yoga4dogs

[phantom-kiwi]

Venom 3 spoiler warning but like

"Ride me cowboy", "we've been together for a year?", "Sometimes I think we would've been happier you and I living a life like this", them calling each other Thelma and Louise? Them talking about future plans and the camera directly cutting and staying on literal happy newlyweds?? "BUT I NEED HIM BACK" ???? A montage of their time together???? Hello ??? Symbrock nation can you hear me !!!!

[1ddotdhq]

🎊 Wed 13 Jan ‘21 👾

Zayn had a party (in a storage unit?), Liam has a podcast, Niall still likes golf, and Louis is calling out shitty politicians! Meanwhile, Jason Sdksksks is trying his damndest to win back his lady love from the nefarious Mr. Styles’ wiley ways. Yes, yes, it’s all very dramatic, so let’s get started!

Alright, clearly Zayn had the zarty of the YEAR last night as we got oodles and oodles of pictures of, uh, Zayn-themed party decorations that would be very on brand for any twelve year old stan but honestly I CANNOT imagine him wearing party hats with...his face on them cut out Mishapocalypse-style. I mean, he would still look like a ting, of course, but a very odd ting, especially when mixed with his own personalized Bode jacket that matches Harry’s personalized Bode Vogue pants, with their own twist: the Nobody Is Listening cover art, weed, Star Wars, 993, and some others! We know it was at Gigi's apartment building thanks to the many pap pics of the games and balloons being brought around (trust Zayn to find every way to get papped other than his actual face) but wow does it look like the whole thing was set up in some kind of....industrial storage unit? Odd, but points for social distancing, I guess? The party mastermind, Gigi, bought him a FIFA-inspired birthday cake (more on FIFA later), and they played retro video games that I haven’t seen since *I* was twelve, and drank orange juice looking cocktails. She also posted a picture of herself and Zayn all dressed up as some video game characters, captioned, “Team No Sleep! Happiest of birthdays to our Zaddy baba. So special. Love you long time, and thank you for making me a mama to the best girl ever”. Well, it looks to me like they’ve been getting plenty of sleep - they look bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready for a playground party. Honestly, thinking about it, maybe the theme *was* “twelve year old who likes zayn and video games”....And there’s still MORE news, party people! Apparently, ZAYN is taking on the role of host for three virtual album listening parties. There’s no zoom, and no video, but on Jan 15, 19, and 21, we can all sit in a chat room and listen to the album together. It’s free for everyone, and hopefully he shows up, so see y’all there!

So onto the FIFA section of the update, of which I know nothing about, but give me a few months and Liam will teach me all about it in his NEW FIFA PODCAST! What??? What happened to that Sabbatical Leeeyummm???? Clearly, it’s gonna have to wait for a bit because for the months of January and February, he’s going to be hosting an eight episode podcast (co-hosted by SkyHost sports broadcaster Jaydee Dyer and in collaboration with Universal Music Group), which premiered TODAY! Surprise!! Someone get *this* man a FIFA cake! The podcast will pair star players and musicians and aims to “make football truly global, accessible and inclusive”, which to me just means we’re gonna get a bunch of fun bts stories from Liam and other artists like we did today! He tells us some pre-show 1D rituals (‘making Harry say funny shit in silly voices’ and ‘throwing gummy bears in each others mouths’) and about his own relationship with music (“amazing how music can lift your mood out of anything”) and songwriting (“it can come many ways”). Also, he has a huge crush on Tom Hardy, but that’s not special, I, too, watched Venom and fell head over heels for that Man!

Another man I’m head over heels for: Louis! He showed up on twitter INCENSED about the Health Secretary of Britain and his evasive tactics on the question of free school meals. Piers Morgan (ugh) took on the Health Secretary (UGH) and asked if he regretted voting against the extension of free school meals in Britain, noting that, had it not been for Marcus Rashford’s excellent campaign, this would have gone unresolved and children would have gone hungry. The Health secretary, gusano ligoso that he is, just said, “I’m really glad the situation has been resolved”. Louis clearly feels the same way I do about that cockroach that is unfit to call himself a man, and said, “This is disgusting. What an evasive coward! Hold your hands up and take responsibility!” Louis then retweeted Marcus Rashford’s tweet calling for a full review of a Free School Meal system across the UK. One more FIFA cake for these two, please!

