#did i make an entirely new mc for thomas hunt?

[angstymarshmallow]

Fresh Start (Hunt x MC)

[A little note: After that chapter with Viktor Montemartre..I just have a lot of conflicting feelings. So on a whim, I wrote this. There isn’t a lot of details in regards to what happened, I feel like sexual harassment is a very tenative topic, and if you aren’t comfortable with any mentions of it - feel free to ignore seeing this across your dash. Plus I’ve waited like 10 years to write hunt x mc fanfiction lol. P.S. If you read this, thanks so much for reading! I’ve been feeling really down about everything, even my writing so this always means a lot!].

[Word Count: 2102]

[Tags:  @mariamatsuo @mrswalkerwrites, @nerdpossible, @mysteli, @simplyaiden-blog, @innerpostmentality  @craftytacotrashdream, @nathan-sterling, if you want to be added or removed from this list - let me know].

Her hands are shaking and much to no avail – she cannot get the shaking to stop. They tremble harder the longer she stares, and she stares at them like it is the first time she has paid attention to the smooth planes in her palm. 

Yet, very quickly – her hands change. 

They turn paler by the second and she watches in complete horror as they warp; blurring until the next time she blinks they are suddenly too big and too board to be hers; too manicured to belong to her. An image of Viktor Montmartre burns itself through the wall she’s placed inside her head.

Her heart nearly comes to a stop and the music pulsating around her quickly filters out. It becomes background noise while she studies her hands. It’s impossible – she knows it cannot be his hands that is attached to her skin and yet her haggard mind seems to feel differently.

Her stomach drops and she clenches her fists. She digs little moons into her palms as she forcibly drops them to her sides. She has to convince herself that it isn’t real – not this part.

The alcohol simply isn’t doing its justice.

She shifts forward into her bar stool and catches sight of her phone’s bright light from the corner of her eyes. She ignores the incoming text from her friends and grits her teeth.

She swears she can still feel his stare, gazing at her hungrily despite her protests and indignation when he suggested she slept with him. She can still feel his breath unwantedly grazing her neck when he pulled her solidly against his chest, and his fingers tugged her into him, reeking of cologne before she finally managed to wrench herself free.

She squeezes her eyes shut and forces the bile she feels rising to her throat back. She can’t think like that. She can’t let him win.

Today marks two weeks since it happened, two weeks since the moment she walked away from Viktor Montmartre’s…nauseating and horrifying deal. She knows she’s shut her friends out in the days she chose to spend moping inside her home with only her ocelot for company. Shutting everyone out has been the only way for her to pretend she’s okay but after two weeks, she could ignore them no longer.  

Tonight is supposed to be some kind of celebration from her leaving her home and joining them back in the waking world. Although she doesn’t have anything lined up after the action movie deal blew up in her face – she’s kept a wide berth from the public.

You’re here to have fun Tate, not to mope. A small voice implores her, begs her as she watches the empty shot glass in front of her.

Except the thought of his cold hands on her – it isn’t something she can easily forget. Even after the rounds of shots she’s done, even after the fourteen days since she bounded the steps of his manor – it doesn’t feel quite like it’s over. For her, it’s still happening, as if any minute now the door of this club would open and her blood would run cold once she meets his chilly stare across the room.

She has to get out of here.

She’s already half-way off the stool, chugging the new shot she’s ordered when her brain persists and orders her to stop. No Tate, you can’t think like that. You can’t give him that kind of power over you – that satisfaction that he’s broken you.

The words don’t sound like her; they sound like her mother on the night when she told her.  Like a tidal wave, the words sweep her into its embrace, providing her strength she’s never known she was capable of. And for a moment, she wants to push past the fear that threatens to cripple her. She can’t let something like this ruin her – she won’t let it. And yet, it doesn’t stop the insidious thoughts from filtering through after finding cracks she’s tried so desperately behind to slip through.

“Excuse me,Tatum...?”

Her eyes fly open at the familiar voice’s greeting. To say it’s unexpected was putting it mildly. She places an arm across the bar counter to steady herself as she turns to meet his expression. Thomas Hunt in the flesh is standing a littles less than five feet from her – looking concerned as ever as his eyes sweep up and down to take in her dishelmed appearance.

           Five shots of tequila definitely did not do the trick. “Thomas Hunt?” She says uncertaintly, “The Thomas Hunt? – The one that wanted to sign me on his next new movie?” She’s babbling but she can’t help it, she thinks if she stops she won’t have anything more to distract herself with. She thinks if she stops, she’ll think of Viktor.

“The very one and the same,” he replies good-naturedly. “Good evening, are you –” He steps closer and involuntarily she winces. His brows creases. “Are you quite alright?”

Yes. It is the automatic answer she’s always given; the answer she’s said without thinking to her friends ever since it happened. “Yes, I’m fine.” She tries to keep her voice steady but thinks she fallen short of her mark the moment he frowns.

“You aren’t alright,” he says this a matter-of-factly, but doesn’t seem capable of pursing it any further.

Tatum thinks he’s waiting for her to say more. “What are you doing here?” She tries to change the subject instead; deflecting and directing attention off herself has always been one of her best coping mechanisms. “I thought this wasn’t your sort of thing.” She’s proud of herself for finding it in her to keep her voice light, and teasing. Already she can feel the buzz fading, receding and forcing her thoughts to the present. Need more alcohol, she thinks to herself while she waits for his answer.

She hails the bartender for another drink with the flick of her wrist. “It isn’t a celebration without drinks. What’s your poison?”

“I prefer to order for myself,” Thomas interjects thinly. “Although, I hardly think this place can meet the standards of my particular palette.”

“We can try.” The bartender states flatly, although he’s cordial enough to smile.

Thomas orders and mercifully, the bartender does his best to follow his crisp directions.

Silence falls between them for the better half of a minute while they wait for the arrival of their drinks. Tatum turns to him, “I thought you were too good to be seen in places like this.”

“Oh, I am,” Thomas replies shortly, tucking his hands into his tailored coat. “I was just…” he trails off for a moment, seeming lost in thought. “After I heard about what happened with Tommy Phelps…”

Hearing his name and the movie that was completely out of her hands makes Tatum wince. She downs her drink quickly as Thomas pauses again; his brows forming that familiar crease again.

“Perhaps this is better discussed in a more private area.”

Viktor Montmartre’s cruel smirk grips her mind. The reaction is instantaneous. She flinches, and sucks in a deep breath. Her reaction is pure instinct and instead of taking his outstretched arm, she reels away and clenches her hands into fist at her sides. The words come out in a rush, hot and angry as she points flippantly at him. “I am not going anywhere with you.” She storms past him and ignores the quizzical look on his face.

“I think there is some confusion –”

“Oh, there’s no confusion.” She whips her head around; gray eyes the colour of cement steel as they glare up at him. I’m not going to be a victim – never ever again. “Whatever you’re offering – I don’t want it.”

“Tatum,” his eyes flash with confusion but she isn’t fooled.

“Anything you need to say to me, you can say it here!” She yells, folding her arms.

“I’m not where this…aggression is coming from, but I assure you – the quality of my movie would far than rival anything else Tommy Phelps had in store for you. In fact,” he steps a little closer; his voice lowering to match his shrewd gaze. “I think it’s impervious we go forward with making you my lead.”

Her eyes widen. The smart-ass remark she’s been sitting on for the last several minutes vanishes. “You – what?” She stares up at him in disbelief. Even after every curve ball Viktor has tried to block in her career – and Tommy Phelps dropping her as his lead; she didn’t think anyone in this city wanted to work with her ever again.

“I require you for my movie.” He implores, “no one has been able to fill the shoes I know you can fill.” His eyes search hers; more open and honest than she thinks is possible for someone like Thomas Hunt. “They all fall a little short in some fashion and I,” He averts his eyes for a moment, “I would be a fool no to take advantage of such raw talent.”

Tatum stares at him, completely stunned. The last thing she had anticipated was this. Involuntarily, tears seem to swell from the corner of her eyes. “You want to work with…me?”

“I thought that was obvious, yes.” He says impatiently.

“But, you shouldn’t.” She can’t believe she’s saying this but she knows enough about Thomas Hunt and the quality he creates that her current reputation presented a predicament. She isn’t a fool to think he hasn’t heard what Viktor has said about her – all the horrid things he sold to gossip magazines as her coming onto to him as a way of using his success to climb her way to the top. “You’re better off finding someone that isn’t…” She trails off, staring blankly her feet. Someone that hasn’t been tarnished by the media.

The impatient noise he makes at the back of her throat throws her. She stares up at him; watching those often intense-looking dark brown eyes flicker over in annoyance. “If you’re looking for pity Tatum you won’t find that here. I was under the impression that you were a hard worker and your passion for acting seemed second to none.” A frown flits over his face, “if something as ridiculous as rumors will deter you so easily then perhaps you are not what I am looking for.”

As he turns to leave, she stares at his retreating figure. He doesn’t believe in them, he doesn’t care about rumors, Tatum thinks with a jolt of surprise. She doesn’t know why – but realizing he isn’t concerned with such things, makes her heart flutter.

Tatum shakes her head clear. She knows she’s running out of options – the upkeep of her home alone won’t pay for itself without something. And while she cannot remember the important details of his script, Tatum recognizes that this was one of those-once-in-a-lifetime opportunities her mother had used endlessly talk about the last time she did a talent show.

Tatum’s hands extend and reach for his arm without even thinking. “Wait!”

His body comes to a complete stop so swiftly that she nearly knocks into him. Digging her feet into her heels, she plants them with enough force to stop herself from tittering over embarrassingly into him. “I’ll do it.” She says quietly. At the quirk of his eyebrows, she quickly rushes on. “I’ll accept your deal.” She takes a ragged breath. “I want to be the next lead in your movie.”

For a moment, Tatum fears he won’t accept her sudden change of heart. His eyes are too hard to read in this light, and although he hasn’t moved away as though he’s quietly deliberating on something – she’s suddenly struck with panic that he’s withdrawn his offer.

Then the strangest thing happens.

Thomas smiles.

He smiles and Tatum thinks she has never seen something as beautiful as his smile in her entire life. She has always thought the director was handsome, one of the richest bachelors in his own rite but the way those lips of his move; unaccustomed to the confident smile – she feels light-headed.

His face seems to linger on hers’, flits down to her lips; or perhaps she is seeing things once they meet her earnest gaze.

And just as quickly, the smile fades as his hand reached out to steady her. His smile is replaced by a curt nod as he drops his hands back to his sides. “I will see you bright and early tomorrow.” He hands her a card in flourish.

“Tomorrow?” She echoes dumbfoundedly. His name is printed in large and eloquent cursive writing along with an obscure logo from the dainty piece of paper.

“Tomorrow.” He repeats, and before Tatum can thank him – he is already gone; moving through the crowd at a terse pace to escape the music and the people.

She hides a smile as her thumb traces over the thick letters of his name, hoping this deal is exactly the fresh start she needs.

-

[hopelessromantic1352]

Matt(ers) Of A Broken Heart

1st off…. HELLO TO THE WORLD OF TUMBLR AGAIN. Seems like forever since I’ve been on here/wrote anything. I’ve been playing new and old books on Choices and I’ve gotten a spark back! I see many of my old friends have left tumblr or made new accounts, which makes me sad cause I miss so many of you! But I hope those of you that are on here enjoy what I came up with. It’s definitely a drabble but I feel like I’ll pick up where I left off with other series or works (hopefully🤞🏼). This is a little something I came up with after rereading Red Carpet Diaries 2 for the millionth time in my life. It takes place during the party Hunt throws for The Last Duchess. Matt realizes he was too late to make his move on Stephanie (MC) and Thomas Hunt beat him to the punch. Perma tags: @drstrange46ers Thomas tags: @alleksa16 @alj4890 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @choicesmakemychoices @marycarrillo21 @lxaah11 @kuladekiwi @ajayismybae @choices-dan @miss-indecisive-says @mfackenthal @ethanplaysfavorites @amillionmoonsred @usuallyamazinglyaverage @thethots-plicken @hhiggs @jlpplays1 @lilyoffandoms

Matt’s POV

After the brief interaction with Stephanie, Hunt, Chazz, and Victoria, I lost sight of her. The beautiful actress with dirty blonde curls, a smile worth a million, and a sense of humor to boot.

In fact, Hunt isn’t around either.

My heartbeat picks up, my eyes scan the room hastily, and slowly I feel the edges of my heart start to crumble.

Did I miss my chance?

I spin around and that’s when it shatters.

I did miss my chance.

Hunt and Stephanie walk out of a side hallway, hand in hand, and smiling softly as they glance at each other. They separate after one more look and squeeze of their hands. The look she gives the stoic director is the look I always wanted her to give me.

Like I was the only one in the entire world that mattered.

I feel a mixture of sadness, grief, and anger aimed at myself and Thomas.

Why does he get to sweep in and take the girl of my dreams?

Suddenly, I feel a small hand on my arm and look down to find Addison smiling brightly, her movements deterred from alcohol.

“Isn’t that sweet?” She motions sloppily between Hunt and Steph, “I knew I saw something between them when we were filming.”

Her words slur slightly and then she’s gone, smiling giddily.

I feel my face flush hot, red clouding my vision and I push to the mens restroom, ignoring everyone in my path.

How could I let her get away?

[theartoflovingthomashunt]

I decided to visit my Tumblr today to catch up on HWU, only to find out the app is getting shut down?! THIS IS THE WORST NEWS OF 2022 😭 And I don't have much time left to replay everything!!!! HUHUHU

The only consolation I have from this is knowing you're still keeping Thomas Hunt and Alex alive through your stories. I always come back to your masterlist to reread everything, especially the Fashion Week series. God, I adore that one so much!!

I don't mind if you write drabbles or a sentence or a full-length novel. Just know I'm devouring them as much as a heartbroken fangirl can 😭 Your writing is superb, and I appreciate you keeping the fandom alive. I hope all the gods in this world gives you all you desire in this life!!!!! That's how much I appreciate you 😂

I would really do anything to see you write your version of a wedding for HWU!Hunt and Alex, though. PB did us dirty by giving a wedding for Chris and MC but not for Hunt?! PB, we demand justice!

But seriously, I'm not ready to say goodbye yet. 😩 Do you still have a slot for the Crying Over HWU party? Coz Imma need an entire row for all the tissues I'll be using while mourning over this news. 🤧

I know! PB did not give us enough notice at all. I've been trying to replay since they made the announcement two weeks ago, but with work and real life, I'm only on level 7. I'll never even make it through a fraction of the game, especially since PB also discontinued currency purchases. I'm so sad 😭😭😭

ahhh you are so so so sweet. I'm so glad you enjoy my Thomas and Alex stories. I will continue writing them as long as I can. I am so glad you love the fashion week mini series as well. I had so much fun writing that one. It's definitely one of my favorites as well!

I don't mind if you write drabbles or a sentence or a full-length novel. Just know I'm devouring them as much as a heartbroken fangirl can

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 this is the greatest compliment ever ohmygoshthank you!!!! I doubt myself as a writer all the time and feel like no one cares. but ahhh THIS!!!!!!!!!

Your writing is superb, and I appreciate you keeping the fandom alive. I hope all the gods in this world gives you all you desire in this life!!!!! That's how much I appreciate you 😂

lkjsdfljsdlfj I have NO words. THIS! YOU! OMG!!!!

(but if the universe wanted to send me Thomas Hunt, I would not complain lol)

I would really do anything to see you write your version of a wedding for HWU!Hunt and Alex,

It's coming!!!! eventually lol

Thee finale of the Love & Scotch  series will be their wedding. I just have to get back to writing that series.

And yes!!! Please come join my crying party. I have tissues and lots of chocolate and ice cream lol

This is literally one of the most amazing, inspiring, lovely, lsdkjflksdjf messages I've ever received. Thank you thank you thank you for making my day, night, week, month, year LIFE! I will treasure this message for all of time (I'm not even kidding!!!)

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can't thank you enough for this. It means the world to me. 😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰🥰

[kyogre-blue]

2.0 livestream impressions complaints (this is pretty much entirely negative): 

Huge decrease in quality from my perspective. I never watch FGO livestreams because they are long and subtitled. I don’t have the patience to watch all the pointless back and forth while having to read what it is, so Genshin livestreams being in English (so I can put them in the background) was basically 80% of why I actually watched them. This one being in CN is a huge downgrade. 

This development stuff would be mildly interesting written form, but in video? Awful.

I’m really glad I watched this after it had aired and not simultaneously because at least I could skip through all the pointless fluff like piano for ten minutes, talking, more talking, "we gather everyone to discuss ideas” which is a novel concept about how large scale projects work for sure... There is basically like one sentence out of five that contains some kind of meaning, and I don’t have patience to sit through the other four. My problems with Genshin aren’t in regard to their technical work to begin with. This is all very nice, but perhaps you should hire some writers. Otherwise, all this nice work is basically wasted. 

“Inazuma is known as the Nation of Eternity” is kind of a joke considering that the oldest nation and Archon are still Liyue and Morax. How eternal can you possibly be when your Archon is a baby compared to Morax?

For some reason, a lot of the Inazuma shots look more like a play set compared to previous videos. Maybe I’m just biased against it though. 

Given the environmental issues, I kinda wonder how people even live there. Dragonspine specifically was a place people can’t really go. 

I am... hm about Baal’s tyranny being framed exclusively through the Vision Hunt so far. Allogenes are only a small fraction of the population. We’re going to focus on this purely fantasy concept of taking Visions and nothing else? Also, what about people who directly give up their Visions themselves? How does that work in regard to it “leaving you empty?” 

Yeah, Yoimiya’s voice is annoying. 

“Euthymia” in medicine is “a normal, tranquil mental state or mood.” In philosophy, “one of the root aspects of human life's goal.” Other definitions are “cheerfulness, a condition according to which the soul lives calmly and steadily, being disturbed by no fear, or superstition, or other passion," or “believing in yourself and trusting that you are on the right path, and not being in doubt by following the myriad footpaths of those wandering in every direction.” This is also the name of a Greek and Roman goddess. 

They actually called “freedom” and “contracts” themes for Mond and Liyue, which is kind of embarrassing to hear. I could understand if they just didn’t get the idea of including themes in their writing, but they really meant to and just completely failed. 

They wanted to represent Inazuma’s “eternity” theme in gameplay. So how was “contracts” repressed in Liyue gameplay...? 

