#chapter16

[lulupen2023]

My very first BellDom Fic 18/23

awww, thanks for the hearts here and there *O* If you're reading, I hope you're laughing special thank youuu to the lovely chaoticbebop , also for the kudos on ao3, it means sooo much to me *O*

Summary:

Do you want to meet a Matthew who sees conspiracy everywhere (oh wait, this is not big news!) and is so fond of his trolley that he treats it like a sort of puppy? Do you want to meet a Dominic in love with… himself (and with Matt, too, of course!)? And do you want to meet a Chris who wants to prove to the world he's the most masculine guy ever… but is unavoidably attracted by every… female hobby? This is what you'll find in this story, among lots of BellDom and… craziness!

Summary of the chapter: Matt and Dom need a good plan…

Notes:

Warning: Lots of fluff and crazy stuff (Uh! I made it rhyme, lol!)

Chapter  XVIII: From Number Fifty-Seven!

WHAT'S THE WORST THAT I CAN SAY?

THINGS ARE BETTER IF I STAY

Matthew sings a cappella, at the end of their show, as he waves his hand and invites the crowd to do the same and also to sing along with him, at the Jobing.com Arena, the new tour date.

SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT, SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT

The crowd sings back as loud as they can, waving their hands even more than him, but for the frontman is not enough yet.

AND IF YOU CARRY ON THIS WAY

THINGS ARE BETTER IF I STAY

SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT, SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT

Matthew incites them with the second verse and this time the crowd sings along with him since the beginning.

Chris observes the whole scene dumbfounded, wondering which evil entity has possessed his friend to make him do such a thing.

Anyway, when he sees that Dominic seems to be very pleased by that and he is even laughing about it, he hopes that the drummer will promptly clarify things to him.

"Enjoy the rest of the show with My Chemical Romance! Thank you, Phonenix, see ya soon. Cheers!" Matthew greets the crowd, going towards the backstage as the other two follow him.

"I can't still believe I did that damn thing for real!" the singer comments, horrified.

"A payback is a payback!" Dominic states.

"Yeah, but it's unfair, I didn't even damage them at the show in Salt Lake City, at the very end; quite the contrary, people thought it was a joke and enjoyed that, laughing with them, not at them, as I wished!" Matt complains.

It's enough for the two lovers to see Chris's still confused face to understand what his question is, even before he asks them.

"Matt got the My Chemical Romance's guitars out of tune at the last show, that's why you heard that terrible noise at the beginning." Dom explains shortly as he glares at Matt.

"Yeah, and Mr. Fair here forced me to tell them the truth." Matt goes on, glaring back at Dom.

"Yeah, and the band looked for their more than deserved revenge. So they forced Matt to get the crowd ready for their arrival, singing a little bit of one of their most famous hits!" Dom concludes, glaring at Matt once again.

"So, that was one of *their* songs! I thought it was a new work in progress of yours and you hadn't told me about that. After all, you have the bloody tendency to hide so much stuff to me!" Chris strikes back as he glares at them both.

"Oh, c'mon, we told you everything at the end, didn't we? And we could never work on something new without letting you know about that!" Matthew assures him.

"Yep, except for the geezers' song." escapes from Dom's lips.

"Dominic! Damn you and your bloody mouth!" Matt snaps.

"Hey! If memory serves me right, yesterday you didn't complain at all about my bloody mouth!" Dom reminds to his boyfriend, making him blush.

Also Chris goes red... but with rage.

"What? Are you still working on that horror?" he roars.

"Can we just forget about the last minute and start it over again?" Dom attempts to ask them.

"No way!" Matt and Chris yell at him in unison.

"If only I had my time-machine!" the drummer mutters.

"Oh, c'mon, Chris, let's make a deal: you can work on a project on your own and Dom and I won't say a word!" the frontman tries to bargain.

"Don't you even try, Bells! Just abandon once for all this suicidal idea, you'll never make it! I'll warn every single recording studio in the world not to let you in, if I'm not with you; and if I see you two try something funny during one of our shows I'm gonna intervene, *violently* if necessary!" Chris threatens them and it works, of course.

"Ok, I got the message. " Matt ruefully surrenders.

"Gee, Chris, why do you have to be always such a pain in the ass? Plus, you're way too bloody serious!" Dominic snorts.

"I'm not serious, I'm just normal... but I can't say the same about you two!" the bassist defends himself. "And don't forget that Ricky from IV A is the coolest guy of the High School because he looks like me a little bit!" he adds before leaving, as he proudly remembers the diaries he read at Salt Lake City.

This time it's Dom and Matt who look dumbfounded, but they just decide to ignore that.

Plus, Dominic has something else to worry about.

"Sorry, Matt, I didn't do it on purpose..." he backs off prudently.

"But you did. When it's a matter to keep a secret you're worst than a gossiper!" Matt scolds him.

"You're right. I've been such a bad boy. I need a punishment." Dominic reckons.

"Yep, you do, so..." Matt agrees, but then he realizes the way the blond is looking at him. "Gee, Dom! You can't always turn everything into bloody sex! This is a serious issue!" he protests.

"But I'm bloody serious. Punish me!" Dom insists.

"Well, it doesn't work this way!" Matt grumbles.

"Why?"

"Because you don't look like someone who is gonna be punished." Matt makes him notice as he approaches him, still showing a serious and stern face.

"How do I look like then?" the drummer asks him, curious.

"Like someone who's gonna have a lot of fun!" the other strikes back

"Oh. And tell me, aint't so?" the blond wonders rhetorically as he resorts to his unfailing weapon.

As a matter of fact, Matt's harsh expression is replaced by a sexy smile.

"Damn you and your irresistible pout! Let's go to our room, can't wait to *punish* you!" the brunette growls as he drags his lover away with him.

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

Since he has found at the Salt Lake City airport a handbook of crochet-hook that answered even to his deepest inquisitions, after buying it and hiding it from his friends, two days later, at Los Angeles, Chris can finally take advantage of that. He knows that he can dedicate some time to his beloved hobby without being disturbed.

Mostly because Dominic and Matthew have something else to do.

They're lying on the bed, placidly, taking advantage not only of the free morning, but of the free day at their whole disposal.

Matthew is searching around the web at random, with his laptop on his lap as he takes notes on his Hello Kitty notebook about the potential changes of their playlists.

Dom looks at him absently, since he's all engrossed in listening to his iPod.

He wishes with all his being that Matt had not the brilliant idea of tugging on an earphone and listening to the music with him, because no matter how tender that gesture would be, Matt would end up listening to something he violently dislikes; since it's one of My Chemical Romance's songs and, maybe for a trick of fate, it's just the one he had to sing a cappella at the end of their last show.

Luckily for Dom, Matt doesn't seem interested at all in joining to that listening. Out of the blue, the blond starts caring less about the music and more about his mate who is drawing doodles around the pink, tied ribbon of the kitten with the date of January 20th above.

Suddenly realization hits them both.

"Tomorrow it's a whole week since we've been shagging like rabbits!" Dom exclaims.

"Tomorrow it's a whole month since we've kissed for the very first time!" Matt exclaims at the same time, but that doesn't prevent them from hearing each other.

"Oh, what you said is much more romantic!" Dom recognizes with a sweet smile.

"But what you said is much more exciting!" Matt replies with a horny look.

"So, tomorrow we'll have a double important occasion to celebrate. We have to get ready pwopewly." the brunette goes on.

"A private party?" the blond realizes with an expectant look.

"Yep, a very, very private one, my dear!" the other confirms.

"But tomorrow we have the show!" Dom reminds to him. "So, how..."

"We have all day long to find a way to escape right after the show!" the singer winks at him.

"You're right. By the way, since it's almost midday, can we finally open the window or what?" Dom changes topic.

"Already? Why? Dark rooms with switched on lamps are so nice, even better if the lamps are replaced by candles." Matt protests.

"Well, unlike you, my dear vampire, I happen to like the sun!" Dom strikes back as he pulls the curtains and opens the window. "Now we can start. You know, I plan better in the sunlight!" he grins, as he bathes in the sunlight.

Too bad that his boyfriend is still busy recording in his brain his previous sentence.

"Vampire?" he repeats as a question.

"To begin with, you're so pale..."

"Said the Californian surfer!" Matt strikes back, sarcastically.

"Well, at least I have sunlamps sometimes... whatever! That's not the point! Back to what I was telling you, you always lurk in the shadows and you seem to be much more active at night ... almost as if you spent the day recharging your batteries... just like vampires do!" Dom goes on.

"But I don't recharge my batteries sleeping in a coffin!" the brunet points out.

"Well, this is irrelevant. Plus, sometimes you can be so, so evil. Just think about what you did to those poor, dear guys on stage!" Dominic reminds to him.

"What about what *they* did to *me*? Wasn't it evil as well?" Matt makes him notice.

"Nope, that was just fair!" the blond clarifies, before he starts staring at him with diffidence. "Hey, wait a minute. How can I be sure that you don't eat food just for cover?" Dom insinuates as he starts enjoying that a lot.

"I'm not a vampire, Dom! Quit it, bloody quit it!" a fiery Matt snaps.

"You said 'bloody ' which reminds to blood. So, you do are a vampire! You... you... VladyMatt!" Dom strikes back, enlightened.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Matt roars.

"But it's what you are. And you're even growling now, just like a proper vampire. VladyMatt, VladyMatt, VladyMatt!" Dom insisted, amused as a child who has just discovered the funniest game ever.

"If you don't quit it I'll call you SpiderDom!" the brunette says, thinking that he's threatening him.

"Oh, please, do it. I like that!" the blond reveals.

"What? That's not fair. You weren't supposed to like that..." his boyfriend pouts.

"But I really do and I'll tell you what. We should dress up like these characters when we... you know!" the drummer suggests.

"Really?" the guitarist wonders, very intrigued.

After all, Dominic doesn't know that he has been thinking about that eventuality for awhile.

"Yep. You should get a black and red velvet cape and talk to me with Transylvanian accent... that would turn me on so bad!" the blond whispers at his ear, as the brunette shivers in pleasure.

"Sounds bloody good. So, can I also tell you what to do?" Matt purrs at his ear, but Dom pushes him away.

"No way! You can't tell me anything. After all, SpiderDom has already captured VladyMatt in his web, hasn't he?" he moans languidly as he lies down on the bed and with his look invites his partner to join him.

"Hell yes, he has!" the other smiles, as he crawls slowly on his giggling lover and places a tender chaste kiss on his soft lips. "Now, Dommy, get ready, because I'm gonna show you how much *active* I can be even during the day!" he warns him, before they both vent to their endless desire.

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

"Please, repeat. You are going to do... WHAT?!" Chris exclaims, so stunned that the titbit of steak that he took with his fork falls inexorably on the plate, along with the fork.

"Just what we said. Tomorrow, after the show, we're going to escape and go celebrate our first week sexually together!" Dom explains to him again, with a wide grin at the thought.

"And also our first month since our very first kiss!" Matt adds, grinning as well.

"That's why we need our time to celebrate." Dom states, as he cuts his fillet.

"The more time we have, the better. That's why we need to skip the fans' time, although there will be just a few people, since we're not the headliner here!" Matt retorts as he makes the red wine spin around his glass, slowly and widely, before sipping it.

"But you usually adore fans' time... both of you!" Chris makes them notice.

"Yep, but not tomorrow!" Dominic remarks.

"Oh, c'mon, all they ask for is a bunch of minutes to spend with us..." the bassist insists.

"Well, tomorrow all the bunch of minutes I have will be just and only at my Dom's disposal and there's no fan who can make me change my mind!" Matthew states resolutely.

"Gee, you're so mean!" Chris grumbles.

"Well, after all I'm VladyMatt, am not I?" the frontman sneers, glancing at the drummer.

"So, you do like it at the very end!" the blond figures out, enthusiastically.

"Yes, I admit I do... but just a little!" the brunet confesses.

Chris has no idea what they're babbling about, as he keeps turning his head to one and then to the other, as if he was watching a tennis match.

"How did you just call yourself and why?" he asks Matt. "No, wait. On second thought, I don't wanna know!" he corrects himself a few seconds later.

"Oh, c'mon, Chris, think about the positive side of the situation: if Matt and I are out of the game, you'll get all the fans' attention!" Dom makes him notice.

"Uh! Well, I hadn't thought about that..." the bassist answers, delighted by that idea, but then he jumps to another conclusion. "Are you hinting that I'll get all the fans' attention just because I'm the only one left? Have you mistaken me for a stopgap?" he wonders, insulted.

"No, never! How can you think such a terrible thing? You rule, you're awesome, you're great. Does Matt have to dedicate another song to you in order to convince you of that?" Dom replies.

"Nope. One is enough. Ok, I believe you. Just what am I supposed to say if some fans ask me why you're not there?" Chris asks them.

"Uhmm. Maybe you could tell them that our girlfriends made us a nice surprise and joined us during this date of the tour, so we want to spend as much time as we can with them." Dominic suggests.

"We couldn't be more liar than that!" Matthew shakes his head.

"So? Do you have a better idea, maybe?" Dom asks him.

"I'm not saying that I don't agree!" the other points out.

"So, Chris, we can trust you, can't we?" Dom needs confirmation.

"Yep, but don't you dare complain if from tomorrow on all our fans will ditch you to spend their time with me!" Chris smirks.

"One more thing; Tom will never know about it, promise to me!" Matthew asks as he can already picture in his mind a never ending lecture from their manager.

"Oh, Matty, now we have to find the perfect plan to escape tomorrow!" Dom incites him.

"Why? Haven't you thought about it in the morning?" Chris asks them.

"Oh, no, we've spent the whole morning..." the blond informs him, but Chris immediately stops him, raising his hand.

"Please, shut up, this is another thing I absolutely don't wanna know!" he clarifies, before he leaves the room and after awhile also the other two follow his example.

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

Saying that he needs his space sometimes, Dom spends the afternoon hanging around the town, going shopping, but mostly staring at himself from every shop-window Los Angeles has to offer him.

Matthew agrees without any problem, also because he has a pretty busy afternoon to deal with.

This was the fifth travel Dom made with Pinkie, so now his rightful owner has finally taken possession of his beloved trolley again.

He goes towards the bedroom, holding some tubes of red glitter and a set of golden wheels, ready to celebrate its return in the way he had promised to it.

He takes it from the closet, very carefully, and places it on an armchair.

"C'mon, Pinkie, let's get the party started!" he announces and the most worrying thing is that he's pretty sure that he's not just talking to himself!

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

After they had their dinner, Chris stays in the hall, entertaining himself with the barmen and some of the customers of the hotel, as Matthew and Dominic come back to their room.

The blond opens a drawer and takes a scratch pad and a blue felt-tip pen, as he starts writing 'Escape'.

No, they're not restudying that famous song of the Showbiz era.

