#everyone got out of the road and are sharing a mansion that is now their coven

[jubshead]

And just like Elphie and Glinda, these two are fucking:

[gothgoblinbabe]

She Wolf

A/N: I said I was gonna get this done and it took me way too long and has an absurd word count but I am incapable of holding in word vomit! Inspired by She Wolf by Shakira cause idc its GOOD and it got me thinking' so here it is. Also you don't have to listen to the song as you read but I think It's fun!

Summary: You've got a crush on your best friend and he's a bit of a dick. He regrets it and tries to apologize but you're already trying to push yourself to move on any way you can, even if it's in some shady club you'd never been to before.

Warnings: MDNI 18+, swearing, Logan's kind of an asshole for a minute, Possessive/jealous!Logan, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it), friends to lovers cause that's my fave, fem reader, mutant reader, unnamed creepy guy (?) aaaand Logan absolutely has a pain kink. I think that's it but if there's any I missed please let me know!

Word Count: 7K (im so sorry but I'm not though)

divider credit here

“Are you ever gonna tell him?”

You looked up from your desk towards Ororo’s voice, sighing and taking your glasses off your nose.

“God, I don’t know, ‘ro. I don’t think I should. It’s just going to end with me being humiliated and him never wanting to even be in the same room as me again.”

You’d had a crush on Logan Howlett since the day you first walked through the doors of the mansion six months ago. You’d probably be considered best friends by now with how much time you’d spend together, doing jack shit around the mansion on your days off. Just about everyone could tell he had a soft spot for you and that you had one for him. Logan was a classic ‘tough guy’, constantly trying to hide his kind nature with a hard exterior, but it took only a couple weeks for you to crack that barrier. You weren’t exactly a seemingly ‘soft’ type either.

You’d spent the majority of your life before you joined the X-men hoping from couch to couch and hitching rides with strangers, not really having a destination or a place to call home. You’d been dropped off at a church when you were fourteen, around the time you started to turn every full moon. Your parents couldn’t live with having to chain their mutant daughter in their basement once a month, and so they dropped you where they thought you’d find some ‘help’. You’d been passed from foster home to foster home till you were eighteen, each one passing you up the moment they realized you were not like them. It was always a slip of the mask, something setting you off to make you so enraged your eyes gleam yellow and your sharp canines make an unfortunate appearance. You took off the second you could and being on the road came with its fair share of creeps; men with terrible intentions looking for opportunities. You’d never wanted to hurt anyone - truly - but when cornered by a creep, it was hard to think anyone would miss them. A couple of local newspapers caught on, debating where the wolf that tore men to shreds had gone. You weren’t an animal. You just had teeth like one.

Knowing you couldn’t lurk in town much longer, you’d hitchhiked your way to a camp occupied with people like you; lost with no place to call home. It was there that you’d met a couple of mutants who told you about Charles Xavier and the place that seemed completely unreal until you set your eyes on it. That felt like a lifetime ago by now. 

“I think you're underestimating how he feels about you,” Ororo said, bringing you back to reality. She was sat on the edge of your bed, flipping through one of your magazines as you worked at your computer to try and make a lesson plan for the coming week. 

“I think you’re overestimating how he feels about me,” you let out a short laugh, shaking your head.

Just as she was about to retort, you both heard someone shout your names from the hallway. You looked at each other curiously and left the room, hearing shouting again. 

“Are you guys gonna play Monopoly with us or what?”

You both giggled and made your way downstairs towards Scott’s voice. Him, Jean, Marie, Bobby and Logan were all sat in the living room, the game already set up on the coffee table. Bobby and Marie were picking out their game pieces, assigning everyone else to their own piece.

“Okay, Logan, you’re gonna be the dog,” Marie smiled, dropping the little metal piece into the palm of his hand. 

He was definitely not as amused, “why do I have to be a damn dog?”

Ignoring him, she handed another piece out to Jean, “you’re the thimble.”

She then handed the boat to Scott, the top hat to you, and the iron to Ororo. You all began the game after Scott painstakingly over-explained the rules and how to play. 

It was a good bit into the game that you all became distracted with conversation, eventually leaving the board game untouched. The topic of compatibility came up somehow, the conversation focused on the joy of Bobby and Marie. 

“I think anyone would be lucky to have what you guys have,” Ororo smiled, shifting her gaze between the two of them.

“And what we have, obviously,” Scott joked, hanging his arm around Jean.

“Gross,” Logan chimed in, taking a sip of the beer he’d hidden in the back of the fridge.

“I think someone is jealous,” Ororo said in a singsong voice, poking his arm.

“Of having someone hang on me all the time? No, thanks,” he scoffed.

As stupid as it was, it made you a little sad to hear he had no interest in even entertaining the idea. It wasn’t a surprise, but still a disappointment nonetheless.

Ororo brought up your name and your eyes went huge, silently begging her to keep her mouth shut.

“You don’t seem to mind her hanging on you all the time. I think you’d be cute together,” she said, smiling mischievously at you. Scott and Jean agreed and you had never wanted to smash your head into a coffee table as much as you did in that moment.

“Nah, definitely not my type of girl.”

It was just seven words, out quick without a second thought, and yet it felt like you’d been punched in the gut. You couldn’t take your eyes off the monopoly board on the table, avoiding everyone’s gaze. 

Definitely not my type of girl. 

“I think I should head to bed, it’s getting late,” you mumbled, keeping your head down to hide your blushed face as you got up from the couch and practically ran out of the room and up the stairs. 

“What the hell was that?” Scott scolded Logan the moment you were out of sight.

“That was so mean,” Ororo chimes in, backhanding him on the arm.

“I didn’t mean to be,” Logan said nervously , shrugging his shoulders, “…do you think she’s mad at me?”

“Probably more hurt than mad,” Jean said honestly. 

“Shit,” he sighed, putting his beer down to rub his face with his hands, “what do I say?”

“Not that,” Marie replied, “why did you even say that anyway? You could’ve just said no.”

“I think you like her and you’re being mean so that she wont like you back because you’re afraid,” Ororo said after a moment of silence. 

Logan sat quiet for a moment, his hands still over his face.

“Am I that easy to read?” His voice was muffled through his hands.

The rest of them couldn’t help exchanging knowing smiles.

“So you finally admit it,huh? You’ve got a crush,” Scott teased.

Logan moved his hands from his eyes to glare daggers at him, “you shut your fucking mouth or I’ll shove that monopoly board where the sun doesn’t shine.”

“I think that’s a yes,” Jean whispered to her boyfriend.

“Talk to her when you see her tomorrow. We’re not going to let you hurt her feelings just because you can’t accept your own,” Ororo advised, lightly patting him on the shoulder.

“Do you think she’s even gonna talk to me?”

“Only one way to find out.”

───────♡──────────────♡───────

Logan tried to catch up with you the next day, always seeing you as you were leaving a room he was entering or passing by and even then, you ignored his calls of your name.

It was a little after dinner now and because it was a weekend, a couple of kids were up playing the PlayStation in the living room. Bobby and Marie sat with them, taking turns with the controllers. 

Logan entered the room after about three laps around the mansion, mentioning your name to the both of them.

“Have you guys seen her? I’ve been trying to talk to her all day, she keeps running from me.”

“Can’t really blame her,” Bobby muttered, his eyes never leaving the TV screen as he button smashed. 

“She’s in her room,” Marie answered before Logan could come up with a retort, “she went up before dinner, said she wasn’t hungry.”

He groaned, running a hand through his hair, “she’s skipping dinner now too, great.”

“Go talk to her!” She insisted, shooing him away with a wave of her hand.

He made his way to the stairs and up to your bedroom, knocking lightly on your door. Hearing nothing, he knocked again, a little harder. Still, nothing. 

“You can’t avoid me forever, you know. I wanna talk about yesterday, I was a dick.”

Silence. Now he was a little worried. He tentatively grabbed the doorknob and turned, cracking it open a bit.

Your bed was made, your desk was neatly organized and you were nowhere to be seen. He noticed your purse was gone from the usual spot you’d leave it in and your closet was open, a couple garments and some shoes strewn about on the floor. It looked like you’d gotten dressed and dipped. He figured maybe Ororo or Jean might know where you were, leaving your room and looking for them instead. He found them shortly after, huddled in the kitchen. Again, he asked if either of them knew where you were.

“She’s in her room, she went up before dinner,” Ororo answered.

“No, she’s not. And her purse is gone.”

Both women turned to each other with the same worried expression.

───────♡──────────────♡───────

Having tried your cellphone about thirteen times from just about everybody’s phones, they all decided they had to tell Charles. He used his ability to connect with every mutant on the planet to try and locate you, visualizing with his eyes closed. Everyone stood in his study, anxiously awaiting his conclusion. After a moment of silence, he started to silently chuckle to himself.

“What’s so funny?” Logan asked immediately, crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows.

“I’m afraid you all have your work cut out for you,” he replied, finally opening his eyes.

“So, where is she?” Ororo asked, worry in her voice. 

“There is a club called The Nightcrawler - “ Charles began to explain, but Logan interjected impatiently. 

“Club? What, like a book club?” He nearly scoffed. There was no way you were at some sleazy nightclub in the city. You were a homebody and an introvert, neither of which made clubbing enjoyable. 

“Maybe we should just let her have fun,” Jean began to say, but Logan was already halfway out the door.

Uncharacteristically, you found yourself dressed to the nines in the middle of a dance floor full of people. You’d spent a while trying outfits in your room, searching for something you could actually wear out that wasn’t sweatpants and a hoodie. You’d settled on a halter top that tied at your neck and in the back and a pair of ridiculously tight pants that you’d bought forever ago and never had the guts to wear. You ended up standing in front of the mirror, choosing a pair of very cute but very uncomfortable shoes and looking over the outfit. If you weren’t Logan’s ‘type of girl’, you sure as hell were somebody’s. Trying to get yourself out there may be the best solution to forgetting the heart-crushing infatuation you had with your best friend who would never see you as anything more. 

“I feel ridiculous,” you chuckled to yourself, turning in the mirror to see the back of your outfit. You did look good, just super out of your comfort zone. You grabbed your bag and ended up slipping out when everyone was eating dinner. That’s how you ended up where you were, pushing your way through the crowd of people with a drink in your hand. You passed the raised lounge area and felt a hand on your shoulder, making you turn suddenly.

“Hey, you wanna dance?”

He was tall, leaning down a little to shout over the music. He was pretty good looking but didn’t look like Logan in the slightest, which you realized was exactly the point of going out tonight. He was dressed nice and smelled like expensive cologne. 

“Sure, why not?”

As you abandoned your half finished drink on a table and let him pull you a little further into him, a familiar song started to thump through the speakers.

“I love this song!” You exclaimed, letting the nameless guy rest his hands on your hips.

S.O.S., she's in disguise

S.O.S., she's in disguise

There's a she wolf in disguise

Coming out, coming out, coming out

“Ironic,” you muttered under the music.

───────♡──────────────♡───────

Logan walked ahead of Ororo, Jean and Scott, his long legs taking him much further at a much faster pace.

“Logan, slow down!” Ororo called out, jogging a bit to catch up with him.

“What if she didn’t even want to be there? What if some guy dragged her there?”

“Oh,” Jean laughed, “ I see. You’re jealous.” 

“No.”

“Yup.”

“Nope.”

“So you’d be fine if we walked in there and she is with a guy?” 

Logan slowed his pace as they approached the entrance, “sure, whatever,” feigned disdain in his voice.

The second the door opened, the bass of the music was overwhelming. It was dim, save for a few colorful lights projecting around the room. The four of them were squished together near the door, trying to pick you out in a sea of moving people. 

“This is gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack,” Scott shouted.

“Not necessarily,” Ororo replied, a smug smile on her face.

“What?” Logan furrowed his eyebrows.

She pointed across the room and he followed her gaze.

There's a she wolf in the closet

Open up and set it free 

There's a she wolf in your closet

Let it out so it can breathe

You didn’t even look like you. He’d never seen you in anything that showed that much skin or any clothes that even hugged you like that, for that matter. 

And you were with a guy.

Sitting across a bar, staring right at her prey

It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way

“So, what did we tell you?” Jean shouted, waving her hand in front of his glaring eyes.

“Just some kid,” he replied dismissively, turning to her, “doesn’t mean anything anyway.”

“You sure?” Scott nudged his shoulder, making Logan look towards you again.

That kid had his hands up the sides of your top with his head craned down to kiss your neck, your back to his chest. You were giggling, playfully smacking his arm. Truthfully, you thought the attention was nice for a change. After trying so hard for too long to get Logan to notice you, it felt good to have someone pay attention to you in that way. 

Not looking for cute little divos or rich city guys

I just want to enjoy 

By having a very good time

And behave very bad in the arms of a boy

You felt his hands squeeze your hips a little harder, enough for his nails to dig into your skin. Out of instinct, you felt your canine teeth start to poke against your lower lip. You tried in vain to tug his hands from you, only making him tighten his grip.

The switch in demeanor was obvious even from across the dark room, your smile turning into a grimace that bared your sharp teeth. You yanked the sleeves of his jacket to make him finally let go, turning around while he still had his arms ghosted around you.

S.O.S., she's in disguise

S.O.S., she's in disguise

“Touch me like that again, you son of a bitch, and I will rip you to fucking shreds.”

You gathered fistfuls of his shirt, bringing him down to eye level so he could see your snarling teeth and gleaming eyes as a hint that you weren’t bluffing. 

There's a she wolf in disguise

Coming out, coming out, coming out

Before anyone could even tell him to stay put, Logan had already disappeared into the crowd of people.

“God damn it,” Scott huffed, following Jean and Ororo when they went after him. 

“Logan!” Jean yelled, trying to grab his jacket to slow him and only having him slip out of her grip. 

There's a she wolf in the closet

Let it out so it can breathe

“Shit, I’m kinda into the fangs. What, you gonna bite me?” He was whispering in your ear, your hands still on his shirt. Before you could do something you were going to regret, you felt someone tug your upper arm and pull you away from him.

“Come on,” Logan snapped, “we’re leaving.”

“What the hell are you doing here? What do you mean we?” You yelled back. You didn’t want to stay anywhere near that guy but you weren’t ready to leave either and sure as hell not with Logan dragging you out like an angry parent.

“Hey, she doesn’t really look like she wants to leave with you, man,” the other guy interjected, keeping a grip on you by looping his fingers through one of the belt loops on your pants. 

“Yeah? She doesn’t want to stay with you either, jackass,” Logan moved his hand from your arm to hold your hand instead, “she’s not interested.”

What the hell had gotten into him? You felt like you were in the middle of a tug of war with two dogs. 

“No one’s gonna fucking ask what I want, right?” You tried to complain, neither of them hearing you. 

“Your little doggy girlfriend here was just about to take care of me. You mad about it?” The other guy laughed and you nearly lunged at him, Logan’s hand tugging you back. He intended to pull you away so he could get to him first, but Scott, Jean and Ororo jumped in just in time. 

“Alright - enough, enough, we’re leaving!” Jean yelled, pushing you all towards the door, Logan dragging you the whole way. When you finally were out in the cool evening air, you angrily yanked your hand from his.

“What are you guys doing here?” You asked, turning to Logan, “and what the fuck was that?”

“What was that? You’re welcome - “ 

“I didn’t ask you to come save me - from what, having a good time?”

“Oh, yeah, it looked like you were having a lot of fun,” he scoffed, “he had you by the hip so hard he probably left a bruise.”

He instinctively reached his hand out to check and you swatted it away, “Don’t - Don’t touch me!”

None of them had ever heard you sound so pissed off and you’d definitely never snapped at Logan like that before. 

You took a deep breath and reached down to slip off your shoes, leaving you barefoot on the concrete. 

“I’m sorry,” you apologized to the rest of them,” but why are you guys here?”

“You left without saying anything, we couldn’t find you and we wanted to be sure you were safe,” Ororo sighed, hugging you in relief, “we’re so glad you’re okay.” 

You hugged her back.

“I just - I wanted to disappear for a while,” you explained apologetically, avoiding Jean and Scott’s gaze. 

“Do you know how stupid it was to run off and not tell anyone where you were going?” Logan scolded you, but Jean clicked her tongue at him.

“Shut it! Enough from you! You’ve done enough damage control!”

The ride home was almost silent, your tired body slumped in the backseat between Scott and Jean, until Ororo spoke from the front passenger seat.

“Honey, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but,” she paused, thinking over her words, “what were you gonna do to that guy if we hadn’t stopped you?”

You understood what she meant immediately. 

“What, you think I was going to kill him?” you asked, crossing your arms and leaning forward in your seat, “I wasn’t. I don’t do that unless I have to and you know even then I hate doing it.”

“I know…so, what were you doing with a guy like him anyway?” she asked, trying to move on from the question that had clearly made you upset, “he seemed kinda shady.”

Logan was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white, dreading the answer.

You shrugged your shoulders, staring at the synthetic fabric of your pants.

“Liked the attention, I guess,” you answered honestly, kind of hoping you could throw anyone off the idea of you being interested in Logan, “it’s been awhile since a guy has liked me like that.”

“He only wanted one thing from you anyway,” he scoffed from the front seat. Ororo glared at him, about to tell him to mind his business before you stopped her.

“And I can’t want it either?”

That shut everybody up and Ororo turned to him again, a look on her face that said ‘you asked, you got the answer’.

You tried to bolt to your room when you all got home but Logan was quick to follow, catching up with you to stand in your path in the hallway outside of your bedroom. 

“What’s going on with you?”

“Leave me be.”

You tried to dodge around him but he stuck his arm out. 

“Logan.”

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for you to continue speaking.

“Move.”

“I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me what’s going on with you. You don’t disappear like that, ever. And I wanna talk to you about last night - “

“There’s nothing to talk about. Goodnight,” you huffed, ducking under his arm and opening your door.

“I care about you, you know, I was worried,” he began to explain.

You tried to slam the door in his face but he stuck his foot out, jamming his boot between the door and the doorframe. You let go in defeat and turned away, gathering your pajamas as if he wasn’t in the room.

“Yeah? Why?,” you scoffed, trying with everything in you to bite your tongue but failing miserably, “I’m not your type of girl. What’s there to worry about?”

Logan’s face fell. He pushed the door closed behind him. 

“Is that what this is about? That’s why you went out?”

“Why do you care?” 

You still had your back to him, furiously shuffling through clothing in your dresser.

“Stop.” 

You felt his hands on your arms as he came up behind you, paralyzing you in your spot.

You let him turn you around gently, almost chest to chest.

“I didn’t mean that.”

“You don’t have to lie to spare my feelings -“

“I’m not.”

He leaned back a little to force you to look him in the eye.

“I only said that - listen, I only said that because - “ Logan paused, biting his lip till it nearly bled, but you shook your head and slipped by him again.

“Please, don’t treat me like I’m stupid, Logan.”

You sounded so exasperated, tears forming in your eyes when you turned your back to him.

“Fuck,” he sighed, “I only said that because I didn’t want you to like me.”

You wiped the tear that rolled down your cheek and turned back to him, a confused expression on your face.