They have learned from previous regions and abandoned challenges that require certain characters or elements to complete them. 

The sacred sakura has a fox head shape... but otherwise it just looks like reskinned Azhdaha tree. 

2.0 will have Act 1 and 2 of Inazuma (but not Act 3) and also Ayaka’s and Yoimiya’s character quests. 

Baal is “austere.” In that outfit? She will be a major focus of the Inazuma story, so we can presume this is just how Genshin main story will be rolling. It’s disappointing. 

Thoma is specifically called out for having blonde hair which is unlike other Inazuma characters... liiiiike the silver haired Ayaka and Kazuha, or the extremely pale brown hair for Yoimiya and Sayu? Are they seriously making this distinction? In any case, he’s either a foreigner or not all human, I guess. 

Sara is a tengu and has black wings, which I guess she can magically hide. 

Kokomi’s design is a new level of ridiculous, tbh. 

Gorou “looks like a young man” (he is a shorty who looks maybe 13) but based on this I guess he’s also somehow way older. His shirtlessness is actually... pretty off putting. He’s the only character in this bunch I had any interest in, but that pathetic excuse for a shirt...

They really talk up how all these characters are actually so smart and so capable, which is very ominous given what Genshin’s demonstrated writing level is like. If they at least stuck to writing dumbasses, you could excuse the nonsense as being IC, but they insist that all the characters are smart, so... 

Teapot farming is a bit exciting, but the gardening plots look so ugly, haha. VERY excited for the teleport points tho.  

I don’t roll of the weapon banners, but good to hear they did something about that. I saw the video of the dude who blew $1000 trying to get Staff of Homa and only got six Gravestones. 

I don’t understand this thing with crafting artifacts. 

The whole thing has ONLY Aether MC. As a Lumine MC player, I am not impressed. 

Overall, this is basically the weakest livestream of the ones I’ve seen, despite having the most content. 

[moodyvalentinestories]

Direction – Sixteen | Hunt x HWU MC (Danielle)

Summary: Bitches be back at work... how's that gonna work out?

Words: 900+

Notes: HI BITCHES, I TOLD Y'ALL I'M HERE TO STAY UWU (And sorry it’s short again, I’m just getting back into it, be nice to me.)

❥ Previous Chapter: Fifteen ❥ Moodyvalentine’s Masterlist

Danielle barely got any sleep before she had to be at the studio, but it wouldn’t have mattered, anyway—today would, without a doubt, be terrible. For one, she and Hunt were friends now… except she had absolutely no idea how to handle that, and had run away pretty much the exact moment they’d officially become friends, which surely must have made Hunt not want to be friends with her at all. But now he’d already said it, and though he was known for being rude and an asshole sometimes, she doubted he’d take it back so soon, which meant he’d have to pretend to be her friend, which she once again wouldn’t be able to handle, and—

Don’t hyperventilate, she reminded herself. Hunt is the least of your problems.

Right. Because there was the second thing that would make this day terrible—Danielle didn’t have a plan anymore. The last few days, she’d gone to work, knowing she had a way to get herself and Hunt and everybody else out of their contracts with Viktor. She’d been so sure she could do it—and she was still convinced it would have worked, though she knew Hunt had been right about it being wrong—but now she had failed, and there was no plan B. So today she was going to work, knowing that she would have to continue working for Viktor, and wear the stupid skimpy little outfits he insisted on no matter how many times Hunt spoke with the costume designers about changing them, and pretend that it was perfectly okay that they were being blackmailed with something that could easily destroy Hunt’s career.

That was the real problem. Her feelings about what happened—or rather didn’t happen—with Hunt last night were nothing in comparison. Though they certainly didn’t help. Especially considering that she’d have to work with him, too.

Luckily, she didn’t run into him at the front gate, nor on her way to make-up and wardrobe. At least that gave her some time before she had to see him again. And, though she would never admit to this if asked, she may have been slightly more nit-picky about the fit of her costume or the accuracy of her make-up than usual—which, of course, had nothing to do with her wanting to put off being on set for as long as she possibly could. Because she didn’t want that, anyway! Not at all. Danielle was excited to work with her friend. Yes. So excited.

She was late. Not too long ago, Thomas wouldn’t have found this unusual in the least, but since he’d started working on this film, Danielle had almost always been on time—or early, even. But today she was late, and this confirmed his fears—she was uncomfortable with their new relationship. Or perhaps her anger about what he had done—or had intended to do, had her agent not intercepted—had returned. He had, after all, almost ruined her life, and she’d have had every right to be angry with him. Perhaps friendship was too much to ask for so soon after, and now he had ruined any chance he might have had of maintaining any relationship with her that was more than what they’d had before.

To his relief, Thomas didn’t get a chance to follow that train of thought, as Danielle finally stepped on set. Before he could scold her—friend or not, he didn’t tolerate lateness—she shushed him with a motion of her hand and said, “Sorry, there was a problem with the fit of the corset. Must have had too much for breakfast or something.”

Thomas somehow doubted this was the entire truth, but he decided to let it slide—just this once!—because she looked tired and sad, and maybe that tugged on his heartstrings just a little. “Very well. Let’s get started then, shall we?”

Danielle gave him a half-hearted smile and nodded, then made her way over to Chris, who had already taken his position the moment she had come in. Thomas was worried for a moment that whatever was on her mind would impact her acting, but he realised that he truly needn’t have. As soon as the cameras were rolling, Danielle was once again transformed into Maeve, doing a perfect job as always.

Despite everything that had happened last night, filming went a lot smoother than the day before. By the end of the day, they were almost back on schedule again. Which was a good thing, too, as Thomas realised when he took a look at his phone and saw an e-mail from Montmartre pop up.

Don’t think I won’t be watching just because you’ll be out of the country. I have eyes and ears everywhere.

  —V.M.

Right. The trip to Scotland. The on-location shoots. God damnit.

“Yeah, I got the warning, too,” Danielle said sombrely as she came up behind him. “We’re getting tomorrow off to prepare for our flight on Sunday, right?”

He sighed, then turned to her and nodded. “I suppose I’ll need time to prepare and pack myself. I’ll be honest, this trip did slip my mind.”

“Mine too,” she said, biting her lip. “With everything going on, that was the last thing I was thinking about.”

Thomas didn’t know what to say to that. “Well, I suppose this means I’ll see you Sunday?”

She narrowed her eyes and let out a quiet huff, and he wasn’t quite sure what that meant. “Yeah. See you Sunday.”

Tags @trappedinfandoms​ @lilyoffandoms​ @oneemofungirl​ @silversparrow02​ @alleksa16​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​ @alj4890​

[embarrassingsmartphonegame]

Anything (Chapter 5) - Nik Ryder x f!MC

Summary: After surviving an attempt on her life, she discovers there are worse fates than dying. And they’re all ice cold.

Warnings for this chapter: gun violence, swear words, and some fluff

Links to previous chapters: one // two // three // four

True to her word, Leah returned to Nik’s apartment a few hours later with more sleep under her belt than in the past three months. She smiled shyly as she walked into his apartment and noticed that he shaved his beard to his old neat stubble, and her stomach did a funny flip as he led her to his car. The two made disjointed small talk coupled with long bouts of silence; it was as if the events of the previous night hadn’t happened now that it was daylight and the two were more awake, more sober. And neither wanted to admit that they were surprised by the turn of events. 

Leah still tried to wrap her head around the fact that not only did Nik not hate her after she suddenly left, but he was also willing to go with her to Lamrian on her wild goose chase to find herself. And Nik was still wary it was all a dream or a trick and that she wasn’t actually there with him, that he truly had lost her like he lost everyone else in his life. Both stole sneaky glances at the other as they drove Nik’s car and walked through the woods and eventually towards the vast, open fields to the cathedral guarding Lamrian quietly, still keeping a careful distance from each other.

“Soooo…” Leah began, keeping her eyes trained forward. “Anything weird happen at the Graveyard Shift while I was gone?”

“I mean...it’s always weird in this city,” Nik replied, his eyes also trained forward. “But Garrus and Krom are still going strong. Never seen either of ‘em that happy; it’s kinda cute but kinda gross.”

“Aww, that’s so great! They deserve each other!” Leah remembered that night she and Ivy convinced Krom to make a move since it was so painfully obvious they liked each other. “Is Ivy still making you hunt ghosts for her services?”

“Strangely enough, she hasn’t been accepting any requests lately,” Nik chuckled, shaking his head as he recalled the time Leah tagged along to hunt a ghost for Ivy. “I think she’s been busy with some research. Something about her New York vampire Internet friend’s friend dying and then turning into a vampire while being a Bloodkeeper, whatever that means. And I think trying out some human video games with that same friend.”

“Okay now that’s wild, complete bonkers. I hope that person’s okay; dying wasn’t exactly a walk in the park…” Leah shivered, all of a sudden feeling cold even in the late spring weather of Louisiana. She tried to block out the memories that plagued her for a good two months after she left New Orleans.

“I know I probably shouldn’t ask, but how did you cope after everything?” Nik asked, glancing at her to make sure she was okay. “I can’t even imagine what that was like for you. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“How did I cope? Well...I didn’t.” Leah laughed mirthlessly, a smile not quite reaching her eyes. “I think I already told you the majority of it: stuck with my boring office job, avoided my mom, tried to pass the time with hobbies but failed so I got drunk a lot and did a bunch of people and other bad stuff. But probably the worst thing I did was cut my own bangs at 4am.”

“...Seriously?”

“Yeah I was having a crisis.”

“Because you saw your best friend get attacked, were hunted down relentlessly by a genocidal monster, found out your dad’s a Fae lord, saw your dad die, and then you died?” Leah blinked as he listed it all out in one breath; had she really been talking about it that much?

“Well...okay yeah pretty much. But also because I turned 25.”

Nik paused, confused. “What does that have to do with anything? Is that seriously a crisis?”

“A mid- okay fine not really, quarter-life crisis.” Leah let out a small laugh as she hazily remembered her conversation with Kristin, shaking her head and putting her hands in her pockets. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“I’m only a year younger than you, rook.”

“Then we’ll have a talk a year from now.”

Nik let a grin spread across his features. “That mean you’ll still be here a year from now?”

Leah shifted her eyes for a moment, and when she spoke again her voice was the perfect mix of playful and sincere. “Maybe.”

The two paused as they reached their destination. The castle guarding Lamrian loomed over them, its broken windows staring down at Leah like judgment. Leah felt very small. She felt as if she was a specimen on a petri dish placed under a microscope, and the Fae just behind those magical doors were scrutinizing her every being. 

Leah froze in fear, and she could feel the panic rising in her tight, tight chest. Nik noticed her expression and instinctively took one of her hands in his, giving it a small squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay. And I’m with you every step of the way.”

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t get a hold of her emotions, no matter how hard she tried or what she told herself she needed to do. Tears sprung on the corners of her eyes and ran down her face freely, and big, gasping sobs escaped from her mouth. She wrenched her hand from his, turned her back to the castle, and started walking away. Leah was hunched over and her hands grasped each other as she walked with Nik following her.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Leah could only see red, and that red was directed at herself. “I really dragged you out here for nothing! Why can’t I fucking face them?!”

Nik stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around so they were face-to-face. “Rook...breathe.”

She shook her head, trying to will the tears away but failing and launching into an anxiety-fueled. “Ugh, this is pathetic and embarrassing. I never should’ve stepped foot in Lamrian and I keep dragging you into my problems. I drag everyone into my problems! Kristin’s probably still paying for an entire week of hospital bills, Vera had to face her mom, Cal had to go against his pack, you and Katherine risked your lives by hunting Thomas down...fuck! When this was all happening, I should’ve just ignored you and stood in an open field and let the Bloodwraith—”

She was cut off by him pulling her into his strong arms, squeezing her so tightly she had no choice but to stop talking. “Don’t. I mean it, rook. Goddammit.”

“Why do you keep helping me?” she sobbed into his shoulder. “All I do is drag you down.”

He rubbed her back tenderly. “Because I want to. I care so damn much about you, rook, you have no idea.”

Before Leah could respond, the sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind them. Nik instantly positioned his body in front of hers, his crossbow aimed at the voice before Leah could even blink. He put it down once they realized that it was the same Fae guarding Lamrian. His lips were set in a straight line and his eyes devoid of any emotion, a soldier on duty.

“Daughter of Lamrian,” he kneeled reverently as he spoke. “You have returned. Welcome. Let me lead the way.”

“Thank you. But unfortunately, I can’t come inside. It’s not the right time.” Leah steadied her breath. She appreciated the fact that he ignored her crimson red eyes and shaky voice. “But will you please relay a message for Lady Thalissa for me?”

“Anything you wish is my command.”

“Please tell her that Lord Elric loves her and will be waiting for her. And that I’m sorry for everything that happened and will one day return. Just...not today.”

He nodded and straightened up, preparing to relay the message. Leah stopped him. “And also...this is for the people of Lamrian: I’m sorry. I’m just sorry that they lost a leader and an heir because of me.”

The Fae guard nodded again, his lips in a thinner, harsher line; Leah could have sworn that his eyes displayed hints of anger and grief before they fell into the trained dutiful expression. She let him walk away, and when he was finally out of sight in the castle she let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.

“You did the right thing, rook.”

“Then why do I still feel so shitty?”

The two began to walk back to Nik’s car and eventually reached the woods. “It’d be weird if you didn’t feel like shit. It’s a lot, and sometimes you feel like you’re never gonna get out of that tunnel. But you will. And I’m here.”

“Nik, I--” But Leah was cut off by Nik suddenly shouting and tackling her to the ground as a knife embedded itself to the tree right behind where their heads were seconds before.

“Son of a bitch…” Nik muttered, quickly dragging them both back to their feet. “Can’t catch a break for one day!”

“What the fuck was that?!” Leah ran with him through the woods, her hand attached to his.

“He’s back. Remember that shapeshifter I pissed off? He must’ve followed us.”

“That I did, Ryder,” a snide, mocking voice replied from behind a tree. A man dressed in all black stepped out of the shadows. “A little birdie over your shoulder as you paid attention to your little girlfriend here.”

“For fuck’s sake, Mark, it was nothing personal. Grave robbing is a sick, sick thing to do!” Nik got into a fighting stance with his crossbow on his shoulder and Leah directly behind him.

“You just can’t appreciate the intricacies of a human bone broth soup!”

Leah grimaced in disgust and poked her head out to the side of Nik’s body. “Ugh, that’s what you were using it for? That’s messed up.”

Mark’s eyes flashed with rage, putting his hands in his pockets. “Just shut up, and you’re dying with him!”

“To hell with you!” Nik shot several arrows at him, and Mark rolled out of the way and back into the shadows. “Leah, stay out of the way!”

“I’m not letting you do this alone!” Leah stubbornly replied, running after him hunting down the shapeshifter. She channeled all of her energy into her palms, but to no avail. “Seriously, let me help!”

“You can help by keeping yourself safe!”

“He’s right; this ain’t a place for ya, missy.” Mark threw another knife from the shadows, and Nik deftly avoided it and more arrows. But Mark turned into a crow and flew above their heads to avoid the attack.

He landed on a tree and turned into a jaguar, and promptly lunged at the both of them from above. Leah managed to get out of the way but Nik punted him in the abdomen with a powerful kick. Mark landed a few feet away, groaning in pain and back in his human form. But within seconds he pulled a pistol out and started shooting at them. Nik and Leah ran in a zig-zag formation with the murderous shapeshifter hot on their heels.

“Arghhh!” With Leah a few feet ahead, Nik suddenly went down, clutching the side of his right thigh. He pulled his hand away for a moment to assess the damage, and Leah could see a linear laceration on his skin from where the bullet grazed his leg.

Leah watched in horror as the shapeshifter suddenly appeared above Nik, a heavy boot on his hand nearest to his crossbow and the gun aimed at his head. Mark grinned maliciously. “Nighty night, Nighthunter.”

“NOOO!” Leah shouted, sprinting towards the barrel of the gun and blindly pushing her hands out in front of her. All of a sudden two identical blasts of light bounded from the palms of her hands, both hitting Mark square in the face. The skin and nerves on her hands were burning, but she didn’t notice or care, adrenaline pumping through her vasculature. She could feel a power, a deep and great power bursting forth from her core. With a shriek, she sent more blasts towards Mark, the power boundless and suddenly at her disposal to do what she wanted. And all she could focus on was destroying Mark.

“Leah! Leah!” A seemingly far away voice called her name, but it didn’t register until she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. “Come back to me! Rook!”

Leah stopped blasting at her target, and a white haze that she didn’t even realize was present suddenly dissipated from her vision. She finally realized where she was, and that she was responsible for the pile of ashes on the ground where the shapeshifter once stood. Leah fell to her knees and Nik went down with her, refusing to let go.

“I...I did that,” Leah whispered, looking down at her trembling hands. “My powers...they’re back!”

“You saved my life, rook.” Nik held her with one arm as he pressed down on the wound on his leg. “That was...that was the most power I’ve ever seen from someone.”

Maybe it was the fact that their faces were suddenly so close to each other, or maybe it was the fact that they avoided certain death again. Maybe it was the silence gathering around them, warm and electric. Maybe it was the tenderness in his expression as he held her. Leah brought one hand up to his cheek and pressed their lips together softly, and they both sighed in relief as they kissed. A warm, gentle rain misted around the pair. Leah pulled away, and both sported giddy, shy smiles.

“Not how I expected today to go...but this is perfect...well, perfect for us.” Leah hauled him up and to his feet and tied her light jacket around his thigh as a makeshift tourniquet. “Best way I could help was staying out of the way, huh?”

Nik shook his head in disbelief as they walked. “You are the most bullheaded and impossible woman I’ve ever met. I would be dead now if it weren’t for you.”

“Nik…” Leah began seriously. She knew what she finally had to do. “What happened today...I want to be with you. As your partner, both personally and professionally.”

His eyes met hers, and he searched for any signs of hesitation only to find none. His face was completely relaxed for the first time since she met him, and it sent her heart fluttering. “Are you sure about this?”

“You’re a mess...and I’m a mess.” She shook her head, chuckling incredulously. “But that just might be why we’re perfect for each other. I’m in love with you, and I think I’ve always known it. Being your partner is what I want, if you’ll have me.”

“Goddammit, Leah…” He laughed with her before he spoke again, his voice vulnerable and sincere. “I love you too. I want you with me every second, from the moment I wake up to when I rest my head. I want you with me in the trenches, and then I want you with nothin’ at all between us.”

