#and god the Look Will gives him when he’s got his hands on Abigail’s throat

[thebugcollector024]

Say what you want about TWOTL and Mizumono but my favorite ep of Hannibal will always be Aperitif. No one does it like her!!!!

[fullofgutsndopamine]

I’ve Got The Patience (My Form Is Reckless)

or: the coffee shop au where you both are baristas and the bathroom is your enemy. also this definitely isn’t based off the tik tok ✨ anon sent me ha ha why do you ask?

TW/cursing

“Hasan,” You hum, leaning against the counter, your fist in your cheek, “We have a question the crowd is just dying to know.”

He snorts, takes the rag off from his apron band and uses to it clean the coffee that sloshed over the edge of a cup.

“Does this question have anything to do with my coffee order?”

“It does!” you all but squeal, “Man, nothing gets past you.”

He huffs, “we’re in the middle of our biggest rush of the day and you think this is the time to interview me?”

“Yes.” you pause for a second, “Besides, since you’ve been kicked out of doing drive through it’s been so boring here. Anyways.”

You clear your throat and shape your hand to a microphone, holding the imaginary microphone up to his lips: “The fans have been dying to ask: as a barista, why is your order such dog water and shouldn’t you, as a barista-know better? What’re your thoughts on that.”

He throws the towel over his shoulder as he uses his knuckles to push his glasses up his nose: “Tall venti white flat for Abigail?”

He gives a weak smile as he slides the cup over to a woman speaking on speakerphone in a power suit who grabs the cup with an eye roll and stalks off.

He walks by and gives you a shove but it’s gentle, his other hand on the side of you to catch you and make sure you don’t hip catch the edge of the counter.

“You’re gonna be on mocha duty if you keep that up.”

He’s teasing, holds no weight here, but your hands go to your belly: “I have to go to the bathroom. Like, right now.”

He laughs. Throws his head back and claps, his eyes crinkle together:

“How fucking convienant,” he throws the dish towel at you as you duck out, a large smile plastered on his face, “Don’t get fuckin’ locked in there.”

it’s a joke, mostly. the bathroom itself is older than you are, a failing lock constantly-the amount of times customers have gotten stuck in there is nearing twenty, a tally list you keep behind the desk and hasan and you strike every time.

You’ll say you spoke it into existence.

Hasan will notice you are gone first. It’s his third matcha of the day and he goes to yell over this shoulder at you that this is somehow your fault-when the space where you usually would be is empty.

“Anyone seen my favorite co worker?”

It’s teasing, because it’s what you two have always said to one another, nudging each other while sticking your tongues out.

“Bathroom.”

Anthony calls i’ve this shoulder, looking stressed as he pulls shots for a venti order.

Hasan checks the watch on his wrist- he isn’t one to police your time but he’s not use to the space you left being so empty for-twenty minutes-when he takes his apron off, throws it on the counter and stalks towards the bathroom.

There’s a small line waiting, tapping their feet and huffing already annoyed by the time he apologizes and makes it to the front of the line.

“Hey—“

He knocks three times with his knuckles and your voice comes back, borders on frantic.

“Hasan?” You call and he knows without seeing you that your biting your fingernails down to stubs, the same way he’ll pass you at work and nudge your elbow, making your hand fall out of your mouth, “Oh my god. The fucking door-“

He shakes his head even though you can’t see him.

“That’s fine,” he says quickly, “You’re okay. Look, uh-“

his eyes scan the door in front of him. he knows from before the only option is a locksmith, or fire department or some other dramatic thing and that’s at least an hour wait and you already sound close to panicking.

he’ll say later it’s because they couldn’t possibly be down another person during the busiest hour, how you needed the attention as he nudges your elbow with a smirk.

Instead-

“Okay,” He nods, licks his lips, “You’re okay. Step back from the door.”

“Hasan?”

He rolls his eyes, “Are you away from the door or not?”

Your voice comes back a little further away, a meek: “Yes” and he wastes no time looking at the doorframe before cursing and seeing the only option.

Look, it’s logical. he’ll insist. Saves the company so money, or some shit-

as his shoulder comes in contact with the doorframe all he can think is how bad this is going to hurt tomorrow morning.

He’s a second away from giving up, from lifting his foot up and trying to give way to the door handle when the door finally groans, gives in on itself and he’s able to open it.

Your further back by the sink, eyes wide as he comes in:

“Are you okay?”

He uses his finger to lift your chin up, turning your head around as if he’s looking for any evidence of any wrong doings and not just the lock giving away in your hand again.

“Hasan,” Your hand rests over his as it rests on the side of your face, feeling like you can finally breathe again. “I’m fine.”

And there’s more too it, this touching that you both have lingered on doing in passing, knocking hands as you two work or nudging elbows has always been calculated, thought out-lost sleep over.

“You scared me, you ass”.

You laugh finally, rips through the air as the line is rolling their eyes, ignoring how they’re clearing their throats to hurry you along.

“Couldn’t lose my favorite co worker during rush hour.”

He speaks softly, like he doesn’t fully want you to see this part of him that is softer around the edges.

“I’ll do anything to get out of work, right?”

he laughs, shakes his head as you put the broken lock in his hand, insist it’s a souvenir.

“You owe me at least four Frappuccino’s after this.”

but he seems relieved finally, dropping his hand from his hair as he moves it like he does when he’s nervous.

“Deal,” you follow him out, “and i’ll call the manager over the door you fucked up.”

He groans, not answering as he follows behind you.

“Kinda an overkill, don’t you think?”

you’re teasing as you walk backwards to the counter again, “like, a normal person would get a key? or-“

“I should’ve fucking left you in that bathroom.”

He’s teasing back as he holds the latch to the counter for you, takes the apron you threw off and waits for it to go around your neck, turns you around as his fingers work slowly but expertly at tying the tie in the back. Waits until you turn around to face him as you do the same for him.

“Oh please,” you’re finally laughing, “You’d miss me too much.”

He rolls his eyes: “Hardly. Do those frappes.”

“Yes, captain.” you salute him as you turn around, trying to act like you don’t see the way he looks at you out to the corner of his eye, carefully watching to make sure you’re okay.

[bordysbae]

I love your stories for Turcotte. could you please do 12. “why do you hate me?” “you think i hate you?” with him? <3

“frat party”

alex turcotte x f!reader

“you expect me to go to a party at his frat? that’s funny,” you scoff and continue looking back down at your phone. your roommate, abigail, comes over to your side of the dorm and sits on the bed.

“cmon please? i know things ended shitty with alex, but this is gonna be so fun! they have a dj and everything. please y/n? you probably won’t even see him, wisco is a big school!” abigail pleads, and you give into her puppy dog eyes.

“oh fine. and yeah wisco is a big school, but it’s not that big. i guarantee i’ll see him, but it’s been a couple months i need to get out, right?” you ponder. immediately abby jumps up and a smile fills her face. “yes yes yes! now let’s pick out an outfit for you!” she beams while taking your hands and dragging you towards the closet. after slipping on ripped jeans and a tight, low cut, white tank you and abby head out. the walk to the frat is only about fifteen minutes, and you’re used to it by now. alex used to always walk you home from every frat party, and if he was too drunk to walk you home, he’d make sure someone got you back to your dorm safely.

as you enter the brick building, the trashed floors and smell of alcohol fills your senses. you’re taken back by the pungent smell, but soon you get used to it. as abby drags you with her towards her boyfriend, you watch the familiar dark haired boy glow in his limelight. alex is practically the life of every party, which was one of the problems in your guys’ situationship. you wanted to get to know him, yet he was always busy with games and parties.

as his head rotates towards the left, his eyes meet with yours before you’re dragged into the kitchen. your view of alex is interrupted by a borg being shoved in your face, “want some?” your friend asks you. you shake your head and continue looking around for any sign of alex. “y/n cmon let’s have fun, drink a little!” abby chuckles, and you roll your eyes before taking a sip of the red colored vodka in the plastic gallon carton. the sharpie on the outside of the carton says: “borgicious.” the burning sensation from the liquor flowing down your throat shocks your system and makes you more alert.

suddenly you notice your friends giving glances, before tapping your shoulder to turn around. you furrow your brows as they step away from you, but when you rotate around you know exactly why. “hey, y/n,” alex states awkwardly. your breathe hitches. the boy who broke your heart nearly two months ago is standing in front of you.

“alex? why are you talking to me, don’t you like hate me or something?”

“you think i hate you?”

“um yeah? you literally ghosted me out of nowhere and then avoided me like the plague!”

“i don’t hate you, it’s quite the opposite actually,” he says meanwhile scratching the back of his neck nervously. you furrow your brows once again before letting out a heavy sigh. you work up the guts to ask the brave question, “why’d you do it alex? i thought we were getting somewhere, but you just ended things so suddenly?”

“can we talk about this outside? it’s a bit loud,” he suggests, and you nod. you both head to the back porch where a few other strangers are standing. they don’t pay any attention to you and alex, so you two just mind your business.

“i did it because i’m scared. i’m afraid to commit to things because i know myself, and i know you. god i wish i could be a better person for you, but i just don’t trust myself. i know my tendencies and i don’t want to hurt you even more in the long run, so i ended things. i’d rather hurt myself more and see you shine, instead of hurting you even more than i already did. i wanted you to move on so you can be happy,” alex bashfully admits.

your hands suddenly find their way to alex’s cheeks, as your turn his head towards you. “i trust you alex. i know you can change, and i know you have a good soul. during those long nights on facetime and the walks to my dorm after parties, i learned so much about you. i know you can change, and i can help you get rid of the stupid “fuck boy” persona. i promise im not gonna judge you, and it’s okay to open up sometimes alex. theres a reason i chose you out of everyone, i know you alex. i don’t want anyone else, i want you.”

suddenly a soft smile appears on his face, and he rests his forehead on yours, “i knew i chose the right girl, i’ve missed you. can we start over? but this time as boyfriend and girlfriend?” you nod your head, and your lips slowly connect to his. his familiar scent brings joy to your body, and same with him. everyone always knew you guys would end up dating, it was only a matter of time.

[andydrysdalerogers]

Sliding Into Home ~ Maybe I Should Have Ducked?

Pairing: MLB!Frank Adler x Abigail Hernandez (OFC)

Synopsis:

After a trade from Boston to Los Angeles, first baseman Frank Adler would seem to have it all. Money, women, an amazing niece, yes Frank should have it all. Except for one thing. One thing that left after a mistake five years ago. Los Angeles should be the chance to start over. Except she is supposed to be in Boston. Not his new medical director.

* A Frank Adler AU x Major League Baseball Story**

Warning: ANGST (i can't stress this enough), second chances, cheating, S~M~U~T!!, slow burn, drug use, abandonment issues, betrayal, domestic violence (i may have missed some), flashbacks

Dividers by me

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: Wanna Feel Safe Again

Sliding Into Home Master List Main Masterlist

San Francisco is usually beautiful in late Spring. The air wasn’t sweltering yet, the flowers were in bloom.  

And the rivalry with Los Angeles was in full swing.  

Frank gritted his teeth at the thought of having to see Bobby Fuller again.  That asshole had been traded two years after the Vegas incident and he and Frank had been at each others throats during that time. So seeing him with the Giants was hard.  The Dodgers would be playing the Giants more often than he did with the Red Sox.  

During the first inning, there was almost a full out brawl when the pitcher almost hit Frank in the head with an errant pitch. Frank got into his face but never made a violent move.  The benches were  given a warning and play continued.  

Abby sat in the dugout as the trainer on the field, a responsibility that she enjoyed because not only was she involved with the team, but she was also close to Frank.  They didn’t interact much, knowing the TV cameras were everywhere, but Frank gave her a side smirk every once in a while, allowing the butterflies to gather in her stomach. When he could, he gave her a gentle touch, so she knew he was there.  

It seemed the game calmed down for a few innings until the top of the sixth.  Frank was back at bat and observed a pitching changeup.  The new pitcher, Smith, stopped to hear something from Fuller and then warmed up. Frank was curious but he let it go, concentrating on the pitch. The first one was low and inside, the second was away.  Frank smirked. He knew he just needed to be patient.  

Except when the fastball went wide of the box. And bounced off of Frank’s hand and into his face.  

He dropped to the ground, not moving. Abby grabbed her bag and followed another trainer out to the field. “Adler? Frank? Can you hear me?” Abby looked at Dave, the other trainer. “We need to move him. Get the brace.”  After fitting Frank with the neck brace, Dave and Abby carefully turned him over. “Oh Frankie,” she whispered.  

Frank had blood coming from the side of his face. “Fuck,” he moaned.  He blinked. “Cricket?”  

“Oh thank God. Let’s get the backboard,” she ordered Dave. As the EMTs came in, she smiled down at Frank. “If you wanted my attention, there are other ways Franklin.”  

“Full name treatment. I’m an injured man Cricket.” He smiled but immediately grimaced. Johnny came over to check on him.  “Hey man.”  

“Adler, jesus, are you ok?” 

“Maybe I should have ducked?” 

Abby smacks his shoulder. “We’re gonna get him checked out Storm.”  They loaded him to a cart as the crowd in San Francisco clapped and Frank gave a wave.  

The ride to the hospital was quick and Abby spoke with the attending physician to advise what happened.  She stood back in the examination room as the doctors on call checked him over.  The lead doctor came to speak to Abby. “Dr. Hernandez, it looks like Mr. Adler has a very minor concussion, a contusion on his face that will require a couple of stitches and a broken pinkie finger.  My recommendation is three weeks of healing.”  

Abby let out a sigh of relief. “That's better news than I had hoped for.  I agree with your assessment.  I will let the team know. Thank you so much.”  

“We can release him in your care today but no flying for 48 hours. Let me know if you need anything else?” 

“Just copies of his records for the team.” They shook hands and Abby went to Frank. “How do you feel about a small vacation?” 

“That bad?” 

“Broken pinkie, a small cut that needs stitches, and a small concussion. The League is putting you into concussion protocol, which is two weeks and the pinkie will need an extra week.  I’m sorry love, but three weeks on the injury reserved.”  

“That’s all of June,” Frank whines as he leans his head back.  Abby runs her nails through his scalp gently and he lets out a hum of contentment. “Will you stay with me Cricket?” He looked at her with puppy eyes.  

“I will have to work a little but yes, I can stay with you.”  

“What about...” 

“He’s back east with the firm. He took a case over there that will last about a month.” She bit her lip. “We’ll be fine.”  

Frank kissed the inside of her wrist. “I love you.”  

“I love you.  Now, let’s get you discharged and to the hotel. I need to let Todd know your status and have another trainer join the team for the rest of the trip.”  

When Frank and Abby arrived back at LAX, a teary Mary and Scott were waiting for them.  Mary ran up to Frank and he scooped her up with his good hand.  She cried into his neck, and he tried to sooth her. “Hey Nugget, its ok, I’m ok.”  

Mary pulled back and squished his face between her small hands.  She pushes his head around, inspecting the cut and his eyes. “Frank, you scared me.” She pushes his lips to make him smile. “You’re smiling.”  

“Yeah, I scared me too.  But Abby took good care of me.”  He flashed a soft smile to Abby before Mary launched herself into Abby.  

“Thank you, Abby, for taking care of Frank.”  

“Always Nugget. I’ll always take care of my family.”  She put Mary down so Frank could take her hand and she turned to Scott.  “How bad?” 

“She cried until you guys called. It was pretty scary.” Scott huffs.  “If he wanted your attention...” 

“I did not do it to get her attention,” Frank growled.  “If I wanted to get her attention, I would just need to show her my...” 

“Franklin!” 

Scott snickered as Frank groaned.  “Franklin, that’s so lame,” Mary says.  

Frank looks at Abby, who blows him a kiss. He shakes his head but returns the gesture as they make it out to the car.  Getting home, Frank gets to the couch and leans his head back. “Are you in pain Frankie?” 

“A little, Cricket.” He grimaces. “Just feel pressure behind my eyes.”  

“Yep, that’s the concussion.” Abby reaches for her bag and takes out a couple of tablets. “Here, let me get you some water.” Scott comes around with a bottle of water and Frank looks at him gratefully. He swallows the medicine and tries to close his eyes. “Baby, if you want to sleep, you should be in your room with the curtains closed. You’ll feel better, promise.”  

“Will you lay with me?” he asked pathetically.  

“Sure love.”  She helps Frank up and into his room. She gets him down and curled up against him. “Better?” He nodded and closed his eyes. “Rest, my love.  I’ll be right here.”  

The next ten days were calm with Frank still recovering from his concussion. On day 12, he became restless. He woke up with his Cricket in his arms, her butt right up against his pelvis. Christ, her ass is perfect, he thinks. He lets his hand wander down, dipping below her panties. She sighs in her sleep, but Frank wants to wake her up. He pulls her leg over his hip to open her up and lets his fingertips dip into her folds. Fucking wet and warm for him, like always. He slowly sinks a finger in.  

“Frankie,” she moans softly. “Baby, your head.” 

“It is clear as ever Cricket. Can I have you?” She nods and Frank smiles. He adds a finger and pumps at a steady rhythm. She cries out quietly and he palms her clit.  He brings her to the brink and watches as she shatters in his arms.  

“Need. More,” she pants.  

“Whatever you need Cricket.”  Frank pushes her panties down her legs and then pushes his own boxers down, grasping her knee and pulling it back over his hip.  He let his tip dance around the remnants of her release before slowly pushing in. She purrs at the stretch, and he gives a low chuckle.  “Can you be quiet for me Cricket? Can you be a good girl and be quiet?” He feels her nod against his ear. He pulls back and rocks back into her and he can feel her hum at the sensation.  “Good girl. Such a good fucking girl.”  

Abby is lost in the sensation of Frank taking her apart slowly. He isn’t rough or fast, just taking his time, making her feel everything. She whimpers at a particularly deep thrust into her womb but she doesn’t cry out. “That's my good Cricket,” he whispers, making her clench around him. “Didn’t realize you have a thing for praise, my love.”  

