#i actually have a track record of climbing out of bed and turning my alarm off without remembering. which is impressive bc i have a loftbed

[puppyeared]

ive made myself more wet and pathetic

[emilybradshaw]

English Rose - A Bradley Bradshaw Story.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 already my lovelies! Hope you enjoy, just more fluff from the pair of them. Will they kiss? Won't they kiss? Read to find out...

Taglist: @bratshaws

The buzz of the alarm brought Emily from her sleep.

She hadn’t got to sleep until after 3am due to the sheer excitement she was feeling about her impending date with Bradley Bradshaw. She turned to look at her phone, 08:00am, England was 8 hours behind them in terms of time so she hoped Hayley was still awake as it’ll have just turned midnight back home.

She didn’t care as opened Messenger and clicked the video button in the top right corner, hoping she would pick up on the other end. It buzzed a few times before she was met with the sleepy eyed face of her best friend, her hair all over the place and her eyes black where she had clearly tried and failed to rub off before climbing into bed.

“Hey you” she smiled as she pulled herself up slightly to lean on the giant bear Emily had bought her from IKEA for Christmas, “why you facetiming me so late? Is everything okay?” she continued, her brows furrowing in concern.

“I’m sorry, everything is fine! Actually it’s brilliant, the thing is Hayl, I need your help… I may have bagged myself a date”

“A DATE” Hayley squealed, “OH MY GOD, EMILY!!”

“I KNOW!!” Emily replied, the excitement in her voice matching the girl on the other end of the call.

“So, tell me EVERYTHING, you’ve been there what, three days?”

“Three days yeah, I managed to find a room with someone called Penny, she’s so so nice and she’s given me a job at her bar”.

“She sounds so nice Em, now, tell me more about this date”

“Well, he’s called Bradley, he’s 34 and he’s a pilot”.

“A PILOT?!” Hayley squealed again, “EMILY ELIZABETH WALKER YOU ABSOLUTE LEGEND”.

Emily just giggled at the sight of her best friend, who was sleepy five minutes ago but now seemed so wide awake at the news she had just received. “So, Hayley, this is where you come in. What the fuck do I wear?”

“Well what did you take with you?”

“Not a lot..”

“Oh Emily, come off it, I told you to pack more”

“I know, I know, I should’ve listened to you”

“You really should’ve. You should always listen to me, I always know best”, she chuckled.

“I wouldn’t go that far”, Emily said as she moved out of bed and propped her phone up against the lamp on the side table, moving to her still packed suitcase she unzipped it and tipped out the small amount of clothing she had brought with her to America. “The only outfit I think of is this, but it’s a bit, well, revealing.”

She held up a pair of denim Mom shorts and a red flowery crop cami. Hayley just smiled at the girl through her phone, clearly sensing her uneasiness. “Emily, that’s not revealing at all. It shows your legs off nicely and I personally love that outfit on you”.

“My legs Hayley, that’s the problem”, she sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“They’re huge and big and fa-“

“Whoa, right, I’m gonna stop you right there, I am not having my best friend say that about herself. Your legs are not huge or fat. They’re big because of all the work you’ve put into them, the muscle in your legs is insane, you’re an Irish dancer for Christ’s sake Emily, they’re hardly gonna be small are they? And I warn you now, if you so much as think of calling yourself fat again I’ll be getting on the first flight over to you to bash your head into a brick wall, do you understand me?” Emily just nodded at her friend, “Plus, this Bradley must’ve liked what he saw or why would he have asked you out today?”

“Okay. Yeah. Thanks for that. I needed it. Sometimes I just look in the mirror and think ‘why would anyone like me?’ I mean I haven’t got a great track record with men have I Hayls.”

“Pfft, only because they were all wankers, Em. Nothing to do with you, you’re amazing”.

Emily smiled up at her phone and noticed her friend yawn, they must’ve been talking for nearly an hour and Emily realised Hayley would have to get up for work the next day, “I’ll let you go Hayl, you look exhausted, and I forgot you have work tomorrow”.

“Thanks Em, look, this date will go amazingly if you let it. Ring me later and give me the debrief, yeah?”

“I will do, love you.”

“Love you too.”

After the call ended Emily looked at the time and it was just gone 9am, so two and a half hours until Bradley was picking her up. She quickly ran downstairs and into the kitchen saying good morning to Penny, Pete and Amelia who were sat around the breakfast table, she made her apologies as to why she couldn’t eat breakfast and made herself a coffee before retreating back upstairs and jumping into the shower. Back in the kitchen Pete and Penny were talking over the fact that Bradley had asked Emily on a date so quickly and Penny mused that it could be ‘love at first sight’ based on the interaction she witnessed between the two the previous evening when Emily’s clumsiness made an appearance, Pete nearly choking on his coffee as Amelia renamed Bradley as Emily’s ‘Knight in shining armour’.

Emily jumped out of the shower and ran straight back into her room, she now only had two hours to get ready and she was panicked. She pulled her hair out of her towel and diffused it using her hair dryer, letting it dry slightly on its own so she could focus on her makeup for the day ahead.

She decided to keep it simple and went with her everyday routine of foundation, brows and contour but decided to add some winged eyeliner and a small set of false eyelashes she had found lurking at the bottom of her suitcase, presumably from the trip she and Hayley had taken to Ibiza. Yet again she had every single bit of jewellery on that she could manage, it was in fact identical to what she was wearing the previous day when she was on shift at The Hard Deck and of course she was wearing her name necklace that Bradley had first used to identify her.

She then yanked on her shorts, huffing to herself as she looked at her muscly legs in the mirror, but she quickly remembered what Hayley had said to her and pulled on her cami top, glancing at her reflection again she did like the way she looked, but she did also notice that two of her more intimate piercings were very noticeable, she shrugged this off again and realised Bradley would only really notice if he spent their date staring at her boobs, and she hoped he had more substance than that. Emily’s phone buzzed and pulled her from these thoughts.

Bradley: Hey Princess, I’ll pick you up a little earlier if that’s alright? Say 11?

Emily: Hey, yeah that’s great, thank you Roos!

Both Emily and Bradley felt their hearts skip a beat as they both read the texts with the little terms of endearment in them. For Bradley, he loved that she was already shortening his call-sign and for Emily, well, she just loved being called his Princess already. These two were falling hard for each other already.

Emily was sat on the step of the porch with Amelia when Bradley pulled up in his Bronco. “Oh Lord, he’s here” she whispered to Amelia as she looked up to see the vehicle coming to a stop at the top of the path.

“I can see that, I have eyes you know” Amelia whispered back, sarcasm at the forefront of her voice.

Emily just shot her a cold stare as she got up from the wooden decking and adjusted her clothes as she headed off down the drive, Amelia smirking to her as Bradley got out of the driver’s seat to open the door for her.

“I forgot your cars are the other way round to ours” she laughed as he opened the door for her, shutting it gently as she climbed in and secured her seatbelt.

“Yeah, and we drive on the opposite side of the road as well” Bradley retorted, laughing along with the girl in his Bronco. “May I say, Emily, you look absolutely gorgeous, like really”.

Emily blushed at this, she’d never experienced a man like Bradley before, so courteous and kind. He was a rare breed and she was so glad to have met him. “Why thank you, if I may say, you look very handsome today too”. Bradley was wearing his standard jeans and Hawaiian shirt combo, but it was a look he pulled off so well. Bradley half removed his aviators at her comment, subtly scanning her up and down in a smooth, fluid movement, so subtle that he thought Emily wouldn’t have clocked it, but oh how she did. Her insides flipped. Bradley Bradshaw was quite literally checking her out.

“So, where are we going?” she asked, snapping back to reality.

“I thought we’d head into town so you can get your bearings, then if you’ll let me I was going to buy you lunch, Miss Walker.” He smiled at her as he started to roll the Bronco from its position outside Penny’s home, watched by Amelia as he did so.

“Bradley you don’t have to buy me lunch” she challenged,

“I know I don’t, but I want to, Princess.” There he goes again with the ‘Princess’, against her better judgement, she decided she was going to ask him about it.

“Princess?”

“Well, yeah it’s sweet plus your English and you guys have a Queen over there don’t you?”

“Yeah we do, I’m named after her actually. It’s her Platinum Jubilee next year, she’ll have been on the throne for 70 years”

“Named after her, ey? Well then, I’ll stop calling you Princess and start calling you Queenie” he laughed, as did she. Subconsciously he moved his hand to rest on the top of her thigh and smiled to himself when she didn’t shy away from his touch. Emily meanwhile was nearly spontaneously combusting at this move, his hand was so big it made her thigh look small.

Bradley parked the Bronco up outside the row of shops in the town near to where he had planned to take Emily for lunch. Truth is, he’d been up half the night with Hangman and Payback planning where he was going to take ‘Emily from England’ as she would now forever be known to them. He took her for a walk around the town, showing her the shops and telling her the places she could get the best deals for things, then told her the bus routes that would take her to different places if she wanted it and then decided to walk her along to the diner for some lunch, he knew this is where Emily had come on her first day when she was looking for somewhere to stay so thought she would enjoy being back.

“Here we are then” he spoke as they walked up to Martha’s. “Thought we’d eat here as it’s the best food in town.”

“I love it in here, Martha was the first proper person I spoke to here other than the taxi driver” she said as she headed into the diner, immediately being enveloped in a large hug by no other than Martha herself.

“I knew I’d be seeing a lot of you around here, child. And with Lieutenant Bradshaw too, how sweet. Here, take any seat you like” she beamed, handing them both menus as she scuttled off into the kitchen.

Emily and Bradley sat down in a booth towards the back of the diner, “you know this has been really fun so far, thank you Bradley”, Emily mumbled from behind her menu.

“It’s my pleasure, I’ve really enjoyed myself too”, Bradley too scanned the menu, both fell silent for a moment as they decided what to order, “I think I’ll go for the cheeseburger with fries, how predictable of me” he chuckled.

“I’ll go for the Buttermilk chicken tenders I think, they sound too good not to eat”

“Ready to order my dears?” Martha spoke as she tootled over to them.

“Yes, thank you, I’ll have the chicken tenders and a diet coke please”

“and I’ll have the cheeseburger with a diet coke too, thanks Martha”

“No problem my dears, coming right up”, and with that, she was off again to whip up their lunch.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, both just enjoying the time they were spending with each other, but Emily broke that silence with a nervous cough.

“Bradley…” she started,

“Yeah”

“I was wondering, you probably don’t know this but, its worth a shot. There aren’t any Irish Dance Schools in Miramar are there?”

“Irish Dance Schools?”

“Yeah, I’ve danced since I was four, kinda want to keep it up while I’m out here”

“I’m not sure, there must be one somewhere though, why don’t you google it when you’re home?” he suggested, “that’s pretty cool though, never met an Irish dancer before, you compete?”

“I did, just retired after this year’s World Championships, been competing since I was seven so I have my fair share of trophies, plus I want to study to take my Grade 12 exam which means I wouldn’t be allowed to compete anymore when I get it” Bradley just sat smiling at the girl before him, talking so passionately about her hobby, no wonder she had those eye catching legs, she’s worked so hard for them, how he’d love to just grab them and squeeze them, he was brought from his thoughts by Emily’s revelation that she was currently ranked 8th in the World, a huge achievement for any dancer, but she beamed with sheer pride as she said it.

“That’s seriously impressive Emily, well done you. I’m sure any dance school here will take you in with an achievement like that!” he encouraged. See, he knew she had low self-confidence, he worked that out in the bar the night before.

Martha re-joined the table with their food and drink in hand, quickly giving them their respective orders and letting the couple get back to the conversation they were both so deeply enthralled in. After they’d eaten Bradley settled the bill and the two strolled out of the diner, both full to the brim with Martha’s delicious cooking. Emily linked her arm through Bradley’s without a second thought as they meandered back to the Bronco, they really had hit it off.

Bradley drove them back to Penny’s house and once again helped her out of her side of the truck and walked her up the path, stopping on the decking she was sat on earlier with Amelia. It was now 2:30 and the pair had been out for ages, Emily knew Amelia was going to her friends to do some school work and Penny and Pete would no doubt either be at The Hard Deck or on Penny’s boat.

“I had a really good time today Bradley, thank you so so much”, she smiled as she whirled round to face him, her hand coming to rest on his bicep.

“I did too, I was wondering if you wanted to do it again? Maybe Sunday? You could come and hang out with me and the guys, we play some football on the beach on the afternoon.”

She didn’t need asking twice, “I’d love to, yes”, she beamed. The two didn’t say anything as they gazed into each other’s eyes, Bradley placing a hand on Emily’s hip, his hand coming up and gently caressing the gap in between her shorts and top, it felt like an age until one of them broke the silence.

“Can I?” Bradley questioned, not taking his eyes off of hers for a second.

Emily knew what he meant and what he wanted, she wasn’t usually a kiss on a first date sort of girl, but Bradley had this hold on her that she couldn’t quite shake, and God, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him right here, right now. She gently nodded her head and Bradley moved his hand to her cheek, gliding his thumb over it as he pulled her in. The kiss was soft, both being very gentle with the other, Emily’s hands went to Bradley’s hair as she pulled him in closer, only then did he deepen the kiss, moving his hand from her hip to encircle her waist, holding her body as close to his as he could get. Pure bliss, that’s what this was, until…

“Ugh can you two get a room”

Bradley and Emily broke away from each other wide eyed as she looked to her left and saw none other than Amelia, “I thought you had gone to your friends house?”

“Change of plan” she sniggered, “date went well then”, that part came out as a statement rather tha a question, the smirk and raised eyebrow so obvious on her face.

“Thank you Amelia, you ruined a perfectly brilliant moment”, Emily retorted as Amelia slid past them into the house. “I’m so sorry about her, I had no idea”

“It’s no biggie, I enjoyed that though… a lot” he said, still holding onto her as he looked down into her eyes. “Can we do it again?”

“Not with her stood at the window looking at us, no. But I’m sure on Sunday we could give it another go” she smiled up at him, moving her hand to his cheek and grazing over the scar.

“I don’t want to wait that long” Bradley whined,

“Well you’re gonna have to, besides it’s only two days away” she spoke, releasing herself from his grip and giving him a quick peck on the lips as she did so, “I’d best get inside, I’m working the bar again tonight so need to get ready”.

“Sure thing, I’ll see you Sunday then my gorgeous girl” he said with a wink as he mooched back to the Bronco, getting in and flashing her a smile as he drove off.

My gorgeous girl, she thought. That was the best first date she had ever been on, everything about it was just incredible, but the kiss. THE KISS. It was the most beautiful thing she has ever experienced, how could a man she had met 24 hours ago make her feel this way?

One thing was for certain, it would be a long two days of not seeing Bradley. Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.

[leon-scott-kennedy]

Distrail

Chreon, Rated-T

Read on Ao3

For a price, anyone could check into a seedy motel, even three people covered in blood, guts, and grime, no questions asked, especially with the ashes of Raccoon City still cooling 100 miles away. So the horizon still held a faint glow of destruction when Leon and Claire stumbled, barely conscious, through the front door of the Tadpole motel at 2 PM October 1st, using each other as support and Sherry clinging to Leon’s back like a koala if a koala drooled and snored.

Two other motels along the highway turned the odd couple away, rumours already flying about Raccoon City, zombies, and a nuclear cover-up. But at the right price, triple the going rate, Claire managed to convince the manager to let them bunk down, courtesy of Leon’s stressed credit card.

The fact Leon’s credit card worked, or that he even still had his credit card, was a miracle. His wallet hadn’t exactly been a priority, and honestly, they could sleep in a cockroach-infested basement, and Leon would be happy because they were dead on their feet after hiking on foot what Leon estimated to be a good 30 miles of rough terrain to get to the nearest town. The sun barely peeked over the horizon when the sky behind them exploded.

Raccoon City was gone. The people Leon had sworn to defend were gone. Sherry and Claire were all he managed to protect, and he’d be damned if he failed now.

The motel room wasn’t terrible; two double beds, a small tube TV, and a leaky faucet. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t something out of a horrible nightmare. They’d left that behind them.

“I’m glad we don’t have a blacklight,” Claire joked, but her tone fell flat.

Leon nudged the bed farthest from the door suspiciously with his boot, dragged back the yellow duvet, and inspected the mattress before he lay Sherry down and tucked her in. He even let Claire shower first, insisted, while he watched Sherry sleep, tossing and turning and whimpering from reliving the horrors in her dreams until Claire emerged from the bathroom, hair still damp, and crawled into bed beside Sherry.

By the time Leon scrubbed his skin raw, the water was cold, and Claire had passed out cold with Sherry cuddled up beside her, little hand tangled in the front of Claire’s dirty tank top like a lifeline. Leon passed out face first on the other bed. He couldn’t even muster the energy to get under the covers.

Movement woke Leon. He jolted awake, reaching for his gun on the bedside table, only to find Claire, fully dressed, perched on the end of his bed and tugging one of her boots. She smiled sadly at the gun levelled at her head.

Leon lowered Matilda, gasping for air. His arm fell limply to his side. “Claire?”

“Hey.” Claire pulled on her second boot. “Sorry.”

Leon blinked at the sleep crusting his eyes. “What... what are you doing?”

Claire sighed and set her foot back down solidly on the ground, hands grasping her thighs. “I need to find Chris. I need... I need to know he’s okay.”

“Now?” Leon glanced at the clock. The bright red numbers read 7:46. The setting sun outside glowed faintly behind the curtains.

“If you ever need me...”

“Forget me. What about Sherry?” Leon snapped, somewhat mollified when Claire winced.

“I know you’ll take good care of her.” Claire’s attention briefly snapped to the sleeping 12-year-old that had survived literal hell. “Leon... if I didn’t have to.”

“Yeah. Yeah, whatever,” Leon scoffed, then rolled over. His heart thundered in his chest. He heard Claire briefly wake up Sherry to say goodbye, promising they’d be in touch, that if Sherry ever needed her, all she needed to do was call.

The door creaked open. Leon clenched his eyes shut, willing down the panic swelling in his chest until it ached. This was it. He was all Sherry had left. They were on their own.

“Take care of our girl for me.” Claire’s voice was barely a whisper.

Leon’s hands trembled, buried in the sheets and pillows, he struggled to suck down air, and his hearing fuzzed. Claire was gone.

For hours, Leon faded in and out of consciousness, barely able to keep the crush of dread at bay. Finally, at some point around 3 AM, he gave up all pretense to sleep and kept a vigilant guard. He jumped at a car alarm, tensed at the slam of a door, and clenched Matilda tightly when soft footfalls passed their door. Eventually, Sherry climbed into his bed to watch early morning cartoons with him.

“Is Claire going to be okay?” Sherry asked softly. She hugged Leon’s arm, cuddling into his side like he used to with his grandma.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about her,” Leon said. He slumped to the side, gently resting his head on top of Sherry’s. “She’ll be fine, kiddo.”

When the sun rose, Leon and Sherry trekked down to the front office to extend their stay another night, then hiked into town searching for clothes and sustenance. Being out in public, surrounded by people, set both Leon and Sherry on edge. They jumped at the slightest sound, and Sherry refused to release Leon’s hand for anything less than going to the bathroom, and even then, he had to stand guard outside the stall. Thank god he had pissed before they left the motel because Sherry was clinging to the back of his jacket while he tried seemed ridiculous.

Their shopping trip was quick. They grabbed what they could, Sherry setting a brisk pace through the little thrift store they found, dragging Leon from rack to rack. They scrounged up a few changes of clothes, socks, underwear, which Leon was a little uncertain of, a jacket that fits over his side holster since he had a license to carry, and a backpack that they filled with snacks and a deck of cards from a little corner store. It turns out Leon’s palette was similar to a twelve-year-old.

The tenuous credit limit finally crapped out on Leon when he tried to buy a six-pack at a shady liquor store on the way back to the motel.

“No job. No money. Just great,” Leon sighed.

For the rest of the day, they holed up in their room munching on junk food, watching terrible daytime TV, and playing Go Fish until Leon made the brilliant decision to teach Sherry how to play poker, and she fleeced him for all the Cheetos.

Leon had no plan beyond survive, and he hadn’t even planned for that. His body ached from being tossed by mutated monsters and shot. His wrapped shoulder twinged.

“Shit,” Leon cursed and clutched his wound. They needed help. He needed help. Taking care of a kid without any resources would be impossible; never mind, he’d never taken care of a person in his life. He had no siblings, no parents. His grandma died when he was nine.

Leon smiled at Sherry in reassurance when she questioned him. This little girl couldn’t be another statistic of the system. He could fix that. He would fix that.

Covered in orange Cheeto dust, Sherry crashed around 8 in the evening. The glow of the sun behind the curtain reminded Leon of the mushroom cloud that had enveloped the sky 36 hours ago. Leon’s stomach twisted in knots. Every creak, every thump, every squeaky break, Leon tensed, waiting for something to crash through the door and disrupt the precarious peace.

Leon hunkered down on his bed, the one closest to the door and any potential threat that came for them, and prepared for another sleepless night on edge.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Around one in the morning, his eyes beginning to droop, Leon nearly fell off the bed in his mad scramble for his gun when someone knocked heavily on the door. Checking his clip, Leon cautiously crept to the door, motioning for now very awake Sherry to stay out of sight.

“Who is it,” Leon called.

“Hi. Look, I’m sorry to bother you. My name is Chris Redfield. I’m looking for my sister Claire.”

Leon blinked and glanced back at Sherry, whose head had popped out of the blanket at the sound of Claire’s name. Then, double-checking he had bolted the chain, Leon opened the door a crack to peek out.

A man a little taller than Leon stood under the flickering light outside the door, his hair cut short and a 5 o’clock shadow. Chris Redfield, decorated member of the Racoon City Stars Division. Leon recognized him from the old photo Claire had shown him, but also the records he’d run across during his frantic hunt through the Police Department.

“Chris?” Leon said, astonished it was actually him. He slammed the door, unbolted the chain, and flung the door open again. “What the- Claire’s looking for you. What are you doing here?”

Chris, who eyed the gun uncertainly, brightened at the mention of his sister. “Is she here? The manager at the front recognized her. Said she was here with some guy and a kid.” Chris glanced past Leon into the room to Sherry curled up in the other bed peering out with curious fear from under the blankets.

Leon shook his head, eyes scanning the parking lot. “She’s not here. She left this morning to find you.”

“Fuck.” Chris winced and glanced at Sherry again. “Shit, sorry.”

Sherry giggled into her hands, and Leon rolled his eyes. “I think she’s dealt with worse.” Like the apocalypse.

“But she’s okay. She’s alive?” Chris asked.

“Who? Claire? Yeah. Yeah, she’s fine. Saved my ass more than a few times.” Leon smiled wistfully and then frowned. So Claire had left, and now, here, her brother was trying to track her down. It must be nice to have someone that gave a damn about you.

“Oh, thank god.” Then, finally, all the tension and stiffness in Chris’ posture melted. “I got her message, and...”

Leon scanned the dark parking lot again for any sign of life, then gestured into the motel room. “You should come in.”

“No.” Chris waved off the invitation. “No, I need to find her.” But the fatigue in his voice threatened to topple him, and that would definitely fell Leon if he tried to catch him.

“Dude, you’re dead on your feet,” Leon said. “It’s the middle of the night. Crash for a few hours.”

“Yeah!” Sherry chimed in, bouncing on her bed. “Stay!”

Chris shook his head. “I can’t.”

Leon pursed his lips. “Look, I don’t know you, man. But I do know that if you pass out behind the wheel and wrap yourself around a pole, you’re pretty damn useless to her.”

