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debbiechanclub · 4 years ago

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Best Two Out of Three, Part 23

😁 I’m nervous.

Three more parts after this. @what-does-mine-say and I can’t promise it won’t end in total devastation.

(Note: If you start reading this and are a little confused, you might have missed Part 22. I think a lot of people did. Click the link below to catch up!)

Best Two Out of Three

Part: 23/26

Pairing: Kenny Omega x OFC x Cash Wheeler and Adam Page x OFC x Matt Jackson

Word count: 6.1k

Warnings: Language; angst; overwhelming heartbreak

Catch up on previous parts here.

Tag squad: @freshlysqueezedmox @gabbynorth98 @librathepheonix13 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @exe-sadboi-exe @comeasyoudar

Beep-beep-beep!

Matt’s alarm clock blared through the early Tuesday morning silence, waking Callie just as she was dozing off again. She felt Matt roll away to shut it off, returning them to quiet, and then he rolled back and wrapped his arm around her again, pulling her close. She let out a contented hum as she snuggled back against his chest. He’d already hit the snooze button twice, and she knew they had to get up soon. But she didn’t want to.

“As much as I don’t want to get out of this bed, we should really get up,” Matt said. His voice was husky with sleep, and Callie’s senses tingled as he nuzzled her neck and pressed his lips against her pulse. He slipped his hand underneath her shirt and traced his fingers over her stomach, ghosting over her skin. Callie grinned, her eyes closed.

“Someone’s up,” she teased.

“Fuck.” Matt rolled away and adjusted himself underneath his sweatpants. Callie bit back a laugh. She didn’t mind. Honestly, she liked knowing that she turned him on. It had been a while since she’d felt wanted like that.

She rolled over and rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her and buried his fingers in her hair, messaging her scalp. She’d felt wanted last night, too. They’d ordered Chinese and cuddled in front of the TV until she’d started falling asleep, and then he’d taken her hand and led her to his bed, where she’d drifted off wrapped in his arms. She wished they could have another night together. But they had to go get on a plane.

“Do we have to go back to Jacksonville?” she asked as she rubbed his bare chest.

“Yes,” he chuckled and kissed her head.

“But I just got here.”

“I know. But at least we won’t have to turn right back around on Thursday.”

Callie frowned. On the contrary, she didn’t think that was a good thing. Because the longer they spent in Jacksonville, the more time she’d have to spend around Adam; and with whatever was going on between her and Matt… just the thought stressed her out.

“Are you getting your own room?” he asked.

“Yeah. Who else would I room with? You?”

She was being sarcastic. But he smirked. “Yeah. I’ll tell Nick he has to stay with Kenny this week.”

She scoffed. “That would go over well.”

He let out a silent laugh. Callie felt it rumble in his chest. “It’s alright. I’ll just sneak into your room.”

She looked up at him. “Who says you’d get anything?”

Matt didn’t answer. He hooked his fingers underneath her chin, tilted her mouth up toward his, and kissed her. Slow at first—but quickly needy. Wanting. Callie slid her palm up his chest and maneuvered so that she was half on top of him, straddling his thigh, tangling her fingers in his hair. He moved his hand to her backside, and she hummed into his mouth when he gave it a squeeze. She could feel him straining harder through his sweats. It sobered her up and she broke away.

“Sorry,” she sheepishly apologized. “I’m being a tease.”

But Matt shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to.”

Callie bit back a smile. Part of her did want to, but it was too soon. She appreciated that Matt understood that.

“Besides,” he added. “It’s not your fault you could just look at me and turn me on.”

Her cheeks flushed and she rolled her eyes. “Stop.”

“What? It’s true.” He reached up and brushed her hair away from her face, running his fingers over her brow. “You’re gorgeous. I’ve always thought so.”

He took her in, studying her features, and Callie’s heart did a little flutter. She could get lost in those eyes of his if she wasn’t careful.

Beep-beep-beep!

But then the alarm went off again. Matt let out a sigh and silenced it for the final time. “Okay, we really do need to get up now.”

They reluctantly untangled from each other, and Matt threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. “I’m gonna get in the shower. You want to join me or…?”

She smirked up at him. “Keep trying.”

He put his hands on the mattress and leaned toward her. “You know I will,” he grinned, and he gave her a kiss. He pulled away too soon for her liking and shot her a wink as he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her wanting more.

* * * * * * * * * *

Later that evening, Callie stood in her hotel bathroom primping her blonde waves in the mirror. She, Matt, and Nick had arrived in Jacksonville a couple hours ago, and she and Matt were going out to dinner—just the two of them. It had surprised her when she’d found out that Nick wouldn’t be joining them—and she was relieved Kenny wouldn’t be—but then she’d gotten nervous. Was it meant to be a date? Matt hadn’t said it was, but she’d put a little extra effort into her appearance, anyway. She wanted to look good for Matt, date or not. She knew that now.

He knocked on the door just as she walked out of the bathroom. She hurried to grab her purse and open the door. Matt’s eyebrows arched as she stepped into the hall.

“Wow.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for kiss. Callie returned it as the door fell closed behind her —but she quickly pulled away. “I thought we agreed no PDA?”

They’d agreed on it before they’d left for the airport: no handholding, no kissing, no anything in public—and especially not at Daily’s Place. Matt had pushed back a little, but he’d conceded for her sake. At least for the time being, Callie preferred that they kept whatever this was between them as just that: between them.

But if the look on Matt’s face was any indication, it would be harder to do that than she thought. “I know, but I couldn’t help myself,” he said. “Plus, no one’s around.”

He leaned in again, and she couldn’t help but give in that time. The danger of being caught only made his kiss that much more tantalizing. She had to fight back a moan when he tugged at her bottom lip as he pulled away.

“Maybe we should order in,” he smirked.

She pushed him away at that. “No! I took all this time to look nice for you. Thanks for returning the favor, by the way,” she quipped with a glance at his t-shirt and jeans.

He pursed his lips. “Please. You know I look good.”

Callie just shook her head, an amused smirk on her lips. He did look good, but she didn’t need to tell him that. His ego was big enough as it was.

They walked side-by-side down the hall, making sure to keep a respectable distance from each other. But Callie kept catching the scent of his cologne, and she didn’t want to keep her distance. He was right—there wasn’t anyone around. So when they stepped onto the elevator, all alone, she reached out and intertwined her fingers with his. Matt smiled and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze—but then the elevator stopped on the floor just below. The doors slid open, and they were suddenly met with Trent, Chuck, Orange, and Alex.

Callie couldn’t pull her hand from Matt’s fast enough. Alex stared at them, her eyes wide and unblinking. Callie’s entire face went red. She prayed she hadn’t seen them holding hands.

“We’ll get—” Alex started to say—but Orange walked onto the elevator, unbothered. Callie rolled her eyes. Of course.

Trent, Chuck, and Alex all filed in after him. Callie stepped back against the wall; she felt Matt place a comforting hand on the small of her back. She gave him a tense smile.

The doors slid closed. Chuck cleared his throat. “Well this is awkward.”

“Well now it is,” Matt shot.

Trent’s brow lowered. “Where are Nick and Kenny? Are you meeting them somewhere? Or is it just you two tonight?”

Callie felt Matt tense next to her. “Why don’t you mind your business?” he returned.

Trent scoffed. “So just you two, then?”

Alex looked up at him. “Stop,” she mouthed. For whatever reason, it angered Callie.

“Why don’t you put a muzzle on your attack dog, Alex?”

“What?” Alex, Trent, and Chuck all said at once. The elevator arrived at the lobby with a ding. “What the hell is your problem?” Alex added.

The elevator doors slid open and Matt ushered Callie out. But she talked back over her shoulder at Alex. “Really? You sicced him on Matt for no good reason last week.”

Alex’s mouth dropped as the rest of them exited the elevator. She looked hurt. Callie didn’t care.

But Trent barked out a laugh. “Look, I don’t know what lies he told you, but Alex didn’t ‘sic’ me on him. I knocked out your boyfriend on my own.”

“You didn’t knock me out.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

Callie and Matt exchanged a glance. The corners of her mouth turned down. She hadn’t meant for that to come out so harsh, but it was true—he wasn’t her boyfriend.

“Awkward,” Orange commented.

“We don’t have time for this,” Matt breathed, agitated. “Sorry you’re still upset I told the truth about dear Alex.”

He started to lead Callie away again; but Alex spoke up. “You basically called me a slut.”

He shrugged. “Yeah. And?”

Trent started for him, but Chuck put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back. “Dude, he’s not worth it.”

Matt scoffed. “Come on.” He reached for Callie—but then Trent said something unexpected.

“You want to settle this? Then give us a match. A mixed tag match.”

It was Callie who scoffed that time. “What?”

Trent shrugged. “What, scared you’ll get DQ’d again?”

Callie bristled. But Matt responded before she could.

“We have way more important things to do than wrestle a mixed tag match against you two clowns.”

“Yeah, like what? Screwing over Hangman some more?”

Anger rose in Callie’s chest. Trent didn’t know the half of what he was spouting. He didn’t know the pain Adam had caused her; he didn’t know how Matt had been there for her when she’d needed it most. Adam had done this to himself, and she told Trent exactly that.

“Hangman screwed himself.”

Alex’s lips parted in silent shock as she stared back at her. But Callie held her chin high. She was done feeling guilty and sorry for herself.

Matt smirked. “What she said,” he added. And as he led Callie away from them and out of the hotel, she looped her arm through his and hugged herself close, not caring who saw.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex knew it was probably a bad idea to try to talk to Callie. A lost cause, even. But after their run-in at the hotel last night, she had to try. She doubted they’d ever be friends again—things had gotten too messy, too personal—but she hoped they could at least come to an understanding. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. If nothing else, she hoped Callie could see that.

Colt had told her he’d seen her in catering. Alex spotted her sitting alone at a table in the corner. She crossed the room, pulled out the chair opposite her, and sat down. “We need to talk.”

Callie gave her a hostile look. “There is nothing we need to—”

“I’m sorry, okay?”

That stunned her into silence; she obviously hadn’t expected an apology. But she didn’t push back, so Alex went on.

“I can’t imagine how much this entire situation has hurt you, and I’m sorry. But I need you to know that none of it was intentional. I swear. I was completely blindsided when—”

She cut herself off, instantly filled with regret. She’d put her foot in her mouth. That last thought had come out like stream of consciousness and she didn’t want to finish it. But judging by the dark look on Callie’s face, she’d already figured out exactly how it would go.

“When what?” she pressed.

Alex frowned. Her voice came out quiet; ashamed. “When Adam told me how he felt.”

Callie let out a breath. She looked down at her nearly empty plate. “So he’s told you now.”

The weight of that statement was crushing. The truth of Adam’s feelings wasn’t just speculation anymore—it was fact. Alex fumbled to recover. “Not in so many words but… I had no idea, Callie.”

“Oh please, Alex,” Callie spat. “A blind man could see that Adam’s in love with you.”

Her chair scraped loudly against the floor as she abruptly stood from the table and snatched up her plate. Alex jumped up to follow. “Come on, he’s not in love with me,” she insisted. But she wasn’t sure she believed it herself.

“I’m done with this conversation,” Callie returned. She dumped her plate in the trash can and made a beeline for the door. But Alex wasn’t done with the conversation.

“Well you should know that I rejected him,” she said as they crossed into the hall. Callie scoffed.

“Oh what, afraid there won’t be enough of you to go around if you add Adam on top of Cash, Kenny, and Trent?”

Alex’s brow lowered. “Trent? And fuck you, Callie. I’d expect a dig like that from Matt, but not you.”

“Stop attacking Matt.” She halted and whirled around to face her. “He was there for me when no one else was.”

The anger in her eyes struck Alex frozen. She didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to say that she would have been there for her if only she’d said something. But of course Callie hadn’t said anything to her. Alex was, in part, the cause of all this, even if she hadn’t known it. She couldn’t have been there for Callie, even if she’d wanted to be.

“I didn’t want any of this to happen,” she said.

Callie’s eyes darkened. There was no belief in her expression, no hope of forgiveness, not even a glimmer of it. Alex had thought right—this was a lost cause.

“Well that didn’t keep it from happening,” she bit, and when she turned and walked away that time, Alex let her go.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex had wanted to go out with Chuck and Trent for their match against Santana and Ortiz, but they’d both told her no; their feud had been too brutal and too personal and they didn’t want to put her in harm’s way. It had annoyed her—she felt like they were treating her with kid’s gloves because of everything with Matt and Callie. But the longer she watched from backstage, the more she started to think they’d made the right call.

Santana and Ortiz had jumped them on the ramp as they’d walked out. Alex had watched through her fingers as Ortiz had choked Trent with a rolled-up t-shirt; she’d cringed when Santana had thrown Chuck from the stage into a structure of steel chairs that he’d built himself. He still hadn’t recovered by the time the match had officially started, and Trent was left to fend for himself. Somehow, he’d managed to hold his own—until he tried to hit Santana with a spear outside the ring. Santana leapfrogged over him and Trent went crashing into the steel barricade. Alex covered her eyes again. She didn’t know how much more of this she could watch.

“Now Chuck Taylor makes the tag!” Excalibur proclaimed.

She looked back at the TV. Chuck started clearing house, and after sending Santana and Ortiz both outside the ring, he launched himself over the ropes and hit a picture-perfect tope con giro. He threw Santana back inside the ring, followed up with Sole Food and the Falcon Arrow and went for the cover—but Ortiz jumped from the turnbuckle and broke up the pin.

“Fuckin’ A,” Alex breathed.

Not wasting any time, Chuck hit Santana with a Sunset Flip powerbomb right into another pin attempt, but Santana kicked out. Trent tagged in after that. He rebounded off the ropes and caught Santana with a bicycle knee strike. Alex wrung her hands in front of her, hopeful that the tides were finally turning in Best Friends’ favor. But when Trent climbed through the ropes onto the ring apron to follow-up with more offense, Ortiz held his legs so that he couldn’t move. Santana charged. He shoulder-checked Trent and sent him flying back-first square onto the steel steps outside the ring.

“Fuckin’ A,” Alex repeated. At this point, she had half a mind to go out there with a steel chair, a kendo stick, something. She had a feeling Santana and Ortiz had another dirty trick up their sleeve, and it would only be a matter of time before they pulled it out.

They threw Trent back into the ring. Santana tagged in Ortiz. They set up for the Street Sweeper, but Chuck pulled Santana down from the turnbuckle and sent him bouncing off the ring apron. Trent reversed Ortiz’s hold and hit a Crunchie. He covered him—but he was too close to the ropes. Santana revived himself to put Ortiz’s arm on the bottom rope just in time, and the ref broke the count.

“Seriously?” Alex ran her hands through her hair, watching in frustration as Santana grabbed Chuck and tossed him over the barricades into the crowd. Then he crouched down next to the ring. He slipped his hand behind the apron and grabbed something.

“No,” Alex said to herself. In the ring, Trent tried to pick up Ortiz for a powerbomb, but he couldn’t lift him for the pain in his back. Ortiz escaped him and pushed him toward the ropes—and then Santana flicked open that retractable baton and cracked Trent right in the spine. The ref didn’t see it.

“Fuuuuck.”

Santana tagged in. Ortiz picked up Trent. They hit the Street Sweeper. Santana hooked Trent’s leg, and that was it.

Alex didn’t want to sit backstage any longer. She hurried to Gorilla and went through the tunnel and down the ramp. She shot Santana and Ortiz a glare as she passed them and ducked through the ropes. They smirked and talked shit, but she ignored them as she knelt next to Trent on the mat.

“Hey, are you okay?”

He didn’t look thrilled to see her. “What’re you doing out here?” he groaned.

She just pursed her lips and helped him sit up. He was obviously in pain. Chuck rolled into the ring and they both helped Trent to his feet.

“What happened?” Chuck asked.

Alex glowered at the retreating backs of Santana and Ortiz. “Santana hit Trent with that baton of his. Bryce didn’t see it.”

“Fuck,” Chuck breathed.

They all exited the ring and went back up the ramp. Trent leaned on Alex’s shoulders and she wrapped her arm around his waist for support as they walked slowly back through the tunnel. Gorilla was full of people when they returned backstage. An eight-man tag match was next, pitting SCU and Private Party against Jurassic Express and the Young Bucks; the winning teams would face each other that Saturday at All Out. Alex noticed Matt and Nick out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored them. Unfortunately, Matt and Nick didn’t give them the same courtesy.

“Sucks losing unfairly, doesn’t it?” Nick smirked.

Alex shot him a venomous glare. “Mind your business, Nick.”

Matt let out a laugh. “Oh, that’s rich.”

“Alright, seriously,” Chuck spoke up. “I’ve had enough of your bullshit and I wasn’t even there when Trent knocked your ass out.”

“He didn’t knock me out,” Matt insisted again.

Alex scoffed. “Yeah he fucking did.”

He turned his glare on her. “Why don’t you go get bent, Alex? It’s what you’re best at.”

Trent pulled away from her and walked threateningly up to Matt. Nick stepped between them, but he completely ignored him. “I thought I warned you about saying anything to her ever again.”

Matt nodded. “Yeah, you did. But you didn’t do shit about it last night, and you won’t do shit about it now.”

“Try me,” Trent challenged.

A cruel, cocky smirk curled Matt’s lips. “Alex is a sl—”

Trent lunged for him, but Nick pushed him back. Chuck ran over and grabbed Nick, spun him around and tossed him away, and with the coast clear, Trent speared Matt into a stack of equipment crates with a violent crash. The four of them starting brawling, throwing fists left and right, but the chaos was short-lived. Jurassic Express pried apart Chuck and Nick while SCU did the same for Trent and Matt. The latter pair fought tooth and nail to get back at each other.

“You want your mixed tag match?” Matt shouted as he strained against Kazarian’s grip. “You got it, next Wednesday. And I’ll make sure I knock you the fuck out.”

“You’re on,” Trent spat. “But trust me: you won’t even get the chance to try before Alex makes your girl tap.”

He shoved Scorpio off him, and he, Chuck, and Alex backed out of Gorilla, the gauntlet officially thrown.

* * * * * * * * * *

By the time Kenny asked FTR if their whole plan had been to “bamboozle” him while he was out there by himself, Adam had decided he’d heard enough. He made his way through the halls toward the ring, his AEW World Tag Team Championship in one hand, his whiskey glass in the other. He appeared on the entrance stage just before a fight could break out.

“Yeah, Adam, come on!” Dax taunted when he saw him. “It’s the great Adam Page, everyone! It’s the big superstar! It’s the cowboy hero! Everyone give him his welcome!”

Adam glowered at Tully as he passed him by. “Stay the fuck out of my way,” he muttered to him. He ducked into the ring. And then he fixed his red, watery eyes on FTR.

“We’ve been waiting to hear from you, Adam!” Dax went on, talking loudly and forcefully into the mike. “Why don’t you go ahead and tell Kenny, why don’t you explain to him who got in your head? Go on! Explain to him who made you do the things you did! Tell him what you told us last week at the bar—tell him who made you turn on your best friends so you wouldn’t have to have a rematch at All Out. Tell him who pushed your girlfriend into the arms of another man.”

Adam bit down on his jaw. Dax fixed him with a dark, unforgiving stare.

“Because it wasn’t us,” he said, pointing between himself and Cash. “In fact, it wasn’t anybody. It was you.”

Adam’s vision went blurry. He had told them that in confidence last week. He knew he’d done this to himself. He knew he’d pushed Callie away. He knew he’d thrown the Young Bucks’ gauntlet match not only to get revenge on Matt, but because he felt—he knew—they were better than him. But he’d told them that in confidence. They were supposed to be his friends.

But now, Dax was unrelenting. He looked at Kenny. “Listen, you’ve known him for four or five years. I’ve known Adam Page his whole career, and his whole career he’s been nothing more than an insecure little boy.”

Adam stood up straight, took a step closer to Dax. But he didn’t stop.

“And that’s the thing—you got in your own head. We did nothing! We didn’t have to talk to you at all—you got in your head. So tell him! Explain to Kenny! Explain to him how you’re so egotistical, how you’re so egocentric all you do is care about yourself! Tell him, Adam, how big of a piece of shit you are!”

Kenny immediately stuck out a hand to hold Adam back. It only made him angrier. He stumbled toward Dax, but Kenny pushed him back harder, flinging his title from his grip and throwing his own to the mat. Adam glared at Kenny, right in his face. Kenny shoved him again.

“They’re trying to get in your head again!” he told him, pointing at his own temple. “They’re trying to get in your head again! Don’t listen to ‘em!”

He glared at him, jaw hard. Cash took the mike from Dax.

“You know what, Adam?” he said. “I think Kenny already knows how big of a piece of shit you are.”

Kenny looked back at him, hesitant. He shook his head, but he didn’t say anything. Adam didn’t know what to make of it. But then he saw Dax and Cash pick up their tag title belts from the mat. Adam rounded on them.

“Come on, put those down,” he asked. Not angry—defeated. “Just give ‘em back.”

Cash and Dax glanced at each other. They both held out the titles; but just before Adam could take them, they dropped them to the canvas.

Adam’s eyes connected with Cash’s as he ducked out of the ring. Even though Dax had been the one who’d berated him, Cash was the one he was most angry with; the one he was most hurt by. He never should have pushed Alex to him. He didn’t deserve her. Not in a million years.

He bent down and picked up the belts. He held out Kenny’s to him as he stood—but Kenny didn’t take it. He looked. Kenny was outside the ring, his hands on his hips. And then he walked away, disappearing into the back.

Adam couldn’t be out there a second longer. He slid both titles onto his left arm and picked his whiskey glass back up as he ducked out of the ring and moved back through one of the tunnels, in a daze. He brought the whiskey to his lips and took a drink. When he saw Callie’s distorted image through the bottom of the glass, he thought he’d imagined her. But when he pulled the glass down in a panic, he saw she was real.

She walked tentatively closer, a frown creasing her pretty face. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Adam’s brow lowered. Her false sympathy was the last thing he needed after what had just happened. “Don’t act like you care, Cal.”

He tried to walk past her, but she put a hand on his bicep. It tugged at his heart.

“I do care. I still care if you’re okay, Adam.”

She turned him to face her, stepping close, still hesitant. But then she took a chance and reached up and hugged him.

“You’re not a piece of shit,” she said.

Adam stiffened. But then he smelled her perfume. It was his favorite perfume of hers. It smelled like fresh cut roses. He relaxed and hugged her back.

Her hand went to the back of his neck, holding him, gently squeezing, and he buried his face in her hair. In that moment, things felt restored between them. Maybe it was the whiskey, but right then, he just wanted her back. And so, when she unwound her arms from around his shoulders and pulled slowly away, he caught her lips in his and kissed her.

It was tender, pleading. And for a second, she kissed him back. But then she abruptly pulled away like he’d burned her.

“Why would you kiss me?” she asked, just above a whisper.

He stared back at her, unsure what to say. “I’m sorry. I just—”

She cut him off. “We aren’t together anymore. You made that choice,” she said, and she turned and left him standing there, half-wondering if he’d imagined the entire thing.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex was enraged. Murderous. She felt blindsided. Duped. Hurt. She needed to speak with Cash. Now.

She found FTR just as they were about to retreat into their locker room with Tully. She picked up her pace, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Hey! Hey!”

