#and he went stomping over to the door (els has run across the room at this point) swings the door open and steps outside

[synchlora]

i think i just found the perfect illustration for why i don't trust/like my dad

[tinyboxxtink]

"....So I Married A Monster" *Chapter 8*

Chapter 7

Chapter 9

OHEMGEEEEE!!! A new chapter!

I appreciate the patience this week/last week guys, It's certainly been-- challenging. And it's not over yet, but I did want to get you a chapter since you all have been so understanding and lovely.

That being said I really am here just to break your heart with some good ol' angsty angst. MWAHAHAHHAAHA.

Enjoy.

I may try and put out another chapter tonight, but we will only be getting to 10 with this one I'm 90% sure so I want them to be good chapters.

Tag List

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@gibbs274

@sassyada

@aprildecker-blog

@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

@omgsuperstarg

@objection-argumentative

@thatesqcrush

@shittanyy

@mrsrafaelbarba

@word-scribbless

@storiesofsvu

@believinghurts

==========

“Sir, I’m going to need you to calm down,” An officer told him.

“No!” William screamed. “That man kidnapped my wife--”

“She’s NOT your wife!” Rafael cut him off. “You can verify that, she’s his ex-wife,”

“How ‘bout I verify my foot up your ass, dickhead?!” Lewis screamed.

“Lovely, Lewis,” Rafael rolled his eyes with a sarcastic laugh.

“You son of a--” Lewis lunged for Rafael but an officer held him back.

“BOTH OF YOU, GET OUT,” The nurse escorted the two men to the waiting room. “Family only!”

“But she’s my--”

“EX” Rafael finished. “And I’m her--”

“BOYFRIEND,” Lewis snarled. “Not HUSBAND,”

“I’m more concerned about the you're blood covered in, Mr.--” A female officer interjected.

“Barba,” Rafael finished.

“It’s my wi--” Lewis started, but saw Rafael’s eyes glaring at him. “Y/N’s blood, my ex wife,”

“And exactly why are you covered in her blood Mr. Barba?” The officer continued to question him.

“Because I--” He began to explain how he had rescued you from that monster.

“BECAUSE HE RAPED HER!!” Lewis screamed again.

“Alright, Mr.--”

“Loomis,” William stuck out his hand. “Billy Loomis,”

“That is BULLSHIT,” Rafael snapped. “His name is William Lewis, look him up,”

“Alright, you come with me, you go with Cooper,” The woman officer instructed her partner to take Lewis the opposite direction.

“Fine with me,” Rafael grumbled as the other cop dragged Lewis away.

“Alright so why don’t you start from the beginning, Mr. Barba,” She pulled out an iPad from her back holster.

“....How far do you mean, officer?” Rafael asked as they sat down in two waiting room chairs.

“Why don’t you call me Sherrie,” She softened her tone with a small smile. Ah, so she was going to play good cop with him.

“How far do you think will help me understand this?” She continued.

“Well,” Rafael rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s complicated,”

“....How so?” Sherrie raised an eyebrow. She had that look on her face; the same one Olivia got when she didn’t believe a word a perp was saying. Great.

“Well first of all, that man is not who he says he is,” He pointed towards where Lewis had been taken. “His name is William Lewis, and he is a wanted rapist and murderer in several states, including New York,”

“Ah, New York,” Sherrie nodded. “Is that where you're from?”

“Uh, yes, New York City in fact,” Rafael clarified. Why did she say it like that? She used a tone that he should be using. That disdain, that condescending tone. That just pissed Rafael off even more.

“I see,” Sherrie nodded as she jotted down things on her iPad.

“Look just because I’m from New York and you people--”

“Us people?” Sherrie gave him a glare.

“...You all,” Rafael changed his tune. “Think ‘down’ of us New Yorkers--”

“Oh I believe it’s the other way around, Mr. Barba,” Sherrie scowled. Well, she did have a point.

“....Lewis lives there too,”

“Really?” Sherie raised an eyebrow. “Because I just searched his name in our database and Mr. LOOMIS is a non-offender, born and bred New Jersian.

“That is a load of shit!” Rafael stood up. “I am telling you, he is a psychopath. He has several identities across the god damn country, and he’s--”

“Not on trial here, Mr. Barba,” Sherrie finished.

“And I am?” Rafael scoffed.

“We’ll see,” She gave him a look.

“Por el amor de Dios....” Rafael muttered, along with a few other obscenities in spanish. “Look just call the NYPD. Talk to Sergeant Benson of the SVU Unit” Rafael instructed her.

“SVU hmm?” Sherrie raised an eyebrow as she typed.

“Yes!” Rafael cried. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you! I am the Assistant District Attorney of New York City! I would never, ever hurt anyone. Especially not Y/N. I love her,”

“Right,” Sherrie nodded. “Alright well I’ll call her after we’re done here, okay?”

“Sure you will,” Rafael muttered with a roll of his eyes.

“Do you really wanna start an attitude with me, Mr. Barba?”

“Rafael,” He exhaled. “My name is Rafael,” The more she used ‘Mr. Barba’ the more he felt he actually was on trial. “And I’m sorry, I just-- I’m scared,”

“For you or for her?” Sherrie questioned.

“For her!” Rafael got excited again. “Lewis raped her and tore her rectum, then went and took a shower after haphazardly bandaging her, like it was no big fucking deal!”

“And you know this, how?” She asked in a suspicious manner.

“Because she called me,” He continued. “She called me earlier and told me he had her hostage,”

“He was holding her hostage?” Sherrie continued to use a suspicious tone.

“Yes! And I can prove it!” Rafael suddenly remembered the picture Lewis had so cockily sent him.

The one of him holding a gun pressed to your back. The image would haunt him forever. He went to get his phone, but it wasn’t in his pocket. Shit, it must still be in the car. He had hastily dropped it as soon as he told you he was coming in to get you.

“Shit,” He muttered.

“Is there a problem?” Sherrie asked.

“I have a photo on my phone, but I must have left it in my car,”

“Conveniently,” She nodded.

“NO!” Rafael stomped his foot. “Look if you’ll just let me go get it--”

“Right,” Sherrie scoffed sarcastically with a laugh. “Let me just let you ‘run out to your car’,”

“You can follow me, escort me, whatever,” He huffed. “I have nothing to hide,”

“Alright then,” Sherrie followed Rafael outside the hospital doors, but his car wasn’t there.

“Shit,” He muttered. “They must have towed it because I just parked in the ambulance bay and got Y/N help,”

“Oh, mmhmm, I’m sure that must be what happened,” She rolled her eyes.

“This is insane,” Rafael half laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. He was being treated like a convict while Lewis was the golden boy of Jersey. This was a nightmare.

“Can we just--” Rafael ran his hands through his hair, trying to think of something, anything that would clear his name.

“Can you just call the NYPD, please?” He begged Sherrie. “I swear to you, Olivia Benson will clear my name and tell you all about William Lewis,”

Sherrie looked at him for a long moment, debating whether to cut him some slack. On the one hand, he was covered in your blood, and had brought you in. Also, he was from New York City, so God knows how slick he was. On the other hand, he did look genuinely scared and pitiful, and if he had the balls to ask her to actually call the NYPD, maybe he was telling the truth.

“Alright Rafael, I’ll humor you,” She finally nodded, typing NYPD into Google. She got the number and began dialing it, waiting for someone to answer.

“Hi, yes this is Officer Reagan of the Jersey PD-- Is there an Olivia Benson there?” Sherrie asked as she gave Rafael a side eye. There was silence for a moment, then she began to speak.

“Hi yes, Sergeant Benson. This is-- Right. Do you know Rafael Barba?”

“Mmmhmm, well he’s here at Jersey County Hospital having brought in a woman who had clearly been assaulted, and he--” Sherrie stopped as Olivia began speaking very fast and loudly.

“Look ma’am there’s no reason to-- Yes her husband-- alright her ex husband, Billy Loomis-- Alright allegedly this ‘William Lewis’. Whoa there ma’am-- Sergeant, there’s no need to get hysterical,” Rafael chuckled to himself as he watched Sherrie get chewed out by Olivia.

“...Well yes he is here, but I really don’t feel comfortable having you take him into custody, Sergeant. This isn’t your jurisdiction, so I’m sorry but you have no claim on Billy, or William, or whoever,” Sherrie was getting fed up with Olivia’s attitude.

“Uh yes, that is so, sergeant. If you’d like to take it up with my sergeant, feel free to come down here and-- well fine! Good, we’ll be here. No I will not be letting Mr. Barba go, he’s still a-- you know what, I’m sick of this. You wanna come down here and raise a fit for your man here, go right ahead,” Sherrie hung up the phone and looked at a now smirking Rafael.

“I told you,” He smirked.

“Yeah well you’re not going anywhere until this ‘Olivia Benson’ gets here. Which I assume will be pretty soon,”

“Your assumption is spot on,” Rafael chuckled to himself. If there was one thing he could count on, Olivia would come running to his defense at the drop of a hat.

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

Meanwhile

“Look I’m telling you, that man abducted my ex wife in the middle of the night and raped her,” Lewis was scrambling.

“And how do you know this, Mr. Loomis?” Officer Cooper asked.

“Because I was there,” He explained.

“And why were you at your ex-wife’s house?” Cooper asked skeptically.

“We--” William was thinking on the fly.

He was still fuming from the balls on Barba trying to rescue you, and agitated that he got the male cop who wasn’t so easily manipulated as a woman would’ve been.

“We were reconciling,” He lied.

“Reconciling?” The officer raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“I told her earlier today that I had made a mistake leaving her and my family, and that I wanted to come back home,” He explained. “And then I offered to pick up our girls from school and meet her at home, while she broke it off with that bastard,”

“Broke it off?” The officer questioned him. “So they are in a relationship?”

“...Yeah,” He muttered.

“So how exactly did her boyfriend kidnap her, if she went to him willingly?”

“....He got pissed when she tried to break it off,” Lewis was spinning a thread of lies now. “He called me and told me that if he couldn’t have her, nobody could,”

“I see,” Cooper nodded, typing on his iPad

“So when she came home to me and the girls, he followed her. We didn’t know until he broke in and kidnapped Y/N,” Lewis now focused on keeping his ‘concerned husband’ act. He was pretty sure he had a good story going.

“Mmm hmm,” The officer nodded as he continued typing. He wasn’t even acknowledging him; that was making Lewis’s blood boil. He liked being in control; he hated being ignored.

“Look can I check on my wife, please?” He tried going for the sympathy card again, knowing he wasn’t getting anywhere with this guy.

“Legally she’s not your wife anymore, Mr. Loomis,” The officer finally looked up to Lewis once more. “So technically you have no legal right to see her right now, as you’re not her current family,”

“I AM HER FAMILY GOD DAMMIT!!!” Lewis screamed, losing his cool. He quickly panicked and dialed it back. “I mean, she’s always going to be my family. Her and my precious girls,”

“....Right,” The officer nodded, not amused by his little temper tantrum. He had seen guys like this before; controlling, hot tempered husbands. He had grown up with a man just like that; it was one of the reasons he became a cop.

“And where exactly are your ‘precious girls’, Mr. Loomis?” He added. Guys like these, they lost their heads when they felt cornered. Lewis probably hadn’t even remembered they existed.

“...They’re at home, asleep,” He said softly.

“Alone?” Cooper raised an eyebrow.

“We live like two blocks from here officer,” Lewis lied again, having indeed forgotten about the girls. “I didn’t want to scare them, they’re asleep in their comfy beds, totally oblivious to this nightmare,”

“And exactly how old are they?” Cooper gave him a look.

“...Old enough to be alone for a bit,” Lewis shrugged, hoping he’d take that as an answer.

“Well, at the risk of ‘worrying’ them, I think I’d better send an officer over there to check on them, don’t you think?” The officer asked in a accusatory tone.

Lewis really did want that, he was actually starting to worry about them. He actually had told Maggie that you felt sick and were in your room, and he was going out to get you medicine. But this guy was already clearly skeptical. If he told this officer where you actually lived, he was going to accuse him of child endangerment.

“...Mr. Loomis?” The officer called to him, but he was busy plotting an escape route.

Lewis glanced around the room, gauging how many people were in the vicinity. It was a bunch of pathetic patients with random injuries and illness’s waiting on a doctor, some ER nurses, a receptionist, the two cops, and him and Barba. Then he glanced at the gun in the officer’s holster, a plan formulating in his head. He wanted you all to himself, that was for sure. But you and your fucking white knight might have just outsmarted him for that to happen. Unless... the line you had said earlier about the girls being leverage. He hated the idea of exploiting the girls like that, but he was not going back to prison, and he was not losing those girls.

“Mr. Loomis!” The officer repeated in a louder, angrier tone. Lewis finally looked at him with a very sinister smile, eerily calm.

“...Ah officer, maybe you should take care of that first,” Lewis pointed to something behind him. As soon as the officer turned to see what he was talking about, Lewis yanked the gun from his holster and fired two shots into his head.

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

Across the room, Rafael and Officer Sherrie immediately flinched and ducked at the sound of the loud bang from the gun. People began screaming and running around in panic, most of them heading out the front doors of the hospital. Rafael’s eyes widened in horror as he realized Lewis had gotten a gun and had just murdered an officer. He turned to Officer Reagan who looked at him in shock, and a bit in remorse. She knew she had gotten the situation wrong, and now her partner had paid the ultimate price for it.

“Lewis, look just calm down--” Rafael tried to reason with Lewis, but the manic look in his eyes showed him he wasn’t going to get anywhere.

“Why don’t YOU calm down, counselor?” Lewis smirked as he raised the gun to Rafael. If there was one sure fire way to ultimately punish you for trying to run off with the do gooder, it would be getting rid of him altogether.

“No, Lewis don’t--” Rafael barely got out a plea for his life before Lewis had shot a bullet into his chest. More people screamed, and Officer Reagan rushed to help him.

Lewis took this opportune moment to run out of the hospital. He sprinted into the parking lot and picked the first car he saw to break into and hotwire, speeding out of the parking lot back to your place. He had to get the girls before cops found out where you lived. He’d figure out where to go from there.

From inside an examination room, you had started to come to as the IV bags of blood began to fill your system back up. You had barely had a chance to sit up before you heard the first shot go off. You immediately knew it was Billy, he had found you. You saw the doctor and nurses that were in the room with you slam the door shut to keep you all safe from Billy. You could see through a window into the lobby just enough to see Rafael with his hands up, before Billy put a bullet in him. You watched in horror as Rafael slumped to the ground, and a woman officer rushing to help him.

“NO!!!!!!” You screamed, trying desperately to get off the table.

The doctor and nurses held you down and slapped hands over your mouth to keep you quiet, terrified Lewis would come in there next. But to their relief he dashed out the door, and the hands were removed from your mouth. However they kept you pinned down so that you wouldn’t pull your IV’s out, inadvertently letting blood gush out all over the patient room.

You watched helplessly as nurses swarmed Rafael and rushed him off to another part of the hospital altogether.

What kind of nightmare had you woken up to?

[scarlet-star-witch]

Fade Into You - Part 17 (Mandalorian/OC)

Summary: Din has spent a year grieving the love of his life. While he thinks he has lost her forever, she lingers in the darkness, her mind twisted and manipulated, with no memory of him or the love they shared. What will it take for Din to help her remember?

Warnings: Angst galore and mentions of violence. Cara’s in this and I feel that’s a warning in itself

First Part       Previous Part       Next Part

Din was giddy as he woke that morning. The night before with his wife had only certified his love for her and he could barely wait to see if she was feeling the same type of blinding love that was taking over every part of his being.

The way she’d looked at him the night before had sent pleasurable chills over every inch of his body. He wanted nothing more than to see the same sight and experience the same mind blowing ecstasy he had just hours ago.

His tired eyes opened slowly as his hand searched the rumpled sheets beside him for the heat of her body. 

When he felt nothing, he raised himself on his elbow, fear striking him as his eyes opened fully, pushing past any exhaustion he felt as panic suddenly hit him like an incoming train. 

“El?” His raspy voice called out as he blindly patted the empty sheets next to him, still taken aback by the loneliness that met him rather than his wife that he had been so excited to see.

He sat up fully, his wide eyes searching the space around him, but the room was empty. His heart suddenly began to race wildly. He tried not to jump to conclusions, but after everything they had been through, it was hard not to fear the worst.

“El?” He called again, his voice sounding more frantic as he found it harder to disguise his growing panic.

He stood from the bunk, hastily pulling his clothes on. He grabbed his helmet, the only armour he bothered to put on, and raced out of the cramped room.

“Iella!?”

The silence that greeted him only made his fear grow. 

This was all too familiar of nightmares he’d had in the past. He reached down slowly, subtly pinching himself. The pain he felt was real. The nightmare was real.

He quickly made his way towards the cradle, a flash of relief flowing through him at the sight of it still in its place. He opened the top and let out a long sigh as he saw the baby staring back up at him. 

“You’re ok.” He breathed out, gathering the child into his arms. “Now where’s your mom?” He mumbled. He made his way up to the cockpit, dread soon crashing over him at the implication.

Had she wanted to sleep there instead? Had he been too forward the night before?

The thoughts were quickly shaken off. She was just as eager as he had been, she had been just as pleased as he had been.

He couldn’t think of what could have possibly changed. 

Despite how scared he was at the possibility of her needing space from him, enough to move to the cockpit, he didn’t find much relief to see that it was empty.

Where the hell is she?

He practically jumped back down the ladder into the hull, turning on his heel in frantic circles, looking over every inch of his ship.

“Iella!?” He yelled desperately.

She was taken.

That was the first thought that echoed through his mind, the first explanation for her absence that broke his heart. His breathing became erratic as his mind raced for what to do. 

She had been acting weird the night before, since coming back from the market. He could only deduce that something had happened, something bad enough to spook her. Maybe someone from her past, her manipulated past, that was. 

They must have followed her back and taken her from him.

With a low growl escaping his throat and vengeance clouding his judgement, he stomped towards the weapons locker, practically throwing open the doors. It was a wonder they didn’t break off their hinges.

He moved to grab his blaster, but stopped abruptly. 

His breath caught in his throat when he saw the empty spots in the cabinet, spots where her weapons had been placed. 

They were gone. 

If she was taken, she wouldn’t have been able to grab her weapons, not without a struggle. And he would’ve heard a struggle. 

He looked around the hull again, this time with a more careful eye. Her boots were no longer in their place at the foot of their bunk where she’d hastily kicked them off the night before. Her cloak that she’d shrugged off her shoulders seductively was no longer on the floor where they’d left it.

She left on her own.

His entire body stiffened. His mind raced, trying to think of other possibilities because it was unfathomable to him that she would leave, that she would sneak out in the middle of the night and leave.

Leave him.

He felt his eyes sting with tears and he blinked rapidly, not willing to let them fall or he worried they would never stop. 

It was one thing to believe she was gone from his side after a horrific accident, but to know she was no longer by his side of her own will somehow hurt even more.

She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t leave me, she wouldn’t leave the kid.

He felt almost dizzy with how his brain was trying desperately to piece together what had happened, what he had done to make her leave.

He thought back to all the conversations they’d had, all the times she’d called herself a lost cause, all the times he’d had to reassure her that he was there for her. It hadn’t been enough. She’d reached her breaking point without him even realizing it and it had him wanting to smack himself for being so ignorant.

He hadn’t been enough for her and it practically tore him apart to think he’d been so blind to her plan of escape. 

The fact that she felt she needed to escape from him was enough to ruin every single part of his being. 

He breathed heavily, slowly falling to his knees on the hard floor of the ship, his helmeted head cradled in his hands as he fought hard not to spiral. 

“No, no, no, no.” He whispered to himself, his voice cracking with the emotion that overtook him so overwhelmingly.

Shaking breaths left him and he didn’t even realize his cheeks were wet until he heard the child whine, breaking him from his self-deprecating thoughts. 

He raised his head, his face creasing in confusion as he saw the child scurrying to the closed ramp, his little arm raising to point to it.

“What are you doing, Kid?” Din muttered impatiently, getting to his feet to catch him. As soon as he hauled the mischievous child in his arms, he whined louder, squirming in Din’s grip. 

He frantically pointed to the ramp, his distressed whines and watering eyes striking the Mandalorian deeply. 

“What is it?” Din whispered, suddenly realizing the child wasn’t just upset about Iella’s absence. He knew something.

Din began to pace the ship, frustration building as the child continued to babble worriedly. He wished he could understand the nonsense that left him. There had to be something he missed. This was his job, he looked for missing people all the time, there had to be clues as to where his wife went.

There was no way in hell he was letting this be the end.

His eyes roamed over the ship over and over again, hoping something would suddenly stand out to him, give him any indication about where she could have gone. 

He soon stopped in his tracks, his eyes locked onto the weapon’s locker, and his heart suddenly dropped.

How did I not notice, he scolded himself.

His pulse rifle was missing. 

His stomach twisted with nerves at the realization, pure fear igniting within him like a lit flame.

She wasn’t leaving to escape him, she was leaving to fight. 

His entire body went rigid as he thought back to a conversation they’d had weeks ago, one where, at that time, she’d offered the most terrifying solution he could think of, one he refused to get behind.

I need to find him and I need to kill him.

She wanted to go after Voros and he wouldn’t let her. His own desire to protect her, to keep her away from any more harm that man could cause her overruled her own need to heal from his wounds. He stopped her from getting that and he wanted to kick himself for it now.

She was going on a suicide mission all alone.

It moved him into gear quicker than anything else ever had. He grabbed his weapons hastily, placing his armour on with shaking hands, gritting his teeth with frustration as he found trouble fastening each buckle.

“Come on.” He spat to himself as he messily donned his armour. 

Once it was on properly, he fastened the child into the perch in the satchel that wrapped across his body. He strapped the weapons to his belt and barely a second later, he was lowering the ramp, marching off before it had even fully lowered.

He would find her if it was the last thing he ever did.

He couldn't be too late, he would not be too late.

~~~

Iella kept her head down as the villagers began to start their day, setting up their stands for the market and greeting their neighbours politely. The more crowded the streets became, the more her nerves rose.

Every time she turned a corner, she could see Din. She would squeeze her eyes shut, shake her head of her exhaustion until she realized it wasn’t him. It made tears brim in her eyes every time.

Every step further from the crest was a heavier weight to her chest. 

She moved through the streets quickly, dodging people expertly, ignoring the merchants that called out to entice her to their booths, winding through the crowds with minimal contact. She couldn’t let the opportunity slip through her fingers. She had to find those men who worked for Voros before they left the planet.

She had to find them before Din found her.

Her eyes drifted upwards towards the sun that was now high in the sky, her heart aching. Din was definitely awake by now. He was probably panicking, going crazy trying to find her. 

A loud sigh escaped her at the thought of him, of the night before.

The way he’d held her so tightly yet so gently, the way his lips felt on her skin, the way the scruff on his jaw left tingles on her neck that she could still feel only had her aching to turn right around and run right back into his arms.

It was becoming more tempting the longer she was away from him.

But she couldn’t stray, not when the prospect of killing Voros, of finally getting revenge on her torturer was so close.

She had to keep moving.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest, her pulse thrumming through her entire body nervously, as she approached the loading dock.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the familiar cargo ship Voros always had them use on missions.

She moved in the shadows skillfully and got into position, hauling the large rifle off her back. She breathed out slowly, a calmness washing over her as the familiar aspect of her new life fell into place.

Her finger hovered over the trigger as she awaited her targets.

~~~

Din was racing through the streets of the crowded village. He wasn’t polite as he pushed people out of his way, ignoring the swears and threats that were yelled back at him. He’d followed Iella’s tracks and he knew he wasn’t far behind, but her path was becoming more difficult to follow as more and more people trekked over her footprints.

Heavy pants left his lips, both of exertion and panic as he sprinted his way closer to his wife. The child suddenly let out a cry and he skidded to a stop, looking down in worry and bringing him in closer to his side protectively.

The child squirmed, his little arm reaching out towards an alleyway to their right. The distressed look on his little face was heartbreaking.

Din didn’t question it, he learned not to when it came to his strange powers, and frantically raced to where he was pointing.

He ducked behind buildings to block himself from the view of the few people he saw milling around the small loading dock next to him. He slowed his pace, his eyes frantically searching every doorway, every window, every alleyway, he passed.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide as he saw a cloaked figure kneeled on the ground, with a rifle, his pulse rifle, in their hands. 

It was her, it had to be.

An involuntary whimper escaped him at the sight of her and he raced forward, almost stumbling over his own feet in his haste to get to her. He moved swiftly, hauling his wife to her feet and placing a hand over her mouth to stifle the yelp of surprise she let out as he carried her away from the loading dock, away from any potential prying eyes.

She squirmed in his grip, kicking her legs out in defiance, making him wince at the pain in his shins as she struggled to get out of her supposed attacker’s grip. 

“It’s ok, it’s me. It’s just me.” He whispered frantically. 

She finally pushed him off, her eyes dark with hatred as she pulled the knife from her belt, his words not registering to her. She stopped abruptly, the weapon stalling in the air as she looked back at him. Her once rigid body slumped once she finally realized it was him.

Horror suddenly grew in her eyes as the consequences of her hasty decision stared her in the face.

“What are you doing here?”

Din scoffed and shook his head.

“You seriously think I was gonna let you go through with this suicide mission?” He argued back sternly, placing his hands on his hips. “I woke up and you were gone, what the hell did you think I was gonna do?”

“I didn’t want-”

“You thought I’d let you go after him by yourself? You thought I wouldn’t care that you were putting yourself in danger? Fucking hell, Iella, I know you don’t remember me, but after all this time we spent together, you really think that little of me? You think I’d let you do this?”

