#holding a gun to it shaking please don't make me feel guilty please don't make me cry please don't make me sick pleaseeeee

[cowardlycowboys]

after my tiny breakdown earlier I'm getting taco bell which better not betray me immediately after

[unattainablesillygoose]

Love You Like I'm Never Gonna Love You Again

Evan 'Buck' Buckley x Fem!Reader

angst with a happy ending

summary: Reader gets shot on a job. When she flatlines on the way to the hospital, Buck is worried she won't make it out alive.

POTENTIAL TW : : mentions of gsw, blood, grief, guns? I think? If there's any I missed or should add lmk! Enjoy 🫡

I only have one thing to say for this... sorry 🥲

It was times like this that Buck wondered why he did what he did. Everyone was silent as they sat at the dinner table. No one bothered to try and say anything, and no one looked up either. They all focused on their polished black shoes, not having the stomach to look up and see her empty chair.

He hears people say, "it all happened so fast," but when the shot rang out and he watched the blood spread on her shirt, everything was in slow motion. The shot echoed in his ears. He was too shocked to scream as her body fell slowly to the ground. Realization hit when he felt her blood on his face, and everyone rushed to her aid. It was like someone shocked him, like he jolted awake from a nightmare. Only, when he woke up, she wasn't better.

"No..." He said. "No, no, no!" He screamed, rushing to her.

Bobby and Eddie held him back as he fought to get to her, Hen and Chim working with shaky hands.

"This can't be happening..." He whimpered.

She looked at him, a weak smile on her bloody face, blood pouring from her wound."It's okay. It'll be okay." She muttered fraily.

She nodded, as if trying to convince herself as well.

"Please- let me go!" He yelled desperately, "please! I need to go to her!" His eyes watered as he begged Bobby and Eddie to let him go.

They, too, were on the verge of tears, trying to hold them back for his sake. It wouldn't have made much of a difference, though. All his focus was on her.

Once they got her loaded into the ambulance, they let him go. He ran to her side and sat down. He took her hand, brushing the stray hairs that fell from her braid away from her eyes. She looked up at him with watery eyes, swallowing thickly because she knew it wasn't good. A bullet wound is supposed to hurt. It isn't good when it doesn't.

"Try not to move, okay?" He said shakily.

She nodded, squeezing his hand to assure him. She felt somewhat guilty that she was even trying when she knew she probably wouldn't make it to the hospital. She couldn't bring herself to lie to him. She couldn't find the words to tell him how much she loved him either.

"You're gonna be okay. You have to be." He said firmly, denial dripping from his tongue.

She shook her head. "No." She whimpered. "I'm not."

He shook his head defiantly. "Don't say that. Say anything but that." He said, his voice cracking.

Hen and Chim had to choke back the words 'she's right' because they themselves didn't want to believe she wasn't going to be okay. They wanted to believe she'd be okay like Buck did.

"Okay." She said. "Then I need to tell you something. Before I don't get the chance. I-" She started.

But he cut her off with a shake of his head. "No, you can tell me when you're better." He said.

They all knew what she was going to say, but no one said anything. Everyone, including each other, knew about their feelings for each other. Y/n was afraid of it all going sour, however, and she didn't have the courage to take the plunge and risk losing her best friend. Evan, he wanted to save them both the heartache in case it didn't last. Mostly himself, if he was honest. He knew they'd come back from it, but it'd never be the same. They didn't want to take that chance, and everyone thought it was stupid. Anyone with eyes could see they were crazy for each other. Absolutely head over heels.

"You can't leave me. Please don't leave me." He said desperately, tears streaming down his blood stained cheeks.

She reached up and wiped away his tears, her hand lingering when he leaned into her. "You'll be okay." She said sadly.

"No." He croaked. "I won't." He shook his head, placing his hand on hers.

"You'll have Maddie, Bobby, Chimney, Hen, Eddie, and Christopher. You'll be okay." She tried to convince him.

"But I won't have you." He whispered. "You can't give up yet. You have to fight." He said defeated.

"I'm so tired." She said weakly. "I'm sorry." She said, struggling to get the words out.

"I know it hurts-" He said, but she cut him off.

"It doesn't. It doesn't hurt." She whispered.

"Please, it's not supposed to end this way, I still need you. We still need you." He said.

She smiled weakly, wiping his tears once more. She gasped, her chest heaving, before she stilled, her eyes going blank. For a moment, her hand remained against his cheek, but he knew she was gone. Her smile faded, her mouth agape as blood spilled from the corners. Her hand fell, and Buck never knew silence could be so loud. The constant beep, the solid line, seemed to taunt them. Hen angrily shut it off. Chimney slowly took his hands from her wound where he attempted to stop the bleeding.

"No." Buck said, getting up and starting cpr.

He wasn't ready to give up on her. Henrietta shut her eyes tightly, fighting back tears of her own. Chimney shook his head, determined to see her smile again. To see them finally happy together. To see her in a white gown as he watched his best friends say their vows. To see little baby Buckleys running around with Jee-yun. He reached into her wound, closing off the source of the bleed. Hen sniffled as she turned the machine back on, the consistent beep sounding again. What was a taunt became motivation to them, and Buck continued to try recesutate her.

"C'mon..." He said. "C'mon!" He yelled desperately.

Tears mixed with the dried blood on his face, but he hardly noticed either. Hen tried not to look because seeing one of her best friends lay lifeless on the gurney, while another desperately tried to bring her back, would be too much. She knew that would break her. Break her faith in the job. She needed to try to remember why she did it instead of seeing a reason not to.

As Chimney ran beside the gurney, Hen filled in the doctors and nurses, but Buck didn't hear. He just heard a ringing in his ears, the gun shot echoing in his head. Her lifeless eyes stared back at him, the blood still spilling from her mouth. It gave him a little hope, though, because if she was totally gone she wouldn't be bleeding... right?

"Sir, we can take it from here." A nurse said, easing Buck from his position above her as he tried to get her heart beating again.

Chim was eased into paper blue covers as they rolled them into surgery.

They hadn't been ushered away yet. They could see nurses starting chest compressions and giving her O2. They could see the doctors gently ease Chim's hand from her wound. They could see the blood pour from the wound as a result. As the minutes droned on and her heart didn't start, he felt his own shatter.

It wasn't quick. It was slow. Painful.

Hen could see her blood spilling onto the floor. Her hope quickly diminished seeing the amount.

Finally, Buck could see her heart re-start and her chest rise, and he released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.

Then, Buck finally broke down. He fell to his knees, sobbing. Hen knelt down with him, pulling him into her embrace, but it offered neither of them comfort. Bobby, Eddie, and Athena rushed to them.

Athena's face fell. "She flat lined. Didn't she?" She said sadly, defeated.

Hen nodded weakly. Eddie dropped to his knees, hugging Buck as well.

"I'm gonna get this son of a bitch." Athena growled, storming out of the trauma bay. "Call me when she's out of surgery." She said as she determinedly walked away.

Bobby hung his head, unwillingly letting the tears fall. None of them could bring themselves to leave. None of them wanted to.

It wasn't until Chim finally returned, covered in blood, and said they wouldn't know anything for several more hours.

It took some convincing, but they finally got Buck to leave to finish his shift. But none of them truly left the ER.

Buck had an empty plate in front of him, but he couldn't bring himself to eat. Not when he saw her blank expression every time he closed his eyes.

Their families all came out to support them, the community coming together to put out candles and figures of good luck and healing, hoping and praying for the firefighter and her family and team. Praying for good news. The sight was bittersweet.

Buck couldn't stand the silence. He stood abruptly and left, heading to the locker rooms.

He had to choke back a sob. He didn't want to live without her. He didn't want to love anyone else but her. He didn't want to do this job if she wasn't beside him.

"Evan, you were made to save a life."

His mother's voice rang out in his head.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to sob. He wanted her back.

He missed her smile, he missed her laugh, he missed the stupid jokes she'd tell to cheer everyone up on a hard day. He missed her warm hugs and how she smelled like roses and lillies: her favorite perfume. Her hair always smelled fruity, and her skin was always so soft. He missed her giggles and the way she'd gently caress his face. He wanted her back.

He wanted to hear from the damn hospital. Wanted to hear them say she made it through. It was nearing six hours after the shooting, and it felt like the longest six hours of his life.

He stood in the locker room, leaning against the metal doors of the lockers, his head down. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to think of her in any way that wasn't the lifeless look in her eyes. Even if she made it, that sight would haunt his nightmares. He mentally kicked himself for not telling her he loved her sooner. He knew she knew. Hell, everyone else did too. But he needed to know she heard it. And right now, he was praying for any miracle. He was praying that he'd get the chance to tell her, kiss her, hold her, anything.

He screamed and stood, hitting the lockers to try to ease the pain in any way. He punched and punched, angry and distraught and so many other things. He wanted order. He needed something to ground him. Right now, that was the stinging pain in his knuckles. He punched the doors again and again until his fist was as numb as he was inside. He fell to his knees, crying weakly.

Maddie came in, silently sitting next to him on the floor. She didn't try reassuring him that she'd be okay because truth be told, she was terrified too. She also knew nothing she said would help ease his pain. So she simply laid a gentle hand on his cheek, turning his face to her. She smiled softly, pulling his head forward and placing a gentle kiss to his forehead. He leaned on her, laying his head on her shoulder as he sobbed tiredly.

"I just need to know that she's okay." He croaked weakly. "I just need her to be okay." He sobbed.

"Shh," she cooed softly, "I know." She whispered. She held his shoulders, letting her own tears fall.

"I'm not going to lie to you and say it'll be okay. I don't know if she's going to make it, and I won't try to pretend that I do. But I know one thing: she is incredibly strong." She said, pulling him away just enough to look him in the eye.

"She's got a lot of fire left in her, still got a lot of fight left. She doesn't give up easily, and I refuse to believe that this time is going to be any different. She's too stubborn and bull headed to let someone else decide when it's her time to leave. And I have that to hold onto." She said.

He smiled faintly. "Thank you." He whispered. "That helps." He said, nodding as he closed his eyes.

"You need to go home and rest." She said concerned.

He shook his head. "I can't sleep without knowing she's okay." He said defiantly.

Just then, Chimney ran in, Jee on his hip. "It's the hospital." He panted. "They've got news on Y/n." He said.

Maddie and Buck shot up from the floor, running out to the main floor where Bobby was on the phone with the doctor.

"Here they are, I'm putting you on speaker." He said when Maddie and Buck approached.

"I'm relieved to call with good news. Ms Y/l/n made it." He said relieved.

A collection of cheers sounded throughout the firehouse. And for the first time since she was shot, Buck felt all the tension leave his body. "Thank god." He muttered to himself.

"She suffered slight head trauma when she fell, and with the pain medication she's on, she'll probably be out for a while." He said.

"When can we see her?" Hen asked antsy.

"You can come down now if you'd like. Visiting hours are over, but I'll make an exception this time." He said.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Bobby said.

Before he even ended the call, Buck was running to his jeep. He sped to the hospital, probably breaking several traffic laws on the way, but at the moment, he could care less. All he could think was, 'She's alive. She's really alive. She's okay.' In that moment, nothing else mattered to him. She was alive. That's all that he cared about.

He ran up to the receptionist, and as soon as he had her room number, he was running up the stairs.

The elevator might've been quicker, but the burn in his legs and the sharp jab in his gut as he took the stairs two at a time reminded him that he was awake, that it was real. She was really okay.

He saw her through the large window in the wall, the door slightly ajar. All the air left his lungs. He couldn't describe the immense relief any other way.

He rushed to her side, dropping into the chair beside her bed. The back of her gown was open, the bandages peeking through. Before he even registered it, he was tucking the blanket over her exposed skin. He took her hand in his, feeling her warm skin against his. He sighed, leaning his forehead against their intertwined hands. Up until now, he hadn't realized just how tired he was. His face was probably all red and puffy from crying, but he didn't care all that much anymore. He'd hang the moon if it meant she would be okay. He'd hold the sky up for her if it meant he would see her smile again. He didn't care. All that mattered to him was that she was safe.

She groaned, squeezing his hand in hers. "Hey, Buckley." She croaked out with a dry throat.

He smiled, remembering when she would call him that when they first got to know each other. At first, it was because she was bad at remembering names and relied on the name tags. Then, it became a way for her to tease him because she knew he didn't like it. He would always respond with her last name, too, but it was only her and a few other people who were allowed to call him that. The few other people being Hen, Chim, Bobby, and Eddie. And of course, his sister, but she only really did when he was about to be reprimanded for something. Other than that, no one else was allowed to use his full name. She was even allowed to call him Evan, but she only used it when it was just them.

"Hey, Y/l/n." He responded softly. He gently handed her the cup of ice water from the table beside her bed, helping her sit up slightly so she could take a drink. She nodded when she was finished and he set it down.

She smiled at him fondly. "You were right." She said. "Maybe I was being a little dramatic." She joked lightheartedly.

Maybe he wasn't in the mood, but that struck a cord with him. "You weren't being dramatic, Y/n, you flatlined. You almost died." He said seriously.

Her eyes widened and she sat forward slightly. "I- what?" She asked shocked.

His eyes began to water, and his had shook slightly. "You were dead. I thought you were gone. I was so scared." He whispered meekly.

She frowned, pulling his face to hers. She rested her forehead against his, gently wiping his tears away. "Hey, I'm right here, okay? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." She whispered.

"You almost died. I didn't know what I was going to do if you didn't make it. I wasn't sure I could live with myself." He said softly. "I need you here. I've never loved anyone the way I love you." He admitted. He wasn't too particularly happy with the time and place, but he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to know he told her. He needed to know he said it.

She kissed him deeply, putting everything she was trying to tell him in it. That she was real, and she was alive. She wasn't going anywhere. That she loved him too.

"I love you. God, I've wanted to tell you for so long but I was too scared." He said.

"What made you not be scared anymore?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm still scared. I'm scared if we go all in and it ends badly, that I'll lose my best friend and the best thing that's ever happened to me. But seeing you lay lifeless on the gurney scared me way more. I'm still scared, but not as scared as I was when I thought you died." He said.

Her face fell. "Oh, God, you saw me flatline?" She said, a mix of emotions crossing her face. He just nodded sadly.

"I saw through the window. There was so much blood. It's something that's going to haunt my nightmares for the foreseeable future." He said.

She stroked his cheek gently. "You said I could say it when I was better. Can I say it now?" She asked.

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Please."

"I love you, Evan Buckley." She said smiling.

He smiled relieved. She leaned her forehead against his again. "I love you so much." She whispered. "I love you, I love you, I love you." She said, peppering his face with kisses until he finally smiled. "There it is." She said softly.

"I'm never letting you go again." He said, gently pulling her into his chest to hug her, just wanted to hold her for a little while.

"Well, that's good, 'cus I'm never leaving your side." She said, sinking into his embrace.

Eventually, after a grueling 30 minutes of being stuck in traffic due to a pileup, the team finally made it to the hospital, only to find Y/n and Buck asleep.

Y/n lay back, the bed sitting up slightly, but not much. Buck lay right next to her chest, her arm over his shoulders, and their fingers entwined. It looked like they fell asleep talking and watching 'Gone With The Wind' on some channel. They all smiled at the sight, happy to see the two finally relaxed.

Each one took a seat somewhere and eventually fell asleep themselves. They weren't about to leave without giving Y/n a hug and reminding her how much they love her. Besides, they were all exhausted. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. The hospital wasn't the best place to sleep, but they weren't about to leave their youngest member alone in a hospital room, let alone let Buck be there by himself. And maybe it was to make themselves feel better because they were all worried sick about her. Or maybe it was for her and Buck. All they knew: they weren't leaving her alone again.

[manicrouge]

Episode Five: Bear the Burden

[𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛] || [𝙰𝚄: 𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚢 𝙱𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜] || 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

[𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝙿𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍]: 10/09/24

[𝙰𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝]: Blake faces the consequences of his actions whilst you face the consequences of your association with John Price.

[𝙲𝚠]: violence, non-con touching (nothing sexual), blood/ gore (nothing too bad).

[𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝]: 8.4k

[𝙰/𝙽]: I am so sorry this took so long... I hope this makes up for my absence !! Also please let me know if I've missed and warnings.

SERIES MASTERLIST

Please don't post my work anywhere else without my permission !!

He lurks like a virus, you find.

One you can’t quite shake. His annoying tendencies and loud mouth make him a villain – you can’t perceive him as anything other; whatever your mind attempts to conjure up always leads you in circles until you eventually find yourself back at your original assessment.

You're staring at a pretty woman sitting on a throne, although you cannot take your eyes off her eyes. They're haunting – primal. And despite her well-kept golden hair and the richness of the clothing surrounding her, none of the jewels she is adorned in can distract you from the rubies in her eyes.

Despite your assessment of the piece, you cannot help but sense his grin as it radiates like a toxin, infecting the area surrounding the pair. 

It’s early and the general hubbub of the city is left behind you. And strangely, you find that the gallery's silence leaves you with a profound emptiness.

The Hindsight’s loudness as proclaimed by your old boss, was the one thing that was supposed to deter you from working there, and yet, you miss the calamity and feel the urge to rush out the doors all to hear the drunken babbles of the patrons you’ve become so accustomed to during the time you’ve spent there. 

‘It’s quiet today,’ Graves says, turning his head slightly to glance at you, ‘you’re quiet too. Somethin' wrong?’

‘You’re not talking,’ you remark, looking down at the small purse in your hands, ‘there's been no mention of the guns. I haven’t heard a thing… I- I don’t think they took them.’

He scoffs. ‘That’s what they want you to think.’ 

You shake your head, your hands tightening around the handles of your small bag. ‘You told me that Ky– that Garrick said that–’

‘Oh,' he begins, 'we’re on a first-name basis with them now, ay?’ Graves chuckles, ‘I hope you’re not growing a soft spot for them, ‘need I remind you that they’re criminals?’ 

‘I know they are,’ you say, although your voice is unsteady as you profess their sins. ‘But I don’t think they have the guns.’ 

‘Then who has them?’ 

‘I don’t know,’ you shrug, ‘I’ve heard that the communists are planning on having a protest at the train station this afternoon. They’re demanding fairer pay and treatment… they think the government has abandoned them after the war.’ 

‘They made it home,’ Graves said, ‘they should be happy with that. The world isn't gonna fall to its knees for them; everyone’s lost something or someone. They’re being greedy.’ 

His words leave you thinking of Blake. The man is much too big for his personality, although you suppose he needs the extra space to fit the heart inside his chest. Greed isn’t how you’d describe a man like him and the war took more from him than most people; you can see it in his eyes. 

‘The capital keeps this place running, same as the States. We lose that, we lose order – fall into whatever Russia has landed itself in. It’s unruly, unjust, and, quite frankly, a mess.’ 

You hold your tongue, fearing you’ll be guilty of speaking as your heart compels you to say, settling in the spot you’ve been standing in as you shift your feet, swallowing your heart.

‘Yes,’ you mumble.

‘I’ll look into it, have some police on the lookout. Speaking of which, I heard the owner of the pharmacy was attacked. Does that have something to do with Price?’ 

‘I don’t know,’ you speak truthfully, biting down on your lip, ‘I have to go.’ 

‘Your shift doesn’t start for another hour,’ he says, looking down at his watch. 

‘I have nothing else to say to you,’ you answer, turning on your heel, and heading towards the exit. 

You’re stopped as his hand clasps your upper arm. ‘If I find out you have been lying, Mr Churchill won’t be pleased.’ 

‘I’m not,’ you answer, ‘now let go of me.’ 

‘Promise me,’ he says. 

‘Promise you?’ you scoff.

He takes offence to that clearly as he scrunches his nose up, and as he speaks again, you note that he is gritting his teeth – addressing you as though you have become the next target on his list. ‘That you’re not lying to me. You’re a good girl, it’d kill me to know you’re falling for their trap.’ 

Whatever he's talking about you're convinced is the byproduct of paranoia. No sane man ponders that hard and comes to such a demented conclusion.

Your stomach twists and you yank your arm out of his. ‘I’m being honest with you,’ you say, 'not giving him any more of your time as you rush towards the museum's exit. 'I don't appreciate your tone with me, I advise you fix it.'

'I don't appreciate your secrecy.'

'It's not secrecy,' you breathe, 'rather doubt.'

He sticks up his nose at your confession, turning his back to you as though to resume looking at the painting the pair of you were looking at but a moment before the outburst.

'He has the guns.'

'And what proof do you have of that?' He falls silent. 'You have no right to blame me for having reasonable doubt. Garrick had no idea what you were talking about.'

'People can lie,' he says firmly.

'I know,' you insist, 'I'm not a child, I understand how the world works. Stop treating me as though I know nothing.'

He grumbles something under his breath, shaking his head. 'So what do you want me to do? Pack up shop and tell ol' Churchy boy that his guns are gone because you think Garrick is telling the truth?'

His condescending tone is enough to have your heartbeat ringing in your ears. You ball your fists and chew so hard on the inside of your cheek that you almost bite through it.

'You keep doing your job, I'll have the boys raid the house of a few known commies, and see if they know anything about it. But if I find nothing, I'm meeting John Price and asking him in person.'

You know whether or not you're okay with what he is saying to you is pointless and you struggle to contend with what you acknowledge to be your personal bias against the man who has invited you to the races with him. If you speak now, you fear it will simply be word vomit – an attempt to justify a man beyond redemption (supposedly).

—

A profound concept is what you are to him and as he spies you, he’s unable to shake the thought that, for the first time in his life, he is doing something truly wrong.

His eyes feel too dirty to look at you and the occasional line in his peripheral vision acts like a clump of muck on you. He blinks quickly to chase it away, of course, he does, he wouldn’t leave you with the burden of his truth for longer than a few seconds. 

You’re grinning at the man you’re talking to – he’s much too drunk, wobbling a little as you converse with him. The conversation is not secret either; he has a gob that could replace a foghorn and a laugh that could give a gunshot a run for its money. Your responses, however, remain a mystery as you sit; you’re much too gentle to return his drunken enthusiasm.

You eventually lift your head and your eyes lock for the first time since you poured his drink. You offer the man a smile before heading away from him and approaching Price. 

‘You want a refill?’ you chirp. 

A voice as sweet as the song of a bird, he thinks, nodding his head as he holds his glass up. ‘Fill me up, love.’ 

The cork in the top of the bottle squeals as you open it, pouring more drink into his cup. ‘You look tired, is everything okay?’ 

Your question is one he wishes he could answer, only, he doesn’t want to bear you with the burden of what his morning will entail. The request he had been provided with the day prior has been weighing on him monstrously and he’s left offering you a lopsided smile as he shakes his head, downing the drink you have just poured him in the blink of an eye.

‘Had a bad night's sleep. Nothing a drink an’ smoke won’t sort.’ Your skepticism at his claim is charming and he smiles. ‘Really, love, I’m fine. Don't worry about me.’ 

‘Do you get much sleep?’ you ask. ‘It’s just… I’ve heard a lot of people – especially men who were in the war struggle to sleep.’ 

‘I sleep fine,’ he says abruptly, nearly choking on his tongue, ‘just excited about the races.’ Your face lights up with the mention of the races. ‘You found a dress yet?’ 

‘You only asked me last night,’ you exclaim, ‘I haven’t had the time yet.’ 

‘Well that’s no good, is it?’ he says, ‘you can have a day off later this week – go get yourself something nice.’ 

‘Who will run the pub?’ 

‘Sure Johnny will do just fine until you get back.’ 

‘All the liquor’ll be gone by the time I get back,’ you laugh. 

‘Don’t worry about it,’ he says, glancing at his watch.

Despite a peculiar force keeping him seated in his chair, he pushes against it, forcing himself up and away from you. He catches the furrowing of your brows as he gets up to leave and a part of him wishes to stay all to engage in an empty conversation with you.

‘Keep this place safe whilst I’m gone, ay? Any issues, tell one of the boys about it.’ 

You grin. 'I can take care of myself, John, don't you worry about me.'

As though taking a page out of his book, you speak with a mocking gruffness in your tone. If you were anyone else, he very well would have taken insult to the words you're speaking to him. Only, he can't help but let out a small chuckle.

'Heard you loud and clear, sweetheart,' he says, not missing the bruising scarlet on your cheeks as he offers you one more smile before turning on his heel and heading towards the exit of the pub.

—

‘Simon Riley,’ Graves addresses the man as he slowly stalks the shadows in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the brooding man’s face. Only, his disappointment is measurable in the curve of his mouth as he catches the mask covering his face. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you,’ he confesses with a smile, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants, and shifting on his feet. 

Simon simply stares at him, not bothering to even muster up the strength to blink. Graves hums, filling the void of the silence. The man’s trying to intimidate him; he’s seen that old tired tactic one too many times to fall for it. Especially from a man like Simon. 

‘I’ve been trying to get a hold of that boss of yours. Slippery man, ain’t he?’

