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star-spangled-steve · 4 years

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His New Partner

Chapter 47: The Aftermath

Series Masterlist

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

Words: 4292

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mentions of death, pregnancy.

A/N: This took me so incredibly long (as usual), but I hope you guys enjoy it!

Having to tell Y/N about Tony’s death was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of Steve’s life. Nothing saddened him more than watching his wife cry, and cry, and cry, not even wanting to believe that what she was hearing was true.

Tony had been such a close friend of hers, helping her all throughout her pregnancy, assisting her with anything she and A.J. needed when Steve himself hadn’t been present. Hell, she even named their son after him. Y/N loved Tony like a father and she simply couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she would never get to see him again.

The woman was depressed for days, the weight of the death of her two friends simply being too much to carry. Steve too was a mess, as he also cared for Natasha and Tony so deeply. But he knew that he really had to take care of his wife right now, as she was barely eating, drinking, or sleeping, all while being pregnant.

So much loss was just too hard for her to bear. It also had her worrying about who else she could possibly lose if things kept going the way they did.

Y/N’s body wracked with sobs as she sat sideways on her husband’s lap on their bed, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. He had pulled her onto him as a way to try and comfort her, as she’s been crying for the past two hours since he’d told her about the terrible news.

She asked Steve if she should call Pepper to send her condolences, but he advised that it was late and she should probably wait until morning. Any bit of sleep Pepper could get should be cherished, as it would probably be very hard for her.

So now here the couple sat, the only sounds in their house being Y/N’s sobs that she tried to muffle in her husband’s shoulder, wanting to make sure that baby Anthony James didn’t hear.

“I... I just...” she began to speak in between sniffles, but then she cut herself off. She didn’t want to say something that could make her sound selfish, but this one thought was starting to be the only thing she could think about.

“What, sweetie?” Steve questioned, tears in his own eyes, rubbing his hand up and down the expanse of her back soothingly. “What is it?”

The woman lightly shook her head. “Never mind.”

“No, no.” The man urged, bringing a hand up to cradle the side of her face, stroking her cheek lovingly. “Tell me, come on. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“It’s just,” she choked on a sob, “I feel like I’m losing everyone I care about, you know? And-And I...” Y/N lightly shifted in his lap, wanting to look him in the eye, “I know this may sound awful, and not what I should be thinking about, but... I just can’t help but be thankful for the fact that it wasn’t you who died out there.” More heavy cries came out of her as she covered her face with her hands, trying to calm herself down.

“Oh, baby-”

“I just...” she cut Steve off, needing to get this all out, “I just can’t stop thinking about it. We’ve been so unbelievably lucky, Steve. We’ve lost so many of your teammates over the years, and we’re, I’m so lucky that you haven’t been one of them. But like... what if you were? I couldn’t do this alone.” The woman gestured down to her baby belly. “I couldn’t raise these kids with you. I couldn’t go on without you. And, oh my god, I feel so bad for Pepper, Steve. I wouldn’t survive what she’s going through. I-“

“Hey, shhh.” The man cut in, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her closer to his chest. When her words were getting faster as she kept going, Steve could tell her that anxiety was getting the best of her, and knew that she needed to be soothed. “Shhh, babydoll, shhh.” He lightly rocked her back and forth, pressing soft kisses to her hair every now and then. “I know that it’s a lot to deal with, N/N, but you’re getting worked up over something that hasn’t happened. I’m right here, angel. I made it and I’m right here.”

“But what if one day you aren’t?” Y/N questioned, not even wanting to imagine how she would feel if that happened.

“Then you’d get through it, okay?” He spoke gently. “Just like Pepper is going to, because we’re going to help her out. But that’s not even going to happen with us, because I’m not going anywhere.” Steve brought a hand to her belly and rubbed it comfortingly. “Remember that pinky promise we made? That I’d return home from the time travelling safely? Well it worked, and it doesn’t just apply to that mission. I’ll always come home to you, princess. I promise.”

“M’kay.” Y/N spoke into his shoulder, sleepily. Her husband was grateful that his words were effective in calming her down, previously worried that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep at all that night. He held her tightly for several more minutes before she became completely silent.

“You feeling sleepy, doll?” He asked her quietly. And when he didn’t get an answer, he glanced down, slightly smiling to himself when he saw what she was already asleep.

Y/N’s hands trembled as she applied some sparkly pink lip gloss to her lips, staring in the dresser mirror intently. Words couldn’t describe how nervous she was for today’s events. First of all, it was the first time she was leaving the house in almost a week, as so far she had been too depressed to be productive in the slightest. This meant that it was the first time she’d be seeing the world with the other half of the population returned. Secondly, today she, Steve, and A.J. were going to lunch with Sam and Bucky. This would be the first time she’d ever met the brown-haired super soldier who was her husband’s best friend, and the thought made her so very anxious.

Steve and Bucky had been like brothers since childhood. They had probably always talked about their future wives and how they envisioned them to look, talk, act. What if she didn’t live up to the expectation in Bucky’s head about what Steve’s wife would be like? What if she was a disappointment?

“You look so gorgeous, baby.” Steve spoke from behind Y/N, interrupting her insecure thoughts. He stood behind her as they faced the mirror, his front to her back, his hands resting on her large belly. The man rested his chin on her head and gave her a small smile in the reflection. “You sure you’re okay to go? You seem a bit uneasy.” Ah, yes. He could always read her like a book.

“Yeah,” the woman spoke, gulping, “just a bit nervous. I’m meeting your best friend today.”

Steve smiled slightly, feeling complimented that she cared so much about the people in his life. “Well if it makes you feel any better, I just talked to Sam, and Bucky is just as nervous as you are.”

“Really?” Y/N questioned, shuffling out of her husband’s hold to chose her earrings. She decided on her silver ones with dangly pink hearts.

“Oh yeah.” The man said. “Sam said he’s worried that you’ll be angry with him.”

His wife turned to face him in shock, her mouth agape. “What? Why?”

Steve shrugged. “I’m not sure honestly. We can talk it through when we’re there.” He watched as she put in the earrings and started fixing her hair in the mirror again. “Speaking of being there... are you almost ready to go? You’ve been getting ready for like forty minutes, sweetheart.”

Y/N gave him a slightly annoyed look, though it was completely playful. “You try finding an outfit that compliments your figure when your stomach is larger than the freaking planet.” She sighed, before suddenly turning more serious. “I just wanna’ look good. It’s his first time seeing me. What if he thinks you could’ve done better?”

Steve frowned at her words, though he wasn’t completely surprised that she’d say something like that. Y/N has always been incredibly insecure, even though she had no reason to be. She was absolutely perfect in Steve’s eyes. “Doll,” the man spoke, walking up behind her once again and turning her around to face him, “there is no better than you.” He brought a hand up to cradle the side of her face. “You’re so beautiful, N/N. So incredibly perfect, and I’m so lucky to have you. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”

The woman smiled at his words, looking up at him lovingly. “I-“

She was about to say something when they were interrupted by the sound of a toddler laughing, and the two began to chuckle, wondering what baby Anthony was up to. “I’ll go check on that.” Steve stated. “You just take your time, pretty girl.” He then pressed a kiss to her forehead before exiting the room.

She took a deep breath, in and out, facing herself in the mirror. ‘You got this, Y/N.’ She told herself to try and calm her nerves, before hurrying to finish up.

*****

“You got this, man.” Sam assured Bucky with a pat on the back as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the diner.

Much like Y/N, Bucky was also incredibly nervous for this meeting. He was honestly worried that the woman would be mad at him; mad at him for taking away her husband for two years. It was to rescue Bucky that Steve had to leave, and perhaps Y/N would still be holding a grudge. He wouldn’t blame her if she was.

He was also a murderer, in his own eyes. No matter how many times Steve and the others had tried to assure him that what he did wasn’t his fault, Bucky still couldn’t believe that. He knows that it was his hands that did it, and for that he still felt an immense amount of guilt. Would Y/N even feel comfortable bringing herself, her son, and her unborn daughter around a man as tainted as himself?

A black Audi being parallel parked next to the sidewalk alerted the pair that the family had finally arrived, and Sam gave Bucky a reassuring pat on the back.

“That’s them.” The Falcon stated, watching as Bucky gulped.

The first to exit the car was Steve, who immediately shot his friends a grin as he jogged over to the passenger side door, opening it for his pregnant wife. He helped her out with a steady arm, even though she really wasn’t far along enough yet to need it. He just loved assisting her.

“Hey!” She greeted the two with a smile as her husband got their son out of his car seat.

“N/N!” Sam cheered back, opening up his arms for a hug. “It’s so nice to see you! Look at you, all pregnant and everything. You look awesome.”

“Aww, thanks, Sam. It’s so nice to see you too, buddy.” Y/N agreed as she settled into his embrace. As they separated, she turned towards Bucky with an adoring look on her face. “And it’s so great to finally meet you.” She chuckled.

The long-haired man let out the breath he didn’t even know he was holding, relieved that she was happy to meet him. “You too.” He smiled back, quite shyly too. He hoped that one day he could gain back the confidence in himself that he once had.

“And boys,” a deep voice had all three of them looking to Y/N’s right, “there’s someone else I’d like you to see.” In his arms was little Anthony, all wide-eyed and smiley. It was rare that he got to meet new people. “Buck, this is A.J.”

Sam practically melted on the spot. “Aww, look at him.”

Bucky’s mouth went agape. Steve had told him that he had a son and a wife, but seeing them both in front of him was almost overwhelming. The small kid from the 40s was all grown up. “W-Wow, I-” he was at a loss for words. “He’s... beautiful, Steve. I’m so happy for you. You two are practically twins.”

Steve nodded his head with a laugh. “Yeah, so I’ve been told.” He turned to his other friend. “Sam, I know you’ve met him briefly in passing before. A.J., do you remember seeing Sam? Your Uncle Sam?” He asked the boy.

Anthony nodded his head and Y/N giggled.

“Unqle Sam.” He slurred out, making Sam’s mouth drop open.

“Wow!” He said in astonishment. “This kid is smart!”

“Wanna’ hold him?” The woman asked.

“Oh my god, of course I do.”

Steve gently passed the toddler over to his friend, making sure that Sam was holding him correctly before he let go.

“Hey, little guy. I’m your uncle.” He beamed, turning to Y/N and Steve. “I’m an uncle of Captain America’s son. This is so cool!” The man watched as she laughed again before he turned to Bucky, who has been quietly staring this entire time. “Wanna’ try, Bucky?”

“Oh... I-“ The man stuttered. “I don’t know if she wants that. I mean-”

“Of course I want that.” Y/N cut him off insistently. “You’re his uncle too, Bucky.” She gave him an encouraging smile, and he nodded his head at Sam.

Once again, Steve stepped in to make sure that Bucky was holding him right. The moment that A.J. was in his arms, the brown-haired soldier was in awe of him. His best friend in the world helped create this cute little thing. How crazy.

“Buddy, can you say ‘Uncle Bucky?’” Steve asked his son.

A.J. looked up with a twinkle in his eyes before cheering: “Unqle ‘Ucky!”

Y/N put her hand over her heart. “Good job, sweetie!”

“Atta’ boy!” Steve rejoiced.

A.J. clapped a couple times at his parents’ words before his eyes went wide at the feeling of metal. He looked down and saw Bucky’s metal arm supporting him up. “Woah...” he marvelled.

Bucky shifted nervously.

“So cool! I wove it!” The little boy cheered though, making a warm grin appear on the man’s face. His heart just melted.

“Thanks, kid.”

Steve gave his friend a meaningful nod and smiled before speaking up. “We should probably go inside.” He gestured to the diner in front of them.

Y/N quirked an eyebrow teasingly. “Papa’s getting hungry, huh?”

Steve gave her a playful smirk. “Oh you know it.” He gently took A.J. out of Bucky’s arms, and Bucky moved to hold the restaurant’s door open for them all. “Thanks, Buck.”

Sam leaned closer to Y/N as they walked inside. “Steve sure does love holding A.J., huh?”

A loving look appeared on her face. “He’s hardly put him down since A.J. returned to us.”

*****

“So, Y/N, you’re an actress, right?” Bucky asked as the woman was sipping her water, and she nodded, swallowing.

“I am.” She smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything, though. I took a two-year break when I was having this little guy,” she cocked her head towards A.J., “and then the industry was really slow for the past five years. A couple studios tried to make some stuff, but it just wasn’t the same.”

Y/N and Steve sat in one side of the booth while Bucky and Sam sat in the other. Y/N and Bucky were seated against the window, and A.J. sat at the end of the booth in a wooden high chair provided by the diner. They had just ordered their lunch and were waiting for it to arrive at the table.

“I do have a couple movies booked for after this one’s born, though. I’m so excited to start working again.”

Her husband grinned and put his arm over her shoulders. “I’ve missed going to your premieres.” He looked at her with admiration. “I’m so proud of you every time.”

The woman simply blushed and looked up at him from under her lashes before leaning into his side, her actions speaking for her.

“That’s awesome, N/N.” Sam spoke up. “You can give me all the inside details, right?” He asked playfully. He always enjoyed getting the spoilers from her.

“Enough, Sam!” She giggled. “You know I’ll get in trouble.”

“Hey,” he gave her a serious expression, though he was still teasing, “if anybody gets mad at you, we’ll take care of it.” He gave a slow wink, making her roll her eyes.

“That’s never good.” Y/N shook her head. “I do not need the father of my children and his idiot friends getting me in deep messes, thank you very much.”

Steve chuckled and Bucky even cracked a smile at her words.

“Hearing Steve be referred to as the ‘father of someone’s children’ is still so odd for me to hear.” The dark-haired man stated. “You never thought you’d get this life, pal.”

The Captain’s expression turned soft in an instant. “I know, Buck.” He looked to both his left and right, taking in his little family. “I’m so very lucky.”

“I just can’t believe your second baby is almost here.” Sam said in disbelief. “We’re just getting used to kid number 1, and kid number 2 is already on the way.”

“I know, it’s crazy.” Steve agreed. “Then after that, kid number 3 can come along...”

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes. “He’s already planning the next one, my goodness.”

“Hey, the more little yous running around, the better.” Her husband stated.

“A.J. is a carbon copy of you, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up for the next ones to look like me.”

“Then we’ll just have to keep trying.” He gave her a flirty wink, making her laugh and shake her head at his dorkiness.

Bucky leaned closer to Sam and whispered, “When did he get so smooth?”

“Years of practice.” The Falcon whispered back. “Though, she’s pretty awkward sometimes so I guess she’s easily impressed.” His words came from love, as Y/N’s awkwardness was what was so endearing about her.

A voice had everyone looking to the side where the waitress had brought them their food, each adult at the table thanking her before she went off.

Everyone began to dig in on their meals. Steve was multitasking between feeding A.J. small spoons of macaroni and cheese and eating his own lunch. He and Bucky’s plates were almost double the size of Y/N and Sam’s, due to their super soldier metabolism that the woman had always been so jealous of.

“Open up, buddy.” The Captain spoke softly to his son, and Anthony James took the spoon in his mouth gently. Y/N smiled adoringly at the interaction.

Sam was also super glad that A.J. and Steve were forming a bond. He knew how crushed his friend was when they had returned from being on the run, only to see that Steve had missed so much. He couldn’t help but wonder how Y/N felt on the matter all of this time later.

“I have a question.” He spoke up, making everyone turn to him. “I don’t want to strike a nerve or anything, but... N/N, I was just wondering how you were doing about Steve and us being gone for two years. I know that it was a while ago for you, but it feels like just yesterday for me. Literally.”

Bucky looked down at his plate in shame, the guilt feeling like it was eating him away.

“Well you know, at first it was really hard. To build up that trust again, right? But we’re great now. He’s done a lot to make up for it and I know that he’s truly sorry.”

Steve had a guilty look in his eyes as well whenever it was brought up, and she found his hand under the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I sort of feel like I should apologize too.” Sam added. “We kept trying to find ways to return, but there was huge consequences every time. And I’m sorry, N/N. I know how hard it was for you.”

“It’s alright, Sam. I promise you I’m not holding a grudge about it.” She told him honestly.

“Um...” Bucky cut himself off, trying to find the right words.

Steve was intrigued. “Yeah, Buck?”

“I really want to say sorry too. To Y/N.”

She began to shake her head. “Oh, Bucky-”

“No, I... let me. Please.” He insisted, and she nodded her head, letting him continue. “This has been weighing down on me for a little while. What happened was basically all my fault. If it wasn’t for me getting in the way, Steve wouldn’t have missed so much. He could’ve been with you for those two years. I took him from you and I’m really sorry, Y/N.”

“Bucky,” the woman spoke earnestly, “you have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” She watched as his shoulders visibly relaxed. “You and I both know very well that Steve makes his own decisions. And by the sounds of it, you would’ve been in a lot of trouble if he hadn’t stepped in. So in a way... I’m glad that he was there to help you.”

Bucky smiled at her words, grateful that she was so considerate. “And here I was thinking you’d hate me or something.”

Y/N’s jaw dropped as she shook her head ‘no’. “Oh my god, no, Bucky. I could never hate you for what happened. I’m so happy that you can finally be a part of our lives, and I’d love it if we could be friends.” She glanced at her son and then back to Bucky and Sam. “He loves having his uncles in his life.”

Bucky had an appreciative expression on his face, looking to Steve and saying, “Alright, pal, you got a good one.”

Y/N beamed and let out a small giggle, as her husband gave a nod and said, “I know.”

Now that A.J. was done his meal, he was getting restless just sitting in the high chair. He started to whine and wiggle a bit, reaching his arms out to his parents. “Mama, dadda!”

“He wants to sit with us.” Y/N said as Steve took him out of the chair and sat him on his lap.

“So desperate for attention, just like you.” Steve quietly teased her.

She stuck out her tongue at him before looking down at her boy. “Anthony, can you tell me who this is?” She pointed at Sam, trying to test his memory.

“Unqle Sam!” The toddler stated excitedly, making Sam nod cockily.

“And this?” She pointed this time at Bucky.

“Unqle ‘Ucky!”

“Yay!” The mother cheered. “You’re such a smart boy!”

“We claim him now.” The Falcon quipped.

“He sure does love his aunts and uncles.” Y/N added.

A.J. nodded, before beginning to list: “Unqle Sam, Unqle ‘Ucky, Unqle ‘Wodey, Aun’ Peppa’, Unqle ‘Ony...”

At the mention of Tony’s name, Y/N froze, glancing down at her lap, trying to hold back her tears. It didn’t go unnoticed by the men, as Steve’s hand that wasn’t holding A.J. grabbed her thigh, rubbing softly.

“Buddy,” Steve spoke gently to his son, “we talked about how Uncle Tony’s not around anymore, right?” The words pained him to say, but he had to make A.J. understand that he wasn’t coming back.

“I know.” The boy spoke sadly. “I want him.”

“Us too, little guy.” The blond man stared at his wife. “Us too.”

Bucky and Sam remained quiet until Y/N finally spoke up, “You two are coming to the funeral, right?”

The Falcon nodded. “Of course.”

The other man was silent for a second. “I... I don’t know if he’d want me there, to be honest.”

Y/N looked him in the eyes, sensing his guilt. “I understand why you might think that. But I promise you, he would in no way be offended to know that you were there. He wasn’t that petty, and deep down, he knew that you’re not at fault for what happened, Bucky.” She watched the man bite his lip in contemplation. “Please come. I know that Pepper would like as many of us there as possible.”

The brown-haired man nodded. “Okay... I’ll be there.”

“Good.” Steve said. “Then we have the thing we’re hosting for Natasha.” His wife nodded along. “It’s smaller, we know she wouldn’t want a crowd. But we need to honour her somehow.”

“I completely agree.” Sam added. “I’ll help in anyway you guys need.”

“Thank you.” Y/N spoke, deep in thought. God she missed her friends so much.

*****

Y/N stood by Steve’s side on the dock, A.J. in her arms as she was trying to hold back her tears, failing miserably. Watching Pepper place flowers in the pond, ‘Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart’ in the middle of them, made her so unbelievably sad. Losing the love of your life must be the worst feeling imaginable, and she was so grateful that she hadn’t had to experience it.

Seeing little Morgan having to say goodbye to her dad made Y/N’s arms tighten around A.J., determined not to ever let him go.

Steve wrapped an arm around his wife, pulling her into his side as she tried to cry as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb.

Everyone at the funeral was devastated, but also so thankful and proud of Tony for everything he’d done for them. He was a hero; a martyr. Who most certainly had a heart.

Y/N liked to think that Tony and Natasha were looking down at them now, so happy that friends and family all across the universe could be together again. Finally.

Next Chapter

Feedback is always welcome!❤️

#steve rogers x reader #captain america x reader #chris evans x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n

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entishramblings · 4 years

Text

You Have Pretty Hair [Legolas X Reader]

A.N: so this one shot has some pieces from my fanfic (link in description) but I altered it for a legolas x reader formate cuz I figured you all would be interested because on wattpad so many users said they loved it! So if you recognize it....that’s why!!!

Request: none

Pairing: Legolas X Reader

Summary: (Y/N) is traveling with the fellowship and they end up drinking one night and Legolas has to take care of (Y/N)

Word Count: 2,270

Warnings: none

(gif not mine)

MASTERLIST

(Y/N), a young female ranger of the Dunedain and close friend of Aragorn’s, grinned when she saw a worn down sign that read: The White Lion Inn. She had chosen to accompany the fellowship on the quest to destroy the one ring, for her sword skills and healing abilities would provide useful. She had trained under Isildur’s heir for many years and was well aquatinted with the lays of the lands.

The weary members of the fellowship trudged through the door hoping for a comfortable bed, hot meal, and some quality ale. When they entered, the diverse group was immediately greeted by the sound of drunk humans and off-pitch tavern songs. Many uncertain eyes wandered across them for they had just demolished a pack of orcs so they were quite a sight to see. (Y/N) had a bloody head wound and was splashed with dark orc blood; Boromir, Aragorn, and Gimli had a handful of superficial cuts whereas Legolas was completely unscathed. Not to mention they were accompanied by a wizard and four hobbits. An interesting group indeed.

The wooden walls of the tavern were dimly lit by candles and lanterns while the room was filled with intoxicated, dirt covered travelers—not the most appealing of types. Furthermore, the stale air smelled of ale and three days old piss. But alas, it was better than the bone chilling coldness of outside and the threat of Sauron’s spies.

Gandalf suggested they get cleaned up before diving into drinking, but (Y/N) had other ideas.

She smirked at the sight before her. She loved taverns and she loved drinking. She hadn't had any alcohol since her arrival at Rivendell so she was quite deprived from the ensnaring numb sensation it provided.

The female Ranger immediately walked up to the barkeep and tossed a coin onto the counter, "One pint of the good stuff."

The bar tender glanced at the blood covered woman and raised his eyebrows, but he did not question anything for he often saw strange folk with strange business in this part of town. He plucked a glass from the shelves behind him and generously poured a tall tankard with bitter ale. He slid it across the counter towards her and she offered a quick thanks.

......

It was not long until most of the fellowship had started drinking. Gandalf, Sam, and Frodo had retired early for they were exhausted and had no interest in getting drunk. Merry, Pippin, and Gimli however had started a drinking contest while the two human men observed with laughter. Legolas only had two pints, which did absolutely nothing for him. (Y/N) on the other hand was on her 6th? 7th? She had lost track a long time ago and was completely utterly waisted.

Currently, the female ranger was on the top of the table dancing and laughing with the two hobbits (who were slightly less drunk). The three beings’ arms were locked and they were swinging around and around giggling uncontrollably. Merry and Pippin sung tavern songs terribly while accidentally kicking the bowls of peanuts to the floor with their large hairy feet. It was quite a sight, amusing to all onlookers.

Pippin nodded in Legolas's direction. The elf was sitting at the bar talking to the barkeep for he was the quiet type and preferred calm company.

"(Y/N), what do you think of Legolas?"

She stumbled and let out a loud belch before slurring out, "He's ssuper talll."

Pippin grinned, "I agree with you there as I am quite short as well! But he’s considered average if you compare him to Strider and Boromir.”

A confused look crossed the ranger's face for a moment before she giggled again.

“Oh....right....”

She then called out to Boromir sitting below her, “PASS ME ANOTHER PINT!"

The Gondorian immediately handed her another and she took a big swig from it.

With his elf hearing, Legolas listened in on the conversion. He couldn't help but smirk at the drunken stupidity of (Y/N). He observed that she had always been a carefree spirit and it seemed that alcohol brought that aspect out further. However, as soon as he heard her call for another pint he knew he needed to interfear. She was incredibly intoxicated and adding another drink to that would not be smart. Legolas left his stool and briskly walked towards the table of his friends.

(Y/N)’s grin widened when she saw the elven prince, "Legolas!"