Iella’s face twisted, her frown growing the more he rambled. 

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She said softly. It was apparently the wrong thing to say by the way Din threw his hands in the air in exasperation as a harsh laugh of disbelief met her ears. He was pissed and there was nothing she could do.

“What the fuck were you trying to do then?!” He yelled at her. “You can’t just leave! I told you I would be there for you, I told you that no matter what, I’d help you with whatever was thrown at us, and you didn’t trust me, you didn’t believe me, I don’t know what it was, but it fucking hurts, El. You fucking hurt me.” 

Iella straightened her shoulders, schooling her features in a semblance of strength that seemed to be faltering with every word he spat in his harsh tone.

“You also told me I couldn’t go after Voros, that I couldn’t get revenge against the man who tortured me. I didn’t think I could come to you after that. What was I supposed to do?” She argued back.

Din flinched, like her words had physically struck him. 

“You know why I said those things. You know it’s dangerous, you know-”

“I know that I can’t live like this anymore.” She interrupted him. “I know I wouldn’t survive if you or the child got hurt because of me.”

“That’s not gonna-”

“You don’t know that!” She screamed and quickly lowered her head, forcing herself to take deep breaths in an effort to calm down and avoid making a scene. “Gideon’s gone. That means the only threats against us, the only reason we’re still looking over our shoulders is because of me, because of Voros.”

Din stayed quiet, knowing there wasn’t anything he could say against that. She was right and it killed him to acknowledge it. 

“I can’t let you two take the fall for me. I can’t let you get caught in the crossfire.”

Din sighed heavily, his eyes squeezing shut at her words. He remembered a time years ago, when they were still working with Ran and Xi’an, where she had, time and time again, stuck up for the innocent people that got caught in the line of fire.

They were practically the same words she used then.

It killed him to know she didn’t even remember that she’d said those words before, that she was acting exactly like the person he once knew, the person he missed more than anything in the galaxy. 

She had no idea just how much those words decimated him. They rendered him with no fight left.

His silence only kept her on edge, fearing he was still brimming with fury at her, so angry he couldn’t even get the words out.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “Last night… that was the perfect goodbye and I don’t regret a second of it. I just needed to… be close to you before I did this, in case…” She didn’t finish her sentence, she couldn’t, and Din was grateful for it.

He didn’t think he could stand to hear those words out loud. 

It was silent between them for a moment. It wasn’t long, but to them it seemed to stretch forever. Din let out a shaking breath, trying his best to ground himself, to not let his anger and panic over the situation he’d woken with dictate their conversation now.

Yelling wouldn’t do a thing and it was the last thing she needed now. 

“You know I can’t let you do this.” He said softly.

“I know. That’s why I left.” 

Din winced and shook his head.

“You’re not doing this without me.”

“Din-”

“No. I’m not letting you. If you need to after Voros now, fine. I won’t stop you. But you sure as hell aren’t doing it alone.”

Iella stared at him in shock. She hadn’t expected him to give in, to finally relent to her desire for revenge. 

“Din…”

“That’s all I ask, El, that’s it. I don’t care how dangerous it is, I don’t care about the risks, I’m going with you, that’s final.” He spoke sternly.

Iella paused, staring back at the imposing Mandalorian in front of her carefully, looking for any indication that he was lying, that he was actually trying to persuade her against her heinous plan. But she found none. 

He was all in.

“What were you planning?” He asked, sensing her hesitation. 

She swallowed thickly. “I saw two of Voros’ assassins yesterday. I remembered them, I used to work with them.” 

Din’s body stiffened as he realized that was the reason she had been acting so strange the night before. He thought he wanted to put together all the pieces, but now that they were falling into place, he realized he would rather not know. Ignorance was bliss and the reminder of her manipulated past was agonizing.

“Did they see you?” He finally choked out after a long, stifling silence.

“I don’t think so.”

“So now what?”

“I was gonna… take them out and steal their ship. Show up at the Imperial base and use the element of surprise to my advantage.” Iella explained, realizing once she had spoken it outloud just how risky her plan was.

Din sighed heavily, his head falling back onto his shoulders as he closed his eyes tightly. He could already feel the beginnings of a stress headache forming. 

“And you were really willing to do this alone?” 

“I thought I had to.” Iella shrugged. Din physically flinched at her words and she sighed, bowing her head. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She added quickly. 

“No, you’re right. I haven’t been supportive about this. I was selfish, I wanted you far away from that man. I wasn’t thinking about your feelings, only mine.” 

Iella was left agape at his admittance. She hadn’t seen it that way, she only saw it as him being protective of her, of him not wanting her in any more danger. 

“So we’ll do your plan, but not alone.” He said with determination. “We need more muscle.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have time to make a stop in Nevarro?” 

Iella’s face smoothed as he realized what he was suggesting, who he was suggesting as backup. 

“You sure we should ask her? I feel like we already owe her too much.”

“I’m sure Cara wouldn’t mind another fight.” Din explained simply and Iella found herself unable to argue with that statement. 

She knew the shocktrooper well enough to know better.

“You ready?” Din asked and Iella had to stifle a smile at how willing he was to go along with her plan. 

“Are you sure you wanna do this? I can’t force you to go along with this just because of me. I won’t let you put yourself-”

“El, if you’re doing this then so am I. There’s nothing more to say about it.” He argued. “So tell me what you need me to do.”

Her heart stuttered at his determination and allegiance to her. She knew he’d told her time and time again just how much he was willing to do for her, but to see it, to experience it, was another thing.

It left her breathless.

“I’ll wait for the guys to show up. You help if things get out of hand.” She explained, though she knew they wouldn’t. She could handle taking out two men, it would be the easiest thing she would do that day, but she wouldn’t tell him that.

She noticed the looks of agony he would have on his face any time she mentioned her training with Voros or her skills as an assassin. It was too much for him to handle.

And she knew she had put him through more than enough already.

“I’ll be right beside you.” He assured her and she couldn’t even describe the feeling that coursed through her at his words.

Silently, they moved back into the stealthy position he had first found her in. 

He let her keep her grip on the pulse rifle, knowing - no matter how much it hurt him - that she could handle it. Din pulled out his own blaster, pointing it at the same ship he saw her aim on. 

“I am sorry, you know.” Iella whispered after a long moment of silence. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I left because I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want Voros to use you as a pawn against me. I would never forgive myself for that.”

“I get it. And I know why you did it.” He said softly. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less, he thought to himself. He knew waking up with her absence would haunt him for a long time. 

He hadn’t felt that kind of terror in a long time and it had shaken him.

Iella nodded slowly, though she could tell Din was still out of sorts, that he was still upset. She knew she would have to do a lot of grovelling soon. 

“He ain’t gonna be happy.” 

Iella tensed at the loud voice of the man that cockily stepped into the loading dock. Her eyes locked onto the two male figures that strolled into the space, their arrival ending the moment between the couple. 

She recognized them immediately and tightened her grip on the rifle, aiming it at the taller of the men that approached their ship.

“No one else has any leads. Maybe he’ll take it easy on us.” The other man shrugged, causing his partner to scoff.

“When has Voros ever taken it easy on anyone? If we don’t come back with his bitch, it’s the end of us. You saw what he did to the team after Tatooine.”

Din’s breath hitched in his throat at their words. They were after his wife. They were following their tracks. Blind rage overtook him and he had to force himself to stay still and not take out the men that second.

“We’ll find her. She can’t be that smart, she ain’t got no brain left after what they did to her.”

Iella grit her teeth, taking a pause to inhale a deep breath and pulled the tigger swiftly, barely taking another second to blink as she aimed at the other man who was too stunned at the sudden assassination of his partner to move, and within a second he was also turned to dust. 

“Let’s go.” Iella said, her voice a strange and unsettling monotonous tone Din hated to hear. 

He blindly followed her into the hangar, his head turning every which way to make sure no bystanders were around to witness the brutal murder that just occurred.

“So, what’s next?” 

Iella didn’t answer, her gaze was locked onto the ship in front of them. Din followed her gaze, his brows furrowing at the sight of the unimposing cargo ship in front of them.

“El?” He prompted gently, finally breaking her from her thoughts and she turned to face him. He pretended to ignore the haunted look in her eyes. “What’s the plan?”

“We fly to Nevarro, get Cara and then… make our way to Voros.”

“You remember where the base is?”

She nodded slowly, her eyes averting from his. With a deep breath, she began to make her way towards the ship and Din’s eyes widened, fear striking him again, a feeling he was all too familiar with just from that morning.

He reached out, latching onto her hand.

She looked back and she didn’t even need to see his face to know how panicked he was.

“We need the ship to land near the base. They’ll blow the crest out of the sky if it gets too close. We need to be discreet.” She explained and he hated that it made sense, that he was being forced to stray from her side.

“I’ll follow you to Nevarro and then we take this ship to the base, ok?” She proposed, her eyes locked onto his rigid form until he finally slowly nodded in agreement.

“Ok.” He choked out, slowly and reluctantly letting her hand fall from his. “I’ll meet you there.”

Iella nodded, her face suddenly softening as she looked down at the child whose eyes hadn’t left her since the moment they’d found her.

“I’ll see you soon, little one.” She cooed to him softly, leaning down to squeeze his small cheeks lightly, a smile growing on her face as he let out an adorable squeal of delight. 

She looked up at Din, her face growing more serious, and with a final nod in assurance, she moved to make her way to the ship. 

Din’s hand suddenly shot out again, grabbing hers to stop her. 

She looked back at him in surprise, her face creasing with confusion. 

“Din…”

“You’re going to Nevarro first.” 

Her face fell, realizing just how much she had broken his trust. She nodded, squeezing his hand in hers. 

“I promise.” She told him honestly. She stepped towards him and leaned up on the tips of her toes, pressing a light kiss to the side of his helmet. “I’ll see you soon.”

He nodded and felt himself blush as he noticed hers that grew at the sound of his shuddering breath at her kiss. It didn’t matter if it had met his skin or not. Her closeness was enough to leave him breathless. 

“I’ll see you soon.” He repeated. 

They finally parted and she lowered the ramp of the ship, beginning to make her way up.

“El.” He called out to her and she turned around. “You can still-”

“I remember how to fly.” She told him with a smirk and his shoulders sagged, his helmet bowing slightly. 

“Right.” He muttered, realizing there was nothing else he could say to convince her to come with him on the crest. She had a solid plan and he couldn’t refuse it, no matter how much he wanted to be selfish and drag her along with him.

