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yoredoesmore · 3 months

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Okay I have a request with Hoshina Soshiro. So maybe some angst thing but fluff. Okay so since reader joined hoshina team she flirted with him, give him things , complement him yk? And he would mostly ignore her, give her extra training ANYTHING to make her go away cuz he didn't want to lose her on mission (dangerous job) but she didn't know that. So it lasted for like long time and a new member joined and he started to flirt with reader, give her flowers itp. And she unfortunately thought that making hoshina love her is like against his own will. She doesn't want to be a b so she leaves him alone. And he doesn't like that at all? I love that kind of fanfic. 🎀

Words cannot describe how much i love this request!! thank you so much for this, i hope you enjoy what i came up with!!

Attention | Hoshina Soshiro

pairing: jealous!hoshina soshiro x reader

summary: you stop giving hoshina your attention and he doesn't like that at all.

genre: romance/angst/jealousy/fluff | [wc: 3.3k ]

a/n: my very first request (so exciting!!) i hope i do your wishes justice! hoshina is kinda mean in this one, lol ^^

enjoy!

“Vice Captain Hoshina!” You chimed in an enthusiastic voice, your body moving over to the man's disappearing figure. The vice captain did not even bother to turn around, nor halt in his footsteps as he heard you approach him. Even as you finally catched up, his gaze remained focused on the scene ahead.

“Today's mission went surprisingly well, don't you think!” Excitement hung in your voice, even as Vice Captain Hoshina remained unbothered by your presence. You were all too used to his unbothered demeanor, his avoiding gazes and the lingering silence, therefore you did what you always did in these situations– keep the conversation alive.

“But honestly, with you as our Vice Captain I didn't expect anything else–”

“Your movements towards the end of the battle were sloppy and unprofessional. Talking about a successful mission, tsk, is there nothing else but air in your head? You could have seriously gotten hurt.” His voice was sharp and mocking but the worst part was, it stung.

It has been a little over a year since you joined the Third Division. Despite all your attempts of building a healthy relationship between you and the Vice Captain, nothing much has changed so far. All the compliments, all the gifts and hard work– none of them had been able to bring change to your chemistry. And watching him turn into this jolly ball of joy when talking to the other cadets definitely didn't make you feel better either. It sometimes discouraged you from continuing this sad pursuit of his attention, but only sometimes.

“Seriously, If you wanna stay in this division and continue being part of these missions you gotta be better than that. What even happened back there?!’

A strong force rushed through your lungs, your mind recalling the last minutes of battle. It silenced you immediately.

A Yoju had appeared right behind your exhausted figure, catching you off guard. In any normal situation you would have drawn your weapon at light speed and blast right through the monster but something had stopped you.

The Vice Captain himself.

Nobody else saw it, how could they have– Vice Captain Hoshina did his best to conceal his little mistake. But you took notice of it, of the Vice Captain actually missing his target. It was unexpected to say the least, distracting as well. But the Kaiju blood that ran down his face, temporarily took his vision and that caused his momentum to shift. He lost his balance for a split second and let the Yoju escape from his weapon. He immediately caught up with the monster but the worry that engulfed your stomach was enough to temporarily cause your brain to shut down.

If it hadn't been for Reno calling you back into reality you would have seriously gotten hurt indeed.

“I apologize Cap–”

“Don't bother.” And with that said he left the scene, joining the others in a discussion of how to proceed with the mission.

“Are you alright Y/n..?” Shinomiya approached you, her gentle hand finding its way on your shoulders.

“Yes, I'm alright. Guess he wasn't in the mood to talk, haha..”

This was just one of many failed attempts of you trying to charm Hoshina.

About a week later you were wandering through the hallways of Tachikawa Base. The sun had long kissed the world goodnight, leaving only the dimmed light of the moon to illuminate the building. Sleep was unable to find you, thus you decided to take a short stroll around the building.

It calmed you, watching the stars live in perfect harmony with the moon. They were able to enjoy its presence, even from a distance– just like you were still able to appreciate Hoshina.

He wasn't all that bad honestly. What happened a week ago was a rare occasion, he only got worked up like that when you gave a sloppy performance during a mission.

Perhaps he just wanted you to improve? One could view your way of thinking as delusional, yes, but you preferred to think that you were just optimistic.

On your way back to your dorm you heard subtle sounds in the distance. A few grunts here and some equipment being moved there. Allowing curiosity to take the best of you, you investigated the strange noise. What you found left you shocked and motionless.

The Vice Captain was up and about in the training room, moving in ways you have so rarely seen him in. His body became one with his weapon, it was as if they molded into one to perform something magical. Seeing him in action, in his element, it reminded you why you still chased after Hoshina. He was just perfect in every single aspect, from looks to abilities. You watched him just a little longer, until you decided to step back and return to your dorm to not get into any trouble for being up so late.

“And where do you think you're going?” A single sentence from his lips was enough for your body to become imobile. The Vice Captain was the scariest during battles, when neutralizing Kaiju, everybody knew that. But whatever vibe he was emitting right now, it felt just as dangerous. With each step he took towards your body you could feel your limbs grow weaker and weaker.

“It's quite disrespectful to stare. And on top of that you're walking around past the curfew. Honestly Y/n, it's starting to get annoying.”

“I apologize. I couldn't sleep, that's why I–”

“Give me 50.” Hoshina interrupted you, turning back around to collect his things.

“I..are you serious?” The last thing you wanted was to sound disrespectful, but his cold demeanor was starting to affect you in a way you had hoped it never would.

His body bent forward to grab both his katana and zip jacket. For only a moment his eyes met yours.

“Yes. And while you're already at it, try working on your reflexes and stealth as well, I could hear you from miles away. Your mistakes of last week's battle could have cost you your life. Don't let it happen again."

His gaze fell onto the ground and his grip on the jacket tightened. Like always you were unable to make out what concrete emotions he was hiding behind those eyes but his voice pretty much gave away what state he was currently in.

He was pissed.

As Hoshina walked towards the exit, he made sure to throw one last look at you. You didn't notice it but even if you had, it would have made no sense to you..

The following weeks continued to all look the same. While you were trying your best to uphold a positive attitude towards the Vice Captain, it felt like he was distancing himself further and further away from you. Even the other cadets were starting to wonder when you were finally going to move on and give up.

“Hoshina!” You exclaimed cheerfully, waving at the man. “I hope you had a great weekend. I'm looking forward to today's work!”

Like always he just passed you by, not even bothering to give you anything else than a roll of his eyes or a nod (when he was feeling generous).

Even when you left little notes for him or small treats on his desk, you would always later on find them in the trash.

“Wanna go out and drink something together?”

“No.”

“Excuse me, but could you please help me with–”

“I'm busy.”

“Why wasn't I called in to participate at the weapon testing–”

“Because.”

This went on for a couple more months, until a certain someone brought you back to reality.

“Please welcome Tanaka Yosuke, the newest addition to our team.”.

Tanaka was an interesting guy. He was sweet and nice and always had something positive about you to say. On missions he would have your back and even off the battlefield he would make you feel warm and welcomed. Being with him made you realize just how much attention you actually deserved and maybe even how much you wasted on Hoshina. Tanaka made you appreciate how nice it felt to be sought out for once.

Your words did not pass him by, nor did any of your actions go unnoticed by his attentive eyes. He was someone you were able to feel comfortable around.

“Y/n!” His voice immediately caused a smile to appear on your face. Tanaka stood in front of you, a playful grin shining right back at you as he approached your seated body. You were at the base’s cafeteria, enjoying a simple meal by yourself. After another failed attempt of talking to the Vice Captain you believed that you deserved a little treat.

“I got you something.” He spoke, hands reaching into the small bag he brought with him.

A sharp breath escaped your lips and a feeling so fuzzy engulfed your heart it almost knocked you off the chair.

“Look, aren't these flowers beautiful.” White Lilies swayed in the wind, brought by the Kaiju’s collapse. Only this group of flowers had stayed untouched from the destruction, maintaining their beauty.

You had made one little remark about the flowers but here this man was, surprising you with a whole bouquet of them. As your fingers grazed over the soft petals a thought suddenly occurred in your head.

What if Hoshina genuinely disliked you?

It wasn't a brand new discovery. Vice Captain Hoshina not being a fan of yours was quite obvious, yet you thought that his opinion about you could be swayed if you tried hard enough, like in movies. But seeing him dodge you like a bullet and going out of his way to hurt your feelings..maybe you were a bother after all..

Spending more time with Tanaka and less around the Vice Captain felt strange. You wondered if he noticed or if he even cared about the lack of your presence. The thought occupied your mind even while you were looking at your gift.

But did that mean that you like Tanaka..? Despite being a sweet guy, all you saw in him was a comrade who you could call a good friend. No one could ever compare to the Hoshina that you met years ago, before you joined the decision. The sweet man who saved you that day..the man you fell in love with.

“These flowers are beautiful, Tanaka.” But that didn't change the fact that Tanaka's eyes were different. They looked at you, not past or beyond, they stared right at you and made sure to perceive you.

“Not as beautiful as the one who is holding them..”

For a brief moment you felt your heart skip a beat, Tanaka's words melting on your ears like butter. While you were losing yourself in this warm feeling you didn't notice the person who was lingering behind the wall, watching the scene unfold with sharp eyes.

“Tsk..”

“That new guy, what's his name again?” Hoshina rested his body against one of the bookshelves, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the Captain arrange some files.

“You mean Tanaka Yosuke? What's with him?” Mina's gaze remained on the countless sheets of papers in front of her, only moving up once to give the man a questioning look.

“Something about him seems off, I don't like the guy.”

“Oh please.” The woman finally averted her attention to her friend, a smug smile hanging on her lips.

“You're just mad that Y/n is paying him attention, much more than you recently.” The last part of that sentence came out as a mumble yet Hoshina’s sharp ears picked up on Mina's remark.

“As if.” Hoshina scoffed. “It's just, he is always dragging Y/n to the front of every battle and acts as if he has known her for ages.”

“You want him to act like you? Cold and ignorant, even after knowing that she is one of the sweetest people around.” Although Mina tried to add a playful touch to her voice, the backlash of her words stayed strong.

“Everybody knows that Y/n is, or maybe now was, head over heels for you– yes even I picked up on that. Yet for some reason you are a complete asshole to the poor girl. But now that she has decided to stop paying you that special kind of attention you want to complain and talk about some "I miss her” and what not. Give me a break.”

Hearing these words come out of the Captain's mouth felt like a strong jab to the side. Hoshina found himself unable to respond, react in any way, really. Like a block of ice he stood motionless in the room, mouth slightly open.

“Play with a girl's heart for too long and she will leave you in the past. You men have the audacity to treat the woman who cares for you like trash and ignore her but get upset when she starts showing affection to another man who actually treats her right, how childish.”

A paper ball suddenly came flying towards Hoshina’s head. He let the crumbled item hit his skull. His eyes followed it as it bounced off his head and fell to the ground, rolling around for a little longer until it eventually stopped moving. A strange taste now sat in his mouth. It was bitter yet blunt, how irritating..

"Whatever reason you have to act this way, just stop. Tell Y/n face to face how you actually feel and give that poor thing a break for gods sake."

The day came to an end rather quickly today. Only hours ago you were out with Tanaka, enjoying some time together and now you were already headed to bed. But before you decided to tell the world goodnight you had to make one quick stop at the base's library.

There was a book about flowers Tanaka gave you that you wanted to lend out, to be able to properly tent your gift. But as you searched through the countless isles, too concentrated on quickly finding the copy, a loud noise suddenly pulled you back to reality.

“Vice Captain..” You stuttered, startled by Hoshinas' sudden appearance. The man stood in front of you, his usual nonchalant expression printed on his face. You were ready to apologize for being out this late once again but before you were even able to open your mouth you were silenced.

“You've been avoiding me..” He spoke in such a low tone you almost didn't hear him.

“I've been…what?”

“You've been avoiding me, Y/n.” Hoshina took a step forward, invading a fraction of your personal space. A gasp slipped from your lips but he continued to stare you down.

“Well..I was under the impression that I was bothering you, Vice Captain, so I backed down a li–”

“Now you can't even say my name anymore?” Another step was taken towards your direction.

Hoshina's playful demeanor had completely disappeared, all that was left was a stoic facade. But something about the way he positioned himself above you, his sharp eyes looking down at your frame as if they were guarding you– it fell off. Despite appearing cold and upset, he somehow seemed..vulnerable?

“I really don't understand what is going on here. I thought you didn't like me?”

It seemed like Hoshina wanted to say something along the lines of “what gave you that idea” but he quickly realized that those words would have not helped him at all. Thus he remained silent for a while, his arms crossing over his chest as his gaze fell onto the wall.

“That Tanaka guy, is he your latest obsession?”

“Excuse me?” You mildly snapped. “Yosuke is a friend of mine, a very nice guy and an amazing fighter.” Hearing you speak his first name so casually caused a nerve to snap in Hoshina’s body.

“He is a completely irresponsible guy if you ask me. Dragging you out to the front of every battle, making you fight all these Yoju– it's like he's setting you up for injuries.” As if the Vicevice Captain's words didn't irritate you enough, he had the audacity to add a scoff, leaving you confused and slightly vexed.

