#but the crew for a year anxiously waited for him to come back out to tell him time passed and they should really get going

[knght0wl]

comparing the Fitzgerald and Fagles versions

It looks like they stayed there to fatten up, strengthen their ships, and were recuperating while they still could

But the crew recognizes Odysseus's idleness ("shake off this trance" "this is madness!"), where he's depicted as lethargic until its brought to his attention ("they made me feel a pang, and I agreed" "my loyal comrades took me aside and they prodded" "their urging brought my stubborn spirit round"). Why is that? was he waiting for something?

In video game terms, was Odysseus resting and replenishing in body, mind, and materials, but eventually just started dragging his feet when it was high time they leave the bonfire/saferoom?

I dont blame him though, its been threat after threat and Odysseus has lost many men so far. and only had time to grieve them in passing.

Or maybe replenishing themselves to a healthy weight genuinely take about a year? They were definitely weary and on the thinner side, but the wind god did a bang up job repairing their ships and providing provisions beforehand so by the time they made it to Circe they wouldnt have needed to do too much in repairs..

[angelicsoka]

DISAPPROVAL, t. owens

word count | 1.6k

pairings | tyler owens x fem!storm chaser!reader

summary | in which javi disapproves of his sister’s relationship

warnings | contains spoilers for the movie!! mentions of death, tornadoes, and panic attacks. brother-sister fighting, slight angst. one use of ‘y/n’. not proofread. lowercase intended. 

a/n | i literally can’t stop thinking about this movie. tyler owens x javi’s sister has me in a choke hold

you had never been the type to run from your fears, not now and definitely not five years ago. you used to storm chase with kate carter and your brother, javi, as well as three other of your friends. the six of you, led by kate, had come together to see if it was really possible to reduce the intensity of a tornado. you knew that the experiment would be dangerous, but it had never fully occurred to you that you or anyone else could die. that was a mistake you swore you would never make again. 

five years had passed and you still were waking up, sweating and shaking from the horrid night where you lost three of your closest friends. you shakily tore the covers from your body, walking quietly to the bathroom so as to not wake the sleeping body still in bed. you closed the door to the bathroom before turning on the light. you turned the sink on, splashing water on your face as a sigh escaped your mouth. you gripped the sides of the sink, attempting to center yourself. “fuck.”

“babe, you in there?” you jumped when tyler knocked on the door, your breathing quickening once more. “babe?” tyler turned the door knob, pushing it up to see you slowly sliding down the wall as you began to hyperventilate. he rushed to your side, which wasn't far in the cramped bathroom. he helped you to the floor, sitting in front of you. “hey, hey, let's just sit down. just breathe with me, okay?” you nodded, following tyler in his exaggerated breathing, feeling as your heart rate began to slow down. “you’re okay, you’re safe.” you nodded, finally noticing the tears streaming down your face.

“sorry, ty, i didn’t mean to wake you.” you apologized through sniffles, wiping at your nose. 

“you didn’t wake me. plus, i just wanted to make sure you were okay.” you still felt guilty about it, about him constantly dealing with your nightmares and panic attacks. you felt guilty that you still pushed yourself to storm chase even though you are terrified of losing the ones you love most. you knew you shouldn’t push that guilt or fear away, but there was another part of you that just wanted to help people. “why don’t we go get some breakfast?” tyler helped you to your feet, the two of you trudging over to the diner across from the motel. 

breakfast had been mostly silent, tyler trying to start a conversation but you were too stuck in your head. your knee anxiously bounced as you realized you would be heading to oklahoma, and that you were more than likely to run into your brother javi. you had talked to javi a lot over the phone, but it had been at least a year since you had last seen him in person. he’d been begging you for a few weeks now to leave tyler and the wranglers behind and to join his crew and help with a new tornado scanning system. you knew javi just wanted to help people, but the people funding his projects did not have the same interests at heart. “you ready?” you looked, not hardly having touched your food, accepting tyler’s extended hand. “boone’s getting pretty antsy about leavin’. dude’s been blowing up my phone for like the last thirty minutes.” you giggled when tyler showed you his phone with nearly fifty texts from boone.

“i’m surprised he’s even up, let alone ready to hit the road.” tyler tossed an arm over your shoulders, placing a delicate kiss on your temple as you walked back to the motel.

“yeah, well, best not to keep the man waiting.” tyler went to grab your stuff from the motel room before checking out, leaving you to rig up the gps. 

“boone! you ridin’ with us?” you shouted over to boone who was talking with dexter, dani, and lily. “we’ve got a seat open for you as well, ben.” you smiled to the journalist, who thought you to be the only sane one of the group. ben smiled at you, his body language showing he was clearly uneasy. “don’t worry, the ride to oklahoma shouldn’t be too bad.”

“it's not that ride that i’m worried about.” before you could question him, boone hopped in beside him, tyler entering the driver’s seat not a moment later. 

“let’s ride!” boone whooped, tyler tearing out of the parking lot. you couldn’t seem to find it in yourself to be hyped up like your boyfriend and friend, too anxious about seeing your brother. he had already disapproved of you riding with the wranglers, you couldn’t imagine how he’d react when he found out you were dating tyler owens of all people.

at some point during the ride, you had fallen asleep only to be startled awake by boone, camera in hand as he yelled out the truck. “sorry, babe.” tyler quietly apologized to you, squeezing your hand. you squinted out the window, your stomach dropping at the sight of javi and kate, stood side by side. all the shouting and cheering seemed to be muted when your eyes locked with javi’s. even though you were nervous, the sight of your big brother brought a soft smile to your face. 

tyler put the truck in park, the crowd surrounding them. you pushed the door open, hopping down as tyler got the crowd chanting. boone was walking around, filming, while dani, lily, and dexter began to sell the merchandise. you stood off to the side, watching tyler do his thing, a smile gracing your lips. you looked around, catching kate’s eye, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her friend. she walked over to you, engulfing you in a hug before you had time to say anything. “kate! i wasn’t expecting to see you here!” you laughed, gripping kate tightly. 

“i didn’t realize you were still chasing, i thought you would at least be riding with javi.” you tensed slightly at your brother’s name, pulling back from kate’s arms. 

“uh, yeah, i’ve just decided to ride with the wranglers this season.” your tenseness didn’t go unnoticed by kate, but before she could ask you anything your attention was brought to your brother waltzing over. “javi!” your nerves dissipated when javi threw his arms around you, pulling you into a bone crushing hug.

“i’ve missed you, sis.” you let out a sigh, trying not to let the tears well in your eyes.

“i’ve missed you too, javi.” you pulled back, now seeing your crew watching you. the crowd had mostly left, and the sight of you hugging a man that wasn’t tyler had them concerned. “why don’t you come meet my crew?” you knew javi had no interest in meeting your crew, but you wanted him to see they weren’t just daredevils with a need for a thrill. “hey, guys, i want you to meet my brother, javi, and my good friend, kate!” everyone but boone and tyler had come to meet them. “javi, kate, meet dexter, lily, and dani! oh, and ben! he’s a london journalist writing a piece on american storm chasing.” you pointed to each member, getting soft ‘hellos’ and ‘nice to meet yous’. 

“nice to meet you guys!” kate smiled, javi not saying anything. you felt a pang in your heart when javi didn’t seem to take the people you considered to be some of your closest friends. 

“well, who do we have here?” you turned to see tyler and boone walking toward you, a large smile breaking out on your face. “you must be javi, and… kate, right?” kate nodded, shaking tyler’s hand.

“kate, javi, this is boone, and this is tyler owens.” tyler walked to your side, slinging an arm loosely around your shoulder while boone waved, going to put the camera back into the truck. “nice to meet you both.” he tipped his hat to the two. you watched javi closely, he practically had steam coming out his ears at the sight of tyler’s arms around your shoulder. javi had always been overprotective, and you wished he would realize you can hold your own. “we’re headin’ out in a few, ‘kay?” you nodded, tyler pressing a kiss to your temple before jogging over to boone. you looked back to javi who was red in the face, and kate who was clearly shocked.

“javi–” you started, javi pulling you to a quiet spot away from everyone else.

“really? tyler owens?” he spat out tyler’s name like it was venom. “c’mon y/n, he’s an idiot who drives into tornadoes! he doesn’t give a shit about anyone, especially those affected by said tornadoes!” tears welled in your eyes, anger bottling up. 

“oh, and you do? javi! your investors don’t give any shits about these people! they only care about the money! and you, you’re helping them by getting this data!” you wiped at the tears that spilled over, “we help people, javi! we sell the merch to pay for the supplies, and the revenue we make off the streams and videos go to families in need. we just don’t show that part on the internet.” it seemed to dawn on javi that you would have never ridden with the wranglers for as long as you had if you weren’t helping people. “tyler treats me well, and maybe you’d have seen that if you weren't so busy making assumptions about him.” you spat at him before turning on your heel, walking toward the truck, actively ignoring javi’s shouting. 

“you okay?” tyler asked, noticing your rosy cheeks. “want me to beat his ass?” you glared at him, a smile tugging at your lips. tyler was mostly all bark and no bite.

“no, he just needs time.” you reached up, kissing tyler before taking his hand in yours and walking back to the truck. javi watched as tyler opened your door and helped you in, watching tyler stare lovingly at you. and javi knew that he had fucked up.

[thewulf]

Good News || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: So i saw somewhere where a woman got into trouble for "destruction of government property" but it's just her giving her military husband hickies, and i think this would be so hilarious with Jake Seresin.

A/N: This one came so quickly to me. It's just pure fluff. All the Jake Seresin fluff! Short but sweet. Hope you all enjoy :)

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Y/N

Word Count: 2.3k +

Your eyes flipped back to the calendar on the wall with a big red circle around today. You’d probably looked at that calendar a thousand times over the last six months as you waited. Waited agonizingly every single day praying you wouldn’t get a knock on your door or the dreaded phone call.

Jake had been deployed on a carrier off the coast of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea for the last six months. You knew it came with the territory when you started dating him all those years ago. It terrified you every single time he came to tell you he was off on a mission or going on orders overseas. You’d never show it, only your utmost support and confidence in the man. But you knew how dangerous it was. He told you about all the men and women he’s seen gone down and some never making it home in his short span as a pilot in the Navy. It didn’t just terrify you, it rocked you all the way down to your core. What if he didn’t make it home? He was a hell of a pilot, one of the best that was flying, but things didn’t always go your way. He knew that. You knew it. Everybody seemed to know it.

But today was the day. He was coming home. After the months of shitty less than communication and trying your best to stay distracted it was here. He was safe. He was alive. You’d talked to him just a few hours ago. Waiting.

Jake’s parents picked you up from your shared home just off base that’d been eerily quiet in his absence. They didn’t want you driving in your hyper-fixated state. They never wanted you driving when it came to these kinds of events. They knew how much it tore you up when he was gone on deployment. If you didn’t fly down to Texas they made sure to fly to you. Just to keep you company. You hadn’t a clue how you’d gotten so lucky to have them in your life. And hopefully in the future as family. You never pushed it though. You didn’t want him to panic and ran. And truth be told you’d be fine never marrying him so long as he was like this in your life. Your best friend and love wrapped up in one.

“Are you excited?” His mom asked seeing you nearly bouncing out of the backseat once the car rolled onto base.

“Oh Nancy,” you could only nod your head in confirmation, “I’m more than excited.” Your cheeks were starting to burn from the big cheesy grin you were wearing.

His dad, David, spoke up, “I know Jake is just as excited.” He smiled just feeling the excitement in the air. These days were truly the best. Six months was a long time to be away. The longest deployment he’d been on in years.

The three of you made small talk as David drove to the base. Once parked, you happily led the older couple over to where the sailors would stand before they waited to be dismissed. You watched as the hundred or so men and women aboard the ship departed to their designated formation. Your eyes scanned for your loved one. Your Jake.

Finally spotting him you waited anxiously as the rest of the crew lined up. You just had to wait it out another ten minutes or so. They had to officially be dismissed before they could break for the family reunions. These last few minutes always seemed to draw on for decades trying to be as patient as possible.

You kept your eyes on him as he kept his forward. You hadn’t a clue that he already spotted you moments before you did him. But he had to keep his attention forward. No matter how anxious he was to see his favorite girl again.

They second they were dismissed Jake made a beeline right for you. Your face lit up in surprise as he headed right at you. Your body responding by moving forward you jumped right into his arms once he got close enough. He was more than ready. He wrapped his arms right around you securing you tightly to his chest while your feet locked behind him.

“Jakey.” You grinned hugging him tightly, afraid he’d be gone from your arms again you cherished every second like this. It made you realize how much you really did love the man you were holding so tightly. How much you craved him, everything about him. You’d rather not have had him gone for six months though. That was far too long for your liking. As if you had any say.

“Honey.” He cooed gently rocking you side to side. One arm snaked around your waist, one arm gently cradling your head in his hands, “You’re so fucking pretty. How’d you get even more beautiful? God I missed your face.” Jake leaned down capturing your lips in his. As gentle as he normally was with you this was hungrier. He really had missed you. Giving your hip as squeeze you felt him smile into the kiss as you squirmed away from his grasp.

Once you stopped giggling you looked right into his eyes smiling dopily, “And I missed yours, handsome man.” You gave him a wicked smirk before doing the unthinkable. Jake had warned you time and time again how he couldn’t show visible marks on the skin, or the Navy could have his ass. And maybe even yours if they were angry enough. You’d known they were empty threats, but you’d never dreamed of potentially hurting his flying in anyway. So, you’d never leave any marks.

Sliding his collar to the side you decided to throw caution to the wind seeing everybody lost in their own world with their own families. Jake’s parents were even admiring all the reunions around them instead of having their eyes fixated on the two of you. They loved watching all the joy every time. Nancy always made sure that every sailor was feeling the love. That was just one of the reasons you’d fallen in love not only with Jake but his entire family. His mom was as sweet as they came. His dad just as caring but even more tough. It was no wonder Jake was the way he was. Albeit a little more of an asshole than either of them even combined.

“Ma’am. That is abhorrent.” A vaguely familiar voice made you focus on your surroundings once more, “This is Destruction of Government Property.” You heard a cough from behind Jake drawing you away from your boyfriends neck. The look you sent could’ve killed him if it were at all possible. Bradley fucking Bradshaw. Was he actually serious right now?

You felt Jake’s laughter in his chest before you heard it. Flicking your eyes up momentarily at him you kissed him on his cheek before flipping Bradley off, “I don’t care Bradley.” You continued flipping him off while Jake held you tightly to his chest.

“Sweetheart…” Jake tried to warn you. The government really did own his ass. But his Commanding Officer was cool. He wasn’t expected to be back on base for another few weeks… what did a few hickies hurt? You knew the drill, but it didn’t seem to matter as you clung to him like he was about to vanish at any second. He looked down at your doe eyed expression, “I missed you.” He finished realizing just how hard deployment really was on you. The two of you were going on year five together. He’d been a pilot for all of them. He’d flown his hardest missions during that time. Your support never wavered. But seeing you like this? Like you’d never see him again… it hurt him. It hurt knowing you were feeling like that.

“You’ll care when there are Naval Officers on your doorstep.” Bradley tried. He really did. But you really didn’t care. You missed him more than anything. You didn’t care that his parents were there watching. You just missed him. Missed his corny ass jokes and the soft touches he always threw your way. You missed the sweet smiles and laughter that came with being around him. 

“So be it. Worth it.” You giggled as Jake pinched your sides again bringing your attention back to the man you’d dreamed about every day.

“Eyes over here darling.” He made sure to flip Bradley off before holding you back in his arms once again. He wouldn’t let you drop your hold on him. He wanted you close. He didn’t care either. He’d craved you for those months. He’d forgotten just how bad deployment got. Bradley mumbled some incoherent words before disappearing off into the crowd.

Kissing his cheek once more you nodded, “Sorry Jakey.” Brushing your hands through his hair it felt like it really was just the two of you there. Like nobody else was around.

“No need to apologize.” He whispered in your ear sending immediate chills down your spine, “You didn’t answer my question though. How’d you seem to get even more beautiful while I was gone?”

You truly felt like a little schoolgirl was a nasty crush on a boy way out of your league. He was so sweet to you and only you. Not having a clue why. You loved watching him interact with everyone else. He was so different than the man who came home to you every night. But that was Jake. Tough as they come. Sweet as can be. The biggest fight the two of you had was when he came home and told you about the six month long deployment a year ago. You didn’t even fight you were just sad. Sad that he volunteered to go. Volunteered and didn’t tell you. The two of you worked through it though. You always did.

“Shush. You’ve just been trapped on a big boat for so long I’d be offended if you didn’t think I was pretty.” You wanted to kiss him so bad. You didn’t even remember the kiss you gave him once you spotted him walk off the ship. You blacked out, truly.

“Never ever.” He grinned, “I’ll never stop complementing my beautiful girl.”

You squeezed your arms around him pulling him so much closer. You’d melt into him if you could, “You’re too sweet to me Mr. Seresin.”

He shook his head, “Not enough, I’d say.” He took the lead this time leaning down to give you a soft, sweet kiss that was far too short for your liking.

“I love you.” You whispered to him feeling oh so happy. So beyond excited he was holding you in his arms once again. You tried to step away to give his parents a chance to say hello, but he only held you tighter. Shaking his head.

“Love you too, gorgeous girl.” He hummed placing a soft kiss on your forehead, “That was it, by the way.”

You scrunched your eyes together in confusion, “What?”

He nodded his head with that larger than life smile on his face, “You’re looking at Captain Jake Seresin. Command Ground Officer.” He emphasized ground with wide eyes.

“Jake! Congrats. You didn’t tell me! Does this mean you’re here? Permanently?” Looking at him expectedly. It hit you just how good it could really get once you knew he’d be sleeping by your side every night.

He nodded his head in excitement, “At least for this job. I’ll still be flying but more on the leadership side. Training. Preparing them.”