And the Fauxlivia saga continues (sans astrologers today, sorry!) Elle magazine printed that Jason Sudeikis (Sdksksks from here on out) is “desperate to win Olivia back to repair their family” and is “hoping that...Harry will get bored and move on before too long”. Mhmmm, well, don’t worry, darling! The stars say that you’ll have your family back by June (apparently! but COVID related delays may apply) so just hold on for a bit! Harry, meanwhile, is...MIA but liking Arlo Park’s cover of Watermelon Sugar, which was, frankly, captivating and gorgeous, and Lizzo’s gorgeous post captioned, “the bar is high when you’re the reference”. And, discourse would like you to know she made a mistake yesterday, Jeff's quote about how soothing someone's presence was was about Kid Harpoon, not Harry, though we’re sure H has a soothing presence, too! I mean, just look at the power his text messages hold!

[plazmafields]

Dorian chatted aimlessly as he waited for Krem to grab his lunch, Dorian gripping his own loosely and swinging the bag gently at his side. Once Krem was ready, the two men crossed through the office on their way to the cafe. As they passed a large set of frosted glass doors, Dorian heard soft music coming from within. He slowed his pace as he listened, trying to recognize the song.

“What is it?” Krem asked, several feet ahead.

“Oh, nothing, I just…” Dorian drifted off as he read the name on the doors. “I’ve never seen Cullen outside his office. Not in the break room or the cafe.”

Krem scoffed, “Yeah, he doesn’t leave that room. I don’t know if he takes breaks at all. Maybe he just likes to be alone during his breaks? I don’t know, honestly.”

Dorian hummed in acknowledgement, still focused on putting a finger on the strangely familiar music he could faintly hear. After a moment of silence, Krem started walking again.

“You coming?” he called back.

“Yes, I’ll just be a moment. I’ll meet you there.”

Krem shrugged and went off to meet up with their other lunch buddies.

Dorian kept staring at the frosted doors, reading the lettering over and over. Cullen Rutherford, Director of Architecture. Not his boss, per se, but absolutely a few positions over him.

Is it even worth asking? Dorian wondered. I suppose it couldn’t hurt, despite the likelihood of him refusing.

So with a shrug and a confident smile, Dorian drummed a knuckle against the glass and waited for a response. He heard the music stop and Cullen clear his throat before uttering a quiet “enter”.

Dorian opened the door slowly and peaked his head in first. “Mr. Rutherford? Do you have a moment?”

Cullen reeled a little at the formality. “Oh, yes, please, have a seat. And just ‘Cullen’ is fine.”

“Right, Cullen…” Dorian murmured as he sat, taking in the decor. “You have a lovely office, very cosy.” he remarked, noting each side wall had floor to ceiling bookshelves, each nearly full.

Cullen nodded in agreement, shifting the things on his desk.

“Did you do something different with it since I was here last month?”

Cullen chuckled, “No, never.” he looked up from his organization for his eyes to lock with Dorian’s, immediately thrown off course. “Uh, I mean, I have it the way I like it. Maybe, um, it needs something new, I’m not a trinket person, but maybe something. Bookends?”

Dorian grinned, “Maybe.”

After a long quiet moment, Cullen cleared his throat again. “Anyway, sorry, what did you need to talk to me about?”

As he casually glanced around the room once more, Dorian said plainly, “A few of us have formed a… ‘lunch club’, I suppose, where we all go out together or sit in the cafe at lunch and just chat. I was wondering if you wanted to join us today. I know you usually eat in here by yourself.”

Cullen sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, eyes on his desk, “I usually don’t eat. If I’m honest. There’s really no time, I have so much shi--”

Dorian looked at him with a slight smirk, brow quirked.