“Orrr maybe he just trusts in my abilities. But with all respect sir, what are you talking about? Are you here to hand out another punishment or is this some type of joke, pretending to suddenly care about me and all..” Silence hushed over the space as your question stayed unanswered. It was beyond obvious that your words triggered something in Hoshina but you didn't know what it was. The lack of a conversation allowed you to reflect on past interactions. Despite hish harsh words, this was the third time that the Vice Captain has mentioned you potentially getting hurt during battle.

Was he maybe..

“I apologize for my tone..” You suddenly sighed.

“But Vice Captain Hoshina, I think I have made it quite clear that I..that I like you yet you don't seem even the tiniest bit interested in me. Which is okay, I get it, but how come that now that i'm finally leaving you alone, you all of a–”

The door to the library suddenly swung open, cutting you off mid sentence.

“Y/n?” Tanaka called out, looking around the empty space.

Hoshina had reacted before you could even realize what was going on. The Vice Captain quickly pulled you into his embrace, so that your back rested against his chest, and placed his hands over your mouth. The mild sensation you felt only moments ago in your stomach now fully exploded, causing a strong heat to rush through your body.

“Weird..the others told me that she would be here..” Tanaka looked around one last time before turning off the lights and closing the door behind him. You thought that Hoshina would let you go but his grip around your waist stayed strong.

“Y/n..” He lowered his face to softly talk into your ear. Something inside the man felt relieved. Now that you were both standing in complete darkness, unable to see each other, he could finally confess what was on his mind.

“As a Vice Captain it is my duty to charge head first into battle, despite knowing that I could die any second. You are persistent by nature, I saw that during our first encounter a couple years ago, so the thought of you being stubborn enough to follow me on the battlefield and potentially getting hurt always haunted me. I..I tried getting rid of you to prevent that from happening and during the process I must have hurt you a lot and I am so sorry. I kept ignoring you because being close to you..it made it so fucking difficult to not–”

Hoshina stopped himself from continuing that sentence and let go of you, his body's heat becoming too overwhelming. With every second your eyes adjusted more and more to the darkness, until you were properly able to see him.

“Don't run after any other man when I'm right here, Y/n..”

“Hoshina..”

You could only see fragments of it but Hoshina was smiling. Hearing you finally drop the formalities made him happier than it should.

All this time, the man you thought hated you for purely existing had a special spot in his heart reserved just for you. It felt weird, being perceived by him, but at the same time there was no sweeter feeling.

“I don't know if I can just forgive you yet..” You joked. “It's gonna take a lot more than just your words to make me forget the months of blatant disrespect.”

“Don't play around too much now.” The man pulled you back into his embrace. One arm tightly held you by the waist while the other pretended to pull on your ear. For a short moment the two of you laughed together, until he suddenly spoke in a more serious tone.

“Please keep your eyes on me, don't look away.” One of his hands wrapped around yours to pull it up to his face. Hoshina's soft lips ran over your fingers, placing a strong kiss on your hand. Then his eyes fell on yours, locking your gazes.

“I'm yours, Y/n. You don't need anyone else as long as I'm here so please continue to give me your attention. It gets me going like nothing else, hearing your adorable voice and seeing how much effort you put into every fight. Fuck” He chuckled, the other hand now cupping your right cheek.

“You don't know how long I had to hold myself back. But now that the truth's out, I can finally show you just how crazy you make me.”

#yoredoesmore #anime fanfic #hoshina soshiro x reader #requests are open #soshiro hoshina #kaiju no. 8 #x reader #request #hoshina x reader #jealous hoshina

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runnning-outof-time · 1 year

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For the celebration I choose three word prompt: Number 7: " I love you."

The reader has been working at the garrison for a while. Plus Tommy likes her without her knowing it. Other thing the reader ask Tommy to take her home one night because the streets are dangerous at night. Lastly, the reader lets him stay the night with her and he confesses his feelings for her. The reader happens to feel the same way.

Thanks for sending this in Selene - it ended up being a bit longer than a blurb, I guess, but I wanted to make sure it matched what you were looking for in the original request you sent…I appreciate you allowing me to merge it into this celebration. Enjoy! :)

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

This is part of my 3.5k celebration — check it out!

All Of A Sudden

Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1343

Summary: (Y/N) and Tommy find themselves getting sucked into a bit of a whirlwind-typed romance after he offers to walk her home one evening.

Rain was coming down pretty hard as (Y/N) finished up her end of shift chores at the Garrison. She liked being at the tavern after hours. Who knew a place filled with so many reveling people throughout the day could turn into one so peaceful at night?

She placed the rag and bucket she was using to clean tables down in the stock room and came back into the main bar area. Glancing aorund the room, she nodded to herself, considering her work for the night finished. Just as she was grabbing her things, the doors to the bar opened. She gasped softly at the sound, whipping around to see who was entering the building. A sigh of relief followed as her eyes found one of her bosses. “Mr. Shelby…I was just leaving for the evening,” she said to him, reaching to grab her purse from the bar.

Tommy had just finished taking off his dripping peaked cap when he heard her speak. “Oh, you’re leaving?” His question held a tone of surprise.

“Yes,” she nodded, “all of the nightly jobs are finished.”

“That’s good.”

Silence fell between them as they stood several feet away from each other. (Y/N) couldn’t help but feel the heat creeping up the back of her neck as his eyes stayed on her. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t feel something towards him. There was just something about him that drew her in. No matter what she did, she couldn’t shake it, and it seemed to grow the longer she worked at the Garrison.

“It’s late and raining pretty bad out there,” Tommy’s voice brought her out of her thoughts and back into the conversation, “how about I walk you home?”

If her heart wasn’t racing before, it surely was now. “Oh, Tommy, you don’t need to…”

“No, but I want to,” he cut her statement off before she could finish it.

It took a moment for (Y/N) to respond, both because she was surprised by the kind gesture and also because her mind was running at about a mile a minute. Tommy stood waiting, expectantly watching for her answer. “Ok,” she said when she trusted her voice enough to speak again.

The answer was simple, but it was all Tommy needed to nod and place the peaked cap back atop his head, not caring if it was soaked. “Come on,” he said, waving her over. She listened, falling in by his side so that he could lead her out of the Garrison.

“My home’s not far from here,” she told him as they quickly began walking in the direction of where she lived, their pace hastened due to the rain that was still pouring down.

Soon enough they were inside her flat, and (Y/N) was hanging her soaked coat on the rack by the door before reaching out for Tommy’s. He looked surprised by her gesture, and she couldn’t help but smile sheepishly. “Wouldn’t want you here in a wet coat,” she gave her reasoning behind the offer.

Tommy pursed his lips before nodding, working on taking off his overcoat then. “Thank you,” he said as she took it and hung it on one of the hooks.

(Y/N) turned back to smile at him, ringing her hands together as she carefully thought over what she would say next. After a few moments, she went for it: “you should stay here tonight.” A look of intrigue flashed across Tommy’s face at her suggestion, and just as he opened his mouth to respond, (Y/N) threw a few more words in: “it’s pouring out…I don’t want you walking back in it.”

“Oh,” Tommy responded, nodding. (Y/N) wanted to facepalm, desperate to know if her added statement changed what his answer would be.

“I understand if not, but I just wanted to offer so that if…” she trailed off, failing to find the words she wanted. The more she thought, the less she came up with, so she ended off with a sigh, dropping her embarrassed gaze to the floor.

“I’ll stay.” Tommy’s response surprised her, making her eye lift up in a flash.

“Really? I mean…um, ok,” she switched up her tone, clearing her throat so that she didn’t sound so surprised by his answer. “Let me, um…I’ll go get some blankets I guess,” she then turned to walk to her bedroom.

“(Y/N)…wait,” Tommy called for her, making her stop in her tracks and turn back to him. He looked her over before continuing, “I appreciate you doing this,” he spoke with sincerity.

“Oh, it’s no big deal,” she answered him with a smile.

“I appreicate all of the work you’ve done around the Garrison, too. I appreciate you for helping me with everything,” he continued dispite her brushing him off.

She’d been a big help to him over the last several months, assisting with many different things in regards to the company, as well as being there for him if he needed someone to talk to. He told her things he hadn’t even told his family.

“It’s, um, it’s part of my…I’m happy I’m able to help you, Tommy,” she stumbled over her response, now taking note of how close he was standing. She felt her mouth go dry as his eyes danced over her face, looking as though he was committing every bit of it to memory.

Time seemed to slow down as he reached out and took hold of her cheek with his one hand, caressing it gently as he moved even closer to her. She wasn’t even sure what was happening was still real as he spoke again. “I…it’s been a while since I’ve felt for someone the way I feel for you, (Y/N),” he told her, his confession making her heart rate sky rocket. Is this really happening?, she had to ask herself.

“Tommy, I…”

“And I’ve felt it from just about the moment I laid eyes on you,” he continued. It was taking everything (Y/N) had not to let the wide smile break out across her face as she listened to what he had to say.

Is this really happening?!

“I’m sorry if I’m overstepping,” he said then, retreating slightly from his forward stance, his thumb brushing across her cheek.

“No, you’re not…you’re not overstepping at all,” she told him, responding a bit too quickly, but he didn’t seem to care. “I, um…” she trailed off, swallowing her fears (because he’d pretty much just confessed his feelings to her) before building up the courage to continue, “I feel the same way about you. I have for a while also,” she admitted, wanting to squeeze her eyes shut so that she didn’t see his reaction.

But instead she kept them wide open, and she watched as the smallest smile creeped onto Tommy Shelby’s lips. “I’m happy to hear that,” he said to her, his thumb still rubbing soft circles against her skin.

She got lost in it, and his eyes, for a few moments, soaking in the fact that the man she’d been pining for these last few months was now standing inches away from her and had just admitted his feelings for her. How exactly did this happen?

“So it’s not too early to say this then…?” she trailed off, biting on her lip as she wondered if she should go forward with what she was about to say.

“Say what?” Tommy quirked an eyebrow.

“I love you,” she blurted, quickly gasping as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, surprised by the fact that she’d just said those three words so freely.

Before she could die of embarrasment, Tommy gently brought her hand down from her mouth before he brought his other up to her cheek. A smile flashed across his lips before he leaned in and pressed them to hers. The kiss said everything he didn’t, and it was one that made (Y/N)’s embarrassment disappear in a flash.

— I promise they all won’t be this long!! And it might have been a bit early for her to say those three words, but hell…YOLO, right??

Tagged: @mystcldydrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @itscheybaby @gypsy-girl-08 @insanitybyanothername @depxiety @raincoffeeandfandoms @dragons-are-my-favorite @youtifulsunshinelixfics @forgottenpeakywriter @cljordan-imperium @areyenotfondofmelobster @little-diable @thomashelbyswife @iambored24601 @shaddixlife

MASTERLIST

#k’s 3.5k celebration #tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby blurb #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby fanfiction #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders blurb #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic

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absolutebl · 1 year

Text

This Week in BL - Cameos & Familiar Faces

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized by favs in each category. No numbered lists anymore, tumblr be buggn'.

End of Aug Start Sept 2023

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 8fin - Oh the DRAMA. Why does the insane ex (my true love) remind me of the cartel leader from Romancing the Stone? Even the sides got HEA! It was fucking great!!!!! Charn remains a bonkers spoiled evil murderous brat with a cruel smile beloved by his one true paladin. Also: post it love note trope! Been a long while my old friend. NO SINGING!!!!! I do love that wedding jacket frock coat cape thing Charn wore.

In conclusion: This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. Charn may be my favorite lead character of 2023. However, this show is not entirely BL, more on the fringe, like Manner of Death. Add that to several "singing incidents" and pairs being a little weak in the chemistry arena, and this lands safely in 9/10 territory. It’s tons of fun tho: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Sat grey) ep 3 of 12 - This show is getting more and more lakorn each ep. Apparently the straights are having a class divide arranged marriage crisis. Who cares? Our boy is ALWAYS in trouble. Crazy that he has to save the people who betrayed him in a previous life - but I guess he chose revenge! That's unexpected.

Had to switch to grey and couldn’t find a working rip. It was frustrating and I wouldn’t have bothered except I like this show so much. Still, it means no screen caps because the rez is naff.

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - Uh oh. Kang wants to save Sailom and be his hero. The fact that K’s Pa puts no pressure on him whatsoever, makes me wonder if K's Ma committed suicide or something? It’s definitely the opposite parental dynamic we normally see in BL. I have to say, the pacing is great in the show. And the acting is on point. It’s really great.

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 8 of 12 - these two just kiss well. I mean not "rip your clothes off Taiwan-style," but sweet young boyfriends-esk. Joke wants to be claimed so bad. It’s great. I enjoyed this ep, unfortunately it looks like we have a manufactured angst drama drop in the next episode. Is this a 10 episode arc? I thought it was 12. It’s odd to have doom happening next episode already.

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 4 of 10 - Back story time! Ray and Mew are HARD to watch. Incestuous friend group gay is the worst. Omg I got such QAF vibes from this ep. Nick Boston Sand chats = very throw back 90s gay soaps.