Dax saw her first. “Here we go,” he breathed with a roll of his eyes.

She pointed a firm finger in his face. “Fuck you, asshole.”

Dax’s brow lowered. “Excuse me?”

“Alright, alright,” Cash put a hand on his shoulder as he tried to advance, but Alex came in hot.

“What the fuck was that out there, huh? Was that your plan from the get-go? To make Adam think you were his friend and then just shit all over him once he’d served his purpose?”

“It’s like I said out there, sweetheart,” Dax returned. “Adam did that shit to himself.”

Alex saw red. “You piece of shit snake—"

“Alex!” Cash gripped her arm. “Come on.” He pulled her away from Dax and around a corner. She wrenched free from his grip and pushed him away.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t fucking come near me.”

Cash held his palms in the air. “I know you’re upset—”

“Oh, don’t try to justify what you just did out there,” she bit. “Don’t try to justify the awful fucking things you just said to him.”

His arms fell to his sides. There was no remorse in his eyes. “Alex, you know better than anyone that Adam is his own worst enemy.”

The air seemed to leave Alex’s lungs. He might as well have punched her in the gut. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing; didn’t want to believe it. She’d thought she’d known Cash. She’d thought she’d known who he was. But now, it was like she was looking at a complete stranger.

“You sat across from him at the hotel bar last week and acted like you were his friend,” she evenly returned. “Like you had his fucking back.”

“He—”

“No,” she held up a finger, silencing him. “You tricked him. And you know what? You tricked me, too.”

Her nose burned. Tears stabbed at the back of her eyes. Her next words came out choked. Hurt.

“I can’t believe I was ever falling in love with you.”

Cash’s face fell. She didn’t give him a chance to respond as she turned and marched away, back around the corner, past FTR’s locker room, her vision blurring with unshed tears. She didn’t stop until she reached one of the lounges. She slipped behind the curtains and sunk down into one of the booths, let her head fall back against the cushions, and closed her eyes, pushing the tears out. They streamed down her face, silent. She was broken; defeated. She couldn’t take this anymore, not any of it. It was all too much.

“Alex?”

She wilted at the soft sound of Kenny’s voice from across the room. “Kenny, I just want to be alone.”

She opened her eyes. He walked toward her, his eyes just as soft as his voice had been. “You’re crying. I’m not just gonna leave you alone to cry.”

For whatever reason, hearing him say that only made the tears come faster. He sat down and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She buried her face in his neck, gripping the fabric of his shirt in her fists, shaking.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“What?” he hugged her tighter. “What are you apologizing for?”

“For leaving you for him. I shouldn’t have ever done that.” She pulled back and looked up at him, eyes shining, mascara smudged. “He wasn’t worth it. I’m sorry.”

Kenny frowned at her. “Baby…” he wiped the tears from her face and hugged her again. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” she shook her head against him. “It’s not okay. What he just did to Adam is not okay.”

Her body shook. He rubbed his hand over her back in slow, comforting circles. Alex hadn’t expected to say that, but she knew in her heart it was true. At the time, she thought she’d been doing the right thing. But Cash had tricked her. He’d tricked them both. She felt so, so stupid.

She pulled back to look at him again. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “You have to fix things with Adam, Kenny,” she implored. “Please. Even if you don’t do it for the sake of the titles just please do it for me. You’re all he has left.”

She searched his eyes, pleading. Time seemed to pause. And then he nodded, and she felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from her chest.

“I will, baby,” he said, wiping more tears from her cheeks. “I will.”

She collapsed back into him, and he hugged her tight. Alex wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but the tears had nearly stopped when Kenny spoke again.

“Hey.” He loosened his embrace and looked down into her eyes. “I’m not staying here in Jacksonville; I’m heading back home until All Out. Come with me. I know you said you need time, but… let’s get some space away from all this. Just you and me.”

Alex’s throat grew thick with emotion as she gazed up at him. She felt his arms around her, relished in their strong comfort. After the chaos and hurt of the last few hours—how awful Matt had been to her, how Cash had pulled the rug out from underneath her feet—after the heartbreak and stress of the last few days and weeks, Kenny felt like a safe haven. She wanted that; needed it. And so she tilted her chin up and kissed him.

Kenny wrapped her up again, drawing her as close as he could. Their mouths moved together, deep and slow, like it had been an eternity since they’d kissed. Alex tasted the salt of her tears on her tongue, smelled his cologne, felt the scratch of his beard against her face. She wanted all of him; she wanted to be anywhere but here with him.

They broke apart, breathless. He pressed his forehead against hers. “Is that a yes?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Later that night, Callie laid with Matt on the bed in her hotel room, her head on his chest, his arm around her as they watched TV. He’d asked her if she wanted some company. She’d told him yes, hoping that his presence would help her forget about the way Adam had kissed her back at the arena.

So far, it hadn’t.

“So are you sure you aren’t mad at me for making the match against Trent and Alex next week?” Matt asked.

Callie gave a short laugh despite herself. “Yes. I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “You know she tried to apologize to me today? She claimed that she was blindsided by how Adam felt.”

“Seriously? What’d you say?”

“I told her to fuck off. Well, not in those exact terms… but basically.”

Matt chuckled. “Good. I’m glad you stuck up for yourself.”

They fell back into silence, and Callie’s thoughts turned inward again. It affected the atmosphere in the room. Matt could tell there was something on her mind.

“Hey.” He gently took her chin in his fingers and titled her face so that she looked up at him. “You deserve better than Adam, Callie. He didn’t treat you anywhere near how you should have been treated.”

He gazed down at her with those dark, captivating brown eyes. It wasn’t hard to tell what he was thinking, what was just on the tip of his tongue, aching to be said. But I would.

Callie sat up. She leaned into him, running her fingers over his chest. “Do you remember yesterday morning? In your bed?”

She didn’t look at him as he answered, focusing on her touch brushing over his skin. “How could I forget?”

“Well,” she started. “I want to.”

She flicked her eyes up to meet his. They somehow turned darker. Full of lust.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Callie thought about it. She thought about Adam’s kiss, remembered how it had made her lips tingle as she walked away. She thought about what Alex had said to her, the revelation that Adam had actually told her how he’d felt, remembered how that had hurt her. She couldn’t reconcile the former feeling with the latter. And because of that, she needed to forget his kiss. She needed to forget him.

She nodded. “Yes.”

Matt smirked. “Come here,” he said, and he pulled her toward him and kissed her, and she let him help her forget.

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realcube · 4 years ago

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YOU GOT: TOBIO KAGEYAMA!

match up for @thisnoodlewritesao3 - follow them rn! her writing is literally perfection!

‘I love singing, and sending videos of myself to close friends makes me really happy. I love to write (as we know). I absolutely adore animals.’

♡ ok so i just know that kageyama needs someone who sends videos/voice recordings more often than messages bc he sends voice messages too (bc he’s cba to type out and spell words lmao) so it’d be great if he had some who sent videos too bc then he wouldn’t feel weird about it.

♡ the fact you adore animals reminds me of kageyama’s current concern (he gets the feeling that animals don’t like him) so imagine how cute it’d be if you were to encounter a dog walking ahead of it’s owner during a stroll in the park with him and you bend down to pet the cutie (with the owner’s permission ofc) and your giving the dog praise, tell them how much of a good doggo they are, until you notice kageyama just shuffling awkwardly behind you - not daring to touch the dog bc he’s afraid they won’t like him- so you can guide him in being more confident around animals ^^

♡ SINGING- i don’t think kageyama sings but he’d definitely admire you if you were to sing around him. like he’d just stare 😐 not to be rude but bc he’d absolutely enchanted by your singing voice

♡ uGh bc you write you must help him with his english hw- you don’t have a choice. illiteracyama needs all the help he can get tbh. also, don’t expect him to read what you wrote independently bc he doesn’t like to read your work but if you read to him then he’ll be all ears

♡ (also if you are reading this and you aren’t @thisnoodlewritesao3 then plz check out her work it’s so amazing i promise you won’t regret it ^^)

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

‘My love language? I think that would have to be physical touch and words of affirmation (anxiety things). I am a Gemini’

♡ i thought that kageyama’s love language was words of affirmation but after seeing these screenshots: x x x (and more) i’ve came to the conclusion that kageyama’s love language is a mix of words of affirmation and physical touch - same as you! also, by that, i mean that he shows affection through touch but his preferred way to receive affection is by words of affirmation. like he clearly has a hard time being nice to ppl (’n-nuff- knife-..nice.’) so to show you that he loves you, he gives you head pats and kisses :3 then not only can you reciprocate that, you can also give him reassurance with your kind words! like imagine kags getting all blushy bc you told him you are proud of him-

♡ kageyama is a capricorn and idek why i asked for star signs bc idk what to say about that- but google says that y’all would have a strong, trusting relationship where you both pursue your individual passions while supporting each other, as long as you are both willing to make compromises

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

‘OK, fun fact? I am very extroverted and love to make friends with new people, but I also have anxiety so I get really nervous and all that jazz.’

♡ this is definitely an opposites attract situation- since i hc as an ambivert bc he’s not very..sociable?? i mean, just think about the way he introduces himself to..anyone lmao. BUT he does have the confidence to do it and he is rarely seen to get nervous around people

♡ i’m not sure if he’s good with reassurance but if he thinks that you are anxious, he’ll definitely do something about it; whether that be simply asking you if you are okay or pulling you aside and searching for somewhere isolated

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

for @thisnoodlewritesao3: hoped you liked this, love! before you gave me that extra info on yourself, i probably would’ve shipped you with yaku or tsukki, just based off our convos lol. but now that i’ve evaluated it, i think you are kags would be such a cute match :o plus i think he’s a cat-person so that’d go down well :))

#matchup #💗matchup #for my gorgeous amazing talented mc gf #💗lets date!

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syrupa · 3 years ago

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Hello! can I request a matchup? My name is Yumeji, i’m gay and go by he/him pronouns. My personality type is INFJ. I have short brown curley hair and i’m 5’4. I’m chaotic af, I swear 24/7. I stub my toe? I swear. I do something dumb? I swear. I do literally nothing? I swear. At first i’m pretty quiet though, I need to actually be friends with this person to show my chaotic side. I love PDA, i’d probably be following them anywhere while saying the most random shit. I might just yell CHEESE or something like that for no apparent reason. I act all happy and cheerful, but it’s all usually a facade. I like to act all cheery so people don’t worry about me, but i’m reality I have serious depression and anxiety. My thoughts spiral out of control a lot and I really need a hug to snap me out of it. My hobbies are art, singing and animating. I like cats, star gazing, daydreaming, listening to music and talking with close friends. I dislike good ol father dearest, when people interrupt me while I daydream my life away and vegetables, I don’t like vegetables. Anyway, thank you, I hope I did this right.

these can be seen as platonic or romantic

I match you with...

Momo Yaoyorozu

The two of you met at the park. You and a couple friends decided to meet up there since you all had know idea where to go or what to do. All you guys knew was that you were bored and should do something. Waiting at a bench, thoughts began to spiral around and you couldn't stop them. Luckily for you, a nearby hero-in-training spotted you and your situation. She wanted to help you any way she could. But she didn't know exactly what to do. Momo hasn't really helped anyone stuck in your situation. That didn't mean she was going to stand by and do nothing.

"Excuse me sir but are you alright? Do you need anything? Are you sick?" She asked, rubbing your shoulder. The sudden gesture surprised you and you thought it was one of your friends. Turning your head, you soon realized that wasn't the case. You saw a girl with her dark hair in a tight pony tail and she seemed worried or at the very least least concerned.

Putting on your facade, you smiled and responded to the young girl. "I'm alright ma'm! Thank you for the concern." With a stoic face, she shook her head. "I'm sorry for pushing on the matter but I can tell something is wrong. Is something troubling you? If there is then you can rant about to me, I'm listening." This shocked you a bit. You didn't think some random person would treat you with such kindness. You didn't know how to respond. The young girl seemed to notice your shock. "I'm Momo Yaoyorozu! May I take a seat?" You nodded your head.

"If i am making you uncomfortable, i'll leave whenever you like. I just want to lend you an ear to talk to." You don't know how it happened, but you vented out everything to her. Maybe your feelings were getting too overwhelming? Maybe it was just the spur? You weren't quite sure. But the polite lady comforted you through everything.

"Thank you for... this." You quickly said, trying to wipe away your tears with your sleeve. The girl gave you a genuine smile and offered you a napkin. Wait since when did she have a napkin? "My quirk allows me to create objects." Oh. "Thank you again." You said standing up. "No need to thank me, do you want my number just in case you need someone to vent to again?" Her kindness once again shocked you. "Uh yeah actually, that sounds nice." She swiftly made a pen and notepad to write down her number.

Your interaction with that Yaoyorozu girl never left your mind. She really saw a complete stranger zoning out and said, "Ima change this persons entire day." You stared at the number on your phone. Today you just really needed someone to talk to and you didn't know who. You scrolled through your contacts until you saw hers. The dark haired ponytail girl who comforted you about your problems despite not even knowing you.

Her kind words played back into your head and you found yourself texting her for comfort. Almost instantly after you sent the message she responded, asking if you wanted to vent through a call or just text. Choosing text, you began sending her mountains of text messages, just ranting about life. And she listened. She listened to every single word. She comforted you, gave you amazing advice, and offered you encouraging words. She was so good at this, it was like she was your therapist.

A little after that incident, you thought about how unfair it was for her. She had to make time out of her day for you, some guy she met at the park, just to hear you rant about your dumb problems. You should do something for her, you should give her something in return! Wait she offered to do this, why am i feeling bad? Yeah it was her own fault. Still maybe i should do something for her.

After basically fighting with yourself, you decided you'd ask to meet at the same park you met at to treat her to some coffee. To make it less awkward, you'd invite a friend. You sent her a small text saying, do you want to get some coffee with me and a friend tomorrow? Her response wasn't as quick as it was when you sent the text asking to vent to her but it was still rather fast. ofc! where and when? :) You gave her the information and turned off your phone, heading to bed.

The next day, you got up and got ready for your little hangout. You met up with your friend and headed to the park. At said park, you saw she was already there waiting. You wanted to ease the tension and said. "Well you're early." No shit Sherlock you uttered to yourself. Momo nodded her head with a smile. "Let's start heading off to the coffee place." You and your friend agreed.

The whole thing was surprisingly fun. You mixed well together due to the huge difference in personalities. It wasn't awkward at all and it felt like you were simply hanging out with another friend instead of some random girl who comforted you at the park. After that experience, you started to invite her to more hangouts with your friends. Instead of only speaking to her when you were sad, you began speaking to her on a regular bases, having full on conversations about whatever was on both of your minds. You two had gotten very close and the relationship you built was extraordinary.

The dynamic was basically: Mom and Chaotic Child. I think you already know who is what role.

She's gotten used to the foul things you say. You'll be latching on to her arm and saying the weirdest stuff and she'll just stand there like it's an average Tuesday. (it is for her) Jiro wonders how she hasn't lost her mind by now. Momo will say something about it if your around certain people though. Just making sure you don't get your ass kicked.

Momo has a deep appreciation for art. When you show her your animations, she's so proud of you. Praises you so fucking much it's crazy. If you ever need someone to help you visualize certain poses, she's always up for it. She'll make time out of her day to do it. If you draw her specifically, AAAAAAAAAAA. She'd be so happy and have a huge smile on her face.

Just like how she is with your art, she's super proud of your singing voice. Talks about your voice a lot whenever the topic of music is brought up. She only has good things to say about you. If you write songs, she'll be so supportive of all of them. And if you ever need help with said songs, she'll talk to Jiro and ask her to help you with whatever you need. Momo isn't confidant in her own skills, especially in music, so having someone like Jiro helping you would be more useful in her mind.

It'll take some convincing but if there's a specific role in a song you need her to do then she will do it. Deep down within her she'll be bursting with joy that you chose her for the role out of everyone. Just please help her improve her confidence. She really needs more.

Makes sure no one breaks you out of your daydreams. If they come up to ask you a question whilst you're in your fantasy world, she'll shoo them away and tell them she'll ask you later. Basically Momo will tell them to fuck off in a kind way whilst whispering. If it's something really important and she has to snap you back to reality, she'll speak in a very soft and comforting tone.

One night, Yaomomo felt like crying. Mistake after mistake, every second she felt like she was the biggest failure in the world. Everything felt so overwhelming. It felt as if she was drowning in a lake of sadness. Every single time she tried to climb out, another round of waves hit her. The ruthless cycle left her feeling pathetic, helpless even. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she bit her lip. Momo put on a tight smile and began walking forward.

You and her had arranged a small hangout under the cherry tree in the park you met at. She wanted to be happy for you. She wanted to be happy for her friends. Momo swore to herself that she wouldn't cancel on you. Even if she was at her lowest, she wanted to be there to help and support you.

Her smile was, to you, clearly forced. The girl's raven hair was a mess, seeming like she was pulling it a moment before. The dark eye bags was a dead give away she was tired. Her hands were balled into fists. And if you looked closer, you could see her thumb digging into the soft skin of her hand. Momo was clearly not okay and you were not going to allow that.

"Yaomomo, everything alright?" you said in a tone that made it obvious you were being serious. She simply nodded her head, taking a seat beside you. "Yaomomo I could tell when you're not okay." Her lips formed a straight line as she closed her eyes. It looked like she was thinking hard about something.

You wouldn't push her to talk about whatever was troubling her but you would try to take her mind off it. You took her hand in yours and rubbed circles into her knuckles. Usually you were on the side of being comforted rather than comforting. But you had to be there for her, exactly how she was there for you. Her kindness blew you away the first time you met and now it was finally the time to repay her for not only that kindness, but all the love she's shown you for the amount of time you've known each other.

The simply gesture snapped her out of her thoughts and her eyes darted down to your hand. Momo's lip then turned into a small smile. Tears began forming in her eyes and she pressed her head into your shoulder. Although you couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking and why she was crying, you were glad you could give her some peace of mind. Not a word was said during this interaction.

You sat in silence as you both watched the stars in all their glory. Choosing to ignore the tears that were running down the girl's face, you shifted slightly and turned your head to face hers. "Do you want to lay down on my lap? I think that would be more comfortable than the position you're in." Momo responded with a simple nod and smile that was enough to melt your heart.

After repositioning, Momo's breath turned even again and her tears soon faded. You both began cracking jokes whilst watching the stars. Laughs and giggles filled the cold night's sky. Exchanging a look you both thought the same thought. I would do anything for you.

#mha matchup #bnha matchup #anime matchup #momo yaoyorozu matchup #syrupa-matchups

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what-is-your-plan-today · 4 years ago

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CSI Rogers and Barnes- The Serious Cereal Serial Killer Episode 15: Avengers, Assemble!

Co-Written with @icanfeelastormbrewing

Summary: Having figured out where Rumlow has taken Katie, it’s now a race against time for The 4 Avengers to reach her before it’s too late. Armed with…yeah…ok, actually, we’ll let you read that bit because frankly this entire chapter is ridiculously fun!!!

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: LONG update here guys. And it is utterly ridiculous but my GOD we had a helluvalotta fun writing this, as we have with this entire series. We only have one more chapter following this before the Epilogue so we are rapidly coming to the end of CSI Rogers & Barnes.

Anyway, enjoy!!!

Chapter Song: The Avengers (Yes, ok, there was no other piece of music for it!!!!)

CSI R&B Masterlist // Main Masterlist

“Gentlemen, you're up!”

The patrol car raced through the road towards Wheaton, the wail of its police siren blaring through the air. Thor's eyes were trained on the road ahead, his knuckles white from the strength he was gripping the steering wheel with. Steve was focused on typing messages to keep Clint and Nat updated. He could have called, it would have been easier and faster, but the sound of the sirens would make it difficult to understand anything and he'd rather be engrossed in his phone, trying to keep his fingers steady over the keyboard, than looking through the window and letting his mind wander to possible scenarios he wasn't ready to even consider.

Tony and Bucky occupied the back seats and, truth be told, both men were being uncharacteristically quiet. Sure the circumstances didn't allow for small chat or any kind of joking but still. Bucky was getting more and more anxious by the minute and he would go nuts if he kept counting the trees they passed by the road. And then there was Tony, he wasn't the one to let a snarky comment pass by even if it only was Thor's driving skills or Steve's phone being an old-fashioned model.

Bucky turned his head right to look at Tony and spotted him fiddling with something that looked like two Tasers. He was tinkering with the devices using a small screwdriver he had gotten from who knows where. Tony must have sensed Bucky's gaze on him coz he looked up to find him watching and lifted both his hands to show him that he was, indeed, messing with a pair of Tasers.

"Where did you get them?" Bucky asked.

"The trunk of the abandoned car." Tony shrugged as he resumed his job with the screwdriver. "You three all have guns... figured I might need something."

Bucky didn't say a word but raised an eyebrow at him and Tony looked up again.

"Don't look at me like that Barnes, I saw that big ass shot gun in the trunk." he said as he continued fiddling.

Bucky then heard Steve gave an exasperated sigh as he turned to face them.

"Are you two fighting again?"

"Nope, but I don’t like him so…" Tony stated, without taking his eyes from the Tasers.

"Me? What did I do? I ain't the one that killed your parents." Bucky scoffed.

"One more word, I swear to god…" Tony snapped at him, brandishing the tasers.

Ok, that had been an unfortunate comment of sorts. Not the best moment to bring up his dead parents…

"What the fuck you gonna do with a Taser, Stark?" Bucky asked Tony, trying to dial it down a bit.

"I amplified the power to 3000%, so try me."

"Ok." Bucky slurred. He was truly impressed and fell silent.

"I love you 3000." a smirking Tony mumbled.

"So you don’t hate me now? Come on!" Bucky feigned a protest.

"I was talking to the tasers." Tony quipped, lifting his head for a second to raise an eyebrow at Bucky.

Thor then let out a huge guffaw and Steve sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't cope with Tony and Bucky’s stupid bickering at the moment. He couldn't blame Tony though. The man was a wreck too, after all it was his sister whose life was at stake.

"Buck, please. Leave it." Steven pleaded without turning around.

"You know what, I’m done. When all this is over I’m fucking off to Africa and settling in a goat farm." Bucky muttered.

"What are you, Meryl Streep? What would Wilson do without you, or are you taking him with you so that he can wash your hair?" Tony joked but suddenly paused, pondering something while studying Bucky before asking "Have you ever considered letting it grow? It would suit you."

"Tony, that's enough!" Steve's Captain voice echoed inside the car.

A tense silence fell over them as Thor swung the vehicle they were in around a car in front of them that was moving out of the way and Steve leaned forward to check the sat nav. They were less than a mile out now and he could feel the tension build up in every muscle of his body.

"Cut the sirens, Thor. We don’t want to warn them."

"Yes, captain."

Almost as soon after Thor did as he was told they were pulling up through the large gates of the drive up to the camp. Thor drove a few yards into the main parking lot before stopping the car.

"Back up a bit, Thor." Steve asked, looking around him through the window. "Let's hide the car behind those bushes."

Just as Thor was about to stop the car they heard a loud clang and they all turned to see what had happened.

"You hit a flagpole." Bucky informed.

"Well, luckily we didn't knock it down. That would have caught a lot of attention." Tony deadpanned.

"Nah, that would have been impossible..." Thor began to explain.