Simon keeps his mouth shut. 

Graves lets out a short laugh. ‘Not the talkative type, are ya?’

‘If you were tryin’ to get a hold of him, you wouldn’t have beat Kyle,’ he firmly says, crossing his arms across himself, rolling his neck seemingly in an attempt to cling to composure. 

Still, Graves has never really been one to threat in the face of evil, rather, he compromises – plays their game. That’s how you get through to them; he’s done it throughout his career and he’s sure it wouldn’t keep him from succeeding now, even if he is in a foreign land- nothing has stopped him before and he doesn’t intend for anything to stop him now. 

‘I wanted to scope the area out before addressing the boss,’ Graves answers. 

‘Y’ scared of Price,’ he says, ‘cause, if you weren’t then you woulda just went straight to him instead of spying on one of his workers.’

‘Kyle is one of his closest workers, is he not?’ he responds, narrowing his eyes, ‘don’t tell me how to do my fuckin’ job, kid. I imagine I could teach you a thing or two about it.’

‘No,’ Simon says, shifting as he moves slightly closer to him, ‘you took one look at whatever files you got from the government and decided that he was the easiest out of all of us to go for,’ he corrects strictly, narrowing his eyes. ‘I’m not a fuckin’ idiot, and neither are any of the lads, so don’t try an’ play me as one.’ 

‘Anyone in the right mind would believe that you are threatening me right now.’ 

‘I am,’ he states blatantly, uncaring for the consequences. ‘You gonna beat me like you beat Kyle, hey?’ 

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he says with a grin, all to burst into a fit of laughter, ‘I know I’m not fooling you, Simon. And, if you want my honest answer, I would say that you would just have to wait and see.’ 

The man hums, his unhappiness as prevalent as a gigantic pimple on someone's chin. ‘You’re here for the guns. Not for us. Keep it that way.’ 

‘And why would I do that?’ 

He’s silent for a while, his eyes dragging up and down Phillip’s face before he eventually relents, his eyes narrowing to form crescents. ‘Cause, otherwise, you’ll be goin’ back home in a box.’ 

‘I didn’t think men like you would have the decency to even send me home,’ he says with a laugh, raising his hand and bringing it against his chest, ‘I’m touched, Simon, truly touched.’ 

‘Don’t want the blood of someone like you spoiling the dirt around here.'

He leaves without another word, not stopping even after Graves calls his name. So, the man stands and observes his pathing, finding that he is walking right towards The Hindsight. Rolling his eyes, he crosses his arms over himself.

Wonder if he speaks to her like that.

—

Simon Riley is a peculiar case, one that cannot quite be answered. Every time you take a glance at the man, you're left more confused than the last time as questions swirl around in your head.

'You wanna ask me something?' he asks, startling you.

Slowly, you turn to see him staring at you, the glass of whiskey he's nursing being engulfed by his hands. Never had you ever seen a man so big in stature. He's similar to Blake in a way, only, quieter. Whatever troubles he's having are reserved for his mind.

'Sorry,' you mumble out.

Much to your surprise, he shakes his head, beckoning you to approach him. You're cautious at first, acting as though he is a stray dog who appears as though he's going to snap at any moment.

'John told me about the chain around the door last night. You okay?'

There's something in his tone which makes the darker inflexions soften as he addresses you and you're unable to hide the smile that forms on your face as you swallow down any prior doubts you had about the man.

'I'm fine,' you say with a smile, 'nothing out of the ordinary for places like this, I'm sure.'

He shakes his head. 'Yeah,' he breathes, 'Johnny's gone round to ask people if anyone's seen the fella who had something to do with it today. We know it's Fisher's group — just don't know who's in charge now.'

'I saw John this morning,' you say, 'he seemed like he was in a rush when he realised the time.'

'Don't worry about him,' Simon says, pulling his mask up to expose his mouth, taking a sip of his whiskey. 'Still acts like a Captain even though we're outta the war,' he snorts.

'Old habits die hard, I guess,' you say, grabbing the whiskey bottle, 'you want a refill?'

—

The pair walk side by side as though there is not a fault in the world, and for a while, Price allows himself to believe that. It’s kind to let the mind rest for a while, he remembers remarking that during their time in the trenches. It’s just a shame that Blake's mind never seems to stop. He’s walking with his hat in his hand, scrunched up in his hands as he stares at the ground, his head occasionally bobbing as he listens to John.

Life is greedy. But the business is bloodthirsty.

And it’s something he has come to terms with, at least in his execution. Admittedly, the difference between being a soldier and a businessman – in terms of the business he is in – is very little. His fingers are so used to wielding a weapon that he wonders if his hands would still close similarly if he had never been exposed to violence. But he’s a violent man and always has been one. And everyone sees him for what he is. 

‘I was talkin’ to my lady this morning,’ Blake says, the rocks below them crunching as they tread closer to the water. ‘She’s real worried about me. A- And I’m sorry.’ 

His eyes steer clear of the man beside him as he spies two figures obscured by the fog of the early morning. Despite such, the pointed brim of their hats is blatant and even causes the outline of their figures to appear slightly rough around the edges. He spies danger in their exterior and he wonders if Blake sees it too. 

‘You see those men,’ he asks, motioning towards the evasive figures. 

‘Yes, Cap’n.’ 

He answers like a child answers a parent.

‘You killed an important man, Blake,’ he says, ‘their brother.’

‘I didn’t mean to, you know that, Cap'n.’ 

‘You think they care why you did it?’ Price asks, furrowing his brow, ‘scrambled mind or well one, it doesn’t matter. You killed one of theirs.’ 

‘I- I know I did and am sorry–’

‘You upset the wrong people, Blake,’ Price says, looking across the water at the two old men perched on the edge of old discarded crates. 

The closer they get to the men, the more he can see of them.

One of them takes a puff from the cigar between their lips, the grey smoke whipping to the left with a harsh breeze. There’s the stench of the rotten water below them, reeking of sewage and whatever else has been dumped in there (John might have an idea, but he would never tell).

The world is a state, he knows that as his hand firmly grasps the gun sitting at his waist. Blake stands with his back to him, keeping his eyes trained on the billowing smoke from the factory, a short breath escaping him as he hears his Captain cock the gun. 

‘I- I didn’t mean to, Cap’n,’ Blake says, glancing over his shoulder briefly, just long enough to capture John’s eyes. 'You know I didn't mean to... it's just me mind. There's something wrong with me.'

‘I know you didn’t,’ he said, rubbing his mouth with his free hand, ‘I know you didn’t, but you’re causing’ more and more trouble all because you can’t get your shit together, ey? And how does that look for me?’ he asks, ‘I’m your boss and I’m supposed to have all the power in the world and I still can’t control you, an’ look where that’s got us now.’

‘Cap’n, please, I- I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again, please.’

His pleading leaves him dizzy as he addresses the two men standing on the opposite side of the dock awaiting what he has promised. The business is terrible, he concludes.

Even the war was easier than this.

‘I- I don’t wanna die, I got a little girl at home an’… I wanna see her grow, I wanna be there for her when she needs me.’ Blake sobs, reduced to an infant himself. ‘She can’t sleep if am not there, Cap’n. A girl needs her daddy to read her a bedtime story – she needs me to chase away whatever monsters are in the shadows. And if am not there, how am I supposed to do that? She needs me.’ 

‘Are they her monsters or yours, Blake?’ 

The sobs escaping him calm for a moment and he feels his heart breaking in the silence. ‘You’re a good man. But they don’t know that and they don’t want to know that. I can't force them to listen cause you killed one of theirs.’ 

He bows his head, not caring to look John in the eye. He’s quite sure he can hear his heart pounding from where he is standing and the gun in his hand feels heavy. Too heavy. 

His big hands are balled into fists hanging on either side of him and in a small voice, Blake mumbles, ‘look after me girls f’r me, yeah, Cap’n?’ 

It’s so weak, something he expected to leave the mouth of a child – not a grown man. He manages out a grunt as he readies his finger on the trigger, sucking in a breath. To offer him a response seems unjust, there’s nothing he can say as of that moment as he’s all too aware of the eyes watching him. 

He lands with a thud as the sound of his pistol rings out around the yard, his body falling onto a boat passing by. His pistol smokes as he moves his hand to station it back to his side. The men sitting across the window offer him a half-assed nod as they push themselves up off the crates. They offer him nothing else: no condolences, no ‘thank you’ for what he’s just done.

No.

Instead, they head on their merry way, leaving Price to watch as the boat drifts down the canal, red splayed across the back of Blake's head. 

The sight leaves him feeling empty, like a de-gloved puppet. He has no purpose, simply sworn to a haphazard purgatory until the next time his violence is needed.

—

He's tired and he knows it.

Truthfully, he doesn't understand why he has even entertained your suggestion and the rudeness you exerted in the gallery has left him with a bruised conscience as he stands outside of the home, listening to the littered curses of the residents as they are pulled outside.

Tapping his foot against the ground, his mind is taken hostage by a woman across the street. Her blonde hair is tied neatly into a bun against her head and she seems much too disturbed by the fabric of her skirt. She walks with a sneer — uncommon for a woman as, typically, they know anything other than a smile is sure to make them an outcast.

And still, he's intrigued by her.

He's sure he knows her from somewhere.

And then he sees him. John Price, in person. He's walking with his typical arrogance: head held high, hands behind his back walking as though he's still in the position he favoured. The entirety of the man is a waste, he concluded. Nothing is redeeming about him and his desire to revisit the life he lost is simply pitiful to observe.

The woman he approaches looks at him and they share a few words before Graves notes that her eyes catch his own for a split second before turning back to Price. It's that that ultimately provides him with the go-ahead to approach the pair of them, uncaring for the commotion he's caused in the household behind him.

So, he crosses the street, putting on the brightest grin he can muster as he proceeds towards the pair of them. He doesn't need to be beside Price for the man to turn around and address him. Immediately, he's greeted by a casual coolness.

'Mr—'

'Detective Graves,' Price cuts off, narrowing his eyes. 'I've heard you've been looking for me.'

'That I have,' he nods, a smile plastered on his face.

'And to get my attention... you beat one of my men?'

'He wasn't cooperating.'

The woman beside Price pipes up. 'That's not what I heard.'

Her tone is thick and professional, and she seems to be just as much of a cynic as he is. 'Your men left him bloody and half-conscious in an alleyway. The barmaid had to help him inside,' Price says, 'I wouldn't call that not cooperating. If you wanted to speak to me, you could have asked me. But you didn't.'

'Forgive me,' he says through a huff, 'for not wanting to trust a criminal,' he adds, 'but I have reason to believe that you're the man who took a shipment of guns.'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' he says, 'an' Gaz told us about that. You wanna work with us.'

'That I do. If you're not a guilty man then it should be no problem.'

'No,' he says, 'not after how you treated him. You can take your deal and shove it right up your arse,' he says in an all too polite manner. 'I want no part in whatever it is you're doing.'

'But you'll gladly get your hands dirty for Blake, eh?' Graves asks.

The woman standing next to Price shoots him a confused look, her thin eyebrows bunching together in the centre of her forehead as her mouth hangs open ever so slightly. Rather than answer, Price places his hands on the woman's shoulder and begins to usher her away.

Graves watches as he does so, resting his hands on his lips with a grin. 'I look forward to our proper meeting, John!'

—

The coldness of the night seeps between the cracks of the pub as you ready yourself for your walk home in the dark. You give it little thought as you get ready to leave; it’s no different to any other night, aside from the one where John walked you home, of course.

You can’t seem to escape the thought of last night, and even though it was a measly day ago, you find yourself grinning at the idea of the pair of you walking side by side. Neither of you said anything, only offering a quiet ‘thank you,’ and ‘good night,’ when you reached your doorstep and left him.

And, as you’re turning off the lights inside the pub, you find there’s an ache in your chest that the pair of you didn’t fill the void with some form of conversation, although, you’re charmed that the pair of you could walk in silence and not feel the need to speak. 

Not even Graves can give you that. And he isn't the criminal.

It’s odd and you feel like a schoolgirl again, bumbling and stuttering over yourself while daydreaming about the bad boy in school. It’s corny, you know it is (that’s the worst part, really), and it certainly isn’t what you’re here to do. You’re here to find the guns and nothing else. The weasel your way into the mind of John Price and crack the code of what exactly has happened to the weaponry. Yet, you’d be a fool to deny the thudding of your heart within your chest every time you heard his voice. 

The pub is submerged in darkness as you shuffle towards the doors with a sigh, your bag slung across your shoulder containing the coins John offered you earlier today. There’s so much you could buy with the money he’s given you and you’re embarrassingly excited about the dress you’re going to get, even though you’re unsure as to what you’re going to purchase at this very moment. All you know is you’re dressing to impress, especially, if you’re going to be the woman who he has on his arm for the entire event. 

As you pull the first door open, you close it firmly behind you, locking the latch at the top of the doors, and pushing them to ensure they’re both securely shut. You nod to yourself when the door doesn’t budge, proceeding to head out of the door stationed in front of you.

As you push the door open, you are still at the sound of footsteps to the left of you, slowly craning your head in the direction in which you hear them. Still, you keep a tight hold of the bar on the inside of the door as you do so. There’s a shadow which covers your frame and as you slowly start to pull the door to a close, you jump as a hand plunges from out of the darkness, taking hold of your forearm. 

You’re pulled away from the door, a short breath escaping you as your forearms are grabbed. You stare the shadow right in the eyes, wincing as their hold on you grows tighter. You open your mouth with the intent of screaming to catch someone's attention, as, quite frankly, the sudden altercation has left your chest rattling and all your strength after a long day in the Hindsight has been sucked out of you. Only, the man standing before you quickly lets go of your arm, placing his hand over your mouth to keep you from crying out. 

As he cranes his neck towards you, you feel his hot breath on your face as he forces your head backwards against the door, keeping you completely pinned. There’s the faint smell of booze and smoke on his breath and he offers you a grin, showing off his yellow teeth.

Your mouth runs dry as you look at him in the eyes, unable to even move in his hold. The flesh in his hold feels as though it is rotting, and the horrific grimness of this situation dawns upon you.

You’ve never been one to be played as a fool, however, as you look at the grotesque man standing before you, you feel as though you’re about to burst into a fit of tears. You’re exhausted, you’ve had a long shift and all you long for is your bed. Yet, even the universe cannot grant you that one simple pleasure. 

‘I was hopin’ to catch you,’ confesses the man, his leg bouncing as he twitched with a peculiar excitement. ‘You’ve been the talk of the town, y’know? The barmaid. Everyone has been sayin’ how pretty you are and I wanted to see for meself… and they weren’t wrong.’

All you can do is stare as he addresses you as though you’re an apparition. 

‘They’ve said that John Price is real fond of you,’ he says, ‘and you know what’s the best way to get to a man?’ he asks, leaning closer as he lets go of your forearm, still keeping a secure grip on your face.

He beckons his head as you watch his hand disappear into the night. So, in an attempt to keep yourself alive, you slowly shake your head, hoping he’ll leave you be. 

‘Dumb girl – you got the looks but not the wit about you, ain’t that right?’ he laughs, moving closer and closer to you until his forehead is pressed against yours and you have no choice but to look him in the eyes. 

You feel him shift against you, a worrying action as he’s obscuring your view so all you can see are his sharp features and his bloodshot eyes. Your breath is caught in your throat as your mouth runs dry, there’s no sense of security in the eyes of a criminal like him, you know it, and during your fit of panic, you feel your body begin to tremble. He pushes his hand against your mouth harder, forcing your head to press against the glass on the door to the Hindsight.

‘Lemme tell you a little somethin’ about this business,’ he sighs, ‘us men like three things, you take one of them away and… well, you might as well shoot us there and then, yeah?’ 

You feel something blunt press against your throat.

‘Money, power, and our women,’ he claims boldly, ‘take that away from any man and he has nothing. And I don’t intend on keeping you around just cause you’re giving me puppy dog eyes cause you’re a mutt who's in with the wrong crowd.’

If he knew the truth, you’re unsure whether or not he would have changed his tune or if he would remain the same cruel man he is right now. 

'Does it feel good, hm? To work for a fuckin’ scamming lowlife?’ he asks, pulling away from you slightly, ‘bet it feels pretty fuckin’ good, ey? Since you’re choosing to stick around for him, anyway.’ 

An immediacy hits you as you note that you are going to die if you do not do something – anything: your mission would be all for nothing. Your spirit would haunt The Hindsight and an eternity roaming the ale-soaked halls of that pub leaves your blood cold and throat dry. You hear the gun beneath your chin cock.

‘Please,’ you whisper, and he pulls his hand from your mouth, allowing you to catch your breath. ‘Please just let me go; I- I won’t tell anyone anything.’ 

He chuckles, ‘The dead can’t speak, but the living can lie.’ 

A tear rolls down your face as you come to terms with what you’re going to have to do in order to escape him. You’re no killer, you don’t take yourself for one, anyway. Morality always comes first, however, when it’s between the choice of your life and someone else’s, should you really be calculating just how long of a stay you’re going to have in hell? 

You wince at the feeling of the cool metal being pressed under your chin, a burst of adrenaline shooting through you as you lift your leg, driving it right into his crotch. The pressure from around your face is relieved as he staggers backwards whilst you sink your hand into your bag, holding the handle of a blade in your hand before driving it into his stomach. The man grunts, his skin suctioning around the blade – almost pleading to keep the hole you’ve just created plugged up to avoid his immediate death.

However you show little mercy in the eyes of the man you perceive to be the devil, and if you have sinned, you shall address that in the afterlife. 

He falls to the ground, gripping his side and you stand over him, your hand falling from out of your bag as you hold your arms in front of you, teary-eyed. 

‘I- I- I…’ your words waver as you stand,  dropping your hand out of your bag. The gun he held to your throat lays on the ground beside him and you can’t take your eyes off of it. Truthfully, there was no innocence in what the man tried to do to you and you know that justifying his actions will only make you the villain. 

You are not a monster, but you are a murderer. 

The thought hits you like the first lick of light at dawn and you’re blinded by the sight of blood staining your hands. A voice rings from down the road behind you and you take that as your sign to leave. You have little time to rationalize where exactly you’re running to as you find your legs are carrying you before your brain fully processes the fact that you’re moving, resulting in a few clumsy steps as you rush up the road. 

You’re winded by the time you make it to the top of the road, and instead of taking the turn to your house just a few streets away, you stop in front of one of the doors at the top of the street. You intend to knock lightly, knowing the people in the house will not take lightly to such a rude wake-up call, but your trembling fist simulates that of the pound of a bailiff. You knock three times, your fist hovering as you go to do it again, all for the lock on the other side of the door to click. 

Much to your relief, you spy John Price standing at the door. He’s still in his typical business attire, only the top few buttons of his white shirt have been undone. Your eyes well with tears at the sight of him and you fight off the urge to throw yourself into the arms of a criminal as you stare at him with wild eyes.

You’re aware he can see your bloody hand, but he ignores it as he cautiously reaches his hand out to you, acting as though you’re a feral cat. You don’t move, only lightly flinching when you feel his coarse fingertips brush against your chin as he gently moves your head up to get a good view of your neck. 

His face settles from concern to anger as his eyebrows furrow. A tear falls from your eye. ‘I- I’m sorry,’ you croak, ‘I know it’s late a- and–’

‘Don’t be stupid, love,’ he said, wiping away the tear with the pad of his thumb. 

You wait no longer, throwing your arms around him as a sob rips through you. Your rationality tells you one thing: you’re not better than he is now, although, you’re unsure whether or not that is such a bad thing. He may be a criminal in the eyes of the law, but with how he holds you, you wonder what else he is beyond the label. He’s respectful with the way his hands wrap around you, one in your hair, pressing your head into his chest lightly, the smell of a discarded cigar haunting the fabric, whilst his other hand captures the wrist of your bloody hand. 

‘H- He was gonna kill me,’ you weep, your words muffled by his chest. ‘I didn’t know what to do, I- I wanted him away from me but I didn’t want to kill him.’ 

Your confession comes with silence, and you push your face away from his chest, looking up at him as though he is God, awaiting a punishment: eternal damnation.

‘Where is he?’ 

His tone is one of anger, one which desires retribution, a potent hunger which diminishes all signs of humanity.

‘Outside the pub,’ you mumble, holding his shoulders, ‘I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–’

‘You’ve done nothing wrong,’ he refutes quickly, not giving you a chance to change his mind. 

Leading you inside of the house, he closes the door behind the pair of you, motioning for you to take a seat on the sofa. You do as he says and take a seat, your blood hand staining the fabric of your cream skirt. He pours you a glass of whiskey, holding it out to you. You take it and bring the glass to your lips, taking a small sip. The burning in the back of your throat causes you to wince as the sensation works to tell you that you’re alive: you survived. 

‘I- I was locking up and he grabbed me and… and pushed me up against the door,’ you say dully, ‘he put a gun under my chin, said he was gonna kill me b- because I was associated with you.’ 

John’s face falls at your confession. 

‘I didn’t know what to do. I- I couldn’t think straight and I panicked. I didn’t mean it, I didn’t want to kill him,’ you say, your voice cracking as you bring the glass back up to your mouth. ‘I- I promise I didn’t mean it. I didn’t want to kill him, but it was him… or me.’ He remains silent causing you to look up at him, your eyes creasing as you snivel, ‘I’m a murderer… a monster.’ 

The whiskey sloshes in the cup as it settles on your knee, more tears pouring down your cheeks. You're heaving for your breath, unable to keep your panic at bay. Strings of saliva cling to your lips as they part once more as your conscience seeks to defend itself further. Only, you close your mouth as John pushes himself off of the sofa, kneeling before you as he takes your blood hand in both of his, looking up at you. 

‘You’re not a monster, love,’ he breathes, ‘far from it,’ he adds, letting go of your hand as he reaches into his pocket and retrieves a handkerchief, gently holding your wrist as he begins to clean your hand of blood. ‘I’ve met monsters. You’re nothing of the sort.’

You seek sorrow in his eyes as he wipes the blood away, the tenderness of his action momentarily deceiving you into thinking the pair of you are in your fifteenth year of marriage. In reality, the pair of you are barely friends – strangers.

‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there.’ 

The word strangers seems cruel.

You let out a small laugh. ‘You weren’t to know.’

He chews on the inside of his mouth like he’s chewing on a stick of gum. ‘Shouldn’t have left you to walk home alone,’ he refutes, shaking his head as he turns your hand over, continuing to wipe away the blood. ‘Especially not after findin’ that on the handle of the pub. That was stupid of me. I’m sorry love.’ 

‘It’s okay,’ you say quietly. 

There’s silence for a while and you have no desire to break it. 

‘Stay here for the night,’ he says, ‘you can have my cot.’ 

It’s as though he's offering you his life. You sense something – it’s exuding from his pores in the dim candlelight, the fire to the right of the pair of you leaving half his face illuminated with orange, specks of white meeting your eye as you stare at him. He seems afraid, whether it is for you or something else, you’re unsure. 

‘Okay,’ you whisper, placing your hand over his with a smile. You close your hand around his, uncaring of any consequence. 

‘Good,’ he says. 

You feel compelled to answer him instead of falling back into silence, mustering up a quaint but firm, ‘It’s not your fault, John.’ 

You spy a brief moment of resentment on his face before it settles as he looks at you with thin lips and glistening eyes. All he can offer you is a curt nod, and you suspect that if he does open his mouth, the likelihood of him becoming reduced to a puddle of tears is startlingly high. There’s a peculiarity about the situation you’ve found yourself in, knowing the details of the man and the words that authorities have chosen to describe him as, criminal, murderer, failure.

If you possessed the paper right now, it would fuel the fire burning beside the pair of you. 

‘I won’t let anythin’ like that happen to you ever again,’ he says, clearing his throat. In spite of his best efforts, the congestion of his tone is blatant and you know better than to blame his smoking habits on the sound. 

‘It’s not your fault.’ 

‘It is,’ he insists, ‘you shouldn’t have blood on your hands. You don’t deserve the burden of it,’ he says, closing his hand around your bloody one, ‘it changes the way your brain works and… well, I don’t want that for you.’ 

‘This isn’t your burden to carry,’ you say, ‘I held the knife, I pierced his flesh. His blood is on my hands.’ 

‘Whose name did he say?’ You bow your head, unable to shake the feeling of guilt. ‘It’s my name that’s deadly, not your actions, love. He wouldn’t have done that to you if you weren’t associated with me.’ 

‘It’s unfair.’ 

‘It’s the truth,’ he says, the tips of his fingers lifting your head so your eyes meet again. ‘I’m used to it, love. Don’t lose sleep over someone like me, yeah?’ 

You ponder your exchange while he leaves you to sit alone with your thoughts for a while. Expressing concern for your safety was one thing, you’re grateful for his words of course you are, however, when you hear the voices of two other men and busy footsteps down the stairs, you choose to nurse your dry mouth with the glass of whiskey he poured you a while ago.