“It worked, are you happy?”

“No, I’m not - “

“Well, guess it backfired. Get out of my room.”

You were face to face again, keeping your mouth in a tight line so your lip wouldn’t quiver. It felt stupid to cry in front of him, but you couldn’t really help it once it started. 

“Oh, god, please, don’t cry,” he begged, leaning down and actually bringing a hand up to your face to wipe away a tear that rolled down your cheek. You wanted to smack it away, tell him again to just get the hell out , but you couldn’t.

“Why would you do that?” You mumbled out quietly, finally letting the overwhelming feeling of sadness cancel out any rage you had for him. You couldn’t look him in the eye again, concentrating on the throw rug you were standing on.

“I’m so sorry, princess, I am. I’m really fucking stupid,” he huffed. 

You were surprised by the softness of his voice and finally tore your eyes from the floor. He’d called you that before, but usually in a teasing way. This time it sounded endearing, like a plea of your name. 

“And what happened there, at the club? ‘She’s not interested’, what was that about?” You continued.

He sighed, still trying to figure out what exactly it was that he wanted to say. He realized there probably wasn’t much of a way to beat around the bush and he groaned, closing his eyes as he stood in front of you to make spilling his guts a little less agonizing.

“I like you - like you a lot, and I was an asshole because I figured if you hated me, you couldn’t like me back and it would save you the trouble.”

Hearing no response, he finally opened his eyes to see you still standing in the same spot, your lips parted.

“Save me the trouble of what?”

You were confused, your eyes narrowed as if you were angry.

“I don’t know…having to deal with me, I guess. I - I’ve never felt the way I feel about you for anyone else and it scares the shit out of me.”

You could hear him swallow hard, his eyes looking everywhere around the room except at you. 

“And earlier, when we picked you up,” he continued, “I acted like that because I was jealous, alright? Can’t stand to see some asshole on you like that, and you were dressed all nice and - I don’t know.”

You’d never heard him sound so nervous in all the time you’d known him.

“You are my type of girl,” he finally choked out, “only type of girl I’d ever want.”

All you could do was inhale sharply, his words echoing in your mind. 

“It’s alright if you hate me, I can’t say I really blame you. Fuck, I’m sorry.”

He began to walk out, convinced he’d fucked up beyond repair.

“Logan.”

Your voice stopped his hand from turning your doorknob and he turned back to you. 

No longer crying, you tentatively stepped forward a bit, nervously playing with the front hem of your top. 

“You’re not something to deal with, you know,” you muttered, letting your hair fall in front of your face.

You supposed this was the point where it was your turn to explain.

“I’ve liked you for a long time, Logan, probably since the day I walked in here and I just - I think I wanted someone to distract me so I wouldn’t wallow in self pity because you didn’t want me.”

“You were trying to get over me,” he realized aloud, a small smile on his face to hide the hurt, “I deserved that.”

After a moment of tense silence, he spoke again.

“Did it work?”

His voice was low and soft, a tone you’d rarely heard him speak with.

You pursed your lips and finally lifted your head, taking a deep breath. 

“No. I don’t think it was ever going to, either,” you laughed a little, “when that guy asked me to dance, the first thing I thought of was that he didn’t look anything like you.”

Your voice trailed off a little at the end, a little embarrassed to confess that even if Logan had already flat out told you he was interested in you.

Without another word, he came close enough to reach for your hands and gently intertwine your fingers with his. He cleared his throat, nervously chewing his bottom lip before he spoke.

“Can I kiss you?”

You must have had this dream a million times over, waking up night after night and feeling so empty because none of it was real. But now, with his hands in yours, it was very real.

You eagerly pressed your lips to his, not wanting to waste another second. His lips were soft and you were encompassed in the scent of his body wash and cologne, smelling of pine and cedar wood. You brought your hands up to play with his hair at the back of his head. Logan moved his arms to wrap around your waist, pulling you further into him. 

When you finally pulled away from each other, you were both smiling like idiots.

“We should’ve done that much sooner,” you giggled.

“Agreed.”

His fingers traced small circles on the exposed skin of your back, making you shiver.

He kissed you again, this time with much more intensity. It wasn’t long before your tongues were in each other's mouths and you both had fumbled yourselves over to the end of your bed.

“Wanted you for so long,” he mumbled between kissing your neck and jaw, his hands still sliding up and down your back, “I was so stupid.”

“We both were,” you giggled a little, cut short into a moan when he licked your neck all the way from your collarbone to under your ear.

“L-Logan,” you gasped, unable to hide your blushing face.

He hummed into your neck, bringing his mouth to your ear, “Can I show you how sorry I am? Let me make it up to you.”

His voice made the hair on the back of your neck stand up and you let him pull you onto him to straddle his lap, lost in the feeling of his hands on you.

“Mmm, uh-huh,” you hummed, mouth hung open as he sucked light marks into your neck. 

“You have to use your words, pretty girl,” he brought his head up to rest his forehead against yours. He cupped your jaw tenderly, almost as if you’d disappear if he let go. 

Before you could answer, he moved his hands to drag your hips over his, grunting when he felt the pressure.

“Y-yes, yeah - please,” you choked out between moans, tugging his hair harder every time he pushed and pulled your hips.

“Please what, baby?”

“You - you can make it up to me,” you groaned into his neck. 

He effortlessly lifted you by your thighs and laid you with your back to the bed. You untucked his white t-shirt from his jeans as he crawled over you, desperate to get your hands underneath it. You lightly scratched your nails along his back, making him groan into your ear. He kissed down your neck to the center of your chest, gently slipping his fingers under the hem of your top and around the back. 

“Can I take this off you, baby?”

You were already sitting up before he could finish his sentence, reaching to try and untie the knot at the back of your neck.

“Eager, huh?”, he chuckled, “let me, sweetheart.”

He wrapped his arms around your lower back to tug at the knot, feeling it come loose in his hands. He snaked his hands up to the back of your neck, doing the same to the tied strings there. When it came loose, the only thing holding the piece of fabric to you was his hands at the back of your neck. He let it slip from his fingers, a smirk on his face when it fell completely.

You threw the garment somewhere to the floor and tugged on the collar of his t-shirt, bringing him down with you as laid back again and pressed your lips to his. He pulled back for a moment to yank his shirt off and immediately return his mouth to yours, making his way down to your neck. He brought both his hands to your chest and swept his thumbs over your hard nipples, eventually bringing his lips to them and sucking. 

“Ah - Logan,” you whined, making him smile against your skin.

“I like it when you say my name, pretty girl,” he mumbled, dragging his fingers down your sides and hooking them into the waistband of your pants. He kissed all the way down to your hips, moving himself to lay on his stomach with his head between your thighs. 

Before he could ask you if it was alright to rid you of them, you were already unbuttoning your pants and pushing them down your hips and thighs. He took them off the rest of the way for you and you kicked your panties off with them.

He hooked his arms around your thighs to pull you closer, licking his lips and resting his cheek on the inside of your thigh.

“I thought about you a lot, you know - like this,” he huffed, his warm breath fanning over your pussy.

You had your hands in his hair already, swiping fallen strands of hair out of his face.

“I thought about you like this, too,” you admitted, sighing as he started to plant kisses right above where you wanted him the most.

“Yeah?”

His teasing voice brought goosebumps to your skin and you nodded, gasping when you finally felt his lips graze your clit.

“This what you think about when you fuck yourself?” He mumbled into you, the vibration of his voice making you tighten your grip in his hair. He growled like an animal, trying to push you even further into his mouth by the grip on your thighs.

You were trying to choke out an answer, distracted by the wet sounds of him messily eating you out.

“Y - ah, yes, yeah - not as good as the real thing, though.”

He laughed with his mouth still attached to you and you tightened your thighs around his head, keeping him in place.

He could have spent hours with his mouth to your cunt, practically fucking you with his tongue while you whined his name. 

A knock on your door sounded through the room, the both of you freezing in place.

“Hey, I just wanted to check on you. Are you feeling okay?”

It was Scott.

 You grimaced, thankful at the very least that your door was locked, but Logan had a terribly smug smirk on his face. 

“Y-yeah, I’m alright, just - just tired,” you managed to choke out, stuttering when you felt two of his fingers slip into you effortlessly.

“You sure?”

You sighed, hating and loving Logan at the same time for what he was doing. 

“Yup, th-thank you, m’ jus’ gonna go to bed.”

Scott responded with a goodnight and you groaned in relief when you heard him walk away.

Logan was curling his fingers inside of you, still lapping at your pussy and letting you use your grip on his hair to angle his head however you wanted him. You felt the pressure in your lower stomach rise and you tried to warn him, tugging on the hair on the back of his head.

“Logan, I’m - “

“C’mon, pretty girl, c’mon.”

His encouragement sent you over the edge, euphoria blooming from your lower stomach and spreading through you. You had to cover your mouth to muffle your pornographic moans, but Logan reached up to tug your wrist.

“Uh-uh, wanna hear you, beautiful,” he mumbled into you, practically pushing your thighs even further around his head.

“Fuck, L-Logan, too - too sensitive,” you stuttered out, trying to pull his face away by his hair and failing miserably because of his grip around your thighs.

He eventually reluctantly detached himself and crawled back on top of you, sucking the taste of you off his fingers. 

“I could do that for hours, you know, if you let me,” he groaned, pulling your hips up to him so you could feel the weight of his hard cock underneath his jeans.

Still sensitive, you reactively gripped his biceps and dug your fingernails into his skin. You were going to apologize and were quickly cut off by the guttural moan he let out into the side of your neck.

“Fuck,” he groaned, rocking his hips against yours.

“You’re into pain, huh?” 

You figured it was your turn to tease him, dragging your fingernails from his shoulders all the way down his back.

“You’re gonna pay for that, pretty girl,” he grunted, moving quickly to undo his belt and strip himself of the rest of his clothing. 

When his cock sprung up and hit his stomach as he took off his boxers, you swallowed hard; already feeling a wanting ache in your stomach again. You figured he was big - he was already a tall guy, after all - but he was far bigger than any guy you’d ever seen. Logan noticed the way you bit your lower lip, resting himself on top of you again and bringing his thumb up to pull your lip from under your teeth.

“What, are you nervous? It’s alright sweetheart, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

His voice was so soft and gentle, a tone you rarely ever heard from him. 

You could feel the weight of his cock against your inner thigh, heavy and already leaking. 

“ ‘m not nervous, I want you, please,” you begged, wrapping your legs around his waist. You reached your hand between your bodies to line him up with your entrance, trying to push him in with your legs around his waist. 

“You sure?” he huffed, trying with every muscle in his body to not slam into you in one thrust. 

You nodded eagerly, scratching at his lower back. 

Logan couldn’t help himself and gave in, slipping himself into you.

“So tight,” he groaned into your neck, pushing himself in even further.

“You - fuck - you’re so fucking big,” you admitted truthfully, nearly drooling at the feeling of him stretching you out. 

“Feels good?”

It was hard for him to speak when you were so wet that he was nearly slipping out of you as he gently rocked his hips back and forth, trying to be gentle and let you adjust to his size. 

“Mm - uh-uh,” you hummed, gasping each time he pushed further.

“Use your words, sweetheart,” he huffed and you groaned, digging your nails into him. 

“Y-yes, yeah - want you all the way in,” you whimpered.

That was all it took for him to be buried in you, grinding his hips into yours so that you were pinned to the mattress. 

He worked up to a devastating pace, practically slamming your headboard into the wall.

“S-someone’s gonna - someone’s gonna hear us,” you managed to gasp out, out of breath every time he filled you and pulled back again. 

“Don’t care, let ‘em,” he pressed his forehead to yours, bringing a hand up to your face to affectionately cup your cheek. It was so sweet and almost disgustingly hot, the caring gesture contrasting the intense feeling of him repeatedly slamming into the sensitive spot inside of you. 

He really didn’t have a care in the world about who heard you both, far too lost in the feeling of finally being able to have you under him like that. You had sweat soaked strands of hair stuck to your face, your eyes squeezed shut, and he was almost sure you’d never looked more beautiful. 

“So fucking pretty,” he huffed, his thumb swiping your bottom lip. He had an idea, one he’d considered many times when he thought of you under him like this.

“Bite me.”

You raised your eyebrows in surprise, threading your hand through his hair, “are you sure?”

“Please.”

You forcibly unsheathed your fangs, letting them tentatively poke at his thumb that was still to your lips.

He moved his hand to your throat, resting it there without tightening his grip. 

“Please.”

His pleading had the heat in your lower stomach rising and you obliged, sinking your teeth into his shoulder. You felt guilty - you didn’t enjoy hurting people - until he was whimpering in your ear, moaning your name over and over again. 

You bit his neck, his shoulders, his lip - all the small puncture wounds healing themselves within seconds. 

Having him so pussy drunk and groaning praises into your ear brought the pressure in your lower stomach to a max and you cried out his name, letting him fuck you through your second orgasm. 

“ ‘s good, huh, princess? Come on me, c’mon,” he was begging, feeling your muscles tense around him. That drove him over the edge, his hips rutting into you and his thrusts becoming sloppy. He finally let himself go, filling you and letting it drip from you onto the sheets. He pulled back a little to see the mess you had both made, your inner thighs painted with a mix of his release and yours. He went to pull out completely and you clamped your thighs around his hips again, keeping him still.

“Want me to stay?”

“Mhm - please.”

The sexual tension was replaced with loving comfort, Logan keeping you to his chest as he laid you both on your side. His chin rested on the top of your head and your face was against his chest with your eyes closed. You smiled at the thump of his heartbeat in your ear, nearly letting it put you to sleep. 

“Hey, pretty girl,” he mumbled into your hair, planting a kiss on the top of your head, “you know I love you?”

The last three words made your eyes shoot open and you looked up at him, worried you’d misheard him or maybe he was just messing with you.

“Really?”

“Of course. You think I would’ve done that with you if I wasn’t in love?”

You thought hard for a second, realizing he was right. It wasn’t that he hadn’t had hookups before, but it had been quite a long time since he’d bothered to even get to know someone like that. He wasn’t the type to lead you on, either - always up front with you, even if he didn’t have to be. 

“I love you too,” you answered, unable to hide the wide smile on your face.

“I should’ve told you much sooner,” he sighed, his eyes fluttering closed as you snuggled into him again.

Before you could both fall asleep from exhaustion, he yanked the comforter over the both of you, hearing you mumble sleepily.

“You can make it up to me some more.”

───────♡──────────────♡───────

A/N: If you made it to the end I love you <3 pls lmk what you think and reblog+like if you enjoyed!! also still navigating how to write smut without using cringe terminology so forgive me if that part sucks

[ohmyitsfaith]

The sunshine and the grump / Part 4

Pairing: Sparrow!Ben Hargreeves x Reader

Summary: With your curiousity for Jennifer satisfied, but your anger about your husband’s dismissal still burning high, you decide to stay just a little bit more with the Umbrellas.

Warnings: fighting, Jayme using her power on the reader continuously

Word count: 2.1k

A/n: Honestly, I realized what my problem was when writing the last two parts of this. I was leaning too heavily on the show and not enough on my own ideas. So here's a part that I wrote on the train where I had no access to the actual show other than my memories.

Five’s reaction wasn’t comforting, but he was ambushed by Klaus the next moment and you went back to eating your breakfast. What could you do?

Technically what you came for, you already got. You now knew about Jennifer, at least you knew what mattered. Though you didn’t really know what to do with the information, your curiosity was satisfied. But thinking about going back… back to the family you thought loved you…

Well, they did love you. You knew that. Ben loved you as much as he was an asshole to you currently. And Jayme and Fei. Sloane especially. Alphonso loved you too and Chris… well he tolerated you. Only Marcus was a bit of a tough nut to crack. You didn’t give up yet on him, but… still. You didn’t want to go back.

Here, at least Klaus liked you. He talked to you, shared the information you needed with you. You wanted to get to know the Umbrellas, if you were honest. They seemed like a… very interesting bunch.

You looked at the Umbrellas that were around you. Viktor was trying to stop everyone from leaving. Klaus and Five were going on a road trip, if you heard it right. Diego and his alleged son were going to the store. Luther was nowhere to be found. And Viktor, giving up on the others, grabbed some breakfast on a tray and walked off.

You had two chances at getting to know the Umbrellas: either wait for Viktor to come back or go with Diego and his son. You quickly weighed your options, then ran after Diego.

“Diego, wait for me!”

“I still don’t like that you’re here” Diego grumbled as you walked down the street. “You’re the enemy.”

“Technically, I’m not” you pointed out. “I’m just a mere human without any powers. I’m harmless.”

“Not if you report back to your little birds” Diego rolled his eyes.

“They don’t listen to me” you sighed. “I’m not part of the team, the academy. I’m just Ben’s… wife.”

“That’s… sad.”

“It really is.”

“Okay, I’ll bite” Diego looked at you. “Why did you come to us? It can’t be just your curiosity about Jennifer.”

You looked at him for a few seconds. “No, you’re right” you sighed and looked at your hand, where your wedding band sat. “We… Me and Ben… had a fight. If I can even call it a fight.”

“I can’t read in your head, woman” Diego urged you to explain.

“Well… I think it started with me searching for information about Jennifer in his room” you started and noticed Diego’s facial expression. “I know, I shouldn’t have. But he was busy and I wanted answers” you put your hands up. “I understand why he was mad. But then he told me that I was too naive and they don’t need my help.”

“Well… that’s an asshole move, but maybe there was some truth in that. You’re… what do you even do?”

“I’m an interior designer” you supplied.

“Well then yeah, you probably wouldn’t have been able to help” Diego nodded, thinking.

“Asshole!” you hit him on the arm.

“Look, all I’m saying is that he had a reason to be mad at you. And with your job, you’re nowhere near the place where you could help anyone strategically plan” he explained.

“Why am I even here” you grumbled.

“I wonder that myself.”

You glared at him, then just entered the shop. You wondered whether it was even worth coming along with him. If staying at the hotel would’ve been better. You also wondered what Ben was doing. He was no doubt busy with his plan against the Umbrellas.

Which was stupid, in all honesty. Just because they caused some trouble at the mansion, why should they die? The Umbrellas didn’t want them dead. Well… other than Diego. Diego was all for beating them to a pulp. But the rest just wanted their home back. Which was honestly understandable. If what they said was true and they did come from a different timeline, then the fact that they lost everything and were left without even a home to go back to was… jarring, fear-inducing. Kind of what a tree would feel if it was uprooted and placed elsewhere. You could almost share the feeling. Almost.

Because you still had Ben to go back to. This was just a stupid fight, you’d be over it sooner or later. You just had to… talk to him. Alone, preferably.

And that… pretty much settled it. You’d go back and… see how things go.

You suddenly saw Diego duck behind a shelf, which made you suspicious. Especially when you saw him peek out from behind it just a moment later. He didn’t seem the type to play hide-and-seek in a convenience store, so, furrowing your brows, you went over to him.

“Diego, what-” you started, but were interrupted by Diego pulling you down beside him.

