#he did teach sam all he knows about gardening | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

autistook · 6 months ago

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DAISIES - pt 15

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 6.9k

Summary: Merry continues his journey, while your journey with Rath is about to escalate. He tells you the truth about why he saved you.

Possible TW's: violence, death, blood, near-drowning

AN: The appearence of the fic dialogue-wise keeps changing when I put it on tumblr so if it changes throughout, my apologies. Comments and reblogs are more than appreciated :3

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

---

Merry yawned softly. The stars were almost completely hidden by the veil of clouds and the moon was barely visible. Merry turned on his side and shut his eyes for a few more minutes, desperate for some proper rest.

Despite Merry’s attempts he could not fall asleep, so he got up, rubbed his eyes gently with his fists and looked around to see if anyone but Aragorn was awake.

Pippin was sleeping peacefully next to him, Legolas and Gandalf were nowhere in sight, Boromir was fast asleep and Gimli was snoring so loudly that Merry was surprised no one had woken up because of it yet. Aragorn was sitting on a large rock smoking his pipe and Bill the Pony was eating grass next to a sound asleep Sam, who Merry was surprised to see was not with Frodo. Merry noticed all of Frodo’s things abandoned on the ground next to Sam. He decided it was best to find out his friend’s whereabouts.

He did not have to look far. Frodo was sitting on the cool ground staring at the night sky, his spirit gloomy.

“Why are you awake?” Merry asked, startling Frodo.

“Merry! I thought everyone would be asleep by now,” cried Frodo.

“No. I can't seem to sleep,” said Merry, sitting down next to Frodo. It was deeply dark all around them and the only sound they could hear was Gimli's snoring. “Do you know where Gandalf and Legolas have gone? I did not see them anywhere.”

“I do not know,” Frodo responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Truth be told, I did not know they were gone. I thought at least Gandalf would be sound asleep. Legolas maybe too.”

“Huh. Do elves even sleep?” Merry wondered out loud. Frodo chuckled softly.

The two sat in silence for a while. Small gusts of December wind made them shiver every now and then, but otherwise the night was not too cold. The stars had now completely veiled and Gimli had stopped snoring. It was dead quiet.

“I can't help but feel guilty,” said Frodo suddenly. Merry stared at him with pity.

“We are here because we want to,” said Merry, but Frodo shook his head dismissively.

“I'm talking about leaving my sister behind,” Frodo corrected and Merry's heart broke a little. “She means the world to me and I left her. I miss her terribly. I don't suppose I'll ever see her again.”

“Frodo…”

“I do wish she was here,” Frodo continued with a sigh. “Not among the horrible dangers we are surrounded with of course, but just with us.”

Merry stayed quiet. Of course he felt that way too, but so far Frodo had not talked about his feelings or concerns about you during the journey, so he wanted to give him more space to talk about you. After Frodo said nothing for a long time, Merry dared to speak.

“I know what you mean. She would have loved Rivendell,” said Merry and a wide smile appeared on Frodo's face.

“She really would have. I tried teaching her Elvish several times, but she never quite got the hang of it. She was very fond of the Elves, though. I caught her and Sam chatting about them several times while he was gardening.”

Merry smiled. He felt slightly better when he was thinking about you back before all of the chaos had fallen on all of you.

“Imagine how much she would have loved all of those fresh fruits they provided to us!” Merry said, chuckling softly.

“She wouldn't have left any for us,” joked Frodo and both of them laughed whole-heartedly.

“Mister Frodo, what are you doing up?” said Sam, who had made his way to the two Hobbits without them noticing.

“Nothing to worry about, Sam,” Frodo responded. “You should go back to sleep. I have Merry here with me.”

“But Mister Frodo…”

“It's alright, Sam,” Frodo said and smiled warmly. “You need to rest.”

Sam blushed and nodded. Feeling a little defeated he walked back to his spot and crawled under the covers, but still stayed awake for a while, keeping an eye on Frodo.

Merry and Frodo talked for an hour more, before both of them finally felt tired enough to go and get some sleep; but also because Gimli, not so politely, told them to be quiet.

They did not get to sleep for long, as the sun slowly rose behind the thick mist, shining light in their eyes. The first rays of morning sun looked almost ethereal, pieces of it sneaking through the clouds.

“Gentlemen, it is time to continue with our journey,” announced Aragorn. Pippin groaned and pulled his blanket over his head. Merry walked to Pippin and pulled his blanket off, making him grunt again, his expression very displeased.

“Get up,” said Merry while softly kicking Pippin's side.

“Do I have to?” cried Pippin, covering his eyes with his arms.

“Come on,” said Frodo, a hint of amusement in his voice and he lifted Pippin up with Merry.

There were nothing but large, threatening yet beautiful mountains to their left, and in all other directions all was plain and dead. Merry's feet felt tired. It had been a long and cold walk. The wind was blowing through the snowy tips of the Misty Mountains and all four Hobbits were trembling. The sun was not high enough yet to provide enough warmth. Legolas on the other hand walked gleefully around, keeping watch on their surroundings and wandering off to admire the sky and sun every now and then.

When they finally stopped for a small break, Merry lowered himself down on the ground on his back. His exhaustion was getting the best of him and even though he was ravenous, the cool ground and getting some rest felt more inviting than any piece of bread or drop of water.

Merry closed his eyes for a bit, putting his arms over his eyes to protect them from the bright sunlight.

“You should eat, Merry,” noted Boromir and Merry quietly waved it off.

After some time of shivering on the ground Merry decided to get up and have a bite. He sat up and noticed that everyone in the group was focused on listening to Aragorn’s stories except Frodo, who was sitting a short distance from them, holding something in his hands. Merry began walking up to Frodo and to his amazement, he noticed that there was a small flower in his friend's hands. Frodo noticed Merry approaching and smiled faintly.

“I found it just a moment ago,” he said to Merry. “It had pushed through the gravel.”

It would have been a signal of hope, had it not been wilted. It was a dead daisy, its appearance piercing through Merry's heart; to him it felt like a bad omen. His heart was telling him that you were not safe. Frodo handed over the flower to Merry, who looked at it with concern, his whole body tensing up.

“Frodo?” said Merry quietly.

“Yes, Merry?” responded Frodo, slightly concerned by Merry’s tense exterior.

“I can’t help but feel uneasy. I feel like something is wrong,” Merry said anxiously.

“What do you mean?” Frodo asked.

“Do you think she has left the Shire?” Merry said, twirling the dead daisy by its stem. He tended to fidget with anything he could hold in his hands when he was missing you. Merry sighed, his breath shaky. He continued: “That she decided to go after us?”

Frodo’s heart sank for a moment, but then he gave Merry a gentle smile, softly squeezing his shoulder.

“She wouldn’t,” he responded, knowing deep down that he was lying to both himself and Merry.

“Do we know for sure?” said Merry, his eyes full of sadness and increasing fear. Frodo looked at him and then at the flower. In his heart he knew it was very much possible that you were in danger, hurt or worse; and both of them knew you were more than likely to have followed them.

Throughout the day Frodo's anxiety grew, which Gandalf took note of rather quickly.

“What's on your mind, Frodo?” Gandalf asked as the night fell on them. Frodo was wide awake, while everyone else was sound asleep around them; except Boromir, who was on watch that night.

“My sister, Gandalf. I worry she might have left the Shire,” Frodo responded. Gandalf tilted his head, looking at him with a curious expression.

“What makes you think this way?” Gandalf asked.

“It's a feeling. A sense of dread and almost a suffocating worry.”

“My dear Frodo,” said Gandalf in a comforting tone. “You need not to worry about what you can't control. Even if your sister has left the Shire, I am sure she is safe and sound.”

“She has absolutely no sense of direction, Gandalf,” Frodo said, covering his face with his palm. Gandalf tried to hide his amusement at the thought of you wandering around the Shire and near its borders cluelessly. “She probably has left the Shire and walked straight into the hands of orcs.”

“That is very unlikely, Frodo,” said Gandalf. “You need to stop letting your mind spiral and focus on what is in your hands; what you can control.”

Frodo sighed. He knew Gandalf was right. He had no way of knowing if you were alright or not. He couldn't possibly know if you had even stepped outside of your room for months.

“You're right, Gandalf. All of my thoughts just feel… heavy.”

Gandalf gave Frodo a warm smile, but his eyes were troubled.

“You are carrying a heavy burden, Frodo,” said Gandalf, looking at Frodo's chest around the area where the Ring was resting. “Do not take on more burden and worry than you already are carrying.”

Frodo gave him a faint nod. Gandalf reached for the wooden and curiously carved pipe on his belt. He offered Frodo some Old Toby as well, but after he refused, Gandalf settled on smoking the pipe-weed alone as Frodo sat next to him, his heart still heavy.

Merry had Pippin around his arm. They lockstepped forward cheerfully as the rest of the Fellowship were almost left behind. The temperature finally felt more comfortable than it had for weeks and that gave the young halflings a boost of energy that was quite irritating for almost everyone else around them. The two did not mind being a possible disturbance and they kept singing songs whilst hopping forward cheerfully, and they laughed so loudly it echoed all around them. Boromir looked at Merry and Pippin and he smiled wide, his teeth showing. Boromir had gotten to know both of them quite well and every passing moment he grew more fond of them. He slowly adapted an almost big brother-like role in the lives of Merry and Pippin, which gave them both a sense of stability and security.

“How are you feeling?” Boromir asked Merry as they sat down for a little bit of rest along with everyone else. Merry was in the middle of biting into his apple, the juice of the fruit now lingering on his lips as he stared at Boromir, surprised by his question.

“I’m alright,” he responded. As he looked at the sturdy warrior beside him, he noticed some darkness in his eyes. “How are you feeling?”

Boromir looked down at his hands. He was softly brushing his thumb on the horn that was hanging near his waist. His mind was elsewhere; the Ring was tempting him and he needed a distraction.

“Truth be told, I have been worried about you, Merry,” said Boromir, his gaze soft and eyes locked on Merry. Merry turned his face away. He knew what Boromir was about to ask and his heart began to hurt. He had gone most of the day finally thinking about something other than his worry for you and he craved more time to distract himself from reality.

“I am alright,” Merry said, eyes on the ground and avoiding Boromir’s gaze. Boromir shook his head.

“I can tell that you are not. I have seen how absent your mind is when Pippin is not around to take your thoughts elsewhere.”

It was true. Pippin noticed the changes in Merry’s mood quicker than anyone else and he was always by his side in an instant. Whether it was through food, song or joking around, Peregrin made sure that Merry’s heart would feel just a little bit lighter. He was a source of light for Merry as he so desperately needed it.

Merry stood up and left Boromir sitting alone. He made his way next to Pippin and the two immediately started joking around. Merry laughed at Pippin’s banter but the laugh did not come from his heart. Boromir and Merry exchanged meaningful looks once more until Merry got back to his distractions.

“What day is it, Gandalf?” asked Pippin, walking fast beside the Wizard, trying his best to keep up as he was so little.

“What does it matter, Peregrin Took?” asked Gandalf, irritated by the fifth question in a row that the young Took had presented. “Why must you be so inquisitive today? Can you go do something useful for once, instead of giving me a hard time?”

Pippin apologized, his frame sinking as he walked back to Merry.

“I told you,” said Merry. “You shouldn’t bother him too much, Pip. He gets annoyed easily.”

“Meriadoc is right, Peregrin,” Gandalf commented. Merry and Pippin slowed down as they had not realized he was still in the hearing distance. As he walked further away, he continued: “I do get annoyed when young Hobbits bother me and ask me stupid questions.”

“What is he, an owl? How did he hear that?” asked Merry.

“No, Master Meriadoc, I am not an owl,” Gandalf said loudly from a distance and Merry gulped. It made him wonder how well the Wizard could actually hear and how many of their conversations he had been eavesdropping on. Merry stopped Pippin by his arm so they could have their private conversations without Gandalf listening to them.

“I think he needs more pipe-weed to calm his nerves,” Pippin whispered and Merry snickered.

“I think so too,” said Merry and reached into his satchel. He pulled out the last remaining pipe-weed he had, walked a little forward towards Gandalf and Pippin smacked his hand.

“Merry!” Pippin whispered in shock. “You can’t actually go give Gandalf your last leaf! You promised me some!”

Merry chuckled and pulled out his own pipe.

“Pip, I was only joking. I am desperately craving pipe-weed and I am going to smoke the last of it as we walk. You can join me or not.”

Pippin smiled and bounced on his feet. He took his own wooden pipe from his belt where it was hanging from and smiled widely. The two were beginning to be left behind when Aragorn noticed them standing far away, where they were lighting up their last remaining pipe-weed.

“Merry! Pippin!” Aragorn shouted, his voice gentle but commanding. His shout sounded like one of a frustrated parental figure and it made Merry cough uncontrollably. Pippin smacked his back and after a moment of collecting himself, Merry took a sip of water and the two got back to the group. As the smoke and smell of the pipe-weed surrounded them all, Gandalf rolled his eyes.

“Hobbits,” he muttered to himself and lit up his own pipe.

—

Your breath was shaky as you stopped in your tracks.

“Rath,” you panted and he walked back to you.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his hand on your shoulder and the wound on his palm bleeding on your cloak.

“My ankle hurts again,” you said, tears in your eyes. The pain was almost insufferable. You did not want to bother your friend, so you had kept the pain to yourself for several hours. As the aching got worse by the minute, you no longer could take it. It felt like arrows had been shot toward you and all of them landed on your twisted ankle. There was still a day of travel ahead and at first you were determined to make it there on your own; you couldn’t handle the idea of Rath having to carry you all the way to Isengard.

Just a few moments earlier an orc had ambushed you both and Rath got wounded; not in a way that was worse than any of his previous damages throughout his life, but his palm was cut deeply. Rath did not seem to mind it but seeing it made you feel slightly sick.

“Did something happen when we got ambushed?” he asked.

“No,” you said, shaking your head and a tear falling from your eye as the level of the pain began rising. “It’s been hurting for a while now.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he cried and sat down on the ground on his knees. He began examining your ankle. It was swollen and bruised; much worse than it was the previous day. “You should have let it heal longer. You should have told me. You know I can carry you.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be a burden.”

Rath smiled. He found your insecurity and apologetic nature heartwarming. They were some of the traits he saw in you that reminded him of his little sister. Many of your traits in fact you shared with his sister. One that stood out to him the most was the child-like enthusiasm and curiosity you had begun to show him after traveling together for a rather long time.

“You are quite amusing, Baggins. You are no burden. I am happy to carry you.”

He guided you to sit down on the ground and elevate your leg on a nearby rock. He wrapped a cloth around it tightly, supporting the ankle as much as he could. He had some herbs with him that would ease the pain once mixed with some hot water, so he started a fire and made you a mixture that would soon lessen your agony.

“Are we far?” you asked.

“Far from what?” Rath asked, now dipping a cloth in the herb mixture, soaking it hot. He began pressing it softly on the swollen parts of your ankle. You hissed and bit your lower lip to hold back your reaction to the stinging sensation.

“Isengard.”

Rath moved the cloth around the ankle, pressing ever so slightly on one spot for a few seconds before moving to another.

“No, we are not far. Like I said, a day or two. If you allow me to carry you, I believe we will make it there by morning, if we are lucky.”

You felt some hope rise to the surface. Help was near and with luck you would soon find Merry, your brother and your friends.

“Are we going to rest before that?” you asked, already tired even though it was barely noon.

“If you need to. We can go as far as you feel like you can and then we can rest. I still have some mushrooms for you to eat later, if you are interested.”

Your eyes lit up from excitement and Rath looked at you, his head tilted and adoration in his eyes. He found the way that hobbits became fiends at the mention of mushrooms alluring and he loved teasing you with it ever since he learned about it.

“Any chance I could have some now?” you inquired, eyes full of hope. Rath laughed loudly.

“No, not yet,” he responded and you frowned. You did not realize the pain on your ankle was mostly gone. “I think you have to wait just a little bit longer, little one.”

“Why?” you cried in an almost child-like manner. He smiled and shook his head. You noticed the warm expression on his face and you tilted your head curiously. “What?”

“It’s just that sometimes you really remind me of my little sister.”

“I do? How come?”

Rath kept pressing the cloth on your ankle. The small fire he had lit up began dying down as you waited for his response eagerly.

“It’s just the way you talk and behave sometimes.”

“Behave?” you asked, narrowing your gaze.

“You can be quite childish,” he smirked and you gave him a playful push on his shoulder.

“Shut up,” you said with a chuckle. Your eyes widened as you realized the pain in your ankle was gone and Rath had begun to press the cloth on the wound on his own hand instead. You reached for the cloth and took it from him gently. He looked at you, puzzled and tried to take it back.

You held his hand still with your free hand. Softly you began to tap the damp cloth on the wound. Rath did not move his eyes off you for the whole time you took care of him. His bleeding slowly stopped after it had lasted for over half an hour and Rath began to stitch it himself with a needle and thread he had in his bag. You were always surprised by the amount of convenient equipment he carried with him.

“Thank you for that,” he said. To you he seemed almost embarrassed by showing vulnerability, but you did not see the guilt in his heart that he was hiding. When he finished patching himself up, he stood up and offered you his hand. “It’s time to go.”

Your laughter was so loud Rath had to put his hand over your mouth to quiet you down. The stories you both were sharing were ones of hilarious nature, so it was hard to keep it down and you forgot to be wary of the dangers around you.

“Sorry!” you whispered as he took his hand off your lips, your voice still cracking from amusement. Rath looked around the both of you and after he declared it was safe, he cracked up as well. Both of you giggled quietly, trying to not erupt into a laughter that would wake up every living thing around you.

“Do you want the mushrooms now?” Rath asked and you noticed he was holding a large pile of mushrooms in his hands. Their color was almost golden in the light of the campfire and your mouth began watering at the sight of them.

With a swift scoop you took all of the mushrooms to yourself and started shoving them in your mouth so quickly that one might have thought you had not eaten in days. Rath chuckled and shook his head. “Are they that good?”

“You have no idea,” you responded and took another handful of mushrooms from his grasp. You ate them so quickly you barely had any time to savor the earthy flavors.

“I am glad you enjoy them,” Rath said and rested his arms on his knees, staring into the fire across from him. The sight reminded you of the first night you met him. He had the same look in his eyes, but behind them was now more compassion than before. The aura around him was tense.

“What are you thinking about?” you asked him and he turned to look at you.

“My sister,” he responded and handed over the last mushrooms he had with him. You scooped them up and ate them immediately.

“What about your sister?”

“Just how much I miss her.”

“When are you going to see her?”

“Hopefully soon. I just need to… get you help first.”

You took a deep breath. You could not help but feel a little responsible for his sadness. You were the one to keep him occupied for so long. There was a part in you that wanted to send him back to his home so you could find your own way to the White Wizard and he would get to hug his family again; but you needed him. You needed someone to help you.

“Do you want to go home?” you asked and he furrowed his brows.

“Of course I do. But I need to finish this first.”

You shuffled right beside him and put your head on his shoulder, gently resting it there. You could feel him take a deep breath.

“I really do appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Rath.”

He took another deep breath and laid his head on top of yours. He said nothing, but you could feel the warmth and affection radiating from him. You had started to see him as family and he had become one of the closest friends you had ever had.

Your eyes fluttered open slowly. It was still dark, the campfire was still warm and your head was still resting on Rath’s shoulder. You had fallen asleep and were not sure how long you had been unconscious.

“I think I fell asleep,” you said, your voice raspy and faint.

“It seems that way,” Rath responded and chuckled. He was no longer resting against you, but he did not seem to be disturbed by your closeness and the way you used him as a pillow.

“Did I sleep for long?”

“Maybe an hour or so,” he answered and threw a piece of wood to the bright, golden flames. “The sun will come up in a few hours, if you need to sleep some more. We are not far.”

“I don’t need to,” you responded, even though your body was screaming for more rest.

“Whatever you say.”

You walked to the other side of the fire and dug into your bag. You were low on water, but your thirst had increased and you needed to hydrate. You chugged down the rest of your water in one go and put the bottle back in the bag. In slow steps you sat back down on the ground, resting against Rath some more.

“Why have you been so nice to me?” you asked. You had wondered about it for quite some time now. He had taken care of you for so long, but still you were not entirely sure whether you knew the whole truth. You did not understand why he had helped a worn out halfling he found passed out on the ground. “Why have you helped me all the way here?”

Rath did not answer right away. Instead he just stared into the fire and stayed so still he looked like a statue to you.

“You were in need of help,” he finally responded. “You were on the brink of death. I did not want that to happen.”

Your heart fluttered from affection. His words impacted you deeply and the sisterly love for him inside you grew every passing moment.

“You have saved me from the brink of death. There was no need for you to help me this far.”

“I wanted to help you. Partly for my own selfish reasons.”

You tilted your head and looked at him, almost thirsty to know more.

“Selfish reasons?” you repeated. He did not answer. “Rath?”

He leaned a little away from you and finally turned his gaze away from the fire, locking his eyes with you.

“Selfish reasons.”

“I heard you, Rath. I’m just curious: what were the reasons?”

Rath looked away again. His gaze drifted into the darkness across your campsite, into the depths of the forest and seemingly into another dimension. You could see his warm presence slowly fade away.

“I saw you laying there. I saw a helpless, little halfling. I needed to make sure you were alive. I had to nurse you back to health. And… It took longer than I expected. Then you started reminding me of my little sister.”

“I have to say you lost me. None of that is selfish, is it?”

“Just listen to me,” he snapped and your heart skipped a beat. This was the first time he had been so quick-tempered with you. He continued: “You started reminding me of my little sister every passing day and it made everything harder. I took different routes than I intended, just because you made me feel like I was at home with her.”

You smiled at him fondly. His reasons seemed perfectly valid to you; of course he missed her and if that made him want to be around you more, that was alright with you. Though, one thing he said bothered you.

“What do you mean it made everything harder?”

Rath swallowed and went completely silent. You could barely hear his breathing. The fire was dancing around gently and you could hear the crackling of the sparks. Rath’s exterior grew tense.

“There were rumors.”

“Rumors?”

Rath looked at you again. There was a deep, almost threatening blackness in his eyes as he looked at you. It made your breath hitch for a moment. You had never seen him look so dark.

“Rumors about something of great value being carried around. Something of immense power.”

“And you thought I could help with it?” you deducted, listening to him patiently and waiting for a more clear explanation. Rath seemed to be dragging it on and on, not entirely certain how to continue.

“They did not clarify what it was. Just that there was a prize for whoever brought it to Saruman.”

“Saruman?” you whispered, confused.

“The White Wizard.”

“Is that the reason we are going to Isengard? Did you find the item and not tell me?”

Rath did not respond. He looked at the grass beneath you and his face was blank.

“They said it was being carried by someone,” Rath continued, his voice almost cold now. “By a halfling.”