Merry then insisted that he join their dancing and (Y/N) released another giggle, but the moment was interrupted as the female Ranger lost her footing and fell forward—off the table. She felt her body smack against something firm that smelled of pine and honey. Quite strange for something that smelled so good to be in this less than tasteful place. She squinted in puzzlement as the world around her distorted; it was upsidedown, twisted, warped.

What was going on?

Her gaze landed on bright blue eyes that stared down at her with uncertainty. That’s when the realization hit her. She was in Legolas’s arms. She frowned.....and her tunic was soaked wet? The alcohol must have spilled out of the tankard that she had been holding. She lazily examined Legolas and a giggle escaped her lips when she realized he was also covered in the ale.

(Y/N) continued to marveled at the blonde elf who was evaluated her drunken state. She laughed again. "You have muscly arms," she said with a slur.

Legolas sighed and made eye contact with Aragorn. The uncrowned king nodded, knowing exactly what Legolas was asking. They both silently agreed that (Y/N) had had enough.

“All right," the elf said as he put her down, "You're done." The last part of his sentence sounded stern, commanding, and showed that he was slightly pissed off—not that the drunk ranger could pick up on that.

Legolas didn't understand how she got so careless to drink this much while they were on a very important mission. Quite frankly, he was surprised Aragon had let it get this far as he had assumed the figure of older brother long ago; but alas, (Y/N) was a grown woman who was perfectly capable of making her own decisions.

The Elven Prince took the half filled pint from her hand and passed it to Boromir. Legolas then grabbed her arm and slightly tugged her in the opposite direction, but she reached out and snatched the unfinished pint from the Gondorian. She quickly took another big gulp before Legolas pulled the tankard from her hand once again. He firmly set it down on the table and shot Borimir a look.

The elf then pulled the grumbling ranger by her arm, more forcefully this time. He lead her to the barkeep and held her upright, "One room key please,"

The man looked at the state of the drunk woman and chuckled, "Good luck with that one."

He passed the elven prince the key and Legolas tugged (Y/N) to the crooked wooden stairs. He motioned for her to go up. She glanced at the step and let out another giddy laugh before lifting her leg. She was able to climb up a couple steps before falling back against Legolas chest. He easily caught her and held her waist until she regained some balance. She again lifted her foot but immediately stumbled. Legolas shook his head in frustration, bent down slightly, and scooped her up bridal style. He began to assend the stairs as she whined to go back for another pint. The elf’s ears turned light pink as he heard his friends snickering at the current situation he was in. He chose to ignore it; someone had to take care of her.

Legolas opened the door to the small room and sat (Y/N) down on the bed, her legs dangling off the side. He poured some water from a pitcher onto a towel and turned back to the drunk woman. He gently wiped her face with it, making sure to erase the dirt and dried blood from the outdoor adventure.

Legolas carefully began to clean the small wound on her head. He wished she would have done so earlier for an injury was not to be left untended; but alas, when she made a decision she stuck by it.

He watched as (Y/N)’s eyebrows furrowed and she tried to pull away from the cloth. "Cold, cold, cold," she grumbled like a child.

Legolas sighed, "(Y/N), don't make this difficult."

She groaned once more before letting out another giggle. The blonde elf raised his eyebrows in question.

"You," She slurred, "have prettyyy hair.”

She reached her hand out and grasped a handful of his blonde locks, “Can youu braid mine like that some day!?”

He chuckled, “Maybe.”

Legolas reached upward and carefully untangled her fingers from his hair for he was fearful that, in her drunk state, she would end up getting them stuck in it.

The Prince had dealt with a lot of intoxicated elves in his lifetime, but (Y/N)’s behavior was so innocent and seemed to be even more amusing. Humans—always an interesting species. He still was angry at her lack of self control when it came to drinking, but it was hard not to smile at her intoxicated actions and words.

The blue eyed elf's hands made their way to her hair. He gently pulled out the tie from the messily twisted bun, allowing her locks to cascade down her shoulders.

"(Y/N)," Legolas started.

She let out another giddy laugh.

Legolas sighed, "What is it now?"

"I thinks I had too many alcohols."

Legolas smirked at her improper grammar, "Yes, indeed you did."

She let out yet another giggle.

"(Y/N), your tunic is wet with ale and orc blood. Do you wish me to find a servant to assist you?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head while grasping onto his sleeve, "Youu just help me."

Legolas lips parted as he felt a blush creep up his neck and upon his ears. He cleared his throat, "(Y/N), I'm not su—"

The woman interrupted him, "You." She paused in attempt to gather her drunk words together, "I trustt you over some random strangeeer."

Legolas let out a nervous exhale but nodded.

He ruffled through her bag until he came across an extra black tunic. He grasped the soft fabric in his calloused hands and stood in front of her.

"Are you wearing anything under this?"

She nodded. Her words slurring as she spoke, "MHhmm, uunderrrgarments to coverr my brea—"

He interrupted her awkwardly, "(Y/N), I know how basic anatomy and clothing work."

Legolas gently took hold of the bottom of her dirty tunic and begun to pull it up and over her head, careful not to get any orc blood on her skin. He could feel his cheeks heating even more as her shirt rose; he was just grateful she was too intoxicated to notice. He gently untangled her arms from the disgusting fabric and removed it completely.

She sat on the bed with eyes closed as she begun to sway slightly. The blonde elf's gaze trailed down her body cautiously, taking in her appearance. Her undergarment encased her chest, covering what needed to be. However, it clearly accentuated the curves of her breasts and the shape of her torso. He watched as her skin and toned muscles rippled ever so slightly with small movements. She was utterly beautiful, despite her terribly drunken state. Legolas swallowed dryly. He felt the desire to touch her soft skin and inch his hands over her form crept into his mind; but he did not want that while she was intoxicated. Her well-being was his top priority. Besides, they were not courting. He doubted she even knew of his affections.

Legolas pulled the new, clean tunic over her head and assisted her in getting her arms through. He felt slightly relieved that it was over for the situation had been quite compromising.

If anyone had walked in......

If Aragorn had walked in.....

The elf’s mind wandered slightly at the thought of his friend. Strider made no move to assist Legolas with the intoxicated young woman that he had trained. It was almost as if he had let the elf take care of her on purpose.

Legolas blushed.

That cheeky bastard.

Aragorn had to have done that on purpose. Legolas remembered all the times Strider had paired him and the female Ranger to collect firewood and watch for Sauron’s enemies. The man’s twinkling eyes and mischievous looks......he definitely did this on purpose.

Legolas sighed once again before tuning back the (Y/N). He quickly pulled off her boots and then pulled back her covers. He then helped her climb into the soft comfort of the feathery bed. The Elven Prince sat on the edge of the mattress and gently ran his hand through her hair to coax her to sleep; and there he stayed watching over her.

.......

The female ranger walked down the stairs to the tavern. She was rubbing her temples and groaning with every step. Her head pounded like drums, the light blinded like white fire, and everything was just too damn loud.

She saw that most of the fellowship was all sitting around a table across the room, many of them with the same problem as her.

Legolas unexpectantly appearing near her and chuckled when she walked past him, "feeling better?"

She sent him a death glare and grumbled in response. She plopped down on the bench across from Merry and Pippin and next to Boromir.

The Gondorian nudged the female ranger, "Do you have any memory of last night?"

She groaned, "Why? What happened?"

At that moment Aragorn slid onto the bench next to (Y/N) with a big grin on his face. He spoke with a tone filled of taunting amusement, "Legolas took care of your drunk ass!”

(Y/N) groaned at that statement and put her head on the table.

Of fucking course.

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peterbparkerth · 3 years

Text

The Cloaked Rose ~Chapter 5~

*The Cloaked Rose Masterlist*

Summary: What happens when a Psychic Nexus who feels anybody’s energy comes in contact with the Avengers but most importantly someone she thought she’ll never find.

Bucky X OC!Character

Avengers X Platonic!Character

A/N: The main character’s personality is based on myself and she’s not like Wanda just imagine the main character to be a different type of nexus and Wanda being just a witch not a nexus. Also it starts after Thanos dies meaning the falcon and winter soldier time but Tony and the rest are alive and Steve is a Nomad but the government is okay with him since He gave the shield to Sam. John Walker aka the US agent still exists but he’s on the down low. Loki is also an avenger now so chill.

DO NOT COPY MY WORK!!!!!!!!! THAT INCLUDES REPOSTING!!!

Chapter 5

Alara’s POV

I was happy that Bucky pulled me away from the dance floor as I was very uncomfortable dancing with a stranger.

When Nat left the booth, Bucky sat on the counter chair and I did the same. “Alara” he said and cleared his throat to speak again “you need to stop dancing with strangers, they can be harmful to you. I don’t want anything to happen to you..” he sighed and then continued “You mean so much to me Al, so much ” he then looked at me. I only nodded letting him know I agree with him.

He took a deep breath and after a while he spoke “I care about you Alara, you can say that I even like you”, his confession made me realize my feelings for him. “I care about you too Bucky and trust me I feel the same” I finally said, he smiled at me and held my hand softly. He shouldn’t have touched me because the moment he touched me I felt being in deep pain the pain being too much for me, I looked at Bucky as he knew something was wrong, but before he could say something I ran away from him. “Alara!” I heard everyone call me but I kept running towards my room.

I had no idea when I slept but I woke up in my room in the same dress from last night, I quickly changed into casual clothes but didn’t want to go to the kitchen. Just then Wanda knocked on the door and said “Alara we need to talk about what happened last night”, I sighed and turned to look at her “okay Wanda get in.” She nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, “so why did you leave last night in a hurry. Bucky must be feeling his worst today” she said. I coughed a bit and then told her “When Bucky touched me last night, I felt a lot of pain from him and I thought he was not being truthful to me”.

Wanda nodded and replied “I understand how you feel Alara, but give him a chance if you feel the same way. Maybe it’s your powers telling you to take all that pain away from him”. I looked at her surprised “you think that?” I asked and she nodded smiling. I got out of my room and walked to the kitchen. “Where’s Bucky?” I asked Steve when I walked in the kitchen. “Well morning to you too Al, he’s in the training room” he replied and I ran towards the training room.

I saw Bucky training his shooting skills with Nat and jealousy hit me a lot. I opened the door and ran to Bucky. “Bucky!” I said as I ran to him, he turned around and was immediately hugged by me. He chuckled “Doll, how are you feeling today?” He asked as he hugged me back, “sorry I left without saying anything, I’m sorry” I said but all he did was kiss my forehead to calm me down. “Want to go have breakfast with me love?” He asked me and I blushed as I nodded.

Within a few minutes we were sitting on the dining table having our lunch when suddenly Clint switched on the news, it showed how someone with powers escaped the prison only to get to another dimension. “This is bad” I said, everyone else looked at me needing to know more.

“MTF captured that prisoner after such a hard fight. If he escaped there must be a dangerous reason for it” I said. “What do you mean dangerous?” Loki and Thor asked at the same time and then looked at each other.

Before I could say anything, a portal opened in the middle of the lounge and in came Ryan clearly in stress. “We have a big ass problem Alara” he said, I rolled my eyes and walked to him “Just because Derine escaped, it doesn’t mean the world will end Ry” I said and let him on the couch.

“Who’s Derine and what’s his story?” Peter asked as he got into the lounge “Peter, he is one of the men of Kalike who is just like Hydra but in other dimension” I let him and everyone else know.

“No, he’s not.” Zaire suddenly came to the lounge with other MTF men. I looked at her and smiled “Derine not only work for Kalike but they both are the soldiers of Voltron” she said and I looked at her “Voltron who’s that?” I asked her.

She looked and me and sighed “Voltron is the destroyer of dimensions, the worlds we live in. He’s after Alara’s powers” she answered me. “What does he want from Alara?” Tony asked

“She’s powerful and he just wants to take her powers” Zaire said before she handed Ryan a confidential file and left the lounge. I looked at Bucky “I’m just a psychic that controls the portals” I said.

“If your safety is at stake you should go live somewhere for a while” Natasha said, everyone looked at her “well that’s not a bad idea after all” Sam said and nudged Bucky who then said “I’ll go with her and she can be under my supervision” Steve and the rest smirked at me and I rolled my eyes “I’ll see what’s the easiest way to get you out of here” Tony said and told Friday to look for early flights to any country.

“Dubai will be much better for Miss Alara, Mr Stark.” Friday responded and I sighed then went to my room to pack for Dubai even if I had to leave after a week. Bucky came into my room and said “Doll, don’t worry once everything is safe, I’ll bring you back”. I looked at him and smiled “I trust you Bucky” I said as he hugged me.

Third Person POV

While Alara and Bucky were planning to travel to Dubai, there was someone else who was travelling. But he was travelling dimension to dimension, why? Just for Alara.

Voltron has always seemed to want to control the flow anything that’s different. He never liked different beings, but on the same time he wanted power and superiority amongst others.

“Did you find her?” He asked his men “No sire, we’re unable to find her on earth 242” one of the men said. Voltron got out of his throne like seat and walked out to see the begging faces of the people of earth 242. “Where is Alara Kaymak?!!” He shouted at the captured people.

“She’s not here with us” one of the local men replied, this angered Voltron as he signalled his men to “Kill them” right after he used his powers to tear one of the locals piece by piece. “Find her and bring her to me!!!” He shouted at his men as he went back into his plane.

“Master where should we travel to now?” The plane pilot asked, “Earth 355, you fool!” Voltron growled at he used his powers to throw one of his men from one place to another, just for fun.

As Voltron continue his journey to find Alara, no body questions him “Why Alara?” Well that secret will soon be revealed.

Taglist

@exmachina187 @httpscarletwitch @madisondelstan @amayatheowl @motherbarnes

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thiswaycomessomethingwicked · 4 years

Note

Hello! So, I mean, this might be out of the blue, ambiguous and crazy to answer (but it's something I think about a lot, and you touched upon it in a previous ask and would love your further perspective on!) but let's say, at the end of The Return of The King, Grima lived! What do you personally think his journey and path would look like from there?

Grima asks are never out of the blue - I always want them <3 Thank you so much for asking!!

man ok - well Grima at the end of ROTK is in a really dark place. Frodo, Gandalf et al first run into Grima and Saruman on the road near the misty mountains as the make their slow return journey from Gondor.

As they (Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf) came out again into the open country at sundown they overtook an old man leaning on a staff, and he was clothed in rags of grey or dirty white, and at his heels went another beggar, slouching and whining.

[...]

‘Get up you idiot!’ he (Saruman) shouted to the other beggar, who had sat down on the ground; and he struck him with his staff. ‘Turn about! If these fine folk are going our way, then we will take another. Get on, or I’ll give you no crust for your supper!’

The beggar turned and slouched past whimpering: ‘Poor old Grima! Poor old Grima! Always beaten and cursed. How I hate him! I wish I could leave him!’

‘Then leave him!’ said Gandalf.

a man who has never been in an abusive situation in his life, clearly.

‘One thief deserves another,’ said Saruman (to Merry), and turned his back on Merry, and kicked Wormtongue, and went away towards the wood.

Great guy, Saruman.

And the famous scouring of the Shire bit that everyone on here misremembers when it comes to Grima’s whole situation:

But Frodo said: (...) But I will not have him (Saruman) slain. It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: it will heal nothing. Go Saruman, by the speediest way!’

‘Worm! Worm!’ Saruman called; and out of a nearby hut came Wormtongue, crawling, almost like a dog. ‘To the road again, Worm!’ Said Saruman. ‘These fine fellows and lordlings are turning us adrift again. Come along!’

[Saruman tries to stab Frodo as he leaves and Sam gets ready to shank a bitch. Frodo stops him saying: ‘...He is fallen, and his cure is beyond us; but I would still spare him, in the hope that he may find it.’ ...]

He (Saruman) walked away, and the hobbits made a lane for him to pass; but their knuckles whitened as they gripped on their weapons. Wormtongue hesitated, and then followed his master.

‘Wormtongue!’ called Frodo. ‘You need not follow him. I know of no evil you have done to me. You can rest and food here a while, until you are stronger and can go your own ways.’

Wormtongue halted and looked back at him, half prepared to stay. Saruman turned. ‘No evil?’ he cackled. ‘Oh no! Even when he sneaks out at night it is only to look at the stars. But did I hear someone ask where poor Lotho is hiding? You know, don’t you Worm? Will you tell them?’

Wormtongue cowered down and whimpered: ‘No, no!’

‘Then I will,’ said Saruman. ‘Worm killed your chief, poor little fellow, your nice little Boss. Didn’t you, Worm? Stabbed him in his sleep, I believe. Buried him, I hope; though Worm has been very hungry lately. No, Worm is not really nice. You had better leave him to me.’

A look of wild hate came into Wormtongue’s red eyes. ‘You told me to; you made me do it,’ he hissed.

Saruman laughed. ‘You do what Sharkey says, always, don’t you, Worm? Well, now he says: follow!’ He kicked Wormtongue in the face as he grovelled, and turned and made off. But at that something snapped: suddenly Wormtongue rose up, drawing a hidden knife, and then with a snarl like a dog he sprang on Saruman’s back, jerked his head back, cut his throat, and with a yell ran off down the lane. Before Frodo could recover or speak a word, three hobbit-bows twanged and Wormtongue fell dead.

A sad end to a very sad life.

So that’s the canon ending, obviously. A very neat, pat ending where all the baddies are dead, everyone who is broken will disappear into an asylum and/or die take a boat to the grey havens and life will move on.

How nice.

Alright, now for the speculation! My favourite thing.

Assuming Grima lived, god knows what his journey afterwards would look like. He’s mentally (and physically) in a bad way after having been physically (and emotionally) abused and starved by Saruman for the last year/two years. Saruman may have lost his powers, but he’s still terrifying force to be reckoned with. I don’t know how much Grima would be capable of on his own in terms of survival.

That said, Grima’s made it this far. He’s clearly got something in him that’s keeping him alive. Something in him wants to live. It might not know how to go about doing that, but it’s there, and that’s important.

So he’s stabbed Saruman, A+ work. The hobbits don’t shoot him. The question is then: does he take up Frodo’s offer or does his fuck off into the wilderness.

I can see him going either direction, honestly. But I suspect, given that he’s starving and in a bad way physically, I suspect he’d stay for a time. Now, considering what’s happened to him in the general vicinity of Bagend, I’m not sure how long Grima will stay, but I do think he’d rest there for a short while. Get a proper meal or two in him. Take a bath. That sort of thing.

From there he could go to somewhere like Bree or Dale, take up a new name/new life and try and move on, as much as a person can in a world that has absolutely no support networks for people who have gone through bad shit.

If he stayed for a longer period with Frodo? I could see Sam putting him to work.

‘I need someone to help me garden.’

‘...I know about horses?’

‘Plants are easier, trust me.’

‘....Are they though?’

Considering the fact that Grima has been dehumanized (Worm; like a dog; cur) and treated as worthless/unworthy by one of the more powerful beings in Middle Earth - and one who was once Great! Who was once wise and wonderful! I suspect he’s going to have a difficult time accepting kindness?

Frodo, of course, would be generous and understanding, because it’s Frodo and that’s the measure of man he is. Truly one of the nicest and most forgiving and tender people in the series.

Aragorn said of Grima that if he walked out of Orthanc alive it would be too good for him.

(Everyone is a lot meaner in the books. Funnier, yes, but also meaner. Then there’s the weird Faramir moment where he’s all up on that “Numenorian Blood Quantum Is Important” nonsense (tell that to your brother who has no blood of the Westernese in him...) There’s a lot of Oooof moments).

Frodo, though, Frodo is one of the genuinely kind and loving people who would never think such cruel things about anyone.

But back to Grima, I think the line Gillian Flynn wrote about how when you’re weaned on poison, it makes kindness seem like a cruelty is very relevant here. The first step to healing is allowing yourself to admit that you deserve to be healed, that you deserve love. That’s a very hard thing to allow, to acknowledge is something you are worthy of having.

And so it would be difficult, for him, to accept kindness and gentleness from Frodo, or anyone else. But if he was doing something to “earn” it, that might make it more palatable.

Which is a shame, since if there is anyone who understands the power and allure of the dark lord/Saruman etc. and how that can mess you up and contort you into someone you don’t recognize anymore, it’s Frodo.

Would Grima go back to Rohan? I don’t think so. Unless there were some wild, unexpected circumstances that brought him there, I truly don’t see him returning home. He’s torched that bridge pretty successfully - at least, I’m sure that’s how he sees it.

Now if he did. If something Bat Shit happened - and he went back. It would be wild and very emotional.

A Rider of Rohan, lost in the shire: I’m looking for a Mr Baggins? I understand he might know where Gandalf is? We sort of need some magic help in Rohan.

Hobbit: Turn left at the end of the lane, go past Grubby Harold’s llama farm, stop at the intersection with the red sign, take the third exit of the roundabout, turn right, turn left, turn left again, take the second switch back up the hill, at the crest of the hill, take the path that turns left at the big tree that someone carved Fuck Lobelia into and that should get you close.

Rider:

Rider: Right.

Rider eventually shows up, Grima’s out front updating Sam on some shit that Pansy Fielding said to Fardulf Braceblower, an ongoing war that has existed since the Dawn of Time. Sam is like “Please never stop telling me all the gossip, I live for this shit.”

Frodo: How did you hear about this?

Grima: I might have set up an informant’s network but it’s solely to trawl for entertaining gossip.

Rider approaches: Oh dear gods.

Grima:

Grima: Go get fucked, Gundahar.

Sam: Friend?

Grima & Gundahar: No.

Anyway. The rider tells Frodo that he’s after Gandalf because XYZ is happening in Rohan and Eomer-king is annoyed and “wants it dealt with, preferably yesterday”. Grima knows what’s up because you know, resident Spook Master also he was spending a lot of time around a lore-filled Wizard. Might as well get something for the years of mistreatment.

Gundahar: He’s not coming back to Rohan.

Frodo: We’re going on a road trip, Sam. Let’s get packed.

Sam: I’m so ready for this.

Grima: But I’m not going back to Rohan.

Gundahar: He’s not coming back to Rohan.

Frodo: Too late, he’s coming with us. Neither of us can be left alone for too long or we go weird in the head.

Merry: Oh we’re going to Rohan? Well, as a member of the royal court I’m coming.

Gundahar: .... How is this happening?

Grima: Hobbits, they move in herds.

Pippin: WAIT FOR ME!

Gandalf is UPSET that he has to travel with Grima. Grima says it’s mutual. He doesn’t like wizards. Especially wizards in white. He gets weird about hoarding food when Gandalf is around.

Grima then has to visit Theoden’s grave and have a lot of emotions about everything and it’s a Lot.

I don’t think he’d stay, though. Either he’d go back with Frodo or he might go on to Gondor or out east or something. Travel for a while.

I’ve gone off on some tangents here. Ahem.

But in general, I see his journey going in one of two directions: one where he fucks off after murdering Saruman and takes up a life somewhere else like Bree, or wherever, probably drinks too much and is miserable until he dies.

The other is where he accepts Frodo’s offer and either just chills in the Shire being the resident gossip-monger and mischief maker (Frodo: NO MISCHIEF. Grima: we can make a little mischief .., as a treat?) or he accepts the offer, stays for a while to get back on his feet and shake off some of the darkness, then goes off to travel around. Maybe he settles somewhere, maybe he doesn’t. Regardless if he stays or goes, it is a better ending to his life than he probably hoped for or expected.

And it shows the power and importance of kindness and love. Healing only happens if there is love and gentleness. And it’s terrifying - of course it is - but it’s so necessary.

Ok I am so sorry for my dissertation on Grima. I love talking about him so much.

Thank you!! <3 <3

#lotr #lord of the rings #grima wormtongue #frodo #samwise gamgee #rohan #ask #reply #return of the kings #rotk

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a-libra-writes · 4 years

Text

How the GoT Characters React to You Saving Their Lives

this was requested like eons ago i sure hope that anon is still around LOL, forgive me

In this preference, you'll be saving: Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Benjen Stark, Jory Cassel, Dolorous Edd, Mance Rayder, Tormund Giantsbane, Theon Greyjoy, Yara Greyjoy, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tywin Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane, Bronn, Petyr Baelish, Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell, Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Brienne of Tarth, Ramsay Snow, Roose Bolton, Oberyn Martell, Beric Dondarrion, Gendry

NED STARK

In the thick of Robert’s Rebellion, Ned and his men had been taken by surprise by a group of soldiers that they had no choice but to fight. They managed to win, but staggered their way to your family’s keep, injured and not even fully sure of your family’s loyalties. Given that your father was slain in battle already, you were the Lady of the keep, and you took them in without question. He knew the great risk you were taking, even as you pretended not to know them. He thought about your kindness and bravery long after they left your keep, and he knew he had to repay the debt somehow.

"Had the Targaryens won, Lady Y/N and her family would be put to the sword and their lands taken. I could never forget the risk she took for me."

