#has gotten the ‘you’ll never be a real woman’ comment and thanked the person

[selfinserttothestars]

Promoting my trans Kalim agenda

[xoxo-teddybear]

Oh, The Lies You Tell - Bakugou Katsuki - pt. 2

Bakugou x f!reader

Warnings: angst, trauma, abuse, betrayal, fluff, slice of life, smut, cursing, manipulation, possible spoilers, physical harm, 18+

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

Ep. Warnings: fluff, childhood trauma, cursing, Bakugou kinda OOC, DADZAWA

Summary: More Bakugou x reader interaction! And Y/N’s first time training with the students and showing off her “quirk.” How will the students react?

Pt.1 Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt.4 Pt.5 Pt.6 Pt.7 Pt.8 Pt.9

Once you saw the familiar blonde, you smiled. “.....hey back, cutie.” You said with confidence. Bakugou only blushed at the comment and sucked his teeth as he rolled his eyes.

“Soo...you’re my escort?” You flirtatiously asked. You can’t help it, it’s just your personality. Plus, after years of villainous work, you had to learn how to speak with a calm and seductive voice to get your way with your victims.

“Yeah, that means I’m stuck with your dumbass for the next few months. So try to keep up and don’t you dare hold me back.” He ferociously said. You just giggled and went to mess with his unbuttoned shirt collar.

“Whatever you say, Fiesty,” as you examined his clothes, you just had to speak up again. “Whattup with the clothes? No tie, no tuck, no....prestigiousness?” Bakugou scoffed at your question.

“Oh yea? Like you’re one to talk. You completely changed your uniform. You realize the girls in UA don’t dress this-“ you cut him off.

“What? Rebellious?”

“I was gonna say hot.”

“That works too.”

“Suits you real well.”

“Oh, I bet it does,” you smirked. During your time throwing spitfire replies to one another, you realized how close both your faces have gotten. You saw ruby eyes, perfect porcelain skin with the perfect amount of tan, soft but fluffy, spiky, blonde hair, and a smirk that copied your own. As Bakugou was too busy admiring your looks, you gently placed two fingers under his chin.....and flicked his head upwards at the sky.

“Hehe...let’s go, Cutie. You gotta show me my dorm, remember? Cant stand here forever staring at me.” You chuckled to yourself.

“I was not doing any of that shitty woman!” Bakugou yelled. As Bakugou did that, Rumor ran right across him making his balance go all outta wack.

“Heh..yeah, sure.” You said as you walked off with Rumor, petting his head. Oh, this is gonna be fun.

——————————————————————————

On the walk to the dorms, you and Bakugou got to know each other quite well. Just the basics though. Favorite music, favorite foods, personality types, likes and dislikes, all that good stuff. You also both shared a little flirtatious banter, not that you minded, however it threw Bakugou off. When the fuck does he ever talk like that? As you both walked up to the entrance you realized something.

“Hey, you never asked me about my quirk. How come?” You asked as you both continued to walk to the doors.

“Don’t need to. I’ll see all I have to see tomorrow during training.” Bakugou said.

“Makes sense.” You replied.

“Of course it does,” He said as he opened the doors to give you a tour. You were in awe. Growing up, you never really had a home before the league. You slept in benches, jail cells, or straight on the ground outside in the rain. But this? Basically luxury to you, but of course you kept up a chill persona.

“This is the common area, kitchens over there, everyone gets their own bathrooms, the showers are that way, and I’ll show you to your dorm,” Bakugou said, giving you the “grand” tour. As you walked up to your room, you saw how already filled it was...but this wasn’t any of your stuff.

“Didn’t realize you were into music like that.” Bakugou said. When you turned to look at your desk, you saw how large it was and how there was a control panel they used at recording studios on it. Set up with it was a microphone that artist used when recording their songs and there was a mini keyboard and acoustic guitar set up on the side. Then it hit you. You had gone over your interest with Mr. Aizawa, guess he filled up the room to make you more comfortable OR to make it seem like you were a normal kid who actually had stuff. In reality, you had nothing but your villain costume (which you demanded to be kept) and Rumor.

“Umm...not really. I just sing a little and enjoy writing little songs. Nothing special really,” you replied to him. “Uh, could you give me a sec? I wanna change out of this uniform and relax a little.” You said to him.

“Yeah, sure. Dinner starts at 6 so be down by then and come meet the rest of the morons.” He said as he backed out the room and walked on to wherever. You began to explore the room. Rumor took comfort on the soft bed, and you looked at the recording area. It was amazing. You strummed the guitar, taking in it’s beautiful sound and dabbled on the keyboard. You then realized.

“Rumor! What am I gonna change in to?! I literally have nothing!” You said as you ran to your closet, astound when you saw the large amount of clothes, along with a little sticky note.

Enjoy the gift, Y/N! Cant wait to have you in class!

- Ms. Midnight

“Midnight, huh? Then these clothes must be hot as fuck!” You excitedly said. Safe to say you put on a little fashion show for yourself and Rumor. As you put on the clothes and made new outfits, you noticed how she had gone for the typical “baddie style.” Lots of ripped jeans, plenty of casual heels, thigh high boots, leather jackets, bomber jackets, crop tops, tube tops, and of course booty shorts. You also noticed the massive amount of jewelry given to you. Plenty of necklaces and anklets. Very pretty.

Once done with your little show, you and Rumor looked at the clock. 5:30.

“I think we should stay in here. Who needs dinner anyways?” Rumor only growled at you. He knew better. You both needed food and you should go down there and make some friends.

“Oh c’mon! We’ve gone days without food before, why not now?” You saw how Rumor gave you this look of ‘because it wasn’t available then’ and you rolled your eyes knowing your friend was right.

“Fineeeeeee,” you reluctantly said as Rumor gave a happy bark and wagged his tail. You changed into some comfortable clothes and went to the common area.

When walking down there, you saw a spikey read head, a tall black haired boy, a girl with long greenish hair, and then you saw Deku, Kaminari, Uraraka, Todoroki, and Bakugou. While they were talking, the red head took notice of yours and Rumor’s presence.

“Oh! Hey L/N! Rumor! Come join us!” How sweet of him to include Rumor. As you both walked towards a single open seat on a solo couch seat, you saw how everyone had their eyes set on you with a smile.

“Umm....hey.” You nervously let out with a small laugh. As you tried to settle, Rumor placed his head on your lap to calm you down and Bakugou took notice of this.

“Would you idiots stop staring at her like that? She’s obviously kinda nervous.” Bakugou said with his head thrown back on the couch. The red head then spoke up to agree.

“Oh right! Sorry about that L/N!” He said kindly.

“No, it’s no trouble. And you guys can quit the formalities and just call me Y/N. I don’t mind!” You sweetly said.

“Alright then, nice to meet you Y/N! I’m Eijirou Kirishima, this is Hanta Sero, and Tsuyu Asui. I’ve heard you already met these guys, and I’ve also heard you got Bakugou as your escort!” Bakugou growled at Kirishima for mentioning that.

“Yeah! He’s kinda.....bratty?” You teased. Bakugou only looked at you with wide angry eyes and a small blush.

“Ha, yeah. Bakubro can be a brute, but when you get to know the guy, you find out he’s just a big ole softie with rough ways.” He joked.

“I AIN’T SOFT SHITTY HAIR!” Bakugou screamed. The group just giggled and watch the interaction go on. You guys talked and laughed and they got to know about you and Rumor a little better. Finally, a girl with a black ponytail came in.

“Hey guys! Dinner’s ready! Oh! And L/N, we made 2 steaks for Rumor. I hope you don’t mind.” She said.

“Oh not at all! Thanks you guys, that was really sweet of you.” Rumor understood what was going on just by the scent in the air and he was excited. As you all walked to the table and took ur seats, everyone got to talking again. Dinner went on and Rumor was enjoying his steaks.

“Man..what a lucky dog. Steak for dinner.” Kirishima spoke. Everyone chuckled and continued on. The girl with the pony tail, who you learned was nicknamed Momo, walked in with a final pot.

“Okay you guys! This is the final dish! Just some Miso soup to peck on. Kaminari, can you go and grab the ladel?” As the blonde walked away, everyone was excited for the dish.

“Sorry guys, the soup is a little too hot. You should wait for it to cool down before digging in,” Momo said apologetically.

“Oh hey, no worries, I have a solution!” You said as you made a tiny little tornado with you air bending and sent it to the pot of soup on the table to cool it down. The massive amount of steam was clearly decreased and everyone thanked you.

“So your quirk is tiny tornadoes?” Bakugou whispered to you as he was the one sitting next to you.

“No, you dummy.” You giggled until you heard a crack. Everyone looked over and saw Kaminari broke the one and only ladel. Everyone booed and sighed at the loss of miso soup and the poor blonde just apologized with a nervous smile.

“It’s fine you guys, we don’t need a ladel. Who wants some miso?” You asked and everyone raised their hands. So, you used your water bending to pick up the soup give some to all your classmates. Everyone was confused but impressed.

“Okay, what the hell is your quirk?” Bakugou asked in confusion.

“You’ll find out soon, Cutie.”

“Whatever you say, Princess.” He replied back.

It was safe to say the new nickname left you in shock with some blush and you noticed everyone stopped eating to look at you both.

“........huh?!” The group simultaneously said with blank and confused faces as Bakugou yelled at them saying they heard nothing.

——————————————————————————

The next day the students met up with Mr. Aizawa wearing any comfortable gym/fighting attire. Instead of meeting at Gym Gamma, the teacher took his students out to the Sports Festival Areana. The students all buzzed with excitement, most only wanting to know the new student’s quirk and fight style.

“Okay, today we’ll be doing sparring matches. We’ve paired you all up based on skill level and experience. One battle at a time. Whoever makes it to the top 3, those students are excused from classes tomorrow. Get warmed up, take your seats, and I’ll call up the first two fighters.” Mr. Aizawa spoke.

The students were ready. Everyone was, but no one was prepared for you. They never saw your fight style, never saw you use your quirk for battle, never even saw you pick a fight. This’ll be interesting.

“Okay bud, since it’s a 1v1, you’re benched.” You spoke to Rumor. He whined at the fact that he wouldn’t be getting any action but nonetheless, listened to his best friend. “Oh don’t give me that sass, why don’t you go talk to Kirishima or Bakugou while I’m in battle. Fair?” Rumor huffed at you, but you took it as compliance.

“Hey, Princess.”

You turned to who called you and saw Bakugou and what appeared to be his little posse following him. It consisted of Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, and Mina.

“Oh hey guys. What’s up?” You asked.

“We’re all pumped up to see your quirk! Those tricks you did during dinner last night had us all coming up with ideas on what it could be.” Mina squealed. “I guessed substance manipulation.”

“Telekinesis,” Kirishima said

“Weather powers,” Sero guessed

“Food control!” Kaminari answered. Oh what a piece of work that one is. Everyone looked at the fool with raised brows.

“Heh...guess not.” The goofy boy said with a scratch to his head. You all laughed and you looked towards Bakugou waiting for him to answer.

“Well..what’s your guess, Cutie?” You looked towards Bakugou as he just stared at you.

“Elements,” he said calmly. That shocked you. Who knew someone was gonna guess. Well, he was still wrong considering it wasn’t really a quirk but yeah.

“Just a guess. I’ll figure it out once I see you fight.” He added on.

“Oh yeah! Mr. Aizawa pairs us up based on skill level and experience! We’ll get to know more about how you fight based on your partner.” Mina said.

As the group continued talking, Mr. Aizawa finally came to speak up.

“Okay, listen up. I’m sure you’re all curious as to what L/N is able to do, so our first match we’ll be L/N vs. Todoroki.” Everyone had their jaws drop. Shoto Todoroki?!? He was one of the top students in the class in both intelligence and physical skill. He is an excellent fight with a powerful quirk. How the hell are you supposed to win. You only smirked and walked up to the fighting area. As you walked, a pair of red eyes followed you.

‘What the hell can this chick do?’ Bakugou thought to himself.

As you and Todoroki met in the middle facing each other with Mr. Aizawa in between you both, he spoke up.

“Okay, here are the rules......there are none. The match will begin when you hear the buzzer go off. You’ll hear 3 beeps then a ring, then you can spar. You can use your quirk at any level, do whatever you may please, do whatever it takes to win. The match stops when one of you falls off the square or is knocked out and unable to continue fighting. Understand?” He said while looking at both of you and speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. You both nodded your heads but Mr. Aizawa looked at you with a more stern stare.

“Do you understand, Y/N?” He asked once more. You nodded your head and waited for him to start the match. He walked off the field and went to sit with the class. They all stared in anticipation. Bakugou focused his eyes on you.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Ring!

At the first second, Todoroki used his left side to throw some fire your way. At the sight of the burning flames you only smirked and extended your hand. Everyone watched you do, what they thought was, nothing. They only saw you stand there.

“Y/N DO SOMETHING!” Bakugou screamed in fear of you getting hurt.

When the flames came close enough, you used your fire bending to move them around your body and attack Todoroki. The boy had a quick reaction and sent an ice wall towards you. Perfect. You ran to the ice coming your way and turned it into water, which you used to push back Todoroki, closer to the edge. You sent fire his way and he ran at you, dodging it and attempting to strike you. You flipped away from him. Everyone saw how acrobatic you were. When he came closer once more to punch you, you turned to you side and struck his right shoulder, paralyzing his arm.

Todoroki screamed in shock and pain as he realized he couldn’t feel his arm. He sent more fire to you, in which you used your air bending to put the flames out. You used your earth bending to lift the area that Todoroki was standing on into the air, as he flew through the air, you blasted fire from your feet to get up in the air and blasted him with a gust of wind that knocked him out the area of the square. When he fell to the ground, he hit the field instead of the square, meaning he lost. You fell closer to the concrete but used your fire to slow down before you could crash. Once you landed you looked around for Aizawa.

Beeeeeeeepppppp!!

“That’s the match. L/N wins.” You looked around and everyone still sat in shock. Nobody even clapped. They just looked so....impressed? Kaminari was in the middle of petting Rumor and when he stopped, Rumor noticed the match was over and saw you standing. He howled to cheer for you as everyone ran down to say something. As the crowd came up to you, you were hit with compliments.

As the class continued to hype you up, you saw how Bakugou still just stared at you. You walked over to him.

“Impressed?” You asked.

“......you’re good.” Bakugou still said in slight shock. You only laughed at his answer. You knew he thought more, but you weren’t gonna push him. Every one saw Todoroki get up and limp towards you.

“L/N....that was a great fight. You’re incredibly skilled.” He complimented.

“Thank you Todoroki. And please, I told you to call me Y/N.” You kindly said

“Right, of course...ah.” He hissed in pain. You felt bad for how hard you went on him.

“Here..let me just,” you took the moisture in the air and took water out of it. You used it to heal up Todoroki’s injuries and soothe his pain. “Feel better?”

“Very much, yes. Thank you.” He said.

“No problem, but your arm is a different story. I temporarily paralyzed it with my dim mak fighting style. It’ll take some minutes for it to come back fully.” You explained.

“Okay. That was really impressive. I had no idea there was a fighter like you.” He said once again.

“Whats dim mak?” Kirishima asked.

“It’s the fighting style I use. It’s attacks a person’s pressure points with quick and sharp jabs. It paralyzes a person or just a limb for a good hour depending on how hard I hit.” You replied.

“Pressure points?” Kaminari asked.

“They’re the parts in your body where you’re sensitive and can be detained when they’re hit. With that, it means I know the human body like the back of my hand. Thanks to that I’ve come up with a skill called Chi Blocking.” You explained.

“What’s that?” Mina asked.

“Something you’ll all find out about the next time Y/N fights. Until then, let’s have Todoroki get to recovery girl and let’s continue the matches.” Aizawa said. As everyone went to their seat and Aizawa called up Iida and Aoyama, Bakugou asked you a few questions.

“What the fuck was that?!” He asked.

“What?” You giggled.

“The fucking fire, and the wind, and you moved rocks and you turned his ice into water!!” He spasmed out.

“Uh huh...” you said with a smile and raised brow.

“A-and the flips! You flip and did a bunch of acrobatic tricks, and the jabs, the “dim mak,” it was- I was- it was-.......HUH” he exclaimed.

“Not like Bakugou to freak out over a fight like that. What happened to Mr. Cool Guy?” Denki said.

“You shut your mouth, Sparky!” Bakugou threatened. “Look, all I’m tryna ask is..how and when did you learn all of this? Your quirk is crazy OP, and your fighter skill is insane! Appreciate that bullshit cuz I don’t say shit like that often.”

You just laughed and sighed. You weren’t sure how to answer his question. “Umm,” you started “I don’t really know...I just-“ you were cut off by a mouse. Principle Nezu, you remembered him.

“Mr. Aizawa?” The peppy mouse asked.

“Yes?” Aizawa replied.

“May I speak with you? Concerning your new student and her transfers. There’s been a few complications with her paperwork that need to be solved.” He politely asked.

“Yes, I understand sir. Class, free day. Head back to your dorms but be sure to get in an hour and a half of training today. That’ll be all. Dismissed.” The pro said as he followed the principle. As students gathered to leave and head back to the dormitory, Bakugou stopped you.

“Hey, wait. You still gotta tell me how you learned all this, Princess.” He said.

“What’s there to say?” You awkwardly laughed out. “Uh..I discovered my...quirk.. while doing some work-“

“Work as a child?” Bakugou asked.

“Sorta. I discovered it there and then..I met someone who trained me how to fight like that.” You explained.

“Your parents must be really proud.” Bakugou slightly smiled.

“Umm..yeah, I bet they are.” You said kind of skiddish.

“I can imagine the look on their faces when they saw the pretty impressive quirk you got. My parents were pretty shocked too with mine.” He added on.

“Oh really? You can imagine their faces?” You laughed out nervously. ‘I sure can’t,’ you thought to yourself.

“I mean yeah. Parents usually....” you drowned him out. Parents...parents...parents...PARENTS. You snapped.

“Bakugou!” You said with tone. “I don’t have or know my parents....” you said as he stopped talking and dropped his jaw to the ground. Before he could say anything, you bit your lips, called Rumor to go, and left, leaving Bakugou in regret.

As you ran with slight tears in your eyes, you told Rumor to change into a giant wolf. He shifted and you hopped on him.

“Let’s go to the spot, Rumor.” You said as he took off.

——————————————————————————

When Rumor arrived at ‘The Spot’ you settled. The spot was beautiful. Tall trees, beautiful plants, plenty of adorable creatures, and a gorgeous pond right in the middle of it all. You layed against a tree as Rumor placed you down so you could stop your tears and he transformed back into his wolf-dog form and cuddled up against you.

“No parents...” you said aloud. Although sad you never really got to experience or meet your parents or what it’s like to have them or a family, you were conflicted. Yes it was sad not having parents or a family, but you never had one so it’s hard to tell how you feel about the topic. As the thoughts ran through your mind, your eyes glowed a bright white and when you opened them, you weren’t at the spot anymore.

“Hello....?” You said as you looked around. “Helloooo...?? Anyone there?”

“Welcome back to the spirit world, Y/N.” When you turned to your side, you were in awe.

“Avatar Korra!” You bowed to show respect but then went to hug your spiritual mentor. She embraced you with wide arms. She’s always been the friendly, open, optimistic type. “What am I doing here, Korra?”

“Why do you think you’re here, Y/N?” She said with a sly smile and hands on her hips, but beaming eyes.

“My parents?” You questioned but she only shook her head.

“Your path.” Korra stated.

“My path?” You asked.

“Yes. Or more so, the path you choose.” She corrected.

“I don’t understand.” You said.

As Korra continued to smile at you, you both stood still as the world shifted. You looked around and saw the LOV hideout.

“The league? I don’t understand, what does my path have to do with them?” You questioned, but before she said anything, the world shifted once more and you were infront of UA’s building.

“The school?....Oh, this isn’t some typa light and dark thing, is it?” You asked Korra.

“It is.” She replied back.

“Ugghhhh, we’ve been through this. I’m a bad person. I could never fit in with those goodie two shoes! I’m a member of the league of villains! Not heroes. My path is the darkness.” You stated.

“Is it? You weren’t born into darkness.” Korra said.

“What?....”

“Y/N, you’re not a bad person. Your a villain because of survival. That’s the life that you know. That’s the life that you were kidnapped into.” Korra began.

“Yeah but-“

“But nothing. You know in your heart you would much rather be a hero than some low life villain!” Korra exclaimed.

“No I couldn’t. They’re too good. I could never be that great. Hell, I’m on a plan to take down UA right now!” You said.

“And are you doing that because you want to? Or is it because you think the league is gonna torture you any less if you succeed......you don’t wanna take down the heroes. You wanna be like them.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“I can’t!”

“But you can. You can be all these amazing things, but you’re just on the wrong path with the wrong people. All you have to do is make the choice to leave them. You want to be good, Y/N. It’s in your nature. You’re the avatar after all. It’s your destiny to bring peace to the world.”

Once Korra had said that, a flash came and you were back in the spot. You gasped as you returned and shook your head. You saw it had gotten dark now and figured it was best if you headed back. You woke up Rumor and asked him to become a giant wolf again. He shifted and brought you back to UA. Along the walk, you couldn’t help but think back to what Korra said.

“My path......light or dark...” you looked down at your palms and squeezed them shut in frustration. You huffed and looked ahead, and saw you arrived at the front of the dorms. Standing there, waiting for you, Mr. Aizawa.

“Welcome back.” He said to you.

“Hi...” you blankly said as you attempted to get past him. However, he stopped you from going in.

“Not so fast, we need to speak first before anything else.” He stated

“What about? Because I’ve had a really long and kinda frustrating day, and I don’t need some bullshit to fuck it up even more. I mean, I’m so aggravated that I-“ a piece of paper dangling in your face shut you up.

“What are those?” You asked the hero.

“Adoption papers. I’m now your legal guardian.” Aizawa stated.

“.........HUHHHHH?!?!???” There was no way this was happening. It couldn’t be. You??? Adopted??? By a pro hero??? One that you almost killed???

“Okay, I’m sorry but I don’t need a guardian. I’ve been by myself, on my own, the second I was born. No family raised me, no motherly figure, no nothing. It’s just been me, the spirits, and the villain who took care of me till I was, what, 5? And then kicked me out and left me stranded. I’ve been surviving on my own for over a decade, I don’t need you to look out for me.” You exclaimed.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I won’t be an annoying parent, I’m just your legal guardian. You’re still underage, meaning you’ll need permission for certain things to continue to move forward.” He explained to you. You thought about it, and damn it, he was right. If you wanted to go about this whole thing the legal way, you’d need this.

“.....Fine. Just don’t tell me what to do dAD,” you sarcastically said.

“I’m your guardian and teacher now, I can tell you whatever I want, brat. Now get inside, you’re past curfew.” He said but you only squinted your eyes at him in disbelief. Did he really give you a curfew?

“Student curfew. You live in the dorms, all students have to be in this building by 10:30,” he explained. You just scoffed and went inside with Rumor.

“Guess I have a dad now, Rumor.” You sighed. You never had a father before. It warmed your heart a little, but then you remembered he wasn’t really your dad. Just a guardian. As you walked into the common area, you saw the lights were out. The students must’ve been in their dorms. You walked to the kitchen to grab a snack before heading to bed but you saw Bakugou sitting there with a water bottle in hand. He seemed kinda bummed out. You cleared your voice to get his attention and when he looked up at you, you told Rumor to head to the room.

“Y-Y/N! Hey!..” he said to you.

“Heh..hi Bakugou...Umm..I’m sorry about the whole..running away thing. I just needed to clear my head a little.” You said as you took the seat next to him.

“No, don’t apologize. I’m.....i-.....I’m sorry for pushing you about the whole parent thing. I didn’t know.” He apologized. You only shook your head and stared at your hands before speaking up.

“It’s fine. How could you know? After all, I’ve only been here for 2 days. Besides, you didn’t really upset me, it’s just..I feel kinda outta place when the parent topic comes up. Guess I just freaked out,” you saw the look on his face. Disappointment. Is he that upset that hurt you? Or at least thought he did? “B-but don’t worry! I’m fine! For real! I’ve been parent-less for almost my entire life so it doesn’t sting like that. Hehe..wow Umm. Depressing. You know I feel like I’m rambling, am I rambling? Should I stop? I think I should shut up, or maybe I’m just gonna go now that I-“ Bakugou placed his hand on yours which shut you up real quick. You looked up at his face as he stared into your eyes.

“You can talk to me about it you know. It’s clear you wanna get some things off your chest and I’m really interested in you.” You raised your brow at that last sentence. He realized what he said and quickly tried to correct himself.

“I mean- uh- not like that, or um it could be like that! It could be, if you’re cool with that. But it’s not, or maybe, i don’t know, it’s not it’s, I was, it was, I- yeah I’m gonna stop talking now.” He cleared his throat at the end of that, settling down. You giggled and reassured him.

“No, no it’s fine. I really don’t mind. Umm, what do you wanna know. I’m fine with sharing anything.” You said.

“Okay, let’s just continue with this parent topic then....how were you raised?” He asked. This scared you. You had to be real careful with your choice of words or else your cover would be blown.

“Okay, let’s see. I was born in a place-“

“Oh really?” He teased.

“Shuddup,” you laughed and playfully hit his shoulder.

“And that place was..very private. Very unknown, but my parents Umm, i don’t really know what happened to them. The earliest thing I can remember is that..someone found me and told me my parents were gone, they weren’t my real family, they just took me in because they couldn’t let a baby die, and raised me till I was 5.” You said.

“And then?” He asked.

“You sure? It just goes down hill from here.” You warned. But he only nodded and asked for you to continue. You looked at your hands in your lap before continuing.

“I was kicked out. Left on the streets. I slept on park benches, in alleyway tunnels, on rooftops of buildings. I pawned for food and..” you didn’t know if you should admit the next part. But Bakugou held onto your hand and asked for more.

“And then?” He questioned.

“.....I did what I had to do to survive. I committed crimes, but I had to live. I was just a child and didn’t know what to do. If you look at me any different for what I did though, I won’t judge you.” You said. He squeezed your hand almost as if he was telling you he understood. He nodded and pleaded for more.

“After 2 years on the streets, a cult found me. An evil and dark cult. They used their quirks to torture people they kidnapped and made them slaves to create weapons. They kept us in cells and chains, working 24/7. It was there that I learned of my abilities. I found out I could control the 4 elements and their sub-elements. There, I also met a master. He was old and couldn’t fight anymore, but he saw the potential in me and taught me dim mak in the shadows. After a year of being enslaved there and secretly training, these people (the LOV) came in and killed the cult members and stole some of their weapons and destroyed the rest. Once I saw them taking down those horrible people, I used my abilities and they saw. I guess I impressed them and they recruited me to join their little family. I’ve been with them ever since. But then I met Mr. Aizawa and he asked me to join UA. Since the group I joined wasn’t really family, I didn’t need their permission. They were more like friends and they were even the ones who pushed me to come here.” You finished up your little story and saw Bakugou looked at you with worry in his eyes.

“And now I’m here! Sitting in a dim kitchen at UA with a cute boy at 11:00 p.m.” you said trying to cheer up the mood. “Bakugou...”

“You’re not..affected? By everything you’ve been through?”

“You don’t have to feel bad!”

“But I do! You’re here! You’re not...”

“Dead?” You teased.

“Basically!” You laughed at that.

“Y/N, I’m serious!” Bakugou tried to say.

“And so am I! You don’t have to be upset. I value everything I went through, all the good and bad.” You explained.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because it made me the kickass baddie that I am today!” You said flipping your hair and laughing. “Seriously though! Everything I went through made me who I am. It’s made me stronger, more independent. It lets me know I can handle myself. So I’m good, you don’t have to worry.” You said grabbing onto his hand again and reassuring him. He used his thumb to rub at your hand and enjoy the feeling.

“You are...probably the strongest person I’ve ever met.” He said calmly with a small SMALL smile on his face as he looked at you.

“I’ll also bet that I’m also the only “criminal” that you look like you wanna kiss.” You playfully said.

“Maybe I do...” he said with a smirk and soft voice as he leaned in closer.

“And maybe I’ll let you..” you said as you leaned in. As you two got closer and closer, your eyes filled with daze and the world around you two fell apart. It was just you and him in that moment. Until it was ruined. Just as your lips were about to touch, Mr. Aizawa came in.

“Hey!” He shouted

“GAH!” You both screamed and jumped away from each other with a blush adoring both your faces. Aizawa walked up to both of you, shoving the adoption papers in bakugou’s face.

“No smooching with my newly adopted daughter!” He said with a stern voice.

“I’m not your daughter! You’re just my guardian and it only happened like a few hours ago!” You stated.

“You can’t tell me who I can and can’t kiss, old man.” Bakugou said.

“Listen you little punk! I outta...” then Bakugou and your teacher were now going at it, yelling over each other and saying whatever, completely leaving you outta the conversation. You let out a little gust of wind to shut them up and get their attention.

“Okay, it’s late, tomorrow is Saturday, so you two won’t have to see each other, MAYBE, for 2 days. Can we just let this whole thing cool over?” You asked.

“We can, I’m just annoyed at the fact that this dynamite stick was gonna steal my daughter away from me!” Aizawa complained.

“I wasn’t stealing her, I was-“

“STOLEEEEEEE” Aizawa corrected and Bakugou just sucked his teeth and looked around.

“Whatever, can we just let it go?” You asked again. They nodded and you all went your separate way. Except for the fact that once Aizawa was outta sight, Bakugou went running right back to you and walked you to your dorm.

“Sooo..about that kiss.” Bakugou said. You just giggled and opened the door to your room.

“Goodnight, Bakugou,” you said but as you were about to walk in, he said something else.

“Katsuki.”

“Huh?” You said looking back at him.

“Katsuki. It’s my name. You can call me Katsuki.” He explained.

“Wow, trust me that much?” You teased.

“You trusted me enough to open up, this is the least I could do.” He said. You smiled and corrected yourself.

“Okay then...goodnight, Katsuki.” You said smiling. He pulled you in by your waists and held you close as he placed a soft kiss to your cheek.

“Goodnight, Princess.” He said and walked off.

A/N: Ok Cubs! That was the second part and in here we got to see the spirit world! We’re intorduced to Avatar Korra and we’ve discovered Y/N is the present avatar! How do we feel about this? Good? Bad? Let me know!!! I hope your enjoying the story so far. I know it’s kinda weird and all outta disorder but this is my personal day dream that I wanna bring to life that I’m hoping some of you enjoy. It’s just a jumble of avatar elements with a BNHA/MHA base. Please be patient with me! I know this is a Bakugou x Reader fic but it is also a story. It’s gonna grow and build and once we establish the basics, more Bakugou x Reader issues will show up along the way! I hope you’ve liked it so far! See you next time! 💗🧸

[with-paint]

Breaking the Glass

Part 2 of 2 of Whatever the Outcome Series

Rating: Teen and up

Pairing: Lip Gallagher x fem!reader

Word Count: 5,204

Summary: The hearing of Lip Gallagher and Professor Helene Runyon is today. You watch it all unfold, it seems, with your hands clasped tightly over your eyes.

Warnings: swearing everywhere, some violence, smoking and drinking of course, slut shaming

A/N: this is the best fucking thing I have ever written and I just want to say ahhhhh. I used the word “fuck” 64 times in this. Set in 6x06. Part 1

It was the day of the hearing and to say Lip was freaking out, was an understatement.

You watched in both horror and amazement as he tore open his third pack of cigarettes. It was a thing you noticed he did when he completely lost it. He chained smoked like a motherfucker. The ashtray you slid his way a couple hours ago was completely filled with stubs and you were pretty sure you could hold the thick smoke in your hands.

You hauled him into your dorm room after his classes were done, wanting him to have company that wasn’t destructive before the board meeting. He sat on your coffee table, and you on the edge of your bed. No one was talking. You let him wallow in his anger and his grief, and you offered him anything you thought could help him. A safe space to freak out and a friend that wouldn’t judge him as he spiraled. He didn’t have to pretend to be strong. Not to you.

You cleared your throat and ran a hand over your mouth as you stared at him. He hadn’t spoken in hours. Hadn’t done anything in hours. Just stared at the floor and smoked.

“Alright champ, I think that’s enough. No need to get lung cancer any faster.” You attempted to tease as you nudged his leg with your foot. You knew your voice gave away your panic, and you felt your face burn as you looked away from him. He leaned back on the table and puffed out more smoke. With a sigh, he threw the barley smoked cigarette onto the giant pile and looked out the window in your dorm room.

You’d always liked that your room faced the giant quad most people walked through. You liked that you could witness everyone just living their lives. It seemed that’s what you did best. Watch as people lived their lives. Make their mistakes. Get back up again.

You tugged a cigarette from one of the packs and lit it quickly. Taking a drag, you felt some of the nerves leave your body.

“We are so fucked.” He swore, staring out at the expanse of the campus. You glanced at him, wondering if he thought this was the last time he would see the campus as a student. You didn’t get along with a lot of people. You were one of a few that didn’t grow up with a silver spoon stuck in your mouth. Your bad temper and lack of manners didn’t help you much. Sure, you liked Joaquin fine, but he was always trying to get into your pants.

Lip was different. You two met a few weeks into Freshman year. You were taking a smoke break when he raged into the alleyway and beat the shit out of a dumpster. You’d been attached to the hip ever since.

You stayed with him over the summer and helped him deal with his little brother and his family anyway you could. Lip was like family to you now, and he might go away. You were terrified he would be expelled. You didn’t know what you would do if he walked out and went to his dorm to pack his bags. Just the thought alone made your blood freeze in your veins. “She’s never going to want to see me again.”

You blinked a few times.

Oh right.

Helene.

He wasn’t scared that he would leave the school. Leave all this hard work and the money he’d been given, especially by that man who paid for this all making Lip fucking owe that man to at least finish. Or his own room which he deserved after sharing a space with three other boys back at home, not that you’d think he minded at the time, but once you get a taste of freedom it’s so hard to go back. Or a place where he actually belonged, a place he could let his mind grow and you’ve seen him teaching, he had a gift, a talent, and he was going to waste it all.

You tried to rack your brain for more reasons, but the one true reason was screaming at you. He couldn’t leave. Leave, fuck, you couldn’t do this, leave you. Your chest heaved as you admitted that to yourself. You were afraid he was going to leave you. Fuck. You couldn’t do this right now. You stared at him and let out a bitter laugh.

No, he was worried that Professor Runyon would be fired because she was sleeping with a student when she knew damn well the risks of doing so. Worried that her fourty year old cougar ass wouldn’t want to see him anymore. That’s what he was so stressed about.

You pushed off your bed and crossed over to the window, taking another deep drag of your cigarette.

“Maybe. You sure know how to pick ‘em.” You said bitterly. Wanting to cause a sting in return for the way his comment hurt you. Lip turned to you and raised an eyebrow.

“Fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, what first was Karen? I don’t even need to explain that one. Then Mandy. I actually really liked her. That one was your fault. Then Amanda, fucking bitch. And now Professor Runyon. Face it Lip, you have bad taste in women.” You took another drag. “And also a thing for blondes.”

Lip flicked his cigarette out as his jaw dropped. “I thought you were supposed to make me feel better.”

“Why the fuck should I have to?!” You snapped, all that anger finally bubbling over and exploding. You threw your cigarette onto the floor and stomped it out. “What ‘cause I’m the only one left? Only one you haven’t fucked so that means I haven’t gotten screwed over by the bullshit logic you use, all orchestrated by your dick?! Are you fucking kidding me Lip? Are you actually this dense? You think she would want to see you after all of this? You ruined her career her fucking livelihood. She has a family she wouldn’t choose you over them you fucking moron!” You laughed again and turned around. The sudden urge to slap him welled up inside you, but you choked it down. You were not going to be another jealous girl. Not you. Fucking no way.

