#i feel so bad and guilty. and i apologized and bought him a pack of cigs as a sorry gift and talked about it but i cant change the past | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

juletheghoul · 3 years

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Libertas (A Frankie one-shot)

So, this is a beast. I've been working on this for days. It's long and I don't even know if I'm happy with the ending - please feel free to ask questions. I'm keeping this as a one-shot for now but who knows - I might revisit it again.

Frankie Morales x F!Reader

Pairing: Frankie x F!Reader

Word Count: 14K (I make no apologies)

Warnings: **TRIGGER WARNING** Deals with domestic abuse, implied violence (nothing super graphic) Reader is a single mom so all the fluffly parents stuff, yearning, language, Smut 18+, PIV sex (wrap it up), dirty talk, Oral-female receiving/mentions of male receiving

Masterlist

Something about packing everything you cared about in the world and stealing away in the middle of the night was deeply dehumanizing.

You had no choice obviously, not if you wanted a chance at living a normal life. You had been planning this for weeks and it was finally coming to fruition. The money you had managed to scrounge up felt like it was burning a hole in your purse, staring up accusingly as you quietly packed. You checked your watch, almost time.

You double checked to make sure you had all of the essentials you needed in order to make your escape, knowing it would be prudent to have absolutely everything done before you woke up your daughter. Her birth certificate, her immunization records, all of the documents that he had hidden from you to prevent you from doing the exact thing you were currently doing.

You contemplated, not for the first time, when this had all started. When you first met your now husband he was everything you ever dreamed. A few years older, charming, handsome, generous; everything you ever thought you wanted. He treated you like a princess, spoiling you rotten. There was nothing he wouldn’t do in order to make you happy. Your family and friends often gushed to you how they wished they could find a partner like him. You gave him absolutely everything. Your virginity, your love, your devotion, your soul. Now that you were in the thick of it though you could see the little signs, making you feel guilty about not spending enough time with him. Subtly sullying your opinion of the people you loved. Slowly and carefully cutting you off from your family, it felt like he was opening your eyes at first. No one had ever loved you like him, this all had to be for your own good.

The first time he hit you came as a shock, and he cried bitter tears after. Begged you for forgiveness, the guilt seemed to drive him mad. In the end you consoled him, cooing in his ear softly as he held onto you tightly. That was depressingly funny now, how he managed to have you console him after hitting you. Had you feeling bad for him, he treated you like fine China for weeks after that; until the next blow came. Eventually he stopped crying. Stopped apologizing. By the time he proposed you had no one left having pushed everyone away. Everyone except him, then you got pregnant and escape seemed impossible.

You pushed the ugly memories away as you double checked you had everything, it was a matter of life or death whether you got this right.

Dinner had gone well all things considered, he was in a good mood. You had managed to mix in a few crushed-up allergy pills into his food, knowing they always made him drowsy. There was no way you’d be able to get your hands on anything stronger; the medicine cabinet was kept under lock and key but you had bought these without him knowing. He couldn’t keep his eyes open while you watched TV in silence, and when he couldn’t take it anymore he announced it was time for bed. He dropped into bed like a stone and hadn’t moved since; even then you waited a full two hours to get out of bed.

Content with the contents of your small suitcase, you proceeded to pack your daughters backpack with some extra things you thought you might need. Travel bottles of toiletries for you both, a change of clothes for each of you, some of her snacks, a small bottle of baby Tylenol just in case, and her blanket. You threw your purse in there too, not wanting to carry around too many things.

You woke her up gently, thankful she didn’t cry – you dressed her in warm clothes and gathered your things. With her perched on your hip, you slung her backpack behind you and wheeled your suitcase out the door and out onto the front porch.

“Is daddy coming with us?” She asked sleepily into the crook of your neck. Your heart was in your throat.

“No honey we’re going on a trip by ourselves.” You shushed her while keeping an eye out for movement in the house as you locked the door.

Your heart pounded and you were slightly shaky throughout your whole trek, through the bus terminal where you paid for your tickets in cash. Your stomach in knots throughout the cross-country bus ride, she was sleepy and disoriented but you kept her entertained with one of the dolls you brought her. As she played quietly you kept worrying at your ring finger- your fingers kept returning it, expecting to find it and panicking when you didn’t. It made you think of when you would lose a tooth as a child and your tongue would continue to dig at the hole in your gums.

You were dealing with the panic up until you stepped foot at the front door of your new apartment. You had managed to scrounge enough money for first and last as well as a couple of months rent while you went about finding yourself a new job. You were hoping to find something where your employer didn’t ask a lot of questions. You were sure that if you used your married name, he would find you. This was a fresh start, for you and your daughter.

The bungalow was small, two bedrooms on a neat little street. A little outdated, but cozy, and peaceful. One of the selling features for you- aside from the fact that it was on the other side of the country- was that it came fully furnished. You figured you could always add homey touches later when you had a bit more money.

After putting Mia down for a nap, you went about giving the house a once over, making sure all of the windows and doors locked properly. Your landlord had left your keys in a lockbox outside on the doorknob since you couldn’t come in person prior to moving. Satisfied with your safety you took out the map of the neighbourhood you had printed off at the library. You had made it a point to learn the layout of your neighbourhood. Taking note of the grocery stores and schools.

Taking Mia out of school had been a little harder. You had to register her for homeschooling in order to avoid the need to provide change of address forms. You had managed to convince your husband to sign the necessary forms saying you’d be able to teach her some extracurricular work during the weekend. He never really took an interest in her education but anything that had you spending more time at home was okay with him.

Once she was awake the both of you set out to the nearest grocery store with a little cart you found in one of the closets. You didn’t want to waste your money on a taxi. You did the biggest grocery haul you could afford, making sure to grab some cleaning supplies, and toiletries for the both of you. You traveled lightly, choosing to leave as much as you could behind. Mia was happy for right now, the novelty of being on an adventure had not yet worn off. She skipped and jumped down the sidewalk as you pulled your little cart towards your house and it weighed heavy on your heart to notice the difference in her mood when she was alone with you. When her father was around, she was much quieter and more subdued. You were both alike in this.

A week after you arrived the house felt much more lived in, Mia had thrown a few tantrums but letting her pick out things for the house helped a lot. She never said she missed her dad, but she asked about him often. Each time it sent a dagger of fear through your heart and you explained that the both of you were safer away from him.

You renewed your documents, legally changing your name so you went by your middle name and your mothers maiden name. When you enrolled Mia at the local primary in your neighbourhood you managed to convince the secretary to use your new last name for Mia. You reluctantly told her the situation and explained that it was for her safety, luckily, she took pity on the both of you and went ahead with it.

You had expected to see pictures of the both of you on the news, half expecting him to report you both missing but you had a feeling he would be too embarrassed to admit he’d lost you. You weren’t fooling yourself though, you expected him to use all of the resources available to him to find the both of you. You just hoped you’d done enough.

When Mia started school she was excited, she was an outgoing child and as nervous as she was to be in an unfamiliar place; she was eager to make new friends. She was especially excited at the news that in the new house, she’d be allowed to have play dates, which wasn’t something you’d allowed her to do before. You didn’t want kids seeing your husband if he got in one of his moods, you also knew Mia wasn’t her usual bubbly self around him.

The two of you found a comfortable rhythm that worked and soon, she stopped asking about her father. She was excelling at school and often talked about her ‘best friend’ Sofia when the two of you would walk home from her school. Sofia was often in the playground with Mia when you got there, the both of them running around the playground breathless while waiting to be picked up. You often let them play for a few minutes, happy to see her enjoying herself.

As you called out to her to start heading home, she had a little frown on her face at having play time disturbed. She waved goodbye to Sofia and started walking with you towards home. Sofia seemed to be one of only a couple kids left waiting to be picked up. You asked Mia about it, not wanting to leave her alone once the other kids left.

“Sofia’s dad works late sometimes- can we stay with her?” she asked, lighting up hopefully. She squealed with delight when you said yes, practically throwing her backpack at you. You smiled leaning against the fence to watch them. When all the other children were picked up you were glad you decided to hang back.

It wasn’t long before you heard a car practically fly into the parking lot of the school and saw what was obviously a very distressed father running over to the playground, frantically checking his watch. You could see the relief on his face as he saw Sofia and Mia playing together. You tried your best to give him a sympathetic smile -It was obvious he had rushed straight over from work. You took him in fully as he came over to introduce himself, giving you a sad smile.

“Hi, I’m Frankie Morales – Sofia’s dad. Thanks so much for waiting with your daughter, I rushed over here but there was so much traffic, I was so worried.” He shook your hand in both of his, he spoke sincerely and although he was roughly the same height as the man you married, you didn’t feel scared around him. That’s not to say you wouldn’t flinch if he made a sudden move, but he gave off a very calming energy.

“It’s no problem really, Mia talks about Sofia all the time. Things happen sometimes – I’m just glad I stayed.” You did your best to not come off as judgmental, being a parent is hard, you knew that. You introduced yourself as Sofia’s face lit up when she took note of her dad and came running into his arms, his face lit up as he lifted her – kissing her forehead. You heard him apologize to her for being a little late.

“So, this is Mia – I hear about you a lot at my house. Sofia say thank you to Mia and her mom for waiting with you until I got here.” He turned her to face you and she gave you a big toothy grin and said thanks.

“Anytime! I hear a lot about you too.” You smiled at the both of them. You couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was up close, soft brown hair curling over the end of the hat he wore. Kind brown eyes crinkling and almost disappearing when he smiled wide. An endearing curve in his nose- a single dimple. You had the urge to turn away, but you fought it to really look at him reminding yourself that there was no one there you had to be afraid of.

You had only seen your husband be affectionate with your daughter a few times, mostly when she was born, aside from that she was an afterthought for him. This was obviously not the case for Sofia, you could see in his eyes how much he doted on her. The small tug on your sweatshirt snapped you out of your train of thought and you lowered yourself to be on a level with Mia.

“Mom, can Sofia come over for dinner?” She asked you.

“Can I go dad?” Sofia asked excitedly. He smiled at her looking a little nervous.

“If Sofia would like to but maybe Sofia’s mom made dinner and is waiting for them to get home.” You spoke gently.

“My mom doesn’t live with us, they got an of-course” she said with a big smile. The look on Frankie’s face could only be described as mortified.

“Honey it’s pronounced divorce, and we don’t want to impose; we can always grab some pizza or something on the way home.” He was embarrassed, Mia however insisted on your behalf.

“You could both come, please mom?” She looked up at you with those expert puppy eyes and you had made enough food anyway.

“Would you like to come have dinner with us? We have more than enough.” You asked looking at Frankie now, trying to again convey the lack of judgement. Sofia responded before he could object.

“Yes!” He let out a defeated sigh.

“Are you sure it’s okay? I really don’t want to impose on you.” He seemed so sincere.

“Not at all, it’s just Mia and I so there will be more than enough, I’m just up the hill there.” You pointed towards your house and told him the number, it would have been easy to jump into Frankie’s truck and drive together but he only had one car seat. Sofia wanted to walk with Mia so you told him to drive the truck back home and park it, you could all meet at your place in a few. You shocked yourself with the invite, a few months ago you wouldn’t have even looked at another man for fear of what your husband might say or do, you tried to push it away, reminding yourself that he no longer had any say in who you or Mia spoke to.

The girls held hands as they walked together, talking about anything and everything that popped into their brains, mindless little girl chatter. It made you happy to see her with a real friend.

Frankie was walking up your driveway as you were unlocking the door, he was all apologetic smiles as he walked in after the three of you.

“Shoes off girls, Mia - take Sofia over to the bathroom so you can wash up for dinner, it’ll be on the table in 10 minutes.” You took both their jackets and put them on the couch as Mia pulled Sofia deeper into the house, Frankie took off his boots at the door.

“Do you want something to drink?” You asked as he followed you into the kitchen

“Sure, whatever you have is fine- thanks again I really appreciate it. Sofia really does talk about Mia all the time. I’m glad they’re getting along so well. I was worried about her for a little while there.” He spoke in a low tone as he took the beer you offered him.

“It’s really not a problem, I’m glad they found each other too, it’s always hard being the new kid so I’m glad Mia has a friend. Was it the divorce that had you worried? If you don’t mind me asking” you added quickly not wanting to pry.

“Oh-you’re fine, yes the divorce was pretty hard on her. She used to bounce between us a lot last year, but now she lives with me full time. It’s hard, especially finding help. Can I help with anything?” He asked, noticing you taking out plates and cutlery. For a brief moment you thought of your husband, he never would have asked if you needed help and you realized you were frozen on the spot.

“Are you okay?” He asked with what seemed like genuine concern.

“Yes, sorry…just um. Just spaced out for a minute there. No, I’m okay thanks.” You kept your back to him but he grabbed some paper towel off the counter and placed them beside the plates anyway.

“My mother would kill me if she knew I didn’t even try to help.” He said it lightly but there was a flicker of recognition there. You ignored it.

“Hey you know if you ever need someone to watch Sofia, even if it’s for an hour or so she’s always welcome here. I know Mia would be thrilled.” You offered, quickly changing the subject.

“Really? That would actually be great- I would be able to pay you of course. Would really make me feel better if I knew that she wasn’t alone if I was late after work, even if it was for a half hour.” His relief was palpable.

“Nonsense, how about this. If I see that it’s getting a little late and you’re not there, I’ll take her home with me and then you can pick her up from my place. That way you don’t have to worry.” You asked as you handed him his plate.

“Are you sure? That would be great. Thanks so much I really appreciate that.” His eyes almost disappeared when he smiled, genuine delight on his face, showing off that single dimple. In the back of your mind, that dimple meant trouble. You flushed slightly as you told him it was no problem, turning away from him to call the girls for dinner.

It was the nicest ‘family’ dinner you’d had in years.

Your cooking was complimented, seconds were served and you laughed. All of you laughed, you couldn’t remember the last time you laughed for real. It was a heady feeling, you felt giddy and light and maybe something else. When Frankie laughed it was lovely, there was no fear in the sound. A deep belly-laugh that warmed something inside of you. You hadn’t been this comfortable around a man in years and it both thrilled and terrified you. He gave you his number before he left and told you to keep him in mind if you ever needed to run an errand, he would be happy to watch Mia no problem.

After everything had been cleaned, and Mia had been bathed and tucked into bed; you laid in bed thinking about Frankie.

———————————————

He was in the house.

Mia, where’s Mia? Your panic was palpable, the bitter taste of bile at the back of your throat. He’s angry, he’s practically foaming at the mouth and you were glued to the floor. Your limbs heavy and not cooperating with you whatsoever, it felt like you were waist deep in molasses.

The alarm on your phone woke you with a start. You laid in bed after turning it off, cold sweat drying on your skin – that one had felt too real. You could still hear Mia screaming and your stomach roiled. Taking a couple of deep breaths to centre yourself, you finally made your way to the bathroom to get ready before waking Mia up for school. You splashed some cold water on your face and took a long look in the mirror, willing yourself to steady your heart rate; you didn’t want her to see you scared.

Most days you could pretend it had all been just a bad dream, today however, today you felt suffocated. The fear that he would at some point find you and burst through the door seized the breath in your throat, and curled its frozen fingers around your heart.

After somewhat successfully talking yourself off the proverbial ledge of a massive panic attack, you went about getting Mia ready for school.

You focused on waking her up gently, getting her dressed and making sure her backpack had everything she needed. You had managed to compartmentalize your feelings when someone knocked loudly on your door, causing you to drop the mug you were washing into the sink, shattering it with a small scream.

“Is everything okay in there?” You heard Frankie’s voice outside and although your heart was still hammering in your chest you took a deep breath and walked over to the door, while Mia ate her breakfast.

“Good morning, sorry if I scared you, are you okay?” The frown on his face let you know he could see that the stress on your face. He stood at the door with Sofia perched on his hip – his truck idling in your driveway.

“Yes I’m sorry, just caught me lost in thought.” You spoke, not quite meeting his eye. He noticed.

“I’m sorry to bother you but I got called into work early, I was hoping you could walk Sofia to school along with Mia?” Sofia gave you her toothy grin, Mia having heard the exchange - ran over jumping beside you.

“Of course – we were just eating breakfast – are you hungry?” You smiled at her and she nodded frantically.

He gave her a hurt look – “You just ate some cereal! Mia and her mom are going to think I’m not feeding you.” He poked her belly playfully and she laughed, squirming for him to let her go.

You smiled at the interaction. In a brief moment of insanity, you wished he was Mia’s dad. That caught you off guard, you had a friendly relationship with this man but you didn’t really know him. You tried to shake it off as they both ran into the kitchen laughing, you called Mia telling her to share her pancakes with Sofia.

“Thanks again, I really appreciate this.” He handed you her backpack, careful not to cross the threshold into your home. You had a nagging feeling that he was keeping his distance for your comfort.

“It’s really no problem, you’re both welcome here any time. Did you want me to bring her here after school? I’m sure Mia would be happy to have her walk home with us.” You said it in a way that hopefully conveyed that he was not the reason you were nervous.

The smile he gave you almost knocked you off your feet, eyes crinkling as he lifted his hat to push his hair back before putting it back on. Sofia had his soft curls, the same colour and texture.