You didn’t think your heart could swell any larger in love. But there it went. Only Jake could do that. You knew it. He knew it, “You’re not kidding right? Like you’re being serious?”

“Yes sweetheart. So serious.” He kissed your nose this time. He missed you more than you could’ve imagined. It was an impossible six months. He didn’t want to do that anymore. He couldn’t be away from you anymore. Lucky for him he had options. They let him choose. He choose to ground himself from missions. It was time to grow up and move on. He’d accomplished everything he sought out to and more already in the air. Now he was on a mission to rise to the top. Admiral Jake Seresin had a ring to it. 

You wanted to squeal but knew you had eyes all over you. Anybody could’ve been watching, “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while J.”

“Just you wait.” He grinned ear to ear leaning down once more, whispering into your ear, “Won’t even be the best news you’ve heard all day.” Leaning all the way down he kissed you with a little bit more but keeping it PG. His parents were standing there a little annoyed that he’d chosen to be with you for so long before he even acknowledged them. But they knew. They knew the raw power of love. How much it could sway and dissuade. How deeply Jake was in love with you and how much you were with him.

“Oh? Do tell.” You pulled away looking at him curiously.

“You’ll see.” He wiggled his eyebrows just to egg you on.

You narrowed your eyebrows in on the man you loved so dearly, “You know how much I hate surprises.”

He laughed gleefully, “Oh darling, I know.” He pulled you back into him momentarily, “Promise, it’ll be worth the wait.”

“Promise?” You knew he’d keep true to his word, but you wanted to hear him confirm it.

“I promise you darling. Just you wait.” Squeezing your hand, he finally walked over to his parents bringing you right along with him. Only dropping your hand as he went in for the hug with his mom.

Taglist: @stuffingbuttsandshit @genius2050

[sophsbookstore]

Chicken Shop Date

Lando Norris x reader ｡･:*˚:✧｡

Masterlist can be found in navigation!

Word Count: 2,348

Y/N walks into the chicken shop where they're filming the newest episode of her and her best friends youtube show Chicken Shop Date. Y/N and her best friend Amelia have been running the channel for a few years now, both girls switching off taking turns dating different celebrities.

Today Lando Norris was to be on the channel, and Y/N was ecstatic. Y/N has always been a big fan of formula one, with McLaren being one of, if not her favorite team. The original plan was for Amelia to be doing the date, the girls always switching off interviewing every other date, but Amelia knowing how much Y/N liked Lando, trades spots with the girl trying to set her friend up.

“Ok Y/N, Lando should be coming round the corner in a few.” One of the PA’s says, kneeling next to Y/N who was already sitting at the table, wiping her nervously sweaty hands against her legs.

“Y/N are you excited?” Amelia asks her best friend, Y/N side eyeing her friend before turning her attention back to the empty chair ahead of her.

“You suck, you know how much I like him, it was your turn to go on a date anyway!” Y/N whisper shouts. Amelia laughs, giving her bestie a quick hug before going to her spot behind the camera. The rest of the crew gets ready as Lando and his team enter the set.

Y/N watches anxiously as Lando shakes the crew member's hads, introducing himself to everyone before coming over and sitting across from her. “Hi, im Lando” the curly haired man says, holding his hand out across the table for Y/N to shake.

She does so, blush creeping onto her face. “Im Y/N, but i'm sure you already knew that” the girl stutters out. “That over there is my co-host Amelia, which I'm sure you already knew as well..” Y/N says kicking herself under the table in embarrassment. Lando looks at the girl, the smile never leaving his face.

“Ok you guys, we are starting in 3..2..” the director holds up one on his fingers, putting it down as everyone gets quet waiting for Y/N to start talking.

“Do you like chicken nuggets and chips?” what a way to start off the “date”, Y/N thinks to herself.

“I love chicken.” Lando says to the girl, smiling slightly as his head nods with satisfaction.

“That's good, I do as well.” Y/N reminds herself that this isn't a real date, she has to keep up the unbothered, bored character throughout the whole video. This is going to be harder than she thought. “Did you know that chicken makes you more beautiful” Y/N can feel her ears getting hotter.

“Does it really?” Lando asks, feeding into Y/N bit. Y/N agrees with the man, nodding her head.

Just then one of the PA’s comes out and hands Y/N a Capri-Sun, she places one in front of herself and Lando. Lando stares at the bagged drink in confusion, turning his head to the girl in front of him, back at the drink, then to her again. “How did you know I like Capri-Sun?”

“because…I’ve..Been, researching you..” the girl stutters out. Way to not sound like a creepy stalker, Y/N thinks to herself.

“I didn't even know I was doing this until yesterday.” Lando says, trying to steer the conversation away, stabbing his straw into the hole at the top of the bag. “I just looked at my calendar yesterday”

“Really? I've known about this for a while now, I've been manifesting it actually.” Y/N taking a bite of a fry, putting on a confident act for the camera.

“So manifesting actually works?” Lando asks, fixing the hod of his sweatshirt.

“It's been in my diary for about 5 years, you just didn't know about it until now.” Y/N shrugs, Lando leaning forward with laughter.

Y/N quickly looks over at Amelia, the girl silently laughing at her friend's awkwardness. Looking back at the monitor Amelia notices her friend secretly eyeing her down, turning to face Y/N she gives her a thumbs up, silently telling her that shes doing a good job and has nothing to worry about.

“Are you into, like, racing and motorsport?” Lando asks, trying to capture the girl's attention.

“Oh yes!” this perks Y/N up, being asked about something that she thoroughly enjoys. “I love Formula 1, my dad is a really big McLaren fan, so growing up we all had to be too.” Y/N finishes with a laugh.

“Are you still a McLaren fan?” Lando leans forward in his chair.

Wanting to play hard to get, Y/N leans slightly back in her chair. “I would say so, yes.”

“Who's your favorite McLaren driver.” he asks with a smirk.

“Oscar Piastri.” Y/N says, her face void of any emotion. Lando sighs, frowning slightly as he takes a bite of his food in defeat.

The pair could go on and on about racing, having both grown up watching the sport, as well as having the same favorite team, the two continue talking. “You know, I've never been to a race before.” 

This perks Landos interest. “I should take you sometime. Let me know which race you want to go to and I'll call a few people.” 

Y/N almost chokes on her drink. Did Lando Norris just invite her to her first ever race? Lando Norris. Her celebrity crush, and the person she has been manifesting to have on this show since it gained its popularity.

“I would really like that actually.” Y/N blushes, not being able to think of a cheeky comeback for his offer.

“You know what, bring your family too, you said they were McLaren fans aren't they?” Lando smiles at the girl, Y/N only being able to nod in agreement and thankfulness.

Lando takes a moment to eat some more of his food, Y/N looks over at Amelia, her best friend silently screaming and clapping for the girl. Y/N is stunned, her eyes wide, her mouth making an “o” like shape. Y/N shakes off the excitement, knowing that she still has to finish the “date” before she can get too excited.

“I hear it gets quite hot in there.” Y/N says catching Landos attention.

“Oh yeah, it gets very hot. Yeah, sweaty-”

“It would be even hotter if I was in there.” Y/N says bluntly. Lando opens his mouth to say a comeback, but when his eyes meet Y/N’s he shuts up, instead the blood rushes to his ears and he bites his lip. “Agreed?” Y/N instigates.

All Lando could do was nod and smile, his face getting redder and redder. Y/N takes her moment, taking a sip of her soda for confidence the girl leans forward, giving Lando her full eye contact as the interview carries on.

“Are you a romantic person?” the girl inquires. 

Lando takes a bite of his fry, looking at Y/N as a smile creeps onto his face, he looks down at his meal. “When I need to be.” he looks back up at the girl, still smiling.

“Good to know.” Y/N keeps eye contact with Lando, taking a bite of her fry, the boy winking at her subtly, making her nearly melt off her chair.

The two continue to eat in silence, one of the PA’s signaling to Y/N that they're about halfway through with the interview. This saddens Y/N, she doesnt want it to end. What if this is the first and last time she’ll ever get to see Lando. No, he offered to take her and her family to a race. What if it was just a joke? No, that would be too mean to be a joke.

“What's your ultimate goal?” Lando pulls the girl from her thoughts. “Apart from like this” Lando says motioning to the cameras and food in front of them.

“To fall in love I guess.” Y/N shrugs.

“That's cute.” Lando smiles at the girl. If she wasn't sitting down she would have passed out in the moment. 

Y/N analizes is face, taking in how cute he is before mustering up the confidence to continue the interview. “What's your type?” the girl asks.

“I'm open.” he shrugged nonchalantly.

“What do you specifically look for in a girl then?” Y/N questions the boy in front of her, desperately wanting to know.

“Just someone who's funny, has Y/E/C, beautiful, has Y/H/C, you know?” Lando continues to wait, trying his absolute best to act nonchalant. “How about you?”

“Oh you know, racer, has brown curly hair, brown eyes, a brown hoodie on right now. Nothing much to it really.” Y/N states, matching the energy as Lando looks down at his brown sweatshirt, looking back at the girl and smiling.

“Good to know.”

“Are you a big spoon or a little spoon?” Y/N doesn't waste any time before jumping into the next question.

“I'm big.” Lando responds. 

“That's perfect, I've been looking for a big spoon.” Y/N casually says.

“I've never been a little spoon before.” Lando laughs at the shock on Y/N’s face, the beautiful girl in front of him making him clarify that he's never been a little spoon before. “We could try,” Lando quickly says to Y/N, both taking a moment to imagine such a thing before turning their attention back to one another.

“Do you snore?” Y/N questions the driver in front of her.

“Yes.” he replies bluntly, leaning his body slightly more forward.

“No, really? That's a deal breaker for me.” Y/N puts on a fake sad face. She looks at the driver in front her, his face dropping ever so slightly, but enough for it to be noticeable. “It's ok, we can work around it” Lando nodded in agreement with the girl, his face perking up a bit more.

“How far away do you live?” Y/N asks, not caring about how creepy the question can sound. 

Lando laughs, looking down at his food before looking back up at Y/N “I love in Monaco.”

“Shoot.” Y/N sighs, finally breaking eye contact with the beautiful British man. “I don't know if I can do long distance.” 

Landos face falls, his smile faltering to a frown. “Well that's no good is it?” the two fall back slightly in their seats. 

“Am I going to have to move out to Monaco? Or will you stay in England full time?” Y/N asks, forgetting this is just a playful interview, actually thinking about her hypothetical future with Lando.

“Hmmm.” the driver ponders. “Whatever you want I'm good with.” he smiles.

Y/N laughs, playing along she obviously looks past the camera toward her friend Amelia. “I think we might have to move chicken shop to Monaco.” Both girls laugh, Lando blushing at the idea of Y/N moving her whole life to stay with him in a different country. 

The PA looks at the pair, walking around the camera and sneakily handing Y/N a custom made chicken shop trophy. Y/N thanks the PA before holding the trophy up and looking back at Lando. “You may not come first in anything yet, but you are the first F1 driver to go on a date with me.” Y/N holds out the trophy for Lando to take, he “awws” in response.

Lando holds the trophy in his hands, looking down then looking back up at Y/N “hopefully i'm the last F1 driver you have on. I would say our date was pretty successful.” he smiles.

Y/N doesn't hide her blush this time, looking down and laughing slightly before refocusing back at lando. “Maybe, maybe not. We’re still waiting to hear back from Oscar.” 

The director yells cut. The rest of the crew and various team members walk about the shop finishing their own tasks leaving Lando and Y/N to their own. The pair get up from their chairs at the same time, now standing in front of one another.

“Thank you for this again.” Lando says, motioning to the trophy in his hands. “I really had fun today.”

“Me too, thanks for coming, even if you didn't know until yesterday.” the two laugh, a comfortable silence falling between them.

“Hey umm, maybe we could do this again, no cameras or anything. I'm in England for another week or so if you're free.” Y/N is taken aback, did Lando Norris just ask her on a real date.

“I- umm, yeah I would really like that. I'll give you my number so we can plan it.” 

“Perfect!” Lando smiles, pulling his phone out of his back pocket, unlocking it, then handing it to Y/N. Y/N quickly types in her phone number, setting her contact name, and taking a picture of herself for the contact photo before handing the phone back to Lando.

“Well then i'll see you soon Lando” Y/N says, looking up at Lando, taking a small step closer to him.

“I'll see you soon Y/N” he holds his arms out, giving the girl a brief yet firm hug, before getting called away by one of his team members.

Y/N stands in shock. Recapping everything that had just happened since the director started filming. Amelia runs up to her friend, nearly tackling the girl with excitement. “What happened, what did he say?” Amelia interrogates Y/N, having witnessed their interaction from afar.

“I just got a real date with Lando Norris.” Y/N says, pulling out her phone to see a text from Lando with an address and time. It's official, her manifestation had worked and she was now going on a real date with the driver she's had a crush on since he signed with her favorite team. Lando Norris.

[cillianmesoftlyyy]

Under the Weather | Cillian Murphy x Reader

Summary | It's your one-year anniversary with Cillian and he's just finished filming The Party but as the night goes on, you begin to feel feverish and sick. Cillian comes home and takes care of you.

Warnings | fluff lol; age-gap.

Pale Blue Eyes- The Velvet Underground 🎶

word count: 1421

Don't interact if you're a Yvonne hater. This is a completely fictional piece and does not reflect Cillian or his family in reality. Read with the assumption that Cillian is not married and does not have children.

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

She started to feel sick around noon, the inklings of fatigue and fever creeping up into her head. She went to dinner with Cillian as she said she would for their one-year anniversary but her pearl earrings felt colder than usual against her feverish skin and she shivered when she had pulled on her dark green dress with the boat neck that exposed her collarbones to the chilly air. Curling her hair was too much, and the heat had left her exhausted and sweaty, even though she was cold. She tightened her green buckled flats and sat up in her chair at the vanity, placing a warm hand against her hot forehead and sighed. She wasn’t sure if she was actually sick or just anxious from the weeks of filming that Cillian had been preoccupied with for The Party. But he was done now and focused on his private life, the life that included her now. 

He was 41 and she was 28, and already the media had a lot to say about their relationship. She was young but not that much so, she’d gone from crappy sitcoms and low-budget movies to blockbuster films and award shows. She was just as relevant as Cillian, though she may be a decade younger. She loved Cillian and the way that he helped her with her rehearsals and her anxieties. She confided in him and spilled her guts and he listened, his eyes gentle and validating. He was quiet and reserved when she had first met him on set for Peaky Blinders as one of Micheal Gray’s love-interests. She was almost never in the same scene as him so they never had a moment to speak until an interview that she was invited to attend with the main cast. She was seated next to him on the raised platform in front of the cameras when the clip keeping the back of her dress together broke and nearly unraveled in front of everyone. Without hesitation, CIllian had reached over and pulled the two ends of fabric together, keeping her dress from falling down her chest. He kept his hand against her back for the remainder of the interview, and still added to the discussion and smiled when prompted to. When the cameras stopped, he helped her get up from her seat, still holding her dress together and helped her off. He only left once a crew member had successfully pinned her dress, giving her a kind smile and a nod.

And now here they were. 

She checked Cillian’s watch on the bedside table and hurried to finish getting ready before he arrived at 7. He’d made reservations at a small restaurant in Dublin where he knew the owners and their children. Smoothing down her short emerald green dress, she hurried down the stairs to the first floor of the walkup she shared with Cillian in Dublin and waited anxiously by the door for the familiar sound of footsteps on the granite steps. She saw his silhouette through the textured glass on the front door and threw it open before he could knock. He was startled but smiled when he saw who was waiting for him. 

“My God, you look lovely darling!” He smiled and closed the door behind him, blocking out the summer breeze. He put each hand on her waist and turned her around slowly to see what she was wearing. He’d finished an interview for The Party and changed into his suit in the dressing room before driving back, so he looked slightly rumpled but unmistakingly beautiful.

“How was the interview?” She asked, her hands clasped around his neck.

“Eh, I’m happy it's all over with ya’ know?” The wrinkles around his eyes crinkled as he smiled. 

He kissed her head but when he pulled away, he frowned down at her. 

“You feel warm.” He put the back of his hand against her cheek and moved it to her forehead, clucking his tongue. “Do you feel alright, love?” 

“I thought I might be getting sick but it's not bad, I can still go.” She waved him off. 

“Ah ah ah, not so fast. I think you have a fever.” He took her hand and led her to the kitchen and picked her up, setting her down gently on the countertop. 

“You mustn’t make such a fuss, Cillian.” She sighed defeatedly, her hands clasped either side of the cold marble countertop.  

“Hush, love.” He rummaged through the medicinal cabinet in the kitchen and retrieved the mercury thermometer that they had bought at a drugstore as a house-warming gift for themselves. “Open your mouth for me,” she complied, touching her tongue to the roof of her mouth, “good girl.” He praised her. 

“This is ridiculous. I feel fine, Cillian!” She mumbled around the thermometer. He rested his arms on either side of her body, his legs planted firmly between her knees. He said nothing but glanced down at his watch every few seconds to check the time. When it was done he pulled the thermometer from her mouth and read it to her. 

“100.3. You’re sick, love.” He laughed softly and placed the thermometer on a folded cloth by the sink to wash later. “Come on.” He spread his arms and she reluctantly hugged him around his shoulders so that he could pick her up. He sighed softly as he arranged her in his arms and climbed the short flight of steps to the second floor. 

“What about the dinner reservations?” She whined into his shoulder, her nose crushed against the soft fabric of his suit. 

“It'll be fine, darling. Let me worry about that.” He passed through the doorway into their bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She squirmed in protest when he went left, going down the stairs quickly. She could hear him moving around the kitchen for a while before coming back up the stairs, a glass of water and Tylenol in his hands. She sat up against the pillows at the headboard and curled her knees into her chest. He sat on the edge of the bed and gave her two of the distinct white chalky pills. 

“Take these.” He ordered softly and waited. 