Iella smiled lightly, making his inside twist pleasurably, and she continued to make her way onto the ship. Din stayed in his spot, his eyes locked onto her as long as he could. He didn’t begin to make his way back to the crest until the ramp was closed.

~~~

The trip to Nevarro was short, a relief to both of them. 

Iella was sure he’d been speeding the entire way there because he was outside the ship, arms crossed, his foot tapping impatiently as he watched her land beside the crest. And she was the one who’d gotten the head start.

She smiled and shook her head to herself. She couldn’t deny the butterflies that erupted at his inability to hide his protectiveness around her.

He was waiting by the ship the second the ramp had lowered and his hand on the small of her back as they made their way through the streets of Nevarro never strayed. 

The trek had been agonizing. After what he’d endured that morning, he didn’t want her barely five feet from him. He was taking every opportunity he could get now to be close to her. 

They stopped as they got to a catina that was bustling with people and Din shrugged at Iella’s questioning gaze. It was their best guess as to where they would find the shocktrooper.

As soon as they stepped into the place, Din’s arm snaked around her waist, his hand now at her hip as he held her to his side, unwilling to let her stray too far in the seedy joint. 

It wasn’t hard to spot the ex-Rebellion soldier. She posed an intimidating figure and it was easy to spot the break in the crowd where she sat, warding off any stragglers from getting too close with a harsh gaze. But she perked up, her feet dropping from the table they were perched on as she saw her favourite couple approaching.

“Well, what do I owe the pleasure to the mister and missus?” She teased. “You wanna drink?”

“No, we’re here for business.” Din said quickly, stopping her from flogging down the bartender. Cara’s smile fell slowly and she straightened in her seat, her eyes flickering back and forth to each of them worriedly, sensing the tension between them.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re going after Voros and we wanted your help.” Iella spoke abruptly. Cara’s mouth dropped open and she stared back at her friend in shock at her words. “I know this is a lot to ask and it’s not much warning, but-”

“I’m in.” Cara interrupted and this time, it was Iella’s turn to stare at her in shock.

“W-what- are you sure?” 

“A chance to take down another Imperial bastard? Hell yeah, I’m in.” 

Din and Iella looked at each other, as if not believing that it had been as easy as it was to recruit their new member. 

“You know this is gonna be dangerous.” Din explained slowly and Cara laughed with a shake of her head.

“When is it not?” She got up from her seat, a look of excitement on her face as she straightened her shoulders. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

~~

The stolen cargo ship was in hyperspace as they all sat in the cockpit in silence, watching the colours blur past them mindlessly. 

The silence was stifling. 

Cara looked back and forth between the couple, wondering what it was that had them so on edge. Sure, going after the evil man that had held Iella hostage for a year would cause tension, but there was something more. 

They barely even looked at each other and the shocktrooper found it extremely troubling.

“So are we going in guns blazing or are we going for the more stealthy route?” She asked, finally breaking the silence.

“We could use deception. Iella, you could pretend you brought me and Cara in as prisoners.” Din offered and Cara winced.

“Yeah, cause that worked out so well for us last time.” She mused sarcastically, thinking back to the shit show that happened on Nevarro. 

“They knew I was on Tatooine. They’re tracking me so we have to assume they know I’m with you. They’ll know I would never betray you.” Iella spoke up timidly and Din tried his hardest to keep his body from reacting to her words. 

Everytime her manipulated self with no memory of him spoke of how much she cared for him left him in a tizzy.

“So… guns blazing, then?” Cara asked.

“I think that’s our only option. They won’t be expecting us so at least we’ll have the element of surprise.” 

“Sounds good.” Cara smiled to her and made her way out of the cockpit, leaving the couple alone, left in a silence that was yet again becoming filled with tension.

Iella’s head lowered, avoiding Din’s gaze that she knew was on her. She still felt horrible about that morning and she didn’t know how to address it, or whether or not he was still mad at her. She didn’t know how to approach him.

They could hear Cara in the hull, scanning over her choice of weapons and occasionally scolding the child who got too close to the blasters for comfort.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Din asked, suddenly breaking the tense silence between them.

“Yes.” She spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t keep going on like this, wondering when he’ll take me from you. I have to make a move before he does.”

Din nodded. He knew they needed to do this. Hearing those men talk about how violent Voros was in his quest to get Iella back lit an already flaming fire inside him until it was unbearable. 

The rage inside him would not be sated until the man was dead. And he knew his panicked wife would not rest until the man that caused her so much harm was dead and he would be damned if he didn’t help give that to her.

“You know this is gonna be dicey. We have half a plan, we don’t know for sure how many of those assholes are gonna be on that base.”

“I know.” 

“And we don’t even know if Voros is gonna be there.”

“Din, you’re not gonna change my mind.” 

“I know… I know.” He whispered, sounding almost regretful, like he wished more than anything that he could, that he could stop her from doing this. But he couldn’t and he knew that. 

He reached out blindly, his hand finding hers, intertwining their fingers together as he held on tightly. Iella let out a shaking breath and looked down at their hands. She held onto him tightly, feeling more grounded by his touch than ever before.

She knew the danger coming but the only thing that kept her heart from imploding with nerves, the only thing that kept her from spiralling - as always - was him. 

She needed to go through with this, not only for herself, but for him, for the child. 

All too soon, the navigator beeped, signalling their arrival. Din tensed, dropping them out of hyperspace with a shaking hand. He didn’t want to admit just how terrified he was, how much he was dreading what was happening next.

As a Mandalorian, he wasn’t one to ever back away from a fight, but this one, this was one he had been willing to avoid for the rest of his life.

“You ready?” Iella asked as they descended into the atmosphere. Din nodded and he looked over his shoulder, his eyes finding hers intently.

“Are you?”

Iella hesitated before answering, her eyes looking out the window and her heart suddenly seized as she saw the large building in front of them, the building that housed all of her trauma and deepest fears.

Just the mere sight of it was enough to make her regret every step that brought her there. 

“Yeah, I’m ready.” She breathed out after a silence that was too long for her words to convince him. 

“Team 16 prepare to land.” The voice over the comms spoke, causing the both of them to stiffen in their spots. 

It was a relief that the first phase of their plan had been a success, but they were far from the clear. What was coming next that would determine the rest of their lives.

Din landed the ship in front of the base and he breathed a long and shaking breath before turning to face her.

“We can turn back now, no questions asked.” 

Iella smiled a weak and sad smile, squeezing his hand in hers. 

“You know we can’t.” 

“I know, just ...wishful thinking.” He muttered with a shrug and she could tell by the tone of his voice how scared he was for what came next.

Iella leaned forward, her arm winding around the back of his neck. “We’ll be ok.”

“I know we will.” 

We have to be, he thought to himself. There was no other way he would survive if they weren’t, if she wasn’t ok at the end of the day. He could not go through that again, he couldn’t lose her again or he would surely lose himself this time around.

Once was already too much for him to handle.

He leaned forward, letting his armour covered forehead rest against hers. 

Iella let her eyes fall closed, reveling in his closeness, in his body against hers, his warmth against her cold and scared body. It was all she needed.

“I really am sorry for this morning. I should never have just left like that. I didn’t mean to hurt you and I’m so sorry I did.” She spoke, her voice becoming more frantic with each word as she began to ramble. Din shook his head, a pang in his chest as he saw her watering eyes.

“Don’t, don’t. It’s ok, I know why you did it.” He whispered. He was still feeling slightly traumatized by what he’d been through that morning, but after hearing her explain, he couldn’t exactly fault her. 

He understood why she did what she did and he just hoped to the maker he would never have to wake up without her again.

Loud, rushing footsteps came their way and Cara breezed into the room with the child in her arms, her chest heaving. She straightened when she saw the couple locked in each other’s embrace and she subtly averted her gaze.

“Sorry,” She muttered. “But we got company coming.”

“How many?” Din asked sternly, standing from his seat with his fists clenched tightly.

“Just one.” 

Iella let out a long breath, slowly getting to her feet. There was no turning back now, she had no choice but to get her head into the game, to prepare for bloodshed. 

“Let’s go.” She mumbled and pushed past Din and Cara to make her way out of the cockpit. She pulled the deadly knife off her belt and pressed her back against the wall next to the ramp, motioning for Din and Cara to hide.

Cara acted immediately, grabbing onto the stubborn Mandalorian that immediately moved to be next to his wife, but she pulled him back to hide with her. 

He grit his teeth, his heart hammering within his chest as the mechanics of the ship began to whir as the ramp slowly lowered.

“Hey, Reyon, you find that purple haired bitch or-” The man that cockily strolled into the ship stopped abruptly, his eyes growing wide with fear as he spotted her. 

The deadly look in her eyes sent a chill down his spine and before he could even begin to beg for his life, her knife swiped outwards, slicing his throat easily. She moved past her unease quickly, not allowing herself to feel any remorse for the life she had just taken.

He deserved it, she knew he did. That was all she had to remember. 

Cara and Din stepped out from the shadows, both their gazes locked onto the man that had fallen lip to the floor of the ship, the puddle of blood around him growing larger each second. Din swallowed thickly, forcing himself to look away from the sight.

The terror that had coursed through him at the sight of his wife killing that man, the sight that was all too familiar to the one he’d seen when he’d first found her again, discovering her new identity, was enough to shake him.

But he wouldn’t let it.

“Let’s move.” Cara spoke up, knowing she needed to be the one to break the ice from the tension that was building as they stared at the body on the floor. 

Iella nodded stiffly, grabbing the blaster the shocktrooper held out to her, along with strapping the many knives she had to her belt. 

Din peered into the cockpit, making sure the child was safe in his cradle where he would remain during the mission, away from any danger. He closed the doors to the cockpit, sealing him in.

“Kill anyone you come across. These people can’t be spared.” Iella told them and the cold, emotionless tone in her voice made both Din and Cara wince. They shared a quick look of concern before shaking themselves of their reservations and followed her out the ship.

They moved swiftly, like a team that had been working together for years, able to communicate without words. They sprinted towards the base, Din and Cara quickly taking out the two guards that were stationed at the door. 

Iella threw a knife from her belt at a passing man making his way towards his ship. They couldn’t let anyone go. It didn’t matter what their job was, she knew they were all guilty.

They slowed their pace as they got to the door and Din let out a muttered curse as they found a keypad at the door, an encrypted code keeping them from entering. 

“Now what?”

Iella stepped forward, a look of derision in her eyes that was all too familiar to Din, one he hated to see. With a trembling hand, she slowly typed in the code that lingered in her mind. She clenched her jaw as the door breezed open, feelling both relieved and disheartened as she realized the code had worked.

Her knowledge from Voros had worked and it left her stomach turning.

Just keep moving, you’ll get yours soon enough, she reminded herself. 

Din sighed heavily, hating the feeling of dread that encompassed him as she opened the door. He knew it was probably for the better that she had remembered the code, that it made their life and their mission easier, but the implications of Voros’ impact on her still lingering in her mind was a decimating blow to both of them. 

He felt a nudge to his side and he looked up at Cara who was looking back at him impatiently. She motioned towards Iella with wide eyes, silently telling him now wasn’t the time to dwell on that detail. They had much bigger things to worry about.

The trio moved efficiently, their weapons firing into each room they passed, leaving no witnesses or whistleblowers in their wake. Their presence was still unknown. They paused as they came to the end of a hallway and a number of paths stood ahead of them.

“Which way?”

Iella barely heard the question, there was a faint ringing in her ears as her anxiety began to rise the longer she was in the building. Her memory of the base came back full force.

The sight of the familiar long hallways, the dark, desolate rooms, the people they took out, they were all reminders of her time here, a reminder of each and every horrible, torturous thing that had been inflicted upon her.

“El?” Din called out, his voice sounding as if he were underwater, barely breaking through to her wounded mind. “Hey,” He stood in front of her, his hand reaching out to hold hers tightly. “You with me?”

She looked up at him, shaking herself from the unbridled trauma that was coursing through her veins and she nodded.

“Go left. His office isn’t far.” She finally spoke. 

Din looked at her for a moment longer, trying to gauge whether or not she was truly able to go further, to push past the bubbling emotions she was feeling to keep a clear head. He wasn’t able to tell before she had pushed past him and began walking down the long hallway.

He sighed heavily and quickly moved to follow her, not willing to let themselves be even a few feet apart.

They weren’t walking long when they suddenly heard the sound of many footsteps from around the corner, signalling a group coming their way, one bigger than they were equipped to deal with without blowing their cover.

“Come on!” Cara hissed and pushed the couple into the nearest room, closing the door behind them. 

Iella felt her entire body stiffen, her eyes going wide with horror. She knew this room. 

She turned on her heel and could feel her legs tremble, barely able to keep herself standing as she looked at the enormous and imposing machine that stood in the middle of the room. 

She walked towards it slowly, her chest heaving at the mere sight of it, of the memories it forced into her mind, all of her screaming and writhing in agony.

Sensing her move from his side, Din turned on his heel, immediately stepping forward to follow her. 

“Hey, what-” He stopped abruptly, his gaze moving to what she was looking at with such stricken eyes. His mouth parted, but no words escaped him. 

He stayed rooted to his spot, his eyes travelling over every inch of the large, deadly looking machine.

“Holy shit.” Cara muttered, her eyes going wide at the sight of it. “What is this thing?”

“This is what… changed me.” Iella explained with a weak voice. Even with her vague words, Din was able to put the pieces together and he felt his chest tighten as dread settled within him. 

She had mentioned moments of her strapped to a machine, the one that had taken her memories away and for a long time, Din only had his imagination to supply the thoughts that came with her explanation.

But now that he saw it for himself, he saw just what had caused her so much pain and trauma, it was like a knife to the chest. 

He wanted to tear the machine apart with his bare hands. His entire body stiffened, his hands clenching into fists and Iella reached out immediately, taking his hand in hers to stop him from what she knew he wanted to do.

Cara, who had moved to press her ear to the door, turned towards the couple again, a regretful expression on her face as she knew what they were going through. She knew, despite whatever happened after today, that they’d be needing a lot of healing.

“Group’s passed, but it sounds like there’s more coming. We should hide out here for a few more minutes until they pass.” She whispered to them. 

In the span of a second, Iella’s expression changed, the look of horror in her eyes turning deadly as the sick feeling inside her twisted into pure rage. She moved past Din who scrambled to grab onto her arm to stop her, but she pushed him away, striding towards the door purposefully.

Cara’s face twisted with disbelief, she’d never seen the quiet woman she knew look so determined before and she was left to stumble aside in shock as Iella pushed past her and swung the door open.

She stepped out into the hallway, ignoring the hushed and frantic whispers of Din behind her that begged her to get back in the room. The soldiers that were passing the room turned on their heels at the sound of the door opening behind them and they all faltered, their weapons falling from their raised positions slightly at the sight of her.

The famed assassin was back and they all took a moment to stare at their boss’ biggest project in shock. 

Before any of the soldiers could reign in their surprise, Iella was already moving, pulling knives from her belt and tossing them with deadly accuracy. 

It wasn’t until three of the soldiers in front of the crowd fell to the ground with knives in their throats that the rest finally moved into action, pointing their weapons at her.

Iella let out a yelp as she was thrown to the side, Din’s arms wrapped around her tightly, spinning them around so his armoured back took the brunt of the shots that fired at them. Her chest heaved with deep breaths, finally brought out of her shocked state to realize just what she had done, realizing the danger they were now in because of her and her recklessness.

Din spun on his heel, firing his blaster at the crowd rapidly, keeping his body in front of hers to protect her from the shots that came their way. He and Cara fired at the dwindling crowd of shoulders and he noticed an occasional knife thrown over his shoulder, Iella taking down soldier after soldier from behind him.

The chaos from the fight alerted the others on the base, having heard the sounds of blaster fire and screams of pain, and soon, more soldiers were racing towards them. 

Iella looked behind her, seeing more coming their way. She reached for her weapons, a knife held in each of her hands as she ran forward. She barely heard Din yell for her as she jumped on the back of the first man coming towards her, plunging her knife into his neck.

He had barely fallen to the ground before she was moving to the next man, slicing wildly as she moved swiftly through the crowd. Soldiers fell at her hand, wounds dropping them in the neck, stomach and thighs as she passed them like an invisible assassin.

The fight was deadly and she could feel the beginnings of a red film overtaking her eyes, that numbness that came with her deadly kills washing over her as her anger took over every one of her instincts.

She mowed through the crowd easily, barely acknowledging her growing tiredness. She didn’t feel it. The only thing she felt was vengeance coursing through her veins like blood.

Iella grunted as arms suddenly wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides. 

“We’ve been waiting for you.” The man who held her crooned in her ear, making her cringe and try to squirm away from him, but to no avail. 

Din, who was still firing off rapid shots and punching and kicking any soldier who got too close, turned on his heel, checking on Iella yet again and his stomach dropped, rage overtaking him as he saw her trapped in the grip of a man twice her size.

The man moved to place his knife against her throat and before the blade could even touch her skin, Din was on him like a wild animal, forcing him away from Iella and throwing him to the floor. Din plunged his own blade into the man’s chest, not even watching the satisfied view of him sputtering on his own blood as the life drained from him.

He moved to check on Iella, but she was no longer by his side. He stood straight, his head on a swivel as he searched for her through the chaos. 

He perked up, fear growing yet again as he saw her racing forward. 

The only thing on her mind was Voros, of finally ending him. The need for revenge clouded her judgement so thoroughly, she didn’t even wait for Din or Cara to follow as backup.

“Iella!” Din screamed for her and sprinted towards her, but she didn’t stop. 

She kicked open the door at the end of the hallway, storming inside and firing off shots as she did. 

Din was only steps away from the door when it suddenly slammed shut in his face and he crashed into it, shaking the handle frantically. It didn’t open and he could feel himself beginning to lose his cool.

“El?! Iella?!” He yelled frantically from the other side of the door.

Inside the room, Iella startled at the sound of the door slamming closed and she turned, glaring at the guards who had closed and locked it behind her, who kept Din from her. 

She could hear him pounding on the door, screaming for her, the terror in his voice making her heart flip with agony. He sounded so scared and it made her want to scream. 

She’d heard that tone from him all too often and she hated it.

“Hello, Darling.”

Her body tensed and she turned slowly, her chest rising and falling with panicked breaths as her eyes met the man she hated more than anything in the galaxy.

Voros smiled widely at her, the amusement in his eyes clear, like he was delighted by her presence. 

“I knew you’d come back to me.” 

~~

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[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

S.T. REWRITE - S2:E8; Chapter Eight, The Mind Flayer - [Pt. 4]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

An unlikely hero steps forward when a deadly development puts the Hawkins Lab on lockdown, trapping Will and several others inside.

||3rd Person POV||

Scattered amongst the Byers house, the group of survivors mill about, processing the newest development as a whole. The party occupies the dining table, aside from Y/n who has positioned herself on the floor by the end of the couch where her best friend and crush lay unconscious. She sits with her legs folded beneath her, and her body leaning against the arm of the couch, happy to be sitting down and letting her legs and feet properly rest for the first time all day. It didn't help her exhaustion much either that she was still processing the information that Hopper had given them on the drive over.

Her last conversation with Will runs over in her mind, and despite the taste of pain and rejection it leaves on her tongue, a strong pull in her gut tells her to be patient. It isn't really him. And more than anything, she knows she can't leave him again. Something deep inside her told her to be nearby.

Jonathan is beside her, kneeling at Will's side with one hand on his brother's arm and the other kindly stroking the hair away from Will's paled and clammy face. Nancy stands just to the side, a comforting hand on his shoulder and a pained look on her face. She can't help but feel a deep sympathetic ache in her heart, not only for the poor young boy caught in the middle of such a tremendous disaster but the visible toll it puts on his loved ones.

"Hey," Jonathan croaks to his unconscious brother. "Hey there, it's me. I'm sorry, bud. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I should have been here."

Y/n's watery e/c eyes move to Jonathan and she feels a large spike through her heart at his words. While she does not entirely understand where the two teenagers were during the past few days, she doesn't need to know for her to feel the weight of his words on her heart. She knows all too well the feeling, the overwhelming guilt, and regret that she hadn't stayed with him.

She should have known, or at the very least she should have come back. And had she never left, would she ever have had her trip with El? Once again she has to correct herself on her friend's name, Jane is what she went by now. Either way, the question brought too many unwanted scenarios flooding her mind, so she casts away the thoughts, focusing on the moment. Instead, Y/n's attention drifts to the Chief's agitated voice as he stomps anxiously back and forth, gripping the telephone.

"Sam Owens. Dr. Sam Owens,"

There's another beat of silence apart from the muffled and garbled voice on the other end.

"I don't know how many people are there," Hopper snaps. "I don't know how many people are left alive!"

A strained sigh leaves Steve's lungs and he folds his arms over his chest, continuing his pacing in the kitchen.

"I am the police!" The man barks back into the phone. "Chief Jim Hopper!"

Y/n's head lifts sluggishly off the arm of the couch, and she watches glumly as he tries to contact help. Though deep down she knows they are alone. He scoffs, shuffling back to the wall where the phone was mounted.

"Yes, the number that I gave you, yes... 6767... I will be here,"

Hopper slams the phone back onto the hook, and the shrill 'ding' of the phone fades out in the air. Dustin meets the man's eye, thinking the same thing as his sister.

"They didn't believe you, did they?"

"We'll see."

"'We'll see'?" Mike retorts. "We can't just sit here while those things are loose!"

"We stay here, and we wait for help," Hopper growled, his voice low. Hopper does not give Mike another chance to speak and he stalks off down the hall. Upon arrival, he had taken a headcount, and it didn't take long for him to realize they were now one head short. His instincts correctly lead him to the end of the hall, and he stops at the only closed door. Her door.

He knocks softly, and unsurprisingly, he receives no answer. Tentatively, he opens it, and it parts with a defining creak. His shoulders slump sadly at the sight of her, she sits on the end of her bed, draped in a knitted blanket and is staring numbly at the floor.

With a heavy heart, he lumbers across the room and takes a seat on the floor in front of her. He grunts softly as he settles in against the wooden dresser that presses into his spine. But he does not move, nor does he say a single word. He knows that there is nothing he can say to her that will fix anything, cause he knows, Hawkins lost a good man today.

His heart breaks for her as a weak and tired sob shakes her body. All he can do for her is be there, and as he does so he too can feel the tremendous loss Bob had left with them.

It was a loss that touched everyone that night. Once Hopper had ended the phone call and disappeared down the hall, not a single person spoke. The entire house was bathed in a heavy silence that weighed down their hearts and dimmed all hope. Not so much the loss of a good man, but the crushing reality of the situation they all now face. No matter the terrors that Will and the others had faced the previous year, as horrible as they were, were dwarfed in comparison to the grim truth.

No one was safe now.

Mike tore his eyes away from the table he sat at, his mind playing back the short amount of time he had spent with Bob. His eyes were pulled along the walls as they traced the puzzle of tunnels the man had helped them solve just hours ago. His eyes took him across the room to one of many locations they had mapped out, the Eno River that ran just past Y/n by the couch. His gaze halted when he saw her, she was now at Will's side, still slumped over with her weight against the couch and her eyes numbly grazing over Will, making sure he was okay.

He tried his hardest to brush away the ache in his chest as he saw the way she looked at Will. Not out of jealously for her or her affection, but it reminded him all too well of the night he last saw El. Just before she vanished with the Demogorgan, when he stayed by her side, hiding her away from the danger for as long as he could. The look on Y/n's face, the worry her eyes held, and her loyalty to the one she cared so deeply for was not something foreign to Mike.

It was an expression he wore several times in the week El had been apart of his life. And it was the overall fear and dedication he felt towards her when the bad men almost got her. How ill she had become, the turmoil and strain that she had been subjected to her entire life, and then some just to save him. The longing he felt just for her to be okay. And it was this longing he saw between Y/n and Will, and now more than ever he wished El was with him. She would understand.

Finally, Mike looks away, unable to dwell on the sight much longer. That's when he spots the forgotten pile of puzzles Bob had brought for Will. He feels another painful prick of sadness at the sight; the remains of one of countless good gestures.

He rises to his feet and trudges towards the pile of puzzles, limply picking up the blue plastic Soma cube. A sullen look crosses his face as he stares at it, thinking back to the conversation from the previous day.

"Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV?"

Lucas picks up his head, as does the rest of the founding Party. "Really?"

"He petitioned the school to start it and everything. Then he had a fund-raiser for equipment." He looked to Dustin, in particular. "Mr. Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?"

Choruses of agreement rippled through the party, and Mike returned to the table with the puzzle in hand.

"We can't let him die in vain."

Y/n's gaze breaks away from Mike and her friends, returning one last time to Will's sleeping form. She rises to stand on her knees, keeping one ear on the conversation as she hesitates to leave.

"Well, what do you want to do, Mike?" Dustin asks pointedly. "The Chief's right on this."

Y/n's hand falls on Will's hand out of reflex, signaling to him with a single squeeze that she had to leave, but she'd be nearby. He does not react immediately in his unconscious state, but his hand under hers begins to twitch, trying to pull away. She frowns at this, a strong sense of déjà vu washing over her though this time she does not jump back. Instead, she pulls her hand away, and rises to her feet, a spark of interest in her eyes as pieces begin to fall into place.

"We can't stop those Demodogs on our own." Dustin finishes.

"Demodogs?" Max asked, less than impressed.

Dustin looks around at his friends expectantly, disappointed in their lack of enthusiasm for the nickname. A look that was not lost even on his own sister that had joined the table, standing next to Mike.

"Demogorgan, dogs," he explained with both hands, pushing them together so his palms met. "Demodogs. It's like a compound. A play on words-"

"Okay," Max conceded.

"I mean, when it was just Dart, totally," He gestured to Y/n briefly. "But there's an army now. We don't stand a chance, not even with Y/n."