Every word lifted a heavy weight off her heart, and Leah beamed as she took Nik’s hand. “That’s all I want, too...partner.”

The now-official couple reached Nik’s car, but instead of getting in, Nik opened his trunk. Leah quirked an eyebrow. “Getting something?”

“You could say that,” Nik replied, stepping out from behind the car with his hands behind his back. “I’ve had this in here since the day you got out of the hospital, and I couldn’t bear to even look at it. Now that you’re back, though…”

“Are you...nervous?” Leah couldn’t help the teasing, amused tone in her question as she noticed his blush. She had to admit it was odd yet slightly satisfying seeing him squirm. 

“...You left this.”

Nik held out her cherry red leather jacket, the same one he gave her on her first night in New Orleans. Leah ran her hands down the soft, worn leather, smiling softly. “You really kept this all this time?”

“Well...yeah.” Nik rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Maybe I hoped that you’d come back one day.”

“Well you were right, Mr. Nighthunter.” Leah put the jacket on, relishing in the familiarity of the cool leather and smell of the bayou. “How do I look?”

Nik smiled brightly. “Like it was made for you, Ms. Nighthunter.”

She sidled up to the driver’s side of the car mischievously. “Awesome, now get in.”

“Wait, what? Who said you were driving?”

“You got shot in the leg! I need to take you to the hospital!”

The pair continued to bicker the entire ride to the emergency room, and amidst the chaos Leah grinned; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Everything was different, but maybe it would be okay after all. 

==============================================

A/N: Andddd after almost 4 months (!!!)...I’m back on this series with a real chapter. Thank you so much to whoever has stuck with reading every chapter; this is my first time actually writing a multi-chapter fic. There’s one chapter left before I move on to my next Nightbound series, which is pretty much a sequel to this story and the canon story. I hope you enjoyed this, and I welcome any and all comments!

Tagging: @furiouscloddonutpeanut @nighthunterkatherine @saivilo @samara-rani @god-save-the-keen @xxdangerouscapri15xx @inlovewithrebels

[ernestsinclairs]

The Nominee

Thomas Hunt x MC (Kate)

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From the glossy pages of high fashion magazines and the color splashed sites of paparazzi blogs, the Oscars still held their glamour. Those printed out magazine pictures had been carefully cut out and pasted over painted bedroom walls so many years ago. Kate herself had traced her fingers over countless curling edges for years, picking at certain prizes clenched in triumphant hands, re-taping that favorite red gown over and over.

Now, as she adjusted her own scarlet gown as she sat in the seats of the Oscars. Perhaps it wasn’t all she’d thought it was all out to be.

It was less excitement and more acceptance of the results everyone was expecting. Steven Spielberg walked away with yet another Oscar for the Best Picture, with Guillermo del Toro dragging himself behind with yet another movie about a romanced fish. Hans Zimmer lifted another golden statuette for a soundtrack. And if god be willing, this next category would also go to the same one everyone had predicted.

“And the Oscar for Best Director at the 93rd Academy Awards goes to . . .”

The audience held its breath, but Kate didn’t bother, even as Kevin Hart took an exaggeratedly long pause from the front row. Everyone, from the east coast to the west, knew who the winner would be. Still, it did nothing to quell the little burst of pride in her chest.

“Thomas Hunt!”

The entire theatre burst into a cacophony of cheers and raucous applause as rows upon rows of celebrities rose up in celebration. They would have to catch up to her first, Kate smirked, as her own feet rose out of her chair. 

She watched his tall frame appear by the stage, climbing those hallowed steps that so many others had wished to walk. This would be their fifth or so little golden statue of his gracing the shelves of their home. Soon enough, it’d be a new world record.

“Ahem, thank you,” Thomas said curtly as he lightly tapped the microphone. “Thank you all for your support.”

“Speech!” a shout rang out from the crowd. Judging from the laughter around him, it was probably Kevin Hart. Again.

“I’m getting there, Kevin.”

More laughter.

The cavernous theatre finally fell silent save for a few coughs here and there. Thomas Hunt stood over it all, looking rather nonchalant about the suddenly awkward silence. He seemed to bask in it, revel in it. Of course, Kate though. He must have planned all this.

“First off, I would like to thank the illustrious cast and crew of Madame Butterfly. It has been a true honor to work with you and bring this vision to light. This award is as yours as it is mine.”

More applause and a couple of whistles followed. Again, they died down as soon as his face soured again.

“Second off, I’d like to thank the same person who’s stood by my side through, not just this one movie, but all the ones before it.”

The cameras zoomed in, and Kate held her breath, knowing all too well that the replays of his face and the softening of his eyes would be all over Twitter before the night’s end. It wouldn’t be inaccurate if it went viral - his eyes did in fact soften, in the way it did when he looked at her after long nights of rewrites and coffee, the way it did when he twirled her around in every gown she debuted in front of him for some fancy gala. 

“I’d like to thank my wife, Kate,” Thomas continued, dark eyes lifting its gaze from beyond the front row and to the table where she sat primly. “I’m sure many of you know her already, but few know of the immense support she’s given me.”

A brief pause followed.

“Not many of you knew this, but before this movie, I was running on empty. For the first time since I could remember, I couldn’t find even a shred of motivation to do what I thought I loved. I could barely even find a bit of imagination to try and turn something back into a movie like I’d been doing for years.”

A heavy breath.

“And for that, I have to turn to Kate. She was instrumental in the making of this movie, and more importantly, in the making of myself. I suppose the momentum I’d gathered up years earlier had dried out and I didn’t realize it until she waltzed into my life. She was the one who guided me across this entire endeavor, and she was the one who we should be thanking tonight. This Oscar is more hers than mine.”

Cheers began to erupt from the front row before quickly dying down again as Thomas took a moment not to stare at the adulations of the crowd, but keep those dark eyes trained on her.

A breath hitched in Kate’s throat. This was nothing new, those piercing gazes, but they had usually been in the safe confines of their bed or during late night brainstorming sessions surrounded by latte cups and pens that had run out of ink hours ago. Now, it was in front of hundreds, thousands if you counted all those tuning in from behind their screens.

“I love you, Kate.”

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@harrington-sinclaire @anxiousdepressedintrovert @curiouslittlefreak @alj4890 @livinthechoiceslife @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @alleksa16 @greywitchyshots @thcmashvnt @hopelessromantic1352 @sibella-plays-choices @kay-teachoices @valiantlychaoticbarbarian @choicesmakemychoices

[hwu-adventures-blog]

There Are Worse Things I Could Do:

A/N: So this came about after I posted a theory (?) post about why the HWU MC isn’t mentioned or seen in the RCD, and upon coming to the probable conclusion she was Chris’ wife mentioned in book 2, I had to think up of a possible reason why my MC and Hunt’s relationship could have ended and this was the result. Enjoy.

Pairings: Matt Rodriguez x MC, past!Thomas Hunt x HWU!MC, Chris Winters x HWU!MC

Type: crossover (Red Carpet Diaries and Hollywood U)

Description: After the events of RCD 3, the gang (plus Addison and Ethan), are meeting up with Chris Winters on the restaurant lot of the set of his new movie, but Hunt has a bit of a crisis when Chris’ wife turns up and they haven’t spoken in a while.

There Are Worse Things I Could Do:

Being in Hollywood meant that you often ran into the unexpected, and that’s a fact of the job. Thomas Hunt had dealt with unexpected, he’d dealt with the impossible, he’d dealt with Hollywood happy endings and tragic endings. What he hadn’t expected was that he’d have to face the most unexpected thing on a Tuesday afternoon whilst out with his friends.

After Alice and Matt’s wedding and two week Honeymoon, the gang were all sat down for a get together at some 1950’s style American diner. Chris Winters had been filming a film on the lot that it was in and the gang had decided to come up and see how production was going and catch up and that was fine, Thomas liked Chris, they were good friends, and he was perfectly happy to see his friends but what he was not expecting was to face his past again. But then he really should have expected it considering it came in the form of Chris’ wife.

“-It was honestly the best thing I’ve ever eaten” Alice explained to the group about one of the foods she’d tried on her honeymoon

“sounds like you had a honeymoon that could have rivalled Chris’” Addison Sinclair smiled at the couple and Thomas felt a slight sting of something in his chest when she did.

“Oh really? What did you do or your honeymoon Chris?” Alice asked curiously

“I don’t really like to boast” Chris said

“Oh please, you never tell us anything about what yours was like and as the only other person in the room with a story like that you have to give us some details” Victoria said

“I thought everyone knew it by now”

“I don’t” Alice said

“I took my wife to every place that held significance to our relationship, Italy, Thailand, Paris, even Blitz, where we first met”

“Sounds romantic”

“It was, she certainly enjoyed herself”

“I’m sure she did” Alice said

“But like I said, it was a few years ago and I don’t like to boast about it”

“I should have done that” Matt said thinking long and hard about their honeymoon

“I wouldn’t have changed it for the world” Alice smiled before leaning up to kiss his cheek, before she turned to Thomas.

“So, Thomas, as the eldest member of our group have you gotten anyone special yet?” Alice teased

“No, and I don’t want to, that ship has sailed”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone eventually” Teja said to him

“I did a long time ago, and I‘d rather not go into it” he replied looking directly at Chris, Ethan and Addison as he did so.

“It’s alright, we’ll drop it” Alice said

“Talk about dropping the subject, look who just walked in” Addison nearly squealed excitedly, Thomas looked to the door, and froze, Chris’ wife, and Addison’s best friend had just arrived and was heading this way, and he suddenly felt the desperate need to run

“I need to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back”

“But you went to it twenty minutes ago”

Hunt ignored Teja’s logic and went ahead with it anyway, heading in the direction of the toilets without another word. swinging the door open, he immediately stood facing the mirrors he took a few deep breaths, he couldn’t face her, not in a non-professional way anyway, not after what he did.

The door swung open and to his suprise, Alice walked in, looking very concerned for her friend

“You are aware this is the men’s” he raised an eyebrow at the young actress.

“I’m perfectly aware of that but nobody’s going to enter now”

“Shouldn’t you be with Matt? Talking to Chris and his wife and the others about stuff like, plans for the future, what parties to go to next, movie projects” He said bluntly

“My husband can wait, I think friends who need comforting are more important”

“I don’t need comforting, I needed some quiet”

Alice folded her arms at the older man, not falling for his excuse. “Oh yeah and you chose that you moment to do that when Chris’ wife showed up?”

“That’s not-“

“What don’t you like her or something?”

“No I like her, tolerate her, it’s just we haven’t seen each other in over two years”

“So? That’s good right? I don’t have to tell you that that’s not a reason for disappearing”

Thomas sighed in frustration

“I’m guessing you’re not going to drop it”

“No”

Thomas took another deep breath before answering.

“I found my someone, a long time ago, and I just never expected I’d have to face her in a social situation so soon”

Alice’s eyes went wide with realisation

“You and Mrs Winters were a thing?”

“We were, Maddie and I, we were a thing. she was in her first year at Hollywood U, I was a tenured professor” He explained

“But isn’t that going against university bi-laws?”

“It was, yes, in fact I kept pushing her away at first, whatever my feelings were towards her didn’t matter, or couldn’t happen, but stubborn as she is, she persisted with her goal of- well whatever it was, and eventually I gave in and gave us a shot. And we had our moment of when we thought it would end, Catalina island for one, and when the board found out about our relationship, but everything worked out, and we felt like we could do anything together” Thomas closed his eyes, a smile managing to appear on his face for a brief second as he recounted the tale. “I- I even got round to proposing to her, if you could imagine that, whilst watching the sun rise, on the hood of my car- the most romantic thing I could think of at the time”

“You sounded happy, so how’d she end up with Chris? Don’t tell me she rejected your proposal”

Thomas shook his head “quite the opposite, actually” the smile still there and Alice could tell he was remembering the event as if it was happening again, and she could imagine him doing it, m on the hood of his car, probably drinking a thermos of coffee, watching the sun rise with the girl of his dreams before proposing with a ring no doubt was fit for a princess. But then his smile wavered a little as he was remembering what happened next and Alice knew it was bad.

“Officially, the story is that it just wasn’t working, that was what was reported in the magazines” he said looking seriously at her “unofficially though, the real reason, was my fault”

Alice was now clearly curious about how he could single handedly ruin a amazing relationship that he’d risked so much for, so, he continued

“We were happy, things were looking up, she’d met my family, and I’d met hers, and they all seemed to approve, but it all started when I received a message from Maddie’s mom, informing me I couldn’t marry her daughter”

It was a quiet evening when the visit from Hell happened, Maddie was out with Addison for a girls night (That was probably just an excuse for those two to go browse wedding stuff) and Thomas was sat at his computer as usual taking the opportunity to do some marking, and maybe, if he had time he’d continue looking through venue options for the reception. Thomas felt actually content for the first time in a long time, he was happy, properly happy and literally nothing could get in the way of his relationship with Maddie, his happily ever after, so to speak. Nothing.

The knock on the door signalled the end of that feeling. He knew he should have ignored the sound, he didn’t even know why he’d opened it in the first place, but when he did he had a feeling of dread immediately wash over him as me stared at the tall, blonde haired woman in his doorway.

“hello Thomas”

“Ruby. what do you want?”

“Is my daughter in?”

“No, she’s not”

The woman at the door pushed him aside with a sickly smile as she strutted into the house.

“good”

Maddie’s mother was a woman of high repute, mostly due to the family she belonged to, from the highest of the Hollywood elite, a well respected and good willed family, however this woman was the opposite, she was the definition of a Hollywood snob, always looking down on everyone, and that meant everyone, especially her daughter. She’d had Maddie at 18, and had viewed her as a burden ever since and their relationship despite efforts from Maddie to build it, has remained strained at best. This was certainly not going to end well.

“I’m not here to see the brat. I’m here to see you”

Now that took Thomas off guard

“Well, I don’t really want to speak to you but I’m only doing it for Maddie’s sake”

“Good man” Ruby said helping herself to a glass of wine from the dining table Thomas’ jaw clenched in annoyance at this woman’s etiquette

“how’s the wedding going?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“I’m your future mother in law”

“It’s fine”

“Good, good, it’s just a shame it can’t happen”

“I’m sorry?” His eyes narrowed at his future mother in law

“Your wedding can’t happen. It produces negative press, and Maddie needs someone who will make it positive”

“We’re getting married whatever your opinion is or what the press says” he stood his ground. Of course she had an ulterior motive of this visit, it made Thomas sick to the stomach.

“Even if it hurts Maddie’s career?”

“It won’t hurt her career”

“Oh believe me, it will, once I get my hands on that paper, editor in chief can do whatever she likes, some secrets could be let spilled, rumours could start, awful ones too”

“I wouldn’t let that happen”

Ruby cocked her eyebrow at Hunt “really? Not even the great Thomas Hunt could stop the entire press. What if a secret got out, say that she’s addicted to diazepam”

“She takes duloxetine for her anxiety, not diazepam and you know that she’s not addicted to any medication at all, those rumours wouldn’t stand”

“It would if the press twisted it to say she was severely hooked on diazepam pills, her career would be over in a flash” she smiled “that’s all, I’ll give you twenty four hours to end the relationship or damn her to a fate of never finding a job and ending her career” she put the glass down and walked back to the door “thanks for the wine”

Thomas shut the door behind her before she could get another word in . He couldn’t end it could he? It would break her heart if he did and he knew that if he tried anything Ruby would twist it and end both their careers. Maddie’s was more at stake though. What should he do? He couldn’t let Maddie’s career suffer and he knew from first hand experience what it’s like to be on the wrong side of Ruby Turner-Jenkins. He had no choice but to do what she says. Even if it hurts both of them, he had no choice but to end it. For Maddie’s sake.

“That’s why?” Alice looked stunned at the revelation “you felt you both were going to lose that battle”

“Her career was at stake, I couldn’t go to anyone for help, her mother knew that if I tried anything she’d ruin her daughter anyway. Maddie was distraught when I ended it that night, said I just couldn’t do this anymore, because I was holding her back, I just couldn’t tell her the truth. she moved out that night. Thankfully, she had friends she could turn to, mainly Ethan, Addison and Chris. Soon after they started dating and got married, I was invited but I just - couldn’t stomach it” he said

“There are worse things you could do”

“Breaking up with her was the worst thing I could do”

“Do you regret it?”

“What?”

“Do you regret it, breaking up with her?”’

“Of course I do! But she’s married now”

“So? Tell her the truth”

“And wreck her marriage? Her family life? I can’t change the past!”

“Of course not, but don’t you think she deserves closure?”

He considered it for a while

“I do”

“Well come on, before my husband gets worried about us and comes looking, besides making up after a break up, what’s the worst that can happen?” Alice smiled holding the door open for him. They strolled out into the restaurant and back to the table, where the group were sat as if waiting for something

“I found him” Alice smiled

“Good, now Maddie’s at the bar, go up and apologise to her” Chris smiled “seriously, I can’t bare the fact she intentionally avoids you during boys nights anymore!” He pointed out encouraging him to go, Thomas looked at Alice “go on” she mouthed Thomas turned and with serious look on his face approached the bar, just as Maddie turned around with her drink and spilt it all over his suit.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry-“

“Watch where you’re going!”

The brown haired woman looked up when she heard the voice, “Hunt” she nodded at him

“Maddie”

Awkward silence.

“I saw ‘Catastrophe’, you were... acceptable in that”

“Rare compliment coming from the guy who broke up with me because it wasn’t working”

“Holding a grudge against me, you really haven’t matured much”

“Excuse me, mr moping about because of a relationship gone wrong”

There was another awkward pause but then Maddie burst out laughing, a sound Hunt had missed quite a bit.

“Dear god I’ve missed messing with you”

“You’re not mad at me for the break up?”

“No, it was three years ago!“

“Well, then Maddie I have something to confess, and I know it’s not going to change anything because you’re married to Chris now and have a family now but I didn’t really break up because I was holding you back, it-“

“-It was because my mum forced you to do it or she’d end my career”

“How did-“

“I know?” Maddie smirked at him “contrary to your beliefs, Professor, I am smarter than I look. And my mum tried to do the same thing to Chris, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to do the same thing to you also I may have to factor in the fact I’m still friends with Rachel so she may have mentioned something”

“Why am I not surprised by that. But you should be mad at me for giving up on us”

“yeah but I’m not, you did what was right, and in a way, you were right, without that, I wouldn’t have what I have now, Chris, a staring role in a famous film franchise and I wouldn’t have baby Daniel”

“Maddie I-“

“I know. You don’t have to say it. I know it won’t change anything but, I love you too, and Chris knows that I will always love him and I do, but he also knows that I’ll never stop loving you the way I did at uni.” Maddie smiled brightly at him

“obviously, but where does that leave us? Acquaintances? Colleagues? Just ex’s-“

“We could try friends?”

