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anjuschiffer · 4 years ago

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Amira Wayne - Chapter 13

I’m alive! Here’s day 14 of @biodad-bruce-month event (even tho it ended already)!

Chapter 13: Dating/Love

P.Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan

Tag: @vixen-uchiha @we-want-mini-mini @ramos123 @bluesimani @redscarlet95 @greatcatblaze @promiswords @fantasiame @corabeth11 @anonymously-odd @alexandriamw @officiallydarkgeek @galla02006 @maleive07

MASTERLIST | FIRST | PREV | AO3

“Wait, I could just do that?” Chat exclaimed, looking at the akuma that crumbled under his hand.

It was another day without Ladybird, but Chat and Bee were able to handle the past two akumas with ease and with little damage.

The first time around, the duo met with Ladybird’s kwami Tikki to help purify the akuma. But after witnessing Tikki eat the akuma before spitting it right out purified...let’s just say the duo were left a bit traumatized.

Not wanting to see that again, Chat and Bee decided to look for alternate ways to purify an akuma. Or at least get rid of them before causing more trouble.

“Wait, how did you not know?” Bee asked.

“Never tried.” Chat said with a slight shrug. “Which reminds me, I have to tell LB something after this.”

Queen Bee noticed how Chat frowned, his eyes becoming dull.

“You too?” Bee asked, watching as Chat’s ring was down to its last pad.

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘you too’?”

“I have to leave for the States in a few weeks. Something about having to keep appearances and the sorts.” Bee huffed, watching the Parisian sky starting to darken.

“What are the odds? I also have business in the States, although it’s more about business than appearances in my case.”

“Seeing as the two of us have to tell LB, how about we tell her the news together?” Bee suggested.

“Sounds like a plan. Although it has to wait for some other day. Right now, I have a meeting to attend, so later!”

Queen Bee watched as Chat Noir left the training grounds in a hurry, noticing the fake smile plastered on his face.

“You’re being dragged into it too, aren’t you?”

“Morning.” Marinette told Adrien and Chloé, much to the surprise of everyone else in the class.

How did the trio become friends overnight? And wasn’t Marinette best friends with Alya?

“Marinette. The sun is out, I’m having a great hair day and all you can say is morning?” Chloé huffed. “Good morning to you too.”

“Hello Marinette! Feeling any better?” Adrien decided to ignore Chloe, Marinette nodding.

“To be honest, a bit. Still got to take my medication and rest, but staying in bed won’t do me any good.”

Amira recalled the text message she received this morning, her father asking her how she was.

Selina had filled him in when he called back, telling him about the situation. Amira also learned of his visit through the baker’s surveillance cameras.

While she had told him that she didn’t care what he did, it hurt to see that he came to visit her.

Then again...what right did she have to feel sad that he didn’t try to talk to her when she’s already pushed him?

“-to Marinette. You see Adrikins? I’m telling you, she needs to stay-“

“He could’ve at least let me have known he came over.” Chloé and Adrien found Marinette mumbling, a frown on her face.

“He? Did someone-“ Adrien started only for Miss Bustier to walk into the class and start the class.

Chloe watched as Marinette zoned out during their first class, watching as Alya didn’t bother to check in with her supposed ‘best’ friend.

Marinette continued to zone out throughout the entire morning and then acting if nothing was wrong once lunch came around.

It bothered Chloe so much and she didn’t know. Why did it bother her to see Marinette act as if she wasn’t in pain when it was clear as day?

“Ladybird!” Chat called out, snapping Bee from her thoughts. It’s been three days since she last saw Ladybird, watching as their leader greeted them with a slight smile on her face. “Feeling better?”

Deja vu much?

“Chat. Bee. I’ve been doing well. Master Fu gave me the okay to return back to patrolling despite not wanting me being here.”

“How come?” Bee asked, looking out to the Parisian skyline. Tonight, it seemed foreign.

“One word: Hawkmoth.” Ladybird stated, watching as her partners looked at her with narrowed eyes. “If I stay for too long out of commission, not only will we be giving him more answers about the miraculous, but he’ll know our weakness.”

“But-”

“He’s probably caught up with the most recent information regarding the damage left behind from Dark Owl. Can’t exactly hide the evidence left behind at the stadium and his office.”

Ladybird watched as Bee and Chat nervously laughed at that, remembering the large pile of rust left at the stadium and the amount of tech to clean out of Principal Damocles’ office.

“Do you think he knows about you and-” Bee started, only to stop when LB nodded.

“He might know I’m not suited for the Ladybug, but there are also other possibilities.”

“Which are?”

“I’m like him.” Ladybird bluntly stated, getting titled heads for a reaction. “I have another life outside the mask that makes me mia.”

“Wouldn’t that apply to all of-”

“Not exactly. The two of you are mostly active, always at the scene as soon as possible. As for me, I don’t usually appear until minutes later or until halfway. That can mean many things. One, I’m a sickly person outside the mask, therefore I take longer to arrive. Or similarly, I live a little bit outside of Paris, thus making me tardy. Third-”

“You might be an adult,” Bee stated, watching Chat look at LB with large eyes. What did he figure out?

“Or you might be someone of a high standing who can’t afford to leave their place in society to fight him, a man who has all the time to be ready to akumatize someone at a moment’s notice.”

Guess LB wasn’t expecting that answer, judging from her taken back expression.

“Right on. To think you got it on your first try.”

“Wait, you’re rich?” Bee screeched out, looking at Chat for back up. “I mean, that would explain the burner phones, the equipment at the- you have the money to buy out an entire floor!”

“Yes Bee. I’m rich, although it’s my father who’s rich and was stupid enough to forget to take away my black card.”

“You have a black card?” LB and Chat watched as Bee continued to freak out.

“What’s a black card?” Chat decided to ask, earning concerned faces from the girls. “What?”

“How do you not know what a black card is, Chat! It’s literally the symbol of being filthy rich! Not even Daddy has one!” Bee exclaimed, promptly shutting her mouth.

“You’re rich too, Bee? Wow. To think we all come from a-”

“You’re rich too?” The girls exclaimed, the trio bursting into laughter.

The three chatted for hours, learning more about themselves. Time went on, the three kids laughing and holding their stomachs as they told tales of their past and of the present. However, Bee picked up on the way Ladybird avoided talking about her father and urged the other two to talk.

What was she hiding?

“Does that make us the rich kid club?” Chat asked, earning a stifled laugh from LB and a ‘seriously?’ look from Bee. “What? It seems fitting!”

“As much as I’d like to continue to stay and talk, I think we should be heading home. It’s one in the morning and I have class tomorrow.” Bee and Chat nodded in agreement, the three bidding each other farewell.

“So two days, huh.” Amira hummed, watching as Selina packed her bag. While it was two in the morning, Amira thought it would be best to drop by and visit Selina. The talk with her team left her in a giddy state, Amira wondering why she even came here.

“Actually, I might be leaving tomorrow evening.”

“Why?” While Amira still wasn’t particularly fond of the woman, she felt a part of her wanted Selina to stay. Perhaps it was the fact that Selina had been by her side these past few days.

Or the denial that continued to linger in Amira. That she enjoyed Selina’s concern over her.

While Selina was by her side, Amira didn’t have restless nights where she would wake up from dreams she couldn’t remember. But from what Sabine had told her, Amira used to have nights where she would be waking up screaming and calling out Jason’s name like a madwoman.

But ever since Selina came over, they stopped happening. “What made you-”

“The gala was pushed forward towards this month. Towards Thanksgiving.”

“Why would-”

“Dick had made the decision to push it forward after getting a phone call in regards to the main event of this year’s gala.”

“Main event?” Amira asked, now wondering what type of event caused Dick to push up the date of the gala. What event caused her father to accept the change of date from it’s usually wintery day?

“This year, Bruce was eagerly planning the main event with such pride, making sure everything was perfect to announce the main event. But then, Jason’s...Jason’s death happened and-

“The Catherine Todd Foundation.” Amira whispered, feeling her heart stop.

That’s right. How did she forget? How dare she forget? How dare she forget her brother’s dream?

“That’s right.�� Selina closed her suitcase shut. “Bruce was planning to reveal the latest Wayne foundation-Jason’s foundation- that he had planned for months.”

“That was planned...for this year’s gala?” Amira asked, feeling her mouth dry.

Her father didn’t utter a word about it. Nor did Dick. Did...did they not-

“Amira. Amira, look at me.” Selina coaxed, cupping Amira’s face into her hands. “Dick just found out about it when he got a call about one of the sponsors. The sponsor wanted to change the date to make sure-”

“Why didn’t he tell me about it?” Amira whispered, feeling something roll down her face, salt meeting her lips. “Why did no one-”

“Amira, kitten. Dick hasn’t called you in a while, right?” A slow nod. “He’s been busy setting up the gala in your father’s steed. Bruce...your father holed himself again in his study when he found out the sponsor had called in. He...he had forgotten about it. It slipped his mind after-”

“He could’ve called me so I could’ve helped him rework the-”

“Amira.”

“I could've helped!”

“Amira, Dick couldn’t-“

“You wouldn’t understand Selina! You don’t know-“

“I do.” Selina said softly, holding Amira’s trembling hands. “Just like you, I loved the brat to pieces.”

“You’ve...you loved Jason?”

“Sure, we didn’t get on the right foot, but I did go to love the boy. Little brat loved to play dirty. Remember he endangered his life once just so I would catch him and make me drop my guard.”

“Sounds just about him.” Amira softly said, Selina picking up on her relaxation. “Jason liked playing dirty, no matter who he was up against. Once he popped his arm off its socket during one of our sparring lessons, which caused me to stop fighting. When I went to check on him, he popped it back in and won the match.

Even though I knew he was alright, I started bawling and hugged him. Father and Alfred came running to see what had happened and when Jason told him what he had done, Father scolded him. ‘Sometimes, you have to play dirty. A fight in Gotham will never be fair and square, old man. You, better than anyone else, should know that.’” Amira said with a smile. “He’d always use that against Father and would win his case. Or perhaps Father let him, knowing that using those tricks would help in a fight one day.”

“And it did, although it mostly grossed out Riddler when he saw Jason do that. Should’ve seen the look at his face.” Selina said with a chuckled, reminiscing that day.

“I would rather have Jason back than wishing to have seen that.” Amira admitted, looking at Selina with unshed tears. “Jason… Jason was the glue that held us together. He was the one who brought us together, so when...when he died...we...we-” a shuddering breath escaped Amira. “We fell apart...

Dad became so broken that he began to isolate himself from us. He would shut himself in his study for hours and from what Dick told me - days! When I was still in the manor, we wouldn’t see him at dinner nor would we hear from him unless he came back home frustrated from a work meeting.

He no longer made time for us. For Dick...nor me. He allowed himself to drown in his work, both as CEO of WE and Batman”

“Amira.” Selina softly said, wiping away the tears that had been running down Amira’s face.

“When I finally got to talk to him again...it was to tell me I was being sent to Paris.

He didn’t even let me say goodbye to anyone, not even Jason...

He was at it again. He was isolating me again, but this time to a place where I couldn’t do anything no matter what I tried. I would have no friends to help me, nor connections to help me break out of my father’s control. The only option I was left with was to obey.”

“But Amira, you have friends now. You have people you can lean on. So why? Why can’t you-”

“It was all Jason.” Amira said. “Jason managed to convince Father to let me explore the outside, not me.

Jason was the one who made Dad understand that I shouldn't be kept inside like a trophy bird. That I should be allowed to spread my wings, to grow. How did he do it? I would never know, but I wish he had shown me how.

I only knew how to yell and scream to get what I wanted. I wasn’t like Jason who proved he was right, who fought for what he deemed just.”

“Amira, you don’t have to keep-”

“I do, Selina! I do!” Amira cried, digging her hands into her hair. “My father won’t see nor talk to me otherwise if I don’t! Father never understood the damage he’s done to me unless I show it to him. He’s...he’s!”

Selina pulled Amira into a hug, feeling the girl stiffen in her hold. Selina held the girl tight against her, letting tears run down her face that she didn’t know she was holding back.

To hear the amount of pain she was holding in, the amount of troubles she had to deal with...and to think Bruce was the cause of the majority of it.

“Your feelings are valid Amira, your frustrations are as well. But trust me when I say, things will get better and you’re already doing a wonderful job of moving forward.” Selina began to stroke Amira’s hair when she felt Amira tremble. “It may seem as if the situation isn’t getting any better, but it is due to your efforts of wanting to change it.

So give yourself a break and just let it all out. I’ll make sure to protect while you do.”

That was all Amira needed to let herself cry out her heart, hugging Selina back as she wailed her soul out.

Selina drew circles on her back as she sat there, making sure to not let Amira go.

How did Bruce let it get this bad?

“You’re going to the States?” Marinette asked, looking up from her calendar in her planner.

It’s been two days since Amira last saw Selina, already missing her. It took everything in her to not beg her to stay. To not leave her...but she knew better than that. She had to leave and Amira had to respect that.

So here she was, letting her mind try to forget Selina’s warm hug and the calmness she felt when Selina hugged her.

“Yup!” Adrien said with a smile that Marinette could look through from a mile away.

“Adrien and I were both invited to some event that our parents want us to attend, something about having to keep images and whatnot.” Chloe elaborated, noticing the last Thursday in the month circled in red. What a coincidence. “As happy as I am that my mother called me, I didn’t want it to be this way.”

“At least she gave you the choice. My father is threatening me with going or not being able to leave the house again.” Adrien bluntly stated, flinching when Marinette narrowed her eyes. “Baguette, what’s-“

“He threatened you? Your father threatened you?” Chloé and Adrien could feel the murderous intent seeping from the girl. “Let me talk with-“

“Baguette! It’s alright! I told him I’ll do it on a few conditions!” Adrien practically scrambled the details out. He watched as Marinette softened a bit.

“Conditions?”

“For starters, he’ll let me go with Chloé. No Nathalie nor Gorilla. Second, he will not be allowed to contact me nor Chloé. If I need his help or if I want to go back, I have to be the one to call him back. Third and final one, if I manage to settle a meeting between him and one of the people he told me to make contact with, he has to agree to let me do whatever I want for the rest of the year.”

“Wow Adrikins. Since when did you start stepping up towards your dad?”

“Since I realized that my so-called freedom is still being controlled. If I fully want to be free, I have to start by loosening my father’s control over me. So far, I’ve been seeing results from my efforts. I don’t plan on backing down until I fully achieve my goal.”

Marinette watched as Adrien smiles proudly, not being able to hold back her own smile.

“Hope you reach it Adrien. I know it’ll be worth it. So then, when’s the event?”

“It’s in three weeks, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Adrien and I will be attending Wayne Gala.”

Ladybird looked at Bee and Chat with the same look she had given Adrien and Chloé.

“The both of you? The two of you are going to be mia in three weeks?” Ladybird asked in disbelief, watching as the two of them rubbed the back of their heads. First Chole and Adrien and now these two? “Do you realize-“

“It’s why we’re telling you now and not later this week or next. We know-“

“Do you really?” Ladybird growled, huffing as she turned around, the Parisian night staring right back at her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have-“

“No, you’re right.” Chat said, Ladybird picking up on his sorrow. “It is stupid of us to leave you-“

“Master Fu.” Ladybird casually said, looking at Bee and Chat. “I can ask Master Fu to see what I can do.”

“Master Fu?” Bee asked, looking at Chat for clarification.

“Oh right, you’ve never heard about him. He’s the one who chooses the wielders for the miraculouses. He’s the one who chose Ladybird and me. As for you, you were recommended to be a wielder as I vouched for Rena Rouge to be a temporary holder.”

“Wait. I was recommended to-“

“I recommended Master Fu to give you a miraculous. However, that doesn’t mean I fully know your identity. I did recommend two people to become Pollen’s holder after all.” Ladybird looked at Bee who was on the verge of tears. “Guess Master Fu chose the better of the two and I’m glad he did. You’re a great partner.”

Bee ran and threw herself at Ladybird, the two girls tumbling to the floor as Chat just stood there smiling.

“I promise to make up for the time we miss!”

“Don’t worry about it Bee. The two of you shouldn’t worry about a thing. Everything will turn out alright. You’ll see.”

No. Everything didn’t turn out alright.

The day came where Chat and Bee bid LB a temporary goodbye and Adrien and Chloe boarded a plane towards Gotham. The minute they said goodbye, Amira grew restless, uneasy.

It didn’t help that this uneasiness traversed towards her civilian life as well.

As she walked into the school, it felt like if everyone was watching her every move, judging her.

It was Gotham Academy all over again...

Wally had assured it that it was going to be fine, that she was worrying over nothing.

But Amira knew better than to ignore the emptiness she felt in her chest.

Sure, Alya talked her ears off, but Marinette didn’t like the feeling of emptiness around her despite Alya’s clear company.

Without Chloé and Adrien, everything just seemed...off.

She didn’t realize their importance until chemistry class.

She watched people get into pairs as Miss Mendeleiev finished telling her instructions for today’s lab. With the clap of her hands, everyone started to pair up...except her.

“Miss Mendeleiev. I don’t seem to have a partner. If it’s alright, can I-“

“No partner?” Miss Mendeleiev asked, realizing only then that three of her students were out. “I can’t just let you do the lab by yourself Marinette. It’s unsafe.”

“Miss Mendeleiev, I am fine being on my-“

“Now, now. You know that in my lab, no one is allowed to touch the chemicals without a partner.” Miss Mendeleiev clapped her hands to get the class’ attention. “While it seems like everyone has a partner, Marinette doesn’t. Now, who would love to have her in their group or volunteers to be Marinette’s partner?”

Marinette’s didn’t need to turn around to know no one raised their hand.

After all, she was always doing labs with Sabrina or Alya, although this time around, Alya had promised Alix to be her lab partner. That left Marinette to be partnerless this time around.

“So no one is going to volunteer? That’s alright. Nino, please help Marinette with this lab. Kim, join Ivan and Mylène.”

Marinette heard as Nino approached her, turning slowly to avoid seeing everyone else pity him.

“Look forward to working with you.” Marinette said with a slight bow, only to receive nothing in return.

Seems like this would be a long lab.

Or not.

Marinette somehow ended up talking up a storm with Nino.

“You do parkour?” Nino asked, looking as if Marinette grew a second head. “No offense, you don’t even look like the type-“

“Parkour, gymnastics and martial arts. Of course, I haven’t touched gymnastics in a while since my mentor has been busy. Doesn’t help that he’s on the other side of the world.” Marinette said, pouring the hydrogen peroxide into the water and then into the catalase test tube. She watched as the latter created bubbles.

“Dudette, that’s amazing!” Nino exclaimed, opening up his notebook to the back of his page.

“Dudette?” Marinette looked at the page he opened, noticing some notes about a personal project. How did she come to that conclusion? Simple. It said ‘Directed by Nino Lahiffe.’

“Ah, I should’ve asked if-“

“It’s fine. Just taken aback by the name since it’s my first time hearing it.”

“Really? What do your friends call you then?”

“My brother calls Mimi and my friend calls me Bugette.”

“Alya calls you Bugette?” Nino asked, writing down his observations of the catalase in boiling water.

“As much as Alya thinks she’s my friend, she isn’t quite there. And it’s Wally who calls me Bugette. He’s a friend of mine before I transferred here.” Marinette elaborated, sliding her notebook towards him. “Haven’t spoken to him in a few days though.”

“Alright class!” Miss Mendeleiev said with a clap of her hands. “At this time, start wrapping up your workstation! Make sure to properly rinse out the tubes and place them into their appropriate-“

“Marinette. Is it alright to call you dudette? Of course, if you don’t-“

“I’m fine with it.” Marinette told him with a smile. “I don’t mind being called dudette, Nino.”

“-only known her for 30 minutes. How can you say that she wasn’t doing all the work so that-” Marinette heard as she approached the windows that belonged to her classroom. She stopped before they could see her through the glass.

If her ears didn’t betray her, the one speaking right now was-

“Alix, she wasn’t doing all the work. We both did the lab toget-”

“She’s friends with Chloe.” Ivan added.

“How do you expect us-”

“You didn’t try to even get to know her. Yes, I also didn’t want to interact with her before being paired up with her, but now I wish I did. I wish I had talked to her earlier on in the school year and you guys should too! She’s-”

“You shouldn’t pressure others to try and talk to me Nino.” Marinette said, strolling into the classroom. “Let them take their time to try and approach me.” Marinette handed Nino a piece of paper. “I also looked into a few things you mentioned earlier and thought I should give you this. They’re always giving out free courses and workshops, so I thought I should let you know.”

Nino looked at the paper Marinette gave him and was surprised to see a list of different companies and dates in which they held workshops for upstarting directors.

Just as he was about to ask where she had gotten the information from, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the next class.

Amira wishes she was able to escape Anansi’s punches just as quickly as she was able to bolt out the classroom earlier that day.

Amira had been trying to call Wally, trying to get any info on her two friends who should’ve have arrived at Gotham when her phone began to yell ‘AKUMA ALERT.’

So having to leave her worries behind, Amira yelled ‘SPOTS ON’ as she headed towards Hawkmoth’s latest Victim.

Rolling away from Anansi’ punches and parrying them took a toll on Ladybird, feeling the air leave her body as she was slammed onto the ferris wheel structure.

Managing to find a safe space within an alleyway, Ladybird reached for her burner phone when she was reminded of her dilemma.

Her two partners were away...she told them not to worry…

“Here you are!” Anansi roared, striking the alleyway where Ladybird was hiding, causing the vigilante to become airborne. As Ladybird crashed onto the pavement, the transformation was called off, Tikki opening her mouth to scold Amira for dropping her transformation when she promptly closed her mouth.

Calling her transformation off, when she crashed onto the pavement and scrambled her way towards another alley.

“Tikki, go to Master Fu.”

“But-” Amira looked at Tikki with stern eyes.

“Tikki, go and don’t worry about me. I don’t have super strength but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan.”

“Amira.” Tikki whimpered.

“You now what we have to do. Now go!” Taking one last look at Amira, Tikki flew off.

“Please be safe Amira. Please, don’t do anything reckless.”

“Come on Little Bug! Is that all you got?” Anansi smugly said, cracking her knuckles as she watched Ladybird wipe off the blood that seeped from her mouth.

Spitting out a bit of blood, Amira grinned. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, something Amira didn’t know she missed dearly.

“Did you really think that was my best? Come on Anansi, I thought it was pretty obvious what was going on here.”

“What are you talking about?” Anansi growled, noticing someone land behind Ladybird. Anansi watched as Ladybird glew red and healed her wounds. “You!”

“That’s right Anansi.” Ladybird grinned. “My backup is here. Carapace!”

“On it!” Carapace yelled, throwing his shield towards Anansi.

With a simple step to the side, Anansi was able to dodge it, only to get her foot wrapped by Ladybird, slipping backward as her back connected with the ground.

Carapace tried to land a hit, but missed when Anansi rolled to the side, but was then dragged towards Ladybird.

Swinging her foot to the side, Anansi shook Ladybird off when she noticed the makeshift ring around her.

How did they set that up? Who set it up when she was bust fending of both Ladybird and Carapace.

“Up for a round Anansi? Or are you afraid of losing against someone half your size and weight?” Ladybird challenged, the smug on her face fanning the annoyance within Anansi.

“You’re on Bug. Can’t wait to beat you and show you that a bug should never mess with a spider!”

“Come on Anansi! I thought you said this match will be over in one punch! Oh wait a minute! You can’t even land one!” Ladybird said in a haughty tone, causing Anansi to lunge at her, sending one final punch onto the Arc de Triomphe.

Anansi felt as the ground began to shake, only then realizing the trap Ladybird set down for her.

Grabbing something from the ground, Ladybird grabbed hold of Carapace and brought them to where Alya was being held hostage.

“Carapace, now!”

“Shellter!” Carapace yelled, shielding them as the Arc de Triomphe crumpled to the ground, trapping Anansi underneath.

Once the debris settled and the dust settled, Anansi’s headgear appeared by Ladybird’s feet, causing Ladybird to smile. Gleefully, Ladybird slammed her yo-yo against the thing and cracked it, the akuma emerging from it.

Capturing the akuma and purifying it, Ladybird yelled her words. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

Carapace watched with wonder as all the damage Anansi caused was repaired, the Arc de Triomphe restored before his eyes. “Meet me at the Eiffel Tower,” he heard Ladybird say before she swung away.

Ladybird stood at the Eiffel Tower, looking at the setting sun in the distance. She had yet to receive a call from-

“Ladybird! So, what do you think about-”

“Hold on Carapace.” Ladybird cut off, Carapace now wondering what was going on. “Not all of us are here.”