“...work. A lot of work to do. I’m sorry, maybe I can find time some other...time.”

Dorian could see that Cullen didn’t really want to refuse, but also felt too awkward. 

“Is it the group? I promise there’s only, like, five of us, myself included. You’re never intruding.”

The blond cringed a little, “Maybe? I-I don’t know, I’m not much of a people person, I really--”

“What if it was just you and me?” Dorian cut him off gently.

Cullen’s mouth remained open as his eyes got wider. He quickly took Dorian up and down, then gulped.

Dorian chuckled, “I’ll let you think about it, how about that?”

As he opened the door to leave and find Krem, Dorian turned back and said in a soft tone, “I would really enjoy your company.”

The last thing he saw before shutting the door behind him was a slight blush on Cullen’s cheeks.

---

After a couple of days with no answer, Dorian decided to take it upon himself to buy an extra burrito bowl for Cullen, taking notes from Josephine on what he might like.

“He only comes to the break room when I bring in my pastries.” She had said. “He waits until everyone in the office has had one, then he comes out and takes whatever’s left. He asks me about the sugar cookies sometimes. They’re just butter and sugar, a little vanilla. He seems to like simple flavors, but he’s eaten almost everything I’ve made.”

Playing it safe, Dorian got a very basic bowl without extras, hoping the flavors would be inoffensive.

Once he got back to the office, he went straight to Cullen’s office and knocked, not waiting for a response before barging in. He knew Cullen would be in there, and he wasn’t giving him an option, Cullen was going to eat.

Cullen looked up from his screen with surprise, shocked to see Dorian with two bowls.

“Time for lunch.” Dorian said, placing Cullen’s dish in front of him with a fork and napkin.

Cullen tried to say something, but Dorian cut him off.

“Nope, eat.”

Dorian sat in the adjacent chair and began digging in, only stopping to gesture for Cullen to do the same.

The blond took a tentative bite, humming as he pointed with his fork. “This is really good, but I feel bad. You didn’t have to--”

“I certainly didn’t, but I chose to. And I’d hate to see it go to waste, so don’t feel bad, just eat it.”

Cullen, thrown off guard by Dorian’s bluntness, simply shut up and ate, muttering a quiet “thank you” through bites.

“You’re very welcome. Having work to do is no reason to starve yourself.” Dorian watched with a smile as Cullen clearly enjoyed his meal.

"I'd hardly say I starve myself," Cullen said under his breath. When Dorian gave a skeptical look, he elaborated, "I just, you know, make sure I have a big breakfast, and I eat an apple or something throughout the day. I try to be healthy."

"Skipping meals isn't healthy, darling." Dorian purred to avoid sounding judgemental.

Cullen blushed at being worried over. "No, you're right."

After a long pause, Cullen sheepishly asked, "Mind if I switch on some music?"

"Feel free," Dorian waved dismissively.

Soothing, almost romantic jazz was the first thing to play, Cullen flailing at the keyboard to skip it. "Woah, okay, how about something else?" He laughed nervously.

"No no, I quite enjoy jazz, if you don't mind." Dorian reached over and softly grabbed Cullen's hand to stop him, Cullen looking to their hands and blushing.

"Oh, sure. T-That's fine…"

They simply ate as the song played, Dorian suddenly realizing Cullen was done with his meal.

"Oh, you eat fast, don't you?" Dorian remarked, finally taking in Cullen’s physique. He was muscular, but not ripped; defined, but not toned; sturdy, but not 100% muscle. He was...

"Oh I--" Cullen looked down at his bowl and scrapped every last bit of rice out, "yeah, I'm used to not having a ton of time, I guess."

"I love a man with appetite." He didn't mean to sigh that last word, but Dorian let it slip, immediately clearing his throat in embarrassment.

Cullen swallowed roughly, but just went back to the last statement, "I probably shouldn't eat so fast or I'll mess up my metabolism. And I am getting older…"

Dorian scoffed, "Older? What are you, twenty-six?"

Cullen laughed, "Yeah, I wish. Try thirty-six."

