#for the pups to change and to leave whatever stuff got into the elevator with them before reaching the briefing room

[self-indulgent-paw-patrol]

Considering the many outfits Ryder wears throughout the show, how does he manage to store all that wardrobe and where? Does he have a special room or something where he stores them?

Omg I nearly forgot about this ask in my drafts, sorry!

Uh, I think it's safe to say Ryder has his own bedroom in the Lookout tower- like, it's SOMEWHERE in there. I just... Don't know where. It can be somewhere around in the base floor or maybe there's a second or third floor surrounding the elevator. Maybe it's underground along with his ATV's garage or all the other trucks and planes garages. Who knows, really, I'm still at the beginning of 7th season, so if the show ever showed us just WHERE DOES THIS KID SLEEP IN THE LOOKOUT, I didn't get to see it yet. Heck it could be even up there above the control room for all I know, he leaves his pup-pad in the control room at night and goes to sleep AND SOMEONE CALLS FOR HELP AND HE SHOWS UP IN THE CONTROL ROOM IN HIS PAJAMAS BC HE HEARD THAT THING GOING OFF FROM WHEREVER THE HELL HE WAS SLEEPING. I wouldn't be surprised.

Besides, the kid LIVES there, he HAS to have a room to sleep and keep his personal stuff, which includes his clothes changes.

I also believe he has at least two of each outfit, this way one can be out to be washed/cleaned while the other is ready for use. That's how we do with school or job uniforms, have at least two of them to be able to wear them nearly daily.

Anyway, by personal experience as an owner of a very small closet while also owning a shit ton of clothes (I seriously need to take some away for donation again before my closet explodes) and considering how Ryder easily makes room to literally spawn all those trucks and aircrafts around the Lookout grounds, storage size for his outfits shouldn't be really a problem unless he's got way too many poofy jackets XD

[ohwereusingourmadeupnames]

for fwb prompts, “relationships aren’t my thing, but you are.” with starker?

Then I’ll Just Fade Into You

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark (Starker)  Rating: Mature (M) Notes: I took this one in a weird direction - I immediately got the inspo for an A/O verse, so I hope you don’t mind! Thanks for the prompt, nonnie <3 Warnings: A/O verse, smut, mating bites, NSFW stuff Summary: 

Tony is unbonded and happy until he smells the sweet spice of one Peter Parker - his single status doesn’t seem nearly as appealing as it once did. 

Being an unbonded alpha at Tony’s age was usually unheard of – he was closing in on his late 40s. In society, that made him an ancient single man. Most people were already two or three pups into a long-term commitment by his stage in life – but he couldn’t force himself to do it. The suppressants kept his ruts at bay and the small tech company he ran was enough to occupy his mind most of the time.

In his early years, Tony was too busy finding his groove in the business world to worry about finding an omega – he’d been on suppressants for most of his life, he almost figured he wouldn’t be able to scent someone, anyway. The only time he ever thought about the niceties of having someone by his side was when the blockers weren’t enough to suppress the hormones that sometimes overtook him.

It wasn’t until he turned 45 that something started to change for Tony. His business shared an office building with a couple of other engineering companies. It’d been years since his gut clenched with unmitigated desire – but when he stepped onto the elevator a couple of days after his birthday, Tony got hit in the face by the greatest smell in the world. It caressed his skin and slipped into his pores without his permission – sunshine, ethanol, and something a little spicy, almost cinnamon like.

He stayed in the elevator until the source of the smell left the car – Tony took note of the 4th floor and rode the elevator the rest of the way up and then back down again. The remnants of the smell kept him in a euphoric state until the doors opened on his floor and he had to step out. Rhodey glanced at him with an odd look when he walked in – “You alright, Tones?” he asked, his voice dripping with concern.

“Yeah, yeah – I’m fine,” Tony answered mindlessly, his hand reaching up to scratch at his scent gland, the skin there all of the sudden alive and on fire. He attempted to throw a reassuring smile over his shoulder before he holed himself up in his office for the rest of the day. Tony let himself revel in the odd feelings washing over him and picture the man who belonged to the tantalizing scent. There was a whole list of things he needed to get done, but he ignored them all.

Tony felt pent up after a while, his restless energy taking him back to the elevator. Most of the building was already gone, the darkness of the opposite side of his floor reminding him that most businesses closed around 5PM not late into the evening like his. Getting onto the elevator, Tony took a second to scent the air, the lovely smell from earlier no longer lingering in confines of the elevator car. He slumped against the wall and pressed the button for the top floor – maybe the ride up would calm him down enough to sit behind the wheel of his car and get him home.

The ding of the elevator opening the very next floor had him opening his eyes – his nostrils flaring. Holy shit – Tony’s mind was screaming at him. The person he’d been thinking about all day was stepping into the small closed-off space with him. A sharp intake of breath had the man turning towards him, his brows pinched.

If the smell wasn’t enough, Tony found the younger man to be absolutely stunning. The navy-blue suit that fit his every curve covered what looked like long limbs. He wasn’t very tall, but he carried stalkiness through his shoulders and core. His cheeks were the slightest bit soft, the omega glow the only thing that really shouted his status. The underlying scent of suppressants didn’t stop the ethanol smell from seeping out into the air, the intensity of it absolutely sinful.

Heavy doors closing brought his focus back to the elevator car that was now taking them up. “It’s going up – “ Tony started to say, his eyes bulging a bit when the man took a couple steps closer to him.

“The intense smell of honey and coffee has been distracting me all day long and when I got up to leave, I noticed it coming really heavily from this elevator. It’s you. You smell like slow mornings – I’ve been daydreaming about coffee in bed all damn day.” There wasn’t much space between them when the man stopped – Tony couldn’t even put his hand straight out without touching him.

Tilting his head, Tony tried his best not to take too deep of breaths – it was getting harder to stop his natural instincts from taking over. The itchiness of his neck he’d been dealing with all day was suddenly all over his skin – the flush accompanying it reminding him of the few ruts he couldn’t fight off over the years.

“Funny, I got in here to see if I could chase the smell I haven’t been able to get away from all day – and here you are. Who are you? Why are you effecting me like this now?” Tony said everything all at once, his lungs struggling against the shallow breaths he forced himself to take. The last thing he wanted to do was pin this person against the wall without their consent – Tony was way more civilized than that.

A trembling hand shot out between them, the man looking at him with big, beautiful, brown eyes – his lips quirked in a small smile. “I’m Peter Parker. I just started at Osborne’s – today, actually.” Tony didn’t hesitate to take Peter’s hand, their palms pressing together.

Tony grinned at the tingle that went through him – his scent glands were throbbing on his neck, the base of his cock attempting to form a knot that had no business attending this little gathering. Dropping the warm hand, Tony licked his lips and locked gazes with Peter. “I’m Tony. Tony Stark – from Stark Industries a floor below you. You’re going to be a distraction, Peter Parker.”

----

And he was – the ultimate distraction. It took Tony three weeks to work up the courage to approach Peter with an invitation to go out for dinner. Like he figured, they hit it off almost instantly. The swirling haze of their scents mixing together in the perfect way didn’t take away from the fact that they were both mechanical engineers with a love of all things complex technology and Star Wars. Besides wanting to sink his teeth into the side of Peter’s neck, Tony actually wanted to listen to Peter and learn all there was to know about him.

It almost came as a surprise, Peter’s words as they walked out the door a couple hours later. “Let’s go back to my place,” he said, his pupils overtaking the light brown irises that distracted Tony the entirety of dinner. The spike in his smell had Tony nodding his head, his brain unable to think when he was being accosted with the greatest sensation he’d ever felt.

The change in Peter’s smell didn’t hit him until they were in his apartment with the door closed – the outside world efficiently locked behind the heavy wooden frame. Peter’s fingers were already working on the buttons of his shirt, the sweat at his forehead something Tony didn’t notice until right that second. Oh god – Peter was going into heat right before him.

“Pete – I should probably go. You’re – I-I shouldn’t be here,” Tony muttered, his brain already starting to shift into alpha mode, the little bit of control he wanted to keep over himself slipping away with every deep breath he took. He took a step back, only to be stopped by both of Peter’s hands digging into the front of his shirt.

“No, you should stay. I’ve felt this coming on for the last couple of weeks. It’s you, Tony. You have to stay,” Peter’s eyes were completely overtaken by the mindless black of hormones that would be the thing that ruled the man’s actions for the next few days. Tony knew he probably shouldn’t take advantage of the situation, but Peter was right – he’d been feeling right on the edge of his rut since his first whiff of Peter’s scent.

Peter’s lips were on him, the decision being made for him when warmth and freshly changed oil surrounded him, the taste of the other man even better than the deliciousness that invaded his senses. Tony wrapped his arms firmly around Peter’s hips and pulled him tightly against him – his body slowly slipping under the wave of sensation. “Omega.” Tony growled out the word, his control no more.

The next thing he knew, Tony was settling between Peter’s legs, his hands moving hungrily over hard nipples, down the center of Peter’s tight abs, and settling between his legs – the tip of one of his fingers toyed with the already slick rim. Peter was thrusting up against him, his greedy hands gripping whatever parts of Tony he could reach. “Alpha – I need you, your knot, please.”

Watching Pete’s heat spread over him was one of the most delightful things Tony got to experience – his inner alpha glowingly with pride. At this point, he was running strictly on arousal and hormones, his knot already starting to thicken, his cock harder than he could remember it ever being. He had to bite down on his tongue to keep from pulling Pete’s scent gland into his mouth and milking out as much pheromone as he could to really drive the need home.

Tony forced himself to focus on the beautiful omega stretched out below him, begging for his attention. He slid down Peter’s body until he was resting on the mattress on his belly, his face level with the honey pot of heady scent and leaking slick. Tony buried his face there, Peter’s juices smearing all over his face and clinging to his facial hair. He took in a couple of deep breaths before getting to work, his tongue and teeth busy with soft skin and flavorful arousal dripping from Peter’s entrance.

Two fingers easily joined in the mind-numbing dance of preparation. Peter was begging him from above, his panted come-ons making it harder for Tony to focus on the task he wanted to make sure he did thoroughly. He wasn’t the biggest guy, but even he knew taking a wide knot like Tony’s would not be comfortable without a little bit of extra TLC.