Lip’s nostrils flared as he got progressively angrier at your words.

“You don’t know how she feels about me! She loves me, I-I love her!” He got in your face and you set your jaw as you stared at him.

You leaned into him and jabbed a finger into his chest. Your noses inches apart.

“Lip you love getting your dick wet. You don’t know shit about real feelings you fucking manwhore. All you’ve ever done is fuck girls over for your own agenda. And that’s all you’ll ever do. You’ll die alone because all you know is how to fuck people over and push the ones who care away.” You shoved him out of your face and stormed over to your door.

“Out.” Your voice was steady and calm, but the murderous look on your face betrayed you. Lip let out a sarcastic laugh and picked up his bag from your floor.

“Thank you for fucking nothing then!” He called as he walked out the door. You slammed it before he could start talking again. Grabbing the ashtray off your table, you opened your window, and threw it at the ground. The amber glass shattered as the cigarette stubs scattered along with it. You let out a shaky breath as you fell backwards onto your bed.

Taking a glance at the clock, you groaned. It was an hour until the hearing. You had an hour to decide what the fuck to do.

Alright fuck, let’s go over the facts. Lip is a fucking asshole who was in a relationship with a professor when both knew their relationship would end in either expulsion or loss of a job. Alright so maybe they both got off on the secrecy of it all. You ran a hand over your face and sighed. Who were you to limit who he was with? You were just a friend. And yeah you could have a say in the sense that you could pipe up at a party, make sure he doesn’t sleep with an STD riddled sorority girl. But to say he wasn’t allowed to be with the woman he was in love with? Nah. You couldn’t be the one getting in his way. You stared up at the ceiling and felt the stress physically taking a role on the space between your shoulder blades and at the bottom of your neck.

Okay so you couldn’t be mad at him for being with Professor Runyon.

You could be mad at another thing though. The most obvious things. You couldn’t be mad at him for who he loved. But you could, you could be mad at him for who he didn’t. You pressed the palms of your hands into your eyes and let out a pitiful laugh.

You could be mad that he wasn’t in love with you.

Fuck you were in love with Lip.

“What a fucking cliché.” You spat into the static air of your dorm room. The stupid girl being head over heels for the oblivious best friend. Your mouth raised in a sneer as you thought it over.

You were in love with Lip. Lip. Love. You love Lip. Your conscious was screaming these words. Over and over.

With a shake of your head as though to clear the thoughts you flung your arms out. Okay. You loved Lip, fine. But you didn’t love how he was acting.

You didn’t love this fuckboy persona he was constantly adopting. This “big dick” player Lip. The one Helene and even Amanda fell over. No, you loved the shit talking Lip, the one that takes the L train every weekend to see and help his family. The big protective Lip that holds his baby brother at three in the morning, Liam’s small body shaking from nightmares as Lip continues to annotate his paper for English. No, you were the only person who really loved Lip Gallagher, because you were the only one that really saw him. And he needed someone who truly sees him at this hearing.

You ran a hand over your face and glanced at the clock again. You still had time to make it to this fucking hearing.

In a haste you grabbed your bag, yanked on your lanyard, and booked it out the door, sprinting to the disciplinary sector of the school. You skidded to a stop as you saw Lip pacing in front of a door on the other end of the hall.

With a deep breath, you strode over to him. He looked up in surprise upon hearing you and stopped his frantic pacing. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.

“Hey you made it. Didn’t think you’d come.” Lip admitted shoving his hands into his pockets. You still wanted to slap him, but you sighed and set your bag on the metal chair sitting across from the door.

“Wouldn’t miss it. Is Youens inside?” You asked, quietly, fiddling with the lanyard around your neck. Your school ID and keys jingled softly and Lip stared at you. His expression unreadable.

You weren’t one to be shy, weren’t one to show a nervous tick so blatantly. You broke Amanda’s nose without even blinking, yelled at him not even an hour ago, and now you were being shy. Lip blinked a few times trying in vain to understand what that meant for you, what that meant for him.

He cleared his throat and kicked the ground without any real heat behind it.

“Yeah. Just nervous s’all.”

You nodded and rolled your shoulders. Lip watched as you shed away your shyness and became the fearless, trash talking, scrappy girl he knew. Watched as you shed your emotions to be what he needed from you. His heart thudded and he didn’t fucking know why.

“Fuck that. It’ll be easy.” You stepped closer to him and smiled brightly. “It’ll be fine. Professor Youens will be there with you. Just tell them whatever they want to hear. Do not loose your fucking temper. Make sure to blame it on Amanda.” You rambled smoothing the soft blue of Lip’s collar. He let out a huff of a laugh and grabbed your hands that were fidgeting all over him.

“You goin to wait out here?” He mumbled rubbing at his forehead. You sucked your teeth at him and reached up to fix the hairs he tugged down.

“Of course. You’ll get through this. We can get shit faced after, maybe I can break Amanda’s legs. It’ll be a good rest of the day.” You were grasping at straws. All you wanted was to reassure him, calm him down. Every time you spoke it seemed like you were threatening or bad mouthing Amanda, and you saw the sadness in his eyes. He was secretly hurt that she would betray him like that.

Lip nodded and with one last look at you, he walked through the door to his doom. You bit your lip and slowly sunk down on the awful metal folding chair across the hall.

All you could do now was wait.

- - -

Your leg bounced as you took a deep drag of your cigarette. You knew there was no smoking indoors, but you’d be damned if someone tried to take this one comfort away from you. It was all you fucking had left. You let the smoke fill your lungs as you exhaled and blew the white vapor into the static air of the hallway.

The clicking of heels snapped you out of your numb staring and you looked up to see Professor Runyon making her way over to you. You regarded her as you took another drag. Her expression was blank, but you could see in the set of her jaw that she was stressed. You almost smiled as she looked down at you.

“Professor,” you nodded and rested your head on the wall behind you. “I hope it all ends well. Please talk to him if you can.”

She raised an eyebrow at you and looked around nervously.

“Take care of him.” She said quietly, and with that she pushed open the door and walked inside. You blinked up at the empty space she occupied. Well what else have you been doing for the past two years? You huffed out a sarcastic laugh and adjusted your shoulders. You were in deep now weren’t you?

It felt like maybe an hour passed before your thoughts were disturbed by the door opening.

You stood up, wanting to immediately grill Lip on how it went, when instead Professor Runyon briskly walked out. Still composed and professional, but clearly running. You opened your mouth to say something, but she breezed past you, pulling on a beige coat and a scarf.

You blinked a few times and slowly sunk back into the chair before the door banged open again and Lip and Professor Youens walked out. You shot up and looked at them with wide eyes, trying to determine the verdict in their faces. Youens gave you a slight smile, but Lip was hastily tugging on his own coat and looking down the hall at the retreating Professor.

“Helene! Wait!” Lip called jogging after her, completely ignoring you as they both quickly left the building. The big glass door they walked through shining as it slammed close. You blinked a few times and looked down at your bag.

No he fucking didn’t.

You raised your eyebrows and swore openly. Cussing out that fucking bastards name. How dare he. You were the only one who gave a shit about him beside Youens and he couldn’t even look to you.

You yanked your bag and made to storm out of the hall, before Professor Youens put a hand on your shoulder. You snapped your glare to him before dimming it. Your eyes wide, staring into his soft brown ones, you felt more grounded then you did all week. Already visibly calmer he gave you a little smile.

“That boy is probably the biggest idiot I know.” He said, his calming voice washing over you. You closed your eyes for a moment and let out a huff of air.

“I kno-” you began, your anger swelling back up again for that whore you apparently loved.

“But then again so are we.” And with that he turned and left, walking the opposite way and rounding a corner. You stared after him. We’re idiots? What? You blinked a few times, staring at the empty space he used to occupy, and sat back in your pathetic little folding chair.

Youens was a college professor, granted he was a drunk who made Lip do most of his work, but he was a professor and smarter than Lip gave him credit for. And you weren’t exactly a genius, but you worked your ass off and did well, you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t keep up. Neither of you were idiots. But if you’re going off academic genius, then neither was Lip. You scrunched your nose and glanced at the glass door.

Lip was an idiot because he fucking fucked everyone who looked at him and had no class, and was angry and naïve. Didn’t understand the working world and expected rewards for everything he did. Demanded credit and fell in love with the wrong people, cared too little about people’s feelings and instead what they could do for him.

And you and Youens?

You were idiots for loving him regardless.

You sucked your teeth and crossed your arms. Fuck Youens for making you feel bad, Lip was just a hurt kid in love and he really needed someone right now. You of all people could fucking relate. You let out a sigh and glanced at the glass door again.

Guess it’s time to get this asshole and lick his fucking wounds or something. You threw your bag onto your shoulder and made your way outside.

You spotted him quickly. His tan coat and blonde hair are a pretty big tell. But the biggest, was that he was the only person standing still. Just frozen in the middle of the quad, staring off into the middle distance. You sighed again and slowly made your way to him, making as much noise as possible to not scare him. You were practically stomping before you stopped right behind him.

“Lip?” You mumbled, slowly reaching out a hand. You placed it gently on his shoulder, but he started and spun around quickly, eyes wide.

He looked, uh, you cocked your head at him slightly. He looked like his heart was ripped out of his chest and his smile was thrown away and his happiness was blended up and discarded all right in front of him. He looked absolutely devastated. You pulled your hand off his shoulder and cleared your throat. Gripping and ungripping your bag’s strap, you sighed.

“C’mon. Today’s been rough. Let’s get fuckin wasted.” You said trying to conjure up a smile. It was like Lip was a vacuum and any sense of ease and lightness was destroyed in his presence. You dropped your smile and gripped your bag again. Lip looked only marginally less miserable at the suggestion of booze.

He nodded slightly and you felt yourself returning it. It was going to be fine. You and Lip again, just getting wasted in your dorm rooms like a couple of reckless kids.

As the two of you made the trip back to Lip’s dorm, his shell shocked expression loosened. He wasn’t sad anymore, but fucking angry.

“A year! I met her husband and kid, I was over there all the time. I went on trips with her and kept her drunk ass company! I took care of her! And the only time she looked me in the eye was to tell me to fuck off! She said she was terminating all contact to them! Can you believe this shit?!” He turned to you, hands palm up in front of him, eyes wide and mouth snarled. You could only shake your head as you pushed open the door to his dorm building. You didn’t trust yourself in the slightest to get onto the anti Professor Runyon train. Your dislike for her ran deeper than the offense to the man next to you. Better to keep your mouth shut and not give anything away.

Lip kept cussing and ranting as you climbed the stairs in the cold stairwell. You just kept shaking your head and occasionally mumbling out an, “I know” or “What a bitch”. You weren’t listening. How could you, you were hurt and mad and stressed, worried, and happy all at the same time. You just wanted to get to his dorm so you could drink so much that your brain deteriorated. That’s all you wanted.

You pushed open the doors to his floor and he followed you, still throwing an impressive tantrum. You shook your head for good measure as the door slammed shut behind you.

You blinked back into focus when Lip turned suddenly. You stared at him with wide eyes and he made a lunge to open the just closed door.

“Lip! What the fuck?!” You yelled grabbing him by his sleeves and hauling him back. It doesn’t matter that you could break his arm with ease, he was fueled by pure anger and heartbreak. You didn’t stand a chance. His back was to you, his hand splayed large over the door. It creaked open slowly.

“I need her to fucking understand!” He spat and you couldn’t help the eyeroll that escaped from you. You planted your feet and tugged him harder. He inched backwards and the door slammed shut again.

“She doesn’t want to fucking talk to you!” You spat. You huffed out a frustrated breath and moved your entire body so you were next to him. Still pulling on him you looked at him with a harsh glare. His blue eyes; bright and wild, met yours and you sighed again. With a glance upwards in a silent prayer to whatever god, real or not, that resided above, you punched him swiftly in the dick.

He crumpled to the floor in an instant. His groans of pain and the crash his limp body made, echoed in the small hallway and you fucking sighed again.

You stood over him and glared at him.

“Now you’re going to fucking listen to me!” You spat watching him with a slight snear and his eyes squeezed shut in misery. “Helene cannot talk to you or she will lose her fucking job. This isn’t about you. This is about her money, her passions, her life. You will stay the fuck away from her or you will get her into even more trouble. I know you loved her, but you can get the fuck over it because it’s over. It’s done. The end!”

You finished your rant with a wave of your hands.

You took a few seconds to feel sick satisfaction at watching him in pain. For all the emotional misery he put you through in the last couple hours, it felt nice to return it ten-fold. You cocked your head to the side and finally, kneeled down next to him. He moaned in pain and coughed out pitifully.

“Alright come on. There's ice in your freezer. Let’s go.” Lip only coughed in response. You took that as the gracious “thank you” that it was and helped him hobble to his dorm room. You fumbled with his pockets, trying to find the keys.

“Left one.” He coughed out and you nodded in thanks at him. Swinging the door open you unceremoniously dumped him on his bed, opened the mini fridge, and threw a bag of ice next to him.

He sucked in a shaky breath and gingerly pressed the ice to himself. You smirked slightly and rooted around in his fridge for any alcohol you could find. You pulled out a bottle of vodka that was definitely stolen. You brought it to your mouth and bit the cap off. You spit it at him and he flipped you off in turn.

This was nice. This was normal. Just you and Lip, drinking and lounging around in your rooms. You could do this.

You pulled out another bottle and took that with you. Kicking the fridge closed, you handed him the second bottle.

He seemed to be doing better. His face no longer an alarming shade of red. His breathing evened out and he stared at the ceiling blankly. Better than in pure agony. You shrugged and leaned on his desk, staring at him.

“Are you going to tell me what the verdict was or do I have to punch you again?” You teased making him laugh.

“Yeah. Was uh, was that she terminate all contact. And I lose my job as a RA. Lose this room.” He shuffled back a little so he could prop himself up on his pillows and look at you. You nodded, your eyebrows furrowed.

“Well shit. I’ll drink to that.” You said and took a long, long drink. Lip followed you and you let the horrible taste wash over you.

You didn’t talk for a while after that. Just kept taking long swigs of your drinks and taking turns staring at the floor, or staring at the ceiling.

You let out a little laugh and Lip looked at you quickly. Looking almost scandalized that you would find this funny. You couldn’t help it, the fact that her nudes got leaked was funny as hell for some reason. You clutched your drink tightly and doubled over laughing. Lip stared at you for a few seconds before his own laugh of disbelief joined you. Your twin loud laughs was the only sound in the silent room as you felt tears gathering in your eyes. Lip wasn’t far behind as his face returned to that red color.

“Oh man that’s fucking delightful!” You spit out, still laughing in pure joy. Lip shook his head and let his head fall back in laughter.

“I’m fucked.” He said as he let his own laughter die down into giggles.

You nodded with a grin and you took another sip. Absolutely fucked. The silence settled over your two again. This time it was more awkward than comfortable. You cleared your throat and moved off his desk. Lip raised an eyebrow at you and you stuck your tongue out at him.

You sat on his bed as you took another swig of the cheap vodka. It tasted like rubbing alcohol and fire, but you sucked it down the same. Lip threw his own, now empty bottle at the cushions and it bounced slightly. You smiled slightly at it. Lost in your own thoughts of the events of today. You let out a sigh before you felt the hairs on your arm prick up and you turned to Lip.

He was already staring at you, blue eyes slightly bloodshot, but looking as beautiful as ever. You felt yourself smiling at him. In awe at how much of a beautiful mess he looked. The pair of your breathings was the only thing heard as slowly, so fucking slowly he leaned into you. You sucked in a breath, eyes fluttering close, as his lips covered yours.

You were kissing Lip. You were kissing Phillip fucking Gallagher. The guy you had been trailing over, loving for so fucking long. You moved your hand up to cradle his face. His slight stubble scratching your palm. You were kissing Lip Gallagher. You pressed more into him as your mind wondered like it always did.

You were kissing him immediately right after he got fucking dumped by the woman he loves.

Your mouth turned into a snarl and you jerked back. “I’m not a fucking rebound.” You hissed pushing him off you. You heart thudded in your chest and you prayed he couldn’t hear it.

“I know, I’m just really fucked up right now.” He confessed, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. You narrowed your eyes, yeah fucked up emotionally you bastard. He moved his hands and let out a puff of air. You watched him as his eyes got watery and he quickly rubbed that away too.

God he was fucking wasted.

You blinked a few times as an idea came over you. Lip was fucking wasted.

Your head pounded and you stared at him. He was trashed beyond belief. His eyes closing every few seconds and the dopey smile on his face was all you needed. He was crying a second ago and now he looked like it was his birthday. This was it. Now or never. He would never remember this in the morning.

“I’ve been in love with you for years now.” You stuttered, heart thudding as you twisted the blanket through your hands nervously. Lip bobbed his head in a clumsy nod.

“I know.” He slurred. It felt like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders, as well as an even bigger one clamped down on you and suffocated you. You sucked in a breath and fell back onto Lip’s bed. Fuck he knew. This entire time. And he had the audacity to treat you like this. Fuck him. Fuck this fucking asshole. You were bubbling up to boil over, before Lip’s arm buckled and he fell half on top of you. His mouth open and soft snores emitting. You blinked a few times up at his ceiling in shock. Body stiff as you just laid there with his unconscious body cuddling up to you.

This was the moment then. You could choose to walk out forever and no one could even blame you for doing it. Or you could stay. You could pick up the pieces and help him heal from afar. After all you’ve done that up until this point. What’s a few more years. Hell, what’s the rest of his miserable life. Your nose twitched as you traced the ceiling fan with your eyes.

You had always been the one staring out the window. Even with him. You watched him date these women and fall apart. In your own fucking life you just watched the events unfold. Never did you actually make a decision for you. You thought back to the breaking of Amanda’s nose and couldn’t help but smirk. Well every decision you did make was a violent one.

But.

Where was the getting what you wanted? Where was the heart pounding moments? Where was your own dates with the people you loved?

You made your decision.

You closed your eyes and slowly let yourself relax into the queen size bed. Whatever the outcome of this all, you were breaking the glass and stepping to the otherside. You were fucking staying. You were making your own decisions and finally living. You wanted this. So you were taking it.

[wannabemobwife]

Guns, Glamour and Goodfellas - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Blood is Thicker than Water

Dad!Mob!Tom x Mom!Mob!Reader

-Pairings: Tom Holland x Reader, Rosie Holland x Henry Osterfield, Rosie Holland x Linus Perry

-Warnings: References to sex, language, typos, sad thoughts, attempted suicide, vomiting

-Words: 4.4K

A/n: Thank you so mucg guys with all the live support. Finally done, yay, with part 1

Chapter 17: Blood is Thicker than Water

Words: 4.4K

Four years had passed and Rosie was the only one to stick around. Everything had changed. You and Tom were currently on your trip around the world. Traveling everywhere from Cuba to Greece. Taking in sights of the world.

Embarking on journey covering 3 continents and 10 countries so far. You had already visited the Taj Mahal in India, the Amalfi Coast for some sun, and Iceland just for the blue lagoon hot springs. You and Tom were having the time of your lives, it being the perfect distraction from everything back home.

Rosie was running the mob along with her new right hand and consigliere, Linus. Rosie had been taking on the mantle as the new leader of the Holland mob. Picking up where Parker left off. Trying to do him justice. Tom had helped her learn the ropes but she always had that fiery personality desired for a mob persona.

After four years, Rosie learned to embrace her grief instead of shoving it away, she began to visit Parker’s grave more and more. Tried to every week, but life got in the way. She would bring a new set of flowers to freshen up the old ones.

She knew today would be especially hard, every year it was impossible. Rosie could barely get through the day. Today was her 20th birthday, marking 4 years of celebrating without Parker.

Rosie and Henry’s relationship had grown into one full of misery. Trapped in a loveless relationship, but he was still her best friend. With just one look he would know what she was thinking.

Over the past couple years, Henry has been so obsessed with keeping her safe that it was driving her mad. Rosie understood that Henry didn’t want to lose her like he lost Parker, but Rosie ran a mob and danger followed her everywhere. They started drifting apart when everything happened with the Holland family, creating unfixable cracks in their foundation.

Lately, Rosie had been feeling someone watching her every move. Following her whenever she would be downtown. Feeling a presence she hasn’t felt in a while. Constantly shivering in fear, feeling as though she was observed. From then on, every move she made was calculated and thought out.

When Rosie first took on the mantle, she cleaned house. Eliminating those whose loyalty would always lie with Tom. Trying to affirm the fact that she was so much more than just Tom’s daughter. She had let William go and few others because she brought in Linus.

Even after starting her new regime, things have been a bit off, lately. She hasn’t been sleeping through the night. She’d jolt out of sleep, drenched in a cold sweat. Henry would be startled awake as well by her movement as move to comfort her.

“Roo, you okay?” Henry asked groggily, yawning a bit. Rosie gasping to catch her breath. Her dreams were supposed to be an escape but now they were doing more harm than good. “I don’t know. I keep having these dreams about Parker. Like he was trying to tell me something,” Rosie said, gathering her bearings. It wasn’t everyday she was visited by her deceased twin brother. “From beyond the grave?…Rosie, he’s gone,” Henry pondered. “I know, I just can’t shake this feeling. That he is… he’s.”

“What? Still alive? Honey, we buried him. You cried over him. If he was still alive don’t you think we would’ve shown his face by now. Wilson and Carter are gone, they have been for awhile now,” Henry explained, hoping it would bring her some solace. Henry wasn’t blind to the change in her demeanor, she did open up to him about being followed everywhere she went. “I guess you’re right. But my dreams feel so real,” Rosie whispered, lying back down. Ready to drift off into a deep sleep. One not tainted by the memory of Parker. “Go, back to sleep baby.” Henry said, he knew they would be getting up in a few hours anyway. Tomorrow was a very big day. Henry knew he and Rosie had been drifting but he was all set to give her the best birthday ever.

Henry had bought tickets for you and Tom to fly in for her birthday and stay for awhile. This time of year was hard for all of you but it wasn’t fair to Rosie. The day that is supposed to be about her has always been shared but now no one dared acknowledge it. It was just a reminder of what had been lost.

“Good morning, beautiful. Happy birthday,” Henry whispered, peppering her face in kisses as the morning sun shone through the curtains.

“Thank you,” Rosie sighed. Every year was a challenge. It got a little better every year but she knew she would never fully accept his absence.

“What do you have planned today?” Henry inquired, he was always one for big gestures. He absolutely hated that she no longer enjoyed her birthday.

As a kid she loved the idea of turning a year older, getting to grow up and getting loads of presents of course. You always made the priority of throwing the most perfect themed parties for Rosie and Parker. One year they had a pirate themed pool party with a treasure hunt and another a circus/carnival theme with fair games and a petting zoo. You loved going all out for their birthday. Just spoiling them in general.

Rosie and Parker, also Tom, can’t forget about him, made life worth living. You and Tom did everything for your kids, never wanting them to feel an ounce of sadness.

But the times had changed, you were no longer the mother to a son. It was just Rosie and you thanked God everyday that she was still there but your heart will forever be scarred.

Scars take forever to heal, sometimes never. There will never be a day when you don’t miss Parker or he doesn’t cross your mind. Everything you did from the moment he died was for him, in one way or another. You knew the grief would never stop but you hoped Rosie would one day be able to move on with life.

“You know…” Rosie murmured. “Oh yeah, say hi for me,” Henry nodded along remembering Rosie was going to spend the day next to her better half, Parker.

Rosie proceeded to get dressed and ready for the day. She wore a tight grey dress showing off the perfect curves of her body. And a pair of black high heels to complete her power woman ensemble. “Henry, you aren’t throwing me a party right? I really don’t want one,” Rosie inquired. Rosie would prefer to have all birthdays pass and wash away but she knew Henry wouldn’t allow that. At the most she would have a nice dinner with him and watch a movie.

“You’ll just wait to find out,” Henry grinned cheekily. In reality he was throwing her surprise party to help her find the joy in her birthday again.

“Henry seriously, not this year,” Rosie announced. “It’s never any year. You haven’t celebrated in 3 years. You need to get over this.”

“Get over what? The death of my twin brother?” Rosie asked, astounded at Henry’s previous statement. The nerve he had, wow.

“Roo, I’m sorry,” Henry tried to apologize but Rosie left in a huff.

“Talk later, Linus is waiting for me,” Rosie yelled, already walking out of the room. “Linus, you ready to go?” Rosie said, as she found him drinking coffee in her kitchen. He sat at the bar, legs dangling off the chair as she came down. “Yes, Roo,” he said, a little out of breath from taking the awe of her beauty.

“Please don’t call me that around Henry… What’s on the agenda?” Rosie asked Linus as she poured herself her own cup of coffee.

“Well, Shaw owes you 3 million and the deadline you gave him expired,” Linus explained, he knew Rosie hated having things held over her head. She would prefer to get them out of the way as soon as possible.

“Well then, let’s go pay him a visit. I could use a drink. Afterwards, can you drop me off at the cemetery?” “Of course, Roo,” Linus said. Rosie huffed in response, rolling her eyes at the name. Linus loved to get a rise out of Rosie. Her remarks to his comments were just a sign of their playful banter.Rosie’s relationship with Linus was complicated. They were partners, most of the time.

Rosie had gone really dark over the past years. There were days where she refused to get out of bed. Sitting in bed wasting the entire day away. Henry would come home from work and try his best to comfort her but after Parker he was just as lost as her. They lived in the same house but not truly together. Not as lovers, maybe as roommates.

All Rosie could feel were thoughts of hopelessness, desolation, and misery. Never being able to find that light at the end of the tunnel. She didn’t deserve to find it, thinking she was the one who pushed you and Tom away. Blaming herself for Parker. All these feelings and Henry wasn’t there, too busy with his own life.

One day, Rosie had gotten real low. Couldn’t find a way out so she went to the gun room grabbed the closest pistol, a bottle of scotch, a glass and sat in Tom’s office. She rested on Tom’s chair trying to find the will to end it all. To point the pistol and pull the trigger.

It would be so easy, the flick of a finger. No more pain. She tried not to think about everything she was giving up. Never seeing you or Tom again, or Henry. Never loving him again, if they ever did manage to find their way back to each others arms. Never experiencing the things that made life worth living.

All her thoughts were halted as Linus barged in. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the broken girl hold a gun unto her temple, its safety clicked off. The room was cold as an icy chill ran down his spine.

“Rosie, what are you doing!?!” Linus thundered, trying to stop her before she pulled the trigger. “I don’t know. I think I’m trying to end it all,” Rosie whispered as tears streamed down her face. Deep down she didn’t want to pull the trigger, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

“End what all? Your life?” Linus asked, trying to talk her off the metaphorical ledge. Something had to happen that pushed her to this point. Rosie had to be drowning and calling out for help but no one came. “No, it was never about killing myself. It was just about ending the pain and suffering,” she cried.

“Rosie, listen to me. There is so much more you have to live for. This will pass. Think about everything you are giving up.” Linus tried to appeal to the people she loved, you, Tom, and Henry. Losing Rosie would no longer make you a mother. How could Rosie take that away from you?

“I already have and it hasn’t, for 2 years. How do you know it will get any better?” Rosie begged for a true answer. She had been slumping around, letting the days pass her by as she stood silent, screaming non-vocally for help. Trapped in an asylum of misery. “I don’t. But I’ll be there to help you,” Linus exclaimed, giving her the truthful response she wanted. Rosie just needed to hear that she wasn’t alone in this world anymore. “No, you won’t. You’ll just leave like everyone else. Henry doesn’t love me anymore. My parents left. I’m all alone.” “Roo, you aren’t alone. Just hand me the gun and we can work this out. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here,” Linus pleaded. That was the first time he had used that nickname. The name had been reserved for only Henry, Parker and you. In that moment Rosie saw someone she missed so dearly in Linus, Parker. Parker was the only person who was 100% there for her. He was there to talk her off the ledge. He was there at her weakest and in a split second he was standing in front of her.

Rosie gave in, removing the gun from her temple, clicking the safety one and handing it over. She slowly stood up, coming over to Linus and collapsed in his arms. Rosie whispered a small “I missed you” as he held the broken girl. He was the only one who could pull her out. Not Henry, god she wished it was Henry. Linus understood her pain and didn’t try to fix everything.

Henry was the opposite. Constantly worrying about Rosie and trying to find a solution for everything. Things from the slightest backache to feelings of hopelessness. Rosie didn’t need fixing she just needed to be heard and Linus made sure she was. At Harmon’s, the bar was quite empty. Just Shaw and a few of his men. Shaw has borrowed money from Rosie to clear of a few charges. The Holland name had some pull in the legal community. Dating back to Dom’s days but Tom mostly laid down roots.

Linus entered first, firing two shots to take out Shaw’s capos. “Jesus Christ,” yelled Shaw as his protection thudded against the floor.

Rosie followed Linus in, making her presence known, “Shaw, you know I’m not a fan of people not staying true to their word. Do you have my money?”

“Rosie, doll. I paid you in full already. If this just your sad attempt to stir something up we can work this out another time. Shoo, let me finish my drink,” Shaw snickered. “Shaw, I know your games. You have 3 minutes to transfer my money right now. One for each million. I have Linus checking for a deposit of 3 million, make this simple and do it,” Rosie stated with an unchanging expression. “I need more time, that’s not enough. It’s all in separate accounts,” Shaw asserted, his voice starting to waver as he stared down the barrel of her pistol. “Well then, I’d hurry if I were you. Here’s your phone. Just wire the money… Starting now,” Rosie exclaimed as Linus devoted his stare to watch. Glancing at the seconds tick away.

“Fine, I’m going,” Shaw screamed, about to crack under the pressure.

“2 minutes left,” Linus chimed in. “Okay, I’m just inputing the dollar amount, it’s a lot of zeros.” Shaw tried to explain. He was about to lose his life because he was slow.

“50 secs.”

“I’m going, I’m going.”

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6—“

“I’m done,” Shaw said, letting out the breath he was holding.

“That was fast but not fast enough,” Rosie whispered raising her gun square to the back of his head. Her finger slipped to the trigger and fired a shot.

BANG

“Wow, I didn’t think you actually kill him,” Linus said, impressed by her ruthlessness.

“He was getting on my nerves, besides he will never borrow money from me again if he is dead,” Rosie chuckled. “You know I found that really hot,” Linus whispered in her ear. “You always do.” Rosie grinned at his advances, trying to pull her close to his chest. “Hey, this can’t keep happening.”

“Oh, come on. You say that every time. I can’t hide my feelings for you anymore.”

“Well, you are going to have to. I was clear about what this was. So I’m going to ask you this once more time, what do you want?” “I want you.” “Well you can have me in the bathroom in 2 minutes.” “Roo, you’re too good to me,” Linus smirked, following her as she glided to the restroom.

Everything lasted about 30 mins. They were in and out in a flash. The bar now smelled of sex and a dead bodies. Linus was the first to finish, coming out of the bathroom looking disheveled as hell. Sporting the same juts had a quickie look. Linus went to pull the car around after fixing his hair in the mirror.

Linus would never be Henry and that was a good thing, Linus was different. By no circumstances was Rosie in love with Linus or will ever be in love with him, he was merely a distraction. Rosie knew her relationship with him was wrong but he made her feel alive once more.

Rosie emerged from bathroom breathing heavy, almost gasping for air, with sweat glistening on her chest. She straightened out her dress as combed down her hair. Stepping out of the doorway, the smell of a fresh rotting body hit her.

Rosie immediately turned around and lunged for the toilet. She had been in the business for 3 years and never before had her body reacted this way. She hurled into the toilet for a good ten minutes. Eventually bringing her head out of the toilet bowl to wipe off her mouth. The air was now coupled with sex, dead bodies and vomit. She was clueless to what forced her to keep her head in a toilet bowl.

After her nausea spell passed her, she had Linus drop her off near the cemetery. “Oh, you can drop me off here. I need something from the pharmacy anyways,”Rosie informed Linus. She was planning on picking up something for her stomach, it was very unlikely for her to throw up suddenly.

“Ok, Roo. Do you need a ride home?” Linus questioned.

“No, Jared is supposed to pick me up. Thank you,” Rosie exclaimed, getting out of the car. “Alright. Happy birthday by the way. Can I have a kiss goodbye?” “Thank you and no. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah for the party,” Linus called out slowly driving away. “Wait! What did you say?” Rosie remarked but he was already long gone.

Rosie was mentally kicking herself, she didn’t have the willpower to deal with a party tonight. She specifically told Henry, not to throw one but since when did he listen to her.

Their road to ultimately heartbreak was a two way street. Both of them had done something to warrant the loveless relationship. Rosie admitted to herself, that she eventually did stop trying. She stopped constantly asking if Henry wanted to go out for dinner and what time he would be home. Rosie prefers to blame Henry but in reality, she was then one who let go first.

Rosie stopped showing him love, too distraught by his every move because it was a constant reminder her brother wasn’t there anymore. Henry would try to work him into every little conversation, remembering Parker in everything. It grew too much for Rosie. Rosie had never been one for confronting her feelings, preferring to shove them down but how could she, when Henry would never shut up about Parker.

Parker was the main reason a wedge had been driven between them, but she wouldn’t dream of blaming her dead brother. Who couldn’t even defend himself. Rosie needed a reset after Parker but Henry was stuck living in the past.

Rosie was ready to start her life with Henry after graduation but he couldn’t let go. After a while, Rosie became just like him. Stuck drifting into a void of pure sadness. Rosie couldn’t let go, along with Henry. Their lives went in different directions, Rosie was blossoming into a ruthless leader who would only act soft around Parker, vowing to visit his grave everyday. And Henry got left behind at some point, not seeing how he fit in her life anymore.

In the pharmacy she scanned the aisles for some sort of quick remedy. If Henry was throwing her a surprise party, one she specifically asked not for. Rosie didn’t have days to recuperate, maybe a few hours.

She found the largest bottle of Pepto-Bismol and stopped by the card aisle. Carefully grasping a birthday card for her favorite person. One that was funny yet endearing. Parker was addicted to all the corned jokes she would crack. She made her way to the register. In front of her stood a little old woman, she wore a purple floral dress and her white stained hair was pulled into a clip.

“Just this for you sweetie? Oh, who’s birthday is it?” Asked the little lady, referring to the birthday card Rosie grabbed for Parker.

“My brother’s and um, could I also get this,” Rosie responded as her eyes glanced below her. Skimming over the candy bars, gum packets and eventually landing on a pregnancy test. Come to think of it, Rosie was late about a week and a half.

“Of course, honey. Would you like to use the restroom?” Queried the lady. Rosie nodded in response. She finished paying and quickly made her way to the restroom. Following the directions on the box carefully, she needed to be a hundred percent sure, before she told anyone.

Right around the corner was the cemetery. She glided through iron gates, walking across the cobble stone path before she came upon the place she loved most in the world. The place where she would hold nothing back, spilling everything to him.

Life of a mob boss was dangerous but things started to seem eerie for Rosie. She would feel weird presences or someone watching her at eerie times. The same feeling plagued her at the cemetery, today. She knelt down to the headstone, engraved in it read “Here Lies Parker Jackson Holland, Taken from us too soon, a son, a brother, and a friend.”

“Hey, P. You probably get tired of me visiting you. Everyday I’m here and sometimes I think I do it for my benefit more than yours. I hope that wherever you are, you are happy and most likely you are with Charlotte. I’m happy for you, Parker. No matter how much I wish you were here with me, I know that you are happy that you escaped this life. Happy 20th birthday.” Rosie whispered, fixing the flowers that began to wilt from yesterday.

“I have some really amazing news to share with you, but it will have to wait till next time. You can’t be the first person I tell, I’m sorry. He deserves to know before you…. Oh my god, you’ll never believe what happened at work…”

This is the one thing that brought Rosie solace. She persistently blames herself for that fateful night 3 years ago. Rosie would spend hours kneeling next to his headstone. She would tell him about her life and read off the postcards you and Tom sent from your travels. Talking to him as if he was still there.

