the third room, I saw a fire extinguisher. Without thinking I grabbed it and threw it at him. It hit him square in the back and when he fell, I ran for it. I had no idea where I was going, I just ran. I didn't stop until I hit what felt like a brick wall. I looked up and saw a man with a mask over his face. I tried to run away from him but a woman was standing in the doorway. I started to cry when I realized there was no way out of here. I backed up into the corner of the room and grabbed the closest thing to me, which was just a pencil, to try and keep them away. The man took off his mask and bent down to look me in the eye.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. There's no need to be afraid, angel." The man walked closer while holding his hands up. I watched him through blurry eyes. "Shhh, don't be afraid. We're here to help you." He kneeled in front of me. "It's okay." He took the pencil and laid it on the ground next to him. "Steve, we gotta go." The woman was now beside Steve. "Working on it, Nat." He never took his eyes off me. Before anyone could say anything else, Brock ran into the room. Steve stood up and looked to Natasha who was looking at Brock. "I see you found my new pet." He stepped closer only for Steve to step in front of me. "Now you can give her back." Brock pointed his gun at Steve. "That's not gonna happen, Rumlow, so put the gun down before I beat your ass. Again." Steve growled. Natasha looked at me. "Dove, do you want to go with him?" I shook my head and cried harder. "You take her to the jet, I'll take care of him." Natasha said walking toward Brock. "You sure?" She nodded. "I can handle myself, Rogers." She smirked and ran at Rumlow.

Before I could see much, Steve picked me up and carried me to the exit. A gunshot rang through the building, making me hold onto Steve tighter. "It's okay, no one can hurt you now. I'm here." He whispered as we got outside. I saw the jet out of the corner of my eye and I could see a few people. Steve walked up the ramp and sat down with me still in his arms. "Where's Nat?" Another man asked. "Taking care of Rumlow. Where Bruce?" Steve started to rub my back to calm me down. "Right here. Are you hurt?" A man with glasses and a tablet came out of a room. "No but I don't know if she is or not." Steve stood and started to walk to the front of the jet. "Where was she?" Bruce asked as he walked beside Steve into the medical bay. "With Rumlow. I don't know for how long or what he did to her." Steve tried to put me down on the table but I didn't let him. Instead I just held onto him.

"Angel, you need to lay down so we can see if you're hurt." He tried to reason. "No, no no! Hims gonna get me!" I screamed. "No, no baby. My friends taking care of him." He looked to Bruce for help. "No! Hims comin'! Don't let him get me!" I cried harder and his in Steve's chest. "Bruce, what do we do?" Steve whispered while rocking me back and forth to calm me down. "I just need her to lay down so I can check her for injuries." Bruce went and grabbed a shot. I screamed at the site of it. "Hey, hey, it's okay angel. If you just lay down and let him check you, then you don't have to have a shot, okay? Can you lay down for me?" I nodded slowly and laid down. Bruce checked me over for any injuries and when he found none, he let me sit up. "Nothing but a couple of bruises." Bruce assured. I tried to get off of the table they had me one but I couldn't.

When Steve noticed, he picked me up and put me on his hip. I laid my head on his shoulder as he started to walk towards the back of the jet. When we got there, Natasha was back and so were two other people. Steve sat down in a chair and started to rock back and forth. Soon I was asleep again. "Who's the girl?" Clint asked. "We don't know yet." Bruce said. "She seem to like you, Rogers." Natasha smirked. Steve rolled his eyes. After a little while everyone was sitting down on their phones, reading, or asleep.

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

Once the jet landed, everyone was tired enough that they decided that they would debrief tomorrow. Steve, still with the girl in his arms, went to the elevator up to his floor. The doors opened and he saw his husband, Bucky, on the couch, watching some cop show. Bucky got up to greet his husband. but stopped when he saw a girl sound asleep on his husbands shoulder. "Who's that?" Bucky walked closer to Steve. "I'm not sure exactly. She was at the hydra base and I couldn't leave her with Rumlow." Bucky tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Where's she gonna sleep? If she wakes up beside two guys she doesn't know, she might freak out." Bucky took her in his arms so Steve could get some water. "I figured she could sleep in the spare. I just couldn't leave her alone in a med bay." Steve walked towards the stairs, to their shared room. Bucky followed him. "I think she would feel better in the spare anyway. Although she didn't wanna let me go so Bruce could give her a check-up." Steve went into the walk in closet and came out in a white tee shirt and grey sweats to match Bucky.

"She's gonna need some pajamas. She can't sleep in jeans." Steve went back into the closet and grabbed an old tee shirt and another pair of sweats. "This'll have to do for tonight." Steve slipped her shirt over her head and replaced it with his while Bucky worked her jeans down her legs, all while she laid sound asleep. Once she was dressed, they took her to the spare room. It was the smaller of the two with light grey walls, a queen sized bed in the middle of the room with a few book shelves along the walls, and a few pieces of art here and there. Steve pulled the covers back while Bucky laid her down. Once she was covered up, they each kissed her forehead before walking out and shutting the door.

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

When I woke up, I looked around at where I was.  I quickly climbed out of bed and quietly opened the door. I heard voices downstairs. I tiptoed down the stairs, hoping they didn't hear me, but the supersoldiers heard everything and smiled. When I walked into the kitchen, I saw Steve, the man from before, and another man I didn't know. I started to back out of the room. "Don't be afraid, angel. He won't hurt you either." Steve said as he flipped the last pancake. "C'mere doll." The man on the barstool said. I could feel my heartrate pick up as I stood still. Bucky looked over at Steve for help. Steve placed the pancakes in the oven to keep warm before he slowly walked over to me. "You remember me, sweetheart?" I nodded and walked over to him and raised my arms. He chuckled and picked me up. "This is Bucky, honey. You can trust him." Steve walked over to Bucky. He smiled at me and held out his hand. "Can you tell me your name, doll?" Bucky asked. "Ashton." I whispered. "That's pretty, baby. Thank you for telling me." I smiled and hid in Steve's neck. "I think someone's shy, Buck." Steve smirked. "I think you're right Stevie." Bucky rubbed my cheek with his thumb. "Are you hungry, princess?" I nodded. "how do some pancakes sound?" Bucky took me out of Steve's arms and started to walk in a circle. Steve made everyone a plate a sat down, me still on Bucky's lap.

After we ate Steve took me to the couch while Bucky cleaned the kitchen. Steve put me down and started to leave. "Where a goin'" I started to get up when he stopped me by picking me up and sitting me back down. "I'm just going to see if Bucky needs any help, angel." I nodded and brought my knees to my chest. "I'll be right ba-" before he could finish his sentence Bucky walked in. "No need, punk. I'm already done." Bucky came and sat beside me and I leaned on his shoulder. He smiled and put his arm around me. "Doll, can you tell us more about yourself?" Steve sat in front of me on the coffee table. "Like what?" I didn't really know what to say, it wasn't like there was a lot to know. "Where are you from?" Bucky asked. "Brooklyn." I have never left Brooklyn. Well, until the whole hydra thing. "Any siblings?" Steve was next. "No." I whispered. "What about your parents?" Steve asked.

"What about them?" I felt myself start slipping out of little space. "What are their names? What are they like?" I sighed. "My mom's name is Charlotte. I don't really remember her anymore." I whispered. I saw the look on their faces. "She died when I was 7. She was shot when two guys broke in one night." I started to stare at the ceiling. "Where were you?" Bucky spoke after a minute. "Right beside her." I didn't realize I was crying until Steve wiped a tear away. "After she died, my dad started to just-" I paused looking for the right word. "-not care anymore." They looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "He started drinking more, staying out late at the bar. He was barley ever home, but when he was," I stood up and started to pace. "He would yell for no reason. I mean I would be sitting there, waiting for him to be a fucking father and actually take care of his child, but he never did. He just yelled and yelled and-." Steve put his hands on my shoulders to stop me from moving. I hadn't even noticed him get up. "You don't have to tell us anymore about that. Let talk about something else." Steve lead me back to couch and sat us down.  

"What do you like to do, angel?" I thought for a minute. "I like to color." I whispered. "So does Steve, doll. He'll have to show you some of his drawings." I smiled at that. "Why don't we go look at them now?" Steve stood and held out his hand. I took it immediately and started walking with him towards a door I hadn't been in before. He opened the door and my jaw dropped. There were drawings and art supplies everywhere. Before we could really look at anything a voice sounded throughout the room. "Captain Rogers?" I looked around. Steve chuckled at my reaction. "Yes Friday?" The voice spoke again. "Mr. Stark request your presence in conference room B." Steve sighed. "Tell him I'll be right there." Steve gently tugged my hand and pulled me out of the room. "Alright sweetheart, you gotta stay here with Bucky while I go talk to my friend, okay?" We started walking to the stairs. He lead me into a bedroom and told me to sit on the bed. Bucky walked out of the closet dressed in a maroon Henley and black jeans. "You get called down too?" Bucky asked. Steve sighed and nodded. "What do we do with her? Can we take her?" Bucky shook his head. "We can't take her, you know that." Bucky leaned against the wall.

"Why not? She's not gonna be a bother and I'm not leaving her up here alone." Steve walked into the closet to get dressed. He and Bucky whispered a little more before they came out smiling. "C'mon doll, we need to go get you dressed." Bucky grabbed my hand and lead me out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door. When we got inside the elevator I watched the numbers of the floors as we descended. Steve knocked on a door and a woman opened it. She had long red hair and a warm smile. "Good morning, who's this?" She waved at me and I shyly waved back. "This is Ashton. She needs something to wear for the day. Can she borrow something?" She nodded and waved us inside. "What would you like to wear, hun? I have leggings, sweats, jeans?" She lead us to her room and opened her closet. "Leggings?" It was more of a question than a statement. "Of course, pick out anything you like." I walked in and grabbed a pair of black leggings and plain white shirt. "Thank you." I whispered.

"You're welcome, anything you need, just ask." She smiled. I got dressed and then we were in the elevator again. "Where we goin'" I looked up at Steve. "Bucky and I have to go to a meeting and we didn't want to leave you alone." I nodded and shivered. Steve noticed. "Are you cold?" I nodded again. He took off his sweatshirt and slipped it over my head. He pulled me to his chest for extra warmth. When the elevator stopped we all got out and walked to the meeting room. Bucky held the door while Steve gently pushed me inside. I froze at the amount of people and started to feel myself slip. "Finally you two show up. Who's the girl?" Sam asked. "She's the one he saved yesterday." Natasha waved at me. "Ashton, this is Tony, Sam, Clint, Bruce, and Natasha. Everyone this is Ashton." Steve pointed at everyone as he named them. Tony, who sat at the head of the table, just stared at me. My breathing got heavy as I turned to Steve. 

Tony stood up and walked over to me. He crouched down to my level and pulled something out the pocket on his suit. It was a small lollipop. "There's no need to be scared, honey. We just need to talk about what happened last night." He held the lollipop out to me. I took it slowly. He smiled and went to sit back down. Steve and Bucky sat down at the table and Bucky patted his thigh. I sat on his lap while they had their meeting and enjoyed my little treat.

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

She fell asleep on Bucky's lap a few minutes into the meeting. After the meeting was over, everyone left but Tony, Steve, and Bucky. "She's adorable." Tony smiled as he looked at her. "She is. She seems to trust us." Steve looked at her too. Tony looked between the two supersoldiers. "You two don't know, do you?" They both shared a look. "She's regressed." Steve and Bucky were still confused. Tony sighed. "When someone regresses, they revert back to a childlike mindset. It's to heal their inner child because they had to grow up to fast or they had a rough childhood. They might play with toys, use bottles and pacifiers, or maybe suck their thumb." Tony nodded to Ashton, who was now in Steve's lap, sucking on the tip of her thumb. "What do we do?" Bucky asked. "When she wakes up you ask her if she has a care giver. If she says no-" Steve cut Tony off. "Then we can be her care givers." Tony went wide eyed.

"Just make sure you do your research. Being a care giver is hard. Don't hurt her again." With that Tony got up and left. "You really wanna be a care giver?" Bucky asked. "I want to be her care giver."

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

I woke up to two supersoldiers staring at me. "Hi doll." Bucky smiled at me. "Hi." My voice was soft as I sat up. "Can you take me home?" I wanted to see Franklin. Franklin was my favorite stuffed animal in the whole world. He was a green dinosaur and my best friend. It might be kinda sad to have a stuffed animal as your best friend, but I had a hard time making friends. "You wanna go home? Like to your mommy or daddy?" They had done their research and Steve was becoming very nervous. When I laughed they looked at each other with confused looks. "I don't have a mommy or a daddy." Steve was filled with joy and anger all in one. "So you just take care of yourself?" I nodded. "That's not safe baby. You need someone to take care of you. What if you hurt yourself while your all alone one day?" Steve pulled me into his lap. "I want a daddy, but I can't find one." It was true. I had looked for a daddy but I never got one.

"We could be your daddies." Steve whispered into my ear. I searched his eyes for any sign of dishonesty but there was none. "R-really?" They nodded. "Only if you want us to, baby. We want this but only if you do too." Bucky grabbed my hand. "I would like that." We all shared a smile. "If we're gonna be your daddies, then we need to go shopping, angel." Steve stood with me in his arms. "Wait! I need Franklin! He's all alone in my room! We has to get him!" I jumped out of Steve's grip and ran to get my shoes when Bucky picked me up. "Who's Franklin, sweets?" I looked at him like he was crazy. "Franklin's my stuffie. I need him!" I started squirming to get away. "We'll go get him, honey. And we'll get whatever else you want."

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

When we got to my apartment, I started to run up the stairs only to be stopped by a hand grabbing my wrist. "No running, angel. You could get hurt." Steve put me on his hip and I frowned. I started to say something but Bucky cut me off. "You'll get Franklin, baby but you can't run up the stairs, you could fall and hurt yourself." After a few more stairs, we were at my door. I took the key out from under the mat and unlocked the door. I immediately ran to my room and flopped on my bed. Steve and Bucky watched from the doorway, looking around. The room was a light blue with white stars painted on the wall near my bed. There were three bookshelves, all filled with books. I had turned the window into a reading nook when I moved in. Steve smiled at paci sitting on my nightstand.

"This is all I need." I walked over to Bucky and raised my arms for him to pick me up. "Are you sure, honey? You can take whatever you want." Bucky rubbed my back as he spoke. "But we can always come back here to get anything else you want." Steve added. "Wait!" Bucky let me down and I ran into my playroom and grabbed my favorite coloring book. It had pictures of farm animals in it and it came with stickers.

Not long after it was time for dinner. We all sat down at the table and ate together. After that it was bath time. Bucky washed my hair then Steve washed my body. They dried me off with a nice fluffy towel. They put me in my new hello kitty pajamas and took me upstairs. Bucky laid me down in their bed while Steve went to get ready for bed. Once Steve was done, he came and laid with me while Bucky went to take a shower. Soon we were all cuddled up under the covers with me laying on Steve's bare chest and Bucky behind me. "Good night, princess." Bucky kissed my cheek. "We'll be here when you wake up." Steve kissed my forehead.

