#also i know she's not in sunglasses but humor me for like 5 minutes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

randomshyperson · 4 years ago

Text

Sorry for your loss - Final Chapter

Summary: When your wife Natasha passes away in a car accident, a part of you dies with her. It takes a few months of mourning for your psychiatrist thinks the best alternative is for you to join a grief group. And there you meet Wanda Maximoff, and learn to live again.

Warnings: (+16) mentions of death, panic attacks and anxiety, grief, self sabotage, mentions of abusive family background, mutual attraction pining, explicit consent, therapeutic conversations about death, self-deprecation, healthy methods of coping with grief, possible triggers about anxiety, domestic Wanda, hurtful behaviors.

Chapter Warnings: Mention of Smut, Brief Smut.

Tag list: @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @justagaypanicking / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @myperfectlovepoem // @imapotatao // @aimezvousbrahms / @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia // @myperfectlovepoem

Author’s note: I don't know what to say exactly, just good reading, and sorry for any spelling/translation errors. I hope you enjoy the ending, and who knows, maybe a second season?

Read on AO3 || Serie Masterlist here

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chapter Five - I will love again

You were up early on the weekend.

Since you were going to travel to New Jersey for Wanda's father's wedding anniversary, you didn't want to keep her waiting.

When you arrived at Wanda's house, she was already on her feet, running back and forth through the house, trying to find Tommy's lost toy, who kept crying that he wouldn't travel without it.

"Make yourself at home, I just need to find that bear." She said to you as she opened the door. You placed your only luggage on the floor as you looked around. Billy was watching television, and Tommy was sitting on the kitchen counter, crying.

You walked over to him.

"Hey, Tommy, why are you crying?" You asked stopping beside him, keeping your voice calm so as not to make him more nervous.

"I want my teddy bear!" He cried out between tears.

"Mommy will find it for you." You reply. "What is the name of your teddy bear?"

"Star Lord." Sniffles the boy. Your distraction is working, because he stops crying to talk.

"Wow, that's an incredible name!" You say. "How did you get the Star Lord?"

Tommy sniffles again, wiping his tears with his forearm.

"I got it for my birthday." He counters. "Billy got a skateboard, but Star Lord is cooler."

"Is that so?" You retort with interest in your voice, realizing that Tommy was barefoot and his socks were on the countertop, you show him that you are interested in hearing him talk as you help him finish getting dressed for the trip.

"Yes, it came in a huge, red box." Tommy counted with a smile as he gestured at the size of the object. "And he sleeps with me every night, so I need him to go to Grandpa's house."

"Oh, yes, of course you do." You agree with a smile as you tie the boy's shoelaces. "Do you remember the last place you played with Star Lord?"

Tommy sniffles thoughtfully.

"I don't know." He replies tearfully, you rush to ask about his favorite memory with the bear to avoid him to cry again, and it works.

When you finish tying the child's shoes, you pick him up on your lap as he tells you about the day he took Star Lord swimming, and then you sit him down in the living room next to his brother, and he is distracted enough by the cartoon on the TV to forget about the teddy bear.

Wanda joins you in the living room a minute later, looking nervous and with her hands empty.

"Hey, I think I have an idea." You tell her as you mentally review the things Tommy said. "Finish getting them to the car, I'll go find the bear."

You found it.

Ten minutes after you left the room, inside the pool.

Wanda couldn't hold back her laughter when you arrived in front of the car with your wet clothes up to pool height.

"Your idea was to get into the pool instead of using the cleaner to reach the bear?" She teased as soon as you handed her the toy. You laughed awkwardly, watching her give the bear to Tommy and seeing the boy celebrate excitedly. "You're not getting in my car wet like that."

You laugh, and then you have an idea. Approaching Wanda with open arms, you see her raise her finger in warning, but you are already hugging her with wet clothes, making her laugh.

The joke only ends because Pietro is parking the car in front of the house next, looking at you both curiously.

"Should I let dad know we're going to be late?" He teases putting his sunglasses up. You let go of Wanda as both of your giggles slowly stop, the two of you looking like children who have been caught up to mischief. "Come on girls, we have a road ahead of us."

"Shut up Pietro." Wanda grumbled humorously, starting to push you into the house by the shoulders. "Watch the boys while we get changed."

"Yes, ma'am." He retorted wryly as he took off his seat belt and got out of the car. You let Wanda push you inside.

Upstairs, you had smiles on your faces as she searched for clothes that would fit you.

"Are you sure it isn't better if I grab something I brought in my suitcase?" You ask distractedly as Wanda rummages through the closets.

"I don't want you to be one change of clothes short, I don't know what we'll end up doing over there." Wanda retorted. "And don't worry about it."

Wanda eventually handed you a set of very soft sweatshirts and underwear. You smiled in appreciation, looking away from the clothes in your hand to the woman in front of you.

As you turned toward the bathroom, Wanda spoke.

"You can stay."

Swallowing dryly, and ignoring the unregulated beating of your heart you turned to her again, one eyebrow raised not sure you had understood correctly.

Wanda sighed heavily, as if she was gathering the courage to say it again. But her gaze said it all. She was inviting you to change in front of her.

You felt your face heat up, but you gulped dryly, forcing yourself to reason correctly.

"I... I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Wanda retorted in defiance, and you let out a breathless laugh. She seemed to misunderstand your reaction, because her expression immediately fell. "Oh, you don't want to. Damn it, I..."

"What?" you interrupted quickly. "No, Wanda. I want to." You confess half breathlessly. "I really do."

"Oh."

You shift your weight between your feet, feeling your stomach turn with the way Wanda looks at you.

"But not like this." You say, swallowing dryly to confess correctly. You approach Wanda slowly as you speak. "Not in a hurry." Wanda breathes heavily, leaning back against the cabinet. You stop walking just inches from her body. "I want to be with you, with enough time to kiss every inch of your skin.” You confess again her lips. “Touch every spot that will make you lose control and scream my name."

"Fuck." Wanda gasped against your mouth, almost near enough to touch while closing her eyes.

Ignoring the tightening sensation at the tip of your stomach, you fought your baser instincts and pulled away, sighing.

"Let's hurry before your brother comes to get us."

You smiled at Wanda, ignoring the urge to kiss her. She just nodded, trying to normalize her breathing. You took advantage of her lack of reaction to turn around and walk towards the bathroom. You had better get out of there soon, because you feel that you couldn't resist that woman again.

//-//

Tommy and Billy were singing in the back seat as you drove to New Jersey. You laughed at the scene, thinking they were adorable.

Your gaze was watchful on the road, following Pietro's car to his father's house.

When Wanda began to murmur the song, you looked at her for a moment. Absolutely stunning, with her red hair flying in the wind, the smile in the corner on her lips. The sunlight making her eyes sparkle.

Turning your attention forward because Wanda caught you looking, you bit back a smile, feeling your heart race a little. But neither of you commented, and you didn't care that Wanda was looking at you now.

//-//

When you arrived, you whistled impressed at Erik's residence. It was practically a mansion, but really it was just a very well built summer house. The neighborhood was very nice too. Wanda smiled playfully at you when she noticed your reaction.

The boys ran out of the car, excited to hug their grandfather who was already waiting for them at the door. They also hugged Charles, who was a short, balding man, very friendly.

"Grandpa, can we go ride the horses?" Tommy asked excitedly, and the man laughed lightly.

"Go wash your hands and get something to eat first okay, boy?" Erik said to the boy, ruffling his hair.

The child agreed, entering the house along with his brother and his cousin, who had gotten out of the cars shortly after.

You were unpacking the bags from the car after parking and felt your breath catch when Wanda picked up one of the bags and caressed your hand with her fingers as you handed it to her. She smiled innocently, passing you to walk toward the door, and you cleared your throat before closing the trunk and following her.

"You must be Y/N." Erik greeted you as soon as you came to the door. "It's very nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Erik." You replied with a smile. "And you too, Charles."

The man smiled, giving you room to pass him and enter the house. Wanda was standing in the living room next to Pietro and Monica, who had their suitcases on the floor.

"Papa, which rooms are empty?" She asked the man who had entered behind you.

"You can occupy any one upstairs." Erik warned closing the door as he and Charles entered.

You accompanied the group upstairs. Wanda placed the boys' backpacks in one of the bunk rooms, since the children always slept together.

"You can have the room down the hall." She said, showing you the direction. "Next to mine."

She whispered the last part like a secret. You wanted to ignore how your stomach churned at the suggestion. Pietro and Monica passed you both, the man gave you a playful look, but made no comment. They would be in the room across from yours and next to the children's.

You guessed that the other door at the other end of the hall belonged to Erik and Charles

After putting your suitcase on the bed, you left the room. Pietro opened the door at the same moment.

"Come on, Y/N, I'm going to give you a full tour of the Maximoff residence." He announced excitedly and you giggled, following him around the house.

//-//

The Maximoff residence was much larger than you thought it was. There were even stables and a large wooded area that was part of the place, but Pietro didn't take you there, he just pointed you in the direction. You eventually discovered that the place used to be a simple farm, inherited from Pietro and Wanda's paternal grandparents, and when Erik married Charles, they renovated the place with money from the Xavier family, who were British and had a fortune built up in the vineyard area.

Pietro led you back to the kitchen when he finished showing you the property, patting you on the shoulder as he sat down on the kitchen counter, grabbing the jar of candy on the counter.

"The guests will be here soon, Pietro, get down from there." Warned Erik noticing his son's position. He was in the kitchen too, finishing sorting out some of the appetizers. During the tour, you noticed the decorations set up in the gardens, some tables and chairs and party decorations.

"Yes, papa." Grumbled Pietro as he obeyed. He reached over to accept the tray of food his father handed him.

"Take that outside please." Erik asked and you moved to get out of the way of Pietro, who gave you a wry smile as he passed, making you laugh slightly.

"Can I help too?" You asked noticing that there were still things to be carried.

"Thank you, dear, you are very kind." Erik said as he handed you one of the trays. You nodded and then turned around.

The garden was really nicely decorated, you noticed now that you were up close, placing your tray on one of the tables. There was also a small stage, which you imagined was meant for Erik and Charles to repeat their wedding vows. You smiled, remembering how your marriage to Natasha had gone. It was just nostalgic to think of her now, and it didn't make you unhappy anymore.

"I think you're all set now." Erik said behind you, arriving with a tray and placing it on the table next to yours. Pietro who had left earlier, was stealing one of the candies and received a disapproving look from his father. "Really, boy?"

Pietro laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

"I'm hungry, papa." He playfully retorted and you laughed at the interaction.

"Go help the ladies with the kids." Erik commands with a grimace, and Pietro laughs as he walks away. When he leaves, you feel slightly anxious about being alone with Wanda's father, but his posture is friendly. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you properly, Y/N. Would you like to take a walk with me before the party?"

You ignore the nervous feeling in your stomach when you agree. And Erik takes one last look at the decorations before leading the way.

//-//

A few minutes of walking later, where Erik asked you several questions about your life, your job, your age, who you lived with, that sort of thing, you reached a plantation area. You imagined it to be the vineyards of the property.

You could see the manor house in the distance, and the backyards, and a lake many meters away. The landscape was breathtaking.

"It's beautiful here." You comment beside him.

"Yes." Erik agrees with a smile, also looking at the scenery as you do. "I enjoyed your conversation, you are as lovely as Wanda usually tells us."

The comment makes your cheeks warm, the image of Wanda talking about you makes your heart soar. Erik seems to appreciate the way you react to it, smiling gently as he adds, "It's nice to know she's found someone nice to love."

You swallow dryly, glancing quickly at the man next to you, but he has his gaze on the landscape. You feel a warmth in your chest, mixed with embarrassment and happiness.

"Thank you, Erik." You say clumsily.

"For what?"

"For accepting me here I guess." You retort with a smile. "For having me into your home. And well, for saying those things about me and Wanda." You say and he makes an understanding noise through his mouth. You are silent for a moment, until he speaks again.

"You know, when Magda, their mother, passed away, I thought I would never love anyone again.." Erik tells nostalgically. He keeps looking at the field in front of you, but you stare at him, attentive to his words. "But then I met Charles. And well, it did. It's different from what it was before. And I wouldn't change it for anything."

You nodded in understanding, letting the words echo in your head. You also think about how Agatha said you could move on. There was no problem in loving again, as intensely as before.

"I figured I'd be uncomfortable talking about someone marrying my daughter, but here we are." Erik comments humorously a moment later, making you chuckle awkwardly. "I guess it must be the way you look at her. You look like a lovesick puppy. "

You scratch your neck awkwardly, looking at the scenery, making Erik laugh at your blurriness.

"Don't get upset, I'm just teasing you." He comments with a smile, patting you on the back. You laugh clumsily.

"Do you guys have a garden around here?" You ask trying to change the subject, just as you notice the glass structures in the distance, capped by the vineyard. You figured if you turned around you would find your way to them.

"Oh, yes." Erik confirms. "Charles loves gardening. We have two greenhouses over that way. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes." You confirm with a smile. "But it can be after the party."

"Oh yes, I should get back and welcome the guests." Erik agrees as he checks his watch. You start walking back to the area of the house next.

//-//

You meet a lot of people at the party. It's a little overwhelming, because you really didn't expect Erik to invite so many people, and although you're glad that they had so many friends, your anxiety has increased a little. You were smiling politely at two ladies who said they were Charles' college friends while trying to pay attention to the story they were telling when Pietro rescued you.

"I need to steal my sister-in-law for a second ladies." He said and you widened your eyes. He only realized the mistake of his words when he noticed the looks on the women's faces in front of him. " Shit, I don’t mean like she got married to Wanda... I..."

You snuck out from behind Pietro when the ladies started attacking him with questions about the wedding, and when the ceremony had taken place and why the family wasn't called. You took the opportunity to escape when Pietro was convincing the ladies that you were not Wanda's wife, and that there was no secret wedding.

Walking over to one of the far tables, you frown in disbelief as you watch Luna run under the food table, clearly looking for a place to hide from her cousin, who is looking around a few feet away.

You crouch down, pulling the towel up to speak to the child.

"Luna, honey, maybe that's not the best place to play." You tell her with a smile. She looks around.

"Sorry, Aunt Y/N." She asks. "I'm hiding from Billy."

"Oh, is that so?" You ask extending your hand to her. She accepts, and you help her stand, taking care that she doesn't hit her head on the table. "Do you remember the path we took when we first got here? Try to hide behind that tall statue, I'm sure Billy won't find you."

"Wow, that's right, Auntie. Thank you." She mumbles, leaving with her head down next, watching for any sign of her cousin. You smiled, knowing that everyone at the party would get a glimpse of the children playing if she stood where you spoke.

You noticed that the two women who were talking to Pietro looked at you, and not wanting to be dragged back into that conversation, you made your way back to the house.

Bumping into Wanda on the way, you giggled.

"There you are." You remark.

"Where were you?" Wanda retorts with a mixture of curiosity and humor, noticing your "escape mode" posture.

"Well, apparently all of your father's friends like to meet everyone, so I've spent the last thirty minutes being introduced to everyone at the party."

Wanda gave a pout of pity.

"Sorry, dear." She says and you smile awkwardly, feeling your cheeks flush. "I'm looking for the boys, they need to change for the suits."

"I saw Billy in the gardens." You tell her as you gesture briefly in the direction. "I'll go find Tommy for you."

Wanda smiles, biting her lips. You nod but when you make mention of moving away, she holds your forearm and moves forward, depositing a kiss on your cheek.

"Thank you, sweetheart." She whispered, smiling mischievously at you before she turned away and left the kitchen. You bit your lip, feeling your heart racing. You didn't understand why Wanda was teasing you, but you weren't complaining.

//-//

Non Readers Pov

Wanda laughed affectionately when Billy launched himself onto her lap as soon as she found him in the backyard.

"Luna, dear, your mother is calling you too." Warned the red-haired woman to her niece who nodded turning toward the direction her aunt pointed.

"Mommy can I play after I change my clothes?" Asked the boy as the woman carried him back to the house.

"Of course honey, but you have to be careful, okay? You can't get your suit dirty."

Just before she reached the entrance, someone called her name, causing Wanda to turn her head curiously.

"Sweetie, I need to ask you something." It was Ruth Eisenhardt, a nasty distant cousin of Wanda's known for gossiping, and lots of it, about all her relatives. "I just heard from Aunt Susan that you are dating that pretty girl you brought over."

Wanda felt her face heat up, but kept her expression impassive. Before she could add anything else, the woman was speaking again.

"Of course we are all happy for you, but when I went to share the good news with Uncle Jeff, he said that Pietro had already denied this affair. Now I'm left not knowing if you're really going out with that beefcake."

Wanda let out an awkward giggle, frowning slightly at the way her cousin spoke.

"We're not exactly together, cousin." The redhead replied. "But that's not really your business."

Ruth grimaced in surprise, but then her expression changed to one of malice.

"You know, I'm just confirming it. Because after all, we don't have pretty things like that lying around in New Jersey."

Wanda clenched her jaw. Ruth was exactly the kind of girl who had a mania for taking what didn't belong to her.

"Cousin, don't flirt with her." Wanda said. "I'll only warn you this once."

Ruth giggled, surprised at the reaction. But Wanda didn't continue the subject, turning and continuing toward the entrance of the house.

"Mom what's flirt?" Billy asked next, drawing Wanda's attention away from her own not-so-pleasant thoughts about someone taking what was hers.

"It's a way adults talk, honey." Wanda explained, biting her lips thoughtfully briefly. "When they want to be more than friends."

"Like best friends?"

Wanda laughs briefly, denying it.

"No, Billy. Like lovers."

Billy makes a noise of agreement. "Why can't Aunt Ruth flirt with Aunt Y/N?"

Wanda sighs lightly, forcing a friendly expression so as not to confuse her son.

"She can."

"But you told her..."

"I know." Wanda interrupts with red cheeks. She takes a deep breath, smiling at her son. "Can I ask you something sweetie?" Billy nods in agreement. "If mommy started dating someone, would you be upset?"

Billy frowns, denying it.

"Mommy, you want to date Aunt Y/N don't you?"

Wanda's eyes widen in surprise.

"Where did that one come from?" she asked.

"You didn't like it when Aunt Ruth flirted with Daddy either, I remember Aunt Monica's birthday." He tells, and Wanda sighs slightly, remembering when she caught Ruth complimenting her husband as she ran her hands through her hair, and Wanda might have gotten a little carried away by accidentally flipping a wine glass in her cousin's lap. On the way home, when the twins asked, she said that she was upset with the way Ruth spoke to their father, and now Billy was able to understand everything. "And now you don't want Aunt Ruth to talk to Aunt Y/N like that." He concluded as if it was obvious. Wanda smiled as she went upstairs, careful not to trip on the steps with Billy on her lap. "Mommy, if you date Aunt Y/N will she move in with us?"

"I don't know dear." Wanda replied with a shy smile.

"If she lives with us, will you let her sleep in my room?"

Wanda laughed, looking at Billy curiously.

"And why is that?"

"Because she knows how to play dragon. And also tell fairy tales." He says counting on his fingers. "And she also helps Tommy with his headache, so she can sleep on our rug and when he wakes up at night, she helps him."

Wanda smiles fondly, shaking her head slightly.

"Those are very good reasons indeed." She says. "But I think Y/N would like to sleep in a bed, no? The floor is uncomfortable."

Billy looks thoughtful and Wanda laughs briefly as she sets him down on the floor, already inside his room. She helps him out of his clothes to put on his party suit that is already on the bed.

"I can sleep in your bed mommy, and then Aunt Y/N sleeps in mine next to Tommy so he won't be alone."

Wanda laughs again, denying with her head. She bends down to button her son's shirt.

"Tell you what. Y/N sleeps in my bed, and if Tommy feels bad, she goes up to his room, how's that sound?"

//-//

Reader pov

"I think it sounds amazing." You spoke as you entered the room, a mischievous smile on your lips. Wanda startled slightly, surprised that you arrived at that moment, but she smiled shyly as she looked at you before turning her attention back to her son.

"Yay, mommy!" Billy spoke excitedly. Wanda sat him down on the bed again, helping him put on his shoes. You guided Tommy gently by the shoulders to the bed, and as soon as he had a look at the suit he began to undress.

"I didn't know you were going to live with us, Aunt Y/N." Tommy comments as he removes his sneakers.

"I didn't know either." You retort, biting back a smile at the sight of Wanda's reddening cheeks. "I guess your mother forgot to invite me."

Wanda mumbles at you to shut up, making you smile.

"Mommy, you have to let Aunt Y/N know that she is going to live with us now." Billy said making you cross your arms, and turn to Wanda, joining in on the joke.

"Yes, Wanda! You need to let me know about these things." You say with false seriousness, and Wanda rolls her eyes in amusement, finishing putting on Billy's shoes and getting up to face you.

"Y/n, honey, you're going to move in with me when we get back home, okay?" Wanda asks in the same tone. You bite back a smile, ignoring how your heartbeat has quickened. You can't help but look at Wanda adoringly however, and her expression goes from playful to shy in microseconds.

"Okay, Wands. I'll love living with you." You say to her next, sounding slightly affected. The twins let out an exclamation of excitement, and break the bubble you are in. You clear your throat slightly as you turn your attention back to them, looking away from Wanda.

"Wow, you guys look great." You comment as you see the boys properly dressed next. The suits are very nice indeed.

"You can go back to the party, but be careful not to get your suits dirty. No playing in the dirt!" Wanda warns the boys, who are already running excitedly outside.

"Okay, I'll go get ready too." You say next, thinking to check your cell phone as well, since you haven't turned it on since you left New York. "See you at the party?"

Wanda nods in agreement and you turn to leave.

At the door she stops you, pulling you by the forearm lightly and raising her hand to your neck, then bringing your lips together.

You both sigh and you feel your whole body tense up and heat up all at once. Wanda pulls away in the next moment, breathing as out of rhythm as you do.

You want to ask her why she did this now, but you think the question can wait until later, because she brings your lips together again, in a kiss far less innocent than before. Wanda closes the door with one hand, and with the other she pushes you against the wood.

You gasp, letting your tongue run across her lip, and she gives you passage.

Her taste intoxicates your senses quickly, your hands moving up to her waist as hers move to your hair, deepening the kiss. You both gasp for air against each other's mouths, unable to separate.

Panting, you feel your head spin as Wanda moves her tongue against yours, slow and sensual, and you can't help but squeeze her waist tightly, enjoying the feeling of her sighing against your lips.

You switch positions next moment, pressing Wanda against the wood of the door, your knee coming up between her legs.

"Oh." Wanda moans breathlessly breaking the kiss. You move your kisses down her jaw to her neck, sucking on the skin and releasing just before marking. Your fingers play with the hem of her blouse, and Wanda brings your head up, kissing you again.

You press your body against her, wanting her to be touching you everywhere. The sensation makes you breathless, and hot in all the right places, causing you to moan.

You think you could kiss Wanda forever if she'd let you. The feeling of having her in your mouth is the best you have ever felt.

There are noises of footsteps coming from the stairs, and you both sigh when you hear them. It's Monica coming up with Luna, who is chatting animatedly. It's just what you need to snap back to reality, and slow down the kiss.

You keep your foreheads together, and your hands around Wanda until the sound becomes distant, signaling that Monica has entered their bedroom with Luna.

You let out a giggle, and Wanda follows you. You look just like two teenage girls making out in secret. When you stop laughing, you kiss her again. Calmer this time. Before you let go, she bites your lip, tugging lightly, and making you gasp before letting go.

"Come on, go change." She commands, pushing you lightly. You smile because she keeps her grip against your blouse as she tells you to leave.

"It is you who are keeping me here, Maximoff." You tease with a smile. Wanda smiles too, and steals a kiss from you before letting go. You stumble backwards out of the room, grinning like an idiot, but you don't care, because Wanda looks at you just the same.

//-//

Wanda looked stunning in her party dress. You wanted to kiss her again, but you knew that if you did you would smear her lipstick, and she would have a lot of inconvenient questions ahead of her. So you just smiled, and breathlessly confessed how beautiful she looked, enjoying her flushed cheeks.

By the time you joined the party, the guests were arranging themselves at the correct places, and you joined a conversation circle with Wanda at your side, greeting a few more people.

As the sun set, Erik and Charles signaled that the ceremony was about to begin.

//-//

It was all very beautiful.

Maybe you cried between one confession and another, but everyone was emotional, so no one really cared.

Your cell phone had lots of pictures on it when you came back to the house, after saying goodbye to the guests who left when the party was over. You were holding Tommy by the hand, while Billy went with his mother, and the boys looked very tired.

"Let's go to bed, okay?" Wanda warned the kids as they followed her upstairs.

Erik wanted to open a bottle of wine, so after the kids were in bed, all the adults were outside on the balcony. Wanda sat very close to you, and you resisted the urge to put your arm around her.

"I guess I'll never get used to parties." Erik then comments, smiling nostalgically, making the group smile.

"I hope you're looking forward to the twenty-year anniversary one, papa." Pietro humorously retorts, and Erik laughs, looking at his husband tenderly.

"I look forward to it."

You smiled at the passionate way the couple looked at each other. You wondered what it must be like to stay married for so long.

"I know we are all tired, but I had something to tell you." Erik then says, exchanging a look with Charles before continuing. "It's about the farm."

"What about the farm?" Pietro asked curiously.

"It 's yours."

Pietro frowns in confusion, looking at Wanda, who has the same look on her face.

"Papa, what?" Wanda asks, and Erik lets out a short laugh.

"You know I've always wanted to remodel this place, ever since you were kids." He recounts. "And Charles and I finally did it. But now we're old. And you two have your whole lives ahead of you, and well, you are our family. So Charles and I agreed that the house should belong to you both."

Wanda and Pietro exchange incredulous laughter.

"Papa, what? Are you sure?" Wanda asks looking from her brother to her father and stepfather. The older men just smile and the next moment they are hugging their children. You and Monica exchange looks of amusement.

"So, does this mean we're moving?" Monica comments once everyone is seated, and elicits a giggle from the group.

"Let's save all this serious talk for tomorrow, shall we?" Erik asks with a smile. "Today, let's just enjoy the stars."

"Someone is feeling romantic." Charles jokes making the group laugh.

"Papa, tell us some of your stories." Pietro asked with a smile, and Erik sighed, taking on a thoughtful expression.

"Um, let's see." He begins. "Have I ever told you about what happened in Budapest...?"

//-//

It was quite late when you and Wanda were finally alone, after Charles and Erik came in, you stayed talking to Pietro and Monica for a few more minutes, until they walked in as well.

You smiled at Wanda as she leaned back in her armchair to face you cross-legged, and you mimicked her position.

"Hey." She called out to you with a smile.

"Hey."

"Did you enjoy the party?"

"Yes." You assured her tenderly. "It was pretty good actually."

Wanda nodded slightly, her gaze falling momentarily to your lips.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want, Wanda." You retort, making her smile.

The redhead looks intently at you.

"Did you mean it?" She asks and you blink in confusion. "About moving in with me."

You feel your cheeks heat up, but you smile.

"You're not even going to ask me out first, eh?"

Wanda laughed, looking away with flushed cheeks. You swallowed dryly, lifting your hand to turn her face toward you again, stroking her cheek lightly. God, Wanda was beautiful. Her bright green eyes looking back at you, the way her hair fell around her face, every part of her.

"Don't you think we're happening too fast?" Wanda asks insecurely, you don't put your hand down, enjoying the feeling of her skin.

"It depends." You answer letting your gaze wander to her, your free hand searching for hers in your lap, twining your fingers together.

"On what?"

"If you care about me..." You whisper as you bring your faces closer together, stopping when your lips are almost touching, and you and Wanda both close your eyes in anticipation. " As much as I care about you."

You kiss Wanda before she responds. Sweetly and softly. The sensation makes you smile against her lips, and you ignore the urge to deepen the kiss to pull away.

"Is that your way of saying you're in love with me?" Wanda teases half breathlessly a minute later, her tone playful and confident, but her rosy cheeks give away how affected she is. You think she's irresistible.

You laugh lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face before looking into her eyes.

"I'm in love with you." You confess simply, watching her blink in surprise and amazement. "So, you still think it's too fast?"

Wanda smiles, denying it, and then approaches you.

"I'm in love with you too" She confesses as a secret against your lips. You feel your stomach rumble with nervousness and excitement, but you don't say anything else, because Wanda kisses you again. She asks for passage with her tongue a second later, making you sigh.

You hold your mouths together in a passionate kiss for long minutes, panting against each other' lips as Wanda moves to sit on your lap with her hands on your neck while your hands move up to her waist. You feel hot and bothered, squeezing her skin as if you want to merge with it. It is only when your kisses begin to move down to her collarbone that Wanda gasps saying that you two should go upstairs.

She moves off your lap, breaking the kiss, and you bite your lips, chasing her mouth again. Standing up, Wanda slides her tongue against yours one last time, making your head spin, before she pulls away, smiling at you as she pulls you by the hand into the house.

She signals with her finger for you to be quiet as you enter, and you swallow dryly as you observe the way her eyes are dark.

Getting to your room seems to take forever, especially since you can barely breathe, but finally you arrive.

Wanda locks the door after you enter. And then the atmosphere changes, because you both know what is about to happen.

She smiles shyly at you and you hold out your hand to her, leading her to sit on the bed beside you.

You exchange a glance before you sigh softly, slowly moving closer to her face. When you kiss her, much more tenderly and gently than any other time, Wanda melts.

She raises her hands to your neck, deepening the kiss as she falls onto the bed and takes you with her. You kiss her firmly, swirling your tongue around hers slowly, making her shiver.

There is no rush in what you are about to do, and you certainly want to enjoy every second of it.

You rest your weight against Wanda, enjoying the feeling of having her beneath you, and the sound that escapes her throat. Your mouth separates from hers only for you to move your kisses down her collarbone, causing Wanda to close her eyes and sigh.

Your hands reach behind her back to pull down the zipper of her dress. When your fingers make contact with her exposed skin, Wanda bites her lips, entwining her legs together in search of more friction.

Your kisses move down as you pull the dress off her body, Wanda shifting on the bed to help you undress her. You move away from her neck to remove the piece completely, your gaze falling to her exposed skin the next moment. The redhead blushes at your stare, but all you can do is admire. The sight of her bare breasts makes your core throb, and you feel the urge to touch and kiss every inch.

You kiss her again in the next second, but part your mouths again quickly to move your lips down her body.

At the first touch on her breasts, Wanda gasps loudly. You smile, controlling the urge to tell her not to be so loud, but you are distracted by the growing heat in your core when you suck on her nipple and she whimpers, bringing her hand to your hair to keep you there.

Dividing your attention between the nipples, you kiss, bite, and suck the sensitive skin, keeping enough of it in your mouth for the skin to be marked red, which elicits a hearty moan from Wanda.

As your kisses begin to descend again, Wanda's body tenses. You kiss at the height of her navel before looking up, and already find her looking up at you with darkened eyes, biting her lip.

"Everything okay?" You ask in a sigh, trying to reason properly out of the bubble of lust.

Wanda's hesitation causes you to raise your face back toward her again, keeping your hands by her side so as not to fall against her body.

"What's wrong?" You ask gently, trying to find any sign of discomfort.

"Nothing." She says with a shy smile. "It's just... it's the first time I... since..."

"Yeah, I know." You interrupt half breathlessly, knowing exactly what she is referring to. "Mine too." You confess, but at this point, you knew she should have guessed it too. You have been grieving partners for quite some time, after all. "Do you want to stop?"

"No." Wanda quickly denies, biting back a smile. "I feel good."

You smile, nodding in agreement.

"Me too."

You kiss Wanda gently again, but before the kiss gets more heated, you pull away to whisper against her lips. "Let me know if you feel uncomfortable at any time."

Wanda nods, bringing your lips together next.

//-//

When you awake, it is probably the best sleep you have had in months. Wanda is curled up on you, her clothes spread across the room lit by the sunbeams from the window.

You mumble that you have to get up because the children will be up soon, but Wanda says that her father will take care of them, and kisses you until you completely forget where you are.

When you finally get up, and go downstairs for coffee, neither adult comments at all on the way Wanda's hand remains in yours throughout the meal.

//-//

While Wanda is talking to Pietro and Erik about how they are going to organize the inheritance of the farm, and the children are playing in the backyard in front of the veranda, you decide to call your mother.

You end up learning that she got a buyer for your apartment, but you tell her that you would deal with these matters when you get back. After checking email and that sort of thing, you turn off your cell phone again.

Taking one last look at the children, you walked back into the house, catching a small piece of the conversation of the others in the living room about what would be done about Wanda's flower shop, but you didn't intrude.

"We know a lot of people around here, Wanda." Charles was counting. "I'm sure we'll be able to find a new location for the flower shop."

Wanda looked slightly apprehensive, probably considering all the consequences of the relocation, but she relaxed her posture completely when you entwined your hand with hers.

When the conversation was over, it was decided that the families would move to the farm. Selling the properties in New York would take some time, but they would still move to the city during the vacations. It was going to be a rush, but Erik and Charles were willing to help too.

Since you guys were leaving that afternoon, you went back to your room to pack. And Wanda joined you a moment later, kissing you on the cheek before sitting down on your bed.

" All good?" You asked as you folded your socks.

"Yeah." She confirmed with a smile. "I'm just trying to believe that all this is really happening."

"It's not every day we get a farm, is it?" You joke making her laugh. Wanda bites her lips next, looking at you fondly, and you look away to your bag, feeling your face heat up.

"I forgot to ask you something yesterday." She begins somewhat shyly. You frown slightly, muttering for her to ask. "Are we dating?"

You laugh in surprise, throwing your folded party clothes into your suitcase, before approaching Wanda, raising your hand to her chin.

"What do you think, love?" You ask against her lips, dragging your mouth down her jaw to the height of her ear. "After what you did with your tongue yesterday, you're not going anywhere."

Wanda gasps, clenching her hands in the bed. You smile because you know the memories have hit her all over again. But you turn away next, smiling innocently at the woman in front of you before turning your attention back to the suitcase.

"I don't get a ring?" She teased next, making you laugh briefly. You looked back at the door before advancing against her, kissing her firmly, completely overturning her confident posture. When Wanda sighed against your mouth, you pulled away, and she grumbled, her hand reaching up to grab your belt and pull you back to her, but noises of footsteps made her give up.

Soon the boys came running into the room, talking excitedly about living on the farm and riding every day, and you wanted to laugh at the way Wanda had to disguise how affected she felt by your small make out session to answer her sons' questions.