The group, including Steve, nods in agreement, aside from Mike whose brow molded into a confused frown. "Wait, say that again?"

Y/n was once again reminded of the secret she was forced to harbor, and winces involuntarily knowing she has to avoid telling him. Quickly, her mind jumps to Darts escape only days ago.

"Remember what happened when Dart got loose? What I accidentally did?" She asks, breaking her silence since her arrival.

His mind flashes to that day, a flicker of confusion contorts his face before it settles on a look of intrigue. "You mean, that weird thing you did with your hands?"

A dry laugh leaves her throat and she nods. "Yeah, you could say that. Point is, I've... gotten some practice at it."

"Yeah, man," Lucas cuts in, fighting back an impressed smile. "You should have seen it, she fought off a couple of those things,"

"Demodogs," Dustin mumbled, earning an annoyed glare from his friend. "Whatever man, it doesn't matter. What matters is how we defeat an entire army of... Demodogs."

"His army," Mike mumbles, something clicking in his mind.

"Huh?" Y/n asks.

"What do you mean?" Steve asks, pushing himself off the fridge he was previously leaning on.

Mike meets the older boys' eye, excitement growing in his demeanor as it all began to fall into place.

"His army," Mike repeats, raising several brows. "Maybe if we stop him, we can stop his army, too."

Without a word, he turns and marches down the hall towards Will's room; the last place he saw the drawing. The rest curiously follow, and Mike thrusts the drawing into Dustin's hands, the others circle him to catch a glimpse. An icy chill runs down Y/n's spine when she recognizes the drawing from her last visit.

"The shadow monster," Dustin murmurs.

Mike nods. "It got Will that day on the field. The doctor said it was like a virus, and it infected him."

Max nods along, her brows knitted together in thought. "And so this virus, it's what's connecting him to the tunnels?"

"To the tunnels, to the monsters, to the Upside Down, to everything."

"'Kay, woah, woah, woah," Steve urges, taking the paper from Dustin to examine it. "Slow down, slow down,"

"Okay, so, the shadow monster's inside Will," Mike explains. "And if the vines feel something like pain, then so does Will."

"And so does Dart," Lucas adds.

"Yeah, it's like what Mr. Clarke taught us. The hive mind."

"Hive mind?" Steve asks.

"It's some sort of collective conscious," Y/n answers.

Dustin nods eagerly, finishing her thought. "Basically, it's this super-organism."

"And this is the thing that controls everything," Mike says, pointing to the monster in Will's drawing. "It's the brain."

Dustin becomes entranced at the creature, his eyes stretching wide as he recalls something. "Like the Mind Flayer,"

Lucas snaps his fingers suddenly, his eyes widening as large as Dustins and they share a knowing fearful look. A grave look befalls the original members of the party, recognizing the evil creature they had fought on so few campaigns. It was damn hard to fight, and near impossible to defeat with no casualties. It was their greatest challenge.

Steve and Max wear a similar frown, speaking simultaneously, completely lost. "What?"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Will's D&D handbook is thrown into the center of the kitchen table, creating a loud 'thwack' as the hardcover meets the surface. In the center of the pages is an illustration of the cloaked figure with an angled head. It had large beady eyes and where the mouth should be, were several long tentacles, not unlike Will's drawing.

"The Mind Flayer,"

Dustin looks around the table, addressing the group. Everyone was now gathered together in the kitchen, aside from Joyce.

"The hell is that?" Hopper asked tiredly.

"It's a monster from an unknown dimension. It's so ancient that it doesn't even know it's true home. Okay, it enslaves races from other dimensions by taking over their brain with its highly developed psionic powers."

The Chief lets out a heavy sigh.

"Oh my god," he grumbles, gesturing to the open book on the table. "This isn't real, this is a kids game."

"N-No, it-it's a manual," Dustin defends. "And it's not pretend. And unless you know something we don't, this is the best metaphor."

"Analogy," Lucas corrects.

"Analogy?" Dustin fires back. "That's what you're worried about right now?"

"Hypocrite," Y/n mumbles.

"-Okay, fine! It's an analogy for understanding whatever the hell this thing is." Dustin continues, unware of his sister's criticism.

Nancy shakes her head from beside Dustin, dismissing the argument and she leans down to examine the book.

"Okay, okay, so this Mind Flamer thing--"

"-Flayer. Mind Flayer." Dustin corrects irritably.

Nancy wears a similar expression and fights an eye roll as she moves on.

"-What does it want?"

"To conquer us, basically. It believes it's the master race."

"Oh, uh," Steve motions for the lost word on his tongue as he makes a connection. "Like, uh, like the Germans!"

Steve receives a room full of vexed expressions. To his right, Dustin looks at him blind-sighted.

"Uh, the Nazis?"

Embarrassed, Steve nods. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, uh, the Nazis."

"Uh, if the Nazis were from another dimension, totally."

Unbeknownst to the rest of the circle, Hopper turns away in disbelief and overwhelmed with great annoyance. He sighs, beginning to rub his eyes, completely exasperated as Dustin continues.

"Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself."

"It wants to spread and take over other dimensions," Mike adds.

Y/n looks around the table, specifically at those unfamiliar with the beast. "And it won't stop until it gets exactly what it wants, it's relentless."

Lucas nods. "We are talking about the destruction of our world as we know it."

"That's great," Steve sighs, turning away to pace as he continues mumbling to himself. "that's great, that's really great. Jesus!"

Nancy leans forward once more to examine the page, before picking up the manual. "Okay, so, if this thing is like, a brain that's controlling everything, then if we kill it-"

"We kill everything it controls." Mike finishes.

"We win," Dustin nods.

"Theoretically," Lucas reminds them.

Hopper steps forward, taking the book from Nancy, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Great, so how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?"

Dustin suppresses a laugh and shakes his head. "No. No, no fire-- No fireballs. Uh, you summon an undead army, uh-"

Dustin's excited demeanor falters when he sees the Chief's agitated gaze, and instead stutters through.

"because- uh, because the zombies... you know, uh, don't have brains, an-and the Mind Flayer, it uh, it... likes brains."

Hopper has already closed the book, and Nancy only dawns a perplexed look. Trying to ease the Chief's temper, he shakes his head and shrugs it off.

"It's just a game," Dustin shrugs, meekly.

THUD

Hopper threw the book back down on the table in his anger, turning away.

"The hell are we doing here?" He grumbles to himself.

"I thought we were waiting for your military backup?" He calls after him.

"We are!"

"Even if they come, how are they gonna stop this?" Mike points out. "You can't just shoot this with guns."

"You don't know that! We don't know anything!"

"We know it's already killed everything in that lab-!"

"And we know the monsters are gonna molt again!" Lucas defends.

"And we know that it's only a matter of time before the tunnels spread pass the edge town." Dustin proclaims.

Finally, Y/n jumps in, feeling a swell of confidence. "And we also know that Will is the only host, which means we have to find a way to get the Mind Flayer out of him without killing him. Guns definitely won't accomplish that."

"They're right," a soft broken voice cuts in from the hallway.

Everyone turns to find Joyce, her voice is strained and her eyes are puffy from crying.

"We have to kill it... I want to kill it."

Hopper steps toward her, concerned.

"Me too," Hopper agrees, his voice immediately softer. "Me too, Joyce, okay? But how do we do that? We don't exactly know what we're dealing with here.

"No, we don't," Y/n agrees, a hint of hope in her voice. "But he does."

Everyone watches as Y/n returns to the edge of the living room, her gaze fixed on the small boy on the couch. Her e/c eyes grow soft momentarily at what she sees. She knows the Mind Flayer has almost completely taken over, but deep in sleep, all that's left is Will. Her best friend, the boy who always treated her with such kindness. The boy who had invited her in, the boy who had won her a duck at the arcade just cause she admired it in passing. The boy who never wanted to hurt a soul, and would do anything for the ones he cared for.

"If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's him." She looks over her shoulder at Hopper briefly. "We also know that Will has a connection to it. He sees what it sees, and he knows what it knows. He'll know how to defeat him."

"I thought we couldn't trust him anymore?" Max asks. "That he's a spy for the Mind Flayer?"

Y/n shakes her head thoughtfully.

"Not necessarily," she mumbles, growing more excited as a plan begins to form. "Not if we find a way to confuse the Mind Flayer. He won't be able to spy-"

The same thought crosses Mike's mind and he brightens happily, meeting Y/n's eye. "-if he doesn't know where he is!"

Y/n smiles excitedly and nods.

"Exactly."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Please do not stop fighting for Black Lives! Here is a list of links that I encourage you to explore. As always, links will be in the comments which can be accessed if you are on a computer, OR if you are on mobile, should work so long as you are logged in through the website, not the app. Thank you!

Looking for resources such as books, tv, movies etc to help educate yourself but have limited/none access to obtaining them? Thanks to @ thechekhov   on tumblr for providing such links, there are plenty of other ways to educate ourselves.

1. Netflix released 13th and is now available on YouTube for free!

[link] 2. YouTube also houses plenty of other educational videos. For instance, a 20 minute video on the racial wealth gap

[link] 3. They also recommend googling specifically free anti-racism resources. Podcasts can be one of many such resources. Here is just one such article with a multitude of such resources

[link] HOW TO PROPERLY PROTECT PROTESTORS: I'll still post the link to the video just incase you might need a visual but essentially, it is not enough to blur faces before posting. According to the video, the police do have the tech to unblur and get past this. Instead, download any app that allows you to paste text, specifically emojis, over the picture. Snapchat is a good one. Place the large black square emoji [⬛] over protestors faces AND THEN SCREENSHOT SO IT IS ALL ONE LAYER. Saving as is is not enough as it is still counted as layers. If you post anything from protests make SURE to do this since police are tracking people by photographs and videos.

[link]

Granted, I do not know how credible this is but it is SO worth it to be safe than sorry. I love you guys, and please stay safe 💕💕💕

+++

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[is0gild]

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 24

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 7,564

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

When I awoke, Mother was gone. It made sense, seeing as how daylight was streaming in through the bedroom window now and I could hardly have expected her to stay all night with me. She'd probably left not too long after I'd nodded off.

Part of me wondered if she had ever really been there in the first place or if I had simply dreamed the whole thing up. It'd all just been so weird. Mother hadn't been that… well, motherly towards me in over a decade. It was a long lost part of our relationship that I'd dearly missed, so I wouldn't have put it past my subconscious mind to cook something like that up while I was dreaming especially now that I was back in my childhood bedroom where such old memories could be sparked. But no, I was still in my dress I'd worn for dinner yesterday evening and I wouldn't have gone to bed without changing first, not unless Mother had actually been here.

But that still begged the question: why her sudden and unexpected change in behavior after all this time?

Maybe… it had something to do with the wedding? Maybe me running out on it and disappearing for weeks without a word had taken its toll on her even more so than I'd ever realized? If so, then her little visit last night had probably just been a… a moment of weakness, and a fleeting one at that. Why else would she have waited until we were away from Father's and Grandfather's prying eyes? Once we were back around them, not to mention the rest of the family, her usual mask would probably be firmly back in place again. She would be prim and proper, cold and reserved, just like she'd been for years now and it would be like those precious few moments last night had never happened.

...or maybe I was being overly pessimistic. Maybe now I had an ally in Mother where I'd previously thought to have had none. Maybe The Talk™ tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as I feared, not if I had her and Anna on my side.

But honestly, who knew? Who ever knew anything really when it came to my family? I certainly didn't. Not anymore. Not for a long time.

All I could do was wait and see and hope the anxiety didn't murder me in the meantime.

I climbed out of bed, grimacing at my reflection in the vanity mirror, at what a rumpled mess my dress had become overnight. This was the second time this week I'd slept in a garment that wasn't meant to be slept in. This was dangerously on the verge of forming into a habit. I really needed to stop. Sighing, I started walking towards my luggage so I could dig out something fresh to wear. However, I was halted in my tracks by a knock at my door.

I hesitated in answering it, giving my appearance another once over in the mirror.

This time, my reflection responded with a wrinkle of her nose.

Ugh, everyone's a critic.

Ah well, there was nothing for it. No amount of hand smoothing would make this dress fit to be seen and I wasn't about to make whoever it was wait for me to change. Tossing my frazzled braid back over my shoulder, I moved towards the door and opened it just wide enough for me to poke a head out.

"Mornin', El!" Lea beamed down at me, looking far more presentable than I on day two of his whole rebel-without-a-cause aesthetic he had going on.

I smiled back with a soft, "Good morning."

Dipping into a bow, he swept a hand out to one side, "I've come to escort thee to breakfast forthwith, m'lady."

"My my, we'll make a gentleman out of you yet," I hummed a chuckle.

He scoffed with a big theatrical sniff. "My word, I say, perish the fucking thought!"

"Shoot, you were this close," I snorted with a shake of my head. "Just give me a quick minute to change."

Before I could shut the door however, he stopped me with his hand lightly snagging mine. "But why? You already look as gorgeous as ever this morning."

I stubbornly ignored the tiny flutter I felt inside my ribcage. Didn't he realize it was a bit silly to be pulling the whole googly-eyed boyfriend routine when it was just the two of us? Maybe he was just getting into character early before we went down into the dining room. I rolled my eyes, "Oh yeah, gorgeous enough to make Mother pale, Father choke, and Grandfather faint."

Smirking, Lea said, "All I'm hearing are a ton of pros and a whole lotta nada for the cons column."

My eyelids drooped but before I could reply, there was a sudden shout from down the hall, "Ah-ha! There you are!" A blur zoomed towards us, attaching itself to Lea's arm.

Or rather, herself, seeing as how it was Anna.

So… the prodigal sister had at last graced me with her presence.

"I thought I might find you here," she grinned up at Lea, who just blinked down at her in response. Then she directed that grin my way, "Hi, Sis! Bye, Sis! Alright, big guy, let's go!" She charged off once more, dragging Lea with her. Or rather… she tried to anyway. But I imagine Lea could be quite the anchor when he didn't want to move, so instead the hold she had on his elbow ended up snapping her back like a rubberband.

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "What's the rush, Anna?"

"Yeah, short stuff, where's the fire?" Lea asked.

"We gotta get you ready!" Again, she gave another tug of his arm.

Again, he didn't budge. "For…?"

"For a beautiful day out on the water," she stated as if it were obvious. We both stared at her blankly and she huffed. "We're going yachting!"

Both eyebrows shot up Lea's forehead. "We? As in you and me?"

"And Elsa," she added, stomping over to Lea's other side and pressing her shoulder into his arm, trying to shove him into moving. It was kind of like watching a chihuahua attempt to out muscle a great dane. Just as effective too. Panting from the exertion, she tacked on, "And Maren and Ryder too."

"Oh, okay," Lea nodded, then frowned. "...and Maren and Ryder would be?"

"Our cousins," I said before furrowing my brow at Anna. "Wait, they're here? Since when?"

"Since an hour ago," she grunted, still pushing all her weight against Lea and getting nowhere, her feet sliding and scraping against the carpet. "Auntie Yelena showed up early with them. Now Mom and Dad want to shoo us young'uns out of the house so we won't be in the way while this whole place is turned upside down by party prep chaos. So," she paused, red-faced and puffing for breath before brightening, "figured we could take Daddy's yacht out for a lil spin!"

Lea cocked his head, "Still don't get why you're trying t- oof, hey now!" David (aka Anna) had managed to catch Goliath (aka Lea) off guard by ramming her shoulder into his side, forcing him to stagger a step. "-why you're trynta kidnap me," he finished in a grumble.

Stepping back from him, she crossed her arms and fixed him with a dull stare. "...did you pack swim shorts?"

"Well no, but I didn't know we were gonna-"

"Exactly!" she cried triumphantly, latching onto his elbow once more. "So we're gonna go borrow you some from Ryder!"

"You coulda just said that in the firs-" his words were swallowed in a yelp as she suddenly bolted, this time managing to haul Lea tripping and stumbling behind her.

"Be ready to go in fifteen minutes, Sis! Meet us in the driveway! See ya there!" Anna's voice echoed down the corridor back towards me in their wake.

I called after her, "But breakfast-"

"We'll pick something up on the way!"

...she was still acting so very strange.

Sure, she was always a ball of energy, but normally she'd let me talk more than that before making a break for it. It'd almost felt like she couldn't get away from me fast enough. I knew she'd been in a hurry, but getting Lea seaworthy hardly called for the state of emergency she was making it out to be.

Now more than ever, I was determined to get to the bottom of her odd behavior. Luckily for me, Anna had slipped up and made the error of trapping us on a boat together for the next several hours. And even if said boat was a yacht, there still weren't exactly a lot of places for her to hide from me on it.

She couldn't possibly keep avoiding me there.

My mistake.

Anna very well could keep avoiding me here and in fact had been doing so successfully for the past hour. It was not a matter of whether or not she had places to hide so much as she just never seemed to stay still for more than ten seconds. She'd always kind of been the cartoon Tasmanian Devil given human form, but now she was that on friggin' steroids. Just a constant whirl of chaos that was always on the move.

"I'm flying, Jack!"

Then, of course, there was the fact that I had to put up with this dork.

I hung my head with a sigh from my position behind Lea, my hands gingerly holding his hips as he stood proudly at the bow of the yacht with his arms spread out wide to either side of him. "You know, this wasn't exactly what I had pictured when you said you wanted to reenact that one scene from Titanic."

He glanced over his shoulder at me with a toothy grin. "You wanna swapsies? I can let you be Rose for a bit!"

"...I'm good, thanks."

"Suit yourself! You're seriously missing out though," he shrugged, stepping down off the raised rim of the boat and onto the cushioned bench seating, using it like a staircase to get himself to the floor. The salty breeze played with his shirt on his way down - a very loose short-sleeved button-up that only had one button fastened in the middle, so peeks at his muscled torso were not uncommon and could be rather, hrm… distracting. The swim trunks he'd borrowed from my cousin were just shy of his knees and were a deep red with black silhouettes like palm trees at sunset.

His flip-flops hit the deck and he spun around, offering me a hand to help me down as well. Smiling my thanks, I gripped the wide brim of my beach hat with one hand while the other took his. My strappy sandals landed on the hardwood beside him, careful not to step on the hem of my long, strapless cover-up dress made of a thin, billowy white fabric that barely hinted at the blue two-piece I wore underneath it. It was a beachwear ensemble I'd left behind at my parents' home years ago. A good thing too since like Lea, I hadn't exactly planned for a yacht outing when packing my bags for this weekend.

"So," Lea chirped as he released my hand, "now that we've gotten that important and thoroughly pressing bit o' business outta the way, what's next on our lil agenda?"

My lips pursed to one side before I decided, "Let's try and find Anna."

Though there was really no try about it. Finding her wasn't the hard part. Getting her to stay and actually talk to me was. Still, I was on a mission!

Mission Make Anna Open Up About Whatever The Heck Her Problem With Me Is.

...I really needed to get better at naming these things.

As I turned to give a quick glance around the yacht, first person I spotted was Maren - short for Honeymaren, but she hated the name with a bloody passion and did her best to bury that info in the hopes that it would never again see the light of day. She stood not far off next to the ship's mini bar under the shade of the awning. Her dark hair was pulled back into a braid and she was sporting a purple swimsuit with a matching sarong.

The thing that stood out most however were the cheap, plastic star-shaped sunglasses currently perched on the bridge of her nose. They were particularly eye catching given that, one, she hadn't had them on a moment ago and, two, they were probably just about the last things one would expect to see her wearing. She seemed just as surprised to discover them on her face as I was, given the way she removed and squinted at them with a bemused smirk.

I could hear Lea's flip-flopping footsteps following behind me as I walked towards her. Arching an eyebrow, I pointed at the things, "Where'd those come from?"

"Ask Lil Miss Sunglasses Fairy over there," she laughed, popping them back on before jerking a thumb over her shoulder towards the helm. There Ryder stood manning the steering wheel in his yellow, turtle-print trunks, the sunlight gleaming off his short black hair. It looked like he too had recently received a visit from this so-called Sunglasses Fairy, for he was now (quite bewilderedly) modeling a pair of shades with big, cartoony red lips for frames.

Ah, and here the Sunglasses Fairy herself came now, her auburn pigtail braids flapping wildly about as she skipped towards us in her bright green bikini and boyshorts. Not to be left out of the latest fashion trend of her own making, Anna had on a pair herself shaped like flowers. And in her hands were-

"For you, oh dearest Sis of mine, I've saved the best for last!" she happily declared, sliding the shades with neon pink heart lenses onto my nose.

Joy.

Lea looked down at me and snerked, biting back a grin.

Boy didn't know how close he was to getting his arm pinched for such impudence.

Anna gave a small pout, "Sorry, Lea, but I only have four."

"No problemo. El and I can just share," he chuckled, stealing mine and donning them himself, waggling his eyebrows at me as he leaned back and propped his elbows against the boat railing.

Ugh, I wasn't sure what was more annoying: that he actually looked pretty good in them or the fact that he knew it and was being smug about it.

"Charming," I deadpanned before looking back at Anna. "Where'd you even get these silly things from?"

"Oh, I bought them all ages ago from one of those shack shops by the dock," she tossed a hand back towards the shoreline. "I've been keeping them hidden away for a special occasion."

My head tipped to one side. "...and that special occasion would be?"

She tapped a finger to her chin, "Hmm… Ah! National Fun In The Sun Day, of course!"

I gave her a flat look. "That is neither national nor an actual holiday."

"Is too!" Her chest puffed up as she planted her fists on her hips, "I'm the captain of this here dinghy and what the captain says, goes!"

"You can't just make up holidays, that's not how captains work," I crossed my arms.

"Yeah-huh! I'm the captain and I say so!"

"But-" I stopped myself, pinching the bridge of my nose. Just let it go, Elsa, otherwise we'll just keep going around in circles like this all day. "Nevermind. I was hoping, Captain, that maybe you and I could have a minute to-"

"Move over, Ryder! It's my turn to steer!"

Annnnd off she zipped again.

I had half a mind to chase after her but with the way things were going, I feared she might swan dive off the side of the yacht just to get away from me.

"What's wrong, El?" Lea frowned before taking off the heart shades and offering them to me. "Want these back? I hear rose-colored glasses make everything better."

I mustered a weak smile at that, arms hugging myself as I leaned back against the metal rail beside him and muttered, "Thanks but no thanks."

Perching the sunglasses atop his head now, he asked, "Seriously, why the long face?"

"...it's Anna," I grimaced, reaching for a tendril of my ponytail to twist between my fingers as I watched Ryder join his sister at the mini bar. They were just barely out of earshot so I couldn't hear whatever they were laughing and shaking their heads over. "She's mad at me or… something, I don't know. All I know is she won't talk to me, not really. Every time I try, something always comes up and she runs off."

Lea glanced towards where Anna stood valiantly at the helm, one hand holding the steering wheel steady while the other shielded her eyes against the sun. "Huh… now that ya mention it, it does seem like she's been avoiding you, doesn't it?"

"You've noticed it too?" So it wasn't all just in my head. Not sure if that made me feel better or worse.

"Maybe a lil," he nodded. Pushing himself off the rail, he turned to stand in front of me now. "But mad? Nah, I don't think so. She seems far too chipper for that." Lea rubbed a curled finger to his chin, "Maybe she's actually sad about something but doesn't wanna worry you so is just… trying to put on a brave front? Or she could have something important she wants to talk to you about but is too scared?"

"But that's ridiculous, Anna knows she can always talk to me about anyth-"

"Hard to starboard!" came a sudden shout from my sister before she jerked the wheel into a spin.

The yacht whipped around in a sharp turn, throwing Lea into a stumble towards me. I gasped, bringing up a hand to stop him while turning my head away and squeezing my eyes shut, waiting for impact.

But it never came.

Cracking open one eyelid then the other, I discovered he'd managed to catch himself by grabbing the railing to either side of me.

"Whew!" he grinned, looming mere inches over me, "That was close!"

...wait… my hand was still raised… and touching… something…

I slowly, reluctantly lowered my gaze towards it.

Only to have my face all but burst into flames and practically blast steam out of my ears.

For behold! There, my hand, in all its brazen glory, had found its way into Lea's unbuttoned shirt and that was without a doubt a big, heaping helping of man boob it was groping right now.

...very nice, delightfully sculpted man boob. Firm yet… soft, somehow? No, soft wasn't the right word… ah, supple! Yes, that was what I-

Now was not the time to be debating word choice!

Not while my friggin' hand was still on his bare friggin' chest.

Gah, what was wrong with me?! I really needed to stop sexually harassing the guy who had zero interest in dating at the moment!

Okay, remain calm, Elsa. Maybe he hasn't even noticed it yet. Maybe if I just discreetly removed it, he'd never even have to know it'd been there in the first place. Alright, easy does it… careful now, just take it one small step at a time… first lift the palm off… okay, good! Now the thumb… perfect. And up goes the pinky… then the next one… and the next… just the index finger to go-

Oh. My. God. Did I just goddamn trail my fingertip down his skin?! Pretty sure I'd trailed it. No, not trailed, I'd caressed! Caressed! Great. Just dandy! If he hadn't realized where my hand was before, he sure as hell knew now!

My eyes shifted about desperately.

Oh, this was uncomfortable. Quick! Do something to make it less awkward!

I looked him dead in the eye, brought up my hand and poked him in the nose with a tiny, "Boop!"

Nailed it.

Lea blinked. Then he gave a little snort, one corner of his lips curling up. "What was that?"

A clever and artful distraction, duh. One that was clearly working too, so ha!

"What do you mean, what was that?" I mumbled, hitching my chin and averting my gaze. "It was a nose boop, what else?"

His grin twitched wider. "Well, yeah, I could see that. What I meant was why?"

I couldn't help but notice he was still really close. That he still hadn't let go of the railing yet, keeping me trapped between his body and it. Clearing my throat, I said defensively, "You just have a very… boopable nose, is all."

"...is that so?" he murmured, eyes crinkling as he pressed his forehead to mine.

Dear lord, his rent-a-boyfriend act would be the death of me.

"Yo! Elsa!"

Thank goodness! Cousins to the rescue!

Closing his eyes, Lea exhaled softly before spinning around and shifting over to rest back against the steel rails beside me once more just as the two of them approached us. "Is it true?" Ryder asked excitedly, eyes bright behind the lip-glasses he'd yet to take off as he stirred his mimosa. "Do you really sell mall ice cream now?"

I winced slightly. "Oh… you know about that?"

"Avast ye landlubbers!" Anna's voice rang out again as she continued to pilot the yacht. "Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!"

"You kidding?" Maren snerked, taking a sip of her bloody mary and ignoring my sister. "Once the Duke found out, the whole family found out. You know how that old coot loves to run his mouth to anyone who'll listen."

"So it is true!" Ryder beamed. "At an Ice Palace, right? The place with that kickass reindeer mascot?"

"Um…" I furrowed my brow. He seemed oddly enthusiastic about this. "...yes?"

He pumped a fist, "Awesome! Love the place! Their ice cream is so good and all their commercials are hilarious! Have you seen their new one with all the reindeer singing a frigging rock ballad?"

Even with the star-shades, Maren's eye roll was plain as day. "You and your strange obsession with reindeer."

"What? They're cute!"

"Whatever, I just can't with you right now," she held up a hand in his face as she took a sip from her drink, looking at me again. "Seriously though, you ran out on your wedding, on your whole sweet cushy life… just so you could sell ice cream?"

"Land ho! Thar she blows!" Anna again.

Holding onto my hat so it wouldn't blow away as the wind picked up, I frowned. "Well… that wasn't exactly why I left…"

