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pikapeppa · 3 years ago

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Garrus Vakarian x f!Shepard: Crick

Hello friends and loved ones: I am dipping my toe into Shakarian fic. Haven’t quite decided yet how much to commit to writing this pairing in detail, so here’s a little oneshot set just after the Horizon mission in ME2. ~2400 words. (Tumblr only for now, but I’ll post on AO3 if I decide to write more.)

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Garrus sighed as he made his way to the main battery room. There was a stiff feeling in the left side of his neck and shoulder when he tilted his head, and he was annoyed by it. It was his own fault, really; he’d fallen asleep at his weapons modification table again last night and woken with this crick in his neck that wouldn’t go away.

It was one of those times when he really wished he could get a proper hammer massage. There was that one place on the Citadel that did real Palavenese massage, the good kind that you really felt vibrating all the way through your carapace into your bones, but Garrus wasn’t sure if Shepard would be ordering them back to the Citadel anytime soon.

It’s just a crick, he reminded himself. It could be so much worse. The fight they’d just gone through on Horizon had been… a tough one, to say the least. Any fight with an unfamiliar new enemy could be unnerving, but seeing that Harbinger thing jumping from body to body during the fight had almost been enough to make Garrus pause.

Almost, but not quite. Archangel never hesitated or missed his shot.

He stepped into the main battery room and took a deep breath, then released it in a satisfied sigh. The air in here smelled like clean plastic and a hint of metal, and he savoured the relaxing smell just as he did every time he stepped into this room after a hard fight.

He flicked on the monitors and cracked the joints in his fingers, then started his usual routine of checking the gun settings – a routine that was more for comfort now than necessity, if he was being totally honest. Cerberus might be a pack of crazies doing their twisted human experiments, but they sure made a mighty fine canon.

He finished up his calibrating routine, and he was just about to move on to studying the Collector particle rifle that Shepard had salvaged when he heard the distinct beep-and-shunk of the door unlocking. A second later, the doors slid open, and Shepard stepped through.

She nodded briskly. “Garrus. Just checking in. You doing okay after that fight?”

“I’m just fine, Shepard,” he assured her. “I was about to start looking at your new toy here, actually.”

“That’s great,” she said. “It looks like a powerful little piece of tech. Something we can turn to our advantage, you think?”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said. “There’s nothing I find more satisfying than using the enemy’s own weapons against them.”

A small smile crossed her face, just as he’d hoped it would. He hadn’t seen a smile on her face all day, not since the Collectors had gotten away with the population of Horizon’s colony. Kaidan’s angry lecture probably hadn’t helped things, either.

She huffed and leaned an elbow on the weapons mod table. “That’s pretty bloodthirsty of you, Garrus.”

“Bloodthirsty? Me? Never,” he said. “Thirsty for justice, on the other hand…”

She laughed — a husky rolling sound that always reminded him, for some reason, of brandy-filled chocolates. “What a line. Did your time on Omega inspire you to dip your toe into writing noir mystery novels?”

“What if it did?” he said playfully.

“Then I’d tell you stick to your dayjob,” she replied.

It was Garrus’s turn to chuckle. Shepard smiled at him once more, then straightened up and nodded at the particle rifle. “I know you just got started here, but I’m interested to see what you find. Mind if I watch you working for a while?”

“No problem,” he said. “Might ask you to throw up a barrier for your own protection, though. This thing doesn’t use conventional heat sinks. I’m not sure yet if it can even be fully turned off.”

She nodded and cast herself a barrier with a quick clench of her fist, and Garrus got to work studying the Collector rifle. He scanned it to build a schematic and explained the exploded view to Shepard, and she frowned thoughtfully and asked questions about the weapon’s uses and disadvantages, and all the while, as he often did, he wondered what she was really thinking.

By any objective standards, it had been a bad day. They’d just watched most of a human colony get taken away by the Collectors. Her former lieutenant had accused her of crimes against her race right after a really tough fight, and when they’d boarded the Normandy once more, the Illusive Man had told her that he’d actually incited the Collectors to target Horizon.

If Garrus was in Shepard’s place, he’d be vibrating with anger by now. But here she was, watching him dismantle a gun with the calmest look on her face.

A solid half hour later, when he’d finished thoroughly surveying the rifle, he tapped his visor from its analysis mode back into its resting mode and looked at her. “I think that’s about all I’m going to do with this rifle for today. You need me for anything else?”

“Nothing else for now,” she said. “Thanks for the demonstration. I’ll talk to you later.” She stepped back toward the door.

On a sudden whim, he opened his mouth. “Shepard, hang on a second.”

She turned back to him. “What is it?”

He hesitated. Now he was wondering if the question at the tip of his tongue was too personal. He and Shepard were friends, sure, but his question might touch a bit of a sore spot, given what had happened today. If Garrus knew anything about Shepard, it was that she wasn’t much of one for talking about her feelings when missions didn’t go as expected. Not that Garrus was a talky-feely sort of guy, either, but still…

She raised her eyebrows expectantly, and he shook himself. He’d called her to turn around; he had no choice but to ask now. “Are you doing okay?”

Her eyebrows rose higher. “Sorry?”

“This whole Collector business on Horizon,” he clarified. “I know it didn’t go down the way we wanted, and then with the Illusive Man being, you know… illusive.” He lifted his shoulders. “It can’t have been easy.”

Her blue-black eyes crinkled at the corners. “You worrying about me, Vakarian?”

“A little, maybe,” he said. “You’ve only taken a dig at me once today.”

Another smile flashed across her face, but it was gone a second later, smoothed back into her usual businesslike expression. “I’m all right,” she said. “It’s a hit to have lost the colony, but we’ll save the next one. I’ll make sure of it.”

He nodded. “Seeing Kaidan was a bit of a shock, huh?”

She huffed and folded her arms. “It wasn’t ideal, but that’s the way it is. He’s got his mission, and we’ve got ours. We can’t lose our focus over personal feelings.”

Garrus nodded again. Everything she was saying was reasonable and true, and her calm attitude was envious, really. If Garrus was able to keep his calm like Shepard did… well, he’d tried to channel Shepard’s calm while he was on Omega, but it had only gotten him so far. Garrus had never known anyone, human or otherwise, who kept their cool all the time quite the way Shepard did.

And yet, for some reason, he just… he wasn’t sure. Her manner struck him as a little bit off, somehow, like the feeling of the crick in his neck.

She lifted her eyebrows. “Anything else?”

“How do you do it?” he said bluntly.

She blinked. “Do what?”

“Keep it together all the time,” he said. “You never seem uncertain. You always seem to know what you’re doing, even if you can’t possibly know. I have to admit, I envy you,” he admitted. “How is it that you always manage to keep it together?”

She didn’t reply right away. Instead, she just stared at him without speaking, and Garrus started to feel a little awkward. It was hard to tell from the look on her face, but he thought that maybe she was… was she angry? Surprised? Bored, maybe? He couldn’t quite tell. Human expressions were usually easy to interpret, with their fleshy lips stretching and pouting and their eyebrows leaping up and down. But when Shepard was in her ‘commander’ mode, she could be so damned hard to read.

She glanced at the closed door. Then, to his surprise, she walked over to him and sat in his chair.

She raked her long black bangs back from her face and looked up at him. “You want to know my secret?” she said.

“Secret?” he said blankly. “To what?”

“To staying calm all the time,” she said. “Can I tell you my secret?”

“Um, sure,” he said.

She leaned toward him, and he instinctively stooped down a bit to hear her better — a good thing that he did, since her voice was low and conspiratorial when she spoke.

“I cry in the shower,” she said.

His guts twisted in a funny way. “What?”

She leaned back in his chair. “I cry in the shower,” she said. “When something really fucked up happens, I get in the shower at the end of the day and I cry like hell.”

He stared at her wordlessly. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected her to say, but it wasn’t this.

A little smile curled the corners of her lips. “What’s wrong? Not the answer you were hoping to hear?”

“It’s — it’s not that,” he said. “I’m just, uh, surprised. You cry in the shower?”

“Yep,” she said. “Not bullshitting you, I promise. This is not a bet with Joker or anything like that.”

He tried to gather his wits. “So… what, you cry in the shower, and then you just… get back to being Commander Malin Shepard, saviour of the Citadel and resident Reaper conspiracist?”

She chuckled. “Exactly. It’s like a purge. Works perfectly every time.”

He nodded slowly, feeling like he needed some time to process this, and Shepard huffed and punched his arm in a friendly manner. “Not so impressed with me anymore, huh?”

That wasn’t the problem. It wasn’t that he was unimpressed. But now he was actually worried about her. In all the time Garrus had known her, he had never once imagined her crying about anything. If what she was telling him was true, though…

Hang on. How often did she cry in the shower, exactly? No, he couldn’t ask that — it would definitely be overstepping.

He scrambled to find a clever reply. “It’s not that,” he said. “Actually, I’m jealous.”

She laughed. “Jealous? Why?” Then her eyebrows rose. “Wait, can turians cry?”

“Sure,” Garrus said. “But we don’t do it often.”

“Is it hard for you to cry?” she asked.

“Well, the turian military doesn’t exactly encourage you to curl up in the corner for a little weeping time,” he said dryly.

She snorted. “Not what I meant. I was more wondering if, uh, since you have deep eye sockets, maybe your tears collect in there somewhere…?”

He flared his mandibles in amusement. “Tears don’t collect in a little reservoir under our eyes or something, if that’s what you’re wondering,” he drawled. “But yeah, we can cry. It just doesn’t happen much. Which leads me to the jealousy,” he added. “You get to sit in your shower crying whenever you feel like it? Forget the private cabin: that’s the real luxury of being the commander.”

She laughed again, more heartily this time, and the husky warmth of her laughter was such that Garrus could almost taste the sweet bite of brandy and bittersweet chocolate. “Well, if you ever want to try it sometime, let me know.”

“Try what?” he said. “Crying in the shower?”

“Yep,” she said. “You can borrow my private shower instead of using the shared showers down here, if you want. The walls are soundproof, so nobody can hear you wailing.”

For a split second, an image flashed across his mind: Shepard’s private shower. No, not just Shepard’s private shower: Shepard’s private shower, with Shepard in it. Shepard naked in the shower — what did her body look like under those clothes, he wondered? — and he, Garrus, joining her in the shower —

Wait. Wait a second. Why was he thinking about that? He shouldn’t be thinking about that. It was Shepard, for crying out loud: his friend and his CO. Who did he think he was, to imagine his human female CO naked in the shower?

He scrambled to get his thoughts back on track. “I’ll, uh, let you know,” he said. “Might have to train my eyes how to cry, it’s been so long.”

She smirked. “Nice try, Vakarian. Something tells me you’re not quite that heartless.”

He chuckled — a little weakly, to be truthful, but Shepard didn’t seem to notice; she was rising from his chair with a smile. “Well, I should go. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later,” he echoed, and he watched her surreptitiously as she left the room. Once she was gone, he sat in his chair and closed his eyes.

Crying in the shower… he honestly wouldn’t have guessed it. He’d expected her to give him some kind of encouraging advice or bolstering words of wisdom, like the sorts of things she said to the team before they set off on a mission. But somehow, hearing her say she cried in the shower was… interesting. It made him think about her in a different way. He was worried for sure, but also… comforted, somehow, to know that even Shepard got overwhelmed enough to cry. It seemed that under all that heavy N7 armour, she really was a regular person, too.

Under all that heavy N7 armour… A flash of a thought projected itself on his closed eyelids: Shepard stripping off her armour, her slender human fingers raking her sweat-dampened bangs back from her face, the small bare patch at the nape of her neck where her short spiky hair faded into light golden-brown skin…

He snapped open his eyes. Was he drifting off? He must be more tired than he thought. No other reason that he’d keep thinking about Shepard like this.

He rose from his chair and rolled his shoulders, then clicked in his mandibles in annoyance as the crick in his neck announced itself once more. “Really could use a damned massage,” he muttered. Well, he’d just have to suck it up and wait until they got back to the Citadel.

In the meantime, he’d just have to cope with the strange nagging feeling of the crick in his neck.

#garrus vakarian #garrus #shakarian #garrus/shepard #garrus x shepard #garrus x femshep #Fun fact: Garrus is actually my OG videogame husbando from back in the day #but when i first played the ME trilogy i wasn't a writer #so i could not process my feelings like a thirsty madwoman with too many emotions #I AM A WRITER NOW HOWEVER #AND MY FEELINGS CAN ONLY BE PROCESSED BY BARFING THEM ONTO A SCREEN #pikapeppa writes

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herinsectreflection · 4 years ago

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I want to talk about this scene, from Bargaining when Willow kills the fawn. You might guess from my icon that I am a big fan of this scene. It's pretty short but it sets the stage for Willow's arc throughout S6 excellently.

It opens with her in this gorgeous riverside greenery, dressed in pure white, the very picture of fairytale innocence, bathed in bright sunlight. It's such an unusual shot for the show, which almost exclusively either has shots inside or at night (for obvious reasons of being a vampire show), and that immediately makes it quite memorable. Especially as the rest of the episode is almost entirely set at night, filled with demon bikers, dismemberment, fire, broken down towers and digging out of graves. It's like this little meditative moment of peace in between all that.

Or, it would be if it didn't include a teensy little animal sacrifice.

WILLOW: Adonai, Helomi, Pine. Adonai, Helomi, Pine. The gods do command thee from thy majesty. O Mappa Laman, Adonai, Helomi.

Willow says her words and summons forth a young fawn from the trees. The fawn is another symbol of innocence, like Willow's white dress. As she reaches out and and touches the animal gently, we're reminded of the soft innocent Willow of S1, who shied away from any conflict and seemed incapable of ever hurting a fly. She's like a disney princess, sitting in the woods singing to woodland animals. Only Snow White never stabbed Bambi in the heart.

The entire plot of the previous season revolved around the blood sacrifice of a child. This is what Glory was trying to achieve, and it's what Buffy has to stop. Buffy gives her life in order to stop it. And now, Willow recreates the same event, performing the blood sacrifice what is specifically an animal child. She steps into the role that the previous season's Big Bad performed, and so tells us that this season, she is stepping into the role of Big Bad. The fawn fills the role of Dawn - the situations rhyme as well as the names do.

Fun fact - the words that Willow uses are taken from The Book of Ceremonial Magic, a 1910 book that compiled various grimoires. In this passage, describing an invocation to request something from God, Adonai/Helomi/Pine are the names of angels - specifically the angels of the East, who appear in human form dressed in lily white according to this passage - another link to Willow's costume here. The invocation seems to involve requesting these angels to appear to the caster in an intelligible form.

ADONAI, HELOMI, PINE, Whom you obey, do invoke, conjure and entreat thee, N., that thou wilt appear forthwith. By the virtue and power of the same God I do command thee from thine order or place of abode to come unto me and skew thyself plainly here before me in thine own proper shape and glory, speaking in a voice intelligible to mine understanding.

In this case, Willow is symbolically killing an actual angel of heaven, which is probably pretty high up on the villainy scale. Just drives home the fundamental Wrongness of this scene. It's also good to remember that the idea of killing one to save other(s) is a theme returned to again and again throughout the show, and the first major example of that theme in action is a certain Angel.

(Credit to this user on BuffyBoards for finding the source of these words.)

So the fawn is Dawn, and the fawn is an angel. But most importantly of all - the fawn is Buffy. Willow, in her attempts to bring Buffy back to life, first has to kill "Buffy".

WILLOW: Come forward, Blessed one. Know your calling.

The fawn is described as having a "calling" that it must "know", just as Buffy has a calling of her own, which over the course of many seasons she learns to know and accept (and eventually revolutionise and reject). It is also described as "Blessed", which in some definitions is taken to mean "one who is with God in heaven". Buffy at this point is literally in heaven (or at least some kind of heaven dimension, the theology is gratefully vague). The structure of the phrase "Blessed one" also reminds of the more relevant phrase - "Chosen One", which again would be Buffy. The spell ingredient, which we know is the fawn's blood, is called "vino de madre" - wine of the mother, implying a feminine source of power, just like The Slayer.

WILLOW: Accept our humble gratitude for your offering. In death ... you give life. May you find wings to the kingdom. In death, you give life. You might say that death... is your gift... yeah, so this really drives it home for me. Using death to give life is literally what Buffy has just done. It was core to her arc last season. And finally the "wings to the kingdom" line again plays into that heaven imagery. S6 loves this kind of imagery for Buffy, even giving her angel wings in one of the most delightfully on-the-nose shots in the show.

Buffy gave her life to give Dawn one, and with it gave a warning about the struggles of life - "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.". This is sad but lovely advice that Buffy herself must now spend S6 gradually learning to understand herself. She learns how to deal with the crushing despair of day-to-day existence. Willow, as the Big Bad of this season, doesn't understand this advice at all. For years now, Willow has used magic as a short-cut to avoid actually dealing with her emotions (see Lover's Walk, Something Blue, Tough Love). This goes into overdrive in S6, and it starts with her desperation to bring Buffy back to avoid really dealing with the reality of her death.

In fact it goes beyond magic - Willow is also the one who uses her tech knowledge to bring the Buffybot back online. She uses all her skills to desperately fill in the hole that Buffy has left behind. This is what Willow does, magic or no. And it's sympathetic - my heart breaks every time she talks about fearing where Buffy might have ended up - but it's not totally rational or healthy either. The main problem is that Willow, in doing this, is ignoring Buffy's final words, and misunderstanding the central theme.

As said earlier, by performing this blood sacrifice of a child, Willow is betraying the memory of Buffy, who died to stop one. (Symbolically of course. Morally there are light years between killing an animal and killing a teenager). Buffy gave her life to stop a blood sacrifice, and so Willow reverses the process - causing a blood sacrifice to give Buffy her life. And she betrays Buffy's final words with her refusal to accept the pain of life and live with it. And finally, she betrays Buffy spiritually.

Remember that Willow is Buffy's metaphorical Spirit, as shown in Primeval. It is a special kind of betrayal that Buffy's Spirit breaks her spiritually in this season. She literally rips her soul out of eternal bliss and contentment, causing an existential break within her. She beseeches the fawn/Buffy to find "wings to the kingdom", but in doing so robs Buffy of her wings.

Buffy suffers brutal depression this season, and describes it many times as feeling dead inside. This kind of emotional deadness is caused directly by her ressurection (though severely exacerbated by her unresolved trauma, grief over Joyce, and generally just living under capitalism). Willow has tried to give death to bring life, but because the action is a betrayal of Buffy on many levels, the act is tainted, and perverted, like a wish on a monkey's paw. She literally kills metaphorical Buffy, and so metaphorically kills literal Buffy. Buffy has life, but said life is causing a kind of death within her.

And what does Willow get for all this? Her pain isn't fixed by all this. She just gets blood on her hands (and later on her face). It sets off a chain of events that will end with far more blood on Willow's hands. She dips a toe into a darkness, but because she doesn't understand fully the emotions that have taken her there, she can't exert any control over it. She doesn't learn a lesson here that she shouldn't try to shape the world to deal with her emotions. Instead, she learns that she has power over life and death.

Willow is clearly deeply shaken by this, but it's not nearly enough to make her change her path. She ignores the very obvious foreshadowing here - her hands literally coated in blood - and carries on anyway. She takes the wrong lessons from this moment, which she clearly demonstrates in her argument with Giles in Flooded, where she ignores his anger over how she's warped the rules of nature, and instead focuses on how awesome she is ("The magicks I used are very powerful. I'm very powerful. And maybe it's not such a good idea for you to piss me off.")

This is a small scene, but it sets up so much for Willow. It shows how far she has come from the meek girl of S1. And it shows a glimpse of the future, how she has far to go but is now on a path to become the villain she is at the end of S6. She starts it by killing metaphorical Buffy in order to save her, and will end it by trying to kill actual Buffy in order to emotionally "save" her. At every point she can justify the blood on her hands as serving some greater purpose - but the blood is still there.

#willow rosenberg #meta #btvs #s6 #bargaining #symbolism

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delaber · 4 years ago

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Could you do like a short piece where Daveed and reader are a thing but not really a couple. And he ruins it by not wanting more but comes back and apologises. Thanks!

Title: Stepping Up

Pairing: Daveed Diggs x Reader

Note: Thanks anon! First time I’m writing Daveed. This was fun and challenging.

Word Count: 1.7K

Warnings: mentions of sex. Slight angst. I think that’s it but let me know

"U up?"

Two words and a question mark. That was all it took and you felt your heart start pounding in your chest. Your feet started moving around, unable to stay in one place. You had to shred the duvet, you had started sweating. Two words and a fucking question mark and he could make your body betray you. Two words and you were ready for him.

You had to actively remind yourself that you were in withdrawal. That you couldn't hit him back no matter what. That he hadn't treated you the way you deserved. That he was fine and sweet and wonderful - but a dick nonetheless.

Still, it was hard to resist temptation. If you finally allowed yourself to text him back he would be here in a jiffy. You needed it. You missed him. And suddenly everything came rushing back: Daveed's athletic body the first time you'd seen him jump around on stage, his smile as he had introduced himself to you, his teasing manner as he had thrown around millions of jokes to you and the rest of your cast-mates. How you had already fallen for his wicked charms by the end of the first rehearsal. How you had flirted desperately to get him to notice you, and how he had finally pulled you backstage and kissed you in secret. It had all lead to a daring affair between the two of you, Daveed fucking you roughly every day in between rehearsals and later in between shows. His long fingers curling inside you while you moaned his name, the taste of him on your lips, his demanding movements as he took you in various positions all over your dressing room.

And no one could know. Not even Jas or Leslie or Oak. Daveed had made you promise not to tell - that this was your personal thing. You had agreed and said 'of course' right before he had hoisted you up beside the powder room mirror and slid into you. At first, the sneaking around had been nothing but arousing - you one hundred percent condoned it; your only goal back then had been to keep fucking Daveed in your costumes, the blue revolutionary jacket always open against his toned chest, but as the weeks proceeded, you felt yourself wanting more from him.

You wanted to be able to snog him senseless every time you saw him. You wanted to intertwine your fingers with his in public. Treat him to dinner. Take him home. Watch movies on lazy Sundays. Run your hands over his abs in your own bed. Waking up to find him covering your body with kisses.

But Daveed had said no. That he didn't want those things. That he didn't want to engage in anything serious with someone he worked with. That you were just co-workers who helped each other relieve some of the stress that the highly demanding job craved. Nothing more. In other words, you deduced that you were his stress ball - and you got angry! You yelled, and you threatened to kick him out of your dressing room, and you even threw a small lipstick at him, but his chocolate brown eyes were so sweet and so kind that you eventually felt yourself nodding along to his arguments of how the two of you could mess up the entire production if you started dating and things didn't work out. You sighed and you nodded and you agreed with him. And not even ten minutes later had he pulled off your panties, bent you over the couch, and dropped to his knees behind you. A lousy way to make up for it.

You had let it continue like this for eight months until his contract finally ran out and you were no longer co-workers. You had been looking forward to this. On his last night at the theatre, Daveed had stumbled into your dressing room in his Jefferson robe. The door behind him had barely closed before he had ripped your corset open, his warm fingers immediately rolling your nipples they way he knew you liked it. He had pressed his pelvis up against you and whispered in your ear that he had been hard on stage all night, patiently waiting for the show to be over so he could come see you. And you had decided that now was the time; slowly, you had turned around in his arms with a smirk and you had asked him out seeing as you wouldn't be working together anymore. You had thought it was a sure thing. But Daveed had pulled down your pants mumbling "My contract's in effect until tomorrow," right before you had felt his tongue on your skin.

"So what happens if I ask you again tomorrow?" You'd panted as his tongue was joined by his fingers.

"It'll still be a no," he grinned up at you, apparently unaware of your aching heart. He was a good man. If he knew the effect he had on you, he would've either stepped back or stepped up.

"And what happens after tonight?" You'd asked.

"We keep fucking," he had grinned with a content sigh as he spread your legs apart.

That was five weeks ago.

Now you had endured five weeks of Daveed constantly texting you that he was stressed, or hard, or thinking about you. Five weeks of him sending you dirty texts explicitly describing what he wanted to do to you. Five weeks of you ignoring him completely.

And now you were staring at his text consisting of two words and a question mark, contemplating if a small toe-dip into your old addiction was such a catastrophe. You felt your phone buzz in your hand as another text from him ticked in: 'I know you're reading my texts. Please stop ignoring me I miss you.'

You almost choked. In the year you'd known Daveed this was the most sensitive he'd ever gotten with you. You read the second text over and over and over again contemplating what to do; text him back? Call him? Or keep ignoring him?

In the end, you decided to call him up. He needed to be told of. He answered before the fourth ring.

"Hey," he almost whispered.

"Daveed," you let out a sigh, "you can't keep texting me."

"I know. I know I'm sorry," he mumbled, "are you mad at me?"

"Of course I'm not mad at you," you said quietly, "but things can't go on like this."

"I know... Are you in love with me?" He said abruptly but in a soft voice.

You went completely quiet when you felt your heart ache. So he did know about it. He had managed to put two and two together... "it isn't fair of you to ask me that," you almost whispered, "you know I am."

Daveed went quiet too and you could hear his steady breathing on the other end of the phone line. After a couple of seconds he finally said, "can I come over?"

"I'm not sure it's a good idea."

