#gina yells loudly

[artyandink]

𝙾𝙻𝙳 𝙵𝙰𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙴𝙳 | bartender!dean winchester

Summary: Dean Winchester needs a job after his little brother left for Stanford, and he’s good at mixing drinks. You happen to work at Harvelle’s Roadhouse, which is the place he chose to work at. He finds a family. He finds a new life. But he also finds you. But you have problems of your own.

A/N - My first reader series, do make sure to comment and/or reblog feedback. Set with S1/2 Dean cause I love our baby boy 😁 and pretend group chats exist on old phones lol

A/N 2 - All the chapters are named after drinks. The intensity of the chapter depends on the drink I chose for the title :) and banners are by @cafekitsune

TW: Alcohol (duh), mentions of drugs, roofies, abuse, mentions of abuse/r@pe, smoking, Ruby (she’s a warning in itself), unhinged group chat (also a warning in itself)

two - daiquiri

Megolodon: Cassieeee

Casanova: What?

Megolodon: You’re late

You: Yeahhhh, we’ve been waiting for weeks

Ben Dover: Sabbatical’s over, brother

Casanova: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

Ruby-gina George: To hell with fifteen minutes, get your ass over here

Megolodon: Listen to the nice lady

Ruby-gina George: Shut up

Megolodon: Bite me

Ruby-gina George: Keep it up and I just might

Megolodon: I bet you’d like to

bDe: didn’t know you two swung that way

You: Neither did I

Ruby-gina George: WAIT NO

ScarJo: That’s news to me

Ben Dover: News to all of us, darling

Queen B: I leave for FIVE MINUTES and we’re already out of the closet

Ruby-gina George: NO CLOSETS

Ruby-gina George: HELL NO

Ruby-gina George: NO CLOSETS

Megolodon: THAT WASN’T THE MEANING-

ScarJo: We accept you, dw

Ruby-gina George: die in a hole

bDe: sounds like overcompensating

Ruby-gina George: ALL OF YOU DIE IN A HOLE

The clink of glasses filled the atmosphere, along with merry shouts, whistles and cheers as glass after glass slammed down onto the counter. But it wasn’t patrons, no. Afternoons were always chilled out, since not many patrons stopped by. The evenings always got the raunchiest. So here you all were, egging on Castiel and Benny in a shot contest. There were five shots of the Roadhouse’s strongest bottle of hard liquor, and you were all seeing who could down them the fastest. None of the people in the room were lightweights. There were lightweights, heavyweights, and then there were the bartenders at the Roadhouse, who Meg liked to call ‘jumbo-weights’.

“DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!” You were yelling, your voice mixed with those of Dean, Meg, Bela, Ruby and Jo. Benny finished first, slamming down the shot glass and whooping loudly, not even that buzzed while Cas dejectedly sipped his last shot, having missed by the fraction of a second.

“Cassie, sweetie, don’t beat yourself up about it.” Meg purred, gripping Cas’ shoulders tightly from behind. “You’re out of practice.”

“Or maybe I’m just good at throwing ‘em back.” Benny smirked, but then his smile dropped. “That sounded better in my head.”

“Glad we can agree.” You snickered, then cleared up the shot glasses. “C’mon, what next?”

“Meg.” Ruby shot up from her seat, beckoning her over. “You. Me. Shot challenge. Now.”

“So polite.” Meg drawled, but got up anyway, a familiar sultry smile on her lips as she lined up for the competition. “Bring it on, darling, I can do this in my sleep.” Benny racked the shots, a giggle coming from your mouth as Dean awkwardly looked to Castiel.

“I don’t think we’ve met.” Dean smiled, putting his hand out. “Dean. Winchester.”

“Castiel Novak, but everyone calls me Cas.” Cas shook Dean’s hand, finding himself warming up to this stranger.

“Cas.” Dean repeated under his breath, then nodded. “Alright, Cas. Let’s get you some water to wash down that hard liquor.”

“That would be ideal.” Cas nodded, instantly following Dean. In the meantime, Ruby and Meg were slamming back shots, and Ruby was just tagging behind Meg. You were egging them on, but you noticed something. Ruby usually downed shots easy as breathing. Now she wasn’t, which confused you. However, you brushed it off. It couldn’t be something bad. Your resident Regina George always was tough as hell.

Ruby-gina George: Been there, done that messed around

Megolodon: I'm having fun, don't put me down

Ruby-gina George: I'll never let you sweep me off my feet

Megolodon: THIS TIME BABY, I’LL BE BULLETPROOFFFFFF

You: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOUUUUUUU

bDe: *dies of laughter*

ScarJo: I’ve been on a beer run for FIVE MINUTES and y’all go mad

Queen B: Tsk tsk, eyes on the road, hon

ScarJo: Joke’s on you, I’m in the store

Ben Dover: Damn, how’d you get there so fast

ScarJo: I stole the keys to Val

Queen B: explosion incoming-

You: You did WHAT?!

ScarJo: I’M SORRY SHE’S A FAST CAR

You: YOU’RE GONNA PAY

Megolodon: Girlie, it’s just a car

Ruby-gina George: how dare you, Val’s a masterpiece

Megolodon: I mean, she shouldn’t take it that heavily

bDe: no she absolutely should, go to town sweetheart

You: THANK YOU

Ben Dover: Dean, brother, don’t encourage that behaviour

bDe: i will

Ben Dover: What if someone stole your car, then

bDe: murder

ScarJo: oh wow

You: SOMEONE GETS IT

bDe: lots of murder

Ben Dover: Brother-

bDe: torture first

bDe: lots of torture, then a whole lotta murder

ScarJo: Benny, you chose the wrong role models

You: shut up, YOU TOOK VAL

bDe: then more murder, and i’m gonna throw the bodies in a lake, no one will ever know

Ruby-gina George: Hold up, I’m coming with you

You: Jo, I’ve got your gravestone prepped

ScarJo: And you say we’re unhinged

You: Get your ass back to the roadhouse

bDe: i’ll get away with it, I swear

Megolodon: Why am I actually enjoying this

bDe: if I can’t have my baby, no one can

Evenings were always the more raunchy of times at the Roadhouse. The bar was now full of chatting passers-by, girls dressed in skimpy clothes and biker boys with tattoos winding around their necks. The shift today was yours, Ruby’s, Dean’s and Meg’s. There were an overwhelming amount of females working at the Roadhouse, if you were incredibly honest. As for the employees not working behind the bar, they were roughing it up at a booth, hollering and hooting like owls at a baseball game.

“So, darlin’, what do you do in your free time?” Dean asked you, cleaning out a glass with a rag and shooting a wink to a couple of giggling girls nearby. You poured a whiskey for a patron, sliding it across the table.

“Well, I’m a big fan of joyrides.” You answered with a goofy grin. “My Mustang’s always fun to take a spin in.” The mention of your Mustang got Dean’s eyebrows up to his hairline as he pointed out of the window.

“That beaut’s yours?” He exclaimed in disbelief, laughing. “Damn. That’s a serious muscle car.”

“Yeah, my Valkyrie. Val’s my sweetheart, always will be.” You looked up wistfully at the mention of your beloved car. “And your Chevy Impala, she’s absolutely gorgeous. I could listen to her purr all day.”

“That’s my Baby.” He bore the same wistful look you did, then nudged you. “We should take ‘em out for spins. Y’know, joyrides.”

“You sure?” You chuckled, looking up at him. “I don’t drive easy.”

“Even better.” He gave you a little wink paired with a click of his tongue. He flipped a bottle in his hand, pouring a whiskey shot expertly and handing it to you. “Ma’am.”

“Sir.” You took the shot with a chuckle, sending the glass over to the sink. “Thanks, I needed that.”

“You’re very welcome.” He poured himself a shot and downed it, and you couldn’t help but focus slightly on his pouty, pink lips, almost hyper-fixating on them. But you tore your eyes away to serve a customer at the bar, a rather shady-looking guy who had a snake tattoo on his neck. He was also wearing sunglasses inside, which had Dean raising an eyebrow.

“You know who wears sunglasses inside?” He muttered into your ear as the man ordered a glass of Jack Daniel’s with his eyes on Meg. “Blind people… and douchebags.”

“I can’t fault you for that logic.” You laughed, pouring the man a glass and passing it to him as you turned back to Dean. “About that joyride, I’m down.”

His eyes lit up, a puppy-like grin now on his face as he fully faced you, elbow leaning on the counter. You couldn’t help but stare deep into those mossy eyes, mirroring the infectious smile on his face just as Meg stumbled up to you both with a groggy smile on your face, whiskey glass clutched tightly in her hand.

“You t-two look so… cute.” She giggled, leaning heavily on you. You saw the glass cup in her hand, and you caught a whiff of… Jack Daniel’s? “Smilin’ at each other, lovin’ each other, so adorable!” You raised an eyebrow, holding her steady as she continued to ramble. “You should marry each other. Ugh, I feel so… weird.”

“Does Meg usually get this slammed?” Dean whispered, and you shook your head, confused. That’s when Ruby sprang out from behind the bar, grabbing the guy by the scruff of his neck and slamming his head roughly down on the counter. “Woah, damn!”

“Ruby!” You gasped, but she snatched the glass from your hands and showed you the contents. There was a powdery white substance in it that you instantly recognised. “Damn it- she’s been roofied.”

“Bastard thought he was smooth with it.” She growled, holding the guy down. “It takes Meg a lot of strong tequila and a Long Island to make her that slammed.”

“I’m surprised you know that, but I’ll take your word for it.”

“I’m callin’ the police. Get this jackass locked up.” Dean glared daggers at who could’ve been Meg’s potential assaulter as he dialled the emergency number and explained the situation. Meg clung onto you, and you felt bad for her as you went to haul her off to bed, entertaining her every mindless babble about something or the other.

“You’re pretty.” Meg slurred as she hobbled with you. “You look like Rubes. She’s pretty too. Very pretty.”

“Yeah, she’s gorgeous.” You replied dryly, not out of disdain for Ruby but rather out of extreme concern for your friend. “Absolutely stunning.” Though there was part truth in that. You’d always wanted to be like Ruby- not give much of a damn. Able to speak every weird and/or rude comment that came to her mind and everyone would worship her for it. She could talk openly about where she came from, confidently, with a flick of her blonde hair and my-give-a-hoots-are-on-vacation attitude, but you weren’t inclined to open your mouth about it. “Let’s get you in here.”

You opened the door to your bedroom, limping to the bed and just letting Meg flop- “Wheeeeee!” She squealed as she went, but then was out cold the moment her face hit the mattress. You smiled at her antics despite the seriousness of the situation, drawing up your blanket and tucking her in, staying with her for a bit until you were sure she was ok. Then, as you descended the stairs, you’d found that the gang had cleared out the bar, which was helpful in the current climate. Especially now that the dude had been carted off to the nearest station.

You made eye contact with Ruby, who looked livid, but softened slightly when she saw you. “Is she ok?” She asked expectantly, and the tension seemed to lift a fraction when you nodded.

“We’re gonna have to tell my mom about this.” Jo sighed, drumming her fingers on the table. “She’s gonna be pissed.”

“The dude who tried his luck on Meg?” Dean shrugged, his brow furrowed a tad in concern. “His luck’s gonna say adiós once Ellen gets her hands on him.”

A few days later, you were up early, sat talking to Dean in one of the booths before you went on your joyride. The sun filtered in through rickety blinds, illuminating Dean’s emerald eyes as they gazed at you in a way that would bore through your soul. You hadn’t known Dean for more than a week, but he was such an easy person to be around. He was witty, but sometimes had trouble coming up with comebacks when flustered, had an easy demeanour while also seemingly being kind of lost himself. He was like a walking contradiction, and it intrigued you to no end. He could look like a sharp-jawed, drop dead gorgeous heartbreaker, but in his grey Henley, he just looked soft and innocent. Handsome and sweet.

Though, you knew he was too good for you. What with his smooth words, caring personality and overall just being Dean. You were, if anyone find out where you came from, a personified chessboard. Your entire being was checkered with black and white.

“C’mon.” He stood up, looking to the jukebox on the other side of the room. “Let’s dance.”

“Let’s what, sorry?” Your eyebrows raised slightly as he jogged over to the jukebox, playing Tiny Dancer by Elton John and outstretching his hand for you. “Oh, no, I’m not a dancer.”

“C’mon, don’t leave me hangin’ here.” Dean’s outstretched hand beckoned you over almost like a siren’s call, and what with his boyish grin, the charming sparkle in his eyes and the overall feeling of being wanted got you up with him and taking his calloused hand in your own, skin tingling with the feel of the ring on his finger, his own feeling sparks upon the silver band on your hand pressing against his warm skin. He drew you close, his arm around your waist in a sort of non-pervy way, like he wasn’t trying to force himself on you.

“Warning. I might step on your toes.” You gave him a look which was playfully serious, but Dean just gave you a cocky grin. Damn that smile.

“Just follow me, sweetheart, and you’ll be fine.” He raised the other hand that was already interlocked with his, the low rumble of his voice putting you at ease as he swayed you both from side to side, moving in a circle with a look in his eyes that he couldn’t explain as he gazed down at you. “See? You’re a goddamn natural.”

“Maybe I have a good teacher.” You replied smoothly, which seemed to stroke his ego, as he shot you a wink and a click of his tongue.

“Damn right, you do.” Dean gave you a bashful chuckle, then bit his lip as he smiled, both of you continuing the slow spin in a circle while Elton’s mellow voice hazed the atmosphere. “I’m gonna spin you, ok?”

“Don’t drop me.” You quipped, and he shook his head with a laugh.

“Don’t tempt me, darlin’.” He spun you out and then in, his arms crossed over your front.

“Did you have special dance lessons?” You asked with a giggle, holding his hands, his fingers gently rubbing and playing with yours. “You’re really good at this.”

“Well, my friend Bobby taught me.” Dean sighed into your ear, a low chuckle falling past his lips. “He’s a grouchy ol’ bastard, but I had a prom date that I needed to impress. Sadly, I never got to go with her. I was… sick… on the night of prom.” You brushed off the brief hesitancy, instead enjoying this brief moment of calm. Dean could tell that your nerves were frazzled from the events of Wednesday night. That’s the great thing about Dean. He reads people easily, all for his insistence on having no emotional intelligence whatsoever. You assumed that this was a distraction method.

“Ellen’s always been one for dancing.” You mentioned, shrugging as you rocked from side to side. You saw Ellen as practically a second mom. She took you in, and Benny, when you needed it. But she was lonely, and you were pained to see her like that. “But she hasn’t in a while. Not since she lost her husband.”

“Huh.” Dean’s voice had an intrigued tone to it. Like he had an idea. “We should set ‘em up.”

“Ellen… and this Bobby of yours?”

“Yeah, they’re the same age, both lonely old souls - with all due respect - and they would get along.” He tilted your head with his index so you’d look at him and his charismatic smirk, just begging you to say yes. “Whaddya say we play matchmaker, sweetheart?”

You found yourself conceding quickly to this man’s goddamn charms. “Ok, fine. But if this goes south, you’re to blame.”

“Duly noted.” He laughed, nodding proudly and squeezing your hand. “That deserves another spin.” He spun you again, so then you were facing him. “Y’know, I’m kinda honoured. Pretty lady such as you, dancin’ with a grunt like me… gives a man all sorts of ideas.”