"But that's what you did," she insisted, eyebrows lifting with her tiny grin. "Do you even know about all the chaos that erupted after you turned up missing?"

I swallowed hard. I could feel Lea's fingers fiddling with a lock of my ponytail, but I hardly noticed it as I bit down on my bottom lip and shook my head. "Was it bad?"

"Aw man, the whole place went nuts after you pulled your vanishing act! You shoulda been there!" Ryder laughed before squinting skyward. "Although… I guess if you had been there, none of it would have happened." He shrugged, taking a big swig of his mimosa. "Anyway, it was wild! Our family was yelling, his family was yelling, a flower girl was bawling, the giant ice swan sculpture got knocked over and shattered into a bajillion pieces, a bridesmaid punched a groomsman, the-"

"Wait," I interrupted him, my eyebrows knit together as my gaze shifted over to Maren. Besides Anna, who'd been my maid of honor… "Weren't you my only bridesmaid?"

She smirked, lazily lifting a shoulder before letting it fall. "What can I say? I live for anarchy."

"Batten down the hatches! Swab the deck or it's straight to Davy Jones' locker with the lot of you!" It seemed Anna was really getting into character now.

"The butterflies," Ryder eagerly jumped back into the conversation right where he'd left off, "were released on accident at the same time the doves somehow got free as well and, oh man, the carnage! It was epic!"

My hands were fidgeting with each other. I had no idea when they'd started. My chest was beginning to burn and constrict.

"I still can't believe it," Maren wrinkled her nose in glee, chewing on her straw. "You ditching a guy at the altar. You, of all people. You've always been such a goody-goody. So well-behaved, so polite, so disgustingly perfect. Just goes to show you, I guess… it's always the sweet, innocent, quiet ones who'll surprise you."

Fidget, fidget, fidget.

It was getting harder to breathe.

"A total bloodbath!" Ryder was still going. "I mean, did you even know doves ate butterflies? Cuz I didn't! But those poor little guys never even stood a chance! Tiny insect guts were flying everywhere! Seriously... Best. Wedding. Ever."

"Heh-hey!" Lea suddenly piped up. "Are all these swimsuits just for show or we gonna," he clicked his tongue, jerking a thumb towards the water, "dive on in?"

He was taking the attention off me. I shot him a grateful if somewhat shaky smile. His arm slipped around my shoulders, giving them a small, reassuring squeeze as he rested his cheek against my hair.

"Please," Maren sniggered, "like we'd actually swim in the lake."

"Watch and learn, dude," Ryder grinned as he moved over to the plush seating that circled the edge of the ship's bow and pushed a button on a panel behind its backrest. The massive, seemingly decorative circle that was etched into the center of the foredeck began to hum and slide under the rest of the floor, revealing the hot tub underneath. Striking up a finger, Ryder then pushed a second button, this one turning on the jets.

"Ooo," Lea nodded in appreciation, "a jacuzzi that appears as if by magic. My my, how the other half lives." Then he huffed out a snort through his nose, "Leave it to the rich to find a way to take a soak in the middle of a lake without actually having to get in the lake."

Ryder scrunched up his face, "Lake water's gross."

Pointing at the hot tub, Lea said, "You do realize the more people get in that thing, the more it's just a boiling vat of human juices, right?"

"Thanks for that," Maren gave a mock gag before tossing her chin towards the edge of the boat. "What're you waiting for then? Lake's right there and all yours, Stretch."

"No thanks," leaving my side, Lea walked over to the ledge of the jacuzzi to dip a toe in. "Bring on the person stew! 'Sides, not every day I get to hop into a yacht hot tub. Wouldn't wanna miss out."

Setting his now empty glass down, Ryder said, "Not every day you get to steer the yacht either. Whaddya say, my man, want to give it a go?" He pointed towards the helm.

As if on cue, Anna bellowed, "Ready the cannons, ye scallywags, lest we be dead in the water!"

Lea gave me a quick glance and I shrugged. He scratched the back of his head, "Uh… sure! Why not? Be right back, boo!" He planted a swift peck to my forehead before transferring his pink sunglasses back to my nose. "If ya need me, just shoot me the heart-eyes with these and me n' my boopable nose'll come running."

I huffed and shoved his shoulder, "Just try not to crash us into anything." Fighting the upward tug I felt at one side of my mouth, I added more quietly, "Have fun."

"Always do," he winked before turning to follow Ryder towards the stairs that lead to the upper deck.

"Shall we?" Maren then asked, tossing her sarong to the bench as she stepped down into the hot tub.

I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder. Normally, I wasn't self-conscious about being seen in my swimsuit. But then, normally only people who were related to me ever saw me in it. The one exception there of course being my ex, but I'd never been awkward about it in front of him either. I'd never really been… anything about it. But now, oddly the idea of Lea seeing me in my swimsuit, it just… well, I don't know… did weird things to my pulse and made my skin tingle. It wasn't a bad feeling, per se… I wasn't quite sure what it was really.

In any case, the boys looked to be engrossed in a heated debate with Anna currently. It seemed the self-proclaimed captain wasn't quite ready to give up her post at the wheel yet. None of those three were even looking this way.

"...alright," I said at last, slipping out of my cover-up and letting it fall to the deck. Putting my hat down on top of the small pile of fabric as well, I lowered one foot in into the water, followed by the other before hastily taking a seat, letting the bubbling warmth engulf me up to my shoulders.

Stretching and luxuriating in the jacuzzi, Maren's glass dangled between her fingertips as she idly swirled about what was left of her bloody mary inside it. "I can see why you did it."

A crease formed between my eyebrows as I gave her a sideward glance. "Did what?"

"Got the hell outta Dodge before the first note of Here Comes the Bride could even chime out the organ," she smirked, sticking the straw into the corner of her mouth.

My lips pinched. "I thought you'd already established it was to sell ice cream," I grumbled, lifting the sunglasses to sit atop my hair now since the absurd heart lenses were already fogging over from all the steam.

She gave an amused scoff, setting her empty glass down on the rim of the hot tub. "I said that's what you did, but we both know that wasn't why. Not unless ice cream is roughly six foot seven, has green eyes to die for, and is rocking a smokin' hot bod."

"Oh…" I cleared my throat. Was my face turning red? Psh, that was just the jacuzzi. I think heat was cranked up a little too high in here, in fact. Yeah, that had to be it. I laughed nervously, "What can say I? He just, er… stole my heart."

Atta girl, way to sell the lie.

...that... was a lie… right?

What am I saying, of course it was! All I had was a crush. A simple, meaningless crush, nothing more.

Anna had finally retreated to the mini bar where she was sulking as she mixed herself a drink, so Ryder had set Lea up at the wheel, who was nodding at everything he was told. Maren removed her star-shades, gently biting down on one of the earpieces as her eyes drifted towards the helm. I wasn't particularly a fan of that sly little curve to her lips as she watched him. "Mmm, I bet that's not all he stole."

A small, incredulous splutter escaped me. "Maren," I scolded, splashing some water at her.

She snerked. "All I'm saying is I don't blame you. I myself would've given up a Prince Charming fiancé worth his weight in gold and risked any claim to my family fortune, all for one steamy summer fling with that hunky pizza boy over there."

Okay fine, no use denying it anymore. This thing my face was doing? Definitely a blush. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" I muttered, eyes darting about.

"Sure do and she is my world, my moon and my stars, my everything!" she beamed. Then her eyebrows bounced, "Still… doesn't mean I can't admire the view every once and awhile."

"Well stop admiring," I harrumphed, narrowing my gaze down at the frothy water.

"That's adorable! You really do like this one, don't you," she cooed, pinching my cheek. I just rolled my eyes and swat her hand away. "Hope you weren't too attached to your hat, by the way."

"My…?" I blinked. "Why?"

She pointed, "Cuz there it goes."

Sure enough, a gust of wind had come along to scoop it up and carry it off, only to let it plummet once it'd escaped the confines of the yacht.

"Cap overboard!" Ryder called out, cupping a hand to his mouth.

"I'll get it!" Lea grinned, already kicking off his flip-flops. Before any of us could react, he took off running, launching himself up onto the guard rail and diving into the waters below.

I inhaled sharply as I shot up to my feet. "Your boy is crazy!" Ryder was cackling as he steadied the abandoned steering wheel and shut off the ship engine. Maren whooped and clapped while a giggling Anna rushed to the edge, leaning over the metal bars to look for him.

I just hoped that big dummy didn't get knocked unconscious by the rudder cracking his skull open or something! All over a stupid sun hat, no less!

Thankfully, it wasn't long before Anna was throwing up her hands and cheering, which I took to be a good sign as I released the breath I'd been holding. Next thing I knew, Lea came rising up the ladder attached to the side of the boat, wet hair slicked back and the brim of my cap between his teeth so his hands were free for climbing. Clearing the last few rungs, he hopped onto the deck and grabbed the hat out of his mouth, hissing, "Shit, that water's cold! Brr, nearly froze my ass off!"

...or at least, I think he'd said something like that.

It was hard to be sure really. My eardrums seemed to be on the fritz while all my focus now directed itself towards his shirt. His sopping, soaking wet shirt. It was clinging to the chiseled contours of his abs in a way that was rather, ah… fascinating. Not to mention see-through. Yes, very, very much so. It was actually kind of beautiful, in a way. Majestic, really. Quite the sight to behold and-

-and fudge, I was staring.

Staring at him, who was staring at me.

Me, who was still standing in the jacuzzi and flaunting my two-piece like I was the friggin' star of Baywatch.

I sat back down so fast, water splashed over onto the deck behind me. Yes, oh blessed jacuzzi bubbles, cloak me in your warm, protective embrace. Face heated and eyes not quite able to meet his, I stammered out a quick, "Th-thank you."

"Of… of course! Happy to!" Lea said brightly. Huh… was he getting a bit of a sunburn? He started to walk forward with a goofy, lopsided grin, holding the hat out towards me, "Here ya g-"

Apparently misjudging where the ledge of the hot tub was, he stumbled head first into it with us. I jolted in my seat and Maren half shrieked, half laughed as water exploded everywhere. As soon as he resurfaced and was coughing up water, I asked, "Are you okay?!"

"Fine! Nothing bruised 'cept my pride. Wanna smooch it all better?" he snickered, leaning in close and making loud kissy noises. Eyelids drooping, I just put my hand on his face and shoved him away. Still chuckling, he once more offered me my now thoroughly drenched hat. "Believe this is yours, m'lady?"

I hid a smile behind my fingers. "My hero," I said dryly, taking it from him and setting it aside on the hardwood once more. Surely it was too waterlogged at this point to fly off again.

"Yoink," he plucked the heart-shades off me so he could wear them himself once more. "Mind if I join you gals?" he chirped, standing up in the jacuzzi to remove his soggy shirt. I did my best not to ogle him this time.

The same couldn't be said for Maren as she smirked up at him. "Would seem you already have, Slim."

He cocked an eyebrow at her as he took a seat at my side. Then he was bending towards me, muttering in a low voice, "Uh… should I be nervous about the way your cousin is looking at me?"

I snorted, turning and leaning in close so I could return the whisper into his ear, "Ignore her." Lea seemed to give a small shiver, but that wouldn't make sense. It was very hot in this jacuzzi, so I must have been mistaken. "She has a girlfriend."

"Did, uh…" he cleared his throat, "did anyone tell her that?"

"Don't worry. Apparently she's just admiring the view," I said, one corner of my mouth twitching up.

His eyes crinkled behind those pink lenses. "Good. Woulda hated to break her heart otherwise, seeing as how I'm already deliriously happy in a loving, committed relationship with the bewitching creature sitting next to me," he slipped one arm to rest along the edge of the hot tub behind me while taking my hand in his other one so he could bring it up out of the water and press his lips to my knuckles.

Click!

I glanced up at the sound to see Anna crouching down next to the jacuzzi, holding her phone up with the camera pointed towards us. "D'aww, what a great picture! You two are such cuties!" she squealed, looking down at her screen as her fingers swiped across it.

Lea had lowered our hands back down to rest underwater once more, his fingers interweaved with mine now. Which was a little silly, come to think of it, as no one could possibly be seeing us holding hands through all these bubbles. Perhaps he didn't realize that. Then again, I wasn't exactly rushing to take my hand back either.

Anna was still gushing, "Seriously, I'm becoming diabetic from sweetness overload h-"

"Cannonball!"

Maren's head shot up and she snarled, "Ryder, no! This is a hot tub, not a-"

Suddenly a big blur was hitting the water, sending a huge blast of water in all directions for the second time. Anna yelped, shielding her mobile with her body while the rest of us just did our best to block the mini tidal wave with our hands. It was amazing that there was any liquid still left in here with us by now.

"Wahoo!" Ryder cried out as he popped back up, bouncing with his hands high over his head in triumph. It was short lived however as his sister punched him in the gut and he doubled over with a grunt.

"Bonehead!" she scowled at him as she relaxed back into her seat. "You could've broken your dumb neck."

"And my phone!" Anna added as she gave said device a careful lookover.

"Whatever, you're all just jelly cuz you didn't think to do it yourselves first." He fished around in the water for his lip-shades that had fallen off before perching them on his head and taking a seat as he looked to Lea, "Hella cool, am I right? Up top!" He held up his hand. Lea just shrugged and obliged him with a high-five.

Maren sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Boys. Ugh."

Seemingly satisfied that no damage had come to her phone, Anna plopped down onto the ledge of the jacuzzi now and let her feet dangle in the water. "Pic of my fave cousin," she singsonged, snapping a shot of Maren tipping her sunglasses down and holding two fingers up in the peace sign. "And one of my idiot cousin," she deadpanned, pointing it at Ryder now who just crossed his eyes and razzed his tongue at her. Giggling, she then turned the phone camera back towards Lea and me. "I want a couple more of you guys! Go on, smoosh in, you two!"

...who me?

Awkward penguin, nervous wreck, ball of raw friggin' nerves me? "Smoosh" in with a guy? While we were both only in swimsuits and thus at least a good seventy-five percent naked? Smoosh?! I didn't even know how to smoosh! I'd never smooshed a day in my life!

Did my sister know me but at all?

She did remember Lea and I were only pretend dating, right?

I narrowed my gaze one her. "...excuse me?"

"You heard me," she said sweetly, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she tipped her head forward, smirking over those flower-glasses. "Snuggle in, Sis."

Oh-ho, that evil brat knew exactly what she was doing.

Fine. If I gave her this and let her have her fun, maybe she'd finally open up to me about whatever it was that'd been bothering her.

So I scooched an inch over towards Lea.

"Closer," Anna said, staring at her phone screen as she pointed the camera at us again and waved me over with her free hand.

A tiny huff in my throat and another inch over. My knee was brushing against his now.

Anna groaned, "Come on, closer! You two like each other, right?!"

Lea gave a sheepish laugh, scratching his cheek and whispering, "El, forget it, you don't hafta-"

"It's fine," I muttered under my breath, hard eyes still on Anna as I reached over my shoulder and closed my fingers around Lea's wrist resting behind my head there. Hesitating briefly as my face began to warm uncomfortably and the thudding in my ears grew louder, I finally tugged the arm down to wrap around my bare shoulders and leaned into his chest slightly.

"Ugh, closer!"

One of my eyes ticked. "Anna, any closer and I'll be sitting in his lap. Is that what you want?"

She smiled impishly, "I mean, if you think it'll help…"

Lea's hushed voice came to me again, "El, really, this isn't-"

"Lea, really, it's fine," I insisted through grit teeth.

Alright, Anna, you want closer? I'll give you closer, you little...

I twisted in my seat, hugged my arms around his neck and yanked him down, pressing our cheeks together. Not to mention our chests. Our very wet, scantily-to-not-at-all clad chests. But I tried not to think about that part. My cheeks were frying enough as it was already. His whole body went rigid against mine before slowly relaxing as I felt his arms tighten around me. "Here, Anna," I snapped, "take the stupid picture!"

Hold this pose any longer and my heart might just shatter a rib with the way it was thundering.

Still there was no click. She frowned, "Aw, c'mon, Sis, give us a smile! You're in wub, after all!"

...that's it, I was going to throttle her.

"Gotcha covered!" Lea announced. I'd barely even had a chance to register his words before he'd removed his cheek from mine only to replace it with his lips and blow a loud raspberry. All my tension immediately banished and a surprised laugh erupted out of me as I tried to wriggle free, but not before-

Click!

"Perfect!" Anna bit back a grin as she eyed the photo on her phone.

Lea had a cheeky grin of his own that he was shooting my way. Though my eyes glared, my lips smiled as I gave his arm a shove, which did nothing to erase his smug look. Before I could retract my hand however, he'd snatched it up in his so he could lace our fingers together once more. At least this time it was above the water for everyone to see.

Now that that bit of nonsense was over and done with, perhaps Anna would give me a minute to talk to her while she was still distracted by riding her photography high. I saw Maren poking a finger into her brother's cheek as she teased him about something, so our cousins probably wouldn't miss us if we slipped away for a second or two. Sitting up straighter and taking a deep breath, I began, "Anna, perhaps now you and I could have a-"

"Oopsie, looks like I need a refill!" she trilled, swiping up her glass from where it sat on the deck beside her.

I squinted at it. "...it's still mostly full."

"Check again." She downed the whole thing in one big gulp before puffing out a satisfied, "Ha! Be right back!"

Whoosh!

Gone again.

With a long, drawn out sigh, I slouched so low into the jacuzzi now, the foamy surface brushed against my chin. I could see Lea frowning at me out of my peripheral, but he remained quiet, probably just as much at a loss with this whole mystery situation with my sister as I was.

My eyes gradually drifted over to the mini bar where I could see her mixing up some new concoction. However, instead of the upbeat glow she usually had about her, I noticed her shoulders sagging a little. She was worrying her lower lip between her teeth, the corners of her mouth turned down. I couldn't see her eyes behind the sunglasses, but her brow was wrinkled, seemingly lost in thought as she hung her head.

Huh… that didn't look like someone who was mad.

Maybe Lea was right. Maybe there really was something that had her sad or scared.

But what could it possibly be?

And why wouldn't she just tell me?

Author's Note: Yay for some yacht fun! Cuz that's just what rich people do I suppose xD Again, since I'm not sure if all of ya'll have seen Frozen 2, the new characters introduced this chapter (including the briefly mentioned Yelena) were all from that movie as a buncha people called the Northuldra who live in an enchanted forest. Since in F2 it was revealed Elsa's mom was Northuldra, there is a VERY real possibility that Honeymaren and Ryder really are all canonically related to Elsa and Anna in some way, so I figured hey, why not turn them into her cousins in this? Now if only Ryder had gotten to see Kristoff's talking reindeer Sven plushie routine, I think Ryder would have positively exploded with happiness xD Real talk tho, boys and girls... don't pull a Ryder: do NOT cannonball into a jacuzzi.

Alright, we now have Saturday morning out of the way, but still have plenty of The Weekend to go yet! Next chapter, what will the rest of the day hold for Elsa? Will she ever find out what seems to have her baby sis so down? Not to mention Gramps' bday palooza is looming ever nearer on the horizon, what potential new "fun" could that lil party bring? And seriously, how WAS there any water left in that lil hot tub after those couple o' knuckleheads (intentionally or not) crashed hard into that thing? Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

[ghostofviperwrites]

Pentagon 3

Pairing: El Desperado/Bushi/Pentagon Jr. /FC

Category:   Smut

Word Count: 2016

Warnings:  public sex, oral sex, spitting, spanking, humiliation, blood  

The walk home from the bar was relatively silent.  You were stewing in both humiliation from Pentagon’s rejection and anger at your two lovers throwing you into that situation.

“Both of you are assholes.” You yelled as you entered the room, frustration from the evening’s events reaching a head as they carried on as if they hadn’t just utterly humiliated you for their own amusement.  “You had no right to do that to me.”

“Didn’t see you complaining when it was happening.”  Desperado said throwing his wallet down on the desk in your suite.  “In fact you looked downright eager to open your mouth for Pentagon’s cock. Shame you couldn’t suck him properly.”  

“I don’t see what you’re so upset about.  We were just giving you what you wanted.”  Bushi gave his input with a smirk.  “How were we to know he’d be completely disgusted by what a slut you are?”

An exasperated scream left you and you stomped your foot, so angry with the two of them you couldn’t stand to look at them for another second.

Yanking open the door you yelled that you were going for a short walk before slamming the door and storming down the hallway.   You needed to get out into the cool night air before you really lost your cool. At this moment you hated them and you hated yourself.  You were mad at yourself for being turned on at the way they and Pentagon had treated you.  Pentagon had treated you like dirt and all you could think about was how good his cock had felt in your mouth.   Remembering how it felt to be on your knees in front of him, his thickness choking you, made you less than focused on your surroundings as you approached the elevators and crashed into what felt like a brick wall coming out of the vending room. You bounced off the man and into the doorway falling on your ass on the tiled floor in front of the ice machine.  

Wincing as pain racketed through your body from the jolt your gaze moved up to find you staring at Pentagon.   As he recognized you that sneer he had looked at you with all night reappeared.

“Don’t you ever take off your gear?”  You snapped defensively.  Your attempt to rise to your feet was halted by his hand on your shoulder, keeping you on your knees before him as he placed his filled ice bucket on top of the machine.

Pentagon stared down at you, head cocking to the side as he considered you once again.  He was planning on getting his ice, taking a nice hot shower and getting out of his gear before settling in for the night.  Problem was he was horny and honestly too lazy to go trawling for some pussy.   Pentagon figured it was fate that he happened to bump into you again.  

“Suck my dick.”  Pentagon repeated his earlier command from the bar at you, his hands once again pushing down his tights and pulling his cock out.  

“Here?” You asked nervously, the thought of saying no never crossing your mind. Public sex had never been your thing. The risk of getting caught was high, yet it kind of excited you.  

“You want to make it into my room, you do it here.” Pentagon said impatiently, dangling that carrot of more from him in front of you.  Swallowing your nerves, you reached up to him and encircled his cock with your hand, barely able to close your fingers around his thickness.  

“Thought you didn’t like the way I sucked?” You couldn’t help the smart comment as you stroked him to full erection.

“Don’t talk.” Pentagon said shortly.  “You have nothing I want to hear.”  

Rebuked you lowered your eyes focusing on the cock in your hands, tongue darting out to lick over his tip before swirling around the bulbous head. Your hands stroked the length as you opened wide to take him in.  Bobbing on his length you kept your tongue pressed to the underside of Pentagon’s cock while his hand made its way to the back of your head and pushed, urging you to take him deeper.   It was impossible not to gag as he stretched your mouth, the tip of his cock weighing heavily on your tongue as he pushed deeper into your mouth.   The ding of the elevator had you startled, wide eyed looking up at Pentagon in a panic, to which he just smiled and pushed deeper into your throat making you audibly gag as you heard the doors slide open.  Luckily the occupants went the opposite direction.

“What’s the matter zorra?  Don’t want anyone to know what a whore you are?  Sucking off a stranger in a vending room.”  Penta pulled roughly on your hair making you wince.   A slam of his hips had him in your throat and drool leaking from your mouth as you choked and struggled to breathe through your nose.

 “Fucking dirty cunt!”  Penta spat as he battered your throat.  “Look at me!”

You struggled to follow his command awkwardly tilting your head to meet his gaze which was full of derision as he stared at you before spitting heavily on your face.  You shuddered as the warm spittle trickled down your nose and to your lips.   Pentagon kept control of you, pushing your head up and down his cock rubbing your throat raw as he continually breeched it.   He spit on you several more times, your face covered with his saliva, dripping down your cheeks and forehead, as well as matting in your hair.   You thought your jaw was going to break as he continued abusing your mouth until he finally pulled from your throat and took his cock in his hands.  Stroking it quickly, tip pointed at your face, streams of hot cum splattered across your face.  

“Now you look like a proper whore.”  Pentagon said with satisfaction as he tucked himself back in his pants. “You want more, you follow me to my room on all fours.”  

Directive issued he turned his back on you and entered the hallway. Cursing your weakness you dropped to all fours and crawled after him, grateful for the empty hallway and praying that no one came out, especially Desperado and Bushi.  Your eyes lingered on their door as Pentagon passed it wondering if you should just give up and return to them.  That thought was quickly discarded and you quickened your pace to catch up with Pentagon who was waiting impatiently by his door at the end of the hallway.   He held the door open, stepping aside to allow you to crawl past before closing it behind you.  

Penta came to stand in front of you, his booted feet in your line of vision as you kept your head down.  A trail of cum and spit hanging from your chin broke and splattered on his boot earning a grunt of disapproval.

“Clean that off.”  Pentagon said watching with crossed arms as you lowered your face to his foot, tongue darting out tentatively to lick the leavings.   When he was satisfied he withdrew his foot and stepped back.

“Get up and get naked.  Let me see what has Desperado and Bushi so sprung on you.”  Pentagon said.  You felt a flash of guilt at the mention of their names.  They certainly wouldn’t understand you running off on them to fuck Pentagon.   That guilt was pushed away by another voice arguing they were quick to offer you up to him earlier.   Rising you stripped acutely aware of the mess Pentagon had already left on your face. It was starting to dry and get uncomfortable, but you had a feeling asking to clean up was not going to go over well.  

He stared at you for what felt like an uncomfortably long time, lips pursed as he perused your body and you flushed every time his eyes lingered on a mark left by your boys.  And there were plenty of them.  

“Undress me.” Penta said breaking the silence and you rushed to obey, pulling off his clothes and revealing his thick muscular body to your gaze.  When you reached for his mask he caught your wrists in his grip squeezing tightly and making you wince.  “Don’t touch my mask, you never touch my mask.”   With a mumbled sorry you fell backwards as he pushed you away.  

Moving to his suitcase Pentagon pulled out a couple of his belts pulling your arms behind your back and strapping them together by the biceps before he pushed you over the bed.   His cock was at your pussy in seconds, pushing inside with no preparation making you squeal.  

“Shut up coño.”  Pentagon spat driving hard into your pussy.  You quickly failed at following his edict when Pentagon drug his nails from your shoulders down your back and over your ass leaving angry red marks down your flesh and you screamed getting a sharp slap on your ass.   You bit your lip hard as he repeated the action but whimpered as you saw him grab the leather belt lying next to you on the bed. He wasted no time with gentle strokes, whipping the belt hard across your back and buttocks as he never lost rhythm, repeatedly slapping you as you cried into the comforter.  You begged him to stop when you felt like you couldn’t take anymore, your backside enflamed and pussy aching from his brutality. Pentagon withdrew from you, raking his hand down your back one last time before showing you the blood covered appendage as he moved into your line of sight.  

You quivered, feeling a bolt of desire through your body as you watched his tongue dart out and lick your blood from them before he wiped his hand across your cheek. Pulling you off the bed by the hair Pentagon placed you on your knees again, stroking his cock rapidly before his cum once again coated your face.   Reaching for his belt once again, Pentagon began lashing your tits, the sting of the leather biting into your nipples as he flayed you.  You were helpless against his punishment, hands still bound tightly behind you. You hated and loved it, the sting of pain sending pulses of pleasure through you, nipples tightening during the onslaught.  Your breath started coming faster as you shifted, rubbing your thighs together as your pussy pulsed.  

The belt fell to the ground and Pentagon again spat on you before covering your face with his hand squeezing it as he smeared the cum, spit and blood around your face.  He gripped your jaw and dropped to his knees, sneering in your face as his free hand pushed between your thighs feeling your soaked pussy.  Three of his fingers shoved inside you, twisting and pushing deep as you whined.  Your pussy clamped around his hand already ready to explode as he stimulated you.