"Please. I have to see you. I want to apologise properly," he groaned painfully, "can I please come over?"

Unable to resist him, you breathed a short "yes," and ten minutes later opened the door to him.

"Hey," his face curled up in a smile the minute you came into sight. He stepped closer to you, and pulled you in for a soft hug, "you look cute."

"Yeah, well thanks," you mumbled against his neck. You didn't want to reciprocate his compliment even though he did look awfully cute too.

He followed you to the living room.

"Whiskey?" You asked him.

"Nah, I gotta stay sober for this," he shook his head.

"Sober for what?" You asked quietly.

"I - ehm - I wanted to apologise. Like a man," he looked at you with a firm gaze, "I've been a dick and I've been treating you badly."

"Yeah," you nodded and folded your arms across your chest, "you've been acting like an ass. When did you realise?"

"It's embarrassing for me, but I honestly didn't realise before you started ignoring me. I was so used to having you around me all the time, and suddenly I missed you like crazy," he took a deep breath before he continued, "I was so sexually frustrated that I called a friend back home in California and told him about it all. I thought he would agree with me and call you stone-cold or something like that but instead he called me an idiot. He called me out for the way I've been treating you. He made me realise why you wanted to ask me out. I didn't even realise. I'm very sorry."

"It's okay," you said softly, "I know you didn't mean to."

"Good," Daveed nodded and looked like a schoolboy who'd just been scolded and you suddenly felt bad for him.

"I didn't mean to ignore your texts. After your time was up at the theatre, I wanted to keep seeing you - it was just too rough. I had to back off."

"I'm glad you took care of yourself. It's made me realise some stuff about myself that I want to change. I want to be better."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Let me start by making it up to you," he smiled, "tomorrow's Valentines day. Let me treat you to dinner. Give you the proper date you deserve."

"I'm not going on a date with you just because you're sexually frustrated and you know I'm an easy fuck," you huffed.

"No! Never! But how about going on a date with me because I like you and I want to see where it could go?"

You shot him a look.

"I understand if you don't believe me but in the past couple of weeks I haven't just missed having sex with you. I've really missed... you. The goofing around, the banter, your infectious laughter. I want to treat you to a date. Let me take you out."

You looked at him suspiciously, "romantically?"

"Yes. Rafa was right. I have a crush on you too. Let's see where this goes."

A small smile crept onto your lips, "okay. If you're sure."

"I'm positive," he grinned and pulled you in for a hug, "fuck I've missed you."

@ramp-it-up

#Valentine'sDaveedChallenge #ValentinesDaveed #daveed diggs #daveed x reader

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vostokovasmelina · 4 years ago

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loyalty.

for anonymous.

pairing: tommy shelby x fem!reader

word count: 1.6k+

warning: this starts out slightly smutty, so don’t be too surprised; also a little bit of death and a whole lot of messy writing

request: Can you write something for Thomas with #3 of the fluff list and #2 of the angst list with the reader being kimbers younger sister and Tommy heavily falling for her but the Shelbys are against it and want to talk him out of it but she's the one who kills Kimber in order to stop the war between them and the shelbys and they realizes she's good for him

prompts:

fluff #3 - “I think I’m in love with you.”

angst #2 - “Please, don’t go out that door.”

a/n: i know this was requested for the blurb week but it’s too long and i like this idea too much to only write a blurb, so here it goes; my brain is also struggling to function properly, therefore this is trash but i gave up trying a long time ago

His hand was resting lazily on your stomach, weighing it down just the right amount to call it pleasant. You could feel the warmth of his hand, the perfect contrast of the cold tips of his toes tickling your feet. You let out a silent sigh and turned your head towards him slowly, fingers trailing unrecognisable patterns on the back of his hand. Your heart jumped up into your throat at the sight of him- so raw, so human as he was sleeping soundly in your bed, under your blankets, next to you, his body warming yours all night long. Oh how you wished the morning hadn’t come so early, the time for goodbyes hadn’t approached so rapidly. You wanted this moment to last forever, you wanted Thomas Shelby to stay in your bed and never leave it again.

You were watching as he blinked his dreams away and laid his gaze on you, a soft smile lingering in the corner of his mouth. You shifted closer under his arm and he pulled you towards himself, his left hand grabbing the soft skin right above your butt with the right amount of force. Tommy pulled you on top of himself and you obliged as his right hand traced its way up your spine, awakening goosebumps everywhere they went and delicate fingers finally arrived at the back of your neck to tug gently but with passion at your H/C locks. You leaned down and your lips crashed with unappeasable hunger on both sides, yours parting just slightly to give way to your tongue into Tommy’s mouth. He let out a throaty groan as you positioned yourself on his bare thighs, your soft skin getting close enough to his crotch to tease him and you pulled away just enough to give space to a playful smile creeping its way onto your face.

“I think I’m in love with you,” Tommy mumbled into your open mouth right before biting down on your bottom lip and now it was your turn to moan and his to smirk.

“Yeah? What would your family say, Mr Shelby?” You teased, your grip on his throat tightening just enough to make his breathing a tad more audible and his eyes filled with lust as he raised his glance at your ruffled hair and parted lips. Right before you could lean back down, Tommy grabbed your waist with both hands and threw you on your back, earning a surprised gasp from you as he climbed on top of you, his weight pushing you into the mattress. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, peppering your soft skin with gentle kisses before leaning in to whisper in your ear.

“Who the fuck cares what they’d say?” He finally replied, making you grin and you could’ve sworn you had found your place among the stars when Tommy kissed your lips as if his life depended on it.

However, deep down, you knew that you cared and you knew that no matter what he had said, Tommy cared, too. After all, you were the member of the Shelbys’ biggest rival clan and it didn’t matter that it was practically only your name linking you to the Kimbers. It also didn’t matter that you were neutral to all their businesses and didn’t even know the details of any of them- all the Shelbys heard was your surname and it was enough for them to paint a picture of you. A picture they would definitely not make a part of their collection. And no matter how hard Tommy had been trying to make them accept you and believe you when you said you didn’t share your brother’s views, they stayed entirely uncompromising. You didn’t even ask them to fully lay their trust in you- you simply wanted the Shelbys to accept the fact that he clearly loved you and you loved him and to leave you and Tommy alone.

You even accidentally eardropped on one of Polly and Tom’s conversation about the topic when the older woman thought they were alone. It was more like a monologue than a proper conversation, really, and most of it was Polly Gray accusing you of crimes you had never committed even in your wildest dreams. She seemed so eager to remove you from her nephew’s side that you just knew she had already made up a horrifying backstory to scare Tommy away and would have used it against you if you hadn’t cleared your throat behind her. That was the moment the pair of Shelbys realised you had heard everything.

Tommy’s gaze softened as he spotted you, only to turn cold again when you sent him a sad smile, picking your coat from the hanger and nodding at Polly who simply frowned at you in return. Your boyfriend pushed himself up and out of the chair and called out for you right before you could turn the doorknob.

“Y/N! Please, don’t go out that door,” he pleaded, finding himself exactly in the middle between you and his aunt. You shot him one last regretful glance before turning and stepping out into the cold Birmingham night, but Tom had already made up his mind and his aunt wasn’t enough to stop him from following you, choosing you over peace in his family. And you might have been the happiest person alive when Tommy pulled you into himself from behind and accompanied you home that night, but it also meant that you would have to put up with your own family’s bullshit as well. You were not easily intimidated by your brother’s methods, but you were sick to the stomach of always having to hide the man you loved from his men in order to not get Tom killed.

As he placed one last kiss on your lips and slipped out of bed to get dressed, you turned on your side to watch him doing so, trying to enjoy your final moments together that day. You swallowed hard to get rid of the bittersweet taste in your mouth but the closer you got to the moment Tommy would leave, the harder it got to ignore your feelings. It was exceptionally difficult to say goodbye to him now that you knew where he was off to.

“Are you sure guns should be involved?” You questioned, your gaze following his every movement.

“This is a question you should be asking your brother,” Tommy murmured, tying his shoelaces and putting on his peaked hat, offering you his hand one last time. You hesitated before taking it and let him pull you out of your warm and messy bed and into his embrace. “I can take care of myself. And there won’t be blood shed if we can talk it out,” he promised, raising your hands to his lips to shower them with soft kisses.

“Oh, I know that. It’s my brother’s intentions I’m worried about,” you added, leaning your forehead against your boyfriend’s, inhaling his familiar scent deeply as if you were trying to engrave it into your memories.

“I’ll take care of him,” he whispered to you, his voice hardly audible. Little did he know that you had already decided you’d take care of your brother yourself.

Tommy didn’t take his eyes off of you the whole time while they took your brother’s lifeless body away, his blood leaving a long trail behind him. When you appeared with the gun already cocked in your hand, Thomas was going to jump in and pull his own trigger, protecting you from your family’s wrath and revenge. However, you were determined and you were going to go through with it, not even Tom being able to stop you. And even after you had seen the bullet from the gun in your hand break its way into your brothers skull, you felt nothing even close to regret. He had pushed you away a long time ago and was only a shadow of the person you remembered him to be once, so it almost felt like killing a stranger, a rival even. But as easy as pulling the trigger was, recovering from the shock your first kill had caused you seemed to be a rather difficult task.

Tommy finally approached you and turned you away from the sight of your dead brother, burying your face in his chest and ordering the Peaky Blinders to deal with your family, so they wouldn’t get the chance to take their revenge. You gripped Tom’s shirt, the smooth material wrinkling between your fingers and his own slender ones sent shivers down your spine as they traced their way through your hair.

“Why did you do that?” You heard him whisper in your ear, not quite believing that any of this had just happened. Tommy couldn’t help but blame himself for letting you do the dirty work, his dirty work, for not stepping in sooner and stopping you from dipping your hands in your brother’s blood. He had never wanted for you to get a taste of this life, because once you had, there was no going back.

You finally pushed him away from you so you could look around freely, searching for any of your family members hiding somewhere and waiting for the perfect moment to put a bullet through your head. However, you could only see the Peaky Blinders standing in a messy circle around you, all of them looking you up and down as if you were the oddest creature they had ever seen.

“What the fuck?” You heard John yell from behind you but the only thing you cared about at that moment was Tommy’s pale blue eyes piercing into your tired E/C ones and his lips slightly parted in a failed attempt to say something. You offered him an exhausted smile, one that was mostly visible in the corner of your eyes and took his hands gently in yours.

“It was time I had shown loyalty.”

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minaslittleone · 3 years ago

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Fission & Fusion (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Summary: How did the refined and proper Wilhemina Venable end up working for two coked-up tech bros out of the back of a van?

An origin story of sorts, dedicated to the amazing @lucyintheskywithxanax who has developed such a beautiful and nuanced depiction of Mina. This was inspired by her incredible story “And I failed to climb the mountain”.

Word count: ~3300

Wilhemina woke lazily the following morning to the warmth of sunlight on her face as it peaked through delicate lace curtains. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and to identify the source of the insistent scratching which had roused her. As she rolled onto her right side towards the bedroom door she caught sight of Miko's white dipped paw batting beneath it, scrabbling and scratching at the obstacle that dared to impede his free reign. An affectionate smile pulled at her lips as she watched his antics as she sleepily scrubbed at her eyes. His scratching stilled as she let out surprised gasp as her knuckles made contact with her bruised cheekbone, which was now undoubtedly swollen and probably a fetching mottle of red and purple. Now aware that she was awake, Miko's insistent scratching was replaced by a disgruntled meow. Wilhemina tried to ignore him, not really sure if he was allowed in the bedroom to begin with, but she was powerless to resist him once his meows were replaced by what could only be described as plaintiff cries. Who could resist that?

As she eased herself to her feet the full effects of the previous two days began to make themselves known. Her back was undoubtedly stiffer than usual but whether that was the result of two nights in unfamiliar beds or from crashing face first into concrete she couldn't be sure. Likely a combination of the two. The throbbing ache in her right wrist and hand as she supported herself on her cane was definitely a result of the concrete she rued, as she transferred the loathesome object to her uninjured left hand, her back complaining instantly. Today was looking like such a promising day.

Miko continued to make his displeasure known as she slowly made her way towards the door, his cries becoming increasingly insistent now that he could hear her moving. The moment she cracked the door the slightest distance ajar a flash of grey fur shot past her, heading directly for the patch of sunlit warmth at the centre of her recently vacated bed.

She tried valiantly to keep her features schooled as she scolded the cheeky feline who was currently in the process of kneading the covers into an acceptable state of comfort.

"Are you really meant to be up there, Miko?" The grey tabby cat shot her a questioning look as if to say "really human? You're the guest in my house and you're going to question if I'm allowed on the bed" before promptly turning his back on her and curling into a ball on his appropriately fluffed portion of the quilt.

She shook her head fondly, slowly making her way back towards the now occupied bed. Miko raised his head to study her as she gingerly lowered herself back onto the mattress, easing herself forwards to retrieve her book bag from beneath the bedside table. With practiced ease she flipped the lid on the amber pill bottle, dispensed two pills and threw them back dry. Normally she would muscle through the discomfort while the pills took effect but today, she reasoned, she had nothing to do and nowhere to be so for once she could actually listen to the pleading ache in her bones. It also helped that there was no one to witness her indulgence, other than Miko who had made his way across the bed to her and was currently standing about a foot away from her with his head cocked to the side, still not entirely sure what to make of her.

As she returned the pill bottle to her book bag she noticed the glass of water, which had evidently been left for her earlier that morning, and the handwritten note peaking from beneath the coaster on which it sat. She relished the way the cold glass dulled the ache in her hand as she raised it to her lips, pointedly ignoring the way her stomach churned at the tenderness behind it. Miko seemingly sensed her unease, trotting over to her and curling into a cosy ball against the side of her thigh. Her left hand rested against his tiny head, thumb stroking absentmindedly against the side of his chin, while her right hand returned the glass to the bedside table and retrieved the hand written note. She still could not place the feeling of unease it produced in her but she was emboldened to push past it by the comforting warmth of Miko pressed against her thigh, his rhythmic purring easing her nerves.

Good morning dear, I wanted to let you know I was leaving but I didn't have the heart to wake you, you looked so peaceful. I hope you slept well, I'm sure you needed it. I should be back around 6 baring any disasters but help yourself to anything in the meantime. And don't worry about Miko, he has been fed though I'm sure he will try to convince you otherwise. My office number is by the phone if you need anything. Try to take things easy today and be kind to yourself my dear. - Elizabeth

Wilhemina silently tested the shape of her adviser's given name, lips tentatively forming around the sounds. Of course she had seen the name Professor Elizabeth Thompson written for years but the explicit use of her christian name felt scandalously personal. A voice in the back of her head chided that thought - you spent last night in her guest bedroom and you're worried about using her given name? Ridiculous. Evidently in her preoccupation her left hand had stilled for Miko let out a sleepy chirup of annoyance, drawing her attention away from the complexity of her current relationship with her Professor. Elizabeth she reminded herself.

Having already disturbed Miko she took the opportunity to reposition herself to lay back down. The grey tabby was initially unimpressed to have his pillow so rudely removed but forgave her in short order, gently clambering up onto her chest as soon as she was laid flat. Miko stretched himself languidly, face contorting in a gigantic yawn that Wilhemina couldn't help but chuckle at. His little face came to rest upon her sternum, head cocked to the side, eyes watching her intently. Gently he lifted one paw, tiny pink toes pads coming to rest against Wilhemina's unmarred cheek, tenderly inquiring "more scritches, please." She happily complied, arm draping loosely across the little ball of fur who had wormed his way into her heart and her bed. As she began to scratch affectionately under his chin Miko craned his necked back in contentment and began purring again in earnest. Wilhemina smiled to herself as she allowed her eyes to close, the warm weight of the purring feline ensconced upon her chest lulling her to sleep. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to rest, just for a little while. Besides it would be cruel to disturb Miko when he looked so comfortable.

It was several hours later when she awoke again, judging by the way the sun no longer shone directly through the bedroom but instead created a bright indirect glow from further overhead. Wilhemina's stomach let out an indignant growl at the late hour, rousing Miko in the process who glared at her from beneath half lidded eyes. She scratched behind his ears in an apology which was evidently accepted as Miko began to nuzzle into her hand in response.

As she tentatively began to lever herself from the mattress Miko jumped down onto the bed and began to stretch out the kinks from his nap. Wilhemina looked on jealously as his spine extended as she slowly convinced her own vertebrae to support her weight. As she brought herself upright for the second time that day she noted gratefully that the painkillers seemed to have worked their magic, leaving her only slight tender even after the events of the past few days.

Navigating her way down the stairs proved to be somewhat challenging not merely from coordinating her balance with her cane in her left hand but also because Miko refused to leave her side, wending his way between her legs as she focussed intently on not breaking her neck. Having successfully reached the landing she made her way into the kitchen in search of breakfast, or whatever meal this now constituted. She noted gratefully that an assortment of cereals had been left on the kitchen counter, alongside a bowl and the necessities for tea and coffee, saving her from rooting through her professor's cupboards. She set the kettle to boil before preparing herself a bowl of muesli. As she set her tea to steep she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the mug Elizabeth had selected for her which proudly displayed the figure of Little Miss Stubborn, she couldn't really argue with the assessment but for once felt like such a gesture was meant as an affectionate jibe rather than an outright condemnation.

Miko stayed pressed against her ankles throughout the entirety of breakfast and whilst she cleared her dishes afterwards. He trailed behind her as she made her way back up the stairs, intending on changing out of her loungewear and into some proper attire. And he stopped beside her as she caught sight of contents of the room beside hers peaking through the door which had been left slightly ajar. The walls were painted with the most tender depictions of rabbits, squirrels, owls and deer, each peaking from amongst a lush forestscape. She found herself magnetically drawn to the scene, fingers ghosting across the hand painted figures on the plaster. Unfazed by her exploration Miko made himself at home on one of the two child-sized beds clothed in crisp white linen. An old oak bookself sat in the far corner of the room, practically bursting. Wilhemina's eyes skipped over many of the brighter, more modern spines, instead drawn to a shelf higher up full of older, more battered volumes whose titles she recognised from her own childhood. Familiar names jumped out to her like old friends - Blyton, Potter, Milne, Dahl. Far too many hours had been spent alone save for their company, whether alone and immobilised in a hospital bed or hidden beneath her bed clothes by torch light trying to block out her parents arguing, these had been her constant companions. She tenderly retrieved Matilda from the shelf, thumbing through the well worn pages, allowing the little girl she kept so securely locked away a moment to breathe, smiling fondly at the words which had given her hope in those moments of darkness.

So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.

She remembered vividly the delicious taste of revenge the first time she had partaken in Matilda's retribution against all those adults who had tried to squash the precocious young girl. More than once she had allowed herself to imagine what it would have felt like to exact similar vengeance against her mother. How sweet it would have felt to bleach her perfectly coiffured hair, to place newts in the punch at one of her horrendous soirees or terrorize her parents with ghostly reminders of their failings. How she longed to make her mother feel an ounce of the pain to which she herself had been subjected.

Still clutching the much loved volume she curled up next to Miko and allowed herself to retreat to a world of childhood comfort in which the underdog could triumph, in which I'm big, you're little could be usurped, in which Miss Honey might reach tenderly from the pages and adopt her too.

That was where Professor Thompson found her several hours later, relishing in the climax of the novel as Matilda vanquished Ms Trunchbull. She smiled fondly at the young woman she had always known to be so controlled and regimented curled lazily against the wall on her granddaughter's bed, Miko lounging against her thigh and contented smile playing across her lips behind a curtain of firey red hair. The floorboards creaked beneath the older woman's feet alerting Wilhemina to her presence. Her cheeks flushed furiously as she sheepishly met the older woman's gaze but found only genuine affection in her grey-blue eyes.

"Don't even think about apologising, my dear. I told you to make yourself at home and I meant it."

In spite of Elizabeth's assurances Wilhemina still felt the need to explain herself. "I didn't mean to end up in here" she began, "I saw the paintings and I only meant to look at them but then I saw the books and -"

"Wilhemina," the older woman cut her off kindly, "stop apologising. You've done nothing wrong, you needn't justify your every action. Not to me at least" she added knowingly. "My daughter will be flattered that you liked her paintings, though I really should show you photos of the masterpiece she created in the children's room back east. She works as a children's illustrator, though I think she would much prefer to do larger pieces like these if there was the work in it."

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful" Wilhemina whispered reverently. "Their little faces are just so sweet."

"I'll be sure to tell her you think so. Now, I should leave you to finish with Matilda, dinner should take me twenty minutes or so which, knowing the speed you read at, should be ample time."

"Oh no, it's fine" Wilhemina interjected, "I know how it ends, I've lost count of how many times I read it as a child. I should come and help you."

The older woman sighed, of course Matilda would be a favourite of hers. "Nonsense dear, finish your book. I'll call you when it's ready." And with that she was gone.

Wilhemina was indeed finished with the book when the older woman called her for dinner twenty minutes later, her voice floating up the stairs as if Wilhemina's presence at her dinner table was the most natural thing in the world. The simple meal of pasta Alfredo was passed in companionable silence between the two women, with Miko dividing his time equally between them. He remained under their feet as they cleared the dishes, with Wilhemina bracing her weight against the kitchen counter through her left hip to grant herself two free hands with which to dry the clean dishes as the older woman handed them off to her. Elizabeth shook her head fondly at the young woman's stubborness, once she set her mind to something there really was no stopping her.

Wilhemina was drying and putting away the last of the cutlery when the older woman disappeared momentarily, only to return with a manila folder which she placed atop the freshly cleaned kitchen table. Wilhemina eyed it warily. The older woman placed two cups of tea beside it and gestured for Wilhemina to join her. She did so cautiously.

"No need to look so nervous my dear, it's nothing bad. I just brought home the list of available casual positions from the careers centre on campus, I thought you might like to take a look to see if anything interested you."

Wilhemina froze. Of course it was too good to be true. Of course the kind older woman had grown sick of her already. Why wouldn't she, when she was nothing but a useless burden? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. How could you think that anyone would actually put up with you?

Professor Thompson caught the way Wilhemina's shoulders stiffened and how her jaw tensed, as if preparing herself for an attack. She reached out and took the younger woman's hand in her own.

"There is no pressure dear. This is not about me getting rid of you. I simply thought you might be interested, I know you must be anxious about what comes next, you've never been one to be without a plan." Wilhemina suddenly felt very small and seen in a way she never had been before. It was simultaneously terrifying and yet so, so safe.

"It can wait as long as you like" the older woman continued, "but I'll leave it here for whenever you're ready."

"No, I mean, I'm ready now" Wilhemina blurted, "I just thought you meant-"

"I know my dear, I know" the older woman cut her off with a firm squeeze of her hand, earning her a shy smile from the younger woman. "Would you like me to stay or -"

"Stay" Wilhemina affirmed, "please?"

"Of course dear, now where do you want start?"

"Well, I suppose law or business makes the most sense" Wilhemina sighed, "at least I have some experience there."

"I didn't ask where you should start dear, I asked where you wanted to start - there's a difference. You said your parents chose law for you, what would you have chosen? If you could start over and choose for yourself what would you do?"

Wilhemina froze at that. She had accepted so long ago that she would simply follow the path her parents had set out for her that she had almost managed to convince herself that she wanted it too. It did no-one any good for her to pine after a future that could never be hers.

"I don't know" she stared at the older woman, eyes wide with the realisation.

"What do you miss from highschool then?" the older woman tried. "Is there a subject you enjoyed that you had to give up?"

She considered that for a moment. "Science, maybe?" she added shyly, "I liked that it was predictable, that I could know what to expect."

"Ok" the older woman prompted, fingers rifling through the folder, "any particular area?"

"Electronics or computers, maybe?" She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, as if waiting to be punished for daring to express her own desires.

"Ok, there are a couple here that could fit." The older woman traced her finger through the list of positions. "This one looks interesting. A couple of graduate students from the engineering faculty are looking for someone to help with data management and organisation for a start-up. They seem to be interested in bionic limb development" she added, sliding the paper towards Wilhemina, finger marking the appropriate notice.

Wilhemina scanned the brief description greedily, trying to temper her expectations. It sounded perfect but she daren't allow herself to even begin to hope that it might be possible.

"I think you would be perfect for it."

Wilhemina scoffed in response, "I don't know the first thing about robotics."

"But they aren't asking for that dear, they're asking for someone to help with organisation. They want someone who is meticulous and logical to help keep track of their data - that is you to a T. You would be brilliant at that. And it would allow you to see if it's an area that you like and maybe later you could transition into a more technical position, or go back and study more about it if you wanted."

"Look" the older woman reached out to tap the paper in front of Wilhemina, "it even says they have patents filed and a company formed. It seems to have all the makings of a long term prospect."

Wilhemina could feel her heart start to flutter at the possibility, that maybe, just maybe it wasn't too late for things to change. She scanned through the notice again, Elizabeth was right, it did sound perfect. And try as she might she couldn't help but look at the company name printed at the end of article with the hope that maybe it also inscribed her future.

