#but if you wanna reply — feel free to lengthen things out or keep them the same ! i don't mind

[missoshea-blog]

*//    A   STARTER   FOR   @VANDERDUTCH  .

❝ would ye come for a  w a l k  with me , dutch ? ❞ thick lashes , like the wings of a butterfly ,  f l u t t e r  innocently in the older man’s direction — the ginger working her celtic charm in an attempt to get his  UNDIVIDED  attention for once , for just  o n e  night . shamrock eyes soften ,  and a cheeky smirk that exudes  c o y  playfulness curves at the very corners of full lips as the young woman delightedly chirps ,  ❝ ‘tis a  BEAUTIFUL  evenin’ out ! ❞

❝ . . . an’ i would not  e n j o y  marvelling at such a magnificent sunset  A L L  by my lonesome . ❞ 

[heartbreakgrill]

Anyone Else; Calum Hood

You leaned down over Calum’s shoulder, blocking out the bright sunset behind the two of you. He inhaled, reveling in the coconut scent of your shampoo, fused with sunscreen and chlorine-d pool water. He shook his head lightly, reminding himself to open his eyes and focus on the phone in his hand. You lifted your free hand, that wasn’t cradling a White Claw, and pointed at a profile.

“She’s super cute! I feel like she’s your type,” you commented at the picture of a taller girl, sporting fishnets and a Led Zeppelin.

“You think I’m only into girls who like rock?” Calum chuckled a little.

You shrugged, moving away to tug over a free camping chair. You leaned back in, giving Calum the view of your neck as your hair fell away from it. He licked his lips as you spoke again, “I mean, I think you look good next to someone like that based on how you dress and shit. If you’re not into that, dont let me pressure you.”

You giggled and twisted around to look at him. His eyes focused in on yours, “Uh, yeah. Or, no, youre good. Youre not pressuring me. Just helping, right?”

“Right,” you scrunched your eyes in a beat, to show you were somewhat confused by his confusion. “Anyways, swipe right or left and lets move along.”

“Okay.” Cal did as you said, allowing the screen to switch to another girl.

“Oh, no, no, she looks too much like Crystal,” you giggled lightly. “Love Crystal, but that’d be creepy.”

“So I can’t like anyone who looks like anybody in our friend group?” Calum remarked, his heart hoping you wouldn’t break it by what you would reply with.

You wriggled in your seat, “I dont know. I feel like its weird. If they look like Luke, Ill allow it.”

His lips fumbled before his brain could reach out and grasp the words and shuffle them back into a drawer, “What if they look like you?”

“Yeah, right,” you looked back at him, “I’m unique. One of a kind, baby.”

Calum flushed as you spoke. He fumbled again, about to spill again, when Sierra called your name from the pool. “Show me that boy from last weekend?”

You quickly got up, excusing yourself from Calum, and pranced across the concrete patio to the fire pit, where Luke and Sierra were cuddled up, talking to another one of your friends. Calum tried not to break his neck and watch you animatedly talk about your Tinder date last Saturday. Yet he knew it was noticeable he was trying to pry.

He felt a hand slap down on his shoulder and Calum jumped in his seat. Michael took your seat, Crystal trailing along behind and slinking into his lap. “You got it bad, mate.”

Crystal grinned at him, “You really do.”

Calum shook his head, “Dont know what youre talking about.”

“Oh, my God,” Michael pressed his fingers to his forehead, eyes cartwheeling in their sockets. “Seriously, I never understand situations like this. I dont think it’d ruin your friendship if you asked to kiss her and she rejected you.”

“It wouldn’t,” Calum remarked, speaking the honest truth. He shifted in his seat, glancing at you before meeting Michael’s eyes. “But it would ruin me. And I dont really want a broken heart right now.”

Crystal’s eyes widened and she leaned forward. “Cal, is it worse than we thought?”

“Worse?” Michael furrowed his brows, looking between the two before realization hit him like chance. “Oh, shit. Dude?”

Calum stood suddenly, tossing his empty beer can in the garbage. “I’m going home. See ya later.”

He didn’t give them the chance to say anything else as he gathered his damp towel, shoes, and bag from around him. He passed through the kitchen, waving lazily to Ashton and Kay, who were preparing the food for s’mores.

“Not staying?” Ashton called after him.

He heard Kay mutter something else to him and Ashton shocked a small, “Oh.”

You finished telling the story of Matt, who you had gone on a date with last week as Calum was pulling out of the driveway. “Yeah, but I don’t know if I’m going see him again.”

“Why?” Luke asked, puzzled by the fact that you sounded like you were really interested in him for the past five minutes, but didn’t wanna go on another date.

“I dont know,” you crossed your arms. “He’s just not my type. He’s kinda, like, stern. He’s funny, but funny in an unconventional way. He doesnt seem like he’d, I dont know, be playful in a relationship. Does that make sense? i want a guy who can be playful, but who’s mature.”

Sierra grinned to herself, nudging Luke with her elbow. “Yeah, that makes sense. Hey, ya know, Y/N?”

“Hm?” You looked to her.

Luke took over, “We know someone who’s like that.”

“Oh!” You smiled wider, “Who?”

You felt Michael slink an arm over your shoulder, whisper in your ear, “Calum.”

You moved from under him, his weight overbearing to you. “Yeah, okay.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Crystal sat on the couch across from Sierra.

“Nothings wrong. Hes just super out of my league. Plus, I’m not his type. I’m all, strawberries and picnics and, like, Hozier. He listens to Nickelback and he’d rather go to a club than kayak. I dont know, I feel like he wouldn’t like me because of my interests.”

“Cal’s a softer, you know that, right?” Luke replied. “Hes a big rockstar, yeah, but he loves hiking and nature, too.“

“He loves y- ow!” Michael groaned out, Crystal interrupting him with a shove to the ribs.

You gave him a strange look before looking back to Luke, “I know, but still. He’s still out of my league.”

-

The weeks passed, more pool parties and barbecues filling your lengthened free summer days that you weren’t working or going on sporadic Tinder dates. You’d been on five total, with four different guys. Each party brought more stories, more tall tales of Derek, the free lance artist who wore a scarf and ordered you red wine, Gideon, the police officer who hadn’t put his career in his bio, and got slightly upset when you talked about your advocacy for human rights. Spencer was just weird, with piles of facts, criticizing your jokes for being politically incorrect or scientifically impossible. However, Aaron was nearly perfect. He was super sweet, dressed like a normal person, and laughed at your jokes, agreed passionately with your advocacy.

Each time you retold a story, Calum would slide down in his seat, frown at the world around him, excuse himself from the party too soon. You were catching on slightly, smelling the jealousy seeping from his pores, though it was masked by chlorine. You figured he was just jealous because he couldn’t manage to match with a good enough woman on Tinder. So, tonight- though you had to leave early for a date with Aaron- you would most definitely find him a match.

Calum had arrived early to Luke’s house to get the meat started on the grill. He was flipping a few burgers, sipping at his first beer with absentminded concentration. His mind wandered as Luke rambled off his ear about something he saw on Twitter. Luke laughed at a joke he made, while Calum’s eyes lost focus and went blurry. His thoughts swirled with you- your shampoo, and its coconut scent that reminded him of his first crush in middle school. Your eyes were seen in so many, so similar, yet freckled with so much heartbreak and kindness that emitted from your soft spoken lips and light hands that had contact with the stars.

He didn’t care if he would look better next to a girl with jet black hair and a perfect body. He didn’t care if they played bass, too, or if they were famous and loved The Rolling Stones. He didn’t care if she was hard headed and loud. He liked that you were soft and quiet- he was, too. He loved that you dressed so different; your floral patterns went well with his dark jeans t-shirt combos. He didnt care about things looked, just how they felt. And things with you...Hell, you felt good.

Calum jumped as Luke shouted, “Youre burning the burger- Cal!”

Calum dropped his beer can, spilling the liquid all over his bare feet as he grasped for the spatula. He tossed a burnt burger into the trash with a huff, scooping the others onto a tray. “Sorry.”

Luke shook his head, sitting down beside Calum, who was dipping his feet into the water to clean them off. “What’s your problem, mate? You’ve gotten so quiet lately. Especially when Y/N’s around.”

“Part of me is hoping I’ll be able to fight the urge to kiss her if I just stop talking to her. But, then she comes around and i cant stop talking to her. We get on so well,” Calum murmured, though Luke could hear.

“Yeah?” Luke urged him, feeling proud he could get Cal to say so much. He was a quiet person, a loud jokester in social situations, but so soft and enclosed about himself.

Calum shook his head, huffed, “I cant settle for somebody else. I know that sounds selfish and stupid, but she’s all I want. She’s all I’ve wanted since i met her. She’s so perfect and good and...she makes me feel good. I dont know. Its not impossible for her to like me back, but she’s so obsessed with the idea of someone being her type. Its like she’s afraid to just take a chance and love someone who she doesnt have figured out. She wants it all to be certain and specific and exactly the way she expects it to be.”

Luke sighed, creating small ripples with his feet in the pool, “Cal, Y/N is like a literal angel. She’s gentle and quiet and contained and confirmed. She’s perfect, like you said. But, Sierra knows her so well. She keeps herself like that because she’s been heartbroken before. So many times before. She’s scared, yes. But I think shed be willing to give you a chance if you just tell her...tell her exactly what it is.”

“What do you mean?” Calum already knew everything about Y/N. But, he didnt want Luke to think he was obsessive even though she knew everything about Cal, too.

Luke shrugged, both of their head’s turning to the patio door as it opened. “I dont know. But, you do. Just tell her.”

“How will I know if I’m saying the right things?”

“You just will.”

Sierra led you over to a lounge chair, sitting beside you as you slipped out of your sandals and tugged off your shirt. You were left in your bikini top and shorts, a combination that made Calum’s heart palpitate. He took the courage from Luke’s words and stood, walking over to you.

“Yeah, so if he ever wants to...” Sierra trailed off as Calum’s shadow fell over the two of you.

He gave you a shy smile as Sierra grinned and excused herself.

“Hey, Cal,” your lips lifted, eyes following him as he sat next to you. “How’ve ya been?”

“Good, you?” He was shy. He knew you could tell, too. His eyes kept switching between yours and his hands, your lips and...

“I’m okay. A little burnt out. Work has been busy because its summertime. High fashion and stuff, ya know?” You laughed, jabbing at a joke. Your eyes glinted when Calum tossed his head back and laughed.

“Yeah, I know, dont you see my high-end swim shorts?” He made a motion to show off his pants, and you admired him.

“Cute,” you replied. A beat of silence passed before your phone made a noise. You didnt touch it, knowing it was rude to do so, but your brows flicked up. “Oh! Have you matched with any other girls on Tinder? If you haven’t, I’m making it my mission to find you someone else.”

“How am I supposed to think about anyone else?” He blurted out suddenly.

You stopped smiling, blood freezing and your body turning stiffly. “What?”

“Uh,” Calum thought, wondering how he should go about this. “Theres a million little things I haven’t told you. I cant go on keeping them to myself. And pretending I want anyone else.”

You met his eyes and Calum felt the world melt away. Like a focused lens on a camera, he only saw you, your golden little halo. Your shocked expression.

“Cal,” you hesitated, “Aaron.”

“Is he the guy you want to hold you?” Calum whispered.

You visibly shivered, your heart beating out of your chest.

“It kills me thinking of you with him,” he paused, “you and i could have it good. I dont know him, but I know myself, and I know that I can love you so much better than he could.”

