#and we're opening the floor for more prompts cause its about time i think

[atimeofyourlife]

Sharing a night in a shitty apartment

written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt: only one bed | rating: t | wc: 756 | tags: pre-steddie Steve offered to let Eddie stay at his place in the aftermath of Vecna. But forgets to mention its a shitty apartment with only one bed.

For the first time since moving, Steve was thankful that the communal areas of the apartment block were poorly lit. It was something that he, and his neighbors, had raised to the landlord multiple times, but it never got fixed. But now, the darkness gave the perfect cover for him to smuggle Eddie into his apartment, for a place to lay low until Dr Owens and his band of government goons swept into town to clean up the mess caused by the Upside Down. Something that didn't help, was that they were both injured and he had a fourth floor walk up.

He fumbled for his keys to unlock the door, and they both made their way in to collapse on the couch, not even caring that they hadn't changed since coming out of the Upside Down. When Steve could think a little more clearly, he would be happy that he had an old and ugly couch that he kept covered with a blanket.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, it's really cool of you to let me stay with you. But when you said I could hide out at your place, I thought you meant Loch Nora. Not this... cozy set up you have with far too many fucking stairs." Eddie said after he'd had a chance to catch his breath.

"My parents sold up the place in Loch Nora, five, six months ago. And didn't extend an offer for me to move with them. This is what I could get on short notice, and on my Family Video salary." Steve explained.

"Shit, your parents suck." Eddie replied, stretching out. "Any chance of a shower, I feel gross after a week on the run."

"Yeah. Bathroom's over there, the door on the left. Just try not to take too long, the hot water is temperamental, and I need to shower off the Upside Down too."

"I get it, dude. I live in a trailer. Sometimes we're lucky if we get five minutes before the hot water shuts off." Eddie said, pulling himself to his feet. "At least the bats didn't get me as much as they could have."

"Let me just wash the dirt off my hands, and I'll find you a towel and some clothes." Steve went into the bathroom first, spending much longer than usual scrubbing his hands clean. Once he was done, he pulled a towel out of the closet. "Feel free to use any of the soap and shampoo and conditioner. I'll leave some clothes outside for you. Just don't lock the door, it sticks."

Steve went into his bedroom, pulling out sweatpants, t-shirts, and underwear for each of them. He knocked on the bathroom door as the shower cut out. "Eddie, I've got some clothes for you."

A few seconds later, the door opened and Eddie stuck his hand out. "Thanks Harrington."

Once Eddie was done with the bathroom, Steve took his chance to shower off the Upside Down. He then gathered their clothes, towels, and the blanket off the couch into a pile, ready to take to the laundromat. Or burn, maybe.

He found Eddie in the bedroom, trying to look like he hadn't just been snooping.

"I think I'm going to turn in. The most sleep I've got this week was in an armchair in the Wheeler's basement. I doubt you feel much better." Steve said as he pulled back the covers on his bed.

"Yeah. Um, do you have a spare pillow and blanket or something? I can go set up on the couch." Eddie offered, looking uncomfortable.

"Oh, shit. No, you're not sleeping on the couch. It's way too small and uncomfortable. We can share the bed, as long as you don't steal the covers." Steve replied, patting the space next to him.

Eddie looked at him hesitantly for a long moment, before climbing in next to Steve.

The next morning, Steve woke to Eddie practically on top of him. Something about the weight was calming to him, holding off the state of panic he usually found himself in for weeks after an encounter with the Upside Down. And he'd slept much better too, the nightmares that he always got in the aftermath not making their appearance yet. He knew they should get up, to be ready to regroup and face whatever happened next. But he felt too at peace to let the world bother him in the moment. So, instead, he snuggled deeper into Eddie's embrace, and allowed himself to doze back off.

[megistusdiary]

Okay okay! Hear me out! Phone sex with scara!

Reader calls him in the middle of the night because they cant relese without him.

Take your time and stay hydrated~💜

And, if its not taken can i be the 💕 anon?

Have a good day!

i want that big hat man obliterated

tysm for the kind words, i hope you are taking care of yourself as well ♡

also you got it, welcome aboard, 💕 anon!

this is more of a current times au where technology exists and also scaramouche has the mouth of a sailor 💀

sorry i ended this kinda abruptly, btw. i am bad at writing for scaramouche, i think 🙃

warnings: dom!scaramouche and sub!gn anatomy/pronouns reader

phone sex, mutual masturbation (reader fingers themself), degradation and praise 👏, lube usage, orgasm control, slight asphyxiation

you tossed and turned between your sheets, frustrated with yourself.

scaramouche had recently left for another one of his 'business trips,' or so he called them, leaving you alone for the week.

you turned on your back, staring up at the ceiling with a huff. you glanced over at the clock, squinting at the red numbers glaring back at you.

2:37 am.

ugh.

the worst part of it all was the slight, dull, ache you felt between your thighs, causing you to rub them together.

it was pointless to try and relieve it, you figured. ever since you got with scaramouche, he made it impossible for you to come without him. for his stature and soft face, you would've never expected his skill with his fingers and tongue.

or maybe you could've guessed about the tongue seeing as he has plenty of practice in the never-shutting-up department...

you frowned as you reached for your phone, hissing through your teeth as the bright lights temporarily blinded you until you could unlock the screen and slide the brightness down.

you rubbed your eyes with your free hand, grumbling to yourself. your thumb hovered over scaramouche's name in your phone, biting your lip as you considered calling him.

he's definitely asleep...but on the off chance he's awake, maybe he could help?

fuck it, the worst that could happen is you wake him up and feel shitty about it, and then you make it up to him once he comes home, right? yeah...

you pressed the button to dial his number, shocked when he answered almost immediately.

"what's wrong?" he sounded husky, prompting you to turn your volume up a bit to hear him better.

"hi, scara."

scaramouche went silent, sighing into the phone as you heard sheets rustling. "can't sleep?"

"yeah, sorry for waking you up i'm just, well, i was wondering if you could...sorry. i- ugh this is awkward to talk about." you rambled as you heard scaramouche lean over to turn a lamp on with a soft click.

"you're horny at 2 in the morning." he stated, bluntly as your eyes widened. "before you ask how i know, don't be dumb. you're obvious as hell."

"right-" you went quiet, tugging at the hem of your shirt.

"if you want me to help you, we're gonna do it like we would back home, got it?"

"demanding." you teased as scaramouche grunted, sitting up against the headboard of the hotel bed.

"it's gotta be authentic. i guarantee you can touch yourself all you want, but you're not gonna come until i make you."

your lips parted a bit at that, wanting to say something back, though nothing intelligent came to mind quick enough. "okay." you obliged.

"good. take everything off first."

you set the phone to your side, removing your pants first, tossing your underwear with them to the floor. you slowly slid your top off, deliberately brushing it against your nipples to mimic how scaramouche would undress you. well, when he wanted to tease you, that is.

"all done, what's next, sir?"

scaramouche made a low noise from that, untying his own pants and moving them down his thighs. "top left drawer, open it and grab the oil."

you carefully reached across the bed, retrieving said bottle and laying back down. "got it."

"pour some on your fingers." you set the phone down on speaker, thankful you lived in a secluded house as you uncapped the bottle.

you did as he asked, pouring out some and moving your hands to warm it up before scaramouche stopped you.

"did i tell you to do that?"

"huh?"

"use your fingers to spread it across your chest. cold." you shivered at his tone, swiping your fingers over your chest and feeling your nipples harden with every light touch. you sounded breathy, hearing soft, slick sounds from scaramouche's end of the call. "good."

such a small word had such a big impact on you, making you whine lowly as you pinched your nipples.

"slide your hands down your body." you trailed your fingertips lower, leaving a track of oil down your skin that shone in the moonlight. "spread your legs."

you moved your thighs up, indecently exposing yourself to the cool air, feeling it hit your hole as you whined at him through the phone.

"touch yourself."

you slid your oiled fingers across your sex, stroking up and down and in all of the places that felt right as you shifted on the bed, rutting your hips into your fingers.

little gasps and whines spilled from your lips as you played with yourself. scaramouche leaned in closer to the phone, taking a shaky breath as he listened to your noises more closely, stroking his dick leisurely, twisting his wrist when he reached his tip. "you sound so slutty." he commented, hearing you let out a soft moan.

he laughed softly, shaking his head. "ha, i almost forgot, you actually enjoy being degraded. humans are so filthy." he snapped, though his hips chased his hands as he stroked his shaft faster, controlling his breathing. "move your fingers over your hole. you better hope you still have oil on them, otherwise it'll hurt like a bitch."

you moved your fingers to circle your hole, shifting your hips as you smeared the oil and wetness from your sex around it. "ah, scara-"

"i thought it was 'sir' to you?"

"sir, sorry, sorry-" you panted, "can i put one in, please?"

"you sound so pathetic. desperate. you can't even wait for me to do what you asked of me. begging me to stick your own fingers in your greedy little hole. fine."

you sobbed as you gently pressed a digit into your hole, willing your body to relax as scaramouche grunted, hastening the pace of his hand. "fuck- you sound so-" he cut himself off when he dug his thumb into his slit just right, hips spasming. "put another one in. now."

you slid another digit in with the first, oil making it pleasantly slippery as you slowly pushed them in and out, feeling your hole suck them back in. "archons..."

"don't you dare speak of them." scaramouche snapped. "those fools aren't worth your worship. they're not the one allowing you to come, are they?"

"no, sir!" you replied to him, crooking your fingers inside you deeper as your thighs trembled.

"play with your nipples while you finger yourself. you always whine like a little brat whenever i do that, yeah? and don't you dare hide your whorish little noises from me."

you slid your free hand that had been entangled in the sheets up your body, tweaking your nipples as you let out a shaky sigh. you let out babbles of his name and pleas as scaramouche listened to you more intently.

"fuck, just like that. keep going. go deeper, come on."

you reached the digits deeper, pressing and searching for the spot scaramouche loved to abuse to make you writhe and sob under his touche.

you pinched at your nipples while sliding the pads of your fingers in your hole, trembling against the bed as you felt your orgasm start to build up. "s-sir, i'm close."

"hold it. you come when i tell you to."

"but-"

"you asked me to make you come, so i'm doing my job. is that not good enough for you? keep fucking yourself."

you cried out his name, fucking your hips into your fingers and moving your hand to splay across your throat, lightly cutting off your airflow as you let out a breathless gasp.

"please-" you begged softly as scaramouche shifted.

"fuck, are you- are you choking yourself? that's..." he had no words left, fucking his fist until he came over his abdomen, back arching. "come-" he gasped out, hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. "come for me, now."

your back arched up off the bed, fingers going slack on your neck as you came, sobbing out for scaramouche until you eased back onto the bed, blissed out. your head felt fuzzy, ears full of static as you reached for the phone with jelly limbs.

"what do you say?"

"thank you, scara."

[blackjackkent]

Prompt fill for @astreamofstars for this ask meme: Sickfic Prompts - Jaheira/Rasaad - [ 🛒 ] - going out at an absurd hour to grab supplies for them. Set about a month before Rion's birth. c:

-----

"Who in the hells can that be at this hour?" Sleepily, Miriam Hummel treads across the floor of her shop in slippered feet, holding a candle before her to keep from accidentally walking into the shelves of dried meat and produce. She shoots a cautious look at the dagger kept unobtrusively beside the door, then pulls it open to look outside.

The thoroughfare of the Lower City market district is utterly silent, the moon hanging heavy and low between the rooftops. There is, in fact, not a single other soul to be seen besides the old man standing on the doorstep.

She recognizes him, just barely; he's come a handful of times through the shop before. Bashir - the monk, one of the couple who bought Elerrathin's Home a year or so back. He's a bit of a strange one, or so he's always struck her - very quiet, but gentle when he does speak, and remarkably quick on his feet. It's hard to guess his age; by the lines in his face, he is old indeed, but his dark eyes are bright and he has a square, stocky, muscular body that would do credit to a man half his years at least.

"Good evening," he says earnestly, as soon as the door has opened.

"Saer..." Miriam looks the man up and down with a mildly bewildered expression. Then, after a long pause and with heavy irony, she says, "We're closed."

Rasaad winces. "I realize this is not an ideal hour--"

"It's near midnight, Saer Bashir!"

"--but it would be a great kindness to me if you would give me a moment of your time." Rasaad hesitates, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out two heavy platinum coins. "This will cover all I need, thrice over and more. I beg of you, I will be here and gone in no more than a moment."

Miriam's eyebrows shoot up. "Well," she says, coming a little more awake out of pure perplexity. "That's fair generous of you, Saer, but what call you can have for any of my goods that is worth twenty gold pieces at midnight is--"

"Please," he says. "I need pickles."

She blinks slowly at him once. Then twice. "...Pickles?"

"Yes." He nods very seriously. "The largest container you have."

A long, long pause. "Are you having me on, Saer?" she asks suspiciously. "This some sort of joke?"

Now it's his turn to look puzzled. "A joke?"

Either he has the finest deadpan in the Realms or he’s being completely serious, and she’s starting to think it’s the latter. “...If it’s pickles you want for twenty gold, then pickles you shall have,” she says, quirking one eyebrow up. “Though I still can’t fathom the need.”

For the first time, his placid expression shifts, and a hint of something else pokes through the facade - worry, and a sort of pleading strain. His weight fidgets almost imperceptibly, left to right and back again. 

“It is for my wife,” he says quietly. “She is… quite far along. I have told her that she shall lack for nothing, but she asks for little; it is not her way. But tonight, she is…” A pause; he is choosing his words carefully. “Low. It is a low night. And she has a craving, as I am told women in her state often have - for pickles, so pickles she shall have, if it takes me all the night to find them.”

Miriam’s wary scowl softens. “Ah,” she says. “Well. That is a cause I can’t fault, certainly.” Her mouth turns up a little at one corner. “She is a lucky one, your wife, I should think. There are not many as would find their man willing to hunt up such a thing at such an hour.”

He tips his head to the side. “Whyever not?” he asks, sounding legitimately bewildered.

-----

The door of the house creaks open on its hinges. Jaheira turns sharply from where she is standing at the window, and relief surges unrestrained across her face to see Rasaad framed by the moonlight in the doorway.

“You are back,” she says, the words like a sigh, an outrush of held tension. “I began to know my foolishness the moment you left - to see you out at this hour. The streets are not safe…”

“There was no danger,” he says gently. “Though I do believe the shopkeeper was greatly surprised to see me.” With a heave, he lifts the heavy jar in both his hands and sets it with a clunk on the table. 

She stares at it and, to her own astonishment, feels tears fill her eyes. Her emotions have been a maelstrom all day - for weeks, really, but today has been particularly bad. She feels restless and fidgety, crawling around inside her own skin, a prisoner in her body weighed down by the life growing inside it. Earlier, it manifested in anger, a lashing-out argument buffeting against Rasaad’s infuriating calm, which was what sent him out into the darkness in search of a foolish whim.

Now it whiplashes back the other way into a gratitude so intense it is almost painful, interwoven with the pinpricks of pre-emptive grief that are always now in the back of her mind. She should not have sent him out; she feels so acutely aware, as she carries his child, of the finite weeks and months remaining to them, draining inexorably into the past. No minute should be wasted, no second taken for granted.

But she asked him for pickles instead, and he found them for her in the dead of night, and suddenly she wants to sob.

She isn’t sure how much of this shows on her face - but he must understand at least some of it, because he steps forward and gently rests one palm against her cheek, the other against the curve of her belly. “My sun…” he murmurs.

“I am sorry…” she mutters, her voice thick.

“There is no need.” He draws her forward, kisses her.

“I love you.” She whispers it against his mouth, then grunts softly as the child kicks in her womb, as if aware of its father’s nearness.

“And I you.” She feels him smile into the kiss before drawing back. “Now… please, sit. For these were dearly bought and I will not have them go to waste.”

[japhan2024]

Do you take angst for your prompts? Just thinking of an ianthony fic but ian-centric that’s inspired by “I can do it with a broken heart” by taylor swift. Would really love a good/comfort ending!

As I said Anon, I love me some angst! Here ya go!

He's not coming back - Japhan2024 - Smosh [Archive of Our Own]

Slowly, it began to register with Ian.

"Cause I'm a real tough kid

I can handle my shit

They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it til you make it."