ROBB STARK

In his youth he’d often avoided Maester Luwin when he was hurt, preferring to brush it off and insist he was fine, but Robb knew this was a serious wound he couldn’t just walk away from. You found him on the battlefield and quickly noticed the infection. Back at his tent, you helped fix the wound properly. When Robb woke up some days later, he had only vague memories of a lovely person watching over him. He tried to get answers, but it seems you had left the camp already. Theon teased the way he was “mooning”, but Robb owed you his life. He just had to meet you properly.

"She left the safety of the camp to find me and then watched over me. No ordinary girl would do that. I owe her so much more than thanks."

SANSA STARK

You both were warned by your fathers to stay inside the safety of the Red Keep, but you were too adventurous for your own good. You talked Sansa into coming with you to explore the markets. Sansa couldn’t refuse you, even if she’d rather stay inside. Everything was fine until you noticed a man following the both of you. When he finally cornered the two of you, you pushed Sansa aside and told her to run. When she found you again, she shook you for being so reckless.

“What happened, what did you do? I was so worried - let’s go back, Y/N, I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. And you’re a mess! Were you hurt? I’ll look after you myself.”

JON SNOW

You thanked every god that you decided to be thorough that night and do one last sentry round across Castle Black. You heard sounds of a struggle and came running to Jon’s rescue as a dead ranger was upon him. You grabbed it and distracted it enough for Jon to burn the cursed thing. Neither of you could explain what happened, but Jon was quick to grab your arm and breathlessly thank you for coming when you did. You realized he normally wasn’t so forthright, and after that, you two developed a friendship.

“Y/N, I should thank you properly for… that. Whatever it was. You were there just in time.”

BENJEN STARK

It happened during a rangering, when you two were trying to do a routine patrol. Wildlings descending upon you wasn’t anything new, but the blizzard that kicked up wasn’t helping. You lost your horse in the fight, so you guided Benjen’s while he sat behind you, patched up with a makeshift bandage job you had to do in a hurry. It was a frightening night, but you were able to make it back to the Wall. Benjen knew you didn’t want the attention, but he couldn’t help himself relaying the story to his brother and Jon when he visited Winterfell. It was only Ned who knew you were a woman disguising for years as a member of the Night’s Watch.

“I told the Lord Commander what she did, of course, but she’s adamant about keeping it secret. That doesn’t sit well with me, brother. I have to thank her somehow.”

JORY CASSEL

While most ladies were told to stay in their wheelhouses when travelling, your parents knew you liked riding too much, so you often rode beside the guards and chatted with them. Jory always liked your company when he escorted your family to Winterfell. Your escort was attacked by bold kidnappers, and you would’ve stayed out of the way, but you noticed Jory was thrown from his horse. You hastily rode to his attacker and cut the man off his horse, saving Jory from a trampling. Once the kidnappers were fended off, he thanked you right away and wasted no time in telling the others at Winterfell, much to your embarrassment.

“I think you did a great thing, my lady. Most men wouldn’t do the same for me. I suppose I owe you my life, but I wouldn’t want to wish for anymore danger.”

EDD TOLLETT

Cynical as he was, you knew Edd would throw down his life to protect you. The two of you hoped for an uneventful rangering, but the Bear was taking everyone so far from the Wall, that seemed unlikely. When the Others attacked, it was all chaos, and you were cutting through them to protect your Brothers. You didn’t actually find out you saved Edd from nearly getting his head lopped off until he told you afterward. With all the thick fur coats and the harsh wind the Others kicked up, it was hard to see just who you were swinging at.

“You really didn’t notice me struggling with that ugly one? I should count myself lucky your eyes aren’t as bad as Sam’s, love. Wait, you weren’t hurt, right? Let me see that wrist.”

MANCE RAYDER

Back in his ranger days, Mance knew of your disguise and found it amusing to say the least. He always admired your skill and you two were a formidable team when you traveled beyond the Wall. During one of your rangerings, a group of Wildlings descended upon you, and Mance was severely injured from it. You managed to patch what you could and get him back on his horse, guiding both horses back to the Wall. When he left the Night’s Watch, he kept the bright piece of cloth you used to wrap his wound. Mance always kept it on his person, almost like a good luck charm. “This? It’s from a ranger who dragged me half-dead back to the Wall. An old friend who I miss very much. I wonder what sh… what he’s doing now.”

TORMUND GIANTSBANE

You and Tormund made a great team, so you were often on the same missions together. You saved each other’s skin more than a dozen times each, but Tormund was no less excited and grateful each time. The most recent one was when he was grappling with another man on the ground, and you came at them with an axe. Some may have considered that too close, but Tormund was just impressed how accurate you were with the swing. He proudly lifted you up and yelled at the rest of your comrades of what you just did - even if they already saw it - and wanted to tell the camp, too.

“Mance! Come here. Come listen to what my woman did this time. Right between the eyes, cleanest cut I ever saw. Any other man woulda missed, or hacked my nose off. Shoulda brought the head to show ya - ah, why can’t I do that next time, Y/N?”

THEON GREYJOY

Theon grumbled for nearly half an hour that he had it, you didn’t need to get between him and the boar. For one, a girl shouldn’t be handling a boar spear - how did you learn to use it so effectively, anyway? - and secondly, he was just about to shoot an arrow through it. You finally slapped Theon’s back and told him you’d gladly let the next boar get him, because it was only a matter of time before this happened again. Robb was amused by the back and forth, but he tried to be serious. “Theon, one tusk is all it takes for your guts to turn inside out. Y/N saved your life.”

“I know! I heard you the first time. Fine, Y/N, I guess it was… good timing. It won’t happen again, though.”

YARA GREYJOY

It happened during the capture of Deepwood Motte, as you fought alongside Yara and her men. While she was grappling with the weapon of the man in front of her, you saw a Northern soldier pull back his bow. You tackled him to the ground, his arrow went flying way off to the side and you struggled in the dirt with him until you finally cut his throat. As you pulled yourself to your feet, you saw Yara give you an appreciative nod. That night, as she and her men settled into the keep, she gave you a large mug of ale paired with a slap to your back.

"Good work looking out, Y/N. At least someone on this crew uses their head, of course it’d be the other woman. Next fight I’ll have you by my side.”

DAENERYS TARGARYEN

She anticipated her guards to put their lives before her own. She’d seen Jorah and Grey Worm have all manners of close calls, and while it gave her a moment of fear, she knew it was their duty. That’s why you shouldn’t have been doing the same thing. You threw yourself in the middle of the riot, shoving away a man with a sword and kicking away another. Finally an Unsullied handed you a spear and you shoved off several more before grabbing Daenerys and running to safety. Once you two were safe, she pushed you off.

“What were you thinking, Y/N?! You threw yourself right into that crowd - I don’t care if that sword was close to me, you will not endanger yourself on my behalf!”

JORAH MORMONT

Jorah always knew he could rely on you to have his back in a battle, you were more than capable, but he hadn’t expected something like this. Drogo was dead, and his riders were turning against each other. He had to face off three at once, and ended up knocked to his knees by the third one. You rushed forward, killed the rider, pulled Jorah up and shared just a few moments of rest before the fight continued. Dawn finally broke and you two were tending each other’s wounds while Dany took stock of what was left of her khalasar. Jorah wanted you in his arms as soon as possible.

“You shouldn’t have had to fight this battle, my love. The trouble with Drogo, then the witch… I’m just glad you’re safe. It seems I have even more to be grateful for, hm? You’re sure you aren’t hurt anywhere else?”

MISSANDEI

Even if you were rarely in the public eye, and Missandei was not well recognized among the citizens of Meereen, you two still took precautions when going out and enjoying the markets. Your cloaks didn’t protect you from being noticed by a certain assassin, and once you two passed an empty alley, he jumped Missandei first. You were on him at once, throwing him off her with a fury and kicking his weapon away. You used your own to kill him. Missandei was shaken up, and you were quick to comfort her and make sure she was alright before adjusting her cloak and going home. Once you two were in the safety of your room, she wanted to give you several appreciative hugs and kisses.

“You know I am not new to violence, but … It was just so sudden. I was more afraid for your life… Let’s take a guard or two next time, please? Just to be safe. I don’t want you endangering yourself on my behalf.”

GREY WORM

You two finally had leads on the Sons of the Harpy, and like always, you worked as a team. You found a few of their operatives, and chased them through the streets. Once you had them cornered, they fought fiercely, and the last one was dangerously close to landing a dangerous blow on Grey Worm. You got between them, taking the brunt of the damage yourself, and while you collapsed Grey Worm mercilessly ended the man. He carried you back to the Great Pyramid with a speed he didn’t know he had, and waited anxiously while you were treated.

“You took the blow that was mine. You shouldn’t … my life is not worth what your’s is, Y/N. Next time, let it happen to me.”

TYWIN LANNISTER

Having one’s wife involved in the battle plans was not typical, but no one wants going to speak against you to Lord Tywin’s face. You were always present at war councils, and you stayed behind during the battles, listening to reports coming in from scouts. There was concerning news about a large number of Stark troops that were going to provide reinforcements and a surprise attack. You made a decision, using every bit of your influence and your husband’s name to send out troops of your own to deal with them. Several nerve-wracking hours later, you learned the battle was being lost, and the men you sent helped turn it into a proper victory. As the men returned, you were startled by the wound your husband sustained, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. Once you two were alone in his grand war tent, Tywin surprised you by pulling you close to him and kissing your brow.

“My clever little wife. Did anyone try to stop you from sending that battalion? Hm? I’ll hang the next one that speaks out of turn.”

TYRION LANNISTER

You thought his damned sister would have given up after the Battle of Blackwater, but she always seemed ready to ruin the life you and Tyrion made. Luckily, Tyrion had taught you some of her tricks and told you all the men loyal to her. When you began to notice guards changing their patrols and new servants, you did some investigating and found a clumsy assassination plot she cooked up. You dealt with it using your own resources, but you had to tell Tyrion. There may have been something else to her plan. You told him that evening, calmly explaining what you found out and what you did, and you were shocked by how he took your hand and looked so vulnerable.

“You are the sweetest woman the gods could have made. I love you, Y/N … but be careful. Tell me sooner next time. Things aren’t always as they seem with Cersei. I’d tell you I’ll do the rest from here, but I have a feeling that won’t satisfy you.”

JAIME LANNISTER

As much as he changed when he came back from being held prisoner in the North, there were still times when Jaime had that damned Lannister pride. He didn’t like being told to be careful. While you two were travelling to the Riverlands, you were attacked by men still loyal to the North, and you helped Jaime and your guards finish them off. He rounded on you, angry that you put yourself in danger, and you argued back that he needed the help. You even saved him from a blow that came far too close. You two fumed apart for a while, and it wasn’t until several days later that he visited you in the evening. He wrapped his arms around you, careful with his gold hand, and leaned on you.

“Next time just let me take the blow. I mean it. I don’t want anything happening to you because of me, Y/N. I couldn’t live with myself.”

SANDOR CLEGANE

You didn’t usually go this far from the village, but some of your sheep had wandered off and this war meant you couldn’t afford to lose a single one. You were shocked to come across a giant of a man who was battered within an inch of his life. At your insistence, the men of the village helped get him to your house, where you looked after him for several days. Everyone said you were wasting your time, that he was some criminal on the run or he’d surely die anyway. He ended up being disoriented as all hell when he woke up, and he didn’t talk for some time. It was like helping a wild animal. It took several evenings before he finally spoke to you.

“.... You shoulda just left me, girl. Let me die out on those rocks. Would’ve done the world a favor. Did watchin’ sheep get boring, so ya thought to bring in a mangy fuckin’ dog?”

BRONN

The stubbornness of men was astounding, but especially Bronn’s. You and him were coming home from a wild evening at an inn, and while you usually stayed in their best rooms, he had a sudden whim to take you in your room at the Red Keep and nothing was going to stop him. The only thing that kept this stupid plan going is the fact you were just as drunk and agreed to it. Some thief that had no idea who you both were tried to stop you, and Bronn didn’t bother to draw his sword, laughing the man off. You were the one who noticed the dagger gleaming off the moon, and you swiftly knocked the man over with a bottle before he could attempt the attack. That helped sober you up, but Bronn insisted there was no danger.

“What, ‘course I brought my sword. No sense in wasting it on street rats like that. I had it under control, sweet, ya know I did. Still a good hit. Don’t think I’ve seen ya swing like that, remind me to stay on ya good side.”

PETYR BAELISH

While you and Petyr had your little flirtations and secrets - him often underestimating your cleverness and being pleasantly surprised each time - he didn’t expect much from it. He rarely trusted, after all. It’s what led to him being so stunned when he found out you foiled an assassination on attempt on him. It was months ago, and you said nothing, and he had known nothing. Petyr not knowing something for that long was a rare thing, indeed, and it only made him more intrigued. He found himself thinking of you more, and began “chancing” upon you more often in the Red Keep, trying to get your attention.

“Lady Y/N, what a coincidence to see you here, but good timing. Do you recall our conversation some months ago, at the gala for the King’s name day? There’s no need to be so modest about it. I think a lady of your talents is a rare and precious thing, don’t you think?”

STANNIS BARATHEON

You knew your husband was going to face opposition from the Lannisters, but you figured it would be on the battlefield, not through an assassination. You followed the rumors and sent your own men to deal with it. It was troublesome, but you eventually linked the assassin to the Lannisters. You didn’t want to trouble Stannis with such a thing, especially since you’d handled it so quietly. It wasn’t even a week before he barged in your parlor. You weren’t sure what was more startling, his uncharacteristically loud entrance, or how he wrapped you in his arms and pulled you close.

“You should have told me, Y/N, you shouldn’t have done it on your own. If something went wrong, and something happened … They could have easily made you their target, instead. What if it was a trap? Tell me next time …”

DAVOS SEAWORTH

You were very fond of the old knight, so it was a non-issue to help him distribute Stannis’ letters of Joffrey’s illegitimacy. You and your guards helped him through some of the safer land routes, but it wasn’t long before the Lannisters caught wind of what you were doing. One of the Lannister soldiers slipped through your guard, and you shocked Davos when you rode in front of him and parried the man away with your sword, like you had been taught. He was impressed and grateful, and while he told you as much, he still gave some caution about throwing yourself in front of danger like that.

“It’s a good thing ya did, Lady Y/N, I’ll be telling King Stannis about it when I get back … Of course I’m serious. Doesn’t sit right with me for a lady like yourself risking her life.”

MARGAERY TYRELL

After Renly had been killed, there was absolute chaos in his camp. You noticed Margaery through the darkness and hastily pulled her away before two soldiers on warhorses could trample her. They didn’t even seem to care that they nearly killed two ladies. You helped guide her back to her brother and their soldiers, pulling her into the Tyrell wheelhouse yourself. Once she calmed herself from the madness of the night, Margaery couldn’t believe someone would go out of their way to help her like that. You didn’t even come with her, or tell her your family name, so it’s not as though you were expecting a reward. Once she took her place in King’s Landing, she insisted to her grandmother that they find out who you were. She was trying not to let her excitement show when she learned you were in King’s Landing for your own business, and she could finally meet you.

“There’s my knight in silks. What? I think it’s a perfectly appropriate name. There were plenty of so-called men who were content to leave me to die or be captured. I think it’s only right you should get a reward, but before that, we should talk. I have so much I’ve wanted to tell you.”

BRYNDEN TULLY

You were sure that you were in shock, or dreaming, but the soaking wet, exhausted and injured man that turned up on your keep’s gates was right here in front of you. You realized who he was by the armor, and sent your men away while you tended to his wounds through the whole night. It had to be secret that he was here, and that was especially true once morning came and you heard about the “wedding” at the Twins. Just when you entered his room to bring him food and more medicine, he was already getting up and trying to leave. You tried to convince him to stay, that he wasn’t fit for travel, but he was surprisingly firm in spite of his terrible state.

“I owe you more than my life, Lady Y/N, but I can’t stay here. I need to get back to Riverrun, I have to. You’ll be in serious danger, too, if they found out you helped. The less I say and the faster I’m gone, the better.”

EDMURE TULLY

He really thought he was finished on this battlefield, that he’d be lucky to be captured. It seemed he just didn’t have the numbers to take on this number of Lannister soldiers, even if he had strong, capable men on his side. Then reinforcements arrived, seemingly out of nowhere. He wasn’t about to question his good fortune at that moment, but after the battle he pointedly asked the new arrivals who sent them. Back at the camp, he found you, a Lady who convinced her family to support the North and sent troops as fast as she could. Edmure couldn’t help but admire your courage, and insisted you come with him to Riverrun to speak with Robb.

“There’s no need to be modest. You saved us today, Lady Y/N, we would’ve been overrun without the reinforcements. You’ll be my guest, I insist.”

BRIENNE OF TARTH

Brienne had saved your skin more times than you could count, and she always said it was her duty (and because she loved you so much). That was fine and dandy, but you still felt that you owed her in some way. You didn’t want to be the helpless Lady that she was always pulling out of trouble. You got your opportunity sooner than you wanted. A gang of kidnappers took you both off guard in the street, and the last man had gotten a lucky strike. You picked up a rock and struck him hard, and it distracted him enough for Brienne to deliver a finishing blow. He’d seriously hurt her, but her anger and concern took precedence.

“Y/N! What in the seven hells possessed you to pick up a rock - don’t argue, I know it looks bad, but I had it! You should have run! I told you, I had it. … … Yes, fine, it hurts like hell, but that doesn’t mean you can put yourself in danger.”

RAMSAY SNOW

You couldn’t count how many times you told Ramsay that, no, you didn’t want to see how many poor souls he had captured and what he was going to do to them. But sometimes it paid off to humor him for a few minutes, especially if it meant he’d leave you be later on. You hadn’t noticed one of the prisoners had gotten free until he jumped on Ramsay and was fighting with him on the ground. You panicked and picked up one of the candlesticks, hitting the man several times until Ramsay got the upper hand and threw him off. He took the candlestick from you and knocked the man senseless, then tossed it aside, quickly taking your shaking hands into his own bloody ones.

“Y/N, my sweet Y/N, that was very good. You did so well! I knew you loved me. Would you have killed him for me? Hm? I would have liked to see that. He isn’t finished yet, you know.”

ROOSE BOLTON

Not every Lord rode with their men into battle, let alone a Lady, but this was the North and it was in the midst of a war. You were sent by King Robb to bolster Lord Bolton’s numbers, and you got there just in time, in the midst of an ambush. After assisting his men in fending off the Lannister soldiers, you and Lord Bolton were able to dismount and talk properly. He gave you a cordial thanks, speaking to you as if this was the court and not a bloody battlefield, but you didn’t miss the distinct way his cold eyes were glinting in the sun. Even if he didn’t say it, you were sure he was impressed.

“Impeccable timing, Lady Y/N. You’ve done my men and I a great service. Once the camp is established we’ll have a chance to speak properly. It’s a shame it took a war for us to meet.”

OBERYN MARTELL

As dear as Oberyn was to you, you had to admit his temper could be so boyish. There were some men that just made him reach for his dagger, and it was usually the men not knowing how to act properly around his lover. He’d started a huge fight in the brothel as a result, and a much bigger man tackled him to the ground and knocked his dagger from his hand. You hastily grabbed a bottle and knocked it over the man’s head, then kicked him off while he was dazed. Oberyn jumped to his feet, picked you up and hastily got you away from the danger. He didn’t care that he left such a fine dagger behind.

“I knew my sweet Y/N wasn’t such a lamb after all. That was a good swing, my love, a shame about the wine, it was … What? That rat deserved it.”

BERIC DONDARRION

You joined a few Brotherhood scouts and their unusual leader on what was supposed to be scouting and retrieving supplies, but a wrong turn ended up with you all stumbling upon Lannister soldiers. You were shocked at a few reckless moves Beric made, and finally you just had to put yourself between him and a soldier in spite of the weight and power the man had on you. You cut him open well enough, but you were quick to turn on Beric and scold him for being so careless. He did apologize, but you were still fuming at the campfire that evening.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I’ll say it as many times as you want. You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger like that, especially for a man like me … let me show you why.”

GENDRY

He used to see you as a meddling girl that followed him around too much. That changed when someone’s near-mad horse was frightened and it went tearing through the small cobbled streets. You two surely would’ve been trampled by it, young as you were, and you reacted quickly. You shoved Gendry hard out of the way and cowered down as the horse ran around you. Once he was back up, Gendry shook and scolded you, in disbelief that anyone would bother caring about him like that. Right then he made a promise to protect you, and for years afterward he was always a reliable, protective presence in your life.

“Y/N, remember when I said I’d protect you years ago? ‘Course I still mean it, you just never get into trouble - that’s a good thing! Don’t do somethin’ stupid just ‘cause to see if I’ll come runnin’. You know I will.”

#game of thrones imagine #game of thrones x reader #game of thrones #got imagines #posting in my nun coord bc thats the kind of day its been

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scared-aquarius · 5 years

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signs as haunted places in Texas

(This post is part of a series where I assign haunted places from each state to the signs)

Aries: Highway 281, between Johnson City and Blanco TX- On August 24, 1885 in Blanco County, Al Lackey went on a murderous rampage, killing six of his family members including his mother, father, brother, daughter, niece and sister-in-law with a shotgun. After slaying these six, he went home and attempted to murder his wife and baby with a knife, however, the wife ran and after his attempt to chase her down failed, he cut his own throat. This did not kill him, however, and he wrapped his wound with a bandana. On horseback, he rode towards town, finding his neighbor who, unaware of the murders just committed, rode alongside him. He noticed the red bandana and thought it was simply red in color, not blood-soaked. During the ride, Lackey lunged at the man, cutting him several times but he, too, managed to escape. The sheriff eventually caught Lackey and after being tended to by physicians was brought to jail. On August 26, two days after his rampage, a mob of 50-60 people marched down to the jail and broke him out, demanding he pay for his crimes. They rode until they found a tree at a halfway-point between Blanco and Johnson City, which supposedly runs parallel to the current Highway 281, and hanged Lackey. The rope they used was thinner than rope normally used for hangings which prolonged the strangulation. The rope also dug deep into the laceration that was already present in his throat which caused him to bleed heavily onto his shirt. The sheriff found the body the next day and, with none of his surviving family members willing to claim him, he was buried in a pauper’s grave somewhere in Blanco. To this day, people report seeing a man with a red bandana and bearing Lackey’s physical description hitchhiking between Johnson City and Blanco, especially at late hours. Those who have stopped to help him claim he was holding a knife. Truckers and locals claim to not like driving down the road at night and they know not to pick up any hitchhikers on that stretch between Johnson City and Blanco. And now you do, too.

Taurus: Spaghetti Warehouse, Houston TX- Built around the turn of the 20th century, the building, originally called the Desel-Boettcher warehouse, started out housing fur pelts and then some years later it was owned by a pharmaceutical company. It was not until 1973 that it became the Spaghetti Warehouse. A former employee of the pharmacy involved in a freak accident as well as his wife are said to haunt the restaurant. The employee was said to be very busy one night and grabbed a stack of paperwork off his desk as he was rushing to get home. As he headed back to the elevator, he was not paying attention and walked into what he thought was the elevator but was actually an open elevator shaft. Having not returned home, his wife hurried to the warehouse looking for him only to find his body crumpled at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Traumatized and brokenhearted, she too tragically passed away only one year later. Today, their spirits are said to occupy the second floor of the warehouse. The restaurant is riddled with activity according to staff members, particularly during late-night hours, including full-bodied apparitions, bottles of wine inexplicably falling off shelves, disembodied voices calling employees’ names, guest’s hair being tugged on and shoulders being tapped. The wife is also said to rearrange furniture and make a mess of organized dishes and silverware. Guests have reported feeling ill or tingly as soon as reaching the second floor. Another spirit said to haunt the building is a former frequent guest. A man in his mid-fifties who was struck by a car outside the restaurant can sometimes be seen by employees, seated in the restaurant one moment and then gone the next.

Gemini: Miss Molly’s Hotel, Fort Worth TX- The building itself was built in 1910, serving as a hotel called The Palace Rooms for those who traveled by the new railroad. During Prohibition, it’s named changed to the Oasis and served as a speakeasy. By the 1940s, it was called The Gayette Hotel and acted as a bordello that mostly served cowboys and locals. This was a dark period for the building as many ill-spoken deeds and rumors of some of the prostitutes meeting unfortunate ends circulated. Eventually, under new management, the building stopped serving as a bordello and was split with the first floor serving as the Star Cafe and the second floor serving as a hotel- Miss Molly’s Hotel. Many of the ghosts who haunt the hotel are thought to be those who were present during its time as a bordello. Full-bodied apparitions have been seen, for example, that of a young girl around the age of nine has been seen in the former owner’s rooms. No one knows exactly who she is but she is believed to be a former tenant. One hotel guest claimed to wake up in the middle of the night with a pale blonde woman sitting at the edge of his bed. She is believed to be the ghost of a former working girl. There is also a tipping ghost who is said to leave coins in recently cleaned rooms. One cleaning lady even quit because she was frightened by this entity and did not want to risk having it attach itself to her. Throughout the hotel, unexplainable shadows and cold spots are frequently encountered. Strange smells are also present, with some being described as toilet water while others are described as smelling like women's perfume, perhaps from the hotel’s time as a bordello. Some of the hotel’s mischievous entities are also known to move guest’s belongings, play with their lights at night and make loud bangs in their room.