Chris opened his mouth to argue, and Leon sighed, tilting his head to the side, ready to give up when Chris snapped his mouth closed and cleared his throat. He studied Leon closely, scrutinizing him like he would a suspect, but Chris must have been satisfied with what he found - weakness, terror, immaturity - because he finally said, “just a few hours.” And the anxiety squeezing the life out of Leon eased, just a tiny bit. Enough that he could breathe.

Chris excused himself to run and grab his go-bag, and Leon cursed his stupidity because nothing was stopping Chris from running. That tightness immediately returned, but a few minutes later, another sharp knock sounded at the door.

Leon smiled tiredly and welcomed Chris into the room, relieved to have the company, someone who knew what they were doing; an adult. Leon grew up fast, but he’d never been an adult in his life. Racoon City was supposed to be a fresh start, and now, he was back to square one. Not even. He was in the basement of square one—the root cellar.

Leon finally caught a good look at Sherry with the lights on, still covered in orange dust, her fingers and cheeks stained. “Jesus. Did you eat the Cheetos or roll in them?”

Sherry laughed. “Leon taught me to play poker, and then I won all the cheezies,” she said to Chris, who grinned.

“Nice job.” Chris offered her a high-five, which she eagerly accepted. The hero worship was already forming.

“He gets a little wrinkle right here when he lies,” Sherry said, pointing a small finger between her eyebrows.

“Okay,” Leon said, scooping Sherry off the bed and carrying her off under one arm. “Let’s get you cleaned up and back in bed, munchkin.”

Cheeto dust proved a formidable adversary, but they managed. When they walked back into the room, Chris was standing exactly where they had left him, his bag still slung over his shoulder and his boots laced.

Getting Sherry tucked back into bed became a struggle now that the brand new company hyped her up; no hesitation whatsoever. She liked Chris. She even made Chris put her to bed, Leon faking offence at being disregarded for the new guy, but there was something about seeing a six-foot boulder of a man coax a tiny twelve-year-old back to sleep that made Leon’s chest ache. Especially when Chris told the story of how Claire was convinced that if she left fake teeth under her pillow, she could trick the tooth fairy into giving her more money. It never worked. The tooth fairy left chocolate coins instead. Fake money for a fake tooth.

Leon watched perched on the edge of the other bed, a little envious of Chris’ skill with kids. He double-checked the safety on his handgun, then the clip. Chris eyed Leon as he set his weapon back down on the bedside table, and Leon couldn’t muster the energy to be self-conscious about his paranoia.

Chris may be Claire’s sister and a fellow survivor of Raccoon City, but Leon didn’t actually know him. For all he knew, he was a traitor like Irons or Wesker. Maybe he wasn’t the man Claire believed him to be. What the hell had he been thinking? Inviting a stranger to stay with them?

With Sherry asleep again, Leon and Chris were left to settle in for the remainder of the night. For Chris, that meant shedding his bulky jacket and combat boots.

“It’s Leon, right?” Chris said. He stood awkwardly beside the bed, watching Leon click off the light and climb under the blankets, tucking himself up against the edge of the mattress as close as he possibly could without toppling off. “Claire mentioned you in one of her messages.”

Leon almost facepalmed. He hadn’t introduced himself. He really was doing everything backwards. “Yeah. That’s me. Leon S. Kennedy.” He curled up into a small ball.

“Jesus Christ.” Chris swiped his palm across his mouth. “You’re the new rookie.”

Leon chuckled humourlessly, his hands tightening into fists around the sheets pulled up to his neck. “Was a hell of a first day.”

Chris picked up real quick that Leon didn’t want to talk about it. So instead, he climbed into his side of the bed, the one closest to the door. The mattress dipped under his weight, and Leon tensed. Where else would Chris have slept? The floor? The last person Leon shared a bed with was his ex, who had seemingly saved his life. If she hadn’t broken up with him, if he hadn’t gotten drunk, if he hadn’t slept in hungover as hell, he would have arrived right in the middle of the initial panic, and who knows if he would have survived that. No one else in the department had.

What would it have been like? The screams, the moans, the pleas for help- the sounds still played on repeat in Leon’s head. Lieutenant Marvin Branagh, mouth agape, stumbling towards him with his hands out. Leon had put two bullets between his eyes.

The first indications of a panic attack slammed into Leon. Abruptly, his throat closed. He couldn’t breathe, his vision slid out of focus, and his chest compressed. Like someone reached into his chest and squeezed his heart in a vice. His entire body shook.

Suddenly, a warm voice murmured in his ear, the soothing tone talking him down, calming him. Leon wasn’t alone. He wasn’t trapped in the police station battling endless waves of the undead, the people of Raccoon City he’d taken an oath to serve and protect.

“Leon, kid, you need to breathe,” Chris said. His presence was a solid wall behind Leon. “I’m going to touch you, okay?”

Leon focused on Chris’ voice. His vision began to swim back into focus, his hearing rushed back in a sudden wall of familiar night noises like the drip of the faucet in the bathroom or the lonely car that passed on the highway. He nodded, not fully understanding what Chris was saying. An arm slid around his waist and pulled him back into a firm chest. Leon flailed, seconds from panic again when Chris’ voice rumbled in his ear.

“You’re going to be okay. I got you.”

Leon grasped Chris’ arm, his grip probably tight enough to leave bruises, and he choked on a shuddering sob.

“It’s okay, Leon. You’re going to be okay.”

Gasping for air, Leon rolled over and buried his face in Chris’ chest, and Chris let him. Leon’s sobs were muffled in Chris’ arms, not wanting to disturb Sherry in the next bed. He felt every subtle muscle flex when Chris tightened his grip or shifted them into a more comfortable position. That’s how Leon passed out, wrapped in the reassuring embrace of a complete stranger, one who understood the hell he’d lived through and the fear and uncertainty he felt in his soul.

Morning came quickly. Leon woke up still curled into Chris’ chest with a death grip on the other man’s faded t-shirt. Chris’ nose was buried in Leon’s hair, each soft snore ruffling his hair, but his embrace hadn’t lessened overnight.

The warmth of embarrassment burning, Leon snuck out of bed, anxiously loosening Chris’ hold and dashing for the safety and solitude of the bathroom, horrified at his complete lack of control the night before. No one had held him like that before, at least not since he was a child and his grandma would sit up with him after a nightmare. But, sadly, this was another type of nightmare, a waking one.

When Leon finally mustered the courage to wander back into the room, Chris was up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees.

“You okay?” Chris asked the same time Leon burst out, “I’m sorry!”

Chris sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. When I showed up on your doorstep last night, I saw right away that you were barely holding it together.”

Leon’s fists clenched at his side. He couldn’t meet Chris’ gentle gaze.

Chris crossed the room in two enormous strides and considerately grasped Leon by the shoulders. “It was the shock finally hitting you. It happened to me too, but I was alone,” Chris admitted. “Hey. Hey, come on. Look at me.”

Leon bit his lower lip, but he slowly looked up, eyes stinging. “I don’t know what to do.”

Telegraphing his movements, Chris gently pulled Leon into a tight hug. “You’re not alone. We’re going to do this together. I want to take Umbrella down, but first, I wanna make sure you’re okay.”

Leon jerked back so fast Chris stumbled. “I want to help. I want to make those sons of bitches pay.”

Chris smiled. “Good. But first, I have a safe house.”

Together, they set the plans. Leon and Sherry would meet Chris in two days, hopefully with Claire in tow, at Chris’ new safehouse three states over. Sherry and Leon could catch a bus a couple miles down the highway to get them most of the way. The trick would be getting up the mountain to the cabin. But they were in this together. Hope simmered once again.

Armed with a freshly drawn map on motel stationery, Leon watched Chris pack. Umbrella wouldn’t know what hit them.

“Here. Take it.”Chris handed Leon two rumpled twenties, a five, and a few ones he dug out of his wallet. “It’s all the cash I have on me, but it should be enough to get you there. I’ll drop you off-”

“No.” Leon took the cash, but waved off Chris’ offer to give him and Sherry a lift to the bus station. “It’s in the opposite direction. We’ll be fine.”

“Two days,” Chris promised. Sherry had climbed out of bed and now clung to Chris’ arm as if he couldn’t leave as long as she was attached. He ruffled her hair. “With or without Claire, I’ll be there and we’ll go from there.” Chris grabbed Leon by the back of the neck and dragged him into a gruff hug, their foreheads lightly pressed together. “It’s gonna be okay, kid.”

And Leon believed him. That is, until two hours later when an unmarked vehicle pulled up on Leon and Sherry hiking down the side of the road, hand in hand. They never made it to the rendezvous.

[yikesharringrove]

Egg the Cat

Chapter 3

Read on Ao3

-

Billy had to double-check to make sure he hadn't accidentally followed someone else home from the party.

Because Steve lived in a fucking mansion.

“Jesus Christ .” Billy stared at the house. “You didn’t tell me you’re fucking royalty .” Steve rolled his eyes, leading Billy towards the house.

“Can it. You got the booze?” Billy shook the bottle at him.

Steve looked better. Like maybe he had gotten a bit of a handle on himself.

Billy followed him into the pool of light cast over the porch, the unmistakable scream of a very excited cat sounding from inside.

Steve pushed open the door, bending immediately to scoop up his purring cat, holding her close to him as he went inside.

Billy gave a low whistle as he took off his boots, lining them neatly next to Steve’s shoes.

Steve just climbed the stairs, assumed Billy was following.

Steve’s bedroom was nice enough.

Felt as impersonal as the rest of the gaudy house, but there was a cat tree by the window, and a cat bed Egg ignored in favor of curling up on Steve’s lap as he settled in bed, sitting up against the headboard.

Billy didn’t know what to do with himself.

Last time he was in another boy’s bedroom, very different things were happening.

But then Steve gave him an odd look, eyes flicking to the spot next to himself, and Billy took that as his cue.

“I can’t drink a lot. Gotta be home in three hours.” His dad had a very clear rule about curfew: You miss it, don’t bother coming home.

“This is for me, anyway.” Steve gave him the weakest smile Billy’s ever seen, taking the bottle from Billy’s hand, and taking a long pull.

He grimaced at the taste, gasping for breath.

“That’s fucking rank .”

“Not used to cheap liquor?” Steve swatted at his arm, but took one more pull before passing the bottle to Billy.

Egg was still settled in his lap, and Steve ran long fingers through her dark fur.

“She can always tell when I’m feeling bad. Gets extra snuggly.”

“More snuggly than at the diner?”

“Nah, that was the more. She could tell I had been freaking out looking for her.” Her ear twitched and her tail swished, like she knew they were talking about her. “She’s the smartest cat in the world, I think.” He was quiet for a few moments as Billy took a drink from the bottle. “Took better care ‘a me than Nancy ever did. That’s for damn sure.”

“Sucks that she dumped you like that. All drunk and shit.”

“Isn’t there an expression? Drunk words are sober thoughts? Wish she had gotten drunk a year ago. Woulda saved me a lot of fucking trouble.” Egg perked up, standing to pace on Steve’s lap, curling up again, her chin resting on his tummy. “See? Has a fuckin’ sixth sense for when I’m upset.” She purred, her eyes closing as Steve scratched between her ears, down her back.

“How long have you had her?”

“Like five years? Someone was just, giving her away. Said he didn’t need bad omens, or whatever. ‘Cause she’s a black cat. I think that’s fuckin stupid. She’s brought me nothing but good.” Egg purred again, blinking slowly at Steve, nipping playfully at his fingers.

She really was cute.

Billy had never been much of a cat person, always favored dogs a bit more.

But Egg was so human, the way she tracked their conversation, like she could understand it.

“Man, don’t laugh.” Steve took the bottle from Billy, taking another long pull, shuddering halfway through. “I’m already feelin’ this. Haven’t drunk in so long .”

“Pussy.” Steve huffed a laugh, Egg meowed as his stomach shifted, jostling her head. He let the silence sit for a moment, just watched Steve’s fingers stroke through thick dark fur.

“So, uh, are you like, friends with Tommy?” Steve’s voice was way too measured, his tone far too light and casual.

“Who?”

“Tommy. The guy that was parading you around all night.”

“Oh, uh Karate Kid, guy?”

“Yeah.”

“No. He just kinda started talking at me, told me to do a keg stand. Said the guy that still held the record was a poser.” Steve outright laughed at that.

“Yeah, you broke my record tonight. I’m the poser.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

Billy turned to look at Steve, found him smiling this stupid fond smile at the cat on his lap. The room was dim, only one lamp clicked on, throwing a warm glow around the room.

“Can I ask you what happened? You said you used to be hot shit.”

“Nancy.” Steve’s smile evaporated like a flash. “I used to be a real douchebag. Ruled that fucking school. I mean, it’s not like I liked myself. I could definitely be called a bully, like, which sucks. But, you know. I had friends. I was popular. All that.”

“But she didn’t like that.”

“Nope.” Steve made sure to pop the ‘p’. “It’s not like she blatantly said that, but I could tell. I think that, I think that the changes have been good, like I’m nicer to people now. But I kinda cut off all my friends. Just hang out with her most of the time. And now-” Steve trailed off, taking another swig of shitty tequila. “Guess it’s just me and Eggy.”

“You say that like I’m not sitting right here.” Steve smiled at him, a real one, not the tight ones he’s been using all night.

“You hang out with me, you’re gonna be a fucking laughing stock, new kid.”

“Oh, come on. Have you seen me? I could literally never be a laughing stock. If anything, I'll make you cool again.” Steve just hmmmn ed at Billy, his eyes going a little far away.

“I don’t know if I really, really care about that anymore, if I’m being honest.” He swallowed thickly. “Some major shit went down last year. Like, more than Nancy shit. Kinda put things in perspective, I guess.” Egg had sat up, kneading at Steve’s stomach, making a noise like a little cat alarm.

Egg was so in tune with Steve it was utterly fucking ridiculous. They must be wired directly into one another’s brains.

“What kinda major shit?” Steve was quiet. Egg began walking up him, stepping softly until she settled on his chest, her chin resting on his shoulder, little pink nose tucked into his neck.

“Just like, major shit. Like, like people died kinda major.”

“Damn.”

“Like, I legally can’t talk about it kinda major.” Egg sniffed in his neck.

“What, you get mixed up in some kinda lawsuit or some shit?” Steve just sighed.

“Man, I just said I legally can’t say anything.” But he had a ghost of a smile on his face when he turned to look at Billy. “Can I ask you something?”

“Free country.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“Why Hawkins ?”

“You asked me that like, three times yesterday.”

“And you never answered.”

“I said my dad remarried and wanted a-”

“Fresh start, yeah. But you could move one town over and have that. You could stay in the same damn state and do that. Why Hawkins ?”

There was something more behind Steve’s voice, something strained.

Billy just looked back up at the ceiling.

He had to take a breath, talking himself out of actually telling Steve. Telling him how Neil wanted him out of California, where gay bars were only a short drive away. Where Billy could cruise the piers, where a carefully toned you goin’ my way? could lead to a sloppy blowjob in the car.

Hawkins wasn’t necessarily specific, but Neil had wanted a small, God-fearing town. One where he would know if Billy got up to anything unsavory.

“He found a job here,” he said lamely.

Everything in him was screaming to trust Steve. To tell him the truth. Which was just a fuck of a lot. Billy doesn't trust people. He just does not.

He blames Steve.

Blames those soft brown eyes.

“Well, that’s thrilling .” Billy rolled his eyes, smiling a little to himself.

“What were you expecting?”

“Something more exciting. You moved here from California. That’s like, the coolest place ever .”

“I lived in L.A., too.”

“So like, the coolest place in the coolest place.”

“You ever been?” Steve just gave him a dark look.

“Last time I left the state was ten years ago. My parents took me to Chicago.”

“Damn. You’re like, a true hick, then. Only know this little town.”

“That’s me. Pure hick .” He scratched Egg’s back hip. She purred softly. Billy took another long drink, officially calling that his last one. He needed to be sober by the time he went home. Couldn’t be loud and clumsy as he made his way to his room.

He just pressed the bottle into Steve’s hand.

They spent the rest of the time before Billy had to leave just talking.

It was nice, Steve filling him in on the Hawkins drama, told him which gas stations had better candy selections, that the liquor store on the corner of Haven and Burbank didn’t card. He told him that Andrew Conner always had good weed, but it was cheaper to buy from Lisa Kendle.

And the more Steve drank, the more his eyes drooped, the lazier his smiles got, the closer he scoot to Billy.

He was warm, pressed up to Billy’s side, cat still curled on his chest.

He listened with rapt attention as Billy gave him stories about California, about the boardwalk and metal shows, told him stories of his best hookups, told him they were girls.

He was in the middle of one story, switched out the name from Daniel to something more appropriate, when he looked over, found Steve knocked out, mouth hanging open, tequila dangerously close to spilling, cat sleeping soundly on his chest.

It made Billy falter.

He just took in the scene, wanting to remember it.

He moved slowly, tried not to shift the bed too much, and turned out the light in Steve’s bedroom as he left.

[vintagedolan]

downhill (gbd)

an early december snowboarding trip to colorado with your favorite boys is on the agenda. nothing can go wrong... right?

word count: 6.8k

warnings/tags: jealous!grayson, angst, mild injuries, arguing, angsty angst angst I did my best okay I hope it’s worth the wait :’)

feel free to send in requests! and check out my masterlist if you wanna :)

It was the kind of cold outside that you could feel through the car. Even the metal frame of the van seemed to be shivering as Grayson continued down the highway, hand warm in yours on the center console. The sun had dipped down under the horizon, and you shifted again, trying to get comfortable in the passenger seat. 

“All good?” You felt him squeeze your hand, eyes flickering over to you. Nodding, you squeezed back, shifting so you could lean against him, resting on his shoulder. 

“Yeah, just trying to keep my ass from going numb,” you admitted, grinning when he let out a dry laugh. He turned his head, pressing a kiss to your forehead, then resting his cheek against the top of your head. 

“You wanna go sit in the back for a bit? It’s almost Ethan’s turn to drive anyway, then I can join.” His eyes flickered to his phone, maps pulled up. Four hours left until you got to Keystone Colorado. 

“I don’t wanna miss the Christmas lights.” Half the reason you were going back to Keystone was because Grayson proclaimed it to be the cutest little christmasy town he’d ever seen. 

“Baby we’re on the highway for another -” he checked quickly - “three hours. Go wake E up for me so he’s ready to drive, I’ll make sure you see the lights before we leave.” 

Even though it was your first time traveling long term in the van, you’d become so comfortable in it. You easily unbuckled and climbed over the center console, letting out a squeak when Grayson’s hand came up to swat your ass while it was up in the air. 

Ethan was sprawled out across the bed in the back of the van, head towards the back doors, arms crossed over his torso - the perfect position for pouncing. Grayson laughed as he watched you in the rearview mirror, heading around the seats before getting a three step run in, giving you just enough momentum to launch onto Ethan. 

“BOO!” You yelled, landing directly on top of him. His groan was so loud that even Grayson jumped in the front seat. “Gotta wake up, almost your turn to drive.” 

“That’s twice that you’ve jumped on me today. I’d rather Grayson wake me up than you,” he grumbled, eyes still closed.

“I’m offended.”

“Because I can hit him,” he finished, making you grin. 

“I’d like to see you try!” Gray called from the front, shaking his head. 

“Is it really already my turn to drive? Isn’t it your turn yet?” 

“Bitch I drove the first 5 hours this morning, I don’t wanna hear it,” you scoffed, rolling to the side and flopping down on the cushions. Just laying down was enough to remind you that you had in fact been up since 4am, having been the designated alarm clock for the group. The coffee you’d downed was long gone now, and with the gentle bumps of the car on the road, you knew you’d be asleep soon if you stayed down.

With that, you sat up, reaching around to get into the ‘junk’ drawer, pulling out the old deck of cards that you’d tossed in. Ethan narrowed his eyes at you, hesitant. You didn’t blame him - it was common knowledge that you could kick his ass in cards. 

“War. That’s all I’m playing.” 

“Lame,” you muttered, but you dealt the cards out anyways. The game helped pass the time, both of you getting a little animated when you’d pull away with a lead. He threw a card at you when you got the last ace, knowing he’d effectively lost. You stuck your tongue out in response. Bad move.

That mischief that you’d seen so many times flickered in his eyes, and you made a dive for the front of the van towards Gray. It was futile; Ethan’s arms immediately trapped you and he drug you back onto the bed.

“No!” You squealed, knowing exactly what he was going to do. The two of you ended up in sore loser situations more often that you’d like to admit, and you crawled away, trying to avoid it. Unfortunately, the van wasn’t as long as you thought and when you turned around, he was right there, pinky finger up and devilish grin on his face. He put it in his mouth and you made one last dive, but he caught you, effectively giving you a wet willy that you cringed away from. 

As soon as you could you scrambled off the bed, up the tiny hallway and past the curtain, crawling into the front seat and curling up in a ball. Gray moved on instinct, arm stretching over to your seat, blocking the gap between them so his brother couldn’t make it through.

You grinned, knowing you’d made it to safe territory as Ethan glowered at you over the seat.

“Don’t make me pull this van over,” Grayson cautioned, putting on his best dad voice. You just laughed as Ethan rolled his eyes.

“Traitor,” he accused with narrow eyes, sitting back into the second row of seats as Grayson pulled off the exit to find a gas station. Once he pulled in you hopped out of the van, stretching your legs and heading in to pee. You started walking as fast as you could, the air so cold it took your breath away.

“Hang on, I’m coming.” Gray jogged to catch up with you, leaving Ethan behind to pump the gas.

“I’m fine,” you reassured him, bumping him with your arm. Almost five months ago you had told him that one time at one gas station you’d gotten kinda spooked, and ever since then, he made sure you never went in one alone if he could help it. 

“I know.” He kept walking anyways, following you in and over to the corner of the store where the bathrooms were, standing by the shelves and trying to look non-creepy while he waited for you. 

By the time you got back, Ethan had finished up; you could see him in the driver’s seat, plugging in his phone. Gray opened the door for you and you gladly climbed back into the warmth. You beelined for the bed, grabbing the blanket and immediately climbing under it. 

You heard him laugh first, and then you felt the cushions dip as he crawled over, laying down and resting his head on your side until you turned so he could cuddle up to you.

“Keep it PG back there, I can’t close the curtain,” Ethan called, prompting Gray to flip him off. You didn’t care if Ethan saw, you wiggled down until your face was even with Gray’s, pulling him in for a kiss. You could feel his smile as he brought an arm over and under you, rolling to pull you on top of him, your hair falling around him. He reached up to push it back, holding your head and guiding your lips back down to his, skin soft and warm against yours. 

Something about being so close to him just relaxed you like nothing else - you didn’t care about anything, worry about anything when you were in his arms. It had become home to you in the best way. 

The downside of that? The fact that you were so comfortable that you had to pull away and let out a huge yawn. As soon as you were done you looked down to see him watching you with a smile.

“Am I boring you?” He teased, leaning up to press a kiss to your neck. 

“No, you’re just cozy,” you hummed, nuzzling down onto his chest. He had on his yellow Cudi hoodie from coachella, and you traced the letters on his chest absentmindedly, eyelids heavy.

Before you knew what was happening you were fast asleep, Grayson smiling when he felt your breathing even out above him. He shifted you over onto the bed, rubbing gently over your back to keep you lulled. Once he was sure you were out, he kissed your head and slid off the bed, moving up to the passenger seat to keep Ethan company. He turned the music down so it didn’t wake you up, and E filled the silence.

“What happens when I get a girl? All four of us won’t fit in here,” he mused. 

“We’ll figure it out, we could always pitch a tent if we had to. Gotta find a girl whose gonna put up with you first.” 