“Are you flirting with me, Dean?” You raised a playful eyebrow, again involuntarily finding yourself giggling like a lovesick schoolgirl at his smooth words.

“Maybe.”

“That’s rather bold.”

“I don’t see you complaining.” You both locked eyes for a moment, then burst out into laughter, his lower register mixing well with yours in the dim, naturally lit room.

You were happy with this man. Really happy, that you’d found a good friend. You found a good friend in Dean Winchester.

And he’d found a new home in you.

The purr of Baby’s engine.

The windows rolled down and blowing through your hair.

Guns ‘n’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ playing on a cassette tape.

All of it had you hooked on an impossibly addictive high, hopped up on the euphoria of singing the lyrics at the top of your lungs with Dean in the driver’s seat, a grin that could only connote inner nostalgia on his face as you both belted out the words off by heart. The feeling of the wind on your face, the thrill of how fast Baby was speeding down the highway and the sensation of being unchained… it all got you above the altitude of a kite.

Far above.

Dean’s eyes were on you when he wasn’t looking at the road, admiring the way the light hit the curve of your face and illuminated your eyes. He took in your sweet voice, filling him like a warm hug. He’d not known you for long, but to him, you were home. Someone he could turn to.

He found himself hooked on that pretty smile. Your smooth words that contrasted your otherwise humble nature. How one second you could be the calming force and next you’re busting out your wild side like nobody’s business. You seemed so… sure… of who you were. So easy on a misguided soul like him.

After his baby brother went to Stanford, his father didn’t see much point of keeping him there. John was a drunk, and a notoriously violent one at that, and he’d prevented Dean from going to college so he could take care of Sam. But his Sammy was all grown up, and he didn’t need Dean anymore. That broke him in pieces, and made him desperate to find someone to pick them up because he’d lost them.

He turned to you with a wide grin, meeting your eyes as the final chorus blared on the radio. There was no place you two would rather have been right now than here, just letting loose and having fun. Neither of you were allowed to be kids. Sammy was Dean’s reminder, and the ring on your finger was yours.

Painful reminders, but they were both ones you couldn’t let go.

Then Dean switched the cassette tape once the final notes rolled out, Eye of the Tiger playing loud and proud on the speakers.

This was like trying to get Sammy to eat his proteins when he was a kid. Only harder.

“C’mon, Bobby, it’s just a date.” Dean reasoned, chuckling slightly at his surrogate father sat in Baby’s passenger seat and looking rather like a pug with the grumpy face he had on. “You’re gonna sit down, be yourself and everything’ll go smooth like butter.”

Bobby bristled, glaring daggers at Dean, lips pursed. “See, that’s easy to say when you’re not the one on this date, boy. She’s gonna be some classy broad who orders a pinot noir, or a Chateau Margaux or whatever-the-hell, and I’m gonna be stuck wonderin’ what the hell all these fancy names mean.”

“See, you don’t know until you try.”

“Don’t give me that chick flick crap, you idjit.”

“Look, all I’m saying is don’t get too hopped up on the idea of being perfect for Ellen.” Dean shrugged. “Be cool, yeah, and flatter her, give her some compliments and make her feel at home, but don’t go saying things like-”

“This sucks balls.” Bobby grumbled, not at all to Dean’s surprise.

“See? Don’t say that.” He saw Ellen in the rear view mirror, and clapped Bobby’s shoulder. “Ok, Bobby, you’re up. Knock her socks off for me, yeah?”

Bobby had no choice but to get out of the car, hoping that he didn’t look like a fool, or maybe his gelled back hair was neat and didn’t have a dreaded flyaway. That his collar wasn’t popped. That his jeans didn’t have some unexplained stain on them. He stepped to Ellen, who gave him a warm smile. “Balls.” He muttered under his breath. She really did look like a classy lady, which sent his embarrassment into overdrive.

“Hi, I’m Ellen.” She introduced, her voice smooth as honey and making Bobby even more nervous that yes, this woman was definitely far above his league.

“Bobby.” He replied stiffly, but then held out his arm. “Shall we?”

“Guess so.” They linked arms, striding towards the restaurant, where you and Dean had made a reservation. When the two were guided to their table, they were provided with a drinks menu. Ellen didn’t even take one minute scanning it, flicking through at the speed of light and announcing that she knew what she wanted. Bobby, however, was stumped. Wine? Pinot grigio? Champagne? But there were so many options for one champagne. Why couldn’t the damn drink options be more simple? Beer was definitely out of the question, though his mouth watered and taste buds craved for the Heineken embossed in gold on the menu.

But he knew that he wanted the medium rare steak, announcing that to Ellen, who replied that she’d be having sea bass fillets with specialised dressing and garnish which sounded rather fancy. It did nothing to soothe Bobby’s poor nerves. Ellen, meanwhile, was torn between remaining soft spoken with this man or being, y’know, herself. He seemed decent, and considerate, with the way he carefully looked over the drinks and food menus.

“Madam, sir, can I take your order?” A waiter with a flip notebook arrived beside them, and Bobby gestured for Ellen to speak, not wanting to seem overbearing.

“The sea bass fillet with the special dressing and garnish,” Ellen answered smoothly, her eyes flicking to Bobby to gauge his reaction to the next words, “and one Heineken.”

The choice of drink lifted Bobby’s spirits instantly, and that gave him the green light to not strive to impress the beautiful lady across from him. “And I’ll have the steak, medium rare. And as for the drink, I’ll have what the lady’s having.”

“Of course.” The waiter took the menus and left the table, inciting a moment for the two to laugh at their own anxiety.

“You thought I’d be one of those high-horse, classy women, didn’t you?” Ellen guessed, and Bobby nodded bashfully.

“Guilty. I haven’t done this in a long while.” He chuckled, warming up to Ellen quickly. “You’re a woman after my own heart. Always loved a good Heineken.”

“You and me both.”

After they’d had dinner, they exited the restaurant, but instead of parting ways, Bobby offered his arm once more to Ellen. “Mind walking for a while with this ol’ fool?”

“Not at all.”

NEXT UP:

“Jo.” Ruby sat down in front of Jo, who was in animated conversation with Charlie. They both turned to her in surprise and identical raised eyebrows. “And you, Charlie. I need advice.”

Maybe Charlie could help. After all, she was an expert in the field Ruby needed advice on. This was an extremely unfamiliar topic, even though she’d grown up in a family full of suspiciously close women.

Oh, god, this was nerve wracking.

Jo looked concerned, but nodded, and Charlie did the same. “Sure, go ahead.” Jo gestured for Ruby to continue, while Charlie sat eagerly forward in her seat, waiting for Ruby to speak.

“Ok.” She took a deep breath, her eyes briefly flicking to Meg. “What if… what if I…”

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[goddesspharo]

↻ FLIP FLOP: Jake's Pov from when he's awakes in Vegas.

[ask me for extras about my fics!]

↻ FLIP FLOP: the flip side of the waking up in Vegas scene at the beginning of can't fake what you can't break up with in Hangman's POV

(Also here now for housekeeping purposes!)

Jake's first extremely dramatic thought upon being yanked out of REM sleep by Phoenix's equally dramatic shrieking is that it feels like something died in his mouth and then that dead thing was unceremoniously moved to a shallow grave in his brain and now, in the cruel light of day, it is slowly rising from the spongy matter like a body washing up on shore at low tide – only there's not enough room in his scalp to accommodate the flotsam so his head feels like it's being split apart from the inside. He needs more sleep and a cup of industrial strength espresso, but he'd settle for Phoenix not ruining this for him – the this in question being Natasha looking flushed all over as she stands in the middle of his hotel room in her underwear and points menacingly at him with her phone while threatening to murder him for the crime of rocking her world – by reading Instagram captions out loud like he fucked a delusional Kardashian last night instead of her. (Jake blames Sammy for the fact that he is immediately able to clock that Khloe would be the delusional Kardashian who couldn't take a hint the morning after.) With a groan, Jake reminds Natasha that it's not a Vegas vacation if at least two people don't drunkenly wander into an Elvis chapel and take wedding selfies with The King. His mother has albums full of Jake dressed like Woody from Toy Story when he was in the first grade – that doesn't mean he was spending his days solving crimes instead of figuring out how the hell subtraction worked. Jake tells Natasha that the institution of marriage requires a little more than "pics or it didn't happen" to be valid while slowly stretching out his sore muscles. She has finally stopped yelling at him for three seconds – no doubt to marvel at the legal expertise he culled from watching reruns of The Practice – but when he looks up, what he discovers is even better than Phoenix losing the power of speech over his genius. Natasha Trace, the woman whose response to him flirting with her has always been to remind Jake that she'd be hard pressed to spit on him if he caught on fire – is shamelessly checking him out like someone who went for a test drive and now can't hide that she'd pay sticker price to drive this Mustang off the lot immediately. "I'm going to hop in the shower." Flashing Natasha a grin that is sure to infuriate her, he drawls in a low trickle, "Want to conserve some water with me?" Her face turns murderous within seconds as Nat slips on a hotel robe and loudly plots his demise. He'd make a crack about foreplay, but her grip on the hanger seems deadly. Jake settles for sauntering to the bathroom while whistling the Usher song that Gina played on repeat when Jake had a crush on the college sophomore his parents paid ten bucks an hour to teach them tennis one summer. Phoenix can deny that she's not hot for his bod as much as she wants, but his back looks like a subway map when he catches a glimpse of it in the bathroom mirror. It takes everything in him not to cry out when the scalding hot water hits the scratches, but Jake can't find it in himself to be too mad about it when he finds a red bird sketched onto his skin like a brand. Jake is still laughing about how proprietary Natasha is when he steps out of the bathroom a few minutes later and immediately needles her with, "You won't believe this, but I think you tried to draw a phoenix on my ass with a Sharpie last night!" He doesn't expect her to find it as funny as he does, but Jake is caught off guard when Natasha starts raging about paperwork instead.

[didasgomas]

All it takes is one bad day

Day 26 of @augusnippets

Prompts: Nightmare/Warm blanket/Snuggling

Trigger warnings : Heavily implied PTSD nightmare on a teenager, referenced terrorist hijack, death of a child, referenced loss of family members

Important part of "In Mortality", an au of Cut Down The Altar, story created by @missr3n3

Author's note: The title references one of Joker's most famous lines during his multiple monologues

February 19th, 1972

Everything was okay. They were going to spend a week in Rose county as part of their vacations.

Mom and dad were there with her, as were all her siblings: Jan, Grace and Georgianna, Jade and Timothy.

The train ride was fun at first. Everyone was happy and there were so many pretty sights to admire through the window.

But then something changed.

People in red masks, shouting orders. Some left for the other carriage while one stayed, holding a gun. A man jumped behind him, Timothy made a run for one of the carriage's exits.

The sound of two gunshots, loud screaming, her little brother's dead body facing all of them.

Then the whole train derailed and the carriage collapsed on top of everyone.

They were stuck under the metal until her dad managed to lift up part of ceiling with another man's help. Those that could climbed out as soon as possible, but not everyone was conscious or able to move.

She was the last one to climb out. She had lost track of her family, there was too much going on for her to be able to follow any of their voices, and Winter made it so the first rays of sunshine were only just becoming visible.

The air was so cold. She tried to call out to her dad, she wanted to help him out too, but he told her to run.

She did, running straight inside the nearby forest, not seeing anywhere safer to hide in. Cateline heard more gunshots behind her, and what sounded like her father screaming, but she did as he told her and kept running.

She was able to find Jade at some point, still alive, but the darkness made it impossible for her to notice her little sister's almost crushed leg and the infection on it. Then when she thought she had heard their mother's voice, she left Jade alone for just a few minutes.

Cateline was so desperate. Her mother's voice started to fade, and she went back to her sister, scared and confused.

Jade was no longer talking or breathing.

Cateline yelled out for help in tears, cradling her sister's lifeless body. She didn't know what else she could do. She wasn't a child anymore but she was still so young and had never been in such a situation before.

She heard several men talking loudly, and there were lights nearby.

They tried to calm her dowm the best they could, said they'd take her to her mother, that they'd found her too.

She had to let go of Jade's body.

…

February 23rd, 1973

Cateline Viderlan woke up covered in sweat.

She bolted out of bed towards Jan's bedroom.

On that terrible attack last year, she had lost her father and three of her five siblings. Only Jan, Georgianna and herself remained.

Her mother had been left with neurogenic atrophy in nearly all of her leg muscles, not to mention a widow plus having lost half of all her beloved children. Mom left her job at Eclipse Academy, and turned dad's study into her new bedroom, incapable of sleeping in the room she had shared with her husband for 40 years.

Cateline passed next to it on her way to her brother's room. Mom had just locked it up for the foreseeable future, but it was like their dad's presence still hadn't left.

She simply walked faster. She could have gone to Gina's room, but Jan was the eldest and his room was the closest to hers.

There was a small light inside his bedroom. His insomnia had already been present before, but following the incident, it had worsened tenfold. He had needed to freeze college for a year, and would only return to his course that September.

Softly knocking on the door, she didn't wait for his answer before opening the door. She could apologize in the morning.

Jan got up from his desk. Cateline didn't manage to identify what he had been reading.

"Cat? What happened?"

"Nightmare. Bad one."

Her voice was somewhat shaky, but she wasn't going to cry. She rarely cried before, she couldn't afford to cry now that her family was still only beginning to recover.

Jan went up to her and took his sister in his arms. Neither of them cried, but God, did they need this hug.

"I know, Cat, I know. We're going to be alright."

[chaberkowepole]

Shoutout to the time when I was 3 yo and my mum left me quickly with my babcia and I, getting impatient and also having just been to Switzerland and watched some German TV where they ran Pinocchio (the 70s anime btw, which is the only true version don't @ me) and it must've been the episode where Gina is looking for Pinocchio bc I was ready and equipped with a new German phrase for these kinds of situations, as I started loudly exclaiming "Mama wo bist du?"

Unfortunately, to my Polish and very Catholic Grandma's ears "bist du" really does not sound good. Like, at all. It coincidentally ressembles another Polish word that 3 year olds really shouldn't know.

Long story short, my grandma thinks I'm yelling "pizda" (vulgar word for vulva) in the streets and is desperately trying to silence me while I get perplexed thinking she's trying to stop me from finding my mum and shout even louder until my mum finally comes back and finds a shaken grandma asking her who na litość boską taught me such bad words. People are already staring. Puzzled, she asked me what I was saying to which I innocently repeated, my mum errupts in laughter and this is the story of how I taught the entire street and my babcia some German

[alphareleasemedia]

Daily Drabble Project Jul 23 - 29

7/23/23 Connie frowned at the canvass in front of her. Her painting was... fine. Good even. From the brush strokes to the style to the composition, it was all expertly done. Technically. As with all her original paintings Connie's years of study and practice showed, and yet something was still missing. She'd tried every style, down from the Old Masters to Bob Ross, but nothing had ever clicked. When she looked at her paintings she could see only the artists she copied and none of herself. It was frustrating to think that her skills would only ever be good for imitation.

7/24/23 She stood silently atop the cliffs as she watched his ship sail into the bay. It was definitely his ship; the royal colors were billowing high above the sails. Her red cloak serving as her own banner. They knew each other too well for her to doubt his intentions. He knew what it would mean his meeting her here in person. He wouldn't have come if he didn't mean it. This would be the first time in nearly twenty years that they both would be on the island together. In a roundabout way, they were both finally keeping their promises.