And I did

Lights, camera and smile

Even when you want to die

He said he'd love me all his life

But that life was too short

Breaking down I hit the floor

All the pieces of me shattered

As the crowd was chanting "MORE!"" - Taylor Swift

He's not coming back. At all.

"Ian? We, we want to tell you something."

Courtney and Shayne sat with Ian in his office at Defy.

"What's up?"

"Well, you might have noticed that me and Courtney hang out a lot together..." Shayne's smile had never been wider.

Oh god. Ian really tried to act surprised and happy at the news that Shayne and the only person left at Smosh he could confide in, Courtney, were now a couple.

Ian had developed a crush on Courtney shortly after Anthony left. They were funny, witty, knew when to change the subject. And they were always there for him when he needed them. Granted, those times had been in short supply the last couple of months.

"Congratulations you too, and thank you for telling me."

They all got up.

"I love you so much, Ian," Courtney said as they hugged him tightly."

Ian managed a tortured smile.

~

He's not coming back.

~

Ian watched in shock as people looted the Defy office. They were drinking, putting graffiti on the walls. He couldn't blame them too much, but it still kind of hurt. What would become of Smosh?

What would Anthony think about this?

They exchanged a short conversation, then it went silent again.

Ian buried himself in his work. Getting a buyer for Smosh to save it from being sold off for parts. Then he became the president and had Rhett and Link to talk to. It was great but not enough to get Ian out of his head.

~

Ian watched tv. His house was a mess. Nobody visited anyway, as they were in lockdown.

His phone rang.

Nerves shot through his system but it was for nothing. It was Spencer.

"Hey man," Ian picked up.

"Hey Ian, how are you doing?"

"I'm good, just chilling I guess."

"I just want to say it's really nice what you're doing for all of us. Keeping us on payroll. It's frankly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. And I wanted to tell you thank you. We're cooking up all kinds of fun videos for Games."

"Aww, that's so nice! I'm glad, Spence. Take care."

Ian didn't feel like talking at all. He wanted to vanish, but he couldn't. He still had to be in videos every day and it was just so hard.

It was so hard without Anthony.

Anthony had always been there.

He opened his sixth beer of the evening.

~

They were back in the studio. It was better times for Smosh. It started to have an identity of its own.

They were shooting a meme reaction video.

"I guess the other guy left..." Shayne laughed his maniacal laugh at the meme. Everyone lost it. But Ian was close to tears.

"Are you okay?" Courtney asked empathetically.

"I'm fine," Ian managed to say.

The carefully constructed walls around Ian's feelings all came tumbling down. He remembered everything. His and Anthony's friendship deteriorating. Anthony becoming so unpredictable: hostile one moment, begging for connection the next. He hadn't trusted him anymore. How he regretted it now. He'd been so young and dumb. And now he didn't have his best friend anymore. It was like Ian's world shattered all over again.

After the shoot, Courtney came up to him.

"Hey, Ian, you alright there buddy?"

"I guess I am, Court. How are you and Shayne?"

"Better than ever." They smiled.

"I'm glad. I'm heading back home."

"Alright, take care okay? We all love you, you know that right?"

"I do. I think you're not too bad yourselves."

Courtney smiled. They truly were very pretty.

~

They stood on the balcony. Their mutual friends had left them to talk.

Ian had completely forgotten how gorgeous Anthony was. Damn. His features so lean, his smile so convincing. His eyes so dark and warm, hot even.

"It's a miracle you saved Smosh when Defy went under. I have to really thank you for that, Ian."

"It was all I had left- you know. Of our friendship."

"Ohh.." Anthony gave him a hug. "That's so sad but also so nice."

"Yeah." Ian smiled wide. He'd also forgotten how *nice* it was to be around Anthony. They got each other. There was an understanding, from knowing each other for so damn long. It was incredibly reassuring.

They stood there, watching the LA night sky.

"Anthony? What if- what if we bought back Smosh?"

"We look for love, no time for tears

Wasted water's all that is

And it don't make no flowers grow

Good things might come to those who wait

Not for those who wait too late

We gotta go for all we know

Just the two of us" - Grover Washington Jr.

[wyvchard]

Night Classes and Spiral Platforms

Agent Phoenix gets more than they bargained for in their mission to retrieve some files from a university. There is a reason most people don't hang around after the sun sets, after all.

Content Warnings: Discussions of war, ghost stories, ambiguously haunted locations

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

"I think we're on the right track, Agent." Reginald spoke up as he looked at his agent adjusting the shoulder bag they had on them. "Just enter the building on your left as soon as you get to the nearest entrance."

There was a confirmed nod, followed by a few steps around the winding stalls and vendors near the central area.

He'll leave the navigation to his agent, it's just a short journey before they reach their goal.

"Agent?" He mumbled, watching his agent turn away from the obvious stairs, and turning left to climb the giant spiral ramp instead. He sighed. Of course they will choose the more interesting choice.

He fought the urge to smile when hearing their stifled laughs.

It was a quiet journey up, the weight of the shoulder bag added to the feeling of possibly rolling down to the ground, prompting them to stick close to the rails.

Their footsteps barely made a sound against the concrete, only heard by the wisps of the wind that gently cooled their skin. It was a blessing, taking away the damp smell of the puddles.

The halls they peek at were devoid of people, empty benches paces ahead. They refused to stick around. They've only gone to the second floor; three more need to be visited.

"You can visit the second floor, you know." Reginald watched as they made it halfway to the third floor. "We can meet someone there. No? Focused today, are we?"

Phoenix just shook their head at his jests.

Tiny bits of orange light spilled onto the ramp, causing Phoenix to pause slightly to linger at the sight. They took a deep breath, making sure to remember the direction they're in.

They passed by some students at the fourth floor, hearing them complain about the rumors floating around the tests. A small smile graced their face as some memories resurfaced.

"It seems like there are some networks where students trade information. Did you know about this, Agent? Ah. Yes, I have done something similar back then as well."

Phoenix tried to stifle a laugh, only to focus on the task when they reached the fifth floor. A part of them wants to cry out of sympathy for the students, however, the spiral platform was a novel experience.

"It seems like the class hasn't finished. Let's hide for a moment and hope that they finish quickly so we can get out soon."

His tone was amused, already imagining his agent's indignation. The subtle shift in his agent's view was enough to tell him that.

Phoenix looked around, seeing the open fire escape across the classroom and walking towards it, making sure to take a few steps away from the entrance to avoid being seen.

The creaks of the metal stairs causes them to flinch before they took a deep breath. The sun had already set, bathing the sky with a violet hue as the night slowly arrives.

A horn from a distant boat interrupts their reverie, causing a slight flinch and Reginald urging them to calm down and check on the classroom right across it.

"Still nothing, huh?" Phoenix sighed as they leaned on the metal railings of the fire escape. The wind picked up its speed, swaying the trees in order to hide the boat rowing along in the distance.

"That's a beautiful sight, Agent." He smiled as he tuned in to listen to any signs of movement. He saw his agent move their head suddenly. "Agent?"

"... I just... saw something. I... I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, if it is dangerous, I have to know." He poured himself a cup of tea in order to pass the time.

They took a few seconds before their hands did the talking for them, earning them a cough as he nearly lost his composure.

"... You... You have my sympathy. That must've been quite harrowing."

"It's not. It's just embarrassing to watch." They took a few breaths to cool their cheeks by hiding it behind their hair. They kept count on their breathing, only to pause when a certain chill came up their back.

Goosebumps forced them to hug themselves as they took a moment to look around.

Their blood froze. A lone student walking in the empty halls, headed straight to the corner they're in, passing by them. Wearing clothes similar to what the faculty would wear, the student was aimless in their walk.

"That's not a good sign, Agent. Make sure you aren't seen."

"I'm talking to them." They hissed back, resolve lacing their voice as they cannot shrug off what they saw. They just can't, not when superstitions obligate them to speak up.

"Agent, you will not."

They gave him a frown, only to refuse to listen as they stepped out from their hiding spot. The student was gone by the time they came.

Reginald fought the urge to gag when he saw bullet holes and shrapnel in the wall, painted on yet still there. Covered up but still there.

Phoenix took the hint and returned back to their hiding spot. "Reggie? Are you there?"

"Agent, why are bullet holes in the building?" He tried to keep his mind from remembering yet it still continued, mocking him further yet he reigned in his tongue from saying anything else.

Phoenix let him take a few breaths as they stared at the swaying trees. "I didn't think this place would've been one of them."

"... Phoenix?"

"There... there were stories of colleges and universities becoming a site of... a battle or two. Several landmarks... gone, bombed down or gunned down. And... I think we just stepped into one of them. No wonder people don't like to wander these halls at night."

Reginald clenched his fists as he tried calming himself. It's been decades and yet there are days when it is fresh, reminding him that his rosy lens of field work was nothing but a delusion to cope.

"Reggie?" Their voice was softer than normal, whispering as if to quiet his heart.

"I'm alright, Agent. Just... Just be careful, alright?"

Their reply was cut off by the sound of the halls being noisy as students walked off, complaining about their performance in their latest activity. A student stayed behind, quietly levitating a coin towards them and walking away as soon as Phoenix grabbed it with theirs.

"We set out in five minutes. That's our cue."

"Why did we have to go so far to collect this intel anyway? Won't it be easier not to enter unfamiliar territory?"

"Our agent is being tailed by Zoraxis. He can't just deviate from his usual schedule and just dropping off the sensitive files somewhere will lead to an investigation in case anyone else sees it."

They sighed, setting a timer and waiting for a window to sneak in to make the necessary swaps.

It was far easier. Then again, they aren't in a Zoraxis facility.

"Great work, Agent."

They merely frowned as they checked the documents and headed out, counting the classrooms as they rounded the halls in another way.

They refuse to look at the fire exit. Not again this night.

They could go through the spiral again but they'd rather not risk bumping into the students. He'd agreed and led them to a set of stairs, beside which is an elevator.

"Reggie? I have a horrible idea."

"Agent." He massaged his temple when he saw them press the button. "I believe this is unwise."

And unwise it was, seeing as it soon started beeping to indicate an overload.

But the elevator was empty.

Reginald didn't have to say a word for his agent to dash down the stairs, clutching their shoulder bag as their mind kept shouting at them to get out of there.

The third floor gave a visual of the moon, lighting up the abandoned benches in the distance in a melancholic light. They didn't give it a second look in case the shadows of the bench contained something else.

When they'd arrived at the ground floor, they bolted to another exit that would still lead to the now closed stalls and vendors.

They took a breath as soon as they reached the central area. Their hands were clammy under their gloves as their hairs on their skins were still reeling from shock.

The mission wrapped up with no other hiccups, much to the relief of both.

And for peace of mind, Reginald insisted on making Phoenix stay with him the rest of the night.

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

This one is quite long. XD

Tag List:

@phoenix-and-found-family

@the-one-and-only-043

@ghostlystarwanderer

@dandorime (Sorry for the tag but it seems like you're interested in the darker parts of history so here you go.)

[lettersnorth]

Lend a Hand

In light of Heartwood’s…unfortunate state of affairs, the workshop had become a de facto hub for anything that might need some sort of power source. The bank of generators and aetheric cells were designed to resist a lengthy outage, redundant systems left in place by a paranoid Florus once upon a time. Now a myriad of cables ran this way and that across the shop floor, a veritable rabbit warren resisting any of Aislinn’s attempts to corral them into order.

Sergius currently leans idly against the workshop’s large terminal, his synthetic gaze silently following Aislinn around the room as she steps over cables, ducks under wiring in a weird, complicated dance as she goes about trying to get things ready. She’s not speaking but she’s obviously thinking because she bites her lip and squinches up in her eyes in a way that said whatever had crossed her mind had her suppressing an emotion.

He logs the expression but doesn’t ask her what caused it.

N'yami came stomping through the halls of the Heartwood estate, more or so walking so fast to the point it looked like running. It was project time! Once the door was in sight the Seeker kicked it open, and gave a small salute to the two in the room already. "Heyo! I'm ready to start bulidin' and blow som--little too early for that nevermind." She paused once noticing Linn was pacing. "Yer goin' to carve out a path with all that pacin'. Do ya need a snack? Or did ya drop somethin'?"

Yayaji Yaji absolutely was running in order to keep up with the hyperactive Miqo'te, though she would be lying if she said she wasn't also feeling the excitement. Building robot arms was her favourite! So many cool knickknacks that can be shoved up in there, and Yaji was planning on shoving them all. "Hello hello! What a wonderful day to be back in the Heartwood estate!" Yaji cheers, despite the wreckage they had just passed. "It is wonderful to meet you both! Quite wonderful!"

Professor Meowitzer putts in the air behind her, examining the room carefully with mechanical eyes that eventually fall on Sergius... and stay there. It's mouth opens and a gutteral <ME-OW> is released, prompting Yaji to pat it on its head happily

Sergius and his ever present drones seem to swivel as one to the door as it’s kicked open and N’yami announces herself. Aislinn is weaving her way back to the drawing board and doesn’t appear startled by the noise, she only flicks her gaze at Yami with a slight smile as she leaves her thoughts. “Hmm? No. No, just…trying to clear things up. Mind the cables. And the wires. Just…be careful.” She says as she wipes down the drawing board. Best to start with a clean slate for this. Her motions do halt, however, at the sound of the new voice. “Ah. Good to meet you, miss…” She trails off but then shakes her head. “I’m Aislinn. Glad to have another head in on this project.”

Sergius doesn’t feel the need to add anything. As far as he was concerned, Aislinn had the social exchanges covered.

"Yayaji Yaji, enchante! My wonderful friend slash boss has told me much about you Miss Aislinn, though she did not mention you had beauty to match the brains!" Yaji says, flashing her best business lady smile, then turns to Sergius. "And you as well good sir! You have an air of mystery about you, perfect for the debonair type that I'm positive you must be. The Professor seems quite taken with you! Do you like cats?"

N'yami made a beeline for Sergius. "Boop." She said while reaching up to boop him on the nose then going straight to Linn at the drawing board. "So what's goin' through that brain of yers? Are we puttin' a gun in it? A hidden blade!?! Wait...maybe we should start with the metal that we're usin'. I heard this guy is havin' a kid so we gotta figure out the part of havin' the metal mimic his body temperature. Oh! Gotta worry about rustin' too!" Some of Yami's ideas spewed out in a word vomit. She was talking so fast, and no she didn't have coffee or sweets before this. "Should we make it so it can detach? Man, I'd pay to see him pull his arm off and beat the shit out of someone with it."

Aislinn blinks at Yaji’s silver-tongued flattery. Aside from a certain roguish pirate, it wasn’t something that had often been turned in her direction. “Um. Yes. Well, thank you?” Sergius, for his part, stares blankly at Yaji. “I don’t have an opinion on them.” He tells her, cutting through her chatter and addressing the question. He does this while swiping an arm out, seeking to guide N’yami’s boop off to the side before it can reach him. 

“Right.” Aislinn steps back from the board and takes a breath. She tilts her head at Yami’s ideas. “Knife. That’s interesting. Maybe? Probably not a gun.” She stops and clears her throat. “As I’m sure you all know, we’re here to see what we can do to create a prosthetic for Yakih’ra. One that will allow, as much as possible, for him to regain sensation, which means connections to the nervous system. And…if possible something waterproof that will resist rusting.” She glances at Yami, her lips quirking up in a smile. “Then. We can see what we can do about weapons. You all have various experience with this kind of thing so I’m thinkin’ that putting all our heads together will be Yakih’ra’s best shot.”

N'yami’s tail whipped with excitement behind her. "Buildin' the arm is a different thing for me but actually settin' up the wirin' with the nerves is somethin' I won't know too much about, what wires would we use for that? I assume you and Ma will be doin' the attachin' of that?" She asked with a raise of a brow towards Linn. "Don't think ya want me in the surgery room. We should also make a piece that covers the part where he lost his arm, little detatchment part. Plus if a wire needs to be replaced pop that bad boy off and take a look under the hatch see what's goin' on. Hm...gotta worry about water gettin' in there."