“All of us? But I thought-”

“Sorry for coming late!” A voice said, causing Carapace to jump.

Soon, something on the ground began to grow, the pink glow becoming bigger by the second. Emerging from the glow was a girl that seemed to resemble a mouse themed hero.

“Carapace, I’d like you to meet the other vigilante who helped us today.” Carapace remained silent as the mouse themed vigilante shyly waved at them, tucking a loose orange auburn hair strand behind her ear.

“Hi, my name is Gris. It was a great honor to work with you, Carapace. Ladybird.”

Pulling their luggage behind them, Adrien and Chloé scanned the welcoming area. Their flight lasted longer than what they thought it would be and they were ecstatic when they landed a few hours ago.

Their eyes landed on a gentleman with a poster board with their names on it.

When they approached the older man, they couldn’t help but notice the faintest smile on him.

“I presume you’re Mr.Pennyworth?” Adrien spoke up, Alfred nodding in response.

“I am Master Adrien. It's also a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Chloé. Welcome to Gotham.”

#maribat #amira wayne #bio!dadbrucewaynemonth2020 #bio!dad bruce wayne month 2020 #b!dbwm2020

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wheresmynaya · 4 years ago

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Lost in the Lights Ch.12|Brittana

A/N - Sorry this took forever but better late than never, right? I’m literally posting this right before I leave for work so I hope I don’t forget anything LOL. Thank you all for being patient! Not sure how I feel about this chapter but I'm sure you'll let me know if I've lost my touch 😅

Available on ff.net (x) ao3 (x) wattpad (x) & under the cut!

Two days go by after the Titans’ big win over Crawford County Day and Brittany is starting to wonder how soon is soon for Santana. She spends Thanksgiving with her family at her grandparents’ house watching football and stuffing her face with all kinds of good food and for awhile it’s enough to distract her from constantly checking her phone.

It’s a quiet day filled with random moments of sadness because her dad isn’t there to drag her and Pete outside for a quick game during halftime like he usually would. He’s not there to carve the turkey or start up with the Christmas music despite their mom’s protest, but they all set a place for him at the head of the table as if he were just running a little late.

It’s the weirdest feeling ever to know that he’s not coming.

Black Friday comes and goes in the same way. Whitney breaks out all the Christmas decorations in anticipation for the holidays which have snuck up on all of them. Pete’s as excited as always and Brittany would be too if it weren’t for the melancholy.

It’ll be their first Christmas without him, just like it was their first Thanksgiving, and Brittany’s not sure how she’s going to cope with that just yet. She’s strong and she usually speaks up when she’s ready to talk about how she hurts, but she has a hard time when it comes to her dad. Everyone in the family hurts, it’s only a matter of it getting easier to cope with as time goes on.

It’s hard to pretend sometimes that she’s over the denial of it all. Sometimes she thinks she doesn’t have any more tears left to cry when it comes to her dad, but she always surprises herself in the end. It’s true what they say about grief, it does come in waves and Brittany longs for the day they only feel like ripples.

On top of the holiday blues starting to settle in, there’s also everything going on between her and Santana. In the two days that have passed since the game on Wednesday, she hasn’t heard from Santana at all.

At first, Brittany figured it was because she was busy. With Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping madness, things can get hectic so she was understanding like always. However, now that it’s going on Day 3 and her texts and calls have still gone unanswered, her patience has started to run thin – now she’s just annoyed.

Her head is coming up with all kinds of reasons for Santana’s silence. Did she get scared off after their talk after the game? Was she really needing all this time to work out what she wants? Maybe she got kidnapped and is being held for ransom?

That last one is a little ridiculous, but what else is Brittany meant to think? Everything that they talked about that night wouldn’t have led to a cold shoulder, not after Santana said all of those things about dates and flowers.

She likes Brittany, she said it herself, so why would she be giving her the silent treatment?

If Santana isn’t going to answer her phone or return a text, Brittany will just have to take matters into her own hands and find out herself!

When Brittany arrives on Santana’s door step later that afternoon, all that bravado from earlier starts to dwindle. She’s been here once before with Pete, but now that she’s alone and doesn’t have her cute little brother to lean on it’s kind of scary.

Brittany has heard the rumors about Santana’s family and it makes her nervous – like she’s coming in from the wrong side of the tracks. Brittany definitely didn’t grow up in a similar fashion as Santana so she isn’t sure what to expect. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time rumors have been wrong about a Lopez.

Still, Brittany didn’t want to take any chances in case she was wrong and Santana’s parents actually are the worst. Who knows if Santana’s parents would be around, but if they were Brittany wanted to make sure she made a good first impression. Her dad always said the first one was the most important so she spent extra time trying to look presentable.

And all this because Santana wouldn’t return a call or text?

She’s going to owe her big time if this ends up being something silly.

After a big deep breath, Brittany gives a firm knock on the front door before taking a step back. With her head held high, she braces herself for whoever is bound to answer.

A broad-shouldered man with his shiny black hair neatly coifed opens the door a moment later and Brittany’s heart nearly jumps to her throat. His brow quirks in a similar fashion as Santana’s when she’s being critical of someone and it makes Brittany gulp.

So much for steering clear of any judgement…

“Can I help you?” He asks, his voice deep and unwavering.

Brittany doesn’t know why she scared shitless right now because he hasn’t really done anything to scare her but she is. She hopes it doesn’t show though as she gives him her best smile.

“Hi, I was wondering if Santana was home?” Brittany answers politely, “I’m Br – “

“Brittany?”

Santana’s voice can be heard before she’s seen wedging herself between the man and the front door. She’s dressed so casually in dark jeans and a sweater, a stark comparison to the Cheerios uniform Britany’s so used to seeing her in but the blonde is so relieved that she’s there.

Santana looks a little shocked to see Brittany standing there on her doorstep though.

Brittany continues to smile at Santana although the man frowns and looks to the side.

“Did you invite her here? You’re grounded, Santana, that means no – “

“Who is it?” Another voice calls out, “Why are you all standing by the door?”

Santana gives an apologetic look to Brittany before she’s turning away to answer, “It’s Brittany, Mami.”

“Oh! Really?” The woman sounds equally surprised before the man steps to the side too. Out comes this woman who looks just like Santana only a little older. She smiles brightly, “Brittany, hi. I’m Maribel, Santana’s mom. This is Hector, her dad.”

Brittany looks between the three of them and smiles nervously. She wasn’t expecting to meet the entire family all at once, “Nice to meet you both.”

They all stand there for a moment and Brittany isn’t sure what’s happening right now or what all the tension she feels means. Hector continues to eye Brittany while Maribel looks delighted to see her.

Santana’s just looking back and forth between her parents like a lost little girl.

It has Brittany backpedaling, “I – I’m sorry, was I interrupting something? I could come back – “

“No, come in. Please,” Maribel gestures, “We’re just about to sit down for a late lunch.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t –“ Brittany says at the same time Hector speaks.

“Santana is grounded remember?” He says, “She’s not meant to have any visitors.”

Maribel only waves him off, “It’s Thanksgiving, Hector, it’s fine. Brittany, will you join us?”

Brittany shifts awkwardly. She can’t really find it in her to say no to Santana’s mom; she seems really nice, but super intimidating at the same time.

Hector is just intimidating in general, but a chance to spend time with Santana has Brittany leaning towards a yes.

“Uhm, okay. Sure!” Brittany answers.

Maribel beams, “Great!”

Brittany watches her shoo Hector to the side so that she can invite Brittany in. Santana lingers near her mom also watching this unfold with this curious look on her face.

“It’s only Thanksgiving leftovers,” Maribel explains, “But I make a great panini with them.”

Brittany smiles at her, “Sounds awesome. I’ve never had one before.”

“Really? Well good! Come Hector,” Maribel instructs, “Help me in the kitchen.”

Hector looks back and forth between Maribel and the girls with this confused look on his face, “But Santana is – “

“Let her have this,” Maribel insists in a hushed voice that even has Brittany’s neck hairs standing on end.

Hector nods obediently before following his wife to the kitchen which leaves Santana and Brittany alone in the living room.

Brittany turns back to Santana with raised brows, “So…you’re grounded?”

Santana rolls her eyes, “Yeah. Word got back to them about my little disagreement with Karofsky and Azimio…and whoever else was on the field that night. Dad’s pissed because I keep causing scenes, but Mom’s proud that I care about someone else other than Quinn and myself.”

“Wow,” Brittany chuckles awkwardly, “Well…I guess that would explain a lot. I though you were ignoring me.”

Santana’s shoulders drop, “I’m sorry. It happened so quickly, I couldn’t warn you that I didn’t have my phone anymore.”

Brittany nods, relieved that this wasn’t something bigger. It was purely a misunderstanding.

“I’ve missed you,” Santana whispers through a small smile that makes Brittany blush. Her hands are wringing themselves out and she kicks at the floor so bashfully that Brittany would laugh if she wasn’t so smitten, “Uh…how was your Thanksgiving?”

“It was okay,” Brittany answers shortly, not wanting to touch on how many times she secretly cried about missing her dad, “Just hung out with my family at my grandparents’ house and started Christmas decorating. I missed talking to you though.”

“You did?” Santana looks amazed which has Brittany giggling.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Brittany smirks, “Talking to you is my favorite.”

It’s Santana’s turn to blush at that but just before she replies, Maribel’s voice interrupts them.

“Girls!” Maribel calls out, “It’s ready.”

The grin Santana wears instantly falls as she goes to inhale deeply, almost as if she’s preparing herself for something big to happen. It worries Brittany.

“What’s that for?” Brittany jokes lightly, “Did I just get myself into something I shouldn’t have?”

“We’ll see,” Santana chuckles nervously before leading the way to the dining room.

Brittany and Santana sit next to each other on one side of the table while Maribel sits opposite them and Hector sits at the head. The tension is still there from before and Brittany’s not sure why that is, but she focuses on her manners and continues to be polite.

Despite only eating sandwiches, the antique China cabinets and ornate dining set make the meal feel way more formal than it actually is. They drink fresh lemonade out of crystal glasses and eat off of the thinnest plates Brittany’s ever seen.

She feels like she might break something with just one touch and it puts her on edge a little, but then Santana’s hand find its way on her knee. She gives it a gentle squeeze and it’s almost enough to relieve some of Brittany’s anxiousness. It’s the hardest thing ever for Brittany to keep her eyes forward instead of watching Santana’s hand move.

“This looks really good, Mrs. Lopez,” Brittany compliments.

“Thank you, Brittany,” The woman replies with a smile, “And please, call me Maribel.”

“Of course,” Brittany nods and everyone digs in.

It’s kind of funny how they’re in such a fancy looking dining room yet they’re all eating with their hands. Maybe this isn’t as formal as Brittany thought?

“So Brittany,” Hector starts after wiping his mouth with the napkin laid in his lap, “Santana says you play football?”

Brittany gulps the last of her bite and nods, “Yes sir, I do.”

He hums and Brittany’s not sure what that means. He’s just as hard to read as Santana can be sometimes, but thankfully Maribel steps in.

“Quarterback, is that right?”

Brittany smiles, “Yes. That’s right.”

“And your parents are okay with that?” Hector asks with just a hint of disbelief in his tone.

Santana stiffens at the question, but Brittany’s no stranger to it.

“Yes sir,” Brittany answers proudly, “My dad always said if you can play the game well then you should. Judging by my stats, I think I do pretty well.”

Hector hums again but Brittany’s not sure if that’s in approval or not. She’s thinking it’s the latter just by the tone of his question and she knows it shouldn’t make her feel small but it kind of does.

“I’d never let my daughter play such a rough sport,” He says dismissively.

Brittany looks to Santana but it seems like she’s just focused on constantly keeping her mouth full. It’s a good tactic, Brittany should’ve thought of that first.

“Cheerleading is pretty rough,” Brittany shrugs casually, “I don’t think it gets enough credit really, you have to be pretty athletic. I think I was injured more times cheering than I have while playing football.”

Her answer seems to take everyone by surprise and Brittany fights the urge to smirk. A girl being able to do both – cheer and play football? – that’s unheard of, right? Brittany chuckles on the inside, secretly loving how she can shut down stereotypes.

“Well…” Hector sighs, seemingly stumped for the moment, “I suppose all sports have their risks.”

“True! I think the Cheerios’ drills might even be a little more intense that what I have to do with the Titans,” Brittany replies with a glance towards Santana, “I couldn’t imagine doing what Santana does every practice. I can see why she’s been Co-Captain for so long.”

“Santana’s such a hard worker,” Maribel agrees, “We’re very proud of her accomplishments.”

“I bet there’s a ton of them too,” Brittany jokes. When she sees Santana’s dimples all on display it makes her entire day.

“Stop it,” Santana whispers through flushed cheeks.

God, Brittany just wants to kiss her.

“So Brittany,” Hector says as he aims the focus back onto Brittany, “What do your parents do?”

“Well, my mom works at a diner at the moment while she tries to get her Real Estate license in order,” Brittany answers, “There’s been some mix up with the paperwork so it’s taking a little longer than usual, but she doesn’t mind the change in work since it’s temporary.”

Hector hums while Maribel smiles, “Which diner does she work at?”

“I think it’s called Frank’s?”

“Ah yes, I know the one,” Maribel nods, “Great coffee.”

“And what about your father?” Hector asks stiffly, “What does he do for work?”

Santana glances to Brittany as the blonde answers, “Well, my dad died earlier this year so…”

“Oh,” Maribel frowns, “I’m so sorry, Brittany.”

Hector nods too, seemingly a little guilty for prying, “My condolences.”

Santana just reaches over and squeezes at Brittany’s knee again and it makes this all feel just a little less awkward. Brittany’s always hated this part of the conversation, she never knows what to say.

“Thanks,” Brittany replies, trying to force a smile.

The awkward silence lingers a little longer before Santana reaches over to top up everyone’s glass with lemonade. It doesn’t take long before Hector asks another question.

“What are your plans after graduation? Will you continue playing football?”

“I hope so,” Brittany answers honestly, “I know it’s a crazy dream, but I want to play at the college level. A couple of scouts had their eye on me at my old school, but I don’t know if they’ll follow me here. It’ll look really good if I can bring home a Championship win for McKinley though – especially for the Titans considering their long dry spell.”

Hector nods, “Yes, I don’t believe the Titans have won in many, many years. It’s part of the reason why they brought Coach Beiste in, but it doesn’t look like she’s been able to end the drought either.”

“It’s probably because she didn’t have the right person leading the team,” Santana replies, “Like Brittany.”

Brittany quirks her brow at the sassy tone before looking to Hector to see what he’ll do.

“You know Brittany made Team Captain after her third week?” Santana adds as she sends Brittany a proud smile, “It took Finn Hudson an entire semester before he was made.”

“Wow! That’s amazing, Brittany,” Maribel compliments, “You must be a born leader.”

“She is,” Santana answers instead, “Brittany’s the perfect person to end the Titans’ drought.”

Brittany tries to keep the smirk from growing when she realizes what Santana’s doing and instead watches out for Hector’s reaction. He only narrows his eyes at Santana before looking back down at his plate.

The tension is palpable again so Brittany quickly fills the awkward silence.

“It’ll be an important game for a lot of people so I hope we can make something happen,” Brittany says, “Coach Beiste is really great and most of the team is really hard working. There are rumors that a recruiter from Ohio State might be there too.”

“We should watch, Hector!” Maribel suggests, “It’ll be history in the making.”

“Maybe, if I’m not working,” Hector responds with a shrug, “So if this scout doesn’t pick you up, then what? I’m sure you have back up plans. It would be silly not to.”

“Hector,” Maribel chastises.

“What’s the harm in asking?” He defends.

Brittany gives Maribel and Santana an assuring smile before responding, “It would be kind of silly, wouldn’t it? I have other interests too that I can fall back on if football doesn’t work out for me.”

“Like?”

“Papi,” Santana begs.

But again, Brittany isn’t too bothered. This time she’s the one to give Santana an inconspicuous squeeze to her knee.

“I do pretty well in math and science,” Brittany answers, “I got a near perfect score on my SAT too. I only struggle with English but Santana helps me with that. She’s a really great tutor.”

“Thanks,” Santana grins.

“College isn’t just about playing football,” Brittany adds, “I doubt I’ll be getting into the NFL so I do have other plans. I’ve always loved animals; one of my other dreams is to be a vet or marine biologist. Someone who helps those that can’t help themselves, you know?”

Hector looks surprisingly impressed by Brittany’s answer.

“Are we done with the 21 questions now?” Santana quips which earns her a glare from her mom this time.

“I’m just curious,” Hector replies as he cracks a smile for the first time, “Small town, Brittany, everyone knows everyone. It’s rare that I come across someone new.”

“You work in Cincinnati,” Santana retorts, "You meet new people all the time.”

Brittany can tell Santana’s getting more and more wound up for some reason, so she moves to diffuse the situation before Santana can get herself into anymore trouble with her parents.

“It’s okay,” Brittany shrugs, “I don’t mind.”

“See?” Hector waves his hand, “We’re just talking. It’s important to have conversations about options when it comes to college.”

“Is it now?” Santana asks sarcastically, “I wouldn’t know. Seems like your mind was pretty made up when it came to my options.”

Brittany’s brows rise at that tone and her gaze averts right to her plate.

“Who needs options when you’re Harvard-bound?” Hector questions, “There’s no better university.”

“Maybe to you.”

Hector looks taken aback, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying – “

“Let’s not do this here,” Maribel interrupts.

There’s that familiar motherly tone that makes Brittany’s neck hairs stand on end, but she peeks up to see Santana and Hector standing off through glares while Maribel is giving them one of her own.

Out of the three, Maribel’s is the scariest.

Santana backs down first with a mumbled, “Sorry.”

Hector only takes in a deep breath while Maribel smiles again at Brittany.

“Forgive us, Brittany,” She says.

“It’s cool,” Brittany smiles before chancing a glance in Santana’s direction. The girl is still fuming in silence and Brittany wants nothing more than to comfort her.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Hector says lowly.

“Fine,” Santana huffs.

Thankfully, Hector and Maribel dismiss themselves shortly after and Santana’s left to clean up. Brittany tags along to offer her a hand, but they don’t make any small talk. She can see that Santana’s stuck in her head, but Brittany can understand why. After such a short lunch, she’s starting to see why Santana struggles so much with being herself and owning her feelings.

“I’m sorry about him,” Santana mentions awhile later after the dishes are done.

Brittany tries to make light of it, “I haven’t been grilled like that in awhile.”

“Yeah,” Santana shakes her head, “He isn’t usually like that, but if it’s any consolation you did a lot better than when Puck came over for the first time. You should’ve seen my dad’s face when Puck told him about his plans for college.”

“Why?”

“Puck doesn’t have any,” Santana chuckles, “Afterwards my dad told me I wasn’t allowed to see him anymore.”

Brittany’s eyes widen, “You two dated?”

“I wouldn’t really call it that.”

“Oh.”

“It’s whatever. That was before everything happened,” Santana shrugs before she starts to smirk, “So you never told me you used to cheer.”

“You never asked,” Brittany replies jokingly, “The coach at my old school let me join after the football season finished up. I did that for a year before I decided to stick to training in the off season and work.”

“And you had a job?”

“Yeah,” Brittany laughs, “I made smoothies at this one place. I got free drinks whenever I wanted so that was pretty cool.”

“I’ve never had a job,” Santana admits, “My dad won’t let me.”

Brittany chuckles, “Why am I not surprised by that?”

Santana sends her a playful glare before asking, “So why’d you quit cheering?”

“It’s boring.”

“Boring?” Santana laughs out of disbelief.

“Yeah, it didn’t really challenge me,” Brittany shrugs.

“But the stunts?”

“I’ve already done gymnastics so nothing new to me.”

Santana gives her a look for that, “You must’ve not had the right kind of Captain. “

“You think so?” Brittany raises her brow challengingly.

“I know so,” Santana smirks and slides a little closer, “I can promise you’d never get bored on my squad.”

Brittany bites her lip at the sound of Santana’s flirty tone but she puts some distance between them. After all, they’re still in Santana’s kitchen and who knows where Maribel and Hector are.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Santana asks innocently.

Brittany narrows her eyes although she can’t help but smile, “Flirt with me.”

“I didn’t realize I was.”

“Well, you were and you can’t do that right now,” Brittany says before drying her hands, “I came here because I’m mad at you, but… I guess that was before I knew you were grounded so I can’t really be mad anymore.”

Santana looks confused, “Wait…you’re mad at me? Why?”

Brittany turns away, “It sounds silly now.”

Santana softens at Brittany’s sudden shyness, “Tell me.”

“Well, I thought you were ignoring me on purpose,” Brittany admits guiltily, “You said we would talk soon and then I went two days without hearing from you and…at first I was worried and then I got kind of angry. I thought you might have had…second thoughts.”

“Oh,” Santana breathes out and combs her fingers through her long dark hair, “I’m sorry. Like I said, it happened really quickly – I couldn’t send out a warning or anything.”

“I get that now,” Brittany nods, “Especially after that lunch.”

“Yeah,” Santana says sadly, “I should get my phone back soon, maybe later today if my mom has anything to do with it.”

“Okay,” Brittany replies, “Then maybe we can talk about what we’re doing?”

Santana sighs, “Britt…this is still really new for me. My family isn’t like yours and I’m not like you.”

Brittany starts to frown, “I know that.”

“So you have to stop pressuring me,” Santana replies.

“Santana,” Brittany sighs as she takes one of her hands, “I wasn’t trying to pressure you, I just don’t want you to get comfortable in hiding who you are.”

Judging by the surprised look on Santana’s face, Brittany’s not sure if she’s just crossed a line she shouldn’t have. She wasn’t trying to be rude, if anything she cares way too much and she just wants Santana to know that.

“I’m sorry,” Brittany says in a softer tone as she runs her thumb over the back of Santana’s hand, “I just…I know how hard it is to venture out of your comfort zone – especially when it comes to this stuff – and I feel like that’s exactly what you were doing. You were getting comfortable with hiding us and with the way I feel about you and knowing how you feel about me…I don’t want to do that.”

Santana looks a little guilty as she nods, “I don’t want to either.”

“I like you,” Brittany admits around a timid grin as she lets go of Santana’s hand, “I really like you and I like kissing you and being around you, but I can only be patient and wait for so long. I’m not asking you to have everything figured out, because who does at our age?”

“Like, no one.”

“Exactly.”

Santana gives her small smile, “There’s that infamous Pierce wisdom again.”

Brittany lifts her shoulder casually at the compliment while Santana just stares at the blonde with this serene look on her face. It kind of makes Brittany feel see-through but in a good way. The kind of way that has her going out on a limb here and voicing exactly what she wants for them.

Brittany nervously bites her lip, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think you and I are awesome together and I wouldn’t mind figuring out stuff with you.”

Santana looks like she’s about to melt into a puddle as she says, “Brittany.”

The blonde has never heard her name sound so pretty, but she guesses it helps when there’s a gorgeous girl saying it. It makes her feel tingly all over and she can’t help but grin.

“We won’t have to label it yet if you don’t want to,” Brittany rambles, “I mean, I’d love to call you my girlfriend because I think it kinda has a nice ring to it but I don’t want to pressure you. I just need to know whether or not we’re an us or still Santana and Brittany.”

Santana flutters her thick lashes as she looks up at Brittany with this look of pure adoration.

“Did you just ask me to be your girlfriend?” Santana asks around a small smile.

Brittany lets out a nervous chuckle as she squeezes the back of her neck, “I think I did – which I didn’t plan on doing but I’m not taking it back now.”

“Good,” Santana replies and that makes Brittany’s smile widen, “I don’t want you to.”

Brittany bites her bottom lip to keep from beaming, “So does that mean…”

Santana giggles as she tugs a little on the bottom of Brittany’s shirt and pulls her in even closer. Her expression turns solemn and Brittany’s smile falters, unsure if that’s a good or bad sign.

“I can’t promise you that I won’t say the wrong thing again or I won’t disappoint you,” Santana says, “You know I’m still a work in progress and I wish that meant that you didn’t have to worry about me back stepping or getting scared, but I really don’t know.”

Brittany looks worried but she tries to mask it with an, “Okay.”

“But…I can try to be better,” Santana adds sounding a lot more hopeful, “I want to be better. Like I’ve said before, I want to be someone you deserve to be with and if we’re going to do this thing for real then it’s time that I put in the work to show you that. I’ve never really been a great girlfriend in the past, but with you – there’s nothing I want more.”