Rosie glanced at her watch, it was half past five and she hadn’t even called Jared yet to pick her up. “I’m sorry P, I gotta go. Henry, god love him but, that bastard is throwing me a birthday party. I guess I should at least make an appearance. I’ll see you tomorrow, I love you.” Rosie said, walking towards the parking lot.

She stood under the gate for ten minutes waiting for Jared to arrive and escort her home. The weather completely shifted as the sun set around her. The once blue sky changed to one painted with vibrant yellows and pinks. The sky was a sight not to be missed but she could do without the freezing winds that accompanied.

A chill ran down her spine as she waited in the darkness. Feeling a sensation that only warranted panic. Rosie felt someone watching her once again. Maybe from a far or up close, but she definitely wasn’t alone. It was silly that she let feelings like those get to her. She was a mob boss for god sakes, scaring even the most menacing of men into submission.

Rosie eyes started darting everywhere a noise left. In the corner of her eye she caught a figure drenched in shadows approaching. She tried to scramble for her gun, but soon realized she left it in Linus’s car.

The stranger kept making advances and managed to get to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a cloth to her mouth. Causing her to be consumed in darkness as her body grew limp.

Back at the manor, Henry was setting everything up perfectly. His mission was to make Rosie love her birthday once more. While Henry was working hard at hanging the birthday banner and decorating every corner with balloons, Linus was no help at all. Lounging on the couch and finishing a beer.

“So are you going to pick up Rosie and get off your ass?” Henry barked, pulling the coffee out from under Linus, causing him to spill his beer.

“Seriously, dude. What’s your problem?” Linus snapped.

“My problem is my girlfriend isn’t here. Aren’t you supposed to pick her up?” “No, Jared is.” “Linus, Jared is here. He has been for a few hours. Where is she?” Henry questioned, starting to worry. “I don’t know. Last, I left her at the cemetery.” “Henry! It’s so good to see you,” you cheered as Tom and you walked in. Hugging Henry after not seeing him for awhile. It still pained you to visit, traveling was the perfect distraction.

“Hope you have been taking care of yourself, son. Where’s Rosie?” Tom questioned. “Yeah, I’ve been good. At the moment, I don’t know where she is. She’s missing,” Henry concluded. You and Tom stood completely still as you processed the news. It wasn’t everyday that your daughter would disappear into thin air, but her job did keep her life in danger.Rosie missing was uncommon. It had happened once or twice in the past but that was 3 years ago. So much had changed, for the better. Yet, you were once again in the same place, in the house you left because everything was too familiar. Rosie missing was all too familiar.

Rosie came to. Opening her eyes to a place she chose to forget. For all she knew it was an exact replica. Warehouses riddled all of London’s ports, she could be anywhere.

“Text your driver and tell him Henry picked you up for a special birthday dinner,” Rosie’s kidnapper barked, thrusting a phone in front of her.

“Really? You kidnapped me? After 3 years of being leader of London’s most feared mob, it’s like been there done that. Do you want money or something? I have a party to get to.” Rosie quipped, annoyed with they man’s pursuits.

“Oh, I know. I believe happy birthday is granted. 20 years is a milestone.”

“Whatever, I don’t really like my birthday anyway.”

“Wanna talk about it?” The stranger pestered on. Rosie had learned lesson from the last time she was restrained to chair, rope around her wrists and ankles, ceasing blood flow. This time it was zip ties, a little basic for any mobster she has had a run with.

“No. I want you to let me go. Seriously, what do you want? I don’t think you know who I am. Or who my father is,” Rosie asserted.

“A moment alone together is all I ask and I know exactly who you are and who your dad is. Correction, who our dad is.”

“Parker.”

A/n: Finally the end. Alright, I'm going to bed. There is no set schedule for the sequel series, I'm just going to post a chapter when I finish writing it. Let me know if you like to be tagged in the sequel chapters.

Guns, Glamour and Goodfellas Masterlist

Taglist: @thenoddingbunny-blog @adriannauni @dummiesshort @bi-lmg @allthisfortommy @quaksonhehe @housepartyprotocol

[dangerousconnoisseurdonut]

Magical Thieves AU

In a Gotham where about 40% of the population have some sort or magical ability and only something like 13% have two abilities, Bruce is a street rat with his honourary sister, Selina, and the two are excellent cat burglars, known as the Cat and the Bat. Selina is a Shadow Magic user; she can blend into the shadows as well as bring her shadow to life in extreme circumstances. She is called a Night Stalker, and is not trusted by many of those gifted with Light Arts. Bruce though, if anyone knew what his real abilities were, he would be locked up in the interest of public safety; he is often referred to as simply a Chaos Courtesan, despite not being a Chaos Mage.

Bruce is one of the 13% that has two abilities; the first one alone would have him be monitored for the rest of his life, Technomagic, an ability that allows him access to computer files, all kinds of electrical data, and possess mechanical devices, and those are only the surface of his abilities, but they are enough to warrant the government being worried about him. His other, arguably stronger ability, however, would have Bruce either locked up in a special facility where he never saw another living person ever again, or killed; Blood Magic. An ability that is hard to regulate as the user can literally use their own blood or that of their attackers/victims against them. They can turn a person’s blood into acid so they are eaten away from the inside out, they can track a person as well as those with Animal Magic, and they can supposedly even control people by binding their blood.

Selina and Bruce have been siblings since they were nine-years-old and Selina found Bruce wandering around, looking for something to eat. Bruce’s parents were from feuding families and when they fell in love, they were both disowned, and they became rather good thieves themselves, until the police caught up with them and killed them in a shoot-out. Selina and Bruce have stuck with each other and managed to become two of the most sought after professional thieves around, and they have been saving for the chance to get out of Gotham for the chance of a normal life. They need just one more good payday and they ca leave for good; unfortunately, that opportunity comes in the form of Roland Daggett and Rupert Thorne (Sofia and Theo work as well, I just thought something different). They are offering the pair a huge payout, in return for what others would call a suicide mission; rip-off the King and Queen of Gotham themselves, Oswald Cobblepot and Barbara Kean. Bruce is all for ignoring this job as this is beyond dangerous, but the pair are also offering papers that will identify the pair as harmless, low-level White Magic users; papers that would cost upwards of $50,000 a piece.

Selina talks Bruce into taking the job and they stake out the place to prepare for Gotham’s social event of the year; The King and Queen’s Masquerade Ball. Selina poses as someone called to do a repair job to get access to the house and they learn the layout of the house, particularly the room that holds their prizes; two beautiful rings that identify Oswald and Barbara as the King and Queen. The night of the ball, Selina attends as a low level socialite and Bruce is a waiter, both wearing one of his blood glamors to help add to their anonymity. Soon, however, a hush falls over the crowd as the King and Queen make their entrance with their respective courts. Barbara enters with her consort Tabitha, her botanist, Ivy Pepper, and her two bodyguards, Bridgit Pike and Ecco Valeska.

Then there’s Oswald with his consort, Captain James Gordon of the GCPD, his engineer, Jeremiah Valeska (Ecco’s half brother), his advisor, Jervis Tetch, chemist, Jonathan Crane, his own bodyguards Jerome Valeska and Victor Fries, his informant (and not-so-secret assassin), Victor Zsasz, and his Chief of Staff, Alfred Pennyworth. Each of them have dangerous magical abilities and none were meant to be trifled with but, if Selina and Bruce want that big payday and those papers, then trifle they must. Some time passes and the pair actually find themselves talking to members of the courts; Bridgit hates these things and enjoys talking to those who feel as uncomfortable as she does, and Bruce finds himself saving Jonathan from an embarrassing situation. Still though, once the Ball really gets going, Bruce and Selina break away to the room where the rings are housed and just as they grab the rings, Bruce feels a frisson of unease shoot up his back; they’ve been caught.

The two Courts enter the room, and Oswald reveals he’s actually flattered that Gotham’s infamous Cat and Bat Thieves have not only targeted him, but gotten so far, though he was suspicious when a random repair worker appeared at the house, given that Jeremiah always takes care of such problems. Still, as he’s an admirer of their skills and he’s in such a good mood from the party, all they have to do is put the rings back and tell him who hired them, they can leave peacefully. Bruce and Selina both know, however, if they show up empty handed, let alone give up who hired them, they will be a pair of dead ducks. When Bridgit throws a small fireball at the pair to scare them,  Bruce and Selina show their magic to protect themselves, and now Barbara finds them very interesting, offering them a fair percentage of what they would have made if they pulled off the heist. The pair still refuse to give up so easily as not having to buy those papers themselves, would save a large chunk of their savings.

Things go from bad to worse however when Jim and Alfred notice the blood charms and there’s just something too homey about them not to be handmade, and they realize that one of the pair is a Blood Mage. Once Oswald is informed of this, he’s ecstatic and informs Jerome to test the pair as the psychotic ginger is a chaos mage, and the only thing that can stand up to them are those of Order magic and Blood magic. Thanks to Jerome, they quickly figure out that Bruce is a Chaos Courtesan, and Oswald and Barbara know they need these two in their Courts. Not knowing this, Bruce and Selina make a break for it, which is helped by the fact Bruce managed to get a small sample of everyone’s blood, giving him a slight edge.

The two are about to take the staircase heading to the front door when Ivy manages to trip Selina, sending her careening down the stairs, thankfully only knocking her out. As Bruce reaches the bottom of the stairs to grab Selina, he instead is grabbed by the two Victor’s, Jim, and Jervis, who are quick to hide him in a small alcove as the other guests come to investigate Selina’s scream from her fall. Oswald and Barbara are quick to act as concerned hosts over the ‘poor dear who had a touch too much champagne and lost her balance’, a story corroborated by Bridgit and Ivy. When no one comes forward to claim her, Tabitha is quick to suggest they look after her, so they move her to a secure room.

Oswald meanwhile joins the other males, and Jervis tries to compel the truth from Bruce, but Bruce still has a vial of Jervis’ blood, and smashes it so that he can temporarily be immune to Jervis’ power. Zsasz and Fries however are quick to point out that Selina is very vulnerable at the moment and it wouldn’t be hard to...

Bruce is quick to reveal everything and give the rings back, not willing to let anything happen to Selina. Oswald orders some of his men to go to the meeting spot where Bruce and Selina were to meet Daggett and Thorne and take care of things. Bruce hopes to be able to leave with Selina once she regains consciousness, but Oswald naturally has other ideas;

Oswald: Let an injured kitten and obviously malnourished bat go wondering off into the night?! The ASPCA would have my head on a platter! Not to mention Barbara would have a separate one for my balls.

Jim: She is an avid animal lover, especially when it comes to cats. Same with Tabitha.

Oswald: Yeah, and I do not want that woman coming after me with her whip.

Bruce, starting to struggle between the two Victor’s: I will look after her; she’s survived worse falls than that! We both have!

Oswald: You see?! The kitten and no doubt baby bat, uh, what do you call a baby bat, anyways?

Jervis, enjoying himself: A pup.

Oswald: Thank you, Jervis; a kitten and a pup who are constantly being abused on the streets of Gotham?! Obviously they need someone to look after them! Do you like bats, Victors?

Victor Z: I think they’re adorable.

Victor F: Yeah, and this one is a real cutie.

Bruce: You can’t do this! Selina and I are people, not pets! We can look after ourselves!

Jim: And I’m the Captain of the GCPD, and I don’t think you can!

Alfred appears: Oswald, Ms. Kean has seen to it that her new kitten is properly situated in her new room, and I have prepared one for our bat whenever you’re ready.

Oswald: Thank you Alfred, if you would please? I wonder how much harder it is to train bats than birds?

Victor F: We’ll figure it out; besides, you always did love a challenge.

Bruce tries to cast one last spell, only to feel a sharp pain in his neck, and know no more.

For all those who liked my Underwater Gotham AU, I thank you and hope you’ll like this one just as much. Please leave a comment if you do!

[wayward-dreamer]

Life’s Lessons - Part 4

Title: Life’s Lessons - A Lesson in Self Control

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader (eventual)

Other Pairings: Dean x Lisa, Female!Reader x OMC – Ethan (past, mentioned)

Word Count: 6,612 (thoughts, song lyrics in italics)

Part Summary: After Charlie witnesses the looks between Dean and Y/N outside the school on Friday, she convinces Y/N they should go out for drinks. At the bar, Charlie and Y/N bond, as she opens up to Charlie about Dean but also her past. After several drinks, Y/N goes home drunk and gets a little help from a friend. The next day brings a little embarrassment, but also brings up feelings within Dean and Y/N, that they know they shouldn’t be feeling.

Warnings: Swearing, Alcohol Consumption, Mentions of cheating, Mentions of reader’s ex, Talk of Emotional Abuse, Mentions of a physical incident against reader, Drunk reader, Embarrassment, Dean being sweet (yes, that’s a warning), flirting, forbidden feelings

Music: Deeper in the Water by The Lone Bellow (playing in the background while Y/N is baking scene), Wherever I May Roam by Metallica (Dean and Y/N backyard scene).

Life’s Lessons Spotify Playlist

A/N: Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments on this series so far! I’m so glad you’re all enjoying it! This part is a little heavier, so please read the warnings. Please share your thoughts with me, I love hearing what you all think! Happy reading and enjoy! :)

Dividers by the wonderful @firefly-graphics​! Check her out for all your AU needs!!!

Life’s Lessons Masterlist

Y/N took off her red glasses, smiling as she looked at her students. She could see them all flicking their eyes up at the clock every now and then, wondering when the bell would ring. She found it amusing as she tried not to laugh. It was Friday and they couldn’t wait to get out of there and start their weekend fun. She couldn’t wait herself, hoping to have some time for herself, call her family and maybe go see a movie.

Unfortunately for her students, they still had some time before they could leave, using that time to take the notes for the criteria set for their book reports. She watched as they all scribbled in their notebooks hurriedly, wanting to get out as soon as the bell went off.

“Make sure it’s personal to you” she told them as they wrote. “Books have a way of really affecting us, so I want you guys to choose something that really had a big effect on you.”

Some of them mumbled an “okay” while others nodded.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and they all sprung up at the same time. It was like how smaller children got excited for ice-cream.

“Alright, don’t all head out at the same time! You’ll plow each other out of the way!” she laughed.

“Sorry, Miss Y/L/N” one student called out.

“Have a great weekend, guys!” she called out in return.

Y/N walked out of the room as well, following them down the hallway and out of the school building. She smiled as students were being picked up by their parents, getting on the bus home or their bikes and riding home. She spotted a parent of one of her students notice her, walking over to her.

“Miss Y/L/N?” the woman asked.

“Yes” Y/N smiled, offering her hand.

“Oh, it’s wonderful to meet you, I’m Carol. Amy’s mom” she said, shaking Y/N’s hand.

“Wonderful to meet you, too” Y/N agreed.

“I just wanted to come and introduce myself and welcome you” Carol said, a bright, peaceful smile on her face. “I know it’s already been a couple of weeks, but I hope you’re loving Lawrence.”

Y/N nodded. “I’m definitely warming up to life here.”

“Well, Amy’s really fond of you. English is already her favorite subject but she’s so happy to have someone like you teaching it” Carol complemented her.

Y/N beamed, her heart soaring. It was always great to hear when kids enjoyed a subject and the way you taught it.

“She’s a great student, so that definitely makes it easy” Y/N told her.

Carol blushed, delighted by the complement for her daughter. “Well, we better go. I’m sure we’ll see you around.”

“Of course,” Y/N said. “It was great to meet you.”

As Carol walked away after saying goodbye, Y/N looked around as the crowds of children started to clear. She spotted Charlie and was about to walk over, when she noticed who she was talking to. Dean was leaning against his car, aviators on and laughing at something Charlie just said. Ben was sitting in the car, waiting for Dean. She didn’t realize that Charlie knew Dean too, but she really should’ve made the connection considering she knew Cas, and Cas knew Dean. She thought about going over there, but she didn’t want to interrupt them. Plus, after what happened the other night at dinner with him and Lisa, she wasn’t sure if she should go over there.

“Y/N!” she heard her redheaded friend call out and she knew she had to go over.

She smiled as she walked over, trying to prepare herself to be near Dean again. He looked so damn good in that moment, and she was finding it hard to look at him.

“Thanks to your car, I know you already know each other, so I don’t have to introduce you” Charlie laughed, as she nudged Y/N with her hand.

“Yeah.” Dean took his sunglasses off and Y/N saw that he was looking directly at her. She was suddenly nervous again.

Dean took her in, dressed in a black dress that hugged her body in just the right way. Her red glasses were tucked into the neckline of her dress, and he had a sudden urge to see her wearing them. Mind outta the gutter, man he thought to himself as he looked away from her.

“I didn’t realize you guys were friends” she said, as she stood in front of Charlie and Dean.

Charlie smiled as she looked at Dean. “Yeah, have been for years.”

“Charlie’s like the little sister I never wanted” Dean teased, smiling cheekily at her. Charlie punched him in the arm, and he laughed.

His gaze moved from her back to Y/N. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head since the first time he met her, but even more so after what happened at her house.

Charlie noticed how Dean and Y/N were looking at each other and dropped her head, smiling without them seeing.

“I better go” he said, suddenly, putting his sunglasses back on. “Lisa finished work early and we’re going to Sid and Olivia’s for dinner.”

“Tell them I said hi” Y/N told him, trying not frown as she wished he had stayed longer.

“Sure thing” he nodded. He moved in to hug Charlie, kissing her head.

Y/N watched as Dean got into the car and drove off, the car roaring down the road. She turned to Charlie and her face dropped into a frown, when she saw her friend grinning at her.

“What?”

“You like him” Charlie stated.

Y/N stared at her in shock, before scoffing a laugh. “You’re insane.”

“On the contrary, I’m completely sane” Charlie countered. “And you denied it a little too quickly, so it has to be true.”

“Charlie…” Y/N trailed off, not knowing how to respond to that.

“I think we need to get a drink together” Charlie suggested. “We haven’t gotten a chance to hang out outside of work yet.”

Y/N grinned. “Sounds great.”

“Tonight?” Charlie asked.

“Name a time and place, and I’m there” Y/N responded quickly. She was excited to go out and see what Lawrence was like on a Friday night. She knew it wouldn’t be much for a small town, but she also knew she needed to know how the nightlife was here.

“Ditch the rental at home and I’ll pick you up” Charlie said, as she started to walk away. “I’ll be there at 7!”

“See you soon!” Y/N called out as they both made their way back in to collect their belongings, before they headed home.

When she got home, Y/N relaxed for a while before she needed to get ready. She freshened up and got dressed into black ripped skinny jeans and a dark mustard sweater. She put on her black heeled ankle boots, ran a straightener through her hair quickly to get the kinks of the school day out and applied light make-up. She picked up her black leather jacket and her bag, just in time when she heard two quick honks of a car horn. She picked up her keys and walked out, closing the door behind her. She walked down the porch steps and smiled at Charlie as she walked over, getting into the car.

Y/N and Charlie made their way to the town square, lined with shops and some restaurants. Deciding they were hungry too; they grabbed a quick bite to eat. Conversation over at the diner mainly consisted of work and minor things, because Y/N had a feeling Charlie wanted to talk about personal things over drinks. After they ate, they walked down the street and past a couple of dive bars, the loud music and chatter filtering out to the streets. She felt better knowing there was something going on in this town and that it wasn’t as sleepy as a place like Rhinebeck. Though Rhinebeck did have its own charms.

Y/N followed Charlie, arriving at the place where they sat at the bar. She and Charlie sat on the bar stools, the bartender immediately coming over to them.

“What can I get you, ladies?” he asked, smiling at them.

“Gin and tonic, please” Charlie replied, smiling back.

Y/N thought it over for a second before she replied. “A vodka martini.”

“Sure thing” he muttered before moving down the bar to mix the drinks.

Y/N and Charlie both took their jackets off, settling in. The bartender put their respective drinks in front of them and then went to serve other customers. Charlie picked up her glass and turned to Y/N.

“To surviving your first two weeks” she said, smiling.

“Well, thanks for making it easy for me to settle in” Y/N smiled back, clinking her glass against hers. “I really mean it. You and Cas have really helped me and supported me, so… thank you.”

“No need to thank” Charlie waved her off, taking a sip of her drink. “So… let’s get to the real reason we’re here…”

“Oh god” Y/N groaned.

“Oh yeah” Charlie smirked. “You like Dean.”

Y/N laughed a little to herself. She didn’t beat around the bush, this one.

“Yeah. I do” Y/N admitted, feeling slightly relieved to say it out loud. “At first, I really just thought it was a crush, something that would just go away after a couple of days. Then… then the butterflies stuck around and they’re not going away. Every time I see him… I just want to be near him. All the time. I know two weeks is way too soon to be feeling like this about someone I just met, but-” she explained but Charlie shook her head, cutting in.

“I don’t think the length of time matters to Oxytocin” Charlie advised her.

“I’m not quite at the love stage yet. In fact, I hope I never get there because that’s going to get me into trouble” Y/N countered.

“Which is unfortunate because I think you two would be adorable together” Charlie confessed, a guilty grin on her face.

“What?” Y/N scoffed, not quite believing what she just heard.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… the way he was looking at you, even just for a few seconds, I haven’t seen him like that in a really long time” Charlie said, a sad smile on her face.

“Oh god” Y/N groaned, her face dropping into her hands. “Charlie, what are you doing to me?!”

“I know, I know” Charlie shook her head, not knowing what else to say.

“I can’t” Y/N shook her head, taking a large sip of her martini.

“I know, and I wasn’t telling you to go for it at all. I’m sorry” Charlie apologized, sipping her drink.

“It’s okay” Y/N reassured her, patting her back. Once they had both calmed down, Y/N turned to her friend. “Oh, they came over for dinner on Monday. I wanted to thank Dean about the car, and he came over with Lisa.”

“Really?” Charlie asked, a little shocked. “She actually came over?”

Y/N nodded. “Seemed like she didn’t want to be there, though. I mean, she was okay, she didn’t say much, which I don’t really care about, but she was kind of cold with Dean.”

Y/N looked at Charlie and saw that she looked like she wanted to say something but was contemplating whether she should or not.

“Okay, look…” Charlie started, trying to find her next words carefully. “I’m just going to tell you this, and it’s in no way saying that you have to do something, I just think you need to know, now that you’ve brought this up.”

“Okay…” Y/N didn’t know where she was going with this, but she listened anyway.

“Dean and Lisa have never been good for each other. They had a one-night thing, it was great for both of them, but that’s where it should’ve ended. Things were fine at the start, but once they got past the one-year mark, is when things started turning. Two years in, it got pretty bad. I mean, Dean doesn’t know for sure… but he thinks that she might’ve slept with someone else when she went home to visit her family. Things haven’t been right for a while now. Between not trusting her and them fighting at the drop of a hat all the time… it should’ve ended a year ago” Charlie explained.

“Wow” Y/N sighed, shaking her head.

“The only time we see him happy is when he’s at work or when he’s with us and she’s not around. Hell, I don’t particularly think she likes any of us, and we’ve tried really hard to include her. She never really wanted to do anything with us and would only come out with Dean if she wanted to prove things were okay. After a while, we just stopped trying to get her to like us” Charlie went on.

Y/N couldn’t imagine anyone not liking Charlie or Cas. “Seriously?”

Charlie nodded, a glint of anger behind her eyes. “She’s never encouraged him with the business, she’s always put him down for his choice in friends. She claims it’s to make him see that he’s better than them, but she’s just forcing him to think things he never would.”

There was a long silence between them, as Y/N processed everything Charlie just told her. She and Charlie were only just starting to become friends, so she could’ve easily said she didn’t believe her. She did, though. Charlie looked genuinely hurt, which meant everything was true.

“Fuck” Y/N whispered.

“Yeah” Charlie said, raising her eyebrows. “Dean’s generally a happy, care-free guy but for over a year now, I know he’s been hurting. He just hides it behind his larger than life personality. I just want to see him as his old self again. He thinks that if he stays, maybe things will just fix themselves, but they won’t. They haven’t yet and they certainly won’t the longer he stays in this relationship.”

“Wow” Y/N sighed again.

“So, that’s all I want to say” Charlie finished. “I’m not saying you have to do anything about it, but I want you know the reality, and maybe not hate yourself so much for having the thoughts you’ve been having.”

Y/N nodded. Hearing it made her feel slightly better, but worse now that she knew what he was going through.

Another silence fell between them as Y/N thought about everything Charlie said.

“It scares me” Y/N looked down into her glass, shaking her head. “Feeling something so quickly for someone I just met. I’ve never felt a connection like this before. Not even with Ethan.”

“Ethan?” Charlie asked, confusion written on her face.

Y/N bit her lip. She didn’t realize she had never mentioned him to Charlie. “My ex.”

Charlie nodded slowly, immediately understanding. “I’m guessing things didn’t end well if you’re so far away from New York.”

“No, they did not” Y/N muttered after a sip of her drink. “He uh… he was really controlling of me. He’d tell me how I shouldn’t dress up and be too revealing, but then somehow… somehow, he’d tell me that I didn’t try hard enough either, that I wasn’t attractive enough. My job wasn’t good enough. I… I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t… I didn’t think it was something that was a problem, no matter how much anyone told me it was. I thought he’d… he’d say the things he did because he just wanted me to be better, but it was to stroke his own ego.”

“Scumbag” Charlie muttered; her face morphed into anger.

“Yeah” Y/N laughed, bitterly. “I couldn’t see it until the night he hurt me. I thought he was doing those things because he loved me, but love isn’t making a person hate themselves to make yourself feel better.”

“You said he hurt you…” Charlie trailed off, worried that she’d uncover feelings that Y/N had buried.

“Just once, he pushed me and I ended up in hospital with a concussion” Y/N said, her words choking around the lump in her throat. “Once I was better, my parents helped me get my things out of his apartment. It wasn’t an easy transition; I kept seeing him everywhere. I tried to get a restraining order against him, but his family had money and probably paid someone off, so he never got charged with one. He eventually left with his new girlfriend, but that didn’t mean it got better for me. It took some time, a year of therapy before I left, but I realized that I wasn’t going to let anyone do that to me ever again. That place… I didn’t want to leave my family but there was too much of him there. So… now I’m here.”

“I’m glad you are. Y/N, you’re… shit, you’re fucking amazing and I hate that someone made you feel like you’re not” Charlie said, quietly, her eyes watery.

“I really know how to tell a story, huh?” Y/N jested, trying to lighten the mood again, as she blinked to keep her tears from falling.

“I’m glad you told me, that you could trust me with that” Charlie said, a small, empathetic smile playing at her lips.

“I’m sorry” Y/N shook her head, feeling awful at her sudden confession of her past. “I shouldn’t have brought it up when we’re here to have a good time.”

Charlie took her hand in hers. “No, please don’t apologize. I really am glad that you did. I’m so glad I know you.”

Y/N smiled at her. She knew Charlie would hear the story and wouldn’t pity her but be there for her and listen. She held Charlie’s hand, squeezing it. She was glad to have met the woman sitting in front of her.

“You know… Dean would never do that to you, right? To anyone” Charlie told her.

Y/N nodded, closing her eyes. “I know. I don’t know how I know, but I just see him, and I know that he’d never do that.”

“And that’s what scares you, right? That he’d never do that, that you feel so much and that he’s with someone else?” Charlie asked.

Y/N looked at her and didn’t say anything. Her face said it all. Charlie just nodded, before taking the last sip of her drink.

“I need another drink” Y/N said with a small chuckle, having finished her martini.

Charlie just smiled as she flagged down the bartender.

Another drink turned into two more after that. Y/N understood what Charlie said clearly, but that didn’t mean she was going to take the words and run with them. Why risk everything on what could just be a crush? She was wrong, 2 weeks was absolutely a ridiculous amount of time to suddenly fall for someone. She was overthinking things.

She was thankful when Charlie dropped the subject of Dean, having said what she needed to about how she felt towards Lisa, knowing Y/N would interpret everything the way she needed to. She also felt a huge pressure lift off her chest when she told Charlie about what happened with Ethan. It had been a year since the break-up and since she had started therapy. Her last session before she left had left her feeling relieved. Coming to Lawrence had been the best decision, even with her situation with Dean. Charlie was amazing and was glad she spoke up and told someone who she really trusted.

They eventually moved onto talking Charlie and Dorothy and Y/N found the redhead incredibly cute in that moment, as she gushed about her girlfriend.

Y/N knew that once the fourth martini went down, she had to get home. She was well and truly drunk and all she wanted to do was sleep it off. Just forget them ever talking about Dean.

As they left the bar, she stumbled slightly as they walked down the road. She needed to get an Uber and be alone in her thoughts now, her mind reeling with their conversation but vodka, too.

“Are you sure I can’t take you home?” Charlie asked, concern all over her face.

Y/N chuckled as she shook her head. “I’m sure, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay” Charlie agreed, reluctantly. “Message me as soon as you get home.”

An Uber quickly pulled up a few moments after she called it, and Y/N got in. She smiled and waved at Charlie. “Thanks for tonight.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you Monday” Charlie smiled.

Y/N leaned back against the seat, looking out the window. She really didn’t need man drama while she settled into a new town. She had had enough of it back home in her previous relationship, that one almost ruining her mental state. She was still recovering, even if had been a year since they broke up. Memories of him and imagining him around town, even after he left, were what made her decide to leave too. The last thing she needed was to be with someone. That being said, someone could argue with her that it was time to move on and find something better, something more meaningful.

Well, that something would have to come from somewhere else because it sure as hell wasn’t going to come from Dean. As much as she was attracted to him, he was with someone. No matter how unhappy the relationship was. Her mind floated to something Charlie told her. That it was possible that Lisa cheated on Dean.

He was sweet and caring, nurturing and compassionate. Gorgeous as hell and insanely hilarious. Who could ever cheat on him? People had their flaws, but that didn’t mean you give up on a person. His flaws couldn’t be as bad as her ex’s.

The Uber pulled up outside her house. Y/N steadied herself as much as she could as she got out. The car pulling up caught the attention of Dean, however, as he was sitting on the front porch, beer in hand. He watched as Y/N stumbled up the stairs of her porch and tried to open the door to her house.

Dean put his beer down on the stoop and got up from the stairs, walking across the street. As he walked up her porch stairs, Y/N turned around and smiled at him, indicating to Dean that she was quite drunk.

“Dean” she slurred happily, her eyes sparkling.

He tried not to laugh as he walked over to her. “Doing okay there, sweetheart?”

“Sure am” she giggled in her drunken state. “Just trying to get my door open.”

Dean watched as she tried to put the key in but kept missing the keyhole. He stepped forward and took the key from her hand, putting it into the lock and opening the door with ease.

“Thanks” she beamed.

As she went to walk through the threshold, her foot caught the edge and she stumbled. With quick reflexes, Dean caught her arm and pulled her into his body.

“Whoa, Y/N” he exclaimed, cradling her to his body.

She let out a loud cackling laugh, completely unaware of her near injury. Knowing that this wasn’t going to end well if she kept at it by herself, Dean bent down and lifted her legs up as he cradled her body. He lifted her into his arms as he carried her into the house, trying not to dwell on how good she felt in his arms.

“Ooh” she gasped, as her arms wrapped around his neck. “You’re very strong, Dean.”

She couldn’t help but lean her head on his shoulder, the intoxicating scent of cologne driving her crazy.

He ignored that as he walked down the hallway and into her bedroom.

Dean gulped as he looked around, the realization that he shouldn’t be standing in her bedroom hitting him suddenly. He quickly walked to the bed and laid her down, watching her eyes flutter as the alcohol she had consumed took control.

“Have to… have to text Charlie” she mumbled, the alcohol making her sleepy.

Ah, so that’s who she went out with he thought as he took off her shoes and pulled the covers over her.

He picked up her bag and fished around quickly, finding her phone. He didn’t look in, knowing that a woman’s handbag had things in there he had no business seeing.

Y/N unlocked her phone and handed it to him, flinging her head back to her pillow.

Dean bit back a laugh as he messaged Charlie as Y/N.

Hey, made it home safe. Thanks for tonight.

He added that in because if she was this drunk, then clearly she had a great time with his friend. Who wouldn’t?

Dean placed her phone on the nightstand and was about to walk away when he heard her stir.

“You’re really sweet, Dean” she mumbled, only one eye looking up at him as her face was smooshed to her pillow. “Why can’t all guys be like you?”

Dean shook his head. She was really out of it. “I wouldn’t say that, Y/N. I’m not someone to be compared to.”

“I think you are” she said, a soft smile on her face. “I think you’re something special, Dean Winchester.”

A smile spread on his face, but it dropped quickly. She wouldn’t remember saying it in the morning, so it was best not to dwell on it.

“Goodnight, Y/N” he whispered.

“I could get used to you in my life” she whispered, as she drifted off into slumber.

Dean felt a pang in his heart at her words. She may have been drunk, but it had been a while since someone had something like that to him. He couldn’t let her words affect him like that, though. He was with someone else and he needed to make that work again.

Dean slowly walked out of her room and back down the hall. He took out his wallet and took out the Advil tablets he kept in there, leaving them by her coffee machine. He picked up a napkin and quickly scribbled a note on it, before leaving her house. Hopefully she wouldn’t remember all of that in the morning and they could avoid the awkwardness that would follow.

The sunlight from the windows streamed into Y/N’s room. It warmed the covers she was wrapped in, causing her to stir. She groaned as she lifted her head, feeling the heaviness of last night’s drinking session with Charlie. She sat in bed as she tried to recall what happened last night. Her eyes widened as she remembered, everything quickly rushing to her head.

Dean had helped her into the house. Dean had most likely helped her into bed. Dean had been in her bedroom.

She couldn’t remember if any words had been exchanged. Had she said anything that would cause her embarrassment?

Y/N slowly got out of bed and picked up her robe, wrapping it around herself. She picked up her phone and walked out of her bedroom, into the kitchen, as she needed coffee as soon as humanly possible. She looked at the time. It was 10 in the morning. She had really been knocked out last night. She walked over to her coffee machine and was about to start filling it, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

A slip of Advil tablets and a note laid next to the machine. She smiled as she picked up the note, scribbled in all-caps.

HOPE YOUR HEAD DOESN’T HATE YOU TOO MUCH IN THE MORNING.

-D

Her stomach flipped as she bit her lip, reading over the note again. She liked his handwriting. It said so much about him.

She quickly took the Advil before she made her coffee and breakfast, two eggs and a little bacon. You had to have bacon on a Saturday morning, especially if you were hungover. That’s what she felt.

The rest of her afternoon consisted of paying bills and doing some work for her classes, once her head was feeling slightly better. She made a mental note to actually go see a movie next week with Charlie. Maybe they could invite Cas’s girlfriend along, as she was dying to meet Meg. After doing her work for the day, she decided to do a little baking. Saturday afternoon baking was something she did often back home, and she wanted to keep that going here in her new house.

Y/N decided on making an apple pie, one of her favorites. As she got all the ingredients together, she decided to make two, wanting to take one over to Dean as a thank you for helping her last night. Hopefully he liked pie. She turned on one of her softer playlists, as cooking or baking needed some kind of music in the background and something soft was good for her head right now.

An hour later as The Lone Bellow graced her ears, she took out two beautifully golden pies from the oven. She put them on the kitchen bench and went to shower, having still been in the same clothes from last night.

Once she was freshened up, she walked out in dark blue skinny jeans, a white tank top and a pink and white plaid shirt over the top. She took a red and white checked cloth and wrapped it around one of the pies, making sure it stayed warm as she walked over. Slipping her phone into her back pocket, she shrugged on a light jacket to shield her from the light breeze. It was starting to get colder and she wondered what winter would be like here.

