#but she's back now (although doesn't really do in-person events much anymore) and a new member of staff joined that team last year

[ivy-saurs]

i have to help at a work event tomorrow and i'm just so sick of them

[weebsinstash]

Something that has been on my mind throughout this whole Yandere! Miguel O’Hara, is the idea of a Spider-Girl Gabriella O’Hara in another reality that lost her dad in that reality, her canon event, that made her become Spider-Girl, and Miguel (Earth-928B) becoming a Yandere parent. He lost his baby girl once, he��s not going to loose her again.

The problem with that in of terms of like me writing is, I prefer when the focus of my stories is the reader insert character and that would kind of be basically sort of making an OC just about, but I've definitely thought about like, yandere Miguel and friends looking after a Reader who may be still growing up or, Miguel is in his 30s or 40s so even a Reader in their 20s can still be a sort of student with him (I'm 26 ok let me live, I'm still considered young right 🥺🥺🥺 I need to be someone's baby girl too 🥺🥺🥺)

I keep gravitating back to "Miguel who lost his wife and child x reader who was spiderwoman 2099 who lost her Miguel and child and both of you did the whole tried to replace my family thing" and also like, imagine Miguel bonding with you because you can relate to his experiences more personally and intimately than anyone else and one day a second Miguel shows up and unlike "the main one" MiguelDos DID have a version of you as a partner and he's trying to convince you to come home with him. Like imagine your Miguel is so incredibly attached and protective of you and he sees you're spending a suspicious amount of time with the new version of him and, yeah he's jealous, but he's worried about potential consequences so he goes to talk to you and before he can, you start first, "Miguel, the other you has to go, he wants me to try and break canon and go home with him and--"

Miguel just being absolutely furious (not with you, never you) because you've been through a horribly traumatic experience and it is so strong and brave that you're still going (he would know, he's doing the same thing too) and now some copycat asshole is trying to sway you? Take you away? Miguel hears you say "he thinks because I don't have a home universe anymore that I exist outside my own canon and that I could come to his home universe and he wants a baby" and Miguel just sees RED

Maybe he even starts checking security footage and he can see that like, yeah Miguel2 has some sort of genuine affection for you but it's obvious he is also loakey manipulating you, trying to get you drunk and in bed, getting you tipsy to try and convince you to come with him, shit could you imagine Miguel 1 bursting into his/your shared office to see Miguel 2 basically trying to peel your clothes off while you're barely coherent if not outright unconscious

He'll beat the bastard bloody is what he'll do. Miguel had definitely developed his own obsession for you but for some random loser to be actively trying to use your pain for his own benefit, to try and BREAK CANON and kill everyone just to be selfish? He knows wanting to, but he's glad you came to him, trusting him enough to look up at him with tears in your eyes, "please, I can't take him being here, he's saying too much, he wants too much from me" because he knows it hurts, he doesn't know what to do if a carbon copy of his wife showed up begging for his love (although the more time he spends with you, the less he finds himself thinking about her and more about you)

Reader 2099 being devastated because since she lives in Miguel's dimension now but isn't FROM there she doesn't really have any documentation so she can't even try and adopt. Miguel realizing that, hey, maybe that other him of his had a point, maybe there IS a purpose for you becoming attached to Nueva York. It's not like moving on after a canon event is inherently changing one. Since he's already lost his daughter, and can't take someone else's, could he... make his own? But what if it breaks canon somehow? But the more he thinks about ìt and the more he gets closer to you the more he wants a fat chubby little baby of his own so fucking bad and he's just about ready to take a leap of faith with you and test this theory out

But yeah like, apparently the Spiderman canon events typically happen as teenagers so I've also thought of,you know, Reader being where they are in the template, a bullied high school kid with social isolation and issues at home. Miguel just minding his own business when a little birdy/spider whispers in his ear that "the new kid he's been looking after needs some help" and he goes to see and you're just sniffling and crying with a black eye because there are bullies at school. Or even worse, your black eye is from some attempt at a relationship, and you brush it off "oh no, they just lost their temper, it's MY fault they got so mad" and Miguel knows you don't have proper parental figures and he essentially adopts you. Miguel being especially weak to a female teen Reader though because, gosh, he wonders what his daughter would be like at your age, would the two of you have been friends, it's almost like helping to raise you helps heal the trauma of losing his little girl.

You have a Spanish class you struggle with and you're shyly asking Miguel, just offhandedly, "hey as a bilingual speaker do you have any tips 🥺 I'm really struggling and I feel dumb" and suddenly here's 'Tio Miguel' to help you. Any Spiders from your age group think they can make a move on you, they're mistaken and greeted by a towering glowering fatherly figure, and god forbid if he finds an older man being creepy with you, he will all but throw them into traffic

God this man has infested my brain so bad, I'm literally taking a t break from weed for like a week so I can treat myself by going to the ATSV in theaters since I've been so stressed and money finally isn't as tight and. Hhhhh I want to see a pretty movie with hot people and good music on the big screen 😩🥵❤️ by all means keep bugging me with any ideas or questions or feedback about ideas because I'm getting lost in the yandere spiderverse sauce

[little-cereal-draws]

so I've been having angsty thoughts abt Nimona and realized that Ambrosius is probably expected to continue on the bloodline of Gloreth. That... might be difficult to do w a boyfriend. so here are some thoughts abt how that might have gone if it ever came to it:

Get a surrogate. Both him and Balister have known abt this problem their whole lives and have agreed that this would be the best option. Then Ambrosius could fulfill the people's expectations but really still be with Balister. The problem with this is that they would have to fake a relationship/marriage as well to get the people's approval. So even though Ambrosius might be 1000% committed to Balister, they would never be able to publicly show any of that or it'll create a HUGE scandal. Also what would happen if the surrogate he chose didn't approve of his and Bal's relationship? Would she threaten to tell everyone? Would they have to pay her off? And much worse, what if she really fell in love with Ambrosius?

Adoption. The baby would have to look reasonably like Ambrosius for anyone to buy it though. This would also require a fake wife because he can't just spawn a baby into the world. They would have to fake a pregnancy which I'm sure the media would want to follow very closely. Also, if the kid is any older than an infant (which it probably would be) then they would have to keep it secret until it would make sense to reveal it. Like if they adopt an eight year old, they can't immediately present them as their new baby. I think Balister would like this way more because he knows what growing up on the streets/in an orphanage is like and doesn't want any kid to go through that. But with this method, there's always the lurking threat that the public will find out they're not biologically related and the bloodline of Gloreth was not continued.

Nimona. I'm completely screwing with the timeline now but if Nimona was already in the picture, they could use her shapeshifting (she's already kinda their daughter, they wouldn't have to change much at home). She's allowed to be herself at home/when she goes out by herself but when they do publicity events, she has to look like she could be Ambrosius' kid. At first she's skeptical bc why would she do that?? but when she realizes that she'd be allowed to play with the other noble kids, she agrees. She's not thrilled but the idea of making some new friends is too enticing. The problem now is that no one can catch her shifting. And her idea of "look related to Ambrosius" is to literally shift into Gloreth herself. Of course, no one realizes because Gloreth the person has been forgotten and replaced with Gloreth the mythological figure but Nimona knows. This system would work for quite a few years until Nimona can't take it anymore. She hates not being able to shift and stuck looking like the very first person to point a sword at her. She tells Ambrosius and Balsiter this and although they are sympathetic to her, they're in way too deep now. The public loves her and would be furious if she just disappeared. Unfortunately, that's exactly what she wants to do. Problems ensue.

Break the bloodline. This would be a very difficult decision but what both Ambrosius and Balister want to do deep down. This method would also probably involve telling the public abt their relationship which would cause even more problems. They're already furious that Gloreth's bloodline isn't being continued but now her last descendent is choosing this because a commoner playing dress up as a knight tempted him????? There would be blood on the streets. Both Ambrosius and Balister might step down as knights to take some of the heat off but even then, there would probably be anger directed at them for YEARS. I think this way would be best in the long run (getting the Institute off their backs, not being a part of an oppressive system anymore, not being scrutinized by the public's eye every waking second) but the hardest in the short term by a long shot.

[1983ram]

LH1983:RAM Episode 2 - Uptown Girl

Summary: Rue places her next call after a rough second day alone, she theorizes about what could have caused all of this and hopes Bridget picks up one day.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

We hear boots crunch against snow, RUE stands outside her RIG, holding onto the open door. She sighs and looks up at the night sky, she sounds like she has been crying. Her hair looks messy and she sniffs every few steps she takes towards the Payphone booth.

This time she looks both ways on the road, a small breath hitching as she does, something has made her trust the road less. 

INT. PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT

We hear her shuffle into the booth and rustle through her coat pockets for the necessary change, it takes her a while. While she rustles, we hear RUE curse under her breath, back to the edge of tears again.

RUE (breathless) Fucking, FINALLY!

We hear RUE bring out and slot the coins into the machine and press the numbers, whispering them to herself as she does. 

BRIDGET (quiet, audibly smiling) Hi, you’ve reached Bridget and Rue, unfortunately neither of us can come to the phone right now so leave your message after the beep!

RUE (Interrupting the message, whispering) You’re still not there huh…? That’s…

We here the beep from the receiver

RUE (CONT’D) (at full volume) Hey Bridge, so… I uh… got a bit of a funny story for you this time, ah… although it might not be too funny for you heh…

So, you know how my hand got sliced up by that window? Yes I’ve been taking care of it, but I usually drive with just that hand on the wheel you know? Well, I hit a bit of a rough patch of snow, I could barely see the road in front of me! Plus with my hand I uh… Well I lost control for a second.

(Interrupting herself) Now, I-I-uh I’m not hurt, so just don’t even worry yourself about that and uh… the rigs fine too so… just spooked us is all, you know. It just… sucks also not having that much control with my good hand anymore, you know? I had to actually… heh I had to actually put both hands on the wheel for once, if you can believe that. I’m sure hearing that would make you happy, you could say ‘I told you so!’ and I wouldn't even be able to argue.

RUE laughs, it's a bittersweet laugh that she wishes would be shared by someone on the other side of the line. But nothing but silence returns, so she continues.

RUE (CONT’D) Yeah um… well… other than that… I’d say it’s been boring but… when you seem to be the only person left on earth, does it ever really get that boring? 

Found out that TVs don’t work anymore, that was pretty exciting. I found a lil motel up here, I’m in the mountains now, can’t remember what it was called though… maybe… eh i dunno… anyway, wanted to see if I could get the news or a movie or… anything to help me sleep that night but it was just all snow, every channel.

(Thoughtful) Do… Do you think they call it, static, snow because it's… white? Can’t really think of any other real reason why they would. Doesn't sound like snow either, sounds more like that old box fan we’d bring out in the summer. Doesn't really remind me of the snow… Feels a bit disingenuous doesn't it? Er- like dishonest. But I dunno… they'll call anything anything these days. 

Been thinking of what to call this whole… event by the way. As well as like… what it really is. Some kind of… great unpeople-ing or maybe some kind of result of some secret war, maybe the cold war finally got heated, that or… maybe… maybe it really was some kind of rapture that happened. 

And well… in that case… Why did I get left behind? I… I really don't get it, you know? I don’t really believe it either, over a billion people just up and gone and I'm the only one left? On this whole planet? Well… feels a bit personal then, doesn't it? I dunno, it's probably just a silly thought but… I… really do hope I start finding other people here soon or… or you finally pick up or something or… you know, I might just about start feeling jealous for those people that got taken.

Maybe it's all just one big prank on me. Read a book like that once, it's not a very funny prank to play on someone honestly. It drove the man in the book to madness, but… I’m sure I'd hold up better. Spend a lot of time on the road alone and you start to not mind the loneliness…

But… anyway… I should get back on the road, speaking of. I love you Bridget… Pick up soon. Please.

We hear RUE gently setting the phone back, as if waiting for someone to suddenly pick up. But of course no one does, and she opens the door to the phone booth to the sound of wind racing by.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

Once again RUE looks both ways before crossing back to the RIG, as it awaits her patiently on the other side. She turns back to the booth as she stands in front of the door, looking at the lights off in the distance. We hear a high, beautifully sung note, it sounds close. 

RUE sniffles one last time, wiping a tear from her cheek as she tears her eyes away from the beautiful sight. She clicks the engine on, the rumble drowning out the high pitched noise of the THREAT coming closer. 

She drives off into the night, trying to focus on the road.

FADE TO BLACK

END OF EPISODE 2

[robert-de-niro-only-fans]

Ace of Hearts

Sam “Ace” Rothstein x Reader

Hi guys! Corny title, I KNOW, but I’m so incredibly happy to finally be posting this. I’ve been working on it since December, and it’s probably the longest thing I’ll ever write! Just to give you a quick rundown: it’s based off of Casino so you’ll see some familiar events and verbiage, but it’s told out of order to fit what I wanted and there’s a new character (Miss y/n). I have worked so so hard on this, so I hope you all love it! Thank you so much!

TW: smut, anything in Casino that triggers you may be in here, violence, injury, drinking, smoking, drugs, death, threats, cheating/affair, divorce, cursing, etc.

Word Count: 17.9k

"(Y/N)! Good evening, it's nice to see you, hun," Sam says, wrapping his arms around your waist for a hug and giving you a kiss on the cheek, "Looking beautiful as always." You place a hand on his chest, taking in the scent of his cologne; he always smelled good and expensive.

You are at Sam's casino, The Tangiers; he had invited you for dinner, like he does regularly. You and Sam are good friends; you met through Billy, the casino manager, and so Sam invites you to dinner there quite often. When it came to the casino, he was quite the social butterfly: always wanting to show the casino off to people and being extremely hospitable so that word-of-mouth would travel and bring new people in.

"Thank you, Sam, how have you been since I last saw you?" Most people call him Ace, but he had introduced himself you as Sam, for some reason, so it just stuck.

"Really good, actually, I have some news for you," you had become a person that Sam likes to confide in; he trusts you, and he says it's nice to get a woman's perspective.

"And what is that?" you ask with a smile as you head towards your usual table.

"I'm dating someone," he says with a grin, trying not to be too proud of himself.

"Sam! Really? You found a girl?!" you stop, taking his hand, waiting for details.

"Yeah, we just got together a few weeks ago. She's... Well, she's like me, I guess," you both start walking towards the table again, "She's driven and she's got a big presence when she walks in a room. And she's just got this spark; I don't know what it is about her."

"Ah, he must be going on about Ginger," Billy says as you walk up to where he's seated, waiting on you, "yeah, he was starstruck the moment he laid eyes on her."

"She'll be here soon; I'd like you to meet her," Sam says to you. Despite being a very confident man, there were certain people he likes to get approval from; you feel honored to be one of those people.

So, you take your seats at the table, and as promised, Ginger is there only a little while later. You can tell it's her; she is exactly the way Sam described her. Her tall, blonde figure really captures everyone's attention, especially Sam's.

"Hey, gorgeous," Sam greets her, motioning for her to slide into the booth next you him.

"Hi, Sam," she hands him her clutch purse and sits down, giving him a peck on the lips. He goes around and introduces her to everyone at the table including you. She seems like she has a great personality and excellent people skills, but you couldn't help but feel a little jealous that she called him Sam too. You thought you were the only one, but it makes sense considering she is his girlfriend.

After everyone is settled in and food orders placed, Ginger leans forward so she can see past Sam to talk to you. "(Y/N)?" she says kind of quietly.

"Oh, hey!" you reply casually.

"I just wanted to say," she starts, "Sam talks about you a lot; it's nice to finally meet you, and I hope we can be friends. There aren't a lot girls in this business," she says with a bit of a chuckle at the end.

At that moment you both realize Sam is listening in on your conversation.

"Oh, well, thank you, Ginger. Any girl good enough for Sam must be really spectacular; he's a picky man!"

He puts his arm around her, "Spectacular is a good word to describe her." He takes your hand in one of his for just a moment, squeezing lightly and giving you a happy look, proud that you and her are getting along.

• • •

Over the next few months, you see Sam fall madly in love with Ginger. She couldn't deny that he was a very sweet man who gave her respect and anything should could ever ask for, but you could tell she never reciprocated those feelings as much as Sam. You get the feeling that she loved what he could do for her more than the man he was, but then again, maybe she's just slow to fall in love and you're being overprotective of your friend.

You trust Sam and know that even though he's in love, he'll maintain a level head. He treats everything like a business transaction.

As it turns out, that's exactly how he handles their engagement from what he tells you. You had stopped in for a visit at the casino, so he is sitting with you and catching up before he heads back out to the floor.

"Yeah, I told her that I know her feelings haven't developed as quickly as mine, but that if she lets me marry her, she'll be taken care of for the rest of her life, and she won't have to hustle the streets anymore. The love will come, I know it will," Sam explains to you, although it seemed like that last part was for him.

"And she said yes?" you ask.

"Yes. She said yes. She even agreed to have a baby with me." You'd never seen such a happy look in his eyes; Sam had always wanted a family, and it took a long time, but it's finally happening for him.

While this worried you a bit, you press on, "So, when's the wedding?!" you try to joke.

"Oh, well, uh... In a year at least. We want to have the baby first; it was part of our deal."

"What? Sam," you try to make sense of what he just told you, "you don't find it a little odd that you had to negotiate your own engagement, and that you can't trust her to have a baby with you 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 you're married?"

"I mean, it's unconventional, but that's just Vegas."

"No, love is love, no matter what city you're in. You deserve someone who will love you and respect you as much as you love and respect them. Not many people see it, but you have such a big heart, Sam; don't let someone take advantage of it," you place your hands on his, and his eyes glance up at you. You both share a knowing look. As much as Sam respects your opinion, nothing will stop him once he wants something, and he wants Ginger: her trust, her respect, and her love.

You see Sam and Ginger several times throughout their pregnancy, and honestly, they couldn't be happier. Sam is going to have the baby he always wanted, and Ginger is getting all the attention in the world for carrying Sam Rothstein's child. You think maybe this will solve all their problems.

• • •

Just a few months after the baby was born, you received an invitation to their wedding. You had been by their apartment a few weeks prior to visit and meet the baby, and gosh, she was so cute. Sam lit up when he held her; he was so proud of his baby girl, Amy. But Sam hadn't mentioned anything about a wedding happening so soon, although they do have the money to make one happen quickly.

The wedding is very nice, although it's more of a party than a wedding. Ginger is a socialite, so it only makes sense that there would be more attention on the reception than the ceremony.

You go sit with Nicky and his wife Jennifer so that you can hold the baby, while Sam and Ginger cut the cake and share champage. This is supposed to be a happy moment for them, but you can tell something is off. Maybe it's because they don't have baby fever anymore; parenting is not easy, so that's what you chalk it up to.

As you're making faces getting the baby to giggle, you see Sam sneak off into a back room, presumably looking for Ginger. You continue to entertain their baby while you wait for him to come back; you hadn't really gotten a chance to see him all night, and you want to show your support and congratulate him.

As you chat with Nicky, you see Ginger and Sam return from wherever they had gone; only problem is, they went two different directions and Ginger had clearly been crying. That's not normal behavior for newly weds. Nicky takes notice as well and says, "Eh, uh, why don't you go check on him? I'll take the baby."

And so, you hand him Sam's little bundle of joy, and make your way across the ballroom to your friend. He had been pulled into a conversation that he clearly didn't want to be having, so you tap him on the shoulder and excuse him from the group of people. He puts his hand around your waist as you walk off.

"Dance with me," you say simply, and he happily agrees. You knew you'd be able to talk privately because you'd be so close to him on the dancefloor, and it wouldn't look suspicious like if you swept him away to a different room.

"Trouble in paradise already?" you ask him, "You two have been so happy the past few months, what's going on?"

"Well, I guess maybe she realized this is the end of the road, and that I'm the one she'll be stuck with the rest of her life... Whatever the reason, she felt the need to call her pimp, Lester Diamond," he explains, pursing his lips at the end; he was really frustrated and trying not to show it.

"What did she call him for? She doesn't still love him or something, does she?"

"She says she called him to let him know it was over and that she's married now. He was her first love, and the only thing in this whole world she's got a soft spot for."

"Oh, Sam... You don't deserve that; you don't deserve someone that's holding onto their baggage with someone else."

"Well then maybe I should've married someone like you," he says with a small laugh and a look of longing in his eyes. He pulls you even closer to him, and you hold him a bit tighter in an effort to comfort him.

"You shouldn't say things like that on your wedding day," you say quietly next to his ear.

"But it's true. You've got the looks, the personality, a great heart, but for some reason, I only want Ginger, or at least for a while I did." With that, he stares into your eyes for a little while, before kissing you on your jawline and neck a few times.

After a pause, you say, "Well, I hope that was the last time she calls him. You deserve nothing but the best, but I know how much you love her, so I hope you two will find happiness with one other." You decide not to say anything about the way he implied that he wanted to be with you or the way he just kissed you; maybe that would make it worse. That probably isn't how he really feels; he's probably just speaking from a place of being hurt by Ginger. You stop dancing and hug him, "Congratulations on your big day, it was beautiful and glamorous in way that only Sam Rothstein could do."

You both share a laugh and hopeful smiles. His hand finds yours as you start to walk away, and he gives it a squeeze before letting his arm drop to his side.

"Everything okay?" Nicky asks when you get back to the table.

"Yeah, everything's gonna be fine," there wasn't much point in explaining it to him, he had a thing for Ginger, so he would make excuses for her. Plus it wasn't your news to share, Sam trusted that you would keep his secrets, because that's how you'd always been.

You grabbed your things to leave, and you shot one quick glance back at Sam before heading out. He was hugging Ginger, trying to comfort her; that didn't stop the nasty look she gave you when she saw you looking at her man. "Sadly, he belongs to her now," you think as you take in the cool night air outside the wedding chapel, "legally, at least."

• • •

The next several months of their marriage only take a turn for the worse. The issue isn't that they don't understand each other, it's that they're exactly alike: both strong-minded with the will to get what they want. The issue is that the things they want don't align with the other person's goals. Sam wants a successful casino and to have Ginger's love, but Ginger is someone who can't be tamed; she wants money wherever she can get it, and she wants to be the center of attention.

The thing that works on Sam's nerves more than anything is that Ginger just refused to cut ties with Lester Diamond.

"She just keeps- she- she asked me for all this money, and she won't tell me what it's for," Sam is fuming as he vents to you about his wife, "She knows I would give her anything she wants of she'll just tell me what it's for. She won't be honest with me, and that's how I know she's up to no good."

"What do you think the money is for?" you ask, placing your hand on his. He had come over to your house just to visit and have a few drinks. This has become a regular thing since he married Ginger; he relies on your company and your advice.

"Mmm, it's just a suspicion, but I think it might be for that pimp." He rubs his thumb across the back of your hand as he held it.

"I thought she ended things with him, but I wouldn't put it past her to go behind your back. I'm sorry that you can't trust your own wife; I know you value that so much."

"Well, I'm at least glad to know that someone in this world still has values like me. In a town like Las Vegas, everyone is so cutthroat. Sometimes I think you and Billy are the only ones left with a moral compass."

"You have one too, Sam, and a good heart," you pull him towards you, and he lies across the couch to place his head in your lap. He is only casual like this with a few people, but he finds it fun to kick back and relax with you. He looks up at you while you gently comb your fingers though his hair; eventually it will work the gel out of his hair, but you like it when he let his waves hang loose. "What are you gonna do about her giving Lester that money?"

"Hm, I don't know yet," he answers with raised eyebrows and a shoulder shrug.

"What if you let her have the money?"

"So she can give it to that scumbag?"

"Listen, honey," you chuckle at him, "what if you let her have the money, knowing she's going to give it to Lester, but you and Nicky's guys show up with her. Put him in his place, rough him up, that way he won't come begging on her doorstep again. AND she'll see what happens if she tries to give him your money again."

A surprised look appears on his face, "Damn, baby, you been hanging out with Nicky, taking some notes from him? It almost sounds like you hate my wife or something!" You both laugh together.

Your laughter dies off, and you look down at his face in your lap, "I hate the way she treats you." It's the simple truth; he deserves better.