Location game moment: Top's hotel room is also Chan’s apartment in Laws Of Attraction.

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 1 of 8 - Ooo. Est is back! Hi handsome. Head of security suits you. Please lead out the new Waterboyy remake? You’re perfect for the role. (If it must happen.) Yi’s Pa is GREAT. Please give daddy a nice boy? Could that be our secondary couple for this series?

Meanwhile, with the leads (sorry I was distracted by daddy) we got us an arranged marriage, run away bride, and an amnesia trope. Put in a secret baby and it's squarely 1980's Harlequin. Will there be Vikings? Sex herbs? Pirates? Dub con?

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 9 of 12 - Again with lovely sex scenes, it’s just the plot stringing them together is frayed. Also don’t fuck in an onsen. Both yech and ouch.

That goes for all y’all.

Wedding Plan (Wed YT & iQIYI) ep 7fin - Trash watch here! Honestly this was an okay ending, I’m not mad at it. If you can tolerate Mame and liars (kinda the same thing) you’ll be fine with this show.

Summation: An innocent wedding planner falls haplessly and hopelessly in love with a groom who relentlessly pursued him, even though he’s about to marry someone else. A somewhat lackluster mame offering with less of the usual stellar chemistry, but all of the usual lies and manipulation. 7/10

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - I skip everything to do with Tammy and it’s fine. There’s only about 20 minutes of fine but that’s more than enough. On the bright side. So far. No singing.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 24 eps - Cassanova Begins Part 2. Aw. It was sad. Another variation on the “my ghost boyfriend” trope (usually sad). 2/10 I don't do sad BL.

Next up is Merry Go Round featuring the pair from Destiny Seeker (we likey) who want to marry each other, but end up fake engaged to the same woman. Beard squared? Looks silly.

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - There are 2 things I like about this. I bet you can guess what they are.

Lee Long Shi

The whipping boy trope

There wasn’t enough of either in this first ep. ALSO the captions, sound effects, and voice over are truly next level bad. Utterly atrocious.

The 2 leads fucking around in the end credits was the funniest part of the whole show.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 7 of 8 - I am confused and frustrated about what the communication delay is between the two Juns. It feels artificial and narratively manufactured. But since this is a short form KBL and I know it will be resolved quickly, I’m not as annoyed as I would be if this were Thai BL. Still it feels audience manipulative. I also feel sorry for Simon. BUT it looks like it’ll be a sweet boyfriends final episode.

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 10fin - Omg they’re so cute!!! Taiwan the purveyors of ultimate sappy gay domesticity. I am going to miss having these to nonsencing all over my dash.

This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Unfortunately, the story was erratic and waffled about. While the leads turned in solid performances and the sappy domesticity was off the charts, it never really had the strength of the narrative convictions such a strong concept should have supplied. Highly rewatchable and enjoyable for that sappy domesticity but not a whole lot more. Still I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity. 8/10

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) eps 3 of 13(?) - I love the punching thing - there is a lot of violent flirting in this show. I’m not mad about it. Ugh, poor thing has real abandonment issues. And now trust issues. I see why we’re getting 12-14 eps. This gonna be MESSY.

Meanwhile, does EVERYONE have a guest cameo? Not that I’m complaining. Hi BLIHID boys! Now I need to rewatch that show.

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 7-8 of 10 - Oh my God the next morning w/ couple 2 was so darn cute. They are all such terrible flirts with each other. Honestly, this show makes me laugh more than any other BL currently airing. I’m not sure it is meant to be as funny as I find it. While couple 3 (the mature characters) is by far my favorite, I actually think they don’t work with the other two pairs, they feel superfluous to the show. I like the show better because they’re in it, but it feels like two different BL‘s stuck together. KBL certainly can’t handle more than two couple threads at the same time.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 3-4 of 8 - Ugh. I am such a sucker for the FighterTutor dynamic. Why so good? Uh oh. Real kiss! KBL you're spoiling us. But, isn’t sad-seme-hyung dating some chick? Argh. Poor Sunwoo. This show is even worse at repping Fighter's character sympathetically. Who knew that was possible?

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - The date episode! Even Japan is doing it now. And these two who have been living/fucking together for ages still dance around each other like junior high kids. I gotta say, I watch this one twice because Vicki has different subs from Gaga. I feel like it’s easier to understand if I watch two different translations of the same script. But it’s still quite a taciturn piece.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - Sides are great. It was mostly a cute ep with tiny bits of Progress and a proper Confession. I miss Shin’s siblings. And then… the much loathed amnesia trope. Really?

Everyone say it with me: Must you, Japan?

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) ep 5fin - It ended happier than I was expecting. Optimistic for one couple, and most likely optimistic for the other.

Summation: What to say about this offering from Hong Kong? It’s different, a mix of early CBL, Taiwanese shorts, and Pinoy visuals. It felt like the story was 2 independent shorts that had been lengthen and then stuck together, and I wish they'd been approached as separate and tighter entities. Nevertheless, this was a complex little piece, interesting in a sweaty grungy way, with a certain aura of queer authenticity that made it simultaneously tense, unpredictable, and refreshing. I’m not sure I would necessarily call it BL, but any county’s early foray into the genre usually starts out this way, so perhaps nascent BL? Worth watching, especially if you enjoy stuff from the Philippines and Taiwan. 7/10

In case you missed it

Dinosaur Love ended its run but the final 2 eps are behind a paywall. Word on the street is they aren't good anyway (shocker) so I'm marking it as DNF and moving on with my life. If I can find em grey I'll watch 'em merely so I can give it a rating, but I can't imagine it will get more than 5/10. Seriously, do not bother.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming September

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan Gaga) Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/15 Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) suspected cinema release? I don't know much about what's going on. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency. Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf has signed up to star in this idol-based BL (based on a webtoon). They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/? Venus in the Sky (Thai iQIYI) 10 eps

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Hidden Agenda hitting us up with a hug + lap + kiss. Very nice.

I think these two might be GMMTV's best cuddlers.

Boys, I think your JoongDunk is showing.

(Last week)

153 notes · View notes

cakesunflower · 2 months

Text

lovelorn (and nobody knows) [rafe cameron au fic] chapter 6

Summary: Isla Carrera had planned for the summer before college to be focused on three things: helping out at her family’s restaurant (the helpful daughter), preparing for college (the good student), and having fun with the Pogues (the loyal friend). But one fateful night, where her car breaks down and her rescuer is none other than Rafe Cameron, seems to send her summer down a path she didn’t see coming–one teeming with a secret, illicit romance with the last person she expected. And if her friends and sister found out, Isla isn’t sure they’ll be so understanding, no matter what her feelings are.

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

The local park is crowded with families and friends arriving to watch a movie under the stars, the screen set up and people trying to find ideal spots to sit in. Some, like Rafe and his friends, have brought camping chairs to sit in, while others opted for blankets and cushions to lie down on. Rafe scrolls aimlessly on his phone as they wait for the movie to start, only half listening to whatever conversation Topper and Kelce are having on either side of him. The movie playing tonight is Jaws, one Rafe has seen a hundred times before, but he truthfully enjoys the outdoor movies in the park.

His mom used to take him and his sisters when he was younger, years ago, and if his dad wasn’t too busy with work, he would join them as well. But mostly, it was an outing he took part in with his mom, Sarah, and Wheezie when she was too young to even remember it, really. Rafe looked forward to those nights, because his mother would pack snacks, bring their favorite blankets so they were comfortable, and they would be nights well spent. After his mom passed, he and his sisters would come together, but the more they grew up, they got involved in their own lives, and stopped coming together. But Rafe always came, whether by himself or with his friends.

He lifts his gaze from his phone, letting his eyes wander as he pokes his cheek with his tongue, seeking out a face he has no business searching for. Rafe clenches his jaw, lifting his cap and running his fingers through his hair before settling it down backwards atop his head. He tries not to shift in his seat because whatever the hell this is, it came out of nowhere and damn near knocked Rafe on his ass. From that night she collided against him in front of his house, running away from something, something has shifted for Rafe.

Annoyingly enough, he can’t make sense of it—other than the fact that he finds himself hoping to run into Isla Carrera. And it’s a breath of fresh air, every time he does, and Rafe doesn’t think he’s felt that way around anyone, or for anyone, ever before. It’s confusing as shit, but all Rafe knows is that he sees Isla, and something settles in his chest. Something dangerously close to contentment that he can’t remember ever feeling.

As if his thoughts conjured up her presence, Rafe catches sight of Isla entering the park, and even as he subtly sits up, ignoring Topper and Kelce’s ongoing conversation, Rafe’s chest something fucking ridiculous as he watches her. Walking in with a cylindrical bag containing her camp chair, smooth legs looking long, despite her shorter height, in those denim shorts. And then there’s that smile—laughing with her friends and showing off the set of deep dimples framing her lips that he swears he can see even from where he’s sitting.

Beautiful. It’s not an epiphany of any kind, just a matter of truth that he finds himself admiring, running his tongue across his teeth as he watches them search for a place to settle. But then JJ’s arm drops around Isla’s shoulders, making her grin widen as they chat animatedly, and Rafe’s jaw is clenching before he can even help it. Rubbing a thumb along his lower lip, he wonders if there’s anything going on between Isla and JJ. He knows the two of them are close—he doesn’t need to be friends with them to know the truth of it; he’s seen them around together all of the time, and Instagram is filled with pictures with him. Though, that can also be said for the rest of her friends, too, but Rafe is stuck on the idea of Isla and JJ being together.

And it’s an idea that causes a too conspicuous burn in the middle of his chest, filling his stomach with lead that catches him off guard. But that’s been the running theme with Isla, honestly; constantly being caught off guard with his newfound desire—want, need—to see her, be around her, talk to her. Now, he watches her give JJ a friendly shrug, laughing, and he wishes that she was close enough for him to hear the sound.

He watches her and her friends settle down on a spot ahead of where he sits, slightly feeling like a creep because he can’t seem to tear his gaze away. And then he sees Isla and Sarah break away from the group once they’ve put their things down, noting that they seem to be headed towards the concession canteen, and he’s on his feet before he can think twice.

“Where’re you going?” Topper asks, halting his conversation with Kelce.

“Uh, canteen,” he answers. To play it off, he asks his friends, “You two want anything?”

Topper shakes his head while Kelce says, “Coke.”

He crosses the park, moving around people and avoiding colliding with kids who are running around excitedly, and his gaze never strays from where Isla and Sarah are standing in line. To be really fucking honest, Rafe has no idea what the hell he’s doing; he’s got nothing substantial to say to Isla, definitely not in front of his sister, yet he is being pulled towards her like a magnet. Avoiding her seems impossible.

Despite not having a plan in mind, Rafe ends up right behind them in line, greeting them with a smooth, “Ladies.”

They both turn, Sarah’s eyebrows rising as the ghost of an amused smile tugs on her mouth. “Hey, Rafe,” she says slowly.

He meets her gaze, shooting her a brotherly look that silently says don’t be weird before his gaze shifts over to Isla. Something indecipherable passes through her eyes, an interesting light brown with hints of green that could bring a grown man to his knees. The air is charged between them, and he hopes Sarah doesn’t notice as Isla presses her lips together briefly, her dimples shadowing, before dipping her chin in a nod. “Hey.”

Rafe presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth in an attempt to bite back the amused smile threatening to grow. He can tell she’s slightly unsure of what to do, a secret shared between them that has her biting the inside of her cheek, from what he can tell. Rafe has to stop his gaze from lingering on her lips, full and pink and appearing to be so soft, he wonders if that’s how they feel, too. He wonders what she tastes like, the kinds of sounds he can get her to make, and his blood pumps a little too hard as he tries to shove those thoughts to the back of his mind. Subtle amusement warms him when he notes the way she’s fiddling with the gold necklace she wears, one that reads her name.

Tearing his gaze away from Isla, he asks Sarah, “You gonna be home tonight?”

Sarah looks at him strangely. “No. I’m spending the night at John B’s.” With a snort, she adds, “Don’t worry—you’ll have the house to yourself.”

His gaze flickers upon hearing that, inconspicuously locking with Isla’s, and he watches as she rolls her lower lip into her mouth, the air between them stirring. Fortunately, Sarah doesn’t notice the exchange as it’s her and Isla’s turn to order. Sarah is quick to spin around, giving Rafe her back as she orders at the canteen, while Isla widens her eyes at Rafe, staring at him in mild disbelief that has his smirk breaking free, tongue poking the inside of his lower lip.

He sees the way her cheeks pinken, the sight stealing the air from Rafe’s lungs as Isla shakes her head in incredulity before turning as well to give the guy behind the counter her order. Rafe has to stifle a chuckle, hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts as he waits to order. Might as well get himself and Kelce a drink.

“Oh! By the way,” Sarah says, spinning to look at him. “I forgot to tell you—it was nice of you to help out Isla with her ex problem on Friday night.”

His sister smiles at him, proud, while Isla looks from Sarah to Rafe, that pink back in her cheeks. When Sarah glances at her, Isla clears her throat and says, “Yeah, uh, thanks again for that.”