“Friends?”

“Yeah what else are we going to be? I mean it’s okay if you don’t want to-“

“Friends is good. I could work with that” Thomas smiled

“Well then, as your friend, I demand a hug”

“No-“

“Come here”

“Maddie”

“Thomas”

Maddie stepped towards the director and wrapped her arms around him in a hug which he reluctantly returned before she pulled away. “Hey nice beard by the way”

“Thanks?”

“Is it your midlife crisis?” she teased “or just a sign that you’re getting old?”

Thomas had to suppress a smile at the familiarity the banter between them, ‘I’ve missed this endless teasing’ he thought. It was just like it used to be in the lecture hall during her first year.

“Hey Hunt you’d better not be hitting on my wife” Chris called from the table teasingly as they pulled away

“I wouldn’t put it past him, your wife is hot” Maddie replied to Chris, teasing back, but who exactly she was teasing, they wasn’t sure.

“I’ll go get you a new drink, since you spilt your last one all over my suit”

“Sorry again, for that” she apologised “oh I was just to just get some water but since you’re paying I’ll have a whiskey” before she headed over to the table where the rest of the group were sat. Thomas smiled. He’d really had nothing to worry about facing his past relationship with Maddie and how it ended and maybe, Maddie could become something more than just his ex-student or girlfriend. Perhaps, just perhaps, this was going to be the start of a brilliant friendship. After all, Alice was right. there were worse things he could do. And making up certainly wasn’t one of them.

A/N: I couldn’t just leave it with my pixelberry OTP not making up in some way or another, even if they don’t get back together. (I was kind of listening to La La land’s epilogue whist writing it and got inspired, I may hate the film but I do like three of the music peices in the film, Lovely Night, The Audition (Fools Who Dream) and Epilogue) and yes, in my head, Hunt and Maddie still have feelings for each other but they know that ship has sailed and they can’t go back to that. Also I didn’t go into detail about the actual break up but let’s just say it was a little bit too heartbreaking for Maddie to the point where she didn’t go to lectures for two weeks after and Hunt didn’t exactly get over it quickly. Oh yeah and I named Chris and his wife’s baby Daniel because it sounded good and I don’t think we get a name in the series.

[fal-carrington]

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Pairing: Victoria x Mc

Gender: Slightly Angst/heartbreaking filled with romance

A/N: Hi everybody, today I was inspired and I decided to write this. The idea popped into my mind as I was replaying the last chapter of RCD's book 2 when Victoria admits being in love with MC, and MC alternately rejects her, so Victoria says "Don’t say anything else please. If you get there... Amazing. If you don’t... I still think having you in my life has been for the best”

Prompt: Falling in love with your best friend and seeing her date someone else can be painful, especially when you do not admit your feelings to her for fear of losing her and being rejected. That was what Victoria thought, but that was before her agent called with an unexpected offer. When Victoria and Kat have to act as lovers in Thomas Hunt's new series, things can turn out to be disastrous, would Victoria finally admit the truth when she's about to kiss her best friend for the first time on a TV show? Somebody is going to get out of this with a broken heart?

"So what do you think Victoria? I mean, it's a great opportunity and you were saying a few years ago that you wanted to reinvent yourself. That may be the perfect moment." Rachel, her agent was looking at her waiting for a response from the diva. Victoria stared at the script with no expression on her face. She knew perfectly well that this was a great opportunity, many famous names in Hollywood would be in that show, Hunt was the director, that had everything to succeed and be a glorious, but what she did not expect was who would be her co-star. Kat.

"You know very well that I don’t do TV shows, Rachel." Victoria left the script on the coffee table, turning her eyes to her garden, feeling the cool wind hit her face. Her agent took a sip of coffee with an expression Victoria knew well. She would not take an no so easily.

"That role is perfect for you and you know it. I honestly do not know what the problem is in accepting." Rachel groaned again, waiting for a true answer from the diva. "Is this because of Katherine?" Rachel narrowed her eyes. Victoria sighed.

"She is my best friend. She has nothing to do with my refusal,” Victoria lied, swallowing dry, distractedly stirring her croissant on her plate.

"You're a great actress, but I know you're lying." Rachel pointed. "Are you still having that unprofessional tension on the set? I thought that had been solved in Tender Nothings."

"And it was! We get along really well, I love being around her, we talk about everything, we spend most of our time together. She's a good friend,” Victoria said feeling the words run down her throat like acid. Referring to the person she was in love with as a friend was perhaps as bad as being rejected by her.

Rachel stared at her for a few moments before taking her coffee.

"So it happened, huh? I was wondering how long it would take to happen," Rachel said casually.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and her. You fell in love with her. Who would say, honestly I'm not surprised at all. I do not know how the media has not yet realized this tension between you two"

"Oh, please." Victoria rolled her eyes.

"It's true, huh? Tell me how long you've noticed” Rachel leaned back in Victoria's summer chair and looked at her with a triumphant smile.

Victoria sighed. She knew she would not escape that conversation even if she tried. The best thing would be to open the game for her agent and stop denying it at once.

"Since she visited me in New York. Before the recordings of The Last Duchess begin,” She admitted. “... And she show up at The Godmother premiere.”

"And you never opened the game for her? Has nothing ever happened between you both?”

"No, never. And besides, she's dating Matt.” She sighed heavily, feeling the weight of those words. "Why would I say anything? I do not want to ruin our friendship. She clearly doesn’t feel the same and I dont even know if she’s into girls.”

“You never asked?”

“No!”

"So you're afraid of rejection."

"Oh, for god's sake. Enough talking about Katherine.” She rolled her eyes. But deep down inside, she knew that Rachel was right and with that came the memory of last night in her mind.

Victoria was coming down through her Pictagram feed, smiling gratefully at the thousands of likes that popped up in her newest photo. She liked a photo that Teja had excitedly posted from her new chair of director of the film she was directing, Victoria's eyes went down to the end of the screen immediately to the unexpected photo posted a few seconds ago. It had been posted 10 seconds and there were already a thousand likes.

"Night out with bae! Love you.”

Her eyes lingered on the photo for a few moments. Until her fingers went automatically and without her permission to give like in the photo.

It was a picture of Kat with Matt. Both were hugging and smiling, sitting in a booth couch at Vertigo's. Kat was as beautiful as ever, the flash had made a beautiful contrast in her blue eyes. Victoria swallowed hard looking at the photo of the new Hollywood couple. It had been a huge bang when they both took over the relationship, gave in all the magazines and newspapers. Both were in innumerable interviews and the cover of the magazines, she lost her account of the photoshoots they did together. Leland and Candy always demanded new interviews to see them again, just as the paparazzi pursued them in the streets. She wanted to hate Matt.

She wanted to hate him with all her strength, but she could not. Matt was a good person and a good boy, and he was certainly making Kat happy. He probably was a good boyfriend too, he was going in all the fashion shows that Kat participated as a model, she knew perfectly well that he was going, because she also went in all. He had been with her on all her travels, and had been with her almost all her tours, since she had decided to invest in the music career dropping her first album, making a huge success.

He was with the person she wanted to be, the person she had fallen in love with. Her girl, her best friend. But she understood or she tried at least, Matt was young. Both were, and it was undeniable that both could not take their eyes off each other during the entire Tender Nothings recording, Victoria would like to say that she was surprised when Kat came to tell her the news, but she was not.

"I'm not going to lie, it fucking hurts," Victoria murmured softly to herself. She had never told Kat what she felt, but what was the point of doing this? She would only be rejected. She remembered perfectly the tough beginning of their friendship, how she had been rude and cruel to Kat, until she truly knew the girl and realized she was a good person. End up liking her without even realizing what was happening, what was a rivalry became a friendship... And the friendship became love. She never expected to fall in love with her best friend. She'd known Kat for four years, and she had not expected to be so attached to her. She needed her and couldn’t imagine her life without her best friend. Maybe the universe has a sick sense of humor after all.

"... And It's kind of hard to put aside when we're going to have to play as lovers on this show!" Victoria said, running her hand through her blond hair in frustration.

"I know this complicates things."

"Just to say the least." She sighed.

"You have much to consider. Think about it and try to put this question about Katherine aside. I know you two are best friends, you're in love with her, but you're a complete professional actress. Certainly, I know you can leave your personal problems aside on the set.” Before she could said something else, her cell phone vibrated. "Oh, it's Pippa Majors, I have to pick it up. Think about what I told you and then call me, okay? " She stood up leaving a confused Victoria behind.

21h30pm

Victoria paced back and forth in her bedroom, with Rachel's words in her mind. She knew that accepting the role was a difficult choice, but it was probably the right thing to do.

California's hot air entered the room of the actress porch, causing the curtains to sway. She was too busy in her thoughts to realize that her cell phone was vibrating a few seconds ago.

"Oh, fuck," she said to herself and took him in her hands. She bit her own lips, cursing herself when she saw the name and the picture on the screen.

Kat. She watched for mere seconds to Kat’s dork photo and she answered.

"Katherine, what can I do for you?"

"Hey, you." Kat laughed on the other end of the line. "You're not busy right now, right? You can talk?"

"Sure. What's it?"

"So I was talking to Chazz this morning and Hunt came up with this incredible new series offering he's producing, so he mentioned that he offered it to you as well. So of course I got the script, and I was wondering if you already accepted it.”

 "Well, I'm still thinking about. I'm not much of a type making series."

"Oh, come on Vic. It'll be great, you'll love it! "

"I'm not so sure about that."

"What's the problem?"

"Nothing. It's just... It's not my style."

"It's never too late to change." Victoria sighed impatiently.

"I'm thinking about it, okay? I know this is a great opportunity, but I still do not know."

"I'll be there. Let's act together like we did in the past. Tender Nothing’s was great and you know it."

"Yeah... I'm aware of that."

"... And we can see each other everyday. It's been a long time since we've been out, I've been busy and so have you. I have not known what it's like to see you for months. This project will be great for us "

"I'm sure Matt fills my seat." Kat laughed.

"You are my best friend. Do not get me wrong, I love Matt, but he's not you." A smile grew on Victoria's lips at those words.

"Grow up, Kat." Victoria rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, do not be mean."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right. Maybe it's good."

"Look, you're already agreeing."

"You're so biased." Victoria laughed and sighed. "Okay fine. I'll talk to my agent."

"Finally! Thank you, Vic."

"Do not thank me, I'll get paid for it." Kat laughed in response. "So ... Uh. Do you have plans for tomorrow? I'm free, and if you want to have coffee or something..." Victoria bit her lip anxiously.

"Sure thing. We can catch up. I have plenty things to tell you."

"Alright. See you tomorrow."

"See ya." She hung up and swallowed dry looking of her cell phone. Until her fingers automatically went up to her agent's name in her agenda and soon the phone was already dialing.

"Victoria?"

"Hey, Rach. I was thinking about the paper... And I decided to accept it."

"That’s great. What made you change your mind?"

"Kat did."

Saint Monica, Malibu 15h30pm 

Victoria was staring at her coffee in her hands, watching people passing by, people looking over her shoulder and taking pictures of her with flash and the paparazzi doing a terrible job of hiding themselves at the tables. She rolled her eyes. As the cafeteria door opened and Kat emerged, a smile lit up her face involuntarily. She looked gorgeous in that white summer dress, her honey-colored hair loose and her blue eyes vibrant. She smiled back when she saw Victoria, walking to her table.

"Hey, Vic." She hugged her.

"Hey Kat," Victoria sighed, patting her back slightly.

"I feel like I have not seen you for decades! You've been so busy lately.” Kat laughed as she sat beside Victoria.

"Oh, shut up. It's you who's been traveling all the time,” Victoria said and Kat chuckled.

"I know, things are going crazy these days. But I'm so happy to see my best friend again." Kat touched Victoria's hand on the table, taking one look from Victoria to the pair of hands together. "I missed you."

"Yeah... Me too. So ... How's it going with Matt?" Victoria scratched her throat trying to distract herself from the scene.

“Like always. He's recording his new movie in London and I'm getting new work in mind now."

"Hunt's new series," Victoria concluded.

"I'm so excited about this. It will be wonderful, all the scenery that goes, the forbidden romance ... All the crime and the action scenes. And of course, I'm excited to see the guys, Chris, Holly, and I was told Pippa's going to be in the movie. Are you excited to see her?’” Kat took a sip of her coffee.

"Who?" Victoria frowned.

"Pippa." Kat shrugged.

"Why would I be?" Victoria looked at her blankly.

"I remembered the chemistry between the two of you that day at the party at her house. You seemed very interested."

"That was... Nothing." Victoria dismissed it with one hand.

"Oh... okay. Well, anyway, The fact that we're going to star together as lovers is awesome. I’m so excited, I mean, you're a great mentor and my best friend, I feel like we're going to do a great job."

"Oh, yeah." Victoria chose the words carefully. Watching the big dimpled smile on Kat's face. "Well, what can I say... Two hot women as a couple on a tv series? This series is already ours.”

“That’s the spirit!” Kat grinned.

“What can get wrong?" Victoria muttered to herself.

[anxiousdepressedintrovert]

20 Questions Writing Tag

Respond to the following writing questions and tag me in your response! I look forward to hearing your answers as I’ve always been curious about these!

I was tagged by @writinghereandthere sorry it took so long to respond to this. I lost it in my notifications. 

1) When/what age did start writing?

I was in middle school when I started.

2) What inspired you to start?

I had just read Twilight and thought “Well if she can do it why can’t I?”

3) Where and when does inspiration usually strike you?

3 am and a particular sentence will interrupt my dream or wake me and I’m like “I have to write that down” I’ve written whole chapters like that. 

4) Where and when do you usually write? Morning? Late at night? On the bus? In bed?

In bed. Middle of the night is when I do my best work. 

5) Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what genre/playlist?

Classical!

6) Which category do you like best? Angst? Fluff? NSFW? Other?

I like a mix a fluff, NSFW and slice of life. I’m very much into the domestic life. 

7) Which category do you find most challenging to write?

NSFW. I have a very dirty mind but not much experience. Porn scares me, so I usually end up looking up the Kama Sutra online. Which is how Making Changes came to be. 

8) If you had to pick your favorite Choices book, which one would it be and why?

Pick for what? And out of all of them? I’m gonna have to go with Endless Summer. 

9) If your Choices LIs were real, which one (and only one) would you personally want to be with?

Liam. Asian Liam preferred but either one. There’s something about a man who will go down on you in a crowded opera house one moment but at the same time blush when you call him cute that is so appealing.  

10) Do you share any physical characteristics with your Choices MCs? Pics/Selfies optional 😊

Uh....I have dreads like my ATV MC. That’s about it....

11) Which MC do you share the most personality traits with?

Oh um....I’m the mom friend. But not to the extent that the Senior MC is. I’m that friend that’ll still be like “I told you so” but I’d help the fix it. I’m the perpetual DD. 

12) Which Choices character do you feel you have the best grasp of in terms of personality?

Sloane! I am Sloane. Sloane is me. Except I am not a computer/tech genius. I’ve got the awkward nerdy glasses wearing Black girl thing down though. 

13) What’s your favorite Choices pairing to write for?

Sinclaire and Angelina. Not just cause I’ve written for them the most but because I love the sullen and bubbly trope. 

14) What is a pairing(s) you hope to start writing for?

MC X Sol if we ever get more background for ATV

Annabelle X OC cause she deserves the world even if Angelina is spoken for. 

15) What do you hope to improve in your writing?

My characterization. 

16) Any pet peeves related to writing?

WRITER’S BLOCK!!!!! Though, to be fair, I haven’t been getting it as much recently. Because I’ve had other things to keep me busy. 

17) Are you inspired by any IRL experiences when you write? Care to share?

Not really. Most of the universes I write in aren’t relatable or wouldn’t translate well. 

18) Is there any particular piece of work you consider to be your ultimate writing goal? Something so amazing you hope one day you’ll be up to that standard?

Within the fandom? I really love @hellospunkiebrewster‘s work and a few others I can’t think of off the top of my head I’m sorry guys. 

Professionally? there’s so many I don’t have the space to list them all. 

19) Did/do you write for any other fandoms? If so which ones?

I write for the Lovestruck fandom on tumblr and a few other fandoms on Fanfiction.net.

20) In your spare time (when you’re not writing) what other hobbies do you pursue?

I read and work on my personal writing. I’m also still in University and spend most of my spare time either sleeping, eating, crying or working on lesson plans.

I’m tagging 

@boneandfur @flyawayboo @cocomaxley @coruscaret 

Sorry if you’ve already been tagged. If you don’t wanna play, no biggy. 

[angstymarshmallow]

Simply Between Us Part 8 (Thomas Hunt x MC) NS*W

[A little note: It’s been awhile since I’ve written any smut. There’s a whole mix of angst, fluff and smut - all for your reading pleasure. Thanks for reading, this part is LONG].

[Words Counted: 6600]

Her lungs are burning, as if they’re on fire at the short bursts it takes for her to reach the flight of stairs. Down she goes, one floor at a time until her feet fumble against the fourth-floor landing. She takes a moment to catch her breath, to stop herself from falling before she’s off again. But hasn’t she already fallen? Down the rabbit hole of love? Down so deep that there’s no hope of digging herself out?

She shouldn’t be running. Apart of her knows that. Running isn’t going to solve her problem - their problem, but she can’t stop. She doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to until she’s in control again. Until the mere thought of them together doesn’t make her want to hurl herself off her balcony.

It’s a good thing she’d taken the stairs. The stairs help her feel more grounded in a way, as her legs start to ache - the stairs take center focus. They sharpen her awareness of a different kind of pain.

She presses her palm against the last stairwell door, steeling herself for a breath. Stealing another moment as her lungs threaten to collapse in on each other.

She should really take up running as a hobby.

Her breath returning to normal, Tatum pushes past the stainless-steel doors and the wind greets her with a harsh shove. She nearly stumbles but manages to catch herself at the last possible second.