Cancer: Littlefield House, Austin TX- Located on the campus of the University of Texas, the Victorian-style home was built for Civil War veteran and businessman George Littlefield and his wife, Alice, in 1893. Throughout their life, they donated a lot of their money to the school and therefore became special figures for the college. It is said that for a long period of time, Alice had been locked in the attic to keep her safe from Union soldiers during the war. Because of this, Alice developed a severe mental illness and was constantly afraid she would be kidnapped or murdered. She was prone to nervous fits of hysteria, sometimes having to be restrained. Despite being told she should be admitted to a sanatorium, her husband instead kept her home and hired three nurses. After George’s death in 1920, Alice was devastated, but over time her mental state improved. She was able to become more social again and would host parties at the home but was rarely ever seen outside again. When Alice died in 1935, she left the house to the university where it is now used to hold classes on the first floor and house offices on the second. However, some believed that Alice never left and is trying to reclaim her home. Shortly after her death, full-bodied apparitions were seen throughout the house, colds spots were frequently felt and sounds of running, screams of fright and other eerie noises could be heard coming from the second floor and staircase nightly. Things are also said to be misplaced often as if Alice is trying to put her home back to the way it was before her death. Many students claim to hear her play the piano in her upstairs bedroom and her face can sometimes be seen peering out the window. While it may seem unsettling, many students refer to her as Aunt Alice and see her as a comforting and benevolent spirit.

Leo: Hotel Galvez, Galveston TX- The Galvez Hotel opened its doors in 1911 and is still in operation today. During WWII, however, the building was occupied by the US Coast Guard and no rooms were rented out to visitors. Over the years, many famous people had been guests there, including Jimmy Stewart, Howard Hughes, Frank Sinatra, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the mid-50s is when tragedy struck at the hotel. A woman in her mid-20s named Audra was planning on getting married to her fiancé, a mariner who sailed in and out of the Port of Galveston. She stayed in room 505 while she waited for his return back from sea. One day, after a terrible storm, his ship did not arrive when it was due in port. Audra heard that the ship had gone down and that there were no survivors. Stricken with grief, she hung herself. Not even a week had passed when her fiancé came back, having survived the sinking of the ship, only to find that she had taken her own life. Staff and guests alike have reported hearing Audra running up and down the hallways looking for her husband-to-be as well as hearing crying and doors slamming shut in the middle of the night. Strange smells and visions of orbs are also reported throughout the hotel. Staff have also reported seeing a young girl bouncing a ball in the lower level of the hotel and the housekeeping staff say that there is the ghost of a man who stands in the corner of the laundry room. There are also reports in the lobby and restaurant such as candles blowing out on their own and dishes moving and breaking. Heavy breathing and children’s laughter are said to be heard in some of the hotel bathrooms. After Hurricane Ike in 2008, some staff had to stay at the hotel while their homes were being repaired and many claimed to see a woman in an old maid’s uniform accompanied by a man walk through a guest room and disappear.

Virgo: El Paso High School, El Paso TX- This high school has been in use since it’s opening in 1916. In 1922-23, its name was changed to Sam Houston High School at the bidding of a local chapter of the KKK but was quickly changed back after community outrage. During both World Wars, the basement of the school worked as an overflow morgue, taking in bodies of soldiers as well as Spanish Flu victims. Throughout the years, students and faculty exploring the basement have discovered classrooms from the early 20th century in seemingly untouched condition yet blocked off, with no reason given by the school administration for the hasty remodeling. There are also reports of slamming doors and “spectral pep rallies and games” occurring in the gym, only to discover the gym is empty upon further inspection. A teacher at the high school once reported seeing a girl in an old blue dress at the end of a hallway one night and instructed her to go home as it was late. He claims that when approaching her, she turned around, gave him a sorrowful look and then slowly vanished before his eyes. Another ghost girl is also said to be seen throughout the school, her identity being tied to that of a student from the 80s who slit her wrists and then jumped off a balcony which is now walled off along with the hallway and stairwell leading to it. Despite this, multiple people have claimed to still see a girl standing on that balcony. A famous class picture of the 1985 graduating class may capture this ghost girl as her face is considerably more blurry than the rest and no one can seem to identify her.

Libra: The White Sanitarium, Wichita Falls TX- Built in 1926, this sanitarium was made for those who were mentally insane. The founder, Frank S. White, wanted to create a place where instead of being locked in cells, the patients were free to roam and live a non-institutional lifestyle. He wanted it to be a home, not a prison. He only operated the sanitarium for about 5 years, though, as he himself had fallen ill. By the 1950s, the building was flooded and badly damaged so it was abandoned and sat vacant for another 50 years. It is believed that some patients never left, perhaps due to the now-banned medical practices on the mentally ill of the past which left patients permanently injured or worse. Those who have visited the site since it’s foreclosure have claimed to see glowing ends of cigarettes as well as full-bodied apparitions of patients in hospital gowns. There is also said to be a lady in white who roams the halls and looks out the windows of the abandoned building. Reports of children’s voices are heard and lights are said to sometimes be seen coming from the sanitarium even though there is no running electricity there. There is also a group of men who are known to be seen on the property playing a game of poker every now and then. Visitors have said they feel strange cold spots and feel a general “heaviness” in the air. People who claim to be skeptics have said their beliefs are shaken after visiting there as they cannot explain their experiences. Today, the building has been remodeled and transformed into apartment units.

Scorpio: The Jefferson Hotel, Jefferson TX- In 1851, the building was built originally as a warehouse to support the booming cotton industry. It is unclear whether the building became a hotel, with some speculating it was during the 1870s and others saying it was as late as 1900. As a hotel, it also served as a brothel as well as a speakeasy during the prohibition era under the name “The Crystal Palace”. The ghostly activity in the building is so frequent that the staff keeps a “book of the dead” at the front desk, with years of recorded activity and experiences within it and new encounters being written by guests to this day. There are at least five different known entities within the hotel’s walls. The first is a tall man wearing boots and a long coat who can frequently be seen by both staff and guests. The identity of the man is unknown. While he has never proven to be malevolent, guests find him incredibly unsettling as many times he can be seen sitting or standing in their rooms at night. The apparition is so solid and recurrent, some guests have claimed they had followed him down hallways thinking he was another guest only to turn a corner and see him vanish. The second known entity is a beautiful woman nicknamed Libby. Her exact identity is unknown, however, staff can agree that she is either the spirit of a woman named Elizabeth or Lydia. Both women were pregnant and stood up on their wedding day and subsequently both hung themselves from the hotel bed’s tall headboard. These suicides happened 50 years apart. Libby’s appearance is what points to either of these women being the spirit as she is said to wear a bridal gown and have golden blonde hair. She seems to appear in front of male guests traveling alone most frequently. While she doesn’t haunt a specific room, she seems to be attached to a bed which has moved to different rooms over the years, specifically room 12,14 and 19. Room 19 also houses another ghost, that of a teenage girl who was stabbed to death by a client during the hotel’s brothel years and left in the bathtub. She is said to appear in the mist when people are showering and writes messages, pleas for help and sometimes warmings, on the bathroom mirror. She is known as Judy as the name has been seen among her scribbles. The last two known entities are those of a young boy and girl around age 7 in 19th century period clothing who can frequently be seen chasing each other and can be heard laughing. They are thought to be casualties of the cotton warehouse. Despite their laborious lives and sad deaths, they are known to have fun by pulling pranks on guests by moving small items and turning lights on and off.

Sagittarius: USS Lexington, Corpus Christi TX- Nicknamed “The Blue Ghost”, the USS Lexington is an aircraft carrier built for the US Navy during WW2 in 1942. The ship got the nickname “The Blue Ghost” because of her tendency to reappear after reportedly being sunk, as well as her dark blue color for camouflage purposes. It was decommissioned in 1991 and is now docked, serving as a naval museum. Many spirits of soldiers are said to roam the decks of the ship. During WW2, a Japanese plane struck the ship near the engine room, killing many. Some employees of the museum claim to see figures frantically running as if trying to get to position to defend and maintain their ship. A security guard says that running footsteps can be heard frequently, especially in the early hours of the morning. Disembodied voices and screams are also heard and both staff and guests report being touched. A known ghost on the ship is a man in a sailor uniform who helps guests find their way back to the deck. Another who resides in the engine room is said to give lectures on how the turbines work before vanishing into thin air. Charles Reustle, a director at the museum who has worked on the ship for 26 years, is a skeptic but has had his own fair share of strange experiences. He claims that over a course of a few weeks, he kept losing his pen cap. After the sixth time, he turned his room over but still could not find it. The next morning, he found all six caps lined up on his desk. He believes a spirit may have been playing a prank on him. With the museum receiving hundreds of reports of supernatural activity a year, the executive director of the museum, Steve Banta, says that there are too many accounts that “there has to be something to it”.

Capricorn: Yorktown Memorial Hospital, Yorktown TX- This hospital opened its doors in 1951 and was run by the Felician Sisters, a group of nuns who kept the hospital open until 1986. The building was named in honor of those lost their lives in WWII. Under the care of the nuns, 500 patients died within the first 6 years the hospital was open. It reopened as a drug rehabilitation center but then closed again for good in 1992. Roughly 2000 people have died within the walls of the hospital and is known to be one of the most haunted hospitals in Texas. One employee by the name of Dr. Leon Norweirski was responsible for multiple deaths- he became known for his fatal mistakes during operations. In one patient’s case, he accidentally cut a patient’s throat while operating on his thyroid. This doctor’s mistakes may be a reason why the hospital is so active. There is a ghost of an eight-year-old girl named Stacy known to roam her old room on the first floor, basement hallways, and sometimes is seen in the library. Her favorite book to read during her life was “The Poky Little Puppy” which supposedly was given to her by none other than Dr. Leon Norweirski. She is known to be a playful spirit and supposedly will roll a ball if you ask her to. A few nuns seem to have stuck around as well, although some of them are known to be violent. Visitors have claimed to be scratched, choked, rushed at, and people with tattoos, piercings or other body modifications seem to be especially targeted. Another spirit is that of a man named Doug Richards. He was a heavy equipment mechanic who died there in 1973 and not much is known of his ghost but people say you know it’s him by his tall appearance and his white t-shirt and blue jeans outfit. During its time as a rehab center, a man who some call TJ came during late hours seeking help. When he rang the back-door bell, no one answered- whether the doorbell stopped working or the nurse on duty had fallen asleep, TJ didn’t get help fast enough and his body was found on the steps the next morning. His apparition can be seen today wandering the hall near the back door. Lastly, blood is still visible on the walls of the boiler room from a double murder that occurred after a stabbing due to a love triangle between a female employee, a co-worker and a patient. The hospital is also home to other less well-known entities and strange anomalies such as shadow people, full bodied-apparitions and top-notch EVPS. It is also said that disembodied voices and screams can be heard coming from the delivery ward.

Aquarius: Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington TX- After a trip to Disneyland in 1959, real estate developer Angus G. Wynne Jr. decided he wanted to build a rival theme park in his own state. Opening in 1961, the park was a huge success. By the 1970s, Six Flags Over Texas had expanded and added new rides and phased out old ones and by the 80s it was operating almost year-round. It had become one of the nation’s fastest-growing theme parks. However, despite its years of success, it still has its fair share of dark times and mishaps. On August 8, 1968, the park experienced its first ride-related death. Ride Operator John Raymond Nelson was only a high school senior when he accidentally lost his balance while unloading passengers on the El Sombrero. He fell into the pit beneath the ride and was rushed to Arlington Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. In 1999, a 29-year-old woman drowned on a river rafting ride after her raft unexpectedly deflated and flipped. She was trapped underneath and drowned in 2-3 feet of water. A 64-year-old woman also drowned in 2011 after being found unresponsive in the lazy river. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Lastly, in 2013, a 52-year-old woman fell to her death while riding the New Texas Giant roller coaster after her seat restraint malfunctioned. Because of its history of death, it’s unsurprising that the park is known to be haunted. Ghost sightings have been reported all throughout the park as well as cold spots and sensations of being touched. While most paranormal activity is sporadic, there is one ghost known as Annie who is said to haunt a yellow house by the New Giant Texas roller coaster entrance as well as a candy store within the park. Believed to have passed in the early 1900s after drowning in nearby Johnson’s Creek, her spirit is said to be friendly and a bit mischievous. Lights in the yellow house are known to turn off and on with no one around, curtains open and close and doors slam shut unexpectedly. According to employees, doors also seem to not remain locked. She can also sometimes be seen by guests walking along the tracks in the Mine Train attraction.

Pisces: Frio River, Rio Frio TX- In the early 1900s, a woman named Maria Juanez was murdered by her brother-in-law, Gregorio, on the banks of the Frio River. Gregorio had fallen in love with her and after confessing this to her, she rejected him- she was already in love with a man named Anselmo. Often, Maria and Anselmo would meet down by the river bank at night. On one of these nights, while waiting for Anselmo, Gregorio decided to confront Maria to profess his love. After the rejection, he shot her with a pistol out of rage. Upon realizing what he had done, he hid underneath a large pile of hay in a barn until the next morning when he was found by angry townsfolk. Gregorio was tried for the murder of Maria Juanez and was found guilty, spending the rest of his life in prison. Maria had always dreamed of marrying Anselmo and having children of her own as she had loved caring for her sister’s children, however, that dream never became a reality. Instead, she was buried in a wedding dress along the Frio River, where some say she still roams to this day. She is said to be a very kind spirit, helping lost children, comforting them, or sitting at the edge of their bed at night to protect them. People who claim to have seen her say she is dressed in all white, being nicknamed “The White Lady”, and sometimes she is seen walking down the middle of the river in a mist or fog-like form. One man who cannot swim even claims that Maria saved him from falling into the river. He reported that as he fell back after slipping on a rock, he felt an unseen force push him back to an upright position.

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Let me know what state I should research next...)

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stefandesofia · 4 years

Text

The Strongest Flowers Bloom in Winter

It's a cold winter day one January morning, when you were running late for class. Again. You have Math class with Mr. Thompson. You had just woken up to stop your alarm, reaching your hand over to slap your phone and went back to sleep without even realising it-

“Actually no, I was fully aware of what I was doing. I just hate Matt’s class and would rather risk expulsion, than stay more than 20 minutes there. I mean, trigonometry? Why do I need to know that?”

Of course. You are in a real hurry to get there, be it because you wanted to make it to class, or to escape from the cold. The frigid air was blowing through your jacket, causing you to shiver as you were waiting for the bus. You pull your hat further down on your head, and stuff your hands deep in your pockets.

With a his and several creaks and sighs, the old bus came to a skidding halt a bit past the stop. You swear and run to the nearest door, getting in just at the nick of time, before the driver closed the doors.

Inside the bus was almost colder than outside. The windows on these old busses tended to be stuck open during the winter months and stuck closed during the summer months. You didn’t know if that was on purpose, but it made the morning commute a real pain to deal with.

As you sat down, facing away from the front window, as you always do, you see a figure running towards the bus. It’s the boy that always travels with you. His open jacket showed a black Sabaton t-shirt, your favorite band. His hair waving in the cold air, in the same motion that his hand was taking, waving the bus driver down, yet the bus driver didn’t seem to care, and just kept going.

You decided to take things into your own hands. You stood up and went to the driver to tell him to stop the bus, since the boy was chasing after it-

“Why would I do that? I am already cold, and sitting here is just fine, thank you! Also I don’t know this guy, so I have no obligation to help him.”

You take a second to think. If you were to stop the bus, you will be able to talk with the boy about your common interests. You decide that you will stop the bus after al-

“No, I don’t. What I actually do is continue dreading going to class and sit here in silence.”

Fine. You sat there, in the cold, the bus taking sharp turns and sliding every chance possible and shaking you around. It takes you a while, but you do finally make it to school. You get off the bus and start walking towards the brick building. Up in front, you see a large, burly figure, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, seemingly unfazed by the cold. You recognise this as Sam, your friend since childhood. You’ve known each other for what seems like forever, and always shared your deepest secrets. When he sees you, his eyes beam.

“Hey, I was waiting for you, I was hoping we can walk to class together” said Sam, his meaty, hairy arms exuding heat that you can almost feel through your jacket.

“No, thank you. Not interested. Also, how can I feel the heat through my jacket? Standing at 6 ft. away, the only thing I can feel is cold. No normal person can ‘exude’ heat enough to actually warm up a winter morning.”

“Oh, I understand. That’s okay, I’ll see you at lunch, maybe?”

“You probably won’t! I am actively trying to avoid you!”

Why are you like this? I am just trying to help you. And you don’t want to accept my help. It’s okay, we can roll with it. Once you start walking through the hallways, you start to get feeling back in your toes. The warmth of the building is bringing the life back into your frozen body.

Along the way to Mr. Thompson’s class, you cross eyes with several boys, all smiling at you. You meet their gaze and smile back-

“Okay, really? That’s the best you got? Why would they smile at me? Why would I be even looking at them? Makes no sense! I am an antisocial outcast. I avoid people’s faces, and stick to myself.”

You avoid people’s faces and go straight to the classroom. You greet Mr. Thompson-

“Matt.”

You greet Matt, he looks at you with discomfort at your casual remark at your formal educator.

On your way to your desk, all eyes are on you, and as you sit down and take your textbook out, a note gets slid onto your desk. It’s from the boy in front. You know his name is Emiel. His natural red hair, dropping in long curls on either side of his face, perfectly framing his emerald green eyes. He gives you a devilish smile, and waits for you to read the note.

You take it in your hand and-

“I crush it up and toss it back to him, looking him in the eyes all the while.”

You crush the note and toss it back to him, why not. He looks at you with sadness in his eyes, as you see them start watering. Emiel turns around and sobs quietly for a while.

The rest of Mr. Thompson’s class-

“Matt’s class. Can’t be dating my dad and be Mr. Thompson. He made his choices and now he has to deal with the consequences.”

I mean, you are not wrong, but he still is your teacher and deserves some respect. Using honorifics is the least you can do. Anyway.

Lunch time comes, and you take your lunchbox, and head to the cafeteria. You manage to find a table and sit alone there. You open the box and see what your dad packed you. Inside is a sandwich, a fresh pear and a note. As you are about to open it up, it gets ripped out of your hand by the local bully. Kyle-Jason, a boy that’s been held back a few years, wearing an old, faded Guns & Roses long sleeved shirt, and a worn out pair of jeans, with dirty shoes.

“What do we have here?” he says. “‘Hey, honey, I wish you have a great day at school today! I love you so much! Dad <3’ Awww, look at the baby, gotta have your daddy make you lunch?”

“I don’t, but it’s a nice gesture.”

“Yeah? And this note? Are you in looooooove? Ha-ha!”

“Hey, stop that!” you hear a voice from the other side of the room. It’s Jacob, the star quarterback of the football team. His short blond hair, his striking aquamarine eyes, his sports jacket, hiding his muscular body, all headed towards you and Kyle-Jason.

“Listen, I really don’t need your help, I can deal with this dirty stain on my own. And you!” you call out to Kyle-Jason, catching him unprepared. “It’s my father. It’s some of the most natural thing in the world for a parent to love their child and vice-versa. I can only feel pity for you, since it seems you have never felt the affection of another creature. How does it feel to know you have never been loved and that no one will ever love you? Tell us all! Tell the whole CAFETERIA how that feels.”

Everyone is quiet, eyes locked on you and on Kyle-Jason. Jacob takes a couple steps forward and says:

“Dude, that was cold, are you okay? Do you need to talk?”

“You’re asking if I need to talk? Not the person that I just destroyed with words? Look at him! He’s speechless. You want to help someone, go for this waste of air.”

Jacob takes a few steps forward and places his hand on your shoulder. You look up to meet his gaze. You see sadness in his eyes, and get sad in return-

“I don’t. I have nothing to feel sad about. I defended myself against a bully, put him in his place, and continued with my life!”

Kyle-Jason also looks up, angry, but in his eyes, you can also see, sadness, deeper than anything you have ever seen. He looks at you, and you see his rough outer shell cracking. You see, for just a brief moment, the sensitive, lonely boy, and just for a moment, you wish you had kept quiet-

“I really don’t. I was fully in my right here. You want me to just left myself be bullied?”

Fine, alright. Once lunch was over, you have Chemistry. You make your way to the lab. You enter and you sit at your desk, behind the beakers and take out your textbook.

The teacher, Ms. Brahmin, enters the class with the words:

“Today, we have a new student! Everybody, meet Zac! Come in Zac!”

And a boy enters the room. He’s wearing an oversized hoodie with a faded red heart on the front, covering most of his head, but what you can see from his face is his incredibly clear and beautiful skin and a pair of eyes, so dark, they are almost black. His ripped jeans are skin tight along his long slender legs with a chain hanging on one side. Ms. Brahmin looks around and sees the empty seat next to me: “You can sit over there, Zac.”

Zac approaches your seat and introduces himself:

“Hello, I’m Zac. Looks like we’ll be sitting next to each other in this class. Hope we become good friends.” Zac says with a smile on his face. Now that you get a good look at him, his face is very clean, and very beautiful. Immediately, you feel your heart skip a beat, as you gaze deep into his near black, brown eyes. You move your chair off to the side, as you give him a warm smile-

“Okay, but how about No? I mean, I literally have no inclination towards this guy.”

-as you give him a warm smi-

“I do no such thing! In fact, I frown even more!”

...fine. When seeing your incredibly ugly frown, Zac looks down at you with a smile and says: “If you’d like, I can ask the teacher to have us switch partners?”

“I would like that very much, in fact! I won’t be one of your ‘yuri’ protags, you got that?”

“Pardon me?” asks Zac.

“I’m not talking to you, hoodie, I’m talking to Him! And he’s just ignoring me now!”

“I don’t understand, who’s ‘Him’?”

“Nope! Not doing this! Go sit elsewhere!”

As you say that, Zac, visibly shook, starts walking back to the teacher. He gets sat down on a different desk, and all the while the class is happening, he keeps throwing sad glances in your direction.

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful.You pack your bag in the afternoon, you get dressed in your warm jacket again, and head out. As you’re about to round the corner, you see the bus leaving your bus stop. You swear, as you realise the next one won’t be here for at least an hour. You start walking home, with the idea that you will, at least, keep yourself warm from the movement.

As you’re walking, trying to keep the cold at bay, a car slows down next to you, keeping with your walking speed. The window rolls down, and you see Sam’s pudgy, happy face.

“Hey there! You look cold, can I give you a lift?”

You think about it for a moment, a warm car will definitely be better than walking alone through the snow. You look Sam in his deep auburn eyes, and agree with his proposal-

“Nah, I’d rather walk.”

“Are you sure? It’s pretty cold, don’t want you to catch a cold or something.”

Sam looks at you with pleading eyes. Just seeing the puppy face he gives you makes you want to accept his invitation. You take a deep breath and accept-

“Yup, pretty dang certain. Just drive on, chubster!”

Sam, looking even sadder than before, rolls up the window, and speeds down the street disappearing behind a corner.

Are you glad now? I have been trying to make you happy all day, and yet, you have been working specifically against me. Was it to spite me? Was it to cause me grief? What have I done that was so bad that you would go so crazy and just specifically do everything against what I said?

“No one makes decisions for me. Especially decisions involving another person. You might have control over my life, and what happens to me, but I will not let you bring anyone else inside this twisted game that you call ‘My Life’. I would rather end it all, than let you twist someone else like a pawn, the way that you’ve been twisting me!”

Oh yeah? And why do you think I am so bad? And that everything I say must be a ploy to manipulate you. Matter of fact is, I am just a narrator to your story. I don’t have any control over your life. I am just here, narrating what happens to you. Newsflash, you have full freedom in what you do. You want to blame me for everything bad that happens to you? Well, too bad, cause it’s all on you!

“Yeah, well, maybe your existence is enough to drive anyone mad. Have you thought about just going away? Just letting me live my life? I don’t need some narrator to tell me what happens to me and in my life. I just want to be left alone, to do what I want, without the influence of some voice telling me that I am living my life wrong! How about I tell you when I need you, huh? Just go away!”

“Hello?”

“I can’t believe it! He’s actually gone! I’m free!”

Because of the cold weather and because of dumb stubbornness, our hero got tired, got cold, and sat down just to rest his eyes, never to wake again.

#yuri #romance #writing #storrytelling

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team-science-mega-nerds · 5 years

Text

Fictober Prompt #5: “I might just kiss you.”