"Are you calling me 'older', Cullen?" Dorian crossed his arms.

Cullen blushed, "W-What, no! I...how old are you?"

"Thirty-seven."

Cullen rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, older than me, maybe, but not older."

Dorian glanced down at Cullen's left hand. "Thirty-six and no wife?"

"Hey, I could ask you the same." Cullen shrunk in his seat; clearly this was a point of contention.

Dorian smirked, "I'm gay, darling."

"Oh…" Cullen blushed a little, "Well, no husband, then?"

Dorian crossed his legs and sat back, "I needed a break after my last boyfriend. He was a bit much: prissy, self-absorbed, disagreeable; it didn't work. We just had too much in common."

Cullen gave a hardy laugh, "I don't think you're disagreeable in the slightest, I think you're very pleasant."

Dorian smiled and tutted with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"And quite handsome, plenty of reason to be self-absorbed."

Taken aback, Dorian looked up with hopeful eyes, looking onto a completely innocent face dawning a sweet smile. Dorian grinned back, "Good of you to notice."

---

As he worked diligently, Dorian's focus was broken by someone sitting on the corner of his desk, arms crossed. He looked up, expecting Krem ready to head to lunch, but instead saw his newest lunch companion, blond curls less contained than usual.

"Ah, Cullen, out of your cave. What can I do for you, my friend?" He turned his chair and crossed his legs.

Cullen smiled softly but avoided Dorian's eyes. "I was wondering--I know it's lunch and you probably have plans to go out already but," his eyes darted up occasionally to check he wasn't losing Dorian's attention, "I was wondering if later, after work, you'd like to go to dinner with me."

The entire room went silent. The click-clacking of keyboards stopped, the fax machine stopped buzzing, and the water cooler stopped bubbling. Out of nowhere, eyes started peering over cubical walls, and people casually migrated in Dorian's direction.

He watched them all from the corner of his eye as everyone in the room waited for his answer. Cullen didn't leave his office, he didn't talk to his coworkers, and he didn't respond to flirting, from anyone.

Until now.

Dorian tried to keep his gulp subtle and quiet. He chuckled awkwardly before responding, "That...that sounds really nice. I'd love to."

The room started moving again, noises continued and people went back to their places.

Cullen grinned, "Great! That's...I'm…" he breathed a calming breath, "I'm so glad."

Laughing im relief, Dorian shook his head before taking a long moment to simply look into Cullen’s eyes. Golden and kind.

Cullen stared back, soft smile still present. "Well," he cleared his throat before standing, "I should get back to work. I'll see you tonight?"

Before Dorian could respond, his hand was in Cullen's, knuckles up, and eyes locked with the blond as he placed a gentle kiss to each one.

"I'm buying this time," Cullen whispered.

[illogicalhusbands]

The Game is Afoot - pt. 4

Bill Masters x Alec Hardy Masters of Sex / Broadchurch Crossover Link to Part 3

So sorry for the long wait! Both my co-mod and I have been extremely busy with our personal lives. I’ve come down with the flu and also had to deal with an emergency that led me to move homes so I’ve had my hands very full. But this update became unexpectedly long, so there actually will be one more part to follow! (Though I feel I’ve been saying that for the past two updates already). Also, wow 300 FOLLOWERS! I am FLOORED. Thanks everyone for the support! I hope the newcomers are all enjoying the content here. I’ll also be putting up a navigation page for the blog soon so it’ll be easier to find the fanfics and fanart that we make.

-

Everyone was staring.

It was one of those rare days that Masters had gotten him to agree to get something that vaguely resembled a complete meal for breakfast, yet by the time they had sat down Alec was quickly losing his appetite.

Pushing thin-rimmed spectacles up the bridge of his nose, he pointedly ignored the sticky feeling of several pairs of eyes on him as he perused through the list of fifty or so names and phone numbers in his hand, taunting him.

“Holmes.”

Alec groaned. He was nowhere near cracking this case than he had been a week ago. There had to be something that he was missing!