“Frankie,” she whispered. “Don’t be cruel.”  

“Never, my love.” He ran a finger down her skin until he met her clit.  He rubbed slowly, feeling her build around his cock. “Are you almost there? I know you are, can feel it.”  

“Yes,” she gasped. He didn’t stop until she shattered, seeing stars as he pumped in one, two, three and released inside of her with a low groan.  

“I love you.”  

“I love you more.”  

“Not possible.”  

“Let’s take a trip.”  

Abby looks from her coffee. “What?” 

“Let’s go on a trip.  Nug has her trip to DC this week, Scott’s heading back to Boston while she’s gone. I can’t stare at these walls anymore Cricket.”  

“You’re on injured reserve Frankie, you can’t just take a trip.”  

Frank pouts and gives her puppy eyes.  “Please?” 

“Oh so you think that just giving me eyes and a sweet little please is going to change my mind.”  Abby turns back to her computer with a scoff.  She misses Frank coming from behind her and sweeping her curls off of her shoulder.  He presses sweet kisses to her neck and shoulders, watching her lose her head and tilt back, exposing more of her.  

“I can stop, my love, and just go back to the couch.”  

“N-no.” She closes her eyes as her hand cups the back of his neck.  She can feel his smile against her skin.  

“Just a few nights. Please.”  

Abby starts to lose control of her gasps. She knows she needs to be quiet but the sensation of his lips on the column of her throat is one of the best she’s ever felt. “Ok,” she whispers as he nips her gently. “Fine, where do you want to go?” 

After Mary is dropped off with the school for her trip, Frank heads to the airport to drop Scott off for his flight to Boston.  “Have fun Frank,” he said with a wink.  

“You too Scott.” He gave him a hug and walked back to his car.  As he drove away from LAX, a sign blinked at him and an idea hit him. It was time, he thought to himself. He messaged Abby.  

Frank: pack for the heat  Abby: Why?  Frank: I want to take you somewhere and it will be hot.   Abby: I hate being hot.   Frank: Humor me  Abby: 😑 Fine.   Frank: Love you. 😘 

Abby packed her suitcase, smiling at the message Frank sent when another popped up 

Mike: How’s the road trip?  Abby: Fine.  Mike: I miss you  Abby: You too  Mike: I’ll be home in a week.   Abby: Ok, I’ll be home 

“Fuck,” she muttered.  She hated that she hadn’t had the nerve to just break it off yet. She was just scared of Mike’s reaction. Abby wasn’t normally a confrontational person.  The last time she was hostile, well, she lost Frank. The memory made her sad. When she heard the door open, she shook it off and closed her case.  

“Hey Cricket. All set?” Frank’s excitement was in the air.  

“Yeah baby, I’m all set.” Abby smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  “Gonna tell me where we are going?” 

He kissed her nose. “Nope. Let’s go.” He grabbed her bag and his and headed to his Camero.  

“I can’t believe you still have this car.”  

“I can’t believe you would think that I got rid of it.” Frank started the car and headed out. “This is my prize for getting drafted.”  

“And here I thought that was me,” she replied without a thought. Frank smile dropped a little. He swallowed, wondering if this road trip idea was smart. He stayed silent, thinking about all the details and hoped that she would listen.  

A few hours later, Abby’s face was in disbelief.  Frank had taken them to Las Vegas.  She didn’t know what to say. Why would he bring them to the very place that had broken them?  Having never been to the city herself, she was awestruck at the lights and sounds.  Frank pulled into a fancy one, the Bellagio and had the valet take their car and bags.  He held her hand as they walked into the lobby.  Abby gasped as she took in the glass flower ceiling. “Wow.”  

“It is beautiful,” Frank commented. “When the team had come out here and we were walking around, I remember thinking that you would have loved this.”  

“Is this... is there where...” 

“No Cricket. I will never go back to that particular hotel ever again.” Frank checked them in and a hotel concierge walked them to their room.  “This is one of our high roller suites, sir.  If you need anything just call the desk and someone will be right up.”  

“Thank you.” Frank tipped the man as Abby took in the room.  It faced out to the strip and she could see the other hotels. Suddenly, what sounded like a cannon blasted water up in the air and the fountain began to dance.  

“The fountain,” she squealed as Frank chuckled. She could faintly hear the remnants of a Frank Sinatra in the air as the towers of water began to dance.  When it ended, Abby clapped. “That was amazing.”  

“It says here that it happens every half hour to a new song until midnight so we can watch it again if you like Cricket.”  Frank loved watching her as she enjoyed the show.  It was something he remembered from that awful October, wishing he could have shared it with her then. “C’mon baby, let me feed you and we can take a walk.”  

After a delicious meal, Frank and Abby walked hand in hand on the crowded streets. They pointed at the different signs, different characters that were walking the strip, laughing, and enjoying being just Frank and Abby.  As they approached one hotel, Frank’s palms began to sweat. “Frankie?” 

“Can I tell you a story? It doesn’t have a happy ending but maybe we can rewrite it.” Frank looked to his feet.  

“You can talk to me about anything, love.” Abby cupped his cheek. “Take your time.”  

Frank swallowed.  “About five years ago, I won the big game for my team, and we came here to celebrate. I really didn’t want to because I had my amazing girlfriend and my darling little niece at home, but I didn’t want to come off as a bad team player.  My best friend came with me, and we lived it up.  Our captain had gotten us a couple of tables at a club, and we had fun.” Frank sighed and pointed to the club in front of the MGM. “See that sign? Its for the club we went to.  This is the hotel we were staying at.  Anyways, we partied and went back to the suite where some of us had been staying at.”  

“Alone?” She asked, quietly.  

“Me, yes.  Some women approached me that night, but I refused.  I wasn’t drinking as much as the rest of the guys from what I can remember. Anyways, some of the guys had brought girls back with us and the hotel had set up a bar for us to drink from.  There was a pool off the balcony of the room and the girls were getting in with just their underwear.  I was uncomfortable.  I said that to Mike. The last thing I remember clearly was him handing me a glass of scotch.  He said, ‘Adler, you earned this.’ You’re a good man to Abby and a wonderful father to Mary.  Just relax and enjoy.’” 

“Mike handed you that drink?” 

“That’s the last one I remember.  When I woke up, I was in a room, not mine. My head was splitting, and I was dehydrated.  I made it to the bathroom and when I looked back, I saw the blonde. I yelled at her, asking her what the fuck she was doing in my room. She panicked and said she didn’t remember coming in there with me.  Mike rushed in and told her to get out while checking over with me.  I asked him what I had done, and he said, I swear, he said that I got drunk, and I couldn’t make it to my room so he put me in his.”  

Abby closed her eyes. “Why would Mike lie?  He had no reason to.”  

“Abby, I love how you are so trusting but Mike has had it bad for you since high school. But he knew I liked you and was working up the nerve to tell you for years. But back to the story. I called Steve and asked what I should do.  He was here as well with another client.  He asked me to stop the girl and ask her for the truth.  I did manage to stop her, ask her and promise not to go to the press.  I would pay anything for it not to go to press.  I needed to tell you first.  Steve showed up and got an NDA in place. He talked to her and she confirmed, nothing happened.”  

“But then the pictures came out.”  

“Then the pictures came out.  I was so angry that someone, who knows who, they violated my privacy, my trust.  I was desperately trying to get to you first but by the time I landed, it was too late. You didn’t let me explain and I lost you.”  

“Oh Frankie,” she cried as she pressed herself into his chest.  

“I’m so sorry Cricket. I should have called, I should have done something else to stop this from happening. I lost five years with you when a simple phone call would have solved everything.  I am so sorry.”  

“I’m sorry too Frankie, I should have just taken a moment to listen to you. When I got those texts of those photos...” 

Frank pulled back. “What texts?” 

“I got an anonymous text with the photos and an audio of you just says, “I can’t tell Abby,” I thought, well I thought it was more common.”  

“You don’t know who sent it.” She shook her head. “Fuck, I don’t, I don’t even know what to say.  I was always going to tell you but I didn’t want to do it by phone.” He pulled her back into his arms and held her tight. “I love you Cricket.  I never stopped.” He kissed the top of her head as they held each other.  

Abby sighed after a while.  “Take me to bed?” 

Frank didn’t answer, just turned away from the hotel that ruined his life and started back to the fountain.  As they walked, Abby spotted something and stopped.  “Cricket?” 

She pointed at the building. “We could make better memories.”  

Frank stared at the building and back at his girl.  

Next

Taglist:

@patzammit @texmexdarling @slutforchrisjamalevans @firephotogrl74 @before-we-get-started @jennmurawski13-writes @tinkerbelle67 @bunnyforhim

[servenas-inner-fangirl]

Liveblogging Black Sails 2x9

Rewatching the first half of 2x9 because it's been a while and I am now more certain than ever that Abigail's entry was timed perfectly for the end of Flint's proposal to make Lord Ashe more suceptible to it.

Vane and his men enter the Spanish Man o' War in much the same fashion Flint won it at the beginning of the season, except they slaughter the sleeping men... parallels, parallels.

Vane didn't really win that fight with Billy, right? Looks like his men stepped in and Billy got a good kick in immediately prior. But then Billy is a giant, so who can blame Vane for not wanting to finish that one-on-one... also this way Billy can live.

Still digging the face paint.

But also Toby Stephens is so attractive in his role as Captain Flint. The hair, the beard, the way he talks, the way he moves... Like, Vane was pretty immediate, but this man is really growing on me.

I suddenly have a very bad feeling about Mrs. Barlow. What was she going to say when the knock on the door interrupted her?

So what, is Silver just gonna put a knife to Vane's throat and make him give up the ship? I so hope that's not the plan here.

God I love to see Anne fight. And we haven't really seen that since the pilot (if we don't count the murder of the guy from Flint's crew and his whore).

That atmosphere during the dinner sure is oppressive. And the ticking clock is making me nervous. Abigail couldn't play her role better if she had been instructed though (which maybe she was?)

Anne making a choice, still with blood spatters in her face. And I'm still pissed-off with Jack, but I'm glad she was there to save him. Shouldn't be too hard to convince the crew now...

Silver about to commit an act that might in the right light be read as selfless... or rather less selfish than usual. Wouldn't his chances be better if he swam to shore and tried to disappear in the dark streets?

But also if he succeeds and the situation with Lord Ashe goes south (which I suspect it will), they're all trapped in that harbor. That... doesn't sound good.

Vane, I believe you're barking up the wrong tree there with Billy. The enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend, and I don't think Billy shares your opinions right now.

But that captain's cabin sure is fancy.

I think that is the first time somebody actually managed to talk some sense into Vane, and the fact that it's not Eleanor or Flint, but Billy, is hilarious.

(Also you're still bleeding man, clean up your face.)

I think that's also the first time I've seen Vane run. It's kind of concerning.

Oh-oh, now Vane is coming after Silver personally...

Lord Ashe saying that bad word, "forgiveness"... this is where things go south, yeah? I think Mrs. Barlow knows it, too.

Oh, fuck, Flint's face. Ashe is asking for the one thing Flint can never give. All this hard work, for nothing... Wait, what?

The clock. The FUCKING clock. So it had a meaning but I was wrong about what it was. And Miranda is willing to blow up this whole thing for it, after everything. FUCK. (I mean, I get it, I really do, it's just...very unfortunate. AFTER FLINT SWALLOWED HIS PRIDE.)

And oh damn, she's taking no prisoners.

So this is not how I expected her death to go. I figured Flint would charge Ashe, and she'd be killed in the resulting scuffle. But she's just... executed? Holy shit.

Things don't seem to fare much better for Eleanor in Nassau...

Love to see Vane on the prowl, even though I hope he won't be successful. - Oh damn, outsmarted just like that, that's gotta sting.

I think what we're witnessing here is Vane having a change of heart in the light of Flint's treatment at the hand of Georgetown. Or at least that's what I hope it is...

Lesson learned, I hope: Don't hold Charles Vane at knifepoint unless you intend to follow through.

Awww, yes, the moment I've been waiting for!! Flint and Vane united are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Also I'm vaguely impressed Vane can admit he was wrong (or at least that someone else was right), although it's probably easier towards Billy than it would be towards Flint. Also Vane is not as stupid as he sometimes seems because he immediately understands the implications of Flint's capture for Nassau and by extension himself.

Quite ironic that Vane's taking of the Man o'War is what's gonna save Flint's ass in the end though...

Nooo, Eleanor!!

Wait, is that the first time we got a song in the credits?

[writersfearofrecognition]

Ignorance is bliss

Summary: Jacob and his childhood best friend slowly realise their feelings while trying to survive the quarry.

Pairing: Jacob Custos x nameless/female!OC

Warnings: jealousy, cringe dialogue, miscommunication trope, pure ignorance

TW: none i think (i hope, please tell me if there are i will gladly tag them)

Chapter 6:

19:44

„Jacob said something weird before the van broke down. like directly asked how you could break a van down.“

„suspicious.“ „yeah. i told him one day wouldn’t make a difference between you two but he didn’t really believe me.“ „well my strategy is to stick to as much people as possible, so we can’t talk about feelings.“ i get a shiver when i say that word and she laughs at my expression.

„you’re helpless aren’t you?“ „shut up.“

„Mh…“ she thought about it, „no. miss feelings and mister himbo are best entertainment i have at the moment.“ „not mister broody?“ „broody is going after the dj man. i’m content as a lonely warrior.“ „sure.“ „excuse you? i am.“ „mhm.“

she shoves me off the bench and stands up herself to watch the view.

i sit back down and make my game plan.

well. i had no idea.

Jacob obviously wanted to talk to me before we went home.

i obviously never wanted to talk to him ever again.

well.

exaggeration.

not until we were home.

but i also did not want to be alone at night in these woods without a real adult.

because we all most definitely were not real adults.

„ugh.“

staying with them it was.

let’s see what the evening brings.

„Guess what?“ Dylan emerges from the bushes with Ryan in tow.

my mind gets thankfully distracted by sex dungeons and tree houses.

20:15

the sun had set, Jacob had lost the privileges for his favourite snack and now, we were all gathered around the fire.

i was sitting next to Kaitlyn, so Jacob was out of my sight.

maybe mean but no feelings. thanks.

„Hey Dylan can you play one direction?“ Emma suddenly asks and all eyes fall to her, „What? i was 13 once too?“ „you were a directioner?“ Abi asks and Emma sighs, „Dylan can you, or not?“

Dylan fumbles his phone, „yeah, i guess, why?“ „because i always sang one song with all the girls in theatre and yeah…nostalgic you know.“ „you nostalgic?“ Abi asks again and Emma rolls her eyes with a smile.

„what song?“ Jacob asks suddenly.

„18.“

oh.

Emma smiles and Dylan shrugs before playing it.

„louder. and don’t you dare talk during it.“ she orders us and we all listen to the song, some more hesitant than others.

Kaitlyn was shoving me the second the song came on.

the implications were so obvious even i got them.

„yes i know Kaiti, can you stop?“ „shhh.“

„sorry.“ Kaitlyn and i say at the same time.

the silence is deadly, this song is too ugh.

thank god i have my saviour from weird social interactions: nipping at a bottle.

the beer tastes like ass but what to expect in this…yeehaw county.

Emma surely wanted to start something again.

i try to block out the song and look at my…friends.

Ryan was looking into the fire, or Dylan’s hand i couldn’t tell.

Abigail and Nick were sneaking glances at each other and Emma’s eyes were darting all over the place.

but she gives me another smile when she catches me looking at her.

the song ends and Dylan clears his throat. „permission to speak?“ he asks and Emma nods with a wide grin.

„let’s…play a game.“

Dylan brought up the idea to play truth or dare and i already knew what shit Kaitlyn was going to get up to.

especially when she asks if she can make people kiss.

i give her a shove when she said that but she only grins her cheshire grin.

he starts with Abigail who gets the first awkward question but he saves her from the possible embarrassment.

because she couldn’t decide, Emma takes her turn and makes Ryan kiss Dylan, i couldn’t keep my smile contained. at least one of our gang got some love tonight.

Ryan asks Kaitlyn and she chooses Truth. „like a pussy.“ i mutter and she shoves me this time but i dodge and take a drink from my beer with a smirk.

„So you, (Y/N) and Jacob go way back, right? like, since you were kids?“

„Sadly, yes.“ Kaitlyn says and i laugh because i know she didn’t mean that. maybe if she drank enough tonight the others would meet the real Kaiti as well.

Jacob sighs while looking down.

„Lame question, bro. waste of a turn,“ i hear him, but Ryan just talks over him. Dylan leans forward and i caught a short look at him. did he have tears in his eyes?

oh shit-

i jump forward before he raises his head completely and catches me looking. that would not help the feelings conversation.

„you guys ever, ah, get down to business together?“ i smile at the memory and forget my fear of today again.

„nothing between (Y/N) and i, but when we were in middle school i made Jacob let me practice french kissing on him…but…it never went any further, cause he’s a terrible kisser…! and i was like kissing my brother. ew.“

i bust out laughing at memory of the shriek she let out after they tried that.

„still love ya, bud!“

Jacob frowns and leans back.

something was wrong.

he was so happy like 2 hours before.

„what’s wrong with Jacob?“ i whisper to Kaitlyn and she looks over for a second.

„mad cause he wasn’t picked. i’ll change that don’t you worry hunbun.“

there was her scary grin again…shivers crawl up my back and i take another confidence swing of beer, the nickname hunbun was the worst sign there was.

„Kaitlyn who do you choose?“ „Jacob.“ he lightens up and sits up straight.

„Tru-.“ „Dude, dare. dare. dare.“

i couldn’t help but smile at his hyper demeanour.

fuck. focus.