Pulling his face away, Tony pressed a third and then fourth finger into Peter’s entrance – the desperate hole clenching around the digits in an attempt to keep them there, exactly where they were needed. Once he felt a little more certain Peter was ready for the brainless coupling they were about to engage in, Tony rearranged himself, his knees coming under him so his cock lined up perfectly with Peter’s entrance.

“Is this okay?” Tony nervously asked against Peter’s neck. He grasped his cock and let it press against Peter’s entrance before leaning forward to press his lips to sweaty skin. Nerves settled on his lower back while he waited for Peter to answer. It seemed futile, asking an omega in the middle of his heat permission – but it made him feel a little better, if nothing else. The second he plunged into the warm wetness, he wouldn’t be able to speak, let alone ask questions.

Palms pressed against his cheeks, the leverage of Peter’s hands making him look up. There was nothing left but heat and arousal in Peter’s eyes, the flush in his cheeks making him look delectable. “Tony – it’s you, okay? Fuck me. I need your knot.” Peter finished his words with a warm kiss, his tongue slipping into Tony’s mouth right around the same time he let his hips shove forward and the tip of his cock breach the omega’s tight hole.

His eyes slammed shut – the base of his cock throbbing from the sensation of being enveloped by the tightest hug. Peter’s slick made the press forward easy – Tony’s hips settled against his ass in one long, slow stroke. After a few deep breaths, Tony pulled out until just the tip of his dick was resting against Peter’s rim. His thrust back in hit Peter’s prostate dead on, dragging the first of many orgasms out of his precious omega. The word his sat at the back of his brain, making his skin prickle slightly – a claiming word like that never crossed his mind before.

It didn’t take long for Tony to be completely overtaken by his instincts. His hands gripped Peter’s thighs tightly, the younger man more than flexible and able to wrap his legs high on Tony’s chest. Between the ruthless pace of his hips and Peter’s less than subtle presses down against him, Tony’s knot was catching on the omega’s rim in no time. “Yes, alpha. Knot me, knot me. Claim me, please.” Peter’s head was thrown back and turned as far to the side as he could get it, his scent gland on display.

Tony ducked his head and pressed his hips forward one last time, his knot finally slipping inside, Peter clamping down around him with the force of his third orgasm of the night. His hips pressed back and forth as much as they could to milk his orgasm, each movement causing thick ropes of cum to dribble from his over-swollen erection. His teeth dug into the skin of Peter’s shoulder instead of his neck, the blood from the break in his dermis making Tony shudder with another round of cum being pulled from his cock.

Peter came down enough to notice the lack of a bite on his neck, his eyelids drooping with fatigue and disappointment. “You didn’t mate me,” Peter mumbled reluctantly, the tone of his voice giving him away. Tony wrapped him up, his arms pulling the sweat and slick covered omega tight against his chest.

“I couldn’t. We didn’t talk about this before biology took over. I’m not going to let nature dictate what we do any more than it already does.” He nuzzled his nose over Peter’s, his lips eagerly caressing Peter’s in a soft kiss. “Relationships aren’t my thing, but you are. I wanted to give you and a relationship a chance before I claim you and fill you with my pups.”

The words seemed to be enough for Peter – his body satisfied with the knot filling him and the happy and satisfied pheromones Tony was projecting. Tony kept him wrapped in his arms until he was slipping out – Peter already irritable again after only 40 minutes of laying in the calm.

Smirking down at the lusty omega, Tony rearranged them until Peter was stretched over a pillow with his ass in the air and Tony’s tongue licking up the delicious combination of Peter’s slick and his own cum.

----

The next time Peter went into heat, they were prepared. 

After they came out of the haze of four days of intense coupling, Tony made Peter a shitty omelet and gave him a rundown about his life and the lack of connection he always avoided. The demands of his career, the lack of interest – Tony laid it out before the omega that would eventually be his. Their pheromones were too compatible for either of them to ignore; especially Tony. His heart, mind, body, and nature weren’t going to allow him to miss the opportunity to settle with his true mate.

In the six months between their respective heat and rut, Peter and Tony got to know each other. Peter told him about being an omega in a very alpha oriented career field. He talked about his aunt May and the tragedy of losing his parents and the uncle he’d come to know as a father. They talked about pups and the idea of having them – Tony contributing his anxieties and worries to that particular conversation. In the end, Peter decided to step off his suppressants and let whatever was meant to happen, happen.

Tony took two weeks off of work when Peter called him to let him know his heat was coming on. He gave Rhodey free rein for the time he was gone and hurriedly left his office, his fingers jamming the elevator buttons. He rode up one floor, his face breaking into a grin when he saw Peter standing there, the omega springing into action when the doors opened. Peter kept his arms around Tony until they were settled in the fancy car. His hands wandered up Tony’s thigh, instead, the touch distracting – more than enough to kick start the rut he’d been most looking forward to.

They walked into Peter’s well stocked apartment with hands already getting rid of clothes. Tony spent a lot of time tenderly undressing Peter, walking them back towards the bedroom he was now more than familiar with. The abundance of pillows on the bed would’ve made him laugh if it wasn’t for the immediate sense of home and safety he got when he saw the nest Peter had been making for the past couple of days.

When Tony finally slipped into Peter a little while later, their hands were tangled tightly together by the side of his omega’s head. Tony peppered Peter’s lips with kisses as he slowly let his hips move on their own accord. “Fuck, Pete,” Tony found himself babbling every few thrusts, the edge of his knot starting to catch on Pete’s rim.

“Alpha, mate me. I want you to. I want you to, Tony.” Peter’s free hand turned Tony’s face until they were looking eye-to-eye. He nodded and let his thumb brush across the sharpness of Tony’s cheekbone. “I want you to.”

It wasn’t possible for Tony to deny him – he settled his mouth right over Peter’s scent gland, his teeth digging in when his knot slipped in. The first splash of cum against his omega’s insides corresponded with his teeth digging into that spot on Peter’s neck – tying them together. Letting his hips thrust through it, Tony hover over Peter, his head turned to expose his own. “My turn. Come on – make me yours.”

Peter didn’t hesitate, his teeth broke the skin – the softness of his tongue lapped at the mark, the edges already seeming to close.

Collapsing on top of him, Tony turned them until both he and Peter were on their sides, his hands running up and down his mate’s flank while they calmed down. He caught Peter smiling at him and pressed a kiss to his lips – a grin of his own pulling his cheeks wide. “You’re mine now,” Tony whispered, his chin resting on the top of Peter’s head.

“Jokes on you, alpha – I’ve always been yours.”

[sweetness47]

The Bodyguard

Pairing Alpha!Dean x Omega!reader

This is for the following:

@spndeanbingo – fake dating

@spnabobingo – Alpha for hire

@spnkinkbingo – clothes sharing

@spngenrebingo – playing pretend

FINAL WORD COUNT: 5708

Warnings: MATURE 18+ READERS ONLY!!! Smut, knotting, heat, rut, ABO, mentions of arranged marriage, mob themes, dark themes etc… POSSIBLE TRIGGERS!!!

Summary: You have become a bargaining chip, and your Uncle expects you to arrive at the intended destination ASAP on your own, ‘intact’.

YN swallowed hard as she stood at the entrance of the tall building, wondering if she was doing the right thing. People travel alone all the time, right? Except most of them probably weren’t allergic to suppressants like she was. Without the safety of her home, she was pretty much doomed. And even though her heat was due soon, she wasn’t being given a choice in this trip, she had to travel across the continent just to marry some stranger, and saying no wasn’t an option. If she backed out or didn’t arrive on time, or if she wasn’t still a virgin when she arrived, then her younger sister would be sold to whoever she was supposed to wed, and YN would never let that happen.

She entered the building and walked to the elevator, pushed the button marked with 16, and waited. She’d heard of people hiring Alphas for lots of things, but not as a travel companion. Rumors were this one was the best, strong and more than qualified to handle any situation. She hoped he would accept the money she’d saved up, because it was all she had.

The office was easy to find, and the door said, “Come in”, so she did. YN gave a whistle of appreciation as she was greeted with bright yellow walls contrasted with rich mahogany flooring. Tasteful art pieces placed subtly here and there accented the cream colored sofa and the equally stunning mahogany desk. No one currently seemed to occupy said desk, or the office for that matter, which left YN wondering if she had gotten the office hours wrong, until she heard the whoosh of water behind the closed door on her right. She turned to see a tall man with sandy blonde hair exit the washroom, and heat crept up her face, staining her cheeks bright crimson. He stopped when he saw her blush and look downward to the floor.

“I’m sorry for just walking in,” she said.

“Don’t be. The sign does say ‘come in’. My name’s Dean,” he said, extending his hand to hers.

“YN.” She took the hand he offered. His grip was warm and strong, and his smile made her heart flip. She pushed the thought away, mentally scolding herself for the images that popped up in her mind.

Dean motioned for her to sit, then he joined her. “So, what brings a young, beautiful Omega such as yourself to my office?”

YN felt her cheeks grow warm once more. “I need an escort, well, more specifically, I need an alpha to protect me while I travel across the country. It’s a long, dangerous trip by train, and I don’t have suppressants.”

Dean raised a brow. “No suppressants?”

“I’m allergic to them. I’ve tried all different kinds, but never found one that didn’t give me hives or worse. My mother finally had to arrange with my school to keep me locked in a room for my heats. I need you to stay near me at all times, lend me your clothes, your scent, and your strength.”

Dean nodded in understanding. “Your heat is going to come on the trip.” She confirmed and he frowned. “Why can’t you do the trip after your heat is done?”

He swore he saw a tear blur her E/C eyes, so he stood and cut off whatever she was about to say. “Never mind, it’s none of my business. I’ll do it.”

She looked incredulously at him. “But we haven’t discussed your fee.”

He waved her off. “We can discuss fees after. I don’t have a set rate or anything.”

She furrowed her brow at the lie. She had struggled to come up with what she had to offer, and it wasn’t even close to his usual rate. Her sources had said he always took payment in advance. Here though, he was doing the exact opposite.