//-//

After saying goodbye to your hosts with hugs, you sat in the back seat with the boys, because Tommy insisted that he wanted to show you a video game. Wanda drove you to your apartment, and after getting your suitcase from the trunk, you waved goodbye to the boys, and approached the driver's window.

"I'll call you, okay?" You tell her with a smile, Wanda nods, and you kiss her. Tommy and Billy make disgusted noises in the back of the car, and you and Wanda laugh as you part.

Waving to everyone in farewell one last time, you wait for Wanda to leave with the car before you go into the house.

"Kissing girls on the doorstep, heh? Looks like high school all over again." Your mother teases from the kitchen just as you enter. You laugh as you close the door.

"Spying through the kitchen window, Mom? And I thought I was a grown-up." You retort in the same tone as you walk to the kitchen to greet her with a kiss on the forehead, tossing your suitcase on the counter afterwards.

"Are you really dating then?" Your mother asks and you murmur in agreement. She smiles. "I'm so happy, honey. I can't wait to prepare for the wedding."

You roll your eyes humorously, picking up an apple from the countertop.

"We need to talk about your apartment, by the way." She starts again, looking through her briefcase for something. "I've found buyers, and well, I'm already looking at some houses for you, too." She says as you take a seat next to her at the table. "Of course I love having you here, but we both know you can't wait to have a place of your own again."

You sigh lightly.

"Yeah, Mom." You confirm. "About that..."

//-//

"You're late." Agatha remarked as soon as you stumbled into her office. You gave her a lopsided smile, closing the door as you entered.

"Sorry, I had a date and lost track of time."

Agatha raises her eyebrows at you.

"A date, hm? Let's talk about it then."

//-//

You had just deposited Melina's share of the apartment in the bank when your cell phone vibrated.

A message from Bucky, asking if you were coming to therapy with him today, as he was already at the station. You reply with an emoji, and a text saying coming.

//-//

"I am immensely happy for your progress, even though I am upset that you will not be continuing with us." Stephen says to you and Wanda, in your last group session.

"Well, New Jersey has its support groups. But this one is always going to be special." You tell him as you lightly tap his arm. Stephen smiles as he hands you the progress brooches. Wanda has her hand intertwined in yours, and the man in front of you looks at that before commenting.

"You know, I always find it curious the way pairs develop in the group." He comments. "We never ask that the activities be romantic, but still, many of them end up falling in love."

You and Wanda exchange a mixed look of embarrassment and happiness.

"I guess we have you to thank for that." Wanda says next, but Stephen smiles, denying it.

"Not at all. I'm happy for both of you. After all, I always thought you would get along together." He hints last, making you and Wanda laugh softly.

//-//

"I just need to lock up and grab a few last things in the office, and then we can go." Wanda told you when you arrived at the flower shop. The establishment was now empty, as the moving crew had already passed by.

You waited for her in the reception area.

With the key to the flower shop in hand and the last files that were there, Wanda hesitated. You looked at her, standing in the center of the place, eyes watering, and smiled as you approached.

"Everything okay?" You asked as you touched her arms, stroking her to calm her down.

"Yeah." She sighs, looking around one last time before looking back at you. "It just feels like I'm ending something. Like a chapter in my life."

You swallow dryly briefly, nodding.

"Are you scared?"

Wanda smiles.

"Terrified." She confesses. "But I have you, so I know I'll be all right."

You smile, lifting your hands to your neck to kiss her. It's brief and sweet, and it's exactly what you both need to be sure you're doing the right thing.

"You're a flirt, aren't you Maximoff?" You tease with a smile, and Wanda giggles lightly against your lips.

"And you are breathtaking, love."

You felt your face heat up, kissing Wanda again.

"Are you sure about what we're doing, Wanda?" You let the words escape your anxious brain next. Wanda raised her free hand to your face, caressing your cheek.

" Absolute." She assures. "You are my future."

You swallow dryly, affected by the intensity of the confession. A shy smile escapes your lips in the next moment.

"And you are mine."

#wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #wanda x you #wandaxreader #wandaxyou #wanda maximoff x reader #wandaxyn #wanda x yn #marvel imagines #sorry for your loss

446 notes · View notes

iwishicanbeagoodpianist · 3 years ago

Text

Crazy Poets Club part 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (It's mostly Bucky dealing with his problems and therapy, but there's a bit of romance). There's also a bit of Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers (you know Buck dealing with Steve's absence).

Summary: In one of her therapy sessions, Dr. Rayner recommends Bucky to find a new hobby, at the cultural center (which is open in the evenings, offering an incredible variety of hobbies and activities) Bucky meets some very interesting people and understands that maybe life has moments to live for and to be happy.

Warnings: None for now, but in the future, topics such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, among others, will be discussed.

A/N: I'm not a fanfic writer at all, this story is an original story of mine, I feel that the main character fits very well with Bucky's personality, that's why I decided to adapt it as a fanfic. This could go very well or very badly, we'll have to see. I also apologize in advance because my original story is not written in english, so this is an adaptation and a translation. I will always appreciate corrections and suggestions, just be kind :)

please do not repost my work

Bucky doesn't know which one is worse, the weight of the flyer in his hand, full of vibrant colors, taunting him or the weight of his therapist's gaze waiting for a reaction from him to her latest suggestion. It's time for you to get a hobby James. The words still echoing in the air of the room as, the man in need of a new hobby in question, tries to steady his breathing and his thoughts. Two minutes away from saying one of his typical comments like "beating people unconscious with my metal arm isn't considered a hobby?" but holds back as he looks up and sees Dr. Raynor's eyebrow rise defiantly in anticipation of such a comment. Bucky shuts up just for the pleasure of not giving her the satisfaction of knowing him so well. No one knows me as well as they think they do, no one fully understands what is happening to me.

- "You want me to join a knitting club????" -

- "It's a cultural center James, there's more to it than just knitting, you can find something that allows you to reconnect with reality, your old self, didn't you have any hobbies when you were young, in the 40s?" -

- "killing Nazis?" -

And here we go again, a wry smile from Bucky, an eye roll from the doctor and a whisper that sounds something like "God give me patience because if you give me a bat....." you did it again Buck thinks the one who caused said comment as he mentally pats himself on the back.

- "I understand that your humor is the way you deal with things you don't want to deal with, but this is just a suggestion from me, no one can force you into anything James, things have to come from you" -

But James is already riding the train of cynicism and black humor, which has enough fuel, 100 years of pure spite, to not be easily stopped....

- "...the next step is for me to be put in a nursing home and play Bingo every Wednesday and Saturday with Gertrude and Hans, while we talk about the weather and how our knees hurt because it's going to rain." -

With a sigh of resignation, or relaxation as she saw the time on the clock on the wall and knew that the session had come to an end, Dr. Raynor replied:

- "James, just think about it, our session is over for today". -

Getting up, as he sloppily folds the flyer and tries to bury it in the bottom of his jacket pocket, Bucky decides that today he's going to eat a large pizza with extra pepperoni and cheese crust, from the new pizzeria around the corner from his apartment, because, as the Doc says "no one can make me do anything and things have to come from me, like the fucking dinner I'm going to eat today no matter what", and as he opens the door with a smirking smile he turns to look at Dr. Raynor's face one last time (for this week).

- "well Doc, thanks again for your time, see you next week." -

Sighing, thinking what she did wrong in her old life to get stuck in therapy with what could easily be a 16 year old pubescent boy in the body of a guy who in spirit is over 100 years old but looks like a 30 year old guy living his second mid-life crisis. I guess this is my punishment for being a terrible big sister in my youth. Dr. Raynor replied:

- "see you next week James, please think about the culture center, it's a good place, even I go there sometimes during the week."-

-"wow Doc, I didn't know you liked to knit, and to think that I am the one who is over 100 years old here."-

- "I'm really not going to knit, I'm going to...you know what? Never mind, this is not about me, it's time for you to stop doing this, the world owes you nothing James, none of us are your targets for you to spew your venom filled comments to deal with your problems" over 20 years of career and professionalism thrown away thanks to a grandpa who SHOULD be in a nursing home playing bingo, well done Christina. But his thoughts are cut off by the sound of the door slamming shut. -

- "after I'm done with this patient I'm going to retire and move to Cancun, for good."-

Bucky's only thought as he walks down the office hallway is "well apparently my hobby is draining my therapist's patience, which if I may say so, I'm really good at". He also thinks the new green paint they decided to put on the walls, just last week, is the grossest thing anyone has ever seen, "now it looks like the wall is full of snot and vomit."

"Green conveys peace and tranquility, don't you think James?" says Dr. Raynor in last week's session when he made a comment about the abrupt change in the color of the walls. "Well yes, people will find peace, when they die at the sight of that hideous color."

Let's just say the session did not improve after that comment. "nobody can make a joke anymore because everything is taken badly, what is this twitter????? It's twitter? tuitor? What is that thing called? Well never mind" thought James as he walked out the door while the characteristic jingle of the bell hanging on the door sounded. "my God I hate this thing, everyone HAS to know you are entering or leaving any place" with an annoyed sigh Bucky puts his sunglasses back on even though it's already 5 p.m. and the sun is about to set.

Sunglasses are the best thing ever, no one can see how I roll my eyes every time someone says something stupid, or how I judge them for their crappy life choices. Therapy would be easier if I could do it with my glasses on. "James please, this place is safe for you, you don't need to have your glasses on, could you take them off for our sessions?", somehow, I convinced the doc to keep them on, until I fell asleep with them on in the middle of the session and she noticed after 10 minutes. She looked at me with so much hatred and contempt, after that I decided not to have the glasses on anymore in the sessions, let alone the lady lose her coolness and kill me while I fall asleep again. The Doc really needs a raise in her salary just for having to put up with me.

As he walks through the super-congested streets of New York, stuffing his hands into his jacket, his hand collides with the flyer his therapist very kindly gave him with the idea that Bucky is closer to living in a geriatric home than to solving his personal problems and maybe getting a girlfriend. "I really hate this century" he thinks as he tries to concentrate on the pizza he will have for dinner, well not so much, at least in this century there is cheese crust.

20 notes · View notes

iwannaholdyoutight- · 4 years ago

Text

Pintaga (a summer fic challenge)

Fresh fruit. Friends to lovers. Longing.

a/n: it’s finally here! This piece of writing couldn’t happen without the one and only @helladirections. She organized this amazing challenge and you guys should read everything from her and this challenge. Please, don’t forget to reblog, this is my first fic in a very long time and I would love to see people reading it.

word count: 8k

Preview:

In the air Harry could smell the jasmines, coming from the perfume of the girl with the blue heart shaped sunglasses and dressed with a yellow one piece with little white flowers sewed to it - a vintage piece she got just the day before on a thrift shop when they were exploring. He could listen to the faint Mick Jagger voice repeating the verse “pretty pretty girl” and he couldn’t disagree, she was a pretty girl indeed.

There was nothing he wanted more than get her in his arms, tell her he didn’t know it was possible to fall in love without even kissing the person for a first time. He wanted to press his nose into her neck and feel the shivers that would pass through her body.

When Harry had to postpone his tour, he was sad. But, when 2021 finally came, he was just so happy to be able to reconnect with his fans. To see people’s faces and knowing that each person has their own story to tell when they listen to his songs. He loves that.

It was during tour that he met Angelino, a new music producer with very different methods in his technique: zither in a mix with glam rock, alfaias with hip hop. To put it short: they became fast friends when they met on a night out after the Vegas show.

And it was thanks to Angelino he met her. It was raining so much when the words left his friends mouth “I want you to meet someone” yet she was the sunshine walking inside the hotel.

She wasn’t shy but also didn’t do everything to draw any attention to her. Harry was captivated to say at least. Maybe was her smile or maybe was the way she looked with such care when taking to anyone. Sadly, they couldn’t see each other for longer than a few hours. Harry had a plane to catch, she was a movie and arts major in Italy and was only there to visit a friend. But Harry just couldn’t let her go, there was something about her, he wanted to know what was hidden behind those colorful outfits she wore and all the smart talk they had during that same rainy afternoon. Being in his position he had to be careful, what he would give to be “normal” for just 5 minutes so he could flirt with this cute girl, get her number and maybe ask her on a date. But he wasn’t. So he settled with an Instagram follow and a promises she would dm him books and movies he should check it up.

The first book she made him read was Dorian Gray - she was shocked to know he never read anything by Oscar Wilde. In exchange he tried to make this curious stubborn girl give Murakami a second chance (she still hates the book and he couldn’t lie, he got a bit sad about it).

After a few months of conversation he finally gave in and asked for her number. From this day on, they would never stop texting each other, to the point Jeff would complain about how “he’s always on his phone and never actually listening”.

He got so close to her and was admired with how free she was. After 20 something years stuck in her hometown she decided she wanted to met the world. Entered this course in Italy with a scholarship (she is very smart to the point it Harry is intimidated) and never looked back.

Harry told her about his first big break up, that inspired Fine Line, told her about his fears and how love is a difficult subject when it comes to him. The loving part it’s easy the problem is when the enchantment dies and all there is left are two broken people. The one to move on first it’s always the happiest.

But he couldn’t always live on his phone talking to this girl who makes him weak in the knees. He had interviews to attend and shows to perform. When tour finally ended, he was tired but sad, a deep space in his heart felt so empty. It’s the first time in three years he didn’t have nothing planned and he was only starting his new album in a few months.

Harry needed a break, a nice holiday. Sadly London was cold and so was his emotions. So, when that same girl told him about this island called “Fernando de Noronha” around the South American continent and that her aunt got a house there and asked if he wanted to join her on 10 days trip there… he just couldn’t say no!

It’s summertime whenever she is around and well… it is summertime in the south so it’s a win win for Harry, honestly.

🐠

And that’s where Harry finds himself right now… bathing in the sun together with this amazing girl that makes him feel all mushy inside and nervous. He is almost a 30 year old man, he shouldn't be so nervous around her, but it’s inevitable.

The moment he got off the plane, he was in love. The island was beautiful. Blue skies that mix with the blue of the ocean and the horizon. Everything seemed to be made out of glitter and rainbow colors. There was music every night, people were singing and dancing. During the day there was street fairs, boat rides and the beautiful golden light that was didn’t come only from the sun, but also a light that shined through this amazing young woman when she was laughing and trying (and failing) to play volleyball with a group of teens on the beach. They didn’t stay in a fancy hotel, they were in a simple yet beautiful house, without any neighborhood but when they went out they always went to the simplest places, surrounded by simple people. People who might know who he was, but mostly just didn’t care. Sure, he was asked to take some pictures but that was the most normal he ever felt since he was a teenager. There was a rich part in the island, lots of famous people from South America liked to spend their summer there- but for one, Harry was grateful to stay like this.

All thanks to her...

The summer breeze in his face being exactly what he needed. He was living those sweet days of summer he was denied in 2020 because of the pandemic and in 2021 because of the tour.

He wanted to kiss her and keep her forever by his side so they could be happily ever after. But Harry couldn’t. He was bad at love and he would rather have her as a friend than doing something and fucking up her as well.

“What did you say” she asked while lifting up from the towel she had on the floor, raising her sunglasses over that beautiful sun kissed hair (it was shining so much) and attentively looking at him.

“I didn’t say a thing” was he thinking out loud? Oh my god… he is fucked if that was that case.

“You said something about being bad at love. Why do you think that?”

Harry sat down and took a deep breath.

“I talked to you about my love life before… I don’t think I was made for love. Some people can find love at every corner, but it doesn’t matter how hard I try, every time I think I got it right… the person just vanish out of the tips of my fingers. And I feel so bad talking about this when I know I can have anything I want, but it hurts when I’m alone in a bedroom or I’m being the third wheel again with my friends. I’m just so lonely all the time and every time I try… it just ends shitty. I get a few good songs out of it but the pain sometimes it’s just not worth it”.

She looked at the ocean, the sun was already so high in the sky, it was probably around 11 am. Then, looking back at Harry, she gave him a weak smile. She felt like he was a mixture of everything good and he didn't deserve to feel like he wasn’t cut for love. If she could and he let her… she would give him all the love it was possible and impossible.

“Just because it ended doesn’t mean it was bad. If it made you happy, even if just for one second, it was worth it. And even when it hurts, we always learn something.” She took a deep breath, waiting for him to say something while Harry just looked at her with soft eyes but so much sadness and sorrow behind them. He didn’t know what to say, so she decided to continue: “you know, I call it bullshit when poets say love is only good if it hurts. Love isn’t made for pain, sometimes it might happen, but love is made to give warmth and to make the soul feel like it’s being caressed in a whisper that says ‘you found me’. And there are many types of love, not all of them are made to last a lifetime”.

He gave her a smile:

“Do you think there is still someone to love me or have I missed my chance?”

That was her chance:

“I think if you look right… you will find it right next to you, so close it would surprise you” she gave him a knowing look and decided to change the subject “wanna put on some clothes and go to the street fair? We can have lunch in there, buy some nice fresh fruits and have a picnic when the sun starts to set. You can make a playlist while a set a nice towel with candles and everything we might need. Maybe… we could try some of that stuff I got yesterday, what do you say?”

That stuff being the Argyreia seeds a friend of her had given as a gift. They were in the fridge inside a pot of water - apparently you have to leave them at least 12 hours on it so it could be ready to use. Among the effects they found of Google you could suffer from synesthesia episodes, positive elevation of your humor, sensitive to touch among others. A normal (and legal, apparently) natural hallucinogen.

Harry decided to play cool with her confession (he thinks it was a confession) and just smirks at her as a confirmation for the rest of their day. Maybe then, he’ll have the courage to kiss her. He gets up first, offering his hand, she takes it, getting up. Being barefoot, she had to look up to talk to him, their hands intertwined, noses almost touching. Looking inside his eyes, she thinks Harry must be a magical being, that could be the only explanation to how his eyes could change color to match the nature. Normally green but right now his eyes were almost blue, maybe was the sun, maybe was the sky without a single cloud; one thing was clear: his eyes were matching the ocean and the sky but also the leaves on the palm trees with the green left in them.

Leading the way, they got inside the house. In a secluded area (you just had to walk a lot but it wasn’t in the middle of the fancy big mansions- the house was colorful - just like everything about this island). The wood backdoor was the way they go when coming back from the beach . As soon as they entered through the gate, was a little stone way, with red and pink poppies adorning both sides, they went to the shower the house had on the outside so none of them would make a mess inside the house with sand everywhere. Then, I sei de the house, walking through the open plan kitchen, that was out of a sixties movie. Almost everything looked vintage with the most beautiful dining table they had ever seen: made out of dark wood and tall chairs, her aunt said this table was from her great grandmother.

Then there was two little steps and it was the living room, with a lot of space, three couches and a lot of pieces of art, it looked like someone had just throw different items but, somehow made it work. Harry went to sit on a plastic chair there was right in the corner of the room and looked at the very wet very sunburnt girl:

“You can go get ready first, I’ll wait” she smiled and thanked him, going upstairs and leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. Looking at the yellow wall full of paintings from the people of the island, he didn’t know what to do to himself, he was fucked. He got up from the chair and went to the vinyl player that stood on the far left of the living room with three boxes next to it, opening he found a lot of vinyls. Settling for one he never heard before: Caetano Veloso - Transa, he put to play. He knew about Caetano, he even putted one of his songs to play at the one night only event, the name of the song was Baby and at the time was his ex girlfriend who had showed him, but right now the only thing he could think about when listening to this very psychedelic song that was playing through the speakers, the only thing he could think about is the same girl who is taking a shower just a few feet away and how much he wants the hours to pass faster so they can get high and listen to the playlist he was making and was to add also this album he was listening, especially after a quick google research about it, having now the acknowledge that transa translates to sex.

She came downstairs with her hair still wet, wearing her old pink converse and a yellow sundress, with the cute straps and a short but very loose ends. She had this glow someone can only achieve when you just spend the day at the beach with dear ones. Free of any makeup she was with his ray bans and gave him a soft look “I hope you don’t mind I got your ray bans to wear. They just look they were made for this outfit”.

“No problem. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be done”.

Taking the fastest shower he ever took in his life, he put on some old jeans short and his favorite pink summer shirt. And he ran - literally ran - downstairs because he felt like this was a date. He was excited.

“So, wanna take the bikes or see if we can get an Uber” there was this thing, neither one of them had the license required for the island and even if the Uber app worked there… it was hard to find drivers who were willing to drive to such a far area.

“Let’s take the bikes. They have baskets so whatever we buy we can just carry back”

“Sure”

They went through the front door, the house was painted in blue, to match the ocean, with lots of different plants and those same plants, especially the clambering plants, gave the house this almost fairy vibe. Like it was made of a golden and rainbow dust and everything that it’s good. The bikes were located near the wall and close to the small pool. One bike was white and the other was of a bright orange. Harry got the bright one because it was slightly bigger, so he would feel more comfortable.

🍓

They rode the bike for around 10 minutes, passing fields and trees that were so tall it almost felt like their leaves were kissing each other. Harry kept ruming gold and braid by stevie nicks the whole ride while dividing his attention between the girl riding the white bike a few meters ahead and the surrounding area. There was no one in sight for the first few minutes, but the closer they got to the center of the island, more people started to appear. In a few days living in the island he already observed that he could pinpoint who was a tourist and who was a native by one thing: the clothes.

The citizens always dressed like it was just a normal day (like imagine you normal day it’s living in paradise) and people from the outside always went out like it was a beach party everyday. As soon as Harry notice that, he always made sure to dress quite simple, so people could pass him by. Of course, sometimes someone would try and talk to him with the native language (which he learned is portuguese and not spanish, as he originally thought it would be).

They descarted their bikes on a small wall that was made for this purpose, with digital locks and everything (it was 5 bucks the hour and all you had to do when it was the time to pick it up you just put on your card to pay for the time you used the spot). They started to walk towards the street fair that was in a pretty street with old houses from the colonial era. The more they walked, closer their bodies touched and closer they were from holding hands.

People never talk about the conversation that goes when it comes to small touches. Sometimes, a small caress of a finger against someone's hand, it’s more than the act of touching, it’s an act of questioning: are we feeling the same? I wanna hold you hand like my soul it’s holding yours, please take care of it, because it’s your to take.

They started holding hands the moment the took a turn to the street fair, and if anyone looked at them, would say there were a couple. And it was nothing more that their entire wish that that statement was actually truth.

In the window of a red brick house there was an old man with his guitar, he sung something of their culture and a few people were dancing to it like it was a show. Harry was so in love with this environment, people lived and breathed culture. It was a break he never needed. He already went all around the world and it was on a simple island that he found something he didn’t know it existed.

“Where do you want to go first?” Asked the girl looking up at him and squirting her eyes because of the sun. She had his sunglasses but they were acting more like a headband to that mess it was her hair than to their actual function: protect her shining beautiful eyes from the sun.

“How about we go and buy those fruit for our late evening picnic and then we go have lunch? And from there we see where to go”.

“Seems like a plan, let’s find the vendor with the most variety of fruits, wanna taste them all” And I wanna taste you, thought Harry but he just accepted it wasn’t the time yet. He didn’t want their first kiss to be in the middle of a fair with so many eyes watching. Harry hasn’t been recognized too much but he couldn’t risk too much.

Walking they passed a group of old ladies - like maybe in their 80s- selling beautiful handmade dresses and skirts and shirts, all made in white lace. Such a beautiful work, and Harry made a mental note to come back later and get something for his mother and sister. That was something they would like.

Finally they reached a wooden table full of different fruits and behind it was an older and a younger man, if they had to guess, they would say there were grandfather and grandchild because of their faces similarities: dark skin with very powerful green eyes. While one had the blackest hair either one of them had see, the other one had silver strings in different parts of his hair. In their mouth they carried a soonting smille. They approached the table and the older one started to talk in the native language and he was speaking in such a enthusiastic manner that Harry didn’t have the heart to explain he new close to nothing about portuguese. But the young man seemed to have noticed who he was, touching the talking fella head and saying something in his ear. He stopped talking and was, now, quiet, but never ending the smile in his face.

“Sorry about that. My name is Sol. What can I do for you guys?” The girl beside Harry gave him this shining smile and started talking:

“Hi, Sol.That means Sun right?”

“Yeah, my family it’s a very hippie family. Actually I have two sisters: one it’s called Lua, her name translates to ‘moon’, and the other it’s called Frida. By the way,if it’s not too much problem Mr. Styles, I would like to get an autograph for them, they are big fans of you. And what about your name, sunshine?” asked the young man. Harry was jealous he was flirting with her - and he wasn’t entitled to feel jealous, but that’s what he was feeling - so he put his arms around her and told her name getting an angry yet amused look from her.

“And no problem about the autograph… we would like to take a bit of everything you can recommend us. We are going to do a picnic and want to try everything that it’s different”.

“But please add a bit of those gorgeous strawberries, they look yummy”said the girl next to him “ and what it’s that?” she pointed to a pink yet green round fruit.

“That is pink mango, very famous around this island. She is sweeter than the normal ones you found, actually there are over 24 different types of mango around the south territory, but right now we only have this one. But we’ll be getting more around monday morning if you guys are interest.” He gave them a time to think if they wanted to buy it or not.

“I love mango. Put 3 of these, please.” Harry said giving a genuine smile, everybody knows how much he loves fruit… among other stuff that could be fruit related. He saw a small fruit, that looked like a cherry but it had this red/orange to it’s tone and it wasn’t completely round, so he asked: “Sol, what is this type of cherry?”

“Oh that one? That it’s pitanga. This fruit smells like trees and something sweet that takes you back to your childhood, if you lived on this island” he laughed like he was remembering a distant memory inside of his green eyes but continued soon afterward his little journey through memory lane “My mother used to say this fruit it’s like when you fall in love at first sight: first comes the infatuation, the smell that reminds you there is so much good in the world and all of the good is all in one person. Then, when you first bite to it, first it has a sour taste, like when you get insecure about first kissing someone, but they, you get the courage and kisses them… and it’s amazing and sweet.”

Well Harry didn’t need more and said:

“Give me 12 strawberries, a few limes so we can make drinks, those mangos,a bit of that gelly that looks yummy, and half a pound of those pitangas”

“All done. That is going to be 25 and 75 cents” Both Harry and the girl tried to pay the guy, in the end, she ended up paying, earning a glare from Harry and looking at him like saying ‘what’. The boy returned with the change and the piece of paper for the autograph, Harry signed told him he would be back monday morning to get those other types of mangos and he could bring his sisters if he wanted to,he would gladly meet the girls.

They said their goodbyes and continued their walking, now holding hands without questioning.

“You know out of all those fruits the one I’m more excited to taste it’s this pitanga one” she told Harry.

“Me too”

He knew she was talking more than just the fruit.

And so was him.

With the sound of ocean and the winds in a mix with people chatter, they walked through the fair. Stopping for a quick lunch (some natural sandwiches with coconut water to wash it down) they looked around a vintage music store.

“It’s getting late, I wanna go back to the house if you don’t mind… get some sleep so I’m not tired when it’s time for our little luau” she said looking at him with tiresome eyes “oh maybe I’ll dress like a little witch!!!! So we can perform a little moon ritual”

That put a smile in Harry’s face.

“You know Stevie would actually love this”

“I can’t help getting a bit starstruck every time you mention Stevie Nicks”

“I get starstruck every time I remember that I’m actually her friend... it’s inevitable, she is a legend and an amazing human being”

They were walking and talking about Stevie Nicks and Harry was telling her all about the first time Stevie listened to Fine Line and by the time they got close to their bikes. Just like yesterday, Harry was ready to pay for their bikes parking lot but she was not having it. He was always paying for every little thing (the first time she got to pay anything was the fresh fruits just a few hours ago). So she looked at him when he was lost looking at the turquose sea and just ran away towards the bike.

She heard his scream- a soft loud HEY - and just when she was reaching for the bikes she felt two arms wrap around her waist and pull her out of the way. But they both lost their balance, falling towards the wall of bricks next to the bikes. Her head hit the wall a little bit to harshly makig her let out a low “oh” all that while he crushed her into the same wall.

Puting his hand in fits next to her face, Harry took his face off and lowered to be abble to look at the pretty girl in the eyes. He noticed she was standing on her toes to get closer to him, if he took a deep breath he could smell her perfume, a mix of peach and tangerine. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had never been as close to her as he were now. Harry was abble to see how beautiful eyes eyes were when the sun was high up in the sky and his face too close, he could see how her eyebrows had a thin yet natural draw or how her cupid bow were a little bit more colored than the rest of her lips. He could listen to the wind, bringing a message from the ocean: “it’s time to kiss her, you fool”.

He took her messy hair from her eyes, cradling her face in on hand while the other was kept on the wall, so he could have a sense of what was real. It was the perfect moment.

Or not.

Time simply wasn’t on Harry’s side, as he thought. Because someone started to yell at him in a language he couldn’t pinpoint the country, maybe Russia because of how pale was the old couple looked. They were point at the bikes and yelling at them, people were looking and she was blushing.

“I think they want to park their bikes and we’re on their way” she told him “maybe we should just go home.

🍄

The sun was now close to say it’s farewell for the day. While Harry was busy making a nice playlist (and also giving himself a talk: “you are going to kiss her tonight”. Maybe if started to say all the time like a mantra in would come true). She was making the perfect ambience for a beach party for two. Opening in the sand a round beach towel with lots of candles for when the only light in the sky was the moon and stars. The fruits all in pretty plates made out of wood and she also melted dark chocolate - it would look cool with the strawberries.

The sky was a mix of pretty colors: pink and purple and orange and everything that would make a perfect painting .

She was using this old seventies skirt from her mother (a tie dye skirt with all the colors of the rainbow) and a Stevie Nicks shirt she stole from Harry the night before to sleep. Her hair was falling from her face, dancing with the wind just as her skirt.

It was that moment that Harry made his appearance: his safe sex shirt, yellow shorts, barefoot, no rings. Smiling at her, she thought she looked like he looked like a prince out of every seventies groupies fantasies.

Harry was holding this old radio and in his hand there was a mixtape. Only Harry would come up with the idea of using this old radio that her aunt left at the house as a source for playlist making. Spotify playlist just wasn’t enough if he wanted impress her. In the words of his friend Rob Sheffield: “mixtapes are like pictures but with sound”.

And Harry was planing of making this evening a picture he would always remember with lovin’ care.

“Doesn’t he looks handsome” she walked towards him to help him with settled everything he brought down. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was blushing.

“The seeds are ready if we want to try it now” Harry said changing the subject.

“Let’s go. It takes half an hour to kick and till then we can talk some more”

The seeds didn’t have any taste, almost like any pill you wash down with water.

“Wanna eat one of those fresh fruits?” He said getting a piece of de the pitanga “quite anxious to try this one” he said getting one of the small pitanga fruits.

At first bite it was quite bitter, he was glad Sol had told him about that. But the more he ate, the sweater it got. It was something he couldn’t describe.

“So what do you think?” She asked.

“The explanation that Sol gave to us it’s the best one. It changes taste the more you get used to it. The same is with feelings, right?”

She smiled at him and opened her mouth: “give me some then….” He got one of the fruits and feed her. But he didn’t take his hands of her, leaving there so he could feel her neck veins move with her chewing.

“It’s so sweet in the end… almost like an orgasm”. Harry was fucked.

The time passed and they talked about anything and everything. The sun was almost all the way down as they looked over the horizon.

“So… is it starting to hit for you? ” she asked with a coy smile while getting herself more of the fruits.

He saw her red lips curve around the fruit and suddenly everything was changing colors. The world was red as the fruit she was (so deliciously) tasting. Red like the passion he was beginning to feel for this carefree girl. But she... she was golden. Her aura was just shining through her.

It’s no secret he falls in love with people with golden aura- Stevie has said so herself when he first showed her his second album - and she is shining so much he thought the sun had come down to earth.

Maybe she was the sun, even if it the stars were starting to take their place high in the sky, she was sunshine. His sunshine. It’s never night when she’s around.

“You know, it’s starting to hit”

“And how do you know that?”

“You’re golden”

She laughed at him

“Are you quoting to me a song you wrote about another woman, Styles?”

“No. It’s your aura. It’s shining. And is golden”

That left her with no answer.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Seeing anything?”

She could see the rainbow inside his eyes. She was always attached to everything that was colorful, from a young age. And right now there was this rainbow of lights playing with her vision. And it was all because of this beautiful young man standing right in front of her.

“Yeah, I think I can see everything” happy with her mysterious answer, she looked at the ocean. The waves were moving slow and in pretty rhythm, inviting her to dance together.

Today all of the nature was rooting for them. Getting another pitanga she could feel the sour before the sweet. Giving her body chills. She looked at him and those chills only got stronger but so was her bravery: “will you dance with me?” she asked.

“Well... of course young maiden I shall dance with you” he laughed at his own joke while getting up and offering his hand.

In that moment their worlds collided: their hand were glued together seeding all of different feels from one body to another. They didn’t need to talk to understand: there was a feeling of belonging neither of them never felt even if once they thought they did. This was a moment once in a lifetime: the moment you look at someone and you see them slightly different from one minute ago. When all of the puzzles pieces starts to make sense: what they were feeling from the moment they got on this island wasn’t only attraction it was months of friendship that intertwined them towards something stronger. Something they knew it was blooming inside their chest. Something new, something exciting.

Something beautiful.

He twirled her in his arms and then let her rest her head in his chest, right where his heart was beating so loud and fast, just for her.

“You know it feels like the world is almost too much right now” Harry heard her say “it seems like there are more sound than before, the ocean is actually a song ya comes together with your heartbeat and when you touch me it feels like there is a more to than just a simple touch, like it’s your souls that’s touching me, you know?” He starts to caress her right arm with the tip of his finger, he wanted her to feel more of whatever this she was describing. “Or maybe that’s just the seeds talking but it just feels like something I never had before”

God, she looked beautiful right now blushing with all the glitter around her and her lips red from all the fruits.

It’s time.

“I wanna taste those pitanga lips. Can I?” He asks while still caressing her arms with the tips of his fingers, getting her dizzy and seeing everything with light tones of pink, just like the shirt he wore to the street fair. She wants so much that in a moment of pure infatuation she raises her hand, feeling his chestnut curls, looking into his green eyes that looked almost a dark blue due to the lighting and finally she answered:

“Anytime. Everywhere. Anywhere”

He gave her a soft kind of fucked up smile, getting a good grasp of her hair and pulling her towards his mouth.