Emma giggles and my eyes wander to her, she gave me an air kiss and i catch it which makes her grin even more.

„Jacob, so you have to kiss Emma…or…“ Emma’s eyes widen and she looks away, i take another sip since apparently i would actually see them kiss now.

great.

„(Y/N).“ my eyes widen and i set off the bottle as Kaitlyn leans back to make me visible to everyone.

i swallow slowly and look in Jacob’s eyes for the first time this night.

He’s drunk.

on beer and testosterone.

my head is spinning. did i even eat anything today?

everything to distract me from this.

he grins and Kaitlyn leans back even further, visibly content with herself, giving me a last look before turning to Emma.

Jacob and i actually never kissed before. not even as practice, i heavily denied that offer back when Kaitlyn made him do it and even in truth or dare one of us always veto’d.

Jacob stands up and i’m back in reality.

„did he already decide?“

„no. i. haven’t. my dear (Y/N).“ Jacob says as he swings back and forth with every word.

„huh?“

our friends giggle and Emma leans back as well.

well she knows what’s happening again huh?

Jacob climbs over Dylan’s long legs and gives Kaitlyn a fist bump which i greatly disapprove.

„Kaiti?“ „sorry Hunbun.“ „HUNBUN!“ Emma giggles again, now her phone ready.

„Yeah Hunbun.“ Jacob mutters and i stand up, shoving my beer into Kaiti’s chest.

the minimum for what she just did.

the hunbun-nickname-feeling is spreading in my stomach like the disease it is.

i look up at Jacob only now noticing the height difference between us. „Jake…“ „shhh we have an audience.“ he teases and i close my mouth again.

my mind completely blank.

his right hand snakes around my waist and drags me closer to him, i yelp once i’m pressed flush against his body.

those damn pecks.

he laughs.

„did you mean to say that?“

his left hand weaves through my hair and lifts my head.

he looks totally cool from outside but his eyes are twirling with panic.

mine probably too.

„maybe.“ i mutter, it was too late now anyways.

„huh.“ he says and i close my eyes when he lowers his head.

our lips meet and something releases inside of me.

finally.

his fingers grip into my hip and push me even closer, goose bumps explode at the spot where his hand is and i smile into the kiss.

Jacob’s tongue breaks out and i let it in.

in my head fly by all the times where i had butterflies for him. could butterflies be described as a form of disease?

when he teased me about him finally being taller. the first time he had that stupid black baseball cap on. when he threw me over his shoulder for the first time. when he found out how good he looked with longer pushed back hair, when he saw me in my cheer uniform. during his first game. homecoming. the whole first summer after he was team captain. every fucking time he picked me up with his van. at every party. and every damn day in this stupid camp.

„fuck. Kaitlyn you were right.“

i break the kiss but don’t let go.

wait when did my arms snake around his neck?

Kaitlyn looks at me confused.

„With that?“ „him being a bad kisser?“ Emma asks, phone still in hand.

„no. No. not that. what you told me.“ Kaitlyn grins and shrugs.

„Dude?“ Jacob asks and his hands leave my body, just like my arms slide off his chest.

„She just noticed that she likes you, Bud.“

„Kaitlyn, wtf.“

„It’s the truth.“ „how about not in front of god and the world?“ i whisper-yell and Emma hold her camera full onto me.

i stare into the lens and huff.

„Emma can you fucking not?“ „what?“

„ugh.“ i storm off.

Jacob stands still like statue. „why does she always run off?“ „Well go get her, idiot.“ Emma says and finally puts her phone away.

„Kaitlyn you get my turn.“ Jacob points at his wingwoman and runs after me.

Kaitlyn hums and smiles watching him leave.

„So Emma. you to kiss…“

20:42

i come to a stop at the boathouse, but before i can walk to the dock, Jacob yells my name and comes to a halt next to me.

„hey…“

„hi.“ i say and look at his boots.

„hunbun.“

„don’t say that.“ i huff, but the smile still breaks out and he smiles as well.

„it’s a stupid name.“ „no. i like it.“ „great.“ i turn away but he pulls me back.

„we kissed.“

„yep.“

„and Kaitlyn said you like me.“ „…yep. but i…mean…friends kiss each other right?“ this was the part where he would reject me, it would be better if i just acted like…i didn’t care.

somewhat…

he stays silent and i finally get the courage to look up.

„…why are you crying?“

„do you not like me?“

„what? Jakey. i-. fuck.“

i wipe away the tears on his cheeks and sigh when i hear his quiet sniffs.

„i just don’t like to talk about my feelings,“ i mutter embarrassed. „yeah, yeah i know….but…you do. with everyone else. Kaitlyn knows you love her, all our other friends knew you liked them too, but you never…“ he breaks off and looks down at me with wobbly lips.

fuuuck i’m such an idiot…

he had cried often in front of us, just like Kaiti and i did, but this time…it hurt. really fucking hurt. 

„okay. i know…it’s just…my feelings for you are the most important ones. and i guard those…when Kaitlyn rejects my friendship that doesn’t hurt as bad. but with you…“

„huh?“

he doesn’t understand.

„do you like me?“ i ask instead and stare into his eyes.

„yes.“

„Platonically?“ „what?“

„as friends or…more?“

„i asked first…kind of.“ he shrugs and i can’t help but smile.

„i don’t not like you, Jacob.“

he huffs and turns his head away.

„That’s a fucked answer.“

i sigh, „jakey…i-.“

„no, it is. dude, we never talk about this shit-.“

„this shit?“

„us. we. i dunno the pronouns.“

the corners of my mouth jump up and he notices and smiles a little before coming back to reality.

„like, dude. we’re faking it for like 15 years.“ „huh?“

what?

„uh- maybe only i was faking it.“

„Faking what?“ my voice shook with fear.

what did he mean, our friendship? did he secretly hate me all this time?

„like…the plantonic shit you said.“

oh thank god.

„platonic.“ „yeah that.“ he looks at me, waiting for my answer.

wait- so? he? what? i’m confused.

„so?“ he ask again, getting kinda impatient, something rarely seen.

„i…i’m scared you-.“

a scream was heard in the distance.

„fuck did you hear that? was that Abi?“ i immediately ask and grab his hand.

„that was not a good kind of scream.“

i give him a bitch-what look and he mumbles a sorry.

„we have to check it out.“ i drag him with me.

„uh yeah…okay…“

i run into the woods with his fingers in mine.

A/N: somehow i do love miscommunication tropes when i write them...

[mypoisonedvine]

You know what, my request is a second part to that heiress Zemo request because I need to know what happens. 😤

(Please and thank you, I am just very much on the edge of my sit, ma’am. 🥺💕)

alright... I can take a hint lmaooo (first part here!)

“De mama?” Addy asked in that sweet little voice of hers, tilting her head as she looked up at him.  Her Sokovian was coming along well, though not quite as fast as her English since that was all her mother ever spoke to her.  And of course, that’s who she was asking about now, and even though it was adorable, it was a bit heartbreaking, too.  Is this what it will be like when the contract expires? he was forced to wonder.  Will she ask where she is every day, until someday she forgets she ever had a mother?  What kind of father would I be if I let her live like that?

“Vona na prohulyantsi, skoro povernetʹsya,” he answered with a shrug.  She’s on a walk, she’ll be back soon.  How would he ever find the heart to tell her the truth someday, if he didn’t fix this soon?  She’s gone forever, I cast her away because I chose my pride over my love and your happiness.

No wonder he was so relieved when you got home, and he couldn’t help but smile as Addy reached up for you and you scooped her up into your arms with a smile.  “Oh, you’re getting big,” you cooed at her.  “How’d you get so big so fast, huh?”

Now was his chance to ever so casually bring up the contract and see how you reacted.  Part of him was hoping that if he just never mentioned it, you’d just forget about it and things could stay this way forever.  Unfortunately, that was nearly impossible, and it didn’t even really solve his problem fully because if things stayed this way forever then it meant he would never be with you again as he so longed to be; if things stayed this way forever, he would keep being a man desperately in love with his wife and powerless to do anything about it.  

He wanted to touch you again, so much he couldn’t stand it.  These days the only time you really spent together was when it was the three of you.  It was so painfully obvious that the only love for him you had was the love you had for your child, extended to him as the father.  You were only accessible when Addy was involved, you barely even looked at him when he wasn’t holding her.

It was actually rather cruel.  Especially at times like this, when Addy wanted to be read a story and it ended up with her on your lap and you between his legs on the floor, forcing him to reach around all of you to hold the book open as he read.

You were right there... but a million miles away.  If he had any courage he would just turn his head and kiss your cheek or bury his face in the crook of your neck.  Instead he was paralyzed, and he could smell your hair from here which was adding insulting to injury at this point.

“Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess, who lived in a tower,” he read aloud, watching his daughter’s tiny fingers trace over the illustration of the princess on the page.

“Pryntsesa,” Addy mumbled to herself as she looked at it, and he felt pride warm his chest to hear her speaking Sokovian to herself.

“You’ve been teaching her without me,” you realized as you turned back to look at him with a smirk.  God, your face was so close now that it was almost more work to not kiss you, especially when his eyes couldn’t help but dart down to your lips for a moment.

“She’s going to learn Sokovian whether you like it or not,” he reminded you.

“I’m not saying I don’t like it, I’m just saying I wanna be there for it,” you explained.  “We can teach her together.”

Another co-parenting activity, another way you could get close to him only under the pretense of being with Addy.  He needed to find a way to get you alone because this was going to drive him crazy.

“What happen?” Addy frowned, and both of you seemed to realize at once that he’d totally forgotten to keep reading.

“Oh, um,” he stammered, turning the page as you faced forward again.  “A brave knight wanted to scale the tower to see the princess, but he didn’t know how.”

~

When he entered the bedroom, he wasn’t expecting to find you there, changing into your pyjamas.  His first instinct was to look away and step back, pulling the door partially shut again with a mumbled apology.

“Helmut, you can come in,” you laughed.  “I don’t mind if you see me changing, you’ve certainly seen much worse than this.”

He cleared his throat and stepped back in, gaze sweeping up over your exposed back.  “I, uh, wanted to ask you something before we go to bed.”

“Yeah?” you prompted, pulling your nightgown over your head and walking to the bathroom where he followed you as you applied some sort of night cream to your face.  He stood behind you, meeting your eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

“You mentioned teaching Addy together,” he remembered.  

“If you just want that to be just a dad-daughter thing that’s fine,” you shrugged.

“No, it’s fine, I like the idea,” he nodded, “I just thought... well, I wondered...”

I wondered if you would go on a date with me.  Why was it so hard to get it out, to his own wife, to the woman carrying his last name and wearing his ring?

Of course, it was hard to get out because when he thought about you with his name and his ring, all he could think was for how much longer?

You waited patiently with raised eyebrows, and he sighed.

“Nevermind.”

“Wait, what is it?” you chuckled, following him when he turned away and sat on the bed.  “Now I’m curious.”

He glanced down at the bed he was sitting on, running his fingers over the quilt.  “Why do we even share this bed?” he mumbled to himself.

“What?” you whispered.

“I mean, does it even matter?  Are we just trying to look like something we’re not-- a normal couple?”

His eyes darted back up to your face when he heard your voice waver.  “Are you asking me to sleep downstairs?”

“No,” he corrected instantly, standing up and stepping closer to you even as you tried to hide the way your eyes were watering.  “No, darling, I just-- I don’t want you to feel like you have to share a bed with me.  I may not be the best bed partner.”

“Oh, you’re quite the bed partner, if memory serves,” you blurted out, and his eyebrow raised suddenly.  You seemed to regret it right away, turning to go back to the bathroom and examine yourself in the mirror.

“Hey, wait,” he followed you, turning you with a hand on your arm.  “Let’s not let go of that topic so quickly.”

“It’s nothing.  That’s over now.”

“What’s over?” he pressed.

“The part of this where we... did that,” you explained.  “It was just a necessary process, to get pregnant in the first place.  And then it happened a couple of times after I got pregnant, but that was just... I don’t know, you were so high on finally getting what you wanted and now--”

“What I wanted?” he repeated.  “Explain to me what it is I want.”

“An heir!” you answered immediately.  “Duh!  That’s what this is all for.”

“I’ll tell you what I want,” he shot back sternly.  “I want a family.  I want this family.  I want...” he took in a slow breath, afraid to say it aloud, “I want to hold you again.  I want to call you my wife not because we both signed a contract but because we’re both in love.”

You blinked up at him, eyes wide and wet, and he tried to stay calm as he continued.

“Most of all, if that’s not what you want, then what I really want is for you to... pretend, please, just for a day.  An hour, even.  Pretend it’s real.  Pretend it’s not just a show for our child, pretend you could really love me back.  And then you can go.  I don’t know how either of us will live without you, but, if you don’t want to be together then I don’t think I can take much more of this.  I need to have you or I need to let you go because... because I’m too selfish to let Addy keep her mother while I lose my wife, I’m too weak-- and I can’t fucking do this anymore!”

He didn’t raise his voice often.  Honestly, this was probably the first time since he met you.  And it wasn’t quite yelling, but he was still terrified that it would scare you.

You didn’t look scared, though.  You looked... peaceful, you even looked almost happy as you reached up and placed your hand onto the back of his neck and pulled him closer until your foreheads were pressed together.

He could smell your hair from here, and he took a deep breath in case it was the last time.

“Tell me what you want, darling,” he requested softly.

Your eyes fell shut before you took a deep, shaky breath.  “I want you,” you whispered, making his heart stop.

He swallowed quickly.  “Is that all?”

“I want another baby,” you added.

Carefully, he pulled you closer as he nodded, pressing his lips to yours.  All this time he had spent convincing himself that kissing you wasn’t as good as he remembered... and he’d been a liar all along.  It was just as perfect as he’d been imagining.

“I can give you both, right now,” he whispered against your lips, and when he felt you nod he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into him, carrying you to bed.

He did his best to make up for lost time that night, though it would take a lot more than one night to overcome years of running from his love for you.  Thankfully, you had the rest of your lives to try.  

Although one of the great accomplishments of it all was finally being husband and wife, rather than just parents, you were both ecstatic when you were due to become parents again.  No contracts required, no need for an heir, just a new addition to the Zemo family that would hopefully love being a part of it as the rest of you did.  And the soon-to-be big sister got to help pick out a name:

Abigail | feminine

origin: Hebrew

meaning: My father’s joy

[lovesomehate]

I'm not writing anything sad! Apparently, the cure for getting out of that sad idea of Travis and Laura is to write a fic focused on Travis' dick😅😂

Here we go. Takes after that 5 + 1 fic I did.



Kaitlyn was staring. She knew she was staring, but she couldn't stop. She looked Travis up and down mostly down and missed the way the sheriff squirmed.

"Kaitlyn?" He asked, unease on his face.

Kaitlyn snapped back to reality.

"Yeah?" She hoped she didn't sound too awkward.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Staring at me." He was still fidgeting. "It's been almost a week now and it's unnerving and aggravating." 

Kaitlyn opened her mouth to retort, couldn't find the words, then promptly shut her mouth.

"Right, well don't worry.  Won't happen again, sorry." She said and took her leave.

"That's what you said last time!" Travis yelled after her.



When night fell Kaitlyn wasn't doing well either. She wasn't staring at the bottom of the bunk above her so much as she was staring into space and the next dimension.

"-lyn"

This was absolute hell. She could rest properly and whenever Travis was in the room she couldn't help but act a bit jumpy.

"-itlyn"

What the hell was she going to do she can't stay like this.

"KAITLYN!" Emma's voice finally broke through making the girl's heart leap into her throat.

"What!? What, what!?" She looked around frantically.

"What yourself, you're scaring us," Emma replied.

"You've been staring at the ceiling all night. And yesterday night. For several nights actually." Abigail added. "Is there something you need to talk about?"

Kaitlyn massaged her temples, groaning in mental anguish. She'd been asked several times before this and she still didn't want to answer. At the same time carrying around her problem was becoming too much and who knows maybe getting it out of her would lead to a resolution. She took a deep breath and rushed it out.

"I-I've been struggling with some thoughts." She looked like a child struggling to admit they did something bad.

"Okay, and?" Emma didn't look surprised. "Thoughts about what?"

"About-About-," Kaitlyn back and forth some while before opening her mouth again. "I've been having thoughts about Travis." He face scrunched up.

Abigail and Emma looked at her as if she were sprouting a horn.

"More specifically-" She clapped her hands, working herself up to finally admit. "I've been having a lot of thoughts about Travis' dick."

The words were out and despite the shame and dread, it felt like a weight was lifted off her chest.

"WHAT!" Emma yelled.

"YOU'VE BEEN WHAT!" Abigail yelled as well.

Kaitlyn panicked and ferociously shushed them.

"Keep it down! I don't want the whole camp to know." She looked at the door to their cabin scared at the thought of someone hearing.

"Sorry, but omg what do you mean you've been thinking about Travis' dick? Why are you thinking about Travis' dick?" Emma sat straight up in her bed.

Kaitlyn waved her hands while she tried to put a thought together.

"Okay, you guys remember when we caught Chris and Ryan fucking?" She brings the awkward moment and they all look uncomfortable. "So remember when I said Dylan and I've seen too much of Travis and Laura."

"Yeah," Abigail said slowly with fear at realizing where this was going.

"Well remember that stupid scavenger hunt we did? Dylan and I were upstairs checking out rooms and one of the last ones we opened happened to have Laura and Travis in it." Kaitlyn looked at Abi and Emma and caught them looking intently. "Well Laura was like really riding him and when we came in we scared them. They scared us, but the main point is that Laura got off and we say what Travis had to give."

"Oh my god." Abi covered her mouth thing she might scream.

Emma was smiling in almost laughter and almost in shock. Kaitlyn was looking at her hands regretting everything.

'I shouldn't ha-" Her thoughts were cut off.