The wind picks up again and she shivers slightly at the change in speed. The cold is a welcome distraction.

It’s good to feel something, something other than her heart breaking in two.

It doesn’t register at first that it’s raining as her flats touches solid pavement. But all too soon it’s pouring enough for her clothes to soak. She tightens the lapels of her jacket before shoving her hands roughly inside her pockets, still running despite the freezing rain.

At her side, Tatum feels a distinct vibration resonating inside her jeans pocket. A part of her itches to reach for her phone but having a funny feeling that it’s him calling, she ignores it. At least for now. At least until she’s finally in control again.

-

It’s a little past twenty minutes since Tatum’s left home that she decides to stop, or rather her body stops for her and she finds herself digging for a pair of shades as she enters the first quaint café she’s able to find. She doesn’t know much outside of her neighborhood, only there’s a chain of Starbucks no matter where she goes. And begrudgingly, she has to admit she comes here a lot to decompress when her days are long and unforgiving.

Taking a seat near the fireplace, she tilts her head back and closes her eyes. She listens to the sound of her own breaths, in and out – slowing them long enough for her heart to finally stop its incessant pounding.

Her legs ache. There’s still a heaviness inside her chest that reminds her of how terribly unathletic she is. Stretching her legs, she opens her eyes to stand – only this time she’s more resilient. She feels more like herself again and she swears she won’t be falling apart any time soon.

Inhaling deeply, it’s finally sinking in where she is; that she’s ran away from her home because she didn’t feel in control, because she didn’t feel safe. But she feels safe here with the constant buzz of people around her. With the sweet aroma of blended teas. It’s all intoxicating in away because it forces her mind here. In the present.

Although Tatum lifts her gaze to scan the menu after reaching the front of the line, she knows she’ll end up ordering the same thing. It’s a ritual at this point and without thinking she gets a second cup of coffee this time -black before realizing with a jolt that it’s for Thomas.

Damn.

Even without him present, Thomas Hunt still manages to stay on her mind. To stay in places where he shouldn’t be.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Tatum waits patiently across the other side of the line – still half-tempted to check her phone. You shouldn’t shut him out Tate. Some part of her reasons – the ever-rational part that should have stopped her from running. Not at least without giving him a chance to explain.

It’s easier said than done. She’s still too conflicted to make a decision. Although she does manage with trembling hands to retrieve her phone, a minute passes by before Tatum swipes to unlock it and blinks in alarm at the several calls she’s missed. They are all from him.

Even more alarming are the series of texts. Almost all of them within three minutes of each other.

Tatum, I know Priya paid you a visit. Please let me explain.

I think if we could just talk.

Are you ignoring me?

I thought we were beginning a new chapter in our lives. If you could just answer one of my calls.

Tatum, please.

Her heart flutters inside her chest and for a moment she’s torn between guilt and mild satisfaction that he’s reached out to her. It weighs though, presses heavily on her conscience – should this make her happy? Does she have anything to feel guilty for?

The most pertinent questions almost burn a hole through the rest. Should I call him back?

Her fingers hover across the button but she doesn’t press it. There are still things lingering in her mind. Things that still nag her and Priya’s words suddenly fills the empty silence from waiting.

“Mint Majesty for Tate?”

The intrusion causes Tatum to quickly slide her phone back into her pockets before she offers the server a smile. “That’s for me, thanks.” Taking her warm beverage, she turns and makes a beeline to a table – secluded enough and at nearly the back of the café for her to think she won’t be disturbed.

Taking her shades off, she rubs the bridge of her noes again. What am I doing?

She takes a small sip of her tea before turning her gaze to the window.

She makes out the sound of pitter patter against the glass as she takes another sip of her tea. It’s still pouring heavily and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of it stopping anytime soon. The traffic seems just as terrible as it did when she’d awoken this afternoon to peer down the street overlooking her balcony. Despite her own troubles, the rest of the world seems more than fine in moving on without her. It almost makes her feel insignificant, sitting here inside a coffeeshop – weighing the options of calling him back.

Maybe she is making this a bigger deal than it is. Except Tatum doesn’t know the right answer, she doesn’t know how closely to the truth Priya was being when she came at her door. She doesn’t know what to believe. It all feels so real, and raw. If it had been anyone else, Tatum would have walked away a long time ago.

But it’s Thomas that still fills her thoughts, still fills her heart. She aches just to reach out to him, to take her phone and tell him how much she loves him. But her pride stops her. She can’t do that to herself again, not yet.

She’s still fighting to keep control.

She sighs, propping up a hand to her chin as she mulls through her thoughts. Perhaps, she’s been too hasty. She should have at least left a note. Hadn’t she convinced herself countless of times that this – this will be different – that she wouldn’t let the only man she’s given her entire heart to go without a fight?

Well, so much for fighting for him. Shaking her head sadly, Tatum turns away from the foggy window. After a hesitant beat, she reaches for her phone again and chews on her lower lip at the familiar sign of anxiety swelling inside her chest. Do it. Just do it. She tells herself. Be brave.

Before she’s able to change her mind, she lightly taps the call button and places it by her ear. She squeezes her eyes shut and wait.

It’s barely rang twice before she hears his voice floating through the device and her heart nearly stutters at the sound.

Usually, he sounds remarkably certain and confident – hallmarks of his dominating personality. But as he says her name, its accompanied by a small sigh of relief and Tatum hears a slight crack in his voice that she hadn’t thought possible.

“Tatum.” He says her name quietly. A slight pause. “Are you….are you alright?”

“Yes,” she gnaws on her lower lip. “I’m fine.” Although, fine isn’t the word she should be using but there isn’t any word capable of explaining how she feels. Fine is simple. Fine will just have to do. Other than suddenly feeling tongue-tied, Tatum traces her finger across the brim of her mug.

“Good.” Another pause. She senses how uncertain he is even as he clears his throat. “I…wasn’t sure if you would call me back.”

“To be honest,” she glances back at the window. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.” She confessed. “It’s been…a weird day.”

“I’ve gathered that much, at least.” His laugh is bitter enough to twist something inside her chest. “I..” She hears his sigh. “Where are you?”

Why does it matter? She bites her lip hard to stop herself from retorting. It isn’t like her to be sour and she’s usually far more level headed despite the slight irritation she feels.

“I think…these things would be more appropriate to discuss if we could talk in person.”

“These things?” She echoes sharply. Her brows arch at the word. “If you consider Priya to be a thing to talk about then yes.”

“I’m not…I’m not sure what you mean.” He answers slowly

If it had been anyone else, perhaps they would buy his words. But to her, he sounds deliberately vague, as if he’s biding time. She frowns.

“Tatum?”

“I just want to know the truth Thomas, I think…” She swallows thinly, “I think, I at least deserve that much.”

“Of course. But these things…look – can we meet? Please. You left in such a hurry,” he continues quickly.

He’s rambling and Thomas never rambles. Maybe he’s taking it far harder than she thought.

“And I was worried for you ­– ”

“I’m at Starbucks,” Tatum interjects. She takes a moment to reconsider but then shakes her head. “Just at the end of the block. It’s still raining pretty heavy so I suggest maybe taking a cab.”

“I’ll be there soon.” He promises.

She doesn’t answer, only waits for him to end the call before taking another sip of her tea.

-

Thomas Hunt finds the urge to fidget inside the passenger seat of the cab hard to ignore. Once again, he feels as though time is against him and simply knowing she was just outside of his reach again made him nervous.

When does the chasing stop? When will he get to hold her in his arms again and never let go? The thought makes him feel older, tired. He stuffs his hands inside his jacket pockets and sighs.

He has less than five minutes now. He doesn’t need to check his watch.

As he stares past every passing car, tree and building, he tries to make sense of his thoughts. What to say. How to say it. He doesn’t want to lose her, but he thinks he’s very close to. At least it feels that way.

Firmly shutting his eyes, he breathes slowly in and out to try and calm himself. He’s used to being in control and not feeling as lost as he does now. As though he’s a fisherman lost at sea and the only lighthouse he’s ever known to be home is crumbling right in front of him.

Opening his eyes, Thomas checks the time again.

Only one minute now.

It was now or never and he still hasn’t found the right words to say.

-

As soon as Thomas enters the café, he spots her almost immediately. She’s always been easy to spot with her long and slender legs, and her dark beguiling eyes. He thinks her smile usually does him in, the sight of it could crumble any man.

Except she hadn’t been smiling when she noticed him. She tries some semblance of one as a polite form type of greeting, but Thomas knows it’s a weak attempt on her part to break some of the tension between them.

Without speaking, he settles across from her and blinks in surprise as she pushes a cup of coffee towards him. Perhaps things aren’t as dire as they seem. “Thank you,” he murmurs.

“You’re welcome.”

They sip on their drinks as silence settles once again and Thomas finds it difficult to break it as he gazes tiredly at her.

After some time, he clears his throat and carefully places his half-empty mug on the table. “I suspect you have questions.”

Tatum lifts one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Yes and I was under the impression that you wanted to talk with me.” She points out thinly, her attractive lips dropping into an unusual frown.

“Well you left in such a hurry and I –” No, that isn’t the right thing to say. He knows it’s not because the woman in front of him immediately stiffens and he hates how defensive he sounds the moment he’s uttered the words. This isn’t an argument. This is supposed to be an explanation.

“Priya came at my doorstep today Thomas. I’ve never spoken to the woman before then and she wanted to discuss you.” She tries to think positive and presses her lips into a firm line. “She said some things that…well, troubled me.”

Thomas knows Priya. Or at least he thought he did. Today has made him think otherwise. Now, he can’t imagine what she’s said in his absence. But he at least believes that Tatum’s more than kind enough to mince her words; putting everything rather mildly to whatever she told her.

“I…something happened between us.” He wants to choose his words carefully. He never had any intention of withholding it from her – he simply hoped he had more time. More time to make her understand the mindset he’s been in without her…how lonely it’s been since she left his life. More time to explain that Priya hadn’t been his first choice in a long time.

“So, it’s the true then? All of it?” Tatum responds uncertainly. Her face had fallen a little and she kept her hands to herself. They are safely tucked inside her lap as she struggles to keep eye contact with him.

“I’m not…sure what she told you but,” Thomas doesn’t look away. He can’t. He needs her to see that it meant nothing to him. “I never slept with her. I don’t know if that makes things any easier,” he continues, sighing. “But we did have a few intimate exchanges, I’m a man Tatum.” He sighs, exasperated. “I digress – I was lonely. I craved intimacy and I couldn’t have it with you…Priya…she was just a distraction.” He leans in, closing the space between them and watches with slight disappointment as she flinches and looks away.

He leaves a hand on the table, hoping she’d reach out but she still keeps her hands inside her lap. He leans back but keeps his hand where it is. “Tatum, say something. I need to know what you’re thinking.”

“That doesn’t really make me feel any better.” She says finally, risking a glance at him. “Hearing that…well it hurts.” She says finally, “I know I didn’t expect you not to explore some…unresolved feelings you might have had for her. I would be stupid not to. But I suppose,” she glances down at her hands, biting her lip. “I suppose I didn’t expect for it to hurt so much.” She takes a shaky breath, “I may not necessarily like her but I don’t think anyone should ever be someone else’s second choice. That’s too cruel, even for you Thomas.”

An ache fills Thomas chest at her words. Suddenly, he wants nothing more than to close the distance between them and crush her to his chest. But he doesn’t because that isn’t what she needs. She needs to process and he owes her that much. “I understand,” he says slowly, nodding. “You’re right. It was cruel and I am not trying to excuse my actions…my intentions were deplorable and I will always be deeply sorry that I’ve hurt you.” He takes a ragged breath and runs his fingers through his dishelmed hair.

“But you deserve the truth and the truth is, it wasn’t always a lie with Priya. In the beginning I truly tried to see what a life with her could have been. But even then, some part of me always knew. I was still thinking of you.” His voice softened and Tatum glances up in surprise.

Her heart does a flip and her stomach is suddenly twisted into knots until his eyes darken. And she sees within them, how deep his love for her runs. Her breath catches and she can’t look away.

“I was constantly comparing you two, over and over again. Weighing her every action to something you would have done. I agonized over why I couldn’t stop thinking of you too. Even when we were kissing, I couldn’t stop seeing you. Because of you, Tatum there’s just – there’s,” he struggles to find the right words. “There’s no competition.” He finishes finally, his eyes never wavering from her. “You are the most stunning and intriguing woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Knowing you, being with you has left me changed forever.” He reaches for her hand then and this time she doesn’t pull away. “You are the only person I want to be with it, it was just a shame it took me so long to realize it.”

The tears come and they don’t seem to stop. No matter how many times Tatum tries to wipe them away, they’re still coming cascading down her cheeks followed by the hitch in her breath as she tries to breathe past the slight lump in her throat. Her vision blurs. When she feels his arms, she practically melts into his embrace. He feels so warm, so safe.

She hadn’t heard him stand, but she buries her face into his tailored shirt all the same. A part of her is still hurt, still processing but those feelings are things to work on. Trust goes both ways. Trust has to be built on both sides. She knows that now.

As Tatum feels his breath by her ear – she’s simply elated to have him in her arms again because she’s never felt as safe anywhere else.

“I’m here.” Thomas murmurs softly, sinking his fingers into her hair. He threads his finger through her wavy curls as he feels her shoulders relax.

“I know.” She closes her eyes and listens to his heart, knowing that’s exactly where she’s always wanted to be – where she’s always meant to be. “I’m sorry I stopped believing in you. In us. It’s just I –” she pulls away enough to glance up at him.

“We’ve had a difficult couple of months, haven’t we?” He says as though reading her thoughts.

Tatum snorts as he uses his thumb to wipe her cheeks. “I think that’s the understatement of the year at this point.” She relaxes a fraction when he drops a kiss to her forehead.

“But if it always led me to you. No matter how many times – I would do it again. Just to end up right here.”

“Getting sentimental in your old age, Thomas?” Tatum can’t help but tease. The rest of her playful teasing dies in her throat as a breathtakingly slow smile spreads from ear to ear across his handsome face.

“Maybe. You are my soft side.” He reminds her.

“And simply between us, I believe it.” Tatum grins, looping her arms around his neck.

“I would hope so. It isn’t something I’ve admitted before. No to anyone else. But I would so gladly repeat those words again.” He angles her chin, “just to see you smile.”

Her grin widens before a laugh tickles her throat. “Lucky me then, I suppose.”

This time, Thomas feels the sincerity behind her smile. The same smile that had him enthralled nearly since the moment they met. It burns all the way through what he used to believe as his jaded heart, blossoms at the sight. He cups her cheeks adoringly, planting small kisses across them until she shifts slightly to graze his lips. “I love you.” He pulls away slightly t whisper.

“I love you too, Thomas.” She whispers back, pulling his lips back to meet hers’.

-

A few weeks pass, before Tatum can completely count her lucky stars. Things have gone relatively back to normal – or as normal as they can be considering the upheaval of her life had been in for the last couple months.

Her professional life has been on track since receiving an audition for a new psychological thriller. After reading the script and consulting her agent and Thomas, she’s bent on the decision that this movie could very well be exactly what she needs. A fresh start and something new from the action travesty she’d been a part of and the period piece that she’s still receiving royalties from. Still, it’s a little too early for her to tell but she at least has a good feeling about this one.

Her social life has gotten better too. In the wake of the several scandals, Hollywood Insider has long since proclaimed her and Thomas Hunt as one of the top ten most likely to marry before the end of the year. Something Thomas doesn’t care for but Tatum secretly enjoys the adoration they give them and although she hasn’t mentioned it, the proclamation has gotten her distracted – day dreaming about bridal dresses instead of her new script.  

But her friends help to keep her focus, in their own way. The last time she’s been out with them to celebrate her new movie deal, the house party had been so huge at Victoria’s estate that Tatum still shudders at the mere thought of drinking alcohol ever again.

Lastly, Thomas finally asked her to move in with her. Not that she’s been hoping for him to, but it didn’t come as a complete surprise considering how much time she’s spent at his home lately. Often curled up with a book inside his lap, she likes to be in the same space as him unless he’s overly stressed about work and still glued to the screen even after she’s taken the liberty of snooping in his study naked.

The most she’s had to worry about currently was fitting the rest of her stuff inside the moving van still waiting downstairs on a bright Saturday afternoon. Thomas had taken off an entire week to help her after realizing exactly how much stuff she still has to move. At least a dozen boxes later, they’ve almost completed the move but something on the counter stops Tatum.

She frowns at the odd shape of the box; quite smaller than the rest something about it is completely off to her. She does a double take to make sure she isn’t seeing things. “Thomas,” she doesn’t look away as she calls for him. “I think we missed one.”

There’s no answer.

Frowning slightly, she peeks down the hall which is where he had been a moment ago; grumbling about how heavy her boxes filled with her favourite pieces of literature was.

“Thomas!” She calls again.

He’s nowhere to be seen.

Shaking her head, Tatum picks the box up effortlessly and open its lid.

She blinks.

Then blinks again.

For a moment all she can do is stare dumbfoundedly at what’s inside. Directly in the middle of the small cardboard box is an expensive looking ring surrounded by red velvet silk. “What –” It’s quintessential in every sense of the word. Elegantly trimmed gold with an antique looking gem that makes Tatum think it has to be several years old. Perhaps, it’s even been in the Hunt family for at least two generations.

She can’t stop staring.

Even worse, she’s afraid if she touches it – it’ll somehow shatter in front of from out of existence, proving that this all really a dream. “Uh, Thomas – ?” She starts.

When she whirls around again, Thomas is standing a few feet away down one knee with a completely serious look in his eyes. Oh.

This is all real. Tatum stares open-mouthed at him. He’s actually doing this. On one knee. Ready to propose to her. Oh god. Is she hyperventilating or are all the walls inside the apartment actually closing in on her?

She thinks she is, because suddenly she’s having trouble standing and her lungs feel tight as though they aren’t getting enough air.

“Tatum Everly.” Thomas begins, never taking his eyes off her. A fancy dinner for something so important wouldn’t impress her. No, asking her – right here and now, where they’ve spent countless of nights and mornings together - means an immeasurable amount more than doing so anywhere else.