"Are you sure, Odinson? The way you drive..." quipped Bucky

"The only way to take the flagpole down is by disconnecting the pin holding the pole in place." Steve deadpanned.

Everyone turned to look at him and he simply shrugged at the inquiring expressions of their team's faces.

"What now Cap?" Thor finally asked.

"Call it Rogers." Tony chimed.

"We get out." Steve said sternly.

"I could have called that." Bucky said as he rolled his eyes. "Come on, you’re the man with the plan Steve, what is your plan today?"

Steve hesitated for a moment as he took his surroundings but before he could speak Tony replied.

"I have a plan. Attack!" Tony shouted and with that he barrelled out of the car, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"Fuck's sake…TONY!" Steve hissed.

But Tony was gone. Long gone. Steve, Bucky and Thor hastily got out of the car and saw him sprinting across the lawns round the side of the old reception area of the camp. Steve couldn't help but give a growl and the three men headed round to the trunk of the car. If Tony wanted to play hero, that was fine by him. Maybe not die trying would be nice. But Steve's strategic mind told him they needed to get ready for the fight. It was the fight of their lives and he was determined to get his girl back safe.

Whatever it takes.

"He’s gonna get himself killed." Bucky said as he nodded at Tony while he put a bulletproof vest emblazoned with the NYPD logo on.

"No, he’s the perfect distraction for Rumlow. Another Stark to add to the collection. Let him think he’s here alone…" Steve said, hand on hips while looking at Tony in the distance.

"Lady Potts will kill us." Thor stated whilst pulling on his vest.

"Lady? What are you Macbeth?" Bucky asked, giving Thor a look.

"Ok can we focus?" Steve groaned as he zipped his vest up.

"How you wanna play this?" Bucky asked his captain.

"We head in, split up, we can cover more ground. Anyone see anything, call it in ok?" Steve called it.

Bucky and Thor nodded and with that they headed down the small path to the right until they reached a point where it forked. Thor then stopped Steve with a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain, look."

Steve looked down and saw a set of 3 footprints. He followed the trail with his eyes and saw that they led off the path and down the bank around the large lake. At a head sign from Steve all 3 men pulled out their guns, their previous plan to split up abandoned, and headed slowly but surely round the bank of the lake. Their senses alert until they reach the boathouse where the canoes and water-sports equipment was stored.

As they approached they saw Tony crouched down at the side of a speedboat. The scientist glanced up as they all stooped to keep in the shadows.

What, did you stop for drive thru?" Tony asked with sarcasm.

Thor ignored him and looked down.

"The trail stops here Captain…they must have taken the path from this point."

The four men glanced around, looking for some hint that may give away the direction Rumlow and Wanda may have taken.

"If you had kidnapped someone, brought them here, where would you hide them?" Tony, asked. His analytical mind taking over his former recklessness.

Steve looked around again and spotted the old munition barracks which had been turned into the main offices. He now recalled him and Katie being sent there the last time they were here as there’d been a mix up with the cabins. He smiled and the thought of it being a perfect hiding place as, if he was not mistaken, there had been plenty of smaller rooms in that building.

"In plain sight" he said nodding to it.

They walked over, as ever trusting their Captain's instinct. When they got there, Steve noticed the door was locked. Rumlow must have locked it from the inside to avoid unexpected visitors or even squatters. He turned to look at Bucky, nodded to the lock and moved away an instant before the detective shot the lock clean off and opened the main door.

Steve let Thor and Buck enter the building first, Tony and him walking into the old office behind them. The four men gave slow steps, taking the room in, before splitting up to cover the different smaller spaces. The Captain remained close to Tony who started roaming around and stopped by a cupboard.

"Hey, look at this." Tony called for him.

Steve gave a few steps over and looked to where Tony was pointing to the floor. There were scrape marks in an arc where the door had been opened. They looked fresh. Good call, Tony. Steve thought to himself.

He reached for the handle and pulled the door open. But it turned out to simply be a janitor's store.

They looked around, a bit disappointed. There was nothing in there at all except a forsaken tool box. But apparently it had caught Thor's undivided attention as he grinned and headed to it, crouching beside it to open it and rummaged through the scarce and dusty contents before pulling out a hammer.

"I like these." Thor said, wielding the hammer.

The three men looked at him and the childish expression on his face.

"Whatever, ok, let’s keep looking…" Steve urged.

"Wait…can you feel that?" Tony asked, raising his hand to stop everyone moving.

"Yeah, there’s an air current…" Bucky offered.

Tony nodded in agreement and started looking around, feeling the walls, knocking on them lightly. After a while he stopped at the one to their right.

"Please be a secret door, please be a secret door…" he said faintly before pushing on it and with a small click the door pushed inwards. “Yay." Tony exclaimed softly, with the air of a small child discovering some kind of special treat.

Steve stepped over and glanced through it. There was a set of steps.

"Alright, I’ll go first. Buck, cover me."

Bucky nodded and the 4 of them headed down the steps and emerged into a cellar of some sort. It was a room full of boxes and containers. There were also trash cans overflowing with old pieces of paper. But that was not what Steve, who was leading the party, was paying attention to. His breath caught, as for the first time in hours, he could hear Katie. He stopped dead, holding his hand up and the others halted in a line, fanning out behind him. He paid attention again and relief washed over him as he heard her voice once more. He couldn't understand clearly what she was saying, her voice was quiet, but it was her and that meant she was conscious and, more importantly, alive.

Steve let out the breath he was holding and looked at Tony who also breathed out in relief at the noise. His brown eyes telling him she’s alive. Steve nodded to him tightly before he stepped forward once more.

The members of The Avengers followed their teammate’s voice through the cellar and reached a door at the far side where they spotted a chink of light coming from the inside. Now Katie's voice was a lot clearer to them.

"You know they’ll find me don’t you? Soon as they find the first car they’ll be onto you."

"By they you mean lover boy? Yeah I’ll be glad to punch his pretty face in, and you’re getting front row seats sugar." they heard Rumlow disdainful words this time.

"Don’t call me that." Katie hissed.

"We agreed Rogers is mine. You’re not laying a finger on him." Wanda intervened, confronting Rumlow.

Katie’s sarcastic laugh echoed in the room. "You’re fucking insane Wanda. You think after everything you still have a chance?"

"This is all your fault, you spoilt brat. You should have stayed in DC." Wanda raised her voice.

"Yeah well you can thank your friend Brock for that. Funny though…”

“What is?”

“Steve. Out of all the profilers he could have chosen, despite the fact we were on bad terms, he still came running to me. Because wanted me. He’s never wanted you and he never will…"

Wanda was the one to laugh this time and Steve shuddered at the harshness that laced the sound. "This isn’t about that anymore. I want him to pay for humiliating me��and I want you to suffer knowing that when I stick a bullet in his head, you’re to blame."

There was a pause before Katie spoke again. This time her voice was quieter and Steve felt his heart sink.

"Leave him alone. You got me."

"And I want you to lose him because of me, like I lost him because of you." Wanda continued.

"Shut the fuck up Maximoff. This isn’t about you." Rumlow growled.

Steve shook his head, trying to zone out from the exchange as he attempted to keep a clear head and figure out a plan. They couldn’t just storm in, it was too dangerous but if they didn’t do something soon…

He closed his eyes, in an attempt to keep the tears that were threatening to spill at bay, the world around him fading for a minute. And then, as he took a deep breath, as if by magic he heard Tony's whispering voice. "I have an idea. Do you trust me?" he asked Steve.

The team all turned to him, the concern on their faces changing into something similar to hopefulness.

"We need a distraction, something to draw him out. There were a few oil drums back over at the boat house. I can blow some shit up. Cause a fuss…" Tony explained

Steve looked at Bucky who shrugged "No better idea."

"I trust you." the Captain said looking at him in the eyes. "Ok, go…"

At that Tony nodded and slinked off and their attention went back to the conversation.

"Sooooo…" they heard Katie again "I get it, you want revenge and whatnot but, humour me. Before you do whatever it is you’re gonna do to me, I need to know. What the FUCK is the cereal about?"

"I’m sure in that pretty little head of yours you figured it out." Rumlow scorned.

"Hmmm, well I have a theory…"

"You know I’ve always liked listening to your mind talk…" Rumlow encouraged her. Steve could almost perceive the wicked smile on his face.

"Oh, what the hell…nothing else to do whilst I’m sat here.” Katie said, her voice almost bored, but Steve knew her well enough to know that she was feigning. She would be scared, hell, he was scared, but she was too feisty to ever show weakness at a moment like this.

“Classic narcissism. It’s personal to you. Symbolic. You’re pissed off that you never got the life that being Pierces’ legitimate son would have given you. Instead of a prince you were a pauper, am I right?" Katie finished, poking at Rumlow with her words.

Under any other circumstances Steve would have been caught grinning proudly at his girl's attitude. But the silence that fell upon the room chilled his bones and he closed his eyes again.

“Caviar vs cereal…this is literally the most ridiculous case I have ever worked on, with the stupidest Killer ever." Katie laughed.

"Well it fits perfectly with your stupid Captain and his ridiculous team." Rumlow snarled, his pride wounded.

"Oooh, did I touch a nerve there Brock? Let me tell you something, you’re not even half the man my stupid captain is…" Katie now hissed.

Then there was the sound of someone spitting, apparently Katie, as it was followed by a roar and the harsh sound of a slap, followed by a yell, and another loud thud, then silence again.

"That should shut her up for a while…annoying bitch." Wanda spoke this time.

That was it, Steve snapped. To hell with this, he thought. It was now or never. He was not losing the love of his life and he had a real opportunity to take Rumlow down good. He stepped and looked at Bucky and Thor.

"Assemble." he said between gritted teeth before looking back as if to boot the door but Thor caught him.

"Captain…" Thor hissed, his hand curling round Steve’s forearm. "We can’t storm the room. Not whilst they have little Stark like this."

"I’m done waiting Thor…she’s…"

But he didn't finish as right on cue there was a huge explosion above their heads.

"What the fuck?" Rumlow shouted.

"It could be a trap. Someone trying to draw us out." Wanda stated.

There was a pause, nothing happened, and Steve began to worry it wasn't going to work. But then there was another blast, this one shaking the room.

"There’s no way they’ll have found this place yet." Rumlow told Wanda. “I’ll go see what’s going on.”

Bucky looked at Steve and then at Thor, mouthing arrogant bastard as Thor arched an eyebrow, tossing the hammer in his right hand.

"She comes round, keep her quiet." Rumlow now ordered Wanda.

"Gladly."

Steve jerked his head when he heard Rumlow's footsteps approaching them, and the three men hurried away from the door, hiding in the shadows.

"Wait for him to head to the stairs before we engage." Steve hissed to Bucky and Thor. Both nodded in agreement. The door to the small room clicked open and Rumlow jogged out. Steve's mind raced as he watched the man. He knew if he set his gun off it was going to alert Wanda to the fact they were there, so searching around for something to use instead he found a trash can lid. He grabbed it, slipped his hand into the handle, positioning it in front of his body as Rumlow approached where he was hiding. Then he stood up and almost as if the movement was automatic, like he’d done this in a previous life, he swung it straight into Rumlow’s face, hitting him right on the bridge of the nose with a huge clang.

"A trash can lid?" Bucky deadpanned as Rumlow keeled over backwards, out cold. Thor catching him. "Worked, didn’t it?" Steve said and moved forward as Thor dragged Rumlow off to the right.

"Brock?" They heard Wanda and once more they hid as she appeared in the doorway. They saw her look around, then clearly assuming he was gone and the noise was nothing to be concerned about, she headed back in, leaving the door open slightly.

Thor straightened up from where he had handcuffed Rumlow to a metal pipe at the far side of the room and nodded to the Captain. Then they heard steps on the stairs and all 3 men wheeled round to see Tony hurrying back down with what looked like some kind of fencing mask on his face.

"Did House Party Protocol work?" Tony asked, out of breath as he slid the mask up off his face. Steve nodded to where Rumlow was cuffed as a response. "One down, one to go."

"What’s with the mask?" Bucky asked Tony, lowering his shotgun.

"I was mixing chemicals, and that was the best thing I could find." he shrugged before walking over towards Rumlow and kicking him hard in the face, the crunching of bone ringing out across the room as Rumlow’s nose exploded across his face even more than it already had with the force of Steve’s blow.

"Just making sure." Tony quipped. “Ok, call it Cap”

Steve looked around, the trash can lid still in his left hand, pistol in his right. He waved the gun towards the door, leading the way as if they were a commando unit, and they all followed him silently. Thor tossing the hammer in his right hand, gun in his left.

The door was open and Steve peeked through it. He could see Katie at the far side of the room, her head lolled forward where she was tied to a chair. She was out cold. He swallowed and turned to Thor who was still tossing that fucking hammer.

"Thor put the hammer down. Katie’s out…we need to act now."

"You sure, Captain?" the blond asked.

"Want me to put a bullet in the bitch’s head?" Bucky asked Steve.

"No. I wanna give her a few thousand volts…" Tony replied to Bucky, thrusting his hands out in front of him, the modified tasers fizzing and lighting up in his palms.

"Fine, but I get the final blow. I’ve put up with her insults to my partner at the station for far too long." Bucky bargained.

"All of you shut up…" Steve hissed as he looked back through the door. Wanda was now pacing lightly up and down. He saw her stop in front of Katie, brandishing the gun in her right hand, looking down at the unconscious woman.

"I knew it would all go to shit the moment you set foot back in that station. All the effort I put into pleasing Steve, being the best assistant I could…it was only a matter of time and then you….you had to come back."

Steve turned to his team, nodded, and with that he stepped into the room as Wanda continued her rambling.

"Even Natasha was encouraging me to go for it…telling me to act on my feelings…but then everyone turned against me…because of you."

"You did that yourself Wanda." Steve growled.

Wanda wheeled round and gave a gasp, surprise evident on her face.

"Steve." she whispered before her eyes slid to Thor, Bucky and Tony as they all flanked the Captain.

"Put the gun down Maximoff." Steve ordered.

She flinched at the impersonal surname use but then she recovered and she snarled, cocked the gun and pointed it straight at Katie’s face.

"One more move and I’ll blow her face off."

"Don’t you dare…" Steve hissed through clenched teeth.

Wanda simply gripped the gun tighter, and then, a movement drew Steve’s attention, as Katie began to stir, giving a small moan.

Quick as a flash Wanda brought the butt of the gun crashing down on Katie’s temple, rendering her out cold again and with a snarl Thor flung the hammer straight at Wanda’s hand, knocking the gun from her fingers. She gave a yell as the item had hit her with some force, and Steve took the opportunity. He barrelled straight at her, spearing her round the waist and tackled her, pinning her face down on the floor, utter fury and hatred coursing through his veins. Wanda was screaming and thrashing around underneath him but it was pointless, Steve was far too strong. As he moved to restrain her underneath him, Bucky strode over, shotgun pointed down at her, trained on her head.

"Game over bitch." Bucky jabbed and Wanda suddenly became still.

"And I didn’t get to use my tasers. Man, this sucks." Tony sighed.

Steve looked at Bucky who nodded "Go check your girl Stevie, we got this."

They both heard Thor speaking into his radio requesting medical assistance and transport for two prisoners. Bucky then turned to Tony as Steve stood up.

"Here, take this…" he told Tony as he handed him the gun.

Tony took it and Bucky yanked Wanda’s hands behind her back, snapping the cuffs on her wrists. No sooner had he done that, Tony was kneeling down, grabbing Wanda’s hair, pulling her head up.

"Look at me, Wicked Witch of the West. You’re gonna regret ever having touched my sister." Tony spat.

Steve, meanwhile was crouched in front of Katie, her bruised face held gently in his hands as she was out cold.

"Thor…" he said as he looked up "…get her out of those ropes." He swallowed "Please."

"I’ll do it." Bucky said, reaching down his boot and pulling out a knife.

Thor looked at him with his mouth wide open.

"What?"

"You brought a knife to a gunfight." Thor stated the obvious.

"Better than a fucking hammer." Bucky scoffed and stepped forward to cut the ropes.

As soon as she was free from the restraints Katie’s body fell forward and Steve caught her, sitting back on the floor as he gently shifted her so she was held in his arms, facing upwards. He reached out and tenderly brushed her hair back off her face, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"It's ok Star, I got you…" he said, as he rocked her gently.

Bucky glanced at him. "I’ll call Clint and Nat…" he said, pulling out his phone and leaving the room, followed by Thor whose radio had just cracked to life announcing the arrival of the NJPD who had come following his call to take Rumlow and Wanda.

Tony, cast a glance at Wanda making sure she couldn’t go anywhere, before he stood up and walked to Steve, crouching down next to him.

"Hey, sis…" he said gently, reaching out to brush her face.

Katie still wasn’t answering and Tony looked worriedly at Steve.

"She’ll come round Tony." Steve told him, his voice and sentiment much braver than he felt as he was blinking back the tears himself when he glanced down. Tony gripped his shoulder and just at that moment the room suddenly filled with noise and bodies as local officers walked in, followed by two paramedics.

Bucky took over giving the orders, one of the officers hoisting Wanda to her feet whilst he directed them to Rumlow, all the time keeping one eye on the paramedics who had crouched down next to Steve and Katie.

"How long has she been out?" one of the paramedics, a middle aged woman, asked Steve.

"She took a blow about 20 minutes ago but came round only to take a second which was…" he gulped and sighed "I don’t know."

"Ok, Sir I need you to let us take care of her." the woman said.

"No, I’m not leaving her…please." Steve pleaded.

The woman took a deep breath before speaking "You can stay with her but I need to look at her, check her over."

"Steve, come on, let them do their job, Fury is here too, he’s gonna want to speak to you." Bucky intervened.

"Well, he can damned well wait." Steve said before sighing. He then looked at the Paramedic. "I’ll carry her up to the ambulance."

The woman hesitated at first but she could sense he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he looked considerably stronger than her and her partner together, so she nodded in agreement.

Steve, with a bit of help from Bucky, got up with Katie held in his arms and as he made his way out of the room he shot a glare at Rumlow who was now awake and having his face looked at by another paramedic. Then, without a glance back he took the stairs slowly and carefully, emerging out of the small janitor's closet and into the larger office. He was halfway across when he felt Katie stir in his arms and relief washed over him.

"Hey, sweetheart." he said softly before pressing a kiss to her head as he walked across the office.

He saw Katie give a faint smile. "Steve?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper. He smiled back at her "You found me, I knew you would."

"Well you left a good clue." he said and she grinned.

When Steve walked to the door, which the paramedic pushed open, and stepped outside, it was already dark but the lights from the squad cars and the ambulances were flashing through the black of the night as he made his way towards them.

Katie turned her head upwards to the sky and smiled. Steve followed her gaze and saw she was looking at the stars over the sky above them. He looked back at her and she turned her face to his.

"I love you, my star." he whispered, leaning down and brushing his nose against hers gently.

Katie smiled at him "We did it Steve."

"Yeah sweetheart, we cracked the case." Steve nodded.

"I’m not talking about the case." she huffed.

Steve frowned a little, looking at her, wondering if she had concussion because he had no idea what she was talking about.

Katie then let out a little chuckle at the puzzled expression that had crossed his face "I meant us. We made it Steve. You and me. Even if it did take us 10 years."

Steve swallowed. Suddenly there was a lump in his throat and his eyes misted over as he stopped by the ambulance. "Yeah, yeah we did baby."

He climbed into the back easily and kissed her before he set her down on the gurney. Steve let go of her hand and two paramedics followed him inside. Given Steve’s sheer bulk, there wasn’t much room inside the ambulance so Steve agreed to step outside.

"Stevie…" Katie called him, panicking.

"I’ll be with you as soon as I can Doll but I need to let them take care of you ok? I’ll be right outside" he calmed her, his hand brushing over her head before he straightened up fully and climbed out of the ambulance.

As he jumped down onto the floor outside, he spotted Rumlow and Wanda being led to a car. He was seething his hands balling into fists as he watched Thor shoving Rumlow roughly into the back seats. He wanted to reach out and put a bullet between his eyes but he was jolted from his murderous thoughts by Fury's voice.

"Congratulations, Captain." Fury said reaching his hand out for Steve to shake.

"Sir." He nodded.

“I’ll take command now Rogers, you can stay with Stark." Fury ordered.

Steve nodded and Natasha appeared with Clint. "That’s the closest he’ll ever get to saying Thank You." the woman quipped.

Steve snorted a little and looked back into the ambulance and then to Nat and Clint.

"How is she?" Clint asked.

"A little bruised, dazed…she’ll be ok."

"Good." Natasha nodded.

Steve then frowned "How the hell did you all get here so fast?"

“As soon as you messaged us before we scrambled that.” Clint grinned and pointed to something behind them. Steve turned and saw the NYPD helicopter landed in the middle of the field.

"That is so not fair." Tony protested.

A Paramedic then appeared, speaking directly to Steve "We’re going to take her to Christ Hospital. I’m assuming someone is coming?"

Tony looked at Steve and nodded.

"Thanks, Tony." he said, squeezing Tony's shoulder.

"Once we’re locked down out here I’ll follow up with Tony." Bucky offered.

"Thanks, Buck." Steve said, proud of his team, his family, before he climbed in the ambulance.

***** Steve walked down the hospital corridor, coffee in one hand, phone in the other as he tried to placate his mother who was currently babbling at 500 miles per hour into his ear.

“No, Ma…I promise she’s ok?” he soothed, his voice soft and calm.

“And the doctors told you that?” she demanded.

Steve smiled “Yeah. She’s bruised, has light concussion but she just needs to sleep it off.” He stopped outside Katie’s room and placed his phone between his shoulder and his ear so he could open the door without spilling his coffee.

“Ok, well you make sure you call me when she can talk.”

“As she’s able.” He assured her, letting the door click shut silently behind him. At that moment, there was a movement in the bed and Katie stirred, a gentle whimper slipping from her lips. “Ok, Ma, I gotta go. I’ll call you in a bit.” “Ok, love you son.”

“You too.” With that he slipped his phone back in his pocket and set his coffee down on the table besides her bed. He watched as Katie moved again, letting out a little sigh and then blinked as her eyes opened. She looked around a little, clearly gathering her bearings and he could see she was a little startled, but then her eyes fell on him and her entire body relaxed.

“Stevie? What…”

“It’s ok honey.” He soothed “You’re in the hospital.” He sat on chair, leaning to her and with one hand gently brushed her check with the back of his fingers before he curled his arm gently round her head on the pillow “Dumb question but how you feeling?”

“Like I have a really bad hangover.” She swallowed, and Steve chuckled.

“Well you haven’t exactly been partying but I get what you mean.”

She winced a little and closed her eyes for a moment before she turned her head to face him.

“What happened to them?” she asked quietly, her eyes wide.

“They’ve been arrested, Fury’s dealing with it.” He said softly, reaching for her hand with the arm that wasn’t by her head. “It’s over Doll.”

A that she lay back and tears filled her eyes.

“Hey, its ok… come on.” Steve stood up and slid onto the bed next to her and turned on his side. Katie shuffled over into his arms, pressing her face into his chest, giving a little sniff

“Sorry Stevie it’s just…it’s too much…” she sobbed “I can’t…the last few months, this week..”

“Shhhh..hey, there’s nothing to be sorry for.” Steve gently rest one hand softly on the back of her head. “I got you, let it out.”

He held her still, gently stroking her hair, pressing a kiss to her head.