• • •

A few weeks later, you're at a pool party at Billy's place. Las Vegas summers are hot, so pools are basically a requirement out here.

Normally, Sam brought Ginger to these kinds of things; that's just what you were supposed to do, but you had convinced him to come by himself. At first the thought made him uncomfortable, because he knew it would cause another argument at home, but he also just wanted to get away for a while. And so, he left Ginger with a stack of cash, told her to go shopping, and came over to Billy's.

You don't notice Sam when he first arrives; you're in the pool taking to some of Billy's business associates, some you had met before, some you hadn't. One of these guys has made himself really comfortable with you: grabbing at your hips and trying to keep you close to him. You're used to men like this putting their hands on you, and it's normally very casual, but this guy is being more aggressive than you are used to.

He's putting his arms around you and pulling you really close to his chest. You use your arms as a barrier between you and him; it's really more awkward than anything.

"Excuse me?"

You look over your shoulder to see Sam standing at the edge of the pool.

"Yeah?" the guy asks, adjusting his arm around you once again.

"Would you mind if the lady came with me?" Sam asked, pouring on the charm.

"She's fine here."

"Looks like she'd rather be with me" Sam says giving you a coy look.

The guy look at you, then back at Sam, "And who the fuck are you?" he replies, rudely.

"Someone you don't want to piss off." Sam takes your hand, and you free yourself from this other man. Sam helps you out of the pool and snags a towel for you to wrap yourself up in.

"Thank you for that," you tell Sam as you walk over to a table where Billy and his wife are.

"Eh, I'm sorry that he felt he could treat you like that. He'll be taken care of." You know what that means.

There are several people gathered around the table, people Sam and Billy work with at the casino, but they're also friends. Sam takes a seat in one of the lounge chairs and pulls you into his lap. Everyone at the table says their hello's and Sam whipsers to you, "Thank you for inviting me... And suggesting I leave the wife at home." He rubs a hand across your thighs and the other rests on your back.

This is a crowd that you and Sam are comfortable being close in. You two were always like this before he got with Ginger, so it feels nice to have him close to you again. You gently squeeze at his side, while he lights a cigarette and takes a puff. He offers it to you, but you just smile and shake your head.

"Hey, Billy," Sam starts.

"Yeah, Ace?" he asks, turning his attention to the man next to you.

"You see that dopey ass motherfucker in the pool over there?" Sam asks, pointing with his cigarette between his fingers, "The tall one at the center of that group?"

"Yeah, yeah, I see him. Did he do something?"

"He thought it was okay to make (Y/N) here uncomfortable, and he tried to mouth off at me about it," Sam explains.

"(Y/N), is that true? What did he do to you?" Billy asks you.

"He was just being weird and way too handsy. I tried to get away from him but he would just grab me if I did that. I didn't wanna make a scene though."

Billy turns to look back at the group of guys in the pool, "And all those guys with him just let it happen, huh?" He turns back to you, "It'll be handled. That's unacceptable."

Sam gives your waist a squeeze, and you share a look with him. "You gonna get in the pool at all today?" you ask him, motioning to his outfit: khaki slacks, a button up shirt (unbuttoned a little bit), and a pale pink sports coat.

"I don't know, I'm having a good time right here. You look good in that bikini, baby," he whispers the last part, rubbing his fingers over the string on your back, "it doesn't leave much to the imagination..."

"Just the parts that all you boys want to see," you bite your lip, and you both giggle quietly.

The afternoon goes by with casual conversation as you and Sam lounge back in your chair with you leaning against his chest and your face tucked into the crook of his neck. He keeps his arms around you, as he chats and enjoys some drinks and cigarettes with the guys at the table.

Soon, the sun begins it's descent before the moon comes out, which means the temperature is dropping too. Vegas has some of the hottest days and the coldest nights.

You sit up from your cozy spot against Sam's chest and pluck the cigarette holder from between his lips. He raises his eyebrows at you as you take a drag off of it, then you exhale the smoke at the same time as him.

A warm smile spreads across your face as you return the cigarette to him. "I'm gonna go change," you whisper to him before getting up and heading inside Billy's house.

Upstairs in the bathroom, you take your change of clothes out of your bag and lay them out on the counter. You hear a small knock at the door before Sam enters the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

"Sam? What are you doing?" you ask him.

He walks over and places himself behind you, looking you up and down in the mirror. He wraps his arms around your midsection and rests his chin on your shoulder, making eye contact with you, again in the mirror.

"You're so beautiful," is all he says before one hand travels to your hip, and his lips find your skin. He kisses at your neck slowly but sensually; you close your eyes as your back arches into him. He has you turned on in a matter of seconds; you had never realized you wanted him this bad.

One of his hands slides up your back and pulls the string of your bikini top, untying it and leaving your back bare. Your top hangs on by the knot at the back of your neck.

His kisses grow increasingly sloppy as he becomes more turned on for you. One of his hands cups at the underside of your breast, while the other holds your hips in place. You feel his erection in his pants against your backside, as he unties one of the knots at your hip.

"Sam-" You want him badly, but your conscience won't let you do this. "Sam."

His motions stop and he looks up at you in the mirror. You turn around in his arms so that you can look him in the eyes. With a bittersweet look on your face, you say, "We can't do this. You're married, Sam. We can't do this, especially not in Billy's house."

A look of clarity comes to his eyes as you talk some sense into him. "Yeah, yeah, you're right," he answers. He reaches for a towel and wraps it around your body, as if to cover up the thing that was tempting him. You tie the towel in place and go ahead and remove your bikini, dropping it to the floor. Sam pulls you into a hug, holding your toweled waist tight, "I'm sorry, (Y/N). I'm so sorry."

• • •

The next time you see Sam is just for a normal get-together at The Tangiers. Being the gentleman he is, he treats you as if the incident at Billy's place never happened, and it's best this way; he's one of your best friends after all.

This dinner is anything but normal, however. Ginger had started to catch on to Sam leaving her at home. You got the feeling Nicky was the one who let her in on that secret.

Ginger storms into the casino, making a scene like she always does; she's always been the kind of person you hear before you see when she's angry. Security follows her over as she makes her way to the table with their little girl on her hip. Sam stands up and rushes over to her, in an effort to keep Ginger away from everyone at the table. It doesn't work that well, she continues pushing towards the table as she screams at him about leaving her at home and making her take care of their toddler.

Sam gets the kid from Ginger, and she pushes past him and towards you, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU PUT THE IDEA IN HIS HEAD TO START SNEAKING AROUND ON ME!"

You sit there, completely taken back. You would try to say something, but you wouldn't get a word in as Ginger is letting you have it.

Sam comes over, grabbing Ginger's arm and pulling her to face him, "What the fuck is the matter with you? What the fuck is the MATTER WITH YOU?! Bringing our kid here at this time of night! Screaming at (Y/N)!" He points at you, "You ain't had nothin' to do with her since you met!! And you wanna come in here and blame your problems on her?!"

You had never seen Sam so angry before, screaming at the top of his lungs like this in front of everyone, in his own casino. There was a pause as everyone waited for what was gonna happen next.

Quietly, Ginger speaks, "Oh my God," her voice cracked like she was about to cry, "oh my God, you're defending her..." She turns to walk away, crying into her hands. Sam quickly hands Amy over to you and runs after Ginger.

Security follows them, and everyone at the table sits in silence as you all listen to Ginger yell and cry at Sam on the way outside, "You never defended me! To anyone! For anything! You've never defended me like that!"

• • •

A few days later, flowers show up at your house with a note from Sam.

"I'm so sorry for the other night and how crazy things have been lately. Let's go out and I'll make it up to you. -S. R."

Attached is a reservation card telling you that you're having dinner with him tonight at a small restaurant you used to go to when Sam first moved out to Las Vegas.

"I'm so glad you actually came. I thought maybe you didn't want anything to do with me after Ginger yelled at you like that."

"Have I ever been the type of girl that would blame you for your wife's actions?" you say greeting him with a kiss on the cheek, "it's good to see you all in one piece; I was worried what she might do to you." You both chuckle and sit down at your table.

"I just- uhh, I just wanted to take you out like we used to do before everything got so crazy. Back when I was still getting used to the desert and Billy introduced me to you; it was just simple... and always fun when you were around. So I just thought maybe we could re-live that for a night," Sam explains his reasoning for bringing you here alone.

"Well I think it'll be fun," you say reaching over and giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, "This place always had great food!" You lean back in your seat, slide your heels off under the table, and prop your feet up in Sam's lap across from you. He raises his eyebrows, giving you a look. "Well you said you wanted it to be like old times!" you exclaim.

After dinner and dessert, you both sit back with your bellies full. The food was so rich and lovely; you both ate so much more than you normally would have, but you aren't in the company of anyone fancy so you cut loose.

"You wanna get out of here? I got somewhere I'd like to take you," Sam asks.

"Ooooh, honey, I don't think I can move, I'm so full!" you groan at him, "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere you took me when I first moved here and I needed some peace and quiet from the city."

And with that, you let him take you by the hand and lead you out to his car. When you cruise past the strip and out into the dark dessert, you lean on his shoulder and ask, "You're not gonna whack me, are you?"

"Now, I couldn't tell you if I was. Typically the guy you're gonna whack doesn't ask ya, and typically the guy you're gonna whack is a guy," you both laugh. Tonight really had been like old times.

You slide over and lay down, laying your head in his lap. He put his arm across your chest and shoulder as if you were an arm rest, and he looks down at you. "Eyes on the road, Mr. Rothstein!"

"Yes, ma'am" he cracks a smile and looks up like he's supposed to.

Parked just a few miles out in the desert, Sam gets out the car, grabbing a blanket from the back, and tossing it across the hood of the car. He also grabs an extra jacket for you for when it gets cold.

"Alright, get outta the car," he says, looking at you laid across the front seat of his Cadillac.

"Mmmm... but I'm so cozy here," you whine.

Sam grabs you by your feet and drags you across the seat to pull you up out of the car. Once you're on your feet, he grips both of your shoulders and looks you over, "Princess. You're a spoiled princess, you know that?" He grabs your hips and lifts you onto the hood of the car before walking around and hopping up to sit next to you.

"It's been forever since I came out here... Thank you for bringing me," you tell Sam as you lean back on the windshield of his car and look up at the endless sea of stars in the night sky. Out here in the desert, there was no light pollution, and it was such a clear night, it felt like there were a million stars up there.

"Want this?" Sam asks holding up his extra jacket.

You take it from him and bundle up in it. It was warm and smelled like him, like he had worn it recently or perhaps sprayed his cologne on it.

He put his arm around your shoulders; together, you looked up at night sky and talked, occasionally pointing out constellations or planets.

The lower the temperature drops, the more you snuggle into Sam. Every few moments you glance at each other, sometimes making eye contact and smiling at each other.

"Mm, come here," Sam grumbles pulling you into a full-on cuddle.

"Cold?" you joke.

"Nope, you're just too far away," he nuzzles his nose into your hair and leaves a kiss there.

You turn your head to face him, "Sam."

He places his hand on your cheek and sarcastically replies, "(Y/N)."

Your eyes linger on one another's for what feels like several minutes; for a moment, the whole world fell away and it was just the two of you. You both lean in, gently pressing your lips to one another's. You move your lips together slowly and carefully, as if you might break something. The moment lasts a long time, but not long enough.

Sam pulls back to look at you, "I love you."

You open your mouth to protest, but all that comes out is, "I love you, too."

Without another word, you both agree to not discuss it. Whether you liked it or not, things were about to get complicated, so you both just want things to be simple for the night.

• • •

You had always assumed Sam was the kind of man to take a woman to bed quickly in a relationship. Of course, your relationship is anything but conventional; you'd been friends for years, but now it was obvious those feelings of friendship had been something more all along.

You had spent some time together a few times since your outing to the desert. He greeted you with a kiss each of those times you met up, because you made sure to meet in private; word couldn't get out about this, or it would cause trouble with Ginger and the crime family Nicky and Sam were in. The family wouldn't take so kindly to Ginger causing a big scene over Sam's infidelity.

You and Sam also really wanted to take things slow; you didn't want to ruin a good friendship by rushing. So when he came to your house or you met in his office, you spent a lot of time in his arms, kissing him, and not too much more.

But your job right now is to act like none of that exists, like everything is just the way it's always been. You're at a big celebration for Sam; the gaming commission is giving an award to him for being such an important asset in the success of gambling in Las Vegas. Everyone who knows Sam is there; it's his big night!

As events like this usually go, Sam is at a table on a stage at the front of the room. His closest friends are all sat together: you, Billy, Nicky, Ginger, and a few others. On the surface everything is cool, but you know this mix of people isn't good news.

There are rumors floating around that the FBI agents keeping an eye on Nicky had gotten some pictures of him and Ginger together. Sam didn't want to pry into it; he didn't want another reason to be mad with her. Sam had also recently told you that Ginger's mysterious phone calls had started up again, and she refused to tell him who she was calling at all hours of the day. You and Sam both knew what that meant: Ginger is being anything but faithful to him.

It's a lovely dinner, aside from Ginger's remarks. It's almost like she knows about you and Sam somehow. Every time she mentions him, she makes sure to watch your reaction, and she makes several remarks like, "proud to call him my man," and, "so glad he belongs to me," while staring you down.

In an effort to try and make friendly conversation with Ginger, you lean over you her to say, "You know, I think Sam likes girls like us, because we're both like him: social and in the business. We make what he does look glamorous." You give her a hopeful smile.

She cuts her eyes and hits you with, "No, Sam likes a woman like me; we both came from the streets and had to hustle our way into money. Anyone can be a socialite in a nice gown. Some of us have more to show for it."

Upon hearing that, Billy gives Ginger a look of disapproval and puts his arm around you to comfort you. It couldn't be more obvious that she is trying to get a rise out of you, but you won't stoop to her level making a scene like that.

Ginger leans into Nicky, and you don't say much the rest of dinner.

After the award was presented to Sam and it's time to mingle, you work your way over to Sam, stopping to chat with several people along the way. As you approach him, it seems like the two of you only have eyes for each other. He greets you with a big smile spread across his face, a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.

With his hands on your waist, and your hands on his chest, you tell him, "I'm so proud of you. You work so hard, and you've been so good for Las Vegas."

"Yeah, well, Las Vegas has been good to me," he says looking you in your eyes lovingly, and raising his eyebrows briefly.

What you don't realize is that Ginger sees the whole exchange, but she does something very out of character: she keeps her cool... For now.

• • •

"It was... It was the way you looked at her. You didn't have to look at her like that," Ginger sobs into the pillow on her and Sam's bed.

"How did I look at her? Huh? What did I do?" Sam questions her, pacing around their bedroom.

Ginger shifts to look up at Sam with tear-filled eyes, "Like you love her... You looked at her like you love her."

"Ginger-" Sam starts and pauses to keep his composure, "What do you care how I look at her? You me you didn't love me! And I thought I could change you!"

There was a pause before he continued, "You're not making any goddamn sense; I don't know why I'm trying to talk any sense into you. You been drinkin' all the time, and those fuckin painkillers you took have your brain so fucked up right now... I don't even know why I'm trying; it's not worth it."

"You really feel that way?" she asks quietly.

"Feel what way?"

"That I'm not worth it. You really think that I'm not worth it?" she sits up and pushes some of the hair out of her face.

That small bit of love Sam still had for Ginger creeped back up; he couldn't hurt her like that.

He sat on the bed next to her, "No," he says as he pulls her into his chest, "I don't feel that way." He simply holds her as she cries into his shoulder.

• • •

"I guess she's spread herself too thin," Sam vents to you as you lie on your couch cuddling, "I think the drinking and the drugs are a distraction from all the men she's trying to hold down. She's never been able to keep Lester under control, Nicky is getting all kinds of heat on him with the cops in Vegas, and she's realized I don't love her the way I used to, or maybe the way I thought I did."

The last part was mostly directed at himself; Sam is coming to terms with the decision he made when he married Ginger, and he's realizing that maybe it wasn't love at all. After all, lust isn't built on trust and respect.

"Don't blame yourself for falling for her. She said something to me the other night, and as hurtful as it was, it was true."

"What did she say to you?" he asks, sitting up a bit and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, uh, I just told her that I think you like girls like us because we're like you, but we make the business more glamorous. And she told me that you would only like a woman like her because you both worked for the success you have, and that means you and her have more to show for it."

"She said that to you?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. If you went to her about it, it would only cause you more problems," you try to get him to relax. There was no point in him getting stressed over it.

He sighs and lays back down, holding you tight, "I'm so sorry she said that to you. It's not true. I think her and I understand each other because of our backgrounds, but I think you know I like you just as much, if not more than I ever liked her."

"I thought you might say something like that. That's why I tried to not let it bother me," you look up and kiss him a few times.

He turns you to lay on your back, and he puts his head on your chest. You run your fingers through his hair on the back of his head.

"I wish we could just run away. I made such a mistake starting a life with Ginger. I meant it-" his voice catches a bit, "I meant it when I told you I love you. I wish I could just put her in the past and spend the rest of my days with you."

His voice got so soft at the end of his statement. From this position you couldn't see his face, and you figured there was a reason for that, as you felt some dampness forming on your shirt.

You had never seen Sam cry over anything. In that moment, it made you realize how real his feelings are. Even after all the hell Ginger put him through, it didn't break him as much as the idea of being with you.

He lies there and tries to keep his breathing even, while you wrap your arms around him and hold him. He just desperately needs love and comfort from a woman who really cares about him.

• • •

Sam and Ginger got to the point that they could hardly stand to be around one another, so they take periods of separation from one another, and they trade off who keeps Amy. Although, Sam will admit that he's more at ease when his little girl is with him.

Whenever Sam has Amy, he tries to take at least one day off work every week to spend with her. She's getting to be more of a kid than a toddler now, and she enjoys spending time with her daddy.

Today, Sam invited you along to the park and a for a picnic with Amy; it's what she asked for!

"You look pretty in your little sundress, baby," Sam compliments you, as he pushes his kid on the swing.

"It's nice seeing you dressed down a bit, too. Turns out it isn't the suit jacket that makes you so handsome!"

He was just wearing slacks and a button up shirt: sleeves rolled up, no tie, no sports coat. Oh, and don't forget the sunglasses and cigarette holder.

"Hey, Amy?" Sam calls to his daughter while she swings up and down through the air.

"Yeah, daddy?"

"You wanna go eat lunch, sweetie?"

"No!"

"No?!" Sam exclaims sarcastically, "You don't wanna go eat your lunch? I packed your favorite."

She shook her head, despite the big smile on her face.

"PB and J's?!" he asks.

She shakes her head again.

"Applesauce?"

Another no.

"Hmmm... How about those cupcakes we picked up from the bakery?"

Her little face lights up and she tries to stop the swing. Sam scoops her up on his hip to carry her over to their picnic blanket. The whole exchange is extremely adorable; you love watching Sam be a daddy to his little girl!

At lunch, surprisingly Amy stays near you. You've been babysitting her since she was a baby, and now she sees you hanging out with her dad a lot; luckily she likes you. It's really important to Sam that you two get along.

"You're gonna make a great mom one day," he says, pulling you out of your thoughts.

"Hmm? And what makes you think I'll be a mom?" you ask him, helping wipe something off Amy's cheek.

"If you stay with me, and if we end up together, you'll be Amy's new mom... aaaand maybe if you really like me, we could have a baby together," he looks down at his hands with a smirk on his face.

You put your hands over Amy's ears, and joke with him, "I think we should probably have sex before you ask me to have your baby! Although, you can trust me to have your baby 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 the wedding."

You let go of Amy's ears, while you and Sam double over in laughter.

"What's so funny?" she asks sassily, sounding just like her dad.

"Nothing, honey, you'll understand when you're older," Sam replies, petting her hair.

"You always say that, daddy. Can I go play?"

"Yes, but stay where we can see you, okay?"

"Okay!" she says, already running off. She's a busy body, just like him.

Sam pulls you into a spooning position and holds you so you can both keep an eye on Amy on the playground.

"So, you want me to make love to you, huh?" he grumbles lowly in your ear, placing some kisses on your neck.

"Mmm... Why don't you come over to my place one night and find out?" you tease at him.

• • •

You assumed tonight would be just a casual night at home, and you appreciate that, because it isn't often you get alone time. You had just gotten out the shower and decided to relax in your robe on the couch for the night.

That all changes when you hear the doorbell ring.

"Who could that be? I don't think I invited anyone over," you think as you walk to the door.

"Sam!" you exclaim, seeing him on your front stoop, "what are you doing here-"

You're cut off by his lips meeting yours in a fiery kiss. He pushes you into the house and shuts the door behind him all while his lips never leave yours. He pushes you against a wall, grabbing at your hips. When his lips move down to your neck, you gasp out his name.

"Sam! What has gotten into you?" you breathe out, "What is this?"

"Mmm..." He moans, leaving little kisses at your ear, "Ginger and Amy are out of town, and... you told me to come over and make love to you."

"That's not how I said it," you laugh, before letting out a soft moan at his actions.

He reaches over and locks your front door before leading you over to the couch. His lips find yours again, then he gently lays you down, positioning himself on top of you. His hands roam your body, as your lips move with his; his tongue enters your mouth and sends chills across your skin.

You pull away from his kiss to look at him in the eyes, "I know we've been seeing each other and doing a lot of kissing, but I don't want to make you a cheater."

"Baby, it's not about cheating. Ginger and I don't wanna be together as it is; I 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to be with 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

"Sam... are you sure? You can't go back from this."

"(Y/N), I already told you I love you. There's no going back from that." His hand snakes down to the ties on your silky robe, and pulls them loose. With his legs on either side of one of yours, he presses his hardness into your thigh. As he pulls your robe to the side just a few inches, he places soft kisses on your chest.

He pauses and looks up at you through his lashes. You place your hands on his face and shoulder, and he gives you a smile before he pulls your robe open, leaving you naked in front of him, except for the sleeves on your arms.

Sam kisses your lips lightly, then your cheek, then your neck and chest, where he starts leaving heated love bites. He gently squeezes at your breasts, as he teases them with his tongue and teeth. Soon after, he leaves a trail of kisses down your belly, leaving you with a few nips on your hipbone.

He sits up on his knees, taking your body in: your plump thighs, sensual hips, the way your breathing had become heavy, and obviously your naked parts he had always wanted to see. He moves to place himself between your legs, and he pulls one of them up, hooking your ankle on his shoulder and pressing a few kisses to your calf.

"You're beautiful," he tells you before he turns his attention back to your leg.

Sam really made you feel beautiful, but it was nothing in comparison to the way he looks: his dress shirt unbuttoned a little, shiny suit pants, large erection pressed against the fabric and poking at his waistband, his tight leather belt keeping it tame.

You're pulled from your thoughts by the feeling of Sam kissing your inner thigh; he had worked his way up to the soft, sensitive part of your leg.

He grabs you by your thighs, scooting you up the couch, giving him more room to work. Now he's bent over a bit more, placing sloppy kisses and and nibbles on your thighs as a way to get you to spread them apart. Finally, he gets down all the way, and you feel his hot breath on your center.

Seeing him crouched down on his elbows and knees, head between your legs... It's enough to make you want him. When places a few hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses on your labia, it makes you lose any fight you had to turn him down.

"Oh, Sam..." your hand slides into his hair as his tongue laps at you. He looks up making eye contact with you, and enjoying how flustered you look because of him.

He simply grins to himself and goes back to pleasing you. Your grip on his hair tightens each time he does something that you like, and he's smart: if you like it a lot, he does it over and over and over.

A few times, he moves down, licking at your entrance, testing the waters. When he hears a whine from you, he decides to stop being a tease and presses his tongue in past your lips. Your back arches up off the couch and you take in a deep breath; Sam digs his fingers into your thighs, keeping your hips firmly in place so he can continue swirling his tongue around inside you.

After a few minutes, he has mercy on you and goes back to your clitoris. He doesn't let up too much though. He slides his middle finger into you, slowly, and when he can't go any further, he curls it in a "come here" kind of motion.