Kineros Robotics

A/N: there is one more part to come after this, though I think I will likely dip back into this universe as one-shots from time to time to explore some of the key moments between here and apocalypse. If there are any particular things you would be interested to see feel free to hit me up

#sarah paulson #wilhemina venable #baby mina #mina #gif: sussoria #lucyintheskywithxanax

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berrynarrybanana · 4 years ago

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Babyhoney

A/N: I’m sorry that I am a day late for my own challenge everyone, but it’s been a hectic week! I would like to thank everyone who is participating in The Sex Bucketlist Challenge first off. It’s been so nice chatting with everyone and seeing what they’ve come up with. I admittedly have done more plot than smut in this, but I hope the smut is still worth it lol. Thank you to my sweet group chat angels for reading over the doc I shared with them and making suggestions and edits and I would especially like to think the lovely @fromyourstrulyh for correcting all of my mistakes and @soullikestyles for setting me straight and making some wonderful suggestions.

Word Count: 6982

Warnings: Smut (obvs), secret relationship, fifties!auPrompt: Against a tree, cockwarming, drive in!

Links: Nightie | Car | Ring | Summer Dress

June 15, 1952 | 9:15 AM

It wasn’t my alarm clock that woke me up on Friday morning.

Three weeks into summer and I was living in sinful bliss with the man of my dreams. After graduation and my eighteenth birthday, my life slipped into a peaceful routine. I would sleep in until nine-thirty before waking up slowly. I would join my Mother downstairs for coffee and we would spend an hour talking about our plans for the day. This particular Friday morning, my Mother had an appointment that pulled her away from our daily coffee routine. That left me with a little more time to sleep in before I actually had to start my day.

Or so I thought.

When I opened my eyes, the bright sunshine beaming into my eyes, I heard a series of tapping from my bedroom window. I groaned, sitting up slowly before I glanced over to see the one person I least expected. I scrambled out of bed, quick to push my window up so that Harry could fall into my bedroom before anyone in the neighborhood saw him. I looked back at him with wide eyes when he fell into my room, reaching out to grab my arms as a method of steadying himself. It took him all of ten seconds to trail his eyes over the nightgown that I had chosen the night before. It was a light blue material that was definitely more sheer in the daylight. I cleared my throat, crossing my arms over my chest as he flashed me his signature smirk.

“Well what do we have here?” He said softly, brushing his fingers down the material as my face grew hot. “Do Mummy and Daddy know that you sleep like this?”

“Don’t start teasing me, Harry.” I pouted my lips out. “I’ve just woken up, barely opened my eyes before I heard you knocking at my window like some kind of burglar.”

“I’m sorry babyhoney.” He lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead right below my hairline. “Will you forgive me for disrupting your beauty sleep?”

“I suppose.” I grumbled, fighting off my smile as he chuckled. “I thought we were meeting up at the park?”

“I couldn’t wait.” He shrugged, sliding his hands up to grip my sides tightly in his long fingers, he pulled me forward, brushing his nose against mine. “Missed my girl too much. Couldn’t wait any longer to see her.”

“You’re ridiculous.” I sighed, tipping my head back as he kissed gently over the apple of my cheek. “I shouldn’t have told you that my Mother was away this morning. Then again, I didn’t know you’d turn into such a desperate man at the prospect of spending time in bed with me.”

“Who said anything about spending time in bed?” He pulled back, lifting a hand up to cup my cheek with his palm, brushing his thumb over my hot cheek. “I’ve changed you, haven’t I? Turned you into a sex crazed little honey.”

“I am no such thing Harry Edward Styles!” I gasped, playfully pushing at his shoulder as he chuckled along with me. “You take that back.”

“I will not.” He shook his head. “Now give me a proper kiss babyhoney, my lips are feeling a little lonely.”

“Tell me why I should kiss you after a statement like that?” I pouted, pulling my head back as he leaned forward. “Give me one good reason and I’ll give you a very nice, slow kiss.”

“Hmm, because you love me?” He asked, raising his brows. “Is that good enough?”

“Well, I guess.” I let out a dramatic sigh, rolling my eyes at him. He chuckled, shaking his head before he leaned forward.

I carried out my promise, kissing him soft and slow. It was just how he liked it, something I learned within our first week of dating back in junior high. We had been together for nearly five years now, our entire relationship a secret to the outside world. I pulled back from our current kiss, shaking my head as a whine broke from Harry’s throat. I opened my eyes, looking up at him with a soft smile. It took him a second to open his eyes, basking in the afterglow of our kiss for as long as he possibly could. I kissed his chin before pushing up on my toes, kissing up his jawline.

He tilted his head to the side, digging his fingers into my sides as I looped my own arms behind his neck. It didn’t take long before Harry was pushing me back towards my bed, his lips finding mine once more. When I fell back onto my bed, Harry wasted no time before dropping to his knees. His palms massaged over my outer thigh as he pressed soft kisses over my kneecaps. I smiled down at him, lifting a hand to push the long hairs at the top of his head back.

He glanced up at me, a cheeky grin on his mouth.

“Do you have work today?” I asked softly. “I don’t want to disrupt your schedule?”

“I go in later.” He said softly. “I promised you lunch in the park, remember? M’gonna give you just that.”

“But I thought we were going to the drive-in tonight?” My brows furrowed as he slipped his fingers higher up, hooking them in the waistband of my panties. “dreamboat, you promised we would go see the new film with Grace Kelly. You know that I love her.”

“I know, babyhoney.” He cooed softly as I shifted on my bum, allowing him to slip my panties down to my knees before he pulled them off of me completely. “We’re gonna go to the drive-in, I promise.”

“Okay.” I said softly, sliding my fingers from his hair to grip his chin. “We don’t have time for this, dreamboat. You’re gonna be late and we won’t get to have our picnic.”

“Baby, stop being so anxious.” He mumbled, turning his head to kiss my inner wrist. “I have enough time for a little taste, I promise.”

“Well...if you’re late don’t blame me.” I said softly, releasing his chin as he shot me a toothy grin, his dimple carved out just for me. “I suppose a little taste wouldn’t hurt.”

“Think it’s better than breakfast if I’m honest.” He started to litter soft kisses to the inside of my thighs, his hands pulling my legs further apart as he made his way up. “Really is a good way to start my day.”

“I do quite like the glow I get after we fool around.” I giggled, dropping my upper half back onto my bed. “Can’t buy that in a bottle, that’s for sure.”

“Oh honey.” Harry laughed loudly at my statement. “What am I going to do with you?”

12:00 PM

Harry kept his promise to me.

When I hopped on the back of his motorcycle, there was a small picnic basket attached to the back that didn’t normally sit there. We went to a park outside of town that we frequented. The locals knew us there, but we never ran into anyone from our own town during our trips. He confessed that he stole his Mother’s kitchen tablecloth and he worked with Gemma to fix up lunch for both of us. There was a full spread laid out in front of us. Harry took great care in making sure my favorite dessert was tucked away in his picnic basket. When we were done eating, I curled into his side while he read aloud from his favorite book. It was like a small piece of heaven, lying in the sunshine with him. I loved to hear his voice reciting romantic words from the likes of Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. My eyes started to slip shut when he neared the end of a chapter of Emma, the current romance novel we were indulging in together.

“Babyhoney.” Harry kissed the top of my head several times. “You need to keep your eyes open, my sweet little sloth.”

“So tired, Harry.” I let out a loud yawn, turning in my spot so that my face was hidden in his side. He chuckled softly as I groaned. “Your voice lulls me right to sleep.”

“S’that a compliment?” He asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.

“Yes, dreamboat.” I let out a heavy sigh, pushing up on my arms before pressing a sloppy kiss to his lips. “Love you.”

“I love you more.” He rubbed the tip of his moan against mine and I giggled. “We better get going, I need to be at the shop in an hour.”

“Alright.” I let out another sigh before sitting up. Harry stood up as I started to put things back in the basket. When I was finished, I looked up to see Harry with his hand extended out. “Thank you, dreamboat.”

He pulled me to my feet, catching my lips when I stumbled into his chest. It didn’t take long for our innocent little kiss to turn into something more. My fingers found themselves tangled into his hair around the same time he was hoisting me up with a low grunt. I wrapped my legs around his, giggling as he started walking us towards whatever flat surface would support me. I broke the kiss with a giggle when he pushed my back into a wide tree trunk.

He wasted no time ducking his head down to kiss up my neck, suckling softly at the soft junction of my jaw and my neck. I tilted my head back, letting out a soft sigh as he nipped softly at the already wet skin. It didn’t take long for Harry to slip his hand under my dress, pushing aside my panties before he brushed his fingers up my wet folds. I closed my eyes, clenching around nothing as he brushed his fingers over my clit softly. He smirked into the skin of my jaw as he rubbed in soft circles, ignoring my desperate pleas for him to sink his fingers into me. After a few moments of his fingers circling over my clit, he dipped his forefinger into my entrance. I gasped when he hooked the first half of his digit up, massaging that soft spot inside of my walls before he pulled his finger away. I was seconds from complaining, my mouth ajar as I snapped my head up. I was quickly cut off by Harry adding a second finger into me.

My heartbeat picked up as he grunted softly, adjusting so that my back was firmly pressed against the tree. There was no way he could hold me up anymore.

“Harry, please.” I dropped my forehead to his, my breath fanning over his face as he looked up at me. “Fuck me.”

“Are you sure?” He gulped, pulling back to glance around the park. “Honey, someone could walk by and see us.”

“I don’t care.” I whispered, brushing my fingers over his cheek. “I need you now, dreamboat.”

“Bloody christ, woman.” He whined, closing his eyes tightly for a second before he was nodding. I tried to conceal my triumphant grin, but it was no use. “Who taught you to be this naughty?”

“You, Harry.” I let out a soft laugh as he shook his head, mumbling a soft curse under his breath. “Thought you needed to be at the shop in an hour, dreamboat? Are you sure you have time?”

“Gotta give my girl what she wants, don’t I? Gonna have to make this quick.” Harry mutters.

I look back at him with a mischievous smirk on my face. “Then, stop talking and show me what you can do, please.”

It took him a few minutes to maneuver around holding me and pulling his pants down, but when he finally got them down, he wasted no time sinking into me. It took my breath away when he settled against me, the tip of his cock brushing so deep in me that I clenched down around his shaft. He groaned, dropping his head forward before he pulled back. I whimpered at the empty feeling, but it didn’t last long. Harry settled into an impressive speed as I tangled my fingers in his hair. We were fucking against a tree in broad daylight as if it was perfectly normal and something about that turned me on even more. I closed my eyes, sliding one hand down to press against my clit as Harry continued to drive his hips into me.

“Gonna play with yourself for me, babyhoney?” He gasped, lifting his head up as I moaned softly in response. “That’s my sweet girl.”

“M’your sweet girl.” I opened my eyes, pressing my forehead to his. “I’m so close.”

“Yeah?” He asked, licking over his bottom lip. I took the cue, leaning down to press my lips to his in a desperate kiss. “Go on babyhoney, let go for me.”

His words sent me over the edge, my body picking up on his demand as I clenched around his shaft. I let out a loud gasp, burying my face in the crook of his shoulders as he bucked his hips a little harder. His thrusts turned sloppy as I started to come down and I knew that he was close. It didn’t take long for him to grunt, pressing his forehead against mine as he spilled into me. I would worry about the consequences of it later, my eyes and mind focused on Harry’s face as he tried to keep himself quiet. When he was finally finished, he pulled out slowly. When he hissed out in discomfort, I whimpered at the empty feeling left in the pit of my stomach.

“I need to keep an eye on you.” Harry chuckled lowly, shaking his head as I giggled. “You’re starting to get a little too wild baby.”

“Only for you dreamboat.” I lifted my hand up to pinch his cheek. “Now we absolutely have to get back to my house. You’re going to be late for work.”

“I’ll be fine, baby.” He brushed his nose against mine before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “I actually have something I want to ask you.”

In all the time that I had known Harry, I’d never seen him nervous like this before. I could tell he was nervous by the shifting of his eyes and the deep frown pulling between his brows. My heartbeat started to pick up as I watched him fumble for his words. He cleared his throat, tapping his fingers against my thigh. I slipped my legs from around his waist, pressing my feet flat to the ground. He shifted around, sliding his pants back up over his hips before buckling them up. I smoothed my hands over my dress after readjusting my panties. Harry let out a deep sigh before wiping his hands over his trousers. I watched with raised brows and wide eyes as he looked up towards the sky before looking back down at me.

“You know that I love you, right?” I nodded at his question, crossing my arms over my chest shyly. This felt more like a breakup speech than a confession of love. “You’re my entire world, honeybaby. I adore you.”

“I love you too, dreamboat.” I gave him a sad smile, stepping forward. “Is everything okay? Oh no!”

“What?” His eyes grew wide as tears started to pool in my own eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re moving back to England, aren’t you?” I sniffled, my heart breaking. “You’re going to leave me here and go back to that stupid old country and I’ll never see you again!”

“Honey, no!” He cried out, moving forward to wrap his arms around me. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

“Why would you scare me like that!” I groaned, pressing my palms over my face as I leaned into his chest. “You sounded like you were about to break up with me dreamboat!”

“I - what?” He pulled back, reaching up to wrap his fingers around my wrists. He pulled my hands away from my face and I sniffled, trying to control the tears flowing over my cheeks. “Never, babyhoney. I wouldn’t...I was trying to-fuck.”

“What?” I asked, my brows furrowing as he reached into his back pocket with one hand. When he brought his hand back into view, I noticed the small velvet box immediately. “Oh my god.”

“I had a speech prepared but…words aren’t enough when it comes to you.” He said softly, reaching over with his other hand to open the box with shaky fingers. “You are the reason I wake up every morning. You’re the reason I smile at nothing in the middle of a conversation with someone else. You’re the reason I wake up in the middle of the night, petrified because I don’t have you by my side.I know you still want to go to Harvard to earn your degree and I want to be there to support you every step of the way, as your husband.”

I didn’t even look at the ring, my eyes trained on Harry’s.

He was tearing up as well, the rims of his eyes red and the light green shade just a little darker.

“Will you marry me?” He asked, his voice breaking a little. “Please, babyhoney. Say something.”

“Yes.” I whispered, nodding my head. “Yes I will.”

“You will?” His frown was replaced with a smile, his eyes lighting up as a few tears fell onto his cheeks. “You didn’t even look at the ring.”

“You could have proposed to me with a piece of string and I would have said yes.” I chuckled. I moved forward, tossing my arms around his neck before another round of tears released from my eyes. I turned my head, pressing my nose into his shirt as a soft sob broke free. “I can’t believe I let you make love to me against a tree before proposing to me.”

“That’s what are you crying about?” He laughed, sliding his arms around my waist.

“No, I’m crying because I love you so much.” I pulled back, pressing my lips to his. “I’m going to love you until my heart stops beating dreamboat. I know it.”

5:00 PM

The plan that I had told my parents was a complete lie.

They thought that I would be going to the drive-in theatre with my best friend, Imogene, and her boyfriend Tommy. It wasn’t completely a lie. Imogene and Tommy would probably be at the drive-in tonight, but I wouldn’t be with them. I would be with Harry, pressed against his side as I watched Grace Kelly on the silver screen. We would split a strawberry shake like we always did and I would steal half of his fries. He never complained when I did it though. When I kissed my Mother and Father goodbye, I told them not to wait up for me. They never had a problem with me staying out late when I was with Imogene. She was a good girl with a good head on her shoulders as my Father would always say. It was half of the reason I used her as an alibi. She never knew I was with Harry but she knew I was off having a secret love affair with someone.

When I walked out of my house, I turned my head to the left expecting to see Harry’s motorcycle parked down the street. Sitting there in its normal spot was a pink and white car with white wall tires. I knew that wasn’t him because he didn’t actually own a car despite the fact he was working in an autoshop. I was just about to retreat back inside when I did a double take. My jaw dropped as I watched my fiance step out of the car, ruffling his hair slightly before turning my direction. I could see the grin on his face from my parent’s front porch and it made me shake my head in disbelief. I jogged down the steps before running down the sidewalk. I crashed into Harry at full speed, giggling as he wrapped his arms around me.

“Whose car is this?” I asked breathlessly, looking over at the Ford Fairlane convertible with wide eyes.

“It’s ours.” He said. “My boss bought a newer model for his wife last week and he promised me this one if I pulled some extra hours at the shop when he asked.”

“Really?” I looked back at him, my smile so wide that it actually hurt my cheeks. “I can’t believe you have a car!”

“We have a car.” He corrected me. “What’s mine is yours, remember?”

“Oh my god we have a car.” I cheered, jumping up in excitement. “You’re already the best husband a girl could ask for.”

“We’re not even married yet.” He chuckled, reaching down for my hand. “Come on, let’s get you fed before you get grumpy.”

“I am not grumpy!” I frowned, my brows pulling together. “You take that back right now.”

“Come on babyhoney.” He kissed my cheek before leaning down to open the passenger side door. “You’re already turning into a sourpuss.”

5:30 PM

Halfway through our split strawberry milkshake, Harry pressed his hand against my thigh.

Part of me wanted to wear pants to the drive-in because I knew when the sun went away, the air would get colder. The other part of me wanted to drive Harry crazy with a beautiful, yellow summer dress that I bought on clearance months ago at Sears. Harry always loved when I wore yellow, even if I disliked how the color looked on me. As his fingers softly brushed against the sensitive skin of my inner thigh I found that I couldn’t care less about the color yellow. As long as I got this kind of reaction from my dreamboat, I didn’t care if I was in a paper bag. When Grace Kelly appeared on the screen, I gasped. Harry let out a soft chuckle as I moved forward in my seat to get a better look at her. His hand slipped off of my thigh momentarily and I passed the shake back to him before I reached down to turn the dial on the radio higher.

“She’s so beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Think you’re much prettier, babyhoney.” He pressed his palm against my lower back and I let out a soft chuckle before leaning back into his embrace. “I bet you would be a much better actor, too.”

“I don’t think I was meant to be on camera.” I shook my head at his words, glancing back at him with my nose scrunched up. “That’s more your speed, I think.”

“Why do you say that?” He chuckled.

“You’ve got such a handsome face.” I cooed, reaching up to pinch his cheek as he groaned. “And you’re so charming. Like Cary Grant.”

“I wouldn't want to be an actor either.” He mumbled as I pressed my palm against his chest. “I think I would want to be a musician. I’d be happy as a backup singer or something.”

“Dreamboat,” I rolled my eyes at his words before shaking my head. “You’d be the frontman, I know it. You have such an amazing singing voice.”

“Alright, you’re gonna blow my head up.” He patted my hand softly, trying to distract me from the pink dusted across his cheeks. “Pay attention to your movie.”

“Suddenly I’m not very interested in the movie, dreamboat.” My soft whisper was enough to pull his gaze from the screen, his attention back on me as I grinned. “I think there’s something else I would rather be doing right now.”

“What’s that?” His voice was strained as he spoke and I felt his warm palm land back on the skin of my thigh.

“Can I have a kiss?” I asked, brushing the tip of my nose against his. “It’s been so long since you’ve kissed me.”

“Kissed you for ten minutes when we got in the car.”

“Not the same.” I whispered, shaking my head. “I want a really good kiss, dreamboat.”

“Baby, I don’t think I know what you mean.” He hummed, pursing his lips out as if he was deep in thought. “Show me?”

“My pleasure.”

I pressed my lips to his seconds later and he gripped my thigh tighter in response.

I let out a soft sigh of content, tilting my head to the side before pressing up in my seat. I slipped the hand I had resting on his chest to his neck. I let my fingers trail over the skin of his neck softly as I tried to deepen the kiss. I slipped my tongue over the seam of his mouth, but he didn’t budge. I let out a frustrated whimper when I felt him smirk against my lips.

Before I could pull back to scold him, he cradled the back of my neck with his own hand. My hand fell back to his chest, my fingers sliding down the fabric of his baby blue sweater before I pushed it up. I rested my palm on his tummy, my heart fluttering when I felt him tense beneath my hands.

It was my turn to smile into the kiss as he tried to guide my hand closer to his cock. I didn’t give into his needs, sliding my hand up towards his nipples instead. I brushed my thumb over his right nipple, pulling my lips away to trail over his jawline as I tweaked it gently. Harry let out a breathless moan, tossing his head back as I kissed over his Adam's apple.

“Babyhoney?” His voice was deep and raspy and I wondered if I had anything to do with the change in mood. “Please touch me?”

“I am touching you, Dreamboat.” I whispered against the skin of his neck as I moved my fingers to his left nipple. “Touching you just how you like it, aren’t I?”

“Yes, but-”

“But?” I pulled back, a faux pout settling on my lips. “You don’t like it?”

“You know I love it.” He let out a frustrated chuckle, shaking his head. “Want your hand down my pants babyhoney. Wanna feel you touch my cock.”

“Oh.” I pressed my lips together, nodding my head at his words. “Do you want to show me how?”

“You know how, baby.” He whimpered, shuffling his hips around. “Pull me out, sweet girl.”

“I wasn’t quite finished kissing you.” I sighed dramatically before dropping my hand down to the waistband of his pants. “I guess that will just have to wait.”

“Yes.” He nodded, licking over his bottom lip as he lifted his hips up. I smirked at his eager attitude, popping the button on his trousers before I tugged the zipper down. “Want you to put your mouth on me. Want you to show me how good you can really be, baby.”

I wasted no time pulling him from the confines of his boxers, wrapping my fingers around his shaft firmly before giving it a few tugs. It never took me long to get him hard. When I brushed the pad of my thumb over the tip of his cock, I felt the wet traces of his pre-cum on my finger. I glanced up at him with soft eyes, shuffling myself a little bit further away so that I could lean down. I pressed a few, soft kisses to the tip of his cock before flattening my tongue out. I slipped it further down his shaft before closing my lips around it. I could tell that Harry was having a hard time staying composed above me. He had already slipped his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck, tugging softly as I tried to push myself lower onto his cock. I pulled back, quickly, hollowing out my cheeks. Harry gasped, bucking his hips to chase the feeling of my mouth.

“Baby,” Harry tugged at my hair gently as he tried his best to pull his hips away. “The carhop is coming.”

“Fuck.” I groaned out, sitting up before I swiped the back of my hand over my lips. “Just...sit still, okay?”

“What?” Harry furrowed his brows as I climbed into his lap, hovering over him before I reached down to grab his shaft. “Fuck, baby. Are you going to sit on my cock?”

“Yes,” I gasped when he pushed his hips up, the tip of his cock pushing into me. “I can’t...don’t want the carhop seeing you. You’re mine.”

“M’yours.” He grasped at my hips, steadying me as I let his cock stretch me out. I let out a low whine when I settled into him fully, his fingers digging into my sides. “Feels so good to be in you like this. Can’t….all I feel is you, babyhoney.”

I rested my hands over his, linking our fingers together as I tried my best not to move my hips. I needed to sit absolutely still if we were going to get away with this. When the carhop finally made it to our car, I smiled over at her the best that I could. Harry pressed his chin onto my shoulder, pretending to watch the movie as I waited for the carhop to finish speaking.

“We’re done with everything.” I tried my best not to gasp when I absentmindedly shift my hips, the tip of his cock sending a shockwave through my body. “Thank you.”

“Have a stellar night you two!” She called out before walking off to the next car.

“Fuck.” I gasped when Harry shifted under me, his hips pushing up and catching me off guard. My thighs tensed up as Harry bit into my shoulder, sliding his arms around me. “I just...we’re missing the movie, Harry.”

“I don’t care about the movie.” He growled, shifting his hips up again. “I need it...know you do too, babyhoney.”

“I have to watch the movie, dreamboat.” I sighed softly as he sponged a few wet kisses up my neck, stopping at my jawline. “Gotta tell Mama about it when I get home.”

“We’ll come back tomorrow.” He tried to reason with me, sliding his palm over my lower stomach before pressing down. “Feel how full I make you? That’s me in your belly, babyhoney.”

“I know.” I bit my lower lip, rolling my eyes up towards the ceiling in attempts to control myself. I wanted so badly to move my hips, but listening to him beg was worth the wait. “Gotta be good for me, dreamboat.”

“Baby.” He whimpered in my ear. “Please don’t leave me hanging.”

“Shh, Harry.” I turned my head to look at him, ignoring the soft blush on his cheeks and the furrow in his brow. “I’m watching the film.”

Harry let out a frustrated sigh, but he didn’t say another word.

I kept my eyes on the screen, watching Grace float around each scene. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was happening, the feeling of Harry fidgeting behind me a distraction. Every few moments, he would move his hands. From settling on my thighs to my hips to my stomach to my sides. He moved them so much that it almost felt like he was making sure I was still okay. A few times, I squeezed my walls, shifting around to keep him on his toes. Each movement earned a gasp joined by his fingers digging into my skin through my dress. When we were nearing the end of the movie, I decided that enough was enough. I couldn’t hold out any longer, my hips moving on their own as I inhaled sharply. It didn’t take long for Harry to catch onto my motive, his hands falling on my hips as my body moved.

The stretch of his cock sent a shockwave through my body with each rise of my hips and by the time I fell back onto him, he was already praising me. My movements were slow and unsure, the confidence I’d had at the beginning of the night completely gone. My legs were starting to grow sore and I wasn’t sure that I could carry myself to an orgasm in this position. Something in the way Harry leaned forward, gripping my hips tighter, told me that he was aware of my struggle. He leaned forward, kissing up my neck before lifting my hips up. When I started to settle back onto him, he pushed me back up to the awkward crouching position.

“S’enough of that baby.” He grunted. “Want you to lay down for me, yeah?”