“There’s plenty I can say and still it won’t be anywhere close as to what you mean to me, how much you mean to me. But nevertheless, I will try.” His lips lift into a smile that reaches his eyes. “You are my partner. My confidant. My lover. My biggest support system. You’re my everything and I don’t want to spend another moment wondering what if – when I know. I know you’re everything I want. Everything I need. I love you.” He reaches for her hand while his shakes almost as much as hers as he squeezes her hand tightly. “Will you marry me, Tate? Will you make me the happiest man alive?”

Tatum swallows and her all too abruptly her body is moving faster than her mind can react. She throws her arms around him, smiling as he laughs with what sounds like relief the second he catches her. She kisses him deeply, winding her arms around his neck – placing as much love as she can for him every moment their lips remain locked together.

When they come up for air, Thomas is staring down at her with so much love that her heart swells. “So, I presume that’s a yes?”

How he manages to look adorable and sexy all at once, Tatum won’t ever understand but she laughs at his abrupt pout when she doesn’t answer right away. “You presume correctly.” Tatum kisses his nose fondly, before taking the ring. She watches as he slowly slides it unto her finger. “I love you too Thomas Hunt and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She can taste his eagerness in his kisses, feel his hard length press against her as he lifts her off her feet. He shifts to plant his lips smoothly against her neck when she pulls him closer. “God, you make me so happy.” He murmurs into her skin.

“I do detect a lot less grumpiness from you recently.” She responds teasingly. Then she utters a short gasp when she feels him suckling onto her skin. As his hands drift beneath her blouse, she shudders.

“Let’s celebrate.” He says softly, his voice deepening. Desire darkens his features when he manages to tear his lips away, just for a moment. Only just for a moment. He wants her to see how serious he feels about ravishing her right here. Right now.

“Here?” A blush that’s warm enough to turn her cheeks pink as she averts his sudden smirk.

“Mmm,” a low hum escapes his throat. “Here, anyway I can have you.” When she meets his expression again, he rakes her with a look of complete lust.

It makes her stomach flip.

She can’t say the idea hasn’t crossed her mind. At least a couple times today, she’s imagined what it would be like to leave one more mark in her old apartment. Feeling bold, Tatum tilts her chin to meet his intense stare. “Then have me.”

Thomas doesn’t need to be told twice. Instead of setting her down right away, he waits until they’re backed up against a kitchen counter before setting her atop of it.

She doesn’t hesitate to yank him close – kissing him soundly on lips, until they’re both breathless. She’s a little surprised at herself. Usually, she never feels this intensely but doesn’t want to let him go as he wedges himself between her legs. Instead she wants to feel his lips everywhere, to feel his hands touching her most sensitive spots until she’s writhing from pleasure.

He groans when her hands slide down between them to cup him. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this impatient in my life.” He bites his lower lip to stop himself from moaning when he feels her fingers slipping past the waistband of his jeans. His member jerks when he feels her soft prodding, touching just the tip of his cock before he thrusts into her open palm.

“Then let’s do something about that, shall we?” Tatum murmurs smoothly, while on the inside her heart is practically ready to jump out of her chest. She strokes his entire length, up and down as she tilts her chin forward to watch his expression.

His eyes are a little unfocused as he takes a ragged breath. Despite losing composure, Thomas eyes never leave her face. Not once as his hips jerk to her movements do they waver from her. He groans again when she squeezes his tip.

Unable to stand her teasing anymore, Thomas leans forward to find one of her favourite spots – right between her shoulder and her neck. He nibbles there lightly, and feels a slight swell of satisfaction at the sound of her gasp.

“I love it when you do that.” She says softy, her free hand reaching up to cup the back of his neck.

“I know,” he mumbles against her skin. Placing light kisses, Thomas trails a path until he’s able to rest his lips between her breasts. Against the light fabric of her tee, he teases one nipple and then the other. All the while aware of her soft words of encouragement as she threads her fingers through his hair.

Eventually, he pulls away and a small whimper escapes her lips.

He chuckles. “Good things come to those who wait.” As though emphasizing his point, he slowly sinks his fingers beneath her blouse and began tracing small circles into her skin.

Tatum shivers. “I think good things need to move a little faster. We don’t have very long before the movers come back.”

Thomas tilts his head to the side, pausing as he considers her words. Usually he likes to take his time when it comes to lovemaking. He likes to watch her; watch the pleasure on her face when he thrusts into her – he likes seeing the exact moment when she’s completely undone. But as his eyes check the time, he realizes they didn’t have time for any of that.

Aware of his hard-on, Thomas curses and steps back. “Maybe we should meet them downstairs.”

“Wait.” He feels her legs wrap around him as a form of protests before she snugly tries to pull him back towards her. “I didn’t say we shouldn’t.” She looks away, bashful for a moment before fluttering her eyes in a not-so-innocent look. “I just meant we have to be quick.”

Oh. “You naughty little minx.” He places his hands on either side of the counter as she giggles.

Slightly smirking, she reaches for the waistband of his jeans again. “You seem to bring out that side of me.”

“I love it,” he watches with a half-amused stare as she struggles to get his belt off. “I love you.” He stifles a laugh at her continuous attempts at yanking it free. “Would you like some help with that?”

“No, I think I have it.” After a few more seconds, Tatum throws her hand in the air exasperated, “actually yes. I would very much appreciate your help.” Cheeks turning pink at the sound of his laugh, Tatum pokes him in the chest as he effortlessly unhooks his belt and places it next to her. “I loosened it.”

“Mhm. You are incredibly adorable, Tatum.”

“I prefer incredibly sexy, Thomas.” Tatum leans forward enough to cup him again, getting exactly the reaction she wants when his cock twitches in her palm.

Thomas hisses. “You can be both.”

Without responding, Tatum runs her finger over the tip again then licks her lips.

“The things I would do that mouth,” he murmurs darkly. “If only we had the time.” Shifting forward, he trails his hands along the smoothness of her legs until they halt by her inner thighs. He pulls her pants down, until they pool at his feet. Without taking his eyes off her, he lowers himself till his lips are pressed against the fabric the only thing still separating them.

Her breath hitches. “Thomas.” Her cry is a half-protest, half-plea until he pulls her underwear down with his teeth.

When she feels him there, her hips nearly jerk off the counter. But his hands are there too, holding her firmly, pressing his lips into her mound as he licks her swollen clit. Her hands dive into his hair and she struggles to stop herself from moaning as he continues his sweet torture.

Thomas focuses completely on what brings her the most pleasure; what makes her moan and squirm beneath him. He switches between sucking her clit to licking until her toes curl and she’s fighting for control. “Let go baby,” he says softly and within seconds his words become her undoing. Tremors wrack her body as she comes, and he doesn’t move – not until he’s lapped up every drop of her.

When he straightens himself upright again, Tatums tugs him by the collar until his lips greedily crash against hers’. She can taste her own arousal on his lips. “I want you.” She mutters in between kisses.

He presses his length against her. “How much do you want me?” He challenges, his voice full of longing.

“Too much. I can’t wait.” She says against his lips. Looping her arms around him, she impatiently tugs him closer.

“Say it.” He kisses a trail down her ear and bites. “Say it for me, Tatum.” He whispers harshly into her ear.

“F-fuck me.” The words are almost a gasp as his tongue finds her ear.

She feels both his hands suddenly by her hips, digging into her flesh as he pushes her legs further apart. “Please.”

The self-satisfied smirk flits quickly across his lips before just as swiftly disappearing once he sinks into her. Shit. He can’t believe he’s forgotten how incredibly good she feels.

He gives her a few seconds to adjust, but Tatum’s fingers quickly find his naked back. His cock twitches at the sharp pain her nails leave behind as her hips shift forward.

“More.” It’s a soft command this time as she looks up at him.

Gripping her hips tighter, he pulls entirely out before just as quickly thrusting again and this time the movement is harsh enough for her hips to jerk in response.

“Ah! Thomas!” She cries out his name.

He does it again and again. Listens to the sounds of her needy moan for him to go faster, for him to fuck faster. He redoubles his efforts, until his control threatens to slip and his fingers dig into her skin.

She wraps her legs tighter around him as his hips began slamming almost forcefully into her.

More, more.

He isn’t sure if it’s her voice or his – but rather, they mingle together in a series of nearly incoherent sounds as they climb higher and higher until the blinding pleasure threatens to consume every thought, ever action. His lust drives him forward and each time he slams into her, her hips shift nearly off the counter. He drops his hands there, makes tight fists as he rhythm becomes less and less controlled. He’s lost it completely – as the dam inside him threatens to burst, he drives his hips forward while she shudders and cries out. With one final hard thrust, he comes almost violently inside her, moaning her name before he presses his face into the crook of her perspiring neck.

A minute passes before Thomas glances up and meet’s Tatum’s smile. Her cheeks are heavily flushed, her pupils still dilated and her hair has become a mussed tangle that he has the urge to run his fingers through. Still, she’s never looked quite as beautiful as she does now – beaming down at him. “You are simply breathtaking.” And he watches those cheeks of hers darken with colour before she leans forward and presses a kiss by his lips.

“Flatterer.” She goads. “Coincidentally flattery will always get you everywhere.”

Thomas smiles into her kiss, “that’s quite a romantic way of saying you enjoyed yourself.” He feels her lithe body slightly trembling until she’s all-out laughing against his lips. Pulling away reluctantly, he helps her to slide off the counter before wrapping his arms around her into a tight hug.

She lets out a contented sigh. “Always.”

Before he’s able to respond, they both jump at the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat, followed by a series of frantic footsteps leading towards the front door.

Thomas freezes and then swears seconds after it dawns on him. The movers are back and from the sounds of it, they hadn’t been unaware of their presence lingering in the kitchen. Dropping his arms, Thomas steps in front of Tatum and clears his throat. Trying to sound as dignified as he can muster, he calls out shrewdly. “We’ll – we’ll meet you downstairs.”

There’s a grunt of agreeance before the voice recedes, presumably back into the hallway of the apartment building���s.

“Oh god,” Cheeks flaming, Tatum buries her face into Thomas’ back. “Do you think…they saw anything?”

“Even if they did, they would keep it quiet. It wouldn’t bode well for future employment if this was ever leaked.” It would certainly save us all the embarrassment. Although, he admires Tatum’s body – he doesn’t want to share with anyone. Not even accidentally.

“Ugh,” Tatum groans. “This is what we get for not making it to the car.”

Despite their circumstances, Thomas laughs. “There’s always next time.” He takes her hand and places a tender kiss across her knuckles. The sight of the antique ring beaming back at him makes him surprisingly giddy at the idea of sharing their news with the rest of the world. He supposes, this is what it means to be the right person. Usually more private about his affairs, he pulls her to him – not caring they were still half-dressed under the bright fluorescent lightbulbs overhead.

“Mrs. Tatum Hunt, huh?” She toys with his last name out-loud instead of the dozens of times she’s daydreamed about it in the past. Except this is real, this time she doesn’t have to hold back her joy at the thought. “It certainly has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Thomas pretends to think about it, until she noisily tips on her toes to bump his nose. Laughing, he places a soft kiss there - gentle enough to make her smile. “It’s perfect.”

-

Tags: @mfackenthal @emomoustache 

[capblacksails]

Swords & Confessions (2/2)

Post-Canon. Silver-centered. John Silver is a lost man after having lost Madi. He goes to the only person he knows who understands his loss. And (un)surprisingly, here starts a journey full of love… (In short : It’s +20 years of love(s). It’s past hurts, and growth. It’s tying Black Sails to Treasure Island, somehow. Includes also THE two scenes we’ve been robbed of in 4x10: James/John and Madi/John) (James/Thomas, James/John, John/Madi(past), James/Miranda/Thomas(past), Thomas&John). If this fic was BS soundtrack: It would be ‘Funeral At Sea’ I guess?

Read it all : FFnet / AO3 / Tumblr

Companion piece - a collection of canon compliant shorts: The Memories Chest: AO3 / Tumblr / FFnet

From the embers of the shadows in our pasts (a phoenix will rise) 

(PART VIIIb: Remember how James has decided it’s time again for fencing lessons and how John is ‘a bit’ overwhelmed (as he should)? Well, this is the second part of it... (and the end of the ‘confessions’ arc…) Bonus pure gold Thomas because that’s just what he is to start with...) 

VIIIb (continued from here).

When James arrives up the hill, John is already there.

He seems assured enough when James hands him a sword - taking it in his hand, appraising it, before meeting James's eyes again, wonder evident in his gaze:

"I'm honestly curious you know, about how you could make those?"

(Sharp tools are all under supervision; it's a general rule. Only spoons at the table. Every knife in the kitchen is tied to a wall. Every blade for bathroom uses too. Guards survey while you use any of those; always. And James? He is even labelled 'extra security'; he is not allowed much more than a shovel - and he has to maintain a minimum distance whenever he has it in hand... So it is indeed astonishing that he had been allowed carving tools.)

James feels a smile curling on his mouth as he explains: "Thomas."

John's brows furrow, and James clarifies, conspiratorially.

"He proposed to Oeglethorpe to stay at the mainhouse while I worked - as a guarantee."

The idea only should have felt nauseous. James somehow still smiles nonetheless.

"He promised me to recommend one truly awful book an hour for Oglethorpe to buy. It was somehow an acceptable deal."

John is going to thanks Thomas for this; at least a thousand times, you bet. But right now? John can't help an admirative grin:

"He is wicked, isn't he?"

James chuckles.

"You have no idea."

It's hard to decide if James's voice is more fond or proud; undoubtly both anyway.

James then assesses his own sword, feeling the weight of it in his hand before finding John's gaze again: "Shall we try them, then?"

He feels though that John is still somehow hesitant, and proposes:

"Shall I attack first?"

John is obviously relieved about not having to play the agressor. He gives James a nod as he takes position. And James decides that, at least for now, it will do...

"On three. One, two,-"

The clash of wood against wood is unusual; but all the rest? It feels right enough...

/

They take a break, sharing a bottle.

John is too quiet again, gaze lost on the faraway sea.

"What are we looking at?", James can't refrain from echoing from their past.

"Maroon Island."

John turns to him.

"I have spent so many hours at those cliffs. Watching out for potential enemies ships. But the first time I sent for news? I realized when an answer actually came that I was surprised; like if, unconsciously, I hadn't been expecting you to have stayed here? That's when I realized how all that time I had maybe also been watching out for you; somehow hoping - I don't know, for some resolution? - even if you came hunting for my blood... What were a few walls and a few guards against Captain Flint after all? I couldn't help but cringe at the coward thought - making *you* responsible for your fate; when *I* was the one- I couldn't regret my decision: you lived - possibly hating me - but you lived, and you were loved. But even though I repeatedly told myself that it should be enough, I could finally admit that it was wrong all the same. I couldn't though just tell Oglethorpe I had a change of heart, of course - he might have released you; but not Thomas...

John's voice trails into a silence heavy with 'what if's' James recognizes all too well.

"That's why I used to come to this spot too... Looking at Maroon Island? Wondering about you, and Madi; mostly hoping you were both happy. Thomas understood, obviously. Now that you're here, he doesn't feel like intruding by coming with me. But then? He only came looking for me here if he thought I had been dwelling in my head too long for my own good... But honestly? I wouldn't have gone to the Island. I wasn't thirsting for your blood to start with. And I would *never* have endangered you and Madi by coming around. (sigh) Anyway, this place? It's not the walls, nor the guards, that keep us here..."

John tilts his head. "I came here more than a year and a half ago now. I understand exactly what you mean."

"I thought about breaking free, of course; I had it all planned out, after only a few days. I simply couldn't bear the idea of Thomas being contained like this, while having never done anything wrong. But when I spoke about escaping, he asked me: "And where will we go?" I instinctively answered: "It doesn't matter"; but I realized I had been indeed so focused on planning *how* that I hadn't thought past it. But we couldn't go back to Europe; not only because Thomas might be recognized, but because it would be somehow serving those empires again - any of them, all the same... And showing myself anywhere in the New World meant risking Thomas's life. And not to forget of course that we'd have to pretend for the rest of our lives - no matter where we might end... But then Thomas said: "If it doesn't matter, then we might as well stay where we are." I was speechless. And then I was going to retort; but he told me I still hadn't seen the church - a hint of something in his voice that I recognized... And so we went; and well, you already know what was nailed on its doors...

"One of his pamphlets."

"Indeed."

James is quiet for a short moment; remembering his awe, when he had started to read the page taken from a local newsaper it seemed, and had understood it was Thomas's text - and had it confirmed with a glance. He hadn't been able to stop reading though until he had reached the end, and the signature - the signature had torn his heart out. 'TBMG'. Thomas Barlow Mc Graw.

"I couldn't speak. Trust Thomas to find a way to do Good, no matter what? I had fought so hard to force the world to change; to make a difference. But you can't force people to change at once against their will - it never holds in the long run. But here he was, achieving more maybe by slowly corrupting that system from the inside? It was a tiny step; but it was still a step in the right direction, at least. His ideas were published; read; discussed. You should have seen him when he explained to me how it had come to be - the secrecy, the allies, the countless times he had sent pieces over the wall under the cover of night, his surprise when it had actually paid off... He was proud, but rightly so. And I realized something else. Thomas had been here for years already. He had true friends here; friends he had been longer with than with me, in fact. I hadn't considered them until then: not how hard it might be for Thomas to cut them loose; and not how... he could have moved on - all those years; he should have, maybe... Thomas knows it all, you know... I told him everything; right the first night. And yet... He never *saw* me; saw what I am capable of... Miranda didn't either; she just saw the aftermath, patching me up and- (sigh) You were there. And you feared me. I know you did."

John wants to retort: And I'm still here.

But he knows what James is hearing instead: 'The one who has shaped me.' / 'To be both liked and feared all at once is an entirely different state of being.'

And so John also hears what James doesn't say: Maybe you still do.

And John knows that somehow, he still does, indeed. Isn't it how you know who you love - when you fear *for* them? And indeed, the less he had come to fear Flint, the more he had come to fear for James... But this would probably not give James any peace...

So, instead, John confesses: "Of course I feared you; I would have been a fool not to. But (it was a new kind of fear, and somehow, I admired you for it - John thinks but doesn't say.) I wanted to be you; I wanted to be feared too (for a change - John keeps to himself again).