7/25/23 Gina hummed quietly to herself, rocking back and forth slightly as music blared through her headphones. The weather had been nice lately so she had sat outside on the front steps while she waited for Carla to come home. The two girls had plans for the evening. Mostly boring stuff like buying groceries and sending a package to Carla's mom. But they also might get dinner while they were out. For the time being though, Gina was content to just sit and listen to music while she stared at her phone, scrolling through post after post without really paying attention.

7/26/23 One of the wheels on the shopping cart squeaked loudly as Shelby pushed it down the aisle. He leaned forward lazily against the cart as he walked slowly. The store was nearly deserted so Shelby felt no rush to get what he needed and get out of the way. Instead he browsed at his leisure, taking time to consider products he knew he would never buy. Presently he was wandering down the frozen food aisle staring at frozen vegetables and wondering just who was buying frozen okra anyway. They kept stocking it, so someone must be eating the mysterious plant.

7/27/23 Timothy Chalmers wasn't that handsome. Or so Heather thought. She didn't get what all the other girls saw in him. Just because he was an athlete didn't automatically make him good looking. Sure, he was a talented soccer player, Timothy had scored three of the team's five points last season, but admiring him for his skills was not the same as him being attractive. He was skinny as a pole and had a long thin face like a horse. His eyes were dark and squinty, and his lips were too big. Heather didn't even know why she was dating him.

7/28/23 Wendel had a bit of popcorn stuck between his teeth. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't dislodge it with his tongue. It was driving him crazy. He couldn't even pay attention to the movie he was watching anymore. All his thoughts were on the piece of popcorn seed that was digging into his gums. He squirmed in his chair as he tried and failed again to remove the irritation, this time sticking a finger in his mouth. When repeated efforts continued to fail Wendel gave up. He knew he'd have no peace until he went home and flossed.

7/29/23 Betty stepped carefully through the minefield that was her little brother's bedroom. Several bins worth of LEGO had been scattered all over the floor. A towering structure of some sort was under construction in the middle of the room on what was, ironically, the only clear patch of carpet. Gary wasn't in his room or else he would've been yelling at Betty to leave. He didn't like having anyone in his room when he was in the middle of a project, and for good reason, Betty had come to leave him a little surprise to find when he resumed construction.

[latte-hotte]

yall im abouta CRY IN THE CLUB rn i just got my second eliminate drop...oh my god the good lord is good 

[yoonlattesworld]

Love him all you want-yoongi

Latte's drabbles

You laughed watching one of the guy passing out, and banging his head on the table as his friend tried to take his drink away. You were smiling so hard that your cheeks started to hurt as another joke was cracked on the lively table which was filled with laughter "Here you go dear" you looked at the owner of the small restaurant as she placed a few bottles of soju and beer on the table "ajumma we didn't order this?'' Your bestfriend's boyfriend slurred out while leaning against his girlfriend's shoulder who giggled kissing his head, causing you to smile at the cute interaction. The kind owner smiled brightly saying "it's on the house kids. You bought us so much profit today. Enjoy!" She patted your shoulder before walking off as multiple thank yous from the drunk college students were thrown her way. It was true that you guys bought many customers to her restaurant today. Well, unknowingly because a few people had posted photos and videos of you guys in the restaurant and it was quite close to the college so many more students came in after seeing the photos.

"Cheers!" Multiple glasses clinked together as you sighed leaning against your bestfriend , gina's free shoulder which was wasn't occupied by her right now very much drunk boyfriend taehyung. "No please don't tell me you're drunk too. I can't handle two drunk people crying at the same time!" You giggled as she whined and said "don't worry gin I'm not drunk!" She sighed looking at your overly giggly form and shaked her head at your slightly red cheeks "sure you aren't" you sighed happily and looked around the table, stopping as your eyes landed on him. You started fiddling with gina's bracelet noticing him already staring at you. And even though you wanted to look away, you couldn't bring yourself to break the eye contact as his intense eyes stared in your own. He was leaning back the chair, his head tilted to the side as he stared at you. There was a soft glint in his eyes that you dared to think of as fondness as he winked at you, smirking and chuckling softly as you blushed profusely and looked down. But after a second, you peeked up from the curtain of your hair and a shyness settled inside you as still kept staring at you. You were snapped out of your daze as gina nudged you and you looked at her, pouting as she smiled teasingly. "You might as well start dating girl" you gasped and slapped her arm ignoring tae's slurred mumble "hey don't hit-hit my flower!" "Keep your voice down what if he hears you?!" You whisper yelled and she rolled her eyes whispering in your ear "I doubt he minds that idea by the way he's been staring at you the whole night since you walked in sweetheart" your cheeks started burning at her words and you narrowed your eyes, purposely avoiding the eyes that you're feeling on you from across the table "why would he stare at me" you huffed accepting the piece of tteokbokki that tae gave you before he mumbled "hey gin gin..why...why is yoongi staring at y/n? Does he like her or something?" She snorted patting his cheek lovingly "baby yoongi loves her. Remember? You were the one who told me that" you gasped loudly gaining the attention of a few people causing you to smile nervously before you glared at her "shut up!"

She chuckled before mumbling "go take care of your man honey. He looks pretty drunk" your first reaction was to look at him with concerned eyes as you watched him stumbling slightly as he stood up mumbling something to his friend, namjoon and started walking out of the restaurant. "He's not my man" you hissed before looking at namjoon as he called you "y/n can you please go after him? The last time he got drunk, he beat up a man for saying your name. We don't want that again" he smiled with his dimples as if he said the most normal thing in the world while your eyes widened and gina snickered "go on darling" "shut up" you whined but still stood because you couldn't ignore the concern bubbling inside you and walked out of the restaurant

"Why the fuck did he beat up a man?" Gina raised an eyebrow and namjoon chuckled mumbling "he was talking about wanting to date y/n and well, he said pretty nasty things, i was getting irritated too but the next thing we knew was yoongi on top him, beating the shit out of the man" gina whispered a small wow shrugging.

You felt your heartbeat increasing as you saw him sitting on the side walk in front of the alley beside the restaurant and walked over to him nervously. You quietly sat besides him and your nose scrunched up when you saw that he was smoking. "Yous shouldn't do that" yoongi jumped slightly looking at you with his lips parted before scoffing with a small smile "shit you scared me doll. Thought it was namjoon" you watched as he crushed the cigarette on the ground and looked towards all the cars driving "are you okay?" You whispered as he leaned back looking at the sky, with a tired smile "why wouldn't i be?" "Well,you've been quiet since the whole night. And you suddenly came out so i just thought you know" you trailed off causing him to chuckle. A deep and raspy voice that made the tip of your ears red "didn't know what to do" he breathed out as you looked at him confused "what?" He looked at you, for a moment before his eyes fell on your lips. "Didn't know what to do when you walked in looking like that" you fiddled with your necklace nervously whispering "like what?" "So gorgeous and fuck i almost lost my control when you smiled like a damn angel" you gasped softly at his words with your heart pounding but still whispered "y-you shouldn't" "what?" "Y-you shouldn't control yourself" you looked away and a deep groan left his lips before he pulled you closer with a hand around your waist and the next thing you felt was the feeling of his soft lips on yours

You whimpered softly as he bite your bottom, a pushed his tongue inside your mouth and the slight taste of cigarette with bear and mints made you feel dizzy . You wrapped your arms around his neck, playing with his hair and he groaned when you tugged them, kissing you harder. Breathing heavily he pulled back for a second to mumble "stop controlling yourself too. Love me all you want doll. I'm all yours" before smashing his lips on yours again, and pulling you on his lap. His arms held you securely from the cold wind blowing around you as you kissed him softly. "I love you" you whispered against his lips and he growled "fuck. Love you so damn much"

That night you both stumbled in his flat, his lips on yours the moment the door closed. Clothes thrown off as he kissed every inch of your body, telling you how much he loves you. You responded by moaning his name softly, holding him tightly against yourself as he made love to you. His powerful thrusts making the bed shake as growls of your name left his lips.

After you both came down from your high, he held you securely, kissing your head again and again as your eyes got heavier by the second. The last thing you heard was "i love you so much angel" before you fell asleep in his arms.

Of course the next morning you had to face gina with all those marks on your neck, with his arm around you protectively.

Taglist open ♡ @bunnyrhe @rosquilleta @creatorspalace @raineandskye @shymagda-7 @yoonaasa

[atths--twice]

Chapter Seven

I Don’t Know What To Say

Some new information comes to light…

Scully was staring at Mulder who was in turn staring at Peter. Her blood pounded loudly in her ears and she swallowed, her throat very dry.

“What is he talking about?” she said. “Mulder, what-”

Loud muffled shouts from the hallway interrupted their conversation and had everyone looking toward the door.

“I will not calm down!” A woman was yelling. “I will not listen to what you’re saying right now! I have to see him! Let go of me!”

The door burst open and Mulder and Scully jumped up, hands on their weapons. A woman stood in the doorway, Doctor Huron behind her.

“Oh my God! It is you. Oh, Peter!” She ran into the room, stopping at his side and staring at him.

“Gina? What are you doing here?” he asked as he sat up straighter in bed.

“What… what am I doing here?!” she shouted. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

“Ma’am, this is a hospital. You need to lower your voice,” Doctor Huron said sternly and Scully looked at Mulder, her hand moving from her gun.

“Peter… I can’t believe it’s you. I’ve been praying…” She gave a strangled sob and shook her head. “Say something.”

“Hello?” he said with a smile and a small shrug and Gina nearly collapsed, her knees buckling beneath her.

Mulder quickly caught her, giving her his chair. She laid her head on Peter’s chest and cried as he closed his eyes and ran his hand in her hair.

The other three in the room looked at one another awkwardly, not speaking as their attention returned to Peter and Gina.

“I thought… God, I thought I would never see you again,” she cried and Peter sighed, kissing the top of her head.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant for you to worry.”

“Jesus, Peter,” she half sobbed as she raised her head and wiped her eyes. “Where have you been? What happened to you?” She touched his face and he leaned into her touch.

“I don’t know, G. I really don’t know.”

“Oh, Peter! Your treatments!”

“Gina,” he said, his face falling as he shook his head.

“Are…” She turned her head, her eyes wide as she looked from Mulder to Scully seeming to just realize they were there. Her gaze swung to Doctor Huron and she furrowed her brow. “Is he receiving his treatments?”

“Treatments?”

“Yes, his treatments.”

“Ma’am,” the doctor said, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You don’t… don’t know what I mean?” Gina asked, standing to her feet.

“Gina,” Peter said, but she ignored him.

“He’s been missing for a month… he’s missed so much time.” She turned back to look at him with fresh tears on her face. “Peter…”

“Gina… please sit down,” Peter said and she did, sinking into the chair. “I have something I need to say and it’s going to hurt you. If I could avoid it, forever, I would. But you deserve the truth, no matter how much you may hate me after I say it.”

“I would never-” she started to say, but he put a hand up, stopping her from speaking.

“You might, because I hate myself.” He dropped his head and let out a deep sigh. “The center turned me away when I got here. Told me that the cancer was too aggressive and to get my affairs in order instead.”

“What?” Gina said, a hand going to her mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t.”

“Cancer?” Doctor Huron asked and Scully looked at him, watching him frown.

“Yes,” Peter said, nodding as he looked at Gina. “Stage four lung cancer. Quite a shock as I never smoked and have always been fairly healthy.”

“Peter,” she whispered, taking his hand and holding it to her face.

“You…” Doctor Huron turned and walked from the room, hurrying down the hall. Mulder looked at Scully, raising his eyebrows as she shook her head.

“They said… there was nothing they could do. That the treatments would kill me faster than the disease. That I should plan my goodbyes and make sure things were in order for those I was leaving behind.”

Scully’s stomach dropped as she felt Mulder’s eyes on her, her hand going to her neck almost of its own volition.

Two years she had been clear, the chip beneath her skin doing its job, but it felt like yesterday when she had nearly died. She swallowed and dropped her hand down, meeting Mulder’s eyes briefly before looking back at Peter and Gina.

“You didn’t tell me,” Gina sobbed and Peter shook his head.

“I couldn’t. I knew you’d fly up here and want to be with me.”

“Of course I would, you idiot,” she said and he laughed softly, stroking her face.

“I couldn’t do that to you. To have you watch me die. To see the hope in your eyes diminish. You would have fought to the very end, demanding the doctors do more and fix things.”

“Of course I would, you idiot,” she said again, whispering this time as she started crying softly.

“They said six weeks. I… I couldn’t wrap my head around that and I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I wanted you there, but I didn’t want you to watch me die.”

Scully looked at Mulder, her heart aching.

She had felt the exact same way. Wanting only him to be with her, but also wanting him as far away as possible. Seeing him watching her get weaker and weaker would have broken her heart, forget the cancer killing her. Knowing how her death would affect him, that would have been her downfall.

Mulder stared at her and she tried to smile, but knew it came out wobbly. She shrugged slightly, attempting to smile again even as she felt tears stinging her eyes. He nodded and sighed, looking down at the floor before shaking his head.

“I was driving, no destination in mind, when I stopped for gas and met Brent. He told me there was a party in a cemetery in town and it felt sadly poetic and I decided to go. I was going to take the night being reckless and stupid and then… call you and tell you everything was fine and they seemed hopeful.” Peter sighed and looked at Gina with tears shining in his eyes. “I couldn’t take that from you, that hope. I… I thought as long as you had it, maybe I would be okay.”

“Peter,” Gina cried, dropping her head to his chest again and sobbing.

He murmured to her and Scully quickly looked down and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. She saw the tips of Mulder’s shoes as he came to stand beside her. Raising her head, she met his eyes and he sighed as his arm gently brushed against hers.

“Six weeks,” Gina cried and Peter hummed. “That gives us only two weeks. Oh, Peter.” She cried harder and Scully drew in a steadying breath.

“I know. I’m so sorry. I should’ve called. Should’ve done so many things differently.”

Scully reached out and found Mulder’s hand, which had already been reaching for hers. She gripped his fingers tightly, her breathing shaky as she closed her eyes. He squeezed back and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

“Umm…” She heard and opened her eyes as she raised her head. Letting go of Mulder’s hand quickly, she took a step away from him as Doctor Huron stood before them, a file in his hands. “Mister Blake…”

“Please, just Peter,” Peter said. “I’ve heard enough Mister Blake said in a concerned and polite tone, to then hear the worst news imaginable.” He shook his head and then pressed his lips to Gina’s hair. “Whatever you have to tell me, Doc, I already know.”

“I don’t think so,” Doctor Huron said with a smile as he stepped closer to Peter.

“What do you mean?”

“We ran tests when you came in unconsciously and unresponsive. Scans, x-rays, blood work. Not in any of the tests did we find the presence of cancer.”

“What?” Peter, Scully, and Mulder said together.

“It’s the truth. If we had seen it, or known about your history, it would have been one of our top concerns. Especially stage four.”

“What?” Peter said again and now Gina had quieted her tears and raised her head so she could listen.

“Could I see his chart?” Scully asked and Doctor Huron gave it to her as he continued to talk to Peter.