“Someone will notice.” I shook my head, looking back at him. “Just let me turn around, please? I want to...I want to finish making you feel good.”

“You make me feel good no matter what position we’re in.” He let out a soft chuckle as I turned around, climbing over his lap. “Babyhoney, I know your legs are tired.”

“They are.” I nodded, pressing my palms to his cheeks as he brushed his fingers up my bare thighs. “Maybe you can help me with that? Be a gentleman like you promised me, dreamboat?”

“Okay.” Harry nodded as I reached down with my right hand, holding his shaft before I slipped the tip past my entrance. “Don’t sit all the way, just...wait right there.”

“Why?” I asked, my brow furrowing as I settled towards the middle of his shaft.

My answer was a sharp thrust from Harry’s hips nearly knocking me over.

The air left my lungs in the form of a loud moan and I ducked my head down, burying my face in his shoulder as he pulled back out. The feeling before was good, but this was so much better. Harry lifted his hips again with a grunt, angling them slightly different and holding himself in me for just a few moments longer. I laced my fingers behind his neck, holding onto him as he started to find a steady rhythm. It wasn’t fast, but it felt so good. I could feel my own wetness starting to coat my thighs and my fingers started to slip apart, slick from perspiration as Harry pushed my closer to the edge. I knew that I was done for when he opened his mouth, his words sending chills down my spine.

“Gonna be such a good wife to me, I know it.” He grunted in my ear and I nodded. “Gonna be my partner, yeah? Gonna treat you like a bloody queen, baby. Gonna fuck you like this every night.”

“Harry.” I lifted my head up, pressing my forehead into his. “I’m close.”

“Yeah?” He let out a breathless chuckle, licking over his bottom lip. “Hold tight for me, baby. Gonna get you there, gonna make you cum.”

He did as promised, driving his hips up into me at an impressive speed. He had to kiss me to keep me quiet, the moans ripping from my mouth far too loud for our little rendezvous. When I came, it felt like the world stopped. Harry pulled my hips down flush against his, spilling into me with a grunt of his own. I rolled my hips forward, welcoming the soft sting as I continued to pulse around his cock. I pulled back from his mouth with a loud chuckle, tossing my head back.

“Surely someone saw that.” I let out a heavy sigh, trying to catch my breath.

When I finally felt calm enough, my chest no longer heaving, I lifted my hips up. Harry winced when his cock dropped back against his stomach and I kissed him softly as an apology. When he was tucked back into his trousers, I kissed him again.

“I can’t believe we just did that.” I chuckled into his mouth.

“You’re something else.” He shook his head before dropping it back to the seat behind him. “I’m gonna have to keep a close watch on you. Putting that ring on your finger has changed you, huh?”

“I just want to make my husband happy.” I hummed softly, pressing my lips to his. “Are you happy?”

“So happy that my heart could burst right out of my chest.” He whispered. “I can’t wait for it to be official.”

“I would go to the courthouse tomorrow to say ‘I do’, you know I would dreamboat.” I whispered, pulling back to brush my thumb over his chin. “You tell me when you’re ready and I’ll meet you at the altar.”

“I want you to have a proper wedding.” He frowned, his brows pulling together. “Everything we’ve done so far has been....it’s not been by the book. You deserve to have something normal and proper.”

“Harry, I-”

Before I could get the words out of my mouth, I heard my Father’s voice.

My blood ran cold as I looked at Harry, my eyes growing wide. Harry’s look mirrored mine, his fingers digging into the skin of my thighs before I slipped off of his lap. I was quick to grab the door handle, getting out of the car. I cursed when I felt the wetness between my legs. It slipped my mind that Harry didn’t pull out, his release still inside of me. I quickly rushed around the front of the car when I saw my Father barreling towards Bertha. My Mother was hot on his heels as Harry stepped out of the car, settling by my side with his hand on my lower back. In the distance, I could see Imogene and Tommy standing there with shock on their faces.

“You better get your hands off my daughter, you hoodrat.” My father was dangerously close to Harry, pointing his finger at him angrily.

“Daddy, it’s okay!” I said quickly, sliding between the two men. “It’s...Harry is harmless, I promise. He’s my boyfriend, Daddy.”

“Johnny is your boyfriend.” My Father didn’t take his eyes from Harry’s.

“He’s not.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. “I broke up with Johnny a long time ago. He’s with someone else now.”

“How long have you been lying to us then?” My Mother asked quietly.

When I looked over at her, she was clutching her pearls with sad eyes.

“I’ve been with Harry for five years.” I whispered. “I really love him, Mama. I swear that I do.”

“You don’t know what love is!” My Father snapped, his eyes finally landing on mine. I felt Harry stand up straighter behind me, his chest brushing my back as he rested his fingers lightly on my hip. “You’re just a child.”

“I’m not a child, daddy.” I whispered, the familiar burn behind my eyes catching me off guard. “I love him.”

“We’re going home.” My Father said, reaching down for my hand. I pulled it back, holding it to my chest. “Y/N we are going home, you don’t have a choice.”

“Sir, maybe we can take this somewhere more private.” Harry spoke up behind me. “We can all talk this out and-”

“You don’t speak to me.” My Father snapped at Harry before looking back at me. “Let’s go.”

“I’m not a child anymore. If you insist on making me choose between you and Harry, I’ll pick him. I will always pick him. He’s my soulmate.” I said.

“If you don’t come home with us right now, there’s no coming back. There will be no university in the fall or summer trip to the beach.” My Father seethed, but I didn’t budge. “You would give up your family for a lowlife like him.”

“Yes.” I didn’t hesitate. “I’m sorry that you don’t believe me, but Harry is my soulmate and I...I can’t leave him. Not even for you.”

It was silent for a minute, the whole world standing still as my father and I stared at each other. I tried to hold it all in, hiding my fear behind a deep scowl. The only thing keeping me grounded and steady was Harry’s touch. I waited, watching my Father’s face turn red with anger with each passing second. It didn’t take him long to turn around, booking past my Mother. I looked over at her, my face softening as I realized that maybe I shouldn’t have kept it from her. She stared back at me with a look of sheer disappointment in her eyes and it nearly broke me. She looked back at Harry, letting go of her pearls as she let out a heavy sigh.

“He’s going to need time to adjust.” My Mother said quietly. “I’ll pack up your things. You can come pick them up on Sunday after church.”

“Okay.” I croaked out, reaching up to lace my fingers with Harry’s. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t say another word, turning on her heels before walking away.

When she was out of sight, I stumbled back into Harry. I pressed the fingers of my freehand to my lips, muffling the sob that burst out of my chest as I watched my parents peel away. Harry wrapped both of his arms around me as my knees started to grow weak. I turned in his arms, burying my face in his chest as he cooed softly above me.

“It’s going to be alright.” He said softly. “They just need time, like your Mother said.”

“I don’t think time will fix it.” I hiccuped, looking up at him. “Are you...are you okay?”

“I’m alright, babyhoney.” He smiled softly, reaching up to brush his fingers over my wet cheeks. I sniffled, nodding my head. “Stop your cryin’, alright? Let’s go home. I’m sure Mum will be excited to have another girl around.”

“You don’t think she’ll be upset?” I asked.

“Never.” Harry said softly. “You’re family now.”

#the bucketlist fic challenge #harry styles smut #50's!harry #my writing #babyhoney

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winterscaptain · 4 years ago

Text

when you wake up.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

a/n: i’m a sucker for protective aaron, alright? sue me. i have checked and double checked, but if i’ve messed up any gender-neutralisms, please let me know! i’d like to thank snow, the academy, and my welbutrin for their spiritual aid as i write these fics at an alarming rate rating/words: teen / 2642 warnings: canon-typical injury, swearing, kissing

AO3 | Masterlist | Requests Open!

+++

“You know –“ you gasped, grimacing through the pain, “blood is a bitch to get out of a wool blend.”

Aaron pressed his lips together, his forearms flexing as he staunched the bleeding from the gunshot wound in your shoulder with his gorgeous navy pinstripe blazer.

That one was my favorite, you thought with a pout.

He had you propped against a wall, his shirt splattered with your blood. He had torn the collar of your shirt for better access to your wound, and your vest was entirely forgotten on the floor beside you. Emily called the paramedics about seven minutes prior, but the backroads of Montana were not conducive to prompt medical service.

The pain wasn’t unbearable, and surely you’d been through worse.

Shock is a hell of a drug.

Nevertheless, his concern was touching. It had been a while since either one of you were injured – long before you realized you had feelings for each other and did absolutely nothing about it.

It all happened so fast – you had your gun trained on the unsub, who was using the sixth almost-victim as a shield. As soon as Derek and Aaron threw the back door open, he’d shoved the frightened young woman toward Derek and moved really quickly.

Bang. Ouch. Fuck.

“Aaron.”

He didn’t respond and was dutifully ignoring your eyes, focused entirely on the blood gushing through his fingers under your shoulder blade. The hand attached to your injured arm wrapped around his bicep, your fingers clinging to the fabric of his sleeve.

“I’m fine,” you continued. “It’s through and through. Six weeks tops I’ll be back to my old tricks.”

You brought your other hand to his hair, and he leaned into your touch almost unconsciously. Your thumb smoothed over the hair at his temple, where tiny silver streaks rested in the inky black. You were just teasing him about his greys last week.

“They make you look distinguished!” You insisted. You were behind him as he sat at his dining room table, helping Jack set the table for dinner while Aaron tried (in vain) to review a consult.

“They make me look old,” he retorted in a deadpan.

You raked your fingers through the hair at his temples, massaging his scalp all the way to the crown of his head. He leaned back, his hand relaxing around his pen. With a final pat to the top of his head, you stepped away and returned to the pasta sauce.

“No old man would cook as badly as you do.”

His withering glare made his son laugh out loud, and the look only grew darker as you offered Jack a high-five.

“You’re still losing a lot of blood.” His voice was low and tense, his jaw tight.

Derek hovered nearby, though Aaron had shooed him away minutes earlier. He was talking into the comm, likely getting status updates from EMS.

Offering Derek a weak smile, you let your hand drop to Hotch’s wrist. Your eyes were heavy, but you fought to keep them open. Falling unconscious now would only worry him more.

“Aaron, you need to breathe.”

He huffs, and it’s almost a laugh but there’s no humor in it. “You’re telling me to breathe?”

“I’m breathing just fine.” And you were, focused only on the feel of his hands on your skin and the slow, deep breaths you took to keep your oxygen levels high as your blood pressure dropped. “Breathe with me, please. It’ll make me feel better.” That was a low blow, but you were pulling every card you had to keep him from breaking his teeth with that clenched jaw.

God, you were just so tired.

Aaron’s brown eyes flickered up to yours and softened. He leaned forward, shifting his weight and wrapping an arm around you as sirens faintly wailed some distance away. “Lean into me. It’s okay. You can sleep. I’ve got you.”

You were cheek-to-cheek when you finally passed out, succumbing to the heaviness.

+++

When you woke up, your shoulder ached, and the lights were way too bright.

There was a weight dipping the mattress on your left side and a dark shadow on your right.

You lifted your head slightly to see Aaron fast asleep, his head resting on his arms. You smiled and redirected your attention to your right. The dark shadow was Emily, watching you with a soft smile.

“Hey, champ.”

“Hey Em.”

She gestured to Aaron with her chin. “He hasn’t left once.” There was an implication behind her words, something not-quite suggestive, but understanding.

You ignored it for now. “How long was I out?” You brought your hand to Aaron’s tense shoulder, relaxing there, your thumb tracing back and forth over his baby blue button-down. Your IV line pulled a little, and you retracted your hand to his bicep.

“About two days. Surgery went really well – they just had to patch up a couple of ligaments and set a few pins in your clavicle. Nothing shattered, and no fragments. All things considered, really clean shot.”

Not as bad as I thought.

“He’s been here the whole time? Are we still in Montana? What day is it?”

Emily laughed, smiling broadly. “So many questions!” She counted off on her fingers. “His ass has only left that chair to chase down your doctor and go to the bathroom like...twice. We are still in Montana. It’s Tuesday. We’ll be on our way home as soon as you’re discharged. We wouldn’t leave without you.”

You sighed, adjusting your position on the bed. “Thanks.”

She winked.

Hotch stirred, and Emily stood.

“I’ll leave you two for now. We’re all out in the waiting room if you want to see anyone.” She kissed your forehead and slipped out, closing the door behind her.

You could see the exact moment he registered your hand on his shoulder. He startled, straightening faster than you could blink. His eyes still bleary from sleep, you watched as he took stock of your entire person, finally meeting your eyes.

“Hi, Hotch.”

“Hi.” He reached for your hand with both of his, careful of the IV in your forearm. He brought your linked hands to his lips - warm, relieved breath washing over your fingers.

You squeezed once, feeling the stress and worry in his grip. “I’m okay.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry I got shot.” Your voice was soft, but the humor behind it was unmistakable.

He huffed a laugh against your hands. “I should be mad at you.”

“You aren’t?”

Just then, a twinge in your shoulder made you wince. Your face crinkled up before you could hide it.

Hotch immediately reached for the call button, his body arcing gracefully over yours, pressing it twice. He looked down at you from under his arm. “No, I’m not.”

The nurse came in, said something about how nice it was to see you awake, and administered some more pain medication. She worked around Hotch, who never let go of your hand.

You had your eyes on him the whole time. His hawkish brown eyes tracked everything – the dosage, the IV drip – until the nurse left the room.

Right away, you started feeling heavy, your eyes slipping closed. “I don’t - I don’t wanna sleep,” you mumbled.

The back of Hotch’s hand traced the line of your cheek in a gentle caress. Your eyes fluttered closed, and you felt his touch fall down your good arm and wind your fingers together. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“You should get s’m sleep.”

You weren’t sure if it was the haze of meds or not, but you could swear you felt kisses to each one of your fingertips before you slipped into unconsciousness once more.

+++

When you woke again, he was still there. He was kicked back in the recliner this time, a book in his lap and reading glasses perched on his nose. It was dark outside, and you surmised you’d been asleep for a couple of hours.

“Since when do you wear reading glasses?” Your voice was rough with sleep.

Hotch snatched the glasses in question off his nose and folded them into his collar. “I don’t, usually, but the fluorescents are hard on my eyes after a while.”

You nodded sagely before breaking out into a smile. He offered you one back, one of those sweet, crooked, closed-mouth tip-ups.

Those might be my favorite.

You shifted, scooting over in the hospital bed and raising the head with the remote so you could sit up with more ease. Hotch stood, and you could tell he was trying to give you space as you independently adjusted your surroundings.

You patted the bed next to your hip, and he gingerly sat beside you, crossing his ankle over his opposite knee. He probably didn’t realize, but his entire body was bowed toward you, from his toes to his shoulders. You had always been tuned to each other, like finely-made instruments.

There was so much to say, so much unsaid. This injury was pretty far from a near-death experience, but it was enough to screw your head on straight a little bit.

“Aaron, I --“ You stopped, not sure where to begin. You rested a hand on the knee within your reach, tracing absentminded circles on the grain of his jeans.

Almost three days in the hospital and he’s still wearing jeans.

Well...at least it’s not a suit.

“Why did you stay?” Your words left you without your permission, but maybe it was better that way.

His brow lowered. “It’s my job.”

Your lips tipped up in a small, wry smile. “Bullshit.”

He heaved a sigh. “Fine. I felt...compelled to make sure you were alright.” His eyes were cast down toward the heavy white blanket beneath him. “Every time I got up to leave, I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave you knowing you could wake up and I wouldn’t be there.”

You were acutely aware of the dopey grin on your face.

He looked up at you. “It doesn’t make any sense I know –“

“Aaron.” You stopped him with four fingers pressed to his mouth. It was the first time you’d actually instigated contact with his mouth. You felt the stubble that was rapidly turning into a proper beard, but you were focused on the softness of his mouth. You softened, letting your hand relax against him. “It makes sense to me.”

There was silence for a moment. You just stared at each other, your hand still over his mouth. You were glad your heart rate stayed steady, as the beeping was one of the only sounds in the room.

“Hey, Aaron?” Your fingers weren’t really tracing his lips, but they weren’t...not doing that either.

He smiled and spoke from behind your fingers. “Yeah?”

“The spot between my shoulders is insanely itchy.”

He shook his head, exasperated, and pulled your fingers from his mouth. “Lean up for a second.”

You did, and he pulled a pillow from behind you and put it in your lap. You wrapped your good arm around it and ducked your head down. His fingers massaged across your good shoulder and neck, releasing some of the tension there.

He laughed aloud when you made a (frankly) obscene noise when he hit a particularly sore spot.

“You’re giving my physical therapist a run for his money, Aaron.”

“Good.”

He moved down underneath the sling strap, gently running his nails back and forth over the skin peeking through your hospital gown. It was heaven.

“Okay, you can’t ever stop doing that.”

He continued, scratching lightly up and down your spine “I’m here as long as you want me here, sweetheart.”

The endearment made your heart feel all fuzzy, and you relaxed further into the pillow, your body relaxing as the tension melted out of your back.

He stopped after a few minutes, just smoothing his hand back and forth along the left side of your back. “Feeling better?”

“Much, thank you,” you said, leaning back against the pillows.

He brushed some hair away from your face and hesitated there for a moment. Your jaw fit a little too neatly in his hand. You licked your lips, finding your mouth suddenly dry.

“Y/N...” he said, still quiet.

You shook your head and leaned forward at the same time he did. You met halfway, and he captured your lips with a relieved sigh. He was so careful with you, considering your injury, one hand reaching from your jaw to the side of your head, the other resting on your thigh on top of the thin hospital blanket.

The faded smell of his cologne or deodorant or something very masculine swirled around you. It was a smell you could identify anywhere – something spicy and earthy and Aaron.

Your noses slid against each other as you pulled apart to grin at each other. He pulled you back toward him and your lips met again. Your breath caught as his tongue traced your lower lip. You granted him access, ignoring the embarrassing spike in your heart rate that sent the monitors into a frenzy.

A part of you absolutely wanted to jump him then and there, but between your shoulder and the big window facing out into the hallway, that was a no-go.

You settled for devouring him from where you were instead, taking his lips between your teeth until he was groaning into your mouth. His hands knotted in your hair and you twisted his shirt in your hand. You didn’t think too much about the fact you’d been asleep for two days and therefore had two days of morning breath. The only thing on your mind was the taste of coffee on Aaron’s tongue, the hand planted firmly on your thigh, and the surprising softness of his lips.

It’s not that you thought he’d be a bad kisser, but fuck he was good at it. Almost too good. You craved more and damned your shoulder (again) for keeping you tethered to this bed and unable to wrap him in your arms.

“God,” he whispered into your mouth. “I was so scared I was going to lose you.”

You laughed into him, nipping at his lip again. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

There was a desperate edge to his touch as he took your face between his hands and pulled back to look at you. He kissed you once. Twice. So gently you almost couldn’t feel it. “I’m never getting rid of you,” he said. “Not now, not ever.”

It took you a couple of seconds to open your eyes again. When you did, the warm brown of Aaron’s eyes sank into you, and you almost forgot you’d been shot less than 72 hours prior. “Am I nuts to tell you how much I love you when I’m hopped up on pain meds?”

He shook his head, a thousand-gigawatt smile eating up his whole face. You cupped his jaw in your hand, pressing your thumb into one of his dimples. He tenderly covered your hand with his and turned to press an achingly gentle kiss your palm. “Only a little,” he said. He guided you back onto the pillows, arranging them around you so you could sleep without jostling your shoulder.

The nurse bustled back in and asked after your pain level. You said seven (it was a lie, you’d give it a nine and a half if you weren’t trying to be a hero), and she administered another round of meds. She swept out of the room and your eyes started to close again.

“Aaron...” you whispered, clinging to the last dregs of consciousness.

A kiss to your forehead. Warm breath over your fingers.

If safety had a texture, it would be somewhere between the callouses on his hands and the cool cotton of his dress shirts.

“I’m here.” A pause. “Hey.”

You cracked an eyelid.

“I love you too, by the way.”

+++

tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @hurricanejjareau @fics-ilike @octothorpetopus @ange-must-die @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @dr-reid-ismyspiritanimal @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @saintd0lce @good-heavens-chris-evans

#aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner #hotch x reader #hotch #tali writes fanfiction #i'll have you know hotch autocorrected to hot chip no less than three times while writing that last tag

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jadekitty777 · 3 years ago

Text

On Your Six, Chapter 2

And thus we come to another day, another chapter.

Day 2: Stealing Hoodies for @taiqrowweek

Rating: T for this chapter, M for overall

Words: 3k

Summary: Qrow was what most of society would call a small-town criminal. But to those oppressed, he hoped only to be a healer. In an effort to make a change in the world, he moves from kingdom to kingdom, searching for branded omegas in need. His goal? To turn the derogatory words the reformatories forced them to bear on their skin into works of art.

Then one day, his past catches up to him in the form of Taiyang, his former best friend, with a brand of his own stained onto his skin and a plea for help in his eyes. Qrow has no choice but to answer, even if it means he’d have to face his mistakes once and for all.

[An ABO-style universe in a modern-day style Remnant. No Grimm, because people are the real monsters in this one]

Ao3 Link: On Your Toes

Tai rolled in Sunday with a brisk breeze and a hint of last night’s rain following him. The awkward timidness he’d had, had evaporated quicker than the puddles outside, burned away into steely determination as he got right down to business. “Alright, so, how do you want me?”

Qrow nodded to his bed, the recliner having been pushed up alongside it. His kit was sitting on the nightstand. “Take off your shirt and lie down.”

“Gee, at least buy me dinner first.”

He supposed he walked right into that one.

“Hah. Let’s see if you have any jokes left after we pass the fourth hour.” He strode over to his chair, fetching a roll of paper towels on his way. “I told you we’d be at this for a while. Trust me, you’ll be glad to be in a more comfortable position.”

Qrow had calculated it. He’d have six sessions per letter. At eight to ten hours per session, he’d have a range of 48 to 60 hours per design. It seemed like a lot of time, but drawing on paper wasn’t quite the same as drawing on people. Paper didn’t need potty breaks, for example, and it tended to stay stationary the entire time. Add on to the fact this was easily the biggest project he’d ever undertaken, and he knew he was going to need every second he could get.

At least I won’t be enduring it alone, he thought as he watched Tai kick off his shoes and shirt and climb onto the bed. Qrow poured the alcohol onto one of the paper towels, and as he dabbed at the other’s skin, he noticed the face the other man was making. “Sorry, guess it’s a little strong.”

“It’s not that.” Tai said, rubbing his nose. “Uh, not to be your maid or anything but, you really need to wash your sheets.”

For a split second, Qrow was offended. Then the realization hit. “Oh. You’re smelling the ink.” He indicated the row of bottles organized in the case. The only one he’d need today, the black, was sitting next to his rotary machine. “I mix it with my own pheromones. It helps neutralize the stench.”

The omega reached for the little bottle, giving it a whiff. His eyebrows shot up and suddenly, he was staring at it like it held the meaning of life. “That’s… incredible. But won’t that give me away?”

“Not when your RO can’t smell her way out of a canteen.” They were all betas. Being the neutral dynamic meant there was no risk of ‘going soft’ on their parolee like an omega might, nor get over-protective like an alpha absolutely would. But it also meant that after Qrow finished relining the tattoos, the dramatic shift to Tai’s scent would be almost undetectable. “And if she does notice, just tell her you’re trying out a new perfume.”

“That smells like matchsticks and blueberries?”

“You’ll be fine. You’re good at improvising.”

As Tai eased himself back down, he finished sanitizing his back, then moved on to getting himself ready. He double-checked the machine, made sure the parts were in place and the wire running back to the outlet was untangled and slack. Taped the paper copy of the design over the edge of his nightstand and uncapped the ink bottle. “So, this is how this works.” Qrow said as he pulled on his gloves, “You need to be as still as possible. We’re gonna have a five-minute break every hour, give you a chance stretch and move around. We’ll stop a bit longer half way in or so to eat. But if you need me to stop for any other reason just let me know. And uh, fair warning – when I start tattooing over the letter itself, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”

Tai nodded. “Got it.”

“Okay.” He dipped the needle and turned on the pen, the quiet buzzing filling the room. “Here we go.”

The moment needle met skin, he felt muscle tense under his hand. Spotted the way Tai’s toes curled in his socks and his face screwed shut. Qrow continued on slowly as he looped one line from the top of the S and connected it to down the middle, then did it again from the bottom part of the S. By the time the S had turned into an 8, the omega had relaxed again, sighing softly. He took that as a sign to continue and started coloring in the new side.

Hour one passed in complete silence.

“So, how’s it looking?” Tai asked, swiveling his head around. If he tried any harder, he might become an owl.

Qrow watched him from the stove. “Most of the line art on the top is finished.” He turned on the burners for the kettle and pot of water. “Should be fine to get the rest done in a few hours.”

“I can’t believe how fast it’s going.”

“Yeah well, this is the easy part.” He opened the pantry, eyeing over the options. “Wait until we get to coloring. I have to switch between needles for shading and clean between them.”

There was a dragging noise as one of the dining room chairs was pulled back. “I’m sorry it’s so much work. We don’t have to do all that, if you don’t want.”

Qrow was grateful only his shelves could see his scowl. He breathed out slow, pulled down the pork-flavored ramen packets, saying casually as he went back to the stove, “I mean if you’re too scared to keep going…”

“I didn’t say that! I’m just trying to be nice.” Tai grumbled the last past.