"Good night, daddies."

[daegudrama]

Daegudrama’s Spicy Festa Special D-4

Title: Bad Decisions

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook/Reader

Summary: After years of wondering what it would be like to be with Jungkook you finally have the chance. Things are a little different then what you imagined.

Word Count: 4009 words

Agreeing to come to this house party was a stupid idea. You’ve never been one to come to house parties even if they are being hosted by your best friends. There isn’t a special reason they are even having this party but Hoseok insisted that you needed to come this time. You hang out here often when it’s just you, Hoseok, Jungkook and Seokjin, but when all their other friends are here things can get rowdy. Chill relaxed hang outs are much more your speed then the chaos and loud music that assaults your ears as soon as you enter the house.

Parties like this lead to mistakes and messes that you don’t want to clean up. You make a beeline for the kitchen after seeing they’ve set up the beer pong table in the living room where you usually play uno. There are less people in the kitchen and thankfully it's only people you know personally.

Jungkook skips towards you with wide eyes and a cute smile. How can someone with the body of a model look so cute at the same time? He hands you a cold unopened tall can of Heiniken. He’s wearing a short sleeved black shirt with blue jeans. You can’t help but stare at the extensive tattoo work on his arm as you accept the drink.

“So glad you decided to show your pretty face.” Jungkook says, pushing a strand of his long hair behind his ear.

You roll your eyes to cover the small shock the words send through you. Of course, he says things like that all the time but that doesn’t help your unreasonable thoughts. Lately, the thoughts have become even louder. You wonder how detrimental sleeping together once could really be to the dynamic of your friendship. Even Seokjin has mentioned the way Jungkook looks at you. It makes you wonder what would happen if you asked.

That’s an idea for another time though. You slip your finger under the tab to open your beer taking a hefty swig because you are already late, meaning you have some catching up to do. Jungkook smiles at you before walking towards the back door. You follow behind him hoping he’ll lead you to Seokjin. If you keep Jungkook’s roommates near you, maybe you won’t make any bad decisions.

“Seokjin!” You call when you step into the backyard and see him standing by himself near the edge of the pool.

His head whips around looking for who called before he locks eyes with you. He looks shocked to see you, which is fair. They thought hell would freeze over before you came to one of their house parties.

“What a lovely surprise.” Seokjin says wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

Jungkook stays close by not saying anything for a moment. The three of you sit on a bench a few feet away from the pool and fall into your normal bullshit conversations. By the time you’ve finished your first beer, Seokjin is trying to sell you on taking a week long fishing trip.

Seokjin and Jungkook follow you into the kitchen to get another drink. You opt for a tequila soda this time. Followed by your best friends you move into the living room where Soobin and Beomgyu are taking on Jimin and Taehyung in an intense game of beer pong.

Hoseok finds you watching with a girl already attached to his side. Who knows if that will be the girl he takes to his room in a few hours. Sometimes you think these parties are just for convenient hookups, which is probably correct.

Beomgyu funnels beer into Soobin’s mouth when he misses the shot. They fall into a giggling fit when Soobin successfully swallows the beer. You sip your drink waiting for them to resume the serious demeanor they had moments ago. It takes a moment but soon they are trying to distract the older two.

“Should I do that?” Jungkook asks next to you with a devilish smile on his face.

“Suck at beer pong? You already do Kook.” You reply quickly knowing that's not the truth as Jungkook is annoyingly good at every single thing he tries.

“I do not suck.” He says stepping in front of you so closely you are forced to look up at him. Surely it’s the drink you had that is making your heart hammer in your chest. He puts a finger under your chin showing off his beautiful teeth. You swear your stomach flutters. “Do I need to prove it to you?”

You scoff stepping away from him in search of someone who doesn’t make you feel like you’re insane. Jin starts a new conversation with you over the loud music but you can tell he wants to ask you what the fuck just happened. Your eyes scan the room for Jungkook only to find him a few feet away. That is so unusual for him. Hoseok and Jin never stop talking about the way he charms all the pretty people they invite to these parties. Jungkook chats them up until they are swooning.

Around drink number three they clear the beer pong table from the room. Hoseok starts a dance floor putting everyone around him to shame. You sway back and forth not really getting into it until Jungkook pulls you closer. There have been times in the past you danced together but something feels different right now.

You pour the rest of your drink into your mouth and swallow before you put your hands on him. His tiny waist is warm through the fabric of his shirt and you can smell his sweet fabric softener despite the heavy smell of alcohol in the air.

His fingers trace up your arm grazing your neck before he rests his hand against your jaw with a gentle smile playing on his face. He doesn’t say anything for a moment as he studies your face. Is he waiting for a reaction? You really want to make a bad decision. How bad could one kiss be?

“Kiss me.” You whisper in his ear after standing on your toes and leaning closer.

He doesn’t waste a second closing the distance between your lips before you can have another thought about what you are doing. Butterflies erupt in your stomach and fly straight to your pussy. Jungkook’s lips are soft, kissing you slowly at first. You pull him closer to you by the excess fabric of his shirt and gasps allowing your tongue to enter his mouth. He holds your face delicately like he might break you if he holds you any tighter than he is right now.

When you break apart he kisses your neck and you lock eyes with Seokjin. He doesn’t say anything, just raising an eyebrow at you. The accompanying smile tells you he isn’t going to lecture you about this tomorrow. You are sure he will ask you for details as he always does when you hook up with someone.

Stuck in your own world you pull Jungkook’s lips back to yours wanting to let yourself feel things without thinking of the possible repercussions. You deserve a night of doing whatever you want and leaving the cleaning up for tomorrow. Who knows what this could turn into?

Jungkook’s hands wander to your waist for a moment before he slowly trails his hands to cup your breasts. He obviously doesn’t care who might be watching and that makes you want to touch every part of him. Your hands slid under the hem of his shirt reaching for the soft skin of his slim waist.

“Do you want to go upstairs?” He asks moving his hands to hold your shoulders.

You nod not trusting yourself to speak. He takes your hand and leads you up the stairs you’ve used many times before. Your heart is threatening to beat out of your chest as he pushes the door of his room open. Jungkook is a cool guy. This doesn’t have to turn into some big thing. You can have fun and move on even if it’s a questionable decision.

He lets go of you once both of you are inside the room and shuts the door. Without prompting he takes off his shirt, throwing it to the side. You scan the room you’ve only been in a few times and spot something that sends fire to your belly. Furry handcuffs dangling off his headboard like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

You study his lean form as you remove your own shirt. Jungkook pulls you in by wrapping an arm around your waist. He kisses you with a passion that wasn't there before. He makes you feel dizzy in a way that you are sure has nothing to do with the alcohol you’ve consumed. Jungkook’s fingers roam your bare skin while you run your finger over his dark nipple with just the slightest pressure. Hearing the gasp your draw from his lips gives you a rush. You want to hear more.

His hands slide to your ass massaging it as he kisses down your neck. He sucks a mark into your collarbone drawing a whine from your lips. Jungkook leads you towards his bed, never letting you out of his grasp. You straddle him as he lies back on the bed. The sweet sounds he makes when you drag your fingertips against his skin is enough to soak your panties. You want to hear more. The thought of him begging for you is thrilling. If this is the only time you might be with might as well live life to the fullest.

“Kook, has anyone ever used these on you?” You ask while sitting up to reach for the fuzzy cuffs attached to each side of his bedpost. He shakes his head apprehensively, fingers gripping your thighs tighter. “Have you ever thought about it? Don’t you want to know what it’s like to be at the mercy of another person?”

Under your ass you feel his dick twitch and a sort of smug smile finds its way to your face. Even if he tries to lie, his friend downstairs gave him away. Jungkook puts his hands over his face hiding like you might think he’s weird. You wouldn’t have brought it up if you weren’t willing to do it.

“My safe word is Raichu.” Jungkook says stretching his arms to either side to be cuffed. “You are not allowed to tell Seokjin about this under any circumstance. I know you tell him everything.”

You cuff his right wrist first then his left before you sit back looking him in the eyes. His erection is getting fuller under your ass with every passing second. How has he not tried this when it’s so obvious it turns him on? Is there no one he trusts enough to do this to him? Jungkook trusts you enough to restrain him?

“This stays between these four walls.” You say pointing around the room before leaning in for another kiss that lights your belly on fire.

You kiss down his neck leaving marks so he won’t possibly forget about this in the morning. He pulls against the cuffs when your tongue swirls around his nipple. His hips grind into the air trying to find friction but you deny him. You suck his pretty nipple into your mouth relishing in the sound of his whimpers. Not being able to touch himself is frustrating Jungkook. It’s so hot watching him wait for your touch.

With one hand you unbutton his pants and pull the zipper down. He remains still until you begin palming his cock through the thin material of his Calvin Klein boxers. Jungkook rolls his hips into your hand sighing with the relief of friction against his needy length.

He kicks off his jeans but you make no move away from the attention you are giving to his nipples. You wonder if anyone before you has found out how much he likes this. Surely, one of his many conquests would have tried this.

“Please suck my dick.” Jungkook begs as you roll his right nipple between your thumb and pointer finger just hard enough to make him squirm. You wrap your hand around his clothed cock and give it a firm squeeze. You tease his sensitive tip pulling the fabric taut and rubbing it across him until his back is arching off the bed. “Please, YN. I want to see your pretty mouth wrapped around me.”

You crawl further down the bed putting your mouth on his clothed length giving him just a taste of what it’ll feel like. Jungkook wiggles trying to remove his boxers without using his hands. He looks so pretty spread out just for you. His stomach is heaving as you continue to tease him.

“Didn’t know you were this sensitive. You sound so pretty when I touch you.” You hook your fingers under the waistband of his boxers and pull them off revealing his rock hard cock. Precum is coating his tip and it takes everything in you to not taste it the moment you see it. You want to drive him insane. “They don’t lie.”

Jungkook pulls against the cuffs trying to look at you from a better angle. Of course, you’ve heard about what he’s like in bed. Too many of your friends have been in this same room. You are determined to make sure he forgets everyone that ever came before you.

Lightly you kiss the skin of his thigh right next to his balls. He whines hands obviously trying to reach for you and it almost makes you giggle. He can’t touch you even if he wanted to. You move to take one of his balls into your mouth softly sucking at his smooth skin. Jungkook gasps when your hand wraps around his cock stroking it slowly while you continue to play with his balls. You lick a stripe from his balls to the tip of his tall length. Jungkook is trying his hardest not to thrust into your hand.

The way he moans as you take just the tip into your mouth is music to your ears. Your hands travel up his sides trying to bring him a variety of sensations. The tip of your finger brushes over his nipple as your lips form a tight ring. Jungkook looks into your eyes while you take more of him into your mouth slowly. . You hold his hip down not wanting him to dictate how much of him you are taking into your mouth.

Spit coats his cock easing your mouth to glide up and down. His moans are quiet at first like he doesn’t want to be heard. When you focus most of your energy on the pretty tip of his cock he begins begging you to take more. You weren’t expecting this to happen. In your mind he is the dominant one and you’ve never taken charge like you are right now. It’s a very new and thrilling experience.

“YN, your mouth feels so good.” His head falls back against his pillows. “Don’t you wish I was touching you?”

Your head sinks further onto his cock taking nearly the whole length into your mouth. There’s no way for you to know if what you are doing now is the better choice, but your gut is telling you this is. You cave your cheeks in sucking hard as you pull off to answer his question. Immediately replacing where your mouth was with your hand. You flick your wrist pulling more sweet moans from his pretty lips.

“This is far more interesting.” You say looking up at him through your lashes as you suck his hard cock back into your mouth.

Teasing him this way sends flutters to your chest. As much as you would like him to grab your hair in his strong fists and force you onto his cock, it's even more delightful to watch him struggle against his restraints. He curses when the tip of his cock hits the back of your throat. You bob your head quickly letting him into your throat as he fills the room with his moans.

Over the loud music you hear the door open and rush to cover yourself and Jungkook. In front of you is your ex-boyfriend looking angrier than you’ve ever seen him.

“Get out! Can’t you see we’re busy?” Jungkook says all but rolling his eyes even in his vulnerable state.

“What the fuck, YN? You just give it up to all your friends now? Who are you?”

Namjoon stalks towards the foot of the bed but stops short. He’s probably noticing the way Jungkook’s hands are cuffed to the headboard. His brown wrinkles in confusion and before he can say anything Seokjin rushes into the room covering his eyes.

“Namjoon, we said you aren’t welcome here.” Jin pulls at Namjoon’s large bicep. “You’re the one who broke up with her. You can’t be mad that your rebound fell in love with someone else and left you. Leave her alone. She’s so much better off without you. Let her have fun without the thought of you.”

Seokjin is able to pull your ex-boyfriend away and you rush off the bed to lock the door behind them. Jungkook kicks the blanket off the bed and you see he is still fully hard despite the situation. You decide now is as good a time as any to finally take your own pants and panties off.

“Don’t listen to him. Anything you want should be yours.” Jungkook says and you know he’d be putting his arms around you if they weren’t restrained. You sit beside him fully naked on the bed and he can’t tear his eyes away from you. “You’re so hot not even your crazy ex could distract me.”

You kiss his lips before he can continue. This moment is supposed to be about you making bad decisions. You swing your leg over Jungkook settling into a straddle position over his toned stomach. His soft lips continue to move against yours while your hand reaches for his cock. You sit back letting his length press against your pussy. Without thinking you begin rocking your hips back and forth slowly, grinding against him creating the friction you so desperately craved.

“Please ride me, YN!” Jungkook whines, stirring his hips to meet your movement.

You let him almost slip inside of you before lifting off him. Your sobriety might be in question but there is no way you are going to make an even bigger bad decision tonight. Jungkook clenches his thighs together trying to offer himself some relief as you open his bedside table in search of condoms. Thankfully, they are right on top and you only see a few questionable items in your rummage.

The tip of your tongue brushes against the head of Jungkook’s cock pulling another delicious moan from his pretty lips. Hearing someone like this has never made you feel this way before. You are soaking wet and Jungkook has barely even touched you. After another moment of teasing him with your tongue you rip open the condom wrapper throwing it to the side. He stops squirming long enough for you to roll the condom on. He watches intently like he’s never seen this before. Jungkook has never seen you do this before so perhaps that makes it special.

“Are you ready?” You ask brushing his long hair away from eyes and leaving your hand there for a moment.

“Please!” He begs lifting his hips off the bed searching for you.

With one hand you push his hip against the bed and with the other hand you grab Jungkook’s cock. You give him a slow stroke before hovering over him letting him feel just the smallest amount of your warmth. He behaves himself throwing his head back as he uses all his might not to thrust into you. A gasp falls from your lips as you sink down letting his length fill you until he is completely inside of you.

“Fuck, you feel so good.”

You lean forward kissing and sucking on Jungkook’s neck as you start moving your hips. You draw circles pulling him in deeper without lifting off. His broad chest is the perfect place to place your hands when you begin bouncing on his cock. You start slowly focusing more on yourself now. Each rise and fall of your hips brings more fire to your stomach. Could this be the first time someone makes you cum from just penetration?