As they have already decided, they're just plotting their way of escape.

Instead of writing, the brunette prefers drawing.

"So, we are these two.. " Matthew explains as he sketches in a very childish way two guys who are holding their hands, with a little heart in the middle.

"Aawww!" the blond melts down.

"And this is the Arena..." Matt goes on, turning page and drawing a circle with lots of rays that symbolize the several exits, but then he realizes that Dom isn't even looking at him anymore.

Following his gaze, he realizes what has drawn his attention so much.

"Gee, Dom, stop staring the sketch about us!" he reprimands him.

"I can't, you made me gorgeous even in this drawing!" the other states.

"Oh, c'mon, you don't even know which one is you!" the frontman teases him.

"Hell yeah I do, I'm the one on the left. To begin with, he's the taller one." he explains, turning the sketch towards Matt in order to make him see it better. "Then, the one on the right has crazier hair, see?" he goes on, snatching the felt-tip pen from his lover's hand and adding spiky and messy hair on the sketched out guy on the right. "And finally, didn't you notice that? The one on the left is holding drumsticks!" he concludes, drawing said drumstick in the guy on the left's free hand.

And then he admires his artwork very pleased.

"Dom, you're impossible!" Matt rolls his eyes.

"Well, we were plotting, weren't we?" the blond changes topic.

"Yeah..." the other replies, turning pages again. "So, these are the exits... how are we supposed to leave?" he wonders. "And please, don't you even try to name your bloody time-machine!" he summons him immediately after.

"Ok, also because the time-machine wouldn't help this time. C'mon, let's concentrate, we need an idea, a very good one!" Dom comments.

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

"For the last time, Matthew, no, no, and fucking NO!" Dom snaps after more than three quarters an hour of the brunette's impracticable suggestions.

"But why? It would be genial!" the other protests.

"It's impossible. We can't have a sort of spaceship and take off directly from the stage. We can't have the damned space skateboards you would also like to use at Wembley. And, mostly, there's no bloody, damn, sodding paralyzing ray that we can use on the crowd!" Dom explains to him, not very patiently.

"It would be so fun!" Matthew sighs unhappily and then he concentrates on the sketch of the Arena again, with the blond.

"Well, I bet that everyone expects us to get out from the exit number One... " Matt starts reckoning seriously.

"Or from the last one. It also would make sense." Dom adds and the other nods, before realization hits him.

"Let's go out from number Fifty-Seven!" the brunet exclaims.

"Why just from number Fifty-Seven?" Dom asks him.

"Because no one expects that. Plus, it's far from both of the main exits. It's a number like the others, nothing special. So, as everyone will wait for us at the main exits..."

"We'll escape from number Fifty-Seven! Yeah, that's brilliant!" Dominic rejoices.

"I'm sure it will work!" the other smiles.

"I think so, too. So, now that we made our plans... can I resume staring at my sketched out version?" the blond asks him eagerly and Matt is just too worn out to complain, so he lets his boyfriend do as he pleases.

TBC

What can I say? All the stuff involving VladyMatt and the infamous Number Fifty-Seven comes from the Muse Show at Verona in 2007, more specifically from all the absurdities my friends and I babbled about on our way back (but VladyMatt popped out from my degenerated mind... and I'm scarily proud of that, lol!)

Of course, I preferred to meet the dear guys instead of receiving this mad inspiration, but... whatever, lol!

Well, in case you didn't notice, I have a thing for Vampire! Matt... but you can't know, not here, at least, I've never posted 'Just a little bit' here ...

You know, I guess this is one of my favourite chapters of the whole fic, so I really, really hope you'll like it! ;)

[3schia]

CHAPTER 16 

“DESTROY THE CORPORACIÓN” 

[JANUARY 2017] 

And then I woke up.  XD 

HOOO! I drank too much! 

“Don’t be too assuming, Isla. You’re just a girlfriend.” XD  

--- 

“Hey. Stop using your car to go to work. Ride a taxi from now on.” Gray said. 

“Fine.” 

- 

GRAY: First, contaminate the ingredients. This will surely be a big issue. Then make fraudulent transactions when everyone’s attention is diverted on that issue. 

ISLA: But they will surely make a thorough investigation. 

GRAY: Who says you’ll get caught? People’s loyalty is invested in money, not in people. Here’s €50,000.00. You can convince the CCTV operator to conspire with you, and that’s when you’ll contaminate the ingredients.  

ISLA: If no criminal is found, they can simply fire everyone and continue their operation.  

GRAY: If they fire everyone, they will surely retain you. Besides, they will have a hard time hiring new employees. 

ISLA: You told me we can’t have other people’s loyalty, especially since we’re dealing with Steven and Jazon here. Don’t forget that they are far richer than you. 

GRAY: Hmm. You must make a way for the operator to know that you’re in a relationship with Steven, though you’re keeping it private. So, he will allow you to access the CCTV records. Just tell him you just have to see something. Like.. You have to give reasoning. 

ISLA: What reasoning? 

GRAY: Hmm. Something like you’re suspicious of one customer who often comes to the company just to see Steven. Make him have the impression that you’re just feeling jealous, so he will surely feel awkward and allow you to access the records. Plus, it will be easy money for him. It’s €50,000.00, he will surely remain quiet if ever he finds you suspicious. 

ISLA: Hmm. But the CCTV operator will surely be found suspicious if there’s one footage missing. 

GRAY: Who says you can’t use digital techniques? 

ISLA: CCTV records can be edited, but many times it’s complex. Like, I really have to know what watermarks, codecs, that the CCTV uses. And what if they find an expert to detect if the records are edited? 

GRAY: That’s when you will take charge. Tell Steven and Jazon to leave that to you, that you’re the one who will find an expert. And I just told you that people’s loyalty is invested in money. We can buy that expert. But that is only applicable in the worst-case scenario, “when they decided to retrieve the recordings.” 

Listen to me. 

First, given that there are CCTVs outside the company that they could ask for recordings to detect the criminal, that means before the day of contaminating the ingredients, you won’t leave the company, you will hide. That’s why you have to stop using your car, so you don’t have to edit the recordings at the parking lot.  

ISLA: Well, they can still detect who didn’t leave the company on that day. 

GRAY: Who says you’ll contaminate the ingredients that will be utilized in the coming weeks? You have to ask the CCTV operator how long they keep the recordings. Well, most stores keep their CCTV footage for a period of 30 to 90 days. Since it's VenZon Corporación, just expect that they are keeping it up to 90 days. In that case, of course, look for the ingredients they will be using after 3 months. It’s the biggest and most well-known coffee shop in Madrid, so they have a lot of stock. The recordings they are keeping will be investigated, but of course no criminals will be found since you contaminated the ingredients three months ago, which means the recordings are most likely deleted. Although they might also be transferring camera footage to external storage devices or cloud services for long-term preservation, but don’t ask such a thing to the CCTV operator, so he won’t find you suspicious. 

And given that there are experts, they can surely retrieve it, and they will find that one footage when you do the plan. But the good thing is that given that there are already so many recordings, they will find it hard to detect which footage might be edited. Besides, don’t forget that you can ask Steven that you will find that expert who will actually be our ally.   

ISLA: You really are wiser than me.  

GRAY: Well, I’m with someone younger than me. It will be an insult if I can’t think of creative techniques. 

ISLA: But even if they had that issue, people could trust them again given that they had already built their reputation in the market. And even if they lose millions and the worst happens, they can simply ask Steven’s parents to lend them money, and the company will continue its operation. 

GRAY: If it continues, then we can also continue to let them down. Does it make sense, Miss Pisces? 

ISLA: Yeah. But what if they find me suspicious? 

GRAY: That’s why you must be careful. Make Steven feel that you’re his only source of courage, so he won’t find you suspicious. Also, by that time, make yourself a little bit haggard. So, he will have the impression that you’re in distress due to what’s happening to the company. If ever he finds you suspicious and expresses his doubts, that’s when you can simply manipulate him by playing the victim. Get angry at him for doubting you. And if he continues doing so, threaten him with a breakup. 

--- 

One day, when I was inside the comfort room’s cubicle,  

I heard the conversations of some coworkers... 

“Mae saw Sir Steven and Isla eating at a European resto yesterday.” 

“Really? Yesterday is Sunday.” 

“Maybe they have an urgent task.” 

“Harold told me just last month that he saw Sir Steven and Isla walking at Olahio Park.” 

“Really? Why did you say it just now?” 

“He told me not to say it to anyone.” 

“Ohhh.” 

After this, I just noticed that some of my coworkers are now greeting me first.  

Some are now approaching me more and even treating me better.  

I just go along, at least I know who is real and who is fake among them. 

- 

“I dreamed of Steven being stabbed by multiple men,” I said. 

“That’s horrible!” Gray replied. 

“Hey! They are keeping the CCTV records for 60 days.” 

“That’s good!” 

--- 

One day, Jazon asked me for a date. 

“What was that I heard?” Jazon asked. 

“What?” I asked.  “You and Steven were seen at a European resto eating together.” 

“Oh. He’s now my boyfriend, but he asked me to make our relationship private.”

“Really? How about me?” 

“Well, I’m sorry. You know my situation, right?” 

“What?” 

“Grandma has a lot of medications.” 

“I can help you.” 

“We can continue what we have. You know how much I love you.” 

“It’s unfair, Isla. I’m the one who courted you first.”  “Well, it won’t last long. I just need you to understand. I’ll make a way for us to meet.” 

--- 

[FEBRUARY 2017] 

*The Day of Execution 

I packed clothes that I would be wearing the next day.  

Before the working hours ended, I hid in a made-up, out-of-order cubicle in the comfort room. Until it became totally quiet. 

Then, I started contaminating the ingredients. 

- 

On the next day,

I entered the CCTV Control Room wearing my branded necklace given to me by Steven before, so the operator would surely notice it.  

I also take bread for our breakfast and put some sleeping substance in the operator’s bread so he will fall asleep. 

OPERATOR: Buenos días, Miss Salcedo.  

ISLA: Buenos días también.  

OPERATOR: That necklace is familiar to me. It suits you well. 

ISLA: Oh. Thank you. It was given to me by Steven. 

OPERATOR: Really? That costs a lot. 

ISLA: Just around €80,000.00 

OPERATOR: Sir Steven gave that to you? Why? 

ISLA: Ssshhh! Look at this. 

I showed him photos of Steven and me dating. 

OPERATOR: So, that means? 

ISLA: Yeah, we’re in a relationship, but Steven asked me to keep it private. 

OPERATOR: Oh! 

ISLA: Though I already heard some coworkers talking about us dating. 

OPERATOR: Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s the Chairman-CEO anyway. 

ISLA: Hmm. Accept this. 

OPERATOR: Oh. It’s a lot. 

ISLA: I actually find that one regular customer who often comes here. Can you help me? 

OPERATOR: Sure! Who’s that customer? 

ISLA: I don’t know, but she’s a beautiful girl. I hope I’m not overthinking, but I feel like she just comes here for Steven. And I once saw her outside his office. 

OPERATOR: Oh! Are you jealous? 

ISLA: Hmm, a bit. So, I want to make sure. I love Steven so much, so I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’ll do my investigation about that girl, so I must see her face clearly. Can I access the recordings? 

OPERATOR: Sure! 

ISLA: Thanks! I filed for sick leave today because, you know? I’m a bit stressed. 

OPERATOR: Don’t be. Here’s the password to access files. 

ISLA: Let’s have our breakfast? 

OPERATOR: Oh. Thanks! 

And then I started doing the forbidden techniques. ~ 

Like yeah. That was a mission accomplished. 

--- 

One day, when I’m at Steven’s mansion,  

I roamed around the bedroom.  

I saw a photo of a man who’s really familiar... 

ISLA: Love, who is this man? 

STEVEN: My biological father. 

ISLA: Oh. 

So... 

STEVEN: Yeah, he’s just my stepdad 

ISLA: But you seem like a real dad and son 

STEVEN: Yeah. Maybe because he wasn’t able to have a child with mom, so he treated me like his own. 

ISLA: That’s why you’re a little bit spoiled. 

STEVEN: Not at all. I’m actually longing for a sibling. 

ISLA: Oh. 

STEVEN: Yes, I’m serious. 

ISLA: Why did they break up?  STEVEN: He left us for that Brazilian woman. 

ISLA: Oh, I’m sorry. 

STEVEN: He, at least, gave us money. But mom worked so hard to give me a good life. Until she met my stepdad, who made our lives even better. 

ISLA: You’re so lucky!  STEVEN: It’s because of mom. 

ISLA: Do you hate your real dad for leaving you? 

STEVEN: Yeah. Mom was so depressed when he left us, I couldn’t do anything. 

And then we sleep together. 

- 

When we woke up and Steven went down to the first floor,  

I suddenly took a picture of his biological dad and texted Gray... 

ISLA: Gray, may I see the photo of your stepdad again?  

GRAY: Here. 

ISLA: Look at this photo. 

GRAY: That is dad. 

ISLA: Yap. Your stepdad is Steven’s biological father. 

GRAY: Ha? Why do you say so? 

ISLA: Last night, before we went to sleep, I saw that photo and asked Steven who he was. He said he’s his biological dad and that he left them for a Brazilian woman who’s obviously your mom. 

GRAY: Oh. 

ISLA: Your half-brother's surname is Esperanza, tho! 

GRAY: I didn’t think about that since Esperanza is just a common surname tho! 

“Isla, let’s eat!” 

ISLA: Wait, we’re going to have our breakfast. I’ll text you later. 

GRAY: Okay. Be careful. 

- 

And here we are eating our breakfast... 

ISLA: If you were that rich even back then, why didn’t you choose a better university. 

STEVEN: I have to study there. 

ISLA: Why? 

STEVEN: I just have to... 

ISLA: And you are five years late. 

STEVEN: I stopped studying for some years. 

ISLA: Why? 

STEVEN: I just want to. 

ISLA: Oh. Was the business course your first choice?  STEVEN: Nope. I prefer computer science. 

ISLA: Then, why didn’t you take it? 

STEVEN: I had to be in that course. 

ISLA: Why? 

STEVEN: To be friends with someone. 

ISLA: Really? Who? 

STEVEN: Someone who must pay for the damage his parents caused to me, especially to mom... more than two decades ago. 

ISLA: Who’s that person? 

STEVEN: You don’t know him. It’s a long story... Let’s eat. 

- 

ISLA: Hey! I’m driving. Come to my apartment, let’s talk. I’m thinking of something. 

GRAY: Okay! On my way. 

- 

ISLA: Gray, guess what? Steven outwitted you. He studied at New Stark University and took the business course to approach you on purpose. 

GRAY: What purpose?  ISLA: So, he could be friends with you! He told me that you’re the one who must pay for the damage your parents did to him, especially to his mom, more than two decades ago. That means, he was a traitor all along, without you even realizing it. 