Kyle appears first. Had it not been for the sound of his pounding steps you would have taken the smile he’s giving you at face value – but you know better than to do that. Whilst his anger is not on his face, there’s a potency in his eyes appearing in the form of a minuscule shadow. 

‘Don’t worry, lovie,’ he says firmly, pulling the front door open, looking behind his shoulder as more footsteps fill the room. ‘You’re safe with us.’ 

Disappearing into the darkness of the night, you wonder what sort of sin he is going to commit because of your clumsy hand and desperation to live. Simon Riley is next down the stairs, paying you no mind as he walks through the door frame, nearly having to duck to keep his head from hitting the top of it. The door closes with a slam and you stifle a gasp, the whiskey soaking your upper lip as you bang your teeth against the rim of the glass.

Wincing, you pull your lips off the glass staring teary eyed at the closed door. You’ve never been so emotional in your life, an urgency striking you like a knife to the chest to flee from your vulnerability; to be a damsel in distress is to be everything you have desperately been trying to avoid. And still, when Price appears with a head of ruffled hair, you finish the last of the whiskey in your glass. It outstays its welcome, dragging its feet as it slides down your throat. 

‘Where are they going?’ 

‘Don’t worry,’ Price says, holding his hand out to you. ‘Let’s get you up to bed.’

You choose not to fight his words and follow him up the steps. He stands guard as though there’s an enemy in the house waiting to strike as you wash your hands in the water basin in the bathroom, your reflection split into fragmented pieces due to the shattered mirror on the wall. Your cheeks are stained with the tears you have cried throughout the night, your bloodshot eyes challenging the redness of violence in the remnants of the mirror. You spy your soul in pieces and your chest aches. 

Who am I? 

The blood is officially off of your hands after a generous amount of scrubbing and when you turn around, you’re greeted by the sight of one of John’s shirts sitting atop the closed toilet seat. You take it into your clean hands, staring at it. His kindness is striking and you feel little remorse as the straps of your ruined navy dress fall from off of your shoulders, permitting the white fabric of his shirt to wrap around you. 

Pulling open the door, you step out onto the landing with your dress balled up in your arms. ‘I’ll have Kate fix it,’ he says, taking it from your hands. 

‘No, it’s fine.’ 

‘Blood’s difficult to wash out, love,’ he says gently, ‘rather you keep your hands clean.’  The dress slips from your grip and he rests it on the banister. His statement is a reminder of who exactly you’re in the presence of – that the reports aren’t rumours but facts. 

But you don’t care.

Not when you slip into his bed, and not when he sits in a chair beside you, refusing to take the space you possess. Any other bad man would have been between the sheets with you in a heartbeat, and despite your attempts to protest, he insists on leaving you alone in the bed he sleeps in. So you settle with your head against his pillow, his hand resting just above your  head, mindlessly brushing his crooked fingers through your hair. 

‘You thought any more about what dress you're gonna get for the races?’ 

A smile forms on your face, ‘no.’ 

‘I’ll give you some coins, get you a pretty dress.’ 

Your mouth forms a frown. ‘Because you want to or because you think you have to because of what happened?’ 

‘Because I want to, love,’ he says, the chair creaking as he shifts. ‘I was thinkin’ red.’ 

‘Red?’ You ask. 

‘Looks good on you.’ 

Your cheeks are stained with scarlet and you lean further into the pillow. ‘You think?’

‘I know,’ he hums, the tips of his fingers resting atop your head. ‘But it’s your choice.’

‘Red it is,’ you say. 

The pair of you sit in silence as you grow tired, and when you feel his hand begin to pull away, you move your hand from under the sheets, grabbing his wrist. He understands and, without a word, he continues to brush his hands through your hair, sweeping stray strands from out of your face as you slowly succumb to slumber. 

John doesn’t sleep, however. 

Instead, he spends his time watching you. Every sharp breath from you is reminiscent of the gunshots in the trenches. How brutal the mind could be to one. He supposes it is simply his punishment for being unable to save Blake from his own. The destitution of the mind leaves the body with too little to spend. He wishes he knew that without bearing the burden of his actions and faults – without getting you involved. It’s a difficult life, but he’s a difficult person. 

The sight of you quells the beating in his chest, and as you sleep you pull your hand from out of the sheets. Sitting idly, he taps his foot against the ground while staring at your hand. The red under your nails, while subtle, sounded the scratching in his mind and he fell queasy at the sight. Reaching out his hand, he took yours in his, leaning forward as he did so and resting his head upon his free hand.

To bear burdens is his job: to hear the scratching in the walls before bed, to brutalize his men, to keep secrets. And now you’re here, he fears all his efforts for money and reprimand have been nothing but a waste of his time. 

𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

TAGS: (If you would like to be added to the tag list let me know!) @forever-twenty-two-years-old @iizx7y @phantomreadsandreblogs @talooolaaloolla @guiltgoreglory @corpsebasil @ferns-fics @racheldoyle

Btw I appreciate it's been a while so if you would like me to remove you from the tag list let me know!

(Once again I apologise)

[guangchuans]

hi. i just. hehe need to distract myself from the horrors (living in a house that stopped being a home too long ago).

the use of ending fairies for guilty was so genius to me. how ending fairies are meant to be a quick break for the performing artist, to make a cute or fierce pose, a little send off before their stage ends. but the entire concept of guilty, in a way, is that the stage never ends for taemin. he has been in the public eye since a very young age, his puberty was essentially broadcasted, monetised too. he has spoken several times how the majority of his life he just spent working, spending all free time practising further, not "enjoying" life to the fullest – enjoyment is very subjective, yes, but taking into consideration the teen vogue interview among other interviews from since he has come back from the service, it really does seem that way – how even his "free time" was yet another piece of content.

and with guilty, with the concept of guilty (album not just the song), being so tied to voyeurism and the feeling of control lost... and how the ending fairies bring this aura to the performance of the deep awareness of being constantly watched. how in so many of them, he barely has the energy to pick up his gaze to look at the camera. this, almost, direct look at the audience, not as taemin just the person, but taemin the idol, taemin who just showed a choreo with a lot of exposed skin, but it was never abt the stomach, the abs, the skin. it was, once again, abut the feeling of loss of agency and control of your own body. how the hand doesn't seem to be his; or rather... the hand IS his, but he was not the one to decide on it – kind of like how in the mv, his hand is the one holding the gun, but he is not raising his arm by himself, he is not aiming by himself. his body becomes simply... a tool, for others, to move around and pose as they please – also, like in the mv, as the hands manhandle him, pointing his own finger-guns to his throat.

and when he does actually manage to bring his gaze up, it's so jarring. it shakes you to your core. you finally feel it. i shouldn't be here. i shouldn't have enjoyed it. it makes you take a step back, to think on what you actually just saw. there is a question in his look, asking "are you satisfied? was this enough? was this enough? will it ever be enough?" and the make up, a gentle one for this stage, with red around the eyes, made to look like puffy after crying.

i don't think i have an end with thiis thought really. i am just very fascinated by it, and i have loved the guilty stages. i am glad to be able to witness taemin growing as an artist like this. mwah.

[montammil]

Awwwww, that's so sweet of Lawrence's grandmother. I instantly just love her, imagining her true and nonviolent love would definitely help the three kids get better. Thank you for answering my ask! Do you think any amount go therapy could ever fix Lawrence or make him see what is he doing wrong?

Also, I am so weak for regretful Whumper, But I am more weak for Whumper turned to Whumpee. I can definitely see Nathan getting his revenge and beating Lawrence, but I am not sure about Marshall. Imagine a scenario where all three of them capture and get revenge on Lawrence. I can't see Sadie and Marshall being all too happy, but just imagine Lawrence all roughed up with Nathan holding a pipe and Sadie looking nervous but still mad at Lawrence. and Marshall looks absolutely terrified. Maybe Lawrence will try to play a mind game with Marshall because he looks so terrified, and tried to manipulate him into untying him. Or purposely taunting Nathan, and Nathan getting very very mad

Thats a tough question haha, I'd say with enough therapy Lawrence could get better if he wanted to, but the issue is he doesn't want to. I might try to make an AU where Lawrence feels guilty and gets help if that's something anyone's interested in.

Sorry this took so long, by the way! It got a little darker than I was intending XD.

CW: Parental/creepy whumper, violence, major character death (not Marshall or Lawrence but still kinda major), manipulation, electrocution, gun violence, smoking, really just a general whump warning

When Lawrence wakes up, he hears arguing.

"This is going too far... we should just call the police or something." Marshall.

"He's a fucking rich guy. What do you think will happen?" Nathan.

"We have enough evidence to be taken seriously this time." Sadie.

Slowly, Lawrence opens his eyes and groans. His head hurts, but the sounds of all his children make him persist through the pain. He sees Marshall avoiding looking at him from the corner of the room, Nathan glaring daggers at him, and Sadie frowning at Nathan.

"Sorry about the rope, I was going for the chains like you used on me, but they were too expensive," Nathan says in a falsely sympathetic tone.

Grunting, Lawrence sits upright as his headache increases exponentially. "Great job kidnapping me. What do you plan to do now? Kill me? You always were the one for senseless violence."

"You're such a hypocrite if you believe that." Nathan marches forward to grab Lawrence by the collar of his bloodied shirt, yanking him forward to stare at him closely. Lawrence's hands are tied behind his back, and his ankles are tied together as well. Nathan would enjoy seeing his tormentor tied up and bloody, but Lawrence doesn't seem phased. "I think I should kill you. You deserve to die after the hell you put us through."

"I don't think I did. Sadie got away after just a few weeks, and Marshall seemed to enjoy my attention." His gaze shifts to the younger man in the corner of the room. "Didn't you, buddy?"

Marshall hides his face further from him at being called out.

Laughing weakly, Lawrence looks around the room as he struggles against the ropes, ignoring the ache in his body. "I hate to tell you this, Nathan, but I think you're the only one who hasn't gotten over the past."

Nathan lets go of Lawrence's collar, seething. "You're insane."

Lawrence shrugs. "I've been called worse."

He glares at Sadie and says, "Give me my gun."

"Wait, no!" Marshall finally steps closer into the light. His eyes are puffy and he's visibly shaking. "Please. Let's do something else, literally anything. Just... please don't kill him."

Sadie nods. "Nathan, we'll go to prison if you shoot him. Context doesn't matter if we aren't doing it in self-defense."

He growls in frustration, but doesn't deny that. He grabs his pocket knife and brings it to Lawrence's throat, earning another cry from Marshall, a bigger reaction than the one Lawrence gives. He stares directly into Nathan's eyes, as if challenging him.

"Just because I'm not killing you doesn't mean you're getting away from this free, bastard. Got that?"

"What ever you say, bud."

Nathan yells in more frustration. "You're insufferable!" He kicks Lawrence to the side, and stomps to the table in what looks like a dilapidated barn. He shoves the pocket knife on the table and snatches the pistol on his way out.

When Nathan exits the barn, Sadie sends a glance towards Marshall. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to go get some air..." Marshall exits as well, only after sending Lawrence another weary glance.

Pursing her lips, Sadie sighs. "Okay then." She leaves, but unlike Marshall, she doesn't even spare a last glance toward Lawrence.

Lawrence watches the door slide shut and then the room go almost pitch black, except for a small light coming from cracks in the wooden walls, which give him just enough light to vaguely see his surroundings. He pulls at his wrists, trying to get them free, but they're tight. It takes no genius to know that was definitely also Nathan's doing.

From what he just saw, this seems all like Nathan's doing. Sadie is too smart to want to pull something like this, and Marshall is... Marshall.

He tries moving, to get the gun or knife from the table, but he can hardly crawl, let alone reach up there. He sighs internally. This isn't exactly how he imagined escaping, but hey, maybe he'll figure something out.

...

Just two hours later, Lawrence hears the door sliding back open. He expects to see Nathan back with something to torture him with, but instead he sees Marshall, the only one who can get him out of this situation right now.

"I brought you food," Marshall says quietly. He places down a bowl of ramen noodles. "It's the only thing I know how to make... okay, bye."

"Marshall, baby," Lawrence says, which makes the younger man stop in his tracks.

Tensing up, Marshall whispers without turning, "What?"

Lawrence is just glad he'll hear him out. "Can you please let me go? We can go back to what it used to be. I won't hurt Sadie or Nathan, we can just go back home and be happy again." When Marshall doesn't reply, Lawrence adds, "You've only known them for a few days at least, right? You don't know either of them like I do. Nathan only cares about himself, and Sadie thinks she knows everything. They'll both leave you after this is all over."

It seems to be getting to Marshall already, but he ends up shaking his head. "No, I can't do that. I'm sorry."

"You were crying earlier. Why?" Lawrence tries next with more worry in his voice.

Wincing, Marshall finally turns to face him. "I don't like seeing people hurt, that's it. Is that all you wanted to know?" His voice seeps of impatience to leave, but there's also a hint of fear in it. Fear he'll end up caving.

Lawrence smiles. "See, Marshie? You aren't like them. You're so sweet and caring. That's why you're too naive for this world, I'm just trying to protect you! I love you."

"I..." Marshall blinks away tears. "I have to go. I'm not supposed to even be here."

As he bolts out the barn, Lawrence sighs. It looks like this'll take some time. He looks down at the bowl of ramen. It was nice of Marshall for including a spoon, but firstly, who eats ramen with a spoon? and secondly, how the hell would he even use it?

Lawrence sighs. This'll be a fun experience.

...

The next day, Nathan comes in with a lit cigarette in his mouth and a cattle prod in his hand. Lawrence sees his expression is somewhat calmer, but that's non necessarily a good thing. Not to mention Sadie nor Marshall are there to stop him.

Lawrence doesn't normally feel fear, but this is one of those rare moments. "I didn't know you smoke. I'm disappointed."

Nathan glares and throws it to the ground, stomping it out. "It's not that I'd be worried about, asshole."

"I'll give it to you, you're more creative than I am with these things," Lawrence chuckles. "You know, it's not too late to ask for forgiveness. We could go back home and put all of this behind us."

"I'd rather die than go anywhere with you. I don't want to put any of this behind me." Nathan strides forward and grabs Lawrence by his hair, yanking his head upwards. "Now beg."

"Beg?" Lawrence laughs in amusement and fear both. "It's so cute watching you try to be intimidating."

Nathan releases him, walking backwards until he reaches the wall. He leans against it, smirking down at him. "Do you think I'm joking? Beg."

"I think you're forgetting who's the superior here."

With that, Nathan doesn't hold back, hitting Lawrence against the face with the cow prod. The electricity isn't turned on yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't painful. Lawrence grunts and looks to the ground. He knocked out one of his teeth.

"Wanna repeat that?" Nathan growls.

Lawrence spits blood out to the creaky wooden floor before his gaze shifts back up at Nathan. He smiles shamelessly, his left to front incisor tooth knocked out.

A lightbulb flashes in his head. If he can get beaten up as much as possible, it'll give Marshall more reason to let him go. "Is that the best hit you got, Nate? For someone so angry all the time, you have a pretty pathetic strength."

More animalistic rage bubbles up in Nathan and he stomps away. Lawrence thinks he's leaving at first, but then sees him grab a metal pail of water. He admittedly does wince when Nathan dumps the freezing water over him. He doesn't realize what's happening until he sees Nathan grab the cattle prod again, putting his finger over the button to control the electricity.

"This is for all the times you tortured me!" Nathan jams the cattle prod into Lawrence's shoulder first, earning the first real cry of pain from him.

It feels like a million needles pricking at him. The pain mixed with the freezing iciness of the water is enough to make his vision blur. His teeth clatter together, and he looks back up at him to see the younger man smirking.

"Apologize for all the pain you've caused me and I'll consider stopping."

"I'm not the one that needs to apologize, you--" Lawrence gets interrupted with another stab of pain, his muscles spasming and seizing. Tears prick at his eyes.

"Aw, gonna cry?" Nathan jeers. He grabs Lawrence by the hair, and Lawrence grunts at the suddenness. "Reminds me of all the times you taunted me for crying."

Lawrence grits his teeth, trying desperately to stay strong. But he can tell Nathan isn't done torturing him yet. Just as he comes up with a good response, he feels lightheaded. And then darkness swallows him whole.

...

When he wakes up, he feels a blanket being placed over him. His eyes slowly open, and he sees Marshall there, crouching down right next to him on his knees. He also notices the rope around his wrists are slightly less tight, but that could just be his imagination. Despite the swirls in his vision, he can tell Marshall has a worried frown. His heart warms.

"Hi, buddy," Lawrence murmurs. He blinks a few times and looks around to see no sign of Sadie nor Nathan. Good. "Thanks for the blanket."

The younger man nods, face still bearing a look of concern. "Y-yeah... I brought you food. Uh, it's ramen again... sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just happy I get to see you again." When Lawrence's vision clears, he notices how puffy Marshall's eyes are. "Have you been crying?" His voice softens into a coo. Normally he really is hurt to see Marshall cry, but this time is different. Marshall's crying because he's worried about him.

Marshall shakes his head. "No. It's allergies." He stands up again and seems more wary than last time.

Lawrence thinks this is perfect. He moves in a position that perfectly shows off all his bruises in the dim lighting and gives the most painful groan ever. "Can you get me a cloth or something, Marshie? I don't wanna get any blood on this blanket."

"Um, yeah, sure. I don't see you bleeding, though."

"Oh, I've been coughing up some blood."

The worry that etches across Marshall's face is perfect. "You have?"

Lawrence nods. "Yeah, but I'm sure it's no big deal,. If you're busy, that's okay. I love you, kiddo." He suppresses a grin at Marshall's quivering lip.

Marshall looks behind him at the slightly open barn door, the rain pouring outside. He looks back at Lawrence, hands still tied behind his back and on his knees. He hops to his feet and rapidly strides to the table where Nathan placed the pocket knife from earlier. He gets back to his crouched position behind Lawrence and mumbles, "Hold still."

Lawrence feigns confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Cutting your bonds free."

Lawrence perks up. "Oh, thank you, bud!"

He watches as Marshall cuts through the ropes binding him, freeing his arms, then removes the ropes around Lawrence's ankles. As Marshall carefully cuts through them, he murmurs, "Sadie is napping and Nathan is getting groceries, so let's be quick... he could be back soon."

"Don't worry, we're gonna be fine." As soon as Marshall completely frees him, Lawrence pulls him into a tight hug, kissing his temple. He lets out a relieved breath.

Marshall stiffens for a moment, but relaxes eventually, returning the embrace.

Soon Lawrence stands, nearly stumbling over if not for Marshall to help him. Lawrence gives the younger man a thankful smile and puts his arm around Marshall's shoulders. "Give me one sec, kiddo. It's been a while since I used my legs."

"Okay, just be quick. I really don't want either of them to see us."

"I said don't worry. Do you have a phone?"

"W-why?" Marshall's frown deepens, mostly afraid Lawrence will take it away for the sake of taking it away. Basically like a repeat of what happened when Marshall was first taken by him.

Lawrence laughs quietly. "I just want to call a friend. He'll come pick us up and we can get out of here."

Reluctantly sighing, Marshall grabs his phone from his pocket.

"Thanks, kiddo." Lawrence dials in a number and puts the phone to his ear, waiting for it to connect.

The entire time, Marshall keeps looking at the entrance of the barn, nervously anticipating for either Sadie or Nathan to step through. Maybe with Sadie he can try negotiating with her (even if he doubts it'll work), but if Nathan finds them... Marshall is sure Nathan will kill Lawrence, and might as well him too.

"Hey, Flint! It's Lawrence... I know, I'll explain everything later, I just need you to pick me up, I'll send you my location... yes, I'm fine, my son's with me. It'd be nice if you could schedule a dentist appointment for me soon, though."

Marshall hates how casually he speaks, and he hates it even more than he just did this. Did he betray Sadie and Nathan? He didn't mean to... but it does sure feel that way...

"Let's get out of here, I don't want to draw any attention to us," Lawrence mutters. He grabs Marshall's hand and leads him out the barn door. He's having trouble walking, Marshall notices.

Lawrence and Marshall both stop in their tracks when they see Sadie standing just a few feet from them, shocked. The bandages she were holding drop to the floor along with her jaw. Marshall's throat goes dry.

"You're letting him go." Sadie's voice wavers in disbelief. "Marshall..." She steps closer, reaching out toward him, but stops herself short. Her gaze turns cold and hard. "You're seriously going to take his side after what he did to us? To you?"

"Sadie, I-- I'm not taking anyone's side, I just--"

"You know what? Fine. If you really think he makes you happy, go. Never talk to me again." She glares at Lawrence. "If I ever see you again..." She trails off and can't find the correct words, opting to storm off instead.

Marshall has never hated himself more than he does now. He's shocked Lawrence just let her walk away, but when he sees how urgent the older man looks, he can assume it's because of the bigger threat: Nathan. If Nathan finds them, they're done for. Mostly Lawrence, but Marshall wouldn't be shocked if Nathan decided to end his life too.

"How long ago did Nathan leave?"

"Um... maybe forty minutes ago?"

Lawrence curses under his breath. "Alright. We're going to hide in the woods and wait for Nathan to pass by. What does Nathan's car look like?"

As they walk across the gravel road and into the woods, Marshall thinks for a moment. "I don't know the brand, but it's small and dark blue. I think it's hard to miss."

Marshall helps Lawrence walk through the rain and mud as it only gets worse. Maybe it's for the best this way, since it'd be harder to spot them. He's starting to have regrets as he crouches behind a bush with Lawrence. The look on Sadie's face, the pure betrayal... that's something he'll never forget. Ever.

And now, here he is, hiding with his kidnapper. With Sadie and Nathan's kidnapper. He just wanted a father-figure. He just wanted the unconditional love from a parent...

Lawrence must notice the change in Marshall's mood, because he whispers, "Everything's going to be okay, buddy. Everything's gonna be alright."

His tone is soothing, and Marshall tries to believe him. But right now, nothing feels okay.

They both start to hear tires against wet pavement. Marshall glances from the bush to see Nathan's car. He's sure Nathan won't see them, so when the man's car comes to a stop, his face falls. He looks over at Lawrence to see he has a similar expression.

"You're a fucking moron if you think I didn't have a tracker on you, Lawrence!" Nathan calls. He slams the car door shut, and they can hear his footsteps against the gravel, and then the mud. He stops in front of the bush. "Get out before I shoot you in the head."

Lawrence grits his teeth and obeys, and Marshall does too. Marshall doesn't miss the look Nathan has when their eyes lock. A mix between shock and disgust.

"You let him go..." Nathan's hands shake with rage that are holding the gun. "You fucking let him go?! I knew you were desperate, but I never thought you'd be this desperate. I can't believe you."

"We'll leave you alone for the rest of your life," Lawrence tries bargaining. "Just let us go."

He barks a laugh. "You're only saying that because I'm the one holding the gun here. Do you know how much you messed me up? I can't sleep most nights because I'm paranoid you're gonna come back. Not anymore." He clicks the safety off.

Marshall gasps. "Nathan, please don't! I'll do anything, just don't do this!"

"No, I should've killed him from the very start." He aims the gun at Lawrence's forehead.

Lawrence pushes Marshall out of the way, Marshall cries out, and then the gun goes off.

But not Nathan's gun.

Marshall stares in shock as Nathan's body hits the ground. He just stares in a trance-like state, unable to comprehend what happened.

"Lawrence! Are you okay!?" a voice calls.

Marshall doesn't care about their conversation. He stares down at Nathan's limp body, the blood pooling from his head, how his eyes are still open but... lifeless. No.

He drops to his knees and shakes him. "N-Nathan. Nathan, hey. Wake up."

Nathan's limp body falls into a large puddle of mud when Marshall tries pushing him again in desperate attempt to wake him.

"Please, please don't die."

Lawrence pulls Marshall away from Nathan's body, and pulls him into his chest. Marshall doesn't cry at first. This is all a dream. It has to be a dream.

He let Lawrence out. He's responsible for this. He's responsible for Nathan's death.

Oh god, what about Sadie? If she didn't hate him now, she'll certainly want him dead as much as Nathan wanted Lawrence dead.

He can't breathe. He needs air. He opens his mouth wide, trying to gasp in some fresh oxygen. His lungs burn with each inhale, but he manages to suck in enough to keep breathing.

"Oh, sweetie... I'm so sorry..." Lawrence picks him up with a grunt.

"Lawrence, you're hurt--"

"I'm fine, Flint. Let's just get out of here."

The entire ride home, Marshall is silent. Before he knows it, he's being carried inside a small cabin-- likely one of Lawrence's many properties-- and as he's placed on the couch, everything comes crashing down on him. He breaks down. Sobbing uncontrollably, he clings onto Lawrence's shirt tightly.