"Oh, God," you let out, toes curling in pleasure.

Sam puts his lips on you and pulls your clit into his mouth, sucking on it. Jackpot. Your hand pulls his hair and you throw your head back; you can feel your climax coming. He lets out a low, grumbly moan, and it helps push you over the edge. Your orgasm comes in waves as Sam continues sucking and curling that finger; he's reveling in the feeling of you losing control at his hand.

When he decides you've had enough, he eases his motions to let you down from your high. The way he has total control over you and your body... You had never seen anything like it.

Sam crawls over you until he was face-to-face with you again to kiss you and make you taste yourself on his lips. He wraps his arms around you and picks you up, hands roaming your back as your robe hangs loosely behind you. With your legs wrapped around his hips, he takes you up to your bedroom.

"Can I ask you something, Sam?" you start.

"Of course you can, baby girl," he answers.

"Why would Ginger treat you so badly if you're this good in bed? And we haven't even made it to bed yet," you chuckle at the last part.

"I guess that's more of a question for Ginger than it is for me, but I'd really rather not talk about my wife right now," he says dropping you on your cozy bed. You lay there, arms above your head, your hair and silky robe spread out around you. Sam grabs you by wrapping his large hands around your ribcage and sits you up. It always impressed you how large and strong he is, because he keeps his muscles covered with all those suits. He pushes your robe off your shoulders, "That's better."

You giggle at him and reach out in front of you, giving his aching erection some much needed attention with the palm of your hand. Sam let's out a breath, and you take that as a sign to undo his belt. After opening his belt and unzipping his pants, you pull them down just a little, leaving them hanging on his hips. Your hand finds his member again, rubbing it through a much thinner layer of fabric, "You gonna show me what this thing can do?"

He puts a hand on the back of your head and pulls you to him. Your face nuzzles against his pelvis; you leave a few kisses on his groin and look up at him, "You want me to use my mouth on you?"

His eyes are fixed on yours as his lips pull into a half smile, "No, another time. I can't wait any longer to have you."

And with that, you pulled his pants off of his hips. He quickly works out of his shoes and pants and climbs on top of you.

"Oh, no, Mr. Rothstein! We are not doing this if you have those socks on!" you giggle at him.

He looks back at his feet, "What, you don't think they're sexy?" He turns back to you and kisses you, "I'd fuck you if you were wearing socks," he jokes before reaching back and pulling them off.

When he lays down on top of you, you work on unbuttoning his shirt while he kisses your lips and neck. A few seconds later his shirt is thrown to the floor. He wraps his arms around you as you make out, pressing your bodies together; like this, you can feel his muscles, his warmth, and his love, as if he was the thing you always needed.

His kisses slow down, and he pulls back to look at you, "I love you, (Y/N), and I mean it."

"I love you, too, Sam," you nearly whisper. After a short pause and Sam rubbing your cheek with his thumb, you ask, "Will you take those underwear off already? You're going awfully slow for a man who said he didn't want to wait anymore."

He smiles and shakes his head sarcastically at you, but he sits up on his knees and pushes them off, "Better?" he snarks.

"Better."

He was sexier than you ever could've imagined. He left a lot to the imagination with all his suits, but like this, you got to take in his loving eyes, messed up hair, soft skin, toned arms, and the chest hair that made a lovely trail down to his large member that's standing at attention for you.

"Come here, sexy," you command.

"Who? Me?" he points to himself, jokingly.

You reach up, and grab his hands, pulling him down on top of you again, "Yes, you."

He lets out an excited moan, kicking his underwear to the floor and snaking a hand down between your thighs. As his fingers tease at your clit, he asks, "You ready, baby doll?"

"Very ready."

That's all he needs to hear before he's pulling your legs up to wrap around his waist, slicking up the head of his cock with spit and a little precum. The next moments are filled with moans from the two of you, as he lines up with your wet entrance and begins to enter you. His hips work slowly, giving small motions to sink into you.

You could tell from the way his hips were bucking lightly that he was torn between taking things slow and fucking into you hastily, right then and there. It's the neediest you'd ever seen him; it's sexy the way you make him lose a bit of that control he always has.

As soon as he's got enough length inside you, he starts rocking into you, eyebrows furrowed in pleasure. "Baby, you feel so good," he says as he buries a hand in your hair and his face in your neck, kissing you. His breathing becomes more intense, and his back arches a bit allowing for some room for him to work his hand on you again.

As if the feeling of his hardness pushing in and out of you wasn't enough, his fingers start making circles on your clit, drawing moans from your mouth. "Oh, God, those noises... You're gonna drive me crazy," he whispers in your ear before leaving a few bites on your lobe.

He moves so he can kiss you and look at your pretty face while he makes love to you. He's so excellent, pleasing your clitoris while thrusting his hips into you. You lean up to leave a series of kisses and nips on his neck and collarbone; your fingernails leaving scratches on his back and hands tangling his normally perfect hair.

"Oh, fuck..." you hear Sam say as he slows down his movements.

"You okay, honey?" you ask, concerned.

"More than okay, baby, I just got close," he answers, looking almost embarrassed. It's hard to tell if the flush on his cheeks is from answering your question or from pleasure.

"You could've finished if you wanted," you say with a warm smile.

"Oh, no. I'm not done with you yet, princess." He sits up on his knees, snaking his arm around your back and gripping your hips to lift you off the bed. His other hand rests on your pelvis, and his thumb flicks over your clit. He starts rocking you back and forth on his dick, "How about that? You like that?"

Judging by your moans and the way your back arches for him, he got his answer. He picks up his pace until he's fucking into you with quick, hard thrusts, and your thighs clap against his belly. His fingers relentlessly try to please you, and it's working: you're coming apart at the seams once again for him.

When you feel your second orgasm coming on, you can't help but also feel a little surprised... but also so turned on that he made a mess of you, twice.

Feeling your orgasm and feeling you tighten around his hard length, Sam loses himself. His hips buck into you wildly as he cums deep inside you. He sits back on his heels, and pulls you up to straddle his lap. He pumps into you a few more times while he holds you close to him, kissing anywhere his lips can reach.

Your lips meet and you kiss him several times, both of you feeling very satisfied. You comb your fingers through his hair, fixing it a little bit; he seems to like that. His arms are wrapped around you, and he just holds you on his lap like that for a few minutes, kissing your chest.

He lays his head against your shoulder, and let's out a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm in love," he giggles and stares up at you with an innocent, happy look.

"Me too," you say quietly, kissing his head with a bit of a sad look on your face.

"Hey!" he gets you to look down at him, "You okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah... I just wish we could be together, and that it wouldn't be so complicated," you tell Sam.

He lays you down on the bed, pulling out of you, then he lays next to you and holds you in his arms, "Me too, baby, me too. I just feel bad because it's my fault we can't be together like we want to."

"Oh, Sam, you know I don't blame you for that. No one enters into a bad marriage on purpose."

"No, but you were always right about her. I should've listened to you, considering I came to you for advice. She never cared about me."

"Yeah, but you cared about her, and you still do," you say with a warm smile, "she's the mother of your child. You have a big heart, Sam."

You wrap your arms around his neck and hold his head against your chest. "I care about you, too," you hear him mutter.

"I know you do. I care about you, too," you whisper, snuggling into him to drift off to sleep in his arms.

• • •

The sex was amazing, but there's nothing like waking up in the arms of someone you love, at least, that's how you feel this morning. The way Sam clings to you, almost desperately, lets you know that while you may not wake exactly like this every morning, you will wake up loved each morning.

As you begin to stir a bit, Sam's arms squeeze around you, not wanting you to leave your comfortable spooning position. He grumbles to himself a few times before finally cracking his eyes open to tell you, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," you respond, as he lies there with his eyes closed like he may go back to sleep.

He opens his eyes again, slowly, and you feel his hand gently move the covers off of you. You groan when the cool air hits your skin. "God damn, baby, you look so good," his voice rumbles.

"Mmm... You pushed the blankets off me just to tell me I look good?"

"Well, no..." he starts, and he finishes his statement by kissing your shoulder blade and neck, teasing at your thighs, and feeling your breasts. He presses his hips into your backside, letting you feel his morning wood.

"Oooh, someone's happy!" you giggle, pushing your butt back into him to give him some friction.

"I think you meant horny," he slides a hand down, grabbing at your butt before sliding further down teasing between your legs. He slowly runs his middle finger back and forth along your clit and your entrance, getting you wet for him.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Hm?" He mutters between kisses.

"I love you. I wanted to make sure to say it first for once."

He chuckles and continues what he's doing, "And I love you, and I wanna make sure you know this isn't about sex."

"Well, it's a little hard to believe that when you have a finger inside me, but Sam Rothstein is a man who's good on his word, so I'll believe you...just this once," you look over your shoulder, both of you grinning uncontrollably. You reach back and take his member in your hand, stroking it, "However, for the next few minutes, I'd like to make it about sex."

"Mmm, yes ma'am!" Sam exclaims, attacking your neck with sloppy kisses, and repositioning himself to enter you. You both relax into those feelings of pleasure as his warm cock fills you. He grips your hips loosely and thrusts his hips into you almost lazily, but it feels good.

His hand creeps down and grips your thigh, gently lifting your leg up in the air. You both light up with noises, moans, whines, heavy breathing. Within a few minutes, you hear Sam breathe out, "Baby, baby, I'm gonna cum."

You let out a hum, "Cum for me, sweetheart."

Sam pulls you close to him, moving against you with quick, small pumps. You grab his hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, while he holds you tightly. After his orgasm, he slides out of you easily and turns you over to kiss your lips for the first time that morning.

Sam is so needy after sex; he wants to hold you as close as possible and shower you in kisses and affection and sweet words.

"I'm sorry I didn't finish you off, honey," Sam says to you.

"It's okay, sweetie, I'm just glad you felt so good," you hold his head in your hands, nuzzling your nose against his.

He lowers his voice as if someone might hear him, "I'll make up for it in the shower," giving you a little wink.

And he does, because Sam Rothstein is a man who's good on his word.

• • •

Since you and Sam spent that weekend together, you start fucking like bunnies. That is to say: you find time to make love to one another often, especially when Ginger is out of town. You both prefer to do it at your home, but when Sam has Amy, he will sometimes invite you over; you quickly get past sleeping in another woman's bed, because you know Sam's heart belongs to you. Sex for the two of you isn't about getting off; it's one of the many ways you show your feelings for one another.

You both find it very hard to hide your feelings for one another in front of others. You can be so open with one another and your feelings when you're in your little bubble. Despite that, you have to put your feelings aside for The Tangiers charity event tonight. Sam has a lot of big spenders flying in for this event; it's going to bring in a lot of money and a lot of publicity for the casino.

"Hey, baby," you say, sneaking into Sam's office, closing the door quietly.

He's standing by his desk signing a few papers; this is probably the one quiet moment he'll have all night. "Hey, princess," he gives you a cute look, signing a few more papers. You sit in comfortable silence, while you wait for him to finish his work. "Alright," he says, tapping his pen on the final paper, "Bring that sweet ass over here!"

He sits on the edge of his desk and pulls you into a hug, taking in your scent and the way your dress feels against your body. He lets out a relaxed sigh, "I missed you."

It has been few days since you've seen each other. With Ginger being home in preparation for this event, you and Sam decided it was best not to see each other. "I missed you, too," you nuzzle into him.

You feel his hand under your chin, lifting your face so he can kiss you. You kiss slowly at first, letting Sam explore your mouth with his tongue, but things quickly get more heated since it feels like it's been so long since you had each other.

He turns you around, sitting you on his thigh as he leans against his desk. You both crane your necks to keep your lips connected. Sam presses your back against his chest before dipping his hand into your dress, fingers teasing your nipple. You inhale sharply and brace a hand on his hip.

"You like that?" he purrs in your ear.

"Mm-hmm," you hum, leaning your head back against him.

His free hand pulls your dress up and disappears between your thighs, touching you through your panties.

"Sam..." you whine, moving your hand to squeeze at his half-hard length.

"Seems like someone misses me, needy baby," he whipsers to you.

You urge his hands off of you and stand up, facing him, "Now let's get something straight, Mr. Rothstein: I wasn't needy when I came in this office. I patiently waited for you to finish signing things, and then YOU made me needy."

There's a long pause between you before Sam cracks a little smirk and says, "You're sexy when you're mad."

Once you head downstairs to the casino floor, the party is on. Millionaires and billionaires fill the room, enjoying slots, tables, and free champagne. Sam always thought it was funny how rich people love a free handout.

Every business associate that Sam knew was here, plus the rich friends they brought with them. Those of you who spend a lot of time at the casino mingle with the guests who came to spend money; your job is to keep them spending money, because a hefty portion of what the house makes tonight is going to be split between a few charities. It was Billy's idea, saying that a charity event would be great publicity and raise goodwill with the people.

Most of your evening goes by playing table games with people you barely knew, so it's nice to see Billy, a familiar face. You hadn't seen him since you got there.

He hands you a glass of champagne and you find a more secluded place to talk while Billy watches the floor. You see Sam doing the same from his usual spot; Sam sees you and gives you a cute look, scrunching his nose when Billy isn't looking.

Almost on queue, Billy smirks, "So, you and Ace, huh?"

"Huh? What?" you stammer, caught off guard.

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. You know my lips are sealed," he has a pleased look on his face, and he gives you a wink.

You sigh and give Billy a knowing look, confirming his suspicions, "How'd you know?"

"Well, I'll admit it took me a while to catch on, because you two have always been close. Sam's been much happier the past few weeks, but I chalked it up to Ginger getting out of his hair with her little vacations. Tonight has been the first dead giveaway: you sneaking up to his office and coming down to the floor together, and the way he's been keeping an eye on you all evening, like he's worried about you getting too far away from him."

If Sam had been watching you like that, you hadn't noticed, but it was endearing. "You should tell him not to blow our cover," you smirk at Billy.

"Oh, I plan on it," Billy leans into you, "Let me tell you a secret, (Y/N). I've always liked you two together, and I think you have always liked one another; maybe you were just too blinded by the Vegas lights to see it... So, I'll keep your secret, because you two deserve to be happy." His hand squeezes your shoulder, and he clinks his glass with yours before leaving you to go stand with Sam so they can watch the floor together.

As you walk the floor looking for a group of tycoons to mingle with, you feel a hand grab your arm. You turn to see Ginger who is now leading you across the casino floor.

"Hey, girl! Wanna work a table together? Maybe if we put our heads together, we could pull in more money." She is oddly pleasant in her tone of voice, but the way her nails grip your arm gives you a different vibe; however, you don't feel you have much choice in the matter. You are swept off to a table far away from the center of the casino, far away from Sam and Billy.

Unexpectedly, Ginger is nice to you and even jokes with you as you hustle all the rich men gathered around the roulette table, getting them to spend all of their money. When that's over, it's like a switch flips.

She drags you aside away from everyone except a few bouncers, and begins her tirade, "It's you. I know it's you." She's doing her best to remain calm with all of the donors around, but you knew she was high; she was always on something anymore.

"Ginger, what are you talking about?"

"You- your perfume! I smell it... in my bed, on Ace! I know you're sleeping with him!"

You can tell she's getting worked up, and you really don't want her to start yelling. "Now, we don't want things to get out of hand. You know I spend a lot of time with Sam; I've been helping him babysit Amy more since you guys have been more separate. Isn't it possible you smell my perfume around him because of that? You probably smell it on Amy too, right?"

Ginger is frustrated and confused, unable to make sense of things with all that junk in her system, "Yeah, yeah, I guess that makes sense," she pouts.

"Yeah, see? It's okay, everything's okay," you try to calm her down, resting your hand on her upper arm.

"No! Don't touch me!!" she shouts.

"Ginger, don't get excited; we don't wanna ruin the event."

"I don't care what you say; I don't trust you, and I don't trust you with my husband!" she sneers at you, "I have my connections just like your 'Saaam,' and if I find out anything is going on with you and him, you'll be nothing more than one of those holes in the desert these guys like to talk so much about. You're nothing but a whore as it is."

Her face is inches from yours. She had insulted you and threatened your life in a single statement, and clearly she had decided Sam was too personal a name for her husband, since she chastised you for calling him that. You decide to do your worst; you doubt she'll remember this interaction anyway.

"This coming from the woman who can't seem to shake her pimp."

Thankfully the bouncers nearby saw how heated things were getting, and they came over to break it up. They even called Nicky over talk Ginger down. It's pretty bad that even the casino staff knew about Nicky and Ginger, and that bringing Ace over would just make it worse.

But word quickly made it back to Sam about what Ginger had done to you, and so a few days later, he sent her to Beverly Hills with Amy; besides, he only needed her home for that one night at the Tangiers.

• • •

Despite all of his efforts to run a clean joint, it all came crashing down when Sam got word that the FBI had heard all about the casino and the Midwest bosses from that grocery store tap back home. Luckily, they couldn't really bring any heat down on Sam, because he didn't know much; he had been put in Las Vegas to run the casino, and he was even working on getting his gaming license which looked good on him.

Nicky, however, did get a lot of heat. He already had the attention of the Las Vegas police for a number of crimes, and he was the liaison between Las Vegas and and the Midwest bosses.

Sam had already been trying to pull away from Nicky and that meant also pulling away from the gangster business that had made him so successful as a handicapper.

Thankfully with Ginger out of town, you got to be with Sam when he found out about all this. There isn't much he can do, but he knows it's a possibility his whole casino could go under.

In order to cheer him up, you invite Sam to your place for a few days, so he can use your home as a getaway to just relax as much as he can. Despite everything going on, you both actually have a pretty good time. Sam only takes the calls he absolutely has to take which mostly meant Billy, and you both enjoy cooking together, showering together, making love together...

Unfortunately he can't stay for more than a few days or people will start to realize he isn't home, and any calls other than to Billy needed to come from Sam's house, especially any calls to Ginger. And so this morning you head off to Sam's place, so he can call the hotel in Beverly Hills to check on his wife and child.

He gets on the phone and cheerily greets the hotel receptionist before asking to be put through to Ginger's room. His tone quickly drops when he questions, "𝘔𝘳. and Mrs. Rothstein?"

You give him a concerned look as he wraps up the conversation and slams the phone down on the hook. He lets out a frustrated sigh and rubs his chin before he says, "She checked out of the hotel with another man and my kid."

"It's not Nicky, is it?" you ask.

"No, it's not Nicky, I know it's not Nicky; he's got too much heat on him to leave Vegas." That could only mean one thing: Lester.

Sam immediately gets back on the phone calling the police, the FBI agents he'd been in contact with, even Nicky, to try to find where Ginger and this pimp had taken his daughter. The FBI is very gracious in helping track down Ginger and Amy, quickly getting back to Sam with an address and phone number for where they are.

After a phone call with Lester that didn't really go anywhere, Sam is feeling helpless about what to do. He's so furious with Ginger, but he needs her to bring their daughter home. He sinks down into the couch when he looks at you desperately; he doesn't know what to do.

You quickly rush over and curl up next to him, taking the man in your arms, rubbing his shoulders for comfort. "How do I get her home? I just want Amy safe; she's not safe with that pimp, and clearly she's not safe with her mother anymore either."

"You're not gonna like to hear this, but I think Nicky is your best bet to get her back," you suggest.

He simply nods his head as he realizes you're right, then he picks up the phone to call his friend.

• • •

The next few days Sam and Ginger are walking on eggshells. It couldn't be more obvious that Ginger doesn't want to be home, but Sam had to know that Amy is safe. Since Ginger has to be home, Sam even tries being sweet to her again. He had tried to cuddle with her a few times, something they hadn't done in years, but she would just reject him each time, typically leaving the room. Sam is at his wits' end; he doesn't know what else to try with Ginger, what other approach he could take.

One night as Sam is about to leave the casino to head home, you follow him out to his car, "just to talk," you tell him. You hadn't seen him in days and you miss him.

"Hey, baby," Sam says wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

"Hey, honey. I missed you," you smile at him.

He hums, "I miss you too, and I'm sorry you're in the middle of all this... It's not fair to you."

"It's okay, Sam. You're the one who's in a tough spot here. I'm just here to support you and love you and... make you feel better..." you trail off as you squeeze his thigh, your fingers gracing past his crotch.

"Oh..." Sam says, giving you a cheeky look.

You slide your hand back and forth over the front of his pants, getting him hard, while you lightly kiss at his neck and ear. "You've just been so stressed lately, sweetie; let me help you relax."

When his breathing becomes heavy, you know he's ready for more, "Baby girl, I need your mouth on me, now." He lets out a groan when you open his pants and stroke him through his underwear.

You don't waste much time before you're going down on him, kissing his leaking member before taking it in your mouth. He looks down at you and tries to keep his breathing even; all this came on pretty suddenly so you've got Sam very worked up. He takes your hair in his hands, forming a make shift ponytail to keep your hair out your face. He also likes to watch your face bob up and down on his cock.

You hollow out your cheeks and Sam savors that intense sucking feeling. Between that and your tongue pressing against his tip, he can hardly contain himself. You wrap a hand around the base of his member, pumping what you can't take in your mouth.

Sam's hands push you down making you take as much of him as you can, and his breathing becomes labored, letting out little moans as he climaxes in your mouth.

You take down what you can and lick up any of the rest. You look up to see Sam giving you a look with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't want you to make a mess..." you say with a raspy voice as you wipe your lips.

He simply stares at you, as if he was still trying to make sense of what just happened, before he grabs your hair and pulls you into a rough kiss, tasting himself on your tongue. When he pulls away from you breathing heavily, he says, "Baby, you have no idea how bad I needed that. Thank you." He softens up and pulls you back towards him, this time laying your head in the crook of his neck.

Sam leaves you at the Tangiers and at home, walks into a nightmare: his kid is tied to her bed and his wife is nowhere to be found. Despite the flood of panic and anger that he feels, he keeps his wits about him and calls you to come get Amy; with you is the safest place for her right now while Sam searches for Ginger. You only see him for a quick moment, before he rushes out the door, leaving you to pack Amy a bag and take her to your house for a few days.

Sam knows Ginger is at Nicky's new restaurant; he had called before he left the house. His tires screech to a halt as he rolls up to the place of business.

After a run-in with Nicky at the door and a quiet altercation in the corner booth, where Sam definitely threatened Ginger's life for what she did to Amy, Sam managed to get his wife in the car. On the ride home, oddly, all Sam could think was, "Where does Nicky get off asking 𝘮𝘦 to be civil, when he's the one that always gets heat brought on us?"

It's probably just a temporary distraction from elephant in the room, or car, in this case.

Sam has to admit: he's at his wits' end with Ginger. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about leaving her or kicking her out. But when they walk into the house, and he sees the apologetic look in his wife's eyes, whether honest or manipulative, one thought crosses his mind, "She's the mother of my child."

How could he walk out on her? He had promised she'd be taken care of, and even though he really only meant financially, his big heart wouldn't allow him to hurt her.

She doesn't care what he does; she won't be bothered as long as she gets the money she's promised.

"Come on, honey, let's go to bed," Sam says softly, taking his wife's hand. They take a few steps together before the man stops and turns to her; he places his hands on her sides, seeing if she'll hug him. When she does, sadly, it leaves Sam with a shred of hope for their relationship.

• • •

Sam had been exhausted, so he went to bed with the promise that Ginger would meet him there after she gets a shower. However, when Sam wakes up, seeing the time on the clock and the other half of his bed empty; he's immediately filled with suspicion.

At 3:03 A.M., he finds himself sneaking down the hallway--sneaking... in his own house. He shakes his head and quietly shuffles down the hallway towards the living room, where he can hear Ginger's voice moving at a rapid and excited pace.

"I don't care- I don't care!! I want that fucker dead! I want him dead! And that little slut too!! Sleeping in my bed- No! No, I will not calm down... I want a hit on that bitch, that way he can 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵! The same way he hurt me!" Ginger snarls and sobs into the phone.

