#and when she did talk to me she was trying soooo hard to flex and look cool in front of them
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my mom called me, and my niece and nephew were in the room with her also, and something about the way she talks with them around pisses me off LOL and it’s not like she’s mean to them or anything the thing is she’s sooo fake and nice that it makes me mad. like who is this woman
#plus she tries so hard to be ‘cool’ that it pisses me off too LMAO 😭#also idek why she called me cause she didn’t even talk to me. it felt so performative#she was mostly having a separate discussion with them while I was on the line 🧍🏽♀️#and when she did talk to me she was trying soooo hard to flex and look cool in front of them#also bringing up shit that I told her not to tell them????#like saying ‘oh I forgot his bday gift’ (that I got him)#LIKE YA U FORGOT IT CAUSE I DIDNT WANT U GIVING THE BDAY GIFT I BOUGHT HIM
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Hihi!! May I request some soft sleepytime stuff with leon? 😋
leon sleep hcs :3
warnings: none! pure fluff! awkward!totallywhipped!loser!leon (kinda...)
a/n: tired of writers depicting leon as a freakydeaky daddydom typa guy... when in reality he's a (semi-) normal, awkward guy.... ( ̄︿ ̄) (i will die on this hill).
leon probably snores… like loud, obnoxious snores. almost ALL THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. he’s like an old man that you have yo turn over to make him stop.
anyways… leon also loves cuddling with you :(( but he’s SOOOO awkward about it. he tries not to breath because he doesn’t want you to feel uncomfy with his breath flowing directly against you face, so he’ll STOP BREATHING (!!?!!???) for long periods of time😭 his heartbeat never losing it’s fast rhythm.
leon is definitely a catdad. he spends insane amounts of money on his 2 cats, both of them being scottish folds :3
“babe look at this cat tree i got for them,” and it’s a FUCKING BUCKINGHAM PALACE CAT TREE. y’know… THE ONE THAT’S LIKE $2,200!!???
“it was the last one in stock!” he continues, one of the cats hanging on his shoulder, the other he’s cradling like an infant in his arms.
leon WILL NOT let you sleep on the bed if the cats were there first.
“BABE! what’re you doing?!-“ he motions towards the 2 felines resting against the silk and satin pillows. “we’re sleeping on the couch.” he smiles, ignoring the irritated look you have on your face “c’mon!”
leon is literally such a dork. a loser, if you will. he’ll tuck you in and make sure you have water, in case you need it in the middle of the night.
he’s so weird too, he’ll be like sound asleep one moment, but then when you open your eyes again 15 seconds later, he’ll be staring at you like:
leon also talks in his sleep. mumbling and groaning in the middle of the night. and like- he only repeats things he hears..
“barack obama was the 44th president chat- he was the 44th presi-“
…dude what.
“i’m ova strokin’ ma dick, i got lotion on my dick, and i’m strokin ma shit-“
when you ask him about it, he’ll be like, “oh yeah… well, did you know barack obama was the 44th president?” and then he’ll carry on with his day as if he doesn’t have the most outrageous dreams….
when he doesn’t have work the following day, HE DOES NOT SLEEP.
“it’s the voices, babe…” he mutters, his eyes glued to his PC, you can hear the minecraft sound effect of blocks breaking and cows mooing. “they’re telling me….. to beat the ender dragon and finally learn how to use redstone…”
when you try to protest, all he responds with is “the grind doesn’t stop for anybody, baby.” with his back still facing you, he lifts his arm to flex a little but immediately brings it back down to rest on the desk, his keys continuing to make a clacking sound as the light from his computer screen lights up the darkened room.
when he finally does go to sleep, it’s usually on the couch. he’s sprawled out and SNORING.
i feel like it’s super hard to wake him up. he’ll be lying on the bed, lifelessly. when you try shaking him/lifting his arm up his body goes limp, almost like those “i thought my cat was dead videos.”
when you’re finally able to wake him up, you’re on the verge of calling 9-1-1. “HOW ARE THE POLICE GONNA COME WHEN THE POLICE IS RIGHT HERE?!” you find yourself talking to the cats. one of them meows, as if she’s responding to your panicked state.
“huh?” you hear a groggy leon, now propped up on his elbows, “hey kitty.” you turn around to see the cats rubbing against leon’s face.
“WHAT THE FUC-“
masterlist
#resident evil#resident evil 4#resident evil 6#resident evil x reader#resident evil fluff#resident evil leon#leon scott kennedy#leon s kennedy#leon kennedy#leon kennedy x reader#leon x reader#leon kennedy fluff#𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐢𝐨 ୧ *.˚₊
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aoba johsai headcanons | watching a volleyball game with them
warning(s): spoilers from season 2-3, not proofreaded
a/n: these are,,, very long HAHA and i’m so sorry that these are like,,,,,, all ending with reader and bf sleeping LMAO...
prompt: you watch a volleyball game with your boyfriend. you didn’t realize that it was a game between the two teams his team lost to.
oikawa
PLEASE HE WAS SO BITTER IN SEASON 3 IT WAS SO FUNNY????
but anyways
he had dragged you to watch the shiratorizawa v. karasuno game bc ‘you’re my gf i need emotional support<3′
you didn’t really know much about volleyball, maybe the basics like positions, but you were still excited to watch
his ass would choose the seat farthest away from the court simply bc he didn’t want to be seen and he would make the snarkiest remarks while watching about how they played and you would just be like: .. yea.....
he’d realize that you’re a little confused abt what’s going on and then go:
“need me to explain anything princess?”
you lean into him and nod a bit, turning your head to smile up at him
his glasses reflect some light but he shifts them so he can look you in the eyes
cue you blushing bc the looks he gives you ?? <333 it makes ur heart cartwheel
anyways he rubs circles on the back of your hand with his thumb, explaining to you about the big play that just happened
you would just stare at him and take glances at the game because he was just so admirable
he knew so much, he played really well
you knew he worked so hard to try and get nationals, yet his team ended up not making it
out of the blue while you both sit and watch, you stretch up to kiss his cheek
oikawa, who usually isn’t too flustered, has pink-dusted cheeks when he looks at you
“yes princess...?”
“nothing, i just adore you.”
the growing smile on his face makes you giggle and rest your head on his shoulder
the game continues, oikawa continuing to make remarks about each team, observing the game
you get a little bored, hugging his arm and watch the ball go back and forth
oikawa pays really close attention tho bc he offers to take you home awwwwww
“if you’re tired we can go-”
“no it’s okay!! i like hearing your commentary uwu”
stop he’s so in love with you
like he would stare at you after that and just be all <3
and so you two stay for the whole game (you fell asleep some point,,,,,, woke up once to buy water LMAO)
watching volleyball with oikawa makes you realize how much he has a passion for it and you just admire him. so. much.
and oikawa would be so grateful that you’re so supportive and he’d tell you a thousand times after the game that he’ll do anything for you bc you tagged along and everything pls <3
matsukawa
you two hang out at your place and land upon the shiratorizawa vs karasuno game
you: aren’t those the teams you guys lost to
issei: yeah and what about it.
he’d jokingly pout and hide his face in your neck
“you’re mean </3″ he’d whine
you laugh and run your fingers through his hair
he grins, his hands going to rub your back as you two watch the game on the screen
you recognize some of the players from aoba johsai’s previous games, humming while watching them play
issei is only half paying attention
“well he’s cute,” you note, watching the camera pan through the karasuno members, only for it to stop on the captain
issei would roll his eyes and smack your ass a little LMAO
“he’s short,” he’d retort, chuckling soon after when you look at him and roll your eyes back at him
“okay and”
BYE HE’D JOKINGLY GET MAD AND GO “go date your new boyfriend then<3″
it’s all fun and games between you two tho and it’s soooo cute !!
he can be a little shit but
anyways you’re cheering for karasuno, occasionally going ‘look at their captain omg <3′
issei would sit up with you still straddling him and he’d just press kisses against your neck, making you giggle and try to push him away
“stopppppppp”
“not until you take your eyes off of him~”
you run your fingers through issei’s hair once more, smiling and leaning down to kiss him
“don’t worry issei, i’m all yours”
he’d lay back again, letting you lay on top of his chest
the game keeps going, you and mattsun sitting in comfortable silence while watching
your eyes are heavy and you don’t pay any attention to it
but then you wake up hours later, still on top of your bf’s rising chest
(pls i love him god i want to hug him and cuddle with him he’s so fucking cute <3333)
hanamaki
tbh semi was one of your old friends from middle school so he asked you to come to his game,,,
your boyfriend wanted to hang out with you so you asked if he wanted to go
HONESTLY he’d be like ‘since when did you talk to people from shiratorizawa’ but he’d be fine with it
maybe he’s a little bitter but lmao
you two go to look for your friend, and when you see him, you call his name and hug him
“eita!!”
makki: 🧍
semi: hi uwu
you would introduce them to each other all smiley
there’s tension and for what
semi: okay well i have to go warm up
you: bye eita ^^
makki:,,,
PLEASE????????
you two would sit close to the school section and holy shit is hiro glad that he didn’t wear his team jacket LMAO he would’ve gotten flamed
anyways not you cheering for eita even tho you have no idea what the fuck is going on lmao
hiro is amused and he just thinks you’re so cute tbh
he’s staring at you watching you yell out semi’s name even tho he wasn’t in the starting lineup help.
he’s such a dumbass tho pls
HE WOULD PURPOSELY BOO ONCE WHEN SHIRATORIZAWA SCORES THEIR FIRST POINT DAKJNDKJBJKD
not these girls staring at y’all um......
you’d scold him and he’s just :P
anyways you take a break from cheering and you sit, leaning on your boyfriend’s shoulder
“hiro are you doing okay?” you mumble, playing with his hand
“mhm, are you?”
you nod at his question and watch the game continue
“you sure you’re okay?? you seemed kinda tense, maybevenalittlejealous, when i introduced you to eita”
“i’m fine baby don’t worry”
him: me???????????? jealous>?????????????????? no.
YOU WOULD TEASE HIM SOOOO MUCH AND HE KEEPS DENYING IT EVEN THO HE VERY SECRETLY IS
after the game, you drag your boyfriend along with you to tell eita he did a good job
he’d give you a really big and long hug in which hanamaki is just standing there
you gush about how great eita was, earning a big smile from him
when you leave the gymnasium hand in hand with hanamaki, you cling onto his arm, your smile never leaving your face
“soooo did you like the game?” you ask, looking up at your unusually quiet boyfriend
“mhm”
“did you like meeting eita uwu”
“yeah-”
“were you jealous??”
“no comment.”
cue you teasing him while his cheeks become the same color as his pink hair
he’d just remove his arm from your grasp and then wrap it around your waist to pull you closer to him
(SORRY I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY .......)
iwaizumi
i know we all know this but iwaizumi hajime best bf idc !!!
he honestly wanted to go see the game bc he just wanted to see how the teams would play against each other
he had asked you if you wanted to tag along so you agreed
in all honestly, he didn’t think you would want to because you don’t usually seem interested in it whenever he talks about it, but in truth, you listen to every word he says abt it pls TT
he loves u so so much and u love that he’s passionate about volleyball HE JUST,, DOESNT REALIZE THAT YOU LISTEN
like he thinks it’ll bother you if he talks about it too much <//3
he’s the one who is genuinely surprised when you point out a strategy karasuno had used
“y/n i didn’t realize you liked volleyball??”
“you talk about it all the time silly”
and you give him a kiss on the nose and he just :0
“hajime cmonnnn you took me to the game you should tell me more about it uwu”
STOP. he literally,,, loves u so much
he holds your hand, his little smile never leaving his face
you lean your head on his shoulder, watching the game on the court
when the tall blond blocks ushijima’s block, you flinch a bit and stand up to look closer, seeing the tall blond yell and his teammates following suit
you cheer along with them, your boyfriend finally standing up to stand next to you
his eyes are on you only, your hair bouncing with you as you jump in excitement, your eyes shimmering with excitement
his smile just grows as you grin , turning to him in excitement
“did you see that hajime?? :D”
STOPP HES SO IN LOVE HE JUST STARES AT YOU .
and u just :D
“hajime..???”
YOU HAVE TO SNAP YOUR FINGERS IN FRONT OF HIS FACE AND HE JUST SNAPS OUT OF IT AND LOOKS AT YOU
“you’re very beautiful princess, did you know that?”
that alone makes you go pink and you playfully push him by his arm
“baby stopppp”
and you’re both just laughing and watching the game together, spending the whole day with your hands intertwined
(he.. hajime best boy)
yahaba
you had started watching the game a bit after the first set started and your boyfriend was busy taking a shower
you knew a lot in all honesty, since shigeru happened to be on one of the powerhouse schools in terms of volleyball throughout miyagi
if he was gonna be honest he wasn’t expecting you to sit down and actually watch a game of volleyball intently
so walking into his room seeing you focusing on the karasuno v. shiratorizawa match surprised him a bit
“you watching the game?” he’d ask
“mhm!! it’s really interesting uwu”
he finds it absolutely adorable but then he tries to flirt and flex his muscles like “babe look i just got out of the shower” AND YOU JUSt,, KEEP LOOKING AT THE TV
yahaba: baby *bites lip*
you: babe get dressed and come watch with me
goodbye he just throws a shirt and some shorts on and basically jumps on top of you in which you yelp and go “shiGERU” and his mom is ON HIS ASS !!!!!!!! she literally comes in and she’s like “shigeru stop jumping onto your gf” and you rlly stick your tongue out at him
him: you’re acting like a child
you: you STARTED IT.
and you guys bicker a little and you just go “well you made me miss half the game” and HE GETS SO MAD HELPPPP
“BOOOOO”
him: clinging onto you, asking you to cuddle him
you: watching the game
eventually you give in and hug him, kissing him which makes him go quiet
“are you happy now you baby?” you ask him
“.......maybe.....”
and he just gives you a quick kiss, smiling and also giving you a slight eskimo kiss
the game becomes an afterthought as he brings up the beach volleyball game the third years organized for tomorrow all day, asking if you could help his team out
(he insists that since you’re the ref, you should help his team consisting of kyoutani, kunimi, hanamaki, and another first and second year win bc kyoutani will just keep spiking outside the lines but you tell him it’s cheating LMAO...)
watari
(btw he’s so underrated i mean he’s not one of my faves but he deserves the world like y’all sleep on him and for what)
he’s super observant and he had been watching recorded games for a while to learn and make sure he plays his best next year pls </3
he had invited you over to his place to hang out and you really wanted him to take a break from watching all of those recorded games
you emphasized this when you told him you would come over lmao
but alas.........
when he opened the door and you looked at the tv to see what he had put on, you saw the shiratorizawa v. karasuno game
watari: I CAN EXPLAIN.
you: .... sir..
PLEASE he’s taking your hand and pulling you to the couch while saying he’ll relax and just watch for fun
you sigh and follow him, letting him pull you down to sit next to him on his couch
you throw your legs over his lap, smiling while looking at him
he would give you quick, soft kisses all over your face and you both just fall into a fit of giggles
stop u literally love watching him gaze at the tv so passionately and observe how they play </3
YOU GIGGLE AT HIM AND HE’S LIKE “what are you laughing about?”
AND YOURE JUST LIKE “you’re so cute uwu”
so y’all are really just out here giggling at each other huh.......
he??? pulls you into his lap and hugs you tightly
he’s literally so in love with you pls
so you guys just sit there and watch the game while you occasionally ask him questions
he’d be happy to tell you and he’s holding onto you the whole. entire. time.
honestly the game kinda slips away from you because you’re suddenly asleep on his chest, his arms around your waist, a hand gently rubbing your back
and he’s so grateful that he has a girlfriend who cares about him and worries about him :((
he’d turn off the game and then take a little nap with u <3
kindaichi
tbh you spent so much time with him after the game his team lost bc he kept beating himself up for it which is >:(((((
him: i could’ve-
you: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH DO NOT BRING YOURSELF DOWN COME HERE LET ME KISS YOU
as you should !!
and when he tells you he’s gonna be watching the shiratorizawa vs karasuno match after school at his place, you tell him you’re watching with him too
“i don’t want it to bore you y/n-”
“it won’t bore me yutaro dw uwu”
no bc the way you’re both in love !!!!!
you would do anything for him tbh but you genuinely thought his passion for volleyball was cute :D
he was always striving to do his best and you think he’s absolutely precious
he’d turn on the game and then immediately come over to sit with you
you lean onto him, clinging onto his arm and smiling
“y/n are you sure you wanna watch with me??”
“mhm!!”
he gives u a very soft kiss on the head and you can’t stop smiling bc you know he gets kinda shy abt showing affection
but he feels very warm and you start feeling very sleepy
YOU TRY YOUR BEST TO KEEP YOURSELF AWAKE
you think him making comments abt the game or what he finds interesting is really cute but youre just,, tired ya know
he notices and he’s like “you should sleep-”
“noooo yutaro i’ll watch with youuuu”
“y/n cmonn”
you pout and lean turn to lean your forehead against his arm
“i don’t wanna </3″
“it’s okayyy you can sleep if youre tired”
you look at him and he smiles, leaning forward to kiss your forehead
you can’t help but melt and you’re just,, staring at him dreamily
he’s like “..baby..?”
and you just lean forward and kiss him
“you’re the best bf ever <3″
and he chuckles and goes “and you’re the best and cutest gf ever”
he has you lay down on his bed, your hair sprawled about his pillows
he lays with you, the two of you facing the tv and your back to him
he puts an arm around you, smiling
you slowly fall asleep, smiley and snuggling back towards yutaro
he kisses your head again, telling you that he loves you and hopes you sleep well
he’s so<333
kunimi
he acts like he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the game but you guys are chilling at his place and you flip to the channel that has the game on
at first he’s like “you’re interested ?? in this ????”
you: babe,, of course i am,, my bf is a volleyball player,,,,,?
PLS? he’d be like ‘oh ok’ and rest his chin on top of your head
it’s so chill between the two of you guys he’s literally just playing with your hair, humming a bit
you ask him smth but he asks you to repeat what you asked because he spaced out
and when you ask again he just stares at you and is like ‘yes’
YOU JUST LAUGH AT HIM AND HE THINKS YOURE SO PRETTY so he just continues to listen to you ramble abt the game
eventually, he finds himself dozing off and you take notice as his chin starts feeling heavy on your head
“baby c’mon let’s take a nap-”
and he’d shake his head and go “we can finish the game-”
but you can tell he’s tired, especially from practice earlier today
so you turn off the game and turn so that you’re straddling his lap and hugging him tight
he wraps his arms around you and hums, kissing you
you smile and lean back to look at him, his eyes droopy from exhaustion
“sleep bby”
“mm only if you do too”
“i will dw <3″
and you just cling onto him, arms around his neck
he hums, nuzzling your neck and you giggle
eventually, you two start breathing slowly, falling asleep
(tbh you didn’t rlly even care who won you just watched the game bc it was on LMAO)
kyoutani
you guys were hanging out in your room, his head in your lap while you sat up against your pillows
you were both occupied by your phones atm
he put his phone down, looking up at you curiously
you smiled as he reached to intertwine his fingers with yours
he had been at the gym more often, playing volleyball and practicing
especially after their loss against karasuno :(
today was one of the days that he decided he would spend his time being with you
he doesn’t voice it often, but he appreciates how much you support him and care for him
(you picked him up from the gym the other day with some of his favorite deep fried chicken bits with the cute chicken packaging and he didn’t know how else to show you how much he loves and appreciates you other than by cuddling with you all night pls i’m </3)
anyways he’s just staring at you, admiring you, thinking about how much he loves you while you’re watching some tiktok your friend had sent you
you had asked if he wanted to watch the game with you on your phone but he had been occupied thinking about you
“what’d you say-?”
“i asked if you wanted to watch the game with me..? if you don’t want to it’s fine-”
“oh sure”
and he’d adjust himself so that he’s sitting with you, shoulder-to-shoulder, leaning his head so that it lays on top of yours
you’d just be all smiley, leaning into him more while playing the live stream of the game
he seemed focused, watching the game intently
you tried to focus on the game, but the only thing you could think about was the way kyoutani was holding your hand, rubbing the top of it with his thumb
eventually, as the game continues, he huffs a little, making you look up and smile at him
“you okay? we can stop watching if you want-”
“it’s fine-”
and then he adjusts himself, scooting away from you to lay his head in your lap
he reaches for your hand and puts it on his head, looking up at you
you oblige, gently rubbing his head and smiling
his eyes are closed, a slight hum coming from him
after a while, you realize kyoutani had fallen asleep, so you turn the game on your phone off
during this, kyoutani grumbles, reaching for your hand
you can’t help but giggle a little, rubbing his head while humming a little
“get some rest baby~” you croon quietly, staring at him lovingly
he opens his eyes a little, giving you a small smile
“you too okay..?”
“mhm-!”
when he closes his eyes, you smile, mumbling a little ‘i love you’ to your boyfriend
#idk what it is abt me and sleeping............................. SORRY ABT THAT OHMYGOD..#i feel so bad these couldve been so much better but....#i'm gonna try working on timestamp things maybe?? not sure or just random au thoughts#anime#haikyuu#haikyuu headcanons#haikyuu imagines#aoba johsai#seijoh#oikawa#iwaizumi#matsukawa#hanamaki#makki#mattsun#kyoutani#maddog#kindaichi#kunimi#watari#yahaba#oikawa x reader#iwaizumi x reader#mattsun x reader#makki x reader#oikawa toru#iwaizumi hajime#matsukawa issei#hanamaki takahiro#kindaichi yutaro
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The Escort
Walter Marshall x Reader
Words: 2,064
Warnings: none
Happy super late Valentine’s, Cavillry! As usual, this is a very very late upload but in my defense, it does say in my bio that I am a procrastinator soooo... Anyway, I’m really excited about this miniseries because I love the movie (The Wedding Date, 2005) and I really wanted to write Walter, I hope I do him justice!
Feedback (good and bad!) means the world to me as rookie writer, so I hope you’ll like, reblog and leave me some replies!
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You could not believe you were doing this. You just couldn't. But there you were doing it, even though your mind screeched at you to stop and save a little dignity for yourself.
The fact that you even considered doing this was already a serious loss of dignity points, so what the hell. People did this all the time, didn’t they? There wouldn’t be a whole network of people clumped into this app if it wasn’t a normal occurrence.
It just wasn’t a normal occurrence for you.
Once you filled your head with rationalisations to make yourself feel better, you took a deep breath and began browsing through what the great city of New York had to offer.
Z, 6’, loving hands, fit, athletic, good manners, for water sports, caramel complexion.
For water sports? What in the hell did that mean? And that single initial in place of an actual name? Serial killer vibes. No, thank you.
Lenny, 6’2”, pretty fit Italian, excellent dinner companion, all occasions catered.
Alright. Okay. Now we’re talking. Tall, European, excellent dinner companion equals to good conversationalist, accommodating. Lenny goes on the list of possibilities.
Terry, 6’, my soft voice will arouse you, my strong hands will pleasure you, let me show you how a woman should be treated, hourly/overnight rates.
Oh no no no. Major creep vibes from Terry. That ad alone had you reaching for another long swig of wine.
Joey, 5’8”, are you into champagne?, bodybuilder, will treat you like a queen.
“If you like piña coladas…” you sang in not even remotely the right key, topping off your drink
Josh, 5’9”, I can make you feel sexy and wanted. Fit, sensual, strong.
“Well!” you exclaimed drunkenly, almost spilling wine on your couch, “Tough beans, Josh! I don’t need a man to make me feel sexy and wanted!” you faltered a bit, your drunk mind still seeing the holes in your logic
“I just… Need a man to help me not look like a tragic spinster in front of my family and my ex...”
With that thought fresh in your mind, you reached for some more wine.