“Yes, sir.” She grumbled and swallowed the pills, downing them with water. He took the empty glass from her hand and placed it on the nightstand. 

“Let me get you out of these” He unbuckled her shoes and tossed them aside, his hands patting each ankle as he did so. 

“I’m sorry, Cillian.” She whispered, her arms held up in the air in a pitiful request for affection. He leaned over and hugged her. 

“For what, darling?” He furrowed his brow and stroked her hair. 

“For being sick on our anniversary.” She sniffed and fought back childish tears. He pulled away and rubbed his thumb over her feverish cheek. 

“That’s nothing to be sorry for, love. We still get to spend the evening together, right?” He smiled and kissed the top of her head. 

“Ok.” She nodded and allowed him to remove her earrings, sliding the backings off into his hand and returning them to her jewelry box. She turned to the side as his hands found the top of her zipper. As he pulled, her skin tingled with goosebumps all the way down to her tailbone. His hands slid the dress off her shoulders and pulled it over her head. She was naked besides her underwear and sensitive to the cold. Cillian quickly took one of his long sleeve shirts and pulled it down over her head. She slid her arms through the sleeves and curled into his side as he leaned over, resting the dress carefully on the arm of a chair. When he straightened back up, he put one arm around her shoulders and the other one on his stomach. She nestled beneath the sheets and wool blankets beside him and breathed him in. 

As she started to fall asleep, he cradled her in his arms, holding onto her with security and love. He waited patiently as she slept before changing out of his suit. He turned off the lights and applied a cold washcloth to her head as she slept soundly beside him. He laughed softly when her nose was congested and she started breathing through her mouth, drooling slightly on her pillow. He combed his fingers through her hair and kissed the crown of her head into the night before he fell asleep himself, his arms tightly around her.

[steam-beasts]

The Chaos Continues

Sir Topham Hatt stared silently at the sight of what he was mostly sure were his engines, hugging eachother for comfort in their strange new bodies.

Bertram had went through many things during his time as controller; nearly losing the No.1 of his railway not once, not twice, but five times. Finding out some of his diesel engines were holding some of his steam engines hostage, getting his office blown up thanks to a former Navy man, witnessing his very expensive top link express engine nearly have a boiler explosion, having to go hunt his tank engine that was kidnapped by a rally car, dealing with one of his engines having a meltdown over the changes. The last and most stressful thing he went through was being forced to watch his poor engines practically mutate into beastly creatures and abandon them for nearly two years.

Now, it was this.

You know what? He needed to sit down. Sir Topham Hatt groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as he simply made his way back to his office, he didn't want to deal with this right now. As soon as he got there, he didn't even bother with shutting the door and sat down at his desk "...oh dear, oh dear...why do things like these keep happening..?" He groaned, rubbing his temple. Sometimes he wished he could've done more to prevent any of this from happening, but then again, how could he have known this would happen?

Before he could try to think of anything else, the stationmaster suddenly ran into his office, looking quite stressed out "Sir! There's trouble in the sheds!"

Sir Topham Hatt's eyes widened and his throat felt dry, he almost dreaded to ask, but he tried to keep his composure as he stood up "What's happening?"

The stationmaster looked very hesitant "Emily, Edward, Henry and Gordon. Th-They...well...erm" Topham walked up to him, stern but anxious. The stationmaster yelped as the stout gentleman pulled him down to eye level "My engines have what?! Spit it out, lad!"

"I believe it would be better if you saw for yourself, Sir"

________________

Down at Tidmouth, each the engines' crews were standing outside their respective engine's berth, muttering anxiously to one other. They could hear their engines letting out distressed whistles from inside, but wanted Sir Topham Hatt to see to it. Edward's oldest crew, Charlie Sand Jr and Sidney Heaver Jr noticed Thomas's new crew, Mr Conductor and Junior coming out from around the corner.

"Ah, Mr C!" Charlie exclaimed, jogging over to the pixie man "Charlie, is something wrong?" Mr Conductor asked, quickly noticing the worry."Well...yes, actually. You see, um... we're in a bit of a–"

"Oh! Are ye's on strike? I dinnae think Hattie would be too happy aboot that!" Junior interrupted cheekily, earning a small glare from Mr Conductor. Charlie rolled his eyes "No, we're waiting for Sir, actually. Because..." He then glanced at the sheds "...well, something has happened to our engines" he admitted.

"What's going on with Edward?" The conductor asked. Sidney then spoke up "It's not just Edward. Something happened to Gordon and Henry as well, and Emily too" Junior quickly frowned, now realising the matter was probably serious "They... they cannae be gaun feral again, can they? Ah thought we sorted that oot?". Charlie shook his head "No, they're mentally ok. Physically?...I'd rather not say until Sir Topham Hatt's arrived"

Mr Conductor winced and gazed over at the shut doors of Edward's berth, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Conveniently, they saw Sir Topham Hatt driving up to the sheds in his car. As soon as he parked, he came jogging out, trying to keep his hat on his head. As soon as he reached the ground of men and women before him, he took a deep breath, carefully looking at their expressions to assume the severity of the situation before speaking "Alright. What's all the fuss?"

Charlie Sand carefully approached the fat controller and guided him to Gordon's berth doors, opening the door by a few cracks "They're in here, Sir" he said quietly, worry evident on his face. Sir Topham Hatt nodded gravely and stepped inside.

He felt his heart sink to his stomach and skip a beat as soon as he saw them. Edward, Henry and Gordon had went through the same fate as Percy and the others. They were pressed up against the back wall, huddled close to each other. They stared down at Sir Topham Hatt, fear evident in their eyes.

"...Sir?" Edward whispered, the first one to say anything. Edward was quite a skinny looking creature, but he was a little bit top-heavy and quite muscular, as well as fit looking for his age, so were the other two. Though, Gordon and Henry were both on the heavier side.

"Sir...please, I-I don't know what happened to us. We were normal for one minute and the next...this" Edward explained, understandably shaken. Sir Topham put his hand up to silence him, and so he did.

"I'm not mad, Edward. Not at any of you..." he began, masking his own worry "I understand that this was out of your control, but we'll just have to make do for now. Now, where's Emily?"

Henry whimpered and pointed "She's over there, Sir..."

Topham looked over to where Henry pointed. Indeed, Emily was there, and naked. She was basically a giant naked lady. Sir Topham Hatt quickly and for Emily's sake, looked away as soon as he caught a glimpse of her body, coughing with embarrassment "Ahem! Erm...hello, Emily" he coughed.

"Oh, hello, Sir!"

Sir Topham Hatt knew this was gonna be a long week...

To be continued...

[hiscrookedsaint]

𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

#: 𝐈

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Kaz x fem!reader

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Y/N stumbles upon a once in a lifetime opportunity. One where she can change everything in her life. She meets the Crows, and begins to have feelings for the darkest one out of the crew.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3584

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Blood, gore, mentions of injury & mentions of death.

𝐀/𝐍: I apologize ahead for any spelling or grammar errors! Thank you for taking the time to read this fic I've been working hard on. :)

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

~𝒀/𝑵~

Ketterdam. City of the Damned. One may say that you haven't experienced all of Kerch until you've been here, and they're right.

The gambling, pleasure houses, and gangs had shaped the city into what it is today. I ended up here in the first place because I went on a boat from Ravka when I was only 15.

I was running from something, but I couldn't remember what. Whatever it is, it was buried deep inside me and is clawing to get out. My memories from my childhood seem hazy, only a blur of what I could recollect.

Whatever I was running from was waiting for an event to trigger it, just like a trap.

My 'unique' and 'different' powers had been a part of me since I could remember, even at a young age. I learned the hard way of what I am capable of.

The hard way was in experiencing the death of a few animals in my pre-teen years.

Now, it was nighttime, the prime of Ketterdam. Everyone was awake and going out to clubs, pleasure houses, bars, and whatever entertained them at night.

My hideout was in the abandoned part of a District with a not-remarkable name—the less known, the better. It wasn't far from the general stores I visited frequently for my goods, as I did earlier in the evening.

I tugged on my pocket and pulled a paper from my bag. It was a small job listing on a secret bulletin board I had gotten earlier in a hidden corner of Ketterdam. A board only the sharp-minded knew where to go, like a mind game.

The job listing was to find someone in particular, intentions unknown, but whatever paid well.

I began my walk by going to most of the gambling places that the Dime Lions owned. Looking at the paper in my hand, I feel someone bump into me—a clumsy mistake on my part.

I fall to the ground and see that they're to the left of me—someone with a bowler hat and two pistols in their holsters. I look at the hand offered to me and look up at him.

I realize my anxiousness of being unaware of my surroundings. He wouldn't want to be seen with a freak like me, even if he meant good intentions. I grab the paper and run off, not wanting his attention.

I push through the crowds, ignoring the heavy heartbeats coming out of my chest. I'm more worried about getting back to my hideout safely.

After passing the Crow Club, I turned right on an alleyway to catch my breath. I look both ways before removing my hood and crawling underneath one of the wagons to my underground hideout.

I jump down from the ladder and set the paper on my desk. Sitting on my makeshift bed, I take out everything I could pick up.

Some medicine, bread, and small decorations for my hideout.

I put everything away and looked at the job listing I had snatched earlier. I set the paper on the floor and sat in front of it.

My hands are on my side, and I slowly move my fingers and close my eyes, wrists facing upwards. I concentrate on the name on the paper.

Alastair Den Ouden.

I am taken to one of the higher-end gambling places in Ketterdam—one owned by someone who had a lot of play money and held power in Ketterdam. The environment around me and everyone is a very slowed-down blur. Time is moving very little, almost still. Their outfits and hair colors blur in the background, letting me focus on finding the person I need to complete this job.

Glancing around, I see someone who isn't blurred. That must be him. I slowly walk around the people and examine what he's wearing.

He wore a maroon jacket, a silver hat, black slacks, and big rings on his fingers, which mainly contained particular gemstones.

Emerald, topaz, opal, and alexandrite. It must have a personal meaning.

I walked closer to examine what would make this Alastair stand out. His hair was dirty blonde with one grey stripe on his left side and a beard just enough to make him be passed as a distinguished businessman—a trader of sorts.

It made sense why they wanted to find him. I snapped back to reality and felt something off. I looked around to make sure I was clear, but the second I moved, a blur ran in front of me.

I get up and back up to my wall. "What the hell? Show yourself!" Someone with a hood and face mask comes by my desk and sets down a knife in front of themselves.

"I'm not here for trouble." They pull off their concealment, and it's someone I've heard of before. The Wraith. She looks stunning.

The Wraith continues, "I'm here to seek you out and possibly offer an opportunity you may be interested in." I look down and cross my arms. I nod my head for her to continue.

"How would you feel about joining a part of a group I am in?" "I work alone. I don't like associating with groups, gangs, or anything of the sort."

"I saw you do that job."

I turn my head around and look at her. "Okay, Wraith, what do you know about me?" I ask. "You can find people without moving. It's awe-inspiring. I've been watching you for a few weeks. If I had come here on business terms, I wouldn't have been alone," she says.

"Y/N." She raises a brow. "Please, call me Y/N." I walk over to her and sense that I can trust her. I give her a reassuring half smile, and she returns it with a smirk.

"Inej. You know, people call you a Catalyst on the streets. But you're mostly a rumor, almost a myth. Small talk discussed among the people who seem like you could benefit this city."

I laugh and walk around the room. "I mean, it does have a nice ring to it." I see Inej pick up the knife on the floor and put it back on one of her holsters.

"If you don't mind me inquiring, are you Grisha?" I shake my head and offer her a cup of water. "Failed every test as a kid." I showed her the scar that the Grisha testers poked with on my dominant hand. They were convinced I was Grisha, Ana Kuya let the testers poke me like I was their lab rat.

I continued. "With my eyes, they thought it was a genetic trait, which is what I went with. Inej, I would like to tell you more about who I am and what I could do, but I need security."

I pull out a chair for her with my powers, sliding just before my bed. Inej sits down and adjusts her posture to listen closely to what I have to say. "If I tell you, you won't tell a soul... right?"

She clutches something on her hood and says, "I swear on it." My glance at the object around her neck reassures me. She brings her true intentions to this possible future arrangement.

"I have no label for what I am, and I enjoy having that. Knowing that there is no one else like me is comforting. My abilities are closest to Grisha's power, but I never call myself that. The orphanage I grew up in was small. But I would always practice my powers outside by myself, alone. I started around age nine truly harnessing what I am, and no one else would see."

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "Finding people, moving things, breaking things, and making others see what I tell their mind to, is what I specialize in. Sometimes, I crave to belong with other people." I finish. Inej says, "The opportunity I have can aide you in your cravings."

I cross my legs and put a hand on my chin. "The people I am associated with, the one who runs the Crow Club, helped me. He allowed me not to be held back anymore."

I peek my head up in interest, and Inej continues. "I can have you meet him now."

"How long does this opportunity stay open for me, Inej? It is something that is a limited offer or can I decide at a later date?" Inej flicks with one of her knives in her hands, a simple trick.

"The sooner, the better. Meet me in the club by tonight. I'll be waiting to help. But... the choice is up to you, Catalyst."

She disappears in haste, and I sigh. What if this is a sign? It is a sign for me to take this new opportunity and explore the... unexplored.

I grab my handheld mirror and look at my eyes. There's no way this group would accept me. My use could be exploited for power or it could be good for me. I mean... look at me. I don't look Otkazat'sya or like Grisha.

A freak that wasn't supposed to be made for this world. Someone cursed.

~Inej~

The Crow Club was the next destination for me. After finding out more about Y/N, Kaz would want to know. Being able to find people without moving is especially impressive. I see she could be what Kerch needs—a saint of their own.

But I wouldn't let Kaz know about the personal details she told me. I swore to her I would only help. Like me, Y/N has a lot of potential, and I can empathize with and help her.

The rain hits hard, and I sneak into where Kaz would be now. I get in the room just fine and see him doing something at the table.

"Hello, Inej. What information do you have for me tonight?" He asks. "A lead on a job. A big one. Enough money to change lives."

"It doesn't take much to change someone's life in the Barrel." Now for the fun part. "A million kruge?"

I see Kaz's interest shift with his posture. Kaz asks, "What's the name?" "Dreesen. A wealthy merchant." "Dreesen. I've heard of him. He could afford it. The question is, what's worth a million kruge to him?"

I continue. "He's looking for a crew willing to cross the Fold into East Ravka and bring back something." "The Fold? Well, of course, certain death pays a million. He didn't say what he wants nicked?"

"No. But he's taking meetings tonight, starting at midnight." Kaz turns around and looks at me. "Tell me you followed him." He phrases this more as a statement than a question.

I say, "He brought someone in from a ship. Took a way back to his house in the Garden District to avoid attention. I would've followed him inside, but Dreesen's hired some private security. I would have had use to my knives to get closer."

Kaz says, "Private security. Anyone we know?" "A Zemeni man. I think his name is Tendo. You know him?"

Kaz nods. "Yeah. He gambled at one of Pekka's clubs. So I won't have leverage on him. But Pekka will." He goes into his office room, and I follow.

"Kaz, I got this lead from one of the girls at the Menagerie. But I met someone that could help us, someone not from the Menagerie."

Y/N has recently helped me see something in myself that our crew needs.

"I only invest in one of a kind. Now, tell me about them. Are they like you?"

I pull down my hood before continuing. "She is one like a Grisha, but not simultaneously. She can remotely find people without moving an inch, and she can move and break things without summoning like a normal Grisha. Y/-She can manipulate minds to see what she wants them to or spin fears in their mind to annihilate them. The girl doesn't need to connect her hands to do this."

Kaz pauses and looks down at the desk. "Let me guess. She's the Catalyst." I nod my head. "People think she's only a myth, but if you found her and tracked her... Then that's our well-needed advantage."

I smirk in victory. "So? What's our move now?" I ask. Kaz gazes at the newly acquired painting. The De Kappel. "You're the one of us who believes in a higher power. If we're going to survive a round trip through the Fold, we'll need a miracle or two—and the Catalyst."

Before I leave the room, I add to his comment. "She may be here in the club right now. A curious mind she is."

I leave to walk downstairs into the leading entertainment. I see glowing eyes come in and walk over to Y/N.

"So you did arrive." She nods and looks surprised and uncertain about the environment around her. I add, "I told the person who helped me about you. He seems interested."

Y/N furrows her brows together and looks around the room. Like a kid in a candy store. "So this is... the Crow Club."

~Y/N~

I turn around to see she's gone. She's good at that. Many tables had gambling games going on. I gazed at the playing cards, an insignia unique to this club, not standard like the others.

With the amount of different clubs and gambling places I have been in, this one seems the most interesting. It seems as if the atmosphere is pulling me in, wanting to know everything about the Crow Club.

A bar was the center of attention, and the space layout was adequate. I looked around my surroundings and saw a variety of people and cultures. The guy I ran into on the street sat at one of the tables.

I hear small thuds of a metal cane from my right and look over. They're wearing an all business outfit with a matching hat. My senses were going off in all directions.

I turn around to see his features more clearly. His eyes were a dark mahogany brown, his brown hair similar to the color of mocha.

His scent had a hint of coffee, and ink. But it mostly was an amber scent with a small bit of cedar that could drown me any day. I try to let my senses calm down again, and not distract myself from the handsome guy in front of me.

He immediately comes up to me and shows no expression or emotion. I feel an odd feeling down my spine and into my stomach. It gave me chills, the good kind. "You must be the Catalyst." I nod and reply, "You must be 'the one in charge.'"

He nods and motions his cane toward where we're walking. He starts the walk, and I quietly follow behind him.

We go into a quiet hallway, then into an office space. He sits in his extravagant chair just before his desk, and I stand before in front of him, needing answers.

Besides the alias of 'the Catalyst,' what do you go by?" He asks. "Y/N. Y/N Khaosa. And I would appreciate knowing your name because it seems you need something from me. Trust goes both ways."