I don’t need you to be nice to me! Frustration welled in him, but he forced it back down. Getting angry wasn’t going to help. Even if this extremely complacent, easily guilted Tai made him want to go out and burn down every Gods’ damned reformatory there was. “Forget about it. I’m too much of a perfectionist to half-ass my work anyways.” He tried to brush off. But now Tai had that kicked puppy look that told him he was feeling bad, which only made Qrow feel bad in turn, so he deflected instead, “I mean, unless it’s too much for you. You’ve been quiet. Is it hurting that bad?”

“Oh, no it’s fine. I, uh,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Didn’t want to distract you.”

“You won’t.” He cracked the bags in half twice, tearing open the pack. “And it helps pass the time.” He dropped the ramen noodlesinto the water that was just starting to bubble and got the mugs down for tea, absolutely refusing to look at the other lest he read all over his face just how much he missed talking to him.

“Well… besides illegal tattooing in the tiniest apartment known to man on the shady side of town, what else have you been up to?”

The kettle was picked up just as it began to whistle. Like the cups filling with water, Qrow opened his mouth and let the words flow out just as easy.

As evening approached, another storm blew in. Rain drops smattered against the window every time the wind picked up, drowning out the noise of his pen. Qrow had rearranged his furniture, putting the recliner and nightstand in opposite positions so he could work on the lower half of the design in the 8. His focus was completely on the coastline coming to life over tanned skin.

“Remember that time we snuck out your window so we could put all those plastic rats on Professor Port’s porch for April Fool’s Day?”

Well, maybe not completely.

Qrow snickered. They had camped out in the bushes until dawn, just so they could take the TA’s picture when he came out to get his morning paper. “His face was priceless.”

“Not sure the punishment was worth it though.” Tai bemoaned.

“It was only a week’s detention.”

“For you. I got three month’s grounding on top of it.”

He reinked his pen. “Which you immediately broke by coming to my house every day.”

Tai took the brief pause as a chance to scratch his nose. “I never would have got caught if dad didn’t go home early that one time.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. My ears are still ringing from that lecture.” He flipped back on the pen and continued working on the islands that would split the sea from the sky.

The omega cleared his throat, deepening his voice just enough it was an almost disturbingly perfect imitation of his father, “‘If you don’t want to land yourself into juvie, then you’ll stop leading my son into a life of delinquency.’”

Qrow grinned, continuing for him and really hamming it up, “’Don’t you know my delicate boy’s future depends on finding a proper and upstanding alpha?’”

“He didn’t say delicate.” But Tai was laughing with him.

“Might as well have.” It wouldn’t have been too off-base for the Xiao Longs. They’d always been the traditional, overbearing types, trying to jumpstart every little bit of their only son’s future in every possible avenue. When they’d been young, it always seemed like Tai was going to some lesson or appointment. Swimming. Woodworking. Jeet Kune Do. It had been so excessive it had given his own mother ideas – but at least she let Raven and him choose what they wanted to learn.

After looking through the primordial alpha courses, Raven had chosen fencing.

Qrow had wanted to go with her but there was nothing like that in the omega pamphlets he’d been given. In the end, he kicked his feet all the way to his first few art lessons.

His dad had been pretty ticked off they’d wasted the money when, a few years later, puberty had Qrow shooting up past six feet and presenting as an alpha.

But that was nothing compared to the nuclear war that went off when, just shortly after his fourteen birthday, the Xiao Longs discovered Tai was an omega. The lessons stopped and the strict rules started. No going out past seven o’ clock. No cursing. No dating. No kissing. No sex. And especially, no alphas in the house. Ever.

By the time Tai was fifteen, he’d already broken every single one of them.

Qrow, who hadn’t exactly been an angel himself, thought it was hilarious and maybe encouraged him a bit more than he should have. But honestly, what did anyone expect of either of them? After being caged in like a defenseless pup, he was finally allowed break free and be a little reckless. Meanwhile, Tai refused to be shoved into that same cage, smashing through the doors all on his own. They’d been quite a pair, back in the day.

Nostalgia hit him in a wave. “How are your folks doing these days?”

“They’re fine. Dad’s started a new garden. And Mom’s been talking about renovating the old cabin house we used to vacation at. Said it would be a good place for the girls to enjoy. I was gonna help but…” Tai trailed off, his eyes glazing over a bit. “They wrote to me a few times while I’d been…. yanno.”

Something bitter built in his chest. A long-forgotten fury that had weighed on him when his mother had likewise been ripped from their family to stay at a reformatory and the only comforts he’d got was from the Xiao Longs reassuring him she’d come back as a ‘better omega’. “I’m certain they were just bursting with encouragement and support.”

“Definitely isn’t winning any motivational speech awards.” He joked humorlessly.

There was a quiet lull. Qrow took it as a chance to re-ink and stretch out the crick stiffening his fingers.

As he lowered the needle once more, Tai spoke up, hesitant. “What about you? Heard from your family at all?”

He frowned, knowing there was only one of those two people he actually cared to hear about. He indulged him regardless. “Well, you know my old man. Probably still doesn’t even know I’m gone.” He tapped his pen down, drawing the m-shapes that were meant to be a couple of gulls flying away in the sky. “As for Raven, haven’t seen her for years. Not sure she could find me.” When he paused to survey his work, he couldn’t help but think that the shapes really could have been any birds. “Even if she could, doubt she’d want to.”

The kicked puppy look was back. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Qrow lied, as if the last argument he and Raven ever had wasn’t entirely about Taiyang. But he didn’t need to know about that.

“You left? Raven you can’t leave!”

“Don’t growl at me. And anyways, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is Tai’s your mate. You guys have a daughter!”

“And that means I’m bound to him for life? We made a mistake! We were dumb kids. It happens.”

“So you just pack up your shit and tell him ‘good fucking luck’? He loves you! How can you act like that doesn’t matter?”

“…”

“Well?!”

“Really, little brother?”

“Wh-”

“If you want to go and play house with him, be my guest. But don’t project your feelings onto me. This is my life. My choice.”

“…Yeah. Yeah, I guess throwing people out of your life is a fucking choice. Just don’t be surprised when you get the same in return.”

“Are you seriously-”

“Get out. And until you get your head out of your ass, don’t bother coming back!”

Qrow taped down the bandage over Tai’s back, the antibiotic cream he’d spread along the new tattoo squishing against the adhesive. He ran through the aftercare steps almost subconsciously. “Keep this on until you go to bed. When you do take it off, wash it with warm water and soap. Do that a few times a day tomorrow and the next day too. If anything seems wrong, just call me.”

“Got it.” Tai reached for his shirt. At least he’d had the foresight to bring a button up. As he pulled it on, he gave Qrow a crooked little smile that made him look adorably boyish. “Same time next week then?”

“Uh, yeah.” He slipped off the bed, making a great show of looking for the other’s shoes. His cheeks felt a little less hot by the time he was returning to the bedside with them. “We’ll have to work on the U next. I’ll keep sending you designs, but a little direction would help.”

Tai slipped into his shoes, getting to his feet. “I don’t really have the eye for this kind of stuff. Just pick something easy.”

“Feel like I’m having a case of déjà vu here.” Qrow huffed, tapping a finger to the center of Tai’s chest. “This is your body Tai, not mine. So could you please put just a mite bit more effort into something you’re gonna have to wear the rest of your life?”

The other’s eyes widened before he looked away. He made an aborted motion towards his neck, fell short, and worried the corner edge of his collar between his fingers. “Could you do words?”

“Yeah.” He replied haltingly, taken aback by the sudden shift. “I’ll probably want to craft stencils to keep the script nice though – and no, it’s not hard.”

Tai nodded, another one of those not-quite smiles on his face. “Then I think I do know what I want for this one. I’ll send you some pictures later tonight.”

“Well… good! See was that so hard?”

“Immensely.” He answered, laying it on thick as honey.

Qrow jabbed him in the shoulder. “Don’t oversell it prima donna. You should start heading home, unless you’re planning on doing a rendition of Singing in the Rain out there.”

Tai spared a look to the window. “It’s really coming down out there, isn’t it?” The sky had darkened with the setting sun, making the already heavy clouds appear thick and ominous. Rain battered against his window at a continuous rate. The minute the omega left the complex, he was going to be soaked. “Think this’ll be okay?” He waved vaguely to his left shoulder where the tattoo began on the other side of.

“Mm, probably. But I guess a little extra cover wouldn’t hurt.” He crossed over to his little box of a closet, rummaging through the sparse selection. “This’ll work. It’s a bit oversized for me, so it should be perfect for you. Here.”

He snapped the black hoodie off its hanger, tossing it. Tai caught it. “You’re sure?”

“What are you gonna do to it? Dye it pink?”

“Well now that’s a thought. It’d match your eyes.”

“My eyes aren’t pink!”

Tai’s laughter was muffled in fabric as he gingerly slipped the hoodie on, being as mindful as possible of his back. By the time his head popped back out, his hair was all mussed up.

It was unfairly cute and Qrow tried very hard not to think about it as he walked him to the door.

Tai stepped into the hall, then paused, turning back to him. He reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey uh, thank you. For all this. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Qrow was pretty sure the touch was electric, because he was suddenly paralyzed. How he even got his jaw to work was a miracle in and of itself. “Don’t mention it.”

The omega hesitated, as if he wanted to argue, but only said, “Sure. I’ll see you soon Qrow.”

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, but it was long after Tai had left the hall that he finally found the strength to close the door, slumping against the wood with a pitiful groan.

He thought he was over this. He should be over this. He wasn’t a lovesick teen anymore and this wasn’t a romantic comedy where after a bunch of wild, misleading antics, everything came together in the end. He’d lost his chance – twice over apparently. It was useless to try now.

So why did his stupid, pathetic heart still yearn?

“Come on Qrow.” He knocked his head against the door, hoping to rattle some sense into himself. “You did this for six years. You can do it again for six months.”

As he trod his way back to his bed, falling into it only to realize it smelt like Tai and would continue to every Sunday for weeks, he burrowed his head in his pillow and screamed.

Six was becoming a very unlucky number for him.

#qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #Taiqrow #taiqrowweek #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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notyetneedcoffee · 5 years ago

Text

Date Nights 3

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Smut

New Naughty Series

“It’s your turn,” You grinned.

Steve cracked open a fresh beer. “You sure you don’t want to just hang out around here?”

“Just pick.” You nudged him. “We don’t have to take all night.”

He leaned closer, covering your mouth with a tender kiss. “Okay, Sweetheart.” Steve reached into the jar and pulled out a little rolled up note. Opening it up, he read it aloud. “Do something together that you usually do alone.”

His eyebrow rose, mischievously.

Completely deadpan you stole his beer from his hand and took a swallow. “Jacking you off does not constitute a date.”

Steve laughed, head thrown back. “Okay, okay.” He drew in a deep breath. “Maybe later, though.”

“Oh, definitely later.” You smiled.

He looked thoughtfully at you, mind racing. The corner of his mouth tipped up and his blue eyes searching your face. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. “Got it!” He stood up, taking his beer away from you. “But no booze for you.”

“Hey!”

“Nope,” He finished the beer in one pull. “Now, go put your shoes on. You’ll be good in jeans and that sweater.”

“Where are we going?”

“The range.”

“Okay.” You said slowly, pulling your shoes on.

Steve took your hand and let you to the firing range in the basement of the Compound. You’d never been there before. The outer chamber was nothing short of an arsenal. All kinds of weapons hung from racks, ammunition stacked on shelves, and only people with proper clearance could open the cases. In the middle of the room, a table held tools and supplies for cleaning.

At the moment, both Bucky and Clint sat at the table with parts of weaponry laid out before them. Tony sat on a countertop, fiddling with a setting on his left gauntlet. Steve nodded a greeting. “Guys.”

“Hey, what are you two up to?” Bucky leaned back in his chair.

“We’re going to do some shooting.” Steve opened a cabinet pulling out Sig Sauer P320. “Sweetheart, have you ever owned a gun?”

Before you could answer, Tony barked a laugh. “You kidding? She was raised by peace-loving Haight Ashbury hippies. Didn’t you live in a commune for a while?”

“Hippies? Seriously?” Bucky chuckled.

“Doesn’t your mom run a dispensary now?” Tony pointed his tool at you.

“You mother sells weed?!” Clint howled.

“For medicinal purposes.” Steve grumbled.

“Among other things.” You grinned, throwing Clint a wink.

Bucky laughed heartily at the uncomfortable look on Steve’s face. “Why start her with something so boring, pal?” He finished the assembly and held out his M249. “Let her play with a real gun.”

Before you could say a word, the two men flanked you at one of the lanes. Both went over the safe handling of the handgun and the machine gun. You listened, intently, a small smile on your face. Finally, they stopped.

Steve handed you safety glasses and ear protection, “Did you get all that? Any questions?”

“I’m good.” You donned the safety gear.

Before either could respond, you picked up the Sig, popped in the mag, and fired once, paused for a heartbeat to check your sight, and fired nine more in quick secession in a tight little cluster at the center of the target.

“What the -” Steve breathed.

You cleared the Sig and ejected the magazine. Picking up the M249, you flicked off the safety and squeezed off a few shots. Smiling, you changed aim to the head of the target and blew a hole the size of a baseball in it. You lowered the light weight machine gun, pulling off the ear guards. “Nice.”

Bucky laughed.

“You said you did know how to shoot.” Steve looked at you with an odd mix of confusion and arousal on his face.

“No. You assumed. Just because I’ve never owned a gun doesn’t mean I don’t know how to fire one.” You smirked.

Bucky must have recognized the look on his best friend’s face, because he ducked out of the room without a word.

Steve leaned close to you, hot breath tickling the skin of your ear. “That was really sexy.”

“Oh?” You purred. Taking off the glasses and running your nose along his jaw.

“Mm-hmm.” His hand slid over your hip, dipping lower to the warmth between your legs. “Took me by surprise.” He placed open mouth kisses on the side of your neck. “I’ve seen you be sweet, seen you outsmart the room, seen you be funny and charming, but fuck...” he growled out the word. “The badass look is sexy as hell on you.”

His teeth nipped your ear as he pulled your ass tight against the hard evidence of his arousal. You gave a little moan. “You got a thing for girls with guns?”

He chuckled low. “Got a thing for you. You keep surprising me.” One hand cupped your breast as he pulled you against his rutting hip with the other. “I love it.”

“We, oh damn,” a shiver ran down your body. “We better cool it or get someplace private, ‘cause I don’t think bending me over right here is such a good idea.”

Steve groaned, freezing. “You’re right.” He took a deep breath before standing up straight. “Okay. Yeah.” Steve picked up the weapons and headed to the exit. Peeking out he breathed a ‘thank god’ before pushing the door open. Clint, Tony and Bucky were gone.

He quickly stowed the weapons, knowing they should be cleaned before being put away. The raging erection in pants demanded other action, though. You watched his quick work with a grin. As soon as he slammed the last cabinet closed, Steve swept you up in his arms and kissed you hard.

“Let’s go.” He murmured against your lips.

“Yes, sir.” You quirked an eyebrow at him.

A low growl escaped his chest and he practically carried you out of the range. Thankfully, you didn’t pass anyone on the way to his quarters. Steve kept pulling you close, kissing you, lifting you against him. As soon as his door closed, he buried his hands in your hair. “Say that one more time.”

“What?” You smiled against his lips. “Yes, sir?”

His eyes fell closed, and his grip tightened. Oh, that was new. Your voice dropped to a husky purr. “What can I do for you, sir?”

Steve’s eyes opened, studying you. His thumb traced your lower lip and you took it in your mouth, sucking and rolling your tongue around his digit. His eyes darkened. “You can get on your knees and suck my cock, like I know you want to.”

His words sent a flood to your core. Hell, yes.

You lowered to your knees, keeping eye contact with him as your hands ran over his chest and abs, down his thighs. You moved all the way to his feet, removing his shoes and socks. Rising up, you unbuckled his belt. Steve’s hands clenched at his side. You unfastened his jeans, breathing hot air over his cock before touching him. You took him hand, licking up the length of him, stroking.

When you finally took him in your mouth, he moaned. His hands combed through your hair, pulling it away from your face so he could see. You pushed him to the back of your throat, swallowing against him. He growled jerking into you, pushing you to limit of your reflex. Your hand grabbed his ass.

Steve bit back moans, watching your head bob, fighting the urge to fuck your mouth harder. Finally, he pulled you up, crushing your mouth with a brutal kiss. He held himself back, eyes closing. “What do you want, Sweetheart?”

You nipped his bottom lip. “Fuck me hard, sir.”

“Hell, yes.” He groaned. Picking you off the ground so your legs came around his waist, he marched to the bed. He threw you on the bed. You were pulling off your sweater before you stopped bouncing. Steve yanked off your shoes. Clothes were thrown in every direction.

Steve manhandled you until you were naked, on all fours, ass facing him. His large hands ran over the cheeks of your ass, pulling them apart, fingers sweeping over your wet cunt. “So, sweet.”

“Steve,” you whined.

You felt the sharp crack of his hand on your ass. “What?”

Gasping, you corrected. “Sir.”

“God, look at that.” He smacked you again. You jumped. Pain. Pleasure. You felt yourself dripping. “You like that, don’t you?”

A moan escaped your throat.

Steve slipped two fingers in, rubbing against your wall, roughly stroking the spot he knew so well. With a cry you dropped to your elbows. “Tell me. Say it, Sweetheart.” His other hand spanked you. “You like that.” Again, and you cried out. “Don’t you?”

“Yes, sir!”

He fucked you with his fingers, hard and rough. His other hand coming around to tease your clit, slick with your own juiced. “Do you want to come for me, Sweetheart? Are you ready to squirt all over me?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Not yet.” He was suddenly gone. You let out a something between a whine and a scream. Steve flipped you over, pushing your knee to your chest. He entered you in one deep thrust.

“Fuck!” You clutched at the bed covers. He held your crossed ankles in one large hand. Resting on his knees, he pulled out almost all the way before sliding in again. His hard cock pressing against your g spot the whole time. Your eyes locked closed.

“Look at me!” His hand slapped you ass. Your eyes popped open, panting. Steve thrust into you harder, faster. “Fuck, you feel good.”

“Yes, sir.” You reached for his hip, his shoulder, anywhere you could touch. “Harder, please, sir!”

Steve let go of your ankles, fingers digging into your hips. Skin slapped on skin. “Yes!”

Heat flooded through your body. Toes tingled. Thighs quivered. Tension coiled in your core. “I’m gonna... oh god...”

Steve leaned back, angling to fuck up at just the right angle. He watched, open mouthed, as his cock slammed into your wet cunt. You writhed, but he held you tight. You cried out, coming hard, flooding over his cock, soaking the duvet. He lost it.

With a growl, he slammed into you hard, fast, stealing your breath. Unable to come down from the first orgasm, he pushed you over the edge a second time. Your whole body shook, mind whited out. You screamed. Steve growled as your cunt clutched at him, milking every bit of hot come from him until he collapsed over your sweaty, still shaking body.

His soft lips roamed over your neck. “You okay, Love?”

“Mmm.” You panted. “I can’t feel my feet.”

He chuckled, and you felt it down the length of your body, including where he remained buried in you. “That was,” he sighed. “intense.”

“Yeah.” You nuzzled him, unable to move anything else.

Steve pushed off you and lay at your side. “Bed, or bath?” His fingers traced over your sweat soaked chest.

“Coma.” Your eyes closed.

He kissed you lightly. “That good, huh?”

“Mm-hmm, yessir.” You smiled lazily.

Steve got up and you whined at his absence. “Just going to run the bath, Sweetheart. Don’t worry if you doze off, I’ll take care of you.”

“You’re so good to me.”

He came back, placing a soft kiss on your lips. “That’s my line.”

You rested, drifting in a wonderful haze. Date nights were a really good idea.

TAGS

@rainbowkisses31 / @dsakita / @geeksareunique / @lbouvet / @buckybarneshairpullingkink / @theneuropsychwriter / @vanillabunn21 / @sammghgecko / @beautifullungs / @badassbaker / @the-omni-princess / @sebbysstangirl / @jesseswartzwelder / @unadulteratedwizardlove / @the-reading-octopus / @bangtan-serendipity / @kiki5283 / @mindtravelsx / @my-favorite-fics-and-imagines / @patzammit / @thegetawaywriter / @vxidnik / @jennmurawski13 / @wildmoonflower / @rynabarnesrogers / @notyourtypicalrose / @sllooney / @wwe-fanfiction-queen / @thorfanficwriter / @scarlettsoldier / @morganhoran1671 / @michelehansel / @sexyvixen7 / @readermia / @buchanansebba / @what-is-your-plan-today / @imma-new-soul / @asiaaisa77 / @babygurl8840 / @acf2510 / @firefly-in-darkness

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers smut #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fan fiction #steve rogers

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lgcmax · 4 years ago

Text

hellooooo my legacy loves !! i hope life’s been treating you all well ! i know right now things are still pretty difficult ( as been all of 2020 tbh ), so i just wanted to flood the dash w a little positivity !! you know, sometimes i feel bad because it seems that i can’t connect with everyone as much as i’d like, and it sucks !! but between my spotty activity at times and bad response times i didn’t want you to think i loved you all any less. so !!! below you will find a love letter to all of you lovely muns as well as some individual comments about my favorite thing about your muses everybody ! also, if you have lgc friends who aren’t really dash scrollers feel free to share this with them so that they can see !! anyways, go ahead and enjoy 😇💖

dear legacy,

okay - let me start by saying - i care for you sooooo so much !! and that goes for ALL of you reading this !! even if we’ve never talked, or you just joined, or we talk like every other month but never seem to catch each other at the right time ? i care for you !!! and don’t you ever forget it. honestly, legay is one of the healthiest places i’ve been in to develop my muse in a safe space, void of any judgement or just weird vibes. and that has to do with all of you, and i’d like to thank you for that !! our mods, of course, get a special hug for all that you guys do - i know that things can get hard, and we test your patience sometimes ... i get it !! but to us, you’re kinda like our rp parents ?? we might nag, joke, and annoy but it’s all out of love, we promise ahaha !! anywho, once again everyone i’ve met in legacy, has no lie been so special to me ?? and i want you guys to know that !! literally all of you, even if it was just a quick message, have made an imprint on the great rp experience i’ve had here and i’d like to thank you for that ! and no this isn’t me leaving, i promise i’m gonna stick around for a loong time to come ahaha. but honestly, who would’ve thought ? i was bouncing around from rp to rp, and i didn’t recall, if i’m being hoenst, expect anything to come out of me giving this place a shot for the 2nd time ? but i’m so grateful to have gotten such a wonderful experience that made me not want to leave. there’s always things to do, muses to meet, and it’s crazy how well everyone keeps the dash flowing ! i’m always excited to look at what you and your muses are up too, and honestly i’m lowkey invested in all their little relationships lol ?? but that’s what makes this place so special ! the friendships, the enemies, the romance, and everything in between has made this into such a unique writing atmosphere to be a part of. so for that, i say thank you. and here’s to more legacy for years to come !!

now for the special portion of my letter !!! in alphabetical order, you will find a compliment of mine for your muse below !! phew, here i go :

( and pls ... if i forgot u ... i apologize 20000x !! PLEASE tell me lol !! obviously this is for muses who are here at the time of writing this 10/2/2020, and i may update ! but if your muse is here at that time and you don’t see them PLEASE tell me i want to write them something but i might have accidentally deleted someone’s in the process of writing so many ! )

phunsawat kannika first of all i have the fattest crush on her fc ojoijjoioij !! anyways, i love the commitment to all her pages, all her character inspos are my favorite, and i’m really interested to see her adjustment to korea ! i think she’s doing a great job already and will show that she can go even further !

yoon aria i haven’t got to say it yet but i LOVE how much of a meme she is oijoiiooij !! esp since she’s a model, it’s fun to have one who’s this cool model on camera but honestly so real and fun ?? like it gives her so much depth and i’m sure she’ll develop a loyal fanbase of like-minded goofs ? i want her and nari to interact tbh haha !!

lee benji my KING ! i love seeing benji develop his sense of purpose and try to see what he wants to become in the long run, and also how he’s stayed true to himself even after mocing to a whole different country ! and of course, his commitment to caring for others !

pongsak tee i ship jinseo and tee oijojoijoij !!!!!! anywho we love the thai representation, i really have enjoyed seeing tee’s progress over the past few months and how he’s adapting to slowly coming into the starlight ? it seems he’s still managed to maintain his kindness and i really enjoy that about him !

im nari is void because she is my muse but i love her very much hee hee !!

kang eunho first off as i’m writing this i see eunho’s first words for his babysitting solo is him flipping out over how cute babies are and i just think that’s adorable lol. but anywho ! eunho’s such a little sunshine and def gives me baby energy ?? light of my life. he’s like legacy’s daily dose of vitamins !

im bomi hana ... my favorite girl who i’m in love with ojjojjoijioji !! i think hana is so weird and goofy in the BEST ways and she’s an example of someone who’s not a famous girl, but a girl who happened to get famous ? i love her for her quirks and all her uniqueness, gamer girls ftw, 10/10 main character material !