She looked through it and raised her eyebrows as Mulder read over her shoulder.

“Is it true?” he asked softly and she nodded in disbelief. She looked at him, her eyes wide.

“The probability of him having no signs of an aggressive form of cancer…” She shook her head and looked back at Peter.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I want to be completely sure. Can… can we run more tests? Oh my God… Gina…” He pulled her to him and they both cried as they hugged and laughed.

Doctor Huron smiled as he watched them and then turned to Mulder and Scully, a perplexed and concerned look on his face.

Glancing down at Peter’s chart once more, she felt a knot beginning to form in her stomach.

How was it possible?

[erodasfishtacos]

"Okay but imagine YN continuously having to yell at him because anytime anyone other than her or him are holding them he hisses and bares his fangs"

pretty please can you write something abt this? it would melt my heart

I don’t know why but I’m super obsessed right now w/ h constantly going all demon, defensive, predatory.

-

YN plops down next to Niall on the recliner because the couches are full. He swings his arm around her shoulders to make more room.

When Harry trots back in with her water, the glass automatically breaks in his grip, as he spots the friends sitting together.

“Harry, do not do what I think you’re going to do!” YN scolds her mate, watching with annoyance as his eyes sink into blackened darkness.

It’s too late, he has Niall pinned against the wall by his collar, feet off the ground. His fangs near Niall’s neck as he snarls loudly enough that no one can hear the movie.

“Again?” Liam complains, unamused by the possessive vamp who has the worst jealous streak he’s ever seen.

“If you don’t put him down and put your fangs away, you’re not eating for two days,” YN threatens, she really would never starve him but it always works.

He grumbles as he retracts them, sauntering over to his human with annoyance as Niall coughs a bit and falls to the floor.

Harry scoops up his mate, licks a bit at her jugular vein until she’s shoving him off but allowing a soft peck.

His friends still don’t get how he got so whipped.

-

YN’s small group of friends knew Harry was a vamp.

They were intrigued by him, no doubt, and I mean come on…he was gorgeous in a way that you didn’t really see in real life.

His human was constantly having to remind him that every time he gets annoyed with them - which is nearly at all times - he can’t threaten them and flash his canines to scare them off.

Harry doesn’t always listen.

They’re all at their house, a girls night, whatever that is.

All humans are stupid except his mate.

She’s perfect.

He enters the living room to check on YN to make sure she’s properly feed, hydrated, happy - his usual routine.

The group is playing a card game and cackling loudly which already has his hackles up at the awful noise of them.

So loud.

Tammy, one of the more brazen girls of the crowd, reaches out to tug him closer. She’s telling him to play one round with them.

But as soon as the human female, who is not his mate, touches him - he’s hissing loudly, lips pulled back with pooling venom dripping from them in a deadly threat.

The friend stumbles backwards, nearly falling on her bum at the hellish sound erupting from his throat. It was like nails on a chalkboard.

It leaves Tammy in tears and the others on the brink of them because of the demon who just caused a scene.

Harry is pouting in the corner of the room as YN ushers out the now traumatized guests - the night coming to a quick end after that.

“You go on about me not listening! One person other than me touches you and you lose your absolute mind!” YN snaps angrily, she tosses the closest object - a book at him in frustration.

He smacks it down with his lightening reflex but doesn’t hesitate to bare his fangs at her with golden tracing through his normally green irises.

“Really? You think I’m scared off you? Put your fucking fangs away right now,” His mate demands, unfazed by the growl rumbling in his chest.

Harry appears in front of her, a softer expression coloring his face, “M’sorry, bat. You are the only one of this earth who I permit to touch me.”

“I guess I don’t have to worry about you cheating on me,” She jokes but it turns sour when she hears the distinct clink of his fangs again because he can’t take a fucking joke.

He was extra crotchety today.

“I will only ever want your body,” Harry replies seriously, “Your cunt was made for me.”

And even though she’s frustrated with him, a zip of arousal finds a dampness pooling between her hips that Harry can instantly scent.

In mere seconds, he has her on the couch, legs spread with his face buried in her center to quell his mate’s ache.

Her hands in his long locks as he laps into her center with fervor to please her, make her happy, satisfy her.

And man did he do a good job.

“S’good, baby,” YN hums in a feathery tone, squeaking when he sucks harshly on her pretty bundle of nerves.

“Hey! I forgot my pho-“ Gina flings open the front door and eyes go wide at the scene in front of her.

When a roar shakes the pictures on the wall, YN can only groan, “Son of a bitch.”

[escapewriter]

now playing track thirty-three: the 1

synopsis: As far as you know, being one of the very few ‘defective’ people on earth has changed your life and not for the better. After not receiving your soulmate bond on your 10th birthday, you felt hopeless. But there was always one person who showed you all the possibilities that it isn’t so hopeless after all. dedicated to @sunlightwoo

pairing: jeong yunho x reader

genre: soulmate au, best friends!, some parent au fluff in here, slight fluff, angst, humor

wc: 4.4k (4403)

warnings: swearing, small mentions of death, mentions of anxiety, slap in the face golly

hehe funny how we were literally talking about soulmate au’s the other day gina🤔 but surprise! i am your secret santa😁😁 i was so happy i figured out the plot and everything because it went well with everything! i hope you like it, and pls dont yell at me foekdks (also i hope i wasn’t obvious LOL)

a/n: killing two birds with one stone woooo. but happy holidays yall. and this was way longer than i anticipated it to be oops.

send me an ask/dm or fill this out if you would like to be on the taglist

main masterlist || roses and flame

~Year 10~

You have been waiting for this moment ever since you found out from your parents that your soulmate bond would be revealed the moment you turned 10 years old. However, it wasn’t the case with you.

You remember sitting at the dinner table, your parents there with you, as you all began counting down from 11:59pm until it hit midnight. But when midnight came around, nothing happened. You wait nervously at the table as your parents make a few calls, eyeing you to describe your condition and behavior to whoever it was on the phone with them. It was when they came back to sit with you that you knew you were one of the rare ‘defects’ that the universe chose. You don’t exactly recall how you handled the news, but you did remember calling one person who wanted to hear everything.

You were ashamed to talk to Yunho because he too was one of the defects, and you never want to make him feel as if being a defect is the worst thing in the world. But you couldn’t contain your disappointment.

“Hey, hey, listen,” Yunho’s soft voice was heard through the phone, “at least you have the free will to fall in love with someone you like rather than some random person.” You smile to yourself, sighing before flopping onto your bed.

“Did you feel like this when you found out?”

You heard rustling in the background before he cleared his throat to speak. “If I’m going to be honest, I was kind of glad.” There was a pause. You weren’t sure how to react, and it made you uneasy about how quiet he was being.

“You still there?” You heard him say, and you nodded even though he couldn't see you.

“Yeah, I’m here.” There was more noise in the background before the sound of yawning echoed loudly through the speakers. You giggled softly before deciding it was time to end the call due to his drowsiness.

“I’ll see you later so we can hang out for your birthday, okay?” You hum in response before bidding goodnight and hung up.

***

~Year 12~

Sixth grade was one of the worst years at school. It was a common thing for everyone to know what each of the soulmate bonds are because of the fact that it was known as a huge ice breaker when meeting new friends.

What you thought was going to be an accepting group of new students turned into your worst nightmare. Left and right, everyone looked at you as if you were contagious and could take away their bonds. No one wanted to be your friend, so you roamed the halls, ate in classrooms, and studied in the library just to avoid everyone.

You envied everyone who had stories to tell about meeting their soulmate. It was a milestone that everyone accomplished, yet you felt stuck in place, like you’ll never get that.

“Are they outright mean to you?” You shook your head as you took a bite out of your sandwich. It was Saturday, and you were having lunch with Yunho. You both hang out on the weekends, not being able to find time together during school days.

“Does anyone know about you?” You asked him after taking a sip of your drink. He nods, shrugging as if it wasn’t a huge deal.

“No one really cares at my school, they’re more fascinated rather than judgemental.” You nod and wipe your mouth with a napkin. “Not that there’s anything to be fascinated by, but they don’t treat me any different.”

“Ugh, I wish I went to your school.” He smiled to himself and took a bite of his ramen. “Must be easy living life with no weight on your shoulders.”

Finishing up the rest of your food, you didn’t notice his pout as you got up from your seat to throw your trash away.

***

~Year 15~

It was your first year at high school, meaning new people to meet and a fresh start. Luckily, Yunho was also attending the same school as you, so you both had more time to hang out with one another.

The first few months were smooth, no one really cared about your soulmate defect and it helped you relax more. You hung out with Yunho more, made some new friends, and felt welcomed; you were able to enjoy the beginning months of your first year in high school.

It wasn’t until you had a project assigned for one of your classes. You were required to write about your soulmate bond and a bond that you wished you had instead of that.

“What the fuck?” Yunho stared at the paper in his hands, reading the instructions carefully. “Your teacher is making you do this? When you don’t have a bond?”

“I know!” You exclaimed before throwing yourself onto your bed. “And what sucks is that I spoke to them about it, asking if I could possibly write about something else that isn’t related to soulmates,” you sighed, turning over to lay on your stomach and stare at Yunho who sat at your deck, “and guess what they told me.”

He sets the paper down on top of your computer. “Deal with it?”

“Yeah, but if you can think of harsher ways to say ‘deal with it’ then it's that.”

You watched as he grimaced to himself, the thought of actually having a soulmate bond disgusting him internally. But, he was willing to help you out.

“Why don’t we do this, what if for the first part, you talk about the soulmate bond you want.” You nod slowly and begin to sit up on your bed. “Then for the second part, I’ll try to think of something, but in my perspective so you don’t have to stress.”

You were shocked. Yunho had grown to hate the idea of soulmates because of how it was already decided on who our soulmate would be. He believed we should fall who we fall for, and you knew his parents played a big part in his belief.

“You’d do that? Are you sure?” He smiles before standing up from the chair and walking towards where you were sitting on your bed.

He pats your head softly, “For you? Why wouldn’t I?”

That moment of warmth in your chest sparked something, a feeling that could fuck up your entire friendship with Jeong Yunho. But instead of pushing it aside, you decided to fall for whoever you fall for.

***

~Year 17~

“Smile for the camera you two!” You rolled your eyes at your mom who was snapping photos of you and Yunho. “Come on, don’t be like that, smile with Yunho!”

You catch Yunho smirking at you, and you roll your eyes once more before reluctantly smiling. You both were taking photos before attending a school dance, both of your parents wanting to capture the moment.

“Okay, okay, I think you guys got enough. We’re gonna go now.” You laugh at Yunho who began to push his parents away as you were bidding goodbye to yours.

“Stay safe you two!”

***

Upon arriving at the hotel where the dance was held, your nerves began to kick in. Not because of the people, but because Yunho was your date. It wasn’t anything new with him being your date because you both have attended previous dances together. What was new are your feelings now getting involved.

Ever since he helped you with your project freshman year, you saw him differently. He was still your best friend, always has and always will be, but you felt more drawn to him as if something was pulling you towards him.

“You okay?” You hadn’t realized you stopped walking, standing off to the side where the dancefloor was.

“Yeah, sorry I thought I forgot something.” You didn’t make eye contact with him, hoping that he wouldn’t notice the embarrassment on your face.

“Alright, come on. I see some open seats. We can sit there.” You followed his lead to the corner of the room, a circular table with some seats scattered around. He pulls a chair out, signaling you to take a seat before walking around to face you. “I’m gonna get a drink and some snacks, you want anything specific?”

“Just water please.” You yelled over the booming music. He nods and quickly walks to where drinks and food are served.

Taking in your surroundings, you see that a lot of people here are bonded. Some have matching tattoos, others have words written on their arms, and you can easily tell that others are soulmates just by the look of them.

Although you would have wanted a bond, you felt lucky to have known a guy like Yunho. It doesn’t just happen where you meet someone who’s a defect and you just so happened to be a defect as well.

You blame your superstition for convincing you of the possibility that Yunho could be your soulmate. It was impossible. And even if it was, how would he react to the news? Would he be happy? Relieved? Sad or disappointed? You didn’t want to know the answer to any of those questions.

Yunho returned with two water bottles and a plate of snacks. He sets them down in front of you, taking the seat next to you.

You pop a chip into your mouth, humming at the salty taste before looking at Yunho who eyed you suspiciously. “What?” He squints, leaning forward and you lean back, eyebrows shooting up at his behavior. “What’s wrong with you?” You question before flicking his forehead, to which he winces and covers the stinging skin with his hand.

“I’m trying to read you.”

You laugh out loud. “Well stop it, you’re being weird.”

“I’m being weird? You’ve been acting so awkward ever since we took photos.” You purse your lips, choosing your words carefully.

“Just not in the mood for a school dance.” You shrug and reach for your water bottle. He eyes you again, wanting to press into it further but thankfully let it go.

“Alright, I get that. But you owe me one dance, it’s tradition.”

***

The night was soon coming to an end, only a few more songs were left on the playlist. Yunho was roaming around, talking with a few of his friends here and there while you waited at the table, not in the mood to talk to anyone.

You watched him from afar as he was talking with a few of his friends, laughing at something he said. You smiled to yourself, now processing how fond you were of your best friend. You wouldn’t say anything though, too scared to face what could possibly happen.

Haven’t realized he was approaching, you take a sip of your water, looking everywhere but him because you know what was going to happen the moment the next song began to play.

“Come on, you promised a dance and I’m not taking no for an answer.” He held his hand out, smiling down at you. Sighing, you take it as he leads you to the dance floor, silently begging your heart to stop pounding the way it is.

He turns to you, a cheeky grin on his face as he moves your free hand up to rest on his shoulder, his hand then moving to rest against your side. Your other hand was still holding onto his other as he lifted it and began swaying to the music.

He leans forwards, his mouth next to your ear as he whispers. “Isn’t this way better than last year?”

You roll your eyes at the memory, snickering as he laughs softly. “You suddenly break dancing during a slow song was not it, Yunho.”

He grins at you, the mischief in his eyes telling you that's not a good sign. “Bold of you to assume I won’t do it again.”

***

“How was the dance?” Your mom greets you at the door, a sleepy smile on her face.

“It was fun. Why are you awake?” She engulfs you in a welcome back hug, waving outside to Yunho who sat in his car, making sure you got inside safe.

“Just wanted to greet–” You turn to your mom, her expression unreadable as you tilt her head in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” She shakes her head and tells you to wait in the dining room before returning with your dad. They whisper softly to each other as your dad brings his phone out to text someone. The uneasiness settling in. “Can you both tell me what’s going on? I’m freaking out.”

Your parents sat down with a quizzical look in their eyes before speaking. “You have a mark on your wrist.”

You lifted your hand to see what mark they’re talking about before spotting a line. You examined it, laughing to yourself as you thought that maybe Yunho or someone else drew on you during the dance. “It looks like someone drew a line on me with a marker, I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

They sigh, understanding your denial before explaining what that specific mark means. Your mom took your hand with the mark, softly caressing it. “This mark grows the more you fall in love with someone. It’s a rare bond that you don’t see until you fall in love with your soulmate. It’s also probably the reason why we didn’t see anything when you turned 10.”

Everything your mom told you, you couldn’t believe. You didn’t want to believe it because it seemed impossible. You had so many questions, but only one was floating around in your mind. Does this mean that Yunho is your soulmate?