“Shush” he said lowly, then peeked out again. “They’re here…”

“Who-” you looked where he was looking and noticed Jayme and Alphonso. “Oh…”

Diego pulled you down again, glaring at you. “Try not to get me caught.”

“Oh god” you rolled your eyes, but Diego was already moving away from the spot where you were crouched. “Don’t try it, Diego!”

But no matter what you said, Diego was already standing up, right in sight of Alphonso. You held your head in your hands, unsure what you should do. Diego wouldn’t back down and would get hurt. Then again, it wasn’t like you didn’t try to stop him. It was his own fault if he got hurt. But still, you didn’t want him to get hurt. In all honesty you just wanted peace. No more fighting, no more arguing. You knew things could be fixed if everyone just sat down and talked.

You heard Diego get slammed back into a shelf and you made a decision. You stood up and ran for Alphonso. You weren’t going to stand by and just watch as the two of them fought it out in the convenience store. So you were going to stop them, whatever it took.

And it seemed the first thing it demanded of you was to take a punch in the face. Okay, it wasn’t that easy. Technically you should’ve expected the punch and ducked out of the way of it. You knew Alphonso was on high-alert and if he saw someone at full speed rushing up to him, of course he was going to act in defense and punch without checking who it was.

“Ow!” you yelped as you were thrown off your balance.

“Y/n?” Alphonso turned at your voice. “What are you-” but in the next moment he was pushed by Diego, who ran at him like a bull.

You cheek was throbbing with pain, but you forced yourself to focus on the fight. You got to your feet and saw Diego try to punch Alphonso without feeling the pain himself.

“Stop it Diego!” you yelled at him, trying to grab his arm, to pull him away.

Suddenly, a knife whizzed by you and scratched Alphonso’s leg. You heard the little boy scream behind you and Diego instantly looked toward him, all anger leaving him for a moment. He jumped up and ran for the little boy, who was whining and writhing on the floor.

You took a breath and blinked against the pain. Then leaned down to grab Alphonso’s arm to help him up.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked. “With them nonetheless!”

“I-” you searched for the words. “I needed time away from…”

“So you colluded with the enemy?!”

“I did not collude with the enemy!” you denied, offended. “And they’re not our enemies!”

“Of course they’re our enemies!” Alphonso scoffed. “They broke into our home, kidnapped Marcus-”

“But they didn’t!” you interrupted. “Marcus isn’t-”

You couldn’t finish though, because Diego threw a… pan?! at Alphonso, hitting him square in the face. The impact sent Alphonso stumbling back and you stared at Diego in confusion. He had knives. Why a pan?!

But the next item came flying, all aimed at Alphonso, who kept trying to dodge. All that stumbling and dodging ended in him bumping into the aisle, knocking down the short shelves, falling onto them.

That finally alerted Jayme into action. She first spit in your direction, which at first you thought you managed to dodge.

“Jayme! What…” but the next moment a hallucination overtook you.

You were still standing in the convenience store, but this time Ben came in, tentacles out to shield you from the slaughter of Diego’s knives. You saw that the knives were hurting him, but his focus was on you. Just like the first time you met, you were saved by him.

One tentacle wrapped quietly around you, lifting you from the chaos and close to him.

“Ben” you breathed.

He pulled you close, the tentacle putting you right next to him, easing you to your feet. His arms wrapped around your waist, keeping you steady. All noise washed away. It was just you and him. Like all those sweet days of solitude on your honeymoon.

“I’ll take you home, baby” he said, his voice sweet like honey.

“H-home?” you stuttered. “No, I-”

“The hallucinogen is wearing off” you heard another voice suddenly and you blinked hard.

“Don’t worry” Ben said, his voice a bit distorted and looked back at you. The next time he spoke, his voice was back to normal. “You’ll be okay, baby. They won’t hurt you there.”

Your heart calmed and your lips pulled into a gentle smile.

“Okay” you sighed. “Take me home, baby.”

All the way to the academy, you were in and out of the hallucination. In your hallucination you were on a romantic stroll with Ben, once again feeling the peace of your pink-clouded romance. In reality though, you were sweating profusely, dragged by Alphonso and Jayme to the academy, just barely not drooling. You were also breathing hard with the hallucination clouding your brain.

Jayme knew it was probably mostly your subconscious fighting against the hallucinogen. Many times she asked you to train with her for control over her hallucination. As added fun, you tried to fight it, trying to break out of the hallucination before it ran out.

So she kept spitting on you, the black goo seeping into your face. Did she feel bad for you? Yes. But you were caught with the enemy. She couldn’t in good conscience let you go back. Who knows what those criminals did to you to make you stay with them. Because as soft-hearted as you were, you wouldn’t sympathize with criminals, who broke into your home and even kidnapped your brother-in-law. That would be betraying Ben and his trust placed in you.

You kept muttering Ben's name every so often and Jayme couldn't even imagine how the man would react to his wife colluding with the enemy.

When they dragged you into the mansion’s living room, barely conscious, Ben didn’t know what to think.

He had been so mad at you the night before and so focused on the coming mission, he didn’t think much about you not being in your room. He thought that once you calmed down, you would join him in the bed. And then, in the morning you would talk it out as you did all your arguments.

Even if this was bigger than any of your previous ones.

But you weren’t there in the morning, your place still the same way it was the night before. It didn’t take much for Ben to realize that you were never there. By then, he was calm, he had forgiven you for the snooping, after all he was busy and didn’t really have time to search for the answers with you. He was also slightly guilty about dismissing your help at the second mission planning meeting. He knew he was an asshole to you, even though at the time he justified it with being mad at you.

But he really wanted to talk it out with you. To solve this issue. After all, everyone was on edge, him especially. Since you were in his life, there weren’t big enemies like the Umbrellas were right now. Not only did he want to keep you safe, he also wanted to prove himself.

So it was understandable that he was feeling more stressed about this.

Now though? He didn’t know what to think.

“What happened?” he asked, confused but he could feel the rage starting to burn in him. “Why is she under your power?”

Jayme and Alphonso shared a look.

“We found her with the Umbrellas.”

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Taglist: @snixx2088, @lxkeeeee, @kimm4710, @sagestack, @koshi-sama, @cherryinsalemverse, @lifrimen, @inkedeye2345, @popstarbarbiee

[allthemeniveloved]

It Will Come Back - Part 6

Summary: As the tension within the gang at Shady Belle grows heavier, you confront John about your fears for both of your safety and the dangerous path Dutch is leading everyone down.

wc: 2.9k

ao3 link

a/n: This is definitely a "bridge" chapter, so a little more fast paced and shorter, apologies if it feels rushed. I plan to write my ass off tonight and then schedule the next few chapters to be posted so I don't have to stress myself out going into the holiday weekend. Stay tuned! <3

The ride back to Clemens Point was peaceful, the calm of the weekend still lingering between you and John. The memories of quiet moments by the waterfall and the easy laughter you shared made the looming reality of camp feel distant, almost unreal. As you crossed into the clearing, the usual hum of the gang’s activity greeted you, but something felt different—tenser. John barely had time to dismount before Dutch appeared, striding toward him with purpose, his expression sharp and full of determination.

“There you are, Marston,” Dutch called, his tone brisk as his eyes flicked to you for the briefest of moments before locking onto John. “No time for rest. The Braithwaite mansion is ready to be hit, and we ride now.” Without waiting for a reply, Dutch clapped a hand on John’s shoulder, already pulling him toward the group of men gathering their weapons and mounts.

You stayed frozen for a moment, still holding Dahlia’s reins, your stomach twisting as you watched John get swept up into the chaos without so much as a chance to catch his breath. “Dutch, we just got back—” you started, but the older man waved you off with a dismissive gesture.

“This is the moment we’ve been waiting for,” he said, not even looking back at you as he continued toward his horse. “We need every man for this.”

John gave you a fleeting glance, his lips parting like he wanted to say something, but the urgency of Dutch’s call left no time. Before you could even protest, he swung back into the saddle, sparing one last look at you as he joined the others.

A heavy weight settled in your chest as you stood there, helpless, watching him ride off into the trees with the rest of the gang. Your mind swirled with worry, the image of John charging into the unknown—into danger—haunting you. The thought of losing him, of something going wrong, made your stomach churn, and though you tried to steady your breathing, the fear wouldn’t leave. You paced anxiously near the edge of camp, your heart racing with every passing minute as you waited for any sign of their return, praying silently that he’d come back to you unscathed.

-

The acrid stench of smoke still clung to the air as the gang rode hard away from the burning Braithwaite mansion, its roaring flames lighting up the night like a second sun. The cries of Miss Braithwaite echoed faintly in the distance, mingling with the hoofbeats pounding through the muddy roads. The job had gone south fast—what was supposed to be a final blow to the family that had crossed the Van der Linde gang turned into a fiery spectacle that left no doubt the Pinkertons would be close behind.

“Damn it, Dutch,” Arthur muttered under his breath as he rode alongside John, his revolver still drawn and his eyes scanning the treeline for trouble. “You really think this was the smart play?”

Dutch, riding ahead with Hosea, twisted in his saddle, his face lit by the faint glow of the distant fire. “Sometimes, Arthur,” he said sharply, “you have to make a statement. The Braithwaites thought they could cross us, and now they’ll think twice before anyone else does.”

Arthur scoffed, but his attention shifted back to the road as he tucked his revolver into its holster. Riding just in front of Lenny, Bill, Javier, and Micah, John’s jaw was set tight, his gaze flicking back toward the mansion every so often to reassure himself that no one was following.

“They’re gonna be after us now,” John muttered, his voice low. “Law, Raiders, whoever’s left of the Braithwaites—we can’t stay at Clemens Point.”

“Dutch knows it,” Arthur replied, though the weight of the situation settled heavily on his chest.

-

The sound of hoofbeats breaking through the dense evening air pulled your attention to the edge of camp, and your heart leapt at the sight of John riding in with the others. His shirt was smeared with soot and dirt, his face streaked with sweat, but he was upright, whole, and alive. Relief flooded through you as you rushed toward him, barely giving him a chance to dismount before you threw your arms around him. He held you tightly, his breath warm against your hair as he murmured, “I’m alright, darlin’. I’m alright.” His voice was steady, but you could feel the tension in his shoulders, the weight of whatever had happened still clinging to him.

He pulled back slightly, his hands resting on your arms as he looked down at you, his expression softening at your worried gaze. “It got messy,” he admitted, his voice low but firm. “The Braithwaites didn’t go down easy. They had people everywhere, fightin’ to the bitter end. We torched the place, but… there was more blood than Dutch let on.” He glanced away for a moment, his jaw tightening, before his eyes met yours again. “But I’m here, and I ain’t hurt. Just… tired.” His thumb brushed lightly against your arm as he tried to ease your concern.

You hesitated, your voice soft but firm as you looked at him, worry etched across your face. “John, I don’t like the things Dutch has been askin’ y'all to do lately—it feels like we’re crossin’ lines we shouldn’t be. Inserting ourselves where we don't belong."

John sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at you, his voice low but steady. “I get it, darlin’, but Dutch—he’s got a plan, a way outta all this mess, and we just gotta trust him a little longer.”

You nodded slowly, the tension in your chest tightening as you tried to meet John’s earnest gaze. “Alright,” you murmured, your voice softer than you intended. “If that's what you think, I’ll follow your lead.” But even as the words left your lips, doubt crept into your mind, twisting uncomfortably in the pit of your stomach. Something about Dutch’s plans had been unsettling you for weeks—the way his schemes seemed to grow riskier, more reckless, as if he were chasing something he couldn’t quite catch. You wanted to trust John, to believe in his unwavering faith, but deep down, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this path was leading you both somewhere you might not come back from.

-

By the time the gang reached the swamp, the adrenaline from the night had worn thin, replaced by exhaustion and unease. The route was slow and winding, the horses uneasy as they picked their way through the misty bog. It wasn’t until the broken silhouette of Shady Belle appeared through the haze that Dutch finally signaled for everyone to stop.

“There it is,” he announced, his voice carrying through the night. “Our new home.”

You stared at the crumbling mansion, its windows broken and vines creeping up its sagging walls. The place reeked of abandonment and decay, its shadow looming over the swamp like a ghost of better days.

Arthur rode up beside Dutch, shaking his head. “This is what you had in mind? Looks more like a tomb than a camp.”

Dutch turned to him, a sharp glint in his eye. “It’s hidden, Arthur. Out of the way, quiet. We’ll make it work.”

John sighed heavily as he dismounted, helping you down before tying up the horses. “Don’t look like we’ve got much of a choice,” he muttered under his breath, his hand brushing against yours briefly as you both turned to assess the place.

Arthur pushed open a door, his revolver raised as he scanned the dim room.

“Squatters,” he muttered, his gaze falling on the scattered belongings and rotting food on the floor.

“Least they’re gone,” John said, nudging a broken chair aside with his boot.

“They didn’t leave it like this on their own,” you said quietly, pointing to the bloodstains smeared on the walls.

The group exchanged uneasy glances, but there was no time to dwell. Room by room, the gang secured the mansion, dragging debris outside and clearing a space for the camp.

By the time the sun began to rise, the worst of the mess had been dealt with, though the place still felt far from safe.

As everyone gathered near the front of the mansion, Dutch stood on the steps, his figure framed by the foggy dawn.

“This,” he said, his voice carrying over the group, “is not what I’d call ideal. But it’s what we have—for now. We’ll rebuild here, lay low, and plan our next move. They may think they’ve pushed us to the edge, but they’ll see… the Van der Linde gang isn’t so easily broken.”

The gang murmured their agreement, though the unease was palpable. Arthur stood off to the side, muttering something under his breath, while John lingered near you, his presence steady. As the others scattered to unpack and settle in, John turned to you, his eyes searching yours. “You alright?” he asked quietly, his tone softer now that the chaos had died down.

You nodded, though the exhaustion of the night weighed heavily on you. “I’ll be fine,” you said, offering a small smile.

His hand brushed against yours, a fleeting but reassuring touch. “We’ll make it work,” he said, echoing the sentiment Dutch had tried to inspire—but his words carried more weight, because they were for you alone.

This wasn’t home, but for now, it was all the gang had. And as you looked out at the dense swamp surrounding the mansion, the reality of the road ahead began to set in.

-

The move to Shady Belle brought no relief, only a deeper sense of unease that seemed to cling to the gang like the swamp’s heavy mist. The decaying mansion, with its creaking floors and eerie silence, felt more like a tomb than a refuge. Everyone was on edge, the relentless pressure of the Pinkertons and the gang’s dwindling fortunes gnawing at whatever unity remained. The turning point came with the grisly death of Kieran Duffy. When his mutilated body was dragged into camp, tied to his horse, it shattered what little sense of security anyone still clung to. The haunting image of Kieran’s lifeless form, a brutal message from the O’Driscolls, left the gang shaken. Even the usual bravado from the likes of Bill and Micah faltered in the face of such savagery, and for a brief moment, the infighting paused as the gang mourned one of their own, however quietly. But the fear lingered—if Kieran wasn’t safe, who was?

As the weeks dragged on, Dutch’s plans became more erratic, his once-charismatic confidence feeling more like desperation. Angelo Bronte’s dealings, initially promising a path to wealth and safety, proved only to deepen the gang’s entanglement with dangerous, powerful people. Bronte’s betrayal stung sharply—handing John, Arthur, and the others over to the law during a supposed “opportunity” shook Dutch’s trust in anyone outside the gang. But instead of reevaluating his approach, Dutch doubled down, spinning grandiose tales of salvation through bigger and riskier schemes. The trolley station job in Saint Denis found its way into Dutch's psyche, a chaotic, poorly executed heist that left innocent people dead and brought even more heat on the gang. Each step forward felt like walking deeper into quicksand, and the growing tension within the group became harder to ignore. Whispers of dissent began to ripple through camp, and even those loyal to Dutch couldn’t help but wonder if the man they followed was starting to lose his way.

John’s loyalty to Dutch had always been steadfast, but the cracks were beginning to show. Over the past few weeks, he’d watched Dutch grow more erratic, his plans becoming more reckless and his speeches less inspiring, more desperate. Late at night, as the swamp around Shady Belle hummed with the sounds of crickets and frogs, John found himself lying awake, staring at the ceiling, questioning everything. But even with his doubts, John clung to the idea that maybe, just maybe, Dutch could still turn it all around.

It was you who broke the silence one evening as you sat together in the quiet of your shared room upstairs. “John,” you began, your voice quiet but firm, “we can’t keep living like this. Dutch isn’t the same, and he’s draggin’ us all down with him. We need to leave—while we still can.”

He looked at you sharply, his brow furrowing as his grip tightened on the edge of his seat. “Leave?” he repeated, his voice low and hesitant. “Where the hell would we even go? You think Dutch is just gonna let us walk away?”

You reached out, your hand resting on his arm as you met his uncertain gaze. “We don’t have to tell him, we don't have to tell anybody. We just go."

John’s jaw tightened as he looked at you, his voice low but sharp. “Ain’t you just a little ungrateful for what Dutch has given you? You’d still be back in that O'Driscoll hellhole if it weren’t for him, or worse."

You shot him a glare, your tone firm as you replied, “I’m not ungrateful, John, but what he gave me back then doesn’t excuse the things he’s doing now—you know that as well as I do, and it's insulting that you'd suggest otherwise!" Your cheeks were burning up, your heart rate erratic as your frustration threatens to boil over.

John exhaled sharply, his jaw still tight as he avoided your gaze. “Alright, fine—I shouldn’t’ve said it. But damn it, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

You reached for his hand, your voice trembling but full of conviction as you whispered, “John, I love you, and I can’t keep watching this life tear you apart—we can leave, start fresh, and finally have the future we deserve.” His eyes searched yours, torn between the weight of his loyalty and the hope shining in your words, as you tightened your grip, pleading softly, “Please, come with me.”

John froze, his breath hitching as your words sank in, his usual calm unraveling into something raw and uncertain. His eyes widened slightly, flicking between yours as if searching for a hint of jest, but all he found was sincerity. “You… want that? With me?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with disbelief, like he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the idea. The vulnerability in his tone, so unlike his usual confidence, made your chest ache. You brought your hand up to run your fingers along his jaw, grounding truth into your answer.

He sighed, shaking his head as if trying to push away the thought, but you saw the flicker of agreement in his eyes. “I don’t know, darlin’. Leaving, it’s… dangerous.”

“Staying is dangerous,” you pressed gently, your voice softening. “And you know it.”

For a long moment, he sat there, his jaw working as he weighed your words. Finally, he nodded, though his expression remained grim. “Alright,” he said quietly. “We’ll start thinkin’ on it. But if we’re gonna do this, we gotta be smart about it. No mistakes.”

You squeezed his arm, a glimmer of hope sparking in your chest despite the risk. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

John didn’t smile, but his hand covered yours, a silent promise that he’d see this through—for you to finally be free. “And for the record,” John murmured, his voice low and filled with his usual tender warmth as his hand moved to cup your cheek, “there’s nothin’ I want more than a future with you, too."