Sarah hums, reaching out and patting Rafe’s chest as she teasingly quips, “I guess you have a heart, afterall.”

He rolls his eyes as Sarah snickers, turning to grab her items from the guy behind the counter. Isla seems to be fighting an amused smile, dimples making an appearance, as Sarah gathers a bunch of snacks and drinks in her arms and turns to Isla. “Can you grab the rest? I’m gonna get back before I drop all of this,” she says hurriedly, and when Isla gives her a nod, Sarah runs off, a quick, “See you later,” thrown at him before she’s gone.

As Isla gathers the rest of the things, she glances at him with an arched brow. “Can I help you?”

His grin widens as he responds, “I don’t know if you wanna know the answer to that.”

Both of her eyebrows shoot up at that as she turns his way, holding two soda cans, a small bag of chips, and a packet of M&Ms. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asks slowly, stepping aside so he can order.

“Two cans of Coke, please,” he tells the guy, pulling out a five dollar bill. With his elbow resting on the counter, he looks at Isla, and the words escape him before he can think twice. “Means I wanna see you.”

She blinks, and even as he sees the realization startle across her face, coloring her cheeks, she says, “You’re seeing me now.”

Rafe knows that Isla knows exactly what he means; he sees it on her face, the way the delicate column of her throat works, and he resists the urge to widen his smile. “Have dinner with me.”

Isla’s eyes widen, lips parting in surprise as she looks up at him, as if trying to discern whether he’s joking or not. He couldn’t be more serious if he tried. He has no idea when his interest in Isla started or where it came from, but he can already tell it isn’t fleeting. Rafe can’t look at her and just think of her as his sister’s friend. Now, when he looks at Isla, there’s an evident pull tugging in the middle of his chest, desperate to be close to her, to know her. He can’t ignore it. He doesn’t want to.

He waits patiently as she processes his request while he gets handed the soda cans. “Rafe, I—”

“Just think about it,” he finds himself saying, not quite prepared to hear a rejection, though he wouldn’t be surprised if she said no. Especially when her gaze flickers past him, presumably to where her friends sit, and he gets it. Her friends don’t like him, at all, and he doesn’t particularly care for them, either. But, fuck, he doesn’t want that to get in the way of pursuing something with Isla. “And let me know,” he adds with a shrug of a shoulder before pulling away to head back to where he’s sitting.

As he moves, he sees Isla walking from his periphery, going back to her friends. Handing Kelce one of the sodas, Rafe settles in his chair as he watches Isla distributing the snacks she carried among her friends, and he swears when her head lifts, she looks right at him for a brief moment before sitting down, her back now to him.

Even when the movie starts once the sun sets, Rafe can admit to himself that his gaze rests more on the back of Isla’s head than it does on the movie itself, sipping his cold drink to cool down the heat simmering in his blood. It’s like now that she’s walked into his thoughts, there’s no getting her out. Does he even want to?

Halfway through the movie, he sees Isla stand up, trying to bend down in hopes of not disrupting anyone’s view behind her as she breaks away from her friends. His gaze is drawn to her automatically, watching as she pulls out her phone and types something quickly and then, a second later, his phone buzzes quietly in his pocket. Rafe presses his tongue between his teeth as he pulls out his phone, trying to keep the burgeoning hope at bay, only to have to stifle a smile when he sees that she had messaged him on Instagram. Only one word: bathrooms.

Rubbing a hand down his face to hide his smile, he puts his drink down and tells the guys, “Bathroom break,” before walking off.

The grass is soft beneath his sneakers as he walks away from the crowd gathered, the sounds of the movie rumbling in his ears as he approaches the small brick building, styled like a shed, that houses the public restrooms. Rafe’s gaze wanders as he walks around the back, trying to catch sight of Isla because he doubts she’s inside, even as he glances over his shoulder to make sure her friends aren’t watching. He doesn’t particularly care, but he would much rather not make things difficult for Isla. More than they already might be.

“Hey.” The soft sound of her voice catches his attention even as screams sound from the movie, his head snapping to the right where he sees her leaning against the back wall of the building. It’s hidden from the view of the crowd, and no one would spot them unless they deliberately walked around to the back of the building. Rafe presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he slowly approaches her where she stands, her hands behind her as she leans against the wall. The light summer breeze makes her dark hair dance slightly, some strands crossing over her face that he resists the urge to brush back.

Beautiful. She’s absolutely beautiful, which is something Rafe knew for years, of course, but losing his breath at the sight of her is new, foreign. Not unwelcomed. There’s a natural rosiness to her cheeks, tiny freckles spread across the bridge of her nose, a few shades darker than the natural brown of her skin. And those eyes—a stunning mix of brown and green framed by long eyelashes—that watch him curiously and, fuck, maybe a little in anticipation, too.

He walks over to her, effectively blocking him from view as well, and leans against the wall with his right arm, facing her. She’s close enough that he can smell the apple scent that clings to her, having to physically stop himself from taking a deep breath so he doesn’t freak her out and end this conversation before it even starts.

So he brings forward an easy grin and raises his eyebrows as he asks, “To what do I owe this secret rendezvous?”

Isla purses her lips, but he notes the twitch on the corners, like she’s fighting back a smile. “This. . . Hypothetical dinner,” she says carefully, making his amusement grow. As well as that seed of hope. “It can’t exactly happen in public. Not when my friends can easily spot us.”

He had expected as much. Who knows what kind of shit she’d get into with the rest of the Pogues if they found out she was having dinner with him. It’s kind of fucking annoying, but when it comes to this, Rafe has a feeling she’s going to run the show. It’s her friendships she would be risking. His own friends would be shocked, for sure, and definitely might think he’s out of his mind for being with a Pogue because of all the hostile history the two groups have. But Rafe can easily ignore all of that—especially when she looks at him with those pretty eyes.

“I know,” he answers with a slight tilt of her head. “Come over, then. I’ll cook.”

“You can cook?” she asks, a light dancing in her eyes as she peers up at him. He dips his chin in a nod as she chews her bottom lip and his stomach clenches, wanting to put his own teeth there. “When?”

“Tomorrow. Tonight. Right now.” His reply is instant, borderline desperate, but he doesn’t care. Even as she gapes at him, lips curling upwards as her cheeks pinken. “Didn’t you hear Sarah before? I have the house to myself.”

A breathy laugh escapes Isla, his eyes dropping to her lips as he forces himself not to close the gap between them. He wants to kiss her, so fucking badly, but it’s not the right time. Her gaze meets his and he sees the hesitation creep in, her throat working as she starts, “Rafe—”

He already knows what she’s going to say. “It’ll be just dinner, Isla,” he assures her honestly. “You come over, we eat, we talk, and you go home.”

She eyes him skeptically for a moment, like she’s not sure that that’s all he wants. And, of course, he wants more. But Rafe also knows to go at Isla’s pace, whatever’s good for her. He would never rush her, or pressure her. Whatever the Pogues may think of him, he’s not someone who would intentionally make a woman feel uncomfortable; he has two younger sisters, and if he found out some guy made them feel as much, he’d get his knuckles bloody.

“I think Kie’s staying over John B’s tonight, too, with the others,” Isla finally says, slowly as though she’s measuring every word. “But I can get out of it. I can come tonight, if you want. If that works.”

Excitement tinged with disbelief lances through Rafe, half thinking he heard her wrong. But he plays it cool, not wanting to give her any reason to second guess, even as his surprise takes him a minute to form a proper response. Truthfully, Rafe had thought it would be more difficult to convince her; he wouldn’t push her, and wouldn't want to make her uncomfortable. But he’s surprised that she agreed somewhat easily.

Was she in the same boat as him? Did she find herself thinking about him more and more as the days went on, like he did with her? Rafe is a little desperate to know what’s going on in that head of hers, but he’s willing to be patient. To give her the time and space to let him in as much as she wants, when she wants.

There’s still some hesitation lingering in her eyes, which Rafe doesn’t blame her for, but Isla doesn’t take back her offer. So Rafe nods, the corner of his mouth curving up in a smile. “Tonight’s good. What time works best for you?”

She glances at her phone, reading the time, and Rafe catches the picture of her lockscreen. A group selfie with her friends on their little boat out on the water, the sun beaming down on them and wide grins on their faces, hair and skin glimmering and wet from swimming, no doubt. “The movie should be over by seven-thirty,” Isla says thoughtfully, eyes lifting so their gazes can meet. “Does eight-thirty work?”

He lifts his chin, trying to keep his smile from taking over his face. Calm, cool. “Works for me. I’ll see you then?”

He says it as a question, giving her a chance to back out once more even though he doesn’t want her to. Rafe knows this whole thing is new, uncharted territory for both of them. He doesn’t want to make light of it, and he wants Isla to know that. And maybe it’s the right thing to do, because he sees her eyes light, some of the earlier hesitation disappearing as a gentle smile touches her pink lips.

It loosens a knot in Rafe’s chest he didn’t even know existed as Isla nods. “Yeah, you will,” she says softly, an undercurrent of a promise they both know is a risk to make.

But the smile they share might be worth it.

*****

Isla has been to the sprawling Cameron estate plenty of times before; for parties, sleepovers, regular hangouts, pool days—all of which were to see Sarah. But tonight, as she parks her car in the driveway and kills the engine and headlights, staring at the house—mansion—ahead, it feels different. Because this time, she’s not here for Sarah. This time, she knows the only person in the house who is waiting for her is Sarah’s older and stupidly attractive brother.

Isla sits in her car for a few extra moments, gripping the steering wheel tightly, mentally preparing herself to get out of the car. Her friends are all at John B’s for the night, and when Isla had said she was going home after the movies, they all had eyed her in bewilderment. But all she had said was that she was getting a headache—which was fair, because they all know Isla has the tendency to develop headaches after going to the movies—and they had let it go. And then Isla takes a deep breath, thinking of her conversation with her mom when she had gotten home to take a quick shower to get the mild scent of summer sweat off of her.

“I need you to cover for me,” Isla had said to her after getting out of the shower, dressed in a baby blue romper as her damp hair fell around her shoulders.

“Cover for you?” her mom had asked, arching an eyebrow, waiting for the kettle to whistle so she could make herself a cup of green tea. “What’s going on, baby?”

Isla and Kie were both close with their parents, but while Kie had a special relationship with their dad, Isla had the same with their mom. Anna Carrera had always been the kind of mother who always wanted her kids to come to her with anything. While Kie and their mom got into more arguments, mostly borne from Kie’s disinterest in any Kook-related events that their parents dragged them to, Isla and their mom were more similar. Which is why she felt comfortable to go to her mom about this, and trusted her discretion.

“I have a date tonight,” Isla told her, watching her mom’s eyebrows flick up in curious excitement. “And it’s with Rafe Cameron.” Anna blinked, her surprise evident because she knows of the less than friendly relationship between Rafe and the Pogues. “I know, I know, I didn’t see it coming either. But Kie’s with the others at John B’s, and I told them I had a headache and was gonna be home for the night, but I’m, uh, going to have dinner with Rafe and I just need you to cover for me with Kie in case she asks. Which I don’t think she will, but still.”

Isla knew the irony of it all—asking her mother to cover for her with her sister, instead of the other way around. She only felt a little bit of guilt, which would be greater if Isla and Kie didn’t cover for each other with their parents a dozen more times in the past. There was already a seed of guilt that had planted itself in the pit of Isla’s stomach from that first night, running into Rafe, and she had the feeling it was only going to grow if she kept up whatever this was with Rafe. More so, now that she had agreed to a damn date with him.

She couldn’t bring herself to regret it, though.

“Honey,” Anna sighed, taking a step towards Isla. “I wish you didn’t have to be so secretive about liking a boy.”

“I don’t—” Isla stumbled, cheeks flaming. She didn’t know why she was embarrassed, but this wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have right now. She couldn’t stand there and analyze these confusing feelings for Rafe. “Mom, could you just—”

“Yes, yes,” her mom said, waving her hand. “I have you covered,” she added, using air quotes that had Isla letting out a nervous laugh. “Have fun and be safe, alright?”

Isla exhaled slowly. “Thanks, Mom.”

Now, without delaying any further, Isla gets out of the car and begins making her way up the driveway to the front door, each step closer and closer to making her heart pound louder and louder. But the more distance gets cut between her and the front door, Isla realizes her racing pulse isn’t entirely made out of anxious nerves, but of a building excitement giving birth to anticipation of what’s waiting for her inside. She runs her fingers through her hair once she gets to the door, and exhales softly.

“Here we go,” she mutters to herself, maybe still in partial disbelief as she raises a hand to ring the doorbell, resisting the urge to bounce on the heels of her sneakers.

Only a few seconds later, the door swings open, and the air stills in Isla’s lungs as her gaze lands on Rafe. And, God, she’s hopeless in trying to stop the smile that instantly tugs at her lips, her stomach doing flips as he stares at her, almost like in wonder. Like he didn’t believe she would actually show up until this moment, now that she’s standing in front of him.

“Hi,” Isla greets, offering a smile she hopes is confident. She doesn’t want to be nervous; in that moment, she tries to channel her sister’s confidence and self-assurance.

