#but also the return to alicia was so rushed as well

[attackoneyebrows]

there’s a lot of polarizing takes on alicia and tatum but it’s really not black and white like alicia is better for leighton’s personal development, but kinda reinforces this weird notion that gays all have to be super open / showy about it and on the other hand, tatum has great chemistry w leighton, and is pretty chill abt giving people their own space to process things, but is also just kinda an asshole.

like you can make the argument that alicia didn’t give leighton enough space and could have handled it better (also valid that she didn’t wanna feel closeted again) or that tatum has the propensity to be less of an asshole over time with leighton’s help (but also does leighton wanna be dragged back into that world again) but at the end of the day people are all things good and bad.

personally i’m not ultra invested in either relationship - i mostly just care about leighton’s own char development, which felt super rushed in the last 2 eps but whatever that’s a whole diff topic.

[helloalycia]

unrequited // alicia clark

summary: after reuniting with Alicia after presuming her dead, you can’t help but think back to the last thing you said to her: that you’re in love with her.

warning/s: mentions of injury, blood and obvs the usual that comes with writing anything ftwd. also sad gay angst.

author's note: a lil one shot set in s7 that i wrote a while ago and finally got 'round to editing! it's set about the time after Morgan finds Alicia after the nuclear explosion (is that what it was? i can't even remember lol). It's been so long since i watched it so i can't even remember who the predominant characters in this part are, so apologies if it's incorrect! hope you enjoy anyway haha.

also another shameless plug but i've almost finished fully publishing my original fiction book titled 'Evie' on Wattpad so do check that out if you're into gay mermaids, pining and angst 👀

masterlist / wattpad

"It's called being efficient," I said with a hint of pride at my handiwork, but Sarah disagreed.

"It's called wasting time."

"Well, next time you happen to tear your favourite shirt, don't go asking for my help," I said to her lightheartedly, continuing to sew up a hole in my socks.

"We'll see," she mumbled, before leaving me be at the kitchen counter.

I chewed on my lip as I finished threading the needle through the hole, pulling the fabric together and tying it off. It was arguably pointless to some, but with everything going on outside the submarine that we were all seeking refuge in, I couldn't exactly go and pick up some new socks when my current ones ripped. So, why not put an old skill to practice?

After pulling my newly-repaired socks and shoes on my feet, I was about to head to my room when I heard a knocking coming from down the hall. Pausing, I listened again and realised someone was at the entry hole at the top of the ladder.

"Someone open up! It's me, Morgan!" a voice called from above when I approached the ladder.

"Oh, shit," I mumbled to myself, before calling out to him, "I'm coming, Morgan, one sec!"

"Great, thank you!" he said gratefully.

"Guys, Morgan's back!" I shouted down the hall, whilst rushing to climb the ladder.

Morgan had gone out two days ago with Grace and the baby, Mo, to seek help from Strand at his tower because Mo was sick and nobody knew what to do. Luciana, Daniel, Charlie, Sarah and I were left behind to hold down the fort, but we hadn't heard anything from him since. Naturally, we worried, but couldn't risk leaving when we promised to stay put until he returned. That, and it wasn't safe to leave without enough gas masks for us all.

But he was finally back! And as I unlatched the door above me, I prayed that everybody was okay, especially Mo.

"Morgan," I called with relief when I saw his face looking down at me. "C'mon, you were gone for so long, we were worried!"

He smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes, and that's when I realised things couldn't have gone well.

Knowing I had a million questions but he needed to come inside first, I jumped off the ladder and waited at the bottom to help. The others had joined me in the hallway, the lot of us anticipating what Morgan had to share.

He climbed down the ladder first and I began to help him, growing concerned when I noticed the dried blood and dirt in his clothes.

"Where's Grace? The baby?" Sarah pressed when she noticed the lack of the others. "Mo-Mo, what happened?"

"Strand took them," he said with regret, accepting my help off the ladder. His eyes followed up it, and I realised a stranger was following down after him – some girl.

"What?!" Sarah snapped, eyes widened, and everybody collectively gasped at the news.

"I managed to find an old friend, however," he continued, as I was about to lend a hand to the stranger.

Only, when she accepted my hand and jumped off the last few rungs of the ladder, my breath caught in my throat. It was Alicia, the girl who I'd presumed long gone, or even dead.

"Y/N," she exhaled, just as surprised as I was, before immediately pulling me in for a hug.

I hugged her loosely at first, oblivious to the excited comments from the others at the sight of their dear friend, and then I closed my eyes and tightened my hold, afraid to let go.

"You're here," she said with disbelief, before pulling away to meet my eyes. Hers were tired and dull, but momentarily bright as they met mine. "I mean, Morgan said you were but I didn't– I–"

When she didn't know what to say, I found my words. "I didn't know if you were alive. I was so worried, Alicia, I thought–" And then the shock faded, replaced by a nauseating guilt. "I wanted to look for you, but–"

"It wasn't safe," she finished for me, not the slightest bit offended. "I know, Y/N, I know."

I frowned, eyes flickering between hers, my heart thumping louder than ever at the mere sight of her. She was alive. She was back. She was okay.

After everybody became reacquainted with Alicia, and Morgan shared the news about Mo and Grace – Strand had taken them in, offering to 'help', but had tried to kill Morgan in the process – I went to the kitchen to get some food for them both. They'd also shared everything they'd been through after Strand stole Grace and Mo, including almost dying because of his men, getting caught up with some infected and declaring war on Strand, so it made sense as to why they both looked like they'd been through hell and back.

"Here," I said once I'd plated and warmed up some canned soup for them both, before adding for Alicia's sake, "this is all we have."

"It's perfect, thanks," she said with a nod, before digging in immediately.

Morgan nodded gratefully before doing the same. I cleaned up the mess I'd made as they were eating, before dismissing myself so I could sort out a sleeping space for Alicia. It didn't take long to find her an unoccupied bunk, and with Luciana's help, we put out some fresh sheets and found some clean clothes for Alicia. I could barely believe she was here still, having reluctantly accepted that I may never see her again, not so soon anyway.

Once I returned to the kitchen, Morgan was no longer there, but Alicia was still sat there finishing her soup.

"Hey, Luci and I have sorted out a space for you to get some sleep," I said, unsure why I suddenly felt awkward around her. "We've left some clean clothes on the bed for you, as well."

Alicia looked up, nodding, before taking the last slurp of her soup and wiping her mouth. She stood up from her stool, pausing and clutching the counter tightly for a moment.

"Hey," I started with concern, recognising she looked dizzy, and stepped forward to help, but she raised her hand to stop me.

"I'm fine," she said with a clipped tone, eyes closed as she took a deep breath.

"You don't look well," I commented, eyes scanning her face. Dark circles plagued her eyes and she was still clammy, something I thought was temporary because of the rush of the day, but clearly I was mistaken.

"Is it that obvious?" she snapped quietly, before exhaling sharply and opening her eyes, though avoiding mine.

"Sorry, I just–" I wasn't sure why she was suddenly moody, but I wanted to help somehow. "Do you need medicine? We don't have much, but I'm sure–"

"No, it won't work," she cut me off, before pushing her weight off the counter and onto her feet.

"What?"

Shaking her head, she sat back down on the stool for support. "It doesn't matter. Just give me a minute."

I nodded, though I couldn't help but worry. This wasn't the same girl I'd last seen before she was taken from us by Teddy, the homicidal maniac who believed he was a god. No, this Alicia was worn out, exhausted and sick. Something was wrong and I hated that I didn't know why. But not as much as I hated that she'd been left with him and his crazed cultist followers all alone.

"I can get you some water," I offered, wanting to do something, but she shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Right... well, d'you wanna take your shoes off? I'm sure you've been on your feet all day, it might help."

"No, thanks."

The longer she had her head in her hand, clutching at her forehead with her eyes closed, the more I didn't know what to do.

"Can I take your gloves off you? Maybe get some air to your hands?" I asked, noticing she hadn't removed them when she was eating. "Anything, Alicia, I–"

"I said I'm fine," she repeated firmly, before wincing at the way it came out.

I pursed my lips, nodding awkwardly. A quiet followed soon after and I wasn't sure how to fill it. The last time we had spoke, before Teddy had taken her... it hadn't been ideal. I was certain I'd ruined everything between us when I told her the truth about how I felt – that I was in love with her – and accepted that I might have lost her forever when she never told me what she thought because of the Teddy incident that occurred afterwards. But now she was back and things were awkward and the giant elephant in the room wasn't helping.

"I'm really glad you're okay," she suddenly spoke, voice soft but weighted with gratitude. "That you got out with the others." 

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you," I said, taking a seat on the stool beside her. "It all happened so quickly, with Teddy taking you. We were running out of time and we didn't know where to go and–"

"I'm glad you didn't go after me," she interrupted, looking up at me. "It wouldn't have been safe. They would have killed you if you tried anything, and if you didn't find me, the explosion would have. You were right to get out when you could."

Just because she said it didn't make me feel any better. Leaving Alicia behind was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do and I was certain I'd live with my regrets forever, even now that she was back with me.

"What happened, Alicia?" I asked. "Where were you?"

She exhaled tiredly, like the answer wasn't so easy. And when she began to tell me what, I realised it wasn't. She spoke of the moment Teddy took her, revealing his plans to blow everything up and keep his followers safe in a bunker that she was locked in with no escape. She told me about how she tried to escape, how they wouldn't let her, about Will, someone who tried to help her and was now dead because of Strand. And the the biggest surprise of all was when she revealed that she'd been bitten when she tried to escape, an infected leaving its mark on her arm, and how she had to saw off her own forearm to survive.

None of it seemed to phase her as she shared it, but I found myself tearing up at all of it. Naturally, my eyes fell to her arm when she told me, but they were both covered by forearm-length gloves.

"The fever won't leave," she explained, and it was beginning to make sense why she looked the way she did, pale and sweaty and exhausted. "The infection is killing me, Y/N."

"No," I muttered, refusing to believe it, because how was that fair? How could she have to go through all of that because some psychopath stole her away and tried to enforce his sick fantasies on her?

Alicia tugged off her glove, revealing a metal cast with a bone in it and a sharp knife at the end, all attached as a sleeve on her actual arm. I was speechless when I saw it, eyes unable to take in what I was seeing.

"Yeah, that's kind of how Morgan reacted, too," she said once she noticed my expression, sounding neither offended or annoyed.

"Alicia, I'm so sorry all of that happened to you," I said, finding my words as she replaced her glove.

The thought of her having to undergo all of that trauma by herself hurt, but she was the strongest person I knew. If she could do all of that, she could beat a little fever.

"Don't be sorry," she said. "It was better me than any of you."

I frowned, resisting the urge to hold her hand. "You don't know that that's what's making you sick. It could be something else."

"I do," she said patiently. "The infection was slowed down, but not gone entirely."

"But you could've got to it in time," I said hopefully.

"Y/N, I've tried everything," she lashed out, before swallowing hard and lowering her voice. "It won't go away. I'm dying."

I clenched my jaw, frustrated at the situation and refusing to give up just because she said so. "No. I don't think you are."

"Whatever."

She was bitter, avoiding my eyes and clearly peeved at my optimism. I stood up suddenly, earning her attention.

"You're not dying," I told her with certainty. "Not after everything. Not if I can help it."

"Uh-huh," she played along as if to avoid an argument, but I didn't let it bait me.

It was just a fever. We could break it. I truly believed we could.

The next day, a few of the others had gone out on a supply run, leaving Luciana, Daniel and I to stay back and keep an eye on Alicia, even if she didn't know it. Her fever wasn't letting up, even with the medication we gave her, and she was currently napping in her bunk per our instructions after she almost passed out at lunch.

It was my turn to watch her, so I was sat on a stool by the bottom bunk where she was currently fast asleep. A book was in my hand, an attempt to distract me and give her a little space, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't stealing glances at her every now and then. Eventually, her eyes began to flutter and her movement made me put my book down.

"Hey," I said gently, not wanting to startle her.

She blinked tiredly, eyes distant and confused. "Are the others back yet?"

"Not yet. How d'you sleep?"

She breathed out slowly, lifting both hands to rub her eyes, only to realise her mistake when one of them was missing. She'd removed her metal cast before going to sleep, along with her gloves. With a quiet sigh, she nodded to the opposite side of the room.

"Can you pass me my arm, please?" she asked, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bunk.

"You don't have to wear that in here if you don't want to," I reminded her, noticing she didn't answer my previous question. "It's just us."

"I do," she said dismissively, before nodding to her amputated arm. "It's ugly. The arm makes me feel normal. Like I once was."

As I got up to grab it, along with her gloves, I said, "You may think that, but I think it's just a part of you, and no part of you could ever be ugly, Alicia."

She froze at my words, jaw tensing slightly, and I realised I'd said too much. My intention was never to make her feel uncomfortable – quite the opposite actually – but judging from her reaction, I had.

"But my opinion doesn't mean anything," I added, hoping to ease the situation, "so here." I handed her the arm and gloves before deciding to leave, knowing it would be for the best.

As I was, she finally spoke up from behind me, stopping me in my tracks. "I can't give you what you want."

Turning around slowly, I met her unreadable gaze. "I didn't ask for anything."

She licked her lips, looking down at her hand. "What you said, the last time we saw each other... I can't..."

"I didn't ask for anything," I repeated, interrupting her. "And I already know. Your silence at the time said it all."

It wasn't easy to forget the look of disbelief she gave me once I'd said the words – I love you, Alicia – and the silence that followed after my declaration. She never told me what she thought or felt, but it was obvious enough.

I swallowed thickly, hoping my sadness wasn't showing. "You were my friend long before anything else, so I was only hoping to treat you as such. If that's too weird for you, then I'll step back."

When she didn't reply, nor look up at me, my insides shrivelled a little.

"For the record," I added defensively, "I didn't want anything from you. I've only ever been honest with you."

Again, she didn't answer, and I took that as an answer in itself and turned to leave. I knew she didn't feel the same as I – her silence spoke volumes – but it still made my heart crumble a little, hearing her finally admit it or imply it or whatever the hell that was just then.

Since Alicia and I's awkward encounter, I knew it was probably best to keep my distance and only converse when we needed to. Personally, I could live with only being her friend, but she didn't want that and I wasn't going to force myself on her. She was fair to want that, even if she'd gone about it in the wrong way. So, I stayed away.

Instead, I focused my energy on helping Luciana help Daniel, who was forgetting things slowly with time. He believed his daughter, Ofelia, was still alive and out there, so it was a struggle keeping him in the sub where it was safe. That, and creating a plan to get Grace and Mo back whilst simultaneously stopping Strand was keeping everyone busy.

It was a few days later when Alicia had left, following a lead on where this 'PADRE' person or place could be – according to Morgan, anyway. It wasn't like she'd said anything to me before she left. I didn't even know she'd gone until Morgan let everyone know afterwards.

She wasn't well, her fever only getting worse over the past few days, and the last thing she should have been doing was going outside all alone, chasing a lead that might not even exist. But it wasn't my business, I suppose, and she wouldn't have listened to my protests anyway.

As much as I pretended I didn't care, I did. And my concern only worsened when Alicia finally returned to us, though not by choice. It was Morgan who had brought her back after searching for her because she was gone too long. He'd found her unconscious and could barely carry her back to the submarine without needing extra hands. My heart had fallen into my gut when I saw her out of it, dark eyes closed and highly contrasting her pale skin.

Immediately jumping into action, I helped Morgan take her to her bunk, taking off her socks, shoes and jacket. She would have cursed me out or dropped some passive aggressive comment, but I also removed her gloves and arm, needing to get some fresh air to her skin. She was burning up, hair glued to her forehead, and my heart was shrinking the longer I watched her.

"You're gonna be okay," I whispered to her, even though she couldn't hear a thing. "You've got to be."

My fingers pushed her damp curls behind her ear, the sweat beading on her skin. She was too hot, but the cold cloth I was dabbing seemed to cool her down a little.

If things hadn't gotten so messed up between us – if I hadn't confessed my damn feelings to her – then maybe she would have trusted me enough to come with her to find whatever PADRE was. I couldn't have cared less about it, but at least I could have been there to make sure she was taking care of herself. We were so close at one point, as thick as thieves, and now she wanted nothing to do with me. I hated it.

But more importantly, I hated myself for being selfish for one moment, because it had cost me my friendship with her.

I stayed with her for a while, replacing the cold towel and dabbing her skin to bring down her temperature. My worry wouldn't let me leave her side, not whilst she was like this. But as soon as I saw her green eyes flicker open with confusion, I knew she'd want me gone.

"Morgan?" I called, standing up and putting the towel to the side. "She's awake!"

He was in the room in no time, just as concerned as I, and sighed with relief when he saw her fully waking up. I moved past him, giving him no chance to ask what was what, and left to go somewhere else.

I went to my bunk in another room, grateful nobody was there to see my disheartened self. At least she was okay. Morgan would make sure of it.

Busying myself with folding some washed clothes, trying to distract myself from the impending doom that seemed to be following us wherever we went, I almost didn't hear the knock on my open door.

"Yes?" I spun around, then paused, surprised to see Alicia standing there.

"Hey," she said quietly, voice hoarse.

"Hey," I murmured, still surprised that she was talking to me. "I'm glad you're up, but maybe you should rest."

She didn't look the best still, especially as she leaned against the door for support. But if she heard me say anything, she didn't let on. Her eyes were focused on the floor, distracted, and then she finally looked up, startled gaze meeting mine.