A wave of anxiety rushed through you and filled your heart. Your stomach twisted slightly at his words; words that you did not yet understand.

“What?”

“They said a halfling was carrying a great treasure and the one who brought it to him would redeem a great prize. And the halfling carrying it should be brought in alive and unharmed. And there were more rumors…”

“Rumors?” you asked again, your heart beating slightly faster. It felt like something heavy was pressing on your heart and shivers crept up your spine. Something was wrong.

“Rumors about the halfling. That the halfling carried the name ‘Baggins.’”

You moved away from him quickly. Not far, but you were no longer resting against him.

“What are you talking about?”

“This is not easy for me. I did not think I would grow so fond of you. I care about you.”

You stood up and took a step back from him. He looked at you with tears in his eyes, but his face was now cold and he was squeezing his fist roughly.

“Rath?” you said shakily. Your heart felt like it was going to jump out of your throat and your legs started to feel weak. It felt like your body was about to collapse.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way. The prize is too great. I need it. My family needs it. If you just give me the brooch, I can probably let you go,” he said, standing up and taking a step toward you. You took a few small steps back. His aura was now slightly threatening and your blood was going cold.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just give it to me!” he said, his voice now loud and commanding. He took two quick steps toward you and tried to reach for the daisy brooch on your chest. Your breath hitched and you backed away from him again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was a gift. It’s not–”

“Give me the damn thing!” Rath said, raising his voice. You felt tears rise to your eyes.

“No!” you cried and covered the brooch with your left hand. “It’s just a brooch! Please, stop this. You’re scaring me!”

Rath took several aggressive steps towards you and grabbed your hand. You squeezed the brooch tightly and he began trying to wrestle it off of you. Of course it was just a brooch, but Rath did not know it.

“Fucking give it to me!” he shouted, his eyes burning with rage. Your heart was beating so fast you could no longer hear properly. Dread took you over and you managed to squirm yourself off his grasp, falling on your side on the ground. You looked up at him, terrified, as you stumbled on your feet while getting back up. He was filled with rage. “I have to do this. I don’t want to have to hurt you!”

“No,” you responded with a shaky voice. You took one glance at your backpack, but it was out of your reach. You looked to your right but there was nothing you could use to defend yourself. Your head was spinning. Rath was betraying you. Rath’s gaze narrowed.

“You give me no choice,” he said, his voice dark and shaky. He started walking towards you with large, rage-filled steps. Your heart jumped and before you even realized it, you were running away with no sense of direction. It was still dark and you could not see ahead. Your only choices were to surrender to your friend who had betrayed your trust or to run for your life. You ran head first into the deep woods and did not look back. You could hear Rath’s heavy footsteps behind you as you ran and the wind howled in your ears.

—

“One more time!” Merry said, clapping his hands together once.

“Alright, alright!” Pippin responded and picked up another acorn off the ground. He lifted it to the same level as his eyes and stuck his tongue out as he focused on his aim. With a gentle movement he threw the acorn towards Merry. Merry lifted his arm up quickly and caught the acorn mid-air.

“Yes!” shouted Merry and Pippin at the same time. Frodo and Boromir clapped at them enthusiastically, supporting their accomplishment. They had been throwing acorns for a while to pass the time and Merry and Pippin had managed to catch ten in a row. It was a silly way to pass the time, but Gandalf was busy thinking and they had to do something before moving forward.

“Can I try again? I believe I can beat your record,” Boromir said and smirked at Merry.

“Go ahead. Though, I doubt it!”

Boromir chuckled and switched places with Pippin. He sat on the ground, his legs crossed and he picked up several acorns, throwing them at Merry all at once. A few hit him in the face, while the rest of them flew past him or dropped in his lap.

“Oh, my bad!” Boromir grinned.

“What was that about?” Merry cried, rubbing his stinging face.

“I just wanted to prove that you are no champion. I managed to catch five of them at once, after all.”

“You have bigger hands!” Merry responded and Boromir laughed loudly. “Besides, I was supposed to throw acorns for you to catch to prove you wrong.”

“Alright, alright!” Boromir said, his hands up in surrender. “I just wanted to mess with you, Merry. Do your best.”

Merry took a few acorns and put them on his left palm. He took one at a time, and by the eight one that Boromir had caught in a row, he found himself to be a sore loser; he threw all the acorns at once, hitting his big brother-figure in the face.

“Merry!” shouted Aragorn, who was now standing there beside them. He had not seen the playful banter before. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I was just-”

“Merry has been bullying Boromir a lot,” said Pippin. Merry’s jaw dropped at Pippin's good-natured betrayal.

“Pippin!” Merry cried.

“He has been absolutely awful,” grinned Pippin. Aragorn shook his head in disapproval.

“Stop messing with him and behave,” Aragorn said and smiled at Boromir knowingly. The three tended to tease Merry around a lot and these early hours of a new day were no different. Aragorn straightened his coat and gestured towards Gandalf. “He has made up his mind. We must proceed.”

Merry, Pippin and Boromir got up from the ground simultaneously and left the small piles of acorns behind. As they continued their journey, Boromir smirked and gave Merry a friendly smack on his back.

“You’re all awful,” he muttered.

—

The morning light started to come up and you were panting heavily. The rock you were resting against was cold and your ankle was burning with pain. You had not heard any movement around you for fifteen minutes and you were wishing Rath was now far behind.

You peeked from behind the mossy boulder and scanned your surroundings. There was no sign of any other living thing. You got into a more comfortable position, closed your eyes and burst into tears.

The betrayal felt like someone stabbed your heart and nothing had hurt you so badly in a long time. It was not quite as bad as when Merry left you, but it still felt like your world was once again collapsing around you. Your cheeks were burning up and you could taste the salty tears on your dried up lips. You wanted to scream the pain out. A small wail escaped your throat and you put your hand over your lips to suffocate your cries. You did not want to be heard.

“I know you’re here!” shouted Rath from somewhere close by and you immediately got up, limping away from your hiding spot. You were not sure if he heard you and had located you, but you did not feel safe staying still. The grass and gravel under you made soft noises as you went forward, and every now and then your ankle gave out, making you fall with a loud thump.

You scratched your cheek on the gravel as you fell on your stomach. It stung but you knew there was no time to stay and try to make it better. You got up so quickly you almost twisted your ankle again, so you fell on your knees. With a small cry of pain you got up again.

To your right was a cliff. There were many boulders around it and it looked like it would also have several places to take cover and hide, so you started to quietly limp towards it. When you reached the tall cliff, you turned around to see if Rath was anywhere in sight. All the trees were still and the sky was grey. Nothing was moving in the grass.

You turned your back to the forest and started climbing the cliff as fast as you could. Your ankle felt like it was about to crack off your body as you put your weight on it. Every step with it erupted a sharp grunt out of your mouth. Towards the top your hands started to slip as there was some water resting on top of the rocks. You could hear some movement of water in the pressuring silence. As you reached up, you finally felt the steady top of the cliff. In a grunt of pain you lifted yourself up and crashed down on the top, your cheek hitting the cold stone.

You barely had gotten up when your wrists were grabbed tightly and Rath turned you around to face him. With a loud scream of fear you started to fight him off.

“No!” you cried, trying to stay on your feet as the pain grew worse. Rath’s grip was strong and he was bruising your skin with every movement he made.

“I need to do this for my family!” Rath cried, his voice one of pain and guilt. His eyes were still filled with rage and despite being terrified of him, you could see he truly had grown fond of you and felt hurt himself.

“Let me go!” you said, tears falling down your scratched up and burning cheeks. “Please! Don’t do this!”

“My family needs this!” he shouted and pulled you in closer. His breath was hot on your face as he held onto you tightly He was trying to hold your wrists with one hand and the other one was trying to unhook the golden brooch off your cloak.

You felt yourself almost lose your balance and you took a quick glance over your shoulder. You were on the edge of the cliff and behind you, way down was dark water. It seemed endlessly deep. With one swift movement you tried to switch sides with Rath so you could push him down and run away before he got up from the water, but it was no use. He did not move an inch and his grip on you was still strong. The pain of his betrayal and physical assault made more tears fall from your eyes as you stumbled a bit closer to the edge.

“Stop!”

“My sister needs this. Just fucking--”

A loud wail of wind passed your ear and a fleshy sound followed it. An arrow sunk into the left side of Rath’s chest and your wrists were released. He fell on his back, gasping for air and your heart sank from the sight of your friend’s spirit passing away.

The brooch was steady on your chest but your feet slipped on the cold, grey, wet stone and you were no longer touching the ground. There was only air around you as you fell backwards and somewhere away from the cliff were loud noises you could not decipher.

As you plunged into the cold water, you felt paralyzed and the darkness around you began consuming you. You could not move. You sunk down deeper and you could see movement on top of the cliff over the surface, but it was blurry and far. You felt your lungs get heavier and your head felt light. The last remaining air was escaping your lungs and the pressure in your body was growing unbearable. You thought of Merry and how you’d never be able to see him again. You thought of your parents and the way they died; how it was about to happen to you.

There was a loud splash you could barely hear through the ringing of your ears and as a large hand grabbed your cloak, your vision darkened and you saw no more.

NEXT CHAPTER

---

@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23 @mayo-advance @datglutengoblin @mournthewicked @channiesbedbug

#daisies #lotr merry #merry lotr #merry brandybuck #merry and pippin #merry fanfic #merry x reader #merry x oc #meriadoc x reader #meriadoc brandybuck #lotr fic #lotr #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #tolkien #lotr fanfic

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fangirlstorycreator · 10 months ago

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Ck Terry Silver X Reader

Context: First you were enemies....but now he was about to be your lover...😏 Part 2

A few weeks had passed, and neither you, Daniel or Johnny had heard anything about Terry Silver, or any devious plans he had set in place. Unfortunately, Terry wasn't the one you were going to have an issue with next....You, Daniel, Johnny and Chozen were checking out the garden area of Miyagi Do, seeing if there was anything you and them could do to improve the areas some of the students would normally train in. "If you see hear, this wooden board could do with a bit of a polish"

"Yeh right Larusso, it wasn't polished last time I got on that thing, I slipped and fell right into the water" "You didn't have very good balance that day Johnny" "And your teaching wasn't the best either. Remember that stupid thing you said to me when I fell in?" "It wasn't stupid, all I said was, the best form of defence, no be there" "Exactly...stupid" You can't help but chuckle with Chozen as Daniel and Johnny squabble like two children. "Alright that's enough you two, your acting like a pair of kids" "Yeh but-" "No buts Johnny" "Ugghh fine!" Johnny hufs, but that just makes you and the others smile, Johnny wasn't always subtle with his body language.

Chozen taps you on the shoulder while pointing out an area in the back of the garden, he says "You know what I think we could do over there-" "Sam?!" Daniel says in a worried voice as his daughter Samantha runs over to him and the rest of you. She looks panicked, you wonder what could have made her feel so upset and distressed. "Sam? Are you ok? What's happened?" "Dad-dad I'm ok, but it's Tory!" "Tory? What's happened to Tory?" Sam tries to get her breath back a bit, when she speaks again, she says one name. "Sensei Kim" Johnny looks uncomfortable "Sensei Kim? What did that evil b#tch do this time?" Daniel rests his hands on Sam's shoulders to try and ground her, make her feel a little more comfortable. "She hurt Tory, dad" "She what?!" Daniel asks surprisingly. "She was locked in cobra kai with Sensei Kim and Silver...and she wouldn't let her leave until she punched a whole through a training dummy, made of stone!" Everyone including you were completely stunned at this news, this was way to far, who could do that to an innocent young girl? Daniel says "Are you sure?" "Yes dad! Kim pushed her and pushed her until Tory tried to hit Kim in response, only for Kim to move so Tory's hand struck the stone dummy and she broke her hand! Actualy broke it! She's wearing a cast after going to the hospital! And the whole time, Sensei Silver did nothing to stop Sensei Kim or help Tory!"

All of them are shocked, except for you. You are shocked, but more than that, your angry...it was extremely rare for you to get angry, especially with this much rage you were feeling, and Johnny could see it in your face. "Y/N, I know that look...take a breath-" "This...Kim...made a young girl break her own hand, and this old b#stard did nothing to stop this or help Tory....and your telling me to take a breath?!" You could feel a rage that felt like it was burning inside you, them inflicting pain on a poor young girl was it! You manage to say to all of them "I'm not letting her get away with this" You turn to storm away, when Daniel quickly grabs your arm. "Y/N wait! I've seen how strong Sensei Kim is, if your going to take her on your going to need all of us-" "No I won't....trust me Daniel, she's never dealt with someone like me, she is about to have one rude awakening!" You shake your arm out of Daniel's grip and storm off towards the Cobra Kai dojo with a fierce determination. "Uhh, Johnny?" "Yeh?" "Have you seen Y/N like that before?" "Just the once..." "What happened?" "3 men broke into our aunts house, and she had that very same look when they threatened my aunt" "What did she do?" "Well....all 3 men were broken, and by the time the police arrived they were all hog tied with her standing next to them with a look that could kill"

"Holy crap.....how old was she?" "The men were in their 30s......Y/N was 17" Daniel and Chozen go as white as sheets. Johnny scratches his head and starts walking quickly in the same direction from where you went. Chozen shouts to him before he's gone "Johnny, from what you told us she probably won't need help" "I know that! But I want to catch it on camera!" He shouts back with a smile before running after you. A few minutes later, your still storming towards the dojo, and it's now just across the road when you hear Johnny run up against you, that doesn't stop you storming to the dojo though. "Y/N wait up!" "Your not going to stop me Johnny" "I'm not trying to....can I watch?" You knew how much he hated both Kim and Terry, so you just nodded, despite the anger you still felt. You reach the door and kick the door down, storming inside and start searching for Kim, Terry too but Kim was the main target. You can't find either of them in the training rooms, so you storm to the office, and kick that door open too, revealing Terry sat behind his desk, and Kim is standing talking to him. "Well? Who is this woman Terry? And what is she doing-" You dont give her a moment to finish that sentence before you punch her right in the face. She tries to block you, but your far to fast for her, you strike with your fist and knock the wind out of her chest. You strike again with your leg, kicking her against the wall with a tremendous thud.

You grab her by her long plaited pony tail, and pull her up making her cry out in pain. When she tried to strike you once again, one knee to the stomach brings her to her knees, where you grab her arm with your free hand, hold it behind her back and and pin her to the floor, all while Johnny watches with a smile and his phone. Terry on the other hand....was a mixture of feelings, frustration for you barging into his dojo, confusion as to why your targeting Kim....and yet...he was incredibly impressed. "Get off me you crazy!-" "You say a single word to me you evil b#tch, and I'll rip this pony tail straight out of your f#cking head!" Terry can see the pure rage in your eyes, he knew you were clever, cunning and a definite match for him. However, he had yet to see how you physically performed when it came to karate, and he sat there, watching you, feeling more and more intrigued by you.

"So miss L/N?....Do you care to explain what your doing in my dojo? And why you are putting my best fighter to shame?" You meet his gase, pure rage in your eyes, Terry just looks focused on you, with the hint of a smile. "Do YOU care to explain to me, what the f#ck is going through your mind when you think it's acceptable to allow this WITCH to scare an innocent young girl into breaking her hand?! AND YOU DID NOTHING ABOUT IT?!" Johnny is standing in the corner recording the whole thing, looking like he should be eating popcorn.

Kim groaned and said "I can train my students in any-OUCH!" "Don't think I won't rip this out! Shut the f#ck up! I was talking to the old man over there!" Terry chuckles a little, loving your stern bravery. "ANSWER ME SILVER!" Terry looks at Kim, Kim is giving him a pleading look, as if she wants him to help her, but he doesn't, he's far more interested in you. He stands up, walks out from behind his desk and takes a few steps towards you, stopping just a few feet away. "The thoughts going through my mind when that happened?....I was thinking that my number one champion needed to learn how prioritise her future, focus on what's important to the dojo. It's her responsibility to keep her title-" "NO! Your number one champion is a young girl! She is a child! TORY decides what happens with her future, not you! You can't force her to do karate, it's HER choice! And saying it's HER responsibility?! Do you hear how deluded you sound?! It's a Sensei's responsibility to train their students with trust, care and understanding! Not fear, abuse and physical pain! Sensei Kim made her do this, but you are just as responsible for not stopping her! Or letting Tory go!.......You are not worthy of being a Sensei.....your a disgrace.....and so is this thing" You say before throwing Kim to the floor, still staring Terry down.

Kim stands, just about and hobbles over to Terry's desk, bloodied nose and bruised. Terry pays no attention to Kim, which really pisses her off, instead Terry takes a step closer to you, trying to be intimidating, but secretly, he likes being this close to you, but why? Smiling at you, he says "Miss L/N.....you intrigue me.....your strength, your determination.....I like it" You still feel a deep aggression, and you step up to him, still staring him down, not blinking and not caring that he's impressed by you. "You listen to me you psychopathic b#stard.....what you did to Tory was unforgivable.....if you and that psychotic b#tch want an easy and comfortable life....you will know not to f#ck with me. Close down your dojo, let all these children finds dojo that will to help them, not abuse them. Stay away from them, their families. My friends and family, and if I ever hear you are doing anything to try and manipulate or hurt anyone else ever again...trust me, what happens to Kim will happen to you on a MUCH higher pain scale.....you will regret the day you met me, do I make myself clear?" Johnny is stunned into silence, Terry looks deep into your eyes, it would seem that he is now genuinely worried about what you are capable of if he doesn't listen to you. "I said, do I make myself clear?!"

Terry nods. You turn to leave with Johnny, but just as your about to leave the office, Terry says "Your incorrect on one thing though miss L/N...." Your turn, still angry. "Despite what happened....I don't regret meeting you...." You just turn your nose up and him before you leave the dojo with Johnny, all while Kim is absolutely fuming at Terry. "Why didn't you do anything or say anything Silver?! She attacked me and all you seemed to was focus on her! What's wrong with you?!" Terry smirks "Noone has managed to beat you in a fight have they Kim?" "Yes? So?!" ".....She did" "I don't care! What are you going to do?! Are we going to fight back?! Attack her when she's-" "No" "No?" "We aren't going to attack her"

"WHAT?! She's crazy! She said you were unworthy of being a Sensei! We can't just-" "Enough!......She was right.....I am unworthy of being a sensei....I've been blinded by my own greed that I allowed one of my students to come to physical harm" "Tory deserved it Silver, she needed to-" "Get out" "Excuse me?" "I'm firing you, get out" "You can't fire me! Your seriously doing what she said?!" "I needed a wake up call, and she was it. I won't allow anymore of my students to suffer for yours and my issues. Get your things and leave, get out of my dojo!"

"You invited me to your dojo and now your just kicking me out?!"

"I'll pay for your flight back home, just get out!" Kim brushes herself down before storming out of the dojo office, grabs her things and slams the front door behind her, so hard that is breaks off a part of the door. Terry slumps into his office chair, hiding his face in his hands before he ran his hands over his smooth silver hair, holding the back of his neck as he rested his arms in his knees. He had finaly been shown what a psychopathic cruel man he was being, he knew he couldn't change himself, but he didn't want to be hated by you....everyone else he didn't care, but his students.....and you. He couldn't do it anymore, he knew he couldn't win against you. You were cunning, clever, strong, an incredible fighter, strong willed and determined....quite a bit like him. Maybe that's why he admired you so much? Why he found you so compelling? That and the fact that he had only met you twice, and inbetween both occasions, you had constantly stayed on his mind. You entranced him, bewitched him....he thought you were the most stunning woman he had ever met, and the image of you in that dress, has been etched in his memory. He headed your warning, and now he was going to do something about it.

That night when you got back, you just entered Daniel's house and went straight into their little gym, you needed to release some tention. Johnny however was more than happy to fill everyone else in on what happened, and showed the video he took of you taking care of Kim. When you eventually wound down from your anger, you came out after a shower and spoke to all of them around the table at dinner, discussing what happened and what could possibly happen in the future after the events of the day. The next morning, you, Chozen, Daniel and Amanda were all sat to the table having a coffee when Johnny ran into the house looking excited. "Guys! Guess what I've seen?!" Daniel shrugs "I don't know Johnny, but does it really need you shouting so loud?" "F#ck yes! I was walking past Cobra Kai, and I see that it's closed down!" Chozen almost spits out his coffee "Closed down?!" "Yes Chozen! The dojo is closed down!" You and Daniel are confused, so you say "Wait a minute, wait a minute. Are you sure?" Johnny excitedly pulls out his phone and brings up a picture he took when he was there. The dojo is all dark, with a large notice on the border up front door, which read.

"⚠️Cobra Kai is no longer a working dojo, all students families will be emailed with other dojo's in the valley with positions available, we apologise for the inconvenience, any equipment for dojo use is no longer on sight and has been donated to other dojo's in the valley. Sinsearly Terry Silver.⚠️

"Holy crap!" Daniel says happily before he hugs Amanda. You just can't believe it's actualy closed down. "When I took this picture, there was a guy who was outside doing measurements. Turns out he bought the place from Terry last night at a great price, and this guy is turning it into a new Italian restaurant! This is great news! And it's all thanks to you Y/N!" "He really sold it? I.....I'm stunned" Your a little taken back by this, you never thought he would back down that easily. At that moment, Samantha walks out of her room smiling, holding her mobile phone. "Hey dad! Did you hear about Tory and her parents?" "No? What's happened?" "That's Cobra Kai guy, Terry Silver sent £10.000 to their bank account for the injury she sustained in the dojo! £10.000! That's so much money!" Chozen and Johnny look at eachother in astonishment, and Daniel smiles at Samantha from hearing the great news. "That's amazing Sam" Sam runs back to her bedroom, and your the only one still sitting down not saying anything. Chozen sits next to you, resting a hand on your shoulder. "Are you alright Y/N?" "Huh?...yeh I guess. I never thought he'd actualy do what I said so quickly" Johnny's smile slowly slumps away. "Yeh, your right. I could see how nervous he was around you, but it's not like Silver to just give up like that. He has to have some kind of other motive in that old head of his, I mean, what's he to gain from it?"

"Chozen says "Well? If I may say something? Was Silver always like this?" Daniel shrugs his shoulders "Well he was when I was a teenager, but I don't know about before then" Chozen runs his hand through his hair before he says "Considering what you said to him last night Y/N, it may be that you were able to finaly get through to a side of Terry Silver that noone has seen before. I mean, not everyone is born evil, what if there was a Terry before the karate took him over and turned him into the man he is today?" "What are you suggesting?" You ask Chozen. "It's just an idea, but what if he has been living this evil persona for so long, that there was another side of Terry that was buried? I side he had forgotten because he saw it as weak? You seemed to be his achilles heal Y/N. What if you awakened the other side of Terry?" "Are you saying, my threats have brought out a (nice) version of Terry?" "I'm saying that he felt weak when he was around you, that's something he hadn't felt before he got into karate and became the man he is. Maybe.....you broke the evil Terry, and helped the real Terry break out? It's just an idea" Johnny smirks and scoffs "Yeh I still think he wants something, I don't trust that ancient pr#ck" You think about what Chozen and Johnny said over in your mind as everyone else just keeps the conversation going. Was Chozen right? Was there a side of Terry that wasn't this corrupt, money hungry #sshole?