“Holmes.” A hand shot out to grab his forearm. Alec looked up to Masters’ steel blue eyes lit up with… worry? “I know this serial burglary case has been driving you mad, but you look horrifying. Just, please, eat something.”

Alec blinked blearily at him. “I’m fine, Watson,” he said, mustering up all the vitriol that he could onto that last word.

“That’s doctor Watson to you,” said Masters, on the slight edge of teasing once again. “But in all seriousness, I am an actual doctor, so you better listen to me when I say you need to take better care of yourself.”

Alec snarled. “I bloody hate doctors.”

“And I’m sure they find you an absolute delight to be with.” Masters took a sandwich from Alec’s plate and held it up to his face. “Now, eat.”

There was something about the doctor’s tone that was so commanding, in a way that never failed to grab Alec’s attention. It was always paired by those cold blue eyes and set jaw. Alec could tell he wielded this weapon on more than one occasion. He could picture Masters talking down rivals or even superiors, looking every bit like the prim and proper man that he presented himself to be, the presence of danger in his eyes the only indicator of his vicious intent. Masters probably never had much difficulty in getting anything he wanted.

Damn, Alec thought, And why did this bastard have to be so bloody attractive?

Alec was able to hold down half of his sandwich. He managed to convince Masters that he would finish the rest at a later time at work. Masters looked doubtful, but that seemed to satisfy him enough.

The whispers restarted when they got up from their seats. Alec grit his teeth. Did this town have nothing better to talk about than what other people got up to? He took a deep breath and nearly prayed that Masters hadn’t noticed at all that the entire bloody town thought of them as an item and could not seem to shut up about it.

Masters walked a step ahead of him and opened the door. “Pleasure as always, Mr. Holmes,” he said with a smooth grin. Please, please please don’t notice how other people have been talking about us. Above all, please don’t notice how much I want them to be right.

Alec startled at the hand on his lower back, gently pushing him out the door. He tried to look more relaxed, but he could see Masters had taken note of it.

They stepped out onto the pavement. Alec lingered, not wanting to leave things awkward between them. They spoke at the same time.

“Look—”

“I’m—”

“You first,” Alec said.

“Holmes…” the doctor started, eyes darting around nervously. “You know what? It’s nothing. I enjoyed breakfast today. And your company, um… thank… you for that.”

Alec felt his cheeks warming. “Y-yeah? I mean, alright. It-it’s fine, I—” he could see Masters slightly pursing his lips. “You know people talk, right?”

“I imagine they do little else,” said Masters flatly.

Alec scratched the back of his head. How can he get his message across without sounding too presumptuous? “I mean they—ah, they seem to think that we… are together.”

Masters blinked. “But we are together.”

The blood in Alec’s veins turned to ice. “W-what do you—”

“Right now, we’re here. Standing. Together. Is there something so scandalous about that?”

Alec tried to look for any signs on Masters’ face that he was kidding, but there was none. His brow was furrowed in concentration, mulling over the oddity in Alec’s statement.

“O-oh, you meant—I mean, yes! Yes, we are indeed, um, together.” Crap! He’d completely misread the situation. He scolded himself. Don’t look any more like a bumbling idiot in front of him! What was he even doing? Bringing this up with Masters was a surefire way of sending him running for the hills. Alec internally sighed. What kind of respectable man would want to be associated with a “shitface” disgraced detective? If Masters had any idea that the people of Broadchurch had branded them as the town’s Couple of the Year, he’d never want to see Alec again, much less be seen with him. “I suppose I’m just worried about your um, privacy.”

“My… privacy.”

“Yes! You know how it is in here. Everyone’s always up in other people’s business and—oh, would you look at the time!” He raised his wrist and realized a bit too late that he’d forgotten his watch. “I best get going. This was…” There was no reason to look like a flustered schoolgirl, he told himself. “Great, uh… mate.” And before he could stop himself, his fist bumped dejectedly onto Masters’ arm.

For Christ’s sake.

Masters looked at his miserable excuse for social communication and thankfully said nothing.