You shook your head, sweat pooling on your hands and the back of your neck. “No, Cal. Please. Dont make it hard.”

“It’s not hard unless you make it hard,” Calum spoke as soon as you began to stand.

“No, its not supposed to be hard. I want it to be easy for once,” you said.

Calum grabbed your hand, turning you back around, “It is. I know were so different, and I’m on the road all the time, and I’m fucked up because of people from my past. I know I smoke, and you help clean up cigarette butts in the park and I’m silent when I shouldn’t speak, but if you jump, Ill jump, too. C’mon, please?”

You finally met his eyes, feeling the rhythm of your heart steady. “I know its dramatic, but I’m just so afraid. So many guys have hurt me and made me feel ugly. I carry myself in a way that allows protection and routine. I hate the idea of some disturbance because disturbance has always meant hurt. Cal...i could love you. I think I’m very close to loving you, but i dont know if i can let myself.”

“I do love you, and I’m letting myself,” Calum stepped closer, tugging you to close the distance more. “Just let go.”

With silent permission, his hands slipped around your waist and your clutched his t-shirt. Your fists were tight, your lips stoic. Until you felt a lock pick inside your soul and you relaxed.

TAG LIST: @mantlereid @boxofteenageideas

, @dinosaursandsocks , @ashhdaniellee95 @zhangyixingxing1

[btsqualityy]

Scripted: Part 18

Namjoon x Reader; Jimin x Reader

Genre: Angst, fluff, President!Namjoon, Head of Security!Jimin

Warnings: (Reluctant) open relationship, mentions of cheating, unprotected sex, oral sex

One Month Later

“You’re gonna overexert yourself, you absolute idiot,” you chastised, making Namjoon chuckle as he turned around and slowly walked back over to his desk. Over the past month that had passed since the shooting, Namjoon had had another surgery on his chest to try and repair some of the damage that he sustained, and it turned out to be pretty successful. It lengthened his recovery time considerably, but you were just happy that he was conscious and alert again. 

Within the past few days, Namjoon had decided that he finally felt well enough to go back down to the West Wing of the Blue House and start working again, but not without you going along with him most of the time to keep an watchful eye on him and his condition. 

“I keep you telling you, I’m fine baby,” he assured you, plopping back down in his large desk chair and you couldn’t ignore the slightly labored breathing that filled the room. 

“You know what the therapist said, no pet names,” you reminded him as you leaned against his desk, making him groan dramatically. 

“I should’ve never told you that she said that to me,” he grumbled, making you smile lightly. Namjoon had been going to therapy on his own in order to work on his issues and show you that he was serious about fighting for you. You were happy that he was doing something to better himself, but you still weren’t sure about you two really getting back together.

“I still think you should join me for a session one of these days,” he mentioned conversationally and you lightly rolled your eyes because it wasn’t the first time that he had brought that up to you.

“Maybe,” you shrugged noncommittally. Namjoon sighed deeply before turning his chair around so that he was facing you.  

“You know, if you don’t want to work on this, you can tell me,” he softly reminded you. “But I would like to know.”

“I don’t know,” you told him. “And I’ve told you that before. I don’t know if I’m willing to just forget about everything that’s happened because you had some sudden moment of clarity.”

“And I understand that,” he replied but you cut him off.

“But do you really?” You demanded to know and he frowned a little.

“Only on a surface level,” he admitted. “That’s why I think it would be good for us if we went to therapy together. We both have communication issues so having someone else there could help the conversation be more productive, for the both of us.”

“I’ll think about it,” you relented, making a small smile appear on his face again.

“That’s all I’m asking for,” he nodded, reaching out and grabbing onto one of your hands, squeezing it firmly. “I love you.”

“I know you do, and I do love you too Joon,” you replied.

“I know,” he echoed, letting go of your hand as one of his coughing fits started up. That had been one of the side effects of the injuries that Namjoon had sustained from the shooting: his breathing was more restricted than before, and he still wasn’t used to having to pace himself in between words in order to make sure that he was breathing correctly.

“Do you have your inhaler here?” You asked him and he shook his head as he lifted his elbow to his mouth as he continued to cough harshly. “I’ll go get the one from our room, I’ll be right back.” You straightened up and walked out of his office, shutting the door behind you. You weren’t able to make it too far before you ran right into Taehyung, Momo, and Jimin.

“Hey,” you greeted them, your eyes fluttering over to Jimin just in time to see him smile warmly at you.

“Hey yourself,” Momo smirked knowingly. “How’s he doing in there?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” you shrugged, glancing over your shoulder at Namjoon’s office door. “He’s insistent on getting back to work so there’s really nothing I can say to him right now. The real question though, is what the hell are you doing here mister?” You demanded as you looked at Taehyung, who smiled sheepishly as he adjusted the sling on his arm. 

“I just came to show Momo where I keep things before I officially start my leave of absence,” he told you. Taehyung had only gotten out of the hospital a little more than a week ago, his severe injuries taking longer to heal and even now, he was still in pretty bad shape. After a lot of discussion with both his family and Namjoon, Taehyung had decided to take an extended leave of absence until he had fully healed and Momo was going to be taking his place as Chief of Staff.

“Yep, Namjoon is going to be able to officially order me around starting tomorrow,” Momo groaned, making you laugh. “And Jimin joined us since Taehyung coordinates Namjoon’s schedule with him.”

“We just want to make the transition as seamless as possible, even if it is temporary,” Jimin added. 

“Yeah, so hurry the hell up and get better so that you can come back,” Momo demanded as she looked at Taehyung, but you knew that she meant it lovingly. 

“We’re definitely gonna miss you around here,” you nodded in agreement, stepping forward and giving Taehyung a one armed hug. 

“I’ll only be gone two months, maybe three,” he reassured you. 

“Well, come on Tae, I’ll walk you out,” Momo said and Taehyung nodded.

“See you guys,” he called, waving his hand at you and Jimin before following Momo off down the hall. Once you couldn’t see them, you turned back to Jimin, who was already looking at you. 

“Hey stranger,” he greeted softly, holding his hand out towards you and you instantly grabbed onto his hand, allowing him to pull you down the hallway into his office. Once the two of you were inside, he shut the door behind you before wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling your body flush to his. You reached up and set your hand on his cheek, moaning softly once he kissed you passionately. The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes, firm kisses against each other’s lips and wandering hands. 

“I’ve missed you,” you admitted quietly, and he pulled away from your mouth and set his forehead against yours as he looked at you.

“I’ve missed you too,” he smiled softly. “Although, we wouldn’t be missing each other so much if you would just come and see me.”

“I know, but things are just complicated right now,” you replied. Jimin knew about Namjoon wanting to win you back, because you had decided to be honest with him and tell him. He knew that you still loved Namjoon and you telling him about it only confirmed it, but you also didn’t want him to think that you weren’t serious when you’d said that you loved him. Despite this, the two of you hadn’t been able to spend much time together since Namjoon had gotten discharged from the hospital.

“I know, and I understand,” he promised, setting his hand underneath your chin. “I just want to be able to see you more.”

“Are you free tonight?” You asked and he nodded his head. “Then I’ll come over to your place, and stay the night,”

“You sure?” He checked. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring or forcing you.”

“You’re not,” you assured him with a smile. “I’ve missed you and wanna show you how much.”

“God, I’d love that,” he huffed, making you laugh before you leaned forward to press another lingering kiss to his lips. “8pm sound good? We can order in and watch movies.”

“That’ll work,” you nodded. “I’m looking forward to it Jimin.”

“Me too,” he smiled. “I love you baby bird.”

“I love you too,” you grinned, giving him one last kiss and a quick hug before he unwrapped his arms from around you and watched as you stepped out of his office.  

...................................

“God, you look so fucking gorgeous riding my cock like this,” Jimin grunted, reaching down and squeezing the flesh of your ass as you moved up and down on him on the couch that was in his living room. You had originally only come over to watch movies and spend time with him but being as though you and Jimin hadn’t been intimate since the day of the shooting, it was only a matter of time before you two got your hands on each other.

“Please Jimin,” you pleaded, setting both of your hands on the sides of his neck and placing your forehead against his. The eye contact between the two of you served to only intensify the feeling of his cock dragging along your inner walls, and you felt your thighs quiver as you neared your high. 

“I love you,” he whispered into the space between your lips and you smiled, because you were able to also feel his words in addition to him saying them aloud.

“I love you too,” you replied back, leaning forward a little and gently pressing your lips to his. “I do.”

“I know,” he assured you, planting his feet firmly on the floor and thrusting up into you. You gasped, the belt that had been tightening around your lower abdomen threatening to snap at any moment. 

“Gonna come,” you warned him, and he nodded as he continued to fuck into you. 

“Go ahead baby,” he encouraged you. A few more thrusts and you were coming on his length, a long and drawn out moan escaping your throat as he fucked you into over sensitivity. “You always look so sexy when you come for me.”

“Mm, wait, stop,” you mumbled and Jimin did so, looking up at you with a raised eyebrow. “Want you to come in my mouth.”

“Holy shit baby bird,” he huffed, watching in awe as you lifted yourself up and off of his cock and stood up from the couch, bending your knees until they touched the floor and making yourself comfortable in between his legs. You reached out and grabbed ahold of his cock with both hands, wasting no time in taking him into your mouth and swallowing as much as you were able to.

“God dammit,” Jimin hissed, his hands reaching out at his sides and fisting the material of the couch. You continued to bob your head on him, reveling in the way that his thighs tensed up on the sides of you as he neared his high once again.

“I’m about to come Y/N-ah,” he grit out and you only responded by sucking on hi harder. A few seconds later, you felt his cum flood into your mouth, the salty flavor making you cringe a little. Once you had (literally) sucked him dry, you popped his cock out of your mouth and smiled up at him.

“Good?” You wondered and he scoffed in disbelief.

“Fucking amazing,” he chuckled, which made you grin. “Come here.” He held his hand out for you and when you placed your hand in his, he pulled you up so that you were standing again and then pulled you back onto the couch, your body falling in between his legs as he pressed you up against his chest. 

“I’ve missed you, you know,” he murmured quietly.

“I know, and I’ve missed you,” you told him. “The shooting just literally turned everything on it’s head, and it’s like I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“I’m gonna ask you a question, and I want you to be honest with me, ok?” He said and you nodded in agreement. “Do you want to be with Namjoon?”

“I don’t know,” you answered honestly after a few seconds of silence. “On one hand, the effort that he’s putting in now is what I’ve been begging him for and I also feel bad about everything that happened. On the other hand though, I love you and I deserve to be happy after everything that I’ve been through with Namjoon.”

“You really do,” Jimin agreed with a nod. “Look, you can make a decision on your own, because you’re an adult. All I ask is that you be honest with me about what you’re thinking, bad or otherwise. Ok?”

“Ok, I promise,” you swore. 

“You doing ok though?” Jimin asked. “Besides that?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve seemed a little distracted, and not only tonight,” he noted, reaching up and setting his hand on your cheek. 

“I’m fine,” you nodded, not exactly wanting to tell him that Namjoon had asked if you wanted to get dinner together and you had to lie to him about already having plans with Momo so that you wouldn’t have to tell him that you were going to see and spend the night with Jimin. Despite all that, you couldn’t help but to be touched at how Jimin was still concerned about you even though you were basically dangling both him and Namjoon right now. 

“I just want you to be happy,” he shrugged.

“And I you,” you whispered, leaning forward and kissing him firmly. “Regardless.”

...................................