GRAY: I was so stupid. That’s why he’s five years late. 

ISLA: So, it’s more than just the Latin honor of why he takes away good things from you. He also told me that he’s actually longing for a sibling, but his mom and stepdad couldn’t have a child of their own... Is he aware that you have a half-brother? 

GRAY: Yeah! 

ISLA: He’s living in Córdoba, right? Can you convince them to live somewhere else? 

GRAY: Why? 

ISLA: Why are you asking? Can’t you analyze his purpose? He takes away good things from you! From your friend, Jazon, your business idea, Precious, Faith. Don’t you get it? 

GRAY: I get it. 

ISLA: He may come after your brother or auntie. He’s just letting the time pass so you won’t suspect him! 

--- 

“What happened to your face?” 

“Steven slapped me.” 

“Why?!”  “He saw me dating Jazon.” 

--- 

GRAY: What’s the problem, Isla? You look so stressed. 

ISLA: I’m not having my period yet. 

GRAY: For how long?  ISLA: It’s been two weeks delayed. 

GRAY: When was the last time you make love with Steven? 

ISLA: Hmm. We’re using protection. 

GRAY: But there’s still a chance, you know? 

ISLA: Hmm. 

GRAY: Have you tried a pregnancy test? 

ISLA: Nope. 

GRAY: Wait, let me buy. 

- 

-

-

ISLA: It’s negative. 

GRAY: Maybe you’re just stressed. 

ISLA: Yeah. 

GRAY: Did it happen before? 

ISLA: Yeah. Years ago, when graduation was approaching. 

GRAY: You really are just stressed. Hmm. Want to walk at Castellón Park later at night?  

ISLA: Okay! 

- 

And here we are at Castellón Park.  

We’re just roaming around. 

Eating street foods. 

Seeing the fountains. 

“I’m craving something sweet,” I spoke. 

“Okay. Let’s buy groceries later.” Gray replied. 

- 

“Why are you getting all-purpose flour?” I asked. 

“I’ll bake cupcakes later for you!” Gray answered. 

“Oh. You know now how to bake?” 

“Of course!” 

-

A few days later. 

“Hey! Why aren’t you replying?” Gray asked. 

“I’m hot.” I replied. 

“I know, right.” 

“I mean, I feel I’m getting sick.” 

“File a sick leave.”  “Yeah, I did.” 

“I’ll go there.”  “No, I can take care of myself.” 

“Nope, wait for me.” 

--- 

And then, I recovered. 

GRAY: I have thought of an idea. Since you’re sometimes staying in his mansion. Before you eat your dinner, put coriander on his food since he is allergic to it. And use that chance to take care of him. That will leave a good impression, so you could ask him for whatever you want soon -  money, jewelry, tech gadgets, bags, and even position. Make ways for him to lose money. 

ISLA: Okay. I’ll look for some... But wait, how about his chef? He will be fired if I do that. 

GRAY: We have no choice. 

ISLA: Besides, his chef must be aware that Steven is allergic to coriander, that’s why I’m not seeing any of it in his ref. 

GRAY: Wait, have you once cooked for him? 

ISLA: Not yet. 

GRAY: He didn’t tell you that he’s allergic to coriander? 

ISLA: Yeah! He didn’t. 

GRAY: Good! Start cooking food for him. Cook well a few times. Then, when he’s comfortable with what you’re preparing for him, that’s when you’ll cook something that has coriander in it. Hmm... You can cook a dish and then pair it with a soup. Put the coriander in either of the two where he won’t notice it. 

ISLA: Alright! 

GRAY: Good luck, buddy! 

ISLA: How about Jazon? What technique can we use for him so he will be more stressed? 

GRAY: Hmm. As far as I know, he’s not allergic to any. We must attack him in a different way. 

ISLA: What way? 

GRAY: Have you thought of any? 

ISLA: Should I break up with him? 

GRAY: Hmm. You can just tell him you want a cool-off so he will be stressed. With that, you can still have a connection with him. You can’t totally cut off Jazon, we still need him. 

--- 

[APRIL 2017] 

One day at VenZon Corporación... 

There’s a long line in the comfort rooms, and customers seem irritated. 

I went inside it and saw some of them vomiting in the sink. 

“It’s her third time to po*p.” 

“I think I’m getting sick.” 

“I don’t feel good.” 

“Me, too.” 

“What’s wrong today? We’re all not feeling well.” 

“Is it just a coincidence? Or maybe there’s something wrong with their products?” 

“That’s what I’m also thinking, but it’s VenZon Corporación.” 

“Hmm. What’s happening?” 

People are complaining. So, I guess this is it. 

~ 

The issue became the talk of the town. 

The company received lots of hate from people. 

A thorough investigation is now being done. 

CCTV records are investigated as well as all the employees, including me. 

No one was found guilty. 

“We need to find an expert to retrieve the records,” Steven said. 

“I know someone. He graduated from the Universidad de Madrid as Summa cum laude, with six years of experience.” 

“Please call him.” 

Then, the expert just did the forbidden techniques. 

No criminal was found in all the retrieved footage. 

“Can you detect if there are edited records?” Steven asked. 

- 

A few days passed... 

“Nothing was edited,” the expert declared. 

--- 

“I still can’t make fraudulent transactions;  

coworkers are so attentive to details. 

I’m getting tired, Gray. 

Can we use other techniques?  

The effects of the contaminated products became controversial anyway. 

They are now losing the trust of customers.”  I said.

“But given their position in the market, they can regain their trust. 

I read a lot of reactions online about the issue and 

even if Steven is not yet giving statements about it in public, 

I can tell that many people will still patronize them. 

We have to find new ways to let them down.”  Gray answered.

--- 

One day... 

I cooked Pulpo Gallego, and Steven liked it. ~ 

ISLA: Don’t be too stressed. You can still regain the trust of customers. 

STEVEN: I hope so. 

ISLA: You can make it up to them by offering more rewards. 

STEVEN: Yeah. That can be. Hmm. 

- 

STEVEN: Did you approach me on purpose? 

ISLA: What do you mean? 

STEVEN: You seem to know a lot. 

ISLA: About what? 

STEVEN: Never mind. 

--- 

One day. While sweeping my immediate environment outside the apartment,

a group of police suddenly came. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

“You are under arrest for contaminating the ingredients... You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” 

#TheEightOrdinance 

#PlasticCoworkers 

#IslaTheDiscoverer 

#StevenTheGenius 

#FailedFraudulentTransactions 

#IslaTheTiredAvenger 

#TheHardestChapter 

CHAPTER 17 

"The Forbidden Techniques” 

And then... I woke up. Woooo!  

That was a nightmare, tho! XD 

One day, when Steven was busy thinking of ways to resolve the issue.  

I started to cook falafel, a Mediterranean dish with coriander.  

I also made soup, other dishes, and put a lot of desserts on the dining table,  

so, he won’t be so focused on Falafel. 

While eating, I intended to ask him so many questions about his past experiences, career plans, and other desires in life. So he would be more distracted. 

A few hours later,  

Steven started to have skin rashes and itching sensations. He also vomits.  

“What’s happening to you? Don’t be so stressed,” I said. 

“Hmm. It just happened.” Steven replied. 

- 

I immediately made a cold compress and bought aloe vera, coconut oil, and antihistamines. I acted like I was in a hurry.  

- 

“Take this and apply it.” I said 

“What are the ingredients of that dish?” He asked. 

“Which dish?” 

“Hmm. The Falafel.”  “Oh, the Falafel? Hmm. Dried chickpeas, parsley leaves, onion, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne...” 

“Wait, coriander? Oh no. I’m actually allergic to that.” 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” 

“It’s fine. It’s delicioso anyway.” 

“Let me make it up to you.” 

- 

“I’m fine now. Thanks!” 

--- 

[SEPTEMBER 2017] 

After a few months of being the talk of the town and having lost millions of revenues, 

VenZon Corporación was able to regain the trust of its customers. 

- 

ISLA: I thought eight was a lucky number, but I can’t seem to do the 8th ordinance... 

MY LIFE WAS ALMOST RUINED WHEN I LOST FAITH.  

Have you thought of other reasons why we met? 

GRAY: Hmm. It seems like you are my twin flame. 

ISLA: What do you mean by that? 

GRAY: I can’t explain, but you seem to have discovered things from my past. You changed a lot about me. And we have this spiritual connection. 

ISLA: Is Faith the only reason you're very determined to get our revenge? 

GRAY: She's just one of the reasons.  

ISLA: Why do you say that just now? 

GRAY: Am I required to say everything to you? 

She's precious to you, right?  

So, stop asking questions and just follow! 

ISLA: My Faith is precious, and so am I. 

GRAY: But your bills don't care how precious you are. 

ISLA: Just to remind you, it's not for the money I'm after. Besides, I’m the one literally doing the plans. I’m the one literally making ways to get his millions for us, not you.  

GRAY: Wow! So, am I indebted to you? Of course, it must be you! Aren’t you thinking? Besides, it’s for Faith, not for us! 

ISLA: We may have thought we’re winning, but I feel like our souls are losing...  

. 

. 

. 

Aren’t you afraid? 

GRAY: I’m not. I don’t even have a soul. I'm just existing in this body. I don’t even know who I am. 

. 

. 

. 

Sounds familiar? 

ISLA: I sometimes wonder how I became this bad 

GRAY: If you are bad, what more am I? 

. 

. 

. 

But I think we are not bad; we’re just put in this situation. 

--- 

GRAY: This time, you must convince Steven to promote you as the general manager so you can control those below your position. 

ISLA: Wait, I think I should know the birth dates of important employees.  Starting from the general manager up to administrative professionals. 

GRAY: Why? 

ISLA: To know their strengths and weaknesses. 

GRAY: That makes sense!  Hmm. Jazon is an Aries. They say that Aries people are strong, hotheaded, and full of energy and desire. They can’t wait to take over the world. They are born leaders and have a strong “me-first attitude” attached. Aries is a cardinal fire. People born under cardinal signs are said to be ambitious. Hmm. What if...? 

ISLA: Oh! Are we thinking the same? 

GRAY: Okay. You first! 

ISLA: What if I convince Jazon...? 

GRAY: Yeah! That’s what I’m thinking! Make him desire the position of Steven. Continue making them secretly hate each other. And... Steven must be sick, so Jazon will take over in the meantime. 

ISLA: That will be hard. He takes care of his body. 

--- 

ISLA: Do you know the movie Cast Away? 

GRAY: What is it?  ISLA: It’s a movie about a man who got stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashed. 

GRAY: Oh. 

ISLA: What if I negotiate with Jazon? 

GRAY: How? 

ISLA: Like, I can make him think of comparing himself to Steven, so he will feel intimidated.  

GRAY: Yeah! Continue! 

ISLA: With that, hmm... He can make ways to let the company go bankrupt while Steven and I are on vacation. I’ll make him desire to have his very own company where he will have the highest position. I’ll tell him that I’ll ask Steven for an out-of-the country vacation for a few months so he can execute the plans for letting the company down. 

GRAY: Gotcha! But you must let him know that you’re already in a relationship with Steven, but you’re keeping it private. 

ISLA: Yeah. I’ll ask him to keep it to himself, though he will surely be disappointed in me. But I can still seduce him, so he won’t let me go. 

GRAY: Then tell him that it’s actually an advantage to him that Steven is your boyfriend, and you want to let him down. 

ISLA: What reasoning can I tell him if he asks why I want to destroy Steven? 

GRAY: Tell him you’re taking revenge because Steven has another woman. 

ISLA: Hmm. That’s a good one.  

GRAY: And you can tell that you’re not breaking up with Steven yet since you still need his money for your grandma. 

ISLA: You’re wise, ha. 

GRAY: Wait, if Steven got to know that the company is at great risk. He will surely go back here to Spain to take in charge. 

ISLA: That’s why I told you about the movie Cast Away. I have thought of something weird. Like, we must be stranded on an island so that... 

GRAY: Oh, sht. 

ISLA: If that happens, he won’t have any means to have any updates about the company. We just need food and water there so we can survive for a couple of months...  

GRAY: I have thought of another idea so Jazon can make the plans as soon as possible. We must look for job openings that offer higher salaries and better benefits, and ask your closest friend there to let your coworkers be aware of that. So, they would surely pass their resignation letters. And when that happens, Jazon would have valid reasons why he needed to hire new employees. 

ISLA: You’re wise, ha?! Sounds familiar? 

GRAY: But I feel like if you grow older, you’ll probably be wiser than me. Wait, how about Steven’s parents? They will probably know if the company is at risk and Steven is out of the country. 

ISLA: I’ll ask Steven to make our vacation exclusive. So, his parents won’t contact him. Besides, his parents are already seniors. They are not using their phones that much. 

--- 

GRAY: This will be the plan. You can have a vacation just here in Spain, so I can find ways to know your condition. First, tell Steven that you want a vacation on an island that must be uninhabitable. You must rent a private jet. We will look for a pilot who will help us execute the plans. You must have a lot of food and water in your jet that will make you survive for a couple of months. 

ISLA: What if I ask Steven first about the maximum period that we can have a vacation? So, the foods that we will be eating during that period will not come from our stocks. Then, in the last week, that’s when we’ll ride the jet going to the island, and it will crash there. 

GRAY: Gotcha! 

ISLA: Wait, we don’t necessarily have to be in that jet. I can make Steven so drunk that he will fall asleep. And that’s when I’ll inject a substance that will put him into deep sleep for longer hours. So, the pilot will have enough time to crash the jet, and he will then escape using a jet ski that must first be on that island. 

GRAY: Yeah! And when everything is fine, just act unconscious somewhere else, near Steven. Let him be the first one to have consciousness. When he wakes you up, act like you’re in pain and wonder why you’re lying. Don’t be the first one to look for the pilot, so he won’t find him suspicious. There must be a lot of blood scattered on the cockpit, so he would have the impression that the pilot is dead and maybe carried away by the sea. In that case, the jet must land near the sea. 

ISLA: Our phones must be destroyed. 

GRAY: Yeah. There must be no means to communicate. I’ll make sure you’re safe. I’ll visit using a jet. 

ISLA: He will surely hear it coming. 

GRAY: Hmm. 

ISLA: Or I can keep two other phones and hide them on the sand or a tree. My original phone must be destroyed so he won’t find me suspicious. I’ll keep the two phones off, and when Steven is asleep, I’ll just update you on our condition. 

GRAY: Yeah! That makes sense. Hmm. You both must have a few wounds, so it will be more realistic. 

ISLA: Mhmm. Just leave that to me. We just need to have a first-aid kit there and other essentials. 

GRAY: We came this far, Isla. 

ISLA: I know.  