Lawrence strokes his hair gently, whispering comforting words in his ear. "It's okay, baby. It was for the best this way."

Marshall mistakes the relief in Lawrence's voice for sadness, and wraps his arms around his neck. Lawrence must be sad too... after all, it seems like he was obsessed with Nathan to a similar degree as he was for him, right?

In reality, Lawrence couldn't be happier it's over.

[lowlyroach]

564) you won't miss a thing 2

I did this

It's me

So don't feel guilty

Please stop looking at me

I went to Barnes and Noble

And sat next to you in Friday's

When we compared arm lengths

And looked at that boyfriend bracket

And in cheddars when we got drinks together

And walked passed those lampposts

When I got excited to show you a deer

In the grass that you

Probably had seen plenty of times before

Since you grew up there

But I was just so excited to be with you

So disgustingly excited

Horribly excited

I was brimming and I should have remained a cynic

I was a clown dancing to his own tune

A fool hoping to be in love with you

I just wanted forever and always to last

Forever and always

For you too

And not be no time at all

For once, please for once

One fucking time can it not be a lie

And I did this

It's my fault

So please

Just don't read these anymore

Because I turn around and I feel like you're

The person tugging at my shirt

I turn around and I want to see something

Breathtaking

Like when you do anything

Like when you took the caps out of my car handles

Like when I sat on top of you

Like when I held your waist in my room

Like when you put your hair up

Or tie your shoe

Or tilt your head to frame me

Like when you leaned over and said 'hey'

And kissed my stupid cheek

Your lips on my cheek

My cheek

Your lips on my cheek

Your lips and

I'm so so so sorry

And I'm so stupid because

I kept falling in love with you

In a hundred new ways

Dozens of times a day

When we talk about funko pops

And how you squint your eyes

And try to frame me in the light

And when you said 'I love you'

And I got soaked by sprinklers

And you said you loved me

You loved me?

Me?

And how you traced me with fingers of lightning

When I sucked in air like it was starlight

Like when your hair was in a ponytail on that walk

And I'm so stupid for that and I'm sorry

I let it destroy me

I was so excited and filled with hope

And I felt so alive, finally

I felt like a kid, I had so much energy

I was curious about the world again

And I was so fucking stupid

Because of course the stupid thought wouldn't be true

When you said "I'm going to effing marry you."

I was so consumed with hope and wonder

Now it's quiet so please

Let me consume me

Don't watch, please don't watch

I just wanted to play you piano

To cook you dinner

To welcome you home with a hug and a smile

To ease your burdens

To lift your spirits

To massage your body

To make you happy

To make you happy

God, I just wanted to make you happy

And I just wanted to be happy

Is that so fucking wrong?

Is that so fucking wrong to do for someone?

Am I not supposed to want that?

I don't need you to see me

Thanks for putting new songs on the playlist

You can stop reading now

Just turn around

Turn around

I don't want you to see the ugly

The way my palms and knuckles bleed

How I shake and cry at work

How I stumble and slur

How I take acid to pretend you're still

In reach

And not just something I follow into my dreams

And I don't want you to see me

Talk about looking up gun prices

Because I don't need a permit to get one and

The way I punch my thigh

How I replaced starlight with nicotine

And how ugly it is when I stutter and beg and cry

How some nights I gulp down liquor by mouthfuls

How my voice is hoarse today from screaming

How I get light headed when I stand up

Because I'm so hungry

How I don't let my cat in my room

How I keep the lights off and just sit in the dark

I'm so fucking pathetic

And how I plead to the ground to do anything

Because I'll do anything anything anything

And

I don't want anyone to miss me

And I don't want you to see

So don't read these

Stop reading

It's not fair to hold you to that

Please, bug

Don't think about me

[lythea-creation]

Broken Toys - Johanna Mason x fem reader (Chapter 27)

Chapter 1

Previous Chapter

word count: 2.227

-------------------

“I'm sorry. I ruined the mood”, I apologized feeling sad and guilty.

This trip had been so much fun until I had ruined it.

Johanna had jumped down and hence finished the parcour before getting rid of her equipment, running after me, finally finding and climbing up to me.

“You didn't ruin anything. Thanks to you Peeta and I got rid of our fear, didn't we?”, Finnick declared.

“Yes! Without worrying for you we could've never moved like that”, Peeta agreed with a smile.

I had the greatest friends.

Johanna was looking out of the window absentmindedly, although she was still holding my hand.

“Jo?”

“Hm?” She turned to face me.

“Thanks” I smiled gratefully at her.

She sighed. “I'm still mad at you.”

“You are?”, I reassured disappointed.

“Yeah. Running away on your own is a bad habit. You could've at least taken me with you to make sure you … um … you know what I mean”, she brushed it off.

That made me smile again. She had been worried about me again.

“Oh, before I forget it”, Finnick interjected. “Max is annoying me all the time when you two are going to visit us again as you didn't show up last time.”

Johanna grinned. “Maybe we should let him suffer a bit more”, Johanna addressed me.

“You know I can hear everything, right?”, Finnick noted.

“That's the point, idiot”, Johanna shot back laughing.

“Stop that nonsense!”, I scolded her while shaking my head still smiling.

“How about we visit you after the election instead of returning to 7 immediately?”, I suggested.

Finnick smiled brightly. “Approved! Peeta. If Katniss gets acquitted, you two should definitely visit us too sometime.”

“Yes, that'd be great”, he agreed.

After returning to your apartments, I decided to go to the old training center, which had been turned into a gym. Of course Johanna insisted to accompany me.

When we entered the gym many people started staring at us. We had been famous before due to our games, but now that we had become representatives it had gotten worse.

“So what are we here for?”, Johanna wondered.

“It's not like you're into fighting”, she added.

“Do whatever you want to. I'll go to the shooting range”, I declared and walked off.

I was feeling strange. My speech for Katniss had moved something inside me and it unsettled me.

A gun in my hands made everything else vanish. My full attention was on the device, on observing, aiming, shooting. So it was only natural for me to go to the shooting range. After all without the training I would have gone insane in 13 back then when Johanna had been at the Capitol. It had become a way to cope.

“Sorry, but you can't go there today. A competition is going on”, a guard enlightened me.

“Then let me participate, please”, I requested.

I could see that he was suppressing his amusement.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “I'm sorry. I don't want to be rude, but this is a training competition for the best snipers of the whole country. Even if you're famous, I can't just let you in”, he clarified.

I pushed past him and approached the other people. They were currently shooting at a 600 meter range. Child's play. The one shooting right now hit the bull's eye five times in a row with five shoots.

“I'd like to participate”, I addressed all of them.

“This isn't a playground or anything”, one of them mocked me.

“Hey! Don't you recognize her? Don't forget that she's a former victor and soldier. Maybe she's worth our time”, another one objected.

“I doubt that”, another one chimed in.

“What do I have to do to qualify?”

“Can you manage bull's eye at this range? One hit would be sufficient”, the first flashed me a sly smirk.

He was obviously underestimating me. It was not like I cared. Actually I just wanted to shoot in peace, but this was better than nothing.

One of them handed me his gun and I positioned myself in front of the target. It only took me a few seconds to shoot five times at a new target. So everyone could see what I had hit.

When I joined the others again, the first man was still smirking arrogantly at me. “Not bad. You got your hit, although you needed five attempts.”

A frown appeared on my face.

“Do you need glasses? She didn't need five attempts. She hit the exact same spot five times in a row!”, someone else interjected.

“No way!”

From that point on I had to do all kinds of challenges and I succeeded in all of them.

When I turned around to leave, the arrogant man stopped me by grabbing my arm. Out of reflex I flung him over and pinned him to the ground. They all looked shocked. Maybe I should have apologized, but he had touched me first.

“How did you learn to shoot like that? I've never see anyone this good before”, the man stood up and faced me.

My hand automatically moved to my head as it started to hurt due to the flashbacks I was trying to suppress.

“I pushed through excruciating pain and used experiences from life-threatening situations”, I mumbled and left.

What was up with me today? Apparently Katniss' case was bothering me more than I wanted to admit. And it reminded me of my past.

“Dammit! (f/n)!”, Johanna yelled and slapped me in the face.

Tears blurred my sight now. Did she just hit me?

Sure. Johanna appeared pretty aggressive, but I would have never expected her to harm me, at least not consciously and physically. She was still not the best with words after all.

Just now I noticed that I was sitting on the ground and she was kneeling in front of me.

“(f/n), what's up?”

Why did she sound so caring? She was contradicting herself.

“You ...”, I could not get myself to say it out loud. That she had hit me.

Her hand gently cupped my aching cheek as a tear slipped from my eye.

“Let's go somewhere private first”, Johanna suggested as everyone was staring at us. I could not blame them.

Back in Johanna's apartment she handed me an ice pack and I held it to my cheek.

“We need to talk. Right now”, Johanna insisted.

I simply nodded.

“What was all of that about? You behave strangely since the incident at the high ropes course.”

Suddenly I felt extremely irritated.

“You slapped me”, I reminded her, still in disbelief.

“(f/n), you didn't breathe! I didn't mean to hurt you, but I won't let you die!”

I was completely confused at her statement.

“You had a panic attack. When you returned from the shooting range, you suddenly broke down and started hyperventilating. I tried talking to you, calming you down, but nothing worked. I only hit you to get you out of this state, to make you breathe properly again”, she clarified.

Johanna looked guilty and desperate. It must have been hard for her too.

“I'm sorry”, I whispered. “I dunno … so many years have already passed and yet ...”

I snuggled into her arms and let her hold me.

“You didn't take any time to recover mentally after all”, Finnick reminded me.

Wait! What was he doing here? And since when …?

I sat myself up straight again.

“I've been here the whole time. I saw everything and accompanied you. Didn't you notice me?”, he wondered shocked.

I shook my head. I had been distracted by the disturbing fact that Johanna had hit me and the basic inner turmoil I had already had before that incident.

“Never mind. You always bothered to solve all problems of Panem, but after everything you experienced, did you ever bother to deal with your mental health?”, he questioned.

“I had a break before becoming a representative”, I justified myself.

“But you rather tried not to break down again, didn't you?”

I could not reply anything to that. Finnick knew me too well. I was afraid that I would not be able to put myself back together if I let myself break down.

“You have to process your past if you don't want it to define your present and future.”

“Did you turn into a psychologist now?”, I questioned with a chuckle.

“At least he knows what he's talking about”, Johanna noted.

“Did you just compliment him?”

Johanna crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Something has to change. If you continue like this, it'll only get worse.”

“What about you? You also struggle with your past”, I reminded her.

“Don't distract from yourself again!”, Johanna shot back making me flinch.

“My struggles don't restrict my every day life. Don't forget that I worked on my fears together with you. I'm not freaking out when it starts raining anymore and I can take a shower and sometimes even a bath. I went with you to the high ropes course despite being put in ropes. And I fucking talk to you, maybe yell at you. But at least I'm facing my problems instead of running away!

You didn't visit your family even once in district 11! They always have to visit us because you can't get yourself to work on your grief and pain”, Johanna scolded me.

Finnick did not even bother to add anything.

Suddenly I felt pathetic. They were right. They had both worked hard on themselves and were able to live now. And here I was breaking down because of things that had happened years ago. Snow still had me in his grip. All I was was a broken toy.

I hugged my knees and started crying at this realization.

“You're right”, I cried. “I hoped it'd just go away. That I'd wake up one day and the pain inside of me would have vanished. Actually the hope has only settled inside of me because there are many moments I feel happy now. Happy, loved, precious, understood. Thanks to you.

And every time I think it's getting better, it's getting worse again. Sometimes I get drowned in unbearable sadness without an obvious reason. I wake up wishing I hadn't, although I love spending time with you. But it just feels too much to handle.

And I try to push through it and it works most of the time. But sometimes it doesn't and I lose control. I'm afraid of it. Afraid that I can't handle the pain. I know that I can't handle it on my own. That's why I suppress my emotions.

You did so much for me already. I can't burden you anymore.”

“You're such an idiot!”, Johanna yelled at me. “I know I can be a pain in the ass and you still stayed with me all the time.

You trained and opposed Coin to persuade her to get me out of the Capitol. After that you were always there to comfort me. You helped me working on my fears and never judged me, but gave your best understanding me.

Do you know how many people hate me because they misinterpret my actions? Why don't you let me help you now?”

“Yeah! The same goes for me! I'm not even talking about the fact that you saved my life. You helped Annie and me so much already”, Finnick agreed.

“Don't forget that we're allies! You can trust us”, he added with a grin.

“Can I? I know what a great act you two can put on”, I joked and let go of my knees.

“We already recognized that my act doesn't work on you and Johanna isn't even able to act properly around you”, Finnick teased her.

“Thin ice, Odair”, she warned him.

I burst out laughing. Our relationships might be odd, but I loved it this way. None of us would judge the other and that was a privilege.

A few days later the results of the election were about to be announced. As Paylor had done a great job as the temporary president, she had become some kind of leader between us representatives. She did not have more power or anything, but was administering us and was therefore the one who would proclaim the results.

“I'm glad to declare that the election was very clear, which means that the majority of you should be happy with the decision that Katniss is from this moment on set free again. Let us all live together in a free and united Panem! Thank you for your support!”

The cameras turned off and we celebrated this huge success.

“Well done, (f/n)”, Paylor praised me and the others chimed in.

“Without you this wouldn't have happened.”

“The people trust you.”

“Your words moved them.”

“You did it.”

It was overwhelming. But the relief and happiness made up for it. I had fulfilled my last task to revolutionize Panem.

Finally we had achieved true peace.

-----------------

Next Chapter

[randominagines]

Hi!! I was wondering if I could request a dbf!bucky x Rogers!reader where they’re secretly dating and no one knows. Then Bucky is dusted (infinity war) and Y/N cries, which she has never done before as she thinks that it’s a sign of weakness. She fights with her Dad and the other avengers and when everyone comes back, and she sees Bucky, she jumps onto him and they kiss. Thanks ❤️

Thanks for the request!

Pairing: dbf!Bucky Barnes X Rogers!Fem!reader

Warning: angst, fluff

P.s. if you find any mistake please correct me, English is not my mother tongue and I want to improve. Reblog, if you can, it helps a lot, thank you💕

P.p.s. gifs belong to the creators.

Second chance

Flashback

This movie is absolutely heart breaking." Bucky said, his finger quickly rubbing his eye. Y/n softly smiled while caressing his cheek. "Baby, are you crying?" She asked and tenderly ran her fingers through his hair. He shrugged. "Well, how can you not being in tears right now?" He asked and pulled her closer, she chuckled. "Crying is a weakness." She simply said, her fingers playing with his dog tag. He looked at his girlfriend, his hand caressing her legs. "Crying is human, doll. You're a very strong woman and allowing yourself to feel emotions won't make you less strong." He explained and she shrugged. "I just can't fully let myself go." She said.

Bucky scanned her, his eyes travelling from her lips to her y/e/c eyes, while thinking about the fact that y/n was the most resolute person he knew. "It's okay, don't force yourself." He said and she chuckled. "Dad always says that too." She explained and Bucky shook his head. "Doll, I keep thinking about Steve: the fact that he doesn't know about us makes me feel guilty. We can't keep telling him that I'm training you." He said, small wrinkles appearing on his forehead while he was thinking about it. Y/n cupped his face and looked at him. "We'll tell him, I promise. He will understand." She said and pressed her lips on his, a soft moan escaping her lips when he pulled her closer and kissed her back. Bucky had a way to kiss her that made her go insane: he was passionate, deep, intense. He caressed her back while licking her lower lip, his tongue demanding access. She slightly pulled his hair while running her fingers through his locks and smiled on his lips. "I love you, Sargent Barnes." She whispered and he curved his lips into a tiny smile while they started lying down on the bed.

He couldn't believe he fell for his best friend's daughter. He didn't even think that he was worthy of love anymore, that he could simply open his heart, but y/n was something else: she slowly walked into his life, her delicate way to understand him and to always respect his timing made him slowly realize that it was possible for him to love someone, to be in a relationship. He still remembered the first time he looked at her and realized that she wasn't Steve's little girl anymore, she had become the woman he was in love with. He stared at her, the deepest love in his eyes.

He traced her lower lip with his thumb. "I love you too, doll, and I'm grateful to have you... but I think that it's more likely to see you crying than to see us telling Steve the truth." He joked before kissing her again, his vibranium hand moving her under his body while he was undressing her with the other.

Y/n thought about this exact moment when she first felt the strange sensation of a tear running down her cheek. She was on her knees, hands still holding her gun while she looked at the ashes on the floor. Between the plants, on the green grass, those ashes were the only thing left of her boyfriend. She touched the tiny grains and started shaking. "Bucky..." She whispered, her voice barely audible. Steve kneeled down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "He's gone..." He whispers, as shocked as she was, but he couldn't know how deep was y/n's pain. She looked at her father and he gasped: he had never seen her once crying. He hugged her, not sure about what to say, and she was simply frozen, her eyes fixed on what was left of Bucky.

Later that day, when they finally came back to the facility, Steve saw her crying again. He walked to her and caressed the back of her head. "Hey, sweetheart, I'm here." He whispered and she looked at him, eyes filled with sadness. "Dad, I loved him." She said, her voice shaking.

It took a moment to Steve to actually process such an information, then he widened his eyes. "You loved him? You mean..." He hesitated, his eyebrows frowned while he connected the dots. "He was not training you." He whispered, his hand massaging his forehead. Y/n shake her head. "It actually started like this. He trained me this whole time, it's just that we fell in love in the process. I'm sorry I haven't told you, I was just scared to disappoint you and he--" Steve put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, slow down, sweetheart. I don't want you to feel like this, I can only imagine what kind of pain you're going through, it's okay. You should have told me, but I can't be angry at you. Love isn't always easy and I've seen it myself, I'm here if you need me." He concluded, his words weighted with such a delicacy while he thought about Peggy. Y/n kept crying, her arms crossing over his shoulders to hug her dad. She closed her eyes, thinking that she had just lost the love his life.

FIVE YEARS LATER

"Dad! Are you okay?!" Y/n shouted while running to him, her hands grabbing his face to look at him. He painfully nodded and looked at his daughter. "I am, I can still fight." He said and slowly stood up. Y/n looked at his shield and gasped: it was broken, the edge of it totally smashed. The girl looked at his father, then her eyes travelled to Thanos. He was standing there, his sword raised while his army was starting to get ready to fight. "We cannot give up." She whispered and painfully moaned, she had a deep cut in her hip but still, she wasn't going to stop fighting. Steve proudly looked at her. "We are going to die." He said, mostly to prepare her to the worst case scenario. She nodded, eyes fixed on Thanos. "At least we'll do it with honour." She whispered and positioned her feet, ready to start and ready to kill the responsible of Bucky's death.

In that precise moment, Steve heard something coming from his earpiece. "On your left" a voice firmly said. Steve slowly turned, his broken shield shining in the light of an opening portal. Y/n widened her eyes when she saw T'Challa, Shuri and Okoye coming out of it.

Slowly, one by one, the blipped Avengers started to come out from the portals, their footsteps noise filling the air. Y/n looked around, her heart beating faster than ever, and then he finally spotted him: Bucky was walking out of a portal, a gun in his hands, his physical appearance exactly the same as she remembered, but his eyes completely different. He looked around, scanning every single person untill he finally laid his eyes on her: he widened them, a soft gasp escaping his lips. "Doll..." He whispered and lowered his gun before definitely letting it fall.

She automatically started running to him, her eyes filling with tears, she forgot about her hip. "Bucky!" She shouted and threw her arms across his shoulders. He wrapped his around her torso, his face hidden in the crook of her neck and his nose filling with her familiar scent. While the whole world around them kept moving, they were both frozen in that moment.

Y/n looked at him, her hands cupping his face. "You're here, you're here..." She whispered, voice shaking and tears running down her cheeks. He parted his mouth. "My love, you're crying..." He said while his finger wiped away her tear before caressing her cheek. She smiled, heart exploding with happiness. "I missed you so much, I love you." She said and rested her forehead against his, he held his breath. "I love you too, doll." He said.

In that moment, Steve's voice made them both turn. "Avengers, assemble." He shouted and everyone started running. Bucky and y/n exchanged a look of complicity before taking their weapons. "Let's kill those bastards." She said and he smirked, his gun clicking. "That's my girl."

THE FOLLOWING DAY

Y/n was sitting on the bed, in the room of the hotel she booked to spend the night, and she looked down at her legs: she loved wearing black, but that day she wished it wasn't required. She took a deep breath, ready to attend Tony's funeral, the she heard knocking at her door. She quickly walked to the door and opened it. "Doll." Bucky's arms immediately wrapped around her, his familiar touch immediately making her feel better. She took a deep breath. "Have you been helping dad and Thor keeping the city safe? I heard that the reappearing of the people who were snapped created quite a mess." She asked and he nodded while steeping into her room. "We just finished, now Fury sent a squad to replaced us," He explained and caressed her hip. "How are you?" He thoughtfully asked and she shrugged. "I stitched myself." She said and he nodded, his fingers gently sliding under her shirt to check on her wound: it was perfectly medicated.

His eyes hesitated, he hadn't seen her in years but it actually felt like a second. His sight travelled to hers. "You've changed your hair." He whispered and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. She slightly smiled. "It's been five years, I've grown." She said and he nodded, feeling his heart skipping a beat at the thought of how much he missed. "You still are the most beautiful women I've ever seen." He said, his voice a whisper and his finger tracing her cheekbone. She tilted her head. "A lot of things changed, but the only certainty I still have, is that I love you and I've never once lost hope to meet you again." She said, her eyes watery and her hands tenderly caressing his cheeks.

Bucky looked at her, noticed that she really had grown up: she looked so adult, with new responsibilities, more experience, but also so much more pain, sculpted in her features and in her eyes. He was so in love with her he couldn't even imagine what would he had done five years without her. "I'm sorry I left you, doll," he looked down, at his own hands. "The thought of how much you suffered makes me--" he tried to say but she shook her head. "Baby, look at me," she asked and he slowly raised his sight, eyes filled with agony.

"You have nothing to apologize for, this wasn't your choice. The thought of seeing you again or at least doing something good in this world made me grow up, I became wiser, more pondering, stronger. I'm grateful to have you back and I intend to enjoy every single moment with you, the love of my life," she said, her arms now crossing over his shoulders. "Plus, our age gap is smaller now. I'm five years older." She joked. Bucky finally relaxed under her touch, the corners of his lips curving into a smile. "You are all right, doll. I talked to Steve, by the way." He said and y/n widened her eyes. "What did you tell him?" She asked and he shrugged. "He obviously already knew, but I told him that I'm sorry, I should have told him years ago. He asked me to take care of you and I told him that you mean the world to me, I will always keep you safe, even if you know how to take care of yourself." He said and put his hands on her waist, his touch giving her goosebumps. She smiled. "I missed being in your arms. Please, never leave me again." She said, her fragilities showing in her tears. He smiled, realising how much she had been maturing, to the point that she was now able to embrace her vulnerability. He pulled her closer. "Never, doll." He whispered before pressing his lips on hers.

[thedelusionreaderbitch]

Little did you know - Kaz Brekker/platonic! Crows x fem! reader

A/n: I don't know where this came from... It's a mess but its like- whatever I guess

Warnings: GORE, DEATH, TORTURE, questionable sanity, this could be disturbing to some people so don't say I didn't warn you!

I do not own six of crows or shadow and bone or it's characters

Summary: The Crows make a vital mistake when trying to get information not knowing that it would cost them everything...

(Gif not mine)

Her hair flows in the wind the only part of her moving the rest still as a serpent creeping up on its prey. Slowly, she starts to move forward as she spots her victims, some pretty little birdy's, just some unusually remarkable crows. If anything went right today the only thing that would be remarkable about them would be their downfall.

She almost yells out in excitement and joy when they wander right into her trap. They walk into her house - a dead merchant's house and go to loot what's left of it.

From her vantage point in the ceiling, she can see everything, from Nina's hands out ready to Matthias beside her. She sees Jesper's darting eyes and Wylan's uneasiness. Moreover, she can even see Inej Ghafa in the shadows high on alert ready to strike at any moment, just in case.

Then her eyes find Kaz and she almost kills him there and then.

He's in his normal attire and he hadn't changed his atrocious haircut either. Yet he's different still, it's the way he's holding himself. Like he feels accomplished.

And even though he has his neutral 'I'm bored' face on Y/n can see through him. She's always been able too and right now he's happy for an easy run. Not a trace of him is guilty or mourning and it's only been one week.

Now that she thinks about it there's not a trace of mourning in anyone.

Balling her hands into fits she nearly screams in agony, they thought she had died and they didn't even care. If she had any doubts before they're gone with just some simple observation.

Yet Y/n still waits and as soon as the Crows get into the trap completely she starts moving.