He examines my expression before responding. "Kaz. Kaz Brekker."

~Kaz~

From the moment I laid eyes on Y/N, I had a feeling arise from my chest and into my face. Her indigo eyes were alluring, but looked dark enough to be considered as bastardly as I am.

Her outfit wasn't too revealing like many of the women wore in this district. It was simple, yet practical. Y/N knew how to perfectly balance business and her power, yet I am intrigued to find out more about it.

Her perspective on this city and the way she handled things was opposite of mine, but all similar at the same time.

She brought me a feeling that made the waters tide aggressive within me. I'd have to find balance if I want to know about her and keep my sanity at the same time.

~Y/N~

Even his name brought me butterflies in my stomach. "Inej told me the things you can do. A Grisha cannot do more than half of those things because they need a connection to manipulate an element. Yours sounds like it comes from within yourself, not needing something existing to manipulate. I'd say I'm quite impressed a diamond in the rough like you are out in Ketterdam."

Inej was honest. She is trying to help me. Kaz sends me a very faint half-smile.

I find a chair in the corner and motion my fingers. It goes in front of his desk, and I take a seat. I add, "What I've learned is that my mind fuels my powers. I was born with these abilities and harnessing them with my mind is how I control them."

Kaz's expression shifts. "It explains those jobs that you did." I never mentioned the jobs, not even to Inej. She only saw me do one. I gaze at Kaz and smirk. "Tell me about these 'jobs' then, Kaz."

"I've been putting small jobs on a hidden board in a corner of Ketterdam. Only smart-minded ones can find this board. They have all been completed within a fast, reasonable time."

Kaz was lurking me out of the shadows. "But I've noticed one thing with you, Y/N. You need their full name to find them, but I haven't heard much of your other ability."

"Making one see what I convince them? It's not how it sounds." I slightly laugh and stand up. "From my understanding, I can only engage in one person's mind at a time. Possibly more minds if I can grow my power. I can make them see their worst fears, happiest memories, or anything I choose for them to see."

I concentrated on Kaz's mind and made him see me with different-colored eyes—hazel eyes instead of my vibrant indigo-colored eyes.

"I see," he says. I let go of my concentration and paced around the room. I continued, "But my ability to find others takes a bit of concentration. I have to be in a safe spot and motionless to harness that power—a concentrated trance if you say."  

Kaz stands up, grabbing his cane. "Impressive. Now, tell me where Inej Ghafa is."

I get out of my chair and sit on the floor. I cross my legs and let my wrists face up on my side. I close my eyes and see the blurred, dark environment around me.

I see Inej sneaking through the streets of Ketterdam. Time is still, and the place she is looking at is the Menagerie, owned by Tante Heleen. A place that has a dark history and a rabbit hole of a business to run.

I open my eyes to get out of my trance and say, "Over on the West Stave. Looking at the Menagerie." I stand up and look at Kaz to flash a half-smirk at him.

His expression gave an impressed look, but was still debating if my intentions were genuine.

He slowly walks closer to me, and I look at him. Kaz says, "We're doing a big job, one that would make history. I want to know if you're in. This doesn't mean you're a part of my crows, my crew. You have to earn that title by impressing me."

I answer, "Sure. I love myself a good challenge." His smirk turns into a confusing grin. "Just like that?" I sigh. "I have nothing else better to do, or know anyone else in Ketterdam, and it gives me a reason to go see beyond this damned city. I never really caught the gossip of businesses, power kings, or gangs all here."

"Stay here, don't snoop," he says. Kaz walks out of the office and back downstairs, maybe to get his other bird. Who knows. I sit back in my chair, and after a few minutes of waiting, Kaz returns with the funny hat guy and Inej.

He points and asks, "Is this the Catalyst?" I nod and cross my arms. "I prefer to go by Y/N. And you are?" "Jesper, it's a pleasure to meet you." He smiles a flashy grin, and I smile back in response. Jesper grabs a chair and sits with us.

Inej does the same and gives me a gleeful look in her eyes. Is she glad I joined, or? Kaz sits in the master chair and begins.

"Now, we have an opportunity for a job. Dreesen offers the first crew one million kruge to cross the Fold into East Ravka and bring something back. Not specifying what to bring back is suspicious, but this is the Fold."

Jesper's eyes widen, and he flashes a grin. "How soon does he need a crew, Kaz?" "He's taking meetings at midnight, and word will spread for the job before everyone else figures it out. Y/N will be joining us to prove her loyalty and trust. She will be a valuable asset for this job." he says.

Inej asks, "Do you have any contacts?" "I have a few, but we need to start now." The three all get up from their chairs and begin to walk out. I quietly follow behind and observe.

I feel a tingling feeling in my chest, one I can't decipher what it means. But before I follow the rest of the crew, I look back at myself in the mirror before catching up.

This is my new beginning.

[triptuckers]

lost and found - ezra bridger

Request: nope Pairing:  ezra bridger x jedi!reader Summary:  along with the remainder of the ghost crew and ahsoka, you're trying to find ezra Warnings:  HEAVY SPOILERS FOR AHSOKA S1!!! im warning u dont read this if u havent seen all of it yet Word count:  1.1K A/N: I survived the war (im posting fics again) but at what cost (brainrot has taken over)

your music is blaring through the speakers of your ship as you're working. though your ship isn't in need of any repairs, you're always finding new modifications and additions to upgrade it. at this rate, it's unrecognisable as the ship you once got from a sketchy dealer on an outer rim planet.

working on your ship is also a way to distract yourself. when you're focused on working with your hands, your mind doesn't wander off.

it doesn't wander off to hera and jacen aboard the ghost. it doesn't wander off to sabine and ahsoka on her T-6 shuttle. but mostly, it doesn't wander off to ezra. you try not to think about the fact hera is on an unauthorised mission, that you haven't heard from sabine and ahsoka in a while which is unlike them, and that you feel like you're not even a little bit closer to finding ezra.

even though you haven't seen him for years, you refuse to believe he's gone. you tell yourself you would simply know if he didn't make it. before you lost him, the two of you shared a strong bond in the force. you figured if something had happened to him, you would have felt it.

but after all of these years, it's hard to hold on to hope. you really want to. but at some point logic has to take over.

though recently, hope has sparked in you yet again. with the map ahsoka found, the chances of finding ezra have increased. you are optimistic again.

but the search hasn't been without danger. even now, you're worried.

which is why you're working on your ship. otherwise you'd just pace around or stare off into the distance with your mind running around in circles getting lost in the "what ifs".

a faint beeping sounds pulls you out of your thoughts. you get up from your position underneath one of the main consoles and get your comm.

'general syndulla for commander y/l/n.' comes hera's voice.

'go for commander y/l/n.' you say.

'hey y/n, where are you right now?'

'just working on my ship in the main hangar back on base.'

'new modifications again?'

'yeah, yeah, I know. "a good ship doesn't need modifications." well, I like them. the ghost could use some upgrades as well, you know.'

'no thank you, my ship is perfectly fine.'

you chuckle as you wipe your hands on your pants.

'have you heard from sabine and ahsoka yet?' you say. 'and when are you coming home from this unauthorised mission?'

'sabine and ahsoka are alright, we're actually on our way now. and we have some news regarding ezra.' says hera.

'you have news on ezra?' you say, unable to hide the relief in your voice. 'do you know how to find him? or where he is? is he okay?'

'we'll talk about it in person. we should be arriving soon.' says hera.

'I'll wait for you.'

'see you soon.'

hera disconnects her comm, leaving you alone with the music again. your mind is racing. they have news on ezra. you knew it, he's still out there somewhere. you're sure of it.

you quickly put the panel of the main console back and tidy up your tools. just as you pause your music and exit your ship, you see the ghost and ahsoka's T-6 shuttle getting closer to the hangar.

you anxiously await them, watching as they carefully land. the shuttle door opens and sabine and ahsoka come out of it.

sabine smiles as you half walk, half run up to them and pull them both into a hug.

'I'm so glad you guys are safe.' you say. 'it scared the shit out of me when I couldn't contact you.'

'we're alright.' says ahsoka, patting you on the back.

you pull back to look at them. they both look tired, but other than that they seem fine. sabine has a twinkle in her eyes and smile on her face.

'what is it?' you say. 'do you know something about ezra?'

'yeah.' says sabine. 'but hera should tell you.'

she points to the ghost, where hera has just exited the ship. jacen follows her, but is looking over his shoulder and talking to someone. at first, you assume it's merely chopper.

but as they walk further down, you see it's not chopper at all. it's a young man. he's wearing colourful robes and has a beard and curly hair.

it doesn't matter he's older than he is in your memories. it doesn't matter he still has the same eyes and the same scar on his cheek. it doesn't matter something in the force tugs on you so strongly, as if it has found its home.

none of it matters, because you would know him anywhere, in any universe, no matter who you are.

ezra. your ezra. talking with jacen as if nothing had ever happened. he's here, he's alive.

a sob escapes your mouth as you take off.

'ezra!' you yell.

you don't even bother to hide the tears as they stream down your cheeks. after all this time, he's finally here.

for a brief second you see his smile before you crash into him. you wrap your arms around his neck and bury your face in his neck, holding him impossibly close. you're never going to let him go.

words fail you as you just cry into his shoulder.

you feel ezra's arms around your back and get lost in the feeling. it's all so painfully familiar, as if no time had passed at all. yet you know everything has happened since the last time you saw him.

you slightly pull away to look at him.

ezra is smiling at you just like he did all those years ago. though he's older, he's still the same. still the same kid you met on the streets of lothal.

you reach out and brush a finger over the scar on his cheek.

'you're here.' you say breathlessly.

'I am.' he says.

you'd heard his voice in your dreams and memories and the recording sabine still has. but this is different. it means everything and more to you.

'you're as beautiful as the day I lost you.' you whisper.

'I dreamed of this day.' says ezra. 'thought about all the things I would say to you. it all seemed so simple. but now? I have no idea. nothing seems like the right thing to say.'

'but it is simple.' you say. 'I love you.'

ezra smiles even brighter. 'I love you too.' he says. 'I always knew I would see you again. we have a lot of catching up to do.'

you smile as ezra leans in and kisses your forehead. you'd finally found each other again.

A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rulesHere’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Max/Marit

[wonnieluv]

Dancing With My Star

Yeonjun x f!reader DWTS AU

best friends to lovers

Summary: You are a professional on Dancing with the Stars and this season you’re paired with the charming and talented Choi Yeonjun who you may or may not have a past with.

Warnings: not really much romance but I’m thinking of a part 2 if anyone would be interested in that!

࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎

You are now standing in a dance studio anxiously awaiting your dance partner for the season. You’re a coach on the dancing competition show ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and today is the day you meet the celebrity you’ll be dancing with for a few months.

“That is if he’s any good” you think to yourself.

Your thoughts are interrupted with the door to the studio opening. You hear his voice first as he greats the staff, a shiver goes down your spine as the memories all come flashing back to you.

Choi Yeonjun was nothing short of your best friend. You two haven’t known each other for too long but after meeting at your dance studio, the two of you immediately hit it off. You two loved staying extra after classes and messing around, creating your own stupid choreographies with laughter bouncing off the studio walls until your parents had to drag you home.

“What if we never see each other again?” Your 9-year-old self asks with tears in your eyes as you watch your best friend get ready to move across the ocean. The sun was just barely rising as they had an early flight to catch.

“Don’t be silly” he laughs, not wanting you to know how sad he is “I’ll make sure to come back for you”

“Promise?” You ask through sniffles

“Pinky promise” he says as he interlocks his finger with yours.

“When you miss me look at the sky” he said. “When I come back to you I’ll appear when the sun sets since I’m leaving when the sun rises. I’m like the moon, but waaaaaaay cooler ofc”

And that made perfect sense in both of your little 9-year-old brains. You haven’t seen Yeonjun since he left the United States 16 years ago. You always had him in the back of your mind. Even as you grew up, made new friends, even got your first boyfriend, apart of you still waited for the day he returned to you. That is up until you found out he would be debuting in a Kpop group of course. That day you vowed that you’d always support him and his group but you’d give up on the thought of him coming back to you.

“Sometimes kids make promises they don’t realize can’t be kept.” Your mom would say.

“Y/n…?” His voice broke you out of your trance.

You smiled trying to recover from the initial shock you just went through

“It’s so nice to meet you” you say as you give him an awkward hug. “This season is gonna be so fun!”

He looks shocked, almost a slight pain laced in his expression as you pretend you don’t know him but it’s quickly wiped away as he follows along smiling fondly at you.

The rest of your initial meeting and practice went as smoothly as it could’ve gone. As soon as the camera crew left you to continue practicing on your own you quickly excused yourself to the bathroom.

You don’t know how much time you spent in there doing a mixture of panicking, splashing water on your face, and lightly slapping yourself but you realized you’d better get back to him soon otherwise you’ll start to seem suspicious.

As you enter the room you see him look up from whatever he was scrolling through on his phone

“Should we continue?” You ask lightly

“Mmm” he hums in agreement joining you to pick up where you left off.

The rest of the practice went smoothly and before you knew it the two of you were packing up to leave.

“Y/n” Yeonjun says just as you go to grab the door handle to exit the studio making you pause your actions.

“…I know it took me so long” he starts. Now facing you from the other side of the room. “…but I did keep my promise in the end… didn’t I?”

You were speechless. You had a feeling he remembered you but you thought he had forgotten about the promise he had made you that day.

“I don’t know what to say…” you say looking down at your shoes.

The silence was almost suffocating. Neither of you knowing exactly what to say.

“You know I used to sit on the steps once a week” you started finally gaining the courage to look at him. “I would watch the sun fall imagining that once it touched the horizon you’d be there running at me like you used to.” He stayed silent as you continued

“I would cry when it was cloudy because that meant you wouldn’t be coming back that day and I didn’t want to wait any longer.”

He doesn’t say anything as he crosses the room and pulls you into his embrace. You froze almost not expecting it. The light squeeze of his muscular arms around you made you come back to reality and reciprocate his embrace.

“I missed you stinky” you chuckled

“Moment ruined shithead” he lets go of you but not quite moving away.

“What are you doing here Yeonjun” you ask lightly looking him in the eyes.

“I had to find a way to see you and this was all I could think of” he sheepishly says as he scratches the back of his neck. “I thought it would be fun making up dances the ah we used to.” He stares back into your eyes something deeper there this time.

“I’d watch every episode, every YouTube video, TikTok, whatever” he starts. “I couldn’t believe you were all grown up. My little shithead dancing with guys that weren’t me. I couldn’t help but be jealous.” You almost blushed a bit. He was jealous you were dancing with other guys?

“Oh so now you had to dance with me on national TV to get a point a cross. You’re such a fucking beta” you snort

“You wound me y/n.” He clutches his chest as you push him off of you.

He moves back to go collect his stuff.

“Yeonjun…” you start

“Hmm?” He looks back at you.

“Movie night at my place” you say as you leave without giving him any time to say anything. Leaving the studio with your heart full excited for the months to come you know you’d be desperate this season so you can dance with him as much as possible.

࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎࿎

I kinda want to continue this since I felt it would be too much for just one post so I hope y’all like this ♡

[amazingmsme]

What? It’s Ironic

AN: still playing catch up, so here’s day 21 with the Superman crew! They’re all such goofballs, I love them! There’s a severe lack of fics for this fandom, so I’m here to fix that! Hope y’all enjoy!

It was finally Halloween, and Clark had been hyping up his costume for the whole month. At this point, his friends were just dying to know what it was, as he'd been sure to keep it a secret.

Lois and Jimmy anxiously waited in the living room as he got changed, each in their own costumes. Jimmy was dressed like someone from the Matrix, complete with sunglasses and a black leather duster. He sat on the couch, leg bouncing in anticipation as he scrolled on his phone. Lois was your typical witch, wearing a black dress with a purple and black lace witch's hat. The layers of jewelry she has on jingles softly as she paced the room.

"Okay Smallville, I know it doesn't take that long to change clothes," Lois called through the door as she gave a light knock.

"Just gimme a sec! It's a little snug, but I've almost got it on!"

Jimmy stifled a laugh from his spot on the couch. "Okay, now I've gotta see!"

"Okay, close your eyes!"

"Come out already!"

"Just do it!"

"Ugh, fine," she groaned playfully before covering her eyes.

"Are they closed?"

"Yes!"

"Jimmy?"

"Yes dude! Just come out so we can see you!"

They heard the bedroom door creak open.

"Ta-da!"

They immediately looked to see what epic costume he'd been working on all month long, only to stare blankly in confusion.

It was a Superman costume. A really bad Superman costume.

"Well?" he asked, smile stretching from ear to ear. He held his arms out to his sides, giving a proud spin. The sleeves were straining around his large biceps, testing the seams for all they're worth. He wore bright blue leggings that were more like high waters, and over that he wore a red pair of Fruit of the Loom underwear. A badly drawn Superman logo was safety-pinned to the front of his shirt, and a red blanket was tied around his shoulders.

"It's..." Lois started, unsure whether she should laugh and hiding her smile behind her hand.

"You look ridiculous! This is what you've been working on?" Jimmy exclaimed. Clark grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"What? I thought it was funny!" he defended his choice. Jimmy smirked.

"Well congrats, 'cause you look hilarious!" he teased, shooting finger guns at his friend.

Now that she knew it was intentionally bad, she couldn't help but laugh. "Oho my God, could you find a smaller shirt?" she asked, walking closer to get a better look. She circled him, looking him up and down, clearly amused. "Those pants look like they were painted on," she chuckled.

"Yeah, I was kinda going for a "kid who grew out of last year's costume" kinda look," he admitted.

"You know what? I see it," she tilted her head to get a better angle, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, it's got a homemade, nostalgic vibe to it," Jimmy agreed.

"Heh, thanks. At first I wasn't sure what- AH!" Clark interrupted himself with a yelp when he felt a poke to his side. "Hehey, what was that for?"