The overwhelming relief that washes over Brittany is unmatched and all she wants to do is wrap Santana up in the tightest hug ever and kiss her silly, but she’s so surprised by the turn of events that all she can do is stand there and stare dopily.

“Okay,” Brittany says again behind her grin.

Santana laughs before looking around hesitantly. After a glance around the kitchen, she’s rolling up on her tippy toes to place a chaste kiss to Brittany’s cheek. The move surprises the quarterback but she smiles anyway.

“I’m taking that as a yes?” Brittany jokes.

“It’s definitely a yes,” Santana giggles and Brittany can’t stop staring at how cute her dimples are when she’s smiling so brightly. She wants to do everything in her power to make Santana smile like that more often – hopefully she can – but then she sees the time displayed on the microwave and suddenly frowns.

“Crap! I should get going,” Brittany says in a hurry, “I’m supposed to pick up Pete from my grandparents’ house in like five minutes. They’re hosting poker at their place tonight.”

Santana quirks a brow, “Poker?”

“Yeah,” Brittany answers casually, “Pretend you didn’t hear that though. I’m not really supposed to say. My mom doesn’t like when they gamble.”

Santana chuckles at that, “Okay then, let me walk you out.”

As she leads the way, they pass Maribel reading in the living room alone. The woman glances up at them and smiles.

“You heading home now, Brittany?” Maribel asks.

“Almost. I have to pick up my little brother first,” Brittany replies, “Thank you for lunch.”

“Of course, any time!”

“I’m just going to walk Brittany to the car,” Santana says to which Maribel only nods with this knowing smile. It makes Brittany wonder what that is but soon Santana’s nudging her out the door and closing it behind them.

“Geez, can’t get rid of me soon en – “

The closes just in time for Santana to steal a kiss. It catches Brittany off guard but she smiles into anyway, hoping it lasts a little longer than the peck on her cheek in the kitchen.

“I couldn’t do that in there,” Santana explains when she pulls away, “Not yet.”

“Not yet,” Brittany grins, “We can wait awhile to do that in front of your parents. Your dad kind of scares me a little. Actually, your mom does too.”

Santana chuckles, “So could I call you later? You know, if I get my phone back tonight?”

“Sure!”

“Okay cool,” Santana nods happily, “Well…have a safe drive.”

“I will,” Brittany winks before walking to her car. She buckles in and waves one last time to Santana before heading off.

\\\\\

Santana’s heart is a little heavy when she heads back inside despite what just happened in her kitchen. The pure joy and happiness she feels for finally clearing things up with Brittany is great, but it’s not enough to overshadow the impending doom since she opened her big mouth during lunch. Santana has felt this particular storm brewing for some time now and all she has is her attitude to thank for it to finally happen.

Maribel glances from her book when the front door closes and Santana instantly feels her shoulders sink beneath the weight of what’s to come.

Why couldn’t she have bit her tongue like always? Why’d she have to do this now of all times?

There’s this sympathetic look on Maribel’s face as she sets the book aside.

“Brittany’s a sweet girl,” Maribel mentions like any talk of Brittany is some sort of ice breaker for Santana.

It kind of is now; it’s hard not to smile when the blonde crosses Santana’s mind.

“The sweetest,” Santana agrees bashfully before joining her mom on the couch.

They sit there in silence for a moment and Santana’s not sure what Maribel’s going to say next. Talk of Brittany wasn’t her first choice, but she rather that than the latter – at least while it’s just them sitting there.

“So are you two…a couple?” Maribel asks hesitantly.

Santana’s first instinct is to lie and she really considers going through with it, but she doesn’t. She has to do things differently this time – for her and for Brittany. With Maribel, Santana finds a little comfort and pushes her boundaries.

“Kind of.”

Santana’s answer makes Maribel look back at her quizzically.

“Kind of?” Maribel asks, “That was a yes or no question.”

Santana blushes as she stammers out, “Yes. Yes, we are.”

Maribel smiles proudly, “When did that happen?”

“Just a little while ago,” Santana can’t help but smile, “While we were doing the dishes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Santana’s grin turns bashful, “I…I really like her, Mami. I’ve liked her for awhile now.”

“I can see why. She seems like a great girl,” Maribel winks, “What took you two so long?”

Santana knows Maribel was only joking but it makes her start to frown. She knows she isn’t the easiest person to be with and it takes a special kind of patience to stick it out for as long as Brittany has, but that doesn’t make her feel any less guilty about it.

“It’s complicated,” Santana ends up saying.

Maribel nods like she understands, but Santana doubts she really does.

That’s not on her though, that’s on Santana because she makes every conversation about her feelings so difficult. She’s not sure when the wires got crossed and everything started to feel like pulling teeth to her, but it’s been like this for years and she hates it. It’s like being honest with herself and her feelings meant going against this image she has created over the years.

Santana hates how she has played this role for so long – has tried to live up to everyone’s expectations – that she doesn’t know who she is anymore. Did she ever even know in the first place? The crazy thing is though, with Brittany she can see theses glimpses of her true self – the person she wishes she could be all the time if no one cared about reputations or sexuality.

Her feelings for Brittany came so easily, it was like the moment she laid eyes on the blonde at Puck’s End of Summer party that was it. Santana was hooked then and there. She didn’t expect Brittany to have that kind of effect on her, but here she is a few months later wanting to be the best version of herself…just so she can be someone Brittany deserves.

And really, it sounds like the biggest task in the world. To sort through everything that makes up Santana and pick out what’s real and what isn’t so that she can finally be herself…it’s a lot. But, she’s making some progress when it comes to her love life and that’s half of the battle. The other half is about her future and she has only begun to voice her true feelings.

Santana picks at a thread that has come loose on her sweater and wonders aloud.

“Is Papi angry with me about what I said?”

There’s a quiet sigh from the opposite end of the couch before Maribel answers, “He’s surprised.”

Santana bites her lip, unsure if that really answers her question. Judging by Hector’s reaction and how abruptly her parents left after lunch, it doesn’t look good for her.

“You should talk to him though,” Maribel adds, “He won’t begin to understand you if you don’t.”

Santana lets out a dry laugh and Maribel quirks her brow at that.

“What’s so funny?”

Santana only shrugs, “I’m just not in the mood for another lecture.”

Maribel straightens up as Santana continues.

“I don’t know how many times I can apologize for things that I’m not actually sorry about,” Santana says, “I wasn’t really sorry for breaking JBI’s camera or starting that fight with those jerks on the football team and I’m not sorry for wanting to go somewhere other than Harvard. I’m not, Mami, and I can’t go up there if an apology is what he wants from me.”

“That is exactly why you need to talk to him. Tell him what you just told me,” Maribel replies before scooting closer to Santana, “Mija, you should never apologize for standing up for yourself. Granted, there’s a certain way to go about it that doesn’t involve your fists or football players three times your size…”

Santana ducks her head, “I’m really working on it.”

“I know you are,” Maribel replies, “But he doesn’t and that’s only because you talk to me more often than you talk to your father.”

Santana crosses her arms protectively over her chest, “He’s so hard to talk to.”

“Doesn’t mean you stop trying.”

“Tell that to him.”

“Go tell him yourself.”

Santana looks wide-eyed at her mom, “Seriously?”

Maribel only reaches for her book, “Yes, seriously.”

“But,” Santana stammers, “He never wants to hear what I have to say and I’m not trying to be grounded for the rest of my life.”

Maribel only chuckles, “You won’t be.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because,” Maribel replies, “One conversation between you two where you actually say what you mean and he actually listens will work wonders and I think now’s the perfect time for that to happen. I think you’re both ready to have that talk.”

Santana bites her lip nervously, “What if it doesn’t work out?”

Maribel looks to Santana and gives her this sympathetic smile, “Then he isn’t the man I married and this might be an even bigger problem than I thought.”

Santana’s brows rise at that but she doesn’t say anything more, just sits there in silence mulling over whether or not she’s brave enough to actually face her dad. With everything currently on her plate, she doesn’t think she’s ready. If anything, she’s drained and thinking about having to go up to Hector’s office and have this talk just makes her feel even more exhausted.

Maribel watches Santana hesitate in leaving and reaches over to pat her ankle, “You don’t have to talk to him today, but don’t leave things unsaid for too much longer. The sooner, the better.”

Santana nods, wondering where she’s heard that before.

\\\\\

Later that night, Brittany’s sprawled out on her bed watching footage of Carmel High’s Championship game from last year. She wants to be more than prepared for their upcoming game in two weeks’ time so putting in this extra work will hopefully help.

Brittany’s about halfway through when her phone starts to ring on her nightstand. She glances to it, not expecting to see the name that pops up and quickly scrambles to answer the call.

“Well, look who got their phone back!”

Santana chuckles down the line, “Yup! I’m officially a free woman…again.”

“Awesome,” Brittany beams as she rolls onto her back and stares up at the ceiling.

She has been thinking about Santana since the moment she left the Lopez residence. This is her girlfriend and even though she has yet to say the title out loud, just thinking it makes the butterflies in her stomach go crazy.

“How’d the rest of your day go?”

Brittany tries to recall the past few hours, “Well, Pete kicked my butt in Monopoly. The kid is pretty ruthless, I wonder if he’ll be some big shot business tycoon when he’s older.”

“That’s cute.”

Brittany feels like blushing, “How about yours?”

“It went okay,” Santana hesitates for a moment, “I told my mom about us.”

“You did?” Brittany’s eyes widen and she can’t hide the surprise in her voice.

“Yeah, is that okay? She asked if we were a couple after you left…I didn’t want to lie.”

A smile stretches across Brittany’s face, “Yeah, that’s totally okay! I wasn’t sure if you wanted to tell people yet or…you know.”

“Well, I’m trying out being honest for a change,” Santana replies, “I figure if I have such an amazing girlfriend, why hide it?”

Brittany’s jaw drops and she’s so glad that Santana can’t actually see her right now because she must be a sight to see. She tries to play off being so blindsided by Santana’s glimmer of confidence by moving along the conversation.

“Sorry about leaving so suddenly earlier,” Brittany apologizes.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

“So…Harvard, huh?” Brittany mentions, “I didn’t know you wanted to go there.”

“I don’t,” Santana answers with a chuckle.

“Oh,” Brittany moves to sit up against her headboard wondering if this was the right topic to switch to, “Is that why lunch got weird when we started talking about college?”

“Kind of,” Santana sighs, “I haven’t told my dad yet and I probably should’ve instead of the way I brought it up today. I’m supposed to be a doctor like most in my family and Harvard is where they’ve all gone. It’s kind of tradition.”

Brittany frowns, “So traditions aren’t just a Lima thing?”

“Not really, at least when it comes to my family,” Santana explains, “It’s a legacy thing.”

“Is that what you want to do?” Brittany wonders, “Be a doctor too?”

“I’m not sure anymore. I feel like I have to redeem myself for all the crap I’ve put them through and going to Harvard is the guaranteed way to do that.”

“But that’s not fair to you,” Brittany replies, “Especially if it’s not something you really want, or is it?”

Santana lets out a tired sigh, “I’ve spent so much of my life being told what I wanted that I can’t tell if it’s what I really want or what I’m just conditioned to want. I mean, I like helping people but I don’t see myself being a dermatologist like my Dad. Number one, it kind of grosses me out and two…I think it’s boring.”

Brittany giggles at that, “So is there anything else that does interest you? What about one of those kid doctors?”

“Me? Dealing with kids?” Santana lets out a bellyaching laugh, “Not a chance in hell, even if I’m making bank while doing it.”

Brittany finds herself grinning at the sound of Santana loosening up, “Why not?”

“I’m not really the best with kids.”

“Liar,” Brittany teases, “You’re great with Pete!”

“That’s because Pete isn’t like other kids, he’s actually cool. Sick kids can be brats and I’m not down to listen to all that whining.”

Brittany shakes her head and laughs, “Well, from personal experience I think you’d make a great doctor if that’s what you want to be. You’ve taken great care of me a bunch of times.”

“Thanks Britt,” Santana says and the blonde can practically hear the smile she probably wears, “What about you? Any schools your mom is forcing onto you in order to uphold the family legacy?”

“No family legacy here,” Brittany chuckles, “But Ohio State would be cool if I could get a scholarship for football, especially if those scouts looking at me back in Florida don’t pull through.”

“So that’s where you’re from,” Santana jokes, “You’ve never said.”

“Really? I swore I have.”

“No, but it does explain a lot.”

Brittany quirks her brow, “Does it?”

“Definitely. I was thought there was this different air about you,” Santana explains, “It’s probably because you’re one of the few people here who have actually seen the ocean.”

“Wait,” Brittany chuckles, “You’ve never seen the ocean?”

“Nope. I’ve lived in Lima all of my life, never really left either.”

“That’s so crazy!” Brittany gasps, “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that hasn’t seen the ocean. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it now that I can’t go to the beach anymore. It used to be my favorite place, everyone has to experience it at some point in their life.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to check it.”

Brittany softens as she imagines Santana and how she might react. She thinks about the cheek-bunching smile she’d wear and the sound of her laughter mixing in with the sea breeze. She imagines her being so carefree for once in her life and it makes Brittany smile.

“Maybe I’ll take you one day?” Brittany finds herself saying.

Santana doesn’t say anything for a moment and Brittany wonders if maybe she crossed a line or something? One day hints at a future together, maybe even one that lasts longer than the school year since taking trips to the beach isn’t something they could do during the weekend.

Waiting for a response makes Brittany’s heart thud, but soon Santana speaks up.

“I could be down with that.”

“Yeah?” Brittany grins.

“As long as you’re my tour guide, it sounds like fun.”

Brittany bites her lip at that, once again super thankful that Santana can’t see how her words can turn Brittany into mush.

“Sweet. So,” Brittany hums as she sinks down into her pillows, “What else did you get up to after I left?”

“Not much,” Santana answers, “Just finishing up some work before school starts up again. My parents went to my Abuela’s house, they’re still there so they must be having a good time.”

Brittany can swear she hears sadness in Santana’s tone, “How come you didn’t go too?”

Santana doesn’t answer right away and Brittany wonders if maybe she has breached a touchy subject. Before she can try and change the subject though, Santana answers.

“I’m not exactly welcome there anymore.”

Brittany isn’t sure what to say.

“She’s not very…accepting. We haven’t spoken since I came out to her. It didn’t really end well for me and clearly she isn’t interested in making amends so…”

Brittany can tell Santana’s trying to be nonchalant about this but the sadness is so evident. It just breaks Brittany’s heart and all she wants to do right now is wrap her arms around Santana, to make her feel safe and wanted.

“I’m so sorry,” Brittany replies softly, “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Don’t be sorry. We’re talking, you’re allowed to ask questions.”

“I know, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You aren’t. I promise, if you cross a line then I’ll just hang up on you.”

Brittany gasps but softens when she hears Santana’s cute little giggle.

“Not funny,” Brittany smirks as she turns off her bedside light. Now the light of her alarm clock is the only glow in the room.

“Kind of is.”

Brittany shakes her head, her eyelids feeling a little heavier than before, “You should’ve texted me earlier or something. I could’ve invited you over for Monopoly, really test Petey’s skills.”

Santana chuckles, “Maybe next time.”

“Maybe,” Brittany accidentally says through a yawn.

“You sound tired,” Santana mentions, “Losing is hard work, isn’t it?”

Brittany giggles sleepily, “In most cases I’d say I wouldn’t know, but since we’re talking about Monopoly…yeah, it really is.”

Santana laughs at that, “Do you want me to let you go so you can get some sleep then?”

Brittany rolls onto her side and snuggles into her pillows, “Not really.”

“But you’re tired, you should sleep.”

“I know, but I like talking to you more.”

“More than sleep? Aren’t I special?”

“Duh,” Brittany giggles, “I will gladly lose sleep over you.”

“Okay,” Santana laughs too, “How can I argue with such a smooth talker?”

“You can’t,” Brittany teases; she isn’t even trying to keep her eyes open anymore, “Can you stay here until I fall asleep?”

“Sure Britt,” Santana replies softly, “It doesn’t sound like you’re too far off.”

“It’s been a long day,” Brittany mentions tiredly.

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm, but it’s ending way better than it started.”

Santana hums happily, “So… what do I talk about if I know you’re falling asleep?”

“We don’t have to talk,” Brittany chuckles weakly, “Do whatever you were doing before you called and I’ll just listen?”

“Oh, okay then.”

There’s a long pause and Brittany nearly falls asleep, but then she hears the melodic sounds of piano keys followed by a familiar voice singing so beautifully.

At first, Brittany perks up a little wanting to make sure that she isn’t hearing things – that Santana really is singing to her. She’s only ever heard Santana a couple times before and she usually stops when she realizes someone is listening, but it’s not like that now.

Santana doesn’t care about someone listening because she is singing just for her.

And wow, what a voice!

It’s like rolling thunder with a warmth that reminds her of a crackling bonfire; Brittany hasn’t heard anything like it. She can only smile as she lays her phone down on the pillow next to her, trying her hardest to will herself to stay awake even longer just so she can continue to listen to Santana’s beautiful voice.

#Lost in the Lights #Brittana #Brittana Fanfiction #Fanfics #QB!Britt

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dbnightingale24 · 4 years ago

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Last Chance At Redemption

Chapter 12

Drama, drama, drama. It’s chaotic but much needed. Just wait until the Thanksgiving chapter. Sorry this is so damn late, I suck. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Warnings: DRAMA, drinking, smoking, mentions of cheating, angst, shitty writing, uhhh...I think that’s it?

Word Count: 2083 (this chapter went from being incredibly short to incredibly long)

Song That Inspired This Chapter:

Without Me - Halsey

I do not condone or consent to have my works/stories posted anywhere else.

“So, what’s the game plan? How are you magically gonna fix my life?” Abigail beamed, closing the door to her room.

“I’m not. I’m just here to help you prepare for Thanksgiving and mentally prepare for your mother.”

“I want you to fix everything though” Abigail pouted, plopping down on her bed.

“Oh, my sweet summer child,” Taylor smiled “you never fucking listen to me!”

“I do too!”

“Then why are you back with Todd?”

“Okay, sometimes I don’t listen” she huffed, falling back on her bed “Ransom deserves better though. Ugh, I’ve been saying that too many times today. I never thought I’d say it in the first place”

“What do you mean you’ve said it too many times today?”

“Before you saved the day, Ransom and I were having a talk, which was about to lead to something more.”

“You want me to leave and come back?”

“You better fucking not!” Abigail laughed, playfully kicking her.

“Seriously though, why did you get in your own head again? You were finally out”

“Cause it’s too much. It’s always too much. Leave Todd for a wild card like Ransom? I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be emotionally prepared for that. Besides, even if he does stay with me and he turns out to be amazing, he deserves better than me. Better than the basket case that I am.”

“I hate every man that has come into your life and made you feel like you’re not worthy of love and happiness. You don’t deserve to be treated like shit and you definitely deserve better than Todd. You’ve gotta stop punishing yourself for shit that isn’t your fault.”

“It is my fault. I was so fucking sad…I should’ve listened to my gut. He was trying way too hard and I just…ugh!”

“Why not just break up with him?”

“I tried that, remember? He talked me into getting back with him.”

“Okay, so this time, be stronger.”

“I’m the one who cheated, Tay. I can’t just-”

“Yes you can! Stop feeling like you need to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and stop feeling you like you owe everyone a fucking explanation! Just do what makes you happy!”

“I don’t know if he’s cheating, Tay. Ransom likes to get his way and-”

“So what? You’re not fucking happy. Why stay with someone who doesn’t make you happy? So you don’t have to be alone? Because you feel like you deserve to be treated like shit? That’s weak and you know it.”

“You’re mean today” Abigail huffed, crossing her arms and pouting.

“Only because you’re being an idiot” Taylor smiled, motioning her over so she could wrap her in a hug.

Abigail sighed but sat up nonetheless, scooting her way over and laying her on Taylor’s shoulder, while Taylor loosely wrapped her arms around her. “Can you breakup with Todd for me?”

“As much as I’d love to, I’m planning on having a talk with Ransom.”

Abigail snapped her head up so quick she almost broke it. “I’m sorry, what?!”

“He’s courting my best friend, of course I’m going to have a talk with him.”

“Taylor…please.”

“Nope, we saw what happened with the last guy I didn’t vet. In fact, you can break up with Todd while I talk with Ransom.”

“Now?!”

“No time like the present.” Taylor smiled, standing up and extending her arm to help Abigail up.

Abigail huffed but got up anyway, putting on her slippers and putting her hair up in a bun. “I fucking hate you”.

“No you don’t. Now, let’s go and be free!” Taylor sang, practically dragging her out of the room.

“Ransom, come to the grocery store with me. I need to buy some things for the Thanksgiving feast.” Taylor practically sang as her foot hit the final step.

“What?”

“What about that statement was hard to comprehend?”

“I mean why don’t you go with Abigail?”

“Cause she needs to talk to Todd.”

“About what?” Todd interjected, all of a sudden his full attention on the conversation at hand.

“I guess you’ll find out when she talks to you” Taylor quipped, a plastic smile on her face.

“Uhh yeah,” Ransom nodded getting up “I’ll grab my shoes and we can go”.

“Be nice to him” Abigail mumbled, before turning to everyone else. “Uhh can you all clear out? I need to talk to Todd…alone.”

“Babe, what’s going on” Todd question, his gaze landing on Taylor and Abigail didn’t like the look of disdain in his eyes. “You’re acting…not like you”.

“That’s why we need to talk, so if everyone else could go…”

Everyone got their things together and mumbled their goodbyes, as they made their way out.

“See you in a bit” Taylor smiled, following behind everyone else, Ransom at her heels.

Abigail sighed and closed the door, before turning to look at Todd. “Lets talk”.

“Why does no one in this state know how to drive?!” Taylor growled, swerving out of another lane.

“It could have something to do with you driving like a maniac” Ransom grimaced, pressing his hand against the dashboard.

“That’s fair, I guess”

“So, what the hell is this all about?”

“Why the hell are you so interested in Abigail? This is clearly going somewhere and from what I’ve been told, and that shiny ring in on your pinky, you don’t do relationships. So, why are you going through and turning her life upside down?”

“What?”

“Abigail said you were smart but you’ve asked me to repeat myself twice now, when I’ve made myself perfectly clear”

“I mean why? Why does it matter? Especially if she’s with Todd” Ransom muttered, looking out the window.

“It matters because she has been through enough. Her family is a shit show, she lost guy loved to a drug overdose, and now she’s settled for Todd. She thinks that she deserves to be treated horribly. I don’t think I’m wrong about you but it’s not like I’m the queen of good choices. She has done more for me than I can explain, so the least I can do is make sure she’s not setting herself up for failure. She does love you and she believe you when you tell her you love her. However, I want to know why. I want to know that this isn’t something that’s temporary for you” Taylor finished, pulling into the parking lot of a grocery store.

“We’re actually going grocery shopping?”

“Yeah, I highly doubt she’ll want to do it after breaking up with Todd…again.”

“You got her to breakup with him? You’ve only bee here an hour, what the hell?”

“Just had to remind her that she wouldn’t tolerate me putting myself through hell, so she shouldn’t be doing it to herself. Now come on,” she huffed getting out of her car “we’ve got lots to buy and a lot of grocery shopping to do”.

“You’re not making any sense!” Todd yelled, running his hands through his hair.

“I am you just don’t like,” Abigail huffed, lighting a cigarette. She scowled at herself for smoking inside the house, but the conversation was going worse than she imagined. “This isn’t healthy at all and I am tired. I am so fucking tired”

“Things are getting better-”

“No! Things are not getting better! I fucking cheated on you, Todd. I cheated because I am so miserable in this relationship, that you only keep me in so you can have something pretty on your arm! Neither one of us is happy and neither one of is getting anything out of this anymore!”

“That’s not true at all, you know I-” Todd was cut off by his phone. “Babe, it’s the office. Let me take this really quick and we’ll get back to this okay?” he questioned, right before answering his phone and stepping into the kitchen.

No sooner than he stepped in, Abigail’s phone went off. She was going to ignore it, but she saw it was Taylor. “What’s up?” she asked, taking a drag of her cigarette.

“You’re smoking in the house? Geez, that bad?”

“It’s the breakup that won’t fucking end. He won’t just accept it.”

“Well, I’m about to send you something that is going to make it easier to get him to accept it. Now before I send it, I want you to know that we’re on our way home. PLEASE do not do anything that could get you arrested, you have enough on your plate already”

“What-”

“Promise me”

“Um fine?”