Fandom: Supergirl

Pairing: Danvarias (Sam x Alex)

Warnings: None

It’s a rainy night. Sam is ridiculously exhausted after slugging her way from one private practice to the next. This is a small town, quiet too. Sam could see herself renting a little cottage for the summer if she ever got a break. With this new drug on the market, she’ll probably be traveling to National City and Metropolis over the next few months. Pharmaceutical sales never end.

The motel that Sam is staying at leaves very little to be desired but it’s near a bar and that’s the only thing Sam cares about right now. She isn’t expecting much, which is why she keeps it simple with jeans and a plain t-shirt, she isn’t trying to impress anyone.

Bars are interesting. Small town ones even more so. The one that Sam walks into is smokey, stuffed with a few truckers and farmers, but it is meticulously clean. The chalk menu sitting above the bar seems out of place and the booths don’t have sticky seats or dried sweat on them. Sam decides that she’ll take a seat at the bar which might leave a little room between Sam and a potential creep.

Sam isn’t used to having to wait either. But the bartender is changing a keg and offers a sweet smile as an apology. Sam doesn’t mind and she snacks on a few peanuts while she waits. And watches. There’s a lot of watching going on.

The bartender is cute. She’s wearing faded jeans with holes in them from too much wear. Her black t-shirt looks mostly clean, straining slightly against the woman’s arms, which leads Sam to notice a large tattoo on the bartender’s forearm. It’s of a cat. A zombie cat. Sam is intrigued.

Once the keg is properly in place, the bartender snatches a rag out of the back of her jeans, wipes her hands and approaches Sam. “Hi, sorry about that.”

“No problem.”

“What can I get you?” Sam usually sticks with something simple but she is alone and it isn’t like this bar is busy, so she ponders for a second.

“What’s in the keg?”

“Oh, that?” The bartender nods over to the taps. “It’s called Wicked Twister. Pale ale, a bit of orange, a hit of chocolate, and cayenne.” She looks proud and eager. “We brew it in house.”

“Your recipe, then?”

“Sure is.” She grabs a clean glass and twirls it in her hand. “I could give you a taste. See if you like it.”

“I’ll have a pint. I’ll trust you but it better not be a letdown.” The bartender happily fills Sam’s glass and sets it on the bartop in front of her. Sam does give it a taste. The citrus hits right away, the cayenne comes a bit later. “It’s good.”

“Just good.”

“Just good,” Sam says playfully. The bartender grins and leans up against the bar, closer to Sam. “What?”

“Where are you from?” Sam isn’t certain that she wants to get into specifics with a stranger. Even if they are cute.

“Originally? Buffalo. Now? National City.”

“City girl, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” The bartender takes care of her other patrons. Dumping an ashtray, filling up another pitcher, and bullshitting with some of the locals. She has a casualness about her. Something Sam would relate to rural communities like this. Not slow-moving but she never quite seems to be in a hurry. Her laugh is infectious. Whatever quip the trucker says as he nods over at Sam, the bartender neutralizes it easily. Playing friend to all. “This is your bar?”

“Yeah. I’m Alex.” That suits her.

“Samantha.” Sam thinks better of it, “Sam.”

“So, what are you doing in our little Hamlet?” Sam takes another drink. “Or is that a secret?”

“No secrets here. I...I’m a sales rep for LuthorCorp pharmaceuticals. It’s boring stuff.”

“Why do you do it if it’s boring?” Alex has no idea how much that conversation is a rabbit hole. Sam enjoys Alex’s curiosity though. It isn’t something she comes into contact with much. Sam is paid to be smart, cute, and friendly. Beyond that, she sort of loses herself during the day.

“Good question. I’ll let you know when I find out.”

“You here for long?”

“Just the night,” Sam responds. She polishes off the rest of her beer, Alex motions for another but Sam looks to the top shelf. “Something stronger maybe.” Alex studies Sam for a long moment. Sam wishes she’d done something nicer with her hair. Or at least thrown on some makeup.

Alex doesn’t seem to mind.

“How strong?”

“Come on, bartender. Isn’t it your job to figure me out?” Alex bites her lip. She pushes Sam’s glass aside, leans over the bartop so that her face is mere inches away from Sam’s. Alex runs her fingertips along Sam’s hairline and tucks Sam’s hair back behind her ear. “What are you doing?”

“Figuring you out.” Alex grabs a bottle of rum. Havana Club, specifically. “You’re Cuban?”

“How the fuck did you know that?” Sam is starting to think that she’s walked into some kind of an alternate reality. Maybe Alex has magic powers? Alex makes Sam a daiquiri, laughing the entire time. “Seriously.”

“Your keychain.” Alex points to Sam’s keychain that reads “Havana”.

“Oh.” Sam laughs into her daiquiri. “You’re smart.”

“That surprises you?”

“No.” Alex drums her fingers against the counter.

“Okay. Sell me something,” Alex suggests.

“Like what?”

“Anything. Pretend I’m a customer.” Sam isn’t used to these kinds of games. But Alex has caught her at a good time. There’s no pressure here.

“Alright.” Sam stands and leans her elbows against the bar top. Alex’s eyes travel down Sam’s neck, predictably. “You see I could sell you anything. I can sell anyone anything. It’s about convincing the person in front of you that you want the same thing.”

“What happens if your buyer is a hardass? Is it a wasted trip?”

“It’s never a wasted trip.” Alex has been ignoring her other customers which makes it very easy for Sam to feel special. Wanted. “How late is this place open?”

“Till 1,” Alex pours Sam a shot and one for herself too. “Can you wait that long?”

“What am I waiting for?” Alex smiles instead of responding. Sam’s curiosity gets the best of her, so she decides to wait.

Alex makes a mean basket of fries. She is efficient with her pours, flirting just enough to keep Sam hanging around, and twice Alex touches Sam’s hand a little too long. Sam notices because she notices everything. “Are you staying at that trash motel?”

“It’s not so bad.”

“I live upstairs.” Alex points to the ceiling. “You’d like it up there. Very sophisticated. Better booze too.”

“You could be a killer. I feel like I’m being lured.”

“Come on, you could take me. But I have no problems with any choice you make.” The clock reads 12:39, Sam is on edge. “You know what I like about you?”

“This’ll be good.”

“You’re some kind of big-city super seller and you’re sold on this.” Alex points to her own attire. “Easy to please, I guess.”

“Not that easy.” Alex waves goodbye to the rest of her patrons, wishing them all safe travels home. She locks up, cleans the bar, the tables, sweeps, and shuts off anything she doesn’t need running. Sam is patient. It gives her time to assess the situation.

When Alex is halfway through washing the glasses, Sam has had about enough of waiting around. She stands and walks around to the other side of the bar. Alex watches her but does nothing to deter her. “You’re taking too long.”

“Well, I didn’t know what the plan was.” Alex sets a clean glass down and flings her rag over her shoulder. “What’s the plan?”

“I might just kiss you.”

“Is that all?”

“Well, seeing as you’ve just cleaned the floors, we can fuck here or upstairs.” Sam pushes Alex’s back against the bar. “But you’d better not disappoint me.” Sam grabs the front of Alex’s shirt and tugs her closer. “I have an early flight.”

#agentreign #sam arias #samantha arias #alex danvers #supergirl #fictober 2019 #small town aus are the best honestly #fictober19

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theawkwardterrier · 5 years

Text

things left behind and the things that are ahead

Summary: Steve goes back. Some things are the same. Some are different.

AO3 link here.

The problem with deciding not to come back from returning the stones is that he has no one to consult about what exactly that means. Bucky, the only one who knows, the only one who guessed, has no expertise in quantum physics or advice about what exactly he’ll be doing to the timeline.

“You’re taking all the stupid with you,” he’d said, and part of what he meant was this: going off half-cocked as always, Rogers. Seat of your goddamn pants. He isn’t wrong about that part. For a strategist, Steve spends a lot of his time winging it.

(He tries not to miss Sam. He misses Sam.)

Even once he’s taken the leap, used the Pym particles to land himself so far back that he’ll only make it to the twenty-first century again by living through until then, he doesn’t precisely know what to do about it all. He spends a week alone, and then another. He does odd jobs to make money for food and a room to sleep in. He’s forgotten how different something like finding work had been, in the days before resumes and networking and the necessary google of someone’s name and background. People look at his eyes and assume he’s a vet, they look at his arms and assume that he can lift and carry things; they’re right on both counts, and that’s enough.

He already took the chance, just coming back here, but he worries about what he might do to Peggy’s future - her amazing, groundbreaking future - if he tries to slip back into her life. But he is also so tired, so encompassingly tired. He has helped to hold the world up for what feels a lifetime: Atlas with arms exhausted and shaking. He imagines how sweet it will feel to rest with her beside him. He knows he has to try.

(He must have known it all along. He brought himself to Washington D.C. in 1949. Peggy’s lived here for just over two years.)

He knows her address. He can remember the exact pattern of the heart monitor, the precise places where she laughed as she told him about the K Street apartment that had first been rented for her.

“Ghastly place,” she had said, smiling even as she did. “Everything dark wood, with barely a window for a bit of sunlight. And practically on top of scandal: I couldn’t go out my front door without thinking of Teapot Dome! So I had the housing stipend rerouted to a lovely little place on 11th Street and things worked out rather nicely. I didn’t feel quite so miserable about coming home, and there was a grocery and a café right across the street.”

He waits for her in the café, tucked in the back. Peggy comes in promptly at seven in the morning. She speaks to the woman behind the counter, a young black woman with a wide, sweet smile, and carries a cup of tea over while her breakfast is being prepared in the kitchen. She sits down at one of the tables entirely automatically, picking up a newspaper and not even looking as she slides into the booth seat facing toward the door. Her regular spot, then.

(Nat always said he made a terrible spy, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be observant.)

He means to come sit on the seat opposite from her. He pictures it minutely, down to the way the vinyl will rub and give as he slides across, but he finds that he cannot picture how she will look at him, what she will say. In the moment, he freezes. He ends up looming awkwardly over her for long enough that she looks up at him, a polite smile on her face as if she expects to be handed a plate of bacon and eggs, or perhaps to need to turn down a request for a date.

But then she takes in what she’s seeing.

She breathes in a sob. Her teacup is already sitting on the tabletop, but she sets down her folded paper as carefully as if it were made of porcelain too.

“Steve?” He feels the echo of the fragile word through decades. He thought he knew, when he saw her for the first time barely able to lift her head from her hospital bed, when he found the photograph that she kept so boldly on her SHIELD desk twenty-five years after he'd been gone, that they would be like this in any time. Apparently he didn’t truly know until he hears it. He is shaking.

She stands abruptly, pushing herself out of the booth and catching his hands in hers. She is so very close to him.

“Am I going to have to murder Howard for keeping secrets?” she asks quietly. He shakes his head. She traces over the skin of his forehead, no longer as smooth as it had been. She runs fingers through the front curve of his hair, strange to her, with such perfect delicacy that he almost flinches away.

“No,” she agrees quietly, and takes her handbag from the table. “Come with me. I have to set a terrible example for my employees.”

Later, after Peggy calls in pretending to be sick to a Howard simultaneously suspicious (when was the last time Peggy was ill?) and totally heedless, probably already thinking of what kinds of explosions he’s going to be taking on today, she makes them fresh tea. He can tell that it’s just a distraction. The kettle is whistling for nearly a minute before she breaks their gaze and goes to pour the water.

When they are across from each other at her small kitchen table, she says, “Tell me,” and he does, a bit.

When he has finished his brief sketch of things, she takes a sip of tea. “So, the future,” she says, her voice musing rather than judging.

“You seem to be taking this pretty well,” he tells her.

“Yes, well, I’m not entirely sure that this is real, you see,” she explains.

He looks out her nice little window for a moment; when he leaves, he’ll have no memory of the kind of view she has. “If I’d showed up and said that I’d been dug out of the ice and came to find you, would you have believed it more?”

“Perhaps,” she admits. She looks into his eyes, though, and adds quietly, “But perhaps not.”

“I understand. Even where I’ve been, time travel is a pretty new development.” He pushes back from the table, carefully so as not to rattle Peggy’s pretty blue-edged china. He looks down at her, and she looks back, a bit of tilting evaluation in her eyes. “The Dodgers are going to lose the Series to the Yankees, four games to one. It’ll all be over Sunday night. The score of the last game will be ten to six.”

She swallows. “Then I suppose I shall see you Monday morning?” Her hands, with their neatly manicured nails, rest solidly on the table in front of her. Her knuckles are pressed tightly together.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” he says, nodding slightly to her, and sees himself out.

She is already waiting when he enters the café on Monday morning. The only clue to how she’s feeling is the way her head pops quickly up whenever the door swings open.

“I’m sorry about your Dodgers,” she says as he sits down across from her.

He shakes his head. “The Yanks will do even worse to the Phillies next year,” he says, and she covers her mouth with a trembling hand.

When she speaks again, it is aching. “Let’s go home,” she says.

“Don’t you have work?”

“I planned ahead this time. As far as anyone knows, I’m scheduled to be out of the office in meetings all day.” She examines him again. He understands the urge; he thinks at this point he could describe where each of her curls lies against her shoulders, and if he couldn’t, he’ll just need to take her in a while longer.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

“Of course I am.” Humor, just the most hidden hint of tears. “It seems that you’re still a bit hopeless, I see, even after all this time.”

(Tony would have said the same thing. Tony.)

“Probably.” He gets to his feet, offers her his hand. She takes it, lightly, more formality than anything else, and stands beside him. “I’ll work on it.”

“I’m sure you will.” She leads him out again, toward her apartment. “And I’ll certainly be happy to assist.”

They settle into something. It’s so easy that Steve catches his breath from it sometimes, exultation with a bold edge of fear. She goes to work, and he stays in their neighborhood. He does the shopping at the corner market and learns, after a fashion and several borrowed library books, how to cook. He does the laundry, and learns the hard way which of Peggy's suits need special care. He walks around getting to know the area.

He overhears two of Peggy’s neighbors whispering about him as he helps a little boy fix his bike chain on the street corner.

“I always thought she must have a man somewhere,” one says to the other.

“Well, he’s lucky she took him back. She’s been here two years, nice, polite girl with a good job and that wonderful smile, and he turns up now? Where has he been?”

“I’m not much sure it matters, looking at him.”

Steve tucks his head and grins.

He stops by the newsstand for a paper enough times that the owner, an older guy named Al, eventually asks if he’d like to do a bit of work. Steve knows it’s mostly pity, but he’s restless. He takes Al up on it, working pasted together hours so Al can take breaks during the day and get home a bit earlier in the evenings. He hangs around and chats other times. They talk baseball (Al’s a Chicago transplant, a heart and soul Cubs fan) and world events and dabble a bit into politics (Steve has to read the papers closely to try to keep his stories straight). Al had a son who never came home from Guadalcanal, and maybe that’s why, when he sees Steve sketching between customers, he asks him to fix up the sign above the stand, just a little refresh on the paint and maybe a nice little drawing.

Steve guesses that he does a good enough job, because the owner of the cafe and the drugstore ask for him to come over to their places, to do bigger murals inside. He starts to get asked to do all sorts of things, from house painting to pretty watercolor cards. He’s still home in time to make supper and talk to Peggy every evening.

He knows, now, that Peggy has a thick quilted dressing gown that looks like something a grandmother would wear, and doesn’t make him feel like a grandmother’s wearing it at all. He knows how she takes her tea and that she likes a square or two of chocolate at the end of the day. He knows how it feels for her to rest her feet in his lap as they read on lazy Saturday afternoons, and what it’s like to walk arm in arm back home talking about the film they’ve seen on a Sunday. He knows the giddiness of automatically calling her “sweetheart” as he asks her to pass the salt. He knows what she looks like when she first gets up, and the careful, precise order in which she applies her makeup and styles her hair. He knows what it’s like to kiss her on waking and as she leaves for work, as she arrives back home and before they go to bed. He knows what it is to fall asleep beside her, smiling.

He wakes himself up, shuddering, at least three times a week. Sometimes he is gasping. Sometimes he is crying. Most times he wakes Peggy too.

Early one Saturday morning, she switches on the light as he tries to calm himself. She rubs his arm for a moment before standing from the bed and putting on her dressing gown. He can hear the sound of her preparing tea in the kitchen, but when she doesn’t come back, he follows her.

“Sit,” she tells him, gesturing to the chair across from her at the table, and when he does, “Drink,” her voice firm and compassionate. He listens to her, taking a sip and then staring into the depths of his cup. She’s put in just the right amount of sugar.

After a moment, she says, “I haven’t asked you very much about where you’ve come from, but I think we both know how untenable that is. You need to talk. I’d like to hear it.”

He takes another sip, then a third. Finally, he hoarsely, “I don’t know if I can tell you. I’ve already changed your life just by coming here. I don’t know how much I can do without ruining things.”

“Steve.” She leans across the table, touches his arm, his face. Her disheveled hair falls forward a little, framing the warmth of her eyes. “You are the best man I have ever known, and perhaps the strongest. And I don’t think you need to go through this alone. Let me help you.”

He almost laughs. How many times did he say something like that to people grieving a disaster that won’t happen for decades? How many times did he ignore his own advice? He thinks, again, of Sam. “Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it.”

He thinks that Sam also meant that sometimes you find someone to carry it with you.

They don’t get out of their pajamas until well into the afternoon. Once Steve starts talking, he finds that he can’t stop. He tells her about Hydra (“Get up with bloody fleas, I told them”) and about Bucky. He tells her about Korea and McCarthy and Vietnam and the civil rights movement, about Betty Friedan and President Kennedy and President Nixon, about AIDS and global warming. He was in the twenty-first century for over a decade. He reads fast and doesn’t sleep much, and his memory is excellent.

He tells her about the snap. He tells her about his friends.

Finally, with darkness outside their windows, he says to her, “I keep thinking about Maya Lin. She’ll be an architect and a designer. She becomes famous for making the memorial for the war in Vietnam. I know it’s right to do what we can to avoid that war, to minimize that damage. Making that choice could be wrong for Maya Lin. It will change her life. How do we know which strings we can pull without letting everything fall apart?”

Peggy looks down at the notes she has started taking. She flips over one page, then another. “Well, we shall think and strategize and try our best to do the best for the most people.” She taps a finger on one paragraph. “I think that this is one string we should start tying up as quickly as we can.”

"If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it," he told Tony once, and that was true. It still is. It's just harder when south isn't a clear direction on the compass, when trying to fix things could only make things worse. This is why Steve could tell her, why he had to. Because he believes in her mind, in her ruthlessness and her clearheadedness, but in her goodness too. He doesn't think he could have done any of this alone.

(He must have known he would do this all along. He brought himself to Washington D.C. in 1949. Zola was brought here just over two months ago.)

They tell Howard. Partly because they need him, to provide documentation for Steve, for resources, for cover. Partly because Peggy says that he’s a friend and he’s trustworthy, and Steve trusts Peggy. For his own part, though, Steve needs to work to remember how much hasn’t happened with Howard. He hasn’t become who he’ll become yet.

Steve sleeps better knowing that they’re doing something. He doesn’t sleep well until they have Bucky back.

“Any idea what he’ll be like after rise and shine?” asks Howard, checking once again the pulse of the man lying unconscious on one of his many guest beds. To everyone else, Bucky’s hair is long, unkempt. For Steve, it’s shorter than he’s used to now. The arm, high tech for this time, looks especially ugly and primitive.

Steve thinks back to all the information they gained after the fall of the Triskelion. Nazi records have always been blessed and cursed. “He hasn’t been under for too long. It won’t be pretty at first, but we’ll be able to get him back.”

In bed that night, Peggy holds his hand beneath the blanket and whispers, “Hopefully we’ll get him back back without you trying to sacrifice yourself,” and he doesn’t know whether she’s talking about Azzano or the helicarrier, and he likes that she has the option for either.

They count on the minimization of Hydra’s influence to help stabilize things, and they’ll prove to be right. Peggy also cultivates herself a reputation for sound, nearly prescient, advice to other agencies. It will help them influence things they need to in the future, but it’s already believable, based on a solid foundation. No one suspects the man who’s occasionally seen on her arm at functions or visiting her office - bearded, older, bearing only a passing resemblance to the lost Captain America - of having anything to do with it. He barely talks shop with the guys, usually ends up recommending recipes to the wives.

“I do prefer you in an apron and pearls,” Peggy says as Steve rubs her feet after one such night out, her heels discarded beneath the kitchen table.

“It’s the natural order of things,” Steve tells her solemnly.

“Too right, pal,” Bucky calls from the bathroom. (He heard from Al at the newsstand that they were having trouble with their sink and came over to help rather than let Steve take care of it. “Flood the whole place, more like.”)

Neither of them quite knows who proposed to whom. Steve claims he did it, Peggy attests with equal vehemence that she took the initiative. Neither of them much cares when it comes down to it.

They invite the Commandos to the wedding. Or, rather, Peggy invites them, and then when they all show up with faltering, incomplete smiles, Steve comes over to say hello.

“If it was anyone else but the two of you, I don’t know that I could believe it,” Monty says, dazed.

Dugan wants horse racing tips. Morita wants to know if he ever makes it with Ava Gardner. “Already tried asking that one, pal,” says Howard sourly.

“Sometimes you just have to live it,” says Steve, and goes to take another turn on the floor with his wife.

They move to Jersey in ‘52. Steve’s afraid that Bucky’s going to have an aneurysm over the betrayal, but the commute’s easier on Peggy now that SHIELD’s working out of Camp Lehigh most of the time.

(Buck ends up living in Brooklyn near his folks and goes back to school to get his engineering degree. Howard says he doesn’t care, he knew how much schooling Bucky had when he offered him the job, but Bucky wants to earn it, and he likes to learn.)

Somehow, it takes three days to pack up the apartment in DC and three weeks to unpack in their cozy little house in New Jersey. Peggy’s pulling late nights all the time as she gets things put together, but she refuses to let Steve do much during the day: they both have extremely strong opinions about every little thing, and she wants to be there to decide which cupboard the glasses will go in, or how far the sofa will be placed from the window and how far the armchair from the sofa.

They finally get things sorted one Saturday when it’s nearly autumn. They leave the door open to let in the air, still warm with just the beginnings of a chill. Peggy stands with her hands on her hips in the middle of their living room. Steve watches from the doorway, loving the way the light filters over her hair, loving the way he already knows exactly how it will.

He steps into the room with her, selects a record and sets the needle carefully. He holds out a hand to her.

They’re practiced at this now. They’ve been to the Stork Club and danced at their wedding and done a thousand other things in between. Peggy jokes that Steve only breaks her foot once a month now, twice if she’s very lucky. But there’s no showing off today. He holds her in his arms and they sway, turning in slow circles, the music washing over them as they stand in their new home.

“The war's over, Steve. We can go home. Imagine it,” she had once said to him in a vision that had taken his breath, a vision that might never exist.

He doesn’t have to imagine it anymore.

#Endgame #Endgame spoilers #Steve Rogers #Peggy Carter #Steggy #Steggy fic #things left behind fic #If Markus/McFeely and the Russos can have entirely different understandings of their whack time travel notions #I can do whatever the hell I want with it #(To be clear I'm siding with the Russos and their delightfully chaotic multiverse/alternate timeline.)#There might be another chapter to this but my relationship to fic these days is so extremely fraught that it's all entirely ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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cruzrogue · 5 years

Text

Quantum Leap

#Fictober19 @fictober-event

————————————————————————

for fanfiction:

Prompt number: 16 “Listen. No, really listen.”

Fandom (AU if applicable): #arrow fanfiction #olicity

Rating:PG

Warnings/Tags: Future/Past Time travel (Different Earth)

Summary: Felicity leaves with the Monitor but not everything is as it seems she is being used on a quest just like her husband. Instead of entering this quest in 2019 like Oliver Queen she’s entering it in 2040. Somehow different points of entry into alternate earths are needed. Her life has become like the show: Quantum Leap.

Added prompt: Can you imagine this scenario: Goth Felicity in a coffee shop, working on her laptop, while overhearing some girls' conversation at a nearby table. LL is one of them and she is talking about how Ollie would stop cheating on her once they get married. And the other girls around the table agreeing to the crap L is trying to sell them and herself. I can see and hear Felicity's snort from here. Perhaps L needed a reality check, a wake up call from a take no shit Felicity, and perhaps whatever Felicity says would penetrate.

Notes:If you’ve seen Quantum Leap this is loosely based on it because I watched it religiously like so many other sci-fi/action shows back in the day. I’m using what I can recall.

~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~

Quantum Leap on A03

Felicity is not to happy. When she called upon the Monitor to see her husband after twenty years it was time to keep her promise to Oliver. Not land it pivotal points in her history. She doesn’t even understand why she back to her college days. Is she supposed to keep Cooper from doing the stupidest thing ever and getting arrested? Its months till she meets him so what is the purpose of coming to this particular time frame?