“Rumlow…almost…” She choked a little as Steve pulled her closer, “I thought Wanda was gonna put a bullet in my head.”

“But she didn’t” Steve swallowed, the memory of seeing her in that chair, the gun pointed at her head still fresh in his mind. “You’re safe.”

“My parents…” Katie continued to sob “Stevie, Pierce, he killed them. Tony and you…you’re all I got left and…stills, Oh god, Tony. Where is he? Does he…”

“He knows everything.” Steve’s voice remained calm. “I took a punch to the jaw for that. And you got so much more than just us baby. My ma, Pepper, Nat, Clint, Thor…the entire 99 have been on the phone demanding an update too.”

She laid still for a moment, taking deep gulps of air as she calmed herself. Eventually her shaking died down and she pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “Wait…Tony punched you?” He looked down at her and nodded “Yeah, was a pretty good right hook to be fair.” “Huh. That was rude.” She deadpanned and Steve chuckled. “Well he’s been wanting to punch me since you told him about us. And, shall I remind you he already punched me at the Commendation.” “To be honest, Steve, I wanted to punch you then too.

“I wanted to punch myself.” He added honestly as she pressed her forhead back against his shoulder, taking a deep breath. “I should never have given up on us the way I did” “I might forgive you some day.” She mumbled.

“Well, I intend to spend the rest of my life making up for it.” He said, pressing another kiss to her head. He felt her smile against his neck and then she pulled back and looked up at him, frowning slightly.

“Hey what day is it?”

“Erm…” Steve glanced at his watch over her shoulder “Saturday, for another half hour anyway. Why you ask?”

She flashed him a grin “Happy week’s anniversary.”

Steve lot out a loud laugh as she chuckled lightly “You know it’s hard to believe all this has happened in a week.”

“Yeah, and you know the real crime in all of this?” she quipped, her eyes shining with mischief.

“What?”

“We’ve still only been on one date.”

“Well I’ll have to fix that.” Steve smiled.

“Yeah, yeah you will.” She flashed him another grin before she leaned up and kissed him. Steve’s hand reached up, gently caressing her cheek, thumb skating over her bruised cheekbone as he kissed her back, his tongue softly sliding against hers, losing himself completely before a cough broke them apart.

Steve turned to see Bucky and Tony stood in the doorway, Bucky shaking his head.

“You two are gross.”

Steve simply grinned before he untangled himself from Katie and stood up, allowing Tony to take his place, the Scientist for once remaining silent as he was focussed on nothing but his sister.

“How you doing Kiddo?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

“I’ll live.” Katie melted into her brothers embrace as he kissed her head.

“Course you will. You’re one of the strongest people I know.” Steve didn’t miss the slight hitch in Tony’s voice as he spoke “And besides, Pepper needs a bridesmaid.”

“Don’t you think I’m a little too old for the whole being big bro’s bridesmaid?” Katie sniffed a little, pulling back to look up at Tony.

“You’ll always be my kiddo.” She smiled, stroking her cheek “Plus I know you like weddings. Or at least you will until you meet my wedding planner. God he’s a pain in the ass.”

“Sounds familiar.” Steve mumbled.

“Bite me Rogers.” Tony raised his hand and flipped him off as Bucky let out a laugh.

“I was talking about Bucky.”

“Hey…” Bucky’s laughter stopped immediately as he turned to Steve, punching him lightly on his arm “Punk”

“Jerk.” Steve smiled back.

**** Katie was released from hospital the next day. Steve stayed with her all night, the hospital staff who tried to move him getting the full Captain treatment so in the end they decided it was easier to simply leave him be. He lay besides Katie until she fell asleep before he dozed in the chair, returning to her bed when she started to wake, ensuring he was both the last thing she saw before she slept, and the first thing she saw when she was woke.

Fury organised a car for them which took them back to Steve’s for a few days where he waited on her hand and foot, well, when he could that is considering his Ma had also took it upon herself to see to her little Star’s every needs. And then, on Wednesday they head to DC, Thor and Bucky in tow were they spent the day packing up her stuff, loading what they could fit into the cars and helping the removal men to take the big items into storage until Katie decide what to do with it. Steve didn’t want her to go so soon but she was adamant she wanted to close the door on this chapter of her life as soon as possible so he agreed to go provided she simply directed and didn’t lift a finger.

As Steve and Thor maneuverered the coffee a table through the door, Bucky dragged her sofa away from the wall before he straightened up and looked at Katie.

“You know, you might as well just sell all this save us all the trouble.” He grumbled

“I’m gonna need it when I get my own place.” She shrugged. “Bullshit. I know you insist moving in with us is a temporary measure, we know you’re never gonna move anywhere without lover boy.”

Katie rolled her eyes, “Whatever, just shut up and pull that couch out fully will you?”

“This is slave labour.” Bucky naroed his eyes at her.

“According to Sam you don’t mind being a slave under certain circumstances.” She grinned cheekily and Bucky felt his cheeks flush red.

“Shut up doll face.” He practically spluttered and Katie burst out laughing

“So its true!”

“What the…” Bucky looked at her, folding his arms “Wait, were you baiting me?”

Katie shrugged, still giggling “Was worth the shot.”

Bucky glared at her as Steve and Thor walked back into the room. Steve stood for a second, watching as Katie continued to tease Bucky who looked utterly offended at whatever she was saying. The Captain smiled softly, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned on the doorframe. He really did love the way the two of them interacted with such ease. His love and his best friend getting on made his life a lot easier.

“Little Stark…” Thor’s booming voice filled the room, echoing slightly as the room was almost empty “I keep meaning to ask. Have you any friends that I could ask to Tony’s wedding?” “You can’t just blind date to a wedding.” She looked at him, scoffing slightly.

“Why not?” Thor asked.

“Because you can’t!” she protested, shaking her head before Steve saw her grin as an idea had clearly just come to her. “You could always ask Gina.”

“Gina?” Thor asked “The strange lady from the station? “Yeah you have a lot in common.” Bucky nodded.

“I’m not strange Goat keeper.” Thor shook his head “I am mighty.”

“I don’t keep go-you know what?” Bucky sighed “Whatever man… “The man’s strangeness still baffled him, and he doubted that it would ever not.

“Still looks like a llama to me.” Katie mumbled as Steve slid an arm round her, chuckling.

“I heard that Stark.” Bucky shot her a glare as Steve kissed her temple.

Together they finished up and when the last box was moved Steve watched Katie take a last look around.

“You ok?” he asked her, his hand dropping to the small of her back.

“Yeah, just thinking. When I arrived here I was so pissed at you.” She mused, “And now…well, I can’t wait for our future.”

Steve smiled and dropped a soft kiss to her lips “Me either Doll. You ready or do you want a moment?”

“No, I’m good.” She smiled. Slipping her hand into his they walked to the door of the appartment and Katie took the key to the door off her keyring and placed it into an envelope which she removed from her pocket, the landlords name written on the front. She left it on the door mat inside as Steve held the door open for her. Once they were out in the hall she pulled the door shut and they headed to the elevator.

They had a reasonably chilled rest of the week, Steve taking Katie on that well overdue second date on Saturday night taking her to a little Italian his mother swore by and for a few drinks after. Their night ended the same way their last date did, prompting complaints from Bucky on Sunday morning about his sleep once more being disturbed.

Monday morning rolled around far too quickly for Steve’s liking. It had been a nice week off for the two of them, even if it had been forced by less than desirable circumstances, and he didn’t want it to end. As he stirred from his sleep, he reached out, pulling his girl closer to him, pressing a kiss to her shoulder and savouring the last 5 minutes before the alarm went off. When it finally sounded, Katie stirred softly, before stretching and letting out that soft sigh that he knew and loved, signalling she was coming round. Smiling, Steve leaned over, gave her a quick kiss whispering “Good morning sweetheart.” before he climbed out of bed and headed for the shower.

Once he was done, he emerged, towel round his waist and walked into the bedroom where Katie was now up, pulling her clothes out for the day, dressed in his shirt. He gave her a quick peck before she headed out to the bathroom for her own shower. Steve dried off, dressed in a pair of black jeans and a grey Henley before he shoved a pair of sneakers onto his feet and headed down to the foyer to check the post. There were two letters, one for him and one for Bucky. Jogging back up the 3 flights of stairs, he walked back in, tossing the letter for Buck down on the side. He put a pot of coffee on, threw a few rounds of bread into the toaster and leaned back against the counter to open his letter.

“Yesss!” he let out a triumphant yell when he read the letter from the insurance company. They’d finally sent him a cheque for his car.

“Why are you so happy on a Monday morning?” Bucky grumbled, almost stumbling half asleep to the breakfast counter “After a week off as well.”

“Insurance money!” He grinned, waving the cheque before he arched an eyebrow at Bucky, noticing for the first time he was dressed only in a pair of pink and yellow polkadot boxers “Man, couldn’t you at least dress? Katie’s living here now!”

“When she stops parading around in nothing but her panties and your shirts I’ll think about it.” He shot back.

“My ears burning?” Katie asked, as she walked into the kitchen, dressed as ever in her jeans, boots and a button down.

“Yes.” Bucky replied simply.

“Fair enough.” She shrugged.

“Stevie’s rich.” Bucky said, nodding to his friend who poured 3 mugs of coffee, setting them down on the counter. Katie fished the creamer out of the fridge and turned to him.

“You finally got your car money?” she asked.

“Sure did Doll” he grinned. At that point the toast popped up and Steve grabbed it, dropping it hastily onto the board in front of him as it was hot. “So we can go shopping for a new one this weekend.”

Katie handed him the butter. “No old man Car Steve, you’ll ruin my street cred.”

Steve snorted as he buttered the toast, dropping it onto a plat which he placed on the counter, the 3 of them grabbing a piece each. “I’m getting another audi.” He said, shooting her a look before he dropped onto a stool next to Bucky.

“Can’t you at least get the A5?” Katie asked, standing in front of him, leaning against the counter as she sipped her coffe and took a bite from her toast. “They’re so much nicer to look at.” “I’m not gonna be looking at it, Honey, I’m gonna be driving it.” Steve rolled his eyes.

Katie swallowed her toast and Steve saw a wicked grin on her face “Yeah and I drive you so to speak but I still like to look at you too.”

At that Bucky spat his coffee back into the mug and gave a groan “I’m going for a shower.”

Steve flushed a little but grinned nonetheless. Once Bucky had left the room, mumbling about it being too early for gross images to be imprinted in his brain, he reached out and pulled Katie onto his lap. “You’re a bad woman.”

“You like it like that Captain.” She smirked, brushing his still damp hair back slightly

“I’m not your captain anymore, Doll.” He sighed “You ready to bid goodbye to the 101?”

“You’ll always be my Captain.” She said, giving him a quick peck before she stuck the rest of her toast in her mouth. “The most important men in my life have been 101st Captains.”

“And long may it stay that way.” Steve smiled.

“Charmer.

“Only for you…” he said, patting her ass gently “Come on, we best go so you can get your desk packed up before everyone shows up to wave you off.”

She nodded and hopped off his lap.

“I just need to grab something.” He said, standing up and heading back into the bedroom. He made his way straight to the dresser which sat under the TV on the wall and opened one of the drawers. Retrieving the long, slim box he smiled and then made his way back into the living room where Katie was pulling on her leather jacket.

“I got you this.” He smiled, holding the box out. She frowned and took it from him gently “Just a little something for good-luck at the 99…not that you’re gonna need it.” He added quickly as she looked at him, her face curling into a smile.

He watched her face as she opened the box, her mouth falling open as she glanced down at the white gold necklace which sported a diamond studded star pendant. “Oh, Stevie…” she gasped “It’s beautiful!”

“Well I figured that silver one I got you needed an upgrade.” He said softly as she reached up and pulled his face down to hers, giving him a strong peck.

“Can you…?” she asked, handing him the box and turning round. With delicate fingers he fastened the necklace around her neck and she straightened it out so the star hung just below the hollow in her neck. “How does it look?”

“Great.” He smiled, giving her another kiss “Come on, let’s go and get your desk sorted before the inevitable huge goodbye that they all have planned kicks off.”

In all fairness it didn’t take them that long to pack up what she was taking. Most of the stuff from her desk in DC was still in a box under her current desk as she hadn’t unpacked it all, not knowing what was going to happen post the case. By time they had done Thor, Nat, Clint and Bucky had all arrived. The team shared one last coffee and a “Pretty eyes Danish” as Gina dubbed the pastries Clint provided, before there were some very tearful hugs shared.

“Don’t bother hugging me.” Gina said, holding her hand up “I’ll get to see you at the 99…” with a smirk she looked around “Suck on that, losers.”

Thor grinned, pointing at Gina “This girl, I like her.”

After a final goodbye, which as Nat pointed out wasn’t really goodbye as they’d still be going out and seeing each other a lot, Steve walked down to Katie’s car with her, carrying the biggest box. He placed it in her trunk before he shut it and turned to face her.

“You gonna be ok?”

Katie nodded and leaned up to kiss him. “I’ll call you later at lunch.”

Steve waited until her car had left the parking lot before he sighed, and turned back to the elevator. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t sad to see her go, but at the same time he was slightly happy about it. Happy because it meant that everything was out in the open, above board. They were free to be together without any worries now, just as they should have been right from the start after Christmas if he hadn’t been such a dumbass about everything.

Still that was behind them now.

That said, he was still distracted for the rest of the morning, his mind on Katie and how she was settling back into her old precinct. He was vaguely aware of Clint running something past him on a robbery case, but what exactly he had no idea. Good job he trusted his team. Eventually at just after 1 his phone rang.

“Hey doll.” Steve smiled as he picked it up, leaning back in his chair, feet on his desk.

“Hey handsome,” “So, how was your morning?”

“Good.” Katie replied, the sile evident in her voice. “Got my desk sorted, a few case files to look over and-“

She was cut off by a loud shout from what sounded like a yell of “CLEAR THE FLOOR!!”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Perralta?” Katie shouted back and Steve winced slightly at the volume of her voice “No, absolutely…oh, Stevie, look, I gotta go…”

“Yeah, sounds…busy” he replied.

“It’s apparently time for the Weekly Monday Lunchtime Derby.” She snorted down the phone. “Perralta and Diaz are about to race round the bull pen on their chairs using fire extinguishers as rocket packs.”

Steve blinked at the utter absurdity of her words before he laughed and shook his head. Holt certainly had his hands full with that lot. He glanced out of his office at his own team just in time to see Bucky throw a pen at Clint who caught it expertly.

“Well, as long as you don’t have to call the fire department.” Steve quipped and Katie snorted.

“No flash fire dudes anywhere to be seen.”

Steve laughed “Ok doll, I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” She said, “Holt suggested all going for drinks tonight, a welcome back to the 99…you wanna come?”

Steve beamed at the thought of the first public appearance as a couple “Absolutely” he assured her. “Drop me a message and I’ll meet you there.”

**** Steve walked into the busy bar and glanced round. It didn’t take him long to spot Katie with Diaz and Jeffords stood a little way into the room and as he watched Katie tilted her head back in a huge, genuine laugh, Jeffords also laughing as Diaz gave her trademark smirk. Seeing her so happy and carefree, stirred something in Steve’s chest and he smiled to himself, before he walked over.

He greeted Holt on his way past with handshake as the man congratulated them on the capture of the Serious Cereal Serial Killer, before telling him the number the tab was open under at the bar. Steve patted the man on the shoulder before he continued and reached his girl’s side.

“Hey baby.” He said, sliding an arm round her waist.

She turned to him and smiled as he greeted Diaz with a nod and shook Jefford’s hand with his free one.

“Hi.” Katie breathed out as he dropped his head to give her a quick kiss.

“You need a drink?” he asked. She tossed the remainder of her gin down her throat and grinned.

“I do now.”

He looked at Jeffords and Diaz who both waved him away before he moved towards the bar. Katie followed him and as he stood waiting to be served she slipped her arms round his waist from behind. He turned to look at her to find her simply smiling at him and he grinned back, pulling her in for a deep kiss, before she pulled away and he pressed his forehead to hers, the rest of the bar forgotten completely.

It took them a while to get there, but Katie was right, they’d made it. And instead of looking back over the past 10 years, cursing himself for wasting so much time, Steve was, for the first time in god knows how long, looking forward and planning on making every single second of their future together count.

#csi rogers and barnes #csi au #steve rogers #bucky barnes #steve rogers x original female character #steve rogers x oc

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royallyprincesslilly · 5 years ago

Text

Title: Love, Maybe? {40}

Chris Evans X Reader OFC Vixen Giovanni

Warning: Cursing, Heavy Angst

Word Count: 2.3K

Summary: After a night of drunkenness you wake up next to warm, hot as hell body, a migraine and no memory of the night before. When you come to realize that the hot body belongs to none other than Hollywood’s golden boy Chris Evans you freak out. As events unfold you become even more panicked to find out you got married in your drunken haze. What else is there to do but get it annulled, right? Before walking away, you share one more night of molten kisses and passion. Three years later you are still living with the repercussions of your brash decisions, but the surprises don’t stop there. The past has a way of coming back and have you questioning is this fate that you’ve been running from, hell could it have been love, maybe?

NOTE: **Italic texts is an inner Vixen thought. Bold Italic texts is an inner Chris thought.

**Loosley Edited/Proofread**

**Interactive**

Thank you guys for reading!!!! If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. 😊❤❤️

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

Chapter 40: The Show Must Go On

-Vixen-

“You may get knocked down fifty times but you better get up fifty-one, sugar.”

Your grandmother’s words were the fuel for you that morning. You woke up before the sun rose and jogged five miles. Thankfully where you were staying was still private probably thanks to it being a gated community. You ran like your life depended on it, ran like someone was chasing you, ran like your very existence was threatened. When you were tired you pushed yourself, when you wanted to stop you forced yourself to keep going. On this run it was then you vowed to not let this new setback keep you down. You hadn’t gotten where you were today by letting punches keep you down.

By the time you returned to shower the sun was up as was Ella. Your mother was in the kitchen preparing her breakfast. When you walked in she watched you, assessing if it was safe for her to begin.

“Good morning mom.”

“Good morning. Up early I see.”

“Yep, early bird gets the worm, plus I have things to do,” you informed.

“Here, have some oatmeal.” She put a bowl on the counter and waited for you to sit. Deciding it was smarter to appease then object you sat and plopped Ella beside you.

“Thank you.”

You took a few bites and moaned. Ella joined in as well. Silence filled the kitchen, but you could hear the unspoken questions. You knew it was a matter of time.

“Vixen. How are you?” Her inquisitive tone held a deeper question, you could hear it.

“I’m good.” It was a bold face lie and you knew she knew it. She didn’t acknowledge it though.

“Vixen. How are you?” Flaring your nose you looked at her with a blank expression then smiled.

“I’m good, mom.” You held her gaze and kept the smile on your face. She hummed then walked away. The clink of her heels on the floor stopped momentarily.

“One day you’re going to have to stop lying to yourself. One day you will have to face your feelings. That day is nearing my precious girl.”

She continued to walk, and you felt like she’d just uttered a curse on you. Shaking it off you focused on breakfast with Ella.

After cleaning up the mess she’d made and given her a quick bath you checked messages that only had to do with work. you set up a meet with Kassius motivated to get back on track. You were not going to let this thing take over. You found the best outfit that screamed taking control and made your move to leave. As you were getting into your car Nex ran out to you with a tight hug.

“What is this for?”

“I’m here for you Vix, no matter what, no matter when. I am here. Just remembered that sometimes our strengths are also our weaknesses.” She placed a sweet kiss on your cheek and walked back inside. You glared at her back, that was not what you needed to hear right now. It was the last thing.

Sitting in front of Kassius forty minutes later neither of you spoke for several long minutes. He scrolled through his tablet with a pensive look on his face. A look that you couldn’t decipher. You couldn’t tell if he were angry, regretting his decision to bank on you, wishing he could nix the contract or what. Your leg began bouncing up and down as you flexed your finger bending it back and forth letting your joint pop in and out, these were your nervous ticks, ticks that you’d learned to control over the years but they flared up every now and then.

Kassius sighed and flipped the cover of his tablet shut before he looked at you.

“Eventful few days huh.”

You busted out laughing. You shouldn’t have laughed; this was no laughing matter but laugh you did. A full minute passed where you heartily laughed. You felt like it had been weeks since you had when in fact it had been just a day or two. When you finally stopped Kassius still sat there with a small smirk on his face, but he looked like he wasn’t shocked.

“I’m sorry. I have no idea why I laughed. This is not funny.”

“It’s okay. I get it. The body’s response to stress can be humor. Perfectly normal, don’t worry about it.”

You slowly breathed out and nodded.

“How are you holding up? If I know anything about paparazzi they are relentless.”

“You have no fucking idea.”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Are you really? From everything I’ve seen this is a big deal. This isn’t just some actor; this is Chris Evans,” he reiterated.

You took in a shuddered breath and slowly let it out.

“I would understand if you weren’t fine. I would understand if you were far from it.”

“I’m--.”

“Fine,” Kassius finished. He sighed and leaned closer on his desk.

“Vixen, at this point we’re in this together. I need to know every surprise, everything to expect. This is your business I get it. I just don’t want any more surprises.”

“I know. Kassius I didn’t know about this. It was just a shock to me as it was to you. I didn’t know we were still married. We met in Vegas got married drunk and the rest is everywhere,” you confessed.

Kassius nodded and circled his thumbs.

“I see. So our predicament is how do we move forward. Theoretically, they say no press is bad press so--.”

“No, we’re not doing that. I see where you’re going and I’m gonna stop you there. I don’t want to use anything about him or this during this promo for the restaurant. We’re staying clear away from this.”

Kassius studied you for a few moments then nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Okay. You have my word we won’t use this.”

You nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

“We won’t use it but because it is already everywhere there is no way around it. they know who you are, they know what is happening. They will be around. We won’t play it up but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any association.”

You understood. He meant that the paparazzi would use it and not necessarily be kind or gentle.

“In light of things it wouldn’t hurt if you took a few days to lay low and work through this,” Kassius suggested.

“No. That’s not necessary. I don’t need to take any time. We should keep moving forward. We’re close to the goal, let’s get there.”

Again, Kassius studied you. he looked concerned but also slightly impressed.

“Okay. Full force ahead.”

The next hour went by where he went over the plan for the remaining weeks of construction, renovation, and promotion. He also gave you great news that Food Network sent over a preliminary contract for partnership with them. Turns out the video of your shoot slash impromptu cooking session was posted to YouTube and it got their attention. They loved it. So now you had the restaurant to look forward to and a Food Network show. You couldn’t believe how the tides of your life had changed.

By midday, you pulled up to your restaurant to find a sea of paparazzo camped outside. Your jaw dropped as you surveilled any way to get inside without being seen. There was none, even the service entry was in plain sight. You sat there having a minor freak out moment as you realized you had to face this now. After almost ten minutes you got out of the car and walked toward the restaurant. Halfway across the street one of them saw you and approached shouting his question.

“Vixen, Vixen anything to say to the world as Mrs. Evans? Anything to say to those who have said you’re a gold digger?”

You clenched your jaw and focused on pushing through them. The sea of them was strong, like an ocean current.

“Anything to say to rumors that you intentionally trapped Chris with this baby?”

“Excuse me! Move!”