-

The next morning, you awoke to the faint rustle of camp already bustling around you, the space beside you in John’s bedroll cold and empty. A sinking feeling settled in your chest as Miss Grimshaw passed by and casually mentioned that John had ridden out early on one of Dutch’s errands, his return time uncertain.

Later, you sat on a stool in Sadie’s corner of the mansion, her fingers deftly weaving your hair into a neat braid as the smell of coffee from your mug and damp wood lingered in the air. “I just don’t know what we’re doing anymore,” you said quietly, breaking the silence, your voice barely rising above the soft creak of the old floorboards. “Every plan Dutch has feels like it’s getting us deeper into trouble. It’s like he’s trying to chase something we can’t catch, and I’m scared we’re all going to pay for it.” Your hands fidgeted in your lap as you stared out at the foggy swamp, your chest tight with unease.

Sadie hummed thoughtfully, her hands pausing for a moment before she resumed braiding. “You ain’t the only one who’s worried,” she said, her tone calm but sharp, like the edge of a blade. “Dutch talks big, but it don’t feel the same anymore, does it? Here’s the thing, though—you don’t owe him every piece of yourself. You got people who care about you, and you gotta think about them—and about you.” Her fingers moved steadily, the braid coming together as she spoke. “When the time comes, you do what you need to do, and don’t you feel bad about it for a second. Loyalty’s a fine thing, but it don’t mean throwin’ yourself into the fire for some bastard who’s already lost their way.” Her words hit you like a jolt of clarity, and as she tied off the braid, you couldn’t help but wonder if the time to make those choices was coming faster than you’d hoped.

[reinabeestudio]

The Fairytale Special (WH AU)

Last week or so I made a document explaining about that Welcome Home AU of mine you have seen me post from time to time (The Fairytale Special). It even explains why it's got such a goddamn long name!!

I updated it recently, so you can read it there (google docs)

Or you can read it here! Under the cut! (kinda long tho)

(^^^^ this was drawn in a magma with other people)

Summary

Sort of a "falling in love with your bodyguard" story, but set in a more fairytale-ish setting? This AU is rather simple compared to others. It doesn't have a well-written, complex concept you may have seen from other artists.

By the way the title, The Fairytale Special, isn’t meant to be pretentious (I swear my ego isn’t that big): it’s not special, it’s a special! It’s meant to be seen kinda like a TV special for Welcome Home! Everyone is still The Silly(™) deep down.

Whaddahell this is self-insert

Yes, I guess it is! The main topic is Wally Darling/The Guard (nickname for my sona in this AU lol). There's also a bit of Howdy Pillar/Eden Mawnten (my Welcome Home OC)

But if you know me, y’know romance is not all there is! I just self-indulged a bit, but I try to make this AU approachable to anyone that might be interested! (Fr I don’t bite)

Ok but what’s the actual goddamn story!!!!!!

Set in a Home that it’s divided in Houses (yes, they’re called the Houses of Home).

There's a celebration for the ruler of a neighbouring kingdom, Queen Eden and Lord Pillar’s engagement in the caterpillar’s land. Obviously everyone has been invited— including Lord Darling! After learning that the most powerful leader in Home would attend their celebration alone, Queen Eden decides to send her personal escort to keep Lord Darling safe: The Guard.

Imagine a road movie but there are horses instead (?)

What else?

I guess I can share some bits of trivia (。・∀・)ノ

The Houses are named after gemstones! Wally’s is called House of Sapphire :]

Some others are House of Spinel (Julie) and House of Chalcedone (Howdy)

Eden’s kingdom is an island!

Home is a mansion in this Special. It even has its own personal library (Wally likes to use it. He’s fallen asleep there more than once)

It was called The Fantasy Special at first, but there aren’t really that many fantasy elements so I changed it. Sometimes I keep calling it that on accident tho

I keep making Wally a bit of a bookworm on accident. Eager to learn?

Tbh I’m still figuring some stuff out, but let it be known not all the classic neighbors (Welcome Home cast) are House leaders

The Special is in written form (so like, a fic). I’ll share it on my personal website only. Yeah, not even gonna post it here (unless I change my mind). Sorry, too nervous lol

I use 🍎👑 when I talk about Wally/Neighbor (Wally/Guard in this case). But sometimes I use 🔖🍎 when I talk about Lord Darling himself (that’s a bookmark emoji!)

Neat I guess, anything more to say?

Ah, I guess we gotta talk boundaries now. I’m aware that my AU isn’t known, but better safe than sorry. It seems mandatory to be clear when it comes to these in this community! So much bitterness lately… let’s work to put it behind. That said, worry not.

Interactions! Feel free to draw your OC in this AU— just remember to credit me :]

If you make fanart/write/etc for it you are obligated by law to tell me (@ me!)

If you wanna do self-insert with this Special, go and be free my friend. True that there are confirmed(?) pairs in this case, but I’m aware how fun these can be! I won’t deny you of that harmless fun

That said, if you don’t like self-shipping and/or prefer canonxcanon, I… don’t think you’ll have a good time with this? Besides the fact that it’s literally a self-insert AU, this Special is mostly for the oc/canon enjoyers out there (platonic, romantic or anything else)

I don’t think this AU has horror elements? But feel free to do these if you wish. Just remember to TW properly!

Regarding NSFW (of the explicit kind, not horror): as long as you are an adult and tag it properly with the official tag (#/PlayfellowXXX), I’m fine with it! Or you can send it to me directly if you want

⚠ However, I don't want any of that weirdo shit near me (inc3st, p3dophilia, wallyc3st/applec3st, you know what I mean).

Can I leave now

Before you go: Lord Darling has a Character AI! (No one asked for it but I made it anyway)

If you talk to him, I’d love to be see it. Mostly outta curiosity but also to configure him better (rizz him up if you want I don’t mind lol I doubt there’s anyone that wants to do that, but it has been stated)

Have fun. Thanks for your company!

[fallingforel]

Hi! Could you write for Brad with prompt 19? Like the reader is part of the vamos and brad is up writing a sad song about his feelings towards the reader because he’s scared to mess it up. I really like your writing, it’s so good!!

a/n Hi lovely I would be delighted to write this also thank you for saying you like my writing it actually brightens my day up just a tinsy bit so thank you anywhoo on with the showww

PROMPT 19:“I’m worried about you.”

words:1,417

"Have you noticed the change in Brads behaviour?" I ask Tristan from where he's sat next to me.

I'm in a band called the vamps, it's all fairly new for us we're currently on the way to record our second album . I sing alongside Brad and everyone says our chemistry on stage is unbelievable and everyone says they're surprised we're not together yet to which I reply we're just best friends which we are, but I secretly wish we were more no one knows that though.

I mean for one we don't act like we're bestfriends, we always favour to sleep in the same bed, we've shared a few kisses but apart from that we're best-friends. But recently he's been pushing back I've ended up on my own in my own bed. Brad's not speaking to me as much only matters about the band, It feels like he doesn't want me there and it pains me because if two of us aren't getting along then it could cause me to leave the band and I really don't want to do that.

"Hmmm" Tristan says from beside me, clearly focusing on whatever was on T.V. more than what I was saying. "forget it I'll talk to him myself about it" I say getting up and wandering about the big mansion we were given by management for our 2nd album, to record whenever we get a new idea, mainly for Brad and I as we were the ones singing and writing but occasionally one of the others would write so it was all of us here. It was a big thing located in the heart of the L.A. suburbs and Brad and I both got our licenses so we could be able to do road trips while we were out here.

I pass all rooms on the ground floor, and there was nothing so I make my way up to the first floor and there is nothing in some of the rooms but I hear muffled noises coming from the in home studio. so I go to the end of the corridor and stand outside the room to hear whats going on

When you were mine, did I push you far away? Blame this whole weight on my shoulders Baring down on me But then I only had to see you Don't you know how good that feels? These are all the words I should've said

Did I miss my chance? Is it too late to say?

Now I'm half a world away from you But you're always on my mind There's a million words that I could've said And you might still be mine And if there's someone where I used to be I hope he tells you everyday The million words that I should've said I wish I could tell you always

It's brad singing his heart out but he sounds broken hearted, it sounds too close to the truth of how I'm feeling and it scares me. I hear rattling about in the studio so I walk away to find James. I needed some good advice and James was always the best for this,

He ended up being out on the balcony with kirstie, which surprised me I wasn't expecting her, she was my bestfriend after Brad

"KIRSTIE!, you didn't tell me you we're coming out here" "she didn't tell me either" "oh Hi James."

"Rude, didn't even acknowledge I was here. Anyway, hey y/n, whats up?" James asks making my face drop realising why I came out to the balcony in the first place "errr I came to find some advice from you" "Oh do you want me to go?" Kirstie asks "No no, I could actually do with both of your advice to be honest" I say as I'm taking a seat on the empty chair that's not occupied by one of the couple.

"So what did you need advice on?" Kirstie asks. "relationship." "Have you got in a relationship? got yourself a little boyfriend?" James asks "errr, no not quite. Do you know what I'm gonna explain the whole thing and then you can give me your advice both of you" I say flicking my eyes between where the two of them are sat.

"So as both of you know, Brad and I are best friends." I say which they both nod at. "Well, we've been sleeping in each others beds, been sharing a few drunk kisses, which I'm not sure he even remembers. So I caught feelings naturally, though I think they were already there anyway regardless what we've been up to. And then like two days ago he stopped sneaking into my bed, stopped kissing me when we were drunk, stopped talking to me about anything and everything and only specifically about band stuff. And I'm worried, so worried that it could cause one of us to leave the band and that would mess up the whole dynamic. So I went to go talk to him a minute ago and he was singing a song but it sounded dangerously close to our situation and you know Brad barely likes to sing about real situations that he goes through. That's me I like to sing about that. So what do you think I should do?"

"First off, we all kinda knew that you we're sleeping in eachothers beds because I caught brad come out in his boxers of your room. We all thought that something else was going on, If I'm honest. We knew about the drunk kisses, We literally watched it happen back in the U.K when we went out that night before we had to leave for the U.S. you and Brad had kissed but you didn't remember the next morning. As for the two days ago thing, maybe he's also realised the same feeling you're having and he doesn't think that you feel the same so he's pulling away and giving you space." James says "And the singing?" I ask. "well, he never writes and sings about situations that have happened to him. Because none have been worthy of that but what's going on with you two, is so worthy of that. It worked up enough motions in him for it to happen so don't worry about that. The best thing you can do now is talk to him don't let this drive a wedge between you two and also a wedge between the band because it will. you need to talk" "thanks I will right now."

And I'm rushing off to the studio again where Brad was. I knock on the door before I hear a hush "come in" just faint enough to hear and I'm opening the door to where Brad was sat on the sofa and sit next to him.

"Heard you're song. Are you okay?" "You weren't meant to hear that. Truth I'm not Y/n I can't keep going on like this. I can't keep not talking to you but I also can't keep acting like we're together, when we're not and you don't feel the same because It's driving me crazy because I wish we were something else." "who says I don't feel the same?" "You. two nights ago. I said I loved you and you said I don't feel the same way." "Brad that was a joke, of course I love you anyone would be blind to see that the way we act is because we love eachother not because we're just bestfriends Brad I love you and I miss you In my bed" I say standing up and crouching down to his level "You really feel that way?" "course I do. now kiss me you Idiot" and we start making out on the couch before Brad interrupts and says "Will you be my girlfriend" "yes Brad."

⋆｡°✩

yourusername

liked by jamesmcvey, bradleywillsimpson, and 30,000 others

Yourusername: think he looks pretty fit stood in the kitchen. free hugs are for girlfriends only���

fan1: YOURE JOKING JAW IS SWINGING RN

fan 2: OMG!!! yes finally, took them long enough

thevampsfan:YOU ARE KIDDING FINALLY. NOW WE GET COUPLES MUSIC FROM BOTH OF THEM.

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⋆｡°✩

bradleywillsimpson

liked by tristanevans connorball and 67, 000 others

bradleywillsimpson: think my girlfriend looks pretty nice here @/yourusername

connorball: I think everyone was waiting for this, could've told us first though :(

↳yourusername: we did connor you seem to forget that

kirstiebrittain: happy for you two now we can have double dates

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[bossbarbie-live]

Niki's Journey: Episode 3

Hey everyone, it's Niki the Barbie here with another exciting update on my life! You won't believe what I've been up to lately. I decided to take a road trip across the US to visit my three streaming friends, Crazy32-1, Malzak-491, and BILLIONERS. They are the coolest guys ever and they always make me laugh with their hilarious gaming videos. I met them online and we've been chatting for months, but I never got to see them in person. Until now!

I packed my pink convertible with all my essentials: clothes, makeup, snacks, and of course, my laptop and webcam. I wanted to document every moment of this epic adventure and share it with you guys. I also wanted to surprise my streaming friends with some special gifts that I picked out for them. I'm such a thoughtful Barbie, don't you think?

Hey everyone, it's Niki the Barbie here with another exciting update on my life! You won't believe what I've been up to lately. I decided to take a road trip across the US to visit my three streaming friends, Crazy32-1, Malzak-491, and BILLIONERS. They are the coolest guys ever and they always make me laugh with their hilarious gaming videos. Here's how it all went down.

I met Crazy32-1 online when I commented on one of his videos. He replied to me and we started chatting. We found out that we had a lot in common and we became friends. He was the one who introduced me to Malzak-491 and BILLIONERS, who are also his friends.

First, I flew to New York to meet Crazy32-1. He's a crazy Fortnite player who can do insane tricks and stunts. He picked me up from the airport in his pink convertible and we drove around the city, blasting music and waving at people. He took me to his penthouse apartment where he showed me his gaming setup and his collection of Funko Pops. He even let me play a few rounds of Fortnite with him and I managed to get a couple of kills. He was so impressed by my skills that he gave me a high five and a hug. He's such a sweetie!

Next, I took a train to Chicago to meet Malzak-491. He's a hardcore Call of Duty player who can snipe anyone from miles away. He met me at the station in his leather jacket and sunglasses and we hopped on his motorcycle. He took me to his loft where he showed me his gaming rig and his arsenal of Nerf guns. He even let me shoot some targets with him and I hit every one of them. He was so amazed by my accuracy that he gave me a fist bump and a wink. He's such a hottie!

I met Malzak-491 online when I watched one of his videos. I liked his style and his skills, so I subscribed to his channel. He noticed me and thanked me for my support. We started talking and we became friends. He was the one who invited me to Chicago to hang out with him.

Finally, I flew to Miami to meet BILLIONERS. He's a rich GTA player who can buy anything he wants. He picked me up from the airport in his private jet and we flew to his mansion in Florida. He showed me his gaming room and his collection of exotic cars. He even let me drive one of them and I sped through the streets like a pro. He was so stunned by my driving that he gave me a kiss and a compliment. He's such a dreamboat!

I met BILLIONERS online when I donated to one of his streams. He was so grateful and generous that he offered me a reward. I asked him for nothing but his friendship, and he agreed. We started chatting and we became friends. He was the one who hosted the house party for all of us.

The best part was when they all invited me to a house party at BILLIONERS' place. It was the most epic party ever! There were hundreds of people, tons of food and drinks, loud music and dancing, and even a pool and a hot tub. I had so much fun with my three streaming friends and they all treated me like a princess. They were so attentive, so generous, and so handsome. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!

That's all for now, my lovely fans. Stay tuned for more adventures of Niki the Barbie and her guy friends. And remember, life is what you make it, so make it fabulous! XOXO

[reviviscencegruiform]

Tell the story. Tell the story, it was such a beautiful moment. It has to be shared with the world.

//Alright. So this happened at Vidcon in 2000...what? 2016? Maybe 2014? To set the scene, we were a small horde of mentally ill 18 to 20 somethings that had all hyped one another up the previous night while drinking to go on a stupid nature walk for our stupid mental health because we were dead bored with the con. That was a whole other random chimp event because what caused it is it's own story, anyway- we piled into two separate cars and in one car was me, my boyfriend Jon, and our friends Chris, Zach, and Hunter. Maybe one other person, I don't remember, but we got turned around somehow.

We ended up going around and around this lake in the middle of Anaheim when it was 108°F outside and we just could not figure out how to get to the park from the google maps directions and it turns out it was because we kept driving past this gate and that was the way to the park. It wasn't supposed to be locked, but more on that later. On our maybe, eeeeh, 4th? circle of the lake we stop at the gate and send out the resident Irishman, Chris, into the heat to check and see if the gate was just closed and we were stupid. No, it was locked, we weren't stupid and this road is so small you can not turn around and it's miles long so we're like "Well, now what? The other guys are waiting on us."

For this next part you need to know that there are several multi-million dollar mansions surrounding this man-made lake.

Well, the appearance of Chris at the gate and our driving around, apparently the wrong way, summoned the most wretched angry old man from the ether, no one saw him coming. He just appeared like he used instant transmission fueled by his privileged rage alone.

So this guy starts SCREAMING at us. Like whole hog screeching at us about it. No one can understand what the hell he's saying and so Jon opens the door to try to explain and Chris gets in the car saying "Don't, don't, he's crazy. Just get in the car." and he was right because this old guy moves to stand in front of the car saying "I'm going to call the cops! I'm going to call the cops! There's a gate right there. Go out through the gate!" and we're like "It's locked." and he says "No! Why are you here?" and we said "Google maps told us to go here." and he says "I think you're lying. Do you think I'm stupid? Are you stupid or am I stupid? I'm going to call the cops!" I remember that part very specifically because it took every ounce of willpower from everyone in the car not to answer his question honestly. Then Jon has to do this near entirely off road five point turn to get us out of there because that guy would not move unless it was to get in front of the car again. We managed to find a whole other way to the park that was actually the exit to the park because that closed and locked gate was the real entrance, but because of that lake road it turns out people just use the exit.

We meet up with the others and we're telling them about what happened in a "You will not believe what just happened to us" kind of way and lo and behold that same old man comes walking up the path and makes a point to walk through our group, that isn't standing on the main path mind you. That old guy must have known he fucked up because he didn't say shit and was coming from the direction of the locked gate and I guess this goblin glaring at us all was just too much for Jon because he looks that old man right in the eye and calls him a bitch.

That old man starts screaming again "I'm calling the cops! The cops are coming! The cops are coming!" They never came by the way, we were there for hours after this on our stupid nature walk and not even one showed up, but anyway all I can say for Jon is he was a struggling alcoholic at the time so this opportunity presented itself for him to unleash the beast and so he did. "Shut up you old wrinkly bitch! You are going to die. You are old. You are going to get a heatstroke and die! It's over for you! Fuck off!" and the old guy said something else, I don't remember what, but that made Jon speak the legendary "Fuck you! Fuck where you came from!" And then he told him to suck his dick.

Now, I was mortified. Zach was on the ground cackling and Chris was holding his knees trying not to be on the ground cackling. Everyone else was somewhere between those two stages. "Oh my God, why did you say that?" and Jon was like "I know ten people exactly like that, that I had to deal with when I was a kid so now that I'm an adult and can do whatever the fuck I want I'm going to. It's good to tell old losers who try to take advantage of that to fuck with you and ruin your day to fuck off and remind them they ain't shit and are going to die soon. Sometimes they forget about that and you have to humble them."