Your dad read your mind. “You fell in love with your soulmate. However, the bond won’t be sealed unless they fall in love with you and the mark appears too.”

“Hold on, does this thing keep growing?” Your mom smiles and looks back at your wrist.

“It's like a permanent bracelet. It wraps around your wrist, and grows the more you fall in love with them until it reaches your heart. But, your soulmate has to reciprocate in order for it to reach your heart.”

You nod your head, smiling to yourself before standing up for your seat. “I’m going to bed, tired from today.”

***

~Year 18~

“How does this look?” Yunho turned to give you a full show of what he was wearing. “Does this scream first date attire?” Without looking up from your phone, you shoot him a thumbs up, to which he throws one of his pillows at you. “You’re not even looking.”

You finally look up, quickly scanning what he’s wearing before nodding in approval. “Looks nice.” He smiles and sits on his bed, grabbing his phone. You tried hard to not ask so you could save yourself from the pain, but curiosity got the best of you. “Who are you going on a date with?”

He doesn’t look up from his phone, typing away at something before his gaze lands on you. “Remember the person who approached me after our graduation ceremony? It’s them.” You raised your eyebrows, nodding.

“So I assume they’re a defect?” He grins this time, looking back at his phone like he was waiting for a text or call.

“Not really. Their soulmate unfortunately passed so they did have a bond.” You tilted your head, thinking that maybe his opinions on the soulmate bond might have changed.

“So you’re saying you're okay with soulmate bonds?” He rolled his eyes, standing up to put his jacket on.

“I was never against them in the first place. I just preferred to do things my way rather than accepting the system where we’re already determined forever with someone we don’t know.”

You pushed further, “So, hypothetically, if one day you find out you do have a soulmate, would you try with them?” You watch as he stands still, face contorted in deep thought.

“Honestly? No, I wouldn’t.” He checks the time on his watch and makes a ‘tsk’ sound. “I gotta go pick them up now.”

You laugh bitterly, “Your date is at 6:30, it’s 5:30 right now.”

He gasps dramatically, placing a hand over his heart, ignoring your bitter tone. “I’m excited and you insult me for being early? Rude.”

***

It was 9 o’clock. You were waiting for Yunho to call after his date ended like he said he would. To say you were nervous was an understatement; you’re fucking heartbroken. You wanted to tell him about your mark the night of the dance when you first found out, but it was him you were in love with, meaning that he is your soulmate. You weren’t ready to lose him over this.

Your phone began to ring, his contact name popping up indicating that he was calling you. Taking a deep breath, you answered on the third ring. “How was your date?”

“Fucking fantastic.” You smiled, heart breaking but containing it because you knew he was happy from tonight. “I just dropped them off and they kissed me!” He laughed out loud and you did too because his laugh was so contagious. “I wasn’t going to make a move because it was the first date and I didn’t want to make them uncomfortable, but they did it. They really did it.”

You cleared your throat, forcing a smile onto your face. “I’m really happy for you Yunho.”

“I’m really happy too.” You heard the engine of the car in the background as he drove back home, continuing to tell you everything that happened that night.

You couldn’t seem to focus on what he was saying, every detail going in one ear and out the other. You didn’t like acting like this because he did nothing wrong, but you couldn’t help it.

“Hey, you still there? Don’t tell me you fell asleep, it's only 9:15!” You fake a yawn, trying to play it off like you were listening.

“Focus on driving.” You said as the engine turned off in the background.

“I’m already home. But give me a second, I want to talk to you about something.” You sat up straighter, a wave of anxiety crashing as you thought about what he wanted to talk about. “You still there?” You hum, waiting for him to continue as he settles back in his home.

“When you came over today to help me figure out what to wear for my date, I saw something on your wrist.”

Your heart dropped. You were caught and you don’t know how you’re going to be able to get out of it.

“I thought it was just a bracelet or something, but it really looked like a tattoo.” He pauses on the other end of the line, your breath hitching in your throat as you wait. “Is it a tattoo? Or is it what I think it is?”

Play dumb.

“What is ‘what I think it is’? Because it could be a really long birthmark.”

You heard his laugh softly before clearing his throat. “You know what I mean. Is it one of those rare soulmate marks where you have to fall in love with your soulmate in order to get it?” Your silence answered his question. There was a sour feeling in his tone when he asked another question. “Who’d you fall in love with?”

You didn’t want to tell him, not like this, not over the phone. So you diverted the question. “How did you know about this specific bond? I didn’t even know about it until my mom saw it.”

He knows what you’re doing but decides to play along. “When my parents told me about soulmates, I wanted to know about every possible bond out there so I did research.” He pauses. “Who’d you fall in love with?”

You again avoid answering. “Is mine the only rare one then?”

“From what I’ve read, yes.” Another pause. “Who’d you fall in love with?”

You slightly scoff to yourself, but he heard you loud and clear. “Why does it matter? It’s not like he’ll love me back.”

To that, he laughs. “Are you kidding? You haven’t even tried to find out. If you don’t want to tell me who yet, then tell me when you found out at least.”

“No, that defeats the purpose.” This time, he’s the one scoffing.

“What’s wrong with telling me? I’m literally your best friend and you won’t tell me.” There was silence. You weren’t sure if you should tell him or not, but it’ll end badly if you don’t tell him anything at all. One thing you do know for sure is that you can’t lie to him.

He beats you and speaks first. “Are you scared I’ll look at you differently?” Feeling nervous, he quickly talks before you again. “I won’t look at you differently. Nothing will change our friendship, You don’t have to be scared to tell–”

“The dance, junior year.” You cut him off. “My mom saw it when I got home from the dance after you dropped me off.” It was silent, so you took the cue to continue. “Believe me, I didn’t know I had a soulmate. And I accepted the fact that I didn't, which is why I was so shocked. I didn’t tell you because, one, I didn’t know how you would react, and two,” you pause, voice stopping you from continuing.

“...Two?” He asks, waiting for you to say it. To confirm it.

“It’s you who I’m in love with.”

***

~Year 21~

You wait in the booth at a cafe, your date waiting in line to order both of your drinks before heading out for your 1 year anniversary.

It was winter session, so no school for a few weeks, which gives you time to relax and finally be able to breathe without homework forcing you to stay awake. You were determined to take advantage of this break, knowing that you’ll be able to spend time with the person you love.

As he waits in line, you look out the window, admiring the small snowflakes falling and all the couples walking hand in hand. Your eyes caught a few of them as you grinned, now feeling the amount of love in the air.

It was a beautiful sight and you couldn’t wait to get out there and experience that feeling yourself.

***

~Year 26~

“Yunho!” You knew he had to be home, his car was in the driveway.

“Yeah babe, I’m here.” You see him emerge from the hallway, a goofy smile on his face. You laugh and quickly take your coat off before engulfing him in a hug. You felt your heart warm up. Your mark reaches where your heart is, creating a beautiful flower, thus solidifying the bond you had with your soulmate, and your best friend.

“What’d you do on your day off?” You ask as he leads you to the kitchen.

He shrugs, eyes avoiding yours. “Oh you know, the usual.” You take a seat at the kitchen island, giggling as he heats up some leftovers.

“You mean to say you played video games all day?”

“Yep, and you can’t blame me.” You grin at him when he turns back to look at you.

“No I really can’t.” You pucker your lips, silent asking for a kiss. He laughs in embarrassment before leaning in to give you a soft kiss.

***

~Year 29~

You purse your lips together in attempts to control the sob trying to escape your mouth. You look down, your eyesight getting more blurry as tears continue to stream down your face.

Yunho, who holds the same expression, holds a smile. He contains his shaky voice, telling you once again that he adores and loves you. How he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. His soulmate.

“What do you say best friend? Will you marry me?”

You look up at the sky, thanking the universe that they brought this man to you. That he was yours and you are his. That even though the hardships, you both were able to get past them together.

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

***

~Year 32~

“It’s your turn.” You faintly heard Yunho grumble beside you. You mumble incoherently as he shoves you to wake up. “I did it yesterday, baby. It’s your turn.”

You groan, finally forcing yourself to wake up. You glance at the clock on your night stand, checking the time. It was almost 6am. You stood up and stretched your arms quickly before walking over to the crib where your baby boy lay awake.

“Hi there, my love, good morning.” You spoke softly to not startle him or your husband who was lying in bed. “Time for breakfast, huh?”

Reaching inside the crib, you carried him out of the room and into the kitchen to prepare his bottle. “Are you hungry?” You smile at him, poking his belly to which he just stared at you. You frown, but it quickly turned into a grin. “Not a morning person, huh? You’re just like your dad, oh god.”

“He’ll take that as a compliment.” You turn to look at your husband who stretched by the doorframe.

“I thought you were sleeping.” You take the bottle and begin to feed your son as Yunho approaches you, wrapping his arms around you and being careful to not disturb your child.

“I got lonely.” You snort to yourself as he places a soft kiss on your cheek, your heart warming at the affection.

“Of course you did.”

***

~Year 21~

You were too distracted looking out the window of the cafe to notice San had placed your drink on the table. “Ready to go?” He shoots you a soft smile, his hand held out for you to take.

You look back out the window, seeing your once best friend in a shop with the person he fell in love with. The mark that reminded you of the pain that night you told him continuing to grow, wrapping around your wrist, following up your arm, over your shoulder, crossing your back, and around your waist to the front of your chest, just barely reaching your heart. Did his mark ever grow once?

You looked at San, eyes crinkling as you beam at him, excitement crossing your features as you take his hand. It’s better to move on than wallow in pain. “I’m ready.”

[stilldancewithyou]

no one asked for this, but here is my episode 8 predictions/thoughts:

I feel like there's going to be some type of love declaration from EJ to Gina. maybe he will get pushed to the breaking point or someone will say something that causes him to just blurt it out very loudly in front of everyone, but for some reason I really feel like it will be a really spur of the moment shocking thing.

I think EJ is going to have some sort of breakdown or falling apart moment and hopefully sing a really emotional ballad or a banger like "Scream". I HOPE there's just a moment as they're getting ready or doing some sort of quick dress rehearsal or something where EJ is about to lose it and is completely freaking out, barking orders at everyone, going crazy bc they're not taking it seriously/don't know their lines and someone is says something like "EJ relax it's not a big deal" or "it's doesn't matter it will be fine" and I want EJ to turn around and absolutely let loose a burning rage on everyone. I want him to yell at all of them and tell them all in detail all the ways they've been inconsiderate and unfair to him the whole time, all the ways they've let him down, all the ways they've hurt him (kind of like how Gina told him all the ways she felt he'd messed up/let her down at the prom), I want him to look at each person in turn (Ricky, Gina, Carlos, Maddox, Ashlyn, Courtney, even Val), like a fuck you, and fuck you and fuck you and fuck all of you type of moment and tell them some specific personal way they've hurt him, I want him on the brink of tears telling them all how he brought them to his second home but they left him all alone to have fun without him while he's spent all his time working really hard and stressing out by himself to make this show a success for all of them (so they don't look stupid on a global streaming platform), for Gina, and for his dad and how it's his last summer as kid and as a camper and it's been the worst summer of his life and I want him to finish by saying "since you've all been fine having fun without me at MY camp and clearly don't care about the show and how the production goes I guess you don't need me to direct this show for you anymore so bye I hope it sucks" and then turn around and walk out leaving everyone speechless and not knowing what to do without a director right before showtime. then I want the camera to switch to EJ walking around by himself, crying and singing the most beautiful, emotional ballad of the season

i feel pretty confident the Ricky is going to either a) finally tell Gina what Channing filmed him saying about his feelings for her, or b) Channing and Corbin Bleu will screen a sneak peek/the trailer for the show for the kids and Gina will find out about Ricky's feelings that way. tbh i'm kinda hoping for the latter bc the camera panning to show everybody's reactions would be sooo funny

since the big message of Frozen was that the true love is the love between the two sisters, I feel like Gina will end the season single

I think EJ will get to stay in Salt Lake and he will be the assistant director and work with Miss Jenn (they already showed their sweet, fun dynamic!). I think one of his friends, maybe Gina or Ricky or Ashlyn? will talk to his dad or something and say how good EJ is at theater/directing and how much he loves it

[aroundthewaygirlao3]

A 2nd Portwell Headcanon Collection, Because Why Not?

- Gina's heart melted when she grabbed EJ's phone to look something up and saw the last search in his browser was “why does my girlfriend sleep with a silk pillowcase?”

- When EJ was super stressed about his last round of finals, Carlos and Seb took him for a manicure and pedicure. He was initially a little embarrassed to tell Gina (thanks, Cash, for instilling that patriarchal bullshit into EJ's head), but when she found out, her only reaction was that she was mad at Carlos for not inviting her, too, and made them promise to all go again before EJ leaves for school. 

- After EJ strained a hamstring in a water polo match, Gina taught him how to foam roll the muscle. He was groaning so loudly as he did that Ashlyn yelled "can you two please at least close the door if you're going to hook up while I'm home?" from her room next door.

- Gina confides in EJ that she's worried she'll never get a good role in a musical at East because Miss Jen sees her more as a dancer, and she's worried she's not a good enough singer next to Ashlyn or Nini. EJ thinks that's crazy, but instead of doing something underhanded like he did to instill confidence in Nini, he asks Seb to offer to help her practice, and comes to cheer her on and record it so she can hear how good she sounds.

- They both love The Greatest Showman, in part because they both see themselves and their relationship in Anne and Philip. They have epic car singalongs to Rewrite the Stars.

- EJ makes it his personal mission to get Gina to laugh so hard she snorts. He thinks it's adorable.

- EJ insists on teaching Gina how to drive, despite never letting Ashlyn drive his car, his baby. Gina's normal confidence evaporates behind the wheel, but she refuses to leave the East High parking lot until she feels comfortable. They end up spending six hours on a Saturday just driving in circles.

- Gina's hands are always cold, which is the excuse that EJ gives Ashlyn for why he constantly wants to hold Gina's hand… it's just to warm them up!

- One of their first dates was getting coffee after school. Gina's order: grande iced coffee with almond milk, no sweetener. EJ's order: venti iced nonfat caramel macchiato, sub hazelnut syrup, add two pumps white mocha. Which he ordered unironically and with no shame, like the king that he is.

[twinklelilstarkey]

Stopping You - Michael Gray [Part 9]

Words: 8.2k+

Summary: When finally able to leave the hospital, memories awake buried feelings in both Y/N and Michael.

Warnings: Female!Reader. Mentions of wounds and physical pain. Emotional Cheating. A very slight mention of smut. A character being touch-starved. Being horny [ :) ]. Self hate (discrediting their own sadness and feelings; hateful inner voice). 

Prologue    Part 1    Part 2    Part 3    Part 4    Part 5     Part 6    Part 7   Part 8     Part 9     Part 10

It has been 2 days ever since you woke up.

The doctors don’t seem to be planning on letting you go home this soon since the wound is supposedly still “too fresh” and because “you’re too at risk of ripping stiches”. Which to you, what they are actually trying to say is “you can’t stand still so we will force you to sit the fuck down until you’re good enough to go back home”.

It does sounds more accurate, doesn’t it?

You’re already able to sit up on your own even though it still hurts like a bitch. And you’ve been playing more and more chess with Michael now that Finn and Polly are back to work.