Finally, you pushed through to the door and rushed inside locking it behind you before you did you caught one last question.

“Vixen, would you say you’re his black woman fetish he has to play through?”

You stood there and watched them snap pictures and shout outside the glass. The shock of the question enveloped you. This was a nightmare, an insane nightmare you thought. Your anger was the only fuel you needed for the rest of the day. You busied yourself any way you could. You worked with the design team that was already there and completed the rest of your to-do list for the day. Your phone continuously dinged to inform you that you had a new message and all you did was ignore it. You didn’t have the time or patience for anything that began with C and ended with S or anyone who wanted to bring him up.

By eleven, most of the installation was completed as were the concrete plans for the design. You were the last one there. Standing in the middle of the dining area you slowly spun around. You could envision what it would look like when it was all said and done. You were so close you could see the finish line. So close and then you could go back to San Francisco. Another sigh left you when the realization that San Francisco may be getting further and further away especially now with Food Network in the mix. Your thirst for success may be the double-edged sword that forever connected you to this place—the land of the fake.

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of your security. Things were so insane you now needed security to get from your business to your car. This felt like some alternate universe. Once you stepped out onto the sidewalk the flash of the camera bulbs was more prominent and blinding. The two burly men surrounded you from both sides and guided you through the swarm of vermin.

From your normal life in San Fran when you looked through tabloid magazines you didn’t think about how it really was for those who were hounded. It was an afterthought that it must have been tough and such an invasion of privacy but now that you’d experienced it, you didn’t know how any of them did it. After an agonizing minute, you were in your car stepping hard on the gas and getting the hell out of there.

-Chris-

“Fuck!”

He nearly threw his phone across the room. He’d been calling for days and you never answered. He left messages, you never returned them. He texted, no response. Now when he called it went straight to voicemail, he suspected you’d blocked his number. You were distancing yourself and refused to hear him out.

“Woah, woah, put the phone down and back away,” Mackie said from across the room. He rolled his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood.

“I’m not in the mood, man. See yourself back out.”

“Wow, that was a dick thing to say.”

“Mackie.”

It was a warning, a warning he was almost certain Anthony wouldn’t heed. He didn’t wait around to see though. He walked to the kitchen and to the bar he had. His alcohol supply was dwindling. Forgoing a glass, he took up the bottle of rum and put it to his head. The burn was a wake-up call. Rum was not his preferred drink but desperate times.

“Sounds like you’re still going through your dick phase. Only dicks keep a secret from their wives that could implode right in their faces. What the hell man!?”

He didn’t respond. He stared at the bottle of amber-colored liquid.

“Come on man. You had to know that it was a bad idea lying about it. You had to know that she would have found out and every day you didn’t tell her would make it that much worse.”

“I know. Fuck I know! I fucked up. I tried to tell her, so many times. I just—I didn’t know how. Then the closer we got, the more time we spent together I started—I didn’t want to lose her. I thought I just needed time to show her I’m not the same asshole from Vegas, that I was different,” he blurted out before he took another swig of Rum.

“That is the worst plan I’ve ever heard. Man, you white people always coming up with these elaborate schemes that you swear are genius ideas but are really great piles of horseshit.”

He kissed his teeth and walked out of the kitchen. He didn’t want to hear this right now.

“You may not want to hear it bruh, but you need to. You fucked this up. You should have just told her and let the chips fall where they may.”

He knew everything he was saying was true. He knew it. Part of him said he should have done just that, but the other part won out.

“I know,” he admitted.

“So, what are you gonna do to fix this? Nexus is pissed man. She’s not one hundred percent pissed because she knew about the married thing but she’s pissed about not knowing you were still married. Pissed that you lied. Pissed that she liked you and was rooting for you. Should I continue?”

“You can stop.”

“So?”

He thought about it for a minute before he spoke. “I don’t know man, I call her, she doesn’t answer. She is pissed,” he explained.

“Rightfully so. So what are you gonna do about it?”

“You say it like it’s easy. Like I have so many options.”

“You do. You’re Chris fucking Evans, mega rich, so many things at your disposal.”

“I can’t money my way out of this. She’s not like that and you know it.”

“Good answer. Thank god that dick persona knows where not to go. That was a test. You passed.”

“I don’t want to lose her Anthony; I don’t want to lose my family. I had some sort of epiphany in Boston, some sort of vision of what really mattered, what I really wanted, and I only want her and Ella, this fame shit—keep it. I want her, over everything.”

Antony stared at him, assessing his body language and face, then he nodded.

“Then go get em’, man.”

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

***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!

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

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#love maybe fic #Chris Evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #Chris Evans X black reader #chris evans smut #angst fanfic #slow burn fanfic

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missartus · 4 years ago

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Merry Christmas!

Figured that I should write a post at Christmas, given all the chaos that’s been 2020 lol. Well, for one, Covid’s still here and so it’s still been pretty hard for everyone. Personally, my Christmas obviously changed in a way that it’s more chill this time around. Not that I’m complaining ‘cause this is probably my most preferred way of celebrating the holidays, but I’d rather have a chill Christmas because I wanted it and not because the circumstances forced us to. I didn’t even bother to dress up nor put on some makeup because I was really lazy to do so, and to be honest, the Christmas spirit isn’t really as felt this time around. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels this.

Anyway, I didn’t really intend to make a depressing post LOL. It’s the other way around, actually. I’ve been meaning to write something for a few days now but I’ve been lazy. I actually wanted to say that given all the chaos, thankfully I had a couple of things that kept me sane. They’re mostly new hobbies and interests, and some may come off as a shock, even. So here are my life updates so far. A list of things that helped me survive 2020 😌

Baking

It started with a box of pancake mix. A few months back, I was supposed to make some pancakes for an afternoon snack, but then I was kinda tired with eating pancakes that I wondered if there is any other way I can turn that mix into. I eventually ended up with these hard chocolate turnovers lmao. After that, I was suddenly baking almost every week. So far, I’ve baked coffee buns, lemon bars, pandesal!, pound cakes, cookies (ofc), and cinnamon rolls. I’m targeting to go for naked cakes but I am yet to buy an electric mixer. For someone who hates measurements and all, it’s a shock for me to be into baking. But it’s been so therapeutic for me. The kneading of the dough, the whisking, mixing, the rise, the waiting on the oven — so zen. I guess, it’s cause it keeps my mind off of things, and whenever I bake, I’m just so focused on what I’m doing. So it’s like, I’m in my own bubble of productivity for a long while. Also, I’d say it kinda helps with my self-esteem, as baking has allowed me to prove to myself that I can do something delish. Whenever I look at the finished products, I couldn’t believe that I, me, Mich, me, did that! I think that happened when I made pandesals and when I really liked the cinammon rolls. I was like, “Omg, I can’t believe I did this!” Aside from my fam, I’ve sent a few of my pastries to friends as well, and some say that I should start a business already lol. But that’s so far from my mind right now. I mean, I’d want to, in the future. But not sometime soon. I still want to enjoy this season where I’m plainly learning and enjoying the process of baking. I don’t, and am not, prepared for the pressure and hassle of it all yet. 🤪

Workout

I’ve been working out for a few years now but I wasn’t as consistent as how I’ve been the past couple of months. I used to workout every freaking day, but lately it would just be about thrice or four times a week. My past blog posts would give you a hint about my relationship with my body and food. It hasn’t been really nice in general, but working out really does help me improve my mindset towards my body image. Admittedly, I began working out because I wanted to lose weight, but eventually (and thankfully), it transformed into me working out because it makes me strong and it benefits my mental health a lot. I do a variety, although most times I’d do cardio, then I’ll just pair it up with either weights or another round of cardio but dance.

The process has been fun, and I don’t really pressure myself or limit myself when it comes to food. I still eat whatever’s there, but right now it’s all portion control, really. In all fairness, I think because I’ve been working out, my appetite isn’t as huge as it used to be. I get fuller fast these days, and I rarely binge-eat, unless I re-stock on Korean grocery food hahahaha. Anyway speaking of Korean, here’s my last interest update...

BTS

Yup. As in that K-pop boyband. As in Bangtan Sonyeondan. As in that band who’s taking over the world. What a plot twist, right? I’ve never been into K-pop to begin with, so BTS (and eventually, K-pop in general) is probably my biggest musical plot twist so far. I initially was supposed to write a whole separate blog post about this (because that’s how OBSESSED I AM WITH BTS) but I figured that I’ll just include them in this “life update” entry. But for real, it began back in October, when I saw this screenshot of RM’s WeVerse comment/reply to a fan. I’m pasting it here for reference lol.

For some reason, I was really impressed after seeing this. I’ve known the band for a while already. I know how big they are and I even have friends who are huge fans. I’ve seen a couple of their online content in the past as well, but I think it was this image that made me really realize why they’ve been getting so much attention and why their fanbase just keeps on growing. This was the first time that I “got it”, if you know what I mean. Anyway, a bit after that my ARMY friends messaged me and I was immediately swooped into the world of BTS. I don’t regret any of it though haha! I have so much feelings about this topic (lololol) but I’ll try to hold back. Who knows, I might continue with that separate blog post anyway 💁‍♀️ My bias is Namjoon (my goodness, this man is such a dream), while my bias wrecker is Jimin. Although I think my bias wrecker changes everyday now lmao. 😂 I’ll say this though, it wasn’t their pretty faces that got me. If anything, I think that really comes as secondary, because what made me an Army was their talent, their story, and their character. These boys are really men of substance, and their songs and advocacy can attest to how principled they are. Their songs have also helped me so much as I am still in the process of improving myself, my mental health, and all these introspective things. I remember this one time where I bawled my eyes out when I was reading through the English translation of Answer: Love Myself. In a year when I almost lost myself again due to how depressing this year was, it feels good to root for something, or in this case, someone, and see them flourish in success. They really started at the bottom, and I guess in a way their story also inspires me to keep on doing what I’m doing, knowing that someday, everything will make sense and I’ll finally make it.

BTS also led me to listen to other K-pop acts as well such as Day6 (another fave!), Monsta X, Shinee, IU, Henry, and BlackPink (very recently hahaha) Ok, I’ll stop right there. 😬 Funny how I just cannot get the K-pop hype for so many years, and now I’m genuinely enjoying it. It’s become my go-to work soundtrip also as I don’t get carried away by singing along to the lyrics as, ofc, it’s in a different language lol.

Plants

I remember last year when my colleagues at work gave me this plant and they assured me that it won’t die but it did. It kinda made me think that I don’t have a green thumb and that I can never maintain a plant. But guess what, I have about 7 plants now and THEY’RE ALL THRIVING SO WELL. I’m so invested in these plant babies and I’m so proud of myself that they’re all so alive and doing well. There were some scares, I admit. Like this one time when I attempted to re-pot my Syngonium Arrowhead and it almost died lol but I re-did it and thankfully it resurrected hahahahaha. Again, just like what I said about BTS and my baking, my plants are also testament to how it feels nice to root for (no pun intended) something and see them thrive, and how it feels so satisfying and reassuring to see something that I’ve been taking care of live healthy and happy.

So yeah, there’s that.

Those are what my life has been circling around these days. As I’ve said, I’m very grateful that I got into these things, little as they may seem as compared to others. But hey, they make me happy, and I think at this point in time, as long as something makes you happy and sane, that’s all that matters. You do you, girl. Wow, I can’t believe that I wrote this long. It’s been a while since I did! Anyway, I’m gonna end this here now as it’s getting late and I still have stuff to do.

Merry Christmas!

#rantsandjoys

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smellycinnamonthundahfudge · 5 years ago

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5 gifts peter got for mj and 1 she gave him

im still alive bishes haha. am i really just choosing to participate in a different prompt that i barely have anything planned out for instead of finishing the one i was late in following up on? yes i am. prep urselves for some gift giving spideychelle to develop their relationship pre-ffh hehe

after hoco and peter starts to gain a work spidey life balance, he finally starts to notice that mj apparently... cares... about... him???

it wasn't obvious at first, hidden under a layer of deadpan sarcasm and witty comebacks, but the interest seemed to be there

which was why every time peter would miss a meeting, he'd actually feel bad this time because he really did want to be there this time

he'd feel terrible every time mj would ask him where he was, why he didn't show up. she was hoping he'd show and he let her down.

the first couple of times it happens, mj's understanding enough.

but it happens a couple of times too often and back to back and something snaps

you see, peter and mj have developed a bit of a rapport over the couple of months after hoco.

peter finds out mj likes coffee and tea, she read a stephen king book one time, he noticed, and they talked basically all week about king (and some of the issues surrounding him, his work, and their adaptations ofc)

soon enough their talks extend beyond school and they start meeting up in the library, at their places, at coffee shops, pizza places, an arcade one time where mj managed to beat peter at air hockey. her lil energetic whoop and almost doing a victory dance (before realizing she was in public) was worth losing for.

but admittedly, peter was just a tinge bit stressed and overextended and he unfortunately let his time with mj fall by the wayside.

he'd accidentally left her at seen for days after he completely forgot she sent him a message. she called, he answered, a robber was currently running away from some cops, he hung up on her...

suffice it to say, peter became a bit of a bad friend and he completely understood why mj reverted back to their previous relationship, he did it first

which was why peter decided enough was enough

mj has been a great friend to him, a true one, and an underappreciated one at that

which was why he decided he'd spend as much time, effort, and thoughtful gestures necessary trying to make it up to her

problem was, they were currently on clipped one word reply speaking terms right now. mj barely looked at him, she went back to sitting all the way to the other side of the farthest table during lunch again...

he needed a way in

so he went back to basics, the next day, he knew mj had a 7 am class so peter went to school at 7 am too, just to give mj some much needed caffeine

trouble was, was that mj was running late and when he gave the coffee, she left just as quick as she came

she said a quick "thanks, parker" and swoosh she sprinted to class

and peter was left there with 3 hours to spare til his next class. oh well, at least the effort made her do that quick lil toothy smirk

his efforts would work eventually won't it?

but if an omniscient narrator were watching him for the following days, they probably would have said no, no they wouldn't

one of those days, peter brought a thermos of tea only to find that mj had brought her own

"great, i thought the point of these gifts were to make things less awkward between us" peter thought to himself as he winds up walking away in slight shame from the awkward interaction

he winds up sharing the thermos with ned instead, who promptly responded "wow i get your secondhand gifts, you sure know how to make a guy feel special, peter"

"shut up, ned, do you want some or not?"

"no, come on, give it to me. free drinks are free drinks even if it's essentially just warm leaf juice. besides, i heard this helps with a sore throat."

"well, at least someone's happy with my gift"

they clink their cups together and peter begins brainstorming his next probably bound to fail gift idea

as he was walking home from school that day, and saw mj heading to the library, said idea lights up in his head in the form of bookmarks

those were cute right? and mj would probably use em all the time cus she reads so much and she reads multiple books at a time, so she'd probably use multiple bookmarks as well, right?

bookmarks it was, peter decided

he thought he'd print a bunch of personalized ones. ones that were photos of them, had quotes from significant historical female figures, and of course science puns

he knew mj didn't appreciate them as much as he did, but a part of him thought she'd like them nevertheless and would think of him when she'd use them

peter knew this gift giving crusade would be... heavy on his wallet, but as he stared at the price for laminating a couple of personalized bookmarks. he concluded lamination was a scam and believed mj would be careful enough with her books, and consequently, her bookmarks, to not need some flimsy piece of plastic to protect it

so peter opted for some folders and cardboard to make said bookmarks instead

it's only later after he got tossed into a sewer by a dude in a mechanized rhinoceros suit that he learned a valuable lesson: always laminate bookmarks

ok he was kidding (lamination was still a scam and bad for the environment and you couldnt write on the things after you laminate em)

but really tho, he did learn something. he realized he hasn't had the best of luck keeping his gifts intact in time to give said gifts to mj

so he decided to employ reinforcements

once peter's saved enough money to buy his next gift (a sketch notebook that he saw at a cutesy old crafts store), he decides that he should take ned with him when he buys it and that ned should just give it to mj instead

(better safe than sorry)

but peter still wanted mj to know the gift was from him tho, so he decided to write a letter and insert it within the notebook.

so he writes, or more like incoherently rambles and apologizes really

but peter thinks he got to the crux of the importance their relationship had to him and really, he just wanted to make things up to mj

that's what mattered

here's the thing tho, halfway thru writing said letter, he realized that having ned give it to her was kind of a cop out.

not to mention, not giving it personally but writing this long ass sort of confessional letter?

pfftt peter liked to think he was better than that

talk about sending mixed messages

so peter decided that he would still have ned keep the notebook and the letter, right up until the point that he was going to give the gifts to her.

and finally, peter parker, in this whole gift giving crusade, is finally given a fucking break.

at lunch time, the three of them are now all sitting at the same table

(peter and mj's relationship have mostly improved in the time it took him trying to give all those gifts, but he still felt guilty and he still wanted to show his appreciation for her)

ned "slyly" (mj saw it, how sly could he have been?) passes peter the notebook under the table

and peter braces himself

"i can do this" he repeatedly quietly mutters to himself until he finally approaches

"hey, mj"

"greetings, parker" casually replies mj without so much as looking up from her book

"i uh... got you something"

"is it something ned gave you?"

"what?"

"cause if it is, he can give it to me himself, you know" says mj in a semi shout to ned as well (ned looks at peter with a facial expression that said dude wtff?? how did i get in the middle of this???)

"what? no no no this isn't from ned. i bought you this."

"so why did ned have it?" says mj in her cool suave investigator mj interrogatory tone

"well..."

peter had officially maybe five? six? seconds to decide whether to share his embarrassing tales of failed gift giving woes to mj or to make up something on the spot

screw it, embarrassing failed gifts it was instead. truth shall set you free and all that, right? plus maybe it'd help him practice for when he tells her his biggest secret

peter sighs in defeat and tells mj in an almost quiet mumble "all my other gifts were destroyed when i kept them so i decided to have ned keep them instead"

"i'm sorry what?"

"it's just that the last time i tried to get you a gift, it just wound up getting ruined so i thought i'd just have ned hold onto it until it was time to give it to you."

peter can barely look mj in the eyes, the cafeteria just seems so interesting all of a sudden.

"oh"

that made peter look back at mj cus she seemed... shocked?

mj is.... shocked????

"soo... you bought that... for me?"

and god forsake peter parker because mj just gave him the cutest shyest little happy smile that he never knew she was capable of having.

"yeah yeah i did" and peter finally gets to give mj his gift/s (im counting the letter as the 5th gift cus im lazy af hahaha) and all the other trials and errors and failed gift attempts completely made the end result worth it

until ofc mj opens the damn thing and finds said letter that peter had completely forgotten at the moment was there

"what's this??" mj asks in an overly sarcastic teasing tone that kinda makes peter want to die

as mj opens the letter right there during lunch in the school cafeteria, peter suddenly lunges to block said letter's contents from mj's sight

"petet what the hell are you doing?" asks mj with the sweetest laughter that peter would totally googoo eyes about at any other moment had he not been focused on trying (and obviously failing) to keep his dignity intact

"uhhh can i ask that you just read that some other time, mj? and uh not right here, right now, in the cafeteria? it's just really embarrassing" peter shyly requests of mj, scratching his neck and looking at everything in the cafeteria but her

to that, mj simply has a sympathetic look on her face in reply

"sure, peter" says mj with a reassuring smile

and with that, peter breathes a big sigh of relief and finally lets go of his feelings letter for mj

mj closes the notebook up, keeping the letter safe inside it in the process, and secures the notebook safe inside her bag inmediately

suffice it to say, for mj, that notebook is precious cargo and she shall treasure it as much as she is capable of treasuring something

because peter parker felt guilty over not getting to spend time with her as much as they did and kind of pushing her to the sidelines and so it was just a genuine thoughtful gesture that showed peter valued their friendship/relationship as much as she valued it

PRECIOUS. CARGO.

but speaking of said cargo...

"hey peter"

"yeah?"

peter had gone back to his seat right next to ned

"sooo what was the other gift you tried to give me?" asks mj, getting back to their playful teasing banter ways

mj's question sends peter facepalming himself with the table

"don't think i've forgotten about that, i'm probably not going to stop investigating til i find out so might as well just spill the truth, parker"

peter stops his repetitive headbanging onto the table and sighs

"fine, mj"

and peter goes on to explain his bookmarks idea beginning all the way from the thermos incident

the three of them spend the rest of their lunch looking at the photos peter was going to use for the bookmarks, fondly recalling memories upon looking back at the some of the photos and laughing at all the corny science puns peter had planned on using as well

things were finally back to normal, if not better than ever.

time for some cliche corny af happy end quote ending about how their friendship and the memories they shared together was the real gifts they had buuuttt i did mention mj would be giving peter a gift didnt i? soooo mj pov epiloooggguuueeeee

here's the thing, mj had an inkling peter parker was trying to attempt something

he was at school at the same time as her crack of dawn class and gave her some much needed caffeine

he tried to share his thermos of tea with her

it seemed like peter was trying to make amends and it really was sweet and thoughtful so ofc lil by lil she began to soften back

but as mj was printing the bookmarks peter had planned to give her

mj requisitioned the idea for herself since they actually were good ideas if she's being honest

tho she would never tell peter that, ESPECIALLY the science puns one

she'd reserve those for only when she's at home, the least likely place peter could ever see her use that

ok so back to- as mj was printing said bookmarks, she began to appreciate peter's thoughtfulness

and it is totally not because of any feelings said gifts and gift attempts gave her

but right now, as she had finished printing bookmarks and got nostalgic and reread the letter of peter confessing to her how much their relationship meant to him again, she suddenly had the unscratchable itch of needing to sketch peter

and a balancing of the scales gift idea was born

because you see, rn, peter had the upper hand in terms of the morality of their friendship and mj couldnt have that nooo

mj was sketching a screen cap of a video she took of the class while they were waiting for a professor and peter gave her that impossibly adorkable smile

because she HAD TO

she couldnt let peter hog all the gift giving glory

she didnt do it because of feelings or whatever ppfftt

this was just to balance the scales, mkayyyy???

or at least that's what mj told herself once she's finished her sketch and proceeded to look for all her old ones of peter

just to even things out

and that's exactly what mj told him as she shoved said sketches that were currently inside a plastic envelope onto peter's hands

(1. less likely for them to be ruined that way. 2. she was not going to have those sketches out in the open for everyone to plainly see wtf)

"this is just to make things even between us, no need to make a big deal about it"

peter was in awe for a while, his jaw slightly dropped, but he smiles in adoration of the girl of his dreams and gives a genuine "thank you, mj"

"you're welcome, peter."

mj even smiles a little before the bell rings and she hightails out of there

mj lightly sprints away, still slightly in shock and unsure of what she just did and what just happened

while peter is left looking at mj's direction fondly and looking back at her gift for him

and as he peeked inside the envelope to see its contents and saw all those sketches of him

peter felt like he truly didn't deserve someone like mj

and he felt like all the gifts in the world he could think of and muster up wouldn't be able to make up for that fact

holy fucking shit i cant believe i actually finished one of these things again. it's like pulling fucking fingernails and teeth at the same time, i tell you

but honestly i'm just really really happy i finished it and it's so pure and fluffy imo and nothing im just. i love these two sm.

this fic was supposed to be for 5+1 things day but since they're also a bunch of headcanons i like to think i'm just posting these in advance for headcanons day tomorrow hahahaha

IM BACK ON THE SPIDEYCHELLE MONTH TRAIN BABY TOOT TOOT TOOOTTTT

and i have a couple of fics left in me so whew keep a lookout for those if they decide to come hahaha

all hail spideychelle everybody. i'll be back i dunno haha

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talltalesandbedtimestories · 5 years ago

Text

A View To A Winchester (Part 6)

Series Page

Summary: Julie’s starting a new life after divorce in a home with a very nice view.