"You have to forgive me," she said suddenly, desperately. "For lying to you. For pushing you away. For making you feel worse."

My brows furrowed. "What?"

She began to frown, eyes watering. "I might be dying. And I know it's selfish, especially after everything, but I miss you, Y/N. And I've loved you this whole time, but you deserve better."

My eyes widened at her confession. This was the last thing I expected to hear, especially with the silent treatment and distance we'd shared these past few days.

"Say something, please," she pleaded.

I swallowed hard, looking around as if the answer would be right there. "I... I don't know what to say."

She tensed her jaw with uncertainty, waiting.

I took a moment, finding the right words to say. Calmly, I said, "If this is all true–"

"It is," she cut me off instantly, and I stared at her, unmoving.

"Why are you telling me now?" I asked. "What's changed?"

She sighed, ashamed. "The closer I get to dying, the worse I feel and the more scared I become."

"Alicia, you're not dying," I said sternly, sick of hearing it, but she only winced slightly in response and I knew she didn't believe me.

"I am," she said with finality, making me frown. "And I thought that pushing you away would be what was fair. It still is, for you." Inhaling sharply, she avoided my eyes. "I'll be gone and it's not fair to tell you how I feel when that'll happen, but I can't help it. If I'm only here for so long, I... I want it to be with you." Her eyes crept back to mine, glistening with unshed tears. "I don't want to go knowing that I didn't have to be alone in the end. That I pushed you away."

My heart was full as I watched her, her own heart on her sleeve, expression full of embarrassment, shame and guilt. It made sense what she was saying, but I only wished she hadn't thought like that.

"Firstly," I started, approaching her, "you're not dying, so quit saying that. Secondly, I'm gonna help you. This isn't it, okay?" I followed her eyes, refusing to let her break contact. "But no more stupid walkabouts without help. Thirdly, the fact that you thought pushing me away would be fair to me is insane. In case you didn't hear me the last time, I'm in love with you. Have been for a long. Why the hell would you think I'd just get over you like that? That I wouldn't forgive you?"

"But I was horrible," she reminded me. "I disregarded your feelings."

I looked down, holding out my hand. She placed hers in mine reluctantly, and I squeezed it gently to show her I meant what I was saying.

"You're not now," I told her. "And I would have had you in my life as a friend, an enemy, even a stranger, rather than not at all. You could literally tell me you hate me and I'd still be here. Guess that's what love does, right?"

When I looked up, her eyes were on mine, a tear having slipped out. Her lips were trembling and it broke my heart.

"Come here," I said, tugging her close, and she fell right into me, hugging me tight.

I fought back my own tears as I wrapped my arms around her, grateful to have her back. It was just my luck that she loved me, too.

After a moment, I tried to pull apart, but she stopped me, immediately pressing her lips to mine in a sloppy, desperate, teary kiss. I closed my eyes, kissing her back whilst letting her lean on me for support. When we pulled apart, I cupped her face and wiped her tears away with my thumbs, not wanting her to be so upset anymore. I leaned in, pressing a brief kiss to her lips, the butterflies in my stomach almost lifting me off the ground. Any other instance and I would have been too caught up in the fact that she liked me, too, but her well-being was my biggest concern right now.

"I'm sorry," she said, barely a whisper.

"You don't need to apologise," I told her, before letting go of her face and taking her hand. "You do need to rest though. C'mon."

I half expected her to protest, but she let me take her back to her bunk. I didn't leave her side as she lay back down, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. Stroking my fingers in her hair, I was glad to see her eyes closing contently, appreciating the momentary peace.

"I promise I'm gonna fix this," I said with conviction. "You're going to get better."

"But if I don't–"

"No buts," I stopped her. "You will."

She opened her eyes slowly, an almost childlike wonder in them, both desperate and hopeful. Those were the same eyes I'd fallen in love with over the years, the same eyes I'd once avoided because I was too scared to admit how I felt. Never did I believe I'd end up here.

She nodded at my words and I'd almost forgotten I'd spoken because of how distracted I got. I pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and continued to stroke her hair, watching her eyes close yet again.

I wasn't going to lose her, not now that I had her back.

[tuiyla]

so I was never really on the leighton/tatum train (they were cute and had great chemistry but I always liked the idea of leighton’s endgame love interest being someone who didn’t really come from her world, I guess, whether that’s alicia or a new girl — and I did have a soft spot for leighlicia’s banter) but I also have a lot of issues with how tatum’s character was written off and the pacing. you also brought up such a good point that it makes no sense how the “new” leighton wasn’t a little more empathetic and didn’t try to explain to tatum what she loved about the women’s center - the fact that she discarded her so quickly, paired with the fact that she didn’t return to or even think of her women’s center friends at all until ep9, did make it look like she just suddenly wanted alicia back after that text, which is not what I think the writers were going for lol. I do wonder if you think the 25 min, 10 episode season format is partially to blame, along with the decision to rush through the rest of freshman year? I feel like all the arcs this season, for the other girls too, had the potential to be good, but they were pretty much all rushed - I think the only storyline that really worked for me and felt satisfying/earned was whitney finding her major. I don’t know, I’m sorry to rant, but I’ve found your takes interesting & wanted to say that even as a leighlicia fan who kinda got what she want, I didn’t feel satisfied and tatum’s character did deserve better :(

I really appreciate you Anon because you get what I'm saying. I try to be clear that I don't care all that deeply about who it is Leighton is with and ultimately I just want her to be happy and have a good story behind that. So all my criticisms aren't because I'm a bitter Tatum stan, I just think this wasn't done well.

I wish there was an episode before ep 9 where Leighton mentioned the women's center or it came up in some context where Leighton acted more woke than anyone expected her to and she realized how much she learned from them and that she did miss them. Didn't even have to be an actual episode's storyline maybe just one scene. That would already have made it make more sense, but then on top of that have Tatum dismiss that and make Leighton uncomfortable with how much she's like s1 Leighton. But no, all we had was zero mentions of the women's center and Tatum being nothing but a good supportive understanding reassuring gf. Wtf how am I supposed to be fine with Leighton blowing up at her for one mistake after that? And really my main problem is that this way it seems like Leighton's just talking out of her ass and her development doesn't nearly have adequate weight behind it, therefore feeling empty. I wouldn't have even cared about throwing Tatum under the bus but do it properly.

I think the format is to blame, partially. I've heard it said before and I agree that Sex Lives is a show that would benefit from the more traditional 20-22 episode season structure, or at least 45 minute-hour long episodes. I get it, those minutes are mostly for dramas but there's only so much balancing the show can do between four leads and their pocket universe storylines. Maybe even just 16 episodes of the same length. But also the main issue is that they decided to rush freshman year, and more specifically with Leighton that for some reason they wanted to speedrun what could have been half a season's worth of development in a few scenes. I don't get it, because the other girls were all left on varying degrees of cliffhangers. Maybe at the end of this season we could have had Leighton return to the women's center but have that be an actual milestone instead of a throwaway decision as a result of wanting to see Alicia. Imo it could have had a much bigger impact and then the landing is automatically better. Really just many ways to improve the messy way in which they handled Leighton.

I think Kimberly's was a bit rushed but overall still better paced, and I'd straight up say Bela's arc was just good and well-timed. Which proves to me that they can do it, just maybe not four at the same time idk. Also just from a selfish point of view I'd kill to have longer seasons because I need more day in the life from these girls and I so wish this was a network comedy with a bunch of comfort episodes to just play on a loop.

Anyway, thanks for this Anon, thanks for reading my ramblings and thanks for stopping by. I love it when people actually hear what I'm saying haha. So by all means rant to me any time! TSLOCG is the most passionate I've been about a new show in a while and the more people reach out the less I have to will myself to go in the tags and subsequently block a bunch of people. And yeah I'm happy for your ship and I'm happy for Leighton's happiness but this is what I mean, bad writing makes even one's own ship taste bittersweet. I hope they don't just start season 3 by writing Alicia out immediately but we'll actually see a new dynamic.

[conspiracy-crows]

(thank you @stealingyourbones for the dm reminder! <3 )

Nancy was proud of her work. She'd studied hard, and kept studying even after nursing school. She was one of the foremost specialists on treating Meta patients in the region!

This was really not saying all that much, given the region was fairly underpopulated. But she was still proud, and proud of the clinic she worked for.

Tommy's Place was a meta resource center with a modest clinic, a couple of counselors, a resource library, and the beginning of a community space. They were still setting up, still gathering funding. Most of the staff had other jobs in addition to this one. Thankfully they also had a long list of others who were able to volunteer in case of emergency.

Extra thankfully the day the glowing teen crashed through the window. He had a bundle of papers clutched to his chest as he curled tightly around his abdomen.

"P-please, I-nngh- It's my," the boy groaned piteously. "Appendix"

He hissed again. Nancy crouched next to him, hands hovering.

"Okay, try to breathe for me, okay?" She smiled encouragingly, holding her hand out. Either to help him up and back to a bed, or for the paperwork he was guarding.

"Promise-Promise you won't tell anyone?!" He whispered, crystal blue eyes glowing, casting a strange light onto her face. The next moment he groaned loudly again, curling tighter around himself. "Please you can't, t-they'll...Fuuuuck they'll cut me open."

"I won't tell anyone who isn't beholden to HIPPA, and when we've got you treated we can get some NDA's, okay?" She leaned forward, carefully putting a hand on the kid's back.

He was thin, probably too thin. He held out the paperwork and Nancy takes it going. Her coworker, Jim a counselor, has made his way over. She hadn't realized how bad the blast zone was. There was glass over half the room, and at least one of their fake plants had been shredded by it. How fast had he been going?!

"Hey kid, everything is gonna be fine, okay?" Jim said in a rush. Before anyone could respond he'd picked the boy up and was rushing toward the nearest open bed.

The poor child was sobbing as he was laid down carefully. Jim was frowning in that way he usually did when one of the local kids came in beaten to hell. The ones who refused to say who had hurt them, and avoided the non-medical staff like the plague.

"Not now." Nancy glared, pointing to her desk. "If you're helping start calling people. We need Gary and Alicia here ASAP. Tell them 'acute abdominal pain at a 9 out of 10, suspected Appendicitis in late stages."

She returned her focus to the boy. The glow around him had dimmed, but his eyes were beginning to flicker between ice blue, and a green she usually associated with the mad scientists from Amity.

"Frostbite-Uggh fuck- Frostbite can't do Living" He hissed out, eyes clenching shut as he groans. "I-I'm gonna need a lot more anesthetic, and t-those fancy sutures... Blood will probably eat through a lot of the equipment."

"I've got your papers, don't worry, Jim's calling for help." Nancy reassured. She tried not to think too hard about what he meant by Living. Or who Frostbite might be. If he was from Amity like she suspected, digging to deep would be dangerous for everyone. Especially him.

"Y-You can't keep those..." He groaned, grabbing her arm with a hand so cold she felt goosebumps rise on her skin. There was more foce than a boy in his condition should be able to muster as well. Though, Nancy noted in the back of her head, the grip still felt weaker than her instincts told her it would be. "I-I can't.. If they find the records..."

"No one will get them. It's our job to keep kids like you safe." She reassured again. She pretended his pleas didn't cut her heart out of her chest. Tommy's hadn't been open for more than 6 months, but still, his terrified begging brought up memories of other kids. Kids who came back time and again.

She didn't know if she hoped this boy would be back or not. Mostly she just hoped they could help him fast enough.

Another wave of pain crashed over the kid. He sobbed and curled up further. Jim was on the phone and she could see a car already pulling up. Alicia's by the rattle it made. Good, she was the anesthesiologist. The sooner they could reduce his pain, the better.

Nancy started speed reading the papers in front of her, hazel eyes going wide as she did.

"Jim! Better call Billy, Alex, and Jake as well!" She called out to her coworker.

This was going to be a very, very long night.

Short DPXDC Prompts #1036

Danny’s appendix bursts. If he doesn’t go to a hospital now he will die fully. The only place he could think of that wouldn’t get him reported to the GIW is a Meta Emergency Resource Centre.

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #430: Savage Rebirth!

Read Date: October 16, 2022 Cover Date: January 1998 ● Writer: Tom DeFalco ● Penciler: Joe Bennett ● Inker: Bud LaRosa ● Colorist: Bob Sharen ● Letterer: Richard Starkings ◦ Kiff Scholl ◦ Comicraft ● Editor: Ralph Macchio ●

Synopsis: Spider-Man is elated that the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, who were long believed to have died during the final battle against Onslaught, have returned alive and well. In his excitement, the wall-crawler momentarily forgets that there is currently a bounty on his head. Looking forward to seeing the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man heads to the Four Freedoms Plaza where he remembers that the FF no longer live there and that it is now the current headquarters of the Thunderbolts. He then decides to go to the Daily Bugle later to find out where the Fantastic Four are headquartered at. As he leaves, he is observed by Atlas, Techno, and Citizen V of the Thunderbolts. They briefly wonder if the web-slinger has discovered the truth about them, but dismiss this as Spider-Man doesn't strike them as much of a detective. Needing to get to classes at Empire State University, Peter finds a nearby ally to change back into his civilian clothes, knowing that his wife is concerned for his safety since the bounty.

While high above the planet, the Silver Surfer saves a space station from an approaching meteor. He is also delighted to hear that the Fantastic Four are back, but he is concerned what this means about his current relationship with Alicia Masters, the Thing's former girlfriend. Back on Earth, Peter Parker meets up with his wife, who is unhappy to hear that her husband was web-slinging. He assures her that it was an isolated incident, telling her that now that the missing heroes are back, it will take a lot of pressure off him to become Spider-Man and put himself at risk. After Peter smooth things over he heads off to class, confident that this time he will be able to keep his promise to his wife and stay out of the webs until he can clear his name.

At that moment, at Ravencroft Institute, the new administrator is furious over the cost overruns during Ashley Kafka's run of the facility, particularly when it comes to dealing with Cleuts Kasady, the notorious serial killer known as Carnage. Despite warnings from the security staff, the new director decides to reduce some of the microwaves that keep him contained in his cell, confident that Kasady won't notice the change. Unfortunately, as soon as he shuts down the microwave containment, Cletus turns into Carnage and breaks free from his cell. After slaughtering the guards, Carnage escapes the facility, seeking to get revenge against Spider-Man. While at the Daily Bugle, Joe Robertson is in a meeting with J. Jonah Jameson and demands to know why Jonah sold the Bugle to Norman Osborn and why he has been acting so strangely since. When Jonah doesn't give him any answers, Joe Robertson tells him that he has to make some of his own and storms out. On his way out, he bumps into Jacob Conover, who tells him that Osborn is shopping for a new editor-in-chief and that Robertson might soon be out of a job. As Conover is warmly invited into Norman's office, Joe suddenly feels like a stranger. Returning to his office, Joe thinks about quitting, something that his wife wants him to do anyway, but isn't sure what he should do. It's then that Peter Parker arrives to find out where the Fantastic Four are making their home. His thoughts are interrupted by Billy Walters, one of the Bugle's new reporters, who has scored some tickets to see the Knicks play. Since Billy has been trying hard to be friendly, only for Peter to blow him off to be Spider-Man, Peter decides to take him up on the offer.

While down in the lobby, Martha Robertson rushes to catch the elevator up to the newsroom. The elevator is held open by none other that Cletus Kasady. When he hears that this woman is the wife of Joe Robertson, Kasady decides to use her to send a message. Moments later, everyone hears a blood curdling scream coming from the elevators. Recognizing the voice of his wife, Joe Robertson rushes to see what is wrong and is horrified by what he sees. While at Empire State University, Mary Jane is having lunch with Jill Stacy and Shantal Wilsk. Shantal wants to know what's going on with her and Peter, but Mary Jane is being candid as usual. However, when she overhears a radio report about Carnage's escape, Mary Jane collapses into a chair. Her friends concern for her well-being is nothing compared to the fear that Mary Jane feels for her husband. Back at the Bugle, Joe is relieved to discover that his wife is still alive, Carnage only stabbed her in the arm so he could write "Carnage Rules" on the wall of the elevator in blood. Seeing this, Peter realizes that he can't just stand back and do nothing and slips away to hunt for Carnage as Spider-Man. Not far away, Carnage is terrorizing a man for parking in a handicapped space and is about to crush him with a car when Spider-Man saves him. Their battle attracts the attention of the Silver Surfer who has just arrived over the city. Recognizing Spider-Man, the Surfer flies down to lend him a hand.

When Carnage makes contact with the Surfer, he is shocked when his symbiote suddenly abandons him, leaving Kasady in a near catatonic state. The Silver Surfer realizes how serious the threat of the symbiotes are and tries to follow after the alien creature while Spider-Man handles Cletus. Kasady tells Spider-Man that his symbiote's last thoughts that they must have revenge, but there was only one way to stop the Surfer. Suddenly, the ground explodes and Spider-Man is horrified to see that the Carnage symbiote has now bonded to the Silver Surfer. Now calling itself the Cosmic Carnage, the alien creature intends to use the Surfer's power to take out its anger and frustration on the entire universe.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_430)

Fan Art: Spider-Man And The Silver Surfer (John Byrne) colored by xts33

Accompanying Podcast: ● Untold Talks of Spider-Man - episode 06

[ladydimitrescuspet]

I'll Always Come Back

ao3 link! this is kind of a sequel to come back to me [ao3 & tumblr]... but I also realise that three years probably doesn't make sense in reincarnation but we're gonna pretend that it does for the sake of daniela! and I meant to post this last night, but I fell asleep! anyway, please enjoy and tell me what you think!