Y/N left her house and walked over to Dean and Lisa’s, pie in hand. She was a little nervous and hoped that Lisa wouldn’t be there, so that she could talk to Dean alone. She was slightly ashamed of herself; he was technically a parent of a child she was teaching, and he saw her drunk. She really hated herself for it and hoped that they could talk and come to an understanding.

She quickly walked up the porch steps and rang their doorbell. She waited patiently for a few seconds, before she rang the bell again. Again, she didn’t hear anyone coming for the door. Even the Impala wasn’t in the driveway. They had probably gone out as a family. As she walked back down the porch steps, she heard some music and clinking sounds coming from the back of the house. Wondering if maybe Dean was at home, she walked around the corner to their backyard, the sounds of Metallica’s Wherever I May Roam becoming louder as she got closer. The sight that greeted her caused her eyes to widen and her heart to beat wildly in her chest.

Dean was leaning over the engine of his car with the hood open. He was wearing blue jeans that hung on his hips in the most perfect way, highlighting his cute butt. His dark grey t-shirt defined his physique, the material stretching across his chest and biceps. His arms and face were covered in grease from the car, but that only added to the hotness he was showing at that point. When he turned around and noticed her, he smirked which just killed her dead on the spot.

“Hey, I didn’t hear ya coming out here” he said, walking over to her, turning the music down a little as he walked past his little radio.

She blinked a few times, trying to get out of the trance he put her in. “I rang the bell a few times but then I heard you out here.”

He nodded as he jerked his head towards the car. “Yeah, I gotta work on her from time to time, make sure she’s still runnin’ properly.”

“Well, she’s gorgeous. I wouldn’t want her to fade away either, if I was you” she smiled.

He smirked as he looked at his priced possession. “Dad would tear me a new one if I ever did.”

She laughed a little before a silence fell between them, only the sounds of the song being heard.

And the road becomes my bride And the road becomes my bride I have stripped of all but pride So in her I do confide And she keeps me satisfied Gives me all I need And with dust in throat I crave Only knowledge will I save To the game you stay a slave

Now was as good a time as to bring up what she needed to.

“Dean, I just wanted to say thank you for helping me last night” she started but he waved her off.

“Don’t mention it, sweetheart” he smiled.

He really had to stop calling her that if she was ever going to get anywhere with this. If only he knew what that did to her.

“I know it might’ve felt like just a nice gesture, and it was, but… Dean, I’m really ashamed and I really, really hope you don’t see me differently now” she confessed.

Dean frowned, not sure what she meant. “Why would I do that?”

“It’s just that… I’m a teacher, and I’m supposed to be a certain way. You’re practically a parent to a child in my class, and you shouldn’t be seeing me like that, like how I was last night-” she rambled but the feel of his hands on her shoulders stopped her.

“Y/N, it’s really okay. I’d never tell anyone about that. I mean, shit. You gotta let loose once and a while, too. Maybe someone else would judge you for that, but I never would” he told her, his voice calming her.

“But-” Dean shook his head when she protested.

“Honestly, Y/N. It’s fine. That’s just between you and me. Okay?” he reassured her.

She sighed in relief. “Okay.”

“Good” he winked at her.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked down, trying not to think about that wink.

“It’s just… I didn’t say anything stupid to you, did I? If I did, I’m so sorry” she apologized.

Dean remembered everything she said last night. It had kept him up for an hour and a half as her words circled around in his thoughts.

“Nope” he lied. “Though you did mutter something about finding Christopher Walken sexy.”

Y/N eyes widened. “What?!”

Dean guffawed loudly, shaking his head. “Oh my god, you should see your face.”

She reached up and smacked his arm, causing a small “ah” to leave his lips but he kept on laughing, as he rubbed his arm.

“You’re such an ass” she shook her head, trying not to smile at the sound of his laugh.

His laughter died down as he composed himself. “That was too easy.”

“I don’t think you deserve this pie now” she gestured to the wrapped-up dish in her hands.

His eyes lit up as he looked between her and what was in her hand. “Pie? You-you made me a pie?”

“Yeah, I did, as a thank you for last night but I don’t think I want to give it to you now” she pretended to be upset, riling him up.

“Y/N…” he said, looking her right in the eyes. “Please.”

Jesus. She was putty in his hands. This wasn’t good. She couldn’t do this with him. In that moment, all she could do was hand over the pie with a polite smile. She couldn’t let him think that she was wanted to keep going on this banter of theirs. That was dangerous and she wouldn’t be that person.

She quickly handed it over. “Since you asked so nice.”

His eyes and smile grew brighter, as he giddily lifted one corner of the cloth and smelt the cinnamon and apple.

His eyes rolled back as he moaned lightly. “Damn, that smells amazing. Thanks, Y/N. Seriously.”

“You’re welcome” she said, laughing slightly at his reaction. “I take it you like pie.”

“Like?” he scoffed. “More like obsessed.”

“Good to know” she giggled as she watched him take another whiff. “I better go.”

“Oh, before I forget. Your car should be ready on Wednesday” he told her.

She smiled with a sigh of relief. “Amazing, thank you.”

“So, I’ll see you at the shop on Wednesday” he said, his thumbs rubbing over the cloth around the pie. He was itching to dig into it.

“Yeah” she nodded. “Bye, Dean.”

“Bye. Thanks again” he lifted the pie as he thanked her.

Y/N smiled as she walked away, rounding the corner and disappearing.

As soon as she was gone, Dean walked into the house and put the pie on the kitchen counter. He washed his hands and wiped them down, his mouth salivating as the delicious scent of the pie wafted through the kitchen. He opened a drawer and took out a fork, unfolding the cloth from around the pie dish. He licked his lips he looked down at it, stabbing his fork in and digging up a big bite. He blew on it and shoved it into his mouth. The flavors exploded as he closed his eyes in delight.

“Fuck, that’s good” he mumbled to himself as he swallowed down the mouthful.

It had to be the best pie he had ever had, not including his mother’s because that wasn’t a fair fight. Did Y/N really have to be so perfect that she made an amazing pie, too? How the hell was he supposed to stay away from her if she did things like this?

You just have to he thought as he wrapped the pie up again, for later. You can’t keep doing what you’re doing with her.

If this was ever going to remain friendly, then he had to stop turning on the charm, even if that was second nature to him. She made everything so easy. Things hadn’t been easy for him in a long time.

Between what she said in her drunken state to him (she may have been drunk, but she still said it. So, it had to be true, right?) and now bringing him this pie, it was getting harder to resist her. He knew was starting to feel something for her, even if it had only been a couple of weeks. He hadn’t felt like this since the first time he was with Lisa. Once they actually got together, the spark fizzled out quite quickly as comfortability took over. Now, even that wasn’t there.

Maybe it’s only meant to be comfortable. Maybe the spark isn’t meant to stay as you get comfortable with your partner. Though, that didn’t seem right to him. If you were really in love, then wouldn’t the spark stick around?

He had never been more confused about what to do, but he knew what the right thing was. It was to stick it out with Lisa, and that’s what he needed to do.

No matter how much he thought about Y/N.

As Y/N walked towards her house, her smiled dropped. What happened back there wasn’t just a friendly neighborhood chat. That was more. Much more. That was something two people did when they’re getting to know each other as more than friends. That was banter and flirting and messing around with each other with silly jokes. There were looks that made her tingle all over, and polite words that comforted her.

He made everything so easy. What she was beginning to feel for him was so much more than what she had felt before. This feeling wasn’t even there the first time she met Ethan. She knew she was fooling herself when she said this was just a little crush.

As she entered her house, Y/N was determined.

Dean Winchester was not going to have an effect on her.

He just wasn’t.

-x-

Tags: @flamencodiva​ @deanwanddamons​ @winchest09​ @katehuntington​ @akshi8278​ @hobby27​ @michellethetvaddict​ @spngirl05​ @kyjey​ @halesandy​ @440mxs-wife​ @stoneyggirl​ @deanswaywardgirl​ @wonder-cole​ @that-one-gay-girl​ @redbarn1995​ @marianita195​ @babypink224221​ @deans-baby-momma​ @parinarain​ @thoughts-and-funnies​ @mandalou29​ @castiels-a-winchester​ @perpetualabsurdity​

[once-upon-a-pirate-ship]

How Restlessly the Stars Do Gleam 1/?

Here we go! Comment/reblog/share/dm me (always).

Summary: Princess Emma isn't the princess of much anymore. It's been months since her parents and brother were taken, and she's been on the run with her godmother Red (she's a werewolf and doesn't age, whether or not that detail is canon because I honestly can't remember). When Emma and Red board a merchant vessel to sail to Arendelle, Emma quickly finds that the captain is not to be trusted. After helping two slave brothers (Liam and Killian, if you didn't figure that out already), Emma takes over the ship and begins her journey to save and rebuild her kingdom.

We've got action, we've got adventure, we've got the most badass Emma I've ever written--there's tension and brothers and curses and love! What more could you want? (Is it Will Scarlet? Because he's also gonna be in this)

Story rating: M for the violence and stuff (just to be on the safe side because this will probably get dark very quickly) though there will also be other stuff later.

Chapter 1: Unfit for a Princess

Chapter word count: 6.7k (whoops. I know I said 4k, but I couldn't help it)

Read it on AO3

Most people probably would’ve been surprised at the things she’s seen. They certainly hadn’t been fit for a princess, though she wasn’t the princess of much anymore. Her lands had been trampled, her castle destroyed, but what devastated her the most was the loss of her people and the lives taken. Perhaps she could’ve withstood all of that, had her brother and her parents not been stolen from her as well. Months on the run and time wasted spent searching for something she couldn’t even name, but when Emma boarded a merchant vessel with her godmother Red at her side and her sword on her hip, she had to trust that she was headed towards that something.

Captain Silver never would’ve been her first pick. But his ship was one of the few that still sailed her kingdom’s waters, and his papers claimed allegiance to her parents. It was the first they’d found in the weeks they’d watched the port.

Silver was a slimy fellow, broad shoulders and yellowing teeth and he leered at Emma and Red from his place at the helm.

“We can’t exactly be choosy, Emma,” Red murmured, but by the way her eyes flashed when she glanced back at the captain, she’d been thinking the same thing.

Emma scanned the deck rather than focus on Silver, her eyes flitting from person to person as she surveyed the crew and their movements. Her gut tangled itself into a knot at the scene before her, though there was nothing innately wrong about anything she saw.

But Emma had spent her whole life training. Her father had put a sword in her hand as soon as she was big enough to hold it on her own. Her mother followed with a bow not long after. Tracking, fighting, surviving—these lessons were interwoven between court etiquette classes and political strategy lectures. Her parents had taught her to trust her instincts, and that feeling in her stomach told her that something wasn’t right.

“Let’s just keep our heads down and get to Arendelle,” Red advised, her voice cool. Emma’s godmother was a fiery woman, a force of nature who didn’t need her wolf form to take down men twice her size. But she was also her only counsel, the only one who had made it out of the attack.

And she was right, of course. Emma knew that. But Emma also knew that men like Silver were not to be trusted, and if there’s ever a case where one should keep their head up, it’s when someone untrustworthy is nearby.

It only took her a few hours to learn what made her skin crawl.

Emma emerged from below deck, her hand itching to reach for her sword on instinct the second she met the eyes of one of the crew. Red had stayed below, encouraging Emma to stretch her legs and take some air above, but it wasn’t the relaxing scene she’d expected.

Silver towered over a man on his knees, and the captain’s disgusting expression revealed something vindictive in his manner.

“Captain, I’m sorry, he was only—”

Silver’s hand was quick, cutting off the pleading man with a smack to his jaw. The punch was enough to knock the man over, a quiet groan of pain falling from his lips as another rushed to his aid.

This man’s glare came from sharp blue eyes that were partially shadowed by the dark hair that fell onto his forehead. “It was my fault, Captain, you needn’t punish my brother for my mistakes.” His words were firm, clear, but edged with desperation that felt too familiar to one particular observer.

Captain Silver chuckled, shaking his head at the man before him. “Twenty lashes wasn’t enough to teach you before, boy. Perhaps if it’s your brother who takes them this time, you’ll learn.” The captain waved a hand, and two of his crew grabbed the man by the arms, dragging him away from his brother.

Several feet away on the deck behind, Emma remained perfectly still, but it wasn’t fear, shock, or unwillingness to intervene that had her so.

The brother pushed himself up, cool resolve settling over his features. They were softer than his brother’s, his hair lighter and slightly curled, but his eyes were the same piercing blue. Those eyes tightened when he was ordered to turn, but it disappeared when he caught sight of his brother—younger, by the looks of it—kneeling at the other end of the main deck, his shoulders braced by the captain’s men as he was made to watch.

“No!” the younger cried, watching in horror as Silver pulled the whip into his hand.

But before the lash could connect with his brother’s back, its path was obstructed, wrapping around the blade of a sword. Emma tugged, the whip slipping from Silver’s grasp and flying into her hands.

She had waited—for Silver to be more distracted, for the men to least expect interference, for the perfect opening—and then she had slipped from the quarterdeck to prevent the monstrous act from taking place.

“Please, tell me exactly what you thought you were going to do just now,” she said, and although her voice did not boom across the deck, it was fire and ice, and it sliced through the ears of anyone within range.

The captain turned to face her, his eyes angry despite his smile. “Come now, Princess,” Silver cooed, “you shouldn’t be on deck for this.”

It was almost a warning, nearly a threat, and Emma narrowed her eyes. “Answer me, Silver.”

He smirked, glancing around at his men before returning his attention to her. “What, a man doesn’t have the right to punish his own slave? Is that what your kingdom has come to?” he asked innocently, laughter lacing his tone.

If Emma had looked around, she would’ve seen the surprised and curious looks of the crew and the slaves in question, but her gaze was focused only on the captain. “If you knew anything about this kingdom, Captain, you’d know that slavery is prohibited and punishable by death.” She did not tremble, did not raise her voice, did not allow her immense rage to overpower her.

The captain scowled, his eyes hardening as he reached for his cutlass. “You’re out of your depth, Princess,” he spat.

“Am I?” she asked, her tone imitating the clueless princess they believed she was, cocking her head to the side. “Perhaps you really know nothing about my kingdom, because there’s another thing you should know.” She paused, and maybe it was for the dramatic effect, but she was her father’s daughter, so no one could really blame her. “If you draw your weapon against me, you’ll lose it before you have a chance to blink,” she promised. If anything, her voice had gotten quieter, but there was no doubt that she was heard across the deck.

It seemed, however, that Silver was one of those ‘see it to believe it’ types, because he didn’t take her at her word. She moved as soon as the sound of scraping metal reached her ears, and a few steps and a simple twist of her wrist had his cutlass thudding against the deck.

“Now do you believe me?” she asked. “Or would you like a more detailed demonstration?”

Silver growled, but he’d barely taken a step before Emma’s quick feet had her behind him, the hilt of her sword bashing into his skull and knocking him clean out. She could’ve given him a real fight, but it wasn’t worth the energy. And there were other, greater concerns she had at the moment.

When she turned to face the open-mouthed men, she caught sight of Red who leaned casually against some rigging, a nod and a small, encouraging smile sent from her godmother for her to continue.

“I hereby strip Captain Silver of his rank and his ship,” Emma announced. “As his crew, I ask you to join me on my journey to Arendelle. If anyone has a problem with this leadership change, I’ll be happy to lock you in the brig beside Silver.” No one moved, either too stunned or too enraptured by the princess to do anything.

She cleared her throat, “Now, unless there are any questions, I suggest you all get back to work.” It must’ve been her regal voice that made them all comply so willingly. Her mother had trained it into her just as harshly as she had trained her to shoot and curtsey. It was, in many aspects, a well-rounded education.

Red threw her a grin, Emma signaling her to dispose of Silver. And just like that, she kindly rid the deck of the scum that was the former captain.

Once he was gone, Emma turned back to the brothers. She studied them for a moment, resheathing her sword as she did. Both were still wide-eyed, though the younger was now sitting of his own volition, but neither of them seemed to have fully processed the turn of events.

The elder recovered from his shock quickly. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he told her, his head bowed.

Emma’s fierce anger and all of her noble posture disappeared as she took in the man who still knelt before her, the look in his eye and the hunch of his shoulders. And then that other thing her mother had taught her, kindness, rose to the surface and softened her gaze.

“And what is your name, sir?”

The man fumbled, blinking up at her. “Liam, Your Highness. Liam Jones.”

“Well, Liam, think nothing of it. What kind of ruler would I be if I allowed such horrors to continue?” She offered him a hand, but he just stared at it. “Let me help you,” she said softly.

“I am already indebted to you, Your Highness, my brother and I, we can’t possibly—”

She grabbed his protesting hand, forcing him to his feet. “There now,” she said, “that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Emma smiled, ignoring his flabbergasted expression and moving instead to the brother. He stared up at her, and it seemed to her that he was peering directly into her soul. When she offered him her hand, he took it.

“And your name, sir?”

“Killian Jones, Your Highness.” Emma’s lips twitched, and though she still hated the way her title sounded, she found that she didn’t hate it quite so much when it came from this man.

Emma stepped back, watching as Liam crossed to his brother, and their embrace had her missing hers. She sighed, tossing the whip unceremoniously overboard before facing Red who had appeared from below.

“How fares our guest?”

“Oh, I’ve ensured that his journey will be as uncomfortable as possible,” Red smirked.

Emma nodded, her eyes moving across the deck before returning to her companion. “Good,” she replied. “Stay here. Deal with any…problems. I’ve got some things to take care of.”

Red saluted, and it was only partially teasing. “Aye, aye, Captain,” she grinned.

Emma rolled her eyes, then turned to face the brothers who stood a few feet away, their heads bowed in close conference. The second they realized she was watching them, they turned their attention to her.

“Brothers Jones, follow me,” she said, and they were almost too quick to obey.

They were silent behind her as she crossed the deck, the other men parting to let them by. No one dared meet her gaze, but it was with an air of respect rather than insubordination, or so it seemed to her. She wasn’t naive enough to think her control would hold, but Red’s presence on deck would likely keep them at bay for the time being.

When the door to the captain’s quarters swung open, Emma didn’t try to hide her grimace. A sharp contrast to the spotless deck, Silver’s cabin was covered in papers that had been thrown about, there were clothes littering the floor, food tossed aside and even lingering on parts of the walls.

“Is it always like this?” she asked, turning back to the brothers. She got her answer when Killian’s eyes darkened. “It’s like this until you clean it,” she deduced. “I see.”

They exchanged a look, but she ignored it. “Well, this won’t do. Come along!” she called, leaving them behind her as she headed towards her own quarters.

Liam and Killian hesitated in the doorway of her cabin, and she turned to them with raised eyebrows, her hand gesturing for them to sit at her table. When they shifted their feet reluctantly, she added, “Please sit. There are several questions I have for you, but first I’d like to tend to your injuries. This will go much more smoothly if you sit.”

When they finally acquiesced, Emma moved to the trunk in the corner of the room. It was a recent purchase, one that she’d agreed upon only after Red promised to make use of it as well. Emma was used to living out of the leather satchel that she dug through now, as months running and searching were better suited to packing lightly.

Emma retrieved the small wooden box from the bag, setting it on the table between the two men who watched her every move. The lid creaked when she opened it, revealing the few healing supplies she’d managed to hold onto throughout her travels. The jar of salve was something she’d made herself—her mother’s recipe—and after finding a clean cloth from beside the water basin, Emma dapped at the mixture.

Liam flinched when she raised the cloth to his face, relaxing a moment later when she waited for him to assure her that all was well with a small nod. She eased the salve over the bruise that had already begun to form, attempting to be as gentle as possible.

When she was done, she set the cloth over the jar, her hand finding the back of the empty chair as she looked between them.

“Any more injuries I need to know about?” To another, their silence might have indicated that the answer was no, but she read their expressions before they were schooled, measuring the looks they exchanged.

Emma’s arms folded over her chest, and something not quite as biting as a glare cut through their silence. “Hiding them isn’t going to help you very much,” she added.

Liam shifted uncomfortably. “Your Highness—”

“Call me Emma.”

His lips pulled down sharply as he looked from his brother to her. “You’re a princess,” he replied, “it isn’t proper.”

She let out a suffering sigh, releasing her arms from their hold around herself and gripping the back of the chair instead. “I’m barely a princess anymore,” she told them, her tone too matter-of-fact to reveal the devastation that came with the confession. “My kingdom is in ashes, my castle is little more than rubble, and my people are terrified, lost, or dead. My command on this ship may be the last royal duty I have, and I intend to do it right. That starts with helping the two of you.”

Her words hung heavily in the air, and Liam relented. “Killian’s back…”

“Is fine,” Killian finished quickly. Too quickly.

Liam’s eyebrows shot up at his brother, his head shaking slightly. “It’s not,” he told her, his pleading eyes slicing into her. “But I’m not sure it’s work for a—” he caught himself, pausing and starting again, “—for a lady.”

For a princess. The words, though unsaid, haunted her.

Emma’s lips pulled together as she glanced between them again. “I don’t know if you were paying attention back there, but I’m hardly the type to shy away from getting her hands dirty. And trust me, I have years of experience tending to my own wounds,” she said, “I think I can handle it.”

The months she’d spent with Red swirled in her mind, pointed memories of biting on straps of leather and suppressing cries, stitches rushed beneath moonlight with nothing but alcohol to numb the pain.

“If you supply me with sutures, I’m sure I can make quick work of it,” Liam offered.

Anyone else might have let him, but there was something in her gut that told her she needed to do it. To prevent Liam from having to cause his brother pain again, however helpful that pain might be, or perhaps to ensure that the wound was being properly taken care of, or maybe she was just too damn stubborn to let them do it themselves.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Emma replied, “but between my work with injuries and needlepoint, I think I’ve got you beat with even stitches.” They didn’t have a response to that, and she counted it as a victory.

But that victory was rather hollow when she recalled the words of the captain, the ‘twenty lashes’ that had failed to teach whatever twisted lesson Silver believed was fair, and she was reaching for the numbing gel in her box before she realized what she was doing. It had become her most precious item in the past months, aside from the few trinkets she had from her parents and her father’s dagger, but if made to choose, she’d have to pick the more practical one.

“Liam, I’m not certain—”

Emma didn’t let him finish. “Look, I realize that this is less than ideal. I’m just a stranger to you, and I understand that I’m asking you to trust me. But if this is about pride or protecting my sensibilities, you’re wasting time for both of us,” she said firmly, holding Killian’s gaze. “The reality is that I can help you. You just have to let me. So either tell me to leave you to your pain, or take off your shirt and let me help you.”

Killian did not move right away, blinking up at her with his eyes blown wide. But Emma was never one to back down from a challenge, and she wasn’t going to be the one to break the staring contest they’d gotten into.

“Killian, she’s right,” Liam said, Killian’s eyes flitting from hers to look at his brother. “Just do it. You’ll heal much faster this way.”

When Killian finally stood to unbutton his shirt, Emma returned to her box, gathering the other supplies rather than look at the man she found dangerously intriguing. She forced herself to focus, not looking up until he’d laid on the bed, his back exposed.

“Is there anything you need?” Liam asked her as she crossed to the bunk, pulling the chair so she could sit beside it.

“A wet cloth, thank you,” she replied, laying her supplies out onto the small table next to her.

Part of her training to become an effective ruler included learning to put her mind in a box. She had to be rational even when being rational nearly killed her, and letting her emotions surface now, when there was a person who needed healing…she wasn’t going to let that happen. So she swallowed every thought and feeling that rose in her stomach and in her mind, examining the torn skin before her as if it were a war that had to be fought, and order, strategy, precision would let her succeed.

Emma accepted the wet cloth from Liam before he returned to sit at the table. “I’ll have to clean it first,” she told Killian softly. “It will sting for a moment, but once I’m done I’ll apply the numbing gel.” It was confusing for her, trying to dance the line between empathy and cool rationality. Comfort, kindness, but calm, exact, detached but not apathetic.

Killian didn’t meet her gaze, nodding as his hand gripped the pillow. His jaw was taut, and she recognized the expression. The anticipation of pain, the kind that came with knowing what was to come.

It was the lack of a cry, a groan, or even a whimper that tore into her heart and almost shattered the dam that restrained her emotions. The cleansing liquid burned, she knew it did, but as she dabbed it against the bright red gashes that covered his upper back, he did not make a sound. She followed with the cloth quickly to ease the fire, but it wasn’t enough. It never had been for her.

Emma forced herself to breathe when she returned the bottle to the table, taking the numbing gel in hand. She grounded herself in the release of tension the second it touched his skin, how his jaw loosened and the way his exhale was almost a sigh.

“Alright, Liam, tell me who’s gonna be a problem,” she said, eager for both the distraction and the information.

“What?”

She didn’t turn to look at him, reaching for the needle instead. “You talk while I work,” she told him. Killian didn’t show any sign of pain or even sensation when she made the first stitch, but Emma knew it wasn’t because he couldn’t feel it. The numbing gel was good, but it could only do so much.

“Who is going to try to mutiny?” she asked, pausing before forming another stitch.

“Carver,” Killian grunted. “He and Johnson aren’t likely to be your biggest fans,” he said, and he spoke as if he were sitting beside her at the table.

She kept her eyes and her hands focused on making quick, even stitches. “Greatest assets? I need to know who’s going to be the most helpful on our voyage, who can navigate, who I can trust.”

“Terry’s the best sailor we’ve got,” Liam said.

Killian made a sound, and at first, Emma thought she’d hurt him. “I’d say you’ve got at least as much skill, brother,” he muttered.

Emma stopped her moving hand, glancing back at Liam. “Is this true?” Heat spread across his face, answering before he could.

“Aye,” Killian replied.

“Okay, we’ll discuss that later,” she said, resuming her task. It was easier to think of it like that, a task, just something she needed to do. “Is there anyone else on board who will be needing my nursing abilities?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no,” Liam said softly.

Emma nodded, letting silence fall for a few minutes while she worked. Half of her energy was channeled towards the actual stitching, the other half spent on trying not to think about the scar tissue on this man’s back. She wasn’t sure she’d ever stitched something faster in her life.

“If I didn’t make it abundantly clear before, you’re both free,” she said after a while. “If you’d prefer it, we can drop you off at the nearest port, but you’re welcome to stay. I’ll see to it that you have proper wages—retroactive ones, either way—but you’ll have a place among the crew should you wish it. The choice is entirely yours.”

“We’ll stay,” Liam told her, his tone more resolved than she’d ever heard it.

“Aye,” Killian agreed as if there were no question.

She smiled softly, relieved at their choice, if she were being honest with herself. She would’ve kept her word had they chosen otherwise, but it was a comfort to know that she’d have at least two she could rely on aboard the ship.

It didn’t take much longer for her to finish the last of the stitches, and she covered his back in her special salve a little more liberally than normal. Her hand froze as she pulled it back, her ears catching the sounds from the deck.

“Damn,” she muttered, wiping her hands with the wet cloth quickly, “I thought we’d have more time.” She left the room before Killian could even replace his shirt, but the brothers Jones were not far behind.

Her sword was in her hand when she reached the deck, scanning the scene and finding Red in the center of it. Several men had gathered around her as she bared her blade and her teeth, but Emma was at her side before the first man had the chance to attack.

Emma’s sword was fast, although it wasn’t the cutlass the crew used, and she parried her opponent’s first attack, then his second, the metal clanging so familiar that she got lost in the fight, a lunge and a hit against him and then a step to the side at the last second that threw him off balance. A sweep of her leg brought the man down faster than he could recover, his ass then his head slamming against the ground.

A half-turn brought her to the next enemy, a quicker man who still wasn’t quite quick enough. She used his size against him, tricked him into an ill-timed attack that revealed more of her target, and she nicked him in the arm, just enough to make him falter. She disarmed him with a move her father had taught her, knocking him out with the butt of her sword without waiting to watch him drop onto the deck.

But when she spun to face her third opponent, someone else was there to interrupt her.

Liam charged with a fallen blade, his footwork a little clumsy but good enough to face the oversized mutineer. He lunged at the man, catching him in the side, and Liam took him down with just a few more swipes.

The fourth was already engaged in a fight with Killian when she turned. This brother was quicker, more agile, better suited for the blade in his hand. He was skilled, that was apparent to her even in the thirty seconds or so she was able to observe before he disarmed the attacker. The hilt of his sword collided with the man’s head, and then Killian turned to face his princess and captain.

Red cast her weary gaze across the deck, eyeing the rest of the crew who had gathered to watch the events unfold. “Anyone else?” she taunted, and Emma joined her in measuring them up. “Good, at least we’ve retained the ones with common sense. I could use a hand taking these traitors to the brig,” she hinted.

Several men moved right away, both brothers with them, but Emma stopped Killian with a hand on his shoulder. His startled eyes met hers, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

“If you pull those stitches, all of my hard work will be for nothing,” she said. She felt her lips pull up at his sheepish expression, his hand reaching to scratch behind his ear.

She turned to his brother who was hoisting an attacker over his shoulder. “Thank you, Liam.” Another hand held out to him, this time to shake.

“You’re welcome, Your Hi—” he paused, taking it. “Emma.”

It was just her name, but it really wasn’t. It felt like acceptance, like loyalty. Fighting for each other, crossing enemy blades to defend. With Liam, the use of her name was respect and a promise. She watched him join the others in heading below, and then she turned to his brother.

“Thank you, Killian,” she said, offering him the same gesture.

“We owe you much, love. It’s the least we could do.”

Emma tried to pretend that she didn’t feel a jolt rush through her when her hand touched his, like lightning didn’t shiver up her arm from where their skin met. She mourned the sensation when it disappeared with the release of his hand.

“You’re a better swordsman than your brother,” she said suddenly.

“Aye, well,” he hesitated, ducking his head. “He was a little busy covering for my mistakes to learn the footwork.”

“That was more than just footwork,” she pointed out.

Killian flushed, his ears turning a most delightful shade. He opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted when a man approached.

The newcomer was older, slightly graying, and he wore a kind smile. “Your Highness,” he greeted, bowing properly. “My name is John Terry. I’d like to offer my navigational skills to aid Your Highness on our voyage to Arendelle.”

Although she was put off by his terrible timing, she smiled her sweetest diplomat smile. “Thank you, sir. I am certain that Liam will appreciate the assistance, as he will be leading the charge, so to speak.”

She hadn’t entirely decided on this particular detail, not until she saw how readily he fought for her, how quickly he and his brother came to help her. After all that, how could she not trust him to lead their way? As always, she listened to her instincts, and her instincts were screaming at her to trust the Jones brothers.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Terry nodded. “I will meet with the elder Jones just as soon as he finishing helping Lady Red.” With another bow, Terry retreated, the sincere expression never wavering.

Killian was staring when she turned back to him. “You…”

“Took you at your word?” He nodded. “Allow me to let you in on a little secret,” she said, her voice low, “I can always tell when people are lying.” It had saved her life more than once, and though she’d had reservations about giving Liam the post before, his skill was never in question.

Killian’s eyes didn’t leave her, they only widened as if he couldn’t help himself but look at her in awe.

“What?”

“You’re bloody brilliant,” he blurted, and red came to stain his cheeks again. “Apologies, Your Highness,” he muttered.

Emma sighed, resheathing her sword so she could twist her hands together. “What did I say about my title?” she reminded him.

Once again he was prevented from speaking, unable to amend his statement before Red and Liam returned from below and joined them. And force of habit kept Emma from dallying, turning to Liam to get right to business.

“I’ve told Terry he may assist you in leading our navigation,” she told him. “He wishes to meet to discuss our course, but make no mistake, you’re taking the reins on this. And I want not a word from you against it,” Emma added, narrowing her gaze as if to prove that she was serious.

Liam nodded, but he wisely remained silent.

“Red, I want you at the helm until one of them takes over.”

“Of course, Emma.”

“Report any relevant information or concerns you have directly to me,” Emma told them. “I’d rather not have to defend the ship from a second mutiny, if it can be avoided.”

Red huffed, shaking her head at the thought. “And if we need you? Where will you be?”

“I will be learning the ins and outs of the ship from Killian—unless he has any objections?” Emma raised an eyebrow, looking to him to confirm. When he did, she continued, “Right then, we’ll remain on deck to keep the crew from deciding to do anything extremely stupid.”

And with that, they dispersed, Red towards the stern and Liam below while Emma led Killian to the forecastle where the fewest men lingered to work. But the eyes of the crew followed the princess wherever she moved, until her biting glare forced their attention back to their tasks.

“Would I be wrong to assume that the two you mentioned are now occupying the brig?” she asked. “Carver and Johnson?”

“No.”

She’d already guessed this, of course, but it was satisfying to have her hunch confirmed. “So I’m also assuming that you know quite a bit about how this crew works, based on the accurate prediction.”

“I suppose,” he replied, eyeing her curiously as they walked along the railing.

“Perfect,” she grinned.

It only took a few strategic questions from her before he was laying out the exact dynamics of the crew, the hierarchy that was always present, the groups that would form in the right climate. With Killian’s knowledge, she had a clear picture of who could be trusted and who she’d encourage to vacate the premises the second they were docked.

Emma had anticipated this. He was perceptive, clever, and his mind worked more like a soldier than a sailor. Killian’s instincts were much like hers, and she would’ve made bets on his intuition.

“What’s in Arendelle?” he asked once his information was exhausted and silence had settled over them.

She sighed, dropping to sit on a nearby barrel. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, or even that the information was particularly secret, but she hated revealing that she was truly just searching blindly in the dark for anything at all to help her succeed.

“They’re our closest ally that has magic,” she said honestly. It wasn’t all of it, but it was the truth.

He was the curious sort, and she could read all of the questions in his eyes. But he held his tongue for whatever the reason, and the opportunity was lost anyway when Liam joined them. Though Liam’s information was likely vital, she couldn’t help but feel that something else was rather important, too. Red requested an audience before she could consider it further.

They located a secluded part of the deck rather than going below for privacy, neither willing to risk it so soon after the mutiny attempt. Emma braced herself for the oncoming lecture. Well, Red wasn’t exactly the lecturing type, so perhaps she’d simply scold her and move on.

“You did the right thing.”

“I think so, too,” Emma replied.

“Silver is a slimy little bastard, and I can’t say that I’m upset to see him and his friends in the brig,” Red chuckled.

It was true, Emma knew, but she’d expected to have to defend her actions, her recklessness, to her godmother. “So you wanted to talk to me,” Emma prompted.

Red sighed, leaning against the rail that overlooked the deck. “You forget, kid,” she began, “I watched your mother do this the first time. It’s not enough to just get them back, to save them, we need allies. You need allies. And that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

Emma smirked, “You’re telling me to keep up the good work?”

“I’m telling you to use that gut of yours, Emma. Trust it, just as you have been. If you continue to do that, continue to lead the way like you’ve always been trained to, we can’t lose.”

--

Emma stood at the helm, her sharp eyes trained on the deck before her. Silence enshrouded the ship, only the gentle crashing of the waves sounding in the air. Light was scarce, the half-formed moon above giving her just enough to assure her that all was well.

Red had long since gone to bed, her and Emma’s things moved into the first mate’s quarters for the time being—the previous occupant had recently relocated to less comfortable arrangements far below. Naturally, Emma had dispatched Red to order the Jones brothers into the newly vacant cabin, and she’d been given express instructions to ensure they’d both reapplied the salve. But that was hours ago, and Emma had a few more before Red was due to relieve her at the wheel.

“Liam or I would’ve gladly taken the night shift, Princess.”

Emma turned at the voice, unsurprised to find Killian already beside her. “Be that as it may,” she said, “I still wished for both of you to get a good night’s sleep.”

“And what of our fearless captain?” The moon lit the side of his face, an eyebrow raised in her direction. “Doesn’t she deserve a restful night?”