It, honestly, hasn’t been that bad.

It’s still a little tense between you two when stuck in silence but can anybody blame you after all that happened?

But tense or not, you still like his company, nonetheless.

You know, also, that Gina has been making some visits at the hospital. Not to see you of course, but to see him. They always talk to each other behind the doors of your room, in the hallway, whispering and shutting up whenever a nurse or doctor would walk by.

You would’ve been lying if you said that you weren’t curious. But still, it is not your place to make questions about personal matters. So, behind the glass of the doors you stay.

The door of your room swings open again, letting a wave of cold wind hit you and you look up to see Michael, who is staring at the ground.

“Please, Michael. You have to listen to me, this makes no sense-” Gina says loudly, making Michael turn quickly and glare at her.

You look at the two of them confused and Michael whispers something at his fiancée before turning to walk back out of the room, but he doesn’t, he just stands by the door. Gina looks through the glass in the doors at you and you lift an eyebrow as if to question her glance.

She looks away and you grin while looking back to the papers in your lap.

“Go home, Gina” Michael whisper yells at her and you try your best to act as if the conversation is not making curiosity crawl under your skin.

The blonde, standing behind the door, sighs and takes a step back. And after that, all you can hear is her thick heels sound over the stone of the hospital’s hallways.

Michael sighs as her steps echo through the empty side of the hospital and he turns back to you, seeing you smirking while reading whatever is there to read in all the family’s money withdraws.

“Trouble in paradise?” You poke, not even lifting your eyes at him.

He doesn’t answer at first, he just walks towards the chair he had been previously seated and sits down ungracefully.

You chuckle under your breath at his silence and flip over the page, reading the handwritten numbers of everything that has been gained and wasted over the name of the Shelby family.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He pokes back.

You finally look up from the papers and he has a teasing look over his eyes, now.

He’s already comfortable enough to make jokes and tease you back, and, honestly, he almost doesn’t seem like the same Michael from the day after the event.

You don’t hate it. At all.

“Anything is more entertaining than this” You admit, looking back down to your papers.

“I don’t doubt it” He agrees.

You two stay silent again. Minds focusing on two completely different things.

Michael’s travels to Ginna’s words while yours goes back to the numbers.

Gina had just tried to make him follow the plan again. Hurt the prey while it’s weak, she said. But again, he doesn’t agree at all with her words.

Her tone is not understanding anymore, or even slightly sweet. Her tone is what seems to be a way to try and achieve an authorial one. Her words carry venom as she spills the, so, simple task of overthrowing Tommy Shelby.

Michael’s not even sure if she always talked like that and he never noticed, or is it just sounding different now because he can’t stop comparing his fiancée with you. 

He honestly deeply hopes that he could just erase that plan from Gina’s mind, she almost seems obsessed over it. Judging by how tired she looks every time she visits, she must have not been sleeping lately.

How and why did this plan even seem good at all? As Michael always been so power-hungry? As he always been so thirsty for success, or felt pleasure over imagining himself sitting on the family’s throne?

No human doesn’t love success, that is the truth. Especially if it all is signed at the bottom with your family’s last name. But what Michael was planning with Gina is nothing of the sort. This was not about making your own money and achieve your own success. This was taking somebody else’s and claiming it as yours.

And that is nothing but dirty and foul. How could he have thought that this was good in the first place?

Fuck the American companies who shamed his family’s business over the not being the ideal business partners. His family is serious and hard working. They came from absolutely nothing. Unlike all those men, who swim in their, nothing but dirty, money.

He must talk to Tommy, to let him know about what they said. The news are going to be old, and he should’ve just told him everything when he had just talked to them. But he didn’t. And he regrets it now. Deeply.

Better late than never, right?

“When’s the wedding?” You ask, breaking the silence in the room.

Michael blinks his thoughts away and looks back up at you to already find you staring. You look curious.

“We- Uhm… we haven’t decided yet” He answers, short and simple.

You nod while pursing your lips forward in thought.

“And have you decided on where is going to be?” You ask, “At least in what country?”

“Gina wants to marry and live in America” He replies, fidgeting in his seat as his hand reaches his pocket.

Michael moves slowly to grab his cigarettes and his lighter from his pocket as you stare.

You don’t exactly know how to react. You’re quite disappointed with his answer, but you’re sure you’ll be able to accept it with time. At least to slow the bitter truth that is Michael finding love and moving abroad. Again.

But why should you care?

It’s true that you haven’t found love in another someone, but you also haven’t tried. In the time Michael was away, you occupied your mind and your heart with work. With papers just like the one’s that rest over your lap now. But you could start all over again with another person. Right?

But do you even know when you stopped loving him? When you gave up in love?

The answer is no. You don’t remember, nor do you feel it missing in your chest. You care for many people, yet you love less. You can count in your fingers how many people you would actually shed a tear if their life came to an unfortunate ending.

It would consist in people like Polly and Finn. People who took care of you at your lowest but also didn’t let you go when you stood in your own feet.

Michael moves forward to tap down the ashes of his cigarette on the ashtray beside you and you force yourself to look back at your papers.

Is Michael one of them?

(…)

“What’s with that face?” Michael asks as walks out of the bathroom.

You look up from your plate of food, the disgusted scowl still in your face.

“This is horrible” You tell him, cringing as you hold your fork in your hand.

Michael chuckles and you look back down, your fork pokes the small pile of overcooked rice and you swear to God that it just jiggled.

How is that even physically possible?

As you’re too ingulfed in your horrible meal, Michael walks to stand next to you and eyes your food from up close. You look over at him and the same exact features of disgust fill his face.

He looks at you as amusement overcomes your emotions and you giggle before looking at the food again.

“That looks…” He starts and you look up at him as he stands straighter, “Delicious” He says, trying his best to motivate you to eat.

You look at him with both a smile and a frown, and he looks at you, biting his lip to contain his other possible descriptions of your so wonderful meal.

“It could honestly be worse” He says, and you gasp.

“Worse?” You ask, smiling in amusement but also confused with his words.

“Yes…?” He answers, “I ate worse when I was here”

“You did not” You disagree.

“I did!” He defends himself.

“You did not!” You repeat, shifting in your seat.

“Y/N, it was way worse. You threw it at the wall once and it stuck!” He emphasizes the last word.

You bite in your laughter at the memory and shake your head.

“Still think it’s worse”

“Then…” He breathes in, serious look on his face, “You’re blind” A small smile cracks at the end.

You laugh a bit and look back at the metal tray. You poke the rice again and it jiggles one more time, making the man beside you chuckle through his noise, under his breath.

“It’s horrible, Michael” You say, slightly upset over this being one of the only meals you have today.

“It is” He finally agrees.

You sigh and put down your fork, falling back against your bed and your pillows.

“You should still eat-”

“I prefer to starve” You answer with a deep breath.

Michael grabs your tray from the small table in front of you and walks over to put it on the counter next to the door. He grabs the apple and throws back to you, landing beside your legs.

“You could’ve hit me” You say.

You grab it and let it rest over your lap as he walks back to the bed.

“Excuse my horrible aim, your highness” He teases, and you roll your eyes, “You’ve done worse to me before”

“Did not” You defend yourself.

“Yes, you did”

He sits down on the side of your bed, next to your legs.

“Like what?”

“You hit me with a jar once, with a rock back in the field, almost stuck a fork on my hand-”

“Those were not on purpose!” You say with a smile.

He smiles back.

“Don’t care. If I was as a careless as you, I could’ve been decapitated by now” He continues, and you giggle at him.

“Decapitated?” You repeat.

“Yes!” He says loudly, “Don’t you remember when you had that machet-?”

“Excuse you?” You ask, sitting up, “That was nowhere near your face!”

“Because I pulled away!” He says as loudly.

You let out a fit of giggles at the memory and the sight of his widen, terrified, eyes back on that day, and Michael stares at you with a smile.

“Good to know my suffering is that amusing”

You giggle away your worries but all of a sudden, you stop laughing abruptly. Your hand rests under your chest as pain starts to spread over your torso. The painkillers probably exceeded their ability to work, over not being able to cover all the pain since you kept on moving.

“You okay?” He asks, worried, smile completely disappearing.

“Yeah, yeah” You say, a small smile of reassurance on your lips, “I think so”

“Want me to check?”

You think for a second and your mind starts overthinking, what if you just popped a stitch?

“No… I think I’m okay”

He looks at you for a little longer and you lean forward a bit.

“I’m good, Michael, don’t worry”

He stays silent while eyeing, worry filling his thoughts, just like yours, and you sigh.

You bring your hand under your hospital gown and touch the thin bandage carefully. Michael watches as you do it, and you almost sigh in relief as you don’t see any blood on your fingertips.

“See? I’m okay”

He nods and you sit up straighter.

“No more laughing for you, then” He says, patting your leg, and another smile starts appearing in your face.

God, you missed this.

(…)

Michael reenters your room as silent as he can and closes the door slowly. The room is now back to its natural darkness of the night, as it is just 5 past 11pm.

You’re still laying on your side in bed, in a deep sleep, just like when he left you to get something warm to drink.

He walks towards you at slow pace, cold fingers wrapped around his paper cup, holding a fresh and hot coffee. He sets it down by your nightstand, letting the steam lift off the liquid into the cold air of the room.

Michael stares down at the vacant part of the bed by your side and lets himself sit next to you.

His mother had just left. You slept the whole way through her visit, but she didn’t seem to mind. She had a lot to talk with him, mostly business.

“She looks so peaceful while she sleeps.”

That’s what his mother had told him as they stared down at you, sleeping under all your blankets before she had to leave. He didn’t answer her. But he agreed.

“You care for her, Michael?”

“Of course, I do.”

The smile she gave him at the sound of those words was unexpected. It was sweet and loving, just like the look she used to give him back when she saw you two together. Back when you were truly together.

It reminds him of all the memories of all the times you would try to annoy him in family dinners.

He doesn’t know why those memories specifically, but he remembers a lot.

The way he would stare at his mom just to try and ignore you further, all because he was “mad” at you. As if he could ever be mad at you. You wouldn’t even hurt a fly at the time. You wouldn’t even screamed back in arguments.

His mother would only smile at him from the other side of the table while seeing you sigh dramatically and lean back on your chair over the lack of response from your pokes and pinches.

Your distressed feelings wouldn’t last long since you would go back to whispering his name right as the family would restart a loud conversation.

You would give up by dessert. You would just grab his hand and lay it over your lap to play with it, obviously bored with all the business talk.

So many things have changed now.

Without even acknowledging it, Michael brings his hand to your cheek. You flinch a little over how cold his fingers are but after that, you give no other reaction. He moves your hair out of your face and smoothly caresses it.

Michael almost feels like his fingers are vibrating. It’s been so long ever since he had touched you like this. Your skin is almost like silk under his calloused fingers.

His finger traces your eyebrow, brushing it carefully as he stares at you, scared to awake you with any sudden movements.

You look so peaceful while asleep, like everything potentially bad in this world had vanished and you were left to just live all there’s good.

He pulls his hand away after some seconds and looks down at you. He grabs onto the top of your blankets and brings them all the way up to your neck, covering any of your exposed skin from the cold wind that is forcing its way in by the small cracks of the windows.

His hand goes back to your face almost at the same second, almost like he misses touching it. It has been so long since the last time he had done it, it almost feels unreal.

In your deep and peaceful sleep, you move your head over the pillow as his movements slow, making his fingers graze over your skin again. Michael doesn’t move, he just lets you do whatever so you can lay comfortably without any interruptions.

The sound of the harsh wind surrounds the room in that same second, hitting and whistling its way against the old windows.

You dip your head a bit under your covers and Michael chuckles through his nose, under his breath. It was almost like watching a cute little chipmunk hiding back inside its tree over the cold.

Without even realizing, in the moments of silence his brain used to create an alternative reality, all he can think of is how much he wants to hold you right now.

His thoughts are completely oblivious to his reality. The one where you two share as much physical touch as two roosters, both fighting for dominance in a chicken filled world. But he can’t help it. He misses you and your touch. He misses your sweet and long hugs, and how warm you always were.

Not even 2 hours ago you two had been playing chess and everything was so… different. He can’t quite understand why, but something in your interactions was pulling the strings of his heart.

It was like 3 days ago when you were discussing your disgusting lunch, where you laughed so hard you two freaked out over ripping a stitch.

Those moments felt unreal to him. Made him feel warm on the inside.

A few hours ago, maybe it was the way you would laugh at his struggles to win the game after his complete horrible plays, or the way you would smile as he looked down at the board thinking.

But it was something.

You’re staring down at the board, chin resting on your fist as you look down at the chess pieces. Your mind going miles a second with all the plays you can imagine, repeating over and over again to see if they made any sense.

You’re surely slow at this game, slower than you were before, but Michael isn’t complaining.

He leans back on his chair, his victory smile already spreading over his lips while you struggled.

“Stop that” You whisper at him, not looking up.

“Stop what?” He asks, humor thick on his tone.

“Stop thinking you’ve already won” You explain.

You look up with a smile on your face as the competitive bones in your body vibrate for you to be able to win this and show him that you’re more than capable to win him 2 times a night.

Michael is already staring. Your gaze meets his almost immediately, it’s both warm and welcoming as the soft and playful nature of your conversation floats in between you.

You bite your tongue and force yourself to look away and back to the board. Your mind is back to blank, you can’t remember the play you had been repeating in your mind.

“The clock is ticking” Michael teases, making your smile widen.

“Stop” You say waving your hand in the air, so he shuts up.

“Better get ready to lose” He sings his words, and you sigh dramatically.

You cover your ears with both of your hands and force yourself into going back to the “chess mentality”. Michael continues to smile down while looking at you and you bite your lips to try and stop yours.

“Ten seconds left”

You glare at him playfully.

“You’re lying”

“Am not, look at the clock”

You ignore him and go back to the board.

“6… 5… 4…” Michael counts down dramatically.

In the middle of the stress and pressure forced upon you, you move one of your pieces without a second thought. As you place it down, Michael shuts up.

You look up at him and he is just staring you amusingly.

“Are you sure about that one?” He asks and you frown.

You look back at your piece and your eyes widen. Why would you do that? You just handed him the whole game in a gold platter.

“No!” You exclaim, hands flying to your face in embarrassment.

Michael’s laughter feels the room and you hear him move his own piece. Your heart swells at the sound of his cackles and you uncover your face to check the board again.

“I’m not playing anymore” You say, voice muffled by your hands.

“Are you officially giving up?” He teases.

You look at the board again and a fake sad look overcomes your face.

“Yes” You sigh.

Michael laughs again and you can almost feel your lips pulling up again. He starts rearranging the pieces and you stare at him as he does it.

“No need to be that sad over this, you’ll eventually get better” He teases.

“Fuck off” You curse.

He smiles widely at your words and you smile back. You continue to stare at him as he carefully places everything back, both of you silent.

As he finishes, he looks up at you.

“Ready to lose?” You ask him and he leans back in his chair.

“As if that will ever happen”

You smile at him while shaking your head and move your first piece, his eyes still on you as you do it.

The fall from those thoughts back to reality is as harsh as one can be.

He shouldn’t even be touching you right now, you probably don’t even want him to. All you’ve done lately is talk and make jokes, doing this will ruin everything.