GRAY: It’s so funny how I thought of so many strategies to finally let him down without realizing that I’m already pronouncing the passcode for his total downfall... He will be stranded again on another isla. 

ISLA: That sounds meaningful. 

GRAY: Yeah. That’s really what I meant... And hey! Pack some condoms. 

ISLA: Do you think he will still be in the mood when we’re in the middle of nowhere? 

GRAY: For as long as men are alive, we won’t stop wanting sex.  

--- 

And again, it’s weekend... 

I brought my lingerie for tonight’s sex with Steven. 

I slowly removed his t-shirt, 

Then his shorts. 

I slowly kissed him... 

... from top. 

.. to bottom. 

Then I slowly removed his underwear... 

... while kissing his d*ck. 

And then I sucked it... 

... for a minute... 

.. until here comes the magic... 

“Ugggggghhhhh.” Steven moans. 

“Hmmmmmmmmm.” I responded. 

“F*ck me...” 

“Ughhhh... ughhhh... ughhh...” 

“Don’t stop... don’t stop...” 

“I love you...” 

“I love you, too.” 

“How much do you love me?” I asked. 

“I love you a lot... You’re the most important person in my life.”  “Will you love me forever?” 

“I will.” 

“Won’t you leave me?” 

“I won’t.”   

“Ughhhh... ughh.. Ughhhhhhh...” 

“You are mine...” I said. 

“You are mine, too.” 

“Your d*ck is mine.”  “Your p*ssy is mine, too.” 

  “Uggghhhhhh.” 

“F*ck meee...” 

“F*ck....  

Uggghhhhhhhh.” 

“Will we do this forever?” 

“We will.”  “Won’t you get tired f*cking me?” 

“I won't...” 

“Ugggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh....” 

“Right there... right there...” 

“Hmmmmmmmmm.” 

“When can we have a baby?” 

“Soon...” 

“Ughhhh...” 

“I want us to have a long vacation... and we will make so much love in there...”  “Yeahhhh... Everything you want...” 

“Ughhhhhhhhhh...”  “You’re the best man I ever had...” 

“You’re the best, too.”  “Ughh...” 

“Can we have a vacation for a year?” 

“Hmm... Let me check my schedule.”  “Ughhhhh... Do you think it’s possible?... Ughhhh...” 

“Hmmmmmmm.... Can six months do?”  He asked.

“Yeahhh... I love you, baby...” 

“I love you, too...” 

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh.....” 

--- 

“Hey! Steven agreed to six months!”  “Nice! It’s time to intimidate Jazon.” 

“Right!” 

- 

Then, I texted Jazon... 

“Love, I miss you.” 

“I miss you, too. Don’t leave me.” 

“But you know I need Steven.” 

“I can support you.” 

“I really miss you.”  “I’ll go to your apartment.” 

“I’ll wait for you.” 

~ 

And here he is... 

“Why do you look happy?” Jazon asked. 

“Well, the company’s sales are increasing again. Steven is just so good at handling the pressure.” I answered. 

“We all helped resolve the issue.” 

“Yeah. But you know? The strategy of Steven is just so great! 

No wonder Venzon Corporación is still the best coffee shop in Madrid.” 

“I’m actually the one who made his public statement to address the issue.” 

“Oh! He didn’t tell me. I thought it’s him who wrote that.” 

“I did that.” 

“Hmm. Good! He should have told me. Tsk! Tsk! I really don’t get Steven sometimes.” 

“Why?” Jazon asked.  “Like, he’s sometimes full of himself,” I answered. 

“Yeah. I know that.” 

“He always wants to be on top.” 

“Yeah! I also hate that side of Steven.” 

“But we can’t do anything. He’s great at running the business, tho.  

I hope he allows me to be the general manager. I don’t want to settle for less anymore. I think I’m deserving of that position since I’m really working hard.” 

“I also notice that.” 

“Then, when my savings are enough, I’ll establish my very own bakery shop.” 

“Wow! I also want to.” 

“Well, you have Venzon Corporación.” 

“A few years ago, I also desired to have my own.” 

“Like a coffee shop somewhere else, and you’ll be the chairman and CEO?” 

“Yeah!” 

“Well, you have the power to do that. You’re also really wise.” 

A few hours later ~ 

I make it obvious that I’m staring at a photo on my phone. 

“Who’s that girl?” 

“Hayyy. The side chick of Steven! That’s why I hate him!” 

“Oh. Break up with him! I’m here!” 

“But I can’t do that! I need his money for Grandma!  And I’ll make him pay for cheating on me!” 

“How?” 

“I don’t know. But I really hate him! Hmm. I think you can do better than him.” 

“With?” 

“With running the company. He only had that privilege in life, that’s why he’s the Chairman and CEO.” 

“Yeah. That’s why I’m planning to have my own in the future.” 

“Why have another business when you can actually own it?” 

“How?” 

“If there’s a desire, there’s a way.” 

“Can you help me?” 

“Yeah. I wanna let him down. Hmm.  

Actually, we’ll be having six-month vacation starting next month” 

“Really? Where?” 

“I’m still thinking about it. Hmm.  

You can use that time to take charge of the company.” 

“Yeah, I will. But that will just be for six months.”  “So, you want to be the chairman and CEO for life?” 

“Of course!” 

“But you know? That will be an insult to you.” I said.  “Why?” 

“Do you think it’s better to have your own?  

And make it the most well-known coffee shop in Madrid.” 

“How?” 

“Easy! Destroy the VenZon Corporación while we’re on vacation.” 

“But six months won’t be enough to do that.”  “Well, I can find ways to prolong that.” 

“How?” 

“You don’t have to ask. You just have to trust.” 

--- 

“Have you made your plans?” I asked. 

“Yeah!” Jazon answered. 

“Here’s my recommended technique.” I said.  “What?” 

“Listen. Look for job openings that offer higher salaries and better benefits, and ask my closest friend there, who hates Steven, to let our coworkers be aware of that. So, they would surely pass their resignation letters. And when that happens, you have valid reasons why you need to hire new employees. And it’s up to you who you hire. Will you hire the most qualified ones?” 

“Of course, no. Why did your friend hates Steven?” 

“It’s a personal reason. So, I’ll just leave you to do the other techniques?” 

“Yeah! Thanks for that tip.” 

“My pleasure, Mister Aries.” 

--- 

“Hey! I told Jazon everything. And as expected, he conspired with me!” ~ 

#IslaTheManipulator 

#JazonTheAmbitious 

[tamoenello]

Final Fantasy VII Remake – Shinra’s Mr.President Museum

[solomonyau]

what it's like inside my mind - Chapter 16 : '12 Steps That Happened At The Club ; 7 Steps to What Loving Me Would Actually Look Like'

To the girl I met on a unsuspecting Thursday Night, 

I promise I’m not salty about you not getting back to me.

Maybe it’s a little lie I tell myself about all the other times I’ve swiped right on others while wondering whether these damn dating apps actually work.

It’s tiring to be consistently told by my friends that after being single for so long I might as well give it a try, 

But damn if luck was ever on my side I’d be boo’ed up by now, like Ella Mai dropped Whatchamacallit, so chewed up by now, tucked into bed with soft spoken words like I love you right now, - but fuck it

I’ve been told that when you decide to approach a woman as a man you gotta look at a couple key things - especially when you’re on a night out

Maybe it’s to make up for the fact it might be the ballsiest thing I’ll ever do or for the fact that fun is through pick ups & cliche lines

Without a doubt holding on to scarred sacred vows to atone for some lonely nights, let's not get started for them shots that get you fucked up til the day goes by

But anyway, let me list them out : - 

Whether she has her friends around her, try not to come off as creepy

If the homie is really the homie & he’d wing man as per all the other times you’ve done so for him

There’s a chance you might be alone in this, so down your drink

Make sure you ask the waiter for another one

A little liquid courage can get you far

Make sure your dance moves are in check, & that your salsa will show her that your inner dancer is the best damn thing she’ll ever see

It might be a lil loud but scan the room & understand the exits

If she’s not interested that’s okay but make sure you be a gentleman about it

You don’t always have to go into it needing to pick a girl up

Sometimes just telling her ‘Hey, I saw you across from the room, & I don’t really do this much but I couldn’t pass this chance up to tell you that you have one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen.

11 & 12 - are just understanding you’re just a cringe fest to most but maybe romance is for some

13. Would be the amount of lines I’d draw up to reach your scars, pull them tight & hug them

14. Are the days I’d count just so I could take you out on a picnic

15. Will be the Continuous findings of small pockets of happiness within your smile

16. Circles around you just so you know I’d love you endlessly

17. Will be taken down as - Hugs will be non negotiable, I’d hold on tight to your hand, & forehead kisses will be showered over you

18. Don’t go thinking you’d be an independent woman now - cause that damn car door is the one that I’m gonna be opening for you

19. Will be the amount of flowers that’ll be stacked up in the bouquets I’d give you

20. Repeating steps 1 to 12 wouldn’t be of much value, but 13 to 20 is all I ever want to do with you & it’ll be - What Loving Me Would Actually Look Like.

So, I promise I’m not salty,

I promise I’m not salty about you not getting back to me,

Because I’ve been told that despite my countless attempts of failed love,

I kinda know what I have to offer,

Whether it’ll find me or not I’d rather have my peace.

Maybe it’s like that one SZA song AFTERMATH saying Loving as a Unicorn Gets So Lonely

But on the down low I’d feel like Drake cause internally I’m just a Certified Lover Boy

My conversations with God tend to never lead to agreeable discussions of what love actually looks like for me, 

But maybe - these last 7 steps are what it’d actually look like for you. 

[photo1030]

Leather and Lace - Chapter16:  Feelings Revealed

PART 2 - WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Summary: After Arthur’s rejection, tensions run high between the two of you and decisions need to be made.

*As always, special thank you to my best-y @rivetingrosie4​ for beta-reading and all the helpful notes & encouragement. 

*Full disclosure: The line about “the moon and stars” further in the story is based on a meme I read. And I have images from @red-dead-simp​ and @regwishesshehadmagic​ in here. 

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*This stunning image comes from @red-dead-simp​

Tag List:  @rivetingrosie4 @bimbo-dollz @pine4pple-b0i @redwritr @kuri-chans-blog @queer-sadie-adler @joelmillerswifey @gimmethosedaddymilkers @pcotarelo @delilah-grimes @maemortem @wistfulwisteriawitch @lilacxxdreams @mentallyillfrogs @absolutegeek @spurz @sophiaj650 @uniqueclodzinevoid @lookingformaurice @pawoui @randomidk-123 @yyiikes @eddiemetalheadmunson @twola @kmartkiddieisle @red-dead-simp​ @regwishesshehadmagic​

*I tagged people who expressed interest in the continued story. If you’d like to be added or removed, please let me know.

The ride back to camp from the overlook is terribly awkward. Your mind is blank and foggy and your body numb as you sit slightly slumped in Blue's saddle. You are reeling from the preceding events. You keep your horse moving at a quicker pace to stay ahead of Arthur's as you head home. Any time that you hear him approaching closer to you, your muscles tense up and you spur your heels into Blue's side to encourage him to go just a bit faster to maintain the distance between you. You can't even bring yourself to look at Arthur for fear of shattering into inconsolable pieces out of humiliation.  

For Arthur, the entire ride back is riddled with regret and second-guessing. He casts his gloomy eyes on your backside the entire way home, without so much as a glance back or sound from you. It causes his heart to break in two. And oh, how he wants to give the other half of it to you. But as he looks down at his gnarled hands and the worn metal of the guns that hang so naturally on his hips, he knows this is the way it has it be. He is going to keep you safe, whether you like it or not. You may hate him for it, but at least you'll be alive to do it.

When you hit the treeline of the camp, you push Blue just a bit faster and lead him to the far end of the hitching posts, determined to stay as far away from Arthur as you can for the time being. You quickly dismount, with the hair on the back of your neck standing up as you feel his eyes watching you, while keeping your back to the man. Once you have Blue settled in for the day, you make haste to head to your tent, walking briskly and keeping your head down. Your eyes stay focused along the soft grass at your feet, desperate to avoid any attention from anyone else in camp. Somewhere in the distance, you can hear Karen calling your name, but you pretend not to hear her. You are not in the mood for visiting and carrying-on with your friends right now.

As soon as you reach your tent, your trembling fingers fumble to draw the sides down, a clear indication that you do not want to be disturbed. You can only hope that no one hears you sobbing quietly within the canvas. You are numb, totally and completely, as you fold your arms around yourself to keep from shaking. You cannot wrap your swimming mind around what has just happened. You poured your heart out to Arthur. You literally begged the man to be with you. And he rejected you. And worse yet, he basically severed himself from you in the process.

Arthur slowly climbs down from his own horse upon arrival, and silently watches you walk away and head to your tent. Regret coats his insides like water pouring over a river rock. But he doesn't have time to wallow too long. The man isn't even in camp for five minutes and Dutch is calling his name. He lets out a heavy groan, accompanied by a long sigh, at the sound of Dutch's voice carrying through the camp. Dutch is the last thing he wants to deal with right now.

Of course, Arthur's heavy footfalls and scowl are lost on Dutch as he approaches the older man's tent. Arthur is his guard dog; Dutch is used to seeing him angry and sullen. In fact, he almost prefers it. Dutch needs him this way. Arthur stands in front of Dutch's tent, his gaze unfocused and mind wandering as Dutch speaks to him. The man's deep voice sounds muffled in Arthur's ear as he half-halfheartedly pays attention to what is being said to him, his mind somewhere else entirely.

"Think you can handle that?" Dutch's words finally catch Arthur's attention, snapping him out of his listless thoughts.

Arthur lifts his eyes to meet Dutch's expectant gaze. "Whatever. Just make sure the tip is solid and I'll make it work."

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

Arthur takes advantage of the quick job Dutch sends him on the day that you have confessed your feelings for him. He smartly uses the opportunity to give you some breathing room and time to calm down a bit. After checking in with Dutch upon his return, he heads over to his tent to put away his things and takes a minute to breathe. Arthur stands with his thumbs hanging from his gun belt as he surveys the camp, checking the state of things. His body naturally falls into this stance whenever he stands still for a moment. And right now, he is more weary than he’s been in a long while.

His wandering eyes eventually find you working alone in your med-tent. Your hair is pulled back and out of your face so you can work, but a few tendrils of soft locks have escaped and dangle to frame your face. Your hands move slowly, practically dancing around the bowl that has enveloped your attention. Arthur takes in the heavenly sight of you, standing in a simple white blouse and green skirt set comfortably upon your hips, mulling over what he should do, as he nervously chews his plump bottom lip for a moment. Eventually, he decides to see how things feel between you two and tentatively makes his way over to your med-tent.

Arthur kneads his thumb into the palm of the opposite hand nervously while he waits for you to notice him standing there outside the tent.  He stands with an uneasy grin, fidgeting slightly. "Hey you.”