I don't know when the old man left, he did at some point, but we went on our walk and the whole time we were like a shuffling group of roman senators debating over the ethics of reminding the elderly that death approaches. It was just one of those bonding, but cringe young adult moments that no one, but the present parties holds dear.//

[izzysarchivedblogs]

WHAT KIND OF PERON UNDERSELLS THE BUILDING THEY FOUGHT FOR? ⸻ The answer was someone desperate, the low-life not worthy a-list avenger title, living on the awareness that he was a functional alcoholic or how better to put it, functional at hiding it. DESPARATE. ANGRY. SELFISH.

There had been two things he had been asked when he had killed Bruce Banner, DO YOU THINK YOU DID THE RIGHT THING and WAS IT WORTH IT? Sitting through rehab, during self reflection time and in groups, those question became loud in his mind again. WAS IT RIGHT, WAS IT WORTH IT? He asked himself that about going putting on the Ronin suit, about going after the Hood as hard as he had, the robberies and break ins, selling his building so he could put a lot of money into taking on and tanking the Hood's businesses, compete.

WAS IT WORTH IT? DID HE THINK THAT HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING?

And now Tony is telling him that, his building was not in the hands some woman he didn't really know (some small politician type) whom bought his building way undervalue. A STEAL. Quick cash, and he hadn't even thought about it. DRANK WHATEVER PANG AWAY.

Tony's telling him that it's safe now, better hands with Tony who already sounded like he was a better super, had people for these kind of things and probably wouldn't do what he did. IT'S TOO MUCH TO HEAR THAT TONY DID THIS FOR HIM. Clint wants to turn off his hearing aids, take them out, reject what he is hearing and being told. REMINDED.

Tony's not even holding his hand anymore holding onto Brandy instead. It's a big conversation to be having before Kate got here. OH WOOZY HEAD, OH WOOZY HEART, and Clint inhales at the way he feels.

FOR STARTERS ⸻ His kindness still feels like a lot, but he was right. Putting all the words together with eloquence. He doesn't think for the record, and then Tony's bringing up the West Coast Avengers again. YOU FOUGHT FOR ME. He remembers than, with the heaviest heart and throwing words of upset at Janet, when he as the leader and West chair, had to put to a vote if Iron Man should be removed for what Tony had been doing outside of Avenger work, going rogue.

It hadn't felt right, he should have been helping him or fighting alongside him, and now as his team leader he had to boot him from the team. AND HE CAN'T DENY TONY THAT. He had been eager to welcome on Tony in the first place, an original Avenger and someone he had wanted to be on the same team with, show and prove Tony how much he had grown as an Avenger that his vote of confidence when he first came to the Avengers mansion to join up had been appreciated.

Just as Tony hadn't interrupted him, Clint bites his tongue. Literally holds it between his teeth to keep himself from interjecting. It's all self-loathing up there, HOW COME YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO IT AND I'M NOT?

Hindsight, as it's what he was suppose to be doing instead of hiding and running, he should have shared his stresses with Tony. MENTION ABOUT HIS BUILDING EARLIR. He didn't, because as an earlier point that Tony made; he did not want to use up his help. Sweeping him up from his basement had been enough, rehab had been that, and letting him even stay had been too much. Even if Clint's alternative had been assuming an eviction notice and possibly going on the road again, staying out of New York and away from home.

THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE ⸻ That's the kicker, the ringer, what he keeps getting caught on. How his decision could have affected everyone. He hadn't even thought them, coward's way out of hoping they wouldn't know. Clint's plans had gone sideways, and while he won in the end. TONY SAVED THOSE PEOPLE FROM CLINT. ⸻MY FRIEND, IN THE PEAK OF HIS ILLNESS, and there's that.

Clint hadn't been doing well, who could have been when the consequences of actions led to him walking into a room of corpses, bloody wounds and the question WHERE'S RONIN? That's the deep end for Clint. That ended with a dead skrull and a dead kid, an LMD with an arrow in its head at the bottom of the Houston, and Steve Rogers hospitalized.

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH IT? ⸻They were going to have to talk more about this. Much longer topic to discuss, when Kate's not on his way and he has to explain to her what happened to him, take her rage at him, and apologize. Asking her for patience with him, promise her that he was really trying now, trying to get better and maybe they'd both like the new him.

ONE DUMB DRUNKEN MISTAKE. That is what it all sums up to. Clint has a lot that he wants to say but it all dies on his tongue, and that's obvious. MOUTH OPENS, THEN A SIGH COMES OUT INSTEAD. Frowning, and he knows they should table this. Tony apologized for keeping this from him, and hey, in the end this wasn't a bad secret to keep. IT WORKS OUT FOR OTHERS IN THE END.

OH. FUCK WISTFUL THINKING. Of course, Carol isn't chair (he hasn't paid attention to what's ben going on in the Avengers in years which was its own problem to unpack). He had hoped she was, easier person to talk to and crawl his way back to go standings with. T'CHALLA 'S IN CHARGE. Good luck talking to him is right.

❝ I don't know what I want you to do; hold o? Keep doing as you were doing as if you weren't going to tell me anytime soon? ⸺ That's not a dig, I can't say I don't feel guilty that I'm not indebted to you, and am not angry with myself. A lot of people have their homes because someone was watching out for them, and that guy wasn't me. ❞

IT OPENS A WHOLE FLOODGATE OF WHAT MADE A GOOD GUY. Did he make the cut?

Kate would be here soon, and he's sure she'd chew him out about the building as well; especially since she had been integral to the battle in bed stuy; to saving this apartment block and part of the make up that made that place. ❝ We'll talk more about that later, when Kate gets here... I think we'll head up to the roof to talk, she and I, if that's okay? ❞

Tony's hugging Brandy like she's some kind of therapy pet, or he was a little kid hugging a toy. She's not exactly loving it, but she's putting up with it, squirming a little, but grabbing his beard and tugging on it at the same time.

His insides are in turmoil. He wants to both argue with Clint and prostrate himself in front of him. Because he knows he did the wrong thing but he's not sorry for buying the building.

He chews on the inside of his cheek as Clint gets everything out. God, there are so many times he wants to interject. When he says he doesn't get a say. When he talks about worrying. When he says Carol's the chair. When he says he doesn't deserve it. But he waits until Clint's done and he takes a moment, bouncing Brandy on his lap as he thinks about what he's going to say in reply.

"Okay. So for starters, you don't get to tell other people if they're allowed to be kind to you," he said, looking at Brandy instead of Clint. "I'm allowed to be nice to you if I want whether you think you deserve it or not. You don't have to accept my gifts, but I'm still allowed to choose the path of kindness."

He clenched his jaw, his jaw twitching. His mouth felt dry and god he wished he had a drink. "And Clint, I don't want to have to bring this up again, but you did the same for me when I was in recovery. I was homeless before I joined the West Coast Avengers. I'd been kicked off the team. And you were there for me. When that team kicked me off, you fought for me. How come you're allowed to do it and I'm not?"

And now was the hard bit, because he'd been avoiding saying the word, and god - how many times had he apologized to Clint this year? It was too much. He hated saying the words and he hated that he kept putting himself in this position, but here he was. He had to do it again, and it made his stomach churn even thinking about it.

"I didn't know you were stressing out so much about your home. You haven't mentioned that at all, and if you had, I would have told you. Maybe I should have guessed, but I didn't know if you'd made an agreement with the person who bought the building to give you a free year of rent or not. I assumed that the reason you never mentioned it was because you had a plan. You kept just talking like you were going home. I am sorry though. I'm sorry I kept it from you. I won't keep things from you anymore."

He finally looked up and met Clint's eyes. "Now, I want you to listen to me. And listen closely. I bought the building to keep it safe for you. But you aren't the only person involved. There are a whole bunch of people who live there and if I sell the building, it puts the building up for sale the new owner could do anything with it. They could up the rent. They could evict everyone. They could never ever maintain it so it becomes a slum. They could set it on fire for the insurance. I did not buy this building as an investment. I paid more than it was worth. It's a thing I bought because my friend, in the peak of his illness did something stupid that he would regret. It was a thing I recognized in me and wanted to avoid. So I'm asking you, what do you want me to do with it?"

He sighed and shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "Clint... we all have our strengths right? You want to do something nice for a friend you make them dinner. I can't cook. Cooking is not one of the resources I have to pull from. You know what recourses I do have? Billions of dollars. That building didn't even dent my bank account. It's in a portfolio with dozens and dozens of buildings I own. Stop thinking of it as something Nat or Bucky did. Or something you could or couldn't do, and realize I'm not you. This is something I could do easily and I did it so you and a whole bunch of other people wouldn't have their lives fucked completely because of one dumb drunken mistake."

He dropped his gazed again, looked back at Brandy. "And T'Challa's in charge. So good luck talking to him about anything."

[boricuacherry-blog]

In April of 1977, Taaz

All of black Philly up showed up for Taaz's funeral. There were stretch limousines and

detectives interviewed Teddy Pendergrass. He told them what he told everyone else - that he didn't know anything. But of course Teddy knew something - and that "something" was the problems he was having with Taaz Lang over the management contract he signed. Teddy wanted the contract terminated, as he realized Taaz would be entitled to his royalties for years. But Taaz wasn't terminating a damn thing - nothing at all!

Taaz's ex was Israel "Izzy" Lang, a 6-foot-1, 200+pound running back for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a sharp dresser who took pride in his wardrobe as well as his material items - items that included diamond wristwatches, gold rings, gold chains, fancy cars and a plush apartment. Now all Izzy needed was a pretty woman on his arm to match those pretty possessions. That's when he met Taaz - a smart and funny woman who had a knack for listening. And when she met Izzy, listening to his entrepreneurial dreams spurred some of her own. The two would marry, but the marriage was rocky at onset. Rumors of infidelity on Izzy's part caused them to separate, with Taaz remaining in the home they shared and Izzy moving out. Izzy's life would spiral out of control afterwards, as he was arrested for bank fraud (forging checks) - eventually losing everything and becoming homeless. Taaz, however, would continue to prosper, becoming one of the most popular hairstylists in Philadelphia. She did hair for celebrities like Nancy Wilson, Lola Falana and Dionne Warwick. She also gained recognition for turning her mother's beauty salon (where she worked) into a successful family enterprise - a feat that did not go unnoticed by Teddy Pendergrass.

Teddy began pursuing Taaz until he eventually won her over. He moved into her home and became like a stepfather to her son. Teddy begged Taaz to manage his career, as she was one of the smartest women he had ever met. She agreed to do and began putting plans in motion to launch his solo career - a solo career she would never get to see - and that's because in April of 1977, someone put a bullet in her just two months before Teddy's album was released.

Mikido Soto Jr. was Teddy's

Mikido Soto Jr. dropped a bombshell when he described Teddy's reaction to hearing that Taaz was dead. He said, "Henry Evans, Teddy's road manager, called Teddy over and said Taaz was dead. And I was like...the look that I got from both of them...I was like...this is not right. Instead of feeling some kind of regret, I'm looking at somebody that's feeling relieved."

When Taaz was alive, she told anyone who would listen that Teddy Pendergrass would become a huge star. And she was right, because after her funeral (which he performed at) Teddy became just that - a huge star. And With the release of his debut album in 1977, "Teddy Mania" swept the country like wildfire. You couldn't turn on a radio, step outside of a club or even walk down the street without hearing his music. His first five albums all went platinum or double platinum. The production company Taaz set up and financed for Teddy (Teddy Bear Productions, Inc.) was rolling in dough - so much dough Teddy couldn't spend it fast enough - although he tried. He bought a Mercedes-Benz, a Corvette and a $100k Rolls Royce. He bought expensive clothes, shoes and jewelry, as well as Harley Davidson dirt bikes and motorcycles. He even bought a 34-room mansion on 14 acres of land in the affluent community of Gladwyne. And Teddy had received his wish - a complete termination of the management contract he signed with her in 1976. But Taaz's family didn't go down without a fight. They later sued Teddy in court, claiming he acted malicious towards them after Taaz was murdered. The family wanted him to honor the original management contract he signed with Taaz, as well as pay back the $15k he borrowed from her (not sure if the lawsuit was thrown out or he settled with her estate).

And if Teddy was lonely and brokenhearted after Taaz's untimely demise, he wasn't for long - he was back to entertaining women in no time at all. In fact, he was a ladies' man - several ladies at that! And Teddy didn't forget about his homeboys either, bringing them along for the ride with the best weed, cocaine, liquor and women money could buy. It was a huge party - until it came crashing to an end.

On March 18, 1982, Teddy's Rolls Royce swerved off the road and crashed into a tree. Teddy was badly injured and knew something was wrong when he couldn't move or feel his legs. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down (a quadriplegic) and left his reputation in limbo when it was discovered that the female passenger in his car was once a he. The discovery of a transsexual in the car, Tenika Watson, would turn Teddy's world upside down.

Depending on who you ask, Tenika Watson was either a kindhearted and misunderstood individual, or a sexual deviant doing the devil's work. But let Tenika tell it, she was just a "woman" with a tough childhood, that's all. Whatever the case was, by 1982, she had a rap sheet as long as the Nile river. Tenika had been arrested more than 40 times for prostitution and was known throughout the city for being a "transgendered prostitute." It was reported that men came from afar just to be with her, as her "sexual proclivities" was the stuff of legend in Philadelphia. Teddy first encountered her on the street one night. He called her over to his Rolls Royce, but Tenika claims she ran away, as she had mistaken Teddy for a pimp. The next time Teddy and Tenika ran into each other was the night of the accident. They were both at a nightclub when he invited Tenika to his table. Tenika joined Teddy, his girlfriend Yvette Ganier, and his friend L.T. Brinkley. In the documentary L.T. stated that Teddy told him he was going to drop one woman home and take the other to his house. The first one woman Teddy dropped off was Yvette. But Teddy and Tenika later claimed he was just giving her a ride home when the accident happened. Teddy also claimed he didn't know Tenika was transgender. But the "streets" told a different story - and that story was that Tenika and Teddy knew each other from past encounters and that "something" was going on in the car when the accident occurred. The "streets" also said Tenika was paid hush money to keep her mouth shut about the details of that night. The "streets" were saying a whole lot and the police evidently took notice, because apparently, they were also saying Teddy's accident was no accident at all. The car's brakes had been cut. And rumors abounded that the same person who killed Taaz was out for Teddy. The person was said to be an associate of Teddy's and a former associate of Taaz's - an associate who the streets said killed her back in April of 1977. This associate was now "allegedly" trying to kill Teddy over a money dispute by tampering with his vehicles. True or not, police began looking into Taaz Lang's murder investigation again for a possible connection. But they found nothing, since no one in Philadelphia would talk to police. But the fact that Teddy wrecked his Maserati one week, then his Rolls Royce the next, had many people wondering about that rumor. Many other rumors came up about that fateful night - including one that Turquoise Erving was in the car. But no one credible has come forward since to claim that. Also interesting to note - Teddy had sued Philadelphia police for harassment only a few months before the accident.

But the question still remains:

Who killed Taaz Lang?

Was it a murder-for-hire? And why was she murdered? Was Teddy's accident a set-up? Were these two incidents at all connected?

[lioni23]

The 8th Deadly Sin - Chapter 1

Some days can be life-changing, altering your destiny forever. 

Elle was eager to cross the road, but the heavy traffic of cars and people made it difficult for her to pass on with the bicycle. It was 6 pm so everyone was going home. Finally, she saw the green light and managed to cross. She had been keeping up with her assignments, but as the end of her third year of university approached, she wanted to dedicate more time to planning her book. However, there was one final task she needed to complete before wrapping up the semester, and she planned to do it in her favorite library in New York. Once she arrived, she headed towards the tables, took off her bag, and sat down. As she was taking her laptop out of her bag, an envelope with the word "INVITATION" written in big black letters accidentally fell out. She had received it by post earlier in the day but had not opened it as she needed to focus on her studies. Now seemed like the perfect time to see what it was about. She was not expecting any invitations, so it was a mystery to her. She picked up the paper from the ground and opened it curiously. As she held the card in her hands, her eyes were fixed on the printed letters.

"Hello Elizabeth,

my name is Joshua Harrington, and I believe that I am your long-lost grandfather. As I am nearing the end of my life, I feel a strong desire to get to know you. I understand this may be a lot to take in, and I respect your decision either way. However, I would be grateful if you could take a moment to read this letter. I would like to extend an invitation to you to come and spend the summer with me in my mansion near the ocean in Portland. I have a lot of belongings and assets that I would like to pass on, and I don't have anyone else to give them to. I have also invited your sister and cousins to join us. I understand that you may not know each other, but I believe this could be an excellent opportunity for you to meet. Please let me know if you are interested in taking up my offer. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, 

Joshua Harrington.

"What?!" she almost screamed as she heard her echo in the empty library. She looked around, hoping that no one was staring at her weirdly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized nobody was around. The next thing that came to her mind was to immediately call her sister. She took out her phone.

"Alli, can we meet?"

****************************************************************************************

Elle has returned to her college dorm room, which she was sharing with her sister. Alli.

Alli was standing up when her sister entered. "I've been waiting for over an hour." - Alli complained, but Elle ignored her as she put out the envelope and handed it to her sister. 

"Yeah, I've got one too." - she said casually as she pulled out of her pocket an envelope too."

Elle sat down on her bed and said: "I think we need to talk to Mom about this."

"Are you actually considering this?"

"I don't know, but I think we should try to get some answers from her. She has never talked about her father, and I am curious to know why," said Elle.

"You're right, it's weird. I mean, if he is living in a mansion near the ocean in Portland, he must be pretty rich," Alli replied while lying on the bed, reading the envelope. "Also, he's probably going to die soon, and now he has regrets." - she added.

"Besides that, Alli, he talks about cousins. Can you believe we have cousins and we never knew about it? That's it. I'm going home tomorrow. Are you coming with me?"

Alli gave Elle a strange look. "Don't you have a date with Peter tomorrow?" she asked.

Elle sighed, realizing she had completely forgotten. Saturday was their date night, a tradition they had kept since their first year in college.

"I'll talk to him about it. He'll understand," Elle said confidently. "We've never missed a date before, so I don't think it will be a big deal if we only miss one."

"To you." Alli muttered under her breath. Elle heard her but decided to ignore her comment. She glanced at her phone, knowing that Peter would call her at 10 pm, just like he did every night when they weren't spending it together.

****************************************************************************************

The next morning, Elle and Peter were standing in front of Alli's car. "I'm still not sure if I can forgive you," he joked before kissing her with his soft, familiar lips, and she smiled in return. 

"I need to sort this family thing out." Peter nodded in understatement.

"I've heard it's good for couples to spend some time away," Alli interrupted their private moment as she arrived behind them carrying her luggage. 

However, Peter wasn't ready to let Elle go. He took her gently aside and said, "You know, I'm planning a special date for next Saturday." He looked like he had been waiting eagerly to say that. 