“If I’m not there at the usual time then yes please, I’ll try to make it on time but I have a feeling today will be rough. See you after work cielito!” he called into the house as he made his way back to the truck. You heard her yell bye in her biggest voice and you smiled as you waved him off, you had to make sure you got them both to school before work.

You had managed to pick up a flexible shift at a diner near your place, your manager was a sweet older lady named Martha, who seemed to think of you as a daughter. She let you pick the shifts which suited you, pushing food onto you at the end of each shift. On the weekends when Mia would come to work with you for a couple of hours, she would sit at the bar and colour with her on lighter days. Oftentimes pumping her full of sugar with milkshakes and slices of cake which would drive you up the wall. Mia certainly didn’t complain.

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

The day was crisp and cool, one of those early fall days that started off a little chilly but by midday – had you ripping off your sweater. When the bell rang Mia ran out breathlessly and crashed into your legs chattering excitedly. You smiled as you told her to slow down – crouching to face her at her level.

She took a deep little breath, sending the hair framing her face up in a puff. She was looking more like you everyday and it made you smile.

“Mom, can I go to Sofia’s birthday party? Please? She says her dad is going to throw her a big party!” she was so excited at the prospect that you were surprised she wasn’t levitating. Sofia ran up to you launching into details of the huge princess themed birthday her dad was going to throw her over the weekend. You smiled, nodding along – she was so excited.

Frankie had texted you earlier saying that he was going to be late so you let them chatter about the party the whole way home.

They talked about which princess they wanted to dress up as and how much fun they were going to have as you served them a small snack to hold them over before dinner. You sat with them, listening on the outside, making a mental note to remember to buy Sofia a birthday present before the weekend.

You heard Frankie’s truck pull in while they were finishing and made your way to open the door for him. He smiled and came in to pick up Sofia, calling her to grab her stuff so they could go home and get dinner started.

“But dad, we’re talking about the party!” She came over reluctantly – Mia in tow.

“Oh yes! I forgot, I’m sure she told you but her Birthday is on Saturday and obviously, Mia has to come over. It’ll be about ten kids and I had been meaning to ask you, would you mind coming as well and chaperoning with me? I could really use your help wrangling them and keeping the activities on track.” He had a hopeful, nervous look on his face.

“Yes of course, Mia and I can head over early to help set up if you like. Would you like me to bring anything?” you asked as you helped Sofia with her shoes while he gathered her things.

“No no, it’ll be great to have you over early though, I’ll need help getting the treat bags together and decorating. There’s probably a metric ton of princess stuff I need your help to sort through.” He laughed.

“I wish you were my dad.” Mia's little voice cut through everything, it silenced everyone and the tension after could be cut through with a knife.

You had no idea what to say, and you were half terrified to look at Frankie’s reaction. You wanted to cry, you wanted to run out of the house and crawl into a hole. You wanted nothing more than for the earth to open and swallow you whole. Your face felt hot, you could feel Frankie’s eyes on you, knew he could see the expression on your face and it took everything in you not to cry. Mia looked up at him sadly and he smiled as he crouched in front of her.

“I would be really lucky to be your dad honey, your dad is the lucky one. Wherever he is.” He smiled at her warmly and she hugged him.

“My dad doesn’t want us, he was mean.” She hugged him tightly and you thought you might throw up.

“Okay Mia lets let Sofia and her dad get home.” You cut in before she said anything more. You were so embarrassed and he could tell. He stood up holding Mia the way he would hold Sofia and it sent a wave of sadness through you strong enough to make your eyes water.

“You’re lucky to have such a great mom. She’s really nice right? Are you excited for Sofia’s party? Make sure you think hard about which princess you want to be, sound good?” he asked her softly as he handed her to you.

You took her with numb hands and cotton in your mouth, what could you possibly say to him? He saw you struggling and he held up his hands, forestalling any explanation you might have.

“Don’t even worry about it, it’s the best compliment I could ever get, trust me.” He spoke in a low, sincere tone as he picked Sofia up and headed for the door. You thanked him quietly and again he shook his head, repeating it wasn’t necessary.

You cried yourself to sleep that night.

——————————————————

Everything in you wanted to avoid the birthday party.

There was no way you actually could of course, Mia would never forgive you. You just told yourself to put on a brave face and head over there.

“Welcome! I’m glad you’re both here.” Frankie was all smiles, you could see bags of party supplies laid out on the couch and coffee table. He gave Mia a big smile and called for Sofia. They ran off together as you stood awkwardly just inside the door. He had told you to forget it and that he was flattered but you couldn’t help be embarrassed, as well as a bit heartbroken.

You had the fleeting thought that your life would have been much easier if Frankie was your husband and the father of your child before but hearing your daughter tell him was a hard pill to swallow. It hurt you to think she held those bad thoughts in her mind. Maybe you held some delusional hope that she’d forget as soon as you left him behind. Obviously this was not the case.

“I really hope you’re not still upset at what Mia said, you don’t understand what a compliment that was. It’s nothing to dwell on really, she’s a wonderful child and I would be lucky.” He spoke in a low voice, making sure the girls didn’t hear from Sofia’s room down the hall.

“I’m not embarrassed. Well, okay - I am embarrassed but it’s more heartbreaking than anything else. I know you’re a great father and you’re doing your best. I wish I could give that to her.” You managed to keep the tremble out of your voice.

“Feel free to tell me to fuck off, but can I ask what happened? It’s none of my business - I know, but if you wanted to talk I’d be more than happy to listen.” He kept himself busy as he spoke, giving his hands something to do, making sure to give you your space.

Your first instinct was to shut yourself off completely and deny deny deny. All of the old habits came bubbling to the surface and you had the urge to smile and tell him you were okay and that nothing was wrong but you didn’t want to hide right now. You wanted to open up. You’d been shut off for so long, that light you had long ago dimmed until you weren’t even sure it was there. Then there's this man who comes along, this handsome, caring, thoughtful man - who always seems to pick up on your cues and respects your space without ever asking questions. You wanted to tell him.

“I got married young. I was 19, he was 28 and I thought my life would be a fairytale, and it was - until it wasn’t. He was manipulative, and hurtful, and then he was violent. He managed to convince me that everyone was my enemy except him. Then he got me pregnant, and things got worse. I couldn’t let Mia grow up like that.” You couldn’t stop the tears once they started. Your throat was burning and it was hard to speak but you got through it. You saw him clenching his fists in anger but you knew it wasn’t directed at you. You wiped them away hastily and he kept silent as you got yourself together, still respecting your space. You took a couple of deep breaths and managed to reign in the emotions before they engulfed you completely.

“How did you get away?” He almost whispered.

“He always thought I stayed home while he worked but I managed to get quick jobs, I would walk dogs for the neighbours. I would work a couple of hours at the library near my home, he thought I was volunteering at Mias school as I had done it before. It took months, then I managed to find his stash, where be kept some savings and Mias important documents. With that I finally had enough money to leave. While at the library I started looking for places and I found this house, which worked for us. Then in the middle of the night, I left.” You felt lighter, the weight of stealing away, no one knowing who or what you were running from was weighing on you, much heavier than you thought.

“So he’s still out there.” It wasn’t a question, he stated it like a fact.

“Yes, and I’m sure he’s looking for us. I just hope I did enough to cover my tracks. He cannot find us.” The fear gripped you then, imagining for a wild moment that he was outside. You took a deep breath and forced it out of your mind. When you looked up at him he had a strange look on his face. No longer the sweet friendly face you were used to, it wasn’t a scowl, it wasn’t anger - it was calculating. You could see the cogs turning in his brain and it made you a bit nervous to imagine what he was thinking. It was gone in a flash and he was the same Frankie you’d come to know.

“It was really brave of you to leave, you’re really strong and Mia is really lucky to have you as a mom.” He was completely sincere as he approached you slowly.

“Do you need a hug? Sometimes they help- if not I understand I don’t want to overstep.” He kept a healthy distance, it shocked you how thoughtful he was. You constantly had to remind yourself that your husband was not the archetype for men.

“Yes, I think I’d like that.” You stepped towards him and he slowly took you into his arms and snugly tucked your head into the crook of his neck.

It was lovely, physical touch was something you craved but had come to hate with your husband. With Frankie though it felt natural, his skin was warm and his arms held you reassuringly. You’d never felt so safe in your life and you tried to bite back the urge to cry again but failed miserably when his big warm hand softly stroked your back. He felt you shaking and spoke softly into your hair.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re safe, no one is going to hurt you here, it’s okay. Let it out. I’m here.” He held you for a long time.

You poured all of your sadness and anger, all of your frustrations and rage into him as you sobbed. He took it all from you, the smell of fabric softener and his body wash mixing with his own clean sweat grounding you. When you finally pulled away your face was tear-stained and puffy, his flannel shirt dark from your tears and before you could apologize he waved you off. Telling you it was nothing and asking if you were okay. You nodded softly, both of you silently beginning to decorate for the party.

You ended up having a great time despite how exhausted you were from your crying session, Frankie introduced you to his best friend Santi - who he called Pope - who he had been in the army with. He was charming and handsome and Sofia lost her mind at seeing her tio (uncle) Pope. The kids were excited to dress up as princesses and princes, they were excited to play the games Frankie and you had planned and extra excited to eat pure junk food. As they ran around Frankie's backyard, it was hard to keep your eyes open.

“Hey, why don’t you go inside and lay down. You can use my bed, or Sofia’s if that makes you more comfortable. You look dead on your feet. Pope and I can handle the kids.” He whispered to you, slowly taking the plate from you and putting it on the table. You wanted to say no but telling him everything had taken so much out of you. His hand hovered above your shoulder, barely touching you. You placed your hand on his, letting him know you weren’t frightened of him touching you.

“I think I might, are you absolutely sure you guys are okay?” You yawned.

“Yes yes go ahead and relax for a little bit.” He smiled softly leading you towards the house.

You made your way into Frankie's room and it was exactly how you imagined it. A big bed, neatly made. Sparsely furnished, it made sense when you knew he’d been in the army. His sheets smelled of him and it made you ache curiously, wishing he was laying beside you. Hugging you like he did before, maybe something more.

You had shut off that part of you when you were with your husband, repulsed by his advances. Frankie however, he had lit a fire within you. You imagined what it would be like to live here with him, waking up with him every day. Running your fingers through his soft curls and kissing him. You fell asleep imaging him loving you.

When you woke up it was dark. You shot up, momentarily disoriented and terrified, until you remembered where you were. You groaned feeling guilty at obviously having overslept and stuck Frankie with the party and now Mia and Sofia. You quickly got up and made sure the bed was exactly as it was when you got in. Stopping in the master bath quickly to wash your face before you made your way to the kitchen.

The scene that greeted you sent a bolt of longing to your heart that almost knocked you over in its intensity. They didn’t see you as you stood just outside the entrance to Frankie's cozy kitchen. Mia and Sofia were sitting at the kitchen table, chatting happily as Frankie served them what looked to be a healthy looking dinner. It was such a simple act, you were napping; he took care of the girls and made them dinner. Letting you take time for yourself.

“Sofia I want you to eat everything on your plate, don’t pick out the vegetables, you too Mia. You both ate a ton of candy and junk today, you need veggies.” He spoke with a finality that booked no argument. You saw him serve himself and an extra plate which he put in the microwave, you were guessing that was for you. With every interaction this man seemed to burrow his way deeper and deeper into your heart and it was terrifying.

“Make sure you drink water, I don’t even want to know how much soda you guys had. I don’t want your mom to kill me Mia please make sure you finish everything, okay honey?” He noticed you then and he gave you a blinding smile.

“You were so tired I let you sleep - here, you must be starving, sit and have dinner with us.” He grabbed your plate out of the microwave and set it on the table across from him.

“You should have woken me up, I slept way too long! Mia I hope you were well behaved.” You smiled at her as she shoveled food into her mouth. She nodded around her big bites.

“She was great, the party went well, the three of us cleaned up and then I made some dinner. You help me with Sofia all the time it’s the least I could do. Sofia what do you say? She opened her gifts after everyone went home.” He looked at her as she took a drink of water.

She got up and ran over to you and hugged you tightly.

“Thank you for my present!” You hugged her tightly telling her you were glad she liked it.

Dinner was delicious, so he was a good cook too. Mia ate two helpings which made him smile that crinkly smile you’d grown to love. The girls chattered idly reliving all the excitement of the party you had mostly slept through and Frankie reassured you that everything had gone well.

After dinner you did the dishes - after almost fighting him - and cleaned up the kitchen while he put on a movie for the girls in the living room. Hearing him ask them what they wanted to watch and gently denying them more junk food you could almost convince yourself that this was your life. You - the loving wife and he - your doting husband. Taking care of your girls while you clean up after dinner. You could imagine him coming into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around you, kissing your neck while you washed up. Life would be good, you wondered if he ever thought about you this way.

“Did you want some coffee? I’m going to make some for myself.” He broke your train of thought as you finished up.

“Yes actually, that would be great, can I help with anything?” You walked over to him where he stood near the coffeemaker.

“You can grab me the mugs from that cupboard, aside from that, no- please sit, you’re my guest.” He smiled as you sat.

You sat in comfortable silence as you drank your coffee, the girls calm and engrossed in the movie in the other room.

“Can I ask you something?” You fiddled with the tablecloth, not looking up at him.”

“Of course.” He turned to face you.

“What happened with your ex wife? Why did you get a divorce - you don’t have to answer obviously.” You were afraid he might tell you to fuck off, but you had to know. He seemed perfect. He sighed a big sigh, he wasn’t angry, he was almost defeated.

“We were together for a long time and it was great. She was with me when I first joined the army and she supported me wholeheartedly. I wasn’t the same when I got back though, I’m okay now - I’ve gotten help, I really struggled with PTSD which I’m working through. For a while though I was horrible to be around, just couldn’t be in my own head. Then I got into a bit of trouble with drugs and got caught. I wasn’t in a good place. After that I took a job with some army buddies and it went really bad. She had told me not to take it, Sofia had just been born and I went anyway. I don’t know what I was thinking but after that we were both so different from the people we were when we got married. I know that we love each other and there will always be respect, but I’m not in love with her anymore and she’s not in love with me. Our time together ended.” He didn’t look you in the eye, you thought you saw some fear there, fear he had shared too much.

“I’m sorry to hear that - I’m really glad you got help. You seem to be doing really well.” You tried your best to not show any form of judgment. He smiled at you gratefully, seeming to let out a huge sigh.

“It was hard, I’ll be brutally honest. I wasn’t abusive towards her or anyone in my life; I just wasn’t there. I was a shell of a person. I’m much more myself now, for me, for Sofia, for the important people in my life.” You listened intently as he spoke, you never once thought he could be capable of treating anyone the way your husband had treated you.

“I can’t speak as to how you were before, but I can see how caring and attentive you are. You’re a really great person and an amazing dad.” You reached over and grabbed his hand to let him know you meant it. He squeezed it in silent thanks. It was obvious he didn’t hear those words very often. You wanted to hug him again, you wanted to kiss him, take off his hat and run your nails along his scalp. You wanted him to hold you tight and make you feel safe the way he had before. He must have seen something in your face because he didn’t let your hand go. There was heat rushing to your face and it felt as though your stomach did a flip as he looked deep into your eyes - you felt as though he was looking through you.

“Thank you, that’s really nice of you to say.” He spoke in a low voice, and for the first time in a long time it aroused you. Imagining that tone in your ear in the bedroom. You pulled your hand away silently, trying desperately to reign in your feelings.

He said nothing as he grabbed your mug and went about washing up, the moment lost. A wild courage seized you; you walked up to him as he stood at the sink and you tentatively wrapped your arms around his middle - the way you imagined him doing to you. You were afraid he’d push you away, not knowing if you could handle that rejection from him but he didn’t. He stilled completely, letting you press yourself against his back. Your face pressed into his shoulder.

“Thank you for today, for everything. For listening to me. For letting me sleep, for taking care of the girls, for dinner, for coffee. Thank you for being honest with me. Thank you for being kind to me.” You pressed your face into his neck, breathing him in, fighting the urge to kiss it. He brought his damp hands and pressed them against yours on his belly for a moment before he turned in your arms. It was too much to have him this close, his breath ghosting over your face.

“You don’t ever have to thank me for treating you the way you deserve to be treated. Thank you for not judging me, for taking care of my daughter as if she was your own.” He slowly brought his hands up, holding onto your face. He was suffocating you in the best way, it was both overwhelming and not enough. You were breathing heavy, not knowing whether you wanted to pull away or kiss him.

He held you closely - you could feel the water from his hands beading on your face, rolling down your cheek and hitting your chest. It sent a shiver down your spine. You felt suspended in amber, wishing you could hold onto this kind of intimacy forever. He ran his thumb over your cheek, bringing it lower and swiping it over your bottom lip softly.

“Can I kiss you?” He stared at your mouth but made no move towards you. Letting you be in complete control.

“Yes..” you were breathless, he slowly lifted your face as he pressed a soft chaste kiss to your mouth. Testing the waters, when you responded he pressed another to your lips. Again and again he kissed you, soft kisses that made you ache, made you melt and drip for this sweet, flawed, beautiful man. He licked at the seam of your mouth tentatively, and was rewarded with a small whimper that escaped you involuntarily.