“Good. We will be home in about…20 minutes? I love you” Taylor sighed, hanging up abruptly.

Abigail wasn’t a fan of the ball of anxiety that had instantly appeared in her stomach. However, it was soon replaced with rage and betrayal when she watched the videos Taylor sent. She was shaking so hard she thought she’d explode.

“Okay babe, I’m sorry that-”

“You lying sack of shit!” Abigail yelled, throwing what was left of her lit cigarette at him “My fucking sister?!”

“What are-?”

“You’ve been fucking my sister! You stood there and gave me hell, slapped me, and called me an ungrateful bitch for cheating ONCE, but you’ve been fucking my sister?!”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about! Why would you-”

“Of course the liar lies,” she scoffed, throwing her phone at him. “That’s you with your tongue down her throat and hand up her skirt! That’s also you in the other one with her in a strip club and you sucking on her neck! Or is my vision fucked up?” she questioned, hands on her hip.

Todd didn’t even bother looking at her phone; he knew he was caught. “Babe-”

“Don’t. Just fucking don’t. With every thing else in my life…you fucking knew Todd! You knew the hell I was going through and you still…just get the fuck out!”

“Abigail-”

“Get out!”

Todd said nothing as he put her phone down, put his shoes on, and walked out. Abigail didn’t even wanna drink. She was just numb. She was numb and tired. She laid down on her sofa, letting the tears fall down her face, waiting for Taylor to get back.

taglist: @jennmurawski13 @goldenfightergir @princess-evans-addict @jeremyrennermakesmesmile

#ransom x reader #ransom x you #hugh ransom drysdale #Knives Out #knives out fanfic #fan fiction #fanfic #fan fic #Hugh Drysdale #ransom drysdale #ransom thrombey #hugh ransom thrombey #hugh thrombey

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justasparkwritings · 4 years ago

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Codename Cupid: Chapter 23

Previous: Cricket & OT7, Return to Sender

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x OFC

Genre: Secret AgentAU, Government AgentAU, Angst, Some Fluff

Rating: PG15

Word Count: 4.7K

Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of Consensual Sex

Summary: Black Panther & Codename Cupid meet, Golden Maknae & Black Panther attempt to find a solution

What happens when you're confronted with an undeniable lie you've been telling for nearly a year?

(like ... it’s hella long and I only love like... part of it)

Codename Black Panther Meets Codename Cupid

Present Day

It’s awkward, sitting in your office knowing a team of high level, highly intelligent men sit no more than a block away, surveying your every move. Taehyung and Jimin are in their truck, the bugs they’d planted months ago still in use, their sight line into my office unobstructed. So what do you do when you’re under surveillance? No more rapping Childish Gambino at the top of my lungs, no more dancing to ABBA when I’m tired of sitting… No more pretending to work and billing hours when I’m reading conspiracy theory blogs. No more making out with Jungkook when he stops by or whispering filth into his ear when our temperatures are escalating and the need for each other surpasses the need for air.

I have to remind myself what the most important aspect of being under surveillance is: Act like you aren’t.

Cupid enters my office in what I can only describe as a knockout outfit, head to toe Chanel, complete with a Birkin and what I can only assume are Hermes sunglasses. She looks stunning, more so than usual.

“Euna, so good to see you,” I say, gesturing for her to sit. She glances at the chair and shakes her head.

“For how much I pay you, you should be able to afford nicer furniture,” She hums.

“Can I get you a water?” I ask, the anger attempting to pull my smile from my lips.

“Please, Pellegrino?”

“Yes, lemon and regular,” I inform her.

“Lemon please,” She says. Cupid takes her sunglasses off and waits patiently for me to return.

“We have a few updates to discuss,” I tell her. “I have done a little more research on the –

“I came here to tell you that I will no longer be needing your service,” Cupid interrupts.

“I’m sorry, have I done something?” I ask, surprise willingly seeping through my features. “I know we had a tense conversation the last time you stopped by, but I didn’t think you wanted me to stop my work.”

“I have done some digging on my own and have come to the conclusion that it’s incredibly unprofessional of you to engage with Jeon Jungkook in a manner that is far more than casual lovers. He is not who he says he is, and I will not have you investigating your own boyfriend.”

“Euna, how do you know?”

“I have my sources,”

“I thought I was your source,” I counter.

“You are,”

“Then, who else are you working with?” I ask again.

“That is not for you to know,”

“Okay, but you are clearly mad at me, or frustrated with me, specifically regarding my love life, which is not up for discussion. I want to fix whatever is causing this, but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me.” My voice reaches the gravel pit my Speech Therapist told me is unhealthy, ravaging my vocal cords. I can’t tell what her end game is, but I know mine.

“I do not feel comfortable with him being near my family and being with you means he is. I won’t associate with someone so…,” Cupid scolds me, unable to finish her thought. “Further, I believe you have gone above and beyond what I initially requested, and I am satisfied with the work you have done.”

“Why is my relationship with Jungkook so-

“You have love in your eyes,” She says. I gnaw at the dead skin of my bottom lip. “You are no longer leading this investigation with a clear head, and I need someone whose mind isn’t filled with hope to get to the bottom of this. However he knows them, Jeon Jungkook is dangerous.”

“If you tell me, I can ensure he isn’t. We’ve been together for a while, Euna, he isn’t, he isn’t whatever you think he is,” I could easily be lying, in this moment, I have no idea who Jungkook is.

“Be careful, Y/N, you do not know what they’re capable of.”

“Euna,” I start again. How does she know he knows them? What intel does she have that I so clearly do not? “What are they capable of?”

“You don’t want to find out. Here is your last check, bonus included for your exceptional work. I do have one request.” Cupid stands, slipping her shades back over chocolate eyes.

“Okay?” I ask, standing to mirror her.

“Burn it all,”

“Burn it?”

“Whatever documentation you have from my time working with you, it would be in your best interest to burn it,” Euna chooses her words carefully, a trait of being a CEO. I swallow thickly, nodding my head.

“Okay, and Euna?” I ask.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry this wasn’t everything you wanted it to be, and that I couldn’t find Yoongi,” I concede.

“Oh, don’t apologize. I would be a terrible businesswoman if this was the end of my plans.” Replacing her frown with a gentle smile, she walks towards the door. “When you see Min Yoongi, tell him I’ll be waiting.”

“What makes you think I’ll be seeing Min Yoongi?”

“Oh Y/N, I have a little faith.”

I watch her leave and decide that banging my head against a wall regarding what Cupid knows and I don’t is worthless. I guarantee Namjoon has another file waiting for me with all the answers to the questions he’s assuming I’m going to ask. He isn’t wrong, I do have a million questions, ones for Jungkook, ones for Namjoon, about nine million for Yoongi, and a few for Jimin. Yoongi was so smug, arrogant, rude, a complete ass hole. I hate him. But I also deeply respect his game. I also completely understand why Jun-Seo fell for Jimin, he is by far the most gorgeous man I have ever seen up close, next to Taehyung. And Jungkook. In person? Holy fuck, Park Jimin can fucking get it.

Speaking of the man in question, who is now a suspect to Euna, is waiting patiently for me when I come home. Jungkook’s not stalking in the darkness, slinking through the night to find me, catching me off guard once I close the front door. He’s silent in his approach, waiting patiently for me. But tonight, either in an effort to smooth things over or out of the pure goodness of his heart, he’s home. He’s got takeout waiting on the table, glasses of water and booze sitting in the appropriate places, necessary silverware set in place. This isn’t fucking Thanksgiving, it’s a goddamned Thursday night. He himself is waiting patiently on the couch, lying down, eyes closed and soft snores coming out of his mouth. He looks cozy in ripped jeans and a sweatshirt, his hair growing long again, bleached, a look I was thoroughly against until I laid eyes on him.

Walking. Sex.

That’s the only way I can describe him.

“Go home,” I purposefully slam the door, jolting him from his slumber.

“I am home,” He responds.

“I can’t do this with you,”

“We need to talk,” he sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes.

“I don’t want to talk right now, JK, I want to go to sleep,”

“JK?” His eyebrows raise to say hello to his hairline.

“Yes, I don’t want to talk, go home.”

“Cricket, you haven’t eaten dinner yet,” He reminds me.

I can feel the tears prickling again, the ones I’d shed in front of OT7, the ones I’d born in the car, the ones I’d been bottling up for the last thirty-six hours, trying to not be so obviously heartbroken as I stared Lee Euna down. I’m too sad to fight him, so I don’t, letting him stand and guide me to the table where the Thai awaits. Dropping my bag down, I walk through to my bedroom, into the bathroom and shut the door.

“I’m showering first,” I call, ignoring the protest in his eyes as I walked away.

It’s a little too spot on to blast Adele, but I don’t fucking care. I turn it as loudly as my neighbors will tolerate and sing my sorrows. Tears mixing with cleanser, the poetry of their juxtaposition not lost as Adele fades into Ben Platt, and I’m sobbing as I release the words, noticing the magnitude of the change of phrase:

Now my heart is in your hands, please don't give it up / This is not a temporary love / This is not a temporary love / No, this is not a temporary love / Now your heart is in my hands, please don't give it up

I know Jungkook will be waiting for me to finish showering, and I know he’ll be ready to listen. He’ll beat himself up over whatever I say, he’ll listen when my voice raises, when it cracks, when it shakes. He always does. I guess that’s the thing about Jungkook, no matter how inexperienced he feels about loving someone, taking care of them, supporting them, he always does it and does it well. He shows up, even when he feels like he can’t. It’s been over a year, never once have I doubted his dedication, his steadfast love, not when he walked into the meeting with OT7, or when he tried to follow me after, or in the voicemails and texts he’s left since. I’ve never doubted Jungkook.

I shuffle from the warmth of my bathroom towards the kitchen table, where Jungkook is sitting.

“I reheated your plate,” Jungkook says. He’s sitting quietly, eyes full and downcast.

“Thanks,”

“Do you want to eat then talk, or talk first?” He offers the two options, knowing which I’ll pick.

“Eat,” I sit across from him, noting how he placed my food as far from him as possible, a notable decision that not only highlights how deeply he knows me, but that he still fucking cares. “You ate already?”

“I, yeah, I couldn’t wait,” He’s shy, a blush on his cheeks.

“Why? You always wait,”

“I’ve been on a small mission for the last twenty-four hours, no food, and I’ve been so anxious about us that I just… Seeing you just made all that stress disappear, so I ate,” Jungkook tells me. He sniffles, his tears starting to fall.

“A small mission?”

“Mm, to find out what happened to Bow and Arrow in 2012 and 2014 respectively,” He answers.

“Did you find out?”

“Yeah, but, well, you haven’t been onboarded. But one of our rules is that you don’t discuss work outside of headquarters,”

“Right, sure, makes sense,” I nod. I glance at him again, nose red, tears still falling. “I can’t eat if you’re crying.”

“I’ll sit on the couch,” He stands and shuffles towards the grey clothed piece I scrimped and saved for. It’s beyond worn out, pills of fabric piled on the edges of cushions, stains from mishaps and craft projects I should’ve done at the table. It’s housed many naps and a few guests. Jungkook looks nestled amongst the pillows.

I eat my food quietly, trying to figure out what it is exactly that I want to tell him. I’m not entirely sure I know what will come out of my mouth when I have to stare into his Bambi eyes. But I think I know what will come out of his, and I don’t want to hear it.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook starts. The dishes are cleared, and he’s waiting patiently for me on the couch. I don’t sit down, just stare at the spot above his head.

“How long have you known?” It’s better to just rip the bandage off, right?

“Four months,” Jungkook answers.

“How long have you known Jimin?”

“Eight years. How long have you known about my connection to Jimin and Taehyung?”

“A year,” I whisper. My sin seems far worse than his.

“A year?” Jungkook’s astonished. “You’re mad at me for a few months that were direct orders when you’ve been what, suspicious for a year?”

“You lied to me, fundamentally lied about who you are, I asked you for one fucking thing in this relationship, and you broke it.” I yell.

“Technically, you asked me two things, and I have followed through on both of those.” Why is his voice measured? Why doesn’t he yell when I yell?

“You lied!” My voice rises another octave, “What was your goal, to perpetuate the lie for as long as possible?”

“I had a job-

“I had a job!” I counter.

“My job requires me to do certain things without asking,” Jungkook’s tears continue to fall. “I asked if I could tell you, and I told you what I could.”

“You spied on me, gave all my evidence and –

“I didn’t spy on you,” His teeth are gritted, bunny smile lost to the nasty snare he’s tightened across his lips.

“Your friends spied on me,” I correct myself.

“You spied on my friends!” Jungkook countered.

“Your friends? The men that until two days ago I didn’t know were part of a giant governmental body that’s going to take down the largest conglomerate in the world? Who even are they? Who the fuck do they work for? What the fuck do they even do? I didn’t know you could be a secret organization without like, the federal government or Interpol knowing who you are but to my surprise, you can!”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, it’s aggressive and sharp, seeing his entire brain as they roll. “I had to lie. You, you knew and didn’t say anything. Why not say something?”

I sigh, I can tell him why I didn’t say anything, but I can’t tell him why I didn’t say anything. You know?

“I had no real proof that you really knew them,” I begin, “all I had was a hunch, a reaction they had that made it seem like they knew you. I put a few pieces together, but I didn’t have any real evidence that would hold up in court or against your withering stare. And, what if you were dangerous? OT7 is dangerous, you all could’ve hurt me. Why couldn’t me hiding it be about my safety?”

“You’re grasping at straws. If you had thought I wasn’t safe to be with, you wouldn’t be here a year later.”

“Tell me this, Jungkook, why, in front of all of your best friends, did you fucking let Namjoon tear me to pieces? Why, Jungkook, did you not say anything when you were left off my list of romantic partners? Do they not know about us? Do they not know you, we, love each other? Is this not what I thought it was?” Ah, and there the tears are.

“I wanted to be off the list,” He whispers.

“Why Jungkook? From where I’m standing, it fucking feels like you’re trying your hardest to erase me, like, like this almost year and a half that we’ve been together means nothing because I’m just a god damn mark. Is that what I am? Have I been reduced to that?”

“No!” He stands and shakes his head repeatedly.

“Then who am I to you? Am I your girlfriend? Am I your best friend? Or am I a piece in a larger puzzle that you are trying to solve?” I demand, pausing minutely to gasp for air. “I know what you are to me, I know how I feel about you. All my feelings have done in the last year is grow. I love you more than I did last week, I care about you more deeply than I did when you told me about how you were raised, a slight lie, but still honest. I see us, our life together more clearly than I ever have, but two days ago I.” I let the tears fall, pulling my mascara, never waterproof, and eyeshadow down with them. “I looked like the fool. I was the little girl attempting to play dress up with the fucking Tony Award winning cast of Catch Me if You Can. So, if I’m not the butt of the joke to you, who the fuck am I Jungkook?”

He wipes his eyes on his sleeves, which have covered his hands and are balled beneath his fingers. I’ve never seen him this upset. I know I’m not prepared for what is going to come out of his mouth.

“Namjoon tells people that we’re the one who knocks, but we aren’t. We’re the ones who send in the team to knock, we call all the shots, gather all the data, work the case until it is made out of marble. There are no cracks unless we have intentionally left them. We work as a unit, I don’t breathe without Hoseok knowing. I don’t brush my hair without Jimin catching it. We exist because of each other.” He sighs, “I took myself off the list on purpose. Your existence in my life is a threat. People know who I am, and if they know you…”

He shakes his head, a flash of what I experienced a few weeks ago, the idea of not coming home to this, to us… It’s in his eyes and it’s breaking my heart.

“I know we can keep you safe. I have full faith that our team will always protect you, but if I’m on that list, if there’s a trail of me to you, or vice versa. We’re at risk. I cannot, and I will not, lose you. I will not let my work put your life at risk, I will not sacrifice myself if it means I won’t come home to you. At the end of the day, isn’t that our promise to each other? I love you, and I am so sorry I lied to you, but my hands were tied. I can’t step out of line without risking everything OT7 is and does. I won’t do it.”

“I’m not asking you to be a coward,” I whisper.

“What?” Jungkook asks, for the first time in a few days, his eyes are softening, confusion replacing hurt.

"In Charmed, Phoebe asks Cole to back down, and he responds by saying he would do anything for her, except be a coward. He begs, please don’t ask me to be. I’m not asking you to be a coward, Jungkook.”

“I know you’re not. I asked Namjoon if I could tell you, about my job,”

“I remember,”

“I didn’t give specifics about who you are. I didn’t tell OT7 because I didn’t want you to be used in this case, I didn’t want this to be happening. But I walked into the offices and there you were, your photo, your stats, your codename,” A shiver runs over my spine at the mention of a codename, something so intentional, deliberate, precise. They’d taken the time to include me. “I didn’t know that Jimin and Taehyung had been following you for months or had interacted with you. They asked me point blank and I couldn’t lie. I wouldn’t lie about you, you’re too important. Namjoon gave me orders, and I’m obligated to follow them.”

“You lied to me,” I repeat.

“You lied to me, too.”

I stare at him, I don’t know how to fix this.

“We don’t have to forgive each other, or understand one another or work through it, now or ever. But I think that would be a disservice, a betrayal, of our relationship. You did ask me who you are to me, and the best way to explain it is this,” He grabs a paper off the coffee table and hands it to me, “Namjoon had me write it down.”

Cautiously I take the paper from him, typed and unedited, it’s longer than I expected. “Is this a twisted love letter?”

“You could say that,” Jungkook’s soft smile returns.

“Read it to me,” I hand it back.

Sniffling, “I’ll keep crying,”

“Please?” I ask again, sitting on the couch. He nods gently and sits next to me.

“Can I hold your hand?” He asks. The flames have been handled, dulled to hot embers as we sit, thigh touching thigh, his tattooed covered hand engulfing mine.

“Y/N and I began dating after meeting in a bar. I was struck by how stunning she was, how much I wanted to understand the flush of her cheeks, the curve of her jaw, the cadence of her laugh. We flirted, and I bought her drink. That first night in her apartment, where I now spend almost all of my time, I was overwhelmed by how much it felt like home… which is insane and I’ve never told her, but that night, I could just see us there, our future, all enfolding in front of me... Her apartment doesn’t turn you away or disinvite you once you’ve arrived, it’s far too warm and cozy, just like her. It’s my favorite place in the world, she’s my favorite place.

We spent the night laughing, kissing, getting to know each other. It was something in her eyes, in the way she absentmindedly traced my tattoos, how she fell asleep so easily in my arms. The next morning, we got breakfast, and I asked her out for a date on Monday. Dinner and a movie, classic. She let me hold her hand, and skillfully argued why she should pay for dinner. I compromised, she bought the movie tickets and treats. I barely paid attention to the movie, I just wanted to watch her laugh. Since that night, she’s all I ever think about.

She said she wanted to know what she was going to drown in before she dove in, and I knew in that moment that I loved her. I’ve never heard such poetry spoken, let alone about me, to me, before… She just, she was vulnerable without hesitation. I didn’t understand how she could be so delicate with me, so exposed, so willing to let me in. Her vulnerability welcomed mine, embraced it, and I’ve been loving her ever since.

I’ve never loved someone quite like her. She is brash, she makes decisions and sticks with them regardless of how difficult they make her life. She works side projects for neighbors, unpaid, to ease their lives. The man she rents her office from has a few kids, and in the summers, she takes a day a week to watch them. She hates cooking and brushes her teeth for over the recommended time because she’s terrified they’ll rot. She buys packs of the same popsicles and never leaves without a full water bottle. She hates sports, would rather sit in silence and stare at a wall than watch a football game, but she’ll check up on the highlights if it matters to me. She listens to the same music on a loop and adds in songs I love to her playlists because she wants to feel close to me, to understand me, to see me.

I could continue listing all the things about her, that I love, or all the things I love about our relationship… how we compromise, how we talk through our squabbles, how we respect each other, how we can communicate without speaking but know each other’s voice is our favorite sound. I love that she’s perceptive and asks for alone time when she needs to recharge and can sense from the tone in my voice when I need the same. I love how she sees me, listens to me, brings out the parts of me only OT7 knows. Like I said, I could keep writing… but it’s easier to put it this way:

Y/N is the love of my life, and I will do anything to protect her, to love her, to come home to her every day and every night that she’ll have me.

I will not break my promise to her. Lock and key.”

Jungkook sets the paper down and doesn’t look at me. I’m openly balling next to him, sobs ripping through me in quick succession.

No one has ever loved me like this.

I’ve only dreamed of love like this, I mean, no one has this, right? He’s offering it to me, no strings attached, no secrets, love for the sake of love. Love without penance or an additional cost to it. Here he is, all ink and doe eyes, holding me, the woman who lied to him, deceived him, was suspicious of him for months, hoping he still holds that love for me.

“You’re just, you’re the love of my life,” I wail, hands still covering my face as snot gloms onto my palms.

“Cricket,” Jungkook wraps his arms around me as his tears fall onto my body. “I love you.”

“I’m sorry I lied, I’m sorry I kept it from you. I just, I didn’t know and I,”

“Shh, Cricket, it’s okay,”

“Bunny,” I say, “I’m sorry. I forgive you. You don’t have to forgive me.”

“I forgive you,” He tells me.

“You do?”

“Yes. I’ve watched every member of OT7 lose their relationships, be beaten up over a fake relationship with a mark, giving themselves to someone to have it crumble under direct orders. Jimin is still trying to unravel the Arrow if it all. I didn’t, I didn’t want work to ruin us.”

“You wouldn’t let it,” I assure him.

“I wouldn’t, but there’s always the threat,”

“Are you secretly more cunning than I give you credit for?”

“Absolutely,” He smirks.

“I missed you,” I whisper. Can he hear my heartache? We’ve never gone 36 hours apart… not since our first month or two dating. It’s horrible, I hate it.

“It hasn’t been two days,” His chuckle is light, a sniffle accompanying the sound.

“I know, I missed you though,” I nuzzle deeper into his side, my nose brushing his neck.

“I missed you too,”

“I don’t want to ever fight like that again,” I tell him.

“I can’t guarantee that we won’t,” He reaches his free arm around his torso, knitting his hands together, solidifying my body to him.

“Can you promise me something?” I ask.

“Yes,”

“I promise not to quote Runaway Bride in its entirety,” I start. “But I will still quote it,” I sit up, eyes swollen and red, finding focus on his marble cut features. “Promise me that when things get tough, when one or the both of us wants out, we’ll remember that we made it through this, and we can make it through anything.”

“Do you know in your heart that I’m the one for you?” He asks.

I hate that he leans into my vulnerability, that I’m unable to hide myself from him. I’ve never been able to, not the first night, and not now.

“I will regret it, every day of my life, if I don’t make you mine,” I recite.

“Promise me something,” Jungkook starts.

“The moon and the stars,” I tell him.

“That you won’t lie to me,” He says.

“I promise,” I stick my pinky out.

“You’ll come home to me, always,” He loops his with mine.

“I promise,” I kiss my right hand, he mimics the gesture. “Do you think, maybe we should –

“Move in?” He finishes. His gaze holds mine, all hope, no expectations.

“Yeah,” I nod.

“Yes, here?” It’s hard to imagine he was just crying, the excitement sweeping over his entire body as he stands up and shakes his fists.

“Is your lease up?” I laugh, he’s beyond cute.

“Fuck the lease,” He laughs coming back to the couch. His hands cup my cheeks, fingers gently pressing on my neck, thumb softly caressing my cheeks.

“Bunny?” I whisper, eyes flicking to his lips.

“Cricket,” He answers.

“Lock and key,”

“You and me,”

“You and me,” He leans forward, lips finally meeting. The anticipation of having him in my arms, the ache of his absence over the last day and a half, the unsteady calm of opening your heart to someone… it’s all there in how his lips move against mine, how his tongue gently passes my lips, how his hands move down my body. The opposite of hope is fear, the opposite of pain is joy, as we move together, bodies joining, sweat mixing and names said in pure ecstasy, Jungkook and I solidify what we’ve always known about each other and our relationship.

Lock and key, him and me.

Next: OT8

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tr4shmouth-tozi3r · 5 years ago

Text

‘are you sure?’ - stanley uris x reader

requested: yes and it took me a bit to get this out cause I legit suck sorry guys lol, but I honestly loved writing this one its adorable🥺

summary: It’s finally Senior year, the last year all of the losers would spend together completely before they all went off to college. Stan and y/n had made a pact as young kids, that throughout the years if they hadn’t had their first kiss and so on, they would be each other’s first for everything. Now at the age of 12 or so, they don’t really fully realize what that entails, but once they hit 14 and share their first kiss, then 15 and it was their first date, then 16 and it was their first hickey, and so forth they start to realize there’s a first that they hadn’t talked about and by this time around they’ve finally found themselves together in a comitted relationship. Their first relationship. Now, it was time to go farther than they ever had, they both wanted it, but who would speak up first? There’s only one night left before they all go their separate ways and one night can change everything.

pairing: stanley uris x reader

warning: super fluff, smut, swearing.