Jungkook opens his mouth, sticking his tongue out. He doesn’t say a word but you have a good idea of what he wants. He happily sucks your nipple into his mouth thrusting his hips into you while you are distracted. Your hands grasp his shoulders not holding back the sounds he’s drawing out of you.

The man beneath you matches your pace, filling the air with the sound of his cock, covered in your essence, repeatedly pushing in and out of you. His eyebrows scrunch together in his effort but he won’t take his eyes off of you even for a second. He slips out of you unexpectedly and both of you whine. You hear the handcuffs clatter against the bed telling you Jungkook was trying to reach for you.

You lean forward and kiss the tip of his nose before turning your back to him. You situate yourself holding his cock at your entrance before sinking down once again.

“Baby, this is not fair.” Jungkook grumbles, yet again pulling at his restraint like it might have a different result this time. Your heart races at the pet name even though you typically hate when men call you that. “You expect me to look at your beautiful ass and not touch it?”

“Let me take care of you first.” You say shaking your ass and he groans, throwing his head against the pillows.

You roll your hips quicker than before enjoying the sounds Jungkook can’t hold inside of him. Without using his hands he’s aiding you in reaching your high. This angle feels even better than the last one, as if he’s somehow deeper inside of you. Jungkook’s length finds your sweet spot and you continuously sway your hips the same way until you are bent over with pleasure gripping his strong thighs.

“Just like that! Please YN don’t stop.”

Just as he asks you don’t change your pattern until you are overwhelmed with waves of pleasure so strong it sends you over the edge. You ride out your orgasm sloppily feeling the tell tale sign that Jungkook is nearing his own high. With shaky legs you continue to bounce on his cock as unintelligible strings of words fill your ears.

Jungkook thrusts his hips into you harder, taking some of the effort off of your shoulder. He slams his cock into you a few times before he stops deeply sheathed inside of you. His cock pulses as you clench around encouraging him to cum.

“YN! YN!”

Your name is the only word that passes his lips as he cums into the condom inside of you. On shaky legs you pull off of him. Jungkook is breathing hard staring at the ceiling with a blissed out expression gracing his face.

His arms have gone limp no longer fighting against the fuzzy handcuffs. You unlock him and he rolls to the side to clean up. Two minutes later he opens his arms and you rest your head against his chest. No one says anything like neither of you can believe you just did that.

Jungkook kisses the top of your head as he rubs your back. You check his wrists to make sure everything is okay. There are slight red marks but they should go away within the hour.

“Do we talk about this?” he whispers.

“No, just some drunk fun.” You say pulling him in for another kiss before he can say another word.

[nekoannie-chan]

Soul enemies

Title: “Soul enemies”

Ship: Brock Rumlow X Sinthea Schmidt (Love).

Word count: 564 words.

Rating: Teen.

Square: N3 “Free”.

Summary: Is Brock against his number one enemy.

Warnings/Tags: Pets.

Fandom: Marvel, Captain America.

A/N: This is my entry to @marvelrarepairbingo​  @marvelrarepairs​ MarvelRarePair Bingo Round 2 2023. Annie MRP-066.

You can read it on Wattpad and Ao3 too.

Also, my entry to @multifandom-flash, Annie-4009 & square 3: Free.

You can read it on Wattpad and Ao3 too.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish so I wanna improve my writing skills in English if you notice any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct them.

I don’t give any kind of permission that my fics to be posted on other platforms or languages (I translate myself my work) or the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this), I did them exclusively for my fics, please respect my work and don't steal it. There are some people here who make dividers that anyone can use, mine is not this type, please look for the other's people. The only exception is the ones I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. If you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts, please let me know. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

Add yourself to my taglist here.

My other media where I publish:  Ao3, Wattpad, ffnet, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. 

If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou​  @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad​ @navybrat817​ @angrythingstarlight​ @shield-agent78​ @charmed-asylum @caplanbuckybarnes​  @sapphire-rogers​ @nana1000night​ @talia-rumlow​ @writingshae @alexxavicry @azulatodoryuga​ @daemonslittlebitch @chaoticcollectivenightmare​ @endlesstwanted​  @chemtrails-club​ @whiskeytangofoxtrot555​ @here4thefanfics @theestorm​ @patzammit @kmc1989

Sinthea went out to buy some things when she was on her way back home. She found a small dog trembling and scared. Without hesitation, she took it and decided to take it with her.

When she arrived home, she left the dog in the room she shared with Brock and went to take a shower without imagining the big problem that would begin in the next few minutes and would last several weeks.

As soon as Brock opened his eyes, he looked for Sin with his eyes; however, the first thing he found was the little dog. Brock raised his eyebrows in confusion; he did not remember that they had one.

The dog turned to see him as soon as he noticed the movement. He tried to get closer but stopped when he noticed Brock staring at him.

“Why is there a rat in my room?" Brock mumbled, and that's when the little dog came closer to bite him.

“Leave it alone!" Sin yelled at him, pulling the puppy away from him.

“That rat attacked me," Brock defended himself.

“Sin left the room along with the dog, though Brock could be sure the dog was taunting him.

“He's a rat," Brock muttered, knowing she wouldn't hear him.

As the days went by, the fights between the dog Duke and Brock increased; it seemed that both wanted to have all of Sinthea's attention.

But the fight got bigger the day Brock was going to prepare himself some delicious and juicy steaks. Sin was on a mission.

Brock took out of the refrigerator the steaks he had been marinating for several days, finished seasoning and cooking them, and left them for a moment on the kitchen counter.

When he returned, the only thing he found was a trail that led him directly to the culprit. This fact was the straw that broke the camel's back. The fights started to become more frequent, but Sinthea always came to save Duke.

The next time she went on a mission, something different happened. While Brock was chasing Duke "after he had stolen and destroyed one of his favorite boots" to take his right boot, Duke crashed into a piece of furniture, and Sinthea's favorite vase fell, shattering into pieces.

Hearing the crash, Duke stopped and turned to see the chaos he had caused. Brock was standing there, pale, if Sinthea noticed...

Duke let go of the boot; they both knew they were in trouble. Brock quickly left the house; he had to get another vase any way he could. After scouring about ten stores, he found one exactly like it, so he bought it.

“I'm not doing it for you, rat; I'm doing it for me. I know you'll say I broke it to frame you, when we both know it was an accident, so nothing happened," Brock said when he returned and showed the replacement vase to Duke.

Duke only wagged his tail; a few hours later, he approached Brock and left two cookies nearby. Brock interpreted that gesture as a peace offering and slowly raised his hand and reached out to pet his head.

Sinthea arrived just to see Brock pet him.

“Wow, you're already friends," she commented.

“We understood that we have to live together, so I won't try to kick him out anymore, and Duke will leave my stuff alone," Brock said.

[allemantheias]

Parent triangle. Part 2.

Spending the night with them.

Part 1. {Part 2.} Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8 coming soon.

Word count: 4009. Warnings can be found in part 1. Read Parent triangle on AO3.

I turn on the dim light on the nightstand and turn off the big lights in their bedroom. Alejandro hits my ass with the towel he just took off of his body. I yell from the sudden sting on my buttcheek. He's now standing completely naked in front of me. He has a gorgeous chiselled body. Don't look down! I look down. Get greeted by his strong-standing member, already excited. He's still wet and his hair is dripping. What a delicious sight. Ale pulls me in closer to his body, making me feel his body heat. He's even warmer from the shower temperature. I can't keep my hands away from his chest any longer, spread the water droplets over his skin. The muscles on his whole body are strongly pronounced. I follow the lines with my fingers, can't prevent myself from drooling from this view. Rodolfo looks just as amazing from all the heavy exercise they do daily. My own muscles aren't this visible sadly, I wish they were. I really should train with them more times a week, but I don't know if that's healthy for the baby. Another thing I need to ask my doctor. I should also google some basic things about being pregnant, I don't know much about it and I don't want to do more bad things than I've already done.

Alejandro puts his hand under my chin and makes me look up to him, drowns me in his chocolate brown eyes. I'm a head shorter than him and Rudy both. "I see you worrying, love." He melts his lips together with mine and firework is ignited in my body. His hands slide across my back to my ass and he grabs my cheeks, pulls me closer to him and against his erection. He lifts me up, resulting in a scream from me, and puts me on the bed.

"You better not start without me!" Rodolfo yells from downstairs.

"I wouldn't dare!" Alejandro crawls on top of me and intensely kisses me again, strokes my folds through my tight-fitting sweatpants and I moan eagerly. "¿Impaciente, cariño? (Impatient, darling?)" I can only nod, unable to speak from the stimulation through the fabric. This feels so much better than when we were wasted. I don't even remember much of it. I know we had amazing sex, I felt like a goddess, them worshipping every spot on my body, and the morning after my asshole hurt like hell. Rudy even apologised for not doing enough preparation on me, since we were all drunk and didn't think about anal needing preparation. The mattress gets pushed in and I look up to see Rodolfo next to us, who finally decided to join us.

"Sorry, the call with my mom took longer than I hoped for." He starts to take off his clothes. Alejandro follows his lead and undresses me. My sweatpants and boxer short first, after which Rudy takes off my cardigan when I sit upright. I get rid of my shirt and bra, and Alejandro immediately plants his face between my boobs.

"I may be gay, but I fucking love your tits!" He kisses the inside of both of them, breathing heavy against my sternum. His hands on the outside of my breasts, pushing them up against his face, making his facial hair tickle my skin. Rudy needs some attention and I pull him towards me with my hand on his neck. With my hand on his cheek I passionately kiss him. He has something different on his mind and roughly pushes his tongue into my mouth, grabs my throat, resulting in a muffled moan from me. I love it when they get dominant. On each other and me.

Alejandro lets go of my nipples and gets off the bed, walks to a closet in their room and opens a drawer. "Maybe we should do some preparation on you this time." He laughs as he remembers me wailing about my painful asshole, the morning after the last time we had fun. I burst out laughing and detach myself from Rudy's prevalent kiss. He trades my lips for my nipple, plays with my other breast with his hand.

"Yes, I'd like to be able to sit the days after this time." The last time I wasn't able to sit comfortably for two days.

"I can't promise anything, mi amor (my love)." He comes back with three metal training butt plugs of multiple sizes and a bottle of lube. God, the third one is huge! "Lay on your back." I do what I'm told after Rodolfo lets go of me, lay down on my back, with my head almost over the edge of the mattress for when I'm going to blow one of them. The guys share a glance and Rudy gets off the bed and kneels down at my head. A big smile grows on my face and I open my mouth to welcome his solid member. He wastes no second to slide himself in and moans, just like I do. He moves slowly and shallow. Alejandro sits himself between my opened legs and puts them on top of his legs, so he can reach everything. Another moan wells up from my vocal cords when his fingers touch my folds, passes over my clit once, only teasing. I hear the opening of the bottle of lube. "The first one is going to be pretty cold." I feel him lift his leg, to warm the other toys with his body temperature I assume. Alejandro applies lube to my muscle and presses the first toy from the training set against it, the cold metal makes me breathe in through my nose. He puts pressure on the base of the toy and it flows in without much resistance. More moans are audible while the butt plug is inserted. It feels weird to have my hole not close up because the plug is wider at the neck to let the muscle get used to being open. Not as wide as the middle part, otherwise it would slip out. Rudy grabs my breasts and pinches my nipples after, resulting in more sounds from me and faster thrusts from him. I move a hand up his thigh and cradle his balls, massage them with alternating pressures. Alejandro's fingers touch my folds again, this time longer, stroking in between them too. He plants his lips on my clit and licks the bud and the skin around it, sucks on my lips. I'm glad my noise is muffled by the cock in my mouth, or I would have screamed from pleasure.

"Oh, yes babygirl, that feels good. Moan for me." Rudy pinches my nipples again so I make more noise. Alejandro increases my sound output even more when he pulls on the base of the butt plug, so the widest part is inside the muscle, and pushes it back in, repeats it over and over. "That's it." He pushes himself deeper in my mouth, hitting the back, almost entering my throat. The stimulation is so strong that it doesn't take long for me to come, with lots of moans, pushing Rudy over the edge too. Both of us out of breath from our orgasms.

"Isn't she amazing?" Ale asks when Rudy pulls me up by my hair. I swallow everything he gave me. "I need a vibrating blowjob like that too, in a bit." His fiancé doesn't answer, kisses me greedily instead. "Get that pussy over here." He grabs my hips and pulls me on top of his lap.

"I'll be the toy warmer, I need a second to recover." Rudy holds the butt plugs and sits against the headboard to enjoy the show. I get up to place Ale's dick against my entrance and let him slide in as I slowly lower myself. I gasp, not being used to his size. He's impatient and grips the flesh of my hips, tries his best to not pull me down all the way. His eyes are locked onto mine, knows he's stretching my walls. I can't get him fully in yet and only move myself on the length that I can fit. He squeezes my flesh in pleasure, I'm sure I'll have bruises when he's done with me and I don't care. With every move I make the toy moves too, stimulates me in a different way. I look over to Rudy and see he enjoys watching with a smile on his face. Alejandro takes my attention away by kissing and sucking on the skin of my throat, leaving hickeys all over. "Querido (dear), I want to finish inside that gorgeous asshole of yours." Alejandro squeezes my buttcheeks firmly and makes me moan. "I need my cock in your ass, doll. Turn around for me." I follow his wish and stop riding him, let him slip out of me. My knees hurt from riding him.

"Princesa, look at the mess you made on him." Rudy makes me look at his fiancé's rock-hard dick that's covered in my juices. "Be a good girl and clean him up." I waste no second to get my lips and tongue on his dick. Rudy holds my hair in a fist and pushes me farther on his lover's cock. I gag when Alejandro enters my throat, Rudy not letting me go. Unless I use the gesture we arranged just before his mother called him, which is putting my hand up with crossed middle and index fingers.

"She's such a good doll, isn't she?" Alejandro talking about me instead of to me, arouses me even more.

"Do you think she can take more?"

"Definitivamente (Definitely), I think she rather faints than give up before she takes me balls deep."

The muscles inside my lower abdomen clench from the way they treat me and how they talk about me like I'm not even here, makes me moan.

"I bet she's soaked. Hold her head down for me." Rudy removes his fist from my hair, makes place for Alejandro to grab my hair into his fist and he pushes me down even more on his length. Rudy's hands follow the sides of my body, along my back to my ass, touches his fingers between my thighs, feeling my wetness. "I love it when I'm correct. Her pussy is drenched." He moves behind me and puts his face between my buttcheeks, eats my pussy as if he's starving. I moan louder when he touches my clit lightly with his tongue.

"Sí doll, ya está (that's it). Moan for me to make your throat vibrate." Alejandro forces his cock into my throat a bit more, lets me get used to this depth again. I'm almost at the base, just a few more centimetres.