A Dean X OFC story. No idea how long it will be, but I’ve got time on my hands. I got this idea staring out the view of my home office window and thinking how nice it would be to have Dean Winchester to ogle. I’m thinking it will go the fluffy route, with some angst, and maybe some smut down the line. Not sure yet.

Section Word Count: 3,787

Section Warnings: fluff, angst, R-rated language, drunk-dialing, Dean flirting/arousing/drinking

~~~~~

“I’m going to be a big tub of lard if this goes incredibly bad, really quickly.” Julie mumbled to herself in the kitchen bright and early the next morning. “I’ll eat my rejection in calories.”

She had not slept well, despite Dean wishing her a good night. And, it had been all his fault. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. And pie.

There had been numerous Pinterest searches late into the night for tips and tricks on how to make the perfect crust. The barely used pastry cutter had been dug out of her wedding gifts box in the basement at about four am. At what was now six am, she was using it to cut the cold fats - a not-yet-tried-by-Julie mix of shortening and butter recommended by one blogger - into the flour.

Next came the slow addition of ice water and another novel ingredient, cold vodka. She had to wait an hour before even starting the dough that morning, placing a bottle of vodka in the freezer to chill. The alcohol apparently inhibited gluten formation which should, in theory, promote a tender and flaky crust. She was not a chemistry gal but she did enjoy learning how to use it to her advantage when it came to food. Forget Bill Nye the Science Guy. She was an Alton Brown, Good Eats fan.

What the hell am I doing this all for? Desperation? Thy name is Julie. What happened to telling Mr. Winchester you had lots of time to get to know him? Hitting the accelerator, baking a pie because you know he loves pie? It’s like exposing Superman to kryptonite. But is Dean Superman, and pie is the kryptonite in this analogy? Or am I Superman and Dean is my kryptonite?

“Fuck. I need sleep.”

She turned the dough out onto the floured counter. The folding was always the part that made her nervous. Her mind wandered to Dean again. Focus, don’t overwork it. Dimpling the soft, crumbling dough with her fingers brought her back to the feeling of his, dancing over her skin.

A weird, tweaked out bliss washed over her. She understood the enjoyment mom got out of cooking for others, even if she wouldn’t admit it. For Julie, it came from baking up treats for co-workers that made their eyes double in size and the occasional dinner parties with friends that ended with a multitude of compliments and full bellies. The parties I use to throw with Steve.

A flour cloud billowed from her continued kneading. Her nose tickled at the dust entering her nostrils.

She’d lost a lot of their shared acquaintances over the past few months. Julie didn’t have it in her to compete for a mutual friend’s attention. Steve always needed the camaraderie more than she did anyway. She didn’t have the strength or inclination to work that hard for friendships that had already begun to dissolve or become distant over the last decade. The choice to not have children had put them both on a decidedly different path than all their married friends. In her honest opinion, the patriarchal society created a more obvious division between her and her female peers. It didn’t help that she was not one to offer to babysit. Let Steve be the fun uncle. Asshole.

Julie backed away when she realized the folding motion had gotten aggressive. There was no need to take her anger out on the innocent pastry. She separated the dough, formed two balls, covered them in cling wrap, and whacked them in the freezer to prepare for rolling out later. The Great British Baking Show is goddamn addicting.

But Dean. Dean’s lascivious, pornographic attitude toward food had set something off. If a cobbler or a cake could get the kind of a reaction she had witnessed from that man, she really wanted to see what a pie could do. She imagined those green eyes melting her with a gaze of adoration after her pie passed his lips.

I don’t think we’re talking about apples anymore. That mouth. Sweet Jesus. She had picked up on his affinity for lip licking and how his gaze lingered on her own mouth. Oral fixation. He has to be an amazing kisser. I bet he knows how to use that tongue. Everywhere.

Julie shivered. She poured her second cup of black coffee and strolled to the tiny foyer. The reflection in the hall mirror under unflattering light only magnified the suitcases replacing the bags under her eyes. Her two sizes too big tattered pajamas reminded her of a potato sack. Dean is certainly going to want to get all up in this. Inhaling the aroma first, she then blew in the mug and took a languid sip. So, pie would be a good deflection from your appearance. But the friggin’ pie won’t be ready for hours. And, anyway, it might turn out horrible.

She still had to peel, core, and chop up a ton of apples for the filling. Christ, the sun isn’t even up yet. A yawn overpowered her, despite the injection of caffeine. I should try and take a nap. Her body slipped into her favorite sofa corner. Just a quick one. The mug steamed on the side table. Her lids closed.

~~~~~

Julie’s eyes shot open. Sunlight filtered through the golden sheer curtains covering the sliding doors. The mug was no longer steaming. It was quiet outside.

“Shit.”

She unfolded out of her seat and rose to stand. Her body creaked in resistance. Discomfort in her muscles delayed their response with a stab of pins and needles. She cringed and cursed under her breath. A swish opened the curtains. Her mouth dropped open.

Lawn’s mowed. Her gaze shot up to Dean’s backyard. Impala’s gone.

“Shit.”

Phone. Julie flew to the kitchen. The phone had been used to look up the crust recipe. She swiped at the flour dusted screen. A groan. It was one o’clock in the afternoon. She groaned again at the notifications. Four messages. All from Dean.

“Shit.”

Knock, knock.

Anybody home?

Hey, Sleeping Beauty. All done with your scheduled lawn service. Was going to drop off your cake. Text me when you wake up so I can make a delivery.

Julie, I had to take care of some business. Be gone until tomorrow. I’m holding your cake hostage. In fact, I’m bringing a few slices with me for the road. Might not be much left. But, seriously, let me know you’re okay. Or I’m knocking your door DOWN when I get back.

“I missed him.” She whispered, in total dejection. She hit reply and began talking out her text. This new tick was happening every time she had a virtual conversation with Dean. “I’m so sorry I didn’t hear you. I teeter between an insomniac and coma patient lately. You can have ALL the cake.”

Her heart skipped a few beats when the phone rang, displaying Dean’s name.

She answered on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

“I was thinking you dropped the phone and ran away after your text message.” Exasperation threaded through the bass of his voice. He sighed, faraway, on what sounded like his phone’s speaker. “Are you trying to play hard to get?”

“I’m still waking up.” It wasn’t a total lie.

“Hm. Pretty impressive. You slept through me knocking on the front and back door.”

“I slept through an earthquake and two aftershocks once.” She offered.

“Bullshit.” Dean stated without hesitation.

“I did.” Her defenses were up. “I was in California.” She didn’t bother to say she had been on her honeymoon.

“You should get that checked.”

“I did. I’m good. Just a sound sleeper when I actually get some needed rest. I take it you’re a light sleeper?”

“Pretty much. I’m programmed to wake up at the slightest noise.”

“Work took you away again, huh?”

“Yep.”

She waited. “Is this where you tell me what you do?”

He chuckled. “It’s not as exciting as you’re probably imagining.”

“Try me.”

Without missing a beat, he responded, “Bail Enforcement Agent.”

“Wha-?”

“Bounty Hunter. Even though my colleagues don’t particularly care for the term, I’ve found.”

She gave it a few seconds to sink in. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Her mind replayed the conversation she overheard Dean have with his brother on the phone. He mentioned coming back from a hunting trip. “Is that the business you were in with your brother?”

“No.” He paused. “Let’s say it was bounty hunting adjacent.”

“That’s all I get, huh?”

Another chuckle. “Yep.”

“Now who’s playing hard to get?”

“Not I, sweetheart. You’ll never know what you would’ve been in for today... if you’d heard me knocking.”

She swallowed. A swooshing sound filled the absence of his voice on the line. He’s driving.

“Give me a hint?” A breathy whine escaped along with the question. She bit her lip at the accidental slip.

“Hell. I’ve got someone on the other line. Give me a minute and I’ll call you back.” He hung up abruptly.

She cringed at her reaction. Sexy. Ugh. You are so out of your league with this one. Well, no need to finish working on that pie now. She waved a hand and marched upstairs to change out of her pjs. The crust will keep.

Minutes ticked by. He got busy with work. Bounty hunting? She finished changing and pounced onto her bed, landing on her stomach. Her head shook. It’s an actual thing people do. But he could be lying, leading me on with some absurd and inflated story to see what he can get away with. She’d been that naive with men before, believing what they said at face value. Because, if she wouldn’t flat out lie, why would someone else? Life experience was a hell of a teacher. It turned her hard and cynical and untrusting.

Ten minutes turned into thirty. She browsed through social media apps on her phone. Every second increased her agitation. My window of opportunity has passed.

Over the next half hour, she applied some makeup and gave herself a pep talk in the mirror. “You are channeling all of your pent-up energy, attention, and sexual frustration into this one man. Not healthy. I mean, yeah, the sexual frustration part is totally understandable. But…” she trailed off and stared at her reflection.

Don’t want to get your mind off a messed-up relationship with a quick hop in the sheets. Take care of you. Remember? That was my mantra when I signed the divorce papers. Christ, the single hardest thing I’ve probably ever had to do. And, I added my name to that document like John Fucking Hancock.

She nodded.

“Go out. Get some air. Run some errands. Just be. And be okay with that.”