Michael, right in that same second, retracts his hand away from your face and stands from the bed’s side. He breathes in sharply as he looks down at you and snatches his coffee back from the nightstand.

He shouldn’t be doing this.

He walks away and takes his seat back against the window.

He can’t do this.

(…)

Finally. The day of your freedom. Well, at least some of it. The day you’re finally leaving the hospital.

Polly is not working for the day, but Finn was forced to stay put and do as told. So, it’s just you and her.

You don’t know where Michael is, honestly. He stayed these past few days and nights with you at the hospital, always present in the room whenever you would fall asleep or wake up.

Whenever you would awake, he would be sitting close to the window, smoking and deep in thought. But not today. Your room was empty, with no sight of life except for your own. It was insanely cold there too. Everything felt different, and also extremely uncomfortable.

Polly appeared 2 hours after you woke up and sat up in bed, and many talks with the nurses later, they give you the good news of finally being able to go home.

You know that Polly is in the hallway talking to someone and it has been doing so for some good minutes since she left.

And since she ditched you for whoever that person is, you are now left alone in the bedroom to try and find a way to get dressed. She had brought you clothes from your house, and those same ones were a suit, and, of course, underwear. Some large suit pants, heels, and a silk dress shirt.

She picked those clothes without probably even realizing that you can’t really move at all. And because of that, you can’t stop cursing her enough.

You love that woman, but she does some things that make you question that same love.

You stand over the cold tiled floor with your wobbly legs and shivers run through your body. Why is everything so cold today?

You strip your hospital gown and put on your underwear, hands, or should you say, body shaking in both cold and, of course, pain.

You’ve now learned how you use your torso for almost every movement in your daily life, and you can’t hate this experience more than now.

You take a seat back on the bed and throw your dress shirt over your shoulders, carefully moving your arms, that feel sore, into the sleeves. The white fabric is freezing against your skin, which just makes you want to get dressed faster.

You button some of the buttons at the end of it quickly and grab your pants, pleading that they will bring you some warmth.

Now, how the fuck are you going to get them on?

Putting on your underwear already hurt as it did, and you did it quickly. But what about something like pants? You know, what you need to adjust a thousand times, so they sit well, and that are baggy enough for them to just slide down your legs when not buttoned at your waist.

Where is Polly when you need her?

Right in that same second, the door of the room opens, and you sigh in relief. Polly must have finally remembered the fact that you struggle to even sit for too long.

“Shit, sorry” Michael’s voice sounds behind you and you throw your head back in disappointment.

“It’s fine” You say, annoyance in your tone, but not over him. “It’s not anything you haven’t seen before”

You lean your head back forward and don’t even care to look over your shoulder at Michael, it’s not like you were naked, so it’s not like he’s seeing anything too bad.

You hold your pants in your hands, thinking deeply of every possible way of how you can get them in both of your legs without leaning too forward, like you did with your underwear (and now regret), and quick enough so they don’t just slide off and fall back to your feet.

“Do you need help?” His voice again.

You sit silent for some time, thinking. You could ask him to call over his mom, but what if she’s talking to someone important?

“Yes, please” You admit, giving up.

You hear Michael’s steps behind you, getting closer to the bed, and as soon as he appears next to you, at the end of the bed, you notice that he’s wearing a full suit, unlike any other day. Coat, blazer and vest. His, now, usual way to wear suits.

“I can’t put these on without them falling or hurting myself” You explain with a hint of embarrassment.

He doesn’t say anything, he just lets his eyes fall to your hands and to your pants. Without making you wait any longer, he stands in front of you and takes the piece of clothing from your hands, exposing the skin of your thighs to him and to the cold room.

He crouches and carefully slides each leg of yours into the pants, you don’t even have to do anything, he’s just doing it all.

“Can you stand?” He asks, his voice deep and low, almost in a whisper.

You nod, not looking away from his hands as they rest over your knees, and he takes a small step back for you to have enough space.

As your feet touch the ground again, Michael pushes the rest of the pants up to your torso, where the mostly unbuttoned shirt is. His fingers drag over your skin as they move to pull your pants up, and you almost gasp.

His blue eyes travel from his hands for the first time to your exposed skin. To your stomach, mostly visible over the unbuttoned shirt, to the bandage and to your chest, partly covered by your bra. His eyes almost feel heavy and his breathing quickens at just the sight. You notice it before he even can.

You look up at his face and right on that second, Michael lets go of your clothing. You don’t say anything at first, still feeling his eyes on you, and you swallow harshly as you feel the familiar tingles travel down your torso to the end of your belly.

God, you don’t remember the last time you, actually, felt turned on. It has been so long. But this surely is not when you expected this feeling to come back.

His gaze is so familiar that you almost have to slap yourself to not let your mind travel to so unholy memories. But, deep down, you would be lying if you said that you wouldn’t want him close to you again.

You clear your throat and finally look away.

“Thank you” You whisper.

Michael snaps back to reality and looks up at you. He gives you a small nod and takes another step back, this time, a bigger one.

You lean against the bed, so the baggy waist of the pants can rest over it and not fall, and you bring your shaking fingers to the buttons of your shirt.

You aren’t shaking over the cold or pain anymore. You’ve never felt so hot in your life. You’re shaking over how many emotions you’re feeling all at once.

You struggle a bit at the beginning, but you finally get the hang of it after some embarrassing seconds. Michael watches as your skin disappears under the thin fabric, as well as the small white bandage that covers your wound.

You don’t care that he watches, honestly. You don’t trust your voice all that much right now, so you can’t hide your emotions by teasing him about it, but he surely knows that he shouldn’t be looking.

He has a god damn fiancée.

You finish adjusting your clothes and quickly grab the blazer from the top of your bed, sliding it over your shoulders quickly.

You walk over past Michael to the small mirror in the corner of the room and you do what you can with your hair, since you seem like a mad woman with this much frizz on it.

The door of the room opens again, and you look through the mirror to find Polly.

“You were able to get dressed on your own?” She asks surprised, sparing her son a quick look of confusion.

“I’m a big girl” You answer before Michael can even open his mouth.

You turn back around and walk towards the bed, letting Polly laugh slightly at your comment. You pay attention to your feet as you put on your heels and Polly decides to talk to her son.

“Are you going to talk to Tommy today?” She asks while walking closer to him.

“Yes”

“When?”

There’s a slight pause.

“In an hour” He answers.

You look over your shoulder confused, and they notice it, looking at you with two different looks.

Polly looks like she’s seconds away of explaining to you what this conversation is about, but Michael, god, he looks like he’s about to plead you on his knees to not even ask.

“Can we go home now?” You ask, fulfilling Michael’s silent wishes.

“Of course,” Polly answers.

She’s the first one to start walking out of the room, yet Michael only moves when you start walking after her.

You look over your shoulder a few times to make sure you’re not forgetting anything behind, and Michael does the same, helping you out with an extra pair of eyes.

You follow Polly through the hallways you do not remember walking down before, and you can’t help but feel a little lost and overwhelmed with how long they are. They all look the same, same paintings, same number of windows, same color of the walls. It’s like a maze.

Some nurses stop to look at the three of you and you look down at the stone under your feet, not wanting to show any sort of discomfort or pain over moving, to anyone but the people close you.

Polly opens the crowded hallways of the hospital with her presence as you reach the actual part of the hospital that everyone is using.

Michael stands now beside you, both hands on his pockets while carrying himself with as much confidence as his mother. You almost feel uncomfortable over how different the energy is between them and you.

As you three move around a turn in the hallways, all types of people move as quick as they can out of your way, but a man is not quick enough.

His shoulder hits yours and you look up at him as a reflex. His eyes are filled with worry as they meet yours, his lips read inaudible apologies as you walk away.

Michael’s hand rests over your shoulder that just got hit, and he pulls you in closer to him, away from the crowd. You look away from the man as he shifts his eyes over to Michael, and you move your gaze back to the ground.

Michael glares at the unknown man and holds you in closer protectively, making the man almost cry in apology.

He looks away and looks down at you, finding you staring at the ground. You feel a slight squeeze over your shoulder, but you don’t look up at Michael, you just look up to look at Polly’s figure in front of you.

You all reach the front door of the hospital and a man, who doesn’t even work at the hospital, opens the door for you three. Michael lets you walk in front of him, letting go of your shoulder, and you wait for him by the door before following Polly to the car.

Most of the things you’re doing right now are not even controlled by you, your body is doing them before you even realize. Leaning against Michael, walking close to Michael, letting him touch you, waiting for him so he can stay beside you.

You don’t know what’s going on, but you’re in too much discomfort to even question it.

You reach Polly’s car and Michael opens the door for you. Polly walks around the car to go to the driver’s seat. You struggle a bit to climb up the seat, but you feel Michael’s eyes on you as you do everything.

You finally sit and the door closes beside you. Michael takes his seat at the passenger seat, beside his mother, who starts the car right in the same second.

You lean your head back and sigh under the loud noise of the car, your eyes closed at the soreness of your whole body and the slight pain of your torso.

The drive to Polly’s house is quiet. Nobody dares to open their mouth to ruin the silence as you suffer from the lack of painkillers in your system on the backseat.

You ended up halfway through the drive finding yourself not looking at the road or outside of your window but looking at Michael. He is at a fair distance for you to see his side profile just right, while you’re hidden from Polly’s eyes in the review mirror.

Your mind is blank as you do it, no memories come to hunt you, nor does any other negative feeling. You are at peace for these minutes. Something you haven’t felt for some time.

As Polly’s car comes to a stop in front of her house, you look away from Michael, careful so he wouldn’t notice.

You wonder what has gotten you so focused on him lately.

It’s weird and rather unfamiliar to look at him and not feel some kind of hatred. Maybe it is the fact that he saved your life, a few days ago. But it’s hard to say. There’s surely something else.

It could honestly be anything at this point too. It could be your way to say that you’re thankful for what he did, or even your way to show yourself that you don’t hate him anymore. But do you?

The door beside you opens and you jump in your seat for being so rudely awaken from your thoughts.

“You alright?” Michael asks from beside you.

You just nod.

He steps away from the door and you see Polly already walking inside the house, not even waiting for you two.

You slide slowly off your seat and stand aside from the door so Michael can close it. He does that and you both walk silently inside his mom’s house.

“Are you staying for lunch, Michael?” Polly screams all the way from the kitchen.

You take your jacket off and he looks over at the kitchen to look at his mother, who awaits his answer.

“Uh, no” He answers, also taking his jacket off. “I’m having lunch with Gina, today”

You swallow hard as you turn around and hang your jacket on the wall. Michael is quick to do the same and you keep your distance from him, walking towards Polly.

“Alright, it’s just us then, Y/N” Polly says with a smile to you and you give the same exact smile.

“Guess so” You say, trying to mimic her excited tone but failing horribly.

Michael looks over at you as you answer with an annoyed tone, but you can’t see him over your back being turned to him. He glances at his mom confused and she just gives him a quick shrug.

“I can stay if you want me to” He says, looking at his mom.

“Oh no, don’t worry about us” Polly says, waving her hand in the air to dismiss him, “Y/N is going to be working for most of the day anyways”

Michael does a quick nod, and you walk in the kitchen, leaning against the counter.

Your heart is beating faster than normal, you really weren’t expecting him to offer to have lunch with you two. Was it because of your tone?

Polly walks over to a cabinet and starts to grab the things she will need for whatever she’s making for lunch.

Michael appears next to you and takes a seat on one of the highchairs next to you. You ignore his presence and lace your own fingers together over to counter to hide your sweaty palms.

What is going on with you?

(…)

“Can you please let go of that and eat?” Polly asks you and you look up from the papers in front of you.

“Sorry” You say with a slight smile.

You grab your fork and eye the freshly made meal in front of you. Your mind is heavy with so many thoughts that it’s hard to even want to stop to work. You need to distract yourself, or else you’re going insane.

Could you be liking Michael all over again? Is that what’s happening?

He will hurt you again, you know. He has a person that he loves, now. Gina. You’re nothing to him anymore, just a friend… Oh… Can you even be considered a friend?

Have you even forgiven him yet?

You’re jumping to conclusions just because he is close to you. He has no interest in you anymore, Y/N. Grow out of it. Stand your ground. You’re being ridiculous. Since when are you this weak?

You bring a hand over your forehead in frustration and you rub your skin to try and make the thoughts go away.

“What’s wrong?” Polly asks as she looks up from her lunch at you.

“Nothing” You say, shaking your head a little.

“You lie to me now?” She comments, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. “Be honest, come on”

“It’s nothing bad, Pol, I swear”

“Just tell me what it is about” She asks, curious, “You’re supposed to be relaxing, and you’ve been all tense since you got here”

You lean back on your chair as well and put your fork down.

You’re falling in love again. You want to forgive him. After so many years of fighting for your worth. Everything in the garbage now. All because he showed you the simplest of human empathy over being shot.

Your heart is beating rapidly against your chest as your gaze shifts over to the ceiling, your body seeking comfort in the memories that rest so deep and distant in your mind as your negative thoughts fight for dominance.

“I feel weak” You comment, “It’s ridiculous, it is. But I can’t help it”

Tears water your eyes in that same second and you sigh loudly at how ridiculous this whole thing is. You shouldn’t be crying. There’s nothing to cry about.

“Why do you feel that way?” Polly asks softly, worry heavy on her tone.

You wipe your tears away quickly and sniffle shortly, not wanting to show how upset you really are.

“I don’t know. I was okay before all of this. All I could feel was anger in me, or I just felt normal, and now-” You gasp for air as a sob fights its way to your mouth, “And now all I feel is sadness. It’s like… It’s like everything is crashing down on me”

Polly stares at you confused. Yes, you haven’t been your so happy self with her since you got home, but she just thought it was because you were tired.

You looked just fine back at the hospital yesterday when you were playing chess with Michael.

She stands in her chair and walks over to you as you wipe your tears forcefully, hating to be this distraught over something you don’t even fully understand.

“What is this about?” She asks, resting her hand over your cheek.

You shake your head, and you swallow your tears quickly. You’re stronger than this.

“I just feel like everything is going backwards” You admit, staying silent for some seconds, “I’m not healing anymore” You breathe in, “It’s like the wound is reopening again and it’s all my fault.”

You don’t use the actual words of what you are feeling. You’re too embarrassed to admit it out loud. But, at the same time, you’re scared that Polly might think you’re weak, or even ridiculous. Just like you do.

You’re at fault here, nobody else is. You made your bed by acting all nice and sweet with him, and now look at what you’ve done. You ruined everything.

Polly eyes you as she rethinks your words, not taking them literally and not thinking about your actual wound, and leans over at you, eyeing you eye to eye.

She frowns a bit as you calm down slowly after your confession and her thumb smooths your skin away carefully.

“Is this about-” She stops herself about instantly. It has to be.

You look away from her embarrassed and she eyes you sweetly. Her other hand coming up to cup your other cheek as she makes you look at her.

She understands it.

It’s like love is crushing you. Crushing your every little bit of strength all over again. Like it’s destroying you and destroying everything you’ve built in these 2 years.

As if your walls are falling, and all its bricks are laying on top of you. Punishing you for not fighting whoever attacked them or threatened to destroy them.

Polly continues to stand silent and pulls you into a hug, you lean forward in your chair and wrap your arms around her, right away. She wraps hers the same way and squeezes you close to her.