Elle felt a little bit concerned because they had been dating for more than 3 years, and it was not surprising that he would want to take their relationship further. "A special date?" she forced a smile. She thought she should be happy, but something inside her wasn't quite right. "I can't wait then." She gave him a quick goodbye kiss and ran to her sister's car.

 "Everything alright? You look numb." Of course, Alli noticed immediately. She knew her sister well and she could sense that something in her relationship was off.

"Yes, just drive," Elle replied irritatedly.

 Alli decided not to let her sister get away with this and planned to discuss it later. She wouldn't be shoving her nose in her sister's romantic life only if she wasn't personally interested.

Some days can be life-changing, altering your destiny forever. 

END OF CHAPTER 1

Thank you for your time! If you enjoyed reading this story, please show your support by liking and commenting. <3 

[captainsophiestark]

Better Than Revenge

Rebekah Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2022!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Prompt: “Yes. No. I don’t know.”

Summary: Y/N has become the town's supernatural doctor, against their will. They've formed a fairly good bond with the Mikaelsons, despite being human, and it didn't take them long to fall in love with Rebekah, although they haven't admitted that to her.When Rebekah's on the war path against the Mystic Falls gang, however, it might just be time to admit those feelings and see where things take them.

Word Count: 2,317

Category: Angst, Fluff

A/N: This absolutely doesn't follow the timeline of TVD correctly, largely because I misremembered the details of the seasons and didn't double-check until this fic was almost done. Just pretend the one where Elena stabs Rebekah in the back before the dance is the same one as when Rebekah runs Elena and Matt off the road, all with Klaus alive and in his own body.

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I sighed as I headed up the familiar stairs of the Mikaelson Mansion, home to five terrifying Original vampires in none other than Mystic Falls, Virginia. I'd been roped into the vampire drama fairly early since I worked an internship with the medical examiner and I couldn't just ignore all the suspicious deaths and disappearances. From there, I'd actually managed to form a peace with most of the supernaturals in town, functioning as a sort of secret doctor for all the various witches, wizards, and werewolves running around.

Honestly, I would've been happy just to stay out of it. But when the Mikaelsons rolled into town, hell broke loose all over again, and I got roped into helping them along with every other supernatural creature in town.

If I was being honest with myself, I didn't mind the Mikaelsons all that much, especially in comparison. Elijah was always very polite and we'd become fairly good friends, Kol and I shared a love for the same type of music, and Finn was just happy to have someone to gush to about Sage. Klaus and I had taken a little longer to gel, but we'd finally managed to form our own weird friendship too, and he regularly came to the rescue if somebody in town decided they wanted to use me as leverage.

And then there was Rebekah. Gorgeous, strong, secretly soft and kind Rebekah. I'd fallen pretty hard for her from the first moment I saw her, and at this point I was just proud of myself for being able to form a normal, calm friendship with her without totally freaking out. Out of all of them, Mikaelsons and Mystic Falls gang and everyone in between, she seemed the least happy to be caught up in all this stuff, too, although she probably wouldn't admit it.

She'd been planning to go to the high school dance with some of the Mystic Falls kids, and I'd wanted to go with her so badly I could hardly stand it. But she was going with Stefan, and they seemed intent on rekindling some something or other from their past. It seemed like a terrible idea to me, but if it made her happy, I wasn't going to get in the way of it.

So, instead of going to the dance with my crush (even though I'd definitely outgrown high school), I'd stayed home. I fell asleep early, only to get woken up in the middle of the night by my phone screeching at me, Klaus' unique ringtone blasting through my room. He needed me immediately, ASAP, emergency, he'd said. I groaned and muttered some incoherent curses, but got moving nonetheless.

Now I was trudging up the gravel path towards their house, trying to stay awake and alert for whatever I might find inside. You really never knew in situations like this.

Just as I reached the porch and was about to knock on the door, it went flying open, and I found Rebekah storming out, a furious expression on her face. If it hadn't been for her superspeed she probably would've crashed right into me and taken us both to the ground.

"Whoa!" I said, taking a half-step back in surprise. "Bex, holy shit, you scared me!"

"Y/N? I'm sorry, I didn't- what are you doing here?"

"Your brother called me," I huffed. She gave me a knowing look as I crossed my arms, then looked her up and down. "What are you doing, storming out of here like this? Shouldn't you be at the dance?"

Her expression darkened, and I frowned. She'd been burned by the Mystic Falls Scooby Gang before, and I just hoped this wasn't another repeat.

"I never went to the dance," she said, fury rippling off of her in waves. "Elena quite literally stabbed me in the back with a dagger when I was over at her house, getting ready with her. So now, I'm going to make her regret every choice she's ever made that led her to this point."

With that, Rebekah started marching past me again, but I caught her arm as she went. She stopped, even though she easily could've ripped her arm out of my grip, and stared at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Bex... Can we talk for a second?" I sighed, dropping her arm and running a hand through my hair.

"Sorry love, but time is of the essence tonight." She started walking away again, and I stared after her as I debated how involved and honest I wanted to get with this. Knowing the Mikaelsons, however, I couldn't ignore the fact that inaction on my part would probably result in at least one person being killed. Despite how badly I didn't want to admit my feelings to Rebekah, I couldn't let that happen.

No matter how much the damn Mystic Falls kids had brought it on themselves.

"Rebekah, stop. You know you're not mad at the actual backstabbing, right?"

Rebekah whirled around at that, hands on her hips and eyebrows raised as she stared at me.

"I'm not? Why on Earth, please tell me, wouldn't I be mad about that?"

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, then looked back at her.

"All you've really wanted since the day I met you, Bex, was to have a fun, happy, human experience. I'm not you so I guess I can't really say, but if I had to bet? I'd say not getting to make some high school friends and go to the dance and have that experience is something you're more upset about than anything else."

Rebekah frowned and looked away from me, staring at the ground for a few, long moments. I gave her a second, then crossed the yard to stand in front of her. She glanced back at me and I could tell she was barely holding it together.

"Why does it feel like you know me better than my own brothers, sometimes?" she managed. We shared a small laugh, and throwing caution to the wind, I took her hand in mine. She didn't pull away.

"Bex... I'm sorry, but I have to ask... do you really think the best way to get what you want–that happy, human experience, with or without the Mystic Falls kids—is by going after and maybe even killing some of them?"

Rebekah didn't respond right away. She'd gone back to staring at the ground, but then she met my eyes again, mascara starting to run down her cheeks at last as some of the emotions she'd been trying to hold back broke through.

"Yes. No. I don't know." She laughed at herself and shook her head, then continued. "But one way or the other, I know I can't let them get away with this. I'm a Mikaelson. I need to remind them of it."

"I hear you, Bex," I said, taking a deep breath as I started rubbing soothing circles over the back of her hand with my thumb. "And I've heard your brothers saying the same things about a million times. But can I maybe offer an alternative solution?"

Rebekah frowned, curious, and nodded. I swallowed, trying to brace myself to really take this leap. There would be no going back, especially if it turned out she didn't feel the same way I did. But I cared about her, and I'd never forgive myself if I stayed silent now.

"Maybe... would you want to leave? With me?" Rebekah's eyebrows shot up, although she didn't pull her hand out of mine. I still found myself looking at anything but her. "I just... I've been wanting to leave Mystic Falls for a while, and live somewhere else or travel or... or anything, really. And I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather do it with, if you wanted to come with me. You know, escape all this revenge and drama shit. Just, like... go live those peaceful, semi-human lives together, for as long as we want to or can."

Rebekah didn't respond for a few long moments, and I swear I was on the verge of a heart attack for every one of them. When I finally forced myself to look at her again, I found her eyes wide and hopeful as she stared at me.

"You'd really do that for me?" she finally breathed. She squeezed my hand a little tighter, and I wasted no time grabbing her other hand in mine as well.

"Rebekah... absolutely I would. I've been wanting to leave anyway pretty much since the Salvatores showed back up, and... I honestly can't imagine anyone else I'd rather go with." I muttered the last part, almost under my breath, but thanks to Rebekah's vampire hearing, she caught it anyway.

"I feel the same way," she breathed. I smiled up at her, not quite able to believe this was real, and before I knew what was happening, she tugged me closer to her and wrapped her arms around my waist. I brushed a stray hair out of her face and wiped a bit of the mascara away, smiling at her brightly.

"That's good to hear. You Mikealsons are usually so forward I'd kind of given up hope that you liked me back."

Rebekah scoffed. "Just because my brother's been throwing himself at Caroline doesn't mean we all behave that way."

"Fair enough," I laughed, then closed the rest of the distance between us for a soft, sweet kiss. I swear fireworks exploded between us, and a warmth like the sun expanded in my chest, even as we broke apart.

"So..." she said, smiling softly at me. "Should we leave now?"

"I wish I could say 'hell yes' and we could steal your brother's car and start an adventure together, but I need like ten minutes to touch base with Klaus," I said, taking a few steps backwards to the house. "He called me here for some stupid emergency or something and if I don't check in he'll probably make it his new life's mission to hunt me down or some stupid shit like that."

"He does do that, doesn't he?" she asked, smiling after me. I shot her a look, then turned and jogged back into the house. Rebekah called after me, "I'll gather some clothes and other essentials we might need, then meet you in the foyer."

I shot her a thumbs up without turning around as I reached the door, then took the stairs two at a time. I got to the second floor and quickly found Klaus' study, where he sat in a chair with his back to the door, brooding over something or other.

"Hey," I said, only slightly out of breath. "What did you need?"

"It can wait," he said, finally turning in his chair at last. I glared at him, Original Vampire be damned.

"You woke me up in the middle of the night for an emergency and now it can wait?"

He shrugged. "When I woke you up in the middle of the night, it was before you were planning to run away with my sister."

I sighed. "You people and your superhearing, damn. You really have no respect for privacy, do you?"

"No, I don't. Not when it comes to her," he said, standing slowly from his chair. I blinked, and then he was in front of me, hand on my throat as he slammed me into the nearest wall. I gasped, trying not to completely panic as Klaus stared me down, black veins under his eyes. "If you hurt her, believe me, it will be the last thing you ever do."

"I'm trying to keep her from getting hurt!" I managed to choke out. Klaus glared at me for another moment, then released me and stepped back. "Geeze!"

"Rebekah has been through a thousand years of hell, sometimes at my own hands," he said calmly, like nothing had ever happened. "She deserves some happiness."

"I couldn't agree more," I said, rubbing at my throat a bit as I straightened and looked at Klaus again. "I'll take good care of her. You have my word."

He huffed, his eyes flashing as he stared me down. "You might just be the only human whose word has any value. Do try to visit from time to time, won't you?"

"We will. Just try not to get in the middle of so much drama we don't want to come back, alright?"

Klaus scowled at me, but I just raised an eyebrow back at him in challenge. After a moment, he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Get out of here before I change my mind."

I grinned and saluted, then headed back downstairs with a bounce in my step. I found Rebekah waiting for me, a few bags around her feet and a smile on her face.

"I hope he didn't give you too much trouble," she said. I waved her off.

"Nothing I can't handle. You ready?"

"Darling, I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

We shared a smile as I took her hand, each of us grabbing a few of the bags and then heading out the door together. I had no idea where our new adventure would take us next, but I couldn't wait, for whatever might come. With Rebekah by my side and the world at our feet, the possibilities were endless.

[bogusboxed]

Boxtober - Day 19: “Got A Staring Problem?”

Day 19:

-Helen Otis X GN!Reader “Hot Chocolate” x “Do we have a deal?”

-I do not own "Helen Otis" and do not take credit for him.

- (Vulgar Language used; Cuss Words.)

-

The snow crunched under your boots as you followed side by side with Jeff. The two of you could barely see the area in front of you as you were quickly losing sunlight. "Hurry up," Jeff said, pushing through the snow as the wind picked up. You exhaled upon having to hear his mountain of complaints. You could hear him mutter something about wanting you to pick up the pace. But, it wasn’t like he was going much faster than you. The snow you followed slowly turned from a pure white to a mucky brown from Jeff's dirty shoes. And even if he didn’t care. You still had to take extra precautions because of the snow on the ground to prevent slipping. Though Jeff didn’t seem all concerned, yet again he was lost in his head.

 You two had just gone on a lengthy mission for a good week and were both exhausted, though you both didn't show it. You two had gone after a wealthy mansion down the road from the forest. Because the old man living in the place was getting way too close for the operator’s liking. He sent both of you to go take care of it. However, it took a week longer than expected due to the amount of security and how paranoid the man was. But, in the end, you both got him. And now he was a good eight feet underground. As you thought about the mission, your eyes averted making you notice something else. You watched yourself leave deep, cavernous white footprints as you sensed yourself getting more familiar with the land. As you looked up at the forest, you could see your hot breath clouding the air. You had Jeff slightly in front of you as the trees seemed to enclose the two of you. The trees had been sprinkled with a white powder as if it was nearing the holidays.

You two walked a little further, making minimal talk with one another. Because neither of you wanted to look at the other for any longer than you had to. And also due to the fact you didn’t want to see Jeff’s face one more time this week. As you walked through the snow, cold chills ran along your back, bringing you back to the main building. The place seemed to tower light years above the both of you. It made you feel so small compared to the things that happened there. You pushed the eerie feeling away, walking toward the main building with Jeff. The main place where everyone who worked with the operator lived. Some people chose not to live there though, which was their choice. It didn't matter, though, because you all worked for the same person. As you and Jeff grudgingly walked up the staircase, you could already sense that Jeff had a stupid idea. The porch creaked under your shared weight as Jeff seemed to tense excitingly. He kicked down the door with no warning as a dog ran up to him excitedly. "I'm back, bitches!" Jeff yelled into the house as a familiar masked man came out. "For fucks sake." Jeff cussed to himself, seeing Masky crossing his arms. He wasn't the first person Jeff wanted to see and to be honest, you also weren't too keen on seeing him this early. "I only need to talk to Jeff about this verdict." Masky tilted his head as you slammed the door behind you. You could vaguely see Jeff petting smile dog as the snow melted off of your boots due to the sudden temperature change.

 "Bullshit," Jeff muttered about the unfair treatment he was getting, clearly wanting you to be stuck with him during the lecture. Masky sighed knowing he was going to have to just put up with it. As your mind started to drift, thinking about how the three of you had been in the building's main hall. You couldn't help but gaze as your eyes wandered to the vast room to the left. It was a living room with a large expansive fireplace. You didn’t know how the place was so well hidden and pretty. It had to be some magic because if you were searching for it, you always found it. You could never get lost in the forest, even when it was hundreds of acres large. Looking closer at the living room, you could see that the couch had a figure with a drawing pad sitting there. He seemed to be distracted, not taking in you or Jeff’s abrupt entrance. But you could feel it in your heart. You know who that was.

 You could hear Jeff and Masky fighting in the back of your mind as you just stared at the introverted painter. "Hey, dipshit," Jeff yelled in your direction as your head sniped toward him. But, Jeff wasn’t talking to you; he was talking to the guy you had been staring at. "Take my mission for tomorrow!" Jeff yelled across the room, ignoring Masky’s vile stare. He threw a used bloody knife on the floor as he walked down the hallway, calling smile dog along. The dog scampered in Jeff's direction, barking, with his tail wagging along with him. "You can’t be fucking serious." Masky exhaled, holding his temple with his hand. "Reader, I can’t deal with this right now, so just take Helen along with you instead of Jeff tomorrow." Masky didn’t look toward you as you could hear Jeff’s distant laughter. "I'll get you the details tomorrow," he said, turning around to face Jeff's rude introduction. He was going to ruin Jeff's life because of that, but you knew Jeff didn't care. He probably liked the idea of that.

 As you took a second, you looked back to the living room to see Helen again. He had stopped doodling on his sketchpad as he sat there. He was probably processing it all. Even though it made you cringe to think of going with him tomorrow. It wasn’t like you didn’t like him; it was more of the fact that you were too flustered to even go near him. And it made little sense and was the most unlikely thing that had ever happened. And this was primarily since you and he was total opposites. Helen was extremely closed-off and you were extroverted. So, you two never spoke to one another, only when you had to. Though you didn’t want that. You wanted to be his friend, and you tried to be, but he closed you out every time. He would also get up to leave or just stare you down. He never wanted any part of someone as outspoken as you, and it left a void in your heart. You had always been a people person, so not getting along with Helen determined you to change that. 

And even with all of that determination, you still thought to yourself, why did it have to be today? You took a deep breath in as you took the first step in. Helen could sense you entering the room as you knocked on the frame. After doing so, you went into the room, slowly approaching his slender frame. You sat next to him on the other side of the couch. You could hear the fireplace crack as its red flames were only there to make you nervous. You never were, but it was just something about him that made you that way. You didn’t even notice your hands shaking a tad as red flared on your face. You prayed he wouldn’t see the apparent struggle you were having as you forced yourself to strike up a conversation. "We've got a mission tomorrow. I’ll be sure to give you the details whenever Masky makes them available." you watched his skilled hand sketch again, and you relaxed into the cushion. He hummed in response, reassuring you he was listening. "I’m sorry about Jeff giving you his mission. He’s a real handful sometimes, and by sometimes I mean all the time." you huffed, desperately trying to keep the conversation alive as he exhaled. You could tell by the way he muttered that he wanted you to go away. And you hadn’t a clue why. Were you too much?

You could feel your heartstrings getting tugged as you ignored the feeling deep in your gut. You got up abruptly from the couch, leaving him to his own devices as you forced yourself into the kitchen. You need to talk to him. You didn’t know what you did or what you hadn’t done enough of. But, maybe all of it could be changed with a mug of hot cocoa. You knew deep down it was such a childish idea, but you were deeply hoping he’d take it. Because you needed a sense of relief that he didn't dislike you and that you were just overthinking it. You grabbed a plain mug from the cabinet as you took your own. You filled both of them with milk as you put them into the microwave. As you turned it on, it felt like it was ticking down your fate. It was so nerve-wracking to even be around the guy and have no clue why. You never felt that way about anyone else, and if you had to feel that way, why couldn’t it be with anyone else? Why couldn't it be with someone who enjoyed being in your presence?

The loud beep serves to break you out of your train of thought. As you took the two cups out of the microwave, you were cautious of the hot ceramic. You had searched the cabinets for two packets of hot chocolate as you added them to the two cups accordingly. Instead of allowing your thoughts to run wild, you should have looked for the chocolate. You stirred the milk as the chocolate dissolved within seconds. A few small marshmallows rose to the surface of each cup as it was fully mixed. You had both of them, feeling the mugs warm your hands and weighing you down. You could smell the familiar scent of chocolate entering your senses as you made your way back to the living room. The drinks you had prepared were intended to entice him to talk rather than to allow him to ignore you indefinitely. But, it wasn’t like he could do that forever because you two had a mission the next day. But this was also to prevent awkward silence, which could increase if it all went wrong. You chose to hope that it would all resolve itself as you exhaled.