Her grip tightened on the helm as the memories flickered before her eyes without her permission, the calm nights that turned into chaos foreshadowed only by a single twig snapping or the turn of a doorknob, the things she would’ve missed had she not been awake.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to get anything resembling a restful night,” she confessed bitterly.

“Is this your brilliant war strategy? To be so exhausted that your enemies pity you and surrender?”

She shot him a glare, but his expression didn’t falter, remaining open and questioning. “Fair point,” she relented. “However, my bunk won’t be free until Red returns to take the next shift, and I don’t think the floor would be very comfortable.”

“Ah,” he breathed. “Luckily for you, the matter has been taken care of,” he told her. “I think you’ll find that the captain’s quarters are more to your liking now.”

Concern and frustration made a strange combination in her voice. “Killian, you didn’t—”

He held up a hand. “It was no trouble, I assure you. I found the task much more pleasant when I knew it was for you and not Silver,” he smiled. “And before you can ask, I was careful with my back. Liam checked my stitches, and your handiwork hasn’t been ruined.”

“And now I’m just supposed to let you finish the shift for me? After you worked for who knows how long cleaning that horrible cabin?” she nearly snapped at him, pausing to take a breath. “You need sleep more than I do, Killian. You’re healing.”

“I’ve already slept for a couple of hours, but if it suits you, Your Highness, I’ll rise late tomorrow.”

“I thought I told you to call me Emma,” she interjected.

“And as my brother already said, it isn’t proper.” He didn’t cower beneath her pointed gaze, holding his head high as challenged her.

She deliberated a moment before speaking. “I’ll let you take over as soon as you call me Emma.”

Killian’s eyebrow shot up again, his expression a mixture of irritation and something softer, fondness with an edge of awe that revealed to her that she’d impressed him yet again. Their locked eyes brought a new tension between them this time, until Killian seemed to remember himself and glanced away quickly.

He sighed, and moonlight reflected in his eyes as they moved to meet hers again. “I owe you much,” he said.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

Killian nearly snorted at that. “Saving Liam? Relieving Silver of this ship? Freeing my brother and myself, essentially saving our lives? Tending to my wounds? Giving Liam the chance to be a real sailor?”

“Okay, not nothing,” Emma mumbled. She cleared her throat in an attempt to start over. “I did what was right. Don’t…I don’t want you to feel trapped because of a sense of obligation, not when you’ve just gotten your freedom back.”

His eyes were gentle, almost tender, and she wished it was light enough to see their exact shade. “Don’t you see,” he paused, and when he finally said her name, it was almost a prayer, his lips caressing as he murmured, “Emma?”

She couldn’t reply, not when she was lost in his eyes and his voice and his expression. Where Liam’s use of her name was respect, loyalty, Killian’s was something more. It was something far too deep, vast and powerful like the seas that rocked them. When Killian used her name, it was as if the world trembled around her, pausing for a fraction of a second just to revel in the sound.

“You’ve given us our freedom—freedom to choose,” he continued. “We’ve gone so long having to witness Silver’s atrocities and those done by others just like him, never able to stop it, never able to do anything but watch. But with you here, you’re giving us a chance to do something about it. Now we can do the right thing. And after seeing you today, love, I’m certain that the right thing is to remain at your side.”

Killian smiled, his hand taking the helm. “And you can’t very well lead us into battle if you’re passed out,” he added.

Emma’s hands dropped from their hold on the wheel, and she stepped aside to relinquish her post. He immediately slid into her spot, a satisfied grin stretching across his lips.

“I expect you to rise late, remember,” Emma reminded him.

“Of course.”

“And if there’s trouble—”

“There won’t be.”

“If there’s trouble,” she repeated, “make sure I’m the first to know about it.”

He nodded, “Aye, aye, Captain.”

“Here we go,” she said under her breath, turning away from him to head towards her cabin.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing!” she called over her shoulder. She stopped before she reached the opening, glancing back at him. “Good night, Killian.”

“Good night, Captain.”

It wasn’t her name, but at least it wasn’t ‘Your Highness,’ which was much worse. And he’d said her name once. Given her reaction, it might not have been the best idea to make it a regular occurrence. Besides, there was something about the way he said Captain that felt like…well, it was nice.

The waves lulled Emma to sleep not long after her head hit the pillow, something almost like a smile on her lips as she drifted off.

[violetsinviolence]

ao3 year in review

original format by @athina-blaine

Top Fandom: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (16 works)

Date of first fic posted: 17 Sept, 2020 (let’s get married, 3,898 words) - happy anniversary me!

Top multi-chapter fic: ‘til i’m with you then, i’m with you there (69,086 words) my most recent finished fic, the one with the most words, and the one i’ve put the most effort into! it grew so much over the 11 weeks i posted it and i’ve already got more ideas in the works- i love this little universe i’ve created and all the people that have helped me cultivate it into something beautiful! ironic how my top two works in word count are both royalty related- i think i have a calling.

Top one-shot: nothing’s perfect, i’m hoping i’ll do (1, 379 words) this one got super popular out of nowhere- like i know everyone loves a good teacher au for tma but holy COW did this one go off the charts with its popularity- it’s almost my most kudos’d fic, just under 160 rn! absolutely incredible tbh, i didn’t even think it was that good when i posted it but HELL i’m proud of it now and i’m glad so many others like it too :)

Fic you’re most proud of: you’ll leave me lonely at best (4, 358 words) god this one is so good to me? idk what it is about the angst in this one but god fucking damn i’ll go back and read it whenever i need just a good solid cry like- damn what did i drink that day to make my angst charts off the shit? fuck!

Fic you wish got more attention: the water’s sweet but blood is thicker (3,305 words) i love love LOVE taako and lup’s relationship and i wanted to capture just like a little… a little bit of their sibling love — and maybe i projected hardcore with me and my sister, ya know — and i was super proud of that! i thought it was super sweet and i wish it’d gotten more love

Fic that Challenged You the Most: h2o, what a feeling! (8,351 words - unfinished) this one- idk what it is with this one, i posted the first chapter and then realized that i had no clue where i wanted to go from there. just getting the second chapter out was a beast on its own but fear not i’ve got a general plot line i want enact! i just need the motivation to start writing it again lmao

Favorite Quote/Passage:

“How could Juno not believe it? When Peter said it so easily like it was the easiest thing in the world to love Juno Steel.”

- when he calls me pretty, i feel like somebody (2,154 words)

“For now, though, he begins to walk, returning to his own world. Where the woman wearing his mother's face rules the land. Back to the birdcage. But, at the very least, Juno gets to keep this all to himself.”

- ‘til i’m with you then, i’m with you there, chapter one: you’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream (69,086 words)

“There are two things different, though: The Heliz is gone and in its place sits a neatly folded piece of paper. Duke trembles as he unfolds it.

Rosie,

Thanks for the ride. Sorry, I had to take off so quickly, but I'm expected elsewhere. I'm not sorry about having to take the Heliz from you, but I expect you enjoy a challenge. Come find me if you want it that badly, will ya?

Dahlia

The handwriting is sloppy and rushed, but the words fill Duke's senses with excitement. If he hurries, he could probably stop Dahlia from leaving the hotel, hell he could probably track him down from going off-planet need be. But where's the fun in that? There's a game in store for the two of them, and Duke for one loves games. He laughs, loud and open and so very happy as he holds the note to his chest, thinking of the lovely sharpshooter who's stolen the gem from right under his nose-- twice now!

Duke thinks he's stolen something else too, but he's more than happy to let Dahlia keep that.”

- so start me up and watch me go (5,848 words)

Total Words Posted: 285,405!

this year has been super duper big for me in terms of self discovery! i started ao3 honestly just so i could bookmark stories i liked and stuff, i never thought i’d ever start writing for real- and here i am now! honestly the person i have to thank most is @lmaowhateven sammy darling you’ve been my #1 fan through this entire process and you’ve been nothing but supportive and sweet- if nobody else got me i know he got me 🥺🥰

some other people i’d like to thank: @the-official-account @seratlantisite @scarlettrust @anonomouslyabanana @argentumauream

i go back and reread y’all’s comments all the time because they mean so much to me, literally my favorite people of all time i’m giving you all of my money currently rn actually! 💖

thank you all for making this year wonderful and i hope next year will be just as great! thank you!

[ateezmakemeweep]

dom!jongho 

word count: 6k

smut 

request: @songsoomin

you had nothing but nice things to say about your neighbors across the hall. the three boys, yunho, san and wooyoung, were just about the happiest people you had ever met.

they had welcomed you with open arms, brought over wine and brownies and filled you in on all of the gossip and best places to eat. it's when you first heard about your next door neighbor, the one you still have yet to see a month into moving in.

but, oh, do you hear him.

hear the distinct, obvious noise of a headboard smacking against the wall and the loud, dramatic moans of "oh, jongho!" being cried out. and the first time you hadn't thought much of it, even thought 'good for him, at least someone's getting laid.'

but after the fifth consecutive night of hearing it, the pitches and tones sounding very much like different voices, you were convinced he was a scumbag.

"a scumbag?" wooyoung says, refilling your glass of wine even though you're already far too tipsy. "ouch, y/n."

"oh c'mon," you slur, "i've been here for a month and i've heard his escapades more nights than i haven't."

"but a man has needs," san pouts, stretching out on your floor as all the alcohol hits him at once.

"and a girl needs sleep!" you squeal, "i haven't even seen the fuckers face but i already know far too much about how big his-"

"oh, my god, no!" yunho yelps, throwing his hands out in front of him. "y/n, please spare us. we actually have to hang out with him and look him in the face."

they had told you all about their monthly dinners, each of them cooking a dish and swapping which apartment hosts. they had invited you to the next one that first day they met you and you had agreed; but now, after hearing all you've heard and already disliking someone you've never met, you're having some hesitations.

"so will she because she's coming tomorrow," wooyoung whines, your eyes narrowing at the boy as you shake your head.

"no. nope. no chance," you insist, throwing your wine back in a very impolite fashion. "i refuse to look at that man whore."

"hey! we don't slut-shame in this house!"

you can only roll your eyes at san's words, knowing damn well if the circumstances were reversed, a group of men would have a whole lot to say about a woman having a different person at her house every night.

and it wasn't even the fact that he was having loud, obnoxious sex with different people (okay, maybe it was a little bit). but it was more about the fact that these women might be walking in with the assumption that he was gonna wake them with breakfast and treat them dignity and respect. not replace her with a different face just twelve hours later so he can hear the same shit over and over again.

because it's shit you hear over and over again and you decide that when you finally do meet him, you're gonna give him a piece of your mind.

that day doesn't come until a few weeks later, purposely going out to dinner with your coworkers so you miss the neighborly dinner party that wooyoung was sure to text you angrily about.

you come barreling through your apartment complex from the rain, running toward the open elevator as your umbrella drips onto the floor. "wait! hold it, please!" you squeal, desperate to just flop on to your couch and never get up again.

but the elevator door just slams in your face, quickly catching the sight of a stocky man in a brown leather jacket with black hair. you let out a frustrated groan, cursing at him under your breath before clicking the up button impatiently.

it's when you make your way up to your floor five minutes later that you see the familiar brown leather, his figure standing in front of the apartment door next to yours and you can't help but let out a laugh.

of fucking course that would be him.

you stomp toward your apartment, having every intention to continue ignoring him until you hear his deep voice greet you.

"oh, hey. you must be the new neighbor," he says politely, looking up from the piece of mail he was reading. "i don't believe we've met yet. i'm-"

"jongho," you interrupt, craning your neck to the side to look him up and down. "yeah, i know. i've heard it far too much."

the smirk that crosses his face fills you with rage for multiple reasons, one being that he just looks so smug and cocky and pleased with himself, a confidence that probably lands him so many prospects in the first place. but it's also because even though you really, truly hate to admit it, he's annoyingly handsome.

"oh? did the boys tell you about me?" he quips, the look on his face the biggest indication he knows damn well that's not what you meant. you can only scoff at him, watching his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"the boys?" you ask, tone feigning sweetness, "try girls. many girls. the walls aren't thin you know."

oh, i know," he says, smirking at how riled up you already are. and it's due to that very fact he can't help but add on, "because i hear nothing coming from your end."

your eyebrow shoots up at his comment, feeling anger and irritation flood through you at the relaxed way he leans against his door and smirks at you.

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"just that maybe you need to get some too, huh?" he says, tone sarcastic and playful. "is that why you're coming off so bitter, princess?"

"bitter?" you laugh out humorlessly, princess? is this guy fucking serious? you take a step closer to him and narrowing your eyes at him, "maybe try exhausted or appalled or disgusted! i've had to hear your escapades for weeks."

"is that really what this is about?" he quips, mimicking your actions and taking a step closer to you. "maybe you're just curious or dare i say....jealous? about my action and your...lack thereof."

and it's at that moment you can not believe he is a real person. how a real, living breathing person could be this dense and arrogant and repulsive to a person they just met (while completely ignoring the fact that you're being this judgmental and rude to a person you've just met).

"you're a sicko, a literal sicko," you spit out.

your comments only make his smirk grow larger, turning his head to the side before his eyes roam your figure. "i mean, if you wanna have an escapade of your own, if you apologize, i wouldn't be opposed to-"

"goodbye jongho," you say, taking out your key as you roll your eyes. "i wish i could say it was a pleasure meeting you."

"oh c'mon, don't be like that," he whines, his eyes twinkling at you in a way that would usually have you hook, line and sinker.

"how about you start being mindful of your neighbors?" you snap, opening your door and stepping inside before turning around to get in one last petty farewell. "because if i have to hear one more woman ask you if you're in yet, i'm gonna lose my mind."

"so... i heard you finally met jongho," yunho says on your nightly walk a few days later.

"ha, oh did i," you spit out sarcastically, remembering how irritated and frustrated that arrogant asshole had made you. "just as big a dick as i expected."

yunho has to bite his lip to he doesn't smirk or laugh, simply raising an eyebrow at you. "what?" you ask, catching the look on his face.

"nothing," he says, throwing his arms up in defense. "i just think...i mean, he's not that bad."

"different girls every night?!" you squeal, "oh, c'mon yunho. and you know what, it's not even about that. it's the fact that i hear every single thing, at all hours of the night. like last night, it kept me up till three a.m."

"okay, that is a bit inconsiderate," yunho agrees, not saying that, now, the boy is probably just doing it on purpose to get a rise out of you. because he knows jongho well and knows that any strong response like the one you give just serves as a way to interest the boy. makes him see just how far he could push someone until they really crack.

"so inconsiderate," you whine, a frown making its way on your face. "it's stressing me out, even, working on like four hours of sleep."

and any time yunho, wooyoung or san hear the words 'stressed out,' it immediately calls for a night of dancing and overpriced cocktails. you were hesitant at first, walking into the crowded bar that friday with an already tipsy san and wooyoung.

but once you got down a few drinks yourself, you were right there with them. dancing on them and doing shots and singing so loudly you knew you'd have that telltale, hoarse party girl voice the next day. but it was so worth it because right now, you were having so much fun.

forgetting all about your work obligations and thesis due in a few weeks, forgetting all about the frustration you've gathered from being single for almost a year and how you're kindly reminded every night you haven't gotten laid since then.

so maybe that's why you agreed to give the guy who bought you a drink your phone number, placing a peck on his lips before yunho works to grab you, wooyoung and san out of the bar.

"you guys are so annoying, we're never doing this again," yunho grumbled on the walk back to the apartment. because that's the only way to feel as he watches san almost get hit by a car three times, wooyoung screaming "hello!" into every open establishment and you asking him one hundred times if he thought it was okay and safe to give that guy your number.

but then once wooyoung and san start projectile vomiting all over the streets, you decide to give yunho a helping hand. you wrap san's arm around your neck, wooyoung's around yunho, and carry the boy's up the elevator and into their apartment. both of the boys promptly pass out on the floor and yunho waves it off, insisting they'll be fine and that'll he be sleeping on the couch in fear that they'll choke on their vomit.

"you're a good friend, yunho," you laugh out, hiccuping the last part of his name. "thank you for this. it-it was so much fun." and the boy can only softly smiling, placing a friendly kiss on your cheek and insisting you'll do it again after he discusses with a few selected few how to act properly.

you giggle as you stumbled toward your own apartment, your head turning to the side when you hear the ding of the elevator. your eyes widen when you see jongho come out, alone, and you can't help the way your hands start slowly clapping.

"wow," you say, "do-do my eyes deceive me? are you actually going into your apartment alone?"

that stupid, arrogant, obnoxiously handsome smirk is on his face immediately, shamelessly looking over your tight jeans and lace shirt. "you went out like that and you're going home alone?" he asks, resting his head on his door. "what was wrong with the men there?"

"if you could believe it, they had a conversation with me. got to know me and just talked. you know, like a decent human being."

he bites his lip to contain his smile, crossing his (large, muscular, exquisite) arms across his chest. "what, because i like to fuck i'm not a decent human being?"

"because you like to fuck in an abundance," you tell him, walking forward and standing in front of him. "and because the porn-like moans keep me up all damn night!"

"now, if you could believe it, those aren't my moans," he says teasingly, liking the way your finger feels on his broad chest. "so i don't know why you're yelling at me in the first place."

"because you're the one making it happen!" you squeal, "if i have to hear 'ugh, harder jongho!' one more time, i'm gonna shoot myself in the face."

he licks over his lips, resisting the urge to laugh at how perfectly you intimidated a fucked out, whiney voice. and something about it causes him to step closer to you, just a few inches of space keeping your fronts from touching.

"what if it's your own voice?" he asks lowly, his words teasing but eyes serious. "would you mind that?" his eyes roam over your outfit again, the curve of your hips and the slight silver of skin itching to have his hand on it. "because i still think that's what this is all about."

you swallow the lump in your throat, amazed and a bit embarrassed by how quickly he's humbled you. but it's the voice, the proximity, his eyes on top of the fact that, yeah okay maybe it's a little bit about that. but who can blame you? it's been far too long of the sad hum of your vibrator and muffled moans in your own hand filling your bedroom.

"i think you're an asshole," you weakly spit out, still trying to keep some of the resolve. but he sees through it, smirking as he allows his hand to touch your warm skin and push you slightly so your back connects with the wall.

"asshole or not, i'm free tonight and you're free tonight," he hums lowly in your ear, his finger tracing your skin tantalizing slow and causing sparks to shoot through you. "isn't that right?"

you swallow again, your arms hanging dumbly at your sides even though they should be pushing him right off of you. but you can only meet his gaze and feel yourself tremble, his eyes dark and teasing and boring right into you.

"i..." you can only stutter, looking from his face to his hand resting on your apartment door. you bite your lip at the sight of it, large and strong and you can only imagine what kind of damage it does. is that what keeps them screaming all night, his fingers toying at their clit or pushing into their-

but then suddenly both your hands are pinned above your head, a gasp leaving your mouth as warmth pools in your stomach. because you were right, they are very strong hands.

"you what?" he hums lowly, his tongue swiping his lip cockily as he takes in your expression. "that shut you up real quick, didn't it?"

you lick at your lips, narrowing your eyes at him which leads him to tighten his hold on you. you hate the whimper that leaves your mouth, feeling so small and defenseless under his touch. "so what, are we gonna do this this right out here?" he asks.

"we're not...gonna do anything," you sigh out breathily, looking from his eyes to the elevator. but he's quick to take the hand on your waist to your jaw, turning your head so you can look right at him.

you don't like this, you really don't.

actually you like this too much.

because his hand is far too close to your neck and if he wraps his hand around it, you'll be done. you'll probably beg for him and embarrass yourself and maybe even come untouched, who's to know really.

"oh no?" he hums, teasing and superiority in his tone. and then he starts doing just what you didn't want, moving down your neck and squeezing at the sides every so slightly. he doesn't miss the way your breath quickens, how your eyes close and you tip your head back further.

"you like this?" he says lowly, "you like my hand around your pretty little throat?" you whimper again, all the pent up frustration and desire hitting you at once.

anyone who says a cold shower is the best way to sober you up clearly doesn't know anything. all you need is a years worth of being sexual deprived and an obnoxious neighbor with strong hands and a high libido. because you feel completely coherent and aware, aware of the how fast wetness is pooling in your underwear and how your mind is flooding with all the things you want him to do to you.

"where else do you want my hand?"

your eyes fly open and now it's his turn for lust to creep on him, the glossy, heated, wide-eyed look you give him all he needs to suppress a low growl in the back of his throat. to move his hand down your cleavage and mumble "here?"

but when you shake your head, he only smirks, giving each breast a squeeze before trailing it down your stomach and right above the waistband of your jeans. "here?"

you feel like you're about to pass out now, your legs wobbly and breath so ragged and shaky. "touch me, please," you whisper, hating how fast he's made you desperate and pathetic. but you don't hate it enough to not give in, wanting and needing his hand between your legs.

"just because you said please," he says and then he's rubbing you over your jeans. you spread your legs out even more, crying out quietly when you feel him graze over your most sensitive spot. you feel how wet your underwear is becoming, wishing he would just stick his hand down there and give you what you want.

"j-jongho," you whine out, head lolling to the side as you look up at him.

"what do you want?" he hums, his hand instinctually tightening on your red wrists. "you want me to feel how wet you are?"

you can only nod your head quickly, thinking that maybe perhaps he can read your mind but not really caring at this point, because then he's zipping down your pants and sticking his hand in your soaked thong.

"shit," he grunts out, his profanity drowned out by the whine leaving your mouth. "i knew you were just frustrated. that's what it was, right?" but you refuse to answer, just focusing on the way his fingers are flicking at your throbbing clit. his fingers are so skilled and long, sparks of pleasure shooting right through you.

but that doesn't do for him. which is why he suddenly sticks a finger in your wet entrance making you cry out. "right?" he growls. "i'll leave you here dripping if you don't answer me."

"yes," you whine immediately. "i...want that."

"want what?" he asks, sticking a second finger in as some type of reward. which is why you speak again, whine out that you want someone to fuck you and make you scream.

"i offered," he said lowly, his finger quickly circling your clit. "but you were such a judgmental, self-righteous little-"

the ding of the elevator immediately brings you both back to reality, that you're both still very much in the hallway of your apartment complex. he immediately rips his hand out of your pants, dropping his hold on you and covering your body with his.

"zip them up."

and just like the past few minutes, you do as your told. the couple coming out of the elevator pass you with a polite hello, the flush on your face and the tent in jongho's pants leaving little to the imagination. but then they disappear around the corner, both of you huffing out a sigh of relief.

"shit, that was close," he says lowly, looking at your face to see you staring right at him. "what?"

"that was...."

he's expecting to hear the words 'amazing' or 'just what i needed' or 'not enough, come inside so we can finish.'

"a mistake."

his eyebrow raises at your words, looking over your flushed face and messy hair and knowing you're just saying that to safe face. because since the second you met, the tension was so palpable with sexual undertones and hidden desires.

"bullshit."

you roll your eyes despite the throbbing wetness between your thighs. "i'm serious," you tell him, pushing past him as you go to unlock your door. "this never happened."

"y/n, don't be so-"

but then the door slams in his face again.

the same way wooyoung slams it two weeks later, calling you innocently and telling you he wants to try out a new outfit for you. "i don't have any professional clothes so i want you to see if it's okay," he had said.

but then the second he walked in, in his normal attire and a determined look in his eye, you knew you fucked up.

"family dinner. jongho's. now. you're coming."

"wooyoung!" you whined, "you're such a dirty liar! that's not fair."

"i don't care," the boy said, running over and grabbing your hand in his. "you ditched last month and i won't stand for it any longer."

"let me at least-"

but you're dragged out of your safe, quiet home, clad in slippers and pajama shorts, before he barges in to the unlocked apartment next door. playful arguing and loud noises from a video game could be heard from the couch, the distinct whine of san's loud voice causing you to smile despite being dragged her against your will.

"look who i got!" wooyoung says chipperly, three heads snapping back to look at you with different expressions. yunho looks apologetic, eyes soft with sympathy as he mouths "sorry." san is overjoyed and clapping, bouncing his way over to you to wrap you in a hug and tell you about the game.

and jongho. the look in his eyes scares you as much as it arouses you.

because ever since the hallway incident, you haven't seen him. you listen carefully outside for the sound of his door opening or the elevator dinging, walking quickly and quietly anytime you go out for the day.

and now, it's like he's warning you just to wait. that ignoring him was the worst thing you could've done and now he's gonna show you your actions have consequences.

and about an hour into dinner, he does just that.

it started subtly at first, snide little looks and chuckles as you watched him and the boys play. but then when you were in the kitchen checking on the dinner, you felt his looming presence.

you acted as if he wasn't there, bending down to check the food in the oven before closing it with a quiet hum. and then before you knew it, his body was pressed right into yours from behind.

"finally done hiding?" he mumbled lowly in your ear. your breath hitches in your throat, his front pressed right into your ass as his deep voice sends shivers down your spine.

"what do you mean?" you ask, attempting to sound strong and unbothered. "i wasn't hiding."

a short chuckle leaves his mouth, hands falling to your waist before he cranes his neck back to see if the boys are watching you guys; but their eyes on trained on the tv, deep in an competitive state.

"were you embarrassed that i heard you?" he hummed, causing your entire body to still.

because after you slammed the door in his face, you really tried to ignore the burn between your legs. you had done everything possible, distracted yourself with tv and schoolwork and even a cold shower; but the second you laid in your bed, you found yourself rummaging through your bedside table and desperately switching on the highest setting.

found yourself wondering if jongho had been on the other side of the wall doing the same thing, relieving himself after trying so desperately to push the feelings and arousal away.

thats what caused the first loud moan to leave your mouth, thoughts of him and the incessant vibrations against your clit. and then the whines and little noises leaving you just continued, not even trying to cover them because it's about time he gets a taste of his own medicine back.

"or did you want me to hear you?" he asks, growling lowly in your ear. "i don't know the last time i had to get off to my own hand."

"i don't know who told you to do that," you say sarcastically, the bratty side of you coming out and causing him to chuckle lowly. and you didn't realize that that was a chuckle that meant 'you're gonna regret that.'

but, really, you should've known you got let off the hook too easily. that his finger rubbing a few circles into your warm skin wasn't nearly enough of a punishment for your sassy comment. that he guided you over to the table by the small of your back and told you to sit too innocently.

and now, in the middle of dinner, you feel his hand on your knee and creeping up towards your thigh. you look over at him warily, the boys deep in a heavy debate about boxers versus briefs.

"what are you doing?" you whispered to him, half tempted to jab your fork into his leg at the lust starting to build in your veins.

"what do you think?" he says through clenched teeth, his strong hand cupping your thigh and causing a breathy exhale to leave your mouth. it's so tight and high on your thigh that you can't help but squirm, feeling especially on edge since they're are three people literally right in front of you.

"if you're really thinking about fingering me under this table, i'm gonna-"

and like he's trying to continually prove to you his sole purpose is to piss you off, his hand slips through your shorts and slowly rubs you over your wet thong. "just playing a little" he says lowly into your ear. "but you're not coming. and you're not allowed to pull that shit again in your room. do you hear me?"

"i don't think you're in any position to-"

his hand is quick to push right into your underwear and cup you, his finger rapidly flicking at your clit and a moan leaves your mouth that you cover with multiple coughs.

"you good, y/n?" he asks innocently next to you, the three boys turning to check as well. you side-eye him in disgust, how he sounds so calm and composed despite the shit he's doing to you right now.

"fine," you grunt out breathily, san raising an eyebrow before wooyoung's loud voice screeches at him. and then again, loud outbursts and conversations are back and successfully drown out the shaky breaths and low hums leaving you.

your legs start to spread wider as pleasure builds between your legs, your hand absentmindedly reaching over to palm him.

"no," he growls in your ear, "don't even fucking try it."

and because he's brought you to this pathetic, submissive side, you pout as you pull your hand.

"are you close?" he asks, his finger sliding inside you nearly making your head loll to the side. "are my fingers fucking you well?" but he knows they are, knows you're close and knows just how to curl them and play with your clit to have your legs shaking and pussy clenching around him.

"next time you wanna pull that shit, remember this," he growls, ripping his hand from you suddenly and successfully depriving you of the orgasm that was deliciously building. you almost cry out in frustration, about ready to beg and plead and do whatever he wants to make you come.

but then he gets up to start clearing the plates and washing the dishes, his teasing eyes watching you for the rest of the night; the blush on your cheeks and the frustration in your eyes never fails to make him smirk. and then when you leave later that night, he whispers one more warning to behave in your ear.

"why should i?" you growl, irritated and beyond frustrated at the wet ache between your legs.

"because i said so," he tells you, lifting your chin with his hand. "the next time you come, it's gonna be me doing it."

and it's with that comment right there that makes him step out of his apartment a few nights later. because around 1:00 a.m., he hears the familiar jingling of your keys in the hallway and your softly spoken voice asking a person to leave.

"c'mon, babe, i walked you home," the male voice says, "the least you could do-"

he doesn't hear the rest, ripping open his door and peeking out at you two. he can tell immediately you're uncomfortable, if the plain fear and disgust in your eyes wasn't obvious enough.

"the least she could do is what?" jongho asks lowly, stepping towards the guy and staring at him challengingly. "she doesn't owe you shit."

"who the fuck are you?" the guy asks, voice dripping with hostility. "mind your business."

jongho's fists clench, tension overcoming him and about ready to punch this guy square in the face. because if there's one thing he hates more than men like this, it's people telling him to mind their own business when they're doing something wrong.

"i don't think she wants you here," is all jongho says, cooly, calmly, a complete contrast to how he's really feeling. "so how 'bout you leave now?"

the guy only lifts his brow, sensing something slightly unhinged and dangerous in jongho's tone and gaze. in the way he crossed his arms over his chest and is clenching his hands into a fist.

"whatever," he mumbles, throwing you one last dirty look before stalking off toward the elevator. you and jongho don't speak until you hear the doors close, just looking at one another with a mix of heat, curiosity and gratefulness.

"thanks," you mumble lowly, "i gave him my number a few weeks ago and he happened to see me when i was walking home."

"careful," jongho mumbles, "he's a fuckin' creep."

a small chuckle leaves your mouth as you nod your head, your tongue coming out to lick your lips nervously. you hadn't seen or talked to him since he fingered you under his dining room table, deprived you of your orgasm and then said you weren't allowed to...relieve yourself.

so, yeah, there's a bit of the elephant in the room.

"apparently so," you say, smiling softly as you look at him. the tension between you is palpable, long heated gazes and slightly shaky breaths. the wall behind you a reminder of the first time all of this started. his arms crossed over his chest with clenched hands is a reminder of what exactly they can do, the way your legs are nearly wobbling from how badly the ache has been between them.

"did you eat yet?" you find yourself asking. it's quick and awkward and blurted out so randomly, you think you might've as well said hey, let's go inside so we can finally fuck.

and even though the smirk on his face says he knows it too, he doesn't say anything but "no, i haven't eaten yet."

"i was gonna order chinese," you tell him, "do you wanna...come in and i'll buy you some? as a thank you?" he nods his head silently and you smile back, turning around to unlock your apartment. but then the second you open your door, he pushes you inside and quickly follows you in. he closes the door behind you and promptly pushes you up against it.

"buy me dinner as a thank you?" he says teasingly, "that's the best you could think of?"

your cheeks flush at getting caught but you're somewhat beyond the point of even caring. because even if you wanted to get off, it wouldn't be the same. after feeling his strong hands and hearing his low teasing voice, nothing else will leave you feeling fulfilled.

"why not just tell me straight up you want me to get you off?"

"i want you to get me off," you snap, boldly and confidently despite the way you're trapped up against the door. "happy now?"

the smirk on his face widens, his hand trailing down the curves of your body slowly and teasingly. it makes your sensitive, heightened self tingle and burn, a whine threatening to leave your mouth.

"depends," he hums, "were you good? i didn't hear anything but that doesn't mean you weren't sneaky." his hands trails over your thigh and between your legs and you don't know which one of you is more grateful that you're wearing a dress.

because while it allows him easy access, it also allows him to feel just how ready and wet you are. your thighs and thong already soaked from days of being pathetically aroused.

"you didn't, did you?" he asks with a smirk, shoving your underwear down and dress up when you whine out a shaky "i didn't."

"i can tell," he says, dropping to his knees as he bunches up your dress. "hold this," his voice deeply commands, his own arousal and lust taking over now. because now he's face to face with your dripping pussy and can basically smell the desperation on you. all because you waited and listened to him.

and then you nearly scream when his hands push down on your hips and his mouth connects with your clit. you moan out over and over as he licks and sucks and eats you out like a starved man, your legs shaking and threatening to collapse had it not been for his tight hold on you.

your one hand is holding your dress while the other is in his hair, tugging and pulling and moving him closer into you as your back is pressed hard against your door. and then, like all of that wasn't enough, you look down at him and find yourself begging him to fuck you.

he stops immediately, pulling his face back and looking up at you. your eyes are dark with lust and arousal, cheeks red and hair a mess from begin pressed against the metal.

"you sure?" he asks, his own excitement brewing in him. he only planned on making you come over and over, with his tongue and fingers and then relieving himself by his own hand again later that night.

but now as you beg "yes please," he's jumping up to tug off his pants and boxers before wrapping his arms around you and lifting you up. and that's how you end up christening your apartment door, his cock pounding in and out of you as your body knocks into the door.

"isn't this what you wanted?" he growled in your ear, "this whole time you just wanted to be fucked like the good girl you are."

and when you moan out his name again and again, you're not able to see the irony of this all. how for months you've berated this man and gave him shit about keeping the neighbors up.

"i knew it! i fucking knew it!" wooyoung says from his apartment, hearing your muffled screams and yelps of jongho's name. "i can't wait to tell her how inconsiderate she's being."

[xvvampire-valentinevx]

Run to the Nanny - A Brahms Heelshire Fanfiction. Prologue/Chapter 1

This is an x OC fanfiction, hope you all don't mind.

Disclaimer: This story will contain violence, sexual implications, implications of ab*se, and murder/character death.

PS: This story follows the plot of The Boy 2016, in this universe/Au, Greta never came to become Brahms' Nanny. Instead, my OC is the person to take that job. Prologue

I slammed the door closed behind me, leaning against the wood, the grooves in the simple design of the door a texture that pleased my troubled thoughts for a short moment. I quickly sniffled and wiped at my damp cheeks, my eyes red and bloodshot from the tears that flowed relentlessly. I hiccupped, locking the door before pushing myself off of it and walking over to the sink which sat a couple feet in front of me. I eyed myself in the mirror and saw how much of a wreck I was. Messy hair, baggy eyelids, red cheeks and eyes. If my friends saw, they would definitely worry... at least worry more than they already have been. I hiccupped yet again, sniffling more. The tears didn't stopped.

I glanced around the bathroom I resided in in distress. How could I have known this would've happened. I knew it was best to avoid confrontation. What a mistake it was to have that kind of optimistic mindset. I sat there wondering what I was to do now that I had gotten myself stuck inside such a situation. I took a series of deep breaths to calm myself. I exhaled softly through my nose, finally feeling the pounding in my chest calm. I turned on the sink, not caring what temperature the water was before I began splashing it in my face, trying to calm my swollen eyes, and my heated face. I blindly turned the faucet off, grabbing a towel to pat my face dry before slowly standing straight.

Though I looked better, I didn't feel that well. There was still so much weighing on my mind. "God..." I whimpered. I bit down on my lip. There was a sudden moment of silence within me. I recalled an ad that I had seen in the paper this morning, and and idea struck. "I gotta take that job."

Chapter 1

The black cab I had taken out into the countryside, the scenery of the UK, especially one so filled with nature was definitely the break I needed from my life. I looked out the window as the drive went on for quite some time, and a smile of contentment graced my lips.

I wasn't a fan of running from my problems, but I knew that if I had stayed behind to deal with what was waiting for me, I would be trapped in a cycle that I couldn't think my way out of. My mind was sometimes far too dark for my own good. This job would do me good.