“Ha- ha. If you can find one, I shouldn’t have a problem.” 

On instinct, Grayson craned his neck up to look in the rearview mirror, checking on you. You were still asleep, curled up on your side in the middle of the bed. You looked so small and cute back there, it took more willpower than he thought it would to keep himself in his seat. 

“She still out?” 

Grayson just nodded, still watching you. “She was exhausted bro, I don’t know how she even stayed up that long.” Ethan’s eyes flickered up to the mirror, and he smiled. 

“You picked a good one. She’s gonna fit right in.” 

Grayson was pretty sure it must be a twin thing that Ethan could sense his worries even when he hadn’t voiced them. It didn’t matter how much he loved Y/N, he was still a bit nervous to bring her home to meet his family for the holidays in just a few weeks. 

“I’m not worried about Ma. She’s gonna love her, I already know that. I’m worried about Cam.”

“Why wouldn’t Cam like her?”

“Cause Cam doesn’t like anyone we date, ever, you know that. She’s too damn protective.” Just the thought of his sister and his girlfriend in the same room together made his palms a bit clammy. He wiped them on his sweatpants quickly, hoping Ethan didn’t notice. 

“Neither of us have ever brought a girl home like Y/N before though. And let’s be honest... Cam’s never been wrong, has she? Even if she’s a little over the top, you gotta admit, she’s got a radar for crazy. She always knew before we did if things were gonna go to shit.” E raised an eyebrow, and Grayson couldn’t help but laugh. His sister really had called out every crazy ex before he had been able to see the red flags. 

“Now I’m really scared, cause I gotta trust her. Her track record’s too good, what if she says Y/N is actually batshit crazy or some shit? Then what?!” 

“Well, she is dating your ass, so she’s gotta be a little crazy,” Ethan grinned until Gray smacked the back of his head.

“It was her idea to invite you along, so yeah, I’ll give to yah, she’s a little crazy.”

“I helped build this van, I automatically get invited on all trips that it embarks on.”

“Ethan you put in two fuckin screws, you didn’t build shit.”

“Cause you wouldn’t let me do anything!” 

They bickered for a few more minutes before they got over it, moving onto other conversations until they ran out of highway. When they got off the exit, they were immediately greeted by the most christmasy town they’d ever seen. Every store, every porch was covered in twinkling lights - Gray considered waking you up, but you looked so peaceful that he let you be, knowing he’d have another chance to show you. 

Everything went to plan until Ethan pulled into the campground that was supposed to house them for the night. The woman was nice enough, but even her polite tone didn’t make the news that there were no open campsites any better.

“I’m sorry boys, we filled up the last spot about an hour ago. Lots of people trying to get their ski trips in before the holiday rush. There’s a rest stop about 5 minutes up the way, you could park there for the night.” 

“It’s alright. Thank you for your help.” Ethan mustered up the best smile he could through his exhaustion and turned the van around, pulling back out and onto the road.

“We’re gonna freeze our asses off again. The whole point of the campground was so we could run the fucking heater.” Grayson checked his phone - it was 20 degrees. 

“We’ll just have to make it work. We can wake up and drive around in shifts if we have to. I’m fuckin toast man, you are too. We gotta at least try to sleep,” Ethan muttered, eyes peeled for the rest stop. Grayson didn’t have an argument for that.

As soon as they pulled off at the rest stop they were climbing into the backseat, stretching their legs for a minute before they grabbed the extra blanket they had and headed to bed. 

“Don’t wake her up, she doesn’t go back to sleep easy,” Grayson cautioned, careful to move the bed as little as possible while he climbed in. Ethan copied his movements on the other side of you, trying to settle in. 

“Night bro,” Ethan muttered, rolling over to face the outside of the van before reaching up to turn off his light. 

“Night,” Gray answered. You were still sleeping soundly, facing towards him, some of your hair falling into your face. He couldn’t help but smile - you looked so peaceful, so cute all curled up in your pullover. He leaned over and kissed your forehead before reaching up to turn off the light, his hand finding yours that was resting face up by your head. With your fingers intertwined, he fell asleep almost immediately. 

It was peaceful - until it wasn’t.

When you woke up, there were too many things going on at once. For one, the light was on, practically blinding you, which didn’t help the mission you had of figuring out what the fuck was going on. Two, your face was freezing, but your back was warm. And three, you felt heavy, and it took you a minute to realize that there was an arm slung over top of your torso, wrapped around and under you. 

Seeking the warmth and the comfort, you relaxed back against his chest, blinking to try and figure out what was going on. 

And that’s when you saw Grayson, up on his knees on the bed, hovering tall and angry above the both of you. It clicked then, and you realized exactly what had happened. 

“Ethan, what the fuck!” Gray was yelling, his voice bouncing off the metal all around you and making you wince. 

Ethan only stirred, and did the worst possible thing he could have done in that moment - you felt his arm tighten around you, pulling you against him firmly, face hiding behind your head to get away from the noise.

“E, Ethan wake up,” you muttered, knowing it wasn’t going to end well. He didn’t have much of a chance to even disengage before Grayson was grabbing his wrist and yanking his arm off of you, much more force behind it than necessary. 

“Bro, what the fuck?” Ethan groaned, starting to wake up. You did your best to move quickly, rolling away from him and ending up bumping into Grayson’s thighs. Damn tiny home. Grayson’s anger dissipated for just a second while he helped you sit up, and you climbed off the bed, half to find water and half to avoid what you knew was about to happen. 

“What the fuck?” He mocked. “Are you fucking kidding me Ethan?” 

“Dude, I don’t know what’s up your ass right now, but can you just wait until the morning to be a dick please?” He rolled over towards the outside wall of the van, trying to avoid the lights. It didn’t last long - Grayson was on him in a second, pulling him back over onto his back. Ethan put his arms up in defense, and it was a smart move, because right after that Grayson started shoving, pushing at his chest and his shoulders.

“Grayson, what the fuck is your problem right now?” He was fully awake now, his anger rising. 

“My problem? My problem is that I woke up to you all over my fuckin’ girl, that’s my problem. The fuck is wrong with you?” He shoved him again, and you winced when you heard Ethan’s body hit the metal of the wall. You knew it didn’t hurt him, but it still made you upset.

“Guys-” you tried, but you knew it was futile - you knew better than to try to get into the middle of one of their piss matches. Your voice fell on deaf ears, and you sighed, climbing into the second row of seats. The leather was cold, so you tucked your hands down into your sleeves, curling up on your side while the argument continued. 

“Bro, I was fucking asleep. I probably thought she was a blanket or something, it’s cold as fuck in here.” Ethan tried to defend himself. You hoped Grayson would be calmed by his words, but of course, he wasn’t.

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re fucking cold, Ethan. You can keep your hands to yourself.”

“Oh, shit, you’re so right! Let me just check in with my motivation real quick... oh wait, I was fucking unconscious.”

Your exhaustion only heightened your annoyance, and you moved your arm up over your ear, pleasantly surprised with how much noise the fluffy fabric blocked out. 

You’d almost made it back to sleep, surprisingly comfortable in the seat when Grayson noticed you were gone. 

“Y/N? Y/N! Where the fuck did she go?” 

You only reacted when you felt his hand on your arm. You turned to look up at him, and even if you were annoyed your heart tightened at the little bit of panic left on his face. 

“I thought you left the van, you scared me,” he breathed, still keeping a hand on you. 

“Nope, just trying to get some sleep and avoid the testosterone overload,” you muttered, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Come back to bed.” There was a twinge of guilt in his tone, and it softened you whether you wanted it to or not. 

“I can sleep just fine right here. Might avoid me becoming a tug-of-war rope at 3am.” 

“Baby. Please.” He was pleading now, tugging on your arm just barely. The stubborn part of you fought it, but you knew you were going to give in eventually. Might as well do it now. 

Grayson relaxed a bit when you stood up, taking your hand just for the quick walk to the back of the van. Ethan was on his side, facing the wall again, but you could tell he was awake when he scooted over as Grayson climbed into the middle where you had been. 

It was petty, but you figured it would solve the problem well enough, so you didn’t fight it. He turned the lights off, and as soon as you were laying down Grayson’s arm was around you, pulling you back against his chest as tight as he could, cold nose nuzzling into your neck.

“Mmmm, you’re warm,” he hummed quietly, just for you.

“You’re lucky you’re cute, you possessive fuck,” you mumbled, cuddling up to him despite your words.

“You love it.”

“I don’t love when you fight with Ethan.”

“I always fight with Ethan.”

“I know, that’s the whole point,” you sighed. He shifted behind you, and you felt his hand come up to brush some of the hair off your neck, fingers moving to the collar of your pullover so he could find some skin and press a kiss there.

“I’ll try to behave tomorrow. Promise. As long as Ethan keeps his hands to himself.”

You just rolled your eyes before closing them, soaking in the warmth of him there next to you as you drifted off.

----------

The first sip that hit your lips was still too hot, and you frowned down at your mug.

“Not good?” Ethan quirked an eyebrow, already downing his latte across from you.

“Still too hot,” you mumbled, blowing down onto the liquid, watching the ripples spread across the top of the foam. 

“Before he gets back -” Ethan nodded at his brother, who was still waiting for his coffee by the counter - “I just wanted to say I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable last night. I mean, I was asleep, but I still feel really bad cause I know that was probably weird for you.”

“E, chill. It’s fine, really. We were all cold as fuck, I don’t blame you for grabbing the first warm thing you found. I’m sorry he’s so damn protective, I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” You did your best to reassure him quickly but sincerely. He just mouthed a quick “thank you” as Grayson sat back down at the table. 

Even though they hadn’t outrightly bickered yet, the tension was obvious between the boys. Gray sat turned almost entirely towards you, his back to Ethan in the most subtle of standoffish ways. 

You stayed out of their arguments as much as you could - you had no place interfering in the twins relationship with each other, that was for sure. But it didn’t mean you didn’t feel bad for Ethan sometimes when Grayson was being a dick. You frowned as you watched him quietly sip at his coffee, knowing that if he said something that could even be slightly misconstrued, his brother would take it and run with it. 

“So what gear do I need to get exactly?” You opened up the conversation, hopeful that it wouldn’t devolve. 

Grayson launched into it, explaining everything you would need to rent out for the day ahead of you, from your board and boots to your goggles and helmet. It got him talking, which kept him from giving Ethan dirty looks, which was your ultimate goal. 

You kept the conversation going as best you could for the rest of the morning, just bringing up random things to keep the emotions light and friendly. You got your reprieve about an hour later, when the three of you arrived at the slopes and walked into the rental store at the bottom. Someone greeted you at the door, giving you a chance to take a breath.

“You make a good mediator,” Ethan muttered in your ear when Grayson followed the employee towards the snowboards. Maybe you hadn’t been as subtle as you originally thought.

“Might as well be my full time job living with you two,” you teased, bumping him with your shoulder. 

“Hopefully he gets the stick out of his ass before we hit the slopes.”

You headed over to Grayson, Ethan in tow, and started to listen to the instructions from the employee. You got a bit lost in the jargon, but you understood that the boys got advanced boards and you got a beginner one.

“It’ll make it easier if you mess up, cause it’s more bendy,” Gray explained, offering you an encouraging smile. You weren’t the most coordinated, and you’d never tried to snowboard before, but you’d promised you’d try. 

“Sounds good to me,” you shrugged, letting out a bit of a clueless laugh. 

“First time out there huh?” The employee offered you a bright smile - he was a bit shorter than the boys, with a sweet face and a head full of blonde hair.

“Yeah, gonna give it a go.”

“Nervous?”

“A little,” you admitted.

“I’m sure you’ll do great, you seem like a smart girl. Just stick to the green slopes at the start, those are for beginners. If you need some tips, just let me know.”

Grayson’s arm was around your waist immediately, pulling you against him so hard you almost lost your footing. 

“I can handle the tips. Just need the gear,” Gray said, tight smile on his lips. It took all your willpower to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. 

“Right. Let me just go get the rest of it.” 

“Thank you,” you said, elbowing Grayson in the ribs as soon as the boy turned around and disappeared to the back storage. 

“So we’re being assholes to customer service workers today too, huh?” You accused. You saw Ethan’s eyebrows raise as he held back a laugh behind his brother. 

“He was flirting with you.”

You didn’t get a chance to refute it because the boy came back with all the gear in his hands. Most of it was for you - the boys already had jackets, boots and goggles. You passed them their helmets while you scooped up all the puffy fabric and Grayson paid. 

The whole interaction didn’t come up again until you were on the lift, all geared up and headed to the first green slope. Ethan had gotten onto the seat behind the two of you, and you knew he’d done it on purpose. You tried a softer approach - instead of bringing it up, you just leaned over and kissed him. Your goggles that were nestled on top of your head clinked together, and you giggled at it before you leaned back.

“What was that for?” He mused.

“Just a reminder that I’m yours and you don’t have to worry about a teenage ski resort employee. Or your brother. Especially not your brother.” 

You expected him to laugh, or at least smile. You got neither. 

“A reminder? Why would I need a reminder?” 

“I don’t know, you’ve just been getting jealous really easy lately. Thought maybe it was something I did,” you muttered, already shrinking down. You got annoyed when he was pissy with other people, but when he was pissy with you? You felt like an ant, tiny and fragile. 

“I’m fine.” 

“Okay.”

The rest of the short ride was silent, and you were relieved he still helped you get off the lift despite his attitude. But that was about the only help he gave you - he went down the slope almost immediately, leaving you at the top with your board in your hands. You pulled your goggles down over your eyes, hoping that might keep you from tearing up more than you already were.

“Here. I’ll show you,” Ethan’s voice was as soft as ever when he came up beside you. “Put your board down, and strap your right foot in.” 

You did as he instructed, glad that he had his foot in front of your board so it didn’t slide away from you.

“Okay, now you just gotta feel it. Kick using your back foot for a minute so you can move and get used to it and find your balance, and then bring your other foot up on top. To go faster, shift forward a bit, and to stop turn your board sideways. I’ll go with you in case you can’t get stopped.”

You followed his instructions, gliding just barely over the snow. You were crawling forward, but you started to get the hang of the feeling. All was good until you tried to stop, overcorrecting and immediately losing your balance.

“Woah, I gotcha, you’re fine.” Ethan caught you, somehow managing to stay up on his board as well. You’d never understand how both boys could be so athletic. 

“Thanks. Was that right? I mean, besides the stop.” 

“Not bad for your first, uh, 2ft run,” he grinned, teeth as white as the snow he was standing on.

“Thanks for helping. Sorry he’s being a dick, I know you all usually snowboard together.” It was kinda their thing. Maybe you coming along wasn’t such a good idea.

“This was your all’s trip, you were nice enough to invite me on it,” he reminded you. “So I’m sorry he’s being a dick. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. Right?”

“Right,” you smiled.

“Okay then. Let’s keep practicing.”

Ethan’s patience was endless. He showed you the ropes, encouraging you as you got your control down, even cheering so loud that everyone looked when you made it all the way down the slope without stopping. 

“We should go up to an intermediate slope. I think you can do it.” His confidence transferred over to you, and you just shrugged, laughing a bit at the sound your suit made when it rubbed against itself.

“If you say so.”

“Let me go find Mr. Grumps, I’ll meet you back at the lift.” And then he was off, looking for his twin. You undid your straps, picking up your board and heading for the lift. 

Five minutes later, you saw the boys approaching, boards tucked under their arms. Just from their walks, you could tell that Grayson was still pissed, and you sighed at the sight. When he got in his head like that, there wasn’t much you could do to bring him out of it. But that didn’t mean you had to put up with it either. 

So you only felt a little guilty when you climbed onto the lift seat next to Ethan, leaving Grayson to sulk by himself.

Ethan just quirked an eyebrow over his goggles, making you laugh.

“Nobody wants to ride with Mr. Grumps,” you teased. 

“Understandable. We’ll just make this a best friend run instead of a couple-and-third-wheel-twin-brother-run.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

When you got off the lift, you didn’t hesitate. Knowing you’d lose your confidence if you waited, you started down immediately, exhilarated by the feeling of the freezing wind in your face. You felt in control, like you could conquer the world. Ethan was right behind you, whooping and yelling as you both tore down the slope, picking up speed.

All was well until someone cut a bit too close to you, almost running into you, turning at the last second and sending snow up into your face.

“Woah!” You squeaked, trying to turn to avoid them. It happened quickly after that, a blur of white snow, hard ground, yelling and a body colliding with your quite hard. A sharp pain erupted in your ankle as you jolted to a stop, only then realizing that your eyes had been squeezed shut. You opened them to see pine trees above you, slightly discolored by your goggles. 

“Y/N! You okay? Are you alright?” Ethan’s voice was in your ear first, and then he was moving, shifting from underneath you. You pieced it together quickly - he’d grabbed you, kept you from slamming into the trees. Which meant he’d taken the brunt of the force.

“I’m fine, I’m okay. Are you okay? Holy shit.”

“I’m alright, just a little winded,” he said, trying to take a few deep breaths. 

“Just breathe, you’re okay,” you encouraged, but you weren’t sure he heard you over the yelling that had erupted back on the slope. You looked up to see Grayson, running over as quickly as the snow trapping his feet would let him. When he got to you he sent snow flying when he dropped to his knees beside you.

“Baby! Are you alright? Are you hurt? You okay?”

“I’m fine, Ethan took the worst of it.” 

“E, you good?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he reassured him, moving to stand up against the tree.

“I saw you all go off track, I thought you totally lost it, that was scary as fuck.” The panic was still evident in his voice, and you couldn’t help but reach a hand out to him. It grounded you more than you thought it would, and you shifted to him, asking for a hug. He pulled you to his chest, squeezing tightly. 

“C’mon, let’s get you up.” Gray stood first after he let go, and you leaned forward to unstrap your board. As soon as you touched your left foot you winced, the breath you sucked in hissing through your teeth. 

“What, what’s wrong?” It was Ethan’s voice, which surprised you.

“I must have hit my ankle on the tree. Hurts like a bitch.” Now that you had noticed it, there was no ignoring it. It throbbed like your heart was there instead of in your chest.

“Can you walk on it?” Grayson pushed his goggles off his face, concern strong in his eyes.

“I don’t think so.”

“I told you she wasn’t ready for an intermediate slope Ethan, I fuckin’ told you!” Grayson turned on his brother, and you spoke before you could think.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Grayson turned back to you, eyes wide. “You should be thanking him right now, he just saved my ass. And where were you? Oh right, sulking. Like you have been this whole damn trip. I’m done dealing with it. So just get me off this damn mountain. Please.” 

They both just stared at you for a minute, unsure of exactly what to say. It wasn’t often that you had an outburst like that, but your anger was still bubbling, only fueled by the pain in your foot. 

“I’ll go flag somebody down. Do you think you can get her out of the trees?” Grayson’s voice was small, and you immediately felt a twinge of guilt that you tried to ignore. 

“Yeah, yeah I got her,” E answered, already moving over to you. He reached down and picked you up bridal style, heading back out to the edge of the slope. Once he sat you down and went back for the boards, you watched Grayson, who was traversing down to the medical tent located halfway down the slope. 

Five minutes later and you were in a small sled, which was tied to the back of an ATV of sorts. You already knew you looked dumb, but Ethan laughing at you didn’t help matters. You flipped him off and stuck your tongue out.

“I’m coming with you,” Gray offered.

“No. You two are gonna go down at least three more slopes, and you’re gonna come back to the van and be happy siblings again. Okay?”

“Y/N...”

“I’m not asking. Give me my board, and go,” you instructed. You were pissed enough that he didn’t question it, handing you your board in defeat. 

The paramedic looked back at you for a signal. You gave him a thumbs up and he pulled away, sending you on your way down the mountain, the boys watching you leave.

The process was easy enough at the bottom of the mountain considering they put you in a wheelchair to get you to the small clinic they had on site. The nurse was nice, reassuring you that they saw stuff like this all the time and there was nothing to be sorry for.

An hour later, you had the diagnosis of a severe sprain and a crutch to use to help you get where you needed to go. They had been nice enough to take your gear back to the rental, which meant you could head straight for the van. It was a relief when you made it there, glad that you’d been trusted with the keys. 

With no hesitation, you climbed back to the bed, glad to have a place to put your swollen ankle up. It was already starting to get dark, and you knew the boys would be headed back soon. 

back at the van, just knock when you get here cause I might be asleep you text, moving your phone over and cuddling down under the blankets. 

Sure enough, you awoke to the knock on the metal door about an hour later. The entire interior was pitch black, so you turned on a light before you headed to the door, hopping on one foot until you got to the seat, sitting down and reaching for the door.

It slid back to reveal only Ethan, standing there with a goofy smile.

“Did you kill him or something?” 

“Thought about it,” he joked, climbing up and around you, immediately moving towards the console and maneuvering into the driver’s seat. You narrowed your eyes. Something was definitely up. 

“He’s going to try to make this up to me isn’t he.”

“Yes.”

“Did he at least apologize to you?”

“Yes.”

“And you aren’t going to tell me anything else are you.”

“Absolutely not.” 

“Cool.” You sat back into your seat as Ethan backed the van up, heading god knows where. There was no point in stressing about it - it was happening whether you liked it or not. You tried not to speculate as Ethan drove back through the town, but you couldn’t help but get curious when he turned into a neighborhood. 

“Pretend I’m not here,” he mumbled, pulling over to the sidewalk and putting the van in park. 

Before you could ask, the door was opening and there stood Grayson. But you only looked at him for a moment before you looked down, something catching your eye.

“You’re here to apologize. And you brought... an office chair?” Your eyes flickered between his face and the chair. He offered you a small smile, holding up a cup.

“And hot chocolate. Just... just get a blanket and come out here. Please.” 

It wouldn’t have mattered if you didn’t want to, you were too intrigued to resist. Ethan passed you a blanket from the passenger seat, and Grayson came up to the side of the van, wrapping an arm around your waist to lift you down gently onto your good foot. It took a bit of hopping, but soon enough you were settled in the chair.

He handed you the cup before he wrapped the blanket around your shoulders. You felt him press a kiss to your head before he closed the van door, tapping it twice, signaling Ethan to drive away. 

“You gonna fill me in?” You craned your neck back so you could look at him. Even with just the light of dusk, you could see the guilt written all over his face.

“I was a dick this whole trip. And I ruined it. For you, and for Ethan. I don’t know what got into me, I’ve just been in my head a lot, but I took it out on you all instead of just talking about it. Which is dumb as fuck. And shitty. And I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Sincerity dripped from every word he said, and you were surprised at the weight that it lifted off of you. 

“You’re forgiven,” you grinned, glad that you didn’t feel like you had to be mad at him anymore.

“Really?”

“Yes really. Now are you gonna explain where you stole this chair from and why?” You accused.

“I didn’t steal it. I convinced the lady at the coffee shop to let me borrow it for an hour.”

“Convinced?”

“I gave her twenty bucks,” he grinned, shrugging one shoulder up to touch his ear. You couldn’t help but laugh at him. You sipped at your hot chocolate as he started to push you down the sidewalk.

“I promised you I’d show you the lights before we left. And somebody went and sprained their ankle, so I had to improvise the cute little walking date I had planned,” he explained, making your heart swell. Sure enough, as the sun continued to dip down, more and more houses intricate light displays were coming to life, mixtures of crisp white and colorful arrangements. 

“Woah, look at that one!” You pointed at one with snowmen out in the yard, only realizing that he was filming on his phone when you turned around to look at him. 

“You’re so cute,” he smiled, continuing to push you through the neighborhood. You weren’t sure how long it lasted - there were too many houses to count, and you both rated them out of 10 each time, picking out your favorite parts. 