Tag List:  @toddsgirl27 @leftieaquarius @joyfulkmusicfan @jennyjq @xcharlottemikaelsonx @pop228 @belatona @babebri144 @dragonqueen01 @paolaa9700 @yiarsan @sunshinein17 @daydreambrliever @lyralefayc @weirdestpersoninearth @peachesandcreamsthings @missseoulite @ramengrace @minyoongi-infiresme @0minabean0 @korkanswers @dchimminie @mysr3 @emily2404xx @leilalago @vonvi-blog @btsxdoll @heartfeltscribblings @nooooooooona @eternalmoonji @lyralefay @jikooksgirl19 @cloudbuffalo @moonsjoons @kjooniesbabygirl @anpanman-sonyeondan @midnight-storm @joondala @lolsiiike @missyjo118 @kookiestaejam @jertazz @xwallowsx @yourlipssoirresistible @brittneymccray @swoozleee @behind-the-surface @cheysjimin​ @gemad08​

[lune-hime]

Garden of Tulips (Levi/Reader) Tea Time #4

~Click me for more chapters~

“What did it look like?”

“Hmm?” Levi looked up from his place next to your sleeping form. “The titan that tried to snack on my darling granddaughter.” “Ugly as fuck.” “Aren’t they all?”

Levi recounts memories of the reader and their shared life together while she recovers from a serious injury.

!!WARNINGS!! - Violence, gore, smut, wholesome content ;)

So these little Tea Times were written as little filler-memory chapters to place in between the main story line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Freckles

↞♞♘↠

Jean sucked up his scattered feelings upon seeing you sitting in one of the library’s plush armchairs.

“Hey.” He called with feigned confidence as he rounded the corner of the last bookshelf before your resting place. He faltered a bit when his eyes met the ever stoic gaze of Levi. He was reclining in the chair opposite of you with a stack of documents in his lap.  You looked up from your book in slight surprise.

“Hey, I thought you left already.” Your statement was more of a perplexion as you regarded him gently.

“Yeah-um.” Jean started and furrowed his brow. His eyes darted back over to Levi who had quietly resigned back to his paperwork. His gaze fell back to yours, a look of worry spreading on your face. He bit his lip to contain the fountain of baggage that threatened to spill.

“Don’t worry about it-it’s fine.” He cleared his throat and nodded, trying to look convincingly forgettable. Your eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I’ll see you at the meeting later, Levi.” You said with a small smile in his direction. His head rose and he nodded once.

“Alright.” He replied curtly. Jean observed the faint blush on your cheeks and the delicateness of the captain’s features as he looked at you. Your crush had blossomed full force and it was sweetly sickening to Jean to watch you flutter secretly under Levi’s actions.

“I said it was nothing.” Jean grumbled as you slapped your book shut and came to his side.

“Bullshit.” You chided as you walked side by side out of the library. Once you were out in the hall you backed him against the wall. You stood in his personal space bubble. The way he towered over you didn’t threaten you at all. It never had.

“ Fine. I was wondering if you would come with me?” He asked, his voice shaking minutely as he tried to keep his weakness from seeping through the cracks of his pride. You tilted your head to the side in a fond grin.

“Of course.” You replied sweetly.

“Let me just drop my book off and change my shoes.” You said as you began walking again. Jean trailed behind you like a puppy, hands fidgeting behind his back accompanied by periodic sighs.

“Are the others coming too?” You asked as you slipped on your everyday sandals after having discarded your reading material. Jean didn’t answer for a moment and only the clap of the soles of your shoes against the wooden floor met your ears.

“No, I just wanted it to be the two of us. If that’s alright.” He confessed. When you stood up straight, the apprehension he had been feeling washed over you. You hummed in agreement.

“Okay.” You smiled knowingly. You gave his arm a few warm strokes as you both headed into the hall.

The walk through the village fields was lovely. The June sun was pleasant on your exposed skin and the lush flowers tickled your ankles along the stone path. The two of you stuck to the outskirts of the village until you reached a grove of trees that opened up into the eternal resting place for soldiers and villagers alike.

Jean was on autopilot as he deftly led you through the rows of graves to reach your destination. The modest stone may have represented a life no longer present, but it was teeming with life. Little daisies had sprouted in the soil where you and Jean had planted them earlier that year. Rollie pollies skittered from their hiding places within the crevasses of the engraved cadet’s name when the two of you leaned down to be closer to him.

“Hi Marco.” You greeted with the same warmth as the summer air.

“Hey Marco.” Jean echoed with a melancholy tenderness to his tone. You watched with a pang in your heart as his hands began shaking around the muffin in his hold. Eventually he placed it down in front of the stone and reached in his pocket for his matchbook. His fingers quivered when he failed to strike fire into the wooden stick. After another unsuccessful attempt, you grasped his hands.

“Let me.” You offered gently and he released his grip. You struck the match and lit the candle embedded in the plush top of the muffin.

“Happy birthday.” Jean spoke, finally giving into his bubbling grief and letting his voice crack.

“Happy birthday, Marco.” You said as your own voice began to falter. You scooched closer to Jean and embraced him from the side. Your arms wrapped around his shaking back. You were sure that if you hadn’t held him, he would have crumbled into particles as fine as the moss that grew along Marco’s grave.

It had been many months but to Jean the loss didn’t sting any less. It only grew as the grass greened and the days lengthened. He kept his profound grief bottled up compactly in a bottle closed tightly with a wax seal. But if he didn’t rip that seal off soon, it would implode and pierce his organs with glass.

“Y/N.” He called through choked sobs. You responded by rubbing a ginger hand along his back and shoulders.

“I-” He hiccuped, taking the hand you began to wrap around his.

“I loved him.” His wobbly confession was like Jean was standing on the precipice of a tidal wave. The reality of his feelings had always resided within him but felt cemented now that he had professed them to you and the earth. Every flutter he felt when Marco blessed him with his sheepish smile, every blush he hid when Marco went out of his way to help him out with the tiniest of tasks, every drop of happiness that boy had made Jean feel came crashing down on him and opened the floodgates he had so desperately tried to suppress.

“I know.” You said. Tears began cascading down your cheeks at the broken heart that bubbled from Jean’s chest. Jean never cried in front of you, it was shocking but not unwelcomed. You had known he had harbored an affection for the deceased cadet for as long as Jean had probably accepted it himself. You observed their obliviously magnetic interactions, supported him silently, and waited patiently for him to tell you about it. No matter how late he decided he was ready to.

“I really loved him.” He cried, reaching one hand out to run his fingers over Marco’s name with utter fragility.

“I was a fucking coward and couldn’t tell him how much I loved him. And now I never can.” He wailed.

“Shhh-Hey.” You released him for a brief moment to turn him towards you. You took his wet cheeks between your hands.

“You’re not a coward. It takes immense courage to realize you love someone, no matter who they are.” You consoled.

“I know he loved you too, Jean. So much.” You smiled sadly as you wiped the next wave of incoming tears from his face with your thumbs. “It was easy to see with the way his face lit up whenever you walked into the room, whenever you sat next to one another for meals, whenever you went into town together.”

“You both made each other’s lives better even without voicing your true feelings. Because your feelings were woven into every action you showed one another. Just because he is gone doesn’t mean what you felt for one another is. That will always be with you.” You said.

“Okay?” You affirmed and hiked the sleeve of your cardigan over your palm to rid his face of the salty sea as he sniffled. He held your comforting gaze for a moment before nodding and reaching out to hug you. You returned the gesture immediately, keeping him afloat as he swam through his grief. When you felt his shaking grow less intense you patted him on the back.

“Lie down.” You instructed and brought him to rest his head on your lap. You ran your fingers through his hair as he stretched out his legs in the long grass. Jean played with the strap of your sandals absentmindedly as he gazed at Marco’s grave. You sat in peaceful silence for a while.

“Jeanie?” You called to make sure he was listening. He hummed against your leg.

“Do you wanna know the moment I knew you were into Marco?” You asked tentatively, hoping the story would brighten his mood. Jean nodded silently.

“Remember when I accidentally walked into the boy’s shower room?” Your sentence caused you to giggle at the memory.

“How could I forget.” He said, a bit less sniffly than before. You smiled in nostalgia as you played with a randomly curly lock of Jean’s honey tresses.

“Well after you brought me out into the hall…and I stupidly turned back around, I saw you peeping at his package for longer than a guy normally would.” Your chuckle turned into a squeak when Jean pinched your leg. To your happiness he was smiling through reddened cheeks.

“Maybe you really are a pervert.” He snickered, damp eyes shining with teasing.

“I couldn’t help it, it was the literal heat of the moment.” You countered and poked his sides. He squirmed in your lap and let out a groan of annoyance.

“Does that mean you saw mine?” Jean asked and pinned your arms at your side.

“I’ve blocked that out of my memory.” You assured and wiggled your sides to free yourself from his grip.

Another gentle silence encased the two of you. Your eyes fell to one of the daisies as it waved its petals delicately along with the rhythm of the wind.

“Thank you, Y/N.” Jean suddenly said. His tone was laced with sincerity as you looked down to meet his gaze.

“For peeping at Marco?” You cracked a half smile which made Jean huff in amusement.

“No, dumbass. For coming here with me. For letting me get all of this out. And for listening.” He said with a sincerity that blanketed your chest in warmth. “I’m not good with emotional stuff, that’s always been more of a you thing.”

“Anything for you, Jean.” You replied with a fond pat of his cheek. “I’m happy that you felt like you could express yourself with me.”

Then, the breeze lovingly blew puffs of warm and fuzzy kisses against both of your skin. You swore you could hear a faint laugh framed by freckles.

Christmas Blizzard

↞♞♘↠

“Fucking shit .” The captain cursed as he whipped his hand back. Puddle’s ears were pinned starkly to the back of his neck as he refused to let Levi bring him into the lab. Your head whipped up at the commotion and you blanched.

“I’m so sorry! I forgot to tell you he bites…” You cried and scurried over to the entrance. Your face was blasted with incoming snowflakes as you took the reins from Levi.

“No kidding.” Levi mumbled in annoyance as he moved to make way for your horse.

“Stop being an asshole to the captain.” You chided. Puddle’s ears immediately perked at your presence and he nuzzled you softly as you led him into the loading bay of Hange’s laboratory. It was definitely not a place fit for horses, but you couldn’t have left them out to freeze in the bitter cold. This was just one of the many inconveniences the sudden snow storm had just created.

Your ears turned red to match your frost kissed cheeks as you realized your use of profanity. You really needed to stop swearing around your superiors. Your loose lips were one of the unfortunate side products of being raised by Oma. You tied Puddle to a nearby railing next to Levi’s horse.

“Sorry to drag you into all of this, Levi.” You exhaled, face stinging from the brutal winter chill. You glanced around the familiar laboratory that suddenly felt so vast and cold.

“Yeah well, neither of us knew it would get this shitty so quickly.” Levi commented. He grimaced at the pickled titan samples that were stored in the formaldehyde pods as he strolled to Hange’s office area.

“Still, I appreciate that you tried to come here and warn me.” You thanked him with a small smile.

“Thank Erwin. I had nothing else going on.” He said blandly and waved your gratuity off. That seemed like the closest thing to a ‘you’re welcome’ you were going to get. It was late into the night of Christmas Eve. After partaking in some festivities with your friends, Erwin had called you to his office in need of assistance. Apparently one of the scouts observed a strange smoke emanating from Hange’s laboratory and since the scientist herself was on a supply run in the city, the next point of contact was her pupil.