Yayaji Yaji: "You're all in luck! As a matter of fact, I have built a prosthetic arm before for a fierce pirate during my time in the roguish city of Limsa Lominsa! Of course, that arm exploded a few weeks into use, but that was on purpose and I was long gone by then! I'm sure the fundamentals remain the same!" Yaji explains proudly, meanwhile Professor Meowitzer putts on over to Sergius and begins rubbing its cheek against his leg. The sound of grinding gears can be heard from inside its metallic frame, vaguely reminiscent of purring

Something flits across Sergius’ expression, barely noticeable before the blank wall smoothes back into place. “Connecting a prosthetic into whatever nerve endings remain is painful. They have to be awake to facilitate alignment between the biological and mechanical systems.” At least, that had been his experience with Rhua. Aislinn shoots Sergius a troubled look at hearing that particular bit of news, but then nods to Yami “Aye, we should try and make any maintenance or repair issues easy to navigate.” 

She begins drawing a rough schematic on the board. Sergius stares down at the mechanical cat but curiously, doesn’t stop it from doing what it’s doing. “Hell if I know about waterproofing. It’s better to start out with a water resistant metal and figure shit out from there. You’re going to want Allagan wootz and that’s not cheap.”

“Right. Well. No built in explosions, this time.” Aislinn says in reply to Yaji, without halting her drawing as she speaks. “That would be…counterintuitive.”

N'yami Synch: "Well let's hope this arm doesn't blow up! That would fuckin' hurt like hell. Just think yer walkin' along one day and BAM. Arm blows up!" Her ears perked up at Sergius' comment. "Never fear! I know where to get allagan wootz from! Well, gotta see if the old man will allow me to have some of his supply but in this type of situation I don't think he'll say no. I'll use the puppy dog face on him, then have Yaji steal it while he's distracted."

Yayaji Yaji gives N'yami a thumbs up before addressing Aislinn again. "Come now, I would *never* give an exploding arm to a friend! However, what are the patient's opinion on gadgets? Any weapons of choice? I've been tinkering with this flamethrower device you see, and..." Yaji is cut off as Meowitzer lets out another <ME-OW> as it looks up towards Sergius. "Oh ho! The Professor really likes you! Careful now, it has a habit of spontaneously combusting when it gets too excited!"

Sergius studies Yami as if he can’t decide if she’s serious or not. His drone drifts towards Aislinn and circles around to check her expression but no, she didn’t look like she was laughing at anything Yami said. Instead, she looked relieved. “Oh good.” She breathes. “That should shorten the timeline up if we already have the metal on hand. If he’s upset, tell him we’ll replace it. It’ll just take some time for my source to make a run.”

Sergius’ attention returns to the cat as he attempts an exploratory ping. Did the creation even have that functionality?

Aislinn passes Yaji a subdued look, recalling Yakih’ra’s explosive rants in the midst of his turmoil. “He…wouldn’t be opposed to weaponry. I question how healthy that might be in the long run but…” Aislinn trails off. Because wasn’t that just the pot calling the kettle black? There had never been a moment she had regretted what she had done in vengeance. 

N'yami was 100% serious about stealing the wootz from her old man. "No worries, I'll take the fall for anythin' related to that so if he asks none of ya had anythin' to do with it." Her ears perked. "Flamethrower would be a nice touch!" Yami took an extra marker and started writing off in the corner a list of supplies they'd need, and features that came to mind to be added. "Alright, gonna start makin' a shoppin' list. What else we needin'?"

Professor Meowitzer is absolutely not designed for spontaneous combustion, however the sheer amount of explosives and weaponry that had been stuffed inside the small cat chassis was definitely a fire hazard. The bot seems to reply to the ping as well, starting to fly circles around Sergius excitedly. Yaji however was too busy thinking up what cool new weapons could be placed into a robotic arm. "Ah, revenge! The perfect motivator for innovation! Now, ah, perhaps we should talk finances? Who will be paying for all this work, and how much exactly?"

“He’s angry right now. He has a right to be. Cultists attacked his home and took his arm. I’m thinkin’ he’s dealing with a lot right now.” It was an understatement and Aislinn knew it. A lot of guilt. A lot of wanting to do something about it. A lot of wanting to get even. And damned if she didn’t understand that perfectly. At Yaji’s assumption of payment, Aislinn tilts her head to Yami. “This was trauma dealt on the job. Your boss will send an invoice to Heartwood.”

"Wonderful!" Yaji declares with a grin and clasps her hands together. "Judging by the impressive stature of your estate, that must mean your boss will only want the very best! Yami and I shall deliver exactly that, have no fear, young Yakih'ra will be most definitely get all the revenge his wonderful heart desires!"

"Never fear Yaji! It'll be a nice Starlight bonus for the Synch forge!" She grinned at the lalafell. "From the damage I've seen around the estate I can imagine that he's out for blood. Revenge does crazy things to ya, hopefully he doesn't fall too far into it." She thought it over for a moment as if thinking about shit she's done in the past related to revenge. "Annnnyyywwaaayyysss." Her ears flicked as her brain went back to focusing on the arm that needed to be made. "We'll get this all sorted for him, with us four workin' on it Yakih'ra will be back to normal in no time. He'll just be 15% metal is all." She shrugged like it was a normal thing.

Sergius’ system makes a handshake with cat-bot’s own and begins to make an ID query. “That’s not what Aislinn meant.” He stated right on the heels of Aislinn’s own sigh of “That’s not what I meant. Don’t load this arm up with all the bells and whistles he needs to go and get himself killed. He’s a desperate hand looking for a gun.” She turns her gaze to Yami. “I can do the intricate biometric wiring that’ll need to feed into his nerve endings. The connectors are going to be touchy.” 

She cut a glance to Sergius. “No need to reinvent the wheel, can you get me schematics for the connectors on Rhua’s arm?” There was a fraction of silence before Aislinn’s terminal on the bench beeped. “Sent.” He told her. Aislinn turned back to Yami and nodded. Then, because she thought it might bear repeating. “No flamethrowers. Not yet. We can always modify it after Yakih’ra’s in a better headspace.”

N'yami looked between Aislinn and Sergius then she heard the beep. How did he do that? "Hold on, are we not gonna talk about how Sergius sent you files without movin'? How in the hells did he do that?" Her gaze locked onto Sergius. "Aislinn's right though, should wait on the weapons till everythin' is settled. Don't need him settin' off one of the weapons when he doesn't even know how to function the arm yet." She said all this without shifting her gaze.

Yayaji Yaji sighs and shrugs. "Fine, fine, the customer is always right I suppose! We will defer to your expertise, my lady!" Yaji says with a polite and sweeping bow. Meowitzer meanwhile pings Sergius back. <Designation: Robon|\|//PROFESSOR MEOWITZER COPYRIGHT YAYAJI YAJI DO NOT STEAL|//\?yan>. It then curiously pings Atreus back for his ID

Sergius shifted his gaze to somewhere in N’yami’s vicinity. “All this aether magic shit people do around here and -that’s- the thing that trips you up?” he returns. Through his feed with Professor Meowitzer, he shoots a reply //Sergius-IV.// It seemed anything else about copyright wouldn’t be forthcoming. “That’s another good point.” Aislinn said, moving along as if Sergius wasn’t the oddity in the room. “It’s going to take time for Yakih’ra to learn his new arm. If we do our job right, physically, the arm should sync with the body quickly after the connection is made but mentally, it’s going to be an adjustment.”

Yayaji Yaji: "Aside from working hard to ensure the tactile sensors are properly attuned, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do to help in that regard. The boy will need someone to talk to for certain, perhaps someone with experience of wearing a prosthetic. I am sure that won't be too difficult to find amidst this rabble of adventurers though!"

N'yami: "Sure is!" Even with his grumpy attitude it didn't stop the Seeker from wanting to befriend the grumpy man. "You'd be surprised at the amount of weird ass aether I've run into." She made a disgusted face at past memories of people she's run into. "Yyeeeppp." And back to focusing on Linn. "We'll have to do some physical therapy with him, well, whatever you want to call it. Might have to make adjustments when it's attached so it feels comfortable." She thought for a moment. "Only person I've known with a prosthetic is Nys but that's just her eye. So I'm out of options for ya."

Aislinn hums in thought as she studies the board, turning Yaji and Yami’s words over in her mind. “I don’t know of anyone with a prosthetic either.” She frowns. Sergius may have been a machine but there wasn’t anything biological about him. But he did know someone like that. The viera that had dropped in while Aislinn was repairing him out in Garlemald. Even as she carefully edged her attention his way she could feel the foreboding rolling off him in waves like he had already pegged her intention. So that was a ‘no’. She sighed. “I know you both will put it through its paces before you bring it here but the sooner we get this going, the sooner we might soothe a bit of Yakih’ra’s mind. We’ll just have to help him figure it out in lieu of anyone with any real experience being where he is.”

Aislinn turns one of her barely-there smiles on Yami and Yaji. “G’lewra and I can handle that. If you can both handle the engineering part.”

Professor Meowitzer suddenly stops its rushing around, bringing its little arms up to its neck like its choking. Horrible noises arise from its throat, coughing and retching before finally tilting forward and barfing up a... grenade. There is a moment's pause, but thankfully the pin remains inside and Yaji walks over with a sigh. "I told you, if you rush too much you'll cough up a hairball! You never listen to me!" She sighs as she plucks the grenade up and pops it into her pocket.

"Whatcha say Yaji? Time to pull our famous all nighters? And totally not steal somethin' before headin' home." She watched Meowitzer cough up the grenade as if it was a normal every day thing. "Don't worry, Linn! We'll handle the engineering part! We may call with questions though but other than that we'll let ya know what we come up with."

Sergius watches the exchange as Yaji pockets the grenade and he backburns the alert that went off in his systems. “That seems like a design flaw.” He states.

"You must really like this one to be so riled up." Yaji gives the cat a pat on the cheek, earning herself a <ME-OW> before something more is output from the robot's mouth, this time appearing to be a small slip of paper. "Hmm?" Yaji accepts this, reads it over for a moment, then pauses... "...Hmm." She repeats again, but in a different tone, and looks up to Sergius. "My dear... Has anyone told you how beautiful you are..?" She speaks, sounding actually genuine in her compliments for once.

The little lalafell barely cleared Sergius’ knees but that didn’t stop his proximity protocols from threatening to go off as she approached him. There was a tonal shift in her voice he couldn’t identify. Her question appeared to stymie him. He immediately shifts to Aislinn for assistance but she’s already lost in designing the delicate wiring roadmap that will be needed to make contact with what remained of Yakih’ra’s nerve endings. “I’m going to go with no.” He tells Yaji, unable to make eye contact with her. To be fair, he didn’t make eye contact with anyone really. “I’m going to get back to repairing the clinic.” He states. Aloud. In case anyone was wondering.

Yayaji Yaji: "Oh my... My dear... This is truly a crime, for your beauty has truly swept my heart into an uproar... Please, allow me to assist with your efforts to repair the clinic! I am... er, certain the Professor would like to spend more time with you!" She insists, the robotcat giving an approving <ME-OW> from behind her

N'yami’s gaze shifted to Aislinn and then back to the two in front of her. She was finding this rather amusing.

Oh hell no. There’s a measurable spike as his systems plot an escape from having to deal with any more interaction he didn’t have the bandwidth to parse. This time, Aislinn does seem to pause long enough to attempt to intercede on the poor A.I.’s behalf. “Yaji, I think we need your talents with building this prosthetic. This is a tight deadline.”

"Hm? Oh. Well. I suppose that is why I'm here." Yaji says, sounding saddened. The soot-covered Lalafell offers one more bow for Sergius, "Until next we meet then, my dear. It was truly a wonder meeting you." She says, then begrudgingly rejoins Aislinn and N'yami's brainstorming session

Aislinn cuts a meaningful glance to Serigus. He was free to go. And go he does, making a rapid exit out the door. “He’s a touch anti-social.” Aislinn murmurs as she turns back to the board. That might have been the largest understatement Aislinn had ever made. And she made them in droves.

N'yami: "What a nice fellow."

Aislinn snorts as if N'Yami had just made a joke

Yayaji Yaji nods a few times absent-mindedly, then leans in to N'yami only after Sergius had left for the clinic. "Er... Yami, I may have need for your advice when we get home. I appear to be in love."

N'yami: "I will give you all the advice you need!"

Aislinn's marker streaks wildly off course on the board. "Wait...what?"

[cymraegdragon21]

Costume Party

Birthday Bash Prompt 6 - Free Day/ Happy Birthday

'Come on Haru! We're going to be late.' called Hiromi as she knocked on the bathroom door.

Haur opened it a crack and looked at her best friend.

'I can't wear thing.' she whispered.

'Oh come on. You promised that I could choose our costumes.' pouted Hiromi.

Haru sighed

'Well I know I did but does it have to be so short.' she muttered.

'Hey I agreed that you could wear shorts underneath it.' laughed her best friend 'Unless you want to swap with me.'

Haru eyed her friend's red hot pants.

'Umm no thank you.' she murmured.

'Good choice.' grinned Hiromi 'Now here are your wings. You are definitely the more angelic of the two of us Ru.'

Haru sighed again. She had no idea what she had expected when Hiromi had begged to choose their fancy dress outfits but for some reason it hadn't been this. She awkwardly pulled on the hem of her white dress.

'Tell me again why Tsuge is having a party?' she asked.

'It's his birthday.' replied Hiromi as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'He never had a birthday party the whole time that we were in school together.' murmured Haru.

'That's true but I guess its a combination of his birthday and flat warming party.' grinned Hiromi as she adjusted her horns.

'Also why am I invited? I don't think I've spoken a word to the guy since we finished high school.' commented Haru.

'Well that's because I begged for my best friend to come. Who else will I have to talk to?' smiled Hiromi.

'I'm sure that you will know a number of people attending. You do go to the same university.' replied Haru.

'Come on Ru it's a party! Couldn't you be a little more happy about it.' whined Hiromi.

'You promise that HE won't be there.' she murmured.

'Yes I was very insistent. Tsuge isn't a big fan of Machida anyway. They just happened to be neighbours growing up.' nodded Hiromi.

'Well that's a relief.' smiled Haru 'I'm going to be awkward enough without bumping into my ex.'

Maybe you'll meet a new beau.' responded Hiromi wiggling her eyebrows.

Haru laughed swatting her friend with her hand.

'Romi didn't you say we were going to be late?' asked Haru.

Hiromi looked started and quickly checked the time. 

'Oh no! Come on or we will really be late!' she squealed pulling Haru towards the front door.

Tsuge's flat was on the top floor of a small block. The music was pumping and it was filled with people who Haru didn't know and she instantly felt anxious. They had been there less than ten minutes before Hiromi left her side to greet some friends leaving her alone. She grimaced, already wishing that she hadn't come.  Parties really weren't her thing, especially dressed like this. Haru decided it would be better to wander around the flat than stand awkwardly still in a corner. It was already getting warm due to the number of people in the small flat. She picked up a tumbler of lemonade as she passed a table. She could feel a breeze and wondered where it was coming from. Following the cool air Haru found a door left ajar. She curiously pushed it open to find it led out onto a balcony. Leaving the noise behind her Haru stepped out into the moonlight. She gazed up at the stars initially before closing her eyes, enjoying the breeze caressing her warm cheeks. A slight noise made her eyes shoot open and she realised that she wasn't alone. She looked over to see someone leaning against the rail looking at the city below.

'Hello.' she greeted causing them to jump and spin around.

Although this was a costume party the outfit seemed unusual. Initially Haru thought he was dressed as a musketeer but when he turned to face her she realised he was also dressed as a cat. Haru felt her own costume wasn't much compared to his elaborate outfit. Even the eyes behind the mask were cat like.

'Amazing what contact lenses you can get nowadays.' mused Haru to herself.

The eyes looked panicked as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spook you.' she apologised.

The cat man seemed to relax at her words but chuckled nervously.

'This isn't my usual sort of thing.' he admitted.

'Nor me.' replied Haru 'Did you come out here for a breather?'

'Psyching myself to go in.' he replied.

Haru laughed.

'Are you a friend of Tsuge?' she asked.

'More like a friend of a friend.' he murmured vaguely 'I don't really know anyone here.'

'Same here. My best friend Hiromi dragged me here. She's Tsuge's girlfriend but I haven't really seen him since high school. I had no choice to come but then she ditched me' sighed Haru leaning against the rail.

'My friends insist that I should get out more.' he admitted 'It's not easy.'

'Yeah I would rather be curled up with a book than be here dressed like this but she's so good and guilt tripping me.' replied Haru.