"So what you're thinking of getting dicked down by Travis?" Emma asked and Kaitlyn's eyes couldn't get wider.

"FUCK NO!" She yelled and then immediately admonished herself looking back and wondering if she suddenly imagined the sound of voices and footsteps.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Emma tried to calm her.

"Then why are you still thinking about it." Why did Abi sound like she was going to cry that was Kaitlyn's option at this point.

"I don't want to, but..." Kaitlyn couldn't believe what she was about to say. "how could I respectively not."

Abi looked like she was staring at some abstract painting when Emma dropped from the top bunk. She approached Kaitlyn as serious as death and kneeled in front of her. She didn't take her eyes from Kaitlyn as she raised her hands up apart from one another.

"Kaitlyn this is a serious question, what size are we talking?"

"Really." Kaitlyn couldn't believe the audacity of it.

"This is serious. You can't say something like what you have and just leave us out on the information. It's clearly bothering you. If you want help or to feel better you need to share all the details." Emma's tone was as serious as her face.

Abi came around to sit beside Kaitlyn, her face more curious than serious. Kaitlyn sighed in defeat and looked at Emma's hands.

"Okay, first of all more like this." Kaitlyn moved Emma's hands further apart, causing Emma and Abi's mouths to drop. "And also." Kaitlyn took one of Emma's hands and made a C with it and widened it some.

"Are you fucking serious?" Emma shot to her feet, trying to muffle her reaction with her hands.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I know I can't take away from that estimate."

Abi was struggling to form a word.

"How haven't you said anything until now." Kaitlyn couldn't believe what she just heard.

"It was hard enough telling you two. And I thought I would get over it."

"I still don't know if you will." Emma fell back onto Abi's bunk.

The cabin went quiet. Kaitlyn looked exhausted. Abi and Emma were still trying to understand what they were just told. Emma spoke again.

"And you're sure you're not thinking about Travis fucking you."

Kaitlyn's glare shut up and the most Emma could do was look apologetic while averting her eyes.

"So you've just been thinking about it and...picturing it?" Abi asked.

"Yes and no. I can't get it out of my head, but me thinking about it has to do with science." Kaitlyn spoke almost like it was an obvious and natural answer.

"Science?" Abi was incredulous.

"Yes." Kaitlyn fixed Emma and Abi with an absolute serious expression. "He and Laura have so much sex and it brings up questions."

She held up her hand and started counting down on her fingers.

"One, how much did that fucking hurt. Two, how does she usually walk so well? Three, are they using anything to keep it up because come on. Four, where are you buying condoms for that? Fiv-"

The cabin door opened dramatically and standing in the moonlight was Laura, her expression indescribable. Abi and Emma looked from her then slowly to Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn's stomach dropped through the floor, her mouth became the Sahara and her soul ascended to the sky.

"Hey Laura, I thought you and Travis were supposed to be out tonight?" Abi was the one to break the silence.

This caused Laura's expression to change to a frown.

"We were." She closed the door behind her. "But he got an emergency call in before we were even that far from camp so he drove me back real quick and sped off."

She walked closer to the group and Abi instinctually moved over to her bunk with Emma. Laura looked at the pair before tracking over to Kaitlyn, who was looking at her as though Laura was her personal judge, jury, and executioner.

Laura tossed the thin coat she was wearing over to the little shelf against the wall by her and Kaitlyn's bunk beds. She looked to the group as a whole and addressed them. She held up her hand.

"One, It hurt so much the first time. He got prepped me and went slowly but omg. It eventually turned to pleasure obviously and then it was so good." She started.

'Oh shit! Oh fuck!' Kaitlyn wanted to cry and run through the wall like Wile E. Coyote. 'How much did she hear aside from this?'

"Two, I got used to it so I can walk it off." She paused and gave an unchaste smile. "Unless we get too worked up, that's when I might have some problems. Three, Travis has more stamina than you would think for a man his age. Probably always had it. Maybe he built it up after six years of that werewolf bullshit." She shrugged. "Who knows. Four, the condoms are a little inconvenient to find for him, but that doesn't matter anyway. We really like how all of it feels so I'm on top of my birth control. And you had a fifth question right?"

Kaitlyn, Abi, and Emma stared and listened like they were in a classroom being taught the most indecent, and they were, but important life lessons. Questioning quality seriously, curiously, and frighteningly. It took a moment for Kaitlyn to realize that she was being addressed.

"Uh, I...um..." She looked for help that Emma and Abi couldn't provide. "I thought but I think that was just it?"

"Really? Wasn't this for science?" Laura questioned her quizzically.

'How much did she fucking hear!' Kaitlyn internally screamed, she was sure she was sweating profusely.

"Well if that's all then I'm going to change and go to bed. Being disappointed made me really tired."

"We should be going to bed anyway," Emma said and climbed the small steps to her bunk where she made herself comfortable.

Abi did the same curling up to face the wall and hugging one of her two pillows.

Kaitlyn stayed away but laid on her stomach facing the back of the cabin to give Laura some privacy to change. She expected to hear the bunkmate make her way to the top bed, but instead, her footsteps stopped beside her. She cautiously glanced up to see Laura just peering at her. Laura's expression was still unclear. It was an intimidating poker face that frightened Kaitlyn more than any werewolf.

"Can I help you?" Kaitlyn wasn't sure how snarky that sounded.

Did she even want it to sound snarky? She was supposed to sound scared right? Or confident? Scared because actually what she's fucking feeling.

Laura opened her mouth and closed it, she chewed on words until she found the right ones to speak.

"Those thoughts aren't going to do anywhere, are they? Aside from away?" It was a question but it felt like a threat on the rise.

"I think they're out of here. Like long gone the time I go to sleep. I think I just needed to talk about it." She nodded, hoping to convince them both, though the latter was feeling true.

Laura turned to look at the opposite bunk. Either Abi and Emma were good at faking sleep or they truly drifted off that fast.

"Well as long as they're gone." She turned back to Kaitlyn "I know what that path could lead to. One of several reasons I got into my Travis." She looked sweet when said those last words.

"Well Travis wouldn't cheat on you would he?" Fix your tone, Kaitlyn.

"I trust him completely." That rubbed Laura the wrong way.

"And I don't plan on being interested in him. I'm not interested in him. Too old and stuff." That made Laura sneer, Kaitlyn gulped but finished her statement. "Its not going to happen so why even bother caring what I think or do."

Laura blinked slowly and for a moment Kaitlyn swear her eyes turned yellow, but it was just her fear escalating. Laura then looked at her with this mix of pity, conceit, and anger. She simply replied.

"I'm territorial." And climbed up the few steps.

Once she was in her bed, back stretched and perfectly covered she called down below her.

"Night Kaitlyn." It was sing-songy, sounding sweet but holding an unidentified threat.

Kaitlyn laid in her panic for a moment then positioned herself for sleep. She hadn't slept under the covers since she was a child.

The next morning Kaitlyn looked rough. Her eyes were heavy and movements sluggish. She silently cursed all the kids who were running from the lodge having consumed breakfast and the cacophonous collection inside. How could it be that loud, maybe it was just her.

She entered the lodge and immediately turned left walking against the wall. She only walked a few feet before bumping into someone.

"Oops. Sorry, I'm a little-" Kaitlyn's breath sputtered.

'God hates me.' She thought, blinking unbelievingly as she looked at Travis.

"It's okay. You don't really look that great." Travis said starting at her face keenly.

"Yeah, rough night sleeping." Her statement was punctuated by a yawn. "Oh, and I want to apologize for all the staring. I can't explain why. Just had a few weird days. Sorry."

Travis looked skeptical and tickled.

"Understandable it happens." He said and she felt grateful.

"If you don't mind what are you doing here exactly? I don't mean to sound rude. Just figured you'd be busy after last night."

"You heard about that?"

"Only a little."

"Well because of it I had to cancel my plans with Laura. I filled all the paperwork last night in hopes of taking her for an apology breakfast and setting a new date." He smiled a bit bashfully.

Kaitlyn couldn't help but smile herself. When they weren't in the middle of having a sex marathon one could admire how cute a couple they were at times.

"Travis!" Laura came running up and Kaitlyn almost ran. "Hey, Kait!"

"...Hi?" Kaitlyn watched cautiously, Laura acted as if last night didn't happen.

"Hey sorry to drop this on you, I talked to Chris so you'll help him with any big accidents while I'm out, but I don't think we'll be gone that long?" Laura addressed Travis more with the latter part and he shook his head to agree with and confirm what she said.

"Yeah, no problem." Kaitlyn gave a quick thumbs up.

Laura looked satisfied.

"Okay, ready when you are," Laura said and left the lodge.

Travis stayed behind for a moment, staring at Kaitlyn. She squirmed a little. He finally moved walking around the front of her to her other side all the while never taking his eyes off her, she felt like prey.

"By the way Kaitlyn, people can use a lot of words to say or indicate one thing." He said and already Kaitlyn was confused. "Like giving someone something they like even without saying anything may indicate strong feelings. Showing off a person's work to others shows how amazed you are. Keeping secrets for someone is a good way to show they can rely on you."

"Okay?" That was all Kaitlyn could think to say.

Travis softly chuckled.

"What I'm saying Kaitlyn is," He bent down close to her ear. "thanks for the compliment."

As he stood everything clicked in place. Her eyes went wide, her mouth dropped open and her cheeks turned red. Not helped by Travis' audacious smile. He nodded his head goodbye and left the lodge to join Laura.

She hoped no one noticed how embarrassed she was. She hoped no one saw what just happened. How would she even start to explain it? There was too much stored inside.

"Fuck." She had to get the word out.

"Oh! You said a bad word." A small voice said.

She looked at the small boy with his syrup-covered face. She smiled tensely, put her hand on his shoulder, and pushed her along.

"Get out of here. And go wash your face."

OH MY FUCKING LORD YES THIS IS AMAZING MY FACE HURTS FRIM GRINNING SO HARD

Having Kait’ POV for this was the perfect choice gjsjgnsnfa Emma’s reaction to the size description 😂😂😂😂😂😂 dude this whole thing was a glee to read😂 thank you so much for it!

Travis: 😏

Kait: this is how I die

[tamagoincident]

To Lure a Bird

arthur morgan x reader

summary: The Van der Linde Gang plans to rob a train, too bad you hit it first. You, being the reasonable person you are, coerce rough-looking men to run a job with you in exchange for the stolen money, and everyone gets more than they bargained for.

chapter: 1/10

link: AO3

Chapter One - A Mutual Enemy

On the evening you first heard of the Van der Linde Gang’s presence in Valentine, you stood at the bar of Smithfield's Saloon disguised in men’s clothing. Not a typical Friday for you, as you tried not to make it a habit of sticking around places where reckless men became more reckless the further they disappeared into their cups. But years ago you’d helped the bartender, a giant man named Ernest, drum up enough money to pay off his debtors, and he held you in the highest of regards ever since. It was the only place you could drink without being disturbed. Ernest made sure of that.

“What’ll it be, the usual?” he winked at you, his large hands already reaching toward the whiskey.

You smiled and nodded.

“I have information you might want to hear,” he continued, pouring the liquor into a glass and sliding it towards you. You caught it easily.

“Oh?”

“There was a young lady here last night. Overheard her talkin’ to some fancy pants New Yorker who kept braggin’ ‘bout the luxury train he’ll be taking back to the North. She seemed awfully intrigued,” Ernest said. “And get this, it weren’t the only instance I’d seen her, neither. Few days ago she’d been traipsin’ around the outskirts of Valentine with a bunch of scary lookin’ out-of-towners.”

“Figure they’re planning on robbing the train?”

Ernest shrugged. “It’s easy pickin’. You know how naïve high society can be.”

Maybe easy enough for a one-person job, if done quickly and with care. You’d only robbed a train once with two people you used to run with. You didn’t run with them anymore. It hurt you to think of it.

You held up your glass for a refill and leaned forward, brimming with interest. “Tell me more about this train.”

—

The train tracks rattled underneath Arthur’s feet.

“Get movin’,” he said to Sean, pointing towards the trees hidden in the darkness. Arthur climbed atop the wagon they’d rode in on and placed in the middle of the tracks, which bore five hundred gallons of oil. He widened his stance for balance and pulled a bandana over his mouth and nose. “Here she comes.”

Arthur squinted against the blinding brightness of the incoming headlight, cocking his rifle as it approached. The train’s horn bellowed into the night.

It saw him. Good.

It came to a hissing and screeching halt. A uniformed man stormed out from the front cab. “What's goin' on here? What's—aw hell,” the engineer wailed, kicking the dirt underneath his feet. “Not again! Gettin’ real tired of this shit.” Behind him, a shadow of blurred movement. Charles, ready to strike him unconscious.

Arthur jumped off the wagon. “Hold it!” he yelled to Charles, who paused his assault and instead restrained the man with a pistol aimed at his head. “What d’you mean, ‘Not again?’”

“If y’all are trying to rob us, we’ve already been hit,” he wheezed.

“You’re bluffin’.”

“You and your boys are more than welcome to board and check. Reckon it’s a waste of time though.”

Arthur swore. “Let him go, Mr. S.”

Charles let go. The engineer stumbled forward, sputtering and coughing. In between heavy breaths he said, “Happened near the Heartlands. Strange feller in a mask robbed us blind and then pointed a shotgun at me, gruntin’ at me to start the engine or he’ll call for his gang to kill everyone on board.”

“Why in God’s name would he do that?” Arthur said.

“Beats me. But now that I think of it, he was probably expecting y’all. Here, he gave me this—” he moved to reach into his coat pocket, but ceased upon the chorus of rifles cocking. Sean and John had appeared to find what the holdup was.

“Don’t move a goddamn muscle,” Arthur growled. “Mr. S., if you could kindly grab whatever’s in that fool’s pocket.”

Charles complied, plucking out a wad of paper. He handed it to Sean, who read aloud:

Don’t want the loot, only your attention.

Have your lady informant go back to the saloon and talk to the bartender.

He’ll tell you where to find me.

Cause any trouble and you won’t see a cent.

Sean laughed bitterly, waving the note in the air. “Got us good, didn't he?”

“Give me that, you idiot.” Arthur snatched the note and tilted the lettering towards the train's headlight. “Goddamn it—”

A bullet whizzed by Arthur’s head. The engineer dove to the ground for safety.

“Get on your horses!” Arthur yelled to the gang and whistled. Once in the saddle, he spurred the horse on and rode hard into the trees, past the storm of bullets, and evaded capture.

He was the last to arrive back at camp, after making sure he hadn’t been followed. He passed Dutch’s closed tent and found Sean blackout drunk near the fire. John sat close by, clearly on the same trajectory as the Irishman, with the amount of empty beer bottles at his feet. Arthur cleared his throat. “Where’s Charles?”

John glanced up, eyes bleary and lined with red. In the firelight he looked small and exhausted. “Asleep.”

“You should be too.”

“Well, I ain’t,” John mumbled tipping the beer to his lips and draining it. He tossed the bottle aside with a crash.

“Need me to tuck you in Marston? How ‘bout a bedtime story?”

“Real funny, Arthur."

Arthur sat down across from John, allowing the sound of crickets and snuffling horses to fill the silence between them. When he spoke, his tone was softer. “Don’t think I’ve seen you this shaken. Not even when you was freezin’ your ass off after them wolves got to you.”

John’s gaze dropped to his lap. “I’m a bit rattled, s’all. I got a bad feelin’, Arthur.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think the law showed up a little too fast?”

“Maybe,” Arthur said. “I’m more curious about the son-of-a-bitch who knew we was gonna rob that train.” He turned, pulling the note he’d stashed into his saddlebag and brandishing it.

“See? You’re worried too. S’not just me.”

“I’m not worried,” Arthur cast the notion aside. No use in admitting to being worried unless there was really something to lose sleep over, especially in front of John, who looked like he was fixing for an excuse to leave again. Arthur didn’t want to be the person to give him one. He would gladly take a bullet before he watched Abigail’s face twist back into sorrow and disappointment on account of John flying the coop.

“We gonna be okay, Arthur?” John asks.

“Can’t tell the future anymore than you can, Marston,” Arthur said, crumpling the note in his fist. “What we can do is find the bastard who pulled the wool over our eyes, and deal with the rest as it comes along. I’ll talk to Mary-Beth tomorrow. Ask her to go back up to the saloon.”

John watched as Arthur tossed the paper into the fire, the edges curling into black.

—

You waited across the tracks from the abandoned trading post in Roanoke Ridge, taking shelter behind a sturdy tree (you’d almost hid behind one crawling with poison ivy vines, what a sight that would have been). The instructions you’d given Ernest to pass on had been clear: Whoever is sent must be on time and arrive alone. You checked your pocket watch. Already a half hour late. Out of desperation you remained a few minutes longer. The sun was almost at its peak in the sky, and you were getting hot with your scarf obscuring the lower half of your face. You cursed yourself for wearing such bulky trousers and long sleeves.

In your mind, the heist had been preferable to wasting away in the heat. With a little theater and luck, you managed to rob the train heading north. You still couldn’t believe your good fortune. Keeping your voice low and husky, the passengers and engineer had mistaken you for some hardened outlaw. You’d threatened them with your non-existent gang that was supposedly trailing close behind. In reality, the only thing riding alongside the train was the horse you’d borrowed from Ernest.

You scanned the landscape with binoculars, on the precipice of calling it a day, when you saw a pair of figures ascend the hill behind the dilapidated structure. The taller of the two was wearing a fading grey shirt that you imagined was once white, which stretched across his broad shoulders. He staked a far contrast to the companion at his left, a leaner man with dark hair that extended past a deep scar on his cheek. Both looked tough and mean. Exactly the type of men you’d hoped for.

Though two against one, the odds weren’t good if things went south.

You dropped the binoculars and reached for your rifle. Steadying yourself, you squinted through the scope, drifting down the length of their bodies until their dusty leather boots came into view. You cocked the gun, exhaled, and took the shot, aiming inches away from them.