She spent so much of her time wondering how does Harry Styles kisses but nothing could get her ready to what she felt in that moment. His lips were a bit chapped because of the sun and the weather, they both were a bit clumsy because they couldn’t feel their faces but the soft touch of his tongue contrasting with tight grasp he had on her hair was making her body feel like it was part of the sand they were standing while he was the ocean, one doesn’t belong without the other, in a painting they would always be together and if that kiss was any indication... so would be their lives.

He gave her a small bite on the lips and laughed: “I’m so sorry, I can’t feel my lips” and she started to giggle because she couldn’t feel a lot, but she could feel him. All of him.

“I’m so glad we finally kissed” she said in a whisper. He looked inside of her eyes before putting his eyes right on her left cheek and flicking his eye lashes while she was having a fit with laughter... everything was too much in their state of mind. And this little touch made her feel like Harry has been tickling her soft skin for hours.

“If you’re so glad that we kissed... you wouldn’t mind if we kissed a bit more, right?” He said in a sensual whisper in her ear while giving little bites.

She pulled him by his hair in a hungry attack. Moaning into his mouth. Sucking his tongue. Smiling when they took small break.

They were standing, her on the tip of her toes, trying to reach him but Harry had other plans, whispering a small “come here” he took her by the waist and made her jump so he could walk back to the beach towel and sit down with her on his lap.

With Harry’s hips between her knees, that wasn’t a inch to separate them. All of their bodies were touching and each particle inside of them was screaming in delight. The feeling of having someone near when the mind is in such a state of inebriation was out of this world. It was paradise.

But maybe their state of mind is just a plus because Harry is pretty sure it could be 10 am on a Sunday and she would make him feel the same way he was feeling now: completely in bliss, in a hypnotic state of mind because of her pitanga lips and the warm energy. She was his sun, his warmth when they would feel could. A little piece of magic after so much pain in love. And Harry couldn’t deny anymore: he was falling.

She stopped kissing him and decided to give small kisses in his neck and every time he moaned she would increase the strength of this kiss.

Harry was quite literally seeing stars, but not only the ones in the sky. He was seeing the stars coming together in a show: each constellation was dancing on its own circle of star friends. And there were always changing color: pink, golden, red, silver.

They were dancing in a celebration because two stars that were meant to be were finally coming together as one.

That was the moment that Harry decided that he wanted more. He pulled her out of his neck and asked: “I love that you are wearing my old shirt but there is nothing more in this world that I would love more than being able to see you without it. Can I?”

Her response was clear: raising her hands above her hand, the - now- moonlight caressing her form when Harry took her shirt off. She was perfect, every little thing about her was just so her, from the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra to how she had this little moon necklace and a little citrine stone resting right on her heart.

He didn’t want to lose more time, he started to give little pecks on her nipples and when Harry heard a moan and a whisper saying “finally” he just went ahead and took the everything he could from her chest inside his mouth while his hand was playing with her right breast and his other hand was supporting her back so she wouldn’t fall off his lap.

She was seeing stars, she could feel everything and anything. His mouth was powerful, like he knew all the buttons to push and that was only the beginning. Moving her hips in circle movements she started to moan more loudly. Using one hand to pull his hair and grinding faster on his growing dick and finally earning a full on moan from her she took his head of her chest and said “I need you, please take off your clothes”

She didn’t have to say more. After this they disrobed so fast they didn’t knew they were able. Now, completely naked, she looked at Harry with a mischievous look and went back to his lap, but before she could do anymore than that, Harry stopped her, using his force to manhandle her body to a lay down position “I promise you that I will be inside you in a moment, but first, I need to taste you, I need to hear your moans and know that’s all because of me, all because of my tongue”

She lost her power to speak but she was pretty sure she kind of screamed “yes” without intending to.

Harry spread her open and looked at the mess that was between her legs. He did loved tasting the pitanga. But he was pretty sure that nothing would compare to the taste of her.

He took his finger and started to pass lightly through the inside of her right thigh and she was trembling already “this seeds are making me more sensible fuck” he heard whisper. Smirking he answered her: “oh so this is all the seeds and not me? Pet, you are breaking my heart now”.

In a revenge he took the same finger that was caressing her thigh and passed from her opening to her clit without any warning.

“Fuck fuck FUCK please just touch me already. My whole body is burning in flames all I can see is a burning flame” he decided to end her suffering. Taking his thumb and lazily caressing her clit in slow but strong circles.

“Are you happy now, Pet”

“Yes but please, give me more”

In a responde Harry took his tongue and licked her right on her clit and started to use the tip of his finger to tease her entrance.

Her moans started to get louder and Harry didn’t have a care anymore, just her taste. That’s the only thing that matters.

While his lips were sucking and licking her clit his finger were working inside of her. When he wanted to change he would put his finger in her clit and would go to her pretty hole and use his tongue to tease her.

Every time he saw she was getting closer to her orgasm, he would stop what he was doing and would just use the tip of his finger to tease her while he kissed her thigh. When her breathing was back to a more concentrated peace he would get back to give her everything he could with his tongue and finger.

And that went on for a while: lips, tongue, fingers. Saw her getting close? Stopped for a while.

When he was doing the pattern for the third time she signed: “I need to come, please let me come?”

Harry wasn’t doing this to be mean, he just wanted to be the only thing she could feel and see. Wanted this to be so good she would never want to be away from him again. And when he saw her trembling lips and eyes full of tear he new she has enough, so he moved his finger in a “come here” motion while she was wetting and wetting more and more his hand, dripping down to the towel and her screams were so loud that if there was a single soul in the almost private beach, he was sure they could listen.

When she was done he took his finger off of her linking each one of them while patiently waiting so she could get back to her state of mind and tell him what she wanted next.

“Hey, there is a condom in the fruit basket” she said

“You dirty little thing, were you planning all of this?” Harry said taking the condom and opening carefully.

“No but I had my hopes up”

She looked so perfect with the sweat on her body dancing around the moonlight, he smiled and asked sweetly: “how do you want me?”

“I want you on top, want to be able to look inside your eyes” He wanted that, too.

“Your wish is my command” whispered Harry while settling on top of her. He stroked her face with one arm supported beside her hand. “Are you ready for me” She nodded with starry eyes and asked:

“And you, are you ready for me?”

Harry guided himself inside her, getting his mouth closer to her left ear and whispered like it was a secret and she was the only one who had the right to hear: “I have been ready for you my whole life” and then he was inside of her. While she was breathing hard, he was whispering sweet nothing in her ear, trying to calm himself, he wanted this to last.

“You can move, you know” that was all Harry needed to start to pick up his pace, making sure every time he came closer to her his pubic bone would caress her clit. She was whimpering and he was completely hers.

He picked her leg up on his shoulder and said: “I need��. fuck…. I need to get closer to you”. She was feeling all of him stretching her a little bit more every time he pushed himself inside of her. Hitting her g spot so perfectly she was seeing stars - and this time was all because of him, not the seeds.

Her body was on fire and the delicious warmth was starting to form in the pit of her stomach. She was going to come again, and she was going to come hard.

“Come on, baby. I can feel you squeezing me so hard. I know you wanna come. I need to feel it” Harry said, his movements becoming each time more out of rhythm, chasing his own peak.

Bringing his hand to her clit, it was only three flicks of his fingers till she was shaking and her eyes were closing. Her mouth forming a delicious smile, one full of satisfaction. And it was watching her come that Harry felt his need to come as well. Closing his eyes and feeling his whole body shake with release.

The only thing surrounding Harry was her. Her name. Her smell. The feeling of her. Everything was her.

When their breathing was back to a normal rhythm and the moon and stars were high in sky, Harry looked over her naked body laid down on all the towels, surrounded by fruits and golden from the candle lights. He was starting to sober up and there was so much he wanted to tell her, but he settled for one single sentence:

“You are a wonderful creation” he told her.

“Look at you quoting Dorian Gray to me!” She said smiling lightly “Do you remember that was the first dm I ever sent you? Telling you to read that book.”

“Of course I remember. I remember everything you ever said to me” he started laughing with the memory “you know, after that message I went running to the closest book store? I wanted to do anything to have a reason to talk to you, even if it was just a dm. I wanted you to think of me all the time, because since that moment I saw you on that raining afternoon my heart started to beat in synchrony with yours” now it’s time to say everything, before it’s too late “you know I’m falling for you right?”

She looked at him like he was the brightest star in the night.

“I know, I’m falling in love with you too” she told him while laying her her on his chest and started to trace the butterfly tattoo “And now?”

“Now I think I have a new song about another fruit to write”. They both started to smile, sealing the deal. She got another pitanga and popped into her mouth and he smiled. He was happy.

#harry styles fic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x reader #harry styles imagine #harry styles blurb #harry styles blurbs #harry styles smut #harry x reader #harry styles friends to lovers #summer fic challenge

167 notes · View notes

ourloveisforthelovely · 4 years ago

Text

Tease 5

Harry Potter AU

Pairings: Sirius Black x Reader

Link to Chapter 4

Rating: E- smut

Song at the beginning: Still Loving You by The Scorpions

______

If we'd go again, all the way from the start I would try to change the things that killed our love Your pride has built a wall, so strong that I can't get through Is there really no chance to start once again?

If we'd go again, all the way from the start I would try to change the things that killed our love Yes, I've hurt your pride, and I know what you've been through You should give me a chance, this can't be the end

I'm still loving you

Tonks and her damn radio…

You didn’t want to open your eyes. Why was every song so fitting for the fucked up disaster known as our life? It had been a week and a half since the two of you arrived in Las Vegas. You hadn’t heard a word from Sirius since leaving London. Of course, you really didn’t blame him. You had given him the tongue lashing of a lifetime.

Sure, you were standing up for yourself but at the same time, you couldn’t help but wonder if you were too cruel? You thought that things were perfect in your relationship. What made Sirius second guess everything, you still had no idea. How he went from being a total slut for you to totally cutting off the love supply was enough to drive you crazy.

“Hey, you’re awake!”

Tonks said eagerly as you sat up and yawned.

“Can you turn that song off?”

Tonks, realizing what was happening immediately made the radio blow up. You blinked before getting out of bed.

“I didn’t say you had to kill the poor thing.”

Tonks shrugged. She needed to make something happen. Remus had sent her a letter saying that Sirius was one miserable bloke at the moment.

“I think that he is regretting his decision.”

Tonks internally muttered about “he damn better be miserable.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think. So, what do you want to do today? We’ve done the gambling thing, the tiger show, the creepy muggle buffets, what else can we do?”

You glanced over your shoulder as you attempted to fix your messy hair.

“How about we go lay by the pool? We planned on going to that cheesetastic nightclub later. I think that we will both need out energy for that.”

Tonks grinned.

“That's a great idea! I’ll go find my bikini.”

30 minutes later…

You lay beside Tonks watching children play in the hotel’s pool. As much as you hated to admit it, you were still a bit sour that you still hadn’t received a letter from Sirius. When you woke that morning, something said today is the day. Apparently, it wasn’t though and tomorrow didn’t look promising either.

“The muggle kids are funny

You chuckled, looking over the top of your sunglasses at a little girl who had clearly pushed her brother into the pool.

“That one is going places.”

You said, with a grin. Tonks nodded.

“The little darling is doing well. I’m going to get a margarita. You want one?”

“Day drinking already?”

You asked with a smirk. Tonks rolled her eyes.

“Hush, we are on vacation. So about that margarita?”

“Yes, get me one.”

You said before laying your head back against the chair and closing your eyes. Maybe a small nap didn’t sound too bad...

It seemed like only two seconds later that Tonks’ chair creaked. You frowned feeling what felt like ice drip down your bikini top. Reaching up, you felt your right breast to figure out what was going on. Maybe a little kid had dripped water from their swimsuit on you.

“Do you always touch yourself when you sleep?

Your eyes snapped open hearing Sirius’ voice. He sat beside you with that snarky grin that made your heart pound.

“Sirius, what are you doing here? The muggles…”

He slipped on a pair of black sunglasses to block those gray eyes that you loved so much.

“They don’t see anything. You look so sexy in that bikini, sugar. I could just eat you up.”

You swallowed as he took off the v-neck t-shirt that he was wearing.

“Aren’t you hot in those jeans?”

You asked, motioning toward those damn black jeans that ruined your pure thoughts. Sirius shook his head.

“Not as hot as you’re about to be.”

“What does that mean?”

You asked stubbornly. Sirius quickly slipped off of the pool chair and to your side.

“It means that I’ve missed you and am about to have my way with you. I am a fucking fool for listening to Snape.”

“Snape?”

You questioned as Sirius pulled you into a soft kiss.

“I’ll explain later. Just focus on us and be a good girl.”

Sirius said in a low raspy voice. You didn’t have to be told twice. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you turned to your side to deepen the kiss. Merlin, you had missed him!

One of Sirius’ hands had wrapped around your right breast and was kneading the plump flesh softly. You had forgotten about all of the muggles, who didn’t seem to see what was happening.

“I love you.”

You whispered against Sirius’ mouth.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

Sirius kept his attention on your face as he reached toward the glass of ice water that was on the table.

“Time for a little cooling off.”

You gasped as Sirius’ hand slipped into your bikini bottom. He pressed the ice cube to your clit; making you want to jump.

“You better be still or all of the muggles will know what I’m doing to you. Do you want them all to see you spread open like this with my hand between your legs?”

You shook your head frantically. Sirius laughed.

“This is Sin City so they shouldn’t be too surprised.”

Sirius said, lowly before going back to sucking at your bottom lip. He continued to tease you with the ice cube. The damned cube rolled over your clit, through your folds, and down to your opening.

“Can we just have sex already?”

You panted. Sirius shook his head.

“Sorry, love. I’ll see you soon.”

You tried to sit up but you were stuck against the pool lounger.

“What? You can’t just leave me like this!”

“Y/n! Hello!”

Your eyes snapped open to see Tonks shaking a margarita. With a scowl, you took the iced drink from your friend and took a few sips

“What's with you”

Tonks asked, sitting down. You groaned.

“Your cousin is a dick, do you know that?”

“What are you talking about?”

Tonks asked, taking a sip of her drink. She had a good feeling about what was going on. Sirius was as desperate for you as you were him. He was finally getting to the point where he had to make his feelings known.

“I was just dreaming but damn it felt so real.”

You tried to keep the dream from your mind as you went through your day. Tonks eagerly chatted about anything and everything as the two of you got ready to head to the nightclub. You didn’t really feel like listening to loud music or dealing with drunk guys hitting on you but it would be better than being stuck in your head.

3 drinks later, you were feeling much better. Tonks was dancing her heart out. You smiled at the thought of how much Remus would love seeing his girlfriend like this.

“Y/n, get some more of those jello shots.”

Tonks called over the loud music. You nodded and stepped to the bar. As you waited for the drinks to be brought to you, your mind went back to the dream. It was probably just a stupid dream. A stupid dream that would probably never happen again. If Sirius wanted anything to do with you, he wouldn’t be ignoring your existence. You were smart enough to know that.

You probably were just a young tight tart to him.

You thought miserably.

“Now I wouldn't say that.”

You jumped as a set of hands grabbed your hips in an all too familiar fashion; followed by a hard body against your back.

“What are you doing here?’

You asked. Sirius tilted your head to the side. He nuzzled his face against your exposed flesh.

The better question was what was he not doing there? You were not home yet and he was going nuts.

“I needed to talk to you. I was hoping in a place a bit quieter and less tacky but you work with what you get.”

You fought the urge to smile. Merlin, you had missed his cheeky humor but you also wanted to play hard to get. Sirius had a lot to make up for!

“Why? What do you honestly have to say to me? You broke up with me, in case you forgot.”

Sirius groaned. You were not about to make this easy for him. Sirius pressed closer to you as he leaned his mouth down next to your ear.

“I’m sorry. I was an idiot. Snape was running his mouth and I should have never listened to him. I want to be yours again.”

You frowned, trying to turn to face Sirius but he wouldn’t let you. He didn’t want you to face him at the moment.

“Snape is wrong. Tonks told me what he said to you. If you believe that man says then you don’t know me at all. I just want you. I don’t have to have a bunch of other crap and I sure as hell won’t get bored with you.”

Sirius’ arms relaxed enough for you to turn. His eyes were dark in the lowlights of the club. You stood on your tiptoes to kiss him gently. Sirius sighed as your fingers reached up and ran through his hair.

“Tell me that you love me.”

He groaned against your lips. You didn’t care that the two of you were close to making out in a very public nightclub. No one else seemed to mind either. They were too busy with whatever they were doing to notice two people making up.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

You whispered, not moving your mouth far from his.

“Damn it, I love you too. We need to get somewhere quiet so I can get my hands on you.”

Sirius said as your hand went to cup the now obvious bulge in his pants.

“Princess, you need to behave yourself or get us back to your hotel room.”

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders before apparitating back to the hotel.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

You said with a smirk. Sirius rolled his eyes and yanked you back against him. This time it was more manhandling you so you could feel how needy and desperate that he was.

“Get this damned dress. Daddy needs some loving.”

You didn’t need to be told twice before quickly getting out of the tight dress. Sirius was busy getting out of his own shirt when you went back to him.

“That didn’t take long.”

He muttered as you took his hand and placed it between your now bare legs.

“Feel how wet I am.”

Sirius stopped all further movement except stroking his fingertips over your folds. You were pleased to see that hungry expression on his face.

“Spread your legs, I really want to feel how wet you are.”

You did as you were told and fought back a moan as Sirius’ hands caressed you fully.

“You really are a bit of a tart sometimes.”

Sirius said, completely pleased. He didn’t want you any other way. Your sex drive was as greedy as his.

Sirius quickly spun you around so your back was against his chest. He tilted your head to the side in order to press fiery kisses to your neck while his hand went back to your entrance to tease you mercilessly. You were so close to coming on his fingers when Sirius stopped. He put his hand on your thigh leaving you gasping with need.

“You should see how wet you are, princess. Your thighs are soaked.”

Sirius left you staring after him as he laid down on the bed. He looked at you with a cheeky smile. You looked almost desperate. If you could formulate words you would have been beginning him to carry you to bed and have his way with you.

She’s all mine.

Sirius thought evilly. You were all his to please, to play with, and to love. Snape would be lucky if he didn’t have to sit and witness the two of you make out for the rest of eternity.

“Come here. I want to make everything up to you.”

You didn’t have to be told twice as you hopped on the bed. Sirius chuckled under his breath as he took his place on top of you. He lifted your right thigh over his hip before changing his mind and placing it over his shoulder.

“Nice and deep....just like our first time.”

He said smugly before pushing in inch by blasted inch. You bit your lip as he lightly thrusted a few times. Sirius had all intents of letting you adjust but once he got the head of his cock inside there as no Mr. Nice Guy. He had to have what was his and no one would stop him.

“Harder, please.”

You whimpered. Sirius leaned down and kissed you chastely.

“Such a sweet girl. I wonder where this dirty mouth comes from though.”

He said in almost a whisper as he ran his index finger over your bottom lip.

“Suck this like you would my cock.”

Sirius groaned. You wrapped your mouth around his finger doing as you were told. Swirling your tongue around the tip before running your tongue on the bottom side; you kept your eyes on Sirius’ face. He was biting his bottom lip and breathing deeply. Between how you were sucking at his finger and taking his cock, it was a miracle that he didn’t come.

You lifted your hips as Sirius pressed all the way in and froze. Both of you were gasping at the pressure of him being completely balls deep inside of you. You were dying for him to move and begging him to stay still at the same time.

Sirius slowly removed his finger from your mouth and rubbed the wet digit on your already aching clit.

“When you have all of me inside you and are all stretched like this....merlin, sugar, you look like such a goddess.”

“Need to come.”

You whined. Sirius adjusted his hips enough to pull out but slam right back in. Your eyes clenched as he quickly seemed to “get to work” with fucking you. The two of you were moaning each moment that your bodies met.

“I want you to feel every inch, baby.”

Sirius growled. At that point, you couldn’t take it anymore. Your body was coming apart and there was no turning back.

Breathing deeply you tried to keep your senses focused until you heard Sirius moan louder. His hips moved forward quickly once more before freezing as his fingers dug into your hips. You sighed as he filled you to the brim and possibly onto the already soaked sheets.

Sirius pulled away from you long enough to lay down. You sighed happily against his chest.

“Now that was the way to make up.”

_______

@brokencasbutt67-writer

@authoressskr

@fandom-trash-worth-it

@hankypranky

@summer-novak

@emiwrites3reads

@shitfaceddaniel

@stuckinsaudi1

@knight-of-gleefulness

@marichromatic

@maggioli-m

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts

@tas898

@li0nh34rt

@shaylybaby2032

@untoldshortsofthefandoms

@deanwherescas

@wontlookaway

@sprnaturallover

#Harry Potter #Harry Potter AU #Sirius Black #Sirius Black x Reader #nymphadora tonks #Remus Lupin #remus x tonks #smut warning #BEN BARNES AS SIRIUS BLACK #ANDREW GARFIELD AS REMUS LUPIN #sirius black au #harry potter fan fiction #au story #reader insert #Tease #Tease update

59 notes · View notes

loveissupernatural · 5 years ago

Photo

“The Man Behind the Mask”

Pt 6

Peter Parker x reader

Warnings: None

Summary: You’ve recently moved to Queens, New York after your father finds a new job with the U.S. government handling alien affairs in the city. You’ve grown up in a small town, and it’s your junior year of high school; culture shock takes a whole new meaning when you’re saved by the famed new web-slinging Avenger - and when you meet a new group of friends at Midtown High that seem to always be hiding something. But things quickly get personal.

Masterlist / Pt 1 – Pt 2 – Pt 3 – Pt 4 – Pt 5

You gave Peter one hell of a farewell after school that day. The buses were lining up to take students home, and you gave Ned a quick hug before turning to Peter with endless emotion in your eyes. You couldn’t put into words how thankful you were to him for his promise to request Spider-Man’s help, but it wasn’t from lack of trying. The burning questions, the ache of the unknown, could finally end for you and your mother – or, at least, the possibility was there.

You gave him a watery smile before wrapping your arms around his neck, pressing your cheek against his unscratched one. His arms welcomed you, and soothed your worry like a balm. For the millionth time that day, you whispered, “Thank you, Peter. So much.”

The faint scent of some sort of cologne (or did he just naturally smell like that?) made you melt against him. Your hand barely brushed the chocolate curls at the base of his neck. He had to know how much this meant to you.

You could’ve sworn his arms tightened when your fingers barely touched the nape of his neck, but you tried not to read too much into it. Your heart was heavy enough already with your father’s situation, so you didn’t need to start looking too deeply into Peter’s feelings about you, in case they weren’t reciprocated. You weren’t sure if you could handle it right now if they weren’t.

“Anything you need,” he whispered back, “let me know, okay?”

Peter Parker was a saint.

You regrettably pulled apart from him, frustrated that you had to end the intimate moment. You pushed down the flurry of butterflies that spread from your stomach to your throat at the way he was looking at you. How could someone be so handsome, yet simultaneously look so puppy-like?

You could’ve sworn you heard Ned mutter something along the lines of “whipped”, but you decided that you’d imagined it.

The sunglasses-donning gorilla dropped you off at your apartment that afternoon instead of at the facility. Your mother insisted that you needed to go sleep in your own bed and escape the stale environment of the prison masquerading as a hospital. She’d looked at your sleep-deprived face that morning and refused to let you argue with her – after all, you had school. You only stopped disagreeing when she promised to text you at least twice a day with updates on your father’s condition.

You wanted with every fiber of your being to be by your father’s side, but you couldn’t ignore the joy of the thought of sleeping on a mattress instead of a much too small, lumpy loveseat. Your back couldn’t take it much longer.

When arriving to your apartment, it felt strangely empty with just you. The sparse furniture and cold grey of the granite countertop reminded you how alone you were. Almost two weeks had passed since you and your family had moved in, but with your mugging scare and your father’s “accident”, not much unpacking was done. You threw your backpack half-hazardly on a living room chair and practically power walked to your bedroom. The memory foam mattress was calling your name.

You pulled out your phone and your thumb hovered over your group text with Peter and Ned. You’d exchanged phone numbers with the two at lunch as soon as it was clear that you all were taking part in a government conspiracy theory. It was obvious to you three at this point that you were lifelong friends.

“I’ll talk to Spider-Man tonight,” Peter had told you quietly after lunch, walking you to your next class. “I’m sure he’ll want to help. He’s dealt with alien-related issues before.”

“Of course he has,” you laughed, joy spreading through your entire body like a sunny day. “Peter, I really appreciate this. I – I realize that this is sensitive information… please let him know that I can be trusted.”

Peter gave you a half-smile, stuffing his hands in the pocket of his jeans. A rogue curl fell to his forehead as he looked at his sneakers. “I think he knows.”

You resisted the urge to hug him again. Your face was still cooling down from the hug at lunch.

You looked up to see that you were at your next class already, and you inwardly cursed. Peter’s presence was like a breath of fresh air, and you hated that you were already parting ways, even if it was only for an hour and a half.

Peter smiled at you, crinkles forming underneath his chocolate eyes. You had an uncanny feeling that he knew exactly how you were feeling.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” he said gently. His voice was like honey.

“Okay,” you nodded, trying to control your urge to smile like an idiot. He nodded and started backing away, maintaining eye contact with you until he had to turn, nearly knocking into someone again. He put his head down in embarrassment at his repeated clumsiness, but you laughed. It was funny how he knew exactly how to make you feel better without even trying.

You bit your lip and clicked on your group text with your friends, sighing. You decided to start the conversation with a gif of Forrest Gump waving “Hi!”. You needed a little humor in your life right about now.

Ned was the first to answer, replying with his own gif of a chubby toddler waving enthusiastically. You giggled. Peter quickly followed with a gif of Jim Carrey’s face covered in tape, waving demurely. You snorted.

So, I’m not at the hospital tonight, you texted. Mom said that I needed to get out of there for a bit. Can’t disagree with her…

That’s good, Peter replied. Hospitals can be the worst.

You wondered about Peter’s experiences with hospitals, but you decided that was a conversation for another day.

What’re you doing for dinner? Peter suddenly asked, and dots appeared by Ned’s name as he was typing.

I don’t know, figured I’d order take out again, you replied. You honestly hadn’t thought about it.

Mom’s insisting on “family dinner”, Ned replied. She won’t let me out of it. Especially since I skipped last week’s to work on our robotics project.

Bummer, Ned, Peter typed. Y/N? Do you want to come over for dinner? Aunt May says that carbs are the best medicine.

Dude, is she making spaghetti? Ned asked almost immediately. He followed with a gif of a sad-looking puppy.

Yeah lol, Peter replied.

DAMN IT! Ned cried.

You pressed your phone to your chest and took deep breaths, your heart racing. Was Peter inviting you over to meet his family? Surely you were reading too much into this. You were a friend in need and Peter was doing what he did best, comforting you.

Sure! I love Italian, you replied with shaky fingers.

Peter replied at the speed of lightening, like he had it typed out already.

7:00, 20 Ingram Street in Forrest Hills, Queens, he sent. You liked the message.

Should I take the subway? You asked. You’d be lying if you said the thought of riding the subway for your first time alone didn’t scare you. Spider-Man was right about you being a magnet for trouble.

Cab, he answered immediately. May says she’ll pay you back for fare.

You insisted that she didn’t need to, that dinner was certainly payment enough. Peter warned you that she would shove money in your hand anyway.

You launched off of your bed, invigorated by the thought of not only not spending dinner alone, but spending it with Peter. You rifled through your closet and instantly hated everything you had to wear. If you were meeting his Aunt, you had to make a good impression, right? You vaguely wondered about the whereabouts of his parents, but decided that was also a conversation for another time. He’d tell you if he wanted to.

You settled on skinny jeans, black booties, and a vintage tee. The last thing you wanted was to seem like you were trying too hard. You made sure that your hair and makeup was done, though – you didn’t want to look like you weren’t trying at all.

You went downstairs and power walked through the lobby, almost out the spinning doors before registering that the man at the front desk asked if you’d like for him to hail you a cab. You nodded shyly.

You read the cab driver Peter’s address from your phone, pleased when he nodded and made a comment that it wasn’t far. You pushed down the joy at the thought of your proximity, and how easy it would be to visit Peter if you wished. But you were getting ahead of yourself.

Your phone dinged with a jokingly sour text from Ned, telling you two to have fun without him, that he’d be miserably stuck listening to his dad’s ramblings about his newest hobby. He insisted that you call an ambulance if you hadn’t heard from him again by midnight, that he’d died of boredom.

In fifteen short minutes, the cab driver stopped in front of a quaint apartment building. You paid him and gave him a decent tip, appreciating the kind conversation he’d made on the way. He was by far the kindest stranger you’d met outside of Midtown High.

Peter texted you an apartment number shortly before you’d arrived. You looked down at your phone, then up the outside staircase. A little exercise never hurt anyone, right?

Wrong, you decided once you’d reached Peter’s floor. You leaned against the stair railing and took a moment to calm yourself and your racing heart. You weren’t sure if it was nerves making your heart thump, or the fact that you’d just climbed four flights of stairs. You decided that it was both.

You checked your reflection using your phone camera one last time, rubbing off a bit of rogue lipstick that had made its way onto your front teeth. You slipped your phone into your purse and approached the numbered door, taking one more deep breath. You could do this.

You raised your fist to knock, but before you could, you heard what sounded like a struggle and heated whispers behind the door.

“Mayyy,” you heard a voice whine, assuming it was Peter’s. He sounded quite put out.

The door flung open to a beautiful middle-aged woman with a full smile. Her brunette hair was tied up in a messy bun that should’ve looked messier, but was just flattering. She wore circular tortoise-shell glasses and loose-fitting patterned pants that you desperately wanted to borrow. She had an effortless beauty about her, and you found yourself wishing that you would age that gracefully.

“Hiii,” she grinned, and her voice was sweet. “You must be the Y/N that I’m hearing so much about.”

You heard a groan and it was at that moment that you noticed Peter a few feet behind her, running his hands over his face and looking completely and thoroughly humiliated.

She seemed to backtrack at his reaction. “Oh – I mean, not that I’ve heard a lot about you. Because then that would mean Peter talks about you all the time and that – that would be weird, right?” She looked back at him as if for approval, but his face was stoic.

You couldn’t fight your amusement at May’s candor, and reached out your hand. “Hi, yeah, that’s me. You’re Aunt May, right?”

“Just call me May,” she smiled, shaking your hand so enthusiastically that her messy bun was flopping. She stepped back and opened the door further to let you in. You liked her already.

The apartment was smaller than yours, but it was warmer and radiated comfort. You much preferred it to the cold, sterile feel of your home. It had echoes of fond memories and laughter. Your nose was greeted by the delectable smell of cooking spaghetti sauce. And to top it all off, there stood Peter, in jeans and a fitted white t-shirt, trying his hardest to smile at you through the embarrassment still etched in his features.

“I love your apartment,” you told May, looking around. You decided to give Peter a moment to regain himself. “It’s so homey.”

“Why, thank you.” She swatted her hand in an ‘it’s nothing’ matter. “It’s not much but it’s treated us well through the years, huh, Pete?”

“Uh, yeah,” he answered lamely, scratching the back of his neck. The movement caught your eye.

May walked by Peter and lightly punched him in the arm, whispering something along the lines of “chill out”; you couldn’t catch the whole thing.

Peter suddenly cleared his throat, as if trying to gather courage. “Thanks for coming, Y/N.” His smile was starting to seem more like the Peter you knew and less totally humiliated.

“Thanks for inviting me,” you quipped, walking toward him and opening your arms for a hug. He gladly accepted, but you kept the hug short since May was watching. The quickness of it didn’t stop the racing of your heart, though.

“So, I heard from a little birdie named Ned that you were making spaghetti?” you asked, turning toward May who was stirring a pot in the kitchen. She looked over her shoulder at you with raised eyebrows.

“That kid can eat more spaghetti than anyone I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something,” she said with amusement. “Even more than Ben.” She paused, then kept stirring. “Uncle Ben,” she explained, “my late husband.”

You frowned, Peter’s comment about hospitals coming back to you. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, it’s fine,” May shrugged, setting down the sauce spoon and turning to another pot that was full of noodles. “It was a few years ago.”

You turned to look at Peter, but he was looking at the floor, an expression on his face that broke your heart. The loss was obviously still fresh for him.

“Is – is it homemade?” you ask quickly, eager to change the subject to anything that would erase that expression from Peter’s face.

“Oh, of course!” May answered cheerily, a smirk on her face that implied gossip was coming. “You can’t move to New York and have Italian food that isn’t homemade – I’d be a disgrace.”

“Too bad spaghetti is the only thing she knows how to cook,” Peter fake-whispered conspiratorially, settling beside you with a playful smirk. You laughed with him, happy that he was out of whatever state of mind he’d been in moments before.

“Hey, I heard that,” May deadpanned, turning off the stove burners and shooting Peter a playful look that feigned offense. You laughed again. You enjoyed Peter and his aunt’s dynamic.

Dinner was lovely, peppered with pleasant conversation. You quickly understood why Ned couldn’t keep his hands away from the stuff. As soon as you took your first bite, you were famished. Lunches of Midtown High’s questionable menu and dinners of the hospital’s goop quickly caught up with you.

“Sorry,” you apologized as soon as you realized how quickly you were eating, patting your mouth with a napkin. You were embarrassed by May’s surprised expression. “I haven’t had a homecooked meal in… well, honestly I can’t remember the last time.”

May’s surprise was replaced by a kind and understanding smile. Peter looked like he couldn’t be happier.

“Well, at least someone likes my food,” she muttered playfully at Peter.

“Oh, c’mon,” he laughed, rolling his eyes.

“So,” May announced after a moment, putting down her fork and wiping her mouth. “Peter says that you’ve met Spider-Man.”

Peter suddenly coughed, choking on his mouthful of pasta.

“You okay, Peter?” you asked, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder. He nodded at you with watering eyes.

“Just w-went down the wrong way,” he said hoarsely, then shot a glare at May that you didn’t understand. You hastily removed your hand from his shoulder.

“I mean,” May said, ignoring Peter’s stare, “he told me what happened on your first night here and all. And then that something happened with your dad. You’ve had a rough go of it, huh?”

You sighed and nodded, swallowing your mouthful of food. “It’s definitely been a whirlwind of drama since I got here, I can’t lie,” you tried to laugh. “But I met Ned and Peter, and they’ve honestly kept me from going crazy. I’ve barely been here any time at all and they’ve supported me like they’ve known me their whole lives.”

Peter watched you, his expression soft. You tried to avoid further eye contact with him, fearing a fiery blush would betray you.