His voice cut into her thoughts. “When do we leave?”

“Is four hours enough time?” she asked.

Dean nodded. “We have to stop by my place to grab some stuff, then call my brother to come pick up my car and watch my office. Let’s get going.”

The drive to his flat was brief. He talked to his brother while he packed, then returned ten minutes later ready to go. They drove to the train station and were met by an equally handsome tall brunette, who YN assumed was Dean’s brother, since it appeared he knew the man. After some brief conversation, Sam took the car, and both Dean and YN headed to the train for boarding. YN had booked a private compartment, completely furnished with a large bed, sofa, and private washroom. Dean stored their luggage and took out some scent blockers, ones he could hang on the wall. They themselves were odorless, but absorbed other scents exceptionally well.

He watched her settle in as best as she could, her scent gracing the air, though faded, and it began to play with his mind as his nostrils took in the smell of apple pie. He fought to regain the control that threatened to slip from his grasp, even as his eyes flashed red. Fuck, if this was a sample of things to come, it was going to be a long, long trip.

“I’m going to get us some food and water. Wait here. Don’t answer the door for anyone. I will knock twice, then use the key. Do you understand? Don’t talk to anyone.”

YN nodded, and Dean left, making sure the door was locked tight before heading to the food car. He left her his jacket and shirt so she could have his scent, taking a fresh tee out of his bag to wear. He eyed the food choices before grabbing two bottles of water and two sandwiches. The cashier shot him a weird glance. “I’m really hungry.” He said to the girl at the till.

“Actually he bought that for me,” a voice interrupted from behind Dean.

“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Dean greeted the other man warmly. “I didn’t know they let riff-raff on these things.”

His friend looked amused. “They must, how else would you be here?”

Both men laughed and made small talk as Dean paid for the food and walked with the other man to a smaller compartment. Once inside, they sealed the door shut, and the real conversation began.

“So, I got your message from Sam, now you need to tell me what the hell is going on Dean.”

Dean’s face grew serious. “I need your help with a case Benny.”

Benny chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, as was his nature. “Bit off more than you can chew eh? You know I don’t ‘knot’ around. My wife would kill me.”

Dean shook his head. “It’s not that kind of job. This more protection detail. But she’s not telling me the whole story, so I need extra eyes and ears out there.”

Benny nodded. “That I can do ‘mon ami’. What do we know?”

Dean shrugged. “Not much. She walked into my office 5 hours ago, said she needed to hire me for my scent, wear my clothes, like I was her Alpha.”

Benny’s eyebrows shot up as Dean relayed what he knew, and what he’d picked up from her reactions thus far. “Sounds like she’s being forced or sold to pay a debt.” Dean nodded.

“I need you to find out everything you can Benny, quietly. YN is scared and worried, considering she’s risking her life to travel during her heat. We need to help.”

His friend nodded. “I’ll start right away Dean. Be careful my friend. This reeks of mobster or Mafia business.”

Dean patted his friend on the shoulder. “You too Benny.”

They opened the door and kissed as lovers would. It was a common cover they used when working a case together. It allowed them to go around unnoticed. The two never did anything beyond kissing, but no one else knew that. Dean made his way back to the private compartment, knocked twice, then used his key to get in.

The overwhelming scent of apple pie assaulted his nostrils, fresh baked a la mode to be exact. Dean’s eyes went red, and he turned away so YN couldn’t see them.

“Need. Alpha. Please.” Her mind couldn’t form coherent thought as she struggled to relay her need.

Dean took a deep breath and took his jacket off the chair. He walked over to the young Omega, drenched in sweat, and placed it near her. He moved to leave when she grabbed his arm, her eyes glassy and filled with an unspoken request. He knew what she wanted, but he wouldn’t do that without her consent, consent given when she wasn’t struggling with fever and half dazed. Instead, he lay down beside her, and allowed YN to scent him, breathe him in.

She calmed down somewhat, falling asleep both from exhaustion and from the relief she got. The scent bond they’d just formed calmed her down for now, but Dean wondered if it would be enough, considering this was still day 1, and if today was any indication, this was going to be hell for him. They slept, mostly without incident, only disturbed by the occasional moan. The dawn brought a higher fever, and that was a concern. That usually meant one of two things: either her body was going into shock, or her body realized he was her soulmate. He closed his eyes and breathed her scent again, and sure enough, the fresh apple pie a la mode was still there.

Fuck!

Never, in a million years, had he imagined having another chance at love after Lisa passed. The never had any pups, and their life together had been taken far too quickly. She was the reason he never tried dating, never did anything even remotely related to finding another mate. He put himself out as an Alpha for hire so he could help people without the emotional attachment.

Until now.

Until this young Omega entered his life.

Dean left the bed and changed into fresh clothes, placing his used underwear on the pillow beside her. Yeah, it was weird and unsanitary, but she needed his scent, and his shorts provided the strongest source. He checked her fever once more before quietly leaving the room and seeking out food, and of course, Benny, who was a workaholic when not at home. He found his friend and bent to kiss him before taking the seat across from him.

“Morning sunshine, sleep well?”

Benny grunted. “Funny. Fucking hilarious actually.”

Dean chuckled. “Well, next time get a bigger room and I’d be able to stay longer.” He winked at Benny, smirking at his friend’s amused expression.

“Bite me, Alpha.” Came Benny’s reply.

They laughed and ate together, then headed to Benny’s compartment for some alone time. Once they were certain they were alone, and away from prying eyes, the real questions began.

Benny spoke first. “It’s worse than our original assumptions. YN is being sold to Castiel, yes that Castiel, to pay off her uncle’s debts. Her parents died some years ago, leaving her and her younger sister in the Uncle’s care. The bastards are using the younger sister as bait, saying if YN doesn’t hold up the deal, then the 12-year-old sister will be used to settle the debt.”

Dean wanted to throw up. His eyes went dark. “I knew they were scum, that’s low, even for Castiel. I assume the sister is being kept somewhere safe?”

Benny nodded. “She’s at Castiel’s mansion, so far unharmed, and will remain so as long as YN keeps her promise.”

Dean couldn’t hold back the low growl that escaped his lips. Benny shot his friend an amused look. “Thought you’d sworn off feelings Dean.”

“This is different man. YN is my soulmate.” Benny’s jaw dropped to the ground. “Yeah, I know. How often do you get a second chance at true love?”

“So you and she…?”

Dean shook his head. “No, she’s been ok with my scent so far, but she’s getting worse. Send word to Sam. I want him and Bobby to meet us there. Bring the cavalry. Plan B-12.”

Benny near choked on his drink. “Holy Shit Dean! You’re seriously risking war with Castiel?”

Dean all but glared at his friend, and Benny held up his hands in surrender. “Fine, you’re the boss. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

Dean opened the compartment door as the two exchanged a deep passionate kiss. The four passengers in the hall at that moment seemed uninterested in the couple, which was exactly how they wanted it.

He returned to YN’s compartment to find the entrance blocked by two young bucks, and the scent of YN’s heat, the scent that had lured the two Alphas.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” Dean asked, firm but politely.

“Buzz off!”

Dean grabbed the collar of the first man and knocked him flat on his ass, out like a light. The second charged at Dean, but met the same fate as his friend. He sent Benny a quick text, then went in to check on YN. The moment he entered and shut the door, her eyes flashed gold, and she looked at him.

“Alpha!” she pleaded.

Dean’s eyes went scarlet as the scent of her heat broke through his defenses. In mere seconds he had crossed the room, removing his shirt and shoes along the way. He lay beside her and captured her lips with his, tongues dancing and mating. He made quick work of the buttons on his shirt, the one covering her small frame, and captured a nipple with his teeth. YN moaned, grinding her hips against his thigh, desperate for more. Dean had his jeans and shorts off in a blink of an eye, and her panties as well. Then he was there, seeking entrance, his hard cock sliding into her tight hole. He broke her barrier and bottomed out as the tip hit her cervix. Then he moved, pulling out, then thrusting back in, and she cried his name as her first climax slammed through her body. He wasn’t gentle, but he wasn’t a monster. His pace was relentless, drawing out three more orgasms from YN before he felt his knot swell, filling her with ropes of white hot cum. Her fever broke instantly as the knot stretched and filled YN, and for the first time since the train left the station, she visibly relaxed and slept.

Dean kept himself propped on his elbows so as not to squash her while he waited for his knot to deflate. Then he carefully got up and went to clean off. Once that was finished, he brought over a cloth for YN, who was beginning to stir, so she could clean off as well. She looked from him, to the cloth, then to her current state of undress, realization dawning as her hand shot to her apex, finding the evidence she feared most. Then her hand shot to her neck, but she frowned upon finding nothing there.

“No mark? You didn’t want me?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes.

Dean was immediately at her side, gathering her into his arms, both forgetting their lack of clothing for the moment. “Sweetheart, I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. But you passed out when your fever broke, and I’m too much of a gentleman to mark you while you’re unconscious.”

She blushed, then she let out a string of curses. “Oh no, my…” she started, but her eyes shot to Dean, then down at her body. “What have I done?”

She buried her face in his shoulder, Dean stroking her hair as she sobbed. “I know everything YN, who you are, why you’re going across the country, and I know about your sister.” She looked up at him. “I’m working to free her, thus freeing you.”

“But how? If anyone tries to interfere, he will hurt her or worse! I can’t let that happen!” she panicked.

“I won’t let anything happen to her. I promise. Trust me, ok? I’m very good at what I do, and this ain’t my first rodeo.”

She nodded and reached up to kiss his cheek. “I do trust you.” She said. “By the way, thank you for helping with my heat.”

“Your welcome YN. It was my pleasure.”

They laughed at that, but the moment quickly became heated as their lips found each other once more. Her tongue found its way inside his mouth, seeking its mate, and Dean was more than happy to comply. He felt his rut hit then, and knew he was done for. He growled as he shed his clean boxers, needing to be inside her once more. He slid in easily, filling her, and this time he drove hard, and she met him pound for pound. It was quick, and both Alpha & Omega came together, YN crying out as Dean’s knot filled her, swelling as it deposited ropes of cum into her belly. He lowered his head then and sank his incisors into her scent gland, claiming her as his, He dragged his tongue over the mark after, kissing it then kissing her.