Rudy takes his face from my pussy and pulls at the base of the butt plug. "One more size up will probably be enough to take Ale's cock balls deep in your ass." Slowly he pulls out the butt plug from my asshole. "It's not entirely closing this time. Es una buena señal (That's a good sign)." My sphincter closed back up after the first starter size plug was removed to insert the second size. It wasn't much of a struggle to get the second size in while I was still on top of Alejandro. Now the third one will be inserted, if it fits. Rudy applies anal lube around and inside my muscle and puts enough on the toy, as far as I can hear. "Hand up when it hurts, mi corazón (my heart)." He adds more lube to my asshole and puts the cold metal against it, the cold releases a moan out of me.

"Make her vibrate for me, mi amor (my love)." Alejandro pushes the last few centimetres of his length down and I gag, tears falling from my eyes, not because I'm emotional, but from his size that I'm not used to filling me up. "Would you look at that, querido (dear). Balls fucking deep inside your throat and you're still handling it like a boss." He slaps my cheeks and chokes me with his hand on my throat, makes me gag again. "Sin lágrimas, cariño, no llores (No tears, darling, don't cry). Me siento orgullosa de ti (I'm proud of you). Keep it up a little longer, doll. I want to shoot my load into you while I'm in this deep."

Rudy has been trying to insert the bigger butt plug, but hasn't been successful yet. "There's still some resistance, am I hurting you?" I'm unable to speak, want to keep Alejandro in my mouth, so I put up a thumb. "Okay babygirl, but show me when I am hurting you." Even more lube is applied around and inside my asshole and I try to relax my sphincter by putting my legs together. The cold toy comes in contact with my skin again and Rudy carefully gives pressure on my muscle. The metal slides in until the diameter is a bit too big for my hole. "I'm trying to get this last part in slowly, pinch me when I need to stop." He puts my hand on his leg and I grab some skin between my fingers, ready to pinch when it's necessary. He adds pressure on the base of the toy and when it slides all the way in, my muscle grips around the neck, the part between the base and the widest part that's inside of me. This one is a lot thicker than the neck of the previous toy in the training kit. I moan loudly a few times. The feeling of getting filled up is intoxicating.

"Eso sienta bien (That feels good), doll. Are you feeling good too? I'm sure Rudy can make you feel even better and make you moan more for me." Rodolfo understands the hint and gets on his knees, fills my last available hole with his erection. He pounds himself mercilessly inside my pussy, has me moan over and over again, pleasuring Alejandro with the vibrations in my throat. Rudy grabs the flesh on my hips, thrusts himself impossibly deeper into my core, hitting my cervix with every move and driving me closer to my second orgasm of the night. "I'm close, cariño (darling). Keep going." Alejandro's moans become irregular and more audible as he gets closer to his peak. Rudy's fingers tease my clitoris. That's all I need to be pushed over the edge. Loud and long moans fill the bedroom. My moans, Alejandro's moans and Rudy is also noisy when he comes and fills me up a few thrusts later. My body shakes heavily and my knees go weak. Ale places his hands on my head and gets up on his knees, was sitting on his ass until now. "¡Mierda, mierda! (Fuck, fuck!)" He thrusts into my mouth and holds still as deep as he can go, my lips touching the skin of his balls and my nose pushed against his lower abdomen, as he spills his warm, thick fluid into my oesophagus, accompanied by the hottest moans I've ever heard. Half of his seed comes back up, leaks out of my nose because it can't go anywhere else. "Look at you, dirty little doll. My cum got all over your pretty face too. What an exquisite sight." Alejandro pulls me from his cock using his fist that's still in my hair and looks at the string of saliva mixed with his seed that connects us. He runs his finger below my nose and spreads his cum on my lips, won't let anything go to waste. "Rudy, will you clean her up for me, por favor (please)? So I can clean up that tight cunt of her." I roll on my back, sit myself up with my elbows. Rodolfo follows orders and tongue kisses me lustfully, licks up every drop of cum that didn't make it into my stomach. Alejandro crawls between my legs, cleans up the juices his fiancé left there. His fingers slide into me and it takes him only two minutes to fingerfuck and lick me to my third orgasm. "Such a good doll. Are you ready for the real deal?" He presses on the butt plug and pulls on the base, not hard enough to pull it out yet.

I let go of the guy kissing me. "Sí, I want you to fuck my ass."

"So eager to get her asshole destroyed. Me encanta (I love it)." Alejandro grabs my jaw rough and dominantly kisses me, pushes my tongue to the side every time I try to keep our tongues together. "Let's get to it then." He turns me around and pulls my ass up, chest still on the mattress, and I feel him getting ready behind me. Alejandro squirts anal lube on his dick and gives himself an even coating. Carefully he pulls out the butt plug, taking into consideration that the part above the neck is wider. I moan as the widest part moves past my muscle and the whole toy is removed. "Opened up beautifully." He smacks both cheeks playfully before he applies more lube to me and puts one hand on my hip. I feel his cockhead against my stretched and relaxed sphincter and he puts pressure on it, gets the head past the muscle slowly. He's girthier than the plug that was inside a second ago, so he has to stretch me out a bit more.

"How are you holding up, princesa?" Rudy sits next to my face, his member still standing strong, and holds my hand, in case Ale entering will hurt too much.

"Fino (Fine)." I focus on relaxing my muscle and moan when I feel his cock dig into me deeper.

"Almost in, querido (dear)." Alejandro puts more pressure on my muscle and he slides in, with some resistance and discomfort, but no pain. I'm filled up so good! "Sienta bien, tan apretado (Feels good, so tight)." He moans from pleasure and pulls back a little, to slowly thrust in again, repeating it a few times to let me get used to the feeling.

"I can take more." I think I can handle him when he gets rough.

"I hope you can, doll. There is no going back once I start." His laugh is audible, a lovely sound. With a fist in my hair he pulls my head back, puts the other hand on my chin, his thumb and index finger hooked inside my mouth. The fist trades my hair for my throat and he cuts off my airflow with a firm grip. "Mírame, amor (Eyes on me, love.)" I look into his eyes, his dark, hypnotising gaze. "Does it feel good?"

"Ye- hes." I'm unable to get clear words out of my mouth because of his hand choking me and the stars I'm seeing in front of my eyes. He enjoys this too much, but lets go of me before there's a chance I pass out, pushes my upper body back on the mattress and increases the speed of his thrusts with his hands on my hips, pulls me back to go even deeper. His movements shut off my ability to rationally think. "Ready for a third round, mi vida (my life)?" Alejandro strokes the hard cock of his fiancé, who moans in pleasure.

"Yes, I can go again."

"Get on top of me, doll." Ale pulls out of me and lays down on his back, helps me get in reverse cowgirl on top of him, like a real Vaquero, my arms angled back to have support from his chest while leaning backwards. He helps me get comfortable with his cock inside my asshole and rests his hands on my hips to move me back and forth.

"Even the insides of your thighs are wet." Rodolfo gets in front of me, between my tucked up knees and spreads my juices on my skin before he slides two fingers inside of me. The thumb of his other hand stimulates my clit with circling motions, while his fingers pump against my upper walls. Uncontrolled moans and whines leave my mouth as he makes my body release the pressure he quickly built up. He doesn't wait for me to recover and enters my pussy after he removes his fingers, puts them in my mouth so I have to suck them clean, a mix of my juices and his cum from earlier. His pace is relentless and I'm glad his fingers make me unable to produce too much sound, I would have been loud otherwise. They don't care, I'm sure they'd love to hear how good they make me feel. "I love feeling you inside of her."

"Makes it feel even better." Alejandro claws at my hips in pleasure and I moan. This is going to leave bruises. I can't wait to see how I look tomorrow! "¿Así? (Like that?)" He asks when he moves my hips faster and lifts me up higher at the same time.

"Sí!" I whimper muffled.

"¡Mierda! (Fuck!) I need a break or I'm gonna come already." He pulls out and rests my body on him by taking my arms off of his chest and putting them behind my back. His hands grab my breasts and kneads them. They're so sensitive! "One more time, querido (dear). I need you to come for us once more. ¿Puedes hacerlo eso por nosotros? (Can you do that for us?)" Alejandro asks when all three of us are close to climaxing.

"Y- yes." I whine, laying my arms around Rudy's shoulders, my head resting against his neck, between his collarbone and ear. He stimulates my clit and pushes me over the edge. Both guys also reach their high because of the contractions of my muscles, stuffing me at the same time. Alejandro's hands squeeze my breasts while he rides his orgasm and Rodolfo strokes my stomach. "I'm done. I can't go on anymore." All energy has left my body. We've been going at it for multiple hours.

"Let's get you cleaned up, babygirl." Rudy lays down and pulls me up so both can remove themselves, their cum dripping out of me onto his stomach. "I love this sight." His fingers slide through my folds, spreading his fluids around my skin. Alejandro comes back from the bathroom with two warm, wet cloths and washes my face before cleaning my pussy and ass, repeats it with the second cloth to make sure I'm clean. Rudy takes one of the cloths to wipe his stomach. He plants a kiss on my temple before getting off the bed and going into the bathroom. When he's returned I go for a pee. Ale helps me in bed and pulls the cover over me, lays in front of me and Rudy at my back. He spoons me and kisses my neck and shoulder. Ale follows his lead, makes paths of kisses from my collarbone to my breasts, my sternum, up my throat and ends on my lips.

"You were amazing, cariño (darling)." His words make me blush and I hide my face on his chest. "You are so cute when shy." He places his hand on the back of my head, lets his fingers play with my hair.

"She always is." Rudy agrees, slides his hand over my body to my lower stomach. "You need a rest, mi corazón (my heart), we tired you out."

"Yes, I'm exhausted." I softly say, can't keep my eyes open anymore. Alejandro pulls his pillow down, so it's slant, and puts my head on it that's still buried in his chest hair. I kiss his chest and lay my head on the pillow again, try to sleep after this amazing adventure.

"Duerme bien, querido (Sleep well, dear)." He rests his head on the top of my head and also puts his arm around me. "Wake one of us if something's up." Rodolfo moves his arm to also touch his fiancé. I can only hum, don't have the energy and strength to talk anymore.

[jamietxrtt]

Oath

"And I knew right then and there that I was never gonna let anybody get by me without understanding they might be hurting inside."

Ted stopped going to school on September 13th, 1991, and he didn’t go back until after winter break.

Warnings: Implied/Referenced Suicide, Parent Death, Grief

Word Count: 4009

read on ao3

[monsooninn]

Berakhot 8b: 20. "The Seat."

The terms night and day are multifarious in the language of Hebrew and their use in Judaism. Jesus thankfully clarified them as being separated by the work applied to the mission God has placed in mankind's hands and contemplation afterwards. This is found in the etymology for the term Leila; the caveat being God is present during both the Day and the Night:

"The masculine nouns לילה (layela) and ליל (layil) mean night; the opposite of יום ( yom), meaning day.

The root of our two words לילה (layela) and ליל (layil) is missing in action, but BDB Theological Dictionary submits, "meaning of the root is dubious but the form is probably לילי (laylay)." Whatever that meaning might have been, it's safe to say that it was probably not very positive.

The Bible is very clear that both night and day were created and are owned by God (Genesis 1:5, Psalm 74:16, "Yours is the day; Yours is also the night") and God often uses the darkness to bring about great things (Genesis 1:2, 15:12, Exodus 12:29, MATTHEW 27:45). But in the same metaphorical (or self-similar) system in which Jesus is the light (JOHN 8:12), the darkness counts as the absence of Christ, and that is not good.

The Bible always speaks of the "day" of the Lord, and never of the "night" of the Lord. Or as Jesus himself says, "We must work the works of him who sent me, as long as it is day; night is coming when no man can work" - JOHN 9:4."

20. No - forever Lelia is. And here are the words "day" - indeed, I am permanent in the hour.

We forget Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not only to explain Shabbat and the oncoming Mashiach to but to recruit men to take on their burdens as aspects of their day jobs.

The Number is 4009, םיט‎ ‎, "the seat."

By this, Jesus means man must rehearse for Shabbos dinner wherever he is, all day long. Societies like ours that addicted to chaos are rehearsing antichrist, not for the arrival of the Bride of Shabbat to the Banquet, nor the arrival of the Groom, the Mashiach to her bedside. Without the features of "table manners" regardless of where one works, man does not enjoy daylight and remains plunged in the darkness. He will not know for sure if another day is going to dawn or belong entirely to him; God forbid it might be taken away by a loser or a tyrant.

The Upanishads speak of a Day of Brahma as the amount of time it takes for God to make and then fold the creation. The Torah says it takes Seven Days, but the Mishnah and the Quran say He allots Himself an Hour. This is to raise our awareness that God has all the time He needs to do what has to be done, but we do not. This is why preparations for important occasions must always be perfect and they must always be prompt.

For this purpose, Jesus goes on to say He will not be present for the Mashiach as mankind will not be ready for it before His Departure, but nonetheless, the Spirit of God will always, as the Mishnah confirms be present at the table of the Mashiach:

From John 16:

16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

We have decided to divide the human race based on what happened on Day Zero, the Birth of Christ, when in fact the day and hour of the fulfillment of His Prophecy is yet to come. Jesus was a Jew, superlatively trained and His inclusion in the Mishnah of the Talmud is significant.

We know God walks among us, but we have yet to deign to walk with Him. How and why this should be rectified has now been found out.

[xoxoavenger]

Hide Away

pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

summary: Y/N loves Steve, but when he starts dating someone else Y/N falls sick with Hanahaki Disease. She hides it away from everyone until the very end, when it’s too late. 

word count: 4009

warnings: mentions of blood, angst 

series masterlist main masterlist want to be on the taglist?

She was sick.

In all fairness, she had been sick since 1983, when Steve Harrington began going out with Nancy Wheeler. It seemed like the day that Steve had admitted his feelings for Nancy, Y/N's days were numbered. She didn't even know that a disease like this could last this long, and some days she wished it would just swallow her whole because the pain was unbearable.

It was supposed to be rare. It was supposed to be easy to cure, easy to get rid of, especially if you barely even knew the person. Hardly anyone died from it now, with the cure that had come out and the slow-acting way it nestled into lungs. It was easy to change your feelings before time ran out. But there she was, laying on Eddie Munson's mattress, coughing up full flowers as everyone screamed around her.

Y/N had Hanahaki Disease. All because she was in love with Steve Harrington, a feeling she couldn't seem to shake.

~

It started slow. She didn't even know what was happening at first, why she suddenly felt like her lungs were restricting and her chest became tighter. She thought it was a panic attack as she left second period English.

Until she saw Steve following a giggling Nancy out of the bathroom, both of their faces alight with happiness and not a care in the world. That's when she knew she had Hanahaki Disease. Right then.

She could practically feel the flowers grow as she watched them kiss before going into the classroom late, even though she knew the flowers had yet to even sprout. All this time, she had thought that Steve had really had secret feelings for her, the girl next door. Steve was over at her house more than he was at his own - emphasis on was, because Y/N hadn't seen that Steve in a long, long time. She wasn't even sure that Steve still existed, because this Steve was a player and a bit of a douche and he barely acknowledged her unless she was in her cheer uniform. And yet, she had been naive enough to think that maybe Steve liked her back, since she hadn't caught the disease in the year that she had been harboring her crush on him. Maybe she just hadn't admitted it, or maybe it didn't count because she hadn't fully admitted it to herself. Whatever it was, she knew she was down for the count. And at this point, Steve wasn't the same boy she had once known, so would it be so bad to get the cure and forget him?