“I’ve got a good one here,” May agreed, squeezing Peter’s arm. He looked down at his plate humbly. A curl fell to his forehead. “Ned and Peter have been best friends since they were kids. And they’re definitely the best kids I’ve ever met.”

“I can agree with you there,” you said, and you didn’t avoid Peter’s gaze this time. Despite the incessant butterflies, you tried to express to him through your eyes how thankful you were to him – for dinner, for going to bat for you with Spider-Man, for his friendship, for everything.

The moment was tender, and you were embarrassed that it took May clearing her throat to knock you out of it.

“You’re welcome here anytime, Y/N, I hope that you know that,” she said, and when you met her eyes, they were knowing. You realized in that moment that she had you pegged – she knew how you felt about Peter, which made you wonder if Peter knew. Were you that obvious? You really wished that you had a better poker face.

“Thank you so much,” you told her, truly thankful.

“I’m always here if you want a homecooked meal,” she added.

“Just the spaghetti though, I’m warning you now,” Peter whispered to you.

She swatted at him. “You know what? I’d appreciate it if you stopped dogging my cooking in front of our guest.” She turned back to you. “Seriously, I don’t like the thought of you holed up in that apartment all by yourself with everything that’s going on. It’s, I don’t know –”

“Lonely?” you finished for her. She nodded.

“Having a support system is the most important thing when dealing with tragedy,” she said, placing a soft hand on Peter’s shoulder. She looked at him with emotion in her eyes. “No one knows that better than Peter and I do.” She squeezed his shoulder and blinked a few times before looking back at you. “So you’re welcome here any time. Really, I mean it.”

You couldn’t put into words how much that meant to you. No wonder Peter was such a giving person, living with a parental figure like May. These people had barely known you for any time at all, and they were opening their home and their hearts to you.

You fought back tears, refusing to cry at Peter’s dinner table. “Thank you,” you managed to say.

May reached out and briefly held your hand. She sniffled, then suddenly clapped, light in her eyes.

“Y/N, did Peter ever tell you about that time he gave himself a wedgie trying to climb over a fence?”

Peter went pale.

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

“We really need to work on our Chemistry project, May,” Peter begged, shooing you out of the kitchen with desperation. May was on her fourth embarrassing childhood story of the night, and poor Peter was about to combust with embarrassment.

You looked at him with amused question, because you were thoroughly enjoying May’s stories. “We have a Chemistry project?” you whispered. Peter was the genius – it was perfectly possible that you’d missed the fact that you two had a project to turn in.

He gave you a pointed look and you suddenly understood why he was trying to get you away from May.

Your mouth formed an ‘O’ and you quickly started nodding. “Uh, yeah, yeah, it’s due next week, and we’re already behind. We – we should really get started. Right, Peter?”

He nodded to his aunt enthusiastically, grabbing his backpack from the floor. “We’re gonna go to my room, okay?”

“Oh,” she deflated, obviously disappointed that story time was over. She put a hand on her hip and shooed you toward the hall. “Go, get started!”

Peter sighed in relief and motioned for you to follow him.

“Hey, and keep the door open!” May called after you two, making Peter furiously blush and run a frustrated hand through his messy hair.

“Duh, May!” he called back, voice cracking. He mouthed an “I’m sorry” to you. You giggled quietly at his pink cheeks.

Peter darted every which way, muttering apologies about the mess, grabbing clothes and papers and shoving them under his bed.

“It’s really no big deal, you should see my room,” you insisted. “It’s a total wreck.”

Peter suddenly grabbed something small and vial-like off of his desk and shoved it into his pocket. He turned to you nervously, and it was obvious that it was something you weren’t meant to notice. You looked at his pocket curiously but decided to shrug it off, respecting his privacy.

“So, tell me about this Chemistry project we’re so desperate to get started on,” you smirked, crossing your arms. Peter coughed out a laugh.

“Sue me for wanting to stop that endless torture,” he breathed. He pulled the chair from his desk and motioned for you to sit, always the gentleman. You obliged. Peter sat on the end of his bed, resting his elbows on his knees. You tried not to look at how wonderfully lean his arms were. For a guy that didn’t play any sports and had a prestigious internship with a famous tech giant, he was surprisingly toned.

Your eyes darted to the ground, hoping against hope that he hadn’t noticed your staring.

“So…” he said slowly, wringing his hands. You decided to look at him, forcing down the blush that was threatening to creep up your neck. “I, uh, talked to him.”

You instantly sat up straighter, watching Peter with rapt attention. “Spider-Man?” you asked hopefully. He nodded, running a hand through his distressed curls. “And? What did he say?”

Peter looked at you cautiously. “He – he told me that he doesn’t think talking to you in person would be a good idea. I mean, since they know it was him who broke in, they’ll probably be looking for him, and since they’re already keeping an eye on you—”

You sighed and nodded in understanding. Spider-Man was right, but you couldn’t help but feel the disappointment in your gut at the thought of not having another early morning visit from the hero.

“He doesn’t want to get caught talking to me,” you finished for him.

“Yeah,” Peter sighed, noticing the disappointment in your tone. “But – but he does want to help, and he, uh, said that he can give you information through me.”

Your eyes lit up, hope returning where it had just vanished. “Really? He said that?”

Peter smiled at your obvious glee, happy to be the cause of it. “Yeah. I, you know, told him how important this was to you. I kind of had to convince him, but he came around.” Peter stretched his arms behind his head proudly, and you couldn’t stop your squeal of excitement.

At Peter’s wide eyes, you quickly quieted down, whispering “sorry!”.

“Haha, yeah, you’re understanding it now!” Peter said loudly, turning his head toward the door. “Good job!” It was evident this was for May’s benefit.

“Oh, man, I owe you one, Peter,” you insisted, your hands cupping your cheeks in sheer disbelief. “I – I don’t know how in the world I’ll repay you..”

Peter had the grace to look humble, but you didn’t miss the slight tint of pink around his ears. “Nah, don’t worry about it. You’ve been covering for me in Chemistry, so…”

You resisted the urge to go hug him again. Honestly, this was such great news that you could kiss him, but the last thing you needed was an excuse to do that, because you’d been wanting to anyway since the moment you’d met.

“Did Spider-Man tell you anything about what was in those files?” you asked quietly, noticing how hot your cheeks had become at the thought of thanking Peter in the way that you wanted to. You tried to change the subject.

“Actually…” Peter rose from his bed and came toward you, kneeling a few inches from you. Your heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings at his proximity, unsure of what he was doing. You let out a breath that you didn’t realize you were holding when he reached toward a desk drawer, opening it and gingerly pulling out a thick yellow envelope labeled TOP SECRET in thick red font. “He gave this to me.”

“Wow, he gave you that?” You couldn’t hide the awe in your voice. “He must really trust you.”

Peter was still kneeling with the file, staring thoughtfully at the words of warning on the front. At this distance, you could really see the cut on his cheek more clearly, and you were amazed to see how much it had healed since lunch today. In fact, it was almost gone.

Peter looked up at you, and as his gaze always did, it made your heart rate quicken. “Well, you know, Spider-Man trusts Mr. Stark, and Mr. Stark trusts me, so…”

You smiled at the pride shining in Peter’s eyes. It was obvious that Mr. Stark’s trust meant the absolute world to him.

“Well, good,” you affirmed, holding his gaze. “I think he’d be an idiot not to trust you.”

Peter’s ears turned a darker shade of pink, and the fact that you were the cause gave you a deep sense of satisfaction.

Peter suddenly held the envelope up in front of his face, so that you could clearly read the bright print. Whether it was for dramatic effect, or because he wanted to hide his blush, you couldn’t be sure.

“Ready to go through it?” he asked, tone almost playful.

You lowered the file from in front of his face and leaned forward in your chair. Your face had never been this close to his before. You could smell that addictive cologne-like scent again, Peter’s scent; a mix of men’s body wash and the slightest hint of sandalwood. He swallowed loudly, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Your eyes followed the action.

It took all the strength you could muster not to kiss him right then. Oh, how badly you wanted to. But not now, not when May could walk in any minute and revoke her “our door is always open” policy. Not to mention, you had no idea how Peter felt about you, and the last thing you wanted was to ruin a friendship with someone as wonderful as him.

You settled for giving him a soft smile, one full of adoration. “Let’s do this, Parker.”

Pt 7

Tags: @rivaea @starksparker @its-nikki-bitch

If you’d like to be added to the tag list, DM me!

73 notes · View notes

vinatintasupernovita · 5 years ago

Note

Hello, sorry that I’ve sent so many of these! But I had an idea. What if the reader tries to teach war about a weapon and how to use it, without knowing who/what she is. And war goes along with it before eventually just showing off and correcting the reader on their teaching.

You don’t gotta apologize, these are actually a whole lot of fun and it’s helping pass the time!

“Carmine, c’mere!” You call from the other room.

You and your girlfriend Carmine Zuigiber, better known by her colleagues and not by you as War, had been having a movie night- Legally Blonde, her choice- when your Amazon package had been delivered. To which you quickly paused the movie and ran to the door because you had been waiting for this package for what felt like forever but what really was about two business days.

You ordered a throwing dagger, about 9 inches long and very fancy, as it was even engraved. You had taken a couple knife throwing classes a few summers back and thought to yourself ‘screw it’ before ordering a new knife. It was very pretty, and you were more than excited to show off your skills.

Now, your girlfriend was also very good with weaponry. She was War afterall. Not that you knew that, of course. You had been together a little under a year, and War wasn’t one to rush such a big reveal as “I’m actually an ancient being of chaos and bloodshed created for the sole purpose of one day helping bring about the end times”. To you, she was just Carmine, spunky reporter for a world-renown news organization. And as far as you knew, she had never touched a knife like this in her life.

“Ohh, it’s pretty.” She said as she walked over. “Wanna test it out?”

“What, in the apartment?” You asked.

“Eh, knives are just big darts.” She said as she scoped out the room. “You still have that old gym mat you don’t use, right? With the sun on it? It’ll make a good target.”

“I totally use it.” You protested as she gave you a look. A “don’t lie to me, I know the truth” kinda look. You huffed. “..Yes I still have it.”

“Go get it and i’ll clear some space for you.” War said as you set down the dagger and went to your junk room.

When you emerged about 5 minutes later, covered in a thin layer of dust and carrying a bulky, unused gym mat, you were slightly surprised how quick War was at cleaning. Little miracles never really hurt, did they?

“Ok set it up right here-“ War helped you move the now-opened mat up against the wall and secure it. “That should keep the wall from getting fucked up.”

“Thanks hon.” You said as you got your dagger back and looked at it. “Step back, this is super dangerous.”

“I’m steppin.” War chuckled a bit as she moved back and watched you throw the knife. It landed in the mat, snuggly placed near the outer edges of the sun. “Nice aim.”

“Oh that’s so much fun!” You said gleefully as you went and pulled it free.

“Mind if I have a go at it?” War asked as you came back over.

“Yeah, of course. Want me to show you?” You handed her the knife.

“Sure babe.” She said. Really, she knew more about weaponry than you ever would, especially things like blades. Knife throwing was a piece of cake, but she wanted to humor you.

War lined up with the mat and you took her dominant arm in your hands, motioning it to throw.

“You gotta keep your balance and throw like you’d throw a baseball.” You said as you demonstrated for her, incorrectly might I add. “And don’t second guess. When you throw it, just let it fully go.”

“Ok, I got you.” War said as she looked at the smiling sun mat and intended to hit it right in the middle of it’s cartoon sunglasses. She arched her arm back behind her head before releasing forward, sending the blade flying. It hit right on the mark, but only because she actually knew what she was doing. Whoever had taught you clearly needed their license revoked, because they weren’t teaching proper technique.

“Woah! Bullseye!” You cheered. “Carm, that was great!”

“It’s nothin.”

“Nothing?” You repeat. “Carmine you hit it on your first try! I couldn’t even do that after three lessons.”

“Wonder if it’s just beginners luck?” War said, knowing for a fact it wasn’t. She got the knife back from its spot and tossed it in the air with a spin, catching the handle. The sight of which made your heart skip a beat. “Let’s see..”

She threw it again, it hitting another bullseye. And again, and again, and again! At this point she was just showing off. Which, she was fine with. You clearly were enjoying the show.

“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” You asked. “You’ve done this before.”

“Yeah, you could say I have.” She said. “Want me to teach you a trick to always hit it in the center?”

“Show me.” She placed the dagger in your hand and lead it back as you did for her.

“Imagine the target as head of your worst enemy.” She said. “Take all the pent up anger towards them. And hit it.” For War, that could’ve been a number of people. A lot of Romans had gotten on her nerves back in the day.

You took a deep breath and tried as she instructed.

Bam! Right on target.

“See? I knew you could do it.” War chuckled as you looked so excited, kissing your forehead.

“Thanks, Carm.” You said, looking at her with a glitter in your eye.

Later on, when you finally learn the truth, that day’s events will play back in your head, and a lot of things will make a lot more sense.

#good omens #war x reader #war good omens #good omens x reader #this is for the wlw

39 notes · View notes

scentedsongrebel · 5 years ago

Text

CHASE (1)

Pairings: Thief! Bucky Barnes * Thief! Reader (female)

Summary:“Mr. ‘B’ world renounced thief, they call him an artist you see.” He laughs, one devoid of humor and pushes his hair off his forehead as he brings his hand in front of his face, all his fingers touch his thumb to make the ‘fox’ shape from them.

“The beauty with which he crafts his muse. Every robbery a new piece of art. Every stroke careful and planned. Every scheme drawn with precision. He takes pride in his master pieces”.

He shakes his head, his lips setting in a firm line.“For me, well he is just a pity thief. And who better to know a thief than one herself”

Word Count: 3197

Warnings: Robbery, mentions of robbery, Violence, Gun shooting, some cursing…. maybe?

Chapter 1

Dressed in formal this time, he moves through the airport crowd smoothly, without garnering any attention.

He runs his hand through his dark hair, cut short this time to blend in. He also has a little stubble going on which he thinks makes him look years older as he catches a glimpse in one of the design mirrors on the airport walls.

His flight isn’t scheduled for another 3 hours but he likes to be early, prepared and out of the main city as soon as possible.

He hears a young boy arguing over at the check-in counter for a possibility to get a flight before 7 am to which the lady shakes her head telling him the earliest they have available is for 10 am.

The boy runs his hands through his hair roughly as he pulls at the roots moving out of the line.

James (today Robert) moves forward and hands over his ticket and id card getting himself a pass.

He moves to sit on one of the chairs as he waits for the time of his flight that leaves at 4 am. Its 1:00 right now.

As he gets comfortable to read with smugness the article about his achievement and yet another failure of the police, his eyes drift to the news going on on the television.

“Mr. ‘B’ informs CNN of his next target” it reads and James’ eyebrow raises in amusement.

“Just right now” the lady on the news channel says as she sits on the desk at her office “We got a call from the famous thief Mr. ‘B’ informing our news channel of his next target right here in the city-

James folds his newspaper as a smile graces his lips. This is interesting. And while he knows this is a bad idea, he stills looks around.

He always did love a challenge.

—————————

The young boy is suddenly informed of a last minute cancellation and availability on the 4 am flight.

He won’t miss The tennis match.

God bless whoever cancelled last minute.

_——————

Darkness and excess of security. A swap here and running behind the pillar before a guard can turn around, you navigate yourself through the museum before making way towards your target through the AC vents that have been closed for a while but you have your ways. The tiny particles of dust dance around as you navigate through the narrow tunnels.You would have been a sneezing mess if it weren’t for your face mask.

As you wipe the bead of sweat flowing down your chin under your black face mask, you smile at the ease with which you secured your target.

You jump down almost from the top of the room skillfully and look towards the target you were here for.

She’s beautiful. They say she belonged to Cleopetra herself. Gifted to her by one of her lovers. They say her beauty is nothing compared to her owner and suddenly you understand the egyptian men’s attraction for her.

The green diamond shines in the dimly lit room emanating a beautiful glow. For a minute you stay in your position just admiring the beauty before yourself.

The moment last only a short while before you realize your mission and rush you get your hands on the diamond.

“You don’t want to do that”

You quickly whip your head to the source of the voice and look straight at him. Clad in full black shealth suit and a face mask different from yours. While your covers your entire face only leaving a long patch for the eyes, his is more revealing like an eye mask people wear at those fancy parties. His head in covered in a black hat matching both your suits.

He seems to be eating a sandwich. Which he quickly finishes and wipes his mouth with a tissue paper

He stands up pocketing the napkin

“Motion detectors” he points towards the necklace. He then produces a pair of sunglasses “Wanna see?” He asks as he places the sunglasses on your nose so you can see through it

Just as he said red laser lines run parallel to each other around the necklace

“Infra red rays” he takes his sunglasses back “the moment you go to touch the necklace, an alarm would be set off and” he points towards the several gates lining the walls “Atleast three guards from each door would come rushing”

You look at him raising your eyebrows but realize he probably won’t be able to see them because of your mask but he somehow knows you figure going by his smile

“I’m a professional” he stretches his arms “I know how these security dudes think”

You look at him trying to gauge your next move but he is quicker

“You wanna steel it” he shrugs “it’s yours to steel”

You raise your eyebrow again

“Nah this thing is not even on my list” he starts to move closer to you and produces something from the pocket of his skin tight black vest

You quickly take up a defencive stance preparing to reach out for your knife but then he raises his arms in front of you and you realize it’s just a chocolate. He tears the wrapper from his gloved hands and takes a bite

“Oh no need for weapons dude” he says as he takes another bite “I’m just hungry” he brings it towards you “protein bar?”

You shake your head and look back towards the thing trying to decipher your next move. He continues eating

“When you’re done with the analysis just thought I’d tell you, the moment you touch the object, 12 mili-ampere current beams would shoot throught those holes in the walk” he points all around the room “one hit and BOOM paralysis” your eyes widened and he smiles at you taking another bite of his protein bar “temporary hopefully”

You look at the thing again not out of options. This was more difficult than you anticipated. Time to think of something new

He smiles as he observes you going through an internal debate

“Confused” he mocks and you glare at him “you should be, its really a difficult position, I can help”

You look at him with furrowed brows

“Well honey” he mocks “This seems to be a highly one sided conversation. How am I supposed to work this if you won’t talk to me”

You only glare and he finishes the last of his protein bar pocketing the wrapper and zipping his pocket close

He adjusts his mask that only covers his eyes and rubs his hands

“Okay so here’s how this goes” he seems serious suddenly “You tell me why you used my name, I help steel this and its mine cause you used my name and its kinda the main rule of this profession 'you steel it in my name its mine”

He tilts his head and gives you a dark smile that screams trouble and you feel your heart increase its speed

“You may wanna start talking”

You look around amd your eyes suddenly lock on the cctv camera on the top of the room

“Hacked” he says and you turn to look at him “all they can see is this sword undisturbed and right here without us in the frame, we have approximately” he looks at his wrist watch “ 15 mins before they figure it out, so you better get talking”

You look around trying to find a way to catch him off guard but he is faster as he pins you to one of the walls

“Why did you use my name”

His face is really close to yours and you feel your heart rate increase trying to look around but he forces your face to look at him right in the ocean blue eyes

“I-I ” you try to say and he smiles again. You suddenly hate the curve of his lips.

“You?” He mocks and there is a sudden jolt of anger in you at him

You kick him in the shin and catch him off guard moving away from him. He tries to get back at you removing his gun from his thigh holster but you stop him

“Stop threatning and I will talk” he smirks and signals you to continue. You run your hand over your face and continue “I just knew you would be hot and right now, I feel you are hoter than I thought”

He makes a face and you’re sure his eyebrows are raised under that mask

“I mean dude” you move your hands around suddenly excited “You are like the Merly Streep of our world, I mean like totally top, top of the charts”

He smirks at that

“I have always looked up to you” you smile but you’re sure he can’t see it through your mask “I kinda really wanted to meet you and I have a preposition for you and you can’t say no to”

His smirks widens and he crosses his arms “Go on”

“You see like Sherlock needs Dr. Watson, like Cory Mattews and Shawn Hunter, like Chandler Bing and Joey Tribianni, like - like” you click your fingers as you try to come up with more “like like Tom and Jerry everyone needs a partner in crime. You know a little help indeed and well” You motion towards him from both your hands then at yourself “What about a literal partner in actual crime”

He actually lets out a laugh at that and shakes his head

“No thanks”

“What no dude listen” you move towards him “you need me, you maybe famous world-wide but me” you smile “The best of the best locally. Brooklyn has never seen a talent like me”

“I’m just fine by myself” he shakes his head and then moves towards you and bends down so you two are nose to nose “A theif is brilliant only by himself, no threats of betrayal”

Your heart suddenly starts accelerating its speed and you are not sure if it is because of his words or his closeness

“I-I” he turns around and looks at the item

“5 mins left Brooklyn’s best theif” he smirks “Maybe you can show me how good a partner you can make”

You smile at his words and move your hand in through the holes for your eyes in your mask and reach your hand to your hair to pull out a hair pin

“Duck” you scream quickly and he is fast to follow as you both get down on your knees and you throw the hair pin towards the artifact. Several alarms start blazing and just as he said 3 guards each enter running towards the room with huge guns

They corner you both from all sides and you make eye-contact with your fellow theif before you smirk and you are pretty sure he knows you are beneath the mask as you ignore the warnings of the guards to stay on your knees and hands behind your back as you reach for the artefact, clicking the button on your belt that pulls you up towards the vents through the ropes you hand installed and you barely get a glimpse of the guards falling down as the laser beams shoot out and hit them.

You don’t see what happened with the other before you make your way through a different path in the vents you came from and get down towards the back of the museum quickly. Just as you pocket the diamond you hear footsteps running towards you from your right and make eyecontact with a red-head woman not in her uniform but clearly a police inspector

She produces her gun and speaks in her ear-pieve “Steve I have him in the C corridor” She slowly moves towards you with the gun raised “Hands up”

You move your hands up in surrender before there is a gun shot from behind you that hits the red-head right in her hands and she drops the gun screaming in pain.

Before you know it, you body is pushed against thick arms and engulfed and being pulled thorugh the corridors. More officers run down the halls and try to shoot at the teo of you but he is faster and is anticipating each and every move and none even get a glimpse of you both.

Suddenly you are dropped in a corner and and you hear footsteps run away from you. Did he just leave you to run away? What the hell. You feel your pockets and the diamond is gone. Great.

Just as more officers almost reach you, you stand up and decide if you should run before someone has a gun pointed at your back.

“Got him” this guy says to those in front of you through the dark and moves your hand behinx your back and handcuffing “Though he had another one with him, shot officer romanoff, you might wanna catch that one I think he has the diamond”

“You got this?” One if the officer asks him

“Ya” he says “this one seems the weaker one” there is a playfullness in his voice and you immediately recognize that voice and your eyes widen. He moves his head toward your ear and whispers “Be quiet”

The other guys leave to chase 'your partner’ and he guides you through an exit you hand no idea even existed and before you know it you are out of there and quickly pushed in the passenger seat of a car, hands still in hand-cuffs.

Just as he starts the car you get a good look at the guy and your eyes widen as you get a look at the guy in his police uniform and thick mustach. He smiles at you and moves through the traffic. Leaving behind the sirens and commotion around the museum.

“The robbery was brilliant” he says as you hit the highway after a while “perfect in all sense except the running away part, need'ta work on that, you know most important part of being a theif, execution is important and all but if you get caught,everything is in vain.”

“O-okay?” You say now actually really scared and trying to decipher where he was taking you

“Well I’m known for my running away skills and as my partner, you will be too soon”

He genuinely smiles at you and you smile back trying really hard to mask the fear you actually feel in the moment and try to appear excited.

“Also Tom and Jerry were kinda enemies rather than partners in crime”

A small short lived laugh escapes your lips.

————–

“I really thought you betrayed me” The blonde says as he stands besides you at the concert, the music blazing through the speakers

“And go where” you glare at him “not many places left where I could go and your men are not around”

“Kinda need to do that” he shrugs “can never fully trust you not to run away”

“Great makes me feel so special” you say and wince as the rapper takes some verse and the girl besides you loses it, screaming her love for him

“Did we really have to meet here” you ask covering your ears as he continues looking forward and shakes his head

“Crowded places reduce the risk of him seeing you with me and getting suspious”

You nod

“So what is his plan” officer Rogers then asks folding his arms on his chest

“Plans?” You shrug “I don’t know. It has been just 2 days since we met you really think he will tell me every one of his plans?”

He sighs and shakes his head

“And it is all your fault” you hiss through the noice “You were supposed to catch him there I did everything.” You move your hands around exasperated “distracted him with the partner proposal, took the diamond and ran the way you told me to and was even surrendering to your officer”

He glares back “you got her shot, Agent Romanoff is one of my best officers and now she has to go through all these physiotherapies before she can even hold a gun”

“I got her shot??” you look at him disbelievingly “he shot her and took me”

He just shakes his head and you sigh

“Listen he is coming here today so just catch him and let me off this”

“Ya right arrest him for making friends with you cause that is a real crime” he shakes his head “Listen to me carefully Y/N you cannot catch a theif without proof and theifs like him, leave no proof, unless we actually catch him during the robbery we have nothing against him”

You shake your head “What am I supposed to do now after you failed so miraculously”

“Be his partner” your eyes widen “report his every move, his plans, everything back and help us catch him”

“No- I-I can’t do that” you yell through the youngsters singing the rap with the rapper

“Yes you can and you will” he says sternly “Listen I know its hard but now you are deep in it and you are my best chance, also you have to do this if you really want to avoid the atleast 10 year prison sentence which would come if I by mistake provide the jury with your file. Just saying”

His threat almost causes tears to form in your eyes but you hold it in as you cross your arms

“What will he do to me if he finds out” you whisper and even through the noice he hears you

“He will kill you” BOOM the loud screeches of the drum signalling the end of the song accompany his words and you nod trying to hold back the tears.

“Stay in contact” he says and then he’s gone. You don’t even try to see where he went, instead trying to calm your racing heart

It is another song that has kids in front of you going crazy as the singer- you don’t even remember the name- of removes his shirt and throws it to the audience”

A body pushes against yours and this hippy guy with shoulder length hair in just a halve sleeved jacket shimmering in some design opened up to reveal his shirt-less torse (which btw is swoon worthy), his arms bathed in different bracelets and rings smiles at you through his teeth to reveal his lip piercing.

You frown and turn back to look at the stage before he tries to gather your attention again

“Hey its me” your eyes widen and you look at him again and he smiles. You can recognize that voice anywhere

“You changed your look again” you scream as you look around

“Kinda my thing” he shrugs and then offers you the plastic glass in his hand

“No thanks” you shake your head

“Take it” he forces the glass in your hands and you look inside to find no drink in it instead a paper of some sort “Ticket, for the plane and the passport is beneath it, don’t be late”

And with that he is gone just as the singer bids his goodbye.

—————————-

#bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes angst #bucky barns x reader #bucky fluff #bucky imagine

13 notes · View notes

count-yeti · 4 years ago

Text

$1,250 for a house… what a steal. After I got out of prison, I never thought I’d get any kind of fortune in life again. Getting imprisoned for 3 years for a crime you didn’t commit can make a guy lose his hope in life, but now I felt like my miserable life was starting to look up again. After riding the buses for 4 days, I reached a small town called Millersboro, in the middle of no where in Connecticut.

The town oozed that New England small town feeling, with the town’s square looking straight out of a picture book. It made me like I should be going out to see to hunt whales. Instead, I was hunting for a place to live. I spent half the afternoon walking from the library to the small plot of land just at the edge of the town where the house I was planning on buying was. The house was surrounded by a small thicket of woods, probably only 4 or 5 acres in size.

The house looked just like the pictures showed it: the shutters had all fallen off, the windows were all broken, half of the front door was missing, and the roof sagged over the small porch in front. There was ivy covering much of the sides of the house, and there was a small garden on the east side that had long since become overgrown with weeds and grass.

The listing on the website had said no one had lived in the house since the mid 90s, when the last owners sold it to the bank without any warning and was never seen again. It looked like it had been much, much longer since anyone had lived in the small house.

While I was looking around, a car came rolling down the rough gravel path towards the house. Out of the car got a small, thin man in an ill-fitting, but expensive, looking suit and a magnificent mane of blond hair. He wore stylish sunglasses on his face, and had a very well trimmed beard.

“Ha, I own the boys at the office some money,” the man said with a kind laugh.

“Are you the realtor?” I asked him.

“Am indeed. Mitchell Opel’s the name, what’s yours?” he replied, looking me up and down from behind his dark glasses.

“Josiah Weston, though most people call me Joss,” I answered.

“Right then, Joss! You’re looking to buy this house then, eh? I gotta warn you, the rumours say it’s haunted,” he said in a fake, overly serious voice.

“A house is a house, and unfortunately this is all I can afford,” I sighed.

“Ah, rough times?” he said, shaking his head sadly. “Well then, I wish you luck with your new home, if you’re taking it.”

“I’ll take it,” I answered.

“Excellent! I’ll get the paperwork from my glovebox,” he said in an excited voice.

He brought the paperwork and slapped it on the hood of his car. Though he spoke in a very exaggerated and over the top way, he seemed to be a thorough and serious guy when it came to his work, and it took longer than I expected to get done with the paperwork. In the end, I was left with a run down house and roughly $500 dollars to my name.

“Ah, here’s my card, Joss. Call me if you need anything. And welcome to our town! We’re pleased to have you,” Mitchell said with a big smile as he shook my hand.

“Actually, there is something…” I said.

“Oh, what’s that?” he cocked his head.

“Do you know anyone who might let me borrow their truck so I can drive around looking for garage sales to get some cheap furniture?” I asked.

“Why, I have a truck I’ve been meaning to fix up for years. My wife’s been bugging me to get rid of it. If you’re buying this place, then I imagine you don’t have much to spend, so I’d be willing to let you have it for uh… $25,” he answered with a smile.

“I’ll take it, too. What’s wrong with it?” I said.

“You ask that after you agree to buy it?” he said, a good humored grin on his face as he shook his head. “Anyway, the engine needs some work, and I think that’s about it, really. Might need some other fixes, but it shouldn’t cost you too much to fix it up. I’ll pay for a tow truck to bring it out here for you.”

“That would be awesome, thanks,” I said with a grateful sigh.

“Until then, I don’t mind driving you around to look for some things,” he told me.

“No, I couldn’t impose on you like that, you’re working,” I declined.

“Oh, it’s no big deal! You’re the first person we’ve had in 3 days. Besides, it’s break time,” he pressed further.

“I guess I’ll take you up on that ride,” I accepted.

“Great! Get in! Oh, and here’s the keys to the house, not that they do much good since, well, you saw the front door,” he laughed.

I got in the passenger seat and took the keys he offered me. His car was neatly detailed, and though it was an older model, looked like it had just rolled off the assembly line. He drove me around for about 30 minutes before we reached the house of one of his friends, who he knew was having a garage sale. I looked around and bought a small dining room table and some metal folding chairs, as well as two lamps and a desk fan. All the items I’d bought totaled $75, a total steal. They fit very snugly in Mitchell’s car, but after putting down the seats in back there was some room to spare.

With those things in the car, we returned to my new home, and Mitchell helped me set things up. There was a wood burning stove in the kitchen, which meant that I would be able to cook at the very least, but other than that there were no appliances in the kitchen. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all one contiguous area, with a two small doors leading to the only bathroom in the house, and one to the only bedroom. The bedroom contained a mattress that looked like a 6th grader’s science project, and Mitchell helped me drag it out of the house. The bathroom had a busted toilet, a similarly busted sink, and a large tub.

“The outside of the house looks just like the pictures, but the inside is kind of worse,” I coughed after wiping a bunch of dust off of the counter.

“Yeah, it does. It looks really dirty, but it doesn’t look dangerous, at least,” Mitchell said optimistically.

“That’s true, that’s true,” I responded.

“Well, I think I best get going. See you later, Joss,” Mitchell said with a smile and a wave as he exited through the front doorway.

After Mitchell had left, I had very little to do. I found an old broom in a small closet in the bathroom, and used it to sweep up the leaves and other things that lay all about the house. It took quite a bit of work to do, and by the time I was done, the sun had nearly set. With darkness falling, I realised that while I had bought a table and some chairs, I had nothing to sleep on. I sighed, put the broom away, and laid down on the ground. I was nearing sleep when I heard a car come crunching up the gravel path, and figured it was Mitchell. I got up and saw his car, and wondered why he’d come to see me.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” he said when he saw me on the porch.

“Actually, I was about to get to sleep,” I replied, rubbing my eyes.

“I see. Well, I’m glad I got you before you actually did. I went looking through some of my old stuff I don’t use anymore, and found a nice sleeping bag. I realised you had nowhere to sleep, and while I didn’t have a mattress for you, a sleeping bag is better than sleeping on the floor!” he laughed, taking a rolled up sleeping bag out of the back seat of his car.

“Thank you once again, you’ve been a big help,” I said gratefully as I took the sleeping bag from him through his open car window.

“No problem! Oh, the tow truck will be coming by tomorrow to drop off the truck,” he said as he stuck his head out the window as he was backing up.

I rolled out the sleeping bag on the floor in the bedroom, and crawled inside and fell asleep almost immediately. That night, I had a crazy dream: a woman whose face was obscured by blackness was banging her fists against a mirror. In the mirror, I also saw my own reflection. I could tell that her mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear any of the words she was saying. The dream faded, and I was in another dream. The same woman was sitting at the head of a small dining table in a house that looked suspiciously similar to my own. The rest of the room was devoid of anything, except a mirror sitting face down on the table before the woman. From somewhere I couldn’t see, a man dressed all in black, whose face was similarly obscured by blackness, walked up to the woman, who began screaming a silent scream. The dream faded once more, and I saw the same woman again. She was standing stalk still in the middle of a dark room, and she seemed to be looking right at me. She said something, but though I could hear her, the words sounded like a jumble, and I couldn’t understand her. She held up a mirror, and I woke up.

#my writing #lj/

1 note · View note

7-wonders · 6 years ago

Text

As Above, So Below Ch. 13

Summary: Your average, mundane life as a college student is flipped upside down when the man you thought you knew as your next-door neighbor turns out to be the God of the dead. When Michael lures you down to Hell, everything that you thought you knew about the world is proven wrong.

Word Count: 3666

A/N: This chapter’s a lot happier than the last one! I’m also extremely pleased with how this one turned out. Feedback is always appreciated; leave me a like, reblog or comment if you liked it! My inbox is always open if you want to chat.