Julie attempted to make herself believe her words as she went about her day.

~~~~~

Her mom had called to check in while she was out. So had her brother. Kelly, her co-worker, had texted about a project due the next day, bright and early Monday morning. Julie had taken off that upcoming week and wouldn’t be in the office to help. Kelly needed a pep type. Julie didn’t have the strength for a talk.

Nothing major was planned for her staycation. The only thing she’d sort of been forced into by her old friend, Karen, was to host a mini belated housewarming that Friday night. Aside from the food prep and cleaning, nothing was on her to-do list for days. Now, she debated if she should just hop in the car and go somewhere. Anywhere, to get away from the temptation that was Dean Winchester. With her mother back home, she didn’t have anything keeping her tied to the house. Except the possibility of a very bad decision clad in plaid.

She returned home with a bottle of wine and a bottle of bourbon, the latter item she never drank. Wandering down the aisle of whiskeys in the liquor store made her think of Dean. He seemed like a bourbon guy, or a man that would appreciate the drink. The clerk had recommended the bottle with an unassuming label filled with a beautiful amber liquid.

Not depressing at all. It was six pm when she strolled up the steps to her bedroom. Her hands balanced an open wine bottle and foil wrapped hazelnut chocolates stuffed into her drinking glass. She tipped the glass and dumped the chocolates onto the bedspread. Let me not be that pathetic and put some clean pjs on at least. The plan was to settle in for an 80s comfort movie marathon. She’d started with “The Goonies”, then “The Dark Crystal”. She had polished off all the chocolates, wrappers littering the bed, and was almost through “Labyrinth” and the wine when the phone lit up.

U up?

Ten o’clock and Dean was messaging. The alcohol buzz and trippy Henson atmosphere contributed to her out of body feeling. She watched her fingers tap the phone icon and dial his number.

“Sorry about not calling you back earlier. Got a lead on my skip and had to jump on it.” His voice was super close, husky and low.

“Were you on a stakeout?” A throaty laugh in response to her question ignited a full body tingle. It started at the top of her head and worked its way down to the tips of her bare toes. She muted the television, sank into the pillows, and focused on the ceiling. And Dean’s voice.

“Not quite. I found out he was backtracking to visit his girlfriend. I beat him there, talked to her, explained his situation, and how bad it could really get if he kept running. She convinced him to turn himself in.”

Julie’s tracking was fuzzy on the details. “Is he handcuffed in your backseat now? Or, your trunk?”

“No. Already dropped him off at the police station.”

“Where?”

“Poconos.”

That was well over two hours from Pike Creek. “Long way for a fugitive.”

“Not really. Just another Sunday drive for me.”

It sounded too quiet on Dean’s end. “On your way back?”

“I was.” He sighed. “But then I decided to stop at a bar. Had a few too many. So, I’m crashing at a classy motel, stone’s throw away from said bar.”

“Hm. I should be crashing soon, too.” Julie slurred.

Another long pause. “Have you been drinking?”

“Yep.” She popped the “p” out of her mouth with pursed lips.

“Huh. Sounds like you’ve been at it for a while.”

“The almost empty wine bottle would agree.”

He tisked. “Drunk. And I’m missing it.”

The back of her hand pressed against the warmth of her cheek. “You’re partaking in this event virt-,” the train of thought left the station without her. “Not missing it. Did you take the drinking party back to your room?”

“I did. Always keep a bottle of Jack in my trunk.”

“We should toast, then, to drinking alone… but, not.” Julie sat up and took a swig, even if Dean wasn’t going to do the same.

She didn’t know how much time passed before he asked in an even, steady tone, “You wanted a hint, earlier, didn’t you?”

Silence.

“Julie?” His voice teased out her name, soft and slow.

She battled to focus. “Yes. A hint would be nice.”

“How about a confession?”

Electric currents pulsed under her skin. “A confession would be even better.”

“Okay. I should’ve told you this that first day. But... I’ve been watching you… spying on me… for a while.”

Her posture straightened, bolting upright from her reclined position, now stiff as a board. “I-I…”

“Don’t try to deny it.” Silence. “I noticed you one morning, a couple months back. I was in the kitchen, fixing some coffee. When I looked out the window, you were staring into my backyard, then over toward my house. I just chalked it up to you being a hot, nosy neighbor. And, honestly, I didn’t mind the view. Business casual looks very good on you.”

A distinct sip filled her ear, followed by a smack of his lips. Those perfect lips. Julie chose to focus on the fact that he used the word “hot” and not “creepy”.

“But then, you did it again the next morning. You were wearing that dark blue sweater. I was jealous of that sweater, the way it hugs those curves of yours.”

In the effort to stifle a swoon, her mouth let out, “I’d trade places with that red plaid flannel of yours any day.”

He cleared his throat after her admission. “Should I keep confessing?”

“Please. Go on.”

“I could tell you were looking for me, in particular, not just inspecting my property for things to complain about. Call it a hunter’s instinct. You’d seen me before, hadn’t you?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t exactly chuckle that time. It was a short, almost sweet little laugh. “So... every morning when I was home, I’d wait for you to do your search. I’d batted around the idea of coming out one day to say hi…”

“Why didn’t you?”

“What was I going to say? Hi, I’m Dean. I’m a low-rate bounty hunter with a couple hundred dollars to my name, a shitty little house, and a drinking problem?” He sighed into her ear. “You saw something that interested you. But I do better sticking to the surface level, remember? I know how to work with what I’ve been given. Not much beyond that.”

She wanted to berate him for talking about himself that way. But all she could manage was to ask, “So, you have been playing hide and seek with me?”

He chuckled. “I guess.”

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with all of that ridiculous behavior. I can usually keep my voyeuristic tendencies to a minimum.” Words tumbled out, sarcastic and apologetic.

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable. My backyard view was made much nicer. And you gave me the opportunity to get to know you.”

Julie scoffed. “How could you get to know me that way?”

“This is where you’ll probably get irritated.”

She waited.

“I used my skills and resources to do a little digging on you.”

She laughed out loud. “Did you bounty hunt me?”

“Kinda.”

“Interesting. You’re lucky I’m drunk right now, because I find it highly amusing.” And pretty damn hot. She sipped. “What’d you find out?”

“Basic stuff. You’re an accounting manager at a bank in downtown Wilmington. No speeding tickets, pretty straight and narrow. You went to school at University of Delaware - nice GPA. Got married about ten years ago…” his voice trailed off.

“You found out all that stuff even before we met?”

“Yes. And I apologize. But I wanted to get to know my pretty Italian neighbor that liked me, too.”

Too. He could have just ended that sentence with “liked me.” “Those are just facts. You don’t get to know someone from a distance.”

“I’ve gotten to know some things. I know when you’re deep in concentration you bite the inside of your cheek. And, when you get frustrated, you scrunch up your nose. You do that a lot when you’re on a work call, heading into the house after a long day. I’ve even seen you skip, sometimes, when you come home on a Friday. Just a few feet or so, when you don’t think anyone’s looking. When you leave the house every morning, you test the handle of the sliding door twice to make sure it’s locked. Your hairstyle of choice is a ponytail. But, on the rare occasion when you let your hair down… well, I’m glad you wore it down last night. And, that I got the chance to touch a few strands. Soft as I imagined.”

He’s imagined that. She had no witty retort for his monologue. He’d knocked every ounce of air out of her lungs. Her entire body was hot and charged from his confession. He’d examined her, been allowed access to her quirks and habits in high definition, and this Adonis of a man sounded downright intrigued by all of it. Holy shit. The stalkee has become the stalker. And, I’m finding the table turning extremely hot right now.

“Julie, I know you’re not perfect. But whatever asshat of a man let you slip away… I don’t think he had any idea what he had to begin with.” He cursed under his breath. “I shouldn’t be saying all this. Making more of a mess of things.”

“No, you’re not.” She swallowed. “How ‘bout that hint?”

“About what I was going to do if you opened the door earlier today?”

“Yes.”

“Give you back half of your cake and ask you out on a proper date. Whatever the hell that is.” It almost sounded like a low, throaty growl escaped his lips. “But that was earlier today. If I had come home tonight and knocked on your door… I don’t know if I could’ve behaved myself. I would have slammed back too many shots when I got home to work up the nerve. Plus, the adrenaline from the hunt has me riled up.”

God. That voice. She crossed her legs to restrict the pulsing in her core. “What does misbehaving look like?”

The silence stretched out to an excruciating span. “We goin’ there?” he asked.

“Yes.” Her head was spinning. She didn’t really know where “there” was.

“Loose lips...” He mumbled. A noisy gulp of liquid followed. The faraway slam of a glass came next. “Well... my misbehaving hands would end up all over that rosy skin. Every inch.”

She bit her lip and held her breath.

“God.” He groaned, his voice not as close now. “I’d like to say I’d be able to take my time. But it might have ended up hard and fast on the floor.”

An instinctive, quite loud gasp escaped from Julie. She slapped a hand over her traitorous mouth.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Dean fumbled over his words. “I shouldn’t have… first, I’m telling you I’ve been investigating you… then, I’m talking about ways I’d… it’s just... it’s been a while.”

Julie exhaled a breath. “I pushed you into sharing. When you say ‘a while’...”

“Since I moved to Delaware. Two years.”

The statement woke her from the orgasmic lullaby. “Bullshit.

He laughed. “Not exactly something I’m proud to share.”

“What the hell are you saving yourself for?”

Without a beat missed, he responded, “You, apparently.”

He stunned her again.

“This has been… well, I don’t know what this has been… I’m going to let you go before the conversation crashes into the point of no return.”

“Dean…”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“I’ll expect the rest of my cake returned… as soon as you get back.”

He laughed. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Part 7

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#dean winchester fanfiction #spn fanfic #dean x ofc #supernatural fanfiction #spnfanficpond #spn fanfic series #spn fanfiction #dean winchester fluff #dean winchester angst

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boogiewrites · 6 years ago

Text

Reports & Repertoire 15

Characters: Eddie Brock x Venom x Candace Miller (OFC)

Word Count: 4700+

Summary: Eddie and Candy both start to deal with the reality and the downsides to their success and the symbiote. Candy battles herself on feeling like she’s out of touch and not helping enough. She has to share some bad news with Eddie, but she follows it up with good news.

Warnings/Tags: Fluff. Minimal angst. Everyday life for these two. Language. Mentions of violence.

Click on my icon then go to Mobile Masterlist in my bio for my other works and chapters. (Had to do this since Tumblr killed links, sorry.)

Having finished a two-part episode for her show, Candy found herself with the rare few days off. Since she'd been so engrossed in her current project, new stories had been slipping her grasp as she'd been ignoring the acts of violence and focusing on her investigations for the shady business practices of the newly rich tech guys. The only thing more problematic than their umbrella companies was the even shadier nightlife patterns in the neighborhoods where the poor mixed with new gentrification.

She was currently trying to catch up on messages and emails from her sources and friends in the mission and tenderloin, trying to see what areas looked like they could use some help.

She spent her night reading and researching, not a terrible use of her time as it was one of her favorite past times, but she would've rather been spending this night off with Eddie. He was currently finishing up a job and would be flying out on a red-eye back home. So she was spending her evening getting together all the violent crimes stats she could to pass them on to him.

They'd formed a relationship much like his and Venom's, where it was mutually beneficial and based on a strong foundation of killing people that deserved it. She gathered the information, as she was known to be excellent at and passed it on to Eddie. Sending him patterned locations of the worst sort of violent crimes. She focused mainly on ones that were committed against women and children on her own personal bias but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

As was their schedule, Candy would normally be wrapping up with her crew and having a drink at some bar near where they were shooting and Eddie would be out with the information she gave him and hunting. She could tell it made Eddie feel better about what he was doing, grateful for her help as he was good at intimidation and being a bit of a cowboy when it came to his work, but she was more precise and worked faster within legal means. Since his time was spent traveling and being slower at the writing bit, she took it upon herself to do the bad guy round up and let he and Venom handle the things that the law wouldn't. Eddie felt he had a purpose, even found himself thinking of himself as some sort of vigilante justice character head, a man for the people again. He'd wanted to be some sort of superhero growing up, do some sort of good in the world, and he was surprised and found contentment that he could help, actually make a difference as he saw it. He could interview all the serial killers or heartless CEO's he wanted but nothing felt as proactive as eating a pedophile whole.

So on this Friday night, Candy sits at home alone, watching true crime documentaries and folding laundry. Not exciting but a necessary action she'd been neglecting. Eddie is encapsulated inside his symbiote as he rips and tears through a gang in an abandoned warehouse. Eating his fill, swallowing men whole and leaving nothing to be found. They both go to bed alone, but share a goodnight text before falling asleep, both exhausted but fulfilled.

That next morning Candy decides it's been too long since she'd been to the shelter and volunteered. She gets up early and dressing down, being used to overthinking her outfits since being more in the public eye. She didn't want to be all over social media in people's selfies looking like she wasn't doing as well as she was. But it felt good to get back into her old trainers, holey jeans and an old habitat for humanity t-shirt that was faded from time and washings.

She's greeted more enthusiastically than usual. Some of the younger volunteers asking for pictures with her, but she was volunteering and it didn't matter what she looked like. To be honest, the skin care routine the makeup artist with the studio had suggested along with sending her for facials had left her feeling more confident without makeup than she ever had. It was comforting and problematic in its own ways, knowing that having money and access to these sorts of things was what made so-called celebrities look so good. But as she learned, rubbing elbows with people from all walks, everyone had their own ugliness deep down that no amount of gold fleck, young blood, or endangered snail facials could erase.

The people at the shelter treated her the same and it's what she wanted. A little break to be treated like just another face and be around humans who didn't deny their struggles but rather wanted to share. She'd take this over a gala any day. She gladly took the shit talking from her old friends, jokingly asking for an autograph and she got to roll her eyes and laugh about the insanity of her importance.

As she settles into a far table, shifts changing and people moving in and out, she stays back, observing and having a soda. She sees an almost unrecognizable version of a woman who had given her information shuffle in. The woman sees Candy and begins to hobble towards her on sight.

"Who did it?" Candy says rising immediately and taking her by the hand, sitting her down before joining her on a couch.

The woman smiles, patting Candy's cheek. "I'm glad you're back." she says with a sigh.

Candy learns in her absence that violence has been rising again. The cops being mad and not patrolling as often due to her expose', unreported crime had been on the rise. The usual drugs and fighting were always there, but groups of people not from the area were starting to come in looking for trouble. Candy takes out her notebook and gets all the information she can. Descriptions, locations, dates, times, and injuries for her notes. It felt good to be back in her place of origin and getting to be around people she knew. She'd been so invested in going higher up, taking down bigger people, interviewing strangers for their silhouetted, voice distorted words. Getting to help someone with no other motive than helping, no cameras, no paycheck involved felt right and she felt grounded. Candy told her friend she would do what she could, try to pass the information on to someone who could help. She just couldn't disclose that the person who could help would be eating the abusers.

She takes a shower, scrubbing away the dirt of helping clean the shelter, thinking about how she felt responsible for the uptick in problems. She wanted to do something to correct it. Something besides point Venom in the direction and have him attack. SHE wanted to do something. As she's brainstorming, hair piled on top of her head messily, chewing on the end of a pen, Eddie's voice startles her out of her train of thought.

"Thought we were keepin' work out of our days off?" he scolds playfully, hanging up his coat as she moves and closes her laptop that was sitting in her lap on the couch.

"I went to the shelter this morning to do some work." she takes a big stretch, lifting her arms over her head and groaning. "I've been distracted by it all afternoon." she yawns.

"You interested in some other kinds of distractions?" Eddie smiles and moves in to kiss her.

"Maybe." she chuckles against his lips.

"Maybe?" his voice goes high pitched and cracks. "Ya gonna have to do better than that Candy." he teases, face moving to her neck.

She laughs and hums happily as he moves her back to the couch as he snuggles down between her legs, nuzzling into her neck and giving her pecks to her face and chest. "Of course I am. But have you eaten yet?"

"What are you my mother?" he laughs, raising up to look down at her.

"Has he eaten today Venom?" you ask with a scolding tone.

"We have not." he says, a little blob of a head appearing over Eddie's shoulder.

"How do you think you're gonna fuck me well enough for me to keep you around if you aren't fueled up?" she laughs, kissing his cheek and wiggling out from under him and into the floor as he watches with his mouth open with fake disbelief.

"You hearin' this?" he asks Venom, flopping to his side and watching her. "The way she talks to us?" he says, watching her move to the kitchen.

"She has a point, Eddie." Venom says, looking at him, knowing she wasn't serious, but also seeing the facts in what she was saying.

"I can't win with both of you on the same side." he groans, getting up from the couch.

"Get in here and eat baby boy." she chirps and moves to take the leftovers out of the fridge.

"We not goin' out?" he asks, ruffling his hair with his hand.

"We are, but I have to get ready and you're going to get cranky if we go out on an empty stomach."

"This is true." Venom says. "You get very grumpy and I have to work harder to keep you stable. Eat."

"Geez you two. Fine." he says taking the cold container of pasta and shoving a fork full into his mouth.

"Good boys." she says kissing his sauce-stained cheek. "There are pills in the cabinet for you Venom. I'm gonna go get ready." she calls out.

"Yesssss." she hears him hiss, already stretching across the room as she walks towards her bedroom.

---------- Candy looks lovely, a dress and curled hair with boots as she and Eddie walk side by side down the street after a movie. They're on their way to dinner, wanting something quick to eat while they get a bigger order to go and then go home and be able to snuggle up. Being in public together was something that they both wanted but neither liked doing. They couldn't be affectionate as they didn't want anyone to know they were a couple and Candy was starting to get quite annoyed by it. When she'd heard "Oh my God are you two together? You're so cute!" after taking pictures with people who recognized them for the 8th time that night, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"What's wrong babe?" Eddie asks quietly, handing her her helmet.

"I'm just..." she rolls her eyes and sighs. "Just not in a great mood." she mumbles, taking her place behind him on the bike. "Let's just go home baby. I don't want to have to stop myself from holding your hand anymore. I'm tired." she wraps her arms around him, and feels Venom lace between her fingers. "Yeah, I 'm tired of hiding too." she sighs against Eddie's back.

Eddie can tell she's distracted and frustrated when she keeps chewing on her bottom lip while they watch a movie.

"You can just tell me what's wrong ya know?" he says out of nowhere and her eyes blink fast, coming back online.

"Just having a weird day." she sighs, nuzzling her face into his chest.

"That could mean a lotta things." he states with a sweet tone.

"I'm trying not to think about work. But I found out crime has spiked in the tenderloin because the cops are being pissy and not patrolling as much, possibly because of me and the expose' we did. Then some of the women I know have been assaulted and no ones helping. I got that info and I'm gonna pass it on to you so you guys can handle it. But I'm just frustrated because I want to help. Not hand everything off to you two."

"You are helpin'." Eddie states obviously.

"How? You two are going out and doing everything." she says with an attitude and Eddie knows she's only mad at herself.

"You're giving us the information. I couldn't know all this stuff if it wasn't for you. And I'd rather be out there than you. I worry about you when you're out there doin' filed work ya know."

"I know. But that's where I want to be. I miss doing things without cameras. Getting my hands dirty. I just want to feel like I'm anonymous and can get in there and work on the ground floor again. I've been in so many skyrise apartments and fucking overdone offices lately to interview assholes I'm afraid I'm going to lose touch."

"Oh now that's not true." Eddie says, rubbing her arm. "You're only one woman babe. You can't do everything. You know how many people you've helped since doin' the show? More than you ever coulda reached before."

"Yeah." she grumbles. "Doesn't mean I don't miss it though."

'She could come with us.' Venom says in Eddie's head.

"Absolutely not." Eddie answers out loud.

"Huh?" Candy looks up at him.

"Talkin' to Venom." he mutters.

"What's he saying?" she asks curiously.

"No, don't-" Eddie begins before being interrupted.

"You should come with us. We can protect you."

"Really?" her eyes flash brightly.

"No, no. I don't want her involved in this." Eddie says.

"Look at her. She wants to. She is unhappy." Venom coos.

"You can't just go givin' her what she wants just cause she's unhappy. She'll be a lot more unhappy and so will we if she's dead."

"That's what I do to you." she pouts. "And couldn't you guys protect me?" she says with a higher pitched voice.

"We could. We do not have to do anything dangerous." he says aloud. 'Take her out with us, we do not have to hunt. Let her feel useful. It is important to her.' he says to Eddie in his head.

"Yeah, we can just check out some places or something. Or you could be my bodyguard's, I could be bait."

"No bait." they both answer and she sighs.

"Fine." she frowns.

"You should think of other ways to be helpful though. Comin' with us isn't something you should get used to. It makes me nervous." Eddie shakes hs head, his brow low.

"But is that a yes?" she smiles.

"Okay. We'll take you out. But we aren't going to go looking for trouble, alright?" he says with raised brows, trying to show her he was serious.

"Deal." she says with a smile, snuggling back into him.

'Awwww. See? Look how happy she is.' Venom says quietly in Eddie's head, reaching a tendril out to lovingly pet on Candy's hip. She takes it and holds it as it forms into a hand.

Eddie nods and sighs, giving her a kiss on the head, thinking about how he really didn't want her to get hurt because of him.

------ "Any other ideas in miscellaneous?" Candy's producer asks the room full of the Report's crew.

"Have you seen this crazy shit?" one of her interns says, tossing a printed out photo across the table to her. "Somebody got a picture of this crazy looking thing. It's blurry as shit and dark but it's been exposed and brighten. What the hell is that thing?" he says with a look of amusement.

Candy takes the picture and tries to not show her fear. Someone had gotten a picture of Venom, crawling up the side of building. It was dark and blurry, but she knew her alien boyfriend when she saw him. "What's uh... what is this?"

"The cryptozoology boards are lit the fuck up over it. Calling some San Francisco crawler. The OP said they saw it lurking around rooftops and they got this shot. Apparently, the thing is fuckin' HUGE and fast."

"You sure it's not just photoshopped?" she says convincingly enough.

"It's damn good photoshop if it is." he shrugs.

"Where'd you find this?" she asks, putting the paper back down on the table.

"On the San Francisco boards. Some monster hunters were flipping their shit over it. Trying to come up with theories about it. Saw it down in the mission apparently. Tying it in with the spike in missing persons from there possibly. "

"Yeah most of those people are a bit... imaginative." she says with heavy condescending in her voice.

"I thought it's something you might be able to have fun with. No one's really talking about it yet. Thought you might want in on the ground floor." he shrugs, putting the picture back in his folder.

"I do news. People, places, events. I don't do cryptozoology crap like that. What am I going to do go stand in a dark alley and wait?" she says sarcastically and a murmur of chuckles and agreement come from the others. "That sort've thing is below us. Cool to talk about on some monster board but I don't want to cover things that are possibly fake and only speculation. Thanks for thinking outside the box though." she shrugs and tries to pull back not make the kid feel bad. It wasn't his fault her boyfriend's powers had been possibly exposed.

"And any other new ideas?" her producers asks again, she'd been waiting to share something when there was a lull in the talking.

"Yeah." Candy nods, tapping her pen on her notepad, trying to shed the worry and focus. "I thought maybe we should try to connect with the city more. Give back, give some good PR for us and the network. I think this show would be a great place to do something like that."

"What do you mean?" she's asked.

"Do spotlights on places that help people out. Show us donating money and time and we can give out information on their causes and tell people how to donate to them. It'll be a story by focusing on a particular struggle on the ground level, the people that don't normally get any credit. It'll be easy, fast and cheap to shoot. The money saved can go towards a donation."

"That's... a great PR idea." she responds, scribbling down on her notepad. "I think this would be a good way to balance out the budget. Get more social media involvement, show that we are a part of the community like you said." she nods in thought.

"It would also give us more downtime to work on bigger things and not give us 7 day work weeks." Candy offers.

"Also that. A day or two of shooting, a press release, quick press conference. Some talking heads and narration." she nods. "Would be a hell of a lot easier on logistics."

"My thoughts exactly." she smiles proudly.

"Alright. Well, I have another meeting coming up, so anything else?"

"Yeah one more thing but, I'd like to speak to you privately if that's okay."

A murmur of yes's from the crew around her who are already packing up their things.

"Fine with me." she says, putting away her things, Candy moves to sit on the table top next to her.

"Is it bad news?" she asks first.

"No." she laughs and shakes her head. "But I needed you to run something by the higher-ups or, HR or whoever needs to be told about this." she shrugs.

"Oh God did someone harass you? Shit."

"No! No." she moves her hands back and forth with another friendly smile. "I've just been seeing someone and I'd like to be able to go public with it."

"Oh!" she says with a big nod and the clear sign of relief in her shoulders. "Who's the lucky guy?" she asks with a much more perky disposition.

"Eddie Brock." she says with a nervous chuckle.

"Ahhhh." She nods. "I see why you're asking now. Wasn't in your contract to have to ask these sorts of things."

"Yeah, I know. People see us out and we have to be careful not to get too close and everything. And we're pretty serious, so I'd like to be able to go out on a date with my boyfriend ya know? But since we're both employees and this used to be his show..." she frowns.

"No, I get it. I do. It was smart of you to have me check first. I appreciate it."

"So just...text me or email me when you know something? I'd love to be able to have a real date night and not pretend like we're just friends when people ask us for selfies and tell us how cute we are together." she smiles and walks towards the door.

"If I have time I'll swing by and ask today. I don't think they'll have a problem with it, since you two have your own successful things going on now but I'll let you know when I know, kay?"

"Thank you. I mean it." she says sincerely with a wave goodbye.

----------

It's date night and Candy has both good and bad news on her mind. She's sitting across from Eddie who is eating cheese fries and rather messily. She sighs for what could've been the hundredth time that night.

'Ask her what is wrong?' Venom suggests

"Mmmph?" Eddie makes a sound, but Candy just thinks he's enthusiastic about his fries as she chomps away at her fried pickles. Something Eddie made fun of her for, telling her he didn't know he was dating a hillbilly. She took it in stride and told him to shut his city ass up.

'Something is wrong. Stop stuffing your face with this artery-clogging food and pay attention.' he snaps at him.

Eddie wipes the cheese from his face, taking a moment to look her over, her eyes were far away but her mouth was set in a pleasant smile. "Somethin' wrong?" he asks, pushing the fries away.

"Maybe."

"Well can you maybe tell us?" he says playfully.

"There are pictures of you." her lips move to a straight line and she meets his eyes. She hadn't wanted to ruin the night with this but she obviously wasn't hiding anything from them.

"Pictures?" he says with the push back of his chin, his eyebrows lowering in question.

"Of Venom." she says quietly.

Eddie's eyes go wide. "What?"

"In the meeting this week for brainstorming one of the interns found a, albeit really poor quality, photo of you crawling up the side of a building in the mission. " she says with no inflection, clearly she'd been dreading sharing this news.

"Oh." he says with wide eyes that darted around the table.

"Yeah. You're gonna have to figure something out. Maybe lay low for a bit. The crypto people have ahold of it and have already linking it to disappearances in the area."

"Whatta ya mean linked?"

"With their theories."

"So nothing concrete?" the relief in his voice is obvious.

"It's a blurry picture of a humanoid creature...so it's all theories." she shakes her head. "No one in the meeting seemed to take it seriously and I shot it down as internet fodder that wasn't worthy of our time. BUT the missing people have been noticed. Which means you need to switch up your locations or try to make it on chocolate and pills for a bit until the interest passes."

"He's not happy about that." Eddie frowns.

"About which part?"

"The chocolate and pills part."

"Of course." she rolls her eyes. "He should be more concerned about being seen and found out. That's a whole world of trouble that none of us want. We have a nice little set up between the three of us. We don't need outside involvement to come for our careers or our personal lives." she whispers, her face more sad than annoyed now.

"She's got a point, man. You need to keep your priorities in line here. We've done it before we can do it again." he shakes his head.

"I'll even order more pills. Get some chocolate wholesale or something. I won't let you waste away. You know that." she reaches out and takes his hand in hers and the affectionate touch in public surprises them both. She'd been scolding them so long for trying to touch her when they were out that this was a more meaningful touch than what it would seem on the surface.

"We're a team alright? I'll do everything I can to keep the noise down from my end. I'll keep you both running as best as I can. And you can lay low for me okay? We'll just spend Friday nights together when we can instead of you out hunting."

"That's something we can both agree one." he smiles and rubs his thumb across the back of her hand. "More time together would be nice." his soft smiles warms her, makes her feel like everything will be okay.

"It would." she squeezes his hand and looks down at it. "And I've got some other news. Some good news." she says with a tilt of her head. "I'd just been so worried about ruining the night with mentioning the pictures that it just..." she motions to her head. "Took over my brain. So... sorry. Ive not meant to be distant."

"S'okay." he squeezes her hand back, surprised she's still holding it. "You got good news though? Let's focus on the good news." he suggests.

"We can do that." she nods and gives him a warm smile back that makes Venom purr. "You done with those fries babe?" she laughs. "I'll tell you the good news on the way." she offers with a hum of happiness.

"Yeah, wait." he says, taking his finger and getting the rest of the cheese after stuffing the remaining fries in his mouth. "Ready." he mumbles out with stuffed cheeks and she cant help but laugh at him.

"C'mon you slopapotamus." she snorts.

She holds his hand on the way to the movie theatre as they walk together. He doesn't dare mention it because it's making them both giddy with pride. They were getting to show she was theirs and that was extremely important to Venom and Eddie just wanted to be able to show her he liked her through touch. They get to the line and she's recognized.

"Oh my god can I get a selfie?" the girl says excitedly.

"Of course." Candy says, leaning in and smiling.

"Holy shit you're Eddie Brock, right?" the girl asks. Looking up at him.

"That'd be me." he says with a charming smile.

"Can I get a picture with you too?" she asks with wide eyed.

"Yeah." he says politely.