She was his now. There was no way she would ever belong to Castiel. YN was a mixed bag of emotions, but happy and sated as she exchanged nibbles and small kisses with her Alpha. They rolled over, so Dean was laying with his back on the mattress, and YN was straddling him, and blanketing him with her body. They napped, waking a few hours later to beeping from Dean’s phone. His knot deflated, he gently moved her off him and went to check his message while YN cleaned up.

When YN exited the washroom, she came across Dean frowning. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Dean sighed. “My brother managed to get the layout of Castiel’s home, and it’s quite extensive. I also got a text from my associate, he’s on the train in a different compartment. He managed to get my team together to get your sister out, but they were detained while trying to leave for the rendezvous. I’m not sure how, but I’d swear that bastard found out my plans somehow.”

“But my sister…!”

Dean calmed her down. “I promised you and your sister safety, and I meant it. One of my team is an ex cop with lots of connections. She’ll get them to the meeting point. We just have to give her some time. Trust me.”

She did. She trusted him completely. She finished getting dressed while Dean sent a few messages back and then cleaned himself up and got dressed. About 20 minutes later, there was two knocks, a pause, then two more knocks on the door. YN looked worried, but Dean motioned for her to be quiet while he checked the peek hole. He put the safety on his gun and opened the door, then locking it once Benny was inside. He brought hot meals and coffee for the three of them, and the couple sat together on the small sofa, while Benny took residence in a small chair.

“Benny, this is YN. YN, this is Benny.” The two exchanged handshakes.

“Nice to finally meet you YN.” He turned to Dean. “I assume you got the same texts I did? Did you hear back from Donna yet?”

Dean shook his head. “No, but Jody’s also on it. Between those two, I’d be surprised if they didn’t beat us there.”

Benny chuckled. “True enough mon ami. I got confirmations from Charlie, Garth, Ellen, Jo, Jack, your mom, and Bobby.”

“Sweet. Plus, there’s you, me, Sam, Jody and Donna.”

YN looked between the two men. “Um, don’t take this the wrong way, but from what I’ve heard, Castiel is Mafia, and his is one of the most dangerous organizations in the world. And you’re going to get my sister out with 12 people? You guys are seriously insane, and possibly suicidal.”

Benny and Dean exchanged glances. “Insane, definitely insane.” They said in unison.

YN shook her head as she continued to eat, silently praying that Dean would stay true to his word.

~~~

The team met up in a small café, about 10 miles from their intended target. The café was run by Ellen’s family, and was a safe house location for his team when needed. Everyone that worked there was either related to Ellen by blood, or thoroughly researched and sworn to secrecy upon hiring. It came as no surprise to either man to find the team already sitting there waiting.

They all greeted each other like family, exchanging warm hugs and chaste kisses. YN just stood there in awe, her heart swelling with admiration as she watched her Alpha with his family. When he called her over to introduce her to them, they all greeted her with the same warmth, welcoming her into their clan, as Donna put it.

“Thank all of you for agreeing to do this for me. I just hope we can get to her before Castiel finds out what happened.” YN addressed everyone.

It was Jody who answered. “Honey, it’s what we do. Besides, your part of the family now. And we always take care of our own. Always.”

They spent the rest of the night talking and making their plans, eating the most amazing food YN had ever tasted in her entire life, and then resting for the night, so as to be fresh for the morning. When the sun was barely over the horizon, YN helped get them ready to go, cooking food for them and preparing light, easy-to-carry snacks for later. She wasn’t going with them, but had written a note for Dean to give to her sister, proof that Dean was going to get her back to YN.

Mary was staying behind to protect YN, just in case, and the rest set off. Her chest ached as her Alpha went with them, and Mary couldn’t help but notice her concern. It was written all over her face.

“YN, there’s no need to worry. This team is more than capable of getting in and out safely, with your sister alive and in one piece,” she said gently.

“How? I saw those specs. I know how locked down that compound is. I saw the thermal imaging Mary. That group of 11 is vastly outnumbered.”

Mary smiled. “I’d be more concerned for Castiel’s men. Trust me.”

YN grabbed some tea and sat down at the dining table, and motioned for Mary to sit with her. “Dean seemed to know Castiel, but he wouldn’t tell me anything about how he knew him.” She sighed. “I have only known your son for a couple of days, but I love him. He’s strong and so confident.”

“He’s always been like that, except one time, before you came into his life.” YN watched Mary with piqued interest. “Dean will probably tell you eventually, once he knows your safe, but you should be aware of this part of his past. Especially since it concerns Dean’s first wife, and it also concerns Castiel.”

YN frowned. Mary continued. “Dean fell in love with an Omega named Lisa. They were classmates in high school, and dated off and on for the next 5 years after, before finally getting married. Dean was beyond happy, they were good together. She was kind and sweet, a lot like you actually, but it didn’t stay happy.”

“What happened?” YN asked.

“Lisa followed her heart when she married Dean, and went against her family’s wishes for her. She was to marry Castiel, and unite their families. Cas didn’t take well to Dean’s interference, and arranged for a car accident, one that killed Lisa instantly while she was driving home from a doctor’s appointment. The autopsy found her to be 12 weeks pregnant. She and Dean were going to be parents.”

YN’s jaw dropped. “Oh my god. That’s horrible. How does he know Castiel did it?”

“Dean is ex-military, and an ex-cop, as are his brother and his team, in some form or another. They met throughout the years, teaming up on various assignments, and eventually became a regular team. The team officially formed while Lisa and Dean were still dating.”

YN was officially wowed, at a loss for words, and could only stare as Mary continued. “Dean had done some ‘investigating’ and eventually tied everything together. Of course there was no official proof, so he couldn’t go to the police with what he’d discovered. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dean sought out and killed Castiel.”

YN nodded as she took another sip of her coffee, staring out the window and praying that her alpha returned with her sister, both in one piece.

~~~

The team arrived at the compound, gaining the high ground quickly, so they could scout the terrain. Garth, nicknamed the Ninja by the team for his stealth, went ahead to scout the area around the fortress. Jody, took count of all the visible guards, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that more could be hiding in the shadows, and made approximate calculations for hidden ones, based on the layout. Donna, or ‘sharpshooter’, set up her post, making sure her tripod was stable and her gun and ammo ready for anything. Gun wasn’t really an accurate description for ‘Junior’, Donna’s Mk 21 was a modern ‘bolt action’ sniper rifle, military grade, and completely badass. Her cartridges carried .338 Norma Magnum rounds, and she never missed a shot, ever.

Sam and Dean took in the view, each mentally pairing it with the schematics they’d seen, and mapping a route in and out based on that information. Everyone else locked and loaded their weapons, made sure they had lots of ammo, Jo having brought along her own special handmade ‘Molotov cocktails’, which were in a class all their own. They were better than any grenade on the planet, and had saved the team’s asses more times than anyone could count. Dean never asked what was in them, and Jo never volunteered the info. It was better that way.

Garth returned an hour later, reporting there were 8 guards outside the walls. He drew a small diagram pinpointing each one, and their routes. As dusk approached, the team began to make their way down to the west wall, where a storm drain awaited them, their way into the grounds. They made quick work of the two guards on that side, then slipped into the sewer system and proceeded toward the mansion. It was impressive in size, comparable to Windsor castle in England, but that wasn’t a deterrent, if anything, it was like an invitation to the team, daring them to break in, and they loved a challenge.

The waste tunnel brought them to the servant kitchen, which was thankfully empty at that hour, and the 10 team members regrouped there. They split into groups of two: Jo and Ellen, Garth and Bobby, Benny and Jody, Jack and Charlie, then Sam and Dean. The plan was to scout the interior for the girl and meet back at that spot in one hour, the meeting time was set in stone, even if they hadn’t found the girl. Should that be the case, they would set out a second time, widening the search parameters, and would continue to meet back at the same spot every hour until the objective had been completed.

Radio silence was a must, everything that needed to be communicated was done through sign language. The first hour went without any sign of the girl. All parties had been sent a picture of YN’s sister, so there would be no mistaking what she looked like. It was half way into the second hour that Dean spotted a young lady peeking out of her bedroom door, looking scared, but desperate. He motioned to Sam, and the two of them waited for signs of guards. Once they saw none, they approached the girl, who was now coming back from the washroom. She looked frightened at first, as if she thought she was in trouble, but Dean quickly motioned for her to stay quiet as he showed her the note her sister had written.

Hey sis,

These men are here to rescue you. They are good people, and you can trust them. They will bring you back to me, and we will be safe from the bad men. Go with them now. Love you lots. See you soon.

PS. My bear is bigger than your bear.

Neither Sam or Dean had any clue what the last statement meant, but one look at the young girl’s face told the guys she knew. YN and her sister had a code phrase that would let the other know they were safe. And it worked. YN’s sister nodded her trust to Dean, then took both their hands and pulled toward her room. They walked silently and quickly, and helped grab some shoes and clothes, then the girl’s favorite stuffed animal. After they had grabbed what they could, they made their way back to the servant kitchen. Dean motioned for Sam to go ahead and he’d catch up, which made Sam give Dean the glare of disapproval. He knew what Dean was up to, and silently voiced his displeasure.

But he was stubborn if nothing else, and the girl’s safety was of the utmost importance, so Sam obeyed his older brother, and took the sister to meet the others. Dean went in a different direction, running through the layout of the house in his head once more, searching for one specific wing. The one that had the master suite.

The one that had Castiel safely tucked away.

Dean was going to kill him.

It took less than five minutes to reach the targeted wing, and another two to dispatch the guards that roamed that hallway. Another minute found Dean inside the bedroom of his mortal enemy. He watched Castiel’s sleeping form, contemplating whether he should just shoot him now, or wake him first and make him watch as he put the gun to his temple. If he woke Cas, there would almost certainly be a struggle, and possibly more guards, which would severely decrease Dean’s chances of making it out of here alive. He knew his team would ensure the girl’s safety, and get her out quickly, so that was one less thing to worry about. But if he didn’t dispatch Cas now, then the bastard would find someone else’s life to ruin, or exploit, or just torment for fun.