Or is Johnny right? Does he want something? What could he want though? He has all the money he could want, a house on the beach, fame, respect of the community. So what did Terry Silver lack in his life that he would want? And what did it have to do with you? That night, as you and your friends slept soundly in your beds, there was someone in the valley who wasn't sleeping very well....Terry. He tossed and turned in his very large empty bed, sweat on his brow and moans coming from his lips, what was he dreaming about? He suddenly jolted up in his bed with a wide and very awake expression, breathing heavily as he gathered himself. He looked around the room, it was all dark apart from the moonlight in his large glass pane door. He looked down at the quilt that covered him, and he could see what he thought was just part of his dream, but it was definitely a reality. He was completely hard! He had just had a dream that made him feel so turned on, that he had woken up to the hardest boner he had ever had. And only one word escaped his lips in the form of a breathy whisper......"Y/N........."

#sensei targaryen #terry silver #cobra kai #terry silver x reader

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lucky-clover-gazette · 5 months ago

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prince's gambit highlights & annotations

chapter 3

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

The dispatch that Laurent had written the night before galloped off to the east with a horse and a rider.

this is to the guy at the inn, right?

He became aware of Laurent on the periphery of his vision, pale-haired and wearing riding leathers.

blonde man jumpscare

Laurent was apparently arrogant enough to do this without armour. He clearly didn’t think he was going to lose, not if he was inviting the entire troop to watch it happen. He wasn’t thinking clearly at all. Laurent, with his unmarked body and his pampered indoor skin, would be fresh from palace sports where his opponents would have always, politely, let him win. He’s going to be killed, thought Damen, seeing the future in that moment with perfect clarity.

again. “i hope she fries / i’m free if that bitch dies / i’d better help her out” (buffy the vampire slayer, once more with feeling)

Damen’s heartbeat was loud with the shock of his surprise: at the end of the first exchange, Laurent was still alive. At the end of the second also. At the end of the third he was, persistently and remarkably, still alive, and watching his opponent calmly, measuringly.

THE PEOPLE’S PRINCE!!! ✨

Laurent fought like he talked. The danger lay in the way he used his mind: there was not one thing he did that was not planned in advance. Yet he was not predictable, because in this, as with everything he did, there were layers of intent, moments when expected patterns would suddenly dissolve into something else.

glances pointedly at the book 1 garden scene

Laurent turned back Govart’s second surge with an easy grace and a particularly Veretian series of parries that made Damen itch to pick up a sword.

“he’s so competent i need to duel him so bad” this is attraction! to me!

It was not an even match at all. It was a lesson in abject public humiliation. But the one teaching the lesson, the one effortlessly outclassing his opponent, was not Govart. ‘Pick it up,’ said Laurent, the first time Govart lost his weapon.

now that we’re in book 2, we (and damen) finally get to see laurent’s laurentocity projected on an opponent who is not damen. and it’s like, oh, is that how everyone else has seen him the whole time? no wonder they were confused by laurent’s worst and most openly depraved behavior towards damen in book 1. especially since they didn't know that damen killed laurent's brother!

Damen knew the answer to that question. Laurent was not going to kill him. He was going to break him. Here, in front of everyone.

we all need hobbies. that just happens to be one of laurent’s

He looked first to the Prince’s men, instinctively expecting to see his own reaction to the fight mirrored on their faces, but instead they showed gratification coupled with a total lack of surprise. None of them had been concerned that Laurent might lose, he realised.

because he’s that bitch. catch up, damen

Lazar, who had thrown Laurent the cloth, didn’t look as though he was going to be mouthing off about Laurent again. In fact, the new way he was looking at Laurent reminded Damen unmistakably of Torveld. Damen frowned.

someone’s jealous againnnn

His own reaction had him feeling oddly off balance. It was just that it was—unexpected. He had not known this about Laurent, that he was trained like this, capable like this. He wasn’t sure why he felt as though something, fundamentally, had changed.

me when i realize that i have a crush on someone

In other words, the Regent was to be informed that his Captain had been well and truly turned off, in a manner that could not be painted as a revolt against the Regency, or as princely disobedience, or as lazy incompetence. Round one: Laurent.

hey, that’s kinda how my annotations look!

Damen was finishing with the fire when Laurent came into the room, still in riding clothes. He looked relaxed and fair, as though weathering a duel, cutting down his Captain, and following that up with a day-long ride had had no effect on him at all. By now Damen knew him too well to be taken in by it. By any of it. He said, ‘Did you pay that woman to fuck Govart?’ Laurent paused in the act of stripping off his riding gloves and then, deliberately, he continued. He worked the leather from each finger individually. His voice was steady. ‘I paid her to approach him. I didn’t force his cock into her mouth,’ Laurent said.

oh you KNOW laurent was holding back a smile here. also gloves 😮‍💨

‘You broke a man today. Doesn’t that affect you at all? These are lives, not pieces in a chess game with your uncle.’ ‘You’re wrong. We are on my uncle’s board and these men are all his pieces.’ ‘Then each time you move one of them, you can congratulate yourself on how much like him you are.’ It just came out. He was in part still reverberating with the blow of having had his guess confirmed. He certainly didn’t expect the words to have the effect on Laurent that they did. They stopped Laurent in his tracks. Damen didn’t think he’d ever seen Laurent caught completely without words before, and since he couldn’t imagine the circumstance was going to last long, he hurried to press his advantage. ‘If you bind your men to you with deception, how can you ever trust them? You have qualities they will come to admire. Why not let them grow to trust you naturally, and in that way—’ ‘There isn’t time,’ said Laurent. The words pushed themselves with sheer force out of whatever wordless state Laurent had been shocked into. ‘There isn’t time,’ Laurent said again. ‘I have two weeks until we reach the border. Don’t pretend that I can woo these men with hard work and a winning smile in that time. I am not the green colt my uncle pretends. I fought at Marlas and I fought at Sanpelier. I am not here for niceties. I don’t intend to see the men I lead cut down because they will not obey orders, or because they cannot hold a line. I intend to survive, I intend to beat my uncle, and I will fight with every weapon that I have.’ ‘You mean that.’ ‘I mean to win. Did you think I was here altruistically to throw myself on the sword?’

context: damen accidentally hits the Laurent Vulnerability Button by comparing him to his uncle. in a rare moment of exhausted honesty, laurent admits his own helplessness and the dire nature of their situation. he doesn’t have time to do this right—doing it at all is already a daunting challenge. he then restates his determination to succeed, or at least die trying.

the last time something like this happened—“i can’t protect you as i am, trust me”—damen verbally eviscerated laurent and abandoned him in a vulnerable state. i wonder what will happen this time…

also. “i intend to survive. i intend to beat my uncle. i mean to win.” so this is how he’s survived the past 7 years: pure force of will. i love laurent so much.

Damen made himself face the problem, stripping away the impossible, looking only at what, realistically, could be done.

a strength of his! and often a weakness of laurent’s!

looks like damen isn’t going anywhere this time :)

Damen said, ‘I will help you in whatever way I can, but there will be no time for anything but hard work, and you will have to do everything right.’ Laurent lifted his chin and replied with every bit of cool, galling arrogance he had ever shown. ‘Watch me,’ he said.

I FUCKING LOVE LAURENT OF VERE!!!!

#capri #sam reads capri #laurent of vere #damen of akielos #lamen #captive prince #this is a lot more fun now that i'm not constantly having to unpack the ethical ramifications of various atrocities #for now...

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13-the-lucky-unlucky · 8 months ago

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Mission Name: Get Everyone To Chill!

Seventeen was, for the first time ever in his life, bored.

If he was being completely honest, he hasn't been alive all that long. Even so, he's been spending nearly every conscious moment of his life in the art gallery anyways, it's not like he did much else..

Except agent work-

But he liked forgetting about agent work, and preferred his nights go uninterrupted by night terrors.

That still did not change the fact that he had nothing to do.

He had already swept ten times over and done his due diligence replacing the artworks again.

The artist stared up at the ceiling in confusion.

He never got bored, he always had an idea for a painting, or a sculpture, or busy with agent work, or being dragged into some crazy idea Sixteen or Eighteen had.

Or at least spending the day with Nineteen..

But today none of that was happening, none of the other teens had come over, there was no agent work due, and Nineteen had gone shopping..

Not even prime club had something going on.

And there was always something going on with prime club!

(I mean it has Three, Thirteen, Twenty-nine, and Five in it, there's definitely drama almost every day, you can't convince me otherwise.)

The artist was currently watering his now blossoming marigolds, Sixteen was a great gardener, and had lent him some of her plants when he had expressed his love for her garden by painting it. He was grateful for the gift and Nineteen had a field day coming up with names for each and every single one of them.

Seventeen sighed when he planted the last seed, "There. All done! How's your end, Nineteen?"

"Almost halfway there!"

"What? We started hours ago-"

He was cut off by Nineteen mumbling something.

"Huh?"

Turning fully to face the one-off, he was taken aback by her pressing kisses to every seed before sticking it in the ground, but not before whispering something.

"...and you're Junior, and you're Ronald, and you're Mia, and you're Susan, and you're Sam, and you're Iris, and you're Edward-"

"Nineteen?"

She stopped, "Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm planting." She stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know, but what are you doing with the seeds?"

"I'm naming them." Nineteen blinked.

"Naming them? All of them?" Seventeen dropped his tiller, "But that's a lot of seeds.."

"Yeah, it is. And I've still got a lot more to get through. What did you name the others?"

The artist rubbed his head, "I...didn't?"

"What?! Why not?" Nineteen's sunhat fell off her head with how fast she stood.

"...I'm not very good at names?" He shrugged.

"Then I'll name them! You finish my side and I'll go through your side, okay?"

"But Nineteen-"

"Ooh, this is a pretty seed, what should your name be?" She held it out to him, "Got any ideas?"

He blinked at the object a few times, before hopefully offering, "...Seed?"

Nineteen looked like she was ready to cry, "What? No, you can't name it Seed!"

"Why not?" He frowned, "That's what it is."

"You can't name everything after what they are!"

"But..that's what names are for. So you know what something is!" Seventeen pulled out his paintbrush, "If I asked someone to fetch my paintbrush everyone knows what I'm talking about. But if I name it something else and ask the same question, they won't know."

Nineteen sighed, "I never thought I'd have to teach an artist how to be creative."

"What do you mean?"

She chuckled, replanting the seed. She softly took the brush from him, bringing out her pencil, "Names are more than just labels, Seventeen."

"Isn't that the point of a name?" He asked, perplexed.

"No. Sometimes a name gives one thing more meaning than others of that same thing." She pointed to him, "It's more personalized, if I asked someone to go and help me find the artist, they won't know who. But if I asked for help finding Seventeen, they know who."

He fumbled with his words for a bit, "Well.. Then only certain things must be named, but why should-"

"Because you can personalize your plants! It's easier to talk to them with a name."

"I..suppose. But why would I be talking to them?"

"Who knows, but at least you'll have something to call them!"

"...Hm."

"It does make sense now, right?"

Seventeen hummed once more, taking his paintbrush back, "I guess."

Ah, that was a fun day..

He continued humming Ten's song, honestly, he quite liked the soft melody, it was similar to his own, "There you are Goldilocks.. That should be enough for now.."

He carefully watched the water dribble down the stem and seep into the soil below, it pleased him that his compost collection was working perfectly.

He may not be very strong or particularly skilled in something that actually matters, but he was definitely very big on recycling. He'd once had a run in with Rexie, Sixteen's dinosaur, having an issue with his stomach, after finding out the poor dino had consumed an insane amount of trash, he couldn't stand seeing plastic bottles or anything else that had a place anywhere but a recycling bin.

"That, and it just ruins the natural beauty of the planet.." He sighed, "I do hope Numberland can avoid being so cluttered."

It wasn't really anyone's fault, though.

Things randomly showed up on Numberland, it just happened, and it was nice to learn about something new, but the fact that some of it was falling from space was a more than a little concerning.

"I do wonder how a tennis racket got up there, though."

He really should go do something, he's starting to talk to nobody..

The front door opened, the small bell ringing as to get his attention.

His fear spiked, but he swiftly calmed down.

It's not Nineteen, she would've let me know, so it's someone else.

Interested that somebody had ventured their way to the art gallery, he finished watering the last of the plants and hurried to the shed.

"Hello? Who is it?" He placed the watering can back on the shelf and walked into the main gallery.

His immediately relief when he caught a glimpse of apricot and a purple hat.

"Oh, Twenty! How are you?"

Twenty didn't respond at first, he was admiring...something in the corner.

"Ah, Seventeen! Here you are!" Twenty beamed, "I was just about to look for you, friend!"

Seventeen was about to answer with nearly as much enthusiasm, but unfortunately looked down at where Twenty was watching, and froze at the sight of a spider scurry up the wall corner, "Um..y-yes..Right."

"So I came to fetch you because-"

There's a spider-

"Um, Twenty?"

"Yes? Is there something wrong?" Twenty seemed puzzled, as if he hadn't just released one of Seventeen's top ten fears into his home.

He gestured to the arachnid, "Uh, why is that there?"

"Oh, that's just Carl, I brought him here with me." Twenty nodded.

So it has a name..? Does he just not know how to name things, because spiders don't deserve names- Who would need to name it?

"You....you brought a spider into the art gallery?"

"Yes?" Twenty raised an eyebrow, he reached a hand out, seemingly ready to steady the artist should he fall, "Are you alright? Something wrong?"

Seventeen gestured to the spider now higher near the ceiling, where it could disappear into the cracks and never to be seen again until it was too late-, "Yes, you cannot bring spiders into the art gallery! They're going to scare everyone!"

"I only brought one.."

"For now, do you know how many minispiders it can make?!"

"..No?"

"Like- thousands!" Seventeen's hand reached out to the side for a broom that wasn't there.

"Oh, interesting."

"No, not interesting. Terrifying. Now please take it out.."

"But-"

"Besides, there's nothing here for it to eat, it'll starve." Seventeen pleaded, "Please take it back out."

Twenty sighed, "If you say so."

He stood tall and plucked the spider off of the wall, "Do you want to hold him?"

That was an absolute no, and he needed a different subject, now.

"No thank you, but what did you need?"

Twenty brightened up, eagerly tapping his cane against the ground, "I'm gathering everyone together! I have a fun thing for us to do!"

That got his attention, "Oh, really?!"

Twenty nodded enthusiastically, it was a wonder how his hat didn't fall off, "Indeed. You're gonna love it!"

"What is it?"

Twenty chuckled, waving his hand, "I can't let you know, It's a surprise! I haven't gotten everyone yet, and I don't want to keep repeating myself."

That was fair, Seventeen surmised, Twenty was all for efficiency. If it didn't make sense to do it, he wouldn't give it a second thought, he relied on this method for many situations, and it's often gotten him out unharmed.

"SEVENTEEN!"

Seventeen let out a slight huff when Sixteen practically glomped him, "Hello Sixteen!"

"Did Twenty tell 'ya what we're doing yet?"

"No, not yet."He shook his head.

"Aw man, I was hopin' he'd tell you." She pouted.

Twenty chuckled, "Not yet, my friends! It won't be a surprise if I tell you!"

Sixteen groaned, "Why does EVERYONE say that..?"

"Because it's true!" Twenty laughed, "Alright, let's go find Eighteen and Nineteen!"

Seventeen pointed to the doors, "Nineteen went shopping a while ago..she should've been home by now.."

Sixteen hummed, "Well, do we wait for her? 'Cuz I've got loads a' things for us to do while we wait!"

She brought out a rather impressive assortment of board games and other toys, tossing them to the floor of the art gallery, Twenty stepped back, mildly impressed, "I had no idea you carried so many things with you, Sixteen."

Sixteen snorted, "The more the merrier! Six let me have this one- Roly-poly, I think.."

"Monopoly?"

"Yeah! That's what she said! N' Thirty-six let me have Clue. Then I have these spare airhorns just in case!"

"In case what?"

"In case I need more airhorns! Duh!" She laughed, honking them, "Can't have too much noise!"

Seventeen, who already thought it was too much noise, winced, "I do hope she's alright.."

"Oh?" Twenty looked back at the doors, "Nineteen?"

"Last time she went to the store she ran into Octonaughty-"

"And escaped?"

"Well..yeah, but-"

"Then she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. I'm sure she just took a detour of some kind. She'll join us again very soon, my friend, I'm certain!" Twenty placed his hand on his shoulder, giving an affirming nod, "We could go looking for her and meet her halfway!"

Sixteen, who was already setting out the Monopoly pieces, cheered, "Great! I'll get to putting these back! You guys go 'n get her, I'll catch up!"

"Are you sure?" Twenty blinked, a small frown playing on his lips, "I would hate to leave you behind."

"I'm fine! I gotta clean up anyways! Seventeen likes this place neat, and I don't wanna ruin his hard work."

Seventeen sighed, "I can clean up, Sixteen. It's alright."

Sixteen managed to shove everything back into it's place, "Well you guys oughta wait for me now! I'm almost done!"

Twenty nodded, "Do hurry."

As soon as silence began to flood back into the room, it was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Nineteen slamming open the door, completely out of breath.

"Nineteen! There you are! I was beginning to get worried-"

Nineteen let out what sounded like a strangled gasp, bringing Seventeen in for a hug, almost squishing the poor artist.

"You're safe.."

Seventeen held her at arms length, "I'm safe?? You're safe! You were taking so long!"

"Yeah, but at least you didn't come home to the door just left open! I thought someone broke in!"

He blinked, "It was?"

"Uh..yes!" Nineteen let go of him, still holding his left hand, "How did you not notice?"

"I..didn't check?" Seventeen glanced at the other two numbers in the room.

Sixteen chuckled, "That was me, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

The one-off sighed, "No...No, it's fine. I'm just glad you're okay. I've got the groceries outside, I'll bring them in."

"I'll get them, I have square power!" Sixteen jumped up, "I'm done cleaning, I can go put up the groceries then we can go!"

"Go?" Nineteen glanced at Twenty, "Where are you taking us this time?"

Twenty, mildly surprised, held a hand to his chest, fidgeting with his bow-tie, "Ah? How did you know I'd suggested that?"

"Seventeen doesn't get out unless I make him, Sixteen would've been gone already, I just got here and I haven't even suggested leaving again. So that left you, Twinkle Toes." She laughed.

"..Hm, rather logical." The tango choreographer glanced to the side, "I didn't know you were that quick with your mind."

"Are you calling me slow?" Nineteen uncrossed her arms, unsure if she should be offended.

"No, not at all!" Twenty waved his arms.

Nineteen laughed, "I'm just messing with you. So we're on our way to Eighteen's, then?"

"Right again." He tapped his cane on the ground, "As soon as Sixteen comes back we'll depart."

"So...what's the surprise?"

Twenty blinked, "I'm not even going to ask how you knew it was a surprise-.. I can't tell you!"

"Figured." She elbowed Seventeen, "Hey, can you help Sixteen find out where everything goes?"

"Will-do!" He bolted to the front door, helping Sixteen find her way to the upstairs area, "I'll show you where to put everything."

"Sure thing!"

Nineteen turned to Twenty, "Can I guess what it is?"

"Maybe." He grinned.

"Is it..another rescue mission?"

"No rescuing teddy bears from evil museum dungeons this time."

"...Hm, are we...dancing?"

"That's almost a better idea.." He stared at the ceiling, "I still have yet to show Carl how to dance."

"Carl?"

"The spider." Twenty held out his hand, the small critter balancing on his array display.

"EXCUSE ME- WHY DID YOU BRING A SPIDER INTO-"

"Do not worry, Nineteen. I'm not leaving him here."

"Why is he IN here?!"

"Are you and Seventeen both scared of spiders?"

"N-no! It's just- Why would you bring one in here?"

"Because he's my friend." Twenty blinked, ever the clueless.

"Please take it out." Nineteen facepalmed.

"...If you say so." Twenty nodded down at the spider, "Meet me at home, the window is open, you can crawl in through there."

He opened the front door and put it on the ground, and as if it didn't even happen, he turned back to Nineteen, grinning widely, "Anymore guesses?"

"Wh-..that's just.. random."

"Well, do you have any more?"

"..Can I have a hint?"

"No."

"...What about..walking?"

"Hm."

"A hike?"

"I guess we would be hiking there.."

"Aha!" Nineteen pumped her fist, "I guessed!"

"Not entirely, we'll be doing more than hiking."

"Just let me have this small victory.."

"Perhaps.."

Sixteen and Seventeen returned down the stairs, having finished their tasks.

"Alright, who's READY TO GET TO EIGHTEEN'S HOUSE?!"

"You, I surmise?"

Sixteen huffed and put her hands on her hips, "Don't act like you're not excited."

"If you say so."

Twelve answered the door, "Oh! Hi, thank goodness you're here!"

Twenty glanced sideways at Nineteen, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!...I hope." Twelve sighed, opening the door wider, "Come in."

Shrugging at each other, the group entered and found a seat in the livingroom.

"You're here for Eighteen, right?" Twelve had her hands clasped together.

"Yes?" Nineteen hesitantly replied, "Is he alright?"

"I'm sure he's fine.." Twelve looked around, "But he hasn't been himself lately, and locked himself in his room."

"Why didn't you say so?!" Sixteen jumped from the floor, "I can have him out faster than you can say 'Squares'!"

(Why did my mind go 'buncha munchy crunchy carrots' lol)

"No! No! He's not locked in! He locked it himself. He wants to be in there."

"Oh, then what's the problem?" She sat back down.

"That is the problem!" Twelve grabbed at the sides of her head, she couldn't find anything to hold onto, though, "Eighteen never stays in his room unless he's upset about something! And I can't get him to say anything as per usual!" Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence.

As Twelve struggled to keep herself from crying, the Teens looked at each other frightfully.

"...Dearie me..it's okay to cry, Twelve.." Seventeen got off the edge of the couch, making his way to the super rectangle, who had a slightly better handle on herself, and slowly touched her arm, "It's natural, and it's good to express yourself. I'm sure we can fix it."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Nineteen also rose, her eyebrows angled with worry.

"I thought I could get him to talk to me..I don't know why he never tells me- It's like everyone can talk to him better than I can.. And I just want to be a good older sister.." She mumbled, wiping the few tears that did fall, "I did ask Fourteen to help, but Eighteen wouldn't even let him in. I had to force Fourteen to go home, and now I've worried him too.."