“Fucking dirty cunt.”  Pentagon growled as he stared into your eyes.  “You wanna cum?  Gonna cum all over my hand?”  He wiggled his fingers inside you and twisted his hand making you groaned loudly.  “Cum whore.”  You shattered at his words, mouth falling open in a wordless cry.  Dislodging his fingers Pentagon wiped your cum over your cheeks adding to the mess as he stood.  

“What room are you in?”  Pentagon asked as he walked towards his suitcase and rummaged in it.

“716.”  You answered watching him warily.  

Pentagon returned to your side, kneeling down with a thick black sharpie in hand.  Ignoring your questions, he wrote “Cero Miedo” in all caps across your chest before hauling you to your feet and dragging you out the door.  He kept his hand clamped over your mouth to stifle your protests before making you kneel outside the door of room 716.  

Once he was satisfied with your arrangement he knocked once on the door before sauntering down the hallway towards his own room, leaving you to be discovered by Desperado and Bushi.

[zen3to5]

J/H 3-17: Kitty’s Birthday (Is That Today?!)

Admission up-front: for a re-write project, not much is re-written here. This is more of a re-editing and re-structuring. You may have noticed that I cut Kelso's "B" story from the previous episode, but as silly as it is, that "B" story is important for Kelso's character, so I needed to plug it back in somewhere. Given what else is in store, this seemed the most logical place for that. So almost all the content here is from the show as you know it - the "A" story from this episode and the "B" story from another, edited in juxtaposition with each other. There is a little bit of re-writing, however, and it concerns Jackie and Hyde.

If this feels a little bit like a cheat on fresh material, then - just wait 'til next time...

FF.Net AO3

---

SHOW TITLE   INT. FORMAN DRIVEWAY - DAY   A cold winter’s morning, with snow everywhere. Dressed for the weather, ERIC and DONNA stand around HYDE’s EL CAMINO, admiring the car. The hood is popped, and HYDE adjusts the engine.   DONNA: Wow, Hyde, I can’t believe it. Your own set of wheels.   HYDE: Yep. She is the best thing that ever happened to me. Oh, except for that one time Kelso swallowed that fish hook. That was pretty cool, too.   ERIC: All right, Hyde. This car’s fine but, I mean, it’s no Vista Cruiser. How many miles are you getting to the gallon?   HYDE: Uh, about 11?   ERIC: Damn. Okay, fine. But, you know, the Vista Cruiser can seat eight. Nine, if someone sits on the stain.   HYDE: Yeah, okay, Forman, but do you have any idea how many chicks I can fit in the flatbed? Thirty-two, and that’s with big Rhonda.   ERIC: (beat) Damn!   Donna moves around to look at the flatbed, and screams. FEZ and CAROLINE sit up, their make-out session interrupted.   FEZ: Oh, hello.   He and Caroline climb out of the flatbed.   HYDE: What are you doing back there, Fez?   FEZ: I... I was... I was just showing Caroline the back of my new car and my tongue.   DONNA: Fez, this isn’t your car.   FEZ: (whispering) Shut up.   CAROLINE: (giggles) Isn’t he cute? (to Fez) Fezzy, I told you, you don’t have to try and impress me anymore. I’m your girlfriend now.   FEZ: Oh, I’m sorry, Caroline. From now on, I will be totally honest.   CAROLINE: Good. Now, come on. Walk me home.   FEZ: Ah, yes. And on the way, I could tell you about the time I killed a shark with a coconut.   He and Caroline walk off. Hyde closes up the El Camino. KELSO runs in from the garage, breathless.   KELSO: You guys, the weirdest thing just happened with Pam Macy.   HYDE: Kelso, man, she’ll do that with any guy standing in front of her.   Kelso shakes his head. Donna and Eric move to either side of Hyde.   KELSO: Okay. So, I’m making out with Pam in the orchestra pit, and everything’s progressing like normal until...   ERIC: What?   KELSO: You know, the really, really bad thing that can happen to guys when they’re with girls.   Hyde, Eric, and Donna look on.   KELSO (cont’d): Okay, let me put it this way: the conductor couldn’t raise the baton.   The others all “ah” in comprehension.   HYDE: So, what you’re trying to say is: the rabbit wouldn’t come out of the hat.   ERIC: The weasel wouldn’t pop.   DONNA: The alphabet soup never spelled “Go.”   KELSO: Okay! All right! Enough!   He starts to pace along the side of the El Camino.   ERIC: Actually, not quite. There were a lot of Amish people, but they never raised a barn.   Kelso drops his head onto the top of the El Camino. Donna laughs and Hyde claps Eric on the shoulder.   HYDE: Forman, man, that was awesome.   ERIC: Hey, it just came to me.   Kelso runs off down the sidewalk, pushing Eric as he passes. That doesn’t stop Eric, and the others, from laughing.

MAIN CREDITS   BUMPER   INT. FORMAN KITCHEN - EVENING   Later that day. KITTY is hard at work on the stove, stirring up meat in a pan. Buns and plates are on the side.   Hyde enters through the patio door, a small box in his hands.   HYDE: Hey, Mrs. Forman. Happy birthday.   He hands her the box.   KITTY: Oh! I can’t believe you remembered. You are the first person to say anything all day.   She takes the box and opens it up: there are FLASHBULBS inside.   KITTY (cont’d): And how did you know I needed more flashbulbs?   She pulls Hyde in for a kiss on the cheek and puts his gift away.   KITTY (cont’d): Thank you. So, do you want to stay for dinner?   HYDE: Oh, no thanks. I, uh, told Jackie I’d drop her off with her friends.   KITTY: Oh, now, aren’t you so sweet to do that for your –   Hyde cuts her off with a look.   KITTY (cont’d): And she’s not your girlfriend, of course! (laughs)   She spoons some meat into a bun and gives it to Hyde.   KITTY (cont’d): Here, at least take this for the road. You know, a sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal.   HYDE: Oh, well, thanks, Mrs. Forman.   Hyde exits out the patio door, just as Eric enters from the living room. He immediately sits down at the table.   ERIC: Hey, Mom. What’s for dinner? I’m starving.   KITTY: Manwiches.   ERIC: Again? Aah! We just had those.   RED enters from the living room.   RED: Kitty, I left my shirt on the bed. It needs to be ironed for tomorrow.   KITTY: Okay.   RED: Oh, and I know you think I forgot, but I didn’t.   He kisses her on the forehead. Kitty laughs.   KITTY: Oh, Red, I knew you’d remember.   RED: Yup. The check for the plumber is on the dresser.   He sits down at the table.   KITTY: Oh. Good.   She prepares two plates and brings them to the table. Eric lifts up his bun and frowns at the Manwich meat.   ERIC: Um, is there anything else to eat?   Kitty shifts on her feet. She takes Eric’s plate back, then Red’s.   KITTY: Well, you know what, honey?   She throws both plates into the sink and tears off her apron.   KITTY (cont’d): I don’t give a good gosh darn what you eat!   She tosses the apron into the sink too and storms out into the living room. Red and Eric look from the door to each other.   ERIC: Wow. She’s really upset.   RED: Yeah. Nice going.   Eric shakes his head, confused.   CUT TO:   INT. THE HUB – NIGHT   A quiet night at the Hub. A gentle snow falls outside. A small GROUP OF GIRLS has the wall table, and Caroline sits in the corner.   Hyde and JACKIE enter, Jackie adjusting her hat and coat.   JACKIE: Steven, that car is a death trap!   HYDE: No, the death trap is that giant patch of ice on Blondo and Fifth. The El Camino’s fine. Or it was, ‘til Big Rhonda cracked my break light.   Jackie shakes the snow off her coat and heads over to the girls. Hyde crosses to the counter and places an order.   Caroline rushes over to Hyde.   CAROLINE: Hi!   HYDE: Hey.   CAROLINE: Have you seen Fez?   HYDE: Uh, no. He went bowling with his host parents.   CAROLINE: Damn him!   She stomps the ground. Hyde turns to face her, and she looks up.   CAROLINE (cont’d): I’m sorry. I was just hoping he’d be here so we could study together. Now I have to walk home alone in the dark. It’s scary out there! Somebody ran over big Rhonda.   Hyde nods.   HYDE: Um, do you want a -   CAROLINE: Okay!   She rushes off to get her bag.   HYDE:   ... Ride?   He shrugs and takes the hot cup handed to him from the counter.   CUT TO:   INT. KELSO’S ROOM - NIGHT   Kelso is snuggled up in bed, sound asleep. A big grin spreads across his face as we cut to:   INT. GENIE BOTTLE   DREAM SEQUENCE. Genie’s bottle from I DREAM OF JEANNIE. Jackie, as Jeannie, stands at the ready.   KELSO (v.o.): Genie, I’m home.   Jackie smiles, folds her arms, and blinks. Kelso, as Major Nelson, appears.   KELSO: Hello, Genie Jackie.   JACKIE: Hello, Master Major Michael. How was your day?   KELSO: Pretty good, pretty good. But I’m starving. I’ve been on the moon all day and I missed lunch.   JACKIE: I can fix that.   They sit. Jackie folds her arms, blinks, and a tray of burgers appears on the ottoman.   KELSO: Damn, I love having a genie. Well, let’s eat.   He leans in toward the burgers, but Jackie takes his arm.   JACKIE: Okay – unless you’re hungry for something besides food, Master.   She folds her arms, blinks, and she and Kelso are sprawled out on the sofa, Kelso on top of Jackie.   Kelso looks from Jackie to the burgers and back.   KELSO:  Actually, I’ve been having a little problem in this department lately.   JACKIE:  Not anymore.   She folds her arms and blinks. Kelso glances down at his crotch. He lets out a delighted holler.   KELSO: You’re the best genie ever!   They begin to make out.   CUT TO:   INT. KELSO’S ROOM – NIGHT   Back to reality. Kelso twists in joy at his dream. Slowly, he stirs himself awake. Still smiling, he reaches for the phone by his bed and dials a number.   KELSO: (into phone) Hello? Pam? I’m back!   He laughs hysterically into the receiver.   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT   The family is awkwardly gathered. Kitty and Eric share the couch while Red sits in his chair. He reads the newspaper, Eric reads a magazine, and Kitty watches television.   KITTY: The Waltons. Now, there’s a grateful family.   Red mumbles without looking up from his paper, and Eric ignores Kitty entirely.   KITTY (cont’d): And boy, did they love their mother.   Eric fidgets with his foot and leg.   ERIC: Oh, great. I think I’ve got athlete’s foot.   He goes back to his magazine. Kitty, disgusted, looks from him to Red and back before throwing her hands up and standing.   KITTY: I am – I am – I am going to bed.   She hurries up the stairs. Red puts down his newspaper and looks around the room.   RED: (to Eric) Where’d your mother go?   Eric looks up from his magazine and glances around the room.   ERIC: To bed. (beat) Hey, what’s wrong with her, anyway?   RED: Who knows? She’s been moody all day. Let me see the TV Guide.   He sets his newspaper down, and Eric hands him the TV GUIDE. Red starts to flip through it.   RED (cont’d): Let’s see. What day is it? Ahh! It’s the 13th. You know, it seems to me I was supposed to do something on the 13th.   It hits him like a rock. Red shuts the Guide and bolts out of his chair.   RED (cont’d): Oh, good Lord! (points at Eric) You forgot your mother’s birthday!   Eric’s jaw drops. He jumps off the couch.   ERIC:  Oh, no, Dad! This is bad. This is very, very bad.   RED: All right – don’t start getting all twitchy. Now, we gotta think. (beat) Let’s watch ChiPs and think.   They both sit, and Red takes up the remote.   CUT TO:   EXT. ROAD - NIGHT   The snow has stopped, and the roads are clear as the El Camino cruises along. Hyde watches the road, Caroline beside him in the passenger seat. “Drivin’ Wheel” by Foghat plays on the radio.   CAROLINE: So, Fez is really nice, huh?   HYDE: Yeah. Fez is a good guy.   CAROLINE: Yeah. (beat) You know, sometimes, when I’m trying to sleep at night, I think about how much it would hurt if he ever left me. And then I say, “Fez would never leave me.” But then, I say, “we’ve only been going out a short time. Maybe he would leave me.” (beat) So then I hold my breath until my lungs are about to explode, because that’s how much I think it would hurt if he ever did leave me.   Hyde slowly looks over at Caroline, who stares straight ahead.   CAROLINE (cont’d): And then, when I regain consciousness, I start breathing again, and everything’s fine. Oops! There’s my house. Thanks. Bye.   They’ve passed the house already, but Hyde quickly pulls the El Camino to a stop. Caroline gathers her bag and hops out.   HYDE: See ya.   He looks out at the road, his sunglasses not quite hiding the horror in his eyes.   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN BEDROOM - NIGHT   Almost midnight. The lights are on. Kitty sits up in bed, reading CHOPPING DOWN THE FAMILY TREE.   The door swings open and Eric and Red step inside, two sorry-looking balloons and a paper bag in hand.   ERIC & RED: Happy birthday!   KITTY: (beat) Oh, you remembered.   She sets her book down and stands to retrieve her bathrobe. Eric and Red cross to the bed.   RED: Well, of course we remembered, honey! We just figured that we’d wait until there was only 15 minutes left in the day and you were good and mad, and then we’d sneak up here and surprise the hell out of you.   KITTY: Wow. What a good plan, ‘cause I was awfully mad.   RED:  Yeah. We really had you going.   ERIC: Here, Mom. Open this one first. It’s from me.   He takes a badly-wrapped flat present out of the paper bag.   KITTY: Well, thank you, honey.   She sits on the edge of the bed, takes the gift, and unwraps it to reveal:   KITTY (cont’d): Oh. A map of Wisconsin. Oh, well. Thank you.   She sets the map down.   ERIC: And, Mom. I got you these balloons, too.   He hands her the balloons. Kitty laughs and tugs them down close enough for her to read the writing on them.   KITTY: “Knock out the knock knocks at Schiffy’s Gas-n-Go.” Huh.   RED: Wait, Kitty, there’s more.   Kitty gives Eric back the balloons as Red pulls another, even more poorly-wrapped present from the bag. Kitty looks at Red before taking it. Unwrapping the gift, she finds:   KITTY: A funnel.   RED: ‘Cause I know how much you like to pour things.   He and Eric nod with fixed smiles. Kitty examines her funnel.   KITTY: Well, um... either these gifts are really thoughtful, or you bought a bunch of crap at the gas station.   RED: What?   KITTY: Oh, admit it, Red Forman. You forgot my birthday.   Red’s head bows.   ERIC: (to Red, whispering) Quick, Dad. Give her the lighter.   RED: (to Kitty) Look, Kitty. I’m sorry, but... it’s just... well, marking the calendar is your responsibility.   Kitty glares up at him, the funnel slipping from her hands.   ERIC: Oh. Dad, no!   Shaking his head, Eric retrieves the balloons and exits, while Red looks down at a distraught Kitty on the bed.   FADE TO BLACK   COMMERCIAL   BUMPER   INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – DAY   The next morning. Red lies on the couch, in his clothes from last night, with a crude quilt pulled over him. He rubs his eyes and face.   Kitty hurries down the stairs, not sparing Red a look. He smiles at her anyway and sits up.   RED: Ah, good morning, sunshine! So, what’s for breakfast?   KITTY: A funnel.   She disappears into the kitchen. Red falls back down onto the couch.   RED: Ow.   CUT TO:   EXT. FORMAN DRIVEWAY – DAY   The El Camino is parked in the driveway. Hyde and Fez have lawn chairs set up in the flatbed, while Eric sits on the rim. Even dressed for the cold, they all shiver.   FEZ: Uh, guys, can we go inside? I’m freezing my choo-choos off.   ERIC: No way. I’m not going in there. I forgot my mom’s birthday.   HYDE: Really? ‘Cause I remembered your mom’s birthday.   ERIC: If you remembered, why didn’t you tell me?   HYDE: How would that be funny?   FEZ: I will never have to worry about forgetting Caroline’s birthday. She wrote it on my arm with permanent marker.   He rolls up his sleeve, revealing a large note scribbled on the bottom of his right arm. Among other things, the date “4-16” is clearly visible.   FEZ (cont’d): Isn’t she sweet?   HYDE: More like psycho.   FEZ: What are you doing, calling my girlfriend a psycho?   HYDE: Oh, I’m sorry, Fez. Did I say, “psycho?” I meant, “nutbag, headcase, whackadoo.” She chokes herself, man!   FEZ: Well, Hyde, maybe... maybe you should... maybe you should choke yourself! Good day.   He stands to leave.   HYDE: Fez -   FEZ: I said, “good day!”   He clamors out of the El Camino and stomps off.   BUMPER   EXT. PARKING LOT – DAY   The parking lot of the high school. It is empty, save for one lone car. Inside are Kelso, looking thoroughly miserable, and PAM MACY, who looks bored.   KELSO: Look, Pam. I’m really sorry about what happened... again. I must have the flu or something.   PAM: Well, it’s not like any flu I’ve ever heard of.   KELSO: Well, there’s lots of kinds of flu, Pam! (beat) I’m sorry.   PAM: Oh, well. Don’t take it so hard. (flat) Oops. Sorry.   KELSO: Look, just don’t tell anybody, okay?   PAM: Oh, Flopsy, I’m not gonna tell anybody. (beat) I’m gonna tell everybody.   She grins wickedly as Kelso drops his head onto the dashboard.   INT. FORMAN KITCHEN – DAY   Kitty goes through the kitchen, slamming cabinet doors as she puts dishes away. Donna enters through the patio door, a HERSHEY BAR in her hands.   DONNA: Hey, Mrs. Forman.   Kitty doesn’t react, instead busying herself by pouring a pot of coffee. Donna notices her mood.   DONNA (cont’d): Is Eric home?   Kitty finally looks at Donna.   KITTY: Oh, you mean my son, the map-giver. I don’t know, and I don’t care.   She picks up her coffee and sits at the dinner table.   DONNA: Mrs. Forman, are you okay?   KITTY: Oh, I am just freakin’ fine!   Donna joins her at the table.   DONNA: What happened?   KITTY: (beat) Well, you know I love my family. It’s just – sometimes, I want to get in the car and run ‘em all over. They forgot my birthday.   DONNA: I’m gonna go kick Eric’s ass right now.   She moves to leave, but Kitty pulls her back to her seat.   KITTY: I mean, it’s one thing when they don’t notice when I get my hair done differently – which they don’t. But this is my birthday. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I expect too much.   DONNA: No, Mrs. Forman. You have every right to be mad. In fact, you should be madder. You’re, like, the best mom in the world.   KITTY: Yeah! Thank you, Donna! I just wish my own family would say that once in a while.   She lets out a sigh. Donna shakes her head and takes a bite of her Hershey bar, catching Kitty’s eye.   KITTY (cont’d): Oh, sweetie, that’s not your breakfast, is it?   DONNA: (beat) Yeah.   KITTY: Oh. (laughs) Why don’t you just let me make you some nice waffles instead?   She stands, moves over to the stove, and takes out a whisk and a mixing bowl from the cupboard below.   DONNA: (stands) Oh, cool. I love frozen waffles.   KITTY: Oh, honey, no, no, no, no. I make my waffles from scratch.   DONNA: (beat) Those bastards!   She slams a hand down on the stovetop.   CUT TO:   INT. THE HUB – DAY   A fairly busy afternoon. Hyde and Jackie sit at a round table near the center of the room, a basket of fries on the table, with Fez standing over Jackie. Caroline sits at the wall table, tearing open sugar packets and piling up the sugar. Pam Macy holds court near the window, commanding everyone’s attention except Caroline’s.   Pam holds her arm erect for a moment, then lets it flop down. Those around her all laugh, as does Fez. He looks down at Jackie, whose blank face shuts him up.   FEZ: Jackie, Pam has shared really terrible news about Kelso that made me laugh.   Jackie says nothing, her face unchanged.   FEZ (cont’d): And now I turn to you... this is where we both laugh together.   JACKIE: Actually, Fez, I don’t find it that funny. I kinda feel sad for him.   FEZ: But you hate him! He totally screwed you over!   JACKIE: Yeah, but he’s grown up a lot since then.   HYDE: That is so true. Why, just last week in chemistry, when he had to stay after class, he left all the notes alone on the blackboard and just doodled huge jugs in around ‘em.   He and Fez laugh, and Jackie scowls.   JACKIE: The point is, he’s suffered a lot, and I’m over it by now. (quietly) Poor Michael.   FEZ: “Poor Michael?” Well, I see I have wasted my time stopping here.   He sticks his nose up and marches over to Caroline’s table. Hyde puts a hand on the back of Jackie’s chair.   HYDE: Jackie, I want you to know it’s real big of you, lettin’ bygones be bygones with Kelso. It’s mature, responsible, and the right thing to do.   JACKIE: Well, thank you, Steven.   HYDE: And I thought I taught you better, grasshopper.   He makes a big show of shaking his head. Jackie chuckles, sighs, and heads into the bathroom.   At Caroline’s table, Fez watches as she continues to pile up the sugar.   FEZ: So, Caroline, uh, just curious. Um... do you sometimes choke yourself?   Caroline looks up, smiling.   CAROLINE: Yeah. But I only do it because I love you more than anything in the world.   She slaps her hands on either side of the table and leans in toward Fez.   FEZ: (beat) Okay, I’m good with that. I’ll get you a soda, lover. Don’t forget to breathe while I’m gone.   They trade playful hand gestures, then Fez heads for the counter. Hyde stands and meets him halfway.   HYDE: Hey, so how’s it going with Mental Mary?   FEZ: I owe you an apology, Hyde. She is crazy. But she’s crazy for me.   He looks around Hyde to Caroline. She gasps desperately, as if deprived of breath, and waves. Fez waves back, smiling.   CUT TO:   INT. FORMAN KITCHEN - DAY   Red and Eric stand in the middle of the kitchen. Eric has a bottle of cleaner and Red has the mop, but neither is doing anything except watching the patio door.   RED: Oh! Here she comes!   He and Eric put on a show just as Kitty comes in through the patio door. Eric scrubs at the stove while Red mops. Kitty breezes right past them into the living room without a word or a glance. Once she leaves the room, the men stop “working.”   ERIC: Oh, my God, she didn’t even look at us. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mom so mad. Have you?   RED: Not since she stopped drinking.   ERIC: What?   RED: Nothing. Look – obviously, your mother’s very upset about something. And desperate times call for desperate measures. For the last ten years, she’s been asking us to do something. And every time, we say no, because what she wants is the most horrible thing in the world.   Eric recoils in horror.   ERIC: I won’t do it.   RED: Oh, you will do it. And you will like it.   CUT TO:   INT. DANCE HALL – DAY   Red’s horror made manifest: the tackiest, ugliest, corniest square dance celebration, complete with dancers in bad country uniforms.   Kitty, Red, Eric, and Donna stand in the doorway, decked out in Western clothing. While the other three look ready for death, Kitty bobs with excitement.   KITTY: I can’t believe we’re finally square dancing! Oh, this is so much fun!   She rushes out onto the dance floor and joins in, her joy making up what she lacks in technique (a lot.) Red, Eric, and Donna continue to look on in disgust.   RED: It looks like Hee-Haw puked in here.   Kitty runs over to Red and takes him by the arm.   KITTY: Come on, honey. Let’s dance!   She leads him into the circle of dancers.   ERIC: Oh, my God, this is awful.   DONNA: She made me waffles. Now promenade, you son of a bitch.   She takes Eric roughly by the arm and leads him into the circle too.   CUT TO:   INT. DANCE HALL -DAY   MONTAGE. The EMCEE of the dance sings a corny country song as the dancers go through various steps. We see Donna make a fair effort at enjoying herself (or at Eric’s expense). Eric occasionally cracks a smile. Red grimaces through the whole ordeal. And Kitty beams for every second of it.   CUT TO:   EXT. FORMAN DRIVEWAY - DAY   On a pleasant afternoon, Kelso is all alone and forlorn. He dribbles a basketball and shoots it at the hoop, but it drops to the ground, deflated.   KELSO: Why is everything doing that?   He stares at the basketball, whimpering. Jackie walks up the driveway and stops in front of Kelso, pity in her eyes.   JACKIE:  Hey, Michael. I heard what happened with Pam. And I want you to know that, according to Cosmopolitan Magazine, you’re not a freak.   KELSO: Really?   Jackie nods.   JACKIE: Mm-hmm. They say that, lots of times, when it happens to a guy, it’s not that he can’t, it’s just that he secretly doesn’t want to.   KELSO: Okay, well, not to criticize, but Cosmo’s never seen Pam Macy naked.   JACKIE: Michael, just think about it. Do you even like Pam?   KELSO: Well, I like parts of her.   Jackie smiles and shakes her head.   JACKIE: Well, maybe that’s not enough. And maybe your body’s mature enough to realize that even if your brain isn’t.   KELSO: Wait. You know, if this is about maturity, then I want nothing to do with it.   JACKIE: Look, Michael, don’t worry, okay? When you find the girl you’re meant to be with, you’ll be able to do all the stuff you want. I promise.   KELSO: I hope you’re right. Thanks Jackie.   Jackie holds out her arms for a hug, and Kelso takes it.   After a moment, Kelso stiffens. His head shoots up and he pulls his hips away from Jackie.   KELSO (cont’d): I’m back.   JACKIE: What?   Kelso pushes Jackie back to arms’ length.   KELSO: Nothing. Good hug!   He gives her a thumbs’ up and takes off down the street.   CUT TO:   INT. DANCE HALL – DAY   The dance is still in progress, but Kitty is finally tired out. She and Donna catch a breather on two haystacks. Red and Eric walk over to them, Eric with a small box in hand.   ERIC: So, Mom, we found this present we just had to get you. Happy birthday.   He hands her the box.   KITTY: Oh, I thought square dance night was my present.   Red kneels beside her.   RED: It is, but we really messed up this year, and... well, we’re sorry.   Kitty smiles and kisses Red, then opens up her gift. It’s a novelty coffee mug. She beams as she displays it for Donna.   KITTY: “World’s Darn-Tootinest Mom.” Do you really think so?   RED: You’re darn-tootin’.   He kisses her. Kitty fans herself and packs up her new mug.   KITTY: Okay, well, I think I’ve had enough do-si-dos for one night, so what do you say we all go home and have hot fudge sundaes?   RED: Thank God!   ERIC: Oh, yes.   They immediately head for the door.   DONNA: (to Kitty) Bastards.   She and Kitty rise and follow the men out.   FADE TO BLACK   CREDITS   INT. GENIE BOTTLE   FANTASY SEQUENCE. Michael, as Major Nelson, and Jackie, as Jeannie, stand in the middle of the bottle.   KELSO: Well, Genie Jackie, I am in the mood for some hot master/genie lovin’!   JACKIE: Oh, I’m sorry, Master Major Michael. But what we are going to have is a warm master/genie friendship. In fact, I am the master now, and you are the genie.   She folds her arms and blinks. They change costumes. Kelso looks down uncomfortably while Jackie beams and adjusts her uniform.   JACKIE (cont’d): Except you will not have any genie powers. You will just do as I say. Now, do my math homework, genie, while I step out with Major Steven.   She folds her arms and blinks. A pile of notebooks and a pencil appear in Kelso’s hand, and a grinning Hyde, as Major Healey, appears next to Jackie. She links arms with him, blinks, and they vanish, leaving Kelso alone.   KELSO: NO!   END.

[karij]

OCtober Writing Prompts  Day 6 - Dreams and Aspirations

A memory from 21 years ago, when Karri was 12 years old.

Griff came home! He’s been gone for ages on his trip. He was in Waterdeep for a few years after he turned 20. He was working for papa and Mr. Braun, helping them make trade deals with merchants in the city. I didn’t see him much but he came home sometime and he always had stories to tell, and presents too. One time he brought me a belt knife with a handle made of pretty green stone, but mama took it away. She said I could cut myself so I could have it when I was older. It’s been 3 years and she still hasn’t given it back. She treats me like I’m a baby, but I’m 12 years old. It’s not fair. Griff brought me a ring next time. It’s pretty but I know he bought something mama would let me keep. I keep it in my box with the other things he’s brought me. 

I like the presents, but I like the stories better. Griff saved all the money he made working for papa and Mr. Braun and went on a trip all the way across the ocean. He went to Shavay! He says that it’s really different there. It’s hot and bright and filled up with sand. It’s like being at a beach he says, but instead of ocean waves there’s just rolling sand (he calls them dunes) as far as you can see. Farther, even. He told me he met a man who had a cat with stripes on his back like the Fletchers’ tomcat (his name is Chops, ‘cause he has super fluffy fur on the sides of his face) but this cat was the size of a lion! Bigger even! He said he saw a big blue dragon fly over him so he had to hide in the sand. He also said he saw a animal that was the size of a house and it had big floppy ears (bigger than me!) and it had two white horns on its face and a long nose that it could fill up and then drink out of like a cup. I think he made that one up though. 

There’s a story I don’t get to hear. Mama and papa made me leave before he told it, but Harri and Elli had to leave to. I think was a grownup story. I want to listen at the door but Elli told me was gonna tell on me if I didn’t stop. Traitor. I would have told her and Harri too but she says Mama said no. She never lets me get away with stuff. Probably why mama puts her in charge when I’m feeling sick and she has to go out. Cadi lets me play in my room when I’m not feeling good but Elli makes me stay in bed and go to sleep. One time she held my nose and made me swallow a bunch of valerian root since I wouldn’t take a nap. It was super gross and I didn’t wake up for like 3 days. Mama freaked out and wouldn’t let me out of her sight for ages after that. Elli got in big trouble for getting into mamas medicines though, serves her right.

They’re opening up the door now, I guess the story is over. I missed the whole thing, ugh. Rollo and Griff and the others are coming out. Are we done with stories for now? I run up to Griff and grab his hand, bouncing on my toes. 

“Griff! Are you going somewhere? Can I come with? Please?”

Griff grins and reaches down to ruffle my hair, I grin back and blow my hair out of my eyes.

“I’m heading to the Stag-Horned Flagon with Rollo and Martyn. I don’t mind you coming along kiddo, what about you Rollo?”

“Fine by me. Martyn?”

“I don’t mind… What do you think Ma? Pa?”

Dangit Martyn, why did you have to ask mama? Maybe I can still make this work. I turn to mama and put on the most desperate, excited face that I can. Puppy eyes don’t work for me. If mama thinks I’m tired or upset she’ll make me stay home and sleep. I hop from foot to foot, hands clasped in front of me pleadingly, my eyes wide and pleading. 

“Mama, can I go? Pleeeease? I don’t feel sick or tired, and I promise I’ll be good. Honest!”

Mama frowns and my heart sinks, she’s about to say no. I just know it. Then she sighs and turns to Papa, “What do you think El? Should I let her go?” 

Papa rubs his chin, “I dunno, do you think she’ll behave herself?”

I hop over to papa so fast I almost trip, nodding my head vigorously, “I’ll be good papa, I promise! I want to hear the rest of Griff’s stories. I’ll listen to Rollo n’ Griff n’ Martyn, I will! Please just let me go papa!” I want it so bad I’m shaking. I hear a tiny giggle and see that Cadi is covering her mouth with her hand. I squint suspiciously, are they making fun of me?

But there’s more important things. I swivel back to papa, trying my best to contain my anxiety. What if he says no? But… hey! He’s biting his lip, he’s trying not to laugh! I take a step back and look around, glaring at everybody. They’re all trying not to laugh! I cross my arms, put on my cross face, and stomp my foot on the floor.

“Hey, you’re all making fun of me!” I huff in annoyance, “That’s not nice. Big jerks.”

They all give up. They’re all giggling, then they’re all laughing at me! No fair, they all teamed up to trick me! Even Elli and Harri are laughing! They all knew! That’s cheating! I stand there fuming while they laugh, then as they calm down mama comes over to me, still giggling softly. 