You had spent all evening trying to fix the damn incubator, knowing that if you let it smoke out it would devastate Hange to lose her precious samples. Unbeknownst to you a winter storm had been brewing; an intense blizzard that threatened to lock all inhabitants of the area indoors. Erwin had dispatched Levi to come collect you before the impending weather came, however the storm arrived a bit ahead of predictions and turned a couple hour job into a snowy expedition.

“How long do you think we’ll have to wait this out?” You asked apprehensively as you began to get back to work on your project. You heard Levi sigh as he plopped down at Hange’s desk. He reclined in her chair and propped his feet up on her workspace littered with journals.

“I don’t know. Looks like we might be here for a while, though. So take your time with whatever you need to fix, I guess.” He hummed and settled himself comfortably into the leather chair.

For a bit, you let the silence linger as you tinkered with the machine. Mechanic whirls and the sharp stabbing of snowflakes against the lab’s walls filled the lack of conversation.

“Why does four eyes have so many body parts lying around?” Levi piped up with a disgusted tone. You looked at him over his shoulder to see him lazily glancing around her experimental area.

“She likes to dissect them to see how close their anatomy is to humans.” You answered with a chuckle. “It looks a little bit like its out of a horror story, right?”

Levi hummed in agreement and met your eyes briefly. As you got to know him better, you realized the fear people harbored of him really was misplaced. Unless you were a titan, that is. You came to find he actually loved to talk, he would just let silence fill the space when he didn’t know what to talk about.  

“And?”

“...And?” You echoed unsure of his question.

“Are they close to humans?” He pressed with a slight interest laced in his nonchalant tone.

“Yeah, actually. Besides the absence of reproductive organs they are pretty much anatomically identical.” You explained as you flipped a couple switches unsuccessfully.

“So the fact they can’t shit or reproduce is significant right?” Levi wondered aloud as he peeped at one of Hange’s journals. Your giggle caught him by surprise and he felt a flutter in his chest.

“Yes, you could say that.” You agreed. The way he talked when he let himself crawl out of his shell never ceased to amuse you.

“It’s weird to believe it's Christmas Eve.” You commented, changing the subject casually.

Levi just hummed. Another icy silence filled the chamber as you made (hopefully) progress towards getting the incubator up and running again. One of the horses snorted and you were suddenly aware that you and the captain weren’t the only two living beings in the room.

“So what’s your horse’s name?” You asked in curiosity.

“Horse.” Levi’s reply was quick and curt.

“Really?” You asked in disbelief and looked back at him.

“It doesn’t have a name.”

“It?” You narrowed your eyes.

“She.” He corrected.

“Why would I name it when I just use it for transportation?” Levi shrugged dismissively. You pursed your lips.

“Because she’s just as alive and capable of feeling as you are, Captain.” You declared with a pointed glare.

“Maybe even more.” You mumbled playfully and Levi’s brow furrowed, questioning if he heard you right. When he didn’t quip back, you decided to take matters into your own hands.

“Dandelion.”

“Huh?”

“She looks like a Dandelion. So that’s her name now.” You grinned in satisfaction and got back to work. Levi regarded you in silent curiosity. The more time the two of you spent together, the more warm he felt by your sweet personality, quirks and all. Now every time he would regard the creature he would think of you and your dorky name for the animal.

The faint chiming of the HQ’s clocktower through the snow’s assault signaled it was midnight.

“Oh, a Christmas Miracle!” You called cheerily once the bells had ceased. The incubator hummed to life, the light and warmth from the engine buzzing brightly. You breathed a sigh of relief and placed your tools down. You got up and stretched your arms, turning to look at your companion.

“And Merry Christmas, Levi.” You grinned, the corners of your eyes crinkling.

“Yeah, Merry Christmas.” He nodded without much enthusiasm.

“Do...you usually celebrate?” You asked after sensing his lack of excitement.

“Not really, but my squad forces me to celebrate. At least the birthday part.” He explained and your eyes widened.

“Christmas is your birthday?” The innocence of your gasp made Levi want to smile. He nodded once more.

“Oh my-Happy Birthday then!” You said excitedly. Levi was consistently amazed by the eagerness of those he knew and strangers alike to celebrate his birthday. He never got the hype.

“Thanks.” He replied with a gentleness to his features. Your excitement towards him had melted away the ice that usually froze over his expressiveness.

“When we get back tomorrow I’ll make you and your squad some Noel tea I received from home to celebrate!” You mused as you came to sit down at an empty chair on the other side of the desk.

“I-if that is, you want to.” You added quickly, a faint blush creeping onto your cheeks after inviting yourself to something you weren’t even a part of. Oh, believe me, did Levi ever want to.

“I want to.” He replied as the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

[98prilla]

Hidden Shapes

Next

Previous

AO3

...

He aches. Every bone and muscle and sinew seems to throb with pain, and he hisses, hearing the soft papery sound of his scales brushing against each other, coiling and shifting groggily as he forces his eyes open.

 “Jan? You with us?” He blinks, at the blurry form of Remus, hovering over him, managing a nod, though his eyes are already drifting shut. It must be bad, if he’s shifted himself, though he doesn’t remember anything happening.

 “Oh, snakey, you just hang in there, ok? We’re taking care of you.” He feels a hand brush through his hair, leaning into it as he drifts off again.

…

The fire. The fire is back.

 It’s scorching heat, up his tail, writhing around his arms, smoke wrapping around his throat, forcing itself into his lungs, and he gasps for air, trying to escape, trying to flee, but his wrists are bound, he’s tied on a stake while the pyre rages around him, the flames licking at his scales, and he bares his teeth, lunging away, lunging towards one of the figures dancing in the flames, stealing his air, and he hears a yelp, as his fangs sink into something, before being shoved off, shoved away, growling as his arms are pinned, a weight on his tail, and he can’t get it off, he thrashes, but he can’t get it off, can’t get free, no matter how hard he hisses and spits and writhes.

 “JANUS!” The voice breaks through, just barely, just enough to make him hesitate, to stop, surprise washing over him, though his fangs are still bared, still ready to bite. “Janus. Breathe. It’s ok, it’s just me, just Virgil, you’re ok, please, just breathe.” He inhales sharply, deeply, gasping, he hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. Finally his vision clears, after several long moments, locking on Virgil’s purple eyes, pale face, messier than usual makeup. He’s panting slightly, sitting atop him, atop his tail, pinning his wrists to the ground, concern and fear playing across his features.

“V-Vee?” Virgil’s face softens, and he nods, eyes searching his face.

 “It’s me, Jan. It’s ok. You had a nightmare and started panicking, lashing out. I’m gonna let you up now, ok? Unless you wanna have a go at Remus, too, he deserves it, probably.” He huffs at that, as Virgil releases him, helps him to sit.

 “Oooh, could you crush me? Maybe I should make a giant snake to constrict me! Do you think my ribs would crack, and explode through my chest, and my beating heart would be visible before I’m devoured whole by its giant maw?”

 “wonderful, Remus, thank you for that lovely vision.” He replies, earning a laugh from Remus, a lopsided grin from Virgil.

 Then Virgil hisses in a sharp breath, squeezing his eyes shut, hand fisting into the fabric of his hoodie.

 “Vee?” Remus asks, worry tinging his tone, and Janus’s eyes widen, noticing the pinprick beads of red against Virgil’s neck for the first time, the trickle of blood running down in rivulets, realizing what must have happened.

 “I bit you.” He whispers, as Virgil shakes, doubling over. “I bit you!”

 “Fine… I’ll be fine…” He gasps out, voice shaking, echoing with tempest tongue as his shadows darken, lengthen.

 “Kiddos? You ok? I heard a ruckus?” Patton asks, popping into the room, instantly hurrying to Virgil’s side.

 “Virg?” His voice is soft, but Virgil flinches, eyes darting up to look at him, and he yelps, stumbling backwards. The whites of Virgil’s eyes have turned black, his usually dark eyes a near glowing neon violet. Underneath are six more eyes in total, dark, shiny things. As he watches, his canines lengthen into fangs.

 “nononono…” Virgil mumbles, and he almost reaches out again, then Virgil’s head flies back in a silent scream, eyes blazing with light, dark fire exploding out of him, writhing around him, and eight, long, spindly apendages sprout from his back, then the darkness releases Virgil, and he sprawls across the ground, trembling, from pain, exhaustion, or fear, Patton can’t tell, maybe a bit of all of them.

 “Virgil-“ Before he can get more out of his mouth, Virgil lurches to his feet, to his eight black legs, eyes wide and shaking, and he bolts, flashing past Patton so fast he’s barely even a blur, vanishing through the door to his room, leaving the rest of them in a stunned silence.

 “Fuck a duck.” Remus mutters, eyes wide, staring after him for a second, before bolting to his feet and charging up the stairs, slamming the door to his own room, surprising and confusing Patton further, before his attention turns to Janus, who’s own face is pale, brows drawn.

 “So. Um. What… just… happened?” He squeaks out, trying to keep from straight up panicking. Janus lets out a long sigh, head thumping back against the couch cushions.

 “I had a nightmare. I lashed out. And I… bit him.”

 “Oh. So… is that why he turned into… that?” Janus groans, tail twisting with uncertainty.

 “Yes. And no. My bite reveals things. The absolute truth of what… who… someone is. And the more you fight the venom, the more it hurts, until it forces you to change into your truest reflection, reveals you fully. Which is exactly what it did, to Virgil. It revealed the truth he’s been so carefully hiding.” Patton tilted his head, thinking over the implications, before his mouth formed a silent ‘o’, realization washing over him.

 “his animal. He’s… a spider?” Janus nods, closing his eyes in confirmation. “oh. Oh no. Oh, no wonder he was so scared! Oh, he probably thinks I’ll be scared of him, doesn’t he? Knowing him, he probably thinks I’ll hate him and never want to see him again! Oh, this is not good!”

 “He’ll be long gone in the imagination by now, Remus’s side. He is exceptionally excellent at hiding. Remember to look up.” He mumbles, exhaustion washing over him.

 “Lo, Ro!” Patton calls, the two of them rising up moments later. “Logan, I need you to stay with him, ok? His fever just broke, so Janus, try and stay awake for a bit, just to eat something, ok?” He nods, though the task seems impossible. “Roman, I need you with me. We’re going to the imagination.”

 “Padre, I love taking you on quests, but is now really-“

 “Remus’s side. We need to find Virgil, I’ll explain more as we move, let’s go!” Without further explanation, Patton pulled Roman up the stairs, leaving Logan and Janus alone.

 “Well. That was… sudden. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” Logan murmurs, turning his full attention back to Janus, who frowns slightly, eyes drifting back open, as he looks at himself, realizing his tail has shifted back, though he still has more scales than usual.

 “Me too, apparently. Though I may have inadvertently thrown Virgil into a crisis."

 “So I gathered. How are you feeling? Any symptoms?” he shakes his head.

 “no. Just… tired, I suppose."

 “Excellent. Then maybe you can inform me of why you didn’t tell anyone you were feeling ill, much less to the extent that you were.” He winces at the colder tone to Logan's voice, though he can tell it’s out of worry.

 “I… didn’t think to. I didn’t think you would want to be bothered, by me. I would have, truly, if I’d been aware how bad it was going to get.”

 “You are not a bother, Janus, your health, both physical and mental, is important to me, as well as the rest of us. I would request you come to us, with any future problems, before you’re so fevered you’re hallucinating.” He huffs a small laugh at Logan's dry tone, nodding once more.