“Shit!”

“Thought I’d said to come alone,” you called out. “If one of you gentlemen doesn’t get going, the next two bullets will be right in the forehead.”

“Jesus Christ,” the dark-haired man yelped. “Is that a woman shooting at us?”

“Woman or not, doesn’t change the fact she’s got a goddamn rifle!” the other fired back. “Alright, miss, my friend here is gonna get on his horse and leave. Ain’t that right, Marston?”

“Rode all the way out here for nothin’,'' he complained loudly and whistled. When his horse came around, he placed his foot in the stirrups and swung his leg over the saddle. “If you ain’t back by sundown, I’ll come lookin’ for you, Arthur. Hear that, lady?”

Arthur waved a dismissive hand. You waited until the horse disappeared behind the hills before coming out from the brush. At this distance, you could discern more of his features. The first of which you noticed were bright blue eyes that writers and painters alike had mused over for centuries.

He directed them at you. “There,” he said. “Happy?”

You lowered your rifle. “We’re off to a poor start, I’m afraid.”

“Don’t want no trouble. Just didn’t know what we was walkin’ into,” he said, moving closer, hands up slightly as if to not appear threatening. “You were real vague in that note of yours.”

You reaffirmed your grip on your rifle. “That’s close enough,” you said. Any closer and he’d eclipse you, your neck within snapping distance of those strong hands.

“Then, how about you tell me how this is gonna go?”

In the days leading to this moment, you’d thought of the ways you were going to approach this. Never did you imagine getting this far. “Do you have any idea why I may have invited you here?”

“To gloat, perhaps? About beatin’ us to that train?”

An involuntary upward twitch at the corner of your mouth. “Not quite, sir. I value my time and yours, so I’ll keep it short. I need you.”

Arthur pointed to himself. “You... need me?”

“Yes, you.”

He dipped his head, obscuring whatever expression he was making beneath the brim of his hat. Rubbing his neck, Arthur said, “Can’t imagine why you’d need me, lady. Accountin’ for the fact you don’t even know me.”

“I’ll rephrase. It’s not you I need exactly, it’s somebody like you. And your friend, for that matter.” You paused. “I used to have partners, too. One is dead, the other is in need of rescue. She was kidnapped. I want to hire you to help get her back.”

“Why not go to the sheriff? Seems a hell of a lot easier than getting up to all this trouble.”

“The sheriff?” you scoffed. “You really think he’d risk himself and his men to help me save a working girl from outlaws? Most likely he’d look into my background, and then I’d be arrested before I could even blink.”

“So all we gotta do is save your friend from her kidnappers and what, you’ll pay us?”

“You’ll get the money from the train, and I’ll throw in seventy dollars on top of that,” you said.

“What’s the catch?”

“Pardon me?”

“The catch,” Arthur repeated. “Seems too easy.”

“Didn’t say it’d be easy. Are you familiar with the O’Driscoll Boys?”

A spark of recognition. He was, in fact, familiar. “Yeah, I heard of ‘em. Your friend Emma… them boys captured her?”

You nodded. “A former client of hers runs with that gang. He found us in a hotel room, shot Henry, and knocked me out. When I came to, Emma was gone, and I was alone.”

“Under ordinary circumstances, I’d be glad to help,” he said. “You see, there’s someone I’d need to run this by and he’s already got it out for their leader, Colm O’Driscoll. This’d be the perfect excuse for him to do something goddamn stupid.”

“Please. If you’re familiar with them, you can imagine how awful it must be for her. I’ll even give you half the money upfront,” you said, decocking your rifle and slipping it back over your shoulder by its leather strap.

“Can’t promise nothin’, but I’ll talk it over with some people tonight. Meet me at that saloon in two days, same time. If it goes in your favor, I’ll take you to see the man who makes all the decisions.”

“Are you going to make me wait again?” you asked.

“You’re the one asking for favors, miss.”

“I’m offering a job.”

Arthur’s lips set into a hard line. “A job that might get us into a world of trouble, adding fuel to a fire that’s been burnin’ for a long time now. Frankly, you don’t know what you’re getting into.”

And because you didn’t want to push your luck, you fell silent. You watched him call for his horse and mount it.

“I’ll be on time,” he mumbled as an afterthought, and rode off in the direction he came.

[ollie-ollie-oxenfreee]

awkward attempts at parenting: the fic (wip)

You know what? I’m going to post this now, because dang it it makes me happy and I’m proud of it even though it’s not finished yet. 

Magnus Quinn isn’t sure what to make of the cavalier from the Ninth, but he knows he’s worried about her. Or, rather, he wants to worry about her, if he could only figure out how to reach her. She doesn’t seem like she’d be receptive to the same kind of fathering as the duo from the Fourth. Ruffling her hair and telling her he’s proud of her would probably drive her away faster than if he’d jabbed his rapier in her face. It takes some time for him to realize that there’s a starved look to her, hidden beneath the cocky glow in her strange yellow eyes. She needs a decent meal and a kind word yesterday. 

 Luckily enough, he has some degree of experience with providing both.

He first got the idea a few days into their collective stay at Canaan House, when he noticed her sitting alone at breakfast, knocking back weak tea and barely seasoned rice like it was manna from God Himself. He’d been picking idly at his own gluey bowl, thinking of the well - stocked kitchen he and Abigail had shared for so many years. Cast in the warm glow of the hearth at all hours and brimming with the best ingredients the Court gardens could muster. Magnus already missed it - missed the crackling of the coals, the feeling of yeasted dough taking shape beneath his hands, the simple satisfaction of dicing vegetables into neat, even cubes. That kitchen was a place of community and peace for as long he’d known it. Perhaps he could create something similar here  - give himself an outlet and provide a sort of common ground to quell the already brewing House tensions. It seemed like his handiwork would be appreciated by one other person, at least. 

For the past week or so he’d made arrangements, carving out a few hours in his schedule, insisting that he really didn’t need help from the hovering skeletal staff and gathering ingredients from the meager pantries. He ultimately decided to start simple with the recipe - the dense, bittersweet tea cookies he made for Abigail when he first met her. Familiar as the back of his hand and easy enough to walk a novice through. 

Now that he’s gotten everything in order, it’s only a matter of inviting the Ninth girl to join him. She wanders by the galley wing every so often, seemingly bored out of her mind. Magnus steps out into the hall when he hears the pacing thud of her boots approach and clears his throat lightly to keep from startling her. It doesn’t quite work. Her lamplight eyes dart up at the sound and her hand snaps out in a sharp practiced motion to land on the pommel of her blade. She relaxes a bit when sees him and offers him the slightest ghost of a sheepish smile. 

“You’re an awfully quick draw with that sword,” he says with a gentle smile of his own. “Though it’s a shame I had to scare you to witness it. Would you mind helping me in the kitchen for a moment? I could use an extra pair of hands.”

She blinks, her smile fading, seemingly caught off guard once again by the strange request. For a long moment the silence stretches between them. To his relief she eventually nods, and he ushers her through the rotting wooden door with an exaggerated bow. She looks somehow even more uncomfortable before bobbing a very awkward curtsy with the hem of her robes and stepping past. (How he’s already managed to make things worse for the poor girl, he’s not entirely sure, but he knows he’ll be kicking himself for it.)

[rebellconquerer]

Another prompt fill, this time for @woobeau and the prompt "what if I kissed you right now". I hope you like!

"Sarah! How lovely to see that you could make it, and you brought the Sergeant as well… how nice." Abigail's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Sarah doesn't even twitch at it, just turns smoothly from where she is gathering the trays of baked goods from the car, a polite smile painted on her face.

"Hello, Abigail. Yes, of course, I wouldn't miss this. The boys were both so excited about it." Sarah says brightly. Ice wouldn't melt in her mouth.

Abigail makes a face at the use of her full name. Sarah knows that she prefers being called Abby, but then again Abigail knows that Sarah prefers her name to stay out of her mouth and yet still here she is, hand playing gently in her blond hair, fake smile in place.

They both stand facing each other, eyes flat for a moment before James approaches them. Sarah sees him over Abigail's shoulder and watches him roll his eyes, making a lightning fast funny face for her benefit before he clears his throat.

Abigail turns around slowly, smile going much too warm as she adjusts her hair.

"Hey there, stranger! Long time no see!" Abigail says, swaying towards him.

It's Sarah's turn to roll her eyes.

James gives her his 'I'm too polite to say fuck off' smile and a head nod.

"Abby," he mutters in greeting. "Why not let me get those, Sarah?" He says, stepping in between the two of them and grabbing the last few trays before walking off again.

Sarah watches Abigail stare at his ass. She turns, slamming her trunk loud enough to grab Abigail's attention.

"So nice to see him out and about down here." Abigail says to her, eyes still staring after James.

Sarah shoulders her bag and refuses to roll her eyes again. "So you mentioned, Abigail." She replies, heading into the school while high heeled footsteps follow behind her.

"We are going to have you assigned to table 14 with Leslie, his daughter is in 4th grade, that's where the sweets and drinks will be sold." Abigail chatters.

A school fair wasn't something that she had much experience with as a kid in public school, but she's gotten used to the private school life and the strange rituals it seemed to entail. Not to mention the strange people.

"Sounds good," Sarah replies, trying to get the woman to move along. She sees James has already located the right table, a small tower of baked goods piled high on a ugly, green table cloth. As she approaches he looks up from conversation with an older man with kind eyes and greying temples.

Sarah smiles distractedly as she approaches.

"You must be Sarah. Leslie." The man says, standing to shake her hand while Abigail continues to hover.

"How long will you be in town this time, Bucky?" Abigail asks with a wide smile.

"Oh not long probably. A week or so."

"And Sarah has you here working, no one around to show you a good time? You really should take me up on that offer of dinner. I know a little place right on the water that's just to die for." Abigail continues, leaning into James' space.

Sarah watches his smile go a little stiff. She turns her back to them, focusing on unpacking her little stand while Leslie watches the conversation with a look of sick fascination on his face.

"Thanks, Abby. Yeah, one of these times..." James mutters, trailing off as an uncomfortable silence starts creeping in.

One of the other mother's calls out to Abigail just then and she has to move along, apologizing (only to James) for cutting their conversation short and promising to pick it back up later.

The moment she's out of hearing range, Leslie turns to James. "I honestly thought she was going to whack you in the head and drag you off to her Prius. I was kinda interested to see if you were gonna be beating her off with a broom."

Sarah can't help the boisterous laugh that escapes her at that sentence and the absolute horror that dawns on James' face.

"I like you." Sarah says, eyeing Leslie. He shrugs.

"I call 'em like I see 'em, and that was one hell of a mating ritual. You think she's in heat? I think she's in heat." Leslie replies easily, helping to organize the table.

Sarah glances over her shoulder to see James pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You okay there, soldier?" She asks, laughter clear in her tone.

James glares at her. "And see, if I tell her to shove her dinner invite I'm anti-social and demonstrating maladaptive behaviors. I'm gonna go find the boys. Hopefully they’re far away from her." James mutters the last bit before turning and stalking off.

Sarah glances up to see Leslie staring after him, eyes most definitely focussed on his ass.

"Really? You too? I thought Abigail said you were married." Sarah huffs.

Leslie does not look the least bit called out. "Yeah, married not dead… and even if I was dead I think I'd sit up and say yes sir to that behind."

Sarah shoots him a dirty look, it takes a fraction of a second but Leslie clocks something in her expression.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize he was spoken for. Why the hell didn't you scratch Abby's eyes out for staring at him like a slab of meat?" Leslie questions, face contrite.

Sarah purses her lips. "So I can be told I'm an angry black woman? I think not. Abigail and I have enough history without me going postal on her for making eyes at a man who'll never give her the time of day."

Leslie grins at that, wide and feral. "So he is spoken for then? You and him? Lord have mercy, do you have enough friends? Could you have more? I could have lived my whole life without seeing a man that fine in person. Tell me you're just dying to share some details with a group of girlfriends." Leslie says in a manic rush, words coming fast but with a lazy drawl.

Sarah laughs again, flopping into one of the chairs right as Leslie does as well.

"You really just say whatever is on your mind, don't you?" She asks, with a sidelong glance.

Leslie shrugs. " My husband calls it verbal diarrhea. Says it's endearing."

Sarah smiles at the honesty on his face. This man is clearly totally comfortable with who he is. She wasn't lying, she does like it.

"It definitely won't be boring, that's for sure." She responds and Leslie huffs out a small laugh.

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

The rest of the booths are set up over the course of the next hour, the indoor gymnasium being transformed into a food hall as the outdoor field becomes a fair, complete with rides of questionable safety, clowns and screaming children.

The school puts on this fair once a year, ostensibly to raise money for extracurriculars, but Sarah thinks it's really an excuse for the parents to have a culturally appropriate dick measuring contest. She was over it within 5 minutes of being here the first year the boys started, but she will not let them feel, for even one moment, like they don't belong here as much as every other child. So, here she is, polite smile plastered on her face and socially acceptable conversation topics at the ready.

She hadn't even invited James, not really, but Sam got called away and James had mentioned he'd be at the base for a few days and wanted to see her and when Sarah had mentioned she had to do this, he'd just invited himself right along. He'd been to a few other school events before and if it gave him some time with her and the boys, he said it was worth it.

She glances around and spots him clearly trying to disengage from a conversation with Abigail and her flock of desperate housewives. It's almost amusing watching from across the room as James continues with his polite but distant 'fuck off' smile. Within a few minutes he orchestrates his escape and makes a beeline straight for her.

She smiles as he drops into the chair Leslie vacated moments ago, back to his admirers.

"Having fun?" She questions lightly, it's joking but also very real. He still doesn't like… well… people, and sometimes he needs to just leave. All he does is smile tiredly at her, however.

"I don't remember women being this aggressive in the 40s. Did I just miss it? I used to have to work for this kind of attention." He mutters, leaning over to steal a cupcake from the table. She scowls at him, but can't be bothered to slap his hand away.

"Oh please. I've seen pictures of you before the war. I don't believe that for one second." She mumbles.

That brings a slow, dangerous smile to his lips."Sarah! Are you trying to tell me you think I was pretty?"

She bites the inside of her cheek to prevent an answering smile. "Was, is. Don't fish for compliments. There are whole internet forums dedicated to deciding which version of you is prettiest, 1940s you or 2020s you. But hey, if you really wanna hear it said, I'm sure Abigail would love to wax poetically about any number of your virtues, probably starting with your ass." She replies dismissively.

His smile starts to verge into smirk territory. "Whoever said anything about my ass? Maybe you're projecting, Sarah?" He asks, eyes flicking obviously down to her mouth.

She shakes her head lightly in laughter, leaning just a bit away from him. She needs just a little breathing room before the full effect of Bucky Barnes flirting with her starts to get to her head.

"I think the number of people who have stared at it today speaks for itself." She mumbles, attending to her next customer, trying to ignore that she can feel him staring at her, his entire attention on her in that way that he has.

She glances over at him as the kid and his mother leave her stand. "What?"

"You know I've told Abby and her troupe no in a couple different languages at this point, but there is something I haven't tried yet." He whispers to her, leaning into her space again.

Sarah flicks her eyes over James' shoulder and she can see Abigail staring at them.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

His face gets a little more serious, the wattage of his smile turning down a little as his eyes flick down to her lips. She watches him take a deep breath and lick his own lips before he speaks, the motion sending a jolt of heat to her core.

"What if I kissed you right now?"

The question stuns her and she pulls in a sharp breath. "Here?" She squeaks.

"In front of God and all his angels." James replies, eyes coming back up to meet hers. "Think she'd get the message then?"

He's leaning in even closer, just on the wrong side of social decency and she can smell his cologne, something dark and earthy, mixed with the leather of his jacket and gloves. It's heady, almost intoxicating.

A part of Sarah wonders if he's joking. They aren't dating publicly or anything and so yeah, he follows her around a bit, but they could be friends, friends do that. But she meets his gaze and there is no hint of humor in them. The gears of her mind start to turn a mile a minute. Is this his way of saying he wants them to be more public? To have more borders than whatever 'definitely a thing' means. Or maybe he really is just giving Abigail the shake? Sarah suddenly feels like she's back in high school.

She sways in towards him, the move automatic, before she catches herself and pulls back a little.

"Um, that's probably not a great idea." She manages to whisper back, her own eyes straying to his mouth. "Probably wouldn't deter her too much and then she'd hate me even more than she does now. She's the umm… president of the PTA you know, dangerous enemy to have. Plus someone might get a shot of us, then that's in the magazines and there goes peaceful Delacroix."

Most people here don't know exactly who he is, but someone might, so she's not wrong. Still the mumbled excuses are just that, excuses. She whispers them instead of the truth, which is that if she's kissing him in public she wants it to be because they both really want to and are ready to.

The intensity of his gaze doesn't change, even while he leans away from her again, back into a socially acceptable distance. She can read nothing from his face about how he took her denial.

"Fine, but I'm keeping track. I'm exacting one kiss for every innuendo I have to suffer through." He murmurs and that draws a shocked laugh from her.

"Fair enough." She responds and the dark promise of the smile he gives her as he stands is enough to send her pulse soaring.

The moment he's gone, Leslie comes wandering back, eyes once again focused on James walking away.

"Holy crap, the two of you have enough heat to warm a small Canadian town." He says, dropping into the seat James just vacated.

Sarah starts to reorganize the line of snack sized juices on the table, attempting to ignore him.

"I don't know what you are talking about. You're the only one that has even noticed that we aren't just friends." She mutters. She sees Leslie shrug in her peripheral vision.

"Most people don't see chemistry anywhere they don't expect it. I'm a photographer. I spend half my time trying to get people to fake what the two of you are just dripping."