"Y/N," Steve startled her as she was leaving her house. She was on her way to get the cure, before it was too painful, before Steve found out.

"Steve," She muttered, feeling her chest constrict lightly. "What're you doing here?"

"I came over to apologize," He rushed it out, but he was looking straight at her, making her heart race even though she couldn't look at him fully. "I know that I've been a dick, and you didn't do anything to deserve that. I shouldn't have acted like I didn't know you, like we weren't friends." He sounded so sincere, and it almost made her heart break. She tried to remind herself that she was on her way to forget him, to get rid of the disease he had practically planted in her chest.

"It's alright. I mean, it's not like I made much of an effort either." She shrugged, holding her hands close and continuing to look down.

"No, it's my fault. I just, I should have been nicer. I've been a dick all throughout high school." Y/N wondered what was making Steve say this, what made him realize this. And then she looked up and saw the bruises on the left side of his face.

"What happened?" She asked, completely forgetting about the conversation they had been having.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, and even if you did, it's a long story." Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. Y/N paused for a moment, trying to come to terms with what she was about to do.

"I've got time," She stepped to the side to let Steve into her house, watching his eyes widen.

"Weren't you just about to go out?" He gestured to her shoes, and she shrugged as she kicked them off.

"It was just some shopping. I can go tomorrow." She smiled, opening the door even wider as Steve walked in.

She didn't get the cure, but she got a chance at a new friendship with Steve. And maybe she could learn how to love him in a completely, unromantic, platonic way. A way where she could still have Steve Harrington in her life, even if it wasn't the way she wanted.

But as she glanced at him, at the way he was leaning against the arm of her couch, passed out with his mouth open as the light from the movie that had been long forgotten bounced off his skin, Y/N knew that she would always love Steve, even if it meant death.

It wasn't a big deal for a long time, since the disease was so slow. It was almost like torture, the way she would forget about the flowers growing in her body until a violent attack where she would begin coughing up small petals dotted with blood. It happened more and more often as time went on, going from once every few months to once and month to once a week, up until almost the year mark, where she was sure she was going to start throwing up full buds soon.

And then everything eased.

It didn't stop - she still threw up petals, still coughed blood, but it wasn't as bad. The attacks were bearable, and she was able to breathe through them a bit. Maybe it was because Steve had been spending even more time around her, but she knew it was likely because he and Nancy had broken up for good.

It was easier to hide, being out of high school and having more freedom even during work, but it was also harder when she was with Steve and the kids, when she would have to wear dark shirts to cough into and hope that the petals were small enough to hide. No one seemed to notice anything, and for awhile, Y/N wondered if she could live like this, occasionally coughing out small petals until she finally got over Steve Harrington.

But the other shoe had to drop at some point, and the Universe probably hated her.

The disease began to progress again, even though Steve was having trouble with girls. Y/N knew that this was all borrowed time, that she should cut her losses and get the surgery to cure her, even if it meant forgetting Steve. She knew that it would be the smart thing to do, the only way to live. But she didn't want to forget Steve, especially since they had become best friends again.

The first person to actually notice was Robin.

"Hey, I know you're on your break, but if you-" Robin had rushed into the backroom of Scoops Ahoy! just as Y/N had coughed up a couple large petals, their light pink coloring splattered in the dark red of her blood, which was also on her lips. Looking at the petals, it was obvious Y/N was close to full buds even without the tightness in her chest.

The look Robin gave her made Y/N almost cry.

"It's Steve, isn't it?" Robin walked over to Y/N, knowing immediately. It wasn't obvious to everyone, since no one else had ever noticed, but Robin watched the way Y/N smiled at Steve, the way she followed the boy around with her eyes all the time. "How long?"

"It's been over a year at this point. Actually, almost two." Y/N answered, getting up and tossing the petals into the garbage.

"Holy shit," Robin whispered. Fear struck her heart as she realized what this meant. "Normally people only survive a couple years with it, Y/N," Robin was worried, because if Y/N had really had the disease for almost two years, then her time was quickly running out. "You have to get that surgery." Y/N was shaking her head as Robin spoke.

"No," She crossed her arms and looked at the frosted glass windows where they could faintly hear Steve trying to flirt with some customers. "I don't want the surgery."

"But if you don't, you'll die! You understand that, right? I know you may feel invincible right now, but this shit kills people. And you haven't lost feelings yet, so you're running out of options!" Robin was yelling, and Y/N was shushing her as Steve came into the back.

"What's going on?" He asked, eyes flitting between the two girls.

"We were just arguing over which cone is the best." Y/N picked up the two bags of cones - waffle and cake - that she was planning to restock.

"Right," Steve obviously didn't believe her, but he didn't seem to care very much, because he was complaining about his uniform two seconds later.

Y/N didn't miss the glares Robin threw her way,

It was awhile later when the next person found out that Y/N was sick.

By the two year mark, Y/N was feeling it a lot worse. The vines were beginning to grow up, she could feel them, and every so often she would cough up a bud. Still no full bloomed flowers, but she knew it wasn't far away. As the months dragged on and she tried to focus on work and a couple of college classes, she felt burnt out all the time. She could barely stand through her shifts, could barely stay awake during classes that used to excite her.

"Hey, Y/N," She lifted her head at Steve's voice, realizing she had fallen asleep while sitting at the front counter. Shit.

"Sorry," She muttered, trying not to look at Steve's concerned face.

"What's going on with you?" Steve put the tapes he was holding down as he took in the bags under her eyes, the way her whole body seemed to sag. He was scared out of his mind for his friend.

"Nothing, I'm fine." She lied with a fake smile, but Steve wasn't buying it this time.

"You've been saying that for months but I know you're not fine. Talk to me, Y/N. Is it nightmares?" He asked, and Y/N dumbly shook her head. She had been through a period of time where she couldn't sleep due to the nightmares that plagued her dreams; nightmares from the Russian base, from fighting the Mind Flayer, from Steve laying on the ground motionless. And once the nightmares had finally be over, she felt like she was never able to sleep enough. Always tossing and turning all night, having to get up multiple times to cough up petals and buds and blood.

"I mean," Y/N started, realizing she should have just used the nightmare excuse. "I just can't sleep lately, alright? But it's not a big deal. I'll figure it out." She tried to smile, but Steve was having none of it.

"Are you sick?" He asked, causing her to freeze up. He was getting too close, and she needed to keep him far, far away for what she was going to go through next.

"No, no, I'm fine," She answered entirely too quickly. "It's probably just, ya know, allergies," She shrugged before grabbing the tapes that Steve had set down, walking around the counter to go put them away.

Steve didn't believe her, but he let it go.

Only a week later she found herself in the kitchen of the Wheeler house, the rest of the group in the basement as she felt like she was about to cough up her whole lung.

"What the hell?" Of course Max Mayfield would be the one to see her on the first day she coughed up a full flower. Max was staring at the fully blossomed flower that she had watched Y/N throw up.

"Max," Y/N's voice was rough, since the flowers were close to suffocating her.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Max seemed hurt that Y/N had kept it to herself for so long - she knew almost no one else must know because it wasn't talked about, but she also knew that Y/N had to have been suffering for awhile at this point, because that flower was fully blossomed and although Max didn't know much about Hanahaki, she knew that Y/N was in the final stages.

"I can't," She was quiet, and Max suddenly realized what was going on.

"Who is it?" Max walked closer to Y/N, because she was going to get to the bottom of it. "It's either Jonathan or Steve, and you can tell me who it is or we can walk back down there and I'll try and pretend I don't know." Max really wanted Y/N to pick the first option, because Y/N had been suffering alone for too long and Max wanted to help.

"You already have enough going on, Max." Y/N smiled sweetly, and Max wanted to rip her hair out.

"I don't care about me!" Max slammed her hands down on the table, making Y/N jump. "I want everyone to be okay when I'm gone and I don't want to die knowing that you're close behind." Y/N's eyes widened at Max's statement, and she was going to say something when Lucas came barreling in.

"Why are you talking about dying?" He asked, face hurt. Y/N quickly turned and threw the flower away, trying to ignore the itch in her throat and the tightness in her chest.

"No one is dying," Steve said as he walked in, followed by Dustin. At the sight of Steve, Y/N's heart constricted, as if the vines growing in her lungs were wrapping around her heart and making it squeeze out all her blood. She felt lightheaded, not able to breathe either.

This was common when she was around Steve, hence why she had been upstairs.

"Y/N, you alright?" Steve was next to her, and she was going to throw up again and all she could do was make eye contact with Max, who blurted out the first thing she could think of to cover her friend.

"It must be Vecna!" Max watched as the boys freaked out, not knowing what to do.

"Shit!" Steve yelled, grabbing her shoulders as if that would do anything.

"Give her some room!" Max forced Steve to back up, and Y/N began breathing a little better, but as she wheezed Max knew that Y/N wouldn't be breathing well again until she sorted out the disease. "You owe me." Max whispered as Y/N began to look more grounded.

"Max," She whispered, tears in her eyes. Max hugged her, trying to hide her own tears and hoping that she died before Y/N would, because it was obvious the older girl wouldn't be getting the cure and she wouldn't be losing or changing her own or anyone else's feelings.

And then the worst happened.

Y/N wasn't sure how long she had left, but she knew she wouldn't be able to function soon. And yet she still went through WaterGate immediately after Steve, before anyone could say anything. Robin went in next, because she knew Y/N was not going to make it alone in the Upside Down with Steve.

And she was right, because it took about ten minutes before Nancy was fixing up Steve, and almost as immediately Y/N was throwing up flowers.

"Oh, fuck," Eddie muttered and Robin took in the full flowers that were a stark pink in contrast to the dark ground of the Upside Down. It stuck out like a sore thumb, the red of the blood dotting the grey ground. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," Eddie's hands were pulling at his hair, because this chick was in the Upside Down and she had Hanahaki and from the looks of it there was a large chance she wasn't getting out.

"What's going on?" Steve asked, making his way over to where Y/N and Robin were kneeling.

"Nothing," Y/N tried to get up, but she fell directly back against Robin. All of her energy was gone, and she knew she shouldn't have gotten on the boat. It wouldn't have changed anything, though. She still wouldn't get the cure, and Steve still wouldn't love her, and she was still going to die.

"Are those flowers?" Nancy whispered, eyes locked on the pink blossoms on the ground. A horrible feeling rushed through her chest as she realized that if Y/N had Hanahaki and Steve was the lucky guy, she had been practically aiding in killing Y/N this whole time.

"Fuck," Y/N whispered, letting Robin hold her close. She was wheezing, eyes closed, so she didn't see Steve's eyes widen.

"It's not Vecna?" He muttered, and everyone could tell he was hurt that Y/N had lied to him.

"We need to get her back and to the hospital." Nancy went into planning mode, taking charge of the situation. Robin shook her head.

"She doesn't want the cure." She was trying not to cry at the thought of her friend dying. She had known for awhile that this day would come, and she knew that it was coming soon, but nothing could prepare her for the actual thing.

"Who is it?" Steve asked, causing Robin to roll her eyes.

"Probably some douche." Eddie muttered, crossing his arms. Everyone shot him a look, but Eddie just shrugged. "What? You see those full flowers. She's been sick for years."

"How did we not know?" Steve asked, his heart dropping at the fact that Y/N had been struggling for so long and he didn't even notice. Even when he did realize something was wrong, he never pushed. God, if only he had pushed...

"We have to go," Y/N muttered, struggling to stand on her own. Eddie came over to help Robin, and together they supported almost all of her weight as she stumbled to the Wheeler house.

~

And now, she was laying on Eddie's mattress, looking up at her friends who were still in the Upside Down. Once they had found out how to get back, it was then a race to figure out how to get Y/N through the portal in the ceiling. Eddie and Steve supported her as she grabbed onto the rope with all her might, but she had hit the mattress hard after going through. She couldn't move now, lungs barely inhaling. Blood was coating the inside of her mouth, and she knew this was it.

She wasn't making it to a hospital even if she wanted the cure.

"Y/N," Dustin was crying, trying to get her up but he couldn't. Lucas and Max helped, and soon Y/N was laying on Eddie's couch, light headed.

"Jesus Christ," Eddie muttered as he landed and got up, going over to where Y/N was laying. Robin was there too, pushing her hair back.

"Y/N!" Steve flipped over and was at her side quickly, ignoring Robin's look. "We need to go to hospital." He was about to scoop her up himself when she smiled and shook her head.

"No time," She muttered, wheezing now. She was afraid to suffocate to death, but she was with her friends and Steve and it was going to be okay. She had been preparing for awhile, and now she could finally tell Steve how she felt, because what was there to lose?

"No, no, no," Steve had tears in his eyes, and Y/N wanted to scoff, because why did he care now, when she was bout to die? "Who is it?" He asked, realizing Y/N didn't want the cure - it was someone who she knew very well, someone she thought was worth dying for rather than forgetting.

"Steve," She whispered, hand reading up to hold his face. Her eyelids were heavy, and she knew her chest wasn't expanding enough. "It's always been you," She let her eyes close.

"What?" He was panicked, his hand gripping her wrist tightly. "Me?" He looked over at Robin, who nodded as tears streamed down her face. "No, that can't be right," He felt light headed, like all the air had been knocked out of his body and all the blood drained.

"Y/N" Max's cry caused everyone's heart to break. Steve was shaking his head, grabbing Y/N's hand tightly now.

"Y/N, I do love you!" He was pleading now, hoping that it wasn't too late for him to admit it - for himself and for her. "I've loved you for years and I know that it's too late now, but God, thinking about you suffering because I was too afraid," Steve cut himself off, tears falling quickly as his throat closed with emotion.

"It's okay," She could barely speak, but Steve was shaking his head.

"No, you gotta believe me! Please! I was afraid of getting Hanahaki. It was easier for me to live in denial and serial date because that way I wouldn't have to live in a world where you rejected me. But I would have rather gotten it than this. I would do anything to go back and tell you years ago, to stop this. I love you. I love you. I love you! Please don't leave," He put his head down on her stomach and cried, loud, ugly sobs. Everyone was crying as they watched Y/N breathe slowly, waiting for the moment her chest motions would stop.

"You couldn't have said that two years ago?" Y/N muttered with a cough. She was slowly regaining energy, as if her whole body had been plugged into a power plant suddenly. Oxygen filled her lungs, inflating larger than they had been able to in years.

"Oh, thank God," Steve brought their heads close together and let out shaky breathes. "I thought I lost you," He leaned in for a soft peck, one that had both of their hearts racing.

"You idiot!" Robin pushed Steve away, wiping her tears as Steve let out a chuckle. "I almost lost my best friend because you couldn't admit your feelings!" Robin grabbed onto Y/N tightly, the two girls sharing a heartfelt embrace.

"I thought I was your best friend." Steve frowned, and Robin just shook her head as she pulled away from Y/N.