"You got a hole in your shirt, riiiight here," she struck again, this time scribbling against the small patch of bare skin. He barked out a laugh and twisted away, right into Jimmy. Since when was he standing there?

"Well dohohon't make it worse!" he cried out, trying to gently pry her hand out of the now larger hole. Clark shrieked when he felt squeezing on his other side, his laughter growing full and steady.

"Don't worry Lois, I was with him when he bought it and he got like, five back up pairs," Jimmy explained, granting permission to ruin the shirt.

"Ihit was only four! They were hahahaving aha sale!" he tried to justify his purchase through giggles.

“Glad you came prepared! Now I don’t have to feel guilty about doing this!” she made her point by plunging her entire hand through the small hole, stretching it enough to fit her arm inside. She reached around to scribble his bare stomach, relishing it the squeal that left his lips.

Clark could do nothing but stand there and laugh while his friends had their fun picking him apart. But if he were being honest, he was having just as much fun.

Halloween always came with at least one trick.

[adashoflavendermelancholy]

Halloween Nightmare

Ace hated this. He couldn’t sleep, and when he did, there was nothing but nightmares waiting for him. None of his usual tricks working in the slightest. Not getting up for a minute. Not using a small fire to look around to see that it was just a dream. Even changing where he was sleeping wasn’t working. With a defeated sigh, he knew sleep wasn’t happening tonight. Sitting up, he tried to blink the blurry vision away. Stepping out of his room and making his way to the kitchen to try making something to help him sleep. Maybe if he was lucky, he would have a sleep attack. It wouldn’t be fun, but it was better than being sleep deprived.

The kitchen wasn’t as empty as he thought it would be. Thatch and Marco were talking in hushed tones. Thatch making something on the stove while they talked. Marco turned, knowing that Ace was there. “Hey, what are you doing up?” He asked.

Ace blinked, a little too tired to deal with this. “Had a nightmare and can’t get back to sleep.” Ace said, taking a seat next to them. It was a really simple thing. Something he would deal with.

“Want some hot milk?” Thatch asked, looking up at him. Ace nodded, not sure how that would help, but it was better than nothing. Thatch smiled, “So what did you dream about?”

Marco was looking at Ace, so he figured they were asking him. “Nothing big, just spiders.”

“Spiders?” Thatch asked, blinking. “Didn’t take you for the sort to be scared of them.”

“I’m not. But, when you are laying down unable to move and hundreds come out of the woodwork to start crawling all over you…” Ace said, thinking back to the nightmare. The first spider wasn’t that big of a deal. It crawled onto his arm, then up over his chest to the other arm. When the next showed up, it wasn’t as easy. It was crawling towards his face. On to his face, each furry leg tapping his face before moving the next. Ace shivered.

“Sounds terrible.” Marco said, not liking the sound of it.

Ace nodded, “Thatch, what are you making?”

The other smiled. “I’m making us a drink right now. But, I plan on making a bunch of sweets in the coming days. It’s almost Halloween, after all.”

“Halloween…” Ace whined, putting his head on the counter. He forgot about Halloween. It’s the worst time of year.

Don’t get Ace wrong. He loved it, all the candy and decorations. It was just that all the decorations and scary movies did not help him sleep. His narcolepsy taking notes and ideas from the movies and shows. Coming up with new ways to have his parálisis demons to attack him. If not that, then all the weird dreams that came from them. Forget about sleeping, Ace was too hipped up on all the anxiousness of the season to relax. Then when he was up and walking to get something, the shadowy monster that is stuck to the wall looks too real and Ace jumps. If he doesn’t outright punch the thing.

“Something wrong with Halloween.” Marco asked, shifting to stand up. Ace is still new to them. Not wanting to start fights between the crew and him.

Ace shook his head at the counter. It looked more like he was rolling it from side to side. “No, it’s fine. Just a rough time for sleeping.”

“Do you get easily scared?” Thatch asked, taking back his words the moment they fell from his lips. “Not scared, I mean… I don’t know the word.”

“No really. My Narcolepsy just likes to make my life hell. It takes pleasure out of the new ideas it gets from Halloween to torment me.” Ace muttered, not caring that he hadn’t yet told them about that. Not wanting to be kicked off the ship for his illness.

“Narcolepsy?” Marco asked, sounding a little shocked. “I thought that just makes you pass out from time to time?”

Ace looked up, glaring a little. Not at Marco, but the idea that all he was doing was passing out. “No, it’s more. I have nightmares more than not. I can’t sleep at night, which makes me tired. Which makes me pass out. Then there are the times when I wake up but can’t move. Those are fun. The parálisis monsters that show up and stare at me aren’t fun either. But they aren’t the worst, unless it’s Halloween. Then they start moving about like the movies and shows.” Ace whined. He hated this. Why did the world hate him so much? Wasn’t his father’s blood enough of a punishment?

Thatch blinked. “Thinking back, didn’t your crew share a room?”

Ace blinked. “Yeah.” He wasn’t sure where Thatch was going with this, but he hoped it wasn’t to make fun of him. People thought it was strange that Ace slept with the crew, especially because he was a captain.

“You could share with someone for the season if you want. I wouldn’t mind you sleeping in my room. If you don’t mind me getting up early to make breakfast.” Thatch said he couldn’t take it away, but he could help a bit.

Ace thought about it. It was easier to sleep when he could hear someone else in the room. Probably having to do with the way he grew up. Ace couldn’t remember a time when he slept in his own room. Other than on the Moby, and during the brief period of time, he didn’t have a crew. After that, he always had people around. “Yeah, I would like that.”

“That settles it. You can sleep in my room,” Thatch said, smiling. He handed him a cup of warm milk and took a seat next to him.

Marco sat down, lost in thought. He would have to look into Narcolepsy more. Maybe there was something more they could do for their youngest brother. “Oh, and Ace. You can wake me up any time. I’ll make you a snack.” Thatch added, happy to be able to help his family. No matter how large they grew to be.

[snowbellewells]

HAPPY (One Day Late) BIRTHDAY KRYSTAL!!!

(I really wanted to get this posted on @kmomof4's actual birthday - I've only been trying to get this going since I promised it LAST YEAR! But you have been very patient, Krystal, and here at last is the story I'm working on for your birthday gift. Seeing as you wrote a beautiful CS AU of the Bridgerton book which is a bit of a Cinderella story, and since I've been mulling a bit of a Killian-as-the-Cinderella-character fic for some time, I've mashed that idea together with several of your mentioned fave tropes and characters/relationships from OuaT. I'm not going to list it all here. Hopefully, it will lead to more pleasantly melty surprises as we go. ;p I'll try not to keep you waiting too long between updates - and I have no idea how many chapters there will end up being. I first thought a really long one shot, then a two shot, but Killian and his fairy godmother (and Liam!) were excessively chatty, and it just kept getting longer and longer! I realize Emma isn't in it much yet, but we'll start with her next time.)

I hope you enjoy, Krystal!! I'm so glad we are friends!!!

Also available on AO3 if that is your preference...

"Dreams That You Wish Will Come True"

by: @snowbellewells

Chapter One

“But Liam,” a breathless young Killian Jones argued stubbornly, “why are you dragging me to the galley? You know all I have to get done before the Captain returns…” Swiping the shaggy dark hair back from where it hung in his eyes, long past needing a trim, the young man cringed at the sound of his own wheedling tone. Gritting his teeth and flexing his hands in frustration, Killian chided himself for questioning his elder brother’s direction and sounding like the bloody nuisance he knew he must be to Liam - strong and wise and nearly grown now. At barely seventeen, and with little experience beyond that of an indentured deckhand on a ramshackle pirate ship, what right or knowledge did he have to be so stubborn, especially not with Liam, who had only ever looked out for his best interests?

Sure enough, exasperated, Liam shook his head before responding with a huff, “Can you not just do what I say, Little Brother? For once? You’ll see in a moment.”

By this time, they had traversed the length of the ship below deck, and they stood outside the galley. They paused briefly, with Killian biting down on his tongue to prevent asking again if Liam was sure about what they were doing. To his wide-eyed astonishment, Liam raised a hand to rap his knuckles in a specific rhythm on the door that separated Cook’s domain from the dimly-lit hall. His brother gave him a bit of a wink, more mischief in it than his serious elder sibling, burdened with far too much responsibility for his years, usually showed. Curious now, Killian waited wordlessly with him until footsteps could be heard drawing nearer on the other side.

When the door was opened to them, Killian was perplexed over again as he and Liam were beckoned inward and the door closed behind them once more. Within the room, illuminated softly by a hanging lantern and a few candles scattered throughout, he saw that, not only Cook, but several of the crewmen of the Merry Rogue, had gathered in the small, already overwarm, and easily crowded room in which they took their meals. Killian was usually on his feet serving. Silver would allow nothing less from his “kitchen maid” as he often tauntingly dubbed Killian, hoping to stoke the fiery temper the young lad tried to check so he could then see him lashed for insubordination. It was only well after the others had cleared off that he and Cook could sit and take their own repast. However, those gathered now had secretive smiles and anxiously pleased looks on their faces. Killian noted easily that none of the more hateful crew members were present; neither those who ordered him about loftily, mocking him and sending him scurrying back and forth for items they didn’t really need throughout the meal, nor the cruel bosun who would stick a foot out to trip him, then cuff him for spilling and wasting food. Instead, gathered before him were the softer hearted men - perhaps misfits on the ship themselves at some earlier time before he and Liam were indentured to the vessel - who had often shown him bits of kindness and understanding when they could manage.

In spite of his earlier misgivings, he was intrigued and couldn’t help asking Cook this time, though Liam was still nearby. “What is going on here?”

The older man merely smiled kindly, motioning Killian further into the room, until he stood near its center. “You’ll soon see, lad,” Cook coaxed gently, turning to riffle through a burlap sack laid out on the galley table before offering his prize to Killian. “We’ve something to give you for the evening’s festivities.”

“Wh- what are you on about?” Killian’s brow puckered in confusion as he looked at what appeared to be a pile of folded cloth in his older friend’s hands, and at the eagerly expectant faces gathered around to watch. “Festivities? Me? I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about…”

He was shaking his head as words failed him, not sure how to deal with the puzzle before him, when he sensed Liam at his back, solid and strong. His elder brother placed a comforting hand on Killian’s shoulder and leaned in to murmur quietly in his ear. “Come now, Killy, you have to have seen the banners posted all over port for the gala at the castle, in honor of the Princess Emma’s birthday. It’s tonight.”

Killian sputtered indignantly as Liam nudged him in the side and nodded toward the stack of fine material Cook was still holding out to him. “Aye, of course I have, but - but what does that have to do with me?”

Liam responded with an even more brilliant smile, bowling Killian over with his quip, “Simple, Little Brother! If you would get a move on, we mean for you to attend that ball!”

Those words did not truly make the situation much clearer to Killian’s mind, but at Liam’s urging - knowing his sibling would never encourage something that would do him harm - he took the bundle from Cook and moved forward to lay the offering on the long, wooden table for a better view. He could see now that it was a fine coat, made of soft, midnight blue, expertly tailored and brand new, certainly the finest piece of clothing he’d ever held in his own two hands. There was also a dress shirt, a mere shade lighter, clearly meant to be worn beneath the jacket, and breeches of a soft, dove gray - all quite the ensemble and much finer than any mere deckhand or cabin boy would ever have use for. Despite that, all three items seemed to be in his particular size, and the pleased smiles on the small circle of weathered faces around him clearly meant for him to have the articles.

“This is very kind,” Killian began, trying a different tack since protesting that they must be mistaken had done no good. “These clothes are the most handsome I’ve seen, but surely no sailor, and one barely part of the crew at that, would be invited to such an event. Mayhap someone else could…”

“Perhaps I can explain,” an airy, musical voice spoke up, floating on the air like a tinkling of chimes as sparkles of light and swirls of colorful breeze seemed to catch the eyes of all those gathered in the small ship’s kitchen. Gliding gently toward him from above, a small creature - a miniature woman, a fairy!, he realized -  came to to hover before him, a sweetly bemused smile on her delicate face.

More questions flooded Killian’s brain than had already lingered; however, he was now too overwhelmed and in awe to speak any of them aloud. A fairy? Here? Where pirates cooked and swabbed the deck and ate their grub? That he would ever see such a mystical being had never entered his mind, much less the idea that he would encounter one aboard a ship which had seen much more glorious days many years ago. He was sailor enough - a superstitious lot, one and all - to believe that magic existed, fairies among the more familiar imagery of sirens and selkies, but a vague belief in theory was much different from seeing one shimmering before his own eyes, gazing on him with a benevolent smile upon her face.

Seeing that the beguiling young man before her was currently incapable of answering, the silvery-winged fairy’s laughter tinkled on the air like the pleasant ringing of tiny bells, the riotous pile of ringleted brown curls interespersed with morning glory blossoms shook with her gentle mirth before she spoke again, hastening to explain and hopefully to dispel the poor youth’s doubt and confusion. “You are Killian Jones, yes?” she queried, already certain, but awaiting his confirmation nonetheless.

Killian did manage an affirmative nod, and his lips formed a soft “aye”, though it sounded as barely more than a whisper.

“Well then, Killian Jones, it is a pleasure to meet you at long last. I have watched you from afar all your life, after all. I am Nova, your fairy godmother.”

The handsome young man’s bright blue eyes popped wide open at her pronouncement, stunning in their crystal clarity and nearly making Nova’s sweet soul cry at the hope laid bare in his expression, hope which he tried equally to rein in, clearly having already learned such lovely things were not meant for him and waiting to hear the catch. She was the most tender-hearted of all her sisters, and it had been painful for her to look on and do nothing as this mischievous, brilliant little boy had been forced into manhood far too soon. His mother’s death, his father’s abandonment, the privation and shame of unwilling servitude, the cruelty of mistreatment, and the harsh life at sea had all changed the bonny child who had boarded this ship with his father and brother years ago into the solemn young man before her, who had never truly been allowed to leave. She had chafed over and over again at being held back and kept from doing something to help her appointed charge - anything to better his lot, even slightly. Their fairy laws were fickle, and yet exacting; even as Nova honored and revered their ways and her elders, she could not claim to understand why it had taken so long to finally be deemed “the right time”.

She could tell by the furrow of his dark brow that young Killian Jones must be pondering at least some of those same questions. Where had she been these last years of backbreaking toil, pilfered rations, and vicious taunts about a father so desperate to be rid of him he had sold him away? Where had she been the first time the lash had scored his back and left bloodied stripes in its wake? She had been right there beside him, unseen, constrained from taking any action, but he had no way of knowing that.

“I - I have a fairy godmother?” he finally sputtered in stark disbelief.

Nova nodded kindly, having the good grace to look more than a little abashed. “Of course you do! Everyone does. It breaks my heart to think you’ve felt so forgotten.” She squared her shoulders and blinked rapidly, trying not to become emotional as she attempted to explain. “Unfortunately, we fairies follow a very strict code. We are forbidden to make ourselves known before the appointed time. And I kept being told it was not yet that moment…”

Killian’s mind whirled with all the new information - and with a bit of indignance at the idea that all he and Liam had been through since being abandoned and left in Silver’s dubious oversight had not been considered serious enough to merit aid. His mouth opened, and even he himself was not sure if it was a question or a retort on the tip of his tongue - but his immediate awe was finally overcome - when his diminutive magical guest clearly sensed she needed to finish her explanation, and fast. 

“My superior, the Blue Fairy, or Blue as she’s often called, is stricter about maintaining our distance and secrecy than most.” Nova shrugged her shoulders in obvious contrition as she waved her hands and a wand appeared within her grasp. “I’ve never really understood why, but that’s neither here nor there. It is finally time to grant your heart’s wish… to do something to make you life better, just as I’ve been waiting to do!”

Killian’s mouth snapped shut again at that, puzzled by her words and disarmed at the excitement bursting from her tiny frame. He had never met this Nova before, but he could hardly doubt her eager sincerity. “My wish?” he repeated uncertainly, feeling that he was trailing considerably further behind in the conversation that he ought to be. “I can’t honestly remember even making one.”

Even as he spoke those words, however, Killian knew in his heart they were not entirely true. It might not have been the focused drive of a wish upon a star, or anything that direct, but he had often thought on where he would go if he were free, what he and Liam could do if they were their own men, left to their own devices, able to seek an adventure of their choosing, honor and glory for the name of Jones which their father had sullied. Had those hopes and dreams been heard all this time, when he had felt so forgotten and ignored? It must be true, though it was hard to reconcile with his previous experiences.

Almost as if she could read his thoughts broadcast across his face, Nova nodded enthusiastically, affirming his realization. “That’s right,” she pronounced clearly, gesturing to the clothing his brother and shipmates had procured for him. The fairy -his fairy godmother! - then effortlessly waved her wand once more, causing one of the flyers ever-present about this kingdom to appear before him from out of thin air. “This ball is only the beginning for you. You have big dreams, Killian Jones, and a calling to fulfill, but you are also the only one who can see them come true. I may be giving you a bit of a boost, but you are more than enough for the task. Your heart is strong, and I have no doubt it will see you through. You only need a little belief.”

“And what exactly does a fancy royal ball have to do with anything?” he questioned. His shock was wearing off as he grew more comfortable speaking to Nova, but he wasn’t seeing why he would be needed at a princess’ birthday celebration. All the same, he scooped all the formal wear up in his arms to go and change - whether it made sense to him or not.

Nova’s entire small fae being practically twinkled at him with the playful wink she gave before answering, “Not all things are as simple as they might first appear, young sir.” With that, she lightly tapped the end of her wand on the top of his head, causing a pleasantly warm tingling to spread through Killian’s body, all the way out to his fingers and toes.

A mere moment later, amid astonished exclamations from Liam, Cook, and the others, he realized that his arms were empty; the new clothes he had been holding already magicked onto his lanky frame, along with shining new shoes upon his feet and a smart queue tied off with ribbon matching his fine shirt and a fresh, neat trim to his dark hair too. It was indeed enough to make him feel a whole new person - one who might not stand out horribly, even at the palace of Misthaven.