He raised the gun, aiming for the temple. He would give him a quick death, hell, he wouldn’t even know it happened. Then Cas opened his eyes, sitting up as he realized what had happened, and what he now faced. His eyes met Dean’s, glistening with unspoken tears, of a time and place neither had ever spoken about since it happened.

“Hello Dean.” He whispered.

“Cas.”

“So this is it? The feud finally ends?���

“Guess so.” Dean replied.

“And the girl? You already got her out I assume?”

“Yeah, she’s safe. And so is YN.”

“Good.” Was all Cas said as his tears began to fall. “I’m sorry for everything Dean. I really wish things had turned out differently.”

Dean’s resolve waivered. “I do too Cas. If I could go back to not knowing who you were, and go back to that weekend, I would in a heartbeat.”

Cas gave a weak smile. “So would I.” He paused. “Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Do me a favor, and kill that bastard YN calls an Uncle. He was going to sell me an innocent 12-year-old girl as payment if YN failed to uphold the arrangement.” He cast his gaze downward to the bedcovers. “I wouldn’t have done that, you know, hurt a young girl like that. Just the idea makes me sick.”

Dean nodded. “I know. I promise to make sure that asshole never sees daylight again.”

“Thank you Dean.”

Drops of salty tears blurred Dean’s vision as he raised the gun once more and pulled the trigger.

~~~

The hour was almost up when Dean ran into the kitchen, meeting a group of relieved faces, and together they all high tailed it out. Running through the sewers, making sure YN’s sister was in tow, the group made their way back to the wall drain, then up and out to the fresh air. Benny offered the young traveller a piggy back, while Jody carried her things. Donna was all packed up and ready to go by the time the group reached the hilltop, and then they all made their way back to the café.

YN saw her sister from the window, and ran out to greet her. Anna ran to YN, tears of joy streaming down her face as they hugged furiously.  Everyone watched happily as the two sisters embraced. Then YN moved to embrace her Alpha, meeting Dean’s lips halfway as he sought a kiss from her. He chuckled at the plaid shirt she wore, one of his, thinking he would let her wear all his clothes. They looked much sexier on her than they did on him. The entire group went inside the restaurant and shared a hearty meal together, relaxing and collectively congratulating themselves on a job well done.

~~~

Castiel hadn’t move much since Dean had left the room. He stared at the bullet hole in his pillow, then at his phone, waiting for news, any news at this point. It had been well over three hours, something must have happened. His panic mode was just surfacing when his phone dinged, and a text came through. Relief washed over Cas as he read the words.

“Made it back. Everyone’s safe. See you soon husband.   xoxo Sam.”

@legion1993 @akshi8278 @alwaysdreamingforthebest

[all1e23]

Heart & Soul [Pt.10]

Chapter:  I'm Only Perfect Because of You

Summary:   Bucky has an important question for his Omega that will change their relationship forever.

Warnings:  Cursing as always. So much soft Bucky. Seriously, this is so soft.

A/N: ***My fics are not to be saved or posted on any other sites without my written permission. Reblogs are welcomed! Thanks!**

There were few things in Bucky’s life that made him feel like he was worth anything at all, like he was whole and meant to do something good; meant for more than just being a nine to five alpha working till the day they put him in the ground. His family was a big part of that when they were still alive, taking care of Steve when they were younger (little punk never did know when to quit), helping others who couldn’t help themselves.

And, now, the sweet Omega in his arms.

Despite everything she has been through he could see the softness in her eyes, the hopeful heart she tried so desperately to hide and kindness she gave so easily. He didn’t deserve her, and he knew that. Sure, he was a decent enough Alpha. He goes out of his way to help others, gave more than he took, but he was also very aware of his shortcomings. There were so many things he would never be able to give her, he just didn’t have the means to do so and most likely never would.  

Sure, he wasn’t exactly poor. He made decent money, but New York was damn expensive. He would never be able to give her the life she really deserves but fuck if he wouldn’t spend every single one of his days making sure she knew just how much he loved her because he couldn’t live without her. He may not be able to buy her a five-million-dollar brownstone, but if she ever let him inside those well-built walls and into her heart, she wouldn’t spend another day questioning how deeply he needs her.

Because he does. He needs her more than he needs air to breathe and he’s not ashamed to admit just how quickly his world would fall apart if she wasn’t by his side.

“Why don’t I take you home, hm?” Bucky murmured against her hair.

The Alphas arms had been protectively wrapped around Y/n for going on thirty minutes now and he really wasn’t complaining. Shortly after telling her they found Pietro alive, she completely broke down from the everything that happened over the last two days and he wasn’t about to let go until she was okay, but they couldn’t exactly stay wrapped around each other in the middle of the kitchen at an Omega shelter. With everything happening and happening so fast, he needed to get her back home where he could keep an eye on her and know without a doubt, she was safe.

He was still an Alpha and she was his whether they were talking about it or not, he could only keep those Alpha instincts in check for so long.

“I can’t.” She whispered against his skin, her breath falling over his unmarked neck as she burrowed herself further into his arms.

Bucky couldn’t help the soft growl that emits from his chest. He didn’t like it. He couldn’t keep her safe in the middle of the shelter and he certainly couldn’t just follow her around as she worked. Not to mention the fact that he was dead on his feet; being awake for over twenty-four hours will do that to you. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold himself up and if she did need his help, he wasn’t in the best of shape to protect her.

“Please?” Bucky begged quietly. “I need you-- I’d like you to come home with me.”

Y/n slowly pulled back from his arms to look at him, catching the worry the in his eyes and finally being able to see just how tired he really was. He looked like he was ready to fall asleep while standing, but he was clearly torn about leaving her side.

It was breaking her heart to see him like that.

“James…I’m at work. I can’t lose my job.”

His arms tighten around her further and he shook his head.

“No one is going to fire you,” he stated simply.

“He’s right about that.” 

Both of their heads whip around to see her boss, Maria Hill, standing in the doorway with a smug knowing grin plastered on her face. “Go home, Y/n. I don’t need hundreds of cookies as much as I love your baking. Take the next few weeks off and I promise you will have a job when you come back.”

Y/n frowned as she turned to face her fully but making no move to leave the Alphas arms or step away from his embrace. 

“I can’t just-“

Maria held up her hand to silence whatever garbage excuse she was going to give her and she looked directly at Bucky. “Take her home Detective Barnes and it’s good to see you again. It’s been a while since you and that partner of yours have come around.”

“Yeah, it has. I’ve been a little-“ his eyes fell onto Y/n “-been a little busy. Sam has been pretty busy, taking up some of my slack. If you were wondering why he hasn’t been by.” 

Bucky grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes as she backed out of the kitchen. “Well, tell him there are plenty of Alphas that aren’t so busy.  I’m sure I can find several of those Alphas to come over and… open jars for me.” 

Bucky chuckled and looked back at Y/n. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and gave her waist a little squeeze, “Can we go home now darlin’?”

------

Y/n had refused to let Bucky do much of anything on the way home. He wanted to take the bus, but she knew if they did, he would be on high alert the entire time, keeping a protective arm around her and watchful eye on everyone on the bus.

Alphas.

Always looking for trouble.

Instead of the bus, Y/n grabbed them a cab and let him lean on her the entire ride back to his apartment. The driver spent the entire trip giving her a weird grin in the rearview mirror as if he knew something she didn’t know. It would have made her feel uneasy if he wasn’t close to seventy and hadn’t spent the entire drive talking about his beautiful Omega, Irene. She was the light of life, he had said.

That familiar bubble of jealousy started to work it’s way up until Bucky looked over at her with a fond, albeit sleepy smile and whispered, “You’re the light of my life, darlin’.”

Any defenses she had built up just flew right out the window with seven little words.

She was so gone for him.

By the time they made it to the apartment building, Y/n was so thankful to be out of the small space of that backseat. It was starting to become very… hot. Very hot indeed. 

Bucky had checked in with the front desk security and let them know that no one and he means no one was allowed to see Y/n or come up to his apartment without his permission first. He was also going to fax over pictures of approved visitors from the station. Y/n gave the poor young beta an apologetic smile and drug Bucky away from the desk and towards the elevator despite his complaints.

He was a bit overprotective at times. 

“How do you know Maria?” Y/n asked curiously.

She had been wondering what their relationship was since they shared that moment back at the shelter. It was strange that Bucky never mentioned being close with another Omega and okay, maybe she was a little jealous. Maria is beautiful after all and doesn’t have the same baggage as… some omegas do.

“She knew my sister. Helped Becca out when she was going through some stuff and was there when I couldn’t be.” He closed the front door behind them and glanced at Y/n with a sad smile tugging at his lips. 

“Bec would have liked you. The two of you would have caused me more trouble than I think I can handle though.” Y/n giggled and Bucky’s heart beats anew for the hundredth time since he met her. 

“Tony said-- I just want you to know that you can talk to me about her whenever you’re ready. We don’t talk much about you. It’s always about me.” 

Y/n wrinkled her nose at the thought. Relationships are a two-way street and lately, it’s been all about Y/n. Bucky could hear her guilt and he wanted to do or say whatever he had to in order to keep that awful sound out of his sweet omegas voice. 

“We can talk about Becca whenever you want, but maybe after I’ve slept? And, we talk about me all the time. Every time we talk about you, we talk about my whole world.”

Y/n was taken aback by his comment. How in the world could he think this highly of her? She was a mess that couldn’t even live a normal life. She couldn’t give him anything that he wanted, and she just couldn’t see what he saw in her. If he truly felt so strongly for her, he deserved to know the truth so he could decide for himself if she was even worth all this trouble. It wouldn’t take much for him to see that she was not as wonderful as he thought, and she had a feeling he was going to realize it right at this moment.

“I can’t have pups.” She blurted out, wincing at the rush of words she flew out of her mouth.

Bucky stopped mid-jacket removal and turned to look at his Omega. How did he not know this? Surely Tony would have said something to him or Wanda. Why the hell couldn’t she have pups? Deep down he knew the answer already and he was going to kill Brock if it was the last thing he did. He pulled his jacket off the rest of the way, leaving him in just his jeans and a black t-shirt.