Sam's heart sank. The thought of losing you--no, he couldn't think about that right now; he simply springs into action, grabbing the phone from Ginger's hands. "Who's this?" he demands to the person on the other end of the line, before slamming the phone down only a second later as Ginger leaps up, practically attacking Sam by pounding her balled up hands against his chest and arms.

"You want me dead, huh? You want me outta the picture?!" his voice booms as she starts to wrestle with him, crying and screaming. "Come with me, come on!" He gets her flailing hands undercontol and drags her down the hallway; Ginger's feet come out from under her, and he just keeps dragging her, both of them yelling at each other.

"I hate you!!! I hate your guts!" Ginger shouts at Sam from where she's laying on the floor of their walk in closet, her face red from crying.

"I know, you evil bitch! What did I ever do to you, huh? I tried to love you and look where it got me..." He slaps a duffle bag down on her lap.

"What's this?" she asks.

He follows it with a pile of clothes, gorgeous, expensive fabrics hitting the floor, "Get your shit, and get out," Sam growls, fire and pain in his eyes.

"You can't kick me out, you can't put me out on the street with no money!!!" She jumps up and starts grabbing expensive clothes.

"Money's all you care about, huh?" he questions, bending down to a shoe box under his clothes; he pulls out all that would fit in his hands, bringing it over to her on the floor. "Is this enough?? You'll probably blow through this in a week!" He dumps the cash in her lap, storming off from her to rip more of her clothes off hangers.

"You can't abandon me!! You told me I'd be taken care of! If you kick me out, I'll go take all my jewelry out the bank!!" she threatens.

He grabs her set of keys, taking her house key off the ring, leaving her with car keys and her bank keys. "And I will not stop you," Sam says, almost calmly.

He knew the key to his millions was still in his desk drawer upstairs, she'd only be leaving with the key to what's hers. He'd been feeling unsure about walking out on her, but Sam made his decision the moment Ginger threatened your life.

• • •

For the next week, you and Sam were waiting for the ball to drop and for Ginger to come storming through that door. But in another way, Sam didn't care; he had you over all the time, even when people came over. He started to put his hands on your waist or even kiss you in front of others. It made you so nervous the first time he kissed you in front of Nicky, but Sam knew what he was doing. Nicky couldn't run to anyone about it, because what Nicky had done was worse in the eyes of the Midwest bosses: sleeping with his best friend's wife, their precious "Golden Jew."

But that isn't the reason Nicky's here right now.

"Ace, they took the bosses in. Arrested every single one of 'em. The FBI knows what's going on, all of it, but they ain't got nothing on me or you, because we don't go in room where they count the money. That doesn't mean they won't question us though."

And boy did they. Sam was already irritated that his name was in the paper every time Nicky went to court for some crime, but now it was coming out that him and Nicky were both being held for questioning for the crime bust in the Midwest.

Nicky pretty much refused to give them anything, but Sam had a reputation with the law and a relationship with the FBI out here. They had helped him get his kid back after all. So, he didn't give them any new information, but he didn't mind confirming certain things they already knew, as long as it didn't incriminate him.

Because of his cooperation, the authorities left Sam alone after a little while. Most of the attention was on Nicky and what his connections were to the Midwest bosses and the casino. Somehow Nicky got himself out of it without getting arrested; Sam had to wonder if it was Nicky's rambling or his threats that did the trick.

Weeks went by, and it was clear that the casino was going down. It wasn't for trying though. Sam fought so hard to keep his precious establishment running, but the place had been riddled with scandals. And even with the bosses facing trial, the powers that be decided to get rid of the whole scam; Sam losing The Tangiers would just be a necessary evil to them.

Sam decided it was a better time than ever to leave the business behind. Besides, he'd never been into crime the way Nicky was; he'd just been pulled into this because he was a money maker.

So as Sam walks out of the casino for the last time, locking the doors to the completely empty building, he lights a cigarette and heads over to his car with only one thing on his mind: going home to you and Amy. Unfortunately, he won't make it home as soon as he would have liked, as his car goes up in flames from a car bomb that must've been rigged while he was inside the casino.

Sam had planned for this kind of thing though, and he had the manufacturers of the vehicle place a special metal plate under the passenger seat, giving him a few valuable seconds to save his life.

You get the call during Sam's ambulance ride to the hospital. At first you're devastated--why would anyone want to hurt your Sam? Before you could find to a conclusion, you quickly snap out of it, getting Amy into the car to get to the hospital.

"Mr. Rothstein-"

"I told you, I don't want-

"Mr. Rothstein, we think it's important that we run this test," the doctor speaks over Sam. Must be an important test for him to interrupt Ace Rothstein.

"I'm fine!" your boyfriend groans, "My arm is burned, but I feel fine."

"But sir, it's possible the adrenaline in your system-"

"Sam Rothstein!" You cut the doctor off, storming in with Amy on your hip.

"Hey, baby!" he holds a hand out towards you.

"Don't you 'baby' me. I know you're not arguing with this doctor, refusing medical advice!! You don't just have yourself to worry about here, you have me and Amy- and I swear to God, Sam Rothstein if you die on me, you'll have more than heaven and hell to worry about! You'll have me to answer to," you finish your rant with a stern look.

His face drops for a moment before a little smirk forms, "You're sexy when you're mad."

Ignoring him, you turn to his doctor, "Run any tests you need to. I'll deal with him." You pat the doctor on his tie.

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Rothstein," the doctor says as you walk away, giving them room to do what they need to do.

"Oh, we're not married... yet," Sam explains, scrunching his nose cutely at you.

"Well I'm not gonna be the one to tell her that," the doctor says under his breath.

As they wheel Sam out of the room to take him for some tests, you hear Amy's voice, "Why are you mad at daddy?"

"I'm not mad at daddy," a little chuckle leaves you and you hug the child close to you, "I just love him, and so I had to make him listen to the doctors."

• • •

You pick Sam up just a few days later, perfectly fine, except for some burns on his arm. He sits in the passenger seat of your car with a pile of things from the hospital: his coral pink suit in a plastic bag, burned in a few spots from the bomb, a folder with some information about caring for his burns, a packet full of bandages and prescription ointment, and a large yellow envelope.

"Now, don't be mad," Sam starts.

"What did you do?" you glare at him for a second before turning your eyes back to the road.

"I, uh, got a real estate agent to start looking for new homes for us."

"Sammy, why would I be mad about that? We practically live together already!"

"These homes--they're not in Las Vegas."

"What?!" you practically give him whiplash, pulling the car into a random parking lot. "You wanna leave Las Vegas? Sam, I grew up here..."

He looks down at his lap and back up at you, "I know," it comes out so quietly, "I just don't think we're safe here anymore... I'm not in the business anymore, I'm but afforded the same protections as I used to be. What if they come after you next? Or Amy? Right now, I know enough people that we could get out quietly..."

"Oh, Sam..." You cup his face in your hands, "I'm sorry I reacted like that, I'm scared too, and now I have a kid to worry about. I know she's not mine yet, but if anything happened to Amy-" You have to stop yourself before you cry.

"Here," he says, grabbing the yellow envelope, "I gave some pictures of some houses, and there's one I really like."

Instead of driving your boyfriend home, you sit in the car looking at pictures of beautiful homes, and daydreaming about where how you'll arrange the living room, where you'll put the bed, Amy playing in the backyard.

"Hey, look at this last one," he tells you.

"Is this the one you like?"

"Yeah," his face has a happy, soft smile as he thinks about moving into this house with you; he just knows it's perfect.

"Hmmm... San Diego, huh? 4 bedrooms and a mother-in-law suite. Sam we don't need 4 bedrooms," you look up at him.

He gently places his hand on your belly, "We might."

Your heart just melts... Even if you aren't sure about kids, clearly the thought makes him happy.

"Okay so there's a pool and a lot of grass, maybe we could put a trampoline there..."

• • •

Boxes are scattered all around your new home; you picked the one in San Diego, of course. It's completely perfect.

The movers had dropped off all the big furniture and help you set it up; Sam even got them to help set up Amy's trampoline, and he was so thrilled to surprise her with it. But it will be a few more days before the decorators can come to paint, unpack, and lay out the rest. Nothing but luxury for Sam Rothstein and his "wife."

Right now, Sam is dropping Amy off at the neighbor's house for a play date, so she can get to know the kids in the area. Of course, you two had been sure to meet with this couple first to scope them out, making sure they are safe for Amy to be around.

The plan is to get some unpacking done when your man gets home, but you thought it might be nice to spend some quality alone time together in your new home.

"Honey, I'm home!" Sam chimes at the front door; it makes him so happy to be able to say that. Sam stops at the door to look around for you.

You saunter down the hallway, wearing a black trench coat and bright red high heels, "Hey, sexy!"

"Mmmm," Sam moans, "I think I should be saying that to you. What's this, baby?"

You stop just out of his reach and untie your jacket, holding it open to show off a new set of candy red lacy lingerie, "Just a little..." you turn around and drop the coat to the floor, revealing a big red bow at the top of your ass, "house warming present." You throw him a sultry look over your shoulder before walking into the kitchen, heels clicking loudly on your new porcelain floor.

Sam pulls his jaw up off the floor and quickly follows, watching as you crawl up onto the marble-top kitchen island. He walks over, appreciating your body by rubbing his hands on your sides, eyes roaming the red fabric hugging your frame. You rake your hands through his hair, and pull him into you, landing his face right between your breasts, which he seems very okay with judging by the way he closes his eyes and starts kissing at them. He wraps his arms around your waist, trying to pull you off the counter.

"Oh no, sir, Mr. Rothstein, you're not taking me to that bedroom. If we're gonna break this house in, we're gonna do it my way. What's that thing you like to say?" You look up acting like you're trying to remember, "There are three ways of doing things around here: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it..."

You practically yank him up onto the counter with you, his legs fumbling with the bar stools to help get him up there. Before Sam can even get his bearings straight, you have his back pinned against the marble, your lips taking his in a passionate, sloppy kiss.

Sam pushes you off of him, breathing heavily, "Damn, baby girl, where's this coming from? Not that I'm complaining."

"Well, my sexy, rich sugar daddy just bought me a nice, new house, and I just wanna thank him," you nuzzle into him.

"Sugar daddy, huh? Is that all I am to you?" he gives you a loving look, both of you smiling at his joke.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Moneybags..." You sit up and stretch a leg across his lap straddling him. As you grind your hips back and forth against his hard on, you both let out some light moans and hot sighs. His belt buckle makes some clinking noises as you unhook it before swiftly tugging it from his belt loops and dropping it to the floor.

Zip! You open his pants and pull them down just a few inches so you can return to grinding against his member through a much thinner layer of fabric. When Sam's fingers snake towards his groin so he can further please himself, he's met with a harsh smack on the hand.

"All the pleasure you feel is gonna come from me, got it?" you tell Sam.

He raises his eyebrows, surprised by this change that's overcome you, but down for the ride--literally. The pressure of his hardness against your clit is a great warm up for you, so you keep at it until Sam has a couple of wet spots on his underwear: one from you and one from his pre-cum soaking through.

At that point, you move off of him enough to pull his pants and boxer briefs down to his upper thighs, his erection springing free. You crawl back on top of him, pinning his wrists to the counter just above his head while you kiss him. You pull away, stroking his chin and swiping your thumb across his lips.

"Ready, baby?" you ask, kissing his cheek lightly.

"I- uhhh, yeah," he breathes out.

"Cat got your tongue, silly?" you giggle.

"No, I just, I've never -uh- had a girl top me quite like this," he explains.

"Oh, um, should I stop?" you ask innocently as you grind against his dick again.

"NO- no. I, um... You shouldn't stop."

The way Sam is fumbling through the conversation tells you that he probably likes the treatment he's being given, and so you move your hips against him a few more times before moving your panties to the side and guiding his member to your entrance. Your boyfriend let's out a low groan when he feels that warm wetness surround his sex; you think that's probably his favorite part of making love.

You start by setting a leisurely pace, knowing Sam will want more, but, gosh, the tease is so satisfying too...

"Please, baby," Sam breathes.

"Please what?" you play dumb.

"Go faster... Please, baby." So predictable of him.

"Mmmm, you mean you don't like when I take my time with you?" You speed up juuuust a little bit, but not nearly as much as he would've liked.

"I thought I was in charge in the bedroom," he groans.

"Well, we're not in the bedroom are we?" You lean down to kiss him, pinning his hands down again, next to his shoulders this time. You continue to hold them down while you pick up the pace, leaving Sam feeling a bit helpless as he can't touch you.

You take a little break from all the bouncing to slide back and forth, achieving a new kind of friction. Sam curls his hips up into you, clearly enjoying the sensation.

"Let me touch you, please?" Of course you're going to give in, but not without hearing him beg a little more. No one has this kind of control over Sam "Ace" Rothstein; no one but you. "Babyyy... Please, you know I like to hold you."

He gets nothing but silence in response, oh, and your hips working even faster, which only serves to make him more needy. "(Y/N), please... please, baby, I wanna hold you so bad."

You let go of his wrists and intertwine your first with his for a moment before his hands move to your face to cup your cheek. Afterwards, his palms smooth over your chest and arms; he's looking up at you: your pretty face, soft skin, the way your hair bounces along with your breasts as you ride him.

His hips become less tame the closer he gets to his climax. He's a man who just can't help himself; he likes to be in on the action, even if he isn't on top.

You lean yourself back, placing your palms on the cool countertop, giving him a great angle to attack your g-spot. Sam's hands roam your thighs until you find your rhythm with the changed position, but once he knows he's hitting the right spots, his fingers dive in to stimulate you from the outside as well. One hand pinches and rubs your nipple while the other sets a dangerous speed on your clit.

Despite you trying to have so much control over him, Sam just knows exactly what buttons to push on you, and you're cumming in a matter of seconds. The way it snuck up on you causes you to bend forward as your orgasm pulses through you.

The man beneath you takes advantage of this by pulling you flush to his chest, bracing his feet on the counter top, and railing up into you as fast as he can. You turn into nothing but a noisy mess as he uses your body to get off.

"Fuck, baby, I'm cumming..." Sam finds his release before he even realizes it; he just feels so tangled up and lost in the pleasure of being with you.

A few seconds later, you both find yourselves lying on the kitchen island, completely limp and trying to catch your breath. Sam lazily rolls onto his side, rolling you onto the marble counter beside him. Goosebumps litter your skin as the cold countertop comes in contact with you. You both lay on the counter, staring at each other before you both brsk out into giggles.

"I can't believe you let me fuck you on this thing," you laugh, patting the marble, "and I can't believe you let me fuck you... Like that. I wasn't being too much, was I?"

Sam tucks himself back into his pants, zipping them up and buttoning them before wrapping an arm around your waist. "What? You being a little dominatrix? No, I don't think it was too much," he nuzzles his nose against yours and gives you a few soft kisses. "But," he starts, "the only woman allowed to have me like that is Mrs. Sam Rothstein..."

"Well, uh- that's not me..." you say, a little confused.

"It could be," he says in a low, soft voice, "Whaddya say? You wanna marry me?"

"Sam-" you start to feel overwhelmed for a few reasons: 1. He literally just proposed to you, but 2. "You're still married, Sam. I couldn't be your wife even if I wanted to!" Tears start to form in your eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, shhh..." he says, pulling you into a cuddle, "You remember when I flew back to Vegas last week to go close the sale on the house there?"

You sniffle and look up at him, "Mm-hmm."

"Well I ran into one of the judges that used to come by the casino all the time, he was a big spender, but we treated him real nice. He told me he had heard everything from his friends on the force, everything about Ginger and the car bombing. We talked for a while, and he told me to stop by his chambers before I left the city," Sam fishes in his pocket for some folded up papers, "and he gave me this."

He hands you the papers to unfold and look at. "Oh... Oh, Sam! He granted you a divorce. Why didn't you tell me??"

"I wanted to surprise you..." He smiles that charming smile.

"Well, I'm certainly surprised," you hug him by nuzzling into his chest, "I didn't even know you were considering this yet."

"I've been considering it for years, honey," he whispers, kissing you on the temple, "ever since I told you I love you."

You both pause to simply take in the other person for a moment: Sam's clothes all disheveled and your still in your lingerie, cuddling on the stone counter.

"You know I think you're perfect, right? If there was just one thing I could change about you, it would be your last name. So, whaddya think, princess? You wanna try Rothstein on for size?"

The tears quickly return to your eyes, "Yeah, yeah- yes!" You grab his face and start kissing him over and over.

He can hardly pull you off of him for all the kisses, not that he wants to. However, when you decide you're done loving on your fiancé, he apologizes, "I'm sorry I don't have a ring for you right now, but ummm," he reaches for his little pinky ring; it's gold and pink to match his outfit for that day, "you can wear this for now." He slips the piece of metal onto your left ring finger; it doesn't fit that well, but you're honored to wear it.

Sam sits up, sliding off the counter. He stands at the edge of the island, pulling you towards him and wrapping your legs around his waist. He cups your head in both his hands and kisses you softly. "Wanna go to 'break in' the bathtub, Mrs. Rothstein?"

[its-our-paris]

I don't want this to come across as combative it's just curiosity and you don't have to answer but how do you reconcile Johnny being innocent with his loss in the Uk supreme court?

Eh, it's okay, I meant to make a new post about the trial since I opened my mouth early on after a gut reaction, but then the fact that everyone and their mum is weighing in on it now stopped me. I simply don't think my opinion matters much, at the end of the day, or that it's particularly well-informed - although I have been watching much of the trial, and reactions to it on both sides, but so have a lot of people. I think the way people jump down each other's throats for disagreeing about this is insane, but also, that's the internet for you. I think the meme-fication of it all is pretty awful, but equally, it's very human. We have enjoyed the suffering of others, as a species, since always. I feel bad for Amber now, far more than Johnny. Her career is likely entirely ruined, at least for a good while. I thought his was before all this, to be honest. I was convinced his career was done. But it looks like it isn't. I don't think anymore that he will win this case in court, but I don't think it matters whether he does or not, really.

Anyway, since you brought it up, I will talk about the whole thing a bt before I answer your question...

At the moment I kind of go back and forth daily regarding which version of the story seems credible to me, personally. I'm not out there tweeting #justiceforjohnny or claiming he's an innocent victim, really. The reaction I had in the beginning of the trial was pretty strong because I distinctly remember when the allegations against him had first been made, I recall talking about it with my husband and both of us going: "Huh, who knew, turns out Johnny Depp is an asshole. Shame."

I immediately and unquestioningly believed Amber Heard. Except - I remember then looking at the 'evidence', as in her bruised pictures, just thinking 'Huh, I barely see anything, that seems strange'. And, in all fairness, I never read much about the whole case, but whenever I read about it at all, I started coming away with an odd feeling, like, I want to believe this woman, why would she lie? But something doesn't feel right. Then I read Johnny was suing her for defamation, which just seemed weird to me as well, because if she had enough damning evidence, how could he possibly expect to win? However, I'm not going to go and judge some celebrities' lives based on a gut feeling. So I didn't engage with any of this at all until this trial started.

It's been really interesting hearing them both talk. My God, I would not want to date either one of those two people. I believe 100% that they both think they're in the right - as in, doing the right thing, not necessarily telling the exact truth. I think both of them are remembering two entirely different versions of events and I think both are embellishing/downplaying them at times.

My first reaction to hearing JD's side of the story was definitely: "Oh my gosh, he's been framed, this woman is horrid." - Because a lot of what I heard her say in those audio recordings, and honestly some things I heard her say on the stand since - "I'd never seen a grown man cry, it's weird" excuse me the fuck what? - reminded me of abusive situations I'd been in and really rubbed me the wrong way.

However, I've also seen and heard enough of their exchanges now to safely say JD is evidently a hard-to-deal-with emotionally volatile man-child (at his worst) who has a pretty serious substance abuse problem. I believe he drove her crazy. I also believe she drove him crazy. So far, I find it very hard to believe her exact version of events though, because just when, say, she gives a bit of testimony where I do think: "Oh, I'm finding this quite credible" it's then followed up by photographic evidence of a bruise, for example, that is all but totally invisible when she's just described how he was basically bashing her head in. I don't know, I keep getting thrown off by her testimony for various reasons. I'm not going to do any behaviour analysis here, but we are all human beings who are accustomed to communicating with other human beings and deciding when we find something authentic or not. That's all. We can't help but do that.

But back to your question. How do I reconcile the result of the UK trial with Johnny being innocent? Well, like I said, innocent of what? I don't really think he's totally innocent, as in, he's not an angel who never lost it, never shouted abuse at her, although the actual physical violence she describes... the way she describes it? I don't know, man. I don't think he's half as guilty as she makes out to be, personally. Much as I've watched pro-Amber Heard videos and read the articles in favour of her being the obvious abuse victim, I then watch her actually speak about it and I'm finding it extremely hard to believe that things happened exactly as she describes. I could easily be wrong, but the case is not for me to judge anyway. Clearly, her evidence was enough though to win the UK court case. Right now, that's kind of... neither here nor there for me. Right now, we're all getting to watch their testimonies and we all are free to judge the evidence for ourselves, even though really it isn't anybody's place.

It sure is fascinating though.

[boxofbadaddiction]

Those Three Little Words

Fred Weasley x Reader

This story is inspired from a request of my F.R.I.E.N.D.S Themed Prompt List.

Prompts: 10 & 11

"Until I was 25, I thought the only response to 'I love you' was 'Oh, crap!'"/"Ah, Humour based on my pain. Aha-ha-ha."

Warnings: Swearing (per usual). Anxiety. Toxic Family. Emotional Trauma(?). Angsty. Post-War.

The War had been a sick wakeup call for Fred. He'd lived his life carefree and reckless, as he figured each day were a given. Mess up today it didn't matter because there was always tomorrow. He would strut through life as if he were invincible because, well, he always seemed that way. But death has a funny way of reshuffling ones priorities. A way of shedding light on what truly matters in your life.

Fred never considered himself as someone who lacked ambition. Frankly George and he never seemed to let anything hold them back. However, these days Fred could very well give Slytherins a run for their money - something George frequently teased him about. If there were something he wanted Merlin himself couldn't get in his way.

Not only in the case of work but his personal life as well. In love. And there was only one woman on Earth he loved. [Y/N].

He knew he loved her before the war. Before Umbridge drove him from Hogwarts in their final year. Before she left him.

It was only shortly prior, the boys epic departure, that [Y/N] had made the decision to call it quits. She knew their lives were destined to pull them in opposite directions and she never put much stock in long distance relationships. So, with a final kiss and a wish good luck, she walked out of his life. Albeit not completely.

After graduation she kept loosely in touch with the Twins, they had been friends after all, even visiting their shop on the off occasion when she could swing it. Although she was often far too busy to stay for long. Eventually she was relocated overseas for work, this officially terminating any of the limited contact had between the three.

The next time they would be in each others presence was the ill-fated battle.

[Y/N] had been keeping tabs on the events leading up to the fight. Even engaging in missions on behalf of the Order when necessary. She had proved quite a valuable asset. In the days before all Hell broke loose [Y/N] returned to Britian on 'urgent family matters' and of course she fought.

When Fred saw her again after so many years the rush of feelings that coursed through his body were nearly enough to knock him off balance. She was still so gorgeous. The [E/C] of her eyes reminding him just how deeply he loved her. Just how much he needed her. And he knew. Just knew she felt the same.

He saw it in the little things she did for him. Saw it in the tears of her eyes. In the way she broke down in his Hospital room when he finally woke, a fortnight, after his accident. Heard it in the tremble of her voice. In her 'I thought I lost you's. In the way she clung to him. He was so relieved she was okay and so happy to finally have her back in his life. Until suddenly...she wasn't anymore.

Recovery was Freds life now, but that wasn't hers. She was still needed elsewhere and as much as he wished she would stay he knew she couldn't. She still had a life left living. It were a miracle she managed to stay as long as she had. So...she left. And he wouldn't see her again for years. Six. To be exact.

Recovery had taken years from Fred. It was two and a half years before he could consider himself independent. After all that time wasted he wasn't about to let anything stand in his way. So when news carried to his ears that [Y/N] was back living in London, permanently, that after six years he could see her again, there was nothing holding him back.