“Hey,” he returns and Isla takes the next few seconds admiring the sight of him. He also changed out of his clothes from the movies, now in khaki pants and a light blue button down, sleeves rolled to the elbows, that matches the shade of her romper. Like they had somehow planned it. His left wrist wears a watch, while the other has the familiar bracelets that makes Isla smile a little more. When her gaze lifts, her eyes meet his, and Rafe wears a charming, boyish smile as he says, “You look pretty.”

The simple compliment makes her cheeks heat up. “Thank you,” she murmurs as he opens the door wider.

“Come on in.” She steps into the house, walking past him and is immediately greeted by the familiar scent of his cologne—and him—as well as another delicious aroma wafting in the air. Before she can even ask, Rafe shuts the door and tells her, “I made shrimp scampi.”

Her eyebrows rise, stomach flipping as she glances at him. With a playful smile, she asks, “What if I’m allergic to shrimp?”

There’s no sign of panic. Instead, Rafe snorts and arches his own eyebrow in return. “I saw you enjoying the shrimp cocktails at Dad and Rose’s anniversary party a few months ago for that to be true.”

He noticed that? The warmth in her cheeks intensifies as she mumbles, “Touche,” earning a grin from him.

Chuckling, Rafe nods his head. “Come on, we’re out back.”

She follows him through the house, passing the dining room and kitchen, until they’re stepping out onto the backyard. The lights from Sarah’s party are still wrapped around the trees, glimmering colorfully, and Isla spots a table set up a good distance away from the pool, already set for dinner. There’s a fluttering sensation in her chest as they near it, lips parting in surprise that he not only cooked dinner, but took the time to set up the table outside. Above them the stars twinkled, and Isla can make out the sound of water lapping not only from the pool, but the water on the other side of the Cameron property.

Disbelief has her fiddling with her necklace as they walk to the table. He really set this up for them? The thought behind it alone, as well as the effort, made the fluttering in her chest intensify, spreading throughout the rest of her as she asks, “You made this in an hour?”

The movie had ended at seven-thirty and she agreed to come over at eight-thirty. There’s a steaming dish of shrimp scampi and a bowl of salad on the table—when did he have time to make this? Frankly, Isla is still trying to wrap her head around the fact that not only did she agree to dinner with Rafe, but that Rafe Cameron made dinner for her. It’s all so. . . Gentlemanly and chivalrous, which Isla hadn’t expected. But then again, it’s not like she actually knows Rafe well, other than the beef he and his friends get into with her own friends.

“I, uh,” Rafe chuckles and Isla finds herself being fond of the way that he looks slightly embarrassed. It’s a complete contrast to the cool and confident way he usually carries himself. “I sort of dipped early at the movies to get ready.”

God, she can’t help it—a grin breaks out across her face at the confession, her pulse racing. She briefly wonders if Sarah even knows about this thoughtful side of her brother. She’s still wrapping her head around it, but seeing is believing, she figures.

“Can I be honest?” Rafe asks when they sit down across from each other. Isla arches an eyebrow in return, a silent and curious encouragement for him to continue. “I’ve, uh, never actually cooked for someone for a date before.”

Isla is surprised at his willingness to admit that. She always got the impression that Rafe wasn’t the kind of guy who liked to show any kind of vulnerability to anyone. This side of him is refreshing to see, so different than what she has seen of Rafe in the past and interacted with.

So she rewards his bit of honesty with an honest response of her own. “I’ve never had anyone cook for me on a date before,” she tells him with a warm smile, one she isn’t sure she’s ever given Rafe before, but she likes the way his broad shoulders seem to relax. “I guess it’s a first for both of us.” In more ways than one.

The slow grin he gives her is, to put it bluntly, panty-melting as it shoots heat through her blood. She puts her effort in making sure her fingers don’t tremble as she serves herself when Rafe gestures to the dish in front of them. The gentle summer breeze helps cool down her heated skin as the delicious aroma of the pasta hits her nose, and a smile touches her lips when Rafe grabs the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc—one of the more expensive brands, which is up to Cameron standards.

“Wine?” he offers.

“Sure, thank you,” Isla murmurs.

Once the wine is opened and poured, they begin eating, and Isla has to actively stop herself from moaning in delight as the buttery taste of the pasta hits her tongue. It’s delicious, to say the least, and somehow tastes even better knowing that Rafe prepared this for her. When has a date ever cooked for her? Never, and maybe hell has frozen over for Rafe Cameron to be the first, but her heart has been in constant fluttering mode the moment he had told her he’d cook dinner tonight.

“How is it?” Rafe asks when she swallows her first bite, watching her with curious, anticipating blue eyes.

She nods in approval, licking her lips and dabbing them with a napkin. “Really freaking good,” Isla tells him honestly, smiling when she sees the satisfaction glimmer in his own gaze, the proud smile that takes over his face. Rafe seems to relax a bit after her compliment, only then reaching for his fork to begin eating. It makes her smile, that he waited for her approval before even taking a bite. “Where’d you learn to cook?” she asks as she twirls more noodles around her fork.

“My mom was a great cook,” he answers and Isla watches as a fond, nostalgic smile softens his handsome features. The sight is so gentle, it chips away a lot of her shock of even being here in the first place. “And I had the habit of following her around, so she’d enlist my help when she’d cook. Went from washing the vegetables to chopping them and learning from her.”

He shrugs at the end, like it’s no big thing, but it has Isla softening as she pictures a young Rafe, watching his mom with curious intent, his quick mind tracking her movements and actions. Isla’s not oblivious—she knows Rafe is intelligent; it’s a fact not even Sarah scoffs at. After all, Isla knows he’s also involved in the family real estate and property business, set to take over for his dad whenever Ward decides to retire.

So the guy’s set to take over the family business and can cook—and Isla isn’t supposed to be attracted to him?

“Do you cook?” Rafe asks, pulling her out of her thoughts. “I’m assuming you do, given the business your family’s in.”

Isla breathes out a laugh, nodding in agreement. “You’d be right about that.” Both of her parents love to cook, and most of the recipes at The Wreck are ones her mom and dad created, which are widely loved across the Outer Banks. Isla’s family restaurant is a hot tourist spot during the summer, and otherwise a local love as well. “My mom and dad made sure Kie and I knew our way around the kitchen.”

He reaches for his glass of wine. “Do you have something you like making the most?”

She leans back in her chair, humming thoughtfully, gaze at the starry night sky as she does. Dinner under the stars with Rafe—who would’ve thought? Her lips quirk up before she answers, “Gumbo.”

Rafe’s eyebrows shoot up. “Gumbo?” he repeats, grinning.

“Gumbo,” Isla confirms with a nod. “Dad’s side is from New Orleans, and they’ve got an old family recipe for the best gumbo I’ve ever had—though, I may be biased,” she adds with a laugh. “But as soon as Kie and I could cook on our own, he showed us how to make it, and it’s one of my favorite things to cook.” Her smile turns sly, leaning forward, and her heart thumps when Rafe mirrors the movement, gaze locked on hers as though she’s about to share some grand secret. “Between me and you, my gumbo’s better than Kie’s.”

A breathy chuckle escapes Rafe and Isla dangerously finds herself adoring the way the light dances in his blue eyes. “Hope I can try it someday.”

It’s a statement casually spoken, but there’s nothing casual about the butterflies in Isla’s stomach. Her smile turns a little shy, her cheeks a little warm, as she lifts her fork and tells him, “If you’re lucky,” before taking another bite of the delicious food.

The grin that breaks out across his face is exciting, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek in impressed acceptance. Of course, he doesn’t let her get away with it and asks, “Be honest, did you agree to having this dinner tonight so you didn’t lose your nerve if we did it later on?”

Isla damn near chokes on her sip of wine at his blunt question, though he asks it with an amused undercurrent in that smooth voice of his. The warmth in her cheek intensifies as she lowers the glass, forcing her surprised gaze to meet his smug, expectant one. The blue and silver lights of the lapping pool water bathe him in an almost ethereal light, which doesn’t help Isla’s attraction to him as she clears her throat in a useless attempt to stall answering his question.

Despite her hammering heart, Isla somehow manages to keep her voice even as she counters, “Maybe I just wanted to see how serious you were about going on a date.”

Rafe tilts his head, arching his eyebrow with his gaze never straying from her. Every time he seems to look at her, he looks as if she has his undivided attention. Those eyes, bluer than a summer afternoon sky, seem to really see her, and Isla is certain no one has ever looked at her the way Rafe does. Definitely none of her exes. “And what’s the verdict?” he asks.

She wants to say that he seems pretty serious, given that he left the movies early to come home and make their dinner himself. It’s already more effort than any of her exes have gone through, which is almost sad to say, but it’s so appreciated. So she keeps her eyes locked with his and says, “Night’s still young.”

The flash of anticipation in his eyes only thrills her more.

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ameliathornromance · 2 months

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The Manor House: A Vampire Romance: Chapter 1

“... It’s just as I thought.” The Lord said, absently. His hands were ice cold, pressed against the sides of your head, forcing you to look at him as he examined your now exposed wound.

The musty air stung as the Lord tilted his own head to one side, eyebrow raised. You clenched your jaw, trying to redirect some of the pain.

“What is?” You asked as he relinquished his grip on you. Flexing your jaw, the Lord turned his attention to a steel tray on your bedside.

On it, there was an array of matching medical tools, a scalpel, needle holders, surgical scissors, clamps, curettes, gauze, small brown bottles and jars of mysterious liquids and salves with unintelligible labels, yellowed with age.

“The head is full of capillaries because of the brain and how the body needs to protect the brain.” The Lord answered, “because of that, when you hit your head and it bleeds, it looks like you’re losing a dangerous amount of blood. But you’re not.” He sighed. “You’re lucky that it was only a small cut you got.”

Rolling up his sleeves, he uncorked one of the brown bottles and poured some clear liquid on his hands. The putrid smell of chemicals consumed the air as the Lord cleaned his hands with it, up to his elbows. He gave a shake of his hands to dry off the liquid.

As he picked up one of the small jars, a thought occurred to you. “Where’d you get all this stuff?” It’s not like any Lord would just have all this lying around his Manor. Some of the Doctors at your village were third or fourth born Lords, while others had a magikal background.

Lord Baal didn’t seem like he was kind enough to be tending to the ill and diseased… unless it benefitted him in some way.

“I’ve always had medical supplies.” He said, simply. “I was a sickly child. I needed surgery and care often. It just became easier to have all the relevant materials at the Manor since it’s so far away from any town that may have a Doctor.”

His answer made you frown.

Lord Baal unscrewed the cap, placed it on the steel tray delicately. Using his middle and index finger, he dug into the salve. The salve looked like it had been made from beeswax, matching the honey yellow of Bee hives.

During the night at the Manor, as you fell in and out of your dreamless slumber, you found yourself disturbed. Not by any sound… because there wasn’t any. Normally, you can feel the presence of other people, or hear them bustling around as they worked or got ready for the day.

But there was none of that in this Manor. The silence was muted, suffocating. Unnerving.

Surely if the Lord was often ill as a child, there would be others around to keep an eye on him? To make sure that his body doesn’t fall back into old habits?

Of course, it could just be that due to your dulled senses, you just hadn’t picked up on other people in the Manor. You had been confined to this room after all, and had only been there a day or two.

The sharp sting of the thick salve being pressed into your fresh wound made you hiss out your thoughts, “so, why are you tending to my wounds then?”

The Lord’s hand flinched away from your wound. “Sorry?” His tone dipped, like you’d just asked him what colour his underwear was.

“You’re a Lord, aren’t you? Aren’t there servants or anyone who would attend me?” You asked.

You watched the Lord’s expression, waiting for him to contradict you, or say something demeaning for daring to question him.

But the shocked expression didn’t change. “There… isn’t anyone else.” His tone was solemn. Isolated. “It’s just me here.”

Silence hung in the air for a moment. The Lord scoffed. “You should consider yourself lucky to be attended to personally by a Lord of the Manor. Not many peasants get this kind of treatment.”

“Peasant?” You repeated, indignantly. “I’m not a peasant!”

“Well with how you looked on the river bank, any commoner would have thought otherwise.” And with that, the Lord pressed his salved fingers into your wound.

“Ow!” You yelped like a pathetic animal.

“Oh hush.” He said, dismissively. “Like I said, it’s not that bad.” Lord Baal snatched up a gauze from the tray and forced it onto your cut, using bandages to secure it.

“Since it’s not as bad as I initially thought, tomorrow we will go through what you will be doing in the Manor to repay me.” He repeated his cleaning process once again, drying his hands on a few gauze and throwing them on the tray. “And then, I will set you to work.”

You placed your hand gingerly on the raised bandage, where the gauze was. The pressure helped to soothe the stinging.

Lord Baal opened the bedroom door. “Our little chat helped me decide on what you should do. So get some rest, you’re going to need it.” And with that, he shut the door behind him, taking the used medical materials with him.

“‘Little chat’ my ass.” You muttered, still holding your head.

A Lord, with no servants?