When you reached the end of the road he spun you around, leaning over you, hands on the armrests for support. The lights behind him turned into fuzzy circles as your eyes focused on his. 

“I promise I’ll make this up to you. Take you on another snowboarding adventure and not be an asshole this time.”

You scrunched your nose at him. “Yah know, I think I might be more of tropical girl. Beaches. Fruity drinks. You shirtless instead of in five layers,” you grinned, tugging down on his hoodie so you could pull his lips to yours.

“You taste like chocolate,” he mused, kissing you again, tongue running over your lips. “I’ll take you wherever you want, you just say the word.”

“Right now? I have an idea of exactly where you can take me...” You let it hang in the air for a moment. 

“Oh?”

“Mhmmm. Back to the van. So I can get my hands on... some fucking ibuprofen. This shit hurts,” you pointed down at your foot with a wicked grin. 

He huffed out a breath that turned to fog in the cold air. 

“I deserved that one.”

“Yep.” You pulled him back down for one more kiss, savoring the warmth of it on your cold lips. “I love you, even when you’re a dick.”

“I love you more. Thanks for dealing with my annoying ass,” he sighed, forehead against yours.

“It’s worth it. Now c’mon, apparently we have an office chair to return.”

[smol-and-grumpy]

Something Just Like This - CH21

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Dean Winchester, mobster boss. He’s a little cocky, a lot ruthless and more often than not, short tempered. But he’s also, Dean Winchester, a war veteran and hero who suffers under a shit ton of PTS. He met her in a bar and thinks it’s fate that brought her to him. Little does he know why she’s really here.

Warnings: All the fluff, a tad angst, violence

WC: 3194

SERIES MASTERLIST

Gabriel drives behind Y/N to work again. It feels weird and she even offered that they could drive together but he politely declined. She guesses that he probably isn’t allowed. 

Can’t help but wondering what he’s allowed to do. If Dean only assigned him to watch her the whole time or if he has other things to take care of too. But she guesses that it’s not her place to ask. 

He gets out with her, walks her to the door and for the whole night, Gabriel’s at his usual place, just watching her.

She thinks it’s weird, of course it is, wants to tell Dean to tone it down, it’s not like she can’t defend herself. Then, she remembers that Dean doesn’t know about all this. He doesn’t know about what she really does for a living. Doesn’t know she’s the same as Gabriel. Paid to watch Dean. It’s so easy to lose herself in this life. So easy to forget that her other life ever existed. 

The thought of it should scare her. Should ring alarm bells all over, but strangely, it doesn’t. And what does that say about her?

*

Finishing up is the same as last night, too. Gabriel helps her clean up, helps her more than he had to, probably he’s glad that he can make himself useful, other than staring at a woman the whole night. 

They drive to Dean’s apartment together, yet still apart in their separate cars. 

Y/N thinks Gabriel must be bored of having to babysit her. Thinks that it’s probably the most uninteresting job he could fetch. Wonders a little, if it’s a way of punishment because he did something wrong. She hopes it isn’t.

Y/N’s bedtime ritual is the same as yesterday, which consists of feeding Cuddles, shower and then bed. It’s weird being here without Dean. The apartment feels empty, she guesses it’s because it’s so freaking big. Too big. She wonders how Dean copes with that. It’s one thing to be alone in a small apartment but to be alone here makes life seem so much emptier. But then again, she doesn’t think that Dean really spends a lot of time here anyway. 

Dean calls when she settles in bed and she is not so sure if there isn’t really a secret camera somewhere that records her every move. There must be because how else would he know what she’s doing. How else would he know that she’s in bed now and not an half hour earlier already. But she brushes it off because he most likely knows when her shift ends and he knows how long it takes for her to clean up and get back here. He also knows that she usually takes a shower once she arrives home.

“Hi,” She says, trying to sound less tired today as she was yesterday.

“Hi,” He replies and she can hear a huff of air, like he’s smiling when he says it. Like he exhales after holding in a breath for too long.

“You okay?” She asks and sits up in the too big bed, her head resting against the headboard. Cuddles is not in bed tonight because she closed the door.

“Yeah,” Dean says, and adds, “Much better now.”

“Why are you still up? Nightmare?”

“I haven’t slept yet.”

“Shouldn’t you be?”

Dean sighs, “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,”

“Is it weird that I’m scared to fall asleep? I’m terrified because I know that I’ll be up again anyway with cold sweat and racing heart. I don’t even wanna close my eyes because all I see is dirt and dust, and all I hear is gunfire and screams.”

“Oh, Dean… I’m sorry. No… no, it’s not weird. It’s perfectly normal.” She pauses before she adds, “Have you tried sleeping pills?”

“I can’t. It’ll knock me out and I need to be reachable at all times.”

“This conversation is getting sad.” She mumbles.

Dean chuckles, “‘M sorry, I really didn’t want to make you sad. Just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Does it make you feel better?”

“‘M already much better now.” 

“When will you be back?”

“Hopefully by tomorrow evening.”

“Okay.” She says, and it might have come out a little disappointing but she was really hoping that she’d see him before she has to go to work. And now she feels selfish.

“What is it?”

How does he know?

“Just miss you, is all.” She says because it’s the truth.

“Miss you, too.” He breathes out and she can hear that he tries to smile even if she can’t see him. She’s wondering now why they never video call but then again, she’s not a great sight to look at sometimes. Plus, seeing him might make her miss him even more.

“Alright, you should go catch some sleep.”

“Good night, Dean.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart.”

*

Y/N says goodbye to Cuddles when she leaves for work the next day. The cat’s been extra clingy which makes her think that he must know. Must know that their little adventure will be in their past. Dean’s coming home tonight so there’s no need for her to stay. Not like she has packed enough clothes anyway. 

Ellen called to say that she has to start earlier and that’s fine with her. It means that she can go home almost three hours earlier than usual. She’ll have more time to sleep for once. 

Halfway through her shift, Dean sent a message and she only saw it because she needed a hair tie from her bag. 

D: Would it be too much to ask if you’d stay another night?

She bites down on her bottom lip while reading the message then types back, hopes for enough signal to send it out.

Y/N: Won’t you be home?

She waits for the reply that took forever to come. It came after an hour and she doesn’t know if it’s Dean who’s busy or the signal at the Roadhouse.

D: I am but I don’t know how long it’ll take. Need to help sort things out in this facility.

Y/N: Okay will go home first because I need new clothes.

D: You don’t need clothes.

She can literally imagine him grinning because he thinks he’s so funny.

Y/N: Stop it. I have to work now.

D: Come on! I’m hilarious!

She rolls her eyes and slips her phone back into her bag before she proceeds to take the next order. She can see Gabriel in the periphery of her eyes, sees him reading a text and then he nods. That’s probably Dean texting him what happens after work tonight.

“Dean,” Cas comes running towards him when Dena is helping a lab tech with the heavy cylinder. “Can I talk to you for a minute.”

“Sure.” Dean says but he didn’t really want to interrupt the work honestly because he wants to get back home as soon as possible.

Cas makes Dean follow him and walks around the corner. They’re out of anyone’s earshot. 

“Jo escaped.” Cas whispers.

“She what?” It came out way too loud.

“Adam was supposed to be watching but he’s not there anymore, neither is Jo.”

“Fuck, Y/N!” Dean hurries along the corridor of this big lab, “Cas I’m taking the car.”

Dean actually doesn’t wait for Cas to say something. Knows that they only took one car to come here but Cas’ a big boy, he’ll find a fucking way back.

He tries calling her but she wouldn’t pick up. He has approximately four hours to reach her. It also takes four hours for her to finish her shift.

Gabe doesn’t pick up his phone either. Dean knows that the signal at the Roadhouse is questionable at best, but why does it have to be now? He debates calling the landline but what if Ellen picks up? She doesn’t even know that her daughter is a fucking traitor.

“You don’t really have to come up, you know?” Y/N tells Gabriel as he walks with her to the entrance of her building.

“I’m just really following orders.”

“So, what? If he tells you to jump you would?” She says in a playful tone.

“Yeah.” 

Wow.

“How long have you known Dean?” She can’t help but ask.

“Since Afghanistan.” 

She stops in her tracks. “You two were stationed together?”

“Yeah. He saved my life.”

“And then you come back and work for him? Even though he’s doing illegal things?”

“He’s a good man. He was just born into the wrong family. His intentions are good and he wants to get out, leave it all behind. That’s why I stay and help him.”

“Get out? Out of where?”

“Did he not tell you?”

Uh oh…

“No.”

“Shit,” Gabriel curses. “Don’t tell him I told you. You should ask him. I just shut up from now on.”

They walk together side by side in silence. There’s so many things going on in her head. Too many things that she still wants to know, wants to ask Gabriel but she knows for certain that he won’t talk again. 

They walk up the stairs and she stops mid climb. 

“What is it?” Gabriel asks because he bumps into her.

Her heart races. “The door is open.”

“Did you leave it open?”

“Duh, would I leave it open that wide?”

Gabriel peeks from behind her, then hastily steps in front of her, drawing a gun from his holster. “Behind me.” He whispers and they climb the two remaining steps in silence.

He goes in, gun drawn, securing each room before he tells her to come in. 

The apartment is a mess, drawers have been pulled out, every furniture turned over. 

The silence is almost unbearable as they walk through her trashed apartment. She’s in shock, broken glass crushes under their feet. 

No, no, no. This can’t be happening. 

Just when she’s about to get into her room to see if her safe is still there, she hears footsteps.

“Y/N!” 

That’s Dean’s voice.

How did he get here?

He runs in, gun drawn, his shirt’s loose around his belt, not tucked in nearly as she’s used to. The tie long gone, sleeves folded up his forearm.

“Oh, thank god!” Dean breathes out when he sees her, runs forward and pulls her to his chest.

They stand there in silence for a second, she can feel Dean’s heartbeat. It’s ridiculously fast.

It’s then that they hear footsteps coming up the stairs. It could be her neighbors but it also could not, so they stay still.

“Oh, hello boys and one stupid girl,” Jo chirps. She has a gun too, which she points in their direction. Jo calls back to someone who’s coming up the stairs. “Told you after we get some food they’d all be here!”

Adam shows up a second later, of course he has a gun too. 

Y/N’s the only one who doesn’t have a gun and she feels awfully left out. But running into her room to retrieve the gun out of her safe seems like a bad move right now.

“What do you want, Jo?” Dean growls, and he moves to stand before Y/N. 

“You know what I want, Dean.” Jo snarls. “Protect yourself, let me bring her to Lucifer.”

“And you, Adam, really?” Dean asks as he ignores Jo’s demand. He heard her fine, he’s just not gonna turn Y/N over.

Adam just shrugs. “You never trusted me, Dean. Never thought I was good enough to be in your inner circle. Didn’t even fucking know the bunker existed until Inias appointed me to watch Jo while you were away.”

“You’re the other rat. I should have known. Why do you think I never trusted you?”

Jo laughs, “You two done?” 

Y/N can see Dean exchanging looks with Gabriel. It’s like they have a silent understanding. She knows about things like this. They probably did it a lot while they served together in Afghanistan. It’s a way for them to signal to the other they're going in for the kill. It’s clear to them who is going to take out who, even though Jo and Adam have no idea about it. They are most likely not coming from a military background.

“I go.” Y/N says, as a way of distraction, to give Dean and Gabriel time to think about their next move.

Y/N steps forward even though Dean makes himself a little broader, not wanting to let her in front but she knows she’s not the target. Jo would have more to lose when she kills Y/N. Obviously, for whatever reason, Lucifer wants her alive. 

“Not on my watch.” Dean says, and there’s the sound of gunfire, he aims for Jo’s right shoulder. The impact sends the blonde woman flying back and her gun slips out of her grip. There’s a sound that Jo lets out that hurts Y/N’s ears.

As soon as Jo was catapulted back, Gabriel went in for the kill, shooting Adam square in the face before Adam could even pull the trigger.

Dean steps over to Jo who was writhing on the floor.

He squats down, looking the woman in the eye. Jo’s trying to say something, her lips are moving but no sound comes out.

“You know, you were right about one thing. The thing we talked about when I saw you last. I give you credit for that. I can accept that it’s who I am and I’m willing to go all in for what I love. But do you also remember what I said to you? If you pull that shit again, I will have no problem putting a bullet through your fucking head, Jo.”

Dean gets up again and turns to Y/N.

“Can do you something for me, sweetheart?” 

“What do you want me to do?” She asks, her eyes are still fixed on Jo. She doesn’t know what she should feel about the woman on the floor. Is confused as fuck. Hates that it has to happen and thinks it’s all her fault.

Dean sees her state of distress, and walks over, lowers himself down a little, and pushes his finger under her chin, tilts her head up like he always does when he wants her to look at him. “Hey, hey, look at me, okay? You’re okay. I got you.”

She nods, didn’t even know that she’s crying until a tear runs down her cheek. 

“I want you to know that I’m gonna do something which is not pretty, alright? That’s not really me. You’re now basically the only one who knows who I really am. I’m just trying to do the right thing here, and right now, the right thing is protecting you, alright?”

She nods again. There are no words coming out even if she would try. She wants to tell him though, wants to tell him that it’s not because he’ll kill Jo, not because she’s never seen someone die in front of her eyes before. It’s because he’s doing everything to protect her. Her of all people! And she doesn’t deserve it. Not when she’s betraying him in the worst fucking way possible.

Gabriel is talking on the phone in the back. He has taken Jo’s gun away so Jo wouldn’t be able to try something funny.

Dean kisses her, and she kisses him back with tears running down her face. Pours all the things she wants to say but can’t into the kiss, I’m sorry I’m sorry I should have never made you fall in love with me.

He parts then, kisses her forehead. “Close your ears and your eyes, baby.” He whispers, and walks back to Jo.

She nods and closes her eyes and ears, even turns around because Dean wants her to. 

The shot is still loud. It makes her whole body jump and then she drops to the floor, cries some more. 

Dean picks her up from the floor and carries her into her bedroom. Sits on her bed, drops her into his lap and let’s her cry into the crook of his neck.

“I’m sorry,” He says, stroking her head. 

“No, you have nothing to be sorry about.” She mumbles, he can feel that his neck is wet and her tears run down his collar. 

“I made you cry.” 

“You didn’t. I was just overwhelmed.”

“And there I thought I would come home and make you scream but here we are.” He tries to lighten up the situation.

She chuckles a little but it sounds weird because her nose is blocked and it came out more like a grunt.

Outside, someone is talking loudly. It sounds like her neighbor from upstairs and then another voice. Softer. That’s Gabriel.

“What’s Gabriel telling my neighbor?”

Dean brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “Something about not tampering the crime scene and that they should let the police do their job. Knowing him, he likes to flash his badge, too.”

“A police badge?”

“Yeah.”

“A fake one.” 

It must be. 

“It was his, alright. He used to be a real policeman.”

She doesn’t understand. The crease between her eyebrows grows but Dean is getting restless.

“Come on, pack all the things you need for—” He stops to think, “— for forever maybe. We can come back when it’s cleaned up if you should need more things.”

“Where should I go?” She asks and he looks at her dumbfounded.

“Duh,”

He can see the moment the wires in her head start to connect again. 

“No.”

“Yes.” He grins.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t move into someone’s home after I’ve known him for what? Two weeks?”

“Almost three.” Dean adds, like it matters.

“Dean!”

“You can’t stay here and if you don’t wanna live at mine then let me set you up in an apartment I own.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

He’s getting tired of her doubts. “Jesus, are we really arguing about this?”

“I mean, yeah, I’d move in but do you really want it? Want someone living with you? I’ll be the first one you see when you come home? I’ll be around always since I’ll probably be out of a job?”

He chuckles and brushes the tears away from her face to kiss her. “Baby, that doesn’t make me want to live with you any less. If anything it’s the contrary. Makes me want it even more.”

“You will want your space though, and I’m invading it.”

“I don’t need personal space.”

She looks downwards, her fingers play with the buttons of his shirt. “I’ll get on your nerves.”

“I’m used to the heart attacks you’re giving me since I met you.”

“I’ll annoy you.”

“I’ll annoy you back.”

She sighs. “I love Cuddles, though.”

“He loves you back.”

“You sure?”

“Never been more sure of anything in my life.” He kisses her wet nose. “Come on, you pack and I help Gabe outside. We can discuss this thing about me being absolutely fucking sure for you to move in when we’re home later.”

CH22

[lxndonorris]

Dance for me - Theo Hernandez

Y/N x Theo Hernandez

Theme: Smutish

saying goodbye to Theo before he has to leave for an upcoming match x

word count: 790+

As a professional football player, Theo often has to leave your home for a few days, when they have a match in a different town or even a completely different country. Today, he’s about to leave but you’re just finishing your work at a near-by office.. You’re trying to catch him before he leaves, just to say goodbye, but you’re not really optimistic that you will make it in time.

Quickly, you climb up the stairs of your apartment building, searching for the keys in your purse. As soon as you open the door, you can hear the faint sound of music coming out of the bedroom. Sighing deeply, you let the purse drop to the floor, take your jacket off, and make your way through the barely lit up hallway.

Opening the door, you see Theo standing in front of the bed, with his back towards you, wearing his AC Milan track pants and a training top. “Theo, you’re still here.” You say relieved, hugging him from behind before he can turn around. “You made it?” He says surprised but happy, embracing your hug. Theo turns around to kiss you lovingly, with his hands on your waist.

For a few more moments, you just stare into each other’s eyes, forgetting everything around you, but then you notice his phone leaning against a pillow, ready to record a video. “What’s this about?” You giggle, pointing at the phone. “Oh, uh. you know.” He says, stumbling over his own words, blushing immediately. Raising an eyebrow, you look at him, trying to figure out if he’s trying to hide something.

Theo sighs. “It was meant to be a surprise.” He says softly, rubbing his brows. “Aww, you wanted to make me a video?” You say, caressing his cheek gently. “Yeah, it’s stupid, I know.” He says, feeling disappointed. “No, I’d love to see what you wanted to do.” You say comfortingly, placing your fingers at his chin, turning his head towards you. Leaning in for a sweet kiss, you barely brush over his lips. “Pretty please.” You pout softly, making him smirk playfully.

“Be my guest,” Theo says, motioning for you to sit down on the bed. Licking your lips, you pick up his phone to record him doing whatever he wants to do. He restarts the song, RITMO by the Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin, runs his hands through his blonde hair, before he strikes a pose, his fingers at his chin, looking at you cockily.

Already feeling the tension build up quickly, you breathe heavily, leaning your back backward. Just then, he starts to move his hips, his arms, his whole body, in sync with the rhythm of the song, smirking at you the whole time, even biting his own lips. Surprised at how well he is actually doing this, you start to move your body just like his, motioning for him to get closer.

Now, he’s just inches away from yours, dancing between your legs, lifting his arms, letting his shirt slip upwards, revealing his toned body, just enough for you to swoon over him. “Is it getting hot in here?” You say breathlessly, while he turns around, making sure you get a good look at him from every angle. The tension gets even tighter once you put your hands on his waist, feeling his butt in the palm of your hands.

Theo smirk at you over his shoulder, slowly dancing, bending forward before he turns around again, reaching for your hands. You embrace him as he picks you up from the bed and you start to dance intimately with him. Your hands wander under his tight shirt, stroking his back, feeling his spine until your hands make their way to feel his chest heaving into your touch. At the same time, his hands are firmly on your ass while you dance closely, moving your bodies to the soft beat of the song.

You start making out wildly, your hands everywhere on his body, desperately trying to take him right now. “We don’t have time.” He breathes into your mouth once his alarm starts ringing, cutting off the song, ending your dance. “That sucks.” You say sadly, but the comforting look on his face helps you cheer up a little. “I’m so sorry.” He says, kissing you once more. “It’s fine, at least I saw you again.” You say softly and he raises his eyebrows. “Well, you still have the video,” Theo says, pointing at his phone, now lying on the bed.

Happily, you lean against his chest. “Take care of yourself, and win that match.” He strokes your back again. “We will.” You separate from him and together, you help him get ready to catch his ride for the upcoming match. 

[fireblaze5555]

A small fic prompted by a post here on Tumblr, full post is on my page with link to Ao3.

Frank taking care of Karen when she falls apart.

Break

It was late when Karen finally closed her laptop and stepped in the shower. She had been buried in her work all day, barely stopping to eat or drink anything besides coffee and that was only because Frank was just as stubborn as she was, not allowing her to proceed without food. He had laid down hours ago, the past few days had been especially rough on him, the men he had been tracking not going down without a fight.

Karen had fussed over the, overall, minimal injuries he received and gave him general hell for not taking better precautions. She had meticulously cleaned his wounds, made sure he ate and refused to let him start anything else for at least another day or so. That had been the day before, this morning he was in good shape and it only took her about fifteen minutes to check his wounds and re-bandage those that needed it. All things he could have done but she smacked his hands away and efficiently took over. 

Once Karen had finished taking care of Frank though, her hands were idle again and that was not acceptable, especially not today. So, she launched into any and every case she could to keep her mind busy, only coming up for air when Frank relentlessly pulled her back to the surface.

However, now the work was done and her eyes kept crossing every time she tried to read another word. Karen hoped her exhaustion would allow her to fall asleep quickly and dreamlessly, at least for a few hours. Then she could tell Frank she slept and she may be spared the sidelong glances he had been giving her all day today. 

The warm water was doing nothing for her knotted muscles so Karen reached for the faucet to increase the temperature, turning the old metal handle quickly. The old handle protested the quick movement, letting out a high squeak and tortured grinding sound that filled her hearing until there was no other sound.

Karen was suddenly back, 12 years ago to the day, strapped upside down to the twisted hunk of metal that had once been the family car, Kevin motionless and bleeding beside her. The acrid smell of smoke and the stale taste of alcohol filled her remaining senses and Karen only just barely got a hand over her mouth before the choked sob escaped her. She wanted to scream, to punch at the tiles of her shower until the oppressive weight in her chest eased up a bit, to have one _fucking _year that she could get through this day without falling apart at the seams. Then again, she was alive to feel this, Kevin wasn’t, so maybe it was fitting that she got to relive this hell year after year. 

She was choking and only vaguely aware that she was now curled over her knees on the shower floor, the water scalding hot against the back of her neck and shoulders. She thought she should turn the temperature down but couldn’t bring herself to move so she absorbed the pain, it was what she deserved anyway.

Frank came awake with a small start, his hand reaching out instinctively to the spot next to him that was cold and empty. He wasn’t surprised that Karen hadn’t come to bed yet, it wasn’t unusual for her to work until ungodly hours so he isn’t sure what it was that woke him up. The sound of the shower trickled into his awareness and he wondered if that was the culprit but then, so quiet he nearly missed it, a whimpering sob filtered through the air.

He was on his feet and to the bathroom door in record time, hesitating for only a second before he pushed it open. The steam that filled the small bathroom was so thick Frank felt like he had walked into a solid wall of humidity, it nearly stole his breath.

“Karen?” His voice was rough from sleep and concern creeped into his tone. Had he misheard something? She hadn’t seemed like herself the past couple of days but he had also been distracted so maybe he was just being paranoid.

However, a choked noise came from behind the curtain and before Frank had a chance to think about it he had ripped it back and his heart fell at what he saw. Karen was curled over herself, forehead pressed to her knees, shaking with the effort to hold in her sobs. Even more alarming was the deep red of her skin everywhere the water touched. Frank dropped down to a knee and reached out on instinct to put a soothing hand on Karen’s back.