She must say though that it’s kind of cool to see herself in Goth attire not like that drugged up version of herself when she hallucinated that wasn’t the best version of her at all.

“I guess if I’m stuck in the past and I’m supposed to change something or another, frickin’ if I’m going to play Sam in all this time world travels, Dr. Sam Beckett needs his Admiral Al Calavicci, so I can Quantum Leap out of this mess.” Unfortunately for her there is no The Observer to be her holographic adviser. At least she is in her own body.

She than mimics the Monitor, “Where I’m taking you there is no return.” Rolling her eyes, “No shit! We just going to Quantum Leap my ass to help balance things out.” She sighs loudly as she needs to add one more dig to all this, “I’m the frickin’ one who doesn’t wear a mask and I’m supposed to what? Diddle dandle the situation like Macgyver? Who does he think I am?” After finishing her little rant, she can almost feel like this whole scene was just witnessed and man if that is true, she just puts up her middle finger to add insult to injury. Not like the Monitor has any sense of humor but sticking it to him makes her feel somewhat better even if its fleeting because she is stuck in the past in whatever Earth number it is.

Heading to her dorm she remembers how much her roommate stunk up the room with the weirdest homeopathic aromas. Wouldn’t be so bad if the girl picked a scent and committed to it. Entering her room, she greets the roommate and heads to grab her laptop. There is this newish coffee shop a few blocks south and well-being anywhere but here sounds like a good idea.

Of course, being a mix of her old self physically and being the older wiser woman, she becomes mentally she feels a little free. All that growing pains and self-doubts are gone. She can sigh a breath of relief in that at least. She could waltz down any particular street and sing ‘I’m off to see the Wizard’ and having people look at her weirdly be like ‘yea what are you looking at? Never seen a girl sing off key before?’ Hence, she decides to do just that as she’s crossing a busy street.

“We're off to see the Wizard The wonderful Wizard of Oz

Because, because, because, Because of the wonderful things he does We're off to see the Wizard The wonderful Wizard of Oz”

What she doesn’t expect is the city may have some loons because a few people join her unexpectedly. What starts off as just being an idiotic move becomes a full-length sing-along and she’s laughing hysterically but by the time she reaches the coffee shop she back to her non-singing jolly self.

Finding a comfortable place to at least check on everything that matters to her by using the convenience of the internet. At least the programing is the same so surfing is her game as she submerges herself into all that is technology.

All is well for many hours, plenty of coffee and sugar to fill her hearts content. She even picks a salad with the right amounts of protein just because she can hear the little Oliver cherub on her shoulder telling her to eat right. It takes a voice to break her from her concentration. It’s not the voice itself that got her too glance around the cutesy coffee shop. It’s the specific laugh of denial that she’s heard from a certain woman before but just as soon as the alternate version of her made its way into her life.

She wishes she wasn’t privy to hearing they’re conversation but as Laurel starts to talk about Oliver she just can’t walk away. Those three women may now have her undivided attention. It may be a train wreck waiting to happen because sometimes TMI is a real thing. She doesn’t need to know their sex life because that would just be creepy. Not that Laurel didn’t share what she thought Oliver would love from her. It still gives her shivers thinking about those few conversations she couldn’t get out fast enough. Luckily it was a one-time Sara Lance intervention session that helped Felicity never hear another Ollie liked this or that conversation. She made sure to thank Sara very well for that sweet deed.

“Ollie, eventually will find himself and he’ll take his father’s company by the horns. When he does, he’ll have me proudly supporting him. No one supports him like I do.”

“Laurel, aren’t you two on a break now?”

“These breaks are just to rejuvenate our longing. He’ll miss me and I always get what I want. There is this gorgeous pair of earrings I hinted to him that would look so nice with the necklace he gave me last time.”

“He loves to shower you with gifts.”

“Well I did mention to him that showing such gifts is important to show relevance in a relationship status within his peers.”

“Smart, this way he knows no other men will try to steal you away. He’d be crushed.”

“It would only serve him right. Though Ollie would settle down after marriage. It would only take the right woman.”

“Of course.”

Laurel lightly chuckles as she features her hand to her chest in a whimsical manner, “I am the only woman for him. No one knows him as well as I do. He knows his discretions are easily forgiven.”

“A tit-for-tat?”

“If he knows what’s good for him. I’d be the devoting wife, the part I was born to play.”

“But he has cheated on you regularly.”

“Ollie will surely stop cheating once we are married.”

“Well you two would make a lovely pair.”

“Thank you. You are so right. The boy is mine and I don’t even have to try. Though I am planning that once we are both back in Starling, I’ll slip some lame story about some of our friendly couples having moved in together.”

“Smart! Right?”

That gets Felicity to snort. She does it so loud that she gets their attention. Oh no she went from casual observer to now a participate and she doesn’t know what to feel. Maybe they’ll ignore her and continue with the most asinine conversation. Is this the Laurel she never met? Because she is not the wannabe strong girl she tried to project. She really is coming off a petty gold-digging princess.

When the three go back and act like nothing happened it not until the next doozy that has Felicity snort and try to hold her laughter. It’s a if she understands now why she is here. She still mumbles to herself, “This is not something I want to do.”

At least her Goth appearance has them concerned in a way that says she’s is battle ready. She enters their conversation and asks, “What on this green covered earth makes you think a man who cheats on you holds you in any esteem?”

They’re answers so bland and vanilla that Felicity takes some pity on these three fools.

“You are seriously okay with being a second fiddle to your own story?”

Yet again answers so bland Felicity just shakes her head.

“And when he finally tires of you and sends you away with whatever prenup you’ve signed how will that fill your longest nights? Because where I am standing you happily giving up the best years of your life for a guy who has his secretary without a mere thought about it buy you the personal gifts while you need to call her to set up an appointment to schedule time with him.”

‘It wouldn’t be like that. Ollie is sweet and just the kind that needs those friendly pushes. His mother told me that herself.”

Felicity lets out a dark laugh, “She’s okay with you being a doormat?” and Felicity takes a hard look at the other two woman who are egging her on. Her attention now solely on Laurel, “Listen. No, really listen.”

“It is the way of the world. You just don’t see it because your…” She waves her hand around Felicity’s Gothic look. “Unexperienced!”

“Is that so? Let me advise you that appearances can change. We also see what we want to. If you see yourself as a sell-by-date nearing expiration and just sell yourself short. You’ll deserve the short-comings because living with ourselves is a lifetime guarantee. The mirror yields for no one.”

“Ah!” Laurel just looks at this girl who budded into her conversation. Some of what she says scares her. She’s heard a similar version from her dad. Her friends are urging her to forget what this dark-dyed hair bimbo is saying. Laurel is the lucky one, she has a guy who’ll will figure his shit and go back with her because she’s been faithful to his lifestyle.

“It’s your call. You can respect yourself or be that obedient doormat to his parents and eventually husband. If he respected you. You wouldn’t need these pep talks by girls who really don’t give two quacks about you.” Felicity has said her peace if Laurel wants to continue on her scheduled way so be it. In the end it’s her choice.

Felicity says her regards and goes back to her spot to pack up its time to see if her roomie has left to her boyfriend’s place for the night. As she starts to head back home Laurel calls out to her. Oh, she forgot she introduced herself by first name only. They talk a bit more but the other girls who were some bad cheerleaders were still in the coffeeshop. Laurel seems to head some advice but to Felicity it is just too early and her words could be forgotten in a heartbeat.

Entering her place, she sees a newspaper left on the cover of her bed she just going to move it to her workstation when she sees the words dance upon the page. It is dated a future year but falling on the same day.

Judge Dinah Laurel Lance-and a last name she has never seen welcomes second daughter.

Felicity places her hand on her mouth in surprise, no… she didn’t help! Did she? Then she continues reading and she can’t believe those few minutes actually helped. Laurel’s first-born daughter is named Felicity, the newspaper saying it was after a girl she met years ago that got her to reevaluate her life choices. WoW!

Just like Sam Beckett she’s whisked away but not by falling asleep and waking up in a new reality. She is somehow guided to her new life. One step closer to Oliver.

~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~

Can you believe 15 more prompts to go... The month is flying by!

#fictober19 #olicity #felicity smoak #oliver queen #quantum leap #arrow

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aboysbestfriendishismum · 5 years

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Chapter 53 - Captain Kirk, the talk and the ex talk

In the previous chapter: Eddie and Angie talk every day on the phone. The day of the concert in Portland is near, Meg will go with Grace and Laura, whereas Angie won't be there. Cornell's going back home at dawn when he finds Eddie sitting outside Angie's door. He tells him he's hitched a ride and travelled during the night because he wanted to go back home. Angie and Eddie finally see each other again after the kiss.

“What the fuck have I just seen?” Meg's right here next to me, laughing and clapping her hands, together with the small group who rallied around our friends in the parking lot.

“Need bleach to disinfect your corneas?” Stone stoops to talk to her, keeping his arm around my shoulders “Want me to go inside and ask for some?”

“They're admirable though” I remark.

“For their courage and total lack of shame or restraint? I couldn't agree more” he said seriously.

“No. I mean, that too. But I meant their artistic choice”

“Artistic?” Meg eyes me suspiciously, then Jeff and Laura drag her away and they all walk up to the champs who've just given the performance.

“Well, yeah, they could have played it safe without taking any chances and go for an easy WMCA or In the navy. Yet they chose a niche song”

“Well, I wouldn't call it niche...”

“You gotta admit it's not the typical Village People party tune” I shrug and turn around and start walking back to the club.

“Now that I think about that...” Stone follows and reaches out to take me by the hand.

“They even had to make up a dance routine”

“Hehe that's true, you're right” he smiles and gives a little squeeze at my hand and I just snap.

“WHAT?”

“Huh?”

“What the fuck are you talking about Stone?” I plant myself pretty close to the entrance.

“Did you take any drugs that are kicking in now?” Stone studies my face with a perplexed look and a badly hidden smile.

“Come here!” I change direction and drag him back into the parking lot but towards the back, actually towards the band's van.

“Did Village People give you subliminal advice on how to spend the night? Well, the rest of it...” he asks as I gesture for him to open the door of the van.

“I see you've still got some sense of humour for me too!”

“Gracie, what's wrong?” he opens the van and flails his arms, while I walk around to get on the passenger seat.

“Get on and I'll tell you”

“So?” we're sitting and we're locked in and that fucking grin is still there.

“What's happening to you, Stone?”

“To me? I should ask you this question...”

“You haven't even made fun of me once since I got here!”

“What?”

“Being tender and sweet is ok... although I have to admit that sometimes while we were talking on the phone I wanted to yell 'Leave this body!' because I don't know you anymore”

“I can't... I don't understand”

“But at least you were joking with me, I mean, it was always you, though covered in a thick layer of … candy? Tonight you just keep on... fucking agreeing with me!”

“Should I not?”

“NO!”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I'm sure, I want the good old... well, the old Stone, not his pale copy. If this is the way you are when you have a girlfriend, you know, I'm not sure I want to take on that role”

“Oh. Well, that's curious” Stone looks surprised and he's not even trying to hide that grin anymore.

“I mean, I want that role, I like you, I really do... It's just, I can't understand what's wrong with you lately”

“That's curious because all my exes preferred the pale copy”

“Your exes?”

“Actually, they required it”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that girls usually get with me, then regularly try to change me... 'Did you really have to make that joke?'... 'Don't embarrass me!'... 'You said you'd call at 7. It's 7:01, what the fuck are you doing?'... 'Do you need to spend the whole night of your concert with your bandmates?'... 'Do you really have to play tonight?'... 'How could you make fun of my dress? My record? My mother? My dog?'... And each and every time I was like, you know, where have you been? Who have you been dating? Don't you know me? I thought you wanted to be with me and this is literally who I am”

“I don't wanna change you, you're fine to me the way you are”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, you can call me 15 minutes later, sleep with your guitar or... with Jeff! And you can easily insult my whole wardrobe”

“Even 20 minutes later?”

“Even one hour!”

“Really?”

“Sure! This is bullshit, stupid little things, nothing to focus on”

“Ok in that case... it looks like you passed the test” Stone holds his fingers up to his chin as if he's pondering something, then gives me a peck on the nose and gets out of the vehicle just like that. He walks around the van and opens the door for me.

“What?”

“And with flying colors!”

“What test?”

“Stone Gossard's Stress Test”

“And what the hell is it?”

“A kind of stress you couldn't stand for... mmm... not even five hours” Stone looks at his watch to calculate the time spent together tonight and I get out shocked from the van.

“Are you telling me... you did it on purpose?”

“Sure”

“And the cheesy phone calls?”

“Those too.” he's about to lock the van and my puzzled face tells him he needs to elaborate more “Oh that was to figure out if you're a clingy psycho. And you're not. You're a normal young woman with normal insecurities and doubts about the guy she's just started dating”

“So, what if I had given in and gone along with you?”

“I'd have dumped you on the spot” he finally locks the van and circles my shoulders with his arm once again, kissing me quickly on the lips.

“On the spot?”

“Well, no, of course I'd have waited for us to at least meet in person so we could talk” we walk up to the back entrance of the club and I can't help burst into laughter.

“Hahaha shut up! You'd have broken up with me on the phone with no remorse. Actually, you'd have probably asked Jeff to do the job for you!”

“God, you really do know me” he stops in his tracks, grabs me by my hips and pulls me in a tight hug, amused.

“Yes. And I still want to be with you, isn't it crazy?”

“Well, when I called you normal I was clearly putting it mildly”

“What are we then? I mean, are we a couple, are we dating or what?”

“What do you want us to be?” he asks as he rests his forehead against mine.

“Well, I want to be with you... but I want to take it slow”

“Uh what a coincidence! That's exactly what I want as well” he suddenly pulls away and takes me by the hand as we resume walking.

“Anyway, considering we already had the talk, I'd say we're well on the way”

“The talk?”

“The ex talk”

“Uh, that!”

“Well, you didn't give me the details but...”

“We can easily skip those” he shakes his head.

“And then there's the part about my ex boyfriends that still remains untold”

“Can't we skip that too?”

“You're not jealous, are you Gossard?”

“Nuh, it's just pathetic cases make me sad”

“Ha-ha”

“You said you liked my sense of humour, now enjoy it” he jokes as we walk hand in hand and he delicately rubs the back of my hand with his thumb.

“Can I reconsider it quickly?”

“No. You've even just called me by my surname to act as the funny alternative girlfriend, you can't go back”

“Any other remark before we get in?” I question when we're at the door.

“Yes, one thing. How many M&m's did you kill to make that skirt?”

“HA! I KNEW YOU HATED IT”

“You can't imagine the struggle to keep my mouth shut the whole time. And I did it for you, you should appreciate that”

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

“Hey, did you see Mike?” Eddie runs into me in the parking lot and asks the wrong person.

“Mmm no, the last time I saw him he was mimicking tango moves with Cantrell along that railing, while the other Village People were doing the wave”

“That was... intense”

“I don't know now. Oh you know what? You should try and find the coordinates of the spot where I'm standing right now and calculate the one that's exactly the antipodes on the earth's surface 'cause that's were he probably is. Most likely” I spew my bile on poor Eddie, who remains confused.

“Ok”

“That or... he's, you know, inside” I add as I calm down.

“Ok, thank you Meg.” Eddie smiles and is about to leave, then waits “Mike's got nothing against you, he just wants to be by himself for a while so he doesn't fuck anything up”

“Yeah, well, I can't wait for him forever” I flail my arms then fold them back against my chest, buttoning up my jacket. It's cold tonight, fuck.

“Don't worry, he knows” Vedder nods at me and gets in the club, leaving me standing here like a lemon.

Sure he knows, he knows pretty well. Maybe that's what he hopes for. He wants me to get tired of waiting for him. I just need to find someone else and he wouldn't be in trouble anymore, right?

“Hey? Hey girl!” I hear someone yelling behind my back so I turn around to see if by any chance they're talking to me.

Two guys, apparently intoxicated by alcohol or something else. They come close smiling and elbowing each other. Yeah, unfortunately they're talking to me.

“Yes?”

“Hi! Excuse me, my friend and I are right in the middle of... of a...” the blond guy can't find the words, his friend with the dreadlocks comes to the rescue.

“A dilemma”

“Yes! A dilemma. You're the only one who can help us”

“You can't decide who's the biggest jerk between the two?”

“Hahahaha that's a good one!”

“I told you she seemed funny”

“We can't decide what's the worst cover version between Hotel California by Al B. Sure and Under my thumb by Sam Kinison. Do you know them?”

What. The. Fuck.

“The first one, for sure”

“Yeeeeeeeeeeeah! See? What did I tell you, I won!” blondie growls and beats his chest like a gorilla.

“Fuck you always win, that's not fair”

“And what did you win?” I ask 'cause I wanna see where this nonsense is going.

“The chance to hit on you, sweetie!”

“Don't you have a friend?” his buddy asks, still disappointed.

“Fine. Well you had your chance. It didn't work. Sorry. Bye!” I make wide gestures with my arms and hands and quickly step off.

“Aw come on! Why? Where are you going?”

“Guys, you need to change your technique because I swear this isn't just the worst pass ever done at me, it's the worst I've ever witnessed in general”

Sorry, Mike, given the available men around, I'm afraid the solution to your problems is still way too far.

I get back into the club right when Vedder's exiting, together with two friends of Mike's. That's why he was looking for him.

“Good night Meg!”

“Night”

Is he leaving? Where? Huh. The hall seems even bigger now that the show is over and there's a little less people on the floor, dancing to the dj's setlist.

“Baby here I am, I'm the man on the scene!” a Mike, but not the one I was looking for, sings aloud into my ears, dancing and skipping behind my back.

“Hey Starr, I've been told from a very believable source you're not a bad dancer at all”

“That's right! Your roommate was very satisfied with the performance”

“Yeah, despite your quick hand!” I retort as I jokingly squeeze his asscheek.

“Shhhhhh don't say it too loud! If Jerry hears us, he will get all upset and want to beat me up once again” Mike stops in the middle of the hall, looking around and gesturing me to shut up.

“Did he beat you up?”

“Nuh, he's all talk and no action, he never does it in the end. But there's a first time for everything”

While Starr describes his fears, I inspect the crowd and at some point I spot a Stevie Ray Vaughan style hat I know too well. Two girls are talking to that hat.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you're killing me!” I give him a small nudge but he doesn't move.

“Ok. It didn't seem such a brilliant joke to me though”

“Hahaha no it wasn't but just laugh all the same, ok? Laugh! Would you please fucking laugh?!” I grab him on his shoulders and literally shake him.

“Are you high?”

“Just pretend we're having very much fun, ok? HAHAHA!” I throw my arms around his neck and maybe this dumbass finally understands something.

“Aaaaaah I see! Mikey's looking this way, isn't he?” he understood but doesn't uderstand that if he turns around he's gonna ruin the whole thing.

“Don't look!” I grab his curly head and straighten it forcefully up so he looks back at me.

“Hey, relax... I just wanted to check if he was with any girls”

“I can tell you: yes, he is. Happy now?”

“Well, yes, because if there's girls around, you get mad” he smirks and he almost gets me more mad than the girls themselves.

“Oh thank you! And why would that make you happy exactly?” I grasp his neck again but less gently.

“Because the more upset you are, the more you'll be seeking for revenge. And I can take advantage of the situation!” he wiggles his eyebrows and tries to cop a feel.

“You're such an asshole” I shake my head and let go of him, leaving him alone in the middle of the dance floor.

“Meg, where are you going?” Mike, still the wrong one, follows me as I make my way through the dancing people and catches up with me at the bar “Come on, I was just kidding! You know me, we're friends, aren't we?”

“Ok”

“But if you want to do what that chick with the bandana is doing to Mike, I'm in. Anything to help a friend in need!”

I frown and turn around and see the girl has just pulled up her shirt right in front of Mike, who just stands there in the middle of a group of howling men without batting an eye. First her friend laughs at the scene, then imitates her and pulls her top up as well.

“Fuck you, Mike” I hiss after I down my whiskey shot.

“Who? Me or him?”

“Both”

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

Monday. Weird day choice for a concert, especially for the last gig of a tour. Actually, as far as Eddie told me, they were initially supposed to play last Friday. Then there were problems and it all slipped to today, so the guys had a long free weekend. This kind of gift is even better when it's unexpected. Just like the cancelled class this morning. I spend the morning running errands and doing all the chores I needed to do, I had a slow lunch, I studied for a couple of hours not to feel guilty, I even baked a cake, which would actually make me feel partially guilty, and now I'm free. Free to make a small change in my plans with Eddie. Luckily I manage to park just outside his condo, I grab the cake, enter the building thanks to a guy that's perfectly dressed for a bike ride who holds the door for me and I run up the stairs.

What if I disturb him?

You don't.

He must be resting after his shift.

His shift ended hours ago, he's got nothing to do.

Maybe I'm about to show up right in the middle of the writing of a new song and he'll lose inspiration because of me.

Well, if he really tells you he's busy-

He'd never tell me, Eddie's too sweet.

If you actually notice by yourself that he's busy, you can just give him the cake and leave, after all you'll see him at the show tonight.

That's not the same.

You can see him whenever the fuck you want, Angie.

What if he's not at home?

If he's not, nobody will open the door.

What if Jeff's there?

Then Jeff will have the whole cake, just stop with the drama.

What if he's with another girl?

Please! Who?! Eddie's so antisocial you're the only girl he found.

I get to the aparment and through the closed door I can hear the unmistakable voice of Ian MacKaye. This is Eddie, for sure. I ring the doorbell and the music is turned down a little. The door opens almost immediately, in a tiny crack.

“Hey!” Eddie greets me, quickly closes the door to unlock the chain, then opens it again.

“Hi E-” he pulls me towards me and without realising it, I find myself inside his apartment, in the middle of a hug and a kiss.

“What are you doing here? What time is it?” Eddie glances at his wrist but there's no watch on it, then clumsily walks backwards, dragging me within.

“It's almost half past four, Eddie”

“Wait, were we supposed to meet now? Sorry, my mind's kinda confused” hi little lines on Eddie's forehead! I missed you.

“Hehe no, we said tonight at the show, don't you remember?” this morning I saw him at the mini market and went there for a quick hello before going to class. He almost got us caught by Hannigan as we were kissing beside the ice cream department.

“Right! Weren't you busy today?”

“Yeah, but once I got to the university I found out two professors weren't there, so I got some free time” I put the cake on the small table at the entrance to keep it safe.

“Great!” he exclaims maybe with a little too much energy as he hugs me once again.

“And I thought... well, I could drop by and... surprise you”

“Even greater!” I takes me by the arms and loops them around his neck before kissing me.

“Didn't I disturb you?”

“Pfffft no”

“Are you sure?”

“I was just chilling a little”

“Chilling? With Fugazi?”

“You know, I'm weird.” Eddie rubs his nose against mine and his dimples are way beyond the alert level “You look so beautiful”

“Did you smoke pot?”

“Can't you just... like... take a compliment?”

“Sure I can. But that doesn't change the fact you've been smoking” my nostrils don't lie, neither does his face.

“Yes. But pot's got nothing to do with the fact you're beautiful”

“Ok. Do you have any left?”

“Sure, my princess!”

I realized I like hanging out with Eddie. Wow, what a huge discovery! I've always liked it, obviously. It's just, well, after... what happened, I was afraid things would change, that we wouldn't be us anymore, that nothing would ever be the same. Yet it's exactly the same. We're friends, we laugh and joke together, we talk about anything, we go out together, everything is the same. Since he came back, we met every day. On Friday afternoon we played basketball at the court, on Saturday he came to the diner at closing time, yesterday we did another tour of Pike Place. I mean, it's all like it used to be. Kisses, cuddling and make out sessions are a plus, lovely interludes that take nothing away from the rest. Everything's going just right and I'm sure it'll stay like that. As long as none of us talks about the whole matter, of course. Meg can't believe we didn't say anything to each other, whereas I think that's why this thing works. I mean, sure I'd like to make sense of all this, to figure out what we are: we are together, we're not together, we're a couple, we're friends... I don't have much experience about relationships: with Sean, well, we both set up what we would do together, whereas Martin asked me with a card (Do you wanna be my girlfriend? Cross Yes or No); then came Drake and Dave that were, in two totally different ways, actual non-relationships, nobody said anything, nobody knows if they even started, we just know they ended by themselves; and finally, Jerry, well, no need to explain that. I mean, I went from school boyfriends to adult relationships, there's nothing in between and I have no idea how you know as an adult wether you're in a relationship or not. Do you have a talk specifically about that? Or one of the pair simply starts addressing the other spontaneously calling him or her my boyfriend or my girlfriend and you just start considering yourselves a couple by implication from then on? Nobody says shit and if you haven't told each other to fuck off after N months then you're a couple? Do you automatically become a couple after a minimum time-span of exclusive sex? How do I figure out if I'm with Eddie or not? Is it so necessary to figure it out? Uhm probably yes, if you don't want to get shafted like with Jerry Cantrell. I have the right to know what's happening and decide if I’m ok with it or not. The truth is, I'm so very ok with this situation, with Eddie, the way it is, that I'm scared stiff I'll do or say the wrong thing and fuck it all up. Eddie's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. I loved Jerry, and I somehow still do, I can't deny it, 'cause I care for him and everything. Anyway I never had the same connection, the delicious complicity, even the intimacy I have with Eddie, although we haven't done anything actually intimate... What if he wants to do it? SHIT, WHAT IF HE WANTS TO DO IT NOW?! Lounging on a small couch with Eddie listening to post-punk, eating chocolate cake and smoking substances that remove inhibitions: not exactly the best recipe for abstinence.