In a second he'd apparated to her doorstep. Knocking on the withered wood door. Listening to the faint patter of approaching footsteps. Hearing the gentle click of the locks tumblers as they turned. Watching the steady swing of the door as it opened. Feeling the prick of burning tears behind his eyes as he stared back into her questioning gaze. Pulling her body into his as their lips collided. Relishing in the warmth that spread through his blood as she kissed back. Clung back. Loved him back. Everything he poured into her she gave right back. He swore right in that moment that he'd never let her go again. They'd wasted so much time already.

Over a year later the two could not have been deeper in love. She'd moved into the boys flat mere months after he appeared at her door. It's what Fred wanted, and Fred always gets what he wants.

Fred and Georges business had picked up quite quickly after the war. Fred insisted George begin work on the restorations while he recovered. Saying he wanted everything back in full swing by the time he was upright, to pick right back where he left off. George was sure he simply didn't fancy cleaning it himself and saw recovery as a pretty convenient excuse. Fred didn't deny his brothers claim.

They'd managed to open a second store in Hogsmead and were currently renovating the original store. Expanding the flat and lower levels. This saw the three residents temporarily relocating to the Burrow for a few days as the work was completed. Molly had insisted, saying the house were 'far too quiet' for her liking. Which was hard to believe as Ron and Hermione and Ginny and Harry all currently lived there. Of course Bill and Fleur, as well as Percy had all moved out ages ago, and Charlie was back living in Romania. Still, it beats paying accommodation elsewhere. And they couldn't deny that spending time back in their childhood home was enjoyable. It felt warm and safe and familiar, like the war had never happened and they were all just spending time together as a family.

As dinner approached on their third day home [Y/N] and Harry could be found helping prepare tonights meal, under the careful instruction of Mrs Weasley, while the rest sat comfortably within the sitting room fondly reminiscing their times spent together just like they were now.

The group were laughing haughtily at a certain memory George had recalled in which [Y/N] turned Rons entire bedroom hot pink with the Twins 'Everlasting Dye', after he thought it'd be funny to turn her hair a similar shade. Much like [Y/N]'s hair the dye hadn't faded for well over a fortnight as the Twins found the whole thing all too funny and refused them the instant remover.

"God, I love her." Fred smiled brightly at the memory, "I'm going to marry that woman." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Sure she likes you that much?" Ginny quipped.

"Certain, dear Sister." Ginny simply nodded a look of uncertainty on her face. "What's that look for?" "Nothing." "Ginny." "well it's just...she doesn't really say it much does she?" "'Course she does. What are you on about?" "I just don't think I've ever actually heard her say she loves you before." "It's not like you're 'round us 24/7 now is it?" Fred scoffed, shaking off his sisters comment.

George meanwhile was staring towards the ceiling, brows furrowed as he contemplated Ginnys words deeply before letting out a low "hmmp" as realisation struck.

"Oh, what now?" Fred rolled his attention toward his Twin. "Nothing it's just I can't think of a time I've heard her say it either." Ginny had a look of 'I told you so' blatantly obvious on her face while Ron and Hermione thought hard on the topic as well. Freds gaze shifted quickly between his gathered family.

"Oh, so what if you've never heard it. Point is I have. And I know she loves me so it doesn't matter. But if you all must! Here," he leant back in his chair calling into the kitchen "Hey, [Y/N/N]!" "Yeah, Freddie?" She walked toward him with a loving smile. "I love you" [Y/N]'s smile faded instantly as she raised a suspicious brow, "What'd you do?" "What!?" Fred asked shocked as the eavesdroppers giggled. "No. Nothing, really! I just wanted to tell you I love you." "Oh...well I know that" she smiled, kissing him softly. Fred gave her an expectant look as she stood back. "...what?" "you love me too, yeah?" "Of course I do." There was a determination behind her words. Almost as if she were insulted by his question, to which the answer were painstakingly obvious. She soothingly ran a hand through his hair, "I've got to get back in there and help your Mother before Harry burns everything." She joked, placing a final quick kiss to his lips. He watched her leave a giddy smile on his face before turning back to his nosey family.

"See. Told you." He laid back in his seat confidently. The group all shared tight lipped, awkward, smiles. "Oh, what?!" "It's just she didn't really say it, did she?" George spoke. "Yeah she did. I asked her and she said 'yes'. End of conversation." "But she didn't actually say the words; 'I love you'." Ginnys voice intervened. "She doesn't have to." "Shouldn't it be sort of automatic?" "Like you and Harry say it every time." He rolled his eyes. "Pretty much" Ginny nodded, earning an unconvinced scoff from her brother. "Here, watch."

Ginny mirrored Freds earlier movements, calling to the kitchen, "Hey, Harry!" "Yeah, Gin?" Harry came to his fiancès call. She smiled up at him sweetly, "I love you". Harry looked around the group a little uncomfortable and unsure but smiled nonetheless. "I love you too" he placed a quick kiss to her temple. "Right, that's all I wanted you can go now." Ginny turned back in her chair as Harry walked away very confused.

"Automatic." She gestured widely with her hands, a triumphant look on her face. "Oh piss off." Fred scowled. "Doesn't matter if she 'says the words' or not. I know she loves me. Doesn't bother me." "Good for you, Freddie." Ron spoke encouragingly. "So you're on my side?" "Absolutely!" "It wouldn't bother you if Hermione never-" "oh GOD no! She has to say the words. I need the reassurance." He looked up to his girlfriend, who in turn lovingly took his hand in hers.

"Alright. So it's a little strange. But I bet I can have her saying it before we leave." "In four days?" George questioned, sceptical. "Yep. I'll make her." "How romantic. With charm like that it's a wonder why she hasn't said it already." His Twin chuckled. "Why don't you just talk to her about it? Maybe there's a reason." Hermione piped. "Nah. My ways better." Fred shook his head, tapping his knees lightly as he thought.

And so began, what Fred would soon discover to be, the most difficult challenge he'd ever attempted.

It started out simply enough; with a few added 'I love you's here and there. Whether the moment called for it or not. Although after the war Fred had become notably more vocal in expressing his love towards family and friends, he kicked it up a notch in an attempt to coax those very words from the mouth of his partner. Quickly escalating to more grand and romantic gestures.

The first was a ridiculously large bouquet of vividly yellow roses. Moving onto a private picnic for two atop the Hill which rested behind the Burrow. At sunset he had dragged [Y/N] from the home to where he laid a blanket and candles, with soft music playing in the background, as well as having organised a platter of all their favourite foods. Ending the meal rather...intimately. During which he was sure to further praise her and whisper sweet, loving words in her ear. Telling her just how much he loved her.

His constant showering of affection had granted him plenty of appreciation in return. His words always being met with the usual "I do too"s and "Me too"s even a couple "Dittos" they always had, though he was yet to receive any "I love you"s. Which hadn't bothered him before, but now was proving to be mildly infuriating and very disheartening, really.

Failure wasn't something Fred was used to anymore. To think he was unable to get his long term partner to say those three little words was quickly making him uncomfortable.

By the fourth and final morning, since setting himself this little challenge, Fred was spent. He was sure he'd tried everything. Grand gestures. Romantic dates. Surprise kisses. Great sex. He had even seriously considered proposing, as a last resort. But these were not the circumstances in which he wanted to do so under, when he did he wanted it to be perfect. Maybe the Imperius - NO! no. Too drastic.

Why was nothing working? Suddenly Ginnys amusing quip wasn't so funny anymore and struck a vein far too close to home. Was it possible he was wrong and she simply didn't feel the same way?

All manner of sickeningly worrisome thoughts began to flood through his mind as he lay awake. He starred at the woman he loved so fiercely, so passionately, he could swear she were the only reason his heart kept bleeding.

He watched her as she slept peacefully, tucked tight against his chest, whilst he absent-mindedly stroked her hair, contemplating a reality which he much rather never come true. One in which she didn't love him.

He used to be so sure but now...now he was terrified. He'd never thought much on what form his Boggart would assume if he ever were to face one. He knew in this moment though that is exactly what shape it would take. Her.

She'd approach him slowly. An evil grin and amused brow raised upon her features. She'd tell him what a fool he was. How stupid he was to ever think a woman like her could love a boy like him. That she only stayed with him out of pity. How humiliated and desperate he seemed that day on her doorstep. How it would have been better if he had just given up, never fought to survive after the explosion. How much better it'd have been if he just died in War. She could have found real love, lived a happy life away from the embarrassing one she led with him in it.

Tears burned red in the whites of his eyes as his chest shuddered with every quickened and panicking breath he took. His heart thundering in his ears as the room began to spin. He was suffocating. Sweat streamed down his temples. He had to get out. Escape.

Sliding as quickly and carefully as he could from beneath the covers without disturbing the sleeping woman in his bed, he took for the shower. Praying the steam would unfog his mind. That the water would wash away his doubts and anxiety.

The whole time he tried to rationalise why [Y/N] wouldn't say the words. Reassuring himself that it didn't matter. Shouldn't matter. He left the bathroom long after the water had run cold feeling only moderately better than when he'd entered. At least now he had a modicum of control over his body. His emotions on the other hand...

He slowly descended the steps of his childhood home, face emotionless, to the sound of light chatter and clinking of various dishes. Everyone was already gathered around the table eating breakfast.

"Ah, there you are!" George announced as Fred entered the kitchen, "clean now are we? Thought you'd must have drowned in there." He joked. Fred offered a light chuckle and forced smile as he sat himself between his Twin and partner. "What's this the wake then?"

[Y/N] leant into his side, placing a kiss to his cheek as her hand traced circles on his lower back. "Morning, Hun" she murmured tenderly, chin resting against his shoulder as she peered up at him. He didn't look at her, simply humming in response. His hand briefly came to squeeze her thigh before quickly retracting. This did little to evoke a sense of ease within his significant other.

Over the eighteen months they'd shared together [Y/N] had long since become accustomed to his dramatic morning greetings. Usually, as they'd wake up together, it'd involve him peppering her face and neck in countless kisses before joining George for breakfast. On days when they'd wake to find themselves alone under the covers, the other having obviously awoke long ago, he'd surprise her. Lifting her off her feet and spinning her through the air then, placing her back down, kissing her deeply.

The only times she'd seen him like this were nights when his dreams had been plagued with flashbacks from the Battle. She assumed he'd slept peacefully. He hadn't had any nightmares in months and would usually, unintentionally, wake her during them. "You okay, Freddie?" "Yeah."

Totally convincing.

The rest of the day Fred was cold. To everyone but [Y/N] especially. He was having difficulty even looking at her. She'd tried talking with him but he insisted there was nothing the matter. Didn't keep her from worrying.

After dinner everyone moved into the lounge, engaging in various bits of conversation. Everyone aside from Fred. No one was sure when he'd disappeared but his absence was noted nonetheless. [Y/N] was the one to search for him. Found standing within the garden over looking the sunset.

She could see the discontent held in his body, the way he stood so rigid. The hollow expression on his features, completely devoid of any emotion. It hurt her seeing him this way.

"Hey, You." She spoke hesitantly. Fred turned at the sound of her voice. Watching her standing tentatively before him as if unsure whether or not her presence was welcome. "Hey, You" he smiled sadly back, his frame visibly relaxing at the sight of her. "We're all missing you in there. What are you doing out here all by your lonesome?" [Y/N] said softly as she approached him, arms snaking around his waist. His hands fell to her lower back and pulled her into his body ever more so. "Just needed a bit of quiet to think" "'Think', huh?" He hummed in response. "That's never good" she grinned making him laugh lightly. "No, it isn't." He placed a slow kiss to her lips.

Breaking it shortly after as he teased, "So, you missed me?" "Every second you're not by my side I do." He rested his forehead against hers, their eyes falling shut contently. Fred exhaled comfortably,"I love you" "I do too" [Y/N] replied. "What love you?" Fred straightened himself with a cheeky expression on his face which was mirrored on that of his partners. "Stop it." "I'm serious." "You know what I mean" "Do I?".

[Y/N] had another quip ready on the tip of her tongue until noticing that cheery look he held had vanished and they were no longer standing in one anothers embrace. Her face dropped at the sight if a completely serious Fred Weasley stood in front of her. Awaiting the answer to a question she didn't fully understand. "Whats gotten into you?" She took a step toward him, to which, he took one back. "Do you love me?" "Of course I do!" "Then why don't you say it?" "I don't know what you're -" "you never say it." "I just did." "No, you agreed to a question I asked." "It's the same thing." "It's not."

The two were practically talking on top of one another. "Just...say it." He took a step towards her, to which, she took one back. "If I say it now it'll be forced and it may as well not mean anything." "Why can't you just say it!?" He snapped, more asking himself the question than her. But he needed to ask. He wasn't yelling at her but a part of [Y/N] wished he would. "I know you love me. Or at least I thought I did. I just...I need to hear you say it because sometimes I can't help but wonder - please just. Say it." Staring into her eye's pleadingly, hers stared right back in apology. "Fred..." "Forget it." He turned from her. "Fred, baby" her hand reached for his shoulder as his own ran through his hair in frustration whilst his jaw clenched. "I can't. I can't be near you right now." He shook his head, storming off towards the Hill. Ignoring her frantic, begging calls.

[Y/N] stood rooted to the spot from shock. This was one of the first fights the pair had had, and she wasn't even sure what brought it on. There'd been minor squabbles between them out of stress from work or other things but never something like this. They had such an open relationship it never got to this point, any concerns either held was always voiced and discussed. Why was this time different?

As she watched his figure slowly disappear amongst the dark as night was soon to fall, she made her decision. This time wasn't going to be different. They were going to talk about it whether he cared to or not. Even if that meant her admitting somethings she'd very much hoped never have to. So, she set off after him.

Fred stood with his back against the trunk of an old tree which grew tall on top the Hill. One hand in his pocket as the other ran his fingers over the markings carved into it's wood by the Weasley family. One engraving in particular. A relatively fresh one where he had carved [Y/N]s name next to his own last Christmas to "officially" mark her as apart of the family.

He recalled the moment vividly. How she questioned his actions, wondering if he'll still love her the same 'down the road', not to regret this decision. "Nah, you're right. I won't love you the same. I'll love you more." He'd said. "But the real question is; will you love me, or are you just going to break my heart?" To be honest. He truly hadn't expected the latter.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the approaching sound of footsteps. Turning his head he rolled his eyes upon realising it was her. "Not now." He growled. "Yes now." She shot back at him standing firm in place.

She'd planned a whole monologue on the walk to him but now that she was here, eyes meeting his, she hadn't a damn clue what to say.

"Until I was 25, I thought the only response to 'I love you' was 'oh, crap!'" She blurted out. Fred looked at her quizzically as the words settled in the air. [Y/N]'s eyes shut for a moment, kicking herself. That wasn't how she intended for the conversation to go. "I'm-I can't say the words" she began again to which Fred scoffed. "Yeah. I gathered that much." "Fred, just shut the fuck up, and listen to me!" Her stare shot daggers into the boy and he found his attention unwavering from her words.

"I didn't have a normal upbringing. I didn't get what you have. I came from a family where love was a weapon. A tool for manipulation. Something that was withheld until you were useful. Something used to excuse shitty behaviour. I didn't get the warm Christmases and intimacy you got. Before you I wasn't sure I knew what love was. My whole life had been cold. Then when you showed up at my door that day it was like hot blood began pumping through my body for the first time. You felt like life when my whole existence has been death. That's when I knew I couldn't live without you. When I knew that I...I can't say it. The words. But not just to you, I can't say them to anyone. It feels unnatural like there's a rope tied around my throat and it suffocates me. And it kills me a little bit. To look into your eyes and know that I - that I still can't - may never ... fuck. I-" [Y/N]s hand came to cover her eyes as tears fell and heartbroken sobs escaped her body.

Fred reacted on instinct, by her side in a second, pulling her into his chest. A hand gripped her back as the other fisted into her hair. "I'm sorry" she cried as he soothed her.

Fred was fighting sobs of his own, feeling as her body shudder against his and she clung to him for support. Because if she didn't her knees would buckle and she'd fall.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I-I had no idea this was...look at me." He held her shoulders taking half a step back to look at her. "I don't care if you never say the words." "But then why-" "I listened to the opinions of four prats who had no business sticking their noses in our relationship." [Y/N] chuckled sadly, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Before they said anything I honestly hadn't noticed because I knew, I know you love me. You don't have to tell me because you show me. It's in your kiss. In your eyes. Your laugh. Your nostrils as they flare when you yell at me after successfully pissing you off. Never be sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up over nothing. Okay?" [Y/N] nodded in response, unable to form a sentence. Smiling sweetly his hand came to caress below her jaw."I love you." "Now you're just rubbing it in." Fred laughed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips.

He's pulling away before [Y/N]s pulling him back by the collar of his shirt for a deep and passionate one. Soon breaking in dire need for air.

Her chest is heaving as she catches her breath. His eyes fall shut, pressing his head against hers gently. [Y/N]s eyes are searching his face. Why can't she just tell him? The words, those three stupid little words, are right there tearing at her throat. Wanting to be said. This is real. He is not her parents, not her toxic 'family'. He's Fred. Sweet, caring Fred. Her one and only. He's different.

She swallows hard, mouth going dry, as that familiar tightening takes hold. Trying desperately to rid herself of that strangling sensation that plagues her a trillion times a day. She's staring at him, panic coursing through her bloodstream. Her eyes clench shut as she tries to muster as much strength as she can. "I-" the words are right there. Her voice barely a whisper as she fights that rope. "I love you." [Y/N] gasps for air as a knot in the rope snaps. Eyes widening as her chest shudders before she's smiling. Fresh tears falling in relief and joy.

Fred's eyes spring open, gawking. Did she just...is he-did he imagine that? No. There's no way. "You...you-" "I love you." Her voice louder this time, more assured as a second knot snaps. He doesn't know how to react. Body and mind still processing.

Soon though he's grinning like a madman, spinning her in his arms, feeling happier than he thought possible. Placing her back on the ground both hands cup her face as his lips crash into hers.

They stay like that for a while, in one anothers arms. [Y/N]s kissing him tenderly as she pulls back to whisper the words once more, "I love you." He smiles cockily down at her before his expression shifts to one of mock surprise. "Oh, crap!" he laughs as [Y/N] rolls her eyes. "Ah, Humour based on my pain. Aha-ha-ha. You're such a bastard." She turns to walk off but he grabs her arm. Spinning her back against his chest as his other hand comes to the nape of her neck.

"Not so fast, Princess." He licks his lips smirking, voice low "say it again." She bites her lip suppressing a wide smile. "I love you." He places one final kiss before a wicked grin spreads over his face and he's quickly throwing her over his shoulder.

"Come on, love!" He starts running for the Burrow. "FRED!" [Y/N] squeals. "No time to waste! I told them I'd have to saying it before we leave." "You...oh my god, FRED! Did you place a bet on me!? You absolute GIT!"

"Love you too, sweetheart."

[nexuschampion]

Breaking News: The Interview

@accioturtur

Just a little more

“Welcome back to today’s very special interview. Before we get started we would like to remind everyone that this is a first.  Our guest has graciously accepted our offer for an exclusive first interview and hope to use this platform to help him get his story out to the world.  The coming weeks and months will be huge change in his life, and indeed, in all our lives.

So. Michelangelo, today we're taking a leap into the unknown,. Thank you for  joining us and offering to come before the world to give us a peek into your life."

"You’re very welcome. I figured people would be curious, and now that I’ve been exposed there wasn’t much reason to hide anymore. Hi, Amy. It is fantastic to meet you, and just to be here. I appreciate this opportunity to talk to the world. You can call me Mikey. Short for Michelangelo." He grinned warmly and settled back into his seat, his specially tailored suit comfortably shifting with him, giving off an air of confidence and grace. 

"First off I'm happy to say you look fully recovered after the incident in Times Square. Although some of the footage was difficult to watch it did bring us to this opportunity. Michelangelo has given us his assurance that he is okay with talking about the footage, but you've also got a pretty incredible story that our viewers are going to want to know all about beyond that, so let's take a step back and start with some basics? Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?" 

"Absolutely! I'm 37. Devastatingly handsome, obviously." He paused for chuckle, which he was quickly rewarded with. "I like to take long runs and play video games and I love just messing around, having a good time and sometimes trying to be a bit creative. I really love pizza. I'm acutely aware I am not really supposed to exist but I wouldn't want to be anything else. More than happy to elaborate on any of it. That's why we're here and I love to talk! About anything. Mostly. Obviously I can't talk about a good 80% of my existence or the whole 'incident' so...hit or miss I guess."

Amy nodded her head thoughtfully. "Since there isn't going to be much you can tell, let's start with the event that brought us together and get that out of the way."

"Oh, you mean when I almost died saving Manhattan? Just a Tuesday."

"Is that really true?" She paused and looked at him with uncertainty and a hint of a smile.

"No, no, not at all. It was more like a Thursday." He chuckled and waved his hand. "I've been involved in a lot of crazy things, many of them pretty unbelievable. But no, this was just being in the right place and the right time. If you have a more pessimistic world view you could say wrong place at the wrong time. I personally don't even know what was going on, so I'm just as eager as anyone to find out what we stepped in the middle of. Honestly though, what we were doing is obvious. My mind was on the people in Times Square that morning and the person I was with. My main goal is just to make sure people don't get hurt, you know?"

"And everyone is very thankful for your intervention. Both of you. Can you tell us who the other person was? I believe we have a name at this point but no other details.”

"Someone that doesn't like the limelight, unlike me." He grinned.  "Yes, she's already been identified, but I've always loved being the center of attention so this is a dream come true for me. Makes it easy to leave her out of it as much as possible. She's more than happy to let me have it."

"It was surprising that you were ready to speak out so soon. Forgive me for asking, but a regular person would have been in recovery for months, if they survived at all. Is your physiology that different? 

“I don’t really think so, but I do heal a hell of a lot faster than, as you put it, regular people. I don’t know of any turtles that can heal so fast either so it’s a by-product of mutation. I guess.”

“Well, as it is an active investigation, little information has been released.  So moving on, your whole life has been, for the most part, hidden?"

"Yeah, of course. People tend to lose their minds when they come across a cryptid like me. Or faint. We don't really exist so we lived the best we could outside society.  That doesn't mean we weren't watching though. We were like normal kids with a parent so strict that we couldn't actually engage much in the world, but for entirely different reasons. Plus keeping out of sight was kinda necessary to survive, so since we could walk we were trained in the martial arts, specifically the sneaky silent ninja part. We learned anything and everything to keep us safe and alive."

"That sounds terrible. Children forced to..."

"No." He stopped her firmly. "Not forced. We actually had the best father in the world. He uh, wasn't human either but he still taught us to survive and we loved him, and the life we had. And each other. It's not like we could just hang out with other kids anyway, all we had was each other and he wanted to make sure we would always be able to take care of ourselves and our family."

The reporter took a deep breath. "OK. This sounds so fantastical if not a little disturbing, yet here you are. You seem to have thrived in your life."

"Yup. Here I am, perfectly healthy and happy as a clam. We were just some brothers doing what we could to survive but eventually we got bored so we started to help people out when we could. Pardon my frankness about it all, but I don't want to continue to hide now that it's all out in the open."

"Which leads me to big question here.  While you were unconscious your family decided to tell the world you were behind the books authored by Mikael Buonarotti. How does a mutant  turtle, hidden from society his whole life come to be one of the most well known, if not most famously mysterious, authors? No one could have guessed that all this was your background."

"Something happened to my family when I was around 17. It changed my life. It changed me. I hung up my adventuring belt and turned my back on the whole ninja life thing and tried to be as normal as I could be. I left my family and moved in with my best friend in her apartment. I had to do something with myself and I've always enjoyed the arts so I decided to pursue writing as a distraction and an attempt to figure out who this new me was. I did that for another 17 years, then I guess I finally found a balance between my two worlds."

"Something that keeps coming up is 'we' and 'family'. Do you mind talking a bit about them?"