"...I'm very sorry. I'm sure he just doesn't want to worry you.." Seventeen stared back at them worriedly, "Can someone try to talk to him? I need to call Fifteen."

Nineteen rubbed Twelve on the back, the other hand taking her arm, "You go call her, I've got Twelve."

He nodded and pulled out his communicator, walking outside.

"Twenty, I'm going to make her some tea," Sixteen got up, "Do you have Eighteen, or do you want to wait?"

Twenty sullenly watched Twelve, "Go ahead, Sixteen. I'll go cheer him up."

She nodded.

Twenty slowly made his way upstairs, noting Eighteen's room was indeed closed.

Peering down at the crack of the door, he saw that it was a lot darker, implying Eighteen had the drapes closed.

"Hm." He knocked on the door briskly, "Eighteen? Are you in there?"

A small shuffle.

He used his cane to knock again, "Eighteen?"

"...what?"

Twenty smiled, "Ah, there you are. Are you feeling alright?"

"...Twenty?...Yeah, I'm fine. Whaddya' want?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come with us? I have a surprise planned, and I'm sure you'll like it!"

"...'mnot interested.."

Twenty blinked, "You don't even know what it is."

"I'm not interested."

The tango choreographer glared at the crack of the door, truly perplexed as to why Eighteen's drapes were closed, the super rectangle loved sunshine and open spaces almost as much as racing. "Why not?"

"....'m a little tired..okay? Can..can you come back some other time?"

"Unfortunately I cannot accept your request. Twelve is mighty worried, and I am as well."

"She'll be fine.."

"I believe you've underestimated how much she cares for you."

"...'m fine."

"Then please come with us."

"I don't feel like it.."

"It'll be worth it. I promise."

"...leave me alone."

"Not a chance friend." Twenty finally picked the lock on the door, opening it, "Sorry to intrude, Eighteen, but I do have to make sure you're truly unhurt."

Eighteen didn't even move, only turning over in his bed, "M'kay, jus leave everything where it is.."

Twenty glanced at the drapes, opening them, "Eighteen, please. I do need to talk to you."

"You already are..now close those.."

"No." Twenty pulled over a stool, "You need to discuss with me what is bothering you."

Eighteen finally sat up, surprising Twenty.

He looked...tired.

Really tired.

Burnt out tired.

"...Eighteen?"

"What?"

"Have you been getting sleep?"

"No! Because everyone keeps bothering me! I was trying to sleep, but then Twelve started asking what's wrong, then Fourteen, and now you- I'm just really tired.. and...Its as hard to fall asleep as it is.." Eighteen yawned, laying back down, "I'm so tired.."

"...My sincerest apologies.." Twenty fidgeted with his cane.

"T's fine..Tell sis that she's good too.. I'm just... I can't get comfy.. So I don't sleep, but finding a comfy spot is so hard.."

Twenty stared at the bed, "Will you come with us, Eighteen?"

"Really? Are you still on that- I just told you I'm tired.. And I'm getting cranky and stuff. I don't wanna snap at you guys.." Eighteen sighed.

"I promise you'll like it." Twenty nodded, "Please. I want to help you, friend."

The super rectangle blinked a few times, "You...fine."

"Fantastic."

Eighteen stumbled down the stairs after Twenty, and Twelve was in a way better mood.

It still didn't stop her from nearly dropping her teacup upon seeing them though.

"Eighteen! I-"

"It's alright, Twelve. 'M fine..just really tired.."

Twenty nodded, "Sleeping here is stressing him out."

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Twelve gasped.

"No, no. It's not you, Twelve. Honest." Nineteen interjected.

Sixteen nodded, "Yeah, sometimes you get really stressed out, and your room isn't comfy enough to sleep in."

"That's when you know you need a vacation." Twenty finished, "So Eighteen is coming with us."

Twelve seemed, less on edge. She looked to her brother, "...Okay..then, have fun. And get lots of sleep."

Eighteen hugged her, "Mhm. Now calm down..You can't be panicking while I'm chill...That's wrong."

Tears welled in her eyes again and she nodded.

"Are you gonna be okay here by yourself?" Nineteen asked.

Before Twelve could answer, the door was flung open and the tweens rushed in, carrying various soft items and... a handful of lavender??

"Twelve! Apologies that it took us so long!" Fifteen started, placing her green tea bags on the coffee table.

"Are you okay, Twelve?!" Eleven almost knocked Nineteen over with how she shoved her aside, pulling Twelve in for a hug much like the one-off did Seventeen earlier, "Tell me you're okay!"

Fourteen threw his skateboard and a heated wooly blanket to the side, joining Eleven in her hug, "I'm so sorry I didn't check on you, dudette!"

"I BROUGHT YOU RELAXATION!" Thirteen tossed the lavender at her, also near tears as he also engaged with the group hug quickly forming, "I'm a terrible friend, I know! But I couldn't think of anything!"

Twelve was still processing the initial entrance, and slowly began to realize that she was surrounded by her friends, and burst into tears.

"Shh. It's alright, Twelve. We're here."

"We'll fight the sadness, don't worry!"

"S'okay dudetee.."

"Was it too much lavender?"

Seventeen slowly walked back in, gasping, "Hah! You got Eighteen?"

Twenty nodded, "He's tired. So he's coming with us by default. Ready, friends?"

"Sure thing!" Sixteen answered, being the only one not watching the Tweens slowly devolve into a cuddle pile.

When they finished hiking up the mountain, all of them except Twenty gasped in amazement.

"Surprise friends!" Twenty spread his arms, "I've built us a treehouse!"

If the treehouse already didn't look magnificent, the scenery sure did, the house sat atop steady wooden poles attached to the mountainside, a thick canopy of trees below oozing the smell of evergreen and freshness. A calm mist hung over all of it, as the waterfall nearby made for the perfect background noise.

This would be the best place to relax, if Nineteen had to pick one.

"...You built this?" Seventeen piped up.

"Yes! I wanted to surprise you all, so I couldn't ask for help."

Sixteen squealed, "It's amazing! Can we stay? Pretty please?!"

"Of course, it's a vacation is it not?" Twenty grinned.

Eighteen smiled, "This..this is nice..and quiet.. but not too quiet.. And wide open.."

Nineteen laughed, "Right, go get some sleep, champ. You've earned it!"

The super rectangle yawned, slowly flying up to the treehouse and opening the door, "WOW THIS PLACE HAS EVERYTHING!"

"REALLY?" Sixteen activated her rays to join him, Twenty following them.

"Whelp. They forgot us." The one-off nudged Seventeen.

"Don't worry, I'll make a way up!" Seventeen began to paint some stairs, "This is the perfect spot for ideas! I'll come back out with my sketchbook!"

"Sure thing, buddy." Nineteen opened the door, feeling the warmth of the fire Twenty set, "Oh, it is nice in here.."

Eighteen was already knocked out on one of the nearby couches, snoring peacefully. It was clear he needed this more than all of them combined.

"Wanna play Clue with me, anyone?" Sixteen was already setting out the pieces, regardless of their answers.

Twenty chuckled, "Sure Sixteen, I'll play. What will you be doing, Nineteen?"

"...Hm. I'll read over there."

"Ah, fireplace reading, can't get better than that." Twenty nodded, "I'll be Mr. Green."

"I'll be Madame Rose, then." Sixteen laughed.

Seventeen was already out on the balcony, sketching the waterfall in his own unique inspiration.

Twenty smiled, "Well, I'd say mission accomplished."

#13tlu #numberblocks #twenty numberblocks #fifteen numberblocks #sixteen numberblocks #seventeen numbeblocks #eighteen numberblocks #nineteen numberblocks #thirteen numberblocks #fourteen numberblocks #twelve numberblocks #eleven numberblocks #oneshots

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buckysgrace · 9 months ago

Text

Forty Six

Dancing in the Dark Masterlist

Sam took Kim to the Emergency room the day after, just to ensure that her ankle wasn’t broken. It was only a sprain, but it still hurt and bothered her. Sam got her a brace in hopes that it would help her get around a little better.

She was most embarrassed about her face. Her tumble truly had done some damage to her. Her freckled skin was scraped and bruised, the area underneath her eye worse than the rest of it. Her cheek was puffy and sore to the touch, but nothing was too damaged or broken.

“How do you not want it?” She asked softly once they were back in the car, her ankle neatly wrapped as she waited for the tylenol to kick in. She felt embarrassed to admit that the only thing she could think about this morning was that if she was drunk enough she wouldn’t even feel the pain.

“You train yourself,” Sam said gently as he shut his door, “You find something to keep you busy so you don’t think about it.” He nodded his head softly, but looked like he understood how hard it was. She sat back in her seat, watching as he began to pull out of the parking lot.

“Like gardening?” She looked towards him curiously, but she was sure that she already knew the answer to that question. She thought about it for a moment, wondering what she could find to distract herself.

“Yeah,” Sam smiled gently, “Like gardening. I can teach you.” He offered as she wrapped her arms tightly around her chest, shivering as the chill from the outside air settled over her. She had a hard time believing that it was already December. She suddenly felt a little panicked, realizing she had a lot of gifts to catch up on.

“I don’t want to impose,” She said quietly, though she was sure that Sam would protest about it, “Maybe I can start painting again.” She added quickly a second later, thinking that painting didn’t sound that bad. It felt like it had been a long time since she had been that inspired.

“That would be nice,” He said in agreement, “Maybe you could try knitting? Crocheting? I bet you would like to do that.” He listed a few things off of the top of her head, really making her think about it for a second. She pulled at her fingertips, thinking that it would be nice to start something new.

“That would be fun,” She nodded her head softly, “I don’t really want to go back to school.” She breathed out harshly, thinking of how humiliating it would be to go back. She didn’t want to see Audrey again, nor did she want to face Danielle after finding out that she had dated Billy. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but she feared that they would taunt her with that information.

“Maybe,” He paused for a second as he glanced towards her, “We could think about homeschooling. Just because you’d be graduating this year anyways.” He suggested slowly, making her eyes widen in surprise. She breathed out deeply, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.

“Really?” She asked, feeling more hopeful, “I’d really like that. You’d teach me?” She questioned him, feeling more excited as she thought about the prospect of Sam being her teacher for the rest of the school year.

“If you’re alright with that.” He looked towards her again, his eyes crinkling as he grinned towards her. She nodded her head, but still felt terrible for the things that she had said last night. She felt the sorrow eating at her chest as she resisted the urge to apologize again. He’d promptly dismissed her each time, but she truly wanted him to know how sorry she was. She wanted all of them to know. She felt like she was an awful person, like she’d ruined all of the relationships she’d worked so hard at building up.

“I always wanted to be in your class,” She said gently as a smile formed on her lips, “You always made school seem more fun than it was.” She reminded him, thinking of how desperately she used to beg for him to put her into his class when she was so much younger.

“Sounds like a plan,” He said softly as he began to drive them back down the familiar roads. She glanced up at the dreary sky, wondering if the sky would be like this for the next few months, “We can talk to your principal on Monday.”

“Maybe you just want to,” She said softly as she twisted at her fingers, feeling the humiliation settling over herself again, “I don’t know if I should go back to school at all.”

“Were girls being mean to you?” Sam looked over at her, a large amount of worry filling his eyes. She turned away quickly, not wanting to make a fuss over it.

“I don’t know,” She said softly, “I’ve just always had a hard time making friends.” She admitted pitifully, wondering how she’d managed to keep the ones that she had.

“Me too,” He chuckled lightly as he pulled over into the driveway, “Maybe you and Cindy could become friends? She seems, well- she likes to talk.” Sam said at last, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe he was suggesting that.

“We were friends a long time ago,” She mumbled as she shook her head, “I’m okay. Really. Thank you. I appreciate this.” She told him seriously, pausing for just a second before she reached over and hugged him tightly. He rubbed her back softly, patting his palm against her skin. She made a mental note to ask him if he’d spoken to Max later.

She slid out of the car slowly, watching her ankle as she wobbled back into the house. She thought that Billy would be pretty proud to see that she was taking it easy on herself. He’d done nothing but fuss over her the past day and early this morning.

“Hey,” Russell smiled as he wrapped his arms around Kim’s waist and gave her a tight squeeze, “Are you okay?” He looked up towards her, his eyes locked onto her face in an intense way like he was trying to read any secrets that she may be hiding. She felt her lips twitch, but couldn’t help but think of how Max would react. She missed her.

“Yeah,” She nodded her head, a little embarrassed, “Just a sprained ankle. It’s not that bad.” She said as she held her ankle out, rolling it for good measure. Russell looked down as he nodded his head, glancing at where Sam was hanging his coat up.

“Do you want to play with me?” He asked excitedly, bouncing on the tips of his toes as he held onto her hand. She looked at him surprised but nodded along in agreement. She wasn’t sure she’d be any good at it, but supposed that it wouldn’t hurt. It would probably keep her mind busy anyways.

“Sure,” She said, blinking softly, “I’m not any good at video games though.” She told him truthfully, but couldn’t protest much as he roughly dragged her in front of the TV.

“You’re never good when you first start,” He said easily as he set up the system. Kim glanced around, wondering where Billy was before her eyes fell to where Sam and Rosemary were whispering. She felt her shoulders sag a bit, sure that they were speaking of her, “I can teach you though.” Russell reassured as he handed her one of the gaming consoles.

He did just that. He patted her back when she lost, gently pointed out different things that would work differently at the end of the round and cheered her on when she finally won her first level. She smiled, beginning to feel a little excited as she passed the console back to him so he could finish his turn.

The sound of the door opening and shutting made her attention snap away as she took in Billy strolling through the room. He was in a loose tank top and a pair of shorts despite the chillier weather. He’d clearly gone for a run of some sorts.

“You alright?” Billy asked, his hair pulled back out of his face and his forehead sweaty as he leaned down to kiss the top of her nose. She moved back against him, having an urge to rest herself against him. She missed him.

“Yeah,” She gulped as she smiled up towards him, “Everything is fine.” She said as she gestured down to her brace, jumping at the way Russell let out a loud protest as he continued to play his game.

“Good,” He smiled as he sat down next to her. He moved a little bit, rubbing his fingers over where her ankle was neatly wrapped up, “Maybe we can go swimming later before it gets too cold.” He said softly, though she already thought it was too cold. She supposed she wouldn’t mind freezing for him.

“I’d like that,” She responded softly, feeling a little guilty as she knew she had many things to tell him, “I saw Sally at the party.” She whispered so that no one else could hear her. She was sure that Rosemary didn’t know about her and she definitely didn’t know what Sally had done to him.

“Sally?” He looked at her confused as he knitted his dark eyebrows together, “Are you sure it was the right Sally?” He chuckled softly, nearly looking amused by the fact that it could’ve been the wrong person. She didn’t think it was funny. It had to be her, as she figured she would’ve gotten in trouble by now if it was someone else.

“I asked her if she babysat you,” Kim replied sheepishly, “She said yes.” She said softly as she rubbed her fingertips over her jeans. She glanced up at the TV, hoping that he wouldn’t hate her for hurting Sally. She still thought that Sally deserved it, but wasn’t sure if Billy would agree with that statement.

“Oh,” He looked at her inquisitively, “Why are you bringing that up?” He questioned her as he pushed her hair off of her shoulders. She gulped hard as he lightly pressed his fingertips against the spot where her heart was beating uncontrollably. She turned towards him, noticing how soft the waves in his eyes were.

“I may or may not have hit her with a bottle,” Kim replied slowly as the shame built up in her stomach, “I just wanted you to know in case they arrest me and what not.” She said honestly, embarrassed to admit that the thought of being taken out of her house and put into jail scared her. She wouldn’t last. She was sure of that.

“I don’t think they’re going to arrest you,” He chuckled as he pressed a piece of hair behind her ear, “You really hit her with a bottle?” He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, like he was impressed. She parted her lips, sure that he would grow angry once the truth settled over him. In her mind, it seemed that he held Sally with a high regard.

“Yeah,” She replied, worried over how he’d react, “I’m sorry.” She said quietly as she waited for him to get upset with her. She decided that she would deserve it. It was the consequences of her own actions after all.

“I don’t think you should be apologizing to me,” He shrugged his shoulders softly as he pushed himself up to his knees, “I’m gonna go shower.” He changed the subject like there was no issue, no bad blood between them. She blinked in surprise, her mind feeling overwhelmed for a moment as he kissed the top of her head again.

“Wait,” She stopped him again as she gripped his large hand in her own, “Your ex that you told me about, Dani?” She referenced again, deciding that she might as well spit it all out at once. He dragged his eyes over her features as he nodded his head.

“Yeah?” “That’s my friend, well former friend, Danielle,” She explained quickly, “I didn’t know until now.” She told him truthfully, thinking that it would be an awkward conversation to have if she ever saw her again. She really hoped Sam meant what he said. She didn’t want to deal with any of those girls again.

“Small world,” He chuckled softly, “Maybe you could put your license to good use and hit her with your car.” He smirked as he twisted a few strands of her hair around his fingers and tugged softly. She laughed, shaking her head at his answer.

“Who are we running over?” Russell turned towards them quickly, “Is it someone that was mean to you?” He furrowed his eyebrows together tightly, looking towards her in anger. She felt her features turn to shock at his reaction.

“No.” Kim said at the same time Billy said yes. She snapped her head up towards him, only to earn a shoulder shrug in response.

“Well,” Russell shrugged his shoulders as he sent a sly grin to Kim, “There’s someone who was mean to mom that I think we should hit too, but I don’t think you’ll like the answer.” He said wistfully, laughing to himself like it was funny. Kim looked towards him, taken aback by how funny he was being.

“Russ.” Billy shook his head in disbelief, like he also couldn’t believe what he had just said. Kim shook her head, knowing that he had a right to be upset just as anyone else did.

“What?” He shrugged his shoulders, “I didn’t name any names, it’s your fault that you thought about someone.” He said as he turned away, leaving the other two in silence. Kim peered up at Billy, grinning once again as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

“Be done in a bit,” He mumbled as he gently stroked his fingertips through her hair, “Don’t do too much.” He said at last, like he was warning her. She shook her head at his words, but did what he asked as she watched him leave the room.

A few minutes later she could feel a twitch in her fingers, a familiar ache that settled over herself as a pang of anxiety grew inside of her chest. She drifted her eyes around, connecting with the kitchen for a moment as she was suddenly hit with the thought of missing out on the birthday cake.

She stood up, limping her way towards the kitchen as she tried to think about where to start first. She didn’t want to make too much of a mess, but perhaps baking would keep her mind from wandering to different issues.

She paused as she reached for Rosemary’s recipes, before ultimately deciding that it would be okay as she gently began to flip through them. She kept them in order, trying to think of what would be easiest to start with.

“Can I help you?” She jumped in surprise, not expecting for Rosemary to sneak up on her in that manner. She gulped, dropping the recipe cards as she pushed her hair behind her ears. She looked down in shame, still feeling terribly guilty over what she had said. She had crossed several lines.

“I don’t really know what I want to make.” She admitted as she held her fingertips together. She played with them for a moment, finding it was easier to look down than meet Rosemary’s eye. She didn’t want to know how disappointed Rosemary was with her.

“Well, just remember I do own a bakery,” Rosemary smiled softly as she pulled Kim’s hair back into a small ponytail, “I can sell whatever if you make too much.” She mumbled as she tied Kim’s hair back out of her face. Kim gulped hard as the guilt chewed at her stomach.

“I guess I’m just looking for a way to keep my mind busy.” She admitted, deciding it was best to be honest with everyone. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, but she knew there was no point in hiding.

“How about banana bread?” Rosemary questioned as she grabbed a pack of bananas that were turning fairly brown, “It’s not that hard.” She said as she shrugged her shoulders. Kim didn’t mention that she’d made banana bread before, she simply nodded her head as she pulled forth a bowl from the cabinet.

“Can we put chocolate chips in them?” She asked sheepishly, feeling a little reassured as Rosemary nodded her head yes. She settled next to her, listening to the directions that Rosemary gave her as they worked along one another.

Once it was in the oven, they started on a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies next. Rosemary said that they were her favorite and Kim decided that they probably wouldn’t be that bad. She didn’t mind raisins.

“What are you thinking about?” Rosemary asked, watching the way Kim scooped out pieces of cookie dough and rolled them into neat little balls. She pursed her lips softly, feeling like her thoughts were sort of jumbled.

“Honestly,” Kim drew out slowly, “I'm thinking about how I didn’t get a chance to try the birthday cake at her party.” She giggled softly, knowing that it was a ridiculous statement. Rosemary looked at her curiously but then laughed a second later.

“I like savory foods,” Rosemary said a second later, “I really love some chips and dip.” She added softly, switching the banana bread out and putting the cookies in instead. Kim peaked at the golden brown color, feeling fairly happy with the smells that filled the kitchen.

She kept thinking of something to say, of being able to find the courage to bring up what she said to Rosemary. She wasn’t the type to just ignore when she’d done wrong. She wanted to apologize, but she wanted to do it in the right manner.

“Have you ever done the ring test?” Rosemary asked once Kim had successfully munched on a piece of banana bread and a cookie. She licked the melted butter free from her thumbs before she washed them off.

“I’m not sure what that is.” Kim admitted, looking at her curiously as she patted her fingers dry. Rosemary motioned her over towards the stools, sitting on her knees as Kim slowly joined her.

“Do you have a ring?” Rosemary asked, looking a little excited as she sat at the same level as Kim. Kim thought that she looked a lot like Russell at the moment. They both had a similar way that excitement rushed forth in their eyes.

“No,” She said softly, hating the reminder that she had lost the one Billy had got for her, “Can I use yours?” She asked a little bashfully, hoping that she wouldn’t get denied of her request.

“Sure,” Rosemary smiled as she pulled the ring off of her finger, “I think that’ll work just fine.” Kim looked at it for a moment, admiring that it wasn’t anything too grand. It seemed like it fit Rosemary perfectly.

“Hold your hand out like this,” She laid Kim’s hand down flat, making sure that her fingers were spread wide and even, “Oh, I need a piece of your hair.” She piped up quickly, stopping her motions as she looked towards Kim.

“Okay,” Kim said, a little uncertain as she reached up to tug a small strand out. She looked at the short red piece as she passed it back to Rosemary, “That’s it?” She asked, watching how Rosemary looped it through the ring.

“Mhm,” She said softly, “So you’ll move the ring over your hand like this, sort of tracing over your fingers. And then you’ll go all the way back-, stop over the middle of your hand like this and see how that is moving in a straight line?”

“Yeah?” Kim looked down at the way the ring was moving, but didn’t think anything of it. She couldn’t see what it was actually doing.

“It means my first born will be a boy,” Rosemary smiled as she tapped the ring to her skin and then repeated the motion again, “And then another boy. Billy and Russell. It just doesn’t move after that.” She stared for a moment, wondering if it was just a coincidence that it had happened.