“Fuckin’ Christ. ” The water was scorching and he jerked his hand out of the spray. A second later he was turning the handles to cut off the water and the hot water tap let out a scraping protest. Karen gave a pained whimper and covered her ears, a full sob finally escaping her as she curled impossibly more into herself.

“Hey, hey ‘s alright.” Frank climbed into the tub in just his boxer briefs, his legs bracketing Karen as he carefully leaned into her. She was curled so tightly into herself he couldn’t get his hands around her torso so rubbed his hands soothingly up and down her legs, from ankle to knee. “I’ve got you, Karen. C’mon sweetheart, breathe.”

She shuddered in a breath but it came out as another sob. Karen really wanted to pull herself together, she really hated falling apart in front of people but hated doing it in front of Frank more than any other. The man had been through so much, suffered more than any one person should and he shouldn’t have to shoulder her baggage as well. However, every time she tried to control her breathing and reassure him that she was fine, her chest constricted again and her demons ripped her thoughts to shreds.

Frank knew what devastation and grief looked like, he had experienced it enough in his life, so he knew that Karen, his beautiful, strong and resilient Karen, was in the throes of a panic attack. He just didn’t know what had set it off. Gently, he pulled her fingers from her hair where she had knotted them, speaking quiet encouragements and soothing words as he did. Next he wrapped a careful arm around her shoulders and sat back with her until they were both leaned against the back of the tub, Karen between his legs with her face pressed into the side of his neck, Frank with one arm wrapped around her torso while the other pushed the wet hair out of her face.

“Shh, I got you, I got you.” He kept repeating softly as she hiccoughed and shook with the full force of her grief. Frank was beside himself with worry, it was tearing him apart to see her so upset but all he could do was hold her while she rode it out. The hand that had been combing through her hair now rubbed soothingly at her arm while he waited, the contact soothing him as much as it was her.

Eventually Karen’s breathing started to even out and her shaking subsided to small tremors. Frank craned his neck up to locate the oversized towel he knew would be on the rack and stretched his arm out to pull it down and drape it over her, the shivers weren’t from the cold but it would help her feel less exposed and would hopefully prevent her from getting chilled.

Karen felt like someone had used her as a piñata, strung up and beaten until there was nothing left. She felt Frank settle the towel over her and wanted to smile but she couldn’t muster up the energy. His heartbeat was strong in her ear where her head rested against his neck and relaxed her like the hot water couldn’t. They lay like that for a while, neither breaking the silence, and she didn’t think she could love the man more when his hand settled to massage gently at the back of her neck. 

After several minutes, Frank turned his head to where his lips pressed gently to her forehead and carefully asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Karen leaned into the caress but dreaded answering. It was a complicated answer, part of her wanted to get it all out there to see if it would ease the ever present tightness in her chest but the other part wasn’t ready for him to see the ugliness of her soul.

“I’m fine.” She managed to croak out after a moment, closing her eyes on her own cowardice.

She felt more than heard him hum disbelievingly, it rumbled deeply through his chest in a way that was so Frank it made her ache. He wouldn’t press her anymore but she felt like he deserved some sort of answer since she was pretty sure he was at least partially clothed and wet in the tub with her.

Karen opened her mouth to give an explanation but her throat seemed to close up, stealing her words. It took a few more minutes before she cleared her throat and tried again, “It’s the anniversary of Kevin’s death today. It’s been twelve years since I killed my brother.” She hadn’t meant to say that much, her exhaustion allowing the words to tumble out unbidden. Oh well, at least now Frank knew what kind of person she actually was and could decide for himself if she was worth being with, if he could be around someone who killed their own family.

Frank felt Karen tense after she finished speaking. It had been hard for her to say and it was almost as if she expected a physical blow from him. Tightening his hold imperceptibly he placed another small kiss to her forehead.

“Tell me about him?”

Karen’s eyes popped open and she felt tears starting to form in her eyes again. She had expected a demand for explanation, disbelief and disgust, not a gentle request in that calm baritone he reserved only for her.

She fought to get her emotions back under control, only a few tears escaping to slide down her cheek before they cascaded over Frank’s bare chest. When she felt like she could talk without sobbing, she answered with only the slightest tremor in her voice, “He was kind, gentle and terrible at sports. He constantly pestered me about every little annoying thing he could. He still cut the crust off of his sandwich even though he was nearly a senior in high school.” She chuckled a little when Frank huffed a little laugh across her face. Her small laugh turned into a sniffle before she continued, “He always pushed me to be better. Wouldn’t accept my excuses. Kevin never judged me, even when I hit rock bottom, doing and dealing drugs with the lowlife I called a boyfriend.”

Frank stilled for only a second before he continued to rub her arm, nodding slightly in encouragement for her to continue. He felt so solid behind her it kept Karen from feeling like she was in a total freefall like every other time she thought about that night.

“He found the camper we had been staying in and set it on fire, drugs and all. When we got back my boyfriend,” she spit the word out like it was venom on her tongue, “proceeded to beat him with a tire iron. I couldn’t get him to stop so I pulled the gun out of the glove compartment and shot him in the shoulder.” Her breath hitched before she took in another shaky one, “I threw Kevin in the car and drove away but I was still drunk and high. We didn’t get very far before I rolled the car. He didn’t make it.”

She was starting to shake in his arms again and Frank ached with the weight of her grief. He knew Karen had a rocky past but never pushed her on it. He never realized just how much she had been through. He brought his attention back when she started talking again, her voice small and quivering.

“He had come to tell me that he signed me back up for the college I dropped out of to help at the diner. He was there to help me get my life back on track and I killed him. I murdered the only person left in my family that had any faith left in me” The quivering turned into a full, racking sob that had Frank pulling her tighter to his chest. 

“You were a kid Karen. You were put in a hard situation and you did the best you could.” She started shaking her head in between small whimpers but Frank put his hand on her cheek and made her look up at him. Her eyes were the palest blue he had ever seen them, almost as though her tears had washed away all the color and she looked so desolate and lost that it made his own eyes burn. He held her gaze, wiping absently at the tears that streamed over her temple with his thumb, “You made a mistake. That doesn’t make you a murderer, Karen. What happened to your brother is terrible and I’m so sorry that it happened but _you are not a murderer. _You are the best person I know and God knows where I would be without you at this point.”

Karen had quieted as he talked, her tears were silently leaving tracks on her face but those were slowing as well. He still saw doubt in her face, he knew better than anyone, that kind of guilt doesn’t go away so easily but it seemed that he had at least said the right thing this time around. He hoped he could be as much the rock for her as she was for him. 

Leaning in, Frank gave her a sweet lingering kiss before resting his forehead against hers, a gesture that has given them both comfort over their time together. When he drew back, her eyes were clearer and she even managed to give him a watery smile.

She sniffled loudly and pushed off of him slightly, just enough to regard his position. Her voice was still thick with emotion but he could hear the hint of amusement lacing her tone, “How’s your back liking that position?”

He gave her a lopsided grin, “I’ll tell you later once it has caught up with me.” Frank watched her carefully for a moment, “Ready to get some rest?”

She nodded slowly and moved to sit up, Frank assisting her and then pushing off the back of the tub himself. He stood first, ignoring the ache in his knees and took Karen’s hands to help pull her to her feet, wrapping the towel tightly around her shoulders once they were both steady on their feet.

Karen watched Frank as he fussed over her, pulling her hair out from under the towel, smoothing it out of her face, rubbing her arms over the towel to keep her warm, all the while his deep brown eyes furrowed in concern, taking in every detail to ensure he was making her as comfortable as he could. Slowly, she felt part of her tattered soul repairing itself. It was amazing how someone as broken as Frank Castle could make her feel so whole. Someone who had lost so much, giving her everything he had left. Karen stepped further into his space, banding her arms around his waist and gave him a slow kiss that she hoped conveyed everything she didn’t have the strength to say at the moment.

He seemed to understand though, he usually did, and brought his own hands up to card through her hair, holding her so tenderly she could have cried if she had any tears left. Finally, he stepped out of the tub and held her hand while she did the same. Before she could protest, Frank scooped her up and carried her the short distance to the bedroom. Normally she would have fussed at him and told him she could walk on her own but she was so drained all she could do was be grateful and press her forehead into his neck.

Frank tucked her in on his side where the blankets were already pulled back before quickly shucking out of his wet underwear and throwing on a dry pair. He left the room, returning a minute later with a glass of water that he put on the nightstand closest to her and then climbed in behind her, tucking her against him with incredible care, laying little kisses on what skin presented itself to him in the process. 

Karen had been there for Frank in some of the hardest moments of his life, she had been an ear when he needed someone to listen, a childhood anecdote or sarcastic comment when he needed a laugh, and harsh words of truth when he needed a push in the right direction. He hoped he could be all of those things for her. Be the rock that she needed when her foundations were crumbling, just as she had been for him. When he heard a quiet ‘I love you, Frank’ before her exhaustion took her over, he felt his heart swell and thought maybe he had done something right for once.

“I love you too, Karen.”

By the next evening Frank had replaced the old squeaky faucet with a brand new one that didn’t make a sound when turned, the old one in the dumpster outside of her apartment, never to be seen again. 

[wonderwomanfantasy]

Rotten Heart

this was honestly one of my favorite stories and I was way too excited to do this one

part one

Villain!Todoroki x Vigilante!Reader 

word count: 2,000(about)

warnings: cursing, fighting, violence, Kissing, Todoroki continues to be a creep in this,  

summary: Todoroki is an asshole, but at least he saves you from dealing with annoying coworkers. Still, his habit of pinning you to the wall and kissing you while you are trying to kill him is starting to get on your nerves. 

You woke up still sore from your fight with Todoroki. That bastard had really done a number on you. You wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with a bottle of painkillers and sleep the day away. But crime didn't pay, and neither did being a Vigilante and if you stayed in bed any longer you would be late and your boss would kill you.

You pulled yourself out of bed your muscles groaning in protest as you made your way to the bathroom. You pulled off your gross costume and climbed into the shower. The warm water felt good on your bruised skin. You held your hand out and the water moved from the tap and swirled around your body it was good to control your quirk again.

all too soon the water turned cold and you had to step out of the comforting spray. You dried off and forced yourself into your work clothes, a button-up blouse and black pencil skirt with matching black heels. It was a little Ironic, you broke the law every night but worked for one of the biggest Hero Agencies in Japan. Still, working for Bakugou Katsuki had its perks. The Heroes do all the leg work, tracking and locating the villains and you could do the actual capturing.  

Your job was mind-numbingly boring, you hated working Human Resources.  You just read through contracts and showed the annual Workplace harassment video. Sometimes, like today, things got exiting and you got to listen to petty arguments between coworkers. Todoay, you were listening to Janice from accounting rant about the brake room fridge.

“(y/n) I'm telling you, someone is stealing my yogurt, to antagonize me, and I need you to do something about it!”

“Janice what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Set up a camera and catch who ever is doing it!” you wanted to slam your head into your desk. Luckily you were saved from this dreadful conversation by a blaring alarm. You jumped to your feet at once looking for the signs of distress. You grabbed a receptionist as they tried to run past you,

“what's going on?”

“Villain attack, in the records room!” she shouted before braking free from your grasp. The records room was on the other side of the floor from your office. You started running towards it without hesitation. Sure, there were probably heroes there already, but what if there weren't? You turned the corner sharply and came face to face with a wall of ice blocking off the door to the room in question. You raised your hand and water rose before you, you forced the liquid to form a point and drilled it forward. The ice shattered and you charged forward.

There were three men in the room. They were all wearing masks, but masks didn't hide the two toned hair on Todoroki's head. For a split second, you wondered if he would recognize you, forgetting for a moment that last night he had known your name, and your address. He raised his gloved hand in a small two finger salute.

The first man charged, he wasn't as much of an issue. You sucker-punched him in the jaw than spun around kicking him solidly in the neck. You had been aiming for his temple, but your skirt didn't allow for such range in mobility. He collapsed in a heap and groaned, you stomped on his head knocking him out cold.

The second guy was a little more hesitant to engage. “what are you waiting for?” Todoroki asked nonchalantly looking through a filing cabinet. He rose his arm, brandishing a knife, but as he brought the blade down he hit only a shield of water. The water climbed the blade of his knife, weaved in between his fingers and wrapped around his wrist pulling the weapon from his hand. He looked in awe at the water that engulfed his hand you took the opportunity to hit him squarely in his nose. you could hear the bones in his nose snap as you connected your fist to his face. He fell backward hitting the floor hard.

“it's so hard to find Good Crooks these days huh?” you mocked taking a step towards Todoroki, he was still looking through the files rather carelessly.

“Maybe I just wanted to see you fight again, you are beautiful when you fight you know,” he said not looking at you, and he meant it. Your control over your own body and quirk was admirable, and the determined look on your face was adorable. Todoroki was mesmerized by your every kick and punch.  

“Save it,” you snapped, he wasn't paying attention to you, a mistake you would make him realize. You raised your hand, a wall of water-raising with your ministrations.

before you could attach you were slammed into the wall by a massive wall of ice.

“you know as lovely as you look pinned to the wall by my ice we should really stop meeting like this.” he sighed as he plucked a folder from the cabinet and tucked it safely under his arm. But today was different, you were stronger than you were last night.

“maybe I can pay you a visit in jail,” you snapped slamming a wall of your own into him, soaking him in water. Not the most effective strategy but it still knocked him on his ass.

“I am I still beautiful if it’s your ass I’m kicking?” you said it was nice to throw his words back in his face, that’s why you said it, not to hear him call you beautiful again. you struggled against the ice he had used against you. you even managed to crack the ice encasing you.

“absolutely breathtaking (y/n)” he sighed, flicking his head back so the soaked strands of his hair flew from his face. It was like a scene from a movie, you might have thought he was handsome, wet clothes clinging to his chiseled chest and all if he weren't a villain. Before you could spit out another witty come back the room shook with the force of an explosion. Bakugou.

“You could still come with me (y/n), we would be an unstoppable pair,” he said quickly, scrambling to his feet. He rushed to your side cupping your cheek. His warm hand was a sharp contrast to the cold ice.

“in your dreams,” you growled

“yes, I suppose you will be in my dreams,” he said sounding almost sad. Then he pulled down his mask and leaned in pressing a chaste kiss to your lips, pulling away before you could possess the warmth of his lips against your frostbitten ones. “until we meet again,” he whispered and darted towards the door. Bakugou materialized blocking off the exit.

“I don't think that belongs to you Icy Hot you prick,” bakugou growled letting off and ear ringing explosion. It broke the ice holding you to the wall but wasn’t enough to incapacitate Todoroki.

Todoroki didn't bother quipping back at Bakugou instead, he sent a jet of flame towards the hero with one hand and a spike of ice towards the wall with the other.  The ice easily cut through the wall and out into the open air. Todoroki leaped gracefully through the hole he created while bits of the building crumbled around him.

Bakugou thought better of chancing him and muttered something into an earpiece, probably sending more heroes after him. With one hand he grabbed the two men Todoroki had brought with him, the other hand wrapped around your bicep yanking you to your feet,

“you, my office, now. I want to know what the fuck was going on here,” he snarled then tossed you out to the carpeted floor of the hallway. You did what you were told and went to Ground Zero's office to wait for him.

Just because you worked for Bakugou didn't mean you had ever met the man before. He had bigger and better things to do than talk with some nobody from HR. Mostly you dealt with his personal assistant, giving them papers for Bakugou to sign, etc. etc. as you waited you checked yourself for injuries. Your skin had reddened slightly from the ice and your ankle ached slightly, fighting in heals was never a good idea, but other than that you were unscathed.

Bakugou slammed the door open so hard he made you jump.

“Right dumb ass, start talking. Who are you again?”

“(y/n) (l/n) I work in human resources,”

“Great, so why is someone in Human Resources kicking the shit out of villains?” he asked suspiciously.

“they were close by, I thought I could help- and I was right,” you added boldly. Bakugou cocked an eyebrow at you but didn't say anything.

“Right, so a civilian goes sticking her ass where it doesn't belong than what?”

“I broke down the wall Todoroki through up, then those two men attacked me, I knocked them both out-”

“how?”

“my quirk, and basic self defense moves, they didn't put up much of a fight, I'd bet they weren't pros,” you scoffed and he nodded.

“Okay, then what?”

“I tried to take out Todoroki but he pinned me to the wall with ice then-” then he told you to join him. you paused

“go on dumbass” he prompted.

“then-” then he kissed you, again. “then we heard your explosion, he took the file and tried to run,” you said not meeting his gaze. he had kissed you again, and you had liked it, again.

“You got some balls (l/n) you know that? Not just anyone would go after a well-known villain like that- and live to tell the fucking tale.” Bakugou commented once you had seemingly finished your story.

“one last question-If you kick such ass why the fuck do we have you leading those stupid fucking team-building exercises and not fighting crime like that every day?” he rested his palms flat on his desk leaning forward to look at you. You gulped. What the were you supposed to say back? Well actually boss but I actually do fight crime just illegally.

“Not that it's any of your business, but I tried to become a hero, It didn't work out that,” you said frowning. You didn't owe Bakugou some tragic backstory or anything really. He nodded curtly, clearly lost in thought.

“right, go home for today. Try not to get yourself killed on the way home,” he said standing to his full height. You didn't question him, you could use the free time. Maybe you wouldn't go out tonight, it would be nice to go to bed early for once.

Your bed was warm and welcoming, soft and comfortable, you feel into a deep, dreamless sleep. When you woke up the sun was setting.  You rolled onto your side reviling in the delicious feeling of restfulness. You couldn't remember the last time you had gotten a full night of sleep, it was nice. Your eyes landed on your bedside table, and suddenly the feeling of peace was gone.

There was a glass of water on your side table that wasn't there before you went to sleep. There was ice still in the glass, whoever had left it had left it recently. You shot up and spotted the note beside the water.

“You really should take better care of yourself, especially if you are going to take down me, drink up (y/n). Love, Todoroki.”

it shouldn't have surprised you, the fact that he had been here, but its still sent a shiver down your spine. You had been planning on staying in tonight, not anymore. You were going to find this son of a bitch, and you were going to catch him for once and for all.

[queensdivas]

Rainbow Road

“26 and 72 of the prompts with Joe?” Requested by Anon!

Alright so my dumbass got things confused because work came out of nowhere and school came out of nowhere. So I told the anon that it was about to get posted and turns out I did the Brian one first by accident cause I’m a dumbass.

Next time I won’t be so damn stupid and get my ducks in a row. If you would like to request something go for it because they’re opened. Also if you would like to be tagged in everything or specific things. Let me know! 

Hope you enjoy!

masterlist

You’d finally had a day off from teaching at NYU so you decided to have an easy day at the flame. Joe would be coming home to see you lying on the couch in his Winnie the Pooh onesie and playing Super Mario Odyssey. Yes..you maybe a grown ass adult, but has that ever stopped you. 

For the record. This was your Winnie the Pooh onesie in the beginning of your relationship, but eventually he took it because you “accidentally bought it to big.” And after he took it with him on the Bohrap Movie Tour. You were livid and flew yourself to retrieve the onesie, and to see him of course. You love Joe..till he takes your onesie. 

“Jump over the goddamn thing!” You screamed as Joe walked into the apartment and stopping behind the couch. 

“Mushroom coming into the right.” He climbed over the top of the couch then sitting down next to you. Bouncing on top of the mushroom then continuing down the street towards a building. 

“How was work?” Asking Joe as he took off his sweatshirt as you were aggressively began tapping the jump button. 

“Great. Finally got that screenplay finished and now I’m beginning to think up the cast for it now!” Pausing the game as you turned to him and pecked his lips. 

“Fantastic baby! Look at you go baby!” Smiling as you kissed him again then got off the couch to go get some food. You couldn’t decide if you wanted delivery for tonight or wanted to make something easy. You were about to ask Joe but he already took control of the WII U and began setting up Mario Kart. 

“Hey (y/n). We’ve been busy for the past couple of weeks with work and you’re on autumn break. Why don’t we order some Tai’s tonight, play a little Mario kart, and do what we do best.”

“Sleep?” 

“Yes. Wait no. But yes..after the Mario kart and after the hot sex.” Cheeky devil! Grabbing the menu from the fridge as you walked over to the couch where you began reading over the menu. 

“Which sounds better. Honey chicken or spicy steak?” He thought for a moment then looked over at the menu. 

“Spicy steak definitely and make it brown rice. OH! And make sure that we get extra spring rolls.” You dialed the phone number as he began picking his characters for Mario kart. Once the food was ordered, you grabbed the controller to select your character. 

An hour passed as you two already finished the first Dolphin Shoals track for when the Chinese delivery man pressed the com button. Grabbing your phone from the table then a wad of cash. 

“Don’t you dare play without me! We’re neck and neck!” You yelled at him as you jumped over the couch then towards the door. Joe being the sneaky devil he is would play without me so he could win!

Coming back into the apartment as he grabbed a few wine coolers from the fridge. Pulling out the food from the plastic bag so you two could chow down and enjoy each other’s time together. 

But...things didn’t go exactly how you two thought it would. When you two finished your food..you both became competent, very quickly and dangerously competent. Ya both became cocky at this point. 

In between the racing map changes you two would down your food, take a drink of the wine cooler, and even the quickest bathroom break in the world. You two were trying to see how many you could win, and obviously it was neck and neck. 

Turning the wii controller slightly because you were in the habit of actually starring when it comes to video game driving. Your kart hit one of the boxes as the banana peel was selected. Realizing that Joe was coming up from last place, you released the banana when he was about to pass you. 

“FUCK!”

“HA! NICE TRY!” Crossing the finish line as you began doing a little dance in front of Joe since now you were tied. Even though you’ve ran out of maps for this Mario kart game. Being the cheeky devil Joe has always been, especially with you. He decided to pull out the wii and play the ultimate map. Rainbow road..

“You’re really going to pull out the wii? Do we even still have the wii?” Asking him as he grabbed a piece of his steak then walking over to the tiny storage closest you guys shared. 

“Yes we still do because playing wii Mario kart is still so much fun. Or are you scared pussy?” Raising his eyebrows as your lips curled then putting your hands on your hips. 

“The only pussy in this room is the one grabbing the wii out of the closet because you can’t handle that your girl is better at Mario Kart than you.” YOu were joking obviously..but ya know. When you get two cocky people in the same room and both of you hate losing 

“Game on bitch!” He began plugging in the wii as you cleared the table from dinner and grabbing more alcohol from the fridge. If you were going to win, you were going to celebrate. If you were going to lose, Joe is sleeping on the couch.. seems fair right?

You and Joe played rainbow road at a party where you guys actually first met and both of you tied. (You actually crossed first by a literal second but Joe wasn’t having it so he called it a tie.) But now every time you two need to settle a debate, he grabs the wii and you guys play rainbow road..yes you’re with a grown man slash child. 

He handed you the wii remote as you sat down on the couch, picked your character and car quickly. It was taking a little longer to load because the wii is old and you were both just so damn impatient. 

“I want you to know babe...that whatever happens. I still love you...but if you win I’m going to punch a hole in the wall.” 

“Okay Kyle.” Chuckling as the track appeared before us. Getting into sitting position then taking a quick drink of your wine cooler. 

Pressing the accelerator lightly till the light turned green and you were off. Damn it car didn’t stall you thought as you began driving faster down the first hill as he managed to zoom past you. Lifting your wii controller on the jump to get that extra speed caused you to catch back up to him. 

So many sharp turns holy shit! Hitting your first box to see that it was a red shell and Joe was getting a little ahead of you. Moving your car directly behind him then launching your shell at him. 

“GOTCHA HOE!” Laughing as he got frustrated quickly. 