hwang minjun i also love shinha and minjun too lmao !!! they are ... v cute !! i love how warm minjun’s heart is from what i’ve seen, and how open and accepting he is to all types of people and welcomes them to his warm fuzzy heart !!! also i would like to personally thank him for taking max in when they were in tokyo max DOES NOT deserve !

kim jinah ah i love her sm !! i know it sounds like max talking, but i love how she’s basically one of the bros lmao ?? but really ! i love her dually embracing of her cuter side and her more casual one, and how she just seems like the type of person you can have a drink and a good talk with ? and her interactions w junghwan stand out and give her an unexpected soft side !

lee yushin i feel like yushin is the younger brother we all wish we had but don’t deserve !! just a real fresh breath of air, definitely a little goofy but just as sweet ?? has the capability to win over even the coldest muses hearts ! and i am rooting for actor yushin 100%. you got this bud !!!!

kim nami somehow nami always pops up first on my dashboard but i’m not mad about it at all lol !! and i think nami is actually very multi-dimensional ! she already seems pretty sure of where she wants herself to go, and i think she’s going to make a really good senior to mentor junior trainees once she’s debuted for a bit ! she def will come correct !!!

lin yue the way i’m SO invested in guessing what she’s eating but never can .... ahh !! also she loves martial arts which means nari would love her if she knew her uwu. anyways to me she’s quite the baddie, i feel like she’s got her toes dipped in a lot of things and therefore will be very versatile in what she can do ? i really love that ( outside of her outstanding visuals ) she actually has a v good personality and niche interests !

ahn dohwan i have promised myself i wouldn’t put any emphasis on fcs but since vernon is one of my ults i literally have to say: TASTE. anywho lmao !! dohwan gives me cafe boy vibes ?? hear me out. could totally see him making someone a macchiato while listening to their problems and offering advice ? he just seems like a v good listener & adviser ! i think once he debuts for real for real he’s gonna have a lot of bf material made by fans haha !!

leong charlotte first of all i just need to comment i saw a while ago on the dash when charlotte covered i wait and that was ?? iconic ??? we stan ??? streamday6pls ahem anyways ! her being in a band itself makes her an instant baddie, but beyond that she also seems v kind & passionate from what i’ve seen ! she’s got the cute & the fierce, and because of that i think she’ll be fierce competition in the industry once she debuts !

choi max is my muse however as my first bb here i love him deeply heart heart !!

jung ahin i will not lie i did not know seungwoo before i saw ahin, then realized he kinda looked like wonwoo and started to simp ?? IOJOIJOJ anyway this is more of an ooc note but thank u ahin’s mun for bringing me to the light 😇anyways !! i want ahin to do more things to make himself happy bc i think he really is this close to living his best life !! i want something really really good to make him super happy yk ? also i support his english learning journey !

kang jaemin HI ME REALIZING I NEED TO MESSAGE U BACK I’M SORRY SCREECH anyway !! he has a very warm presence, i feel like even when he debuts he’ll be the approachable type ? but also he’s just so smiley and i love it !! such a little fuzzball !! i do feel like more is going on in jaemin’s head than people would think, though ??

lee jaewoo listen jaewoo is my baby ok ... and he’s nari’s too ! also btw did you ever get that birthday text from her own his acc ? anyways i’m going wayy of topic let’s regroup lol !! i honestly admire the level of passion and drive he has so young, and he’s already come so far ? jaewoo has a lot of love in his heart for people and i hope he keeps that even after years of acting ! he truly is the light of lgc agency uwu !

seo yura i feel like yura is v real ! i think she only hides the things she feels are nessescary about herself, but to me she still comess off as really genuine ? it seems she has many types of connections present in her life, which i really like ! i think she’ll do really good at holding her own once it’s time for her official debut and i’m excited to see what’s ahead !

kang jun i think jun doubts himself far more than he realizes just how much he’s capable of !! jun is so adorable and he might hate me for saying that but it is what it is !! i don’t think he’s recognized his true power yet, and though that’s sort of good at humbling him, i think he will be a beast when he becomes fully confident ?? and i believe he will !! i think getting a proper fanbase will show him just how much he can do !

ji haneul okay haneul made it to type zero, so tbh he already has his life together more than half of us ?? IOJOIJOJ no but for real i think haneul is a true ✨professional ✨even if he wouldn’t believe me if i told him ? although HE might not be so confident in it, i think haneul’s growing into his more mature self well and it’ll actually help him in the long run as he starts his journey in the idol industry !

kang jina you know what ? i think jina would be a really good leader in her group, if she were to debut as an idol ! i think she has really good communication skills and seems to just vibe with everyone around her ? which is important, as a leader ! but i also feel like she could lighten the mood and kay down the rules depending on which is needed ? that’s just how i feel ! i think she’d do well <3

seo geonwoo first of his theme is so aesthetically pleasing wow ?? anywho ! i do really enjoy geonwoo and honestly need to pay him more attention ! i honestly respect the fact that he knows his own power, and isn’t afraid to be confident in himself ? he just seems v sure of how he wants to live his life which makes him seem v stable, and def in the right direction ! i think he most often knows whats best for himself, and that’s a really valuable skill to have !

ok miyoung first off i DEFININTELY whole-heartedly ship miyoung and hunji, i do !! 😌 but yes miyoung def has romcom protagonist vibes, and i mean that in the best way possible ?? like she’s got quite a lot of things going on for her simultaneously, all while trying to discover things about herself too ?? i empathize with the level of chaos in her life but i think she’s handling it all very well and it’s exciting to read about !

son nabi nabi my ANGEL. i didn’t even know nabi too well prior to us plotting but now i’m so glad that i do !! she has the kindest heart and is willing to go out of her way, even for people she isn’t that close to, just out of the good of her heart ? and i think that’s so powerful ! she’s so baby and i vow to protect her from all the horrors of the entertainment industry because she’s a prime example of light amongst darkness !

ahn jaehwa you knowww jaehwa’s my girl 😚 i just love her adventurous spirit, and how she definitely is filled with more mischief than she may show on first impression ? i think she can use that to her advantage, and it will translate really well as charisma !! her and max’s first interaction showed me just how much of a daredevil she can be and i love it ! psa, we need to plot again !

lee yohan first of yushina nd yohan’s broken friendship is some .... tea 🍵 i’m intrigued ... really i am !! i kinda wanna give him a massage chair for his birthday because i feel like there really is a lot of internal conflict going on in his head ? def hoping he achieves the dream od getting famous before he’s forced to enlist and drop his dreams, and in return for my support i am expecting free starbucks coffee on him, lol !!

bae nathan i honestly didn’t even realize just how iconic nathan is until we started plotting ? him and max share a lot of similarities, which i love, but beyond that he just is such a real dude who kinda just seems ... ok with being not perfect ? and i enjoy that ! he’s accepting the fact that he makes mistakes and knows that that’s ok. i feel like in the future he’d have a fire podcast ?? like i just feel like it’d be so real and entertaining !

han allie first of all, happy ( belated ? ) birthday to allie !!! second of all, producers in general are always just so interesting to me ? i feel like even though she’s still finding it, allie’s rather focused on creating a sound for herself and making it different ? def has the drive to make her dreams a reality, and i know she’ll do well ! allie, fighting !

kim junghwan i think junghwan has a heart of gold ! he’s good at working with others and def would have nice personality to just sit and talk about life with ! i think he also has a lot of hobbies and interests that are v cute and soft boi, so he’s definitely gonna attract the soft stans !! he’s another person i feel would make great leader material some day. also ship him and jinah all the way 😉

kim alex first off i LOVE luna she is my pride and joy .... i feel v embarrased i think we were supposed to thread and i forgot ! but that beside the point !! i feel like he does have crazy duality ?? at some points it’s like “wow, nice man, pet parent of the year” and other times it’s like “wow this man is wilding did he just say that ??” but ... the way i love both !! it’s so interesting seeing his conflicts and how he deals with other people, but maybe that’s the messy mun in me 🙊

ahn jaesun jaesun !! a king. first off i said it to danbi’s mun before but i am just putting it out there i love him & danbi together i do, i ship it !!! secondly i think, maybe because he’s been around for a quite awhile, but you ( the mun ) seem to have a very good grasp on his character ? i think he’s had really significant but gradual development, sort of coming out of his shell and expanding the things he’s willing to take on ! and i love that for him.

yoon shinha let me repeat that minjun and shinha - i ship it !!! i don’t even know hwo to describe it but i just love the energy shinha exudes !! it’s fun, playful, and full of energy, and i think that’ll transfer really well on stage !! he’s the type of guy who’s just down for whatever and i feel like he could befriend anybody if he really wanted to ! i like that about him and think he’ll have no problem getting along w whoever he works with in the future !

kyo miyeon my queen .... oh how i love her ! 😣❤ i think miyeon’s got a cold exterior with a soft interior ?? like she’s sososo composed and a little cold on the outside, but in reality she’s just over here loving animals and the simple things in life ? i think once she debuts she’s going to have fans have v passionate debates about whether they like her cool or soft side more since they’re both so prominent and so good !!

løvehjerte emil first off emil being from denmark and his name immediately stood out to me when he was accepted, and to me makes him v unique ? also doyoung rights ;) i like how well he seems to adapt to the situations presented to him, even if they’re new and unfamiliar to him ! i think he has his ability to keep his cool, but is still learning a lot from being a trainee and proving he can definitely grow beyond what he’s already accomplished !

jung miso miso is the baddest b no one can change mt mind oijoijoijo !!!!! but no for real i always have admired miso even if i haven’t got to interact w her on my muses too much ? at first i def got vibes of the popular girl everyone wants to be just like ? but i’ve realized she’s a loot more ! she has ( shrek vc ) layers, and i think it’s good to see someone who has a lot of things people would see as ideal, but without being unobtainable !

nam yunho yunho intrigues me so much !! i’m sad max hasn’t gotten to interact with him yet lol !! i feel like in this i keep comparing muses to character types but - just take a journey with me ok soijioiofoijfio !! i so see yunho as one of those guys in the movies about small town who’s family has has a business there for years and he’s the chill guy who shows the main character around town ? AND THAT’S A GOOD THING LMAO ! i feel like he’s just immensly chill and always is just vibing and down for a good time ! <3

jo jiwoo i think jiwoo is so exceptionally cute !! but don’t underestimate her because to me she also does have a very fiery spirit ?? and i love it !! def would have the potential to be a maknae on top and i am here for it !! but since she wants to be an actor i def see her even stealing the hearts of the staff ?? the best example of a puppy in real life i’ve ever seen !

na sera first of all being a twin is automatically cool so there’s that ?? but also !! i like how hard she’s fighting to prove her own, individual self worth ! i’m definitely excited to see how she’ll find her “thing” that really riles her up and makes her feel passionate ? and that maybe she’ll decide the idol thing is for her and go forward with it as a career !

min soyoun i think soyoun’s definitely go the girl next door charm, she defintiely seems like the type who you could be friends with easily, and i think she’ll maintain that even when she’s more famous ! she gives me free spirit vibes, and i think that even if she doesn’t know how, life will somehow work to make sure she always does well ! she’s defintiely proved her individuality and i think she’ll stand out from most around her !

geum danbi ugh danbi ... the way i’m obsessed with her ! i mentioned this already but her and jaesun ? cute we ship it !! i am a stan, i am ! anyways i think that danbi is so powerful, and i don’t mean that jokingly ! she does hold a very commanding presence for me, and i really respect her resilience in continuing to fight for her debut, even after being discouraged numerous times in the past ! i think that’ll make her debut all the more worth it, as she has taken the time to get even better and improve her skills !

jang taesung taesung ... the way i really am fascinated by him ! i don’t even interact w him on my muses but he’s still so entertaining to me !! he’s so casual and i just enjoy seeing his interactions ? he isn’t afraid to be authentically him, and though he doesn’t really show it in his words all the time he’s got a lot of emotions swirling around there ! he do ... he do be messy sometimes i get it ?? he’s a lil problematic ?? but it entertains me so we will take it !

song ahri ok i don’t want to claim this bc i’m not COMPLETELY sure but do i have permission to ship her and geonwoo .... i saw their thread on the dash and they’re so cute what 😚💖 ( revision : they are together i can say this lol !!! ) anywho onto ahri things ! she just seems like the sweetest person EVER she’s v gentle with her words and actions, and definitely seems like a comforter of sorts ? i think that, whoever she gets close to, would def have her to lean on in hard times ! she’s like

son seolmi first of congrats on seolmi as the new musical actress !! we need more of them >.< but i feel like when seolmi looks back on her training experience she’ll be very proud of herself ! she has made a lot of improvements over her training period, found her passions, and worked to prove herself ! but i think, although she’s working v hard, she’s also doing twice as good at maintaining her friendships and being good to the people around her !

seo minseok minseok a true angel !! i know we haven’t gotten to write together in a while, but seeing his thread w nari we had i saw how kind he was ! he’s loyal to the people he calls friends, open to trying new things, and i think in the future when he gains experience he’ll be a really great mentor to the people who he precedes !

oh max ok first off i feel like i cannot not say this everytime i see him on the dash or a thread with him i’m constantly in a state of confusion about which max it is oijoioiiojaojoi ?? but !! i’m despite their names, they’re actually pretty different ! because unlike max choi, oh max is has a very loving and warm personality, and even though he comes from money you couldn’t really tell by his personality ?

park dohyun i def want him and max to interact together, side note !! because they’re both goofs and, of course, we need as many lgc boys connections as we can ! but anywho, i love dohyun, as i feel muses such as him are v necessary ! he definitely provides comic relief, and even though he doesn’t like to reveal his emotions, that just reveals another component to his emotional depth ! even if he isn’t someone who is vulnerable, i think it is great he does his best to make others happy !!

lee jiho i mean can i pls just adopt jiho as my child ?? he’s so cute oijjoijoij !! i think all though he’s ambitious and knows what he wants in life, he’s also realistic with himself and knows what he can expect and how to work toward a clothes ! it’s a trait not everyone has so i like that he does ! i think he’s also enough of a positive thinker that throughout any troubles he may have, he’ll get through it with a nice mindset !

lee hanbyul i think that once debuted officially officially, hanbyul will definitely grow in popularity almost immediately ! she’s already done well at gaining the hearts of fans even when she was a trainee, and with so many friends and opportunities under her belt she’ll get big in no time ! i think she’ll definitely be well known and that she’ll bring multiple fandoms together because it’s just hard not to like her !

jung jihye i love jihye !! she’s so raw and rolling with all the punches life has given her ? even after a rocky start to her career, she’s ready to give it a second chance, and although she went through a lot of bullying discovered a newfound love for acting ! i think that her dedication to being happy will show in her passion for whatever she acts in in the future, and i’m excited to see how the public perceives her !

tsai sunisa isa is the ultimate chill dude haha !! i think that he’s very calm and level-headed, while not coming off as careless ? although he’s very casual, he clearly does care about the other’s around him, and i think for him that shows in the little details rather than the big things ? i think he’s the type of person who does well at picking up on the energies of others, and noticing small details about them ! v v cool 💖😌

shin yeseo u KNOW me and max are collectively whipped for her oijoijoi !!! no but honestly, from what i’ve viewed of yeseo from an outside perspective, she’s goes beyond the socially required level of thoughtful ? she really does listen to everyone’s perspective and do what she thinks is best for everyone involved and i really like that ! i also like that the simple things are enough to make her very happy, and that she puts her all into the ones she cares for !

kang yonghwa i love how in love yonghwa is in with life, and how bright his spirit is !! he has such a ... sunshine spirit ? that’s the best way i can put it ! he’s just so positive the majority of the time, and i feel he has the ability to see the best traits of others and bring that out of them ! i also love his sense of adventure, and i think he’ll be a favorite for fans in no time ! kang yonghwa, 10 / 10, our best boy !!

kim hyunbin hyunbin reminds me of a cartoon character, in the best way ! he’s definitely very theatrical, and also has a more playful, teasing side to him ? i think that everyone needs a hyunbin in their life because he’s very considerate of the emotions of the people around him, and on top of that has a lot of interests and boosts any social scenario !

choi jinyoung jinyoung ... an angel ! it’s so my fault we don’t but we should plot more ! uwu anywho ! first off, happy belated birthday to him ! i noticed that during our to the max thread, despite being a little overwhelmed by human tsunami max choi, he stayed very polite and was open to trying a new experience out, and for that i really gained respect for him ! i think he’s a v soft boy but i don’t think he’s weak at all, in fact maintaining his kindness for others has shown my just how strong he is !! 😇😇

oh eunhye just like her article says, eunhye has a real knack for entertaining and i think it’s already begun to show ! i think her authenticity easily transfers to the camera, and that it makes people love her all the more ? she has the type of hypnotizing personality that makes people want to get to know her, and i don’t think it’s coincidence that she’s had the opportunities that she’s had already come to her !

oh gitaek congrats on becoming a producer gitaek !! clap clap !! hehee but i think gitaek is very adaptable ! even in environments when he doesn’t want to do anything, he’s going to push through - like dancing, for instance ! also him and hyunbin’s dynamic ?? v interesting. i’m invested on seeing where it goes ! i think gitaek has a lot of potential, much of which he’s already showing, and i think he’ll have no problem discovering himself fully and becoming big !

son alec just gotta say i always mix him and alex up on accident i wanna scream oijooi !! but also while scrolling his page and saw this: “ old people are amazing, is the conclusion he’s come to yet again ” and i just wanna say i love him for that ojojoioij !! but anyways, alec gives me the vibe of a young adult still sort of finding their way, and i really love that ! he enjoys what he does but still has doubts, and i think that little back and forths very important ! i hope he becomes a super famous actor and achieves all his dreams !

son jieun i love how much jieun cares for her friends !! she was bold enough to straight up call taesung out for mistreating allie and tbh ... kinda in love with that energy ?? i think her bravery goes beyond even just this though, as she’s already tried many new things that others may have strayed away from in fear ! her sense of justice and determination is something i admire and honestly i feel like if it wasn’t for her obvious career path she’d be a great lawyer haha !!

nam jueun it’s the way i want to claim that i indeed am one of seojin & jueun’s biggest fans ... i am 😌✌ but listen !! i have to respect jueun for the way that she’s managed to repair a damaged relationship AND work on herself and her career at the same time ? and both are going good ! she’s also got a real edge to her, and i feel like she doesn’t realize just how cool she is ?? we stan !

park seojin now we alr know ... seojin is one of the muses i am most whipped for in legacy i cannot lie i’m sorry !!! listen ,,, i love my tsundere !! he’s had exceptional development, but in really small yet significant ways, and he’s grown so much in the time he’s been here ! in terms of max, he’s definitely starting to take on a more nurturing role, and in term of himself, getting a better idea of who he is as an artist and a person and i think that’s gonna really show when his band debuts ! also think he’ll be a strict yet incredibly respected mentor when the day comes ? anyways i’ll just say i l*ve park seojin and go 😭💔

lee jiae lee jiae, the apple of my eye !! i was astounded how much kindness could be fit into one small body ?? even in situaitons she doesn’t like, she maintains her bright spirit that brings people to her in the first place, and i think that comforts the people around her if they’re having a hard time as well ! but i think she also does have a bit of a chaotic side when panicked and i do love it i do !! do not underestimate lee jiae everyone i am betting all my money on the fact that she can beat some ass !!

hwang sori first of all her theme made me gasp it’s literally so incredibly gorgeous omg ?? but !! the first thing i read was hwang sori is an ugly crier and that made ME ugly cry with laughter LMAOWAOOA !! even though she’s relatively new i’ve already come to love how out of the box and unapologetically her she is ! she has so much to offer, both on and off stage, and i know she’s destined to be a star ! i’m already so invested and excited to see what she does in the future !

lee aaron aaron !! our dad of the year sobs. of course, my favorite thing about aaron is how nurturing he is ! he has no problem taking care of others, and i think that although it’s easy for younger / less experienced trainees to be intimidated by those above them, aaron removes that stigma completely ! truly a gentle soul. my only complaint about aaron is that he’s so selfless that i feel he sometimes forget about himself, so aaron please eat more and take care of your health oijoijoioij !!

lee youngmin the way i love youngmin !! i was so touched by his patience when he helped my baby nari get herself together when it came to learning lines for cram school ! it proved to me that he’s a v caring person, and even if acting was sort of a sore subject for him, he still went through with helping her ! and that brings me to my next point - congrats for joining the actors youngmin !! i admire him for giving something he’s apprehensive about another shot, and i’m so incredibly excited to see how it goes for him !

song yifei ok even though i don’t know yifei too well yet seeing her intro did help me see why i’m going to love her so much !! i appreciate her adaptation to such an unusual environment like korea, and although i’m sure she’s homesick and a little lost she’s already doing her part to adjust to life in korea ! starting so young, i have to admire her work ethic and her strength by not giving up ! i’m excited to see what she can offer us all !

hwang minsik ok so !! even though minsik is quite the introvert, i think it’s v cool that he has worked past that, and although it may have been uncomfortable, got more comfortable performing in front of others ! i think that being in his head for the majority of the time will actually prove to work in his favor, as it’ll be easier to transfer all the emotions he’s feeling into his music when he locks down and pursues his dream of being a producer !

tsuchiya mitsuki from what i’ve seen, mitsuki seems to be very considerate of others, and i like that she celebrates other’s accomplishments outside of just her own ! the entertainment career can be a very risky and sometimes scary one, but i think that she’s doing a great job at rolling with it and putting her all into forming it into a serious career path for herself !

yamashita ichika i think she put it best - she’s new to korea, but not this world !! i love love LOVE how sure of herself ichika is, and though it may come off as blunt, maybe y’all aren’t just ready to accept the truth she’s spilling ... 👀 lMAO no but for real !! she’s a woman who knows what she wants and i never will be mad at that ! you can never say that ichika doesn’t keep it real and i think that’s something we need to learn from her !

hwang subin i think subin is incredibly self-aware, which really is such a super important trait to have ?? he’s had a lot of conflicts over his training period, but he’s overcame them, and to me he holds a lot of grace even in those scenarios he has this sort of ... calmness to him ? idk maybe that’s subjective but that’s how i feel ! i think in the end he’s going to turn the pain into power, and he’ll be one of the people really idolized for their resilience !

kim minjee i feel like along her path to fame, she’s learning all sorts of new things about herself in the industry, and that feeling of self-discovery is awesome ! i think she’s a really good example of the changes people go through throughout their path toward stardom ! i think she does her best to embrace both the highs and lows life brings her, which i think is preparing her to be a really steady person when it comes to being famous !

im hyunjin my baby !! the way i love him beyond measure !! he gets along with max so well and i love how well they balance off each other’s energy ! he’s got a boyish charm that helps me remember that yes, a lot of the trainees are still kids at heart, and that reminder is v refreshing ! though a lot has been thrown on him with this trimester, he’s been a good sport, and i think he’s such an accurate representation of someone who’s growing up in the spotlight ! i think it’s enough for me to excuse him mixing up the maxs. 😚😌

okamoto akira what a wonderful soul ugh !! he really did impact nari’s heart with his unconditional kindness. i think he’s grown even in his time in the rp alone ? he’s so kind to others, and i love how he holds interest in other people and their stories ! even though he’s still getting adjusted to life in korea, i think he’s doing a great job at getting his name out there while making a good impression of himself. but like i said about aaron pls, akira, take care of yourself more !! you deserve the best, heart heart !!

jeon haeun haeun has such an intense drive when it comes to her love for dance and performing, and i hope she never loses that ! it’s the most important thing, after all ! she’s got such a spunky personality, which will work in her favor as it will keep eyes on her even after she’s off the stage ! she’s a baby, being so young, but already has proved herself to have a worthy place in legacy, and i think she’s even got the capability to teach the older trainees a thing or two, haah !

park viggo i definitely respect viggo, because of the insecurities that have developed from his biological parents putting him up for adoption, he’s shone so brightly already at such a young age ! and i just read his solo w / his encounter with his biological father and - literal chills ?? but .... phew ! i’m so impressed by how he’s had so many horrible experience influence his life, but not let it overtake him ? he’s so strong and if he can handle what life has already thrown at him, i know he’ll have nothing but good to look forward to from now on !

techaapaikhun kit i don’t think i’ve had the chance to tell you yet .... but god i LOVE kit oijoioi !! he’s such a loveable ball of fluff ! he has a very big heart, and i feel like even when he doesn’t know exactly what to do or what’s going on he’s still very much 😊💖✨ ?? you would never think he’s a foreigner because he just seems in high spirits ! also him and daehyung’s interactions ? 10 / 10 in terms of entertainment, definitely deserves a read !

ahn yein i love the short queen energy this woman exudes !! her duality is already quickly becoming my favorite thing about her ?? she’s so this and this ! i truly cannot wait to see how she’ll let her musical style influence the type of music she produces, and i think she’s a producer full of energy who has the potential for being famous for her music and her own personality !

seo yumi though yumi did go through a lot of hardship with her first debut, i really respect her for fighting to prove she deserves a spot in a group for a second time, even if the first time wasn’t even her fault ! i think because of it, even if her light’s dimmed a little, her enhanced discipline will work in her favor, as well as her prior experience, and potentially give her a step up among others ! which, hopefully, will make the hardships she went through not to be in vein !

han insoo insoo’s gone through quite a bit, and though i’d imagine that to be incredibly tough on him, he hasn’t lost his shine ! he still has a brightness to him when interacting around the people he loves, and i think that’s what it takes to be in a band ! i wish nothing but the best for him, because honestly, i think he’s just trying to get by and have a good time, and i really have to respect it !