The next kiss was not chaste.

It was absolutely everything a kiss should be, his tongue licking into your mouth making you moan into it softly and he groaned. The sound of it sending a hot spike of arousal into your belly. He lowered his hand and wrapped it around your waist, holding you close to him. You reached up, pulled the hat off his head and dropped it. Finally satisfying the ever present urge to run your fingers through his soft curls. He pulled away and rested his forehead to yours breathing deeply. He rubbed your bottom lip again while his hand rubbed softly at your lower back.

“I could kiss you forever, and more, but I want to take this slow. I understand you’ve been through a lot and I don’t ever want you to feel forced to do anything. I think it’s obvious that I have feelings for you and I’ll wait as long as you want, if that’s something you want. If you have any feelings for me.” He spoke without moving away. It felt as though he was speaking the words into your mouth, breathing them into your lungs.

You felt dizzy, your heart was beating so fast and you wanted to tell him that you loved him.

“I have feelings for you too- I want this. It’ll be slow but I want this with you, you make me feel so safe.” This time you kissed him, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing yourself tightly to him. You felt his arousal through his jeans and it made you gasp into his mouth. He pulled away reluctantly. Separating you from his body for your comfort.

“I’m sorry, it’s been a while and I’m very attracted to you - ignore that. I want to take this slow and I want this to be a healthy relationship for the both of us.” He kissed you softly as he untangled the two of you gently. You missed his heat but knew it was for the best. Even though you were so aroused that you felt your panties sticking to you as you moved, your heart felt light. Hearing him confess that he had feelings for you, that he wanted you in his life was like a tonic. You felt drunk on it; drunk on him and his kisses. His warmth, his understanding and his patience. This man was a hundred times the man you married.

His face was beautifully flushed as he quickly adjusted himself while turning away from you momentarily. You pretended not to notice, going into the living-room to check on the girls. They were asleep curled up together on the couch, definitely crashing from all the excitement of the day.

“Why don’t you both stay over? They can both sleep in Sofia’s room and you can take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” He whispered as he carefully lifted Sofia, making sure not to wake her. You didn’t exactly want to walk over to your place now with her asleep in your arms so you agreed, making a note to argue over the bed after. You lifted Mia and followed him down the hall quietly.

You both sat on opposite sides of Sofia’s bed, carefully taking off the princess costumes the girls were wearing with gentle hands. Once off he handed you a pair of extra pjs and you dressed them in a comfortable silence. You hated to keep comparing this man to Sofia’s father but it was night and day. The gentleness, the love he had for this child was something to behold. She was truly lucky.

Once the girls were in comfortable pyjamas and tucked in together you followed him to his room to put your foot down on the bed situation. You knew how hard he worked and didn’t want him to sleep on the couch but it was for naught. He was immovable in his pronouncement.

“Frankie no, I’ll be fine on the couch really, stop this I slept here all day.” You spoke but he wasn’t listening. He grabbed a T-shirt and some soft pj pants from a drawer and gave them to you, not even bothering to argue back. He left you standing there while he left and came back with a towel, handing that to you as well.

“It’s not happening, I’m sleeping on the couch and that’s it. Here - take a nice hot shower and then get into bed, I’ll shower after you. Go on.” He gently nudged you into the bathroom and closed the door. You sighed heavily knowing it was useless trying to argue, there was no way he would let you sleep on the couch.

When you walked out of the shower he was waiting, wishing you a goodnight while threatening to carry you back to bed if you even thought about going into the living-room. You laughed and got into bed so he could see you.

You could smell him on your skin, the body wash he used, which you had now used. His shampoo and conditioner now in your own hair, his sheets, his pillows. It felt like he was surrounding you and you couldn’t get enough. You knew it was a bad idea and that he wouldn’t want to push you into anything but you ached for him to get into bed with you, to compound his hold on you physically.

When he walked out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later the aching turned painful in its intensity. He looked so soft, so comfortable. A soft T-shirt and well worn pyjama pants you just knew would feel buttery against your skin. His hair damp enough to really define his curls, you’d never wanted him so bad.

“Frankie-“ you called out to him before he could walk out.

“For the last time, no, you can’t sleep on the-“ you cut him off.

“No no, I was wondering, I know we agreed to take it slow but, would you- um, would you kiss me goodnight?” You felt as though you would die if you didn’t touch him in this moment, needing to feel his softness. He smiled warmly and made his way over to you where you sat at the edge of the bed. He outstretched his hand to pull you up to him and you stood on your tippy toes, leaning into him.

He kissed you softly at first but you pushed it further, tangling your arms around his neck and opening your mouth for him. He deepened it, his hands on your lower back, moving almost dangerously low but not quite making it where he obviously wanted to go. He pulled away reluctantly and you chased his mouth with yours, pulling him back to you - and for a moment he let himself kiss you again. When he pulled away you were breathless, aching for him again.

“Goodnight.” He smiled and kissed your nose before walking out of the room and closing the door. It took you a while to calm down enough to sleep, but when you did; you slept like a baby.

The next morning you woke up earlier than usual and after making the bed you made your way quietly into the kitchen. You could hear Frankies soft snores coming from the couch. You didn’t want to wake him so you took care to be as quiet as you could while you made coffee. You enjoyed the peaceful quiet of the house, everyone asleep, everyone safe.

You drank your coffee alone, enjoying the morning by yourself while everyone slept. You imagined Frankie was your husband and this was your life; Mia and Sofia already acted like sisters, and you would be happy to be her step mom if that was something Frankie wanted. You heard him wake up on the couch and you poured him a cup of coffee as he walked into the kitchen.

“How did you sleep?” He asked sleepily, stretching as he took the cup from you. Once again he looked so inviting, soft and warm and you wanted nothing more than to curl into his heat.

Absorb that calming energy he had into yourself.

“Great, thanks again - I was thinking of making some breakfast.” You began taking things out of the fridge as you spoke.

“Bacon, eggs and toast okay with you?” You poked your head out to see his face, and he nodded enthusiastically.

“Perfect, here you start toasting bread and I’ll get the bacon started.” You handed him the bread and got to work. The girls woke up when it was almost done and the four of you had a wonderful morning. Once the food was eaten and the kitchen was spotless you changed back into your clothes and made to leave. He didn’t say it but he seemed sad to see you go.

“Mia needs a bath and I have some laundry to do, but why don’t you both come over for dinner?” You smiled at him as he walked you to the door - he agreed happily and promised to see you later. As much as you wanted him to kiss you, you didn’t want to do it in front of the girls just yet. You were happy to realize he was thinking the same thing. You would have to discuss whatever it was between the two of you before confusing them.

After that you saw each other every day. Usually he dropped off Sofia in the morning, sneaking a quick kiss when he saw you were alone. Sometimes he would come over extra early to eat breakfast together, sometimes you’d go to his place for dinner. Seeing both of them was the best part of your day. Eventually the girls started asking questions, noticing the way you seemed to hold hands or sit close to each other, and you decided it was time.

“Are you his girlfriend?” Sofia asked you point blank, there was no messing around with her.

“Yes she is, if she wants to be - then yes, she’s my girlfriend and I’m her boyfriend.” He answered for you and you felt the heat in your face at the admission.

“Does that mean you’re going to live here? Or we’re going to live with you?” Mia asked him.

“I think for now we’re leaving it as Frankie and I like spending time together. I’m not sure what will happen in the future.” You didn’t want to overstep. Boyfriend did not mean husband. He nodded at her when she looked back at him for confirmation. The girls seemed to take it in stride, happy to spend so much time together.

“I didn’t want to make you feel awkward there, obviously we don’t have to make anything official or put any labels on anything.” He spoke to you after the girls had gone off to play. You waved him off, hugging him and tucking your head into the crook of his neck. He rubbed your back gently as he breathed in the smell of your hair.

“I like that you’re my boyfriend.” You said it softly and he chuckled.

“I like that you’re my girlfriend. God it seems like forever since I’ve had a girlfriend.” He said it with a warm smile on his face as he kissed your forehead. You pulled his face down and kissed him on the mouth.

An open mouthed kiss that you hoped conveyed the desire you had for him. You wanted him to know exactly what you thought about him calling you his girlfriend. You’d been taking it really slow for weeks and you had reached your limit. As you pressed yourself closer to him you moved his hands down so they could grab your ass and reached up to wrap them around his neck. He groaned and obliged you. Grabbing handfuls of it as he deepened the kiss. You were getting a bit desperate for him, his kisses had opened up the floodgates of desire and you were ready. He pulled away and bit at your lip.

“Are you ready for this? I can wait, I can wait as long as you need. We really don’t have to rush into this.” He spoke as he kissed your neck softly. It was driving you mad, you felt the arousal pooling in your belly and in your panties.

“I want you, I want you so bad. I need it, I need you.” You bit at his pulse point and he groaned.

“Once the girls are in bed, I want you to fuck me Frankie. Please? Make me feel good.” You bit his lower lip and he squeezed your ass again, pulling you closer before letting you go.

“Is that what you want? You want me to fuck you, baby?” He spoke as he peppered your face and neck with kisses. You nodded, breathing hard. He saw that you liked vocal encouragement and he really went for it.

“Have you thought about me fucking you? I think about it all the time, I think about fucking your pussy and I get so hard.” He kissed your neck as you nodded.

“Yes Frankie, I think about it.” You respond, yanking his hair so he kissed your mouth, he groans at the feeling of it.

“Do you get wet when you think about it? When you think about my dick? When you think about me licking your clit until you cum on my face?” Another kiss, this was too much, you felt yourself leaking at his words. You’ve never felt this hot, this turned on. His words lit a fire within you.

“God yes, I want you to eat my pussy until I can’t breathe, I want you to cum in my mouth, in my cunt. I want you to fuck me from behind, in the shower. I’m so wet right now Frankie. I’m so wet for you.” You were holding into him so tight you thought you might climb him. He moaned into your mouth at your confession and pressed you up against the wall of your kitchen. He lifted your leg and placed it on his hip to grind into you, you could feel how hard he was through his jeans and you whimpered.

“I wish I could fuck you right now, right here, up against your wall.” He bit at your neck as his hand found its way to your breast, palming it roughly. You both heard the girls coming out of the room asking for a drink and you quickly untangled yourselves. It took you a few seconds to actually take in what Mia was saying - you gave her the juice and told her she only had a few more minutes of play time before bath time and then bed. When they both went back into Mia's room you practically jumped on him.

“Go back home and get Sofia ready for bed, then come back.” There was no room for argument.

He nodded as he kissed you again and reluctantly pulled away, calling for Sofia. He rushed her along and it made you laugh.

The both of you had the girls bathed and in bed in record time.

When you finally made it into your room he asked you once again if you were sure you wanted to go through with it, his lust-filled brain having relaxed a bit in the time you spent apart. You answered by taking off your clothes. He growled low and took off his clothes as he stared at you.

“Get in the bed and open your legs, I want to see you spread out for me.” He spoke in a dangerous tone that went directly to your cunt. You scooted back on the bed, spreading your legs slowly, leaning on your elbows to watch him. He swore as he took off his jeans and boxers, his cock springing out, already hard and leaking. You bit your lip, he was thick and beautiful and your mouth watered at the sight of him.

“Look at that, so wet for me. You’re dripping baby, is that all for me? Tell me you want my dick.” He stroked himself as he walked over to you and you felt another wave of slick drip out of you.

“Yes. It’s all for you, I want it.” You ran your fingers down your slit, showing him how wet he made you. He furrowed his brow as he seemed to remember something- reaching back into his jeans he grabbed a condom from his pocket.

“I’m on birth control, and I’m clean but if you feel better using a condom then I’m okay with that of course.” You spoke shyly, despite the filth you were saying earlier. He moaned and dropped the condom on the floor,

“I’m clean too, and I want to fuck my cum into you. I want to watch it leak out.” He crawled onto the bed and kissed you. He knelt between your legs and you made to put them on his hips but he stopped you.

“Oh no baby, you’re going to cum on my face first.” You moaned as he made his way down, licking a hot stripe up your sternum. Leaving marks on your chest, on the soft skin of your breasts. He licked your nipples, sucking them into his mouth and letting them go with a pop. You yanked his hair closer to your chest as his tongue swirled around each one.

You were burning up for this man. He moaned onto your skin as he moved down. Kissing your belly and pelvis, placing more kisses on your mound. He softly spread your thighs and kissed each one, biting them teasingly. His facial hair tickling you as he left marks there too.

“Look at that, such a pretty pussy, all wet just for me.”

He licked from your opening up to your clit with the flat of his tongue and you moaned. He used his fingers to spread you open wide, exposing your clit.

“God - you taste so good baby.”

He licked again, this time making more contact with your clit. He stared at you as he pressed his mouth up against you and sucked your clit into his mouth. Your body threatened to buck him off the feeling was so intense, but the hand spreading you open held you down for him. You ran your fingers through his hair as he licked countless shapes onto your clit. He watched you, watched to see what you liked and he followed your cues.

“Oh god yes, right there -oh- right there, it’s so good.” You were clutching his hair now and he groaned onto your clit, the vibration causing another wave of slick to come out of you. He pulled away and when you looked at him, he spit on your clit, going back to lick you again. You almost came from the act, it was so filthy and hot and you were burning up. He switched to a steady glide against your clit and you felt the pleasure building, you were so close.

“I’m so close, oh god I’m almost there.” You were whimpering and grinding your hips onto his face. He kept up the same steady pace and oh god it was so good you just needed a little more. You felt his fingers move down, and two of them entered you. He pumped them in and out of you in the same steady rhythm of his tongue and when he spread them inside you the coil in your belly snapped. You clenched hard around his fingers as you came. Your mouth formed a silent O not wanting to scream. Your thighs clamping shut around his head as he licked you through your high. Never stopping, driving you into a frenzy as he prolonged your orgasm.

When he finally pulled away and crawled over you, you saw his cock was leaking - his face shiny with your slick and it drove you insane.

“You taste like heaven - I could eat this pretty pussy for hours.” He kissed you and you tasted yourself on his tongue as he lined himself up at your opening. He put his hands on the back of your legs, bringing them to rest on his shoulders, wanting you spread out.

“You ready for me, baby? You ready for my cock?” He rubbed the tip of it through your folds, back and forth over your sensitive clit as you begged him to fuck you already. He was thick, and even though you were wetter than you've ever been it was a stretch and you moaned as he slid all the way in.

“Fuck, so fucking tight” he groaned as he pushed your legs up to your shoulders, wanting to get as deep as he could. You moaned and braced your hands on his chest, he was so deep, he was touching something white hot within you and you could barely speak.

“Is this okay?” He spoke in a low voice, wanting to make sure you were comfortable and that he wasn’t pushing it. Even in his lust clouded mind, he still wanted you to be in control.

“Yes, god yes please move, you feel so good.” You touched his face and he kissed your palm as he thrust sharply making you cry out. He set a fast pace, chasing his own release as well as yours. He brought his thumb to your clit, rubbing tight little circles as he fucked you deeper than anyone before him.

“I want one more, I want you to cum again while I fuck you.” He moaned when you brought your hands to play with your nipples.

“God yes, play with your tits, you’re so fucking hot.” He sped up and you felt yourself getting so close, he rubbed faster and let his weight fall on you a little more, putting more pressure onto your clit. You came with a cry and grabbed his ass to pull him closer still.

“That’s it baby, that’s it cum on my cock, fuck yes.” He was pounding into you now, fucking you through it, you could hear how wet you were and a handful of strokes later he was cumming inside you. Grinding into you as he seized up. His face scrunched up, his hair stuck to the sheen of sweat stuck to his face. He was gorgeous.

He pulled out and spread your lips open, watching his cum leak out of you.

“Jesus Christ, look at that, you look so good like this.” You felt him pushing his cum back into you with thick fingers, and you thought you might faint.

He fell onto the bed beside you and pulled you close. He rubbed the finger covered with your combined release onto your lips and kissed you. You moaned into his mouth and pulled him close to you, you laid there after in silence. Basking in the afterglow.

“Was that okay? I’m sorry if I got a little intense there.” He seemed embarrassed now as you ran your fingers through his hair.

“It was intense, I’ve never been fucked like that in my life, but it was really good.” You laughed, giddy at how blissed out you felt.

“Well, that’s a shame- get used to it. If you let me, I’ll fuck you like that whenever I can.” He smacked your ass playfully and pulled you into the crook of his neck.

You talked about anything and everything as you laid there. Laughing and fucking through the night. He made good on his promise.

You both wake up to a loud knock on the door, he was up and out of bed faster than you thought possible. Both of you momentarily thinking of the girls, but seeing them asleep in Mia's bed calmed you.

“Are you expecting anyone?” He asked as he walked past you to the front door. Who could you be expecting? You told him you weren’t as he looked out the peephole to check who was outside. Your heart was in your throat, you didn’t know why but the fear was coming off you in waves and you were trying your hardest not to panic.

He walked back over to you holding an envelope marked clearly with your name. No return address, no address listed. This was dropped at your front door by hand. Your hands trembled, and he could feel your fear.