'You're idea sounds much more appealing to me.' he smiled.

'I didn't used to be this anti social but things happened and I closed myself off.' she murmured.

'Oh?' he replied sounding intrigued.

'Sorry but that's a story I won't be sharing.' she sighed 'How about you?'

'What about me?' he frowned.

'Why your friends have encouraged you to attend a party but left you on your own?' she questioned.

'Oh.' he responded as his eyes flitted to a tree across the street and then back to her 'I guess you could call it trying to get me over my social anxiety.' 

'Well you are doing well as I'm a complete stranger.' she smiled.

'You are very easy to talk to Miss Angel.' he admitted causing Haru to blush.

'Why thank you good sir. I'm Haru by the way.' she smiled holding out her hand.

He looked down at her hand with uncertainty at first but then reached for it with his own.

'I'm Baron.' he responded.

His hand was gloved and warm. It felt a little funny but not enough to concern Haru.

'Nice to meet you Baron. Perhaps we can keep each other company?' she suggested.

He looked at her before giving her a shy nod.

Things were going well on the balcony and both were thinking perhaps their friends suggestion to attend hadn't been as bad as they had thought. The atmosphere was rather relaxed between them. Unfortunately this was broken by another voice. 

'Hey Babe!' came a slurred voice from behind causing Haru to stiffen.

She gripped the balcony rail causing her knuckles to turn white. They had promised that he wouldn't be here. She was just beginning to enjoy herself when he had appeared to spoil things. Baron looked at Haru with worry in his eyes. Slowly he turned to see the dark male staggering towards them. He wasn't even in costume which suggested that he had gate crashed the party. Haru has begun to shake which alarmed Baron further. Before he had thought through his actions he wrapped a comforting arm around her. She looked up at him in surprise.

'Hey you! Get your hands off my girlfriend.' demanded the drunk.

At the comment Haru's eyes seemed to blaze. She turned under Baron's grasp to face the intruder.

'I am not your girlfriend Machida.' she hissed 'You lost the privilege to call me that.'

'Aww come on Haru. It was an accident.' he whined.

She scoffed and moved herself closer to Baron. She prayed he wouldn't mind her using him in that moment.

'I've moved on.' she exclaimed 'Leave us alone.'

'With that!' exclaimed Machida in disbelief looking at Baron who stiffened under his gaze.

'Yeah he's twice the man you will ever be.' she growled 'Leave us alone.'

Baron sucked in his breath causing Haru to look up at him. Being this close she was beginning to realise that certain part of his costume were real but she would still rather risk her life with this cat man than her ex. The shaking continued and she turned into Baron's chest for comfort. He tightened his grip around her. He had not known her for very long but he was already feeling protective of her. He was tempted to challenge the boy in front of him to a duel but realised it wasn't the time or the place.

'Want to get out of here?' he whispered to Haru.

'Yes, but how? We're on the top floor.' she replied.

'The same way I got in.' he grinned.

Baron looked over to Machida who was wobbling about all over the place glaring at them. There was no way anyone would believe this drunk if he tried to tell anyone about what was about to happen. Baron gave Haru a small squeeze.

'Just trust me' he murmured before surprising the brunette by sweeping her up into his arms and leaping over the rail. 

Haru was too shocked to even scream but she gripped onto him more tightly. How would she explain this to Hiromi in the morning?

[theladyfae]

Adrienette, person A preoccupied with something while sitting next to person B but still makes sure to hold person B’s hand/play with their hair/put a hand on their leg etc.

thanks for the ask, alex!! I'm aware this one took. a while to get to. but it's been one of my favourite pieces to write.

#2: person a preoccupied with something while sitting next to person b but still makes sure to hold person b's hand/play with their hair/put a hand on their leg etc. adrienette.

(casual affection?? beats everything. I hope you like it!! <3)

Adrien winces as the sunlight falls over his maths worksheet in just the wrong way, making the white of the page stand out too much along with the colour of his desk. He stretches a little in his desk chair and stares at it, blinks a few times until he's used to the contrast, and then moves to bring the piece of paper closer to him once again. 

The low muttering that starts up behind him as a pair of shoes squeak across his floor reminds him that he is not alone, and he turns to watch out of the corner of his eye as Marinette paces about his room, humming nonchalantly to herself. He shakes his head a little before turning back to the question he's stuck on, scribbling out the method he'd tried earlier and starting with a different one. 

It's as if Marinette senses his frustration, because she abruptly stops pacing about his room in favour of flopping dramatically onto his bed to stare directly at him. Barely a minute passes before she's rising again, moving towards his chair to loosely drape her arms around his shoulders from behind.

She rests her chin on his shoulder and starts humming again, swaying a little with the rhythm. He smiles slightly at the contact, eyes still tracing the complicated question on the maths worksheet in front of him, trying to walk through his next steps in his head.

"Adrien?" 

Even though she’s speaking directly in his ear, her voice is quiet. When he turns his head minutely to look at her, she gives him the softest, most considering look he's ever seen.

"Yes, my love?" He smiles at her, abandoning his pencil to take one of her hands in his, clasping both over his chest.

She idly rubs his hand with her thumb, and continues swaying.

"Why do you hate me?"

Adrien lets out a short, shocked laugh as he leans into her touch once more, before turning back to his worksheet.

"I don't, and you very well know that, love. All I said was I'd have to start on our maths homework before I could relax with you, and in case you forgot, you're the one who told me it was alright. You said you could wait."

There's a pause as Marinette thoughtfully chews on her lip, and he takes the opportunity to remove her arm from his chest, threading their fingers together as he brings her hand to his lips before dropping it. 

It startles her just enough that she almost falls into him, which briefly jolts his writing hand. He bites his lip to stifle his own laughter as she stammers out her reply.

"Well… I mean yes, I did, I did say that, but… I didn't know waiting would be so hard!! And besides, you're a cat, so I find it incredibly rude that you aren't tripping over yourself at the idea of having a cuddle nap with me now."

"I'm as much a cat as you are a ladybug," He reminds her with an unapologetic grin. "And it's fun to watch you pace, somehow you're more incapable of sitting still than I am."

A beat. He can sense her indignant pout forming before he even looks at her again.

"I am not, don't be mean. Anyways, you're getting bored, I can tell. You're not even putting enough pressure on that pencil for your notes to be legible."

Adrien looks at the worksheet as a whole once again. She's right, of course. His wrist has been getting tired, and what was previously neat handwriting has now become little more than scribbled numbers, notes he probably won't be able to decipher in a couple hours time.

He sighs, and pokes her arm. 

"It's because you're distracting me. How you expect me to get anything done with you lying all over me is beyond me. Now shoo, leave me be."

To his surprise, Marinette's hands actually leave his side, but it only takes a couple seconds before he finds them looped around his neck again, this time from the front as she drops herself sideways onto his lap.

Adrien rolls his eyes even as an affectionate smile lifts the corners of his mouth, pulling her body closer against him and casually picking up the sheet again, staring at it as he contemplates his next steps.

Two whole minutes pass before Marinette speaks up again.

"You know, this is sort of uncomfortable."

He doesn't reply, just leans forward to start writing as he tries not to melt at the proximity of her face to his.

"Adrien?"

She pokes his shoulder to get his attention. He tries his best not to acknowledge it. 

"Adrien." 

She pokes him again, harder, this time. 

"Adrien."

Another poke. He mustn't laugh, he knows, or she'll take advantage immediately.

"Adrien, I'm literally dying over here. Never have I felt so unloved."

This time she lets her face fall into his shoulder with a fake huff, and that causes him to break character.

He can feel her grin into his tee as he laughs, surprised, and completely gives up on trying to ignore her.

"Alright," he places his pencil down again and stretches. "Guess we can't have that."

She smiles beautifully as he kisses her forehead and wraps his arms around her, shifting a little before she unexpectedly lets out a huge yawn.

She blinks, startled at herself for a moment, before sleepily burrowing into him.

"Actually–" Her sentence is broken by another yawn. "–I think I'm comfortable enough here after all. You can… look at the required learning for Bustier's or something. Give me the answers later, too. Just don't do any exaggerated movements. I'll be taking my cuddle nap now, thanks."

He chuckles slightly and relaxes back in the chair, one of his hands moving to softly card through her hair as he searches for his school tablet with the other, pulling up the research task.

She snuggles further into the crook of his neck, and yawns again.

 "Oh… keep doing that with my hair, by the way. It's nice. Soothing."

He glances fondly down at her and indulges her request. She's more than half asleep already, and she looks so utterly adorable that he can't resist giving her cheek a light kiss.

He moves his attention back to the tablet, sighing internally at the thought of having to use it one handed, and faux frowns at her resting form, shaking his head.

"The things I do to keep you around, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

He feels her shake trying to suppress her giggle at that, (so, not as asleep as he'd thought, apparently), as she moves up to press a soft kiss to his neck.

"You love me, don't lie."

"I can't say I don't, my love." He says, resting his cheek on her head while scrolling through the required reading. "I can't say I don't." 

"Mhm. Now let me sleep, I beg."

"Of course." He placates as he begins to rock them both back and forth. "Rest well, sweetheart."

And with another smile followed by a sleepily murmured I love you, she does just that.

send me a number and a miraculous/jatp pairing

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

seeing someone else.

BISHOP LOSA. MAYANS MC ┃ USEFUL LINKS

❝ request by @encounterthepast: Hello lovely Aurora, can I request angst prompt number 7 with Bishop please, thank you, 💕

❝ prompt: “Don’t you dare to lie to me again”.

❝ request by @arveeee: Hello my dear, so I was thinking, and there is one sentence to that can't go out of my head. So it is: "let me in" with Bishop (I know I'm boring). Well I believe in you, I love you , and I love your writing. Say hello to Arya.

❝ request by anon: Hi, Aurora. I love your writing sm 🥺 I was wondering if I could request an imagine with my man Bishop? I was thinking of something like the reader and him being in kinda like a friends with benefits situation, but she decides to break it offf because she’s really upset. And maybe Bishop doesn’t understand so she eventually explains to him that she wants more out of their relationship and he reassures her they are more and they always have been? Maybe leads to like soft/romantic smut? Thanks so much!

❝ request by @meteora-fc: hello hello! so, that new trailer huh?😵 would absolutely love if you could write me something for a stressed out bishop with the prompts "Stop ignoring me, it’s driving me crazy!" and "Let me help you make it better." Thank you tons!!💖

❝ words: about 1.4k.

❝ a / n: as always, don’t forget to comment and reblog if you liked it!

Another tequila shot goes down your throat, ripping it off as you almost smash the small glass on the table. Tossing your head back as you rest your back against the sofa, sitting on the floor, you take a look around you. The gloomy has taken over your house as the night has fallen a couple of hours ago. It's the fourth night you are trying to forget about Bishop and whatever you two had. But you can't dismiss from your mind his caresses —his fingers drawing patterns on your back, his lips touring your neck with delicate kisses as if he was afraid of breaking your skin, his mustache tickling your inner thighs, his raspy voice articulating your name in moans. It's the fourth night miserably failing, remembering the last time you spent together, the way he was holding his back pretending he wasn't sad because you were leaving him.

“Obispo, it's over. Don't make a big deal. We're just friends who occasionally fucks”. You scoffed somewhat annoyed because of him and his interrogation, but how could you tell him you were falling in love with him?

“I ain't making any deal, (Y/N). I just want to know what made you change your mind and keep a wide berth”.

“I'm seeing someone else”.

"Don't you dare to lie to me”. He growled, taking a step closer towards you with the intention of stopping you from picking up and packing the less stuff you had in his house.

“Think what you want”. You replied, rolling your eyes.

The first tear flows in the left corner of your mouth not appreciably at first, but then, some more until finding yourself crying. You miss him so much. You miss watching him sleep peacefully in the small hours, drifting slightly when you caress his cheek using your fingertips. Flexing your knees to your chest, you wrap your arms around trying to contain the loud sobs, hiding your face between them. How have you been so stupid to fall for him like that? The two of you made it clear from the very first moment. Friends with benefits. But after a couple of weeks, you started to notice that he used to push away any other woman that it wasn't you, he didn't spend much time in the clubhouse preferring to do it in your house —cuddling, watching movies, playing poker; kissing every single inch of flesh covering your anatomy.

Reality hit you the moment he murmured something like you're a miracle, thinking you were calmly sleeping between his strong arms and your back stuck to his chest, no distance among your bodies. You knew it was a thing produced by the alcohol running through your veins and it wasn't fair for you to fantasize about the idea he was catching feelings for you. So you just ran away, like a coward.

Some clumsy knocks on the front door of your house bring you back to reality. At first, you try to ignore them. It's not like you're in the mood for visits, knowing that probably it's Leti at the other side of the place, worried because you haven't replied to her text all day. But she insists and insists. And you know how stubborn she can be sometimes. Serving yourself another shot and drinking it in just one gulp, because you're too sober to endure another of her Ted talks about positivism and what he has lost, you stand up on your bare feet. Everything around you spins dizzyingly for a second until you can react, feeling every knock like a hammer hitting your brain.

“I've heard you the fi—”.

Opening the door to receive her, your vocals get frozen as you face Bishop in a deplorable drunk state. Just like you are.

“Let me in”. He barks, not being able to look at your eyes, trying to pass you away to the inside, but you stop him.

“Go home, Obis—”.

“I'm home, shut the fuck up”. He frowns taking a sip from a bottle of whisky you haven't noticed till now. “You think you can kick my fuckin' ass outta your life by saying you're seeing someone else? You think I'm fuckin' stupid, queri— Were you crying…?”

From anger, his tone of voice falls to one lower and lower, as the concern and the worry cover his annoyance completely. Throwing away his drink to somewhere over the grass of your yard, he holds your face onto his palms. His touch causes you to tremble. His warm touch causes you to break into aching sobs, panting as you can't breathe properly. All this time you've been thinking you have missed him, but you didn't have a real idea of how it feels until his fingers have been laid on your wetted skin.

Bishop comes closer to you, touching the tip of your nose with his. You can smell the mixed scent of cigarettes and whisky emanating from his cracked lips, it doesn't bother you, tho. “Don't kiss me, please”.

Until this precise moment, he has loved your begs and pleads to his bones, but now he hates them more than anything he could ever hate in his life. It breaks his heart. He can't deal with your rejection one night more.

“Why…? Why can't I kiss you?” He asks desperately at the edge of his tears. “Please, stop ignoring me, it's driving me crazy. I can't even take care of my own shit without you by my side”.

Your knees feel weak at his words, still believing he only says that because you're just a good lover, the best in the sheets, as he told you once.

“I… I…” You babble nervously, trying to not place your hands on the laps of his leather kutte to finally push him into the needed kiss you've been craving for the last four days. “I love you”.

And why the confession doesn't take him by surprise? Why doesn't he look confused? Why does it seem like he already knew it? Bishop can't help but draw a fleeting grin across his face.

“Do you think I came here, falling into pieces, just because it feels like being in Heaven when I'm deep inside you?” He whispers, clicking his tongue slightly. “I didn't believe you when you told me you were seeing someone else. But the minimal thought I could have about it made me lose the less sanity I have”.

You blink stupefied at his own confession about his feelings. Your fingers tour his abdomen up in slow motion, starting to have some faith in his words.

“Mi amor…” Bishop mumbles in soft giggles shaking his head. “I adore you, mi amor. I don't want anything else than to share my life with you, and only with you”.

He doesn't wait for a signal from you to kiss your lips, he just takes what it's his. And you can't hold back a painful gasp, expelling in it all the sorrow you've been carrying for the last four days being separated from him. Your hands grip his shirt in two fists, pushing him as much closer as the two of you can be, about to melt in the same figure. All this time you have been trying to not love him, to forget him; and you were just delaying the inevitable. You are made for each other, that's a fact. Your lips fit to perfection —your bodies, your hearts.

“Tell me you love me”. You whimper against his mouth, causing him to smile because of your need of making it real by these simple three words.

“Love isn't enough to express what you make me feel”.

Bishop bends down without prior notice to wrap his huge hands on the back of your thighs, urging you to jump onto him and surround his waist with your legs. You haven't forgotten how good his warmth takes over you when he holds you like that, walking inside your house and kicking the door close. Guiding his steps across your place and its hallways, he reaches your dark dorm barely illuminated by a post light outdoors. He lies you down on your bed —a bed that has welcomed you for the last eight months in every kind of state. Drunk, tired, happy.