choi jongsuk okay so from what i see jongsuk is a tad manipulative in the way he interacts with people ... and yet ... i stan ? obviously this isn’t a very good trait, but it is entertaining, especially for a messy mun like me haha !! i think, if he wants to, he can actually use his particularly good social skills to his advantage, and become a charmer among his fans !

choi daehyun omg prince daehyun rise !!! i always love the spoiled rich boy types, because to me, they have the most room for growth ! if i’m being honest with you as ... awful as he might be i think he’s one of those trainees who would 100% give everyone a run for their money ? because if he doesn’t have anything ( beside money ofc ) he has confidence, and well .... confidence is a dangerous thing !! i’m really really anticipating seeing how he’ll get along with the other trainees, and his journey in legacy !!

chwe hunji phew .... my adoptive son !! i admit i am slightly biased to hunji i am i am what about it !!! 😌💖 i gush about him all the time so i’ll keep it ( relatively ) short - i don’t think hunji realizes, but given the whirlwind of events that’s happened in less than a year, he’s doing a fantastic job of both grieving and growing !! he’s been able to look out for those who need him most even in his darkest times, put up with max’s shenanigans even amongst trying to decipher his feelings for him, and adapted to a ever-changing climate that comes with being a trainee in his hardest year ! not to mention how much he’s grown since his arrival !! his development ?? chef’s kiss !

kang dongwon first of all already massive respect to dongwon for doing school and training at the same time ?? that’s already difficult in itself ! but i think he’s taken a lot of risks despite not necessarily wanting to, like expanding outside of activities he’d expected that he would do ! it’s good for him to dip his toe into numerous places, and he’ll be less thrown off if he’s asked to do something unexpected in the future. also him & his relationship w his siblings is the best haha !!

park sarang first off seojin and sarang together are such a cool duo !! the concept of siblings in the industry is honestly so cool ?? but anywho ! but i soso admire sarang !! even though she was initially was following her brother’s dream, it’s gradually morphed into her own, and she really has developed an individual name for herself, which shows her passion and determinism ! i also love how they have a healthy relationship, even with normal sibling fights, without getting into super super competitive territory ?? that just shows her capability to love & that’s great !

kim jinseo first off !! his familial relationship w shinha ? we love to see it ! cutest cousins on the block ! but what i admire about jinseo is how stable he is ! i think he can help people and handle his own problems without getting too stressed, he’s a good problem solver and i think he can calm down and figure out the best way to approach a situation ? also once again him & tee ? cute, we ship it 😊

kim ara first off, friend of the year award goes to ara for helping hanbyul through her breakup and working around processing her emotions ! and also that she’s pretty mature in handling her own breakup w / nathan ! that brings me to the point that i feel ara is a thoughtful person, who definitely sees the good even in bad scenarios and tries to think of the positives that come out of her life, even if it can be difficult to do so !

jin eunji now we know that’s my queen !!!!! i honestly love seeing eunji’s development, and she’s much more of a deep character than she shows on the outside ?? and there’s even more left for others to discover about her ! she’s trying to work through her shit but I like her because she’s the realest depiction of someone who’s growing - because it’s not particularly nice or cute ?? it’s rough but it’s real, she’s struggling to grow and move through her emotions but she’s growing nonetheless and i love that for her !!!

park seon seon is def the type of girl who is just sort of taking it day by day, and i respect it so much !! she has a lot to discover of herself and what she wants to do, but quite honestly i like that about her !! i think that she’s still young and def doesn’t need to stress about it, and i like that she’s just sort of flowing in whichever direction that life wants to take her ! i can only imagine how far she’ll go when she discovers her true potential !

lim sanghyun i feel like sanghyun really is prepared for any situation that’s thrown at him, even if he feels like he can’t do it !! i mean, since birth he’s had tons of bad cards thrown at him, and yet he always manages to turn them into something good ? although it may seem like he doesn’t have good fortune, to me, it seems he has the opposite, because he always finds a way out the trenches !! i think sanghyun’s legacy’s phoenix !

choi daehyung omg daehyung has been a favorite of mine since he came !! i love peeking at the many relationships he has bc they’re tbh so interesting !! he's honestly fit to be a main character in a show ? and i think, despite what daehyung thinks, he’s grown a lot in the time he’s been here ! to me, he’s more aware of his emotions, and more reflective of the choices he makes ! sure he’s got some things to work on but let’s be real .... don’t we all ?

lau mike mike is such a breath of fresh air !! def a roll with the punches kind of guy - reminds me of those popular kids where it’s just like ... dang, things always seem to be go well for them ?? i’m jealous ?? but i think more of that has to do with mike rather than him just having good luck ! he does good at adapting & working hard, from moving to korea, to changing careers, to now training ! he seems to excel and everything he does and i have no doubt that will help him out in the long run !

li zimeng meng is so pretty !! but she’s also SO much more !! this whole thing of her feeling average, and like she didn’t really stand out in comparison to the other trainees .... it’s so real !! and honestly, so good for her ! even though she doesn’t feel special always, i KNOW she is, but i think it’s also great she has this good foundation ? because rather than being good at only 1 thing and realizing in the long run she hates it, zimeng has the potential to be super well-versed and i think she’ll be more aware of what she needs to work on to improve !

tsai king truly our king ... and i don’t mean that ironically !! i looove king’s development, i truly love to see it !! though he’s still got his pride, i think he’s transformed his confidence from blind cockiness to a reason for him to want to work hard and succeed ?? king definitely had things to work on, but he has worked on them, and i think he’s truly proved his place in legacy in the long time he’s been here !! also thoroughly impressed w how much he’s done !

bae doha i think that if I had to describe doha, it would be “ proceed with caution ” !! he’s a cautious person, i feel, who wants the balance between having a good life and keeping himself grounded ? which is a really good type of personality, and I think it would make him a leader for those around him ! he’s also very observant, and i think that will make him much more meticulous of a person as an actor !

song shaun first of all i gotta still thank shaun for doing tiktok dances with max back in the day !!!! that was iconic and i will never forget it lol !! and i'm so glad he’s back. anyways, i think shaun is definitely the type of person that’ll stay true to himself even after becoming famous, he seems v carefree, but also w/o not losing that ambition to work hard ??

pongsak arinya arin is so freaking adorable !!! i think she’s like a puppy and I love it !! she’s so curious about the way around her, i think she just loves what life has to offer her and in turn life loves her ?? she has such a playful and optimistic light about her and to me, it’s impossible not to want to be her friend !! her fans will easily love her <33

jeon haru to me, haru seems like a team player !! he listens to the input of other’s, and i think before rushing to do what he wants to do, it’s in his spirit to think of how his actions affect other people ! and i think that’s shown in how he’s babysitting on the show, even though he’s a little panicked ! i also think he’s a good self-soother, he’s good at helping calm himself down and make himself feel better, and to me that’s so great !!

liu jiao I think she’s doing a great job at making her reality one she enjoys ! she’s struggling to find the differences between her dreams and her moms, what she wants and what she doesn’t ! and still, i believe that she’s doing well and spreading love to those around her despite ! i hope she finds full inner peace and that she can live a life of happiness ( and a little wrecklessness tbh ) without any worries !!

#this took SO LONG my arm hurts iojooijoi !!#anyway ... hope u all enjoy !! <33 #ily all sm !!! <33 #( as told by jada :: ooc. )#( this is our page :: bookmark. )#this is queued bc i'm not home but i'll be on later uwu !

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dragonswithjetpacks · 4 years ago

Text

Theurgist

Chapter Five: A Quick Laugh at Death

-dragonswithjetpacks

Notes: I am so sorry it took so long. I had a busy week last week and was gone all weekend. I got really tired of trying to right this chapter so I am sorry if it seems rushed and choppy. I mainly just wanted the quirky bits. And I have so many things already pre-written I'd like to get to. Including the temple. And then tying in the bite scene later on.

Read here on Ao3

Ferelith looked down into the reflection of the water, examining the dried blood on the side of her face. A small shard of anger slithered into her thoughts when she thought about the creature from the crash. The worm was trying to fight it, but the twirling shadow had clouded it’s thoughts. Her patron was still there, protecting her the best he could. But he would not speak. Ferelith looked up to the moon and saw it was still a few days away before she could perform the ritual to speak with him. Though there was always the option to try. She sighed, setting her gloves to the side to wipe them off later and she dipped her hands into the water. As she began to wipe off her face, Gale had approached her.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like a word once we’ve settled in for the night,” he said.

“If this is about what happened earlier,” she rose to her feet, “then I assure you I’m quite alright.”

“Actually, no,” he paused as he turned. “But I’m glad to see you’re feeling a bit more like yourself.”

A swift breeze pulled her hair into her face, but she was quick to tuck it behind her ear. Gale watched her eyes closely, but saw nothing peculiar within them. They were just as they always had been. Pale yellow with nothing of importance gleaming inside. No hint of anger or excitement. Just simply mindful and content. And the lingering dark essence he had sensed before disappeared. There was just Ferelith with her pale skin and dark hair holding her arms against her chest to brace herself against the cold wind of the river.

“You know,” she said, squeezing her arms. “I’ve met many wizards in my travels. Have you… met many warlocks?”

“A few,” he nodded.

“What were they like?”

Gale paused for a moment. A warlock was unlike a wizard in the sense of how they obtained their power. A wizard was impatient, in most cases. They desired power, but that wasn’t any different than any one else. What separated a warlock was the means in which they obtained that power and what sort of desire drove them. It varied upon the person. And when he looked at Ferelith, the quiet woman who cradled the apron with her books and her singed quill, he did not see a desire for power. He saw a woman with secrets. A woman blanketed by a protective shadow. He took a deep breath.

“Nothing like yourself,” he smiled at her in adoration.

Her eyes, once cold and gazing lost across the river came round to acknowledge the compliment of her companion. He caught the reflection of gratitude within them and knew her smile to be true.

“That’s very kind of you to say,” she looked back out to the water. “It even makes me sound a bit dangerous. But I’ll take the ambiguity as a compliment.”

“I simply don’t know enough about you to say otherwise,” he attempted to correct his statement.

“I appreciate your honesty,” she let a little sigh slip through, leading Gale to believe she was finished with his company. “For the record… you’re one of the kindest wizards I’ve ever met.”

“I do try… my lady.”

“Alright enough flattery,” she waved her hand slightly as he left her line of sight, her gaze still focused on the rolling stream in front of her. “I’ll see you later.”

His footsteps faded out, only to be replaced by another. Ferelith glanced up at the sky, realizing they had a few hours of daylight left before she could retire. There was still much to be done, but she had a sudden urge to be alone. Whoever it was behind her, they were in no rush. And she wondered how long she could stay silent before they urged her to speak.

“The breeze will just get colder as the sun goes down,” she said eyeing the colors shifting as the sun set. “It will draw me closer to the fire. Soon enough.”

“Take your time,” a male’s voice startled her.

Ferelith turned, seeing Astarion with his newly gifted bow strapped to his back, a few crude arrows in his hand.

“Oh, I though you were- well, it doesn’t matter…”

“I was just leaving,” he stated, glancing back to the rest of their party gathering around the pit as Gale prepared a fire.

“And you’re, what? Taking requests?” she smirked over her shoulder.

“I’m afraid the prime rib will be unavailable tonight,” he shifted his weight to his other foot. “But, in order to make up for it, I’ve offered a few bolts to your collection.”

Ferelith lowered her arms, granting him her full attention. “To my what?”

“The village coward dropped his quiver. There were a few arrows in there a bit too short to be considered an arrow. I tossed them onto you bedroll.”

“Oh… thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. At the quality they appear to be in, they could have just been poorly made arrows that couldn’t be used by a proper bow,” he cringed. “They might just snap straight in half.”

“Right,” she nodded, admitting that her thoughts were lost on him.

Astarion could see her drifting back out into the open evening, eyes faded into a distant plane. After what he had witnessed of her earlier that day, he had expected a change to her behavior at camp. The outburst to him meant a reveal of character. Not this reclusive woman who was lost in thought. While Ferelith had been a mostly quiet person from the beginning, there were still those snarky comments between he had rather enjoyed. This was simply just disappointing. She did not even bother to send him away as he turned to leave.

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

After an evening delegating a very passive aggressive discussion between Shadowheart and Lae’zel over what she would consider dinner, Ferelith was forced to resist the urge to turn in for the night. Her head had been pounding, likely a side affect of the illithid’s mental damage from before. Still, she had agreed to have a moment with Gale. And least with him, she knew half of what to expect. That included walking up to see him observing his own double.

“Be with you in a moment,” his voice echoed.

His attention never left the mirror image, his eyes focused upon his own face. Ferelith snorted a bit, rolling her eyes with a sigh as she glanced around for something else to keep her occupied. She allowed him a few more seconds before she grew impatient.

“Is there a reason you’re studying your own image?”

Gale turned, a smirk shot at her to acknowledge the teasing tone.

“Indulging in a spot of vanity. Handsome devil, aren’t I?” he spun around with a wave of his, causing the image to vanish. “Be that as it may.”

It slowly fizzled down to a few sparks. He folded his hands behind his back, very much in the estute sort of way she would have imagine. His brow lowered and she could feel the tone shifting to a more serious manner. Though, she felt she had enough of it that day.

“Ceremorphosis. What does it make you think of?”

“The tadpole,” she answered, knowing it was what he expected.

Still, he responded with utmost enthusiasm.

“Spot on,” he winked. “Day one: fever and memory loss. Day two: hallucinations and graying skin. Day three: hair loss and blood leaking from all orifices. Need I go on?”

“By all means,” she nodded.

“Day four: excruciating pain as the skeleton and organs reform and reposition. Day five: the host's personality has disappeared. Fingers, toes, and limbs elongate,” he became a bit aggravated as a small chuckle fell from her lips. “I take it you get the picture.”

“I’ve already committed to the lesson, Gale,” she grinned. “Might as well get my money’s worth.”

“Day six,” he lowered his brow, clearly not humored by her sarcasm, “The flesh around the mouth splits to make way for tentacles. Day seven: a mind flayer is born. This is the most annotated version, of course.”

“What you’re saying,” she shifted with crossed arms, “is that I can at least keep my sense of humor until the fifth day? I’d say we only have another night’s worth of laughs, Gale.”

“I’m glad your coping mechanism consists of deflecting the seriousness of this problem with jokes,” he replied.

“You’re no fun tonight,” she tilted her head to the side. “But no worries. We’re two days in. We should have clearly turned gray by now.”

“Spot on again,” he flicked a finger at her. “Orifices remain blissfully unbloodied. Our heads remain clear, and our blood temperature is normal. Any expert will agree: this is… abnormal.”

“Don’t question it so much,” she shrugged. “In all my existence, the only reason I owe my life to anything is because of the abnormal. I’m just lucky to be alive.”

“I’ll toast to that,” he smiled uneasily with a hint of intrigue. “The pragmatic in me, however, sees only the silence before the storm. Something to sleep on. We should get some rest.”

“Thank you for leaving me with that imagery,” she gave a slight nod. “I’m sure it will soothe me as I mediate tonight. Good night, Gale.”

“I’m only here to help,” he gave a half solute.

Ferelith grinned, waving her hand slightly to bid farewell as she retreated to her bedroll. They had acquired a few extra blankets. And she was lucky enough to procure an additional pillow. Leaning against her new luxurious cot was her pack, waiting patiently for her hands to dive into it. And standing directly across it from the fire, just as he was the night before, was Astarion. He seemed to be waiting as patiently as her pack.

“I saw you getting a lecture from our magical friend,” he said the moment she glanced in his direction.

“It was quite informative,” she took a break from straightening her blanket to address him. “Descriptive, at the very least.”

“I have to say,” he said leaning forward with narrowed eyes. “I thought you’d look worse. But no. Not a tentacle in sight.”

“Thank you?” she pulled back, turning a shoulder to him. “I’m hoping it will stay that way.”

“Naturally,” he rose a brow. “But I was thinking… what if it doesn’t?”

Ferelith had thought about what would happen if she did change. But the ever growing stubbornness inside her made her truly believe it would never happen. She was not willing to believe it. Nor was she willing to admit to anyone else that it was a possibility. He let the sentiment settle with her for a moment. Though he could see it had little impact. The blank stare with a slow blink signaled him to proceed.

“Of course,” he went on, tilting his chin to the side with a gleam in his eye, “first sign of change and I’ll have to stop that pretty little heart of yours.”

He almost seemed too excited at the thought of putting her down. Like a wild animal. She crossed her arms, as if to guard her chest from his stare. It did not matter, he could hear the sound of her pounding heart. And it had only grown louder from his statement.

“I am open to suggestions. Knives, poison, strangulation – whatever you’d prefer.”

“I’d prefer not to die,” she said dully.

“Well now you’re just being closed-minded,” he teased. “There are some lovely ways to go.”

“First I listen to Gale talk about the details of turning into a terrifying monster and now you’re telling me all the options I have in which you could kill me? Whoever said chivalry was dead must have no taste for macabre.”

“To be fair, you were the one that pushed the wizard to give those wonderful details. I am giving you these options as a gift.”

“I am ever so grateful. Do go on about the beautiful ways in which I can ensue death,” she opened her arms, flicking her wrists in a manner as if she were receiving the said gift he spoke of.

“You know, I watched urchins freeze to death on the street. It looks peaceful – just like falling asleep.”

“Very poetic… I wonder if drowning feels the same.”

“Ha!” his shoulders fell back as he lifted his head with laughter. “Oh, come on. Humor me. If you had to choose…”

“Fine,” she took a deep breath with a few seconds of thought. “I suppose a knife. Straight to the chest. That seems quick.”

“A classic,” he nodded with approval. “One good thrust to the heart and you’re gone. We need a good blade, of course. Don’t want to waste time hacking and prodding with a dinner half.”

It was the first time in a long time it had happened. The welling feeling in her chest. The tightening of her cheeks. The widening of the eyes. The burst of air from her mouths as her voice let out a loud series of rhythmic laughter. It caught her off guard. So much that she covered her mouth, leaning forward, and looking to Astarion with surprise. She rose her brows in disbelief that he had truly made her laugh.

“Well,” he said, leaning forward toward her like they were a couple of children cackling in school, “I’m getting ahead of myself. This is all a worst case scenario, obviously.”

“You’re terrible,” she giggled, lurching forward with one last tit of laughter. “What about you? Is there any way you’d like for me to end your life?”

“Oh, my dear,” he said with a condescending tone. “I’d like to see you try.”

Ferelith reared back, a bit offended that he held himself so much higher than herself. But she knew he was only testing her. Pushing her to see what sort of outcome he could obtain by doubting her strength.

“Dealer’s choice then,” she said firmly. “I’ll make sure it’s a lovely surprise.”

“Somehow, I don’t think you’ll disappoint me,” it was meant to be a positive reinforcement, but the way he said it still made it sound more like a threat. “Now, enough of this talk. Let’s get some rest. The sooner we start tomorrow, the better our chances of keeping this hypothetical.”

“I take it you’re joining us to the tiefling camp, then?”

“Of course, darling,” he replied. “I’ll go wherever you lead.”

“I’d be careful with those words,” she said darkly. “You’ll never know what path I’ll lead you toward.”

“Even better.”

She shook her head at his advancements with a foolish smirk she could not hide. “Good night, Astarion.”

“Good night, Ferelith.”

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

The next day brought a heavy fog over the camp, dampening both their supplies and their spirits. Ferelith could smell the moisture in the air and knew it would lift as the sun rose. And sure enough, the moment they began to snack on their morning rations they could see a bit of orange illuminating the sky. Their pace quickened and they got to their feet, ready to begin to their journey into a new part of the forsaken land they had been thrown into. The human, the gith, and the two elves made their way out of camp, leaving Shadowheart to sulk to herself as they had agreed to take Lae’zel to question the tieflings and seek further assistance for themselves against her wishes. Though Ferelith had promised the temple would come soon, as she had an interest in what laid within it herself.

The path was quite clear to the camp. And Ferelith wondered how they had missed it so easily before. Or perhaps, they had been far too occupied with their troubles and each other to pay attention to path carved among the rocks. She kicked at the dirt, still a bit dry despite the wet morning, and looked up to the back of her companion who was the only one who managed to sustain any of the information the tieflings had given before. He stopped for a moment, glancing behind him to smile at her, then looking to the others.

“I think we should take a moment to really prepare ourselves for this camp,” he said with an overthought of wishful thinking. “Our main goal is information. We don’t want to overwhelm them.”

“It’ll be fine, Gale,” Ferelith stated, slinging her pack over her shoulder. “We’re only asking a few questions. Getting supplies. There won’t be enough time to do any real damage.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Gale whispered slightly to himself with a shrug. “I can think of a few things that could go wrong.”

She ignored him, rummaging through the items in her pack until she felt the cold texture of leather beneath her fingertips. Pulling them out, she gave them one good look before she turned Astarion.

“Here,” she handed him brown leather folded neatly to show the string tied at the top around the collar.

He took them, a bit disgruntled but willingly. Though he wasn’t sure what she expected him to do as she kept searching through the pack.

“Am I supposed to hold onto these?”

“Put them on,” she directed, otherwise paying no mind.

“Right now?” he dipped his head low as he questioned her, staring her in the eyes while waiting for her acknowledgment.

“Yes, right now,” she finally turned to look at him but only for a moment. “You’ve been wearing the same city clothes for days. You should put on some actual leather. One, because it’s more useful. And two, so you don’t look like a complete lost cause.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that last part because this is a very expensive doublet. And this blouse is of the finest threads in Baldur’s Gate.”

“I’m sure,” she grinned lovingly, looking back down into her pack.

Astarion tossed his new leather armor to the side to free his hands. He began to work on his doublet right away. It was already sliding down his arms when Ferelith looked up, catching the back of him in just his white shirt. He looked… nice. It almost made him feel more humble than he really was. Or at least, more approachable. His hands came up, his fingers loosening the collar. Still facing the rock, he pulled the shirt up and her eyes widened as he lifted it. His back flexed and his hands grasped the bottom of his shirt as he pulled it over. She swallowed… hard… as he turned around. What she had assumed was the doublet in all its puffed out glory… had been the actual thickness of the man’s chest. He was lean, but he far from frail. Seeing it off was a revelation and normally she would have felt annoyed at being so wrong about someone’s character. She inhaled a heavy dose of air, holding it for a few moments as she let her eyes wander. He shook the leather tunic out and she admired the muscle in his forearm tensing as he did. Slowly, she exhaled, observing him turn around with his arms raised trying to pull down the armor. She counted each curve of his abdomen with a small smile. Then, nodding with a bit of appreciation, she looked back down into her bag.

“Well, you certainly have no shame,” Gale nudged her.

“What?” she shrugged with a coy smile. “I’m in the wilderness. My eyes get hungry, too.”

“Careful. Some of the tastiest looking berries are the most poisonous.”

“Better than death by ceremorphosis.”

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

The back of Zevlor whisked away, his tail thrashed back and forth with irritation as he left. There was something about a tiefling that left an excitement behind for Ferelith. Like a small trail of flame. She breathed a heavy sigh, knowing that the flames would grow larger the longer she stared at them. After all, she had just witnessed them in battle. Turning to her comrades, she noticed a slight irritation within their faces.

“What are we messengers, now?” Astarion seemed particularly the worst.

Ferelith stepped close to him, too close for comfort. It made him shift backward, which is exactly what she wanted. He took several steps back just so she could hiss at him out of hearing range of anyone else. She kept her head down as she spoke.

“Listen, we keep all options open. There’s no agreeing. No disagreeing. If we’re stuck here, we best leave all doors open in case we need a way out. That means seeing what we can do about the druids.”

“Ah, I understand, now,” he said, his chest still out further than than his chin to keep her at bay. “This is the sort of thing we should have discussed before our arrival rather than my appearance.”

Ferelith blinked, her eyes gliding up toward him. “I didn’t expect you to complain in front of the whole sodding camp after watching one of them take an arrow to the chest.”

“Like it makes a difference? They’re all going to die anyway.”

Ferelith crossed her arms, her fingers tapping against her forearm. “If we’re not careful, we’ll die too.”

“Fine, fine,” he waved his hand.

“If you’re done,” Gale interrupted. “I believe there’s a merchant just down the hill.”

She gave him one last warning glance before she turned to the direction Gale was pointing. There was a small set up just on the edge of the camp beneath a stretch of a rock archway. It was a grand entrance, nothing at all comparable to a refugee camp. They followed the trail down, glancing further into it and noticing the make shift buildings and rails along the sides. They seemed misplaced to her. Even the shop they approached looked more like a scatter array of things more than any kind of marketplace.

“Refugees… adventurers. No one in years. And suddenly, we’re overwhelmed. Well me,” he greeted them begrudgingly. “Thank you for beating back those goblins. Most brave of you.”

“I do what I can,” she shrugged, not feeling quite worthy of his gratitude just yet.

“Is there anything you need? Act fast if you do. The ritual will be complete before too long.”

“I do,” she paused, observing Astarion round the display. “We’re a bit short on supplies. But we do have a bit of coin. Are they really locking down the grove? I was hoping to rely on the business here for a short time.”

“I know it’s drastic, but more monsters seem to terrorize this region every day.”