***

You’d been in the village for a few hours asking about directions to the castle, but most of the villagers that you asked to direct you just looked at you like you were insane. You could see them whispering and staring at you before they would shake their head at you to stop you from asking them for directions. Letting out a sigh you’d completely given up until someone tapped you on the shoulder causing you to spin around.

“Oh, uh, hi, sorry. I, um, I heard you were looking for a way to the castle, is that right?” The person asked. You nodded your head and they smiled. “I can help you get there if you like. I actually work at the castle.”

Your eyes lit up. “Oh, really? I would appreciate the help so much!” You replied. “My name’s Y/N, what’s yours?”

“Oh, my name’s Bela. It’s nice to meet you, Y/N.” Bela said as she squinted her eyes at you. “This might be a weird question, but have I seen you around here before?”

You quickly shook your head. “No, I’ve never been here before. I actually just moved here from overseas.” You replied as the two of you walked together.

“Hmm, my apologies then. You just look so familiar.” Bela said. “We’ll have to go get my sister before we make our way to the castle, Y/N, I hope the delay is alright with you.”

“It’s more than fine. I’m in no rush, really.” You said. “So what can you tell me about the castle and, um, the Lady of the Castle? What was her name, Alicia? Alice? Allison? I can’t remember.” You finally said after a few guesses.

“You mean Lady Dimitrescu?” You raised your eyebrow. “Her first name is Alcina, but nobody calls her by her first name. We address her as My Lady, Mistress, or Lady Dimitrescu.” You nodded your head at Bela’s explanation. “Will you wait right here? My sister, Cassandra, is taking an awfully long time in the shop and I’d like to get back before it gets any darker out.”

You nodded your head again. “Yeah, I can wait. It’s no problem for me.” You gave her a small smile that she returned before leaving you by yourself.

“Be wary of that one, child.” A voice said from behind you but when you looked back there was no one there so you shrugged it off.

You waited for a bit before you saw the blonde return with a brunette. “Do you think Daniela will like what I picked out?” You heard the brunette ask. You assumed she was Bela’s sister, Cassandra, but who was Daniela? “I know she’s been sad since the passing so I hope this cheers her up!”

“Trust me, Daniela’s going to like it.” Bela replied before she stopped in front of you. “Meet Y/N, Cass. I told them I work at the castle and that I would take them there.”

Cassandra frowned. “But you do-“ Bela elbowed her and growled a bit. “Oh, right, right. Yes, we work at the castle and would be more than happy to show you to it, Y/N!” Cassandra said with a big smile on her face.

“Come on, let’s go. It’s getting darker and colder by the minute and Lady Dimitrescu hates it when we arrive back late.” Bela said as she took your hand and started dragging you up the path that led to the Castle.

You shifted the bag on your shoulder as it was starting to become uncomfortable to carry. But you didn’t make your discomfort noticeable or at least you thought you didn’t until Cassandra leaned over to whisper in your ear.

“Want me to carry that for you?” Cassandra asked. You would’ve told her no, but she was already pulling the bag down your arm and on her own shoulder. “There! Much better.” She said before closing the distance between her and Bela. “Does Y/N seem familiar to you?”

“Yes! I asked if I’d seen them around, but they just moved to the village.” Bela replied. “But there’s just something about them that I can put my finger on.”

You could see Bela and Cassandra talking, but you couldn’t hear a word they said. You shoved your hands in your pocket as a cold wind sent a shiver down your spine. You didn’t even notice that the two sisters had stopped until you ran into Bela.

“Oh, sorry. Is something wrong?” You asked as you looked at the both of them. They shook their heads in response. “Alright then. Are we close to the Castle? The sun is barely visible and I know you said you wanted to get back before it got darker and colder, Bela.”

Bela gave you a small smile. “Yeah, the Castle is just over this hill.” Bela replied as she took off her cloak. “But put this on. It’ll hide how messy your appearance is to Lady Dimitrescu until we can get you cleaned up for her.” You took the piece of clothing from her and wrapped it around yourself.

“Fantastic! Now, come on before I freeze to death.” Cassandra said with a small cackle. You raised your eyebrow but didn’t question her. When you arrived at the Castle doors, Cassandra turned to you. “Do not speak unless she speaks to you.” You nodded your head before Cassandra opened the door up, ushering you and her sister inside from the cold.

“Wow, it’s beautiful in here.” You said softly as you followed the sisters up the foyer stairs. “And the both of you work here?” You asked. The Castle seemed a bit familiar to you, but you knew that you had never stepped foot in it before, let alone Romania until the other day.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” A voice called out from across the room. You turned your head to see a very tall woman clad in a white dress walking over to the three of you. “Bela, Cassandra, you were out well past the time you were supposed to be. Explain.”

Cassandra cleared her throat. “Apologies. I couldn’t figure out what to get Daniela. And Bela picked up a foreigner from the village who wanted to see the castle, Mother.” Your eyes widened a bit at her last word.

You turned to Bela. “Mo- Mother? But you said you wo-“ You were cut off by the Lady of the castle.

“Silence, little one.” Lady Dimitrescu said. “Girls, go show your sister what you got her while I clean our guest up.” The two sisters nodded their heads at their Mother’s request before flying away. Wait, flying away? You shuddered a bit which caused an amusing smile to grace the Lady’s face. “Oh, don’t worry, little one, I’ll take good care of you.”

You allowed her to lead you upstairs to what you assumed to be her chambers. The furniture in the room was huge but compared to her it looked perfectly normal compared to a woman of her height.

“Lady Dimitrescu?” You asked. She hummed. “What’s going on?”

The Lady chuckled softly. “I am preparing you to join us for dinner tonight. I have someone who will be pleased to see you… again.” You didn’t catch the last word she said as it was muttered. “Now, go wash up, draga mea, we mustn’t keep my daughters waiting.” She said as she gestured toward the bathroom.

You washed up as quickly as you could, making sure our face was clean and your hair looked nice. When you emerged from the bedroom, you found the Lady sitting on the bed next to some clothes.

“Put this on and then we will head back downstairs.” She said, gesturing to the clothes on her right side. You took the clothes back to the bathroom and changed into them. “You look marvellous. Come now., let us go eat.” Lady Dimitrescu said as she headed for the door.

You followed behind her until the two of you entered the dining room where you saw Bela and Cassandra sitting with a redhead that you assumed was Daniela.

“Daniela, this is our guest for the night, Y/N. I’m sure your sisters have told you of their arrival to the village.” Lady Dimitrescu said before gesturing for you to sit down. The redhead, Daniela, had yet to look up at you or even acknowledge your presence and you could see the Lady’s face crease into a frown as she sat down. “Daniela, acknowledge our guest, please.”

You heard Daniela sigh until she looked up at you and gasped. “You.” She whispered. She stood up from her chair and made her way over to you. “You came back.”

You frowned. “I’ve, um, I’ve never been here before.” You replied before taking glances at the Lady and her two other daughters. “I think you all have me mistaken for someone else.” The sense of familiarity from the Castle was still heavy on you and you felt like maybe you had been there before.

Tears welled up in Daniela’s eyes as she turned to face her Mother. “Mother, they don’t remember me? Us?” She asked.

Lady Dimitrescu gave her daughter a sad smile. “You have to help them remember, dear.”

Daniela nodded her head before turning to face you. She pointed at your hand. “May I?” You hesitated a bit, but nodded, giving her permission. When she took your hand in hers, you felt a tiny spark.

“Dani?” You whispered. “You’re my Daniela.” You looked up at her with a smile on your face, one that she reciprocated. “I… there was… I couldn’t… how?” You settled on a question.

“It’s a bit of a long story, and I’m more than happy to share it,” Daniela said. “But right now, I’m just happy you’re back. I missed you.” She whispered as she cupped your cheek. She leaned in to kiss you and you met her halfway. The kiss causing a flood of memories to come back to you about your past time at the Castle and with Daniela.

“I missed you too.” You replied when the two of you broke the kiss. You almost forgot about the company that was still in the room until someone cleared their throat causing you to flush. “Oh, I’m sorry, My Lady.” You said sheepishly.

The Lady gave you a dazzling smile. “It’s quite alright, dear. I’m just glad you remember our dear Dani and how much the two of you meant to each other.”

You flushed even more. “Well, I’d be a fool to forget her again.” You said before pressing a kiss to Daniela’s forehead. “I’ll always come back to you, love.”

[mitsukui]

Hello lovely, I was wondering if I could ask for some protective/jealous George, either smut or fluff it’s up to you. ❤️❤️ thank you for your writings!

Hey, boo! Thank you so much for your request and your kind words! I hope you can enjoy this somehow ❤️ (And honestly, thank you SO much for feeding my George obsession, ugh) Oh, and I wrote this as a little blurb, which I had to put under a ‘Keep Reading’ cut because I can’t control myself, I hope that’s okay!

Suggestive content below! Nothing explicit, though.

Fireworks erupted in George’s eyes as soon as you walked into the Gryffindor Common Room. You had one of your arms linked with one of Alicia Spinnet’s, and you two were giggling and exchanging whispers. However, what really caught his attention was the Sugar Quill hanging from your lips.

From time to time, you would run your tongue over the beginning of the fake quill or even hollow your cheeks to get a better suck at it. It only took him a few seconds of staring to realize this was an easy recipe to his own disaster.

He had been in love with you for a while now. He liked to think his feelings were a secret, deeply hidden within his warm heart. But the thing was: George had always been terrible at hiding his feelings.

The way he would stare at you, the deep flush his cheeks gained whenever you did something he was not expecting, and the effect your voice had on him were only a few of the numerous things tha gave him away.

When he was about to approach you to talk about a Potions’ essay, someone made a move first: Cormac McLaggen.

Now that prick had some nerve.

It was crystal clear he was in love with you, too. And he was in a better position than George, given how he was not as shy and self-conscious as the red-headed was.

To watch him carelessly talking and flirting with you was one thing. It was painful but, somehow, bearable. To watch him touching you was out of his comfort zone, though.

Cormac’s fingers captured the Sugar Quill from your lips, a thin string of saliva dropping down onto your chin. George watched and groaned in a burning pain that had never existed in his chest before. The candy was taken to Cormac’s lips, your eyes shockingly following his dominant actions.

The younger boy sucked on your candy and, soon enough, returned it to you, squishing your cheeks slightly, so your lips would part just enough to grant him access to your mouth.

Your tongue swirled across the sugary surface, disbelief still rushing through your veins. You now tasted a bit of what seemed to be his yet warm saliva, and you were not sure if you enjoyed it.

That scene was too much for George.

He stood up from the chair that accommodated his tall body and walked towards both of you. He was unsure of what had gotten into him, but he was sure of one simple thing: it was high time everyone knew you here his girls, and therefore, no one should mess with you.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” He spat at Cormac, who suddenly started holding a cheeky grin on his lips. “That was bloody disrespectful!” His silhouette stood right in front of yours, and it was like a shield had been positioned there. He was very tall, and has a very muscular body, apparently, caused by the years he had spent playing Quidditch.

“That was an indirect kiss, mate. Ever heard of one, or are you too much of a coward for that?”

He swallowed hard at the words that reached his ears. If you were not there, he would have punched Cormac down by now. His fists clenched, and a deep breath was taken before his next words.

“Actually, I tend to prefer real kisses. Just like this one.”

And then, it happened. Out of pure jealousy and a bit of lust as well. He turned around to face you, murmuring a soft ‘excuse me’ as the candy was once more removed from your lips. With one hand only, he pulled you closer to him by your waist and latched his lips onto yours.

That was the best kiss you had ever had. While it was very gentle, it also translated a deep urgency, one it was still new to you. His tongue barely asked for permission before entering your mouth and connecting itself with yours. The slim fingers on your waist gave your skin a hard squeeze, making you almost melt into him.

After a few seconds, he broke away. His gave searched for yours, desperately trying to find answers for all the questions that clouded his mind. A message had been delivered, but had you understood and enjoyed it?

“Please, do that again.” You whispered to him, your warm breath hitting his face, and your sugary taste still lingering on his lips.

Godric, he would do that as many times as you would like him to.

Masterlist!

[mcmusing]

During my recent re-watch of the Fantastic Fours, I realized even more why Rise of the Silver Surfer is one of the best sequels ever made. It succeeds where too many followups fail. It stays true to the protagonists while also further developing them, raises the stakes, ventures into new territory, avoids rehashing, and balances the drama-action-levity masterfully.

Some of the interesting aspects:

-The movie opens with bizarre disasters going on across the globe. Right away, the audience is informed that there is a mysterious and much bigger threat this time around.

-Re-introducing the Fantastic Four being the Fantastic Four. They're full-blown celebrities now, Reed and Sue keep having their weddings derailed, Ben is comfortable in his rocky skin, and Johnny is more hilarious than ever.

-Reed is as eager to get married as Sue, but he can't help his fixation with trying to save the world via science. Still, it's evident that if he had to choose, he would pick superhero retirement to have a family with Sue.

-All criticism for Sue prioritizing her wedding is absurd. She's concerned about Johnny's power glitch and understands how important it is that they cooperate with the military. Her role as Team Heart gets expanded. Her empathy convinces the Silver Surfer to be their allie. It is devastating when she tries to protect him, but the alien technology penetrates her force field. She's deeply pierced in the chest. It is so gut-wrenching to watch the Team Heart bleeding to death from her own.

-Chris Evans incredible emotional range as Johnny. He's still the kid of the team with innocence and vulnerability behind his showboating persona, but there's clearly more to him. After being the one most in love with his powers, he's now seriously struggling in that area. He's also going through growing pains and trying to figure out what he wants out of life besides media attention.

-Ben went through so much sorrow in the first film and he's completely earned the happiness and peace of mind he has now. He's more outgoing and adored by children. He's willing to go down fighting, but admits he'd rather go out holding Alicia. He is the Team Muscle and strong support pillar for the others.

-The Four have individual arcs and interpersonal relationships, but they're obviously a unified team. Whatever disagreements between them, there's no doubt what an inseparable force they are.

-It's so amazing how well the sub-plots mesh together. Johnny's power issues, Sue and Reed's wedding woes, and the Silver Surfer arriving on Earth are necessary for the end and wrapped up nicely.

-The pacing was great, never too rushed or dragged out. There are plenty of human moments instead of hurrying to get to the next action sequence.

-Victor Von Doom returning without crowding the film or being Magneto levels repetitive. He's supposed to be hostile towards the Four, but Julian McMahon's chemistry with the rest of the cast comes off as if he's comfortable with their temporary truce. Victor and Reed working together looked so natural and he even appeared quietly proud when Reed asserted himself authoritatively towards the general. It's easy to interpret their inevitable fallout as a 'what could have been' scenario.

-The Four having actual friends besides their fans. Alicia is much closer to the other three now, especially Sue. Her relationship with Ben gets more screentime as well. After getting acquainted with the team for less than a day, the Silver Surfer is more loyal to them than any alleged friendship in the X-movies.

-Messages like true heroism requires a lot more than flashy powers. Also, how arguments in a family doesn't necessarily make any one member absolutely wrong or right. No view is dismissed as invalid. Compare that mature approach to the mcu's marketing of Team Tony vs. Team Steve.

-An ending that would make even the hardest heart jump for joy.

I am so grateful for the Definitive Fantastic Four films, especially with what's happening in current day. It's a shame that if any future comic book movies stay true to their source material while also being entertaining, it likely won't be in my lifetime.

A sad situation I might have to remedy.....

[gellavonhamster]

la casa de papel s5 part 2

spoilers under read more

Turns out I predicted many things right, such as, most importantly, that no one else is going to die :) The writers of the show seem to be very concerned about subverting expectations (like many show writers these days, often to the detriment of the writing), and letting all main characters make it to the finale actually is unexpected after making it clear that no one is safe by killing the narrator. I kinda started suspecting that Matías Pamplona might be the one to die after he was given the code name - thought that they’re making him a more important character so that the audience feels sadder when he dies - but I am glad to have been wrong. Also called it that Arturito is going to survive as well - he’s the Thénardier of this story, the despicable character who gets to live and thrive while good people die because Life Just Ain’t Fair sometimes

I was also right about Rafael and Tatiana playing some role in the plan (otherwise their flashbacks would’ve been completely pointless), but I expected either him or her or both of them to help the Professor, not steal from him. It’s kinda more interesting this way, though, because otherwise it would’ve been too deus ex machina. However, I do think that Sergio managing to persuade Rafael to return most of the gold was one of the weakest, most improbable moments of this half-season. Of course, the Professor is grabbing at straws at this point, but Rafael agreeing to do this (without even meeting him, just based on a note) out of respect for “family tradition” when the family in question is the uncle he met once and the father he betrayed... let’s just say the Professor got very, very lucky.

Oh, and Tatiana has a little more agency now, but still little to no personality. A pity. Not so much pity about Rafael because I couldn’t care less about him, but I really hoped that I would grow to like her.

Very disappointed by the absence of Nairobi in the fish party flashback :( I get that it was probably not worth bringing back Alba Flores, who probably already has a lot of other work, to do just one small scene (I guess the scenes of her in class were filmed during previous seasons), but I still really wished we got to see more of her. She’s still one of the best parts of this show for me.