“There now,” Nova approved with gentle tone, a fond smile gracing her lips as she took in the full effect upon her charge. “You look quite the young gentleman.”

“Aye, you do at that!” Cook echoed with his rough but friendly voice as he clapped Killian on the shoulder heartily. “Even in our heyday, Cap’n Silver himself rarely looked so sharp!”

“I’d not let him hear you say so,” the old shipwright Ned called over jovially.

“Too right!” Cook chuckled.

The other crew members present laughed as well and began to talk amongst themselves, drifting away now that the excitement was past. Soon, only Liam stood beside him, the two brothers both looking to their benefactress where she hovered before them. Even Cook headed off for his cabin, saying his old bones were ready for his bunk, even if the night was still young.

“You look just like a fine young lieutenant,” Liam affirmed, eyes wide as he took in his younger sibling and needlessly brushed some nonexistent speck from the shoulder of Killian’s jacket. Then, bracing both of his larger hands on Killian’s upper arms, he held him out to gaze into his face seriously before offering in a choked voice, “This sort of adventure should have always been your lot.” Liam pulled Killian in abruptly and hugged him tight for several seconds, startling Killian before he held onto his brother with equal fervency.

“Thank you,” Killian finally managed when Liam released him. “I don’t know how you managed all this,” he gestured around the room, “but I am sure it began with you.”

Liam flushed slightly, looking down with a sheepish smile. “My idea, aye, but I had lots of help. And it wouldn’t have turned out nearly so well if your honest-to-goodness fairy godmother hadn’t turned up!”

Nova’s ringing laughter once again tickled their ears, her eyes crinkling up prettily as well with her good humor. “It really was my pleasure,” she rejoined. But then she added more seriously, “This is your night, Killian. There is much for you to see and to do, and I bid you enjoy every moment to its fullest. I’ve readied a carriage which will take you to the palace, and Liam can ride along with you as far as the gates. Just remember - the ride and the clothes, the gifts you’ve been granted, will vanish at midnight. It’s simply how the magic works. Make sure you are headed back by then.”

Killian nodded, promising he would do as she said; it was far longer than he could imagine needing, if the truth were told. He wasn’t at all sure what he would do there in any case. And though he wished Liam could venture inside with him, he would gladly take the ride to gather more advice and draw strength from his sibling’s company.

After that, it seemed very little time passed before - head still spinning at the sheer impossibility of it all - Killian was disembarking from a fine horsedrawn carriage at the palace gates. Looking back to grin crookedly at Liam, his brother urged once more “Have fun!” and reassured him that all would be well. Turning, Killian bravely put first one foot, and then the other, forward, until he stepped into the castle of Misthaven, a guest at a royal ball. 

He slipped his hand into his pocket to run his fingers over the ring on an old chain which had once belonged to their mother (Liam had bid him carry it this once for luck) and pulled in a deep, steadying breath as he gained his bearings. He was already dazzled beyond belief, but determined to make a good showing and bring “honor to the Jones brothers” as he murmured under his breath. Whatever he was meant to find, he would do his best.

At that, he raised his eyes, catching sight of the magnificent winding staircase trailing down from the upper floors into the main hall. Halfway down the steps, paused with one foot poised in descent, was a stunningly beautiful, golden-haired vision in sky blue and silver. Killian could scarcely take in the tiara resting upon her head or the clear resemblance she bore to her likeness on all the recent announcements for her birthday. Laying eyes on her in life had struck him motionless, frozen in place. ‘Bloody hell,’  his mind fumbled inelegantly, ‘It’s Princess Emma herself.’

So completely entranced was he, in fact, that Killian failed to realize the princess was just as stunned - equally taken in and unable to move. Their eyes met and held across the distance between them, and one more shining burst of magic was ignited then and there.

Tagging a few others who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi

@anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @xarandomdreamx @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight

@stahlop @motherkatereloyshipper @eastwesthomeisbest @bluewildcatfanatic @jonesfandomfanatic

@belovedcreation @goforlaunchcee @laianely @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl

@myfearless-love @undercaffinatednightmare @caught-in-the-filter @winterbaby89 @darkcolinodonorgasm

@gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @linda8084 @lfh1226-linda @resident-of-storybrooke

@teamhook @revanmeetra87 @jennjenn615 @grimmswan @ultraluckycatnd

[usmsgutterson]

Hearts Not in Sync- Heartrender! Kaz Brekker x gn! reader

Okay, a day later, here’s the second part to this fic! I meant to post it last night but I fell asleep before I could edit, and that just means that there’ll be two fics up today instead of just one lol

Fic type- this one. this one is like, two parts violence and anger, one part angst and then one part a hurt/comfort-y kind of ending

Warnings- mentions and depictions of the following: stab wounds, poisons, heart attacks, exploding hearts, blood, blood filling the lungs, blood coming out of ears and eyes and dislocated shoulders.

It happened almost too quickly for Kaz to register it. 

At first, there was a fog that surrounded him like nothing else, that made him unable to see even a step ahead. It was a fog that almost caused him to lose his footing entirely. 

In the seconds after, he registered that someone in the building had set off a series of smoke alarms. He’d known the layout of the building, and had known that they could only be set off on the first, second, and third floors. There was still three floors of leeway, all of which had been cased and the items taken so early on in the day of the heist that the sun hadn’t even risen.

Those items had been loaded onto a secondary boat that Nikolai had sent to the Wandering Isle, one that he was manning as Sturmhond, the one that the crows would get on with Nikolai and his crew whilst the crew on the boat they’d came in took it back to Ketterdam and waited at the Ravkan Embassy for word as to when Ravka would be safe to return to. 

Almost all of the items from the first three floors had been secured and brought back to the boat. Kaz had seven of the remaining forty-nine, and you held an additional seven. 

As Kaz heard the sound of several heavy gaited footsteps heading up, registered two heartbeats outside of his and yours, he almost panicked. You could fight them off. Kaz knew that. He’d known that. He’d watched you fight off more people in the years since you’d met and fallen in love. 

He heard the sound of a bag meeting the ground and the grunt of the guard as you fought. He heard grunts on your end, too, a few bullets firing from a gun that wasn’t yours and the always startling sound of a bone breaking, followed by an alarmed shout on your end and the sound of a shoulder dislocating itself. 

He heard your adrenaline keep you alive as you made your next moves. He heard the sound of the butt of a knife handle bringing hellish pain in the space at the center of the chest wherein the ribs were their most vulnerable, the shout of an additional guard joining the one you’d been fighting, and one more shout after that. It was three against one, and somehow, Kaz had already known you’d lost because adrenaline couldn’t keep you going forever. 

He heard the sound of footsteps rushing up to meet him at the third floor, registered Ninas heartbeat combined with yours. 

“Everything all right?” Nina shouted. Kaz listened to your heart as he heard you fall to the ground, an unceremonious thump followed by a gasp and grunt of pain. 

“Quite the opposite,” you called back. 

At that, both Nina and Kaz took off running in the direction of your voice, the fog beginning to clear through the open door as they did. 

Kaz found a group of three guards who you’d faced off against. They certainly did look worse for wear, but they were still standing, unlike you’d been. At most, they would develop bruises from your hits, and the cuts you’d delivered with the knife Inej had leant you might have left scars. 

“What’s the plan, Kaz?” 

Kaz listened to the heartbeats in the room. He registered his own, registered yours as it slowed and Ninas as it quickened anxiously. He registered the heartbeats of the guards who stood shocked, and slowed them all to a point of unconsciousness.

“Knock me out,” you whispered. “I can’t--I hurt so bad right now, and Kaz, if you want to help, you’ll make that end. Put me to sleep, get me to the boat. There’ll be a healer on board who can help me. Please.” 

“Theres the chance you won’t wake up again,” Kaz said. Some part of him had begun to care about your survival more than anything else, more than the money that the job would result in, more than the fact that there was a part of Kaz that needed, desperately, to seek out revenge. 

“Then avenge my death, and know it wasn’t your fault. It was theirs,” you gestured to the guards lamely. “Nina, convince him.” 

“Nina, get Matthias,” Kaz said. “Get Nikolai, Tolya. I am not letting the guards escape their fates.” 

“You and your revenge,” Nina grinned. “You’re lucky Y/N likes you so much.”

“Oh, he knows,” you said, laughing for a moment before you clutched your rib, where two bullet wounds rested.

Kaz looked you over for the first time, quickening your heart just enough to where it kept you alive but didn’t exhaust you even still, because he looked at you and he knew that sleep--while you’d asked him to put you under in the moments before--wasn’t quite something at the top of your list of priorities. It never was in situations like that. Sleep was one thing while injured, and death never seemed too far from it. 

He noticed it in the way that you kept trying to lift the arm that your dislocated shoulder was connected to, trying to see if you could manage it and using the pain you felt in doing so as a method of keeping yourself awake. He noticed that you clenched and unclenched a fist, the harsh blinking and the purposeful movements of arms and legs that screamed with pain because you didn’t want sleep. You wanted to stay awake because staying awake had meant staying alive. 

You had a few dangerous seeming cuts lashed into your skin, a few stab wounds present on your legs. A bullet had gone through your arm and two had landed themselves in your ribs, one in your collarbone. The bullet there was accompanied by a deep cut to the left. Your ribs were broken, your knuckles bruised and your shoulder dislocated. 

“Thank you,” you said. “Thank you, Kaz.”

“Can you stand?” 

“I can try,” you said. Kaz tossed his cane lightly in the air, caught it just beneath the crows head and held it out to you. 

“Absolutely not,” you whispered. “I can--I’m not taking your mobility aid, Kaz. You need that.”

“You need it more than I do.”

“That is entirely untrue,” you managed. 

Kaz sighed. “Take it, Y/N. If you can stand, then that means we have a chance of getting back to the boat, and I can manage without this thing for thirty bloody minutes.” 

At that, Matthias, Tolya, and Nikolai as Sturmhond came into the third floor. 

“Had a bit of fun, did you, Mr. Brekker?”

“Guards here have turned out to be quite the nuisance.”

Nikolai came to stand over you, examining you quickly as Tolya lifted one of the guards over his shoulder. 

“I can see that. The artifacts aren’t damaged, are they?”

“None of them,” you said weakly. “I made sure to direct them away from the bag of artifacts, Lantsov. I will risk my own life for a good enough payout, but if you skim us on this, I’ll make a hat out of the hair on your head.” 

Nikolai laughed as Nina helped you up, allowing you to lean against her as Kaz sighed, fighting off some exhaustion of his own. He’d been awake nearly a full day, and while it was something he was used to, using his small science combined with a near-exhausted state was no good for anyone.

You shot him a look as he grabbed the bag of artifacts you’d secured and added it to the bag that he carried. 

“You can stop regulating my heart for me, Kaz,” you said. “You’re tired. It’s fine.” 

“No,” Kaz said. 

“I can handle it,” Nina shot him a look, too. 

“I’m tired, I could use the rest,” you said, and Kaz looked you over again. You were genuinely exhausted, and Kaz could read your face as well as you could read his. You’d remembered that his and Ninas statuses as heartrenders meant that they could keep your heart going, restart it if it stopped. It was safe to rest, you must’ve known, because neither Kaz nor Nina would let you die.

“Fine,” Kaz said. 

Nikolai looked between Kaz, Tolya, Matthias, and the men who Tolya and Matthias carried on their shoulders as though it was nothing. 

“You’ll make their deaths swift, won’t you?”

“No,” Kaz said. “They’ll be slow. I’m going to make it hurt.” 

Nikolai gave Kaz a smile. “You’re better than me. I would’ve left them here for their coworkers. I would’ve made sure that their blood lined the walls and their entrails lined the entrance to this floor, if it had been Zoya in Y/Ns position.”

Kaz shrugged. “I quite like that idea. I’ll use it next time someone crosses me.”

“Well then, with our luck, no one will.” 

With that, the group left, heading for the boat thereafter.

-

“We meant no harm,” one of the guards said meekly as he woke, green eyes meeting Kaz’s brown ones. “We were just doing what we thought was right.”

“You were protecting items that your leaders had stolen from a myriad of other countries, cities, and towns. To do that, you stabbed someone who matters to me. You hurt them. You are the reason that a medik has been struggling to keep Y/N alive for nearly twelve hours. Do you know who they are? The person you hurt?” 

You’d been in worse shape than initially thought. Nina was two rooms over, keeping your heartrate low to allow you to sleep while a medik worked, as the healer had been killed in a larger fight against a local gang when they’d found out a heist was being pulled. Your dislocated shoulder had been popped back into place, but several of the knives you’d been attacked with had been poisoned, and the medik was trying to keep you alive until the crew got to Ravka and antidotes could be delivered while you slept in the medical wing. 

“We’ve heard of you lot,” said the green eyed one. 

All of the guards looked relatively similar. All of them were white, two had green eyes and one had hazel eyes. One had black hair, the other dark brown, the hazel eyed guard had bleach blonde that’d been toned, the muddy brown roots of his hair having grown out significantly. 

Kaz had learned their names from Inej. The black haired one was called Mark. The dark brown haired one had been called Joseph, and the one with bleach blonde hair had been called Matthieu. 

They were all relatively stocky in build, a few inches shorter than Kaz had been. Where Kaz was lean, they had a figure that was more like Matthias’, but as a heartrender, Kaz would always have the upper hand, just as he preferred it. 

“You’re the Dregs. Come to steal back what wasn’t yours.” 

“In fairness, it wasn’t yours, either,” Kaz said. “You’ve bult an entire museum around the artifacts that gang members, just like myself, have stolen for themselves. Things like keftas that were worn by people who haven’t been alive since the days of the saints, some very important pottery from Novyi Zem, the first samples of coins and cash from Ketterdam, and even a couple of things from Fjerda that the Fjerdans consider to be of great importance. I was doing my job, what was asked of me in exchange for quite a wonderful payout before you attacked someone on my crew and interrupted that process by both choosing to fight them, and to trigger the fog trapping.” 

“One could argue that we were doing our jobs too,” said Matthieu. Kaz could’ve laughed. When it came to you, nobody had any real standing, any real or reliable defense. When it came to you, someone to whom Kaz had given his heart with no intent of ever taking it back, when it came to you whom he loved more than anything, he was the one who decided the fates of those who dared to harm you, regardless of the reason they had for doing so. 

“Yes, well, you did them exceptionally,” Kaz said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “If, of course, your job was to hurt someone who matters to a person who has been known to make hearts explode much in the manner of a very bloody bomb.”

Matthieu, Mark, and Joseph stayed silent. 

“If such was the case, I’d tell you that it was a job well done! However, that is not the case this time.”

“What are you going to do to us?” Mark asked. 

“Well, this room is the last one you’ll ever be in,” Kaz responded. He extended a hand, listened to Marks heartbeat and elevated it, felt for the air in his lungs and took just enough of it away for Mark to find himself falling short. 

“What are you doing to me?” Mark asked, one hand reaching up to his throat as he tried to get his breathing back under control. “What are you doing?” 

“Heartrender is an oddly vague name for my small science type, I think,” Kaz said. “Heartrenders can manipulate more than just hearts. I could rip the air out of your lungs if I wanted. I can influence your emotions, make the fear kick in but keep the adrenaline off so that you don’t become influenced to attack me. I can trigger a heart attack, knock you unconscious, just by moving my hand slightly to the left or the right.”

“And what does that mean for me?” Mark asked. “What does that mean for us?”

“You hurt someone who I love,” Kaz said. “Your mistake, though. Not mine. I’ll kill you as slowly as I please. When I’m done, I’ll puncture a hole in your lungs so that your bodies don’t float back up when I dump you into the ocean off the side of the boat. You made a mistake and now you will pay for it at my hand.” 

Fear crossed Marks eyes, and Kaz smirked. He elevated Marks heart, took more of the air from his lungs, influenced his emotions and inclined them towards paralytic fear. 

“Which one of you was it, exactly?” He asked. “Who hurt Y/N? Who here is the reason that they may not make it another twelve hours without someone making sure their heart is still beating?” 

“We owe you nothing,” Joseph spoke. Kaz turned to him as he elevated Marks heart just a bit more, made him more fearful. If Kaz kept going as he had been, Marks body would’ve induced the heart attack on its own.

“Well, if you don’t tell me, Mark will die and I will force you to watch,” Kaz said. “I’ve been so kind as to not restrain you thus far, because I know I can handle an attack from you without blinking, but I will go up to top deck and I will grab rope. I will bind you to the chairs on which you sit, make Marks death as bloody and as painful as possible.” 

Silence lapsed over the room as Joseph and Matthieu thought it over. 

“It was me,” Matthieu finally said. “I did it. If you kill anyone, you kill me. You spare Mark and Joe.” 

“I’m not sparing anyone,” Kaz disagreed. “You all had parts in it, if your bruises and the cuts you’ve sustained are to mean anything. You will die today, I just wanted to know who hurt them the most so that I could save you for last. I am not a merciful man, Matthieu. Your confession means that you will have to watch your friends die and then die yourself.”

“But--”

“I never said or promised anything.” Kaz said, ripping more of the air from Marks lungs before he finally let them go. 

He watched Mark intake air in gulps before finding his blood flow, moving it in several different directions. He focused on Marks heartbeat, slowed it so that Mark was entirely still, and influenced fear that would’ve made him catatonic regardless. 

As Kaz watched blood pool pour out of Marks eyes, he stopped influencing Marks emotions. He forced Marks heart to a normal rate. He sent blood into Marks lungs, and when a piercing scream freed itself from Marks throat, Kaz only shot pointed looks at Joseph and Matthieu. 

Mark choked on his own blood, and as he did, Kaz listened to his heartbeat until it stopped. In the interest of making a point, he squeezed his left fist, watched as Matthieu and Joseph flinched with the sound of Marks heart exploding inside his body, leaving no hope to save him. 