“I’ll see you around.” Masters gave his arm a firm squeeze that sent electric jolts straight to his chest cavity and left.

Alec kicked the pavement—and inhaled sharply at the contact and the stabs of pain that coursed up his foot.

 -

Just to add a cherry on top of his already messy, bloody cake, a whole bag of bad news greeted him at work. Cold leads, no new suspects, and inconsistent witness statements. Alec spent the next six hours bent over files and data cards, shutting off all his bodily functions and channeling his energy into coming up with anything that might be able to make sense of this increasingly complex case.

“CCTV brought up nothing, sir,” said Miller, looking not much better than he did. “I searched all night-”

“But that’s impossible!” Alec rifled through his own notes, skimming across messily scrawled witness accounts. “You should able to find that red van on the corner of Ivy and Hodges. Without that, our entire case is just mere speculation!”

“I don’t know what to do, sir. I’m just astounded as you are.”

Alec groaned, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. “We can’t be caught theorising, Miller! We need evidence.”

“Hang on, I’m working on it!” Miller put her hands on her hips, indignant. “Don’t have to make it look like you’ve been doing all the bloody work. You know how many all nighters I’ve put on in this office?”

“I’m not accusing you,” said Alec, rubbing his entire face, trying to keep himself awake. He could feel his mind floating off elsewhere and that was not good.

“All the while you were off gallivanting with Doctor Masters—”

“Do not bring him into this, Miller. He’s got nothing-”

“Oh don’t put that ‘we’re strictly acquaintances’ bullshit on me! I’m happy for you, really I am. And you definitely need to unwind more than all of us here.”

“It’s not bullshit. We’re barely even friends.”

Miller rolled her eyes. Her expression shifted drastically from the hopeless look she sported before. “At this point, it’s not even cute anymore. You’re just being very annoying.”

“Glad to see I haven’t lost my charm.”

Alec raked a hand through his hair, fighting through a pounding headache. “Masters has given no indication whatsoever of him… caring for… in that way. Just let it go, will you?”

A voice from the main entrance halted their conversation.

“Delivery for a… Sherlock Holmes?” The poor delivery girl was holding up a brown paper bag in her arms as she read the card with pure confusion on her face. She flushed. “Oh no. I-I think this may have been a prank. Is anyone of you actually-”

Miller shot a pointed look at Alec, who stood frozen with his mouth open.

“No, luv, not to worry! He’s right here.” said Miller, walking over to free the girl of the package.

Alec briefly snapped out of it enough to process what he was seeing. “H-how much is this?”

“Oh, no, it’s already been paid for by card, Mr. Holmes,” said the relieved girl. “Have a nice day!”

Alec still couldn’t move by the time Miller had brought the paper bag over to him.

“Go on, then. Open it! This is probably the only entertainment I’m getting today.”

Alec glared at her. “Entertainment. Really, Miller, we’re not a soap opera.”

“Hardy, I have had a very long week and things are very bleak right now with the case, so either you open this bag or I open your skull. Your choice.”

Alec opened the bag.

Inside was a box of takeout from one of his favorite Thai restaurants nearby. A sticky note taped on the top read—I’m aware we’re both busy. Consider this my way of buying you lunch. (Finish all of it.) W.

Miller had been reading over his shoulder again.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” Alec said.

“I swear to god. I can’t deal with this right now.” Miller groaned loudly and cradled her head. “God, I need a coffee.” Alec heard her retreating footsteps.

Alec took out the food from the bag, staring at it as if it were on fire. What did all this mean?

The whispers came back full force. Apparently the entire office had a good view over what just occurred. It was clear the package was addressed to Alec, and they could only think of one person who it came from and they, unfortunately, were correct.

Alec grabbed the food and stomped over to his office, slamming the door behind him. He needed to put a stop to this. The situation was getting out of hand. If people got more ideas about him and Masters, it would ruin everything they had at present. Why, oh why did Alec have to always want more than he deserved? Why couldn’t he just be content with what he was given? Why did he have to develop shoddy feelings for the man?