The ads went on and on as you scrolled through your phone, it was all a little overwhelming, how were you going to make sure you weren't hiring some psychopathic serial killing pervert to pose as your date to your sister's wedding?
The groan you let out bounced off the walls of your apartment. The reality of your situation was sinking in little by little.
Yes. You were hiring a male escort for your sister's wedding. It was your baby sister's wedding, by the way. You were a hundred percent aware that what you were doing was completely and utterly pathetic but you’ve already weighed the pros and cons in your head countless times.
Showing up alone: pitying looks, whispering behind your back, having to face ex by yourself, staggering levels of embarrassment.
Showing up with handsome -hired- date: mother can finally get off your back, date is more handsome than ex, ex will want to shrivel up and die, no one will know date is male escort except you and him.
Now, let’s break down some of the guests just for the sake of being thorough.
There’s your slightly overbearing mother (slightly meaning every call you have with her opens with the question: “how's your love life, dear?” or “I have the most amazing man to set you up with!”), all of her judgy eagle-eyed friends (mostly rich widows whose sons your mom shamelessly shoves your way), your extended family (some terrifyingly old school great aunts and uncles who will definitely ask if you’re married and smile sympathetically when you say you’re not), and last but certainly not the least, Jeffrey, your ex-fiancé (best man, but apparently not the best man for you, his words not yours).
"Lordy fuck." you exhaled hard, chugging your wine straight from the bottle
How on earth did you get here? Sitting alone in your apartment, working your way through your second bottle of wine (or third? Who was keeping count?), clicking on ads that spoke of "hot single males in your area" waiting to meet you.
Would it be fair to pin it all on the end of your engagement?
Picturing that moment, you decided that it was only fair. Those were five years of your life you would never get back, you were prepared to sign on for more but, yeah.
You were blindsided, that's the only way to describe it. All the while, you thought that you and Jeffrey were on the same page, at the same place in life. You were the golden couple, the couple that all the other couples wished they could be, when you two walked past, girlfriends would give their boyfriends a slap on the shoulder that meant, "Why can't we be more like them?"
It was so out of nowhere, one minute you were discussing wedding cake options over dinner, then suddenly you're putting the ring in his palm, completely in shock.
After that, you threw yourself into your work despite the fact that you were already a budding workaholic to begin with. That's how you ended up earning six figures a year.
Six figure salary, check. Doing pretty well in life all things considered, check.
But even with all that, there weren't any conversations over casseroles and cobblers about your many achievements. Nope, your mother and her friends would much rather discuss their worries that you would essentially, die alone.
Your little sister, Amy, getting married before you didn't exactly help to put a lid on all the chatter. And with Jeffrey being the best man? And you being maid of honour?
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
Maybe you could make up an excuse believable enough to get you off the hook so you wouldn’t have to go?
Were you really thinking about bailing on your little sister’s wedding? If she wasn’t taking cues from your mother, it would be the only one she ever had.
Not one of your finest moments as a sibling.
With the complications of your situation fully realised, you took to reading the ads with a little more effort. Luckily, you didn’t have to look for long.
Nick, 6’, male, tall, good looking, strong build. You will not be disappointed.
The ad was considerably less flashy than the others but you supposed that’s what drew you to it in the first place. It was understated, simple, and his ad wasn’t entirely made up of overcompensating flexing pics.
Mostly because he didn’t need them.
Call off the search, send the boys home. You had a winner here!
Staring up at you from your phone screen was the most handsome man you have ever seen in your life. Literally.
A mane of thick, artfully disheveled curly hair, eyes that were a light shade of blue that had a sort of dark intensity and intelligence that you could spend days trying to understand, and a smile. Oh, that smile was absolutely suckerpunching. It was odd though, something in your head was telling you that this man did not smile often.
You couldn’t tell if the warmth blooming in your chest and creeping towards your cheeks was from all the wine or from examining this prime specimen. Jeez Louise!
“Phew!” you fanned yourself upon stumbling on a photo of him crossing his arms in a tank top. Good God, you hoped he had a license for those guns!
You had to set your phone down for a minute to think things through although it seemed absolutely nuts that you had to think twice at all. It’s just that after the initial excitement and hormones wore off, it was becoming more and more evident that this man was too good to be true.
Just look at him! Were there actually men that looked like that? And why didn’t they live closer to you? A quick sweep of his profile placed him in Minneapolis.
What were the crime rates like there? And did they have a high rate of murders relating to escort services?
Before you could even google anything related to that, you stopped yourself. If you kept at this rate, you would never get anything done! Finally, after a methodical deliberation (aka ogling the pictures on his ad), you saved Nick’s contact number to your phone.
Aaand that’s as far as you’d go for the night. You could call him tomorrow when you weren’t a floundering drunk. It was like your mother always said, “Always be sober for a business transaction, but anything else calls for a cocktail.”
-------------------------
The following morning, you sat at your little breakfast nook, eggs still piping hot and untouched, and a hangover in full effect. You’ve been staring at the phone number for so long, you could say it in your sleep.
Come on, Y/N, the wedding is five freaking days away.
What if this guy was fully booked? You didn’t want to spend five days surrounded by family with Mr. my-soft-voice-will-arouse-you, did you?
You slammed your finger down on the call icon and stuck the phone to your ear. Your heart beat faster and faster with every ring and your palms became so slick with sweat that you almost dropped your phone a couple of times.
Maybe you should have taken your mother up on the multiple occasions that she wanted to set you up with someone. Alright, on second thought, you didn’t really want to be with someone who only looked good on paper but was actually an insufferable mama’s boy.
“Hello?” a male voice answered, catching you off-guard
Oh, God. Okay, you’re really doing this.
“Yes, hi! Hi. Uh, I’m looking for Nick!” you chirped, in a startled high pitched squeak you didn’t dare recognise as your own
The silence on the other end was starting to make you sweat behind the knees. It suddenly dawned on you that you didn’t mention any specifics.
“Uh, sorry! I got this number from the, uh, the ad. I’m looking for Nick?”
“Yes! Yes, that’s right, but Nick isn’t in right now. This is his manager.”
Was that a good sign? That a male escort had a manager? Did all male escorts have managers? You clearly didn’t know enough about this stuff.
“It’s a pleasure, Mister..?”
There was another beat of silence before the person on the other line answered, you tried your hardest not to overthink about what that could have meant.
“Foley! I’m Foley, Nick’s manager.” Mr. Foley’s voice returned to your ear, sounding much too bright for your liking.
Christ, what were you, a cop? To be honest, you were exhausted. Despite all the alcohol in your system last night, you barely got any sleep. You spent the rest of the night reading through some reviews of Nick’s service as an escort.
He had a glittering five star rating.
One woman hired him to pose as her husband at a high school reunion and by the end of the night, she ended up proposing to him. He respectfully declined and even bought her dinner afterwards.
That review alone was enough to convince you that you would be in good hands. So, it was time to buckle down, swallow the nerves, and handle your business like the adult you were.
“Mr. Foley,” you shook your hair out and put on your professional voice. “I’d like to book your client for five days, give or take. I need a plus one for a wedding. Is he available to leave on the-”
“Please hold. I’ll check his schedule.”
“Oh. But I didn’t mention when I-”
“He’s available. Would you prefer to pick him up at JFK or will he meet you at your place of residence?”
“Oh. Uh, I guess I could pick him up. Do I pay for his ticket or..?” you were feeling a teensy bit of whiplash at how fast this was all going
There was some rustling on the other line and the muffled sounds of bickering. You tried not to let that concern you.
“We’ll handle that, Ms. Y/L/N. We have your number, we’ll be in touch for further details. Good bye.”
The line went dead and you were left staring at your phone in confusion. Did you tell him your name?
#walter marshall#walter marshall x reader#night hunter#nomis#henry cavill#henry cavill x reader#henry cavill imagine#henry cavill fanfic#henry cavill fanfiction#henry cavill fic#Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill#geralt of rivia#the witcher#the man from uncle#napoleon solo#cavillry#fanfiction#fan fiction#fanfic
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Orange Blossom At The Bottom Of A Shot Glass
Summary: Salty is followed by sour, which should always be followed by sweet.
Word Count: almost 3.7k
Warning: little cursing, little sexual tension, a bunch of sweet and fluff
Author Notes: ::taps on mic:: Soooo it’s been a GOOD while. The muse has been a little bit of a fickle bitch. Or a lot of one, actually. Also didn’t help that the last piece I wrote totally went a hard boom splat - gee thanks tall idiot Canadian one for that :P
HOWEVER, the muse decided to let go with some of the hockey boys and me play with some words for J’s Winter Writing Challenge. I’m just one day off deadline, though I still want to fill the other 1-2 I was thinking of. Thank you J for pulling this all together, you’re a peach.
This one, is the first attempt at writing Tyler, so please be kind to a girl. It was fun to play in this little part of my hockeysphere/hockeyblr.
I’m also maybe possibly most likely making this into a verse/series. Cause y’all should know that’s how I roll.
The prompt from the challenge was: “Take another step and I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“From the cute one in the three piece purple suit at the end of the bar, said to get you another of whatever you’re drinking,” Misty says, sliding the half-sugar rimmed martini glass across the copper bar top. “Wouldn’t even entertain doing this if I didn’t know most of them.”
“Thanks Mis,” you smile, pushing your empty glass towards her.
You peek down slyly towards the right. A gaggle of tall, well dressed men circle the far end. You think some look familiar. Then you see who Misty meant when he turns towards the front of the bar and towards where you’re sitting. You know straightaway who he is, know the reputation, the rumblings. It’s hard not to, as big as Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is, it’s not at the same time. It also helps that you’ve been a hockey fan since birth, paying attention to the boys in green since you moved to Dallas a handful of years ago.
“Misty are you fucking kidding me?” you snap when she wanders back towards you.
“Nope,” she grins like the cat who got the canary. “You should go over and say thank you. Promise you, you may think you know, but he’s a good guy. The lot of them are.”
You shake your head no, downing half your drink in one sip before wiping your finger against the glass to lick at some of the sanding sugar. Misty’s blood orange martinis are your favorite, and a weakness you cannot kick when she’s got the good stuff in stock.
“Give me a blank tabcard and a pen,” you ask. “How many of them are down there? Do a round of shots on my bill, but lemme think of what to send while I write this.”
Misty places one of her pens, a card and your Visa to the right of your cocktail. You carefully fold the card in half, tearing it in two. On one half you cleanly script out your name and cell number while on the second half, you write a cheeky little note:
If you can figure out what the shot is, Misty has something for you. Thanks for the martini, the second always hits better especially when you lick the sugar rim.
“Mis, do you know how to make a reckless slut?” you snicker, capping the pen.
“Red-headed slut, but with whiskey instead of Jaeger yeah?” she questions, looking underneath the bar for a bigger, clean cocktail shaker.
“Honey whiskey if you’ve got it,” you respond, polishing off the rest of your martini before gathering your things. “Then it’s just a touch lighter on the peach. If he can guess it right, then you give him the second half of the note.”
“You got it, I’ll see you,” she waves, off to the middle of the bar to find more ingredients.
You carefully glance down towards the opposite end, noticing the boys all wrapped up so you carefully slip out to make your exit, smiling and shaking your head.
“I’m absolutely insane,” you say out loud to yourself as you head towards your car.
“Segs, my girl left this for you and a round on her for the rest of the motley crew,” Misty explains, slipping him the first card before handing out the shot glasses.
“What she say?” Jamie nudges.
“Other than I missed her licking the rim of her glass?” he chides. “I need to guess what this is and then Misty has something for me, supposedly.”
“I do,” Misty replies, handing the rest of the shots out. “She picked a bit of a good one to leave for you too. Cheers boys, bellow if you need anything.”
He lifts the glass, sniffing it at first, not having any clue.
“J, Rads you guys have any idea?” Tyler asks, they both shake their head.
“Bottoms up,” Jamie adds before they all tip the shots back.
“Anybody?” Tyler pushes again, glasses clicking on the copper.
“I know,” a voice chimes in from the back, dropping the empty shot glass onto the bar.
“Come on then Dicky,” Tyler urges.
He looks at Tyler, trying to hold back a laugh but it doesn’t work.
“It’s a reckless slut,” he manages out between his laughter. “It’s something else dark in place of Jägermeister. Slightly fitting, eh?”
The group busts out in hoops, hollers and their own peals of laughter while Tyler shoves at the one closest to him, this time it’s Alex.
“Whiskey, honey whiskey actually, so nice one there Jason. Winner gets this,” Misty trills happily, wiggling a card in front of the group.
“Hey, wait a second,” Tyler snaps, trying to lean over to snatch the card from the bartender.
“That’s the rules she set,” she says, flicking the card over to his teammate. “Take it up with him, he got it right.”
“What’s it worth?” Jason grins, fist bumping with Misty before turning more towards Tyler.
“Not whatever you’re scheming in that brain of yours,” he takes a pull off his beer.
“I was just gonna say take care of dinner tonight, but if it’s not worth that,” Jason trails off.
“Damnit Dicky,” he sighs, hand flexing around the bottle.
“Let’s go boys, they’re ready for us,” Joe interjects from the outskirts of the group, nodding to the back dining room. “And we like it here so no bloodshed, ok?”
You’re just about to slip the key into your front door lock when your phone buzzes in quick repeated blips. You juggle everything in, snag a bottle of water from the fridge before plopping down on the couch to see what has your phone trilling.
So, Tyler didn’t win the challenge, I did and Misty followed the rules passing it to the winner! Hi, I’m Jason.
::selfie of Jason with the boys scattered about behind him at the bar::
I’m refusing for a bit to give him your number. Want to spare and maybe prepare you before I do. Plus, it’s fun to watch him squirm for a bit when it comes to shit like this.
The reckless slut shot was a nice touch, so I’m hopeful in assuming when you spotted us, him really, you kind of knew who was all down at that end of the bar. Probably have heard some things about his adventures and antics, cause who hasn’t.
I can tell you most of it is blown out of proportion, don’t get me wrong he has his fun, but he’s not an asshole.
Maybe we can all do lunch after practice? I’m happy to play buffer if you don’t want to deal with him solo. We’ll go somewhere solid and make him pick it up :)
You cannot help but smile when flipping through the messages, making sure to save both Jason’s number and ridiculous selfie to your contacts list. You fire off a quick thanks text to Misty before you settle in to figure out the best reply to Jason.
You’re a good teammate and a better friend. I would also make him squirm for a bit too, little shit deserves a bit of discomfort.
I appreciate that, Jason – thank you. I know better than to judge a book by its cover, but it’s hard when the Cliffs Notes versions are face up all over the place. Plus, a lady can never be too careful.
Want to try lunch next week, the three of us? I can’t remember what your upcoming game sitch is like, sorry. Maybe PS214? Something good that’s not too fussy, but chill. Plus, they should have enough options for whatever your nutritionist wants you boys to try to stick to or options to totally cheat out on.
I’ve got some flex in my schedule for lunches, my later afternoons get to be what’s stickier.
You know they were having a team dinner, so you don’t expect a response right away, so you pull yourself together to wash up and get to bed. You wake up to a flurry of more texts the next morning, plans for lunch Monday their practice and a video clip of the two of them, which was utterly ridiculous and adorable at the same time. It eased your tensions just a touch, but lunch would be the kicker.
“There’s my favorite foodie,” Phil the manager says, hugging you immediately. “I was so happy to see your name on the reservations. Is this a work thing or a pleasure thing?”
“Little of both, I’ve got two possibly three of Dallas’ favorite hockey team joining me which is why I asked about the back-corner alcove,” you explain. “But I also want to taste some of the new things you’ve been floating both at the bar and on the menu. Nothing formal yet, but I’m thinking of trying to pull together something around new happy hour approaches.”
“I think one of your lunch companions just walked in,” Phil responds, as you catch someone walking towards the two of you from the corner of your eye. “I know him and his wife, they’ve been in a few times. Hey Jason, nice to see you.”
“Hey Phil, wasn’t sure if you’d be here, good to see you. You’ve met one half of my lunch date already?” he shakes Phil’s hand before reaching for yours.
“She and I run in the same circles, mutual friends, some projects that have crossed paths,” Phil adds. “We’re waiting on one more, yes?”
His phone trills, “It’s Segs, he’s parking now and apologized for being late. He had to let the pups out because his dog sitter couldn’t get there early today.”
“I was early, force of habit, so no worries,” you reply. “He’s going to be pretty much on time in the grand scheme. Plus, I got some actual work done talking to Phil before you got here, so it’s all good.”
“Jason, you best not be trying to steal her from me already,” Tyler claps his shoulder before setting his eyes on you. “You’ve got someone waiting for you at home.”
You can’t help but half roll your eyes and half chuckle, “Nice to officially meet you, Tyler.”
He reaches out, his hand easily dwarfs yours, “You too, Clementine.”
“If you are all ready, we’ve got the table you asked for set,” Phil nods to the right, into the dining room.
“You were mentioning your work when I came in?” Tyler questions as you all sit down.
“I guess you could say I’m a lifestyle writer, mostly food and drink but I’ve dabbled in some travel,” you say. “I started out with my own blog back when I was in college trying to figure out what I wanted to do with life and it kind of got a following from there. I refuse to say influencer, cause no I’m not. Not my schtick. Actual writing pays the bills, not sponsored Instagram or blog posts. I refused to let my baby No Fork become something tainted like that, I think why it became so successful.”
“Wait, wait. You’re A Girl With No Fork? Seriously, my wife is obsessed with your insta page and the blog,” Jason exclaims. “She’s going to lose her ish that I’m having lunch with you.”
“Still blogging but keeping that a little more separate now a days. There’s more bylines with Infatuation, Food and Wine, a good deal with some the local papers. I may have a piece end up with Bon Appetite if this pitch I’m working on comes to fruition,” you explain, taking a sip of what Phil just placed in front of you. “Trying to keep a little of that anonymity left to keep Fork as respected as it is. Your wife and I need to brunch at some point then.”
Phil comes by to ask about any allergies or dietary restrictions, the rest is up to him and the chef, and you know you’re all in good hands.
“So, a pretty girl with a unique name,” Tyler leads. “Feels like there’s probably a good story there.”
“I was a surprisingly early baby, literally my Mom went into labor at 35 weeks and in an orange grove. That was her craving when she was pregnant with me, a ton of citrus. Hence the name,” you smile. “It’s rare I hear anyone other than her use my full name anymore. Even my pen name for my byline on pieces uses my initials. Friends mostly call me C or Em.”
“No Emmy?” Tyler questions.
You shake your head, cheeks flushing. You’ve never allowed that by anyone; not that anyone has ever tried that out for size. It always felt to too special to you, wanting to hold on to that for the right person.
“Let me see these puppies that made you late,” you divert.
“Once you get him started on the three stooges, you cannot go back,” Jason rolls his eyes. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” you smile, making grabby hands for his phone. “Come on I know you’ve got a ton of photos and videos on there.”
“They’re definitely a handful, and not so much puppies anymore. Though Gerry would fight me on that, he’s the baby,” Tyler grins wide before pulling up a video of three dogs running around like crazy in what looks to be his backyard pool.
Lunch was more of the same, good food, good conversation and a bunch of joking around. Smart play by Jason to recommend it this way, he’s as much of a sweetheart as his texts made him out to be and helps ease some of the worries you had about Tyler. And Tyler, you found yourself gravitating to him a lot more than you thought you would. You all didn’t realize it until the shift change was happening how long you actually spent in the back booth. As you’re saying goodbye, hugs are passed around between the group of you this time.
“We’re keeping you around by the way,” Tyler whispers in your ear. “Welcome to the crew.”
You fall into a quirky but easy friendship with Tyler and Jason after that, eventually Jamie too once the boys drag him to one of your tasting outings. It evolves quickly from random texting to grabbing meals and drinks, hanging out after games, even meeting Tyler at the dog park to finally meet his trio of crazy pups during one of your crazy timed breaks in your schedule that matched up before he needed to get into his pre-game routine.
Gerry is running amok hopping around with a German Sheppard while Cash just wants Tyler to throw a stick for him to fetch repeatedly. Marshall, however, has taken residence with his head in your lap.
“I know your younger brothers are insane,” you coo, rubbing the chocolate lab’s ear as he nuzzles into your thigh. “I’m sorry I have to leave you with them in a few.”
“So soon?” Tyler asks, tossing Cash’s favorite stick a little father. “You like just got here. He also just doesn’t cuddle like that with anyone. Feel special, so you shouldn’t leave him either.”
“Only a quick break today. Deadlines looming and a bourbon tasting that need to get done if I’m meeting you guys later after the game,” you explain, fingers digging into Marshall’s fur again.
“At some point you do need to come to a game,” he sasses as Cash comes barreling into his legs, Gerry not far behind. “I know you’re a hockey fan, you can’t hide that Em.”
“Perhaps maybe,” you tease, rolling your eyes sticking your tongue out at him. “Ok Marsh, I’m sorry buddy but I gotta go.”
Marshall just slides his head further into your lap, while now Cash head butts your free hand as Gerry crashes into your legs.
“I’m so sorry boys, we’ll have another playdate soon I promise,” you call to them as you pet all their heads.
“Where’s my goodbye pets and love?” he cheekily leans his head towards you.
“Oh Ty,” rolling your eyes as you get up.
You lean in as you were going to kiss his cheek, but you just tweak his nose and flip his snapback off, “See you tonight superstar.”
Misty is thankfully behind the bar again tonight at Oak and Cork, except this time you’re in the middle of the crazy group instead of the far end of the bar.
“You hitting that yet?” Alex grins wiggling his eyebrows and nodding to where you’re leaning against the bar talking to Misty while she makes your drink.
Tyler shoves his teammate, “Dude.”
“First off, don’t be crass. Em is in the damn room. And that’s a no by the way,” Jason rolls his eyes at Alex after handing off glasses to the two of them. “He most definitely wants to; I think that she does too. They just won’t actually talk about it.”
“She sent you reckless slut shots, I think you can talk to her about fucking,” Alex replies, taking a pull from his drink.
“Emmy. She’s not just some random girl to dick and dump, Rads. Fucks sake,” he sighs, hand threading through his hair as he looks over in your direction where you’re talking with Jamie, Joe and his wife.
“Emmy, eh? That speaks volumes. Just ask her already,” Jason interjects. “We’re all tired of your crank ass. I’m going to find my better half.”
“He’s right,” Alex taps his glass against Tyler’s. “Go to her. Ask her. Kiss her. Less cranky, more goals, more fucking.”
Tyler shakes his head, downing the rest of his drink in one go. He snags a bottle of beer from one of the buckets left out on the bar for the group before he looks for somewhere to take a breather. You catch him stalking off to the patio, amber glass clenched in his hand with his brows knitted together.
“He ok?” you ask Jamie, pointing towards the door where Tyler’s walking through.
“That’s not a good Tyler face,” he sighs. “I should…”
“No, stay. I’ll go check,” you interrupt, polishing off your martini to head outside.
“Hard to have congratulatory drinks when the first star of the game is hiding out on the patio,” you call out.
He shrugs, not turning around at first but you can see the tension across his shoulders even through his dress shirt. You take a couple steps out towards him.
“Hey, come on. Can’t be that bad. Right? Nothing’s wrong with the pups? Your family?” you tread carefully not knowing what could have happened between the dog park and that moment.
He turns around slowly, not looking up at first.
“Tyler, what’s going on?” your concern lacing through your voice clearly.
“I still think about that night here, you know?” he starts, placing his bottle on the railing next to him before leaning back against it. “I was intrigued, girl at a bar alone on a Friday night. Gorgeous one at that. She kind of saw right through me but dished it back unexpectedly and pretty well. Then, then that damn chaperoned lunch. Kind of just rolled from there.”