“Hahaha this was a particularly good idea” Eddie grabs two more squares of cake, he eats one immediately and places the other on his leg, his thigh that keeps rubbing against mine.

“And I had no idea about your induced appetite”

“It's a great idea regardless of the munchies. Take another bit” he suggests chewing.

“No, I'm fine, I ate a quarter alone!”

“So what? I ate half of it, there's another quarter left” Eddie gets all serious as he shows the different fractions of cake on the plate with the knife.

“That's for Jeff”

“But... Jeff's not here now” he whispers seductively, as if he was suggesting to cheat on a boyfriend with him and thank god I don't have a boyfriend because Eddie can be so convincing. Even now that his eyes are two thin slits and he can't stay more than ten seconds without laughing. Actually, when he laughs it's even worse.

“But if he still finds some when he comes home and eats it, that will make me happy”

“So selfless” he moves a lock of my hair away from my face and it falls back in the same place right away, he gives me a small kiss, then another, then one more, and he keeps smiling so wide that I'm afraid he'll gouge my eyes out with those cheekbones.

“Err Eddie?”

“Yes?”

“The cake” I point at the chocolatey square that's about to crumbe between our legs.

“Oops!” he lets go of me and takes the piece of cake, eating it in one bite.

This couch is a mess, there are crumbles everywhere.

Luckily it's not your apartment and it's none of your business. Focus on something else!

The B side of 13 songs has come to an end and this time I decide to go and turn off the stereo. I need a diversion.

“I... gotta go to the bathroom!”

“Ok”

My interior monologue goes on, both on the toilet and at the sink, as I wash my hands.

Why am I like this?

Because you're stupid.

Why do I freeze? I'm comfortable with Eddie... so why do I have these totally awkward moments?

Because it's a new thing, you still have to get used to it.

Get used to what? To making out with a hot guy? That should be the easiest most natural thing in the world! I should be in the living room with him now, not here, fixating on my face in the mirror.

The joint you smoked may be responsible for the fixation, the rest is just insecurity. Try and act normal, relax and don't think too much.

Easier said than done...

I get out of the bathroom and walk back into the living room. Eddie's not here. He must have gone away. And he probably left a message with FIX YOUR FUCKING PROBLEMS written on it.

He can't leave, you dork, you're at his place.

Oh. Right.

“Hey, here you are! I was looking for something to drink. There's a bottle of red wine I really wanna open with you but not today. With the show and all the rest, I'd better not, what do you think?” Eddie comes out from the kitchen with a carton of ACE juice and two glasses.

“Hehe yeah, maybe you'll better not” I answer as I take my glass from his hands.

“This is Jeff's stuff, healthy and vitamin filled” Eddie fills my glass then does the same with his, puts the carton on the coffee table then seats on the armchair.

On the armchair. Sure.

Well done, Angie. Congratulations. You sent him the message to stay away. I drink a sip of juice and place the glass on the table, Eddie makes gestures and mumbles something I can't decipher because he does it as he's drinking.

“What? Do you need something?”

“Mmmhh”

“The cigarettes?” I ask pointing at the pack.

“The remote. Let's watch some tv, do you want to?” he finally explains himself. Eddie wanting to watch tv? I guess my message was too strong.

“What's up with the tv? Do you wanna take a nap?” why don't I just keep my fucking mouth shut? He gets close and you push him away, he finds something to do to pass the time and you have to pick on him. Nothing is ever good for you.

“Hehe no, no napping, just relaxing a little” he replies stretching out a little to put his empty glass on the edge of the coffee table. I move it towards the center so it doesn't fall down, then I get the remote for Eddie.

“Here”

“Thanks” I'm about to go and sit down on the couch but Eddie grabs me first by the arm, then by the hips, and in a couple of seconds I find myself sitting on his lap .

“Eddie! Come on, what are you doing?”

“Where did you think you were going?”

“On the couch, I can't sit here... like this...” I pry up the backrest of the armchair to turn around and look at him as I speak.

“No? And why?” he reaches between my knees and pulls up one of my legs so it lies across his.

“Because I can't be... all sprawled out on you like this” he does the same with the other leg and now I am indeed in his arms.

“Who said that?”

“I'm heavy, Eddie, I'll crush you...” we'll end up falling asleep and I'll suffocate him.

“I can't fell any burden at all” liar.

“It's the drug, it numbed you”

“Haha Angie, it takes much more than a couple of joints to numb me, trust me” Eddie squeezes my hip and with the other hand is still caressing my knees over the jeans.

“But... you're uncomfortable”

“I've never been so comfortable in my whole life” he states and rests, well, actually drops his head against my chest.

“If you say so...”

“Are you comfortable?” he asks looking up. Hi again, Eddie's frown!

“Yes...”

“Great,” he kisses me in a way that I almost fall off this fucking armchair, then gives me the remote “turn it on then”

“Ok, what do you want to see?”

“You choose”

I start zapping through the channels and hope to find something that can give us a prompt of conversation and thank god I find it amost immediately.

“Uh! Star Trek reruns! Do you like it?”

“I used to watch it as a child. I'd say I was more into super heroes and sitcoms rather than science fiction, but I do remember it”

“So you haven't seen the new series? The Next Generation?”

“Uhm no”

“No big deal, I prefer this old one too, but the new one is not bad at all, you know?”

“Hehe ok”

“If you don't like it we can watch something else”

“No Angie, it's good” he steals the remote, turns up the volume a little and sticks it somewhere between the armrest and the pillow.

“OH MY GOD, IT'S ARENA!”

“That is...?” Eddie gives me a perplexed look for my sudden excitement.

“It's a memorable episode! Captain Kirk against the Gorn, have you seen it?”

“Err it's not like I remember it all, as I told you”

“Oh if you had seen this episode, you'd remember, trust me” I adjust myself better on Eddie's knees.

“Is it good?”

“It's one of the best episodes ever!” I let go of the backrest and clasp my hands behind his neck.

“Cool!”

“And it has the worst fight scene in the history of American television”

“What?”

“Maybe even world television but I don't have the instruments to venture a guess”

“How can it be one of the best episodes if it's got a scene that literally sucks?”

“It's something I can't explain, you wouldn't understand”

“You mean that it's so bad that it's good?”

“Yes, but no. Not really. All I can say is that Star Trek is made of this too”

The episode has already started, although not long ago, so I do a quick summary for Eddie. The attack on Cestus 3, the space battle between Enterprise and the enemy ship, Metrons getting upset because fuckers invaded their sectors.

“Isn't it basicallly some kind of fight trial?” Eddie asks as he's still holding me firmly. When his limbs start tingling and losing feeling and I crash down on the floor, I'll say I TOLD YOU!

“Exactly! A trial by combat. As in, you came here fucking around in our space, now we're gonna take your two captains and put you in this desert planet so you can take this shit elsewhere and sort it out between you two, until one of you dies”

“Who lives, wins”

“Yeah and the one who dies condemns his crew to death too”

Eddie watches the episode in silence, either he's very focused or he's stoned. Now it's me resting my head against his shoulder. All in all, it's just Eddie, why should I freak out? I don't know if I owe it to Captain Kirk or if it's because of the forced contact on the armchair but I feel much more relaxed now.

“I think I smoked too much, I see it all in slow motion” he points out after a while and try and I hardly stifle a laugh.

“It's not you, that's the scene”

“What do you mean?”

“This is the terrible fight I told you about, it's at normal speed”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Hahahaha no”

“What the fuck was that two-handed punch?”

“That's Captain Kirk signature move! He uses it often”

“Yes but it's totally useless”

“Details”

“And why is that alien so slow?”

“He's big, he can't be too sleek”

“He couldn't even kick him! Here, now he's crushing him”

“But Kirk reacts and tries to strangle him”

“He'll never make it”

“Oh he will, with the powerful move of the-”

“Head slap?! Hahahaha”

“See? He stunned him”

“Run away!”

“He can't, he has to fight him to save himself and the Enterprise”

“What the fuck is he doing now?”

“He throws a rock at him”

“That guy's big, the rock won't do him anything”

“Metrons told them they'd find all the resources on the planet”

“If he kills the alien with that pebble, I swear I'll scream”

“It must weigh a lot. Look, look at the elegance of the throw gesture”

“There it is hahaha! As I said, he didn't even move”

“He managed to make him even more upset”

“Where is he going? Jesus Christ yes! Now that is a rock”

“He wants to respond by throwing an asteroid at him basically”

“Such a poor figure for the Captain of Enterprise”

“Shut up, heretic! Kirk is not up for debate”

“Come on, you can't deny he sucks at fighting right now”

“But he's good at dodging asteroids”

“If they go on like this, this fight could last for ages”

“Hehe luckily, it ends at some point”

“Are you sure they're not still fighting right now?”

“No no, I swear”

“Thank god”

And the end of the fight finally comes. Kirk builds some kind of mortar with bamboo, diamonds and colorful dust he found on the planet. He fires it and hits the Gorn.

“So MacGyver didn't invent anything new?” Eddie says and I giggle.

“Hehe no, he didn't”

“Won't he kill him?”

“No, he won't. That's the best part of the episode. Rhetoric, I know, but I'm a sucker for the Federation's moral culture”

We watch the episode till the end: Kirk spares the Gorn's life because he realizes he was just trying to defend his corner of space. The Metron shows up and he's touched by Captain Kirk's pity, a trait he wasn't expecting to find in humans, and saves both him and the Gorn.

“A positive moral in the end”

“Yeah, there's still hope for humanity”

“Anyway... that fight really sucked, I can't” Eddie lets go of my legs and covers his face with his hand as he laughs.

“I can't deny it. But you gotta understand it was 1968”

“Yeah, sorry, you're right. That's how people fought lizard aliens at the time”

“Hehe yeah, now we know much more about lizard aliens but at that time that's how it was done”

“We should have recorded it so we could watch it again in slow motion. I didn't really understand what was happening during the fight, they were too fast”

“Hahaha”

“How can they broadcast such a violent thing at this time of the day? Don't they think about children?”

“You're funnier when you watch Star Trek, I'll take a mental note”

“It's got nothing to do with Star Trek”

“Oh right, it's pot. I'll take a note anyway”

“It's not that either”

“What is it then?”

“It's you”

“Oh...”

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

“Did you hear that too?” Angie abruptly breaks our kiss and looks around.

“What?”

“That noise”

“What noise?”

“I don't know, some kind of thud”

“I didn't hear that... I don't know, I must have left a window open” I shrug and kiss her again.

“When I went to the bathroom I didn't see any open window from the hallway” she insists.

“No noise then” I nip her nose gently and try again with the kissing.

“But I'm sure I heard something” it seems there's nothing to do.

I thought she was calm now. She was so tense... I can't see why though. I'm trying everything to make her comfortable.

“Maybe it came from outside?” I cup the side of her face, lean in and...

“I don't know, it seemed more like it came from round here” she explains generically pointing at the entrance and the hallway.

“As I said, maybe someone has just got home and shut the door”

“Yes... it can be... you're right” she finally smiles at me and I can pick up where we left off.

At least until someone rings the door bell. Unlike the previous imaginary sound, we both can hear this clearly.

“Someone's at the door” Angie slips away from my arms and stands up in the middle of the room.

“Yeah, let's see who the fuck it is.” I reluctantly get up from the armchair and walk to the door “Jeff?”

“Sorry man, I forgot the keys” my roommate enters and throws his backpack on the floor.

“It's ok. But what are you doing here? Didn't you have to work until six?”

“Yeah. It's almost seven o'clock, Ed” Jeff laughs as he takes off his jacket and hangs it on the rack.

“WHAT? Already?”

“I see you couldn't stand Violet but if I were you, I'd wear the watch she bought you as a present, you'd need it” he pats me on the back a couple of times, folds his arms and looks at me. A huge grin on his face.

“I'll buy another one...” I nod and walk to go back to the living room, then turn around expecting to see him right behind me, following me. No. He's still there, standing near the door, laughing. Why the fuck is he laughing?

“I'm gonna go and take a quick shower, we're supposed to do soundcheck in half an hour” he finally breaks from his position and makes his way through the hallway.

“HI JEFF!” Angie calls him from the living room and Ament turns tail.

“Angie? Hi! I didn't see you!” I join them and see Angie, holding her bag with her coat on. I can't say I was expecting to see her like she was five minutes ago, stretched out on the armchair with her shirt unbuttoned, but...

“Eh you were walking fast...”

“What are you doing here? Wait, don't tell me you're not coming to the show!” Jeff pretends to get mad and Angie doesn't buy it.

“Don't get all worked up, I'm coming tonight! I just popped by to bring you something” she barely points at the plate and the bass player basically throws himself on the cake.

“Chocolate! Great. Well done, Angie, especially since you brought it to us and not to the other losers”

“I wanted to. But bringing a cake to the Off Ramp was kind of impractical”

“Extremely impractical, totally agree” he adds with his mouth full of cake.

“Weren't you going to take a shower? Aren't we late?” I ask as I walk up to them.

“Oh well, whatever, the acoustics always suck at the Off Ramp”

“Ok, so, gotta go now” Angie dribbles Jeff, and me.

“Already?” I complain.

“Yeah, I can see you're busy”

“Why don't you just wait and come with us to the club?” Jeffrey has the best idea of the century.

“Sure! A little patience and we can go all together” I chime in.

“Thank you but... I can't, I've got a couple things to do that I can't postpone hehe. See you tonight!” Angie dashes my hopes and heads for the door.

“Bye Angie, thank you for the cake” Jeff shrugs and sits down holding the plate in his hand, cutting another slice. I'm surprised he's not splitting the cake with his bare hands. Maybe it's because she's still here. Not for long though.

“Bye guys!” she stops and looks back at us one last time, waving her hand, then disappears. I can barely make a move to catch up with her and I already hear the door open and close.

What the hell...?

“Did I interrupt something?” I'm still trying to process what's just happened when Jeff asks me.

“No”

“Are you sure? It looks like there was a nice party going on in here...” my friend points at my shirt randomly abandoned on the coffee table, the stubs in the ashtray, the glasses.

“Sure. Ehm... I'll be back in a minute” I take a few steps back.

“Where are you going?”

“I gotta... I forgot I had something to tell her”

“Really? And what is that?” Jeff crosses his legs on the couch and keeps on cackling at me.

“Work stuff... I'll be right back” I clear out and dash down the stairs.

I didn't tell anything to Jeff but I have the feeling he sensed something. Well, it's not like he didn't know before, he's not stupid. Anyway, I'd tell him. But obviously Angie doesn't want anyone to know. How can I tell? Well, let me think... maybe the fact that on Friday, after we had spent a great afternoon together, when we met with the whole gang at the Scottish Pub to celebrate the end of the tour, she barely talked to me and sat as far from me as she could? And what about Saturday night, when I went to Roxy's to see her and we were holding hands and she dropped mine in a second as soon as Meg appeared? I see it's been only a few days but I can't see why we should hide.

“Angie!” I draw up to her between the second and first floor and she looks particularly confused when she sees me.

“Eddie? What's up?”

“What do you mean, what's up? What was that?” I stop a flight of stairs higher.

“What was what?” she asks and it looks like she really doesn't understand.

“That” I reply, mechanically waving my hand at her and going down a couple of steps.

“A universal greeting gesture?”

“And didn't you forget anything?” I roll my eyes and keep walking down.

“I don't know... what did I forget?”

“I don't know... something like this?” I get right next to her, cup her face with both hands and kiss her.

“Oh. You meant this” she awkwardly answers.

“Yes, this.” I add with another quick kiss “Why did you leave like that?”

“Well, Jeff was there...”

“So what?”

“He could see us”

“I repeat: so what?” Angie and I haven't talked about it yet. Actually every time I try and talk about us, she changes the topic of the conversation and I didn't want to push until now. After all, it's only been a few days. But maybe now it's time to finally do the talking.

“Eddie...”

“What's wrong if he sees us? He'll find out sooner or later”

“Yes but... I don't know” Angie drops her gaze down to the floor.

“You don't want anyone to know, I get that. I just can't see why”

“Just for now”

“I didn't ask you how long, I asked you why”

“Because... you know how it is with the guys... they never mind their own business” she starts bantering and gesticulating.

“Angie”

“You're in my friends' band and if something happene-”

“Angie, I'll tell you a secret: they really don't give a fuck about us. Sure, they can tell a couple of jokes, make fun of us, gossip a little. Then every one goes back to their own lives and their own problems”

“Hehe I know!”

“So?”

“I just want to wait before telling them, that's all”

“We don't need to actually tell them, we don't have to make big announcements, we can just... stop hiding. And our friends will sniff that out”

“Can't we just wait for a while before having them... sniff?”

“You're ashamed. Of me”

“What?! Shut up, what the fuck are you talking about?!”

“What's the matter then? Don't you trust me?”

“It's not that, Eddie”

“'Cause if you don't, just tell me what I have to do so I can be trusted”

“You don't have to do anything”

“I am not Jerry” if she doesn't want to talk about the elephant in the room, then it's up to me.

“God, I know!”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure I know or I wouldn't be here with you”

“I'm not... shit, I don't want to hide 'case I've got nothing to hide, ok? What am I? The new non-boyfriend? The secret boyfriend of the week?”

“What... what did you just say?” Angie finally looks up at me, only she does it like she had just seen a ghost.

“That I don't want to hide and-”

“No, after that” Angie leans against the stair railing, holding on to it with both hands.

“That I've got nothing to hide?”

“Right after that”

“Secret boyfriend?”

“Yes. That one. What... what is it supposed to mean?” she asks wide-eyed.

“Well that's something I don't like. Being your boyfriend and nobody knows. I can't-”

“You... are you my boyfriend?”

“Well yes... am I... not?” I thought I was. Maybe I got it wrong.

“YEAH! I mean, I don't know, we never talked about it...” she looks down again and I get closer to her.

“I never talked about that because you didn't seem at ease, every time I tried and say something...”

“I know, it's true... it's my fault”

“Fault? What fault? There's no fault. It's... this new thing started between us and it's a beautiful thing and we're spending time together. And it's great but you're kind of embarrassed because it's fresh, there's nothing strange, it's perfectly understandable”

“So... what are we... you and I?” she asks and I can feel it's really hard for her to be so upfront.

“What do you want us to be?”

“I asked... uhm, I asked you first” she retorts with a little smile. Her well known irresistible smile.

“We're together”

“Ok”

“And what do you think?”

“I think we're together too”

“Great” I take her hands off the railing and kiss them one after the other.

“So... you haven't been seeing other people?” she asks and my eyes roll so hard I can see my brain.

“No, Angie, I haven't been seeing anyone else...” then suddenly, a suspect as I drop her hands “Wait, are you seeing someone else?”

“What? No!”

“Tell me if you have” what if all this secrecy and embarrassment are only because she's been dating another guy? After all, we never talked about it, so we never decided how exclusive this relationship was. Who the fuck is going out with her? I swear I'm gonna beat the shit out of-”

“Who do you think I'm going out with?”

“I don't know, you tell me”

“Nobody, Eddie. Only you” this time she takes my hand, delicately holds it caressing the back first, then the fingers and the palm, carefully studying it, without looking at me.

“Ok”

“So... we're a couple”

“Yep... let's go tell Jeff the good news!”

“Eddie, please”

“Just kidding”

“Let's keep this between us, for a few days... ok?”

“Ok, princess”

#pearl jam fanfiction #grunge fanfiction #eddie vedder fanfiction #stone gossard #eddie vedder #mike starr #jeff ament #pearl jam #alice in chains #chapters

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destielfanfic · 6 years

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Group Ask #176

Relevant links to find lost fic

previous group asks

spnstoryfinders

Guide to Finding Fic

Guide to Finding Lost Fic

Ask #1 ( @deiyingburd ): Pining…#1

Could you list the best destiel fics with lots of pining?

This is a great opportunity to remind folks of our tags page! We have tags for pining!dean and pining!cas as well as more that 200 other tags. Explore and enjoy!

Ask #2 ( @jadenight67 ): there’s this fic…#2

There's this fic where Alpha!Dean is looking for a mate and ends up meeting the son of another pack (omega!Cas) while Cas is fighting. I know that's super vague but that's all I remember about the fic; dean is looking for a mate and the first time he sees Cas is while he's in some sort of fight.

Ask #3 ( @themooishere ): there’s this fic...#3

Hi! I’m trying to find a fic, pretty sure it was on AO3. It was about Dean sprouting feathers around his ankles and wrists, eventually getting wings. Turns out Cas left grace behind and he has certain angelic abilities too. Thanks for the help!!!

Found by @amorettif: Beautiful Mess by LoversAntiquities [NC-17, 12,800 word count] For two weeks, Dean’s wrists have itched, along with various other parts of his body. Namely, two eerily similar spots behind his ears and just behind his ankles, and a particularly strange spot along his spine. What he finds with Sam and Castiel's assistance, though, defies every belief he ever had about himself, and about Angels—by some miracle, he has Grace, and with Grace comes wings in all forms.And with wings, comes the realization he wasn't ready to ever admit—that he's in love with Castiel, and has been for longer than he can remember.

Ask #4 ( @shieldofcastiel ): there’s this fic…#4

so i've been looking for this kinda short au where dean and cas are a married couple but something happens to dean and he forgets their life together. cas never really tries to push dean or make him remember their romance and he sleeps in the guest bedroom and is basically just his best friend again. i don't think dean ever Really remembers their past but it ends with him being like "i might not remember what we were then but i think i'm in love with you now". thank you!

Ask #5 ( @secretlynuttytyrant ): there’s this fic…#5

Okay, so I've been trying to find this fic about Cas and a few other angels who rebelled being imprisoned on earth long before canon starts. Cas was made into a stone angel and placed in a cemetery where Dean meets him as a kid during a funeral. he realizes true love's kiss can free him or something. eventually you meet Anna who's in a mirror and then Gabriel traps them in a time loop I think. If you could help me find this fic that would be awesome! I love your blog<3

Suggested by @anupalya: Don’t Leave Me Baby by Capriccioso however the work does not seem to be available any more.

Ask #6 ( @a-birdie-universe ): there’s this fic…#6

Hey! I read this ABO!Verse destiel and sabriel fic like forever ago and I’m trying to find it again. Plot: John dies(?) and the Winchester pack merges with Castiel’s pack. I remember Meg was in the fic with a pup amd she stayed in her wolf form. Castiel is having troubles controlling his alpha side (might have been rut, not sure. It had Alpha!Cas, Alpha!Sam, and Omega!Gabriel and dean was a special type of Omega and was kidnapped at some point by someone? Thanks!

Found by @a-birdie-universe: This Is My Kingdom Come [M, 136,000 word count] Dean is forced to take care of the Winchester pack after John dies. When shortages begin to force Dean to reconsider his position, he decides to conjoin packs to save everyone he cares for. The Novak pack is willing to take them in, teaching him that there's much more to someone than what skin they've walked in.

Ask #7 ( @shugrina ): there’s this fic…#7

Hey, guys! Thank you for extremely awesome job you do maintaining this site! It really helps in navigating a really oversaturated fandom. I was hoping you can help me remember the name of the fic. The main plot point that bugs my brain (this may not be the main plot of the fic, just the concluding part of it) is about Cas choosing to fall (become human) for Dean. And the falling process entailed using the remaining pieces of his grace to help people. After the fall he ended up somewhere in Middle East or Asia, his grace creating an oasis, then he travels back to Dean by human means helping some people on the way. The last one being some guy on the ship that brings him to the US (it may have been a wife or daughter of that man that the last piece of grace cured).

Ask #8 ( @sapphic-irish ): there’s this fic…#8

Hey I’m looking for a fic where Castiel was never touched as a kid and when he finally got touched by somebody his mind broke and as a result he indulges himself with alcohol and drugs and al sorts of stuff.

Found by (private), @viridiandecisions, @theactualpiemaker, and @amorettif: Get Some by Sysrae

If any of our followers have anything to suggest, drop it in our ask box (mention which ask you are talking about by number or bolded title). Our anon is switched off for good, if you know the lost fic but don’t want your url to appear on this list, let us know and we will call you an anon! If you don’t see your ask here, it is because we have quite a few in the inbox. Thanks!!