Also I wish Helsinki had more scenes, but okay, at least he’s alive. What’s up with his leg, though? When the entire gang leaves the hangar in the season finale, he walks just fine, but wasn’t it highly likely that even after the operation he was going to lose his leg? But alright, I’m willing to close my eyes at that, because I’m happy for him

Most of the romance stuff was extremely annoying. The Manila/Denver/Stockholm love triangle? I couldn’t wait for it to end. Tatiana leaving Berlin for Rafael? Do I look like I could care about these flashbacks when there’s a life or death situation in the present?? Denver and Stockholm having sex in the vault? Wow, guys, do you really think it’s the right time to do that??? I enjoyed Stockholm’s little striptease as a reference to that time Denver danced for her in the Mint - one dance in the beginning of their relationship, and another for its fresh new start - and the Serquel proposal was really sweet, but otherwise - ugh. Big ugh. Maybe if I shipped literally anything in this show, it would have helped

I fucking love Alicia Sierra. She was great as a villain, and she is great as a villain-who-reluctantly-joins-the-heroes too. Her friendship with Sergio seemed a little rushed, but then again, she’s lost everything, her superiors screwed her over, she’s alone against the world with a newborn baby on her hands. If I was her and the only person who cared about me and made me dinner was my enemy, I would probably get attached quickly too

The fact that the entire gang is going to remain in the memory of the general public as fallen heroes except for Denver who is going to be remembered as a traitor and a collaborator though :(

The fact that Benjamin is referred to as Logroño in the end credits while he didn’t even officially have a code name, it’s just what Alicia called him, and then everyone just rolled with it... love it

I know I’m basically just repeating what I already said in the tags, but the pump theft/meeting Bogotá flashback is gotta be one of the funniest scenes in the entire show. Marseille tolerating Berlin’s singing in the helicopter, Berlin’s stupid coat, Bogotá being like “You come here wearing your mom’s coat”. The whole fucking exchange about rough/soft hands. Palermo “interpreting” for Berlin while he’s telling to the manager’s face in Spanish that they’re gonna steal from him. Berlin, who hates children, nodding politely as Bogotá tells him about his seven (7) children. It’s hilarious

Overall I am satisfied with how it ended. In my opinion, seasons 3-5 can’t hold a candle to seasons 1-2, but it was gripping enough for me, and I love the characters, so seeing them get a happy ending made me happy.

[sunflowerandco]

After the Fact: Act VII - The First of Three

Hey everyone :) here's another chapter, and we're back in present times. i wanted to thank Andy@straighttxhell for being a bilingual queen and helping me with the Spanish dialogue in this chapter you saved me!!

I hope you all enjoy <3

Courtney had her head buried in her textbook when she heard Duncan arrive home from work. She didn't mean to sound defeated in her delivery. "Oh, good. You're home."

He headed toward her study nook. "Missed me that much? What's wrong, Princess?" He questioned her, her look of frustration apparent on her face.

"I just can't get past this scenario in my textbook for my criminal law class."

"Sounds like my thing."

Courtney scoffed. "Hardly..." Duncan looked at her in utmost offense. "Oh, don't get offended. I just consider you...retired."

"That's more like it. I retired for a life in peace with my lady."

Courtney agreed playfully to appease him. "Yes, definitely." He leaned down, pecking her on her lips.

"But, yeah, what was the problem-thing?"

She turned her head over her shoulder to explain the dilemma, eventually turning the chair toward him. "Basically, they're asking me if this scenario requires prosecution: Person A shoots Person B in an attempt to kill them. However, Person B was already dead before Person A pulls the trigger. My question is: where does the line between motive and convenience become blurred? When does the defendant become a total liability for the damage done?"

Duncan hadn't felt this lost since he attended his Pre-Calculus class on accident. All he knew was that he has been referred to as 'defendant' a couple times in his life. "Well, the defendant could still be a good liar."

"...What?"

"You said he'd become a liability? But, how could that mess up his ability to lie?"

She closed her eyes as she tried to make sense of his statement. "Duncan... that has to be the most incoherent thing I've ever heard you say." She shamefully side-eyed to herself. "Why was that so hot?"

"Oh?" He smirked, egging her on. He still had no idea what he was talking about, but he liked flustering her in any way he could. He couldn't keep a straight face as he continued on. "I'm serious, babe! I've been a defendant enough times to know about lying abilities."

Courtney shook her head slowly, unbuttoning her shirt, but didn't let it fall. "That was so stupid. Fuck me."

Courtney never had to say those words more than once. They became one, an unconstrained, vocal Courtney flush against the wall with her legs wrapped around Duncan's waist clawing at his back.

***

Courtney groaned at the very last task she and Bridgette needed to complete: setting the table for the dinner both her and Duncan's parents were invited to in celebration of their engagement. A good amount of time had passed since the news broke. But, it was still an opportunity for everyone to meet and spend some time together.

"I'm just so freaking tired. I couldn't get out of bed this morning." Courtney handed the other end of the table cloth to Bridgette. "Duncan had to carry me to the shower."

Bridgette and Courtney lifted the cloth into the air, one losing sight of the other. Bridgette spoke as it slowly rested on top of the table. "Is he really that good?" She smirked as she smoothed out the edges with her hands.

"Please. Like his ego could use any more inflation..." Bridgette still waited for an answer, making Courtney give in. "Yes. But, he never tires me out to that point."

"Maybe you've been too stressed lately?"

"I suppose so. Planning this dinner, getting our families to come together all on the same day sure did wear us the hell out." They were done setting the table when Courtney raised the question. "Are you sure you don't wanna stay for dinner?"

"I'd love to, but..."

"But?!"

"I'm starting my fertility treatment today. Geoff and I have been trying for over a year, and we need the extra help."

Courtney pulled her into a hug. "I hope everything goes well. You know I love you. If you need to talk about anything, I'm here."

Bridgette took in her words before changing the subject. "Thank you. I love you, too, Court. So, what about you guys?"

"What about us?"

"You know... have you and Duncan talked about babies?"

She and Bridgette each sat on a dining chair in unison; Courtney sighed louder than she meant to in exhaustion. "I mean of course! But, I have this three year plan: finish law school, become a prosecutor, get married, and move out all in three years."

"That's quite the plan."

"Oh, that's nothing. I haven't even gotten to the two-year within the three-year plan."

"You have a plan for your plan?" Bridgette's head spun trying to wrap her head around Courtney's obsession with organization. "Never mind, the word's lost its meaning."

***

After their parents had done their formal introductions to each other, they settled into their seats for dinner. Besides story exchanging and pleasant conversation, Courtney had to deal with an occasional all-knowing stare from her mother. She tried her best to ignore it for the sake of a successful dinner. She was also coping with the fact that she was still hungry after eating her serving.

"Are you gonna finish that, babe?"

"Uh... no. Here, take it."

She smiled, scraping the last of Duncan's pasta on her plate. "Thank you. I just haven't eaten all day."

Courtney's mother called from across the table. "Can you help me with something in the kitchen, honey?"

Courtney nodded, getting up from her seat. They walked in together while her mother pulled her into a closer corner of the kitchen, speaking in a hushed tone.

"¿Por qué no me dijiste?"

Why didn't you tell me?

Courtney gave her a confused look, encouraging her to explain further.

"Que estás embarazada."

That you're pregnant.

Courtney furrowed her brows at her incredulous statement. "Qué? ¡No estoy embarazada!"

What? I'm not pregnant!

"Conozco a mi hija."

I know my daughter.

"Mamá! No digas tonterías!"

Mom, stop talking nonsense!

"No tienes que creerme. Pero aléjate de la champaña."

You don't have to believe me but stay away from the champagne.

Courtney rolled her eyes as Duncan walked into the kitchen.

"Everything okay in here?"

"Sí, mi amor- yes, everything's fine. Mamá just wanted me to take out this stack of plates."

"They're too heavy, cariño-"

Courtney widened her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth, signaling for her mother to stop this in front of Duncan. "I got it."

They all returned to their seats with Courtney demanding everything to be resumed to normal without her mother's theories.

***

Courtney stood in front of the mirror assembling her outfit for her very first mock trial. While she still struggled with her energy level hitting a new low, Courtney had been looking forward to this assignment for weeks. She brought out her favorite suit jacket and skirt to match, trying to slip it on with ease when she hit a snag at the button on her waist. Courtney tried her hardest to slip the button through until it eventually popped, landing on the floor.

"Goddamn it!"

Duncan called from the hallway as he approached their bedroom. "What happened?"

"My favorite skirt... I popped the damn button. I must've gained some weight." Courtney knew it was nearly impossible to stay the same weight she was five years ago, but was still sad to see her skirt go.

Duncan shamelessly eyed her backside. "Maybe there are consequences for havin' a fatty."

Courtney sighed defeatedly. "Now what am I gonna wear?" He gingerly held her by the waist, his arms wrapping around her torso, and eyed her through the mirror when he reassured her. "You would look amazing in anything, babe."

A smile crept the corner of her lips as she held the hands he wrapped around her. He let her go after pecking her on the cheek and she settled for a newer pantsuit that aligned with her figure. She was seconds away from heading out the door when Duncan called out to her; she only used her head to turn back to him.

"Hey! You forgot something."

"What?"

His hand swiftly slapped her ass and she yelped. She would've kicked him if she wasn't already about to miss her train.

"I'm going to kill you later!"

"I love you, too, Princess!"

***

She figured if she distributed her energy into the testimonies she'd ace the mock trial with flying colors.

Her body had other plans by the end of the trial.

Courtney tried to muster up the energy she had to give her mock closing argument. She used her arms to lift her up from the chair and she sauntered to the fake jury.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, the evidence lays out right in front of you: the bloodied bat, motive, and an eyewitness that places the defendant right at the crime scene. Do not let Alicia become a statistic. Put her sadistic killer rightfully where he belongs."

She took a deep breath before she turned around to head back to her seat. Her head spun and she tried to focus on the seat she was getting to until it was too blurry to see. Her eyes shut as she fell onto the floor. She fell in and out of consciousness as she heard fragments of voices around her.

...an ambulance!

...she have a pulse?

Stay with me, Ms. Courtney.

***

Duncan received a call from the hospital and rushed out of the tattoo shop without much thought. When he reached Courtney's hospital room, Duncan found her mother standing outside exchanging pleasantries with the doctor. He assumed she had just made it there as well.

"Now, you're Mom and..?"

"Boyfriend," Duncan answered.

"Boyfriend." The doctor reiterated while shaking his hand. "I'm Doctor Holt and I've been taking care of Ms. Courtney. She's going to be fine. We're just monitoring her blood pressure, making sure she's getting some rest. Fainting is a common occurrence in the first trimester."

Duncan nodded, accepting the verdict until he realized the last three words that came out of the doctor's mouth. He furrowed his brow in confusion and disbelief. He took pauses, stammered over his words as he tried to catch his breath the last three words stole from his lungs. "Th-the first trimester? ...Of pregnancy?"

"Yes...?"

"I knew it!" Courtney's mother exclaimed in victory over her intuition. Duncan whipped his head to the left of him in shock.

"You knew?!"

"Well, not knew, per se. A mother can just tell." This time Doctor Holt chimed in realizing his mistake.

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't ask her about the possibility of her being pregnant. She kept falling in and out of consciousness and I just decided to draw her blood for a test. I needed to know to care for her properly. If you don't know, then that means she definitely doesn't know she's pregnant."

"If it's not too much, I'd like to tell my daughter the news."

"I'm not against that," Doctor Holt declared. "I just need to be in the room when it happens. I'll be back in about five minutes to see if she's awake." He turned to enter another patients room down the hall. Lorena looked over to her future son-in-law being uncharacteristically silent, looking at Courtney through the door's window.

"How are you doing, Pobrecito?"

He didn't divert his gaze. The longer he stared, the more he was able to accept the fact. A small smile crept upon his face seeing his girl so sound asleep. For once, Duncan didn't feel resistant to change. When he looked at Courtney he didn't doubt either of their abilities; only relief took over as he ascertained that she was his partner in this journey. The only thing bringing him out of his thoughts were the angry exclaims from Lorena.

"Now you decide to show up after all these years?!" Duncan turned to see a tall man with graying hair in a suit.

Courtney rarely spoke of her father. Duncan had an idea why she didn't; the words exchanged between her parents confirmed his assumptions and her apprehensiveness when he asked. There were some things Courtney just didn't talk about with anyone and Duncan felt he needed to respect that no matter the circumstance. Her father answered, his tone devoid of any emotion. Every sentence suggested his presence was strictly business and contrasted her Lorena's emotional articulation.

"I'm still on her emergency contact card, so I'm entitled to know the status of my daughter's health."

"You can't just decide to be a father whenever you want! She and Kate are past the age of needing their father, if you couldn't tell."

"Because, of course, you're doing a fine job." He retorted, gesturing to Courtney's state.

"What happened to her is no one's fault. Not even her own." Lorena crossed her arms in frustration, defensive over him undermining all of her work. "Courtney and Kate have their mother. I knew I didn't give our daughters your last name for a reason!"

Duncan intervened when he saw Courtney staring through the window. "Please! Stop. She's awake." He turned to her father. He knew nothing about him, not even his first name. Still, he immediately wanted to diffuse the situation to diminish any stress Courtney could be feeling. Duncan tried his best to steer him away without revealing any information. "It's your best interest to leave. The doctor told us Courtney is fine and we've got it under control, but she doesn't need any more stress as it is." Lorena had the last word before her father left Courtney again.

"If she needed you, she'd call you herself."

***

Courtney's eyes fluttered open to offending voices. She knew she was going to the hospital from what the EMT told her while she lied in the ambulance. She just didn't know how much time had passed between then and now. Courtney enjoyed the feeling of being well-rested before she sat up, squinting her eyes to catch a glimpse of the arguing pair in the hallway. Her eyes widened when she witnessed her mom pointing her finger at her dad while he stood there completely composed and unbothered. Courtney froze and could only stare at them in their usual mode of communication.

It took her back to the little girl watching her father make his yearly visit, her mother denying him access for the emotional protection of her daughters. She remembered watching from the top of the stairs, hoping her sister wouldn't wake from the sound of their parents fighting. At the age of ten Courtney promised herself she wouldn't let herself feel that helpless ever again. That she'd never let her father ever make her feel unwanted.

Their yelling ceased when Duncan interrupted the both of them, signaling to them about her being woken up. The next thing she saw was her boyfriend inaudibly addressing her father rather seriously. His hand gestures and facial expressions indicated he was dismissing him. It seemed to work. Her mother spoke again, but she didn't want to ask her what was said. Whatever she said made him walk away. Courtney's stress levels seemed to be more manageable as she waited on her family to enter her room. No less than a few minutes later Duncan and Lorena entered her room with her mother attaching herself to Courtney in a worrisome hug.

"My baby! Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay." She felt like she was comforting her mother more than anything. She patted her on the back as she gave Duncan a small smile while he let the two of them have their moment.

A doctor unfamiliar to Courtney followed along and introduced himself to her. "I'm Dr. Holt. Glad to see you're awake." He checked her blood pressure on a monitor before continuing. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine..." Courtney didn't feel comfortable with the diverse expressions strewn across the three of their faces. She turned to her mother who seemed to be eager to speak. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She couldn't tell the nature of her diagnosis that she hadn't received yet. Duncan seemed be to readying himself while her mother looked to the doctor for an 'okay' to give her the news. Doctor Holt nodded to confirm.

"Mija, you are pregnant."

Courtney looked up at her mom again, slightly embarrassed. She doubled-down on their discussion at the dinner party last weekend. "Mom, I told you to stop this in front of Duncan-"

"Baby," Courtney stopped and turned to him. He made eye contact with her and her face softened when his hand ran up and down her calf covered by the blanket. His eyes were reassuring as he tried to prepare her for his statement. "It's true."

Doctor Holt began to speak about how it's an early pregnancy, but any details disclosed by her doctor came and went as an abundance of thoughts pervaded Courtney's mind. She tried to pay attention to the advice he gave her. Manage stress, drink water, set a sleep schedule. She felt this news would be an added amount of stress to a mound caving in.

***

Courtney sat on a stool near Bridgette's kitchen island. She barely spoke out of nervousness, letting Bridgette handle most of the conversation.

"So, my test came out negative." Bridgette poured a hefty amount of wine into her glass. She held up an empty one to signal her offering Courtney some.

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Bridge." Courtney's nervousness raised after hearing the news. She noticed her nonverbal offer and tried to answer simply. "Oh, no thanks. I need to drink more water. Doctor's orders."

"It's okay. Maybe I was destined to have the exact problems my mom had. You know, I dread waiting for the results now. It's like I'm manifesting seeing only one line on that stupid, goddamned stick."

"Come here." Courtney pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. The tears began to sting resting atop the brims of her eyes. Her initial reason for stopping by took a backseat in her mind. When they broke apart Bridgette immediately took to her defeated demeanor.

"I didn't notice before, but you look really worried. What's wrong, Courtney?"

"Nothing. I had something to tell you, but I don't think it's the right time."

"No... I ranted. Now it's your turn. It's not a friendship if only one person gets to unload their emotions." Bridgette reassured her. "Tell me."

"Okay." Courtney took a deep breath, instinctively clutching her stomach. "I just want to preface by saying I am in no means trying to make your day worse."

"...Okay..." Bridgette crossed her arms in confusion, but pointed to the hands on her stomach. "Are you...?"