"Oh I would love to! I do have three brothers who aren't interested in all this. At all. They were the ones that made the decision for me since it would impact them the most. I'm the cute and funny one who likes talking to people so they know how much I've always wanted to just be out and about in the world."  He paused a moment, deciding what to say.  "I've thought a lot about what to say about them. And I talked to them about what they did and didn't want me to say. What I will say about them is that I know people say you can only control yourself and how you react to adversity and that’s very true. But I am who I am because of my family. I wouldn't be who I am without them or if we hadn't gone through all the things we did. I love them and they deserve to be able to be out in the open too, but they aren't interested so I want to respect that."

"Any specifics about them?"

"We are all pretty much exactly the same if you look at us, like quadruplets at first glance but you know, we have very different personalities just like any siblings. One of us was the "oldest". He still takes everything very serious and worked really hard to keep us in line and safe and he always sacrificed everything . . ." he paused a moment "...everything for the rest of us. He's also the biggest nerd and I love him. Another is so fiercely protective that sometimes he caused more trouble than problems he fixed but his passion was, and still is, a force of nature. He never thinks twice about protecting any of us from anything. Completely selfless.  The other is a genius. Wildly intelligent.  And he always had the most gentle heart. He is brilliant and creative and kind. We would have been extremely bored as kids if it hadn't been for his big brain even in our very early ages. He fixed every kind of gaming system he could find just to keep me busy. He kept the lights on and even built security systems to keep us safe at home."

"So, the elephant in the room. How did you all come to be?"

"Ah, a fun topic!  We’re digging deep. So this is an interesting one and where it gets as weird as it can. My father was a rat. Just regular pet just like we were just baby turtles in a pet store. But he was a pet of someone pretty incredible that he actually learned a lot from. And he was able to teach us everything from what he learned from him. How to kick names and take ass." he laughed. "How to read and write once he figured it out. How to be good people even when the world turned it’s back on us. His owner was murdered though, and just after that.  A boy had purchased us at a pet store, and when he left he saw a blind man about to get hit by a truck.  He thankfully saved the man but dropped us, leaving us to be washed away into the gutter. The truck he saved him from was likely speeding away from a crime scene, at least that’s how I picture it, because it had radioactive material in it that flew out the back and into the same gutter we were in. Our father was passing by and saw the whole thing. He went after us and found us covered in the green ooze and not knowing what it was just fished us out and the next thing you know we were all walking upright and talking."

"That is all a little hard to believe."

"Maybe I'll write it all down one day" he smirked. "At least no one can say I'm faking what I am."

"I most definitely think you should write it down. It would be an instant hit!  Speaking of, how did you develop the skills to write such compelling novels? Your homeschooling must have been incredible."

"I had a very strict parent (and ‘older’ brothers) and a very ADHD brain. He somehow always knew to give me the tools I needed to express myself creatively and a physical outlet to direct my energy. For a pet rat he was exceptionally wise and compassionate, but his owner was too. He taught each of us in the way we needed to be taught but still made sure we had enough discipline and self control to...well...survive. Prosper, even."

"ADHD?"

"Oh yeah. I mean I couldn't ever go to a doctor or anything but it was pretty obvious looking back."

"How is that even possible?"

"No idea, I'm not a science guy. For a long time I just thought I was a weird mutant so there was no normal. Just because I was a little high energy and scatterbrained and random didn’t mean any of us thought anything of it. We didn’t think anything of my brother being exceptionally intelligent. We just were who we were.  Though, I think anyone that follows me on twitter probably could have pointed it out years ago that I have a bit of chaotic energy to me."

Amy laughed and adressed the audience. "I would definitely go follow all the social medias if you haven't. He is quite entertaining and has been for many years!"

"I am. I have quite the quirky charm, don’t you think?"

"You do. Has it always been you?"

"100%. My agents often wanted to have someone run my social media for me, but honestly it was my only real connection to the world. I love being a part of it though, and it totally validates my already inflated ego."

"You say that but you come across as not being entirely sincere. You seem more humble than egotistical. Are your brothers as confident as you?"

"Depends on what you mean. They are all very confident in their own ways. With people though? That's my territory. My brothers prefer to live silently in the shadows than having anything to do with any of this."

"Are you ready for some more personal questions?"

"I think they all have been so far, but shoot. I have no shame and little digression."

"In some of these images and footage the woman who is with you is understandably distraught. And might I add here that both of your attentions to make sure no bystanders were injured were very clear and worth pausing for a moment to offer both of you another heartfelt thank you. Without your intervention thousands would have been injured or far worse. The two of you made an incredible team but the interaction between the two of you in that crucial moment is very telling, leading many to speculate that this is someone you do know very well.  Clearly April and Casey Jones are considered your family, but the footage suggests something of a deeper connection. Can you tell us anything about the person you were with that day?"

Mikey was smiling ear to ear after seeing the images that were being displayed to the audience, not bothering to hide the affection. "I’m so glad you asked. She is probably cursing me but she knows what she signed up for. I'd love to the world to know who she is actually. That is my best friend Shadow. My partner in all things. My soulmate."  Mikey grinned and winked at the camera. "Sorry ladies and gents, but I am a taken turtle. That woman happens to be my wife. As much as she can be anyway."

Amy stared at him, stunned, for a moment. "Your.....wife?"

"Yup."

"That's unexpected."

"I know." he answered with a singsong tone. "Love is strange, isn't it?"

"Wife?"

"Absolutely. We could meet in any life at any time and we'd be instantly drawn to each other. I love her to pieces and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual."

"That's....interesting. I really didn't expect you to be so forthcoming with that information and I think I, we, all have many more questions."

"I would shout it from any rooftop. I love her with every fiber in my soul. The only reason I didn't announce it extremely publicly before all this was out of respect for her privacy. She knows she is already exposed now and she doesn't want to deny it by any means, but she definitely doesn't want to be the center of attention. She wants me to have all that for now. Still, I'll talk anyone's ear off about just about anything, but not about her. She said I could a bit, but I'll be in trouble if I make any of this about her instead of me. She's pretty passionate about my status as a 'normal guy'."

"Can you at least tell us what does she do for a living? 

"Umm...she's super smart and sticks to sciency things that she is amazing at it, but she's kinda in between jobs helping me deal with all this at the moment. It's been a little overwhelming for all of us."

"I hope someday we do get a chance to talk with her as well. From what we've seen in the footage, and now heard from you, she sounds like an incredible person."

"She really is, but I may be biased."

"It sounds like all of your family are involved in fighting in the shadows for justice, like some kind of movie! That's something I think we'd all like to dig a bit more into but for today we'll keep on with topics we've selected. This is so hard sticking to the plan, I have so many questions. Mikael Buonarotti is a known donor to charities specifically aimed toward children."

Mikey rolled his eyes a bit and leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees. "Ok, so I know they put that in there because they want me to come across as some kind of philanthropist but that's not exactly what it is. The fact is that I can't spend most of the money I earn and I just adore kids. I love kids. So much. It's not something I do to be noticed, obviously, but my situation is tricky so anonymous donations tend to be very difficult to pull off in large amounts. It would have all been anonymous but sometimes certain things have to be verified, regulated and all that, especially with someone that is mostly anonymous anyway. It's not a secret to any one in my family that I have a soft spot for kids who are abandoned, abused or just lost in life. Heck if I could I'd adopt tons of kids. They are usually the only ones that don't scream 'monster!' and run. They're curious. And fun. And so vulnerable. It just really means a lot to watch out for them, you know?"

"So you are a mutant turtle, trained as a ninja, apparently have a wife, are an author and love kids."

"Yeah that sums me up pretty well. You left out ridiculously cute though" he winked at the host, who chuckled.

"I don't even know what to say. I know the road ahead is going to be a long one and I for one wish you the best of luck on this journey. Hopefully people let your deeds speak for you to show how incredible you are. You have essentially broken science and proved that cryptids are real and do indeed exist but more importantly, that you're also a pretty regular person."

He sobered a bit. "I'm not incredible though. I've got just as many flaws as any other person, probably a whole lot more. I don't want people getting the wrong idea about who I am. I'm just a person with pretty unusual circumstance. All kidding aside I know this is all serious business. I was terrified when I woke up in that hospital because it wasn't the first time someone tried to hold me against my will to run experiments and unfortunately nor will it be the last I'm sure. But I am hopeful that my brothers were right in their decision so the world doesn't need to keep coming after us. They can just call us up or something. Things may not work out for us and we might have to just disappear, but I for one am glad I don't have to hide anymore, even if things get harder than they were before. One thing for sure though, we'll always be out there doing everything we can to make the world a little bit better."

"I think you are only going to be getting more fans after this interview." she smiled "You come across as very genuine.”

"I'm just honest and maybe a little too open. But I'm also extremely cautious.  This really is a dream come true for me, but I know we just opened a can of worms that we will never be able to put the lid back on. I'm hoping the positives are going to outweigh the negatives, but we'll all up for the challenge either way."

"Thank you again for speaking with me today, Michelangelo. I feel like we have a bit more understanding but we'll be on the lookout for whatever else you decide to tell the world."

"It's been my pleasure. And yes, you will absolutely be hearing from me more. I think it's time to dust off my social media accounts and start talking to the world again."

[fayeimara]

Meant To Be || One For Every Billion

7. Definitely Pretty

Hyogo is definitely a big change of pace and scenery from Tokyo, but a welcome one. The last time you were able to visit your aunt and cousin Kazuya was over winter break and it's nice to spend some time with them during the hot summer instead. You've spent your last few days here enjoying chilled tea in tall glasses dripping with condensation and hikes through the mountainous region with Akira and Akari's excited chatter filling the space previously occupied by the gentle sounds of nature. Though you suppose they're both a force of nature in their own way, as well.

Akari, specifically, has used her considerable talent at coercion to drag you and her two brothers to the summer festival today. Although she didn't need to expend much effort convincing you in particular.

Your aunt, their mother, had already painstakingly picked out and bought yukata for each of you, each piece a match for every one of your personal tastes and styles, knowing that at least you and Akari would appreciate the event all decked out. It's not something either of you have much of an opportunity for when you're both back in America.

She also helped you two style your hair and made sure you all took enough pictures to last a lifetime of memories, reminding all of you that someday these would be the moments you look back on with fond reminiscence.

Kazu and Akira have wandered off since you all arrived, saying something about food, so you and Akari decide to investigate the booths that hold various food and souvenirs themed to the event.

The two of you are at a stall studying the various masks displayed for purchase when a group of girls several years younger than you move into the recently emptied space to your right, giggling and whispering before turning to you both.

"Sorry to bother you! We just wanted to say we love both your yukata!" One of them confidently exclaims, jade eyes beaming with excitement and a little nervousness.

You turn to her with a pleased smile, "Thank you, you and your friends look beautiful, as well."

"Do you think? Thank you! My mom helped me pick mine out!" She indicates her pretty jade and white yukata with a lazy gesture, moving slightly closer to you as Akari starts off a conversation about her friend's hair.

You have to grin at her, wondering if this is considered chaotic neutral, a term your friends often seem to apply to you. "Yeah, definitely, I think it fits you perfectly. Really sets off your eyes."

"That's my best feature! Runs in the family actually." She states with a smirk. She's really too precious.

"Rika." A low voice startles you as the speaker comes up from just behind where you're standing.

You turn to meet a stunning copy of her eyes except for the completely uninterested look in them, this pair on an expressionless guy probably about your age. Wow. He's undeniably attractive and you're sure that unbothered but capable air just adds to the appeal. At least for you.

"Rin-onii!" While mostly still exuberant, she seems a little chastised by the single word from the guy that you're assuming is her older brother.

He doesn't say anything as he studies you back with that intensely perceptive gaze before turning away to address his sister, "You shouldn't have wandered off."

Her doe eyes and innocent smile are turned on full force, you guess growing up a younger sibling really teaches one how to do that well. It doesn't actually seem to work on him though as he narrows his eyes with an arch look, cutting her off before she can even try to sweet talk him, "I was forced to come to babysit you, so don't run off again."

She pouts for a small moment before perking back up to say, "But I made a new friend! And she's so pretty, right?"

You can't help the amused smirk that pulls at your lips while you wait for his response. Try and tell me I'm not, I dare you. Pausing for a moment while he stares at his sister, you catch him as, without moving his head, his piercing eyes slide back over to you again, looking sideways and down at you as if the last thing he wants to do is acknowledge you.

Then, instead of answering his sister's question, he finally addresses you directly to ask one of his own, "And who are you?"

You want to laugh at the pure arrogance of his question but instead you shrug and reply, "Right now, I'm just a pretty, new friend. Or should I assume you don't agree?"

This time you think you almost do see the lightest blush, yeah, you directly called out the way he dodged the question to throw the ball back in his court. I can slip audacious questions just as well, pretty boy.

His sister - Rika? - jumps back into the conversation a little cautiously, probably sensing the tension but not understanding why or where from it's originating. Me neither, girl, me neither. "Rin! Don't be so mean! We approached her and her friend first, you can't just demand an introduction!" and then turning away from her actual chastisement of her older brother, she beams up at you before continuing, "I'm Suna Rikona but you can call me Rika! This is my brother Rintaro. You can call him Rin or Rin-Rin."

"Shut it, Rika. That's not appropriate." He rolls his eyes and yes, he's actually blushing now. You wonder for a moment if you could push him further by using his first name to address him but you can't bring yourself to tease a complete stranger just yet. Not this one, at least, for some reason. Oh my god, your friends would be so proud.

"Nice to meet you Rika. You too, I guess...Suna." You follow her suggestion to call her by her nickname but also accommodate her brother after a teasing pause. "My name is L/n F/n. You can call me Y/n though."

You add the last bit with a smirk aimed at Suna whose eyes narrow again on you this time. Hm. Perceptive guy. Those are always interesting.

His eyes shift to your side just as you notice Akari pulling back to rejoin the three of you, along with the three other girls that came up with Rika. You introduce her to the two you're with and then have another round of introductions with Rika's friends, periodically catching Suna watching you every time you look back his way. He's making it really difficult for you to keep your composure.

"We were going to follow the booths down the street and then find a good spot to watch the fireworks." One of Rika's friends - Misa - explains.

Rika picks up from where she leaves off, throwing her pleading puppy dog look your way this time, "Would you please join us?"

While you and Akari have enough practice using that very same look with your own older siblings, you doubt either of you have had to field it and from someone so adorable too. You catch Akari's smothered smile before she meets your eyes and shrugs so you turn to look at Suna who just raises his chin along with a bored eyebrow, like he could care less but still somehow daring you to say something. What that thing is, you don't know him well enough to tell but okay then.

Looking back at Rika who's been giving her brother a frown at seeing his challenging look thrown your way, you laugh and agree, "I don't see why not. We did come here with two others but they've pretty much disappeared by now so I'll text to let them know and then we can go."

"Wait!" Akari cuts in as you pull your phone from the small pouch hanging from your wrist, "We still have to get our masks."

"We should all get one!" Rika declares but Rin lightly flicks the back of her head.

"Didn't you only bring enough for the food."

It's not actually even a question but he must be right because she turns back to him with the pleading look, "But Rin-onii, won't you-"

"No."

Completely deadpan versus completely affectionate, you really have to hold back the laughter at their cute exchange. She continues pleading but is cut off at every one of her sentences by Suna's monosyllable of choice. Eventually, your mirth is completely full and you can't take it anymore.

So as you put away your phone, you offer, "If you pick one for me, I'll get it with yours."

You swear, she and Suna both whip around to face you so fast that you get whiplash.

They speak over each other in the next instant but you can barely make out yet another firm, "No." from Suna over Rika's happy cry, "Really?! Y/n-chan, you're not just the prettiest, you're the best!"

You ignore both Suna's response and even Akari's outraged, "The prettiest?!" and turn back to the stall, Rika bouncing to your side in an instant. She picks out kitsune masks for everyone, a mix of half face and full face for her and her friends but half masks for you and Akari. You also whisper to her to pick out one her brother will like and after a delighted smile your way, points out the final one for your purchase.

Oh my, you can just imagine his eyes through the mask, something to be seen for sure, but you doubt he'll actually put it on. Turning back while Akari exclaims over the masks with Rika and her friends, the latter kindly assisting her with angling it just right on her head, you approach Suna, who's on his phone like he couldn't be bothered.

He looks up at your approach, face finally showing surprise when he sees you holding two masks and, before he can say anything, you extend one to him with, "Rika picked it out, but I think it really suits you too."

He opens his mouth as if to speak but closes it, eyeing the mask before reaching out and taking it gently from you with a quick, "Thanks."

You watch him carelessly arrange it on his head and when you look back to his eyes you realize he was watching you in return. You quickly move to place your own mask against the side of your head, you're sure you're blushing as a small amused smile tugs at his mouth before he gestures at you.

You don't know why and he must read your confusion because he elaborates, "Here." which is not much of an elaboration but it's accompanied by him moving up towards you and then you suddenly find yourself right in front of the bottom half of his face as he reaches up to your hair.

You don't know what you would have done given a cute but strange boy suddenly invading your space the way he just did, but you don't have a chance to find out as realization hits you when you feel the mask shift and settle again, realizing he just fixed its position on your head.

The two of you don't move for a minute as Suna looks down to study you, mask and all, and you hear him say, just for your ears, "Definitely pretty."

Yeah, anyone would blush so who can judge you for it, especially when you finally see his neutrality complete break with an amused grin. It's short and he even chuckles as he backs away, but it's fully wiped off as if it never happened by the time your cousin, Rika, and the rest of the girls swarm you exclaiming over our masks and asking about theirs.

After some reassurances that everyone's masks look incredible, Rika points out, "Rin-onii, I can't believe you actually wore it?!"

He raises an eyebrow with his uncaring, "Yeah? What of it?"

"Nothing.." She trails off as she studies him, then her eyes slide over to you for a moment before zeroing back on her brother, as a sly smile grows on her face. "I guess even you care what some people think, huh?"

He gives her a deadpan stare instead of an answer and she huffs before grabbing one of her friend's and Akari's wrists and starts dragging them to the next booth, other two friends automatically following behind, as she calls over her shoulder, "Whatever! We should get through the rest of these before we run out of time to find a good spot for the fireworks!"

And so, with another look at each other, you both follow in the wake of a natural force quite possibly as powerful as Akari. Which is how you end up spending your evening getting to know the quiet and compelling Suna Rintaro.

Prev | Next

Masterlist

Behind The Scenes!

-Suna's height with [age (year) - height] > 25 (2021) - 6'3, 22 (2018) - 6'2, 16/17 (2013) - 6'1... so as of his current age, 14, he's about 5'11 or 6'

A/N: Can I just say Suna has been taking the most room in my head for months now and leave it at that? I just... yeah.

Taglist: @delusivist, @prettyinblack231, @kac-chowsballs, @sakusasimpbot, @hawkthekinnie, @poppi144, @oikawasbuttcheeks

[fallinnflower]

royal admirer

jeonghan x reader (prince!jeonghan x actress!reader, fluff, strangers-to-friends-to-lovers!au)

It’s a bit of a pity, really — modern-day princes really do nothing. To be fair, Jeonghan isn’t the type of person who enjoys doing too much, and the pressures of taking care of an entire nation would definitely qualify as just that, but he really doesn't do much but serve as a face for the country. But even that is a role he shares with celebrities and other public figures; really, he feels more like Crown Prince is just a role he plays more than an actual title. All it requires is for him to sit and look pretty, and occasionally address the nation when he and his advisors make important political decisions. 

Maybe that’s why he’s always been so interested in acting. It feels like that’s all he does in his day-to-day life. 

Jeonghan was the type of child to absorb performances in their entirety, never disruptive but enraptured by them. His mother had a love for musical theater which she seemed to pass on to him, but Jeonghan expanded from musicals to operas to plays to film. And because of his status as Crown Prince, he was allowed the best seats and free admission to any premiere he wanted, worldwide. He’d been to dozens of events, seen countless productions and met numerous professionals in the industry — and then he met you. 

Jeonghan would be the first to admit he was a fan of yours. He’d watched you grow on screen since you were both in your early teens, when you began popping up in indie films he stumbled upon. You seemed born for the screen, able to slip into every role with such confidence and ease that Jeonghan was soon seeking out any scraps of you he could find; films, interviews, anything. 

But you were elusive. You didn’t seem to do many interviews, and when you appeared at red carpets you were often humble almost to a fault. Every time Jeonghan heard you say something even mildly self-degrading in an interview, he had to pause the video and take a deep breath. 

Jeonghan had seen many performances. He had met those performers, and not one of them held a candle to you in his eyes. 

It was after you were forced to go on a brief hiatus due to vocal cord strain that Jeonghan decided he had to meet you. Someway, somehow, he had to get in contact. 

Your first fan-mail letter arrived when you were fifteen. You had just gotten a relatively small role in a mini-series produced for a streaming service, and the letter was from a girl your age. That letter had been read so many times that you were concerned it would soon rip at the creases, so you seldom looked at it anymore unless you were in dire need of a pick-me-up. 

Eventually, more letters came — not a great many, but always enough and always right when you needed them most. However, when your hiatus was announced on your social media accounts, you were suddenly inundated with letters and comments on your posts. 

You received little drawings of yourself in-character from various people, get well soon cards, and then, strangely, one letter in an envelope with a wax seal and no return address. When it first appeared in your mailbox, you were extremely confused. You didn’t know anyone who used a wax seal, and you thought it was a mistake. Nonetheless, you brought it up to your apartment. 

At first, however, you couldn’t bring yourself to open it. You just stared at that wax seal in confusion, until eventually you decided to just stop wondering and open it. 

Shockingly, it was just fan-mail. The sender identified themselves simply as Jeonghan, no surname or other identifying factors. 

That was the first time you received a letter from Crown Prince Yoon Jeonghan (although you didn’t know it yet), but it wouldn’t be the last. 

Jeonghan sent letters all through your hiatus. In his third letter he offered you his email and asked if you’d like to form a two-person film reviewing club, to which you quickly agreed. However, those emails soon proved to be somewhat long-winded and inconvenient, which is when the primary mode of communication became text messages. 

The thing is, once you exchange numbers with Jeonghan, your conversations gradually increase and become more casual, straying from your weekly movie reviews. It’s strange, you consider him a friend despite hardly knowing anything about him, but something about him just puts you at ease. He has a melodic sort of voice, especially so when he’s making teasing remarks, and you can’t help but grow attached. 

He’s there for you when your hiatus ends and you start going through scripts, trying to decide on your next project. When you finally do, Jeonghan is the first of your friends to know about the new role you’ve accepted. 

You try to keep in contact during filming, but it’s difficult for you — long hours on set mean that you go back to wherever you’re resting your head that night absolutely exhausted, and you barely have the energy to scarf down a meal, let alone message your friends. But nonetheless Jeonghan is always sending messages of encouragement, patiently awaiting the release of your film. 

Eventually, those long hours come to a close and the premiere is approaching. It’s not a very big affair, due to the indie status of the film, but the director has gained enough traction to get it released in theaters. 

Premiers have always made you nervous, because you’re just you. When you play a character, you can have as much confidence as is necessary for the role, but when it’s just you being yourself you tend to shy away from microphones and flashing cameras. However, it’s part of the job, so the evening of the premier you wear a brand new dress. It’s long and black, with flecks of blue and bronze glitter in the flowing skirt that you think resembles the night sky. It isn’t overly flashy, but you think it suits your style well enough. Your image has never been a flashy one. 

You feel wonderful until you reach the interview portion at the end of the red carpet; when all your fans are wanting to shake your hand and congratulate you on your return to the big screen, you feel on top of the world. It takes you a moment to compose yourself when you finally do reach the end, because you’re dangerously close to crying looking out at the crowd gathered around. 

“Are you alright, Miss Y/N?” One of the reporters asks as you gently swipe your knuckles below your lash line. You let out a soft laugh and nod. 