If they weren’t going to have pups, he wanted to know what happened, because when he got a hold of Brock, he needed to know why he was ripping Brock’s throat out with his bare hands.  

“What did he do?” His voice was deadly low, and she could make out the tiniest hint of red burning around his eyes, threatening to take away the blue she’s fallen so in love with. Still, he was holding back so he didn’t scare her, and she could never express what that meant to her. Y/n stepped closer to him and shook her head, resting her hands on his chest to calm the rage that was flaring up around him. 

“Hit me a lot, but that’s not-- I didn’t mean that he did this to me because of that. It’s not impossible. It’s just-- I can’t give y-- give any Alpha pups because I simply can’t.” 

Y/n knew she wasn’t explaining this very well, but she didn’t know how to explain it. Medically she was okay. The doctors said there was a lot of scar tissue from repeated blows to the abdomen, it would be hard but not impossible to have pups. There was simply no way she could ever let her guard down enough to let that happen. Any alpha that ended up with her would be lucky enough to share her heats, but pups would never be something she would be able to give to anyone, and that included Bucky. 

“I’m sorry. I-- I thought you should know before... I can’t allow myself to have that with anyone.”

It wasn’t that she couldn’t. She wouldn’t let herself have pups. She was punishing herself. Bucky closed the distance between them and slid his hands up along her neck, cradling her face in his large hands so she was forced to look in his eyes. 

“You don’t think you deserve to have them?”

He needed to hear her say it as much as it would hurt for her to admit. He needed her to trust him or they didn’t stand a chance. Her eyes dropped away from his gaze and Bucky tutted gently, causing her to immediately look back up at him, the pang that she felt in her chest at disappointing him cut deep into her heart and she didn’t like it one bit. His thumb gently grazed over her cheekbone and she leaned into his touch. 

“Please don’t hide,” Bucky breathed. “You can hide from everyone else. Please don’t hide from me.”

Y/n took a deep breath to steady her voice, “No, I don’t think I deserve them. I stayed with him, I let him abuse me and if we had pups… what kind of mother would I be when I can’t take care of myself?”

“Oh, babygirl,” Bucky whispered sadly. “You’ve got no idea how good you really are, do you?”

Bucky let his hands drop from her face but didn’t move an inch. He stayed right there, letting her seek comfort in his warmth. “If you choose to have pups, I know for a fact you’re going to be an amazing mother. I just hope I am going to be around to see it.”

Y/n smiled sadly and dropped her gaze back to the floor. A beat of silence fell between them and Bucky took it as a sign to drop the conversation for now. He didn’t want to push her too much in one day and she’s already given so much of herself over the last twenty-four hours he couldn’t ask her to give anything more of herself tonight.

“Come on, doll.” He nodded his head towards his bed. “Let’s get you to bed. I think we both need some sleep.”

She moved towards his bed and looked back at Bucky tossing a blanket onto his tan leather couch-- or his bed as of late, but he was struggling to force himself to lay down. It was crazy and possessive and damn, did he know it, but he didn’t want to be that far away from her.  He didn’t want to sleep where he couldn’t feel her next to him, smell her scent on his skin-

A small hand slipped around his arm and gave him a gentle tug towards the bed and he found Y/n standing next to him, smiling brightly in only the way she can.

“Lay down with me?” She asked. “I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

Bucky chuckled at her snark and let her pull him towards his bed, “If you’re sure. I don’t--“ He toes his shoes off at the foot of the bed and watched her as she crawled into bed. “If you change your mind kick my ass out of bed and I promise I’ll be gone in seconds.”

“I promise James.” 

Y/n playfully rolled her eyes as she shoved the blankets to the side, her nest was torn apart when she woke from her nightmare this morning and as much as she wanted to be curled up in her nest she wasn’t sure she would be able to sleep without nightmares haunting her, not unless Bucky was with her.

The nest could wait a day or so.

Bucky waited for her to get comfortable and situated before he took a deep breath himself and slipped into bed next to her. He made sure to keep enough space between them, so she didn’t have to touch him if she didn’t want to, but Gods did he hope she wanted to. He wanted this to be the moment, their moment he still needed to talk to her about something important before he could let himself fall asleep.

Bucky rolled onto his side to face her and she followed suit sensing there was something he wanted to say. He just hoped she didn’t punch him in the face. He knew how independent she was, she was her own person and he didn’t want to change anything about her, especially that. He loved how independent she was, he really did, but he needed her to be safe right now, and when it comes to those she loves she tended to not think about herself.

With all this talk of Brock and pups, they had to talk about this.

“Y/n, I know you don’t want some knothead Alpha telling you what to do but you can’t go to the hospital to see Pietro right now. You-- you can’t. It’s not safe. Brock could ask anyone, someone, you don’t know to come in and grab you. Criminals like him, when fear catches up to them, they do stupid shit to avoid jail and I can’t-- I can’t lose you. I can’t watch--“ 

Bucky couldn’t even say it. He couldn’t make himself say what was haunting him, I can’t watch you die, too.

“Just promise me you won’t go until all this is worked out. I know he’s important to you and I can get Steve to do that FaceTime video call shit, but I really need you-- I just need you. I need you safe and if this makes you hate me, I can live with that if it means you’re o--“ She pressed her fingers against his lips, silencing him.

“James, I won’t go to the hospital,” Yn states firmly. “You don’t have to worry about losing me. I’m not going anywhere.”

Gods, did he want to kiss her fingertips so badly.

Her fingers were gone from his lips before he had a chance to decide if he should and he felt the loss deep in his bones.

That loss was felt just as deeply by her whether he knew it or not.  She wasn’t sure if he could feel her distress through this… bond they seemed to share but pulling away from him sent an ache all the way into the deepest parts of her and she hated the empty way it made her feel. Y/n let her hand drop next to his in-between them, no touching but if either of them stretched their fingers out they would be tangled in the others.

“Go to sleep,” Y/n whispered softly. “I promise I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

------

The low hum of the radio roused her from the deep sleep Y/n was surprised she had fallen into. At some point, while she was keeping watch over Bucky, she must have fallen asleep herself. There were a few distance thuds and clangs coming from the kitchen and she suddenly realized the spot next to her had become cold and empty. It wasn’t like that when she went to sleep, and she really didn’t like waking up without the warmth the Alpha brings to her. She stretched and slowly sat up in Bucky’s bed only to find him standing in front of the stove, sweatpants hanging low on his hips, no shirt and a dishrag tossed over his left shoulder.

Y/n swore her heart stopped, that or he just triggered her heat. If he was going to walk around like that no amount of suppressants in the world could keep her heat from coming, despite what the package or Tony says.

Bucky had yet to notice she was awake, so she took these few moments as her chance to watch him move gracefully around the small galley kitchen. She wasn’t sure what he was even doing at first. It was after midnight and she had no idea what he could possibly need from the kitchen at nearly one in the morning. Her eyes followed him as he moved from the fridge, back to the cabinets, and then the stove, gathering items in his arms as he made his way around. It wasn’t until the smell hit her that the realization of it all hit her.

He was making her dinner.

If other Alphas could witness this huge, brawny Alpha making her… spaghetti? She wondered what they would all have to say about this. Y/n couldn’t imagine Bucky caring. It must have been something he could feel, a connection to her because Bucky glanced over to the bed and grinned at the sight of her awake,  his smile practically lit up the entire apartment and she couldn’t help but shine right back at him. 

“Hey, sleeping beauty.” He glanced back at the stove. “I, uh, I made dinner. It’s not as good as what you made, but we didn’t have much, and I didn’t want to leave you.” 

 What he really meant  but couldn't say, I didn’t want you to wake up alone again. 

Y/n slowly climbed out of bed and padded into the kitchen, positively beaming. There wasn’t a better way to wake up in her opinion.

“It smells really good if that counts.”

Bucky smirked and looked down at her attire. How the hell had he missed she was wearing his shirt? Fuck, did it do something to him to see her in his clothes. It was like a giant neon sign that said she belonged him and shit, did he like that. It only made him the urge to claim her that much louder. He reached out and tugged on the red Henley she was still wearing over her leggings.

 “I like you in my clothes,” He growled softly sending a shiver all the way to her toes.

“Well, looks like you’re not using them.” She quipped as she nodded towards his bare chest.

He dropped his gaze down and broke down into a fit of laughter. He wasn’t used to her being so snarky, he knew she had her own thoughts and had her own opinions, but she kept them so guarded that he rarely got to see this side of her. He’s quickly learning that given the freedom, safety, and love she’s snarky as hell and pretty fuckin’ funny.

“Gods…” He shook his head as he got his laughter under control, he set the spoon on the stove and tossed the rag onto the counter, stepping towards her and backing her into the kitchen island. He dipped his head down so the tips of their noses were brushing together. He had to do this now before something came along and got in their way again because it was very clear The Gods weren’t going to make the path to his omega an easy one.

And, he had promised himself he was going all in.

“Will you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?” He asked softly, smiling at the way her eyes widen.

He doesn’t back away though. He hopes--he knows she feels safe enough with him to push him away if she really doesn’t want this if she really doesn’t want him.

“You- do you mean like a date?”

She was breathless just at the thought so that was a good sign at least. Nothing left to do but leap.

“If you haven’t noticed I’m crazy about you. I’ve been gone since the second I caught your scent and sight of this little star tattoo behind your ear.” He ran his index finger over the red ink on her skin, pulling back only enough to meet her gaze. 

“So, whaddya say, doll? Go on a date with me?” 

To her surprise, her entire body was screaming yes- loudly. There was only a small whisper in the back of her head telling her this would be a mistake. There was a chance this could be a huge mistake, but if she was ever going to take a chance on another Alpha the only one she wanted to take a chance on was Bucky.

“Okay, James.”

Easiest decision she’s ever made.

Previous // Next 

[vivaciouswordsmith]

look an update

Finally got around to finishing Chapter 11 of Four-Legged Fiend! Man, it has been a weird couple of months since graduation, plus my graduation gift was a PS4, and I’ve been working on a super ultra mega secret project for RTX, so...yeah, didn’t work on my fic all that much.

As always, you can read it here or beneath the cut. Enjoy!