You briefly look up from the steaming bowl of herbs and boiling water that you are stirring, careful not to look him in the eye for too long. "What can I do for you, Arthur?" Your voice carries none of the usual excitement that he hears when you see him.

Arthur's face drops, disappointed with your short reply. He clears his throat to attempt to dislodge the knot there before trying to continue. "I was out earlier and found some of that yarrow and dandelion root you use all the time. Grabbed some for you." He reaches into his satchel and pulls out a bundle of the fragrant herbs. He carefully unwraps them from the white cotton rag he's kept them in and holds them out to you with his large hands. A hopeful look sits upon his brow as he cranes his neck a bit to see if this peace offering will get you to look at him.

"Thank you. You can set them down on the table there," you instruct softly, pointing to the end of the table with your wooden spoon. Usually you'd jump at the chance to take something from Arthur, seizing any opportunity to touch his hands and for your fingers to teasingly graze across each other’s. But not this time. And this deviation in your behavior isn’t lost on Arthur, either.

"I could take you out and show you where I found it, if you like? In case you need more?" He gingerly sets the bundle of plants down, watchful for your reaction.

“Actually, that bundle there will last me awhile. But thank you.” With a quick and awkward smile, you return your full attention to the steaming liquid in front of you.

“Sure” he murmurs, feeling crushed. Arthur stands there a moment longer, as there is usually some sort of chatter from you. You always try to utilize his attention as much as you can when you have it. But now, you venture nothing else for him. So he turns and walks away, his boots slow to move in the grass. He does not notice that you discreetly reach up to wipe a rogue tear that escapes and cascades down your cheek as he turns away.

And so it goes on this way for a few days. You speak to Arthur only when he speaks to you, and even then, it's simple exchanges. There's no more joking or banter between you. Gone are the stolen glances and discreet blushes when catching each other staring. You have no harshness towards him, of course. But you can't bring yourself to maintain the flirtatious nature of your relationship either. You are not mad at Arthur after your revelation at the overlook, nor are you mean to him. You simply treat him like anyone else. Which, as it turns out, is something that Arthur is not prepared for. He is used to your smiles and greetings just for him. He is used to being special to you. But now, Arthur is just like everyone else in the gang.

This change in the dynamic weighs heavily on Arthur. His feelings aside, he simply misses you. It's been a long time since Arthur has had someone he can talk to and confide in. For someone who is generally annoyed by other people, Arthur has found that he enjoys your specific company. Your conversations and activities together range from the profound and insightful to the delightfully mundane and ordinary. In fact, he has come to need your companionship to balance the negativity of his life. Your softness counteracts the harshness that he experiences every time he is away from you. He craves the blissful distraction that your honey-sweet voice offers him.

One afternoon, Arthur decides to make another attempt to talk about this precarious situation. He catches you by the laundry while you are hanging today's wash to dry. You notice him out of the corner of your eye making his way over to you and you can feel your stomach start to churn as you avert your eyes to the task at hand.

He stops just in front of you as his hand comes up to rub against his chin nervously. "Y/N? Can I talk to you a minute, please?"

With a blank stare, you say nothing in response. You slowly lower your hands from the clothes line, twirling the clothes pins in your hands in distraction.

"Look, I know you're not happy with me right now, and I understand that," he starts. "But I was hoping we could still be friendly and all." Arthur's sapphire eyes search yours, looking for some indication that you are willing to put this unpleasantness behind you both.

Nibbling on your bottom lip, you hesitate before you answer him. "Did you change your mind?"

"No," he shakes his head, glancing down at his boots. "No, I can't go about that. But I want things to just go back to how they were between us." Arthur is a simple man, and he is also a creature of habit. He is used to your presence in his life and, more importantly, the impact that you have on it.

“It doesn’t work like that, Arthur." You furrow your brows at him, finally speaking more than a few words at a time. "I understand your reasoning, I suppose. I don’t agree with it, but I accept it." You pause, looking down as your eyes begin to flutter at the emotional wave that you are trying to halt in your gut before you continue. "You’re allowed to feel what you do about it. I suppose I can’t be angry with you for that." Rolling the smooth wooden clothespins between your fingertips and inhaling deeply through your nose, you lift your chin to catch his gaze again. "But don’t expect me to act like nothing happened, Arthur.”

"I just can’t go down that road again, (Y/N)," he says, gesturing with his palm out, imploring you to understand. "Besides, I just want you to have a normal life."

With a slight shake of your head, you look up into his face. "Arthur, I have no interest in a 'normal life'. And besides, my life has been anything but normal already."

His only response is an eye roll before looking off to the side in frustration, trying not to start a fight with you again. The movement causes a pang of annoyance to strike in your chest as your hand plants onto your hip.

"I don't need your constant protection, Arthur." Your statement comes across a little more harshly than you intend to when you notice he is trying not to look you in the eye.

It is a comment that makes him slowly turn his face back to you with a sarcastic scowl. "Oh, I beg to differ on that one." God, the condescension is almost tangible.

You let out a deep and disappointed sigh as you study him a moment. "Nevermind. You just don’t get it." Shaking your head and dismissing this whole conversation, you bend over and harshly snatch up the laundry basket at your feet. You maneuver around him to head back to the tents and leave him standing there.

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

By this point, you have become quiet and melancholy around camp. Everyone notices that you're not your usual bubbly self, as you seem to float through camp now, rather than be a part of it. Always observant, Abigail has had enough and pins you down to ask what the hell is going on with you.

"Why are you and Arthur so odd lately? Did something happen? Did you have a fight or something?" She eyes you suspiciously, handing you a cup of coffee while you and the girls take a break from chores and sit at one of the tables. The weather is still fairly warm today and everyone is bustling about to prepare for the oncoming colder months ahead.

You look over at Abigail with a woeful look as you accept the hot cup. "I told Arthur how I feel about him."

The girls all gasp in excitement, eager to finally talk about this thrilling topic. But your somber expression immediately halts their celebratory giggles.

"I don't understand, (Y/N), why aren't you more excited about this?" asks Tilly, leaning in closer to you from across the table to know more, astonishment draped across her cherub face.

You stare listlessly at the cup in your hands. "He turned me down. He said no."  

“He said what?!” Abigail’s eyes shoot wide before quickly screwing down in confusion.

“No! Why would he say that?” breathes Mary-Beth in hushed wonder, bringing her hand up to her mouth in shock. She exchanges a confused glance with Tilly before looking back to you, anxious for details.

You shrug softly with a sorrowful smile. “He doesn’t think he’s good enough for me, I guess.”

“Well, duh, of course he isn’t!” Karen blurts out with a wave of her hand before it slams down onto the table with a loud clap next to you. “But let’s be honest, there probably isn’t a man alive who is.”

“He’s entitled to his decision,” you quietly repeat the worn excuse you had given to Arthur already. “Besides, he’s been hurt before. I suppose I can’t blame him.”

“This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard," argues Karen, her pouty red lips frowning. "Do you want me to go talk some sense into him, honey? I’ll put my foot in his ass and set him straight.” Her doll-like eyes burn with intensity as she crosses her arms over her chest in a huff.

“No, no." You can’t help but smile at your friend's defense of you as the image of Karen taking on Arthur makes you chuckle a bit. "I can’t force him to be with me and I wouldn’t want to anyway.”

“It just doesn’t make any sense, (Y/N),” Mary-Beth points out. “I mean, we’ve all seen the way he looks at you. And when you two are dancin’ by the fire… I wish I had that.” Mary-Beth is so sweet and always the hopeless romantic of your circle. And while all of the girls have been pulling for you and Arthur to be together, it is always Mary-Beth who is the biggest supporter of it. When you had your hang-over confession of your crush on Arthur after your drunken night out with Karen, Mary-Beth told you that you and Arthur are like a real-life story out of one of her romance novels. At the time, you dismissed the silly notion as nothing more than a foolish daydream. But, still, it was a comment that made butterflies flutter in your stomach.

With a dejected sigh, your chin lands into the palm of your hand. Your shoulders sink as you lean onto the table. "Well, doesn’t matter now, does it?"

There is an awkward stillness as this discussion settles amongst your little group. Frankly, the girls are speechless. But your quiet moment with the girls doesn't last too long before Ms. Grimshaw saunters over and disperses you all. As long as there is daylight, there is work to do, and she will make damn sure that it gets done. Dividing up the chores between you all, the matriarch ushers you and Abigail over to Pearson's wagon to start prepping vegetables for tonight's dinner. You grab yourself a cutting board and a bowl of potatoes and amble over to a small work table to start peeling.

Once she has Jack occupied, Abigail grabs a bowl of carrots for herself and sits down across the table from you. She watches you with a heartbroken and disappointed look as you set about your task. You and she have become quite close since you've come here to join the Van Der Linde gang. While she certainly cares for Arthur as her own family, she feels just awful for you. She knows how much you care for Arthur. It's so obvious in everything that you do. And she knows that you could make Arthur truly happy, too. 'Damn him,' Abigail thinks to herself. 'Why does he have to be so god-awful stubborn?'

"I’m sorry, (Y/N), really I am." Abigail's voice breaks the painful silence as the two of you work. You look up at her with the eyes of a puppy that's been kicked. "I don’t know what’s gotten into Arthur. I really thought he’d jump at the chance to call you his," she insists tenderly.

You nod in understanding, but honestly, the whole situation is becoming exhausting. You've tried so hard to come to terms with it, but it's becoming harder than you expected. “Maybe it was a mistake to come here," you admit softly, your voice slightly broken. "But back home in the east, I have nowhere to go, and I can’t go back to Rosewood." You reach into the bowl of potatoes again, your fingers working as you precariously drag the knife over the starchy vegetables. "But, I don’t want to be a problem here either, though. I’d leave here but I'm afraid to even do that." You cringe internally at how pathetic you sound, especially complaining to Abigail who has had her fair share of hardship in this world.

She observes you with a sympathetic click of her tongue being the only sound she is able to muster at the moment as you continue.

"You know," lifting your eyes back Abigail, "Arthur said I shouldn’t even be here. Suppose he’s right about that. As usual." You roll your eyes a bit. "I guess I just don’t belong anywhere."

Abigail reaches over the table and wraps her hand over top of yours. "Oh, (Y/N) please don’t say that. Of course you belong here." She affectionately squeezes your hand a bit more. "Don't listen to that fool. You're one of us now." Chuckling, she adds, "Whether you like it or not."

You finally stop peeling potatoes and give her a tired but appreciative smile. "It's times like this that I really miss my father, you know? At least we were misfits together.” Your face drops a bit at the memory of him. You and he came out west together to start a new life and, well, that is certainly what has happened. You have forged a new path for yourself with this gang of thieves and miscreants and found a new family within it.

But still, you miss your father terribly, as he was always your one true and unyielding ally in this world. There have been many moments where you have caught yourself in tears and heartache over his abrupt death. While the members of the Van Der Linde gang have been most gracious in welcoming you into their circle, that pang of sorrow still lingers like a fresh wound. And now in light of this situation with Arthur, it seems to have come back to the surface ten-fold as you're not sure what to do now. Your father was always such a kind and understanding man, very pragmatic. You’d give anything just to have his council again.

After the two of you are done helping Mr. Pearson with dinner, you head back to the privacy of your tent to nurse a throbbing headache, and Abigail wanders over to the fire with Jack in tow. While her boy plays with his wooden figurines at her feet, Abigail sits cross-legged on the ground with her chin in her hand, staring into the crackling flames with a contemplative scowl on her face. Soon enough, an all-too familiar raspy voice catches her attention.

"Oh boy, who's on your shit-list now?" jokes John as he playfully tugs on the few wisps of hair that hang from her loose bun and dance along the nape of her neck. He slowly lowers himself to sit next to her, leaning out onto his knees with his elbows. "I'm hopin' it ain't me." He bumps into her shoulder with a smirk.

She snorts in his direction. "No, for once, it's not you. It's that idiot brother of yours."

John listens to Abigail vent her frustrations out to him as she goes on for a good twenty minutes. (Honestly, it feels good to him to not be the target of her ire for a change.) And after hearing of what is going on between you two, John decides to talk to Arthur about it. He actually agrees with his woman for once and wants to see if he can nudge Arthur in the right direction. You and John may have gotten off on the wrong foot when you first came to join the gang, but since then, he has come to be quite fond of you. He appreciates the friendship you have provided for Abigail, and you’ve helped him to create a better relationship with her. And, as much as he and Arthur bicker, John has to admit that you are good for Arthur. Plus, if he doesn't talk to Arthur, Abigail certainly will. And John will try to spare his brother her wrath that he knows all too well himself.

John finds Arthur over by the horses, getting them fed and watered for the night before everyone settles in by the fires. He saunters over to Arthur, no announcement, no greeting. He just blurts out “Are you crazy?!"

Arthur halts in his movements, looking over his shoulder and giving John a confused look. "What in the hell are you goin' on about now, Marston?"

"You have a woman like (Y/N) throwing herself at you and you say 'no'?! Jesus, I don’t ever want to hear you talk about how stupid I am!” John plants his hands on his narrow hips as he scolds the man in front of him. Arthur just gives him another confused look. "Abigail told me," replies John. "Apparently (Y/N) is all upset and was talking to Abigail about it."

Arthur rolls his eyes to the sky. "Shit..."  

"And before you get all mad at (Y/N) for blabbin', Abigail had to drag it out of her," John says quickly. "She was wonderin' why (Y/N)'s been actin' funny the last few days. "

"Oh..." Arthur sighs. He tosses the horse brush that is in his hand into the bucket at his feet and shoves his fingertips into his eye sockets in frustration. Great. Now the whole damn camp is going to know his business. "It ain’t that easy, Marston." He offers John his feeble excuse with a dismissive wave of his arm towards his brother.

John rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Well, what’s so damn hard about it, Arthur? She likes you, you like her - and don't tell me that you don't!" he quickly points his finger at Arthur before the man can even deny it. "It don’t get much easier than that!"

"What if..." Arthur's hand waves haplessly in the air, his eyes scattering across the camp, as he tries to find the words. "What if I get her killed? Huh?" A long, depressed sigh escapes his chest as he turns to lean his burly arms out over top of Buck's backside as he thinks. "Or, what if she decides that she really doesn't like me after all?" His chin turns back over his shoulder to meet John's questioning gaze again. "What then?"

"Well, that's a real possibility. I mean, I've known you for years and I still don't like you," John snickers.

"Don't be an ass," Arthur snaps back.

John proudly places his hand over his chest. "I can honestly say that for once, between the two of us, Arthur, I am not the ass in this situation here."

“She deserves better than the likes of me,” Arthur continues, flipping his hand about wildly again to indicate himself and the camp. And as he hears his own words hanging in the air, Arthur knows he's trying to convince himself more than John right now. Deep down, he's desperately trying to justify the huge mistake he knows that he is making.