He opened it in front of you and shook the contents into his palm. A wedding band fell onto his palm along with a note that floated to the ground. The bile was threatening to rise as you slowly crouched to pick it up. It was a very short note. Only two words, but the meaning behind them caused you to shake uncontrollably.

“Come home.”

It took a long time for you to come out of the bathroom. Thankfully Frankie was there and he took care of the girls while you broke down in private. He had found you, how the hell had he found you? You hadn’t told anyone.

You had tried so hard to cover your tracks. What were you supposed to do now? Mia was finally happy, she was coming out of her shell and thriving. You scolded yourself, what did you expect? That he’d forget about you? That he’d just let you go? Chucking it up to a loss and moving onto the next? Every time you imagined him outside your home as you slept your stomach roiled. You couldn’t hold it in any longer, you threw up everything in your stomach. Hoping to god they didn’t hear you.

You had no choice. It was time to pack up and start again somewhere else.

When you came out of the bathroom, Frankie had a glass of water and a cup of coffee waiting. He had fed the girls and sent them to Mia's room to play.

“We have to talk about this.” He said it gently, he could see where your mind had gone.

“We have to leave, I can’t have him near me again.” You kept it at that, leaving the rest unsaid.

“If he found you once, he’ll find you again.” He wasn’t wrong, but you didn’t want to hear that. He tentatively put his hand on yours and you grasped at him, using him to ground yourself. He let you, pulling your chair closer to him.

“What do I do? I don’t want to leave this place, I don’t want to leave you. We’re happy here, we’re thriving and calm and it’s not fair.” You thought you’d cried all you could cry, you were wrong. He pulled you into his lap and pressed you close. He sighed heavily but let you get it all out.

“You and Mia will come stay with me, this place isn’t safe for the two of you. Pack up some stuff and come with me. Just until we can figure out what to do.” He rubbed soothing circles onto your back.

“Are you sure?” You had to ask, even though you knew he was. You knew he wouldn’t leave without you.

“Yes, come on let’s get your stuff together.” He pulled you towards your room.

As you once again packed things to get away from your husband, you had a horrible sense of dejavú. He helped you quietly as you gathered the things you thought you’d need, clothing, toothbrush, some toiletries.

The girls were excited, you’d told them that you were going to have a big sleepover together and they helped pack excitedly.

Once everything was ready you hesitated at the door, he noticed and pulled you behind him, shielding you with his body. You caught a glimpse of his army background as he quickly scanned the early morning street for anything out of place. Once satisfied he gave you a nod and the both of you set out.

His house was just down and across the street from yours and you were there quickly. Both of you holding your children in your arms to walk as quickly as you could. You could see him taking in absolutely everything as he walked in front of you, keys at the ready. Your bag in the same hand that held Sofia, it wasn’t until now that you realized how strong he must be. Soft with age but the strength of him still very present, it made you feel a little safer.

You breathed a sigh of relief as he closed and locked the door behind you.

“Here, why don’t you guys go get settled and I’ll put on a movie for you.” He handed Mia her bag and they ran off happily. You were thankful that they hadn’t picked up on the nervous energy you were likely putting out.

He held both your hands in his and told you to take a couple of deep breaths. Once satisfied that you were grounded and a little calmer he spoke.

“Nothing is going to happen to you or Mia. He will never hurt you again. I want you to look into my eyes and understand what I am saying. I will not let him come near either of you. Okay?” His voice was calm and he spoke with absolute certainty. There was no waver, no hopefulness, it was fact. He spoke with a finality that did more to calm you than you could have imagined. You nodded and he kissed you softly. The kiss was chaste and it was the seal compounding his words as a contract between you. He asked you questions as he held you, questions he’d never asked you before. Your married name, your husband's name, the answers hurt you but you told him. You would have told him anything.

You did your best to compartmentalize your feelings for the rest of the day. You focused your energy on the girls; doing some arts and crafts to keep yourself busy. Then having them help you make lunch for the four of you, baking cookies and treats together. Making dinner together and then getting them ready for bed. For them it had been a lovely day. Cooking and bonding with you.

For you it was a distraction. You noticed that Frankie was distant the whole day, not avoiding you per say but definitely preoccupied. He was on and off the phone. Writing things down, he pulled a locked box out of the linen closet - from high on the shelf and brought it to his room. Closing the door firmly behind him. He was all smiles when you called him for lunch, and again when Sofia yelled for him to try the cookies she helped you make. Disappearing into his room after every interaction. He was obviously busy with something and in the back of your mind you had a suspicion. You didn’t want to have it but it was there and you consistently tried your best to push it away, but every time he disappeared it reared its ugly head.

He was still on the phone when you came into his room after putting the girls to bed.

“Sorry, yes let me know what you find and call me back. Okay thanks man I appreciate it.” He hangs up as you walk in.

“Everything okay?” You asked, not asking what was really on your mind. He nodded and gathered up the papers and the locked box you saw earlier and put them into his nightstand. You knew there was something going on but you didn’t want to push him.

“Everything is fine. I was talking to some buddies, cashing in some favours. Nothing to worry about. Sorry to leave you alone for the whole day, are you okay?” He asked coming to stand in front of you, holding you at arms length to really take you in.

“Yes I’m good, I kept busy with the girls. I’m better than I was this morning but I’m still scared, I’m terrified and I feel guilty that you and Sofia are involved now. I don’t want him anywhere near the two of you.” You pulled him closer, craving his softness and his warmth. He held you, almost painfully tight. You breathed him in and let his grip calm you.

“Don’t feel guilty. Everything will work out I promise. Just make yourself comfortable here and everything will be fine.” You wanted to argue with him. How could he say everything will be fine? How could he possibly know that? How can he promise this so brazenly. You knew he was strong and that he could defend his home but his resolve made you nervous.

“How can you say that Frankie? How can you know that? You don’t know him, he's not just going to go away.” You spoke into his chest as you held him just as tightly as he held you.

“He doesn’t know me either.” Was all he said, he wouldn’t elaborate. You didn’t ask him again.

It was hard for you to fall asleep that night. You were nervous, and you tried to work out the energy with Frankie. Pulling off his clothes and taking him into your mouth.

He understood what you needed and he let you work your frustrations out on him. Making him cum in your mouth, while rubbing your clit in silence. Straddling him an hour later and riding his cock until you both came with a silent cry, careful not to wake the girls.

Now he was asleep but you were wide awake. Your thoughts going back to his promises as you ran the pad of your thumb over his features. Pressing it softly into the little bald patch in his beard as he snores softly. He shifted slightly then, pulling you into closer to him while he slept and the realization hit you then.

You were well and truly in love with this man. There was nothing more than that. He had provided you safety and comfort, treated your daughter like his own, trusted you in turn with his. This was the man of your dreams. You kissed him softly, wanting to feel him closer, wanting him to make you cum again. Wanted to feel him cum inside you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to wake him. He looked too comfortable and you’d already tired him out. You fell asleep with your thumb in place.

The next day you felt a little better. Somehow convincing yourself that just because your husband knew where you lived, didn’t mean he knew about Frankie. You were safe here.

Frankie had said he was meeting up with Pope, but to keep the doors locked and to keep your cellphone on you. Assuring you that he’d be a couple of minutes away at most and if anything happened he could be home in the blink of an eye. The wild urge to clutch at him overtook you momentarily but he held you tightly- promising that he’d back back in a few minutes and that you’d be okay. You took a deep breath and let him go.

He texted you ten minutes later asking if you were okay, and that he would be just a bit longer but to contact him if you needed anything at all. You felt better knowing he was a moment away.

You busied yourself with helping him out by getting some laundry done, grabbing Sofia’s hamper and putting in a load. You manage to distract yourself until he gets back and once he does he’s back to his calm self, Santi in tow. You know he’s here for your safety but you bite your tongue. You keep quiet because you feel safer and you’ll clutch at whatever you can in order to feel that way. For you and for Mia.

There was something unspoken in the air, an undercurrent to the way Santi and Frankie speak in low tones when they think you’re distracted. There’s something darker underneath it all and you want to ignore it but it bubbles up every time you hear a word or phrase in their conversation. Only ever catching that if anything.

They talked of cars, of watching, a stakeout. You’d never seen this side of Frankie before and you weren’t entirely sure how you felt about it. There was a sense of danger to him now, not towards you or the girls, but there was this nagging feeling that you didn’t really know him. You remembered what he had said about being in the army, about him not being himself when he came back and you realized you had no idea whatsoever what this man had done.

That job he had taken, he said it had gone bad. What the fuck had he meant? You were sleeping with someone you didn’t know, and you knew then that you didn’t care.

You woke up in the middle of the night to the bedroom door closing. You were disoriented, but nothing seemed out of place. You watched as Frankies familiar shape padded as softly as he could through the room, discarding clothing as he made his way towards the bathroom.

Something didn’t seem right, he had gone to bed with you naked. You were confused and still half asleep when you heard the shower running. You were dozing off when you woke up again as he got into bed, his skin and hair damp.

“What’s going on?” You asked sleepily.

“Nothing honey, go back to sleep.” He spoke low into your ear as he pulled you towards him, curling himself around you.

You fell asleep almost immediately.

In the morning, you had forgotten all about it. You didn’t think about it again until the day after when you saw your husband's name in the news, he had died in what the police called a carjacking gone wrong.

There were no witnesses.

You thought about Frankie coming into bed in the middle of the night, you thought about him showering and the good mood he was in. You had a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach and a numbness was spreading out from it. Radiating out, seeping into your bones, your hands.

You looked at Frankie and he was staring back at you. That same calculating look on his face, but you weren’t scared.

The question was in your eyes but you couldn’t convince your mouth to form the words.

“Accidents happen all the time.” Was all he said.

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

Tag-list: @foli-vora @frannyzooey @greeneyedblondie44 @mouthymandalorian @danniburgh

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal fic #frankie morales #triple frontier #frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x you #pedro pascal x reader

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countimp · 2 years

Text

The Pain of Healing and Loving

Chapter 3: As Clouds Rain

Kazutora Hanemiya x Chifuyu Matsuno

Cw: Mention of alcohol;

After that day, they grew closer.

That's what Kazutora wanted to believe, anyway. The feeling of being ghosts to each other was replaced, gradually, for some kind of comfort. They were not close enough to be even called friends, but the mere acknowledging of each other made the environment improve. They saw each other more. Talked to each other. They work together. Kazutora, who usually stayed in the living room, all the time, felt more free to walk around the other rooms, as he pleased.

In work, talking with costumers was, still, troublesome for him, so he stayed most of the time in the backrooms, calming the animals, or cleaning. And everything that Matsuno asked him to do, he did, trying the best he could.

It was Friday, end of the afternoon, and Matsuno was closing the shop for the day. Kazutora was sweeping the floor, since earlier a big, furry dog came for a trim. Sweeping was one of the things he liked to do the most. It always feels nice to see the dirt get piled up and the repetitive movement took all the focus in Kazutora's mind. Only him and the broom and the floor and the song he hummed, that got stuck to his head earlier as he listened to the radio. No bad thoughts, no pitying himself.

So concentrated he was that didn't noticed Matsuno approaching, touching his back. The shock made Kazutora swift around, using the broom as a bat, one that Chifuyu almost couldn't dodge, flinching when Kazutora made a sudden movement of coming closer, letting the broom fall with a loud thud.

"Shit! I'm sorry!" Kazutora held his hands up, trying to reach for the other, but hesitating profusely. "I-I didn't saw you come in!"

Matsuno shook his hands, slightly. Trying to calm Kazutora. "It's alright! I should be the one apologizing." He kneeled down, to get the broom from the floor, breathing deeply to calm himself as well. "It's not your fault."

Kazutora held the broom handle tightly when it was given to him. Matsuno should really stop doing those things, Kazutora felt a burden enough already.

"I just came to say that we're closed for today."

Kazutora nodded. "I'll finish here."

"Alright. I'm going out for a bit, then. Wanna buy something."

They didn't look at each other, awkwardly staring to the floor. They were closer, but still really distant.

As close as a cloud and the earth.

"Alright. I'll handle the rest."

"…Thanks."

Kazutora was in the bath when Chifuyu came back from the mall, holding plastic bags with cans and a pack of peyoung soba.

…He used to share it with Baji. It was his idea as well. That was more or less how their friendship started.

Chifuyu bought the soba to share with Kazutora as well. Baji used to part it with Chifuyu, most of the time, and he felt like this was something special for them. But after some thinking, knowing how much Baji cared for Kazutora, there was no saying if he didn't do it with him as well.

If they did, it wouldn't be special to Chifuyu, maybe he thought too much. It would be special for Kazutora as well.

But the bitterness that grew with that track of thought, Chifuyu decided to avoid. Instead, he decided that maybe they could bond about that.

It maybe could be special for them two now.

Chifuyu looked at the bag and the box of soba in there. Only one box, lonely in the bag.

Thinking back now, this idea was stupid. Chifuyu just assumed things and not even bought a decent meal for both of them. Why would Kazutora accept only half a meal? He wasn't some sort of servant that only got the leftovers from his majesty. Chifuyu didn't want him to be so.

He should just go back to the mall and buy another box, before Kazutora came out of the bathroom.

"Matsuno-san?" Too late. The man in question was already at the living room, a towel wrapped around his neck, which he used the tip to dry his hair. "What is that?"

Chifuyu smiled, guilty. "Dinner. There's only one thought… I, um, kinda forgot to buy two…" he lied. But if Kazutora noticed, he didn't say anything.

"It's alright." Hanemiya turned back to the bathroom, to leave the towel there, coming back seconds later. "You can eat it."

"Hm, actually…" Matsuno called, leaving the bags on the table in the living room, and taking the peyoung soba from it carefully. "We can split it.. if you want."

"Split?" Kazutora wondered, considering the offer. "You don't mind?"

"Not at all." Because in the end, he got what he wanted. "You can start eating, I'm just gonna get some chopsticks for me."

As he looked for a pair of chopsticks in the drawer, a soft sound of gas coming out of a opening can came from the living room, along with the noise of the envelope of the soba being taken out, delicately.

This made Chifuyu wonder, once again this week. How is this the same Kazutora he met, years before?

Kazutora wasn't this thoughtful, or delicate, or this helpful. He was all over the place, doing what he wanted, beating others as he pleased. Sadistic and egocentric.

He's was nothing like that.

"This is really good!" Was what Kazutora announced, before Chifuyu came back, running from his thoughts.

"It is, isn't it?" Chifuyu sat beside him, taking a can of beer for himself and opening it. "It's my favorite one."

"I don't remember that brand, either." Kazutora pointed to the cover, vaguely.

"Yeah, it's kind of unknown."

Kazutora ate a bit more before giving the food to Chifuyu, standing in silence, awkwardly, staring at the other eat. His hands, too free in his opinion, grabbed his can of beer and drank, distracting himself for a bit.

The silence made both of them nervous. And, surprisingly, Kazutora spoke first.

"Matsuno-San–"

"You can call me Chifuyu, Kazutora-kun." He interrupted.

"Right, sorry. Chifuyu-san, I… well…"

The man turned to the other, all his attention on him, hands resting in the table, as he held the chopsticks and the box. Kazutora felt even more embarrassed now.

"… Thank you. Greatly." He finally said— mumbled— without looking Chifuyu in the eyes. —He would melt from embarrassment.

"For what?" Chifuyu, on the other hand, felt really confused.

He made a vague gesture with his hand, resting his weight in the table before him. "Everything. I wasn't able to thank you properly." This felt as embarrassing as confessing to Kazutora, but he just kept talking. He can drink himself to oblivion after that. "Nobody… ever shared their things with me. You're sharing everything you have."

Chifuyu passed the soba to the other again. "Nobody?" Kazutora bowed his head as he filled his mouth.

"Not that I recall." He spoke, mouth full.

"Not even Baji?"

Oh.

Kazutora forced himself to swallow, his appetite now gone.

But Matsuno still wanted a answer. He could sense it, even without looking.

"He's the exception." The soba was pulled once again, but Chifuyu didn't take it. Instead, he just glared.

"We used to split it." Kazutora glanced over his shoulder, curious. "Peyoung soba. It was, kinda like our thing." His words were sweet, and so was his tone, but it made Kazutora ache nevertheless. Chifuyu covered his face with a hand, ashamed about what he did. "I originally thought that we could share it as well. You and me, I mean." He corrected.

Kazutora wasn't understanding what Chifuyu was trying to say, but listened attentively, avoiding thinking bad thoughts again. Focusing, only, in Chifuyu.

"I expected that it could be special for us too."

Silence installed once again. Crushing, loud, and hard to break. And even with all his mean, Chifuyu could barely whisper.

"…And you?"

Kazutora stared at him, big wide eyes, unsure. He… what?

And like the other could read his mind, clarified. "Don't you have any special memory with him?"

Memories? Why would he ever be deserving of them after crushing the things Chifuyu had? Why would Kazutora's memory matter if he ended the sweet memories of another's? Memories that could have been his daily life if Kazutora didn't have messed up so badly?

But still. Kazutora clinged egoistically to his memory with Baji just as much Chifuyu did. It's everything he have.

And maybe, in the end, the two of them weren't so different.