  “Will do, Logan. If that’s all settled, I believe someone promised food?”

[chromecutie]

Not A Ghost - part 25

A/N - Multi-part fic. Colossus x OC where OC has come home after being wrongfully imprisoned in the Icebox. Warnings for whole fic - references and flashbacks to harsh prison environment, including various types of abuse. Takes place shortly after events in Deadpool 2. Whole thing will end up on my AO3 eventually.

Taglist: @emma-frxst  @ra-ra-rasputiin  @holamor ​  @empressme-bitch  @marvel-is-perfection  @hazilyimagine ​ @marvelhead17 @rovvboat @angstybadboytrash ​ @whitewitchdown ​ @master-sass-blast ​ @mori-fandom @mooleche @dandyqueen @emberbent @leo-writer . Wanna be added or removed? Holla at me.

-------------------------------------

“Mr. Pool, you were right about upgrading to a minivan,” a younger man with an Indian accent said after giving Piotr and Rhonda awkward greetings. “It fits your friends much better than my cab did.” Cheerful music played on the radio, possibly from a Bollywood movie. 

Wade answered from the front passenger seat, “With the stow-and-go seating, too! Good choice, Dopinder, you can fit so many more bodies in the trunk this way!” 

With Piotr in the second row of seats, Rhonda was in the very back, scrunched between the window and Cable. She asked under her breath, “How often are you dealing with bodies?”

“Not as much as I’d like to!” Wade called over his shoulder, face covered with his red mask. “What are you even doing here? Separation anxiety? Do you need one of those thunder vests they give nervous dogs?”

Piotr said, “She is, let’s say, emergency backup.” He turned in his seat as much as he could and offered his wife a half-smile.

In the seat next to Piotr, a woman with her hair pinned into something like a mohawk turned and said with a casual demeanor, “Wade is bad at introductions. I’m Domino. Hi.” The space in the van was too awkward to shake hands, but she waved and Rhonda returned the gesture.

“Rhonda,” she pointed loosely at Piotr’s steel shoulder. “His wife.”

“Yeah,” Domino had an easy smile like nothing ever bothered her. “I heard you busted out of the Icebox a few months back.”

She shrugged, “I didn’t ‘bust out’ so much as get lucky. We were in a transfer convoy, and they had us in these cases, right. Well, when the convoy got wrecked, my case got thrown around and busted enough that I could get out, so...here I am.”

“Transfer convoy?” Domino frowned, then laughed. “Oh my god! That was us, Wade, we were there! That’s twenty bucks you owe me.”

“Naaah, no, no, no, no,” he retorted, waving a finger, “That doesn’t sound like your luck powers to me--”

“How else would you explain it? We were there, I was lucking out at the top of my game to keep us alive, and your buddy’s wife, who we had no idea was there, just so happens to get free?” Domino’s hair bounced as she nodded her head and gestured emphatically.

“Or maaaaybeee,” Wade drawled, “luck had nothing to do with it and we’re just side characters in someone else’s story right now and--” 

“Uh-uh,” Domino insisted, “No. Do not launch into your whole conspiracy that we’re fictional characters, I cannot deal with that shit today.” She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

Rhonda leaned forward and whispered to Piotr, “[What the fuck is going on?]”

He turned his head and whispered in reply, “[Wade is strange and it’s best not to encourage him by asking a lot of questions.]”

Banter between Domino and Wade continued the rest of the drive. Every so often, Cable would roll his eyes and rumble, “Jesus,” next to Rhonda, or Piotr would admonish the others for their vulgar word choice. They ribbed each other, the way most teams will do in anticipation of a fight. It was a pattern sweetly familiar to Rhonda, and it was all she could do not to smile as she listened to their bickering. This wasn’t her team, as she had to consciously remind herself, but it felt surprisingly nice to be on the edge of it. 

Dopinder pulled into the truck stop, and parked near a row of eighteen-wheelers. This particular truck stop was some distance from any city and was nestled between the northbound and southbound sides of the interstate, rather than being set off to one side or the other. On the west and east side of the truck stop were a long row of parked eighteen-wheelers. A few of the trucks were unmarked, most were emblazoned with company logos, and one or two looked to be hauling a corrosive or flammable chemical. Between the rows of trucks were a McDonald’s to the south, diesel pumps to the north, and between were a large gas station and travel center with two dozen or so regular gas pumps.

In the central area, families were taking a rest in the middle of their road trips to tank up, get a late lunch, and restock on snacks. Wade and Domino hopped out of the minivan as if they were going to race to the gas pumps. Cable muttered a polite, “Excuse me,” to Rhonda as he grabbed his gear next to her and made his exit. 

Piotr stepped out of the car and leaned back in to give his wife a quick peck. “You will stay here?” he asked with a soft expression.

Rhonda bit her lip and nodded, confirming, “I will stay here.”

“Dopinder is good people. You can trust him.” He smiled and gave her one more kiss before he turned toward the parked trucks and gas pumps. Piotr squared his shoulders and stood at his full height, officially putting on his field duty face as Colossus. It was such a familiar image for Rhonda, and it tugged at her heart in ways she didn’t expect. As Colossus headed toward the rows of gas pumps, she called sternly after him, “Be careful!” 

Dopinder waited a whole minute in the tense silence of his car before speaking up, “Miss Rhonda, I’m going to get something at McDonald’s, do you want something?”

Rhonda’s gaze was locked onto the direction her husband had walked, even though she couldn’t see him after he disappeared behind a parked eighteen-wheeler. In the lengthening shadows of late afternoon, she thought she saw a shape move. “Do they still have the dollar menu?” she asked absently.

Dopinder returned with a chuckle, “Yes. I’m pretty sure if they ever got rid of that there would be riots!” 

“Maybe an apple pie or something?” she replied. “I’m not picky. Thanks...”

When Dopinder slipped out of the driver’s seat to walk over to the burger joint, Rhonda waited another minute or two until she was sure he wouldn’t see her. She left the car and headed toward the rows of parked trucks. 

She kept her stance loose as she walked, arms swinging at her sides, head high enough to look confident like she knew exactly where she was going. Row after row, she checked between the trucks, a feeling tugging at her that she would find what she was looking for on one of these rows.

Finally, she heard a pair of voices - both very deep, one with more gravelly grit to it than the other. Without making a sound, Rhonda crept between two trucks and ducked low enough to see two pairs of massive boots on the next row. One was definitely Colossus, and the other pair was even bigger. 

“I still owe ya for stickin’ a live power line up my ass, commie,” one voice grumbled with a simmering fury and a meaty cracking of knuckles.

A rich, deep Russian accent replied, “Pivet, Fuckernaut. You would not believe how hard it is to fix steel teeth.”

Almost two thousand pounds of muscle and steel squared off, ready to tear into each other. Rhonda sucked in a breath, hoping she was fast enough.

In her years as part of X-Men, Rhonda wasn’t the type to hesitate backing up an ally. Although she’d promised to stay out of the way on this mission, she had no intention of idly standing by. Before either of these massive men could take more than two steps toward each other, she rolled under the trailer that was between her and Colossus and the Juggernaut. Gritting her teeth against the asphalt scraping her bare arms, she scrambled to her feet between them. She threw her hands up and shot sparks from her fingers and shoulders, yelling, “Cain, wait!”

When the Juggernaut saw the familiar four-fingered hand, he hauled himself to a stop out of surprise more than anything; he barely managed to stop within arm’s reach of her. He wouldn’t have recognized her by the elaborate floral painting covering her arm, and her face wasn’t familiar to him since he’d only seen it once before, but that voice and that hand - he’d seen that hand hundreds of times as it passed him cups of pudding and half-eaten lunch trays. He’d seen the little stump scabbed over as it healed to a bright pink nub. That hand used to be so quick, darting in and out of the slot in his door, and over time it had grown slower and smoother as they had gotten used to each other.

“Rhonda, what are you doing?” Colossus had stopped within inches of his wife and was ready to yank her out of the way if it meant her safety. 

“Wait,” she was firm, harsher than she meant to be.

“X-Girlie,” The Juggernaut growled. “What’d I tell ya if I ever saw you wearing their colors again?”

Rhonda scoffed in her casual black leggings and purple tank top, “Do I look like I’m wearing their fucking colors?”

“Whaddaya want?” His hands were still in fists, raised at the right height to fling Rhonda against the trailers that flanked them.

She spoke slowly, clearly, loudly, making every syllable heard, “I want you. To take five steps back. And sit.” Without taking her eyes off Juggernaut, she angled her head slightly toward Colossus. “Both of you.” She shot a few small bolts of lightning upward as a warning shot.

Colossus started, “Rhonda, have you lost--”

She shot another bolt upward to silence her husband.

The Juggernaut briefly tightened his fists. “You got your juice back, huh?”

There was a tense few beats before Rhonda answered. “Not like it used to be, no,” she admitted, “But I can give you a few hundred volts of go-fuck-yourself if you don’t take five steps back and sit.”

“Hm,” the walking landmass of a man shifted his feet, then pointed, “Him first.”

Rhonda could feel his breath on her from behind. “Piotr, please. Five steps. Sit.”

Stunned, angry, confused, Colossus slowly took five begrudging steps backward, and lowered himself onto the pavement. He kept one hand on his knee and the other palm on the pavement, ready to spring back up at a second’s notice. “And now?” he asked.

“Cain,” she prompted.

The Juggernaut, with his hulking shoulders and huge helmet, matched Colossus in the begrudging slowness of his steps, before also planting himself on the concrete. “Now what?” he growled.

Rhonda didn’t lower her hands. She still had her right hand raised toward Juggernaut and her left pointed lower, toward the ground near her husband. She had never threatened her husband like this, or gotten between him and an enemy, and it had her so nervous she was shaking, desperately hoping it didn’t show. They could already hear gunfire from closer to the buildings, and civilians screaming. “We wait for the fight to fizzle out. We talk, if you feel like it. But mostly, you two sit your asses here and don’t fight.” Colossus said something to her in Russian, to which she replied, “And we don’t do anything underhanded like that either.”

The three were quiet for several minutes, listening to the sounds of Wade and Cable’s gunfire and the occasional explosion. 

The Juggernaut broke the silence, “So...looks like you made it home. Like I said before, you could always join the Brotherhood.”

She relaxed the sparks around her shoulders, but kept the ones emitting from her hands. “So they can use me as a political prop to say what horrible things regular humans do to poor innocent mutants?” She shook her head. “No thanks. The worst of what happened to me wasn’t even the humans and you know it - it was the other mutants.”

“All the same,” he replied, “you ever get sick of self-righteous assholes, you know who to find.”

“It won’t be you, Cain,” she softened, “Sorry.” Another silence. Colossus was seething. The Juggernaut was fidgeting.

“How’s that kid?” he asked.

She had to think a moment before Colossus prompted, “He means Russell.”

“Right,” she nodded once. “He lives at the house now. As far as I know...he’s doing okay.”

“And you, X-Girlie?” he shifted his legs and rested his forearms on his knees. “You put some weight on...looks good.”

Colossus interjected with a severe throat-clearing.

The Juggernaut rolled his eyes, hardly paying any mind and focusing on Rhonda. “How long until you could use your powers again?”

“Weeks,” she said flatly.

His helmet made a soft scraping sound as he shook his head, grunting. “Guess the collars hit you harder than some, huh.” There was a softness in his voice that most people would miss, but in their time talking in the Icebox, Rhonda had learned better.