“Well, that goes without saying." John walks a few steps closer to Arthur, casually patting Buck's hind quarters as he speaks. "But I say, if you really want (Y/N) to be happy, then just give her what she wants. And for whatever reason, that’s you, jack-ass." He looks his brother in the eye, an impish grin on his thin lips. "(Y/N) is not dumb, Arthur. Did you ever stop to think that if someone like her fancies you, then you can’t be all that bad?”

Arthur thinks on this for a moment, stunned by this idea. He's never considered it from that perspective. His vividly colored eyes dart around as the notion rolls about in his head. "You know, Marston, you may not be all that dense, after all."

John simply snorts in response. "Well, ain't that hard, considering the company that I keep."

"I can't believe I'm taking relationship advice from you of all people," Arthur mutters, as he draws his hand over his face in disbelief.

"I know, right?" John chuckles a bit as he slaps Arthur on the shoulder.

To Arthur's surprise, his talk with John actually makes him feel better. He decides to try to make things up to you, or to at least make the focused effort to go back to how things were before. But to his dismay, you resist his advances. You are trying to keep your distance from him at this point, avoiding him whenever you can, as you find that it's just too painful to be around him. You eat your meals in your tent, and you keep to yourself when you work. You are not unkind or rude to Arthur, using only simple one word answers when you have to talk to him. But there is no fondness or attachment with him as usual. The familiarity between the two of you has dwindled like a dying candle flame about to be swallowed in a bed of used wax.

You strategically place yourself the furthest away from Arthur whenever he is in camp, volunteering for any task that Ms. Grimshaw has available to keep yourself preoccupied. Grimshaw hates it when you girls are interrupted from whatever work she has dictated you to do. So you will use her iron-will to your advantage to shield yourself from Arthur if you can.

Aside from washing laundry all day, you run errands with Mr. Pearson, run scouts with Javier, and try to get out of camp altogether whenever you have the opportunity. You jump at the chance to go hunting with Charles any time he offers. In fact, you have come to rely on Charles quite a bit lately. Charles naturally has a calming presence about him and he has become a great comfort to you. He himself is also a bit of a loner and outsider in this group, and you have found a kindred spirit in him.

At one point you are in your tent cleaning up and turn to head out to find Charles. You are not paying attention, looking down as you shake out the jacket in your hands and you run right into Arthur, almost bouncing off of his chest. He has come to try to talk to you yet again, and corners you by your tent. He is standing in front of you with his thumbs tucked into his gun belt, as he usually does, but this time he has a slight scowl set upon his face, his eyes dark. If you didn't know him better, you'd be intimidated by his demeanor standing there.

You gasp, jumping slightly and placing a hand over your chest in surprise. "Jesus, Arthur! You scared the hell out of me!"  

“Figured I had to sneak up on you lest you run away from me again," he retorts, his voice carrying a tinge of annoyance to it. "What, are you trying to make me jealous by hangin' 'round with other men, now?”

You halt at his accusation, your face twisting up. "Excuse me?"

“You’ve been hangin' 'round with Charles quite a bit lately." His eyes level at you with a cold and mirthless stare.

"Have I?" Your reply is sarcastically innocent. You do not care for his insinuation in the slightest, and now it is you who is getting annoyed.

"Yeah, you have," Arthur pushes. "You won’t go out hunting with me, but you’ll go out with him.” He juts his thumb over his shoulder back at the camp behind him.

“I like Charles," you counter harshly. "He doesn’t talk much. I don’t have to worry about stupid shit coming out of his mouth.”

"Is that a fact?" His slow drawl is clearly an indication that he is not amused at your statement.

"Yes, it is. Is that a problem, Arthur?" You are not about to back down from him, no matter how much he towers over you as he steps even closer to you now while you glare up at him bitterly.

He waves his hand at you in irritation. "No. No, you do whatever you damn well want.” You can tell he is getting riled up now, as his eyes are flashing, and you can see his jaw clenching, even under his beard.

“Good, because I plan to," you snap at him again. "Besides, what am I supposed to do?" You toss the jacket that you are still holding onto your cot behind you before crossing your arms defensively over your chest. "And where’s this coming from, anyway, Arthur? I thought you wanted no part of that?"

He just stares at you, not really sure what to say to that. The argument is right there on the tip of his tongue, ready to strike its ugly head. He wants nothing more than to grab you and hold you tight, never letting you go; needing you to just stop lashing out at him for a damn second. But he can’t. He just…can’t. So instead, he stands there like a mountain; silent and not moving.

Anger begins to build in your chest, causing the brows above your beautiful eyes to crease. You can feel your heart beating painfully faster as the adrenaline courses through your body. And you can sense that your mouth is about to pour forth words that will be an unstoppable waterfall.

"First there’s the glances, the lingering touches, taking me out places, talking to me all the time," you start rambling, your composure quickly crumbling now that you are speaking to him again. "Then all of a sudden acting like I'm nothing to you-“

"Hey! I never said you were nothing to me!” he interrupts with a shout as he takes another step closer to you.

"- only to be jealous, now?!" Your voice squeaks as it hits the louder decibel.

“I ain’t jealous and I never promised you anything! You’re the one who made it complicated!” He points his large finger in your face, mere inches from your nose.

"Right, my error. My miserable error for giving a damn about you!" Your arms shoot straight at your sides as your voice continues to rise in anger, your eyes dangerously brimmed with tears that threaten to spill forth and betray your hard front.

You lower your head to your hands, driving your fingertips into your temples, desperately trying to keep your brain from exploding. "What are you doing, Arthur?"

"What?" he snaps defensively.

"What are you doing to me?!," you holler at him, lifting your face back to his. "You want me here, but you don’t want me here. You don’t want me, but you don’t want me with anyone else, either. You can’t keep stringing me like that! What is it that you want, Arthur?!"

"I don’t know what the hell I want!” His voice roars into your face, standing nose to nose with you now, so close that you can feel his hot breath across your cheeks.

"Well that’s obvious," you say flatly.

And as you fearlessly hold his stony gaze, it occurs to you that you're going to have to let this fantasy of yours die. You've tried so hard to make him see what’s in himself, and to see you; to get him to see that your heart is here for his taking and, more importantly, that he deserves to be loved in return.

But he’s a broken outlaw. And you're going to have to come to terms with that and let him go. The reality of this idea painfully nets over your heart as your gaze flutters before it drops from his angry eyes to his heaving chest and finally falls to the ground to his dusty boots.

Defeated, your shoulders drop. You shake your head as you turn away from him, not able to look upon his face anymore. "Just…get the hell out of my tent, Arthur." Your tone is quiet and broken now after all of the yelling. He's done it. He's won the argument and finally gotten what he's been pushing you for. You're done with your childish fantasy of making this fearsome outlaw a partner to you.

Arthur stands there staring at your back for a moment, the corner of his eyes stinging slightly. Rage electrifies and radiates throughout his whole body as his hands flex in and out of a fist at his sides. Finally, he turns and storms away from your tent. "God damn it!" he mutters harshly to himself. Why is it that everything he touches turns to shit?

From where he's been watching this whole exchange, Hosea quickly stands up from his chair, alarmed, as he watches Arthur stalk angrily away from your tent.

“Arthur!” Hosea calls out, his face clearly laced with concern. For an "angry Arthur" is a "dangerous Arthur" for sure.

"Not now, Hosea!" Arthur snaps, waving the older man off without so much as a glance in his direction as he stomps off.

Arthur is so infuriated right now, he's not really sure what to do. He's irrationally upset with you. He keeps replaying that day at the overlook when you revealed your affection for him. Why in the hell did you have to do that? It ruined everything. The two of you could have remained friends, and if he longed for you, he could just do it secretly as he's been doing since he's met you. But no, you had to push the idea and now the two of you are either hollering at each other or not speaking altogether. Why did you have to come here and be so nice to him? Why did you have to make him fall for you?

But he soon realizes how foolish he is being, chastising himself. It's not your fault, but his. He never should have let it get this far. He should have kept his distance from you from the start. He should have known he’d be weak-willed and defenseless against someone as good and pure as you.

Arthur stalks back to his tent and as he does, he looks up and sees Charles sitting outside of his own tent. He's sitting upon a log as a makeshift chair, his attention acutely fixated on the materials in his hands. Looks like he is making more arrows. 'Probably so he can take (Y/N) out hunting again,' Arthur sourly thinks to himself.

Arthur walks over to Charles, knowing he probably shouldn't right now. All of his reasoning argues that he should just stop and try to calm down. But unfortunately, Arthur is not thinking rationally at the moment. Charles casually lifts his head as he sees Arthur approach out of the corner of his eye.

"Arthur." Charles greets him with an air of caution, as he can see the tension on his friend's face. He could hear you and Arthur arguing just a few minutes ago. From where his tent is situated in camp, it is farther from yours, so Charles couldn't hear exactly what was said, only the volume and tone with which it was.

"Charles," Arthur coolly greets in return. "What you workin' on there? Hmm? More arrows to go huntin' with?" He cocks his head to the side as he coldly stares down at the items in Charles' hands.

"Yeah. I promised (Y/N) the next time we go out that we'd work on her bow skills. Been working with her on tracking lately. But she really wants to get a grasp on working with a bow."

Arthur looks on with disdain as Charles’ large fingertips delicately wrap the end of the arrow shaft with feathers.

"Oh, I'm sure she wants to get a grasp on somethin', alright," Arthur retorts bitterly.

Arthur's tone makes Charles hesitate. He looks back to Arthur and measures his words carefully. "You got a problem with me taking (Y/N) out hunting, Arthur?"

"Maybe I do."

Charles is not a violent man by nature, but he will stand his ground if need be. He has no designs to "steal" you from Arthur, if that is what the other man thinks he's doing. He has no intention of fighting over you, either. But Charles will fight for you if he has to. He puts the shafts and string in his lap down on the ground next to his feet. Arthur doesn’t move a muscle of his large frame as Charles slowly stands to square off and meets him at eye level.

“If you got a problem with (Y/N), Arthur, that’s between you two. She and I are only hunting together. That's all." Charles's voice is low and even. He doesn't want to provoke his good friend, but he also resents his tone. "Apparently, she's looking to get out of camp a lot lately, looking for some peace and quiet. And, she's a good shot, damn good shot, in fact. So she is welcome to hunt with me whenever she wants." Charles pauses, standing a little straighter, pushing his chest out a bit. "Besides, she’s my friend, too.”

Arthur cocks a knowing eyebrow at Charles. ���Yeah, and we all know how friendships can go.”

“Mind yourself, Arthur,” warns Charles, pointing his finger at his chest and giving his friend a look that is more of disappointment than anger, before he sits back down and calmly resumes his work. He understands Arthur's frustration, and understands that he is not the target of the outlaw's anger. He also knows Arthur is better than this pettiness, too. But more importantly, Charles won't stand for anyone speaking badly about you, regardless of who it is.

Arthur says nothing else, realizing that he is not getting anywhere with Charles. So to avoid ruining yet another relationship that he has come to rely on, Arthur smartly buttons his lips and walks off to sulk in the solitude of his tent.

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

This stunning image comes from @regwishesshehadmagic​

The morning following your fight, Arthur is awake before the sun. He watches with bleary eyes as the crisp morning sun begins to fracture into his tent between the opening in the canvas. Not being able to sleep all night, he drags himself to sit up on his cot with a groan, rubbing his hands through his disheveled hair.  Despite his overwhelming fatigue, he is so restless, he can’t stand it. Feeling as if he is on the edge of going crazy, Arthur quickly gets himself together and rides out of camp before anyone is aware. He doesn't know where he is going or what he is going to do, only that he has to get out of this godforsaken camp and clear his head.

He spends the next two days out in the woods, thinking about what to do and what he really wants. He is being torn apart by this rift between you and him, torn between what he wants and what he feels is right. Arthur sits among the trees, silent as a statue, while the forest life goes on about its merry way around him, and rolls his doubts and misgivings over and over again in his mind, along with what Micah had said. Torturing himself with angry and hurtful words, the man blames himself for allowing himself to be in this situation to begin with.

As the long day draws out into the night, Arthur still sits, legs stretched out before him as the small campfire illuminates the now-encroaching darkness. And of course, Arthur also thinks of you. He takes his journal out and reads over the entries. Refreshing his memory with thoughts of you, he relives the moments you've spent together. Each passage brings forth a plethora of emotions, each stronger than the last. Your image is scattered throughout the worn pages in various forms, from the details of your eyes and lips, to the graceful curve of your neck, visible when your hair is pulled up, to a full-body likeness of you standing with Jack on your hip. His rough fingers trace over the lines of your face as he sits in deep thought, a small smile involuntarily blooming across his features.

But most importantly, he thinks about what you said at the overlook. His eyes relax and stare unfocused into the dancing flames of his fire, and Arthur's chest tightens as he vividly remembers the look on your face when he declined your affections and sat there and did nothing as he watched your eyes rim with tears. Your voice still booms in his ears:  “What is it that you want, Arthur?!”

Arthur’s fingers move as if combing through mud as he pulls a cigarette out of his satchel and lights it. Pulling a long drag off of the end, he lets out an extended and tired sigh. What does he want?

He knows he’s lonely. He hates to admit it, but he is. Cold nights and empty beds; no warm arms waiting to welcome him home. But the fear of exposing himself to love again, only for it to end horribly, is terrifying, even to a fearsome, hard outlaw. Losing Eliza and Issac shattered his heart. And Mary’s rejection has left him bitter and angry. Over the years, Arthur has channeled his hurt and pain into an armor until he has become someone else altogether; a shell of what he once was, and he wasn’t all that great to begin with. He’s no good, like a rotten apple that’s fallen from the tree that no one wants to take. Arthur doesn’t think he has it in him to do it all over again. And now, he is in a position to be stuck between living his life and running from it.

But you are different. You are not as young and naive as Eliza was. Nor are you as self-serving as Mary. Though he cared for and loved both women, Arthur knew, even then, that he was doomed, for these women did not fit with his family and lifestyle. But with you, that burden is removed. Not only do you accept the gang, but you have embraced it. And you are someone who cares for him, not for what he does, but for who he is.

You are delightfully chaotic; quite the beautiful mess, in fact. Arthur finds you to be wonderfully out of place in his life, but maybe that is as it should be. Kind of like when you see the moon during the daytime. You’ve turned your broken into beautiful and made your strength look invincible. You have never asked Arthur for the moon and the stars, but only to lay in the damp grass at night with you to watch them. And to Arthur, this means more than anything. The way your nose wrinkles when you smile. The way your eyes light up when you see him. The way you snort sometimes when you laugh. The way you get impassioned when you speak of something that touches you. Even the way you walk away from the fire at night to head back to your tent. Arthur wants it all.