August 29th, 1994

“I can’t believe we all leave tomorrow.” Eddie’s voice spoke solemnly and he let out a sad sigh following his words. All of his friends looked at him with sad smiles and nodded in agreement.

“Eds, I just want you to know, I’ll still keep in touch,” Eddie smiled briefly at Richie’s kind words, but instantly a frown took over his features when the taller boy kept speaking, “I mean, how could a step father ever abandon his step child?”

“Rich, shut the fuck up.” y/n laughed and spoke loudly in Richie’s direction as she lifted her head out of her boyfriend, Stan’s lap who was already rolling his eyes at Richie.

“Hey, it’s true.” Richie smirked at Eddie as he spoke to y/n.

“Can you guys just address it already before you leave and regret it, we put up with your suppressed feelings for years. That shit was stressful.” Mike laughed as Richie’s face flushed and y/n felt the fits of laughter vibrate in her boyfriend’s belly against her head. She looked up at him, a genuinely happy smile adorning her face. She loved Stanley Uris with all her heart and leaving for college and leaving the place where she met some of the most important people to her, was weighing down on her heavy in that moment.

She tuned out the bickering that began to ensue around her and she looked up at him, thinking back to when they were 12.

July 7th, 1988

“Let’s make a deal, everyone has a first for almost everything, right? How about if we haven’t had our first kiss and so on, we’ll promise to be each other’s?” Stan blushed at his own statement. He wondered if he was being too forward or too obvious. He had a crush on y/n since they were about 8 or 9 years old and he never thought she would ever feel the same. Boy, was he wrong.

“You got yourself a deal, Stanley.” y/n smiled, a blush creeping onto her face as well.

“W-Wait, really?” He was flustered and she laughed.

“Of course.”

July 13th, 1990

It was Stan’s birthday and he was 14 today. You had been 14 for a few months now. You still remembered the pact you guys had made two years ago and you wondered if he did, too.

Ring, ring, ring.

The landline on your bedside table shook you from your thoughts and you answered and instantly smiled as you heard Stan’s voice on the other line, “I’m coming over, need to see my best friend on my birthday, right?”

“Of course, and I have a gift for you, better hurry up!” You hung up before he could speak and you mentally slapped yourself. What the fuck was that? I sounded so ridiculous. He’s gonna show up expecting a gift and what am I going to say? It’s my lips?

You sighed heavily, your cheeks turning bright red. Oh god, you were about to mess this up. You could feel it. He didn’t live very far either, so you didn’t have much time to figure this out.

You spent most of the time waiting for him, pacing back and forth in your room and feeling the way your palms were becoming ridiculously sweaty. Don’t get too worked up, relax!

“y/n, Stan’s here, he’s coming up!” Your mom called out from the bottom of the stairs and it felt like your stomach almost fell out of your ass, you were so nervous.

He walked in with a big smile on his face and enveloped you in a sweet hug, “Hey, so where’s this present? Is it another pair of binoculars? I totally don’t need another pair, but another wouldn’t hurt I guess.” He laughed and then noticed your jittery state and how nervous you looked. Before he could speak again, you began to ramble.

“Do—shit okay, do you remember, when w-we were 12 and we uh, we made that pact?” His confused expression disappeared instantly and he smirked at you.

“You remember? Holy shit, I was thinking about that all day, but figured I’d look like a weirdo bringing it up, but you remember...” He murmured sweetly, his eyes widening and the adoration on his face was clear.

“Well, yeah I remember...” you twiddled with your thumbs, “So, I mean, you haven’t had your first kiss have you?” Your eyes shot up and looked into his and he shook his head furiously.

“No, no no, have you?”

“No.”

“So—”

Before he could speak another word, you stepped forward and cupped his face in your hands and your lips pressed against his, in short and sweet kiss and you pulled back slightly just to catch a glimpse of his reaction. You wanted to make sure he was okay with this and judging from the way he leaned forward and pulled you back in and kissed you quite feverishly, he totally was.

You thought about how the year after that came your first date and the year after that things got a little more intense. It was your first hickey and his as well. That one, you swore up and down was unnecessary, but Stan was more than eager and you couldn’t lie, you wanted to know what it felt like. And god, did it feel good. Or maybe it felt as good as it did, because the boy you were in love since you were in 4th grade had his lips pressed so firmly to your neck. His tongue traced your skin so softly, sending shivers up your spine and when he nibbled on the nape of your neck you had let out an involuntary moan. This totally only feels this good when you’re in love. You always told yourself that.

After the hickey escapades your group of friends noticed and relentlessly teased the two of you. They teased you so often and so badly, that they basically drove the two of you into each other’s arms. You didn’t mind, though. You and Stan were both very stubborn and also very shy sometimes. Even when it was clear as day, right in front of you both, you and him chose to ignore it out of fear. And now that you think about it, fear of what? God, 16 is such a weird hormonal age. It was obvious there was something there, but you both would never say it unless the other would admit it and like I said, both of you were very stubborn. So, you would always say your friends brought you two together.

Now, here you were. You were 18 years old, ready to leave for college and leave this life behind and depart from your life long friends. Something was eating away at you, nagging in the back of your mind.

There was still a first that you and Stan had yet to share and you only had about 12 more hours left before that opportunity was out the window. You weren’t sure when you would see him or any of your other friends again, you wanted to make your last night with him memorable. You wanted it to count.

You hummed softly, shutting your eyes and wanting to take mental note of the way he smelled sweet like cinnamon and his breathe always tickled your neck in the same spot when you laid with him like this. You took note of the way his thumb would circle over your hip bone, slowly and sweetly. He held you against him like he never would again, but he always did that. He always savored every minute he had with you in his arms, but now he was really savoring it. You were going to try and make plans for Thanksgiving or Christmas, neither of you were too sure which one and if it would even be 100% possible, but you chose not to think about that right now. Right now, he was here with you and you still had about 10 hours before you would be parting ways.

Stan leaned back, pulling his head away from the crook of your neck and looked at you, “What are you thinking about, babe?” He propped his body up with his elbow and rested his head on his hand, his eyes studying your face.

“I...” You breathed out, suddenly feeling as nervous as you did the day that had kissed him for the first time, “I just... I feel like there’s something we should be doing before we leave. Something that I wanna share with you, another first... it’s been eating away at me for the passed couple of weeks. It’s silly, and you probably don’t want to so—”

“No, stop. Don’t say that, of course I want to. Whatever it is, I want to. I want to do everything with you, y/n.” Your heart soared at the way your boyfriend spoke to you. He was so sweet and he wasn’t even trying to be.

“I want to... I want to have sex with you. Tonight. Preferably right now.” You let your eyes wander across the ceiling as you spoke and you were preparing for the worst when you didn’t hear a single thing come out of Stan’s mouth. As you turned to face him, his lips were parted slightly and his eyes were wide with that same look of adoration he had in his eyes when you were 14 years old rambling on about how you wanted to kiss him.

“God, I’m so in love with you.” He kissed you quite fast and with a longing you couldn’t explain. He wanted to kiss you until you were stuck together and you could never leave each other, but he knew that was impossible. A guy can dream, right?

“Are you sure?” You searched his eyes for any sign of doubt and found nothing. All you saw was the way his eyes were dilated and lips quivered in excitement. The way that his cheeks were flushed and his hands were shakily tracing over your arms and your waist.

“Yes, why are you even asking? I’ve wanted this since last year, but I didn’t want to say anything and make it weird. Plus, I just felt like you weren’t ready and now you are. I knew if you wanted it as bad as I did, you would suck it up and say it first, so I waited, but god I’ve wanted it for a long time. I swear,” He pressed his lips to your jaw and trailed kisses down your neck. His touch softened and he became as gentle as you’ve ever experienced him to be. This was new. This felt different. He took care of you.

You had rolled your eyes at the fact that he admitted his fear of telling you he had wanted this, so he waited for you to speak up first. You were both shy sometimes, yes, but out of the two of you it was safe to say that you were the boldest. You said things when they needed to be said. You did things when they needed to be done. And this needed to be said and done.

You smiled at the way he undressed you slowly, taking his time with you. He was really really trying to savor this now. His eyes scanned over your half naked body, watching as you blushed and tried to cover yourself.

“Baby, stop. Don’t cover yourself, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I wanna remember what you look like right now. I wanna close my eyes on the drive out of here tomorrow, and picture this moment. How you opened up to me and gave me the privilege to share something so meaningful with you. Something so intimate. I wanna remember the night that you really became mine in a whole new way.” His words were soft and full of love and his eyes glistened in the light that illuminated your room. He was so damn gorgeous.

“I love you.” You leapt forward, kissing him so hard you were sure your lips were swollen already. He reached around you, unclasping your bra. His fingers barely touched your shoulders as he sluggishly pulled the bra off of your chest. Goosebumps rose across your skin and the cool air hit your chest. He trailed kisses down your chest and whispered sweet nothings to you the whole way, in between kisses.

You were breathing so heavily, you felt like everything was going to collapse around you. At this point, you were completely naked, legs spread and Stan in between them in just his underwear. He pressed against you, letting you know how hard he was and you hummed against his lips. You felt yourself getting wetter and wetter by the minute. You thought you were going explode.

“I really hate this part. It’s going to hurt a bit, before it feels good and I don’t want to hurt you.” He murmured sweetly and you smiled.

“This is a good hurt. I want this. I want to have this with you. If it makes you feel better, talk me through it, kinda turns me on anyway.” You giggled and he laughed at you, placing a kiss against your forehead.

“Good to know.” He whispered. By this time, he was completely naked as well and back in between your legs positioning himself and pausing for a moment. He held on to himself as he slowly pushed his head against your entrance, “If it hurts, just tell me to stop, okay baby?” He tangled his other hand in your hair and you breathed a shaky okay in response.

He pushed into you further and you gasped, the pain hitting you in small waves, but you didn’t want to stop. He locked eyes with you, “Does it hurt? I’ll stop baby.” You furiously shook your head and without thinking, you pushed your hips into him and he suddenly found himself pushed fully inside of you. You yelped slightly and he groaned.

“Babe, that was totally a bad move if you were in pain.” He breathed, revelling in how amazing it felt to be inside of you.

“Keep going.” You whispered as you wrapped your arms around his neck and locked your ankles around his waist, “Please...” You bit your lip and suddenly you were gasping as he slowly pulled back, sliding almost completely out of you and then thrusting back into you softly.

“Fuck...” He was breathing heavily against your skin as he buried his head into your neck. He began to kiss and lick all over the skin before him, biting and sucking sweetly on your neck, “I love you so much, I’ve loved you since we were kids. This is the best moment of my life.” He picked up his pace, noticing the pleasure beginning to course through you. Your eyes half lidded and your lips swollen and wet from you licking them. Your face was flushed and your forehead was covered with a small trail of sweat. He looked down at you, into your eyes and wrapped you up in his arms. You clung to him, moaning out his name as you felt him slide further into you.

“I love you, too. I love you so much, too.” You whimpered and he groaned at the way you spoke. You sounded so sexy to him, he loved it.

You could still feel the sting and you winced a bit at the way his hips met yours, “Shhh, it’s okay baby, I’ve got you.” He moaned, “I’ve got you, mmm.”

“Stan, oh my god,” You gasped as his hips came up again, this time a bit harder and a whole new pleasure flew throughout your body, “It doesn’t hurt anymore, go faster, please.” You moaned loudly this time and he threw his head back as he squeezed you tightly, doing as you asked.

“Like this?” Your eyes met as he thrusted in and out of you, at a fast steady pace. You felt your body buzz in ecstasy and he leaned forward engulfing your lips in a hot chaste kiss. Your tongues tangled together and your hands roamed every inch of each other’s bodies.

“Yes, yes.” You cried out in pleasure as he started thrusting harder.

“You’re so beautiful.” He moaned sweetly and you watched as he titled his head back and closed his eyes and in that moment you came undone.

Your legs shook and your ankles detached from around him, your body practically melting into the mattress beneath you, “I-I’m cumming.” You spoke in between breaths and he leaned into you, as you arched your body into him. Your stomach exploded and your walls tightened around him and you swore you saw stars.

“That’s it baby, cum for me.” His thrusts became sloppy and he murmured I love yous over and over again as he twitched inside of you, finally letting himself go and spilling into you. You rode out your orgasms together, tightly pressed against one another, as if you were becoming one person.

You held onto him as you both came down from your highs, savoring the moment of being wrapped up in each other. Feeling him pressed flush against your body, skin stuck to skin, hearts beating erratically against each others.

He pressed his forehead to yours and slid out of you, turning over and laying beside you, “That was the best first by far. You’re amazing.” He pulled you against him, kissing top of your head.

“It definitely was.” You smiled up at him, “I love you so much.”

“I love you so much, too y/n.”

Okay, I’m actually extremely pleased with how this turned out. This was beautiful:’)

I hope you guys liked it, and to the anon that requested it I hope it was worth the wait for you❤️

#it imagines #stan uris #stanley uris x reader #stanley uris #the fluff is unreal #fluffy smut #smut #fluff #it fanfic #it fanfiction #it requests #requested #personal requests #stan is so precious tho #it chp 1 #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #mike hanlon #had to throw in that lil reddie moment cause yeah

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slut4barzy · 5 years ago

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sex and the city, what else? | travis konecny

“i’m just so pissed off!” yn says angrily, “you give two good years of your life up for some guy and he ends up throwing that shit away for a belly dancer who can stick interesting things in her naval!”

yn shuffled out of her kitchen with a tub of vanilla ice cream resting in between her hands. there in her living room sat her best friend on the couch, and sex and the city on the tv. this morning yn woke up to a text message from her boyfriend that was a miracle from god. he said he was leaving her for a somebody else, saying it was good time but they had to break it off.

she wasn’t sad, actually shes been wanting to break off their relationship for a while now but how he did it over text was what pissed her off. she took this as an opportunity to just ‘mope’ around in her pajamas and eat junk. yn called travis because nobody hated her ex as much as he did, and he wasn’t afraid to show that out on the ice. whenever him and her ex played against each other he would slam the shit out of him every chance he got.

“personally i think you should thank the girl,” travis says picking up a spoon and shoving a scoop of ice cream in his mouth. “what should i say? thank you for taking my trash!” yn quieted down sinking back into the couch, “i guess.. i guess what i’m saying is that i’ll kind of miss him. he used to throw me his credit card whenever he made me mad and said buy whatever.” yn took a spoonful shoving her mouth with the cold vanilla goodness. “and it was nice to have someone around when you’re lonely. but other than that he was an ass.”

travis chuckles, “do you want me to throw you my card?” she looked at her friend with a look, “nah but you have some hot friends who could.” travis zones out moving closer to the screen as a sex scene between samatha and one of her beaus come on.

“like who?” yn shrugs, “i don’t know. someone like.. nolan, he’s cute.” at the sound of his best friends name travis let’s out a loud laugh throwing his head back, “what?” yn questions, “nolan is a cute guy. respectable, has a quiet personality but it perfectly suits my outgoing one. so why not!” travis continues laughing, making yn angrier than before.

“if you don’t stop konecny i’ll shove ice cream down your throat.” he stops wiping stray tears from his eyes, “nolan.. you don’t want to be with nolan.” yn straightens up facing her body towards her best friend, “and whys’ that?” “cause he’s a fucking weirdo, one date with him and you’ll wish you never knew him. i know that because i say it to myself all the time.”

yn huffs, usually she would rebel and set up a date with or without travis’s approval but lately it’s seems as if he’s right about everything, the situation with her ex for example was prophesied by your truly, travis konecny.

“next player!”

yn looks down embarrassed for the name she’s going to blurt out next, “okay don’t make fun of me for this one but i’ve liked him for a very long time.” with ice cream stuffed in his mouth he continues to yell, “next player!”

she bites her bottom lip, blurting out his name, “claude!”

travis stops slowly turning his head, with the most disgusted face he says, “o captain, my captain claude! he’s married!” yn hits him already regretting what she told him, “marriage never stopped anybody!”

“he has a kid!”

“i don’t mind being a stepmommy, i love kids!”

travis shakes his head vigorously, “shut up trav! you’d do the same.” “no, no, no. i like ryanne. she does nice things, like makes us food and shit. you, you would be the worst captain’s wife ever.”

yn rolls her eyes sinking into the couch, “next player!” now upset yn turns her direction back to the tv trying to understand what was going on in the episode. “shut up i’m done playing mathmaker with you.” she mumbles shoving her mouth with ice cream. “but-” “seriously travis, i’m done.” travis snuggles closer to yn placing an arm on her shoulders, “stop being such a bitch, i love you.”

yn sighs laying her head on his shoulder taking in a deep scent of his cologne, which he put a little too much of this morning. maybe she was being so defensive because it’s finally settled in that she’s alone.

nobody that she has to worry about, check up on after games, go on cute little dates, no one that she could truly call her own. but with travis here she knew that she wouldn’t be alone, who needs a boyfriend when you have a best friend like him?

“i love you too.” they settle into a comfortable silence watching the crazy but wonderful life of carrie bradshaw in new york city.

“what about ivan? he’s handsome and russian.”

“shut up konecny.”

(𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 👩🏽‍🌾💗)

hi! happy thanksgiving from mine to yours! i hope your day was filled with love and food, here’s a little present from me. sorry for any mistakes i quickly edited this in my head.

#nhl imagines #nhl #hockey #hockey imagines #philadelphia flyers #travis konecny #best friends #break ups #ice cream #👩🏽‍🌾💗#love #hockey scenarios #philadelphia flyers imagines #sex and the city

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thatsdemko · 5 years ago

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Thanksgiving-O.Lindmark

Requested: yes|no

“You and your family go to Owens for thanksgiving and you both get into a huge fight...” and “you have younger sisters in hs who keep saying things making you both blush”

Ntdp masterlist

A/N: I put these two together for creativity purposes also happy thanksgiving to all y’all who celebrate! This isn’t really all that great but I just decided to post it anyway

Let me know your thoughts if you have any!

“Wow this is his house?” Your younger sister, Julie, asked pointing at the house in front of you all, you looked out your window seeing Owen and his cousins playing basketball in the driveway, “yeah this is it.” You said, you and all of your sisters getting out of the car waiting for your parents to grab the dish.

“Do you need any help?” Owen came over to your car wrapping an arm around you pressing a kiss your cheek saying his hellos to your siblings.

“Oh no it’s alright, sweetheart.” Your mom smiled and you all were making your way to the door, Owen pointed out a few cousins to stay away from talking to while making your way inside.

“Aw look it’s you guys.” Your sister, May, pointed out the picture of you and Owen that his mother loves so much she decided to put on the wall, ever since then his family had been asking about you which then made your family decide they wanted to spend thanksgiving with Owens.

“Yeah, my mom loves that photo.”

“It’s not your best photo, y/n.” Julie joked, Owens mother greeting you all now taking the dish from your mom before coming back and taking your coats.

“Wow there’s more photos of you here then there are at our house.” May pointed you out in two pictures beside each other that you were in with Owens little brother, a picture Owens mom was proud to have taken, “you guys look like a family. It’s a cute picture.”

“I know.” You looked over at Owen who flashed you a small smile nodding, your sisters always loved Owen because he made you happy.

“Oh I have something to show you.” Owen motioned for you to follow him up into his room and you did going up the steps and into his childhood room.

“Aw, your room is so cute.” You said sitting on his bed and he closed the door behind you going onto his computer when you saw his messages pop up first thing. You saw the texts from a girl pop up, she had a heart in her message causing your own heart to break.

“Hold on I need to plug this in,” he left the room, you sat there contemplating scrolling through the messages when you saw her name pop up in a recent text about a minute ago you couldn’t hold it in any longer you scrolled through them.

You saw the constant times Owen messaged her first, times he was with and times he wasn’t. You saw the messages that he tried to tell her he had a girlfriend which resulted in her sending hearts asking why you were still together and saying he could do better with her, and you saw him not even protest the idea.

“Hey I’m back—“

“You love another girl?” You asked picking your head up from his computer seeing him standing there, “excuse me?”

“You love this Tiffany girl don’t you?”

“Pardon me?” He asked now setting the charger down on the bed before picking up his laptop seeing what you had gotten yourself into.

“Owen, do you love her?” You asked crossing your arms over your chest feeling tears ready to fall down your cheeks scared for his response as he was still scrolling through all that you saw.

“Y/n, I don’t love her because I love you.” He closed his laptop now setting it down on the bed right beside you.

“Some type of bullshit when she told you that being with her would be better and you didn’t even protest it or try to fight for our relationship!” You sobbed, your makeup officially ruined, so much for trying to look presentable for his family to like you.

“I did! I ended up calling her and telling her off that there is only one women in my life—“

“Yeah?! Well now it’s her! Because I don’t want to be with someone who talks to other girls behind my back who have a love interest in him.” You spat standing up off his bed about to go out of his bedroom when he grabbed a hold of you.

“we are not breaking up because I don’t even talk to her! Did you see her last five texts?! I’ve been ignoring her because that’s the only way she will know I don’t want anything to do with her!” He shouted, your youngest sister was trying to find the bathroom upstairs when she heard you both arguing and was standing outside the door contemplating going in.

“So just recently you decided to ignore her when you should’ve been doing that from the beginning?!”

“I thought she wanted to be friends, y/n! Hell for the longest time I thought you wanted to be friends and nothing more!”

You groaned pulling on your hair messing up the loose curls you had put in, “I’m done, I can’t do this right now.” You stormed out of his room brushing past your sister standing there at the door.

“You better not tell anybody.”

“I’m not holding any promises to someone who might be cheating on my sister.”

—

The whole meal you both sat there in silence together, your mom had found out what happened due to Julie telling her everything that she heard and of course your mom told his mom.

“Are you going to eat that?” Owen mumbled pointing at the last few pieces of turkey on your plate and you dumped it on his getting up from the table to get yourself more food.

“What an awful thing you did to her.” His mom whispered causing him to look up from his plate at her, “I didn’t cheat on her. I didn’t think there was a harm of having a friend that’s a girl while dating.��

“Always a harm in that.” His grandma said from the other side of his mom causing him to drop his fork on his plate, “okay who here doesn’t know my crisis?”

“A few maybe.”

—

“You both enjoying Wisconsin?”

“Mhmm loving it.” You replied to his dad, you both say a few inches away from each other on the couch, your arms crossed over your chest not even daring to look at him.

“Yep best time.”

“Y/n, can I see you?” Your mom tapped your shoulder motioning for you to follow her and you got up excusing yourself following your mom up the stairs into Owens bedroom where his mom was.

“My son, loves you a lot, honey, I knwo what he did was not right trust me you have every right to be mad at him, but honey reading through what he did, defending you he really loves you.” His mom patted for you to sit down next to her on the bed showing you his text messages on the laptop that Owen let his mom look through to see.

You scrolled through to the top of their messages seeing that they only started talking a month ago and from the get go Owen had told her that he had a girlfriend and that he loved you more than anything.

“He loves me.”

“I always have. You know that right?” Owen said you looked over from the laptop to see him leaning against his bedroom door frame.

“We’ll leave you two alone.” His mom and yours left leaving you both together, “why didn’t you just tell me a month ago about her texting you?”

“Because I was stupid. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” You said standing up moving over to him near the door way, “so we back together? Can I have someone to be thankful for?”

You laughed wrapping your arms around his torso, “yeah we are back together. I love you, o. I’m thankful for you.”

“I’m thankful for you too, and for you not breaking up with me.”

#hockey imagines #hockey #ntdp #usntdp #owen lindmark #o.lindmark #wisconsin hockey #college hockey

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greekowl87 · 5 years ago

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Fic: It Must Be a Christmas X-File!

A/N: Post-ep ‘How the Ghosts Stole Christmas’ with mentions of ‘Christmas Carol and ‘Emily.’ I don’t think this is a stand out awesome fic or my best work, but I wanted to get something done for Christmas. I hope you all enjoy it. This isn’t how I imagined it turning out but with no real direction and written with less than 24 hours with holiday activities, I’m happy with it. Still, I hope you like it. Fluff. Implied smut but I just didn’t have time to get into it. P.S. No beta so apologies for crappy dialogue and typos :( I hope it doesn’t suck too badly.