They had killed her loving parents who worked at a bakery, they had done nothing, nothing wrong. But now they were still six feet under, and she knew it was not just some casualties. Kaz was too precise for that.

She creeps up behind Inej and knocks her out cold before she can even cry out, Y/n catches her body before it can hit the floor and she carefully lays Inej to the said knowing she'll have to tie her up later.

Next is Jesper and Wylan.

For Jesper, she shoots him with a sleeping dart made out of a massively hard metal to control for fabricators and blinds Wylan before doing the same thing to him as well.

Taking out a bomb from Wylan's bag she sets it off. Running towards Nina and before she can use her heartrender abilities, Y/n headbutts her causing her figure to fall to the floor. Unconscious.

Matthias starts sprinting towards her but she simply grabs his shoulder and hits him on a pressure point on his neck and he's out with the rest of them.

It's funny because he taught her that manoeuvre.

"Kaz!" She yells in a shrill voice beckoning him downstairs, did he really leave his little itty bitty Crows alone? Ah, just like he did to her, what they all did to her.

The Crows and Y/n were on a mission and something went wrong, she was shot and they left her to die. She could have been easily saved but they left her and while they did that she remembers - the thing that she remembers most about that night. Kaz leaned down into her ear and said;

'Thanks for the information little snake.'

They had used her to get information, everything she had with them was fake. Everything with Kaz was fake. Every little touch, every little moment, their entire (established) relationship was fake.

"Come down Kazzy I helped you! Now you help me!" She runs up the stairs knowing that there's only one exit, the window. That was extremely high off the ground he would hopefully try to bargain with her first.

Even if he didn't Y/n had brought some rope because he would definitely break his legs at that height.

But Y/n wasn't a little snake now she was a majestic serpent that wielded the screeches of revenge in her venom.

She runs into the room with the window and there he was there in a chair in the shadows looking smug, but the serpent knew it was all just a facade - fake confidence.

Smiling at him she pulls out a second chair from a broken-down desk and places it right in front of him. 'Bang.' It's a simple sound but it echos throughout the room bouncing off the walls into the depths of madness.

"Oh Kazzy, have you come to help me?" She takes her lip in between her teeth and fake trembles.

"Have you come to save me?" Her voice is tiny and it's nothing like it used to be around him, yet he still flinches. He knows she's putting on an act but it still hurts him. And she wants to hurt him over, and over again.

"Y/n... We needed that information, lots of the Dregs' lives were on the line. There is so much more you wouldn't don't understand."

Laughing into the open she secretly pulls out a syringe from her back pocket readying it in her hand.

Instantly her voice changes from the scarce poor girl's voice to a very dark voice. Vengeance was held there and it was like burning your ears in the pits of hell listening to it. The sins and revenge sounded melodic but the torture that laid underneath was horrific.

"Really Rietveld? Did you think I would forgive so easily?"

Kaz's face morphs into surprise at hearing his real last name, Y/n jumps at the chance and she plunges the syringe deep into his neck.

"See you in hell."

___________________TIME SKIP A COUPLE OF HOURS__

All the Crows are tied up to some chairs in the secret basement of the house. The woman waits for what looks like patiently but really she's boiling with excitement.

This is going to be fun.

Finally, the last Crows wakes up and the Serpent takes out her playthings. Just a couple of knives and guns, but those were just her toys the real weapons are the emotional and mental pain she would cause everyone including herself.

"You know why you are here, don't you?" She walks around the room watching every one of The Crows' snarling faces but perhaps some of them held remorse.

Although Y/n was past their pity now. None of the damage could be undone, what's done is done. An eye for an eye.

"Nina darling, this may hurt a bit." Quicker than Jesper's sharpshooter's eye could catch she stabs Nina in the stomach as she yells out in pain Y/n twists the knife back and forth.

Matthias screams out for his lover and after what feels like an internity the serpent pulls the dagger out knowing that she'll just eventually die from blood loss.

Taking a quick look around the room she notices some of the terrified faces and how everyone is on edge. Good, just how she wants it.

"Mörd demjin," Matthias mutters under his breath and Y/n takes his throat in her hand and holds tight enough to choke him.

"Don't call me by the little nickname you gave Kazzy!" She yells furiously holding onto him tighter and tighter. His face starts to become purple and she can hear the yells and screams of the birdy's in the background.

'No! Let go! Matthias! Matthias! Let him go!'

"Any last words?" She jets out her lip before holding onto him tighter and she sees the fury of the ice in his eyes before there's nothing. His eyes roll back lifeless.

"No Matthias! Matthias!" Nina shrieks trying to desperately get out of her chair.

Rolling her eyes with a huff Y/n pulls out a gun and shoots Nina twice in the head.

"Now you're with your lover." She drawls on the word lover and turns to Inej. She didn't really want to do this but she had to cause him all the pain that she could. Even if Inej tried to stop them.

Swiftly she pulls out the knife Inej gave her and kindly kills her with a hard blow to the heart. She doesn't suffer, she just solely died, it's the only kindness the Serpent can afford to give her.

At this point, Jesper and Wylan are openly sobbing and screaming for their friends and for Y/n to please stop. But she doesn't, with blood all over her clothes she makes her path towards her next fool.

"If you were wondering why you couldn't control the bullets, Jesper." She drawls on in a monotone voice. She can see and hear Wylan screaming and it pains her but she doesn't let it show. She lets the Serpent take over or else this will never get done.

Fully becoming the Serpent Y/n places the barrel of her gun up to his heart and she just shoots, no emotion on her face whatsoever.

"A special venom of mine for Grisha. Had some fun testing it."

Going over to Wylan she quickly slits his throat not wanting the little merchling to suffer more than he already has.

She looks at Kaz blankly, he's shaking and he's beyond trying not to show any emotion. Tears are streaming down his face and he's gasping for air. Trembles roll off his body and the agony on his face pierces her hurt.

"Why?" Rietveld finally manages to rasp out. "WHY!" He screams ultimately reaching his breaking point.

"Because Kaz," She whispers in a sickeningly sweet voice lifting his chin with the tip of her pointer finger.

"Everything comes with a price." She pauses letting it sink in.

"And little did you know the price it would cost you."

And that's the story of Sankta Serpentina and Sankt Dirtyhands.

Words 1634

-thedelusionreaderbitch

Shadow and bone taglist: @kaqua @rika90 @thefandomplace @musical-theatre-obsessed-dumbass @gallysonegoodlung @navs-bhat @sumsebien @dontjudgeabookbythecover

(if you would like to be added leave a comment!)

[thefanbasewhore]

The Weeping.

Prompt no. 4 from @wkemeup 's 9k challenge! - Character A is being held hostage. Character B offers to trade themselves in A's place.

master list || tag list

Summary || After you're taken from a mission, Bucky offers himself in order to insure your safety.

Paring || Bucky Barnes x female reader

Word count || 1,660

Warnings || abduction (kidnapping??), violence, gun-fire, mentions dead bodies and blood, angst.

Side note || clear eyes is Bucky and yours way of saying everything is okay and this is shorter then I intended it to be, I didn't have a lot of time to write it, so if it seems rushed, I'm sorry.

The mission was supposed to be simple - a quick in and out, retrieve the information and burn that place to the ground but even that seemed unattainable at the moment.

Bullets whiz through the air, penetrating the barrier of sound that make Bucky's ears ring. To anyone else it is frightening, usually follows screams of terror but it's something he lives for, the only familiar sound to stay with him constantly through the years. Adrenaline makes his body visibly tremble, chest conforming to laboring breath in order to stay quiet. Those crystal blue orbs narrowing, fine wrinkles bunch on the skin of his forehead as he nods towards you, on the opposite side of the room but still in his peripheral vision.

He nods once more - just to ensure that the hallway is clear. His heart is thumping against his chest right along with your own, fingers clenched the butt of your to bring it closer to your chest, raising it as Bucky moves in front of you with his own. The walls are splattered with red, fresh blood as you maneuver through the corpses' that lifelessly scatter the floors and the dark hallway seems almost endless, except the flickering light at the end of it. With every muffled gunshot it turns into darkness only to be unexpectedly brought to life again. "Stay low.." Bucky whispers as he follows your stance - back against the wall and a free hand reaching for the spare knife hidden in both of your boots but not before he extends his arm and fingers grasp the buckle across your chest with a gentle but meaningful pull, "Clear eyes?" "Clear eyes." Bucky nods softly as the cool vibranium finger sculpts the structure of your jaw with twinkling eyes. "Be careful in there, okay? You need anything --." He taps the shell of his ear with two fingers, and you nod in understanding. With one last glance Bucky turns towards the double doors, a hand pressing against the handle as he uses his body weight to push it open with ease and the moment he does more gunfire echoes the walls of the room. A sudden blur of motion catches his attention as his breath hitches as his arms wrap around you as bullets whiz through the air, only inches away from piercing your skin. Bucky uses the other door as cover as metal bullets ricochet. Smaller fingers clench into his flesh arm, forming indentations of small crescent moons as a means to seek cover. Bucky's arms wrap around you pulling you into his chest to shield you from any stray bullets but the heavy door behind his back is a strong enough metal to take the blunt force of the bullets without breaking through. His soothing hands find your hair, breathing heavily as he angles your face to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?" Your throat tightens at his worried expression but nods to confirm you were not hit. Bucky nods back, eyes setting in a hard line as he keeps you between his legs but peers over the threshold of the floor but a warning short from around the corner bounces off the walls. "Fuck." Bucky whispers as he reaches into the pocket of his tactical pants, but you don't need to look to see what he's got. "I'll go up the stairs, you go to the right." He pulls the pin out, rolling it into the room and waits until a thick, white cloud of smoke fills the hall, with one last nod he pulls his glasses down, fingers tapping the side as they click to life. You follow behind, gun raised in the air as you follow through sweeping the rather large room. The smoke is thick - suffocating, throat closing due to the inadequate amounts of oxygen, but you swallow the ball in the back of your throat while trying to maneuver through it, the glasses didn't help much. Footsteps cause you to jump, turning in every direction but the cloud is too thick and they near closer following along with your frantic motions to protect yourself with a mixture of anxiety and fear coarse through your veins. Something is mumbled to your right but it's too late, two rather large hands roughly grab at your hair, pulling it into a tight fist as another set of hands catch your leg - pulling into your fall onto the ground, hitting your head hard enough that dark, round dots cloud your vision. Before you could even manage to move - the cool surface of a blade touches your neck and your raise your hands in surrender as the weight of the man moves to crush your chest, face still veiled behind the white smoke. Without a word he turns you around, pressing your cheek against the floor with a rough hand as he pats down your suit, pulling the knives out with a snarl as his friend picks up your gun. 'Sweetheart, where are you?' Bucky's voice is muffled from the fact that the man's hand presses against it, but it vibrates his skin and it's yanked from your ear and crushed between two fingers. When the smoke dissipates the man brings you

to your knees, hands wrapped around your wrists with an unforgiving knee digging into your spine. "If you want her alive, come out now." A thick, foreign accent bounces off the walls of the room as the hand tightens, the other goon on your right holds your gun up as a blur moves in the corner of your eyes. Bucky's eyes meet yours in a panic as he rounds the corner, raising his gun to the man that holds your hair which only causes him to say something in a foreign language, digging the knife into your throat until it stings with pain. Every ragged breath the sharpened blade nicks the thickest column of your neck. "Let her go." Bucky hisses through clenched teeth, jaw clenching as seafoam eyes darken like the night sky. The man smiles evilly, a sick grin that reaches his eyes, makes Bucky's stomach drop inside his stomach as he twirls the knife around a dirty, unmanicured finger. "Didn't think we'd recognize you with that haircut, Soldat?" The skin of your neck burns as a yelp of pain fills the room, blood smears his fingers and invades your senses and the words make Bucky's eyes narrow, squeezing them shut at the words. The smell of smoke, gunfire and metallic make your head spin as Bucky lowers the gun to the ground, hands raised in the air. "Take me, let her go." "What use do we have for you now, Soldat? You are no longer our winter soldier; they have rid you of that." The man's sick chuckle causes him to shake his head, eyes wild with paralyzing fear. "That's not true - I feel him, he's still in here." He pauses, guilty eyes flicker to your own and back up the to man's, "Just let her go, don't hurt her." "No, no." You manage to mumble, tears stinging the waterline of your eyes as you grit your teeth in pain, he never lets the pressure of the knife go as you try to suppress a shiver. Bucky lowers his head with shame, in complete defeat as he lowers to his knees and moves the gun further away. "He's still in here. You can get him out. Take me instead of her, please." "Stop, no!" Eyes of guilt refuse to meet your own, the secret you have known all along and Bucky's urge to smother the winter solider completely blinded him from the fact that this could happen someday. It's been years since he's been so called 'freed' but some roots are so deep they can't be removed, the inside of his brain still tainted with the dark soldier who refuses to stop haunting him after all this time. "Bucky don't you fucking do it!" Bucky ignores the calls, squeezing his eyes shut with emotion. It's not fair, all those years spent brainwashed, tucked away inside his own brain just to end up there again. He barely survived the trauma then but now - he would never be able to, not without Steve, without the Wakandian's again. "Walk towards me, slowly." The other man commands as Bucky nods an understanding to stand on his feet but pauses as the knife presses into your skin more, "Let her go first." The instant the knife is gone is relief, hand reaching up to rub the burning skin and smear blood against your gloved hand and along your neck. Roughly the knee against your back pushes you from the position of on your knees to leaning against the man for support as his arm crosses against your chest, hand crushing the windpipe of your neck. "I will count to three and you both will walk, you towards me, her out the door. Got it?" With every number your heart pounds inside your chest, face turning red due to the harsh grasp at the surface of jaw as a cough follows suit, chest greedy for oxygen as he releases. Bucky takes the first step forward, edging you closer with his eyes that leave little room for argument. Close, slow steps until both yours and his arm brush against each other The fat of your bottom lip quivers as he leans forwards, hands still raise obediently in the air to press his forehead against your own. "Buck -." "Promise me, you won't come look for me." It is rushed as the men in front of him yell but inaudible as you shake your head as tears push past eyelashes. "I mean it, forget about me, they'll never stop. Okay? No

matter how much I try, they will never leave me alone." "How could you say -." There's a rough tug on his hand, pushing him forward but he uses the last second, he can spare to press one more heartbreaking kiss against your lips and before you could comprehend what coming next - a burning, red-hot pain radiates at the base of your skull and numbing darkness consumes you.

tags: @sugarpunch-princess, @old-enough-to-know-better73, @maxsaturdayhatesnarwhals, @Fajitasandfics, @devilswaldorf, @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123, @grubler, @SodDy030, @agent-catfish-kenobi,@scarletglowss, @abitchforbarnes, @xxlovingfandomsxx, @jewishdelis, @klorpski, @kaitieskidmore1, @peterpstuff, @akaaaaashiiii, @angelsandsorcery, @moony-is-bae, @yliumy, @watermelonsponge, @stolenxkissess, @peakascum, @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme, @crvecem, @likealadygodiva, @harrysthiccthighss, @burnerbitchh, @sergeantjamesbbarnes, @amelia-song-pond

[meryamthebadassbitch]

𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘬 || 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘧𝘧, 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳

Soon on Wattpad~

"Do you have one of the Parasites like your dad used to have?" asked Mrs. Chen the girl who paid for the snacks, eyes wide she shook her head in disagreement before stepping out of the store

PARASITE?!

"it's not my fault, dad used to call you that man just don't kill her she can give us a lot of free food you know and you can have extra brains when they always rob her poor store?" "Fine, we'll let it slide" "what do you wanna do?" "We can do whatever WE want" chuckling slightly she nodded making her way upstairs to the rooftop, sitting at the edge with venom beside her they both ate the Pack of chocolate in silence, sure, she was terrified finding out about a symbiote living inside her body just like her father after protecting herself from some scientist, but for these past years she got used to it and they were more like best friends and if something happened to Venom it's like happening to her.

𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠-

Making her way toward the bathroom, attempting to hide from those Men but a voice inside her head made her scream in fear, hiding inside one of the stalls she stared into nothing but emptiness staying quiet as if a serial killer was following her, shaking in fear she tried not to sob out loud by putting her hand on her mouth a drop of a tear falling to the ground as the 10-year-old girl cried in silence with her hands still shaking, the sound of the bathroom stalls being slammed open made her heart stop beating as she started praying for her life, she was going to die that's for sure.

The next thing she knew was the lock breaking and her being pulled harshly by 2 men, screaming in fear she tried biting their hands off but the guns aimed in her head was worse, in a blink of an eye black tentacles came out of her arms and stabbed both of them in the heart, a pool of blood surrounded her as she watched in fear at what she has just done, she just killed two men trying to kidnap her, blood on her white shoes and arms as she tried to open the door and make her way out of this hell hole, but it was the same thing instead this time a group pointed their guns at her as she looked around in search of a place to run away, giving up she sat on the ground putting her hands in the air as told letting the 'police' handcuff her, she's just a 10-year-old girl what possibly could she do?

"mom! please I am begging you to tell them to let me go, we were supposed to be having a girls' night! I promise I didn't kill those men something came out of my arm and-" she couldn't finish her words, Tears welled from deep inside and coursed down her cheeks as she begged her mother for help with a high pitched voice, Anne on the other side stared at her with a guilty look before shaking her head, staring at her in disbelieve she was brutally pulled by the handcuffs away giving her mother one last look.

Did she stay in an Asylum for 8 years without seeing her 'mother' and outside? yes sadly she did, did she get out of the asylum once? no, she never did and that was driving her crazy she was the only one in here and everyone was afraid of her, this place wasn't like any other asylum they brought people with superpowers here, like Eleven from stranger things except Mery didn't have Telekinesis she had Venom.

Sitting in the chair defeatless with an emotionless look on her face, her hands tied to the table, as always, she stared at Anne straight in her eyes "Mery-" "hey doctor, can you please open these handcuffs and let me go back to my room before I do something?" she finally said looking straight into the camera about to transform into the big giant monster when a syringe was on her neck preventing her from doing so, 'how dare she says my nickname' she thought looking straight into her eyes after 8 years of not seeing each other how would you feel and how can she still manage to say her nickname, especially when your own mother is the reason you're looked in here "I Hate you and you don't deserve to be called a mother!" she yelled out struggling from their grip, black tentacles came out of her back as she grabbed every single scientist killing them with no mercy, "Venom, let's get the hell out of here" her voice deadly as she spoke "Copy, you're the boss" just as Anne described she looked just like her father, huge teeth, white eyes, and a long tongue.

𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠-

"Don't open that door"

"Bitch, Don't order me to do something because you will die waiting?" she said with the usual level of sarcasm before taking off her apron making her way toward the door, what was shitty about this house was it didn't have a peephole, rolling her eyes she opened the door staring at the group in front of her "May I help you?" asked the girl in confusion to why the Avengers are in front of her apartment with a raised eyebrow the Black haired girl was about to close the door when black widow finally said a word after 10 seconds of silence "we need to talk to you?" "Listen, I don't have time to deal with superhero shit I've had enough" "please?" sighing she pushed the door fully letting them in sitting on the couch in front of them with her legs crossed "what?" "Can you introduce us to who you were talking to?" asked Captain America looking at her, raising her eyebrows once again, it was a habit sometimes she bites her nails "were you listening to us the whole time?" "no-" "Jesus, y'all are so famous and busy with superhero shit to the point where you don't understand a joke, Venom can you come out please?" annoyed, a black face appeared beside hers, that was the Parasite living inside her body?

"don't touch it, everyone this is Venom my best buddy and a parasite living inside my body, Her favorite food is brains and chocolate and we both kill robbers every day" putting a fake smile on her face she could see the look on their eyes, Bruce wanting to touch it so badly but stopped when Meryam sent him a look of disagreement, "alright this it, you guys can go, it was lovely meeting you, y'all are awesome superheroes and bye-bye!" "would you like to come with us we need your help, please?" asked Thor holding his hammer, glancing at Venom they both nodded at the same time, they were partners in crime anyways.

"We will but I'm coming alone, see ya at the Tower!" smiling she slammed the door shut

"Can you imagine Thor the god of thunder asking me to come with them, that is awesome right?" "not as awesome as us" nodding with a grin she grabbed her pocket knife charging the gun just in case tying her hair into a bun, putting on the mask Meryam grabbed the bag making her way out of the room.

"Hey miss Chen came to have some supplies?" stated the girl making her way toward the snack session she was probably the only customer here, the threatening sound of another robber echoed around the store as he pointed his gun at the poor woman, "That guy?" "yes bestie, free food for you tonight?" she said making her way toward the man, grabbing his wrist she punched him straight in the jaw, "Mask!" in a blink of an eye the same monster Mrs. Chen saw a long time ago was in front of her expect it was a woman, and that woman was Eddie Brock's daughter, Biting his head off she paid for the snacks before making her way out "night, thanks for the free snack!"

(venom ate the man, duh)

"This walk is boring!" "I know but we're almost there don't worry" "I Miss the Loser" "yeah, same he was the best dad" "and best Host, you both are the best" "aw thanks Venom you're the best too" a soft smile rose on her lips, The world was a better place when she smiled to Venom and he promised to Eddie he would keep her safe, thank god, she had her earphones on so people wouldn't call her crazy for talking by herself, "Jesus how many floors in this Tower?" "93"

"Excuse me is Tony Stark here, he said I can meet him here?" politely asking the blonde woman who was holding a little girl in her hand she took off her mask not to scare her, they didn't seem to recognize her right? "She's probably his wife" the voice of the symbiote echoed around her head as she nodded, "oh yes you must be Meryam, you seem kinda Familiar?" the blonde woman asked her, her heart stopped beating as soon as she said the last words, "o-oh really, who?" "oh never mind, you're so pretty by the way, I should probably go take Morgan to sleep Tony is having a meeting with the rest and they're waiting for you" "Yeah thank you?" "Pepper call me Pepper dear" nodding she waved at the little girl who had a cute smile on her face before making her way to where Pepper pointed

"Hey Old man, you wanted to meet us?" the same sound they heard 30 minutes ago echoed around the room earning their attention, chuckling at how startled they looked Meryam tried to hold her laugh while Venom was grinning evilly on the other side, "Ahh miss Brock come in" "it's Meryam, Anthony" okay that surely got him annoyed she could see how he rolled his eyes, sitting down on one of the chairs she looked around greeting the rest with a straight look.

"Tell us more about yourself?" not wanting to tell them her whole story, she shook her head with an emotionless look on her face "there's nothing more to know about me, I lived 13 years alone that's it, my life is useless anyways I only have Venom and kill robbers nothing more interesting?" one thing they learned about her was how fast she changed her emotions, 5 seconds ago she was trying not to laugh and now a deadpan look on her face. Pietro didn't trust her, not even a single bit and that was why a glare was attached to his stupid face

"So Meryam we're going to be on a mission for these past days and since you have nothing to do, you're going to catch the robbers around the city and take Morgan to school" tearing her gaze away from Pietro who was still glaring she blinked slightly trying to process what he just said, "excuse me, am I getting paid for that?" "yes" "fine, I'll do it, and will you stop glaring at me like I am some target?" her Black eyes met his as she spoke with gritted teeth's, anger rushing through her body Wanda slapping his shoulder before apologizing to her "I am so sorry Meryam-" "it's alright Wanda don't apologize in his place, he just needs to stop and do it all by himself if he's a true man, good night everyone" with that she made her way out of the place trying to calm her nerves down

Anger Issues

"Ohh she got you good" Teased Sam the twin who was still fuming in anger, rage thrummed through his veins as he swallowed down his frustration sending him a harsh look, "shut up birdy" with that he was out of sight just before Clint could say something

"oh these two are not going to be friends or work together, it's probably something worse"

[lovingcorleone]

“The Deal That Never Happened” — Sonny Corleone x Reader x Tom Hagen

Summary: Tom and Sonny need Y/N's help to help them out.

Pairing: platonic!Sonny Corleone x Lawyer!Fem!Reader x ex!Tom Hagen

Author's note: (English is my second language.) ; First of all, I'm not a lawyer, I don't have any degree in area of law, I have no idea how these things work, but I had fun while writing it and doing some research! I don't know how did I come up with this plot ...but enjoy!

Author's note 2: Reader is Tom's ex girlfriend and events take place after Michael killed Sollozzo and McCluskey, but could not escape to Sicily. also, I was thinking about part. 2?

Warning: strong language, mentions of murder

THE DEAL THAT NEVER HAPPENED

The very original plan of the Corleone's revenge didn't turn out as one would expected. Michael Corleone did, in fact, kill both Sollozzo and McCluskey, but he was not able to catch a flight to Sicily. This was a key moment, which led to nothing but more trouble. While he was hiding, Tom and Sonny were thinking about the next step. The oldest Corleone boy wasn't entirely innocent either. Santino was guilty just as much as Michael, though he wasn't the one holding a gun. Michael, their brother was in grave danger, and that was the other reason they needed to react quickly. Violence was not an option anymore. The legal and diplomatical work of white-collared person was a necessity at that time. Luckily for them, Tom had this specific person in his mind. Y/N L/N. The greatest lawyer he ever met...and dated. When he told Sonny about his idea, he thought that Tom was joking, but eventually he changed his mind and was willing to ask her for help.