“Yes— I’m just, I'm honored and overwhelmed by all the support I got during my hiatus and even now. I really appreciate it, even though I don’t know that I deserve it.” The end of your sentence is drowned out by cheers of excitement from the crowd, and you feel your eyes welling up with tears again. The reporter makes a teasing comment about your softness, at which you let out a watery laugh before you allow yourself to be led inside the theater by the director and your co-star. You can’t help but sniffle, trying to hold back tears—

Without any warning, a handkerchief suddenly appears before you. 

“Thank you,” you say, dabbing under your eyes in an effort to preserve your makeup. Whoever it is beside you gently places a hand on your lower back and resumes walking into the theater with you. 

“You should really give yourself more credit, you know.” At the sound of that voice, you nearly trip over your own two feet. 

“Jeonghan?” you ask, looking up into a pair of dark eyes that glimmer playfully in the low light of the theater. He smiles at you, and you feel your eyes widen before they well up with tears once more. You look up at the ceiling and blink rapidly, at which point Jeonghan laughs and takes the handkerchief from you, gently dabbing under your eyes. 

“No wonder you cry so well on camera,” he jokes, and you swat at his arm playfully. 

“Shut up,” you whine. “You never said you’d be here! How did you even get in?” Jeonghan’s cheeks flush slightly at that, and you gasp once you realize how rude your words might have sounded. 

“I didn’t mean— sorry, I just—” He cuts you off by laughing once again,

“You’re cute. I’ll explain later. For now, they’re all waiting for you in the theater.” He offers you his arm, and although you have a million questions racing through your head all at once, you simply nod and rest your hand in the crook of his elbow. 

One thing you’ve learned throughout your years as an actress is that you tend to have a hard time watching yourself act. It’s a surreal experience, and so you can’t say you’re surprised at yourself for focusing more on Jeonghan than the actual movie playing in the theater. At some point during the screening he offered you his hand, and you took it, making you feel an awful lot like a teenager on a first date. That feeling only intensifies when he drapes his blazer over your shoulders as you both prepare to go back outside, explaining that the temperature has dropped considerably in the hour or so you’ve been inside. You nervously chew on your lower lip as he holds the door open for you. 

“I guess I should hail a cab,” you muse, looking up at the sky. The stars are blotted out by dark clouds, and it already smells like rain — normally, you wouldn’t mind walking a bit, but you’d really rather not get caught out in the rain in this dress and heels. Jeonghan looks down at you with one eyebrow gently raised. 

“A cab?” You nod in response to his question. 

“The last bus is in four minutes, I won’t make it in time.” You can feel his gaze on you and so you finally turn your gaze away from the road, where you had been watching for a taxi to hail, and Jeonghan is looking at you with such bemusement that it makes you blush almost immediately. 

“What?” You half-grumble, looking away. He just chuckles and shakes his head. 

“Nothing,” he says. “My driver is here, if you want a ride?” 

“Driver?” You ask, but Jeonghan has already begun walking in the direction of his car, and you follow, desperate for answers to all your questions. 

“Where to?” he asks, opening the car door for you. You tell him the name of the hotel you’re staying at, at which point he slides into the seat beside you and gently raps his knuckles against the tinted glass divider between the two of you and the driver. He relays the address, and then the divider is shut again, just like that. You merely stare at Jeonghan, and as the driver pulls into the road he gives you a somewhat bashful look. 

“I suppose I have some explaining to do.” You simply nod at this, body turned towards him in the backseat. His gaze falls to where your knees are almost touching, a gentle smile gracing his features; you watch the colored lights of the city flit across his face, waiting for him to sort his thoughts. 

“Well,” he says, with a sigh. “I’m the Crown Prince.” All you can manage to do for a moment is blink, feeling all the breath gradually leave your body. 

“The what.” It isn’t even a question; it has no inflection as it falls past your lips, and Jeonghan flashes you yet another one of those seemingly embarrassed, shy smiles. He gently takes hold of your hands, which you barely notice because you’re pretty sure you’re in shock. 

“And a huge fan of your work,” he adds. 

“My— you’re a prince?” 

“Is that really so shocking?” he chuckles, leaning in a little closer to you. Although his gaze is playful as before, you can tell he’s being one hundred percent serious. 

“Holy shit,” you breathe. Then, realizing what you’ve just said, you quickly cover your mouth. “Sorry, just— oh my God.”

Jeonghan only laughs at your astonishment, as unbothered as ever, though his grip on your hands does tighten for a moment as if to anchor you. To your surprise, his reassuring gesture does seem to bring you back down to earth a bit. 

“Why didn’t you just tell me from the start?” you ask, and he shrugs. 

“I didn’t want to get special treatment. I wanted to get to know you organically, without my title influencing you.” You feel a blush rising on your cheeks and pull your hands from his to cover your face. 

“Why are you hiding?” he asks, his voice lower now, gentle. Hearing it you can’t help but think of all your texts and audio messages, and you let out a little whine. 

“I feel stupid.” Jeonghan chuckles, gently prying your hands away from your face and taking them once again in his own. You slowly let your eyes flutter open, allowing your gaze to drift up and meet his once again. 

You don’t think you’ve ever been looked at with such tenderness off-set. You’ve played a love interest many times in your life, but due to your hectic schedule you haven’t really had any meaningful, long relationships — but right now Jeonghan is looking at you like you’re the center of his world, and it makes you want to cry again. 

“It’s really nice to meet you, Y/N,” he murmurs, and you bite down on your lip. 

“Nice to meet you, too,” you say, and then, unable to keep the teasing smile off your lips, “Your Highness.”

He’s quick to playfully scold you for calling you anything other than his name, but while he’s distracted you lean forward and press a quick kiss to his cheek. It shuts him up immediately, and you grin cheekily, seeing your own joy reflected back in his eyes,

“Jeonghan.”

And when you exit the limousine at your next premiere, it’s on the arm of Crown Prince Yoon Jeonghan — or, as some know him, your playful, film-loving boyfriend.

[theangrypokemaniac]

Since no one cares about Alola I can therefore say what I want.

Team Rocket's Pokémon are all worthless toss. That's such a surprise from this oafish writing team.

Remember when Jessie and James had two each, to offer variety? Permitting them even that is too much focus nowadays.

We don't what anything interesting going on, thank you. Repetition is what we and they deserve.

Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung and Victreebel are spinning in their graves.

Stufful was missing for three years and she displayed not the slightest pang of concern until its belated invention. Given her temper she ought to have torn the island apart searching for her baby, but no.

Not bothered about Bewear. It shouldn't really be in this list as it didn't belong to them, although catching has no value anymore.

A bit thick are we? Or conforming to the usual parental standards?

Well, she's sufficiently neglectful that she let it out of her sight long enough for it to be crushed under a tree, then was too idle to come to the rescue. In consequence he was obliged to wait days until one of Lusamine's lackeys arrived.

She's 'Mama Bear' though, isn't she?

It's based on a red panda, is partly the colour of a black bear and as strong as a grizzly, but all that is a mere cover for its true nature as a Bear-Face Ham.

The modern pretence is that everyone's a vegetarian (are they balls), and Ursa Major lives on fruit, not, you know, flesh.

Just because it there's no hibernating in the tropics doesn't mean it can get by without a salmon now and again.

The name is stupid, since a red panda is not a bear. A play on words isn't clever if based on what it isn't.

They should've called her 'Pandamonia', or 'Pandour', which is a brutal soldier.

It is at least redeemed by battering the klepto cockroach into the next dimension. Good on 'er.

Mind you, this is Alola, a cesspit of incest, so it's probably some sick arrangement, like Bewear being slipped the length by that previously unmentioned Oakie-Dokie clone.

He's the spit of Jimmy Savile, thus every depravity is on the table.

Where's Stufful's dad? He buggered off too?

What kind of name is 'Stufful'? What's it made from, 'stifle' and 'suffocation'? 'Stuffed'?

Thanks for that. Whenever I see its ovine face I'm reminded of taxidermy.

Were Ursa Minor and Bewear described as mother and son, or were they 'friends'?

A series of games involving breeding and the 'anime' is too squeamish to even imply animals live in families.

I don't care either way for Stufful, but I'd like it better if its mouth wasn't a camel toe.

I understand it's a sea creature, and the contents of the oceans are their own brand of peculiarity, but looks like a limbless, undead spaniel plagued with extra teats. Its 'ears' resemble distended mammeries.

Hey, remember that interesting, original Pokémon James had called Victreebel? Let's do it again! And again! AND AGAIN!

Victreebel is a venus fly trap: an anomaly in nature as a carnivorous plant. It makes sense that the Pokémon version would be a bit more full-on in catching a meal.

New law: Team Rocket are required to collect monsters as ugly as themselves.

Hurting James was its personality quirk, particularly to it, fitting its nature, its 'thing'. It was never meant as a template for most of what he caught in the future.

Something is funny if it happens once, and can be now and again if done with a least a little flair.

Nothing repeated as a constant leaden thud is remotely amusing, but this is an unknown fact to Nintendo bone heads. They think certain events are utterly hilarious in themselves and require no finesse in application.

They have a checklist of moments obligatory to each episode, which explains the plodding lifelessness. Tick 'em off to keep the fans from being ticked off. All we supposedly care about is each gong struck, not how we got there.

At least Victreebel used to vary its behaviour:

Occasionally it even did as told without any chomping preamble.

It didn't do the exact same action every single time it was involved!

Mostly it swallowed James.

How long was it once Victreebel was chucked out on its leafy arse before Cacnea arrived?

Oh look, it's a Grass Pokémon and attacks James!

Sometimes it ate Jessie.

Carnivine got in on the action before Cacnea's run was even up: kick 'em when they're down why don't yer?

Oh look, it's a Grass Pokémon and attacks James!

Now we have Mareanie. Wasn't there a few in between? No, shush, they don't exist anymore.

Every bloody time it came out, it turned round and punctured him.

Every bloody time.

Ah, it's not a Grass Pokémon. That makes it totally new!

Oh yes, it's the complete opposite of Victreebel. It's Poison instead. Not like it at all.

Every bloody time it came out, it'd gnaw his head off.

Every bloody time.

That's endearing.

Oh but it is! It's just showing him love!

As that makes it alright!

If a muscular man squeezed his girlfriend so tightly he cracked her ribs, is that 'sweet' because he 'meant well' but his feelings overwhelmed him? Or is it A.B.H.?

Every bloody time it comes out, it injects James's head with toxin until it swells up into purple pustule of disease.

Every bloody time.

I never took Victreebel's assault as affection. To me they were real attempts to devour James, especially with the accompanying frenzied screech. Interpreting that as a positive emotion is bizarre to me.

At soon as James found it wedged in a Breeding Centre cage and opened the door it grabbed him, which appeared to be Victreebel lashing out in anger for what'd happened in the intervening period.

What Mareanie does is worse than the other three put together. At least they delivered mere bite marks or pinpricks, but it infects James!

Whole episodes of this programme have involved a Pokémon falling foul of Poison Powder and being on the verge of death, with all done to preserve it until Ash hunted down the cure, but now it's a big laugh, apparently.

Not one character ever has the wits about them to carry an Antidote, otherwise the writers wouldn't be able to fall back on the tired old race-against-time scenario, which is no such thing as we know they won't die.

Is it likely that James is always going to end up picking a violent Pokémon, of all the individuals of a race, of all the lifeforms in the universe?

Aren't his allowed to come with their own personality, or is there a set pattern they must follow, and when caught they absorb it, for fear they might be memorable?

Mind you, it's interesting the reactions these abuses provoke:

Victreebel eats James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Cacnea impales James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Carnivine chews James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Mareanie poisons James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Meowth claws James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Jessie beats James: Aw, it's so kyewt!

Jessibelle whips James: EEVUL BITCH!!!

Mimikyu should be opposed for breaking it's own world.

To us, Pikachu is the most famous Pokémon, belonging to Ash, the protagonist, and the franchise's mascot.

To them, Pikachu is just another middling Pokémon hundreds of young Trainers catch, and holds no greater value.

It's blatantly a reference to Pikachu's real-life status, acknowledging itself as fiction. No Pokémon would hold the same significance for this design to work but him.

Otherwise why would Mimikyu, when it has the choice of every Pokémon that exists, and, if meant to be a believable world, every Pokémon we don't know exists, choose Pikachu to ape? Why wouldn't it pick a Legendary?

Alola Pikachu is looking off colour.

It's not even this specific Mimikyu, it's the entire species!

What, they work to a hive mind, incapable of individual tastes and opinions?

Do they all hate Pikachu too, even though the entire mouse population of Alola has been rounded up by that loon and trapped in a valley, or were we lumbered with the lone demented obsessive with a severe complex?

Is it well jel that Pikachu's a real one, whereas it can only manage to knock up a bog-standard costume with a face daubed by a chimp paralytic from scrumpy?

Well stop imitating it then! Invent your own design!

Oh come on. The animators can't even do that, hence its creation. You can hardly expect it to display inspiration if born from its absence.

I wonder if it hates Raichu. And Pichu. And Plusle and Minun. And the rest of the Pikachu derivatives, although it is one.

(As an aside, I don't know why Raichu, Marowak and Exeggutor were redrawn for this era, but not Pikachu, Cubone and Exeggcute. Why does the sweaty climate affect only evolutions?) 

Here's an idea: make Shiny Mimikyu have a different get up, not colour.

You can have that free, Game Freak. I'm too lenient with yer.

Presumably, Mimikyu hatches (already dead?) in all its eye-bleeding nastiness, and instinctively reaches for the discarded yellow bedsheet and pack of crayons that just so happens to be nearby, and the scissors to make the peep holes.

Them inbreds know how to litter.

Flippers?

Nah, it's probably hooks.

How is it born aware of a Pikachu's face, and why is it compelled to copy them?

Knowledge of his own ugliness is innate, thus he must cover his nakedness before it lays waste to the forest inhabitants.

Yet if you breed 'em, it emerges wearing it, like the cloth formed from left-over albumen and stained with yolk!

What's it reaching with? Paws?

Mittens?

Oh, and there was a deceased specimen in the series, so it's either a ghost, and nothing but bedsheet, or a zombie, and it's repulsive carcass has upped the ante by putrifying.

Even its name doesn't fit. Apart from the unsightly spelling, what's 'Mimikyu' about? It's not mimicking me.

Mimikyu? It should be Mimikchu!

And you know what? Even Nintendo agree their own inventions aren't good enough, because they made return almost impossible.

They hate these more than they do even the pre-Unova Pokémon, most of whom were condemned to a dark existence within the iron corridors of H.Q. and haven't been seen since.

• Growlie is such a beloved figure in James's life he's been involved all of twice.

• Dustox got pensioned off.

• James was practically bullied into gifting Cacnea to that cloying bitch Gardenia.

• Whilst he still tecnically owns Chimecho, it's as lost to him as any of them.

Remember Seviper, Yanmega, Carnivine and Mime Junior?

Hell, remember Woobat, Yamask, Frillish and Amoonguss?

Or Gourgeist and Inkay?

Of course, since the makers appear to have the Reverse-Midas Touch, Team Rocket still took that useless, wincing lump Wobbuffet to Galar instead of dumping it over the sea. Apparently we're stuck with it forever.

Arbok, Lickitung, Weezing and Victreebel got shafted, but THAT survives?

Yes? That's more the writers do. In current canon these Pokémon never lived at all. Dead memories in the haze.

[jiwonsssi]

— stress relief, pt. 1

The difference with dealing with that stress is that he smokes, and she cries.

Warnings: smoking, swearing.

Characters: Eun Jiwon/Sandara Park.

Jiwon thinks that all these fashion events are so fucked up. He has been there for two hours and he's already exhausted like hell.

Eyes are blurry from all the of cameras that are everywhere. Everyone has that fucking thing. And everyone thinks that it's their own proud duty to stuck it in his face.

It is his first time attending these kind of meetings and the last. He doesn't even remember why he agreed. Maybe it wasn't even Jiwon who did that; there are too many people who can say 'yes' for him without asking his opinion in the first place.

He suddenly goes back to old days; Jiwon hates it. It was all fun being famous until they started being slaves for a shitty company. And it's nothing different.

He pulls out a pack of Marlboro and sighs.

There is no way he can quit smoking; otherwise he might kill someone out of nerves. He already has that reputation, it's enough fame of being crazy for one person. Although he likes it. It's so much easier that way.

Lightning a cigarette, he leans on a wall not caring about expensive designed jacket. It's just an ordinary black suit. He has something around ten of them. He's even sure that if he would change that one with one that he has at home - nobody would ever notice. And that's the most annoying shit about everyone whos out there trying to make themselves experts.

Fake.

Feeling how the smoke is going down the throat, Jiwon puts his hand in a pocket and looks at the nights skies. He just wants to get home and sleep. Moral exhaustion is taking all the good from him; he's not even tired physically.

Only God knows how much he abhors days like this.

Trying to make himself better in front of people he doesn't even know. It's his work, right?

The music from the afterparty that is still goes on suddenly becomes loud and he looks to the back door in front of him, being a little bit curious. At the end it's not even a place to smoke, he just found the most empty place which happen to be behind fire escape door. Jiwon just got prepare to bicker with anyone who would try to kick him out.

To what he wasn't prepared is for seeing crying woman appearing and then disappearing after noticing him right at that particular door.

His brain proceeds information slowly at first; he even forgets to exhale the smoke and when he coughs a few times, realisation becomes clear - that was Sandara Park and he's in rather, how to say, difficult situation at that exact moment; he's fucked up.

Jiwon hates seeing people cry. It's not about women, but in general. What should he do now? Go after her? Or stay here? Or.. what? She clearly went here to not to 'breath some fresh air', she wanted to be alone. Just like him.

Though she was in tears and that is the most tricky part about the whole thing.

Jiwon curses under his breath and throws unfinished cigarette at the concrete floor. Of course he would follow her. Like hell he would.

He clearly has a soft spot for her.

Just when his hand touches a door knob, metal cracks open, filling almost complete night silence with muffled music. And her sobs.

Jiwon tries his best to not panic. What should he do now? Saying 'wazzup hows it going' is not really a way to go, but he doesn't want to disturb her with that pathetic 'what's wrong? Can I help you?'. The struggle is written on his face when Dara passes him and stops a few meters away.

He should leave her alone. He would more of a disaster than a help. And so he does. Ignoring the increase of her sobs right after he closes the door behind him.

And than Jiwon is standing inside the crowded bar, filled with kind of music that makes him want to throw up with a persistent thought that he hates that place. Everything about it. All that chatting that has zero sense that goes on a loop around him; all the loud fucking music that gives him head-aches; all the people who only cares about image. It's sick.

There is one way for him and he's willing to follow it. Free bar. He's here to enjoy the alcohol and to get wasted. So he guides himself to the holy place when his brain proceeds better than him.

- Can I have a glass of water? And tissues.

He can't let her cry there all alone. Right? Jiwon doesn't think that he would be able to calm Dara down, but offering her some help is a reasonable act of being a nice man.

Jiwon receives what he asked for and goes straight to the back door, passing security guy who gives him a suspicious look and opens that door that now is more like hell-gates again.

- Hey, I..

He stops mid-sentence, seeing her on her hunkers with face covered by palms, while her bare shoulders are shaking violently. He doesn't even hear her sobs at this point; she's just shaking and.. it breaks his heart.

Putting a glass on the floor and tissues in a pocket, Jiwon is beside her in a second, getting down as well.

- Are you in pain? Sandara, come on, stand up, I'll help you, - he's not even sure if he can call her by her name. She reacts quickly with putting her hand in palm that he offered to help her ro stand up.

He really though that she was crying because she was hurt. But now, when he can see her trying to wipe her tears, he realises that she, in fact, isn't. Dara is exhausted. Again, just like him.

The difference with dealing with it is that he smokes, and she cries.

- I'm okay, - voice turns out to be crooked and unstable. Somehow Jiwon sees her in a perfectly new way now.

He doesn't like her crying, of course, he's not that kind of crazy. Jiwon remembers her as smiling and always hyped-up woman who invited him to one of the best dates he had ever been. It was so distant for him - thinking, that she really likes him and his hobbys just as they truly are. They, other women, always try to change him; his life-style and interests. So when she planned the perfect food and activities for him, he was.. more than impressed. Touched, even. And she enjoyed it as much as he did. Jiwon would never forget how happy she was.

And now he sees her crying her heart out because of stress. It breaks his heart as well.

Basically that is the thing that he finds the most troublesome.

- If you say so, - persuasion is not going to end well and so it's better to stuck with keeping a distance right now. He doesn't want to invade her space more than he already did.

- I'm sorry, I.. I didn't know you were here and thank you also, I just.. - she even tries to bow to him and Jiwon stops her immediately, being as gentle as he can let himself to be, putting his hands on her shoulders. Touching her now might be really offensive. Crying people - really hates it.

- It's alright, no worries. I've got you something, - he goes for a glass that he left on a floor and puts it right in her hand, making sure it won't slip, - You look like you are going to have a badass photoshoot with all that mascara situation on your face..

Jiwon finds it funny and adorable. Dara doesn't.

And so the glass she was holding of course slips out of her fingers and with a loud crack it breaks, water splashes, Jiwon curses and Dara closes her face with hands and cries again. Just ten times harder.

- I'm sorry, oh my fucking God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it, please, I'm an idiot, please, - he continues to repeat the same things over and over again and he's panicking. He looks like a monkey now, desperately trying to make her look at him without touching her hands. He's in a scariest panic he had ever been for a past few years.

He's in a full panic mode, yes, but he didn't want anybody to interrupt them. Jiwon is not sure how to accept that he wants to deal with it only by himself now.

- Come on, I've got tissues if you didn't like the glass, - he pulls out some and steps on broken pieces, - See? Bad glass. Never gonna give you any glasses anymore.

He does it again a few times and she softly giggles through sobs and did that feel like a heart attack? Because he surely had one.

- Yeah, glass was kinda gross, - she jokes back and he doesn't bother to hide his smile. He's happy for no reason and it right after he made a woman cry. Crazy one, indeed.

Dara calms down just a little and then takes tissues out of his palm and he clearly can see tears streaming down her face.

He's so used to see her smiling. Jiwon just hasn't ever had an idea that she can be sad too.

- I didn't want to hurt you, for real. I'm sorry, - Jiwon feels bad. He really does. It's even funny how he nearly shitted his pants when she continued crying after his stupid joke.

- It's not you, it's okay, - she wipes her face carefully trying not to ruin that was left from make up that she had and Jiwon traces all of her movements, feeling like he's under some spell. It's almost soothing, - I just thought about how it's funny that I was trying to talk to you the whole event and end up ugly crying right in front of you.

Her smile is so sad and Jiwon is just silent. He doesn't know what to do, nor say. There is emptiness in his head and he tries to inhale fresh air deeper to make his brain work already.

He takes one of the tissues and slowly puts her hands down, with that strange dazing feeling inside still being present. Like all the smoke is now moved to his head.

Carefully wiping her cheeks, he follows now his fingers with a gaze and his main mistake is giving zero fucks about how shaking is she.

And she's going crazy.

- You look stunning, - he looks her in the eyes to finally realise that one of his hands is on the side of her neck, pressing firmly against now warm skin and with the other he tries to wipe mascara from her face.

And she blushes so fucking hard, he doesn't know what to do with himself.

Jiwon has enough experience to say that that's where the kiss is happening. But judging by expression on Dara's face if he would even try to do it, she would fain.

First of all, he finds it shitless cute.

Second of all, what the fuck he's even thinking about?

Because he's suddenly not exhausted anymore. He forgot when he stopped thinking about himself and started caring about her.

- Thank you, - her tone is high-pitched and Jiwon smiles like crazy looking at her chin, nodding, silently saying that is no need to be thankful. It's an absolute truth.

Another tuth needs to be relieved - Jiwon is a sucker for moments like this. Yet he stopped paying attention to relationships quite a time ago, so now that long forgotten sensation is impossible to ignore.

He feels twenty years younger. And he was wild during that time.

- How can you still look attractive while crying? - making her blush is basically his favorite thing now. It's natural to be attracted to someone like her.