“Ty, what are you saying?” you need to make sure where he’s going with this.
“I can’t stop thinking about you, it’s exhilarating and unnerving,” he fights out, coming off the railing. “I still think about kissing you, wanting that, all the damn time.”
“Tyler,” you begin, trying to move closer.
“Take another step and I can’t be held responsible for my actions,” Tyler fights out, hands flexing at his side but looking you straight in the eye.
You can see the clench of his jaw clearly from there, the fire he’s holding back in his eyes. Your breath catches, your heart skips and your stomach flips.
“What if I’m ok with that?” you whisper, slipping an inch closer.
“I need you to be sure, Clementine,” he looks at you carefully, pupils flicking wider.
“Clementine? Really Tyler?” you try to tease to lighten the thick air around the two of you.
“Emmy,” he exhales deeply. “Don’t. Please, not tonight. Not now.”
You nod once he opens his eyes, stepping closer.
“Use your words, Emmy,” he murmurs, one hand grasping your hip while the other comes to cup your cheek, thumb trailing across your skin. “I need to hear you say it, babygirl.”
You’re distracted for a moment, having him that close. His words swirl around your head, your senses are slightly overwhelmed by him. His cologne lingers in your nose and makes your eyes flutter.
“You don’t need to placate me though, I’m a big boy,” he says softly. “Friends is better than nothing.”
“I wouldn’t,” you jump in carefully. “It’s why I waited, why I’m saying yes now to you Ty.”
Tyler pulls you forward and claims your mouth. His tongue wicked, swiping at yours. Your hands slip up behind his neck with fingers tangling in his hair at the nape. You lose sense of time, all you can do is sink further into the kiss, and into him, until you’re out of breath.
“You taste like those damn orange martinis you love. I like it,” he sighs, knuckle trailing against your cheek. “I’ve never felt possessive, but fuck. The thought of anyone else sipping your sugar after that makes me see red, Emmy.”
“Is that the ass backwards Tyler way of asking me out?” you tease, popping up on your toes to nip at his bottom lip.
He surges forward and knocks the breath out of you with another bruising kiss.
“Come to my game tomorrow, wear my jersey. Let me show you off properly, let me take you home after, breakfast with the dogs on the patio in the morning,” he asks, this time his thumb tracing over your bottom lip. “And the game after that and the next one after that, the next weeks and months ahead. Let me show you that I’m not that reckless slut you may think I am. You make me not want to be.”
You smile, nodding and pressing a kiss to the pad of his thumb.
#tyler seguin#tyler seguin fic#tyler seguin imagine#tyler seguin writing#tyler seguin fluff#nhl fic#nhl fluff#hockey fic#hockey imagine#juliaswinterwriting
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Maybe please get Stevebit at the carnival and smooches and giggles and 🥺 pleaseeeee ilysm you don’t understand ahhhh no rush at all *floof your hair*!🙏
CAS THIS TOOK ME SO LONG I’M SO SORRY!!
Carnivals
Steve-bit, fluff & mild angst
Bittersweet, unrequited(?) love, ambiguous ending
As he stared, chewing absentmindedly on a candied apple, the saturated colors of the tents, flashes of light of the signs, and blurs of motion from the rides of the carnival slowly blended into nothing but a multi-colored blur in the background of his thoughts; but he could see every detail of Steve perfectly, like the way the candy coating the apple dripped from his plump lips as it melted in the sun and stuck to his teeth. Two-bit felt his heart start to race as thoughts of kissing the sticky mess right off filled his head.
He was shaken from his thoughts by a hard nudge in the ribs from Steve.
"Hey, get a load of the kid," Steve said, a smirk playing the lips Two-bit had just been admiring.
"Which kid?" Two-bit asked, his head still fuzzy from the warm thoughts swimming around up there.
Steve raised an eyebrow at him, then reached out and grabbed Two-bit's chin with his hand, turning his head to look over by a concession stand; where one Ponyboy Curtis was talking to a girl who looked to be at least eighteen years old.
Two-bit shrugged, he remembered being fourteen once and in love with every pretty lady that walked by. For all he knew the kid was dipping his toes in the art of flirting, and even though that would probably only result in a condescending smile and a pat on the head, it was still nice to see little Pony following in his big brother's footsteps.
But Steve didn't seem to share this sentiment.
In fact, the seventeen-year-old stood up from his seat so fast that Two-bit nearly fell out of the cheap plastic chair he was resting on, and marched right over to the flirting senior and the awkwardly giggling freshmen.
As Two-bit jumped up to follow, quickly thinking of something he could say to diffuse the situation, Steve had shoved himself in-between a now sputtering Ponyboy and a pissed-off woman.
"Lanie, he's a fucking kid!" Steve snarled, reaching his arm out to tuck Ponyboy safely behind him as if he were protecting the kid from a stabber.
Lanie rolled her eyes, "Calm your ass down, Steve," she was dressed rather conservatively despite the weather, which was usual for her.
Two-bit remembered that she helped him cheat on an English test a few months ago, as he was held back and she'd already graduated; while they weren't good friends, he didn't want to believe she would purposefully try to creep on Ponyboy.
"Hey, Steve-O, Lanie didn't mean nothing by it," Two-bit tried to defend, standing by Lanie, "You didn't even hear what they said."
Pony finally piped up, "It wasn't anything bad, I promise! She was just saying I look like Sodapop," he awkwardly was shifting his feet around, face flushed and looking a little guilty.
Steve huffed, he didn't seem satisfied, but that wasn't an uncommon thing for people to tell Ponyboy.
Lanie seemed annoyed. "Are you his parents now? Honestly, Steve, you aren't a knight in shining armor, just mind your damn business for once."
Steve balled his fists, "It is my business if I think a little kid is gonna get preyed on by some old hag!"
"JESUS CHRIST, ALL THEY DID WAS TALK!" Two-bit finally snapped, at his wits end with the stupid conversation. He liked Steve, he really truly did, but sometimes his protective nature was overbearing.
Steve looked at Two-bit, a little shocked. Two-bit flinched at how hurt he looked. He opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to decide against it. Jamming his fists into his pockets he stepped down.
"Ponyboy, stay with us," Steve said as Pony started to wander off after Lanie left.
Pony groaned. "Steve I'm old enough to be on my own, c'mon!"
Two-bit gave Steve a quick nudge. "Hey, hey, let the kid go, he's fine on his own."
Steve looked like he wanted to argue, but clearly not wanting a repeat of what just happened he shrugged. "Fine. But don't talk to strangers." he conceded.
Ponyboy smiled at Two-bit, and Two-bit shot him a wink, then he ran off to go get into trouble somewhere else.
Two-bit sighed and looked beside him at Steve. "Hey, now. what was that about?" he asked softly, remembering that Steve had a similar outburst over Sylvia talking to Johnny, only that time he threatened to get violent.
Steve shook his head, scrunching up his nose like he always did when he was uncomfortable. "I just... I just don't want him getting hurt." was all he said, and Two-bit knew he wasn't going to get any more out of him.
Two-bit wasn't good with touchy-feely shit, never had been and probably never would be, but what he lacked in ability to dig to the root of the problem he more than made up for in ability to distract from the pain.
"Soooo, wanna go hunt some action?" he asked with a hearty chuckle, savoring the smile that got from Steve.
"Yeah, yeah I do." Steve said.
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The park would close after midnight, but right now, the sky was filled with a bright orange glow, turning the trees on the horizon to inky shadows. Two-bit didn't stop to admire though, he just ran beside Steve through the crowd away from the clerk they had antagonized into chasing them.
It was fair, in Two-bit's opinion, seeing as the guy had taunted them over losing a rigged game. But unfortunately, the chase ended early when the clerk decided he didn't want to chase anymore and went back to his job. That sucked, Two-bit was hoping there'd be a fight.
"God, I'm beat." Steve said, stretching his arms out, nearly making Two-bit drool as he watched the way they flexed. "Wanna do something more relaxing before we head back?"
Two-bit's nodded as he gestured to the Ferris wheel, "We could rest up there, maybe we can scout out the others from the height." He said.
Steve's eyes got wide when he saw just how tall it was. "Are you sure?" He asked, taking a step back as though intimidated.
Two-bit cocked a rusty brow, watching Steve avert his eyes from the ferris wheel. “Ya good?” He asked, breaking the brief silence.
Steve nodded jerkily, his dark hair bouncing. “Yeah! No worries! I just don’t wanna lose my lunch.” He said, waving a hand dismissively.
Two-bit smirked, shaking his head, “Alright, whatever you say.”
After walking together in silence for a little while, they found a nice place in the grass to sit and watch the sun sink below the tree line. It was in between the space of two rides that had already shut down for the evening, so there was plenty of privacy. As the buildings they were sat in between turned black in the growing darkness, the sky turned gold.
Steve shivered from where he sat cross-legged on the grass, his denim vest doing nothing against the cold chill, so Two-bit draped his leather jacket over the other boy’s shoulder’s gently, basking in the red flush that came across his cheeks.
“Sooo,” Two-bit began as Steve tiredly leaned against him, “What was that back there? You wanna tell me now?”
He tensed as he waited for Steve response, feeling the boy’s muscles tighten at the question.
“I just... Don’t want Ponyboy getting hurt.” Steve said softly.
Two-bit considered prying, after all, Steve had threatened Sylvia when he thought she was attempting to harass Johnny (a mistake that left Steve terrified of the girl), but the way Steve’s body went taut and he bit down into his lips made Two-bit’s heart break a little. Even if it meant getting into the root of the problem, he didn’t want his friend to be hurting like that.
The silence grew from tense to comfortable as the pair leaned against each other, no words needing to be spoken. When Two-bit was about to ask if they should start looking for the others, he heard the gentle sound of snoring from Steve.
Two-bit woke him up, of course, but not before pressing a tiny kiss to his cloud of dark hair.
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Pining over him // Peter Hale
Pairing: Peter Hale x female reader
Warnings: nsfw , smut , slight daddy kink, hair pulling, choking, unprotected sex, tonnnn of dirty talk and just a lot of sexy sin (plotless kind of)
Characters: Peter, Derek, Stiles, Scott, implies pack, y/n
Summery: The young reader has been fantasising about the feeling of being with a real man for a while now, a real man being no other than the notorious Peter Hale. However, it’s hard to be taken seriously when Peter thinks you are no more than an annoying little teenage girl.
Word Count: lost count it’s a ton
Authors Note: This is my first time posting on tumblr, let alone posting a smut imagine soooo I don’t know how this will turn out. I’m just going with the flow of my hormonal teenage instincts ;)
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“Y/n, did you even listen to a word that I just said?”
The deepness of the voice made you snap out of you staring at the entertaining spider that was crawling up the corner wall of Dereks loft, which caused you to jump suddenly on your squished position on the coach, trapped between two clowns, Scott and Stiles.
The quiet yelp you let out made Stiles stiffle a snort causing you to elbow him in the shoulder. The fucker deserved that. You let out a content sigh and an evil smile when you heard a sound of pain from your annoying brother from another mother. What can I say, the pain he feels makes me wither in complete pleasure. I snort at my chain of thoughts and look up to see a confused Derek Hale.
"Yeah sorry, I was just-", Trailing off mid sentence thinking of a viable reason for not listening to the former Alpha. Thinking it would be funny to tell them about the entertaining spider that just crawled under the crack of the wall on the other side of the spacious loft.
“There was a spider” You answer timidly, grimacing at yourself for sounding so stupid in the room full of your pack. Derek looks at you quizzingly, you giving him the most innocent look you could muster, he sighs before letting a small smile come across his features from your utter randomness.
“I was just telling you how we need to keep you somewhere safe incase the Darach decides to pay you a visit” Derek says quickly, you sigh in annoyance hating being treated like a defenceless little girl. You understood that you weren’t anything supernatural or anything but you would think Derek would have a little faith in you since you were so handy with a frying pan from being in a near death experience with the twin Alphas not so long ago. You chuckle subconsciously at the memory.
A mutter of agreements are heard from around the loft from your oh so fellow pack members. Betrayed and defeated, you try voice your opinion on the matter.
“What? No” You probably looked like a kicked puppy. You definatly felt like one. You continued “I’m not some helpless human Derek. Stiles is more helpless than me!” You whine flicking Stiles in the head which he repeated the action harder on me causing me to poke him in the ribs.
“Why has this suddenly turned into bash Stiles day? You know I have feelings too” Stiles offendingly says, his arms spazzing at his sides to try and prove his point.
“When am I ever nice to you” you scoff jokingly earning a chuckle in agreement from him before he went back to listening to the arguement infront of him wishing he had a bowl of popcorn to go along with it.
Derek ignores Stiles and resumes telling me that it’s for my own good. Blah blah.
“Where will I even go anyway? It’s not like I have a line of people waiting to protect me from the looming and pending doom of death itself” You replied, words laced with exaggeration.
“I’ll look after her, it’s not like I have anything better to do”
The husky voice came from the corner of the room shadows dancing across the body of the person that is wanting to ‘look after her’. What am I, a dog? Y/n replied in her head afraid to reply that response out loud since the deep voice belonged to a man she have been shamefully harbouring a crush on for some time now. Peter fucking Hale.
It’s not like she was afraid to converse with him, it’s just that she was terrified of making a fool of her self by stuttering out a few syllables before halting and staring at his piercing blue eyed that made her legs buckle submissively from the dominance they give off. She doesn’t know how he does it, makes her feel like her skin is on fire whilst her heart pounds faster than humanly normal. Without even meaning to aswell. It’s like he was a complete natural at turning her into jelly without even noticing. It riles her up to no extent.
Your eyes widen in shock and your heart beat began to rise much to your dismay, knowing that he probably knew the effects he had on you, since he had spectacular werewolf senses, made you want to crawl into a ball and wither away in embarrassment. But he never made any indication that he knew either from being completely oblivious or because he wanted to salvage that slither of pride you had left for yourself. You prayed the first. But you doubted it since Peter isn’t exactly known for being the nicest human in the planet.
You knew you were probably over exaggerating and stressing about this whole situation way to much but you just couldn’t comprehend what you would do if Peter found out the way you feel since he is abit older than you, being still only a junior in highschool yourself and him being a fully grown mature man that you wanted to pounce on all the damn time. Jesus I need to get laid, preferably by the man invading my dreams at night but desperate times cause desperate measures.
“Look after me? I’m not a child, I don’t need watching over, I have things to do like watching the last season of The Vampire Diaires even though I’m shitting scared to because Stephen dies” You ramble a butt load of word vomit wanting to shut up but your nerves were your worst enemy in situations like these.
“Hey don’t aim your anger on me I’m just volenteering to keep the weak and innocent out of harms way, that’s character development if you ask me” Peter replies smugly as his gaze burns into the your own. You muster up a harsh glare at Mr Hottie before pivoting to face Derek who was evidently waying the little options he had.
“Your not seriously considering this right? You hate him, everyone hates him” I bitterly state, relunctanly turning around to meet Mr Hotties patronising gaze. The evident smirk plastered on his handsome face tells me that he’s enjoying being the cause of this conflict. Mockingly sending a small wave as if proud of the past he has with the pack before him.
Everyone once again agrees with my statement causing Peter to let out an annoyed sigh before saying “I thought we all got over this anger that has been directed towards yours truely, It will give you wrinkles if you frown at me like that sweetheart”, he humours the situation by sending a wink in my direction. Ugh.
“It’s not like we have a lot of options right now y/n, as much as I don’t like it we need as many people focused on defeating the Darach. It will only be for a few days at the maximum. I promise. Please?” Derek had is puppy dog eyes displayed making it very hard for me to deny him, so I bit my tongue and agreed.
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Derek had dropped me off at Mr Hotties apartment with my bag laying heavy on my shoulders ready to stay for a few nights. This whole situation is bitter sweet if you ask me. Bitter because you didn’t know if these few days will hold a wave of awkwardness between the two of you and a lack of communication since the both of you have never had a proper convosation other than yesterday when he offered to keep you hostage in his apartment. And sweet because you’d have eye candy for a while. I was not complaining. It’s a win win situation.
You stroll around the apartment amused “I’m not going to lie I have always wondered if you lived in a secret lab or in an underground network of tunnels or something like that but this will do I guess ” you snickered and joked. Peter lifted an eyebrow and smirked saying “I’m not a complete animal darling”. My stomache filled with butterflies at his statement and I cleared my throat looking around the apartment once again.
Peter leaned on the doorframe and cocked his hip against it whilst his arms were crossed. Damn. He gave me a once over eyes lingering on the exposed area where my mid thigh length skirt lay. “Aren’t you a little young to be wearing that?” I frowned and looked up at his defined features past his broard strong shoulders.
“I’m nearly 18 I can wear whatever the hell I want” I scoffed. Peter held his hands up in mock surrender before strolling into the kitchen with his back facing me. I could see the defining back muscles from the outline of his green v neck and the way his bisceps flexed when reaching into one of the cupboards for two mugs. His hands. Oh holy Jesus his hands. The muscular and veiny hands gripped onto the coffee mugs send a wave of arousal downstairs. My mouth turned into an o shape as I imagined all the things those hands could do to me. All the filthy things. A girl can only take so much! As my eyes began to travel down the werewolf in front of me I started to bite my lip at the way his jeans hugged his cheeks as they clung amazingly against his thick legs that held rippling muscle. I have got to ask him what his leg day routine is.
A hand started to wave across of my face as if trying to get my attention, I averted my eyes away from the goodies to see Peter staring at me with a wide smirk along his smug face.
“Are you okay there y/n? You look a little flustered. Something on your mind?” He walked towards me untill I could feel his lips skimming the top of my ear. I gulped in suprised as my eyes widened and started stuttering out an excuse.
“Oh u-um I was just— nothing” I hung my head to look at my feet awkwardly as they began shifting from nerves.
“Hmm okay let me show you where you’ll be sleeping” he his voice rasped against my ear which sent shivers around my body.
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He knew exactly what he was doing. I mean how couldn’t he? It was like we were playing a game of cat and mouse. More like werewolf and human. I snorted out a chuckle at my pathetic joke as I lay down on the bed in the spare bedroom that Peter allowed me to use. Glancing down at my lack of clothing, an oversized t shirt that said ‘bugs life forever’ and a pair of white lace panties I let out a heavy sigh clocking my head untill it reached the my phone saying it was 2:45am. My throat was dry from overthinking earlier with Peter, how he got so close to me, pressing his body against mine. Why would he even do that? He thinks I’m an annoying teenager. A child.
Wanting to wet my parched throat I hopped towards the kitchen quietly, attempting not to wake Peter from his room and not bothering with putting on sweatpants as I didn’t suspect anyone to see me in this state. I reached my arms out to the highest cupboard in the kitchen, straining my arm at the height of it and huffed when I couldn’t reach it. A deep voice made me freeze in my position and slowly turn around.
“Did I say you could use my kitchen without my permission?” I gasped as I saw his shirtless form, rippling muscle clouded his chest with light scattered chest hair in the centre that led towards the waistband of his sweatpants. Atleast someone thought about wearing sweatpants.
Holy Jesus for I have sinned. “I didn’t think you would have a problem with it since you offered to imprison me inside the walls of your apartment” I muttered angrily starting to once again reach for the glass that I am determined to get. Little did you know that Peters eyes wandered past the hemline of the oversized sweatshirt you were wearing that was hiked up from you stretching to reach the glass, this eyes lingered on the exposed skin of your thighs and the white lace panties that hugged the underline of your firm ass. Having these sudden dirty thoughts that clouded his mind from his previous dream feels wrong since you are much younger than him. But Jesus did it feel so right to him.
The feeling of someone pressed against you from behind startles you. You move to spin around when a deep voice interrupts you. “I’ll get it for you, don’t strain yourself darling” Peters voice seemed strained as if he was trying to keep himself together as you let out a choked sigh at how close proximity you both were to eachother. As he reached up to grab you a glass and handed it to you, your response make you regret the day you were born. Started from your hands brushing you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
“Thankyou daddy” Both his and your eyes widen at your statement.
Oh my god. Did I really just say that out loud? Judging by his expression, I’m pretty sure I did. Shit. What the fuck is wrong with you? Someone please just kill me right now. A werewolf could come up to me right now and kill me and I would say thankyou.
This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to mingle with others
As he was about to say something but you step back abruptly and close your eyes from shear embarrassment.
A husky voice made you jump on the spot, “ say it again” His eyes glazed over in pure hunger as he watched me like I was his prey and he was the predator.
“I-I don’t know w-what your talking about” my voice sqeaked in pure humiliation
“Say it again” he repeats himself before stalking his way towards you and wrapping his hand round your throat as he squeezed lightly sending an electric feeling of pleasure towards your core. You whimpered at the contact and threw your head back at the sight of this heated haze that bore into yours and so he could reach more of your exposed throat.
“Yes, you do. Say it again. I won’t ask a third time.” He growls and you can feel yourself begin to dampen at his forceful tone.
“Thankyou daddy” You coo.
Fuck.” He curses before lunging forward and taking your lips with his. You immediately open your mouth to his probing tongue and moan when it brushes over yours. Peter pulls away from your wet lips and traces his tongue down your throat as his lips begin to suck along the side of your neck surely leaving marks as he does it making you whine and shudder in pleasure. His impossibly enormous hands glide their way to my chest before capturing my breasts through my sweatshirt starting to kneed and pinch my nipples as he held intense eye contact with me.
“These-” he stopped to grasp them harshly before tearing the fabric of my sweatshirt off making direct contact with them this time with his warm and inviting hands that made me choke a whimper as I was being dominated by the man that I have pined over for as long as I have known him. “Are mine” he finished with a growl flashing his blue luminous eyes. His lips began to assault the hardened nipples, swirling his warm tongue round the bud then biting them teasingly.
“Say it, say that you are mine little girl” he demanded as his hand reached down to cup my pussy through my white lace panties.
“Oh god- oh god yes! I’m yours” I managed to stutter as I became a moaning mess as his magic fingers circled around my clothed clit before he moved them aside and plunged two fingers inside my tight walls.
Barely forming a grammatically correct sentence from the immense feeling of pleasure that I was going through, I reached down bravely to palm his prominent bulge that twitched under my palm.
He growled as his hands ran down your back, grabbing your ass between his hands touching outline of your pussy through your thin lace panties. He pushes you back into the kitchen until you feel your back hit the kitchen table. Peter pulls back away from your lips and flips you around, bending you over the table.
Shocked from the turn of events you let out a yelp, “What are you doing?” you moan and cry out as his hands pull down your panties, kicking your legs open with his feet.
“Giving you what you want baby” He husks as his hands pull down your shorts, kicking your legs open with his feet. You hear him unbuckle his belt before shoving his hand between your legs. “Your soaked” he groans before shoving his cock deep inside your pink and wet pussy.
“ Did you not think I’d notice how you feel about me baby? Your arousal always in the air for me to smell all the damn time I’m around you baby girl, you don’t even realise how hard it was to resist the urge to fuck you everytime I saw you” You purr in content at his sinful string of words.
“Peter please” you beg. He slaps your ass hard causing you to let out a loud moan. “That’s not my name” he glares. Realising what you meant it took you no time before pleasing him again.
“Daddy! O-oh fuck yes!”
“That’s a good girl, I’m going to fucking ruin you” he growls in your ear making you whimper. His dirty words only spurring how turned on you are.
“Please don’t stop what your doing” your desperate gasps are all that he needed to fuck you untill your screaming his name.
He begins to ram his cock in and out of your pussy as you let out a stream of loud and sinful moans, pounding you into the table, making the table legs squeak against the hard floor. He reached round to grip your hair as the other slings around your throat holding you in place as he begins to whisper dirty words into your ear that makes you eager to feel your pussy pulsate around his hard and thick length.