Now, you're a mix of them. Drunk in tequila, tired of crying, but happy for having him back for the rest of your life.

GENERAL TAG LIST: @mayans-sauce @peoniarose @destynelseclipsa @band-psycho @myakai13 @petlaufeyson @-im-fantastic- @horsesandwolvesaremyanimals @rocketqueen @rosieposie0624 @ellyseveronica @Jessprins13 @diaryofkali @ravenmoore14 @starrynite7114 @kenbechillin @miahelen @monkeyluver4546 @sheeshgivemeabreak @jadesamhart @rawrlittlepanda-95 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @katsav17 @skits90s @wildsould1221 @littlekittymeow @tenderclio @badame1240 @regalbanshee @greeneyedblondie44 @phoenixhalliwell @codenamewife

MAYANS MC: @multiyfandomgirl40 @countryash345 @skyofficialxx @lovebishoplosamiguelgalindo @bellisperennis0 @chibsytelford @trulysuccubus @purrrrfect @witching-hour @leathercladmenfics @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @queenbeered @sesamepancakes @gemini0410 @pinguinstudiert @oscars-wifeyyy @meteora-fc @lozaa94 @arveee @joupym @hanster1998 @missswritings @arana-alpha

[mingoyeob-archive]

Can you please do:

53: "We're stuck in the middle of a storm and all you want to do is play in the rain,"

41: "Dance with me,"

61: "If you keep looking at me like that I won't be able to handle myself,"

45: "Take.It.Off"

With Jungkook and reader.💜

Loads of love✨

under the oak tree drabble game ⚔️🌳 to make up for my delayed release of part 3 of under the oak tree i’ve decided to do a drabble game! send me a number + any of the characters from under the oak tree and i’ll write you a drabble :)

thank you so much for sending in a request 💜 💜 I love that you sent in multiple prompts cause it allowed me to really develop the story! I kinda went crazy with it tho, can you call 2.5k a drabble? idk but I hope you enjoy!

53: "We're stuck in the middle of a storm and all you want to do is play in the rain," + 41: "Dance with me," + 61: "If you keep looking at me like that I won't be able to handle myself," + 45: "Take.It.Off" - jjk x reader - word count: 2.5k

Your body swayed back and forth in your seat as the carriage wheeled over bumpy roads and rocky dirt paths. It had you gripping tightly to the underside of the leather seat to prevent yourself from falling to the hard cabin floor. Your gaze stayed trained out the window, watching the trees go by and the rain pouring down creating puddles along the roads. The small drops on the glass had your eyes zeroing on them, watching as they raced back and forth towards the edge of the carriage door. Oh how I tire of this dreadful weather you mused, a frown settling on your face at the thought.  Jungkook grunting as if to catch your attention was the only thing that had your head turning away, meeting dark brown pools that filled steely eyes.

“Are you upset with me?”

Any other day his question would have had you scrambling to pacify his concern, but today, your foul mood had you holding your tongue. Of course you were upset, he was taking you to the one place you hated the most - home. Well, what used to be your home, Uwhen felt more like your home now than that place ever did.

You fixed him with a blank stare. “Yes.” you say, voice monotonous and lacking any obvious emotion.

Your blunt response had Jungkook's eyes slowly widening as he registered just how bad he had fucked up. He never would’ve guessed you’d be this upset, he was doing this for you after all. When Jungkook first got the invitation to attend one of your fathers council meetings to oversee the trades occurring with other kingdoms he was completely set on denying the request; he was never one to meddle into things that didn’t directly affect his people. But one of his own advisors, Seokjin, had reminded him that as the new Duke it technically was one of his responsibilities to be there. Plus, according to him, a good opportunity to get you out of the castle.

“If I was her, I’d want to get out of here as soon as possible!” He had said comically, laughing at his own terrible joke loud and squeaky like. Jungkook frowned at the memory.

Had you said something to him about wanting to leave? he had wondered. Even though you hadn’t (you barely even knew the man), Jungkook’s worries continued to spiral out of control and he hastily had sent your father confirmation that he would be there and that he was taking you with him. He hesitated with his response trying to find the right words to make sure he didn’t make the situation worse. “I’m sorry I assumed you would be ha-”

Bang!

Jungkook's apology was interrupted by the loud sound of something cracking, the two of you launching off your seats as the carriage immediately leaned over on its side. The crash had you two falling out of your seats onto creaking wood, bodies crumpling onto one another and limbs draped everywhere. You had let out an oof at the fall, but Jungkook had seemed unfazed and if anything more pissed off than dazed. It took you a minute to gather your bearings, trying to determine which way was up and which way was down, but as soon as you did you realized you were staring directly into Jungkook's eyes, body sprawled across his chest.

It seemed like he had made an effort to try and catch you during the fall and somehow his arm had found its way around your waist, huge hand unintentionally landing directly on your ass. Your face heated up immediately. “Jungkook, your hand.” he just quirked an eyebrow, oblivious to what you were referring to which only served to make you more annoyed. "Take.It.Off"

He looked confused for a second before finally registering where his mischievous hand had strayed. Despite how he was internally freaking out, his hands had calmly retracted and instead moved to your shoulders to lift you back into your seat as if you were as light as a feather, catching you off guard. You could only sit there surprised at the action, watching as Jungkook’s giant figure struggled to stand up in the cabin, neck bending to duck out of the cabin when he opened the door.

“What the hell happened out here?!”

“I’m sorry my Lord, but it seems one of our wheels got stuck in a hole and broke its bearing.” The coachmen muttered embarrassed, cringing at the obvious anger that showed across Jungkook’s face. The driver's words had you sticking your own head out of the door, flinching as the ice cold rain immediately started drenching you.

“Well how long will it take you to fix it?!” Jungkook questioned irate.

The man avoided Jungkook's fiery gaze, rubbing at his neck, “Considering the craftsman isn’t until the next town, I’m not quite sure. We’d have to walk the rest of the way unfortunately and that could take the rest of the day and probably into the night, sir.”

Jungkook let out a groan, obviously upset with the coachmens words. He threw his hands up, turning in his spot to kick at the edge of the broken down carriage only to just notice that you had stepped out into the rain yourself. Immediately he walked over, boots stumping in the mud. “Get back in the carriage Y/N.”

You scoffed, “No way, you heard the man. We’ll have to walk and you’re not leaving me out here by myself to wait for you to return with a damn wheel.” You glared up at him, neck straining to look up and meet his gaze confidently. “Besides I think I can handle a little rain by now.”

“Rain has nothing to do with it. I didn’t plan on leaving you, I’m staying here. He can walk to the town by himself,” The driver let out a sound of alarm at his statement to which Jungkook paid no mind to. “He can send word to your father to get another carriage to escort us the rest of the way.”

“Jungkook, staying here would be the worst thing to do and getting my father involved would just be a nuisance and you don’t want to make him upset, do you? We can just stop at an inn and stay till the morning.” You were obviously trying to stop Jungkook from continuing the journey to your father. But he didn’t know that of course and he actually began to mull over the idea. The two of you stood in the rain for a moment glaring at each other, waiting for one of you to give up. When he realized that he wasn’t going to win, he let out a grunt, spinning on his heel to trudge down the path. The driver stared back and forth between the two of you, confused about what just happened. You just smiled at your plan actually working and followed behind him, satisfied with your accomplishment.

For a while the three of you walked, completely soaked from the relentless downpour with clothes clinging to your bodies. Thankfully it began calming down as you continued on the road, but the mood surrounding everyone was still tense. You could tell Jungkook was still upset as he had never stopped glowering at the forest ahead, eyebrows furrowed and jaw tense. His bristly mood had you sighing, perhaps it was time for you to try and break the ice.

“Jungkook.” you called from behind his towering figure, stopping in your tracks. He didn’t immediately respond, but after realizing you had halted he turned to look over his shoulder, offering you a grunt in question.

“Dance with me.” you say with a smile, beaming despite his obvious annoyance.

He merely arched a brow, finally facing you to stare at you blankly. Jungkook crossed his arms, “What?” he said.

You giggled, “I said dance with me!” you did a small spin in your spot, lips tilting up at the corners as you extended a hand in his direction. He just looked at it, face void of emotion.

“We're stuck in the middle of a storm and all you want to do is play in the rain.”

He sounded dreadfully confused, but that didn’t deter you from your mission. “Yes! In my opinion, mud makes for an excellent dance floor.” your voice dripped with excitement and when he didn’t show any sign of taking your hand you just took it upon yourself to take his hand from his folded arms and pulled him forward (it barely moved him but you get the jist).

Jungkook sighed and tried to stand his ground as you pulled relentlessly on his arms. The sound of your feet splashing in the mud made him cringe but regretfully he started moving to the beat you seemed to have made up in your head. You two spun in circles and moved back and forth down the path, making up your own dance as you went. The coachmen watched amused from the sidelines, clapping along to the two of you to mimic the sound of music. You knew Jungkook was trying to look like he was still upset, but you could tell it was an act and that he was starting to warm up to the idea as you went along. His arms started to loosen and his back started to untense, shoulders relaxing to make it easier for you to pull him along. He was even biting back a smile at the sound of your cute sounds and the hums you were letting out in tune to the drivers rhythm. At that moment Jungkook thought you looked absolutely enchanting.

Despite the hair stuck to your face, the bottom of your dress covered completely in mud and lingering scent of mildewy smelling soaked wet cotton, the drops of water stuck to your long lashes and the flush in your cheeks trumped all of those things. He had never seen you smile so hard or look so comfortable in his arms. Besides the accidental fall back at the carriage, this was the first time you had been this close to him since your wedding night and he could feel the heat radiating from your body, your hearts beating to the same rhythm. He truly felt like you were his.

So he watched as you continued to spin, laughs full of glee escaping past your lips. You even had the nerve to stick your tongue out in an effort to catch raindrops, showing off the long expanse of your throat and jutting collarbones. The sight had something stirring in him. And you must’ve noticed the change in his face because you stopped in your step, smile calming and eyes softening. You could tell he was deep in thought, so you didn’t feel the need to speak just yet. Instead, you just looked at him, eyes gazing up at him and swimming with admiration. Your shining irises peeking up below your lashes had your stare coming off as almost sultry and he felt his pulse quickening. When you picked up on the shift in his mood you decided to speak up. “Is something the matter, Jungkook?” you questioned, looking up with wide eyes. You looked so innocent. He knew it was wrong, but he wanted so bad to corrupt you.

Jungkook pulled you so close you had to strain your neck to stare up at him just before he dipped his head down, lips so close to touching. "If you keep looking at me like that I won't be able to handle myself."

Your breath caught in your throat and your face was full of surprise as you just stared at him speechless. It was almost as if you two were having some type of heated conversation with the way his dark eyes connected to yours. The tension was undeniable. But you two seemed to have forgotten that you guys weren’t the only ones out there on that dirt road, and the sound of the driver clearing his throat had you two stepping apart.

“Are you guys um...ready to keep heading towards the inn?” he mumbled, obviously uncomfortable. The two of you couldn’t answer fast enough.

“Yes!”

[doiedreams]

A Cozy Christmas Eve // w.lc

Brought to you by the Walking in a Winter Wonderland collaboration hosted by @suh-insane and @neocitybynight

◈⇢ Synopsis: With only a very limited amount of time, you and bf!Lucas prepare to have your parents over for a Christmas Eve visit, but after all the stress, the day ends in a cozy evening of Christmas movies, hot cocoa, and cuddles

◈⇢ Prompt: “Put that cookie down. NOW!”

◈⇢ Genre: fluff ద

◈⇢ Pairing: reader x bf!lucas

◈⇢ Wc: 2.3k

◈⇢ Warnings: none

Lucas’s full attention is captured by the wintry white snowscape in his view. Bright-eyed and mouth agape, Lucas calls out to you. “Woah… Y/n, come look! It snowed so much last night.”

The excitement in his voice lures you out of your room, toothbrush still between your lips, as you see Lucas with his hands and nose pressed up against the cold glass of the window. You giggle seeing how his actions reflect that of an amazed child seeing snow for the first time. When you approach him, you tap his shoulder, silently requesting that he move out of the way. The moment you step in front of the window, the bright white view blinds you. Considering you woke up not too long ago, the radiance was harsh on your eyes, causing you to squint momentarily before fully being able to take in the view.

The pretty sight incites a muffled gasp from you. Blankets upon blankets of snow cover the ground, presenting little to no color contrast between it, and the grey wintery sky. The rooftops of the houses across from your home are also coated with snow, while their perimeters are draped with thin icicles varying in size. Color can only be found on the holiday decorations scattering the lawns of your neighbors’ homes or the occasional evergreen shrubs nearby. Besides that, it is a white winter indeed.

“It’s so pretty,” you say after taking your toothbrush out. “Okay, we have a long day ahead of us so let me finish getting ready and we can start cleaning up, alright?” 

Lucas turns from the window to face you and says, “but it’s already clean.”

“Clean? Lucas, it’s so messy in here. Look around.”

He faces the room, not too disheveled, but surely not in its tidiest state. Magazines of holiday decor and Christmas meal recipes almost covered the entire glass coffee table. Some opened pages had brown ring stains on the wrinkly paper where a couple of hot cocoa mugs, now empty, had sat the night prior. Half of the throw blanket rests on the ground while the other half is slowly slipping off of the couch. Needless to say, it was a bit of a mess.

Turning back to you, he says, “We can clean this up easily. It'll take us… like, 20 minutes?”

Your eyes widened, wondering what makes him think the two of you could fully prepare your house for your parents’ visit in such a short amount of time. “That’s just impossible. There's a lot more to do than to tidy up this room. Plus, anytime I tell you we have to clean you get distracted in about five minutes and leave all the dirty work to me.”

“Do I?” Lucas asks as if this is something he's never noticed. 

“You do, but not this time. It's gonna be a team effort and we're gonna get it done as soon as we can, alright?” 

Lucas crosses his arms and lifts his chin as though he’s already completed the tasks he's meant to finish. “I’m at your service, m’lady. Where do you want me?”

Laughing at his newfound determination, you tell him, “Well, how about you start by clearing off that table while I finish getting ready.”

While still in his triumphant stance, he gives you a forceful nod before he goes to the table and picks up the empty mugs to place on the sink, and gets started with cleaning. Although you suspect his focus will only last for a little while, you appreciate the effort he’s putting in now. And hopefully, by the time you come back, some progress would be made.

“Ta-da!”

Upon entering the room, you’re met with a completely different atmosphere than before. The coffee table was no longer cluttered with papers and mugs, the sofa’s decorative pillows were placed comfortably at its corners, and Lucas even managed to turn on the fireplace which hadn’t worked in months. If you were to add a few more decorations, the room could’ve been featured in one of the holiday decor magazines he had set aside.

“Lucas- You did all of this?” you asked, gaping at the cleanliness of the room. 

He breaks out of his jazz hands and nods. “Yes. I did.” The accomplished grin on his face made it clear that he was proud of his work.

“I’m impressed!” you say with a smile. You thank him for what he’s done and pull out your phone to check the time. “Okay. We have like a couple more hours before my parents start on their way. Oh, but it’s supposed to snow even harder by then...”

You look out the window, noting that the driveway is already covered in snow from last night’s snowfall. “Would you mind shoveling the snow out of the driveway while I clean the rest of the house?”

“I can do that,” Lucas replies while making his way to the door to get his coat.

“Perfect. While you do that, I’ll finish getting the rest of the place ready and I can start making cookies.”

He agrees and you part ways, leaving Lucas to conquer the heaps of snow while you make sure the house is in perfect order in time for the visit.

Once the rooms are all neat and tidy, you move to the kitchen and look for all the ingredients you’ll need to make a couple batches of tasty Christmas cookies. Humming and swaying to the Christmas classics playing in the background, you make the cookie dough, tasting small bits of it against your better judgment. You turn the oven on to let it preheat and take out metal cookie cutters of various holiday theme shapes including a Christmas tree, a candy cane, a gingerbread man, and a snowman. All of which would add a fun touch of festivity to your cookie batches.