“Oh wow,” Kim said intrigued, “Can I try?” She asked sheepishly, hoping that it wouldn’t be weird because of Billy. She didn’t say anything, but she knew that Billy would be the father to her future children.

“Of course,” Rosemary smiled softly as she handed the threaded ring back to Kim, “It’s an old wive’s tale. I don’t know if it’s really true, but it was for me and my mom.” She explained for a moment as Kim set her fingers up comfortably. She followed the same path that Rosemary had done, moving a little choppier and slower until she came to a stop over the top of her hand again. She watched the way it spun, noticing it was moving differently to Rosemary’s.

“Does the circle mean a girl?” She asked a second later, flushing as she realized she’d caught on to which ways the ring moved. She thought about it for a moment, trying to imagine what hers and Billy’s little girl would look like.

“Yeah,” Rosemary smiled as she watched, “So apparently you’ll have a little girl first. Go again.” She encouraged her, looking just as excited as Kim brought the ring to a stop.

Kim swung the ring around again, her heart thumping harshly in her chest as she wondered just how many kids that they would have. She figured this wasn’t the most accurate way to tell or to know, but it was fun to do.

“Another girl,” She said softly, her cheeks suddenly feeling very hot, “And another.” She squeaked out, thinking that one day she could have three little girls with Billy. She pictured blonde messy curls, freckled cheeks and his nose and ears.

“And a boy,” Rosemary replied gleefully as Kim finished the last round, “See how it just stops after that?” She pointed out how the ring wouldn’t even spin on the fifth round, just slowly dangled back and forth.

“Weird,” Kim giggled as she tucked her hair behind her ears, “I wonder if it’ll be true?” She asked curiously as she pulled her strand of hair out of the ring and handed it back to Rosemary. Rosemary hummed as she placed the ring back onto her finger.

“Maybe,” Rosemary smiled at her, “There’s no rush though. You’re still young.” She pointed out quickly, giving her a knowing look as she squeezed her hand softly. Kim felt her hand linger against Rosemary’s, feeling solemn once again.

“I’m sorry about what I said.” She told her softly, staring forward at the counter so she wouldn’t have to directly face her. She wondered if Rosemary would laugh at her, if she would even want anything to do with her again.

“It wasn’t really you talking,” Rosemary said softly as she squeezed her hand again, “But I accept your apology.” She said honestly, dragging Kim’s attention back towards her. She looked serious, like she was speaking nothing but the truth. Kim nodded softly, unable to think of anything else to say without ending up in tears.

“What are you guys doing?” Billy questioned as he reached over, snatching a piece of banana bread from the plate. Kim smiled as she glanced towards him, breathing in his strong cologne as he rested his hand against the back of her waist. She gulped, still feeling a little awkward as she wasn’t really sure how touchy they were allowed to be with one another.

“Oh nothing,” Rosemary sighed wistfully, “Only about how you’re going to be a daddy to three girls and a little boy.” She grinned proudly, looking quite proud of herself as Billy froze. He looked taken aback, clearly not expecting that answer.

“What?” Billy responded, his blue eyes wide as his cheeks were full of banana bread. Kim giggled softly as she felt herself flush again, having a dire need to reach out and press her fingers against his soft cheeks.

“It’s an old wives tale,” Kim squeaked out, “I guess we will have a big family.”

////////////////////////////

The next day felt smoother, despite having to meet with the principal. Sam was surprisingly a smooth talker when it came time to be one and she felt very proud at how professional he was during the whole thing. She stayed slumped in the seat most of the time, quiet as she hoped that no one would see her. She was sure that Audrey would do something to her.

“Hey,” Kim smiled softly as she rubbed at Billy’s arm once she returned home and he was back from the bakery, “Steve’s birthday is today.” She pointed out towards him, not mentioning that Gina had called every day the past week to remind them. Rosemary had even written it down in her calendar.

“That’s neat.” He said dryly, glancing up towards her as he toasted his sandwich bread. She looked over curiously, not saying anything but observing how much he’d also been cooking. He’d made pork chops and bacon wrapped asparagus the other day and she had been quite taken aback with how good it actually was.

“Gina wanted us to go over and do a gingerbread competition.” She told him, grinning at the thought of doing something so fun. She hadn’t ever made a gingerbread house before, but she thought that she would like it. She’d enjoy eating it even more.

“Are we allowed to leave?” Billy asked her seriously, making her lips part as she thought about the answer. They hadn’t really discussed it, but she was fairly certain that they were both grounded again. She paused, slumping her shoulders as she realized she had no idea if they were actually able to go or not.

“They said they could come here,” She flushed softly, knowing that it was her fault now, “It’s whatever you prefer.” She said at last, even though she had spoken to Rosemary about it. Well, Rosemary had actually brought it up to her first.

“Did you ask mom?” He asked her curiously. She played with his hair for a moment, trying not to smile as she thought of how he was slowly referring to her as mom more and more. She was glad that they were bonding, that they were being able to get back to what their relationship once was.

“She said she trusts Gina and Steve, so-,” Kim paused for a moment, “It’s what you want to do.” She said again, a squeal leaving her mouth as he pulled her onto his lap. She giggled softly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he held onto her.

“What do you want to do?” He asked her, his smile just as wide as he traced his eyes across her features. She pursed her lips together, genuinely thinking about what she would like to do. She shifted closer to him, only to pause once he winced as she moved a little too close to his hips.

“Sorry,” She apologized quickly, suspicious as to why he seemed so sore there. She hadn’t been able to fully peek at it yet, but she figured it was something that she had ended up doing, “I’ve been in here all day doing school work. I would kinda like to go somewhere else.”

“Then we’ll go somewhere else.” He said softly, grinning as he moved forward to lightly brush his lips against hers. She played with the curls at the nape of his neck, twisting them softly as she moved her lips against his blissfully. She enjoyed the taste of mint on his tongue, the way his cigarette from earlier still lingered as she slowly deepened the kiss.

She pressed her tongue against his, flicking it inside of his mouth as a soft groan left his lips. She sighed, feeling a warmth spreading between her lips as she moved her mouth a little more frantically against his own. She needed to feel him, at least just for a bit before they had to leave.

“We don’t want to be too late,” He mumbled against her mouth, stopping her actions before she could pull his shirt up over his torso, “Come on.” He urged her softly, peppering his lips against hers to silence any protests she had. She sighed in agreement, hoping that his lack of want had nothing to do with what she did to Sally.

It didn’t take her long to get changed. She wore her same light pink sweater. It had been one of the new things she’d purchased with Rosemary. It was crocheted with roses along her midriff. She wore a simple pair of jeans with it, deciding to focus more on covering the bruises on her face than anything else.

“What’s going on?” Billy looked at the way Rosemary was holding onto a bumbling Russell, “I thought you said we could go?” He questioned her, looking a little frustrated as Russell’s features slowly fell. Kim gulped, feeling bad for his reaction. She knew that Billy didn’t mean it in a bad way. Not at all.

“Of course you can go,” Rosemary smiled brightly, “But Russell is coming with.” She said at last, clearly thinking that having someone to babysit would keep them out of trouble. Kim smiled as she nodded, thinking that Russell would enjoy it anyways.

“Mom-,” Billy began to protest, sighing deeply like it would be the end of the world.

“That’s the deal.” She said sternly, nodding her head like there was no way around it. Kim nodded in agreement, rushing forward to give her a swift hug.

“We won’t be out late,” She reassured her, “And we’ll watch him. We’re making gingerbread houses.” She said quickly, reminding Rosemary that they weren’t doing anything heinous. She didn’t want to upset her anymore.

“Oh, that sounds like fun.” Rosemary nodded her head, looking a little softer as she spoke. Russell walked forward, happily sliding in the gap between Kim and Billy.

“Bring some back for us.” Sam shouted in the kitchen, his nose buried in the book that he was reading. Kim nodded her head urgently, giving them both a wave before she followed Billy out the door.

“This is lame.” He grumbled out, looking fairly irritated as he brought a cigarette up to his lips. Kim watched the way the sun danced against his skin, like the rays were drawn to him.

“I’m not lame,” Russell whined, “Can I sit up front?” He asked Kim hopefully, shining his big blue eyes towards her as he pouted out his bottom lip. She grinned, feeling her walls caving in at his cute little face.

“No,” Billy said before Kim could say yes, “Get in the back. Kim’s spot is up front.” He said as he tapped the front of his seat. He blew out a cloud of smoke, like he was waiting for Russell to challenge him before he slid into the front seat.

“Thanks,” Kim said softly as she rubbed Russell’s back as he climbed through the back, “Maybe on the way home?” She suggested, thinking that it would be a fair deal. She really didn’t mind if Russell sat up front, especially if it meant he got to talk to Billy more.

“How long are we staying?” Billy whined again, looking as if he was being forced to go. She buckled up before she flashed a grin in his direction,

“Like you don’t want to see your new friend,” She teased him, “I don’t know. Should we get him a gift?” She asked him seriously, making Billy halt before he reversed out of the driveway.

“Us going is his gift.” He replied blandly, looking like he meant his words. She sighed, thinking of the card that Steve had gotten for her.

“I think I have cash in here,” Kim said feeling guilty, “I might have a ceramic cup I can give him.” She mused, trying to think of what else they could quickly get. She felt bad not knowing anything about him.

“I think he’s fine.” Billy dismissed her, beginning to change the shift in the car before Kim popped the door open. She sent him an apologetic look before she clambered out.

“Hold on,” She rushed out of the car again, not wanting to show up empty handed as she rushed up to her room. She quickly grabbed one of them she’d been working on. It was a simple mug, blue and glossy but she figured it would work, “See. What’s the harm?”

“Kim had a crush on Steve too, can you tell?” Kim snapped her head towards Billy, her eyebrows knitting together in curiosity at his statement. He looked rather gleeful as he began to reverse this time, tossing his cigarette out the window as he did so.

“Too?” She tilted her head, trying to piece together who he was talking about. She watched the way his lips parted, how his eyebrows rose like he had said something he wasn’t supposed to,

“Max has a crush on him,” Russell answered quickly, his face red, “All she could talk about was his chest hair.” He brushed her off with a squeaky voice, his eyes diverting from her gaze.

“Oh,” Kim said softly, trying to hide the way her lips were forming into a smile, “I had no idea. The brat. No wonder she didn’t want to hook us up.” She agreed, watching the way Russell’s features slowly relaxed as she pretended to take his bait.

“That’s what you’re worried about.” Billy said dryly as he wrapped his thick fingers around her thigh, resting it there casually.

“I’m just teasing,” She flushed as she squeezed his bicep, “You’re the only one for me, sugar bear.” She drew out playfully, grinning at the way he looked towards her in shock.

“Oh God,” Billy groaned as he scrunched his nose up, “Don’t ever call me that again.” He said quickly, shaking his head like it was the worst thing she’d ever said.

“I kinda thought it was funny.” Russell piped in, looking just as amassed. She giggled, wondering if he’d really be bothered if she called him that again. His lips curled into the softest smile as he continued to shake his head.

“Thanks, Russell.” She told him softly, liking that there didn’t seem to be any tension between anyone. It felt comfortable, nice. She still missed Max desperately, but she wondered if this really would be a turning point. Perhaps things would truly be better after this.

“How does anyone afford a house like this?” Russell asked as he sat forward, his head nearing nicely between Kim’s and Billy’s as he looked around in awe.

“Porn,” Billy muttered under his breath then cackled as Kim shoved at his shoulder, “Just teasing.” He chuckled as he gave her thigh a soft rub before they got out.

“Don’t listen to him,” Kim said quickly as she waited for Russell to clamber out. She hugged her sweater tightly against herself, wishing that she had brought a jacket, “His dad has a fancy job.”

“Porn sounds better,” Billy mumbled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer as they walked up the driveway, “You okay?” He asked her, his eyes glancing over her features like he was reading what she was thinking.

“Mhm,” She nodded her head as she knocked on the door, “I’m just still tired.” She admitted as she leaned her head against his, inhaling deeply as she breathed in his musk.

“You came!” Gina grinned, looking even more round from the last time Kim had saw her, “Oh good. Come on in.” She backed up far enough so they could come inside

“Wow,” Russell looked around in interest, “Your house is huge.” His jaw continued to drop lower and lower the more he took in different items.

“That’s not the only thing that’s huge,” Gina snorted in Kim’s ear, making Kim’s eyes widened as she suddenly looked anywhere but towards Gina, “I’m glad you came.”

“I am too,” Kim said, surprised at the way Gina rested her head against her shoulder and hugged onto her arm, “Thank you for having us.” She said softly, wondering if Addi would be mad if she saw them.

“I hope you guys are reading to lose-, hey,” Steve paused, moving his hands from his hips as he took long strides towards Kim, “Are you alright?” He asked worriedly as he cupped her face with his long fingers, taking her completely by surprise.

“Yeah,” Kim gulped as he touched the bruised side of her face, “I took a tumble down the stairs.” She told the partial truth, a little embarrassed at how drunk she must’ve been to do so.

“You don’t have stairs in your house.” He pointed out as he lowered his hands from her face, his eyebrow raised as he awaited her answer.

“It was at a party.” She said softly, mumbling in embarrassment. Steve had already seen her drunk before, but she thought that this was so much worse.

“Ouch,” Steve grimaced as he pushed her hair from her face, making her eyes widen and body freeze at how close he suddenly was, “Tommy and I used to try and sled down the stairs. It didn’t work.” He nodded, like he had his own scars to share.

“That sounds like fun.” Russell said, beaming in excitement as Kim turned towards him. She shook her head, hoping he wouldn’t get any ideas while they were here.

“No,” Billy said quickly as he pointed to Russell, “Don’t even think about it.” He said before Kim could even think to reply. She smiled softly, reminding herself that he really would be a good dad when they were ready.

“We just thought we’d have the two teams in here,” Gina explained, “Someone gets the counter top and the other team gets the table?” She looked towards them, as if to ask what was best. Russell walked over, eyes narrowed as he began to examine both places.

“I bet you enjoyed that,” Billy whispered to Kim, smirking at the blush that lingered along her cheeks, “Didn’t you?” He nudged her playfully, wiggling his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes, but was glad he wasn’t upset about it. There truly was nothing between them. No lingering crushes or feelings.

“Like you wouldn’t,” She shot back, surprising herself but enjoying the way his cheeks flushed, “I think I’m totally into blondes with blue eyes anyways.” She teased him, walking towards the table with him and Russell.

“Then I like redheads with sweet eyes.” He mumbled softly, his lips curling up ever so slightly as he brushed his fingertips across her lower spine. She felt shivers traveling, spreading through her body from the soft way he touched her.

“Are my eyes sweet now?” She poked around again, grinning as he squeezed at her waist. She liked the easy look in his eyes, how carefree he seemed suddenly. She hoped it would stay this way.

“Where do you want to set up at?” Steve asked Gina curiously, drawing Kim’s eyes away from Billy. She rested against him, soaking in the feeling of his warm skin against her own.

“I thought we might change the teams though,” Gina paused for a moment as she glanced at everyone, “You know, to make things more fun.” She nodded her head quickly, though her features were torn together a little strict as she spoke.

“Okay,” Steve looked at her confused, “Like boys against girls?” He asked again, tilting his head as he waited for her to set up the rules. Billy snorted, like he knew something everyone else didn’t.

“No,” Gina said softly, “Like Billy and I and then you three.” She said at last with a hopeful look in her eyes. Kim realized that Gina must be similar to Billy in the way that everything needs to be perfected.

“Alright,” Steve said as he cocked an eyebrow, “But we just get an extra hand.” He grinned proudly as he ruffled his fingers through Russell’s hair. Russell stiffened at the motions, his blue eyes wide as he took a quick step away from Steve.

“Don’t go too hard on us,” Kim said softly as she kissed Billy’s cheek, “And don’t get mad when we win.” She giggled as she slowly let go of him, admiring the way that amusement formed on his features.

“Right,” Billy drew out dryly as he smacked her ass, making her jump and flush, “Good luck, Red.” He said slyly, shooting her a quick wink before he walked towards the counter with Gina. She froze, feeling her palms grow warm and sweaty as her heart throbbed uncomfortably inside of her chest.

“Kim,” Russell stopped her, gripping her arm quickly as he looked up at her in dismay, “Don’t leave me alone with him.” He whispered quickly, glancing over his shoulder quickly as he glanced at the way Steve was beginning to stack up the square pieces of gingerbread.

“What?” She looked at him incredulously, “Why? What’s wrong?” She asked him a little worriedly, hoping that Steve hadn’t said anything to upset him. Russell was too soft to be hurt.

“Nothing,” He spit out as his cheeks burned brightly, “I just feel sick around him.” He groaned as he rested his cheek against her shoulder, like he was trying to hide himself away. She grinned softly as she pulled his face away.

“Oh,” She giggled as she gave him a knowing look, “I felt like that once too. Come on, you can sit by me.” She teased him as she walked towards the table, genuinely having no idea what she was going to make. Russell lingered behind her like a shadow, like he was trying to hide himself away.

“How do we want to do this?” Steve asked as he flicked his eyes up at her, then back to the pile of cookies in confusion. She settled down next to him, gently taking a piece in her hands as she examined what it looked like.

“Should we all do a little house?” She questioned softly, “That might be fun.” She replied softly, already building a pink house within her mind. She glanced towards Russell, wondering what he thought.

“Oh, we can build our own families?” He asked quietly, shifting a little closer to her so he could look at what she was holding. She breathed out softly, thinking of how Max used to hide behind her when they were younger too. She missed her.

“Sure,” Steve replied with a shrug of his shoulders, “That sounds like fun.” He said, looking like he didn’t have any other plans on what to do. He passed out some of the larger square cookies, passing it down until everyone had at least four pieces.

It took some time to get the walls set up, trying to figure out the perfect amount of icing to put on the walls in order to make them stick together. They toppled in on each other more than once, but Kim was fairly proud that she was the first one to get the hang of it. By the time she went to help Russell, he’d already taken a bite out of one of his walls.

“It’s really good,” He said sheepishly when Kim laughed at it. She shrugged her shoulders, sure that it would give his house some nice character. They successfully stuck it together before she moved on, trying to help Steve with the same thing.

“Did you do this with your family?” She asked him curiously, swiping away the large amount of icing that he’d placed onto his walls. His was already beginning to get messy and sticky, but she figured he could cover it up with his design.

“Uh,” Steve paused for a moment, “No. I mean we had gingerbread displays but it was nothing I was ever allowed to touch. Someone else made them.” He mumbled as he held one wall up, while she pressed the other to it. She held it there for a moment before she slowly released her grip, ensuring that it had stuck.

“Oh,” Kim replied softly, genuinely curious as to how he’d grown up, “This is more fun. When are you starting school?” She asked him again, glancing over when she noticed that Gina’s and Billy’s foundation had toppled over. She pursed her lips together, trying not to laugh at the way Billy’s eyebrows wrinkled tightly in frustration.

“January,” Steve sighed, “I think. I’ve not got much hope about being a lawyer.” He mumbled, looking a little defeated as they got all of the walls placed together. She watched for a second to make sure that it would stand before she looked towards him again.

“Do you want to be one?” She brought up as she slowly began to mix in the smallest dot of red food coloring into some white icing. She stirred it up carefully, determined to get the right shade of pink.

“No,” He replied quickly, “But it’s what my dad wants.” He said as he twisted his house around gently before he began to messily make white lines along the side of the walls. She thought about it for a moment, frowning softly at his statement. She didn’t think he should do something just because his dad wanted him to.

“You should do something that you like.” She stated at last as she placed the pink icing into one of the piping bags. She wondered if Gina and Steve actually knew how to bake, or if they had just purchased all of this.

“I’m not good at anything.” He dismissed her with another slight shrug of his shoulders and even less pep in his talk as he continued to make messy lines along his house. She frowned, but thought that she could understand where he was coming from.

“I don’t think that’s true,” She told him quietly, a little intrigued at what his relationship with his dad was like. He kept his eyes trailed towards his gingerbread house, like he was regretting speaking up in the first place, “You’re really good with kids. You have a good heart. There’s always jobs in those areas.” She pointed out, hoping that she could make him feel at least a little bit better.

“What are you guys doing?” Gina narrowed her eyes as she walked over, standing on her tippy toes as she tried to look at what they were designing. Kim smiled kindly up towards her, noticing she had a mixture of different colored icings over her cheeks.

“Hey,” Russell protested as he pulled his gingerbread house towards his chest, “You’re cheating! No peeking!” He shouted frantically, looking like it was urgent that she left. Gina looked at him surprised, like she was beginning to argue.

“Yeah, no peeking,” Steve spoke up loudly, “Go back to your own island.” He swatted her away, nodding his head until she groaned and eventually waddled back to where she came from. Kim sent Billy a small wave, but noticed the way his eyebrow was raised curiously.

“Is there a way to cheat at gingerbread houses?” She asked slowly as she turned back towards her tablemates. She didn’t think this would be an actual competition. She just thought it would be something fun to do.

“Absolutely,” Steve said as Russell nodded along, “She was clearly trying to steal our ideas.” He responded with a soft chuckle, looking quite amused as he glanced back towards Gina with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

“Okay,” Kim giggled softly, “I see then.” She nodded her head softly, pressing her lips together to hide her grin as she felt a pair of eyes on her again. She was fairly certain who knew who it was, but she didn’t allow him to distract her right now.

The three of them worked together quite well, bouncing off different ideas and speaking random stories to one another. Her hand slightly shook as she worked on piping her roof, finding that this was really nice to do. Every once in a while she could feel herself growing anxious as she thought about what Danielle would say, what Sally might do. She shook those thoughts off just as quickly, focusing on her house again and at how Steve was ranting about the many parenting books he’d been reading.

“Did you know you can tear?”

“What?” Kim asked him curiously, tilting her head as she licked away the frosting from her spoon. He leaned in a little closer, his eyebrows high on his forehead.

“When you’re delivering,” He explained slowly, “Sometimes you tear because-,” He started to explain, moving his hands dramatically as Kim felt her eyes widening.

“Steve!” Gina shouted from not far away, “Stop talking about it, please.” She piped up, sounding a little shrill like she no longer wanted to hear about the gory details. Kim didn’t blame her. She was clenching her own legs together, thinking of how painful it must feel.

“What?” He asked innocently, “I was just preparing Kim in case-, wait. Is it safe for you two to have kids? Like they won’t be deformed will they?” He asked her seriously, one eyebrow raised as Kim looked at him stunned. Billy chuckled from not far away, making her tilt her head as she looked back at the way he was rolling his eyes.

“Oh my God,” Gina turned, holding both hands on her waist as she looked at him in disbelief, “Don’t listen to him, he’s just being funny.” She tried to brush off his statement, although Kim was fairly certain that Steve was being serious.