“I never got to thank you,” she said. “I don’t think I would’ve made it home if you hadn’t helped me.”

He looked away from her, shifting uncomfortably and shrugging. “Those collars pop off like nothin’ if you know what you’re doin’.” He added in a quieter note, “I was just glad you weren’t dead.”

A heavy sigh came from behind Rhonda, and she turned to see Colossus getting to his feet. She started to protest, when he raised his palms and took two very slow steps toward her, then three, then four. “It was you? You took off her control collar when she escaped?”

“What about it?” Juggernaut retorted as if it was an insulting accusation.

Colossus took a hard look at his wife, her firm brow, strong stance, scraped arms, his painting partially peeling off her right arm, revealing the Xs underneath. The way she stood now, arms extended and firing sparks, was something he’d seen hundreds of times, but only ever directed at enemies. Seeing the worry and determination on her face, and the slightest tremble in her fingers, Colossus understood that she had no enemies here, just two people she cared about and wanted to keep them from ripping each other to pieces.

Staring down the Juggernaut, one of the most infamous mutants ever, Colossus said slowly, “I thought my wife had died years ago. You helped her when she needed it, and she came home.” Taking one more step, he held out his open right hand over Rhonda’s shoulder. “You are not my enemy today, and I will not fight you.”

Rhonda’s face softened and she let out a breath with relief. With one more look at the Juggernaut, she finally lowered both her hands. 

The helmeted behemoth laughed to himself, shaking his head. Taking his time to get to his feet, he sauntered to close the distance and clasped his rival’s hand. “Fine. Today. But next time, no promi--”

“ALL MUTANTS ON THE PREMISES,” a deafening megaphone rang out, “GET ON THE GROUND WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD. THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT OF MUTANT CONTROL.”

[hornsbeforehalos]

Anytime, Sweetheart: Part 5

Pairing: JDM x OFC (RPF)

Features: Ackles & Padalecki Families, R2, Misha Collins & Vicky Vantoch, Norman Reedus, Andrew Lincoln, Kim Rhodes, Briana Buckmaster, Ruth Connell, Corey Taylor and other cast members & OFCs* *THIS IS AN RPF FIC**

Series Masterlist Summary: (I’m horrible at summaries, but let me try): Kylin Ackles runs to her brother’s house after leaving her abusive boyfriend of 3 years, where she meets Jeffrey. Events unfold that bring them together, as well as push them apart.  Warnings: Emotional abuse, Physical Violence, mentions of rape, cursing, drinking, recreational drug use (weed), Strip Club, RPF, NSFW**, GIFs, implied smut, Age Difference, Slow burn, Emotional rollercoaster, poorly written smutt, etc… 18+ please

(A/N: This is strictly a work of fiction that I came up with off the top of my head. For fictional purposes his S/O & Son are not mentioned. I love him and his little family, though, so no hate intended. This is the first time posting anything on Tumblr, but I couldn’t get it out of my head since my ao3 fic is currently on hiatus because writers block. Feedback is appreciated. unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.)

TAGS: @jml509 @jesbakescookies @daddy-kink-confirmed @wayward-mirage

​   “Ho-Lee Shit, baby doll!” Jeffrey bellowed as I walked out of the bathroom from getting ready. 

   My red dress was floor length, but not overly formal. It was flowy with slits on the sides to show off my legs when walking, and had a scooping neckline that gathered around my belly, exposing some cleavage but not anything that would send me on the expressway to Hell. My black strappy heels lengthened my legs and showed off my calves. I had opted for loose curls in my hair and dramatic black eyes shadow and lashes but only gloss on my lips. There was even a nail salon below Jeffrey’s apartment complex so I had splurged on sharp black claws and a pedicure after lunch. I beamed at his praise again as I took in his ever-sexual form myself. He was in a button up shirt that had almost the exact same hue as my dress, which he assured me was a total coincidence, as well as nice dress slacks and the black blazer I had recently given back to him. He looked like a sex god on a stick. He quickly pulled me to his chest and ran his hands down my sides as he bent over to nuzzle his beard across the sensitive flesh that was my neck. 

“You look divine​, Ms. Ackles​.” He growled as he rocked us side to side.

“Why thank you, Mr. J” I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his neck.    "Anytime, Sweetheart.“ There they were again, those two words. I couldn’t help the hum that rang through my chest. 

   He pulled away to look me up and down again, shaking is head as his eyes roamed with his tongue between his teeth. He kissed me on the forehead before turning and grabbing a box from his coffee table that I hadn’t noticed. It was wrapped in red sparkling wrapping paper and had a black bow. He held it out to me. "What’s this?” I questioned as I took the box from ​hi​s hand.    "I missed Christmas. And flowers aren’t the best birthday gift.“ he grinned and brushed his beard down.    I smiled back at him and begun unwrapping the paper. I pulled it all off to reveal a black suede jewelry case. I looked up to Jeffrey and he had crossed an arm across his ster​n​um to hold up his other arm at the elbow that was rubbing his chin. I opened the box to reveal the most beautiful chocolate diamond and rose gold owl pendant. I gasped as I touched it, words not forming in my brain.

  "This is too much, Jeffrey. How much did this cost you?” tears formed in my eyes against my will. ​​   “Just a couple hundred thousand, nothing serious” he deadpanned as my eyes went wide, “I’m kidding, sweet heart. But don​'​t worry about it. You deserve it.”        He reached for the box in my hand and removed the necklace. He walked behind me as I held my hair to the side so he could place the necklace on me and fasten the clasp. He let his cool fingertips run down my neck and onto my shoulders, eliciting shivers down my spine. He bent down to nuzzle his beard into my hair again, causing my breath to catch in my throat once more. ​    "Perfect,“ He breathed, dangerously close to my sensitive skin. He took advantage and ​let his lips drag themselves across the flesh of my exposed neck, "Always so perfect.”    I looked down to gather myself from the haze that was provided by his words before returning my stare to him though my lashes. I smiled lightly as he moved in front of me again and put his hands on my shoulders. “You’re too good to me, Jeff.”    "No one is ever too good for you. Always never good enough.“ He cupped my face into his hand and leaned in to kiss my forehead before extending his arm out for me, "Shall we?” “We shall” I laughed. 

      He had made special reservations at a very nice restaurant that neither of us could pronounce the name of. We sat in a back booth of the dimly lit area, sipping wine and laughing a little too loud about absolutely everything.       “And then Dani just screeched at me as loud as she could ‘Get these fucking things outta me!’ while almost breaking my fucking hand! I swear to God if I ever have children then I want to be loaded up with the best drugs on the market. All that other bullshit is insane. I feel so bad for Gen right now.” I laughed, taking a sip from my glass.       “Who in the hell would do that to themselves? Twins especially? And Genevieve should know any kid of Jared’s is already bound to be a fucking bowling ball.” He barked before taking a bite of his steak      "That’s what I said!“ I huffed as I stabbed a piece of my own strip as well.       "So,” I spoke, trying to swallow my bite as I brought my napkin to my mouth, “Where are we watching the fire works?”    He narrowed his eyes at me and chuckled before looking down to his plate, “You can’t let anything be a surprise, can you?” My response was me rolling my eyes. “The roof.” he pointed upwards with a mouth full of potato.

    We were standing on the roof of the building, surrounded by a bout a hundred other people, but the only person in my line of vision was Jeffrey. I looked up at him, arms around his neck, feeling his hands at my hips as he swayed us to the rhythm of the music being played. 

   "You’re so fucking beautiful.“ He breathed, leaning down to touch his for head to mine. I closed my eyes and smiled as the 10 second countdown began. I raised my eyes back to him as the seconds ticked by, and found myself lost in his irises. He rubbed his hands up my body and pushed them into my hair in the final seconds,

    "3…2…1” he whispered, although at this point i was completely oblivious to anything else around me as he inched his face closer to mine. He tightened his grip on my hair as he closed the gap between our mouths, a long awaited moment finally erupting as fireworks took off in the background at the ball’s decent. My eyes squeezed shut tightly and a moan erupted from my lungs as I held onto his shirt under his blazer for dear life, praying I wasn’t dreaming. He eagerly parted my lips with his own and pushed his tongue past my teeth as I pushed my own tongue back against his in a violently dance for dominance. His hands left my hair so one could hold my neck lovingly and the other could drag itself down my body to the small of my back, then slightly lower, pulling me flush with his body. His fingertips kneaded into the waistband under my dress and he hummed into my mouth when he felt my breath hitch at his touch. When the shouts and celebratory screams had died down was when he finally pulled away from me and we both gasped in a breath of air before opening our eyes.      And when I finally did let my eyes flutter open to be met with his intensity, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face. He smiled back nervously, brought his hands up to my face again and searched my eyes. I threw my self forward and kissed him again, and he smiled into me while dipping me backwards, pulling me as close as possible to him.    When we completely pulled apart again I wasn’t lost anymore. I wasn’t broken. I was just falling.

     The Uber ride home was a blur. Neither of us could keep our hands away from each other, making the poor driver extremely uncomfortable. It was a haze of teeth and lips and limbs, and it wasn’t until we were back in his apartment that either one of us even attempted to compose ourselves.    "Wanna drink?“ He asked as his lips were still pressed against mine as he pulled off his blazer. "Yes,” I replied, only pulling away to shrug off my own coat.      He drug me over to the couch and sat me down, leaning over again to plant kiss on my forehead before smiling into my eyes. He pulled his hand out of my hair with a lingering touch that made my stomach warm and my heart flutter.      He sauntered over to the bar cabinet with a new little swagger that I hadn’t noticed before. He grinned at me as he pulled out the bottle of whiskey and two glasses. His eyes only left me briefly as he looked down to pour our drinks.      Once back over at the couch, he handed me my glass while sitting at the other end of the sofa. He pulled my feet into his lap with his free hand and rubbed my ankles.      "So little, how do you walk in these things?“ He chuckled as he wrapped his whole hand around my left ankle and gave it a squeeze. I hummed a small laugh in response.      He removed my shoes from my feet with one swift movement of his hand as he brought his glass to his lips. He began to massage my soles as his eyes danced up my legs and over my frame and back to my face. A smirk appeared as he leaned forward to place his glass on the coffee table.       I eyed him suspiciously as I raised my own glass for a drink, almost finishing it in one gulp as the look in his eyes altered, causing my anxiety to rise from the pit. He leaned over side ways on the couch, rubbing both of his calloused hands up my legs to my thighs. I swallowed again as he lowered his mouth to the the tattooed flesh of my right leg below the hemline of my dress. His eyes never left mine as he leaned up slightly to push one of my legs forward to then pull it behind his back and lean forward again, now settling between my legs. My shaking hands brought the glass to my lips for the final sip before I sat it down to join Jeffrey’s on the table.       One hand instinctively moved to my chest to finger the pendant resting against my cleavage as the other roamed through Jeffrey’s hair, feeling the softness. My breathing caught again as he pushed himself up by my hips, pulling himself up to place his hands on the couch above my shoulders, encasing me with his body. My thighs automatically wrapped themselves around the back of his legs to allow him more room as he rolled his hips forward and kissed me on the mouth again.    "Mmmm, baby, you feel so good,” He groaned after a moment of shifting his body against mine. My mind was so hazy with lust and alcohol that all I could do was whimper and dig my nails into his shoulders. His lips moved from my mouth to my jaw, then down further to my neck, gently nipping at the sensitive flesh with his lips and teeth. My breathing was heavy as my chest heaved against him as he moved his mouth down to the valley between my breasts. He shifted his weight to hold himself up on one arm as the other roamed down to push the neckline of my dress away from my bra so he could have better access. He licked over the flesh pushing against the constricting lace, his scruff rubbing against the sensitive areas and leaving red marks that brought another moan from my lips and made my body shiver. I closed my eyes before they could roll to the back of my head and arched up into him, both hands tugging at his waves as the heat between us pooled and pooled. A low growl reverberated within him as he crashed his lips back to mine and bucked his hips forward again, seizing another whimper from me. 