While the cute shapes of dough undergo its transformation in the oven, you look out the window and catch sight of Lucas’ figure wrapped in his large, puffy, winter parka, waddling around in the snow like a penguin with his head hidden under the faux fur hood. From the way he shuffles the snow around his feet aimlessly, he seems to have lost his shovel. Seeing him in his own little world causes a giggle to rise from your chest until you become worried he’ll lose his footing and hit the ground due to the lack of friction underneath his sneakers. Perhaps you should have reminded him to put on his snow boots.

The thin high-pitched beep coming from behind you rouses you from your thoughts and you shift your attention back to the cookies in the oven that are now producing a sweet aroma filling up the kitchen. As soon as you open it, a warm sugary scent wafts from the heated compartment, reaching your nostrils. Placing the sheet of cookies on the countertop, you figure Lucas would want to help decorate them, so you let them cool until he gets back.

As you lean against the countertop, delving in the Christmas music and delicious fragrance consuming the room’s atmosphere, a gust of icy air enters and brushes against your leg, following the sound of the front door opening and closing. You hear Lucas sniff and groan once he comes in. You’re suddenly reminded of all the time and effort you put into cleaning the floor while he was gone and your eyes widen as you rush out of the kitchen.

“Lucas, wait! Did you-”

The squeak coming from Lucas’s wet shoes stops you mid-sentence and with the words leaving your mouth, you freeze. In front of you, Lucas is huffing warm air into his hands, oblivious to the small piles of snow at his feet and the trails of melted ice he’s tracked in. Letting your head fall into your hands, you groan, rubbing your temples as if to alleviate the stress that has just been added to your plate.

“The driveway’s all clear,” you hear Lucas say between sniffs. With a sigh, you shut your eyes and nod, approaching him to take off his coat for him and hang it up.

“Well, now I have to clean this up too,” you say as you let out yet another sigh. 

Lucas’s mouth forms an ‘O’ shape upon realizing what he’s just done. You’re already rushing to find a rag to wipe up the mess.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I can help you out if you want,” he says, looking for a way to undo his mess. 

Frustration evident in your tone, you say, “No, it’s fine. Move.” 

You get on your knees beside his legs and hurriedly wipe the floor with a cloth, occasionally glancing at the clock which only builds your sense of urgency. Time is running out and this extra task is not ideal.

“Y/n,” Lucas starts. “Let me help.”

“I don’t need any,” you say as you finish wiping the floor.

As you try to walk past him, Lucas holds you by the shoulder and pulls you back into him. The tension in your muscles starts to melt away at his touch and you allow him to hold you against his body. The last thing you want to do is project your frustration onto the one person that makes you feel at peace through it all.

“It’ll be okay, we still have time,” he reassures you.

You know he’s trying to comfort you, and it’s working as always, but you know that in reality, you don’t have much time before your parents are on their way.

He kisses your cheek and says, “Now, what is that delicious smell?”

“Cookies.” You giggle at the bright smile on his face at the mention of the yummy Christmas treats. “Wanna decorate ‘em with me?” you ask. He’s already pulling you towards the kitchen before you can even finish the question.

“Okay! I think everything’s perfect.” You set the tray of freshly decorated sugar cookies on the table. You roam around the room listing off the tasks you’ve completed.  “The bathrooms are clean, the kitchen is clean, the mirrors and windows are wiped down, the driveway is- Lucas!”

You snap your attention back at the boy with a star-shaped cookie in hand, held up to his opened mouth, ready to be eaten. Frozen, he peers over at you, caught in the act.

“Put that cookie down. NOW!”

Lucas slowly places the cookie back on the tray, and sighs softly before taking a seat at the table with his head hung low, as if he’s put himself in ‘time-out’.

Your attention is captured by the ring-tone coming from your cell phone. 

“Oh my gosh, they must be on their way,” you say before picking up.

“Hi, my dear,” your mother’s familiar voice gives you a taste of home as soon as you hear it.

“Hi! Are you on your way?” you ask, hopeful.

“I hate to come bearing bad news, but it seems like we won’t be able to make it.”

A disappointed sigh leaves your lips as you think of all the work you’ve done to get the place ready for your parents’ visit. It would’ve been nice to see them again, especially in the holiday spirit, and enjoy quality time together. Your shoulders slouch as your mood drops listening to your mother explain that they’re snowed in for the night. They can’t come.

“They’re not coming?” Lucas asks once you hang up the phone.

You shake your head in response and slump into a chair at the table next to him. Sighing, you prop your elbows on the table, resting your head in your hands, and close your eyes, letting yourself enjoy a moment of calm. Your little moment is brought to an end when you feel a tickle at your bottom lip. Opening your eyes, you see an iced sugar cookie held up to your mouth.

“Taste it.” Your eyes shift upward to Lucas’s cheeky grin. You comply and take a bite out of the cookie. Eyelids fluttering shut in delight, you hum at the deliciousness of the cookie in your mouth. “Is it good?” he asks.

“Perfect,” you giggled.

He takes a bite of the cookie himself and says, “Let’s put on our pajamas,” with his mouth full. “Why? It’s not even late.” 

Although the time indicates that it’s only around 5:30 pm, the darkness outside makes it seem a lot later than it really is.

“Looks like nighttime to me,” he says, pointing towards the window.

“Okay, I guess.” He takes you by the hand and pulls you up from your seat, ushering you towards the bedroom where you can get dressed in your matching fleece pajama sets. In the warmth of your pajamas, you and Lucas decide to make the very best out of this Christmas Eve. While Lucas turns on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you make hot chocolate in the kitchen and pour yourselves a couple mugs. You top it off with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and a candy cane leaning against the rim, adding a hint of festive cheer. Bringing the hot cocoa and tray of Christmas cookies, you join Lucas on the sofa, who didn’t bother to wait for you before starting the movie. Crystals of ice fall down the sky outside the window while the crackle and pop of the fireplace keeps you cozy inside. Lucas drapes a fleece blanket over your laps as the mugs of hot cocoa in your hands keep you warm. He wraps his arm around you, bringing you closer in, and places a sweet kiss on your cheek. Although you’d gone through so much stress during the day, to be able to comfortably relax in the warmth of Lucas’ embrace made it all worth it. 

a/n: Merry Christmas! And to those that don’t celebrate it, much love regardless ♡

Proofread by: @hunjins @danishmiilk @crownily thank you guys so so much ♡

[johnkrrasinski]

i want your midnights; 

full masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Word count: 1,749

Warning: fluff!! pure feelings 

Summary: this one’s written for the @mypoisonedvine​‘s festive writing challenge with the prompt “kissing at the new year’s eve count down.” there was only one person that you wanted to celebrate new years with and it was bucky barnes, the love of your life. 

a/n: not my best work but eh, i needed some holiday fluff with bucky. comment and reblog if you like! 

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

You straightened the skirt of your dress, trying to make yourself look presentable as you took a deep breath. To say you were nervous would be an outrageous understatement. You haven't played for a big crowd, let alone a crowd in awhile. The last time you were standing with identical emotions swirling through your stomach was when you were in your adolescent years. It wasn't because you grew bored of it, it was simply because you grew up and life had its funny way of surprising you. This occupation wasn't merely a job, it was a lifestyle. And this lifestyle didn't allow you to think that you'd ever have the chance to revisit this forgotten passion.

But here you were. About to perform one of your favourite songs on the grand instrument placed in the centre of the room and you feel like your stomach was sinking. You were good and you were adored. Suck it up and don't be a coward!

The ticking clock shows that it was three hours away from midnight. And the party was in full swing because it's New Year's Eve and Tony Stark was a man of flamboyant parties. And may God help you if he discovered your hidden talent.

"You should sing on New Year's Eve! Entertain the guests before midnight. What's better than live music at a party?"

"I don't know, Tony... I haven't sung in so long."

"You literally just did two minutes ago!"

"Okay first, that was in my room where no one was watching and second, you weren't supposed to see that!"

Tony walked up to the mini stage with a microphone in one hand and a glass of Champagne in the other.  "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention? I shouldn't be asking, after all, you were invited to my party." The elicited a few chuckles from the guests. "Let me start by thanking all of you for coming here tonight..."

Tony's speech was muffled by the grasp around your waist by a familiar pair of arms. "Nervous?"

"Extremely."  You smiled despite the averment.

"Baby, don't worry. I've heard you sing and you have one of the loveliest voices in the world."

"You're just saying that cause you're my boyfriend, Bucky..."

"That's true, but the latter is also true."

You turned around in his arms and threw yours around his neck. "Thank you for the encouraging words. I feel a bit lighter knowing that you'll be in the crowd."

"My pleasure, darling." He kissed you with his hands still on your waist, holding you close but Tony's words disrupted your moment.

"We have a special and exclusive performance tonight. Please welcome, my friend, ____ ____!“

The soft claps welcomed you and it was your turn to take the stage.

"Good evening, everybody. I'm y/n and I hope you enjoy my performance tonight."

A sprightly "whew!" was heard and you instantly recognized Clint's voice.

Your fingers pushed the first few notes of the intro and the sound immediately changed the atmosphere in the room.

"There's glitter on the floor after the party, girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby..." You sang to the microphone. "Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor, you and me from the night before but..."

"Don't read the last page but I stay when you're lost and I'm scared and you're turning away, I want your midnights but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day." You still hadn't dared to gaze at the audience so you focused on looking down on the black and white keys.

"You squeezed my hand three times in the back of the taxi, I can tell that it's gonna be a long road. I'll be there if you're the toast of the town babe," you didn't know why but your heart drove your gaze to the crowd and you instantly found the person you were singing for. "...Or if you strike out and you're crawling home..."

"Don't read the last page but I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes..." You didn't look away. You couldn't. Not when the love of your life was staring right back at you with those warm steel blue eyes. "I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day." You meant every word.

"Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you." This time your eyes wandered to the crowd, familiar and strange faces staring back at you with contented looks and you hoped these words would cling to them.

"...And I will hold on to you." Because they did to you and you did to the man standing a few feet away from you but your hearts and your minds remained connected.

"Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere, please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere..." A brief flashback played in your mind; the lovers turned strangers, the friends turned enemies, the loved ones turned ghosts. You barely heard from them anymore these days, but you could still remember their laughters, an epitome of the good memories. You hoped that this dynamic ragtag group of vigilantes would never turn into one of those tragedies. Another buried name that goes up to the monument.  

"There's glitter on the floor after the party, girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby, candle wax and polaroids on the hardwood floor," your heartbeat hummed the euphonious melody, "...You and me forevermore." There he was. Smiling at you. Always smiling because you were the light of his life and his simpers were genuine and frequent now.

"Don't read the last page, but I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes, I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, and I will hold on to you." You chanted the closing lyrics and when the last note resonated, the guests' claps were louder this time, invigorating your confidence.

Everyone returned to their own things; catching up with their friends, laughing on the couch and drinking by the bar and Natasha was even standing behind it like a professional part-time bartender. Some were slow dancing and the others are already a little too drunk.

"That was beautiful, doll."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You got a gift, you shouldn't hide it from the world."

"I'm not trying to hide it, Bucky. I just... I didn't have the time with the world-saving and all. And music makes people happy, but it doesn't save lives."

"Well, if I don't know when I'll see you play again, then I'm glad at least we got tonight. And you're wrong, doll. You certainly saved me."

"Your words will be the death of me, Barnes."

-

Everyone gathered around, watching the big screen displaying the countdown to midnight. As the numbers go down, the more energized people become. Your arms were tangled with Bucky's, not wanting to be far away from the person you loved the most seconds before the year finalizes its chapter.

For a moment there, you felt happy. You looked around to see your teammates with smiles on their faces, stress-free and humans. This job hadn't allowed you to be just a human living a normal life. But tonight was one of the rare moments where all of you could just be normal people celebrating holidays.

And then there was Bucky, the man who had lived for a century, whose entire life was stolen away from him, and the man that your heart chose to fall in love with, and you were lucky enough that he chose you too. You had spent two Christmases together, and now you were entering another new chapter together, and there was no one else you'd rather wake up with an awful hangover with. There was no one else who would be there to give you Advil in the morning and deal with your mess.

5,4,3,2,1...

"Happy New Year!"

You and Bucky kiss, as all the cheers and noises, faded into the background. Bucky grabbed you close by the waist, and you had your arms around his neck trying to hold onto his lips as long as possible. You ran your fingers through his hair, feeling all the overwhelming affection you had for him. Bucky felt it too deep in his bones, who would've thought that despite all the atrocities his hands had to commit, someone as beautiful and wonderful as you would love him despite it all? Would kiss him on New Year's Eve and would stick with him through another year?

"Happy new year, darling."

"Happy new year." You couldn't fake the smile forming on your face. “I can’t believe it’s our second New Year’s together.”

“There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my New Years with.”

“Are you saying you’re willing to spend the rest of your New Years dealing with my cranky hangover moods and pulling my hair back when I throw up?”

“As long as it’s you, I’m ready for pretty much anything. You’ve had my back and picked up my mess when I was at my worst, doll and I didn’t deserve it, but you did so without asking for anything, and I’m willing to do the same for you.”

You nearly teared up at his words, the past two years hadn’t always been the smoothest road with rainbows and butterflies for you two. You stuck with Bucky through his nightmares, panic attacks and his therapy sessions and you loved him despite all his open wounds and permanent scars, and Bucky had never felt luckier to have fallen in love with you too along the way. It began with a friendship and bloomed into something deeper, and the last two New Years that you had spent together reminded you that you could walk through every hurricane that life threw at you as long as you were together.

“You always knew how to calm down my fears and lift up my spirit and I’m eternally grateful for that.”

“Guess we’re just perfectly imperfect for each other, huh?”

“Guess we are.” He kissed you again with a huge smile on his face and zest for writing the first page of 365 pages with you.

[shelby-love]

KELLY SEVERIDE

Poor Defense

Requested: yes

Prompts: none

Warnings: none

Authors note: Happy ending obviously! xx

"Babe are you sure that you're alright?" You ask him for the fifth time. You're standing outside his car, watching him join you outside like a hwak.

Your boyfriend Kelly just doesn't seem to be okay. You watch him grab your duffle bag along with his. Usually that's not a problem for him but you see him strain his shoulder. His face says it all.

"No, I got it. You don't have to." You reach for your duffle bag.

"What do you mean? It's not a problem babe seriously. Let me." You sigh in defeat and grab his free hand. You part ways in the locker room and you join Shay in the ambo.

"Did you notice anything weird about Kelly?" You ask her. You're sitting at the floor of the ambulance and spying on him with the jump bag next to you. Making it easy for you to switch your eyes to it and act like you're not spying on him but rather doing your job.

He's at the squad table, bickering with Capp like nothing in the world is wrong or at least slightly twisted.

"What do you mean?" She tries to play it smooth. Of course she knows. The guilt has been eating her alive.

"Hm. That's weird." You suddenly say. The subject that is your boyfriend drops and you focus on the jump bag next to you.

"What's weird?"

"We're missing some painkillers. But I'm sure I ordered them." You sigh. Explaining that to main tower is going to be a pain in the ass. "Never mind. We'll figure it out."

"Okay I can't do it anymore." She sighs in defeat before throwing the last of the towels inside and sitting down next to you.

"Can't do what Shay?" You ask your partner. Shay is stressed and scared. But for what?

"He's not okay Y/N."

"Who's not okay?"

"Kelly!" She exclaims. "He went to check his injury and the doctor told him that they will need to operate and he won't be able to work for a year. Ever since then I've been helping him."

"You took the meds?!" You're shocked beyond words at this point. Not only was your boyfriend hiding a serious injury from you, he was also using his best friend and putting her in danger of losing her job. Hell even you were at risk now! "Les this can cost us our jobs!"

"I know! It's just... He's so stubborn and I was afraid that he was going to take the matter into his own hands."

Damn his stubbornness! "I will take his stubbornness and shove it so far up his-"

"Hey girlies." Brian Zvonecek interrupts you innocently. "Do you have any towels to spear?"

***

"When were you going to tell me?" You just barged into your boyfriend's private room and now you demand answers.

"Tell you what babe?"

"That your shoulder is getting worse and that you made Shay steal meds from the ambo just so you can work and risk your life." You tell him that in one single breath, with ears red as a tomato. You're angry and disappointed in him.

His face said it all. Busted.

"Look baby..." He stood up with caution. "This was just a one time thing. I'm fine now. I really am."

"No Kelly I don't think you are."