“Allright Karri, you can go with your brothers. Just be good for them, okay?”

“Really?” My eyes get wide as saucers, I smile and hug her around her waist as tight as I can, “Thank you mama! I’ll be good! Thank you, thank you!” I get to go! I never get to go! This is the best night ever. Wait, what am I gonna wear? I gotta get dressed! I pull away from mama, still bouncing in excitement, and dash up the stairs two at a time. Mama calls up after me.

“Slow down Karri! You’re gonna trip and hit your head!”

“Yes mama!” I yell back, slowing down and taking the stairs one by one. She’s right, I get to go out! Can’t risk messing that up by bonking my noggin. Gotta be careful.

I hurl myself out of my clothes and yank on my best blue dress. I get to go out! I gotta look good. I tug a brush through my bright-red hair so I don’t look like a big tangle of yarn. Am I forgetting anything? I look around. I go to the window and struggle to open it. It’s heavy for me. I manage to crack it open and a stiff wind breathes through. I shiver, it’s chilly out. I shut the window. Mostly. It gets stuck, okay? 

I look around for my coat but I don’t see it. It’s not in my chest either. When I look up, I see mama’s shawl on the bed. Well, my shawl. The one that was mamas. Its mine now. But I don’t want to wear that out. It’s warm and stuff but it’s… wearing your mamas shawl is for little kids. Not for grown ups. I get to go out with the boys I should look like a grown up. I look away from it. But then I look back. It is cold outside… and mamas shawl is really warm. And soft. And pretty.

I pull it around my shoulders. The pale blue looks nice with my dress. I should pin it with something though. Ooh! I got it! I run over to my bed-table and pull open the drawer to get my little box. Griffs ring is way too big for my finger, it doesn’t even fit mama and my fingers are way littler than hers are. But maybe… yeah! I pull the ends of my shawl through the ring and stick a little silver pin through them. Silver ring, silver pin, yeh. I look good! And I gotta look good, because I get to go out. Now I’m ready.

“Karri, you ready? We gotta get going!”

That’s Rollo. Everyone’s waiting on me, oops! I scuttle my way out of my room and down the stairs as fast as I can. Rollo, Griff, and Martyn all have their coats and are ready to go. Mama comes over to me, she has my coat. She holds it out towards me with one hand. 

“Looking for this?” She looks down at me and smiles, “I think you look very nice, but would you prefer your coat dear?”

I look down at mamas shawl, draped around my shoulders. It’s too big for me, it makes me look even smaller than I already am. But it’s warm and… it’s mine. I shake my head and look down, blushing slightly.  

“No. I’m okay mama. Thank you.”

“Alright then.” Her smile widens just slightly. She reaches down and adjusts my shawl, repinning it so it fits more snugly around my shoulders, like a hug. She cups my cheeks in her hands and kisses my forehead. Blegh, I blush and pull away and scrub at my forehead. She laughs. “Have fun baby girl, be safe.” I’m not a baby, but I nod anyways and scamper over to Griff and the others so we can head out to the Flagon. I get to go out! 

The night goes fast. We have a really tasty stew for dinner at the Flagon, and I get to have a big cup of cider! It’s almost as big as my head! My brothers all have ales, but I’m not old enough to get one. Not that I want to, cider is yummy and ale tastes like butts. Or at least that’s what Harri said after he got in trouble for sneaking one of papa’s ales. Griff gets out his manto… his… mandi… his instrument and played songs he learned on his trip! I sat on Rollo’s lap and clapped and sang along, then Rollo laughed and set me up on top of the table! He said I had to dance for my supper, so I did. It was embarrassing but it was really fun too. I was so tired by the end of it. I plopped back onto Rollo’s lap and sat there while he and Martyn clapped along. 

I guess I fell asleep at some point because when I woke up I was in my room. Rollo was carrying me to my bed. I was in my nightgown, I guess he changed me into it but I wasn’t embarrassed, he’d taken me swimming in Horse Pond too many times for me to be shy about that. My eyes were bleary as he set me down on my bed and pulled my covers up to my chin. I smiled up at him and he smiled back down at me.

“Hey kiddo. Did you have fun?”

“Uh huh.”

“Guess we really tired you out, huh?”

I nodded, yawning hugely. 

“Allright kiddo. Do you want a light?”

The light from the doorway was coming through but once he shut it… the shadows were already getting bigger. I look over at the darkness, then turn back to him and nod, not meeting his eyes.

“...Yeah.”

“Still don’t like the dark, huh?”

“...No.”

“Allright kiddo. Well, you know what might help? I almost forgot your present.”

My eyes shot wide open, I wanted to push myself up but I was so tired. I forgot about presents! He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little ceramic pot. It was black and shiny and covered in little gold leafs. Then he pulled out a little glass bottle. He pulled the top off of the bottle and a pretty smell filled the air. Lavender? He took my lamp oil from the bed-table and filled up the little pot, then put in a tiny droplet from the bottle, and lit a wick. The pretty lit lamp lit up on my bed-table and the smell of flowers filled the room. I smiled tiredly. It was nice.

Griff smiled again, brushing my hair away from my face. 

“Do you like your present?”

“Uh-huh. Thanks Griff.”

“You’re welcome kiddo.”

“Griff?”

“Yeah sis?”

“Will you take me on an adventure someday? When I’m old enough?”

Griff hesitated, then he smiled softly, I think a little bit sadly. “Sure I will Karri. You can come with me someday, but first you have to be big and strong.”

“Then I’m gonna get as big and strong as I can. Bigger and stronger than you even.”

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. “I bet you will kiddo. Then we’ll go on that trip, together.”

I nod, smiling sleepily. “Promise?”

“I promise. Now get some rest, okay?”

“Okay. I love you Griff.” 

“I love you too Karri.” 

[unholyhelbiglinked]

Camp Beaverbrook | 008

CHECK OUT THE STORY FROM THE START HERE

Hey Dad,

Oh my god, it’s so unfair that you’re already on your way to the Bahama’s! I know that Miss Henderson from down the block is picking up the mail right now- so there’s a huge chance she’ll read this before you do. Anyway, I really hope you catch all the rays and take advantage of that buffet… On a darker note, that camper, Jane, she hasn’t been found yet. Here’s to hoping.

Love you lots,

Chloe.

Chloe’s fingers ran against the grooved wood of the cabin wall. She could feel the subtle coolness soaking in through the glass paned window. Her breath clouded the surface, she could drag her finger across it and draw a lopsided heart as she used to when she was younger. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on the camp sign.

The engraved lettering was washed in a mix of blue and red every few moments, blinking and flashing to the point of morphing into a dark purple. It shaded Chloe’s features and made them look dark and cynical, she breathed out, letting the sheer white curtains in the cabin fall back to their resting place.

She cast her stare over to the tables that were filled with campers, some of them had the sense to awkwardly look back down at the ribbon they were weaving, the others openly gawked and even shifted their chairs to get a better look at the sheriff’s car that had pulled up a few moments ago.

Chloe cleared her throat evenly, shoving her hands in the pockets over her woven green shorts. She wishes she wore something longer. But Aubrey had pulled her aside and instructed her to keep her campers longer than usual. They were all blinking silently at her, those who hadn’t caught up quickly averted their attention.

Hayley, an older camper with a pension for anger and bribery was sitting in the corner, her feet up and a magazine in front of her face. They had moved her from her cabin, taken her away from a potential crime scene that made Chloe’s stomach churn.

“Miss Beale?” Anthony spoke up from his seat at the end of the table. He was a slight boy that was often swallowed up by his clothes. His mother hovered too much and had a whole list of things he couldn’t do. Aubrey practically ignored all the demands except for the peanut allergy.

“Yeah, bud?” She asked, squatting down so she could get a good look at the bracelet that he was struggling with. “Need some help?”

“No… What are the police doing here?” Hayley scoffed and turned the page of her magazine, Chloe fought the urge to turn around and shoot her a glare. Instead, she lifted both of her eyebrows, her stare moving over to the window once more. Anthony blinked a few times and shifted in his seat to the point of draping his arm over the back of the chair. “Did someone drown?”

“Wha- No,” Chloe stood, shaking her head as the rest of the room stared at her evenly. She had a dozen tiny eyes blinking and hoping for an explanation. Aubrey had prepped her on how to keep them busy, but not what to say if they started to ask questions. No one counted on the questions. “Everything is fine, the Sheriff is just visiting.”

Anna picked up a pair of safety scissors “No he’s not, something is wrong, my dad says that cops never show up unless someone is guilty of something.”  

“Your dad sounds like he watches too much Barney Miller.”

Chloe folded her arms over her chest and directs her attention towards the door to the crafting cabin. She scrunched up her features as Anna shrugged her shoulders and went back to cutting the lengths of string. Stacie Conrad was leaning against the door, her nose raw and red from the chilly night air, flashes of purple dominating her stance. She lifted her chin, sullen eyes shifting towards the front of the cabin.

“Hayley,”

“Yeah, yeah” She responded setting down the magazine and leaning forward to talk to the kids. She didn’t look like the caring type, but at this moment, Chloe didn’t’ seem to care. There was a certain jarring effect to the quad being bathed in the cold atmosphere of police lights. One that settled against the inside of her stomach and made her feel hollow the second she shut the door behind her. Stacie was leaning against the railing of the porch, a worried look etched upon her features.

She had underestimated the effect of the cold chill in the air, hugging her arms close.

“People are asking a lot of questions.” Stacie finally said, voice sullen. “Gail has been in that cabin fortress of hers talking to the sheriff for close to an hour now. It looks like they called someone up from the state too.”

Chloe dug her nails into the wood of the railing and leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the silver and blue car that had its headlights trained at the mess hall. Next to that was a black El Dorado that reminded Chloe of a supervillain, or someone who would pop the collar of his trench coat.

A stranger did lean against the front of the car, making it tilt to one side. He had a cigar trapped between his teeth as smoke rose into the starry sky almost as if it belonged. His hands were crossed over his chest and his lungs puffed out little rings. Beca Mitchell stood close by him, talking animatedly about something. He kept a calm composure compared to her arms cutting through the air.

He shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder before stomping out the cigar. Beca glared at the contact but didn’t’ make a move to shove him off. “You think that guy is with the state?”

“Don’t see why else he would come up to a small camp like this over someone who probably ran away in the middle of the night.”

Chloe pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and rocked back and forth on her heels. The man glanced towards them, giving a half-hearted wave before Beca lowered her eyes into her palm, rubbing her temples. “I don’t understand why he’d be talking to Beca.”

“She was the last one to see Jane, Chloe. I’m sure that’s it.”  

Chloe put all her weight on her hands and let the wood dig into soft palms. Beca still hadn’t looked up from her own grasp, and the man had removed his cigar before shoving the burning embers into the painted hood of the car. He dusted his hands off and gave her roommate one last squeeze on the shoulder pulled his car door open. Even from here, Chloe cringed at the way the El Dorado groaned.

“You ever notice how Beca just kind of sneaks off all the time?”

Chloe knit her brow together. She didn’t’ think it was all of the time. There were moments where she would run out on a meal and end up begging Jesse to let her eat the dry cereal that was kept on top of the fridge. Times where Chloe would wake up to Beca grasping a flashlight before dawn even broke and heading into the foggy hills. But she wouldn’t say it was all the time.

“No, I can’t say I have.”

Beca Mitchell was an enigma in herself; she was rough around the edges, a tough nut to crack as far as Chloe was concerned. Everything about the woman was enough to send her heart into overdrive. She would sneak into the placid throws of a forest without light and it would make Chloe question everything- question her well being and her blind trust in a woman she had just met.

But then, Beca Mitchell would cover her up when she got into the cabin, smelling like enough pine to stir Chloe’s senses. She would pull the edges of the blanket over her shoulders and ever give it a slight squeeze before silently slipping off her converse. They had flames on them. She would gently talk to a crying child and apply a bandage, and she would help Jesse in the mess hall with dishes in sparing conversation. But maybe Stacie had a point. Maybe Beca did harbor something other than a caged heart and a pension to get under Aubrey Posen’s skin.

They watched Beca as she watched the man. His headlights ignited the dirt kicked up by rubber tires in a smoky mess that would irritate anyone. The silver bumper of his car came close enough to clip the belt buckle on Beca’s frayed jean shorts, but she refused to move, a worried scowl on her face and her arms crossed over her chest.

The stranger seemed to light another cigar, it’s angry red end glowing like a demon with prey in its vision, jaws dripping and engine growling. He said something to her through an open window leaking acid smoke. Beca Mitchell simply nodded, and Chloe Beale hugged herself closer.

[blurryhoney]

She Makes Him Better (Billy Hargrove x Reader)

Summary: You are Dustins older sister helping the gang with the demo-dog situation when a certain someone shows up looking for their step-sister.

Pairings: Billy Hargrove x Henderson!Reader, Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader (Platonic), Dustin Henderson x Reader (Siblings).

Setting: Stranger Things 2, The Byers Home.

Inspired By: My Brain

Warnings: Cursing, Fighting, Blood, A Shot of Drugs, Talk of Abuse.

Author: Heather ( Account Owner (: ) 

Note: I do not agree with billys personality and behavior this is simply my interpretation on his character and am having fun writing. Be sure to read the end notes if you want a second part! NO GIFS USED THROUGHOUT THE STORY ARE MINE. 

Requests are open! Don’t be shy to message me or ask anonymously. :)

Word Count: 2338

Part 2 Part 3

“Hey, hey, hey!” Steve yelled gathering everyone's attention. He shakes his head. “ This is not happening” He stated firmly pointing at the askew of papers all over the house that laid out the tunnels for the demogorgons.

“ But-” Mike tried to explain but was quickly cut off.

“ No, no, no, no, no! No buts, I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here on the bench and waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand that?” Steve asks looking around at everyone, even you where you were standing behind your brother dustin.

“ This isn’t a stupid sports game!” Mike called out from where he was on the floor looking at steve where he was also looking at the map where the main section of the tunnels connected. Setting it on fire will give Eleven and Hopper the chance to get to the gate safely but also running the risk of getting four children and two teenagers killed.

“ I said does everybody understand that” Steve says sternly taking the towel from his shoulder and pointing it at Mike. You were conflicted.

On one hand going to the tunnels and setting it on fire gives El and Hopper the better chance of getting to the gate quickly and safely to close the gate and ending this hell once and for all. But again, if you all go and something goes wrong what are the risks of someone getting hurt? You wouldn’t let dustin get hurt and max, who has grown to be like a little sister, would do anything to do the right thing even if it meant getting hurt. You wouldn’t let any of these kids die. After last years events you thought this was all over, a bad memory that you wouldn’t have to think of again. Boy were you wrong.

You clench your fist and look at steve about to speak when you hear a loud roar and rumble of a car engine. Everyone's heads snap towards the front of the house when max starts running to the front window quickly. Thats immediately when you realize who it was.

“ Oh shit “ You breath out running behind her as everyone follows to the window and front door. Lucas and her jump on the couch seeing the blue camaro pull up on the driveway.

“ Its my brother, he can’t know I’m here he’ll kill me” Max looks at lucas who was sitting next to her. “ He’ll kill us “  She looks back at me quickly obviously nervous. I look at Steve who was next to me and see him thinking quickly before walking to the front door and shutting it quickly walking outside.

Everyone crowded around the window being sure to stay low so they wouldn’t be seen. You stood at the edge peering around the window frame standing above the kids as you see Steve stop at the porches edge waiting for Billy.

You and Billy had a confusing relationship. You always were interested in him and attracted but he never really had a good way of showing his feelings. He acted different around you, not being the total smart ass that everyone makes him out to be. You knew vaguely about his troubles at home but he was never open about it in the times you both hung out.

Letting you in would only get you hurt too. He doesn’t know what he would do with himself if he was the reason something bad happened to you.

As Billy climbed out of his car he smirked blowing out a puff of smoke before leaning against his car.

“ Am I dreaming or is that you Harrington? “ He smirks as steve rolls his eyes his hands on his hips.

“ Yeah it’s me don’t cream your pants.” Steve states obviously annoyed. He walks down the steps as Billy takes off his leather jacket throwing it in the car before walking up to Steve his chest puffed out his cigarette hanging from his lips.

“ What are you doing here Amigo? “ Billy asks his signature smirk plastered on his face still.

“ I could ask you the same thing...Amigo.” Steve replies calmly.

“ Looking for my step-sister. Little birdy told me she was here.”

“ Huh that’s weird I don’t know her ” He says shaking his head.

“ Small “ Billy pinches his fingers together. “ red head ” He points to his hair. “ Bit of a bitch.”

“ Doesn’t ring a bell sorry buddy “ Steve replies quickly. Billy nods twisting his neck.

“ Ya know I don’t know this “ He steps closer to Steve “ This whole situation Harrington, It’s giving my the hibigeebies.”

“ Oh yeah whys that? “ Steve asks confused but tries not to show it.

“ My thirteen year old sister goes missing all day and then I find her with you “ He motions his hands towards Steve. “ In a strangers house, and you lie to me about it “ He says furrowing his eyebrows at Steve obviously starting to get angry.

Steve breaths out a huff looking away from Billy, “ Man were you dropped to much as a child or what? “ He looks back at him watching him run his tongue across his teeth. “ I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said, she’s not here” Billy chuckles and takes his cigarette out of his mouth using that same hand to point behind Steve.

“ Then who is that? “ He asks matter of factly. Steve looks out the window quickly seeing all four kids lined up along the window before they all ducked down.

“ Shit! Did he see us?” Dustin asks quickly. You jump into action throwing yourself at the window just in time to see Billy kick Steve who was laid out on the dirt ground in front of him.

“ Everyone stay here “ You say quickly running to the front door and running outside slamming the door shut. Billy looks up at you as he walks up to the porch confused as to why you were there too.

“ Princess, you haven’t become desperate to be with Steve Harrington have you?” He asks now getting upset that you were with another guy let alone is archenemy. Yet his whole demeanor changed when he saw you, he wasn't as tense and he looked happy to see you. You huff out a breath the cool air nipping your bare arms.

“ Billy go home your sister is okay I’m watching after her. “ You state calmly looking around Billy quickly when you hear Steve groan from the ground. You rush over to him thinking Billy would listen to you as you help Steve stand.

“ Are you okay?” steve grunts and nods looking up after he hears a door slam shut. You look quickly to see that Billy had ran into the house successfully pissing you off. “ God damn it “

When you and Steve ran inside you found Billy hunched over slightly by Lucas who was backed up against the wall.

“ You are so dead saintclair, you’re dead “ Your eyes widened at Billy's harsh words to the poor thirteen year old. Steve stomped over quickly grabbing Billy spinning him around to face him away from Lucas.

“ No, you are” With that he punches Billy as hard as he could in the face successfully throwing him sideways making you gasp. Lucas runs to you quickly wrapping his arms around your waist making you look down at him and hold him close protecting him and calming him down before you felt Max and Dustin hug you from your sides and Mike behind you. You watched wide eyed as Billy laughed almost maniacally looking at steve his nose now bleeding.

“ Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I’ve been wanting to meet this King Steve everybody has been telling me so much about. “ Billy gets close and up in Steve's face again making you tense up.

“ Billy please go home you can’t do this. “ You say looking at him with shocked eyes. He must have went through something bad at home to be in this anger state now. The fact that him and Steve don’t get along doesn’t help the situation either.

“ (y/n) it’s okay let me handle this “ Steve says not giving Billy the chance to respond to you.

“ Don’t tell her what to do.” Billy grumbles eyebrows narrowed. Steve poked Billy’s chest pushing him away from him a little bit giving themselves a little distance from each other.

“ Get out “ Steve all but growled staring at Billy. It was silent for a good 10 seconds before Billy swung missing as Steve dodged causing Steve to punch Billy hard again in the face.

“ Yes! Steve!” Dustin yells encouraging Steve. You shake your head quickly pushing everyone back away from the two fighting teenagers.

“ Dustin don’t encourage them!” You yell looking around to try and figure out something to stop them with without hurting either of them.

They didn’t last long in the kitchen and somehow ended up in the living room with Billy on top of Steve beating the crap out of him. You looked around quickly trying to find something to help knowing that if you went in to pull him off you would most likely get hurt. Before you could stop it Max grabbed the shot and stomped behind billy stabbing him in the neck with it definitely drawing his attention away from the boy underneath him.

He stood up looking behind him slowly seeing max right behind him and you walking towards them quickly. You push Max behind you pushing her towards the boys who grabbed her pulling her to them. You put one hand on the exposed side of Billy's neck to help steady him while you use your free hand to pull the shot out of his neck dropping it to the floor. He looked at you confused and you could tell he was starting to get delusional. He stepped forward looking at Max.

“ Shit what did you do “ He mumbled looking at Max before stumbling backwards and falling to the ground. You quickly caught him going to the ground with him to help break his fall having him practically lying in your lap as his eyes closed and soft chuckles escaped his lips. You look up as Max grabs Steve's trusty nail bat before she swings it over her shoulder looking at her brother on the floor.

“ From here on out you’ll leave me and my friends alone, do you understand?” She asks sternly. You look up at her proud to see she was finally sticking up to her brother. She didn’t know that he was trying to protect her from the dark world, but being a pissed older brother and emotionally abusing her wasn’t the way to go at it with her.

“ Screw you “ He mumbled eyes practically closed the drugs causing him to come in and out of consciousness already. Max quickly derailed his comment by slamming the bat right into the hardwood floor just missing his privates. That quickly got him to open his eyes and look up lifting his head to look at the bat right in front of his crotch. You looked at her in shock by her action as did the boys who stared at her in awh from behind her.

“ Say you understand! Say it! “ Billy’s head lolled back into your lap where you gently held his head tangling a hand in his curly blonde hair. He leaned into your touch his eyes officially closed.

“ I understand “ he practically whispered falling asleep in your lap. You look at his pocket seeing his keys dangling out of them before leaning forwards and wiggling them out of his jeans. You look up at Max who dropped the bat on the floor.

“ Max “ she looks down at me catching the keys quickly that I tossed her way. “ You’ll need those” She smiled looking back at the boys who were too shocked by everything that just happened to move.

After helping them get Steve in the back seat of the Blue Camaro you somehow were able to get Billy into the passenger seat of your Black 70 Ford Mustang before closing the door and looking back at the kids who were all waiting by Billy’s car.

“ Where are you going?” Dustin asked concerned his knee jumping. You wrapped your arms around him hugging him. “ Go to the tunnels and burn these son of a bitches. You all are amazing kids I know you can do it, Steve will wake up and help you guys to I know it. “ You explained making them all look at you confused.

“ Where are you going (y/n)?” Mike asked again confused. You sighed trying to avoid the question failed.

“ I need to get Billy out of here and away from you guys. I’ll be okay I promise.” Max looked at you with a small smile.

“ Do you love him?” Dustins question surprised you. As much as you wanted to say goodbye to the blonde hot head you had a little piece of yourself that was with him. Him was with you too.

“ It’s complicated Dusty.” You sigh petting his head. “ You guys be safe alright if any of you get hurt-” You were cut off when Max practically ran into you hugging you tightly.

“ Thank you, (y/n). I know you can change Billy’s ways.” You hug her tightly looking off to the side at the knocked out boy in your passenger seat, he was bloody and needed to sleep for a while but you couldn’t help but feel your heart flutter just looking at him.

“ I hope you’re right max” With that you all went separate ways. The kids drove off with Steve in the back seat planning on distracting the demogorgons and saving El and Hopper. While you got Billy away from the hell that you all have been dealing with for the past couple days. You couldn’t stop checking on Billy. What he did was awful and he needed to explain himself. He goes through hell at home but is that an excuse anymore after what he just did?

Damn it Billy Hargrove why did you have to make me love you?

Sorry I posted later than expected! I was thinking about doing a second part to this of the aftermath and really going into the relationship between reader and billy. Depending on how well it does and if you guys want I will be down to do it! Requests are open and if you have any ideas let me know! :)

[bitsandbobsandstuff]

The one where Bucky and Steve get married

Summary: Where Bucky is the world’s deadliest bridezilla, Steve gets a ‘close’ shave with a Cold Steel Recon knife, Bucky gets sentimental about flowers, and the boys get married.

Characters: Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers; Best Man Sam Wilson, Best Woman Natasha Romanoff; Tony Stark gets a license

Warnings: Bad language words, lots of sassy Bucky, brief mention of knife play. So much fluff. A bit of SMUT, so please follow the rules and be 18+ to read (or at least skip the shaving scene).

A/N: Here’s my story for @hellomissmabel ‘s birthday and 2k follower celebration, congrats again Annie! The idea was to include ‘yellow roses’ into a story, and in case you didn’t know, yellow roses are all about new beginnings. That’s always an excellent theme with our favourite boys, right?

A/N 2: Want to read it in Chinese instead? Find the translation here!

MASTERLIST

***** THE BIG DAY (EARLY MORNING)

Steve Rogers is wrapped in a warm, fluffy blanket burrito when the bedroom door slams open. It booms like canon fire and he jerks awake with a shout, tumbles off the bed, and smashes his head on the nightstand.

Scrambling to untangle from the sheets, he scrubs the grit from his eyes and looks around in a panic.

Bucky Barnes stands in the doorway, wearing nothing but electric blue boxers and a massive smile. He’s holding his toothbrush in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

He is the only human being on the planet who drinks coffee while he brushes his teeth.

He’s fucking weird.

Steve loves him so fucking much.

“Wakey, wakey bitch! We’re getting married today!” Bucky takes a huge slug of coffee, and pops his toothbrush back in his mouth. He’s grinning at Steve while he brushes, flecks of white foam dripping to the floor.

“You’re fucking weird.” Steve mumbles, collapsing back to the floor.

Bucky laughs at the top of his lungs.

*****

SIX WEEKS EARLIER 

Sam sprints alongside Steve. He has so many questions.

“So, you’re doing all the traditional wedding shit?”

“Jesus, of course. Bucky insisted. His list gets longer every damn day.”

Sam’s picturing things like ‘make everyone do the Jitterbug’ and ‘recite old-timey poetry’ so he’s intrigued.

“What’s on his list?”

--- 

Bucky slaps a piece of paper on the table. Steve glances at the headline.

ALL THE SHIT I WANT TO DO AT MY OUR WEDDING

“The hell’s this?”

“We’re getting married asshole. We need to plan.”

“I’m aware you dick, I just thought you got a wedding planner.”

“I fired her. She was fucking with my vision. Anyway, these are things I want.” 

Steve picks up the list. “Writing our own vows, string quartet, customised rings. Sure, these are easy enough. Can I veto us doing the YMCA though? I hate that song.

“No. It’s my wedding and I want to do the YMCA.” The look on his face indicates he is unlikely to be swayed.

“Jesus, bridezilla. Fine.” He keeps reading. “How are you going to throw a bouquet, you’re not carrying flowers?”

Steve looks up.

Murderous Winter Soldier bridal glare.

“Okay, okay, sorry, we’ll find something for you to throw. You want to give fake grenades as party favours?”

“You’re supposed to give party favours that reflect who you are as a couple and since I really like grenade launchers and you really like having grenades launched at you, I think this is good. Maybe later that night, we can have people roll them on the floor and you could jump on them and remind us all that you’re an idiot with no sense of self-preservation.”

Steve clenches his jaw.

Murderous Winter Soldier bridal glare is back.