Tagging @today-in-fic @suitablyaggrieved @improlificinsarcasm @baronessblixen

.....

Scully parked her car and turned off the ignition as Mulder leaned forward to glance out the windshield. The snow earlier had bee light and fleeting. Now, the snow came down in big flakes like cotton balls sticking to everything. She chuckled lightly and remarked, “So much for a white Christmas. I bet the weathermen were surprised.”

“They were calling for rain, it was thundering last night, it was just a flurry, clear today, and now a full-on blizzard,” he commented dryly. “Remember the blizzard of 95?”

“Don’t remind me and you’re not driving home in this weather either, Mulder.”

“Aw, Scully, I’ve already caused up enough time and ruined probably enough Christmases for you. Bill didn’t seem to happy to see my face this year. Your mother tolerated me at best. Tara was Switzerland. Your nephew was cute though.” He smiled. “But I have already overstayed my welcome.”

“Mulder,” Scully said, “I was glad to have you there with me. I told you this before, I wouldn’t want it any other days. Come on. You can crash on the couch tonight.”

“Scully,” he countered.

“I’m not giving you a choice. Apparently, we shot each other, I don’t want to shoot you again for not listening to my wisdom. Besides, I really don’t mind. It’s Christmas after all, Mulder.”

He glanced at back out the windshield as the snowfall conjured up harsh New England winters he had experienced as a child. “Okay.” Mulder bit his lip and smiled. “Let me go grab my overnight bag. I’ll meet you at your door.”

“I’ll see you upstairs.”

The snow crunched under their shoes as Scully made her way cautiously up the unshoveled walkway to her apartment, warily watching for ice. She unlocked the main door and rode the elevator upwards to her third-floor apartment. She unlocked the apartment door, turned on the foyer light, and dropped her keys onto the table next to the door. In the corner by her desk, a small Christmas tree sat lightly decorated. “At least the timer came on,” she murmured to herself.

Ever since her father’s passing on Christmas a few years earlier, she tended not to decorate as much for Christmas. The tree was enough, maybe a wreath if she felt like putting in extra effort, but for the most part, she had just kept up a tree. Even then the decorations seemed less and less each year. Scully kicked off her boots by the door and instantly lost three inches. She heard Mulder’s familiar footsteps. She opened the door slightly and he pushed it open.

“It’s really coming down out there, Scully. If it keeps up like this, we might have at least six inches by tomorrow morning.”

“See, it is a good thing you’re spending the night.”

He carried his overnight bag over his shoulder and smirked.

“What?”

“I always forget how…”

“Short?”

“For lack of a better word?”

She was smiling at him and Mulder shivered. She locked the door behind him and nodded to the couch. “Go make yourself comfortable. It’s only seven. There’s still five hours of Christmas left,” she told him. “Maybe there’s something on television.”

“A Christmas Story? A Christmas Carol? The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?”

“Go find something, G-man. I’m going to the kitchen to get us something special. Are you hungry at all?”

“I’m good.” Mulder dropped his overnight by the couch and spied the Christmas tree in the corner. “Looks like you decorated less this year, Scully.”

“I don’t see a reason too, ever since dad died. But I’ve always loved Christmas. Ahab would take down the tree first thing day after Christmas.” He could hear the sadness in her voice. “I rebelled in my own little way and kept it up until January 10th give or take.”

“It looks nice,” he commented. “I like it.”

“Thank you,” she called. “I got this bottle that a friend from Quantico brought back from Dublin, Ireland.”

“A bottle of what?”

“Genuine Irish whiskey,” she called in a sing-song voice. “Since you’re not driving anywhere and it’s Christmas, come have a drink with me.”

“Agent Scully,” he crooned.

“Shut up, Mulder.”

He cast a secretive glance as Scully busied herself in the kitchen and made a quick dash to her small tree. He quickly dug out a small wrapped box that he had hidden weeks before so it would be in view when she would sit. He rushed back to her couch before she could carry the whiskey glasses over to them. “Snow is really coming down out there,” he remarked casually.

“You already said that. I could start a fire. It does get a little drafty in here.”

“I’m fine, Scully. You still have that space heater right?”

“I brought it to the basement after Thanksgiving. Remember when the heat broke?”

“Right. Well, I can show off my Indian Guide skills and do the fire for you.”

“Go right ahead, Master of the Flame.”

Mulder watched her kick off her boots and tuck her legs under her. She rested her arm on the back of the couch and sipped the whiskey amused. He could swear she was flirting with him. He took a drink of liquid courage himself and started to build a little fire that he could feed the bigger logs into. “Thank you again, Scully, for today.”

“What part of it?”

“All of it. Coming to the haunted house, letting me spend Christmas with you and your family… thanks by the way for defending my maiden honor against Bill…” She laughed. “And now. I really, really mean it. It has been so long since I’ve had a...regular...no...nice, easy Christmas that I have actually enjoyed.”

“And you’re here now, safe from the cold. Baby, it’s cold outside,” she teased. “Come back here, Mulder. The fire started. Come enjoy your drink.”

He dusted his hands and jeans off before going back to the couch where Scully watched him with a little carefree smile he hadn’t seen in ages. He picked up his glass and sat across from her on the couch. “No place I’d rather be.”

“I wanted to thank you,” she said after a moment of contemplation.

“Why?”

“Why did you invite me out there last night? To a haunted house of Christmas Eve?”

“To investigate…”

“Mulder, you know better than to lie to me.”

“I wanted you there with me. I didn’t want...after last year...I didn’t want you to have to go through it alone.”

“So you used a guise for a fake x-file to get me out there?”

“I know you would come if I asked for your help,” he answered. “I wasn’t sure otherwise.”

Mulder swished the amber liquid in the glass and took a sip. Scully, touched by his gesture, took his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”

He relaxed and nodded. “Hey, I think Santa left you something under the tree. He must’ve visited you last night when you were over at my place.”

She narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him and turned to look at her tree. A small box with red wrapping paper and a gold bow. “What the hell?” She set her drink on the coffee table and got up to inspect it. “Mulder…” she said. “I thought we agreed not to exchange gifts.”

“We did and I now have an awesome book to read thanks to you. What does it say?”

She shook her head, a grin forming ear to ear as she brought it back to the couch to open. “To the world’s best G-woman, who continues to save my ass; Love, Mulder.” She sighed and shook her head. “You really shouldn’t have. I have nothing for you.”

“You do, every day.”

Scully took his hand and held it tightly. The air changed between them and she whispered, “Thank you, Mulder.”

“Now, open your present. I picked it out especially for. You myself.” She smiled and carefully picked at the taped edges to open it. Mulder smiled; she took as much time and precision as she did performing one of her autopsies. “Scully, just rip it open.”

“I don’t want to ruin anything.”

“You won’t, it’s in a box!”

Scully ripped the last bit open and she inspected the small silver box. “Mulder?”

“Just open it.”

She opened the box and gasped. “Mulder. Jesus, you really shouldn’t have.”

“I wanted to.” She inspected the two small earrings he had gotten him. Two pearls were surrounded in a thin layer of gold in the shape of a four-leaf clover. “I know you already own a pair of pearl earrings,” he started, “but I wanted to do something a little special.”

“Mulder, they’re lovely.”

“Really?”

“I mean that sincerely. You honestly didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.”

She closed the box and set it aside. The air changed between them again. “I’m glad you’re here, Mulder,” she whispered. She took his hand again. “Honestly.”

Mulder, feeling emboldened, leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. “Sorry for the lack of mistletoe.”

“I’m not complaining.” She gave a small smile. “Except…”

“Except what?”

“I don’t know how I should take that kiss.”

“What do you mean?”

Scully tucked her legs back under her again and she sipped the whiskey contemplatively. “Well, we’re friends...partners?”

“Obviously.”

She licked her lips contemplating her next words. The past few months tumulated through her head: Diana, Antarctica, and when he said, “You’re my one in five billion.” Those ghosts had assumed that they would be perfect for a murder-suicide because they appeared to be the perfect couple. What were they? His actions were confusing; the new pearl earrings had just given her added to her confusion even more.

“So, where does that leave us?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mulder, you drag me out to a haunted house on Christmas eve, you tell me you don’t want me to go through the holiday alone, and the earrings.”

He narrowed his eyes quizzically. “If you are going to continue to speak riddles and play twenty questions with me, Scully, I might need to get some whiskey.”

“I left it on the counter.” Mulder got up to get the bottle and Scully took the moment to examine the earrings he had just given her. Her heart warmed at the thought and the possibility it could mean more. “I really like the earrings,” she called.

“I’m glad,” he smiled.

She eyed the hefty amount of alcohol he had poured into his glass. “So back to my original question, Mulder. Where does that leave us?”

He watched her momentarily and bent forward to kiss her again more slowly this time. She savored the moment tasting the drops of whiskey on his tongue as he deepened the kiss. He broke away and smiled mischievously. “Does that answer your question?”

“It’s a start.”

“I like flirty Scully,” he remarked.

“I’m not flirty.”

Her cheeks glowed in firelight, either from embarrassment or the alcohol. “It’s both,” he said, seemingly reading his mind. “And yes you are. Whiskey.” He filled up her glass again. “A fire.” He nodded to her fireplace. “And snow.”

“And only one bed,” she finished laughing.

“I can take the couch.”

“Mulder,” she sighed lovingly. “What are we though? Really?”

“Anything you want,” he told her.

Scully tucked her arm behind her neck and rested her head on it. “Six years and you don’t want to go straight to that bed of years and make amazing love?”

“In time,” she said, holding up a hand. “You’re not going anywhere soon with this weather. It’s just...I’ve always wondered, Mulder and after so many years…”

“What?”

“It’s nice to be…”

“Desired? Wanted? Loved?”

“For lack of a better word,” she said. She took a long sip from her drink to hide her flushed cheeks. “I just...I’ve wanted the same thing too, Mulder. The hallway?”

His eyebrows rose, almost surprised. “It’s never too late.”

“I know,” she laughed. She watched him quietly and Mulder recognized the gaze. “So, Christmas miracles?”

“It’s a Christmas miracle,” he laughed. “Can I?”

“What?”

He kissed her again. This time, they abandoned both of their glasses in favor of indulging in the kiss. “Lucky number three,” Mulder whispered. He kissed her again. “You’re not helping if you want to relax.”

“Mulder, now you are just beginning to sound ridiculous.”

Mulder laughed, reaching for both of their glasses. “Merry Christmas, Scully.”

She took it and clinked it against his. “To a Christmas miracle.”

“A Christmas miracle.”

The glasses rang throughout Scully’s Georgetown apartment and they both downed it in one gulp. “Well,” he began, setting both glasses aside, “this honestly feels worse than high school.”

“So how do we…” They both laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. The alcohol only added to it. “Well, as a medical doctor, when a man and a woman…”

“Scully, shut up.”

“What?”

“Let’s finish this conversation elsewhere.”

“Did anyone tell you that you are horrible at innuendo?”

“Only you but I still win your heart right?”

“Always, Mulder.”

He discarded their glasses and offered his hand.

“How many near-deaths do we need?”

“Must need Good to smack us in the head. Come on, Scully.”

“It must be a Christmas X-File,” she mumbled to herself. “Let’s stay here, Mulder.”

“Your couch?”

“Seems fitting,” she whispered. She initiated another kiss. She pulled him closer. “Christmas miracle, Mulder.”

“Christmas miracle, Scully.”

He smiled, lounged back, and Scully opened her last present for that Christmas.

-End.

#xfiles #xf fic #txf #txf fic #msr #msr fic #mulder and scully #christmas fic #how the ghosts stole christmas #mulder #scully #fluff #sorry for the crappy fic

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lovemesomesurveys · 4 years ago

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we can hardly stand the wait, please christmas don’t be late.

a christmas survey 1 - Is Christmas your favourite holiday to celebrate? If not, which holiday(s) do you enjoy celebrating more? Yes, I love Christmas. Always have.

2 - Do you ever wish it could be Christmas everyday? As much as I do love it and it makes me sad when it’s over, I wouldn’t want it to be everyday. That would take away from the magic and specialness of it all. It gives me something to look forward to every year. If it was everyday, it would just be another day, ya know?

3 - How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa? I was 8.

4 - Did you get stockings? What kind of things did you get in them? Yes. We still do stockings. Typically, it’s just stuff like candy, gift cards, and other smaller things. Like, back when I was into makeup my mom would put that kind of stuff in there.

5 - When do you start decorating for the holidays? When do those decorations come down afterwards? Right after Thanksgiving. We keep our stuff up until after New Year’s.

6 - What’s your favourite kind of advent calendar? I haven’t had one in several years, but I always got the kind that had a piece of chocolate everyday.

7 - Do you prefer plain or coloured lights on your tree? We have white lights and multicolor lights on our tree.

8 - Does your tree have a theme or do you just decorate it with whatever you have lying around? Sometimes it does, but this year was one where we just put up a mix of everything.

9 - Is Christmas a religious holiday for you, or just an excuse to celebrate with friends and family? Well, for the past few years it’s been about Jesus for me and the commercial, “Hallmark” Christmas as they say as well. I have the religious aspect, but also ya know the general Christmasy stuff.

10 - Have you ever been to midnight mass? No. I’m not Catholic. My church does do a Christmas Eve service, though.

11 - As a kid, did you ever go to a Santa’s grotto and visit Santa? No. I always just saw him at the mall.

12 - What’s your favourite ever Christmas gift? I couldn’t possibly choose.

13 - What kind of activities do you like doing at this time of year (eg. ice skating)? I don’t go ice skating or do any kind of snow activities cause it doesn’t snow here.

14 - What’s your favourite Christmas hot drink? Hot coffee is my favorite year round, but it is especially nice in the fall and wintertime. I also love Starbucks’ holiday drinks, particularly the peppermint white chocolate mocha.

15 - Do you like watching Christmas specials on the TV? Yes.

16 - If you work, do you work over the Christmas period? If not, when do you finish for the holidays? I don’t have a job.

17 - Did you ever play Mary or Joseph in your school nativity plays? No, I’ve never been in one.

18 - Have you ever ridden a donkey? No.

19 - What’s the best thing about Christmas for you? I really just love it all--buying gifts for my family, decorating, listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, the scents, the colors, the cold weather, the foods/sweets, the coziness of it all...

20 - What’s your favourite Christmas film? Is it a classic or one that’s more modern? I have several favorites.

21 - Are you more like Buddy the Elf or the Grinch? I’m Buddy.

22 - What Christmas songs do you like the best? The good ol’ classics are the best.

23 - Do you listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas films year round? No. Well, I’ve seen Home Alone at various times cause it plays on TV a lot, but that’s it. I like to save it for this time of year. Again, it makes it special and something to look forward to.

24 - Do you prefer Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Christmas Day.

25 - What do you normally have for Christmas dinner? Ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, homemade mac and cheese, and rolls.

26 - Do you actually like Christmas pudding? I’ve never had it. I’m also not much of a pudding person.

27 - Are you organised when it comes to doing your Christmas shopping or do you tend to still be shopping on Christmas Eve? I start my shopping in November and for the past few years now there’s sales going on all the time, so it’s no longer just waiting for Black Friday. I finish up usually like the first week of December. Especially this year because I did all my shopping online and the cut off date to get stuff on time for Christmas was earlier this year for obvious reasons.

28 - Have you ever returned a Christmas gift? Yeah, but it’s rare and the reason is usually because it’s not the right size or I already have it.

29 - Are you any good at wrapping presents or do you shove everything in a gift bag? I’m not the best, but I love wrapping presents.

30 - When Christmas is over, are you sad or relieved? I’m sad. :(

#personal #text #survey #surveys #christmas survey

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jemej3m · 6 years ago

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leisuring

directly caused by by @mini-minish‘s andrew in jenna marble’s leisuring suit, i present to you this:

a stupid short fic where andrew is jenna and neil is julien

(based loosely on her videos i want to be tall, i try hot glue crafts, cooking vegan thanksgiving food, giving my boyfriend acrylic nails and how many balloons does it take to lift my dog off the floor and maybe a few others)

Andrew frowned at the video. He almost ignored it: He ignored a lot of things on the internet, except for the video suggestions that truly stuck with him. And Neil’s texts.

Even then, sometimes he found himself so lost that spiral that was the internet that even Neil didn’t draw him out.

He’d seen shit like this all over the place already: Shane Dawson, all those pathetic beauty gurus, where edits brought their best (worst?) moments all together for a ten minute long shitshow.

And here was Andrew’s ten minute long shit show. Appropriately titled “andrew and neil annoying each other for ten minutes straight”, it was posted by some random person. Nicko. Weird.

Andrew almost didn’t click on it. Almost.

Then he did, and it unfolded like this:

“Andrew,” Neil said, exasperated. “What are you doing.”

Andrew was sat in a dark corner of the house, playing the electronic keyboard. It had a choral overlay, like a church choir was humming along to him. He said: “I want to be tall.”

Neil snorted. “Neither of us have grown since sixth grade.”

He played another chord. “I want to grow a whole eight inches, Neil.”

Neil arched an eyebrow, holding the camera in front of his chest. Andrew looked up at him instead. “You want to grow a whole eight inches.”

“Then I will be average height.” He played his third and final chord. “I want to be tall.”

Neil sighed. “Fine. Come on.”

cut screen

[andrew and neil annoying each other for ten minutes straight]

“Neil.” Andrew leaned into the study, where Neil was curled into a ball with a hood drawn over his head. He probably had woken up at six-am to go for a jog and hadn’t bothered to shower since, considering Neil was disgusting and nothing Andrew did would ever change that.

Neil looked up from the computer screen and immediately frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that.”

Andrew thought he was looking pretty dead-pan. Fuck Neil for being able to see right through him. “How would you feel - ”

Neil put his head in his hands. “Give me the sweet release of death already.”

“- about me giving you a full set of acrylic nails.”

Neil’s head dropped to the desktop with a loud bang.

“Neil.” Andrew snapped. “Neil. Quit that. You’re making a mess.”

“It’s fine.” Neil grinned, flipping a glass bowl and snatching it mid-air with his hand. The camera zoomed into Andrew’s eye twitching, every time Neil threw and caught that infernal bowl. “It’s fine. What’s wrong? Everything’s fine.”

“I fucking hate you.” Andrew growled.

“How many times did we have to go back to Party City to get these balloons?” Andrew wondered aloud.

“Six times.” Neil informed him, looking at how his cat (Sir, not King - King was way too hyperactive) was relaxing about three metres above the ground. She was suspended with seventy-two helium balloons, because Andrew wanted to know how many balloons it took to lift their small cat.

“She’s sleeping, ‘Drew.” Neil murmured grinning behind his hand. “Oh my god, she’s so relaxed. She’s sleeping.”

“It’s because King can’t reach her, and thus, can’t taunt her or wake her up.” Andrew looked at the dozens of balloons that now filled their living room with satisfaction. “It’ll be her safe space.”

Neil slung his arm around Andrew’s shoulders, still filming as their cat spun meaninglessly through the air.

“Ow!” Neil hissed, inspecting his now inch-and-a-half long acrylic nails. “Ow. What the fuck. What the fuck!”

“Calm down.” Andrew berated him, finishing the acrylic on his second last nail. “You’re being a wuss.”

“I want these off, now.” Neil moaned.

“Well, I don’t have pure acetone, so we’ll see if we can get them off at all.”

“Wait, what?” Neil yelped, glaring at Andrew. He widened his eyes. “What?”

“I’m going to give you a Brazilian Blowout.” Andrew menacingly waved his hairdryer around. “You’ll look like you’re compensating for a lack of an emo-phase in your teenage years.”

Neil grinned up at him from where he was sitting. “You never moved on from that phase, did you?”

Andrew almost stabbed him with the hairbrush. “I’m compensating for you.”

Neil settled into the chair. “Do what you want. Just don’t bring the FBI running.”

Andrew snorted.

Andrew walked out from the corridor in eight-inch heels, hair sprayed upright.

“Oh, damn.” Neil said, softly, looking at the leather boots and purple trousers that were tight around his thighs.

“Keep it in your pants, Josten.” Andrew said snipily. “Eyes are up here.”

“Don’t worry,” Neil grinned, craning his neck up to look at him. “That orange jacket is really turning me off.”

Andrew stared dead into the camera with a hat made out of hot glue to his head. The camera zoomed in. He slowly help up a different piece of hot glue.

“See, Five-Minute-Crafts? I can create random shit out of hot glue, too.”

It read fuck you.

“Neil, that’s too much cinnamon.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Neil.”

“Yes?”

“I fucking hate you.”

“I’m angry.” Andrew said.

“Well, no shit.” Neil remarked. “You just spent six hours making a chair out of jeans, with nothing but staples to put it together.” He threaded his fingers through Andrew’s hair as his boyfriend looked up at him in misery. “It’s completely rational.”

“Should we bring her down?” Neil whispered. Sir hadn’t woken up from where she was napping, mid-air.

“Why are you whispering.” Andrew said flatly.

“She’s asleep. Don’t wanna be rude.”

“It’s a cat floating in midair. Somehow, I don’t think it cares.”

Andrew slowly turned his face towards Neil as he glittered with rhinestones. He’d never felt more itchy in his life, and he’d put on a hundred layers of fake eyelashes once.

“Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass,” Andrew winked at him and Neil grinned. “Smash.”

Neil stabbed a banana with his terrifyingly long nails and grinned at Andrew as disgusting banana goop got stuck under his nails. Andrew wanted to retch.

Then he bent down and tried to feed it from the cats, and Andrew hated his boyfriend so much.

“Are you satisfied, now?” Neil looked up at Andrew, who was a little unsteady in these eight-inch boots. His head hurt with the amount of hairspray they’d used to stand his hair up, even though his hair wasn’t even that long.

“This is now my permanent state.” Andrew replied.

Neil rolled his eyes.

“Guess who’s man isn’t here to be the idiot?” Andrew pointed at himself. “My man. Guess who’s going to compensate for Neil’s idiocy by dyeing his hair bright red?” He pointed at himself. “This bitch.”

“Neil.” Andrew said, voice on the absolute edge of losing it. Neil fucking threw a piece of cannoli dough into the deep fryer, getting hot oil everywhere. “If you’re going to go and be a tornado all through the kitchen, then fucking tornado your way out to the living room.”

Neil coughed in his ear on purpose, and Andrew grabbed him by the sleeve.

“Aw,” Neil was laughing too hard to be taking Andrew serious. “You’re no fun!”

Andrew shoved him onto the couch. “Stay there till the deep fryer is off.”

Andrew gazed out the window. “The sun has set since I started doing this.” He then turned, gazing straight into the camera. “The sun’s setting on the opportunity for me to do something with my life.

Sir lazed on the chair that Andrew sat beside, reading out the mean comments that the internet had spared her. She was the ‘dead’ one, an old cat who barely moved or even blinked, whilst King was the more challenged one, to say the least.

“Oh, look.” Andrew said icily. “It’s a comment from Allison Reynolds herself. Keep talking up your cats, Reynolds. We all know they can’t manage anything more than purely aesthetic function, just like yourself.”

Neil whistled lowly. “Not sure your best friend would appreciate you calling her girlfriend a trophy wife.”

“Is that not what Reynolds is?” Andrew snorted. “My mistake.”

Neil made kissy noises. “You lookin’ like a snack.”

Andrew brandished a kitchen knife. “Say that again, I dare you.”

Neil just grinned and mouthed love you.

cut screen

[thx for watching]

Andrew slapped his laptop closed.

“Neil,” He called over his shoulder. “I’m quitting Youtube.”

His boyfriend leaned over the back of the couch to loop his arms around Andrew’s shoulders and press kisses to his cheeks. “Uhuh. Because I’ve never heard you say that before.”

Andrew grumbled, grabbing Neil by the arms and throwing him over the back of the couch. He partially landed in Andrew’s lap.

“I’ve been jiu-jitsed!” Neil rolled off the couch with a melodramatic thud. “It’s all over. Tell my father I love him!”

“He’s dead and you hate him.” Andrew said flatly. Neil grinned up at him.

“You know me so well.” He sunk into the couch beside Andrew, curling into a ball against his side. “Will you show me this video of us?”

Andrew sighed, opening his laptop. He let himself droop his head down to Neil’s shoulder, somewhat nuzzling into the familiar scent of his shirt.