“Fuck fuck fuck!” He whispered as you were bouncing on top of the wiggle track till fucking baby peach knocked you over the edge. 

“NO! SHIT SHIT!” Screaming as Joe clapped his hands and was already way pass you. Stuck in dead last place and dodging all the bananas that were left on the road. Some reason your wrist were doing one thing and your kart was doing something completely different.

Your kart smashed through the box and the rocket appeared before you. Looking over at Joe as he looked onto my screen and his eyes widened in absolute fear. 

“Comin’ for you bitch!” Slamming the button as you turned into a rocket and began plowing your way through the track! Catching up to Joe then turning back into a kart. Neck and neck again as you rounded the corner and began accelerating, making it slightly into first. 

“Face it babe! You’re not as good as SHIT!” You screamed as a blue shell smashed into you and caused you to fly off the road. Joe passed the finish line and screamed, smashing the controller into the couch and practically dancing. Looking at the time and realizing you could go to bed and be perfectly fine. 

Getting up from the couch to grab your wine cooler and leaving the room to the bedroom. Slamming the door behind you then locking it. Joe snapped back from his win to then approached the bedroom door. 

“Babe..don’t be a party pooper because you lost. Just let me in babe.” He was giggling at you. If he could burst into laughter he would because he’s such a butt hole. You grabbed one of his pillows and a very thin blanket to then open the door and tossing it at him. 

“I beat you at Mario Kart and now you’re banishing me to the couch for the night?” Groaning as you locked the door. 

“Yes. Fuck you.” You began getting undressed for bed as you heard him shifting in front of the bedroom door. Is he going to sleep in front of the doorway? The little butt hole is going to sleep in front of the door...that’s a major fire hazard. But that’s what he gets for winning. Sometimes winning isn’t always as glorious as it should be. 

Climbing into bed and turning off the light. You had to get up a little early because there’s a conference in Connecticut that you forgot to mention to Joe..since you forgot about it till now. TO then climb out of bed to open the door to him laying down in front of the door. 

“Joe..fire hazard.” He looked up to then put the blanket over his head. 

“You kicked me out of the bedroom. Fuck you.” Doing a Jim Halpert camera look then squatting down to him. 

“I also forgot to mention that I have a conference in Connecticut tomorrow and was hoping you would join me.” He stayed silent and you just gave up, walking back into the bedroom but not locking the door. 

The alarm began going off that morning for you to wake up and see that the bed was empty. Oh for fuck sake you thought to yourself as you threw off the comforter to then open the door. Marching out but tripping over him because you weren’t expecting him to still be in front of the doorway. 

“Did you enjoy yourself last night?” His eyes opened with a smile on his face. You stayed on the floor with your feet on his side because it’s seven in the morning and Joe is causing a fire hazard in your apartment. He’s trying to make you feel bad for condoning him to couch which turned into the front of the door. 

“Ughh fine. I’m sorry Joe I banished you to the couch because you beat me in Mario kart. You are the supreme ruler of all Mario Kart..all hail Joe Mazzello the third..the ruler of Mario Kart.” He got up to crawl on top of you as you skinned over with a pouty face. 

“Love you babe.” He kissed your nose then pecked your lips. 

“Love you too..butt hole.” You giggled as you wrapped your arms around him to pull him down into a kiss. 