Steve lets it go. Back to the list. 

“Shoving cake in Steve’s face – what the fuck is this about?”

“It’s a tradition. Don’t argue with me.” 

“But why do you get to do it? Why can’t I shove it in your face?”

“Uh, because it’s my wedding and you said I got to pick anything I want, and this is what I want. Don’t ruin my special day Steve.”

“I’m not, I was just – “

“No excuses. Get on board the wedding train punk.”

Steve crumples the paper into a ball and throws it at him. “You’re a dumbass.”

“Choo choo motherfucker.”

--- 

Sam has to stop, he’s laughing too hard at this point.  

“He also wants everyone to stand up when he walks down the aisle.” Steve shrugs. “But you know. Whatever makes him happy.”

Sam’s nearly hyperventilating. “This is the best damn conversation I’ve had all month. Has he made any decisions you’re actually pissed about?”

Steve huffs irritably. “Well, there’s one thing. This whole ‘carrying someone across the threshold’ shit. He said he was carrying me, I disagreed and said I wanted to carry him. So we had an arm wrestling contest to decide.”

“Yeah? And?”

“And Bucky is a dirty, lying, cheating cocksucker.”

“So, you’re saying you lost?”

“What I’m saying, is that I don’t know why I’m still surprised when he cheats at everything, after knowing him for a hundred god damn years.” Steve retorts, scratching his chin. “He’s a real piece of shit sometimes.”

“True. But he’s your piece of shit.”

“True.” Steve agrees. “Thank god.”

*****

THREE WEEKS EARLIER 

Bucky likes lists. He makes them for everything. Sometimes he makes lists and puts ‘make a list’ on the list, just so he can cross it off. 

He’s sitting at the kitchen counter chewing on a piece of beef jerky, reading his latest updates.

SHIT TO DO BEFORE MY OUR WEDDING

Confirm the cake (Cake tasting was a religious experience. Bucky swears he saw the face of God in that buttercream frosting.)

Pick my entrance song (The best song. He found the best fucking song.)

Order flowers (He’s already picked them out, just needs to place the order. He really hopes Steve gets the sentiment.)

“You better move your ass if you need to order flowers. They book way in advance.” Natasha is leaning over his shoulder, stealing his beef jerky and examining his list.

“Don’t take my fucking things Natalia.” He snatches for the beef jerky, but she ducks away.

“What kind of flowers are you getting? Do I need to help you? I don’t want you to ruin this.”

“Yeah thanks, it’s not real hard, just a couple yellow roses. I’ll manage.”

“Sounds lazy. Tell me why.”

Bucky smirks at her, before it fades into an honest to goodness smile. She watches the adoration flood his features. He tells her a story.

“Did you know, before the serum, Steve was colour-blind?”

Natasha raises her eyebrows. “Interesting. That wasn’t in the files.”

Bucky hums. “Yep. Couldn’t see much besides shades of grey. Remember him saying, when he opened his eyes coming out of that tube, actually saw colour, first thing he noticed was Carter’s red lipstick. Shocked him so much he threw up on her shoes.”

He barks out a laugh at the image. It’s one of those stories Bucky loves to tell, partly because it’s endearing as fuck.

Mostly because he lives for the embarrassment on Steve’s face.  

“Anyway, back in the day, all the guys used to wear flowers when we went out Saturday nights. There was an old lady who had a stand outside the Fulton Street El, and I always stopped to negotiate – I’m a master fucking negotiator, by the way – to get us a couple.”

--- 

1939, Brooklyn: Steve’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, a battered tin of shoe polish in one hand, his worn leather boot in the other. He glances to the rusted silver clock on their bookcase, wondering when the hell Bucky’s getting home, when he hears heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs.

He’s a whirlwind when he bursts through the door, throwing his bag on the floor, toeing off his shoes as he walks.

“I know, I know, I’m late! Don’t be mad, had to make a stop.” Bucky’s breathing fast, sweaty pieces of hair plastered to his forehead when he rips his flat cap off, flinging it across the room. His bright blue eyes are wild with laughter as he throws a packet of parchment paper into Steve’s lap.

He keeps talking, struggling with the buttons of his shirt, his voice muffled when he gets too impatient and tries to rip it over his head instead. “I stand by it Stevie, cross my fucking heart, I’m the most charming motherfucker in Brooklyn. Wait’ll you hear the deal she gave me, god damn.”

He finally gets the shirt over his head, leaving his dark hair sticking in every direction. “Lemme have a quick wash and we’ll go.”

Giving Steve a roguish wink, he rushes off, dirty clothes flying as he strips.

Steve rolls his eyes. He opens the packet and two yellow roses drop to the floor.

---

“So why yellow roses?” Natasha questions. She’s still eating his beef jerky.

Bucky goes back to his list. “One, roses are my favourite. And two, I always get him yellow. Used to be the only colour Steve could see.”

Natasha pauses mid-chew. She opens her mouth to speak, but for the first time in a long while, she can’t find the words. It’s the most genuine thing she’s ever heard him say.

“That’s – really sweet, Barnes.”

“I know. M’fucking awesome.”

*****

THE BIG DAY (EARLY AFTERNOON) 

Steve stands in the bathroom, perusing his face. Running his hand over his beard, he makes a snap decision.

“Think I want to shave.” Steve announces, glancing at Bucky in the mirror. “Might be nice. Fresh start or whatever.”

Bucky’s lounging against the bathroom door. He’s been wandering around the compound all day in those electric blue boxers, shouting directions at everyone, and for some unknown reason, he’s now paired them with his black combat boots.

Seriously. He’s so weird sometimes.

Seriously. Steve loves him so fucking much.

Bucky sizes him up, before giving a decisive nod. “I agree. And you should let me do it.”

Steve narrows his eyes. “Not likely. I’ll end up with some shit moustache or missing half an eyebrow.”

“Like I would do that. I’m not ruining my wedding photos with your face looking stupid.”

Steve’s lips twitch.

“Fine. Give me a shave.”

Bucky’s delighted. He stomps back into the bedroom and grabs the desk chair, dragging it into their cavernous bathroom. Situating it in front of the mirror, he pushes Steve down and drapes a towel over his shoulders. Fumbling under the sink, he knocks over every bottle he sees, until he finds the half-empty can of shaving cream stashed at the back. He flips the lid off and throws it across the room, aiming for the trashcan. Missing completely.

“Nice one.” Steve comments.

“Shut your pie-hole.” Bucky replies.

Giving the can an aggressive couple shakes, Bucky sprays every last bit of cream into his hands and pauses, peering at Steve with a look of intense concentration. Then his face clears and he slaps his hands onto Steve’s cheeks, smearing the white fluff all over his face and neck.

Steve belatedly realises this may have been a mistake.

When he’s finally satisfied the shaving cream is spread evenly, Bucky gives him a mocking salute. Steve’s momentarily confused when Bucky then props his boot on the chair between Steve’s knees, until he reaches down the side and pulls out his newest tactical knife. A shiny Cold Steel Recon 1.

“No.” Steve argues.

“Yes.” Bucky insists.

“Jesus.” Steve sighs.

Flipping the knife to switch his grip, Bucky climbs into Steve’s lap. He grinds his hips down, rubbing against Steve’s crotch with an exaggerated groan. Steve’s hands automatically grip his hips, locking Bucky in place, a look of resigned patience on his face.

Clasping Steve’s jaw in his fingers, Bucky tilts his head back and forth, a sculptor looking for the perfect angle. When he finds it, he turns Steve’s face to the side and leans forward, the sharp edge of the blade positioned carefully at the bottom of Steve’s sideburns.

Something about the whole thing seems familiar.

--- 

1944, France: The rain is coming down in actual sheets at this point. Bucky trudges to the entrance of the tent, his blue overcoat draped over his head. It’s completely soaked and heavy as hell.

He’s so pissed off.

Ducking under the tent flap, he shakes out his hair and glares at Steve.

“You know what? Fuck France. Fuck Hitler, fuck Hydra, fuck Phillips, fuck the god damn rain, fuck everything.”

Steve looks up from the cracked mirror in front of him, towelling away the remaining bits of soap from his newly smooth face. “So, honey, how was your day?”

Bucky grunts. “Fucking terrible. I’m so ready to go home.”

“You look like shit. If you sit, I’ll give you a shave.”

“I’m out of razors, got nothing until the next mail delivery.” Bucky sighs heavily, flinging himself onto Steve’s cot, disappointment roiling through his gut. His face itches like hell.

“Use a knife. Works just as well.”

Bucky sits up and wonders why he hasn’t thought of this. “Well fuck me sideways Stevie. Still some brains left in that thick skull after all.”

Steve snatches up the bowl of soapy water and plunks it at their feet, splashing Bucky’s mud-covered boots. He grabs the remainder of his soap, and scrubs his hands together, getting a good lather.

Standing above Bucky, he tilts his head and looks down, a devilish little smirk curling up his lips.

Bucky looks up warily. “I’m going to regret that last comment, aren’t I.” he states flatly.  

“Possibly,” Steve mumbles. He sinks down onto Bucky’s lap, straddles his thighs. Pats soap on his face. Grinds himself against Bucky with a breathless little whine.

“Aw hell.” Bucky whispers hoarsely, his hands reaching up to grip Steve’s ass tightly. “You’re such a little tease, Rogers.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. Yes, you really fucking are.”

---

A great idea pops into Bucky’s head.

Steve spots the sudden gleam in his eyes, and grunts. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop. I’m serious Buck.”

The gleam is replaced by a look of pure innocence, which is to say, a look that spells absolute trouble.

“Put your hands behind the chair Stevie.”

“Yeah, no. Not happening.”

Bucky presses the knife a little closer, the blade biting into Steve’s skin. “If you don’t, I swear to god I’ll shave a bald strip straight through your hair.”

“Well, then I guess our wedding photos will look pretty stupid, and that’ll be on your head.”

Bucky tries another route. His husky, wheedling voice usually works.

“Please baby? I just want to try something.”

Success.

“I hate you.” Steve mutters. Folding his arms behind the chair, he links his fingers together and looks at Bucky with a martyred expression.

Bucky taps his metal fingers against Steve’s bare chest, marvelling at the splotchy pink flush that’s creeping across Steve’s torso. Keeping his knife balanced on Steve’s cheek, he stands, still straddling the chair, while his hand drifts down to the waistband of Steve’s sweatpants. He slips the tips of his fingers under the fabric. Nudges Steve to lift his ass so he can tug them down.

Bucky grins.

Steve huffs.

Bucky slides his hand down.

Steve clenches his teeth, trying to stay still.

Bucky wraps cool fingers tight around the base of Steve’s cock and gives a good squeeze.

“Jesus Christ Bucky,” Steve hisses.

Fun fact. Bucky’s been ambidextrous his entire life. It’s one of the reasons he’s so good in combat, can switch hands in a knife fight, can shoot from any angle. His brain can always disconnect the movements, allowing him to use each arm independently and equally.

Right now, he wants to use one exceptionally slow. And the other, well, maybe less slow.

Bucky carefully scrapes the first path down Steve’s cheek with his knife, cleanly removing a line of gold bristles. He hums ‘Here Comes the Bride’ as he wipes the dirty blade on the towel.

His other hand grips Steve’s cock, pumping him with lazy strokes.

Steve groans quietly.

Another deliberate, scratchy slice down Steve’s jawline. Metal fingers move faster, his wrist giving a little twist at the upturn of every stroke.

Steve groans louder.

He balances the knife on Steve’s upper lip, noticing the sweat beading Steve’s forehead. He leans forward and licks it away. Drags his knife down. Jerks Steve’s dick faster.

Steve starts swearing.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Bucky murmurs. Steve says nothing, just gives him a soft grunt.

That won’t do.

Bucky stops moving and nicks Steve’s skin with the blade when he doesn’t respond. “Answer me.”

“Gah! Yes, yes it feels good. Really fucking good.” Steve rasps, closing his eyes. 

“Okay then.” Bucky’s mollified. He repositions his knife on the other side of Steve’s face.

Steve catches his bottom lip between his teeth, harsh pants in his throat when Bucky’s hand starts stroking him again, while the blade moves leisurely over his cheek, over his throat. He feels warm breath on his face and opens his eyes to find Bucky nose to nose with him, a sly smile on his face.

“You gonna come for me?” Bucky growls low, lips brushing lightly against Steve’s. He twists his wrist again, rubs his thumb over the tip of Steve’s cock one more time, and it’s that signature move that drops Steve over the edge. He comes hard, hands still linked behind the chair, hips bucking while he fucks himself frantically up into Bucky’s hand.

“Fuck, fuck, shit, that’s – fuck.” Steve chokes.

“Tell me about it.” Bucky says smugly.

Bucky keeps up the gentle, leisurely strokes while Steve catches his breath. His blade makes a few final swipes across Steve’s face, cleaning up the remaining shaving cream.

He tosses the knife carelessly over his shoulder, where it clatters in the sink. He sits back in Steve’s lap, assesses his work. Gives himself a verbal pat on the back.

“Damn I’m good. At shaving and hand jobs. I could make a career out of it.”

Steve gives him his annoyed Captain face. Bucky likes that look. It’s hot.

“Can you shut up and get me a towel, I have cum in my fucking hair.”

“Just leave it there.”

“What?”

“You’re supposed to wear white Steve, it’s our wedding.”

“Oh my god.”

*****

20 MINUTES BEFORE THE BIG MOMENT

Bucky barrels into the room, just as Steve’s fixing the knot on his tie.

He skids to a stop, and they turn inspect each other, a matching pair of shit-eating grins lighting up both faces. 

Bucky’s dressed head to toe in black, a dark blue dress shirt his only concession to colour. Steve’s a mirror opposite, dressed in navy blue, a black shirt completing the look.

“You realise we’re not supposed to see each other before the ceremony.” Steve reminds. “It’s bad luck.”

Bucky snorts. “We’ve fulfilled a lifetime quota of bad luck, Fate can kiss my fucking ass at this point. Besides, I got something for you.”

He produces a small parchment bag, and cracks it open, pulling out two bright yellow roses.

For the first time all day, Bucky’s voice softens, all hints of snark and sarcasm vanishing.

“Not sure if you’ll remember this, fucking surprised I remember, but, uh, yellow roses are kind of our thing.”

The bashful nervousness on Bucky’s face promptly melts Steve’s heart.

“Buck. Yeah, ‘course I remember.”

They’re quiet for a moment, contemplating the decades of misery and horror and death they’ve waded through, to get here today.

Worth it, Bucky thinks fiercely. Completely worth it.

He quickly pins a flower on his jacket, and moves closer to Steve with the other.

“Anyway, so I’m telling the florist all about us, and she mentioned something.” He pushes the straight pin through the thick fabric, hooking the rose onto Steve’s lapel. “She told me yellow roses have a meaning. You know what it is?”

Steve shakes his head. Partly because he likes to hear Bucky tell a story. Mostly because there’s a lump in his throat and he can’t speak.

“Yellow roses, they mean new beginnings. Chance to forget the past, get a fresh start.”

He gives the flower a final adjustment, stands back to admire. Lifts an eyebrow at Steve.

Steve nods slowly. Curls his hand behind Bucky’s neck and pulls him close. “Sounds good to me.”

*****

THE BIG MOMENT 

The enormous canopy resembles a clean white circus tent, sitting at the edge of the compound’s property. Like the master tactician he is, Bucky had paced out the measurements eleven different times, picturing every minute detail of every possible scenario, before he settled on this configuration. 

About fucking time all those years of intricate ops planning came in useful.

Guests are filing in, the chatter of familiar voices rising and falling. They kept the invitee list small. Bucky might have invited the entire population of New York City if Steve had let him (he wants everyone to witness the best god damn day of his life), but Steve was hoping for something more intimate.

“Okay. After all Steve,” Bucky told him graciously. “It’s your day too.”

They also agreed on a small wedding party. Three friendly faces standing up with them. Sam and Nat were a given. The third was somewhat of a surprise.

--- 

Tony strolls into the kitchen while Bucky’s making another list and Steve’s making another coffee. 

“Boys. Who’s officiating your wedding?”

“Well – “

“No problem, glad you asked, I’m happy to do it. In fact, here’s my new officiant’s license. I was ordained through Google at 10:43 this morning.”

Steve glances to Bucky, who looks up from his list. He scrutinises Tony for a minute and shrugs.

“Works for me. Long as you don’t fuck up my special day, I don’t give a shit.”

Tony claps his hands together. “Excellent, there’s the tearful appreciation I was hoping for.”

---

Steve stands at the front of the aisle, hands jammed in his pockets. Sam and Tony are flanking him, trading amused glances as Steve fidgets nervously.

Just like Bucky requested, there’s a four-piece string quartet set-up behind them, the violin and cello a soothing sound on his nerves. Until Steve’s realises they’re playing a medley of Britney Spears and Led Zeppelin.

Which, okay, it makes sense. Bucky’s two favourite artists.

Literally, Bucky Barnes is so fucking weird.

Literally, Steve Rogers is so fucking in love with him.

There’s a change in tune and the crowd turns to stand.

At the far end of the aisle, Bucky steps up with Natasha at his side.

After an internal debate with himself, Bucky asked her to escort him down the aisle. Said he was afraid if she went first, no one would pay attention to him, and since it was his big day, that would really piss him off. In reality, he had a minor panic attack at the thought of walking by himself. Not that Nat needs to know.

Although, she probably definitely knows. After all, it’s Natasha.

Bucky meets Steve’s eyes, and for a moment he forgets to breathe.

People say a lot of shit about weddings. About how you’re going to feel when you see your person at the other end of the aisle, about how it feels like there’s no one else in the world except the two of you. How everything around you goes quiet.

Steve always scoffed. “Dumb.”

Bucky scoffed louder. “Lame.”

Both realise in this instant, how utterly wrong they were. It’s actually true. Time stops. The world fades away. You really do only see each other.

Natasha urges Bucky forward, and Steve’s ears prick at the song the violins are now playing. Bucky decided to go with ‘Sexy Back’ as his entrance song.

Of course he did.

It’s a lifetime until they reach the front of the aisle, but they finally arrive.

Natasha releases Bucky’s arm, flashing a fond smile as she considers them. Satisfied with what she finds, she gives them both a gentle slap on the ass, and takes her place behind Bucky.

Steve gives Tony a nod to begin, then turns every ounce of his attention to the man in front of him.

“Dearly beloved, and some who are less than beloved but you were invited anyway, we’re gathered here today to celebrate the union of two very old souls. And yes ladies and gentleman, there will be several old man jokes through the night, because hey, you’ve all met me. So, Steve Rogers and James Barnes. Two guys who have – who have literally walked through hell on earth, just to find each other. If you’ll forgive my sickeningly sappy sentiment for a moment please, let me just say – love is rare. When you find it, if you find it, hold on tight. If you’re lucky, you might end up with something even half as great as what Cap and Barnes have.”

Tony Stark, a fool for love. He’ll never live this down.

“Anyway. Let’s cut to the chase. They want to say some things to each other. Barnes, you’re up.”

For all his bravado, Bucky suddenly feels like his mouth is full of sand. But then Steve gives him a wink, and the anxiety disappears.

Bucky clears his throat.

“Stevie. I’ve spent too many years lost in my own head. Stuck behind the glass, terrified and screaming, with – with no one to hear me. I thought I’d be trapped in there forever, but then you showed up, kicking down every door to get me out. Nothing’s ever come easy for us, Fate’s kicked us both in the balls over and over, but here’s the thing. If I had to go through everything again, for even the slightest chance I could end up here today with you, I’d walk straight into the fire with a smile on my face. Don’t have to be scared anymore, I know you’ll always bring me back. ‘Cause you – you’re the only god damn thing I’ve ever been sure of.

Bucky’s practised in front of his mirror every night for months. On one hand, he’s annoyed with himself for choking up at the end. On the other, he’s pretty proud of the way Steve’s face has gone all scrunchy. He chalks it up as a win.

Steve clears his throat.

“Buck, I’ve spent damn near all my life chasing you. Trying to keep up when we were kids, following you into the war. Running across the globe to get you back once I found you again. My whole life, it’s been pivoting around this one single thing, this – this anchor. And that’s you. I’ve loved you since we were kids, and I’ve been in love with you, hopelessly, madly, and completely, since before I even knew what it meant. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth Bucky, into hell and back, if it means I get to wake up beside you every morning, and fall asleep with you every night. I’ll love you a million different ways, as long as you’ll let me. Now until forever.

Steve knows there’s an endless supply of sarcasm, lewd innuendos, and dirty jokes Bucky has stored up over the years, ready to fire at him in a moment’s notice. But with these words, he’s finally turned Buck speechless. And it’s pretty fucking awesome.

“Rings and vows?” And yes, Tony might kick his own ass later, when he thinks back to the pathetically high-pitched register of his voice in this moment.

Steve reaches behind, feels Sam slip the ring into his hand. He picks up Bucky’s right hand, takes a deep breath.

“I, Steven Grant Rogers, take you, James Buchanan Barnes, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to love, through good times and bad times, and everything in-between. I promise to stay at your side, to stand with you and for you, from now until death should part us.”

Bucky blinks rapidly as he looks back at Steve, trying to keep the tears away. He reaches blindly behind him, feels Natasha drop Steve’s ring in his hand.

He grips Steve’s right hand, gazing at his fingers for a moment. Before the wedding, they had agreed since Bucky would use his right hand for the ring, Steve would do the same. To everyone else, it’s a small thing.

To Bucky, the gesture is priceless. He looks up into Steve’s sky blue eyes.

“I, James Buchanan Barnes, take you, Steven Grant Rogers, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to love, through good times and bad times, and everything in-between. I promise to stay at your side, to stand with you and for you, from now until death should part us.”

Bucky slides the ring on. He turns Steve’s hand over and presses a kiss into his palm.

Christ, there’s not a dry eye in the fucking house, Tony thinks contemptuously. As he furtively dries his eyes. He nearly shouts the final words in a rush, praying to get them out before his voice cracks.

“By the power vested in me by the state of New York and the official paperwork I got off the internet saying I’m legal to perform this ceremony, I now pronounce you married.” Here Tony pauses for a breath, glances between them. “Okay boys, you’re good. Go on and make out.”

They stare at each other, savouring the moment. Steve and Bucky. Bucky and Steve. It’s one hell of a love story.

Like magnets, they come together, and because Steve knows Bucky’s a sucker for overly dramatic displays of affection, he goes in for the kill, spinning him sideways and dipping him back.

Clapping and wolf-whistles surround them. Friends laughing as the kiss goes on and on.

They finally break apart, foreheads still touching to catch those last words, the ones spoken for each other’s ears alone.

“We still doing that whole end of the line thing?”

“Nah, not long enough. Till the end of time, Buck.”

 *****

(For anyone wondering, much to his chagrin, Steve did in fact dance to the YMCA at his wedding. Phil Coulson has 43 high-res photos to prove it.)

*****

TAGS: @buckyappreciationsociety @stentorian-lore-n @4theluvofall @eve1978 @ihavemymomentsstill @psingh97 @badassbaker @justreadingfics @palaiasaurus64 @mrshopkirk @lovelynemesis @whiskeyandwashitape @interestedbystanderwrites @psychicwitchphilosopher @hellomissmabel @sebstanchrisevanchickforever19

[supervalor]

Kismet - Epilogue

I am so sorry for the delay in uploading this. I was just too tired this week to even think about editing it and I wanted it to be good before uploading it.

Title: Kismet

Pairings: Karamel/Sanvers

Chapters : 5/5

Previous: 4

Epilogue

“Karen!  Connor! Stop running!” Alex panted, sweat beading across her forehead. She was fit but as she was only human there was no way she could keep up with her super powered niece and nephew.

They were hell bent on driving their Aunt Alex and Aunt Maggie completely crazy with their antics. This was the last time that she was going to be the ‘cool’ Aunt Alex and let them eat their body weights in sugar and crap especially since they had agreed to take the twins for the week while their parents were finally on a well-deserved honeymoon. Lesson most definitely learnt.

“When’s mommy and daddy coming back? I want mommy!” Three year old Karen demanded, stomping her feet and folding her arms like a mini version of Supergirl. It was almost uncanny with her bright blue eyes and shoulder length blonde curls.

Beside her, her brother frowned and looked like a carbon copy of his father with the stormy grey eyes and dark brown hair that fell into his face rather messily. “Mommy promised me that she would take me to the zoo”.

“And I’m sure she will when she and daddy are back which will be later today”, Maggie added, also exhausted with chasing two super kids around their apartment which was thankfully small.

“Meanwhile, why don’t you two go jump on our bed for a while?” Alex suggested, ignoring the glare from Maggie as the kids cheered and did just that. It wasn’t as if either of them would get hurt if they fell. The only damage they could do was to the bed but Alex had been wanting a new one for a while now anyway. Once she and Maggie were alone, Alex smiled sheepishly at her wife.

“Is this enough to put you off adopting an alien kid?”

“No, I still think it’s important and I know you want to be a mom as much as I do but I definitely think we’ve learnt some lessons from this”, Maggie sighed. “If we get a powered kid, we definitely don’t feed them way too much sugar”.

“I’m going to be turning to Kara for help…like a lot”.

“Yeah, that’s if she doesn’t come back from the honeymoon pregnant with another one”, the cop smirked.

“Don’t even joke about that! The birth was a nightmare”.

Alex remembered when Kara had gone into labour. Mon-El had been stuck on Barry’s Earth after he’d called for help, Kara had insisted Mon-El go, and it was too dangerous to use blue Kryptonite so any pain relief was definitely off the table. Maggie had been the unfortunate person holding her hand (getting it broken in the process) before J’onn took over and her fingers still felt it to this day. Mon-El managed to return just in time, fainting at the sight of his child coming out from his fiancé and Alex was almost knocked out by the baby’s super strong foot as he exited the birth canal. Yep, it was definitely a memorable night.

Suddenly the apartment door opened and Kara’s voice rang out. “Alex, we’re home. Where are my babies?”

“You’re babies are currently jumping on the bed in our bedroom”, Maggie explained flatly just as a loud crash went out.

“Did you guys give them sugar again?” Kara sighed causing Alex to shift defensively.

“You try saying no when you have those two giving you big puppy dog eyes. They definitely take after their parents!”

Kara opened her mouth to respond when Mon-El slipped in through the door. “Don’t tell me that she gave them sugar again”, he frowned, clearly hearing his super kids giggling in the room next door.

“I better go check out the mess. I’ll buy you a new bed Alex”, Kara – Supermom as Alex jokingly liked to refer to her as – vanished into their bedroom.

“We were planning on buying a new one anyway so save your money”, Alex shrugged.

“So how was the honeymoon?” Maggie interjected, smiling at Mon-El who smirked smugly in return. Suddenly she regretted asking.

“It was…productive”.

Maggie shot Alex a pointed look, who in turn shot Mon-El a glare. “You better not have knocked up my sister again”.

Mon-El looked at her in alarm. “I hope not…I mean I’m not against more children but those two aren’t even four yet and are more than a handful”.

“Guess it’s a game of Russian roulette with you two since you constantly forget to pick up your super birth control from the DEO. Don’t think I’m not aware of when your pills need refilling”, Alex chided. She had been their unofficial OBGYN and birth control Doctor for the last few years, making up a specific formula that would help to prevent anymore unexpected babies from happening since she theorised that normal birth control like condoms would not be effective enough for their super bodies.

Her brother in law rubbed a hand over his neck sheepishly “Ah…”

“Daddy!” twin voices chorused and two little bodies appeared and sort of run and flew simultaneously at their father who immediately caught them on instinct and laughed as they held onto hm.

“I’d be jealous if they hadn’t just given me the same greeting”, Kara exclaimed as she reappeared in the room with a large grin on her face.

“I’m just glad that you’re back now and taking these two with you. As much as I love them, they have worn me out with their antics”, Alex confessed as her sister smirked knowingly at her.

“So you wouldn’t be up to babysitting the next one?”

At the same time, Maggie and Alex both bellowed, “Next one?!”

“Ha, just kidding. I overheard you talking and couldn’t resist”, Kara giggled impishly, and completely oblivious to the fact she’d almost given her husband a heart attack while he was in the middle of carrying their toddlers on his shoulder.

“You’re evil”, her older sister glared at her.

“I-“

Suddenly the conversation was interrupted when Kara and Mon-El suddenly froze. Alex sighed, knowing what was about to happen. “Did you hear that?”

“Sounds like something big is going down in National City”, Mon-El agreed.

“Let me guess? You two need to leave and need the two of us to keep on babysitting the terror twins?” Maggie sighed, already rubbing her forehead.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can. Love you, sis. Kids behave for a little longer alright?” Kara dropped a kiss on their small foreheads before spinning into her outfit and flying out the window, shortly followed by Mon-El who also gave their kids a similar parting.

The children turned to look at their Aunts after their mom and dad had flown off to save the day.

Alex blurted out the first suggestion to come into her head. “So…how about I get us some popcorn and soda and we pop on Moana?”