Out of all of the bad things that come along with almost dying, the sudden ‘caring’ attitudes of family and friends you hardly know is one of the worst. Since your release from the hospital a couple of days ago, you’ve been inundated with texts and calls from people who you didn’t even know had your phone number. Classmates who haven’t talked to you since the day you graduated high school flood your social media, all saying how “you’re the sweetest person I know” and that “I know we haven’t talked much recently, but…” It’s sickening, how people flock to tragedies just so they can say they’re connected.

However, being on the brink of death does bring visits from your favorite family members whom you haven’t been able to see for extended periods of time, due to one reason or another. There truly is nothing like being critically ill to bring a family back together. Today, you’re lucky to have one of your favorite family members stopping by for a long-overdue visit.

John Henry Moore, your mother’s cousin and one of your most beloved ‘uncles,’ is one of the so-called outcasts of your family. He’s constantly gone on shady business, teaches at a boys’ boarding school in the middle of a desert in California, and supposedly dabbles in the dark occult. He’s elegant, well-spoken, and totally weird; you love him dearly.

“You’re looking well, darling niece.” John Henry says, swinging the porch swing you’re both sitting on. A rare rainstorm has been drenching the city all day, leaving the sky gloomy and the the air smelling sweet.

“You don’t need to lie to me, Uncle John.” You smirk, knowing that you’re as pale as a ghost and still pretty weak.

“I promise you I’m not. Considering you almost died, the mere fact that you’re alive and smiling is incredibly good to see.” John Henry chuckles when a sudden clap of thunder has you jumping slightly, settling his hand on top of yours. “Something troubles you, (Y/N). What is it?”

You look at him in surprise, his intuition just as strong as you’ve always known it to be.

“You’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you.” You say finally, looking him in the eyes. John Henry smiles slightly, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge you.

“Try me.”

“Uncle, do you believe in witches and warlocks? Magic?” He doesn’t look shocked, or incredulous. Instead he grins, turning to face you.

“It appears there’s something I need to tell you, as well.”

From here you tell him the entire story. Your meeting with Michael, how he lured you down to a Hellmouth and brought you to the Underworld. The prophecy about you that had been written thousands of years ago. Learning magic and accepting your fate, as well as your relationship with Michael and the second prophecy that almost got him killed. In return, John Henry tells you his own dirty little secret. He’s a powerful warlock who teaches at a school for warlocks and serves on a secret council that oversees all of the witches and warlocks in the world.

“So you’ve met Hecate, then?” John Henry asks, lips twitching.

“I have. She’s...my friend.”

“A lot to handle, isn’t she?”

“You’ve met her, too?” Your eyes twinkle at knowing that other people have had the joy of meeting Madison.

“Hecate is the mother of magic and witchcraft. As a member of the council, I am in frequent contact with her.” He stands, crossing over to the railing and leaning against it as he looks out at the Murder House. “So, you’re supposed to be the Queen of the Underworld?”

��Apparently.” You smile sheepishly. “I didn’t believe it at first, either, but it’s true. I’ve seen how it works.”

“But a second prophecy makes it impossible for mortals to survive in the Underworld.”

“Even though I’m supposed to rule the Underworld, I also can’t survive there as a mortal. I’ll die down there, but if I’m not down there Satan will use Michael to blur the lines between the living and the dead and start the Apocalypse.”

“Well, it appears you’re facing a true catch-twenty two.” He says dryly, lighting a cigarette with his pyrokinesis.

“Not even Madi-Hecate has been able to find a loophole around these two prophecies. I’m a mortal, and I’ll forever be a mortal. Unless you can find a stray vampire that would be willing to change me?” You joke, attempting to use humor as a coping mechanism.

“No, no nice vampires at least.” John Henry takes a couple of deep drags from his cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs for as long as possible before releasing it. It’s a very Madison-esque move, and it’s one that has your heart clenching painfully for your second home. “Let me ask you something, (Y/N). Obviously, your reasoning behind wanting to return to the the Underworld lies in the fact that you do not want to inadvertently trigger the Apocalypse, which I understand and am fully behind. But, is there a small part of you that has an ulterior motive?”

“An ulterior motive?” You question, watching as a conspiratorial smile spreads on his face.

“Do you...do you love Hades?”

“I don’t think so?” You say hesitantly. “I like Michael a lot, and I like him romantically, but we had only just started expressing our affection for each other a few days before I got sick.”

John Henry nods half-heartedly, and you can tell he’s thinking. What about, though, you’re not quite sure. Everytime you want to interrupt and ask what’s on his mind, his facial expressions change completely. It’s almost like he’s having a conversation with himself, and it makes him look like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

“I think that I might have an idea.” He says suddenly, causing you to shoot up (well, shoot up as quickly as a person still recovering from sepsis can) off of the swing.

“Really?”

“I need to gather some supplies, but I should be back within a half hour. I’ll meet you back here.” With that he disappears dramatically, off to go and get the aforementioned supplies.

Your uncle is a man of his word, and 35 minutes you’re sitting on the bottom step in the basement of the Murder House while John Henry sets up the supplies he had left to grab.

“So you’re making an altar?” You ask, taking in the different colored cloths that sit on the small table.

“Hecate is very particular when it comes to being summoned. She requires a lot, which really isn’t that surprising. Three cloths: black for the Underworld, red for the middle world, and white for the upper world.” With each color, he picks up the corresponding cloth and spreads it out, placing items on top of each one. “Animal bones go on the black, wine on the red, and a plant on the white.”

“Something dead, something stagnant, and something growing?” You guess. John Henry looks over his shoulder, smiling at you.

“Very good. The three stages of life.”

The candles he’s set up around the altar all light up suddenly when he snaps his fingers, and he holds his hands out with his palms facing the ground. He starts chanting, switching easily between Latin and English whenever the incantation calls for it. When the wind from the Hellmouth reaches the main part of the basement and blows the candles out, the chanting only increases. You hum happily upon smelling the familiar scents of lavender, smoke, and dirt, nose seeing Madison before your eyes do.

“Well, well, well, it’s been an awfully long time since I had a warlock summon me.” Madison’s standing before John Henry, sunglasses perched on her head and black lace dress rustling in the wind. “Why does it not surprise me that the only tolerable warlock I’ve met in ages is associated with you, (Y/N)?”

You stand up, but choose not to pull your friend into a hug when she’s here on official business. John Henry’s head is bowed in respect as Madison relights the candles, an apparent sign for him to look back up.

“John Henry Moore is my uncle.” You explain, smiling when she smirks.

“Hecate, I thank you for choosing to receive my offerings.” He speaks up, causing you both to look at him.

“Why have you summoned me here today?” She asks.

“I think I may have a way for (Y/N) to return to the Underworld without being harmed anymore, at least long enough for Satan to be defeated.”

“How?” Madison’s intrigued, and you are too.

“The Seven Wonders. If (Y/N) truly does possess both light and night magic, then it should be a given that she’ll pass the Seven Wonders. You’ll still be mortal, but there will be a part of you that is the Supreme. You’ll be able to stay in the Underworld for a longer amount of time before the effects start to reach your mortal being, and thus, you’ll be able to defeat Satan.” Madison looks surprised at this suggestion, but you bite your lip in worry.

“Uncle, are you sure I’m strong enough? I can barely walk without getting winded, and not to mention that I couldn’t do any sort of magic when I attempted it in the hospital.”

“You were on so many drugs in the hospital, it doesn’t surprise me that your magic was repressed. The more Wonders you complete, the more vitality you experience. Think of it as levelling up. Each time you are successful, you’re healed in some way. The Supreme is meant to be the picture of a strong witch, and your magic won’t allow you to be so ill.” You’re more than shocked when Madison defends John Henry’s’ suggestion.

“What happens if I fail?”

“You won’t. I know you won’t.” Madison and John Henry both stare at you as you consider what you’re about to do.

Six of the Seven Wonders don’t scare you at all; if you fail, everyone will just find a different way to stop the Apocalypse. If you fail at descensum, however, that’s it. Game over. You’ve seen the consequences of failing that wonder, and it terrifies you to think about what being stuck in your personal hell for all eternity would be like. But if you do pass, like Madison believes you will, it would mean gaining immense amounts of power that would help you to defeat Satan and stop the end of the world before it even starts. Not only that, but you would be guaranteed to at least see Michael one more time in your life.

“I’ll do it.” You say finally, nodding your head decisively.

“We shall conduct your tests at the Hawthorne School, where I teach. We’re more prepared with magical supplies there than the basement that sits over a Hellmouth.” John Henry notes, wrinkling his nose in distaste. He holds out his arm for you to take, but Madison grabs you before you can even begin to reach for your uncle.

“We’ll meet you there, thanks.” She snaps. You nod, letting him know that you’ll be more than okay with Madison. Although he’s obviously displeased, John Henry still bows towards Madison before transmuting away. “Thank the gods, I thought he’d never leave.”

“Why don’t you like warlocks?” You ask with a smirk.

“Never have. The majority of them are misogynistic assholes who believe witches are below them, even though a goddess herself gifted them their powers.” She snorts, rolling her eyes. “Biggest mistake I ever made.”

“Let’s go, before my uncle comes back and you hex him or something.” You grab Madison’s hand, feeling the familiar tugging sensation that comes with transmuting.

When you both land, you’re standing in the library of the underground school that you’ve only ever seen pictures of before. Madison walks like she owns the place (which she does, if you’re getting technical), and you’re relieved that there’s no other warlocks around to annoy her. You stand still, cracking your knuckles nervously. You don’t know why you’re so nervous; everybody that’s closest to you has absolute faith in you and your magical abilities. But you don’t have that same faith in yourself. John Henry can sense your obvious nerves, and approaches you before taking your hands.

“My dear, darling niece, there is nothing to be frightened of. The magic that you possess...it’s not once-in-a-lifetime, it’s one of a kind. I was willfully ignorant, in that I chose to ignore your power and not tell your parents. I just didn’t want you to go through the same cruelty that I dealt with from our family growing up. You can do this, (Y/N). I know you can.” You smile, letting yourself be pulled into a hug.

“Thank you, Uncle John.”

“It’s time.” Madison interrupts.

You walk to the table that Madison stands behind, where an unlit candlestick stands. She looks at you, not as a friend, but as your superior. You can see now why so many people are afraid of her, because now you’re a little scared of her, too.

“The first wonder that we will be attempting today is telekinesis. (Y/N), please move the candlestick.”

You take a deep breath before staring intently at the object that sits mere feet ahead of you. Suddenly, you hear Michael’s voice in your head, so clear that it sounds like he’s right next to you: “channel that feeling, and use it.” You grin when the candlestick glides into your hand easily, picking it up triumphantly.

“Good. Now, light it.” This comes just as easily as the telekinesis, and a small flame pops onto the wick. John Henry laughs at your excitement, and even Madison has to fight back a smile.

“Told you you could do it.” John Henry gloats. “Now calm it down, levitation isn’t one of the Seven Wonders.”

You’re momentarily confused until you notice that the table itself is floating in the air. It drops back down with a crash, and you grimace.

“Sorry.” You mutter, a little shocked that there’s no holes in the floor.

“It’s fine, it happens.” Madison smirks, strutting out from behind the table to stand next to John Henry. “Your next Wonder will be concilium.”

Your smile falters as you recall what concilium is.

“Mind control? I’ve never even attempted this before.”

“The core of each Wonder lies in what you were taught for your first two. It’s all about intention. Intend to control one of us.” John Henry instructs.

You think, trying to decide on something that neither one of them would do. You want to control your uncle, but he seems too obvious a target. Besides, who can say that they controlled the Goddess of Witchcraft herself? You look Madison in her eyes, silently commanding her to do what you want. To your delight, she starts doing jumping jacks, which is exactly what you had wanted her to do. She rolls her eyes and groans, but still can’t stop.

“Really, (Y/N)? I hate exercising!” She whines. You giggle, John Henry snickering next to her before you break the connection and look away.

“I’m sorry, I had to do it.” You say innocently. Madison sighs, smoothing out her now-mussed hair and pulling her dress back to where it’s supposed to be.

“This next task will be the last of the evening,” She gets right down to business, and the serious tone has you dreading what comes next. “Due to the fact that you must complete it before sunrise. Complete it successfully, and we shall take a break before reconvening in the late afternoon. Failure will result in stoppage of the tests and, unfortunately...death.”

“This can’t be the last Wonder?” Your voice shakes with fear.

“This is the order that the Wonders are traditionally performed in. We cannot change them around, I’m sorry.” You nod, clenching your jaw.

“Alright, then.” Laying down on the floor, you sigh deeply.

“Do you remember the incantation?” John Henry stares down at you, worry in his eyes.

“Yes, I do.”

“Once you descend, your time will begin. You have until sunrise.” Madison says in a tone that lets you know she’s not enjoying this anymore than you are. Breathing deeply, you start to recite the incantation you had learned from one of the many books the Underworld’s library offered to you.

“Spiritu duce, in me est. Deduc me in tenebris vita ad extremum, ut salutaret inferi. Descensum.” Your eyesight darkens as your soul leaves your physical body and you descend into Hell.

When your eyes open again, you’re in a room that’s starkly white, momentarily confusing you; aren’t you supposed to be unaware of the fact that you’re in Hell? Furthermore, shouldn’t you be living out your worst fears? If you had more time, you would try to figure out why this is so different for you, but you decide to use your soul being in Hell to your advantage. The door opens easily, and you smile at the familiar black hallway that contains the personal Hells of so many. The small light at the end lets you know which way to go, which you do gladly.

The castle looks just the same as you remember it to be, but you don’t stop to admire the paintings this time. Instead you run towards where you hope Michael will be, almost desperate to find him. If they’re confused or shocked, the guards of the throne room certainly don’t show it. They barely glance your way before opening the doors for you, allowing you to slip in. Sure enough, Michael’s sitting slouched in his throne, a glass of what you’re assuming to be absinthe, due to the green color, in his hand. He looks disheveled, which is entirely unlike him.

“Michael!” You yell out, making his once-closed eyes open. Although he’s annoyed at first, shock crosses his face when he sees you.

“I’m finally going crazy.” He mutters, knocking the rest of his drink back before rubbing his eyes.

“No, it’s me, Michael. I’m here.” You reassure, watching him stumble to his feet before crossing the room to get to you.

“But how? You...you’ll die down here. You need to go.” He reaches a hand out to touch your face, but it goes right through your form. “You’re not actually here.”

“I descended.” You say proudly.

“Like ‘descensum’ descending?” You nod. “Are you taking the test of the Seven Wonders?��

You feel a little bad for Michael, who looks like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown right now.

“Yes, but there’s a reason behind it! My uncle summoned Madison to help us with these tests because they both believe that, with my combination of light and night magic, I can pass the Seven Wonders and become the ‘Supreme.’ This would allow me to return here long enough to defeat Satan, since there would be a part of me that is powerful. It’d take longer for the Underworld to reach my mortal soul.” Michael’s silent, and you worry that he’s going to be upset with you. Instead, a slow grin starts to spread on his face.

“You are absolutely incredible, (Y/N). You’ve completed the three Wonders previous to descensum, then?”

“I did!”

“And you descended like it was nothing. Did you even have a hell?”

“No, I was just in a white room. I was fully aware of where I was the whole time, too, which is weird because you told me that people didn’t realize they were in Hell.”

“That’s my girl.” Your heart swells at the endearing compliment he gives you, and you blush. “I wish I could touch you.”

“I wish you could too, Michael. I’ll be back though, I promise.”

“I know you will. Even if the last time we get to see each other is when we’re fighting my father, at least we’ll get to be together.” He smiles sadly, his hand twitching as his body goes to touch you before his mind can remind him that it’s just your soul that’s here. “You should probably be returning to your body now. You know how time passes differently.”

“I don’t want to leave you.” You sigh, frowning at his reminder.

“Remember what you said, though. You’ll be back.” Michael steps back, taking one last look at you before nodding. “It’s time to go now, (Y/N). I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.” You think about returning to your body, your vision slowly disappearing like it did when you were descending down to the Underworld.

You sit up with a loud gasp, clutching at your chest while you try to get some air. Madison and John Henry both look up from where they’re sitting, both rushing towards you now that you’re back in your body.

“You did it. I knew you could do it.” John Henry pulls you into his arms, hugging you tightly.

“What was your hell like?” Madison asks. By her expression change, she definitely wasn’t expecting you to smile upon recalling it.

“I didn’t have one. I woke up in a white room and knew where I was the whole time. I decided to leave and I found Michael.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, he...he told me how much he misses me, and that he knows I’m going to pass the rest of the tests.”

“You’re amazing.”

Although Madison said that you would be extremely drained after returning to your physical body, you feel more invigorated than ever. You want to test the rest of the Wonders out, but neither her nor John Henry will allow you too. Instead, you find yourself in one of the spare bedrooms, trying to sleep in order to please the two who are overseeing your tests. Sleep eludes you, though, and you don’t mind one bit. Sleeplessness is a million times better than sleeping if it means you can relive your recent encounter with Michael over and over again.

Tag List: @nana15774 @sammythankyou @queencocoakimmie @let-me-try-mom @trimbooohgodplsnoooo @lichellaw @sebastianshoe@pastel-cloudz @ultragibbycentralworld @grim-adventures58@dandycandy75 @alexcornerblog @dolceandchalamet @everything-is-awesomesauce @langdonslove @ccodyfern@consultingsnowqueen @readsalot73 @jimmlangdon @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @hplotrfan @omg-hellgirl @gallxntdean@storminmytwistedmind @venusxxlangdon @langdonsdemon@kahhlo @americanhorrorstudies @antichristwrites@xxxmaterialistic @forgetting5sos @sadsadiesworld

#michael langdon #michael langdon x reader #michael langdon imagines #michael langdon imagine #american horror story #american horror story imagine #ahs #ahs imagine #ahs imagines #American horror story apocalypse #ahs apocalypse #Michael Langdon au #hades and persephone au

207 notes · View notes

aivaehdaevis · 5 years ago

Text

The More Things Change: Ch 5

The More Things Change

by Aivaeh

Disclaimer: Familiar characters, plot elements, and settings belong to L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, and the CW. The author of this work of fanfiction has made no money from it. Summary: I have no idea how it happened, but one morning I woke up in the world of The Vampire Diaries. Which, aside from the insanity of waking up inside a television show made real, might not be so bad—if I weren't stuck in the body of vampire magnet and doppelgänger herself, Elena Gilbert. Pairing(s): OFC x Damon, OFC x Stefan, OFC x Elijah, OFC x Klaus Rating: M Warning(s): Graphic descriptions of violence on par with the show itself. References to sex and drug use. Mind control and all the issues of consent that go along with it. Character death. Author's Note: I know there are a ton of these fics out there. Still I recently got into the show, and I can't get enough of these types of stories. The urge to write my own wouldn't leave me alone so here it is. Hopefully someone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Master List External Links: AO3 | FF.Net | Wattpad

Chapter Five

I woke up in Elena's bed, drenched in sweat. The slanted ceiling occupied my blank stare for several minutes while I laid on my back. I was well and truly stuck. How?

There was no figuring it out. If the show were real, maybe this was some sort of parallel reality. Yes, because parallel realities—as opposed to just losing my mind—made perfect sense.

I covered my—or Elena's—face with my—or Elena's—hands and concentrated on breathing and not, you know, screaming. It took a while. The alarm clock went off.

Dragging myself out of the bed, I went on autopilot. Bathroom. Shower. Brush teeth. Get dressed. Makeup.

By the time I was finished putting Elena's hair up into a ponytail, I had a good hour before I'd have to leave for—ugh—high school. That gave me some time to snoop before anyone might expect me for breakfast. Not that Jeremy would care, but Jenna would probably notice if I skipped another meal.

I went to Elena's desk and pulled her laptop over. While her diary would probably tell me more about her, it felt wrong to dive into a teenage girl's private thoughts. Her search history was fair game, though.

What I found was that Elena spent a lot of time reading fashion blogs, following models and designers on their facebooks—when she wasn't looking over the hundred other pages of people she apparently knew—and browsing the online sites of high-end fashion stores. She also had a large collection of links to blogs by and for writers. A quick perusal of her drive revealed a folder full of original stories and poems. I didn't have time to read more than a few of the latter. While poetry really wasn't my thing, what I saw was pretty good.

She also had a bunch of pirated music and shows. Tsk tsk.

Shutting down the laptop, I sat back and thought. Far as fashion went, my knowledge was limited to reality game shows—and that was about it. I was going to have to be careful not to bring it up around Caroline or Bonnie, because I'd probably sound like an idiot. At least I had an idea of her taste in music and movies. We shared a love of Pop, which was good, though Elena had a more extensive collection of Indie rock. We liked a lot of the same movies and shows, too. Except she had a noticeable lack of horror in her collection which—was hilarious or sad, depending on how you looked at it, I supposed.

I had enough time for breakfast before I had to leave.

Jeremy's room was quiet as I walked by. I glanced at the door, at the sign warning others to stay out, and wondered if I should knock and see if he was awake. Elena probably would've.

But I wasn't Elena. I didn't know Jeremy beyond what I'd seen on television, and the kid was not coping with the death of his parents all that well. If such a thing could be said of any kid who'd lost their parents. He also probably knew his sister pretty damn well. I didn't want to risk saying or doing something wrong around him. Jeremy was clever. He'd put together the existence of vampires for himself. No need to go stirring up his curiosity if I didn't have to.

I decided to leave it to Jenna, his actual guardian.

Unfortunately, all there was of Jenna was a note on the fridge saying she'd had to leave early to work on research. I helped myself to some cereal and started a pot of coffee for Jeremy. Provided he ever woke up.

As the time crept closer to eight, and he still hadn't made an appearance, I muttered a quiet, "Dammit." After rinsing the bowel out in the sink, I made my way back upstairs and to Jeremy's door.

I knocked. "Jeremy?"

Nothing.

Blowing out a breath, I knocked harder. "Hey, Jeremy? It's getting kind of late."

"Go away."

Alrighty then.

I wandered back to Elena's room for her bag before going downstairs. I was about to head for the garage when I heard a car rumble up the driveway. Had Bonnie thought she still needed to pick me up?

Switching tracks, I went out the front door and into a neon-bright Virginia morning. This time, I locked the deadbolt behind me. Who knew what Jeremy was going to do? Shaking my head, I started down the porch.

Only to stop at the last step.

Damon. Seated behind the wheel of a top-down convertible. Lips already twisted into that ever-present smirk. He lowered his head until his eyes peeked over the rim of his sunglasses. "Morning Elena."

Leather creaked in my grip. Over my shoulder, the front door tempted me.

"C'mon. I'll give you a ride to school."

"I can drive myself." I'd never make it before he was in front of me. And he could get in.

His grin suggested that was the most amusing thing he'd ever heard. "Let me get this straight," he began before pulling off his sunglasses, "I am offering to take you to your little podunk high school in a classic american sports car, and you'd rather go in a—" he squinted, "Ford SUV."

Since there was no way to get away and I didn't want to keep shouting across the lawn, I walked from the sidewalk to the driveway. I stopped a good few feet from the car. "That's right."

Damon rolled his head back until it was resting against the leather headrest. "Hm." Icy eyes flickered down. "And where did that come from, I wonder?" he asked, staring at Elena's bag.

"Your brother," I bit off. "And he said he found it in the woods."

"Found it?" A side of his mouth crooked into a grin. "Good ol' Saint Stefan." He slung an arm across the passenger seat. "C'mon, Elena. Let me take you to school."

"No, Damon." I sucked down a breath and made for the garage.

And there Damon was, right in my personal space. "Wow. You didn't even take a moment to think about it." He leaned even closer, eyes big and intense. "That really hurts my feelings, Elena."

I gasped. Dry grass crunched as I stepped back. "Don't do that!"

"If you did what I asked, I wouldn't have to," Damon said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"You don't ask, Damon. You demand."

"Fine," he said in the surliest tone imaginable. "Elena," his lips stretched into a shape that technically met all the requirements for a smile, but was too grudging to truly qualify, "will you please," he pressed his hands together, "let me drive you to school?"

I squeezed the bag's strap. "No."

Damon's breath blasted through his nose. "You have to make everything so much more difficult than it needs to be, don't you?"

"I didn't ask you to come over."

"That's what makes it a surprise." His brows shot up. "Surprise!"

Lips mashed into a thin line, I glared.

"Fine. We'll do it the easier way." Ducking his head, Damon stare bored straight into mine, until I could make out the fine flecks of silver growing around his iris like frost crystals. His pupils contracted to points. "You want to ride with me to school."

Was he trying to compel me? "No, I don't."

He went still as night, pinning me beneath narrowed eyes. "You don't," he murmured.

The gentleness of his voice made the fine hair on my arms and neck stand on end. "No."

Damon's hand flew to his mouth, fingers rubbing across his lips as he stared. "Hm." His eyes were fever bright, like two chips of ice reflecting the winter sun. "Alright." His hand fell away. "We'll do it the hard way."

"What do you mean—"

"The blonde. Caroline, isn't it?" He smiled, and this time, it was closer to genuine. "She's cute."

My guts twisted.

"Mm. Yeah." Closing his eyes, Damon stretched his neck to the side. "I bet she'd like to take a ride with me." Eyes meeting mine again, he folded his arms and pursed his lips for a moment before wondering, "Or your other little friend. Bonnie." Damon's black shirt stretched as he shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I could go either way."

Static filled my ears. Heart speeding up, my chest turned to ice that spread outwards all the way to the tips of my fingers. I didn't know what Damon had planned for Elena—for me—but I was pretty sure he'd do worse to Caroline or Bonnie. I knew what I needed to do, but it was hard. My knees trembled. I had to move, but every instinct in me screamed to stay. I was pulled in two directions, unable to move in either. I stood still and hated myself.

"Just tell me what you want from me, Damon," I asked—pleaded—quietly.

"I already have. This is not a difficult concept, Elena." His smile was all teeth. "I want you to get into the car so that I can take you to your boring little high school. And when you're finished, I want you to get back into my car, so I can take you home."

"Why?"

Damon shrugged again. "Because I want to."

It couldn't be that simple. Damon had to have some ulterior motive. I just couldn't figure out what it was. Unless toying with me was that fun to him. "You swear that's all."

"Mhm." He lifted his hand, two fingers up and the rest curled down. "Scouts honor." His grin returned with a vengeance. "You can do that if you eat one, right? It still counts?" At my horrified expression, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, ease up, Elena. Just a little vampire humor."

"Eating people. Hilarious."

"You'd be surprised. I'll tell you some stories sometime."

"Please don't."

"Spoilsport." He plucked his sunglasses from his collar and slid them on. "So, c'mon now. Wouldn't want to be late." His brows drifted up. "Unless you actually don't like your friends and won't mind if I eat one of them." His grin took on a sardonic twist. "And I'm not joking this time, bee tee dubs."

I sucked down a deep breath and managed to slide a foot towards the car. The second step was easier. The one after that even moreso, as if the momentum was building once I got going. So it went, until I had made it all the way to the passenger side of the convertible.

Damon appeared in front of me again, making me jump. He ignored my startled breath, opening the door for me. Peering over the rims of his sunglasses, he wiggled his brows. "Miss Gilbert."

If my heart kept jumping whenever he got near, I was going to have a heart attack before the day was out. I slid inside and let him shut the door. He appeared at the other side of the car. Sitting inside and pulling his door closed, Damon looked over and said, "Seat belt."

I pulled the strap out and buckled in, trying not to feel as if I were wrapping a chain around myself.

Damon grinned and started the engine. "Now this, Elena," he started before the engine suddenly roared, startling me into gripping the edge of the door, "is a nineteen sixty-nine Chevrolet Camaro." He shifted the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. "Try not to look so terrified." He threw the car into drive and took off down the street. Even though we were just cruising down neighborhood streets and not going very fast, the wind still picked up. I was glad I'd tied Elena's long hair back into a ponytail.

"Can't imagine why I'd be scared. Who wouldn't love a joy ride with a psychotic vampire."

"This isn't a joy ride. You'll know when I take you on one of those."

I noticed he didn't dispute the psychotic part. And I didn't like his use of when instead of if. I hoped he was talking about the trip to Georgia he drags Elena on later.

He didn't have a modern stereo in his dashboard. Instead, it looked like the original radio that came with the car. It was tuned to the classic rock station. I was somehow unsurprised that Damon liked eighties hair bands. I tried to picture him with a mullet and nearly broke into peels of nervous laughter.

"Cute turtleneck." The high collar of my shirt pulled slightly out, right where I'd put a pair of band aids over the puncture wounds.

My heart rabbited. I jerked aside, slapping his fingers away before I could think better of it. "Don't touch me."

He smirked as he took his hand back, holding it up.

My heartrate stayed elevated. I leaned slightly towards the door instead of settling back into the leather seat. As the neighborhood houses morphed into brick storefronts, I wondered what the point of this was. Damon wasn't talking. He seemed content to just soak up the sun as he navigated the streets.

I wasn't about to break the silence. Who knew what he'd start talking about. One of his 'funny' stories?

I let out a relieved sigh as soon as the school appeared. Not that I thought Damon was taking me somewhere to murder me, really. He wouldn't have needed to leave the house for that. But it was still reassuring to know the ride was almost over.

The camaro purred like a sated tiger as it glided into the parking lot and rolled up the lane. Damon, arm slung over my seat and sunglasses on his face, soaked up the stares of the students like an attention starved sponge. I hugged my bag tighter. "See," he said as he pulled near the curb, "that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Yeah. It's been great." I had my hand on the door handle as soon as the camaro rolled to a stop. "Bye."

His hand landed on my shoulder, a firm warning grip keeping me in place. Suddenly he was leaning into me, his face right next to mine. I stared, wide eyed, as his breath stroked my lips. He stayed like that for a moment and then, ever so slightly, tilted his head to the side and stared over the rim of his sunglasses at something behind me.

"Have a lovely day, Elena," he murmured into my ear. Straightening back into his seat, he winked.

As soon as his hand let go of my shoulder, I was shoving the door open and jumping out.

"I'll see you after school," he added as I shut the door. My answering glare bounced off his smirking face.

Head down, I quickstepped away. I was up onto the sidewalk when I heard the convertible's engine growl as he pulled away. Sighing in relief, I lifted my chin.

And immediately saw Stefan.

Jaw clenched, backpack strap straining in his white-knuckled fist, he glared at the shrinking camaro.

Damon had been taunting Stefan. Damon had threatened Caroline and Bonnie, manipulated me into getting into a car with him, so he could put on a show for his brother.

Bastard.

My anger started as a smoldering heat in the pit of my stomach, climbed up my spine and set my cheeks on fire. Flushed and quivering, I struggled against the childish urge to kick at something, shout at someone. Mostly a certain smug-faced blood sucker.

While I silently fumed, I realized that while Stefan may have been Damon's intended audience, he hadn't been the only one. Half the school must have noticed—or so it looked like from the crowd of teenagers who had nothing better to do than stand around and gossip.

Including Elena's friends. I could see Tyler and Vicki over on a nearby bench, watching me and trading words that made each other snicker. Matt was frowning from his spot beside his truck. Caroline had been holding court by the doors but was now marching across the grounds towards me. Bonnie, who'd also been arriving from the parking lot, was the first to reach me. "Who was that."

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Surprised, Bonnie fell in next to me as I headed for Stefan. "No, pretty sure I do."

I realized she wasn't going to let this drop. Why would she? Her best friend had just arrived with a hot mystery guy in an expensive sports car. "Damon Salvatore. Stefan's older brother."

"That's Stefan's brother?" She shook her head. "Wow. The gorgeous gene must run in the family."

"Yeah, well. He's nothing like Stefan. He's arrogant. Selfish. Cruel."

Bonnie's eyes widened with each cutting, nearly-spat out description. "Then how'd you end up with him?"

I didn't know what to say. Bonnie didn't believe her grandmother yet. At the same time, she'd have to work with Damon—would even one day become best friends with him. Say the wrong thing, and I'd poison the well.

On the other hand, Damon had threatened her, and she wasn't able to defend herself yet.

"Because he's good at getting what he wants," I sighed. "Try to steer clear of him, Bonnie. He and Stefan have issues. And he's not beneath using people. You don't want to get into the middle of it."

"But you're in the middle?"

"Apparently."

Caroline had reached us. I could see the questions forming as she took a breath to speak. "I thought you weren't going to need any more rides."

"So did I," I muttered.

Hands on her hips, Caroline ordered, "Spill."

"His name's Damon. He's Stefan's older brother," Bonnie answered for me. "And he's a jerk who we should stay away from."

She gave a disbelieving huff. "We should, should we?"

Oh no. "Caroline, he's bad news."

"Then why are you riding around with him?" Caroline demanded.

"Because he's using me to get to Stefan."

Caroline's lips mashed together before she said, "That doesn't explain why you got into his car." She turned suspicious. "Unless you're trying to make Stefan jealous?"

"I'm not," I said flatly. "There's nothing to be jealous of. Besides, Stefan and I are friends."

"Friends."

"I mean, we just met, but I'd like to be. I think we are. He agreed to hang out."

Caroline stared. "I don't even know where to begin," she declared, throwing her hands out to the side. She strode back to the small gathering of girls she'd been talking with.

Frowning, Bonnie and I shared a look. "She'll get over it," Bonnie soothed.

I grimaced and rubbed at my forehead. "I'm messing everything up."

"No. Care's being Care."

"I better explain things to Stefan," I muttered.

"Okay. Meet you at my locker?"

I nodded. Bonnie headed off to the doors, parting with an encouraging grin. I couldn't wait till she could give Damon aneurysms. It would make dealing with him so much easier. At least until he got over his fixation with Katherine and started giving a damn about Mystic Falls.

Stefan was seated on top of a picnic table that had been set up beneath a giant maple. Patches of sunlight and shadow flitted around him like butterflies. He'd had his head down in thought but straightened up as he noticed my approach.

His stare was searching, wandering all over my face. "Are you alright?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, but then what? Stefan would try to enact his, 'Lock Damon Up,' plan early? All that would accomplish was getting Zach killed sooner than it had happened on the show. I don't think Zach had even shown him the room of vervain yet.

But Damon was a problem. Something had to be done.

I settled on saying, "Your brother is an ass."

Stefan cracked a slender little smile. It was the barest lift of his lips, but it eased some of the lingering anger from his face. "Yeah. Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Brows furrowed, Stefan glanced down. I remembered he did, in fact, blame himself for Damon. "But you're okay?"

"Aside from a bad case of windswept hair," I patted at the loose hairs that had fallen out of my ponytail, "I'm fine."