You thought that they revelled in that. Having people to work under them, slaving away at doing all the difficult tasks while they put their feet up. Had the best food in all of the land and watched while their ‘lowers’ suffered.

… Perhaps that’s why he had such a strong reaction to it. A Lord should have people below him, it was almost like a status symbol.

Maybe that’s why he wanted you to work for him. So, he could feel that sense of undeserved superiority. Even if you did owe him a favour, massaging his ego was not what you had in mind.

In any case, working for the Lord was better than seeing the Witch Hunter again.

You rolled over to face the other side of the room.

Tomorrow, the real work begins.

Read 4 Chapters ahead on my Patreon!

Masterlist

#monster lover #monster romance #monster x human #monster x you #monster x reader #monster x female #vampire x reader #vampire boyfriend #vampire x you #vampire x human #fantasy romance #patreon

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a-kind-of-merry-war · 7 months

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KISSIN' BOOKS BY MERRY

Hello! I write queer, medieval romance books - and you can find them below. Currently, I'm working on the Hartswood series, which is three separate, standalone stories with connecting characters.

My books are available wherever books are sold, online, and in ebook/audiobook format.

One Night in Hartswood

Oxford 1360

When his sister’s betrothed vanishes the night before her politically arranged marriage, Raff Barden must track and return the elusive groom to restore his family’s honour.

William de Foucart ― known to his friends as Penn ― had no choice but to abandon his intended, and with it his own earldom, when he fled the night before his enforced marriage. But ill-equipped to survive on the run he must trust the kindness of a stranger, Raff, to help him escape.

Unaware their fates are already entwined, the men journey north. But amidst the snow-capped forests an unexpected bond deepens into a far more precious relationship, one that will test all that they hold dear. And when secrets are finally revealed, both men must decide what they will risk for the one they love…

You can read more about ONIH here!

And browse my ONIH tag here 💖

All the Painted Stars

The first sequel to One Night in Hartswood! Out 28th March in the UK and 5th November in North America.

Oxford 1362

When Lily Barden discovers her best friend Johanna’s hand in marriage is being awarded as a prize at a tournament, she is determined to stop it. Disguised as a knight, she infiltrates the contest to fight for Jo’s hand. But her conduct ruffles feathers, and when a dangerous incident escalates out of Lily’s control, Jo must help her escape.

Finding safety with a local brewster, Lily and Jo soon settle into their new freedom, and amongst blackberry bushes and lakeside walks an unexpected relationship blossoms. But when Jo’s past catches up with her and Lily’s reckless behaviour threatens their newfound happiness, both women realise that choices must always come at a cost...

You can read more about ATPS here!

And browse my ATPS tag here 💜

Watch this space for Hartswood Book 3, aka Ash's Book!

#queer books #romance books #housekeeping #dont mind me just doing some tidying up #for a post to be linked to in my bio etc etc #long post #writeblr

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thegigilwriter · 5 months

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07 | “Danger & Star, Rooster & Angel” — Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Female Mitchell OC

Summary: 26-year-old Lucy Asa Mitchell did not know what was in store for her when she first bumped into Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. After an instant mutual connection followed by a sweet whirlwind romance that swept both their feet, Lucy found herself being immersed deeper into Bradley’s world of the Navy, F-14s, and deployments. What she didn’t expect was finding was the answer to an elusive part of her past — the identity of her long-lost father.

Masterlist

Keywords/Warnings: Romance, Implied religious themes (OC is Catholic), little angst, Drama

07 | Beautiful & Broken ⛪️

Sunday AM June 25, 2023

Lucy stirred into consciousness, eyes first meeting the subtle light of the early morning sky. She squinted, feeling for her phone charging on her nightstand and checking the time. It was 6:20 in the morning and there was somewhere that she needed to be. Just as Lucy was about to start the day, Bradleyʼs visage came into mind as well the feel of his lips and the scent of his neck filled her senses. She sighed, allowing herself to daydream before the quick vibration of her phone interrupted her early daze.

Bradley: Good morning Angel :3

Lucy: Good morning :)) Why are you up so early?

Bradley: Havenʼt stopped thinking about you since our last date :))

Bradley: Did I wake you up?

Lucy: Nope, I was already up.

Bradley: Why are you up so early?

Lucy: Church :))

Bradley: Can I come with?

Lucy didnʼt reply for a couple of minutes, as she pressed her lips against her phone smiling.

Lucy: Of course you can :))

Bradley: Ok! Iʼll pick you up in a few.

Lucy squealed, throwing her phone before sprinting to the her closet.

Bradley arrived at Lucyʼs apartment a few moments later in a hunter green polo shirt and khaki pants with brown dress shoes. He smiled as he watched her close the gate behind her and opened his arms to welcome her into them. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her forehead.

“Hello,ˮ she giggled.

“Youʼre breathtaking Angel,ˮ Bradley said to her softly, as he twirled in her around in her deep aquamarine drop waist-dress with gold-work, embroidered cap sleeves. Her soft waves were in a half up and her lips were glossed.

“Oh stop it you sweet-talker,ˮ Lucy hummed. “Youʼre gonna make me blush too much.ˮ Bradley chuckled as he guided her towards the Bronco and set off towards Lucyʼs church.

“Just a heads up,ˮ Lucy told him. “Youʼre gonna meet a lot of people — like a lot. Many of them are not really my blood-related relatives, but I do consider them my family.ˮ

“Itʼs all good Angel,ˮ Bradley reached over to hold her hand. “Are you nervous that theyʼll scare me away?ˮ

“Itʼs just that—“ Lucy sighed, laughing. “I love them— but they can be loud and intrusive and—“

“Angel,ˮ Bradley drew circles around the back of her hand. “Stop. Iʼm actually really happy that youʼre comfortable with me enough to let me into your life like this. If this is important to you, itʼs equally important to me. Okay?ˮ

“Okay,ˮ Lucy smiled, admiring the way his aviators hung on his nose and the way his locks trembled in the wind. He kissed her hand affectionately.

Bradley parked nearby the entrance and they entered the church together. Bradley gazed up at the painted ceilings, iridescent painted glass, and the elaborate altar in the front. Lucy genuflected before taking her seat in the middle pew near the choir. The people were gathering now, they were just in time before the crowds began to fill up the church.

“Great turnout today,ˮ Bradley whispered to her.

Lucy chuckled.

“Itʼs Godʼs day,ˮ she replies.

“And our day,ˮ Bradley says. He holds her hand again.

Bradley watched as Lucy waved to every passerby, even holding brief conversations with them — some in English and others in different languages — before they had to take their seats. When Bradley met their gazes, they would smile kindly and maybe say a quick “hello.ˮ

“Tita Ramona,ˮ Lucy greeted politely as the widow made her way down the pew and sat beside her and Bradley.

“Hello anak, how are you?ˮ Her eyes gleamed. “And who is your new friend?ˮ

“Iʼm doing well ninang,ˮ Lucy replied. “This is Bradley Bradshaw. Bradley, this is my godmother Tita Ramona.ˮ

“Hello maʼam, itʼs nice to meet you,ˮ Bradley said to her, reaching out his hand to shake hers.

“Likewise, Bradley. Itʼs very kind that youʼre accompanying Lucy today.ˮ

“Thank you, but with a woman like her? I think the privilege is mine.ˮ Lucy blushed as Tita Ramona chuckled.

The procession commenced, then the beginning antiphon, the first and second readings, and the gospel. After which, Father Mike came down from the altar and stood at the very front of the mass. He was a sprightly old man in good shape despite his priestly robes with a thick head of silver hair, crowʼs eyes, and a naturally charming smile.

“Good morning everyone,ˮ he spoke into the microphone.

“Good morning Father,ˮ Lucy replied, as well as everyone else.

“Looks like not everyone has had breakfast yet,ˮ he chuckled and echoes of it followed. “So Iʼll keep this short and sweet.ˮ

“Today our readings were centered on Abraham, the Father of Faith, and Job. Particularly, Abraham was commanded by God to offer up his only son as a sacrifice. And Job, a righteous man — a good man — who God had allowed to him all the possibly bad things you can imagine. His livelihood robbed, properties burned, servants and children killed — and if those werenʼt enough he suffered a malady so severe that not even his friends were willing to help him in his time of need.ˮ

“Like Abraham, like Job — every single one of us has been faced with things we have to do but donʼt want to, and go through the rough bumps of life. But why? Why does God allow us to suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people?ˮ

Father Mike paused, and within this moment Lucyʼs gaze lingered towards the choir and the ensemble. She stared at the empty seat.

“In all my years of studying and reflecting, I cannot give you an answer. Yes, He may allow suffering for punishment, to change us, or to bring us closer to Him. But youʼre probably wondering — and as am I — why it all has to be through suffering. Why it has to be so hard...ˮ

“Why do we have to be broken?ˮ

The last time Bradley went to church was when he was a gangly teenager in high school. It was one of the most recent memories he had of his late mother. He remembered not wanting to be there. He only went so that he could make her happy. One of the things that amazed Bradley about his mother, was the faith that she had in a being that allowed her husband to never return home or raise her child alone. And here he was, in church, with a girl appearing to hold to that same kind of faith.

“But let me tell you something: it isnʼt for nothing. If we donʼt experience bad things in life... then why would be need God to turn to? If we donʼt experience bad things in life... then how can we fully appreciate the good? When,you feel like youʼve been broken too much to be worthy, remember this: God turns brokenness into beauty. He uses brokenness to tell his stories. Rahab was a prostitute. David was a murderer. Moses feared speaking to crowds. Joseph was abused. Elijah was suicidal. Samson was a womanizer. The bad things in your life, and the pain that comes after is not for nothing. So, like Abraham, let us have faith. It may not be to the degree that you can put your child on the altar — but even a little is sometimes enough.ˮ

From the corner of Bradleyʼs eye, he swore that he saw Lucy hastily wipe her cheek. Throughout the mass, he couldnʼt help but glance at her frequently. How she sang, the way she held his fingers during ‘Our Father,ʼ how she recited every prayer from memory. When she stood to receive communion, he smiled at her reassuringly as he remained in his seat. Tita Ramona sat beside him, watching Lucy just the same.

“Wonʼt you go up there?ˮ Bradley asked her quietly.

“Oh no,ˮ Tita Ramona replied, staring at the communion line. “I already went to mass earlier this morning, I only came now so that I could see how Lucy was doing.ˮ

“Youʼre a good godmother,ˮ he remarked.

“Itʼs only my duty to her,ˮ she said, pausing right after. “Lucy has never brought a man to church before.ˮ

Bradleyʼs breath hitched.

“It appears that you have made quite the impression on her,ˮ Tita Ramona smiled. “You are here and now you are an important person in her life.ˮ

She gazed right at Bradley. Beneath her widowʼs veil he saw the wisdom and age behind her milky eyes which despite their kind demeanor, regarded him seriously.

“Be careful with her, please.ˮ Tita Ramona whispered. “There are things that can only be broken so much.ˮ She patted his shoulder gently before lifting herself to her feet and gently floating towards the aisle.

After the final blessing, Bradley and Lucy were invited to the after-mass reception in the church common hall. It was a beautiful space complete with a curtained stage, a kitchen, hardwood tables, and painted glass.

As Lucy introduced Bradley to her community, he couldnʼt quite shake from his mind what Tita Ramona had said to him in mass. Was Lucy, for lack of a better term, broken? He watched her closely as she happily greeted the little children that ran to her arms and fondly called her Aunt Lulu. He watched as she pressed her forehead against the wrinkled knuckles of her elders saying ‘mano po.ʼ He watched as she squealed and embraced her girlfriends. He tried to wring his memory of any instance when Lucy ever said anything about her past when all he could recall was her kind smile, her breathtaking gaze, and her sweet lips. If Lucy Mitchell was broken, she was brilliant in showing no indication of it. His thoughts were interrupted when a little old lady placed a plate in his hand and patted his shoulder.

“You eat,ˮ she told him with a thick accent as she wobbled away to place more plates in the hands of more unsuspecting church goers in a daze. Lucy laughed, sauntering over to Bradley after meeting with her giggling girlfriends looking in his direction.

“You donʼt happen to have three other brothers, do you?ˮ Lucy chuckled. “My friends wonʼt believe me.ˮ

“Thatʼs too bad,ˮ Bradley clicked his tongue, as he held her hand. “Thereʼs only one Bradshaw and it looks like heʼs already been spoken for.ˮ

“Oh?ˮ Lucy feigned with a smile. “Are you allowed to tell me for whom?ˮ

“Mʼfraid I canʼt,ˮ Bradley sighed. “Yʼknow for safety reasons, with demand being so limited you see...ˮ

“Okay, you wait here,ˮ Lucy laughed, taking his plate. “Iʼm going to get a slice of Tita Lolitaʼs famous peach mango ice cream cake for you.ˮ

“Thatʼs why Iʼm all yours Angel,ˮ Bradley hummed, kissing her cheek as she headed toward the kitchens.

“Lieutenant Bradshaw!ˮ Someone called. Perplexed, Bradley turned towards the direction of his name. In the sea of crowds he saw a young, handsome, familiar face making his way towards him.