He’d quit another day.

thx for readin lmao

#andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #youtube au #jenna and julien au #all for the game #jem writes

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doedreamss · 5 years ago

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The Cowboy and the Mustang (Part Three)

links: part one, part two, [part three], part four

Ship: Hangman Adam Page x Jane (FOC)

Summary: Jane and Adam have been dating long-distance for five months ever since their chance meeting on her road trip. They’ve grown closer than ever and the reality of their complicated future is drawing nearer. Jane decides to spend her winter break in Montana with Adam, much to the disappointment of her mother, who was hoping Jane would come home for the holidays.

Rating: Explicit (smut scene, cause these two couldn’t handle a reunion without one)

Length: 7,932 words

Available below the cut or on AO3 HERE

“Are you really not going to be home for Christmas this year?”

Jane worried at her nail, biting it (a horrible habit), as she held her phone to her ear and tried to fight the guilt her mother’s voice plagued her with.

“Mom, I told you already…” Jane started gently and suppressed the sigh pushing up her chest.

“I know, I know…” Her mother said before Jane could start. They’d already discussed it in full length when Jane had gone home for Thanksgiving and first broached the subject.

Adam and Jane had been dating long distance since the summertime when they’d met on her road trip with her best friend, Kate. Jane had one semester of college left after winter break and then, degree in hand, it’d be time for her to put it to use. Jane still wasn’t sure what to do. They were too early in the days of dating to suggest moving in together and the bigger city was still a few hours’ drive from Adam’s. Adam’s town was small and not in need of any type of equine veterinarian. They already had a town vet, and Adam already said the man was still years off from retirement.

Stuck in circles with no concrete solution in sight, Jane decided she’d spend her winter break with Adam and his daughter. It would be a month of time together when they’d only had a few days previously. Jane hadn’t admitted it out loud, but it was sort of a test, too. The way she felt about Adam was exciting, but terrifying, too. She’d dated in the past and even thought she was in love before, but those relationships paled in comparison to this.

Every time her phone rang, and it was Adam calling or facetiming, her heart felt as if it was in her throat. Her cheeks always hurt after they finished talking from how much she’d been smiling. They texted back and forth constantly in paragraphs, trusting one another and letting down the walls past hurt had made them build. Jane had never connected with anyone like she connected with Adam. She considered herself a reasonable person, but they’d only known one another for around five months and she already knew she was in love with him.

Not that she’d told him… even if Kate had tried to convince her that she should.

“Jane, honey?” Her mother’s voice gently broke her out of her thoughts, and Jane looked in dismay to see she’d broken off a tiny chip of her nail.

“Sorry mom, I just have a lot on my mind.” She got up from the couch and started pacing.

There was silence for a few seconds before her mother sighed. She’d already told Jane previously that she shouldn’t be focusing on a relationship with a man when she was so close to graduating. School, she’d said, should be her main priority. Men would come and go. Jane wished her mom could just meet Adam. She’d understand. Adam wasn’t like any man Jane had ever met.

“Well, just know that if you change your mind we’d love it if you were here.”

“I know mom.” Jane’s heart sank. She hated disappointing her mother and she loved being home for the holidays. Her family was the sort that went all out, singing to classic Christmas tunes as they decorated, making a trip of going to the tree lot to pick the tree, dressing in big, comfy warm clothes and getting coffee before they walked the neighborhoods and admired everyone’s light-up decorations, sugar cookie baking and decorating, and so much more. Jane loved it, especially her rowdy, excited nephews and nieces running amuck around the house and filling it with cheer.

“I love you dear,” her mom said gently. It was weird for them to disagree on something. Jane had always made such sound, reasonable decisions, she could tell the way she was chasing her heart with Adam had confused her mother. This wasn’t like Jane.

“I love you too mom.” Jane said, and then the call ended.

She had two text messages waiting from Adam.

I was just out talking to Lucky and he reminded me I’ll be seeing you in just a few days. Can’t wait darlin. I miss you.

Lucky says he misses you too.

Jane smiled, her heart immediately lifting. A soft giggle and she was quickly replying, texting back.

I knew you could talk to horses! Tell Lucky I miss him too.

Oh, and I miss you too, I guess.

She added a little emoji with the tongue sticking out, then one with a little angelic halo circling its head. It didn’t take long for Adam to reply with laughing emoji’s and then for three little bubbles to appear, telling her he was texting back.

Shit… I guess the game is up, you know my secret that I’m the only person on God’s green earth than can talk to horses. Hope I can trust you to keep it… otherwise…

Are you all packed? Excited? Second thoughts?

They’d discussed the trip in lengths over the last month or two since Jane decided she’d spend her entire winter break with Adam. Initially, Adam had argued against it, not that he didn’t want her to spend time with him, but that he felt it was important she not sacrifice her family traditions and her time to go home and spend the holidays with them. He’d also felt bad, knowing her mother was giving her a hard time over it. But Jane hadn’t budged, and he’d eventually caved to the excitement of getting to have her with him for an entire month.

You know I’m not having any second thoughts, dummy. And I’m so excited I can barely sleep! I feel like this is already my Christmas present, just getting to see you.

She chewed at the inside skin of her lip, yet another of a list of bad habits she had when she was worriedly thinking. She didn’t want Adam to be upset that she and her mom were still on the outs because of this, but she wanted to tell him, too. He was always so good at knowing the right things to say to help ease whatever little aches were plaguing her heart. Jane had never had a boyfriend as sweet, genuine and attentive as Adam was. It scared her a little bit.

This was what love was.

They still hadn’t said those words to each other, but Jane knew. She was completely and helplessly in love with Adam Page, the mustang-taming cowboy and single-father from Montana.

That was what made the approach of her final semester a little scarier as well as the looming shadow of her future, where she’d go, and what choices she’d make. Would she sacrifice her heart for her career, or her career for her heart? She’d spent her entire life, from early childhood, working her ass off to get to where she was. She’d always known she was going to work with horses and veterinary school wasn’t easy, nor was it easy to earn and keep her full-ride scholarship to so she could attend. Her professors were already helping her gain connections with vet clinics across the United States. She could have her pick after graduation and she knew that made her luckier than most university graduates.

But Adam was in Montana and she knew she couldn’t do a long-distance relationship forever. Eventually she wanted to be married, to share the house and the white-picket fence, the ten-acre farm with a few horses, goats, chickens, and dogs. She wanted to hear children’s feet running through the house and their shrill, youthful giggles followed by Adam, laughing warm and happy as he playfully chased after them. She wanted it so badly it terrified her. Jane’s plan had always been to focus on her career until she was graduated and had been working at her chosen clinic for a year before she started dating or even considered the idea of marriage and children.

One chance meeting and everything was being thrown up into the air. Jane wasn’t sure where the pieces were set to fall, either.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down, realizing she’d missed a couple texts from Adam. The first had been sent shortly after her prior reply and read: Now hang on, I’m not that thoughtless of a boyfriend, darlin’. You’re getting spoiled on Christmas whether you like it or not. Me getting you for a month is my present, not yours. Keep that in mind.

She smiled. In the absent gap where she didn’t reply, tangled in her endless circling thoughts, he’d just texted again.

Everything alright?

He knew. Even hundreds of miles apart, he somehow knew. Jane didn’t know how he did it. She took a breath and began to text, telling him the truth.

Sorry babe, I just got off the phone with my mom before I text you and she’s still being… well… my mom.

Rather than receive a text reply, her phone started ringing. A selfie they’d taken with Avery in the middle, all three of them smiling wide and happy – Adam distracted and looking at Jane instead of into the camera – flashed up on her screen and made her smile again. It did every time she saw it. She pressed to answer the call and put the phone to her ear.

“Hi baby,” she said softly.

“Hey darlin’,” she heard the metal latch of the gate swinging and locking into place and the air moving around him as he started walking. He’d been working out with the horses while he was texting her. “I’m sorry your mama is giving you a hard time, but you know she’s just worried about you.”

“I know,” Jane admitted, but frustration clung to her tone. “I just wish she’d trust me. She acts like I’m throwing everything away, like we’re not constantly worrying about what the future is going to mean. Like I’m wasting everything I’ve worked hard for just because I fel-” she cut herself off abruptly, realizing with a start as she got worked into her rant she almost said it then and there. Like I’m wasting everything I’ve worked hard for just because I fell in love.

“I know darlin’, I know.” After a slight pause – long enough to make her worry that he’d figured out what she nearly said – Adam spoke. “Just give her time. Do what you think is best for you. That’s all that matters. Alright?” He didn’t corner her or ask her what she’d been about to say. Maybe it hadn’t been as obvious as she thought.

“Yeah,” Jane sighed and wrapped one of her arms around her waist, wishing she could be curled up in his arms again, laying on his broad, muscled chest while he spoke gentle reassurances and ran his wide palm in calming strokes up and down her back. Her heart lifted when she realized that would be a tangible thing she could have in just a few days’ time. It had felt like this vacation would never get here. “I just can’t wait for you to hold me again.” She confessed in a soft, small voice. Showing her weakness and need to someone was strange for Jane, so used to having to take care of everyone else and herself all on her own.

But Adam let her slip. He took the weight of the world off her shoulders without complaint, happy to be her solace.

“Darlin’, when you get here, you’re going to spend all night in my arms. Hell, we might be together so long we’re going to start growing into one person.” He joked, helping lift her weary spirit and making her laugh. “You know… I was going to let this be a surprise, but I think it might help you to know it now…”

“What?” Jane blinked, wondering what trick he had up his sleeve. “What is it?”

“The night you fly in to Billings, me and you are staying in a hotel and heading to the ranch the next day. My ma is watching Avery and looking after the horses, so we can have a little time just the two of us.”

“Oh, Adam,” Jane sighed, unable to keep how happy and relieved by the thought she was. She loved his daughter and she adored his mother. The woman had been a blessing at smoothing over the awkward situation when they’d first met and before they’d parted ways she’d gripped Jane’s hand tight and smiled, telling her she couldn’t begin to say how happy she was Adam had found a good-hearted girl like her. Jane and Avery were still figuring one another out, but Adam assured her Avery would get more comfortable the more time she spent around them. Jane was the only woman Adam had dated since Avery’s mother had left when she was too young to remember her, so it was an adjustment for the little girl.

“That sounds like heaven.”

“Good,” he said, and she heard the happy smile in his voice. “I’m sorry darlin’, but I’m going to have to cut this call a little short. I’ve got a guy coming from out of town to look at some of the colts I gentled, and it looks like he just pulled up.”

Jane hoped the man liked them and bought them. Adam made his living training horses, both clients who brought their horses to him for training and by adopting wild horses from the BLM holding facility a couple hours from his ranch which he gentled into sound, hardy little workhorses. If no one was buying, he wasn’t profiting.

“That’s okay! I need to finish packing anyways. Good luck baby!”

“Thanks, darlin’, can’t wait to see you again.”

“I can’t wait to see you too.”

“Bye darlin’.”

“Bye baby,” she said, and listened for a just a few seconds longer as Adam lowered the phone from his ear and called out in his happy, robust country drawl to the man who’d just arrived at his ranch. The call ended, and she sighed, feeling better and more excited to get to Billings and into the arms of the wonderful man waiting for her.

*****

The minute their eyes met, Adam cut through the crowd of people waiting in the airport lobby for their loved ones, opening his arms and grabbing Jane up before she could say a word. He pulled her close and dipped, pressing their lips together in a kiss that told her how badly he’d needed to do that without saying a word. Jane pulled away dizzy and a little breathless, cheeks flush as she looked up into the face of her handsome cowboy, who made her heart race with just a look.

“God woman,” He sighed and whispered against her lips as their foreheads pressed gently together, “I missed you more than I thought it was possible to miss someone I was talking to every day.”

“Me too,” she said, heart already soaring. Adam was so open about his admiration of her, he never gave her a chance to worry he didn’t feel just as strongly about her as she did him. His hands dropped to hers as he pulled away, wrapping gently around them, squeezing and rubbing the pad of his thumb over her palm.

“Let’s go get your suitcase and get out of here,” he said, grin climbing higher into his round cheeks and making the laugh lines around his eyes more prominent. He was turning away, bringing her with him. “I need to get you alone in that hotel room before I explode.”

Jane laughed softly and blushed – even though they’d slept together, done naughty phone calls, texts, snapchats and facetime calls together, she still felt flush any time Adam’s attention turned ravenous. Sometimes the way he looked at her stunned her. Jane didn’t think she was particularly unattractive, but everyone had their little spots they stared at a little too long in the mirror and she was no exception. Adam drowned her in earnest compliments and pointed out parts of herself she’d never appreciated or took a second to see as beautiful. Seeing herself through his eyes was a new experience and sometimes, when she was having a moment where she felt particularly cute, she could hear how he’d compliment her and get giddy before snapping a picture and sending it his way.

Adam never disappointed. The moment he had a chance to look at it – which was normally quickly after she sent it unless he was working with a horse – he said just what she imagined he would and then some.

The pair retrieved her suitcase and headed out to his truck. As they made their way through the crowds, Jane caught the eyes of other women that were drawn toward Adam as they walked. A small nagging bite of insecurity threatened to wiggle its way through. He was so damn handsome in his Stetson – a black one this time, set on his fluffy, shoulder-length blond curls – workman’s jacket, plaid button-up, dark-wash tight-fit jeans, big silver belt-buckle and brown ostrich leather boots. Jane couldn’t blame them for looking, but she glanced down at herself and wondered what they thought of her. Did they think he could do better?

“Darlin?” Adam’s concerned voice drew her eyes back to his. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she said and smiled, which was easier beneath that Montana summer sky blue-eyed stare. “I’m perfect.” She smiled a little deeper, remembering she was here to be with Adam and he was here to be with her, and Adam matched the grin before ducking in to steal a quick kiss, squeezing their joined hand and maneuvering up to his truck. No one else mattered. A thousand woman could look at Adam, but his eyes were always on her.

Jane climbed in the cab and Adam loaded up the suitcase before climbing into the driver’s seat. The truck started with a gentle rumble and he reached to turn the music station down low enough they could talk if they want to. Before she could buckle in to the passenger’s seat, he gently patted the wide breadth of his palm against the middle bench seat beside him.

“I’ve had enough of getting to see and hear you but not touch you,” he said, “c’mon.”

Jane grinned and let go of the seatbelt she’d just grabbed, scooting over until she could curl up against him. He wrapped one arm around her and tucked her in close as she buckled the waistband seatbelt. As the truck pulled out of the airport lot and onto the road, Jane remembered to ask him about the horses.

“Did that rancher buy any of your colts?”

Adam looked down at her and brightened before looking at the road ahead with a nod. “He sure did! Bought all five I had trained up. He had his eyes on Lucky too, but I’ve barely started ground manners and I told him I don’t rush a horse. They learn at their pace. I told him if he was still in need of good horses by the time Lucky was ready I’d let him know and he could come take a look and see if he was still wanting him.”

Jane felt her heart sink. She knew it was stupid, but she would hate to see Lucky go. She felt like he bonded she and Adam together. The first time Adam had been working with the wild colt was the first time she and Adam had met. But Adam’s horse training was a business and he needed to sell horses to keep it operating.

“That’s great!” She said, because it was true that it was great. Sometimes it took one rancher who knew other ranchers who were looking for new stock to put him in demand. Hell, they might even ship a colt or two his way to have it trained up, too. The more word spread about Adam’s work with horses, the more opportunity he’d have to gentle them in a way that respected the bond between man and horse, and the more chances he’d have to keep bringing in fresh stock and training them up.

“Yeah,” Adam said, “actually, because he bought so many, I figured we could make a little stop before we go grab the Christmas tree tomorrow.” He glanced over at Jane as they stopped at a red light, one eyebrow quirking.

“Oh? What’s that?”

Adam decided they’d wait to get the Christmas tree until Jane was there, and the three of them – himself, Jane, and Avery – would go pick one out, bring it home and decorate it that night. It was a way of helping Avery adjust a little more to Jane’s presence in their little family, even though the situation was a little bit strange. It was also a way to give Jane a little bit of her family traditions when she wouldn’t be back home to participate in them.

“Well, my buddy who’s a handler up at the BLM facility called and let me know they got some nice-looking colts in that he thinks I could do something with. They were shipped in out of state. I figured we’d go up to the BLM facility and see if we might come away with a horse or two.”

Jane couldn’t help the way her heart lifted in excitement. “That would be fun!”

“Yeah, and,” his grin stretched a little wider, “I think it’s time Avery got her first horse. There’s a yearling filly there, a little bay roan that makes me think of her. They’ve got the same personalities, I swear it. They could grow up together a little bit. The filly wouldn’t be ready for saddle training for a year or two at least, so that’d give Avery time to get used to the responsibility of keeping a horse. And they’d have each other for a long, long time.”

Jane’s heart swelled. She remembered being a little girl obsessed with horses, daydreaming about when Santa would finally give in to her pleading letters and deliver a pony for her on Christmas day. “She’s going to love that so much.”

He grinned. “It’s about time, the girl started riding before she could walk, and she’s wanted one of her own for long enough now.”

Adam pulled the truck off the freeway and down to the parking lot of the multi-story hotel. They checked in and Jane’s excitement had her breath hard to catch the further down those door-lined halls they traveled. She was going to have Adam alone again. In person. There wasn’t any phone to clutch to her ear. There wasn’t any time she was going to close her eyes and feel a sharp ache in her heart for how badly she wished he was tangible. She was going to be held in those big, strong country arms of his and up against that broad, thick-muscled chest. When she put her ear to it, she was going to hear his heartbeat.

Jane glanced up at Adam, who she caught watching her. A gentle flush crept across his pale cheeks, just barely hidden by the blond of his beard. She knew he must’ve been thinking along the lines of what she’d been. The last time they’d physically been together they’d been practical strangers, drunk on some powerful, near-divine feeling of soulmate like proportions. Now they’d spent months talking and texting and facetiming on the phone. He’d listened to her meltdown rants about school and helped talk her back up. She’d listened to him gush about how well one of the colts had done or have him pull Avery up to tell her how good she did at school that day. They knew one another more intimately than ever.

Adam’s free hand grabbed hers and entwined their fingers. He gave them a little squeeze and his smile deepened. Jane exhaled and smiled too, heart pounding in her ribcage.

They entered their room. The door hadn’t even swung shut when Adam was on her, hand leaving hers to instead frame her face between his palms. He crashed her back into the wall beside the door and smashed his mouth hot against hers. Jane moaned into his mouth, which stretched hers wider, and his tongue plunged between the open invitation. His hips dug hard, belt buckle pinching into her stomach. His thick fingers curled in her hair, around the back of her head, and held her firm as they kissed.

Jane worked her hands up between their bodies, dragging her nails over his stomach and up his chest. He groaned into their kiss and dug his hips upward between her legs again. She pushed at him, though his strength was immovable. It wasn’t that she wanted the kiss to end, but that she needed to breathe. Her lungs were starved, apparent by the way she gasped for air when he finally pulled his mouth from hers.

Adam’s heavy breaths fell hot over her, body frozen where it’d pinned her, tension leaking slowly from his muscles. He’d needed the breath too but had been so ravenous that he hadn’t been able to break the trance that kissing her became. Now they stood in quiet, chests heaving, ears roaring with the blood rushing through them.

“I missed you,” Jane said, voice small and sad. They’d talked every second they could, but she’d still missed him.

“I missed you too,” his voice was a similar ache above her. He leaned in and pressed his lips in a tender kiss on her forehead.

Adam stepped back but let one of his hands catch one of hers. He led her down to where the hotel bedroom opened and turned them, so her back was to the bed. Despite the need built inside him for her, Adam forced his fingers slow as he stripped her clothing. As each new item fell away, his eyes appraised her, and he breathed low under his breath. When he popped her bra off and slipped the straps down her shoulders, he licked his lips and groaned low in his throat.

Adam knelt and helped her step out of her boots and jeans, carefully setting her feet right. He tilted his head back, blond curls barely maintained by his Stetson and looked up her naked body, catching her eyes with his. Jane flushed and swallowed.

“Sit back, angel.” He demanded, country drawl soft, and Jane lowered to sit on the plush white comforter atop the bed. He pinched the crown of his hat and pulled it off, setting it to the bed and running a hand through his hair to smooth the pressed-down bend the band of it had created.

Adam peeled her socks off and fell to holding her right ankle. His touch traveled slow up the back of her leg as he leaned in, gently pressing his lips to her skin. He kissed up her leg, beard scratching her thigh, and drew closer and closer between them. She could feel the warmth of his breath against her and it pulled a moan from her throat just as his mouth settled wide atop her skin. The muscle of his tongue curled, pressed between and drug up, then down. He ate her slow, letting her moans build and spill out of her caught-open lips, her back arched and hips rolling toward him. His wide hands splayed on her backside, fingers pushing and encouraging her as physically close to him as possible. His teeth grazed her raised, swollen clit and made her jerk at the electricity that spread along her nerves and flashed in the muscles of her thighs. The surprised yelp she made had a chuckle rumbling from his mouth and vibrating his lips and stubble against her sensitive, wet, needy clit.

Jane dropped her chin to her sweat-dappled chest, looking down her naked body at the halo of gilded curls buried between her thighs. Sensing her gaze, Adam raised his brow and let his blue eyes meet hers but didn’t once stop the way his tongue flicked and curled, or how he sucked back hard, as if the intent was to drink every drop. Caught in his hungry gaze, Jane’s heart beat quickened, and she sucked in a shaky, needed breath. Her thighs trembled on his shoulders and her eyes rolled back, unable to keep hold of his any longer.

Adam dipped against her with a more feverish passion, concentrating flicking the tip of his tongue over her clit and suckling with his lips. He drove her wilder and wilder, her hips gyrating against his mouth as he feasted. But, he didn’t let her cum. When nirvana was in reach, every muscle in her body freezing tight, fingers curling desperate into the sheets at her sides, Adam pulled away from between her legs and sat back on his heels, watching her body tremble with need. Jane blinked away the beginning phase of fog as her body realized it was left to be driven wild by the sensations he’d stoked, but not offered final reward.

She pushed herself up with her palm flat on the mattress and looked at him where he knelt, smiling knowingly and wickedly at her. Mischief flashed in Jane’s eyes – she wasn’t going to let him look so satisfied – and she pushed herself forward, practically leaping at him. His shocked expression was satisfactory, as was the grunt when his back hit the hotel room floor and he looked up at her, dazed and then amused, and then hungry all over again.

Jane sat with more purpose on his hips, feeling the length of his erection still trapped painfully in his fitted denim jeans. Her hands flattened over the button-up shirt he was wearing – he’d stripped his workman’s jacket off when they’d entered – and she slowly began to slip the buttons through each little hole and pushed the material open. She pushed her fingers through the faint dusting of blond hair on his chest and curled them, raking her nails down his torso and smiling as he sucked in a hard breath, groaned and pushed his hips up toward hers. Oh… she was going to enjoy tormenting him as much as he’d enjoyed doing it to her.

Using his body as leverage, Jane began to rub her hips over his, the stiff denim over his zipper pushing against her clit and making her moan. They may as well have been ruining his jeans, the way Adam was moaning and bucking his hips up to meet her strokes, likely leaking already for her. She didn’t tease him very long – at least not clothed – and only when their breaths were both ragged and he was shaking beneath her did she stop and slowly slide down his body. When she released the tension of his belt-buckle and undid the button and zipper of his jeans, Adam sighed in relief. His cock was swollen thick and had been painfully restrained.

Jane’s hands slipped beneath the band of his boxers and pushed the material down as her fingers slipped around his hard, throbbing cock. Adam moaned to feel her touch on his bare skin. Jane repositioned her body, putting either one of her knees on the other side of his, free hand flat on the carpet by his hip. Jane dipped and opened her lips over his leaking head, tasting the most intimate part of the man she loved. Her tongue swirled and dipped over the sensitive lip. Only the stretch around his girth kept her mouth from curling into a smile at the way he moaned and thrust greedily up into her mouth. The length of his shaft slid atop the bed of her warm, wet tongue.

His long-reach brought a hand to gather her hair, pulling it out of her face and holding it back so he could keep his chin at his chest and watch her bob up and down the length of his cock. She wet it with her saliva and where her mouth didn’t entertain, her fingers picked up the slack, curled around his shape and stroked with a soft squeeze of pressure. Jane dipped and ran the flat of her tongue down his length to his sac, sucking each of his balls in turn as Adam groaned and his muscles in his thick thighs tensed, showing their definition beneath fat. She curled the tip of her tongue and ran it along the taint, then up again so she could stretch her mouth around the head of his precum leaking cock and slide him back inside her mouth.