Y/N was always very busy, but never too busy to help her friend. Even though, she and Tom were not a couple anymore, she told him to always count on her when his world will fall apart. She was fully aware of an affair that recently happened with murdering Sollozzo and the police officer. She even knew that it had something to do with the Corleone family. In her field she was the best. That kind of person you really want to have on your side. Don Corleone himself once wanted to put her on his list of people he hoped that would help him one day. These people would get extra money and that was hell of a motivation. But Tom strongly disagreed with his adoptive father and said that he wanted Y/N keep far away from their family business. Don wasn't surprised by Tom's reaction, because he knew that Tom still cared about Y/N.

Their meeting held a place in their house, right in Don's office. When Y/N stepped out of a car, Sonny and Tom were already waiting for her. Tom was nervous as hell, but just like always he hid it quite nicely but not completely. Sonny smirked at Tom. „When was the last time you two saw each other?“ „Long time ago. Anyway. We're gonna talk business, so no unnecessary comments. Do you think you can do that, Sonny?“ Tom shot a glance to his brother and Sonny rolled eyes. „For a moment I thought I was hearing our father. I still don't like this idea, but it's the best thing we have now.“ When Tom saw Y/N coming to them, he immediately ran to welcome her. They politely shaked hands and Y/N gave him a faint smile. „Thank you for coming here so quickly. We- I appreciate it.“ Tom said a low voice and Y/N nodded. „Sure. No problem. I'm glad you called.“

Before falling in endless pit of awkwardness, Sonny jumped between them and welcomed her as well. „Let's go inside before this will get suspicious.“ he said with warm smile and all three disappeared behind the closed doors.

While Y/N was preparing her things, neither of Tom or Sonny dared to start a conversation. After 5 minutes, Y/N looked at Sonny, who suddenly started to feel not very cooperative. „Alright, Mr. Corleone. Take a chair and sit right in front of me. Don't ask, just do as I said. It will be more effective.“ Y/N stated as Sonny sat down with a grumpy look on his face. All of a sudden he felt less confident as usual. Their eyes met and both of them stared at each other more than it is appropriate. Y/N leaned back in big chair and put her hands on the desk in front of her. „If looks could kill.“ she smirked. Sonny frowned and Tom just quietly chuckled. „Let's take a look into your file, shall we?“ „Wait, I have a file? How's that possible?“ „Everyone who commited some kind of crime, has a file. But you have just one, because your father made sure that you have all your files destroyed. This one is considered as your first and only one, so let's act like it.“ Sonny's facial expression changed from being grumpy to being surprised to being a bit upset. He took out a cigarette from a little box and lit it. Y/N let out a sigh and opened the file. Then she looked at man in front of her with a sympathy, but it wasn't completely sincere. „You're upset, yeah, I get it. You are really someone– Don's first born.“ Sonny, well-known hothead, angrily pointed a finger at Y/N. „Watch your next words!“ „Sonny...“ Tom warned him.

After what happened to Don, Sonny was extra cautious what people were talking about his father. Y/N knew that Santino was kind of hard to work with, but she did not plan to give up on him. „Look, I'm just trying to do my job here.“ she smiled, „So..shall we get started?“ A smoke left Sonny's mouth as he nodded. Y/N started to pulling out bunch of papers from her bag and handed him a pen. „For the very start, please, uh, sign this...this..aaaand this.“ The oldest Don's son's jaw dropped a bit while looking at what he had to sign. He really thought that they are gonna just talk without doing the boring part. But still, without any more words, he signed everything. „Good, perfect! Such a nice handwriting you have.“ Y/N enthusiastically remarked while putting away signed papers. She could swear that Sonny's cheeks flushed with a pink color for a second. Tom watched them from his own desk in the office, and he felt so proud that Y/N agreed to take their case. Meanwhile, Sonny felt almost intimidated by her presence. „Ahh, sorry. I forgot about these papers...Here. I need another your signature. Just three more and we're done..for now.“ Sonny looked at Y/N like she was crazy, but signed it anyway. What else he could do. „You done? Perfect! You know, the bureaucrats...They always want their paperwork.“ Y/N giggled and shrugged her shoulders like it was normal thing. And for her it was. She loved doing her job, being a lawyer. Sonny finished his cigarette and after a few minutes of complete quietness, Y/N voice's echoed again. „Okay, listen. Let's get into your case..“ „Fucking finally.“ „Don't interupt me, Santino.“ „ ...Sorry.“ „I know what you are thinking. 'This is a mistake! I shouldn't be sitting here!' Well, they don't think that.“ she said that in high-pitched voice accompanied by wide smile on her face. Tom couldn't help but snorted and earned himself an annoyed look from Sonny, who certainly didn't find it amusing. „Thanks for the sympathy, but can we get into that case? We are kinda running out of time. I already signed those fucking papers, what more those dickheads want? I know this is a part of your job, I get it, but! Can we move on?“ the hothead miserably throwed hands into the air. Y/N eyes were fixed on him, not saying a word. She clicked her tongue and put her hands together. „Good. So you understand that I'm just doing my job here. The job you asked me to do.“ she whispered but her face was unreadable. „I was thinking. Your situation is pretty bad at the moment. But I think I have a solution of some kind. Listen, I'm here to strike a possible deal with you, but we will soon get to that part, okay?“ Sonny nodded and his eyes got a bit brighter when the part with a deal was mentioned. „Suddenly how excited you got. Wow.“ she chuckled for herself and shaked her head. „Uhm, so... How about take a look at your crime? You've been charged with Criminal Conspiracy with code 479. Okaaay. Let's see what it says here.. Yikes. Ordering and attempting a murder. But if I remember it correctly..You wanted to avenge your father, so you sent your brother, Michael Corleone, to kill Virgil Sollozzo and also police officer Mark McCluskey. Michael was supposed to make a deal. But that deal never happened. Are you following me?“ „ Yeah. I mean..all correct. So far. Continue.“ Y/N looked at Tom and he approvingly nodded. „You did what you did, and now we're having this conversation. But without Michael, because... we don't know his whereabouts. Too bad, because he was the one who killed them, not you. You only prepared it. Sounds like this is all your work. Oops.“ she raised her eyebrows, pulled her lips into a thin line and then let out a deep sigh. „Tom, are you familiar with criminal conspiracy, mostly when it comes to participation in it?“ she shot a quick glance at man sitting afar from them. He nodded. „In most states, those who have helped plan a crime but have not participated in the actual crime may be given the same sentence as the person who committed the crime himself.“ he responded and Y/N faintly smiled at his

correct answer. He did not forget these things and Y/N was genuinely happy about it. He may have been a consigliere at that time, but deep inside there was an amazing lawyer hidden in him. She stayed silent for a moment thinking about words what she was about to say and then quickly licked her lower lip. „I may or may have not a deal for you. It just depends on you. And on your cooperation.“ Sonny sat on the edge on his chair and looked into her eyes listening carefully. His anger disappeared. „Alright. What do I need to do then?“ A smug smile flashed on her lips and she shook her head. „This is not about you, Mr. Corleone.“

Silence. Sonny frowned at what she just said, but still confidently smiled like he understood. He was taken back. And Tom was too, but not as much as his brother. So far Sonny did not meet a woman that would have behavior like Y/N had. But in the end, it was her job. However, Sonny must have admitted that Y/N was super smart with lots of courage. Tom was right about her. However, Santino needed to think straight, he needed to focus. Y/N shrugged her shoulders. „Listen, if it was up to me, which is not up to me, it's up to the authorities above me, and they say that you are a criminal. But, if it was up to me...I would like your family to get out of this mess and continue living your lives.“

[lunaserenade]

Clandestine

gif by @pajamasecrets

Masterlist

Author’s Note: As always thanks to @violentcosmicsymphony and @briefgalaxycat for beta reading and being wonderful humans.

Part Three of the Meet Me at Sunrise series

Previous Chapter: Return to Me

Next Chapter: Safeguard

Pairing: Marcus Pike x FBI Agent!Reader

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: None

Summary: Returning undercover, You and Marcus attend a charity gala to get an introduction to the forger.

You sat between Agents Regina Price and Maddox Collins on a slightly too small brown couch in Marcus' office as he briefed the three of you. You had received a call from a woman named Alexandria who you had met undercover inviting you and your 'husband' to a formal charity art auction. Recent intel suggested that the forger the four of you had been hunting would be attending and you were pushing for an introduction. Christian Laurent was a clever man, a talented forger who posed as a private seller targeting rich art connoisseurs. He sold his forgeries at extravagant prices to the unsuspecting victims. If you and Marcus could secure a meeting and 'buy' one of his paintings, you could finally arrest him.

“The two of us will leave for New York tonight. Price, Collins, you'll head up in two days. Hopefully, we'll have the buy set up by then. You'll provide support outside the buy.” Marcus paused, rubbing his beard. “Everyone please be vigilant. Laurent and his crew are dangerous. Unless anyone has questions that's all I've got for us.”

“I got the keys to the apartment I used back from White Collar Crimes. It's not too far from the gallery that's holding the gala. I just need to stop by my apartment to grab my stuff on our way out of town and I'm set.” you said as Price and Collins muttered their goodbyes and headed back to their desks, leaning back on the couch giving a small stretch. You couldn't help but give a sly smile as you watched Marcus look around, checking the coast was clear.

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing you dressed up tomorrow night.” Marcus said softly, his cheeks reddening slightly much to your amusement.

“Well, I do aim to please,” you replied with an impish grin. “I also grabbed these... I had to guess on the size.” In your hand you held out a pair of platinum bands, simple but sleek. Not that he would have said it, but Marcus had been eagerly anticipating this, the idea of being your husband, if only for the evening, made his heart soar. He took the larger band from your hand and slipped it on his finger.

“Til death do us part.” Marcus said with a chuckle.

“Let's hope it doesn't come to that, my darling husband.” you replied with a laugh slipping the remaining ring on your finger.

----------

The next evening you found yourself back in the gorgeous studio apartment you had called home for six weeks in Manhattan. Standing in the bathroom you adjusted the gown you had chosen for the evening, a long-sleeved blue number with a keyhole back along with a slit up your right thigh. The neckline that extended past your breasts gave quite a striking impact and you were privately thankful that the rest of the team didn't arrive until tomorrow morning, so you were spared their prying eyes. Marcus called your name from the living room and with a final look in the mirror you stepped into the living room.

Your mouth went dry and it took effort to stop your mouth from falling open. Marcus stood in the living room in a nicely fitted black suit, he had opted for a black button down without a tie and the top button undone. You felt a small heat in your stomach as you took him in. You hadn't seen him in formal wear before, and boy did it suit him. It took you a moment to realize he had quite a dumbfounded look on his face as he watched you and it made you smile.

“You approve?” you said, arching an eyebrow and giving a small spin.

“That would be an understatement,” Marcus said closing the distance between you two. Snaking an arm around your waist he pulled you close to his chest taking your lips in a kiss. Arching into his touch you nipped lightly at his bottom lip, you felt like a woman starved for his touch. Marcus peppered your jaw line with kisses and you let out a soft sigh as he pressed one last kiss to your neck.

“We should probably get going” you said reluctantly but couldn't help but let out a small laugh as you looked at Marcus. A hint of your red lipstick was smeared across his lips.

“What?” He said with a puzzled smile. You pointed to your lips and watched as he scrubbed the lipstick off his own. Snatching your gun off the end table you slid it into a thigh holster hidden by your dress, Marcus watching intently with a look of lust in his warm brown eyes.

“Ready for a night on the town?” Sliding your hand into Marcus' you couldn't help but see the wedding band on his finger, the fantasy of him being yours forever was something you didn't think you would shake for quite a while.

----------

“Daniela! Darling, you made it! Is this the lovely gentleman you've been telling me about?” You turned at the call of your cover name. Alexandria made her way to you and Marcus looking quite stunning in a slinky black dress with her fiery red hair in loose curls around her shoulders.

“Alex! Yes! This is my husband. I finally managed to pull him away from the office for a night out.” You said tucking yourself into Marcus' side resting your left hand on his chest, wedding band catching the light.

“Sebastian Ramos, it's a pleasure to meet you. Daniela has been raving about your ability to track down the hard-to-find paintings we've been looking to collect.” Marcus said, his arm wrapping loosely around your waist. “You've put together a wonderful event.”

“You're too kind Mr. Ramos. I did manage to find that abstract painting Daniela was looking for,” Alexandria replied with a small swell of pride “The art dealer for that particular piece should be here tonight.” She peered at the crowd trying to spot him.

“That's wonderful news, I'd love an introduction if it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience. If I let that piece slip through my fingers the missus will never forgive me.” Marcus replied as you playfully swatted his chest.

“Absolutely, why don't the pair of you enjoy a drink while I try to track him down? Enjoy yourselves, I'll return shortly.” And just like that Alexandria disappeared into the crowd, a blur of red hair as she snaked her way through.

“Let's find somewhere we can talk.” Marcus said softly against your ear, his hand moving to the small of your back as he steered you to a corner of the room that was free of people. You were hyper aware of the warmth of his hand against the bare skin of your back.

“I can't help but feel guilty...” You admitted softly to Marcus “Alexandria is so earnest; it feels wrong to use her like this. I don't think she has a clue about who Laurent really is.”

“I know, but it's safer for her to not realize what he really is until we have him in custody.” He commiserated pulling you into his arms and pressing a kiss to your forehead. “But we are so close to the end and it's thanks to your leg work,” pride evident in his voice, making you smile.

“Well at least there has been a lovely bonus from all of this. I don't have to worry about someone seeing me do this.” Standing on your tip toes you captured his lips in a lingering kiss, until you heard someone calling for the pair of you.

“Mr. and Mrs. Ramos, I'd like to introduce you to Christian Laurent.”

tagged: @diva-1992, @yespolkadotkitty, @sarahjkl82-blog

Let me know if you'd like to be added to my tag list 💕

[emeraldurafreak]

Sherlock short fic | Inception based AU

Quick thing I wrote while watching inception for the second time, typos are very likely but I don’t care.

Context\ Sherlock-Cobbs | John-Mal

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33693511

“Against the Rest of the World”

“He’s here.”

Sherlock looked over and there he was, standing there as if he hadn’t been there just a moment before. Staring out over the waters edge and after a moment glancing to Sherlocks direction. It was perfect, Sherlocks creation of John in his mind. There was no way anyone could tell him apart from anyone else.

John wasn’t here actually, of course he wasn’t. Sherlock had jumped off a roof and left him two years ago in London, never to see him again. John was lost and Sherlock felt it flood him as he stepped closer to him.

“I thought you might need my help.” John said and he smiled a bit in the way he did when he was saying something just to annoy Sherlock. He was joking, as if this was okay to distract him in this way while he was on the job.

“I’m doing just fine on my own, you don’t need to be here.” Sherlock said and he couldn’t help but smooth the harsh edge in his tone. It wasn’t John but it was and he couldn’t be harsh to John, he found it so hard still to this day to let him go.

John scoffed somewhat. “Of course, you’re not even happy to see me.” The scene changed before them, a room from the mind they were tailoring to appeared quickly. He didn’t recognize it but John sat and settled back as if he belonged there.

“I am.. I’m just working right now.” Sherlock said despite himself, his tone was only getting softer. This figure was so much like his John, as it always was. The aching never fading from his battered chest, even in this state he wore the scars.

“I used to help you work. Remember? Just you and me against the rest of the world..” John looked up at him and Sherlock noticed his skull on the mantle the wallpaper change that of the one of Baker Street. No, not now.

“John, please.. I have to go.” He stepped back and turned towards the window, it was still how it should be and he tried his hardest to get rid of all of Baker Street from his mind. Pushing the window open and glancing down below them, just two floors up he could make it down easy.

“You’re just going to leave me?” His voice was harsher and Sherlock felt his throat tighten as he swung his legs out of the window.

“Yes.” He said firmly and pushed himself out of the window holding onto the edge for a moment before dropping, controlling the pain of his short drop. He didn’t look up to the window again, he didn’t have time. He was busy.

~~~

Sherlock emerged with a gasp sitting up quickly and shaking off the corners of the dream, he pulled the needle out of his arm and his partner pulled the one out of their subject and together they left the building.

They parted ways without a word, there was no need for anything further. The work was done, information acquired and Sherlock was on the run yet again. He went to his hotel room checking it to make sure he was alone first before pulling his totem out of his pocket.

It was wrong, it was terribly wrong but he had taken Johns dogtags as his totem. He held it steady over his hand and swung it, in his dream state the dogtags swung forever, they would never cease motion in his mind.

He watched closely as the dogtags swung, clinking together on their metal chain and slowly came to a stop over his palm. He placed them back in his pocket with a sigh and sat back in his chair. When he was younger he was naive enough to think he wouldn’t need a totem like others, that his mind was strong enough to tell the difference between reality and the dreams.

It was exactly the opposite as he expected. Yes, his mind was greater than others; he was one of the most gifted architects to meet that of the dream world. That was when he could do it. He was wrong. His mind was indeed so great it made him so prone to the limbo state he had nearly slipped there too many times.

When he moved in with John, when he became attached to John, he’d stolen his dogtags and knew immediately they would be his totem. For nothing else would ever be as strong to him as those are. They pained him now to have and he did feel some gully for stealing them from John but they were necessary.

Sherlock was sure that now he knew the weight of them even more than John did. It had been many years since John had even had them, he had asked once where they had gone. Sherlock hated to think of that day now, all it held was pain and he was determined not to fall any deeper into the levels of his mind.

~~~

When Sherlock laid alone in his bed at night, wherever he may be, in a hotel, usually always in a different part of the UK. When he laid in bed sometimes he would pull the briefcase out and connect himself to it, set the timer and he would dream.

He would dream alone, in his world, in his last creation. In a place no one could touch but himself. Here he had layers, places where things weren’t so bad as the real world. Here he could move freely and live through what he wanted and what he lost.

The day he met John, in Barts he would look over to him in the door and see the way his eyes scanned the room and landed on him. A curious sort of fascination behind his eyelids, some confusion and awe as Sherlock spoke to him. He was never angry, he was always so proud and amazed with Sherlock's deductions.

Their first case, circling the pink lady’s body slowly and picking apart the pieces of her murder. John’s eyes lit up as he displayed his deductions, the soft words of encouragement, the brightness in his eyes.

Weeks later, an ordinary day in Baker Street but one that held firm in Sherlock's mind, in his prison. Sherlock was injured in the previous case of the day and John had him on the couch as he patched him up. It was the first time they were ever so close, lingering touches and meaningful gazes. John reprimanded him for being so foolish but he said it so fondly Sherlock didn’t mind.

Their first fight, their first real fight. In which John threw his cup at the wall and was upset for days after, it was Sherlock's fault and he felt guilty to this day. John loved that mug and Sherlock took away that joy. It was so simple and pretty and it seared into his mind.

The Baskerville case, the fear running through Sherlocks veins as he desperately swung John's dogtags in his hand. John found him that way and the confusion and sympathy in his gaze. The kind words he said so softly and guided him to bed, never questioning, just as shakes himself and yet he cared for Sherlock instead. His steady weight on the bed beside Sherlocks hip, the gentle hand on his side allowing him to rest.

A gap.

Hours before he’d leave John, deceiving him to keep him safe. Making John hate him, call him a machine. He never came here but it lived in his mind nonetheless.

Calling John from on top of Barts the emotion he hated in his voice, trying so hard not to convey it to John but use it to comb him of his lies. He was the worst friend to ever walk the face of the earth. He regretted every second of it.

His imagination filled in the rest later on. The snipers not being taken care of, shooting John down and making his whole disappearance worth nothing. John dying only knowing that his friend was a fraud and had lied to him their whole friendship. It was worse than leaving him.

~~~

Too many layers. Sherlock thought as they breached the third level of their subjects' subconscious. He could feel John's presence the further they moved into it, pushing at his mind. Begging for attention, pressing into the corners of his space.

Yellow smiley faces appeared on the walls, biscuits and tea on the tables, Johns gun in his hand, blood on his forehead, the smell of John’s cologne, his clothes in the corner, the dim flicker of firelight in the hearth, so many words on the top of his tongue and so many other sensations and feelings he couldn’t put words too.

It was too much at once, he couldn’t handle it. The emotions and keeping track of the mission and John was there in front of him. He had a gun and so did Sherlock and all he wanted was to hold him.

“John..” he started and John raised his gun to him and Sherlock dropped his, it clattering to the floor loudly

“Don’t. Don't start with me. You left.” John said in the harshest tone Sherlock had ever heard and he felt tears prickling the back of his eyes.

“Please John.. I’m sorry.” He begged him, meeting his eyes desperately, not here. “Please..”

“I can’t believe you.. You didn’t spare me the pain, so why should I give you the satisfaction?” John pointed it right at his head.

“John.. not here..” Sherlock shook his head, stepping back once and John followed.

“You’ve always been so weak..” he snarled at him, following him until he was backed into a corner. “You couldn’t even stay for me.”

“I tried, I did-“

“Don’t!” He shouted and pressed the gun to Sherlocks forehead. “You don’t get to convince me.. you’ve run out of chances.”

Sherlocks body shook against the wall at his back and he knew this wasn’t his John but he felt as if John would treat him this way. If he were alive this is what he would get. Death in the worst way possible, stuck in limbo forever because he’d lost.

He stared into the eyes of the man he trusted more than anyone, more than himself. He would choose his fate and the gun clicked.

“You murdered me.”

~~~

Limbo wasn’t so bad at first. It was all talk he thought, creation was something he’d always enjoyed. He hadn’t been able to do it so freely in such a long time.

John was there. His John. The John that held his hand and guided him to bed, the John that called him brilliant and fiercely protected his reputation. The John that created buildings with him and explored his childhood, mapped through his world easily.

They spent years together, in the comforts of Baker Street. It wasn’t so bad. John loved it here, they were together and everything went as they wanted. He could live like this in a place he wanted to be.

~~~

It was years into it when the spell broke. He knew it would happen eventually, knew the confines of this place couldn’t hold him forever, all it took was three words.

Three words the real John would never tell him. It had been years of being together and just those words broke everything. He didn’t know how to cope. Their world started crumbling, crime scenes and shops falling apart. Streets of London folding in on themselves. Just three words.

I love you.

John disappeared in front of his eyes, he felt his soul break into pieces. Emptiness flooded him and he had no idea if it would be enough but he didn’t want to live anymore. He was alone. John’s dogtags heavy in his pocket as he stood on another rooftop.

“Just you and me.” Sherlock says raspy and tight, the tears flowing so freely he couldn’t even contain it anymore. Tornadoes and storms tearing everything apart around him, the wind was so loud no one would hear his sobs. “Against the rest of the world.”

He fell and that’s all it took. Just one step and he would be free of this pain.

~~~

Sherlock woke in the world he had left with the partners he had left with and things were different and no one would understand how or why but him. He had been gone for years and no one had any idea of it.

He left alone again and back in the hotel he felt strange, he felt lifted and yet weighed down. He pulled out the dogtags after a moment before his phone went off, he returned them to his pocket and opened the message.