He of course knew the answer to that. Masters was striking. He commandeered a presence in every room he entered. But more than his appearances, he was also interesting. Alec could never quite tell if he was a being a righteous asshole or just plain blunt. He’d only known Masters for five months, but the companionship between them grew with hardly any effort from either side. He was intelligent and funny, often without meaning to. Alec saw him and instantly felt the need to smoothen his suit, or fix his hair and just try his might at keeping up with the brilliance of this man, to impress him somehow. To make any sort of impression on him, really. He orbited around Masters, held in place by a natural gravitational force.

He absolutely cannot ruin this just because of some vastly exaggerated stories from the grapevine. Still, these people showed no sign of slowing down. He resolved to the one thing that was left for him to do: slam on the brakes.

He needed to avoid Dr. William Masters.

 -

The next day was barely any better. They had made no progress with the case, and both Alec and Miller were at their wits’ end trying to piece everything together. Alec hasn’t handled a case as harrowing as this in about a year. He stayed in the office all night so that Miller could go home and check up on her kids. Alec ran through more CCTV footage and transcripts from witness’ statements. He could feel the answer nearing him, almost within his grasp. He just needed to know which direction to take his hands.

Alec downed the rest of his tepid tea. He set the mug down. When did he get two mugs? It was only then that he noticed his vision spinning. He shook his head. There was no time for sleep when the truth was only millimetres away from his fingertips!

The vibrations from his phone woke him back up. He turned to look. Why was Masters calling at this hour?

“What?” His voice was gruff from disuse. He’d been alone in the headquarters for hours now.

“Ah, so you are still at work.” Masters’ voice was infuriatingly proper and formal, as always.

“Did Miller tell you that?”

“Ellie sent me a text saying you’ll be out all night. I see you’ve not had any luck on the case,”

Alec huffed. “Have you come to gloat?”

“Gloating’s not really my style. However, I will share with you the fact that I’ll be accepting an award next week for my groundbreaking research on improved strategies for in vitro fertilization.”

“That hardly sounds impressive, Watson.” It was very impressive.

“If properly adopted, they could increase IVF success rate by up to forty percent.” Alec could sense the excitement radiating off him through the phone. “Fertility treatments used to be so taboo, Holmes. But we live in an age where these conversations have been opened up in the vernacular. If these techniques—these conversations about the human body—could be made more accessible, imagine how many people can live without that social pressure burdening their shoulders, how many women would not be made to feel so-so ashamed of their bodies! This… This age is a turning point, Holmes, I can feel it. And I would like a part in it. Dabble my footsteps in it, so to say.”

“You’ll leave the most impressive footprints,” Alec found himself saying as a fond smile made its way over to his face.

“Will I?” said Masters, a little flirtatious.

There was no one around at the moment. Alec allowed himself to bask in it, his heart only a little bit broken. “Guarantee it. Be a goldmine for Forensics, I say.”

“Well, I’m glad you have so much confidence in me. Not very many people do.”

Alec took a glance at the clock. 2:17 A.M. and no signs of finishing work anytime soon. He took a deep breath—eyes opening in shock as the air rushed into his lungs like knives.

“Is everything alright?”

He clutched at his desk, making feeble attempts at normalizing his breathing, but the panic only grew stronger. His vision was blurring. Masters’ voice on the phone sounded much farther away.

The last thing he registered was the voice from the phone yelling out his name. His name. And then he blacked out.

TO BE CONTINUED

[the-stories-in-my-head-95]

Sanctuary- Part 2

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary- You are a princess on the run from your cruel brother. Three men- Bruce (the court doctor), Tony (a weapons designer who worked for your father) and Clint (your most trusted guard) sneak you into enemy territory.  They bring you to the Winter Court where they ask King James for assistance in exchange for their skills and your hand in marriage. He agrees. Will this arrangement turn into love? Or will it always be political?

Message- Here’s part two! Sorry it’s a bit short! Sorry if it sucks!

Part 1 

Word count- 933

WARNINGS- mentions of abuse, and torture.