Courtney nodded silently. Her expression became unreadable at her conflicting emotions. "Yes..." Tears started welling up into her eyes and she couldn't tell if she was happy or sad to bring those two words into her reality. She was practically whispering, hoping this change wouldn't bring any destruction to her realm. "I'm pregnant."

Bridgette smiled in shock. "Babe?? Congratulations!" Bridgette quickly brought her into a hug. Her reaction surprised Courtney given how upset she had been. "How far along are you? How did you find out?"

Courtney felt she should be smiling. She felt she should be incredibly happy at the fact. Instead a tear fell down her cheek. "A month. We just found out at the hospital." Courtney was adamant no one knowing about her stint at the hospital. "I only wanted to tell you, because I-I'm just trying to make sense of this and you're my best friend..."

Bridgette noticed Courtney was increasingly feeling less than thrilled the more she explained. "Are you keeping the baby?"

"We don't know, yet. Duncan was excited, but I'm just...- This was not my plan, you know? I haven't even finished school, yet. We can't afford a bigger place because I haven't started my career. This was supposed to come after. After the wedding, after school."

"I understand your feelings, and I'm with you no matter what decision you make. But, there's no set plan for life. Take a lesson out of whatever choice you make, and do what you think is best for all involved."

***

Courtney opened the apartment door and noticed a distinct smell coming from the kitchen. It reminded her of her favorite chicken her mother made for her and Kate when she got home from work early. She curiously walked into the kitchen to see Duncan in full chef mode. He greeted her

"Hey, babe. Are you hungry?  I'm making this recipe your mom wrote down for me the other day."

She only stood still as she watched him stir the contents of the pan.

There was nothing Duncan could get out of Courtney after the news broke about their pregnancy. She had completely shut him out for the rest of the week, burying herself in her homework, studying, and whatever else she could distract herself with. She couldn't look at him when they talked and her answers were shortened to simple, one-worded responses, or sometimes none at all.

He opened the refrigerator door behind him to fetch her a bottle of water. "Did you drink enough water today?" He held it out for her to take.

Courtney dropped her bag and rushed into his arms crying. this time she's wailing. Duncan is purely shocked; he's never seen her so emotional. He spent the better half of this week trying to get her to speak. But, he didn't expect this kind of response from her. He placed the bottle on the counter and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he tried to console her in a hushed tone.

"Hey, hey, no... What's wrong, Princess?"

She was barely coherent, still sobbing over her words. "You're just... too nice. I haven't been nice at all ever since we found out. And you seem so ready and calm and I'm just neither of those things. What if I suck at being a mom? What if I can't make them happy?

"I'm calm because, one, I still wanted to treat you like I normally do. And, two, yes this is shocking news, but... it's you. if I'm gonna embark on this part of life, the only person I trust enough to do the best job is you." She faced him this time, still sniffling but calmed, and he continued.

"You're incredibly smart, ambitious, and beautiful. I'm cool, strong, and hot. Our kid wins the genetic lottery."

Courtney shook her head, half smiling. "Of course you'd point that out." She buried her head in his chest again, letting him run a hand through her hair.

"'Cause it's true," he said chuckling. "Whatever decision you make, I'm with you every step of the way. Okay?"  She nodded and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. When they parted, he ordered her to relax in the living room while he continued cooking. In his mind, he knew everything would be alright; as long as he didn't burn the chicken.

A/N: hello and thank you for reading :) there will be more; hopefully soon. also

fatty=big butt don't worry duncan's not calling her a mean insult i swear lol

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

Falling For You But You Are Worlds Away: Chapter 3

A/N: I had a day off from school and finished some of my homework so I had some time to write. Please don't expect this consistency, it's a rare occurrence lol

AO3

Simon’s stomach was in knots all day. Several times, he felt the urge to rush to the restroom and throw up.

His first couple of days in New York went fine. His aunt and cousin showed him around all the tourist areas, bought him souvenirs, and took him to their favorite restaurants. He even got a picture with Elmo at Times Square. (Why were there so many Sesame Street characters?!) They also got him a new phone number, showed him how to navigate the bus and the subway, and talked to him in English so he could practice.

Simon’s English wasn’t terrible, per se. He grew up watching shows and movies in English with Swedish subtitles. And he didn’t do too bad in his English classes. But, he never had to speak it 24/7 before.

So, when he walked into his new school with Ana, he was immediately bombarded with all the English words, phrases, and slang – it all made his head swirl. Ana introduced him to some people she knew, they spoke to him in English, and he stumbled through his answers. And, sadly, because Ana was a grade ahead of him, he was left alone to fend for himself when it came to time to go to classes.

He did manage to fake confidence, introducing himself to his classmates and answering a few questions. He could follow the lessons just fine and answered when called upon by teachers (except in American History, he definitely needed help there). But, for the most part, he stayed quiet.

At lunch, he sat with Ana, who introduced him to her friends. All three were girls. Two of them were Latina, Alicia and Luz, and one girl was white, Elizabeth (“You can call me, Liz,” she told him). They spoke to each other in Spanish (even Liz) and it was the first time all day that Simon felt the unease in him boil down to a simmer. It was still there but hearing the familiar language was a comfort.

And he now knew why Ana insisted they packed lunch – the school’s food didn’t look that appetizing. Even Hillerska had better food. (And thinking of Hillerska made him think of Wille, which just made him feel depressed again.)

When his last class of the day finally dismissed them, Simon was ready to go home and take a nap. He was exhausted – physically and mentally. But, Ana had other plans.

“Hello, everyone! As you can see, we have someone new joining us today!”

She gestured to him with a flourish and Simon blushed in embarrassment as many eyes focused on him – curious and interested.

“This is my cousin, Simon, he just moved here from Sweden. I hope everyone makes him feel welcomed. Please don’t scare him off.”

Simon awkwardly shuffled his feet as he waved. “Um… Hi… Um… I’m Simon. Sorry, uh, my English isn’t very good. But, I’m practicing.”

He was met with silent nods and Simon almost sighed in relief. Almost.

“You look familiar!” A guy with long blonde hair piped up from the back.

Simon’s stomach churned and he wanted to run away. No one was supposed to know who he was. They reassured him that the whole thing died down fairly quickly in America. How many of these kids have watched the video?! Did they know who he was as soon as he walked in?!

“You look like a Spanish version of Nick Jonas!” continued the guy.

The churning calmed a little.

Ana glared, placing her fists against her hips. “Shut up, Darren. Simon is not the Spanish version of anyone.” She paused and glanced at him. “But, if he is, he would be Harry Styles.”

“It’s the curls!” a girl with dark hair with pink tips called out with a grin. “They’re really cute!”

Before he knew what was happening, Simon was bombarded with compliments about his hair and face. He could swear he had never been as red in his entire as he was in that moment.

Soon, a different guy stepped up, willing everyone to calm down with his hands. “Okay, everyone, stop simping over Ana’s cousin. It’s time to start the meeting! We have a lot to talk about today!”

Ana nudged Simon and gestured with her head to the back of the classroom. Simon followed her. She took a seat next to the window. The empty seat beside her was across from the guy who spoke up earlier.

As the guy at the front (“That’s Dominic, he’s the president of GSA,” Ana had whispered to him) began to go over the agenda for the day, the guy next to Simon leaned over.

“Hey, I’m Darren,” he whispered with a toothy grin. “I’m your resident pansexual.”

Simon bit his lip and whispered back. “Simon. Do we… have to share our sexuality here?”

Darren chuckled and shook his head. “Nah, you’re not obligated to. Some people are here just as allies but a couple do end up figuring themselves out. So we tend not to label or share labels. But, I don’t give a shit, I want everyone to know they have an equal chance of dating me. So, that includes you.”

He winked and Simon, to his horror, felt himself blush again. He was just gonna end up looking like a tomato by the time he returned to Sweden if he kept this up.

“Darren! Anything you wanna share with the class?”

“Nope, prez. Just welcoming our new member. Please proceed, you know we love listening to your gorgeous voice.”

Dominic raised an eyebrow at him before getting back to what he was saying.

“I’ll get you to say ‘yes’ to me, eventually,” Darren muttered under his breath.

Simon couldn’t stop a chuckle from leaving his lips. Darren flashed him a grin and, for what it was worth, Simon finally felt a bit at ease.

He snuck a look at Ana, who caught his eye and smiled, encouragingly.

Maybe she was right. He could meet new people here and make new friends. Maybe, for just a few months, he could forget everything that happened in Sweden and just be... back to normal.

He was willing to try. If only this empty feeling inside him would go away.

.........

If Wilhelm thought that Christmas break without Simon was bad, being at school for a month without Simon was worse. Everywhere he looked and turned, he half expected Simon to be there, looking at his phone or eating a clementine or flashing Wilhelm a smile that made his cute dimples appear.

More times than he could count, Wilhelm had run after Sara, practically begging her for any information on Simon. The girl always refused him.

“Give her time,” Felice said to him one day after another failed attempt. “She loves her brother and she’s on his side.”

“I just want another chance to apologize,” said Wilhelm. “I want to make things right. And I want to at least be friends with him again.”

Felice wrapped an arm around him. “You will. Just give it time, okay?”

Wilhelm had agreed, if only to reassure himself that he was going to be fine. Maybe the longing would stop. Maybe he would wake up one day and just accept the fact that Simon was no longer in his life.

He knew it was all a big fat lie but it was okay to dream, right?

Which was why he decided to take his chances that one Saturday. Students were allowed to leave the school grounds on weekends to visit the town, if they so pleased, so Wilhelm took advantage of that. With Johan driving and Malin in the passenger’s seat, they left Hillerska for the day and headed to Bjarstard.

His stomach was filled with butterflies. Excitement or nerves, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was both. He ran over various things to say in his head. But, when they pulled up in front of the familiar one-story home, he forgot it all.

Nevertheless, he raised his chin and marched with determination to the front door. He hoped Simon was home. That Wilhelm could finally see him. That they could finally talk. He just hoped he wasn’t overstepping any boundaries, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Clearing his throat, he raised a fist and knocked, firmly and loudly, against the door. It took a minute but, eventually, it slowly opened, very slowly.

Linda peeked out, looking wary and cautious. But, when she saw Wilhelm, the guarded look switched to surprise.

“Wil… Your Royal Highness,” she greeted with a slight bow of her head.

Wilhelm hated it. He preferred Linda’s casual treatment of him as if he was any other kid. He supposed he didn’t deserve that anymore after what he did to her son.

“Wilhelm, please,” he said to her, managing a small smile. “Hello, Linda.”

The woman smiled, fondly, and she opened the door a bit wider. “Hello, Wilhelm. How are you, cariño?”

The gentler tone eased his worries.

“I’m… fine.” He cleared his throat. “Um… Is Simon home?”

Linda’s smile disappeared. “Why?” she asked.

Wilhelm flinched, hating that the guardedness in her voice was back. “I just want to talk to him. He left Hillerska and I… I just want to apologize again and… Please.”

He must have looked rather pitiful because he could practically see Linda’s resolve melting. She stared at him for the longest time, contemplating. Finally, she nodded and let him in.

Wilhelm’s heart skipped a beat and he had to hold himself back from running in and calling out Simon’s name. Malin, dutifully, followed behind him, shut the door, and stood guard.

“You can head on to the living room,” said Linda. “I’ll make us some tea.”

Wilhelm nodded and did exactly that. He made himself comfortable on the lumpy couch and looked around. The place looked neat and chaotic as always. A basket of Simon’s favorite, clementines, was placed at the center of the coffee table. He once told Wilhelm that it was the one fruit he couldn’t live without.

Then, he spotted a new addition against the wall that led towards the bedrooms. Well, not new per se but it was no longer in Simon’s room. (And, thinking of Simon’s room led him down a path of memories that made the longing in him increase tenfold. Where was Simon? Was he out for the day? Wilhelm would wait until night if he had to.)

“Here we are.”

Linda arrived with a tray filled with two mugs of tea and a plate of cookies. She placed it on the coffee table before handing one of the mugs to Wilhelm.

“Thank you,” he said taking it and looking back at the fish tank that was now placed against the wall. “Why did Simon move his fish out here?”

Linda, who was in the middle of placing the plate of cookies on the table, looked up towards the tank. A sad smile graced her lips.

“Well, I have to remember to feed them now so it’s easier if I see them,” she said, picking up her own mug and settling on the couch.

Wilhelm frowned, confused. “Why do you have to feed them? Doesn’t Simon do that?”

Linda looked at him for a moment, sad again, and took a sip of tea before placing the mug on the table. She tugged her wool sweater tighter around herself and crossed her arms at her stomach.

“Wilhelm,” she began. “I want you to know that… I’m not angry with you, okay? And, I’m sure that Simon isn’t either.”

Wilhelm’s stomach churned and he took a polite sip of the tea before following Linda’s lead and placed the mug on the table.

“What happened to both of you… you don't deserve it.” She reached out, probably to touch his hair, but refrained at the last minute. Instead, she patted his shoulder and pulled her hand back.

Wilhelm longed for her motherly touch.

“But, as a parent, I had to protect Simon.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat and brought a hand up to rub at his tightening chest. He didn't like her tone. It was foreboding. The gentle calm before the storm.

Linda’s eyes flickered to his hand and scooted closer. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. Wilhelm leaned into it.

“Wilhelm… cariño… Simon left Sweden.”

Wilhelm’s world crashed.

“There were stalkers, they kept following him home. And the reporters wouldn’t stop asking him questions and one day… he got hurt.”

The tightening in his chest wouldn’t let up and he rubbed harder.

“I had no other choice. I had to send him away for his own safety.”

Stalkers... Reporters... Simon got hurt because of him. And, now, he was gone. No longer in Sweden.

“W-Where?” he managed to ask.

But, Linda shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.”

Wilhelm’s eyes stung. “L-Linda… I-I’m s-sorry… I’m so… s-so sorry…”

Finally… Finally… Linda moved closer and pulled him into a hug. Wilhelm couldn’t help himself. He hugged her back and cried into her sweater.

She rubbed his back, whispering, “I know. It’s okay to cry, Wille. It’s okay.”

Wilhelm didn’t know how long he cried but, at some point, he did calm down. Maybe it was because Linda started humming a nice melody to him. Or maybe he was just spent and tired. But, not once did Linda let him go. Despite everything, she still chose to comfort him.

He had to force himself to move away from her arms, guilty and grateful at the same time.

She smiled at him. “Feeling better?” she asked.

God, it reminded him so much of Simon always asking after him that he wanted to cry again. It was clear to see that Simon got his gentle kindness from his mother.

“Yes,” he croaked. “Thank you.”

She picked up his mug and handed it over with a pointed look. He obediently drank the now lukewarm tea. It did little to soothe his sadness, but it was still nice.

“He won’t be gone forever,” said Linda with a smile. “When this all dies down… when the country forgets and moves on to something new, he’ll come back. Just… for now… I need him safe in a place where no one knows him. It’s what’s best for him.”

It made perfect sense. But, it didn’t mean that Wilhelm liked it. Simon was further away from him than ever. At least, if he was still Bjarstard, Wilhelm could still visit. He could still try to rebuild their friendship. And, when he was finally ready, he could ask Simon to give him another chance.

But, now, Wilhelm didn’t even know where he was. And Linda clearly didn’t want to tell him, worried she was about Simon’s safety. (A part of him wondered if she was also protecting Simon from Wilhelm. That thought hurt but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.)

“Would you like to stay for lunch?” Linda asked. “It’s kind of lonely with just me now, with Sara at Hillerska and Simon...” She trailed off and sighed.

Wilhelm pressed his lips together. “I don’t want to impose.”

She patted his arm and offered a smile. “Not at all. Your bodyguards can join us, too. I have plenty. I’m still not used to eating alone.”

The temptation was too good to resist. Besides, he didn’t want to return to Hillerska and suffer through a meal where August only sat a couple of chairs away, always wanting to talk to him even though Wilhelm never responded.

“Alright,” he agreed, smiling back.

Linda beamed and stood up. “Okay, good. I’m almost done cooking. Make yourself at home.”

“Can I… Can I feed Simon’s fish?” he asked, nervously.

Linda chuckled. “Of course. Their food is right on top. You can just move the cover. Simon says four shakes is enough.”

With one last smile at him, she gathered up their mugs (she left the cookies on the table) and headed off to the kitchen. He heard her extend the invitation to Malin, who thanked her and promised to call Johan in.

Pulling himself together, Wilhelm stood up and approached the fish tank. A small container labeled “fish food” in Simon’s familiar print was on top. He picked it up before carefully moving the cover to the side. He counted out four shakes and watched as the little bits of food floated down towards Olle, Oski, Felle, and a fourth fish whose name Simon never told him (because Wilhelm had distracted him enough to forget).

“I miss him,” he whispered, watching them eat. “I bet you, guys, do too, right?”

The fish ignored him.

Were they mad at him, he wondered? Did they know what he did? Did Simon cry in front of them?

Sighing, Wilhelm put the cover back and the fish food on top of it. Then, he headed off to the kitchen to help Linda set the table.

It was the least he could do.

...

A/N: Yes, I went back to watch the scene and counted Simon's fish lol

[twinkleallnight]

12 Days of Fictmas

Thank you Erin and Alicia for this wonderful opportunity. This is my first time at fictmas and I hope you enjoy this little treat.

Thank you @txemrn for brainstorming.

Book: The Royal Romance AU

Word count: 1389

Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.

Rating: Mature

A/N: This is also my submission for sibling appreciation month hosted by @lovealexhunt.

Santa Comes to Town.