“Who knew you were such a naughty girl y/n? Desperate to feel my cock inside you, I bet you like it when I fuck you don’t you? Huh? Rough and hard?” You managed to humm before it turned into a stuttered moan as you felt yourself beginning to quiver and your legs to shake he continued to pound you with his cock.
Suddenly the feeling of a knot forming below your stomache makes you stutter out a moan “ holy shit, yes, yes!” You scream as you come undone around him as he continues to pound you through your orgasm. A stream of grunts follow after yours as he came inside you, milking your walls with his hot cum.
“Wow, that was unexpected” you grunt as you try and catch your breath, leaning against the kitchen table.
“You started it, calling me daddy and all” he teased whilst he send you a smirk.
“Well I’ll call you daddy as much as you want next time” you reach out to pull at his short hair leaning to give him a subtle kiss on his lips that lingered.
“Darling, next time I plan to fuck that warm little mouth with my cock” he growls.
That can definitely be arranged
#peter hale#peter hale smut#peter x reader#teen wolf#teen wolf one shot#teen wolf imagine#teen wolf fandom#teen wolf fanfiction#smut
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Hiii how are you ? I fell down the stairs today and cried for a minute straight #hormones. Dw I have a high pain tolerance but I just started sobbing lol. It happens. LONG post ahead, I kinda went off hehe.
Anyways let’s get started!! Yes quinton gets to be upfront because he would probably feel so uncomfortable(no offence) with all the sexual tension going on there if dyl or jamie were in the front hehe. But yes they would be bitchy about who gets to sit upfront “ no Jamie it’s mine turn to sit with Brigid” “ no it’s my turn dylan you just sat with her” so brigid would get fed up and banishes them to the back hehe. Lmao Brigid can we listen to Katy perry now? The silence!! And then no can we listen to Lady Gaga?. Quinton trying not to lose it in the front seat. If I had to chose tho I would chose lady gaga:) wbu?
Get ready to be beat! Yes Ryan is absolutely not sitting upfront w me! We would be crazy and I wanna win so. Quinner is sitting up front w me but he decided to be .... and I’m banish him to the back. Braden is the most chill so he’s sitting upfront and giving me directions!! Haha dyl yelling at you to drive faster, but no I will beat both hehe;). Kesh who’s sitting up front w you? Would Kirby be handsy😏?. We would have to make so many stops lol. Like it’s just nostalgic for us, but new for you so it would be fun to make pit stops. and we would just be taking so many Instagram photos as a group and w our boys and together ! We love that ! “Wait wait wait Lexi pull over, I remember this place I wanna take photos” lol this is bad hehe.
Lmao yes, your hair would be so tangled!! They would be panicking a bit because they’re like omg she’s gonna be so mad.... honestly Ryan would just take the photo and then post it but then Dylan would repost it and then Jamie and then me lol. Honestly I kinda love when people just take videos of being in the car w like the scenery showing, but this would include us laughing and listening to music! I hope they makes sense. Hehe Ryan or Dylan would probably take photos of Braden, cozzy and devon sleeping and would post it. Back to the hair: hehe yes I can see you giving them a death glare when you realize and your getting mad and would hide. I’m just imagining this in my head, like me pulling over and you running out of the car and quinton and devon fixing your hair lol. Somebody would be filming this no doubt.
Music wise, yes I love blasting music and people looking but it’s kinda a flex when they see who we are with.... I like rap too! What song do u like Brigid?. Country will be played and 2000’s which is fun! I’m good with anything !. Kesh I love hype up songs as well and bass heavy songs because they sound good on speakers hehe. I’ve been into Rihanna for the past week and I was working out to her music- where have you been, rude boy, bitch better have my money lol, pon de replay hit different but also S&M for some sexiness. Lmao sorry I’m just listing Rihanna songs that I love atm. What are your fav songs right now? Awww dancing on the side of the road is so soft, but everybody needs a dance break! Cozzy, Devon and Braden are some how still passed out, I admire that. Late night drives🥺 are we spicing this up 😏.
Hehe you and devon are swamped w emails and more and you’re like kirby can you please go w them we need somebody to watch them. Als yes quinton go take those hot photos . I admire Dylan’s sleep schedule, like good job on catching up on sleep. Kirbys just trying to sweet talk you and kiss you so that you wouldn’t be mad. All in all, kesh is just shocked like how is that possible? Lmao Brigid, Ryan and I w the shopping cart just stocking up on popcorn, chips m&ms, I love that. Jamie and Dylan are racing each other to see who can grab the most cereal and made sure that they are getting the correct ones for Brigid. Honestly all the boys are just confused about how grocery shopping works hehe. The crackhead energy. Kirby is panicking. We literally bought out all the snacks. Beaver tails are delish and I know where you can get them so 😃. I want to stuff Quinner’s mouth w beaver tails cuz that’s cute:) yes healthy food is a must, like fruits, veggies, rice cakes hehe. But remember that we are going to workout on this vacay hehe. After the grocery store we would go into the mall or something and the boys would just be wanting to buy video games 😂 and ps5’s. Also kesh I love how some of the boys are just trying on clothes. Why do I get a feeling that one of the boys would just be filming all of this?
The chirping will happen nonstop, I’m sorry it’s just to much inspo. Aww yes they are blushing real hard, cuz they like you soooo much. But Brigid is enjoying touching them so no prob.
The boat is a must and it is happening!! Hehe yes the tubing would be chaotic, everybody is just trying to get each other to fall in 😂. Ryan thinks that he’s getting away w pushing me in but SIKE you are coming with me. So then we’re just fighting in the water. Quinner would be like where did they go?. Hehe brigid gets so wrapped up in laughing at us that Braden pushes her in haha. Yes we all look super hot in our bikinis, and the boys are speechless! Like dyl and Jamie are just like wow, she looks so amazing! And Kirby is so in love w you, he’s like I’m the luckiest man ever. I’m still gonna make sure that I wear a non tie bikini so that it doesn’t untie, like one time I was in the boat and my friend pulled on the string and the entire thing untied and I just jumped in the water to retie. That is not happening again lol. Quinner would be mad hehe. Idk I’m seeing Brigid in a black bikini or maybe a dark blue one? It would match your eyes?. Kesh in a red one or yellow and me maybe in a green one or just black lol. Hehe yes kesh and Kirby are just doing cute couple stuff and keeping an eye out but we are to chaotic to maintain .
Hehe yes ig we are clingy but cute drunks but I get kinda wild when I drink so the body shots would def happen. It would be hot tbh. Yes somebody do body shots w Brigid. Dylan would step up first, and he would be enjoying it and then Jamie sees and is like no it’s my turn so he does it and in the end it’s just a competition and you all get drunk hehe. Kesh and Kirby are the parents of the clubbing trip no offence.. like wanna go help cozzy and devon? Hehe lol I could just be dancing w Brigid and the boys would get jealous and one of them would just come up and be like excuse may I cut in, and i would be like tf but then they give me a glare and I go dance sexy with Quinner or crazy w Ryan. Kesh and Kirby should dance at least at one point during this time. We all look hot btw :)
Hehe yay I can be friends w Dylan :) I want that friendship to happen tbh. but he’s getting jealous but I’m like let them have their moment, so I distract him a bit w talking.
Girls day is a must! I wanna hang out w you so badly. Some cute clothing will be bought! Ooo yes us modelling and them being in awe. Oo kesh a different modelling show w the boys 😏. The boys are getting handsy esp Dylan and Jamie hehe. And they are super protective so no other guy at the club gets any ideas. After tho it’s biker shorts, sweat pants and hoodies type of vacay lol .
Thank you for reading ! Hope you enjoy mes chéries💗🌸
yes ok so loooong post ahead people
oof that tough falling down the stairs lol. honestly i’m not doing to great right now bc i did not do as well as i wanted at my meet, so now i’m in a funky headspace. but hopefully answering this ask will help, and i can get my shit together before my events tomorrow (which are actually my important events)
haha yes dyl and jamie would just be arguing like “no it’s my turn to sit in front, no you just did it’s my turn” lmao. and then whenever they’re sitting in the front there’s just too much tension for quinton to deal with lol. so then i feel bad for quinton so i banish the other guys to the back and let him sit in the front hehe. and i’m just ignoring the other guys and refuse to play either of their music and i let quinton pick. and if we purposely pick songs we know the other guys hate, that’s a secret we’ll never tell. oof between those two idk, probably lady gaga, but again we’re not playing music jamie and dyl like lol.
haha no, you get ready to get beat. i’m like an INSANE driver when i want to be. and ofc dylan is just yelling at me “faster brigid, hurry tf up! we have to beat everyone” so then we’re just zooming. but then obviously you’re doing your best to keep up so you have to banish ryan to the back so he doesn’t distract you. and then you let quinner sit up front until he starts getting too handsy bc you’re like no i won’t let myself get distracted. so then braden’s up front giving directions and trying to get you to go faster, but i’m still winning lol. and then kesh is also still in the race, and she and kirby are just chilling in the front bc everyone else’s asleep. ooooh yes making lots of pit stops bc nostalgia for all of you canadians. and then me and kesh are just seeing all the sights for the first time. oooooh yes all the cute insta pics we could take
ooooh yes people taking vids of like the music and scenery would be so cute to post as stories. and ofc all of us laughing and stuff, that would be so cute. anyways yes, my hair would be a hugeeee knot. and i would just give them the death glare, like you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. and jamie and dyl just try to hide from me, like they run away as soon as the car is stopped. and then devon and quinton fix it for me, god bless their souls. like i’m sorry, bc even i wouldn’t want to deal with that. ik how my hair can get. and this would be allllll over everyone’s stories ofc lmao
ok yessss our music game is on point tbh. ok so for rap, the artists i’m really into rn are juice wrld (rip i actually loved him sm), kid laroi (who learned from juice, so he sounds a lot like him), trippie redd, mgk, and nf. also iann dior, but he’s not so much rap as r&b. honestly any of their songs slap. and then ofc country and early 2000′s. and any music with good bass, but i think a lot of the artists i said have that. ooooh yes getting out to have a dance party on the side of the road. hehe it could be really crazy. or alternatively, it could be when you’re out on a late night drive and there’s a slow song on the radio and you guys just get out and slow dance to the song together no this is not at all inspired by the song slow dance in a parking lot anyways yes late night drives are so cute. but then of course they can get spicy 😏 in case you couldn’t tell i’m always down for it to get spicy lmao
haha yes quinton and dylan c. honestly have their priorities straight. and devon and kesh are swamped with director duties, so that leaves kirby in charge. so then ofc when we get home kirbs tries to sweet talk kesh, but she’s just not having it. she’s just like how? anywaysssss at the store we have the most duo of ryan and lexi, plus now i’m added into the mix, and it’s just a mess. like we buy a shit ton of popcorn, pretzels, chips, candy, etc. and we literally bought half the store’s supply of everything lmao. and then dyl and jamie are just in the cereal aisle trying to grab as much cereal as they can. whichever one of them gets we chocolate mini wheats i will love forever. and then kirby’s getting healthy food bc yk he’s trying to be responsible. so then kesh has to explain that his whole job was to make sure everyone else was getting healthy food, not just get it himself lmao. but honestly none of the guys actually know what they’re doing lmao. and then we obviously have to get beaver tails to so lexi and quinner can have a moment, but idk where you get those lol. but yes we will be working out a ton on this vacay, so it’s ok that we have sm junk food lol. and then after we’re done with food, the guys decide to wander the mall and then they just buy a ton of video game and then they’re trying on clothes lol. and yes obvi they’re videoing the whole thing bc they’re secretly middle school girls who want to have a blog lmao
hehe yes me getting chirped the whole trip, esp the boat day. and the guys are getting so embarrassed about it, but i just don’t care lmao. and then the whole boat day is so chaotic obvi. when ryan pushes lexi in, quinner will come back and just be confusion lmao. like where’s lexi. and then i’m dying laughing and then braden sneaks over and pushes me in lol. but yes we all look amazing in our bikinis. like kirby is just so in love with kesh and thinks she looks gorgeous 😍 and then dyl and jamie are just like damn you look hot about me lol bc we’re horny ones on this trip apparently. and i’ll wear a tie-back jolyn bc they actually stay on lol. and then ofc quinner thinks lexi looks super good, but then she tells the story about the last time she wore a tie-back and he’s just like why didn’t you do it again? lmao. ooooh for bikinis i like a black top with a print on the bottoms idk why. and then you guys in whichever color you want. also yes kesh and kirby are trying to be responsible during this, but it’s just not working lol
haha yep i can definitely see you and quinner being wild drunks together (it’s more like when the alcohol is wearing off that you guys get really clingy) so obvi you guys start doing body shots. and ofc it turns into a jamie/dyl competition bc what doesn’t? and then me and lexi are just dancing sexy together, yk like two drunk girls do, and then dyl or jamie tries to come over and cut in and at first you won’t let them but then you finally give in and go dance with quinner instead. and then yeah, no offense kesh and kirby, but y’all are the parents here. like making sure we don’t do anything too too dumb lmao. and also being a wingman for some of the other guys. but you guys def dance together at least a little bit too. and obvi we all look hot
yessss i feel like you and dyl could be super chaotic friends too. so the two of you are just chilling together and then you have to distract him lol, but then after that you have a different chaotic friend for when ryan’s not available lmao
yes yes yes, girl’s day would be so fun. and then we get a ton of cute new clothes so obvi we have to model them. and they’re all just in awe, like those are our girls. but then we also do private modeling shows 😏 and we all know how that ends. and then when we’re in our clubbing clothes obvi they are getting super protective over us bc we look so hot and we’re their girls, so no other guys can get ideas. but then once they’re drunk they’re handsy as hell lol. but then the rest of the vacay ends ups spent in hoodies, sweats, and athletic shorts lol. and obvi some of the guys’ clothes
ughhhh i love this, the whole thing was amazing. 10/10
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Play Date, part 2
Herald’s got more training, Nehal has a mission and lots of weird feelings - she should probably see someone about that. Mina just has to sit and watch. Can you separate the art from the context or is Frederic Remington’s work irredeemably tethered to the atrocities of America’s westward expansion? Maybe we’ll talk about it.
Retribution spoilers, implied hypothetical eye trauma, Nehal PoV. Extensive Headcanon for her character~
Part 1 is here
It’s weird seeing her like this - in a gym, in gym clothes. Like she’s just some sort of normal person, some young professional getting in a workout before she goes back to the office. Like she’s not your weirdly comforting-and-psychotic boss who puts on a suit of armor to go stomp in the faces of the city’s hailed heroes and government pigs alike. Only the scars really give her away - one along her brow, the back of her left hand, the burn on the side of her neck. Every now and again, you catch a look in her eyes, past her eyes, and catch a glimpse of… whatever batshit craziness it is that’s fueling Clarity. You wonder if other people notice - or maybe you imagine you notice because you’re looking for it. Whatever that thing is, it’s wild.
But that’s what makes it fun, right?
This time, she catches you looking, “...you listening?” Shit. You weren’t. Does she know? She could be reading your mind - she says she doesn’t, she promises but… like, the government says they aren’t spying on you either, so who knows?
“...yeah.”
“Worst lie you’ve told all day,” she crosses her arms - long sleeves, always long sleeves, you noticed - that’s deliberate, everything she does is deliberate - maybe it’s more scars there? She raises an eyebrow, coolly chiding you, “You lose focus for one second in this game a-”
“-and it all comes apart. I know, I know. I can handle it.” You can’t help but grin. She’s worse than Mom - well, that’s not true. But damn if the similarities aren’t there.
“Don’t underestimate him - he’s bad with real world stuff, logistics, common sense but he reads people well, good with emotions, sensitive.” Her voice is low, cutting, steely, you have to nod, trying to do your part to be a good student. “You use that, carefully. Like we talked about.”
“Like we talked about ten times already, I got it, Mina.” It still felt weird, calling her that, but a little part of you is proud you got that name out of her, that she trusted you enough to let you in on this. It almost seems like a real name but who knows with her?
“He’s here. Laugh. Be funny.” She does that thing, where she changes modes - the hard, bitter lines vanish from her face, years seem to melt away, and you’d swear it was some sort of shapeshifting power. She puts a hand on your shoulder, smiling with what seems to be real warmth, maybe real affection - damn, she’s good at this. “You’re a natural, just… be Nehal.”
You do the same, not as dramatic as her mode switch - but there’s still a small leap from you to well-behaved you - . You throw up your hand in an enthusiastic wave to the angel-headed hero striding into the gym.
He’s cute - but he looks cuter on television, you have to admit. Maybe he wears makeup? Doesn’t really strike you as the sort. Pretty blue eyes, makes you want to jab them with your thumbs - bad instinct, weird instinct, Nehal, what the hell? Maybe examine that drive later.
“Herald, this is Nehal.” Clarity smiles, just bubbly enough to make it creepy, soooo creepy. Herald doesn’t notice - of course he doesn’t, because he doesn’t know who she is, so it’s not creepy for him, duh, Nehal. “Nehal, this is… well, this is your play date. ...Herald can get wrapped up, we’ll get started.”
He smiles, and it’s dazzling, makes you want to pull out his teeth or kiss those pouty lips, you can’t be totally sure which is, cool, cool cool cool. Not weird. “Sure, Mina.” He drops his bag, unzips it and starts to wrap up his hands - you see the slight favoring of his right leg she mentioned, but he’s not thinking about his leg, he’s looking at you, “Hey, I appreciate you being cool about this - Nehal, right?”
Maybe he thinks you’re starstruck or something - maybe the boss thinks you’re playing that up on purpose - but it’s just weird, talking to him, like everything’s normal, like he’s not a Los Diablos Ranger, government law enforcement. And he’s not, he’s… he’s only a couple of years older than you, right? Just some guy. Weird. “Oh, um, yeah. Sorry.” You laugh, a nervous laugh, “It’s all cool, everything’s cool… Herald.” You try out the name - it isn’t his name. Clarity said he was a bit private about the thing. She knew, but she wasn’t telling, so you wouldn’t mess it up. Fair.
The boss settles back on one of the weight benches, doing her Teacher bit, her Pop Quiz voice. You know it well. “Alright, Herald, she’s smaller than you, she’s had training, so what’s she going to do?”
He claps his hands together, working out his limbs, “Uh, she’s going to… probably get in close, try and use my momentum against me.” He tosses his hair back, shrugs his shoulders at you. You flex a little, pose like you’re a threat, flash him a goofy wink. Just a student. You like iced coffee and avocados, right? You are like the other girls. Smile.
“And what are you going to do?”
Herald spreads out his stance a little, but it’s uneasy, unpracticed, clearly not his preferred style, “I’m going to plant, use my reach.”
“Alright, Nehal, what about you? He’s bigger than he seems, and despite that goofy smile, he knows how to handle himself.” Clarity - no, Mina - has her eyes on you.
“Um, I dunno, go for his legs, right?” Your voice hits an octave higher than you meant to. Maybe that was too much. She raises an eyebrow a little - so, yeah, too much. You’re supposed be a nice girl for now, not stupid.
“Alright, you’re going to take turns going through your forms, slowly. I want you to watch each other’s movements, watch shoulders, watch hips. Learn. We’ll… go through all that, some drilling, then sparring.
You lean in and bump your wrapped fist against him, “Let’s make this look good, I don’t want her to get all grumpy.”
He laughs, an easy laugh, so he knows exactly what you mean, “Don’t worry, I’m already on thin ice.”
~
He’s not as bad as Clarity had said - maybe she’s just too demanding. She’d made it sound like he was a rank amateur, some kid, but he’s actually pretty decent. Maybe not as good as the boss or Charge or something, but most people aren’t. You’ve worked up a real good sweat - it’s been fun, fighting him. He’s got such a pretty jawline, and an easy humor, a lightness about him with just a tinge of sadness you can sniff off of him - you see it in the worried looks he holds after knocking you on your ass in the last bout. He comes from money, you’d wager, it’s just something in that flavor of softness.
But not this time - he’s stronger than you, stronger than he looks, maybe from his Boost? But he’s still slow, and the boss is right, his heart’s never really in it, he can’t make himself fight hard in the gym, because it’s just a game for him, and you’re just some girl. You go in for the right knee, and his footwork is slow, he’s protecting it, protecting it too much, so he’s not ready when you slip your arm around his and twist. Insufferable, pretty blond thing.
“That’s enough.” Clarity’s voice brings you back to good senses - that command, that threat in her throat, that’s definitely the boss, not Mina. You recognize you have your hand reaching for Herald’s throat, a foot stepping on his, and his arm still twisted around yours. Shit, where’d you go off to? Lost your focus, like she warned you, dumb dumb dumb. Herald is looking at you, confused, unsure, worried. Not worried you might hurt him, worried about you. Concerned for you. Clarity’s instruction would be to use that.
You bite your lip, tilt your eyebrows up, “Sorry, um, I got a little carried away.” Apologize, profusely. It’s good that he’s worried, pull him in, but gently. Is that your thought? It feels like maybe it’s your thought, but maybe it isn’t. Shit.
Clar’s up from her seat, scowling - but not real scowling, this is… different. This is Mina scowling, not the scary kind. And she’s aiming it at your opponent, “That was sloppy. You let your guard down because she’s not Oryx or Deadeye or whoever, but anyone who steps in front of you and squares up - you need to respect them, Herald.” She uses that name like a barb, probably the hardest blow he’s taken today. “Even when training - especially when training.”
Finally, she turns to look at you, “You, you need to focus.” You lost control, you know, you know. She always says that but, shit, it just slips sometimes, like blacking out. Should probably think about that. The boss gives you a curt nod, “Thanks for coming though, I think this’ll help both of you a lot. I’m going to talk to Herald here a bit longer.” That’s your cue, clean up, scoot out.
~
It’s a good fifteen minutes of waiting outside the gym before Teacher finishes up with Herald and he comes out looking a little sulky. But you’re there to greet him - he puts on a smile for you. You reflect that smile back at him, “She really let you have it, huh?”
He’s a little sheepish, scratching the back of his neck, “It’s fine, I’ve faced worse villains.” You can’t help but laugh, snort just a bit. He totally hasn’t. “What about you, you okay?” Neat how he does that when he gets uncomfortable, turns it around into concern for others.
“Oh.” Are you okay? How were you going to play this again? Apologize again. “Yeah, I mean… I hope I didn’t hurt you, I just…” His smile is soft, and getting broader. “...what?”
“It’s okay, Mina told me you were going through some stuff.” Hell. What did she say to him? “That was a good move though, with the arm twist. Training with Sidestep pays off, right?”
She was right, he couldn’t help himself. You put on your best confusion, “Sorry, who?”
“She didn’t tell you?” When does he ever not look bashful, “Oh, man, I thought you knew she was a hero.”
You downplay it a little, “She told me she did like… some vigilante stuff. But no, I guess I didn’t know.” Like you didn’t go on the internet and start searching every single thing you could about the boss’s old days the second you’d found out. “Listen, I usually get a smoothie at this place around the corner, you wanna… y’know?”
You hadn’t planned to do the smoothie thing til next week. Clar warned you about rushing things but your instincts tell you he’s down for smoothies. “Sure, yeah! That sounds great.”
Nailed it.
~
The smoothies are alright - there’s a better smoothie joint, but it’s further away from the gym, and neither of you have a car. He’s… charming. She did warn you he would be. He’s just real likable, and that’s sort of insufferable all on it’s own.
“I guess, I just can’t really see him as some sort of monster.” His hair has flopped into his eyes, and he’s had different versions of that smile plastered to his face. People pass by you two - some take a second look, but people don’t seem to really think that would be Herald, sitting on a park bench in street clothes, you guess.