She smiles softly. She doesn't know why, but the fact that this man, this stranger, sees what she feels from James is… nice. Reassuring somehow.

"It may sound a little strange, but… thank you for that." She replies, unable to maintain eye contact.

Leslie just shrugs again, joining her in her unnecessary task of reorganising their wares.

"People don't always see the chemistry between me and my husband either." He says softly.

There is silence for a moment.

"Then again, if my husband looked at me in public the way that man just looked at you I'd be giving all the kiddies a real detailed sex ed lesson, right here on this table. You are a stronger woman than I, Sarah." Leslie says with a giggle.

Sarah smiles softly in response. Yes, yes she is.

[schnitzelbutterfingers]

To Someone Special (Ethan Ramsey x f!MC)

notes: happy holidays! please take the time to celebrate with your family and friends. 2020 was an egregious year, but let’s thank god for letting us survive through the whole COVID pandemic. let’s pray for everyone to get through this. 

anyways, here is my christmas present to you all, wrapped with some angst and fluff! ethan’s ex-girlfriend from his med school days who cheated on him with another ‘friend’ (and no, it’s not tobias :)) makes an appearance hehe. forgive me if there are any spelling mistakes and grammar errors, and as always enjoy! (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

(i felt like this was similar to @jamespotterthefirst ‘s fic ‘Fake Husband/Wife’, so i asked permission to write this, and she gave me it. shoutout to bree!)

summary: On Christmas, 10 years ago, he gave his heart to a girl. The very next day, she gave it away. This Christmas, to save him from tears, Ethan will give it to someone special.

pairing(s): dr. ethan ramsey x f!mc (dr. abigail ‘abby’ chacko) || mentions of past dr. ethan ramsey x dr. aubrie zavala

warning(s): angst (mentions of cheating) and fluff (mentions of proposal)

word count: 1999

** i suggest you listen to ‘last christmas’ by wham! :) **

_______________________________________________________________

‘The most wonderful time of the year.’

If it were years ago, Ethan would chuckle at the preposterousness of this statement. 

To everyone else, the Christmas season is full of jubilation, nostalgia and generosity. Giving and donating had become a peculiarity of the days neighboring the observed holiday, street-corners crowded with Santas ringing golden bells. 

Houses twinkled with multi-colored and pulsing lights, bouncing off the crystalline white snow. Inside the houses, trees glimmered with more colorful lights and various decorative ornaments. Christmas colors added sumptuousness. Classic poinsettias are tied, and candy canes add some idiosyncrasy, dangling from the mouths of exhilarated children. Joyful music and golden bells can be heard from everyone’s car.

To the senior doctor, it’s dissimilar. Christmas means more work to do at the hospital. Emergency rooms are filled with injured patients who were looking forward to blithesome moments with their friends and family. The roads are slick with shiny ice, vehicles slipping across the road to hit the one next to it or a broad tree. And the mistletoe. On one occasion, he had to escape an elderly grandmother with wrinkly skin and gray hair, who was convinced that he was Bob Dylan. Yet he wasn’t even an accurate replica and they didn’t sound the same.

Seeing other interns and derisory people kiss under the mistletoe makes him turn away with disgust. He cordially hated PDA. Well, that is, until he met her.

When Ethan met Abigail, however, he felt some sort of attraction to her, something he couldn’t escape from, no matter how hard he tried. Her compassion, her wit, her charm, her intelligence, her everything. 

It felt like some sort of grip she had, her usual chocolate aroma, big brown eyes, wavy hair, and her milky skin all holding on to him like a police officer would do to a criminal. And it’s addicting.

But now, looking at his Rookie from across their luxurious bedroom, getting ready for the Christmas Gala hosted by Bloom Edenbrook Hospital, he started to look forward to the breathless moments under the mistletoe. On second thought, why does he need to kiss Abby under the mistletoe when he can kiss her anywhere? They are officially dating, after all.

He wanted to satisfy her and hear her singing goofily along with the carols in their cars. He wanted to see her tastefully decorate their penthouse with stockings, ornaments, a garland. He wanted to see her making sticky toffee pudding and her longtime favorite gulab jamuns, even if he claims he doesn’t like sugar. She, in return, would constantly mock him, prompting him of the day when he focused his eyes on the delicious chocolate bar in the vending machine at the hospital. He wanted it all with her.

Abby was adorning a long sleeve crimson velvet dress, strikingly showing some cleavage. She wore a generous split from her right thigh down, parading her creamy legs. She looked divine. She looked like heaven. The red gown made her look scandalous. 

She cleared her throat, smirking at him staring at her. “Are you finished?”

“You look...” The more conventional doctor was at a loss of words, looking at her up and down. He started from her soiled velvet heels, moving up to her wavy cafe hair.

“...sinful.”

Abby flashed him a sly grin. “Why, thank you, Doctor. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Indeed he doesn’t. Ethan sported a matching outfit, a suit with a red velvet coat black shirt and a crimson bowtie.

“I can’t wait to come back after this gala. You’re making me lose my patience.”

She chortled, lovely music to his ears. “Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

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The gala invited all the hospitals in Boston, including Mass Kenmore. It was being held at The Seaport World Trade Center, one of the largest venues in the city. Ethan and Abby arrived at the front of the venue, walking towards the entrance. Inside, a waiter took them to the very front table, the one where their seats were reserved.

They were recognized as the ‘rich couple’ and the ‘power couple’ of Edenbrook. It was no surprise that some of the doctors decided to gossip about them, stating how they match and look excellent together. Some women were jealous, and Abby could feel covetous eyes burning behind her back. The male doctors were also envious of Ethan, that he got to be with the young graceful doctor. In return, Ethan winded his protecting arm tighter around her slim waist, a clear mark that she is his. Only his. 

The front table additionally included Naveen, Harper, Tanaka, and Tobias Carrick. When Ethan and Tobias faced encountered other at the front table, the Mass Kenmore doctor somehow took his hand out, waiting for the famous diagnostician to shake it. Ethan was stupefied at first, but then he remembered what Tobias did for them, saving his Rookie from the maitotoxin. After a rare moment Ethan shook it, sending the latter a faint smile, to which he returned. Abby beamed at their interaction, glad that they finally cleared the air that had been surrounding them for more than a decade.

Naveen greeted both of them with a hearty hug, and Harper sent both of them a pleasant smile. The Chacko looked around the decorated room to discover her friends, all relaxing at a table. When she spotted them, she gave them a huge wave, to which they imitated back. It relaxed her to have Ethan and her friends in the same room, forgetting about the upcoming discussions with the money-eating scumbags who only care about wealth and not for the wellbeing of their patients.

Tobias and Ethan sat between Abby, and all the seats were filled except for one.

As if interpreting her thoughts, Tobias sought a confused question. “Are we expecting someone else at our table?”

“I believe we are,” Naveen answered.

The young doctor wanted to talk to her friends for a little while. Otherwise, everyone was roaming around, mingling with people.

Ethan seemed to detect this because he leaned in to whisper to her ear. “If you want to hang out with your friends, you can go ahead. It’s understandable, if you’re bored, as am I. Besides, I’ll just talk to Tobias.”

Abby sent him a grateful smile, not only for excusing her, but because he wanted to talk to his old (former?) friend. She was genuinely happy that their relationship is getting better and better.

In return, she bestowed him a kiss on his cheek and went to the table across the room, where her colleagues are. 

Her friends said the usual. Bryce and Kyra are dating, and they adopted a puppy after moving in together. Sienna doesn’t think she will move on from Danny, and that her heart will always belong to him, but the enormous pain had subsided. Elijah and Phoebe went on another date which had gone really well. Jackie’s debt is under control, and she said that she felt at peace and tranquility. 

After she had finished socializing, she looked back to her reserved table, where she saw a woman, a rather charming one, probably in her 30s. She had raven hair and porcelain skin, and was assuming a royal blue dress with an elegant split across her left thigh, displaying her beautiful legs. Standing next to her boyfriend. Being too touchy with her man. Abby was ordinarily not the type to be jealous, but looking at the woman made herself feel ugly.

Her eyes went to Ethan, who had a horrified look on his face. They moved to Tobias who had a similar expression. Naveen and Harper both had uncomfortable looks.

The latter captured her eye and came up to her.

Abby was confused, so she decided to convey this confusion to Carrick. “Is everything alright at our table? Is that woman the last person to occupy the empty seat?”

Carrick sighed deeply. “She... is Dr. Aubrie Zavala. Another famous diagnostician... She is also Ethan’s ex-girlfriend.”

That’s when she glanced back at their table and saw both of them arguing.

Tobias must have noted this because he replied, “Ethan and Aubrie are both arguing now. Back in Hopkins, she cheated on with another med student named Dillan, I think. And it was at Christmas. Now Aubrie wants him back.”

The cacophonous racket heard in the auditorium drained away from the ears of the young doctor, and the sounds of warning bells replaced it. 

What the hell am I supposed to do to grab her butt off the table?

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She examined her bag and found a fake diamond ring. Her mother gave this to her; she saw this at the store and found it pretty. Abigail always kept it in her bag, a reminder that her mom loves her. It looks real, so this can work. The Chacko placed the ring on her left ring finger. Tobias, knowing what Abby was about to do, gave her a wink. She smiled back and walked over to their table.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” Abby asked innocently. Ethan’s oceanic eyes widened as he saw the mischievous gleam in her coffee eyes. 

The woman, who was now dubbed Aubrie, turned around to look at her with a grim expression. 

“Babe?” Aubrie threatened lowly, “Who the hell do you think you are, calling my Ethan ‘babe’?” Oh, this girl has it coming.

Abby offered her a fierce smile, showing off her properly ‘engagement’ ring. “Well, I’m pretty sure I called my fiancée babe, right Ethan?” 

Instantly, Ethan understood. She wanted to play as his wife-to-be now, did she? Well, that can be easily arranged, Ethan smirks, deciding to play along.

“Well, you see, Dr. Zavala, you do remember how I love hearing the opera, don’t you? I took Abby to one of my favorite operas named Carmen, and I proposed to her there. She cried happy tears and said ‘yes’.”

Aubrie’s furious face slowly drained of color, as she realized they are engaged. She now has to live with the regrets from the past. Her violent hands started to shake a little as she realized who she was arguing with the whole time.

“Wait, are you Dr. Abigail Chacko? One of the youngest doctors in America, Sister of the famous surgeon Sebastian Chacko, the youngest member of Edenbrook’s diagnostic team, and the person who cured Dr. Naveen Banerji?” Zavala asked slowly, her shrill voice starting to grow tense.

Abby, on the other hand, was having too much fun with this. “Bingo! You got it right!”

Right away, when she said that, Aubrie reluctantly left the whole table, stomping on the way like a teenager. Naveen and Harper both had amusing smiles on their faces, Tobias tried not to choke on his wine, and Ethan had the biggest smirk ever. 

Abby took off her fake ring and placed it in her bag. At once, Ethan gave her a sounding kiss on her plump lips, not minding anyone any attention. 

“How did you know I had a pretty rough time here?” Ethan asked curiously. 

She smiled triumphantly. “Well, I saw all of your uncomfortable faces at the table when Aubrie was here. Tobias saw me and gave me an explanation to what was happening. I’m so sorry you had to go through that during your med school days.”

Ramsey gently stroked her smooth and delicate cheek. “It’s fine. Besides, I got an even better woman right here.” 

Tobias cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, but can you please just continue this later at home? I’m tryna drink some good wine here.”

Everyone snorted, but Ethan’s mind went back to the actual engagement ring he bought for her at their penthouse, stored inside one of his worn-out shoes. He was actually planning to propose to her tomorrow, on Christmas Day. 

Taking her to one of my favorite operas named Carmen, proposing to her there.

Oh, he can’t wait for this chaotic day to be over.

_______________________________________________________________

notes: if you’ve made it this far, thank you!

 tags:@missmiimiie @aylamwrites @starrystarrytrouble @udishaman @caseyvalentineramsey @queencarb @choicesstan1 @newcolonies @arcticrivers @angela8756 @takemyopenheart @rookie-ramsey @ohchoices @ohvamsey @ohramsey @natureblooms24 @drariellevalentine @maurine07 @lucy-268 @thanialis @drakewalkerfantasy​ 

@openheartfanfics​

@choicesficwriterscreations​

[fandomficsnstuff]

Idiot

(Okay so I’m in the mood for some Bill Williamson stuff, so, buckle up darlings! And hopefully I did him justice)

Warnings: a bit angst I think, but major fluff at the end, and Bill being a cute little thang as always (I adore him and his awkwardness)

You scoffed as you watched Bill warm up his gelders, but you couldn’t help the smirk that pulled on your lips “are you really gonna torture the poor boy?” Bil shrugged, an amused grin on his face that you found adorable “if it’ll make him talk, then it’ll make him talk” you rolled your eyes playfully at his statement, following him back to Dutch, Arthur and the poor boy tied to a tree, his pants down around his ankles, and when he saw you come over as well he turned bright red. “D-Does s-she have to watch? Please I don’t know nothing!” you couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor guy, but then you reminded yourself that he was an O’Driscoll, he didn’t exactly deserve any kind of sympathy.

“Ain’t nothing you got I ain’t seen before kid” you scoffed, and when he realized that you weren’t leaving and you weren’t stopping them he only grew more scared, screaming and yelping out what you’d all been listening to for weeks now. “Dutch he’s really givin’ me a headache” you complained and Bill smirked at you “want me to fix it?” you smiled at him “yes please” Bill laughed and brought his heated gelders closer to the poor boy and he finally snapped “okay!! I know where O’Driscoll’s at, a place called Six Point Cabin! I can show you! Just p-please put those away!” Dutch nodded to Bill who put them away, though not in good spirit “aw don’t worry dear, maybe you can geld him some other time” you whispered, causing Bill’s ears to go bright red as he blushed, glancing at you “well here’s to hopin’” you smiled at him.

When Arthur called Bill to ride with him, along with John and the O’Driscoll, you quickly caught up to Bill, catching his wrist “I don’t like it… the O’Driscoll I mean” you whispered low, making Bill scoff “what, think I can’t take care of myself?” he got rather defensive, making you sigh “that ain’t what I’m sayin’, I’m just trying to tell you to-”

“I know how to stay safe, woman! Ain’t gotta be lectured about it from you!” he snapped, making sure his saddle was ready, he didn’t even look at you “Bill Williamson don’t you dare talk to me like that! I’m only saying this because I love you, you idiot! But you’re too busy defending yourself from nothin’ to realise that! I’m asking you to be careful out there cause I want you back in one piece, so help me God! I’m an even bigger idiot than you, but at least I’m aware of it!” you snapped, turning on your heel and walking far out of his sight, leaving a shocked Bill standing frozen by his horse. It wasn’t until Arthur spoke to him that he snapped out of it, seeing both John, Arthur and the O’Driscoll looking at him, making him get flustered “damn woman” he said out loud, though he didn’t really mean it, as he saddled up, going with Arthur.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You looked to Abigail as she nudged you, Abigail nodding towards the entry to camp, and you followed her look, seeing none other than Bill Williamson with John and the O’Driscoll, but as soon as John and Kieran was dropped off, he rode off again, and you bit your lip, looking down at the washboard in thought. Once again brought back to reality by Abigail, you sighed “I-... maybe I was too hard on him over nothing…” you mumbled, but you knew she heard you, she shook her head “no, you needed to get that off of ya chest, you love him, and you know I know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love me back…” she glanced at John and you felt a pang of guilt “I’m sorry, Abigail, at least Bill is with me… John-”

“John is… John, but I know where I stand with him at least, I love him and he doesn’t love me, but he’s still the father of my son. With you and Bill it’s… complicated. You’re together but not an item, it’s confusing, you know?” you sighed at her words, nodding your head slightly, “maybe it was too soon? Sayin’ that I love him, you know?” Abigail shrugged “do you?” you nodded in response, still looking at the washboard in silence “then it wasn't anything but right” she concluded before going back to her chore, making you think for a bit before doing the same.

It had been an hour or so since Bill rode off again, and a part of you worried, and another part of you tried to act indifferent, though that was not going to happen anytime soon. Every time you heard the sound of galloping hooves you turned your head in the direction, hoping it would be him, but it was just Arthur returning, or Charles with a dead deer on his horse. But finally you heard another set of hooves, turning your head to see the familiar horse of Brown Jack and it’s familiar owner on top, Bill Williamson, with a package on his horse. You looked away as he saddled down, hitching Brown Jack and taking the package, you missed the way he scanned the camp, his eyes scanning for you and the quick smile, which faded even quicker, once he saw you, sitting by the girls’ tent, stitching an old shirt that he recognized to be one of his own, his chest filling with warmth at the sight of you stitching up his old shirt.

He approached, thankful that you were alone before clearing his throat, the package, although rather large and not very well hidden, behind his back. You turned to look up at him, narrowing your eyes at him as he had a nervous look to him “if you’re about to tell me somethin’ then just tell me, Bill, I’m not exactly in a good mood today” you mumbled the last part, looking back down you missed the way his look softened and he looked almost guilty “well erhm… I uh-... good thing I got you this then” he showed you the package, making you study it in both curiosity and confusion, he had never brought you any gift, at least not anything else besides a wild flower or two when no one was around to see it, and usually he left before you could even say thank you, so to say that this was a new thing was an understatement “what is it?” he shuffled his feet awkwardly “well… open it up and see” he mumbled, handing you the package and sat down on a box next to you, trying to hide his excitement as you put the old shirt away and began to slowly open the packaging “I uh, felt bad about, you know… so yeah” he muttered awkwardly, clearly an indicator that he thought you took too long to open it, so you sped up a bit.