"Your hair looks lovely."

Fighting the urge to look away from the intensity of his stare, I swept a few of the strands behind my ears. "Well. It was a lot neater before Damon insisted on driving me."

That little smile ticked a bit higher. "I stand by my earlier comment."

Grabbing my upper arm, I turned to side to look at something other than his earnest, handsome face. I settled on the line of buses dropping students off.

"I looked for your phone this morning." Stefan said, drawing me back. "I'm sorry but I couldn't find it."

"Oh." I adjusted the bag's strap before letting my hand fall. "It's alright. Thank you for going to all the trouble."

He shook his head. "It wasn't."

"I guess I'll have to talk to my Aunt about getting a new one." That would be a fun conversation.

He nodded. I noticed the crowd of students around us were starting to thin out as more trickled inside. "I better go. I promised to meet Bonnie before class."

Stefan hopped off the table. "My locker isn't too far from yours. Mind if I walk with you?"

"'Course not."

As we walked, we talked about the reading list for our upcoming English class. We had both read everything on it, not that the news surprised me. He'd probably read most of it when it was originally published. Stefan and I went our separate ways once I met up with Bonnie, and after we headed towards my locker, went on to class.

The rest of the morning passed a lot like the first. Well, there was more discussion and lecturing. I knew the way to English and was able to find a better seat—which happened to be near Stefan and Caroline. A pop quiz in Biology really made me regret not doing the homework the night before.

Which led to History before lunch. Stefan again sat fairly close, and it wasn't long through the lesson that I was glad for it. The instructor was really on a tear about a Civil War battle called the Battle of Willow Creek.

After he'd subtly insulted Bonnie and Matt, it was my turn. "Elena. Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most historic events?"

I glanced down at the textbook, flipping through a few pages, skimming for Willow Creek. Would this even have been in the reading? I thought it was a general American History course. Was the Battle of Willow Creek so pivotal that it'd be in a standard textbook?

"Willow Creek?" I asked, squinting.

"Yes, Elena. It was fought right here in Mystic Falls."

Oh. Well then it must've been bullshit, because Mystic Falls wasn't a real place. Annoyed, I pressed my lips together before admitting, "I don't know."

"I was lenient last year, Elena. For obvious reasons." Oh. Wow. Right. This guy. "But that ended over summer break."

I wanted to ask if it was because her—my—parents magically came back to life, but I kept my mouth shut. Let the asshole dig his own grave.

Wait. Damon kills him. Bad metaphor.

"There were three hundred and forty-six casualties, unless you're counting civilians," Stefan interjected. And Stefan would know.

The whole class looked from him to the teacher. "That's correct. Mister—"

"Salvatore."

"Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

I couldn't help but turn to watch Stefan, careful to keep my amusement from showing. He glanced aside before answering, "Distant."

Liar.

"Very good. Except there weren't any civilian casualties in this battle," he said before moving around his desk.

"Actually, there were twenty-seven, sir," Stefan corrected, halting the teacher in his tracks. "Confederate soldiers fired on a church. They believed it housed weapons. They were wrong." Stefan's voice was the embodiment of confident. No wonder. That was the night he was turned, and the other vampires entombed. "It was a night of great loss."

And then Stefan delivered the knockout. "The founder's archives are stored at Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mister Tanner."

You could hear the 'ooo's throughout the room. The teacher, Tanner, could only respond with an attempt at a face-saving smile. Didn't work.

I glanced at my notes, grinning. That was beautiful.

Tanner flipped open his book. "Thank you, Mister Salvatore. Everyone, page thirty-three."

I flipped forward the required pages before peering out the corner of my eye. Stefan met my glance. His mouth lifted into that small smile I was really beginning to adore.

The rest of the class was filled with history that was actually covered by our textbooks. I made a mental note to memorize dates and figures. It seemed like he'd be one of those history teachers. I was good at the cause and effect when it came to history, remembering the context and environment and the events themselves, but I hadn't been wholly lying when I told Stefan I was terrible with numbers. I was horrible at remembering dates, too.

Wouldn't that make the rest of my time here fun. Monsters and sacrifices and homework. Oh my.

When the bell rung, I was happy to stand and get out of there. I waited just outside the door for Bonnie and Stefan. I didn't miss the look Tanner threw him as he walked out, either. Stefan had not endeared himself with that little stunt.

I remembered there would be another incident between them. Stefan rattling off dates, showing Tanner up again. Tanner wouldn't be a Stefan convert until he saw him play football.

And then Tanner would die.

My buoyed mood fell. If I knew about it ahead of time, did that make me responsible for it if it happened? This seemed like one of those Good Samaritan debates.

"Right, Elena?"

Bonnie and Stefan watched me with expectant looks on their faces. I had no idea what they'd been talking about.

I offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, can you repeat that? I kind of spaced out for a minute."

Bonnie's brows pinched together in concern. "I was telling Stefan he should join us for lunch."

"I don't want to intrude."

I wondered if he was being polite or looking for an excuse to go hunting. I decided to reassure him. "You wouldn't be intruding. But if you have other plans, that's fine."

"No." He shifted his bookbag higher up his shoulder. "I'd like to sit with you."

We headed to the cafeteria, picked our food up from the line and ended up at the same table with the same people as the day before, plus Stefan. Caroline made the mistake of asking Stefan about his brother.

"We don't speak." Stefan poked at his salisbury steak. I wondered if he regretted his choice to follow us.

"Ever?" Bonnie asked, surprised.

Stefan paused in his inspection of the food to look up and add, "Whenever we have to talk, we end up fighting." He accepted the packet of ketchup I handed to him and looked to Caroline. "Wherever my brother goes, someone ends up hurt. Take my advice and avoid him."

"Elena doesn't seem eager to take your advice," Caroline said.

"You should," he said quietly to me.

I folded my arms and stared down at the rest of my lunch, appetite gone.

Sensing the disquiet, Bonnie thankfully changed the subject back to classes. Which was how Stefan and I got back to our earlier conversation about books we'd read. That led to a discussion of our favorites. And while Elena was a Victorian romance lover, at least on the show she'd been, my tastes were more for modern historical romances and thrillers. Stefan and I got into a discussion of which was the better book: Red Dragon or Silence of the Lambs. I was firmly on the side of Red Dragon, he stuck with Lambs.

The rest of the day passed too soon. By the time the last bell rang, and I was done dragging my feet to my locker, it felt like only a few minutes had passed instead of hours.

Outside, the parking lot was filled with cars backing out and lining up for the exits. I scanned the front of the school, where a line of cars had parked along the curb in front of the entrance. Damon's car wasn't among them. I wondered if he'd forgotten.

I should have known better.

The distinctive growl of the camaro's engine came rumbling down the lane. He parked alongside the curb. The car's sleek sky blue lines gleamed in the sun. Damon's arm was draped over the wheel, his sunglasses tilted down as he met my nervous gaze. His lips curled.

I managed a tight smile at Bonnie. "See you tonight."

Bonnie, shielding her eyes against the sunshine, smiled back.

"Elena." Stefan placed a hand on my arm. "You don't have to do this."

But right as he said that, Caroline strutted past us and walked right up to the passenger door. "Hi. I'm Caroline. Elena's friend."

Damon tilted his head, sights roaming over Caroline. "Damon."

"This is a really amazing car," she said while leaning forward, forearms resting on the door.

"Why, thank you. It's nice to know there are people who appreciate her." His hand ran along the wheel with a lover's caress.

I rolled my eyes. I appreciated the car. It was the driver I had a problem with.

While Caroline continued to flirt, and Damon replied in kind, I met Stefan's concerned stare. "I kind of do." I mustered another smile for him. "See you at the Falls."

He nodded. I adjusted my bag's strap and, as if going into battle—which I kind of was—marched over to Damon's car.

Caroline was laughing at something Damon had said as I approached. Damon's sights flicked over her shoulder to me. He winked. I frowned.

"I like your friend, Elena," Damon called.

I fixed him with another unamused look before shifting my attention to Caroline. She straightened back up, smile stiffening as she regarded me. "So where are you going?"

"Home," Damon and I answered simultaneously.

I started, looking over at Damon. He turned his head to stare out the windshield. "I did say I'd take you home."

"Sounds boring," Caroline pouted.

Damon rolled back around. "So boring."

"You should come to the falls tonight," Caroline went on.

My eyes widened as I attempted to get her attention. "No way." At their combined stares, I forced my cheeks to pull the corners of my mouth up into something resembling a smile. "I'm sure Damon doesn't want to waste his time at some high school party," I tried to keep it light, but ended up sounding frantic.

"Don't be silly, Elena." His lips twisted. "I love high school parties." He focused on Caroline again. "You'll be there, won't you?"

"Obviously," she laughed. "I'm helping set everything up."

Of course she was.

"Then I'll definitely be there." His smile was a wicked thing. His sights shifted to me. "Better get going."

"Aw. So soon?" Caroline pouted.

Damon sighed. "'Fraid so. Elena made me promise. There and back." He crooked a finger at me.

My frown deepened, but I did as he bid. Sliding around Caroline, who glowed with triumph, I pulled open the car door and lowered myself into the leather seat.

As soon as the door was shut, Damon sent a sinful grin Caroline's way. "See you around, Caroline."

"I'll hold you to that," she replied, flicking her blonde curls back behind her shoulder.

Damon's grin widened before the engine growled and the car took off.

"You said you'd leave her alone if I rode with you," I accused as he swung into one of the parking lanes that headed back out of the lot.

"I didn't do anything. She came to me." Damon sighed. "These looks. They're a curse."

Sonofa—

"But don't let it be said I'm not a man of my word." I eyed him doubtfully. He lifted a hand. "I won't touch a blonde hair on her head. So long as you remain—" he pretended to think about it, "agreeable."

"Fine," I all but growled.

Damon turned out of the lot and onto the main road without signaling. "Jealous?"

"Concerned." I fell back against the seat and folded my arms. "Caroline doesn't deserve to be the rope in the Salvatore brothers' latest game of tug-of-war."

"There's a simple solution to that. Don't give my brother the time of day."

I'd rather not give him the time of day but had enough sense not to say it. "Why do you really want to go to a party full of drunk teenagers, Damon?"

"Because it's a party full of drunk teenagers." His eyes sharpened, like a pair of slate flints. "And I'm thirsty."

I swallowed and slid further down in the seat. "Please don't hurt anyone."

He hummed. "Hurting is kind of necessary."

"No, it's not. You could drink out of blood bags."

"And deny them to the poor soul who needs a blood transfusion?" His nose wrinkled. "Besides, blood tastes differently when it's been refrigerated."

"But you could do it."

He sighed. "I could. But why should I?"

"Because it's not right to attack people." I couldn't believe I had to spell this out.

Damon shrugged. "Don't care." He stretched his other arm out over the wheel before drawing his right back. "That's the best part about being a vampire, Elena. The old rules just don't apply anymore. Do what you want, whenever you want."

"And you want to hurt people."

"I want to quench my thirst." He glanced over. "I'm a vampire. I drink human blood to survive. It's natural."

"But you can do that without hurting or killing."

"But I don't care."

I thought for a moment, weighing the risk. But, hell, I had to push on his rusty moral compass at some point. "I don't think that's true."

Behind his shades, Damon rolled his eyes.

"I think you do care. You're just determined to pretend you don't."

"There's a switch we have. We can turn our emotions off like," he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, "that."

But I remembered the look on Damon's face when he'd finished feeding. How tender his gaze had been, his expression wistful as he lost himself to a memory. "Except you haven't."

"'Course I have."

"If that were true, you wouldn't care about what your brother thinks so much."

"We all have our hobbies."

"Say whatever you want, Damon." The car turned into Elena's driveway and idled. Damon lounged in the driver's seat, an arm stretched over the wheel as the other rested across his door. I took in the way his posture screamed indifference and saw it for the act it was. "But you don't fool me."

"Or maybe you want to believe I'm capable of caring whether people live or die to convince yourself I won't kill you," Damon suggested airily.

I forced myself to smile, even though he probably heard my pulse racing. "You say the sweetest things."

He turned his head and grinned. "See you tonight, Elena."

I worked to stay calm as I got out. His stare followed me all the way to the door. As soon as I was on the other side, I fell against it, sliding down to the ground, bag dropping beside me. He pulled out of the drive, and only once the rumble of his car disappeared down the street was I able to breathe freely.

Sinking my head into my hands, I wondered what I was going to do tonight. Both Salvatores at a party full of rowdy, drunk teens. Damon still trying to make life hell for Stefan.

It sounded like a recipe for disaster.

#fanfic #the vampire diaries #tvd #damon salvatore #stefan salvatore #the more things change #ofc #damon x ofc #stefan x ofc #elijah x ofc #klaus x ofc #klaus #elijah mikaelson #elena gilbert #bonnie bennett #caroline forbes #jeremy gilbert

3 notes · View notes

lokibug · 6 years ago

Text

Blinded

Pairing: Loki x Blind!Reader

Summary: Beauty and the Beast AU in which Loki is forced to stay in his Jotun form until another human loves him. He becomes a caretaker for You due to be recently permanently blind.

Warnings: None?

Song: Color by Todrick Hall, Jay Armstrong Johnson

A/N: I love your guys’ feedback! Even if I don’t respond to every single one, I still see all of them and bless your souls. Also this part is a little slower than the others, but starting with Part 4, to the following parts are the more exciting ones in my opinion. Also I’ve ran out of room to tag everyone so I’ll try to keep those who I haven’t tagged, tagged in the comments

The distance between the God and mortal remained for the next two days. Distance is what the God had thought best within the position they’ve been granted. For he was frightened for what could be exposed to the smart mortal woman if he allowed himself the pleasure to be enveloped by her grace. This only left Y/N with far more doubts about the decision she had made considering the God as her guide. Now, she was to meet up with her father considering details of their evening plans. Knowing him all too well, Loki would be brought up and she was to be a better actress than ever before.

“Where is this?” Loki whispered towards Y/N as he called the taxi service.

“Y/L/N Corp. It’s further west of us...I think.” Y/N commented back while she zipped up the soft sweater along her arms. Searching for her sunglasses she grazed her fingertips along the table until she located them. Loki resided in the kitchen area, hand on his hip becoming very irritated with amount of time he was put on hold.

Once he finally got through, he ordered the two a taxi to her Father’s corporation. The ride was silent for the first 20 minutes. Y/N figured that Loki wasn’t going to speak to her as more than just a boss anyways, or whatever his idea of a boss was, so she decided not to try to make small talk as usual. Loki on the other hand, seen the large building from a distance. Without knowing what he was walking into, he decided to break the ice.

“What is it your father does?” He questioned, his voice sounding raspier than usual to Y/N’s ears.

She cleared her throat and held her gaze as if she was looking ahead with her arms folded across her chest, “If you must know, he’s a scientist. They specialize in things that sort of crash through the atmosphere and stuff. Researching meteorites and other things from space.” Little did Y/N know, she was getting first hand learning experience from someone that was not of this world. Loki wondered just how far they had gotten. He knew mortals to be of very little knowledge of worlds other than their own. Of course he knew they believed there was no other life source out there, they were highly mistaken.

“I see.”

The taxi ride was short lived and they were dropped off in the front of the large building that stretched more in width than height. The gravel crunches beneath their feet and Y/N knew they were in the right place. “Here, use this to pay him.” Y/N spoke out loud and handed Loki a credit card she withdrew from her sweater pocket. A very irresponsible place to put it, Loki had thought from the moment she put it there.

Upon entering the glass doors, Y/N knew there would be trouble trying to get to her father. After all, she hadn’t warned him ahead of time that her alongside Loki, would be making an appearance today. Her judgement being correct, the front desk woman was already dialing the number for security when he showed up.

Cologne trailing up near, the incredibly loud stepping of leather shoes, and the way Y/N felt Loki shift and brush his arm against her, she knew Lucas was there. The chuckling voice spoke, “Amanda honey, that won’t be necessary. Yes, the lovely Y/N Y/L/N does not not bless us with her presence here in the office but,” he gently grabbed y/n’s hand and interlocked their fingers, “what made you change your mind today? Come to see me?” He questioned as the woman put the phone down attending back to her duties.

Y/N quickly shook her hand out of his and rubbed it on the bottom of her sweater, “Yeah, no. I’m here to talk to my dad so if you could just take me to him then I won’t have any issues with you...for the moment.” Noticing the towering man next to Y/N, Lucas stepped back slightly. His eyebrows furrowed as he shifted his head a bit, “Y/N you are aware of this thief looking person next to you correct?” He questioned in the voice that drove y/n mad. It always sounded extremely cocky and arrogant, with just the face to match it. Loki was both annoyed and humored with the way Lucas was speaking with y/n. She obviously wanted nothing to do with him and he couldn’t accept the hint.

“He’s my guide and at least he had an excuse for his appearance. What’s yours?” She scoffed as she held onto Loki’s arm as Lucas began walking towards the direction where her father was.

Lucas held his hands in his slack’s pockets as they edged closer down the narrow hallway.

“So he got a name?” asked Lucas. Loki spoke from behind the scarf covering his mouth, “He speaks for himself.” The god grumbled walking behind Lucas who was a tad shorter in height.

“Is that so? Then your name?” “Loki.” He states boldly causing y/n to smirk gently. Often Loki seemed as if nothing phased him, never showing much emotion towards much. Even if annoyance or aggravation was being exposed by Loki, it amused y/n. Loki noticed the smirk that y/n wore and cocked his head towards her. “What’s so funny?” He whispered to her.

“Oh nothing.” She smirked a bit wider.

Y/N’s father had been currently busy in a biohazard lab, being unable to come to his daughter immediately. Just to Lucas’ hope, he sat in the rather large office that belonged to Y/F/N while in company of none other than y/n herself. She mentally cursed herself realizing he would be there for another little while.

Ten minutes in, he was in his third story about his weight lifting class. “They told me I wouldn’t be able to lift 350 until the third week,” he leaned back and shrugged, “I did it in the first.” Y/N held her fingers to her temple as she sighed, “Yeah?”

“Pfff yeah. What about you Loki? You look like you could use a little meat on your bones.” Lucas commented as he nudged Loki with the back of his hand. If only he knew of the God’s true strength.

Immediately Loki looked at his hand as if he might break it off himself. He took a deep breathe, “Keep your disgusting hand off me.” Y/N muttered something inaudible as Lucas rolled his eyes.

“Relax dude. Just a little banter. Any friend of Y/N is a friend to me.” Knowing Loki was already irritated, Y/N decided to kick it up a notch. After all, he got beneath her skin all the time.

“Oh yeah, Loki and I are just the best of friends.” She wrapped her arm around his as they sat in chairs next to each other. Loki said nothing as the door was knocked on. A slender blonde woman revealed saying, “Mr. McClain? That trade from last week is on the phone for you.” She eyed the back of Loki’s head almost as if she was checking him out. Feeling the state, he turned and immediately the woman gasped quietly and looked down. “I’ll be right there Michelle. As for you beautiful, I’ll be right back.” He said and winked at y/n despite her not being able to see. She smiled and nodded considering the possibility of him leaving quicker.

With the click of the door Y/N sighed in relief and sunk in the red velvet colored chair. “Oh my god.”

“I’ll be back beautiful.” Loki mocked.

Y/N groaned and let go of Loki’s arm shoving it a bit. “Shut up.”

“He sounds like a suitor y/n. What’s stopping you?” Loki was actually curious to see if Y/N did find any similar interest in the horrid man.

“He’s a moron Loki, did you not listen to what he says? Oh I’m so big and work out. I’m going to be the next Incredible Hulk.” She mocked. Suddenly Loki adjusted his posture remembering an unpleasant memory. He cleared his throat, “I must agree. Did he always have that...”

“The chip in his tooth?” She gasped and Loki nodded as he laughed lightly, “How did you remember that?”

“Oh god, it would stare at me all the time. Loki this guy has been trying to earn my favor for the past three years.�� Y/N whined as she shook her head. Loki began chuckling lightly. He faced y/n fully to see her face alter due to embarrassment.

“Have you ever considered just...giving him a chance?” Loki asked sarcastically and the two faced each other before they started laughing.

“Wow look at you having a sense of humor.” Y/N smiled towards the mischievous man.

A long conversation on the phone regarding the possible information trading between Y/F/N’s corporation and another, Lucas was going to make his way back towards Y/F/N’s office to finish up his conversation...that was until he seen through the glass wall. They were laughing, her hand brushed against his. He grew angry.

“Is that her boyfriend?” Michelle asked standing next to him. Lucas inhaled sharply and shook his head, “No. He’s her god damn guide.”

“Hmm...doesn’t seem like it.”

“Yeah don’t remind me Michelle.” Lucas began walking quickly back to the much smaller office he had. “I’m so close to this deal. Y/F/N is a fool, the way he keeps this corporation. Studying rocks,” he scoffed, “There’s so much more we could be experimenting on. So much more broad.” He entered his office as he had a thinking face on. “Y/N is my chance. If I could get her father’s approval...hers, she’ll be my wife and I’ll be heir to this company.” Michelle stood near the desk that Lucas sat in front of. She knew of Lucas’ plan for some time now, the only difference was that y/n no longer possessed her sight. Bringing other people and obstacles into her life.

“It seems that she’s grown rather dependable on that man. Who’s to say that Y/L/N doesn’t cut him in on the will too?”

Lucas slammed his hand on the desk as he grew frustrated. “That man already got in my way once. She wasn’t supposed to pick any of the applicants—I was going to have her with me! T-then this psychotic looking weirdo appears on their door step and bam, he lives there. Not any further...” He glances out the large window then back towards Michelle, “Schedule a meeting...I need to speak to someone who owes me a favor.” He spoke menacingly.

Back in the office...

“Y/N, honey what are you doing here?” Her father asked as he removed the clear goggles from his face. He still wore a suit as he was just observing new discoveries by his team.

“Oh hey Dad, I just wanted to see what time you were going to pick me up for dinner.” Y/N cooed calmly. “Y/N you need some rest, you didn’t have to come all the way down here for a question you could’ve called for.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to y/n’s Head.

“I know I just wanted to see...hear you in person is all.” She smiled softly, “Also I’m not incapable Dad. Ask Loki, I pick out his clothes sometimes too.” She teased and Loki shook his head.

“Loki, it’s great to see you too...” her father stated and Loki nodded, “You as well.”

“You’re my daughter it’s my job to worry about you.” He sat at his desk in front of Y/N. His face looked older than it used to. More tired and with more of a salt and pepper look to his hair.

“Start with getting Lucas away from me.” She grumbled.

“He’s something else that boy.” Her father commented as he shook his head.

Loki noticed the relationship between y/n and her father. It was everything a parental relationship should be. Loving. Caring. Even a little over bearing. He only wished he could have this himself...to make someone as proud as y/n made her father. Gazing down at his gloved hands, he was only reminded of all he did wrong.

Y/N ran a brush through her hair, styling it the best she could without assistance. She wouldn’t dare ask Loki for this kind of advice. Makeup was out of the question as well, being too frightened of looking like a clown instead of what she hoped for. Her white dress hugged her body below her thigh and her wedged heels matched or she believed they matched as she remembered the bow on top of them. Her sunglasses were off and she often became insecure without them.

“Loki?” Y/N called out from the apartment hallway. She hadn’t wanted to walk any further to try and find him despite the limited amount of places he could be. A poetry book was in his palms, most of them speaking of the philosophy of life and death. He stood from the chair in the living room that he had grown to like a tad too much and walked towards her voice.

“Yes?” He asked before looking at her. All scars and no makeup, Loki still couldn’t take his eyes from her. She was absolutely stunning in the long sleeved dress. It fit her perfectly, she needed nothing more to add to her elegance. Snapping Loki out of his trance Y/N spoke, “Hey, um...I can’t reach, can you zip this up?” She asked turning to show him the zipper in the middle of her back.

Loki nodded, “Sure...not a problem.” He stood close behind her and placed his cold fingers upon the zipper. He radiated coldness where ever he went, Y/N had just grown used to it. After all they made contact every day. She moved her head down as he slid the zipper up until it was properly attired. “Finished.” He breathed out.

“Thanks,” she smiled and turned back around. Even though she couldn’t look Loki in the eyes, she would always try her best to face him. She always kept her eyelids shut, her eyes being her favorite quality all her life...she didn’t want anyone to see what had become of their appearance. She kept the manners she always had. “Do I look presentable?” She chuckled nervously.

Loki didn’t hesitate to say, “Darling, you look absolutely radiant.” He calmed his voice down as she giggled a bit. “What?”

“Just, in your voice and everything...it’s new to hear.” She fidgeted her fingers together.

“Wait here.” He stepped away for a second and entered her room. Seeing the familiar jewelry box, he reached inside. He retracted a silver necklace, a heart at the end of it. Y/N had worn it the day of his interview and he believed it would fit well for the occasion. He returned and stood behind her.

“Here, this necklace would match rather fine with your apparel.” He gently unclasped the chain and draped it along her neck. She got goosebumps when his fingers accidentally touched her neck.

“Sorry.” He muttered after attaching the chain back together.

“It’s okay, wait...which one is this?” She asked before reaching down and rubbing the heart in between her thumb and index finger. She recognized the tiny trinket design of diamonds going around the left side of it.

“The heart one. You wore it before.” He said softly. She smiled and nodded.

“Yeah...I wore it to all my interviews.” She let out a breathe she hadn’t known she was holding in, “I was nervous so I would wear it. It was a gift from my mother...she passed away when I was a child.” Loki looked down in a touch of compassion. He hadn’t known it had been such a long time, or what even happened to her mother...he knew what great pain he would feel if he even lost his adoptive mother. He couldn’t imagine how y/n must’ve felt. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be—“ the door bell rang and her father’s voice was heard from the other side, “—I’ll be off. You should really come with us.”

“My um...condition has been acting up. It’s best to stay indoors.” He lied.

“Then I’ll bring you back something.” She said softly. Loki quickly put his attire on silently before he opened the door for her father.

“Good evening. Y/N are you ready?” He asked walking in. Y/N walked towards the door. “Yup. Let’s go.” She commented and Loki handed her the clutched wallet she was almost forgetting on the counter.

“Here.” She and her father thanked Loki as they exited the apartment.

Loki went back to where he was sitting previously. He took off his horrid get up and tossed it to the side. Thoughts swarmed his mind and he was worried. What was this feeling? He began to think. Seeing y/n in such a light...she was still kind to him. He couldn’t call it love, he had never loved anyone in such a way. He wouldn’t even know what to call what he felt. He returned to reading his poetry book and stumbled across a poem. Beauty within. He closed the book after he analyzed this piece of work and shook his head. The God was definitely altering...But all hope lost once more as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the hourglass near by. Trickets of sand fell more and he squeezed his eyes shut and looked to the floor.

She could never love a monster...

Loki taglist: @drakesfiance @sunflqweroses @bambamwolf87 @pandaqua @bonelessbarnes @dorkybryan @hunter-demigod-timelord @thatmemequeen @powerstrangerdacre @barnes-infinity-bucky

Story Taglist: @mrssangsterstylesxavier @awkward-silence-turtle @vxidnik @fandoms-allovertheplace @limedane21 @yourpotatotwiceremooved @crazyweirdgeekthatneedstochill @ajduurikscjsja @kiwigrease @fireismysaftey @nhievyenne @bambi-loki @bilesxbilinskixlahey @jessiejunebug @imarockstar45 @fuckthatfeeling @the-deity-ofthe-cosmos @chibiyanai @zarizha @mell-bell @blueskiesbleakeyes @always-kneel-to-loki @graveyardchild @some-person-somewhere @aljadams369 @marvelc00kie35 @harleykittykat @lokis-little-kitten @sparkling-liability @youveseen--thebutcher @wickedscorpio22 @zeddlocket @sheeraverage @trenchcoatdevilsworld @wishrains @lokilover5813 @deadmanwalked @marvelanimelover

Permanent Taglist: @marvelismylifffe @libbymouse

692 notes · View notes

writingjusttowrite8 · 6 years ago

Text

Warmth (Chapter 12)

Hello good friends! So... it's been a while. I truly apologize for how long this has taken me to publish, but life's been a little hectic at the moment. I am glad to finally be able to publish this, because it was something I had been thinking about since I started writing this story.

Thank you so much to every person who's read, like, and especially those who have commented on this story so far! Your support and thoughts are really what drive myself, and many other fanfic writers to keep going. Please enjoy the story and let me know what you think!

You can also read this on AO3!

Ch. 1| Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11

Chapter Twelve: Otherwise Occupied

I tapped my foot anxiously on the floor of the plane while my hand fiddled with my necklace. We’d landed not 30 seconds ago and I was already itching to get off. I’d always detested when people stood up right when the plane landed, but I really couldn't help myself at this moment. I bit my lip, trying to reduce my shaking anticipation, but I clearly wasn’t doing that good of a job of hiding it. Henry chuckled to the left of me.

“Someone’s eager to get off,” he said. I could practically hear the smirk he undoubtedly gave.

“I’m eager to get home. I feel like we’ve been on this plane for years,” I said, eyeing the air-hostess carefully, trying to get any indication that we’d be allow out soon. She gave me nothing.

“It’s barley been two hours! You’ve been away from him for a few weeks, I’m sure a few more minutes won’t kill you,” Henry said to me. I rolled my eyes at him. Yes, a large - very large - part of the reason I was ready to get home was Tom. But this was my home too! I missed my bed and my things and all the joys that came with not being surrounded by overly-muscular-and-very-attentive-co-stars. Henry had been unbearable since Tom came to visit. His little phone call had prompted teasing for nearly 4 weeks. I’d try to ignore him as best I could, feeling more than a little embarrassed by the whole incident, but Henry wasn’t the kind to let me off the hook.

“Tom isn’t the only reason I’m looking forward to getting home, ya know. I rather like the idea of actually being in my home,” I said, looking over at Henry. He shrugged.

“You seemed to be rather content with staying where you were when he came to visit you,” Henry taunted. I sighed an ran my hands through my hair.

“Weeks later and we’re still talking about this? I think you need to move on, Hen,” I said.

“I’ll move on when you move on,” He said cheekily. I just rolled my eyes and checked my phone for the 15th hundredth time to see if I had service. When I saw the three little bars pop up, I immediately opened my phone to call Tom. It only took one ring for him to answer.

“Are you back?” Tom asked immediately.

“Sort of; the plane just landed! Are you home yet?” I asked. The night before we’d agreed that Tom would wait for me at my house after he was done for the day.

“Almost, I have one thing to pick up first. But I’ll be there when you get back,” He said.

“Okay. Don’t take too long. I’m pretty sure if I go a second longer than I absolutely give to without seeing you, I’ll loose my mind,” I said, trying to lower my voice so Henry couldn’t hear me. Much to my dismay, I saw him roll his eyes. Tom chuckled on the other end of the line.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to jeopardize your sanity. Though I must admit, watching you go wild would be fun,” I could hear the smile in Tom’s voice. I smiled so widely that I’m sure I looked silly, preposterous, and hopelessly lovesick. To be fair, I was.

“I’ll see you when I get home. Be safe. I love you,” I said.

“Love you too,” Tom said before hanging up. Henry made a hearing sound when I ended the call.

“Safe to assume you two aren’t past the ‘honeymoon’ phase yet?” He asked, making air quotes.

“I’d like to think of our entire relationship as the honeymoon phase,” I said, pulling my bag from under my seat. I’d shipped most of my stuff back so that all I had was a carryon and I didn’t have to wait for my luggage as Henry did.

“We’ll see about that. I’ll ask you the same question when we do press. I’m willing to be a large sum of money that it will change,” Henry said, giving me a cheeky grin. The air hostess finally opened the doors and told us we could disembark.

“Bet all you want,” I said, grabbing my bag and standing up quickly. “No matter what phase I’m in, I’ll be in it with Tom.” I stuck my hand out, and Henry took it tentatively. “I’ve had fun working with you, but I can’t say that I’ll miss shooting too much,” I said. Henry shook my head and gave me a little wink.

“See you in a few months. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of updates by then,” He said. I ignored his comment, unwilling to be sucked in once more when I could be closer to seeing Tom.

I made my way quickly off the plane, and nearly ran through the airport. The security guards were walking in front of me, leading the way, but we didn’t encounter any paparazzi on the way to the pick up point. As soon as we made it down the escalator, one of the guards turned back to me.

“Your driver will be just around that corner. Do you require any further assistance?” He asked. I shook my head and thanked the guards, before quickly making my way past the corner. There were a few people in the area, mostly drivers with signs waiting for their passengers, and a few couples embracing. It tugged my heart a little bit, making me wish Tom was here. Not that I really needed an excuse to feel that way; I did almost all the time. I looked around for my name, but was unable to find it. Strange. I pulled out my phone to call the driving service to see if they were running late, but a quick whistle to my left made me snap my head up. Across the way, a very tall man, dressed in jeans and a black coat, with a baseball cap and sunglasses, was leaning on a pillar with grin plastered on his handsome face.

Tom.

I nearly ran over to him, jumping into his waiting arms and immediately pressing my lips to his. Tom griped me tighter, and returning my kiss with a similar fervor.

“You lied,” I said, resting my forehead on his. Tom made no moves to put me down.

“I said I had one more thing to pick up; that just so happened to be you,” Tom teased, pressing a short sweet kiss to my cheek. I chucked a bit. “Let’s get you home. Would you like me to carry you to the car?” He asked humorously, but there was a very solid chance he would do it if I asked.

“While that would be very ‘prince charming’ of you, I need to get a little bit of exercise. I’ve been crammed on that plane for hours,” I said. Tom let me down, but instantly took hold of my hand with one of his, and grabbed my bag with the other.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about getting exercise now. You’ll get plenty tonight,” Tom said, loud enough for a couple people to give us curious, side-eyed glances. I playfully smacked his chest, but couldn’t hold back the laughter that bubbled up. And it may or my not have sent a small shiver down my spine in anticipation.

We were a whole two steps into my house when Top pushed me up against the wall and began feverishly kissing me. I matched his intensity, gripping him to me as tightly as possible. Tom brought one hand between us to pop the buttons of my shirt open, and ended up just ripping my shirt apart, sending buttons scattering across the floor. I wanted to be mad, but I really didn’t care at the moment. I was so used to seeing the ever careful, ever gentlemanly Tom and seeing him this demanding was making me very hot inside.

“Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you? How desperate I’ve been while waiting for you? You’ve changed me, Y/N, consumed me…” Tom said breathlessly. I couldn’t respond; my body was on autopilot, trying to get us both naked. I pushed my hands under his shirt, feeling the hard muscles and warm skin. My mouth was too busy kissing every part of Tom’s face to actually form any words, so I moaned against him. Tom hiked his knee between my legs, giving me some much needed friction against my dripping pussy. Our frantic attempts to rid ourselves of clothes was only slowing us down; our hands bumped and chest clashed. The only way we were going to achieve our goal was if one yielded to the other.

Sensing this Tom decided to really take control. His arms wrapped around my hips, hoisting me up briefly before walking to the couch and dropping me.

“Strip,” He ordered. This dark side of Tom was new and strange and made me tingle in the best way possible. I hurriedly followed his command, as he did the same. I’d barley pulled the last of my clothes off before Tom pounced on me once again. He laid me flat across the couch, his body flush against mine. I moaned into his mouth and pushed my hips to his, trapping his leaking cock between us. One of Tom’s hands tangled in my hair, holding my head back as he worked his lips down the column of my throat. His other hand trailed down my body, squeezing my breast and flicking my nipple with his thumb, before guiding his hand between us.

“Unf… Tom, please!” I pleaded, pushing my hips up even harder. Without any further foreplay, Tom took ahold of himself, lined up with my core and pushed himself as deeply as my body would allow. I let out a scream that was really more of a moan at the sensation; it had been so long without the familiar burn of his thick length. It made the pain that much sweeter. I grabbed onto his hips, digging in my nails to urge him to move. I felt his teeth on my neck, scraping just before his tongue came to soothe over it.

The noises we were making, me panting and moaning and Tom grunting into my skin, was still not enough to down out the slick slapping sounds coming from our bodies. Tom began pounding into me at an unrelenting pace, brining the back of my legs to rest on his shoulder and nearly folding me in half.

“Are you close?” He asked, his voice breathless and strained. I’d all but lost the use of my vocal cords, and mumbled something unintelligible while nodding. Tom somehow picked up the pace, snapping his hips to mine with unbridled fervor. I felt the beginning of my orgasm grip me and barley managed to grunt out his name before I came. Tom slammed his mouth to mine, swallowing up my cries of ecstasy, while his hips stilled. I felt a new wave of heat flood me as he came, making me arch into him.

As we both came down from our high, we settled back into the couch and stared into each others eyes. No words were exchanged, only the sound our our breathing evening out. This primal rutting -there was really no other word for it- was hot and intense and the perfect thing to welcome me home. For the first time in a long time, I was perfectly content. There were no pesky team members trying to usher us out of the house, not work obligations that would require us to say goodby, no paparazzi that we needed to run from. It was just us. Fucked-out, breathless, sated us. A warm and foolish happiness overtook my body and I giggled before I could stop myself. Tom looked down at me with pure love and wonderment.

“Why are you laughing?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. I pressed my lips to his in a soft sweet kiss, much different than the ones we were exchanging only moments before.

“I’m just really happy to be home.”

“Did you check this one out yet?” I asked Tom, holding up a picture of the house. He glanced at me then back to the road, nodding his head.

“Yeah, it’s nice, but the kitchen needs a lot of work. Also there’s not a ton of outdoor space,” He said. I frowned and looked back at the picture.

“I like the front of it though. The big windows are nice,” I said.

“We can put it back on the list if you want. We’re only scheduled to tour five places; I’m sure Beverly won’t mind one more,” Tom explained. I shook my head and placed the picture back in the folder.

“Nah, I trust your judgment. Plus, move-in ready would be nice,” I said, leaning back into the seat. Tom smiled a little reached his hand out to grab mine, brining it up to his lips and placing a sweet kiss on it. I was starting to believe no matter how deprived we were in the bedroom, these small intimacies would always make me blush; I didn’t mind. Tom pulled into the garage of the relators building and released my hand. I grabbed my bag to get out of the car but Tom stopped me.

“There is… something I should tell you before we go in there,” He said, turning off the car.

“Okay…” I said cautiously.

“Beverly is a great relator, she helped find Ben and Sophie’s new house, but she’s old fashioned,” Tom said.

“In what way?” I asked.

“She’s quite a bit older than us and has thoughts that may seem a little antiquated…” I furrowed my eyebrows and crossed my arms.

“Tom?” I urged.

“I may or may not have told her our relationship status is different than it actually is.”

“You told her we’re engaged?”

“No actually… I told her we’re already married.”

“Oh,” I said, dropping my arms. “Well, we are looking for a house together… I guess that’s to be expected.” Tom looked relieved.

“It’s just that I didn’t want her to continually pester us about it.” Tom explained.

“That makes sense.”

“It’s not that I was trying to force this on you, just so we’re being clear.”

“I know that, Tom.”

“She’s a good relator. Very discrete and thorough.”

“I understand.”

“It’s just that you look… annoyed.” Tom said quietly, scratching the back of his neck.

“I’m not annoyed about you telling someone we’re married, but I do wish you hadn’t sprung me on the last minute. What if she asks us about our wedding? We don’t have a story prepared.”

“She won’t ask us about our wedding.” Tom scoffed.

“Babe, haven’t you seen any romantic comedy ever? She’ll ask, and we’ll fumble around for an answer, then she’s going to realize it was all a hoax, and get me deported… or something…”

Tom looked at me incredulously.

“If she asks for a story, I’ll be more than happy to give her one. Also, when we get home, I’m blocking rom-com’s on your netflix account.” I rolled my eyes at him. “You still seem annoyed.” He said.

“You really should have brought this up this morning.”

“My mouth was otherwise occupied this morning,” Tom said, a sly smile creeping on his face. It brought back visions of waking up with his head between my legs and tongue deep in my cunt.

“Tom!” I shouted, and lightly slapped his chest. Tom threw his head back laughing, before grabbing my arms and pulling me as close as the car would allow. He looked down at me, still smug, and I couldn’t help but smile up at him.

“If you like, I could remind you just how occupied my mouth was…”

“As delightful as that would be, I’m afraid the car is too small, and we don’t have enough time. Plus, I’d rather not walk into our relators office with my cum dripping down your face.”

“Thats a shame, because that my favorite way to enter any room.”

“Tom!” I gasped again, but he swallowed it down by kissing me.

“I’ll make it up to you when we get back home,” he smirked.

“You better.”

The air in the relators office was heavy and old. It felt more like I was walking into a nursing home rather than a high-end office. Tom and I were immodestly ushered back towards Beverly’s office. I would never admit it, but it gave me a slight thrill that Tom and I were going to be pretending to be husband and wife. Even if it was never brought up, just the fact that we knew the game we were playing was enough to make me smile foolishly.

We stepped inside of an office that looked as if it were an 80s time capsule. Dusty books lined the shelves, an oak desk that most likely outdated the building itself, wool lined chairs that had seen better days. The only reason I wasn’t convinced we’d actually gone back in time was the sleek computer on the desk, surrounded by pictures of houses and apartment. I looked up at Tom who didn’t seem phased by the arcane surrounding, but was greeting the relator herself.

Beverly was in her mid to late 60’s, wore blue eyeshadow, over-lined her lipstick, spent one-too-many nights in over-night curlers, and was unashamedly checking out my… husband.

“Oh Thomas! Its so good to see you again! You look fit as ever!” Her hands rested on Tom’s biceps and gave them a gentle squeeze. I unintentionally gripped Tom’s hand a bit tighter.

“And you must be the lovely [Y/N]! Good to finally meet you.” She said, snagging my free hand, shaking it quickly, and immodestly dismissing me. She walked around to the other side of the desk and Tom and I sat in the chairs across from her.

“Goodness Tom, its been so long since we last saw each other. When was it again?” She asked, her shrill voice piercing the air.

“Um, I believe it was Ben and Sophies housewarming party,” Tom answered.

“Oh thats right! We all have a lovely time when we get together! However… I don’t believe you were there, [Y/N].” Beverly said, eyeing me up and down. I sat up a little straighter.

“I, um, I don’t really know Ben or Sophie all that well.” I admitted through tight lips.

“What a shame, they’re such lovely people, as Tom and I are well aware,” She grinned, giggling at Tom like it was some kind of inside joke. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Tom just seemed plainly oblivious.

“Alright, well, lets get down to brass tax,” Beverly said, pulling out a notebook. “I’ve picked out a few places for us to look at today, but I just want to get a feel for what you’re wanting. Why don’t we start with you, Tom. What is it exactly that you’re looking for?” She questioned.

“Ideally something larger than what we have now. I’d like to to be able to accommodate our families. A large backyard would be nice too, maybe even a deck? And a big closet is a must,” Tom said, winking over at me. I smiled back at him, remembering the conversation that led to where we are.

“Pretty much all the places I’ve picked out for today match that description,” Beverly said, making my smile drop instantly, “And how about you, [Y/N]?”

“Pretty much the same as Tom; more space, back yard, big closet. Also, move-in ready would be high on the list too. My husband and I are very eager to start our lives together,” I smiled sweetly and slithered my hand across to his, lacing our fingers together. Tom gave me a questioning look, but still smiled at me. Beverly’s expression remained stoic and I figured that was a win for me.

“I’m sure I can find the perfect fit for a young, virile man, such as you, Tom, and a… quaint woman such as you, [Y/N]. Shall we?”

Four houses, three cups of coffee, and more than one delicately worded exchange with our relator, I was getting a little discouraged. The only thing keeping me going was Tom’s enthusiasm. It amazed me every time I was around him, just how passionate he could be about anything he set his mind to. No matter what quip Beverly concocted, all I had to do was look at Tom’s sweet face, gushing about the windows or fireplace, and it made everything better.

“Okay, so this is the last place on our list for today, as per Tom’s request,” Beverly said, I looked over at him, and a small smile tugged on his lips, but he didn’t meet my eyes. “It’s a little further out of the city than we’ve been so far, but I don’t think you’ll mind that once you see the backyard. It was built in 1844, and has been updated every so often. Three years ago it underwent an entire refurbishment and hasn’t been lived in since. Seven bedrooms, six and a half baths, a study, and an attic. I have a good feeling about this one!” Beverly exclaimed. I looked at the paper with the information, going over the details in my head. Seven bedrooms? I know we wanted more space, but my god, seven? And a study? Six and a half bathrooms? Did Tom expect to host parliament here? And why did he want to see it last? My mind swirled into hundreds of questions… until the gates opened opened up to the driveway.

White brick and black shutters; large drive way with wrought iron gates; trees peaking over the top of the house; and a wrap-around porch already equipped with a porch swing. I turned to look back at Tom, who shared the same large smile I did. Beverly was saying something about pricing and other offers, but it was really only background noise at the moment. As soon as the car stopped, I pushed the door open and took in the full view of the house. I don’t know how long I was standing there before Tom wrapped his hand around my waist and leaned down to my ear.

“Would you like to look inside?” He asked, beard scratching the shell of my ear. Words escaped me at the moment, so I simply nodded. Beverly let us in, and I began going in, still holding Tom’s hand. He pulled back and began shutting the door, explaining to Beverly that he’d like a moment alone with me. I’m sure she protested, but I happily pulled the door shut before grabbing Tom’s hand and leading him through the house.

Dark hardwood floors, exposed brick, massive kitchen; I almost forgot to breathe. This was the kind of house you dream of when your young, and I was standing in the middle of it. I walked over to the massive fireplace that nearly took up a whole wall, and looked out the large windows to the massive backyard.

“I take it you like it?” Tom asks, coyly.

“You knew about this place, didn’t you?” I asked, still gazing around.

“Yeah… I kinda figured this would be what you wanted,” He said, coming around to face me.

“Why didn’t we just go here first?” I questioned, placing my hands on his chest and feeling the warmth beneath his jacket.

“I wanted to show you other options so you’d see how magnificent this house was in comparison,” He said, smiling down at me. I grinned and chuckled.

“Good work, Hiddleston,” I said, before placing a quick peck to his lips and spinning around to get another look at the house. My heels echoed off the hardwood as I walked, but I didn’t hear any movement from Tom. I turned back around to see him snapping a picture of me underneath the archway to the stairs.

“You look good in here,” Tom said, shrugging and placing his phone back in his pocket. I’m not sure, but I swear I saw a slight blush on his cheeks.

“I think you look good anywhere… I bet Beverly would agree with me,” I said, with more venom than I intended. Tom gave a shocked laugh and looked at me quizzically.

“Is that the green-eyed monster I’m detecting, my darling wife?” He asked sarcastically. So he did notice Beverly’s… advancements. “You know you don’t have any reason to be jealous.” Tom said.

“I’m not jealous, per say… but I find it very distasteful that she’s laying it on so thick! Especially since she thinks were married. It’s a little too crude if you ask me,” I huffed, feeling silly now saying it out loud.

“Darling, she’s old enough to be my mother! In fact, I’m pretty sure she had kids my age,” Tom tried to justify. I rolled my eyes at him.

“If that’s true than it make her flirting even worse! She’s called you ‘virile’ three times in the past few hours. I swear to God, Tom, she says it again and I’m going to drop to my knees and show her exactly how ‘virile’ you can be,” I said pointedly.

A shit-eating grin broke out on Tom’s face. “Is that supposed to dissuade me? Because it’s having the opposite affect, love.” I walked back over to Tom, pressing right against his chest and bringing my hand down to grope his half-hard manhood.

“Maybe this is exactly what I want, husband.” I looked up at him through my lashes, pressing my hand a little firmer. Tom’s eyes were hooded with desire and his lip was between his teeth, no doubt trying to hold in his moans.

I snaked down to the floor, not even minding the lack of comfort against the hardwood. I unzipped his pants and pulled his not fully erect cock out of his underwear, gazing into his eyes the whole time.

“You’d better be quiet,” I taunted, “I’d hate for little miss Beverly walk in here and watch you shove your cock down my throat.” Tom let out a guttural moan and push his hips so that my mouth was right on him. I liked and nipped, got him leaking pre-cum before I even took his whole length into my mouth. I started just with the head, licking the thick veins around it and sucking off his pre-cum. My red lipstick was covering his manhood. I started to take him all the way into my mouth, bobbing my head slowly for a while. I steadied myself with one hand by holding onto his thigh, and used the other to roll his balls between my fingers. For as much as we’d gone at it in the few days I had been back, I was still amazed that he had anything let to give me. The heaviness in my hand suggest that he wasn’t anywhere near running out.

It didn’t take me long to get a faster pace going. I was spurred on by Tom’s strained moans and heavy panting. I didn’t take my eyes off of his and it somehow made what we were doing that much more intense. Tom didn’t warn me that he was about to cum, but it really wouldn’t made any difference. I heard him give one last cry before the first of his cum shot to the back of my throat. I milked him through it, getting every last drop before letting his softening cock out of my mouth with a slick pop. Tom had his head thrown back and was trying to gain his breath as I stood up on wobbly knees and used my tongue to lick off a few drops that had escaped my mouth. By the time Tom caught his breath, I was re applying my lipstick and rubbing off the smudges around my mouth.

“You know, I take back what I said before,” I said, prompting Tom to look confused. “‘Virile’ is the perfect term to describe you.” Tom shook with laughter and pulled me into his chest.

“You looked good in the house, but you looked even better on your knees in our house,” Tom said into my ear.

I pulled back and stared up at him, letting his words process in my head.

“Are you sure about this? The house is… everything I dreamed of, and I love it but, I want you to be sure about this,” I said. Tom placed his hands on my face, looking at me with such prue adoration that it made my heart skip a few beats.

“I’m sure, [Y/N]. I’m sure about you, I’m sure about making this our home; I’m sure.”

A few minutes later, Tom and I exited the house, arms wrapped around each other. Beverly was waiting out on the porch still and looked at us expectantly. I made a point to lick my lips and wipe the edges of my mouth for any residue as I said “we’ll take it.”

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston imagine #imagine tom hiddleston #twhiddleston #warmth #chapter 12 #part 12 #fluff and smut #smut #a decent amount of smut if i do say so myself #also #many years of hgtv watching has led to this moment #so thank you white people on hgtv for my very #smutty fanfic

83 notes · View notes

saigeboredeaux-blog · 6 years ago

Text

( cisfemale ) haven’t seen NAEVA BARABESI around in a while. the NAOMI SCOTT lookalike has been known to be (+) STEADFAST & (+) JUDICIOUS, but SHE can also be (-) CHARY & (-) DETACHED. The 21 year old is a JUNIOR majoring in ANTHROPOLOGY. I believe they’re living in POTENTAS but I popped by earlier and no one answered the door. ( james! 20. EST. she/they. )

hello hello ! i’m james and this is my baby naeva !! she’s an oldie but also ... a new..ie ?? let’s just say it’s been a hot minute since i’ve awoken her ! i’ll probably pick up another muse at some point b/c that’s Who I Am and it was already a struggle figuring out who to bring in first so jskjdflg (except ik who i’d bring in for my second muse :~) ) anyways !! let’s get right into it !

TW: implications of illness.

a e s t h e t i c s

black a-line dresses and black oxford shoes and their light tapping against polished floors, parental expectations and eyerolls beginning lectures, sunglasses under fluorescent lights and the same old tired excuses. driving drunk friends so there’s a reason to say no, laughing off backhanded remarks and clinking of glasses, that old vintage watch that no longer functions but the presence brings a comfort like no other. tossing and turning and waking up and falling asleep--vicious cycles in a battle between dreams and reality. knowledge, and the ever-ending thirst to learn more--love for the surrounding world and an undying will to live. noses in books and the peaking gazes from underneath so, curiosity peaking and a longing to feel alright in one’s skin.

general info !!

full name: naeva ornella barabesi

nickname(s): to be determined t b h

b.o.d. - september 1st, 21 yrs old, virgo

label(s): the facade, the pastiche, the prevaricator, the salubrious

height: 5′6″

hometown: lecce, italy

sexuality: brave of u to assume naeva even know

her stats can be found HERE

and her pinterest can be found HERE !!

biography !!

to those her parents boast to, naeva is a miracle child by all means. guests told that she was born perfect--silent out the womb, easy as day to care for after years of trying for child with no avail; an angel taking vessel in their baby daughter. she is born to liars.

born to old money invested in hedge funds and the vice president of an international bank, surrounded by old buildings of exquisite architectural design--the barabesi family lived lavishly. this is not a lie. their mansions and sports cars and boastful superiority is all, undoubtedly real.

a child born with ailments to last her lifetime is a precious miracle who needs to stay quiet when mommy and daddy are bragging to their guests.

being oh so fragile only meant a lack of socialization except for when it’s convenient--the endless faces of specialists, or tutors, or her parents’ friends.

they love their daughter, yes, but after years and years of building perfect empires and fitting the mold they’ve so desperately tried to label themselves--god be damned if little naeva wasn’t their golden star right from the moment she was born.

born and, for a short time, living in lecce, italy--the barabesi family soon moved to the states in pursue of the best of the best doctors. specifically, cold spring, new york.

small enough to go undisturbed, the young girl spent her time learning and learning; whether it were numbers or vague history or what to take on what days and how to turn a cough into a smile.

and being treated as far too fragile--too delicate, as if she could shatter if you so dared look at her for too long.

eventually, the vicious cycle shifted to a life manageable. though still feeling as if she walked on eggshells, naeva could attend elementary school.

sure, it was stressful--but god, it was her life; she was not a burden, no matter the circumstance and no matter what ailed her.

years passed as naeva juggled the golden child act--attending school, her parents’ little parties, her after school lessons, endless doctor appointments--a blur, in all honesty. a near comfortable routine.

it wasn’t until naeva was in high school that she got a little, well, restless

routine is good, yes--but she was a girl who wanted to live a life where she didn’t have to worry about her health.

it were small things at first, skipping class to read in the library (how very rebellious, wow) and staying out of her house as much as possible without raising suspicions--whether it was stopping at the convenience store after violin or purposely hitting as many red lights as possible.

though naeva seemed to spiral her senior year, really, that’s when it became an issue.

unraveling quickly for reasons she really couldn’t fathom, she felt as if she wasn’t living enough.

going to parties instead of the library, committing vandalism with newly acquired friends, ignoring all the don’ts that came with being her and getting just. absolutely plastered.

it was at one of these parties, a college party nonetheless--where naeva met tatiana samuels.

the girl fascinated an impressionable naeva in a way she didn’t understand--it grew into a friendship, and for the rest of the year; if tatiana was at a party, so was naeva.

but of course--reality got to the best of naeva and when her health crumbled, she withdrew. canceled her bad girl subscription; practically swore it off.

it hadn’t helped that the entire situation had thoroughly freaked out her parents, and suddenly, naeva was six again. back to the basics. this time, however, naeva thought that just maybe, it was for the best.

her parents practically forced her to attend lockwood (not that she really minded) in order to keep her close to home--even so, naeva is living as independently as she can.

personality

it’s sort of easy to mistake naeva for a very serious kinda woman; y’know, no laughs or jokes or inappropriate behavior.

it’s the air around her, really; cool, calm, and collected; aloof yet confident, eyes so dark y’can’t tell if they’re judging or commending you. always seen with a yeti in hand, undoubtedly filled with decaf coffee--booties and tights and tasteful blazers. she’s your fourth grade substitute teacher that wouldn’t let you talk during free time.

but well, it’s a mistake.

she’s responsible and rational and work-oriented but god, does she value humor and amusement and all the good little things in life.

maybe she’s not the funniest person around, but she’ll attempt banter with you--and if you’re passionate about something she’ll hear you out; hell, she’ll support your excitement, maybe even share some of her own passions. naeva is constantly amused, even if her mouth’s set in a hard line.

she studies anthropology because of her love for human life and culture; her minor’s in sociology for god’s sake. naeva loves life, loves liveliness, loves people who feel intensely--naeva’s got a lot of love in her.

it’s a shame she’s so afraid to let people in.

don’t get it wrong--she’ll cozy right up to you but...is she really? or is she just letting you see what she wants you to see? it pains her, as somebody who feels so much, to act so...distant? she by no means gives off a cold air, but she’s the kind of gal you know without really knowing.

god, naeva is so scared. it hurts, sometimes, how scared shitless she is--the events happening in lockwood, secrets being revealed--the possibility that hers will be one day out in the opened without her consent. she just wants to live her life. she really, really, just wants to live.

‘course, she keeps it very very contained. her friends must not know how goddamn stressed she is, at all times of the day--the woman hates pity. she’s been pitied since birth. she wants no more of it.

it’s precisely why she keeps her medical history so hidden. she isn’t ashamed of her life, no, she’s alive and that’s what matters--but the pity. imagined or not--the thought of it is unbearable. maybe it’s silly, maybe a little too irrational for a girl considered so...rational, but, she can’t help it.

it’s not anybody’s business anyway--she tells herself, at least--

it’s led to her lying a lot--unnecessary, but she panics often--when she disappears from school for an extended amount of time, it’s because of family drama or events or public appearances or whatnot.

which, sometimes really gets to her--she’s supposed to be dependable, reliable, trustworthy--goddammit, and she can’t even do that. she’s just a girl with a lot of excuses up her sleeve and one day she’s going to run out.

don’t get her wrong though ! she’s not a passive person, y’know, just because she can be quiet and distant. if she sees an injustice she will speak out about it--she’s got a lot of opinions, and is pretty much ready to attack you with words.

tl;dr - kind and a Pal whilst keeping a distance--always stressed but [laugh track] you’ll never know. she’s also a big nerd when it comes to cultures and just. learning in general. loves history and sociology and anthropology and all that. like...a mom friend? very responsible, will be the designated driver Always and take care of you, it’s just...you only really know what she wants you to know, and she’s a lil bit of a liar. Big Smart, is always amused. not as serious as you’d think.

OH! and she’s very noncommittal in the relationship-sense. like...she’s probably dated around a little bit but the longer it lasts the more tense she gets and more often than not she breaks things off.

disclaimer!

illnesses can be a very sensitive topic and i promise i’m not being vague about it without reason: i’ll be going into it for a task. i’m always cautious on how i portray it, so please let me know when and where i can better myself if something feels off ! the last thing i want to do is come off as inaccurate.

i also was going to do a fun fact/headcanon section but my brain? big dumb and i literally forgot everything i wanted to write so lmao. one of these days, expect a lil headcanons thing. but for now ...

OH! here’s a fun fact! she’s rich as FUCK. that is all, good day.

wanted connections

god give me everything

like i’m really up for anything.

give her a best friend! somebody who really truly knows her

or somebody who Thinks they really know her tehehehfgjfghj

let her mom friend others! be the parental figure in this relationship!

fake friends b/c she’s got money.

study buddies!

people she tutors!

somebody who lets her be a lil’ wild, loosen up.

on the other end: let her keep somebody rooted! a good influence.

ex partners! on good or bad terms??

hook ups! one night stands! fwbs!

ex-hookups ! one night stands that lead to awkward encounters

a thorn in her side, an absolute Annoyance.

on the other hand, let me use naeva to badger your characters. let Her be the annoyance.

enemies? for whatever reason ??

on-and-off-agains!

will they won’t they?

ex-friends! ex-friends trying to fix their friendship!

tense relationships!

oh, your mail keeps getting mixed with mine ?? wth ?? we don’t even have similar names ??

conspiracy theory buds!

STOP running INTO ME on ur morning JOGS u PRICK i’m trying to WALK HERE

purposely stealing the last like...breakfast sandwich in the food court just to be that asshole

bickering. just lots of bickering.

somebody who is just suspicious of naeva’s lil lies n is like HMM and she’s like OH NO U DON’T

somebody she rly wants to be close with but just :) refuses :)

anything unrequited. anything one-sided. love or hate or platonic idc i want it all.

pls n thank.

like this n i’ll msg you of course !!

#water:intro #illness tw #cancer tw #it's not really but just in case!#pls love me and her #it took me...a while to write this

8 notes · View notes

surveys-at-your-service · 6 years ago

Text

Survey #208

"if you want to soar with vultures, you'll have to swallow crow."