"Not anymore!" Once Robin was far enough away Max came over, giving Y/N a large hug as soon as the older girl was able to stand.

"I'm not leaving you," Y/N whispered, knowing Max wouldn't be able to say anything.

"Thank you," The younger girl was trying to keep in her tears, but one slipped out as Y/N squeezed. They let go, and Y/N glanced at the group, who all seemed relieved.

"I"m glad you're okay," Nancy stepped forward, hand on Y/N's shoulder. Y/N pulled her in for a hug. Nancy hugged back hard, and Y/N knew that Nancy had felt guilty, and would have blamed herself if Y/N had died.

"I'm glad we're friends," She said, hoping that would encompass everything she wanted to say. She felt Nancy nod, and then the two parted.

"I can't believe you didn't get the surgery." Steve said once he was able to step up to Y/N again, everyone talking amongst themselves to figure out how to defeat Vecna.

"And forget you?" Y/N asked, a hand on his face. A stray tear fell down his cheek, and she brushed it away. "I'm okay, Steve." She brought him in for another kiss, this one a bit longer.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize until it was too late." Ah - he blamed himself.

"You realized eventually. And I didn't want anyone to know - Robin figured it out herself." Y/N moved a hand to squeeze Steve's hand, smiling at him so that he would smile back. "None of it is your fault. Beside, after we defeat this son of a bitch, we have the rest of our lives."

//

tags: @fujiihime @starl1g4t  @tvandfanfic @sunflowersturn @sadbitchfangirl 

[ncdover1285]

This fic was written for the Gabriel Reverse bang @gabrielbigbang and it was so much fun to write these two! Go check out the other art Foofsteroonie has!

Title: Not Your Everyday Flapper 

Link: A03

Author: ncdover1285  

Artist: Foofsteroonie @foofsterroonie

Art: tumblr

Beta: tfw_cas @punk-is-notdead

Rated: Explicit 

Pairing: Gabe/Rowena 

Characters: Gabriel, Rowena, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Lucifer mentioned, 

Witch!Sam Bingo: Free Space @samwitchbingo

Word count: 4009 

Warnings/tags: roaring 20s, flapper Rowena, prohibition, Gabe on Earth, Winchester luck, witch!Sam, bingo fic, bang fic, m/f, mentions of Sam's interest in both Rowena and Gabe, porn with a smidgeon of plot, not much, mostly porn, scarred!Rowena 

Summary: When Sam and Dean have to call Rowena in on a case, Gabe thinks back on his last meeting with the Witch and just how much fun she could be.

[lupiiifics]

Of Gunshots and Mending

Fic #3 Posted on AO3 on October 8, 2021.

Summary: Goemon is hurt on the job. Lupin and Jigen take care of him.

Word Count: 4009

10/09/2021: I edited some stuff. :P

The bullet had missed Zantetsuken, sailing into Goemon's chest and throwing him backwards.

He landed behind the Fiat in a heap, left in the dirt as they pulled away. At first, they didn't notice his absence. They hadn't heard his cry, hadn't seen the blood as it splattered across the ground. But when they did notice, the world slammed into a complete and utter stop.

"Where's Goemon?" Jigen demanded, poking his head up through the sunroof to look. The moment he spotted the samurai on the ground, his breath hitched, and he jumped back down into the car. "Fuck, Lupin. Look ."

He pointed at the rearview mirror to Goemon's image, frozen and unmoving in a spreading pool of blood.

Lupin slammed on the breaks, jerking the car to the side of the road as soon as he saw the opportunity. He knew he'd have to act fast to avoid their pursuers, so he threw his door open and took off running before the car was even in neutral.

"Jigen, cover me ," he said.

“Right.”

Jigen pulled his Magnum from its holster and aimed it somewhere farther up the road. Lupin heard gunshots as he ducked and ran for Goemon. They had only traveled a few hundred feet from Goemon, but still the run felt like an eternity. It was like entering into No-Man’s Land. Shots flew all around him, and it was all he could do to dodge. The air was sticky from the heat of gunfire, and the smell of sulfur was so thick he could taste it.

“Goemon!” He slid across the dirt to reach the samurai, practically diving on top of him to get there in time. The unmistakable bang of Jigen’s gun fired somewhere behind them, and the people steadily approaching did the same. “Goemon, you okay?”

He tugged on Goemon’s shoulder, pulling him over to look at the wound. He groaned as Lupin moved him, the first sign of life they'd gotten since the man had gone down.

“Zan...Zantetsuken,” Goemon said. His breaths were weak and thready, and he extended one of his hands in the direction of the road.

“Hm?” Lupin lowered his ear toward Goemon’s mouth, trying his best to hear him.

“I… dropped it.”

Lupin looked around and found the item in question a few feet away from them. He plucked it up and held it out for Goemon to see. “I’ve got it, okay? Let’s get you out of here.”

He wrapped one of Goemon’s arms around his shoulders and hefted him upwards until they were both on their feet. Goemon cried out as the movement shifted his wound, and Lupin found him shaking against his side. Goemon was much heavier than he looked. He was nothing but broad shoulders and hard packed muscles while Lupin was nearly the opposite. He knew by that alone that it’d be difficult to move.

But move is what he had to do. He could hear the crunch of gravel as the approaching cars got closer, as well as hear Jigen’s fragmented voice shouting at him to come back. Goemon slumped, and groaned, and Lupin knew he’d die if he didn’t do something. So, he let out a cry of his own, pushed up against Goemon’s weight, and practically dragged him back toward the car. It took time, some careful dodging, and a single bullet graze, but eventually they made it. Jigen looked ready to have a heart attack when they finally fell into the back seat. He dropped his Magnum and tumbled down through the sunroof to peer at them from the passenger seat.

“Is he…?” He asked, not willing to finish the sentence.

“No,” Lupin said. He laid Goemon down across the back seat and began assessing his injury. “Fucking drive , Jigen. I’ll take care of him.”

Jigen snapped out of his stupor, sliding into the driver's seat and throwing the car back into motion again. Lupin braced himself against the back seat as they jerked backwards, leaning over Goemon as he panted and squirmed.

“Where should we go?” Jigen asked. “I don’t think a hospital is an option right now.”

“Just get us somewhere safe. I’ll take care of him there.”

“And in the meantime?”

Lupin pulled apart Goemon’s bloodsoaked kimono, sliding the fabric down his arms and around his waist. There was so much red he had trouble locating the wound. It blended in with the rest of the samurai's saturated chest, flowing sideways onto the seat and floorboards. With swift dexterity, Lupin tore the fabric of his dress shirt, folding it to wipe at Goemon's chest.

"I'll keep him alive until we get wherever we're going," he said. "Just get us to safety."

Jigen nodded and turned his eyes downward to focus on the road. Three black cars pursued them from behind, various guns and goons hanging out their windows. The car swerved to miss their oncoming bullets, ricocheting against the dirt and throwing up clouds of dust.

Lupin found the wound, just below Goemon's left shoulder, possibly in his lung since he couldn't find an exit wound. That explained the pained wheezing. He most likely couldn't breathe properly.

Lupin pressed the torn fabric down against the bullet wound in hopes of curbing the flow of blood. Goemon cried out as Lupin bore nearly all of his weight against him, his chest on fire and his lungs barely able to take in gasps of air. He shook and fought against the master thief, though in his current state there wasn't much he could have done.

"Shh," Lupin pressed one of his hands against Goemon's forehead, trailing gentle fingers through his hair to push it out of the way. "I know it hurts. I'm sorry."

Goemon grimaced and tried his best not to move. “I… have failed ,” he said. “I’m not… not —”

His voice split into a broken sob, a mix of pain and shame vibrating through his entire body. Tears rolled down from the corners of Goemon’s eyes, soaking into his hair and washing away a bit of the dirt left over from his fall. Jigen looked at Lupin through the reflection of the rearview mirror. His eyes were somber and his face was grim and shaded by his hat.

Lupin stared back at him, and turned his attention down to Goemon once again.

"Hey. Hey . Goemon, it's alright. You haven't failed at anything."

Goemon seemed to struggle, but was quickly losing momentum. “That’s— that’s not true .”

“It is. Hey, look at me.” He pressed one of his fingers under Goemon’s chin, forcing his gaze upwards. He leaned in, face uncharacteristically serious as he made sure Goemon could see him. “You have not failed at anything , okay? We all miss once in a while. We’ve all gotten hurt. That’s just part of this life, isn’t it? Doesn’t mean we’ve failed, or that we’re not ‘worthy’.”

“But—”

Lupin shook his head sharply. “ Nope . Don’t speak. Rest and save your energy. I’m right here, and so is Jigen. We’ll get you somewhere safe, and then we’ll get you patched up, okay?”

Goemon stared up at him through wide eyes, breathing heavily through his nose. He looked for a moment like he wanted to protest, but it didn’t last. The expression faded and he nodded, closing his eyes to do as Lupin had asked. Tears still occasionally slipped down into his hair, and Lupin grasped one of his hands to reassure him that he was still there. He kept pressure steady on Goemon’s chest with the other, keeping a close eye on his complexion, the rise and fall of his breathing, and his palse. Bullets still periodically kicked up dirt from behind them, but the closer they got to the city, the less danger they seemed to be in. Eventually, they disappeared into the maze of streets, taking endless turn after turn to ensure their stalkers couldn’t track them.

Goemon remained as steady as ever despite the injury, finally having calmed down after the initial shock of it. Jigen glanced back at them, silently communicating with Lupin on Goemon’s condition. When things seemed to remain as they were, he decided the safehouse would be their best bet.

Things were quiet as they pulled up the gravel drive to the cottage, none of them daring to speak for fear of disturbing the fragile peace they seemed to have stumbled upon. Lupin was the first to move once Jigen stopped the car, carefully checking the torn fabric to see if the bleeding had stopped. Apparently, he was satisfied, as he immediately began barking at Jigen to get out, and help him with getting Goemon inside.

His hands were covered in blood, and the bottom of his shirt hung jagged just above his belt. Goemon didn’t open his eyes as they wrapped his arms around their shoulders, though his face did tighten to scrunch his nose. He careened as they moved him forward, obviously dizzy from the bloodloss. Small gasps of air hissed through his teeth which bore against his bottom lip.

Lupin apologized with every falter, his brow set as he focused on getting Goemon up the cottage steps without causing him too much pain.

“Okay, easy now. Take your time. There’s no need to rush,” he said. He and Jigen slowly helped him climb, practically carrying him up to the porch leading to the front door. Once they were there, Jigen stepped away. He wrestled the keys from inside his pockets, fumbling to find the right once before Goemon passed out.

Lupin did his best to keep him upright, but with his own injury starting to sting, it was difficult. He could feel the adrenaline fading from his veins, bringing him to a reality of dirt-stained clothes, wounded samurais, and worried gunmen. He was nearly ready to collapse himself when Jigen finally got the door open, forcing his legs to move with Goemon hanging off his shoulders. Jigen tried his best to return to Goemon’s side, but Lupin had him through the door and on the couch before he could even blink.

“Is that really the best place for him?” Jigen asked. “He’s gonna bleed on the fabric.”

Lupin glared at him. “It’s not like you haven’t bled on the upholstery before, Jigen.”

Jigen held up his hands. “Hey, I’m not sayin’ move him. I was just asking.”

Lupin jumped up from his position by Goemon’s side, eyes trailing around the room as he tried to remember where they kept their supplies. “Watch him for me. Make sure he doesn’t fall asleep or fall over or something. I’ll be back in a second.”

Jigen nodded and sidestepped to take a seat beside the ailing samurai. Goemon didn’t react as the couch shifted to counteract the added weight. He seemed to be meditating. His eyes were still closed but the look on his face was aware enough that Jigen knew he was listening.

He felt in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes, pulling them out and picking one up with his teeth. With his other hand, he worked a lighter, lighting the end of the cigarette in one fluid motion. Goemon’s eyebrow twitched the moment he smelled the familiar smoke, and Jigen smiled at the familiarity.

“Those will kill you, you know,” Goemon said, voice strained from the pain.

Jigen shrugged and settled back against the couch cushions. “We all gotta die of somethin’ don’t we?”

Goemon opened one of his eyes, glancing at Jigen to gauge his reaction. “Yes, but if you could choose, would lung cancer be your way to go?”

Jigen shrugged again. “We’ve all got our vices, Goe. I could ask you the same thing with all the sake you like to drink.”

“Sake is not tobacco.”

“Yeah, but it’s alcohol, isn’t it?”

Goemon closed his eye again, turning away from Jigen. “Like you said. We all have our vices.”

Jigen smirked, and chuckled out a lungful of smoke. He leaned in close enough for Goemon to register his presence, but not enough to shift him or disturb his injury. He held the cigarette away from Goemon, both out of courtesy, and to keep the ashes from falling on either of their laps.

His voice lacked the typical nonchalance it normally had, brushing past Goemon in a whisper. “Hey Goe?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ever do that again, okay? You really scared us back there.”

Goemon nodded. “I am sorry. I’ll try to avoid injury in the future.”

“That’s not what I’m talkin’ about,” Jigen took a pull from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out in one big sigh. “I mean, stop jumping into danger just because you have that legendary sword. I know you’re a strong guy, but everyone has their limits.”

Goemon glanced at him again. “It is my job to protect—”

“Bullshit,” Jigen said. He glared at Goemon from underneath his hat. “It’s not your job to die for us. You’re our partner , remember? Not a sacrifice.”

Goemon finally opened both of his eyes, turning his head to fully look at Jigen. “I know that.”

“I don’t think you do,” Jigen said. “The life we’re leading is dangerous, I know that. But you have a tendency to put yourself at risk if only for that samurai’s honor thing you’ve got goin’ on.”

Goemon flinched, though he didn’t look away. “Lupin hired me to be your bodyguard. I’m supposed to put myself in danger.”

“That was a long time ago,” Jigen reached up to push a lock of Goemon’s hair behind one of his ears. “You’re a permanent part of this group, you hear me? That means no dying.”

Goemon nodded, trying to hide his look of embarrassment behind a grimace. “I’ll try my best…” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Jigen huffed, taking another draft from his cigarette. He pulled away, though he remained close by Goemon’s side. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back again. “Nah, don’t apologize. I’m not scolding you. I just want you to think about yourself once in a while.”

Goemon opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Lupin crashing through the doorway at the end of the room. In his hands was a large white box, the sight of which caused Goemon's heart to stutter in his chest. He could feel the nervousness pooling in his stomach. This was really going to hurt.

Lupin sat in front of Goemon on the floor, placing the box on the coffee table and opening it up. From the box he pulled latex gloves, a lighter, rubbing alcohol, and a long set of tweezers. He turned to Goemon with the lighter and tweezers, his face contorted in a look of both concern and sympathy.

“How ya feelin’?” He asked. He lit the lighter and passed the end of the tweezers over the flame, tarnishing the silvery finish until it was black. He then splashed it with the rubbing alcohol until he was satisfied.

Goemon watched him do this, his entire body stiff as he tried to process what was about to happen. “I’ve been better,” he said. “This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”

“You already know the answer,” Lupin said. He looked up between his two partners, his eyes locking with Jigen’s. “Jiji, get him something for the pain. Something strong , like that whisky we found the other day.”