And it is then that Arthur is hit with a profound realization. His eyes open wide and the air is sucked out of his chest as if he's been thrown from his horse. Arthur loves you. He loves you. And, more importantly, he wants the two of you to be together. More than anything. But can he do that?

He knows it's not the safe path, and probably not what is best for you. But John is right: if this is what you both really want, why not do it? He finally comprehends that he’s spent so much time being strong for everyone else that he’s never allowed himself to be happy. Maybe that needs to change now.

With resolve in his veins, Arthur quickly packs up his makeshift camp, literally tripping over himself in his haste, and heads back home.

As Arthur comes down the path back to camp, his eyes immediately notice that your horse is gone. Disappointed, but not discouraged, Arthur thinks about his next move and decides to ask Abigail and Mary-Beth what to do. If he is going to fix this great divide between you and him, he is going to need help to do it, as so far, he clearly doesn't know what he's doing on his own. He needs to bring "the big guns," as they say. And fortunately, Arthur finds the very two people he needs sitting together at a table.

“Can I talk to you ladies a minute?" Arthur calls over as he walks with purpose in their direction with a very determined look upon his face. The two women halt their conversation upon hearing him, curious about what he could want.

Mary-Beth smiles up at him as Arthur gets close to their table. "Sure, Arthur. What do you need?" He sits down next to Mary-Beth, pausing to organize his thoughts before he just comes right out with it.

"(Y/N) told me how she feels about me. You know, that she likes me an’ all. And like a fool, I pushed her away.” His eyes dart back and forth from both of their faces before shamefully down at his own hands that fidget on the table. "I guess I underestimated how I’d feel about that."

Abigail sits up straighter as a huge smile begins to cross her lips. “Are you saying that you want to be with her then, Arthur?”

"The question was never if I wanted to," he says to Abigail. "But she won’t even speak to me now." He holds his hands up in defeat before letting them fall haplessly onto the table, and looks to the women with a pathetic face, pleading for help. "Every time I try, we end up yellin’, and I make it worse."

Abigail gives him a scolding look. "Well, Arthur, you wounded her pride and broke her heart. What do you expect?" 

“Maybe you need a grand gesture?” suggests Mary-Beth, gesturing with her arms in emphasis. Her eyes go wide with excitement, eager to help usher this new relationship into existence. "(Y/N) can be stubborn, for sure. So if she won't talk to you, Arthur, then make her listen. Maybe you need to show her how you feel?"

“If you’re going to do something, you may need to do it soon, Arthur," warns Abigail, tapping her finger on the table. She goes on to tell him that you feel as if you don’t belong and have been distancing yourself from the whole camp.

 "She's up and out before anyone else, and when she is in camp, she rarely leaves her tent now." This worries Arthur because what if you decide to leave? Then what? He’s scared to lose you even though you're not his to lose.

Arthur sits quietly, taking in all of this information. He tries to think of what he could possibly do while Abigail and Mary-Beth both stare at him, waiting for the answer. "Thank you, girls. I appreciate your help," he finally says. "Do me a favor though, and don't mention this to (Y/N), please? I don't know what I'm doin' just yet, and I don't want to disappoint her even more than I already have."

"Sure, Arthur. Whatever you say," Mary-Beth answers with a hopeful grin. “Good Luck!”

He then looks to Abigail, who just stares back obstinately.

"Abigail?"

"Ugh, OK fine! I won't say anything. But you had better do something, Arthur Morgan!" as she points her finger at him. "Or so help me-"

"OK, OK!" he holds up his hands in surrender as he stands up. "I don't need two women in camp after me. I'll take care of it." And he smiles to himself as he heads to his tent to plan.

After mulling over his options, Arthur decides to ride back to Rosewood where you came from to see if he can find anything of your father's there. If you are missing your family, as Abigail told him, Arthur is hoping to bring back some sort of remembrance of him for you. After a quick check-in with Dutch, Arthur immediately heads out of camp and on his way to Rosewood. It's a few days' ride, so he needs to get going so he can hurry and get back.

Meanwhile, back at camp, you notice Arthur has been gone intermittently since your revelation, and now he’s been gone for several days after your fight. Things seem to be going from bad to worse. Figuring he’s outright avoiding the camp itself because of you, you don’t know what to do. This is his family, his people. And if you're the one making things difficult, then you will need to be the one to leave. So, you start coming to terms with the idea that you will need to find a new place of your own.

This evening, as the sun starts to crawl back behind the mountains, you find yourself sitting outside of camp by yourself. You stare out into the watercolor-painted sky, thinking over where you'll go and what you'll do. The idea of leaving is terrifying. You'll have to start over yet again. You'll miss everyone in this camp who you have come to love so dearly. You’ll surely miss Abigail and Jack. And of course Hosea. You'll miss Arthur. 

You draw your knees up closer to your chin and wrap your arms around them as an overwhelming fatigue cascades over you. You are so lost in your own thoughts that you do not hear footsteps behind you.

“(Y/N)? What are you doing out here?” You hear Charles' soft voice cut through your thoughts. When he didn't see you at dinner yet again tonight, he decided to come to check on you.

You hastily wipe away a few tears from your cheeks and try to smile for him. “Hi, Charles. What can I do for you?”

He cautiously approaches you as one does a wounded animal. His brows knit in concern when, even in the setting sunlight, he can see the red-rim of your wet eyes. "Arthur ain’t gonna be too happy if he finds out we’ve let you wander off by your lonesome.”

You scoff at that. "Oh, I highly doubt that," giving Charles a sad smile. "Although Arthur is the expert on what I shouldn’t be doing, it seems." You turn your attention back to the horizon, watching the last flecks of golden sunlight begin to fade for the day. "Besides, he won't have to worry about it much longer."

Charles freezes before nervously shifting his weight from hip to hip. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh…nothing. Forget I said anything." You wave off the comment as if it is nothing more than a rambling thought, but you still avoid his dark eyes.  

"(Y/N)…you OK?"

"Yeah…sure. I’ll be fine"

Charles steps closer to you, studying your face and countenance, not believing you for a second. "Listen (Y/N), I know you and Arthur are in a weird place right now-“

"Oh, Charles, I really don’t want to talk about Arthur. Really, I don’t,” you insist, shaking your head vehemently. Your eyes have a glassy sheen that causes Charles to cringe in pity for you.

“OK,” He’s silent for a moment. "Can I do anything for you?" His hand tentatively reaches out to you, not really sure what, if anything, he can do.

"No, sweet man, I’m OK. Thank you." You try to give him another smile for reassurance. "Go ahead back to everyone. I won't be out here much longer. I promise."

Charles hesitates a bit longer, before turning to head back to camp. "All right, if you're sure you're OK, then."

When you see him disappear amongst the tents again, you turn back to the horizon. The sun is gone now. The light has been snuffed out, leaving a cold and lonely atmosphere in its wake. The first few pin-pricks of starlight begin to emerge in the purple sky. You sigh deeply as your shoulders drop even more and your eyelids fall like stones. 

"I'm not sure of anything anymore," you whisper to yourself.  

A/N: *Oh my goodness, half-way there! More drama to come, but I promise, we’re getting there, and it’s definitely worth it (I hope anyway)

[qianqiancandyjar]

Struggle of the Caged Bird (Yokai Ninja AU Chapter16)

Warning: OOC, can't stress that enough.

Have you heard of "unreliable narrator"? Gonna try that. ;)

I heard that birds pull their own feathers when depressed...

List

[omniapartaus]

Omnia Paratus Chapter 16 page 12

Omnia Paratus Annual 2 page 7

A double whammy special! As riva in the present reflects on her past, her past self is going through a lottt~ (Annual 2 takes place over ten years before Chapter16) Hope everyone is having a great Friday!

[karl-cain-1]

KCAIN I'm Staying slim. I watch what I eat. , I look after myself my body is my car 🚗 vehicle my vessel my TEMPLE if you don't look After your physical body's health where are you going to live ? KCAINThe Holy spirit keeps us all safe and helps us to wash and clean ourselves and helps us in every day lives ❤️ 🙏 a good spirit stays with us until the End. ,never leaving us even in old age pensioners ,they are faithfulness untill death , and the Angels of God assist 🙏 at human Death they come for you and carry your souls in to heaven the kingdom of God in to the presence of God. Luke chapter16 verse 22. AMEN KCAIN 🙏 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

‭‭

Romans‬ ‭12:21‬ ‭KJV‬‬. UVA UVB RAYS SUNLIGHT CAUSES PREMATURE AGEING OF THE SKIN AND SKIN CANCER. THIS IS MY SECRET TO LONG LIFE AND HEALTHY LIFE STYE AND DIETING KEEPING TRIM. .KCAIN. KARL CAIN. YEAR OF THE LORD OUR GOD AD.WARRIOR. PRAYER POWER SPIRITUAL WARFARE 🙏 WARRIORS. KCAIN. ANGELIC ANGELS 😇 ANGELIC REALMS. GOOD SPIRITS SUPERNATURAL IS JUST AS REAL AS EVIL SPIRITS. AMEN. KARL CAIN. LIKE a Good bottle of WINE 🍷 I GET BETTER WITH AGE. KCAIN IM CELIBACY CHASTISEMENT. IVE BEEN A ANGEL 😇 ALL WEEK GOOD AS GOLD , GOODY TWO SHOES. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship” GOSPEL OF CHRIST ROMANS chapter (12: verse 1). KCAIN ❤️ KARL CAIN

[karlcain-123]

KCAIN I'm Staying slim. I watch what I eat. , I look after myself my body is my car 🚗 vehicle my vessel my TEMPLE if you don't look After your physical body's health where are you going to live ? KCAINThe Holy spirit keeps us all safe and helps us to wash and clean ourselves and helps us in every day lives ❤️ 🙏 a good spirit stays with us until the End. ,never leaving us even in old age pensioners ,they are faithfulness untill death , and the Angels of God assist 🙏 at human Death they come for you and carry your souls in to heaven the kingdom of God in to the presence of God. Luke chapter16 verse 22. AMEN KCAIN 🙏

[realsalvationpath]

#GodMorningWednesday

Hindu society worships pitra puja,ghost puja and worship of Gods and Goddesses, which is a futile effort as per Gita Chapter16 Verse23 due to arbitrary behavior by abandoning the scriptures.

#Mere_Aziz_Hinduon_Swayam

Pado apne granth

Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj

[lulupen2023]

My very first BellDom Fic 19/23

AWWW thanks a lot for the like, they mean a lot to me. Hope you're still having fun with this super crazy fic :)

Summary:

Do you want to meet a Matthew who sees conspiracy everywhere (oh wait, this is not big news!) and is so fond of his trolley that he treats it like a sort of puppy? Do you want to meet a Dominic in love with… himself (and with Matt, too, of course!)? And do you want to meet a Chris who wants to prove to the world he's the most masculine guy ever… but is unavoidably attracted by every… female hobby? This is what you'll find in this story, among lots of BellDom and… craziness!

Summary of the chapter: Matt and Dom put their plan into action and Chris lends a hand. Chapter XIX A: What If I Told You...

Matthew makes the last notes of his guitar echo, letting them ring, as small flames burst out from the edge of the stage, with some glistening lights, too.

It's the sign that that was really the last song of their show.

"Goodnight, Los Angeles, it was nice to have you here tonight!" Matt exclaims, greeting the crowd.

"Maybe are we gonna see some of you even at tomorrow's show?" Dominic wonders as he gets up from the drum-kit, happy when he hears the positive rumbling from some areas of the Forum.

"Awww, that's so nice from you." the blond grins as he waves his hand, before leaving.

< Too bad that we won't be that nice with you, tonight...> Matthew ponders, as he heads to the dressing room.

After a quick shower and changing of clothes, the trio is ready.

There's no need to tell that Dominic and Matthew have dressed properly for their celebration: the first wears black pants and a white jacket with a T-shirt with white and black straps under, which is an impeccable match; the second wears blue pants with a very particular shirt, not only for the very intricate white drawing on the collar, but mostly because, depending on light it oscillates between blue, black and purple, without making clear which the real colour is.

Dominic could spend hours trying to define it, if only he hadn't another priority, like to take that shirt off him as soon as possible.

Chris stands in a corner, all engrossed in thinking about what to say to their fans who inevitably will question him about their disappearance.

After establishing that they have stared at each other long enough, Matt and Dom think about what to do.

"Let's check if the coast is clear. I'm gonna look at the main exits, very carefully. You'll check the number fifty-seven and then we'll meet again here, ok?" Matt suggests and they part.

After something more than ten minutes Dom comes back and finds Matt who has been waiting for him.

"There you go, finally! So, were there fans at number fifty-seven? Because the main exits are so damn crowded, but lucky for me nobody saw me. Bloody Hell, aren't people supposed to stay here and listen to My Chemical No-Sense?" the brunette snorts.

"It's My Chemical *Romance*!" the blond corrects him, kinda annoyed. "Anyway, just like you supposed, number fifty-seven is deserted..." he informs him.

"So, why the hell did it take you so damn long?" Matt gets nervous.

"Well, on the way back, I found a couple of fans in the corridors and signed their CDs." Dom explains.

"But you weren't supposed to stop to talk with the fans, not even for a few minutes!" Matt scolds him.

"I know... but they said 'Please, Dom, come here, you are beautiful!'. I just had to stop!" the other justifies.

"So? I keep telling you that you're beautiful!" the brunette protests.

"So what? Do you want an autograph, too?" the blond teases him.

"Dom!" Matt snaps.

"Ok, ok, let's go." Dom takes him by the hand, crossing with him the very deserted number fifty-seven exit, totally undisturbed and reaching the taxi that is already waiting for them.

"It was even too easy!" Matt comments as he closes the car door.

"You're right. Let's go back and make things harder!" Dom jokes as he pretends to open the car door again.

"Very funny. Let's just go away from here. Please, driver, take us to the beach!" Matt asks politely, but the taxi-driver turns to him, looking at him puzzled, just like Dom does.

"Matthew, honey, do you have the slightest idea about how many beaches there are in this place?" Dom patiently tries to make him reason out.

"Uh! You're right. Well, I mean the one where we have already set everything up!" Matthew specifies, but the driver stares at him even more puzzled than before.

"Matthew, dear, let me guess. You don't remember the name of the beach anymore, do you?" Dom questions him and Matt goggles as he slowly shakes his head negatively, just like a child.

"What if I told you that I do?" Dom smiles at him.

"Oh, Dommie, what would I do without you?" the brunette murmurs.

"Probably you would get lost everywhere!" the blond chuckles, before giving the proper info to the driver, as he caresses his mate's left leg, taking advantage of the seat that hides them.

*********************************** (In the meantime)

Chris has finally decided to go out and face the crowd. The first groups of fans immediately catch sight of him, calling all the other fans and going towards him.