Kisses lay over your head as she hugs you close to her and you feel your chin start to shake again.

You’re falling again.

(…)

“Are you listening to me?” Gina asks and Michael looks up at her.

“No, sorry” He says shaking his head a bit, “I was thinking about work”

“It’s okay,” She forgives, “I was saying that I talked to some people back in America today…”

Michael holds a frown almost instantly.

“-And we’ve talked about all sorts of wedding venues” He tenses up, “The price range changes a lot from whether we want an outside reception or not”

“Hum…” He itches the back of his neck, “Yo-you’ve already decided on a date?”

“Of course!” She answers with a smile, “You said back at the ship that the sooner the better and I’ve checked with a lot of people and…” She stops to add suspense to her speech, “We can get it done next month” She announces.

Her excitement is not even slightly mirrored by her fiancé.

“What?” She asks, smile falling off her features, worry in her tone, “Do you not like the idea?”

Michael opens his mouth to answer but closes it right away, so she continues.

“I thought it would be a good thing.” She explains, “Since we’re not doing- what we were supposed to be doing, for now, and it’s always better to come back home earlier than expected- Do-do you not agree?”

“I uhm… I just thought we would have a longer engagement, that’s all” Michael says quickly. “But uhm…”

There are a few seconds of silence until he rethinks her words.

“For now?” He repeats confused, “Gina, god. We won’t be doing our plan anymore. You know that better than anyone.”

“Michael let’s not talk about this, please” She says as she brings her glass of wine to her lips.

“Gina, just listen to me.” He says calmly, “We’re not doing anything. I’ve talked to Tommy today and he’s already dealing with all of this”

“What?”

“I’ve talked to Tommy about-”

“Our plan?!” She asks scared.

“No.” Michael says in a scowl, “I told him what they told us, that they didn’t want to work with us. That’s all”

“Why would you do that?” She asks, disappointment and anger being the only expressions readable on her face.

“Because Gina… We are not doing this anymore” He repeats.

“You shouldn’t have done that” She says, shaking her head, “You should’ve asked for my opinion, for my side on this. You can’t decide everything on your own, I was in this too”

“I had to. It feels wrong to betray my family” He explains, feeling helpless, “How can you not understand?”

There’s a quick silence between them.

“I can’t understand because it was so sudden, Michael. I don’t know what happened when I wasn’t with you here, but we came into this country with a plan. A perfect plan that would only help us both. And now…” She sighs, “You just don’t want to do it anymore?”

“I’ve said this before. It doesn’t feel right to take everything out of my family’s name and put it in mine.” He answers calmly, “I can’t do it to them”

She shakes her head disappointingly.

“We can still live our lives after this plan, Gina. We did it for a year. We can still do it now” He insists. “Our relationship wasn’t about this before, and surely isn’t now”

His words didn’t sound right to him. It didn’t sound like he was convincing Gina anymore; it was like he was convincing himself.

And she noticed the hesitation on his words.

“Why did you say it like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you are actually thinking twice if our relationship was just about business”

“You know that’s not true, Gina” He says disapprovingly.

“Well, it sounds like it” She says, anger on her tone, “I don’t know what has gotten into you Michael. Or what girl got on you, but you have to remember who really is on your side here.” She emphasizes the world ‘girl’.

“What are you talking about?”

“When we came here, she laughed over what happened with you at the Crash. Laughed, Michael. She wasn’t on your side” She exclaims.

He looks down at his food.

“I was always by your side. I was there when we saw all the numbers go down. Where was she? Here, probably cursing you and blaming you for everything that happened”

“It was my-”

“No, it wasn’t. We’ve talked about this. The warning that your cousin gave to you to pull out could’ve been just a false warning, you did what was right-”

“I don’t get where you’re going with this.” Michael interrupts.

He looks back up.

“She is not your fiancée, Michael. I am. I get it that she was in your past, for whatever reason, and that she got hurt. But we came into this country for a reason. Our. Plan. And she made everything stop.”

He stays quiet.

“There shouldn’t be sides for you to pick, Michael. I should be your priority.” She scoffs, “If we’re not here doing anything, then we might as well just leave.”

He stays quiet, again, but this time he shakes his head.

“See? You’re picking to stay here. Again.” She nods. “She’s your priority, Michael. And you should feel disgusted with yourself”

She looks away from him as Michael doesn’t agree or disagree, he just stares blankly at her in silence.

She breathes in deeply and grabs the napkin off her lap.

“I’ll see you back at the hotel. We can talk about this later” She whispers at him.

She rises from her chair and walks away from the table, leaving her dinner not even half eaten and most of her wine still on her glass.

He watches her as she walks away and out of the restaurant, yet his heart doesn’t budge, not even a little. He feels relieved as she walks away, but this new conversation is still difficult for him to process.

There is something stopping him.

Stopping him from disagreeing with her words. Something that is keeping his mind clogged in these situations. Something that whenever close, it makes his heart speed up and question his loyalty. As horrible as that sounds.

He knows what, or rather who, that something is. He doesn’t want to admit it, but it’s there.

And everything is coming back with it. Whether he likes it or not.

Taglist: @ohhersheybars @woodland-mist @onlythechicagoway @soleil-dor @finn-shelbys-bulldog @oh-theres-a-woman @peakyxtommy @ms-reader @beautycinders @lovemissyhoneybee @graceedwards @jadesbabylon @marvelismylifffe @a-dorky-book-keeper @peakascum @shanetoo @hufflemendes @cherrytop02 @http-cherries @burnitup @livingforbarnes @iccyyyybitch @ravennaofasgard @carezzesuigraffi @fernweh-fangirl @hufflepeople @huskyhunny @desertgremlin @fireawayxx @lemur46 @sugarcoated-lame @i-sneeze-to-appease @gabytodd​ @cococola-cocaine​

If you’d like to be apart of the taglist, let me know.

Hope you enjoyed this! If would like to make any questions about the characters or when the next part will be available. My ask box is always open.

[leverage-ot3]

hi I’m not sure if y’all have seen these but the leverage gag reels are AMAZING

season two

https://youtu.be/4dOZwAeeBjs

highlights:

chris and aldis fighting over who gets to do ‘the arm cross’ and beth narrating

“why don’t you go perm your hair”

chris constantly fixing his hair

“want me to go downstairs and tear his feet off and beat him with it?” “want me to go downstairs and tear his arm off and feed it to him?” “want me to go downstairs and hold him down while hardison fists him?” (and beth’s hand gestures had me rolling)

“OH MY GOD HE PASSED OUT”

aldis “double secret penetration” hodge AND THE REST OF THE CAST LOSING THEIR SHIT

“I thought you were offering him sex”

“I signed three sets of breasts on the way to my car and three of them were chicks!”

beth aldis and chris pretending to have an affair on set, setting ot3 vibes from the very beginning

season three

https://youtu.be/mpOJN6bl_Co

highlights:

beth and gina and the gibberish dialogue from the rashomon job and how they COULD NOT stop laughing

beth yelling “oh shit” in the ho ho ho job and immediately dying and apologizing to all parents and children on set + chris “just say earmuffs” kane

aldis not being able to buckle his seatbelt

aldis feeding the women and then the director

the beautiful montage of gina slapping tim

the cast getting the crew a dick in a box doughnut

season four

https://youtu.be/oQg76juiGRk

highlights:

gina “fucky ducky!” bellman

apparently they don’t put beth and gina on scenes together because they can never keep a straight face and I love them for that

beth falling in the long way down job but bringing chris down with her lmfao

*plane noise outside* chris: “you callin me a liar because I’ll get on this fuckin plane and leave right now”

“charlie!” “sup boo how you livin’”

aldis “I ain’t no quail (?) I get my chicken from popeyes $2.99 a bucket what’s up?” hodge

beth riding piggyback on chris, making horse noises and saying “gidde up!”

beth seductively “what’s up chocolate” at aldis

“I snuck into tim’s trailer when he wasn’t there, and I put my name on his door and I took a nap,,, and I accidentally wet the bed”

the team skipping out of the fog in the carnival job

season five

https://youtu.be/eVXpFZGZU4Y

highlights:

aldis at the black girl in the cooking class: “oh thank god! I didn’t think black people existed in portland, oregon! I’m so happy to see you!” *tries to hug her* “is that not the line?”

“are they happy?” *shakes doll* “are they sad?” *shakes doll* “are they mad?” *shakes doll and it’s head falls off* + aldis laughing and chris picking the head back up for him

aldis, seductively: “babe, you seem kinda down” beth, losing it: “oh my god!”

“hey babe the candy shop’s open, you in?” “yeah, I can go for some chocolate” “heeeeeey”

“hi. welcome to my diner. black noodles, mmmmmm.”

“no I will not play with your cockpit”

beth “teach me how to dance” riasgraf

beth nudging aldis then chris, chris shoving her into aldis who runs into a vent loudly LMFAO the ot3 would tho

(there’s no season one gag reel I could find on youtube, sadly)

[frostedfaves]

Colors

Pairing: Rosa Diaz x fem!reader

Requested by anons: “Oh oh! Wife!reader x rosa diaz! Reader who is also a detective at the 99 knows the story behind Rosa's pink hair (maybe r played a part in the story, a huge at home hair dye accident or smh) and one evening when they're all gathered at the bar Rosa gives her wife permission to tell the story to their colleagues. Jake and gina have kept pestering for the story the whole day annoying both rosa and the wife to no end. Thanks!” -and- “ "This is all your fault." "I hope so." With reader and rosa?”

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: none that I can think of!

A/N: I had to split up the quotes in order for it to make sense and I just realized Rosa says both haha. Hope this turned out okay and thanks again to the anons that requested these! Flashback in italics.

-

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s happening!” Jake shouted as he ran into the break room, followed by an equally excited Gina. Amy and Terry immediately shared a nervous look.

“I know I’m going to regret this but...what’s happening?”

Gina covered Jake’s mouth, grinning at Amy with wild eyes. “Rosa has pink hair!”

“What?!” Charles shrieked, nearly falling out of his chair.

“I know!” Jake responded just as loudly. “Well it’s more of an ombre/highlight situation than a full head thing but it’s still pink!”

“Okay, okay. Everyone needs to get it together so we can be normal in front of Rosa now and corner Y/N about what happened later.”

The detectives excitedly chatted about the situation, instantly falling silent the moment you and Rosa walked in the room. She kept going to the coffee maker, leaving you in the doorway to observe Jake, who was visibly shaking. Before you could question him about it, he broke.

“Tell us why Rosa has pink hair!”

-

The sound of your name coming from just behind your head made you jump violently. You readjusted the smoothie you’d nearly knocked over in shock, turning to face Jake and Gina with a glare.

“What do you two want?”

“What makes you think we want something?” came from Gina at the same moment that Jake asked “So what’s the tale of the pink hair?”

“Nice try.” You turned back to your desk, rolling your eyes when Jake sat on the chair by your side, Gina perched on your actual desk on the other side of you.

“Come on, N/N, please?” Gina practically begged. “It’s not like you’re bound by contract or something.”

“Actually, I am.”

Jake immediately scoffed. “Oh yeah? Let’s see this contract. I’m sure there’s some kind of loophole in it.”

“Here it is.” You held up your hand and pointed to your ring with a smug smile. “And the only loophole it has is the one I stuck my finger through.”

“Title of your sextape,” Jake grumbled as he got up and walked off, Gina following with a sigh.

-

An hour after your shift, the squad was spread out among a couple booths at Shaw’s. You were telling Rosa some dumb thing one of your perps said earlier as her hand rubbed gently across the shoulder that wasn’t leaning into her, your own hands bouncing between holding your drink and playing with her newly dyed ends. With everyone else drinking and goofing off, the two of you were tucked away in your own little bubble. One that Jake apparently had no problem bursting.

“Okay, I will pay your whole tab if you just tell me what the hell happened to your hair!” Jake pleaded with a defeated sigh as he slid into the booth across from you. Rosa’s eyes met yours for a moment, a playful smirk appearing as she turned back to Jake.

“Alright.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Sure. I love free drinks.” She shrugged halfheartedly, her hand sliding from your shoulder down near your elbow. “But you’re paying for Y/N’s drinks too.”

“Deal!” His lips held a grin that would put a cheshire cat to shame as he rounded up the squad to approach the booth, rather quickly as everyone seemed to be interested in the story by now.

“Alright, so here’s how it happened,” you began once the squad was settled.

-

“Babe?” Rosa called just before turning into the aisle you were in. “Oh, there you are. You ready to get out of here?”

You turned to look at her with a grin, holding a couple boxes close to your chest. “Hey baby...how much do you love me?”

“More than anything else in the world, but I’m thinking not this much.” She stepped forward and took the items from your hands. “No. Absolutely not.”

“But Rosa,” you immediately whined, wrapping your hands around hers. “Please let me try! You let me do the bleached ombre and look how well that turned out!”

Rosa sighed, wanting to turn you down because you were in no way a professional hair stylist and it was only with sheer luck that her hair had come out right the first time. Then again, she’d never in her life not given you what you wanted.

“Fine.”

You immediately squealed, taking the boxes from her hands and wrapping your arms around her neck. “You won’t regret this!” You pulled away from the hug and pecked her lips quickly. “Come on, let’s go!”

-

“Alright, let’s see the masterpiece!” You bounced on your toes, excitement seeping out of your pores as you started to take Rosa’s hair out of the wrappings. You fell flat on your bare feet as soon as you caught sight of the color. “Oh no.”

Rosa whipped around immediately to look at you. “Oh no what?! What did you do?”

“Well…” You nervously bit your lip, backing away a bit. “It’s definitely not burgundy.”

You closed your eyes tightly as your wife ran into the bathroom, flinching a bit as she yelled your name in a surprised and very very angry tone. You ran after her, stopping just outside of the doorway.

“Maybe it’s not ruined! Maybe it’ll look better after you wash and dry it,” you quickly suggested, timidly playing with your fingers.

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it’ll look much less like Pepto Bismol then. This is all your fault.”

“Says the woman who tried doing dirty things to me while I was mixing the dye.” Your eyes widened when she turned to glare at you. “I meant to say ‘thank you, sweet wife, for allowing me to try dyeing your hair’!” You let out a relieved sigh as she slammed the door and turned on the shower.

-

“Wait, so you look like a stereotypical rebel teen right now because you couldn’t keep your hands off your wife? That’s it?” Gina asked, you biting back a laugh as Rosa’s eyes met yours again for a moment.

“What do you mean ‘that’s it’? What were you expecting me to say?”

“I don’t know. Maybe that this was the first step in your transition into ‘bubblegum princess’ or something.” Jake shrugged, also obviously disappointed with the story.

“Whatever. Go pay our tab. I’m ready to leave.” Jake headed off to the bar, the rest of the squad dispersing as Rosa turned to you once more.

“I really am sorry about your hair,” you mumbled as your hands found her free one.

“It’s okay.” She lightly kissed the side of your head, quickly before anyone could call her out on the small act of vulnerability. “I’d let you do it again in a heartbeat, sabotage free of course. I’m sure it’ll turn out better that way.”

“You think so?”

“I hope so.”

[latte-hotte]

hey remember that one time that uhhh,,,danny lawrence literally died for laura??? hahahah neither does anyone else apparently