His fingers in her hair curled tighter and tighter. He jerked beneath her ministrations and leaked a tense curse in a strained whisper. His blond brows knit together and almost made him look angry with the concentration it was taking him not to cum. Adam’s hand in her hair pushed her down, forcing his cock to kiss the back of her throat where she gently gagged and the soft skin there wrapped tight around his girth. He moaned and dropped his head back, chest heaving with a needed breath.

Then, he let her go. Jane slipped off his cock, sucking back the saliva that’d gathered while she’d been held on it, and took a deep breath as she did. Sitting up on her knees she wiped at her lips with the back of her hand and looked down at the half-dressed, ravished cowboy laying beneath her. Adam’s dazed, but hungry eyes looked up her naked body and met hers. They’d been so caught up in how desperate for one another they’d been, it took them until now just to breathe and settle in with what was happening.

But nothing was going to slow down. Jane needed him too badly for that and he clearly felt the same. Adam curled his torso to sit up just enough to tug the long sleeves of his shirt off, uncaring how he tossed it to the ground beside them. He wanted his hands back on her too quickly to bother with it.

Crawling over the top of him, Jane lowered her hips as Adam grabbed the base of his thick, saliva-wet cock and pressed the tip inside her. His hand jumped up to the pinch of her hip and settled heavy, pressure guiding her slow down over the top of him. A moan poured low and long out of his mouth, thick and smooth like molasses. Jane’s muscles clenched tight around him as she adjusted to the feel of his girth stretching her again, head tilted back and mouth open as she voiced her pleasure. For a moment they sat, joined, and then Adam let up on her hip and Jane began to ride him.

Her palms pressed against his sweaty torso as she slipped up and down his cock, taking him in deep. Their hotel room was filled with breathy, heavy moans, soft whines from her lips and occasional shared whispers of their names, spoken with not only passion, but the love they’d found for one another. The stickiness of her wet slick covered her thighs and his hips, combining with the sweat pooled on their warm skin. Adam’s hands were still on her hips, fingers digging sharp into the layer of fat he could grip and pinch. Initially he seemed to hold himself back and let her take the reins, but a few thrusts in his need took over and his hips began pushing up to meet and quicken her pace. He buried his cock up inside her, grunting with each forceful shove of his hips and squeeze of his hands on her hips. She’d be surprised if she wasn’t bruised tomorrow.

Eventually he took over and Jane’s toes curled, nails raking into the fine blond hair on his sweaty chest, mouth locked open and eyes rolled back, body jerking with each hard-thrust Adam buried up inside her. He was going faster and faster, and they’d both built themselves to the brink of pleasure, making nirvana a quick and easy reach. Jane wished they could stay like this forever, no matter how exhausting it’d be. To be intimate with Adam in this moment, as close as two people could be, let all the worries of their future and the unanswered questions remain meaningless. The only thing that mattered was the two of them in one another’s arms.

“Adam!” She squeezed out from her tight throat and forced her chin down, eyes open, so she could look down at him.

Adam’s brow was furrowed hard, jaw clenched, and nostrils flared. The muscles in his arms bulged against the skin as his body tensed and he forced her to meet his driving hips. His eyes met hers and the desperate, feral nature of the beast inside him subsided just briefly, just enough to lock gazes and show her the man still existed behind the need. But there was even something in that – something in Adam losing himself and just fucking her raw and ruthless, that excited her. This man with a heart of gold, who she knew from the instant she met him she could trust her life with, couldn’t help but be so needy for her that he lost all the civility when the doors were closed, and they were left alone.

“Adam!” She cried again, a ripple of pleasure shooting through her body and curling a knot in her lower abdomen.

“Yeah,” he grunted in a hot breath and pushed his cock up inside her soaked lips. “Cum for me, darlin’,” he could barely speak, his vocal chords were so tight. Instead, Adam’s words were a growl from that deep, barrel chest and it rumbled beneath her clinging hands. She hadn’t realized she’d drug red marks down his chest when she’d raked across his skin but saw them then in slightly raised lines.

“Oh, fuck, I’m –” her brows pulled tight inward and her body froze. A small cry squeaked past her lips as her brow furrowed. Adam grunted and plunged as deep inside her as his cock could go, balls sucked up to the base, legs shaking with the effort it took to keep from cumming too soon. Jane twitched, stilled, and cried her release in a mix between a whine and a long moan that filled the room to the ceiling. Those wet, warm velvet muscles wrapped around his driving cock clenched tight around him, pulling and coaxing him to his own release.

“Jane,” he managed, “I lo- nnngggghhh!!!…” Whatever he was going to say was stolen by the force of his orgasm. Adam’s vocals fell to moans spilling in tight together as his body jerked hard enough to nearly unseat her while she quivered and came herself. She felt the heat of his orgasm pouring inside her and knew she should worry – they needed to stop fucking unprotected unless they wanted to further complicate their already complicated situation – but only let a satisfied smile smear across her lips before she collapsed forward atop him.

One of Adam’s arms lazily lifted and rested around her bare back, squishing her sweaty body against his. The haze of gratification fogged their minds and they could only heave hot breaths that slowly melted into gentle laughter shortly after when they realized how crazy they’d been. All their plans – they’d get to the hotel, check in, and then go get something to eat and enjoy the town – had been derailed the split second they had a moment alone. They couldn’t even wait a few hours.

Adam’s fingers raked her hair away from her face, where it’d stuck to the sides with sweat. Jane turned to look at him and smiled warmly, matching the look he was giving her. Her heartbeat felt as though it skipped. He had a way of looking at her like he was in awe of her, like he was trying to memorize every pore in her skin and every subtle dip of her face, so he could remember it to perfection any time he wanted.

“You’re perfect, you know that?” His words were slower, country drawl a little stronger, voice heavy with exhaustion as the adrenaline of their lovemaking gently eased from his body.

Jane laughed. “I think you’re bias.”

“Hmm,” he shifted her body carefully, still tucked hard inside her, both still sensitive. “Maybe.” He admitted, and his grin deepened.

“We didn’t even let you get undressed all the way,” Jane pointed out, rubbing her foot gently over his half-worn denim jeans. They’d only tugged them down his thighs enough for her to ride him.

“I didn’t think it was very polite to stop a lady when she’s on a mission.” He countered playfully, to which Jane laughed. He was good at that… being silly and making her smile and laugh. Sometimes her cheeks ached after they’d talked, he’d teased her to laughter so much.

“Good call,” she remarked, nodding firmly. “I definitely had no intention of being slowed down.”

“Mm, no you did not,” he said, voice low and deep, making a ripple of need tighten in her belly. How the hell did he manage to make her want him even after she was physically exhausted? His fingers skimmed up and down her spine in a delicate, comforting touch. “And thank God for that.”

Jane laughed softly again and then fell to just letting Adam hold her. She nestled her cheek against his chest, still lightly damp with sweat and slowly cooling, just as the rest of her was. Her eyelids threatened to drop after a day of travel and their lovemaking, but the night was far from over. She let her eyes close only to wrap her other senses more securely around Adam and soak in the sensation of being held by him. When she’d had to go back to university she hadn’t thought she’d miss being physically present with Adam so badly – they’d only spent a few days together in totality – but her heart had ached for this. She never knew being with anyone could feel like this.

“Hey,” he beckoned gently after a few more minutes of quiet, his fingers still tracing delicate patterns on her naked skin. “Do you still want to go out on the town? I don’t mind calling in room service and staying here all night if not.” His voice rumbled in his chest against her ear.

“I do,” she said, blinking her eyes open and readjusting to the lights they’d left on in the room. She glanced up at him and smiled. “I was just enjoying being in your arms again.”

He melted at that. “I was enjoying holding you again.” He dipped and placed a sweet, loving kiss atop her head and leaned back down. “But c’mon. Let’s shower, get dressed and head out. I got a lot of people to make jealous as I show my pretty little girlfriend off, and I’ve got a mind to spoil you a li’l too.”

“Spoil me? Why?”

“Because I said so.” His grin climbed a little higher in his cheeks, making them rounder and pronouncing the smile lines at the creases of his eyes.

“We’ll see about that.” Jane said, rolling her eyes, and slowly started to lift her pleasure-tired body from his.

“Mhm, we sure will,” he said and reached to playfully smack her ass as she turned, pushing his jeans off the rest of his legs and climbing to his feet to follow close behind her.

They were delayed again when, in the shower, slipping soap suds along each other’s bodies, Adam got hard again. His touch began to wander down her body and he stirred her again into madness quicker than she’d thought possible. His lips had placed warm kisses against her wet, clean skin, over her shoulders and between her shoulder blades as he wrapped his grip around her hips and sank his cock inside her again. Every high thrust slapped their wet skin together, his balls smacking against her cunt, and droplets of water from the shower stream flying around them. His low grunts and moans joined her high whines, bouncing and echoing in the acoustics of the tiny bathroom. When they finally finished showering and shut off the water, Jane’s palms had indents of the shower tile and the muscles in her thighs ached with exhaustion. She even had to hold on to his firm forearm for leverage as she stepped out, feeling wobbly-legged. He grinned, and she shook her head, mesmerized he’d had it in him so soon for a second round. If he kept this up, Jane wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk the rest of the time she was here.

She made a comment as such, which made Adam laugh that low, warm rolling laugh and melt into an almost sheepish smile.

“You’ve kept me a hungry man, darlin’. What can I say?”

At that she could only grin, and the pair of them finished getting ready before going out to see what Billings had to offer. They walked in the cold along the downtown streets and red-brick buildings near their hotel, peering in Christmas-decorated window displays hand-in-hand, cuddling up and stealing kisses just because they could. Any time Jane got particularly excited about something she saw, Adam encouraged her into the store and tried to talk her into letting him buy it for her. He was relentless and while she was able to argue her way out of a few gifts, they still ended up with a few bags by the end of the night. She managed to buy something for him, despite his best attempt to play down his excitement – a folding knife with a wood carved handle depicting a mustang running free on the range.

They found a cute little diner to eat at, tucked inside beneath the twinkling, warm string lights wrapped around wood beams. They talked and talked, and Jane was amazed they never ran out of things to talk about, even after talking every day for month’s straight. It seemed neither could be without the other’s touch for too long. Jane would lay her hand on the table and Adam’s would blanket it, warm, secure and soft. The pad of his thumb would skim across her skin, inspiring goosebumps.

And when the night ended, and they lay, naked, tangled limbs beneath and atop the hotel comforters, Jane began to drift peacefully off to sleep, never once remembering that earlier in the day, Adam had nearly said something that she was sure was on the tip of her tongue, too. Every second that passed with him was going to make it harder and harder not to say. Every time he lifted her heart and made it race, the words were there, wishing they could be spilled. It drifted in her mind as her eyes closed, but she had enough sense not to say it. Not yet.

I love you, Adam.

Adam sighed a content breath and wrapped his thick arm tighter around her, pulling her closer in. A smile formed sleepy across his mouth, eyelids closed and light lashes gently tickling his round cheeks. He felt more content than he had in years. Like everything made sense. That thought he’d had earlier – the one he’d almost said out loud – drifted across his mind, but he held his tongue and kept his mouth closed, too afraid to add pressure to what had been the perfect day they both so desperately needed.

I love you, Jane.

#hangman page #hangman page fanfiction #aew #cowboy fanfiction #wrestling fanfiction #aew fanfiction #my fanfiction #the cowboy and the mustang #hapedit

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filmfanatic82 · 5 years ago

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Chapter 11

“But nothing is better, sometimes

Once we've both said our goodbyes

Let's just let it go

Let me let you go

Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own

I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that

I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that”

-- When the Party’s Over, Billie Eilish

__________

“Okay, so it’s definitely not Kaleb,” Hope says with a strong exhale of air as she sits down next to Penelope on the main hall staircase a short while later.

Penelope stops twirling the paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and looks over at Hope. “You sure?”

“1000%. I had to spend a good thirty minutes explaining what a cardigan even was to him… Any luck with Pedro?”

“Nope. The boy hasn’t heard anything. Promised to keep his eyes and ears peeled, though, just in case.”

“And you trust he won’t mention that we’re looking for it?” Hope asks with a quirk of her brow.

“Yup. His lips are sealed. Bribed him with half a dozen comic books and fifty bucks,” Penelope offers up.

“Comic books?”

“MG. Told him I needed them as collateral.” Penelope pauses for a moment to run her hands through her messy locks and tucks a few loose strands behind her ears. “Promised I’d replace them as soon as I could. Just add that to things I need to do if we survive the next few days.”

“Have you ever even stepped foot in a comic book store?”

“What’d you think?” Penelope replies.

“I think MG might as well kiss those comics goodbye,” Hope says with a light laugh.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Furball.” Penelope starts to twirl the book once again, channeling all of her pent up anxiety and nerves into the mundane action. “Also talked with Raf, Jed, Emma, and that pack of freshman witches that like to follow me around. Nothing from any of them.”

“Who’s left?” Hope asks in earnest which only causes Penelope to answer with a ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ look. “What?”

“I’ll give you two guesses.”

“Fuck.” Hopes slumps down further onto the steps as the realization hits her dead on. “You don’t think…”

“No clue… I mean it’s possible. But it’s also possible that a 6th-century possessed gargoyle did it as well. So who knows?”

“Not possible.”

“Huh?”

“The gargoyle. It’s not possible. They can be enchanted but can’t outright perform magic on their own. So it’s not a gargoyle.”

Penelope gives a hard roll of her eyes. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“You’re the one that brought up a gargoyle, not me.”

“I was being facetious, Hope,” Penelope fires back with a slightly heightened level of annoyance. Hope senses the tension radiating off of Penelope and without another word, wraps her arm around the raven-haired girl.

“Hey. I told you already. We’ll find the sweater, okay?”

“What if it’s Josie?” The question hanging in the air between them for a moment or two, neither one quite ready to fully embrace that reality.

“Or it could be Lizzie,” Hope says back with a shrug. “It’s a fifty fifty, right?”

“Liz I can deal with, but Josie…” Penelope trails off as her fingers drift upwards towards her neck.

“Then we’ll divide and conquer. You take Lizzie and I’ll take Josie.” Hope glances down at her watch. “It’s almost 8 pm now. Best place to start is their dorm room. I can head there now while you check the kitchen.”

“The kitchen?”

A noticeable blush spreads across Hope’s cheeks. “Lizzie usually likes to grab a bag of those kettle chips that Alaric stocks in the pantry before heading up to bed.”

The tension slightly dissipates from Penelope as she can’t help but laugh. “Stalker much?”

“Not a stalker,” Hope says, regaining her composure. “I’ve just run into her while grabbing a late-night snack for myself once or twice before. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” Penelope hums unconvincingly.

Now it’s Hope’s turn to roll her eyes. She unwraps herself from Penelope, giving her a hard but playful shove in the shoulder as she does and then rises to her feet. “God, are you always this annoying?”

Penelope doesn’t respond. Instead, she rises up as well and flashes Hope one of her trademark smirks. “Meet back here in thirty?”

“Thirty it is,” Hope starts to head up the staircase, but suddenly stops halfway. “And don’t go and do anything stupid, Park. Cause I’m not quite in the mood to save your ass tonight.”

“I make no promises, Mikaelson.”

__________

Penelope aimlessly wanders down the desolate hallway lost within her own sea of thoughts.

There had been no signs of Lizzie-- no anyone else for the matter-- in kitchen. Nor the dining hall. Or even the secret teachers’ pantry that no one is supposed to know about.

Not a soul to be found anywhere.

But that’s what’s to be expected late on a Sunday evening at the Salvatore School. A dead quiet campus. Students tucked away within their dorms, either already fast asleep or in the process of going to bed.

Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

And that’s what makes Penelope’s skin crawl.

It’s too normal.

Like an eerie stillness before a storm.

“Hello, Satan,” Lizzie’s voice cuts through the silence sending an instant set of chills running down Penelope’s spine. She stops dead in her tracks and slowly turns around to find Lizzie standing at the other end of the hallway. The blonde-haired siphoner locks eyes with Penelope as her face contorts into a sick smirk of satisfaction.

And then, Penelope sees it.

The yellow sweater.

Josie’s yellow sweater.

It dangles limp and lifeless from Lizzie’s hand, almost irreconcilable in the darken, moonlit shadows except for its Salvatore School patch partway peeling off of the threadbare fabric.

“Missing something?” Lizzie asks raising the sweater ever so slightly as she does. A wave of gut-churning fear crashes down upon Penelope, causing her legs to wobble. She swallows dryly and desperately tries to hold onto her emotionless composure as Lizzie slowly makes her way closer.

“Liz, I can--”

“Explain?” Lizzie cuts Penelope off, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, I’m dying to hear it. Especially the part where you explain exactly how you wound up in possession of what looks to be my sister’s sweater when I know for a fact that it’s in our dorm room right now on the back of Josie’s desk chair.”

“It’s not her sweater.” The lie flows freely from Penelope’s lips without hesitation and yet she knows right away that it isn’t enough to convince Lizzie.

“Nice try,” Lizzie replies. “Actually, I take that back. It’s a horrible try. Do you think I’m an idiot? Her name is written right here on the tag.”

Lizzie flips the sweater over and holds up the tag for Penelope to see, but it’s not needed. Penelope has long since burned those five black scrawled out letters into her memory.

“So we’re going to try this one more time. What are you doing with my sister’s sweater?”

“Liz, it’s not what you think.”

“Ha!” Liz takes another step forward, causing Penelope to counter with her own step backward. “There. You did it again. You called me Liz. Talk about waving a gigantic red flag. I knew something was off from the very first moment you called me Liz. But no… Everyone said I was overreacting and being paranoid. That there was nothing unusual about it.”

“You know you’re monologuing, right?” Penelope says trying to defuse the growingly dangerous situation. She knows she’s once again playing with fire, but sarcastic remarks have always been her fallback. The last resort of sorts for whenever things aren’t looking so hot.

“Shut up!” Lizzie shouts with a burst of anger. Penelope takes yet another step backward in caution, eyes never leaving Lizzie.

Not even for the slightest of milliseconds.

Josie might’ve almost killed her, but Lizzie…

Lizzie is the real Saltzman twin to watch out for.

Although Penelope never had the opportunity to witness her in action firsthand, the tales were more than enough to paint a picture of what the fair-haired Saltzman could potentially do if provoked.

“Please…” Penelope pauses for a moment as her eyes brief dart away from Lizzie and towards the sweater. “Just give me the sweater and I promise I’ll explain everything.”

“Yeah. Don’t think so, Park.” Lizzie inches closer and Penelope notices how her hand clenches even harder around the yellow fabric, almost to the point of disintegration. It’s another telltale warning. One that Penelope can’t help but fixate on.

Can Lizzie siphon from the sweater?

No.

Not possible.

It’s just a sweater.

There isn’t an ounce of magical energy within it and yet…

The question still lingers with Penelope. Ever present and nagging.

“Who are you?” The single question comes out as a growl and Penelope grits her teeth as another, more powerful set of chills run rampant throughout the length of her body.

“I’m Penelope.”

“Eh’nt! Wrong answer.”

“I am. I swear.”

“You want to know how I know you’re lying?” Lizzie responds, eyeing narrowing down with laser-like focus. “The sweater told me so.”

“What?”

“Did I stutter? The sweater.”

Penelope shakes her head trying desperately to follow along. “But how? I don’t…”

“Oh wow… I think this is a first. Finally, there’s something that the all-power Penelope Park doesn’t know,” Lizzie replies. “I used an aetate charm mixed in with a super dose of whatever magic I siphoned from your room, which by the way, was off the charts. I haven’t had a rush like that since I accidentally siphoned off of my great aunt Gladys during Thanksgiving dinner. She was a notoriously powerful witch in our coven and let’s just say after siphoning from her I was able to levitate my dad’s Land Rover for like a month.”

Lizzie pauses for a moment, getting lost within the memory and Penelope takes the opportunity to quickly glance behind her at the library doorway.

Only 20 feet away.

She could make a run for it and maybe track down Hope…

Or MG…

Or anyone else that could help her defuse Lizzie.

“Don’t you even dare think about it,” Lizzie says and Penelope whips her attention back around to the blonde-haired siphoner. “Now where was I? Oh right… The sweater. The funniest thing happened when I used the aetate charm. It revealed that this sweater was somehow ten years old. Which is impossible because I know for a fact that my sister bought this sweater only four years ago. So which brings me back to my question… Who are you and what is this?”

“I told you already… I’m Penelope Park. And that is Josie’s sweater.” Penelope holds her breath upon these words, as an unsettling silence falls between the two of them. She studies the icy blue eyes staring back at her and suddenly wishes that she had paid more attention to all of those times that Caroline had tried to teach her the art of mind compulsion.

“Gelida.”

The curse hits Penelope before she has time to even process the word that Lizzie has just uttered. Every muscle in her body instantly locks, frozen by an invisible force. Penelope can’t move an inch, let alone even blink.

All she can do is breathe.

Lizzie inches forward as a look of puzzlement crossed over her face. “Okay. Now I know for sure you aren’t Penelope. The real Penelope would’ve seen that coming from a mile away. Hell, even Pedro would’ve.”

Penelope rages against the curse with every ounce of strength she has in her, beyond desperate to respond. But the curse wins out. She’s paralyzed.

“If you won’t tell me the truth, then let's see what you have to say to Josie and my dad,” Lizzie says. She gives Penelope one last look before turning on her heels and taking off down the hallway.

And all Penelope can do is watch in frozen silence, as wave after wave of the dreaded impending doom slowly drowns her.

__________

“Pen?”

Penelope’s eyes pop open at the distinct sound of Josie’s voice. It's been well over an hour since Lizzie left her and all that she’s managed to regain control over so far is her eyelids and her left pinky finger.

“Penelope?” The voice grows closer and Penelope once again fights against the invisible force that is holding her hostage within her own body. She screams out internally, desperate to answer, but no sound emerges.

“Pen? Where are-- Oh my god! Pen?!” Josie rounds the corner of the hallway and finally comes into view. Penelope’s eyes light up and she blinks rapidly. It isn’t much, but it’s enough for Josie to instantly understand.

Josie places her hand on the nearby wall. “Regelo!”

Penelope collapses against the hardwood floor with a thud. She slowly rolls over onto her side as a long groan escapes her lips. Everything hurts.

“Pen! Are you alright?” Josie rushes over and crouches down next to the raven-haired girl. Penelope nods as she takes a moment to recompose herself.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” Penelope replies. She pushes herself up into a sitting position and cracks her neck. “Just insanely sore.”

“What happened? Who did this to you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Pen…”

“It doesn’t.” Penelope shakes her head. “How’d you know where to find me?”

“Lizzie. She burst into our room ranting and raving that you weren’t the real you but some sort of demon and that she had trapped you in the downstairs hallway. I sorta ran out on her after that, but she threw this at me as I was leaving.” Josie pauses for a moment and pulls out the yellow sweater from the pocket of her sweatshirt. “She said she found it in your room? It looks like my sweater, but… but it can’t be. This one’s all torn up and destroyed… Pen, what is this?”

Penelope stares at the sweater as her mind races for something-- anything-- to say.

“Penelope?” Josie asks again and the underlying quiver to her voice slices through Penelope like a white-hot knife.

Penelope closes her eyes and then swallows back down the rising lump of emotions in the back of her throat. “It’s yours.”

“What?”

“It’s your sweater.”

“But… I don’t… How?”

“Because it is.”

It’s not an answer.

It’s a deflection.

And a vague one a best.

Josie deserves more. An actual explanation as to why the sweater exists and its origins.

But revealing the truth-- even the vaguest of tidbits-- is nothing short of opening Pandora’s box.

A risk that Penelope isn’t willing to take. Especially not when she knows the potential horrors that can come from it.

“You promised you wouldn’t lie to me,” Josie says and Penelope feels the emotional blade cut even deeper.

“I know.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

“I can’t…” Penelope replies in nothing more than a whisper and as soon as the words leave her lips, she knows that they are the final two nails in the coffin.

But there’s no other choice.

Josie’s chocolate brown eyes burn into Penelope’s skin as the silence of the desolate hallway once again all but engulf them. And all Penelope can do is focus on the yellow sweater on the ground before her.

Her once most beloved possession now turned Achilles heel.

“Then we’re done.”

The words hang heavy in the air, reverberating in the space around Penelope. She shuts her eyes in an effort to hold back the forthcoming tears and gives the tiniest of nods in understanding.

Footsteps soon follow, growing fainter and fainter until finally disappearing altogether back into the darkness.

Penelope doesn’t need to open her eyes to confirm what her heart already knows. Josie is gone.

And this time, it’s for good.

#posie #legacies #josie x penelope #josie saltzman #penelope park #hope mikaelson #lizzie saltzman #ao3 #fanfic #wlw

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