Somehow, Los Santos managed to lose much of its ghetto look at sunset. 

It could have been the way the shadows concealed the cracks in the concrete and the half legible graffiti. Maybe it was the lack of gunshots and running feet echoing through the streets. Perhaps it was the way the natural slimy underbelly of the city lay down in its mire and let the people breathe for a few moments. Whatever it was, the change was start, and for many residents, most welcome.

Jeremy spent a good deal of the walk trying to slow Ryan down, but it was no use. The wolfdog was determined to go his own way, and Jeremy’s shoulder was throbbing by the time he stopped resisting. The apartment building faded into the darkening horizon, and Jeremy was led into unfamiliar streets.

Nearly an hour of walking later, Ryan finally stopped in his tracks. Jeremy rubbed his upper arm and looked around. He blinked several times. No, his eyes were definitely not lying. They were in a park. There were trees rustling in the wind and grass crunched beneath his feet. Ryan snuffled at the roots of a sapling before turning and lifting his leg. Jeremy politely deflected his gaze to a nearby sign with “Mirror Park” written on it in bold green letters.

“Did you really drag me all the way here to piss on a tree?” he asked. Ryan finished his business and walked back over to Jeremy. His eyes briefly flicked over Jeremy’s torso and arms before locking onto his face. He swallowed, disconcerted by the intensity in those two blue eyes. “Sometimes I swear to God you’re going to open your mouth and blow my fucking mind.”

The wolfdog yawned.

“Very funny.”

Ryan then tugged on the leash, and Jeremy followed him through the park. No-one else was there at this ungodly hour, but even so, Jeremy eyed the growing shadows dubiously. The grass crunched beneath his feet, Ryan panted just a little bit, and a light breeze rustled the leaves on the oak trees. He stumbled when they happened upon a small hill, but regained his balance and ascended without further problems. Once they reached the top, Ryan spun around in a few circles and laid down in the grass. He gave Jeremy a pointed look, and then looked down at a patch of grass near his hindquarters. Jeremy snorted, but complied and sat down.

It might not be as quiet as other cities, but Los Santos had one problem that was universal. When Jeremy looked up at the sky, it was nearly impossible to see the stars. The brightest did their best to pierce through the city’s skyline, but the others were drowned out completely. Still, they did their best, and Jeremy could appreciate that. Ryan put his paws into Jeremy’s lap, and Jeremy lifted a hand and scratched the back of the wolf’s head.

He didn’t know how long they sat there and watched the stars. It had to have been a while, because when a car drove by, he barely noticed it, but he did notice when someone stomped up to him and practically screamed, “Finally! There you are!” He nearly jumped out of his skin, while Ryan barked and leaped to his feet.

Geoff, at the very least, managed an embarrassed smile and a shrug. “Sorry. Thought you guys saw me comin’ towards you.”

“No,” Jeremy panted, “I didn’t. Jesus.”

Geoff laughed a bit and paced in place. A few moments passed. Ryan growled and tugged at the hem of Geoff’s jacket. His left forepaw edged worryingly towards Jeremy’s junk. Geoff coughed. Ryan yanked down on Geoff’s jacket, and the crime boss ended up flat on his ass with a curse.

“Uh…sorry, I probably shoulda…um. Sorry,” said Jeremy.

“It’s not a problem. He would’ve found a way to do it anyway.” Geoff settled in the grass and frowned at the slobber soaking his jacket. “Asshole.”

They were silent again for a good few minutes.

“So, uh, I, uh, we, I mean, we’re not exactly a smooth crew, you know?”

Jeremy blinked. “What?”

Geoff huffed. “We’re fucking criminals, all right? We’re abrasive and horrible and shit. None of us mean anything by it.”

“Oh, the short stuff? I kinda figured.” Jeremy shrugged. “I’ve heard it all before, so I’m used to it by now.”

Geoff blinked. “Huh?”

“Something up?”

“I, uh, I thought you, um, I thought you stormed out because you were mad.”

“No, I stormed out because I thought Ryan would tear my fucking arm off if I didn’t.”

“God, I know what you mean. When he wants something, you fucking give it to him.” Geoff patted Ryan’s flank, and laughed when the pup gave him a withering look. “You’re a spoiled bitch and you know it.”

They both laughed, and much of the tension between them faded into the darkness. Ryan huffed and rolled off their laps. In the distance, a siren wailed. Ryan’s ears twitched. Then he sat back on his haunches, lifted his muzzle to the sky, and howled. Jeremy winced, and then, to his amazement, realized he was trying to mirror the wail of the siren.

“Goddammit, you see, this is why I wanted a penthouse as far off the fucking ground as possible. Do you know how many fucking heists we had to do half-asleep because of this dickhead?” Geoff poked the wolf’s furry side. “I’ll tell you. Too many. Too fucking many.”

“Is…is it a wolf thing, or?”

“We looked it up, and apparently it is. He’s lucky he’s cute, otherwise I’d have tossed him out on his hairy ass a long time ago.” The siren finally faded into silence, and Ryan finished howling. His ears lifted off his neck, he stretched out on the ground, and promptly rolled on his back. He gave Jeremy a pointed look from in between his lanky salt-and-pepper limbs. “Now he’s begging for belly rubs like it’s no big deal. Fucker.” There was no heat in the insult. If anything, Geoff sounded fondly resigned. Jeremy wove his fingers into the coarse belly fur and scratched the pup’s underbelly. One sock-clad foot kicked at the air for his troubles.

“So, just so we’re clear, no hard feelings about the baby stuff, right?”

Jeremy shrugged. “I’ve heard worse.”

Geoff visibly relaxed. “Thank God.” He looked down at Ryan and rubbed his skinny chest with both hands. “How about you, bud? Any hard feelings from you?”

Ryan’s pink tongue lolled out of his mouth, and his leg kicked harder than before. Both criminals grinned down at him. He grinned just as widely back.

“Good. Now that we’re clear on that, let’s go home and get some rest. We’ve got work to do tomorrow.”

As it turned out, Geoff had not been kidding when he said there was work to do tomorrow. At the asscrack of dawn he roused everyone to prepare for what he termed “Operation: Don’t Fuck with the Fakes”. Jack went off to secure a cargobob for them, while Michael prepared for his assault on Zancudo. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t convince him to take the safer route of calling Merryweather and securing the tank that way, so Geoff eventually broke down and gave Michael his blessing. He had been practically rubbing his hands together in glee ever since.

“And what am I doing?” Jeremy asked.

“You and I are going shopping,” said Geoff.

Jeremy blinked. “But…I thought you were gonna stay here with Gavin and pull the plans for the buildings.”

“Yeah, well, Gavvers and I talked about it, and we’re in agreement.” Geoff’s index finger jabbed at Jeremy’s worn t-shirt. “If you’re going to be a part of this crew, you need new clothes. Your old ones got ruined, and this…” He poked the t-shirt again. “This doesn’t fit the whole ‘eccentric villain’ thing we’ve got going on here.”

“And everything else?”

“After this. They gotta know who they’ve fucked with.”

“Will Ryan be coming with us?”

Upon hearing his name, Ryan looked up and trotted over to the pair. He sat at Jeremy’s feet and craned his neck to stare at Geoff. His stumpy ear twitched.

“He’ll probably have to sit outside, but yes, he’s coming with us. Gav can’t work when he’s around.”

“Does he bother him or something?”

Geoff snorted. “If only! Fucker can never stay focused on his goddamn work when Ryan’s around. I’ll find them wrestling, or he’ll be feeding him all my fucking mignons, and he’ll just squawk and go ‘Wot?’ whenever I ask him what the fuck he’s been doing!” He threw his hands up and scowled at the ceiling. “No matter how many times I shove pens up the little fucker’s ass, he doesn’t get the message.”

Jeremy chose to ignore that last comment, and said, “I guess it’s okay if it helps Gavin focus on his work.”

“He’d better,” said Geoff. “Otherwise we’ll be fucked.”

That was the end of that, as Geoff hustled him towards the door and urged him to get Ryan ready to leave. He got the wolfdog into his harness and leashed by the time Geoff had returned. A set of keys whirled on Geoff’s left index finger, and he seemed to be in a better mood now. Ryan’s eyes zeroed in on the keys. A big puppy grin stretched over his skull-marked muzzle.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re going for a ride, buddy.” Geoff ruffled the pup’s ears, his grin only slipping a little when Ryan’s tongue lapped over his tattooed hand. “Goddammit. You better not slobber on my new suit, asshole.”

“I mean, what’s a little dog spit to us? It can’t be worse than bleeding all over it.”

Geoff fiddled with his bowtie and glowered down at Ryan. Ryan stared right back. His tail thumped all too innocently behind him. “I may not look it, but I do have some standards, Jeremy.”

He led them out of the penthouse and into the elevator. He thumbed the key for the underground garage and leaned back against the railing. Ryan snuffled around the edges of the elevator before settling at Geoff and Jeremy’s feet. He stretched out as far as he could, back paws hitting the opposite end of the elevator, and put his head down. Tinny muzak played over the hidden speakers, backed by the occasional ding of the elevator passing the other floors of the apartment building. Jeremy shifted against the rapidly warming rail and buffed his nails on his t-shirt. Geoff pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen.

It was a great relief when the elevator finally stopped moving and the doors rolled open. Ryan jumped to his feet and tugged Jeremy out into the dim garage. He’d long since learned not to fight Ryan, not when he really got going, and instead resigned himself to follow the wolf wherever he went.

“Jesus, you must really like car rides, Ryan,” he said.

“Have you ever lived with any dog, ever? They all love fucking car rides, man.” Geoff moved in front of them, pulled out a key fob, and pressed a button. There was a pause, and a trio of beeps echoed through the garage. “Okay. This way.”

Jeremy didn’t know what kind of car he expected the Fakes’ boss to have, but it definitely wasn’t even close to the eyeblindingly bright pink Felon waiting for them near the end of the row.

“Nice, right?” Geoff patted the car’s hood and grinned. “Brand fucking new, too.”

Jeremy continued to stare. Ryan moved to the passenger’s side and scratched at the door. Geoff scowled and let out a “Hey!” and the wolfdog slowly dropped back down to the ground.