"When we were together…" Kazutora voice was just as soft as Chifuyu's whisper. He couldn't dare to speak louder. "… and he got hungry… he decided to just. Set fire to some random's cars."

Chifuyu's eyes widened. "He did what?!" His surprise made Kazutora scoff, entertained.

"You tamed him, Matsuno. He was a menace."

"I could never. If anything, he made me worse."

"You? I don't believe it."

"I swear! There was one time…"

Their voices got louder as they talked about the boy. Happy memories, that made both feel so nostalgic. As they focused on the joyful happenings, ignoring the melancholy that usually came with them, the soba and the night ended, as the cloud rained in the land, connecting them.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers fanfiction #kazutora hanemiya #chifuyu matsuno #baji keisuke #the pain of healing and loving #goldwrites #cw alcohol #kazufuyu #fuyutora #torafuyu #i know its slow but i want them to grow #and growing takes time #too much time in my opinion but there's nothing i can do about it

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solastia · 4 years

Text

Tuqburni: Finale - Heartbreak

Pairing: Yoongi X Reader, Hoseok x Reader

A/N: Here you go with an alternate ending where she DIDN’T choose to go back to them. Angst, with a bit of hope (hyuck). Please remember, in my mind the other ending is canon and I will be releasing an epilogue eventually of them together in the future. Until then, enjoy this. It really hurt me to make my Yoongichi cry.

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

You sat on your tiny patio in the beat-up rocking chair you’d bought from a thrift store as you waited for Namjoon to come by. You probably could have waited inside, but it felt too big and empty for your liking. A familiar knock rattles your very wobbly-sounding door and you get up with a sigh, closing the sliding glass behind you as you head to the front door.

You open it without checking, knowing that there were only two people in the world who knew where you lived now.

Namjoon and Seokjin are standing there with hands brimming with equipment.

“Come on in. The room’s mostly set-up now.”

They kick off their shoes somehow and scuffle towards the second bedroom that was mostly sparse beyond a desk holding your computer, a chair, and soundproofing foam panels on the walls. In the pair’s arms were the rest of the recording equipment you’d need to establish the room as your official workspace.

Namjoon mumbles that he can take care of the setup so you let Jin pull you to the tiny kitchen and put on some tea while you wait.

“So...how was your first night as an independent woman?” Seokjin asks while he pulls down your new mugs and turns on the kettle.

“...Alright, I guess. Quiet,” you murmur softly, putting bags in the cups.

He nods in understanding. You’d moved out of their place after staying there for nearly a month. You’d tried leaving earlier, but Seokjin and Namjoon had been adamant that you needed to stay and let them watch out for you for a little while before you decided. Personally, you’d suspected that they’d probably thought they were on suicide watch, but you were fine. Well, perhaps not fine, but nowhere near thinking about that kind of thing.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell you or not, but you should know that Yoongi didn’t take it well,” he sighs and sets down his cup. “There was...a lot of yelling. A lot of...you know...him puffing up and getting angry at us to hide how devastated he was. He blamed us and said we were turning you against him and that setting up a studio in your apartment so you’d never have to see him again was obviously something that I came up with because you would never do that. He even started saying some stuff about how Namjoon was obviously using this as a chance to steal you away because of the tiny crush he had on you back when you all first met.”

“Oh, Jesus,” you huff and rub your eyes. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. He’s...that’s just always been his fighting style. He zeros in on the one thing he can say that would hurt you the most and stabs you with it. Please don’t hold it against him.”

He reaches over and pets your hair softly. “I know. It’s...it’s going to take a while but he’s going to need us too when this starts to settle down a little more. Right now you are our priority because you’re the one that’s been wronged, but...he’s still our marshmallow Yoongichi and we’ll need to pick him up too. Even if we are incredibly disappointed in him. Both of them.”

You nod, closing your eyes. “He...did he look...bad?”

“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie. His clothes were all messed up and he’s gotten really skinny. Don’t think he’s eating much either. But...you don’t need to worry about that. That’s not your responsibility. He made his choices. Jimin made his choices. Now it’s time for you to have your turn.”

You nod silently, knowing he was right. That didn’t make it any easier.

It felt almost like you’d been in a trance since that night Yoongi had ordered you to leave. You remembered driving to Jin’s and sitting in their guestroom, staring at the ceiling blankly once your chest hurt too much to cry any longer.

When the knocking started, there had been one tiny spark of hope that Yoongi had finally come to his senses and was there to apologize. To drop to his knees and beg you to come back. That he would do anything…

But the high tones of Jimin’s begging squashed that final dream. Yoongi couldn’t even be bothered to come even now. He had to send Jimin to do the talking for him. And finally...FINALLY...you were overcome by rage.

No more. You were done.

You shook your head no to Namjoon’s silent question over whether he should let Jimin inside, and then you just stood there listening to him trying to talk through the door. He said some things that surprised you and some that didn’t. You’d known he was developing some sort of feeling for you - whether that was actually love or that he just liked having sex you didn’t know, and really you weren’t sure you cared anymore.

He’d managed to stick around for an hour, which had impressed you, but you hadn’t been surprised when he finally gave up and left. That had also been the last time you’d seen or heard from either of them. Yoongi hasn’t tried to call and you certainly weren’t going to be the one to beg for him to take you back. You had absolutely nothing to apologize for. You’d done nothing but love that man with everything you had - and it still hadn’t been good enough.

It was with that thought in mind that you essentially set up camp in the Kim household while you tried to figure out your next steps. They’d been kind enough to go get some of your belongings. Apparently, Jimin had cried while he helped them pack up enough for now and promised to have everything else ready for them to come back for later. Namjoon put you on official leave from work and with a few changes on social media you were now almost officially completely severed from your life with Yoongi. The house had been in his name, you’d never combined accounts, your car was your own. Honestly, it seemed almost too easy. Your lives were now entirely separate beyond the tears in your soul that would last forever.

Namjoon had convinced you to keep your job, promising that you could work from home and the company would cover the costs of converting your second room into a studio. It was incredibly indulgent on his part but you didn’t even think of turning him down. You loved your job and you definitely needed the financial comfort it would bring as you started over. The rest of the apartment was still kind of shabby since you’d been worrying about the studio first, but eventually, you’d get around to making it feel like a home.

Namjoon struts from the studio with a grin, wiping his hands together. “All done! Just waiting for you to set up passwords and stuff now. Kinda jealous now. Jin, can I set up a studio at home? I like the idea of working in my underwear.”

Seokjin scowls playfully. “Don’t even think about it.”

You huff lightly, but don’t miss the way they seemed to be discussing something with their eyes before they both turn to you.

“There’s...uh...something else that you should probably know. You might not want to know or care but we thought we should at least tell you,” Namjoon begins, his eyes constantly flitting between yours and Jin’s.

“Just tell me, Joon.”

“They, uh. Yoongi and Jimin, they...broke up? I guess. Don’t know the whole story yet but apparently, Jimin’s been staying in a hotel near the company. We’re all watching Yoongi closely to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, but, yeah. Thought you should probably know,” Namjoon says quickly, cringing like he expected you to go on a rampage despite the fact that you never have before.

Instead, you simply scoff, because wasn’t that just perfect. All that pain you went through, all the fighting and sacrifices, and in the end, it was all for nothing.

“Are you okay?” Seokjin asks softly, bumping your shoulder with his.

You smile up at him, though it doesn’t meet your eyes. “I will be.”

******

“I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

You sigh angrily into your phone as you walk towards the cafe, wondering for the millionth time why you let Kim Seokjin order you around so much.

“It’s been six months, sweetie. It’s time and he perfect for you, I promise! He’ll be a drooling mess at your feet in no time.”

When you’d gotten ready for the café, you’d thought you were simply meeting your friend Jin for coffee and gossip, like usual. Only he’d called you when you were only a couple minutes away to inform you that it was actually a blind date. Surprise, bitch.

“Does he at least know why he’s there?”

“Of course! He was really excited too. Seems he’s had the hots for you for ages.”

You were thankful he couldn’t tease you for the blush on your cheeks. “No one calls it the hots anymore, grandpa.”

“Nevermind. Date canceled. I’m not saddling my Hobi Hobi with someone so disrespectful…”

“Calm down. Fuck, I’m not dressed for a date, Jinnie. I thought it was just going to be us so I’m just wearing jeans and a hoodie.”

“It’s not my fault you don’t dress up for me.”

You finally reach the café and stare at the sign like it would give you courage. “I can’t do this…”

“Breathe. You can. You have no reason to feel guilty or undeserving. I picked the best one I can find for you, but if it doesn’t work out that’s okay too. There is no pressure. All I want is for you to be happy.”

Your heart swelled, remembering that, oh yeah, this is why you kept Kim Seokjin around.

“I really love you a lot, you know that right? You are the best friend I could ever ask for.”

He chuckles happily. “I’ll remind you that you said that the next time you get mad at me. Good luck. Call me if you need to escape. Treat Hoseokie with care, too. He’s like one of those Gremlins. Don’t put him in water or anything high, and he turns into a weird sex demon after midnight.”

“Should I ask how you know that?”

“I know everything about everyone, my dear Y/N. Everything.”

You’d call him out on his bluff if you were more certain that it actually was one.

“Alright, I’m going in. Love you.”

“Love you. Be nice to Hoseok.”

You close the call and stuff your phone in your pocket, taking the chance to brush out any wrinkles and calm yourself. You just wished that you were wearing something cuter than a pink hoodie that you were pretty sure belonged to Jin at one point. At least your converse were pink to match and you’d done your hair.

You enter the café, the stupid little bell making everyone’s heads turn toward you like you weren’t nervous enough. You think you spot the guy in question sitting next to a window, but you buy yourself some time with getting your drink first, peeking at him out of the corner of your eye.

It wasn’t that you didn’t know him at all, you’d just never really talked to him. He worked at the company as a choreographer so naturally, you’ve seen him around. It was merely that producers like you were usually goblins that cooped themselves up in their studios and didn’t really get around to meeting everyone. It was impossible to not notice Hoseok though. Beyond the fact that he was handsome, he was also incredibly bright. Both inside and outside. You were sure you’d seen every color of the rainbow on his head at some point, and it was currently a flattering shade of orange that not many could pull off.

Once you had your drink in hand, you turn and head towards the table. Hoseok is already standing to greet you, his smile wide and unabashed, and you finally begin to feel the first tingles of excitement. And maybe a few nervous butterflies.

“Hi, Hoseok,” you smile shyly and sit when he gestures to a chair, trying not to laugh when he nearly tumbles trying to sit back down.

“Hello!” he practically yells, and you finally notice that he just might be nervous too. He clears his throat and tries again. “Hi. Thanks for coming.”

“Yeah, I...uh. I’m going to be honest - I only knew this was happening a few minutes ago. I thought I was meeting Jin,” you smile awkwardly, chuckling.

He cringes and seems to droop before your very eyes. “Oh, sorry. I...I don’t want this to be a forced thing. I’ll just...uh. See you around?”

He gets up to leave and you’re not sure what makes you grab his jean jacket to stop him.

“No, please. Stay? I...I’m going to be bad at this because it’s been a long time but...I can try?”

His smile is the happiest thing you’ve ever seen in your life. “Yeah? Okay. Alright, let’s do this.”

You laugh and settle back into your seat, watching him as he does the same. He’s so expressive and vocal as he starts telling you a story about his day (one of his new kids fell and made the other ones fall like dominos and now his best dancer was out with a sprained ankle). He asked questions about your life, your interests, asked about your work. He was so beautiful and yet he looked at you like you were something awe-inspiring. It had been a long time since anyone had seemed so genuinely interested in you. Before you knew it an hour had flown by and your stomach was beginning to hurt from laughing so much.

“So, I was thinking if I hadn’t scared you off yet, maybe you’d be willing to continue this date? But like, somewhere else because if I drink another cup of tea I’m going to burst,” Hoseok wrinkled his nose and sent you a shy smile, a single tiny dimple poking out.

“I’d like that,” you grin, surprised yet again that you actually meant it. That you were actually excited to spend more time with him. “Maybe we could just walk around for a while and talk. There’s a park across the street and lots of people play music and stuff. And then maybe you could take me dancing tonight. Show off those moves you keep bragging about.”

Where had this confident woman come from?

Thankfully, his grin widens and he nods eagerly. “That sounds perfect. But first...little boys room. Be right back.”

You giggle and settle back into your see as you watch him scurry frantically to the bathrooms - no surprise since he’d downed three cups of peppermint tea. You turn to observe the room to pass the time and that’s when you spot him.

He’s standing near the pick-up counter with an iced americano in his hand, the condensation and half-melted ice suggesting he’d been there for a while. His haunted gaze is locked right on you and you meet it even as your stomach clenches with a myriad of emotions.

Six months. Such a short time in the grand scheme of things but still so long since you’d last seen him. He’s as beautiful as ever, even if he’s obviously been losing weight that he didn’t need to and his lounging around the house clothes he was wearing in public gave off the IDGAF vibe.

Yoongi seems to finally come to a decision as he saunters closer, eyes wide and unblinking like he’s afraid if he looks away for a single second you’ll disappear. He finally reaches your table and you fight the instinct to make a run for it.

“Hey,” he says softly, his hand clenching tightly enough around his drink to make the plastic crinkle.

“Hey,” you answer softly, unsure of what else to say.

“You look beautiful,” he continues with a soft tone like he’s speaking to a spooked rabbit. Perhaps he was.

“Thanks.”

He nods silently, continuing to stare. “So...you’re on a date with Hoseok?”

“Uh...yeah,” you swallow nervously. “Blind date. Seokjin set it up.”

He nods again and licks his lips. “Yeah? That’s...good. Hoseok’s a good guy.”

“Yeah. He seems nice.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re...doing okay?” You’re not sure what prompted you to ask. Perhaps there will always be a part of you that worries about him - you already know that there’s always going to be a part of your soul that belongs to him.

He shrugs, “Alright. You?”

“Yeah. I’m good. Have an apartment and going to counseling.”

He flinches as if you’d just slapped him. “Sorry.”

“It’s not just...because of you or what happened. It’s, you know, the past and all that too. Just needed to work things out. I think it’s helping. Maybe...maybe you could try it too.”

“Maybe,” he responds noncommittally, his eyes finally falling to the floor. “I miss you.”

Your heartbeat quickens. “Yeah. I miss you too.”

“Do you think...maybe we could try…”

You cut him off before he can even finish that sentence. “No.”

That was maybe too harsh because he looked like he wanted to melt into the floor straight to hell.

“I...will always miss you. And a part of me will probably always love the Yoongi I had before, but no. I don’t quite have the gift of words that you do, but I just know that we weren’t right for each other. I mean, I was technically just a very long rebound before you got your chance with Jimin again, in the end.”

“That’s not how it was. I loved you. I love you,” he grits out, his eyes taking on a steely edge as he looked back up.

“Yeah. I know you did, just maybe not the right way. And I loved you, but I let you bulldoze over me. So maybe we could have been good, but you got greedy and I needed to learn to not be a doormat.”

He nods and once again looks like a kicked puppy.

You sigh and tap on the table nervously. “But for those years that we were together - I will always love that Yoongi. I will look back and remember that once upon a time there was a man and a woman who were crazy in love and built a home together. Who had dreams of building a lifetime together. I will hope that Yoongi has a happy life and that he finds what he needs. That he can find a companion who makes him want to fight for what they have together.”

The tears streaming down his cheeks make you pause, realizing you’re fighting back some of your own.

“I love you, Min Yoongi. But you weren’t right for me. Now it’s time for me to find my place in this world. Maybe Hoseok is it, maybe he isn’t. I’d like to think I don’t need another person to help me feel complete. Whatever it is, I’m learning how to speak up and fight for myself. I hope you can learn to be happy for me.”

He nods, sniffling. “Whatever you want. I just...I just wanted you to know. I love you. I really did. And...I’m sorry. For what I did. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I hurt Jimin. Do you think...you’ll ever want to at least talk to me?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe someday. I don’t think you’re ready.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.”

“Yeah. I...you have to go home now, Yoongi. I’m on a date.”

His watery eyes widen again, and he nods slowly. “Right, yeah. Sorry. Again. And...please. Call me or whatever if you ever need anything. I...won’t expect anything else. Just know that I’m here if you need someone. Can I ask for that, at least?”

You nod, “Yeah. Thank you, Yoongi. I’ll...see you around.”

He gulps and backs up. “Yeah, see you, Y/N.”

He turns swiftly and practically jogs towards the entrance while you try to memorize what could be your last glimpse of the man you once loved.

“Everything okay?”

You jump and your eyes fly over to meet the sympathetic ones of Hoseok.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I saw him talking to you and thought it was best to let you have privacy. Was that okay?”

“Yeah,” you sigh. “He just wanted to talk. And...it was good. I think I finally feel a little more closure.”

“So...I’m not like a rebound, right? Like, I know that you guys were dating and I heard some of it from Seokjin but...”

“Uh...you’re the first time I’m trying to actually date since Yoongi. If that clears things up a bit,” you answer with a blush. You were not about to go into detail about those couple months of desperate hookups you’d used to try and gain your confidence back before you’d started therapy.

Thankfully, he seems to not mind that bit of news judging by the wicked grin that paints his lips. “Oh?”