“I’m not saying he’s a monster, he’s human, but like… Remington’s first real work was him covering the US government’s war against Geronimo, his entire damn oeuvre is romanticization of westward expansion. He built the public consciousness of the - the Western frontier for decades, and his romantic imagery totally papered over atrocities. So much so that we have a hard time convincing people that there even was a genocide, to this day.” Careful, focus, you get all excited like this, ‘geeked up on injustice’ as ZaZa put it. It scares people off.
But he doesn’t look too scared, “Sure, but do you think he knew he was doing that?”
You dig around in the bottom of your cup for the last of the smoothie, “I mean, he was there!”
“Yeah, but I mean, it’s hard for people to see themselves as part of this whole big thing, in the moment. Maybe he should have known better, but there wasn’t the right person there to make him reflect.” He’s so nice about it, it almost makes you ease off your ‘fuck Frederic Remington’ position. Almost. He slurps his smoothie - he’s empty too.
You nod a little - this is the right time to surrender, “Y’know, you’re different than I thought. I figured like, Marshal Steel was King Cop, and the rest of the Rangers would have that big cop energy. But you seem alright.” He has… nice energy, doing-his-best energy.
You can sort of see it now, what Clarity had meant - that this whole thing was about helping him out too - that he doesn’t have to be The Enemy. Seemed a little self-serving at the time, and maybe it still is - an excuse to manipulate him - but the rationalization must have helped her. It helps you too.
“Well. Thanks.” He leans back, eyebrows up, trying to parse what to make of your compliment, “I guess.”
You hold up your fingers, pinching them together, “Little bit of cop energy though. We’ll work on that. In return, next time, I’ll try not to drop the g-word, alright? I know it’s kind of a buzzkill.”
He blinks a little, laughing, “G-word?” You can see him searching… “Oh. Genocide. No, it’s good. I don’t get to talk about this sort of stuff with… well, my colleagues. The big cops.”
“No? Charge not a big fan of the Hudson River School?” It’s easy to tease, but more difficult to keep yourself from going harder.
His laugh is perfect somehow, full and honest, “Not exactly. I think she’s more into Hawaiian print.” He looks into your eyes, searching. Shit, why does that make you nervous? “Next time sounds good.”
“Alright. Next time then, Herald.”
“Yeah…” For the first time, he actually looks a little nervous, unsure of himself, “...It’s Daniel.”
Smoothies today had been the right call. Definitely. You don’t have to put on any fake smiles. Thinking back, you haven’t had to fake anything for awhile with him. That’s nice. Should probably reflect on that. “Cool. See you next time.” You point a finger at him as you turn to head off, “Don’t go so easy on me though, alright?”
He’s back at ease, effortlessly sweet, “Same.” It takes a moment for you to figure - he’s taller because he’s floating, and he’s floating, because he’s… leaving - there he goes.
You watch him ascend and dart off, beyond your vision, and almost missing him already.
Shit. That was a good mission. ZaZa’s going to be jealous as fuck.
#fallen hero: rebirth#fallen hero#scribbly#sidestep#herald#nehal#mina oh#guess nehal is my baby orange step now??? bloof#part 3 some day#Can Herald and Nehal team up to take on the Tenth Street Tiger?!! find out
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Past loves and future babies pt. 3
Masterlist
Fandom: Marvel / MCU
Summary: Dinner, Drinks and what comes after
Pairing: Steve Rogers x OC
Notes: No one really voted... BUT @thespacebuns reblogged with comments and I decided to give her another chapter :P
All Masterlists @melyalizarchive
Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest
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----------------------------
Before the snap Dixie and Mac had been on their own. The two siblings running across the world just getting hired out as muscle men, hackers, grifters, really anything they could do to make some money.
Then the snap happened.
Dixie remembered standing between an open safe and five gun men. Mac screaming in her ear to get out. Fear in his voice making it hard for her to focus. But she knew the drill when she was caught with her back against the wall, do whatever she could to get out of there.
And then four of them men disappear. Crumbled into ash before her very eyes. The other guy freaked out not sure what to do. Calling out to his comrades. His own shocked yells slowly starting to echo more screams throughout the building as both her and the last gunman walked out. People all around them running out yelling. Trying to escape whatever was happening while their fellow coworkers crumbed around them like some horrible nightmare.
Dixie screamed Mac’s name. Her head set filling with static as she raced toward the door. She kept screaming his name so hard she was sure she tasted blood. Bolting from the building rushing toward the van nearly ripping the door off as she opined it.
“Dixie!?! What the hell is going on?” her brother had asked his eyes wide as he stood there in pure shock.
“I don’t know.”
Since that day their dealings just left of the law slowly stopped. Instead becoming like a second defense to the cops. So many people, unsure what to do, had decided now was the time to play Grand Theft Auto IRL. Leaving millions of defenseless people alone with a lack of defense.
Luckily for Dixie and Mac they weren’t the only ones who had shifted toward protecting those who couldn’t. In fact, it felt like whoever was left had really chosen a side.
Those who were in it for themselves and those who were in it for others.
Mac had found many resources during those times while on the web. People giving them tips on where to go and who to help.
One in particular was a former cameraman for NBC news named Logan.
Logan was funny, handsome, and had lost his wife.
Mac had warned her, the moment they had met him. He had known it was Dixie’s type. Just out of reach. But she couldn’t help herself.
It was like Dixie’s heart knew, fall in love with the ones you can never really have. Just another trick deeply ingrained in her subconscious as a way to protect herself. Remind herself that no matter how close they got there would always be something in the way.
Logan joined their team along with a few others. Roaming the country finding people in need. Meeting up with other do-gooders helping those who couldn’t.
And then everyone came back.
And again, it was just Dixie and Mac.
Alone together.
--------------------------
Dinner was so much fun, everyone talking and joking while passing around the food. It almost felt like a TV version of a thanksgiving dinner. The way everyone was so comfortable around each other. The history.
Dixie felt a little out of place but the great thing about food was that you could shove your mouth so no one expected you to talk. It wasn’t like Dixie didn’t like chatting with strangers but… she felt a little like a cow at this point.
So she ate keeping her posture as small as possible as a way to minimize her presence and keep conversation away from her.
Or that was what she had thought until Bucky met her gaze from across the table. Before she could shift her gaze he spoke. “How did you like the suite?”
Nodding Dixie quickly swallowed the large bite of chow mein she had been shoving into her mouth. “It’s better than my old shitty apartment.”
Bucky chuckled, “Tony keeps this place amazing.”
“The view is really nice,” Steve added, glancing over at Dixie. For a moment she wondered if he was trying to get her approval the way he was looking at her. Wide blue eyes searching her so intently.
“So where did you live before this?” Bucky asked.
Dixie’s mind raced, where had she lived? Everywhere. Her and Mac moved from city to city pretty often trying to find places that rented for 6 months or less. While she knew she had to be here… you know to save the world. She wasn’t sure how open minded the avengers were to her past days for hire.
“Arizona before this,” she smiled shrugging, “Tacos were amazing.”
“I bet, it’s been a while since I have been in that area,"
Well it's pretty hot this time of year"
More small talk continued. Moving past her to something else. Tony’s house in the cabin or how he and Bucky’s arms matched. Well different arms but still. It was weird getting a glimpse into this side of them. All laughing and talking, trading stories and jokes like they were all highschool friends and not savors of the world. There was so much history Dixie almost felt like she was an outsider looking in.
Which in a way she was.
The conversation went from the dining room to the large main room. There was a fully stocked bar. Tony started mixing drinks. Sam teasing Bucky about some mission they had gone on. Conversation flowed easily as they all laughed and joked around relaxing into the evening..
It was warm. These people were a family. Maybe bigger than Dixie and Mac but a family none the less.She had always believed that you could find family anywhere and these people, the greatest heros, were proof of that.
As the night dragged on she watched curled up on a couch her eyes slowly getting heavier and heavier.
Then a soft hand slowly brushed over hers pulling her awake. Turing she met Steve’s blue eyes.
“You look like your are about to fall asleep”
Smiling gratefully she nodded running her fingers through her hair. Getting up she followed Steve toward their apartment. Most of the team had gone back to their rooms. Bucky still there resting with a glass of scotch relaxing just listening to the music. He had been talking to Steve a few moments earlier, Dixie hadn’t caught the conversation comfortable with her own thoughts.
It could have been the long day, or the alcohol and amazing food but Dixie didn’t really think much about what “going back meant.” Or that had been the case until they were there.
Standing in front of the bedroom.
Oh yeah.
This is why she was here.
Slowly Steve -annoyingly- opened the door for her. For a moment Dixie considered telling him to stop. Stop trying to be so nice and just be himself.
She had seen a glimpse of it tonight with his team. He was so much more laid back and casual.
Maybe someday she would be able to get him to act like that with her. When they were alone. She was good at breaking people down. Especially the uptight ones. She just needed to find the right buttons to push. Mac had always joked she had that little sister quality about her, being able to push buttons.
“Soooo” she said as they both stood in the doorway looking into the bedroom. Still so bare and sterile. A strip of moonlight spanned across the room shining on the bed like some weird silver spot light. Even the universe was laughing at them right now.
Ha ha you have to have sex.
Dixie would have found it funny if the guy next to her wasn’t so tense.
It was so thick she could almost taste it on her tongue. The way he stood, the way his arms seemed to flex under his tight black tee. His hands clenched at his sides. Mouth in a tight line. He was totally unreadable and totally transparent at the same time.
Letting out a long sigh she walked toward the bed slowly pulling off her shirt and shimmying out of her jeans. Behind her she heard Steve take a deep shuddering breath. His nerves getting the best of him.
He wasn’t the only one who was trying to hide his emotions. Dixie’s own emotions were like small bursts of nervous energy as she threw herself onto the bed. Rolling into the center pulling a pillow to herself looking back at her future baby daddy.
“Well at least it’s comfortable.” she flashed him a smile moving a little to get more comfortable. He flashed her a small smile before pulling off his own shirt and then pants. Slowly folding them before putting them on the floor.
Dixie couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow not sure if he was just stalling or if he was really that anal. She would log that away for later.
Steve stood now, shirtless in his boxers just looking at her, arms resting at his sides. His hands were a little more relaxed this time much to Dixie’s relief. She looked up at him through thick lashes as she sat cross legged on the bed. Both of them just staring at the other unsure what to do next.
“Did you… want to… this is a pretty cozy bed.” she faltered patting the mattress next to her. That same anxiety building up in her chest. Crashing like hot waves in her stomach. Building up before dropping fast and rough as the bed dipped with Steve’s weight as he sat down.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, turning to face her scooting closer before gently pulling her closer.
“You don’t have to ask” she nodded slowly closing her eyes.
He was so gentle when he kissed her. As if she was going to break under his touch. Something about that tender touch hurt deeper than if he had slapped her. It made her dizzy as if she was standing on the edge of a 100 foot drop.
And Dixie hated hights.
Grabbing him she pulled him closer moving forward so she could position herself up and over his legs and get onto his lap. He grunted, moving back slightly, his hands resting behind him to brace himself as Dixie wrapped her own legs around his waist. Pulling away she looked down at him, studying his face. A million dumb commnets ran thought her head but she fought not say them aloud. Trying not to ruin the moment instead choosing to keep her big mouth busy with his lips.
His hands reached around her hips, unsure what to do not really touching her. Reaching down she took them encurling them around her before going back to his hair.
They kept kissing
And kissing
And kissing
“Ok my lips are getting raw” Dixie giggled pulling away. She could feel his getting a bit hard under her. She wasn’t sure how hard considering she also didn’t know… how big he was. But at least she knew she was doing something. At least he found her attractive.
That was good. Because if he didn’t this whole process would be that much more of a struggle.
Not that she was against wearing a paper bag.
A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do when saving the future.
“I’m sorry” a pained expression spread across his face. His hand reaching up gently pushing away her hair, his blue eyes slightly wide his breath coming out slightly short.
She studied him, her fingers going for his face thumbs stroking his cheek.
“I’m not going to bite you” she whispered, “unless you're into that.”
The tension was cut and he chuckled pushing her forward so she was laying on her back. He kissed her again before pulling away “Oh sorry.”
“Shhh stop apologizing” she whispered wrapping her legs around his waist again before rubbing his arm. Pulling herself up she kissed but above his collar bone in the dip of his neck. Much to her pleasure she heard Steve’s breath hitched fingers gripping the blankets on either side of her.
Pulling away she watched as he positioned himself on top of her again kissing her neck this time. Following her example. His fingers fumbling over her totally unsure what to do. His kisses hesitant.
This really wasn’t working.
"Stop stop," she said pushing his very toned chest gently, "we don't have to rush this.”
“I…” he sat back looking perplexed, upset maybe. Mostly just awkward. This whole things was just so damn awkward.
Smiling she laid down beckoning him to lay next to her, “Let’s just cuddle, we don’t need to rush anything.”
“Ok” slowly he laid down next to her, his face only inches from hers.
“No”
“What?” Steve frowned studying her as Dixie shook her head.
“Turn around.”
“I… ok…” he said slowly turning his huge back facing her.
Wrapping her arms around his waist she pulled herself closer spooning him. It was easier this way she could pretend he was a huge pillow. A very muscular pillow. Closing her eyes Dixie buried her nose in his neck taking in his warm scent. He smelled like warm flannels and justice.
Whatever justice smelled like.
She felt his large hand enveloping hers pulling her arms tighter around him. Thumb drawing small circles over her skin. The touch sending small goose bumps up her arm.
“We’re in this together ok.” she said, her warm breath fanning over his neck, “you just have to be open with me, we can go any any pace you want.”
‘Thank you” he whispered so softly she might have missed it. Maybe it was her imagination.
After all, what did THE Captain America have to worry about?
-GET TAGGED!-
Masterlist
Forever tag: @the-shadow-of-atlantis @coffee-randomness @0hmydeku @xx3fsxx @daisyboobear @jason-redhood @hello-i-lovespiderman-blr @pinkwitch21 @tomhncharliep @cdwmtjb8
Story tag:
@itsmeeluciie
#Steve Rogers smut#Steve Rogers fanfic#Steve Rogers romcom#Steve Rogers fluff#Steve Rogers x oc#Steve Rogers x reader#Steve Rogers#Steve Rogers slow burn#mcu fanfiction#mcu smut#marvel fanfic#Marvel smut#my writing#long fic
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SKZ Are Fuckboys For a Day
*SKZ sits in chairs lined up against the wall in the JYP building, bored out of their minds*
*Itzy walks in*
Woojin: "Ooo she dummy thicc."
Jeongin: "I don't know what that means but I hella agree."
*Chan whistles*
Chan: "YO YEJI!"
*Itzy keeps walking*
Chan: "YEJIIIIIIIII!"
*Itzy is gone*
Chan: "Whatever, she was ugly anyway."
Minho: "FOREALLLL, at least go after Nayeon like I did."
Chan: "Yo leave my sisters outta this."
Minho: "Sorry bro, but I already smashed."
Chan: "WHAT????"
Jisung: "YOOOO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK AT NAYEON FOR MONTHS TF?"
Minho: "I got skills bruh."
*Chan gives Minho the angriest stare*
Minho: "Is there a problem homie?"
Chan: "YEAH, TWICE ARE LIKE SISTERS TO ME, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT???"
Minho: "I needed to pipe bruh."
*Felix and Hyunjin film infront of a phone trying to be Eboys on Tik Tok*
Chan: "FELIX PUT DOWN THE PHONE, AM I IN THE WRONG FOR THIS?"
*Felix continues filming with Hyunjin while he speaks to Chan*
Felix: *poses* "Wrong about what?"
Chan: "Minho slept with Nayeon--WHO I CONSIDER LIKE A SISTER."
*Felix closes out the app*
Hyunjin: "Dude wtf? I wasn't finished lip syncing-"
*Felix leans over Hyunjin and talks to Minho*
Felix: *whispers* "So was it good?"
Minho: "After 4 shots of Soju, it was litty."
Chan: *listens to everything* "I can't stand y'all hoes..."
Felix: *claps hands together loudly* "HE CLAPPED CHEEEEEEEEEEEEKS~!"
*employees from the building stare at SKZ as they walk past them*
Woojin: "He clapped cheeks, no Sandy."
Jeongin: "Yo Chan, if it makes you feel better, you can have one of my hoes."
Jeongin: "Only one tho, I'm not THAT generous."
Chan: "I don't want your hoes."
Changbin: "What about mine??"
Chan: "I don't wan-"
Changbin: "Hold up, I'll call my homegirl from IZONE real quick. She'll hook you up."
Chan: "I said I don't want-"
Changbin: *On the phone* "Hey babe, you guys goin' out tonight?"
Chan: "Omfg..."
Jisung: *gets out of his chair and latches onto Changbin's shoulder* "HEY HEY I WANT ONE!!!"
Changbin: "YO CHILL OUT!"
Seungmin: *watches Jisung return back to his seat* "Same Jisung, I'm trying to get a piece too..."
Hyunjin: *fixes hair then goes back to filming on Tik Tok* "Thirsty ass..."
*Changbin finishes talking to Hyewon and hangs up the phone*
Changbin: "All right guys I gotta go."
Minho: "Wtf I thought you were getting Chan a date..."
Changbin: "She called me over so...I gotta go."
*Changbin smirks then leaves*
Minho: *watches Changbin walk away* "His bitchass is always trying to flex on us, god..."
*Chan still stares at Minho*
Minho: *looks back at Chan* "DUDE ARE YOU STILL NOT OVER THAT?"
Chan: "YEA!"
Woojin: "Minho just apologize already."
Minho: "I'm not saying shit. I'm doing what I need to do."
Chan: "I regret becoming a fuckboy with y'all."
Seungmin: "You weren't saying that when you were catcalling Yeji just now..."
Chan: "DUDE, HE SMASHED MY-"
Jeongin: "Blah blah blah, you say the same thing over and over..." *shakes head*
Chan: "Fine, I'll shut up then."
Hyunjin: "Thanks, I'm almost done with my Tik Tok."
Felix: "Wait lemme finish my part too."
*Felix grabs the phone from Hyunjin and they both pose together*
Chan: *stares then looks away* "I'm so disgusted by ya'll."
Hyunjin: "When we get 10 million followers, don't say shit."
Jisung: "Dang...can y'all shout me out on Tik Tok? I only got 3 million..."
Felix: "Did you pay our fee for a shoutout?"
Jisung: "I HAVE TO PAY A FEE???"
Hyunjin: "YEAH IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK."
Jisung: "How broke are y-"
Seungmin: "Yo guys *reads a message off of his phone* CLC is practicing down the street, y'all wanna go?"
Jeongin: *running out the entrance doors* "TITTIESSSSSSS"
*the rest of SKZ gets up besides Chan*
Jisung: "You comin'?"
Chan: "...Fine."
.
[Bonus Ending]
*Changbin walks in the dorm at 2am*
Felix: "You're here early. What happened with Hyewon?"
Changbin: "Haha you know girls, they get soooo attached, so I had to drop her."
Felix: "She broke up with you didn't she?"
Changbin: *starts to cry* "yEs-"
Felix: "Come on, bring it in."
*Changbin hugs Felix as he cries into his shoulder*
Felix: "I know, I know. You didn't choose the fuckboy lifestyle, the fuckboy lifestyle chose you."
.
hyungwonthefraud
AAaaaAAAaAaA
#source: dream-of-kpop#stray kids#skz#kpop#kpop au#stray kids au#skz au#stray kids imagines#kpop imagines#kpop scenarios#stray kids scenarios#stray kids reactions#kpop reactions#skz imagines#skz scenarios#incorrect stray kids quotes#incorrect kpop quotes#stray kids funny#kpop funny
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Did a riff on the first prompt of @thepriceisrizzoli‘s list here! Hoping to get to more soon! Academy-aged Jane agrees to go to Frost’s family’s Thanksgiving dinner as his fake date, but is sidetracked by the presence of a certain med student...
~*
“Soooo, Jane.”
“What do you want, Frost?”
“What makes you think I want anything?”
Jane swiveled around in her chair to face him, and he was relieved to see that despite her deadpan tone, she was at least smiling. “Whenever you come in like that, like saying ‘so’ with a bunch of O’s on the end, it’s because you want something. So let’s just cut the small talk and get to it.”
His shoulders slumped, but he stayed resolved. “What’re your Thanksgiving plans? I promise this isn’t just small talk.”
“Oh, Uh, I dunno, I kinda figured I might just go to Boston Market.” She shrugged. “My family’s going to Maine to spend a few days with my aunt’s family, and on top of being really obnoxious, they’re homophobic as hell so I may have told Ma I was gonna be way too busy studying up for our written exam to take a vacation. Even a short one. Took a lot of convincing, but to let her feel okay with leaving me here alone on a family holiday, but she knows how important this test is.”
“Oh, and I bet you’re planning to study real hard,” Frost chuckled.
“For sure,” Jane said with mock seriousness. “Gonna, you know, kick back with a beer and really hit the books. And by books, I mean ESPN.”
“Cool, sounds good, sounds good...but what if I had a counter-offer? At least for the holiday itself? Like, say, an undercover mission?”
Jane frowned thoughtfully. “I’m listening.”
Encouraged, Frost grabbed a nearby chair and sat down to be at Jane’s eye level. “Speaking of obnoxious relatives, my mom invited my aunts’ families for Thanksgiving, and if I show up to another family function without a girlfriend, my cousins will eat me alive.”
“You’re afraid of your cousins, dude?”
“They’re teenagers, Jane. Merciless. I am still getting guff about an unflattering pair of pants I wore to my uncle’s wedding three years ago. Pants that, say, a girlfriend might’ve warned me were unflattering. If I had a girlfriend. Isn’t it so sad that Barry doesn’t have a girlfriend? What’s wrong with Barry? Have we tried setting up Barry with Miles’ neighbor’s niece’s single friend?”
Jane held her hands up, trying to keep her friend from spinning further into a tizzy. “Okay, okay. So.., you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend,” she deduced.” Frost nodded mutely and Jane leaned back, putting the tips of her fingers together. “Interesting proposition. Haven’t pretended to be straight in like, three years. Maybe it was the same day you wore an ugly-ass pair of pants and I saw you while I was crossing the street or something and I was like, that’s it. I’m ready to declare my intent to swear off men altogether.”
Frost laughed in exasperation. “Sure, let’s say it was that same day. Now what about this upcoming Thursday?”
She pretended to think about it for another minute. “Hmmm. Sounds like it’d be extremely difficult and dangerous. But Jane Rizzoli never backs down from a challenge.” She reached over to grasp his hand, as if they were making a solemn oath. “I’m down, man, let’s do it! And afterwards, if you want to spread it around how great I did on an undercover assignment with you, well...”
“Everyone will know you’re a pro!”
Unfortunately for Frost, things did not go quite as smoothly as he’d hoped.
He and Jane made a great first impression on his family, His mother Camille made a fuss over them, and Frost was almost a little alarmed by how smooth a liar Jane was, coming up with creative answers to all of Camille’s questions about how they’d come to start dating. She had her arm looped through Frost’s, and would swing them or squeeze his hand at choice moments in certain anecdotes when his aunt and cousins come by to also pester the new couple with inquiries. His cousins thought it was "so adorable!” that they’d come wearing matching football jerseys, an evaluation Jane had been banking on, which came with the benefit of not having to wear a nice dress.
“You’re doing good,” Frost whispered in an undertone in a rare moment alone—they had volunteered to go to the kitchen to get more appetizers out for the endlessly snacking children. “Maybe laying it on a little thick, though?”
Jane whirled around from the fridge, slamming her hands on the counter on either side of him and leaning in close. “Sorry, baby, this is what you signed up for,” she said in the huskiest voice she could muster.
“You...almost had me,” he squeaked. “But then you said ‘baby.’“
“Oh. Too much?”
“Little bit.”