“Good morning, your highness, I am here to help you get ready this morning.” A maid said as she opened the curtain that surrounded your bed. You had slept on your stomach, so you wouldn’t aggravate the lashes on your back. The maid helps you dress after she puts the medicine on your back. “There is some food for you in the sitting room. King James has requested your presence in the garden later today. He will send Lady Natasha to escort you to him.”

“Thank you.” You say as you follow her into the sitting room. There you see Tony, Clint and Bruce waiting for you. The maid left quietly and you sat down next to Tony. “Will the three of you come with me? To the garden?”

“Of course, we had already planned on escorting you. We would never leave you alone, we will always protect you.” Tony says as he hands you a plate of food. The food was good, hardy and heavy. You couldn’t remember the last time you had eaten a full meal.

“Easy, Y/N. Your body isn’t used to having so much food.” Bruce says and you slow down. The four of you spend the morning talking and laughing, in a way that you had not been able to do before. After a couple of hours you hear a knock at the door. Clint gets up to answer the door.

“Hello, I am here to bring Princess Y/N to the garden.” Lady Natasha says. Clint nods and turns to you. You stand up and Bruce and Tony do as well. You walk to the door as Clint grabs his bow and quiver. The four of you follow Natasha.

“Hello, Princess Y/N.” King James says as you walk into the garden.

“King James.” You say with a small grin. “Your gardens are lovely.” You say as you look around.

“Thank you. Would you like to walk with me?” King James asks as he offers you his arm. You nod and put your arm through his.

“I used to love spending time in the gardens at my home.” You whisper as the two of you pause to look at some roses.

“Used to? Did something happen to the gardens there?” King James asks.

“No, I have not been allowed to leave my chambers the last several years.” You whisper. You hear a sharp intake of breath and you look up at King James. His eyes are filled with pain and that makes you confused. “Are you okay?” You whisper as you reach your hand up to touch his cheek, but you stop yourself and put your hand back at your side. His eyes soften and he smiles at you a little.

“Yes, I am fine. Would you like to sit down for a bit?” King James says as he motions to a small table that had two chairs. You nod and the two of you sit. Tony, Bruce and Clint were standing off to the side with Natasha and a large blond man. You look at him curiously. “That is my best friend. Steven, he is a Grand Duke.” You nod in response. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.” You say back.

“Why does Clint carry is bow with him? Surely he knows that you are not in danger.” King James says as he smiles at you.

“We are in a strange land, so he is on high alert. Also while you have been most kind to us we have heard rumors of your cruelty and your people hate mine so he is probably anticipating an attack of some sort. If not by you, by someone in the court.” You whisper as you look down at your hands that are on the table. Bucky puts his hand over yours and you look up at him.

“You will always be safe here. No one will hurt you, I would never allow you to be attacked, and anyone who tries will be punished harshly.” Then he laughs. It sounds a little forced. “I’ve never heard myself described as a cruel man. Perhaps that was a rumor in your country because we are enemies?”

“Perhaps.” You say as you smile back at King James.

“So is Clint truly as good with that bow as Anthony said?” King James asks. That makes you smile.

“Better. It’s truly amazing how good he is.” Then you turn and call Clint over. You ask him to show off a little and he smiles and starts to shoot at different targets. After a while he starts to make things harder, he blindfolds himself and then he does a backflip as he shoots his arrow. Everyone is laughing and jesting and having a good time. That’s how you spend the rest of the afternoon, sitting in the garden enjoying the company of others.  

***

“She was kept locked in a room, Steven!” Bucky roars as they walk into the study. “He kept here locked up and isolated. She is kind, did you see how she reached for my cheek!”

“I did. She will make an excellent Queen. You need someone who is just as compassionate as you.” Steven says.

“She is brave to. She came here thinking I was a cruel man, she was expecting to be attacked today. She did not show one ounce of fear though. I told her that she would always be safe with me.” Bucky whispers.

“I think that you are starting to love her already.” Steven says with a grin.

“I think so too.” Bucky says as he laughs in disbelief.

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