“But I hate whisky,” Goemon said. “Do we have anything else?”

Lupin shook his head. “We’ve been here a week. Hardly enough time to stock up on booze.”

Goemon frowned, his mouth a hard line. “ Fine , but only because I don’t want to be fully awake for this.”

“I don’t blame you, Mr. Samurai,” Lupin looked up at Jigen again, who seemed to be spacing out. “Jigen? The whisky.”

“Right,” Jigen got up from his spot on the couch, heading past them to a doorway which swung open to reveal the kitchen. He disappeared through it for a few moments, returning with a wide bottle of caramel-colored brown liquid. Goemon was grimacing before Jigen even returned, looking almost sick as Jigen popped the cork with his teeth and spit it onto the floor near them. He held the bottle out to Goemon, who took it with shaking hands.

He hesitated to bring the decanter to his lips, the sour look on his face hardening as he finally allowed himself to take the smallest sip possible. Jigen had apparently grown impatient watching Goemon struggle to drink the liquid. He stepped forward and tipped the bottom of the bottle upwards, urging more than a simple sip into Goemon’s mouth, where he swallowed as fast as he could. Streams of the alcohol ran down the sides of his chin, and as soon as he had the mouthful downed, he pulled the glass from his lips and gave Jigen his fiercest glare possible. His glare was unfortunately weakened by the rasping coughs that broke from his chest, but Jigen got it’s meaning anyway.

“That was mean, Jiji,” Lupin said as he watched Jigen retake his seat on the couch. The gunman took one last draw from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out through his nose and leaning forward to shove the filter into the ashtray in front of him.

“We don’t have all night,” Jigen said, shrugging. “It was either that, or watch him bleed out as he takes miniscule sip after miniscule sip.”

“Still,” Lupin frowned at him. “You could’a gave the guy a warning.”

“With reflexes like his?” Jigen laughed. “He might be hurt, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t still kick my ass.”

“True,” Lupin said. He turned to Goemon. “I know you don’t like it, but drink a little bit more. I want this to be as painless as possible.”

Goemon sighed. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll drink as much as I can.”

Lupin smiled at him. “Good. Once you’re done, I’ll start. I’ll be as quick as possible. It just depends on how deep the bullet traveled.”

“How the fuck are you still conscious for this?” Jigen asked. “If it were me, I’d be out like a light.”

“Training,” Goemon said. He took a sip of the whisky and managed to only scowl instead of cough this time. To avoid another forced draft from Jigen, he drank a bit more, and hoped it would be good enough. He handed the bottle off to Jigen, who took a sip of his own and sat it on the coffee table beside Lupin’s supplies. “I have been through much worse than this, as I am sure you are aware.”

“I guess, but it is still a gunshot,” Jigen said. He lit another cigarette and tried not to look too disturbed as he watched Lupin scoot closer to Goemon on the floor. Goemon seemed to be trying to ignore the master thief, in hopes of ignoring what was about to happen, too.

“Ready?” Lupin asked, holding the tweezers between him and Goemon. Goemon stared at him with abject horror, but nodded anyway.

“Not really,” he said. “But go ahead and get it over with.”

Lupin looked at him through half-lidded eyelashes. “I promise once we have you patched up, we’ll all snuggle up in bed and watch a movie. Your choice.”

Goemon tried to smile, but it was broken by the sheer thought of those tweezers entering his chest. “That sounds nice.”

Jigen offered his hand not holding his cigarette, his fingers rough but comforting against Goemon’s own. He closed his eyes as Lupin slowly approached him, squeezing those fingers until he heard Jigen grunt through some pain of his own. He didn’t pull away or complain, however. He simply stayed there, supporting the samurai as Lupin finally started digging for the bullet.

It was difficult not to thrash as Lupin prodded his fingers around the wound, trying to locate the bullet so he could pull it out. The moment the cold metal of the tweezers entered his flesh, Goemon found his vision swimming, and his entire body trembling from the pain. It was like being shot all over again. Red hot blood burst from the wound as Lupin slowly extracted the bullet, pulling it out to throw on the coffee table. He could see spots behind his eyelids despite them being closed, and as Lupin pressed something soft against his chest, everything went black.

He woke up with Jigen’s shoulder pressed against his temple, and a strong arm wrapped around his back. His partners were talking as they finished patching him up, though he had some difficulty deciphering the words.

“Guess the pain got to be too much,” Jigen said as he watched Lupin sew up the skin around the laceration left by the bullet. “Think we should let ‘em sleep?”

“That’s probably for the best,” Lupin said. “Poor guy must be exhausted.”

“I can hear you,” Goemon said, opening one of his eyes to show them he was awake.

“Goemon!” Lupin’s eyes were wide, his shoulders hiked to his ears. “Welcome back. We lost you there for a few moments.”

“Are you done?” Goemon asked. He felt disoriented, though he figured that was probably normal. “Can we watch that movie now?”

Lupin laughed, looking relieved as he removed his gloves and placed the needle and thread he had on the coffee table. “Soon,” he said. “First, let me dress your wound and get you cleaned up. I’m assuming you want to pitch that kimono? I think it’s pretty much ruined at this point.”

Goemon looked down at himself, having forgotten about the bloodsoaked fabric hanging around his hips. He nodded, though he was a little hesitant to do so. There was a gaping hole where he’d been shot, and much of the fabric had turned a reddish-brown color due to the stain. “Yes. There should be more in my bag in our room.”

Lupin nodded. He looked at Jigen, who tipped his hat and pulled away to saunter to their bedroom. “What color?” He asked. Goemon shrugged.

“Does it matter?”

Jigen thrust his cigarette in his mouth, allowing it to hang loosely between his teeth. “I was just askin’,” he turned away from them, disappearing down a hallway to their left. He returned a moment later with a light pink kimono folded neatly between his hands.

“Don’t get ashes on it,” Goemon said. He allowed Lupin to lean him forward so he could tightly wrap gauze around his chest and shoulder. Jigen raised an eyebrow, the cigarette shifting from one side of his mouth to the other.

“I’m bein’ careful,” Jigen said. He stood beside Lupin with the kimono still in his hands, occasionally breathing puffs of smoke out through the corners of his mouth. “You can trust me.”

“I do,” Goemon said. “But I would prefer not to ruin another one of my kimonos today.”

“Nothing’s ruined, man. Don’t worry.”

Lupin finished his work quickly, untying Goemon’s obi and shrugging the ruined kimono from the folds of his hakama to be replaced. He took the other kimono from Jigen, and carefully helped Goemon into the new one.

“There we go,” Lupin said, smiling at his handiwork. He pat Goemon’s shoulder. “All better.”

“Thank you,” Goemon said. “I really appreciate how you’ve cared for me. Even despite my earlier… failure.”

Lupin looked disappointed. “Thought I already told ya? You haven’t failed at anything.”

“Still, I will strive to do better in the future.”

Lupin shook his head, offering an arm for Goemon to take. “There’s no need. You didn’t fail which means there’s nothing to correct. Just focus on getting better, alright, Gogo?”

Goemon smiled at him. “I’ll try my best,” he said. “ Now is it time for that movie?”

Lupin wrapped his arm around Goemon’s shoulders, nuzzling his nose against the samurai’s neck for a few moments. He ruffled his hair, and laughed freely for the first time since everything had happened.

“Of course,” he said. He held out his other arm for Jigen to join them, and they took steps together toward their bedroom in a group. “Let’s get you to bed.”

[castielscarma]

My a03 year in numbers

In 2021 I wrote 40 fics. Fandom: All but one of them were Sp.n /Destiel fics). The one being a WoT fic. Pairing: Dean/Cas was the majority with some Saileen. Kudos: I got 4009 kudos.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34334074/chapters/85430614 Top 5 by kudos were: 

5. Grace   4. Romantic love – or Jar*d putting the J in 'Junkless' since 2021 3. Blasphemy   2. Mother Superior   1. A box is a box is unorthodox  

I managed to write a BigBang, And this, this is peace and a fluff/kink hybrid : Flufftober Kinktober 2021 My total word count was 200k which is OK. My favorite of the ones I've written this year I think is Mother Superior, my Big Bang and Kenosis  (what can I say, I'm weak for priest!Cas). 

I just want to say a huge thank you to every single reader. Your comments, kudos and subs means so much <3 A huge burst of love to all of my (fandom) friends (you know who you are). Being in the spn fandom can be challenging but you make it all worthwhile with your love, encouragement, memes and support. 

Some extra love to the new friends I've made through the year. It's been amazing to get to know you and I can't wait to continue this journey with all of you. It's been a crazy year with Covid and everything else going on in my life but fandom has anchored me. While Supernatural  is fictional, Dean and Cas continue to make a very real impact in my life. I've made friends with some of the nicest, coolest (and the most dirty-minded; )) friends I know. I know what matters the most and it's the stories we tell ourselves.I know the story about you, is one filled with love, encouragement and friendship. Dean and Cas may be fictional but you know what's real? We are. <3 Wishing you all a great 2022 to come.

[dragons-bones]

FFXIV: Quantum Shenanigans

Or, Baby ‘Buncles Break Physics (and Mom)

A/N: IT’S DONE AND JUST IN TIME.

Rating: T Word Count: 4009 Warnings: Mild spoilers for 5.1 MSQ and the Chronicles of the New Era side story Sorrow of Werlyt Cross-posted to AO3

--

“This is an abomination,” Nero snarled, flipping from what little Synnove and Krile had managed to put together of the Arch Ultima to the ones on the ravaged Ruby Weapon on a tablet. He was sitting at a heavy iron table in one of the Ironworks’s myriad workshops, fidgeting back and forth in one of the wheeled chairs Biggs had welded together on a whim one day, the chair swaying half an ilm side to side. “Absolutely repulsive. Of course the VIIth is involved somehow, that legion has always been full of lunatics.”

He was already ducking out of the way of Synnove’s hand, making to smack him upside the head for the pun, but it left him open to Cid’s hard flick against his temple. Nero yelped at the sting and pointed accusatorily at the other Garlean, yelling, “Hypocrite!”

Dancing Heron, knitting a shawl in the corner of the lab, pointedly cleared her throat.

The trio of scientists glanced over at her and then back at the tablet, subsiding into mostly-good behavior—for the time being.

Nero poked at one of the diagrams on the screen with a ferocious scowl, pinching his fingers together and then flicking them wide to expand the tiny line of code to magnification by five. He held up the tablet, nose practically against the screen as he stared at the close up of part of the recovered code from the Ruby Weapon, his eyes squinting half closed and tracking back and forth as he processed it. “Ah,” he finally said after long moments, “there it is.”

Both Synnove and Cid leaned closer—Synnove over Nero’s left shoulder, Cid over the right—and Nero pulled his head back to give them room, pointing at a small section on the screen with his pinkie finger.

“With most the Weapon melted slag and what remains of the code a scrambled nightmare, it’s hard to tell precisely what swiving nonsense they’ve wrought with my schematics of the original Ultima Weapon, but that isn’t anything either the Allagans had or what I added,” said the former tribune, voice grim.

Cid drummed his fingers on the worktable as he stared at the glowing code. “That looks eerily similar to what we managed to recover of Aulus mal Asina’s unique brand of horror,” he said. “Reversed, of course, since it certainly doesn’t seem like the Ruby Weapon’s oversoul system was ever intended for the pilot to survive.”

“Well, in order to implant the memory of an individual, one has to extract it from somewhere,” drawled Synnove. “But it’s similar to the Ultima Weapon’s coding for absorbing primals, as well. So: did the VIIth manage to get their hands on mal Asina’s research; did they reverse engineer Nero’s notes; or did they come up with it independently? None of these options are particularly comforting.”

(Over in the corner, next to Heron, Tyr suddenly jerked awake from his doze, a small *hic!* escaping him at the same time as his eyes crossed. Heron paused in her knitting and peered down at him, raising her eyebrows.)

“Either way, the results are revolting,” Nero said with palpable disgust. “Forcibly downloading and uploading souls at a whim, who would condone such a thing?”

“You would!” Cid and Synnove snapped in unison.

“The Praetorium,” Synnove said, jabbing Nero in the kidney with her finger. He yelped and jammed his elbow into her stomach, or tried to, as Synnove was already dancing out of range as she continued: “I distinctly recall you waxing poetic about adding mine and my sisters’ power to the Ultima Weapon!”

(Tyr reared up from his loaf shape to sit on his hindlegs; Heron, leaning over him, jerked back in surprise. The topaz carbuncle stared down at his stomach and carefully poked it with one paw.

Poke. Poke poke poke. Pooooooooke.

A deeply perturbed little nya? escaped him as he did.)

Nero paused and set down the tablet, then pressed his forefinger against his lips as he searched his memory. “…So I did,” he said at last, grudgingly. “Not my finest moment, descending into full on megalomaniacal mad scientist stereotype.”

“That implies you ever rose from the state in the first place,” Cid muttered. And then wheezed out a curse while doubling over and clutching at his stomach; Nero had taken advantage of Cid’s momentary distraction to ram his bony elbow into the other Garlean’s abdomen.

A ball of shimmering copper wool-and-silk yarn bounced off the side of Nero’s head. Synnove cackled and plucked the ball out of the air, and, without looking, threw it back to Heron. Nero, meanwhile, grumbled wordlessly, but tucked his elbows in and folded his arms across his chest.

(As Heron dropped the yarn back into her bag of sundries, Tyr slowly lowered his front paws to the floor to properly sit, blinking slowly as he did. He looked up at Heron and let out a quiet, very bewildered maow.)

“I am ruthless, not cruel,” Nero growled. “The Ultima Weapon absorbs entities in whole, yes, and I cannot say what happens to those entities while they are held within Ultima. But this?” He gestured to the tablet. “This is—this is using people as little more than batteries, in the most disgusting, agonizing way possible, likely for no other reason that I can discern except that it was likely the easiest way to—to do whatever the sodding hells it is the Legion wants to do. For all the shite I give the pair of you about your standard of ethics, I do have standards, and this is still a gross perversion of science and an unconscionable lack of morality.”

Silence settled on the workshop. Synnove, Cid, and Heron all just looked at Nero with various shades of bemusement.

Nero shifted uneasily, flicking his gaze from Cid, to Synnove, to Heron, and back to Cid to repeat the cycle. Finally. “…What?”

“I’m impressed, Nero,” Cid said. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth and he leaned back against the workbench to look at Nero with shrewd blue eyes. “You’ve actually matured. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Bathe in ceruleum, Garlond.”

“Choke on a lug wrench, Scaeva.”

HI MOMMY!

Synnove shrieked and jumped a fulm in the air, clutching her chest. Nero shoved his chair back to get away from the flailing Highlander, so quickly he rolled over his own toes, and he made a garbled, choked off sound of wordless agony. Cid didn’t have time to get out of the way himself and ended up taking the backrest of the chair into his already abused stomach, knocking the wind from him with another wheeze. Heron did not drop her needles, despite also jumping, but only because a lifetime of friendship with Rereha had trained her otherwise. Tyr jumped to all four feet with a thud!, fur bristling as his gaze darted around the room for a possible threat.