Joseph was next, though, in the interest of time and not wanting to have to clean up a mess that was too substantial, Kaz only knocked Matthieu out before inducing a heart attack for Joseph, which he combined with blood flooding his lungs and coming out through his ears. 

Matthieus death was the most gruelling. Kaz spent several hours knocking him in and out of consciousness at will, inducing heart attacks only to bring them down and trick Matthieu into thinking he’d been spared. He flooded Matthieus lungs with blood, induced a heart attack and influenced the pain so that it was felt at a broader scale, and felt in combination with fear that would’ve killed Matthieu regardless of Kaz’s influence. Matthieu died of a heart attack and paralytic fear, and Kaz considered it a job well done. 

Kaz did as promised, though. He used the knife that Inej had leant you to puncture holes in their lungs, dumped them over the side of the boat and went to the room he’d been assigned. He changed his clothes, wiped the blood off of his face and set his gloves in the sink to soak before falling on top of the thin mattress and falling into a dreamless sleep. 

-

Four days later, you were in Ravka. A better medik than the one on the boat had seen to the worst of your injuries, antidotes had been given to treat the poisons that had entered your blood when you’d been stabbed, and you slept for three and half days, with breaks to eat, thanks to Nina and her knowledge that you would not stick to bed rest had the medik demanded it. 

You found yourself waking and, for the first time since you’d been woken up for that first meal, you were feeling okay. 

Healers weren’t around because a ton of them were on the front lines in the war that Ravka and Fjerda were constantly in, but you didn’t much care about that. A medik had done the job just fine, and who gave a shit about a few scars, anyway? You certainly did not. 

“Hey,” Kaz said. You grinned as you sat up, seeing him posted to the right of the door, one hand on his cane where the other was resting easily in the pocket of his slacks. 

“What’s the payout?”

“Three and a half million,” Kaz said. “One million was the starting point for the negotiations, a point set by Fjerda, oddly enough. We all cited a variety of different difficulties, and the leaders from Novyi Zem and a few of the Merchant Council reps upped it way more than any of us anticipated. I cited your injuries and emotional distress caused by them.” 

“My near death made you emotionally distressed?” 

“Quite so, it seems,” Kaz said. “I’m glad you’re alive, though. Thank you for staying that way.”

“Thank you for killing my attackers,” you said. “Nina told me everything.”

“They almost killed you,” Kaz said. “They didn’t get to continue on. Not after that.” 

You grinned. “I’m getting a bit hungry. What do you say we ring for some food? I have no doubt you’ve drank your fill of coffee, but I have not had a sip of tea in days.”

Kaz grinned. “I figured you’d wake up at some point. Food should be on its way now, actually. Same with tea.”

“I love you so much right now,” you said, laughing slightly. “Saints, Brekker. I fear I will never love you more.”

“You’ll be saying the same thing in a weeks time, when we’re back in Ketterdam and I’ve brought you tea and waffles.”

You laughed, and Kaz let himself grin. “I love you still, Brekker. That’s all that matters.”

Kaz shrugged, and that was enough, because you flicked your eyes across his face and, from the relief on his expression, from the slight relaxation of his shoulders, knew that he loved you, too. 

“May our hearts always be in sync,” Kaz said.

You repeated the same, shot him a grin and the conversation moved from there, the two of you settling into a familiar rhythm as you always did. 

Kaz found himself listening to his heart for a moment, listening to the rhythm in yours. They were in sync once more, and Kaz was entirely sure that, had he died in that moment, he would’ve died happily.

[blenderhemmings]

sneaking around (calum hood)

calum hood x non binary!oc (they/them)

summary: sneaking around and fucking their tour photographer was NOT part of calums plan, but maybe its just what he needs

word count: 3524

warnings/rating: explicit (18+ minors do not interact), hooking up, awkward sexual situations, enthusiastic consent, OC is their tour photographer, calum had a slut era, whoops he got caught, insta love? maybe? idk, at least from calums pov, OC is demiromantic but also a slut, the OC is non-binary AFAB, a good amount of cock, sub!Calum, but hes actually a switch in this universe, dom!OC

notes: this oc was created by my friend and i for a large and queer fanfic universe we've been building for OVER a year. some quick visual pointers of the OC: theyre 6'2, have split dyed black-blue hair, a lot of tattoos, and dress in a lot of gothic-punk black outfits (platforms are a must).

this fic is cross posted to my AO3

It was their last meeting before the tour and Calum was fidgety to say the least. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the tall, dark haired, and heavily tattooed person sat across the table from him. His knee bounced as people kept talking, waiting anxiously for the person to be introduced to them.

“And this is Archer. They’ll be your photographer on this tour. We’re sorry the other photographer had to cancel on us last minute, but Archer is a wonderful photographer.” Their tour manager said, motioning towards the now named person. Calums eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his face as he leaned across the table to shake their hand.

“Archie works just as well.” They said, a soft smile slipping across their face, shaking hands with Ashton and then Calum. “I actually prefer that. I’m excited to meet the four of you, and I’m so sorry it’s last minute.”

Calum kept a laser focus on Archie, watching their every move as they talked with the rest of the band and crew. He was transfixed on their movements, unsure of what lured him in. Was it the fact he’d really never met anyone as tall as him? Could it be the split dye hair, their soft facial features, or even the large amount of tattoos littering their body? He’d never know, but he knew that he wanted to shake their hand again, just as an excuse to hold it.

He was confused by his feelings. This was someone he just met, he shouldn’t feel this way. He was used to the casual hook up in LA. Using Tinder and Bumble to meet anyone looking for something casual. Fuck buddies, one night stands, and month long flings were his best friend. He’d never wanted to settle down, but he was always looking for a good fuck. It didn’t matter who it was, as long as he was getting that sexual fix.

Once the tour began, Calum started to notice that Archie was a distraction. He’d fumble during soundcheck, watching them walk around the venue to find vantage points. He’d miss a note here and there or trip over his own feet when he saw them in the photo pit. His reaction was worse the closer Archie got to him, quietly hyperventilating and struggling to keep his composure.

They were about four shows deep when Archie pulled Calum aside, “Hey, Cal, question. When we get back to the hotel, can you come to my room? I need your help picking photos of you for the show recap post.” They smiled, leaning back in the chair a bit, scrolling through the photos, picking the ones to set aside and show Calum later that night. “We don’t have time here, so just meet me in my room, yeah?”

Calum nodded, fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt, trying to hide the anxious look on his face. “I- uh, yeah, I can do that. You’re in room 687, right?” “678, actually. Don’t go knocking for a stranger. I don’t think that’s one of our rooms.” They laughed, closing their laptop and shoving it in their backpack, zipping it up and checking through their camera bag one last time, accounting for all their equipment. Archie got up and patted Calum’s arm, walking out of the room. He was lost in thought and left in the unknown until he’d be meeting up with Archie later that night.

He didn’t go to their room right away. Calum found himself lingering in Michaels room, fighting with himself about getting up to go see the photos. “Dude, why is hanging out with Archie eating you alive? It’s literally to ask you about some photos, relax.” Michael grabbed Calum's shoulders from behind, squeezing him a little, “Unless somebody has a little crush or something.”

“Why do you think I have a crush on them? I barely know them and I don’t want to like anybody like that either. I’m fine being single for now. You know fucking around is what I do best.” Calum sighed, feeling Michaels hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. “Not every interaction I have with people like this is because I like them.”

“Yeah, but you’ve never acted this way with anyone else.” Calum went red with Michael’s words. He wasn’t wrong, but Calum was scared for him to be right.

“I- Shut up! It’s just photos, I’m just going to help Archie pick out some photos, I’ll be back.” Calum sighed, getting up from the chair in Michael’s room, and heading towards Archie’s. Maybe Michael was right, he had the slightest crush, but it was nothing worth acting upon. They only met a month ago and he barely knew anything about Archie. All he knew was that they were the in-house photographer for a venue in their hometown, had at least 50 tattoos, and they both used the same blue hair dye.

His knock was weak, but Archie heard it. There was shuffling on the other side of the door, and then their voice. “Didn’t I give you a keycard?” Calum panicked, digging through his wallet, only for it not to be there. All he had was his own keycard, bank cards, tour laminate, and a bit of cash. 

“Uh… I forgot it? I came from Michael’s room. Let me in, please?” Calum asked, flipping through his cards again, checking that he didn’t miss it. Archie laughed, unlocking the door and opening it for Calum. “T-thanks. So… Those photos?”

“Right, the photos.” Archie was antsy, bouncing back and forth on their feet before sitting on the edge of the bed. Calum understood the emotion though, he couldn’t imagine being placed into a new environment, forced to get the band's best angles and post their work for millions to see. “Those… they're… let me grab my laptop.”

They dug around in their bag for the hard drive and their laptop, pulling both out to go through the photos with him. “Why… why just me? Don’t you have to ask the others too?”

“I have the most photos of you, so it’d be easier to get it out the way now. I have time with them tomorrow. I need good photos of you, yanno?” Calum nodded at Archie’s words, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the photos appear on the screen before him. Archie had a good eye and Calum was glad management was able to get them to be their photographer. “Are there any you see right away that you want for sure or any you want deleted?”

Calum shook his head, watching Archie scroll through the hundreds of photos, many looked like they were taken in bursts. 

“Can I have some of these?” He pointed to the black and white photos on the screen.

“Yeah, those are already edited. There was a bright blue light behind you and it was hard to save it, so I made it black and white.” Calum nodded as if he knew anything about photo editing. “I messed with the white balance and exposure to try to take away from how bright the light is, but black and white saved it.”

Archie closed their laptop, placing it on the nightstand, hands folding in their lap, swallowing the lump in their throat. “Uh… this is… this is poorly timed, but can I kiss you?” Calum went cold, goosebumps forming on his arms, eyes wide. It’s like the world froze as his chest went heavy. “God, that’s a dumb question. We barely know each other, let's just get back to the photos.”

Calum shook his head, leaning into Archie, one hand on their thigh, the other unsure where to sit. “That’s not a dumb question, you’re just scared.” Calum leaned in further, pressing his forehead against theirs and then his lips to theirs as well.

He’d kissed hundreds of people in the last few months, but nothing was as good as this. Nobody ever tasted as sweet as Archies vanilla-orange chapstick or smelled as good as their cologne. The kiss progressed quickly, Archie knocking Calum down onto the bed, taking full control.

“C-can I?” Calum nodded, feeling a cold hand slip under his shirt, going towards his chest and then back down to the hem to pull it away from his skin. “I- Uh… My shirt’s gonna… it’s gonna stay on. Is that okay?” Calum nodded again. He didn’t care how clothed Archie stayed, he just wanted their lips and whatever else they were willing to give him.

Shortly after, shoes, socks, and pants made their way to the floor, leaving Calum almost bare, and Archie their shirt and boxers. “Fucking Christ, do something, would you?” Calum whined, feeling Archie’s cold hand press against his skin again, this time on his stomach, creeping towards the waistband of his boxers.

“Be polite and use your words, would you?” Archie teased, fingers going under Calums waistband, snapping it against his skin before tugging it away from his skin, making him yelp. “And be quiet, nobody needs to hear us.” Calum was exposed at this point, Archie straddling him to keep him in place on the bed, one hand resting firmly on his pelvis, the other resting on the mattress. “Quiet, Calum.”

Calum nodded, nothing but a squeak escaping his lips. “Y-yes, please- fuck, please stop teasing me and do something.” The noise got louder as their hand wrapped around the base of his cock, free hand going for his mouth to quiet him down. His instinct was to bite, but not hard. It was just enough to keep himself quiet. A smile crept across Archie’s lips, breathing heavily from making out just moments prior.

“There you go, Cal, just like that. Nice and quiet.” Archie laughed a little, twisting their hand around Calum’s cock, making him yelp and whimper into their hand again. Once Calum had control of his volume, Archie pulled their hand from his lips, only shushing him if he got loud again, which proved to be easy with them on top.

“I want more… please.” Calum whined, feeling Archie’s hand move along his cock. “I want to fuck you, please, Archie.” And everything stopped for a second. Calum was terrified he said the wrong thing, scared that Archie was three seconds away from kicking him out of their hotel room, but they weren’t. “Please, that’s all I want.”

It took Archie a minute to process what Calum said, swallowing the lump of anxiety in their throat. It had been a while for Archie, so it felt new again. “All you want, yeah? How about we make a deal. You get to fuck me, but I get control. Or is that too uncomfortable for you?” Calum shook his head quickly, he would take anything at that point. He wanted to touch Archie in ways he’s never touched anybody else. He felt an instant and true connection that never appeared with anyone else.

But a sudden silence fell over Calum. Sure, he’d had plenty of flings and one night stands with trans people before, but he didn’t want to fuck this one up. It almost felt invasive to ask Archie how to fuck them. Would they have a preference? What if they didn’t want the same thing as him?

“Earth to Calum? I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I? We’ll only do this if you want this.” Archie asked, hand waving in front of his face a little. “You’re not lost in thought, are you?” Calum shook his head a little, he was, but he didn’t want to admit it. “Is it about how you’ll fuck me? I promise that’s a normal thought. We’ve never done this before, I promise it’s okay.”

Archie smiled softly, hand resting on Calums stomach, rubbing their thumb gently over his skin. “I don’t really have a preference, but I know one will be easier than the other.” He nodded, hands moving from the mattress to their hips, body tense as a wave of awkwardness hit him. He felt like it was such a dumb question, even though he needed to ask it. “I promise nothing you’re asking is dumb, Calum. You’re making sure I’m comfortable, and I appreciate that. This could be a one time thing, or it could be something more, and you don’t want to hurt me.”

They pushed their weight against Calum again, pushing him further up the bed, head closer to the headboard, hands going to his wrists to pin him down. “O-Okay.” His voice was shaky, but he was sure this is what he wanted. “I want this, I really do.” Calum’s brain was almost on autopilot at this point, hands going to their hips, resting on the elastic of their boxers. “Can I?”

“Of course, I’ve been waiting for you to do that from the second you walked into the room.”  Both of them chuckled, Archie lifting away from Calum to kick off their underwear, the laughter turning a bit uneasy as their boxers caught around their ankle. “Fuck, that wasn’t hot.” “I don’t care. You’re naked how I want and need, that’s hot enough.” Calums hand went for Archie’s crotch, stopping himself to ask, “Can I… Can I touch you?” The room went silent again, Calum terrified he’d crossed yet another boundary. “I just wan-” Archie grabbed his hand, guiding it further down their body and to their crotch.

“Stop asking questions and thinking you’re overstepping. I’d tell you otherwise. Now, please touch me. I want this just as bad as you, Calum.” He whined, feeling the wet warmth against his fingers as Archie let go of his hand. He lapped his fingers around, dragging them up and down before curling in softly. Archie let out a soft moan, immediately collapsing onto his chest, almost knocking the wind out of Calum. Their head rested on his shoulder, mouthing at the skin, “Fuck, please. More of that. Just like that, please, Cal.”

As Calum continued, he pushed Archie's head up to kiss them, letting them moan against his lips, a knot of warmth forming in his stomach. He couldn’t pull away just yet, but he was sensitive and he needed Archie’s touch once again. “Fuck,” he groaned against their lips, forehead pressing against theirs, two fingers curled inside of them, “I want you.” He whined, sliding his fingers out, a small look of concern taking over his face, unsure what to do with his damp fingers.

Archie grabbed at his wrist, bringing his hand up between them, lips to his fingers to suck them clean. “There, that’s all it took.” they smiled, licking the stringy substance from their lips, “I have no condoms, just so you know.” “O-oh. Nor do I. Do… Do we stop here?” Calum’s voice was weak, but Archie shook their head at his words, hand moving to hold his jaw, forcing him to look back in their direction.

“Unless you want to, absolutely not. You didn’t just make out with me and finger me for nothing. We only stop if you want to stop.” Calum whined at the grip to his jaw, shaking his head that he wanted to continue. “That’s what I thought, baby. If it eases your mind, I’ve been on birth control for years and with a decent amount of people who could… yanno, but it’s never happened, so I don’t think we have to worry.”

“Y-Yeah. Fuck, I want you, Archie.” Calum whined, letting them resituate themself on top of his body, knees resting on each side of his torso. “You’re sure, right?”

“I wouldn’t be half naked, literally inches from letting your cock in me, if I didn’t want this, Calum.” Archie laughed a little, one hand grabbing at Calum’s cock under them, guiding it and letting themself slowly sink down. “God- Fuck, Cal.” They gasped, knees giving out a little as they let him go deeper.

It wasn’t just Archie who whined, Calum did too. The touch to his cock and the feeling of Archie sinking down felt so good. His hands reached for their waist, grabbing tight, a loud and long hiss leaving his lips. “You feel— fuck!” 

Archie let out a deep moan, hands resting on Calum’s chest, digging their fingers in ever so slightly. “That’s it, baby. Rock your hips just like that. Let me do the hard work.” As Calum moved with them, he whimpered at the sensation on his chest. “Just like that, baby. Feels good, doesn’t it?” They rocked slowly at first, hips digging into his, only picking up the pace once they settled and Calum was ready.

He yelped as Archie bounced, feeling their knees against his waist, panting heavily. He’d had his fair share of sexual partners, so being on the bottom was nothing new, but this level of control was. “Go on baby, tell me how this feels. Does it feel good, sweetheart?”

Calum nodded, panting, head thrown back into the pillows as he spoke, “Feels good. You feel good, Arch. Fuck- feels so good.” He was a disaster at that point. His skin was warm, cheeks flushed, forehead sticky with sweat. His lips were parted, leaning up towards Archie, “K-Kiss me, please.” He begged, feeling their sweaty forehead press to his.

Their lips connected momentarily, noses brushing against each other as the kiss got passionate. “You wanna cum, baby? Wanna feel so much better?” He nodded again, feeling the heat building up in his body once again, heart racing. “Let me take care of you then, don’t move.”