“We’ll talk later,” Steve mumbled, as he lightly tapped Kim’s wrist but did so just hard enough to mess up the lines on the flower bush she was trying to make, “Oops. My bad.” He apologized sheepishly.

“I don’t understand,” Russell whispered in her other ear, “Where would you tear at?” He asked, his dark eyebrows knitting together as Kim’s mouth ran dry. She shook her head, trying to fall back into any other conversation.

“Hey,” Billy said softly as he walked over, his blonde curls framing his face, “You’re hard at work.” He said softly as he wiped the icing from the corner of her lips. She grinned as he wiped the frosting off of his thumb with his tongue, making Steve gag next to her.

“Yes,” Kim asked softly, smiling at Billy as she covered up her little area she was working on, “Can I help you?” She asked him playfully, fully meaning to tease him. He cocked an eyebrow as he brushed his now dry thumb across her cheek.

“Just wanted to see what was so funny.” He drew out slowly, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at her. She leaned against his touch, trying to think about what he was talking about.

“Funny?” She looked up at him curiously until she remembered why she had been laughing, “Oh. Steve was just talking about how Steve Jr has been getting out of his cage.” She told Billy, grinning at how Steve had mentioned it was beginning to freak Gina out.

“You’re talking about his guinea pig?” Billy looked at her, shaking his head softly almost in defeat. She shrugged her shoulders softly, not sure why it was such a big issue.

“Yeah,” Kim replied in confusion, “Oh and Pearl. I think they’d be friends.” She said at last as she nodded her head. She had been thinking of Sam’s suggestion on taking up knitting. She thought it would be fun to make Pearl more clothes, maybe little boots for her paws.

“Pearl would slowly eat him to death,” Russell piped up unimpressed, “But sure. They’d be friends before that.” He replied dryly, using the same tone that Billy did when he wasn’t keen on an idea.

“Don’t be mean to my baby,” She told him quickly as she nudged at his arm, “She can’t help that she's a ferocious monster.” She said a little softer, smiling as she thought about how Pearl was slowly beginning to get larger and larger. She wanted to squish her back to her original size.

“She is cute,” Steve added a second later, “Gina, we should get a cat!” He shouted over their shoulders, dipping his head back and forth until he was able to look around Billy. She turned towards him, her eyebrows knitted tightly in concentration.

“You have the rodent! One or the other.” She said quickly, rubbing her tummy as she dipped a gingerbread man into a bowl of icing and then munched on it. She shrugged her shoulders when he began to whine, brushing him off like she was used to it.

“Your house looks good,” Billy said softly as he bent down low enough to kiss the top of her head. She ignored the way the other two groaned, “It’s a winner to me.” He responded softly, his lips dragging against her skin gently. She giggled as she pressed her face against his hands again.

“Don’t let her sway you, Billy!” Gina shouted from across the room again, sounding quite determined as she began to work on their house again. Kim squeezed at his hand, nudging him in that direction.

“No, no,” Steve said in response, “Keep it up, Kim.” Steve nudged at her back, giving her a reassuring look. She shook her head, turning quickly so she could smack at Billy’s butt as he walked away.

It didn’t take much longer for them to finish their houses. They even had enough time to decorate their own little people. She had even nipped away at one of the cookies to somewhat make a cat shape. Russell was constantly up and down, moving into different odd positions as he constantly grew tired of what he was working on.

“This is ours,” Gina proclaimed proudly as she turned around the one gingerbread house. It was perfect. The lines were neat and the gummies and sprinkles rested exactly where they needed to, “What do you think?” She asked proudly as she stepped back to look at it. It indeed did look like the perfect Christmas house.

“Where’s the rest of it?” Russell asked curiously, holding onto his chin as he dipped down to examine it closely. Kim held onto his hand gently, trying her best to keep him from touching it.

“What do you mean?” Billy huffed, “This is it.” He said in disbelief as he furrowed his eyebrows together, looking like he couldn’t understand what they had done wrong. Kim shook her head, knowing that it had nothing to do with the lack of details.

“Oh,” Steve grinned, looking all too cocky as he pulled the cardboard box away, “We made a little village.” He said in excitement, practically bouncing as he showed it off. Kim grinned as she held her hands out in response, showing it off as well.

It was certainly messier. No neat lines and perfect little spots where the gum drops were resting, but it was still cute. Kim’s little house was decorated with different shades of pink and she had successfully piped little bushes in front of the glass window.

“How’d you have time to make all of that?” Billy asked in disbelief, looking a little irritated as he sat a little closer to peer at it. Gina moved in front of Russell, struggling for a moment as she winced until she found a comfortable position to bend into.

“We made ourselves too,” Russell grinned as he held up his own, “This is me and the dog I want. I named him Bumble.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders, holding up the very messy and odd looking dog.

“Uh huh,” Billy said with interest, “Who did you make?” He teased Kim as he sat down by her very pink house. She had used a white for the little tiles and used red candies for the accents. She was fairly proud of it.

“You can’t tell by the mullet?” She asked him playfully as she gestured towards the people, “You’re holding Pearl.” She grinned, feeling her cheeks flush in hopes that it wasn’t too cheesy. He grinned in response as he picked the cookies up gently.

“She’s probably trying to attack my earring again.” He said teasingly as he kicked his leg out, brushing his knee against her own. She moved a little closer to him, feeling a little giggly as her stomach erupted into a fluttery sensation.

“She probably is,” Kim giggled in response, “You didn’t make any little people?” She asked him curiously as she brought her hands up to her hair. She tugged on it, still having a sudden urge to hide herself away.

“We, uh, focused more on details I guess,” Billy responded softly, “I really like what you have.” He said as he placed the cookies back down. He reached over to squeeze her knee, digging his fingertips in just hard enough to make her laugh.

“Thank you,” She smiled as she kissed his cheek softly, “I like your house too.” She replied as she wiggled closer to him. She rubbed their hands together softly, enjoying how thick and warm his hand was in comparison to hers.

“Steve,” Gina protested, “The baby is bigger than me.” She shook her head in disbelief as she looked at his little family. Kim glanced over, noticing how his set up was twice as messy as everyone else’s.

“Well you’re abnormally tiny so that’s on you,” He started to sass back, “Hey! Stop, you’re going to get frosting in my hair.” He whined as he pulled his head away from her grabby hands.

“Are we going to eat?” Russell asked, “And not this. I want real food.” He whined as he dramatically laid all the way across Kim’s lap, so that his chin was resting on Billy’s knee. Billy shoved at him, shaking his head until he sat up again.

“I have-,” Gina paused dramatically as she opened up the freezer, “Frozen pizzas. And more frozen food.” She said at last, nodding her head as a bright smile displayed on her lips. Kim watched as Billy began to tap his foot softly against the floor.

“I like pizza.” Russell said simply as he shrugged his shoulders, already back onto his feet again. He walked around the table a few times, his motions slowly sliding into the background as an unbothered Steve spoke up.

“I think I’m going to take a cooking class,” Steve mused as he rested his cheek on his palm. His elbow was on the table, resting near a pile of icing, “She wants to as well, but not until the baby comes.” He said at last, his eyes warm and sweet as he watched the way Gina struggled to get the pizzas from the boxes.

“Billy could teach you,” Kim intervened as she held onto Billy’s bicep, grinning widely, “He’s really good at cooking.” She complimented him, telling him the truth as she squeezed at his flesh softly.

“You are?” Steve asked in interest, groaning as he moved his elbow just enough to slide into the icing. He sighed deeply as he began to wipe it off, shaking it off of his fingertips and onto the table again.

“Kim is better,” Billy said, smiling stiffly as he held his teeth together, “She’s the real cook.” He tried to brush it off towards her, but she waved her hand in response. She was determined that Billy would speak to him.

“Yeah, but you have more free time,” She teased him softly, “I’ll help Gina.” She said cheerily, nearly knocking into Russell when she stood up. She winced as she balanced on her bad ankle, but quickly straightened herself out before Billy could start to baby her again.

She walked towards the kitchen, keeping herself from bumping into the very fancy house that Billy and Gina had precisely built. She glanced out the window, a little worried at how dark it was before she looked towards the clock. It was nearly six; they still had plenty of time.

“It keeps getting harder and harder to bend over,” Gina groaned as she moved to a squat, “My last check up they said that this not so little bean is weighing in heavier than they thought. Steve was a fat baby.” She said at last, sighing as she rested back against the counter. Kim smiled pitifully down towards her, wondering if the baby would be that big or if Gina was just that tiny.

“Do you know what you’re having?” Kim asked curiously, beginning to feel a little excited to be able to see a little baby around. She hadn’t really been around any since Max was so little.

“A girl,” Gina said in excitement as she rubbed her tummy again, “I’m so excited.” She said a little dreamily as she rested her hand in one spot. Kim was curious if she could feel the baby kicking. She was nearly tempted to ask, but then silenced herself. She didn’t want to push any boundaries.

“Do you have a name picked out?” She asked instead, tilting her head curiously at the way Gina’s face began to drop.

“We have a few that we like,” Gina said softly, “He suggested the name Nancy.” She said at last, instantly letting Kim know why she hadn’t seemed enthused to talk about it. Kim paused, stunned at the revelation.

“No,” Kim’s jaw dropped, “No he didn’t. Why?” She asked in disbelief, trying not to speak too loudly as she glanced towards where Steve and Billy were conversing about something. She shook her head, almost unable to accept that he had said that.

“He said he just likes the name,” Gina shrugged her shoulders, “And somehow I’m supposed to not think of anything else.” She said a second later, a little quicker as a frustrated look crossed ehr features. Kim nodded her head in agreement, although she was sure that Steve cared about her more than Nancy.

“He seems very smitten with you.” She said in response, nodding her head as she thought about how Steve had just been watching her. He was obviously very taken with her, even if he had said something very dumb.

“I’m kind of worried,” Gina admitted, “Nancy was his first love and I think in some way, he’ll always love her.” She said nervously as she held onto her cheek, her gaze turned towards the floor as she thought to herself. Kim moved towards her this time, giving her wrist a soft squeeze.

“I don’t think it’s anything like that,” Kim told her quickly, hoping to dwell her worries, “Men are just stupid.” She said honestly, even though she knew that many of her relationship issues had been her own fault. She didn’t want to bring that up right now. She thought that Gina deserved a chance to be upset.

“They are,” Gina nodded her head in agreement, “He is still really sweet though. I’m glad I have him.” She mumbled softly, still looking a little distant as Kim leaned against the counter with her.

“I know what you mean,” She smiled, “I’m not supposed to tell, but Rosemary is working on a quilt for the baby.” She added softly, feeling a little excited at the way Gina’s smile grew bright again.

“Really?” She breathed out in joy, “Oh that’s so nice of her.” She said, gaining the pep back in her step as she moved around the kitchen again. She kicked out a little stool, having to climb up it in order to grab the plates from the top shelf of the cabinet. Kim lingered behind her awkwardly, holding her arms out just in case Gina stumbled back.

“Hey,” Kim said suddenly as she helped Gina step back down, “What is Tommy’s secret?” She asked, whispering so that no one else could hear her. She had forgotten to ask Billy about everything else that had been going on.

“Oh,” Gina grinned as she covered her hand while she ate, “He slept with our cousin.” She said, raising her eyebrows scandalously as she pulled the oven out just a bit to check at how the cheese was melting.

“Oh?” Kim asked in disbelief, her own eyebrows raising in surprise as she brought her hand over her mouth. She shook her head, suddenly realizing why Tommy hadn’t made a big deal about hers and Billy’s relationship.

“He claims he didn’t know who she was, but she’s been to every single family even that we’ve ever had,” She replied as she shook her head, “We haven’t met with that side of the family sense then.” She giggled as she covered her mouth, shaking her head like she still couldn’t believe it had happened.

“Well,” Kim paused for a moment, “That certainly makes me feel better.” She admitted, reminding herself that things could be so much worse.

She shared a plate with Billy, letting him eat the meat toppings as she munched on his leftover crust. She felt a little natural as she sat on his lap, gently letting him pull her closer and closer to him as they settled into a nice conversation with the other three.

“Are you alright?” She asked him curiously, noticing the way he shifted her body away from his waist again. He paused as he rubbed his fingers across her thigh.

“Yeah,” He said softly, “It’s just sore.” He shrugged his shoulders as he stole another piece of sausage from the top of their pizza. She raised her eyebrow, nudging him softly.

“Why are you sore?” She asked him, “That’s a weird place for you to be sore.” She told him seriously as she dipped the end of the crust into the part where the sauce was beginning to overflow.

“I-,” He drew out softly, rolling his tongue around in his mouth as he averted his eyes from her, “I got another tattoo.” He said a second later, surprising her completely. She covered her mouth as she chewed, trying to think of when he would’ve gotten it done.

“You did?” She asked him, narrowing her eyes a bit as she waited for him to tell her the full story. She didn’t want to take another step back in their relationship. This time she would pester him until he told her the truth. She wouldn’t get mad.

“Someone was practicing tattoos at the party,” He said slowly as he rubbed at her skin, “I was dumb and agreed to it.” He said at last, making her eyes slightly widen as she thought about him taking a risky tattoo job.

“What if the needle was dirty?” She asked him seriously, fearful that he might get hurt, “Can I see it?” She asked a second later, a little excited about the idea of him having another tattoo. She really liked the way his skin looked covered in ink. It was hot.

“Not yet,” He laughed softly, “It’s just healing. I think you’ll like it though.” He mused as he handed her another piece of crust. She took it from his hands, raising her eyebrow curiously at what he’d be surprising her with.

“You do?” She asked him, smiling as she put the crust up to her lips again. He nodded his head softly, looking sincere as he leaned forward to nip at her exposed skin. She jumped a bit at the sudden sensation.

“Mhm,” He smiled as he rubbed his fingers across her thigh, “I really do.” He spoke softly, grinning like he was holding his own little secret.

#Dancing in the Dark #billy hargrove x oc #billy hargrove smut #billy hargrove #billy hargrove stepcest #tw pseudocest #tw stepcest

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ejzah · 8 months ago

Text

The Other Shoe, Part 16

***

“Now what do we think we’re doing here?” Deeks asked the bean plant he was trying to untangle from an over enthusiastic cucumber vine. “Come on, that’s just not polite.”

“Should I be worried that you’re talking to the produce?”

Deeks looked over his shoulder, smiling as Sam approached. It reminded him of not so long ago when Sam had come, with his lifesaving offer.

“Only if they start talking back,” Deeks replied. He tossed his gardening gloves to the side. “Can I interest you in a cheeky cucumber or some slightly mature wax beans?”

“Maybe later,” Sam said wryly. “Looks like everything’s flourishing.”

“Yeah, it got a little out of hand while I was convalescing.” He gave Sam a once over. They’d gotten together a few times since Deeks’ release from the hospital, but they’d both been surprisingly between follow up appointments, therapy (for Deeks), and catching up on everything that went to the wayside in the last month. “You look good, man.”

“You too.” Holding out an arm, Sam tugged Deeks in for a firm hug. E squeezed Deeks extra hard once, then stepped back with an approving nod. “Good to see you with some meat back on your bones and some color in your skin. You been back out on the water yet?”

“Just to wade. I got a couple more weeks before I can fully submerge this thing.” Deeks pointed towards his scar and shrugged regretfully. “I can’t wait.”

“You’ll get there,” Sam assured him. “Though if you get eaten by a shark and waste my good kidney, I will kill you.”

“I’ll be careful. What about you? Did you have a good trip with Kam and Aiden?”

“I did. Though Kam spent the entire time worrying over me. Wouldn’t let me cook or clean a thing.”

“Sounds familiar,” Deeks said with a soft grin, gesturing for Sam to follow him into the house. “They’re just glad we’re ok.”

“I know. And I’m grateful, but in terms of recoveries, this one is way down on the list. I didn’t nearly bleed out, wasn’t poisoned or shot,” Sam made a face as he listed off previous injuries.

“You didn’t tell Kam that, did you?” Deeks imagined the youngest Hanna would show just how terrifying she could be if pushed.

“Oh hell no. She’d never let me out of her sight again.”

“Sounds about right. So, when do you go back to the office?” Deeks asked. He grabbed a couple glasses and filled them with iced tea from the fridge, handing one to Sam.

“A couple more weeks. Kilbride is making me take the full medical leave before he’ll discuss anything with me,” Sam explained. “I’ve had some offers from other agencies. I’m gonna see what all my options are before I make any decisions.”

A frisson of guilt ran through Deeks at the reminder that Sam had essentially given up his career for him. He pushed it down, knowing that Sam had know interest in apologies or pity.

“I think I’d like to do something involving teaching. Maybe I’ll look into becoming an adjunct law professor. Or maybe they’ll let me back into FLETC,” Deeks said.

“Either one would be lucky to have you,” Sam told him, then offered a teasing smirk. “Though I’m not sure some of us are brave enough to take on any recruits you’d train. The legal debates alone would be ridiculous.”

“Oh, for sure. It would be a requirement.” Chuckling along with Sam, Deeks traced a bead of condensation sliding down the side of his glass. . “I know you keep saying it’s not necessary, but I appreciate everything you’ve given up for me,” he said. “You’ve literally given me a second change at life.”

Sam accepted the words with a nod and a gentle smile.

“That’s what brothers do for each other.”

“To brothers,” Deeks echoed, holding up his half-empty glass. Sam clinked their glasses together.

#ncis la fanfiction #marty deeks #sam hanna #pretty much fluff at this point #the other shoe #sick fic #part 16 #au #ejzah fanfiction

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kaylinalexanderbooks · 9 months ago

Text

Find the word tag

Still making my way through this pile up

Thanks @aziz-reads for the tag!

My words: yearn, few, tense, bounce

Your words: bet, unique, glare, pleasure

Tagging @little-peril-stories @blind-the-winds @thepeculiarbird @andyswritings @sarahlizziewrites @jezifster @jessicagailwrites @little-mouse-gardens @buffythevampirelover @emabatis @revenantlore @fairy-tales-of-yesterday @hallowedfury or anyone who sees this

Keep reading for:

Robbie and Akash angst?? Usually they're so funny!?

Everyone is concerned about Maddie except Maddie

Ash is conflicted about making a bad decision but ultimately makes a bad decision

Akash knocks himself out (this is like the third time I've posted an excerpt from this scene)

Yearn Longed (closest synonym) - from The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

The bell rang for class to start, but I blocked it out. I hated the way people treated Akash. I turned to him. He was updating his planner for the week, but I could tell that he could hear the whispers, too. Hated them, too. As much as they upset me, I honestly couldn’t imagine how they must affect him. It wasn’t all negative. Just Jason, his buddies, and a couple of other racist and/or ableist dicks. Some were sweet to him, but not because he was a cool guy—which he totally is—but because he was different. “Special.” He was a person, like everyone else. I wasn't so pessimistic that I believed everyone was only nice to him because of his disability, but I was realistic enough to know that people just act differently around someone who was, well, different, even subconsciously. Because of this, Akash and I hadn’t made a giant friend group over the years like either of us wanted. Maybe one day. There were plenty of people who liked me—an annoying amount of people, who did the same thing they did to Akash. They had a certain idea of who I was. I supposed a lot of us did that. But a large friend group seemed awesome and was something I longed for. But despite that feeling of isolation, I didn’t care much, since I had Akash. We were both a little lonely, but being lonely together was better than being lonely alone. Wow, that was a bit of a sappy thought, I thought to myself as the bell rang. I feel like that’s something Pooh said. Jesus, I haven’t thought about Pooh in years. I tapped Akash’s desk and whispered, “We need to watch all the Winnie the Pooh movies.” “I’d love to know how your brain got to that topic. Though I agree.” I laughed to myself and turned to face our teacher as class started.

Few - from The Secret Portal Part Two (Maddie POV)

“Alright,” said Wade, holding out a hand. “Can you stand?” I grabbed his hand and he helped me to my feet. I felt a little lightheaded, but nothing really hurt anymore. I gave him a thumbs-up. The crowd that formed very awkwardly began to thin. I heard a few comments asking again if I was okay, despite me saying I was. I kept holding the thumbs up until it was just me, Sam, and Liam. “One more round?” I asked, still holding the thumbs up. “No!” Sam cried, cheeks shiny with tears. “You heard Lexi; I could have killed you!” “You didn’t.” Sam’s face scrunched up before she stalked toward the elevator. I turned to Liam. “I’m fine, though, I swear.” “Yeah, now,” Liam said firmly. His arms crossed over his chest. “Kiddo, you didn’t see yourself. You looked pretty bad. Most of your bones were probably broken based on how much Wade stitched you up. Probably some internal bleeding!” “The blood’s supposed to be inside.” Liam bit his lip like he was trying not to laugh, but he looked angry about it. He sighed, pressing his palms together and resting his forehead against the tips of his fingers. “I did this so I could see where your gaps were in my teaching. You have shifting down very well. Now, you need to assess yourself and how you’re doing. And Sam is right. You’re done for today.” “It’s not even lunch, though.” “Then the morning, but no heavy stuff after this, okay?” I ran my tongue over my braces. “Alright.” “Go take a shower,” Liam said, more gently than he usually spoke.

Tense - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

I turned onto my left side to face the rest of the room. Rose was curled up on the floor in the fetal position. Lexi lay on her stomach, her arm dangling off the couch. Noelle was on her side, almost log-like, though her arms stretched out in front of her. Gwen, too, was on her side on the recliner across the room, hugging a pillow tightly to her chest. Their dreams, I could sense. I couldn’t say what they were about, but I could feel how they made them feel. Calm, tense, uncomfortable—I didn’t like it. But I did. Giving up trying to sleep, I sat upward, placing my feet on the floor and feeling the carpet between my toes. I felt the coin-shaped devices shift in my pocket and pulled them out. I stared at them in my palm, the dim light from electronic clocks and the kitchen being the only things allowing me to see. At least with my eyes. My finger brushed the surface of the devices. They were overall smooth, but there were ridges, all in a radial pattern around their center. I felt their power pulse into the pad of my finger, causing my body to shudder. When I’d used them earlier, they allowed me to wake everyone I accidentally knocked out. However, I wasn’t so stupid that I didn’t consider they were what made me sick in the first place. Maybe they were what was crying out to me the entire time I was in Alium. An insane thought—I was a thirty-minute walk away when I’d collapsed. Carla mentioned the power activation was likely simply because I was now in Alium. But no one else had the ease that I did. What if it was these devices? That would explain a lot. I’d felt drawn to them. I ran my thumb over them like they were my rings. My curiosity piqued. It was like they were reaching out to me, specifically. Which was ridiculous to think about an inanimate object. Jedi had seemed worried after I told him what happened. He didn’t even want to go down the corridor. Maybe it was because of these. What could he be afraid of? Me unlocking my potential? Carla told me the mind had no limit, and these devices seemed to expand the limit. Maybe I shouldn’t use them just to explore, as much fun as that sounded. But I couldn’t sleep, and these things did help me earlier. Maybe they could help me sleep. It was worth trying, at least.