“Benji Bonifacio?ˮ Bradley shook his hand firmly. “Whatʼre you doinʼ here?ˮ

“What are you talkinʼ about? These are my people, man!ˮ He replied excitedly. Benjamin Bonifacio was one of the crew that worked with the carrierʼs radar, he had been with Bradley in his last two deployments and have grown increasingly close since. They first clicked when they switched each otherʼs gym bags because they were both similarly labeled with their initials.

“Who you here with?ˮ Benji asked him just as Lucy came over with the aforementioned dessert with two forks.

“Asa?ˮ

“Bentot?ˮ

“Bentot?ˮ Bradley guffawed.

“Itʼs my other callsign man,ˮ Benji sighed.

“Wait, do you two know each other?ˮ Lucy looked between them.

“Youʼre with her?ˮ Benji looked to Bradley.

“Angel, Benʼs been with me in my last two deployments. He works in radar.ˮ Bradley informed her.

“Oh thatʼs right!ˮ Lucy mused in Benʼs direction. “You just had your first deployment recently!ˮ

“And you date, now?!ˮ Benji exclaimed. “Since when?ˮ

“Bradley, Benʼs my cousin. I grew up with him in Oregon,ˮ she told him before turning to Benji. “And for the record I have always been able to date. I just donʼt prefer to as much as you do.ˮ

“Tomboy ka kase noon,ˮ Ben stuck his tongue out.

“Feeling gwapo ka masyado,ˮ Lucy replied, sticking her tongue out just as so.

“Clearly you guys are related,ˮ Bradley chuckled, amused at the interaction.

“What can I say man?ˮ Ben smirked. “Good looks run in our fam.ˮ

Bradley laughed as Ben patted his shoulder heartily. Lucy looked between them again, smiling widely.

“Hey, did you know Ravagerʼs here?ˮ Ben told Bradley. Bradley averted his gaze towards Lucy, urging him with an encouraging nod.

“Go,ˮ Lucy winked as she began eating away at the dessert. “I need to catch up on the latest chismis anyway.ˮ

“Ravager!ˮ Benji called out and one of the men among others turned to his voice.

“Rooster!ˮ He flashed a smile. “Whatʼre you doinʼ here?ˮ Ravager was a Lieutenant Commander. He was the cool, laid-back older brother type with mad skill and plenty of experience. Ravager was a decade older than Bradley with silver streaks in his haphazard locks and sharp, Sicilian features. Rooster looked closely at the men in his midst and noticed even more familiar faces — they were in the navy too.

“His new girlʼs my cousin!ˮ Benji told him.

“Asa? The pretty one?ˮ Ravager quirked a brow. “Good for you, Rooster.ˮ

After a few exchanges with the other navy men and some friendly banter, Ravager and Rooster found themselves alone together at the buffet table, grabbing a water from the cooler.

“Have you been at this church long?ˮ Bradley asked him after taking a sip from his bottle.

“Oh yeah,ˮ he replied, as he closed his cap. “I was married here. My wifeʼs half- Filipina. She knows Asaʼs mom quite well.ˮ

“So,ˮ Ravager remarked. “You and Asa, huh?ˮ

“Yeah,ˮ Bradley smiled. “Sheʼs really good to me.ˮ

Ravager chuckled.

“What?ˮ

“Itʼs just...ˮ Ravager sighed. “She doesnʼt look like your usual type.ˮ

“My usual type?ˮ Bradley cocked his head. “Whatʼs that supposed to mean?ˮ

“You know... there was Foxy.ˮ

“That was four years ago.ˮ

“Then Cherry.ˮ

“That was two years ago.ˮ

“Then Nova.ˮ

“That was over a year ago.ˮ

“That one was a shit show,ˮ Ravager shook his head.

“Whatʼre you getting at, Ravager?ˮ

“Rooster, I know youʼre a good guy.ˮ Ravager began to use his hands exasperatedly. “And if it were any other girl I wouldnʼt care. But this Asa. This is Lucy. I know her and sheʼs a good girl. She watches my kids and my wifeʼs quite close with her family. Sheʼs not like the other ones that you used to mess around with because you were scared of being committed. I need to know that youʼre serious about her, otherwise I canʼt walk away from this.ˮ

“Well you can,ˮ Bradley replied heatedly. “Because I am serious about her. Iʼm getting deployed soon and I plan on making it official before I go. Youʼre right. Lucyʼs not like any of the other women Iʼve been with. Thatʼs why Iʼm serious this time.ˮ

“Well shit then Rooster,ˮ Ravager chuckled, grasping his shoulder. “Welcome to the club, I guess.ˮ

“Thanks,ˮ Bradley nodded. “And Iʼm not Hangman, you know?ˮ

“Rooster,ˮ Ravager said to him in all seriousness. “If it had been Hangman that walked through those doors with Asa hanging on his arm you best believe he would have been runninʼ out of here like his ass is on fire.ˮ

Bradley laughed.

Bradley pulled up in front of Lucyʼs apartment some two hours later. She reached across to kiss him on the cheek before caressing his face affectionately.

“Thank you,ˮ she smiled, eyes beaming. “For what, Angel?ˮ

“For coming to church with me,ˮ Lucy breathed. “You have no idea how much it means to me.ˮ

“For you, Angel? Anything.ˮ

She kissed him again, fully on the lips, as her hands wandered across his chest and among his curls.

“Iʼll see you tonight,ˮ she whispered.

Hangman said it best: “drop down and take the shot, Rooster!” Go Bradley! Coming up next: 08 | Crab Dinners and Star Gazers.

#rooster top gun #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun 1986 #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #top gun fandom #top gun fic #top gun movie #bradley bradshaw imagine

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yangxiaolongstan · 14 days

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ok MacCready! I've always thought he was kinda boring so I'm excited to see if he's better than I thought. initial impressions aren't terrible, he's better than he was in Fallout 3 at least. I like the idea of an ex gunner, though he feels weirdly ineffective for a gunner. and after 2 companions who hate when you're mean to people, one who's ok with stealing is nice.

side note, MacCready had a glitch where he refused to gain affinity at all I tried several fixes including downloading a mod that opens the console in survival and using cheats fix it. nothing worked. really unsure if I should count this against the game since, yeah it's not a writing problem. but on the other hand, if I can't access the story, how much credit can I give it? in any case, this analysis comes from watching his quest and conversations on youtube so I don't have firsthand experience with any of them. hopefully this glitch won't happen with any other companions.

first conversation starts off kinda weird, I know Goodneighbor is supposed to be dangerous but honestly, it's more policed than Bunker Hill. even when someone tries to fuck with us, the mayor himself stabs the guy. anyway, MacCready is glad to be out of there. I like that he's itching for caps, and I like his reason. Winlock and Barnes seem genuinely dangerous and the idea of them muscling MacCready out of the market seems like a real problem. maybe even a big enough problem for him to bring it up this early, though it's weird for someone as cagey as him to open up that much that quick. his voice acting is a little off but so is he so I guess it's fine. I do like that he doesn't cuss.

as for the quest, the location is good, intimidating. I like that there are multiple entrypoints. it's one of the more difficult small gunner encampments and usually takes me multiple tries to clear. I wish MacCready had a conversation with Winlock or Barnes though.

conversation 2 is a little rambling and feels like exposition. I get that players who never played 3 might need to understand Little Lamplight for his backstory but it's still weird. not like exposition is abnormal for the second conversation though.

the conversation at 75% is back on track with Winlock and Barnes. I like that MacCready is genuinely thankful to us for our help. and we find out why he doesn't curse. he used to have a wife and a kid, and promised to change for his son. he apparently has a second quest? interesting.

MedTek looks like fun. might go through it on my own later. one of the few places I've never actually explored. and I like that the quest is ambiguous, we don't get to know if we actually saved his son

finally, the romance conversation at 100% affinity. I like the gift. it's adorable. gives you a sense that he really cares about you. we learn his wife is dead. and how her death traumatized him. it feels really weird to make a move 10 seconds after that. and then the conversation just kinda ends. kinda anticlimactic. but I guess it's fine. I would have swapped the reveal she was dead to the 75% conversation and made the 100% conversation about him getting word his son got better.

ngl, I still don't like MacCready. mostly because his glitch made things a pain in the ass. but his story is alright. he's no Cait but he's compelling. I wish he hadn't gotten 2 quests where everyone else got 1 at most. it kinda feels like the writers couldn't choose between the ex gunner stuff and the dead wife sick kid stuff. I probably would have just had the latter part but that requires a bit more rewriting than I think is feasible. next time Nick Valentine, and then I'm probably gonna bite the bullet and do Strong

original companions post

Piper

Codsworth

Nick

Strong

#fallout 4 #fixing fallout 4 #maccready

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dunerover · 16 days

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@bloodtwin sent: hc + 💌😡☕ :]

I don't do enough memes or headcanons so here we go—

☕ for a drink-themed headcanon

So! Zandi's canteen! It's a little round copper thing with a steel cap. It has actual water in it, oh, roughly 75% of the time; otherwise, it carries some [Mysterious Liquid] he managed to get his hands on. Could be wine. Could be soup. Could be the alcoholic death slurry a local farmer uses to burn warts off mules. Only way to find out is to drink it.

Or don't. He has to rinse it out very thoroughly before swapping its contents.

😡 for a headcanon about something that makes them angry

The most dangerous situations Zandi gets involved in are often because the abuse or over-reach of power (real or imagined) by those who wield a lot of it over others and their lives pisses him off very easily. It doesn't matter if anyone asked him for help, or if it affects him specifically, or how many people it's hurting, or even if anyone wants him involved; he will make it his business because it actively infuriates him to watch people get away with it. It means he's definitely helped people who otherwise had no recourse, but he's also had to put out the (figurative or actual) fires he's started or made worse before. "Look before you leap" is not his strong suit, especially once he's worked up.

💌 for a romance-themed headcanon

Zandi's infatuation with someone is fast to develop once he's made a connection, but he doesn't fall in love as fast as this might make it seem. He forms whirlwind romances with others with the sense that they're temporary, usually because he insists on staying on the move and/or doing dangerous shit that scares people off, if it's not an already tenuous and/or ill-advised relationship with someone just as much (if not more) trouble than him.

It's definitely ended bitterly before, but he doesn't go into these relationships trying to trick, lead on or hurt people; his feelings may be surface-level, but they're strong, and he's earnest about them. He just tends to see these relationships—and feels safer in them—when both parties treat it as affectionate play, where the present and short-term matters more than the future. Once things start crossing into something serious that he might want to keep? Things get challenging—at least on his end.

#§ about #§ meme answers #bloodtwin #seriously considering doing a permanent blog feature where if anyone sends an ask to check the canteen they get different shit #maybe there's a loot table for this? that'd be hilarious #'burn warts off the mules' is a p.arks&r.ecs reference--

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sunshinechay · 11 months

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#dangerous romance #dangerous romance the series #saifahname #namesaifah #has this been done yet?#cap watches dangerous romance #cap speaks

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moonbaycitydetectives · 2 years

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MBCD CHARACTER BIOS + DESCRIPTIONS

(this list will be updated over time)

Jackson Trace: he/him, 30 years old, Puerto Rican & Brazilian. A very strongly built, tall man with tanned skin and wavy long hair that reaches his neck. Wears a dark green shirt, white tie, black sleeve on his left arm, and gray pants. Has a scar on his forehead and stubble. Private detective and single dad. cool-headed in the face of danger, takes his job very seriously but is very comedic and light hearted outside of work despite alway being Very Tired. Likes to sing, cook with his daughter, see the ocean, and relax after a long day.

(rest under the cut)

Charlie Maddigan: he/him, 20 years old, white (unknown origin). A short guy with fluffy light brown hair. Wears a white shirt, orange tie, a dark blue sweater vest, and dark gray pants. Sometimes wears a paperboy hat. Jackson's apprentice and best friend. a very anxious person with a heart of gold. horrible and confronting people or being assertive, but will try his best regardless. cries easily. Loves to play the saxophone and spend time with Jackson and his pet cat Rice.

Wenna Zhang: she/her, 24 years old. Chinese. A short, slighty muscular woman with long black hair usually tied in a messy bun. Wears a pink & dark blue hoodie with a labcoat on top, and reading glasses in the pocket. Jackson's adoptive younger sister and roommate. a college student currently getting her PhD in meteorology. very energetic and determined and easily distracted. Loves dancing, competitive gaming, women, food, baseball, and her family.

Maiko Trace: she/her, 8 years old. A short kid with fair skin and short dark brown hair in a neat bob. She wears a yellow T-shirt, pink skirt, and dark blue apron. Also wears a read bandana tied in a bow over her head. Jackson's daughter. a curious and cheerful kid with a strong passion for cooking. hopes to someday win a televised cooking competition and open her own restaurant. Loves her family, ducks, and running errands with her dad.

Thomas Grant: he/they, 29 years old. French and Italian. A slim, tall person with neck length, slicked-back blond hair. Wears a maroon sweater vest, white shirt, black tie, dark brown pants, and beige trenchcoat. Also wears thin framed glasses. An investigative reporter who recently moved to the city. Very uptight and professional and lacks energy, but is never mean. wants to relearn how to make friends. Likes reading, writing, watching romance dramas, and eccentric plants.