“And the tieflings?”

“We druids will be safe-”

The sound of the merchant drowned as she became distracted by Astarion looking through the array of weaponry. She watched as he ran his fingers over the blades along the table, glancing at her with a mischievous smirk. Her eyes shifted back to the vendor, trying to pay attention as best she could. But she kept wandering back to the rogue. He held up a knife, displaying it for her with a raised brow. She shook her head slightly. But he ignored her, giving the air a few jabs and shrugging, setting it back down with a frown. The next one he picked up, waving a hand down in it like it were a grand prize. She swallowed the lump forming to stop herself from bursting with laughter. It did not work and she was forced to clear her throat rather loudly.

“It sounds like these are dire times,” she blinked to regain her focus.

“You sound just like Khaga.”

“Are these the only weapons for sale?” Astarion interrupted, setting down the knife he was holding with a loud thud.

“These are the only ones I am selling,” he lowered his brow. “There’s a blacksmith further into the camp. Though I’m not sure he has much to offer.”

“Thank you,” Ferelith said loud enough to draw his attention back. “Here’s what I have for… oh, I think a few potions will do.”

“Of course.”

She passed Gale the bottles as they were handed to her who began to slip them into the back of her pack. Astarion had lost interest in the wares and moved back to Lae’zel who was impatiently waiting behind them. Her stare was into the gorge, examining the tieflings as if she were able to spot the one with the information she needed. Ferelith was certain she would have already caused chaos if they were not with her. As she turned around, she could hear Astarion grumbling into her ear.

“Things are about to get a lot more dire with those sad excuses for weapons.”

“You’re going to get us kicked out,” she said as she brushed by the two of them. “Let’s find the blacksmith. Find the lead. And get out.”

“Is the blacksmith necessary?” the gith rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” Ferelith said firmly. “I’ve only got two bolts for my crossbow. The ones Astarion found are useless.”

“I warned you,” he shrugged.

“A snapped bolt could have meant my death.”

“It wouldn’t have been my first attempt to kill you.”

“Nor the last,” she said over her shoulder as she trailed further down into the camp.

#astarion #astarion x pc #astarion x mc #astarion x ferelith #astarion fic #ferelith #ferelith moonshade #medium burn #ferelith writing tag #dwjp writing tag

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lovlieziam · 4 years ago

Note

Hey,I am big fan of your work like I love fluffy ziam more than anything and you mostly write that so I have read your drabbles again and again so thanks for that,I don't know if you will be online but if you can ,can you please write a fluff for Liam's birthday it's okay if you can't I will definitely understand....

Who me? Ignoring a BUNCH of other prompts in my inbox to write birthday fluff.....😅 Anyway you’re so so sweet, thank you so much for this. I’m,,,,,,,soft over it. Anyway!! Happy birthday, Liam 🤪🎉

Zayn was standing at the stove when Liam finally managed to pull himself away from his sisters at half past 3 in the afternoon. He had his back to Liam as Liam wandered into the room, hips saying to the music softly pouring from their sound system. It was an old song, one Liam couldn’t quite place, but it was obviously one Zayn knew well as he hummed along to the beat.

Liam leaned against the door jam, taking in the scene in front of him with a small, fond smile on his face. He wasn’t sure how Zayn hadn’t heard him come in—the dogs weren’t exactly quiet—but he was thankful. Thankful to be able to stand there and just soak in Zayn’s presence, enjoy the carefree sway of his body and the utterly relaxed set of his shoulder. This version of Zayn—content, confident, happy—was Liam’s favorite. Their lives were always so hectic; they hardly ever got a chance to breathe, so being able to see Zayn so comfortable and loose warmed Liam from the toes up.

A few moments later, though, Zayn did a graceless spin as the music crescendoed, stopping with a startled jump as he finally noticed Liam in the doorway.

“Liam!” Zayn exclaimed, dropping the mixing spoon in his hand to the counter before crossing the space between them. “I missed you,” he muttered against Liam’s lips, his arms wrapped around Liam’s neck as he went on his toes to press a feather-light kiss against Liam’s mouth.

Liam hummed in response, dipping his head to deepen the kiss; his own hands came up to wrap around Zayn’s hips as he pried Zayn’s lips apart, seeking out the familiar taste of want on Zayn’s lips—always so willing to surrender it to Liam. After a few moments, Liam pulled back, resting his forehead against Zayn’s with his eyes still closed.

For a moment, both men just stood there, soaking in each other’s warmth and proximity. It was weirdly soothing, Liam had to admit, just knowing Zayn was there. Knowing Zayn would always be there.

Finally, Zayn broke the silence with a quiet, “How was your birthday lunch with your sisters?”

Liam groaned, dropping his head to Zayn’s shoulder as he felt his ears heat up. “Awful. Absolutely awful. They live to embarrass me. And they wouldn’t know how not to pry if their lives depended on it.”

Zayn let out a loud laugh, one of his palms moving to run calming circles into Liam’s back.

It brought a big, sappy grin to Liam’s face.

“I’m sure you’re being dramatic,” Zayn said. Liam opened his mouth to protest, but Zayn continued with, “I think it’s just your life they want to pry in. I’m sure they don’t have the same issue with loads of other people.”

Liam let out a short, loud laugh, pinching the skin under his hands and making Zayn jump as he brought his head up to meet Zayn’s eyes.

“You’re the worst,” Liam said, but there was no heat in it, just a lingering fondness that he was hopeless to erase from his tone. What could he say? He was fond. Absolutely, completely and totally smitten.

“Yeah,” Zayn agreed, “but you still love me.”

“I really, really do,” Liam said, ducking forward to steal another kiss from Zayn’s lips before straightening up again. “What are you making?” Liam nodded towards the stove and counter next to it, where there were several bowls filled with some kind of batter, various mixing tools, and a fine powder—Liam assumes flour, maybe even sugar—littering the surface of both the stove and the counter.

“Well,” Zayn started, biting his lips and wincing a little when he took in the disaster behind him. “It’s supposed to be a birthday cake. Eventually. I, uh, make no promises on whether it actually turns into a proper one or not.”

Liam laughed again, that familiar love and fondness swelling in his chest and spreading until he was warm all over and about to burst with it.

God, but did he love this boy so much.

“I’m sure it’s going to turn out amazing, Zed. I can’t wait to eat it.”

Zayn rolled his eyes, turning so that Liam couldn’t see the pleased smile or the red tint his ears took, but it was too late. Liam had already seen both, and it made his own smile soften.

He was so incredibly in love with Zayn, and it was because of all the small things—like this—that he did. Understanding Liam’s need to just stay in for his birthday—no big party, no crowded club, no faking it for the cameras. Insisting on Liam keeping up his birthday tradition of lunch with his sisters—something that had taken a back seat since the band got really famous, something he’d been itching to pick up again—just knowing it was something Liam missed so much, even though he’d never actually voiced that fact. Making him a homemade cake because he knew Liam appreciated subtle gestures.

Sometimes Liam was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of affection he felt for Zayn, surprised by the amount of love he was capable of feeling for one person.

He walked up to the counter, examining the bowls with a purposefully innocent face. “It looks like you’ve got a good start with all the batter. How long have you been at it?”

Zayn followed him, walking up behind him and tucking his chin over Liam’s shoulder.

“Dunno,” Zayn murmured. “Like, a little under an hour, maybe?”

Liam hummed, bringing a hand up to pull one of the bowls closer to himself. He shot a quick glance Zayn’s way, but Zayn wasn’t paying him any attention. He was focused on the various batters littering the counter, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Recognizing his opportunity to strike, Liam dipped his middle and pointer finger in the batter, scooping some up to quickly wipe it down Zayn’s nose, the batter running sluggishly to the tip.

Zayn let out a startled noise, jerking back from Liam and fat drops of it dripped off his nose and onto his lips, down his chin. He lifted wide, shocked eyes up to Liam

“Oops,” Liam said, a faux innocent look painted on his features that was fooling neither of them.

“Oho ho,” Zayn muttered, taking a step back into Liam’s space. “It is on.” And with that he was reaching his own hand forward, scooping a handful of batter before smearing it down Liam’s face before Liam could make a run for it.

Liam laughed as the batter trickled down his face, the thick rivulets tickling and sticking uncomfortablely to his eyelashes. He brought a hand up to wipe his eyes—see also: uselessly smear batter everywhere—before a wicked grin lit up his face. “Oh it absolutely is on.”

And then him and Zayn were off, both trapping the nearest bowl of batter and running around the kitchen, flinging it at each other while ducking behind various furniture, throwing empty insults and wildly inaccurate trash talk at each other all while laughing.

“Okay!” Zayn finally shouted, hiding behind tall-backed chair, his head peeking out over the top just enough that he could see Liam. “I’m all out of batter, I yield.”

“Promise?” Liam asked. “Because if I come out from here and you throw more batter at me, I will crush you, Malik.”

Zayn laughed, fully rising from his hiding spot so he could show Liam his empty bowl and raised hands. “I promise,” he said. “I don’t even have any batter to trick you with.”

Liam grinned, letting out a crow of victory as he stood up from his own crouch. He swiftly closed the space between him and Zayn, taking both of their bowls and setting them on the counter.

“I win.” Liam grinned at Zayn, who rolled his eyes in response.

“You did,” Zayn agreed. “All hail the birthday king.”

Liam laughed, sending a wink Zayn’s way. Zayn just grinned back up at him, his smile fond and disgustingly in love. It made Liam’s heart beat out a stattico rhythm against his rib cage. That smile was addicting. It was what their friends had dubbed his Liam smile, and it never failed to make Liam’s knees go a little weak.

“I love you,” Liam murmured, reaching forward to cup Zayn’s sticky, batter covered cheek. “So fucking much.”

Zayn’s grin softened, his eyes falling shut as he leaned into Liam’s hand. “You, too, Li. I love you so much, too.”

Liam sighed, contentment coursing through him as he leaned forward to place a sweet, thorough kiss to Zayn’s lips. It tasted like too sweet batter, but it was perfect. Zayn was perfect.

“Good,” Liam whispered when he finally pulled away. “Because it’s my birthday, and that means I get a free pass on cleaning up the mess we’ve made in the kitchen.”

Zayn’s indignant squawk almost couldn’t be heard over Liam’s loud laughter. Almost.

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nightowlfandom · 5 years ago

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Noctis Lucis Caelum- Prince Of Jealousy

"Noctis, you are so full of shit!" you stormed through the door, ignoring the complaints of that bratty little snot-nosed royal. "Last time I checked you weren't in any position to tell me what to do!"

"Me?! I'm full of shit? That's really cute Y/N. That's rich coming from you!" the red faced prince barged in after you, shutting the door behind him. "You know what you did!"

"Oh come on, you're still on this?" you put your hands on your hips. "You won't even tell me why you're upset so why should I listen to anything you have to say?" you looked him up and down. "You have a real problem, you know that?" you wandered into your bedroom, not even bothering to close the door because you knew he would follow. "I'm done talking about this with you!"

"Oh I don't have any problem with you being friends with the guys, but when you go out of your way to make me jealous-"

"Alrighty pal, let me stop you RIGHT THERE!" You scoffed."YOU did that YOURSELF!" you emphasized. "You getting all territorial has nothing to do with me." you shook your head. You couldn't even believe what you were hearing. "I swear Noctis, you are acting like a straight-up little kid! I don't even know why we're arguing about this right now!"

"Don't even act like you didn't enjoy Gladio's advances. The way he flirted with you in front of me was…just-super gross and you just had to play along like you were enjoying!"

"Gladio wasn't even flirting with me! Your jealousy clouded your damn judgement so much that you wanted to believe Gladio just loves messing with you that much!" you shook in your shoes. "I don't understand why you'd even think I'd allow him to do that? I don't understand what about you thinks I would even DO that. He's my friend! Or can guys and girls not be just friends with each other." you shot back, running a hand through your hair. "Serious question, do you really think I'd do that to you?!" part of you was beginning to hurt thinking Noctis would even believe you'd do that.

"No, Y/N. Of course I don't think you'd do that to me on purpose." Noctis's face went soft for a second, only to go cold again. " You're just too naive and unaware of the men around you! They're animals! Prompto, Ignis, and especially Gladio!" Noctis put his hands on your shoulders. "You have to protect yourself from those animals before they attack!!"

"What about you then?" you had gotten quiet. "Does that include me having to watch myself around you?" you stared up at the red-faced male. "You are the prince after all. Who knows what you'd attempt to do to me if I was all alone."

Boyfriend or not, you had to remember he was still a man of high authority. Capable of making things happen.

"What are you talking abou-" Noctis began, only to have his confused gaze replaced by a smirk. "You know what Y/N? You're a very smart girl, but how naive you are." he chuckled. You noticed that he was taking a few steps towards you.

"Me? Naive?" you tilted your head to the side. "Am not!"

"You've allowed yourself to get to comfortable around us men, incapable of knowing for sure wether or not any of us could take advantage of you at any second. You're just an innocent little girl." he laughed darkly. "My baby doesn't know what her prince is capable of and it's cute."

Now maybe it was your anger, but something in you went crazy when he said that. The way he wore that shit-eating grin just set off an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of your stomach.

"I…know how to take care of myself." you looked away from Noctis, scared your expression would give it all away. "Y-you don't know w-what I'm capable of either." you crossed your arms. "Maybe I let Gladio flirt with me because you wouldn't pay attention when I wanted." you turned your body from him, walking further into the room.

Suddenly it all made sense to him. How he brushed you off while he was busy fishing. How when you tried to get him alone during camping, he would goof off with Prompto. The way you saw it, getting noticed by Gladio was a nice gesture that made you feel better about being abandoned by the man who was SUPPOSED to be doing the flirting, not getting pissed that someone else was. Gladio knew there was no getting between you and Noct, but seeing a lonely woman…he was only being a gentlemen. At least in your eyes he was.

Of course you would never see the shit-eating smirks Gladiolus shot at Noctis whenever you would laugh at something he said. Or when he would offer to carry your things, and even go swimming with you when Noctis would much rather fish on the opposite end of the lake.

"So," he began. "My baby missed me." he cooed. "My baby wanted her prince to give her all the attention she wanted." he suddenly hugged you from behind. "Did you miss me that much?" You didn't look at him, only up or down. "Now Y/N…why don't you be a good little subject and look at your prince when he's speaking to you." He ran his hands down your arms.

"And if I don't?" you challenged, staring at your shoes. "If I refuse?"

"Punishment." was his only reply. "I'll just have to punish my disobedient little baby. Unless you do what I say like a good girl." he whispered in your ear. "Now…look at me."

You took a deep breath, preparing yourself for the worst before you turned your body to face a red-faced Noctis.

"That face you're making is so cute." he panted. "Hm…I should be glad." he began laughing. "I don't think Gladio would have the guts to actually try and sweep you off your feet." he said. "Why don't you give your prince a kiss for troubling him so much."

Not knowing where he was going to take this, you stood on your tip toes and pecked Noctis on the lips only to receive a sigh of discontent in response. "You can do better than that." He suddenly grabbed the back on your head, pulling you in for a 'proper' kiss. (In his words, at least). He balled up your hair in his fist with one hand and began exploring under your shirt with his opposite hand. He teased your bottom lip, taking it between his teeth and nibbling.

When he pulled away, you were left a heaving mess. Noctis wore a devious smirk on his face, seeing your shy expression. "Now that's better isn't it."

You didn't know what to say. "Y-you are so mean." you whimpered. You couldn't find it within you to leave his embrace. His hands felt warm on your skin where goosebumps were quickly rising. "So so mean." you gathered up his shirt collar in your fist.

"Oh come on. You love it when I'm like this." He laughed. "Hm…come ere'." he hummed, dipping his head into the crook of your neck. "You love when you I get possessive."

"I-i'm allowed to deny it." you whined, feeling his warms lips kiss a hot line up your neck and around your ear. "Don't think that we aren't done talking about t-this."

"Oh, I believe we are." he laughed. "The way you're melting into me tells me otherwise." He suddenly hoisted you up, making sure to wrap your legs around his torso. "Now…where shall we take this next?" he giggled with delight.

You back hit the nearest plush surface, which just so happened to be the bed. You stared through partially hooded eyes, your lewd thoughts getting the best of you. You were almost certain you were going to receive the primal side of him, not that you were complaining. Another deep, prolonged kiss from Noctis was enough to make you forget what you were even arguing about. You were sure Noctis had forgotten too.

"Does my baby want her prince to take good care of her?" he pinned your hands above your head. You could feel his groin which was stiff, poking right into your thigh. “I’ll make it up to you for not giving you the attention you deserve.”

(...I. REGRET. NOTHING. BITCHES)

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aries-writingblog · 4 years ago

Text

Atlas (6)

Summary: After years of being imprisoned on the Raft, Tony negotiates freedom for his sister Tessa. When she’s free- so is her past, and it will never stop hunting her.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OC(Stark)

Chapter Word count: 1813

Warnings: PTSD (subtle ish), trauma, torture (in later parts), suicidal behaviors and thoughts, mentions of death, character death, injury, violence, angst, and a lil bit of fluff in there

Disclaimer: Atlas is my own, original work with characters belonging to Marvel (except Tessa and Dr. Clifton). Plagiarism is not cool kids.

A/N: this is my first work I'm posting to this platform and I’m really excited and nervous about it. Hope you enjoy- constructive criticism is always helpful as well!!

Bucky’s eyes felt heavy. His whole body felt heavy. He groaned, rolling over and gagging at the taste in his mouth. What the hell happened? As he pushed himself up, his foot hit something and another groan rang into the air. Bucky froze before he scrambled to his knees, whipping around. He let out a breath he didn’t know he held when he saw Tessa moving. Sure it was a slow movement but it was movement nonetheless.

“Tess-“ his voice was groggy and raspy. He shook her shoulder, causing her to groan again and pry her eyes open. Bucky looked like an angel to her- fluorescent lights behind his head in a halo, blue eyes staring down at her with loving concern.

“Buck?” Her tongue felt like sandpaper, her mouth dry. She rolled over and her stomach catapulted. She didn’t vomit, her stomach cramping up from the dry heaving she did though. Bucky’s hand was warm against her back as she breathed heavily. Finally, she shoved it back down and slumped back against the wall. Bucky sat in front of her.

“You okay?” He asked, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face. She nodded and squinted at him.

“You?” She asked, her throat raw and sore. Bucky gave a quick nod in return before leaning back against the wall in front of her. They sat, the toes of their boots touching as they took in their surroundings. They were in a block cell, a small cramped one. The door was metal, assumably fire proof. Tessa knew Clifton wasn’t an idiot. He was self absorbed and crazed but he was smart. “What now?” Bucky was silent, his response already heavy in the air before even speaking.

“I don’t know.” He replied. They could only wait. Both ex- soldiers were aware. It was a waiting game. They would have to take an opportunity when it was presented. For now... they could only sit.

Tessa exhaled through her nose, leaning her forearms on her knees and bowing her head. Part of her knew it was only a matter of time before Clifton decided he wanted her back. He needed more research on a subject that was already a success. Albeit, an accidental success but if he wanted more like her... she was the only blueprint. And after Operation Brimstone... things escalated quickly after that. She should’ve warned them- instead of freezing up when the intel was decoded, she should’ve taken the time to explain. She swallowed harshly, remembering how she’d burned the papers before swiftly exiting the room. She didn’t have to be so harsh- why did she close everyone out like that?

Part of her knew that if she told the truth to her new team, they’d send her back to the Raft. Even her brother would look at her differently. They would see her as what she truly was... dangerous. Unstable. Of course, it was partly her fault she was like that. Fire was a peculiar thing, in of itself. Even with Clifton attempting to train her, she never grasped it fully before being shoved into the field. Then with being locked away, doused of power and control, she never got the chance to be successful. She had been doomed from the beginning.

The other part of her knew she would die in here. She was never going to make it off Clifton’s table of he got his hands on her again. He would dissect and test and poke and prod until she bled out. And a pang of guilt shot through her whole body. She would die and no one would know the truth. She couldn’t let everyone believe in a woman who murdered her team.

But then... there was him. Opening her eyes, she saw Bucky sitting before her. Her heart told her he wouldn’t judge. He would accept what she told him. He would understand her. Her mind told her that he wouldn’t. He would think of her as unstable. He wasn’t given a choice. You were- and you chose this curse.

But then his eyes met hers and- sweet heavens above. That blue could melt her heart into a puddle. His eyes crinkled around the edges, smile lines appearing as he gave her a grin.

“What?” He asked. When he’d turned back to look at her, she was wearing this goofy expression, drifted off into dreamland. Her eyes focused on him. And he liked it- anything to keep her attention. Even in this life threatening situation. There was a moment of silence... every thought that had been jumbled in Tessa’s brain seemed to snap into alignment as she looked at him. She took a deep breath through her nose.

“When I was in the army... my team was the best. We carried missions out to perfection, our casualty number was low, success rate high. Our team never faltered... but even the Titanic sank.” Her voice cracked and she dipped her head, her gaze lowering to his chest. Bucky stayed quiet, allowing her to work through her thoughts. “Then, I was chosen for Project Maelstrom. I went through the tests and the experiment and I wasn’t turned into a super soldier... I was... this.” She gestured lazily to her body. “It wasn’t intended. And I was thrown into the field too early- I didn’t have the proper training.” She shook her head.

“The first mission, there were only a few mishaps- it gave the generals confidence in me. Too much, too fast. We were sent on a second. It went over well... when we were being transported back to camp, our MRAP was blown sky high by a land mine. I don’t know how long we were there- the whole event is still hazy, even now when I try to look back.” Tessa pursed her lips, biting down on her trembling bottom one. Bucky reached over and took her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. “The next thing I can remember is coming to in some sort of... building or cave- something. My whole team was chained... tortured. I... I thought I could help... I thought that maybe I was given the enhancement for that reason. So, when the men came in, I started a fire...”

Bucky saw her swallow again, tears building up in her eyes. She clenched her jaw and squeezed his hand, trying to gather her nerve. She sniffled before letting out a shaky breath.

“But it got out of control- I couldn’t control it and it began crumbling the place. There was a kid on the team- fresh out of high school... Duncan Brooks. He enrolled to pay for college. Said his ma worked three jobs to put food on the table. It worried her to death, he said, but it was worth it to him.” She used her free hand to wipe at her face. “My chains snapped and I was able to get free. I was about to start working on his when the ceiling fell. A chunk fell right on top of us... but I was able to catch it before it completely flattened us... I managed to hold it up, kneeling over him. I didn’t even know if he was still alive at that point, just trying to keep myself together.”

Her shoulders sagged and Bucky could tell she could still feel that weight. The weight of a collapsing ceiling on her shoulders. The weight of starting that fire... the weight of her team’s lives on her hands.

“Finally, another team found us... they pulled us from the rubble. We had been there at least nine hours- that’s the best estimate they could figure.” She glanced to the door before continuing. “The two men that found me began calling me Atlas- I’d held the ceiling up for that long on my shoulders. People thought I was a hero, but I knew better. I didn’t admit it though... I lied to them. To everyone. I was ashamed and guilty... then the truth came out. The generals and Dr. Clifton figure out the origin of the fire was me- I had killed my team, all but Duncan, who survived by an act of God...”

She shook her head, trying to stifle the sobs ripping from her throat. Her chest heaved and she was shaking. Bucky was quick to shift over to her side and wrap her in his arms. She buried herself down into his chest, hiccuping and sobbing. He rocked her gently, trying to soothe her.

“It’s okay...” he murmured, his lips brushing the top of her head. Tessa sniffled and leaned where her voice was audible.

“It never got out to the rest of the camp... the generals just told everyone I had PTSD from the experience and they were retiring me. In truth, they locked me in the Raft. Clifton was allowed access for two months to gather data but then he was denied access when I was declared unstable and violent.” Tessa’s forehead leaned against Bucky’s neck, the warmth of her skin felt soothing to his nerves. Bucky’s metal hand moved up and down her arm, his other brushing tears off her face. He made sure his eyes met hers when he spoke.

“It wasn’t fair of them to throw you into something so fast. You had no training, you didn’t know what you were doing... it isn’t your fault.” He explained, his voice low and comforting. “And you were a hero... you saved someone’s life- you held a chunk of ceiling up for nine hours, Tess. All to save one man’s life when you could’ve saved yourself. That’s heroic behavior in my book.”

Tessa didn’t answer, she just leaned into his touch more, feeling the warmth of his touch. The cool metal of his fingers trailing down her arm. Her chest felt tight and her eyes stung. She knew it would never make up for the facts. And she hated that she’d used Bucky in that moment- trying to ease her conscience. He thought she was trusting him. In a way she was but, she knew it was the end of the line for her. But someone had to know; someone had to bring the truth to light. The army would only cover it up, blotting out their mistake, the mistake that burned her team alive.

“Thank you for telling me...” Bucky whispered into her hair. He squeezed her arm as she lay there, almost catatonic. “I promise, everything is gonna be okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a loud clang of metal from behind them, startling Tessa into sitting up, placing herself between the door and Bucky. She wouldn’t let him get caught in her mess. Dr. Clifton rounded the door, his hands clasped behind his back. The smile that pulled at his lips was one of true lunacy.

“Well, my dear- it’s time to begin...”

#james barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky barnes fic #bucky x oc #bucky barnes x oc

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