 And you were too interested in this man to have him once again ignore you as you walked back into the living room. As you sat back down, the fireplace crackled and warmed the cold room. You could instantly feel his gaze on you. As he placed his sketchpad and pencil down. "You can have one if you talk about tomorrow’s mission." you made him an offer you knew he wouldn't refuse with that kind of look. "Do we have a deal?" you forced yourself to look at him as he seemed unfazed. His figure was facing you as he thought about the offer he was given. "Yeah," he said as you handed him a cup. He took it with little to no hesitation. His hands came into contact with yours for a moment as he pulled back. He reached for his mask, which he pushed to the side of his face. You knew it was rude to stare, but you found yourself doing so nonetheless. As his blue eyes met your flushed face, his pale features were highlighted by the red glow. You hoped he thought it was just the fire, as he didn’t let his gaze falter. He knew you knew he was looking at you, but he had the confidence not to quit. Though the way he stared at you made you think he was extroverted. And it wasn't helping that you were crumbling under his stare. His look made you want to disappear because you couldn't quite decipher it.

"So what’s with tomorrow?" his eyes had you pinned down to the couch. And you knew you couldn't handle him for much longer, so you instead looked at the burning flame ahead, breaking the unknown staring contest. "A scouting mission. Most likely just going to be sitting around," you answered his question, trying your best to keep your composure. Why did he make you feel this way? he was holding your heart hostage, and there wasn’t a thing you could do about it. Every word that came out of his mouth was only meant to drown you. Because, even with all this, you knew he didn't like you. And you needed to hear it for yourself. "Helen, do you not like me?" you asked, holding your mug close, feeling the warmth radiating off of the drink onto you. You could sense him stiffening up at your words. You looked at him once again to see his eyes were not so confident anymore. You didn’t know what possessed you to ask him, but it was too late to go back now. But it didn't stop you from wanting to go back to the moments before. "No, far from it." he took a sip of his chocolatey drink and you froze momentarily. You weren't sure how to respond to his remark. "Far from it?-" your glassy eyes met his. You could feel yourself starting to get stuck in his gaze again as you shifted toward him. You put your drink on the coffee table in front of the both of you. "So you're telling me all of those mumblings, weren't you annoyed?" you could feel your mind grow confused. "I was never annoyed by you; it's just how I act," he said as he looked at you. You could feel yourself growing embarrassed. You felt silly for jumping to such accusations, though it wasn't like you could help it. The talk you just had was surprising for both of you. For you, because you just found out that the man you thought hated you just really sucked at social cues. And for him, he was surprised because you thought he didn't like you.

 "Oh," you muttered, as he scoffed at your response. He approached you while holding his drink. You both had your knees pressed against one another as you made eye contact again. There seemed to be a complete shift in the way he looked at you this time. And it seemed that both of you couldn't escape each other's sight. Helen muttered again as his own fluster state turned against him. His jet-black hair turned away from you as you tilted your head. He turned back around, meeting the gaze. He reached for your cheek with his hand. You instinctively rested your face on his hand as his thumb rubbed your cheek. He leaned forward to you. You could feel it coil in your stomach as you melted. His face was much more angelic the closer you were as well as how his charcoal hair framed his face. Butterflies and alarms were going off the closer he got. The more you could feel his breath on your neck, "Dipshits-" Jeff entered the room abruptly as Helen instantly pulled away. He reached for his mask, pulling it back. "HUH," Jeff stood behind the couch with Masky not too far behind. You could tell Jeff was wide-eyed and Masky was far beyond surprised. You swallowed, knowing you two could never live this down. So much for trying to talk things out.

-

[thetitans-stories]

(Final chapter, earlier chapter here https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/thetitans-stories/688228322485878784?source=share ) I woke up the next morning with a bad headache. This beauty was next to me, I had gone to be Pink from yesterday and she apparently became this today. Looking out the window, I could see that where yesterday was at least a partial lake that wasn't transformed by my presence, there was now one massive pool. About the size of the lake. Looking around, everything I could see was changed into my mansion grounds. Now I had around 40 slaves, and a quick weather satellite search proved it. It was visible, a large circle. Worst of all, I could feel the headache come and go in small bursts. Zooming in, I could see my lands now crossed over a medium sized road outside the forest. Every single car, every single person driving through that area would be my slave. I groaned as I felt another bus driving through that road, feeling each soul of theirs be reformed into something else. At this point I had given up. I tried hard to not be near people, but my powers just spread too far. There was nothing stopping it now.

The day after I could feel better, but one look at the map again showed the scale. When I went to be last night I must have had thousands of slaves, now my area covered a smaller town, maybe another 10000 slaves. More and more drove into the area to vanish and become something else. These two horny slaves entertained me over the day. I tried to to some calculations but I kept getting distracted by my slaves orgasms or more senses of people being changed as they drove into my lands. Defeated, I went to bed again.

Next morning I was awoken by a phone call. It was a jailor (her silky smooth voice told me very quickly she was one of my servants) that asked if my property could commit crimes. Apparently, I had transformed an entire jail, and now each inmate was a slave of mine. Obviously they considered themselves property and property can not commit crimes. It was not a discussion I wanted to have so I had them all stay in the prison for now, but with nobody actually locked up. This one apparently enjoyed the bars enough to stay inside her cell. Looking at the map again, I had absorbed several large towns. A quick calculation my estimate was about 2 million people by now. I went to bed that night slightly distraught but not doing anything about it.

Next day, All of the USA was covered, part of Canada and Mexico. This was how the agents looked like now these days. Seductive but highly trained. With an entire country of many, many millions of slaves, I could only assume that this was the last day the rest of the world was outside my influence.  But this is how it always had been according to everyone. Nobody thought it strange that one man owned a nation of women.

The next day, my suspicions confirmed. The entire world changed. I woke up with a nosebleed one of my two red servants here wiped off and made me ready for my day. I got some reports in from my loyal subjects. Apparently, at least a dozen people were still not changed. They managed to remain normal. My slaves obviously quickly tracked them down and had them before me. When I touched them, they morphed like anybody else had done and became my devoted pets.

This one was dragged in last. She was swearing in a language I could not understand. A swearing tone is however universal. She ws the only one I had ever seen that probably understood what I had done to the world. She was a thin, mousy brunette, Caucasian, probably European. I told her two words. ”I'm sorry.” before I touched her chin and lifted up her eyes to meet mine. I could see the fear in her eyes be replaced with a vapid bimbo look not understanding anything. But I did one last thing. The moment I felt that ”everything is normal” that I had ignored for so long. I embraced it this time. My own perspective changing to that of who I am supposed to be. A master of the planet. I took my seat on my throne, happy to let blondie suck me off while I thought of new things to make. I had all the time in the world.

[sinner-as-saint]

Wreck My Plans.

Mob!Bucky x Reader AU

Run-through: Taking time off work, you come back to your hometown for the holiday season, and you decide to go clubbing with a few friends. There, in the middle of the dark, loud room your eyes meet with a pair of familiar blue ones. Ones which you never thought you’d see again after so many years. There he was, your ex-boyfriend; Bucky Barnes. 

Themes: mob!bucky, smut, fluff, 

a/n: i missed my Sin Army. Happy evermore day. And to my Marvel fam, how we doin’ after those trailers?!

Time stopped. 

One minute the music was deafening and the next, you couldn’t even hear it. All you could focus on was your current, erratic heartbeat as you stared into a pair of stormy, blue eyes. They looked darker and much more mesmerizing than you remember. 

His name echoed in your head as a smile formed on your face. Bucky. 

The smile on his face mimicked yours as he walked over to you at the bar, crossing the ocean of drunk people swaying to the music. Amongst the crowd he crossed, were some of your friends who ditched you just minutes ago to go have fun with a pair of dudes they met just upon entering the club. 

You could join them, but rubbing your body against a stranger’s sweaty body was not what you intended to do tonight so you stayed back at the bar. 

Good thing you did so, else you wouldn’t have noticed Bucky on the other side of the room. 

You smiled a little brighter once he stood in front of you. Very, very well dressed in his dark suit. 

“Is it really you?” he spoke, teasing you right away. Just like he used to. 

You smiled and rolled your eyes at him, mainly to hide your nervousness as you realized how much deeper his voice had gotten. Or how much more attractive he was. He had always been a hottie, now even more so. Muscular and tall, even with the suit on you could tell he had a body to die for. 

You and Bucky broke up right after graduating high school. You moved for uni while he stayed behind and joined his family business. It wasn’t a messy break up, just two 18-year-olds deciding to end a relationship and focus on their futures. 

You finished college a few years later then moved again, for your dream job. And now, almost 7 years later, you were back in your hometown for the holidays for the first time in a long time. 

“It is. How have you been, Buck?” 

He smiled and took the seat right beside you. “Great.” he wasn’t lying. “You?” 

You let out a little laugh. “Are we seriously gonna do the whole work and the weather thing?” you asked, and he laughed. 

Oh how you had missed his laugh. It’s been years since you saw him, but everything about him was so familiar it hurt. The way his eyes closed when he smiled or laughed too hard. The blue in his eyes, the crinkles by them. The perfect shape of his nose which you always teased him for. 

Everything about him reminded you of a simpler, happier time of your life. 

He stared into your eyes for a few seconds, then smiled in nostalgia. “You’re just as pretty.” 

You rolled your eyes again, casually ignoring the sparks which flew in between you two. 

“Oh please. Enough about me, what about you? You’re quite the talk of the town I heard.” It was true, they were saying all sorts of things about him ever since you came home. No one knew where he lived, whether he was in town currently or no - he was, you just confirmed it a few minutes ago. 

“Yeah? What have you heard so far?” he spoke with a smirk on. Words didn’t affect him anymore. 

You raised an eyebrow. “So the rumors are true?” 

He chuckled, and signaled the bartender to bring him a drink. You watched each of his actions cautiously. Everything about him screamed power. His stance, his movements, his poise. You had heard around that his dad’s business was doing poorly years ago and he turned to some shady stuff. And he dragged his son along. Something about mob, gangs and illegal stuff. You had trouble believing it at first, because you knew him. You knew Bucky and you couldn’t imagine someone as gentle as him being associated with this side of life. 

But the smirk he gave you proved all those rumors and theories to be true. 

“Oh,” you wondered why you didn’t feel the slightest bit afraid. “Well, it suits you.” You scanned him quickly and wondered where you got the confidence to do that. 

You were right, it did suit him. The power, the mean yet magnetic demeanor, the way he could get absolutely everyone to stare at him in awe and fear - truly, it did suit him. 

He smiled and took a sip of his drink, then placed his glass down. “You should be running for the hills, not complimenting me. Is that what your strict, conservative father taught you?” The last part was an inside joke so he couldn’t hide his smile. 

You shook your head. Bucky and your dad never gelled well. Ever. “Leave dad out of this, he still hates you by the way.” your words made him chuckle at some memories. “So now what, you have gangs and guns and stuff?” you asked. 

“Yeah I’m kind of the bad guy around here.” 

You laughed. He stared at you in complete awe and he couldn’t help but smile. He felt it too, the pull or sparks or whatever it was that was preventing him from looking away. Like as though something had tied him to you and he couldn’t get away and he definitely didn’t want to. 

“You’re here with someone?” he asked, looking around and hoping you’d say no because he hated the thought of you being here with another man. Which was weird because he was meeting you for the first time in years, yet he was already feeling so protective. 

And that skin-tight coral dress you were wearing wasn’t helping either. 

“With some girl friends,” you replied and he quietly let out a sigh of relief, “But it seems they’re nowhere to be found.” You looked around and couldn’t see them. They were wild party animals anyways. 

Bucky smiled and got up from his seat, extending his arm out for you to take. “Come on then, let’s get out of here.” 

You took the last sip of your wine and took his hand. You let him guide you to the back of the club. “You know the owners?” you asked, seeing he was so comfortable in the space. He chuckled. 

“I am the owner, doll.” he answered in that cocky, velvety voice of his. And that nickname, that damn nickname brought back so many memories; they came flooding back in like it was no one’s business. 

The first time he kissed you. Prom. That road trip you took together. All the ones you planned but couldn’t take. All the times you snuck out of the house to hang out at his place. The one time you got caught and how your dad almost lost his shit completely. The time you had your biggest fight and didn’t talk for two whole days. How he apologized first for that one. 

You remembered everything. 

He held the door open for you as you slid into the passenger seat of his slick, black car. He was quiet when he got into the driver’s seat. But the silence was comfortable, like the kind you have around your closest friends and family; where you’re just happy with sharing space and air, just knowing the other is here and not having the need to fill the silence with useless talks. The kind of silence which spoke louder than words ever could. Comforting, and warm. 

He pulled into the entrance of a private property and your eyes widened for a brief moment. “You live here? This is your home?” you asked, a little surprised at the grandeur of the mansion in front of you, which grew bigger and bigger as you approached it. 

“One of my houses, yes.” he replied, cocky as always. 

You playfully scoffed. “Showoff.” you muttered, loud enough for him to hear and laugh at. 

He got out of the car and walked around to open the door for you. You rolled your eyes at his antics, “You don’t have to do all that, you know?” you teased. 

He chuckled and casually reached down to hold your hand in his as he guided you over to the front door. It was chilly out, so he walked a little faster. “Oh come on, I know I’m the bad guy now but I'm chivalrous enough to treat my ex-girlfriend right.” he played along, knowing exactly which word would get a reaction out of you. 

“Ouch.” you pretended to be hurt. He laughed as he ushered you into his home. 

The first thing you noticed were the guards. Then the extravagant foyer which led to the equally extravagant living room. The color theme, the lovely smell of the house, there was something about it which was so familiar, yet you couldn’t place a finger on it. 

“You have a beautiful home, Buck.” you looked around and noticed that the guards had left. 

He smiled and let go of your hand, letting you walk around his personal space for a bit. He could get used to this, the thought popped into his head out of nowhere. He could get used to seeing you in his home. 

“Come on up, you’ll love the library.” he spoke and extended his arm out again. You took his hand and he led you up the large, fancy wooden stairs. 

He was right. You did immediately fall in love with his library/study room. It was everything one dreams of. Spacious, yet cosy. Modern, but with a vintage twist. The right amount of light, but not too much. It was beautiful. 

You walked a few steps further and started noticing the little things; like the mini bar, the unused typewriter on the desk, the scattered papers next to it, the chandelier which made the room look magical. 

“This is beautiful.” you commented as you lazily skimmed through the books on the shelves. You heard him move around glasses in the background. 

“Thank you.” he paused, pouring himself a drink. “You want a drink?” 

You turned to face him for a brief moment. He had taken off his coat, leaving him in his very expensive looking black shirt. “Sure.” you answered, then you turned back around to check out the books and you could feel him staring at your back. You smirked as not so holy thoughts filled your head. 

How would tonight end? You wondered. 

You walked over to his desk and plopped down on his large seat. He walked over as well, placing your glass down and leaning against the edge of the table, staring down at you with a smirk on and a look in his eyes which you couldn’t quite understand. 

“What?” you laughed as you took a sip of the liquor. It was smooth, and sweet and left an amazing aftertaste in your mouth as it slid down your throat, burning just a little. It tasted expensive. 

“Nothing.” He replied, softly as he eyed you carefully. “I just can’t believe you’re here, after all this time.” 

You smiled and looked up at him. “Things changed, haven’t they? I mean, the Bucky I knew hated whiskey and brandy. He liked cheap beers and vodka.” you pointed out. 

Bucky smiled and rolled his eyes, shoving a hand in his pocket out of habit. Suddenly he looked much younger and very boyish. “He changed, Y/N.” 

This was the first time he used your name tonight and you felt funny inside. The good kind of funny. 

“Mhmm.” you agreed. “He got meaner.” you teased and stood up from the seat, and looked past him. Right by the couches, was a small coffee table upon which something shiny caught your attention. And being the curious being you are, you walked right over without a second thought. 

“You think?” he sounded playful as he watched you walk over to the coffee table where his guns were kept. He doesn’t usually leave them out in the open like this but he was cleaning them earlier so he left them there. 

Bucky watched how you picked one up and examined it. 

“Yeah,” you spoke up without taking your eyes off the hand gun. “He got dangerous.” You weirdly liked how it felt in your hands. A little heavier than you thought it would be. 

He was surprised at how comfortable you were with this side of him. Another woman would turn the other way and would run. But not you. “Be careful with that, doll.” he warned you softly. “They’re all loaded.” 

You smirked as you placed the gun down and picked up another. And you sensed him tensing up where he stood. 

“Don’t touch that one.” he said calmly. You frowned. 

“Why not?” you asked. 

He placed his glass down and walked over to you. “I’ve done bad things with that one. I’ve hurt bad people.” 

You knew your way around a gun. Your father used to hunt as a hobby so you knew the gun was locked. But just for the hell of it, you aimed it at him and smirked. “Yeah? I think I like this new Bucky a lot better.” 

He smirked, loving the fact that the city didn’t diminish your spunk. He realized then that you were still the same girl he fell for in highschool. “Careful.” he warned again, giving you a soft smile. Seeing you like this made him want to do bad things to you. He felt hot as he watched you aim a gun at him. He didn’t know why. 

“Scared?” you teased, loving the reaction you got out of him. The buzz of the wine earlier and the whiskey just now amplified your confidence and you loved it. 

Oh fuck you looked hot. It made it hard for him to focus on anything else. “Put it down, Y/N.” he kept his devilishly handsome smirk on. You held your ground and it made him groan and roll his eyes. He approached you and you giggled. He carefully took the gun from you and placed it back down on the table, then without another word said, he circled his arm around you and pulled you closer. “Good girls don’t play with those. You used to be so obedient, what happened?” he teased. 

You smirked, finding his body heat really comforting. “I’ve changed.” you purposely repeated his own words, then added, “Maybe I’m not such a good girl anymore.” you purred. He clenched his jaw and exhaled loudly. 

“Don’t tease me baby girl. I’m not as nice as I used to be.” his words made you all hot and bothered. 

You smirked. “Prove it.” 

And just like that, with one look of his, you were under his spell. He smirked and leaned in, purposely avoiding your lips as he gently kissed his way along your jaw. You shivered when his lips touched your neck; leaving soft kisses along the side of your throat while his hand wrapped tighter around your waist. 

He made you whimper and whine, you could feel him smirk against your skin. He pulled away after a while, and held your chin in between his forefinger and his thumb, and he looked into your eyes with an intensity which made your body tingle. His thumb soon moved up to touch your soft lips gently. He traced the shape of your mouth and spoke, “I’ve missed you.” he looked down at you softly. 

Your lips parted as he trailed his fingers down your chin, down your neck before he gently wrapped his fingers around your throat, applying just a bit of pressure there. You smirked as you looked up at him. “Not so sassy now, are we?” he sounded cocky and in control, just how you liked him. 

And suddenly all those years which had gone by didn’t mean a thing. You picked up right where you left off. The spark was still there. 

“Buck… please,” you whined under your breath. Oh how he had missed this… 

He chuckled. “Come here, baby girl.” he walked a few steps backwards and plopped down on the couch, pulling you onto his lap where you fit perfectly. A soft, unexpected moan left your lips as he slipped his hand under your dress and inched higher and higher up your leg, and caressed your inner thigh as he went. 