Soon, the cab slowly pulled to a gate, which lead to the extravagant manor. The building in which I would be staying. I smiled more.

"Wow... It's gorgeous..." I mumbled to myself, smiling more. The cab driver took notice of my comment and grinned a crooked tooth, but genuine smile.

"Sure is, miss. You're quite the lucky one, you are."

He said with a smile. He had to get out of the cab to open the gate, but after that it was a smooth drive, and he pulled into the driveway. I carefully got out of the cab and walked to the trunk, grabbing my bags. The cab driver walked inside, seemingly without me, and I was confused for a moment before he came back out a little bit later. He walked over to me and helped me with my bags.

Once we were in the parlor, I pulled out my wallet to pay him, but he quickly let me know that that would not be necessary.

"No need, miss, the Heelshires already took care o' that. They said they would like you to wait in the parlor until they came to get you."

I gave him a smile and nodded, setting my things down.

"Ah, thank you. Have a nice day!" I say softly, the man wishing me well before he left.

I sighed softly, having been waiting in the parlor for just a few minutes. All I had taken with me for entertainment was a sketchbook and some books I've been meaning to read. I hoped I wouldn't have to take anything out before the Heelshires came down to greet me.

The door suddenly opened, making me jump from my seat on the ground. I quickly turn to see who it was that had come in, and felt a little twinge of disappointment when it was neither of the Heelshires.

"Ah- Hello... I didn't mean to startle you... I didn't know you were here..." The man said, holding a box of groceries. I felt myself smile warmly before a sigh left me.

"Oh no- It's alright. Barely scared me at all." I said, assuring him that I wasn't as scared as I may have made it seem. "I think I'm just nervous, is all."

The man smiled at me warmly, chuckling a little. "I understand. I'm Malcolm, I deliver groceries to the manor for the Heelshires." He lifts his hand.

I lift my hand to meet his, giving him a firm handshake, possibly more firm than he was expecting. "I'm Paris, Paris Valentine."

He raised a brow as he pulled his hand away. "Interesting name. Unique."

"Thanks... I... Actually get that a lot." I say, my smile growing bashful.

"Not surprised. I don't hear a name like that very often.... Or at all for that matter."

I chuckle softly, my cheeks a slight pink from flattery. A compliment from Malcolm wasn't a small one, considering the fact that he was quite handsome. Strong jaw, brown hair, deep eyes, stubble. He wasn't bad looking at all....

But he wasn't my type. I could already see myself forming a brotherly bond with him.

"Ah, Malcolm." A feminine, but stern and formal like voice called from the stairs.

We both turn to find Mrs. Heelshire making her way down to the parlor.

"And you must be Paris." She said, voice not exactly welcoming, but not necessarily cold. I smile and nod.

"Mrs. Heelshire, it's an honor to meet you." I say. I notice she didn't offer her hand to mine, so I didn't offer mine either.

"Well, We mustn't delay, Ms. Valentine, Brahms has waited for quite some time now." She said before turning curtly. I blink, then realized I had no time to just say goodbye to Malcolm.

I quickly followed Mrs. Heelshire up the stairs, not wanting to get lost or waste any more time. She gives me a very quick tour as we pass some rooms, leading me to one where, as we enter, I see Mr. Heelshire kneeling by a chair and speaking gently, and sweetly. He must be talking to the child I’m meant to care for.

“Daddy.” Mrs. Heelshire calls, causing Mr. Heelshire to turn and stand, blocking the child from my view. “This is the Nanny, Ms. Valentine.”

The man smiled at me warmly, but didn’t offer to shake my hand just like Mrs. Heelshire did. I smile in return and he steps aside to reveal….

A doll…?

I blink a little, shocked. They look at me, seeming completely serious as they introduce him as if he was a real boy. I open my mouth to speak, utterly confused. Eventually, after a moment of silence, I crack a crooked smile and carefully step over, gently taking Brahms’ hand and shaking it. “It’s lovely to meet you, Brahms. I hope we can get along.” I say softly, then stand straight, folding my hands out in front of me. They seemed satisfied with that, and I smiled a little more. Mrs. Heelshire then instructs me to follow her as she picks up the doll. She walks me through their daily routine, Mr. Heelshire handling the rest. From what he told me… I felt I understood what he meant when he spoke about Brahms the way he did. So I naturally gave him a smile of understanding and nodded. “I understand.” He nodded, smiling for a moment. “Good… Good…”

We went back inside the manor, the darkness of night looming over us as we ate dinner. Once that was done, Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire put Brahms to bed.

Mrs. Heelshire looked over at me from the bed they kneeled by. “Ms. Valentine, would you mind giving us a moment alone with Brahms.”

I look up, seeming surprised, before smiling. “Of course not.”

In response, I quickly reach over and close the door, turning away to find something to distract myself. Eventually, the door opened after some muffled, incoherent talking. I quickly turn and smile at them but… Mrs. Heelshire didn’t seem all that ecstatic.

“It seems Brahms has taking a liking to you… He’ll take you as his Nanny, if you’ll have him.”

“That… That’s great!! I’ll gladly take care of Brahms.” I say softly, trying to sound more excited than how the woman in front of me looked.

She nodded at me curtly… and then they both past me as they went off to their room… for bed.

I headed to the guest room where I would be staying and got settled, unpacking my things and preparing for bed and the morning ahead of me. I felt a little… unsettled as I took a shower, occasionally shuddering. I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or my own paranoia. I do my best to shrug it off, getting dried off and dressed before climbing into bed.

[927roses-and-stuff]

Miracles in Gotham: Chapter 7: A Brewing Storm

A/N: So, with Season 4 of Miraculous Ladybug officially starting, this is a reminder that this fanfic is non-compliant with any events after Season 3, even with the added lore in canon. I know this is also a crossover so that’s to be expected, but because this fic is also dealing with Miraculous lore, I feel the need to put this up. Please don’t comment about canon disproving any of the material here, because I am already fully aware of the fact. I don’t really care for the show anymore, and the only thing keeping me in the fandom are the fanworks. Like many in the Maribat fandom, I discovered the more vast lore of DC through this, so there is a mix-up of canon from different worlds/universes (e.g. Young Justice, New 52, and Prime Earth), I just don’t care enough to discern which wiki I’m getting my info from.

That said, thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read this fic, and I hope that you like it. An extra thank you to everyone who has given this a kudos, bookmarked, and/or commented. I appreciate you all so much.

Also, shout out to jackmand1, Sp8cefluff and BenRG who commented on ways to open the box (getting Bunnyx to get the tablet before Hawkmoth, and asking the box to open), which is all mentioned in Marinette’s diary entry.

If you want to see more, follow: #miraclesingotham or ask to be added to the tag list.

Tag list: : @northernbluetongue @zerotosiki @spicybelladonna @my-name-is-michell @legendaryneckjudgestudent @lokiifriggasonn @iloontjeboontje

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Dear Diary,

There’s still no luck with the Miracle Box. After we tried Chat’s idea of dropping it from the Louvre using the chew toy as a pressure point, we tried hitting it with our weapons (didn’t even make a dent!), Chat asked the box to “please open don’t close up on us like my dad did” (we had a talk about that but he didn’t want to delve too much into it, and it didn’t work), the kwami tried phasing through it (thank god kwami don’t get concussions), and we even tried contacting Bunnyx, but goodness knows where she is and after Chat Blanc, I didn’t really want to see her anyway. We gave up sometime in the early morning, and now it’s shoved in one of my luggage carts, ready to bring to Gotham tomorrow. I hope it doesn’t trigger any of the airport security.

In better news, it’s been a few days since Chat and I officially introduced our new Ladybug and Bee to the scene. For the most part, I think they’re doing well- better than I did when I first started, anyway. It took a bit of time for Luka and Kagami to get used to the new set up, but Chat and I were there to help them, so it wasn’t too bad. Luka, or Bleu Acier, took a while to get used to the yoyo (who knew Luka had a fear of heights?), but he’s gotten used to it...after we had to convince him he wasn’t going to splat into the pavement or anything like that. Kagami, who decided on the name Shūyō, had to adjust to short-range fighting and not using Venom too soon, but she managed to navigate the top and cause a lot of damage to the akumas that we dealt with in the last few days. I think Hawkmoth has some idea that Bustier’s class is on the move because we’ve had an akuma attack every day so far. I’m hoping it’s just Hawkmoth becoming more desperate, although hopefully Bleu Acier and Shūyō threw him off a little bit. As of right now, I’m using the Snake Miraculous as Couleuvre, so it’ll be easier to-

One moment, Marinette had been settled comfortably in her chaise, and the next, a large crash through her bedroom walls threw her across the room, her back hitting the wall hard enough that she felt pain upon impact. When the world around her gained focus, she spotted a large woman-like figure in front of the hole in her wall cackling. The woman’s glassy skin that was translucent, yet she could also see a muddled reflection of her own face. Upon her head she wore a heavy silver crown adorned with gems that was reminiscent of her skin and a white, flowy dress that trailed behind her from the waist. In her hand was an open contact mirror that contained no reflection except for her own blue-bell eyes.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng! I am Mistress Mirage! Soon, I will show you the darkest parts of yourself, the secrets you hide behind your so-called truths!” she bellowed, her voice echoing in Marinette’s ears. In the background, she could barely hear her parents’ muffled screams and bangs against her bedroom door.

“Who-” she hissed, trying to balance herself and stand up. “What did I do to you?”

As far as she knew, she hadn’t angered anyone in the last hour she had been home for lunch.

Mistress Mirage zoomed towards her, her face shoved near into hers, her burning cold fingers choked her. Marinette backed into the wall, grabbing onto Mirage’s marble wrists, a pain shooting up her spine. Marinette could only struggle in place, her legs kicking listlessly, as the glassy, bright green emeralds Mistress Mirage had for eyes stared into her very being. The longer she stared into the empty gems, trying .

“Your weaknesses, your darkest secrets will be mine, Dupain-Cheng.”

Her voice, tinkled within Marinette’s mind, and she watched as the woman’s glassy skin shifted and soon she was faced with a kaleidoscope version of herself, blue sapphires glinting harshly, her breaths now ragged and shallow.

“Wha-” Marinette tried taking a deep breath, but Mirage’s fingers tightened their hold. “Why?” she managed to weakly choke out.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Mirage’s voice, no longer bellowing nor echoing, but now a whisper right in her ears, sounding eerily like her own. “That you aren’t enough? That you will never be enough?”

Marinette shook her head, trying to ignore the voice as it taunted her endlessly.

“What are you hiding, Marinette?”

“Why do you hide from the world?”

“How pathetic. You claim to hate liars,” Marinette felt Mirage’s fingers tighten around her. “But aren’t you a liar too?”

Tears stung the corner of her eyes. She didn’t know what was going on- Mistress Mirage wasn’t saying anything incriminating. If it were any other situation, she could brush off these accusations, but as Mirage continued to taunt her in her voice, doubts and fears, both new and old, she usually ignored were brought to the forefront of her mind.

‘I’ll fail as a Guardian- I’m not enough.

I’m abandoning my city to find a man who might not even be alive.

Chat Noir will never trust me again.

My parents want to send me away.

Why doesn’t Alya believe me?

Alya would’ve made a better Ladybug.

If Tikki could see me now she’d be disappointed.

What a failure I turned out to be.

“What a failure you turned out to be.”

Mistress Mirage’s emerald eyes glinted gleefully, a wide smile cracking into the glassy expanse of her skin. Her voice echoed Marinette’s thoughts and Marinette repeated her words as much as she could, her breathing becoming more shallow. Mistress Mirage couldn’t actually read any of Marinette’s secrets, however, she could read her psyche, a doubtful, anxious little thing, and she only said out loud what Marinette had already been telling herself to make her putty into Mirage’s hands. A neon violet butterfly appeared over her face, reminding her of her duty to get the Miraculous.

But for now, she had Marinette in her grasp. Once Marinette was in her trance, shaking slightly and mumbling nonsense as tears streaked down her cheeks, Mirage grabbed her and headed to the Trocadero, when three figures- black, steel blue and honey yellow- surrounded her in the middle of the street. The two new heroes stiffened at the sight of the girl in her arms. Chat snarled at Mistress Mirage.

“Marinette!” Chat yelled, rushing forward with his baton at Mistress Mirage. “What are you doing with her?!”

Mistress Mirage smirked. “If you want her, you’ll have to give me your Miraculous.”

She leapt out of the way only to stumble beside Shūyō who held her yellow top- flatter than Queen Bee’s with a long, black handle- the tip poised to the side of Mirage’s ribcage.

Before Shūyō could enact Venom however, Mirage turned and kicked the bee heroine away from her, holding out her compact mirror, creating a wall of mirrors that trapped Shūyō on the other side. She rearranged Marinette in her arms, ignoring the silent struggles of the bee thumping against the mirrored walls and swearing at her.

Chat Noir extended his baton towards Mistress Mirage. However, she jumped and landed on top of the baton, sending Chat sprawling through the air. Bleu Acier attacked at the same time. Mirage was quick and held out her compact to the two heroes, entrapping them in their own mirror dimension. The butterfly outline appeared again, and Mirage set off. She had special plans for Marinette.

Within the mirror dimension, Bleu and Chat were trying to navigate their way around crystallized walls which reflected everything around them. They had tried to find Shūyō, only to realize she was a reflection, then had almost been driven over by a car that had then disappeared.

“What is all this?” Chat muttered, nudging his surroundings. “It’s like, some of it are just reflections, but some of it is real.”

Bleu Acier nodded. “The reflections have to come from somewhere, so the real objects and people are in here somewhere.” He looked up and pointed a little ways forward. “Look, you can see our reflections.”

“Hope they’re getting my good side,” Chat quipped. “We have to get Shūyō and Marinette soon.”

Bleu Acier blinked, as he caught his yoyo when it hadn’t rebounded against a wall. “Do you know her personally?” He asked. He hadn’t been aware of Marinette’s close relationship with the Parisian heroes.

Chat gave a stiff nod. “She’s worked with Ladybug and I a few times. I met her when we fought Evillustrator.”

“So, do you and Ladybug often have civilians fight for you?” Bleu frowned. He scanned the area, and turned left.

“Only when we really need to,” Chat scoffed. “It’s not ideal, but it’s just me and m’Lady and sometimes we need help.”

Bleu could sense a resonating low, flat tone emanating from Chat. “That’s horrible. You guys look like you’re still kids.” Chat shrugged in response. As they walked onwards, investigating every inch of the way, Bleu noticed a figure dressed in a black and yellow-patterned fencing uniform, wearing a striped domino mask, thumping against a transparent wall. “Chat, look.”

Cat’s eyes widened at the sight. “Shūyō!” he yelled and rushed forward, only to be trapped in a corner with several reflections of the bug-themed heroine. Chat’s breath quickened. “Shūyō! Can you hear us?!”

Shūyō’ perked up and looked around. “I can! But where are you?” She shouted, her voice vibrating through the air.

“Shit.” Chat stared at his hand, before clenching it and turning towards Bleu. “I think we might need that Lucky Charm now.”

He nodded. “Lucky Charm!”

A bright red object with black spots dropped from the sky followed a series of chimes. Bleu Acier’s eyes widened as he held up the wind chime, eight hollow tubes ringing against the slapper in between, the clear, steady ringing piercing all around them. The wind chime was half the size of his torso, so fortunately, it was lighter than it looked.

It was a curious thing Ladybug had noted, that most of Bleu Acier’s Lucky Charms were sound or music-related.

“Well, this blows. You going to chime a pretty tune there, Bleu?”

He held back a chuckle. In the week he and Shūyō had been working with Chat and Ladybug, he had grown to appreciate Chat’s humour and the jaunty tune he associated with them.

“Maybe,” he said. Raising his voice, he addressed Shūyō. “Can you hear this?!” He asked, shaking the wind chime from its hanger.

They could see Shūyō’s reflection moving around, her eyes closed in concentration. “Sort of!” she answered, echoing slightly. “Are we able to use Chat Noir’s Cataclysm?!”

Bleu stared at Chat who was staring at his hand in deep thought. “Probably! We just need to make sure I’m not using Cataclysm on something real!”

“Maybe it is not my place to say as your junior, but this is not the time for hesitation!” Shūyō yelled back.

A beep echoed in Bleu’s ears. “We should hurry. I only have four minutes.”

Chat nodded. “Alright!” He looked around, scanning nearby walls until he found a reflection of himself- a sure way to make sure he hit the mirror. “Cataclysm!”

The walls around them crumbled in seconds, revealing the world around them. Chat smirked, and they scouted for Shūyō who met them in the middle.

“Why did you not use Cataclysm in the first place?” Shūyō asked, when they reconvened.

“I didn’t want to accidentally use it on the wrong thing,” he said, flexing his fingers. “Come on, we have less than five minutes. Don’t use Venom until you receive my signal.”

Shūyō nodded.

Chat turned to Bleu Acier and pointed to the wind chime. “Keep that on you and look out for opportunities.” He turned around and headed off. “Let’s go!”

In the end, Mistress Mirage was defeated quickly. In their absence, she had grown arrogant, and the three heroes found several clones of Mistress Mirage atop the Palais de Chaillot, a crowd having gathered at the bottom. Each clone had a Marinette bound in front of them, at the edge of the roof, standing listlessly. Despite this, Mistress Mirage was not prepared for the ambush of the three heroes. Bleu’s wind chimes were used as a distraction for the real Mistress Mirage while Chat and Shūyō attacked from behind.

“Shūyō! Use it now!” Chat yelled, as he grabbed Marinette and set her down on the ground below, and allowed the paramedics to deal with her.

“Venom,” Shūyō muttered. She dropped beneath Mirage and her top, stabbing her opponent beneath her ribcage. “Gotcha.”

Mistress Mirage froze mid-air, one leg in the air and both hands outstretched. Chat’s eyes widened when he didn’t see her holding the akumatized object. Chat pounced back onto the roof, ignoring the second beep from his ring. He noticed the satin sash that was wrapped around her waist.

“Shūyō, the akumatized object is the mirror she carries around. It should be in her sash,” he said, his cheeks tinged pink. “Can you- uh-?”

Shūyō nodded. “I do not understand your need for modesty at such a time, but it is commended.”

Chat’s cheeks reddened further. “It’s just polite! I don’t want to be touching anyone without their consent!”

Shūyō took out the compact mirror that had been tucked into the sash just above her left hip. She tossed it to Bleu Acier who quickly broke it and captured the akuma.

“It’s just the principle of it!” Chat squawked as the trail of tiny red ladybugs flowed throughout Parisian skies.

She snorted. “I understand. I was just teasing.” She turned to nod at Bleu then at Chat. “You two are close to de-transforming. I will bring both victims home.” Shūyō then grabbed Lila, who had been the akuma and was now disoriented, and jumped down to retrieve Marinette.

When Marinette had woken up from the akuma attack, she had been escorted home by Shūyō, who had fussed over any injuries she may have gotten before eventually leaving with a pack of honey macarons. Marinette smiled. Chat had made a good choice with Kagami. After, she had endured cuddles and hugs from her parents who were now even more determined to get her out of Paris.

Later that evening, after reassuring her parents and making sure the kwami were okay. She headed off to patrol where she had to answer for her absence, and where Chat had regaled how they did. Marinette smiled, knowing she made the right choice. After the patrol, which had been less of a patrol and more of a small goodbye ceremony, she returned home and recorded the events in her diary, slowly anticipating the trip.

The next day, she had just made it to the airport an hour before boarding. Everyone had gone through the usual airport processes and she was the last to arrive with her passport and airplane tickets in her carry-on shoulder bag. When she arrived to the waiting area where her friends were (with Adrien’s bodyguard nearby playing on his phone), she was met with a lot of mixed reactions.

Alya had rushed over and hugged her, frantically asking if she was okay. Several classmates had joined her, like Rose, Juleka and Mylene. She hugged them back and reassured them that she was alright, and wasn’t going to jump off roofs anytime soon (though she didn’t remember that from yesterday anyway). They then moved on and Alya asked her a question that stopped her in her tracks.

“Why were you arguing with Lila yesterday, anyway?” Alya asked, leading the two of them to sit down.

Marinetter furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. “What are you on about? I’m not talking to Lila at all.”

Alya frowned. “She told us that’s why she was akumatized yesterday. Apparently you called the mirror she got from Bruce Wayne as a birthday gift, fake.”

Marinette forced herself to not roll her eyes. “What? Why would I care about anything like that? She’s lying!”

Alya frowned even more. “Lila said you’d probably say that. Why can’t you two just get along?”

“Alya, you’re the one that believes Lila has a lying illness. Why don’t you believe me when I say she’s lying and that I didn’t even see her at all yesterday outside of class?” Marinette tensed. How petty did Lila think she was? How petty was Lila?

“She did get akumatized yesterday. Her story matches the events,” Alya said. “Marinette, you’re my best friend. That’s why I want to know why you did what you did.”

Marinette snorted. “And I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything. Is this what the whole class believes? That I’m so shallow that I would akumatize Lila over something as trivial as a mirror?”

Alya blanched. “No, of course not. We’re just saying you two had an argument and Lila got upset enough to turn into an akuma. We’re not saying it was intentional on your part or anything.”

She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “Look, my version of events is that I went home for lunch, was in my bedroom, got attacked by the akuma, and was out for it until that Bee hero Shūyō brought me home. Believe what you want, but don’t expect me to apologize to Lila for something I didn’t do.”

Marinette stood up and was about to go before she was stopped by Alya grabbing her wrist. She looked back and watched as Alya looked down at her clenched fist, biting her lip.

“I,” Alya sighed. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but I’m not saying I don’t believe Lila either. Either way, both of you were the victims yesterday. I’m sorry I was asking you stuff like that.”

Marinette frowned and sat back down. She wasn’t sure what was happening between her and Alya. Alya had been spending more time with Lila, even ending up as her seatmate on the plane and her roommate for the hotel. It made Marinette uncomfortable that they were becoming so close, considering who Lila was. But, Alya was a good person- she just wanted her friends to get along, and it’s not like she could force Alya to cut off her other friendships, even if it was to manipulative lying rats like Lila. That had to be on Alya’s terms. All Marinette could do was be there for her and hope she’d return the sentiment.

She forced a smile. “You’re forgiven.” Alya looked up and smiled, reaching out to hug her. “Now, let’s hang out for a bit before we’re stuck in a plane for twelve hours.”

Alya smiled back. “Yeah! By the way, did you hear that Jagged Stone knows Bruce Wayne?”

And just like that, they had spent the rest of the hour waiting to board the place. The plane that would take them to whatever was awaiting them in Gotham City.

A/N: So that's the end to the first arc I guess, if I intentionally have arcs lol. The rest of this fanfic will be in Gotham. Thank you again for joining me this far and I hope you continue to read it!

Other notes: Bleu Acier is based on the Steelblue Ladybird, with Bleu Acier meaning Steel Blue. Shūyō has three meanings in Japanese, but here, it’s used to mean self-discipline (because that’s something I associate with bees and hard workers). Couleuvre is just another way to say snake in French because Marinette sucks at names.

P.S. I don't hate Alya. In fact, I think we often brush over the fact that Alya is fiercely loyal and in the show, doesn't have all the facts so she's not too suspicious of Lila.

[lostbbygorl]

HAPPILY EVER AFTER (LEVI X F!READER):