Yes..you two love each other because you both are absolutely crazy...so it works nicely!

~~~~~~~~

taglist: @mexifangorl @i-live-for-queen @leah-halliwell92 @brianmydear @its-funny-til-its-not @b-i-g-i-r-l-b-i @teathymewithben @mayofbrian @endlesslydead

[plasmuser]

Happier

A sequel ish thing to I loved and I loved and I lost you. Angst ahead haha

Lately, I've been, I've been thinking

I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier

Sitting up in bed, Dextorra casts a lingering glance at the man sleeping beside him. The much taller Irken was currently laying on his stomach, a pillow hugged against his own face. His too-long antennae were relaxed, the feathered appendages splayed almost too perfectly around the man’s head. Red’s ruby-colored robe was fanned out around him and his legs were tangled in the satin-like fabric. 

Magenta orbs softened at the sight of his Tallest relaxed like this...it was one of the only times that he could see his lover like this-no signs of worry or stress...no signs of grief marring his features. Leaning down, the pilot presses a gentle kiss to his Tallest’s forehead. Receiving a soft, sleepy grumble in response, Dextorra gently runs his hand over the top of Red’s head. Grumbling once more, Red turns to peck his lips against Dextorra’s before promptly shoving his face back into the pillow. 

“I love you, my Tallest.” Dextorra murmurs, knowing that this would be the last time he would be able to say this. 

“...’m. Love you too.” Red grumbles, and in record time, the Taller’s snores fill the room once more.

When the morning comes

When we see what we've become

In the cold light of day, we're a flame in the wind

Not the fire that we've begun

Every argument, every word we can't take back

'Cause with all that has happened

I think that we both know the way that this story ends

Feeling his spooch tighten, Dextorra slowly slips out of bed, tenderly tucking the blanket back around his sleeping lover. Turning, the pilot quietly opened his wardrobe before hastily tugging his sleepwear off. Pausing, Dextorra’s hand hovers over his own normal uniform. Clenching his fist, Dextorra grabbed his ceremonial robes, tugging them on over his head. Kneeling in a last-minute decision, the smaller man pulls his treasure box out from the bottom of the wardrobe. Rifling through the box, he easily finds and lifts the small, golden locket out of the stack of papers, hugging it tightly to his chest.

“Miyuki, give me your strength. Spork, grant me your courage.” Dextorra whispers before clasping the locket around his neck.

Then only for a minute

I want to change my mind

'Cause this just don't feel right to me

I wanna raise your spirits

I want to see you smile but

Know that means I'll have to leave

Grabbing his personal reader from its dock on his table, the pilot exits his sleeping quarters and hastily makes his way to the boarding dock. Choosing a small Voot Cruiser, Dextorra climbs into the cockpit, typing in a few simple commands before syncing his Reader to the computer’s mainframe. Firing up the Voot’s engines, the Comms Officer opens up the hanger beside him flying out into the vast darkness of space, alarms blaring behind him. 

Know that means I'll have to leave

Lately, I've been, I've been thinking

I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier

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

Red could remember the first time he and Purple had seen Dextorra get angry enough to question is Tallests. The two Tallers had been goofing around the Hull of the Massive, their actions mostly revolving around making the lives of their pilots a little harder than they already were. Purple, in a stroke of his own so-called “genius”, had decided that Dextorra was his next target. Floating lazily over to the Comms Officer’s computer, he reached his arm out and knocked the cup of coffee that the pilot had prepared for himself off of its simply coaster and onto the keypad of the large computer.

The smaller Irken had cursed loudly, rising to attempt to clean the mess before any excessive damage had been done. The Tallest at the time took a great deal of enjoyment out of finally managing to get under the overly-serious pilot’s skin and continued to torment the smaller. As their laughter died down into soft and sporadic giggles, Red could easily recall Purple’s antenna perking up fully when the two could finally hear what the pilot was muttering under his breath. 

“Ten minutes.” He growled softly. “That’s all it’ll take...ten minutes.”

That was when Red started suspecting that maybe, just maybe, the Massive’s chosen pilot was a Defective. 

Later that day, Dextorra had apologized to his Tallests, offering them some snacks he had gotten from their last supply stop as a bribe to keep his job. The two had never intended to fire the pilot, but Purple accepted the offer easily, and the phrase eventually became a joke among the three of them. Red, however, never forgot just how serious the pilot had sounded that day. 

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

When the evening falls

And I'm left there with my thoughts

And the image of you being with someone else

Well, it's eating me up inside

But we ran our course, we pretended we're okay

Now if we jump together, at least we can swim

Far away from the wreck we made

Angrily tightening his robe, Red let out a low growl at the violet-clad Irken before him. It had taken him ages to track down the small Irken, and even longer to get her to the Hull of the ship for questioning. Having to bribe her with the rest of his stash of snacks in Dextorra’s room had irritated him almost as much as having to shut the Massive’s alarm system off. 

“Explain.” he barked, feathered antenna raising in warning to the smaller Irken. 

Rat-the name of Purple’s old informant and keeper of secrets on the Massive- was the most reliable when it came to secrets and information one wanted to know on the ship. The smaller Irken let out a bored grumble before picking at some of the dust and other unknown particles on her tunic, showing no signs of urgency at her Tallest’s warning. 

“Dextorra’s been looking for something. Been real’ hush-hush about it too. He hid his tracks and other informants before I could get a good look at anything. “ Shrugging she scratches her fluffy neck. “But, according to my..sources, he found whatever it is that he’s been looking for. Tracked it down, took off in a Voot. Left about two hours ago.” stifling a yawn, the small woman sags her shoulders. 

“Damn it Rat!” Surging forward, Red picks the Smaller up by the front of her tunic, snarling as he presses his face against hers. “What do I fucking pay you for? Where. The fuck. Did Dextorra go?”

Grunting, Rat grips Red’s wrist, glaring back at her Tallest as she kicks her legs lightly in the air. “The fuck if I know! All I know is that he’s been tracking the ship’s old flight pattern and found something back near Planet Dreaster. The icy one.” 

Red’s eyes widened as he drops the woman back onto the ground, images of Purple flashing in his mind. “No..no he couldn’t. No..” 

Then only for a minute

I want to change my mind

'Cause this just don't feel right to me

I wanna raise your spirits

I want to see you smile but

Know that means I'll have to leave

Spinning on his heels, the Taller slammed his hands onto Dextorra’s computer, hailing the computer on the stolen Voot. 

“Damn it Dextorra you better pick up…” Red quietly pleaded to the past Tallests that the other would be alright. 

-------

Know that means I'll have to leave

Lately, I've been, I've been thinking

I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier

Reaching his gloved hands out, Dextorra gently gripped the PAK unit, pulling it closer to his chest. Running his palm over the frost-covered surface, the pilot hugged the device against his torso before moving back to his Voot.

“Don’t worry my Tallest. We’re almost there,” he whispered, voice thick with sorrow. 

Upon taking his seat in the cockpit, Dextorra’s nerves were tense with anticipation. Looking down at the PAK in his lap, he felt his throat tighten, anxiety gripping his spooch, making the organ twist nervously. He’s sure that if he had eaten before the trip he would have lost his lunch by now. Blinking, Dextorra was surprised to feel his eyes sting with unshed tears. Leaning back in his seat, the pilot takes a soft breath, trying to calm his mind. He knew this was coming and had been planning this for months...tracking their previous flight path help a lot…

Wiping tears from his eyes, the pilot took another deep breath. Even with careful planning, he couldn’t help but want to cry. He had never been this scared in his life. ‘Red needs this’ he sternly reminds himself. This...having Purple back… would help Red in more ways than Dextorra could ever hope to. Running his hand over the PAK once more, Dextorra sniffled from a mix of the cold and the tears welling in his eyes once more.

So I'll go, I'll go

I will go, go, go

So I'll go, I'll go

I will go, go, go

Lately, I've been, I've been thinking

I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier

Even though I might not like this

I think that you'll be happier, I want you to be happier

Yelping in surprise, Dextorra tensed as the cockpit surged with color and noise. Red was calling. Holding Purple’s PAK close, the pilot typed in the command to switch the Voot to autopilot, setting their computer to return to the Massive. Taking a slow, shaky breath, he answered the call.

His spooch surged with a painful mix of joy and grief as he saw the disheveled face of his lover appear on the screen. Red appeared to be talking to something, sending them to the dock before he looked down, ruby eyes widening at Dextorra’s appearance on the computer.

 “My tallest…” Dextorra whispered. 

Then only for a minute (Only for a minute)

I want to change my mind

'Cause this just don't feel right to me (Right to me)

I wanna raise your spirits (Wanna raise your spirits)

I want to see you smile but

Know that means I'll have to leave

“Dextorra! Oh, thank Irk you answered…” relief washed over Red’s features before an angry scowl marred his face. “What in the actual fuck do you think you’re doing?!” Red snapped, not waiting for an answer. “Leaving in the middle of the night. Stealing a Voot? All to go and look for-” The Tallest paused as he spotted the device in his lover’s lap, and the ceremonial garb the pilot had dressed in. “Dextorra...what are you doing? Is that-?” Swallowing a lump in his throat, Dextorra leaned towards the screen, sniffling lightly. 

Reaching back the pilot pressed the release on his own PAK, this time unable to stifle the whimper. The pain was instant, fear almost taking over his actions. Whimpering again, Dextorra pushed his PAK further from himself.

Know that means I'll have to leave

Lately, I've been, I've been thinking

I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier

“DEXTORRA! Stop it! This instant! Stop! Put your PAK back on! That’s an order!” Red’s voice was high with panic.

So I'll go, I'll go

“I’m...I’m sorry my Tallest. I didn’t want..you to see this.” sniffling, Dextorra’s cheeks grew cold as tears ran down them. “But I was selfish...and so scared.” voice hitching, Dextorra hugged Purple’s PAK tighter as he opened the airlock, easily pushing is own PAK out into space before it could try to reconnect with him. “I just..I wanted to see you again, sir.”

I will 

“Dextorra, please! Others are one the way. Just stop. Please..For me Dextorra...please…” Red pleaded. 

go,

Whimpering, Dextorra shifted once more, reaching back to attach Purple’s PAK to the empty place on his back. Looking up at his Tallest, the smaller Irken gently places a hand on the screen, as if to caress Red’s face. 

 go,

“I love you, Red. So don’t worry...don’t cry for me, sir. After all, it only takes ten minutes…” 

go

[singledarkshade]

Sapphire And Steel

Summary: When Detective Rip Hunter is given the task of tracking down the notorious jewel thieves Sapphire and Steel he has no idea how it's going to take over his life. All he wants is to put them in jail while they want to play with him. In more ways than one. Author’s Note: This was a small idea I had that started out as a quick fic that suddenly blossomed into a much longer fic. There will be some sex scenes later on and I apologise now because I'm not great at writing those types of scenes. Anyway, hope you enjoy and more will be up soon as I have a few chapters already written.                                 ********************************************* Part One The envelope sat on the breakfast bar when Sara walked into the kitchen. It had Rip’s name on it in neat script but was still sealed.

“Aren’t you going to open your mail?” she asked the man standing washing dishes.

Rip glanced over at her, “No.”

Rolling her eyes, Sara picked up the dishtowel and started to dry for him. It was never intentional for her to live with Rip. When she moved to Central City, her dad had asked Rip to keep an eye out for her, which he did. They met up for coffee every so often and she knew he would always be there if she needed help. Then the moron above her managed to flood Sara’s crappy apartment making it even more crappy. Rip had a spare room which he’d offered to let her use and Sara had now been staying in it for the past three months. Even though her apartment had now been fixed.

“Why aren’t you opening the letter?” Sara demanded after several minutes, “You’re a cop. I thought that came with an inability not to snoop into everyone’s business.”

Rip levelled an annoyed stare at her, which never worked since she had grown up with a cop who could do the same glare.

“I already know who it’s from,” Rip replied, “And I am not going to give them the satisfaction.”

Sara frowned confused.

They continued doing the dishes in silence for several minutes before Sara let out an annoyed cry.

“Who sent the letter?”

Rip shrugged, “It’s one of my cases.”

Sara rolled her eyes, “Rip, come on give me some actual information because this is making me more curious.”

Finishing the final plate, Rip dried his hands and picked up the envelope handing it to Sara.

“Open it.”

Confused, Sara used the knife she was holding and sliced open the envelope before pulling out a Christmas card with two penguins kissing under the mistletoe. At the cute cheery card Sara became even more bemused. Opening it she read the message;

Detective Rip Hunter, Merry Christmas, Looking forward to playing with you, Sapphire & Steel

“Who the hell are ‘Sapphire and Steel’?” she asked bemused.

Rip sighed, plucking the card out her hands and tossing it onto the breakfast bar.

“They are my latest case,” Rip told her.

Sara’s forehead wrinkled in confusion, “Do you want to run that past me again? I know Dad never got Christmas cards from the criminals he was chasing.”

Rip opened the fridge and pulled out two beers, handing Sara one before opening his own. Taking a long drink, he leaned against the counter.

“Sapphire and Steel are the nicknames two jewel thieves have somehow become known as,” Rip explained, “They’re notorious and have managed to avoid being caught for years. I was handed the case when Detective Perkins retired. I’m the third lead detective on the case.”

Sara mused on this, “Okay.”

“He told me that they liked to send him cards at Christmas and on his birthday,” Rip continued, “Their way of letting him know they’re out there.”

“So, they’re telling you they know you’ve taken over the case,” Sara chuckled.

Rip nodded, “Precisely. And I’m not playing.”

 Christmas went by quietly but on New Year’s Eve, Rip arrived home from the station to find a box addressed to him waiting on his doorstep. Knowing exactly who had sent it to him, Rip opened the bin sitting at the side of the building and dropped it in.

Smiling he headed inside to change for the party he was going to, but it was New Year and Rip had promised his girlfriend he’d go. It was quiet in the house with Sara home in Star City for the holidays. Despite reluctantly letting her use his spare room after the apartment disaster, he’d become used to her presence. It turned out that Sara was a good roommate to have since she had grown up with a cop, so understood his shifts. They communicated mostly via text or notes as they were rarely in the house at the same time. When their paths did cross, they didn’t get in each other’s way and got along fairly well. They also both ensured there was always food in the fridge and made sure the house was always clean.

Jumping in the shower, Rip closed his eyes as the water cascaded down over him before quickly washing. Shutting off the water he grabbed a towel and headed into his room to get dressed pulling on the black denims and light blue shirt he’d set out.

Hearing his phone buzz in the other room, Rip frowned when he passed the box that he’d just thrown out sitting on the dining room table.

“What?” he answered his phone sharply.

“It’s me,” Caitlin said, “Were you expecting someone else?”

“Sorry,” Rip winced, “Just…never mind. Is there something wrong?”

“No,” she assured him, “I’m just calling to let you know you don’t need to pick me up. Cisco is going to give me a lift, so I’ll see you there.”

“Okay,” Rip replied, “I’ve got the wine and I’m almost ready to head out the door.”

“Of course you are,” Caitlin laughed, “I’ll see you soon.”

Hanging up Rip frowned at the box sitting on the table. This meant that not only were they watching him, but they’d been in his house.

Perkins had warned him, but only about cards never presents. Grabbing the bottle of wine for the party, Rip decided he was not letting them get to him and ignored the box. He’d bin it again when he got home.

  “He’s not opening our present,” Gideon gave an exaggerated pout.

Miranda laughed as they watched the detective in charge of finding them leave his house, dressed nicely carrying a bottle of wine.

“He will,” Miranda assured her, “Give him time and he’ll get curious about what we’re sending him. All cops are the same.”

Gideon watched Detective Rip Hunter climb into his car and leave the driveway before turning to her partner, “Are we putting the cameras in now?”

Miranda grinned at her, “Yes,” at Gideon’s smile, Miranda kissed her, “He’s far enough away. Let’s go.”

Sliding out the car, Miranda waited for Gideon to disable the alarm system before opening the door. For a cop it had been surprisingly easy to get a copy of his keys. Walking into the house, Miranda looked around thoughtfully.

“Neat freak,” she mused, “How like a cop.” Turning to Gideon she grinned, “Let’s do this.”

It took them about ten minutes to set up Gideon’s surveillance system. They then wandered through the house looking through all of Rip’s things. Studying the man who taken over from Perkins, so they had all the information they needed.

“He’s going to be gone for a while,” Gideon said with a seductive smile, leaning against his bedroom door, “We could…”

“No,” Miranda cut her off, “We’re not leaving any evidence we were here.”

“Spoilsport,” Gideon pouted.

Miranda wrapped her arms around Gideon, “We’re going to have a lot of fun with him. Don’t get overexcited.”

Chuckling Gideon lifted the picture they’d found of their new friend, “He is nice to look at. Don’t you think?”

“He is,” Miranda agreed studying the photo, “His eyes are kind, he looks as intelligent as the reports say and I like the beard. The last two were so clean shaven, they didn’t fit the rugged detective look.”

“I wouldn’t kick him out of bed,” Gideon said.

Miranda’s eyes lit up with an idea

Gideon asked, “What?”

“Miller was gay, Perkins married and…” she grimaced, “Old.” Studying the photo again, Miranda smirked, “Are you following my train of thought?”

Gideon grinned, “Definitely,” she sighed musing, “We can have a lot of fun with him.”

Miranda chuckled, “And we’re going to. But….”

“There’s always a but,” Gideon sighed.

“Finesse, darling,” Miranda reminded her sliding arms around Gideon, “If we push too hard at the beginning he’ll break quickly. We watch and play with him a little first before getting to the real fun stuff.”

Gideon smiled mischievously.

“Miller quit and Perkins retired,” Miranda reminded her, “Neither got anywhere near us. Let’s see how well Hunter will do.”

                                  *********************************************

  Caitlin smiled amused when Rip slid into the seat across from her after he gave her a quick kiss hello, “Only ten minutes late. That has to be a personal record.”

Rolling his eyes, Rip picked up his menu, “I did warn you when we started seeing each other that these things happen.”

“Should I ask what actually happened to make you late?” Caitlin said, “Or will I get the reply ‘police business’ as always?”

At her teasing he smiled, “Just had to finish some paperwork before Captain Singh decided to demote me to traffic duty.”

Caitlin shrugged slightly, “At least you’d have a proper workday.”

“Wasn’t I the one waiting for two hours last month when you had to finish an experiment?” Rip asked teasingly.

“Now that was an extremely important experiment,” Caitlin replied with the hint of a smile.

Their waiter arrived and they ordered their meals, Rip taking a drink of wine Caitlin had ordered for them. They’d been seeing each other for about six months now. Neither were looking for a relationship at the time, and both were initially reluctant to start anything considering how much time their jobs took up. But Cisco, who had introduced them, just rolled his eyes and told them to not be stupid.

Rip was glad they had started dating, Caitlin was sweet, smart, they had similar interests and he always had fun when he was with her.

  “Do you think she’s right for him?” Gideon asked as she and Miranda sat in a nearby booth watching their Detective with the woman he was dating.

Miranda sipped her wine, “I think she seems intelligent and kind. I don’t think it will last but she’s fine for now.”

Gideon chuckled, “I like her. It’s a pity we’re going to ruin their date night. But I suppose we can make it up to him in some way.”

Miranda motioned the nearby waitress over and paid their cheque. As they were getting ready to leave, a smile touched Miranda’s face.

“What are you thinking?” Gideon asked at the mischievous look.

“I have an idea,” she said, “Wait for me in the car.”

Gideon nodded, brushing her lips against Miranda’s before she left the restaurant, taking a quick look back at their detective who was obliviously having dinner with his girlfriend. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she waited for Miranda to appear.

“Well?” she demanded the moment the other woman was in the car.

“I arranged for a bottle wine to be delivered to the table just before he gets the call about our latest escapade,” Miranda smirked.

Gideon laughed, “I love it. Let’s go and pick up my new necklace.”

  Rip chuckled as Caitlin finished the story about one of her co-workers while they waited for their dessert.

“Sir,” a waiter arrived with a bottle of wine making Rip frown.

“We didn’t order another bottle,” Rip told him.

The man nodded, “A lady sent it earlier tonight with her compliments for your dessert. Said you would know who it came from.”

Before he could answer, Rip’s phone buzzed at his side. Automatically glancing down he saw the alert about the robbery and the wine suddenly made sense.

“We don’t want it,” Rip stated coldly before turning to Caitlin, “I have to go. There’s been a robbery.”

She nodded, “Do you want me to bring dessert to yours?”

Rip sighed, “As tempting as that sounds, this could take a long time. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He leaned over to kiss her goodbye stopping when she caught his hand.

“Rip, you can tell me what that was with the wine,” she reminded him.

Giving her a small smile and a quick kiss, he nodded, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Cisco?” Rip called as he walked into the jewellery store, “What do we have?”

“Lock was picked, CCTV was turned off,” Cisco Ramon, the CCPD’s tech and cyber genius listed appearing at Rip’s side, “Safe was hacked and they got away with a tidy sum in uncut diamonds, some earrings, a few watches and a sapphire necklace that was being cleaned for the exceedingly wealthy Mrs Worthington which I have been told, repeatedly by the manager, is worth a fortune.”

“It was Coburn and Ryder,” Rip told him.

Cisco frowned, “How do you know by simply walking in the door? Are you psychic now?”

At the amused question Rip rolled his eyes. “They let me know at dinner.”

Confusion filled the younger man’s eyes, “I thought you and Caitlin…”

“We were,” Rip grimaced, “We were waiting for dessert when a bottle of wine was brought over from a woman who said I’d know who sent it. Then I got your message about the robbery.”

Cisco let out a whistle, “They…”

“Okay, let’s get to work,” Rip said determinedly, “I’m going to catch those two and throw away the key.”

[kusunogatari]

[ ObiRyū October | Day Thirty: Musical Soulmates ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū, Hatake Kakashi ] [ Verse: The World’s a Stage ] [ Previous || Next ]

It takes him a while to notice that something isn’t quite...right. And not just because he hears music at odd hours in his head. Everyone does that…it’s part of how people claiming to be soulmates find one another, after all. Whenever music gets stuck in your head out of nowhere? Your ‘other half’ is listening to it. And the same goes in reverse.

He’s always wondered if his supposed match has any interest in his favorite genres. Blues and metal isn’t the most...typical combination. But he considers it fair game given that his head tends to fill with any manner of music. Orchestral, pop, jazz, swing, rock...it’s like they can’t stop flipping through stations, it drives him nuts!

And yet, in a way...he finds it comforting.

...not everyone hears music in the quiet.

So, he endures. Some people actually join message boards telling what they’re listening to, hoping to find a match and figure out who’s on the other end of their musical experience the easy way. But Obito puts off such a method for a while. In truth? The notion scares him. Is he really supposed to be bound to one person for life? That just sounds so...forced. Besides...people change. Sometimes the music you hear switches. And at times, he wonders if his own mental music being so sporadic is the result of his heart not being able to make up its mind.

Sometimes he looks up the music he hears that has lyrics, but he avoids the forums. There’s just something...holding him back. All through high school he dodges the opportunity, still uncertain.

...but then something...odd starts happening. He hears music in pieces. Bits at a time, and it...changes. He scours the net for the lyrics, but comes up empty handed. Several songs in a row - his other half bouncing between them a few days at a time, but otherwise hyper fixating. And either this stuff is way indie, or...it just doesn’t exist. He can’t find it anywhere.

So, he finally takes the plunge...and starts asking on one of the bigger musical match sites. He posts inquiries about the lyrics, but...no one else has heard of them either. A few people pitch in to try and find the obscure references, but...nothing. Eventually they all get bored and leave him with his mystery music.

Sitting in a quiet diner one night, Obito absentmindedly rolls a quarter under a finger, back and forth, back and forth. There’s only one other occupied table: one full of teenagers that his early twenties mind finds obnoxious. He doesn’t have much for a tip tonight, but he’s managed to dig out the change from the bottom of his coat pocket, idling it while he waits for a coffee refill.

And then...he hears it.

Staring forlornly at the coin, it comes to a halt, eyes widening as the speakers in the diner suddenly switch to a tune he knows. One he’s never actually heard before - not with his ears. Only in his mind…!

Turning to stare at one in shock, he listens, hearing the familiar tune. But...he’s looked for months...and nothing! Now it’s on the radio?

...is he losing his mind?

The song plays through, the radio DJ taking over as it fades out.

“And there you have it: the titular track from up-and-coming artist Marshmallow’s first ever record! New to the scene and soon to be climbing the charts, we’ll be playing her new tracks hot and heavy, so prepare your ears! Now, on to the chart topper -”

Focus shifting, Obito pulls out his phone, quickly searching the name. Scrolling past pages about literal marshmallows, he finds what he’s looking for. A new pop artist, huh…? Then...that explains it. He was hearing something no one else had heard...because she was making the music as he heard it…!

...holy shit.

Surely a few other people have had this happen - after all, musical artists are people too, and people have matches. Well...most of them do. Why didn’t he think of that…?

But...that presents him with quite the dilemma. How is he ever supposed to contact her? Surely her social media will be flooded with fans - he’ll be drowned out! And there’s no way he’d ever get into some kind of private message, or a phone call. Is he just...doomed to be unnoticed forever?

...and then he gets an idea. A rather...interesting idea.

If he can hear her make music, then...maybe he’ll just have to make her a song…! He’ll just...put an explanation in the lyrics, and where to find him, and...there! She’ll hear it!

...won’t she?

...he has to try…!

Jogging home, he keeps his phone to his ear, hearing it ring. “Come on, pick up…!”

“Hello?”

“Kakashi! Kakashi, I need your help -”

“Whoa, slow down - you okay?”

“You still know how to play guitar?”

“...uh...yeah? I mean, it’s been a few years, but -”

“Great! Listen, I need you to help me write a song.”

“...didn’t know you were into making music.”

“I’m not...but someone important is! I’m coming over - I’ll explain when I get there!”

“Obito, dude, it’s almost eleven o’clock, I’ve got work in the -”

“It’ll just take a minute!” He cuts off any refusal with a hang up, grinning widely. This is genius…!

Obito doesn’t stop until he reaches Kakashi’s building, making his way up and knocking almost frantically.

A very irritated Kakashi opens the door. “...I’m gonna kill you.”

“Just let me explain -!”

“You’ve got five minutes. And then I’m going to bed. Because some of us have work in the morning, Obito.”

Ignoring his friend’s complaints, Obito makes his way in, trying to catch his breath. “Okay, so: music soulmate thing.”

“...uh huh.”

“I found mine!”

“...that’s great.”

“She’s a songwriter! A new one!”

“...and?”

“And...I don’t think I’ll be able to talk to her because she’s, well...y’know…”

“Cooler than you?” Kakashi offers, folding his arms with a smirk as Obito scowls.

“...you’re an asshole.”

“And you aren’t letting me go to bed on time. So we’re even. Keep going.”

“...I thought maybe, since I could hear her writing a song...if I wrote one, and put all my info in it, she’d know where to find me, and I wouldn’t get lost in the crowds!”

“...that’s a good point. Good luck DMing someone that far out of your league.”

“Hey, she’s my soulmate!”

“...yeah. She’s yours. But soulmates don’t always line up...remember?”

The reminder sobers Obito slightly. “...well yeah, but…”

“...I’ll help you try. Just...don’t get too bummed out if she doesn’t hear it, okay?”

“...she will. I know it…!”

“Whatever you say, buddy. I’ll make you a five minute ditty, just...let me blow the dust off the ol’ six string, okay? Like I said, I haven’t done this for a while.”

Obito, in the meantime, scribbles down what he wants to say. Which Kakashi quickly scraps.

“If you’re gonna make me do this, at least make it rhyme.”

“Rhyme? There’s no time!”

“You literally just did. C’mon. It’s not that hard.”

“Ugh, all right! Uh…” Sitting and thinking for a while, he scribbles something else.

Kakashi picks it up.

“Hello, my name is Obito.

You’re someone that I’d like to know.

I hear your music in my mind.

You’re someone that I’d like to find.

Before your songs were on the air,

I’d hear them daily, everywhere.

Long before the others knew,

I heard the music made by you.

Maybe that means we’re destiny

Us together, you and me.

If you hear this song of mine,

Could you please text me sometime?”

After come his phone digits, and Kakashi looks up to his friend, seeing the anxious look on his face.

“...this sounds like a fourth grader wrote it.”

“I’m in a hurry! And I never said I was good at poetry, okay? I’m desperate…”

“Yeah, well...that much is obvious.” Sighing, Kakashi drag his empty hand down his face. “...tell you what. I’ll work on this when I get home from work tomorrow -”

“But Kakashi -!”

“And that way...I can try to make this dumpster fire sound decent. Right now I’m tired and I’ve got an early morning ahead of me. You can wait another twenty-four hours, Obito.”

The Uchiha huffs a curt sigh. “...fine!”

“And you owe me for this.”

“Owe you?”

“I’m helping you get your soulmate, and it’s not out of the goodness of my heart.”

“And here I thought we were friends…”

“Buy me a beer next time we’re out, and I’ll call it even.”

“All right, fine. Sorry for...barging in…”

“...it’s fine. Now scram. I need to get to bed.”

Leaving the apartment, Obito scuffs his shoe against the carpet dejectedly. Maybe Kakashi is right...maybe this is a stupid idea. But...he has to try…! At least if he tries...he’ll know one way or the other. Heading home, he puts on his favorite blues album and eventually falls asleep.

Being as he’s between jobs, he doesn’t wake to an alarm, staring at his ceiling before throwing an arm over his eyes. He’ll have to wait until Kakashi gets home...and even then, Kakashi has to write the song. And then...all he has to do is hear it. Maybe a few times, just to make sure she hears it. Then maybe…

Not wanting to dwell on it, he gets up and goes through his morning routine: a quick workout, a run, and then breakfast.

...by then it’s ten o’clock, and the hours left are going to kill him.

He tries watching TV. Tries surfing the web. But nothing is enough to fully distract him, and he spends most of the day moping before getting a text from Kakashi that evening.

Think I’ve got it. Get over here so I never have to do this again.

In a flash, he’s out the door. Never has he made it to Kakashi’s so quickly.

“All right, it’s...nothing fancy. And I can’t sing very well, so...brace yourself.” Adjusting his guitar, Kakashi strums a few chords, and then gives Obito’s lyrics a go.

Sitting with rapt attention, Obito nods along, gesturing for a repeat once Kakashi finishes. She needs a chance to write his number down, after all! In his hand, he clutches his mobile, pleading for it to buzz.

Kakashi goes around and around for ten minutes before stopping.

...nothing.

“...maybe she’s asleep,” he offers. “Uh...I can record it real quick, if you want. Put it on your phone so you can listen to it later?”

“...sure.”

Hearing the dejection in his friend’s voice, Kakashi does as promised, moving the file to Obito’s phone. “Give it a try a few times tomorrow. See what happens.”

“Yeah...thanks, Kakashi.”

“...no problem. And hey...good luck.”

Obito manages a flicker of a smile before making his way back home, pace sluggish. Flopping into bed later, he puts in earbuds and listens to the track a few more times...just in case, before doing his best to sleep.

Come morning, he stutters awake as his phone vibrates, nearly falling out of bed as he checks his message.

...it’s Kakashi, asking if he’s heard anything yet.

No, not yet. I’ll text you.

Sighing, Obito reattaches his earbuds, going through his routine while listening. Then a short break...and he listens again.

By mid afternoon, he’s getting awfully sick of Kakashi’s voice. And still...nothing.

Sitting at his table with his head in his hands, his vision blurs before a few tears impact against the surface. He’s running out of ideas for excuses about why he hasn’t heard from her yet. She’s travelling. She’s ill. She’s...busy. Something. It’s not that she can’t hear him...it’s not...it can’t be…

Folding his arms, he burrows his brow against them, sulking self indulgently. He’s always been afraid of this...afraid of being unheard. Of being...alone.

Nearby, his phone vibrates, but he writes it off as Kakashi again. But then, it...keeps vibrating. Someone’s calling…? Maybe he’s finally gotten an interview. Picking the mobile up, he doesn’t recognize the number, swiping and holding it to his ear. “...hello?”

“Hi! Um...is this...Obito?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, um...h-hello. My name is Ryū! I’m...well, you might know me better as...Marshmallow…?”

Stiffening, Obito’s eyes fly wide, unable to answer.

“I’m so sorry I’m getting to you so late...I literally just finished a tour yesterday and I was exhausted and on a plane, and couldn’t call! But as soon as I landed I tried your number! I...I heard your song. But...the voice is different…?”

“T-that, uh...that was my friend! Kakashi. He...plays guitar. I...well, I don’t, heh…”

“Oh! Well that was such a good idea! I never even thought about that...and to think, you’ve been hearing my silly music for months, even before it was ready! I’m so embarrassed…”

“No, no! It’s not silly at all!” Grinning against the phone as it sinks in, Obito replies, “I mean, I can’t write or make music, so...I was impressed! You heard my pitiful attempt, heh…”

“Oh, no! It was good! Perfect - I knew just what was going on, and who you were! Really, it was a genius idea.”

His chest warms, smiling so wide his scars ache.

“But, listen...I’d really like to meet you, if...if that would be okay? I understand if that’s too forward -”

“I’d love to!” Obito blurts, going red as he realizes his manners.

Ryū, however, only laughs...and man, he already loves her laugh… “O-okay! Well...um, do you have an email? It’d be easier to get all the information back and forth that way, right?”

“Yeah, yeah - uh, one sec…” He relays the address, waiting as she jots it down.

“Okay...perfect. I’ll get something figured out! You...do you need some time to arrange your schedule, or…?”

“I’m, uh...I’m actually wide open right now,” he admits a bit sheepishly, itching his neck.

“That’s great! I’ll see if I can get something in the next few days - will that be okay?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Okay…” There’s a small pause, and then she admits softly, “...I already can’t wait to meet you...I’m so excited…!”

“Yeah...me too…”

“I was so scared I’d be someone matchless, you know? I mean...well, I won’t ramble, but...it’s a frightening thought. I’m so relieved…!”