***

You have free time and you decide to use it to make up with Kelly. After what happened at the firehouse you didn't exactly find it in you to talk to him without bringing up the injury and starting a fight.

You wrecked your brain for possible explanations and after putting yourself in Kelly's shoes you decided to forgive him. He explained himself enough for you to build up the trust once more.

"Babe?" You walk around your shared apartment in hopes of finding him somewhere convenient enough to talk things out.

"In the shower!"

His reply is loud and clear. His off limits to talk now.

When you walk into the spacious bedroom it's almost like the air is completely different. Something seems off. You notice his jacket that lies on the bed, probably because he's headed somewhere.

While the shower runs in the background you take his jacket into his eyes and instinctively search through its pockets. You were never the type to rummage through his belongings but you felt like it needed to be done.

What you found shocked you. Pills.

Much stronger and illegal medication. 5 times the strength from the ones Shay took from the ambulance. You had one question in mind: Where did he get this?

Feeling your blood boil at the newfound sight you reach for his phone without a second thought. Someone must've gotten this for him and you were going to find out who.

Calls were a dead end and you quickly turned to look through his messages. The newest contact being someone named Anna.

It's obvious the moment you scroll through their conversation. A conversation way to long for your liking that started just a day after you confronted him about it.

You feel betrayed. He promised he would do the surgery.

You throw his phone back on his nightstand and fish through your pockets for your own. The moment you have it you swipe through your contacts and press call. "Yes?"

"Les who is Anna?" You ask her. The human encyclopedia for Kelly's past flings and girlfriends.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because..." You make sure to quickly hide in the kitchen so he doesn't hear you. "I just found out that he's still using pills. Illegal and stronger meds. And I know it's not you because you and I both don't have access to this kind of stuff."

"Uh..."

"I went through his phone and before you tell me how I shouldn't have done that... I had every right to protect him from risking his life because he's so freaking stubborn!" You huff into the phone. You clutch the meds in your hand until they're almost grinded into powder. "The name's Anna."

"Oh Jesus..." You hear her sigh. "An old flame and pharmaceutical rep. They never slept together but he did kiss her."

You start to see red. "I figured as much."

After taking a deep breath you bid Shay your goodbyes and start to pack your bags.

"Y/N-"

"Save it." You place the last of your shirts into the duffle bag. Ready to fly out of the apartment.

"Why?"

"Why?! Are you serious right now?" You ask him angrily. "You know what Kelly? I should've reported you for taking unprescribed medicine the moment I found out! No actually I should've reported you for making Shay steal them for you.

I can't believe I thought you were going to do the surgery. I stayed quiet knowing that your little stunt could cost me my job-"

"But you didn't do anything."

"Exactly! I didn't do anything to stop it. In the eyes of the whole CFD I am a careless paramedic in charge that doesn't take inventory seriously and instead allows firefighters to take whichever meds they prefer to themselves. Add my romantic relationship with the firefighter in question to the mix and my career is gone! Poof."

After a few deep breaths you zip your duffle bag. "I am not mad that you went to your ex fling for help. I am mad that you lied to me. You made me think everything was alright and when I found out you promised me that you would do the surgery. Not for me but for yourself and us. Yet again. You lied."

Knowing that staying in the same room with him for a second longer would make you stay, you decide to stalk out of the room and the whole apartment, leaving your own keys in the kitchen so you don't get tempted to come back.

***

"Shay let me in c'mon." Kelly banged on the door of Shay's apartment knowing that you were inside. "I need to talk to her."

The man you call the love of your life wasn't going to give up and both of you knew it. Frantically, with both hands in the air and if possible both legs too, Shay mouthed "What do I do?"

You nod towards the door, "Open the door."

She mouths back. "Are you sure?"

"Hey! Stop mouthing to each other and open the damn door!"

"Damn you Kelly!" Leslie shouts at him before opening the door and dissappearing into her room with a loud slam of the door.

It's been two weeks since you "moved out". You didn't give him the time of your day at work but the time you spent apart was eating you alive. Killing you actually.

His handsome self barges into the living room and spots you on the couch. Curled in a ball with tea in your hands and a blanket over you. The silent battle of eyes stops when he takes three long strides towards you and pulls you in for a kiss. A kiss that feels like homecoming.

You pull away flushed to the bone and encourage him to take a seat next to you. You place the blanket over his lap like you always do. Some things die hard.

"I'll do it."

"Do what?"

"The surgery Y/N. I'll do it."

Your mouth falls open in an 'O'. "So you're not here to ask me to move back in?Cause I'm still paying rent for that place."

He chuckles in a way that makes you weak in the knees. "You didn't let me get to that part."

"What made you get a change of heart?" You place your steaming hot tea on the glass coffee table and make yourself comfortable on the couch, your eyes never leaving his.

"You." He said simply. It made you blush against your will. "And the pain. It's horrible."

A bubble of laughter escapes your lips. "I love it when I make you laugh."

His statement caught you off guard making you blush even more. "I'm supposed to have a better defense."

"No you don't." With that he placed his index finger under your chin and lulled you into him. He spoke a soft apology in the kiss and you accepted it by kissing him back.

"Let's go home." Kelly whispered. Sorry shining in his eyes.

"Okay."

This time it was you leaned in for a kiss.

MASTERLIST

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 35

No. As much as I want to, this is not a Taylor Swift reference.

THE ROAD SO FAR

Red

John 'Soap' MacTavish

Site Hotel Bravo, Afghanistan

The plan was simple, infiltrate the area, locate for intel regarding Nero and leave. The darkness of the cave was at their advantage, but despite all that, the area they were situated in was far too crowded.

Green laser pointers scattered everywhere, they danced like party strobes inside the dimly lit tunnel on the way deeper into the base. Loud chatter could be heard as they discussed their tell tales on the different kinds of women they met.

France crouched by Soap's side and whispered.

"John, we lost Ghost. He said he was going to cover our six. Now he's gone." For a second, Soap looked worried but then again, Ghost was capable of handling his business on his own.

“We’ll just rendezvous with him later. For now, we need to focus on our main objective.” He muttered, advancing stealthily as the patrol passed through them. Francine took a while to check on her corners and she advanced farther than Soap, using her adept indoor combat skills into play.

Soap just watched her, marvelling at her swift movement. This was her forte, the initial thing that stunned him back on the O-course. He couldn't help but drop his jaw as her movements left him awestruck.

"Clear." She muttered, causing the Scotsman to shake back to reality as he took one last glance at their six and moved forward.

"This place has a lot of rooms. Should we split up and scan one by one?" Soap asked, looking at Francine. The interaction was serious but they could feel sparks in the air. It was inevitable, but they both dismissed these lingering feelings and proceeded to the mission.

"Okay… but stay on the line. I don't want to lose you again." France muttered shyly as she moved left.

"Aye. Will do." Soap chuckled and moved left.

"Sheesh. Get a room you two… Captain, can they move on a different line?" Gary interrupted over comms. Price just chuckled.

"Glad to hear you're nearby, Roach." Soap replied, entering one of the many rooms.

Leaning close to the wall, he carefully scanned the documents lying on the desk. They consisted of academic research regarding EMP effects on the battlefield and how to repel it's effects.

"No sign of Nero here but a lot about their big project." Soap muttered.

"Copy. I also have the same results. It's just aerodynamic manuals and books about flight." France said on the other line, her tone sounded curious and amused.

"Team, brace yourselves. I'm bringing the party in full swing. Gary! Hit the lever!" Price advised as the alarms started blaring, bringing the whole facility on high alert.

"Price! What was that for?!" Soap asked, covering behind the room.

"Sorry lad, desperate times call for desperate measures, we have to stop the nuke." Price stated and his line cut off, with gunfire being the last thing they heard on their end.

"Price? Alex? Roach? Ghost? Does anyone copy?!" Soap roared over comms. 

"Soap…" a faint British gasp from comms.

"Ghost is that you?! Where are you?!" Soap sounded panicked, lowering his voice after he heard footprints stomped outside his room.

"I'm on the lower floor. Shit… Alexandra… she's here…" Ghost groaned, Soap could hear the pained expression on his voice.

"We're on our way! Hang tight! Don't you dare die on us!" Soap said as he kicked the door open, shooting enemies that were already cornering France.

“I won’t, but make it fast. hehe… I should've just watched your six…” Ghost’s low tone continued over the comms as Soap and France hid by the doors and fired whenever they could. Enemy waves seemed to go on forever and the longer they got stuck there, the longer they got worried about Ghost.

Out of desperation, the duo began cooking grenades, tossing them on spots where enemies gathered, on corners where they hid and on every entryway where swarms would appear.

“Shit. That was my last one.” he muttered as he felt his body lighten. They've consumed most of their ammunition in a single room.

“I guess that was the last of them.” France sighed, wiping sweat off her forehead. 

“Let’s go get Ghost.” Soap ordered and they both made their way down the stairs. The two had no idea about the map layout, but the urgency of the situation led them to where Ghost was. The room was dimly lit, sparks of faulty electronics flew from the roof and the spinning red signal light was the only bright light illuminating the area.

Upon seeing his teammate, Soap quickly stepped forward but paused as soon as Ghost warned him.

“No! There are traps. One got me.” he heaved, slowly raising his head. Maxine immediately inspected the door and disarmed the set trip wire, as they quickly moved by Ghost’s side.

“Ghost, you're going to be okay.” Soap assured, assisting France in applying first aid on his wound. It was a huge burn by the stomach, the explosion deeply injured his skin causing him to bleed out. Crimson red blood glinted off the surface as the red signal momentarily illuminated the floor.

“I used to be careful you know… But as soon as I saw her, I lost all my senses. I had to break her free from that prison.” He breathed, almost struggling, grunting as France applied pressure to the wound.

Soap quickly got up and shot the lock with his pistol, kicking the door open and approached the unconscious redhead lying on the floor. She had a notable few bruises and scars here and there, signs of torture. Soap attempted to wake her up but she didn’t move, he quickly pressed his hands on her neck until he felt a faint pulse. 

“She’s alive.” Soap declared, turning to Ghost and Francine. 

“Haah- Thank God she’s fine.” he groaned as Francine shushed her as he attempted to get up.

“It’d be better if you don’t force yourself for a while.” She suggested.

“We’ll get you two out of here.” Francine said, Ghost just chuckled, coughing in the process.

“Don’t do that!” She scolded. The ground suddenly shuddered causing them to lose balance.

“This is bad. We can’t stay here any longer!” Soap yelled, carrying Alexandra on one shoulder while assisting France on Ghost on his other shoulder.

“Price! We got Alexandra and Ghost and they're injured! Where’s Nikolai?” Soap yelled over comms.

“He won’t be here until after two hours. Shepherd’s making his escape using the river.

Roach! Go grab that boat, we won’t let him get away!” Price’s final transmission was relayed to their ears as the connection turned blank.

He had no idea where Alex and Jack are, but as long as the Nuke hasn’t launched yet, they still have time.

Halfway through the prison cells, Soap and the rest of the team heard footsteps echo from nearby.

“You have got to be bloody kidding me!” he cursed as they picked up the pace and escaped the area.

They hid themselves in the room with the aviation books, barricaded the two unconscious allies while France continued to tend to Ghost’s wound.

“Haaah- You’re getting nowhere with me like this. Just leave us. Like Romeo and Juliet.” Ghost whispered, his tone was serious and both France and Soap didn’t like it.

“No.” France spat as he unslung her rifle and tossed it to Soap, along with her ammo.

“I’m not going to leave anyone behind. Not again.” She declared, eyeing at Soap, someone she once lost on a mission. This prompted Soap to move forward and take a peek outside.

“It’s clear.�� he announced, the ground rumbled once more. He went back to assist France, Ghost tugged his rifle.

“I think I can still shoot.” he mutters as Soap gave him the gun without any arguments. And so they moved to the docks, it was going to be a long walk from their location, but they did it anyway. Their formation occupied the whole width of the hallway, meaning any bullet flying toward them would surely hit its mark.

Despite the huge flaw, Ghost managed to make it easier for the group to move forward, despite the room being dark and blinking red, and the fact that Ghost was still injured and continuously losing a lot of blood, he still could target and shoot down enemies.

"Nice shot." Soap praised as they carefully navigated to the outer part of the cave, the raging river coursing below them.

Soap could feel another tug on his rifle as Alexandra started to move.

"Gun. I'll cover your six." She whispered faintly as Soap did his best to give her his gun.

They became a human tank of sorts. With Soap and France as the tires, capable of carrying and navigating their descent to the river, while Alexandra and Ghost were the weapons, shooting incoming hostiles that dared to block their way.

From the distance, Soap and France could see speedboats coursing through the river, following a huge helicopter not too far ahead of them. The trail they left behind was utter chaos. The ground shook as they almost lost their balance, urging them to descend quickly.

Under normal circumstances, Soap would've felt pain, but his adrenaline rush compensated through, making him finish the last step and board on the remaining boat.

The engine hummed as Soap navigated through the river, they carefully followed the path of destruction caused by the two.

Broken speed boats were everywhere, unconscious or dead bodies floated by the water as the grand chase happened. Soap wondered if Price and Roach caught up with Shepherd.

"All these for info on Nero." France frowned, her hands tended to both Ghost and Alexandra.

"There's still a nuke out there. I wonder how Jack and Alex are holding up." Soap glanced at France and muttered. Her short hair blew as she assisted the two, Soap envisioned her as a nurse for a short while, then shook it off immediately after a bump on the river.

"John! Look ahead." France warned as John turned. The place was hugely filled with water and destruction was still everywhere. He coursed the safe path without all the debris and the wreckage.

"What happened here…" Alexandra groaned.

From a distance, the ground shook and smoke bellowed just by the horizon ahead.

"There's a…" Francine whispered.

"Shit! We're headed to a  waterfall!" Soap roared and gripped the controls to shore, luckily they saw it quickly as they settled on the dusty riverbank as the sand blew against the team.

"This is dangerous. Sand might infect their open wounds." Francine said, concerned about the situation of the two injured. 

"I'll help you seek shelter then I'll check on Price." He said, lifting Alexandra and assisting France on carrying Ghost.

They soon found a small cavern like structure that would provide shade from both sun and dust that masked the area. Soap took his rifle from Alexandra, slung it on his body and left.

"John. Be careful." Francine said, her eyes looked very concerned and Soap would do just about anything to protect that kind of look. He didn't want to disappoint.

"I always am." He smiled and turned back, his head hitting the roof of the cave.

"Ack!" he muttered and left, causing France to chuckle. 

A quick peek of the waterfall and Soap saw the plane crash which bellowed black smoke. The rest of the ground was unclear as the sandstorm covered most of the area. There were no signs of movement and Soap carefully crossed the mountain path downward to the crash site. Shepherd didn't make it out. This is the end of the line for him.

Next Chapter : The TEN Kilometer River

Notification Squad my Beloved

@bumblingbee1 @smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @ricinbach @whimsywispsblog @enderio

[fenheart87]

Blue Changes

We had a fun little challenge, we picked a prompt and had 3, 15 minute sprints to write something for the prompt. Then 24 hours for light editing to finish sentences if needed, grammar etc. This is my take on the the prompt "Has anyone ever told you just how adorable you are Because you really are." Dedicated to @verfound 🧡

“Marinette, where is my favorite designer at?!” Jagged burst into the studio, Fang trotting happily next to him on her leash and Penny multitasking between her phone call and tablet. Technically he was supposed to be on a plane to New York, but decided to swing by Paris on his way because he had an idea that just could not wait and wanted to check on his unofficial niece anyways. There was only one speed bump in that plan, the studio was completely empty. The chaos of fabric strewn about and pieces half cut with scissors still mid snip definitely screamed someone was working hard or trying to at least, the mannequin with a half-pinned design and ripped fabric seemed to lean toward the latter.

“Looks like she’s not here… Must be taking a break. Penny, why don’t we order from my favorite bakery and make sure something extra special for Marinette. I’m glad we came here before the next stop on tour.” Jagged poked around at the sketches laying in abandon on the desk, some half crumbled on the floor and more stacked on a sketchbook.

“Seems like she is having some massive creators block… We should treat her when we have a break on the tour.” Penny suggested, already on the phone with Tom and trying to insist they would pay for their order.