Pushing the wrapping paper aside, you saw a skirt in your favorite color, it had small patterns of flowers, big and small, woven into it with a black thread. Picking up the skirt, you saw a blouse underneath, pulling that on top to study it as well, it was white, and matched perfectly with the skirt, which was an indicator that Bill himself had not picked it out, the poor guy had no sense of fashion for men, let alone women. You let your hand run across the fabric, a smile making it’s way onto your lips as you looked back at him, pure joy in your eyes. “I-Is it alright? T-the woman at the store said that it would fit, at least I think so…” you scoffed, making him look at you like you had rejected him, but it was only until you chuckled low, now grinning at him “it’s beautiful! Thank you, Bill, I love it” you leaned over and pecked his cheek, causing him to blush like crazy, his ears turning to a whole other shade of red than you had ever seen before “I-I-... well I’m glad you like it a-and I’m sorry, about before” you giggled slightly “it’s alright Bill, you already apolo-”

“No not that… for not sayin’ it back, you know?... c-cause I do, a-a-and when I was in the army I-I remember fellas talkin’ about finding a wife and such when they got outta the army, and a lot joined the army again which I don’t get, but-... what I’m tryin’ to say is that was never me, I ain’t never thought I’d find me a woman, not in the way they were sayin’, marriage and stuff, a-and I still ain’t sure… but-... I-... damn it I ain’t good at talking!” he grew frustrated in the end, huffing annoyed which only made you hide your giggle, though he still heard it and glared slightly at you “I think I understand what you’re sayin’, Bill” you put one of your hands over his, giving it a gentle squeeze, all of his frustration leaving him when he saw the sweet look on your face, now his face was flushed for different reasons, and no longer out of frustration.

“I-.. I really do-... you know… a-and I-I know I ain’t much of a-a-a poet or a romantic but-... I will-... and I just... you know?” you smiled and nodded at him, earning you a relieved huff from the big, tough, army man. You leaned over and pressed a more meaningful peck to his cheek, feeling how hot his cheeks were under his beard, thanks to being so flushed. You looked back at the skirt and blouse, grinning and getting up, Bill looking confused “where are ya goin’?” you shrugged “I want to try out my new clothes” you giggled as he once again flushed. You went into the bushes and changed, coming back out with the new clothes on and the old in your arms, you put your old clothes down on your bedroll, watching as Bill got up, grinning like an idiot as he studied your figure and how the clothes look on you, something that made you blush this time, not him. Bill approached you and carefully, almost afraid of rejection, but his hands on your waist, looking down at you “you look real beautiful” he blushed at his own comment, making you giggle “thank you, Bill” you rested your arms on his shoulders, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, when you drew back you saw his eyes were closed, and you decided to kiss him again, only this time he kissed you back, and you couldn’t help but smile into the kiss. “I love you, you damned idiot” you mumbled into the kiss, feeling him smile slightly in return “I love you too, darlin’”. You loved the way he held you, the way he kissed you, the way his beard tickled your skin and lips, how he tasted slightly of whiskey, how he smelt of gunpowder, liquor and something uniquely him, but most of all you loved Bill Williamson, and you’d be damned if you ever let him go.

[wittykitty21]

Falling Together

//Shanexfarmer HarveyxFarmer Sebastianxfarmer??

TW !! Talk of self harm, suicide, drinking, abuse, death!!

Chapter Two; Warm and Cold Welcomes

As I walked into the Stardrop Saloon, Emily immediately ran over and hugged me. 

“You’re here!! You’re really back! I knew it was you the second I felt your energy hit the earth here.” She beamed. I hugged her back, I felt so accepted and warm here. She began introducing me to everyone, including a hot lean alternative guy with black swooped over hair, grey eyes and dressed all up in black along with a girl with purple hair and dressed in a black shirt with a frog printed on it. I assumed he was Robin’s son she had previously told me about. 

“Heyyyyy Guns n Roses, nice taste. I’m Sebastian and this is Abigail. Abigail smiled and  waved a little shyly  at me. Sebastian continued,“ Sure mom’s told you about me. What’s your name?” he looked flirtatious towards me, but before I could tell him, a flash of blonde hair ran over to me and i was immediately lifted at least two feet off the ground into a hug. 

“EVIEEEEE!!!!! I can’t believe its you!! We have so much catching up to do since we last made mud pies together. ” He smiled and put me back down. Me being slightly startled from his energetic golden retriever personality. Sebastian was laughing at the startled expression I had. 

“Awww Sam, missed me pushing you over and you crying when I beat you in video games? “ I smirked. 

“You know it! I’ve gotten pretty good over the years, you owe me unlimited rematches. And - Hey, I don’t think you’ll be able to push me over anymore, short stack. “ Sam was around 6′0 ft, and I had stayed at a measly 5′3 and a HALF since I was 13. I was happy Sam was the same overly optimistic ray of sunshine he had been since a kid. 

“Jeezzzz Sam give her some breathing room. Sorry about him, he’s always like this” Abigail chuckled. 

Sebastian slid back into the conversation, “So, Evie, is that your real name or is that your nickname?”

“Oh, yeah. I just go by Evie. My full name is Evangeline Eliza Jones-Destriu. I hate how long my name is.... and the fact my parents chose to hyphenate my last name.”  I smiled weakly. 

“Well a cute name to match a super cute girl with awesome fashion sense! “, exclaimed Abigail. “You have to show me where you get your clothes from.”

“As long as you show me where you got that frog shirt from, frogs are like one of my favorite animals.” I said excitedly.

After playing a little bit of pool with my new friend group, everyone else from the town started pouring in. I went up to Marnie, who was talking to Lewis. As I approached she immediately recognized me and hugged me. 

“Evangeline!!!! Oh my goodness. You’ve become quite the beautiful young woman. You look so much like your grandpa. I’m sure hes so proud of you for taking over the farm. I’ll be here to help you as much as you need getting started. When Shane gets here you should say hello to him.”

“Shane? “ I squinted a little, confused. 

“My nephew, you two were best friends whenever you spent the summers here.” she said a little worried. She noticed the bruise too, I tried to hide it behind my hair but I was starting to think it was inevitable. 

“I’m sorry Marnie, I have memory problems. I’ll talk to you more about it in private when we catch up, but if you point him out to me I’m sure I’ll remember his face. I’m just not good with names. “

Marnie seemed a little sad that I hinted at the fact life hadn’t been very easy for me. “He’ll be here in a bit, he’s almost always at the saloon after work. He’s usually over there near the fireplace and bar. If you want you can come over for dinner on Sunday, I’m sure you havent had a good home cooked meal in a while since living in the city.”

I smiled widely “I’d absolutely love that. I was just telling Lewis today about how much I missed your cooking.”

As I said that, a man in a tattered up hoodie, dark black-purple hair, who was quite broad shouldered and had a dad body walked inside the saloon. He looked void of emotion and tired. Emily wasn’t phased by this, she smiled and treated him like everyone else in the warm happy way she did. He looked almost angry at her for her being nice to him. That’s when Marnie said “Well there he is, that’s my Shane.” 

Maybe he just had a bad day, I thought. I thought about getting him something to eat to maybe cheer him up a bit. After all, I knew all about having bad days. So I walked over to Emily, and he peeked up at me, seeming annoyed. This built up anxiety in me, but my therapist said I needed to overcome my fear of upsetting people after all I’d been through. So I asked Emily, 

“Hey what’s Shane’s favorite food?”

“Oh, he loves pepper poppers. Um.... Evie, hes a little..... rough around the edges.” she smiled “but he has a good heart. He has a goddaughter named Jas, and he took her in.”

I nodded, and she handed me a plate of the spicy food. I walked over cautiously to him, he smelled like beer and whiskey. I slid the food beside him and he looked up at me kind of dazed, probably from the alcohol.

“Hey, I’m new in town, I don’t know if you remember me but I’m-”

“What the fuck do you want? I don’t fucking know you, so piss off and leave me alone.” He spat at me and didn’t even look me in the eyes. I stood back shocked, feeling tears well up. Emily went pale, Marnie, Sam and Sebastian saw the look of hurt on my face. I immediately turned around and went back to Emily. 

“Hey you okay? I’m sorry, he’s not normally that harsh. Here,” She said as she handed me a bottle of wine. “its on the house. I should’ve told you he’s uh, an angry person.”

I couldn’t speak, the feeling of panic and tears welled up in my throat and I knew it was visible on my face. I just looked at her and nodded. “I’ll be alright, thanks Emily. I just wasn’t expecting that. I’m gonna head home.” 

I took the wine and Marnie tried to stop me and talk to me, she saw the tears starting to come down and gave me a quick hug. As I turned to leave I felt like i was being watched, and I locked eyes with him. A sudden wash of recognition and regret hit his face. He saw he made me cry and i knew now he knew who I was. He put down his beer and looked like he was about to walk over. I almost ran out the door, and started sprinting towards the forest with the wine in hand. As soon as I knew I was out of earshot, I broke down. I looked for the pond my grandfather used to take me to when I was sad. 

---Back at the Saloon while Evie is in the woods, Shane POV--

Marnie walked over to Shane. “What has gotten into you? You grew up with that girl!!!! You made her cry after she wsa just trying to be nice to you.”

“I-I didn’t recognize who she was until she left. I’m going to find her and apologize, I’m sorry Marnie. I’m just--” he sighed. God. I always fuck up. He thought.

Marnie patted him on the shoulder “I know Shane. Just-- try to remember you’re not the only one who’s been through a lot. Okay?”

He nodded and left the Saloon to find and apologize to Evie. 

--Back to Evie in the woods, Shane POV--

I sat down at the edge of the pier and downed the entire bottle of wine. I hadn’t imagined something so small would make me relapse. The alcohol made me feel warm so i took off my long sleeve shirt and kept on my large band tee. The bandages and stitches itched with my mistakes. So I took them off. They probably needed a little air anyways. The vertical cuts that were held together with thread still looked pretty bad and they bled a little as I unraveled the wrapping, but they were at least mostly closed up with scabs. Around the wounds were bruises from Daniel, my ex -fiance. I could still see the finger marks were he had grabbed me on my arm. I cried somewhat loudly and just laid and looked up at the stars for a while. I started feeling dizzy, and tired. And the comforting numbness washed over me as everything faded into darkness. I thought I heard someone walking towards me but I didn’t care. They could kill me and I’d die happy right there. 

--Shane’s POV finding Evie--

I knew where she was going, the same place she went when she snuck out of her gradfathers when she missed her dad. I heard loud crying, like someone was in pain. It had to be her, I was already tipsy and quickened my pace towards the loud cries. Suddenly it stopped. Oh Yoba. Oh no. Why did it stop? 

I didn’t want to frighten her, so I tried to walk a little loudly. I saw a figure laid out on the pier, close to the edge of the side, she was about to roll off into the pond. “Evie? Hey.”

No response. Oh fuck. As i got closer I saw the empty wine bottle, and i felt a pang of guilt and worry. 

Wait. What the hell? I turned on my phones light and shined it on her, she passed out from drinking. But- what was...... 

I saw cuts on both her wrists that were obviously a previous suicide attempt, they were stitched together, but she also had dark bruises of all colors on her arms, and she had cried off her makeup, revealing a darkened eye as well.

I felt like I had just walked in on a crime scene. I never thought I’d meet someone more messed up than me, much less a childhood friend. What the hell happened to her? I tried shaking her awake and calling her name but she didn’t wake up. More panic and anxiety came over me. I picked her up gingerly in my arms to bring her to the clinic, she was so small and soft. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla. Shane studied her features. She had the same freckles, same button nose, same long eyelashes and dark hair as he remembered her having as she had when they were little. She was gorgeous too. How could anyone hurt such a beautiful fragile girl? What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I thinking this way? Get a grip Shane. 

I called Harvey, “Hello?” A groggy mans voice answered. 

“Hey uh Harvey, the new farmer girl, she’s actually a childhood friend of mine. I found her passed out drunk on a pier and she looks like she’s already been in bad shape. I can’t wake her up, I’m bringing her as we speak. She already has stitches and-- She’s just in a really bad way.” Shane’s voice quaked a bit at the end of his sentence.

“Okay, oh Yoba, thats not good. Hurry here as fast as you can okay? I’ll get things ready for her so I can immediately work on her. Is she breathing? “ The words Harvey said made me panic more. Fuck. I didn’t even check to see if she was fucking breathing. I looked down and she was breathing gently and normally.

“Yeah she is, I think she’s just really drunk. I’m not sure.” I said back.

I carried her in, set her down on the hospital bed. Holy fuck. I hadn’t noticed how bad she really was hurt. She hid all of it with clothes and her long hair. She looked like she had been beaten over and over again over the past month. Even her eye and jaw had small bruises that had healed. Who did this to her? Then I saw the cuts. They were worse in the florescent lighting. Those were definitely on purpose. 

Harvey looked pale at the sight of her. “Okay, here, see if she has any emergency contacts on her phone. I’m going to get fluids into her. Aside from that, looks like all of this was from previous incidents.” and he closed the curtain leaving shane in the little area next to the room. She didn’t have but a few contacts saved. One of them was Daniel, as I selected his contact I noticed the number had been blocked. The picture of him was a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes, the athletic type. Looked like a general douchebag. A text came in from a random number.

“What the fuck? You think you can just run away from me? Restraining order is just a piece of paper. I’ll find you. I know you’re probably shacked up with some scumbag, you whore. Not even your father wanted you, your mom died and its your fault. You’ll never find anyone better than me.” It read. That had to be him. The whiskey helped fill me with rage, I typed the number into my phone and left to the lobby to call it. 

It rang a couple of times before a condescending voice answered,

“Come crawling back already psycho? You should’ve done a better job at trying to off yourself bitc-”

I cut him off, “Don’t contact her ever again. Or I’ll fucking kill you.” I hung up. And blocked the number. Why was I doing this? She was practically a stranger to me now.

I shook my head and left her phone with Harvey. I needed to sleep. I’d have Marnie call Harvey tomorrow to check on her. I looked at her one last time before I left, I remembered we’d have sleep overs, and she still slept curled up on her side. 

I went home and told Marnie, she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Shane. I should’ve told you. Her father deserted her, he mother fell into drinking and killed herself. Evie found her when she was 18. Her grandfather died the same year. She has no one. I don’t know why she has bruises, but I suspect thats why she came here so far away from the city. Please be kind to her. ” She looked worried. 

“I-I...... yoba. I had no idea. She hadn’t-” I said then Marnie interuppted me.

“She didn’t come here probably because I wanted to run away from whoever hurt her that bad.”

I hardly slept that night, I got up for work in the morning and looked at the clinic on my way. 

I’m so sorry Evie. I need a fucking drink. 

[anamelessfacelessnerd]

Not me rewriting the ending to Mizumono only to have a much better idea halfway through so as soon as I finished the first one I started on the second

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Hannibal (TV)

Relationship: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter

Characters: Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter, Abigail Hobbs

Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Episode: s02e13 Mizumono, Smut, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Mild Blood, Rough Sex, Coming Untouched, Not Beta Read, Dark Will Graham

Language: English

Summary: “I need him to know.” Will looked into Hannibal’s eyes then, searching for the desperation he could hear in his words. “If I confessed to Jack Crawford now, you think he would forgive me?”

“I would forgive you.” It’s clear that Hannibal’s not talking about the murder, but the betrayal. He would still forgive Will for conspiring against him. “If Jack were to tell you all is forgiven, Will, would you accept his forgiveness?” The double meaning is apparent. Hannibal was asking Will if he would go with him knowing that Hannibal would forgive him. It’s an invitation. One that Will wasn’t sure he wanted to decline.

“Jack isn't offering forgiveness.” Hannibal wanted to say “I am”, but he didn't. “He wants justice. He wants to see you. See who you are. See who I've become. Know the truth.” Will takes another sip of his wine and Hannibal accepts his defeat. He really hadn’t wanted to hurt Will, but it seemed that it would be the only option.

“Still, I suppose we don’t owe Jack that do we?” Will spoke again.

Notes: Okay, I know I rewrote the ending of Mizumono yesterday, but I had this idea while I wrote it and I couldn't help myself.

“Do you know what an imago is, Will?” Hannibal asked.

“It's a flying insect,” Will replied.

“It's the final stage of a transformation. Maturity.”

“When you become who you will be,” Will said, catching on to the point Hannibal was making.

“It's also a term from the dead religion of psychoanalysis. An imago is an image of a loved one buried in the unconscious, carried with us all our lives.”

“An ideal.”

“The concept of an ideal always searching for an objective reality to match. I have a concept of you just as you have a concept of me.”

“Neither of us are ideal,” Will says after taking a long drink of his wine. Hannibal considered what Will had just said for a moment. He had nearly trusted an ideal. He thought that Will would leave with him until he smelled Freddie Lounds on him. Perhaps Will was right, neither of them were ideal.

“We are both too curious about too many things for any ideals.” Hannibal paused a moment, feeling a twinge of hesitation for what he was about to ask. It was completely out of character for Hannibal to grovel, but in recent weeks he had grown accustomed to the idea of running away with Will, and he wasn’t quite ready to give the fantasy up. “Is it ideal that Jack die?”

Will matched Hannibal’s pause. Most would not even notice the hesitation, but Hannibal did.

“It's necessary. What happens to Jack has been preordained.” Will’s voice was cold, free from any emotion. In any other circumstance Hannibal would be proud of how well he schooled his expression, but now it just frustrated him.

“We could disappear now. Tonight. Feed your dogs. Leave a note for Dr. Bloom, never see her or Jack Crawford again. Almost polite,” Hannibal was nearly begging now and Will knew it. Their eyes locked and at once Will understood. Hannibal knew and he was willing to forgive.

“That'd make this our last supper,” Will said, considering Hannibal’s offer. Now, just days away from the sting that he and Jack had planned, Will still wasn’t sure whose side he was really on. Part of him wanted to be good, he wanted to atone for his sins and clear his name for good, because even though he had been acquitted, there were still those who believed he had actually killed all those people.