They resumed their work of emptying bags of candied nuts. “You’re just lucky there’s no single or age-appropriate women at this party,” Jane said with a smirk. “Otherwise, I mean, I don’t know if I could reign in all this Rizzoli charm. But just to clarify, you said your sister was coming, right? She’s very cute...”
“Yes, she’s coming, but I regret I have to remind you she’s straight,” Frost snorted. “So it’s gonna be no dice with Abby. I guess there’s that friend of my mom’s we met. Robin? I think mom said she’s recently divorced, although from a husband. Could be bi, though.”
His tone made it clear he was teasing, and Jane opened her mouth to reply, but didn’t say anything right away. She was pretty sure she had picked up some heavy vibes between Robin and Camille, but if Camille hadn’t said anything to Frost yet, Jane certainly wasn’t about to speculate. “Yeah,” she eventually said. “I dig older women, for sure. But uh, I’ll keep my raging attraction in check for the sake of the mission.”
Her commitment, however, only went so far. When a woman showed up who was single and whose sexuality was undetermined, all bets went flying off the table.
Some of the cousins had started a football game in the backyard, and Jane was fast to get into the fray. Some were surprised to see that the composed young woman they’d been introduced to turned out to be one of the most aggressive in the game, tackling guys twice her size. Jokes were made about her and Frost trying to out-perform each other. Jane was running to catch a pass when the porch door opened, and Frost’s sister Abby walked out with a friend. Jane did a double take, locked eyes with Abby’s friend, and the football smashed her in the face.
She wondered if she’d blacked out for a second, because it seemed very all of a sudden that she was on her back on the ground, and this beautiful girl was hovering over her. Frost had come to her side as well, but it sounded like the game was still going on without them.
“What the hell happened there?” Frost asked, trying not to laugh. “That catch was yours to lose!”
“And I did,” Jane groaned, sitting up and instinctively shifting to touch her nose.
But the girl gently took hold of her hand and said, “Leave it alone for now, let’s get it cleaned up.”
Jane looked at her as if still very much in a daze, and Frost frowned, connecting the dots. He cleared his throat loudly, giving Jane a pointed look. “So, Jane, this is Abby’s friend, Maura. They’re classmates. And Maura, Jane is m-”
“Abby’s classmate?” Jane asked with a smile, which Maura reflected. “Med school, huh? So, you could tell me if this is broken?”
“I’m inclined to say more like a fracture,” Maura said, helping Jane to her feet. “Why don’t we get it washed off first, though? Then I can give you a more proper diagnosis.”
Frost half-heartedly stood up with them, but stopped at the porch rather than follow them inside. Abby was sitting on the steps, and she got up to give him a hug. “Do you know if your friend is like, available, and/or interested in women?” Abby asked. “Because mine is, and we both went to help when she went down and I’m pretty sure Maura tripped me on purpose to make sure she got there first.”
A flurry of concerned Frost friends and relatives surrounded Jane and Maura once they got back inside, but Jane reassured them all that the bleeding made it look worse than it really was, and Camille was proud of the chance to remind everyone that Maura was a classmate of her daughter’s from BCU’s medical school. She steered them to the nearest bathroom to clean up in, and handed Maura a dish towel she was prepared to sacrifice to a bloody nose.
“Normally, I’d prefer something sterile, but I think in this case beggars can’t be choosers,” Maura said, shutting the bathroom door after herself. “Are you sure you’re feeling all right? You look very flushed.”
“I’m...yes, I’m fine,” Jane said, clearing her throat.
The problem was that she’d seen way too many movies where people snuck off to bathrooms at parties to make out, and it was a hard image to get out of her head, and that had made her blush and it got worse when Maura had commented on it. As Maura set about dampening the cloth, Jane rolled up her sleeves as best she could and leaned against the wall, trying to strike a pose that was casual but also showed off her arm muscles in a not-too-obvious way. She shifted a few times, and couldn’t help flexing as she crossed her arms when Maura looked back at her. Maura’s eyes indeed lingered on her arms, and Jane tried to mask how pleased she was.
“So!” Such a declaration obviously required a follow-up, but now that Maura was looking her in the eye again, Jane’s stomach flipped and she could feel her bravado slipping like air out of a balloon. “You...come here often?”
“Abby’s mother’s bathroom? I’m afraid not,” Maura chuckled. She wiped away most the blood, and Jane flinched a little. “You should hold this, I mean, you were pinching your nose before, and you ought to keep doing it for a minute to make sure you’ve stemmed the blood flow.” Jane hastily obeyed, but neither of them was good with silences, so Maura asked, “Have you been here before? The house, I mean?”
“Actually, no—”
But answering while pinching her nose meant that Jane’s voice came out in a muffled nasally register, sending them both into peals of laughter. Maura tried hard to get a grip on herself because it was clearly hurting Jane to be laughing so hard; Jane winced as she tried to control her wheezing, grasping onto the sink to steady herself. They couldn’t look at each other, because the giggling was contagious, and just seeing Maura smile made Jane want to laugh at how stupid this all was. Finally they’d had enough time to regain their composure, and Jane said she was pretty sure the bleeding had stopped.
“So where are your folks?” Jane asked, focusing on the mirror as she cleaned herself up. “I’m guessing you’re not from around here?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, I mean, you’re not with your family for Thanksgiving.”
Maura shook her head to clear it. “Yes. Oh, right. My parents are traveling; they’re often abroad. What about you?”
“My family’s out of town. I stayed home to be studious, but I’d just have been at my place watching the game alone if Frost hadn’t invited me over. You like football?”
“Mm, not much, to be honest.”
Jane shrugged, dropping the towel. “Not for everyone, I guess. Phew. Doesn’t look too awful, right? What’s the proper procedure from here, like, do you think you could fix this for me?”
With a delicate touch that sent shivers up and down Jane’s spine, Maura took her face in her hands. “I think so, yes.”
Eager to prolong the conversation as much as possible, Jane bit her lip as Maura continued to assess her. “Um, so, if football is off the table, can I ask what you do like?”
“Hm. While as far as I know I don’t like sports, I’m open to having my mind changed because I really like learning. I like poetry. I like going for walks in the rain. I like modern art and going to zoos and I like when girls wear baseball caps backwards. And...” She popped the hairline fracture back into place, prompting Jane to squeak “ow!” but before she could lodge a formal complaint, Maura said, “I like brunettes.”
“Whoa,” Jane breathed.
It seemed like her turn to add something to the conversation, but then Maura seemed to remember herself—or rather, remember her medical responsibilities. “We should get some ice on that,” she mumbled, as if embarrassed all of a sudden by how forward she’d been. “Or you’ll start to look like Mike Tyson.”
“Hey! Nice sports reference,” Jane said.
Trying to assure Maura that she hadn’t found the flirting weird (in fact, quite the opposite), Jane reached around her to open the door for her. They were back in close proximity now, and Maura might’ve been ready to close the door again to see what might happen if Frost hadn’t seen his window to barge in.
“SWEETHEART!” he boomed in a theatrical voice, Jane assumed was intended to be loud enough for relatives down the hall to hear. “Thank goodness you’re all right!”
He put his arms around her, and in a moment where it might’ve seemed appropriate for an actual couple to kiss, he suddenly looked weirded out and Jane looked disturbed. Maura noticed the oddness of the exchange, amplified by the fact that they seemed frozen in awkward position, but she was nonetheless mortified and ducked out of the room.
“Dude!” Jane hissed, pushing him away. “We were vibing!”
“Dude, you’re supposed to be here as my date!” Frost whispered back. “Can’t you just keep it in your pants for one day?!”
“Frost, you don’t understand, she flirted with me!”
“Oh, you are so toast if you ever have to deal with a hot girl while you’re actually undercover.”
Jane gave his arm a light punch. “Okay, okay. You’re right, I’m sorry, I did accept this invitation on the promise that I’d convincingly act like your girlfriend. And I will continue to do so. But... aw, man. Can I please at least tell Maura? If she sees me being all cute with you, I dunno, I don’t want her to think she messed up trying to make a move on me.”
Frost glanced down the hallway, checking to make sure no one else had wandered over. When he looked back at Jane, she was giving him the bambi eyes and puppy dog pout combo that meant instant death to any and all ill will. “Ugh! Okay, fine, I don’t wanna crotch-block you. But make sure she’s the only one who knows!”
Jane grinned and gave him a real hug. “Ahh, thanks man! Oh, and I gotta borrow this. Don’t worry, people will think it’s super cute.” She nimbly removed his baseball cap as she walked by, and flipped it around backwards. Camille directed her to the kitchen, where she had sent Maura to get an ice pack. Frost was hot on her heels, and as his mother had started bringing food out into the dining room, he loudly insisted that she relax while he brought everything in—to ensure no one else overheard whatever conversation Jane and Maura were about to have.
“Here,” Maura said, handing Jane an ice pack with a dish towel wrapped around it. “That should help. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? What’re you sorry about?” Jane asked.
“F-for...” Maura rolled her eyes, sighing. “Abby just told me you’re her brother’s girlfriend, and I totally threw myself at you and—”
“No, no, no,” Jane whispered. “It’s cool, it’s cool, um, it’s not real. Me and Frost. He’s my bro and I love him, but not like that.”
Maura raised her eyebrows hopefully. “Oh?”
“Yeah, he was self-conscious about coming home without a girlfriend, like, I guess it’s something his family ribs him about a lot so I agreed to come along and kinda help him out. Just this once,” she hastened to add. “Like, just for today. Come tomorrow, I’m gonna be free as a bird. Hell, come tonight. As soon as we leave.”
Her eagerness was obvious and flattering. “Oh, thank God,” Maura sighed feeling much lighter. “It wouldn’t have been the first time I misread a social cue, so I thought maybe you weren’t...” She trailed off, and they exchanged a shy smile. “I may not know a lot about football, but I do know that you looked pretty good out there. Really nice form, for a few seconds.”
Jane snorted. “Yeah, well, I do like to think I’m pretty good. But, uh, turns out I can get distracted pretty easy when there’s a beautiful woman around.”
“That’s going to make your mission of acting as Barry’s girlfriend pretty difficult today, then, isn’t it?” Maura asked.
Following Maura’s line of vision to the counter she, Jane, was leaning her arm on, Jane finally noticed that instead of casually resting her hand on a hot pad like she thought she’d done, she had accidentally let her fingers slip into a cooling pan of baked macaroni and cheese. They both stared for a few painfully long moments as Jane cast about for some witty remark she could make about this situation. That option was not afforded her, though, when Frost came hurrying back in and saw his friend’s hand in a dish. He pulled his sweater up over his mouth to muffle a shriek, which jolted Jane enough to yank her hand out.
“You useless lesbian!” he said, voice still muffled by his sweater, as he ladled out the portion of the macaroni that Jane had touched.
“Hey, wait,” Jane said, stopping his hand as he prepared to toss the contaminated food into the sink. “That’s still good, don’t let it go to waste, I’ll eat it.”
Grumbling, Frost grabbed a spoon to smooth over the mussed mac & cheese, and took it out to the dining room. As Jane cleaned the ladle she had just eaten out of, the last of the straggling kids had come running in from the backyard, and she figured it was probably time to make good on her word to Frost and go make a show in front of everyone else. She turned fully away from the sink only to see Maura standing much closer.
“You’ve got some cheese here,” Maura said, pointing to the corner of her own mouth. She held out her thumb before Jane could do anything about it, though. “May I?”
“Sure,” Jane said, hoping she sounded much cooler than her dangerously thundering heartbeat would’ve implied.
Unbeknownst to either of them, though Jane had kept her word by making sure Maura was the only person she told about her and Frost’s secret plan, they were sharing this cutesy moment in full view of Camille and Robin, who could see it all unfold from the dining room through a small wall opening over the kitchen sink.
“Hmmmm,” said Robin, watching as Maura made the quick but obvious gesture of licking the cheese of her finger. “So, uh, Barry’s girlfriend...?”
“Oh, she’s gay as hell,” Camille whispered. “Mm. This is gonna be rough. I know I said I wanted to tell Barry about us tonight, when everyone’s gone, but it might be too much to hear about his girlfriend and his mom on the same day.”
“What makes you think he’ll find out about Jane today?”
Jane and Maura came into the dining room chatting animatedly, and Frost rolled his eyes but managed a small smile as Jane blindly reached for his hand. With her other hand occupied holding the ice pack to her nose, Jane used her foot to nudge a chair out for Maura.
“Hm. Y’know, maybe he already knows,” Robin mused.
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Remembrance 6
AO3 link Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 Summary: Marinette starts so remember some things.
Chapter 5
She watched Sabrina leave, reaching out and wanting to say something but not really knowing what. She also didn’t have time for this right now, she had a mission.
“Woah-ho!” suddenly and out of nowhere Chat Noir dropped down in front of her. “I thought I’d have to save you from this girl’s clawtches! Get it? Clawtches!” she was still stunned but wow, that was a terrible pun. “But I haven’t even introduced myself! I am… Chat Noir!” he knelt down and kissed her hand.
She quickly drew away her hand, just like always even though this situation was very different.
“Uh, yeah... I know! You kinda save the day all the time and stuff...I'm Marinette! So... What are you doing here?” she had to hand it to herself, she was very good at acting like a nervous fan.
“I’m your knight for tonight’s ball, Princess” while he was talking Chat Noir started to flex. Always a show off. Of course, she just had to start making fun of him when he wasn’t watching, it was just too funny not to. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll watch over you!”
“That puts my mind at ease” back to acting like a fan.
He put his hand against the wall and leaned closer. “But I’ll need a little helping paw. You up for helping a superhero?”
She decided to turn around with her back towards him. “But where is Ladybug? Aren’t you a duo?” she was a little curious as to what he was going to say, but mostly she just wanted to keep making fun of him.
“She's busy with something tonight, so...You get to be my Ladybug”
That did not sound great.
“Me and Chat Noir? Fighting crime together? Amazing! What do I do?” but pretending to be an adoring fan excited to work with him was pretty great. At the very least, very funny.
“You just need to keep him away from his pen, Princess. The rest, I’ll take care of” he gave a salute and jumped away. As he did so, she giggled. This was hilarious.
When Marinette woke up, she was confused. She had been hoping for sweet dreams full of Adrien’s kisses but instead she got… she wasn’t sure what. It wasn’t a dream, that much was obvious. Her dreams were never this coherent, they were always swirls of images that mostly confused her. This was more like a memory.
���
That made sense. It was a memory. She had remembered something. For the first time since the accident, something had come back to her. She supposed she understood that why her brain had reacted so much when Adrien talked about being a knight and calling her princess. It reminded so much of what Chat Noir had said in that memory. It all made a lot of sense now. She would have to thank Adrien for saying that later.
There were still a lot of things that confused her though. Like why she acted so familiar with Chat Noir. She couldn’t remember them really talking or being close. What if they had been? If so, she would have forgotten a whole friendship and that sounded more awful than she could believe. But Chat Noir hadn’t really acted like he knew her. They did both introduce themselves in that memory so they couldn’t have been friends before that, right? Maybe she acted like that because of Alya running the Ladyblog, and therefore Marinette knew a lot about Chat Noir? That didn’t really make any sense either but it was the only thing she could think of to explain it. If only she could remember more.
There wasn’t really any point staying in bed and thinking about it though and her stomach had started making sounds of distress. She needed breakfast. As she was getting up from her bed she reached out and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. A text was waiting for her, from Adrien.
[Adrien | 08:07] – Good morning princess!! I hope you slept well! Last night was so great, hopefully we can do it again soon? 😊
Marinette felt her heart flutter as she read it. He’d sent her a good morning text! And he wanted to go out with her again soon, which she definitely wanted too. It also seemed like the ‘Princess’ nickname from last night was sticking. It was sort of cheesy and dorky, but she had to admit she really liked it. She also felt a little guilty for not replying to him sooner but she couldn’t help she wasn’t a morning person.
[Marinette | 09:51] – Good morning, I did thank you!
[Marinette | 09:51] – and yes of course!!! I had a great time too!
She sent the two quick texts before getting dressed and going out to the kitchen. Alya was sitting by the small table they kept in there, typing away on her laptop. When Marinette entered, she immediately stopped but kept quiet. Marinette tried to ignore her piercing eyes as she started preparing her breakfast. Of course, that only made the smirk Alya wore grow and by the time she sat down to eat it was a full-on grin.
“Soooo…” Alya said.
“So?” Marinette repeated trying to stay indifferent but she already felt her cheeks heating up.
“How did it go last night?” Alya’s eyes were shining with curiosity and delight. “I heard you squeal in your room after you got home”
Marinette ducked her head to hide the big, dopey smile that appeared. Alya, of course, noticed anyway and laughed as she skootched her chair closer. She grabbed Marinette’s arm and started shaking it.
“Come on! Tell me, tell me, tell me!” she said and Marinette giggled loudly.
“Okay, okay! Give me my arm back!” she laughed and pulled her arm out of Alya’s grasp.
Alya obviously didn’t mind. She just propped her head up on her hands, looking like a child waiting for a fairy tale.
“Last night was amazing” Marinette began and Alya grinned while motioning for Marinette to continue. “He took me to this restaurant with this awful pun in the name” she giggled a little. “It was sort of awkward in the beginning but then we started talking and it was perfect” she sighed a little dreamily. “Alyaaaa, he really is the most amazing, kind, sweet, funny, gorgeous person I’ve ever met”
Alya chuckled a little. “So, 14-year-old Marinette is definitely back” she said and Marinette pouted a little, making them both laugh.
“Anyway” she gave Alya a pointed look. “Afterwards he walked me back home, and he held my hand and…” she started blushing. “We kissed”.
“You kissed?” Alya echoed loudly and Marinette nodded. “Holy crap! Girl! Finally!”
Marinette laughed and continued blushing when Alya hugged her tightly and started talking about how all her hard work finally paid off. She said something about needing to text the girls from collége and tell them that Adrinette was finally a thing. Marinette shook her head slightly at her friend’s antics, but she didn’t really mind. Alya had always been her number one wingwoman, she had the right to be excited too.
When the text was sent and all the responses read aloud, Marinette could finally get back to her breakfast. She gave a few more details about the date, but they quickly got distracted by their own things. Alya went back to what she was typing in her laptop and Marinette got caught up in her dream again. It still wildly confused her.
“Hey, Alya” she said and Alya hummed back. “Did I ever meet Chat Noir?”
The typing stopped and Alya closed the laptop. She looked at Marinette a little confused and even more concerned.
“Yeah, you did. Several times. Why do you ask?”
“I just… Don’t remember it” Marinette said. “Or I didn’t, until now”
For a few seconds the kitchen was entirely quiet, and then Alya gasped.
“Did you just remember something from before?” she asked and Marinette nodded. “Girl, that’s amazing! It’s the first time, right? This is so great, what did you remember?”
Marinette couldn’t help but smile fondly at Alya’s rection. She was always so supportive and her friendship was one of the best things in her life. She told her about the dream, excluding the things about how familiar Chat Noir felt. She didn’t feel like it was something she should talk about just yet, since she could barely understand it. When she finished Alya nodded.
“Yeah, that must have been during Evillustrator, when Nathainel was akumatized. Wait, I have the Ladyblog article here somewhere”
She opened her laptop and searched for a few seconds before pushing it over to Marinette with the article up. She read it quickly. It added up with the dream and there were even a few quotes from Marinette herself which she felt very weird reading since she couldn’t remember saying them.
“So, it really happened…” slipped out of her mouth.
‘Chat Noir was super cool’
She could almost hear herself saying it. It was so similar to the things she said in the dream. But then she was only pretending to be starstruck. What had she really thought about Chat Noir?
“It did” Alya said and Marinette’s head snapped up and looked at her. She smiled gently. “This is awesome, you know that, right? Maybe you’ll start remembering more things”
“Yeah, maybe” Marinette said as she looked at a photo of her at fourteen edited next to a photo of Chat Noir striking a hero pose. She hoped she would remember more. She wanted to figure it all out.
“Alright, girl. Stop hogging m laptop. I have an anniversary article to write” Alya said, effectively snapping Marinette out of her own thoughts. “If I could just figure out what to write. It’s literally just the same thing every year. They won the battle, they saved us all, they are heroes, bla bla bla”
Marinette giggled. “Just write something else then” she said.
“That’s what I’m trying to do! I just can’t come up with something good”.
Marinette hummed and drank from her tea. Alya went back typing at her laptop, even though she seemed to backspace more than actually write. Marinette once again thought about her dream, or well, memory. Chat Noir was a hero, but the one personal memory she now had of him wasn’t of him doing something particularly heroic. It was him being a person. A person that she apparently found dorky and funny.
“Why don’t you write about them as people instead?” she said and Alya looked up, questioning expression on her face. “I mean instead of writing about how they were heroes and saved everyone, you could write about what they were like. You did a lot of interviews with them, you probably know better than most” she said.
Alya looked thoughtful for a second, but then lit up. “That’s genius, Mari!” she said and closed her laptop before grabbing her notebook instead. “I could even interview others about them. Most of our class back them met them at least a few times” she said excitedly and started scribbling down names in the notebook. “I’ll still write about them being heroes, though” she said with a raised eyebrow and Marinette giggled in agreement.
Maybe she could help Alya with this project. Hearing other people talking about him might just solve her own Chat Noir mystery.
#mine#miraculous ladybug#miraculous ladybug fanfic#ml fanfic#ml#fanfiction#remembrance#adrien agreste#marinette dupain-cheng#adrinette#love square#my stuff#alya cesaire#chat noir
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Love your fics soooo much!! Fic prompt- I would love to see Alex visiting jo in psych after a few weeks or something.
hey! i don’t really take prompts anymore, but luckily this one just fit what i was in the mood to write about. this is coupled with another prompt in my inbox saying “Jo tells Alex about her abortion”, so there’s some of that here too :)
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She was learning to celebrate the small victories.
In there, trapped in a bubble and closed off from the rest of the world, she had enough time to reflect and enough time alone to sit and truly think about everything that made her who she was. Every experience — every kiss, every hug, every kick, every shove — she’d decided they built her character. Molded her, shaped her, carved her, gave her all the necessary tools to be who she needed to be. And in that sense, she was fine with the way her life was a never ending pile of trauma.
It was a gradual process, one she thought of in steps.
Like for the first two weeks, she didn’t participate in group. Every time the therapist went around and asked everyone to share, she knew better than to ask Jo, and eventually learned to skip her altogether.
And she never touched her food. They’d bring up big elaborate platters with roast chicken and vegetables and big gooey slices of warm apple pie. But time and time again, she’d push pieces around with her fork until it was uncomfortably cold to eat, then she’d replace the dish cover and let housekeeping come and throw it into the trash.
For two weeks, her hair went uncombed and her teeth went unbrushed. Every so often, she’d change her clothes into some new set of pajamas, only to crawl back into bed and do the same thing she’d been doing before she’d decided to get up and change.
For two weeks, she was sure she’d made a mistake in coming there. Maybe she wasn’t ready to fight after all, maybe all she really wanted to do was continue to spend hours alone in her bed. Sure, that wasn’t healthy. But it was working, wasn’t it? She’d pull herself together eventually, she always did. Maybe checking into this place was a big mistake after all.
But during the mandatory therapy sessions, she was learning to celebrate the small victories.
Like eating two bites of food instead of just one.
Or pulling her hair up into a ponytail instead of letting it dangle, tangled and free.
And taking a shower instead of just using a wet washcloth to wash the parts of her that smelled.
Those were the small victories.
But as she sat across from the therapist that came to know her very well over the past twelve weeks, she twisted and twirled her wedding band around and around. The sweat on her palms were like a lubricant that made the ring feel ten times larger than it was. When her hands were dry and her legs were not shaking, it fit perfectly. Alex made sure of that. He sized her finger a dozen times in her sleep to make sure it fit, then had it sized again a mere week after Jo finally accepted his proposal. The ring had a permanent home on her finger and she had never moved it, not once. But all of a sudden, it was slipping.