AU: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN

(THIS IS THE FINALE OF THE PXP AU SERIES. THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE YOU GAVE IT. MORE CONTENT IS IN THE PROGRESS)

~~~~~~

Y/N stood in the middle of the garden, absolutely still, as if she were a statue. Unblinking, she stared at the sky. It was nearly morning, and the sun was showing glimpses of itself. Morning fog was thick on that day, and it surrounded Y/N like a persistent crowd. She couldn’t cry anymore. Her head was empty, completely devoid of any thought.

All Y/N could do was relive her argument with Lady Katrina over and over again. The part that broke her the most was when she gave up on fighting the facts anymore, and admitted to Lady Katrina that she wasn’t engaged to Levi Ackerman. She wasn’t engaged to Levi Ackerman, and it had hit her like a truck right in that moment. Would she ever be engaged to him? Forget an engagement, would she ever marry him? Lady Katrina had definitely told him about their dispute from earlier on. There was no way Levi, an evident family man, would pick Y/N over his senior auntie!

Levi collapsed on the grass, sweat drying on his forehead as he panted for air. His onyx head rested against one of his horse’s legs for support. When he finally stood up, his eyes shone with fire and pure determination! He eyed the door of Y/N’s house with hope. He was sure that the family hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night after her aunt’s rude arrival. He sharply rapped on the door three times, before Christa opened it, looking him up and down in surprise.

“ Mr. Ackerman?”, she said in a tone which suggested she was convincing herself of his presence at her house, early in the morning, in his nightwear with 2 of his shirt buttons unbuttoned.

“ Hello, Ms. Christa. I apologize sincerely to you and your family for intruding so early in the morning, as well as for my aunt Katrina’s ill manners and treatment of you fine people”, Levi began softly.

“ And to you, Ms. Christa, I apologize for meddling with your relationship with my best friend. I could’ve ruined your happiness forever. But it was I who insisted Erwin reach out to you once again, and I hope you’ll accept my attempt of fixing my mistake”, he finished.

“ Oh, sir, of course I forgive you! Your intentions were understandable and you’ve made amends. But I have a feeling it isn’t me you’ve rushed over to the countryside to see. Is the true motivation behind your being here my sister, Y/N?”, Christa asked, to which Levi nodded.

“ Y/N is in the garden, sir. We tried to move her from her position there, but she wouldn’t budge”, Christa informed.

Levi ran faster than he ever had in his life! The fog was just clearing when he reached, and in the blur, he could make out the figure of a woman standing. Levi’s heart did cartwheels as soon as he saw Y/N standing there, a maroon shawl wrapped around her. For the first time in several hours, Y/N moved. Y/N moved her head to the direction of Levi’s familiar footsteps as soon as she heard him arriving. She gasped when she saw him walking towards her, his night robe flaying in the morning breeze as he walked.

“ Mr. Levi”, she whispered.

“ Ms. Y/N”, he breathed.

“ Mr. Ackerman, as wonderful as it is to see you, I’m afraid this occasion on which we meet isn’t a happy one. I’m sure your aunt has reported to you of our argument, and that you’re here to avenge her honor which I offended. I’m incredibly sorry for my behaviour towards her ladyship, good sir. Please forgive me”, Y/N said bitterly. Levi blanked a few times in confusion, registering her words.

“ What? Oh no, ma’am, I’m not here to demand an apology at all. I’m not here regarding Lady Katrina, I have a more pressing matter to discuss”, Levi corrected.

“ Oh”, Y/N mumbled, not sure what to say. She walked towards him, and cautiously, the man took her hands in his. To his joy, she didn’t shake him off.

“ Mr. Ackerman, your hands are ice”, she remarked.

“ I rode all the way from Shiganshina last night after my auntie returned and complained about her time here. To be honest, I was impressed, just as I was when you first met her and put her in her place”, Levi admitted. Y/N managed a smile.

“ I see. So then what are you here for, Mr. Levi?”Y/N asked.

“ To ask you for a second chance”, he said.

“ If your feelings for me are still what they were last April at Shiganshina, tell me so at once. My feelings towards you won’t change, but if you give me the word, I’ll be on my way back to Utgard, and I shan’t ever bother you again”, Levi promised. Y/N was screaming inside, but not out of anger or sadness this time, it was out of happiness! The moment she had daydreamed about all this time might finally play out in real life!

“ If your feelings have changed, however, I would have to tell you this: I have never met another woman like you, and you have bewitched me completely. I love you”, Levi confessed.

“ I never wish to be parted from you from this day forth”.

“ Well then, why don’t you pop the big question to make things official?”, Y/N breathed.

“ Ms. Y/N L/N, will you do me the honor of giving me your hand?”, Mr. Ackerman proposed a second time.

“ Of course I will! Yes, yes,yes! A thousand times I will say yes!”, she affirmed. Y/N and Levi locked lips just as the sun finally rose to the sky, and the sun’s warmth and light reached them. Both of them had wanted this for as long as they could remember falling for each other, and this blissful, euphoric moment was far better than what they had dreamed.

Y/N laughed as she ran back to the house, hand in hand with Levi, who was unsmiling, but this time with a softer expression. What you couldn’t decipher about Levi’s emotions from his facial expressions you could make out from his eyes. His gaze was soft and his eyes were shining. His heart was thudding and the butterflies that exploded in his stomach and heart every time he was in contact with Y/N came back.

“ Everybody, me and Mr. Ackerman are engaged!”, Y/N announced. Everybody cheered, and Christa embraced Y/N so tightly, she felt as if her bones would snap!

Christa and Y/N had a double wedding. The ceremony took place at Utgard castle, and the decorations made the already stunning castle look even more beautiful! All of Mr. Ackerman’s relatives and friends attended, and so did Y/N’s. Sasha rode from Liberio to Utgard with Mr. Yeager, and Nifa and cousin Elias came from Shiganshina. Everybody was there, even Lady Katrina!

Sasha, Ella, Nifa, Marceline and Vanya served as the bridesmaids. Y/N and Christa donned off white, puffy white wedding dresses with numerous ruffles and floral accents for the wedding. They curled their hair and accessorized with pearls. As typical brides, they got emotional over anything, and cried happy tears upon seeing the other in their wedding dress. Erwin Smith shed a few tears when he saw Christa walk out, but Levi remained poker faced as always. Though he didn’t show it, he was an emotional wreck inside! The sisters looked like fairies in their dresses!

The rest of the ceremony went great. Lady Katrina was a polite guest, and though it was obvious she still showed contempt towards Y/N and Christa’s family, she didn’t cause a scene unnecessarily, and even begrudgingly complimented Y/N’s dress (before muttering a comment on how Amanda would look better in it under her breath).

Erwin and Levi stared lovingly at their brides the entire time.

Finally it was time for them to ride off to their new homes. This was Levi and Y/N’s first time sitting together in a carriage, and Y/N admired the view from outside the carriage with a smile playing on her lips. The sun was just setting, and all the hills and bushes were as green as they could be. The sky was a blend of tangerine orange and melon pink, and crows flew from east to west. Y/N was still in a daze after the wedding. She couldn’t believe it had happened!

“ What are you thinking about?”, Levi asked, bringing her back from her daze.

“ Oh, nothing, I was just looking at the view outside”

“ Yes, it’s quite pretty isn’t it?”

“ It is, yes. But now that you asked me, I actually am thinking of something quite interesting indeed”, Y/N told him.

“ And what might that be?”, Levi asked curiously.

“ It’s just that last April we were in the rain having a verbal battle, and I told you that I’d never be persuaded to marry you. And now here we are, tied together with rings, sitting next to each other in a decorated carriage”, she laughed. Levi smiled, a sight she was still getting used to. Maybe he’d smile more after being married to her for quite some time.

“ It’s most ironic. But I am glad I got a second chance with you, Mrs. Ackerman”, he said.

“ And I’m glad I was open minded enough to give you a second chance. But, Levi, I have a question for you”

“ What might that be?”

“ When did you first realize that you love me?”

“ Well”, he trailed off, trying to find an answer for her.

“ That question doesn’t have a definitive answer. I just knew that you were the most interesting woman at any ball or setting where we ran into each other, and I was always amused by your honesty and the way you teased me. One day, I just woke up and realized I love you, I guess”, Levi shrugged as she replied honestly. Y/N was satisfied.

“ That makes sense, I guess. I personally came to terms with my sentiments after I discovered you were making amends, and after I saw the very positive changes in you when we met again after the dispute in the rain”, Y/N informed him.

Y/N laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, taking in his minty scent and his warmth. Levi intertwined his hands with hers, and the two rode off to their new lives, hearts beating with anticipation, this time in perfect harmony…

THE END

[flooffybits]

Belong

Idol: Bae Joohyun (Red Velvet)

Request: Yep

Sequel to Ready

No longer living as Irene, Joohyun finds comfort in things she was prohibited from when she was still an idol. This time, she was free to do as she pleased and she was loved, even without all the fame and glamour.

The moment SM released the statement of her no longer being a part of the company, fans were quick to react and comment on the news. Many knew that it was bound to happen, but to have it actually presented, they weren’t entirely sure what to feel.

Fans were torn due to their love for the girls. But even with the sadness of having to say goodbye to one of their favorite idols, they chose to respect her decision after SM announced that they would be holding one last stage as a thank you for her.

It was a trip down memory lane as they transitioned from one era to another, until they sang their most recent song. For the finale, they ended up singing Eyes Locked, Hands Locked with each of the girls smiling to the crowd and each other until they were all holding each other when the song ended.

With the knowledge that this was the last stage together, all the girls’ eyes were shining with tears being held at bay. As soon as they were done, Seulgi squeezed Joohyun’s shoulder as she was given a chance to say goodbye to their fans.

“I know that it’s very sad to say goodbye, so I won’t really be saying that.” She began with a light chuckle. “I will still be here for Red Velvet when they need me, but for now, I hope you can all understand that this was a decision I made for myself.” She says into the mic. “I want to thank every single Luvie out there who has been there for us from the very beginning. It was a rocky start, but you have all shown us your unwavering love and support and I am eternally grateful.”

Sooyoung smiled while she nodded her head, gripping her own mic tightly. “To my members, thank you for all the unforgettable memories. I know that we may be separating ways today, but we will always be able to find each other. I know I’ll still see you, but for now I’ll settle with watching from the back.”

“And that is more than enough.” Seungwan assured her with a side hug. “We’re also very thankful that we were given the pleasure of having you as our leader, friend, and sister. Without you, I think we would have already fallen apart.” Sooyoung chuckled despite her tears. “We’ve always been so reliant on you, unnie, but I think we can survive this. Even though you won’t physically be there for us, I know that you’ll always be our number one supporter.” Yerim added with a teary smile.

Seeing all of them made Joohyun a bit hesitant to actually leave, but as she turned to the crowd, her eyes landed on your face. You were sitting in the front row, smiling softly at your friends and girlfriend with tears of your own, but you tried to keep them discrete.

As soon as she saw you in the crowd, her doubts disappeared and her smile only grew, unaware that tears have managed to escape her eyes until Seungwan gently wiped them away.

After how many years of trying not to cry in front of the camera or her members, this was one of the rare moments that she has let her defenses down. Immediately, the four girls gathered around Joohyun before enveloping her in a warm and tight hug.

You could only smile as your girlfriend slowly exited her idol life, taking a final bow with the people she’s been with since her trainee days. It was a bittersweet moment, but you would talk to her about it when she decided to tell you. For now, you would watch her. But a staff had asked you to accompany you backstage until you found yourself with the five girls.

Seeing all of them much closer, you gave a small wave while standing at the door and Joohyun smiled while she gestured for you to come in. “Unnie, we didn’t know you were coming.” Yerim greeted you with a hug, one you return with just as much enthusiasm.

“Well, when I found out that it was a special event, I wanted to be sure I didn’t miss out.” Joohyun looks sheepish when you reach her and kiss her cheek, but smiles when she pulls you in for a hug. “I wanted to know that SM wasn’t screwing with everyone, too.” You joke and they giggle before shaking their heads.

“No, it’s real.” Seungwan says with a nod. “And, even though it’s been said publicly that I’m the new leader, no one is actually going to be it.” Seulgi says while smiling at your girlfriend. “There’s only one person fit to be Red Velvet’s leader.” She adds and you smile while nodding your head.

“Do you have plans for tonight?” Sooyoung asks and you shake your head. “I’ve been a bit busy with work.” You tell them, sighing softly as Joohyun rubs the back of your hand with her thumb. “Well, your girlfriend is going to be home.” Yerim says playfully and Joohyun gives her a small glare.

The four giggle, making you blink confusedly, not understanding what was happening. Was there another joke you didn’t know of?

Before you could think more about it, your girlfriend is already breaking your line of thought when she noticed your expression and tugged at your arm. “Come on, I have some explaining to do.” She tells you and you nod, letting her bring you along as you both waved goodbye to your friends and headed home.

The entire ride home, Joohyun would not stop stealing glances at you and you could feel it. It made you a bit nervous, but the way she was holding your free hand while you drove was enough to calm your nerves.

When finally inside the confines of your home, Joohyun is already leading you to the living room and sitting you down. Her eyes scan your face before the same beautiful smile blooms on her face and she just can’t help but kiss you.

“I love you so much.”

The sudden admission made your cheeks redden and you lightly pushed her away just so she wouldn’t see it, but she managed to stop you, giggling as she grabbed your wrists. “Stop it. I thought you were going to tell me about the whole thing.” You whine and she just chuckles before nodding her head and then pulling you closer until your back is pressed against her front.

Joohyun takes a moment to think before she’s opening her mouth, her voice as gentle as always. “I didn’t want to tell you right away because I knew that you would try and convince me not to pull through with it.” Of course you wouldn’t want her to give her career up for you. It was something she loved doing so forcing her away from that was something you simply refused to do to her.

It was her passion, ever since you met her, and you always assured her that you understood her whenever her job called for her and she had to be away from you longer than you both would have hoped.

“Before you start saying I shouldn’t have.” She cuts you off, not needing to look at your face to see your brows pinched together and your lips parting to protest. “I thought about it a lot and I realized that there was something that I wanted that I could never achieve while being an idol.” You look down as her fingers lace with yours and she rests your hands over your lap while her chin rested on your shoulder, her lips brushing lightly against the shell of your ear before she’s placing a kiss under it.

“I’ve had my time as Irene with the whole world, but I want to be Joohyun with you. No cameras, no fans, just you and me.” She whispers, squeezing your hands. “I don’t want to keep going away for months without you. I’ve had my share of being apart.” You could practically feel the way her heart was thundering against her chest with how close you two are.

But you listen to her voice as she speaks. The softness and affection that laced with her words made your chest tighten and you had to bite your lip as she went on. “I don’t want to leave and worry about losing you to someone else anymore.” She had to take one hand away and she shifted just to get the box from her jacket’s pocket before slowly bringing it to your line of sight.

As soon as you saw it, your eyes widened and she gave you a small squeeze. “I don’t want to let you go so… I want to make it final with you.” She whispered and placed a kiss on your shoulder. “Will you stay with me?” It wasn’t the exact words, but she wanted to know if you were more than willing to be with her, not just as Irene, but as Joohyun, as her and only her.

Slowly, you pulled away from her and Joohyun felt her heart jump to her throat as you turned to face her. There were so many emotions flashing over your features that she couldn’t catch what exactly it was that you wanted to say to her. You both stared at each other for a while before you spoke, your voice shaky. “Y-You quit because…” The little nod from her was all the answer you needed and you had to stop yourself from crying right then and there.

Your hand pressed gently against her cheek as you gazed into her eyes and she could see, clear as day, the love that reflected in them and she knew that she picked right. “You were and always will be my Joohyun.” You tell her and she smiles as you look back down at the ring. “Of course I’ll stay.” She beams happily before the ring is placed on your finger and she gathers you back into her arms, this time with your face buried into her neck until she’s pulling back to presses kisses all over your face until finally, her lips land on yours.

You may have first known her as Irene, Red Velvet’s admirable leader, but you’ve fallen in love with Joohyun, the woman who loved and cared for those around her. She was still the same woman who cowered at the sound of thunder storms and animals, yet fearless when protecting those she loved, you being one of them. But unlike the rest, she allowed you to look after her.

Because with you, she knows that there would be no judgement. With you, she only grows better and she learns to love more with each passing moment. It was her private getaway that no one could steal from her, and your rings and promises would be the proof of that.

..

“Do you think I should have gotten the blue one?” Joohyun looks skeptically at the figurine she was holding and you look at her with a little smile on your face. “Relax, Joohyun. I’m sure that she’s going to love it anyway.” You walk over to her and press a kiss to her cheek while you wipe your hands.

You both decided that you would handle the food that day while she went out and bought everything you would be needing for the house. There were decorations scattered in the living room that you both prepared last night, pictures of your two together resting on shelves, while others included your friends and families.

Seeing all of it made Joohyun smile every time she passed by, most especially when her eyes would land on the picture of you, together with your little girl smiling happily to the camera, just next to your wedding photo.

After five long years, she was living her life the best she could imagine it, marrying the love of her life and now having a daughter she loves just as much.

When the news of her marriage came out, reporters were having a field day and articles were made on how you were the reason she had chosen to end her career. It sent everyone into a frenzy, more so when they found out that you were a woman.

Never did they think that the nation’s beauty would be in a relationship, much more with a woman. It brought some negativity, but with her members and true fans, people were much more supportive with the two of you, even when Joohyun refused to be involved with anything to the idol life. She didn’t want you getting mixed with all of it, but when she had had enough, she ended up posting a picture that Seulgi had taken on your wedding day.

Never tear down the happiness of those you love. She helped built mine and I will protect her heart like she’s done with mine for the many years she’s had it

After that, she stayed off of any form of social media to focus on the life she was building with you, but her friends did constantly text both her and you, stating that they were proud and happy for the two of you, even saying how fans were appreciative towards the former idol’s bravery.

She still received gifts, every now and then, along with the letters. And when she thought you weren’t watching, she’d always look at the presents and heartfelt messages with a fond smile on her face until you would wrap your arms around her from behind and press a kiss to her head. “You did amazing.” You would constantly remind her and she would just smile more.

Eventually, things have died down and you were both left alone. And when the girls could, they would drop by to visit the two of you and things would feel like they didn’t change with Sooyoung and Yerim both scheming and stealing your food then Seungwan randomly singing in your living room while Seulgi spoke about the things they’ve done for their latest comeback or tour.

Joohyun would watch all of them with a look of pride and she ended up crying once at just the memory of having all of them in the same building as her, but she wouldn’t trade her life. Not when she had you and her little girl.

“Earth to Joohyun, are you still there?” Your voice snapped her out of her daydreaming and she playfully swatted your arm as you poked her side. A pout came to your lips while stepping away. “Ow, what was that for? I was just asking if you were thirsty.” You whined and she playfully rolled her eyes at your dramatics before she eventually set the toy she was holding then pulled you into a hug.

You return the embrace and press a kiss to her forehead before humming. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” You inquire and she just shakes her head before looking down the hall. “Just some things.” She murmurs as the sound of footsteps reach both your ears and a smile quickly blooms on your face when you let go of her.

“And I think that’s our cue to get to work.” You tell her and she nods while picking the toy back up as you walk to the door that lead to your daughter’s room.

She had to take a moment when you opened up the door and the sleepy little girl greeted the two of you. She saw as the little girl pouted at you and she giggled with how much she saw herself in your daughter despite the fact that you were the one who carried her for nine months.

She was a mix of the two of you that it amazed you both when she was born. Joohyun could not tear her eyes away and was in tears when she first held your daughter, cradling her close to her chest while she kept whispering how much she loved you.

Now, your child was four years old, showing more of your personality and traits that Joohyun has grown to love over the years. Her heart would absolutely melt whenever the two of you were together and when you would both gang up on her just so she would let your daughter stay up a little longer or when she wanted ice cream before lunch.

Even now as you picked up your daughter and carried her toward your wife, Joohyun felt her heart swell with both happiness and pride before she’s taking your daughter into her arms after handing you the toy and showering her face in kisses, making her giggle as she squirmed in her arms. “Mommy, no, I’m awake!” She squealed while you laughed before placing a hand on her arm, signaling her to let your daughter breathe while also reminding her that you still had yet to give her the new toy.

“Baby, you know that little toy you broke last year?” At the mention of it, your daughter nodded sadly, a pout on her face while Joohyun cooed. “Well, mommy has a present for you.”

It was the toy you both have given her when she turned two and she never let go of it, but since it has been a while, the toy ended up giving out and broke while your daughter played with it. The heartbreak on her face when she showed it to you and the big fat tears that fell down her face made both of you feel bad for your little girl and you promised her that you would get her a new one.

But the problem was, finding the toy wasn’t exactly the easiest. With your schedule and Joohyun taking care of your daughter, you didn’t have the time to look for a replacement until Seungwan once offered to babysit on her free day and you thanked her endlessly.

At the sight of the toy, your daughter’s face lit up and she looked at the two of you with amazement swimming in her eyes. “You found it!” She cheered happily as she hugged your wife and you giggled while handing it to her. “We know how much you love it, so mommy and I wanted to get you a new one.” You told her before kissing her forehead.

“Thank you!”

When she gave both of you a kiss, Joohyun finally set her down on her feet, letting her play with her new toy while you finished up with breakfast. However, your daughter decided to be mommy’s little helper and joined you in the kitchen, sitting on the counter while you went to set the plates, happily chatting with your daughter.

Joohyun stood by the doorway and smiled fondly at the sight. Five years ago, you had gotten married, and a year after that, your daughter came into this world. Now, she could happily say that she’s achieved the greatest gift in life as she watched the two of you with her eyes glowing in absolute happiness.

She was with the two people she loved the most and she could have never been happier with her decision all those years ago. Because if she didn’t step back from the spotlight, she wouldn’t be where she is now.

With you and your daughter was her home, and she was right where she belonged.

[seb-owns-these-tatas]

Witcher Of The Night (Chapter 4.1)

THIS IS MODERN ERA READER WHO WOKE UP IN THE DIMENSION OF THE WITCHER.

WITCHER OF THE NIGHT MASTERLIST

CHAPTER 4

Characters: Geralt of Rivia x small!Naive!Reader

Summary: Seems like a Hirikka wants to be adopted. Thus, it was the Hirikka's presence that made things a lot more complicated for Geralt as he seemed to have a difficult time saying no to those doe eyes that you and the Hirikka had; leaving Jaskier to realize there was seriously something fishy about you and it was not just because of the witcher's frustration for his great abstinence that he badly needed a woman. Hence, there was something more.

Warnings: Fluff and tension from Geralt and Y/N! A tamed Hirikka who wanted to join the fam-bam! The word vagina and smash 😂 curse words and a very dramatic bard! Brief mention of Yoda. 😂 Soft! Geralt! 😍 Y’all can sense how Y/N has a crushie on the witcher. Taking care of an endangered species at home; but will eventually be freed when...it’s time.

Words: 4,100+

A/N: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE UNDYING SUPPORT! It's still full of fun, excitement and development. You'll have a sip of the plot soon enough! Problems will arise soon and I don’t know if you’ll like it? Heehee!

TAGLIST IS STILL OPEN FOR THIS ONE! Heehee! Don’t forget to REBLOG, COMMENT OR GIVE FEEDBACK IF YOU DID LOVE THIS CHAPTER! IT’LL MAKE ME SMILE!

Disclaimer: PNG's used in edits are not mine even the GIF's too. However, the edits and oneshots are definitely from moi. Characters, places and said monsters aren't from moi as well.

MY WORKS ARE NOT NOT NOT NOT NOOOOOOT TO BE POSTED ON ANY OTHER WEBSITES. My official username in Wattpad is “TATATHEPOTATO” and that’s the only other site I have for writing aside from Tumblr. Thank you, Tater tots!

Some people said that when you're on your way to a journey you never knew about, it would be as difficult as taking a trek up the Mount Everest; saying that the way back home was pretty much effortless because the right path home was already engraved inside your head.

Not for you. You were heaving breaths again as you were not even halfway through the forest till Geralt's house.

Your eyes scanned the whole woods. It was extremely vast, thick and humid. Thoroughly astir with life like you have never seen before. Never, even back in your dimension; in earth to be precised. The forest of Kaedwen was like a fantasy genre game that has came into life and you were completely astounded even though, you were hunched over your knees like a dog panting in heat.

You've heard his horse gallop, wheezing before you as you gave them both a huff of exhaustion; giving Geralt a nasty lour when you've breathed in another deep one. The witcher suddenly jumped off his horse as you carry one with heaving breaths when he'd abruptly called out for you.

"Come," He demanded; standing beside Roach completely poised and with authority. Both hands on his leather belt with those hypnotizing set of peepers fixated on you. His expression lukewarm.

A baffled crease of your forehead coming together as you stood up straight; lips forming a tight thin line full of enervation. You've sauntered to where he is, very languidly and feeling your soles hurt every now and then. With Geralt suddenly conscious of your limping form and the huge cape you were trying to keep away from dirt because you've held the ends of it as you walked through the forest. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

The witcher shell-shockingly tutted when you were at arms reach, shaking his head as he does so. You've felt him take a step closer, towering over you with a stare he could muster that can get your face boiling in twitterpatters.

His palpable warmth was radiating off you quite irresistible. Such a warmth that could want one person to be engulfed in all night against the crisp wind that the kingdom of Kaedwen can offer. A tempting gesture you've wanted to take but had no will to do because it'll be very much strange for a person who'd suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hug the warmth out of him because of the cold wind.

"Turn around," He deeply muttered, slightly leaning his chiseled face down to your side as if to whisper in your ear. You've felt the baffling goosebumps rise your skin; the familiar warmth suddenly itching your face once more like a charger that was about to explode.

Faces close to each other and the vision of him leaning down just to whisper in your ear was enough to make you stammer like a high-school girl again. His Aurum eyes undeniably clearer and different when stared at with only a few inches away. It was giving an effect that makes you question yourself what your name was when you already know what it is, that kind of effect as each day passes.

"Why--why are you so demanding---" you started with a wild stammer. One side of his lips lifting in an inconsiderable amount that got your heart pounding, "Turn. Around." Geralt repeated, very much firmer and clearer with that subtle mischief in his peepers.

The cheeky bastard knew what he was doing.

You've stood your ground. Your eyes narrowing at the Witcher with a tenuous amount of pout because of how he'd gotten out of the ordinary since the moment he'd given you his hooded cloak.

A brief amount of headstrong stares were shared before the other raised his white flag, wanting to roll his eyes at the disobediency. The tall, brooding man sighed exasperatedly before you've felt his gentle fingers hooking your hips and painstakingly turning you around to his satisfaction.

This was the first time he has held you in such way. Your breath hitched and Geralt definitely heard and felt how your body react to his touch. It was like he was injecting a fiery kind of warmth that shoot through your veins when he turned you around.

Your legs were submitting to his demand. He was like your master and you were his puppet that he could play with the strings. Totally controllable with just one whisper.

"A stubborn midget, indeed." He uttered, completely lackadaisical. You bit the insides of your lips in consciousness. Very attentive of his fingers tightly clasping your hips and his warmth radiating from behind.

Geralt couldn't help but get a whiff of that delectable scent you had. The irresistible scent that boils his emotions like fireworks popping in the sky. He deeply sighed, eyes fluttering closed as he breathed. A coherent growl coming out of his chest making you turn your head to the side; wanting to ask what was wrong because he seemed to be having a battle within himself.

His touch was sending you the shudders whenever you were having a date with one of your suitors. These suitors that eventually got tired of courting because of how boring you were in reality. They were just attracted to the outer beauty you had; the adorable expressions you make or a sweet voice that gives them the thrill of having you. But, when they finally had the privilege on seeing the real you; they suddenly stop and find another woman who was worth the courting.

Kind of disheartening but you were used to it. All the damn time. They've called you boring but you've called yourself an idiot for liking them a lot in the end when they were officially pulling away.

Though, with Geralt's touch; there was something different. Something that could get your heart feeling the thrill and comfort you wanted and needed that nobody could ever give and you were beyond dumbstruck because of it.

"Hold on to Roach," the witcher suddenly dictated as you were distracted by those fingers clasping your hips, "What---" you asked out of nowhere, feeling his hold go firm as he pulled you closer to him. The mellowness of your face growing hotter when you've also felt his breath on top of your hair. You were panicking, but in a good; thrilling way.

"---and jump when I carry you," he added with the gruffest tone he could perpetrate. Your hands were quick to grab onto Roach's body when all of a sudden, you've saw an animal sitting on the ground in your peripheral vision; only catching the silhouette of his body.

"Wa-wait," Geralt ceased to carry you onto his horse's back. A curious hum leaving his chest as he haven't carried you midway yet. The sound of feet shifting was heard and you've turned your soles to be met with a brown animal who also had a lanky torso, legs and feet to stand, with arms that had the same structure of a human. Big eyes in the shade of dirty yellow, a stout jaw and nose but with sharp teeth of a wolf.

"Geralt?" the sound of your voice consists of slight fright but also completely fascinated and with utter interest. No words were given to you when you've pointed at the Hirikka who stood on its feet, languidly blinking back at you with those doe eyes, "A walking puppy!"

You've given the Hirikka a toothy grin as you were enchanted by how adorable it is. The animal was beyond out of this world for you as there were no types of animals like it. The Hirikka slanted his head to the side, curiously watching what you were doing as he'd seen you smiling before he languorously tried to smile back but it appears as if he was threatening you and showing its teeth.

The witcher's eyebrows were met with a tight knot; thoroughly judging you from behind. It was the Hirikka he'd given an apple before you even met Cuthbert.

"---Or...It's...It's a walking cat!" you pressed on and pointed at the animal with no idea that it was already a monster standing before you. Your giggle was enough for Geralt to know that you were ecstatic for seeing a Hirikka rather than being scared. He kept silent and continued listening to your rambles, "---A big cat with the ears of Yoda!"

You were about to make a run for it; before Geralt held you in place and tugged you back with his hands still on your hips. Totally unaware that he was still holding you because it felt all natural for him to be touching you like that. Your eyeballs were close to having it pop out when you've felt him keep you rooted in your place as he mindlessly droned, "No, It's a monster. A Hirikka. An endangered one," he paused, feeling you sigh and notice the dejected pout you had because it wasn't just a normal animal but a monster to their world.

The latter was quick to back-paddle; trying to lighten your hopes up, "---But, harmless. Never fear, midget."

Your smile flared up into a grin, all teeth shown at the Hirikka with Geralt's enlightening statement before yanking your head back to meet those gold eyes staring back at you in humdrum. The upper portion of your head; hitting his armored chest with a soft thud. Those peepers of yours overflowing with perversity and a hint of beseeching.

"Geralt?" you beamed wider than ever before; hoping you looked worthy enough for the favor to be accepted.

The witcher dropped his hands to his sides, not even noticing he was holding you longer than he intended to. He crossed his sturdy arms with a look of irritability and refutation from the whole idea. He just knew what you were pointing out as you wanted to hug the Hirikka if he didn't pull you back.

"Can I---"

Geralt sighed a deep one; looking away as he wanted to roll his eyes, "No. Only a demented person will think of having a Hirikka as a pet,"

"I'm not taking him as a pet," you countered and wholly turned your body to give him that puppy eyes of yours, "---I'm befriending the cutie!" with a point of your fingers, the Hirikka smiled another one; entirely benign to even begin with. You've seen the Hirikka blink cutely and wanted to do everything just for Geralt to say yes. If you would be staying in their world, you might as well find something entertaining to get your weariness by taking care of a Hirikka rather than staring at Jaskier who slept all night like a big baby.

"No, you're wanting him to be a pet," Geralt retorted with another sigh of vexation; emphasizing the word 'want'.

Another sally was sent, "You told me it was already endangered," pause. "---The poor little thing needs to be taken care of especially that he's all alone and so hungry. You don't want him dying in starvation, right?"

Geralt groaned to himself, closing his eyes to relax himself from telling you that monsters can't be kept as a pet nor taken care of because they knew how to take care of themselves. Yet, there you are; looking at him like what a Hirikka appeared to be like as you were trying to act pretty cute just to have what you wanted.

"Creatures wandering in our world should be left untouched. Not be taken as a pet," the latter seethed with his jaw clenching when he was met with your twinkling, hopeful eyes.

However, you weren't backing down that easily. "Come on! Even just until I'm here then you can let him go, please? please? please?"

His face was in the correct wrinkle of a wince like he was close to punching a wall. Geralt hardly exhaled and gave you a grimace; a look that could get your knees turn to jelly because of how sexy it looked like. You were definitely out of your mind for finding a scowl attractive from a witcher you hardly knew about.

"Fuck," his cursing seemed to be a definite affirmation for your request and his next words confirmed your hunches, "---Fine!" he gruffly exclaimed.

Thus, you beamed back at the witcher and jumped excitedly, giggling in the process and resisting yourself from hugging him tight, "---Just don't fucking starve the horseshit because you're definitely going to be his next meal,"

Geralt didn't actually mean that because Hirikkas don't eat people. Just plants, fruits and sometimes animals when its that time of the month or a full moon.

Despite of trying to threaten you and having the chance to back out from your wishes, your smile even grew wider if that was even possible; snapping your fingers to tell him that you had something in your weird mind. "I'm naming him Kolby!"

The Witcher's forehead creased more, mouth turning into a frown as he beseeched, "Why?"

"What do you mean why? One deserves a name even a stone!"

He turned his back away from you, shaking his head to open his back that was latched behind his horse, grabbing onto another fruit. It was a plum. He threw the fruit towards the awaiting Hirikka who was now closer within an arms reach and the Hirikka gladly accepted it with a loud wheeze, "I'm not an idiot to be naming a stone, Midget." he gave you the side-eye.

You raised an eyebrow back at him; your smile never seem to be fading since the moment you had with him back in Cuthbert's house, "Says the person who's dressed up in an all-black costume like he was out of an action role playing game,"

"It's an armor," Geralt shut his bag closed, mouth forming a thin line from your naivety and how you weren't taking his world seriously. His voice turned a pitch lower and utmost gravely, "You don't know how this world is filled with beasts, Midget."

He turned his booted heel to see you still smiling back at him. Geralt hummed out of his habit and abruptly pulled you to his solid chest. The uttermost close proximity letting your smile fall from the action. You gaped up at him in question, when he'd given you an answer filled with a touch as he gently held onto your hips and turned you around like you were his stuff toy.

"Now, jump." he rasped. Before you could even comprehend, he'd lifted you with no sweat and you were holding onto Roach's body with all your life. Half of your torso still hanging onto his horse as he haven't lifted you all the way.

"Geralt!" you shrieked, his horse utterly huge for you to jump on by yourself with Roach neighing in the background.

To the witcher's unfortunate position, he was inches away from your clothed bum. His eyes narrowed at what was shown to his face; his nose flared as he stared, turning his head to look away with a displeased hum and seeing the Hirikka judging him from the side.

He glared at the poor harmless monster as it looked like he was judging him for even looking.

They've both stared like they were having a competition before you frustratingly quipped and pulled your whole body to raise your leg to the other but finding that it was quite difficult, "Help me! But, don't touch my ass!"

Geralt gave the Hirikka a death stare before he'd touch your clothed thighs; intentionally avoiding the bare skin of your legs. You could feel him shooting daggers across your back with no reason you'd know and finally had your legs across the other side when he'd pushed you through it. Your face was all red and mellow because of the fact that you've uttered out loud for him to not touch your ass; which was sudden. He wouldn't dare to touch it because who even are you to tell that he wanted to?

Well, you do if it was the other way around. If the bum was....his.

But, he didn't need to know that you lowkey wanted to tap it. The secret should be left alone.

"I-I don't know how to ride a horse," you stumbled over your words from the embarrassment and thought he wouldn't also ride, yet you were surprised when you've felt him grunt from behind; feeling his presence and jumping on his horse as he held onto the halter from behind you.

"Oh," was the only word you could muster as you felt yourself be caged in his brawny arms. Your face started to become beet red as you've realized the meaning of your random thoughts that ran behind your head. Those thoughts that planned to keep you from sleeping all night with the painful reality of not being able to go home yet and probably even the face of a certain witcher that was making the butterflies run wild inside your stomach.

You've finally arrived in their home with Kolby following behind you and Geralt when you were riding his horse.

At the present moment, Kolby was standing before their wooden door. It was Geralt's idea to welcome Ciri and Jaskier for his presence as it would be the best gift for the bard as a token for his benevolence and for keeping their friendship in tact and strong still.

There were padded footsteps behind the door and a booming voice resonating from behind it before the door opened and creaked as Jaskier came into view as he went on and on with his talkative mouth, "Why, Geralt! Have you enjoyed your conquest with Y/N--!!" his words were cut short as he shrieked and jumped on his spot when he was welcomed by a Hirikka that he'd seen before but very much smaller and midget looking.

Jaskier's baby blue eyes were wanting to come out of his eye-sockets as he fell back on his knees. Hastily standing on his feet as Ciri emerged from the kitchen to look at the commotion happening on their doorstep. The bard violently pointed at the Hirikka who stepped foot inside with its doe eyes scanning the whole cavern. "---IT'S ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS AGAIN! I thought he'd already tasted its painful demise from that foolish knight years ago?!"

You and Geralt followed suit after Kolby did; giving Jaskier and Cirilla a guiltless smile while the witcher was smirking behind you; specifically entertained by Jaskier's bolt from the blue.

"What's that creature doing in our home, Geralt?!" the bard jogged away from the harmless monster with a proximate amount of space where as he was already in the far end of their house with that scandalizing frown on his pretty face. You gave the Hirikka a soft pat on the head; automatically leaning closer from your sweet touch and purring in a way he does.

"His name is Kolby!"

To say Jaskier was shocked isn't enough. He was beyond flabbergasted. Extremely floored. "It has a name?!"

The Hirikka's feet was waggling in sheer pleasure; like an animal who loved being pet on the head. Jaskier gave you both a look of pique from how normal it was for you to be petting a Hirikka when a normal person would've stabbed the life out of the monster. "You---You are simply bonkers, Y/N!" he stood rooted on the ground, never paying a chance to get close to the three of you.

Cirilla excitedly strolled to where you were, Her eyes gleaming with pure curiosity and fascination. "What is it?" she'd manage to ask as she stepped in to give you and Geralt a hug for being safe as you've arrived home.

The princess dropped her feeble arms around you and aimed to look at the monster who was shorter than her, studying the monster with a crease of her forehead and noting how adorable its eyes were.

"It's a Hirikka, princess." Geralt dearly answered for you as he gently closed the door behind and stepped inside their home. Cirilla gave him a look before she went on with more queries, "Does it bite?"

The witcher gave her a small beam for reassurance as he shook his head, "Utterly harmless. Just don't starve the poor fella',"

Jaskier gave a glout and inspected the whole scene before him. "Are you perhaps short of a marble?!?!?" the message was sent to you or maybe to Geralt and Ciri as well when he'd gestured with his arms like he was gesturing how long his patience were wearing down for the stuff happening and the changes occurring when you've arrived.

You gave Kolby a short set of your tutting but it was actually for the bard who was judging you from a distance; caressing the Hirikkas head as Ciri wholeheartedly did as well.

"There, there, Kolby. Don't be sad. Jaskier is just mean because he's just sexually frustrated,"

Jaskier was quick to retort, his hands now on his hips as he eyed you who had been downright offended by your opinions, "I AM CERTAINLY NOT!" he bellowed with a huff and a sassy eyebrow raising from your banter. The latter pointed at the witcher behind you who had his smirk raised more than he intended to. Jaskier's vexation towards the Hirikka completely entertaining him that he couldn't help but emit a low chuckle from behind that certainly caught your ear as it was the first time you've heard him laugh. Hence, it was like the angels sung for you, "THE WITCHER BEHIND YOU IS! NOT ME!"

"---Tell me, Geralt," The sonneteer fixated his blue eyes on the man behind you. A frown etched on Jaskier's face, "Were you against this idea that the rat wanted a Hirikka as a pet?!"

Geralt crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the bard as he thought for a moment before giving him a mocking answer, "At first, yes."

"And now?"

The witcher kept his lips closed, just staring at the bard and trying not to smile back at him from how his mouth went completely ajar from his silence. Jaskier already knew what happened and what his answer is even though his question wasn't verbally answered by the man himself.

He knew Geralt wanted to smash. Maybe because he utmost needed it or not because you were just a woman with a vagina that could give him pleasure. There was something more for his hurried fondness for you. There was something more; deeper, greater and utterly unexplainable. Jaskier knew that the witcher had the hots for you as he was openly accepting what all you wanted and he wasn't just doomed because Ciri already had Geralt wrapped around her own finger with the fact that she was his child of surprise.

But, you weren't any child of surprise nor weren’t you a child. Though, you already had him wrapped around your own fingers by bringing home a Hirikka that he certainly doesn’t do ever in his life. 

"---Of course, she'd managed to control your overly deluded fondness for her and used it to her advantage!" It was like he sounded to cry out. You couldn't help but giggle from how he was dramatically crying like a baby as Ciri continued petting the Hirikka for you.

Jaskier exhaled a breath, loud enough for you to hear his denial about the whole Hirikka saving thing. He sent the witcher a glare full of aggravation, "I am utmost disappointed in you, Geralt!" and he shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose when he continued to wail like a kid.

"---Please tell me he's not sleeping beside me,"

Geralt hoarsely scoffed as it turned into a smile that appeared faultless. He nodded his head towards the Hirikka who shortly licked Ciri's face as he gestured for the tamed creature, "If I'd choose you between Roach to be noshed for his satiation, you know what my answer would be, bard."