“Shut up,” you growl, playfully swatting him.

He chuckles and reaches out a hand to you. “Do you still feel up to continuing our date? If not, I’ll totally understand and we can reschedule. I’ll only cry and stress-eat a tiny bit, I promise.”

You snort and accept his hand, letting him help you up. In a moment of bravery, you lace your arm in his and tug him towards the entrance.

“Just you try to get away from me now, Jung Hoseok.”

He giggles and lets you lead the way, both of you exiting the café and feeling hopeful about the future.

#bts #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #tuqburni #solastia #bts angst

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donutloverxo · 4 years

Text

His salvation

Note - for my love @evnscvll's 3k follower challenge. Congrats and i hope you like it.

Anon asked for "Mobster!steve making u dress in white lingerie specifically and act innocent so the purity of it is always a contrast to him and his gritty life whew it is hot in here"

Summary - You're Steves light. He can't let you go even if he knows he's bad for you.

Themes - mob au, smut, pwp, soft dark Steve, master/sir kink, dom/sub dynamics, cockwarming, slut shaming.

Pairing - Steve Rogers x reader

Word count - 2.3k

Masterlist is linked in the bio!

Steve had always believed he was born in blood and darkness. Doomed to stay there forever. Forced to do things he didn’t want.

To have people expect the world from him. Put him up on a pedestal. Having to match their standards.

Maybe no one is truly forced to do anything. Maybe that’s a lie he told himself so he could sleep at night.

It didn’t really matter either way. His soul would forever be tainted. No matter how many times he washed them, his hands will always be dirty.

His father died when he was only 20. As sad as he was. He was free as well. He was almost happy. He thought he wouldn’t have to live under the mobsters tight fist anymore. That he could use his power and his name for some good.

But he was surrounded by cartels, gangs and bad men. Who he owed many things to, on his fathers behalf. He never did try to stop fighting to get out of the quicksand, which only made him sink further. Believing that there would always be a light at the end of the tunnel. That someday he'd get to be normal.

Turns out the light was you. He decided so as soon as he saw you. Who knew a sweet simple waitress would save him from himself.

You were all smiles and politeness as you took down his and his associates orders. He still remembers your smudged pink lipstick, your white apron.

He found out how innocent and pure you were when you finally gave in and let him take you out to dinner. He doubted you had ever done anything bad in your life.

He choked on his wine when you told him that you’re a virgin. He had his suspicions but he really couldn’t believe how no one had ever touched someone as beautiful as you and took your innocence away.

He was elated when you told him that you wanted him to be your first. That you couldn’t be with anyone but him. That he had ruined you for other men.

The first time with you was the greatest night of his life. The best sex he ever had. Who knew it'd be with a virgin?

You weren’t like most women. Flaunting around their assets, leaving nothing to the imagination.

No. You were real and honest. So responsive to his touch. Your moans didn’t sound rehearsed, as if something you copied from watching too much gratuitous pornography.

Your cunt was adorned with soft dark curls. Completely natural. Just the way he liked. He drank from you as if he hadn’t drank anything for years. Revelling in the way he made you feel so good that you cried real tears for him.

But loving you came with a price. He couldn’t help but feel terrified of just how intense his feelings were. Because he knew you deserved the whole world. You deserved to be happy.

Because he knew he wasn’t the best for you. It wouldn’t be too long before you found out what he did for a living.

If you wanted to leave it would be understandable. But would he let you? He didn’t know.

He walked into your shared bedroom when you didn’t greet him at the door, he assumed you’d be asleep. But here you were putting on some sort of concoction on your face.

He put the little gift he got you aside and sneaked up behind you.

“Boo!” He screamed in your ear and chuckled at the startled noise you made.

You frowned as you spilled the multani clay all over your lap. All thanks to your man. You looked at him over your shoulder. Your frown creasing the drying clay on your face. “Thanks a lot.” You stood up removing your soiled robe.

His smile left his face as he delivered a harsh smack on your behind. You yelped and landed your palms down on your dressing table to support your weight.

He leaned in close to whisper in your ear. “What have we said about sassing me my dear?” He whispered lowly, caressing your bum before smacking it again.

“Only bad girls talk back.” You whimpered tears spilling from your eyes. “I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to.” You sobbed as he kept delivering sharp smacks to both your cheeks. Disappointed that you let him down, feeling the sharp pain in your ass, humiliated at the wetness pooling between your legs.

He sneaked a hand up your nightgown and past your panties. Pressing a thumb against your second hole. One he hadn’t had the opportunity to fuck yet. “Maybe I should some pay attention here as well.” He suggested pressing his thumb inside you.

“Whatever you want sir. I’ll do anything for you.” You breathed out as you felt him push two of his fingers in your heat. Working both your holes expertly. Almost tipping you over the edge.

You would be embarrassed of just how he could play with you so well that he had you cuming in mere minutes. But right now you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Too lost in the glorious pleasure. You had missed him terribly for the last few days. You couldn’t even touch yourself to relieve your aching pussy. It was against the rules laid out by Steve.

He pulled his fingers out of you all too soon as you whimpered at the loss. More tears escaping your eyes wetting the clay you had put on.

He delivered another sharp slap to your upper thigh. “Stop it. You know bad girls don’t get to cum.” He chastised your insolent behavior. He wanted to feel you gush around his fingers, but he couldn’t have you thinking you could speak to him however you liked.

To be so arrogant and bratty was unbecoming of you and he wasn’t having any of it. “It’s your own fault. You ruined it for both of us.” He said sternly as he moved you around to make you look at him.

His heart melted, all his anger fading away at the defeated and sad look on your face. “What’s this on your face?” He frowned at your brown face pack. Restricting him from seeing your face.

“It’s supposed to be good for your skin. I was just getting ready for our anniversary tomorrow.” You looked down shyly averting his eyes “I wanted to look pretty for you sir.” You mumbled.

You were too good to be true. So kind and considerate to him when he had just been so cruel and malicious to you. He supposed the stark contrast was only one of the million things he loved about you and your relationship.

He hummed at. Almost dropping to his knees then and there to finish you off with his mouth. But he had other plans for tonight.

He pushed his wet middle and forefinger, which were deep inside your cunt just a few seconds ago, against your lips. “You know what to do princess.” He instructed as you them in your mouth, suckling on them to clean them up.

He could hardly hold on. Just imagining your warm wet mouth around his cock had him almost cuming in his pants.

“Wash it off doll. You don’t need it. If you become anymore beautiful I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you.” He growled gripping your hips, perhaps a bit too harshly, grinding his hardness against your core.

You let out another pathetic whimper and gave him a small nod, complying instantly like you always do, walking towards the bathroom.

“Wait” He called out stopping you in your tracks. He handed you the paper bag. “Put that on.” He instructed.

“What is it?” You curiously peeked inside the bag.

“It’s your anniversary gift doll. Now go put it on.” He said growing more and more impatient by the minute. You hurried off into the bathroom. It was really more of a gift for him than you. But he had bought you some diamonds and pretty purses. He didn’t feel that guilty.

If he did have any semblance of guilt, it instantly faded away as he laid his eyes on you. Wearing the white satin baby doll he had picked out, with white lace on the edge of it. It ended just below your ass, giving him a generous view of your thick thighs and legs.

“Come here dove.” He extended an arm to you as you lingered at the bathroom door. Playing with the lace of your new nightie.

You gulped down and walked to him and stood in front of him. “Uh sir...” You trailed off as you couldn’t gather enough courage, not being able to concentrate with his large hands roaming freely on your body.

“What dove?” He asked feeling your ass over the smooth material.

“It – didn’t have any panties. Did they fall somewhere or something?” You stammered so embarrassed that you felt you’d cry.

You trusted Steve with your life but you couldn’t help the but feel exposed and embarrassed whenever his hungry eyes feasted upon you when you were naked. You had never put on any kind of lingerie for him before. Steve never seemed to mind your simple bras or comfortable granny panties. This was so new and scary for you. But at the same time oh so exciting.

“It did come with panties. But satin isn’t supposed to be good for you dove.” He explained. “I prefer you this way. It gives me free reign to do whatever I want with you.” He slipped a hand between your legs and caressed the inside of your thighs.

“At the end of the day. You are mine.” He pulled his hand away and jutted your chin up to make you look at him. “Now don’t you think you should apologize for being so rude to your master?” He asked and you nodded eagerly. “Get to work then. If you do a good job maybe I’ll go easy on you.” He said pushing on your shoulders to make you kneel in front of him.

Your shaky fingers worked to undo his zipper and pulling him out of his underwear. You gasped as his cockhead slapped your face before standing tall against his lower abdomen.

You licked your hand wrapping it around his thick length. You stroked him slowly watching in awe as beads of white cream oozed from his tip.

“You can do better than that.” He groaned nudging his cock against your lips and slowly pushing it in. He grunted at your warmth and wetness as he bottomed out, touching the back of your throat. Smirking as you gagged around him.

He looked down at you. Wishing he could rip out his phone and capture the image forever. You on your knees, looking up at him adoringly as if he’s your whole world, your mouth stretched wide as he fucked it. He was living the dream.

He grabbed a hold of your head with both his hands and hastily pushed and pulled out of your mouth. You cupped his balls and played with them, just as he had taught you.

He pulled you off of him. You looked up at him scared that he was still mad with you. “Aw don’t look so disappointed.” He cooed smoothening his hand over your hair “Need to cum in your cunt.” He rasped. “I’ll let you swallow it later dove. I plan to go all night.” He smirked as your eyes widened. Probably worried about how you could keep up with him. He did love testing you.

He impatiently manhandled you and dropped you on the bed. Making quick work of taking off his shirt and pants. He settled between your legs wrapping them around his waist. He wanted to taste you. To get lost between your legs. But he’d save that for later as well.

You bit his shoulder as he entered you. Still not used to his length. Your cunt burning in the best way at the hard and warm weight of him.

“Oh Steve...” You chanted his name and then a series of ‘oh my goodness' as he fucked into you, the sounds of his balls slapping your cunt so purely sinful. He didn’t mind you saying his given name while so delirious with pleasure. It was the only thing he was willing to look past.

He was almost there. Going days without you had only served to feed his hunger for you. But he held off. He wanted to see you finish first.

You looked so gorgeous, completely fucked out under him. Your breasts bouncing under the thin satin as he pounded into you. He lifted your hips and gave a particularly harsh thrust to strike your special spot.

From the way you screamed at the top of your lungs he knew he found it.

Being the sweet angel that you are, you had always been shy about the loud noises you made whenever he had his way with you. Even tried to stifle them. As if he would let you hide such beautiful sounds. He made sure to teach you that you could be yourself, as wild as you wished to be, in the bed you both shared.

When he felt your tight channel clenching around him, now he was the one who couldn’t keep from screaming. He spilled deep inside you rolling his hips to tease your clit.

He pulled your thigh over his hips, snuggling against your back. Gently palming and feeling your breasts and rolling his hips again to settle his soft cock in you in the right angle, to make sure he his seed stayed inside you. So he could be as close to you as he can. Feeling you, smelling you all around him.

You were his and he was yours. He would never let anyone or anything change that.

Tags will be in the reblog! Click the link in the bio to be join the taglist or shoot me an ask/dm.

Comments and feedback are appreciated! ��❤

Beautiful dividers by @whimsicalrogers.

Please note that my work is not to be reposted or published anywhere other than my Tumblr or AO3 account without my permission. Reblogs are most welcome though!

#evnscvll3kchallenge #mob!steve rogers x reader #reader x steve rogers #steve rogers x female reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve x reader #steve x you #steve rogers reader insert #marvel au #chris evans x reader #avengers x oc #avengers x y/n #avengers x you #avengers x reader #marvel x reader

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luvlyuno · 3 years

Text

alone (m)

What happens when your crush offers to let you stay a few nights but plans take a turn?

Pairing: Huening Kai & Female OC

[ft. TXT Soobin & Yeonjun, NCT Na Jaemin, ITZY Lia & Yuna]

Genre: Suspense, Little Angst, Ballet AU

Warning: Sexual Assualt, Rape, Arguing, Trust issues, Suicide

Word Count: 2.0k

Note: first post~

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

“And 1. And 2” The girl leaped from point one to point two. Feeling the melody of the classical song. Her dance partner lifted her body off the ground, bringing her to a full 360 degree. “Great job Sujin. Impressive like always” The instructor complimented as the team finished practice. Sujin’s face turned into a light shade of pink, quickly thanking her instructor before scurrying to her bag to pack everything up.

“Hey Sujin, Miss Park wants to speak to you in her office.” Lia, a fellow member of the ballet academy said. The girl put her phone down walking over to the office surrounded by windows. “Miss Park, you called me?” Miss Park stood up from her desk with an envelope in her hand. “Look what I found in the mail.” The elder woman handed the thick envelope to Sujin. “It’s from Saebom School of Arts.” She commented. A layer of moisture grew on Sujin’s hands. Her hands started shaking as well. “Open it when you get home.” Miss Park lightly patted the girl on the shoulder as she walked outside back into the studio.

“Why did Miss Park call you in?” Yuna, another teammate and friend of Sujin asked. “She gave me this envelope from Saebom.” Yuna’s mouth was in an ‘o’ shape. “Well, I got to go. Someone was calling you by the way. Don’t forget to text me!” Her friend yelled running out of the door of the studio. Sujin giggled a bit, walking off to her slightly open duffle bag. The girl knelt, picking up her phone from her bag. A notification from the boy that she’s head over heels flashed on the screen. “Kai Jung.” She said under her breath. The two lovers met over summer dance camp. Kai was from a different ballet studio a couple of hours away from Sujin’s. They met by being paired up for a boy and girl dance duet at camp. Later growing mutual feelings for each other. She unlocked her phone immediately by pressing on the messaging app. Sujin typed away on her phone telling Kai that she will call him when she got home from the studio. Before leaving Sujin waved goodbye to her ballet instructor and went off to catch the next bus.

“Next Stop: District 9” Sujin got up from her seat walking out of the bus. She watched as the stores along the sidewalk turned on their neon lines. Shining through the darkness of Seoul. Sujin sighed heavily as a quick shiver ran down her back. Sooner than she thought, Sujin was already home ready for dinner. “Sujin’s home!” The girl’s older brother, Jaemin said, sliding through the hallway of their house. Sujin smiled as she took her shoes off. “Mom!” She yelled from the Mudroom. “Miss Park gave me this envelope from Saebom.” She made her way to the kitchen. “She told me to open it at home.” Mrs. Na hummed in response while stirring the soup for dinner. Sujin slowly opened the thick envelope, taking the piece of paper out.

“Oh my god.” She gasped, clasping her hand to her mouth. “I got in! OMG, I GOT IN JAEMIN!” She squealed like a pig. The girl jumped in excitement, her once low bun undoing.” Jaemin hugged his sister. “Congrats sis! You got into your dream school! She nodded, smiling from ear to ear. Sujin turned to look at her Mom who had no emotion written on her face. Sujin’s smile dropped to a confused look. “Mom? What’s wrong” Her Mother looked up. “Isn’t this too much? Ballet is a hobby, not a career.” Mrs. Na questioned. “Mom, Sujin has plans ready for herself. She planned to be a professional ballerina and have a side business like what she has now.” Jaemin stuck up for his little sister. Sujin was on the verge of tears from all the arguing. “And!? What is that gonna help her in the future? I TOLD YOU TO BECOME A LAWYER-'' Mrs. Na was cut off. “BEING A LAWYER WAS YOUR DREAM NOT MINE! I CHOOSE WHAT I WANT TO BECOME IN THE FUTURE NOT YOU!”

Sujin then stormed off to her bedroom. Tears streaming down her face. Jaemin’s eyes following hers. “Wow, Mom. The time when you’re supposed to be a ‘supportive mother figure’ has gone to waste.” Jaemin ran after Sujin leaving their Mother dumbfounded. Sujin sat on her bed as she cried rivers. A sudden knock was heard. She didn’t feel like opening it, so she ignored the knocking. “Sujin it’s me Jaemin. Can I come in?” She stayed silent. “I’ll just take that as a yes.” Jaemin walked in taking a seat next to her.

“Why can’t Mom just understand that this is what I want for me in the future? What did I do for her to act like this? I don’t want to be under the same roof as her right now” Sujin complained as tears spilled out more. Jaemin sighed. “I honestly don’t know how to respond to this but I support you. Dad would support you too.” He smiled trying to brighten the mood. Sujin’s lips curled a little making Jaemin feel a little satisfied. “I’ll give you some alone time. I know you’ll probably trap yourself in here till she apologies, so text or call me if you need anything.” Then he left, leaving Sujin giggling a bit. Her phone started ringing all of a sudden.

Her phone lit up with the contact name Kai <3 on it. “Hello? Kai?” Her voice was raspy from all the crying. “Hi, Sujin! A-are you okay? You sound sick.” Sujin softly giggled at how Kai was worried for her. “I just got into an argument with my Mom. I don’t want to be here right now.” She pouted. “Wanna stay the weekend at my Grandma’s house with me? She lives near you. Same town.” Kai offered. He was planning to surprise her but plans took a turn. “Oh please, you’re a lifesaver Kai!” She smiled through the phone. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon. Around 4 pm.” Kai happily said. The two eventually hung up. Sujin laid down bored out of her mind. Until Jaemin barged into her room.