Shannon Becker: she/her, 25 years old, Jewish. A tall and slim woman with curly dark brown hair that reaches the middle is her back. She wears a black dress, white scarf, and red blazer. Thomas's assistant and a reporter-in-training. Very shy and severely lacks confidence in herself and her skills. extremely kind to everyone around her. Loves writing, watching cartoons, and flowers.

Brian Cunningham: he/him, 29 years old. Greek. A kinda scrawny man with messy, straight dark brown hair. He wears a black suit, white shirt, and a dark purple tie. He has very prominent eyebags. Police detective and self-proclaimed rival of Jackson. A very self-absorbed and egotistical man who believes he's much more talented than he actually is. Despite his self-centered nature, he does still care about the people in his life and tries his best to be there for them when he can. Loves himself, money, coffee, the rain, and the moon.

Gilbert Ridge: *he/him, 26 years old. African-American. A man of average height and build with dark skin and short curly hair. His right arm is amputated below the elbow. He wears a flat cap, light blue button-down shirt with short sleeves, black pants, and a dark blue trenchcoat over his shoulders. * A police detective and coworker of Brian. They often investigate together. A very noble yet naive man who always tries to help everyone he can. Sometimes a bit clumsy. Loves helping people, snacks, writing poetry, going on walks, and animals.

Mizuchi: he/they/it, ???. An extremely tall man with tanned skin and messy, fluffy black hair that reaches his lower back. He has black and dark purple tattoos on his hands and forearms. Not much is currently known about him aside from being disliked by Jackson.

#moon bay city detectives #mbcd

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lottiewlf · 2 years

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Savage

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: Lisa runs away from home and meets a strange men

Key Words: longshot / romance / smut /light bdsm

Warnings: some angst, fluff, and little bit of touching, running away, forced marriage

Chapter: 1/?

Writer's note: Hii ^.^ This is my first ever attempt to write a story so please take it easy ❁ཻུ۪۪♡ also, english is my second language so don't judge. Hopefully it’s going to grow into a longshot/smut/romantic novel, most probably with some light bdsm. Have fun reading ^^ ❁ཻུ۪۪♡

Prolog

“What have you done? I'm not going to marry that man!” Lisa stormed through the door into the kitchen with tears in her eyes. She was furious and devastated simultaneously, not seeing any way to escape her fate.

Thaddeus slowly put the spoon back into his soup and looked into his daughter's desperate eyes with determination. He was expecting this.

“I don't care if he’s the devil himself. With this settlement, we can finally move forward and change the family’s destiny. Just imagine the wealth. You won't go to sleep hungry ever again. You should be grateful.”

“I’m not thinking about food at the moment because I'm busy being sick of the thought of him touching me!” cried Lisa. Her eyes were full of tears and anger. She was ready to beg, threaten, and argue, in turn, anything just to get out of the unimaginable. “You can't do this to me! Stephan is disgusting inside and out! Once I saw him terrorizing a wretched old beggar with his troop, and no one saw the poor fellow ever again. You can't expect me to …”

“Stop this!” shouted his father. Real anger started to appear in his voice. He decided earlier to stay calm, but he had begun to lose his temper like so many times before. “You can't prove any of that. No one can. You rumble on what I can’t expect you to do, but you would expect me to deprive myself of the possibility of a better life.” Thaddeus' hand started to shake; his voice had been charged with rage. “I have raised you! I have fed you! I have bought you clean clothes! Until this day, you should thank me for every morning when you saw the sun come up.”

For a second, no one said anything. Lisa couldn't believe her ears. “No, no, no, no,” she thought. “Father, I’m begging you….” Lisa started. Giant teardrops rolled down her face.

“No!” interrupted Thaddeus. His cold eyes were focused on Lisa as he slowly stood up from the table. His knees were hurting him. No one else but Lisa could spot that tiny wobble in his movement. He wasn't young anymore but radiated strength and determination. “I won't talk about this again. This is your duty towards your family for the years of care you got.” He moved closer to Lisa and lowered his voice. The anger was gone again; if anything, he sounded even more dangerous with this emotionless voice. Lisa learned long ago that this was the moment to take cover. “If I hear you complain about this ever again, I will teach you with my belt to be grateful for what you have. Now leave.” Thaddeus seemingly turned all his focus back on his soup just as if he was alone in the kitchen, leaving a terrifying contrast in the air.

Lisa was standing there frozen to stone. She felt sick. She couldn't breathe. She just wanted to trough herself onto the floor like a child and cry, but she learned long ago that this would not help convince his father. She did the only thing she could, tore the door open, and ran as far as her leg took her.

She cried next to the lake about an hour from the village. It was her favorite place. Lisa sat at the bank of the lake, watching the still waters shimmer in the sunlight. In the far distance, the rugged peaks of the mountains loomed, their snow-capped tops reflecting the sunlight. To her left, a dense forest spread out, with tall trees standing like sentinels guarding the wilderness. To her right, multiple plow fields stretched out, separated by small huts and houses of the nearby village. The soft breeze carried the scent of wildflowers and fresh earth, adding to the peaceful atmosphere. The gentle lapping of the water against the shore and the distant sounds of the village were the only sounds breaking the serene stillness of the landscape.

“I can’t run away.” she thought. “Where to? How to? I don’t have any money. No relatives I can turn to…” she sat there for a while, devastated, watching the hills in the distance. Her dream since she was a child was to explore them, like in her favorite books. “I hope I can see you one day.” she whispered to herself and the mountains. Her thoughts constantly jump back to the conclusion that she has to run away. There's no other way. “But what if my father’s right? He did pay for everything I am today. I should honor his work. Hi is old, can’t do hard work for much longer. Maybe that's how life works; I would be glad if my child would help me when I'm older. Maybe, I am ungrateful, but, on the other hand, I am not refusing to help him. I just refuse to get married to that monster.” On that, though, her rage erupted, and the helplessness disappeared. Such and similar thoughts were hunting her that afternoon until the sun descended below the horizon, and the stars emerged in the sky. She knew that she would get in trouble for staying out late, but in light of the recent events, she decided not to care.

After some time, her thoughts were interrupted by a cracking sound from the nearby forest. She couldn't see anything because of the dark, so she stayed quiet and listened carefully for a minute. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized how late it was. How could she be so irresponsible? It could be a wolf sneaking towards the village to catch a lamp. “Rather the wolf than Stephan.” Lisa thought, but after this terrible day, the thought of walking toward the altar with a fluffy wolf on her side was too much. She burst out laughing loudly. It lasted only a few seconds, but anyone with ears heard her clearly. She turned to stone. She fucked up, and she knew it. Lisa waited quietly. Whatever it was out there, it already knew that shes was there, so the only thing left was to assess its intentions. “It might as well be fox or something, coming to drink from the pound. There's no need to worry.” she tough, very worried.

She sat there and listened. At least 15 minutes had passed since the cracking sounds and the laughing, and there had been no noises since so Lisa decided it was safe to move. “All right, it’s time to go home.” she stood up to walk back towards the village. Lisa only took a few steps when she saw something moving in the shadows from the corner of her eyes near the woods. She caught her head to see a horse standing there tied to a low branch. Lisa didn’t have time to think through that the horse was not there when she arrived, nor that the horse could not tie itself out, even though these would have been excellent remarks.

“She’s angry.” said a male voice mockingly on her left. She swiftly turned to face a tall man. He stood so close to her that Lisa had to take two steps back only to be able to see his face as far as the moonlight allowed it.The man was at least 6 foot 2 (190) and at least two times as wide as Lisa.

“I am not angry.” said Lisa in a high-pitched voice. She never in her life was in private with any man other than her father, let alone a complete stranger. The man laughed loudly.

“I was talking about the horse, darling.” said the man with a wide grin. “But you also seemed very angry earlier. The way you throw that stone into the water….”

“Ohh fuck” thought Lisa. She threw that stone into the water hours ago. How long did this man watch her? She couldn't say a word. She just didn't want to have this conversation with a stranger in the middle of the night. Lisa took a tentative step back. “I have to go now.” she said, still in her high-pitched voice. The man’s grin widened briefly, but he hid it with a

somewhat neutral expression. Only his dark eyes were sparkling with laughter in the moonlight.

“First, I suggest looking where you step. Otherwise, you might end up breaking your nice ankle. Second, if I were you, I wouldn't walk alone in the middle of the night. God knows what kind of lunatics you find.”

“I have to go home. My family will go look for me if I don’t.”

“Yes, you already mentioned that.” he said with some boredom in his voice and face. “As I see it, they are either looking for you somewhere else entirely or none of them caring whether you get home safely or not.” he stopped talking, waiting for a replay while scanning her face with an inquisitive expression.

“That's not true… I …” said Lisa. She wanted to continue with something supporting her statement. For example, her six huge brothers behind the trees protecting her. Or her husband, the hunter. Or something similar. But the seconds passed, and the moment to say something confident went by. Her face turned red, but the night generously covered it.

“I see.” said the man with a slight grin. “Let me close this conversation short for you, darling since we have little time. I know for a fact that tonight is not suitable for romantic walks in the fields. Also, I can’t see your knights in shining armor anywhere. So we will do the following: you will sit on the horse with me, and I will take you back to your house. Deal?”

Lisa's jaw dropped from his impudent behavior as she listened to the man. “What?” she said. “I am not going to sit on a horse with you. I am going to do anything with you. I am leaving now!” She turned towards the village to start to walk and possibly run if necessary, but before she could make a step, the man grabbed her arm and turned her back.

“Listen. If I wanted to hurt you, I could have easily done that by now since you were sitting completely alone, away from anyone, for hours. If you don't want to get hurt tonight, come with me. Just think it through, you seem like a smart girl. I can hurt you here and now, we don’t have to go anywhere for that. Also, you don't understand that yet, but if you stay here, I can guarantee that you will get hurt. Therefore, coming with me only decreases your chances of getting hurt. And please don't say, ‘I don't understand.’ we're already over that part. I understand that you don't understand. We are in a hurry.”

Lisa just stood there for a few seconds. What could she say to this? The man seemed convincing, but not understanding what the other person was saying is not a good enough reason to jump on a horse with him. The man had dark brown or maybe black hair and similar eyes. He was in his late 20s or early 30s, and his eyes seemed smart, like an owl. There was no sign of the previous grin on his face. He seemed serious. His eyes often scanned the surrounding area with worry. He was at least three times as heavy as Lisa. He was right, she had no chance right here and right now, so she might as well go with him.

“ All right, I guess. I'll go with you. But just so you know, my husband is the huntsman in the village. He’s going to hunt you down if you try something.”

The grin reappeared on the man’s face, even the dark couldn't hide. He either did not believe Lisa or he didn't care. As Lisa noticed his expression, she changed her mind, but there was no turning back. The man took his left hand behind her back and started pushing her towards the horse.

“I knew you were a smart girl.” he said, half laughing.

Lisa went ahead and the man followed her, still pushing her to go faster. As they reached the horse, the man grabbed Lisa’s waist on both sides and lifted her from the ground. She was about the scream and kick, but before any of that could happen, the man put her on the horse and let her waist go.

“I felt that you got scared. All your muscles got tense.” he said as he climbed onto the horse behind Lisa. The saddle was uncomfortable for two people, and Lisa had no choice but to sit in the man’s lap. Before this night, she wasn't even allowed to stay alone with men in an empty room, and now she was pushing her back against one's lap. The man took the reins into his right hand and casually wrapped his left arm around Lisa’s hip, pushing her even closer to his own, while leaning to her right ear. “Don’t worry darling, we don't have time for the kind of things you are worried about. I am not some sort of animal.” and that was it. He let her hip go and leaned back, and Lisa was sitting in his lap on the way toward the village with glowing red cheeks and a cloudy mind. Lisa wasn't sure how she felt about his touch on her, but she played back his voice in her head again and again because she found his deep smoky voice full of secrets and pleasure very appealing. It turned on some sort of fire inside her that she didn’t know existed before.

The pair slowly galloped into the village through the narrow streets and sleeping houses until they reached Lisa's home. The man helped Lisa down from the horse as the animal was almost as tall as her.

"Why were you watching me?" Lisa asked.

"You know, not everything is about you, princess. I just happened to be there, enjoying the view, spending some quality time with Roger" at this point he petted the horse's neck "and then you arrived crying, ruining the silence."

"Ohh. I didn't know… I am sorry that you had to see that."

"Don't worry about it, just promise me to ask your very dangerous huntsman husband to give a few slaps with a pan for whoever made you cry like that." said the man grinning."I.. I don't have a husband… yet, and it's more complicated than that, I'm afraid. Anyway, thank you for the ride. Will I see you around sometime? What's your name? We haven't even introduced ourselves."

"My name is Robin Hood, milady at your service" said the man laughing. He even bowed on the horse a bit. It must have been some internal joke for him. "Hope not to see me again because if you do, you will cry even more than you did today.

With that said, the man galloped away between the houses, leaving Lisa in doubt.

#savage #smut #longshot #original novel #love story #running away #novel

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