"Chris, please, Chris, come here!" the fans call him out loud and the bassist can't help pleasing them.

He poses for several pictures, signs CDs, rucksacks, T-shirts, books and every kind of stuff and then gets ready for the unavoidable question the fans are about to ask him.

"Hey, Chris, where are Matt and Dom? Why aren't they here with you?"

The bassist concentrates for some seconds, before answering as planned.

"I'm sorry, people, but Matt and Dom won't be here tonight." he announces, noticing the immediate change of mood in his listeners.

"Why?" some girls wonder. As the news spread, one by one the other fans leave, until only a limited group of girls remains.

"Because, you know, their girlfriends made a surprise to them and came here yesterday, at night. So, as you can imagine, now they want to spend with them as much time as possible. That's why they left earlier than usual." he explains, no matter how he hates telling lies.

"Oh. Well, that's so nice from their girlfriends!" a girl sighs.

"What about tomorrow? Are they gonna stop here after the show?" another girl wonders.

"Sure! Their girlfriends will leave tomorrow in the afternoon. So, Matt and Dom will stop here, after the show, to spend some time with you. This is a promise!" Chris assures.

"So, Chris, aren't you envious, at least a little bit?" a girl asks him.

"Why?" he narrows his eyes.

"I mean, Matt and Dom's girlfriends paid a visit to them. What about your wife? Isn't she here with you?" she questions him.

"Nope, she is at home, with the kids, you know..." he justifies her.

"Well, fresh news, buddy, there are people called baby-sitters!" the girl makes him notice.

"But..."

"Admit it, Chris, it seems that Matt and Dom's partners care about them more than your partner cares about you!" another girl states.

< Oh, c'mon, it's fake. They're not here for real. So, they don't care more than Kelly. So... why am I so unsure now? > the poor Chris wonders, as doubts overwhelm him.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back." he takes leave, coming back to his dressing room.

He dials the number that he uses to dial every single day, even more than once a day, and waits for the answer from the other side.

"Hello?"

"Kelly?" her husband whines.

It's enough to make her figure his mood out.

"C'mon, tell me, what happened this time?" she patiently asks him.

"Do you love me?" he questions her, almost crying.

"Nope, I don't. Truth is that we've been together for all these years just because I find extremely funny having babies from you!" she answers sardonically. "Of course I love you, you, ninny! What bloody kind of question is it?" she snaps immediately after.

"Just like that..." he mumbles.

"Christopher?" his wife questions him.

"What if I told you that Gaia and Jessica are here?"

"Ok, they are there. So?"

"Well, you're not..." he whimpers.

"Chris, do you really think that to be there with you would be the way to show you that I care?" she strikes back.

"N...no?" he answers so uncertainly that it becomes a question.

"Hell nope! It wouldn't prove you anything. I mean, it's nice to follow you on tour, but just once in a while, because I understand that you need some privacy and need to be left on your own, also to spend some time with your fans. So, to keep following you relentlessly as Gaia and Jess do, well... it's way too exaggerate. It's almost as if they didn't trust in their boyfriends, so they keep following them in order to control them constantly. But this can be so frustrating that if the girls keep acting this way... I'm afraid they'll end up losing them." she explains.

< Oh well, that has already happened, a month ago .> Chris thinks, being very careful not to say that out loud.

"Anyway, honey, since they're there, when you see them can you please say hello from me?" his wife adds.

"To whom?" her husband wonders, confused.

"To Jess and Gaia, you, ninny!" Kelly snorts.

"Oh, yeah, sure, of course; but... they're not here." he confesses.

"But you told me they were there!" his wife protests, puzzled.

"No, honey, I said 'What *if I told you* that Gaia and Jessica are here?'" her husband points out.

"So, let me see if I got it straight: you complained to me, even tried to make me feel guilty, for something that actually didn't happen?" she questions him, the volume of her voice increasing as she begins losing her patience.

"Exactly, but... why does it sound so awful described by you?" her husband wavers.

"Christopher Anthony Wolstenholme, you..." his wife roars.

Chris knows very well that whenever she uses his full name is never a good sign, as well as he knows that he can place the mobile on the table and gather all his stuff left in the dressing room, because once he's done he will find Kelly on the phone, still engrossed in insulting him good and proper.

This time not even his famous, providential book will help him make things right.

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

Once they arrive to the beach, not before giving a very generous tip to the taxi driver, mostly to reward him for his patience, Dominic and Matthew wander hand in hand along the isolated beach, lightened only by the moonlight, the stars and some candles on a table.

And just like they have said before, everything is already set up: on the table there are sandwiches, chips, pop-corns and several snacks, a mini-bar with beers, champagne and every kind of alcoholic stuff. And there is a cake, too.

"Is it just my imagination or when we ordered that cake it didn't have all this whipped cream?" Matthew wonders.

"You're right. Let's say that I personally asked to add some more." Dominic confesses as he dips his finger into the whipped cream.

"Why?" the other asks him naively as the blond unbuttons his iridescent shirt, placing the cream along the left side of his neck and licking it off his way, making the frontman moan.

"Here's the answer." Dominic whispers.

"Well, Mattie, are we going to have our toast or what?" he exclaims, walking towards the mini-bar and drawing out the champagne.

As soon as Matthew recovers, he helps him, taking two flute glasses.

Dom opens the bottle and fills the flute glasses with the precision of a maître and then they make them collide lightly.

"To our first month, the first one of a long series." Matthew murmurs as he leans closer to his boyfriend, until his forehead rests against his.

"A very, very, very long series..." the blond moans, crossing the flutes, to make each one drink from the others' flute.

Matthew is about to fill the second glass, but Dom stops him.

"Wait. I can't let the alcohol overwhelm you... at least, not yet!" he explains.

"Why?" the other wonders.

Dominic leaves and then he comes back, holding a deep blue, acoustic guitar.

"As you can see, clothes are not the only stuff I've bought today. This is for you!" he says, giving the guitar to him.

"Oh my, Dommie, it's wonderful, thank you so much. Plus, it matches my shirt, too!" Matt smiles as he analyzes the instrument, minutely.

"Well, that's only a coincidence. Anyway, if you think you're wearing that for long, you're such a poor ingénue, my dear!" Dom 'threatens' him.

"Shut up! You wear more clothes than I do. At least you could take off your jacket!" Matthew incites him and Dom pleases him, taking it off and folding it carefully, placing it on the bench close to the table.

"Now, that's better!" the brunette smiles satisfied, as he checks that all the guitar chords are perfectly tuned. "I like it a lot. How did you know that I would like it?" he asks him.

"It's a guitar. It works. You like it!" the drummer answers telegraphic, making the brunette laughs, but then he become serious again.

"Dominic, why did you buy a guitar for me? It's not that I lack them..." he questions the blond.

"What? Can't I buy a gift for my boyfriend?" the other shrugs, showing indifference.

"Dom?" Matt insists, as he tries not to think about the shiver running down his spine whenever Dom calls him 'his boyfriend '.

"Okay, okay. What if I told you that I want you to sing?" the other confesses.

"Dom, I've already done that not longer than one hour ago..." the guitarist comments, confused.

"Yep, but not for me. You've never sung for me so far. I mean, you even sang for Chris!" the blond protests.

"Don't get jealous now!" the brunette chuckles, placing the guitar on the sand, to get closer to him and caress his face with the back of his hand.

"Do you want me to sing for you, my Dommie?" he whispers as he skims his lips with his own.

"I don't want it. I expect it!" the other strikes back as he annihilates that minimal distance with a kiss that doesn't take long to become more demanding.

"Okay, I'll do it." Matt announces, as he's about to take his guitar, but Dom stops him.

"Not so fast, boy!" he exclaims, dragging him to himself to utterly unbutton his shirt, taking it off.

"Now, that's better!" he quotes Matt's previous sentence on purpose, with a satisfied expression, before folding the shirt with the same care he reserved to his jacket.

Sat on the sand, with is legs crossed, shirtless, holding the guitar on his lap as his sapphire eyes stare at the blond, his face brightened up by the moonlight and the stars.

Matthew has never seemed more beautiful to Dominic.

(End part A)

Since I'm evil, but mostly since the chapter would be really too long, this time I split it in two.

And in the next part you'll see our beloved guys having lots of fun... but not only!

[fanficfanatic000]

Eddie munson x female reader

Chapter16 (the distraction)

Story name( i just moved to hawkins )

Warning 18 plus Spoilers ahead Goes with s4 kinda

Chime in the distraction! Lukas and max shouted to us after Robin Steve and Nancy gave them the signal. You're still outside by the speakers. Then Eddie comes up to you he plugged his guitar into the Amp.He was so embarrassed he couldn't look you in the eyes. He started to strum his guitar and you saw him get even more confident by each second. The master of puppets eddie munson, man this guy he's sweet, kind and so much more I bet he thinks I don't like him. But I do, I really like him. The demo bats come for us like they're supposed to. Eddie:"get in the trailer! " we rushed inside and shut the door. Dustin: "Okay i think its holding them out"There's noises clunking getting louder. "Climb up the rope". Dustin climbs up theRope made of blankets. Eddie:"i think we should distract them more." He gulped then he picked up an axe. Eddie:"step back."Dustin:"Noo! Dont do this guys come on think about this!." Eddie swung the axe and cut it in two. "I Love you dusty!" Dustin: "i love you ". You and eddie ran out of his trailer and you and him got on his bike and rode away the bat's still following us. Until He stopped. "Eddie why did you stop!?". He said nothing he just stood there. He grabbed his shield and blocked the wave of bat's. You just stood there behind eddies protection. The large bat swarm was hitting his metal shield one after another. Eddie stood his ground for quite sometime then he pushed you out of the way and he got knocked back still only thinking about you. Demobats biting eddie the sound of his screaming brought something out of you. Rage, anger, love and insanity.You screamed the most blood curdling scream and you released the power trapped inside of you. The bats got blown away with your abilities. You sprinted towards him, heart pounding, mind racing and tears falling from your eyes. You finally reached him. His blood stained the hellfire shirt he has been wearing his eyes closed bandana that was tied on him fell to the floor. "Eddie?....... eddie? Please just wake up eddie! Eddie?".He was still like a rock "eddie please i-i love you!! Please eddie. P-please im sorry i should have kissed you but i was nervous.... please come back to me." You waited but he just was still. You search for signs of any life until he opened his eyes "y/n" he said softly.

[afreakingdork]

FLOWER LANGUAGE !! OHMIGOSH-- AND FORGET-ME-NOTS !! I'm being so normal about it rn . chapter16 is my favourite ever . 🦐

Heehee, I'm so glad, shrimp! Forget-me-nots are an underrated flower imo!

[kilikrungpotmeister]

3 Years Too Late

Ao3:link

<prev Chapter16 next>

“Three years and you’re just going to run away?!” Thunder would shout at the man in front of her the sound of her electricity buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. She couldn’t tell if it’s from the lighting or from how angry she was but the man before her just seems like a blurry mass but she just knew it was him. “Do you have any idea what you put us through! You are family! You were our dad and you left us! And after all that, After making us lose our family again. Come back, and cause Fire to melt down. You’re just the father of the year aren’t you?”

Thunder stood there for a moment giving the man the courtesy of time to explain himself. However all the figure did was stand there wordlessly, making the shaman even more angry.

“What’s the problem? Too embarrassed to say anything?” She taunted as she cocked her leg back, “after what you did to us you think I’m gonna let you leave Scot free? I’ll make you apologize” In an instant she dashed forward towards the man her hand cloaked in electricity.

Just before she made contact she was jolted by something hitting her side knocking the wind out of her.

She found herself sitting up on the floor of the living room, her heart racing as she tried to catch her breath. “A dream?” She thought. She just sat on the ground trying to collect her thoughts.

“You okay there sparky?” Harver asked, seeing the girl on the floor, he had come to get her for their meeting with Kidd, “nightmare?” He’d reach a hand out to help the girl up.

“You could call it that…” she said, taking the hand and getting up, “I dreamt…I was confronting Kilik…and I got so mad I attacked him.”

“Is that what you really want to do to him?” The lightning spear asked, raising a brow.

“I don’t know,” the shaman responded, “I feel like I should be mad at him, I feel like I should hate him because he abandoned us. Made us lose our family again. But…something tells me there’s more to this. Kilik isn’t the type to be dumb enough to go on a mission without some form of weapon. He was a hothead but he was cautious enough, and he knew the dangers of a rogue witch as well as any of the Spartio members. So why did he go alone? Kilik raised us on his own for so long, bearing our outbursts on his own. He even said he was proud of the scars he got from us. So why abandon us like that? Why risk going on a mission without us? Or any weapons.”

“I fear those are questions only he’d be able to answer.” Harver responded by placing a hand on the girl’s head, “none of us really knew anything about Kilik’s mission. Last thing I heard was a request had come in from the Queen of witches herself and Kilik was called in. Only Kidd really knew the details. But you’re right, his actions don't make sense for the person we knew him to be.”

“Doesn’t help that information is also kept off the records too,” Thunder added,”I’m starting to think no one really knew who he was to begin with.”

Harver raised a brow at her statement but chose not to pry into it. She was right that none of them really knew about Kilik’s bast before he came to DWMA though he never thought of it as something important to be aware of.

“Anyway, shall we be off?” Harver asked.

The shaman would nod before following the older weapon out.

[mistypurplespark]

THRONE-chapter16

John advised Lucien not to panic and keep moving while they strategized to fight against Jackson and his gang. As they attacked, Lucien used his club to incapacitate one thug, while John dislocated another's arm. The fight continued, with the gang pulling out daggers as onlookers scattered away. Lucien and John kept moving to avoid being surrounded, but John's concern for not seriously injuring anyone became a weakness. He was stabbed in the ankles and surrounded by the gang, but Lucien came to his aid. Together, they fought off the gang as Jackson tried to escape.

Despite getting injured, Lucien and John continued to pursue Jackson, eventually catching up to him. John struck him with his club, bringing Jackson to the ground in pain. Lucien, exhausted but determined, then delivered the final blow to Jackson's face. They sought justice for the harm caused by Jackson and his gang, demanding compensation for their actions.

Jackson, in pain and defeat, tried to threaten them with consequences from Lord Venn and their families. However, faced with the determination of Lucien and John, he was left speechless. In the end, the two friends stood their ground, seeking retribution for the wrongs done to them and their loved ones.

As the ordeal came to a close, Jackson's arrogance was shattered by the unwavering resolve of Lucien and John. The battle may have been won, but the scars left behind served as a reminder of the price of standing up to injustice. Together, they had faced the odds and emerged victorious, proving that courage and unity could overcome even the toughest challenges.

[deblala]

Reich of The Black Sun - 16

https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/reichblacksun/chapter16.htm