The other part of him wanted to become what everyone thought him to be. Though he hated to admit it, he had felt a thrill as he killed and mutilated Randall Tier. Even worse was that now thinking about that feeling didn’t make him feel guilty or sick, only enhanced the adrenaline.

If he was being completely honest, half of the thrill was seeing how Hannibal looked at him when he knew what Will had done. The subtle adoration and pride that he was no doubt allowing Will to see. Hannibal’s gaze made Will feel things, things that he had never felt with anyone before, and he wanted to chase that feeling.

“Of this life. I am serving lamb.”

“Sacrificial? Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Will snorted.

“I freely claim my sin. I don't need a sacrifice. Do you?”

“I need him to know.” Will looked into Hannibal’s eyes then, searching for the desperation he could hear in his words. “If I confessed to Jack Crawford now, you think he would forgive me?”

“I would forgive you.” It’s clear that Hannibal’s not talking about the murder, but the betrayal. He would still forgive Will for conspiring against him. “If Jack were to tell you all is forgiven, Will, would you accept his forgiveness?” The double meaning was apparent. Hannibal was asking Will if he would go with him knowing that Hannibal would forgive him. It’s an invitation. One that Will wasn’t sure he wanted to decline.

“Jack isn't offering forgiveness.” Hannibal wanted to say “I am”, but he didn't. “He wants justice. He wants to see you. See who you are. See who I've become. Know the truth.” Will takes another sip of his wine and Hannibal accepts his defeat. He really hadn’t wanted to hurt Will, but it seemed that it would be the only option.

“Still, I suppose we don’t owe Jack that do we?” Will spoke again. Hannibal perked up almost imperceptibly.

“Perhaps a note will be sufficient. I didn’t want to leave the dogs alone, but they’ll be fine for a while. Knowing Jack he’ll send a cruiser to my place within an hour after I don’t show up in the morning.”

“Let us prepare then. I would like to be out of the country before Jack realizes that you are no longer his man on the inside.” Hannibal stood and began gathering plates to bring to the kitchen because of course he would want to leave the house spotless. Will helped him with the dishes and wiping everything down. They caught eyes several times, both revving with the anticipation of what was to come. Will considered apologizing for his conspiracy, but when he looked into Hannibal’s eyes he knew he was already forgiven.

It was a little intoxicating to know that he had this kind of control over hannibal. To know that he made Hannibal beg. He wondered how else he could compel him to beg. That was, once they stopped dancing around the physical aspect of their relationship and finally just fucked like they both wanted to.

Once they were finished they retired to the study to write a note. Hannibal wandered around, collecting particular books and knick knacks that he wanted to bring while Will drafted a note. After much thinking and many balled up pieces of paper, Will finally got it right. When he finished, he handed it to Hannibal to read.

“This will do nicely,” Hannibal said. He slipped the letter into an envelope and sealed it with blood red wax and a stamp that bore his initials.

Will watched as the wax dripped. The flow of the thick liquid was giving him all sorts of dirty thoughts. Thoughts of Hannibal pouring that warm liquid all over his body. Thoughts of being covered in other kinds of red liquid. Will had to take a deep breath to steady himself and bring some blood back up to his head.

When the wax had dried, Hannibal handed the letter to Will, fingers brushing against Will’s skin tenderly.

“I have a surprise for you,” Hannibal said, hand coming to grip Will’s wrist.

“Oh?” Will replied.

“Come with me.” Hannibal led Will upstairs, never letting go of his wrist. Will had only been to the upper floor of Hannibal’s house a few times, and never in the dark, so he didn’t really know where they were going. He had two ideas, one much more enticing than the other, but both equally likely.

As it turned out, neither of his assumptions were correct. Hannibal led him to a closed door at the end of the hallway and knocked.

“May we come in?” He asked. Will didn’t even have time to question who was in there before the door was being opened from the inside. Standing in the doorway was none other than Abigail Hobbs.

“Hi Will,” She said, a small smile playing on her chapped lips.

“Abigail?” Will asked, voice barely audible. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Had Hannibal drugged him? Was he hallucinating?

“How are you here? You’re dead,” Will said.

“Not dead, just misplaced,” Hannibal replied, “they never found a body, well, not a whole body at least. It was merely a charade.”

Abigail tucked her hair back to show Will the flesh where her ear had been. It was healed over by now, but it still brought a wave of bile up in Will’s throat.

“You’ve been here this whole time?” Will asked, choking down the anger that was building in him. There was no sense getting angry now, especially when he was teetering on the edge of a new beginning.

“I’m sorry,” Abigail said, tears welling in her eyes.

“I forgive you,” Will said. Abigail took two big steps forward and wrapped her arms around Will’s middle, burying her tears in his shirt. He brought a hand to her hair and stroked, both soothing her and assuring himself that she was really there and really alive.

“Thank you,” Will whispered to Hannibal. He wasn’t sure what he was thanking him for. Maybe for keeping Abigail alive, maybe for bringing him to her, maybe just because he didn’t know what else to say.

Hannibal’s hand came to rest between Will’s shoulder blades, fingertips shooting electricity down his spine.

“I do not wish to rush you two, but we must be going,” Hannibal said, “there is still much for us to do and little time to do it.”

Abigail pulled back from Will and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, sniffling a few times.

“Will, would you care to help me pack?” Hannibal asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Will cast one last glance at Abigail before following Hannibal to his bedroom.

“Everything in that top drawer must come,” Hannibal said as he set a large suitcase on the bed. Will began transferring the carefully folded garments from the dresser to the suitcase while Hannibal sorted through his suits to find the ones he liked best.

Will and Hannibal's hands brushed for what felt like the 500th time that night as they both attempted to place clothing in the suitcase at the same time. Their eyes met and there was a moment of contemplation before they pounced.

Will dragged Hannibal to the floor and straddled him, hands balling up around fistfulls of Hannibal’s jacket as he pressed their lips together. Hannibal kissed back with equal fervour, hands sliding back to cup Will’s ass. Will moaned into the kiss and rutted his hips against Hannibals. Hannibal bit Will’s lip, not stopping until he drew blood.

They broke away, panting and breathing each other in. Hannibal brought one hand to Will’s cheek and stroked, the pad of his thumb brushing over Will’s parted lips. Will sucked the digit into his mouth, tongue lapping at the sensitive skin.

Will ground his hips down, ass rubbing against Hannibal’s rapidly hardening cock. The older man stared up at him in wonder, lips parted and eyes blown wide. He withdrew his hand, swiping his thumb along the bleeding cut on Will’s lip until the skin was stained red. Then he brought it to his own mouth, his eyes rolling back as he savored the metallic taste of his lover’s blood.

“You taste divine Will,” Hannibal said, deep voice sending tremors through Will’s body. That was it, that was the breaking point for Will.

“Take your fucking clothes off,” He demanded as he scrambled off of Hannibal to remove his own clothes.

“Such crass language,” Hannibal scolded, clicking his tongue disapprovingly, “whatever should I do about that?”

Hannibal was trying his best to regain some of the power he had lost in this exchange. Will would let him believe that he did, if only to sate his ego, but Will knew deep down that he was in control. He had known since before Hannibal had pleaded with him that he was in control here. Hannibal had several layers to his persona. The first was the polite, yet slightly eccentric doctor who loved good food and opera, behind that was the calculating psychopath cold, and emotionless. His true personality was hidden deep within himself, but Will was able to see it, after all, he had not yet met a person he couldn’t read.

The person that Hannibal truly was was driven by his emotions. Anger and hurt bubbled under his skin, suppressed by years of burying everything akin to a feeling deep below the surface. He was intensely narcissistic and hedonistic. Everything he did was to fulfill his desires. He ate to satiate his hunger, he killed to assuage a compulsion. He acted solely in his own self interests, and right now Will was his interest. That gave Will ultimate power over Hannibal. He wanted Will in every sense of the word, and would do nearly everything to have him.

Perhaps what solidified Will’s control was the fact that he was aware of this while Hannibal wasn’t. Hannibal had spent so much effort repressing feelings that he genuinely believed that they were never there in the first place. Will knew about Hannibal’s nature, not from the beginning, no he was fooled like everyone else at first, but certainly longer than he let on. He only raised the issue with Jack when he was in danger.

Will put on the facade of being overly emotional, of being unstable, but deep down he was something different entirely. That’s why he was so good at “faking” the coldness he showed with Hannibal, it was never fake, the emotions were fake, and Hannibal was none the wiser. This was Will’s game and Hannibal was barely aware he was playing.

“Will?” Hannibal asked, pulling Will from his thoughts. He kneeled in front of him, now fully nude, his erection jutting out proudly from a bed of well trimmed blonde curls.

“Fuck me,” Will insisted, trying to pass his momentary spacyness off as fascination with the admittedly impressive cock that hung between Hannibal’s legs.

“As you wish.” Yes, as Will wishes. Hannibal will do exactly as Will wishes.

Will doesn’t wait for any more negotiations. He turns around and sinks to his elbows, thighs spread wide to accommodate Hannibal. He heard the older man’s breath catch as Will displayed himself.

“Oh Will, you truly are exquisite. Beauty incarnate.” Hannibal mused. Will watched between his legs as Hannibal reached into the bedside table for a bottle of lube. Hannibal poured the lube onto his fingers, then pressed them to Will’s hole, tracing the rim to get it nice and wet.

Will buried his face in his crossed arms to stifle a moan. The last thing he needed was for Hannibal to know exactly how sensitive he actually was and to exploit that fact. They didn’t have much time and Will was really just looking to be fucked.

Finally, one finger breached Will. It slid in with little resistance and Hannibal added a second. His thumb came to press against Will’s perineum as he scissored his fingers. Will let out a choked sob when Hannibal’s other hand tangled in his hair and pulled his head up sharply.

“I want to hear you Will. I want to hear exactly how much you like this.”

“God, just fuck me already Hannibal,” Will begged, “I’m ready, just get in me.”

Hannibal withdrew his fingers at once. Will didn’t even have a chance to get a word out before Hannibal was pressing his cock inside.

“There you go sweet boy, taking my cock so well, like you were made for it. Like you were born to take me.”

Will had never heard Hannibal speak so lewdly before, but he liked it more than he would ever care to admit. Not that he even could right now with Hannibal thrusting into him with punishing force, hitting his prostate every time.

Hannibal still had one hand in Will’s hair. The other was gripping his hip so tight he would undoubtedly have finger shaped bruises in the morning. He brought his lips down to Will’s shoulder, placing a few gentle kisses there, and that would simply not do. Will needed him to be rough, he needed to be fucked hard.

“Harder,” Will grunted, “come on Hannibal, you can do better than that. Do it like I know you want to. Hurt me.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?” Hannibal panted.

“Fuck yes, give it to be Hannibal, fucking ruin me.”

Hannibal complied immediately, using all of the force he could to pound into Will like he was trying to split him clean in half. He bit down hard on Will’s shoulder, just short of drawing blood.

Will rocked back to meet every thrust, letting out a litany of pathetic noises that he probably should have been embarrassed about. Hannibal was groaning now too, grunting like a beast in Will’s ear as he shoved in impossibly deeper.

Will’s orgasm was so sudden, he didn’t even feel it coming. In an instant his body went rigid as white hot pleasure coiled in his abdomen and he came completely untouched.

After coming for what felt like hours, he dropped to the floor, thighs shaking too hard to support himself any longer.

Once he had caught his breath, Will rolled over onto his back and spread his legs.

“Keep going,” he told Hannibal, “I want you to use me to make yourself come.”

Hannibal didn’t need to be told twice before sliding back into Will. He hoisted the younger man’s knees up over his shoulders to get a better angle as he slammed in over and over again.

At last, Hannibal gave a final hard thrust and spilled inside Will, coating his insides with his seed. He pulled out and laid on the floor next to him, breathing hard and trembling.

“I would have run away with you a long time ago if I had known that was in store for me,” Will panted, struggling to sit up.

“If I saw you every day, forever, Will, I would remember this time,” Hannibal said, reaching over to brush a lock of curly hair behind his ear.

Will smiled and kissed Hannibal again. It was softer this time, full of much more affection, especially on Hannibal’s behalf.

“I would sit here with you for eternity Will, but I fear that we must leave soon. We would not want to keep Abigail waiting.” Hannibal said when they pulled away.

“Of course, but first will you promise me something?”

“What is it that you desire?”

“Do that again as soon as we get to wherever we’re going.” Hannibal grinned and cupped Will’s cheek.

“I would gladly have you every day, my dear Will.”

Notes: Listen, we all know who's actually in control and this relationship and it's not Hannibal "Simp" Lecter.

[reddeadredeputy]

Ghosts (JavierxReader)- part 1 1/2

Little follow-up to this fic I wrote a while back

Thank you to @boiledhotdogwater​ for inspiring me to keep adding to this one

Also I’m calling it part 1 and a half because this is really really short and there’s still more to this little story! I hope you guys enjoy my writing.

He brought you to the old saloon out in Rhodes. You didn’t speak much, choosing instead to keep quiet and gather up your remaining dignity. The two of you rode into town wordlessly. He was kind to you, though. Understanding, gentle… he was the same, if not a little less rough around the edges. It’s funny what domestic life could do to a man like him. He was still the same dirty old John Marston with his scarred up, rough face and unkempt hair. All the same, but still different. You had imagined you’d find him differently. It didn’t feel right for him to have found you the way he did. It should have gone differently. Maybe you would have gotten around to visiting him at his new home with Jack and Abigail and had a nice, normal reunion with all three of them. Jack must’ve almost been all grown up by now… 

There was silence between the two of you, even as you sat at the bar. You two were almost the only ones there, save for an old man who’d had too much to drink and the watchful bartender. It was John who broke the silence, finally.

“You know, the way Mary-Beth talked about you, I didn’t think you were doing… that badly.” And there it was. John’s undoubtedly brilliant way with words… 

“I wasn’t.” You snapped rather quickly, rushing to your own defense. “You just caught me at a bad time… I hadn’t thought about any of this for… for years.” Quickly, you tilted your glass back and finished the rest of your drink, slamming the glass back onto the counter in your closed fist. “I’ve been doing pretty well for myself, Marston.” 

“Is that so?” He hummed thoughtfully. 

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here.” you said, waving down the bartender for another glass. A skillful attempt at changing the subject. John leaned against the counter with a shrug. He swirled the golden drink around in the glass thoughtfully. 

“I was in town.” 

“Where?” You scoffed. “You came to Rhodes alone on vacation? Right at the old campsite? Doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence.”

“Just lucky, I guess.” he muttered into the rim of the glass, taking a sip.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you’re looking for us.” the bartender gave you a nod as he slid your glass towards your hand. You caught it and quickly took another drink. “Forgive my hostility, but you’ve never seemed like the type.” John sighed, his eyes not leaving the table.

“Guess there’s some truth to that, isn’t there?” 

You stiffened visibly, clutching the glass, putting two and two together. He was hunting you down, wasn’t he? Not just you, but all of the Van der Linde gang. What other explanation could there be? The dodging of the questions, the secrecy-

“Am I about to be led away in chains for my crimes, then, John?” 

“What? No, ‘course not. I’m only lookin’ for Dutch and Bill and Javier.” 

You gave him a cold, startled stare. It was the first confirmation you’d had in years that he was alive, and yet it brought you no joy. Just a cold, sick feeling. 

“I don’t want any part in this.” You gathered yourself, standing up and walking to the front doors. “It was nice seeing you, John. Let’s not do this again.” You hurried away, leaving poor John behind. 

“(Y/N), listen!” John shouted after you, but to no avail. You stormed outside, the saloon doors swinging behind you. With a frustrated huff, John tipped his hat to the bartender, dropping his money next to the glasses and hurrying outside. He grabbed your arm as you made your way down the stairs, stopping you. “They’ve got Abigail and Jack. I gotta bring them Dutch and the others or they won’t let ‘em go.” You jerked your arm away from him, and John backed away respectfully, raising his hands in surrender. “Listen...I don’t care much for him anymore. For Javier, I mean. But you? You were family to us. Thought you should know.” you turned away from him, your mind reeling. “I know what he meant to you, (Y/N).” You turned back around with a fierce, fiery anger in your eyes. 

“Yes, John. Meant. Meant as in past tense. I burned what I had left of him for a reason. I’ve spent years keeping him and all of this out of my mind! Did it occur to you that maybe I didn’t want to care anymore?! That maybe I’d be better off not knowing?!” With every word, your voice became louder and angrier until you were practically spitting on the front steps of the saloon. John stood frozen for a moment before shaking his head slowly. 

“That didn’t… that didn’t occur to me, I’m sorry.” he fumbled with his words for a bit, unsure of what to say. “But I came to tell you, and I’m gonna tell you anyway. Otherwise I just came all this way just to piss you off-- and that doesn’t sit right with me.” You crossed your arms, regaining your composure. “I have to catch him. For my sake. And when I do I won’t hold back. I will catch him, (Y/N). And I’m gonna hand him over to people who are gonna see him hanged.” You clenched your jaw and stared John in the eyes. You felt your heart catch in your throat, though you did everything in your power to make sure John couldn’t see it for himself. “But, whatever happens after they’ve got him is out of my hands. Seeing as you’re the last person on God’s green earth that gives a damn about that man, it’d be unfortunate if you knew where they were takin’ him… You didn’t hear it from me.” 

The toe of your boot tapped nervously on the wood below your feet. Your eyes darted between buildings as you found yourself looking everywhere else but at John. Your heart pounded in your ears… you felt as though you didn’t have a clue what was going on anymore. How could your life have been going so well, so perfectly, just for all of it to come crashing down again in one night? You stopped tapping your foot. You closed your eyes and when you opened them, you were looking calmly at John again. You’d made up your mind already, hadn’t you?

“I hate him, John.” You said at last, soldiering through your words carefully, making sure not a single one wavered. “I hate him for what he did to all of us. But I don’t want him dead.”