This was a big victory.
“So um, Jo,” the therapist nudged her glasses up with her finger and tilted her head, a gentle push in a certain direction. “Isn’t there something you want to say to him?”
For the first time since they stepped foot into the chilly room, Jo remembered that the chair next to her was occupied. She breathed in, then out. Flexed her sock-covered feet across the plush brown carpet and let her eyes wander around the cream colored walls. She focused on a “Be The Change You Wish To See In The World” poster and swallowed the knot in the back of her throat.
“We talked about this,” the therapist continued. “You can do this.”
Jo pulled the skin around her thumbnail back a little too far, then dabbed the blood on her nylon sweatpants. She felt his eyes, chocolate brown with flecks of green, low and worried but calm with crinkles at the corners as the only tell-tale of his age boring into her. She knew he was looking at her, was waiting for her to say something — anything really, but preferably the reason he’d been called to attend a session with her in the first place.
Jo felt it. Hot, like bile rising up in the back of her throat, burning with the same intensity that her conscience had the very day she was about to tell him about.
But Alex felt it too.
He was halfway expecting to be told that she wanted a divorce. He’d decided that’s probably what this was all about, because in the entire twelve weeks she’d been in there, he was never once asked to attend a therapy session of hers.
He’d spent the entire car ride preparing himself for that. He’d let her have the loft, for sure. It was her idea to buy it in the first place and when she came home after all of this, she would need a place to stay. He wanted her to have something cozy and familiar. And he’d still help her pay the taxes on it, too. He’d go stay at Meredith’s. Amelia wouldn’t care. She’d appreciate it, even. Because ever since Maggie moved in with Jackson, she had been lonely… right? Yeah. That’s right. He’d go stay with Amelia. Jo can have the loft. She deserved that.
He’d been preparing himself, true. But even still, the thought made his stomach tie into knots.
He was no stranger to losing people. In fact, it was like a rite of passage to him at this point. Things with women just don’t work out for him, and he’d bounce back… eventually.
But something about the prospect of losing Jo just felt… unfathomable. Because even after everyone that he’s lost…
She was the only person he was sure he couldn’t live without.
“I uh,” Jo started, then stopped so she could clear her groggy voice.
Alex shifted in the chair and turned his entire body to face her. The tears brimming the rims of her eyes sent a wave of electricity through his body, and he grabbed a hold of her hand. Though they’d been together a long time, he still didn’t know what it was about Jo that drove him so crazy. Seeing her cry always sent him straight into attack mode, straight into a frenzy trying to figure out what he could do to lessen even an ounce of her pain.
She was the strongest woman he’d ever been with, by far. She didn’t need protecting. She didn’t need him to defend her.
Yet still, every time a tear even threatened to fall from Jo’s eyes, something inside his brain just snapped and he was overcome with the overwhelming urge to take it away. To make it stop. To give her the happiness she so fully deserved.
“Jo? You okay?” the therapist asked, referring to the tears that streamed down her cheeks. “Alex, forgive her, this is very hard for her to talk about.”
“You don’t gotta tell me how to handle my wife,” he mumbled, slightly perturbed that he didn’t know what was wrong with Jo enough to fix it. “I’m listening,” he whispered and planted a kiss on Jo’s hand.
“There’s just a lot I haven’t told you,” Jo admitted, still crying. She dragged her face across her shoulder to dry her tears and sniffed. “And I’m just working through a lot of it.”
“Whatever you need to tell me, I’m here.”
“I just know how much you don’t like hearing about everything. Like everything I went through before you and stuff.”
“S’this about Paul?”
Jo flinched at the mention of his name and worked to steady her trembling jaw. “No. I mean yes, but… no. No, it’s about me.”
“Whatever you have to tell me… whatever it is. I can handle it. Just tell me.”
“I just…,” Jo bit her lip and dabbed her eyes with the sleeves of her black and orange Princeton Tigers t-shirt. “I need you to promise me that you won’t think of me any different. And I need you to promise me that you won’t talk about it when we leave here.”
“Jo, what the hell is this about?” Alex wrinkled his eyebrows and clenched his fists, anger coursing through his veins in place of his hot red blood. He shifted back to the therapist. “What did you do to her? You think this is helpful? Making her tell me crap she doesn’t want to tell me? I thought the whole point of this was to make her better, was to make sure she —“
“It’s a crucial part of her recovery to be able to speak about this and rest assured Dr. Karev, I’m not making her do anything. She knows the rules. I won’t make her bring up anything with you that she’s not comfortable with, but especially this. She made up her own mind. She wants you to know. She just doesn’t know how to say it. It’s a very… shameful thing that she’s about to admit, and she —“
“I’m not ashamed,” Jo said, matter-of-fact. “I’m a lot of things, but ashamed isn’t one of them.”
“Right, of course,” the therapist backpedaled. “Maybe ashamed was the wrong word, I just —“
“I had an abortion,” Jo mumbled and looked away from Alex as she slid her hand out of his grip. She felt his gaze on her change, felt the judgement coming from him and spilling out onto her.
Alex felt like someone had opened up the back of his shirt and dumped ice cold water down the back of it. The admission made his body freeze and his blood run cold. His jaw clenched… and the air left his body.
“You — you what?”
He knew Jo got squirrely every time he mentioned kids, knew that maybe she didn’t really want them and knew that while he was getting up there in age, she was still young and still very free-spirited. He knew they weren’t really on the same page with kids, maybe not even in the same chapter. But he did, however, figure they were at least in the same book…
“Jo, what? When? How did you —“ he felt the tears starting to form, and the disappointment starting to bubble. “I mean yeah — it’s your choice and all — but — I thought — I thought you’d at least talk to me. What do you mean —“
“Alex, no!” Jo shook her head and cupped his face in her hands. “No, God, no. No!”
“Then why…?”
“I meant with — Baby, I would never — I would NEVER —“
“Might I suggest we start over? With more clarity in your words, Jo?” The therapist recommended. “Remember? Clarity? Say exactly what you mean.”
“It was years ago, Alex. YEARS ago. Before I even met you. I… I had a funny feeling because you know, he — Paul — never, you know. And I just thought maybe I was. And then I found out I was but then he hit me and I just… I knew he couldn’t know. That’s what I meant, I meant —“
“Jo,” Alex stopped her. “Why would you think I’d care? I mean yeah I care because I mean, yeah. If it’s eating you up inside, yeah I care. But why would you think I’d actually care? Why would you think you need to tell me not to be angry or judge you…? For anything…? But especially for something you did to survive?”
Jo looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling a bit foolish for having thought that Alex would be anything but supportive. “I dunno. I guess I just thought…”
“I don’t care. I don’t care about anything else but you. You know that, right?”
Jo nodded, then looked up at the therapist. The two of them exchanged a look, then Jo bit her lip, but nodded again. She felt braver after that. Like she could take on the world. She was riding a wave… and decided to keep it going….
“Alex?”
“Yeah?” his voice was gravelly as he recovered from the whirlwind of emotions she had just sent him through. He steadied himself, grabbed Jo’s hand again and was right back to being her rock.
“I wanted you to know that about me.”
“I’m glad you did, but it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change that I love you.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Yeah, good,” Jo took a deep breath. Telling Alex about her abortion was certainly a big victory….
“Because I thought you should know about any past babies before I tell you about the one we’re going to have in five months.”
But telling him that was an even bigger one.
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So, Cheesy Romantic Picnic on the Grass?
So, anybody that has been following me here knows that chenoahchantel/noreasonjustbored is my BABAY in this fandom. Thanks for keeping me company when I'm alone with 12-18 kids in a big, scary house, and letting me toss ideas off of you. Hopefully, fulfills the audience.
For all who read, I just wanted to thank y'all. I thought this would be a one shot, but y'all showed up asking for more and I gave more until I came to what I felt like was the end of the journey. Grateful for everyone who took it with us. To think, it started out with some silly dreams. *Biggie voice: It was all a dream!* Anywho… And now the conclusion of So: The Henry Danger Fanfic aka So, I Had a Dream...
So, Cheesy Romantic Picnic on the Grass?
Charlotte had an appointment to check out a small house that she could rent near the university and an interview for an on campus job. When she got back into town, Piper picked her up and wondered, "So.. since you're moving back home, are you and my brother ..?"
"I reached out to him and told him that I miss him. We're going to talk, probably. I hope."
"Have you seen him since the last time I saw you?" Piper wondered.
"No. He's not on social media anymore, or he's blocked me."
"He left social media whenever you went to Europe. Jasper says that he still stalks your pages though. He catches him doing it at work sometimes." Piper cleared her throat and asked, "You still love him?"
"More now than I used to, somehow."
"Well, I feel like I should be the one to tell you… if you aren't going to be able to love him the way he needs, just don't bother. He won't benefit from some kind of quick fix."
"Piper, are you looking out for Henry?" Charlotte teased.
Piper stared at her with a stone face. "Somebody had to after you just quit on him. Did you think Jasper could do it? Jasper can barely take care of himself!" She tapped the steering wheel with her fingers and said, "If you're really gonna do right by him, you have nothing to worry about."
Charlotte found Piper's protectiveness a little weird, but she hadn't been around in years. For all she knew, Henry and Piper were close now.
Whenever they pulled up to this duplex, Charlotte squinted her eyes and wondered, "Where are we?"
Piper gave her a look and said, "Henry's," like, obviously. She slammed on the horn a bunch and unlocked the doors. "He and Jasper are renting this place from that boss of his at the junk store. I had no idea that he owned property. That makes sense. Because, to this day, I've still never seen anyone purchase anything from out of there."
Charlotte kept silent. This was probably something he had on Captain Man's dime. She wondered if Henry and Jasper were actually paying rent, or just able to stay because of Captain Man's resources in Swellview. Jasper was out first, in a belly shirt and a pair of jorts, and Charlotte had to admit - he'd been working on those abs! He rushed and gave her a big hug and swept her up off the ground cheering, "She's home!" When he put her down, they were just chattering excitedly. She saw movement in the corner of her eye, but was a little bit nervous to even turn and see Henry. But, she did. He was speaking quietly with Piper and grabbing Charlotte's bags from the SUV. Piper looked concerned and he looked… well, kinda like he was trying to avoid being scolded.
But, more importantly… He looked… different. He was more muscular, had some facial hair. With the tank top he was wearing, she saw that he'd added more tattoos and she wondered if he'd done so to rid himself of hers. That suddenly terrified and saddened her… But, nope… When he shifted to throw another bag on his left arm, she simultaneously noticed that her tattoo was still visibly in tact (as well as noticed the flex of his muscles when he picked up more). "Hey, I can help…" She said and went to try to get a bag from him. He just smiled and shook his head, then went inside.
Piper had her arms folded and she looked at Charlotte, "You're gonna be here for him, right?"
"Right."
"Okay. Call me soon so we can connect. I know the two of you have a lot to discuss." She hugged her then pointed to Jasper and said, "Go home. You can see her later, like everybody else."
"This is my home!" Jasper said.
Piper pointed at the right side of the duplex, "That's your home and you go to it, NOT to Henry's, right now. Where are his keys?"
"In my pocket."
"They better stay there until he's better." She fussed and then smiled sweetly at Charlotte and waved as she got into the vehicle.
"I think I've grown on her," Jasper said, nodding. Charlotte gave him a confused look.
But, then something occurred to her, "Wait, why are Henry's keys in your pocket?"
Jasper waved a hand and said, "Piper makes me take them if I see him drinking because he got wasted, busted his fists up, got alcohol poisoning, and nearly choked on his own vomit."
"Oh my God!"
"I made that sound worse than it was. These were three different occasions. Not the same night!"
"Jasper, that's worst. That means this is a habit. How'd he bust his fists up?"
"Punching an indestructible man repeatedly." Charlotte held her head. "In his defense, Ray was really asking for it and he was extremely drunk."
"When did he start drinking?"
"It just helps him cope. He does it all the time and only had three incidents."
"Jasper… Drinking "all the time" is an incident, okay? And the three incidents to listed sound pretty bad. He choked on vomit? Alcohol poisoning? Thank God that you take his keys, or he might have harmed someone or himself!"
"Ohhhhh… now that I think about it… The night that he busted up his fists, he did almost crash. He came home with blood all over him because apparently liquor is a blood thinner? Who knew, right? And Piper immediately tried to rush him to the hospital, but he knows that Schwoz can probably fix it, so he says he'll do it tomorrow. Well, Piper is insisting it happens now, before he gets blood all over the house that their parents think that she's responsible, though I'm pretty sure she was probably worried. She's asking him what happened, was it a fight, did he bludgeon someone to death, did he attack a brick wall? He says fine, jumps in the truck and speeds off. So, at this point, I'm confused, because I was his ride home and she's aggravated. She calls the cops on him, and we get in her car and try to follow him. He was all over the place and nearly drove through the front of Junk N' Stuff. He gets out and goes in, and she's SOOOO mad, but I convinced her that I'll take care of him and make sure he gets medical attention. Schwoz fixed him up, but he had to of course wear the bandages for a while, for good measure. But, Piper's been hard on his case ever since."
"Can you blame her?"
"Charlotte… That doesn't help him. He needs support. He needs love…"
As though on cue, Henry returned and even though he was beautiful, Charlotte certainly noticed the pain in his features. He finally gave her a hug as he asked Jasper, "Trying to steal my woman? I don't play that. Not with this one." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and she melted against him and glanced down at his gray sweatpants.
"Piper told me to go home," Jasper said.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea for right now, so we can… chill, you know?"
"Talk to you soon, Jasp," Charlotte said.
Henry flinched and he joked, "You don't call my Jasp "Jasp, I call my Jasp "Jasp."
"He's our Jasp," she said, with their arms still wrapped around each other. Jasper vanished into his duplex and Charlotte looked up at Henry. "Hey, Hen," she said. He just smiled and pulled her close to himself. "You're going kinda easy on me. I guess I expected a fight."
"I've been waiting for years for you to come back. Last thing I want is to fight with you." He rubbed her back and her arms, then cradled her to himself.
"You okay?"
"No. I missed you more than my brain even has words to like depict or whatever." He leaned back and said, "I would kiss you, but I'm not as good as reading you as I used to be and I wouldn't want to cross any lines."
"Well, I would kiss you, but I just want to know… How much have you had to drink today?"
She saw the flicker of offense and he dropped his arms from around her and laughed a little. "Wnat me to pour you one?"
"No thanks, I don't drink."
"Of course you don't. Your life is perfect. You're perfect. Charlotte Page never does anything wrong or unsavory…"
"There's the fight," she said under her breath.
"Yeah, since you wanted one!"
"I'm not trying to fight. I just heard that you were having some problems and I'm concerned. Piper certainly seemed concerned. Can't I be concerned, or did I lose my rights to caring about you?" They were inside. He flopped down onto the couch. This duplex was actually pretty spacious! But, she wasn't distracted. She sat next to him and said, "I would never attack you, Hen. I have your back. But, the things that I've heard are scary, and I want what's best for you. Do you think you might need to see someone about it?"
"What, like rehab? No. I see a lot. I go through a lot. And, from the time I was 13 on up, I have had a very dangerous and stressful job. I was a good kid. I was responsible and dependable. More than most of these cats in Swellview, you know? It's just that nobody really knew that, because I had to hide who I was and I didn't have the energy to be that kid 24/7. When I unmasked, they got Henry. Hopeless Henry, with the bad grades and short attention span." He chuckled. "It was always okay, though. I had the best friends somebody like me could have. And for a while, I had the best girlfriend. I actually thrived for a while. I was doing pretty good in school. My parents were pleased with me. Like.. I was that dude. Then… we graduated and I had to try to adapt to college life with a different dynamic in my support system. I lost my girl and my best friend when you left…" She furrowed her eyebrows and he quickly said, "I'm not saying I blame you, I'm just stating my stressors." He shook his head. "I did my best and was barely getting by in college. Those professors thought I was a lazy loser. I was protecting Swellview with most of what I had to give, and I didn't have my biggest supporter. I didn't want to bother you. I'd already messed things up between us. You… came to visit and we… I thought that maybe you could see that I knew I messed up. I thought that maybe you would open the conversation, because you're so big on opening conversations. When you didn't, I thought maybe it was because you no longer wanted anything to do with me. Because, you don't like to leave things unsettled. But, when you did, I took that as a sign. Then… you group chatted us months later that you weren't coming home for summer because you'd be exploring Europe. It was like the nail in the coffin."
"Okay… But, why didn't you just start the conversation? Henry… I started so many of our most important conversations and the last one that I tried to have, I tried to start numerous times, only to have you thwart it. Did it not occur to you that maybe I was scared that you wouldn't have the conversation with me?"
"It clearly did not." They were quiet for a while. "I'm sorry. I'm the one that broke things off. I'm the one that rushed to the first available girl to try to clear my mind of you. I'm the one who should have and didn't bring the conversation back around when it mattered. You did a lot of the heavy lifting in our relationship. I should have done all the lifting it would have taken to mend it, after I broke it. Because, I've thought about that conversations many drunken nights, and I definitely was the one who," he shook his head and clasped his hands together.
"Henry, if you don't think rehab, what about at least going to therapy? You should sort these things out with a professional."
"How do I explain my Kid Danger dilemmas?" He rolled his eyes.
They were silent again, then Charlotte said, "Okay… You… Have a very important job that you can't discuss for security purposes… A job in which you are responsible for the wellbeing of someone else. Say that you're in protection services… for special needs citizens. The job often changes, but someone is always in your care. It's stressful but it's your passion and your mission and it has affected you in A, B, and C ways…" He was pondering over this. "Don't think about it too hard. It'll hold up. They won't press you to ask what you specifically do, especially if you've already stated that you couldn't go into detail about the job. I just want you to be the best you that you can be. A healthy, happy Henry. You're… the love of my life. I can't stand to see you hurting…"
Henry looked shocked at her saying that. So, he hadn't messed everything completely upm afterall. He took her hand and pulled her closer to cuddle with him. "You're the love of my life, too," he whispered. "Char… Are you here to stay? Are you visiting before going somewhere else to get your masters or phD, or whatever you're working on next?"
"And leave you in Jasper's care again? Look at what happened last time!" She joked, but he had a serious look on his face and was still waiting for her to respond. She sighed and stroked his hair, "Listen, let's first focus on therapy and rehab, then we can have a conversation. I'll even be the one to bring it up." He smiled a little and for the first time since she got back, she saw some gosh dang hope in his eyes.
.
Charlotte cancelled her apartment hunt and just set up in Jasper's extra room. They thought it might make things less stressful for them if she wasn't all in his space, but she also wanted to be close enough to be able to immediately respond, should he need her. It took Henry a while, but she noticed within the next few months of summer, he began to relax more. She noticed that he didn't seem to be replenishing his bar, (because he didn't agree with quitting cold turkey, so it was definitely still there). She hoped that he was pouring out bottles as he got better and not drinking them, though. She and Jasper had keys to the place, so she sometimes went over to use his gym, and his shower. A few times, he'd caught her undressed or partially dressed and quickly retracted himself (yep, in his own home).
One time, though, she came in and he was there, setting stuff up on the mantle where his bar once was. "Hey… I thought you were at work."
"No. I had a meeting tonight, so I took the night off. It's too stressful to fight crime then try to talk to the group, and it was a good night for group," he said and came over to show her something. "Got my six month chip." She gasped and hugged him. It was an effort for him not to kiss her. "Therapy has been really good too," he said and pulled away from her to finish decorating.
"Well… I'm really proud of you and glad that you're doing so well on self."It had been difficult for her to stay out of the way, but she knew that she had to let him do it. If it was just another Charlotte controlled mission, he never could have gotten the recovery he needed or deserved. "So… If… You… are interested in having our conversation… I'd love to do that as soon as you want to." She noticed him tense up but she didn't know if it was nervousness, excitement, a cringe. Hell, he'd spent months fixing himself. Maybe the last thing he wanted was to connect with her or with anybody else. What was she thinking? Six months wasn't enough time!
"I want that more than anything," he said and turned around and leaned against the mantle. "But, I do have a busy week, so perhaps we can set a date. My therapist says that with my job being so versatile and erratic, that I have to be sure to try to have structure in my personal life and not to be impulsive, to maintain stability."
She pulled out her phone and synched their calendars. "Okay, so, as far as when you don';t have work, meetings, appointments and other engagements and I don't have class, work, etc… two weeks from now on Wednesday night sound good?"
"Sounds like a dream," he said (a callback to the first time he asked her out.
She immediately got that reference and added on to it, "So, cheesy romantic picnic on the grass?"
He smiled, the brightest smile she had seen in a while, "I'll bring the blanket."
…
"Aaaaaand, they lived happily ever after," the older Henry said. "True story about your mom and dad…"
The eldest in the backseat threw her head back and said loudly, "Mom, wake up! Dad is telling us the story about your first date again and still insists on pretending that he was Kid Danger!" Charlotte laughed and said, "I am awake and also… if you thought I was asleep, you were gonna wake me up, for that?"
The girl shrugged her shoulders, curls blowing in the wind. "He got to the end of the story. You know he always likes to end on that cheesy "I'll bring the blanket," (she imitated him) "line. Not even smooth. I can't believe you gave him three kids," she teased.
"He didn't have to be smooth. You've seen photos of your dad when we got married."
"Wasn't impressed," she said.
"You literally look just like me, with a tan and long hair," Henry said. "I wanted to name you Henry Jr, but Charlotte was afraid that you might have a complex about it when you got old enough for kids to tease you."
The middle child, and only boy spoke up, "Mom, then what happened after dad's cheesy, not smooth line."
"They are relentless," Henry commented.
"Well, they are my children," Charlotte reminded him with a giggle, then finished the retelling,
"Charlotte's smile as she went back to Jasper's and started packing was the widest one she ever felt on her face. "What's happening? Are you… Where are you going?" Jasper wondered.
"If I'm lucky.. To where I always belonged. Home to Henry. I'll know in a couple of weeks." She contacted Schwoz, "Hey, Schwoz… do you still have any It's Time gumballs?"
"I have the new and improved It's Time gumballs!"
"I'll be by to get it in a few. Click."
Three Hart kids clapped their hands and cheered, "Way to go, Mom!" She chuckled.
"No respect," Henry said, shaking his head, but smiling brightly as they pulled into the carport of their summer house. Charlotte could hardly wait to hit the waves on her trusty old surfboard. Henry could hardly wait to grill hotdogs and… his alert went off and their eldest complained, "Ugh… You've gotta work?"
"Yeah, he does. It's how we have a summer house, so mind your tone, Girl." Charlotte gave Henry a kiss on the lips, placed her hand on his heart to feel his pulse in sync with her ring, and told him, "Come home safely."
"I always try," he said, as he pulled out his gumballs and tried to find some place to change.
"Okay! House Hart, unpack the truck for me," Charlotte said to her 16, 12 and 8 year old. She watched as a red and blue jetpack wearing streak went up and then over. The kids were distracted and said, "WHOAAA! THAT WAS AGENT DANGER!" They were all super excited and she just smiled and shook her head. She told Henry that the best way of always keeping them unaware of his secret identity was to tell them all of their lives that he used to be Kid Danger. No matter how obvious it became, they never presumed he was Agent Danger.
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Also on murdocklovespage’s post about you wanting prompts, they mentioned “What if Matt, Claire, and Stick were in a room together?” as a prompt and I want to see it
This is soooo late (I apologize) but I hope you like it!
Matt was trying—trying so hard and in so many ways. And thistime, it actually seemed like it was working.