"Oh my god wait. Are you two like on a date or something I totally just interrupted. Shit, I'm sorry." she says her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Yeah we were but it's fine." Candy laughs, moving and putting her arm around Eddie's back and he tries to hide how much Venom is freaking out in his head and how equally shocked he was on the inside. "Have a good night." she says sweetly, moving up in the line.

"What?" Eddie's eyes dart around. "What was that?" his voice breaks.

"The good news." she says, moving to put her arms around him under his jacket.

"Oh?" his high pitched voice of shock makes her sigh at his bewildered, adorable face.

"I asked if we could go public about our relationship." she says quietly, her chin tilting up towards him.

"And they said yes?" he says with excited eyes.

"They did." she purrs back.

"Oh shit." he lets out a giggle, wrapping his arms around her. "They did?"

"Uh huh." she nods. "So are you gonna give your girlfriend a kiss or what Eddie?" she teases.

"Of fuckin' course I am." he mutters, already leaning against her lips.

"You think we can even get a bit saucy and holds hands during the movie? Might even let you put your arm around me." she winks and laughs.

"If you don't mind my butter fingers from the popcorn." he laughs.

"You know I never mind your fingers when they're slippery Eddie." she coos and gives him a suggestive look as she pulls away, tugging at his hand.

"Oh!" he giggles again and follows behind her like a happy puppy to the ticket stand.

@hardygal69 @marvelgirl7 @emerald-bijou @negansdirtygirl22 @brianaisasongbird @vale0413 @izzy-the-ginger @chortletortoise @onomatopoetic-aesthetic @anrm1 @jademox @nightcraver @venomous-possibiities @tinastarkandco @chipster-21 @ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes @queenof-wakanda

#Eddie Brock #eddie brock x reader #eddie brock fic #venom fanfic #eddie brock fanfic #Venom #Tom Hardy #venom fandom #venom fic #venom fluff #venom fan fic #eddie brock imagine #eddie brock fluff #eddie brock x ofc #eddie brock au #venom au #eddie brock fan fiction #eddie brock fan fic #symbrock

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iidaemii03 · 5 years ago

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Far From Home - My Thoughts

!!!WARNING!!! SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE, SO IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET, JUST SKIP THIS POST!!! Or if you don’t care for spoilers at all, just keep reading...

Okay, so I just came home from watching Spider-Man: Far From Home at my local cinema and eh... I’m still so hyped!! It really was a great movie to end the third phase of the MCU. I stayed after the credits (as a real Marvel-fan do, ofc) and boy did I get a surprise! I will mention the credit scenes, but I’ll leave that for last.

Okay, so firstly, it was a great movie. Good mix of action, humor, and feels. I loved that opening when the Marvel logo came, but instead of the usual theme in the back, it was “I Will Always Love You”... I love these movies, so much. Secondly, Oh my god, I am MAD! Why you may ask? Mysterio... just Mysterio. I am so mad that he tricked Peter the way he did and lied to him. Don’t get mad at me and attack me with “oh but Mysterio was always a villain in the comics”-thing cuz I never read the comics. I’m only 16 years old (just like Peter in the movie! Yee!) and therefore I never grew up with the old comics. But still, I had read some theories before I watched the movie that it was unsure if they would stick to the old canon and keep Mysterio the villain or change him up and make him an ally to Spider-Man. So I had that as a thought in the back of my head. But still, I have to give Jake Gyllenhaal credit for playing a really great and unstable character as Mysterio turned out to be. Gotta love the villain!

Moving on, the scenes between Peter and MJ... I SHIP IT!! And of course, they ended up together! Yee! X3 I really loved how MJ confessed during that fight in London to the others that she tells the truth even if it can be hurtful towards others. I don’t see that as a weakness, but rather as a strongpoint which makes me like MJ more. She is a strong and capable female character who is not that standard “damsel in distress” type of girl and I like that.

Next, Happy. I have to talk about Happy. He has his scenes in the movie and I really appreciate his character more now that he is more understanding, protective and caring of Peter. A scene that really got to me was when he picked up Peter in the Netherlands. He walked out of the jet and asked what happened and Peter just needed to be sure that it was the real Happy and not just an illusion because come on, he is crushed after he was betrayed by someone he thought he could trust... I felt so sorry for Peter at that moment. He just wanted a normal holiday, with his class, his friends, and potentially, his future girlfriend. Peter was so relieved that he was the real Happy and just gave him a hug. And Happy, being the concerned and probably also scared guardian he was, asked Peter if he was okay. That is why I love Happy more now. In Homecoming, he was cold and a little distant from Peter, but that was probably because of Peter being a young teenager just starting out as Spider-man. In FFH however, he was more protective and welcoming and positive towards Peter because he KNOWS that Peter has grown and is still devastated after what happened in Endgame. Peter lost a great inspiration and father-figure, and as a 16-year-old, of course, that is difficult. Peter’s tear-stained red eyes and messy hair in the trailer shows us a crushed teen who feels like he can’t do the great things that everyone believes he can do.

Finally, I will conclude this already long post with the end-credit scenes. Peter and MJ swinging through New York, just yes. Peter with his new suit, more yes. The news showing the attack from London and Mysterio’s message... eh, what?? Yeah, that was a surprise! I sat there, in the cinema with wide eyes and just millions of thoughts going through my head. Did Mysterio survive, or was that the last message before he finally died? Does a Multi-verse actually exist or was that too a part of Mysterio’s lie/illusion? And also, WHAT THE HECKITY-HECK, PETER’S IDENTITY??!! Is Peter fucked now or is he fucked?? And also, again, DAMN YOU MYSTERIO! WHY DID YOU BLAME PETER FOR THE LONDON THING??!! AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!! And lastly, this is the last by the way, promise... J. K. Simmons playing J. Jonah Jameson. Cool to finally see this character in the MCU.

I hope you got all the way through that! It was a lot, even for me. If you got any thoughts, please comment. Also, I probably did not mention everything but I don’t remember everything in detail. It really was a great movie! 10/10 from me. Really suggest watching it. Great balance between action and humor.

#spiderman far from home #marvel #spiderman #mysterio #my thoughts

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elevatorsnot-worthy · 5 years ago

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Just A Little Chaotic (Chapter 9)

CHAPTER 9 - LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE

Description: Alison, a singer-songwriter and an actress, finds herself in a middle of a chaotic set up with two of her cast mates. One’s a new face and one’s an old friend.

Pairings: Chris Evans x OFC x Sebastian Stan

Warnings: Language

Just A Little Chaotic (All Chapters)

After filming my scenes for the second Captain America movie, I went straight back to the studio to do my second album. Chris and I would have Skype dates since he’s back in Cleveland still shooting the movie. I drowned myself in music as I try my best not to miss him. The sound of the piano just became my way to express my feelings for him since he is miles away from me.

Miles apart and it’s driving me crazy,

Your eyes are all that I see,

The stars will show that I will be –

Waiting, searching, loving only you

I made sure I gave all my emotions with every word and every note. I closed my eyes as I sang to the microphone. I imagined as if I was singing to Chris. As soon as I finished recording I sat on the couch to rest. My brother and I have been in the studio since 7am and it’s already almost midnight. I took my phone out from my pocket to see if I have any messages from Chris.

“Chris still hasn’t message you yet?” he asked as he takes a swig from his beer. I just shook my head and put my phone down on the coffee table. Adam was finalizing the mix for the song number three that we recorded today. I started to worry since Chris would always call or text me even when he is at work.

“Maybe he was really busy and really tired.” I sighed. “By the way, have you talked to Seb?” I asked my brother, trying to worry about something else. Sebastian was distant again since the last time we talked on set. I tried calling him, but he wouldn’t answer.

“Yeah, we talked yesterday. What’s up?” Adam turn around from his swivel chair and faced me.

“I don’t know, he’s been avoiding me,” I answered him. “Ever since I dated Chris, he’s been acting weird but they’re friends, so I didn’t understand why he’s been avoiding me.”

“Well you’re dating his friend, maybe he’s weirded out or he’s just busy…” Adam suggested.

“I don’t know, man.” I shook my head and stood up from the couch to get a bottle of beer from the mini fridge in the corner of the room.

“And you know Sebastian, he’s like that sometimes.” He explained. “He’s always been protective of you. You know, I’m not saying Chris is a bad guy, I really like him, but maybe because he’s like a new person in your life.”

“But he’s not a jackass like Peter.” I said as I took a sip from my freshly opened beer.

“Yeah,” Adam nodded in response and stood up from his chair. He reached out for a toast and said, “Let’s just hope for the best, right?”

My brother and I spent the next hours in polishing the songs we recorded the whole day. Chris still hasn’t texted or called me yet. 2am rolled in and Adam and I called it a day. As we were cleaning up, we hear a sudden knock on the door. I went and opened the door and it was Chris with a handful of baggage in his hands.

“Hi babe,” Chris smiled as he entered the studio. I jumped up to him and gave him a big hug. “Sorry I didn’t call, I wanted to surprise you.” I looked up to him and his eyes looked really tired.

“I thought you’re still in Cleveland.” I said as I helped him with his bags.

“Well we changed locations and we’ll shoot here in LA this week.” He explained as I lead him to the couch. “So as soon as I got off the plane, I went straight to you.”

“I love you, babe.” I kissed him on the lips. “Well, Adam and I are just cleaning up. You just rest there and then we’ll go home.”

After a couple of minutes Adam helped Chris and I to load his luggage in my car. Adam went and drove off on his own car since he’ll be coming home to the apartment he recently got with Eloise. Chris agreed that he’ll stay at my house for now. As we got in the car, Chris immediately noticed the brown teddy bear on the front passenger’s seat.

“Is this yours?” he asked as he got the stuffed animal and sat on the seat.

“Yeah, why?” I asked him nonchalantly as closed the door.

“Who gave this to you?” he asked.

“Sebastian gave it to me as a congratulatory gift for my tour, he went to the San Diego show.” I explained, and I can see the annoyance in Chris’ face. “He knows I like stuffed toys when I was a kid.” I got the toy from his hands and threw it in the backseat.

“I didn’t know that.” He muttered sarcastically to himself.

“What?” I looked at him as I started the engine.

“I didn’t know that he gave you that.” He said as he tries to avoid eye contact with me.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve forgot about it.” I apologized. I started to drive out of the parking area and Chris just became quiet. It was just the sound of the wheels running on the ground and the ambiance around us. “Are you mad at me? Because if you are, you know, it’s nothing to me. If you want me to throw away the toy, then fine. It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a congratulatory gift.” I said as I tried to make Chris talk.

“No, don’t throw it away. it just annoys me that you’re close—”

“What I can’t have friends?” I snapped at him.

“No, it’s just you guys are really close, and I saw how Sebastian looks at you and how he talked about you before.” He explained. “Why are you all defensive?”

“Because you always act like you don’t believe me! How many times do I have to tell you, Chris? We are just friends. If he has feelings for me, I don’t care, we are just friends.” I was starting to get annoyed. “Don’t you trust me?”

“I do but I can’t help to be jealous, you had a whole life with him.” He said.

“We were just roommates! It’s not like we dated!” I raised my voice at him because I was getting really frustrated. “We were just roommates. In fact, we lived in three-bedroom apartment in Lower Manhattan – quite spacious actually. What else do you wanna know?” I burst out.

Chris did not answer, and it was dead silence between us as we drive back to my house. The short drive felt like it lasted for hours. I focused myself on driving as soon as I parked the car on the driveway of my house, Chris held my hand.

“Babe, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted that way. It was stupid of me. I was a little insecure and it was really childish of me to act so possessive. I just really want you to be for myself because you’re really important to me. I love you, Ali. So much.” He apologized. “I get so anxious that I’ll mess this up, do something idiotic and you’ll run off with someone else.”

“Chris,” I sighed, and I faced him. “Don’t be anxious baby, we’ll be okay. I love you. I won’t run, I’ll always be here.” Chris just nodded and kissed me. Since it was already really late, Chris and I just unloaded his luggage, left it in my room and went straight to bed.

***

Our relationship kept going stronger, it was easy for us to keep things quiet since we were both busy. He would visit me in the studio or I would visit him on set. We would go out on dinner dates, but we were lucky that we haven’t been spotted by the paparazzi or by fans. We were kind of domestic, since we spent most of our free times at home just relaxing, binge-watching, playing music, or cooking. Chris would even sometimes help me in writing music for my album.

Sebastian on the other hand was still a little distant. We would talk sometimes and catch up on what’s happening in our lives. He said that he’s dating a girl now. I still haven’t met her, but he said she’s somebody he met a while back. He sounded happy when he was talking about her and I felt happy for him.

It was the night of the Winter Soldier premiere and I was initially not going to keep my cameo a secret, but Chris wanted to me to be his date. Brandon finally let me go out in public with Chris, he thinks that it is a good move that we would go to the premiere together. It still annoyed me that everything has to be business though Chris and I just ignore him whenever he tries to control us.

Chris and I arrived at the El Capitan Theatre, and the sea of fans overwhelmed me when I stepped on the red carpet. I immediately turned on my extra playfulness to compensate with my nervousness. I was wearing a short form fitting baby blue dress to somewhat match Chris’ navy blue suit. I held on to Chris’ arms as we walked down the red carpet. I would wave at the fans and smile at everyone.

I would let Chris do his interviews alone since we would avoid the awkward “are you dating?” questions. While waiting for Chris to finish an interview, I felt a hand on my waist. It was Sebastian in an all black suit. He greeted me with a tight hug and a kiss on my cheek.

“Ali, I missed you.” He said. “I’m sorry if I was acting weird before, I was afraid that it’ll be like Peter all over again – but hey, we’re talking about Chris, he’s a good man.” It was a relief to hear those words from him.

“It’s okay, Seb. Anyway, how’s your girlfriend? Did you bring her here?” I asked him.

“No, I like to keep in on the DL, for now.” He answered.

“Well, I look forward to meet her soon.” I said. Finally, we were back where we were always at. Both of us have our own relationships and supporting each other.

“Seems like you guys are finally going public.” he commented.

“Yeah, but we’re not going to make a huge deal about it. We kinda got tired of hiding so we agreed to slowly let the people know.” I explained. “Plus, it feels kinda nice to be shown off.”

“I’m pretty sure any man, you know, that’s dating you would gladly show you off. I mean, come on Ali! Look at you!” he beamed as he motioned to my dress. “I don’t know how you do it, man. You always look better and better.” Now Sebastian’s starting to sound like the Sebastian I knew.

“Well you look great tonight, too. Real sexy.” I said because I know he’ll immediately blush. Sebastian giggled uncontrollably while looking down on the floor. “For real, Seb. You look great and I’m so proud of you. The movie’s fucking named after you.”

“Thanks, Ali.” He smiled. “I’m proud of you too, you know. Your career’s just getting bigger and bigger. I remember back then when you would write songs at midnight and wake me and Adam.”

“Oh God, I’m sorry.” I laughed.

“But it’s all worth it. To see you where you are right now with your career... and your love life.” Sebastian cooed. “I really am happy for you.”

Chris walked towards us after finishing his interview. He greeted Sebastian with a hug then he placed a hand on my waist. “Hey man, you look great tonight!” Chris patted Sebastian’s shoulder. “You excited?”

“Yeah, it feels all surreal to me still.” Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. “Feels like a dream.”

“I’m proud of you, guys.” I can’t help but to join in their conversation. I reached up to the both of them and gave them a hug. My best friend and the love of my life both in my arms. I was happy, ecstatic even. We were interrupted by one of the ushers telling us that we must go in the theater. Both of them offered their arms for me to hold on to and I reached for the both of them.

“I love you, babe.” I smiled at Chris who’s on my left as the three of us walked towards the theater.

“I love you too.” he smiled back and kissed my forehead. It was all finally okay. Chris wasn’t jealous of Sebastian anymore. Sebastian doesn’t walk out on me when Chris is with me. It was all good. Or so I thought. I looked up at Sebastian and he was looking at me with that sad smile and he mouthed to me something I’ve heard from him a million times but tonight it struck differently.

“I love you.”

Tag list: @everything-is-awesomesauce @supernatural-girl97 @patzammit @nugget-barnes

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foreverwayward · 6 years ago

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“Wayward Hearts” Prequel: Tears in Heaven

This is a prequel chapter to the series “Wayward Hearts”, a SPN series rewrite with OFC Riley Munroe. If you haven’t read Season 1′s Chapter 9 of the series, there are spoilers ahead. This chapter follows immediately after the prequel piece ‘Family Above All’ and is written in Riley’s POV.

MASTERLIST

Content Warnings: Language, violence

Word Count: 3251

Riley’s POV:

I’ll never forget that night as long as I live. It was quiet--too quiet. All I could hear was the sound of the pouring rain on the roof.

Dad had been gone for too long and wasn’t answering his phone. Why would he investigate a lead on the case without me? It didn’t make any sense. Not to mention how weird he was acting before he took off.

As I sat on the motel bed, I called his cell one more time only for it to go straight to voicemail.

“This is Jackson. If you reached this number, you know what to do.” The line beeped and I huffed before leaving a message.

“Dad…where are you? It’s late and you’re not answering. What the hell is going on? Call me.”

When I ended the call, I looked down at the phone in my hand, almost pleading for it to ring. Something was wrong--I knew it in my gut.

It was then that I saw headlights through the front windows and I rushed to look outside through the curtains. My hope immediately died when I realized it wasn’t Dad’s truck.

A man in the shadows got out of his own truck and closed the door behind him before heading for our room. I grabbed my gun and hid it behind my back, ready for a fight.

There was a knock at the door and I hesitated before opening it, still leaving the chain hooked. That’s when I saw John Winchester at my door. He was soaking wet from the storm outside and his head hung with his hair dripping.

“John?”

“Hey, Riley,” he said gruffly.

I hadn’t seen him in years. I know he and Dad kept in touch, but we hadn’t worked together since a demon case we ran into a while back.

“What are you doing here?”

It was like he couldn’t find the words as he stood there in silence. When he lifted his head, his eyes red from what looked like tears mixed with the rain on his face. John’s mouth was slightly open and he cleared his throat.

“John, you’re freaking me out.”

“Riley, it’s--it’s your dad.” I could practically hear the lump in his throat while my heart leaped into mine. “I’m so sorry, kiddo.”

The knot in my stomach made me feel like I would be sick as I hung on his every word. “He’s okay isn’t he?”

John just shook his head. “No--no he’s not.”

I could hear my pulse in my ears as I grabbed John by his jacket without a single thought. Angrily, I gritted my teeth. “Where is he?! What the fuck happened?!”

He turned his head towards his truck without a word and I could have sworn my legs would collapse underneath me. It took every ounce of courage I had to walk through the rain to that beat up truck.

I opened the door and gasped when nothing was there. It was like a brief moment of relief before I realized I had to check the trunk. John’s truck was raised and I wasn’t tall enough to see in so I went to the back and opened it before hopping onto the bed.

There in front of me, laid a black tarp, wrapped around something. I could feel every part of me shake as I bent down and pulled the top of it away.

My body went limp and it felt as though the life had been sucked from my chest. I went numb--almost dead inside like I couldn’t process what I was seeing.

It was Dad.

His eyes were closed and his face empty, hollow with him nowhere inside. My hand reached to touch him and shook violently as it connected with his cold skin.

I jumped at the feeling and immediately began to cry. That cry quickly turned into a sob, which inevitably turned into a wail. I threw myself onto his chest screaming for him and hugging the man I loved more than anything in the world. My Dad, my partner, my friend--my whole world...was gone.

John just stood by the truck in silence as wept over my father’s body. I had never known that kind of pain in my life.

Slowly, I felt my desire to live leave me. There was nothing left to live for.

------

In the middle of the night, John, Deb, and I stood in front of my father’s burning pyre in the Kansas forest. John remained stoic as always while tears ran down my aunt’s cheeks.

The last few days, I had done nothing but cry, so by then I had nothing left. It was like I had abandoned my body to avoid the pain that was consuming me.

I watched as my dad’s body was slowly engulfed by the flames with anger in my heart.

There were too many unanswered questions. All John said he knew was that Dad had called him telling him where to find him. When he got there, Dad was already gone, lying in the middle of an old barn. There were no marks, no wounds--no sign of what had taken him.

I knew in my gut that my father already knew he would die and that something evil had taken him from me. Whoever had killed him, whatever had killed him, would pay with more than their lives.

There would be a reckoning, and I would be the one holding the blade.

------

A month after the funeral, I had left Deb’s. I couldn’t stay there anymore. When I almost never got out of bed and spent my hours awake drinking, she and I got into a fight. I needed some air--some space to deal.

So, I took the Mustang and headed out of town. I left Dad’s truck at Deb’s, there was no way I could drive it.

On the road, I didn’t have a destination, I just drove until I physically couldn’t anymore.

It was late when I pulled into town, not even knowing what state I was in. All I knew was I had gone east.

As I rolled in, I slowed down to read a large sign through the darkness. ‘Welcome to Portsmouth, Virginia’.

Virginia? I couldn’t have been more than an hour from the coast. How long had I been driving?

My stomach grumbled and I couldn’t remember the last time I ate. There was a dingy motel only a short drive into town and I decided it was time to get some rest. My eyes were fogging over and I could barely hold my head up.

Before I got out of the car, I looked to my right to see the array of beer bottles and an almost empty bottle of Jack Daniels. I guess there was a reason I didn’t remember most of the drive.

Dad would have killed me for that.

I walked up to the front desk in my jeans and hoodie, completely disheveled. The place smelt like dust and old wood, like a living time capsule of the old days.

Throwing down my fake credit card under the name ‘Joplin’, I got a room and asked where I could find a liquor store. The attendant at the desk told me it was only a few blocks down and gave me directions.

I may have thanked him or just turned to leave, I’m not sure.

------

The bell on the door of the liquor store jingled as I left with a brown paper bag. I tore into the bag of beef jerky and twisted open my new bottle of whiskey as I walked down the empty streets. It didn’t take long for me to start stumbling in a drunken stupor as I made my way back. The alleyway near the motel gave me a quick shortcut to my room.

I could feel the rain soaking through my hoodie, my hair becoming drenched. The pools of water from the rain splashed as I trudged through them.

As I headed down the way, I could hear a whine coming through the rain. It sounded like a high pitched whimper and though I was already toasted, I fumbled to go check it out.

I guess the hunter in me has always been too curious for my own good.

I peered behind a dumpster after following the sound only to see a dirty dog lying on a flat cardboard box. He looked broken and forgotten just like me.

“Hey, buddy…” I slurred. “You hungry?” I pulled out a piece of jerky and knelt down with some difficulty and put down my bottle.

The nervous dog slowly sniffed as he crawled over to me and hesitated before taking the meat from my hand.

I decided to give him two more pieces before I stood up again. “Be grateful. That was like half my fuckin’ bag.” Taking my drink back in my hand, I took a long swig and turned to leave. “Later, Fido.”

------

I lost track of the days. The room was a disaster with takeout food trash, cans, and beer bottles all over. If I wasn’t sleeping, I was drinking. I had found company in the arms of strangers from the local bar a few times only to kick them out immediately after. At that point, I wasn’t looking for anything other than something to numb the pain.

As I searched around the room, I realized that I had run out of anything to drink and I was slowly becoming sober. I couldn’t handle my mind being clear and needed a bottle in my hand. The built-up rage, pain, and frustration came out as I tossed the room looking for something left.

When I came up short handed, I turned only to see myself in the mirror. My eyes were red with dark bags underneath. I had thrown my hair up into a messy bun without washing it for God knows how long. My only wardrobe appeared to be my sweats and socks.

The woman staring back at me wasn’t someone I recognized. And then the clarity of my mind began its never-ending cycle of thoughts.

“You should have gone with him. It’s your fault he’s dead. You didn’t even do anything. He died alone and now so will you.”

I remember a yell coming from the pit of my stomach, almost like a battle cry before my fist connected with the mirror glass. It shattered and shards fell to the ground. I stood there with rage in my eyes for the person I saw in those remaining broken pieces.

It wasn’t until I went to open the door to leave that I noticed my bleeding knuckles with a small piece of glass still in them. I quickly pulled out the shard and went on as though nothing had happened.

When I got outside, I realized that I didn’t even know that it was night time. The rain had come back and you could hear it crash onto the pavement.

I pulled my hoodie over my head, put my hands in my front pocket, and drug myself back toward my new favorite liquor store.

Out from the darkness, I could see a shadow nearby and I kept my eye on it as I moved through the alley. I must have stopped caring what was there because my eyes eventually cast down to the wet ground.

It wasn’t more than a minute or so before I felt something charge me. A large man had grabbed me and slammed me against the brick wall. I cried out from the hit in my already weakened state. He was in a large jacket and stood over six feet tall, only to look down at me like fresh meat.

The stranger chuckled under his breath when he realized I didn’t have the strength to fight him off. “It’s better if you don’t fight me, honey. This will go a lot faster if you don’t.”

I don’t know what happened at that moment but I didn’t give a fuck what would happen to me. The truth was, I had considered killing myself over the past few days and no longer cared. If he was gonna kill me, then so be it. At least then, the pain would stop. Maybe then, I could be with Dad again.

The man’s hands grabbed at me and then immediately went to pull at my sweatpants. A tear ran down my cheek as I realized what my life had become and how pathetic my existence was. I once fought monsters and now I couldn’t even fight off a man.

Only feet away, I heard a deep growl and the man turned to the sound.

Out from the rain came a dog that charged at my attacker with his teeth bared. The dog latched onto the man’s arm and sunk his teeth into his flesh before the stranger yelled out and tried to get him off.

I watched in shock as the dirty mutt pulled him away from me. He let go only to bark with such aggression that the man ran away down the alley, gripping at his bleeding arm.

I looked down at the dog who walked over to me gently and sat at my feet. He peered up at me with sweet brown eyes and whimpered. It was the hungry and lost dog I had met when I first came into town.

At a closer look, I realized he was a dirt-covered golden retriever. I bent down and he immediately licked my hand. For the first time since I lost Dad, a small smile crept up my face.

“Guess that was some good jerky,” I joked as I pet the strange animal. “Thanks, bud.” When I turned to go, I heard that familiar whimper and spun around to see the dog following me. “What?”

His eyes met mine once again and he rushed over to me.

As the rain continued to pour on us both, I sighed. I began to walk away and turned around to look at him again. “Well...are you coming?”

The dog barked in response before wagging his tail and walking at my side.

------

Back in my room, I had given the wet dog a warm bath and cleaned him up before I took a warm shower myself.

As I rubbed my hair dry, I saw the golden pup at the entrance of the bathroom just laying in wait. “So, what? We friends now?”

He happily barked and it made me chuckle under my breath.

“I swear to god it’s like you understand me.”

I crawled into bed and snuggled up into my blankets only then to have it dawn on me that I had forgotten my bottle of Daniels. “Goddammit.” I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping that night without it.

It was then that I felt the mattress shift as I was joined by my new canine companion. He crawled up next to me and nestled into my side.

I wrapped my arms around him in almost a hug and closed my eyes. “Goodnight, bud.”

------

The dog and I had spent nearly a week together. Surprisingly, I was sober for most of it. And with him at my side every night, I actually slept and avoided the nightmares. It was like he was keeping me sane.

One morning, I decided it was time to put myself back together.

Slowly, I got dressed and put back on my favorite leather jacket. I hadn’t worn it since Dad died. He had bought it for me and it was too painful to wear it. But I pulled my hair out from underneath it and finally shrugged it back onto my shoulders.

Looking into the broken mirror, I realized I was starting to recognize my reflection again.

I sat on the bed and laced up my boots only to see the dog staring at me from across the room.

“I gotta get back on the road, bud. Time for me to get the hell outta here.” He whined, once again acting like he knew what I was saying. “Well, I mean...I could take you with me.”

The pup got up and his tail wagged wildly before shoving his face lovingly into my hands.

I laughed a little and pet his head. “Alright, partner. Time to go.”

Throwing my duffle bag on my shoulder, I opened the door to leave and glanced back at the room. It was trashed and filled with memories of pain.

Before I closed the door, I took a deep breath and said to myself, “no more.”

I opened the door of the Mustang and the dog immediately jumped in before I could even gesture him to. He was ready to go.

I got in and sat with him as he panted and looked at me. Rubbing his head, I met his gaze and smiled. “Well, I think it’s time we give you a name. Can’t just call you ‘bud’, now can I?”

The dog cocked his head at me almost questioning my thought.

“Toby? Jericho?” Sneezing, the pup shook his head with a huff. “Okay,” I chuckled. “Freddie?” When I got no response, I thought of a name that I honestly have no idea where it came from. “...Finnick?” At that, the dog pawed at me and barked. “Okay, Finnick it is.”

I turned on the engine and my car roared to life. “Let’s get the fuck outta here, Finn.”

His focus shifted to the road ahead of us like he was ready for the journey.

For the first time since I lost Dad, I didn’t feel alone.

------

In Pennsylvania and in yet another unwelcoming motel, I sat on my bed with my arms and ankles crossed. I ended up just staring into oblivion, lost in thought with Finn on the bed with me. He barked at me and I jumped as he brought me back to reality

“Jesus, Finn. Trying to scare the shit outta me?” My new partner just whined as he peered up at me. I sighed heavily and pet his head. “What am I doing? Maybe I should just go back to Lawrence. I’m not even hunting, so what’s the point?”

The remote was in reach so I grabbed it and flicked on the tv. Mindlessly, I scanned the channels until I landed on a news station in the middle of a report.

“Six residents of Salem, Massachusetts have met untimely deaths in the last few weeks. According to witnesses, the victims all died under strange and terrible circumstances. A man was found in his bed covered in water and drowned. Another victim was forcibly hung in their own home. All other incidences have been kept under wraps by the Salem sheriff’s department. Residents of the town have begun to wonder if their dark history has finally caught up with them. More on this story tonight at eleven.”

I sat up and my mouth slightly fell open. No way in hell there wasn’t an actual case in Salem. Every instinct I had as a hunter was going off knowing I had to get on it, but the motivation wasn’t there.

I had never been on a hunt without my dad. What if I couldn’t do it on my own?

But then I thought of what he would do--he would’ve already had us out the door by then and on the road. He would want me to do this, to do the damn job.

“Fuck…” I muttered before getting off the bed like an annoyed teenager.

Grabbing my gear, I whistled for Finn and we headed out.

As we walked down the long hall, I slowed my anxious breathing and held my head high. “Let’s do this, boy.”

------

Riley’s first hunt with Finn is coming soon! Stay tuned!

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