And James remembers in a flash, how John - 'I don't want to be a pirate: I'm not interested in the life; I'm not interested in the fighting, not interested in the ships, I don't care much for the sea while we're on the subject' fucking John - had started to learn what it was to be a sailor, all the while wearing a ponytail to match his own... James has no time though to linger on the memories as John continues:

"By the time I realized it came with a price, well... I kept telling myself that all I ever did was to secure my share of that gold we were chasing. (John shakes his head, still in disbelief somehow) Believe me, I was the first surprised when I decided to discard it. But along the way... I had come to care apparently - about the men; and about you. You told me, you know? 'The more those men need you, the more you need them'? You just didn't see then how it included you too; but to me, it did… The crew... It was validating indeed, to be seen and valued, to feel like I belonged. But you... (I wanted you to see me and value me too.) Your validation, somehow, meant more; I had to win it. There were also the undeniable facts that you were hurting, and that I wanted you to hurt *less*, I guess... It had been so for some time, even if I had no clue what had been the tipping point. And it mattered - more than the gold, obviously..."

James now aches. He has no doubt John's words are truth; and once more, it only tears at his heart. How could you not *recognize* any of it, John? How come you were so unaware; so blind to your own heart... But James has long ago tacitly agreed to let John's demons rest in the past where they lay, and he finds something to say instead of ask.

"I understood it, later on. I understood *you*. When we went for that whale and you told... I wasn't surprised. The thing is, when we had reached Nassau and Rackham had our gold? I was *certain* that it must have been your making. But then, you stayed? So apparently you had no hand in it, and I tried to put the thought aside. But it was still there, that doubt; and the thought was infuriating... But when you confessed? It felt somehow suddenly an even better alternative - to know that you had indeed done it, and had yet chosen to stay... That's when I finally knew, that what I thought I was seeing for some time was in truth the real you."

Everyone wears a mask. It is both a sign of trust and a leap of faith to put it off for someone. (And James is never the first to, mind you...) So. When John had told it all on that sloop, lifting the veil on his pretense? James had known John purely meant to make a point - proving to him that he was just as cunning and manipulating as him. But what James had actually heard was something else entirely...

You had it, John. Your one big prize. Your safety and freedom - from water, from hunger, from wages; from me. You had it. But you couldn't take it. You told it was because of your leg; but I knew your leg wouldn't have mattered - not with that much gold... The truth was you couldn't bear to have to doubt everything and everyone from that moment on; never knowing what would be genuine, and what would be bought. You wanted to matter - to people. You wanted to be loved...

And that's when I realized I wanted it too, indeed - not only shed Flint's persona, show you my true face in return; but simply love you...

James's thoughts take yet another turn: Maybe you should have taken that gold...

Because James has often wondered, since John has turned up at the plantation, about what John's future might have been, if he *had* made the other choice. He could have been happy, couldn't he? Alone; but carefree. He might not have felt lonely; not by then. And he might have never known of love; probably - but he would never have had to be wounded; never have had to be damaged beyond repair by losing his Madi... James knows *he* wouldn't trade his own hurts, past and present, would he ever be offered the possibility to start anew. This kind of wishful thinking has never crossed his mind about himself. But it is hard not to wish for it for John, somehow; even knowing that John would probably not agree either...

John's voice lures James back to the present once more: "For some time, huh?"

John's sheepish eyes have darted to the ground. He is so openly fishing - a rare occurence: which only shows how much he needs to *hear*; and so James can't deny him:

"The third time you stomped your foot, going on with what I thought was the dumbest plan ever to convince the crew to allow you to remain, and got punched again in return? Well, you were a *thief*, and an *impostor*, but at least you were tenacious, I had to give you that... Besides, you had just saved my life; twice, even; it was a fact hard to overlook, I guess. And it's past due time I thank you for it, by the way."

They share a meaningful gaze, before John shrugs it off: "I probably wouldn't have believed you meant it at the time anyway - you *liar*" - smiling on the last word.

James scoffs, but is interrupted by John hitting him playfully in the ribs with his elbow: "But let's stop listing our shortcomings. (taking his crutch) It is my turn to attack, right?"

James gets up, then hands John his sword when he is standing too.

And for this? I do not fear you now. James is deeply grateful.

.

(Again, please do NOT hate me for NOT making Savannah the worst place on Earth. Of course I would prefer to have them all out. Keeping them here HURTS me. But there are 20 f$#%#$g YEARS, and James DIED AT SAVANNAH “of old rhum” (= because that’s what people thought - because they knew he was captive). So I just had to find a way to live with it - and THIS is it. I don’t expect anyone to agree. But I just had to find a way to BEAR it a minimum, so please just don’t burst my bubble?)

[moodyvalentinestories]

Direction – Twelve | Hunt x HWU MC (Danielle)

Summary: Thomas and Danielle talk... kind of, anyway. We finally find out what's in that bloody box, too.

Words: 2300+

Notes: Uh-huh. Yeah. Remember when I said Hollywood U levels of insanity? Mhm.

❥ Previous Chapter: Eleven ❥ Moodyvalentine’s Masterlist

Thomas woke to a pounding headache and the smell of bacon. The former made sense – he remembered drinking quite a bit before he presumably passed out – but the latter only confused him. He wondered if he’d attempted to make himself dinner, which would have been a terrible idea considering the state he must have been in, and left the stove on. It didn’t smell burnt, though.

With a sigh, Thomas got out of his bed, noting that he hadn’t even bothered to change out of his clothes – and decided to make his way to the kitchen to see what was going on. He wasn’t surprised to see it was dark out when he passed the window in the hall – he’d begun his binge some time shortly after noon if he recalled correctly – but what he was surprised by was the person standing at the stove, frying several strips of bacon and two eggs.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice sounding far too loud against his headache.

Danielle turned around, arms folded in front of her chest. “You don’t remember, do you?”

He shook his head and regretted it right away when a stab of pain shot through him.

“I’m not surprised,” she said, turning back to check on the food. “You’d had over half a bottle of Scotch before I found you.” She thought on that for a moment. “At least. It’s all I found evidence of, anyway.”

Thomas cringed. He knew it must have been more as he was quite sure he’d only moved on to the fresh bottle when the other one had been emptied. He didn’t even want to think about what state she had found him in, and so he decided he wouldn’t. If there was something he’d said or done that was of importance, she would likely make sure to tell him. “I see.” He sat down at the island counter, where a glass of water and two aspirins sat. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”

“Take them,” she said, still not giving him an answer. “How do you like your eggs? And how crispy should your bacon be?”

Thomas raised an eyebrow, though he knew she couldn’t see, and asked, “You’re making food for me?” He was fairly sure he knew why she was here – he’d turned everything he’d had on her over to the tabloids after all – and he found it quite suspicious that she would be kind enough to feed him and help relieve his hangover. “You wouldn’t be trying to poison me, would you?”

She turned with an exasperated sigh. “No, Hunt, I’m not trying to poison you. I’m going to make sure you’re of sound mind when I rip you a new one.”

“Ah,” he said, as if it was a perfectly normal thing for her to tell him. He supposed it wasn’t an entirely surprising reaction after what he’d done yesterday – or perhaps earlier today, he wasn’t quite sure what time it was – and it wasn’t like he was unwilling to speak to her about it. He did have a few choice words of his own for her, and he would make sure she would receive them, as well. But, first, he would eat. “Over easy and just don’t let the bacon turn into a brick.”

She nodded and went back to focusing on the frying pan. He remained silent, then, and decided to take one aspirin. He hoped it would help, and he was inclined to believe it would as his headache had already begun to fade before he’d taken it.

Not much later, Danielle put a plate with food down in front of him, and he didn’t have to be asked twice to dig in. He was hungry, after all, and he was relatively sure that he hadn’t eaten before he’d decided to drink himself into oblivion. Which had made it that much easier to achieve just that, and that much worse when he woke up just now. In any case, he thanked his lucky stars that Danielle had decided it would be appropriate to give him food in this situation, no matter her intentions.

She leaned back against the counter next to the stove, nibbling on a strip of bacon that was almost completely black as she watched him eat. He didn’t comment on how uncomfortable it made him to have her watch him so closely, and he certainly didn’t comment on the fact that his mind had – however briefly – entertained the idea of the two of them eating in his kitchen under different circumstances.

When he was done eating, Thomas wasn’t quite sure what to say. He felt he should have thanked her for the food – and, presumably, taking care of him before he passed out – but, somehow, he doubted she would appreciate it.

“You’re done?” she said, and though it was posed as a question, he knew she wasn’t asking.

He answered nonetheless. “I’m done.”

“Good,” she said with a nod, and she suddenly looked terribly sad. Thomas tried not to feel bad about it – she deserved to be sad, for heaven’s sake – but it proved harder than he thought. “Good. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

He did as she instructed, remaining just where he’d sat since he came into the kitchen, and waited for her to return. When she did, he immediately saw the cardboard box in her hands, and his heart nearly stopped. “Why do you have that?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she said, her expression even sadder than it had been when she’d left to retrieve the box. She put it down on the counter, moving his plate to the side to make room. “Why did you do it, Thomas? Why did you want to get rid of me?”

He noted the way she’d used his given name again – not affectionately, this time, but the way she sometimes had when she’d intended to have a serious conversation with him. He’d expected a fight – screaming and yelling and insults – but it didn’t seem that that was what she’d come for. It unsettled him to no small degree.

“Because you were going to do the same to me,” he said weakly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head to one side. After taking a moment to think, she spoke. “I wasn’t. I still won’t,” she told him, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Another lie, surely. “What changed after we talked? I thought we were on the same page.”

“I saw you. With Montmartre,” he said, and by the way her expression didn’t change, he knew that this was not news to her. So why did she ask then? If she was aware that he knew, why wouldn’t it be obvious to her?

She let out a sigh. “So, what? You’re telling me it didn’t occur to you that there’s more than one reason I might have gone with him? Hell, he could have made me go with him.”

“You were flirting with him, I heard. You two are… you are—”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” she exclaimed, finally displaying the anger he’d expected. “Are you trying to say you thought sending me to prison was a reasonable action because you were jealous?”

Thomas thought he ought to have been outraged at the assumption that it had been jealousy that drove him to hand the material over, but there was a much more interesting point in what she’d said that he needed to address first. “Sending you to prison? You’re being overly dramatic. If – and that’s a big if, mind you – you’d have been prosecuted at all, it would have been for negligence at worst. And you were a student at the time, you would—"

“You never even bothered to look through what’s in here, did you?” she interrupted, nudging the box closer towards him. “Go on, take a look.”

“Well, I saw the settlement agreement between the university and him, and…” He blanched. It was true, he had no idea what was in that box.

Danielle nodded knowingly. “It’s my signature on that contract.” Thomas felt like the rug was being pulled out from under him. “It’s my signature on all of it.”

It was obvious, from the look on his face, that this was new information to him, and she almost felt some of her ire lift, but he’d still done what he’d done, whether getting her behind bars had been his intention or not. Danielle could see his hand tremble as he reached for the box and lifted the lid off.

The first thing he took out was the settlement agreement with the victim, drawn up by the university’s lawyers. But the university had been kept out of it entirely, and it was only Danielle’s and the victim’s signature on it. Ethan had advised her back then not to let the university handle it, and if she’d listened to him, Thomas would have been right. She’d have got off lightly – because she knew that, technically, it hadn’t been her fault – and as she’d been little more than a student back then, it wouldn’t have impacted her career much, either.

But she hadn’t listened to Ethan, and she’d let the university pay him off – all in her name because, officially, the university took no responsibility for anything that happened on set of their students’ film productions – and she knew it made her look guiltier than she was.

Hunt’s quiet gasp when he reached the last page and saw that it was, indeed, her signature on the contract made her look up. He simply looked back at her, stunned, before he reached into the box again to take out another sheaf of papers.

The one on top she recognised as well – she’d signed off on everything being safe just the morning of the accident. She hadn’t checked it herself – hadn’t had the time because she’d stayed up all night working on an essay for Professor Singh – but she’d been stupid enough to trust that the freshman she’d tasked with checking everything would do so diligently. If only she’d taken the extra time to make sure… they would have known to wait until that beam had been properly secured, and nobody would have been hurt.

It was clear from the shock on Hunt’s face that this was another detail he hadn’t known of. “I thought it happened because you didn’t check everything that day.”

“It did,” she told him, trying not to be offended by the fact that he’d insinuated she might have known and simply not cared. “I signed off on it, anyway.”

She could tell he had a reproach on the tip of his tongue, but he kept quiet, and she was glad for it. She didn’t need anyone to tell her how careless she’d been – she felt guilty enough as it was. Instead, he put the piece of paper to the side and looked at the next one. It wasn’t any better. In fact, this one, she thought, was perhaps the worst of all. It had been her list of who would be doing what that day, and she’d assigned him to operate the camera just beneath that steel beam.

“It looks like premeditation,” he said, looking back up at her. “Danielle, if you hadn’t caught this before… if I’d… you could have been convicted with attempted murder.”

“There’s more in there.”

Hunt shook his head. “I don’t want to see it. I know it wasn’t that.”

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” she said, looking down at her hands. “He…” She took a deep breath. “Carson could have died, and it would have been my fault.”

Hunt shook his head again, more vehemently this time. She imagined it couldn’t have been feeling good, considering his massive hangover. “But nobody died. And you weren’t anywhere near experienced enough to know. Even if you’d checked everything, you could have missed it.”

“It was my responsibility,” she insisted. She wasn’t quite sure how the conversation had taken such a turn – she hadn’t come to talk about her guilt or any of this, really, but just to confront him and find out just why he’d done what he’d done.

She didn’t notice she’d started crying until she felt a hand on her arm, squeezing ever so slightly. She recognised the gesture as something she’d done to calm him many times before, and her tears came even harder then.

“Danielle, I’ve disagreed with this policy since I’ve started teaching at the university,” he told her. “I’ve wanted projects supervised by experts for a long time. Only putting students who don’t know their craft yet to work – and in fields they may have even less experience, at that! – has never sat right with me.”

She didn’t argue with that – he had a point, after all, though it didn’t change a thing about her feelings towards it all – but decided to go back to their original conversation. The reason she’d come here in the first place. “You were going to have me put behind bars for it, anyway.”

This statement seemed to wipe any trace of sympathy he’d had for her away and he withdrew his hand from her arm, letting it fall to his side. “I didn’t know.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Danielle said with a shake of her head. “It doesn’t. If anything, it just makes it worse – that you didn’t even know what was in there; that your only goal was to hurt me. And for what? Because you thought I had a thing with Viktor?”

“Because I know you’re working with him!” Hunt accused, slapping one hand down on the stone counter. She could tell from the expression on his face that it had hurt him, and she couldn’t find it in her to care. He really thought she could have done that, after everything? That, more than anything he’d said to her since she’d known him, hurt somewhere deep in her chest.

She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. Then, very quietly, she said, “But I’m not. I was just… I was just going to fix things. I was going to fix everything.”

Tags: @lilyoffandoms​  @trappedinfandoms​ @oneemofungirl​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​ @alj4890​ @alleksa16​ @flyawayboo​ @silversparrow02​

[moodyvalentinestories]

Direction – Eleven| Hunt x HWU MC (Danielle)

Summary: Thomas did a bad thing and Danielle is not amused.

Words: 1900+

Notes: I’d say I’m sorry but my mum told me lying was bad so...

❥ Previous Chapter: Ten ❥ Moodyvalentine’s Masterlist

Halfway through their lunch, Viktor received a call from his secretary that had him leave right away. He’d assured her that he would call on her again soon, and that their plans were simply postponed rather than cancelled, but Danielle knew better. She’d heard the woman on the other end of the line talking about a security leak at the office, and she wasn’t naïve enough to think it was a coincidence. No, somebody was meddling with her plans, and she had a pretty damn good idea who.

She finished her lunch first – it tasted much better than when Viktor had sat opposite her – before she called a cab to take her home. She needed to take care of this, she knew, and perhaps she should have gone by his place first, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he would be waiting by her apartment door, ready to scold her for what she’d planned to do.

Unsurprisingly, she was right. As she stepped out of the elevator, she found him standing just where she’d imagined, looking not even a smidge contrite. “Ethan.”

“Danielle,” her agent – because he was most certainly not here as her friend just now – returned before he went in on her. “You are, without a doubt, the absolutely dumbest person I’ve ever met in my entire career – no, my entire life.”

She huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Could we go inside for this?”

“Oh, we better. Because you’re going to want to sit the fuck down,” Ethan said severely, and she got the feeling that perhaps this wasn’t just about her plan.

He went in ahead of her once she had the door unlocked and motioned for her to sit on the couch. She didn’t put up a fight, throwing herself onto the cushions. “I was handling it, you know,” she said, fully aware that she sounded like a kid.

“You were getting yourself into a dangerous situation is what you were doing,” Ethan countered and it was obvious it cost him a great deal of effort to speak as calmly as he did. He sat down in the chair across from her. “What were you thinking, Dani?”

She didn’t answer his question and she figured he didn’t need her to, anyway. He knew damn well what she’d been thinking and why. “How did you know, anyway?”

“You were seen leaving with Viktor. I knew you had to be up to something.”

“Who told you that—” She didn’t need to finish her question, knowing the answer already, and groaned. “Nora.”

She had been right to be wary, then. Just not for the reasons she’d thought.

“I had to have somebody keep tabs on you, didn’t I?” Ethan said. “Clearly, I was right.”

Danielle huffed again. “It would have been just fine. And it still doesn’t explain how you knew to call the leak in.”

“We’ve known each other for a while, Dani, and I’m familiar with the way you operate. I called Dean, and he told me about the cameras.” He shrugged. “The rest wasn’t all that hard to figure out.”

She sighed. “Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do to change what you’ve done. I’ll just have to figure out a new to—”

“I doubt you’re going to want to do that,” Ethan interrupted with a shake of his head. “Not after what I have to show you.”

Danielle looked at him questioningly as he opened his messenger bag and took out a dreadfully familiar cardboard box. Her voice trembled when she asked, “Where did you get that?”

She knew, of course, where he’d got it. She knew, deep down, but she couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. But he held the box out to her and that could only mean one thing.

“You’re lucky Hunt gave it to one of my contacts rather than anyone else, or this would be down at the police station right about now,” Ethan said, and her heart sank further upon hearing it. “He was going to release it all, Danielle. He was going to ruin you.”

Thomas was about three sheets to the wind by the time he heard the doorbell ring and he couldn’t be entirely certain whether it was real or he’d only imagined it. Either way, he figured, it couldn’t hurt to check.