Some of the sketches were brilliant but had marks of black throughout them, others were completely marked out and you could not even tell what the design was to start with. It hurt to physically see what pain Marinette was going through, most of the ones with the darker markings were of the same style. He could clearly see the thought of Adrien in the suits and matching dresses for Marinette, the anger of the marks showing something had happened or changed. Sighing heavily, Jagged gathered the papers, Fang batting the ones further away with her tail over to her owner. One paper had him blinking in surprise.

“Penn! Pen! Lookie here! D'ya see this?!” jagged shouted, shoving the paper into his assistant’s face, not even minding when she sighed and pushed it to a proper distance. It was a one-of-kind leather jacket and a custom hoodie drawn to match it. Either could be worn seperate or paired together. The colors were a contrast of electric blue and smokey turquoise, the theme was music and snake. Jagged recognized it as a rough sketch due to the lack of color or material notes along the edge that appeared on her finished drafts.

“Why was this crumpled up? It’s a really great idea!” Penny wondered aloud, noticing that the eccentric rockstar she commonly felt like she had to babysit was scheming. “Jagged no, whatever is it the answer is no.”

The door opened and in walked the designer they were looking for, Marinette seemed stressed and a bit run down. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun, one sleeve was pushed higher than the other and her shirt was wrinkled where it was tucked into her pencil skirt. Flip flops clacked along with her steps, another sign she was worn out if the basic shoe was more preferred to her custom made and very comfortable flats. An energy drink dangled from one hand and her design tablet occupied the other. Both guests watched as she made it all the way to her desk without noticing they were there.

“I have no idea what I'm going to do! I don't have anyone that fits that one or the orange one… I could make it a dress but who would wear it?! Ugh! I’m going to fail at this rate and then I won't graduate and I'll never design again, who would want something made by a failure-” Fang chose that moment to nudge her head onto the petite woman’s lap, startling her so bad she screamed and fell out of her chair.

“Well I reckon that I would love to have exclusive rights to all designs made by my favorite niece but we all know that’s not fair to the rest of the world. Now I know you are in a pinch and you’re stuck like a boat in the desert, so you’re going to take a break, spend some time with uncle Jay and make sure that you show poor Fang some love, she was all excited and you just screamed right in her poor face. C’mere my poor baby, Marinette is so mean I know.” Jagged showed the croc in love through pets and scratches. 

“When.. How, why?” Poor Marinette was lost and couldn't believe the rockstar was in her studio when he should've been halfway around the world for the next stop on his tour. 

“Okay, the only thing we’re doing right now is leaving all this behind for a much needed break for food and maybe a nap in your case. Time to relax and stop stressing for a minute." Penny authoritatively stepped in, stacking the papers on the desk, handing Marinette her purse and phone and with the help of Fang scooted the younger woman out the door.

Marinette protested "Wait I need to finish, it has to be done! I can't take a break, I just did!"

"Negative, now it's time for chow, and you need a shower, at your parents then we need to have a little chat. Ladies first!" Jagged gently shoved the designer into the car with cheer, allowing Fang and Penny to enter before him. 

"So my little brilliant niece, we have some great news and a rock and roll deal for you! Can't tell you what is until after you've taken a break though." They grinned as Marinette grumbles as she gave fang the attention she wanted until they pulled up to the bakery.

Getting out of the car first, Marinette sighed at the smell of her parents baking, the smell melting off some stress like butter melting on a fresh from the oven croissant roll. Her stomach grumbled and she opened the door for the other guests, sneaking an excited Fang upstairs to not scare the other customers. Deciding to take a refreshing shower, Marinette went to her bathroom and put on some zen meditation music before getting in the shower. Quick ten minutes later and she was feeling much more alive and hungry. On a whim she grabbed a random outfit that she had made but never worn, pleated plaid skirt with a red checker pattern offset by the off the shoulder fitted top in a burgundy color, and threw it on before joining her guests. 

"Oi looking good! One of yours?" Jagged shouted with his mouth full, causing Penny to smack his arm as a reminder to use manners. 

"Sure is! Never worn it before but decided change can be a good thing and sometimes you have to start the change instead of waiting for it to happen." Grabbing her favorite pastry and a croissant because you can't just smell one and not eat it, she missed the concerned look her adopted guardians shared.

"So your studio was, well, you seem to be having a hard time." Pen tried to be gentle but made a face at her words.

"Yeah… Life is… Changing." Marinette mused, picking at the pastry.

"Marinette, what can Uncle Jay do to help?" Jagged's serious tone drew her gaze and his heart broke at the sight of unshed tears.

"I uhm well. I- That is, we-" With a huff, she calmed down and a look of determination shone on her face. "Adrien asked me out, on a date date in this really elaborate way. I turned him down. I have no idea what I was thinking but when he asked me I was so happy and then all I could think of was blue and how soft its is and it can be so calm or so chaotic and it’s always changing like the ocean but yet it's always the same and there this feeling of calm and I just couldn't say yes."

The quiet settled into a slightly awkward silence, Marinette was ignoring it and Penny was having nonverbal argument with Jagged on what to say next. With an eye roll that spoke louder than her shouting at him, the assistant took the lead once more. Quietly she rose from the chair she was occupying and sat next to the young designer smoothing out the crumpled sketch she had taken from the studio.

"Is this the blue you're talking about?" 

"Yeah… That’s my blue." A gentle smile touched peach lips briefly, blue eyes going soft.

"Is this the skater kid?"

"Skater kid?" Marinette blinked in confusion.

"Nah Pen it's the boat kid."

"He has a name you guys!" Marinette broke down into giggles, looking much more like herself and less like a zombie just waltzing around and going through the motions. "His name is Luka, yes the one who went me skating with Adrien and Kagami, yes the boat kid who has a heart way too big for just his mom and sister. And now me…"

"Sounds like you made a change?" Penny prompted smiling widely.

"A blue one yeah, I did."

"Has anyone ever told you just how adorable you are?" Jagged shouted, picking up the younger woman and swinging her around as she shrieked. 

"Okay Jagged, let's not take over her whole day. We did have a reason to show up here after all." Penny handed the tablet to Marinette after he relinquished his hold. "This is what we're looking at for a surprise concert once we are back here in Paris. There's some issues I'm ironing out but I wanted to see what you think and if you would take lead on the design aspect."

"Wait, lead designer for your show?" Blue bell eyes swiveled between ocean blue and hazel sets, wide with disbelief and building excitement.

"Yup, this tablet is yours by the way. I do ask you to keep just business on it for the show, if you want more traditional sketches that's fine but once it's done it needs to be uploaded on here." Jagged explained, clapping a red clad shoulder.

"Oh you need an opening act? I've got that covered." The sparkle was finally back in her eye to match the mischievous grin.

"I agree with Jagged, are you sure no one has said it before because you really are adorable."

[stxvercgersslut]

If This Is Goodbye

Pairing: Nick Grant x Reader

Description: You and your boyfriend Nick’s ‘vacation’ was cut dramatically short when you are captured and tortured by Henry Carver. However, you weren’t expecting what happened next.

Warnings: I Guess you could label this as a dark oneshot. This ones full of Angst, mentions of death, character death, mentions of blood and language

Prompts: “You’re such a sore loser.” & "We're not done yet."

A/n: Well this is the first oneshot that I have written that has an angsty ending and doesn’t end all fluff like usual. I just wanted to have a change from my fluff that I write. I decided that this would be a great one to write for @stargazingfangirl18 and @navybrat817 August writing challenge. Especially since there isn’t much time left. When it’s only dialogue Nick is in italics and y/n is normal.

A/n: this made me cry whilst I was writing it 🥺 but it was totally worth it since I actually adore the way this turned out.

After hours of interrogation you and Nick were still trapped in some god damn rotten hotel room, being tortured in ways that you’d actually strangely expected from someone like Henry. However, now it was just getting stupid. Currently, Nick was handcuffed against a fucking radiator. Yes that really was what the high and mighty Henry had decided to handcuff him to. Well there wasn’t exactly many other places to tie him to. Especially since they were in a hotel room. “We already told you we have no don’t have what you want!” Nick pressed through his now already hoarse voice, giving small little glances over in your direction every so often to ensure that you were ‘safe’. Not that anything about this particular situations at all screamed safe. Especially since you were laying on the floor beaten, bloody and bruised from one of Henry’s men beating the living shit out of you in attempt to get Nick to talk. And believe me..if he had known where whatever the Male was looking for was? Well he would have already told them by now. Seeing you quivering in pain would have been enough of a reason to spill the information that they needed. But unfortunately for the pair of you, this time you really were telling the truth. What ever it was that Henry and his men needed must have been important if it was worth kidnapping you and Nick in the middle of your ‘Vacation’. Well it wasn’t really a vacation, it was more of a get away in order to stay safe. No that that had worked out in either of your favours.

Henry laughed bitterly as he stepped closer to Nick, kneeling down so that he was now directly in front of your boyfriend. Oh this couldn’t be good. Especially since it was public knowledge that Henry was a very experienced and advanced Pusher. As long as he stayed out of your heads then everything would be fine. “Oh but the contrary Nick, I think you’re forgetting that we have a Watcher on our side and we already know that you were looking for the case. So where is it?” The stronger male spoke as he looked at Nick, staring him straight in the eyes like some sick and twisted confession.

“We don’t have the case!” This time it was you that spoke up, your voice audibly trembling due to how much pain you were in from the hours of torture that you’d endured. Oh you were desperately trying to sound stronger and more confident but it wasn’t like that could happen when all you wanted to do was curl up and cry. That just wasn’t like that normal you. In fact, the normal you was nothing like this. This was heart breaking for Nick. Hearing you sound so weak when he was used to hearing you laughing and enjoying life hurt him. It was so different to the way that you normally acted. “She’s telling them truth” Nick spoke, trying to keep himself calm as he thought for a few seconds, clearly trying to figure out a way to escape the torture and get you both to a hospital. Or at least to a drug store so he could steal the supplies you’d need to patch the both of you up.

It was a millisecond later that Nick was able to move the wardrobe that had been coincidentally right next to where he and you were being kept. The heavyweight of the object being enough of a distraction to give Nick just the amount of time that he needed to attempt to rip the handcuffs from him. But in actuality he had only managed to tear himself away from the radiator by practically ripping it off of its hinges, not that he cared right now. No all he cared about at this particular moment was getting out of here with you.

However, his master plan was prevented when a blood curdling scream, of course coming from a Bleeder, ripped through the room. Causing both You and your boyfriend to double over in pain, both holding your ears in an attempt to shield yourselves from the ear piercing sound. Pathetic really since now both of you were screaming in agony. “I thought you were smarter then that Nick. But it seems like you’re such a sore loser” Henry spoke with a slight sigh, almost as if he was disappointed by how everything g had played out. And To be completely honest you were disappointed too. Not with Nick, but with how your small get away had turned out.

After just a couple of seconds your ears had began to bleed quite severely, but right now it didn’t seem to be anything too critical. Not enough to kill you just yet, although if he continued to scream then you were 100% certain that you’d die soon. However, Nick seemed to be worse off since he was barely awake. Struggling to even keep him eyes open. But what was even worse then seeing your own boyfriend being brutally murdered in front of you was the fact that when he finally managed to make eye contact with you you could see the desperate pain in his eyes. Almost as if he was trying to stay strong just for you. Everything he did was always for you there was no doubt about it.

At this point it was only a matter of seconds before you would die. You’d pretty much come to the terms with the fact that you were going to die today...but then....silence. Had you gone deaf? Had you finally died? Or was the pain too much that you had just passed out? All of those questions had continued to swim through your brain, totally convinced that it was over until you fell a sharp pain run through you body as you were yanked from the floor by two extremely cold hands. The action in itself enough to make you yelp in pain.

In seeing this Nick saw red, or maybe that was just from how much blood was pouring from his ears and blurring his vision. But seeing you so helpless and weak really did hit a nerve. “Get...The...fuck off of her! Don’t kill her! It’s me you’ve got the problem with not her! Kill me instead” He stuttered out demandingly although Henry only laughed bitterly in response, this man was cold and calculating whenever it came to getting what he wanted and if it meant murdering you to get answers out of Nick then he would do it in a heart beat. Which was exactly what he was proposing to do.

“Oh Nick you really don’t know when to shut up do you?” The Male spoke bitterly as he silently gave instructions to the man holding onto your hair, ending up with the male pressing his hand around your throat and pressing his gun against your back. Of course this scared the crap out of you but by this point you had already given up on life. “We're not done yet! Now Nick, tell me where the case is or your I’ll tell my friend over there to pull the trigger” Henry threatened, letting nick watch you struggle for breath with that son of a bitches hand wrapped round your throat, before his gaze was violently ripped away from you when Henry grabbed at his face to pull his gaze back to him. None of this was at all good.

“Nick! It’s okay...don’t tell him...please” you begged, barely able to string a sentence together with how hard the males grip was on your throat. Blood still pouring from your ears. If you weren’t shot then the loss of blood from the pervious screaming you’d endured would certainly kill you.

“I’m not gonna let you die y-“

“Y-y—you......don’t have.....any....other choice”

“I’m not letting you die!” Nick spoke before taking in a deep breath, barely keeping himself steady before Henry’s voice boomed through the room “you’ve got three seconds to tell me where the case is before y/n gets shot” he threatened. Oh and Nick was just about to tell him who had the case before you stopped him once again

“Nick dont!” You spoke more confidentially, trying to keep his focus on you for the three second count down. Only realising that the count down was over when pain rippled through your body, Nick basically bolting over to you as you fell limp to the floor. For now you were breathing but not for long.

“It’s a shame Nick, I would have thought you’d want to comply with us.” was the last thing Henry had said before both him and his men left the room, leaving Nick alone with you now settled with your upper half in his lap. Little did you know that Henry and his men had actually managed to get the information they needed soon after they’d left. You didn’t need to die but somehow there you were, shaking uncontrollably in your boyfriends arms.

“I told...you I wasn’t going to let you die ..” Nick pressed whilst running his hands through your hair, tears runningdown his face as he stared down at you. There was no reason to get help, especially when you’d already gone so pale. All he could do now was hold you till you passed away. Not that he wanted that to happen of course.

“C...couldnt......l...let them get....what they wanted” your voice was little over a whisper now as your skin began to pale and your eyes began uncomfortably heavy just begging to close. But, like Nick tried to do for you, you held on. Only for him.

“You’re so damn stubborn sometimes”

“I......I.....l...love you”

“Y/n don’t do that....don’t say that...help must be on its way....you’re going to be okay...I love you’d o much but you can’t say that right now...please don’t say that like it’s the last time you’re going to say it...because it’s not okay? It’s not...you’re going to grow old with me and we’re going to have two kids just like we wanted. You are not going to die!” Nick spoke overly emotional due to the situation in front of him. As much as he wanted to believe that you were going to survive this, he knew far two well that you were going to die.

“I...l...love...y-“ the words couldn’t even leave your lips fully as your heart began to slow at a horrifically quick pace, leaving you lifeless in your lovers arms as you finally passed away. To say Nick was heart broken would have been an understatement. In fact he was broken. Totally and utterly broken without you. Without his best girl to lead him through life what was he going to do? He couldn’t live without you yet god was forcing him to. How far was that?

Without a second thought, Nick picked your limp and lifeless body up off of the floor and placed it ever so gently onto the messy bed a few steps away. Even if you were dead he still didn’t like the thought of you laying on the cold hardwood floor. “I love you y/n” were the last words that he spoke to you before a loud knock on the door followed by the door being smashed open by armed forces broke him out of his emotional state.

In that moment nick had no idea what the hell had gotten into him as he lunged forward. Of course being terribly mistaken for a threat landing him with several bullet wounds to the chest sending him straight to the floor. Had he wanted to die? Was that the plan after all? Well without the love of his life with him what was there to live for? In some twisted way he was happy to die close to you.

With what little remaining strength he had left Nick pushed himself up onto the bed as he pulled your body close to him. If he was going to die then he was going to die with you laying next to him. “I’ll.....I’ll see you soon y/n.....w.....we’ll be together....again soon...” the mover stuttered as he weakly pressed a kiss to your barely warm forehead before his body too went limp and he ‘peacefully’ drifted off into a permanent slumber. And sure enough he was reunited with his love on the other side. Both of you finally at peace.

Tag list: @cevans-fics @jtargaryen18 @et-lesailes @chuckbass-love