It was a cold winter morning when the tiny toddler jumped up into her elder brother’s bed. She frantically moved her tiny hands around the blankets which covered her brother in a warm slumber.

“Dekey! Dekey! Gey-Up! Up! Kishmush! Kishmush!”

The boy pulled the covers over his head. His muffled sound came out. “Not yet, Savvie. It’s still a week to go. Let me sleep.”

The little girl frowned and shouted out at the door, “Mommy! Dekey not getting up. Eeaam mama weebe anggy."

Listening to this, Bianca walked in, her hands full of neatly folded clothes that she stacked properly in the children’s cupboard. She turned around and walked to the little girl who was still sitting at the edge of the bed with pouted lips. Bianca sat down in front of her and looked into her brown eyes. “Sweetpea, you don’t say Liam’s mama. She is the queen. You address her as ‘your majesty’ or ‘madam’.”  

Then she called out, “Drake, you need to get out of that bed, and prepare to host your friend.”

“Yes Mother.” The four-year-old obediently plopped up into the bed rubbing his eyes.

Bianca picked up her daughter in her arms and started walking to the washroom. “Let’s get you dressed up pretty. How would you like that?” The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

The next hour was spent in getting the kids through the morning routine.

While her husband was busy at the palace, as the head of king’s guard, Bianca spent time bringing up her kids with just a bit of the Texan touch in a foreign land.

 Staying in the kingdom of Cordonia, she had carried her roots from the life back from Texas. It could be seen in her lifestyle and her home.

She had beautifully decorated a wall with some rustic crosses where her children stood praying with her, now. After offering their prayers, the kids got busy in decorating their little Christmas tree, that Jackson, their father had managed for them.

“It’s quite small.” He had sighed after placing it in the corner of their living room.

“It is perfect Jack.” Bianca had assured him as they watched Drake and Savannah jumping around it. The tree that appeared small to Jackson, was towering over the little stature of the kids. Savannah was clapping her hands in excitement.

The siblings spent each day adding a little of this and a little of that to their tree. Today it was special as Drake’s best friend, prince Liam was visiting them with his mother, Queen Eleanor.

Bianca was flabbergasted when she received the queen first time, during her stay at Cordonia, soon after her wedding to Jackson. But, over a period of time, she got accustomed to the loving nature of the Queen and her unique ways of mingling with common people. It had somehow become a tradition to host the Queen a week before the Christmas day, at the Walker’s humble quarters.

Bianca was occupied in the kitchen preparing the menu for the visit till late noon. She realised there was pin drop silence in the house. ‘What are these two up to now?’ she worried. She rushed to the bedroom but stopped in her tracks to find Savannah dressed up in her red frilly frock sitting on the floor.

 Drake was holding the little girl’s hand delicately in his, as he was busy painting her tiny nails red. It looked like he had done up her brown curls  in a slightly messy braid. When Savannah sensed her mother, she looked up and Bianca saw her pearly whites shining through the brightly coloured red lips.

Bianca’s heart warmed up to see the doting elder brother still engrossed into his job. “Mommy!” Savannah shrieked. Drake shook with the sudden sound and tipped the nail enamel bottle he was holding on his dress. “I am sorry mother.” He looked apologetically at his mother, worrying that she may scold him for the mess.

Her favourite nail enamel was spilled over and there was a messy shirt to clean but she ignored it all to keep up the spirit. “Don’t worry Drake. The Queen will be here any minute now, it’s time. Let’s quickly change your shirt. As she was helping him into fresh clothes, the doorbell jingled.

Eleanor walked in with Liam.  Savannah was the first to run up to her. She curtsied trying to balance over her wobbly feet. Eleanor picked up the tiny tot in her arms admiring, “Look at you! You are all grown up.”

“Dake dessed me.” Savannah stuttered.  Bianca rolled her eyes and Eleanor caught the gesture, understanding what must have conspired, looking at the makeup and the hairdo. Drake came ahead and bowed to Eleanor shyly.

“Here, here little guy. You did it all by yourself?” she asked him, putting Savannah back on her toes and giving Drake a warm hug. “Look at the hairstyle and the make up! You are good at this Drake. Isn’t she looking cute?” Drake blushed while Savannah twirled around with a glee . “May be some day I can have a little girl just like you!”

The last statement brought big expectant smile on Liam’s face. Bianca gave him a hug, “Bless your heart! Our little prince will love it!”

After everyone exchanged greetings, the ladies settled down for a chitchat while the brother and sister pulled Liam to show their Christmas tree.  

They enjoyed playing around it for some time and then decided to move to the playroom. Drake and Liam each held one of Savannah’s hands and walked with her slow pace as Eleanor watched them go. “Aww! They are so adorable!”

Drake pulled out the wooden blocks and the three of them sat together to make a castle. “Who weebe the king?” Savannah asked.

“Liam will be, Savvie. He is the prince.” Drake told her while Liam smiled at her acknowledging.

“Ann you Dekey?”

“I will be king’s guard, just like daddy.” Drake said with a puffed-up chest.

“Ann I?” Savannah questioned again to understand her role in the pretend play.

“You can be a Duchess!” Liam added.

“Wha do duchesh do?”

“She helps the king at his work.” Liam explained patiently.

Savannah was delighted and agreed to play her role. 

Their game continued till Bianca came in to take them for snacks.

“Momma, Eeaam made me duchesh!” She started telling her mother about their pretend play. Eleanor listened keenly. Liam and Drake exchanged shy looks. Being boys they preferred to keep their games to themselves.

 Bianca served them her traditional chili, Frito and tortillas. They all sat together and feasted over the delicacies. After munching the kolache for dessert, some more plans were made for the coming week and Christmas party.   

Soon, it was time for departure, and Savannah found it overwhelming to let go. Her big brown eyes were welled up as she hugged Liam and addressed the Queen, “Eeaam mama, I wan Eeaam play weeme!” Eleanor laughed at her sweet request.

Bianca picked up her little one and told her firmly, “Savannah Jane Walker! You do not say that. You say ‘Madam'.”

Eleanor ignored the formalities and cupped her cheeks, “Liam is going to go to the palace and set up a big Christmas tree for you. How about you visit us with your Momma and brother later?”

Savannah half-heartedly nodded.  Bianca put her down next to her brother, “Drake, can you take her to her room?”

“Yes mother.” Drake quickly bid farewell to his friend and walked his little sister, who was sobbing silently, to her room. Bianca saw her guests out. When she returned to the children’s room, she was treated with yet another sweet moment. Savannah had lay down with her head in Drake’s lap, her eyelids drooping. Bianca's little son was singing to her in his baby voice, “...Santa’s coming to town…

You better watch out; you better not cry.

Better not pout, I am telling u why.

He sees when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake.

He knows when you’re bad or good so be good for goodness sake.”

She patiently waited for him to finish his verse and then walked in to hug him, “Oh punkin! I love you!”

She kissed him and then lifted almost asleep Savannah from his lap. She cuddled up with her kids humming ‘Santa comes to town'.

12 Days of Fictmas Writers:  @texaskitten30  @zaffrenotes @alj4890 @burnsoslow @kat-tia801 @darley1101 @msjr0119 @annekebbphotography ​ @god-save-the-keen ​ @plumeriavibes @ofpixelsandscribbles ​ @camillemontespan ​ @ao719 ​ @cocomaxley ​ @cordoniansgonewild ​ @the-soot-sprite ​ @cordoniantrash ​ @axwalker ​ @innerpostmentality ​ @lucy-268 ​ @janezillow​ @katedrakeohd ​  

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[sxveme-2]

blueberry pancakes // bucky barnes

MASTERLIST

Description: A single mother. Juggling being a mom, a full time pediatrician, and a difficult ex who believed now would be the best time to finally be a father. A soldier ripped out of time. Ex-assassin turned superhero. Learning how to balance a new domestic life with handling demons of his past, while facing the trials of the future. a love story began over something as simple as chocolate chip pancakes with hidden blueberries.

Disclaimer: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else

Status: Edited

Note: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.

Chapter Sixteen: The One With the Parents

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 3029

        "Oh!" a familiar voice called as Bucky opened the door, "Well hello there. who are you?"

Lily's eyes blew wide as she jumped up from her seat on the couch, readjusting herself before rushing forward from the living room, startling Joey. Coming to a halt, beside Bucky, Lily gave a nervous smile as she came face to face with her parents. Alicia and Abel Osborne, two of the most notorious environmental scientists in the country. And some of the most down-to-earth and relaxed people you could ever find. So how they had an uptight and perfectionist daughter like Lily? Well, no one could really explain that.

"Mom? Dad?" Lily questioned, a small laugh trailing behind her words, "It's like eleven o'clock. What on earth are you doing here?"

"Well your father is never good with timing but that doesn't answer my question," Alicia Osborne hummed, handing her coat to her husband, "Who is this?" she smiled, pointing her finger up and down the man.

"James Barnes," the man introduced, reaching his flesh hand forward, "Please, call me Bucky. It's lovely to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Osborne, Lily has told me much about you."

"How sweet. we haven't heard anything to do with you. Other than what everyone already knows about the famous Winter Soldier!" Abel commented, shaking the man’s hand that was outstretched. One that lasted a second too long.

Blunt. A very notable characteristic of the Osborne parents. Due to their intelligence, they seemed to have failed in the social department. Neither knew when some of the things they said could come across as hurtful, yet somehow managed to say these things in sweet and loving tones. It had a tendency to be a detriment to the three children of the two, seeing as when they didn't like someone they brought home, they would say it. Not to Lily. Not to Rose. Not to Cedar. To the other party. They always said sugarcoating was a waste of time, and that honesty was something that was vital.

"Where's Hunter?" Alicia asked, continuing to eye Bucky.

"As I said. it's eleven at night. He's asleep." Lily sighed, leading the rest of the party into the kitchen, "I wish you would have called me to tell me you're coming. I only have one spare room."

"Oh, that's fine. Bucky can sleep with you." Alicia stated, opening up her daughter’s kitchen cupboards, searching for lord knows what.

Lily stared wide-eyed at her mother as she took a seat at the dinner table next to Bucky. Hiding her face in her hands, Lily shook her head. This was one of the main reasons Lily never introduced most people to her parents. Especially her mother. She recalled the many times that Lily had brought home a potential boyfriend, only to have them scared off by Alicia's harsh and straightforward remarks.

"Lily you need to go grocery shopping, you have no food." Alicia sighed, "Come on Abel let's head to bed now."

"Yes, dear...and you two. Keep it down tonight, the spare room is right next to Lily's." Abel commented, chuckling as Lily dropped her head down onto the table and Bucky let out a deep and hearty chuckle.

And as quick as they came in, Lily's parents were gone upstairs to the spare room. Leaving Lily and Bucky alone in the kitchen again, wondering what the hell had just happened. mostly Lily, Bucky seemed to find the entire interaction quite comedic. Seeing Lily get flustered must have made him smile because lord knows the comments were parents made wouldn't.

"Well then...shall we get to bed, doll?" Bucky cooed, leaning towards the blonde and placing his hand gently on the small of her back.

Lily shot the man a glare, but yet, still followed him as they wandered up towards the bedroom Lily slept in every night. And the one she'd be sharing that night.

“Keep it PG, Barnes.”

-----

The gentle feeling of fingertips ghosting against her skin sent a shiver through Lily's body. Her deep green eyes peeled themselves apart, only to hum at the sweet feeling of touch. Her body tensed at first, her mind not comprehending who it was who was caressing her pale skin. But soon it caught up, and her heart began to beat at a rapid pace. But she didn't move. didn't flinch. She cooed gently at the feeling of his calloused fingers tracing small patterns into the smooth skin of her arm. The dim sun of November pierced through the thin curtains of Lily's bedrooms, and she eventually figured she would pull herself from the tranquillity of the moment.

"Mornin' doll." a gruff and raspy voice cooed from behind the blonde, resulting in her rolling onto the other side to come face to face with a stubbly Bucky Barnes.

"Morning," she purred as his fingers returned to her arm, "I should go get Hunter up."

"It's Saturday. let the kid sleep." Bucky replied, inching himself forward. Their noses were millimetres away, and Lily could barely catch her breath.

A grin placed itself on the man’s lips. Leaning forward, the brunette caught the young mom’s lips in his own. Their lips moulded into one another as though they had been perfectly sculpted for the other. His large hands found their way down to her waist and he gently gripped at it, resulting in a breathy noise escaping Lily's lips before he quickly swallowed it with his lips once again. His hands were rough, yet his touch was gentle. The callouses and years of wear and tear against the milky smooth skin of Lily's waist were that of heaven. But she came to as his hands wandered down near the stretch marks she was left with from those years ago while pregnant with the young boy just down the hall.

"Wait," Lily whispered, hands dropping from the man’s hair down onto his hand, averting it from the marks that she still had yet to find comfort in.

Bucky gave her a knowing smile. His warm eyes pouring into hers as he sat up, moving the comforter and sheet from both of their bodies. She watched intently as his hands fiddled with the hems of the white shirt she wore. The blonde sucked in a breath but didn't halt his movements. The tall man gave her an affirming peck on the cheek before lifting the bottom of the pyjama top a smidge. Just above the bottom of her torso. Lily immediately averted her forest green eyes, not wanting to see the pale peach marks along her body. But Bucky's flesh hand gently caressed her chin, beckoning her to turn her head to watch again.

"Lily you are one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen," he cooed, leaning his head down to press a gentle peck against a mark on her hip, "and these only make you more beautiful," he continued, further littering gentle kisses along her stomach, "you created one of the most amazing kids I've met. These are marks to show that strength you had."

"That's one way of putting it," Lily whispered, reaching her hand forward and running it through the dark tresses atop Bucky's head.

"You're gorgeous." Bucky hummed, kissing up her navel before attacking her face with the same gentle kisses he had just pressed to the marks that made Lily wish to never put on a bikini, resulting in a sweet and harmonious giggle to sing from Lily's throat as she thrashed her head around playfully.

When their lips finally met again, the two sunk into one another's touch. Lily hadn't felt so...seen in a long time. The way he kissed her was something she only experienced in her wildest dreams. But having it happen, having his hand, flesh and vibranium, on her and making her feel special...no dream could capture that. The kiss heated up subtly, both gripping the other as though they were each other’s last lifeline. Only to once again, be interrupted by a knock at the door. This time though, the person on the other side didn't both to wait.

"Oh!" the sound of her mother’s voice echoed through the room, causing Joey to pop his head up at the end of the bed, "Well I suppose that's my fault. I should have waited."

Bucky chuckled at the woman's words before ducking his head down into the crook of Lily's neck, giving a shake of his head. Lily groaned and leaned her head back, gently shoving the bulk of a man off of her, sitting up and turning her attention back to the woman who stood in her doorway. Her mother was dressed in a pair of beige cargo pants, a navy blue button-up shirt, and a fishnet cardigan. A signature Alicia Osborne look. And it always managed to work so well with her? Honestly, Lily aspired to be like her mother.

"What can I do for you mum?" Lily smiled, tucking a golden strand behind her ear.

"Well, your dad and I want to go see Gen and Rose! So why don't you two finish up and then we can head down to Gen's cafe, yes? Lovely. Also isn’t morning sex just the best? See you in half an hour!" the blonde cooed, sending a wink towards Bucky before shutting the bedroom door once again.

"Your mom's quite the character."

"Oh, you haven't even seen half of it yet."

-----

A series of chuckles radiated through the group as Lily, Bucky, Hunter, and her parents arrived at the slightly hectic cafe that her best friend owned. Hunter had made a joke that caused Abel to laugh so hard he had stumbled, resulting in him bumping into the back of his wife. Overall, it was a light-hearted mood within the family of Lily Osborne. Though there was a looming presence that each person avoided. And that was the topic of Cedar. The currently incarcerated youngest Osborne child. For a crime, he did indeed commit, but the motive? Still unknown.

When seated, Abel was the first to speak. But not what Lily was hoping to hear.

"Hunt why don't you go see auntie Rose and aunt Gen in the back?" the man hummed, sending his only grandchild off from the booth, leaving the three Osbornes and a Barnes seated. All of them knowing what came next, "So...we did come down for a reason. To talk about, well, Cedar."

Lily tensed up at the sound of her younger brother’s name. The only images playing in her mind were that of the boy’s face when she was brought in to try and question him. A deeply troubled and forlorn look that had made Lily uneasy. As though there was something much bigger at play here, instead of simply that her brother had tried to break into her ex-husband’s apartment. If she could turn back time, she would. And pry the answers out of Cedar if it killed her. She needed to know why the boy was at the apartment, and what he wanted from Scott.

"Now, James. We know you were initially the one to reprehend our son. Which we totally get, he was committing a crime. And you're, well, you," Alicia continued, "But we came down to New York to help question Cedar. And we just want to know everything that happened."

Lily's face began to heat up. Her breathing quickening as she tugged at the dark blue cardigan she wore. Everything around her grew larger as she felt herself shrink. Just thinking of the night that everything happened made the blonde want to hide away from people forever. But it wouldn't go away if she avoided it. The pain that was caused that night wouldn't mysteriously disappear just because Lily chose to ignore it. Despite her constant efforts to do so. And she knew that the time would come where she did in fact have to talk about the night. But what Lily was worried about, subconsciously, was why her parents had kept Bucky here for the conversation. And why on earth they kept referring to him as his first name, despite him being evident on preferring the nickname that everyone used...and Lily wanted to test the waters.