   "So beautiful…“ he whispered into my neck as my own hips pushed upwards to grind against him.    "Jeff,” I breathed, my anxiety and arousal mixing together to further dampen my ability to speak as we continued to move against each other. He let another deep groan ripple through him and it went straight to my soul as his hand on my side moved lower to grip behind my knee and lift my leg up further onto his hip. He ground down harder, sending another shot of ecstasy through my groin as his hardness pressed and rubbed against me. I couldn’t stop my erratic breathing or shaking hands, even as I pulled him back to my lips by his hair, digging my sharp nails into his scalp.     He pulled away from me and leaned up to kneel between my legs, still letting his hands roam across my hips and thighs. My legs were parted and my dress had only risen up slightly, but he still brought his hands to the hemline to pull it back down further. He exhaled deeply, eyes hungrily taking in my disheveled appearance below him.     “We’ve gotta stop or you’re gonna make me nut my pants.” He chuckled, fingers glancing over my thighs and knees. My hands met his strong thighs and he let me run my palms up them before stopping me when I shakily reached his belt buckle.      "Not tonight, sweetheart.“ He breathed, closing his eyes and removing my hands. He leaned forward to wrap an arm around my waist before rolling back sideways to reposition us to where I was sitting in his lap, straddling him. I leaned forward to capture his lips with mine as my hair fell in our faces. He brought his hand that still held my wrists up to his chest before leaving them there to tangle his fingers back into my wrecked curls.       "You’re so fucking beautiful,” He repeated before a heavy gasp against my open mouth. I licked his upper lip as he drew my bottom one into his teeth and nibbled gently, causing me to grind down on him and moan lightly.       “Fuckkk.” He groaned, raising his hips to meet mine one last time before pulling away and holding my head still in front of his face as his eyes darted back and forth into mine, “How do you do this to me?”        I smiled innocently while searching his irises myself and reaching up to cup his chin, letting my finger tips run through the coarse silver hair. I bit my lip gently before I whispered, “I don’t know.”       He swallowed and licked his lips before speaking again, in a raspy almost-whisper, “I’m not gonna rush this thing with you. I know you’ve been hurt before, and I don’t want to be someone who does it to you again. I don’t know what this is, or what you want it to be. But I know I enjoy spending time with you, enjoy being around you, enjoy touching you,” he squeezed my hips and dug his fingers into the top of my ass, enticing a gasping laugh from me and another deep smile from him before he continued with a husky drawl, “I want you to know that you’re safe with me. That I’m not going to hurt you. That I don’t expect anything from you.” He moved his hand to push a fallen strand of hair behind my ear.       “Thank you, Jeff.” I whispered, trying to fight the emotion that the alcohol and mood threatened to push over my tear ducts.   “Anytime, Sweetheart.” He grinned, and I instantly melted back into his kiss. 

     "I don’t want to go home tomorrow.“ I whined as we lay in his bed the next morning. We weren’t touching, but we were in mirrored positions on our backs, one hand above our heads and the other on our stomachs. "Then don’t go.” He hummed, turning his head to look at me.    "I have to be at work by 8, silly, I got bills.“ I giggled, turning my own head to face him.    He rolled his eyes, "I’ll pay your bills and I’m sure John knows how to order a case of booze and some beer.”    I glared back at him sarcastically, ignoring the first half of his comment, “Yeah, because that’s the only thing I do.” I rolled my eyes, “I swear that man would burn that place to the fucking ground if I weren’t following him around with a fire extinguisher.” I looked back to the ceiling, “Plus, apparently I’m due for a promotion.”    "Oh yeah?“ He rolled over onto his side and propped his head up with his knuckles.    "Yeah, one of the vice managers managers moved to corporate so John’s unfortunately getting to take over his spot as dance manager. I’ll be getting his spot, apparently.”    "Big boss lady in a suit, huh?“ He grinned, poking me in the sides. I giggled and smacked his hand away lightly. "Yeah, I guess so. I never expected it, honestly. Figured I’d be doomed to sling drinks for tips for the rest of my days, but apparently Cliff insisted.” I rolled over towards him as he moved his hand to my hip.    "I’m sure Tom will miss staring at your tits all night.“ He smirked and I slapped his chest, "What? You tease that man too much.”    "Please, he’ll prolly be up my ass more when he sees my tits in a vest.“ I shook my head at the thought and couldn’t contain my laughter.    "I probably will be too.” He wagged his eyebrows up and down as he tightened his grip on my hip.     I scooted over to him to give him a brief kiss before rolling out of the bed to stand up. I started towards the bathroom as I felt his hand come down with a soft 'smack’ on my cotton-short-clad ass. I gasped and spun back around to him looking away innocently. “What?” he grinned, returning his eyes to me, “I couldn’t help myself.”

    We spent the morning lounging around his apartment drinking coffee and watching TV. I busted out in a fit of laughter when I was flipping through channels while he was in the bathroom and came across the  tail end of the second season premiere of Supernatural. When he came back into the room I had tears rolling down my face and was clutching my sides. “What’s so funny, little girl?” He grinned, confused.     I turned the volume on the television up and spoke John Winchester’s line at the same time as the TV, feigning the emotion that he had in the scene, “I just want you to know that I’m proud of you.” I looked up at him with watery eyes and reached for his hand. He instantly erupted in his own laughter as he plopped himself on the sofa beside me and stole the remote. “Enough of that, now.” He shook his head and flipped the channel.    "You’re no fun.“ I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest as he tried to pull me into his side.    "Pffft, I’m a riot.” he retorted, throwing his arm over my shoulder as I snuggled into his ribs.    "Whatever, old man. Whatever you say.“ I poked his ribs and he jerked away from me.    "Yeah, whatever I say goes.” He growled, bring his hand around my shoulder down to lightly smack me on the ass again. “Yes sir” I rolled my eyes sarcastically. He growled as he narrowed his eyes, “Don’t start that, Missy.” “Start what, Mr. J?” I smiled coyly, earning me another low grumble from him. “Lunchtime?” He asked as he heard the unmistakable rumble of my belly. “Always.”

   Lunch was prepared by Chef Jeffrey Dean Morgan himself, and consisted of grilled chicken, garlic pasta, and mixed vegetables. My eyes rolled into the back of my head at the first bite.    "Stick with me girl, we’ll get you thick in no time.“ He chuckled beside me at the table, poking at my stomach.    "Please, I’ve attempted the whole 'gains’ thing with Jared, didn’t work. I gotta fucked up thyroid.” I shoveled more food in my mouth as he continued to giggle.       Once I scarfed down the rest of my food I was back on the couch shifting through channels. Jeffrey was rinsing off the dishes in the kitchen when the doorbell rang, “Can you get that for me, sweet-pea?” he shouted to me.      Anxiety instantly trembled through me, remembering the last time I’d answered the door to a home that wasn’t mine,  "I’d rather not…“      Jeff appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, dishrag in his hand,  and gave me a sympathetic look, repeating his previous words again, "You’re safe here, honey,” before heading towards the front door. “Who is it?” He hollered, wiping his hands with the towel while looking through the peep hole. 

     "Little pig, little pig! Let. Me. In!“ came from the other side of the door before the door bell rang again in short sporadic increments. 

   Jeffrey barked out a loud laugh as he pulled the door open and in marched Norman, two bottles of what I could only assume was liquor in his hands.      "Who’s up for some fucking day drinking?- Oh hey, Ms. Ackles, I didn’t know you’d be here.” Norman lifted on of the bottles in salutation to me.      "Hey, Norman" I said, feeling my nervousness shift away. ’No one can get me here.’ “How’re you doin’, girl?” He said as I stood up to give him a hug.      "Good, you?“ I responded as I watched him pull the bottles out of their paper bags.      "Better now! Came to get day drunk with my buddy and he’s got a hot girl here too? Winner Winner.” He laughed.      "She’s been here all weekend, douche bag, you’ve known this.“ Jeffrey joined us at the table with three glasses, shaking his head.     "Yeah, but I figured I’d give y'all a little alone time, if you know what I mean” Norman wiggled his eyebrows at the both of us as he popped open the bottle of Crown, “M’ Lady?” He held the bottle up to me as a question. “It’s 12:30 in the afternoon, Norman.” I giggled and shook my head.      "A double she says!“ he barked out in an Irish accent as he poured a healthy glass before sliding it towards me. I shook my head again as I picked up the tumbler.      "Happy fucking New Year!” Norman shouted as he pushed a drink into Jeff’s hand and raised his own in the air, a little bit splashing on the table.      "Watch the mahogany, dick.“ Jeff jabbed before tossing his glass back and finishing it in two huge gulps.      I lifted my own glass and took a sip, and Norman and Jeff both stared at me like I had an arrow sticking from my head. "What?” I asked, confused as hell. “I thought you were a professional drinker?” Norman teased.      "Norman…“ a halfhearted growl came from Jeff, I just quirked my eyebrow.      "Okay, then.” I shook my head once more as I tilted my head back and downed all the amber liquid in my glass in one gulp, not even cringing at the burn. Both the men’s eyes went wide. “Professional drinker” I pointed out as I exhaled the taste.      "I like 'er, Jeff. Let’s keep her around.“ Norman beamed as he threw his arms over both mine and Jeff’s shoulders, pulling us in towards him.      "Y'all have no idea what ya’ll’re getting yourselves into” I chuckled back, alcohol already bringing the twang out in my voice.      "You know what they say 'bout them Texas girls, boy…wooo-weee" Norman poured us all another double.     “That’ we’re all emotionally unstable, bat shit crazy bitches with drinking problems?” I asked, barking out my own laugh as I raised the second glass to my mouth. Norman and Jeff both looked at me with shocked expressions, “What? It’s the fucking truth?” I took a deep swallow of the liquid. “I think I can handle it” Jeff grinned, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me near him as he downed his whiskey.

By 5 o'clock we had finished the first bottle and were all pretty intoxicated.      "You comin’ to the next convention with us, honey?“ Norman asked as he wedged his way between Jeff and I on the sofa.      "There’s a perfectly good chair right there man” Jeffrey grumbled, motioning to the arm chair with his glass.      "This spot is better. Anyways, darlin’, so, you gonna come see us?“ He asked again. "I have this thing called a job…” I laughed, taking a sip from the glass of whiskey I had cut with a coke I found in the fridge. “And?” Norman deadpanned. “And I need to work. What is with ya’ll?” I shook my head.      "You know Jeff here will make sure your bills get paid,“ Norman stated, nodding his head towards the other man who just gave me a 'well, I would’ face. I rolled my eyes, "I’m not a sugar baby.” “Never said you were.” It was Jeff who replied.      I narrowed my eyes at both of them before getting off the couch to pour me a stiffer drink. 