“I know what you mean.”

“...well...is it okay if...if I text you between now and then?”

“I’d...love that, honestly.”

“Okay! If I’m ever annoying, just...tell me to can it,” she laughs.

“I doubt that’ll ever happen.” He doesn’t admit to how lonely he’s been - about how he’d be happy if she just sent him random emojis. Something, anything.

Ryū laughs. “Well...I’ll go work on getting you here. We’ll have to arrange all the details based on where you’re at, but...yeah! Just let me know all the info, and we’ll make it happen.”

“Okay.”

“I guess I’ll...talk to you later?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

“All right...bye…!”

“Bye…” Hearing the line click, he lets his arm go slack to his side, suddenly a bit dazed.

...he’s got to text Kakashi.

     ...okay I actually really like this, it's so cute xD This is based on a prompt (one of many lmao) that Meg generated off a site I...can't remember the name of. I've always loved soulmate AUs, and this is my first attempt at one, so...hopefully it's okay! Very cliche, and both Obito and I were rushed coming up with his lyrics, but...at least it worked! It was very clever of him x3      Anywayyy...only one prompt left...I'm kinda sad...but then I remember all my WIPs and I feel better xD But that's it for today's - thanks for reading!

[boneshine]

Close Call

Pairing: Benjamin Clawhauser / Chief Bogo

Rating: M

Summary: Bogo confiscates Clawhauser’s phone in order to make him more productive at work. Established relationship. Post-Movie.

Warning: NSFW! Details under the cut!

Part Four/Five

--

Warning: This is a NSFW story, although the adult content does not really begin until Part Five. That being said, this is still an M-rated story, so read at your own smut-loving risk.

--

The bed was warm, the blankets soft and plentiful as they wrapped around Clawhauser’s peacefully snoozing form. His paws kneaded at the air; a quiet purr nestled in the back of his throat. He was roused a bit at the sound of a door opening and shutting, but he drifted slowly back down into his dreams as the silky warmth and the scent of wheatgrass and his lover’s musky cologne kept his consciousness at bay—

EEGH EEGH EEGH!!!

The wailing, strangled beeps of Bogo’s alarm clock stabbed into the feline’s ear, his body jerked back and flailed, his world twisting around him as he fell off the bed.

“ACK!”

His heart pounding, head aching, Clawhauser could still hear the tell-tale chuckle wash over him.

“Works every time.”

Eyes squinted open in irritation, the cheetah’s frazzled form struggled to climb back into the bed, immediately deflating and flattening back into the sheets, his face slowly becoming more and more acquainted with the pillow as sleep tried to coax him back. “Vin-n-n-cenpphh…”

“Good morning, Ben.” He didn’t even need to look to know that Bogo was already up, showered, dressed in his uniform, fur groomed, and impeccably ready for the day before the cheetah had even opened both eyes. A hoof ran down his back, making the smaller’s round body instinctively raise itself in an arch at the welcoming touch, only to flop back down in exhaustion. “I said ‘good morning’, Ben. That means you need to actually get up.”

“Ugh…”

“On all fours, at least.”

Clawhauser’s ears perked. “Ooh.”

“Not like THAT.”

“Aw.”

The feline grumbled but heard something slosh in front of his face, the scent of berries filling his nose. His tail curled as his eyes open to spot a bowl of cereal in Bogo’s hoof, already poured and ready for him. “Lucky Chomps!”

“Indecipherably nutritious.”

He sat up and snuggled back into the pillows as he heaped spoonful after spoonful into his mouth with glee, stopping only to give his boyfriend a big milky kiss on his cheek. “Thaaanks, honey!” he chimed.

Bogo wiped his face. “Finish up and maybe we can get to work on time?”

“Three more bowls and I’m right behind you.”

--

The morning, while early and vastly unpleasant due to said earliness, had left Clawhauser in a considerably better mood. It wasn’t every day that he got to spend the night and the morning with his beloved Buffalo Buns, lounging with cereal and the occasional lingering touch from him as he stumbled around to get ready for work. However, as they drove in to the precinct, the cheetah recalled with a growing annoyance that he had another boring day without his phone ahead of him.

How did I forget that my boyfriend was such a jerk? I’m such a sucker for morning cuddles…

It didn’t help that Bogo seemed to recall it as well, and the expression on his face was a smug, amused contrast to the normally-bubbly feline’s pout.

“Don’t look so glum, Ben,” he spoke as they strolled to his desk, “It’s just one more day, you know.”

“It’ll be the worst day of my life,” he groused, climbing into his seat and already sulking.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. You’ll have much worse days than this.”

“… Gee, I really appreciate that!”

Bogo smirked. “Maybe this will help you change your outlook.” He leaned in, dangerously close considering it was a public space, and Clawhauser looked around uncertainly before he was drawn back to rich brown eyes and that handsome face. “I’ve decided to add something to our little bet.”

The feline sputtered. "More rules?! Wh—Vinc— Chief, I'm already chained to my desk! What more can you ask for?!"

"Nothing like that. It's a perk, really. And since you'll be tethered to your desk the rest of the day, I thought that perhaps some incentive will help keep you on track."

“Incentive?”

A warm hoof landed on his paw, trailing up his arm to graze the edge of a flickering ear. All the while, that salacious smirk only grew as he stared into wide eyes.

“Think about it. What motivates a Clawhauser?”

“… Doughnuts.”

Bogo’s smirk fell. “And… what else… ?”

It took only a second, and the cheetah’s mouth fell open in understanding. “Oh-h-h-h!” Another moment, and his eyes sparkled. “Ooo-o-o-o-o, I’m gonna get some--!” he squealed, muffled as his mouth was immediately covered with a hoof, the buffalo now glancing around suspiciously.

"Not outside of the office," he grit out.

Clawhauser couldn't stop a giggle, prying off his hoof from his grin. "Save the magic for the show, right?"

“There will be no show.”

“You’re such a prude at work, you know that?”

“I’m professional.”

The younger quirked a furry brow at him. “Mm-hmm… Okay, Mr. Shoulder-Touch-and-Ear-Grope-and-Sensual-Whispering-and--”

“Clawhauser.”

“… Sex-Promise.”

--

Of course, he took the incentive. Why wouldn’t he? It would be at least a decent reward for the hell that his boyfriend was making him go through.

Besides, it would only be six more hours, right?

The feline’s bored gaze was trained on his computer, holding back a sigh as he refreshed the page for the hundredth time to see if any new reports had popped up to deal with. Sadly, nothing. And he had five hours and 15 more minutes to go and he was literally going to go insane--

“Um, Ben?”

The cheetah jumped, blinking from the screen daze as he leaned over the desk to see the familiar face of a bunny staring up at him, gasping. "Judy!" Boy, was he glad to see her, obvious by his wide and excited smile. A distraction! And also, his dear friend! But mostly, right now, a distraction! "How's it going, my bunny from another mummy?"

"Fine, fine..." Judy seemed to hesitate, a rare expression on her velvety visage. "It's just that... I haven't gotten a text from you since the Molencia call." Her ears tilted back in worry. "Did I upset you somehow?"

Aww! Cute! Cute! Cute! "No, no! Of course not, cutie-- Judy," he corrected quickly at her narrowed look. "You're fabulous as always. It's something completely out of my control, believe me. I'm being punished. Bogo confiscated my phone to teach me a lesson."

"Oh." The bunny blinked and cracked a small smile. "Is it a... good lesson?"

"Huh?"

She wriggled her eyebrows. "You know... the kind that some couples do... I've heard..."

The implication in her tone was not lost on him, and his skin immediately burned under his fur. "Whaaat?! N-No! He's just trying to teach me to focus on my job! O-M-Goodness, Judes! Where did that come from?!"

Judy giggled. "Hey, I'm a bunny. I come from a family of over two-hundred siblings. I know this stuff."

"I thought that you didn't like to use those stereotypes!"

"... Nick MAY be influencing me more than I thought," she mumbled.

 Knew it! Clawhauser hid his own grin and covered it with an indignant huff. "Any-who, I'm stuck at my desk until the end of my shift..." He suddenly leaned over, startling the small rabbit. "So-o-o-o how's about you stay here and chat with me for a while? Maybe an hour or two? It's been a slow crime week, hasn't it? You can spare the time!"

His enthusiasm seemed to set her back. "Oh... Well, actually, I got a text from Nick about some 'former friends' that may be linked to that stolen car ring we've been working on." She grinned. "We get to be part of the stakeout! Six A.M. sharp!"

Bunnies were such morning creatures; it was almost nauseating. "Fan... tastic?"

"I know! So, I'm afraid that I'll have to cut our talk short. Like, right now," the bunny was already turned to begin leaving, her paw up in farewell. "Good luck, Ben!"

Panic filled the cheetah. "Wait! No! I can't leave my desk! Don't leave, Judy! I need to talk! Just stay a little longer, please!"

"Can't hear you, too pumped!"

"Judy, no! Judy, don't go through the door, no! I need contact from the outside world! No-o-o-o..." he moaned out and slumped against the desk as the doors slid shut behind her. "My bunny beacon of hope..."

"Clawhauser!" A voice boomed from above.

The cheetah jolted and gawked up in confusion. "What?!"

Bogo's expression seemed less stern, but he pointed to his door regardless. "In my office!"

The cheetah stared. Was he serious? "I haven't left!" he blurted out.

The chief rolled his eyes. "Just get up here!"

--

There was no hiding the irritated stomp the feline had and Clawhauser huffed as he walked into the office. "Let's get one thing clear, okay?" he started. "I want it on the record that this does NOT count as me losing the bet because YOU ordered me up here for who-knows-what reason and--"

As soon as the door shut behind him, he was pressed against it.

Soft lips covered his in a sudden kiss, a hoof grasping the back of his head like the shirtless hunk on his favorite romance novel cover.

Clawhauser's bewilderment immediately turned to joy, and his eyes sparkled before closing and returning the kiss with enthusiasm.

Surprise hanky-panky? Thanky!

The hot, heavy weight of his lover was pressed into his body and he purred wildly, paws kneading strong shoulders as the feline clung to the older male. Yes! This was a fantastic way to kill a few hours (which was NOT an exaggeration as he recalled other, ahem, 'meetings' like this) and to keep his mind off that stupid bet! After all that teasing his chief had done, he could use some relief. He licked at his boyfriend's soft muzzle, urging him to continue--

But Bogo pulled his mouth back, and used it to smirk at the dazed form, still pressing him against the wall.

"You'll get the rest tomorrow."

The words were like a splash of cold water and Clawhauser's pants faded as he blinked. "Come again?"

"Sorry. Not yet."

"... What?" A hiss.

The mounting anger on his lover seemed to please the buffalo. "That was just a taste. You didn't think I'd let you get away with more than that today? The bet isn't over."

"Wh-- You just..." Clawhauser's body squirmed frantically, fangs bared. "You can't keep DOING this to me!"

His paws were held and restrained by one hoof; his struggles worthless.

“I haven’t done anything to you.” The humor in the chief’s voice was infuriating. “And I won’t until after the bet is over. That’s the point, Ben.”

"No!” he hissed again, “No, this—this is unacceptable! Absolutely not! You already took away one toy! And THEN you have the AUDACITY to dangle my favorite one in my face and take it away before I get to play with it!" the smaller snarled and struggled to reach his lover's trousers, claws ready to rip fabric open, but they barely wiggled in the buffalo’s iron grip. "Just a quickie! It’s the least you can do!"

“Actually,” his body was lifted and twirled around to face the door, with a fond pat on his sizable rump to end the contact as Bogo returned to his desk, “the least I can do is nothing. And that’s exactly what’s happening. Until. The bet. Is over,” the chief hummed.

Several things ran through the feline. Anger. Indignation. Incredible horniness.

Oh, he was going to PAY!

His eyes were almost slits as he managed out, "I have half a mind to deny you for a week!" He bit back a growl, already at the door. He tried to adjust certain things before he swung the entrance open.

"The other half seems to disagree, then," came his boyfriend’s sly response.

"Oh, no! Believe me, the rest will follow when blood flow returns to my brain, you big buff jerk!"

--

It was the first moment of the entire day that Clawhauser was glad he couldn't leave his desk. He shifted and grumbled as his arousal slowly faded into a dull throb. It had been difficult enough trying to ease back down the stairs without alerting anyone to his 'condition.'

He is going to make it up to me so hard... Oh, cripes, hard... He cursed at himself, only to sigh as the landline rang.

Five. More. Hours. Left.

Hello, sex life? Sorry, you've been canceled.

[coeurdastronaute]

Either/Or: Partners

Supercorp AU Lena as a DEO agent before Kara comes out as Supergirl & they meet via working cases together for the DEO.

Like the rest of the world before dawn, the laboratory on the fifth basement level of the DEO headquarters was still relatively asleep and peaceful. Deep in the sterile tomb, everything was steel and glass, clean corners and not an ounce of trash or anything out of place. It was orderly and pristine and smelling of antiseptic and bleach.

“Morning, Tom,” Jess greeted the guard that kept the top secret lab, top secret.

She juggled the  two coffee cups and dug in her pocket for her badge before letting him scan and moving her eye for the retina scan.

“Good morning, lovely Jess,” the old, cheerful guard greeted her.

While to some he was nothing more than a grumpy, trigger happy, protocol-loving, veteran with a strict adherence to the rules of the base, to the handful of scientists inside the deepest parts of the secret agency, he was sweet as could be.

Hair leaning a bit more toward grey than black, eyes gleaming and just slits where blue peaked out, the guard had a crooked nose and high cheeks, and he kept his cheeks freshly shaven and his uniform pressed nice and stiff, despite already having over a decade logged behind the desk and never letting that make his work suffer.

He was a staple to them.

“How late was she here until?” she asked, turning around and pushing through the newly buzzed door.

“I don’t think she left.”

“What are we going to do with her?”

“I just watch the door,” he smiled. “You and Dr. Luthor figure out the hard stuff.”

“Have a good one, Tom,” Jess chuckled and tossed over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hall toward the bulk of the labs and her and her boss’ office.

It wasn’t often that Jess wasn’t one of the first people in the lab. She had the most demanding boss, the actual Director of Research and Scientific Discovery, and thus that meant she had a more rigorous set of guiding principles and assessments. It also meant that much of her job was spent managing said Director, which in turn meant being ahead of her moods and whims and brain. A feat not easily conquered by the faint of heart.

While the lab was scoured and awfully clean and drab, their office was somewhat more inhabited by humans. The walls had bookshelves with journals and artifacts and degrees and plants, while the large desk now had a sleeping woman folded over it.

Even as she walked through the lab filled with microscopes and large monitors, Jess scoped out a sleeping Lena Luthor and shook her head, disappointed that the promise to make her way home for the night had been ignored.

She debated waking her boss at all. Odds were, she only fell asleep about an hour ago after pouring over some numbers that could have waited until the morning. Odds were, she should have gone home and grabbed some actual sleep. Odds were, she’d be cranky.

So, unabashedly, the assistant allowed herself a little time to get the morning started without the interruption of a certain genius. Sometimes, life was just easier that way.

For another hour, Jess sipped her coffee and responded to emails, downloaded the newest articles to her boss’ tablet, and went about sorting the tasks of the day. Her list of tasks would never get done, and that was on a good, stress-free week. But Lena had her teeth in something, and that meant nothing else mattered.

Recruited while still getting her doctorate, or rather, her third, Lena took right to her job at the DEO, snagging the director’s position at a young age, and despite her assistant’s best attempts, she grew very old, very quickly. Not so much in body and mind, but rather habits. She’d never find anyone if she never left the DEO basement. Jess said those words so much, she was thinking of just having a recording made that she could play whenever she--

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

The alarm echoed throughout the building, blaring and echoing its deafening assault to warn of something.

“Jess!” Lena jolted awake, looking around very confused and alarmed.

Yanked from sleep so suddenly, Lena looked around for something, her heart beating wildly in her chest, her brain catching up as quickly as it could despite the cold start, and still, the warning alarms and strobe lights methodically screamed and blared.

“What time is… When did… What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure,” Jess shook her head, clasping her hands over her ears as she shouted across the room toward her boss. “What does your tablet say?”

Before Jess finished, Lena was already picking up the device and scrolling and opening. But before the assistant could follow up, she dropped the tablet and quickly moved from around the desk.

“Prep the trauma room and tell Ramirez and Patel to go to receiving and collect whatever artifact did all of this. They’re bringing it in now. I want it in my lab immediately.”

Lena tied up her hair and hurried toward the elevator.

“Lena, what’s going on?” Jess asked as she followed and jotted notes despite the noise.

“It’s Supergirl.”

With a grave look, Lena set her jaw and hit the button, the elevator door closing immediately, leaving Jess stuck, standing amidst the chaos only to realize that there was more chaos about to arrive.

Each floor that the elevator passed dinged in a steady rhythm as it approached the top floor of the headquarters. Lena finished pulling up her hair and rolled her head around, stretching the sore, stiff muscles of her neck and shoulders. She grunted slightly as she rubbed a joint that certainly hadn’t enjoyed her impromptu desk nap.

“Just keep cool,” she muttered to herself, steadying her mind for what was to come. “It’s only one of Earth’s greatest heroes. And it could be nothing. Could be a test.”

That helped, a little. But the elevator kept climbing, and Lena let the nerves back in.

It was difficult not to. Fresh from Metropolis, Lena hadn’t fully unpacked her apartment, let alone figured out everything she’d be doing as Director. She hadn’t even met Supergirl, or really anyone other than her department in her first few months of work. She just dove right in, eager to help, and excited to learn.

And now alarms were singing and she still wasn’t quite sure what time or day it was, and she was almost certain the alarm meant that Supergirl was hurt.

“Or you’re about to let a hero die,” she remembered as soon as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened, once again bringing up her nerves in full force.

That was her peptalk as she thrust herself into the forray. Everyone was running around, orders were being barked out, and it was still before dawn, Lena realized, finally finding her way to a window.

“Thank you for getting here so quickly, Dr. Luthor,” the director of the entire agency greeted her, his face long and solemn as he walked past her statuesque figure.

Quickly, Lena skipped to behind him.

“Is it really Supergirl?”

“I don’t know much, except someone has come in contact with a new substance that seems to coincide with an alien we’ve been after.”

In the flurry of activity, Lena stood her ground and waited for everything to start, but once it did she lost her anxiety an let her brain take over.

Lifeless and limp, Supergirl’s body was brought to the prepared gurney while a hundred different voices began to explain things. Lena ignored them, lifting the hero’s eyelids and tracking movement with her flashlight.

She had a doctorate in biology, astrophysics, and chemistry, and never did she expect she’d be working on Supergirl. But she did. She quieted the crowd in a forceful way and took Supergirl to her lab, eager to isolate whatever drug or chemical was doing this to her.

Behind her, she listened to the director telling the other agents that it was under control, and to begin the real work of figuring out what was going on, that the world still continued and their job existed before Supergirl.

As the doors closed, Lena looked down at the helpless person on the bed and gulped, wondering how true it was.

“If you could not die before I figure this out, I’d appreciate it,” she mumbled.

The people came and went, never lingering for as long as they wanted, and instead forcing themselves to carry on with their work. Lena checked vitals and waited for the sunlamp to do its thing as she ran tests on the chemical and weapon brought back to her lab.

Slow, tedious work was her favorite kind. It kept her hands and mind busy, and the quiet was a welcome distraction from the pressure of saving Supergirl.

So involved with her work did Lena find herself, that she didn’t notice, at first, the waking of the hero. She sat right beside the bed and jotted notes down as results came back from her tests, but she didn’t notice movement until Supergirl coughed and grunted against the pain.

“I don’t have my powers,” she whispered, looking around the room as she got Lena’s attention.

“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked, quickly putting her things down and once again shining a light in the hero’s eyes. “You took quite a beating, but the sun lamps are helping with the healing.”

“I don’t have my powers.”

“They will be back within the next day or two. I’m running tests on the chemical you were attacked with, but without knowing the proper dosage, I’m not sure…”

Lena trailed off as she stopped fidgeting with the patient and met Supergirl’s curious glance. Furrowed brow and proud chin, the hero stared back at Lena as if she were the alien. The doctor felt her cheeks heat up under the intense scrutiny.

“I don’t know you.”

“Right, sorry,” Lena gulped and looked away. “Not much of a reason for you to come down to the lab, I guess.”

“Usually I’m out there.”

“I know,” she smiled before taking a big breath. “I’m Lena Luthor. Dr. Lena Luthor. I just transferred over to run the research and development division.”

“Transferred?”

“From Metropolis. I did my first few years working with--”

“My cousin,” Supergirl nodded and tried to sit up, though her body had other things to say about that.

Lena helped adjust the bed and the lamps as she continued.

“The new stealth capabilities and early detection systems were some of my projects. Got me shortlisted for this position, and then it opened--”

“You’re young. The last guy was like… old.”

“Probably why he retired.”

Supergirl snorted to herself as she smiled and nodded. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, both as Lena did some diagnostic work with the machines and as Supergirl flexed and tried to feel any of her power. When she failed again, she sighed and tried to sit up again, this time with a little more success. She watched the doctor move around the room, entering things into her tablet and looking altogether too studious.

Lena felt the eyes on her, and she felt oddly exposed because of it. But she couldn’t say anything to Supergirl, and she certain couldn’t look at her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself sooner,” Supergirl finally spoke up. “I should get better at knowing who I’m working with.”

“You’re a busy woman. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“Sit back and stop fidgeting with the wires,” Lena shook her head as she earned a dopey smile from the patient. She found herself gently pushing very strong shoulders for someone who was no longer immortal.

“Let me start over,” Supergirl tried, sticking out her hand. “I’m Supergirl, and it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Lena,” she slowly took the hand that was offered to her, grateful to no longer be touching a supersuit and the muscles beneath it.

“I’m glad you joined our team.”

“Wait until you see the portal replicator I’ve been working on.”

Before she could say anything else, a handful of grateful agents joined the pair in the medical bay, and Lena shrunk slightly to the side. She only caught Supergirl’s eyes one more time before she was suddenly back to work, only then realizing that her facade had slipped into something akin to human.

In under two days it was all done. Powers returned, as promised, and thanks to Lena’s ingenius reworking of the alien tech, the culprits were apprehended, and all future endeavors into alienating Earth’s favorite alien were halted.

From her perch atop the old City Hall, Supergirl ate her take out and surveyed the city as the sun set and another day ended. With everything wrapping up, she let her mind wonder back to the girl she saw when she woke up without powers, and how she didn’t mind working with Dr. Luthor.

When she asked around about her, she only heard good things. People were amazed by how her mind worked and the things she did, and the diligence to which she put into her job. She took on responsibility and she worked to do her part in keeping the world safe. It was all exceptionally admirable.

And there was also the problem of her smile.

Kara shook her head and ate another egg roll before leaning back and scanning the city to keep her mind distracted.

“Hey, Supergirl, we have some more of that alien technology that has been cropping up on the black markets,” Alex came in over the comms.

“Yeah?”

“Seems like something our Research team should investigate.”

Her ears perked up slightly.

“I’ll be right there. I should work this case. This is dangerous stuff,” Supergirl decided, shoving food into her mouth and dusting her hands off on her pants as she quickly stood, preparing to push off as she fumbled to gather her trash.

“I’m sure they can handle it, I just wanted to give you a hea--”

“No, no, I’ll help. All quiet here,” she insisted.

“Quite an interest you’ve taken in research,” her sister teased.

“It’s dangerous technology that I’ve never seen before. I need to be prepared for--”

“Yawn,” Alex feigned. “I’m going to head over to the labs and just drop this stuff off.”

“No! I’ll do it!” Supergirl insisted rushing off as quickly as she could.

“You’re a mess.”

“Shut up.”

Tired and a little sore, Lena stretched her neck and let out a tiny, unsatisfied groan at the resulting creaks and groans her bones made. With a sigh, she leaned forward on her desk and rubbed some of the tension with her fingers, digging into her neck in hopes of relaxing.

Long since gone, Jess left dinner sitting on her bosses desk, which mean it was half-eaten and pushed to the side in favor of more reports. They weren’t even fun ones. If anyone had told Lena that as Director of a department her job would entail lots of budgets, she would have declined swiftly.

That was almost true, she smiled to herself as she sat back in her chair. She was a fan of challenges.

Before she could jump back in to more proposals, Lena caught a movement out in the lab. She shifted as a familiar stock of blonde hair peaked around, weaving through the lab and looking into offices.

“Hello?”

The person who turned around wasn’t Supergirl though. She had the same color hair, and the same kind of face and jaw and when their eyes locked, there was the same blue--

“Sorry to barge in,” the agent managed, adjusting her glasses, pushing them up over the familiar blue that made Lena cock her head and stare. “I just… I didn’t expect anyone.” She cleared her throat. “I’m here to check on the results from the black market technology.”

“I didn’t expect anyone to be on this until the morning, Agent…”

“Danvers,” she offered quickly. “Kara Danvers.”

“Have we met before?” Lena asked, staring at the new agent, the staunch, button up wearing agent who reminded her so much--

“No, no, I don’t-- I just. You’re new, right?”

“You really remind me of someone.”

“Just one of those faces, I think,” Kara nodded, adjusting her glasses once again. “You might see more of me though. I’m assigned to the black market case.”

Lena just cocked her head and stared at the person standing in her office, not wanting to allow herself to believe the idea she just had.

“Shall we begin then, agent Danvers?”

An absolutely magnetic smile flashed across the relieved DEO agent’s face as she sat in the chair across from the Director of Research. Lena felt herself smile because that was all she could do with a smile like that.

[ask-rogertaylor]

((..Uh..so..sorry about the angst? here is my apology?? Ok this is still a little angsty but the ending is happy and sappy ok.. Here’s another ficlet about the first time Roger realised he may have had a crush on @ask-johndeacon !! Also featuring landslide by Fleetwood Mac bc that Fleetwood Mac anon made me feel a lot of things. And yes, Brian is the next victim of the ficlet saga jkjljsdljs))

Every time Roger closes his eyes he sees John.

John is gorgeous. He’s got moonshine in his eyes and when he smiles the world shakes. He’s a sight that Roger wouldn’t mind seeing constantly, but he desperately needs him out of his head, because John will never be his to hold, his to kiss, never be his. And Roger has never thought this to be a problem, until today.

Roger never thought he needed John like this in his life. He’s always liked him. He saw his talent first. He knew the moment he stepped into the room that John was their missing puzzle piece. But Roger never thought he would need John like this. He doesn’t even know how it’s happened, or when this happened, but it’s happened, and Roger has fallen hard and he can’t get back up.

Just hours earlier John had dragged Roger’s drunk ass out of the pub, the smaller man trying to writhe out of the bassists arms in fury. Roger doesn’t even remember what had been said to him, and why he was so angry, and why he had threatened another man with his fists, but it was so bad that John had dragged him out of the pub and towards the pier, away from it all.

“Shh, Rog, calm down—the fresh air should do you good,” John had reassured, his two hands still firmly placed on Roger’s heaving shoulders.

He was right. John was always right. John always seemed to know with Roger.

Roger breathed in heavily, the cool breeze lightly nipping at his flushed, warm skin. He felt relaxed for once, and very cleansed. At a calm.

He sat down at the edge of the pier, sighing. “I’m sorry, Deaky. I got ahead of myself.”

John had laughed at him fondly, sitting himself next to Roger, “When do you not? But it’s fine. You’re funny when you’re angry.”

Roger scoffed, “Funny? I am not funny when I am angry. I’m scary.”

“Sure. Shortie,” John had teased lightly, batting him on the shoulder playfully.

“I’m not fucking short!” Roger hissed.

“Alright, whatever helps you sleep at night,” John laughs.

And they’re both silent for a while. But it’s comfortable. Roger doesn’t typically like silence, he likes talking, he needs to talk to feel energy, but with John, just being around him gives him the energy he needs. He always feels safe when he’s with John. There’s something about him.

They can hear the muffled sound of the music bar just a 100 or so meters away from them. The soft plucking of guitars and the melodic voice of Stevie Nicks’. Roger recognised the song instantly. Landslide.

“Well, I've been 'fraid of changin'

'Cause I've built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I'm gettin' older, too..”

Roger shuts his eyes to the melody, letting the music flow into him, letting himself lose himself in it.

But John hums softly to the music, his voice melodic and gentle, and Roger is hit with this electricity, a feeling he’s never felt before.

His eyes flutter open, and he looks over at John, the moonlight framing him, so that all he can see is him. The nearby lights of the pub seem to be a haze. He doesn’t know why it’s taken him so long to realise that John Deacon is beautiful.

Roger inched closer to him, he has no control of his body, but as he nears him John suddenly turns around to face him, and Roger is frozen in his tracks. He’s completely paralyzed.

“..You okay, buddy?” John had asked slowly.

Roger blinked, swallowing, but unable to formulate a response. His hands begin to shake, and then his whole body.

“..God, Rog, you’re shivering—okay, I think you’ve had enough, let’s get you home before you catch your death,” John worried, beginning to stand up and help the blonde up himself.

Roger didn’t feel cold at all.

And now he’s in bed. He’s been tossing and turning for quite a while now. He wants to sleep, he really does, but every time he closes his eyes he sees John. And he sees his lips. And he does what he wants to do. And he’s jolted back awake, and Roger’s hands are clammy and his chest is getting increasingly tighter.

He loathes himself for feeling like this. He’s already got an eye on Brian, and now he’s starting to catch something for John—and he’s so confused and he’s feeling so much guilt. And when he tries and relaxes all he can think about is losing John. He can see him leaving through a door, out of his life forever—and the thought of it causes Roger’s breathing to quicken in pace.

His breathing is shallow, and he’s so sweaty and his chest is tight and it feels like it is frozen. He heaves, squeezing his eyes shut to try and block out the impending anxiety pounding at him. He can barely breathe, and he begins to feel faint. The walls close in on him, and just when he’s about to get suffocated his hand grabs for his phone and he’s dialing a number—memorized off by heart, and the phone rings. So slowly.

“Hey, Rog..what’s up..?” John says groggily.

Roger’s breath hitches, “S..sorry Deaky..I just..I-I don’t know..I can’t..”

“Please don’t leave me,” Roger whimpers pathetically, his voice cracking, his face crumpling.

“Woah,” John says, clearly alarmed and now more awake. Roger can hear him shift.

“Hey, Rog, slow down. What’s wrong?” He asks with concern.

“Just. Please don’t,” Roger chokes, a single tear escaping him.

“Woah, woah, Rog. Of course not. Why would you think that?” John tries to reassure.

“I’m sorry, I’m just..terrified right now and I don’t know why,” Roger strains, unable to stop the freely flowing tears now.

“Hey. It’s okay. You’re okay,” John says softly.

Roger sniffles, hiccuping, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m such a mess.”

John chuckles softly, “You’re okay, Rog. Don’t worry. You’re probably just a little anxious tonight. A bit of a mix of the alcohol and too much sensations.”

Too much sensations, alright.

“..I just..don’t want you..to not be in my life,” Roger sniffles softly, wiping at the tears furiously.

John softens, and sighs, “Roger. I don’t see myself not being in your life for the foreseeable future. I’m going to be here a while, okay? Besides, who would I take the piss out of if you weren’t in my life?”

Roger manages a laugh at that.

“I’m sorry about this, John. God, it’s nearly half three in the morning. You should be sleeping,” Roger frets.

“Roger, it’s fine. It really is. You do know I care a lot about you and just want you to feel safe?” John says softly.

“Because I really do. I don’t like the idea of you being all alone and anxious like this. I’m actually glad you called me. Because this way you know you’re not alone—you know that, right?”

Roger smiles a little, “I do now.”

“Good. Because you’re not.”

“I love you, John. You’ve been..a fantastic friend to me. Thank you.”

John chuckles, “I love you too, Rog. This is the nicest we have ever been to each other. And you’re not going to remember this in the morning.”

Roger laughs a little, “I’d say it’s for the best. I don’t think sober me would approve of all these nice things I’m saying.”

“I agree. Look..Rog, you sound exhausted. Please try and get some rest. I don’t want to have to deal with a cranky you tomorrow,” John jokes lightheartedly.

Roger manages a smile, “Okay. I’ll try. Thank you, John. Really.”

They end the call shortly afterward.

And his chest feels much looser. He can still hear John’s voice in his head. He feels much lighter. There’s this warmth in his heart and his hands are tingling and there are butterflies in his stomach. He feels so safe, and so secure for once. He thinks of flowers and dewy grass. He feels as though that the moonshine that shines into his bedroom window was made just for him.

Oh no.

“Oh fuck,” Roger hisses to himself, burying his face into his pillow, “Oh god. What have I done to myself?”

He curses his heart right there and there. He curses himself for being so careless with his heart and letting it go chasing after someone, yet again. He feels like an absolute idiot, but he feels at this stage there’s nothing he can do about it.

He’s fallen too hard. There’s no turning back. His courage cannot desert him. His heart cannot fail him now. This is his journey now.

He rolls over and blindly rummages through the pile of records that sit in one of the drawers of his bedside table, and as he finds what he is searching for, quickly places it onto his record player. And the music plays.

“Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?”

Roger sighs softly, closing his eyes. He sees John again. But this time he just lets it happen. This is his journey. He’ll just have to see where this road takes him.

“Ah, take my love, take it down

Oh, climb a mountain and turn around

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well, the landslide will bring it down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well, the landslide will bring it down

Oh, the landslide will bring it down..”