Bounce - from The Secret Portal Part One (Akash POV)

Gills told me I was defense. He’d understand. The real problem was Noelle. She grabbed Gills’ rock in pitch darkness. She could get me. I pulled harder on the stick. Noelle’s pull tightened, too. Smirking to myself, I let the stick go and flew upward—cutting through the air. Noelle grunted as the stick hit her with her own force. Once high enough, I shot toward the dragon, hoping to keep the momentum to pass through the dampening field and get the sphere. I knew it as soon as I passed. I lost my grip on the air and began to fall, but I latched onto the collar before doing so. Custos didn’t like that and tried to paw me off, but I managed to unclasp the sphere. “Haha!—oomph!” I celebrated until Custos did knock me off. I tried to feel when I passed the field, but the ground came fast, causing my entire body to shudder nauseously and the back of my skull to bounce off the floor, only to be hit again. I groaned. Custos apparently was too low to the ground for there to be air beneath the field. My ears rang as I felt around for the lid of the sphere and opened it the way Carmen demonstrated. “I got the feather!” I tried to say but knew I passed out before I could since it was suddenly a lot brighter. “Hey, Singh,” Gills said above me. “Did we win?” “Yeah, because you were an idiot and went right into the dampening field.” “You sound annoyed.” “Because my teammate passed out and had to be taken to the medbay. Do you know how dangerous it is to lose consciousness when you hit your head?” “But my plan worked.” “If this was real, you’d be dead.” “You’re welcome,” I grunted as I pulled myself up to a seated position.

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avengerscompound · 1 year ago

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The Tower - Loki

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 2612

Warnings: smut (MF, vaginal sex)

Synopsis: Elly reminisces about Loki’s first introductions to each of the groups children, then the god of mischief gives her some needed alone time with Thor.

Author’s Note: Requested by RoyaWitch on Wattpad and JamieBarnes on AO3. You can send in your requests too.

Takes place after Happily Ever After but references the past a lot.

Loki

It was a quiet day on Asgard. The weather was mild, warm without being too hot, and had clear skies. Thor was taking one of his unusual days off the throne, and Sam and Steve were taking his place. Thor and I had taken Thour and Nova to the courtyard to play with the Vulparev. They were toddling around, using their familiars to steady themselves as they explored the garden, and Thor and I sat on a rug watching them, me leaning up against Thor as he played with my hair. We had a little picnic set up, with snacks and drinks for us and the kids, plus some treats for the Vulparev.

We hadn’t been outside very long when both the children squealed loudly and ran to the other side of the atrium. Thor and I sat up to see what was happening just in time to see the twins slam into Loki’s legs.

“Yes, hello. It is good to see you too,” he said, crouching down and holding his arms out. The twins both clambered up on him like he was a tree and he stood, holding them both on his hips.

“Brother!” Thor boomed. “It is good to see you on this fine day. Where are you headed?”

Loki carried the babies over to us, the vulparev flanking him on either side. When he saw us laying on the grass he shook his head and gave a small roll of his eyes. “Oh good, my favorite people,” he snarked.

“I hear the sarcasm, Loki, and I wonder who you’re trying to convince,” I teased.

He smirked and took a seat, plopping the two toddlers into his lap. “I’m not really going anywhere, brother,” he said. “I was just walking. Are you slacking today?”

Thor chuckled, refusing to take the bait. “Steven and Samuel are on the throne today. They are more than capable of running the kingdom.”

Loki tsked and rolled his eyes, but as he did Nova started to climb up onto him again and cuddled against his side. Loki’s eyes softened and he gazed down at the little boy. “Well, aren’t you a sweet little thing?”

I smiled as I gazed at them. Loki had always been so good with the children. Back when Riley and Pietro had been born, I’d been a little nervous about Loki meeting them. I liked Loki back then, though I didn’t know them very well. I knew Thor adored his sibling but I also knew that Loki had long-held resentments due to Odin’s treatment of them. It had manifested into a fight for the throne that kept repeating itself, Thor being the chosen child to rule despite not wanting to, and Loki believing that Thor was a bad choice. I’d worried that with Riley’s birth, that resentment would come to a head again because now Loki wouldn’t even be the next in line to rule after Thor.

When Loki had come to meet the twins it was the first time I’d ever seen her presenting as a woman. She was so beautiful dressed in a green and gold gown and when Thor placed Pietro into her arms, all concerns that she’d ever be a risk to those children melted away immediately. She looked so maternal with him in her arms. Almost as if motherhood was part of her divinity.

“Hello, child,” she cooed. “I’m your aunt. You’re not always going to have an easy life. Your sister is heir to a throne and she’s likely to be very powerful. But don’t worry. I’ll always be here for you. I know what it’s like to have a sibling that is difficult to stand in the shadow of. Perhaps I can teach you magic someday. Would you like that?”

She flicked her fingers over Pietro’s head and green light danced on her fingertips. Pietro cooed and reached for them, completely mesmerized by the light.

While Pietro was her favorite, she’d loved Riley just as strongly, and even though the twins didn’t get to see Loki constantly, it was enough that they soon learned that their aunt was often their uncle, and they were always excited when they visited. Often when Thor returned home to us, after the twins had gotten their cuddles from their father, the first thing they asked was ‘Where’s Loki?”

Loki met Rebecca, Sarah, Rose, and Eddie at the same time. This time he came and stayed with us at the tower for a few months. He was so excited to meet the new clan, though Pietro was still the favored one. We’d been a little worried about Loki staying for so long. He did get bored easily and not everyone had fully forgiven Thor’s brother for his past transgressions. Clint’s grudge in particular ran very deep. I understood that - Loki had made Clint kill friends. People who he knew. People who had family.

We had once again been proven wrong. Not that Loki didn’t get bored and cause trouble. He did. A god of mischief has to mischief. His pranks were all on the harmless side and mostly he was a blessing to have around. He helped change diapers. He would take Riley and Pietro to and from school. The thing is, Loki is also the god of stories, and each night during that visit he would weave these amazing tales for Riley and Pietro that would even keep many of us adults enthralled.

I think by the time Billy was born, Loki was starting to think we were maybe breeding a little much. He didn’t come down to visit right away, and in fact, he didn’t meet Billy until we brought the kids to Asgard when he was six months old.

Loki had met us on the Rainbow Bridge and after being set upon by Riley and Pietro, he came over to Wanda who was trying to soothe Billy after the trip through the Bifrost.

“Where is the new addition to the family?” he asked.

“He’s here,” Wanda said, showing Loki the little crying bundle in her arms. Loki looked down at Riley and rolled his eyes. “Your parents like making new Midgardians, don’t they?”

She giggled and nodded. “I got so many brothers and sisters,” she said.

“I thought having one brother was too many,” Loki said, making her break down into hysterical laughter.

He moved in closer to Billy and caressed a finger down his cheek. “Oh, I know. It’s a big scary universe and you’re just learning how big and scary it can be.”

He raised an eyebrow and looked up at Wanda. “He’s full of magic. Do you feel that?”

She smiled and nodded. “I can. I might need your help teaching him.”

The corner of Loki’s lips twitched up for a moment and he tickled Billy’s tummy. “Well, little one, it sounds like we will be working together. That will be fun won’t it?”

Loki was there when Tommy was born. We had so many kids by that point that even with the nannies, we wanted to have a backup on delivery day. She came down while Natasha was sleeping and was the first person who was not a part of the polycule. She sat for so long just gazing down into Tommy’s eyes, and when Tommy’s tiny little hand closed around her finger, for a split second I was sure I saw her eyes prick with tears.

When we decided to have Mar, I think Loki thought we were all done. He came to see us when Mar was just a few weeks old. Looking back on it now, I wonder if Loki could sense something in them even back then. Loki never referred to Mar as a girl or used the pronouns she or her. It was always child and they/them. Maybe there was something deep in Loki’s magic and identity that like recognized like. Or maybe that’s just how Loki addressed all the children and I just didn’t notice with the others. Either way, he was smitten once again, and once again, he had a nibbling that adored him.

Thor poured Loki a glass of wine and offered it to him. “It is a rare day when we are both off.”

“It has been a while,” Loki agreed, waving away the glass. I could see why. His hands were full and there was no way he’d put down one of the children before they were ready. “But do not think I plan to spend the day reminiscing with you about the good old days.”

“I would never dare,” Thor joked.

“God, how is it that all our children just adore you?” I asked as I watched the twins both start to settle and lay in against their uncle, looking like they were about to fall asleep.

“They do have good taste,” he said.

“So people that like you have good taste?” I asked.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Nice try, Elise,” he teased. “But I said that people that adore me have good taste. Do you adore me, Elise? Are you completely infatuated with me?”

I started giggling. “Maybe?”

“Oh, do you hear that brother? Your dear wife is completely smitten. How hard it will be for me not to steal her away from you,” he teased.

Thor laughed loudly. “That will be a shame. But - at least she will be staying within the family.”

I lost it completely, leaning into Thor as I hid my face. “Oh no, she seeks comfort in my brother for I have scorned her. A tale worthy of the ages,” Loki teased, making me laugh even louder, my sides hurting.

“Do not worry, brother. As soon as I bed her, I’ll have her forgetting all about you,” Thor joked.

Loki grimaced and shook his head. “I did not need to hear that,” Loki said. “Be away with you both.”

“Hey! We were here first!” I argued.

“Yes, but I am currently covered in small sleeping children and you are not,” he said. “So you’ll need to leave.”

We didn’t move, obviously assuming it was part of the joke but Loki waved us away. “I mean it. I have these two. I’ll bring them back when they wake. Go and bed your wife.”

Thor titled his head. “Are you sure? We don’t mind keeping you company.”

He shook his head. “You know how I feel about company. Go. I’ll bring them back to you when they wake.”

I leaned over and kissed both Nova and Thour on the forehead. “Thank you, Loki.”

“You can owe me a favor,” he teased.

“Oh gods,” I laughed as I stood with Thor, making Loki laugh as well.

I collected up Sanguine as Thor picked up Mjolnir and the two of us headed back into the palace.

“It feels a little strange to bed you at the whim of my brother,” Thor said as we strolled back to our living quarters.

“Is that going to stop you from doing it?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Oh norns, no,” he said. “We should take advantage of the moment while we have it.”

I laughed and leaned up and kissed him, and he took the opportunity to scoop me up into his arms. I squealed and laughed as he carried me straight to our bedroom, climbing the stairs to our oversized bed and laying me down on the mattress. Thor started to slowly undress as he looked down at me, pulling on different drawstrings and unclasping buckles. I simply pulled on one tie and my gown fell open, the fabric spilling out around me.

He licked his lips as he threw his tunic aside, exposing his muscular chest. I met his eyes and slowly ran my palm down my body and between my legs, fingering my clit as I looked up at him. “Mmm that’s it, my life,” he purred. “Just like that. Show me how you pleasure yourself.”

I moaned and my head dropped back as I focused on the warm tingle that was slowly spreading through me from my cunt. “Look at me, my queen.”

I opened my eyes. He stood above me, watching me through darkened eyes. He opened his pants and pushed them down. His cock sprung up, thick and hard, pressing straight up against his belly. He wrapped his hand around his shaft and slowly started pumping it. A bead of precome formed on the head and I licked my lips, picturing how it must taste.

He sank to his knees and crawled up over me. I spread my legs, welcoming him between them, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him down into a kiss.

He slid the head of his cock up and down my slit. It pulsed against my clit sending shivers through time, and I arched my back, trying to angle my hips so he’d push into me.

Thor was in no hurry. If the tip of his cock caught at my entrance he would pull back and slide past it, teasing my clit once more. I whined needing, squirming under him.

He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against mine. “My poor needy lover. Am I taking too long?”

“Yes,” I whined. “I want you inside me.”

He changed the angle of his hips and with one smooth stroke, he entered me. I moaned as my cunt stretched to take him, and I lifted my knees so he could go as deep as possible.

He didn’t give me time to adjust but he also didn’t rush things. Each roll of his hips was slow and measured, so his cock dragged down the ridges of my cunt, and the base rubbed against my clit. I kept trying to angle my hips so he would hit my g-spot, but he was just too big, it brushed past it, which sent shivers through me and was punctuated with a sting as he hit my cervix.

I wrapped myself around him and raked my nails down his back. I couldn’t get enough of him. I wanted him to touch all of me. For our bodies to meld together. I pulled him into another kiss. It was deep and slow, matching the pace of Thor’s hips. We were making love, even with the sting with each thrust, it was love-making at its best.

Pleasure spread through me like an electric current, making my skin prickle and my hair stand on end. It felt like the current was passing between us, merging us into one.

I rolled my hips to meet his, arching my back, and moaning into his lips. My orgasm built, coiling through me like a snake, starting at my toes and winding right up to the top of my head. It tightened all at once and I seized up under him as my orgasm came crashing through me.

Thor continued to thrust, fucking me through my orgasm, and when his hit, he shoved in deep and pulled back, roaring as he released inside me.

He rolled, pulling me on top of him so he could stay inside me longer. “How long do you think we have?” I asked.

He smiled up at me and ran his fingers through my hair. “I think he will give us just exactly as much time as we need. And then he’ll come in and make it seem as if he hated every second of it and that we owe him.”

I chuckled. “I mean, we kind of do.”

Thor laughed with me and rested his forehead against mine. “Don’t let him know we know,” he whispered and we both collapsed, laughing together.

~ END ~

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braveclementine · 6 months ago

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Warnings: Murder

Y/N went off to school the next day. And immediately, the others jumped into their plans of making her twelfth birthday extra special.

Thor had come down from Asgard, bringing with him Asgardian liquor. Loki had put a hand over his face in disappointment while Natasha and Sam had laughed their asses off.

"You oaf!" Loki shouted, waving his hands dramatically like the diva he was. "You cannot give that little girl Asgardian liquor! The drinking age is twenty-one and she can't drink that stuff!"

"I did not know. We always drank it on our twelfth birthday." Thor said, looking disappointed. He brightened up almost immediately. "I know! I shall go and get her pop tarts!"

He ran off and Loki had to race after him, screaming for Thor to stop because you still had a humongous stash of pop tarts from Christmas from him.

Natasha swiped the liquor as the two Gods exited the Compound. "Excellent," she said, and hid it behind some cups.

Pietro entered the room at that moment, shaking his head, wiping dirt off of his hair into the trash can.

"What the heck did you do?" Sam questioned, looking at Pietro with a questioning look.

"I was speeding along the side of the Compound and one of the clods of dirt that the gardener was shoveling hit me in the face. It was unintentional, he didn't know I was going to end up there at that time." Pietro said, shaking his head like a dog.

"He's digging?" Nat asked in surprise.

"I think he's putting in trees." Pietro shrugged, wiping more dirt off of him. "The holes are to deep for flowers."

"Yeah, cause you barely even dig for flowers." Sam rolled his eyes. "He could be putting in bushes too. And I think Tony said he'd been wanting to put fruit trees in for some time now. That must be what they are."

"OH yeah." Nat said with a nod. "I forgot about that. What kind of fruit?"

"I think he said apples." Sam said, trying to remember, "Not sure."

"Either way," Nat said in a friendly way, "Probably should go take a shower Piet. I don't think you're going to get all the mud out by shaking your head like a dog."

He rolled his eyes, but went off for a shower and then Nat and Sam went to make Y/N's cake.

Y/N skipped home, excited. She couldn't believe that she was already twelve! It had been such a fun day in school too! She had handed out cup cakes to all of her classmates and then played kickball during recess. And they'd learned more about the moons of different planets in science! Not to mention, they'd studied Mr. Rogers and Teddy in history!

But now she couldn't wait to get home and be with her family for her birthday. She was really hoping that they had gotten her a dog to play with.

She couldn't wait to see Uncle Thor and hold his hammer. And Uncle Strange had been teaching her how to use a sling ring and make orange portals. Plus, she hadn't seen Uncle Strange in almost four months!

"Hey Missy." Mr. Gates greeted her. She could see that he had dug a very large hole on the side of the compound, but he wasn't over there anymore. Today, he was greeting her at the sidewalk.

"Hello Mr. Gates!" She said, beaming. "How is the gardening today?"

"Very good." He said joyfully. "Hey do you like baby animals?"

"Yes!" She squealed.

"Well, I've got some bird eggs that are hatching right now! Do you want to come and see them?"

"Yes, please!' She said.

"Alright, come with me." He said, holding his hand out. She took it eagerly and let him lead her over to where his house was, set back on the property near the forest edge.

"Now," He dropped his voice to a soft whisper. "Approach the nest over there carefully and quietly. You don't want to frighten them after they've just been born."

Y/N crept quietly over to where the nest was sitting in a patch of sunlight on the table. There were four beautiful robin blue eggs in the nest, and one of them had deep cracks going down it. She was enthralled, so she never even noticed Mr. Gates creeping up behind her.

And she certainly didn't see it coming, when he brought the shovel down on her head.

#Braveclementineworks #Braveclementineshortstories #BraveclementineNovels #Unspeakable #murder #Tony Stark #Tony Stark daughter #reader #Thor #Loki #Stephen Strange #Steve Rogers #Natasha Romanoff #Pietro Maximoff #angst #sad story

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crimsonblackrose · 4 months ago

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Ah man the "good morning baby" cuddle to an empty bed with no note and no messages is telling I'm sure to Amanda on how Miyagi do isn't just a passing phase anymore.

Amanda is still kinda in denial or at least hopeful since she asked if Daniel was at the dealership already.

They're supposed to have lunch with Anoush. Which, quick reminder, amidst everything Tom Cole came and stole Daniel's staff (cough the way Daniel stole Johnny's students) and they moved Anoush from the dealership he liked working at due to it, and then rather than help out or attend marketing or other meetings Daniel's been at the dojo. And because Daniel didn't tell Johnny where Robby was, Johnny showed up and punched Anoush in the side/stomach even though Anoush tried to defend and keep them safe not aware that Robby is a minor and Daniel hadn't told either of his parents where he was.

Oh and he climbed up to repaint the billboard with Louie rather than Daniel hiring professionals to do it.

It'd be one thing if it was Johnny there to be like hey, I'm sorry about your dojo. But Kreese literally knows Hawk did it.

It's interesting how when someone else confronts Daniel with very specific terminology he says they're kids, not soldiers and it's not war. Yet the mongoose brain is kind of treating it as such.

Kreese asks if Daniel teaches karate or gardening. (Which fair, why's there so many rocks in your dojo?!) and then puts out his cigar in one of the bonsai, which booo bad grandpa, booo don't hurt the plants.

Regards to Mr. Miyagi. What are you going to do Kreese, murder Daniel? Like what does that even mean?????

He's not going to let Johnny lose this time, and thanks for taking our weakest soldiers. Bud. This is not the route Johnny wanted to go. And other than to scare Daniel why were you here? He had no idea that Daniel would be there that early let alone that day at all. Was he hoping to catch Robby?

Does it count as breaking and entering when it's no longer a home but a dojo?

Yasmine is in France and Moon is no longer hanging out with Aisha and Tory because she broke up with Hawk so now she's back to hanging out with Sam. Moon: Hemp oil is supposed to balance your kinetic energy don't know if it'll get you high though. (Please have her make one of these for everyone else lol)

Moon looks so at home that I didn't realize this is Sam's room. They moved some of her stuff around like her bed.

Moon is there to help Sam pick out her work out outfit.

Miguel tells Johnny he's sorry about his loss. Which means everyone in the dojo and Kreese surely must know that Tommy has passed. Yet Miguel's the only one to talk to him. Johnny went to the funeral before coming back.

Kreese didn't just subtly move things around, because Johnny instantly does a double take upon seeing his desk before he even clocks that Kreese hung up a photo of himself on the wall.

Kreese uses paying bills and doing invoices as an excuse for reorganizing.

I guess Kreese is also a two time champ. Think Silver is too? Kreese also says a buddy of his took that photo. Do you think it's Silver or one of the friends that passed away?

I suppose neither Kreese nor Johnny communicated on their plans for the day. Which is interesting because Johnny must've communicated with someone to say he was going to a funeral and yet he doesn't know the kids are going to the woods and not training in their gi's. Which Kreese shouldn't have permission to take them on a field trip.

They're going to Coyote Creek. Ummm so I've been mapping how far these places they're going are. And I think this is the first, Kreese I hope you got permission slips from tehse kids parents because this is the winner for distance outside of wherever Robby was taken. Coyote Creek is apparently near San Jose and thus nearly 5 and 1/2 hour drive away.

Johnny: I'm not sure they're ready for that.

You think? It's such a long way away. What did they do during that road trip huh? Are there Cobra Kai camp road songs?

Up to sensei lawrence, Johnny should've asked for permission slips.

Johnny you shouldn't take them there.

He seems so quiet when he agrees to go, like he didn't want to let them down but also didn't want to do it.

Kreese put Johnny in a rough spot there. Told the kids they were going to go do something, got them all excited, but then when Johnny came back made it seem like it was his decision, but of course it'd disappoint all the kids if they don't go. It makes it seem like Johnny's still in charge but instead he's being pressured into doing something he didn't plan to do right after the death of a friend and when he's less likely to fight.

This is my favorite. Demetri and Sam annoying sibling behavior. Which is hilarious because they're not truly that close other than being the og 3 miyagi-do, and even then Demetri's still arguably new.

I think I'm always focused on Demtri's actions that I always missed that she wipes her shoulder off back on his shirt.

Shochu-Geiko at Miyagi-do, you train during the hottest days of the year.

Oh hey new background students

We're also missing some students. So either he got some new ones, or some of the actors couldn't make it to this episode.

At least that high up and far away they're cooler.

Kreese: No rules get the headbands by any means necessary. Your fellow cobras are no longer your brothers and sisters or friend. Your headband is your life, you lose it you die. Says the guy whose faked his death twice, jeez you're being dramatic for a version of capture the flag.

Johnny: Use your best judgement, it's just a training exercise.

Stingray had a little stingray pin.

What's interesting is he says he decided to flip the script Hawk style, but he wasn't there for the speech Johnny gave while Eli was there, and there's know way Kreese repeated it. Kreese could care less.

Okay the student I was looking for and couldn't find was one of the red-headed kids. I remembered each dojo got one.

Chris's nickname for Demetri is "meat"

Do you think Miyagi's house had AC? Probably one of the many advantages to the Cobra Kai dojo is AC. Though I will say very proud of Daniel for doing this out front in the dirt rather than with all the rocks/ where there's no space, though mats again would be better

We're being shown what happened while Johnny was out. Tory and Miguel cat and mouse it with the other student from the other team and are reveling in it, not to mention Tory kicks him and sends him spinning after she's already gotten the head band.