    The night wore on, and by the 10 o'clock  the second bottle was halfway done, I was laying on the couch drifting in and out of sleep as Norman and Jeffrey talked in the dining room.      "Man, she’s something else,“ Norman chuckled lowly, eyeing my tiny frame snoring softly on the sofa.      "I think this is the first time I’ve actually outdrank her.” Jeff rasped jokingly as he brought his glass to his lips to take a sip. “Everything going alright?” Norman asked with a sideways glance.      "Yeah, brother, everything is great so far. I feel like a 14 year old kid, though.“ Jeffrey sighed as he placed his glass on the table, "I don’t wanna do anything to trigger her, ya know?” “I get it man, but you’re not like that anyway.”      "Obviously, but I’ve seen how that shit can affect someone. The first time I tried to touch her after that piece of shit got to her at Jensens’, damn, man…she was so broken" He trailed off, blinking away the emotions of the memory. “Well that’s why she needs you to help fix her, dude. duh” “I just don’t wanna push the poor girl into feeling like she says she did with that asshole.” “Then don’t.” Norman said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Jeffrey simply nodded his head and turned to stare at me.

     The next morning I was at the airport, sporting my baggy sweat pants, a tank top with my unzipped Heartagram hoodie, and one of Jeffrey’s beanies I’d stolen. My hangover was in full affect, and I felt like I was going to die from a headache at any moment.      "Whyyyyyy?“ I whined, stomping my foot as I leaned my head into Jeffrey’s sternum, waiting on my bags to be checked.       "It’ll be alright, sweetpea, just have a drink on the plane and get some sleep.” He curled his long arms around my shoulders and kissed the top of my beanie-clad head. “Just what I need, more booze” I grumbled as my stomach turned.      Once my bag was checked and the plane was ready for boarding, Jeffrey engulfed me into his arms and leaned down to smother me in a passionate kiss. His tounge danced around with mine, exploring my mouth with urgency as he tangled a hand in my hair. I couldnt stop the tears from springing to my eyes as his other hand gripped my hip and pulled me as close as I could be to him.      "Shh, baby doll, its okay. Dont cry.“ He whispered as he wiped the few stray tears away from my cheeks. "I can’t help it, I’m such a fucking pussy.” I laughed, shaking my head against his chest. “Then what the hell am I?” He looked down at me, his own watery eyes about to spill over. “A bigger pussy,” I sniffled before giving him the last kiss I could before god knows how long.

part six:  https://hornsbeforehalos.tumblr.com/post/163863683399/anytime-sweetheart-part-6

[beanbudd]

A story I wrote about the prince finding out about hallow's gift:

"the story of Hallow's gift"

Stitches and Skipps had decided to go together. Stitches to keep a look out and to help in case something went wrong, and Skipps went because he's small and nimble, so he's more likely to go under the radar.

Stitches knocked on Skipps' door.

"hello? Oh, you made it!", Skipps said with his usual tone of excitement.

"yeah, why would I not make it?", Stitches said in genuine confusion.

"I don't know, maybe prince Luca snatched you for another chore"

They both started giggling at the thought of that.

Although the subconites do have chores, they're usually quite small, like helping to make food for all the subconites (which they usually did all together, which always is big fun!), Or helping with gathering resources. Prince Luca liked doing most of the chores himself. Hes very good at distributing chores evenly, and makes sure that nobody's overworked, which is very kind of him to keep that in mind. Because of this the subconites don't have a lot of chores.

"you got everything?", Stitches asked.

"I think so, but I can double check just in case. Wood.. check. Paint.. check. Tools... Check! We should have everything!"

"do you have the glue?"

"oh, I thought we were going to do the masks I one piece?", Skipps asked.

"we are, but it would be handy in case a part snaps of or something", Stitches replied.

"I suppose your right! Imma grab it real quick-"

As Skipps said that, she disappeared back into his house. Stitches could hear rummaging from in the house.

"can you find it?", He asks.

"yeah, just a bit-"

"oh come on. I could swear I put it here-", Skipps whispers to herself.

"aha! Here it is! We now have all the things we need!"

"Are you suureee?", Stitches pokes fun at her.

"Yes, I'm sure", Skipps says in a lengthened tone.

"we gotta go now If we don't wanna be late!"

Stitches had totally lost track of time! He forgot that they had to be there early so that there's enough time to actually make the masks.

As the pair wondered through the forest towards their destination (making sure prince Luca didn't spot them) they keep a keen eye out.

"there it is!", Skipps notifies Stitches.

There was a small hole dug deep in the forest. Luca already knew of this, and he knew the subconites liked to hang out there, so he payed it no mind.

As Skipps and Stitches make their way inside, they were greeted by Navi.

"so you could made it", he said villain like.

"why must you make this joke every single time we get here, Navi", Skipps said, even though deep down it makes her chuckle every time.

"so now we just wait untill the rest arrives?", Stitches asks.

"yep. In the meanwhile we could set it up so that everything is ready when they get here."

As the rest of the subconites spilled into the little cave they made, they all started carving and coloring.

As Luca was wondering around the small village, it occurred to him.

"huh it sure is quiet all of a sudden", he thinks to himself.

"maybe their off doing another exploration", he chuckled to himself. The subconites always always love exploring the forest. He was thinking of planting some trees so that they had their own part of the forest, but he knew it would take a lifetime for the frees to grow as big as the other ones. That's why (for now) he have them a little part of the forest where they could do what they want. They dug a little cave to hang out in (which is very nice of them to make sure that they didn't ruin the look of the forest, even though Luca didn't think of it as 'destroying the look of the natural forest'. In fact, he really liked that the subconites have a little place to hang out and look after each other. Even though he didn't mind looking out for them, it could be a bit of a... Handfull.

That reminds him. He should go have a look and tell them that it's almost time to start gathering stuff for dinner.

As he tried to made his way over he felt a bit lost. He didn't go there very often, so he didn't really know where it was quite yet.

After a bit of wondering, he found a dim light from deal within the forest.

"ah, there it is", he thought to himself.

He really should add a door to the entrance. Who knows what type of rodents or other animals could make their way inside while they aren't in there. There again, they didn't really seem to mind. Maybe he could knock on the top of the hole?

As he did that, he could tell it didn't really have much point, since most of the noise didn't travel trough the ground.

"hey guys?", Luca asked, hoping some of them could hear him.

"Hey guys?", Some of the subconites hear Luca's voice echoing through the little cave.

Oh no

They had totally forgot the time!

As a small panic broke out Skipps came out of the cave.

"Oh hey prince Luca", Skipps tried to say so nonchalantly as possible while still showing some respect.

"Anything the matter?", She continued.

"no, I was just checking up on you guys", Luca answers. "Could you tell the rest that it's almost time to go get ingredients for dinner?", Luca continued.

"Uhm sure! We'll be out in a bit", she answers.

Okay so that wasn't according to plan. They had planned to stop a while before Luca came, since it was quite a chore to clean the paint off of their fabric. Usually it would be faster since Luca would help, but he couldn't know about this, so it just takes a bit longer. But it doesn't really help that they forgot the time.

she went down into the little cave.

"so?", One of the subconites ask.

Then the panic escaped her.

"okay so Uhm... we have to go out in a bit to look for ingredients...", She said nervously.

"like soon?"

"like now."

Everyone started to panic. They could say that some people were hurt, so they couldn't go, but then prince Luca would want to go help them so that's a no. They could say that they were busy at the moment but the Luca would likely want to help so that they could go looking for the ingredients. If there's one thing that prince Luca didn't like, it would be not having them eat in time. When they eat the light in they're eyes burns brighter. Luca didn't want to know what happens when the lights go out, so he always made sure they ate on time.

"There's no going around it. We have to tell him.", Navi says after a while.

"but what if he-... You know... Does the thing?", One subconite asks.

"then we'll have to deal with the aftermath."

As the subconites nervously leave the little cave, Prince Luca notices the paint on them.

"why are you guys covered in paint?", Luca asks.

"well uhm... Because..."

The whole group awkwardly looks around.

"What did you guys do?", Luca asks, this time with a bit of concern in his tone.

Navi steps up.

"well Uhm- We were making masks to celebrate something-", he says, nervously.

"Oh man, I thought you guys were hurt or something! What were you guys celebrating?", he asks a bit excitedly.

"Uhm well that's the thing-", Navi says, this time with a way more noticeable tone of nervousness in his voice.

"We're celebrating you!", Stitches says with a nervous laughter.

"Oh! What for?", Luca asks.

"We are celebrating the return of the prince", Skipps says bluntly.

She can feel her throat closing up.

Luca's smile disappears for a second.

Oh no.

They wanted to prevent this, but they guess it's a problem that has to be confronted at some point.

"but we can stop if-"

Luca sighs deeply

"no it's okay", he says, trying to fake a smile.

"No, it's not. I can tell your uncomfortable.", Skipps says.

Luca tries to change the subject.

"Well, while I was waiting for you guys I collected some of the ingredients. Can you guys collect the rest?", He says.

Before any of them could answer, he starts walking back to the village.

Some time passes by. The food just finished kooking, and is now being surved.

Usually there's an aura of comfort going around while everyone eats and talks about what they've all been doing the whole day.

This time however is different.

After eating for a while Skipps realized prince Luca hasn't eaten anything at all yet.

Skipps nervously scuttles up to him with a bowl of food.

"you haven't eaten yet"

"I'm... Not hungry", Luca says.

"I'm sorry"

For a second he seems suprised

"no, don't be. it's not your fault. The past is the past"

"you don't have to answer but-", she breefly pauses.

"why don't you like being called the prince?"

He looks away.

"it reminds me of who I was."

"of how weak I was. Of how stupid I was. Of how I never saw the red flags. Of how easily I trusted her.", He continued.

A silence fell.

After what felt like an eternity, Skipps starts talking again.

"I know that this might not help you forget the past, but-"

She gives him a hug

"the past is what makes you stronger. I mean look where you are now!",she says.

Sniffle.

Sniffle?

"Oh no-"

"I didnt-"

"I just-"

"no no it's okay."' he says.

"thanks, I really needed that", he says, genuinely smiling.

"Here", She says.

"for in case you're hungry"

"Thanks"

After a while of eating Luca asks Skipps something.

"so.."

"uhm-"

"The masks you guys were making to celebrate me-"

"why?"

"what do you mean?", She asks.

"why were you guys celebrating me?"

"after I've been so weak?"

"after I'm the cause of the village being frozen?"

"because you helped us up", she replies.

"you cared. You risked it all just to help us out of the ice. you help us when we're hurt. You guide us. you give us hope when nothing else does."

"And I think that makes you stronger than any of us here."

Luca starts tearing up again.

"sorry-", he says, as he wipes away his tears.

"okay"

Skipps looks confused at him.

"I get it now"

"you guys are celebrating me, but your missing something."

"you guys aren't celebrating yourself."

"I wouldn't be here if you guys weren't with me"

"and I think that's equally heroic"

"So-"

"I want to join you."

"what?", Skipps asks confusedly.

"I want to join you guys in making the masks"

"oh", she replies.

"in that case, is it okay if we continue?"

"sure"

"oh! We found some of this wierd blue wood! Maybe you can use that for your mask!"

Skipps is practically beaming.

She scutters away back to the other subconites and tells them the news. As they all excitedly go off back to the little cave they made, prince Luca interrupts them.

"guys, we still have to wash the bowls! Maybe while we're at it we could also clean some of this paint off of you guys."

After they're finally done with any other chores they have to do they lead Luca to the little cave. They all climb into the little cave.

"Uhm guys-", Luca says, trying to get their attention.

"I don't think I'll fit in there"

After a while they decided to build a little camp fire near the cave and work there.

And they worked on the masks and song campfire songs all night long.