Nelson and Murdock weren’t back together, no. Elektra wasstill gone, yes. And Karen? She said she needed time. And space. But Foggyseemed to have forgiving him, or to be on his way there. Part of it probablyhad to do with no longer having the pressure of maintaining a business togetheron top of the pressure of maintaining their friendship. Most of it probably hadto do with Matt’s sincere and detailed apology, not given in the heat of anargument or as a desperate bid to fix things between them but just because Mattwas really, truly sorry. So at least Matt had Foggy again, even if not in quitethe same way as he was used to.
And he had his own small law practice where he didn’t have anyoneelse lecturing him on the merits of accepting homemade bread in lieu ofpayment. Or on the ethics of some extralegal problem solving. Mostly, heoffered a lot of unbundled services, which basically involved stepping in atdifferent points of the legal process. He helped one client file paperwork,showed up at court for another client who was worried about talking in front ofa judge. Unbundled services were a cheaper route for the clients who had some moneybut not enough to actually retain him. Meanwhile, he enjoyed getting to help whereverhe was needed most.
And Stick had completely disappeared.
So it was good, really. Things were good. Slowly but surely,he was rebuilding. And honestly? It was nice. He’d so thoroughly trashed hislife both professionally and relationally that appreciating all the littleblessings of a relatively normal life was as easy as breathing.
Easier than, actually, since his two cracked ribs currentlymade breathing…difficult.
But that was fine. Much less immediately worrying than theblood spilling from his arm over the tear in his suit. Matt couldn’t faultMelvin for it. The suit did a good job against knives, usually, but Matt’s ownbody weight was responsible for driving the broken glass into his arm after hejumped out of the window. Generally, Matt was pretty good at jumping out ofwindows. But he’d sort of gotten hit on the head immediately before his self-imposeddefenestration, which messed with his balance as he fell.
He was fine.
He was also, however, incapable of stitching his arm up onhis own, so he tugged his burner phone out of his pocket. He’d been trying notto call Claire, trying to give her space. But this was…this was a lot of blood,showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.
“Matt?” Her voice was sharp on the other end of the phone. “What’swrong?”
“Nothing, I just wondered if you were free.”
“Depends on how close you are to dying.”
He hated that she still saw herself first and foremost ashis healer. Nothing more. Then again, he pretty much shut her down every time sheattempted to offer anything more intimate than pure medical advice, so maybethat was on him. “Does bleeding out count as dying?”
She groaned into the phone. “Matt, get over here.”
“Thank you, Claire.” He began the trek back to her place,wincing at the throb in his skull. Concussion? Possibly? Probably?
Maneuvering himself onto her fire escape felt surreal,brought him back to a simple black suit and simpler times. He couldn’t bring himselfto long for the past, though. Back then, she hadn’t even known his name. Hehated that it’d taken her getting beaten by Russians for him to risk revealing himselfto her, which didn’t seem so different from how he hadn’t been able to tellKaren about Daredevil until after he’d ruined their relationship. It was a patternof his. One he wasn’t planning on repeating.
Through her window, he smelled spices from whatever she wascooking. For a moment, he just listened to her light footsteps as she moved aroundthe kitchen, audible under the pleasantly unobtrusive voice of a podcast. Buthe didn’t have much time to waste. He tapped on the window.
The podcast shut off and her footsteps approached. She slidthe window open and hissed in a breath. “You weren’t kidding about bleedingout.”
“S’not that bad.” He rolled his shoulder experimentally asif he could draw her attention to one of the few parts of his body that wasn’t injured. “Can I come in?”
“Yes, idiot.” She stepped aside, gave him room to slitherthrough the window. As soon as his feet landed, she put one hand on his goodarm and the other on his hip, steering him towards her couch so he could sit. “How’dthis happen?”
He wondered, not for the first time, if she was asking becausehis answer might inform his treatment or because she just wanted to know. Hetook off his helmet and she ran a hand through his hair like she couldn’t help smoothingit back into order. “Fell out a window.”
“Have you considered not doing that, maybe?”
“It was an emergency.”
Snorting, she gingerly felt along his arm. “So you alsolanded on the window, I assume.” She reached for her medical bag, which wassetting on the couch beside him even though it smelled of the closet. She’d hadto get it out for him. Or, depending on how you looked at it, she’d gotten itout just for him. “If you fell out a window, does that mean the bad guys arestill out there?”
His stomach tightened with the sense that he’d somehow lether down. “Yeah. They weren’t my priority.”
“Since when are bad guys not your priority? Brace yourself, I’mpulling this out in three, two—”
She slid the glass out of his arm and he closed his eyesagainst a wave of dizziness as fresh blood soaked his sleeve. Then he squeezedhis eyes shut tighter at the burn of the antiseptic, his whole body clenchingdespite his best efforts to stay still. His ribs made their protest known.
“What were they doing, anyway?” She poked the needle throughhis skin. “The bad guys, I mean.”
He breathed slowly through his nose. “Human traffickers.”
The needle paused for an instant. “Oh. And you didn’t tearthem limb from limb because…?”
Would she have wanted that kind of violence? “Had to get thekids out first.“
“Kids?”
Not all of them. Two or three were in their early twenties. ButMatt was willing to bet they’d been caught in forced prostitution since highschool. Maybe even middle school. One of the girls he’d found was only eleven.
He didn’t share that particular detail with Claire. Wasn’tsure he’d share it with anyone. “Yeah.” He gritted his teeth as string draggedunder his skin. “Had to stay until I knew they were out.” But there’d been toomany men in that warehouse for him to fight off on his own when they were comingat him all at once like that. Hence jumping out a window. He was just too tiredto explain that reasoning to Claire.
But she was no longer pushing him to justify himself. “Itmight be ironic to say this while I’m sopping up your blood, but I’m glad youwere there. For the kids.”
“I’ll go back later. Find the men responsible. See if I canget enough evidence for…” He shook his head, trailing off, distracted by the awarenessof just how difficult building a case against them would be. The victims werelong gone, and proving a sex crime beyond a reasonable doubt without a victim onthe stand was almost impossible.
He rubbed at his eyes. Not that he wanted any of the peoplehe’d rescued to have to go through the trauma of taking the stand. But thethought of their traffickers getting off on, what, kidnapping charges? It was enoughto make him wish, just for an instant, that he could operate a bit more likeFrank Castle.
No. He’dconsidered that route before, with Fisk. It wasn’t right.
“Matt?” Claire prompted.
“Huh?”
“You spaced out. I asked if there’s anything else I shouldknow about, since I’ve got you here.” She was running her hand up his arm,checking for breaks or something.
“No, that’s…that’s the worst of it.” He flexed the newlystitched-up arm. “Thank you.” Then he started to push himself to his feet.
She stood up at the same time. “You’re leaving?”
His smile probably looked a little too sad. “I didn’t meanto interrupt your night.”
“Well, you did,” she said simply, “so you may as well do itall the way. You want dinner?”
His mouth watered. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Hmm. I think you should eat.” She leaned closer and put herhand on his stomach.
He flinched automatically, his good arm twitching up toshield his ribs.
“I knew it,” shesaid.
“Knew what?” he asked helplessly.
“You were moving way too stiffly for only a stab wound. Sitdown.”
“You’re that familiar with how I move?” He returned slowly tohis seat, not quite able to feel reluctant about it.
“Too stiff and too sluggish at the same time. I have apretty good guess what else is wrong with you, but I’ll leave you to be honestwith me on your own.” She retrieved the binding from her bag. “How bad arethey?”
“Uh…”
“Breath out for me.”
Matt exhaled obediently and couldn’t help enjoying thefeeling of her hands on him, encircling his body with the wrapping above andbelow the injury. “The, uh—”
She shushed him, then tied off the wrapping. “Okay. Nowspeak.”
“The other thing might be a concussion. I think? Somethinghit me when I was leaving.”
“And by ‘leave’ you mean ‘throw yourself bodily out of a window,’right?”
He grinned. “If you wanna get technical about it.”
There was a clickas she turned on a light. “Lemme see your eyes.” Slipping her hand under hischin, she tilted his head the way she wanted it. “Yep, you look pretty messedup. How do you feel? Nauseated?”
He shook his head.
“Good. So you have no excuse not to let me feed you.”
“Claire, I—”
“Shh.” Her hand was still on his jaw. “Let me take care ofyou.”
Why was she being so kind to him? It wasn’t like he’dtreated her well recently. Ignoring all the help she offered, turning herhospital into a war zone, getting her friend killed. “Claire, I—”
“If you’re about to say you’re fine, I don’t wanna hear it.” She packed away her bag and headedinto the kitchen.
Getting unsteadily to his feet, he followed at a safedistance. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“That’s a first,” she said, but there was no bite to hertone as she stirred the soup on her stove.
“I’m sorry I kept pushing you away. It wasn’t fair after allyou’ve done for me.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “If it helps, I hatedevery second of it.”
“Well, that makes two of us.”
He wet his lips. “You were right, by the way. About me…becomingtoo much like the people I fight. I lost perspective.” He remembered bloodyfists and the snap of his wirecutting through Nobu’s neck.
“You don’t need to apologize to me for that.”
“But I want to.” He breathed in carefully, mindful of thetight binding around his ribs. “I should’ve listened. You deserved myattention. My trust. You deserved a…a conversation,at least.”
She didn’t say anything as she placed a bowl of soup infront of him.
“I shouldn’t have shut you out,” he finished quietly.
She still didn’t say anything for several long moments. Thenshe nodded once. “Thank you. Look, Matt, you’re your own person. It wasn’t myjob to…” She tipped her head back like she might find the words she was lookingfor on the ceiling. “Fix you, or something. So I’m sorry too.”
“Don’t be. Everything you said, I needed to hear it.”
“I’m just saying, maybe I should’ve been more patient. It wasjust hard for me, because…” She sighed. “I care about you, maybe too much.”
His stomach flipped at the present tense. “You weren’t theonly one fed up with me.”
“Right. And how is Foggy?” she asked carefully.
Of course. She knew Foggy. Weird that Claire, so firmlyassociated with his vigilante life, had mixed with Foggy, so firmly associatedwith the law, and he hadn’t even been there. “He’s good. Really good. Workingat a fancy law firm.”
“You don’t sound upset about that.”
“I’m not,” he said honestly. “It’s not the kind of lifestyleI’d want, but Foggy’s happy. And he still has a soul.”
Collecting her own bowl, she sat beside him. “How do youknow?”
He frowned, a bit confused why she was so interested in updatesabout Foggy. “We meet up. Talk about cases.”
“Did you ever apologize for not visiting him in the hospital?”she asked bluntly.
He felt himself flush. “Yeah.”
She waited a moment. “Good.”
What was that, some kind of test? If it was…he was prettysure he passed.
“What about you?” he asked tentatively. “How are…things?”
“Things,” she repeated, obviously unimpressed.
“I mean—” He broke off.
“Matt?”
“Shh,” he whispered.
“What?” she demanded, ever contrary.
“Someone’s coming.” He’d know that heartbeat anywhere. Hegot up from the stool, stood stiffly in the center of the room. “No, no, notnow.”
“Am I supposed to know why you’re freaking out?”
His hands curled into fists. “I’m so sorry, Claire. I’m so,so sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t realize he was following me.” Hadn’t even realizedStick was back in Hell’s Kitchen.
“How bad is it?” Claire sounded scared, but also like shewas trying not to be.”
He didn’t want to frighten her, but… “I don’t know,” he admitted.“It’s, uh, someone from when I was a kid. It’s the guy who trained me.”
She let out a whistle. “So, like, a superhero?”
“Ha,” Matt laughed grimly. “Stick’s not a superhero.” Hemoved to her front door. “He’s on the stairs.”
“But he’s a good guy, right?” She followed him, nervous butstill trying not to show it. “Right? Matt?”
“Not really,” he said heavily, resting his forehead againsther door. He couldn’t fight Stick like this, which…which…he shouldn’t have to,but Stick also shouldn’t be here atall.
His cane tapped along the stairs just outside her apartment.
Matt swore under his breath. “I’m gonna go take care ofthis.”
“Wait!” Claire grabbed his arm. It was his good arm, but hestill sucked in a breath as his ribs objected. “What’re you gonna do, pickanother fight?”
“If I have to.” He unlocked the door.
She slammed her shoulder against the door, shutting itfirmly. “Your mask’s on the floor.”
Right. Someone could see him. And now Stick was rightoutside. Planting his feet, Mat leaned against the door. “Stay back,” hewhispered.
Stick’s voice floated through. “Lemme in, Matty.”
It was enough to bring Matt back to a cemetery, standingover the grave of the woman he loved with the man who’d manipulated her intobecoming a weapon. Like he’d manipulated Matt.
“Matty,” Stick called.
“No está aquí,” Claire called back.
Matt sighed and wrenched the door open. “He can smell me.”
Stick wasted no time before strolling through, dropping hiscane by the counter. His left wrist was swollen. Sprained, maybe? “Anyone couldsmell you, Matty. Left a trail of blood thicker than a river. Might as wellhand out invites with her address on ’em.” He turned to flash Claire adangerous smile. “Nice to finally hear your heartbeat.”
That precious heartbeat sped up. “Excuse me?”
“Just that I’ve smelled you often enough, hanging out atMatty’s place.” He made a show of sniffing the air. “You’re a nurse. Or something. That explains somethings. Like why he’s still alive.” He slowly tilted his head. “And why you’realive too, I guess.”
“Is that a threat?” Claire asked in a low voice.
“No,” Matt said quickly. “He just has this stupid beliefthat anyone in my life will end up dead because of me.” Well, Matt wasn’tconvinced that it was actually such a stupid belief. But he told himself it wasstupid whenever it started echoing in Stick’s voice. He kept himself between them.“So you found me, Stick. Congratulations. What do you want?”
“It’s not about what I want, Matty. It’s about what youneed.”
“No. I don’t need anything—I’m done.” He risked a stepcloser. “We fought off the Hand, we buried the Black Sky. We’re done.”
“The Black Sky,” Stick said softly, bringing up his hand torest on Matt’s shoulder, his ancient fingers tapping against the thick materialof Matt’s suit. “How’re you doing with all that?”
“Fine,” Matt gritted out.
Stick jerked his chin at Claire. “Did he tell you his girlfriend’sdead?”
Claire’s lips parted.
It was like the broken piece of window was stabbing Matt’sheart instead of his arm. “She wasn’t—she wasn’t my girlfriend, Stick.”
“Oh, right, that was the other one. The reporter. Smellslike she cut you lose. Smart girl.”
“Don’t talk about her,” Matt snapped. “I gave you a chanceto tell me what you’re doing here, now—”
“Now what?” Stick drawled. “You’ll throw me out? You can barelystand up.” He took a casual step forward, like he was aiming to wander over tothe couch.
Matt shifted in front of him. “Leave.”
“If I do, it’s the same as leaving you and your new girlieto a horrible death.”
Claire stiffened, but she remained outwardly calm. As forStick, his heart beat steadily, but just because Stick believed something didn’tmean he wasn’t also insane. “Then Iwill deal with it,” Matt growled.
“No, you won’t,” Stick said derisively. “I heard you in thatwarehouse. You could barely get the kids out, and you left those men to keepdoing the same thing the second you look the other way. You’re not dealing withshit.”
“He saved those lives,” Claire cut in suddenly.
“Claire,” Matt warned.
“He saved those kids’ lives,” she insisted, edging up behindhim. “What’s your name? Stick? If you were there, why didn’t you jump in tohelp?”
Stick craned his neck like he could see past Matt standingbetween them. “Those kids, those men, it was all just a distraction. That’swhat keeps happening—he gets all caught up in all the wrong things, and as soonas the enemy strikes, he’s useless.” He paused. “I take it back. You can beuseful. You’d just be better off if you weren’t tied down by all that pity youcarry for every whimpering thing that’ll just die anyway once the war comes.”
Half of Matt’s brain was stuck on one single sentence—you can be useful. The other half wasfurious that Stick was still here. “WhateverI do, whatever I feel, it’s my business.”
“Until your bleeding heart gets you killed and I loseanother soldier.”
Suddenly, Matt was yelling. “Like you lost Elektra?”
Stick raised his voice to match. “We both lost her, and itwouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t dragged her off to save—”
“You knew she was the Black Sky—you would’ve killed her! Youtold me you would’ve—” He cut himselfoff, took a deep breath. “Are you back in this city because of some specificthreat or not?”
“I’m back because it’s time for you to get your head out ofyour—”
“Okay, great, we’re done.” Matt walked forward, straightinto Stick.
Stick didn’t budge. “The Hand’s coming. Whatever they’ve gotplanned, it’s big.”
“If they’re not here yet, I don’t care.” He shoved Stick.Stick shoved back, and Matt sucked in a breath as pain arced across his ribs.
“Matt.” Claire’s voice unsettled.
Stick drew his sword.
“Matt,” Clairegasped.
“Listen to your girlfriend, Matty. We need to have a chat.”
“Not my girlfriend, Stick.” Another shove.
Stick raised the sword, but didn’t strike with it. “If theHand comes back, you’ll just get her killed by playing around with her.”
See, that was the thing. That kind of logic made sense backhe was keeping everyone else tucked away in safe little boxes, boxes reservedfor best friends and secretaries and the kind nurse he had a crush on. Didn’twork so well for law partners who yelled at gang members and reporters who befriendedthe Punisher and the nurse who agreed to use her hospital for the Hand’svictims.
Actually, he should’ve known that logic didn’t work withClaire as soon as she pulled a masked vigilante out of her dumpster.
“Listen to me very carefully,” Matt said quietly. “I’ll doeverything I can to keep her safe. But if—if—somethinghappens to her, it’ll be because she decided that helping people is worth therisk. I definitely won’t keep her safer by staying away.”
Stick shrugged. “And then you’ll kill yourself when you loseher, and then I’ll lose you.”
Matt tilted his head. “And that bothers you,” he murmured. “Itbothers you because you broke your own rules. With me.”
“You’re useful,” Stick argued.
“You’re broken.” Another shove. Stick was at the threshold. “Iappreciate all you’ve done for me, I really do, but I don’t need you anymore.”
“Maybe not, but you will.”
Matt wanted to say, Youknow where to find me. But he also didn’t want to give Stick the slightesthint of permission. Not that Stick ever cared about permission. It felt like asmall victory to keep silent and just give him a final shove out the door.
“Take care of yourself, Matty.” Then Stick spoke a littlelouder, voice aimed at Claire. “I’ll see you around!”
“You won’t.” Matt shut the door. Locked it. Listened asStick hovered just outside.
Claire approached from behind him. “Is he still there?”
Matt didn’t move from his position. “Yeah.”
“And he can still hear me?” When he rolled his eyes inaffirmative, she put her mouth by the door. “Go put some ice on your wrist! Itlooks sprained!”
Matt shot her a look of exasperation. “What’re you—”
She pressed her hand to his mouth and cocked her head. Thenshe made a smug sound as Stick’s footsteps retreated.
Matt waited until he was mostly sure Stick was out of rangebefore finally stepping away from the door. “What was that about?”
“Bossing you around with concern over minor injuries hasalways been a surefire way to scare you off.”
“So you admit that a sprain is minor.”
“I admit that youthink a sprain is minor. Figured he’d have the same mentality.”
Matt stifled a grimace. “Yeah. We’re, uh…we’re a lot alike.”
“Not really.” Turning around to face him, she folded herarms. “Is he always like that?”
“Vaguely ominous? Pretty much.”
“I mean, is he always going on about how helping people isn’tworth it? Or how you’ll get people killed by playing around with them?”
He cringed at the phrase. “Yeah. He started in on that stuffback when I was a kid, when he was—”
“When you were a kid?”The shock in her voice was practically palpable.
Right. She was the first person since Elektra to know bothsides of his life, making it easy, sometimes, to forget how little she stillknew about him. “Uh. Yeah. He trained me to control my senses.” He paused. “Andto fight.”
“And he was telling you not to feel pity all the way backthen?” Her voice was tight with anger.
He wasn’t sure what to say that wouldn’t just make herangrier. “He wanted me to be a soldier.”
“Mierda,” shemuttered under her breath. “Explains a lot.”
What, exactly, did that explain? “It wasn’t that bad, Claire.In most ways, he saved my life. I could barely control my senses when my dadwas still alive. When I was in the orphanage, everything was too—”
“What orphanage?” Her voice was deadly calm.
Matt suddenly wished he was doing something. Eating, walking…evengetting stitched up would be preferable to just standing there, trying to fieldher questions. “St. Agnes.”
“I didn’t know,” she said softly.
“I didn’t tell you,” he countered, turning to shuffle backto his stool at her counter. Not that he was hungry anymore.
She followed, but didn’t sit. Instead, she stood close tohim, leaning against the counter across his legs. “Why didn’t he use his sword justnow?”
“Because he knows it would’ve killed me,” Matt said heavily.
“What?”
“It…it would’ve been a threat to you. So I wouldn’t havestopped fighting him.” Matt fidgeted with the material of his pants. “He didn’twant to lose me. Not before the war.”
“The war like…those ninjas who attacked the hospital?”
“Something like that.” He briefly closed his eyes. “If…ifthey come back, I’ll deal with it. I won’t drag you into it.”
She shook her head. “Like you told him, I’m here to helppeople.”
She was so…adjectives failed him. Matt swallowed. He’d toldStick she wasn’t his girlfriend. And she wasn’t.
But, oh, he wanted that. He still missed Elektra, and hestill missed Karen, but Claire…Claire was different. She wasn’t as destructiveas either of them and her moral compass was steadier than anything he’d everknown.
He still didn’t feel like he deserved her. Still didn’t wantto hurt her. But like everything else, that was her choice to make, not his. Andhe no longer believed the things Stick preached. So if he could bring her anyhappiness, any security, any…anything good, he’d do it. He cleared his throat. “Claire?”
“Mm-hmm?”
“Can I…can I take you to dinner?”
She held completely still.
He was such an idiot. “I wasn’t—I mean—you can say no, Ijust thought—”
“I hope you’re not insulting my soup. It’s my mom’s recipe.”
“It was delicious,” he said weakly.
“What is this, then? Payment for me taking care of you?”
All right, he could spell it out, if that was what shewanted. “A date, Claire. I’m…I’m asking you on a date.”
“Huh.” Her arms wrapped tighter around herself, but he heardher heartrate picking up. “You’re concussed. You sure even you know what you’resaying?”
“I’m sure,” he said immediately. “Very sure.”
“You’re not just sticking it to that old man?”
She wasn’t saying yes. But she wasn’t saying no. He movedcarefully closer, reached out, found her hand. “Claire,” he said softly. “I’vewanted this for a long time. And you were right, before, to say no. I wasn’t…I’mnot proud of who I was.” He hesitated. “In many ways, I’m not proud of who I am.But—”
“I am,” she interrupted. “I’m proud of you.”
That right there was more disorienting than the hit to thehead. “What?”
“I’m proud of you,” she said simply. “And I can’t…I can’tpromise you more than a date, not yet, but—”
His heart leapt and he felt dizzy for very new reasons.
“I like Middle Eastern food.”
He was already nodding. “I can do that.”
“I have Thursdays off.” Suddenly, she was speaking veryfast. “Usually. Unless they need me, but I usually get a heads up. I’ll callyou if I can’t make it.”
“This Thursday?”
“Can we?”
He grinned. “Yeah. This Thursday. I know a great place.”
“I’ll trust your judgement.”
She trusted him. “Claire.”He said it just to savor the fact that he could. Drawing closer, he brushed thetips of his fingers against her wrists, then skimmed his hands up her arms torest on her shoulders. “Thank you. For everything.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “It was my pleasure.”
No lie, no lie in her heartbeat. One of his hands he slid overto the back of her neck; with the other, he lightly touched her lower lip.
She rose up on her toes to meet him with a kiss.
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