#group asks #asks #there's this fic #there's this fic...

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poppeeta · 5 years

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21 Questions Tag

Rules: Answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to get to know better

I was tagged by the always lovely @padfootz-princess! <3

Nicknames:

Posy

Posita (these two only used by my relatives, please respect that)

Poppy

Pops

Pop

Poppetta

Popita

Poopy

Mama

Hey you, be careful!

Zodiac sign:

Capricorn

Height:

5′2 6′3

Hogwarts house:

Ravenclaw

Last thing I Googled:

How to shrink objects in the Sims 4

Fave musicians:

Andre Rieu

Louis Armstrong

I actually can’t think of anything else because I’m multitasking lmao

Song stuck in my head:

Piel Canela- Nat King Cole

Following:

304

Followers:

690 (should I do something for 700? let me know!)

Do you get asks:

Yes, and I love it

Amount of sleep:

7-8 hours in good days

Lucky number:

Numbers can’t do shit, you have to do things yourself.

What are you wearing:

PJs (I should be asleep lmao)

Dream job:

I already have it! (Teaching)

Dream trip:

IRELAND ever since I was a teeny tiny teen

Instruments:

My voice on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Languages:

Español

English

un peu de francais...just the right amount to vaguely understand posts in french on the internet.

German and Italian when I have to sing with the choir

Favourite songs: (oof here we go, no particular order, I wont put links, but I’ll put lyrics that I love. I apologize for making this post so long)

Creo en ti -Miguel Bosé (This one reminds me of my grandma) “Creo en ti y tu ausencia pasa a ser mi eternidad. Tu silencio mi paz, tu recuerdo mi motor y a pesar de todo creo en ti”

Wish You Were Here - Cover by Ninja Sex Party, Original: Pink Floyd (I was listening to this when my mom called to tell me my grandfather had died) “We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year, running over the same old ground and how we found the same old fears...Wish you were here”

In Your Eyes - Cover by Ninja Sex Party, Original: Peter Gabriel (I’ve been obsessed with this song for the past two monhts) “Oh, I want to be that complete. I want to touch the light, the heat I see in your eyes”

Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles (Never fails to calm me down. Ad hoc for a morning walk right after the rain) “Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting. Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear”

Rainbow Connections - Garfunkel and Oates (If I ever get married, I need this song in my wedding) “I used to feel uncertain, but now I realize when I wanna see my future, I just look into your eyes. Too vast to hold, and too small to name, it's no wonder why you have to stand between the rain and the sun to see a rainbow in the sky”

I Get to Do It With You - Garfunkel and Oates (Sweet, simple, funny) “Every dream I have is sweeter cause I pursue it with you, if times get tough, I'll pull through it with you”

Si Tu No Estás - Rosana (Makes me cry everytime) “Pasearé en un cielo sin estrellas esta vez tratando de entender quien hizo un infierno el paraíso, no te vayas nunca porque no puedo estar sin ti”

Carta Urgente - Rosana (aka my funeral song) “Hay cosas que siento tan mías que no son de nadie. Hay cosas que escribo contigo y hay cosas que sin ti no valen. Hay cosas y cosas que acaban llegando tan tarde”

Cant Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis Presley (I feel it in my heart everytime I sing it with my choir) “Take my hand, take my whole life too for I can't help falling in love with you”

La Innombrable - Julius Popper (Local band, brings back good memories) “Hazle saber cuanto antes que ella es tu vida, hazle notar cuanto antes que no hay nadie más. Mírala en sus ojitos y hazla querida hazle sentir cuanto antes que ella es tu mar”

The Happy Song -Kate Micucci (I’d like to think this is me if I was a song) “I am lucky, you are lucky, let us get lucky together. Whether the weather is cloudy or breezy, I'll be there to say "Hey, come on! Let's take it easy!"

Caderas Blancas - Mon Laferte (*blush*) “Sé que lo entiendes al mirarme de frente, sé que no soy la única que esta sintiendo esto. Todo va y viene, amor. Que bonito se siente esta turbulencia, llegaste, amante divino, como una tormenta”

Cielito de Abril - Mon Laferte y Manuel García (brings back nice memories and makes me wanna travel) “Hay una luna creciente para mí,y para el loco cielito de abril. La noche me trae claridad y esta vida que se me va...”

Vendaval - Mon Laferte (Good song to listen while drawing) “Yo necesito amar a quien me quiera de verdad.Tal vez sea involuntario como un espasmo sicario, un vendaval”

Flor de Amapola - Mon Laferte (I started to pay more attention to this song after Sam gave me that mutual tag. Its a very nice song) “Yo busco algo diferente.Yo sé que hay algo que perder.Tenemos un vicio: Aullar a la luna llena. Me quedo contigo y tú dejas que se pueda porque contigo yo sueño despierta, no sé, te mueves en cámara lenta; flor de amapola, creces entre la yerba” Random fact: Sleep paralysis is so common to me that I dont get scared anymore Aesthetic: Early morning walk back home, pink skies, that after rain smell. Rain boots and puddles. Stepping on crunchy leaves I’ll tag: @clouis-loumentine @3amgameover @lostgeekette @ebimanami @frida-pal @octoshott @queen-of-tombs @kratqa @bluebutterfly1 @kitsune-senpai @mermist-uh @deleted-fishie @akemi-rose578 @kitteynn @notapineapple1 @princetozier @rascet @randomfandom-bs @kmysstuff @transmarlon @rahrex BONUS: @king-of-clubs98 @love-struck-bois @anomalyah

#tag game #long post

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amandajoyce118 · 5 years

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Friday Five: This Is A Black Widow Post

I know a lot of people aren’t thrilled with Black Widow simply because of the actress that plays her. And while I agree that Scarlett Johansson shouldn’t have taken on some of the role she has in the past, robbing women of color of what could have been their big break, Black Widow is one of my favorite comic book characters. So, this week, in honor of her part of the Avengers: Endgame puzzle, my Friday Five is built around her.

That being said, there will be spoilers for Endgame here. I’ve managed to go a week without posting/reblogging anything other than images/gifs from trailers. I’ve got this tagged as “Endgame Spoilers,” so if you’ve read al of this and blown past the tags, and you get mad at me for being spoiled at that point, it’s on you. You’ve been warned.

Here we go.

Five: The Black Widow Movie

There is a Black Widow movie on the way. A script has been drafted, rewritten, and people have been cast. It’s supposed to start filming this year - June, in fact. It seems pretty clear at this point that it’s going to be a prequel. Rumors have everyone from Taskmaster to Yelena Belova appearing in it. But you know what would be great? A Red Room movie. An actual prequel set when Natalia Alianova Romanova ended up in the Red Room and became the Black Widow, giving an up and coming actress the chance at a big role. Instead, rumor has it set in the late 90s/early 2000s before the events of Iron Man take place. Here’s hoping we get to see Natasha recruited to SHIELD since she was an agent for about a decade before she made her MCU debut in Iron Man 2. I mean, I’d also love to see what happened on that oft-mentioned Budapest mission with Clint Barton too, but I won’t hold my breath on that one since Hawkeye is getting a Disney+ series and Black Widow gets a movie.

Four: Where Are The Other Black Widows?

One thing that has long bothered me about the MCU is that we never see evidence that other Black Widows exist. In the comics, Natalia ends up becoming one of the best students after a difficult start. Initially, she’s horrible at everything and the leaders are set to wash their hands of her. Thanks to a bored Enchantress (as in, from the Thor comics), she ends up trying to escape and showing how tough she really is. She doesn’t make it out, but the teachers and military officials see the potential in her and invest more time in her training. There are 29 other girls in her Red Room class though. And we know that, at the very least, the precursor to the Red Room exists in the MCU thanks to Agent Carter and Dottie Underwood. Now, I know that because she hasn’t been the focus of any movie yet, we haven’t learned a lot about her background. The only person who’s crossed paths with her in the present who she talked about seeing in the past was the Winter Soldier. Even the potential of their being another Black Widow out there hasn’t been addressed as an Easter egg, and I’m curious why not. Where are they? Is the MCU going to go the route of her having to kill everyone else to be considered a graduate of the program? If so, where’s the new generation? I have a lot of questions about the Black Widow program, clearly.

Three: She Couldn’t Walk Away

Okay, here is where the more spoilery stuff starts if you ignored my warning and kept reading. You’ve been warned again.

One of the things I loved that Endgame did is leaving Natasha as the one holding down the Avengers fort five years after the snap. Captain America is probably the one we all would have expected to be stubborn and not let go, right? Tony was able to build a new life, and Steve found a new way to help people. Everyone found a way to adapt to the new world they were living in, even if they didn’t like it. But Natasha, she decided to live at the Avengers compound and stay in contact with everyone - world government leaders and aliens alike - to make sure someone was still there to stop the bad guys. In the scene where she has a conference call with Okoye, Carol, Rhoadey, and Rocket you can tell she’s desperate for there to be something she can fight. She wants that earthquake (which is likely an Easter egg, but we’ll talk about that another time) to be something important. She wants to get her hands dirty. And I love that the woman who was a spy, who always followed orders, and who always found a way to sneak around the truth, is the one holding on tight to being an Avenger and not letting go. I love that even when Steve tells her that maybe they don’t need someone sitting in the compound and coordinating schedules, she can’t accept that. She’s finally something other than a spy in the narrative, and I think that’s a great note for her to go out on.

Two: It Had To Be Them

The teamups for the time travel portion of the movie were really interesting to me. Nebula and Rhoadey - both people who had machine parts to help them survive, but also both people with extensive combat experience and completely different personalities, out to stop a single thief. Rocket and Thor - likely paired up primarily for comic relief, but also because Rocket was probably the only one willing to handle Thor’s guilty conscience at that point since everyone else was on board with the plan, but Thor was still stuck in his depression with seemingly no way out. Captain America, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Hulk - the most power heavy teamup, but also the one that had the most obstacles to get through is, of course, the one that not only loses a stone, but takes the long way around to get it again, and it’s also appropriate that Captain America and Iron Man get the biggest nostalgia filled trip.

Then, of course, the reason for me writing this at all is that they pair up Black Widow and Hawkeye for the sacrifice mission. I want to know how that was decided. Nebula knew that someone had to die at Vormir, even if she didn’t know all of the details. Did she look at this group of people and go, yeah, which part of this group loves one another the most, and suggest them? Did Natasha and Clint volunteer for this part of the mission when they heard there was murder involved because they have the most “red in their ledgers” at that point and thought they were going to kill someone else? Or did Natasha get paired with him because she was the only one willing to wait five years to find someone everyone else thought had become a serial killer? I want to know how that decision was made.

From a writing standpoint, of course, I know how that decision was made. No other teamup would have worked for Vormir. There is no one else in that group who has the relationship that Clint and Natasha have. At the point the movie takes place, they’ve known each other for at least 20 years. He recruited her instead of killing her. She saved him from being brainwashed. She was the only person he trusted to know his family before the events of Ultron. They were partners. Now, up until the reveal that Clint had a family, would I have thought they were romantic partners? Yep. But the two of them as platonic soulmates works for the events of the movies. Other than his family, Natasha is easily the person Clint cares about most in the whole world. He’s also the first person Natasha is able to think of as family, so I think it’s easy to say the reverse is true as well. No other members of the Avengers team left have that bond. The people they were bonded to (Rocket-Groot, Steve-Sam-Bucky, Nebula-Gamora, Scott-Hope, etc) were all gone. The sacrifice had to be one of those two characters. Once you know it’s them going to Vormir, you know one of them is stuck.

One: Can She Come Back?

The language regarding the Soul Stone is pretty deliberate. You’re exchanging a soul for a soul, giving up that which you love. There’s a lot of talk about the exchange not being undone, but… look, this is a comic book universe, and there’s definitely some wiggle room here. I mean, what happens when the Soul Stone is returned to the dominion of death? (Also, side note: How do we think Cap reacted to seeing the Red Skull was the one he had to return an Infinity Stone to? I would have liked to see that scene.) If the stone is returned, and this a soul is given back, shouldn’t one of the souls taken be released? Wouldn’t that make sense? Why couldn’t Cap, on his trip to return Mjolnir and the six stones, say, “hey, since I brought this back, can you give me something in return? I’m readily giving you this soul. Why don’t you go ahead and give me Natasha’s back?” It doesn’t lessen the sacrifice because Clint still was forced to let her go. In theory, he never used his Pym particles or time travel GPS to go back to 2023 since he decided to live out his new branched timeline life, but someone else could have. Or, you know, there could be a Natasha flying around in space for nine years hanging out with aliens. Or, maybe the Red Room cloned her like they did in the comics, and there’s someone other there with her memories walking around still living the spy life. Who knows?

That’s it for this week! Avengers: Endgame Easter eggs will hopefully go up at some point this weekend if you’re interested in them.

#black widow #natasha romanoff #natalia romanova #endgame spoilers #avengers endgame #friday five

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 6 years

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Prompt: ARC, mother's day

Lena leaves behind a hole Ruby struggles to fill.

It’s hard, when her parents blame themselves and it’s all she can do to keep from joining them. While Ruby understands how it’s not quite their fault, and understands why Lena couldn’t stay, Ruby’s the one powerless to do anything about any of it, and it’s hard not to lay blame.

She emerges from her cocoon a few days after Lena leaves for Metropolis and tries to bring them all back to normal. Her parents fake it for her sake, and she fakes it for theirs, and together they fake an existence in an awkward, Lena-less limbo.

As May inches closer, Ruby’s anxiety cranks up. She knows what she wants to do months in advance, but letting her mom and Alex know is another thing entirely. She doesn’t want to be the one who shatters the normal they’re all faking.

Once April ends, every proposed distraction is a potential extravaganza. The new restaurant opens up across town, and Ruby suggests they go for family dinner– “and if you like it so much, we can make it our Mother’s Day spot!”

The Bare Naked Ladies come to town– “Oooh! Let’s do that for Mother’s Day!”– even though she knows they’ll be gone by then.

National City Parks Authority hosts a Mother’s Day naturefest (to celebrate mother earth), and Ruby balks. “Why don’t we go a weekend early, so we can skip all the crowds?”

At that point, Sam and Alex share a look, and Ruby knows the jig is up. Her stomach cramps into a nervous ball as her mom sets down her book and renders the softest gaze Ruby’s ever seen.

“Rubes, is there a reason you don’t want to celebrate on Mother’s Day this year?”

Ruby hesitates. A lump forms in her throat instead of words. She’d hoped to do this the easy way– celebrate first, then tell them why.

Alex’s gaze softens. “You know you can tell us anything, sweetheart. We won’t be mad.”

No, they won’t be mad. They’ll just be hurt. Betrayed. They’ll think she’s choosing sides, but she’s not that’s why she has to do this– “Iwannagotometropolisformother’sday.”

It comes out in a rush, and Ruby prays they don’t ask her to repeat it.

They don’t.

Neither of them say a word. Her confession hangs in the sudden quiet. Tears spring to her mother’s eyes, and Ruby rushes to explain before they fall.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be here with you– I do! I love you both so much, and I want to spend Mother’s Day with you, but… Lena’s my mom too!”

Tears spill down her cheeks before she can catch them. She can feel her face crumpling, lips pulling involuntarily into a frown that she tries to hide with her hand.

“She’s my mom too,” she repeats in a whisper, “and I don’t want her to be alone.”

It might have been Lena’s choice to leave. She might text Ruby every day, but Ruby knows Lena and loneliness are a dangerous combination. Deep in her heart, she worries that too long in Metropolis, too long in an empty penthouse, and they’ll lose Lena in more ways than one.

Her mom wraps her in a tight hug, pressing a kiss to her hair. “I think,” she says oh-so-softly, “that’s a great idea.”

When she calls Lena that night, the silence she thinks is a precursor to a refusal ends up being a marker of stunned surprise.

“Really?” Lena’s voice stutters across the line. Ruby laughs in relief, easily conjuring an image of Lena blinking at her in shock.

“Yes, really,” she confirms. She waits, and when no response comes, she grins. “So, can I?”

“C-Can you–? Of course, you can!” Lena finally recovers. “Your mom and Alex are okay with it?”

Ruby nods, then remembers it’s not a skype call. “Yeah, they’re okay with it if you are.”

The shaky breath that travels across the line echoes in Ruby’s ears.

“Then start packing, young lady. You’ve got a plane to catch.”

Apparently sending the jet would take too long, so Lena sends a first class ticket on a commercial flight instead, along with an unaccompanied minor badge that has every airline official tripping over themselves to ensure Ruby’s comfort. She enjoys ginger ale served in a champagne flute in the premier lounge, devilishly staring down anyone who looks twice at her.On landing, her phone buzzes with a message from Lena that someone will be waiting in arrivals to collect her. Ruby’s disappointment lasts only minute before she spots her name on a sign held by a familiar figure.“LENA!”Lena’s smile is blindingly bright as she laughs, staggering under Ruby’s fierce hug. Lena squeezes her back, and her hug makes the bones in Ruby’s shoulders squeak. It only tightens further when Ruby murmurs an ‘I missed you’ into her shoulder.“I missed you too, kiddo.”Ruby holds on as long as she dares, conscious of the stares they’re attracting. Lena’s thumb strokes her cheek for the moment it takes her to scan Ruby from head to toe with sparkling eyes. Her cheek-splitting grin is infectious, and Ruby doesn’t mind at all that Lena can’t seem to let go her.“C'mon, let’s get out of here,” Lena says finally, looping her arm through Ruby’s. Ruby lets herself be pulled in tight, cherishing the close contact after months of distance. “Hungry?”“Starving,” Ruby confirms dramatically.“Then it’s a good thing I know where all the best food is. What are you in the mood for?”

Half-sick off hot dogs and chili cheese fries, Ruby leans back in her seat with a groan. Despite her discomfort, she reaches for her milkshake. Still room on her dessert side.

“This reminds me of that day at the ice rink,” she observes contentedly. “Do you remember? You ordered just about everything on the menu trying to cheer me up.”Green eyes warm at the memory. “Of course I remember. I was surprised that I was the one you called.”“What? Why?”“Alex was already your hero, even then. And much more of a badass than me.” Red lips curl in a smile. “I also remember that my strategy worked.”Ruby laughs, tossing a crumpled napkin at Lena’s head. Lena catches it, and lobs it back at her. It bounces off Ruby’s nose and rustles to a stop in the remains of her chili.“Yeah, it did,” Ruby admits. There’s distance now, from that fearful afternoon when Ruby first got confirmation that something was wrong with her mom. Now, she can see why it was Lena she’d called, and not Alex. Even then, she’d known Lena would not only help her, but tell her the truth.“And for the record, I didn’t even think about Alex that day. I wanted you.”The admission seems to take Lena by surprise, just like when Ruby had expressed her intent to come visit on this weekend. In it, she sees the loneliness she knew she’d find.“I was honored you did.” Lena smiles. “Still am.”They sit for a while more, until the restaurant starts to fill up and it’s time to release their table. Ruby groans as Lena rises.“I’m too full,” she complains. “You’re gonna have to violet beauregarde me out of here.”Lena laughs. “I’m happy to roll you, but I draw the line at the oompa loompa song.”“Awwww,” Ruby whines. She forces herself to her feet when Lena tugs on her hand. “That’s the best part.”“Nice try, Miss Grape. Come on, we’ve got a baking show to catch up on.”

Their weekend is better than anything Ruby ever imagined. They catch a show, do high tea with finger sandwiches, and stroll through a street festival arm in arm, snacking on popcorn. The afternoon before she’s due back in National City, they sit in the park and play chess. Lena doesn’t let her win, but does draw it out long enough to be interesting.Ruby stares across the table as Lena gazes thoughtfully at the board. “Lena?” “Yes, honey?”“Are you happy?”The question breaks Lena’s concentration. Sharp eyes meet hers, but instead of snapping, Lena only sighs. “Rubes…”“It’s a simple question.”Lena hasn’t lied to her once. Ruby doesn’t think she’ll start now.“No,” comes the soft reply. “But I’m getting by.”“Everyone misses you. Mom and Alex miss you so much, and I know they don’t get the daily texts like I do.”Lena reaches across the table and takes Ruby’s hand in hers. “I miss them too, but–”“Then please come home!”“Missing them isn’t enough, Ruby.” The softness of Lena’s tone cuts deeper than a shout. “I know what they did was wrong, but… you love them. And they love you. If you have that, you can work through anything, can’t you?”Lena regards her for a long moment, before getting to her feet. “Come with me.”They relinquish their table to the next players, and relocate to a secluded bench overhung by a pale-leaved willow. The walk fills Ruby with anxiety, but she senses that it gives Lena time to gather her thoughts.When they settle together on the bench, Lena turns to face her. “They still love you, Lena,” Ruby starts again.“And I love them–”“Then why–?”“Because I don’t trust them.” The truth rocks Ruby to the core. There’s no suspicion to it, just acceptance. It’s not what Lena thinks could happen. It’s already done. “I know I could go back to National City,” Lena continues. “I know it would make them happy, and I know it would make you happy. It takes everything I have not to.”Ruby’s throat closes against a steadily rising lump. “The reason I don’t is because as happy as you’d be– it’s not the example I want to set for you.”“What do you mean?”“I could have stayed. It certainly would have been easier. But when someone stays in an unhappy situation, it’s easy to accept the hurt someone deals you, and convince yourself it’s okay because you know they love you.

“But if there just one lesson I can give you, Ruby, it’s this: don’t let the love others have for you overshadow your love for yourself. Put yourself first, because no one else will.”

“You do,” Ruby points out. “You dropped everything to go to the rink when Mom disappeared– you’ve dropped everything this weekend just to spend it with me!”“But I’m not going back to National City.”There’s such finality in her words that Ruby freezes. As much as she understood, as much as she never blamed or argued what happened– part of her hoped. Part of her believed her parents would find a way to make it better.Lena snuffs out that hope with a single sentence.“The love others hold for you may change, or disappear, and it can tear you to pieces when it does,” Lena continues softly. “But if you love yourself, you can make it to your next happiness.”Ruby stares at her lap, fighting the tears burning behind her eyes. Lena clasps her hand, and Ruby curls her fingers tightly around her palm. “I understand if you’re angry with me…”“I’m not!” Ruby blurts. “I’m not, I’m not. I just– I want you to come home. Even if I can understand why you won’t.”Lena wraps an arm around her, and Ruby leans into her. “Thank you for coming this weekend. I may not be happy yet, but I’m happier when you’re here.”“So I can come back next weekend?”“Absolutely– if you can get your mom to say yes.”

Lena drives Ruby to the airport. Before she gets out, the three fingers of Lena’s right hand curl around Ruby’s wrist.

“No matter what happens, I will always love you, Ruby. Don’t ever forget that.”

Ruby reaches across the console, wrapping her arms around Lena. “Never,” she agrees. She closes her eyes, and inhales deeply the scent of Lena’s perfume, memorizing the familiar press of arms around her. It’s not goodbye– it’s just to tide her over until next time.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” Ruby murmurs. “Thank you for being mine.”

When she exits the car, she marches into the airport without looking back. If she does, she knows she’ll never leave.

Her mom picks her up at the National City kiss and ride with a too-broad smile.

“Hey, hon, how was Metropolis?”

Ruby responds with mono-syllables until her mom falls quiet. Alex meets them at the house, and Ruby runs the gauntlet a second time.

“The flight was fine,” Ruby mutters. “I’m just going to go rest, okay?”

Alex nods, sliding a look towards Sam. “Sure. We’ll call when dinner’s ready.”

Ruby ignores her suitcase in favor of flopping onto her bed and pulling out her phone. She opens her texting app, on the verge of sending a note to Lena before she stops.

She should send something simple. Home safe. But if she does, she knows she won’t be able to stop.

Miss you already.

Wish you were here.

Nothing is the same without you.

She closes the chat window and settles for choosing a new photo for her lock screen: one of her and Lena at the tea house, making goofy faces behind their teacups.

Dinner is thankfully quiet, but the kind of quiet Ruby knows won’t last.

“Ruby, honey?” her mom says finally, gently. “Did your trip go okay?”

Ruby’s throat locks up tight. “Fine.”

“Did something happen between you and Lena?”

Ruby’s control cracks. “No! No, it was– it was good. It was really, really–!” She hiccups, and the dam breaks.

The tears she’s been holding back since walking into the Metropolis airport come pouring out, and no matter how much she tries she can’t rein them back in.

Arms wrap around her, and she cries into her mother’s shoulder.

“I miss her so much!”

Hands stroke her hair, her back, offering comfort and knowing it’s not nearly enough. “I know, baby,” her mom soothes, holding her close. “I know.”

Ruby cries and cries, trying not to notice the way her mom’s chest tightens up to keep from joining in.

#ask reply #anon #arc #agentreigncorp #mothers day #post break up #angst angst angst #ruby arias #lena luthor #sam arias #alex danvers #important message

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