"Buck, why don't you go see Hunter in the back?" Lily hummed, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, the cool metal feeling pushing through the thin cotton of his shirt.

"No." Abel stepped in, "No, we need Sergeant Barnes to stay."

Both parties, Lily and Bucky, looked at the brunette man across the table with confusion in their eyes. Lily slightly understood the use of James, but not fully. Seeing as it was his first name. However, hearing the words that laid printed on Bucky's dog tags tucked underneath his shirt caused her to straighten her spine slightly. Lily's hand reached under the table to rest gently on the man beside her knee, running smooth circles along it with her thumb.

"...Okay," Lily stated, nodding along hesitantly with her father, "Why?"

"Well he was witness to what happened," Alicia hummed, smiling as a waitress brought out the group each a coffee, "We also trust his memory a tad more than yours, flower. He is a super-soldier after all!"

Lily cocked an eyebrow at her mother’s words. The tones of her parents seemed to fluctuate, and it would have gone unnoticed by those who hadn't been raised by the pair. It only ever happened when both seemed to be on edge or nervous about something. Though Lily tried to convince herself it was merely because their youngest child and only son had been arrested for attempted breaking and entering. But Alicia and Abel Osborne weren't known for their nerves, especially when it came to Cedar. But once again, Lily convinced herself it was most likely just because of that. Hell, if she was in their position with Hunter? She may have already gone mad.

"Did you see anyone else there, that night?" Abel picked up, sipping his coffee, "Any unusual faces? Not just police?"

Both Bucky and Lily shook their heads, but it was the former who spoke, "Not that I saw. But we were at the front of the building. And I'm sure the police did a sweep of the perimeter to ensure there weren’t any other people. So to sum it up, it was just Cedar."

The two nodded along. But there was a new sense of unease settling over the table. It set Lily's nerves on edge. The way her parents fidgeted and shifted. She'd never seen them act so...uncomfortable before. The night before, they were making slight sex jokes with their daughter and Bucky, not a single care in the world. But now? Talking about whether or not there was another person involved in the event seemed to be their least favourite topic of conversation, despite being the ones who had initiated it. The only time that they acted this strange was when Scott had asked their permission to marry Lily, and they said no. But he went along with it anyway...and well, everyone knows how that ended up.

"And Cedar, was he acting weird? Confused, dazed?" Alicia asked, tracing her finger over the hole in her mug, "fidgety?"

Bucky nodded, "Yeah he seemed confused. I didn't get a good look at his face but he kept looking around and panting. He seemed paranoid about something. We've dealt with a few people who have maybe been on substances doing this sort of stuff. Typically on a larger scale though...y'know. trying to take over the world and all of that super fun stuff I call work."

Lily's eyes sat trained on her father. The two always had a close relationship. They were two peas in a pod. Though Alicia tended to be more outspoken, Abel sat back and observed most of the time. But now he was the first to strike up a conversation. Something Lily wasn't used to. What she also didn't like was how he avoided her gaze. He'd sneak a glance every few minutes but immediately turn away when he saw how Lily analyzed him. The shifting in his seat, the paranoid glances. Similar to what had been described for Cedar. A new sense of fear almost. Lily felt an uneasy ball rest in the pit of her stomach, and she tapped on Bucky's arm.

"Can I talk to you outside?" she whispered. When he nodded in agreement, the two excused themselves and pushed open the doors of the cafe out into the chill New York air, "Buck I don't like this. They're acting weird. Something is going on here."

Bucky gave her a gentle smile, before placing his hands on her shoulders, "Doll they're just a bit freaked out because of what's going on. I mean imagine if it were you with Hunter."

"I know! I know I would have lost it by now but I know my parents," Lily insisted, shaking her head, "There's something going on with Cedar and with them. There's something not right about all of this. First of all, Cedar cried whenever I killed a spider. Second of all, he would never want to cause any sort of pain for Hunter, he loves him so much. And third of all, my parents are acting very differently. I've seen them under considerable stress, and my father never speaks first. Bucky I need you to trust me. Something is happening."

He must have picked up on the shake in her voice. For when she finished, he tugged the smaller woman close to his chest, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. Her breathing was rigid and he cooed to her softly. He agreed he'd trust her, and that he'd keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Kissing her forehead once more, the man lead her back into the cafe. When they returned to their seats, Lily watched carefully as Bucky leaned forward. The gears were turning in his head and Lily could see it. He was formulating something. And then he spoke.

"Cedar was arrested a month ago and questioned. Why are you here now? A month late."

[elejah-wonderland]

Fanfic

Part 2

American Gothic/New Dawn

_set after tvd 4.18

tag _ @klaroline-4ever

*

Rebekah got out of the car as soon as Elijah stopped in front of the Mikaelson mansion in Mystic Falls. She looked back to see why he was not following. It struck her somewhat strange that he was busy writing a message on his phone. 

"Are you coming?" the blonde Original asked.

"I have an errand to run. I will see you later." Elijah replied and stepping on the gas pedal, left the place.

*

At the edge of the woods Alicia Olafson waited for the Original vampire at the designated place.  

"Your word does carry some weight" Alicia said to Elijah as he appeared in front of her. 

Elijah kept quiet for the moment letting her continue, "I know you are in the possession of the Cure as you call it"  

"Why did you not come to claim it earlier- I could have given it away?" 

The witch smirked, boldly stepping forward. " You could have done whatever you wanted-but you also know as I had told you that the distortion of the balance would fall onto you if you decided not to bring the Cure to me. Could you carry that burden, knowing very well it would ultimately lead to the demise of us all and your entire family and not just one brother who sided with the Dark witches - and the Dark witches have cost us already so dearly. " 

"How sure are you that the Cure was designed for her?" Elijah cgallenged the woman, still holding the sample tube with the magical liquid safe in his jacket pocket.

"The prophecy says that she is the one and the blood sample proves it- so now let me add the last ingredient. There is no time to waste." Alicia held her hand out to the Original, keeping her calm, but Elijah could feel the blood roar inside her.

As an obedient servant Elijah passed the case with the vial of magical blood to the Original witch, who then took out of her pocket a small bottle with blood. She poured the small dark red liquid into the bottle uttering words in Old Norse, which Elijah understood very well. As the spell was done she gave the tube back to him.

"You know what you have to do now. We are holding you to your word- it would not be wise to cross us- it's a path we are not willing to take, yet we would not hesitate. With this you will redeem yourself somewhat." 

Her words burnt him yet he knew it would be foolish to oppose her, as she was an ordinary Original witch, but an Elder. It was thought to be a myth, but when she found him and approached him several months prior to this meeting he quickly realized that some myths and prophecies were indeed very real. 

They each went their separate ways for the time being.  

As he was driving back to the Falls his thoughts were with Elena, their first meeting and their last in Willoughby, and all the unfortunate things that had happened to her thus far. Again her faith was sealed, and she would not be asked whether she wanted it or not. 

The incisive buzzing of his phone made him crazy. He quickly looked at it and seen that it was Klaus. 

"Sorry brother, but I have a more pressing matter to attend to." he uttered ending the call.

As soon as he was in Mystic Falls he found his informant, who told him where to find Elena. She had returned with the Salvatores, but soon after they arrived she went her own way. 

"To feed?!" Elijah concluded as he looked at the compelled vampire. "There is a concert in the neighbouring town- at the old Roadhouse." 

"Thank you," Elijah replied and released the creature, "you can go now!" 

There was no time to be wasted as he knew Damon and Stefan would be looking for her as well. But before he got her he needed to make one stop and soon he found himself on the Wickery Bridge evoking memories of himself standing on the bridge not long after she turned into a vampire. Matt, who went for a walk that evening confronted him boldly and spoke his mind, "She was the most decent person, full of life, goodness, nice to people, she never wanted to harm anyone- till you vampires came and took everything from her."

He remembered saying back to Matt as his looked moved from the water to Elena's friend. "Yes, we changed her life" Now he looked at the water again giving another minute of silence to mark respect to the girl she once was. 

"It's time" he then muttered and with those words he left the doomed place.  

*

Not long after, he got out of his car, just as the doppelganger walked out of the Roadhouse.

"Elijah? she said as she saw him standing in front of her. "If you are looking for Katherine, I don't think this is her scene, maybe a minuet- I thought we said all we had to say to one another in Will-place" 

"Would you please come with me?" the Original said not being offended by what she had said. 

"And if I say I won't -what will do? Descend on me?" Elena tilted her head with an annoyed huff.

"No- but I will ask you once again very politely to accompany me, please!" Elijah now looked straight into her eyes compelling her to do as he wished. And though he hated doing it, he knew that nothing else would have made her come with him. 

As they got in the car she just asked where they were going. Elijah calmly replied giving her a mild look, "New Orleans." 

It didn't really matter to her if they went to the Antarctica. She puffed because she felt bored so she put the radio on, which he didn't object to.

*

Meanwhile

Stefan met up with Damon at the Old church yard. "I can't find her anywhere!" the vampire said worryingly to his brother. 

"We should have locked her up straight away- that is the only plan that would have worked. She is not playing nice. Neither are we. She is after all a Petrova!" Damon remarked.

"I will go and see Bonnie- you?"

"Look at some dives- she went to have a good time." Damon said, his eyes blazing like it was a no brainer.

*

In the other side of the Falls, Rebekah complained about Elijah's manipulation to Klaus. 

"Listen, sister dear, I am sure he will put the Cure to good use. It would be wasted on you and your whim of the moment. He never does anything that would jeopardize this family" 

"No, but you do!" Rebekah ran out before she enraged her brother even more. 

Now he lamented to himself," I sincerely hope brother you are putting it to good use " Thoughts of ripping Elijah's heart out eased as he looked at a drawing of Caroline he took out of the desk drawer. 

*

In New Orleans Elena waited with annoyed look for Elijah to unlock the doors of the house in the French quarter. As he opened the door- he said to her in a calm tone, "Please". She entered the house unenthusiastically. 

"This house is so you," Elena looked around as she followed him to the Salon. "I guess now you will tell me why we are here- what do you need from me now? I haven't got the Cure" 

He interrupted her, "No, you don't-I do." he looked at her for her reaction. She coldly responded, "And?" 

"I would tell you why it is essential for you to take it but in your present state you do not care- so I will have to simply ask you to take it." 

He took the bottle out of his pocket and put it in front of Elena on the table. He knew at this very moment that he was severing any connection he had with her and after this was done she would most probably despise him for good, as once again someone from the Mikaelson family was moulding her destiny. 

Being compelled she could not refuse it. The first rays of the sun were probing through the window as Elena reached for the bottle. 

"Forgive me" Elijah was about to utter as she took the tube and drank the potion. 

Immediately as she drank it up her body slammed down to the sofa- he swiftly moved over to her laying her down comfortably checking for her heartbeat, when suddenly her whole body cramped up, but fortunately it lasted only for a few seconds. He was slightly frantic as he was focusing or her heartbeat again. Then very faint beats appeared. "Elena-" he uttered moving a streak of her hair from her face, "Come on- it has to work!" 

She opened her eyes slowly and looked around the room and then at him as someone who just got woken up from a deep sleep.  

"Elijah?- What?- Where- am I? The realization of what went on and the rush of all the memory and emotions surging like a lava overwhelmed her and she grasped his arms as he helped her sit up.

"Look at me Elena!" the Original put his hands on her face gently. 

"I feel sick" the doppelganger said and got up. As she didn't know her way around the house, he grabbed her and took her to the bathroom. There was no way of knowing what effect the potion would actually produce, which he was aware of. Seeing her pale and sickly, he wished he refused to give it to her. He asked politely if she needed any assistance. She replied that she felt fine. 

When she got out it she looked her usual self, as if nothing ever happened. He could clearly hear the heartbeat sounding regular. It seemed that the Cure worked. Elena was human again. 

"I am hungry!" she said. "I guess you have some food in the house?!"  

He nodded. She followed him to the kitchen. 

[anika-ann]

Errare Humanum Est - Pt.7

Of Monsters and Men

Type: series, soulmate AU series  (part 1, part 2)      x Supernatural

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader (past?)    Word count: 2490

Summary: ‘Nat’ and the boys are still on the road and to kill the time more than anything, they talk monsters and most importantly, witches. 

You know what they say: speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Warnings: mentions of violence, monsters, supernatural elements, mentions of amnesia and interesting dreams and swearing (always)

Story masterlist

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“Hold onto me tight. Can’t have you falling off, doll…”

“You’re such a troublemaker-“

“I want to see you come undone first. Can I, doll?”

“Do I look unwilling, doll? I’m actually pretty eager to find out how long do you need to recover…”

“Eyes on me, darling-”

You jolted awake with a gasp for air, your eyes snapping open into sharp midday sun. It took you a second to realize where you were, what the low purr under your body meant, music on low volume and a male voice softly humming along.

You blinked, meeting Sam’s gaze as he turned his head to face you.

“Hey. You alright?” he asked, concern furrowing his features.

You took a deep breath, trying to ignore the blood rushing to your cheeks at the memory of the dream. They were bits and pieces, sweet and hot, yet leaving dull ache in your chest in their wake. You were absolutely sure this was your consciousness recalling moments with your soulmate, but you were unable to make anything useful of them. It was like chasing ghosts – eh, actually, did ghosts exist? What was it like, chasing them? Never mind-

You were supposed to be a ghost, because apparently you had died.

Alright. Shake it. Snap out of those messy thoughts.

The more awake your body got, the more you realized your chest wasn’t the only thing that was tense and it wasn’t only your neck that nearly cramped.

“Yeah,” you muttered finally, while Sam’s eyes managed to get really worried, still on you. “Just… call of nature.”

In more than one ways. Your bladder might actually burst soon, but you couldn’t deny your arousal either. Gee. Why did it have to be that kind of dream you had? Why couldn’t you see your soulmate’s face clearly instead? Nope scratch that, his ID would be better, complete with his freaking address.

“Hold on for about half an hour, Nat. I’d like to stretch my legs anyway and Garth should be waiting for us.”

You smiled at Dean despite him being unable to see it, his eyes focused on the road. It was sweet of him. You might as well be sweet back.

“Thanks, Dean. And you can turn the volume up, if it was low just because of me,” you hummed, holding back a chuckle when his hand immediately moved to the radio.

“Thanks, Nat. Wanna tell us what that dream of yours was about? You seem a bit shaky,” he nudged, surprisingly gentle. You would expect such approach from Sam, but he only glanced at you, apparently wanting to know as well.

You sighed, wondering how to put it without sounding like a horny teenager.

“It’s… I think they’re like memories? But they don’t make any sense,” you said in the end, casting your glance down, fiddling with the hem of your shirt, fingers interlacing and disjointing again. “It’s my soulmate, I know as much. Or, you know, I’m pretty sure. It’s nothing useful though.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam soothed, his voice genuinely regretful. You just shook your head, sending a sad smile his way.

“The only pattern is a… a pet-name, I guess.” Well, until now, it was just one. ‘Darling’ was new. “He keeps calling me ‘doll’.”

You didn’t know why you told them, you weren’t planning on it. Except they were so genuinely nice to you it hurt and you felt like honesty was the least you could give in return. Now, you could practically touch their surprise.

It was Dean who commented on it, but not in a malicious way, which you were eternally grateful for.  

“Doll, huh? Maybe he’s a mafioso. Sounds like something from an old movie. Heh, maybe you time-travelled too!” he speculated out loud and you only gulped, not as amused as you should be. Was that a thing? Time-travel?

“God, I hope not,” Sam whined, effectively startling you. So it was possible?

“Nah, I bet it’s just him being a gentleman, ya know, the old-fashioned kind of guy. After all, how could he not, having such a… swell dame for a soulmate?”

Both you and Sam eyes Dean with wary and confusion.

“Since when you’re an expert on war era slang?” Sam demanded, amused surprise lacing his voice.

“Simpler times, Sam. Simpler times. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

Sam just chuckled, shaking his head. You laughed as well despite not quite understanding what it meant. You simply enjoyed the banter and teasing that was strengthening their brotherly love; you already caught up that much, that they loved each other greatly. How could they not? They were both absolutely amazing despite their differences.

People might find it strange for them to be so close at their age – not that you knew theirs precisely, or yours for that matter – but you thought it was endearing. If they killed monsters for living, their lives couldn’t be normal and conventional, could they? It spiked your interest once more.

“Alright. What can you tell me about what you do and how you get your money?”

“Not sure you wanna hear that, d-- now I have the nickname stuck in my head, dammit. It’s not a pretty chat, Nat. You sure?”

You nodded, but agreed out loud for the god measure. After all, Dean was still driving.

“Your choice. We hunt monsters. But let me tell you, humans are actually the worst… well, humans and witches…”

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Dean and Sam hadn’t even told half about the monsters that lurked in the shadows and you already felt overwhelmed, grateful when you reached Bedford and the older brother called his ID maker.

Garth was a nice guy, if a little overexcited and goofy.

He called you a madam, gave Sam a newest book by George R. R. Martin (who?), which seemed to excite the hunter greatly and Dean received a piece of apple pie. You couldn’t remember your life, but if you had, you were sure it still would have been Dean’s smile that was the brightest you had ever seen. Note to yourself; when repaying Sam and Dean, a pie and a book were necessities.

Your trio didn’t stop to chat with the man for long though – you needed to be on your way. Garth was apparently in the business of hunting, because he made a face way too similar to Sam’s at a mention of witches. You weren’t sure if you looked forward hearing about those; you guessed they weren’t wearing pointy hats and befriending cats.