What may we call you? Brittany/Britt or Ozz/Ozzy. When can we send you a birthday card? (Figuratively, of course.): February 5th. And, where are you calling from? (Again, figuratively.): Please free me of the sweltering grip of North Carolina. What is your favorite Hostess/Little Debbie snack? BIIIIIIHHHHH that's too hard. I love that shit. I love the honeybuns, Twinkies, those little chocolate cupcakes... and really just most things lkdjalksdjwoe. Do you/your family buy loaf from the bakery or bagged on the shelf? Bagged. White, wheat or other? Mom usually buys whitewheat, but sometimes just wheat because she knows I prefer it. Have you ever fixed something without knowing just how you did it? I'm sure I have at some point. When was the last time you were on a plane? Last December. Where were you going and why? To Sara's for her birthday. What’s the best news you’ve gotten lately? Mom found a serious deal for a brand new Canon camera with more focal length range than my previous one and she bought it right in time for the wedding I shot yesterday. :') ^And, the worst? My niece may already be developing schizophrenia. If you could invent something, what would it be? Uhhhh... just one is hard. I literally just thought about this for like 5+ minutes and can't think of one singular invention that would actually be important. Well, maybe some sort of totally natural, long-lasting preservative for food? That'd help so many people and would greatly decrease the amount of fruits and such we waste, and it would also save money with probably slightly decreasing the frequency of grocery shopping. Tell me about your favorite pair of pants. I literally just have black yoga/dance pants lmao. Do you like getting dressed up? NO. Is your technology up to date? Depends on how "up-to-date" you mean. My stuff definitely isn't totally current. Ever been stuck next to someone really annoying on a LONG plane/train ride? Nah. Would you be embarrassed to find out you snored loudly in public? Yeah. Are you afraid of heights? Yes, to a degree. What is a compliment you get most often? "I like your hair"/stuff like that. Tell me about the last frightening/weird dream you had. This is hard, I like, never remember my dreams. Now, about the last pleasant dream you had. AHA I actually do remember this one: I got the rare-as-all-fuck and beautiful as all hell heavenly onyx cloud serpent in WoW, which I've tried getting every week for years. @_@ My eyes like popped open and I nearly gasped. Do you feel guilty about killing bugs? Sometimes. If there is a spider in your room, will you be up all night knowing that? YUP. How do you feel about coconut? I hate it. ^ Ever cracked one open? No. If you like someone, what do you do? Generally get shy and smile a lot when interacting with them. If you DON’T like someone, what do you do? Try to avoid being around them, keep talking to them to a minimum. What do you feel most insecure about? What DON'T I feel insecure about? Do you do your part to save the earth? I do what I can as not an independent adult (ex., I don't have my own car, so we don't drive to the dump). I turn the water off when brushing my teeth, I don't linger in the shower, I absolutely will not litter, things like that. Does it ROYALLY piss you off when your intended username is already taken? Yeesh, it doesn't even make me mad, it's just annoying. Describe your sunglasses. I don't have any. What’s the most you’ve spent on a pair of sunglasses? N/A ^Or, ladies, what about a purse? No clue, but definitely not a lot. Actually, what’s the most expensive clothing item/accessory you own? Again, I don't know. What is your favorite spoken language to listen to? Latin. Is there a TV switched on in the room you’re in? There is no TV. If so, what’s on? N/A What room of the house are you in anyway? My bedroom. Do you own anything that is special edition? I think some games, maybe? Maybe other things? Do you have any funky bookmarks? I have one of those moving 3D ones of meerkats. Do you know anyone with a British accent? Not personally. Are you reading any books at the moment? No. If so, tell me the plot briefly. N/A. When did you last get delivery pizza? A few weeks back. Drake Bell or Josh Peck? Back when the show was current, I preferred Drake. I know nothing about him now; Josh is cool, though. When was the last time you had a tick on you? EW idk I don't even wanna think about it. Do you watch Adult Swim? No, I hate it. It's crawling with immature humor. Have you been to the Grand Canyon? No. What is your favorite type of donut? Glazed or plain. Who usually makes dinner in your household? Mom. Name ALL the colors you’re wearing. Oh jeez, I have on a really colorful Day of the Dead-style skull tank top. Literally like every possible color. Are there more females or males in your family? Females. Have you submitted anything to Urban Dictionary? No. Did you have a Gameboy? If so, do you still have it? Yes to both. Is there a playground anywhere near your house? Define "near." Not very. Does anyone in your family snore loudly? Mom. What’s your favorite cereal? Probably Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Or Crunch Berries, the all berries kind. Do you read reddit? If so, how often and what subreddits do you like? No. Do you know anyone who’s had a baby recently? An old best friend from high school. When was the last time you ate marshmallows? Not since Sara was here and we had s'mores last summer. Do you listen to any podcasts? How do you listen to them? No. What brand of toilet paper do you usually buy? I don't pay attention to whatever Mom gets. Why did you leave your last job? The stress was giving me panic attacks. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left without paying? No. What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud? Probably Mark or GameGrumps. How old were you when you first became sexually active? 16. What’s your opinion on The Simpsons? I don't have one. Do you know anyone who has been through a divorce? Plenty of people. Do you have to pay for parking in most places in the town/city you live in? No. Can you hear lots of traffic from your house? Does it bother you? A moderate amount. We live on a busy road. Would someone being either a cat or dog person effect you dating them? No. What is the smallest thing you lose your temper over instantly? Hm, idk. Talk to me like I'm an idiot will definitely get me, actually. What’s a job that doesn’t get enough respect? Mfckn teachers. They are WAY WAY WAY underpaid. What did you take for granted until you visited another country? Never left the country. What is the worst first date you’ve been on? Tyler had a flat tire, and we had to walk to the gas station for something I don't remember and back to the sketchy tire place, and it was SO cold and windy. It didn't actually bother me, like he felt godawful and it wasn't like it was in his power, but from a date standpoint, yeah, that was an event. Who is your favorite scientist and why? I'm not educated enough on various scientists for this. Do you prefer emoticons or emoji? Emoticons. What’s the hardest task you’ve ever had to do? Open my mind in partial hospitalization to let Jason go and recover. How did you meet your pet? Teddy was from a friend of a family friend who knew we were looking for a dog. He was a present for me, so I didn't actually pick him, but rather Ashley chose the last remaining puppy with brown on him, and boy did she make the best decision. Roman was one of the shitload of kittens Ash's mother-in-law had; I was immediately drawn to him with his beautiful blue eyes. <3 Venus was from an online hub of ball python breeders, and I just absolutely fell in love with her colors. Kaiju and Mitsu were both from Craigslist. Do you look like any of your grand- or great-grandparents? I don't have a clue. Did/Do you have any PEZ dispensers? Oh yeah. Do you like grapes or raisins better? I only like grapes. What is the most extreme weather your area has ever experienced? I looked it up; the coldest in history is -9*, highest is 105*. Is there anything you plan on watching on TV today? No. Are there any broken appliances in your house? Maybe. Mom may still have my old Sager in hopes of fixing it one day or something, but I feel like we finally got rid of it. What color is the lampshade in the room you’re in? I don't have a lamp in here. At school, what is/was your worst area in math? I don't remember. Have Jehovah's Witnesses ever called to your door? Yes. Do you ever throw money in those ‘wishing’ wells? No. Waste of coins. Ever take money out of them? No. Are you well known by people in your area? No. What is the picture on the desktop on the computer you’re using? A meerkat. Have you ever had your future told? No. Do you 'spit on it’, to seal a deal? No no no ew. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No, thank god. If so, have you had any scary hallucinations? N/A Do you believe in ghosts? Totally. Would you ever stay overnight in a haunted house? Sure thing. When was the last time you had an injection? What for? Months ago when I was getting a cavity filled at the dentist. For some reason, I would NOT go totally numb until they gave me like 5+ doses. Is there anything you cannot wait to be over? This eternally-looping groundhog's day bullshit. I want a job, to be in school, friends, just a damn purpose. Do you have any enemies? "Enemies," no. People I don't like that also don't like me, yes. What was the last thing you had done at the dentist? Speak of the dentist, lol. Said cavity filling. Do you scrunch your face up when eating sour things? No, I'm not very affected by sour things. As a child, did you ever get the chance to go to Disney World/Disneyland? World, yes. <3 Are you someone who is really committed to politics in your area/country? No. When was the last time you were on a boat? Where did you travel on it? Two summers ago when I was fishing with Colleen, her husband, and dad. Does your family ever have any kind of weird traditions in your house? No. What would you consider your favorite movie from a different decade? The Lion King. Do you ever take bubble baths only to relax yourself in some way? I never take any kind of bath. When was the last time you were sick? What were you sick with and why? I don't remember. Have you ever wanted your significant other to get rid of a friend? Yes, though I had serious reason, but I wasn't in any way demanding about it/nothing was actually affected by them remaining friends. If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? They've both moved out. Do you know anyone who has or has had any kind of mental illness/disorder? I'd love to meet someone who can possibly say "no" to this. Do you ever go to Blockbuster? How frequently would you say you go? *stares off into the distance wistfully* Is your mother a stay-at-home mother or does she work somewhere? She never stops working. What food would you just want to disappear off the face of the earth? Nothing? I'm not going to take away the diet of people depending on some source I just happen to hate. Do movies with super heroes intrigue you in any way? Why is this? Yeah, I just like fantasy stuff, and I enjoy the majority of the plots. I also just enjoy the idea of superheroes existing. Do you watch those late-night talk shows? What’s the best part about them? No. Do you ever listen to music so you can actually change your emotion? I try to sometimes. Do you like shopping alone? I've never really shopped alone. Does your best girlfriend have any talents that you don’t? Yeah, like she can animate pretty well! Have you ever written a song? I wrote a fucking song to the Nintendogs theme as a kid lmfao. Does anybody send you money in the mail for your birthday? My grampa always did, but he's sadly passed away, so now, no. Do you own any shirts that have a year on it? Ha ha, I have a Back to the Future shirt stored somewhere with the date on it, and it says "I was there." What do you think about mullets? I absolutely hate them. Would you rather date an actor or an athlete? I find actors more talented. I'd be afraid of an athlete s/o getting hurt, too. Do you have any scratches on your cell phone? No. Somehow. When was the last time you blushed? I don't remember, it's definitely been a while. Who is one person you met and automatically didn’t like? A doctor for my tremors. She was a BITCH with just such an unlikable, dull personality. Never went back to her. Do you have any video game systems in your room? Which one(s)? I have a Nintendo DS Lite somewhere... and then my laptop is actually a gaming laptop. What movie coming out do you really want to see? The. Live action. TLK. First day? I'm fuckin' THERE son. Is your skin tone lighter or darker than your mom’s? We're about the same. What is the best thing about the beach? All I care about is if the water's warm. Have you ever done another person’s make-up? I gave Jason a makeover once lmao. Have you ever spied on your neighbor? No. Do you think they’ve ever spied on you? No. What color eyes does the last person you kissed have? Brown. Honestly, do you double dip? No, I break chips apart. I will if I'm eating by myself, though. What color is your birthstone? Purple. What is one thing you don’t like sharing? Hmmm. Oh, probably candy, lmao. Where on your body would you NEVER get a piercing? Downstairs. Which Adam Sandler movie do you like the most? He's been in so many, I don't have a clue. I like him, though. Who was one of your first celebrity crushes? Jesse McCartney was my husband. Did your parents ever read stories to you before bed? Mom did. What are you listening to? "Queen For Queen" by Motionless In White. Do you like hickeys? If they're not in an obvious spot. Do you hate the person you fell the hardest for? No. When was the last time you talked to one of your best friends? I don't have a best friend besides Sara, and I talk to her everyday. Is there someone that makes you happy every time you see them? Sara. Do you believe what goes around comes around? Not always. Do you have any summer plans yet? No. I'd like to go up and visit Sara, but I have no clue if that'll happen, especially with me trying so hard to get a job. Do you have any good friends of the opposite sex? One. Do you have a secret that you’ve never told anyone? Yes. Have you ever regretted kissing someone? Yes. Do you think age matters in relationships? To an extent when a minor is involved. Even huge gaps in adult relationships creep me out, but there's nothing morally wrong with it. How many people have you had real, strong feelings for since high school ended? Two. Do you believe exes can be friends? It depends on the intensity of the relationship, I think. Plus what went wrong. Did you ever lose a best friend? Yeah. Has the last person you kissed ever seen you cry? Lol poor thing's seen me sob. Are most of your friend guys or girls? Girls. When was the last time you took a long drive? A few days ago to my psychiatrist. About an hour drive. Have you ever played Spin the Bottle? No. Have you ever TP'd someone’s house? Well, considering I've never been that damn immature, no. Who do you text the most? Sara. What was the last movie you saw? Detective Pikachu. It was cute, although I was expecting it to be more targeted towards an older audience with Ryan Reynolds playing Pikachu. (I knew nothing about it going into it.) Are you a monogamous person or do you believe in open-ended relationships? I'm monogamous. What do you most like about making out? The touching/caressing. Have you ever casually made out with someone who you weren’t seriously involved with? No. Would you get involved with someone if they had a child already? No. Do you miss your last sweetie? Not romantically. It'd be nice to hang out again, though. Have you ever gotten back in touch with an old flame after a time of more than 3 months of no communication? No. If you could kiss anyone who would it be? Y'all been known. What’s your favorite flavor of soda, pop or whatever else you call it? Blue raspberry. Have you ever attended a religious or private school? Yes; I went to Sunday school. How many cars does your household own? One. What time do you usually have dinner? 4:00 for fasting reasons. What’s your favorite meat? Probably chicken. Do you need glasses to read or drive or need them all the time? I always need them. Are you a very forgetful person? I'm so forgetful that I literally sometimes have borderline anxiety attacks that I'm developing dementia or something at age 23 lmao. What is the best gift anyone has ever gotten for you? My dog. Do you look anything like you did 3 years ago? I guess somewhat, though I was way bigger and my hair was much longer. Have you done something dramatic to your looks in the past year? No. Make up or no make up? I think everyone inevitably looks better with make-up as it enhances features and dulls imperfections, but I personally couldn't care less if you wear it or not. I almost never do, so I can't talk. What’s your favorite thing to watch on the TV? IF I was to watch TV now, probably things like animal documentaries. Would you rather be anorexic or obese? Actually go fuck yourself. Do you upload videos to YouTube? Definitely not regularly. I don't know the next time I'll make one. Do you own any albums by Michael Jackson? No. Do you like your phone on silent or vibrate? Vibrate. Do you like Beavis and Butthead? I don't watch it, but it honestly seems pretty damn stupid. What do you believe happens after we die? Who even knows, really. I believe there's something after we die, but we'll have to wait to find out what. Does the concept of eternity scare you? It kinda... does, actually? Like, wouldn't it get boring eventually? Are you happy that you were born and raised where you were? I suppose. Are your parents still together? No. Do you know anyone who is pregnant right now? Yes, and I want to see their fckng son he's gonna be so cute. She's due soon and I pray I get to take pictures of him. Is there a band you like but don’t like the people in it? Blood On The Dance Floor and Otep. Well, Otep is respectable in some areas, but all things considered, she is a bitch. What tabs do you have open right now? Fucking five YouTube tabs, dA, and Tumblr. Who was the last person to write on your wall on Facebook? No clue, and I don't feel like looking. Have you ever seen a tornado in person? Thank Christ in Heaven no. Are you between the ages of 30 & 40? No. How much was a gallon of gasoline when you first started driving? I have no clue, when I got my permit. What was your first car? N/A Who taught you how to drive? My driver's ed teacher and my mom. What was your high school mascot? A firebird. Did you go to your senior prom? Yes. What did you do after graduation? Honestly? I don't even remember, almost at all, lmao. I either went to Jason's or went home/Jason came with me. Any posters on your bedroom walls growing up? When Nicole and I shared a room, she literally covered the fucking walls in Jonas Brothers shit while I was at a friend's house, and I was. Very. Very. Unhappy. Do you remember the first time you drank a beer? I've never had beer, don't want to. Did you ever try cigarettes? No. How did you spend your summers growing up? Swimming, hanging out with friends, playing outside, riding bikes, playing softball with Dad, playing video games... If you could change anything from your teenage years, would you? Hey, could I have been like, a happy teenager??? Do you remember your first time? No considering at that time I didn't realize it essentially was sex, so it wasn't something that stood out at the time. After high school - straight to college or straight to work? I went straight to college. Favorite home-cooked meal growing up? Spaghetti. Favorite place to eat out growing up? It was probably McDonald's. How many stuffed animals do you own? I literally have multiple huge bags in the attic of childhood stuffed animals I couldn't get rid of, lmao. Are you good at comebacks? WOW no. When’s the last time you watched the news? I don't have the slightest idea. Do you love Christmas time? Of course. Do you really think that the number 13 is unlucky? No. What’s your favorite flavor of cough drops? Omggg I love those strawberry ones. Do you have a fan in your room? Yes. I wouldn't survive without it. Do you think Cookie Monster is cute? I don't really feel either way. Do you like candy canes? Yes. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? Yes. Which is worse: stuffy nose or runny nose? Probably stuffy? I don't have a runny nose much, but I've got pleeeenty of experience with stuffy noses. Which is worse: Sick to your stomach or sore throat? THE FORMER. What’s your favorite smiley face? c: Do you think your last relationship was a disaster? No. How many concerts have you been to? One. :/ Would you ever join a band? If I was actually talented with the guitar, maybe, but as things are now, nope. Which internet browser do you use? Chrome. Do you know anyone who is a firefighter? No. What was the last wedding you went to? Just a few days ago for a lady who contacted me about shooting hers. It was a great one, and honestly wonderful to see an interracial wedding here in the South. You do nooot see that everyday. What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage? Margaritas. When was the last time you saw a photo of your ex? Probably the last time I was uploading pictures from my old phone; it's the one I take the once-a-year selfie because the Samsung camera is ACTUAL trash. Do you “binge-watch” TV shows? No. Well actually, on the occasions Sara and I have, I can only handle a handful at a time before I completely lose focus on it or, at that time anyway, interest. What is your opinion of clowns? I don't have one. Do you play any games on your phone? Only Pokemon GO if I'm somewhere I can actually play it. Do you plan ahead when it comes to your outfits? No. Have you ever shaved your face? We have this tiny automatic razor thing for your upper lip, and I use that like once a month or less because yay having dark body hair. What color is your front door? White. What was the last vaccination you got? Whatever those mandatory ones are when you become a teenager. Idr. Would you ever try herbal medicine as opposed to conventional medicine? No. If I need medicine for something, I'm using something I know works. Have you ever been to a petting zoo? I think as a kid? Do/did you have a curfew set by your parents? It wasn't heavily enforced, but Mom preferred I be home by 10 if I went somewhere. How many times have you consumed alcohol? *shrugs* When was the last time you wore a hat? What kind? I have noooo clue. When was the last time you sang an ENTIRE song? Good question. I rarely sing an entire song, rather just parts. Do you consider yourself to be attractive? I don't mind my face, but I do NOT like my body, so overall, no. Are you addicted to anything? Technology. What are you craving right now? I've had an insane craving for hot dogs on the grill for like a week now lmao. Mom's doing that and buying some drinks today for the two of us. I wanted my sisters to come for some family time, but my younger sister has homework, and then Ash and kids like... never come here. "Because of the dogs," according to her husband, but I don't believe that. Are you a forgiving person? I'm way too forgiving. Do you have a brother? Yes. Have you ever had a dream of stabbing someone? WHOA actually I think I semi-recently had a nightmare of me going ham stabbing someone for some reason I don't remember. What would you want your last words to be if you could choose them? "I love you" or then "see you on the other side" is cute to me and also indicates we'll be together again. So probably the latter. What band can’t you stand listening to? I reeeaaally dislike Mumford and Sons. His voice is awful. What is your favorite mystery/crime/FBI related show? Does Sherlock count as a mystery show? Would you ever have a bird as a pet? Nah. How’s your relationship between you and your grandparents? Not wonderful. I don't like her very much, and evidence says I'm not her favorite person, either. Do you have a photographic memory? No. Have you ever had to speak at a funeral? No. Do you know someone who’s been cremated? Hm, don't think so. Have you ever talked to someone when they were high? Yes. Your ex is on the side of the road, on fire. What do you do? Uh, call 911??? Dunk water on him if at all possible? I'm not just gonna drive past anyone who's on fucking fire. It’s 2 in the morning and you get a text message, who is it most likely? Sara. I only ever text her and Mom, and Mom would be right outside my door asleep, so. Ever cried while you were on the phone with someone? Is there anyone who hasn't? When was the last time you saw your father? Not since his birthday last month. Do you like any of Justin Bieber’s songs? No. Any time when you need to search something on the Internet, which search engine do you use? Google. Do you believe saving your virginity for marriage or no? I don't care. I believe in saving it for someone you truly, deeply love. When you were a kid, did you ever like Barney? Yes. Omfg I just remembered something with my older sister; when she was little, Barney was her "boyfriend." She was "talking on the phone" with him once, and when Mom interrupted her, she scoffed and said, "I'm talking to Barney." And then Ash and Barney had an ACTUAL "ceremony" for a divorce. That's a thing that happened. What’s the capital of state, country, or providence you live in? Raleigh. When you open your web browser, what is your home page set to? Why did you select this? Google. I think it was automatically set. Would you allow a camera crew to follow you around and make a reality series out of your life (no matter how boring it is) if you got paid well? Why? No. I'd get so fucking annoyed, I'd feel under constant scrutiny, and I don't want fame. If your car broke down would you call a friend or family member to pick you up or would you call AAA (or something like it)? I'd call my mom and listen to her on what to do from there. Do you put a lot of thought into the gifts you buy for people? YEAH. It's rare I actually have my own money to buy gifts for anyone, so when I can, I think hard. On an average day do your thoughts tend to be more positive or negative? Negative, I think. Do you ever trust anyone else to drive your car? If you don’t have a car, do your friends and family ever allow you to drive their vehicles? I don't have my own, but Mom lets me drive hers. Name at least one thing you like about each season. Winter: SNOW. Spring: Flowers!! Summer: swimming. Autumn: visuals. What amount of time do you think is perfect for a vacation? I guess a week?

#survey #quiz #questions #random #bored

3 notes · View notes

coyotebombsquad · 7 years ago

Text

Bikepacking down the California Coast

Words and photos by C.J. Foster

Prologue:

Last April, I was transitioning between jobs and scored nearly two weeks off; enough time to throw together an adventure -- something that would offer a moment to reflect, reset, and prepare for the road ahead.

I set out for the California coast. I rented a car and drove to Crescent City (20 miles shy of Oregon). This is where I would begin my real journey -- pedaling home to San Francisco -- a grand total of 420 miles and 32K of elevation, after all was said and done.

Leaving behind the city, I began to feel a quiet peace settle upon me. It was the sense that a chapter had ended and a new one was beginning. There were big changes to ruminate on, something that journeying through forests helps coax along, but still I was eager, anxious, and nervous about taking on a solo trip of this magnitude.

Day 0 (SF to Crescent City -- 355mi + 100 bonus miles due to rerouting )

Heavy rain was in the forecast; just what California needed to replenish our depleted water table and reservoirs. More roads were washed out with each downpour, serving a deterrent for this bike packing trip. Despite poor conditions, I retrieved my rental car, picked up some last minute provisions, and impulsively purchased a quality point and shoot while on a lunch pitstop at In N Out -- this wouldn’t be a road trip without it.

I crossed my fingers that the rain wouldn’t be too bad or last too long.

While on the road, worst case scenarios played out in my mind and doubts churned in my head. Questions about my fitness levels, on-the-fly bike maintenance, and my safety all nagged at me. I have taken numerous solo trips before, but I was still greeted by familiar doubts. I warded off these old friends and pushed the accelerator, willing this trip into fruition.

A landslide had occurred the night before just North of Leggett, which closed highway 1 (just North of where 101 merged with 1). I thought I could outsmart the landslide and the CHP by taking a route that I found on my phone, but the locals and tow trucks dissuaded me. There were potholes that my rental car wouldn’t negotiate successfully. A CHP officer suggested that I drive back to highway 20 and cutover to highway 5 and back on highway 36 -- an extra 7-8 hours of driving to get around one landslide. I was highly motivated to find an alternate route and was successful! There are some windy gravel mountain roads that cut through Covolo to Zenia off highway 162. They were sketchy, pocked with potholes, and many blind corners had cattle hanging around them. Nearly 4 hours and 135 miles later, I was dropped back onto 101. Just in time for a wild downpour to obscure my visibility nearly entirely for the last two hours of my drive. As the wipers whipped away, there were a few moments that I questioned if I should abort the trip and go find a B&B somewhere to lounge around and take it easy. Where’s the adventure in that though?

I made it to Crescent City after numerous bursts of sketchy downpours and 11 hours of driving. At a cheap hotel, I took the last hot shower that I’d have in several days and drank an IPA to settle all my nerves from the drive.

Day 1 (Crescent City to Clam Beach) -- 75mi/4.2k ft

https://www.strava.com/activities/948298792

When you roll out of bed and see your bike next to you, you know it’s going to be a good day. The storm had ended (for now). I returned the car at the world’s tiniest commercial airport after running a few last minute errands (patch kit and lighter are crucial). A polite and professional looking middle aged woman in a knee high skirt helped check the car back in. As I went to check the mileage a man with a mangled undercarriage came driving back up with a dumbfounded expression -- the cowling of the car was dragging on the ground, making an infernal noise. The rental car woman casually walked back in to grab a pair of tin snips. When she returned, she squatted down and removed the offending piece, then informed the man that he was all set. What service!

From there, I was free, off on my two wheels, fully supported. The day was sunny, dry, and a bit windy, but still gorgeous. The road felt solid under my self-propelled vehicle; my legs marginally ready for the physical challenges ahead. The cliffs along the ocean fell away like they had been cleaved by the great Paul Bunyan himself. The ocean would be my comfort, my well of motivation for the next several hundred miles.

The miles of coastline stretched endlessly in front of me. I rolled along undulating roads that led to tiny coastal towns; nearly forgotten, yet timeless. The forest stood sentry over the towns, over the coast, and over me.

Several hours of headwinds and roughly 40 miles in, I stopped in Klamath Falls to admire the 40 ft tall Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox. It dwarfed me and my bike. My hunger had built, so I indulged in a plate full of chili fries and a sandwich at a nearby cafe in False Klamath; got to love being a cyclist, you can eat anything and it’s all considered fuel for the next ride. I had been cruising at 13 MPH, slow and steady, and this would be pretty much the fixed speed that I’d be moving at most of the trip.

After lunch, there were a few decent climbs: one up to Prairie Creek Redwoods and another out towards the stunning Patricks Point. A few lagoons loomed in the distance, they distracted me well enough for about 10 miles as I rounded my way to the campground.

I landed in Clam Beach State Campground after deciding to press on passed Patricks Point (my original stopping point for the day). The tent was a small project, as it was my first time pitching this new 1p tent, which proved to be a trivial task. The hunger was driving me to skip the backpacking meal and opt for some pizza at a local joint in McKinleyville. The kids working did not care if I brown-bagged it while eating a few slices in their store -- likely not their first dirtbag cyclist. Four slices and a 22oz of IPA prepped me pretty well for passing out. There was a slow ambling pedal along the airport road that led me back to camp. A few small planes landed during the sunset and I soaked in how light everything felt, nothing was tugging at me or compelling me to do or be anywhere, I was exactly where I needed to be.

Day 2 - Clam Beach Campground to A.W. Way County Park (Mattole Road) -- 75mi/5k ft

https://www.strava.com/activities/949287569 https://www.strava.com/activities/950851373

The first light of the morning woke me and I felt rested. I wanted to get an early start on the morning since rain was in the forecast, but not until afternoon. I planned on covering a fair amount of ground before the rain came (hah). As I packed up, my camp neighbors warmly offered me a cup of coffee, they lived locally and told me they were getting ready for work -- made me reminisce about camping up at Hawk Camp back home during a work night. The kindness of strangers would be a recurring theme during my trip.

Breakfast was eaten on the bike; the convenience of a breakfast burrito and a chocolate milk on the road. It conjures up an image of a train engineer shoveling coal into his engine to keep it chugging along. The morning was beautiful, I mostly pedaled by coastal farmlands and a smattering of small towns. The headwinds were ever-present, but I felt strong nonetheless. I caught up to another cyclist in Eureka who looked like he was out bikepacking with his loaded panniers, I excitedly asked him where he was off to. He was commuting to work and wasn’t on much of a journey. I wouldn’t encounter another cyclist until my last days of riding.

The farm roads gracefully lead me to Ferndale (my halfway point for the day) where I loaded up on provisions. While visiting a grocery store, I absentmindedly left my sunglasses on a rack and left for a pastry and coffee (I retrieved them). A local who had been in the store had noticed me down the street and flatly observed “you didn’t make it very far” when he saw me in front of the bakery. I’ll call that small town humor.

The climb out of Ferndale was absolutely brutal. It felt like hitting a vertical wall and only the powers of levitation would be able to lift me up the ridgeline that I was attempting. I was desperate to move quickly, but humbled by the aggressive grade and the howling winds at the top of the climb. The threat of rain was no longer merely a threat, I donned my rain gear quickly and prayed that I’d stay dry and cool enough to finish out the next 30 miles. From Ferndale, I covered about 4.2k ft in 35 miles. Brutal with packs, brutal without them.

Needle like rain stung my face for over an hour, my amusement during this section quickly changed. A sketchy winding descent led into Capetown, where I lost one of my water bottles and I narrowly missed being crushed under a dump truck’s wheels. The trucker that was just a tad too comfortable with the roads and cyclists on them.

Following the descent into a cove, a local in a green Tacoma stopped ahead of me and dangled a construction high-visibility vest out of his truck window and stated “dude, you need this!” His name was Oliver, and again, strangers with endless kindness had been looking out for me with safety and hydration (Oliver gave me a water bottle to replace mine, it was even alkaline, for sensitive stomachs). My flickering flame was ablaze for the adventurous path again.

A few miles ahead there was the town of Petrolia with a little gem of a bar called White Rose. I saddled up at the bar to wait out the storm. A beer would revive my sense of humor and the locals were entertained by my very presence. Who bikepacks in the rain, they asked? A few randos contributed to a hot shower fund in their own amusement since AW Way Campground had a coin-op hot shower. The kindness of strangers also contributed another gift from Humboldt county too, a special little doobie hand rolled under the bar. Despite the fact that it had only been two days of pedaling, I felt the beginnings of loneliness assuaged by strangers. I was striving to stay open to any experience along this road.

The campsite was a few flat miles from The Rose (as the locals referred to it), I even turned down several ride offers, told them that this was my journey to power. The campground boasted 30 soggy sites, they were all empty, so I had my choice. The hot shower was restorative, a bit of magic for a renewal that I would need for tomorrow.

Day 3 (AW Way Campground to Wright Beach 76mi/10.3k ft via Usal Road)

https://www.strava.com/activities/950851391 https://www.strava.com/activities/951928834

There’s always an odd sense of waking up in a campground without anyone else around; it’s a bit eerie, but also deeply peaceful. Rested, I packed up and hit the road, noticing a new lovely creaking noise my bottom bracket had developed due to all of the rain.

The plan was to take Mattole Road and connect to Usal road despite most people informing me that Usal road was still closed, but I felt that I didn’t have much of a choice since the reroute due to all the highway road closures would climb up and over Garberville and add an extra 70-80 miles (I had no idea how much climbing it would add). The folks from the White Rose had informed me that the Bryceland Market would be a good place to stop for food and road intel.

Still groggy with sleep encrusted eyes, I rounded a bend, and from the shoulder of the road a blur of black streaked ahead and veered into the center of the road and turned around to face me. It was a bull, of sizable proportions! He pawed at the ground as if to feign a charge. This frightened me, but I took comfort in the fact he didn’t have horns, nor did he have testicles (minor thing noted when he ran ahead of me), but I was leery of this 1500lb bulldozer and hoping he wasn’t too aggressive. I stopped about 50 yards away from him, facing him down like it was a standoff (it felt like a David and Goliath faceoff). I first yelled at him, then rang my bell, tossed small rocks in his direction to get him to move out of the road. He wasn’t budging. Then I thought to channel my inner cowboy spirit, and boldly rode towards him, yelling at the top of my lungs “GO ON, GEEEIIT!!”. This magically compelled him to turnaround and he trotted in the direction that I was rolling in. My inner childhood cowboy was giddy and terrified all at the same time. Such power I yielded. The bull veered off the side of the road before we got to a cattle catcher and I was free from my escort/keeper. I pedaled off to safety, and continued binging on serial killer podcasts, such a odd choice for a sojourn on desolate mountain roads.

Honeydew was a good restocking point where I pounded yogurt like it was water. They had a map of the area and informed me that Usal road was still closed, but I should check in with the BLM office in King’s Range. Just outside of Honeydew, there is a massive climb that aggressively stretches up to King Peak. It humbled me. I stopped several times to give my knees a break and to lube my chain. At one mini pitstop, a local named Grant stopped to check in on me, and I informed him that I was ok, and instead of speeding off to his day, he casually chatted with me for a few minutes. I inquired about Usal road, but he didn’t know much about its current state. The next several hours were a virtual elevator of careening ridgelines, towering forests, washed out roads, and serial killer podcasts.

Dropping into Thorn Junction, I crossed paths with Grant again, he was hauling a load in his truck, and chatted with me briefly and offered up an apple juice. I was thankful for the offer, and took him up on it. Each drop was refreshing, the kindness of strangers continued.

The BLM office was down the road another mile. There was one woman with a colleague there, they both heavily advised me not to take Usal, not that it was a fool's errand, but pretty close, saying that I needed a mountain bike or something beefier than my cross bike (on semi slick 32s). They weren’t exactly too far off, but I decided Usal was my best option, considering my current location and what I could physically tolerate (at this point I was 40 miles in and nearly 5k ft climbing).

There was a awkwardly situated cafe in a lumberyard called Caffe Dolce. Their pastries and sandwiches were exceptional. Both the fuel and the rest were a much needed respite. I was surprised at how busy the cafe was. There was a constant stream of people coming out to pick up a sandwich, I surmised that they were all potentially pickers at some of the farms in Humboldt county. I overheard an Aussie gal talk about going back to the farm.

Back on the bike, there was a smell of dank herbal piney resins wafting at me, I was definitely in Humboldt county. To punctuate that point, I was nearly at Usal road, pedaling along fern laden roadways, when a women walking along the road was most certainly on a different plane than I was. She stated everything is beautiful and asked me for a hug, which I complied and listened to her delve into hyper connected beauty and how we’re all one. I was grasping for an understanding of what all she was conveying to me. I pointed her the way that she should continue walking, and hoped that somebody would return her to wherever she had come from. Bizarre.

Usal’s beginning was a formidable muddy clay-like road, deeply rutted and pocked. The mouth of the whale that would swallow me up and eventually spit me out some ~30 miles and 4k ft climbing later onto highway 1. I ignored the closed gate and passed by. There were rollers that climbed and descended into expansive groves, with each descent typically requiring me to dodge pond-like flooded sections of the road. At least 3 cars were abandoned, a Honda Civic had no chance, the two trucks, despite having 4 wheel drive, succumbed to the relentless muck.

I pushed on. I was grinding away at 6-7MPH for the next 6 hours. I had to dig deep and find humor in the pain and to not let all the beauty wane. My nerves were starting to wear and my body was feeling tired of endlessly riding the brakes and carefully choosing my line, which was even harder with a load. The risk was high since both ends of Usal road were closed and I didn’t have any phone reception. A single mechanical issue could ruin the trip, a fall was a different story… actually, I laid the bike down on one slick descent and took a tumble. I was incredibly thankful -- no mechanicals or injuries.

After a few more hours of rocking out (fittingly enough to If These Trees Could Talk) and noting the descending sun, worry began to set in. I wondered if I’d ever get through this seemingly endless road. My strength was waning, but mentally, I was committed to getting through this. After rounding one of the innumerable bends, Usal beach revealed all its glory, just in time for the sunset. This helped to steady my nerves, as I knew there should be a camp nearby. Indeed there was a camp at Usal Beach, but I was pumped and ready to bid this road farewell, so I cranked on into the night. I climbed another 2k feet and rode another 16 miles in the dark. Thankfully, I had my headlight that was charged, but unfortunately, my taillight died on me. There were just a few cars that passed me (it was 9pm on a Thur night with a highway closed just North of me, hence why I decided to commit to Usal route).

Haggard and nearly broken, I arrived at Westport-Union Campground. I had been on my bike for nearly 15 hours that day. The campsite was on a bluff, the chill winds were refreshing, and helped to cool my nerves. What a day.

Day 4 Westport-Union Landing to Russian Gulch (28mi/1.5k ft)

https://www.strava.com/activities/951928593 https://www.strava.com/activities/953575322

There’s a smile that creeps across your face knowing that you accomplished something that most people wouldn’t dare to attempt, it’s not like I rode a 24 hour endurance race, but it still something to take some level of pride in the accomplishment. As the sun crept up and the ocean sang it’s morning chorus, I couldn’t help but reflect on the tough day; my body was spent. Thankfully, there was a short road to a recovery day, as I was meeting the rest of the Coyote Bomb Squad in Russian Gulch for two chill nights of camping.

I pedaled through Westport, a quirky little coastal town (more like a hamlet), with a tiny cemetery situated on the bluffs and some funky whale mosaic fountain. I savored my breakfast sandwich from a small market run by sweet earthy ladies and then slowly rolled towards Fort Bragg. Coming into Fort Bragg, I stopped in the local coffee shop before hitting the local bike shop, Fort Bragg Cyclery, and chatted with the owner, Mark. Later, I picked up some Teknu since I had managed to hit some poison oak on Usal road. After scarfing on the best pizza in town, Piaci Pizza, and sharing a surprise beer with Mark (bike shop owner), I cruised off to the campsite to meet up with my friends.

Several days on the road riding solo can be a great time for self-reflection and really stoke the fires of your inner hobo, but there are those moments when you’re inundated with gratitude for good friends and their adventurous spirits. I was happy I didn’t have to ride any further and more importantly, elated to be around the warmth of friends and the warmth of my first campfire of the trip. The sunset on the bluffs was of epic proportions.

Day 5 Russian Gulch Exploring, Canoeing, and Hardcore Chilling

Nothing is sweeter than sleeping in and waking up to the smell of hot buttermilk blueberry pancakes cooked on cast iron. Resting, chowing, and some mellow canoeing was on the agenda for the day. We gawked at the ultra-marathoners running through our camp; a funky route, and oddly enough, the canoeing location was the finish line.

Catch a Canoe and Bicycle Too was a quirky shop filled with collectors bikes suspended in the rafters, a series of beautifully crafted “toy” rockets, which looked like they could deliver at least a marmot to outer space, all run and owned by an idiosyncratic shopkeeper. He seemed half-wizard, half rocket scientist, and likely was the most intriguing person that I had encountered while on the trip. His knowledge of photography and rockets was astounding, and he ran a bike shop and a canoe rental business too. And these weren’t just any canoes, these were real works of functional art, just like one would imagine with a beautifully crafted bike, these were easily the most beautiful water-worthy canoes I had ever seen, not to mention the fastest; replete with outriggers for stability. I can’t recommend this experience enough; anyone can manage to enjoy a languid paddle up a gentle river in one of these. On the river, there’s a calm that’s induced that coaxes one to slow down to drink in all the fresh air and sights. Even a handful of seals with pups laid around without a care in the world. A few hours worth of this and it’s like hitting reset on your body. Just mellow; nowhere to be, but right where you are.

The remainder of the day was just chilling with friends, scarfing yet another burrito, and roaming around the bluffs followed by an epic paella cooked by the birthday boy himself, Youngblade.

Day 6 Russian Gulch to Bodega Bay (102mi/6.5k ft)

https://www.strava.com/activities/955648904

These are the types of days that most riders dream about: a good deal of rest, a pancake breakfast, and an epic tailwind that would leave most vikings envious. Despite the fact that the option to hop in a car was there, I opted to pedal the remaining miles back home in 2 days. This might have been one of my favorite days of riding. The hills were fast rolling, each corner plunged down toward the ocean and climbed back up along a coastal bluff. The farmlands added to the serene and bucolic views that elicited a smile. Such a beautiful coastline, such a simple life that calls you to standstill, reflect on a slower pace of nature and the simplicity of it.

Each descent propelled me closer to home and I began to squirm a little thinking about joining the fray again. I pushed on.

Point Arena is a small town that boasts having one of the oldest lighthouses on the coast. It’s a cute and quaint little pitstop close enough for a number of motorcycle riders to reach it from the Bay. A weird sight: hippy/coastal/biker community. California is filled with contradictory juxtapositions, but that’s one of the reasons I love this state. After a solid lunch, I caught up to a crew of riders bikepacking, the only legit riders I had seen! The trio were Canadians heading down from, well, Canada and going down to LA. I was impressed with the amount of beer they were loaded with and sad to turn them down to join them. I had hoped to finally exchange some road stories with fellow riders. There was a brief stop at Salt Point with them, but I felt great from that luscious tailwind, even after 75 miles, and decided to push on to Bodega Bay, about 30 miles down the road.

I rolled into Bodega Bay around 6pm and treated myself to a quality glass of wine and a massive fillet of halibut. So perfect, so nourishing. The campsite at the dunes was a windy one, and made it challenging to sleep despite wearing earplugs. No wonder it’s a favorite spot of windsurfers. Some peculiar dreams crept in that night. Maybe the corporate lifestyle or the dread of the routine that was right around the corner.

Day 7 (Bodega Bay to Larkspur to SF 65mi/3k ft)

https://www.strava.com/activities/956749405

The morning dew hung tightly to everything in sight, it limited my vision, and would eventually morph into a full rain. Undeterred, I knew a hot bath and a cold beer was at the end of my road, but first, I needed a solid breakfast. Estero Cafe delivered. Seated just outside of Marshall, it’s a quaint little organic farm to table type of place, but felt more like a cafe that you might encounter in anytown USA with the local sheriff stopping in and a few regulars just picking up their morning joe. The mist had built up to a sprinkle after I finished my last bite, so it would be a drizzly ride home. Another 60 miles of meandering through dairy farmlands and verdant hills. A host of classic porsches from the 50s zipped along the same roads, they respected me and I certainly marveled at their classic contours.

Fairfax is always a favorite destination of mine, as many bikers can attest. There is a shared love for bikes in this upper-crust hippy town (seemingly contradictory). Gestalt was on my mind, after collecting rain in my shoes for the last 50 miles, I was ready for a beer and a sausage. Both were savored. I felt lonely and wanted to share my journey with someone like I had done the previous year after a longer tour, but nobody extended me the pleasantries. A tired and weariness settled in from the week of riding, yet there was a lingering satisfaction from knowing what I had accomplished.

I opted to take the ferry back to save a few miles and to soak up the bay and the bridge from a different perspective. The quiet Monday afternoon in the city made it feel like a distant stranger, as the streets were quiet. The city towered over the mouse in a familiar concrete cornfield. It felt good to be home; an appropriate way to close out one chapter and start a new one. The cycle continues, as does the adventure, it always will.

1 note · View note