It was time to go home.

~~~

Three years later he returned home and nothing felt quite the same as he left it. Three years and decades of experience in his head, he has been gone so much longer and done so much more.

No one would know how Sherlock Holmes had survived. It was okay, he didn’t mind having something private for now, he just needed John. John who was alive and here and waiting and John. Oh, John.

He got to the flat as fast as he could. John no longer lived there but John was there today. For some reason he had gone, mycroft had told him he had forgotten to listen. All he was focusing on was finally seeing his John again.

He opened the door and stopped through, looking around. It was so familiar, dusty and old but familiar and so wonderful to be around.

“I still can’t seem to find them, are you sure you don’t have them In your boxes Mrs Hudson?” Johns voice drifted from Sherlocks bedroom and he gravitated towards it like metal to a magnet.

He stepped into the kitchen and looked down the hallway, Johns back just visible, his gorgeous hair illuminated in the sunlight. He took a step and another before eventually he was standing until he doorway.

His room was covered in boxes but he want even looking at that. He was watching John and automatically his mind came up with what he was searching for before Sherlock even registered it. He was holding Johns dogtags on his fingers, swinging in his hand.

“Looking for these?” Sherlock said in a tone he didn’t think he’d be able to manage if he was thinking with his conscious brain that wasn’t too active at the moment.

John startled and turned quickly staring at Sherlock for a long moment and so many emotions flashed before his eyes. They stared for a long moment just the movement of the dogtags between them before John surged forward and Sherlock was afraid he might hit him.

“Sherlock..” he breathed softly before his lips met Sherlocks and his hands cupped his cheeks, sherlock melted into it immediately. It was new and locket and Sherlock never wanted to leave the warmth of John.

He presses into him firmly and entirely. “I love you.” Sherlock breathed between the kiss and John smiled pulling him closer.

“I love you too..” he said in the same tone and they kissed again, sherlock taking a step back to support himself against the doorframe. Setting the dogtags on the lamp as he could reach to use his hands more effectively.

Nothing else mattered, they were together again, just the two of them finally one in the same.

The dogtags swung from their place hanging from the lampshade, back and forth slowly. But nothing mattered expept the two men and that’s how it should be.

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Trophy Chapter Six

The story begins to unfold and you find yourself makeing a deal with the devil.

Masterlist

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five

Warnings: Adult Situations +18, Smut, Oral (f), Noncon, Possesive/Obsessive Behavior, Coercive Behavior, Daddy Kink, Dark Fic, Swearing.

A/n: I am so sorry this has taken so long I got writers block, real life fucked me over and then got side tracked and have kept coming back to it I was unsure how to start the ball rolling but I hope this was worth the wait enjoy XXX

Taglist: @havenoffandoms​ @aphrodites-punch​ @charlieferret​ @thatgirly81​ @two-unbeatable-beaters​

Stephan growled walking into work slamming the door behind him he was fuming.

"FLETCHER! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He shouted walking past one the one of the others who was doing their shift ignoring the confused look she cast him, he didn't have time to explain going into the kitchen out back that had a set of stairs leading up into the small chic apartment Fletcher used for entertaining his 'lady friends'. Stomping up the stairs before banging on the door he knew that his 'boss' was here, he had already checked his other home. Finally a weary Fletcher opened the door.

"What? Oh Stephan its you what is it?" He grunted rubbing his eyes only to widen them as he was pushed back into the hall by the 'dane'.

"She isn't in the UK is she?" He growled holding the man by the collar of his shirt

"Wh-what? Who are you-"

"Y/n! I saw her earlier today!, she was being carried out of the police department barefoot by that friend of yours! Cavill? Or something ,She was crying her heart out, shaking she was fucking terrified! He put her in a four by four and left! What the fuck have you done?! I know your behind it! Where is she?" Stephan shook  in anger the Fletcher quivered he stuttering for an answer.

"Nothing ! I haven't done nothing! She told me she was leaving, had been offered her dream job in the UK then left I swear I don't know! She gave me the flight number and everything! Please I swear. I'll give it to you got the text still check yourself!" Stephan pushed his way into the apartment Fletcher followed quickly getting his phone showing the messages to the irate man.

"See she left, the woman who was taking the job got ill she was second pick that's why it was last minute,the flight numbers there" he said pointing out the long code of letters and numbers he took a step back releasing him. Taking out his phone snapping a shot of the screen nodding he would check, in some ways he regrets taking this job ,agent of the CIA posing as a fucking danish immigrant cafe worker, but Cavill was a big fish who had moved to a small pond and they wanted to know why, what could possibly make the king of the underground and black market suddenly up sticks an move?. Fletcher was the easy way to stay in the loop as Cavill’s men floated about this side of town more then anywhere else, a lot of people owed him in these parts it seemed. Observe and collect evidence. Those were his orders, they'd never managed to pin anything on the bastard he was already far to established, had his fingers in to many pies by the time they caught on. A slippery son of a bitch smart and cold a man of many faces could back you into a corner within a few sentences you'd be none the wiser until it was to late, but as they say never say never. Falling for you wasn't supposed to happen it just did, you was sweet caring and there was something about you that he couldn't put his finger on, your down side was how naive you could be. His chest clenched painfully you stood no chance against someone like Cavill. He shook his head, he had to focus on the task at hand, It was an undercover job, the in tell said that he had dominated the town using sordid secrets, blackmail and violence. A true dictator, just like before and just like before there was a sore in violent crime and substance abuse. Stephan shook as he felt waves of anger, it was lucky he didn't have his gun on him he'd fucking shoot this little prick right between his beady little eyes. He had already guessed what had happened. Cavill had taken you, for what he didn't know but considering you was retrieved by him personally he had assumed you wasn't put into the prostitution circuit. Thank god. His stomach churned at the thought ,he would check the flight records and cctv to be certain, but he new what he saw and come hell of high water he was going to get you out, some way he would free you. He couldn't just yet it was important that they bring him down, he can't risk the lives of hundreds of trafficked prostitutes and drug mules over one woman, no matter how he feels personally, he can't throw away year long operation, he'd be sacked or worse. Sighing he turned

You shivered as you came to melting into the mattress below you something was lightly tracing over your back random patterns back and forth. You hummed lightly and snuggled into the pillow more hearing a chuckle.

"Oh and Stephan don't bother coming back here your fucking fired!" he swore as Fletcher spoke. Shit. He growled punching the wall once he left the cafe heading back to his accommodation, no doubt Fletcher was contacting Henry this very second he'd have to disappear and fast. he could look through flight records and cctv when he gets settled again but right now he had to act as tho he was being targeted, because as of right now he probably was and he'd be damned if he was going to be another K.I.A statistic. He hoped he was wrong, that you had indeed boarded the plane and was half way across the world but he doubted it.

Henry stayed holding you long after the sheets had been changed, for the first time in months maybe years there was a calm quiet in his head, no schemes, no threats or work just a calm quiet enjoying your compliant company. He stroked your hair running his splayed fingers across your scalp. He felt a little guilty for what he put you through...It wasn't supposed to be like this, the kicking and screaming...but he couldn't help it! he didn't have the time anymore. He loved you but you'd forced him to take you. It was your fault he reasoned as he shifted you tucking you into his chest more you murmured in your sleep but relaxed slowly into him. Yes you forced his hand, you were the one who sought out that- that boy when he was busy working getting everything ready to seduce you slowly. It wasn't ideal but whats done is done, Fletcher fucked up and you had to pay for that. He sighed leaning further back into the chair he rested in. He could remember the first time he saw you, standing behind the counter you'd looked up surprised that someone was in so early you beamed him a smile that stopped him in his tracks, you hadn't known who he was he knew because you didn't freeze or cower, instead asked how you could help when he had asked for your boss, you pursed your lips wrinkling your nose a little telling him he wasn't here, but you offered him a coffee while he waited. He'd nodded saying make whatever expecting some shit low brand coffee either way, he stood watching as you disappeared behind the huge machine pouring you both a latte peeping over it making small talk. Watching eagle eyed as you danced around the kitchen beyond the cafe singing quietly mixing together some chocolate treat. Something had just clicked in him, he couldn't help it there was an aura about you as you pottered about the small space. He took slow sips you were beautiful and cheerful enjoying your life to the fullest. He had wanted you then and there you had somehow captured his whole attention, his mind wasn't wandering through dark vicious thoughts, hell he had forgotten the threats he had lined up for your boss who was fucking you over without even knowing. That was when he knew he had to bring you home you was sweet and vulnerable you needed to be protected and loved and he had the means to do that. He had got your name from your boss that day using it the make a file on you, within two days he new everything about you, address ,date of birth, medical history, schools, family history hell he even knew what your shoe size was 2.5 (us 4.5) you hated it finding it impossible to find heels. Then he remembered that night, walking into his own fucking restaurant halting seeing you giggling happily in a small booth near the window, his heart came to a painful screeching halt when he saw you kiss the other man-boy much younger then him, it was as if his whole world had come rushing back in one massive wave of anger and betrayal. He got a small taste of what was in store for him if he didn't have you, he now new what it was he had been missing. He shook the thoughts form his head, you were here with him and that was that finally getting up placing you carefully in the bed tucking you in before shedding his clothes and sliding in beside you ruffling your hair lightly then drifted off into sleep.

"Oh you like that? I will have to remember to save this as a reward" you flinched hearing him so close moving slightly you get ready to roll away from him only to be stopped by his hands pressing down lightly."No, stay there good girl" you frowned as his words were accompanied by a small squeeze to your tender bottom making you hiss and whine a little throwing your hand back to his trying to pry them off.

"Oh yes you are still sore aren't you? A very hot bottom. Good maybe this will help you behave for a while" you winced a little at him not wanting to be reminded of yesterdays events he moved closer to you kissing the back of your neck leaving it tender with a harsh bite."So today is a new start especially now that you've got that little escape attempt out of your system, things will be much easier now wont they?" you grit your teeth not knowing what would come out of your mouth if you tried replying. He moved rolling to his side you felt his eyes on you

"Look at me pet" you did without a thought he smiled almost sweetly at you leaning in placing a kiss on your cheek moving to cup your face slowly running a thumb across the apple of your cheek his lips parted eyes twinkling in the morning sun, you held your breath, he was magnificent yet terrifying you knew that he could easily make you fall for him.

"Soo good such a precious thing love, so beautiful and pure.....I expect you to be a good girl for daddy now you hear me? no more tantrums or pouting I don't want to have to punish you again ,rest assured that yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg I can come up with things much worse for you if you try to push me again. Please don't" You reluctantly closed your eyes before pulling away from his hand looking down to the sheets his words breaking the spell that had caught you ,you nodded he gave you a lopsided smile. He leaned in kissing your hair softly tilting your head and began sucking your bottom lip into his mouth running his teeth across the delicate inside biting it a little his hand dragged through your hair pulling you closer he slid beneath you on to his back tugging you across his chest still holding your head you gasped as a hand rested on your back drawing your nighty up you whined trying to tug it down but he had fisted the hand holding it refusing the let it go once you gave up fighting him he slowly began tracing light patterns as he went pulling the fabric over your hip,s you shiver relaxing as his fingers dragged lazily over your skin, he bit again on your lip harder when you wouldn't open your mouth to his probing tongue in a tiny protest the force of his bite make you gasp in pain using this to his advantage he opened his mouth wider kissing deeper, dipping his tongue into your mouth licking at yours trying to get you to respond. Closing your eyes you moaned softly unable to help your self as his tongue twisted and lapped inside your mouth you squeezed your thighs together as you felt yourself getting hotter, despite being scared of him you couldn't help your bodies reaction to him he was attractive, you was only human you reasoned with yourself before any shame could settling in your gut you melted into him, he was a god of a man you would say he had work done if you hadn't known him, strong defined and unreasonably perfect on the outside, had you been a religious women you'd say he was the devil himself beautiful and dangerous, temptation and sin personified and you was a mere mortal women falling into his claws, everything was about him physically seemed to have been created to draw you in even his scent was attractive engulfing you a combination of the lightly spiced aftershave he wore and something you couldn't name other then to say it was him the scent he left on his clothes and sheets. He deepened the kiss the hand on your back creeping down to your rump quickly pulling you up and over his strong thigh landing you to lie between his legs pressing his crotch to the seam of your thighs using the hand on your bruised ass to grind you slowly, grunting as he moved you up and down. You squeaked feeling a wet spot dragging across his weeping head coating the inside of his boxers seeping through wetting your thighs. He pulled his mouth from yours closing his eyes resting his forehead against yours panting harsh breaths across your skin.

"FUCK! your soo perfect and mine all mine shit that's good baby girl" you whined as your rocking made your heart race blood rushing south to your clit as he grunted groaning pulling you tighter to his pelvis he picked up the pace then stopped growling flipping you over to your back shuffling his boxers off kicking them off of the bed, you gulped as you saw his erection think veins wound around him like vines bulging and pulsing as he twitched. It was an intimidating sight to behold angry and swollen, proud jutting out pointing straight up to his stomach it'd take both hands to try and cover it even then your not sure your palms would even touch the purple head of it let alone cover it. he smirked as you looked at him, there was fear and lust in your eyes, he knew you wanted him deep down, but you was still fighting yourself over it, he fisted himself pumping his cock slowly watching you watch him squirming on the bed, oh yes you wanted him but not enough yet, he made a point to go slow thrusting into his tight fist letting you get an eyeful of his stomach muscles contracting grunting with each movement. You blushed wanting to look away yet unable to it was like watching a crash, you wanted to turn away knowing what was coming but still stared. He stopped releasing himself dragging you up the bed a little before lowering his weight on one hand by your head you panicked thinking that he was going to force himself on you and tried to pushed yourself up the bed away from him pleading.

"No no please! I don't want to! don't force me please please don't!" he stopped hushing you looking you in the eye, you cringed as he brought his wet hand to your face brushing his knuckles against your cheek.

"shh shh calm down little one its okay everything is going to be okay.... daddy wont force you I promise .....no i wont hurt you like that..... besides iv already told you, you wont get my cock until you come crawling on hands and knees begging for it. But there are many other ways I can get my fill until you do come to me gagging for it" he said placing his knees outside of your legs he smirked at your doe like expression confused  by what he meant until he laid over you lowering his hips against yours feeding his cock into the small v where your thighs met pressing the top of hit hot length slipping between your pussy lips rubbing your engorged clit, you gasped arching then placed your hands on him, one flat on his chest the other on the bicep by your face shaking as he began moving thrusting his hips forward and back dragging your clit with it

"OOOOHHHH FUCK YES!that it baby fuck so good such a good princess you are for daddy MMMM FUCK!" he panted in your ear using his legs to press your tighs tighter together trapping his cock, making you massage him, you cried out as his veins felt like ridges as he pumped himself against you smearing your arousal across him making it easier for him to move.

"OH BAby yes! your enjoying this aren't you? I can feel your cum soaking me love" you flushed unable to stop trembling as he caught the underside of your clit bumping it his the ridge of his head your moans grew more breathy as he tilted a little to keep hitting it brushing his cock against your opening with every pass , he was long enough that his head was sliding down  spreading your sore cheeks apart slightly making your pucker twitch with each downward thrust, he continued his pace trying to draw this out as long as possible, his drawn out moans and praises where breathed straight into your ear as he curled over you the lewd sounds making you clench. You dug your nails into his arm as your belly twisted breath coming out in heavy pants as your pussy tried to capture him at every thrust clenching desperately trying to direct him into your awaiting heat unsatisfied being left empty he laughed biting your ear lobe between his sharp fang like teeth releasing it with a pop.

"You know I can feel that!, feel your little cunt trying catch me, it-hahshit!-its quite cute really OH FUCK! yes!. You want me. Want me to feed you my aching cock and sooth your insides with my cum. To paint your insides again and again until you cant bear the thought of not having apart of me filling you on way or another. Don’t worry babe I wont let got go empty ever again!! All you have to do is BEG!! SHIT SHIT YES THAT'S IT STAY their-AH right there little one ahhh!" you whined as he spoke growling out the words as he rocked into you faster lewd wet slaps as his thick thighs rubbed and slapping into yours you moaned throwing your head back trying to fight the sensations he was forcing onto you.

"YES yesyesugh I know, oh pet I know but I'm not going toOH!, not until you admit to yourself. Not until you admit the truth. You want me. You LOVE me! UGH shit fuck fuck I'm cumming! I'm cumming! good girl shit Daddy's gonna cum right in your little pussylips fuck!" you shook below him as he fucked into your thighs feeling him stutter his hips releasing down into the crack of your ass coating the sheets beneath you. he laughed sweaty holding himself up on shaking arms then ran his cock across you smearing his cum between your lips making sure to leave you messy as he pulled back coating your clit

"OH sweety thank you were such a good girl for daddy" he rolled to the side of you running a finger spreading your lips as he pushed a pad to your cum soaked clit rubbing making you jerk up violently as he rolled the throbbing flesh side to side.

"oh you haven't cum have you? poor baby, well maybe if you'd tried to join in more you would have.... oh well to late now maybe next time hey little one?" he said making you groan as he kissed your lips licking the seem of them them he pulled back licking your lips. You cringed a little wiping away his spit from you he laughed resting on one elbow his other hand ruffled your hair.

"Oh sweetheart you don't like it when I lick you? Oh I bet you would if my head was here" you froze as his wandering fingers probed your core and tried tilting up to him wanting him to carry on, to do... something? anything? tears sprung to your eyes when he pulled back gathering your mixed arousal as he went before sucking them clean groaning as he did.

"sooo good , you taste so good baby I could eat you for hours

""Pl-please daddy" he grinned you was so aroused that you couldn’t deny that you craved him, wanted him to touch you ignoring the little voice that said it was wrong, Henry noticed your little battle continued with a low growl that you felt more then heard, trying to sway you.

"But another time perhaps, tell me would you like that? Would you enjoy your self while daddy feasts on your perfect pink pussy for hours on end? forcing you to cum over and over? I could you know I would be a very happy to oblige" His words were taunting you. You nodded then shook your head confused not sure what you wanted. He smiled before getting off the bed

"But you had your chance today, I cant spoil you now can I? not when I'm supposed to be teaching you your place" he seemed to like having you on edge like this, he plucked his boxers from the floor using them to quickly wipe you down dragging it quickly across you avoiding where you needed him most removing the worst of the sticky cum then through it across the room to the basket. He made his way to the chest of drawers pulling out a black round neck cotton dress decorated with small flowers.

"Come here lets get you dressed" you tilted your head at him as he said that pointing to the floor in front of him. Slowly you moved towards him curling your toes into the hard wood floor fidgeting. He motioned for you to hole

"Wh-what? why? I can dress myself" he sighed exasperated

"I told you that your training starts today little one, you are going to rely on daddy for everything now do as your told pet" his voice was stern again you sighed nodding again.

"Good girl, who knew all you needed was a firm hand? Im confident that we can work this out.... it is a shame tho, if you'd just behaved then I wouldn't have to give you these new rules." You cringed trying not to look at his wet cock swaying with his movements.

"Now arms up" you followed his instructions letting him replace your nighty with the short dress that just skimmed your knees. He watched you for a moment then moved dressing himself in a formfitting top and tight trousers using your nighty to quickly wipe his cock clean, something about the gesture made you feel dirty. Ushering you to the door with a light tug on your wrist you struggled.

"Wait what about? No stop a minute" he ignored continued to the hall

"If you want my attention then address me properly pet." You flushed panicking as he lead you to the door you held on to the frame jerking him to a halt

"Daddy please stop" he faced you still holding your wrist as you held on to the wooden frame.

"What is it princess?" You flushed moving from one foot to the other.

"You haven't given me any .....you know I'm still wet and.......its err I'm naked under this" you said trying to tug the skirt of the dress down completely out of your depth here. He smiled

"Of course you are, what you think I forgot to give you panties? No baby girl that is a new rule, from now on your in skirts and no panties aloud so its easier for me to get at that naughtly little bottom when I need to and easier for daddy to check if his little girl is lying about feeling all tingly , now come on daddy doesn't have all day we have a few visitors today and you best behave or you'll be right over my knee now come on"

"but I’m going to leave wet spots!!"you admonished he laughed

"Yes I suppose you will wont you? If your a good girl daddy will give you a treat later but for now we haven't got the time!" .

"But what if someone see's them?! or-or they see up my skirt?!"he shook his head at your high pitch then tugged making you slip from the door you yelped nervously scanning for the others in the house all the way to the kitchen. One hand holding the skirt tight to your bottom trying to keep it covered wincing as you felt a small trickle of your arousal smear against your upper thighs he scoffed sitting down at the table dragging you onto his lap back against his chest placing your legs either side of his knees spreading you a little, you shivered as the cool air met your wet heat making is impossible to forget the state he had left you in also making sure you felt yourself weeping onto his trousers you moaned in humiliation trying to close your legs but found it hopeless his thighs to strong his bulge was right under your ass and already twitching again.

"Well baby girl, if you act like the little lady I know you are no one will see up your skirt." He said motioning for a plate to be brought over stacked with four slices of toast. You whined trying to wriggle your legs free to close them he held you still groaning in your ear

"No baby stop, fuck daddy just told you we haven't got time for that now!" you pouted at him whining only to get a slap on your thigh you yelped clenching your bottom in response making him dig his fingers in your thigh.

"Enough! not at the table now sit still" he said picking up a small piece of toast holding it to your lips and began feeding you by hand. You flushed feeling exposed as mid way during breakfast the guard from yesterday came in, you knew he couldn't see beneath the table but you couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

"Boss we got a big problem" you watched from the corner eye finishing the mouthful Henry had fed you as you swirled your coffee in your mug then taking a sip trying to focus on anything but the position he held you in you felt Henry sigh exasperated.

"What is it? the Vonnie boys failed a delivery again?" He asked pulling you back to rest on his chest plucking the mug from you placing it on the table then casually lowered his hand to cup your center covering you should the other man peak beneath it, he wouldn't honestly let you be seen by anyone other than himself, the man shook his head.

"No haven't heard from them yet their not due in till this afternoon flight gets in at two its well" he hesitated a moment making Henry growl his hand tightened on your pussy making you mewl trying to push back against him.

"Ive got to many things to do today Luke, spit it out!" His stern voice made you jump tensing as it reverberated through your body, he hushed you kissing your neck.

"Well its to do with the girl, you should see this" he placed a tablet on the table sliding it across Henry huffed and let got of you pulling you to straddle one thigh you moaned quietly as your clit was pushed forward the fabric of his trousers providing friction to the tight bud then began to grind lightly onto it one hand on his knee the other holding the edge of the table, no control of yourself it was far to good to resist Henry quickly put a stop to it striking your sore ass cheek making you yelp holding your hand to it pouting as he held on arm around your waist holding you still, you clenched tight and relaxed then again

"Baby? just carry on and see what happens I said not at the table and I meant it young lady" you blushed looking down knowing that the guard Luke now knew what you was doing you huffed slumping back against him taking that as your little defeat he peered forward over the tablet it. It was an email a short one line it read

Stephan knows he saw you leave the police station

Henry tensed glaring at the note it was from Fletcher you jumped as he slapped the tablet down with the force you was surprised he didn't break it.

"When did you get this?”

"Last night boss"

"LAST NIGHT! and you didn't think to tell me then? the fuck is wrong with you?!”

"We didn't want to interrupt you sir"

"Well What have you done about it?"

"We wasn't sure what your plans were for him wanted to wait until you saw it" Henry slumped in his chair you whimpered as he got angrier

"NOT SUR- I DON’T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS-" he took a breath calming himself, he felt you trembling sighing he rubbed your side a little the action calm the both of you, he continued in a low dangerous voice."isn't it fucking obvious what to do?. Find him .Kill him and keep it clean and quiet like I fucking pay you to do" he growled you gasped at the order then twisted round before he could stop you, kill who? You blood ran cold when you got a glimpse of the name on the screen.

"That's the thing boss its a false identity, he didn't exist until a year ago, already checked his accommodation he is gone. No trail nothing" Henry release a breath through his nose then snarled before standing up abruptly you yelped as he took you with him skirt bunched up over your ass as he did you was quick to pull it down at the sides and front as Henry had you pressed to the front of his hips feet dangling just off the floor, you tried not to swoon at just how easily he hoisted you off the ground with on hand. Now was defiantly not the time.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HES FUCKING GONE?! GONE WHERE? YOU JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THIS SHIT DOESN'T HAPPEN! I MEAN WHAT THE FUCK HOW DID YOU DROP THE BALL THIS FUCKING MUCH?" You shook in his grasp whimpering covering your ears as he screamed at Luke. He stopped regarding you then took a deep breath pointing a shaky finger at Luke.

"Find him, pull in everything trace all cctv in the city if you have to but you find him and get Fletcher here, throw him in the trunk for all I care but bring him here today, and you better hope this kid isn't what I think he is or I will be needing a new head of security!" you shivered there was a crazed tone to his threat growl, the seemed to be all the dismissal Luke needed as he quickly scuttled out of the kitchen. Once you were alone Henry placed you on the seat making his way to the island slamming his hands down on it in temper the loud thump echoing in the room, you watched still quivering terrified of what was going to happen, he cast you a glance sighing making his way towards you watching as you flinched away from him.