The remaining hours to your destination flied; the brothers continued to educate you in monster food chain (people were usually the food, which you did not enjoy learning), briefing you on existence of things you could barely imagine. Also, they weren’t only friends with an angel, apparently – they were also on rather good terms with king of Hell.

“King of Hell?” you parroted, bewildered. What the h— heaven?!

“Yeah. Dean used to be bestie with him, too,” Sam quipped, half delighted at his brother’s annoyed face when sharing this fact, half bitter for pretty obvious reasons.

“Dude.”

“You keep the weirdest company,” you stated, your head buzzing with all the info you got. You grimaced when you realized that the company included you.

“We know,” Sam sighed, turning his tablet on. “But it’s not all bad. I mean, Garth, the guy you just met… he’s a werewolf and-“

“He’s a WEREWOLF?!” you yelped, causing the brothers jump in their seats and Dean jerk the steering wheel aside, throwing you all of balance.

“Christ, woman! Keep the volume low!” the driver spitted out as he returned to the correct lane, ignoring the honks of other cars. “I know, I know, shut up, I’m not drunk…”

“Sorry,” you blurted out on autopilot, your mind pre-occupied with the fact that the sweet dorky guy you had just met was a fucking werewolf.

It was Sam’s turn to apologize or he thought so. “My bad. I shouldn’t have just dropped that on you.”

“But he was so nice!”

“If you say so,” Dean assented reluctantly, voice dripping with doubt. You weren’t trying to figure out why he questioned such an obvious thing. It wasn’t your place. Not to mention you were still too astonished by the announcement.

Sam cleared his throat. “Anyway. We have two victims so far. Both are young women, Alicia Peters, 16 years old and Helen Sanders, 16 as well. They were apparently classmates, rather good students, but not friends. One of them was found three days ago, the other yesterday. They both sneaked away in secret, some other classmates claimed to them being… eh, giggly. They thought they had new boyfriends,” Sam summed up, while Dean nodded every now and then. “Why do you think witches? Could be dragons… which would be probably even worse.”

“…dragons? You’re joking.”

Dragons were real now?!

Dean ignored your incredulous remark. “Virgins, right? That’s what I thought. But check this out – according to the coroner, they had a puncture wound over their heart like from some very thin needle – or, more likely, a very thin straw, because their hearts were completely drained of blood.”

Your head was definitely spinning now, your stomach flipping over. You had been getting hungry before, but not so much anymore. You wanted to tune the conversation out, but it was inevitable to hear it. Your ears wouldn’t listen; it was like watching a train-wreck happen and being unable to draw your gaze away. Morbid curiosity played a part too.

God, you really were weird company.

“That’s disgusting,” Sam stated, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen.

You only hummed in agreement, trying to get the visual from your brain. Soulmate. Think of your soulmate and his sultry voice calling you doll. You took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, shocked that it actually worked. His voice washed over you, cocooning you in a soft blanket.

“Tell me about it,” Dean agreed darkly, but Sam held out his hand all of sudden, causing both you and Dean freeze.

“What?”

“They found two young men this morning. John Doe One and Two for now. They were…” Sam wavered, eyeing you in the rear-view mirror. Now he was checking with you? You guessed your face was pale as a sheet of paper, but hey, it wasn’t like you couldn’t just try and cover your ears. You nodded at him encouragingly and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “…found in one bed, stabbed in the heart and… ugh, with their… tools ripped off.”

Dean winced, while you just blinked. Did he mean like… wow. Oh, wow. You weren’t sure how to react to that.

“There was a note. We apologize for ruining such pure lives of the sweetest kind and as a prove of our remorse, we present their families with-“ Sam faltered in his speech, gagging. “Yeah, alright. Apparently, the missing part of their bodies was found with the… note. No need to go into details.”

“Yeah, Sammy, I’d be pretty grateful if we stopped talking about that. What now, though? Do we believe this crap?”

“You could have an ally,” you quipped shyly, receiving Sam’s sigh in reply.

“Brutal one, but yes. We need to at least check it out.”

“Yeah, but we get a lunch before that. I need something to comfort me. You traumatized my love muscle, Sam. Do you have any-“

“Yeah, alright, just… stop right there,” Sam stopped his brother, as if shielding himself from TMI by holding out his palm against Dean. “Got it. We need to stop for a bite.”

You giggled, the sound interrupted by your stomach growling. When had you got your appetite back?

“I guess lady in the back agrees,” Dean hummed, grinning in Sam’s direction. You laughed when you came to conclusion that he enjoyed making his younger brother uncomfortable, Sam making a face back at him as he realized the same.

They seemed like a greater pair of siblings the longer you spent with them.

It only took several minutes to get to the town and find a place to eat; Dean seemed to have a talent for finding food, which you appreciated immensely. You hadn’t been eating much, ashamed of using the brothers like that, so you were hungrier than you would be willing to admit. You had a sneaking suspicion that Sam was beginning to notice, because his eyes were narrowed as you picked the cheapest thing on the menu that appeared edible.

“You’re not eating,” he pointed out bluntly the moment the waitress left.

You just gaped at being caught and so shamelessly called out. Dean’s gaze shifted to you and now you had two men glaring at you keeping you company in the boot.

“I’m… not hungry.”

“Your stomach said differently,” Dean reminded you with his eyebrow arched in challenge. You opened your mouth uselessly, the protest dying in your throat at the intensity of his bright green eyes. “If this is about money, get your head out of your ass, Nat. You need to eat.”

“But-“

“But nothing. We’re having a desert,” he shut you up effectively, not permitting any objections.

You sighed, guiltily merging with your seat. A menu was placed in front of you, Dean’s fingers pointing at it.

“Actually, you’re picking one right now.”

You wordlessly obeyed, defeated. “I don’t mean to be difficult,” you whispered apologetically and Sam just shook his head with a smile.

“We know. And I get it, you don’t want to impose and use us, but… we chose to help you. Try to accept it, alright?”

You only nodded, determined to at least find the best dessert. The corners of your lips quirked when you found it.

“Looks like we’re in for an apple pie,” you decided, smirking in Dean’s direction. His eyes lit up and you couldn’t but feel the warmth around your heart at that. You actually did that, made him smile. Maybe you weren’t the worst company in the world after all. “Unless you’re sick of it after-“

Dean’s hand snatched the menu away, shutting it close. “Shut you piehole, Nat.”

Sam laughed as they brought your food.

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You were just finishing your infamous dessert, when the brothers stiffened at the voice coming from behind their back, the other side of the boot.

You frowned, not finding anything strange about the female voice with British accent.

“Thank you, darling. It will be all,” the woman said politely.

The moment the waitress left, Sam and Dean stumbled from their seats and towards the other boot. The tension in their shoulders only grew and they let out a ridiculously synched irritated sigh, multiple emotions playing on their face; you caught annoyance and a bit of anger for sure.

“Rowena,” Sam greeted her in pretended politeness and you couldn’t but check the situation out. They didn’t seem to be happy about running into their acquaintance.

You got a glimpse of a redhead sipping at her tea delicately, her pinkie raised as she held her cup.

“Hello, boys.”

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Part 8

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I adore that woman, I swear. She’s so classy and sassy. 

Also, for those who haven’t seen SPN, I extended the guide at the end of chapter one - you’ll find ‘Chuck’ and ‘Rowena’ there ;)

Thank you for reading!

[guns-n-zeppelin]

Slash imagine: Hookup at a party

Anonymous: Hey I wanted to ask if you maybe could do an imagine with the older slash, where the reader throws a party or something like that and his son's are there because the reader and his son's are friends, and he comes to pick them up and the reader is super drunk and flirts with slash and they hook up (the reader and his son's are in there early 20's) I hope you know what I mean 😅 + Sry for my bad English

Words: 2,085

Warning: SMUT (kids go away pls)

A/N: It okay, friend, your English is great. Lmao i haven't written anything guns n roses related in ageees (sorry about that everyone heh), it's over 3am rn and i don't even know what i wrote, i barely reread it lol. Hope ye like it though. Comments about how shit this is are recommended hehe.

Not sure if i'm getting back at fanfics, if i get some requests which sound interesting i might try something quick if i have time.

People were dancing to the loud music all around you, pumping at you constantly and almost making you fall on the floor. You were carrying a half empty Jack Daniels with you and trying to walk straight. You knew you were super drunk right now and a complete mess.

You had thought it was a good idea to have a party at your house and invite all these people, but it would be really hard to get everyone leave and clean up this place after you’d recover from the worst hangover. Too late now anymore.

You walked to the kitchen, took a sip from the whiskey and put it on the table. Your friend Emilio was standing next to the fridge with couple of his friends and you started walking towards them, a large smile on your face.

”Emilio, there you are! My bestest best buddy!” you basically yelled and went to hug him tightly, burying your face on his chest.

”Y/N you’re so drunk,” he laughed, but he wasn’t completely sober himself either. For a while he looked like he would vomit, but it ended up being just a false alarm this time. ”I think i’ll call my dad to pick me up.” He took his phone and started calling his dad.

”Ohh yes, call him, that’s a good idea!” you slurred and laughed, but Emilio just ignored you and went to a quieter place.

The truth was, that you had had the biggest crush on Slash, Emilio’s dad, and you always got super awkward around him. All blushing and nervous. You almost had a breakdown if he would even smile at you and say hi. You knew he was your best friend’s dad, for god’s sake, but you couldn’t help your feelings.

It didn’t take long until Slash arrived with his car in front of your house, you and Emilio already standing and waiting outside, smoking cigarette. You looked towards Slash through the car’s window, he didn’t get off his car but waited Emilio come to the car by himself.

”Well, that’s my ride,” Emilio said, ”you sure you won’t need help to get all these people leave?”

You shook your head. ”Nah, Alicia, Sophie and Nick should be enough help with that. No worries.”

Emilio gave you a hug, until he started to walk to the car, barely keeping his balance anymore. You felt your head spinning a bit too.

You kept looking and adoring Slash’s dark figure, but quickly turned your head away and felt burning blush spreading on your cheeks. When you turned to look again, he still stared at you, but then Emilio blocked the view by going to sit in the car next to his dad, completely wasted.

You watched them drive away and let a sigh out of your mouth, still feeling your heart hammering in your chest, and returned inside. There was now less people dancing, it was quite late already, but it would still take time until people would leave.

About half an hour passed, you were talking with your good friend Sophie, until your phone rang and you had to excuse yourself elsewhere. Emilio was calling you.

”Hey, what’s up?” you answered, confused why he would call you already.

”Hey, Y/N. Emilio apparently forgot some of his stuff there at your place. Wallets and stuff i guess,” Slash sighed, sounding a bit irritated because of his son. ”I’m still heading to the centrum so i could quickly come pick them up. I know he’s in no state come tomorrow himself.”

Your eyes widened when you recognised Slash’s voice and suddenly you felt like your voice had suddenly completely disappeared and you couldn’t talk anymore.

”Y/N? If it’s not a good time, i –”

”No! No, no it’s. It’s uh, yea come. You can come get them now, it’s fine,” you stuttered.

When the call ended, you stared at the screen a bit too long and rushed inside. You went to look yourself from the mirror that you wouldn’t look like a complete mess in front of Slash. You were wearing a tight white top and a black skirt, which reached just above your knees. You saw Emilio’s bag next to the couch in living room and went to get it, almost stumbling on a guy who had passed out on the floor.

Soon Slash drove in front of your house again and you took a deep breath to calm yourself down a bit better. I can do this, you repeated in your head, don’t be a fucking fool again, you can do this.

Slash got out of his car and lighted a cigarette, while you were walking towards him.

”Uh, here’s his bag,” you muttered and he put it in the backseat.

”Thanks, Y/L. Emilio passed out immediately when we got home,” Slash told you and shook his head.

You let a laugh out of your mouth and started to giggle, soon almost not able to control it, for being so drunk.

”Yea, he was pretty drunk.”

You kept standing there in front of him just a bit longer and just looked at him. He looked back at you and blew smoke out of his mouth. You turned your head away again for a moment, but then turned back at him again, now trying to collect all your courage.

”How are you doing though?” you asked, coming a step closer him.

”I’m doing fine, thank you,” he answered and smiled, a bit confused why you were suddenly standing so close, but didn’t back off away from you.

”Are you having any … woman right now?” you asked, suddenly because of alcohol feeling extremely bold. You could smell his scent and twirled his curls between your fingers, biting your lip.

He looked a bit confused and furrowed his eyebrows, not sure what you were doing. ”Hm, no i don’t. Why are you asking that?” He threw his cigarette on the ground.

”You know, i’ve always found you incredibly hot,” you admitted and let your hand wander across his chest. ”I mean … wow.” You started to giggle again and Slash’s eyebrows shot near his hairline. ”Do you think i’m pretty?” you pouted and put your arms around his neck.

”Y/N …” Slash shook his head and your heart dropped. ”We shouldn’t … you’re drunk.”

”I knew it,” you said and backed off, feeling tears forming in your eyes. ”What’s wrong with me?” you asked, not sure if you were talking to him or more to yourself. ”I’m so stupid.”

Slash suddenly grabbed your wrist and forced you to look at him again. ”Hey, nothing’s wrong with you. You are … pretty. No, you are beautiful, Y/N. I just. It’s wrong.”

Your heart was beating faster again and you came back closer.

”What’s wrong?” you came stood just a few inches away from him and didn’t break the eye contact between the two of you anymore. You put your hands around his neck again.

”I’m too old for you and you’re my son’s friend,” Slash said. ”And you are very, very drunk.”

You just rolled your eyes. ”We don’t have to tell them,” you whispered and brought your face closer to his, cupping his cheeks with your hands. ”This can be our little secret.” You started to giggle again. Slash looked around the two of you, but there was nobody near.

”Y/L –”

”Come, i’ll show you something in the garage,” you said, thinking nobody must be there, since everybody were partying either in living room or kitchen, if not passed out in the bathroom. You took Slash’s hand in yours and started dragging him behind you to the garage. Surprisingly he followed you.

You closed the garage door and it was empty, just as you thought, only your own car standing there. You turned back to Slash and as he was just trying to say something, you slammed your lips against his, taking him into a deep kiss. He was a bit unsure at first, but still kissed you back. Eventually he broke the kiss.

”You’re drunk, Y/N.”

You shook your head. ”I know what i’m doing. I want you, Slash,” you said quietly and planted a few kisses on his neck. ”I need you.”

”Don’t say that,” Slash whispered, while looking into your eyes. You grabbed a hold on his dick, feeling through his pants his growing erection. Slash hissed between his teeth and a smile spread on your face.

You slided your hand now under his pants and took his dick entirely in your hand, starting to stroke him up and down.

”Y/N …”

”Shh,” you interrupted him, took his hand and slid it under your top on your breast. ”Don’t talk, just fuck me. I want you to fuck me, Slash, right now.”

You kissed Slash again and he immediately made the kiss deeper. You took your top off, leaving you only in your bra. You opened his belt and helped him get his pants off. You pulled also down his underwear and revealed his huge erection and only by looking at it, it made you even more wet. You stroke again his dick with your hand, making him groan, and looked at him into his eyes.

”You know … i’ve always wanted to try having sex in a car.” You glanced at your car next to you and then back at Slash. You took your underpants off and let them drop on the floor, then opening the door. Before he said anything, you kissed him again and felt his hands open your bra and taking them off. After you’d also took your skirt off, you were completely naked in front of him. He scanned your body for a while, until grabbed your waist and pulled you close against his body.

”God, you’re beautiful,” Slash said and roughly grabbed your ass, making you whimper. Your heart fluttered in your chest and he went to sit in the car seat, you following right behind him. You sat on his lap, burying his cock inside you, slowly, until he had filled you completely, all of his thick length disappeared inside your vagina.

You let out a deep moan out of your mouth, you hadn’t expected him to be so big. ”Oh gosh, Slash.” You were still for a while and Slash let you take your time, keeping his hands on your ass, grabbing them roughly.

And then you started to move, up and down on him, your chest and boobs just inches from his face. Slash helped you move by holding your ass and you fastened your pace as fast as you could. You tried to keep your head from pumping on the car ceiling, but it waa harder than you first had thought.

You moaned and whimpered each time his dick hit just the right spot inside you, but you tried to be as quiet as possible, still a bit afraid someone might hear and walk in. Slash moaned too and put his hand on the back of your neck, pulling you back into a deep kiss, forcing his tongue into your mouth.

”I’m so close, oh god, Slash,” you whimpered and he looked at you.

”Come for me,” he whispered. And then you came, orgasm running through your body, him right behind you. Both of you were just moaning messes.

You held his shoulders and tried to catch your breath for a while. You were still sitting on his lap and his hand came up to put a strand of your hair behind your ear. You smiled and giggled, him chuckling back at you.

The next morning you woke up from your own bed, the sun already up in the sky. You didn’t know how you’d gotten into your bed. Honestly, you didn’t remember much about the night in general and you had no idea what kind of mess was waiting for you downstairs. Though you just physically couldn’t think about it right now, due to your horrible hangover, so you put your head back on your pillow.

One thing you did remember though for sure. You would have thought it had been just a sex dream with the famous guitarist, but feeling how sore you were at the moment, you definitely knew it had actually happened and wasn’t just a fantasy in your mind.

You stared at the ceiling, deep in your thoughts, not sure at all how to face him next time you’d visit Emilio.