“Jesus fucking Christ, I’ve only seen these online. How much did it cost?”

Geoff shrugged and popped the door open. “Not much. Only around $90,000 or so.”

“Ninety thousand dollars?”

“No, ninety thousand cents. Of course ninety thousand dollars! These babies are imported.”

Jeremy pulled the door open and gently eased himself into the leather seat. While he fumbled with the seat belt, Geoff reached over and opened the back door. Ryan jumped into the backseat and snuffled at the edges of the seats. His tail beat against the window and cupholders, and Jeremy swore to sweet Jesus he was making the entire car shake.

“That…sounds like a lot of money,” he finally said.

Geoff was quiet for a few seconds. “I forget you little guys aren’t spoiled by the high life like we are,” he said, and started the car. The engine purred into life, and Geoff started off on their errands.

Jeremy ignored the ‘little guys’ comment, and decided to press on the cars thing. “Yeah? How so?”

“Ninety thousand isn’t the most we’ve spent on our vehicles. Have you ever seen Michael’s fucking Adder?”

“I think the astronauts on the ISS can see it,” said Jeremy.

“Yeah, no shit. Anyway, that car cost him a sweet million, and that was before he turned it into a fucking disco ball.” He grinned at the dumbfounded look on Jeremy’s face. “Hey, if you impress us, Li’l J…you can blow millions of dollars on cars you’ll wreck at least once a week, too.”

They exited the garage and peeled off into downtown Los Santos. A click sounded from behind them, followed by a mechanical whirr. Something whacked Jeremy’s shoulder repeatedly, so he finally turned around to look into the backseat.

Ryan had managed to roll the window down and stuck his head out into the open air. His ears flapped and twitched in the wind, and he paid no heed to the way Geoff swerved around cars, or to the cacophony of horns sounding off in their wake. His eyes squinted into slits, and his lips pulled back into a massive grin.

“I just wish he could roll the windows up,” Geoff lamented. “He can roll them down all fucking day, but he hasn’t figured out up yet.”

“You’re not worried about him losing his head or anything?”

“He’d fucking deserve it if he did.” Geoff took a corner far too sharply, which jerked Jeremy’s seat belt taught, and caused Ryan to shift a few inches backwards. Jeremy’s heart pounded fearfully, but aside from the soft grunt of surprise, Ryan didn’t react. “However, I’d lose my fucking head if anything happened to him. Jack and the others love the fucker way too much for me to let anything happen to him.”

“Fuck, I don’t want anything to happen to him, and I barely know him!” Jeremy swatted Ryan’s hindquarters and failed to dodge his wagging tail.

“He can take care of himself, you know. He’s got his own track record down at the LSPD.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep.” Geoff took one hand off the steering wheel and painted a broad arc in the air between himself and Jeremy. “Says something like ‘Warning: Dangerous Animal. Reports that Fake AH Crew has been seen with large black dog. Identifying as having white markings on the face, purportedly like a skull. Considered incredibly dangerous.’ I had Gavin pull it up a few weeks back. We’re all very fucking proud.” A little bit of the mirth slipped out of Geoff’s face at the last word. “Though, personally, I’m not too fond of the ending.”

“C’mon, it can’t be that bad.”

“Yeah, ‘Shoot to kill on sight’ is fucking amazing.”

Jeremy flinched. “Okay, yeah, that’s pretty bad.”

There was a slight scrabbling from behind them, and Ryan’s large furry head pushed its way in between the two of them. His nose flicked over the touch screen for a few seconds, which Geoff very much did not appreciate, and then his tongue lapped over Jeremy’s cheek.

“Agh, Ryan! No!”

“Fucking fuck, he’s started the fucking navigator!” Geoff tried to push the wolfdog out of the way and frantically jammed his fingers into the screen.

‘Head east, then make a right,’ said the robo-voice before Geoff could do anything.

“Fucking – shut up!”

Jeremy covered his mouth with both hands, desperately trying to muffle his laughter. His reflection steadily turned redder and redder. Ryan grinned up at him and winked. His snorts grew louder and more hysterical.

God, he wasn’t even in the main six yet, and he already didn’t want to leave.

“Fucking Christ, you look like Prince vomited on a traffic cone,” said Geoff.

Jeremy ignored him for the time being in favor of looking himself in the mirror. His new Stetson rested proudly on his head, and stood out in stark contrast to his crisp purple jacket. That, in turn, clashed beautifully with his neon orange slacks. Was it horrific to look at? Of course it was. Was it memorable? Of course it was!

“C’mon, Geoff, that’s the point! What was it you said? You’ve got a…fucking…eccentric villain thing going on, right? If this isn’t eccentric, I’ll eat this fucking hat.” He pushed his Stetson up with his thumb and beamed.

“We’re a bunch of weirdos, yeah, but…” Geoff jabbed Jeremy’s chest with his index finger. “That outfit can be seen from fucking space. Even we’re not dumb enough to wear stuff like that.”

“Guess that just makes me really fucking dumb.”

Geoff stared at him for a few moments before sighing. “You really will fit in with this crew, Dooley. None of those fuckers listen to me, either.”

Jeremy grinned and tugged on his lapels. “Speaking of, aren’t they supposed to be back now?”

“Yeah. Hopefully they got everything for tomorrow.”

He blinked. “Tomorrow?”

Geoff walked past Jeremy and patted him on the shoulder. “Didn’t I tell you? We’re heisting tomorrow.”

Jeremy’s stomach dropped down to his feet. His throat tightened until he thought he was going to puke. “Tomorrow? But…didn’t we just get everything together?”

Geoff shrugged without turning around. “No use sitting on it for too long. It’ll just let the rumor mill circulate too much, especially since Michael decided to break into Zancudo to get the tank. The last thing we want is for those fuckheads to bail on us, or worse, have a way to defend themselves. I want this to be revenge, not a goddamn suicide mission.”

For a few moments, Jeremy couldn’t speak. He knew they would be enacting their revenge soon, but he thought he still had some time to prepare. He thought he’d have a week, or at least a few days to collect himself before standing beside his idols and tearing their enemies a new asshole. This revelation was especially jarring. He felt like a kid who’d been surprised by a sudden midterm out of nowhere.

“I…I guess that makes sense,” he finally said.

Geoff turned and looked at him. His smile had slipped somewhat, and he moved to clap Jeremy on the shoulder again. “Hey, don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine.”

Jeremy mentally shook himself and smiled again. “Yeah, I know, it’s just, uh, you know, jitters or some shit.”

“Hey, look at it this way. By tomorrow, you’ll be blowing up shit all over Los Santos and striking fear into the hearts of the bastards who hurt you.”

“Thanks, Geoff. That’s really helpful.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved his hand and opened the door to Jeremy’s temporary room. “Dinner’ll be in an hour. Then we’ll go over the plan again, and break for the day. Sound good?”

“Sounds great, Geoff.”

With that, the Fakes’ boss left the room. Jeremy was fully prepared to lay on the bed and contemplate the next day for an hour, but after only five minutes, something scratched at the door. Jeremy laughed, got up and opened the door. Ryan sat in the threshold. His paw lowered back to the ground, and he stared up at Jeremy with wide blue eyes.

“Dinner’s not for an hour, buddy. Besides, I don’t exactly think I have full access to the penthouse yet.” Ryan didn’t relent. He moved forward and pawed at the hem of Jeremy’s jacket. “Okay, I don’t speak wolf. The fuck do you want?” He leaned down and rubbed behind Ryan’s ears. The pup whined and pawed him again.

Something in Jeremy’s brain clicked. “Is this about the heist? Are you worried about us?” Ryan’s tail wagged, and he put his paws on Jeremy’s thighs, forcing his face right up against Jeremy’s. “We’ll be fine. You’ll get the penthouse to yourself, too. Well, almost to yourself.” Ryan whined again. His eyes bored into Jeremy’s. “Oh. That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t want to be left behind.” Ryan let out a bark.

Geoff and Jack had reached this particular decision when he and Jeremy got back from their errands. Jack didn’t want him in the chopper in case it went down, and Geoff didn’t want him going deaf from listening to the tank firing. And neither of them wanted Ryan to suffer avoidable injuries. Thus, while the main crew went heisting, Ryan would be staying at home with some members of the B-Team. Now that he thought about it, Jeremy realized Ryan had been antsy ever since then.

“Is he bothering you, too?” Jeremy flinched and looked up. Michael stood in the hallway. His arms were folded over his chest, and he jerked his head down at Ryan. “He’s been going door to door for fucking hours now.”

“I think he’s upset about being left behind tomorrow,” said Jeremy.

“Of course it is. Asshole hates being left at home.” Michael reached down and patted Ryan’s rump. “He’s as much a part of the crew as anybody else.”

“You think he’ll be okay staying here?”

“He’ll be fine. It’s Matt and Trevor I’m worried about.” Before Jeremy could ask, Michael said, “He’s always been a dick to his babysitters.”

“That’s not surprising.”

“No kidding.”

Jeremy bit his lip and finally gathered enough moxy to speak. “So, uh, how do you feel about tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?”

“Uh…well…okay, here’s how it is, right? Tomorrow’s my first fucking heist with the crew, and if I don’t make a good impression…” He sighed. “I’ve been watching you guys for years now, and I never thought I’d get as far as…this.” He gestured around the room. “I guess…I’m scared of losing it.”

Michael considered him for a few moments. “That’s fucking dumb.”

Jeremy blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You’re going to be fine, Li’l J! You managed to fly a fucking plane while shot full of holes, and crashed it right into our fucking penthouse! If you can do that, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

A warm feeling ignited in Jeremy’s chest. “You, uh, you really think so?”

“Well, nothing might be the wrong word for it, but…well…” Michael shrugged. “Just don’t worry about it.”

“Sure. I’ll get right on that.”

Michael laughed and headed back down the hallway. As soon as he was gone, Jeremy went and flopped down on his bed. Moments later, another weight sank down upon it, and Ryan’s wet nose pressed into his cheek. His lips twitched for a second, and let his hand rest on Ryan’s stubby ear. He shut his eyes and did his best to relax into the bed.

Tomorrow was going to be a long ass day.