"Baby doll? Its okay honey I'm sorry for scaring you.....daddy loves you, you know that right? and daddy isn't angry at you no no not at you my beautiful baby girl shh its okay" You nodded completely freaked out by his sudden switch he crouched down in front of you tucking the hair behind your ears wiping the few stray tears that had escaped gulping.

"A-are you really gonna kill him? Please don't do that please, its my fault I don't want to be the reason please" you cried fearing for Stephan hands clutching the chair seat trying to swallow down the sobs that tried to escape into sniffles, he sighed looking away then fixed you with a sympathetic gaze patting your knees smoothing them with his hands that could probably swallow them both in a single palm.

"Oh baby don't-don't cry on his account, I know you-you liked him but its for the best pet, we can't let him go, he knows where you are and there are some very bad people who would take you away from me if he tells them. Cant you see I'm doing this for you, for us so we can be together, I love you and I cant allow anyone to take you away ,no one not one single person will ever tear us apart. Because we belong together don't we? we love each other and nothing can put a stop to that" He explained you sobbed into your hands feeling sick as he continued to believe his own twisted fantasy of you being a true loving,consenting couple. Stephan would die because of you, Because this dangerous unstable man had an obsession with you. You moved on hand to his cheek shaking your head.

"N-no please I'll do anything please please don't...f-for my sake please, I-I will tell them that I chose to come here! Chose you over him Th-that we're together and he was just jealous of my decision or something but please please please don't do this I couldn’t live with myself" you pleaded to him running your thumb across his cheek before continuing

"I don't think I could ever fall in love with you if you do this" he froze at that if he done this? IF? so there was a chance? you held some feelings for him, you thought that you could love him. Perfect. He pushed his face into your hand slowly kissing your palm, it was the first time you'd touched him without fear, the first time you'd initiated an almost loving gesture, he grasped your hand placing your knuckles to his mouth again. Letting a small smile creep across his face watching you cry, on hand tugging at his shirt begging him so sweetly between small hiccups. His voice dropped lower then you'd ever heard it before

"You would do that baby? You'd tell everyone were together? Stop fighting me? Try to love me and forget about him to save him?" You nodded grabbing blindly at him still whimpering.

"Okay I tell you what pet, you stay with me here, love me and only me and never leave then I will promise you I won't kill him, but if you ever try to run from me his death will last days, I will kill him slowly and painfully you hear me love, you have to swear to me that you will stay think of this as a contract" It wasn’t a question, or request it was an ultimatum, and probably the only offer he would make. You gasped not really expecting him to reason with you, would you sacrifice the rest of your life to save the man you think you could have loved? He held your gaze firm, the blue in his eyes clear and steady it was unnerving as he watched you waiting for your answer. A no would mean a death sentence for Stephan and the truth of what has really happened dying with him. A yes would save his life but trap you under his thumb spending the rest of your days with this beautiful monster, either way you know your never escaping Henry, never. Yesterday was proof enough. So you may as well save someones life along the way right? You took a deep breath finally nodded.

"Yes. If you promise not to kill him" Henry smiled nodding

"You have my word little one, I will not kill this boy so long as you stay with me" he sealed the deal with a slow tender kiss to your knuckles then scooping you up spinning, cradling you to his chest, he was elated, ecstatic this day couldn't turn out better placing you to sit on the table.

"I’m so proud of you baby girl, your soo gooood, that why I love you, I love you so much your everything I'm not. You truly are my better half" You cried into him silent tears streaming down.

"Oh sweet heart don't be sad, no no this is good....Hush now you'll be fine I know this is a big commitment but deep down you love me just as much, your just afraid of admitting it. That’s okay I can wait, we have our whole lives together....Your a good girl you've made daddy so happy baby girl." his words did nothing to stop the tears the finality of them was frightening. Your whole lives the rest of your days being his doll, a toy. the thought made your stomach clench he pulled you down to stand before him wiping at the tears

"Hey now there's no need for tears, its daunting but exciting......I know how about you let daddy give you that treat he promised huh? make my little baby girl feel better hmm? its only fair you've been so good" You shook your head whimpering at him wanting to

"N-no I don't want to now" he tutted at you spinning placing you on the counter stepping between your legs.  His hands cupped your cheeks softly.

"Nonsense come on love just a quick little reward and then we can go get you some books and you can spend the rest of the day in the office with daddy" you whined squirming

"no no no please" he sighed at you as he called out over his shoulder making another male enter the kitchen you flushed trying to move your skirt over your thighs not getting far as he was pressing tight against your center

"Tell Luke I've changed my mind, find Stephan but don't kill him just keep tabs on him....still get Fletcher here tho, he may help find him" the man nodded leaving you alone once again"There does that help? he wont be hurt, I just want to know where he is.....better?" you nodded a little you did feel a slightly better until he pulled you closer to the edge of the counter parting your thighs wider quickly  you squeaked then he pushed you back flat with one strong hand on your ribs pinning you down. you mewled embarrassed as he flipped your skirt up holding it under the palm pinning you down flat the marble was cold making you shiver as he placed an open mouthed kiss on your lower tummy trailing his tongue down to your mound leaving a wet line in your skin that cooled instantly as the air hit it not stopping you bent your knees feet firmly on the counter gasping as he moved down not wasting any time one latching onto your clit sucking it into his mouth flicking the tip of his tongue across it igniting your pussy anew you pushed on your feet trying to fight his hold on you as his shoulders pressed on your tense thighs you panted shaking your head it was incredible as his teeth pinched the flesh rolling it side to side then pulled back taking the small nub with him then moved forward pressing the flat of his tongue sticking it out rubbing up and down angling the tip to the sensitive skin just behind your clit. you moaned throwing your head back throwing your arms around your right hand found purchase on the edge of the marble counter top your left grabbing his wrist at your ribs.

"OH FUCK! AHH!" you cried out as he sped his tongue then moved lower attaching his mouth over your opening sucking obscenely darting his tongue inside of you making you jolt using your feet to grind down on him as his torturous mouth feasted on you with out pulling back he grabbed your left foot throwing it over his shoulder to hand loosely down his strong back and smacked your left calf from below prompting you to throw it over his left shoulder. you squealed trapping his head between your thighs as he continued to eat you out  he pulled back a little  you panted breathlessly looking down at him, his face was wet from your arousal he wiped his face with the back of his hand before licking it clean you moaned as the display.

"Fuck you taste fantastic, I could fucking live off this alone!" he said before diving back down tugging you to hang off of the counter pressing your thighs back with his shoulders stretching your pussy taught as he went back to work, the new position pulling your lips back revealing more of your clit to his wandering tongue, you cried out a gruntal moan as he suckled on it flicking his tongue on the underneath slowly the circling its base quickly

"Fuck fuck shit please I-PLEASE I’m gonna cum I cant-" suddenly he thrusted two thick fingers inside you pressing them around feeling his way along your muscles making him self at home inside of you scissoring and circling pressing on your contracting walls whilst sucking on you. You moaned and keened unable to contain yourself digging your heels in his back feeling the strength in his back as he arched over you moaning into you making you jump at the vibrations. you clenched around his fingers yelping as he brushed something deep

"AH! oh god wha? UGH!" you moaned loud spasming around his fingers as they found what he was looking for and rubbed furiously following your hips as you tried to escape screaming as you tense curling your upper body rocking into his hand and mouth desperate to finish as he gave one final painful suck on your clit then bit down hard sending you to your peak. He smiled as you came over his fingers slowing them but not stopping letting you ride him through your orgasm. You saw stars as you climaxed the pleasure making your whole body shiver and jerk every muscle seemed to come alive at once, your nerves on fire before you came down as he pulled his hand and mouth away from you. panting and trembling you looked down at him dazed, eyes glazed over from your after glow completely exhausted you felt alive and drained all at once he winked up at you smirking licking his lips then pulled back standing at full height catching your legs and they slipped from his shoulders before they could hit the counter painfully as dead weight, slowly lowering them to rest over the edge then lifted his drenched fingers to his mouth sucking them clean eagerly. You groaned still trying to control your ragged breaths, that was ridiculous you summarized moving your hands to your hair grimacing when you felt how sweaty your forehead was.

"You have a very unique taste baby doll, i love it  so much i might have to have it for breakfast each day what do you think?" you groaned barely able to move

"I think it'd kill me" you panted out he laughed loud running his hands across your thighs then pulled your skirt back down

"well that is what orgasm means, little death" you grunted as he pulled you towards him sliding you to your feet supporting your whole weight as you slumped on him a little still feeling like jelly, then the door opened again Luke walking through.

"Sir Fletcher’s on his way and I don't think he knows where to find the other one your looking for, he sacked them for confronting him" Henry sighed looking up closing his eyes, you shivered waiting for the blow up but it never came he just nodded then picked you up

"Fucking idiot! fine I'll deal with him how long?" he said walking from the kitchen making them follow after him you leaned on his chest.

"Said he'd be twenty minutes or so, he's shitting bricks tried to wiggle out of it but told him we'd hand him over if he didn't that got him complying real quick" Henry nodded

"Go meet him half way I don't trust that little weasel not to make a run for it" you looked over Henry's shoulder as Luke took a left to the main doors.

"Is Fletcher in trouble?" he gave you a look making you shrink

"Don't you worry about him, you just keep your nose clean, you don't need to know now lets go get some books for you to read today" you sighed nodding a little as he continued down the hall.

[samanthalightning]

She's Got A Date-EoWells X Allen!reader- Part VI

*The GIF is not mine. All rights to the owner*

Part V

Summary: You went to the hospital to tell Joe and your Brother about your relationship. But it seems you weren't the only one with the same idea.

Warnings: Make out sesh?

***

You did not have the best idea, you knew that. Your adoptive father is in the hospital after he almost died and now, you decided you will give him a heart attack.

Wells made it very clear that there is a time to do this, specifically after Joe gets discharged. Much to his dismay, you pleaded the man non-stop. He gave in eventually.

Now, walking down the busy hallway of the hospital to go to Joe's room, it became more and more evident that you were really going to regret this. The nervousness you felt was nauseating. Your hands were cold and sweating like crazy. You felt bad for Wells; he was holding your hands the entire time.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked for a tenth time that night.

"Yeah totally. I mean— he's already in the hospital— what could go wrong?" You chuckled nervously.

He grimaced and pressed his lips in a thin line. That says it all. Bad idea.

Approaching the room, you let his hand go. You don't give it away and be able to explain properly.

You took a deep breath, preparing yourself. You stepped inside to find Iris there with Eddie by her side. She was saying something and hugging a bedridden Joe. They look like they just arrived as well.

These two are rarely in the same room with Joe around, and you have a feeling that they might be both here for the same reason as you do. But hopefully, they don't, because in this situation two is definitely not better than one.

"Got more room for one?" All heads turned to you. You walked towards Joe and went in for a tight hug. "You gave us a scare there, old man."

"Can't get rid of me that easy," he chuckled heartily, as you let go.

"What are you doing here, Dr. Wells?" Barry's brows furrowed.

Wells gave him a small shrug. "Just want to wish Joe a speedy recovery."

Among other things.

"Thank you, Doctor,"

The whole room shifted. You even started fiddling with the hem of your coat. Tense, awkward. You all had turned quiet as you exchanged nervous glances, uncertain how to break it to the man on the bed without him going ballistic.

Barry, knowing what Iris and Eddie are here to do, cleared his throat. "I'll let you guys talk." He turned to leave, not before signaling to you to do the same thing.

"No. Stay, Barry," Barry shot you a strange look, but stayed nonetheless, putting his hands in his pockets, shifting on this leg awkwardly.

A jolt of fear rushes through your body. If it felt so bad earlier, right now it's even scarier. You sucked in a breath, glancing over to Wells for support and approval. He nodded sternly, eyes staring back ever so assuring. This is really it. You turned back to Joe, letting go of your breath and spoke,

"Dad, we have something—"

"Joe, we have something—"

Both of your heads whipped, sharing a look.

"You go first," she gestured to you.

You shook your head rapidly. "No, you go first,"

"No-"

"Okay," Joe grunted, sitting up. "I know y'all dating."

Your heads quickly whipped to Joe froze. You were both mortified.

"I know,"

"You do?" Iris blinked, stunned. Everyone was.

He rolled his eyes in disappointment for no one in this room giving him enough credit. "I'm a detective, remember? You are lousy liars." You all laughed, knowing it's true. He looked at Wells, finger pointing to him accusingly. "And you, Wells. You think I didn't see those hickeys? You showed up with them and my baby girl was limping— you think I wouldn't put two and two together?"

You groaned, burying your face in your hands to hide your blush. You were not just embarrassed, but deeply guilty.

"So, you're not mad?" Eddie inquired.

"Oh, I'm mad. If the doctor hadn't confiscated my gun, we'd be having an entirely different conversation," Joe told him.

The poor man paled, the smile wearing off his face. He gave Iris a nod, and turned to leave. You knew it's time for a family meeting.

"Hey babe, meet me in the car?" You turned to Wells, eyes hinting what's about to go down. He quickly got the gist, and excused himself.

When both men are out of earshot, Barry and Iris gave you an incredulous look. "Wells?!" They both exclaimed.

"What?"

Joe was shaking his head, eyes looking on you and Iris, clearly displeased. But obviously not hell bent. "You girls and your taste in men will be the death of me."

You moved to his side, you placed your head on his shoulder, hugging him. Iris did the same thing. Not that he was very willing to admit it, but you and Iris have him wrapped around your fingers, and you know how to always convince him.

"Please don't be mad," you cooed to him, nuzzling to him and holding his hand.

"But I am. A cop and the man who blew a hole in the city," he sighed heavily.

"It's not so bad," Iris appealed.

"Yeah right," he scoffed.

You both try to make him feel better about the situation, but it occurred to you that this one will definitely take time to get accustomed to. You both went behind his back, and that's something.

You have to leave since Wells is waiting for you in the car. Barry offered to walk you, and you know there's an underlying agenda to that. But he hasn't said anything since you entered the elevator, didn't even dare look at you. He's walking on eggshells, always been.

"So, are you mad?" You broke the silence, fiddling with the sleeve of your coat.

"No. Just surprised." You thought that was perfectly understandable. Then he turned to you and snapped. "I mean, Wells? How? When?" He bombarded you with questions with his hands in the air.

"When you were in a coma. 6 months ago,"

"6 months?! Why didn't you tell me?!" He exclaimed. Your face scrunched up.

"In case you forgot, you just woke up from a coma, and the last thing I want to give you is another reason to be in one again," you explained. "You got powers, and meta-humans appeared."

He sighed, nodding. He put his hand inside his pocket, before asking, "Does he want kids? Can he have th—"

Your cheeks went warm, blushing red. "We haven't had that talk yet," you interrupted.

"Right." Barry mumbled, realizing how awkward his questions were. "Do you love him?"

You nodded, a small smile formed on your lips, cheeks warming up. "Yes."

Barry didn't say anything anymore. You know he's still trying to take it all in. His baby sister is dating his mentor, who is almost the same age as their Dad. It's quite a shock.

"Is it weird?" You cocked an eyebrow.

Barry snorted. "Yeah." You bursted out laughing.

The elevator dings, reaching the underground parking area. The door slides open and you step out. When you got to your car, Wells was waiting there for you.

Barry stood there, he and Wells were having a stare off or something. For a second, you panicked. He's not a totally violent person, but it doesn't mean he can't get angry.

But Barry just stifled a curt nod at Wells. "Take care of her," he said.

"I will,"

He turned and walked away, back to the elevator. You helped Wells get in the car, before climbing in yourself. You started the engine and drove out of the hospital's parking lot.

"Should I drop you off at the lab?" You asked him.

He shook his head. "No. I think a night in with you tonight would be very nice,"

You looked over to him and shot him a smile.

"Okay." You muttered.

Despite the fact that Barry was the one who kicked Nimbus' ass, but your muscles were sore and tense. In your defense though, it was one hell of a day. You just want to sleep and cuddle with Wells. You are so glad that you have the rest of the weekend to doze off.

You came out of the bathroom and stepped inside of your bedroom after a warm, relaxing, well-needed shower.

Wells was already sitting on the bed, tucked in, already halfway through a book. You love how he can lose himself while having a read. His brows furrowed slightly, eyes focused solely on a certain page, then quickly moved quickly to the other page. He reads a book faster than anyone you know, aside from Barry.

You slipped in the sheets, sitting up beside him. You peeked at what he was reading to see which one of literature and philosophy finest books has captured his attention again. Your eyebrows scrunched up, puzzled at what you are reading; it's written in Latin.

"What are you reading?"

"Julius Caesar," he replied, flipping to the next page.

"I thought you read that already?" Your tone changes, subtly hinting him that it's time for bed.

"I did," he answered, not even taking his eyes off it.

You glared at him in disbelief and huffed. Perhaps it was too subtle.

"So, maybe you can ditch that and let's go to bed?" You inquired with the same tone.

He glanced over to you, not showing any sign of expression at all. He stared at you and you know this means to let him finish the book he read over a hundred times before. So you stood your ground, and hardened your stare.

He sighed in defeat. "Fine." He closed the book shut, took his glasses and set it on your nightstand.

"Thank you,"

You were ready to lay down and sleep for the next 24 hours, but he spoke suddenly.

"I booked us a table tomorrow night to this fantastic restaurant midtown,"

Your head snapped to him, a surprised look immediately etched in your face. He said so nonchalantly. "Wha—" you were speechless, sputtering words, your mind processing what he just said. You try to form coherent words, but all that came out from your mouth was a laugh, bewildered. "A-are you taking me out on a date?"

He grinned, clearly amused with your reaction. "Yes. It's time we have some decent steaks, don't you think?" You swatted his chest, shooting him daggers, while he laughed. You swore to God if you perfected cooking steak, it'll be the death of him.

"I mean it." He ceased laughing, taking a hold of your hand. "I have a lot to make up for. And I'm gonna start by treating you like a queen. My queen." He planted a kiss on your knuckles.

You cupped his cheek, narrowing your eyes at him. "You're lucky I love you," you murmured, leaning into him.

"Oh, I know." He chuckled.

You giggled, capturing his lips, and kissed him sweetly. He deepened the kiss, slowly getting passionate. His tongue roamed inside your mouth, you tried to fight for dominance, but surrender to him eventually.

His hands moved up and down your body, then settled on your boyshorts clad bum. He caressed it with his long fingers and squeezed it tightly, before he slapped it, the smacking noise resounded in your room, startling you a bit. You couldn't help but moan, you feel pleasure alighting in the pit of your stomach. Your hand palmed his chest, bunching up his shirt tightly. You were getting carried away, and he as well. You pulled away gently, catching your breath.

"I just wanna cuddle and sleep tonight," You murmured, running the pads of your thumb across his cheek.

"Is that why you didn't wear pyjamas, Miss Allen?" He teased and squeezed your bum once more.

"What? They're comfy," you grinned.

"Right," he chuckled. "Okay." He gave you a last peck on the lips, before turning off your lamp.

You both lay down, he wrapped his arms around, protectively. Your tense and tired body relaxed, as you snuggled up against him. Like a small child, you felt in his arms; a sense of security and the feeling of home washed over you.

You looked up to him and saw that he was in some sort of daze, caught up in his own world and yet aware of his surroundings. His eyes were gazing up to your ceiling. There isn't really anything special on the ceiling, except mold. You pondered what he was thinking about. Perhaps how much of a rollercoaster ride the last 24 hours was?

"I am so glad we worked everything out today," you began. "I don't know if I can sleep tonight if we didn't talk,"

"Me too," he replied, rubbing his thumb against the skin of your shoulder, absentmindedly, didn't even glance up to you.

"I was scared, you know, I thought I was actually gonna lose you," you added in a whispered voice.

He exhaled. "So did I. I'm sorry I made you feel that way,"

"S'okay. I'm sorry I snapped at you." You couldn't take it anymore, your eyes were feeling heavy and they fluttered close.

"It's alright. I understand,"

You nuzzled your head on his chest, hearing his faint heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest, slowly lulling you to sleep.

He kissed your hair softly, then murmured. "Good night,"

"Good night,"

You can feel yourself falling deep into sleep in a matter of seconds.

You both slept in until 11 am, and you were more than glad that you were able to get him to stay. You didn't even have to plead.

It wasn't until you were having brunch— he cooked, which was for the best. Apparently, he saw you cook eggs before— that it occurred to you that it's really happening. You're going on a date. Tonight. An actual date. You repeatedly told yourself a hundred times today, still not able to wrap your head around it.

You were nervous. Although, you played it off.

You didn't want him to know you were nervous more than you were excited in fear that he'd cancel. And you didn't want to miss out on a highly possibly great date with a great man. You literally fought for this. You can't chicken out.

It's just that your experiences with dates were, well, not so much—the men you went out with were not so much. They tend to turn out pretty boring, pointless and often self-centered. They ditch you or you ditch them. It was a restless cycle and it exhausted you. So, you just never go to one. And it's not like you're going out with some random dude. It's Harrison freaking Wells!

So as soon as he left your apartment after brunch to go home, you panicked for a certain amount of time, then called someone who could help you.

You stood in front of the mirror, staring at your reflection, while holding a dress over your frame. You tilted your body left and right, face scrunched up, obviously not pleased with the dress. It's too skimpy, too tight, too short for your liking. You don't even remember buying this dress.

You huffed loudly. "I look like a stripper." You threw the dress on top of a pile of clothes on your bed. You and Iris have gone through your entire wardrobe collection, and no perfect dress is turning up.

"How about this?" Iris walked to you with a bunch of hangers in her hand, showing you a particularly bright red dress. The last thing you want was Wells to look like he's your sugar daddy.

You shook your head. "Too bold." She threw the dress. Underneath the red dress was a long, ruffled sleeves dress, which you knew you only bought from a thrift shop, because it was so cheap. The color faded, at some point you were convinced that it was from the 1940s, although it's still pretty decent

"Yeah, if I want to look like Grandma Esther," you snickered.

She sighed exasperated as yet another piece of clothing was added to the pile. Iris held out what seemed to be the final dress she had. She raised an eyebrow, eyes were basically pleading you to choose it. You can't blame her. You are one picky girl.

It was beautiful. Your eyes lit up at the sight of itl; beige, knee-length and made of silk— with frills. Exaggerated as this may sound, but as if on cue, the angels sang with their angelic voices the moment you laid eyes on it.

"Perfect," you mumbled.

"Oh thank God," Iris groaned. She picked up a pair of heels by the edge of the bed. "I picked out these shoes for you; they'll match with that," she added, handing it both to you.

You dashed off to the bathroom to put on your outfit. As soon as you came out, you checked yourself out in the mirror. You were right; it suited you so well. You still feel sexy wearing it, but it wasn't screaming at your face. You still retain a respectable, elegant demeanor.

From the side of your mirror, you saw Iris standing behind you, arms folded, watching you fondly.

"What?" You broke her out of her reverie.

She smiled softly. "Nothing. You look amazing,"

"Anything else?" You raised your eyebrows, looking at her through the mirror, knowing there's more to it than she says.

She shrugged, shaking her head. "I just can't believe it— you're dating Harrison Wells," she sounded as shocked as she was yesterday.

If you were being honest, you can't quite believe it as well.

"Yup. Much to Joe's dismay," you chuckled, although you couldn't help to frown. Iris quickly saw it.

She walked to you, wrapped her arms around you from behind and rested her chin on your shoulder.

"Ignore him. He'll get it over it,"

He will, you are certain of it. But it doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice if he was fully supporting it. He didn't say anything to discourage it, he probably isn't going to say anything about it ever, but you know he's not a fan of it.

"Yeah. Hopefully soon," you murmured.

"Although, it is Harrison Wells," she started. You rolled your eyes and groaned internally. "I'm not even done— I just mean, it's something that's going to take time for people to warm up about this. He blew up a hole in the city and he's much older than you,"

"I know that, Iris," you exhaled audibly. You didn't need a reminder of that. You tell yourself that everyday for the last 6 months.

"I know you know that. My point is that this relationship is gonna go through a lot of tribulations, and I just want you to prepare yourself for it. I just don't want you to get hurt, okay?" She sounded so motherly, locking eyes with you.

You frowned, but nodded. You understand her point, you really do. Joe, Barry and the rest of the team, you know they genuinely care for you. But this is your relationship, and you know when it comes to love, it has it's own challenges and pain and it's something you have to deal with.

Abruptly, you heard multiple knocks all the way from the living room.

"He's here," you whispered.

You both quickly shuffled, you grabbed your purse, making sure you got everything you needed inside. Iris fixed your hair, tucking in some strand that stuck out.

Then, there's your pile of clothes on your bed that's not gonna clean itself. You panicked for a second there. Wells was outside, and you're pretty sure you're both gonna crash here after.

"Go! I got this!" Iris ordered you. You hesitated, because you know she's not going to do it. But Wells knocked some more. Much to your surprise, Iris already started hanging the dresses. So you leave it all to fate— and Iris—, and head for the door.

You took a deep breath, taking it all in. This is it. This is really it.

You opened the door, putting on a shaky smile. "Hey," you mumbled.

He cleaned up well. You don't know what it is with a suit minus the tie, but you absolutely love it on your man.

His eyes raked you up and down, mesmerized by you, jaws dropped. He looked at you with those blue orbs, glinting in the way that is so not good. He just never saw get dressed up before. All the time you just wore your normal, often coffee-stained clothes.

"You look absolutely ravishing." The way those words rolled off his tongue made you weak to your knees and you flushed slightly.

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself," you said shyly.

He helped out his hand to you, lifting an eyebrow. "Let's go?"

You nodded, intertwining your fingers with his.

You closed your door, as you stepped out of your apartment. And as you walked down the hallway, your heart was thundering like crazy, so nervous and excited.

God, you hope this date turns out well.

***

How do you all think the date will turn out? Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you share this and give it some love. Thanks!

Part VII