All five gazes swung around to one of the other iron tables in the workshop, the one upon which Synnove had unceremoniously dropped her gear when she and Heron and Tyr had arrived.

Poking out of Synnove’s ubiquitous hip pouch, the flap still buckled shut so that their faintly iridescent heads were forced to stick out from opposite sides, ears twitching in delight and dark eyes huge with glee and utterly heedless of the minor chaos they had wrecked upon the workshop, were Amandina and Roksana.

“What in the—girls, where did you even come from?!” Synnove said, scurrying over to them. She undid the buckle and, now with room to move, the twins tumbled out of the bag with high-pitched giggles.

Hi Mommy hi Mommy hi Mommy hi Mommy hi Mommy, they chanted continuously, leaping into her arms and snuggling close, their six tails between wriggling frantically.

“Synnove,” Cid said, still breathless as he forced himself to stand upright with a wince, “I know you can be more than a little single-minded when you’re on a tear, but surely even you should have noticed two baby carbuncles that have stuffed themselves into one of your pouches.

“This is the one with the void storage metafold,” Synnove hissed, turning around. She was supporting the twins’ chests with her hands and the rest of their bodies along her forearms; Amandina was in her right hand, Roksana in the left. Amandina gently headbutted Synnove’s chin, while Roksana looked around the workshop excitedly.

Cid’s face went blank in the manner that usually preceded him asking a question he would wish he had not in fact asked at all once he had the answer: “…Void storage metafold?”

“Yes,” Synnove said primly, bouncing the twins in her arms. They giggled. “It’s based on the one Khebi built for Carby, though the structure’s internal area is only about three square fulms instead of…whatever nightmare area Carby’s is. All you have to do to make one is calculate the Cartesian coordinates in four dimensions rather than three, then fold the aether along the proper axes and—”

Cid’s eyes were becoming suspiciously glassy.

“—Nero, kick him.”

Nero, using his non-injured foot, immediately did so in Cid’s shin while wearing a gleefully malicious grin. Cid shouted.

“Such an example to set,” Heron said, deadpan.

“Girls?”

The carbunclets chittered together, When Mommy is being petty, we should use it as an example of poor behavior and not emulate it!

“Good girls!”

Amandina and Roksana cheered.

(Wish Mama would take her own advice, Tyr grumbled. Heron made a sympathetic noise and patted him on the head.)

“What the hells was that even for?” Cid said, leaning back up against the work table to pick up his leg and rub his injured shin.

“Your eyes glazed over as I went on a brief aetherology tangent!” Synnove bellowed. (The twins made oooooooo Uncle Cid’s in trouble~ noises.) “I will not have it! You might be an engineering protoyping savant, but your aetherology theory is shite! You have lived in Eorzea for fifteen bloody years, learn some!”

“Your grand idea for overcoming the first line of aetheric defenses of the Crystal Tower was to throw a bloody rock at it.”

“It has been four years, are you ever going to stop harping about that?”

“No!” Nero and Synnove snapped in unison.

“Tangent!” Heron bellowed.

Nero and Synnove grumbled but settled. Cid began the motion of a particularly rude gesture, stopped, and looked at the twins. The twins blinked at him curiously. Cid dropped his hand and crossed his arms with a scowl.

“In any event,” Synnove said, “I left the twins with Khebi and Rere to babysit—stop looking at me like that, you two, Halulu was supervising—and teleported to Revenant’s Toll directly from my office.”

Now she twisted her wrists to turn the carbunclets around to face herself, and Synnove’s expression morphed into exasperated affection as the babies beamed at her. “I waved to you!” she said to them. “You waved back! How did you two get here?!”

We missed you, Mommy! said Amandina.

So, we decided to come find you! said Roksana.

And we tunneled! the black pearl carbuncle peeped excitedly, puffing out her chest in pride.

Yeah! the white pearl carbuncle said, mirroring her sister.

Synnove’s expression melted into faint confusion. The workshop was quiet for a few moments as they all stared at the twins in various degrees of bafflement.

“…Tunneled?” said Synnove, at last.

Yeah! From Elder Cousin!

To your hip pouch!

Synnove’s face blanked. Nero went white, jaw sagging open. Cid’s eyes widened to practically the size of teacup saucers.

Heron and Tyr exchanged bewildered looks.

“Before I say anything else,” said Nero, voice faint as he turned to look at Heron, “is ‘Elder Cousin’ who I think it is?”

“If you mean A’khebica’s Carby,” Heron said slowly, “then yes.”

“Shite,” Nero hissed.

(The twins gasped and covered their mouths with their paws. Bad word!)

“Carby’s a good boy,” Synnove said automatically, the tone of someone who had made the argument before and likely would again. “He’s strange, but he’s a good boy.”

Cid looked at her incredulously. “Just last week you were screaming about having to rummage in his void storage again for your aether chalk and how he was gnawing on your shoulder in retaliation!”

“Carby is not a good boy, Carby is halfway between a constructor-kit outer entity and an unshackled artificial intelligence.”

“He’s not that bad.”

“Yes he is!” Cid and Nero snapped in unison.

“At least Carby understands ethics,” Heron muttered under her breath. Tyr snickered next to her. Then, louder, Heron said: “Tangent.”

“Fine,” Synnove hissed. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose slowly; she held the breath for a few heartbeats, then let it out for the same count. When she opened her eyes, she immediately focused on the girls blinking up at her. “You tunneled. From Carby’s void storage metafold to the one in my hip pouch.”

Yes! the girls said.

We got a bit mixed up at first, though, Roksana said, ears drooping.

Yeah, said Amandina. We almost ended up in Tyr instead.

Tyr boofed, flabbergasted, his ears pricked completely upright in shock. That was YOU?

Synnove twitched.

Often as they had traveled through Azys Lla, the quartet of Warriors of Light had come across Allagan nodes glitching, five thousand years of constant functionality having degraded their circuits and systems. One type of cascading error turned the nodes’ vocalizations into a mess of garbled static, the pitch changing mid-word from high and piercing to low and growling, or vice versa. Listening to them had frequently led to the group gritting their teeth as the sounds dug into their minds and scratched like broken orchestrions.

Heron, Nero, Cid, Tyr, and the twins watched the visual equivalent of that noise happen on Synnove’s face. And in the case of Nero and Cid, it was occurring on their own faces, too.

“How?” Synnove said eventually, voice tight with tension.

Amandina and Roksana looked at one another. Amandina flicked an ear, the movement briefly iridizing the black fur on the appendage into deep purple. Roksana shrugged her shoulders, her own white fur momentarily shifting blue and then back. They looked back up at their mama.

We…pushed?

“Pushed.”

Well, first we accessed Elder Cousin’s metafold! Amandina said.

(Nero made a strangled noise of utter horror. Cid slowly slid down the side of the worktable to sit on the floor, knees bent and staring into the middle distance.)

Then we had to orient ourselves, said Roksana. That took a little bit. Elder Cousin’s metafold is very big!

We found Auntie Rere, too, Amandina whispered conspiratorially. We were playing hide and seek earlier. Elder Cousin said he had helped her.

Synnove closed her eyes and bit down on her lip, a snorting snicker briefly escaping her before she regained her self-control. Heron didn’t even bother to maintain the illusion of dignity, merely threw back her head and laughed from deep in her belly; Tyr, meanwhile, simply laid down on the floor and sighed heavily, covering his head with his paws. Nero made another horrified noise. Cid just wheezed.

Elder Cousin helped us, too! He told us about [subspatial aetheric sympathy tension paths].

Synnove froze. Her golden bronze skin had developed a worrying grey cast to it. “Say that again,” she breathed.

Roksana blinked. What? [Subspatial aetheric sympathy tension paths]?

The method by which all of Synnove’s carbuncles communicated with the people they and their mama generally liked wasn’t actual speaking, not with vocal cords and aspirated sounds to form words. Instead, they matched their aetheric harmonics with those of the individuals around them, with the end result being that the combination of the sounds they made, the body language they used, and the intent they held were “translated” into something the Spoken mind translated as “speech.” Most people initially found it odd, but quickly adapted.

This, however, wasn’t that.

Whatever Roksana had tried to tell her mama had…blanked. The concept was too big, too alien, too what the absolute swiving fuck for a meat brain in three dimensions to comprehend without shutting down as a defensive tactic to preserve sanity. But the little carbunclet still spoke, and whatever it was she had said had been further translated into a strange and obvious two-toned overlay of something that wasn’t quite right, but close enough.

Very slowly, Synnove turned her head to look at Nero, practically frothing at the mouth and his hands curled into claws as he grasped at air, and Cid, now aggressively cuddling a wrench he had gotten from one of his pockets like it was a comfort object. Deliberately, with precise enunciation, the arcanist said, “Please tell me I am not the only one who is hearing that harmonic as an approximation and not whatever it is my child is actually saying.”

“I know what those words mean individually,” Cid said. His grip on his wrench was white-knuckled. “I may even know what those words mean together. I am not ready to accept that. And I am most assuredly not ready to know whatever it is they are actually attempting to convey.”

“Blargle,” Nero agreed.

Synnove looked back at the twins. “Continue,” she said. The corner of her left eye kept spasming.

Sooooooo, Amandina began, once we knew where to go and how to sense the other metafolds based on Elder Cousin’s metafold—

“They sensed it?!” Nero yelled, outrage finally returning his ability to use vocabulary. He pushed himself upright and staggered over to Synnove and the twins, raking his hands through his hair. “How in the hells are they able to sense similarly constructed aetheric metafolds when each one is a distinct pocket dimension?!” He suddenly leaned down so he was nose to nose with the twins, frowning severely and blue eyes glimmering with suspicion. In a quieter, but no less manic tone of voice: “How in the hells are you able to sense similarly constructed aetheric metafolds when each one is a distinct pocket dimension?”

Dunno, Uncle Nero, Amandina chirped, wiggling her ears, her fur iridizing back and forth between black and purple once more.

Just can! said Roksana. She reached out and very carefully booped his nose.

Nero’s eyes crossed, staring at the white pearl carbunclet’s paw. He drew back with a huff—but booped her nose in turn, and then Amandina’s. The twins peeped happily.

“And then you pushed,” Cid said from his place on the floor.

Yeah!

It was easy!

It tickled!

And then we were here!

Synnove gazed sightlessly at the far wall, green eyes huge and unblinking. She untwisted her wrists and tucked the girls up against her chest, where they snuggled close. “My babies had a conversation about aetherospatial metaphysics with Carby,” she said in disbelief. “While they were inside his metafold.”

“Before they broke the laws of everything we know about physics and aetherophysics and quantum mechanics and traveled through space-time because they missed you,” Cid helpfully added.

“Congratulations,” Nero said icily. “You have mothered two more constructor-kit outer entities. If the fabric of reality unravels any time soon, I am blaming you.”

Yaaaaaaaaaaay! the twins cheered. The air popped and a bright light flashed between them, and suddenly aetheric confetti in a rainbow of pearlescent hues floated through the air, the pieces dissipating as they landed.

Synnove dropped her gaze to her youngest carbuncles, amused exasperation briefly flitting across her features once more. Nero and Cid also looked at the carbunclets, though without the amusement on their parts. Then the three scientists looked at one another.

And, finally, the hysterical yelling commenced.

--

Heron let them go at it for a while, finishing up her shawl and casting on a new one with the pretty copper wool-and-silk she had earlier thrown at Nero. After nearly a full bell of non-stop shouting, Biggs and Wedge arrived to investigate, and were dragged into the hysteria once they parsed through the trio talking over one another.

She did not even pretend to understand anything. There was quite a bit about aetherophysics and aetherology that she had picked up simply from knowing Synnove for so many years, but this was far beyond her ken. A few phrases stood out of the verbal melee (“quantum tunneling,” “Keltgeim’s absolutely ludicrous fringe theory about particles,” “aetheric entanglement”), but otherwise it was all Allagan to her.

At the two bell mark, however, with no sign of any of them slowing down, the Hellsguard decided it was time to call in reinforcements.

“Go get Jessie, please,” Heron quietly said to Tyr, “and tell her to bring the hose.”

Tyr boofed, amused. Yes, Aunt Heron! He stood and trotted for the workshop door, disappearing around it with a flick of his tails. The twins waved after him.

Heron eyed the group of frantically yelling nerds and reached up to her linkpearl cuff. She tapped a specific ‘pearl and leaned back in her chair as she waited for the other end to pick up.

A soft click echoed in her ear, and a familiar warm tenor came over the line. “Good afternoon, Heron,” said Aymeric. “What trouble has Synnove gotten into now?”

She probably should start calling her baby sister’s beau for reasons other than ‘come pick her up,’ but today was not that day. “She’s involved in a five-way discussion here at the Ironworks about theoretical physics that may not in fact be as theoretical as previously thought,” she said. “Please come pick her up.”

“Quite a lively discussion, then, as I can hear it,” the Lord Commander said drily. “On a scale of, created a more efficient theorem, to, about to write an “in response to” article rebutting a Thavnairian mathematician, just how manic is she?”

Heron hummed thoughtfully and turned to look over at the yelling scientists. Synnove was alternating with keeping Amandina and Roksana tucked close to her chest and gesticulating wildly with her hands with the twins still in her grasp, the babies going wheeeeeeee! every time with the later. Nero was pulling at his hair and so wild-eyed that she was becoming mildly concerned his eyes would actually pop from his head; her Echo was softly pinging in the way that meant Nero had lost his grasp on Eorzean Common somewhere in his tirade and had slid back into Garlean. Cid had his face in his hands, only raising his head to shout something in incomprehensible technobabble before dropping it back into his palms. Biggs and Wedge weren’t even coherent, with Wedge’s hands flailing so hard they were blurring.

But they all, each and every one but very especially Synnove, had a spark in their eyes that she well knew was going to mean trouble for someone in the near future. Hopefully just Jessie and Thubyrgeim.

“Once she’s calmed down?” Heron said into the linkpearl. “She’ll be at, rewriting the laws of reality.”

Something clattered on the other end of the line—a teacup, more than likely—and Aymeric swore softly, then sighed heavily. “Give me half a bell and I’ll be there to take her home.”

“Thank you,” said Heron cheerfully. “See you soon! Oh, and bring a towel.”

“Ah, hells. At least you warned me this time.” The ‘pearl line closed with a click.

And that was when Jessie entered the workshop, a firehouse braced at her hip. She waved to Heron, and the Hellsguard grabbed her knitting sundries bag and loped for the door.

The twins looked over, pricking their ears, then exchanged a glance. They nodded, and proceeded to wiggle free of Synnove, who was so deep in argument that she didn’t notice her hands emptying. Amandina landed lightly on her feet, but Roksana hit the floor with a soft plop! Her sister grabbed her scruff in her teeth and helped yank Roksana upright, and then the pair were scrambling for the safety of Heron, who scooped them up outside the shop door and dropped the carbunclets into her yarn bag.

With no collateral to worry about, Jessie turned on the hose.