This was probably smart for Kreese. Because the kids are out in the woods without Johnny able to see what they're doing, so he hasn't clocked that his some mercy progress got yanked back into Kreese's no mercy, destroy your enemies and finish it mindset. Instead he's lured into a sense of still in charge and that everything is the way he left it when it's like his office, not how he left it.

Except of course Johnny did witness it. Which is probably horrifying to have realized that if he hadn't witnessed it and just hung out with Kreese he wouldn't have known and that Kreese has relit the fire he'd been trying to put out.

Daniel and Miyagi do swapped from hot training to Kangeiko. Which again, this might not be the smartest. He should've had water and stuff for the kids when out in that heat and in the freezer... some safety precautions I hope are also being taken. Also who does he know that is like oh hey sure Daniel if you want to be in our freezer with a bunch of teens to teach karate sure thing, we're not worried about our meat/food.

Hanging up on Anoush was not good. Ah, their lunch to apologize and help Anoush stay is sandwiches and sides. i was expecting Amanda to spring for something a bit more interesting, but I guess she was expecting to make that choice with Daniel and he forgot.

Hawk drops out of a tree, but it legit looks like he drops from the sky lol.

yeah Hawk, that's not how medal of honors work and you probably shouldn't be wearing it as some trophy.

Robby put your hair up, how can you fight with your hair in your eyes, Sam's little braid-buns are cute.

Daniel how have you not realized Sam and Robby are flirting?

Amanda has called 5 times. Daniel, this was super important. Like surely you could've scheduled teaching these kids at specific times that didn't conflict with all your other responsibilities.

You would also think that it would be one of the bonus's of eventually merging dojo's. If Johnny works with Daniel, well teaching karate is his full time job, which would theoretically let Daniel return work for most training and allow him to do night or weekend training with Johnny. You'd think that if Daniel mentioned to Amanda they'd merge dojo's she'd be thrilled for that exact reason.

It's also funny because the cobras being out in nature is very Miyagi-do and the Miyagi-do's learning to fight in a meat locker is very Cobra Kai (or at least very Johnny)

Johnny returning to base camp to tell all his kids that they did well and comfort them during their losses. I can't. It's too sweet. He's trying to soften whatever Kreese has been up to.

Daniel's own flip the script speech. Demetri use your everything to anticipate things.

Do you think it was actually that cold? Do you think all the fog/breath/clouds are added in post?

YEAH DEMETRI

Lol Daniel so proud and then let's keep this going only for it to immediately fail.

Someone calls Demetri boss. Good job Boss.

I do appreciate that despite all of Kreese's work to try and mold them into his version of Cobra Kai while Johnny was out that Miguel still holds fast that trashing Miyagi-do and stealing the medal of honor was not cool.

Eli thinking it's about Sam is really telling of where his mindset is. Like he's fully in John Kreese's version of Cobra Kai. If only Johnny had caught it. Like he was able to catch Miguel and I think to an extent Aisha, but a lot of the other students his attentions kind of split on. And when you have that many students you're not going to catch it. But it would've been nice if he had, and had a heart to heart with Eli.

What I'm learning is I really like Miguel's jackets/hoodies.

They are so pissed at each other and taking that no mercy stuff to the extreme.

The wince when Miguel goes straight into the tree with his back, it's like a preview of what's to come.

This was supposed to be fun. Look what you've done to them Kreese. Johnny's going to be so upset.

I feel like this put a rift in their friendship, which sucks for Hawk because he's already taken an axe to his oldest friendship with Demetri and it knocked Moon out of his life too. He's like on a speedrun to ruining his life in a way Johnny knows super well and you'd think he'd be great at talking about it with him but only Miguel gets one on ones.

Though the finish him with the kick to the face and the way Johnny rushes forward but realizes he's too far away and too late...

Looks like your champ is developing a killer instinct...ugh Kreese...ugh.

Stingray winning lol, I mean he was smart. Also Miguel you should know how to get out of a choke hold and not to let your guard down.

So truly good lesson, thanks Stingray.

uhh that's a choice....

Literally treating Stingray like a dog. Stingray why did you take it to Kreese in your mouth?

Robby's sleeping in the house dojo?

Also Robby is so focused on folding his shirts. Who taught him to fold his shirts that way?

I spy mats! Daniel if you own mats why don't you ever use them????

Robbbbbyyyyyy bad choice.

How long did it take Daniel to get there? He's like running, hasn't changed and it's dark out.

Daniel: I can fix this with surf and turf from Delmonico's.

Lol in some shots the lights' on in Anoush's office, in some it's off.

Tom Cole offered him a higher title and more money the lunch was to see if they'd match it which I guess is a decision Amanda can't make without Daniel.

Amanda has essentially been doing everything but the karate stuff.

Why's Robby standing by the door just giggling at pre-teen/tween pictures of Sam?

Miguel looks like he rushed there. Which again, if Coyote creek is like nearly 6 hours away and he got to the LaRusso's house faster than Daniel got to North Hollywood from wherever he was training...what were you doing Daniel?

It's good on Miguel to return the medal of honor, but did he tell Johnny? Or does Johnny just think that's on his list of screw ups with Daniel? Like somewhere one of his kids stole the medal of honor and he still hasn't found it?

Robby makes a decision here....a pretty intense one.

That's an interesting lighter, you flip open the lid and then still have to click it (safety) and then Kreese spins it around the cigar a few times before holding it the traditional way.

He looks to comfortable in Johnny's chair and office. He made himself right at home.

This is like one of the times where Johnny digs his heels in and stands up for the kids and his plans for teaching them. And he communicates it all rather well. He's speaking softly, he's not yelling or mad, he's just like what you've been teaching this isn't something that works.

"There's a difference between no mercy and honor"

He still wants cobra kai to be badass, but he wants honor to be a part of it. Which feels like a very chozen thing.

Johnny was truly hoping to get through that whole conversation without Kreese pulling war into it. He acts like he's heard it a thousand times, which he probably has.

"These are good kids and they don't need to relive our mistakes"

"I'm responsible for these students."

Kreese claiming Johnny's his responsibility is just wild. You haven't seen the guy in 30 or so years.

I am proud of Johnny for catching himself, he realizes he's getting sucked into arguing with Kreese, into a fight and then realizes he doesn't have to fight him, doesn't want to, and can instead just kick him out.

If only it had worked. Kreese also left his photo on the wall, should've sent that out with him.

#mumbling about shows

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aylacavebear · 9 months ago

Text

She Thought She was Normal

Story Summary: Maria really thought she was normal, for most of her life. It was normal for people to have natural talent, she would tell herself the older she got. Many things came easy for her, and that was probably how their rivalry began when she was five and he was seven and she met the Winchesters. Little did either of them know that it wouldn't stay like that forever, both having a far larger destiny than they could imagine

Word Count: 3728

Please don't take my work. I'll post warnings for each chapter. May have future SMUT 18+!

Warnings: Angst, Fluff.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 29

“So, you met him. Not quite what you were expecting, I take it,” Mari said from behind her.

Maria turned around, “I need some straight answers this time. Why is God doing this? Why does he want to bring on the apocalypse? And I want the real reason why Dean and Sam are his main focus for it,” she told her, sounding more serious than she had in other of their prior meetings. Mari sighed and patted a spot on the rock next to her as she kept her gaze on Maria. She knew these questions would come eventually, and she hadn’t been looking forward to answering them, “I want to tell you a story,” she told her softly. Maria sighed as she sat down next to her. She figured it would be more of the same, dodged questions that would leave her to piece things together on her own. She wasn’t prepared for the story Mari was about to tell her. “A very long time ago, there was a family with two brothers who cared deeply for each other with loving parents. The younger of the two brothers was led astray, though, heading down a dark path, and his older brother worried for him and his future. He made a deal, to save his brother’s soul, but in return, he lost his own to the darker side of things. The older brother did have children of his own, down many generations,” Mari explained.

It was almost as if Maria could see it all playing out in her mind, and she didn’t like where this story seemed to be headed. She also wasn’t sure exactly what the point of it was, not yet at least. “That older brother became one of the first demons, doing many tasks for hell, at least until a demon took his wife from him. That was when he hung it all up, went off-grid, and disappeared, attempting to live life as a human. He’s a good man these days and just wants to be left alone,” Mari continued; her voice was soft, though as she kept her gaze on her daughter. The only thought going through Maria’s head at the moment was that it was more vague information that wasn’t helping to answer any of her questions. She even figured that Mari could see it in her expression. Part of her was getting annoyed. She took a deep breath, calming herself again, stilling her thoughts so she could at least pay attention. “God watched over all of this, saddened that one of his children again went down a dark path, but he’d given his children free will, so he couldn’t intervene. He watched over the line of his first creations for centuries. The longer things went on, the sadder he got. Because of the corruption that Lucifer had done in The Garden, humans forgot what peace was, not all of them, but enough of them,” Mari watched some gears slowly turning in her daughter’s head the longer she spoke.

Maria tilted her head a bit, her mind attempting to figure out where this story of hers was going and what it had to do with the Winchesters, let alone why Zamariel had gone as far as she had to make sure Maria had been born. “Over time, God became disappointed in his children, even angry. All those things a parent goes through when their children lose sight of what their parent had been trying to teach them. So, he began interfering, in little ways. He’d send his angels to whisper in the ears of certain humans, then allowed certain demons to help on the other side. The Winchester brothers are no different, and neither is their lineage. The apocalypse is just a way of saying the end of what is or wiping the slate clean,” Mari finished, mostly answering her questions in a roundabout way. Maria’s eyes widened as every little piece clicked into place for her, goosebumps running down her body. Her mind was already attempting to formulate some sort of plan to keep them all safe, but then a puzzled look crossed her expression, “How does Castiel play into all of this?” she asked, confused. Mari smiled a little, “Wayward souls have a way of seeking peace, a peace only you can bring to them.” For Maria was a wayward soul herself; she’d lost her family and then found another. She rolled her eyes, as that answer hadn’t helped her, at least not right now, “That doesn’t help,” Maria mumbled, turning her gaze to the sand below the rock the two were sitting on. “You’ll figure it out. You always do,” Mari replied with a small smile. “Why do you always have to be so cryptic?” Maria asked, looking over at her. “I can’t give you the answers. I can only give you tidbits, or things will not go well, and you being brought into creation would have meant nothing,” Mari sighed, “That’s why you have to be the one to figure it out.” Again, Maria rolled her eyes, “That’s putting a lot on me.” Mari tilted her head a bit, then tucked a strand of hair behind Maria’s ear, “You’re smart. You always have been. You know how to piece things together in ways that no one else does. Don’t forget that,” she paused for a moment, then smiled a little, “Don’t force it, let it flow through you. The answers will come… when you truly want them to.” With that, Mari touched her forehead with her first two fingers.

Maria groaned a bit, annoyed, as her eyes opened to the darkness of Dean’s room, causing him to stir a bit next to her. That was getting annoying, getting pushed back into the waking world when she had more questions. She’d even opened her mouth but never got the chance to ask her next one. She took a deep breath, then let it out in a sigh.

“You okay?” Dean asked her, his eyes still closed as he pulled her closer.

“Define okay,” she mumbled.

He opened his eyes and looked over at her. Even in the darkness, he could see that she was bothered by something, “Wanna talk about it?” he asked, his voice a bit gruff due to just waking up.

“Maybe after some coffee,” she replied, her mind still working, and it felt like it was going on overdrive.

Dean pulled her close, just holding her as he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. He felt her relax into him. All he wanted was for her to feel less stressed, and if holding her helped, he’d hold her for as long as she’d let him.

They eventually made it out to the kitchen; even the others were up and already having coffee. Maria’s mind was still piecing the information together, mostly lost in her thoughts. The others noticed but didn’t press her, knowing that when she had something, she’d share it with them. Castiel soon made his way to the kitchen, looking slightly hung over.

Sam looked at him, slightly puzzled, “Can angels even have hangovers?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” Castiel answered gruffly, sitting down before he leaned his elbows on the table, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

Jess stifled a giggle, finding the angel kind of funny, as well as the situation. Dean was the one who spoke up next, “Want some coffee or a shot of whiskey?”

“Neither,” Castiel stated gruffly again.

It was Dean’s turn to stifle a chuckle, although he did smirk, finding it just as amusing as Jess had. Mary had been watching Maria, though, as had Bobby. She’d been staring more at the coffee in her cup than anything else, and she’d been silent so far. Occasionally, she’d sip her coffee, but there was a far-off look in her eyes. In her mind, though, it was like a computer or a puzzle, lines connecting different pieces, not only from Mari’s words but also from what she’d learned from Chuck/God, her book, and the things Castiel had shared.

“Sweetheart, you hungry?” Dean asked her, almost an hour later.

She hadn’t even refilled her cup of coffee and was still sitting at the kitchen table. The others had moved into the library, going back to researching to find any sort of answers to their predicament. When she didn’t answer him, he gently set his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly and look up at him, blinking in slight confusion for a moment.

He sighed and sat down next to her, “Wanna tell me what's going on?” he asked her as softly as he could manage through his worry and concern for her.

Maria looked around the kitchen, realizing the two of them were alone, before she looked back over at Dean, “Where’d everybody go?” she asked, somewhat puzzled.

“They’re in the library. You’ve been in kind of a trance since you sat down,” he explained, his eyes searching her face for a hint of what could have been going through her head.

She furrowed her brows slightly and pursed her lips, realizing she had spaced out, “Sorry about that,” she sighed.

Dean couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his lips. He set his hand on her cheek before he leaned in and kissed her, soft and intimate butterfly kisses, and he felt her smile a little against his lips, “So glad I came up with that,” he said between kisses.

Maria giggled a little midway through the kisses. She’d completely forgotten about him telling her he would do that if she apologized, “You always know how to make me smile,” she told him and let out a contented sigh after he pulled away.

“So, are you hungry?” he asked again. A relief washed through him, seeing her relax a little, and that smile of hers, even if it was small, he could tell it was genuine.

“Eating would probably be a good idea and more coffee,” she answered, looking down at her empty coffee cup.

Dean chuckled a little as he refilled her cup, then made her a simple breakfast, making sure not to skimp on the bacon. He knew she could have just used her powers, but he enjoyed doing things for her. Seeing her smile like she would brought him a sense of enjoyment and peace. In a way, it gave him a purpose that had nothing to do with hunting or having to put up that stoic exterior.

The two joined the others in the library after about an hour. Maria was still attempting to figure out precisely what Zamariel was attempting to tell her, but not all the pieces made complete sense to her yet.

“She give you any answers?” Bobby asked her, leaning back in his seat.

That made Castiel look from Bobby to Maria, puzzled at who he was referring to, but waited to ask anything.

“Not really,” Maria sighed, looking down at the table. She wasn’t even sure what to tell them.

“Who?” Castiel finally asked, puzzled and curious, as he looked at Maria.

That was when she realized she hadn’t told him about her or that she met with her in her dreams,” Zamariel. She’s, uh, my mom, sort of.”

Castiel’s eyes went wide at that implication, “You talk to her, and she’s your mom?” he asked, more curious as more questions flooded his mind.

Maria smiled a little, “Yes. I talk to her in my dreams when I choose to. My human mother was her vessel for a time, but she left after I was born,” to which Castiel just nodded.

It was a lot for Castiel to take in, but it explained a lot about Maria and why her glow was so different than anything else celestial he’d encountered or known about. She’d been right; there wasn’t a name for what she was, as angels didn’t usually take a female vessel, get pregnant, and stay till after the pregnancy. To him, at least, it was clear that had been the only reason her mother had survived giving birth to her, Zamariel having used her powers to keep Alarra’s body and soul safe during the birth.

Maria then shared with them what Zamariel had told her in her dream, what she’d learned from Chuck/God, and the little bit she could piece together. It was clear to her that Chuck/God wanted to wipe the slate clean on Earth, almost like starting over with a smaller handful of people so there was less corruption in them. Castiel was listening intently while she spoke. He had other information from heaven and the other angels that he hadn’t shared with her or the others yet.

“That story reminds me of Cain and Able,” Jess told her when she was done speaking.

The others looked over at her while Bobby was already glancing at the shelves of books from where he sat. John and Mary were a little disturbed at the implications of their boys being descendants of Cain and Able. The brothers, though, weren’t sure what to think, mostly about being nothing but pawns in some tantrum God was having.

“Dean and Sam, they’re vessels, for Michael and Lucifer, for the end battle from revelations,” Castiel told them, causing them all to look over at him. Their expressions ranged from shock to anger.

Maria felt those goosebumps again, fitting more pieces together, “So, God… Chuck is trying to bring about the apocalypse using Dean and Sam, so he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty. If I’m putting the pieces together right.” “Well, without Dean breaking the first seal in hell, there’s no point for Lilith to break any of the others,” Castiel explained.

“Wait, so an angel can just possess a human, like demons can?” Dean asked, not liking the sound of having some angel just taking over his body.

“No. You have to say yes. We have rules,” Castiel answered.

“That’s a bonus, at least,” John stated, feeling slightly relieved, as did Mary.

“Wait,” Dean began and looked over at Castiel, a bit curious now, “How was I supposed to break the first seal?”

“Just over a year and a half from now, you’re supposed to make a crossroads deal. A year after that, you die, and your soul goes to hell. The rumor in heaven goes; after three months, which is thirty years in hell, of being tortured, you finally give into Alastair's offer, of putting souls on the rack. That is how you break the first seal, ‘The first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell.’” Castiel explained.

“I’d never do that,” Dean said confidently, leaning back in his seat.

“Not according to Chuck’s writings or the rumors. Heaven takes things very seriously,” Castiel told him, being completely serious.

“Maybe we should read these books of his,” Jess suggested.

That was something Maria hadn’t thought about but did agree with. She snapped her fingers, and a set of the books appeared on the tables before them. They all grabbed one and began reading. It seemed to be a decent place to start, at least. On the other hand, Maria headed to her room and grabbed her book before returning to the library. There was always something new to find in that book. Castiel looked up, seeing the book, and tilted his head slightly.

“There were no words in that book, when I looked at it the other night,” Castiel told her, perplexed.

Maria looked up at him after she sat down, setting her book on the table in front of her, “Huh, it’s in Enochian. I’m the only one who can read it, apparently. It’s from Zamariel,” she explained.

That intrigued Castiel, and he got up so he could look over her shoulder at the pages, wondering if there would be words there now. Maria opened the book and began reading, but to Castiel, the pages were still blank. He furrowed his brows before he went back and sat down, somewhat frustrated but also so damn curious about what was in that book.

Not much had changed in the first few chapters, a sentence here and there, and Zamariel’s chapter was the same. After that, she found an entirely new chapter on Imbuning Objects. It was an odd chapter, and wasn’t entirely sure why it showed up or how it would even help their current situation. She barely noticed Sam reach for a book near her and caught sight of what was on his wrist. It was the purple, blue, and red friendship bracelet she’d given him when he was twelve. She hadn’t even noticed it when she’d stayed with them for those eight months earlier in the year. Although to be fair, she was detoxing from alcoholism as well as grieving for the loss of her father from when she was seventeen.

Within the chapter, she learned that she could imbue objects with intentions and emotions and that they would be connected to her and the person who had the object. She remembered how she had told Sam that all he had to do was think about her, and it would be like she was hugging him. Maria glanced up from her book, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Sam.

“Hey Sam, I’m curious about something,” she told him, still thinking back.

He looked up at her, “What’s up sis?”

“That bracelet I gave you when you were twelve. Did it do what I said it would?” she asked curiously.

“Yeah, it did. It got me through some fairly tough times. Why?” he answered, now curious about where this was going.

“Huh…” she mumbled, wondering just how far the implications of that could go. After a moment, she snapped out of her thoughts, “Just something the book said. It’s not important right now.”

They all looked at her but, again, didn’t push it. She wasn’t entirely sure how to explain it to them, at least not at that moment in time. The idea of imbuing objects with that peace that she felt and spreading them around the world had been the first thing she’d thought about, wondering if it would work how it was in her head. She couldn’t exactly ask the others, though; they wouldn’t have had a clue. Briefly, Zamariel crossed her mind, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see her two nights in a row or if she’d get a straight answer from her.

It wasn’t long before John spoke up, not looking up from the book in his hands, “We’ve got an idea of cases and monsters now. We can head 'em’ off at the pass, save some lives.”

Maria looked up from her book. She’d forgotten that they were all reading Chuck/God’s Supernatural books as she’d been lost in her thoughts and her book, “What do you mean, Uncle John?” she asked, a little puzzled.

“It’s almost like reading the future,” Dean stated before his father could answer her, his nose still stuck in the book, “They’ve got me full frontal in this one.” He didn’t sound pleased about that either.

“Glad I didn’t pick that one,” Jess teased him from across the library table, and he just glared at her a little while the others chuckled.

“I can call some other hunters and get them on some of these,” Bobby added, setting his book down before he rubbed his face with his hand.

Those books were an asset to them, as were the books in the bunker that were on actual lore. Jess grabbed a pen and a pad of paper as they each told her details of the case in each book, which she wrote down. All the details were there, including the monster they’d have to deal with. They also quickly skimmed over the other books, with Jess writing those things down as well.

Bobby made some phone calls, sending hunters out on half the cases that Jess had written down. Some of them would have to wait, as it was a timing thing, and the books only gave so many dates in them. Dean and Sam paired up and took the case on Bloody Mary, figuring it wouldn’t be difficult to track down a mirror, while John and Bobby took Bugs to see if they could reason with the developer and what was coming. That would leave the three women at the bunker. It was safer that way. However, this would give Mary time to get to know Jess better and catch up on other things with Maria.

Castiel hadn’t decided what he wanted to do. He was still dealing with the fact that God was not what he thought he was, his faith wavering further. At the same time, he was finding comfort in being around all of these hunters, seeing their bond with each other and how they cared for innocent people over their own safety. It intrigued him.

They planned to head out in the morning, after coffee and breakfast, of course.

“Cas, why don’t you come with us,” Sam suggested, thinking the angel might not only come in handy but that would also give him and his brother a chance to get to know him a little better.

At first, he wasn’t sure what to think of that or the abbreviation of his name, “You want me to go with you?” Castiel asked, still slightly puzzled.

“Yeah, why not. That way, you don’t get stuck here with the girls while they do girly things,” Dean added, attempting to joke around. Secretly, though, he wanted to keep an eye on the angel, still not fully trusting him, not yet. It was just how Dean was.

“Uh, okay then,” Castiel answered, still unsure of the point of it or the offer, but he was curious.

Maria gave Dean a knowing look, but he just smiled a little. He knew she knew his reasoning. However, Maria’s main focus was how to deal with their issue with God/Chuck, even if they had managed to stop his original plan. Everything she needed had already been shown to her, either through her conversations with Zamariel or through the words of that book; she just hadn’t fully put the pieces together yet.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 30 - Thanksgiving & New Beginnings

Tag List: @deans-spinster-witch @kazsrm67

Link to the master list for this story.

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