That assumption turned out to be gravely wrong, however, when he opened the door to see none other than Danielle Allen on the other side and felt like someone had reached right into his chest and ripped his heart out. She was quite clearly furious, if her expression was anything to go by, and it took him a few more seconds to notice the box in her hands.

“So that was a trick, too?” he said – or, at least, he hoped that was what he said because his speech wasn’t quite so clear as he wished it to be. It didn’t matter anyway, he thought, he would just slam the door in her face and go back to pour himself another glass of Scotch. Thinking about just how she’d got her hands on that box again, and why she’d brought it to him, could wait until tomorrow morning. Or perhaps the late afternoon, as he wasn’t so sure he’d be good for anything before then.

Just now, all he knew was that, of course, she’d tricked him again. He should have realised that she wouldn’t have given him the bloody thing if she hadn’t had a way to keep its contents from being released. Stupid, stupid, stupid. But, again, further examination of that train of thought would have to wait. He made to shut the door only to realise that Danielle had already pushed past him and was standing in his entryway expectantly.

“Sure, come in, make yourself at home,” he grumbled as he closed the door and led her to the lounge. He hadn’t the energy nor the inclination to throw her out, and she wouldn’t have let him in any case.

He sat back down on his sofa – though perhaps it was an action far less graceful than sitting down – and motioned for her to sit opposite him. She remained standing and set the box down on his coffee table, right next to where his half-empty bottle of Scotch stood. Hadn’t it been nearly full earlier? Surely, he hadn’t had that much of it. Perhaps he simply misremembered.

“You’re drunk,” Danielle stated, as if it wasn’t obvious, and Thomas knew very well it wasn’t what she’d meant to say to him first thing.

He simply shrugged but didn’t answer. She wouldn’t have understood what he would have said, anyway, at least not without difficulty.

“I’m not having this discussion with you when you can’t even fucking think properly,” she told him, and he felt like a little child being scolded. She had no right to make him feel that way, she didn’t. “How much have you had to drink?”

“D’ know,” he said, and this time he knew he wasn’t articulating his words properly.

She let out a sigh then turned her attention to the bottle on the coffee table, picking it up, along with what appeared to be a little piece of plastic of some sort next to it. Had the bottle been unopened? Perhaps it had. “Christ, Hunt,” she said exasperatedly and it did nothing to make him feel less like a little boy. “You’re steaming drunk, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” he replied, only half aware of how much he sounded like an indignant child. Perhaps she was right to treat him as such.

She huffed, muttering something to herself that sounded suspiciously like, “Great, just what I wanted to do with my night.”

Thomas didn’t see where she went, feeling as if he would throw up if he turned his head too sharply, but he supposed that was her intention when she returned without the bottle. As if he couldn’t find more alcohol in his own bloody house if he’d had a mind to! Just now, though, he felt rather queasy, and he didn’t think he’d have another glass after all.

“Get up,” she ordered, standing right in front of him again.

He shook his head. The wave of nausea that followed made him wish he hadn’t.

Danielle rolled her eyes before telling him, very slowly, “I’m going to help you up and take you to the bathroom. You’re going to thank me tomorrow for saving your stupid fancy furniture.”

He highly doubted he would but, then again, he doubted just about everything that came out of her mouth after today. Nonetheless, he let her take his hands and pull him up – slowly, which was one thing he would have thanked her for were he not sure he was angry with her for one reason or another – and he let her lead him to the bathroom.

They got there just in time for him to lurch towards the toilet and empty the contents of his stomach into the bowl. She didn’t come with him to hold his hair or rub his back as he’d imagined a friend would have but rather stood in the doorway, arms crossed and watching him as if he would run away first chance he got.

He might’ve, had he been able, with the way she’d looked at him when he’d opened the door. He wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t murder him in his sleep. Then again, he imagined that couldn’t possibly be good for her career, either, so she likely wouldn’t chance it.

“Are you done?” she asked eventually, and Thomas made a noise somewhere between an amused snort and a pained laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes. Do you need help getting up?”

She sounded so bored with it all, as if she couldn’t care less about how he was, and he supposed that was the case.

“I can get up by myself,” he muttered, knowing full well it would have been far easier to just let her help. With a bit of effort, he managed, and he went over to the sink to clean himself up as well as he could.

She put her hand on his upper arm again then, non-too-gently leading him to his bedroom. He didn’t ask how she knew where it was – a memory of one of his end-of-term dinner parties surfacing in the back of his mind. He wasn’t in the least surprised to learn that she’d quite clearly been snooping around when he hadn’t looked.

“I’m going to see to it that you’re not going to drown yourself in your vomit,” she said as she pushed him towards the bed. “You’re not getting out of this.”

He didn’t see the need to answer and simply laid down – he intended to hold onto whatever dignity he had left and would not strip down in front of her – and pulled the blanket over himself.

Danielle knelt down by his bedside, making sure her eyes were level with his when she said sternly, “We are going to have that talk tomorrow, Hunt.”

Thomas didn’t think there was a point in arguing, and he would have been too tired to do so, anyway. “We’ll talk,” he mumbled in return. “We will.”

He saw her expression soften then, just before he closed his eyes, and he could have sworn he felt her hand brush a strand of hair out of his face as he drifted off to sleep.

Tags: @lilyoffandoms @oneemofungirl​ @trappedinfandoms​ @alj4890​ @alleksa16​ @silversparrow02​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​

[moodyvalentinestories]

Direction – Eight | Hunt x HWU MC (Danielle)

Summary: Viktor sucks, and Danielle and Thomas are... kind of not fighting for once? Wow.

Words: 1400+

Notes: Me finishing a chapter and not posting it for 273618 days is becoming a pattern and I don’t like it. But, uh, here it is.

❥ Previous Chapter: Seven ❥ Moodyvalentine’s Masterlist

The next few days went by without any notable incidents. Of course, Danielle and Hunt butted heads here and there, as was a surprise to absolutely no one, but other than that, production of the film went rather smoothly.

Danielle didn’t talk to Nora again, either, and as far as she could tell, Nora hadn’t spoken to Chris or anyone else about what she’d told her. Which was a relief, to say the least. The last thing she needed was for anybody to catch wind of it and suggest a PR stunt that included the two leads dating. She’d been there, done that, and was never going to do it again.

All in all, Viktor’s blackmail notwithstanding, things were going well. That was, of course, until one day the next week, Viktor decided to visit the set again – and, from the moment he arrived, it was clear to Danielle that he’d come with a purpose.

Which suited her quite well, really, as it meant she may have a chance to put her plan into action. Though she most certainly didn’t look forward to it.

Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on one’s point of view – there were still several hours of filming left, even if most everyone on set was more on edge than usual, which was to be expected with Viktor present. And, of course, he had to pick multiple fights with Hunt, which really didn’t help anyone.

Like just now, as Danielle emerged from wardrobe in a costume Viktor had not seen before, that covered up significantly more of her body than the one she’d been meant to wear originally.

“What on Earth is she wearing? This is not her costume,” he said the moment he saw her.

Hunt raised an eyebrow. “Yes, it is. You do remember that I told you there would be changes made to many things, do you not?”

“I remember mentioning the consequences trying to ruin this movie would have,” Viktor said, narrowing his eyes. “Her costume was perfectly fine before.”

Danielle could see Hunt grit his teeth. “The costume made no sense for her character as it would have been quite impractical in a fight – not to mention that it was grossly objectifying Miss Allen.”

“That was rather the point,” Viktor said exasperatedly. “Thomas, you know how this works. People will watch anything as long as we give them a pretty girl with little clothing.”

Danielle couldn’t believe he’d actually said that and, apparently, neither could Hunt. He looked at Viktor in a way that made her glad she wasn’t the one on the receiving end of that look, then said, “And you know that that is not how I work. You wanted me to work on this, and that is what I’m doing.”

“I did not hire you to be a costume designer!”

“I did not design the costume.”

Viktor huffed. “You know very well what I mean.”

“What I know is that we’ve been filming with the new costumes for the past week and that reshooting all those scenes would set us even further behind than we already are,” Hunt countered.

They stared at each other for a good few seconds more, neither willing to back down, until Viktor eventually said, “One more step out of line, Thomas, and you’ll be done for. Understood?”

Though it very clearly pained him to do so, Hunt nodded. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice, in any case. “Understood.”

There was a very uncomfortable tension on set after that, especially since Viktor didn’t leave this time, and it affected the scene they filmed quite a bit. It wasn’t good, Danielle could feel it, and Hunt was visibly annoyed by the time the fifth take still wasn’t up to his standards.

Eventually, he seemed to realise that it was no use to try again just then, and called for everybody to take a break. He disappeared in the direction of the office spaces, and after a moment of contemplation, Danielle decided to follow him.

There was no need for Thomas to turn around to know who was behind him. Only one person would dare go after him when he was, quite clearly, in a foul mood, and as much as he wanted to snap at her for not leaving him alone when he needed to think, he was almost glad she’d followed him. After all, she’d proven to be helpful before, whenever he’d been frustrated with his students on the set of Centaurus Lost. Perhaps she would be able to help again. That – and only that – was why he didn’t mind her following him.

“You’re very bad at sneaking up on people, Miss Allen,” Thomas said without turning around.

There was a quiet huff, then she was next to him. “I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you.”

A small smile formed on his lips. “Of course not.”

“Would you look at that, my presence is already improving your mood,” she said and nudged him slightly.

Thomas sighed. “I’m afraid not. Though I do believe nothing could improve my mood much today.”

She was quiet for a few moments and he didn’t have to look over at her to know she was biting her lip. He did it nonetheless and regretted it immediately. There really was no need for his thoughts to focus on the soft – or so he assumed, he wouldn’t know – flesh of her lip when there were many other things he should have been thinking about. And yet…

“I’m really sorry,” Danielle said quietly, and for a moment Thomas worried she’d guessed his thoughts. But she seemed entirely oblivious as she continued, “I know this is all my fault, and I promise I’ll fix it. I’ll get you out of this, if it’s the last thing I do.”

He had to admire her confidence – though he wasn’t sure she felt quite as confident as she wanted to make him believe – but he knew it was impossible for her to take on someone like Montmartre. She was capable of many a thing, and she’d often succeeded where others had failed – the Silver Circle being a prime example of this – but there had always been a price. And, with Montmartre, Thomas knew he didn’t want her to pay it. Especially not if she was doing it for him.

“No,” he said decidedly and shook his head. “No, you won’t. I don’t like this – believe me, I don’t – but there is nothing you can do.”

Danielle’s eyes narrowed – she clearly hadn’t missed the slight emphasis on the ‘you’ – and she stepped right in front of him. “What is that supposed to mean? You think I can’t do it?”

“I know you could,” he said softly. “I don’t think you should. Montmartre is a dangerous man, Danielle, and though I am still…” He tried to find the right word – angry wasn’t it, and though disappointed was closer, he knew it wasn’t quite what he felt – but came up short. “Even though I still believe you’ve made mistakes, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

An expression he couldn’t quite interpret flickered over her face before she put on that smug little smile – the one he knew by now was just a mask – and said, teasingly, “Aww, I knew you cared about me.”

Thomas sighed, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, and decided that the window for being open with each other had apparently closed. “Why did you follow me, Miss Allen?”

“Mostly to apologise,” she said with a shrug. “And because you’re obviously not happy with how things are going.”

“Of course I’m not,” Thomas said, affronted that she seemed surprised by this. “You must have noticed how terrible filming was going today.”

She nodded, chewing on her lower lip. “Yeah, I have. Having Viktor on set sucks.”

“You can say that again.” Thomas made a sound that could almost have been a laugh had the situation not been as it was. “I just don’t know how to dissipate this tension and get back to work.”

Danielle didn’t appear to have an answer for him and simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Perhaps it’s simply time to send everyone home for the day,” he said after a while.

She shook her head. “You pointed out how far behind we are yourself today. Maybe send me home and film other scenes. It’s quite obvious that I am the problem.”

“You’re not,” he said instinctively, though it was true that she and he himself were most affected by Montmartre’s presence, then added, “Montmartre is.”

Tags:  @lilyoffandoms​​​ @trappedinfandoms​​​ @flyawayboo​​​ @oneemofungirl​​​ @alleksa16​​​ @silversparrow02​​​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​​​ @alj4890​

[moodyvalentinestories]

Direction – Five | Hunt x HWU MC (Danielle)

Summary: And work begins... unfortunately, there might be more than just one problem for Danielle and Hunt.

Words: 1200+

Notes: I'm still here, I promise! I didn't disappear again. It was just what I like to call 'birthday season’ in my house (because, for some reason, literally everyone's birthday except for mine's in May, and two of them are within two days of each other).

❥ Previous Chapter: Four ❥ Moodyvalentine’s Masterlist

She didn’t see Hunt again until the next week. She hadn’t heard from him, either. All she knew was what the production team had told her – that he’d been in contact with Viktor, and that he was, indeed, going to be directing the movie. Not surprisingly, that turned out to be true. After all, there wasn’t much else he could have done. Danielle had tried to get dirt on Viktor herself, though that endeavour came to a quick end when she realised that the people who would have the information she needed were likely in his pocket and would not hesitate to tell him she was snooping around. And that would have the opposite of the desired effect. So she’d racked her brain to find something – anything – else she could do, but she came up short. By the time filming was due to resume – and she was going to have to face Hunt again – she still was in the exact same spot she’d been when he’d turned up at her apartment that night.

So when she arrived at the studio that morning, she wished she could be anywhere else. Luckily for her, Hunt wasn’t the first person she met. Though she wasn’t sure just how much better running into Ethan was. He’d stepped out of a cab shortly after she’d arrived and just barely managed to catch her before she got to the gate. “Wait up, I’ve got something to tell you!”

Danielle sighed. “Look, I already told you, I’m fine. It’s going to be fine.”

“No, you’re not. And it’s probably not,” he said and shook his head. “But that’s not what I mean. You’re going to want to hear this.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Unless it involves a time machine or the tools to stop Viktor, I don’t think so.”

“I can get you out of your contract.”

She froze, then blinked a couple of times to process what Ethan had just said, and eventually turned around ever so slowly. “What?”

“I’ve found a loophole. We can get you out of this contract, and you won’t have to worry—”

“Are you insane? You think I’m just going to let everyone else deal with my mess?”

“Well, I—”

She took a step closer, getting up in his face. “Absolutely not. I will fix this, Ethan. I’m not going to run away from this.”

“I didn’t mean to… I thought…”

“Oh, you thought, did you? You of all people should know how important friends are to me. I will not leave them to—”

“Hunt isn’t your friend, Danielle,” he pointed out, and she suddenly felt like someone had stepped on her chest.

“Well… I mean… but Zoe and Chris and—”

Ethan shook his head. “This is about Hunt and you know it. Do you really think he wouldn’t take this opportunity if he was in your position? Because if you do, you’re unbelievably stupid. He wouldn’t care what happens to you, so you shouldn’t, either.”

“You’re wrong,” she said, and she believed it. Because Thomas Hunt may have been many things, but a coward wasn’t one of them.

“I take it that means you’re not interested?”

“No, Ethan,” she said exasperatedly. “I’m not fucking interested.”

Thomas could think of a seemingly infinite number of places he would have rather been that morning – one of them being hell because, surely, hell could not have been worse than working for Montmartre. But, alas, there was nothing he could do about the situation – for now. He would find a way to make him pay and, preferably, stop him once and for all. Because what had only been professional differences before had been made personal now, and Thomas would not let himself be bullied by men like him. Unfortunately, for the time being, he didn’t have a choice. He had to comply with Montmartre’s every demand, which was why he found himself addressing the cast and crew of Montmartre Pictures’ newest blockbuster on Tuesday morning.

Though it wasn’t quite the entire cast and crew. The first thing Thomas had noticed upon entering the soundstage was that one key member of the cast was missing – Danielle. He couldn’t say he was surprised, however, as he had been her professor for several years, and he’d stopped counting how many times she’d been late to class or other important events after less than three months. So he began introducing himself and explaining his plans – which, first and foremost, included reshooting everything that had been shot with Phelps as a director – without waiting for her. But when she still hadn’t come in once he was done, his agitation grew. He could understand why she didn’t want to be here, but neither did he, and he’d come nonetheless.

Angrily, he made his way to the door in hopes of having better cell reception outside so he could call her, but then he saw her standing there, leaning against the wall right by the door. “Hey Hunt.”

“Where have you been? You were supposed to be here at ten.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I was. Or, well, may have been one or two minutes late, but I’ve caught pretty much all of your speech.”

“And how come you haven’t joined us?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Hunt, just fucking let it go. I’m tired, I’m pissed, and I’m just trying not to murder anyone here.”

“Well, we all know we can’t put that past you, so I suppose I’ll count my blessings that you’re trying,” he said, immediately regretting it upon seeing the look on her face. “Danielle, I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, you did,” she said, her face hardening. “Come on, it’s time to get to work. Let’s have a look at that revised script, shall we?”

“Danielle, I’m—” he began, but it was clear she’d already stopped listening as she made her way to the rest of the group. He let out a huff, then followed her. That could have gone better.

He didn’t get far, however, as he froze when he heard Montmartre’s voice from behind him. “Well, well, well. A lovers’ quarrel already? I suppose they do say never to mix pleasure with business. Though I, of course, disagree.”

“What do you want?” Thomas asked, turning around to see the smirk on Montmartre’s face.

“To see how everything is going, of course,” he said. “I am still the producer of this movie. And I won’t allow you two to mess with it.”

“Don’t you have better things to do?” If Montmartre was to be on set every day – which Thomas couldn’t imagine he would, but who knew how far he’d go to torment him – this would be significantly worse than he’d imagined.

“Oh, I’m just going to check in at random times,” he said with a sly smile. “But, make no mistake, you will be watched.”

That, at least, was to be expected. “Yes, I imagine one of those PAs over there will be reporting our every word and interaction to you.”

“Now, now, don’t be so judgemental. I’m simply making sure this movie gets made. That’s what we all want, isn’t it? Speaking of – why don’t we join the others? I believe you were planning on going over the new script with them, weren’t you?”

Thomas huffed. The last thing he wanted to do was work with Montmartre in the room but, then again, he didn’t have a choice. He only hoped he’d tire of being there soon and leave them alone. “Of course. Come with me.”

Tags: @lilyoffandoms​​ @trappedinfandoms​​ @flyawayboo​​ @oneemofungirl​​ @alleksa16​​ @silversparrow02​​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​​ @alj4890​​