Archie worked quickly, nails digging into his chest again, picking up the pace. Their lips touched as they both moaned, Calum struggling hard. “Fuckfuckfuck” He whined, pressing his head into their chest, fingers pressed against their shirt, nails digging into their hips, “G-Gonna cum, fuck, fu-”

Calum choked on his words as his vision blurred, his minimal thrusts turning sloppy, hips meeting Archies at a painfully slow pace. Their orgasm wasn’t far behind, all it took was a few more thrusts and they were moaning into his neck, blush crawling up their neck and into their cheeks.

The silence quickly turned into soft giggles, Archie’s full weight on Calum, foreheads pressed together, refusing to move from the position they were in. Cum dripped out of Archie and onto the base of Calum’s cock. “Holy shit,” Archie gasped, hands moving back to his chest once again. “God, you felt so good.”

His giggle faded, turning into a soft chuckle instead, head resting in the crook of Archie’s neck, whining at any slight movement, as if it would send him into another orgasm.  “S-so did you. Fuck… Can we do that again sometime?”

“So long as we don’t get caught sneaking around.” Archie let out a soft moan, pulling off Calum’s cock, whining at the emptiness and cold feeling on the inside of their legs. They grabbed the pile of clothes and shoes on the floor, separating them out, handing Calum his clothes. “It’s the last thing we want.”

His head was in the clouds, but he understood what Archie meant, “Y-yeah. You’re right. Text me after your shower? I still want those photos. Can I have a towel or something. I don’t wanna get my clothes messy.” “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot about that.” They walked off for a minute, grabbing a small hand towel from the sink and handing it to Calum to wipe himself down. He threw the towel to the side, slipping on his boxers, followed by his pants, zipping them up and putting on his shirt afterwards.

“Th- Is this what’ll happen every time you want to show me photos?” “Maybe, maybe not. Just go take your own shower and I’ll text you, okay? I enjoyed this. It felt nice. I want more of it.” Archie motioned their hands to the bed, then Calum, then themself.

Calum nodded, brushing his hands down his shirt to straighten it out, turning to the full length mirror to fix his hair. “I do too, Archie. I should… I should go before someone catches me.”

“If anything, we were looking at photos. There was a lot… so it makes sense it took a while.” They smiled, walking towards the bathroom as he walked towards the door to the hall. “Photos, with a side of sex and making out.” He nodded again, listening for anyone walking past so he wouldn’t get caught.

The door clicked shut behind him and he scurried down the hall to his room, head turning like an owl in every direction to make sure nobody saw. Every shadow and rustle of sheets behind doors scared him, thinking it was someone who heard the whole thing.

“You look like a deer in fuckin’ headlights, mate.” Michael laughed, tapping Calum on the shoulder as he unlocked his door.

“You bastard!” Calum yelped, dropping his phone and wallet. “I thought you’d be asleep already.”

“It’s only 2am… You’re lucky if I’m asleep by three. So… How did looking at those photos go?”

Calum's brain stopped. He couldn’t lie to his best friend, but he had to, he was not getting caught sneaking around.

[leoleolovesdc]

If I got the final say on Batman movies we’d have a whole film about Stephanie Brown and Bruce Wayne as the Dynamic Duo

Imagine this: Batman is already a stabilished hero, he has been doing his thing for some years now, probably never had a Robin (at best a recently-turned-Nightwing Dick Grayson who won’t appear during the story) and during a patrol night spying on the Cluemaster’s crew he finds this one kid in between 12-15 years old with a cheap domino mask and a purple cape with a hood in the same task as himself (though way more sloppily). He tries to scold her home but she claims to be a hero too and says that she’s here to spoil Cluemaster’s plans. Bruce insists that it’s not safe and she should go home, but she is persistent and doesn’t back down until he threatens to take her to the cops. She reluctantly agrees to show him the way to her house. They both walk together, the kid anxiously gripping on his arm as they approach this one dirty-looking house in a poor neighborhood, the girl points to the house and says “This one’s mine” and gingerly goes inside without saying another word.

When Batman is leaving he notices the kid stole his grappling gun. He looks upset, but doesn’t try to get it back.

Because of the little distraction Bruce can’t catch the Cluemaster (or Arthur Brown) that night, but he keeps his eyes open during patrol, always checking in on the last location of the gang’s reunion and looking for hints of where he may be hiding, but in this job he keeps running into the kid again and again, he tries a harsher approach, convinced that he’ll be able to keep her away from danger, but she only seems to get more and more persistent. Despite being worried, at some point Bruce accepts that he won’t be able to stop her from running away from home at night to “patrol” and lets it be with one condition; they meet up at a spot near her house, keep tabs on Cluemaster together and at the end of the night Bruce makes sure she is safe and sound at home and she has to accept without complaints.

Bruce starts quite enjoying the kid’s company and they get increasingly closer. They talk about their mission, but also about random things. She brings a light and mundanity to his night shift that he never thought he’d have. She eventually agrees to tell him her name, Stephanie. She gives no last names, though. Says she’ll only reveal her secret identity when he reveals his. He laughs.

Their talks on Steph’s way home become the bast part of Bruce’s day, they discuss everything and nothing, sometimes even stopping to get food and just hang out at rooftops after patrol. Occasionally she’ll manage to steal some of his batarangs and other gadgets, he notices but never complains, letting her have this small sense of victory.

But with all the small hints Bruce starts to wonder why is this girl so obsessed with getting the Cluemaster. He questions her about it. She gets very angry, says that scum like him “deserves to die”, Batman tries to lecture her about it, saying that no one deserves to die and this type of thought is what leads people to acting like Arthur Brown, she shouts at him; “Don’t ever compare me to that man!”. The walk back to the house that night is silent.

Bruce does his homework back on the batcave, having had enough with Stephanie keeping secrets, he finds out that Arthur is her father. He tries to talk to her about it but she shuts him down, they keep having silent patrols for the next week or so, when all this laying-low type of work finally leads to a proper opportunity for an “attack”, knowing this, Batman meets up with Stephanie and tells her that she won’t be coming tonight, says this is a dangerous situation and that she should just stay home and wait for him on the next night. Steph tries to discuss, but he says it’s for her own safety and doesn’t let her have a word on the matter.

Without Bruce’s blessing, Steph goes to Cluemaster’s place by herself. There she finds Bruce in a hard fight, he is outmanned by atleast five people, she is convinced he can’t take it and jumps in through a window to help. Stephanie knocks man out in her land, saving Bruce's ass from getting stabbed on the back. They both finish the fight together, when everyone is knocked out or can't get on their feet anymore, Stephanie jumps on Arthur's throat with a chain, she starts choking him with it, and too tired to fight it, he is about to die. Bruce convinces her not to do it, and she reluctantly agrees.

Batman and Steph take the men to the police, earning some strange looks from Gordon and other cops, who end deciding on not question it. Bruce invites Steph to go on a walk with him. They go around the city, discussing everything that happened, he says that murdering is not worth it. She disagrees. He says that it won't bring her any satisfaction. She stays silent. He asks if she really wants this life for herself. Not because of her father, revenge or as a game, if she actually wants to help. She says that this is all she's ever wanted. He shakes her hand.

"What's your name?"

She hesitates for a moment: "Spoiler"

"Mine is Bruce", he answers with a smile before taking his cowl off. Steph stares at him, slightly taken a back. "Batman and Spoiler, huh? I like the sound of that", he says, giving Stephanie a pat on the shoulder.

This is pretty rough and i didnt rlly re read the whole thing to check do if its incoherent, im sorry, its late, is js spent like a solid hour making this on a ipad and my brain has melted

[user230507021118079]

Never Alone - Ch. 10

summary: "𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘨𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴…𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦."

𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚…

*the only characters I own are Ciara, her family, and Jade. all other rights go to she-who-should-not-be-named

blog masterlist || previous chapter || ch. 11

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Later the large group was rushing through King’s Cross station, pushing along trolley’s and lugging their bags across the platform. They were running late, there were only two more minutes left before the train would pull out of the station. Evidently, they had wasted more time in Flourish and Blotts then they had originally thought. 

“Oh dear!” Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as they ran towards platforms nine and ten. Percy, Fred and George quickly ran towards the barrier. Hermione and Ciara were quick to follow, as Mrs. Weasley coached Ginny on how to proceed. 

As the boys dashed off, Hermione and Ciara anxiously waited for Ginny to come through, and when she did, they took off for the train that was making its final call for passengers to board. They gave their stuff to the crew members, instructed Ginny to get on before them, when suddenly Hermione grabbed a hold of Ciara’s arm.

“Wait!” she said, looking around “Have you seen Ron or Harry?” she asked 

Ciara blanked, now that she thought about it, since they had made the mad dash for the train platform, she couldn’t think of the last place she saw the two outside of Flourish and Blotts. 

She shook her head in response, standing on her tiptoes to look above the retreating crowd. Hermione joined her for a moment, but the train whistle blew again. 

“Come on” Hermione said “I’m sure they just got another car” she said, however there was doubt more than evident in her voice. 

Ciara nodded, glancing out at the crowd one more time before climbing on board and looking for an empty cabin. 

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As it turns out, the two had not gotten in another car. In fact, they had missed the train entirely. It wouldn’t be until dinner time, when students were passing around the latest edition of the Evening Prophet that they found out what had become of the two. 

Ron had gotten a hold of the Weasley’s flying car and had taken it on a joy ride from London to Hogwarts, scaring Muggles and Wizards alike. 

Luckily for them, they made it out unscathed and with only a detention to show for it. 

Jade and Ciara unpacked their bags, talking sparingly about their summers and what classes they had lined up for the year. It seems that Jade shared her apprehension of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. 

“That man’s a fraud, you can practically smell it on him” Jade had grumbled as she threw her textbooks on top of her desk with a loud bang. 

Ciara tilted her head back and laughed. 

A sudden commotion from the outside common room caught their attention. They shared a look, before dashing out of their dorm. Pausing up against the railing of the staircase, they peered down into the dimly lit space, seeing a crowd of students by the fireplace, talking excitedly. 

Upon seeing who was at the center of it all, Ciara rolled her eyes. 

“Of course” she mumbled. 

Draco stood, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile on his face, talking about how he was going to try out for the Slytherin seeker position, and something about how his father said he was a shoe-in. 

“You’ll do great Drakey” Pansy Parkinson’s voice squeaked loudly. 

Ciara and Jade looked at her, then back at each other, before bursting out laughing, drawing some attention their way. Ciara looked down into the crowd, seeing Draco looking up at them, his face flushed with anger. 

“Yeah Drakey ” Ciara said tauntingly, leaning over the banister “Make sure not to take a quaffle to the face!” 

“Maybe he should.” Jade said, nudging her in the side. 

Every student in the common room laughed, save for Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. 

Draco stared back at her with fire in his eyes, fists clenched tightly at his side. 

“Why don’t you shut it McKay?” the blond boy fired back. 

Ciara sent him a fake pout in response. 

“Now where’s the fun in that?” 

Again the students laughed. Satisfied with their contribution, Jade tugged on Ciara’s arm and the two ran back to their room laughing up a storm on the way. 

The year seemed to be off to a good enough start. 

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The next afternoon, Ciara was eating lunch at the Slytherin table, preparing herself for the rest of the day's classes. She was flipping through one of Gilderoy Lockhart's textbooks, shaking her head at every single boring paragraph. They were simply full of telling's of grand adventures that the wizard went on, there was little instruction or explanation in any of them, and therefore, nothing it seemed, to really learn. Huffing in disappointment, Ciara closed her books and went back to her food, when suddenly, a voice shouted from the opposite end of the room, at the Gryffindor table. 

“Heads up, everyone!” Seamus Finnigan announced to the entire hall “Weasley’s gotten himself a Howler!” 

Everyone looked over with interest, a bunch of people laughing and giggling with anticipation. Ciara peered over at the table, seeing the back of Ron’s head, as he nervously held the bright red envelope in his hand. Harry and Hermione sat at his side, glancing around the hall worriedly. 

Slowly, Ron opened the envelope, and immediately the loud screech of a woman's voice bounced off of the walls, the plates on the tables in front of them began rumbling. 

“RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER’S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT’S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOW OUT OF LINE, WE’LL BRING YOUR STRAIGHT HOME!” the envelope then turned to the boy’s left, it’s tone quieting. “Oh, and Ginny dear. Congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud” it cooed. 

The younger Weasley looked mortified, as the rest of the hall watched as the envelope shredded itself into red pieces which then fell on the table right in front of a trembling Ron. 

Students from all tables exploded into laughter, especially the ones at Ciara’s table. The white-haired girl shook her head, looking across the room at her friends. Hermione caught her eye, and Ciara sent her a sympathetic look. 

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Ciara sat next to Jade in Defense Against the Dark arts, watching as Professor Lockhart walked back and forth in front of the class. Next to his desk sat a covered cage that was continuously rattling much to Ciara’s suspicions. 

“Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher...Me! Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of the Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award-” he paused, of course smiling, “But I don’t talk about that. I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!” 

The teacher paused, as if awaiting laughter. A few students supplied him with the pity, while Ciara simply rolled her eyes, letting her head rest on her desk. 

“I see you’ve all bought a complete set of my books. Well done. I thought we’d start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about. Just to check how well you’ve read them, how much you’ve taken in…” he said as he began passing out parchments to the students at their desks. As a paper floated down in front of her, Ciara picked it up, looking over the questions briefly. 

“Oh you’ve got to me kidding me” she mumbled. 

“They’re all about him!” she heard Ron whisper to Harry, both of them sitting in the desk directly in front of her. 

“‘What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favorite color?’” Harry read off 

“‘What is Gilderoy Lockart’s greatest achievement to date?’”

“‘When is Gilderoy Lockart’s birthday and what would his ideal gift be?’”

Ciara pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“You have thirty minutes!” Professor Lockhart announced “Start...now!” 

The students tried their best to complete the quiz, their quills feverously darting across the page. Or not, if they had already given up after question one. Once a half an hour had passed, Professor Lockhart collected the tests, returned to his desk, and started rifling through the pieces of parchment, making small noises of disappointment while shaking his head. 

“Hardly any of you remembered my favorite color is lilac.” He said “But Miss. Hermione Granger knew that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair care potions. Good girl!” he complimented. 

Towards the front of the room, Hermione bowed her head sheepishly. 

Professor Lockhart then placed the pile of papers down on his desk, and stood up dramatically. 

“Now...be warned!” he announced “It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourself facing your own worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here.” he informed. 

He then slowly turned towards the cage by his desk, gently grasping the piece of fabric that covered it. 

“I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them” he said a bit dramatically. Several of the students leaned forward in anticipation, and upon seeing that he had got their attention, Professor Lockhart grinned before finally ripping away the cover. 

Inside, several blue forms darted back and forth excitedly. The creatures were small, only inches tall. Their faces were pointed, and dainty wings beat furiously on their backs. A good portion of them were grabbing hold of the bars of the cage, rattling it back and forth, in an obvious attempt to get out. 

“Cornish pixies?” Seamus’ voice called out from somewhere behind her. 

Professor Lockhart smiled wide, 

“Freshly caught Cornish pixies” he corrected. 

The Irish Gryffindor couldn’t help but let out a loud snort. 

Lockhart’s expression fell, 

“Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnegan, but pixies can be devilishly trick little blighters” he informed. “Let’s see what you make of them now!” he said, flinging open the cage door. Instantly the creatures poured out of the cage, devolving the room into chaos. Some students were sprayed with ink, beakers that were on the shelves of the classroom fell to the ground and shattered, books were being lifted up and shredded right in front of their faces. Students screamed and dived under their desks for protection. 

Ciara watched with wide eyes and a book over her head as two pixies grabbed a Gryffindor named Neville by his ears and started to lift him up towards the ceiling. 

“Come on now, round them up, round them up! They’re only pixies” Professor Lockhart called out, taking out his wand. “Peskipiski Pesternomi!” 

The curse shot upwards at the pixies but bounced off harmlessly. The pixies seemed to laugh at this failure as Lockhart paled. One of the creatures grabbed the man’s wand and tossed it across the room. 

A large group of students took off towards the door, and Lockhart was quick to join them. 

Ciara sprung up to her feet, looking at the professor in disbelief. 

He smiled at her, and the group of three students standing behind her, who just so happened to be Hermione, Harry, and Ron. 

“I’ll ask you four to just nip the rest of them back into their cage” he said, then slammed the door shut, trapping them inside the classroom with the pixies. 

“Unbelievable!” Ciara cried out, throwing her hands up in disbelief. 

Ciara turned around towards her friends, who looked just as stunned. Ron smacked away a pixie that had bit his ear. 

“What do we do now?” the red head asked. 

Ciara swat down another pixie with the help of a textbook. 

Hermione swiftly took out her wand, and raised it into the air. 

“Immobilus!” she cried out. 

With a flash of light, all of the pixies suddenly froze in midair, all of their tiny faces plastered with a matching expression of surprise. 

Neville slowly began slipping out of the frozen pixies grip until eventually he plummeted back to the surface, landing on Lockhart’s desk. He looked properly shaken, but otherwise unharmed. The boy looked toward at the three other students standing before him, 

“Why is it always me?” he asked. 

Ciara’s expression softened sympathetically, as she crossed the room to help the boy to his feet. 

The five students finally made it out into the hallways, their robes and hair all a mess as a result of what they had just been through. 

“Can you believe him?” Ron asked in disbelief. 

“I’m sure Professor Lockhart just wanted to give us some hands-on experience” Hermione tried to reason. 

“Hands on?” Ciara asked “Hermione, he didn’t have a clue what he was doing in there” she pointed out. 

“Rubbish” Hermione countered “Read his books. You’ll see all the amazing things he’s done.” 

Ciara sighed. 

“He says he’s done.” Ron corrected. 

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blog masterlist || previous chapter || ch. 11