“Well, dinner was super awkward. Mom was just ranting to Dad the whole time but bro was like I support her.” Sujin puffed out a little chuckle. “Did you just call Dad bro?” Jaemin just shrugged then left her room. The next morning everything was so strange to Sujin. Maybe it was the fact that her Mom didn’t open her windows while she was sleeping. Or that breakfast wasn’t pre-made for Jaemin and her. Sujin rose packing her bags getting ready to stay at Kai’s Grandma’s house for a few days. She has informed Jaemin that she was going to sleep over at her friend Yuna’s place for a couple of days. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Kai texted.

“I won’t be able to pick you up. I hate to help my Grandma cook, so my cousins Soobin and Yeonjun will pick you if that’s okay?” Sujin replied with a quick okay then continued her packing. It was a little over 4 pm when Kai’s cousins Yeonjun and Soobin arrived to pick her up. “How did you and Kai meet? He’s never really had a girlfriend.” Yeonjun commented. Sujin was shocked at the assumption of the two dancers dating. “Oh u-um, we’re not dating. We’re just friends nothing more.” She blushed at the thought. “Hmm.” Soobin replied. The drive there was quite longer than she thought. That’s until Soobin offered to give her something.

“Hey Sujin, we just came from the store before picking up. Want some of these candies we bought?” It would be rude to decline so Sujin agreed. After a few sour gummies, she started to feel dizzy. Then everything went black. Sujin woke up in an unfamiliar room with a locked door and a glued shut window. What in the world happened? Dark thoughts polluted her brain.

“Oh! You’re awake.” In came Soobin but no sight of Yeonjun. “Where’s Kai? Are we here already?” She cluelessly asked not even noticing the object in the male’s hand. Soobin got closer to Sujin, inches away from her face. She was caught off guard. His eyes piercing through her soul. “G-get away from me!” She stuttered pushing him away. A smirk grew on his face. “I’m not gonna do anything to you.” She raised an eyebrow feeling the uneasy energy in the room. “How am I supposed to trust you?” Sujin slowly walked backward. Soobin follows as she moves. “I promise.” Soobin injected her with some type of liquid in her right arm in just a blink of an eye. To Sujin the room started spinning. She felt weak but a sudden burst of unusual energy burst. Soobin’s lip curled as he watched transform into a different state of mind.

“Yeonjun come in here.” The pink-haired boy Yeonjun walked into the room, eyes widening at the scene. Sujin wasn’t acting normal. “C’mon you go first.” Soobin pushed Yeonjun closer to Sujin who was laying on the white mattress. “This is wrong I’m opting out dude.” Soobin chuckled at the scared Yeonjun. “Oh is little Yeonjun scared to do something very bad to this little girl?” Soobin laughed again pushing Yeonjun’s shoulder. “Do it or I’m telling the student body that you’re selling you know what. And that would for sure get you expelled from going to your dream school.” The boy walked closer to Yeonjun who was awfully terrified. Just the threat alone could make Yeonjun do it with hesitation. He knew it was bad but still did what he was told. “Thanks for starting now, let me finish her.”

Soobin said without any emotions. Yeonjun stepped aside as he watched the screaming girl whine and cry. It was so hard for him not to call for help. Yes, he felt guilty for Sujin but reputation goes first in this cruel world. Sujin screamed and screamed for help. The immense pain Sujin didn’t sign up for was never-ending. As much as she tried to fight back or force Soobin to stop he would either reply by slapping her or making the pain worse. “Please Stop.” She whispered weakly. Sujin laid there lifeless.

“Hurry and get back in the car.” Soobin groaned leaving the room. Sujin wept to realize what just happened. She never thought that her first would be a crime. She hurriedly put on her clothes and walked out of the mysterious house. Soobin saw as she sulked all the way out of the house. He didn’t have the patience for this so he picked her up shoving her into the car. The night ride to nowhere was quiet. Besides the silent sobs and choked-up breathing that was coming from Sujin, there wasn’t a single word spoken.

“Get out.” The car came to a stop. Sujin looked up making eye contact with Soobin through the rearview mirror. “I said GET. OUT.” He repeated through his teeth. “Y-you were supposed to bring me to Kai..” She dragged her words. Soobin huffed. “I said get out!” He repeated once again annoyed. His sudden shout made Yeonjun and Sujin flinch. Sujin got out of the car grabbing her belongings. Just as she closes the door, Sujin gets a quick glance at Yeonjun. His facial expression filled with guilt. Seconds later the car left faster than light. Sujin stood there feeling the moonlight shine on her. She was left in the middle of a highway in Seoul. Sujin felt so dirty and disappointed in herself. All the times she tried to stop a car to get home they would just give her a dirty look.

“I could’ve stopped him.” She thought. Just within two days, her life went downhill. She quickly took out her phone typing a quick “I love you, Jaemin.” to her brother. “Doesn’t that bright light seem interesting?” Sujin asked herself. She stepped off the sidewalk. Her feet leading straight to her fate. The sound of honking did not faze her. The bright lights didn’t even make her squint. Sujin Na just kept walking to the middle of the road. Till she wanted to stop.

BREAKING NEWS: 18 YEAR OLD SUJIN NA REPORTED DEAD AT HWY NEO127. CT SCANS FOUND SHE WAS BRUTALLY RAPED BEFORE HER DEATH. CCTV SPOTTED THE TWO PERPETRATORS, SOOBIN CHOI AND YEONJUN CHOI. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE ANNOUNCED...

Jaemin’s shaky eyes rewind again and again. It’s been two years since her suicide. Her soul still lingers on Highway Neo 127.

Sujin Na.

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writingbeary · 3 years

Text

Ice cream Incident

Note: Set around Year 2019

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The members were on VLIVE to hang out with fans before the fan meeting in the afternoon. They all had an icecream of their choice in hand as they share stories with Atiny to pass time. Minyoung, seated beside Jongho and Wooyoung, was so focused on what Hongjoong was saying that she didn't notice Wooyoung take a bit of her ice cream until it was too late. She gasped, looking at her hand with the cone to find it almost gone.

San who noticed what happened across the table laughed while Wooyoung munches on his loot. Minyoung kept quiet and started eating her icecream, suddenly feeling down.

Hongjoong noticed a flood of comments asking about Minyoung as fans saw what happened and the visible change of her mood was apparent even when she is far from the camera.

Hongjoong sighed turning to Wooyoung “Wooyoung-ah, what did you do now?”

“What?” Wooyoung looked around confused

San snickered bearing witness to all that happened. “He took a big bite out of Minyoung's icecream."

Jongho looked at Minyoung noticing her eyes getting teary “Oh no no. No crying. Young-ah... Should we buy another one?” he asked using his sleeve to tap on her lower eyes, as if to wipe the tears threatening to fall.

“Minyoung-ah, here you can have my icecream” Seonghwa offered the cone to the girl hoping it’ll cheer her up while shook her head finishing hers.

Wooyoung finally realizing that Minyoung wasn’t in the mood to play along with him and the severity of the situation he caused panicked, immediately going over to the girl rubbing his hands together begging for forgiveness. “I was kidding. Oh no. Please dont cry. I was just kidding around! Minyoung-ah. Don’t cry please. Oppa would buy you a new one. What do you want? I’ll run to the store and get it for you.”

Yeosang shook his head at his long-time friend as he thought his jokes finally went overboard. “Get her the same one and apologize to her.”

Fans were amused but also concerned why a seemingly harmless joke and a simple situation made Minyoung upset. Some were saying she was overreacting for a joke while others defend her by saying she is still young and something that seems simple to one person might impact another differently.

“It’s okay Wooyoung-oppa. No need to buy a new one.” Minyoung shook her head, blinking the tears in her eyes. Jongho looked at Wooyoung frowning a bit as if scolding the older guy for making Minyoung upset.

“Sorry. Here you can hit me and then I’ll get you new snacks.” Wooyoung turned Minyoung’s chair towards him as he crouched down offering his arm for the girl to hit. “Or...if you want you can have Jongho flick me on the forehead.” he winced a bit at the thought but gaining your forgiveness is his top priority right now.

The live long forgotten by the members as they watched the scene before them, half amused that Wooyoung would even offer to get hit by Jongho and half curious how Minyoung would react. Minyoung shook her head and hugged Wooyoung instead and patted his arm motioning for him to go back to hi seat. Confused and concerned that the girl is still mad at him, he returned to his seat but kept on glancing at her.

Yunho who was seating beside him said loud enough for Wooyoung to hear him but soft enough to not be caught on the camera “You bad person. If you will be feeling this guilty then why did you do it?” Wooyoung whipped his head to Yunho’s direction to find him grinning teasingly.

“I didn’t know she wasn’t in the mood to joke around. If I knew, I wouldn’t have done it either.” Wooyoung argued back under his breathe

The rest of their live went by fast as everyone changed topics and directed the focus on the fan meeting that is happening later. Minyoung was still oddly quiet, her head leaning against Jongho’s arm while Wooyoung felt bad that he made her upset, wracked his brain on what he’ll do to cheer her up.

As soon they ended broadcast, Wooyoung immediately ran off with one mission in mind: Buy Minyoung snacks she likes and ask for her forgiveness. He wouldn’t consider the mission a success until she smiles and laughs along with him.

The rest of ATEEZ surprised at what happened chuckled before checking on the girl making sure she is doing okay.

“Bun, is everything okay?” Hongjoong approached the girl patting her head lightly.

“Mhm. I didn’t really mean to be upset. It’s just...it just happened.” Minyoung sighed rubbing her hands nervously “Sorry. I kinda ruined the live. I’m really fine though, oppa.”

Hongjoong smiled reassuring the girl that she didn’t ruin anything “As long as you’re really feeling okay.”

Wooyoung came back with a bunch of strawberry-flavored snacks and just in time before they had to move to the hall where the fan meeting will happen. Minyoung’s seat is in between Wooyoung's and Jongho's so it was easier for him to hand the bag to her.

“Minyoung-ah~ Here I bought you a lot of snacks. They’re all yours.” Wooyoung placed the bag on her lap, before taking his seat beside her glancing at her reaction. He wasn’t sure if the girl is still upset and he doesn’t want to risk anything by starting a conversation. Minyoung mumbled a thank you before opening the pack of pepero. She wasn’t really upset at Wooyoung anymore. She was more embarrassed that she reacted as she did, and infront of a camera with their fans bearing witness to the scene.

Noticing Wooyoung’s obvious glances, Minyoung giggled poking his cheek and placing a pepero stick on his mouth. “It’s okay oppa. I wasn’t really upset with you anymore.”

Wooyoung’s face lit up upon hearing that as he munched the snack fed to him. “Really? Am I forgiven now?”

Nodding, Minyoung smiled and was surprised when Wooyoung enveloped her into a tight hug. “Sorry. I won’t do it anymore Minyoungie~” he said in a voice laced with slight aegyo, the girl only laughing and hugging him back

The rest of the members were relieved that the two made up before the event started. They really didn’t want to deal with a desparate Wooyoung trying to gain the attention of Minyoung, in addition to their busy schedule today.

Fans melted when they saw the interaction between Wooyoung and Minyoung, both on the event itself and people who saw clips on the internet.

Comments:

[+92] Our baby bunny (mintokki) is forever our baby

[+35, -5] So they already made up? I saw the live and I’m reminded of when my sibling and I fight kekeke

[+40, -2] Jongho looked ready to flick Wooyoung when it happened too lol

[+136] Let us protect these precious babies.

[+5] our minyoungie making 7 men panic when she teared up

[+42, -56] another nickname get for MINYOUNG: UlboYoung (crybaby + minyoung)

This incident would forever be remembered by ATEEZ and the fans as the day where Wooyoung continuously clung unto Minyoung being really affectionate with her while the latter just lets out a smile, giggling from time to time. It is also a moment that the members would bring out as an example, calling it icecream incident, whenever they get into a discussion on who Minyoung likes the best among ATEEZ.

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ATEEZ Minyoung Masterlist

Disclaimer: This is just a work of fiction. Any portrayal of real people is a combination based on what we could see on cameras and imagination of the author. This is purely fan fiction written for entertainment. Thank you for understanding.

━━━━━━ʕ ˵• ₒ •˵ ʔ━━━━━━

Writing Beary Corner

Full disclosure. This was going to be a really short post like a drabble or chat type of post at first around less than 500 words then somehow this turned into a 1000+ words post before I knew it. HAHA I also originally wanted to use San as the member who ate the ice cream as this was inspired by their actual live before where Seonghwa just looked to the camera in disbelief when San took a bite out of his ice cream lol

I’ll probably take it slow with the Kingdom updates to avoid spoiling anyone since I tend to write the reactions of the groups for the performance and just adding on to them.

Thank you for reading ♡

-Mimi

#kpop scenarios #kpop reactions #ateez scenarios #ateez 9th member #ateez oc #ateez au #kpop oc #kpop au #park minyoung #ateez minyoung #minyoung masterlist #writing beary

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lalainajanes · 3 years

Text

For “neighborhood block party” on my bingo card! This one takes place in the same universe as Sweet As (quirky supernatural small town fic in which Caroline’s a dryad who owns a bakery and Klaus is the leader of the local werewolf pack and mates are a thing ;) ) though it’s more of a prequel.

The Fall Festival

Before he’d met Caroline, Klaus’ mornings had fallen into a predictable pattern.

He would wake up at the same time, wander into his kitchen to find a full pot of coffee and a pack member or two. Occasionally, there was an emergency. Sometimes there was an issue where his opinion was wanted. Most often, his visitors would come with a problem that could have been solved without Klaus’ input, though he’d never complained.

Klaus had been an outsider once, had become pack leader when the father he’d never known had died, and Marcel had shown up at his door in Chicago. At the time, Klaus had resented the disruption to his life.

Now, he doesn’t understand how he’d survived so long, locking himself in a cage every month.

His mother had explained his parentage when he’d turned twelve, and it had been revelatory, explained why he’d always struggled to wield even a hint of the power that came naturally to his siblings. Esther had told him what to expect, that he’d be dangerous, but she’d refused to tell Klaus anything about the man who’d passed him the werewolf genes, hadn’t even supplied a name.

The rift in their relationship had begun there, had only widened since. When Klaus had chosen to accept his birthright, he’d ensured he’d never be welcome in the home he’d grown up in. He’d never regretted it.

Most of his siblings happily defy their parents to visit, and the pack had become another sort of family.

Three months after Caroline had opened her shop, Klaus had trekked out into the forest to deal with one of the rare emergencies. A scent had been picked up on a security run two days prior, of a young, unfamiliar wolf.

A wolf who proved to have a gift for hiding.

Klaus and his inner circle had been trying to track the interloper, had to find them before the next full moon. His pack had long-standing agreements with the humans and the various local supernatural sects. A young wolf could have jeopardized the easy peace the town enjoyed without meaning to. Klaus and his pack would have had to pay the price.

Young wolves could not always assert human will over animal instincts, which could be deadly if any prey crossed their paths.

And to a werewolf, just about anyone can be prey.

That morning Klaus had decided to head west to an area of that woods that was dense with trees and wildlife. His pack usually leaves it be, understanding that there would be objections if they were to start messing with the local ecosystems. Besides, it offers little opportunity to run, something a werewolf is always eager to do when given a chance.

He’d been moving slowly and silently, examining the ground for prints that looked similar to the ones they believe belong to the young wolf. He’d frequently paused to see if he could pick up a scent, but he’d grown distracted.

Klaus had come across a grove of trees emanating a strange warmth. Curious, he’d rested his hand on the trunk of one.

Only to have the rough bark shiver under his touch and melt away, growing soft and smooth and scented of cherries and spice rather than earth.

He’d snatched his hand back and turned away as soon as he’d realized what was happening, had awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, and wondered if it would be cowardly to flee. He’d heard rustling, soft footsteps, the glide of fabric over skin. Then a woman’s voice, dripping with amusement, “You can turn around now. I’m dressed.”

Klaus had turned slowly. “My apologies. I was unaware I was trespassing.” He’d averted his eyes, realizing that “dressed” wasn’t entirely accurate. The woman had only slipped on a robe, a pale green confection of a garment made from silk and lace, loosely belted and short. He’d looked closely enough to realize she was gorgeous, with a riotous mess of blonde curls framing a flushed face and friendly, curious blue eyes.

His body had reacted, and Klaus had forced himself to begin breathing through his mouth. Her scent had clouded his thoughts, tempted him to step closer.

He hadn’t understood what was happening, why he was reacting so strongly to a stranger.

Klaus might have grown particular about who he invited into his bed, but he was hardly inexperienced or prone to awkwardness in the presence of beautiful women.

He’d gone a little wild when he’d become pack leader five years ago, had freely partaken in pleasure just about any time it was offered. Offers were still coming, but Klaus had largely lost interest, leery of complications that could occur with attachments. At the time, he’d only occasionally indulged when an alluring visitor caught his eyes.

Which hadn’t happened in months.

Why was this woman, not even a wolf, so very compelling?