- Don't say that, oh my God, - Jiwon laughs when she turns her head on the side to not to look at him and smiles just so brightly, yet shy and.. happy. After seeing her drowning in tears, it feels amazing. And his hand still on her soft skin; her heart beat is erratic. Violent. Because of him.

Another heart attack for him.

- It's true tho, - she looks perfect. She was shining in front all that lights before; in front of everyone. It's not about expensive dress or make up. He knows that it's about her attitude. She's naturally beautiful. From the inside, as they like to describe it.

- You too, - she turns again to look at him and her lips are slightly pursed and.. He's going to die, how can a woman be looking that hot, stunning and pure at the same time? And she cried, like, two minutes before and now not even in her best state, - You also is very handsome today. I know that you don't like hearing it, but.. I'm..

She's panicking and Jiwon, being his bastard self, doesn't want to help her. Even tho he feels like his hands are getting colder like he's some teenager.

- You..? - he looks directly in her eyes, stepping a little bit closer, so close he can feel her breath on his skin; now looking at her with curiosity and open adoration. Jiwon adores her. And he didn't even drink today to have that type of feeling.

- I didn't mean that you look nice only today, you always do! - her embarrassment is written on confused flushing red face. Has he squeaked? Hopefully not.

- Okay, - smirk spreads by it's own will and he licks his lips, not caring about what's going on. Or how it looks. The only thing that's important for now is how she looks at him; he can swear no other woman had never had that pure interest in him in her eyes.

He's gone for. Thoroughly.

- Want me to give you a ride? - he proceeds what he said just after a moment she understands what he had just, in fact, said and now it's his turn to be in panic, - Fuck, no! Oh God.. home. I want to drive you home.

Or not.

Oh, God.

Dara giggles after a moment of silence and wide open shocked eyes; the next thing he feels is her tiny hand on top of his. Her delicate touch got him growling inside and he feels something that he wasn't actually physically ready to feel.

- I'd love to, - and she's elegant all of sudden. Dara plans a murderous assault on him or what? It's illegal, - Ask me that question again when we get home.

Because now she's gone for.

[childofsolace-write-ups]

Arc 01: REUNION

::THOMAS::

"What do you think sunlight feels like?"

I look up and see Nina coming through the right hand tunnel entrance, not even saying hello first. That usually means she was deep in thought on her way here again.

"I really don't remember." I tell her, setting down the book I'd been pretending to read.

It was something about the new things they expected to be able to do with machines. I didn't really have a reason to be fond of those stupid things. It's not exactly a picnic, depending on the machines for everyday living. It'd be awfully hard to breathe underground without them, for one thing. And—insert sarcastic tone here—how on earth would ordinary people survive without fucking reading lights. Seriously, with the number of issues that needs addressing, they give us extra lighting in bunkers, of all things?

Personally, I'd rather take my chances with whatever's up there on ground level. If Trey, Kytes, and the others survived...

That's kinda the thing, though. After all these years, I have no way of knowing if they DID survive or WHAT they survived as. The atmosphere was said to do awfully strange things to ordinary people. I miss my little brother, though. And I hope Trey was doing okay, too. He was my best friend growing up after all.

"Do you?"

Nina clicks on the kitchen lamp. It's pretty cramped up in our compartment bunker, so she'd probably do fine with the little reading light I'm using but she looks at it for a moment and sighed. "It's been too long," she says. "I wonder if they even still have sunlight up there. You know, considering all that's happened."

"Oh, they probably do."

I click off the reading light. No need to be careless with the energy we had. No matter how much they wanted us to believe the machines supplied boundless electricity. I couldn't, not with the reason they sent away Kytes and Trey with a whole bunch of other orphans being the worry for lack of resources. Not with Nina working there everyday. We depended on qualified individuals now for our energy supply. As in, people. Humans, to produce energy, if that makes sense as if they were hamsters running repeatedly in wheels for a Science project. It makes me feel queasy just thinking about it. I don't know how Nina can let them. She's a lot braver than I could be, that's for sure. Maybe a lot more reckless, too. Well, Trey was her brother.

He rubbed off on her...

Then again, I haven't even seen the guy the last eight years, so how would I know that? Nina was all I really had left in memory of him and my own brother. You died younger down here than you would when people lived above when it was still up there. Both Nina's parents are gone, mine died in a fire accident years before the radiation up there first hit. My Uncle, who made it possible for me and my brother to still live here whenever they had to send out orphans, died a year after I turned thirteen. Then, in one Release before I turned thirteen, my brother opted to take Nina's place instead because she's been sick that time and she wouldn't have lasted an hour up there even with Trey's help, who had just been ten then. But I never held it against Trey or resent Nina. We knew each other even before all this, Trey was my best friend just as long as Nina was Kytes's. And I would've done the same if it had been Trey.

Although, I laugh at the idea of Kytes staying down here with him. It might be him who had to watch over the damn lummox.

Now with Nina's parents gone and my Uncle passing away, I was old enough to stand as her guardian until she turned thirteen herself next week. Not that it mattered cause she won't be moving out and I'm not kicking her out either. But on the event I died after her birthday, she wouldn't have to be sent away. So now we shared a cramped compartment on a fairly low level, which was good. The lower you are, the farther you are from the dangers of Ground level.

Level 01 had some data gathering stations for researches and old residence cells. They were Orphanages every now and then, until those who weren't adopted were sent out anyway, the cells were used for residence bunkers to the Poor class.

Level 02 to 30 had the residence cells according to social status of the Middle-class. Point blunt.

Level 31 to 35 had the commerce centers, radio stations and whatever establishments that had existed back and is possible to continue down here. There are movie halls, too, but obviously no one makes movies anymore. We watched the films that was brought down here with us during the evacuation. Before I thought it was pretty cool, now I think of how stupid it is. Of all the other important things they could have brought down, they settled for movies. Anyway, those levels are what you can consider the central city, if you can call it that since there are hardly any Skyscrapers anymore. Not that they would've fit down here, anyway.

Level 35 to 49 have residence cells for Elites and Government officials, the Councillors and the Techs with their family, if any. Since Nina is a Machine tech, we are privileged to be in Level 35.

The better people, the Councillors, get Level 37 to 49 according to importance of Office.

I don't really know what Level 50 holds, which is the lowest of the low. But some rumors I heard assumes it's a laboratory of sorts. Still, while we have it good as much as we could down here, I wonder about life in the surface.

"What makes you think so?" Nina snaps me back to reality. That perceptive brown-eyed gaze on me, a startling sense of knowing. "For all we know, it's getting worse up there. There's no way of knowing."

I snort. "No one bothers to check. Even if they did, there's no report. For all we know," I mimick her tone. "everything's back to normal, like in the Disney movie with the Garbage Robot going to outer space. We'd never know it, down here. They think we've got everything but it's all stupid..."

"Thomas," she studies me for a moment. "Are you still planning to go up there?"

"Soon."

I say the same thing everyday, but when have I ever acted on my words? I'm caught in a cycle just like every other moron in this stupid Underground settlement. And I know I'm still afraid to see how much things changed up there even as I'm dying to know at the same time.

"I want to see my brother," I continue. "How he and Trey are doing... If they're still alive, that is."

"Do you think they're still alive?" Nina asks, as if we don't talk about this everyday. Like she expects a different answer or something. It's been years and she still asks. "Well, do you?"

I can't give it to her though, "I don't know, maybe." The first few times she cried. Now, she simply nods.

"When are we going?"

I sigh at her persistence. It's not like it was easy, we can't just walk straight to the guards by the exit of the city and say, Hey we're leaving this dump so later losers! Without being questioned.

"Whenever it seems like a good time."

Naturally, I say this every time she asks. I think she's starting to think that it will never be a good time. I've begun to wonder about that myself. Actually, I want to go and see my brother. I want to go and see Nina's brother. It's tough finding a friend like him. Only Trey's been able to break down the walls I built ever since mom and dad died. He made me play soccer, even when I was never into sports. We'd go wild in the service tunnels, I break a lady's vase and we're both in trouble. Him at the Orphanage and me with my Uncle. But those were the good old days. I want to get back living above the ground, breathing for myself, instead of relying on machines to help me do it and rotting away in a metal cave some thirty feet or so below it. But thinking about something and actually doing it are two different matters.

Nina tilts her head then surprises me a bit by breaking our odd little mantra. Instead of agreeing and starting lunch, she asks a new question. "Thomas, do you think we could leave before the week is up?"

I stare at her in wonder. "Well, sure thing!" I mock-enthuse, "Let me call the guys at the Radio station to reschedule my shift this week. Oh. And have someone replace me as Head Chef for the Wedding Catering next month."

"Thomas," Nina pouts. "I'm being serious."

I'm still surprised but now also curious. "Why the sudden eagerness?"

"I met this girl in work today. Her name was Lindsay Caghan. Do you know her?"

I shake my head. I've never heard the name. But then, that doesn't mean a thing. I use my name when Live on air during Radio broadcasts so there could be a bunch of people who know me without me returning the favor.

"Well, she knows you. She knows you work at the station three days a week and as a chef during the Weekends." Now that's something. I usually stay at the kitchen so no one would guess I'm a Chef but my co-workers. I don't even have lots of friends anymore to be told about to others. Nina sinks slowly into the couch beside me. It was also my bed since I've offered the real bed to her. "I didn't say a word, Thomas. I don't know how she knows, but she does. And that's not the half of it. She knows our desire to leave."

Well, I wouldn't really call it a desire. "So?" I raise a brow. "What can she do? It's not like they'd actually care if we left. They'd be glad for the extra space."

"She doesn't want to stop us, Thomas." Nina explains, halting my instinctive string of defensive cynical arguments. "Far from it actually."

"Then what does she want?"

"You won't like it."

Oh jeez, I had to laugh at that. "There's a lot of things I don't like," I remind her. "I don't like these metal cages they call homes, I don't like those machines that use people as energy sources. And I definitely don't like how they sent our brothers and a whole group of other orphans yearly to the surface as a solution to minimizing shortages and leaving them to deal with whatever dangers the surface has to offer." I threw my arm behind her, mostly to stretch than anything else. "Now tell me, what else am I adding to this very long list?"

"All right," Nina smiles a little. "Lindsay brought up the subject in private. And she had a request for you. There's someone she wants us to take up to the surface when we go."

I stare at her for a second, wondering if she was joking. The expression on her face tells me she's not. "No way, nope. No." I say. I haven't even fully decided whether I, myself, wanted to go. I'm not all for including others. Before long, we'd have a whole army with us. "I do not like that one bit."

Nina rolls her eyes. "I expected as much." She sighs. "I'm not certain who she wants to send with us, but she seemed fairly urgent about it." She tells me, a strange look on her face. She looks like that whenever she's truly serious about something. That can't be good for me. Then there will be no refusing her.

"Urgent how?"

"Well," She hesitates. "she seemed nervous. As if what she's planning is something that could get her in trouble. I think we should at least hear her out."

"Nina," I rub my forehead. "you don't think that the person she wants us to take is herself, do you? If she's run into some kind of trouble with the law..." I don't finish that. I'm not a huge fan of the Councillors, but even I'm not cynical enough to get on their bad side so boldly enough to break the law. "you know I'd rather this doesn't turn into an escape propaganda."

Nina shakes her head, looking thoughtful. "No, I think it's bigger than that. I don't think she's doing this for her own safety. I think she's risking her safety and it's making her scared. But she really seems desperate to have us agree."

"I don't know Nina, it doesn't seem like a very good idea, including others." I hope I can make her see where I'm coming from. She's a teenager now, and I know I am too, but I expect the moodiness of a teenage girl to be something too much to handle. And if I give her a no... Well, just because Nina's never thrown a tantrum doesn't mean she couldn't start now. "we could end up with a lot of company and not all of them welcome."

"I don't think so, Thomas. The way she acted, I think this is a private problem. It was like she didn't want anyone else to know. But she seems pretty concerned. If it's illegal, it's illegal in a good way." she looks at me with bright eyes. "Know what I mean?"

I sigh. No, I really don't but what I do know is that there was no talking her out of this. "You mean some kind of Noble act? Like a Holy crusade or..."

"No, but it'd be something humane. Or she wouldn't bother," Nina retorts. "I think we should listen to her. It's probably important."

I groan, holding my hands up in surrender. "All right," I exhale, giving in, because who can function in the face of that kind of persistence?

Women complicated things. Uncle would always say. And he's right.

Nina had already made up her mind and it's futile to get her to give up. She's Trey's sister all right. "Fine. We'll talk to her. Why don't you try and get her to tell you exactly what she wants from us? I'm not making any promises until I know what we're getting into."

"Thank you, Thomas." Nina gives me a soft smile, the kind that gets just about anyone to do whatever she wants. I'm a victim of that countless of times. "I have a feeling that this is the right thing to do."

But not necessarily the smartest, I think to myself. "Great."

Nina shrugs and smothers a yawn. She's tired. But then again, she's always tired now. Working with machines is a strain. I pretend not to see the dark circles under her eyes, but I think it's wearing on her. That's just one more reason to take her away from this place. I know she's strong enough to handle it but I don't want her to have to.

"Make sure you ask the right questions." I remind her. "I don't want this Lindy girl tricking us to agreeing to more than we want. Be careful."

"It's Lindsay." Nina corrects before smiling. "And I have a better idea than that, Thomas." she says. "how would you like it if I arranged it so that you could meet her?"

"... No."

We argue again, even though I know Nina will eventually get her way nevertheless.

[gg-ladybug]

TL;DR is at the bottom, but to understand them better, just find their corresponding point

I'll be more than happy to explain, but sit in tight, because this is gonna be long. This is left open ended because it’s not that simple, and because I want to let everyone have their own decisions about the man and chose which one they think best. Both pro and anti Gabriel. I'm not sure how much sense it will make, but I'll try my best to get as many points across as I can.

Just as a precursor too, I chose to think that Gabriel had already tried the akumatising Nathalie into a healer or something along those line. At the very least considered it. However given that it is heavily implied Emilie is comatose because of the peacock miraculous, I doubt that it would simply take the butterfly to fix. Which is why you need the combined power of creation and destruction for the ultimate wish.

It's clear that Gabriel is crossing many lines and is being a distant parent to Adrien. No one can counter that, however I would like to offer part one of this. He hasn't crossed all the lines. We see in robustus just what he can do. His cane has a sword in it and he had the ability to fight off several rockets and self defence systems. Now I'd be rather obvious that missiles are quicker then people. Had he really been trying to hurt the heroes, he would've unsheathed his cane long ago, or used the full extent of his training. As someone that knows the fencing and street fighting style he uses too, he's holding back. He could've done a lot more damage, but he hasn't. He chooses no to. Even this goal isn't worth it.

Reason 1: he isn't entirely evil

Given The Ladybug's powers of being able to revert miraculous related damage, that is his get out of jail free card. He can do whatever he wants or needs because in a few minutes, it wouldn't of even mattered anyways. That's why I believe he just waved Techno Pirate to release the missiles without much care. The heroes had as good as won, so what damage would it do. I mean, you only get one chance to fire American war heads in your life, why not make the most of it? The morals of this belief bring up some interesting debates! Is it really that bad if it goes away? No permanent damage? If he rewrites time altogether as he implied with 'fix a mistake of the past' does that mean he's still a villain even if he doesn't have the Hawkmoth mantle anymore?

This same idea is why I believe as he gets further into his Hawkmoth career, the more reckless his decisions become. Psychology would peg it as desensitisation to consequences. This magical reset which happens every time he attacks means he never sees the fallout of his actions. To l be a better person, he has to have it backfire one day. Should something be 'past the point of repair' as Ladybug put it in the NY Special, he wouldn't know until after the cure couldn't bring that thing or person back. He needs to win for redemption. There has to be backlash. It's like children that break things. Don't get them a new one immediately, because that installs a belief that all they have to do to get what they want is break it.

Reason 2: he'll see exactly what he's done

Along with that, the butterfly effect is super important with Chat Blanc. Although we followed Marinette and Adrien, we have no clue what the results were on the villains goals. What borders were set up and problems occluded that never arose in the current time line because of the disruption of events. It very possible something pushed them to the point they were reckless enough to ruin their relationships here with upmost confidence they would rewrite it perfectly later.

This follows onto his past. We don't have a clue what's gone on there either. All we have a theories and head cannons. Was Emilie evil? Did she manipulate him into doing this once she realised she was getting sick? Hell, is he some kind of sentimonster? We don't know.

Reason 3: we don't know what got him to that point

The justice side will be good too. Let's just say he gets unmasked and his plan never succeeds, so he can't reset. I've always thought about how Gabriel's case would work in a court of law. I doubt the heroes have some sort of miraculous punishment viable for him, and the public would certainly want their fair share of penance. The fact that there is no known law in the miraculous universe for 'magical' acts of reversed criminality, the case could just be thrown out all together.

I doubt they have a handbook for what to do and cordial punishments for those that magically terrorise Paris with miraculous the greater population know very little about. If they just put him away without fair trail, we'd then open the discussion on if his crimes is worthy of ignoring those basic human rights.  However, given the resets, he has quite literally done NO crime in the eyes of a jury or judge. A good prosecutor, and I mean really good, could maybe try stick attempted charges on him, but here in lies the issue. There is no evidence besides possibly falsified video of such now. Besides, he was never the man doing it aside the few times he went out himself. Besides, should I be his defence team, I could easily claim that wasn't Hawkmoth, but Scarlett Moth. A random akumatised villain. Since Nadia was deakumatised before they clashed and broke his cane, there's no footage of him physically fighting the heroes, so they don't even have that on their side. The time he dropped in to save Nathalie could be brushed off as an act of heroism even. His sick partner was physically in danger since we saw Chat charge at her for getting rid of a sentimonster, and he just did what was necessary to get her out of there. He could maybe claim self defence and get those charges flipped even back around on the heroes.

The akuma proxy thing would also raise an issue. Do they become inertially responsible for their actions or not? It would probably raise a needed general public vote for it in which the results would be a coin toss. We'd already seen people blame akuma victims in the show for turning evil in the past, so it's not hard to believe someone would open up more trials for victims. Since the only people to explain the experience would be other victims themselves, their testimony of it being out of their control and amnesia inducing would be ruled biased and ignored all together.

He would only really get inchoate charges at a stretch. This implies he'd be found guilty of them too. Even with the heroes statements, they have no evidence he wanted akumas to do what they did. He could just as easily claim he was just an accessory for less time, and that people who he akuamtised did all their crimes and goals themselves without any prompting from him. They couldn't prove nor deny this in a trial setting. So he'd either get off altogether, or with very little compared to what he actually did by cutting a deal. If they found a way to prove him guilty of conspiracy and what not, I see a rich famous white man such as himself maybe walking away with a lengthy fine from the emotional law suits victims launched, or maybe just a decade or less time behind bars. Minuscule to what he probably should have. Plus, the Adrien suffrage from his defeat would hurt that poor boy far more then any of us want

Reason 4: overall complications and problems that would come forth from him losing would be far worse then him winning

Psychologically, it's just as clear he's a grieving, desperate man who has no idea how to process his emotions. That's a serious flaw, but one that can be fixed over time. Besides that, Gabriel is all alone. Yes, there's Adrien, but they're emotionally distant as most families become for a while after loss, and Adrien doesn't fully understand what's going on. We push this bad parent perspective on Gabriel, but it's not as though he can be there for Adrien and vice versus. Anything he says would be a lie, and anything Adrien says would be wrong. I'm sure, had Adrien been aware of his mother's condition, things would have been different. He has no one to talk to about it and reach decisions on what to do.

Yes, there's Nathalie who clearly has the most information out of anyone since they 'wouldn't of found the miraculous without her' but she is just as distant. When she's not distant, she's enabling him rather than trying to pull him away from villainous actions. Given her obvious unknown feelings to the man, she's also compromised. Gabriel Agreste, without a doubt, has no one to tell him he shouldn't do these things. No one that matters at least. He runs on the core belief that he is doing what's best for his family, not the public, but his family. Should someone in that bubble tell him that isn't the best, then he would come to his senses. He needs the chance to have an anchor.

Reason 5: he hasn't been told otherwise to his actions by those he cares for, both directly and indirectly

At a stalemate with Ladybug, he could have risked Mayura's identity, knowing that this would keep Ladybug there long enough to time out so he can get the miraculous from them that way. But instead, he chose Mayura's safety over winning. I know what you're think, they tossed the people they were holding right? So they only reason he stopped was because he didn't have a bargaining chip anymore. Wrong. He was the one to initiate the throw your loved ones to get ours back.

Let's put this in perspective: Gabriel "Whatever it takes, Nooroo" Agreste, willingly threw away his goal. Without a second though, he tossed away what he's been working for to save his partner who was on their last legs as it was. He could've saved her and stayed longer to get their miraculous as their counters were low as it was, but instead he chose to jump away while he could to save Nathalie.

This is shown equally in Gorizilla. We constantly say that he 'threw his son' off a building. This is not true. Adrien jumped. There's a distinct difference. He then takes the opportunity to see if his suspicions are right or wrong. He could've let Adrien hit the ground, no? Because he had Ladybug in his grasp at that moment. She had no way of escaping, and Chat Noir was not on his way as far as they could tell, but instead, he demands the akuma let her go. Hence practically allowing the defeat of his own akuma to spare his son.

Again, he does this by not allowing Nathalie to harm herself further. I've seen many blogs about how he made her dissent into villainy, but we've seen no such thing. She's always been a willing ally, asserting herself to help him even when he's told her not to. He gave up a master plan that (get this) would've actually made him win specifically to make sure Nathalie doesn't die. He, and this is quoted, never wanted her to use the Peacock Miraculous. That implies she's suggested it, and he time and time again refused such a thing. They could've won many times back in season one had there been a sentimonster to aid the akuma, but he refused such a thing because it impacted Nathalie negatively.

Reason 6: He actually prioritises his family and friends above the miraculous

Gabriel has expressed displeasure many times about what he’s doing. We paint him as a heartless villain that takes joy in others suffering, but that implies he WANTS to do these things. He may of promised Emilie to bring her back, but just because she wanted such a thing doesn’t mean he wanted to do the things that entails it.

Reason 7: He never actually wanted to hurt anybody

And now the most anti Gabriel versions of all. He has to go through what he put others through. How that’s done depends entirely on how the wish turns out and how he gets the miraculous. Maybe the wish swaps out Emilie for Nathalie. Or Emilie for Adrien. Or he fatally injuries Chat Noir in the process and only realises who he was after the fact. To fully understand, he doesn’t just have to see the damage he caused, he needs to lose something from it. Not just his freedom. He would never learn anything if he just went to prison. He’s willing to do so. In the end, he needs things to be put into perspective. He needs the ‘all for nothing at all’ moment and to question at what cost.

Reason 8: he needs to suffer

This one is a fairly simple one. Redemption. All of these things, if written right, can lead to a way for him to redeem himself. That can only be done by throwing in the towel and moving on, sacrificing himself, fixing his damage entirely to the point he would give up Emilie, or teaming up with the heroes against some bigger badder threat. If he wins, he has the opportunity to do these things

Reason 9: he can achieve redemption through these means

And this last one is really just a personal preference. I really like the bad guy in films and TV shows if their goal is noble. I’m usually rooting for them. I think the guy deserves a victory out of all the loses he’s had. He’s a good man, really, but he’s been pushed to these measures. We’ve heard from Adrien how different he was before, so he needs the opportunity to get that him back

Reason 10: I’m just a sucker for sob stories IG

TL;DR:

1: He isn’t entirely evil

2: He’ll get to see exactly what he’s done

3: We don’t know what got him to that point

4: Overall complications and problems that would come forth from him losing would be far worse then him winning

5: He hasn’t been told otherwise about his actions by the people he cares about

6: He’s prioritised his family over miraculous many times through the show

7: He never actually wanted to hurt anybody

8: He needs to suffer the consequences

9: Redemption can follow a win

10: Personal preference

Miraculous unexplained hot takes #1:

Gabriel Agreste deserves to win

Do with that fandom triggering opinion what you will