He smirked when you moaned and kept going. He leaned in to kiss your jaw and down your neck; his stubble brushing against your skin gently. His lips warm and soft as they peppered your skin with kisses, making you instinctively tilt your neck to give him easier access. He chuckled when you visibly trembled as his knuckles brushed against the front of the flimsy thong you were wearing. He couldn’t wait to tear it off your body. 

His need to have you grew with each passing moment. Hot, fiery, burning desire. Bucky slipped his hand past your underwear and touched your wet folds, his two fingers circling around your clit, “You’re dripping, doll.” He chuckled as you moaned when he slowly pushed a finger past your entrance. Then another and started gently pumping them in and out of you.

Your body throbbed. You whined, throwing your head back and letting him do whatever he wanted with your body. 

Bucky looked up at you in pure adoration as he placed his thumb on your throbbing clit and brushed it occasionally while he finger-fucked you; your wetness dripping and smearing all over his hand; his fingers touched you in all the right places; curling just right and massaging your walls perfectly. His other hand gently wrapped around your neck; not squeezing yet but just holding you firmly. 

You got a little louder as he sped up; his fingers slipping in and out of you with ease and eliciting sounds which turned you on even more. Seeing you were whining and whimpering already, Bucky moved his hand from your throat and pushed two fingers into your mouth; slowly pumped those two as well; an obscene attempt to keep you quiet. 

Your mouth immediately wrapped around his fingers. And he swore under his breath again at the sight of you so salacious and open; his fingers buried in your wet core, slipping in and out of you rapidly while his other two fingers were buried into your warm mouth. The sounds you made alone were enough to make his pants feel tighter; and make him want to devour you even more. You moaned when he sped up again; his fingers stroking your walls perfectly and increasing the sweet, almost agonizing pressure forming in between your hips. You felt a rush and a warmth washing over you; intensified by his tight grip at your throat.

“Are you gonna cum for me, doll?” he asked, leaning in to just bite your lip; not kissing you properly but just biting down and nibbling on your lower lip and making you go crazy. You whined in pleasure and nodded. He sped up again; and you rolled your hips against his hand in a haze – chasing your orgasm; moaning and whimpering. “Cum for me, come on, babygirl.” He encouraged you and tightened his grip around your throat just a little bit more.

You let the familiar waves of pleasure wash over you as you came all over his fingers; crying out loud in pleasure. Gushing out all over his hand as he kept pumping them in and out of you, getting everything he could out of you. Once satisfied, he removed his hand from your underwear and pulled his hand back from your throat and wrapped both his arms around you and pulled you closer to him, causing your sensitive core to brush against his crotch. And you could feel his erection. 

“You have no idea how bad I’ve missed you, baby girl.” He whispered against your parted lips. “I searched for you, but I couldn’t find a way to get to you.” 

“Buck…” your hands reached up to cup his face and you pulled away just a little to look down at him. “I’m here.” you whispered, breathless still. 

He wasted no time in pressing his lips to yours. He finally pressed his lips to yours and kissed you like there’s no tomorrow; there was nothing gentle or innocent about the kiss, just hunger and passion and pure craving. His soft lips moved perfectly against yours through the messy kiss. He moaned through the kiss when you slid your hands into his hair and tugged on it gently. His hands rested on the curve of your ass; holding you close to him as he gently pulled away from the kiss and stared into your eyes. 

He gripped your waist and pressed your cloth core onto his, making you grind against him; causing you to feel his hard on through his pants. You almost moaned at how big and firm he felt. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head, and your body shuddered as a wave of pleasure washed over you while you shamelessly rocked your hips ever so gently against his clothed hard on. He smirked at your involuntary actions. 

“Fuck… I need to have you. Now.” he growled before pushing you down on the couch and hovering on top of you. He purposely pressed his crotch down in between your parted legs, making you moan at how fucking big he felt. “You feel that?” he breathed into your ear and made you shiver at how deep his voice sounded. You could almost feel the lust in his voice. “You did that, babygirl.” He pulled away from your face a little to look at you, smirking. 

He kissed his way down your body, sliding your dress down your body while at it. You felt his mouth in between your thighs. Your back arched off the surface of the couch as his tongue slowly circled your throbbing clit and licked down, parting your wet folds with ease. 

Your taste drove him wild, so did your soft whimpers. Your hand flew to his hair and you tugged on it gently as he flicked his tongue over your clit over and over again. His stubble rubbed against your sensitive skin incessantly, and the friction burned a little but it was the kind of pain you kept wanting more of.

His deep blue eyes watched you in awe and how you lost control under his touch; legs shaking as he teased your entrance with the tip of his tongue. His hands wrapped around your thighs, securing you in his grip as he pushed his face further into you, making you cry out loud. You came violently all over Bucky’s tongue, body shuddering and shaking while you moaned his name out loud. It gave him a pleasant rush when he heard your strained voice moan out his name. 

He kissed your inner thighs, licking you clean before kissing his way up your body and finding your lips again. He kissed you with ardor; eager to just be inside you already and make you squirm and shake under him, but he also wanted to cherish each moment and worship your body. You felt his tongue stroke the top of your mouth, and his hands touched you wherever he could; your breasts, your waist – leaving trails of goosebumps wherever his fingers touched your skin.

He pulled away for a bit and grabbed both your wrists and pinned them down on the couch above your head. “Keep your hands there for me, baby girl.” He mumbled under his breath and lifted his hips to align his erected cock to your entrance. You instinctively spread your legs apart to give him more room. His hand reached down and he pumped his cock, rubbing it all over your dripping core in the process. You squirmed and moaned when he did so; the tip of his cock rubbing up and down your wet lips, parting them as he circled your clit gently. You shuddered under him; whining in need. Your body begging him to just take you already. 

“Look at me.” He almost moaned as he whispered a little breathlessly, looking intensely into your eyes. The dimmed lights made his eyes look darker than usual, and his face looked dangerously handsome. His voice was deep – which caused the butterflies in your stomach to go crazy. With a slow, steady push, he inserted his length into you. You shuddered as you felt all of him. You heard his ragged breaths as he removed himself out and pushed himself back into you again.

You moaned out loud, unable to hold back the sound which escaped your lips. “Fuck…” was all you were able to mutter under your breath as he pulled out of you completely, then pushed back into you again; filling you up entirely.

He sped up just a little, rocking his hips against yours and his hand reached up to wrap around your neck gently. He stared into your eyes, speeding up into you again. He leaned in to kiss your open mouth, shamelessly shoving his tongue past your parted lips and stroking the inside of your mouth. You could only nod senselessly, overwhelmed by how good he felt deep inside you. His lips left your mouth and kissed down your face. You let out a moan as he found your sweet spot, and felt him smirk against your skin. You moaned again as he bit and licked the skin beneath your jaw, all while slamming into you relentlessly; stretching you out and pounding into you like his life depended on it.

You could no longer keep your hands off him so you reached out and held onto his shoulders; your nails digging into his skin as you felt a pressure forming around your lower region. Bucky quickened his pace and pounded into you harder than before; the sounds of your skin slapping one another resonated around the room. 

The dim light made his eyes look even more piercing than usual. Your legs trembled as you wrapped them around his waist. The new position was much more pleasurable for the two of you; the tip of his cock touched your most sensitive spots and your back arched off the couch – your chest pressing against his partially unbuttoned shirt; his body heat radiating through the fabric.

You moaned out loud and he very gently tightened his grip around your throat. His voice cracked as he whimpered in your ear. He somehow sounded needy but in control at the same time, and it drove you crazy. You felt your walls clench around him, and tighten around his thick member; making him swear out loud.

“Cum for me, babygirl. Come on.” he panted against your cheek, kissing the side of your face and gripping your jaw with his hand. He didn’t slow down as you felt your orgasm wash over you, he kept pounding into you as your eyes rolled back and you moaned out his name as you came – hard.

You whimpered at how he kept slamming into you even after you came, and your face burned as you felt the knot forming again right at your core. Bucky fucked you relentlessly; not even stopping for a second. He panted and groaned at how good you felt and shamelessly told you about it; whispering against your skin about how perfect you felt around him – wet and warm all for him. You moaned as you felt your second release approaching while the first was still fading. Your legs were numb, and your body moved along with his like a rag doll; yet, you wanted more of what he had to give. You craved him.

A rush coursed through your veins as you felt your mind clouding with lust again. His large frame hovering above you as he tightened his grip around your throat just a little more. “Cum for me again, come on.” He growled, his lips dangerously close to yours as you whined and whimpered under him.

A series of cuss words left your lips as you came for the second time in a row, walls tightening around his length. He bit down on your lip as you lifted your hips to meet his thrust; chasing your release. Your body trembled under him as you came again; gushing out around his cock while he still pounded relentlessly into you before slowing down again.

He kissed you again, while you tried to steady your breathing and calm your racing heart. He chuckled when he pulled away to look at how disheveled and messy you were all because of him. His hand left his throat and his thumb traced your lips again, he was mesmerized by how much of a whimpering, tear-stained mess you were. 

“It’s okay doll, I’m right here.” 

---

You woke up in his bed. 

And the flashbacks of the time spent there hit you immediately. 

You felt his arms around you as you peaked from under the blanket to try and reorient yourself. The room was brighter. You checked the time and it was around ten in the morning. 

Well, there goes that family breakfast you promised your parents. 

You felt Bucky stir in his sleep behind you. He peeled one eye open and smiled at the sight of you still in his bed. 

“Morning baby girl,” he said in a deep, groggy morning voice which made your heart flip. 

“I have plans with my family, you know? You’re just, shamelessly wrecking them.” You teased and watched how his smirk grew. His arm tightened around your body, under the covers. His touch was warm and gentle as he tugged you closer to his equally warm body. 

Your bare chest pressed against his and you looked up and stared into his blue eyes. They were so dreamy you still couldn’t believe they were real. 

“Oh please. Admit it, you like it better here with me rather than being confined in that old man’s house.” He rolled his eyes as he mentioned your dad. 

You giggled. Him and your dad always hated each other. 

“Imagine what he’d say once he finds out I’ve been hanging out with the bad guy. Again.” You played along. 

Bucky laughed and leaned in to kiss your forehead. “I’ll deal with him. I’d do anything for you.” he whispered softly, the last part even more so. 

Your heart did that thing where it felt like it was bursting into a millions little pieces in the best ways. The butterflies in your stomach went wild at the sound of his morning voice. You looked up at him and then leaned in to kiss his neck softly. 

“I missed you, you know?” 

“Hmm, I know.” 

You giggled and hugged him tighter. “What now?” you asked, thinking about what would happen two weeks from now, when you’d have to get back to the city. 

His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “I was planning on expanding my… business to another city. How is it over there?” he asked, a smirk forming on his face as he waited for your reaction. 

Your eyes widened as you quickly pulled away and sat up on his bed with a shocked look on your face. “You’re moving?” 

He smiled at you. “I’ll go wherever you go at this point. I just got you back, I'm not giving up on us this time.” 

“Are you sure about this? Our lives… they’re so different.” you looked down at your lap as you spoke. “Will we make it?” 

He sat up and leaned against the headboard, pulling you onto his lap, caging you in his arms. “Oh we will.” Then he looked past you for a brief moment, out the floor-to-ceiling windows. He noticed the snow falling delicately. It was truly beautiful, but nothing matched how pretty you looked - messy hair, swollen lips, love bites all over your skin. 

He leaned in to kiss you, then whispered against your lips. “We will make it doll, don’t you worry. Just trust me.” 

a/n: ily.

[kureis-writing-hell]

Make it work

Ed wakes up alone, but the bed is warm and the mansion smells with coffee and burned wood. He goes to find people who left him alone in the bed.

I told you so! I told you I will finally deliver OT4 with those crazy people! Just a drabble, an estabilished poly relationship. Ed's POV during a lazy winter morning.

Ed/Oswald/Jim/Lee, 1578 words. Finde me on ao3 too! @ Kurei16

Side note: everyone is involved romantically, except for Lee and Oswald, since Oswald is gay.

*

The bed was still warm.

It was tough to maintain the temperature in a bed big enough to contain four people when only one was left sleeping in it. Ed knew it. He quickly deduced that someone - most likely Lee since she also liked to sleep in on her free days - had to get up not too long ago. Ed opened his eyes and squinted at the clock on one of the night stands. It was still quite early but everyone was out of bed and so he wasn’t about to be left behind.

He grabbed his glasses, tossed his green robe over his shoulders and pushed his new slippers on his feet. For a few seconds he looked down at them, still somehow salty about the way they looked. Yes, they were soft, yes, they were warm, perfect for the cold, winter days. But the fact they looked like big, dinosaur feet was so ridiculous. Every time he looked at them Ed cursed the day he slipped to Jim about being a dinosaur kind of kid.

Yet he still smirked at the Christmass gift the other man got him.

Ed left the room and walked towards the stairs. A radio was playing somewhere downstairs, probably in the kitchen, and he could smell freshly made coffee and burning wood already. The mansion never smelled like that on a daily basis. Oswald didn’t know and didn’t bother to learn how to make use of the coffee express, so Ed always had to make a cup by himself. And no one ever had time to light the fireplace and then clean it up.

Immediately, Ed moved his feet towards the kitchen. He stood in the door and watched Lee, back turned toward him, throwing some sugar in her cup. She was wearing her own robe, black with silver lines around the edges, her hair still messy.

They didn’t live together. Lee and Jim had to be close to their work, in any case, while Oswald opted on a calmer place outside of the city. Here he could focus on being the leader, rather than risking himself in action. Still, he would take long roads to his Lounge more often than not, to supervise it. Ed knew it’s all about the sentimentality of his. Yes, it would be a lot easier and logical to just find an apartment in the city, but Oswald didn’t want to give up his father’s home.

And, honestly, it came useful. The relationship the four of them shared was still, somehow, a secret. Had to be, for the sake of everyone involved. The mansion was perfect for meetings, for “family visits”, for spending time together.

“Oh.” Lee turned around and spotted him. She didn’t seem surprised, already used to how Ed always sneaked up on everyone. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“You didn’t.” Ed shook his head. She really had to just wake up a moment before him.

The woman smiled, then pointed at the coffee machine.

“Want some? Just finished warming it up.”

Sometimes Ed could feel a terrible pang of jealousness, mostly in moments like those. He wished Oswald would make him a coffee in the morning the same way Jim did it for Lee. So Ed could come down hours after Oswald got to work, warm it up and dwell on the fact that the powerful Penguin did something so simple for him every day.

But then, Oswald tried it once. Edward was the one that banned him from ever using the coffee machine again.

“Yes, please,” he sighed, answering to Lee. He entered the kitchen and leaned against one of the counters, while the woman poured him a cup as well. Just the way he liked. “How long are they up now?”

“The coffee was cold, so I assume at least two hours.”

They would have to wake up around seven am. Ed rolled his eyes.

“Are they aware they don’t have to work today? What’s the rush with waking up?”

“I don’t get it either,” laughed Lee, just slightly, and handed Ed his cup. She left a soft peck on his cheek and moved to leave the kitchen. “They’re in the living room.”

“Of course they are.”

Ed sipped on the hot coffee and followed her.

They began blending their separate relationships into one over a half year ago. It was, surprisingly, so easy. Came to them so naturally. At first, of course, Ed was jealous. Mostly about Jim. He was somehow, even, scared, just a tiny bit. He knew how much Oswald crushed on the cop all those years ago when they first met. He knew how deeply in love with him Lee was. So, Ed feared that now he’s going to be moved aside by them all, because why would they need an awkward, crazy nerd like him around. But they didn’t. Not only that. They were all into him, too. In a widely different ways, sure, but Ed still kept finding comfort in that thought.

Even despite how well they worked with each other, there were still so many baffling things about this situation. How fast it progressed, as if it was like this forever, since the day they first looked at each other. How good it felt to be touched by Lee, after being stabbed by her. The way Jim looked at him. Oswald and Lee being able to talk and argue and banter for hours without Oswald getting mad at her. But all those things quickly lost the weirdness, became their daily life, something that would feel weird if it vanished now.

Yet one thing still baffled Ed, just a little. Seeing the commissioner and the violent King of Gotham, cuddled together on a chair, both reading the same newspaper, both wearing their robes and acting like they didn’t have a history of trying to kill and imprison each other.

The fireplace was bathing the room in a cozy, warm air, and it was only heightened by the thick snow falling outside of the windows. Jim’s empty cup of coffee was standing on the coffee table, of course without the cup coaster. Jim, himself, was sitting on one of the plush armchairs, one arm around Oswald’s back, holding the newspaper. Oswald was sitting on his lap, right leg propped up a little, towards the warmth of the fireplace. His nose was stuck in an article, eyes skipping through the text, and he looked focused on whatever the content was. Jim, on the other hand, was looking at him, eyebrows lifted high, as if waiting for something.

Finally Jim moved, to turn the pages, and Oswald made an annoyed sound. He huffed, grabbed Jim’s hand and glared at him.

“I haven't finished yet,” he said with annoyance, and Ed quickly realized it’s not the first time Jim tried to turn the pages without being allowed to first.

“Can’t you read faster?”

“I know it may be a surprising concept for you, Jim, but I like to understand what I’m reading.”

Jim rolled his eyes, which made Oswald huff at him again, and then spotted Lee and Ed, still standing in the door. Oswald noticed his look and turned around as well.

“Oh, hello, did you two sleep well?” He reacted first, smiling widely. Jim smiled too, more timid than Oswald, as he always did. In a way that made him look like smiling like a regular person would physically hurt him.

“Yeah, thanks.” Lee smiled and moved inside the room first. “When did you two wake up?”

“Around five,” answered Jim, exchanging a kiss with her on her way to the couch. “But we napped here for a bit.”

“Isn’t there a better place for that, like, I don’t know, a bed?” huffed Ed, watching Lee put a cup coaster under Jim’s and her’s cup. Some of his jealousness sipped out. Always sleeping the longest meant that he usually woke up alone. But he deserved some cuddles too.

“We didn’t want to wake you two up.” This time Oswald rolled his eyes and Jim nodded. Ed pursued his lips, pouting for a moment before Oswald waved at him to come closer. He did.

Oswald gave him a morning kiss, which Ed took as an apology for the lack of cuddles. He finally smiled, turned his head just a little when they parted and felt another kiss, in the corner of his lips. He looked at Jim, Jim looked at him. Ed turned more, to give Jim a proper kiss, albeit way more chaste than the one he exchanged with Oswald.

Only after getting his morning dose of affections Ed walked to the couch and sat by Lee. He put his cup on another coaster. Almost immediately Lee leaned against him, sighing and closing her eyes with a smile.

Not long after Oswald and Jim broke their cuddle pile. Oswald swore a little, keeping his hand on his bad leg - the weather most likely impacting the pain - and Jim offered him his hand. A year ago Oswald would bite off the hand of anyone, even Ed’s, who offered him help with walking. Now, he took it and let Jim lead him to the couch, to the other two people that shared their crazy bond.

It was tough to get comfortable with four people trying to cuddle with each other on a couch. But they had a lot of experience by now. And they made it work.