Jaskier groaned to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose tighter and having a mental breakdown for meeting a Hirikka on their doorstep and even getting to live with one when he'd seen his species get killed by a knight and now it was going to sleep where he takes his nap. It was stressing him, everything is.

"Great, utterly great," he muttered with his eyes closed, one last sigh given as a sign of submission for everyone who stood before him.

PLEASE DO GIVE FEEDBACK WHEN YOU HAVE THE TIME, BB’S IF YOU LOVED IT! THANK YOU! LOVE YOU AND STAY SAFE!

Taglist: @alyxkbrl​ @himarisolace​ @barkingbullfrog​​ @ayamenimthiriel​ @hellodevilslittlesister​ @vania-marie​ @spookypeachx​ @grungelovebug​ @fangirl-inthe-us​ @nympeth​ @amirahiddleston​ @gabethelobster​ @dreaming-about-starfleet​ @uncoolcloudyhead​ @melaninstylezz​ @psychosupernatural​ @missjenniferb @dance-dreamer​ @marvelousell​

[alj4890]

Delicate

(Olivia Nevarkis x Ethan Ramsey) (Olivia Nevarkis x Drake Walker) in a Choices The Royal Romance/Open Heart Crossover crack series.

A/N Olivia and Ethan's plans for another double date are met with two extra uninvited guests: Maxwell and Drake. Unable to believe this is the Olivia he has known all his life, Drake becomes determined to draw real her out. With Maxwell's encouragement, Drake tries to think of ways for Ethan to see Olivia's temper and find a way to win her back. Once again, we will have a flashback that shows Ethan and Olivia's first fight shortly after she arrived in Boston.

Masterlist

@jooous​ @krsnlove @nomadics-stuff   @twinkleallnight @motorcitymademadame

Part 3

Somewhere near Boston Harbor...

Olivia's grip on the helm tightened as her attention settled on her unexpected guests.

This double date was supposed to be for four, not four plus Drake and Maxwell.

The night before had shaken her confidence. It wasn't so much in seeing Drake again, but in what he reminded her of.

The Duchess of Lythikos. As cold as the land she rules over. Offspring of Traitors. Unable to find someone to love her.

Being away from Cordonia had allowed her to see that she could live a life out from under those shadows. She could walk up to a group of people and be greeted with a smile and warm welcome instead of cautious suspicion. She could prove that she had intelligence and a stubbornness to do something worthwhile.

She could possibly find someone who would love her for herself and not for the very reputation she couldn't seem to escape.

Her gaze was caught by the man making his way toward her. She knew she was resting her hope on him to be the one who could love the woman she was.

"You didn't tell me you were an expert sailor too." Ethan teased, settling his arms around her waist.

She couldn't help but smile. "I thought by now that you would know to never underestimate me."

He chuckled while hugging her close from behind. "You're right. That's all on me."

She felt her confidence lift somewhat as they simply enjoyed being near one another.

It would have been perfect. The late October morning’s sunshine sparkled on the waves. A brisk breeze blew, gliding them on around the harbor. The land glowed with bursts of fall color between the shimmering downtown buildings.

All was right for a romantic time together.

Can one have a romantic time with an ex lover and a talkative friend in the very same boat?

Olivia could hear catches of Amanda's laughter drifting from the bow of the boat. Her eyes narrowed on Maxwell standing before her and Thomas and then Drake smirking at a story the fun loving noble was telling.

"Your friend doesn't seem to ever stop talking." Ethan commented.

"Who? Maxwell?" She snorted. "He doesn't when he has a captive audience."

Feeling a bit uneasy, she asked what story Maxwell was sharing.

"Nothing about people I have heard you mention." Ethan remarked. "He was talking about some lady at a ball with poodles."

Olivia relaxed some. At least it wasn't about her. "Penelope."

She felt Ethan shrug behind her. "I think that was one of the names he said." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "He also told me one about you."

Her knuckles turned white on the wheel. "He did?"

"Yes." He tucked a stray curl that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. His lips brushed against it as he talked. "He told me how you helped fight terrorists while Riley was getting ready for her wedding to Liam."

She forced her grip to relax. Olivia had once shared that part of her life with him. She had even been obliged to show him her scar from her stab wound. His reaction had surprised her. There was no revulsion that her family had married her off to some vindictive wannabe king. There was no morbid curiousity about learning from a young age how to wield a dagger. Nothing except admiration at her surviving such an ordeal.

"I thought there was just the one fight during the wedding reception." He murmured, squeezing her close once more. "I didn't know you were twice a hero."

Her lips curved as she turned her head to look up at him. "Well, I didn't want to come off as a braggart."

He laughed before capturing her lips in a heated kiss. "Is this the same woman who had the nerve to tell me how to properly treat a gunshot wound a few weeks ago?"

She smiled as their mouths met again, knowing he was proud of her each time she did show how intelligent she was or shared something she had overcome. The warmth in his embrace was sweetened by the fact that she knew she could trust that type of reaction from him.

It was a heady sensation, one she hoped would never end.

*ahem* Drake cleared his throat louder a third time. "Amanda was wondering if you two were ready to eat."

"Of course." Olivia replied. She and Ethan prepared to back the mainsail while Drake returned to the bow.

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

A short time later...

Drake could not get past how different Olivia seemed to the naked eye. It was as if that hardness that she kept in her everyday life had disappeared. This new version of her worried him.

It was a version he knew any man would fall in love with.

Her actions with Ethan had been eye opening as well. The moment she introduced the doctor to him and Maxwell, she had slipped her arm around himn...as if she was actually proud to be with Ethan.

He didn't know what to make of that other than this being beyond anything he could have imagined. The rest of their time in her apartment had consisted of him observing how comfortable the new couple was together. Their heated glances not bothering to be hidden. The light touches hinting at a longing to be alone. The happiness!

Olivia never smiles so easily! Where's the smirk? The slightly insulting, biting sarcasm?

Why did she never show me this side?

Even now, she was helping unpack a large picnic basket while exchanging private jokes with Ethan and Thomas and Amanda.

Drake had never felt more like such an outsider looking in.

Maxwell sat down next to him.

"You've got to act fast." He whispered. "Their relationship is too far advanced to have only started dating recently."

Drake's lips firmed into a thin line. That's what bothered him. They shouldn't be this close. All they did was discuss building a hospital for months. Interview candidates. Make business plans.

Could they have been falling in love during all that?

"So..." Maxwell hedged, hoping to help his friend out. "How much longer are you ladies planning on staying in America?"

Amanda blinked in surprise. She had already told her plans the night before. "Thomas and I plan on remaining here until after the new year." Her brow furrowed when Maxwell seemed surprised. "He still has the rest of the semester to teach."

Olivia shrugged. "My plans are not yet set."

"What about Lythikos?" Drake spoke up. "Are you going to leave Hana in charge indefinitely?"

Olivia's eyes collided with his. He felt a little relieved to see the flash of anger contort her features.

But then they smoothed back into one of peace.

He felt a slight chill run down his back at seeing something that looked so unnatural.

"I spoke to Hana a few days ago about it. She said she was more than happy to remain for a few more months." A proud smile formed on her lips. "Especially since I offered to host her wedding in thanks for her help."

"A winter wonderland wedding!" Amanda exclaimed. "That will be gorgeous!"

Drake grimaced that his prodding had not brought out the old Olivia but also turned to the romantic subject of weddings.

He searched for something else to talk about. Something had to break what had to be this fake version. Wasn't he doing everyone a favor by doing so? Ethan would see that she wasn't the same woman he had come to fall for. Olivia could be her old self without worry. And who knows...Drake might even be allowed back into her life.

"What else is there left to do here?" He interrupted Amanda's description of her wedding to Ethan. He gestured toward the man he was developing a definite dislike. "You've gotten the doctor you wanted to run the hospital. The funding was secured long ago. The building is nearly finished, with Riley overseeing the equipment placement and furnishings you've demanded." His eyes darted back and forth on Olivia and Ethan. "Why are you staying here?"

The plastic fork in Olivia's hand snapped in two with the sharp part of the handle  stabbing her in her palm.

If not for a brief intake of breath, no one would have realized she was injured until the blood appeared.

"Olivia!" Ethan quickly pulled her hand toward him to see how deep it went. He reached for some napkins and bottled water, gently cleaning the area.

"It," she sucked in a painful breath when he pressed near it, "it isn't that bad."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Allow me to diagnose this, please."

"You're making a big deal out of nothing." She squirmed.

It wasn't so much Ethan's tending as it was everyone staring at them that was bothering her.

That and Drake trying to make her mad.

And succeeding.

"I promise." She placed her uninjured hand on Ethan's. "I will be fine."

"I know you'll live." He responded. Noticing the faint blush on her cheeks, he decided to tease her to get her mind off their audience. "Next time you decide to lose your temper, throw the fork instead of breaking it."

He watched as a reluctant smile appeared on her face.

"You're not wrong." She muttered.

Drake watched their exchange and began to see that their attraction to one another had already revealed what she did when riled. Ethan had somehow seen past it and pursued her.

"Don't encourage her to start throwing forks, Doc." Maxwell tried to lighten the tension. "We're already dodging daggers at court."

Ethan pulled a first aid kit out and began to bandage her hand. "If I've learned anything these last few months," he gently squeezed her fingers, "it's that the person she decides to throw something at most likely deserves it."

Olivia shook with suppressed laughter when he playfully winced in memory.

Drake's eyes narrowed. "I take it you know first hand what that is like?"

Ethan finished tying the ends while ordering her to keep it elevated. Settling his arm around her, he smirked over at the man he knew was an ex of hers.

"I do. I found out not too long after she moved to Boston..."

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

Four months earlier...

Ethan stormed into the office Naveen had given Olivia.

She looked up from a set of reports and glared at the interruption. "You're late."

"I have patients." He snapped. "Just because you want a meeting doesn't mean I work on your schedule."

Her eyes narrowed at his tone. "This meeting concerns your future as a doctor. One I have put you as head of your dream hospital." The bite in her tone held enough venom to sting. "If I were you, I would watch how I speak to me."

He bent down, braced his hands in her desk, and made certain she had to look up at him. "You are not my boss yet. In fact, you will never be mine." He tossed the contract she had delivered to him by a harassed orderly on her desk. His index finger struck the papers. "According to this, I have a say in who is and who isn't hired."

"Along with Naveen and me." She snapped. "The entire council is depending on me to pick the best physicians I can find."

"And what qualifies you for such?" He gripped her desk. "That duchess title of yours?"

Olivia bristled. Her green eyes sparked with anger. "No. My own study of medicine."

"Your own study?" He scoffed. "Reading WebMD does not make you qualified, Ms. Nevarkis."

She abruptly got to her feet, causing him to stumble back. Striding past him, she shut the door when she noticed a group of interns trying to overhear their fight. With deliberate steps, she returned to her desk and ripped open one of the drawers. Yanking out the piece of paper that had come to mean more to her than anything that she had found in her family's vault, she handed it to the highly irritated doctor without a word.

Ethan unfurled it. His eyes scanned the degree in nursing she had earned from a well known medical college in Europe.

Flicking his eyes toward her, he handed it back. "So you're a nurse?"

"Not just any nurse." She corrected, stung by the condescension she could detect in his voice, "a critical care nurse. I finished my Advanced Life Support Certification before coming here."

"I see." His eyes narrowed once more. "Then as a critical care nurse, you should be the first to understand that when I head the E.R. that no meeting is worth pulling me away from the critically injured."

She blanched at the knowledge of where he had been. Sifting through her papers she found his schedule. Her fist clinched around it. "Today is not your day to work there."

"It is when the doctor who is supposed to be calls in sick!" He yelled, frustrated with her arguing with him over this. The many hours he had been working with little sleep had made her the perfect foil for his temper.

"Well, I didn't know you had taken her place!" She yelled back. "You could have sent me that information so I wouldn't send out a damn search party for you!"

"I'm an adult!" He roared. "One who is trying to treat as many patients as I can before uprooting my life for your ridiculous country!" His blue eyes burned into her green. "You are not required to know my every move!"

"I had the King of Cordonia on the phone waiting to talk to you!" She yanked her office phone's receiver, ripping it from the base, to wave in his face. "The entire council wanted to speak to you!"

A smirk tilted his lips up, causing her rage to turn into an inferno.

"Here's the thing, duchess." His voice had lowered to a more sinister tone. "I don't give a rat's ass about your council wanting to talk to me."

Before he could turn and leave her sputtering, she threw the receiver at him. It struck right in what she knew was his cold heart.

His eyes widened at her display of temper.

Her breaths came in fast as she stood before him, not in the least repentant for her actions.

As much as he hated it, a spurt of respect grew at her not backing down. In fact, she was meeting everything he threw at her with her own ways to put him in his place. That thought allowed his anger to dissipate. 

Knowing he was partly responsible for this fight, he bent down and picked up her receiver and moved to place it back on her phone.

Olivia stiffened when he brushed past her. He was so close that she could smell a mixture of hand sanitizer and whatever aftershave he had used earlier that morning.

After checking to make certain her office phone still worked, he stepped back and waited for her to say something.

Recognizing an olive branch from someone with a temper similar to hers, her stance eased but remained guarded. She cut her eyes to her phone then back to him.

"Thank you." She forced herself to say.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and nodded. "I will be off tomorrow." He glanced at his contract on her desk. "If you are able to schedule another phone conference, I can be back anytime you need."

She relaxed some more. "I'll let you know."

Not knowing how to quite end this tense encounter, he gave another brief nod before opening her door.

"Did you sign the contract?" She asked, making him pause in her doorway.

"Yes." He shut the door after answering and returned to the emergency room.

A smile slowly formed on her lips before she sat down once more behind her desk.

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

"You threw a phone?!" Drake looked back and forth between the two. "And you still asked her out?"

"Actually, I took her to coffee the very next day." Ethan replied. "She impressed me and I decided to get to know the person she really was."

Olivia smirked at Drake. "Not everyone sees my temper as a bad thing."

“Not when it is justified.” Ethan added.

Drake folded his arms while the conversation turned to Maxwell's plans in Hollywood. He knew he was now on an unexpected playing field. Ethan was an adversary of a new ilk. He wasn't a stuffy noble or even a rough commoner. Drake only knew one thing for certain: he was going to be a difficult guy to beat to try and win Olivia back.

[softboywriting]

Christmas Together | Shawn Mendes

Summary: When you and Shawn head home for Christmas, you end up stuck in a snowstorm in a small town in the middle of the united states. With all flights grounded until further notice, the two of you will have to spend Christmas together at a bed and breakfast. This blizzard may just be the push that brings the two of you together with the help of a little Christmas magic. [fluff] [Christmas themed] [personal assistant to lovers au] [non au shawn]

Word Count: 6k

|Masterlist In Bio|

Traveling with Shawn for the holidays is never easy. He is possibly the busiest man you've ever worked for but you don’t mind because being with Shawn is just like being with someone you love, because, well, you do love him. Thanksgiving came and went, yours in the states not his, you don't go home for that holiday anyways. It's not a big deal for your family back home. Christmas is though and traveling three days before Christmas is a nightmare.

Things were going smoothly, you had a plan to get home before christmas. Things were going perfectly until the last minute. You had somehow gotten two tickets on a fully booked flight from Brazil to Canada. The plan is for you to fly straight to the Toronto airport, no layovers and from there you'll catch a cab home to New York. You're about an hour into the flight and you can feel some turbulence coming on. No big deal. Until the pilot announced an emergency landing somewhere in Iowa.

"Oh no...no no shit." You look out the window and see nothing but clouds. No doubt about it, you’ve flown directly into a storm system.

"What? It's fine, we're just going to be a little delayed." Shawn rubs your shoulder. "It's no big deal."

"No, it is." You lean your head back against the headrest. "My sister is having a baby today and I promised I'd be there. My whole family is going to be there for Christmas. She's the first of us to have a kid."

"Oh. You didn't tell me that."

You look over and Shawn looks concerned. He always has such a big heart for everyone, it’s one of the many reasons why you love him so much. "I didn't think you needed to know. It's not work related."

"Well yeah but I still care about you. I know I'm your job but like, I'm still a person who cares about you."

"I know...I know I usually tell you everything it's just been...I've been-"

Shawn lays his hand on yours and you look down at it, heart racing. "I've been difficult lately. I know and I'm sorry. Traveling and shows have been hectic the last few weeks. It's totally my fault you’re overwhelmed."

"No, Shawn it's fine. My job is to take care of all that stuff. I'm not- I shouldn't complain about it."

"So what's stressing you out if it's not me?"

"Everything about the christmas season. My sister having a kid, obviously but...mostly it’s that christmas sucks when you're single okay?"

Shawn's eyebrows shoot up. "Why?"

"Because every year I go home and my siblings all have their girlfriends and boyfriends or fiance's and shit and I'm the odd one out. Every year I become the center of attention at dinner, the butt of the joke during gift opening. It's just a pain in the ass being branded as the forever alone child in the family."

"Why is your family so mean?"

"They aren't. They don't mean their comments venmously, it's just little things that bug me. Little indirect jabs that remind everyone I'm single and I have been for a long time."

"Why are you single?"

You give him a blank stare. He couldn't be serious. He doesn't understand that he's the reason you can't be in a relationship? That your job of tailing him everywhere and managing his schedule and life is just as stressful on a relationship with someone for you as it is for him. "Shawn, I'm constantly traveling. When am I supposed to date? When am I supposed to meet someone?"

"Fuck." He groans and scrubs a hand over his face. "You're in the same boat as me. I didn’t even think of it like that."

"Yeah except I can't fly somewhere every time I have a few days off to see someone and make an attempt at one."

He shakes his head. "I've doomed you to be single. I'm putting you through the same stress I put myself through and it's not fair."

"It's not. But it's my job, and you have yours."

Shawn grabs your arm as the plan drops and shakes. "I'll make it up to you, I swear." His voice falters as the plane jerks violently.

You squeeze your eyes shut and he threads his fingers between yours, palm a little sweaty. "I don't see how but okay."

"If we make it through this I will do everything I can to get you a date."

"You're crazy Mendes."

"Yeah but you already knew that."

_____________________

The plane lands in one piece despite feeling like it was going to tear in half at any moment. As soon as you get to the airline club lounge you find out the flight is not just delayed but all flights are grounded for the next forty eight hours at least. Two days. You are definitely going to miss your sister's baby and you're possibly going to miss Christmas. As much as you don't want to deal with your family for the holiday, you're still going to miss them and you’re upset you might not be there.

"What're we going to do?" You ask as you slump into a chair beside Shawn. He looks over from his phone and you raise your eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"I got a place to stay until we can get another flight."

"What? How? That's my job."

He chuckles and pockets his phone. "I can book a place. I know how to use the internet."

"Well yeah but- how? There was a hotel with rooms free this close to Christmas and during a storm?"

"Kind of. Every hotel I looked at was full but there is a bed and breakfast about half an hour from the airport that had a room."

You stand up and grab your bag and suitcase. "I'll call a car or taxi or something for us and-"

Shawn lays his hand on your shoulder. "I did that too. I got an Uber."

"Oh."

"You do absolutely everything for me. I figured I could return the favor since right now is really stressful for you."

"But it's my job...it's not a favor."

Shawn shakes his head and grabs his bags. "Come on, you need to relax. I read that this b'nb is super nice and the rooms have huge tubs. I know you like baths."

"What? How do you know that?"

"You travel with mini bath bombs in your shower bag and you always seek out the hot tub when we book a really nice hotel on tour." Shawn looks back and you jog to catch up to him. "I guess I’m a little observant?"

"What else have you observed?" You ask nervously, hoping he hasn’t caught on to the fact you have very real feelings for him. You’ve done your best to hide them for a long time.

Shawn holds open the door to the pick up lanes for you as you step out into the icy wind blowing snow everywhere. "Your favorite color is red."

"Why's that?"

"You rarely wear it but when you do, you are always more confident and you seem more comfortable. You always pick red when given a choice of things and your eyes always light up whenever I wear my red button down, so I know you must like the color at least."

"Maybe that's because it looks so good on you."

He smirks. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm."

"Good to know." Shawn steps out into the snow and approaches a black car. "Come on, this is our ride."

_____________________

The bed and breakfast looks like a winter wonderland. It's decked out in decorated trees, wreaths, lights, the whole nine yards when the Uber driver pulls up. It has a little sign in the front that says Dover Inn. How Shawn found this place you have no idea. A short walk up to the front and you and Shawn are pushing your way through a heavy door into a small foyer that's been converted into a check in area.

"Hello!" An older woman with long dark hair says as she comes out of a back area. Her name tag says Judy. "Do you have reservations?"

"Yes, Mendes. We booked online." Shawn shakes snow off his hat by the door. "The first name is Peter."

"Ah, yes, here you are." Judy says, squinting at her laptop on the old wood countertop. "Let me go see that the room is ready. I'll be right back."

"Peter?" You ask, dusting your coat off. "Why'd you use your middle name?"

"I didn't want to draw attention to myself. You know how fans are, they always somehow find out where I'm staying."

"True. Smart, actually. But we're in the middle of nowhere Iowa in a town of probably a few thousand people during a snowstorm. I'm pretty sure that no fans are going to bum rush you out here."

"I wasn't taking the risk." Shawn pulls his hat back on and you shake your head at him.

"Mr. Mendes?" Judy says from the stairs behind the check in desk.

"Yes?"

"You booked a double room correct?"

"Yes."

The woman walks forward to the desk and types something into her laptop, chewing on her lower lip. "There is an error with room numbers on the site, the room you booked is a single room suite with a queen bed. We can refund you if you like. I'm so sorry."

"No," you lay your hand on Shawn's arm before he can say anything. "It's fine. We will take it."

Shawn gives you a look, silently asking if you're sure.

"You're sure?" The host asks, looking between you and Shawn. "I can at least give you a discount for the mistake."

"That will be fine, thank you." Shawn says softly and the host grabs your room keys.

On the way up the stairs you notice how beautiful this place really is. It's old, a historic building if you were to guess. A large manor like house of sorts at some time, but now converted to a bed and breakfast. Everything is decked out in Christmas, literally everything. Judy leads you to your room at the end of the hall and opens the door.

"We have pillows and blankets in the closet. There are heated blankets available on request. Breakfast is served at eight until nine every morning. If you need anything you can call the front desk by dialing star five five. Feel free to explore the inn, we have a large living room and the kitchen open to guests after ten in the morning. Can I get you anything right now?"

"No, thank you." You smile as you look around the gorgeous room. It's huge and spacious. There is a fireplace in the center of the far wall, lounge chairs flanking it with a small tree decorated in the corner. A large queen-size bed with a huge bed frame and two dark wood dressers sit against the opposite wall. There is a door on the left of the entrance for the bathroom and the right for the closet. It's incredible.

Shawn drops his bag on the floor by the closet and pushes his suitcase and guitar case up against it. "You're fine with sharing a bed?"

"Yeah? Should I not be?"

"Well I mean isn’t it a little...intimate?"

You laugh. "Shawn, I've been your assistant for almost two years now. I'm pretty sure that I can survive sharing a bed for two nights with you. It's just like sharing your bed with your best friend when they sleep over." You drop your own bag by the closet. "Don't worry about it." You say this, but honestly you’re not sure how you’re going to fare. Being close to Shawn is one thing, but sharing a bed is a special kind of intimate, whether sexual or not, you worry about how you’ll be able to keep your cool.

Shawn takes off his coat and flops down on the bed. "I'm sorry you're missing your sister's baby."

You hang your own coat and flop down beside him. "There's nothing that can be done now."

"What if we can't get home for Christmas?"

You look over and he turns his head to look at you. "We have each other?"

"Yeah, we do." Shawn smiles softly. "I'm glad I'm stuck here with you."

"I'm glad it's you too."

____________________

Sleeping with Shawn is better than you expected. To start, you thought he would be a bed hog like he is on the tour bus, sprawled out all over his bed at the back of the bus, but he isn't. The two of you put on pajamas and crawled in on your respective sides. It was a little awkward at first, both of you unsure if it was okay to move or curl up or anything really. You decided to break that barrier though, push the button and make a move because the tension was absolutely eating you alive.

You scoot over from the very edge of the bed where you are laying uncomfortably still. You turn on your side and face Shawn who looks uncomfortable as hell too. "Hey, you look like you're petrified."

"I don't know what to do."

"How do you usually sleep with other people in your bed?"

Shawn rolls onto his side and props his head up on his hand. "Well, usually I spoon them because it's someone I'm very interested in and have usually just been intimate with. Other than that I usually sleep alone."

"Uh huh. So is it the lack of intimacy before hand that's stopping you?"

His cheeks turn dark pink in the soft glow of the white lights on the tree in the corner. "I-I don't know. Maybe?"

"If you need to spoon me so you can sleep, you can. I don't mind." You lay on your back and roll so your back is to him. You pat your side, inviting him to cuddle up. It’s the worst idea you’ve ever had and your heart is threatening to burst out of your chest at the sheer thought of Shawn being pressed against you. But how else will you ever get to experience a Shawn cuddle? You would rather know and live with that knowledge for the rest of your life while you pine in silence until you find someone to settle down with, than never know and always wonder just what you may have missed. "I trust you Shawn."

The bed shifts and you can feel the heat from his body as he scoots closer, but not quite touching. "You don't think it's weird?"

"We've been in much more intimate situations I’m sure. I've seen you naked a few dozen times. This isn't a big deal. I sleep better with someone close and you do too it seems. Just cuddle me and stop being so nervous about it."

Shawn's hand rests tentatively on your hip. "You're sure you don���t mind?"

"Shawn. I swear, it's fine." You chew on your lip, voice surprisingly convincing despite your nerves.

Finally Shawn takes the plunge, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you back against his warm body. Instantly you melt, body completely turning to mush. It’s everything you imagined it would be and more. He’s just right, bigger than you, warmer, soft but not too soft. You let out a sigh and he presses his nose to your hair.

"You smell really good,” Shawn says quietly.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, and thank you for letting me cuddle you. I hope you don't think I'm weird."

You put your hand over his against your chest. "I always think you're weird, but not because of this."

"I miss it."

"Hmm? Miss what?"

"Being affectionate like this." He adjusts himself so he is fully pressed against the length of your body, feet covering yours between the blankets.. "It's been a long time."

You close your eyes, nervous to say what you really want to. Worried he will know you're falling for him. Well...that you’ve already fallen for him. You did that a long time ago. "I don't mind if you want to do this. I mean...like, again?"

Shawn presses his hand against your chest gently, holding you back against him as if giving you a hug. "I just might have to take you up on that offer sometime."

_____________________

Morning finds you warm and cozy. There is a fire in the fireplace when you sit up and look around the otherwise empty room. Shawn isn't there, but the smell of his body wash wafts in from the bathroom that's open but dark. You look to the clock over the fireplace and it's just after eight thirty. You check your phone and you have no signal, of course.  

You stretch as you get up and go to the big windows on the far wall. It's snowing still. You doubt it has ever stopped. You grab the complimentary robe from the dresser on your side of the room and wrap up in it before heading downstairs.

In the dining area that's set up like a small restaurant would be with it's tables and chairs scattered around with families and couples sat in eating, you find Shawn alone by the fireplace sipping coffee and reading something on his phone.

"Morning," you say softly as you take a seat with your back to the fireplace. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby. You?"

"Same."

Shawn puts his phone down and offers you his cup. "Coffee?"

"That's yours though?"

"Yeah but you can have some while we wait for the hostess to come by again." Shawn scoots the mug toward you. "I know you aren't sick or something."

You wrap your hands around the mug and lift it up to take a sip. Straight black coffee with a hint of sweetener. It's strong as hell and you swear you can feel it wake your senses up immediately. "This is horrible. How do you enjoy this?"

He laughs. "It's good?"

"No cream or something? It's like engine oil."

"Nuh uh." Shawn plucks his mug from your hands and takes a drink. "It's great. Oh, here comes the hostess."

You order some eggs, bacon and orange juice. Shawn asks for just some bacon and toast. You look out the window to see the snow reaching the bottom of it, drifted up from the wind no doubt. It has snowed so much you're seriously worried you may not get home for a while.

"What's wrong?"

"The snow. It keeps falling."

"Yep." Shawn turns and looks outside. "I told my parents I would be spending Christmas here. If I'm wrong, it'll be a surprise when I get home. If I'm right, they're not worried about me."

"You have signal?"

"Yeah. You don't?"

"No. Can I call my parents?"

Shawn hands you his phone and you excuse yourself to the living room where it's a little quieter. You dial your dad's cell number and lean against the wall near a tree.

"Dad? Hey it's me."

"Kiddo! Where are you? We thought you were coming home last night?"

"We had to land in Iowa. We're grounded for at least two days, but it might be longer. It's hasn't stopped snowing since last night. Did Penny have her baby?"

"Not yet. They said it could be any day now, I guess she wasn't ready."

"That's great! Well, not for Penny but I didn't miss it. Is she worried about me? Did she think I forgot?"

"No no, we figured you might have been delayed. Whose number are you calling from by the way? I didn't recognize it."

"It's Sh- the hotel's number. I'm using a landline."

"It's an out of country number? I thought you were in Iowa?"

You scrub a hand over your face and mentally kick yourself. You don't want to tell your dad it's Shawn's cell number but your lie doesn't make sense. "It's Shawn's phone. Promise me you won't give this number out."

"Shawn? You're traveling home with him?"

"Yeah, well, no."

"Honey!" You dad calls for your mom and you hear her respond in the background. "Our daughter is bringing home a guest for Christmas!"

"Dad! No! We aren't going to make it!"

"What's that dear? You're breaking up, I can barely make out your voice."

"Dad, we probably aren't going to make it for Christmas and I'm not bringing Shawn home. Dad, can you hear me?"

"You're bringing Shawn? That's okay! We'll see you soon!"

"Dad no! We aren't-" The line goes dead and you pull the phone away from your ear. The signal bars drop from three to none and you groan. Perfect...just perfect.

______________________

After breakfast you find Shawn in the living room with his guitar sitting with a little girl who has a cat piano that meows instead of playing regular piano notes. The girl is maybe five or six and you're pretty sure her grandma is the woman sitting a few feet away on her iPad. You lean against the archway that leads to the dining area and smile as Shawn let's the girl pluck a few strings on the guitar.

"You like music huh? What's your favorite?"

"I like the music from Frozen and Moana." The girl says and presses a key on her piano that makes a deep cat meowing sound. "I like Moana the best."

"Me too." Shawn smiles, playing a few chords. "I know the song How Far I’ll Go pretty well."

You shake your head as he smiles to himself. Of course he knows the song, it's one of Alessia's. Shawn looks up and sees you. He says something to the girl really quick and gets up, leaving his guitar on the floor.

"Hey, did you get to call your parents back after it dropped?"

"No, the signal keeps fading. I sent a few texts, hopefully they'll get them."

"Ah. Well...did you know you're standing under the mistletoe?"

"Huh?" You look up and sure enough there is a little sprig of green with holly berries attached to the archway. "No, I think you're under the mistletoe."

"No, it's definitely you and you know what that means."

"You're gonna kiss me?"

"Yep." Shawn leans in and kisses your cheek gently as you back up. "You're free to go now."

You roll your eyes and giggle as he steps forward and leans against the archway. "Oh no, looks like you're definitely under it now."

"Ah crap."

You stand on your tiptoes and kiss his cheek. "Looks like I was right all along."

Shawn laughs and turns away to go back into the living room. "I'll get you back for that, you lured me in."

"Uh huh. Sure you will." You head upstairs to find a movie on tv to kill time. May as well get used to it. You're going to be here a while longer.

_____________________

A little after noon Shawn finds you in the room curled up on the bed watching TV. You just got a text back from your dad saying that Penny had her baby. A boy named Lucas, eight pounds. You couldn't help but cry, disappointed you weren't there but happy that Penny had her baby okay. It sucks.

"What's wrong?" Shawn asks, sitting beside you on the bed. "Your eyes are red like you were upset."

"Penny had her baby."

"Oh! That's great, is she okay? Is the baby okay?"

You nod. "I'm just sad I couldn't be there for her. She's the first of my siblings and I to have a kid and I guess...I guess I sort of live vicariously through her."

"Oh."

"It's fine." You wipe your eyes. "Everyone is healthy. I'll get to meet the baby a little later. It's alright."

Shawn opens his arms and motions for you to come to him. You do, leaning forward until you're crawling into his arms. He holds you tight, rubbing up and down your back with his big soft hands. "Its okay to be upset. I understand if you're emotional about missing something clearly important to you."

You rub your nose on his shoulder. "Thank you. I'm sorry I'm crying so much."

"No, shh, you don't have to be sorry."

"But-"

Shawn squeezes you. "No buts, let it all out. You're always there for me on my bad days, I'm gonna be here for you."

_____________________

"Can I take you to dinner?"

You look up from your laptop. The inn has WiFi but it's not the best. You've just been updating schedules and trying to get any flight out of Iowa. So far everything is still grounded until the storms blow over. "Dinner?"

"Yeah. I was talking with some people in the living room earlier and they said that there is a place not too far from here that serves dinner through Christmas Eve. I thought maybe it'd get your mind off of everything."

"Sure." You close your laptop and get up to put on your coat. "Are we walking?"

"Yes. Wear your boots."

"Mmm and what are you going to wear?" You glance at his well loved chelsea boots in the corner. They're the only shoes he has with him aside from some tennis shoes made of breathable mesh.

Shawn grabs his boots and looks down at his feet, wiggling his toes in his socks. "I'll wear extra socks?"

"Mmhmm." You sit down and pull on your black leather boots that are possibly the best shoes you own. "Y'know you're a millionaire right? You can afford new boots just like those that aren't worn thin."

"I know. But these are comfortable, they're my boots."

"Right."

He groans as he sinks into the bed beside you to put on an extra pair of socks. "I promise I'll get new boots okay? But I won't get rid of these."

"Shawn, they're old."

"They're my favorite." He zips the side and stomps his foot down to adjust to the extra socks bulk. "Don't judge me."

"Alright, alright," you giggle. "I'll stop bullying you into getting new shoes. If they make you happy, that's what matters."

"They do." Shawn gets up and grabs his coat, tossing you his sweater he wore yesterday. "You might want that."

"I have a sweater?"

"The thin one that you wore yesterday? That's hardly a sweater."

"I didn't plan on being trapped in a snowglobe after leaving Brazil, a very non sweater climate. So sorry I didn't pack for a blizzard."

Shawn narrows his eyes and you narrow yours back. "I'm not going to take a human popsicle to dinner."

"Oh whatever." You snatch his sweater off the bed laughing as you pull it on. It's a little big and it smells like cinnamon and his cologne. So basically, Shawn. You used to wonder why he smelled like cinnamon, then you found out one of his primary vitamin supplements has cinnamon in it. It's supposed to help with metabolism or something. All you know is it makes him smell slightly spicy when he gets warm.

The walk to the restaurant is fairly short. It's just two blocks up from the inn. The snow is a pain to walk through and it's easier to walk in the street than it is to try and use the sidewalk. There are absolutely no cars out and about so you're pretty safe. There are a few other people in the restaurant when you step in, grateful to get out of the cold wind. You're glad you wore Shawn's sweater.

"So, if we are stuck here for Christmas, what do you want to do?" Shawn asks as soon as you're seated by the waitress.

"We're going to find a way home."

"I know you're trying but-"

You shake your head. "No, I'm going to find a way home. I missed Penny's baby. I'm not missing Christmas."

Shawn sighs softly. "Alright. We're going to find a way home. I'll get you home one way or another."

"We'll get us both home."

"Right. Enough about that though, we're supposed to be enjoying dinner and not thinking about all that." Shawn says, lifting his menu. "Look, they have a Christmas dinner option. Ham, potatoes and all the fixings. Sounds good."

You nod and try to focus on the menu. It's hard. You can't help but feel nervous as the day comes to a close. One day until Christmas. At least you're not alone.

_____________________

Just after two in the morning you wake up to a severe weather alert on your phone. The signal must have connected enough for you to get one. Shawn's phone goes off too, loudly buzzing on his dresser.

"What's going on?" Shawn asks sleepily, arm falling to your waist as you sit up.

"It's a severe weather alert." You read the message on your phone. "Blizzard warning. High winds may cause power outages across the state. Below freezing temperatures are in effect, be advised if going outdoors."

"Shit." Shawn mumbles.

"Shit is right. We're not leaving this place."

He pushes you back down and you curl up facing the windows away from him. "We'll be alright."

"This sucks."

"Mmm. I promise I'll make it up to you. It's my fault we're out here because I didn't want to leave Brazil until the last minute. I ruined Christmas." He sighs.

"Shawn, stop. You didn't ruin anything."

He cuddles you against him and presses his nose into your hair. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything."

"I still feel guilty."

You grab his hand and he threads his fingers between yours. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, but I'm not very awake."

"Do you think we were meant to be here, together for Christmas?"

"Hmm?"

"Like...never mind."

Shawn yawns and doesn't press the subject. He relaxes into you, his weight comfortable against your back. You close your eyes, really enjoying this moment despite the impending knowledge of being stuck here for the holiday. You and Shawn fit together perfectly, maybe a little too perfectly.

_____________________

Shawn is gone again when you wake up in the morning. It's after eight and you know you should get up and go get breakfast, but you aren't hungry. It's Christmas Eve. You don't want to get up.

The bedroom door opens and Shawn walks in, bundled up and carrying a bag full of wrapped gifts. "Good morning."

"Morning. What's that?" You point to the gifts and Shawn grins sheepishly.

"Presents."

"For?"

"You?"

You raise your eyebrows. "Why do you have presents for me?"

Shawn sets the bag down by the tree and unwraps his scarf from around his face. "Everyone deserves gifts on Christmas day. And since we're going to be stuck here, I figured we should make our own Christmas."

"You're not sad you can't get home?"

"I was, but I talked to my dad this morning. He said that Christmas is what you make it, whether that be with family, friends or your pets. He said that they will miss me, but he doesn't want me to fret over it. We can do Christmas whenever I get home." Shawn hangs his coat and kicks off his boots. "I'm lucky, because I have you and I'm not alone."

"I guess you're right. We are together in the same boat."

"Yep. So let's make the best of it."

"I suppose I should get up and go shop for you now huh?"

"You could. But let's have some breakfast first." Shawn holds his hand out for you. "Come on, there is cinnamon roll pancakes with your name on them."

"There is?"

"Mmm. I talked to the kitchen staff this morning. They said they would make them special since we're some of the few guests left at the inn." Shawn bites his lip. "I know they're your favorite."

"You're sweet." You curl your fingers around his hand and he lifts you up out of bed. "Too sweet."

Shawn hugs you tight. "You deserve it."

_____________________

Breakfast is amazing. The kitchen crew out did themselves with the cinnamon pancakes with sweet icing for you. Shawn ordered just eggs and bacon but they're also super good. Even the coffee is better than before.

Shawn reaches out and swipes some icing off your lip with his thumb. "Do you like me?"

"What? Of course." Your heart sinks, stomach churning. You know he doesn’t mean in a general way. "Why?"

"I mean, as more than your friend or job...whatever. I've just been thinking. The last few days have been some of the best I've had and-" He looks away, flushed. "And you and I have been kind of flirting a lot? Unless I've been reading this completely wrong."

"You like me?"

"Of course I like you." He looks back and fidgets with his fork. "You and I have had a vibe since you joined the team. I think I've been too nervous to admit it before now. I was too scared to shoot my shot."

You grab Shawn's hand and make him stop tapping his fork on the table. "Calm down. I like you a lot. A whole lot."

"Yeah?" He grins, chewing on his lip.

"Yes."

"Good, because I don't want to stop sharing a bed with you any time soon. You’ve spoiled me the last few days. I don't think I've slept this well since before the tour started." He chuckles to himself. "Remember when I promised you on the plane that as soon as we landed I'd find you a date?"

You giggle and he lines his hand up with yours on the table, palms together, his fingers curling over the top of yours slightly. "Yes?"

"Do you want to go out with me tonight?"

"But there is a blizzard warning."

Shawn looks around the dining room. "We can stay here, I can get hot cocoa and cookies from the kitchen. We can watch a movie or something." His fingers slot between yours and you squeeze his hand. "We can stay up until midnight like kids on Christmas."

"Alright." You smile softly and he looks back just as soft. "Let's do it."

_____________________

At midnight you and Shawn exchange gifts, not all of them, just one each. You had gone out and shopped at a small store in town that had all sorts of things for the holidays. You picked out a few things for Shawn, just little memorable trinkets. One is a keychain so you never forget this holiday and it says first Christmas, Iowa. It's cheesy but you don't care. The next gift you grabbed was a paracord bracelet the store had by the registers. It's black with a red stripe down the middle. You couldn't pass it up. Shawn loves his accessories and especially if they mean something or are a gift.

Shawn hands you a small box wrapped in brown paper first. "Merry Christmas."

You turn it over and give him a look. "What is this?"

"Open it and see."

You tear off the brown paper and open up the box. Inside is a little sparkly rose charm on a gold chain. "This is so cute." You lift it out and it is so ornate and delicate. "Where did you get this?"

"It's a secret." He smirks.

"Mmhmm. You did not buy this here.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“Oh yeah? I have access to your bank account remember? I swore I wouldn’t use it for ill intent but...and you told me you’d never lie to me when we first met.”

“Fine, I did promise you that. I got it before we left Brazil. I was going to give it to you at the airport.”

“Thank you.” You curl your hand around it and smile. “Your turn." You hand him a tiny bag with the bracelet in it.

Shawn opens it and slips it on. "I love it."

"I thought you might. I didn’t get you something cool in Brazil....and I know it's not much but-"

Shawn leans forward and kisses you, hand resting against your neck. Your eyes go wide and he pulls back.

"W-what was that about?"

"Look up."

You tilt your head back and see there is mistletoe hanging over the area in front of the fireplace where you're sat with Shawn. It was definitely not there earlier. "When did that happen?"

"I told you I'd get you back." He smirks and it dawns on you. The other day in the living room, the mistletoe.  

"You put that there." You laugh and he cups your cheek. "You...you put that there?"

"I did." He leans in and you take a deep breath. "And I did it because I needed some Christmas magic to give me the courage to do this." He presses his lips to yours once more and you slide your hand into his hair.

"Merry Christmas Shawn."

"Merry Christmas."

End

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Thank you for reading! Please reblog if you enjoyed this and reblog to support and encourage myself and fellow writers. - A

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