When he’d clasped his hands behind his back and carefully fixed his attention to just above her forehead, she’d made a noise, an aborted laugh. “Wow, never met a shy werewolf before. You guys are usually super quick to get naked.”

Klaus’ eyes had swung to hers, shocked and a touch suspicious, “How do you know I’m a werewolf?”

Her head had tilted towards the trees, “It’s hard to explain. When I’m in that form, connected to the ground, there’s a heightened amount of intuition. Most supernatural beings pull power from some variety of natural elements, and I can usually tell which one, feel the energy.”

“You’re a dryad,” he’d said slowly. He’d remembered reading about them as a child, in one of his mother’s books. An old, thick tome, with tiny print, that detailed the origin stories of all the known species that walked the earth. He hadn’t recalled much more than the basics, had made a mental note to check if the library in his home had a similar volume.

“Guilty,” she’d chirped. She’d held out her hand, “Caroline Forbes. I bought the bakery in town a couple of months ago. You should stop by sometime.”

He’d shaken her hand, that contact enough to ensure Caroline would never stray from Klaus’ thoughts for long.

That brief brush of her skin on his had spurred a change in Klaus’ morning pattern.

He’d visited Caroline’s bakery the next day. Had rolled out of bed, earlier than he had since he’d been obligated to attend morning meetings, and driven to town. Caroline’s business had been easy to spot, featuring a cheerful striped awning in the same shade of green of the robe Klaus had spent far too many minutes contemplating.

He’d slid into a booth shortly after Caroline had opened up. She’d noticed him, appeared pleased to see him and wiggled her fingers in greeting.

And thus began a new routine.

* * * * *

Caroline smiles at Klaus as soon as he arrives. His face immediately grows suspicious.

Oops. She might have overdone it. Klaus is weirdly adept at spotting ulterior motives, and Caroline needs a teeny, tiny favor.

Which is not to say that she doesn’t look forward to his morning visits. More often than not, they’re the highlight of her day. She happens to have gotten a delivery late yesterday afternoon, one that’s essential to pulling off something she’s been working on for ages, so she’s particularly excited about it. She needs to borrow Klaus’ artistic skills to realize her vision.

That she’ll get to spend a little extra time with him is just a bonus.

He walks up to the counter and leans against it. “You look like you’re plotting something.”

She tilts her head to the side, uses her sweetest tone, “Don’t you think it’s a little early to be accusing me of such a thing?”

She spots the twitch at the corner of his mouth though he maintains an impressively deadpan expression. “Honestly, I suspect you’re usually plotting something.”

Caroline had to give him that one, “Okay, true. I might need a hand from someone who’s more artistically inclined than I am. AKA you.”

“What can I do for you?”

She smiles again, kind of glad that there’s a counter between them because Klaus’ lack of hesitation has her feeling all sorts of fuzzy things, and she very well might have thrown herself at him.

Which is not a thing that they do, though she’s hoping that changes at some point.

“I bought some lights and paint for the window. I splurged on it because it’s supposed to be really pretty, kind of sheer, and shimmery. I was hoping to paint some leaves and vines around the borders of the window, but my test runs were… subpar.”

“Still a bit upset about the Summer Solstice party then?”

Caroline glares without any real ire, “Shh. You know that’s a sore subject!”

She’d been woefully unprepared for just how serious the town took its celebrations. The Summer Solstice had been her first one. She’d nailed the food, had baked up tiny, fluffy meringues, served them with a vanilla peach compote, topped with fresh whipped cream and toasted almonds. Everyone had raved about them. But a few people – mostly the members of the town council who are generally unpleasant and excessively gossipy, in Caroline’s not at all biased opinion – had made snide remarks about her lack of decorations.

She’d been mortified even though it totally hadn’t been her fault. She’d miscalculated, not yet grasping just freaking slow the mail was. She’d had a ton of fresh flowers, but the paper lanterns and candy-colored trays and linens she’d ordered had arrived two days too late.

Caroline’s determined to do better this time and prove that party planning is her super-power, damn it.

Klaus is shrugging out of his jacket, “Show me to the supplies, love.”

“You’re the best!” she exclaims, reaching over to flip up the top of the counter. “Come on, it’s all in my office. Along with my very bad diagrams but feel free only to use them as a guideline. Far be it for little ‘ol me to tell a professional artiste what to paint.”

“Willing to cede control?” he teases. “Shocking.”

Caroline shrugs, “Guess I must trust you.”

Whoops. Caroline means it, but it’s a weighty thing to say.

Klaus has stepped passed the counter, bent to stash his jacket underneath. He freezes, head bowing before he up back at her. “I’m pleased to hear that,” he replies.

Caroline’s teeth sink into her lower lip, and she glances around. A few people are watching her curiously and, though she hates it, she knows now is not the time to dig into anything serious.

Though she’s not sure how much longer she’ll be able to resist.

Caroline clears her throat, heading to her office. She unlocks the door, stepping back to gesture Klaus go in first. She turns around to check that April’s come out from the kitchen, motions that she’ll be back out in ten, and then she joins Klaus.

He’s eyeing the sofa, “How often do you sleep here, sweetheart?”

“How do you… oh, right. Werewolf.”

Caroline’s pretty careful not to think about Klaus’ senses. Intellectually she knows he can probably sniff out all sorts of secrets, that the way she reacts to him is entirely unsubtle. She lives in purposeful denial to avoid melting into a puddle of mortification.

“Rarely. I did it a lot when I was scrambling to get this place opened. Now it’s pretty much just the night of the full moon, or the odd day when there’s a big complicated order.”

“Why the full moon?”

Caroline snorts, “Has it escaped your notice that you guys pack away a ton of food after the full moon? It’s my most profitable day of the month.”

She leans down and hefts the box of paint. Klaus steps forward, “Here, let me.”

Caroline lets him take it off her hands, “You know I’m probably at least as strong as you are, right?”

“I had read that, yes.” His eyes flit over her speculatively, and not for the first time in his presence, she thinks about how nice it would be if telepathy were in her bag of tricks. She knows what she hopes he’s thinking. Caroline’s been spinning fantasies that run the gamut from sweet and sensual to hot and frantic since Klaus first wandered into her grove. She’s pretty confident her interest is reciprocated, but he gives her mixed signals.

Caroline’s naturally tactile. She tends to crank that up when she’s in flirt mode. Klaus is careful to stay at a polite distance. He doesn’t cringe when she touches him, but he doesn’t touch her back either.

It’s confusing.

Caroline had gotten tipsy and whiny about the situation last weekend at the bar. Bonnie had been sympathetic and knowing, refused to spill what she clearly knew. Bonnie had only said, in that infuriatingly cryptic way witches have, that Caroline would figure it out when the time was right.

She and Bonnie haven’t known each other long, but Caroline had sensed she wouldn’t budge. She’d pouted until Enzo had arrived with shots.

Things had gotten a little hazy after that.

“Ah, so you’re just gentlemanly?” Caroline teases, watching as Klaus sets the box on her desk. He’s focused on it, so she takes the opportunity to ogle a little. His grey t-shirt is thin and snug. She’s going to be thinking about the way his muscles shift underneath it when she’s alone.

“Something like that.”

“Well, never let it be said that Caroline Forbes doesn’t pay her debts. I’ll save you a bunch of the desserts I’m making for the festival. I’ve perfected them over the last few days – pumpkin with pecan crumble, a delicious marriage of the best fall pies.”

He shakes his head, a laugh rumbling from low in his throat. “Sounds delicious. Perhaps you’ll save me a dance? There’s always a bonfire once the shops close down.”

Huh. That seems like an unmistakable signal. One Caroline hadn’t expected.

She swallows her initial instinct, the urge to joke about how Klaus must have decided she doesn’t have cooties after all. Caroline licks her lips, wonders if he can hear that her heartbeat has quickened. “I’ll make sure my dance card has a spot for you.”

* * * * *

Klaus finds Marcel in the living room when he comes downstairs on the night of the fall festival. He stops short, dread growing in his stomach. He’d spoken to Marcel earlier, and he hadn’t mentioned stopping by. “What happened?”

Marcel’s eyes narrow, “Is that a new sweater?”

Klaus doesn’t understand how that’s relevant to Marcel’s presence in his home.

He lifts his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for an answer to his question. Marcel grins, “Alright, not in a talkative mood. Heard. No disaster, don’t worry. I added an extra few cases of wine to the regular order last month, remember? Just here to grab them for the festival.”

Right. The pack operates several businesses but nothing with a storefront in town. On festival nights, the shops on Main Street decorate and offer free food or small gifts to anyone who wanders in. The town council covers the food available in the square, and Klaus’ pack supplies a significant portion of the booze (only fair since Klaus is quite sure they partake more than most). For this one, if he remembers correctly, they’re providing mulled wine and spiked hot chocolate while Enzo’s bar will set up kegs.

Klaus nods, relaxing. He glances at the clock on the wall. “I trust you can handle the delivery yourself?”

“Why, got a hot date? I don’t remember you ever doing much more than making an appearance at one of these things. This eagerness to arrive early is interesting.”

Marcel sounds far too knowing. To an extent, as the pack’s second in command, it’s his job to know Klaus’ business. He suspects what Caroline means to Klaus, that his wolf has chosen her, but Klaus has never confirmed it.

He’s been resisting the pull, exerting iron control over his instincts, maintaining a careful amount of distance even when he ached to return her affectionate overtures. And it’s not because he doesn’t want her, but because the bond is permanent. Unbreakable, once it’s solidified.

Klaus’ path is set. Caroline’s not bound by the same magic, not unless she wants to be.

“Obviously, you have this under control,” Klaus says, spinning on his heel. “Lock the door when you leave.”

Marcel’s laughter follows him out of the house.

* * * * *

Caroline’s nervous. More nervous than she’s ever been before a date, and it’s not even a date. She’d selected her outfit carefully. Her cream sweater dress has a wide neckline that’s prone to slipping off her shoulders. She’d selected dark tights for underneath and thigh-high boots, which are saved from being too risqué for a family-friendly event by their minimal heel.

She’s been getting compliments all evening, had smiled politely. She’d picked the outfit with one person in mind.

At nine, Caroline locks up, rushing into her office to let her hair down and touch up her makeup. A tap on the window comes at 9:06. She tucks a curl behind her ear, takes a deep breath, “You are not fifteen. Get it together,” she mutters to herself before she flicks off the lights.

She waves at Klaus through the window, grabs the small box where she’d packed up the portion of tartlets she’d saved for him and her keys.

Main Street is brighter than usual, street lamps lit and wrapped with strands of tiny white lights. Caroline steps outside, her eyes running over Klaus. He’s changed since this morning into darker jeans and a navy sweater. Is it a date outfit? She kinda thinks so.

“Hi,” Caroline says, impressed it’s not a squeak. She doesn’t trust herself to open with a compliment about how he looks – her brain-to-mouth filter is unreliable even when she’s calm, cool, and collected. Instead, she gestures to the windows, “Your paintings were a hit.”

Klaus doesn’t seem to hear her. He swallows heavily. “You look…” he trails off, but Caroline’s not an idiot. She knows exactly what the tiny ring of gold around his irises means.

Caroline’s grateful for the confirmation that her attraction isn’t at all one-sided. Her cheeks heat, “What, this old thing?”

He reaches for her, and Caroline’s heart stutters, mouth going dry. It’s the first time Klaus has made any sort of move, and it feels like the start of something she’ll want to remember.

Though she’s not capable of explaining that certainty at the moment. Caroline can’t claim to have a quiet mind, she’s capable of laser focus, but there’s usually a whole list of thoughts and questions in the background, each clamoring for attention.

Right now, there’s only Klaus and the shrinking distance between their bodies.

His palm lands on her upper arm, warm even through her sweater. His fingers tighten, skimming down, lingering when they meet the bare skin of her wrist before his palm meets hers.

She exhales shakily, returning the pressure. Caroline sways forward until her knees brush Klaus’, and his free hand clasps hers. He leans forward, and the hint of stubble on his face rasps against her cheek. “You are overwhelmingly lovely,” he murmurs, mouth brushing her temple.

Caroline’s lips part, and she’s seconds away from turning her head and rising to her toes when Klaus takes a half step away. He pivots until they stand shoulder to shoulder. He keeps one of her hands, and Caroline follows his lead when he begins to walk towards the town’s center.

She barely registers her surroundings, couldn’t name any of the people they pass or describe the decorations. She only feels Klaus’ hand, the solid strength of him next to her, is only aware of the addictive mix of comfort and anticipation fizzing through her veins.

He pulls her into his arms when they reach the makeshift dancefloor next to the bonfire.

It doesn’t feel like a first dance.

There’s no awkward shuffling or hesitant hand placement. Klaus’ grip on her changes, fingers threading between hers, and he wraps his arm around her waist. Caroline’s body melts into Klaus’, her hand rising to rest against his chest. She shivers when his head dips, his breath skimming across her bare shoulder.

There’s music, but it’s not important. She and Klaus move together seamlessly, closer than they probably should be in public, lost in their own world.

No one dares to disturb them.

#klaroline #klarosummerbingo #klaroline fanfiction

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whump-town · 3 years

Text

The Bridges Between You and Me

Emily whump (even though I'm supposed to be doing other things)

no real warnings, i don't think.

On her lunch break she takes her sandwich to the roof. It’s a great escape with only one access door, one Dave showed her and warned no one could ever know about. That had been after she and Reid only barely made it out of Benjamin Cyrus’ cult of horrors and pedophilia. A peace offering, she realized, to settle the fear he hadn’t known he had of losing her. After that, she started being invited to have a drink in his office and was welcomed into the boy’s club. Something Reid had only ever told her was a thing and something Morgan turned his nose to but also secretly wanted in on. A general snobby (sensitive) shrug of dismissal - couldn’t be that cool if Hotch gets invited and they don’t.

For the last few weeks, she’s been taking her lunch up here, away from Reid’s glances and the worry lines being formed along Morgan’s brow. It’s only a matter of time, she knows, before she has to give up the spot. Only one or two more lunches before Morgan takes his concern to Garcia and they figure out the little hideout. Won’t be as much fun then, not with Morgan’s betrayed hurt and his probing questions. For now, she’s got a safe-haven.

“You’re smoking again.”

Well, she thought she did.

Leaning against the brick, one of his long legs stretched out in front of him Hotch looks up from his coffee to quirk an eyebrow at her. It’s by no means a question, he sat in silence and watched her light her cigarette and pull off it before commenting. Before drawing attention to himself and crushing their individual peace. He knows she’s smoking again, has for a while, but thought she’d kick the habit again with time. She’s only just come back from the dead, hell he’d smoke too. That or drink himself to death but the idea alone makes him shiver with distaste - the parallels between himself and his father are already too pronounced for that notion.

Where he’s expecting her to maybe smirk and dismiss him with sharp sarcasm, he’s shot down with a clenched jaw. Her eyes darken, “shut up.” As he looks away, eyes going to the cool coffee in his hand he can hear her sigh. How much has changed since she came back? She’d been angry, walked away from him without a word and that had stung more than if she’d slapped him when she found out what he spent her departure doing. Knew that he could have fought to stay and instead went like a coward. They haven’t talked since. Haven’t even looked at each other. He used to know her better than he knew himself. Now he’s not sure what he knows.

Maybe he really did kill Emily Prentiss.

She rubs her palms into her eyes, fighting back tears. She will not cry in front of Hotch but all this shit is starting to be too much. Her emotions are beyond her control. Anger and fear and anxiety and panic - each one a speeding bullet wedged in her ribcage ricocheting until she’s chipped away. Is this what he’d felt after Foyet? He had a warpath too. Morgan had pretended not to see it, dismissed it as Hotch only coming down on him but he yelled and Garcia and Reid. Two people who always get away whatever hell they’ve dug up. He’d felt bad about it, an admission that only came out after a few drinks. One he’d made to the floor.

“Got another apple crate?” She can’t say sorry. He had to her for just raising his voice a little, for getting angry when he shouldn’t have been. He always apologizes and fixes his mistakes. That’s always been one of her faults, too content to watch her burning bridge spread and takedown cities and forests. Her mother had such conflicting points of view on an apology. Sticking her nose up at the sound of the lives she took at the cost of destroying her bridges and at the same time twisting her fingers up in Emily’s hair to wrangle one from her stubborn lips. Emily had gotten so caught up in doing the very same thing that she never learned. Doesn’t know how to say those words even if she wanted to.

But Hotch… She imagines him as a boy, just as he’d described to her once. Hardly 100 pounds soaking wet at thirteen but always so much taller than the other kids. An optimist despite everything he’d been through. Coming home with the hope to find a mother who wipes his tears with the edges of her summer dress and a father who throws his hat up into the air with a praising shout when he finally manages to get somewhere on his bike without training wheels. And still opening that front door every day with so much hope and love for two people who felt him better dead.

She knows she could hit him, she could yell and scream. Burn the bridge and kill the city and he’d still hike around the mountain, he’d swim across the river and she’d find him smiling on her doorstep. Loyal as a dog. It’s why he never told anyone about his father - he just kept coming back. Reminds her painfully of that stupid quote from Einstein.

He looks up at her, surprised as he nods that he does have another apple crate and pulls it around for her. Right beside his. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. When is he going to understand that she’s never going to stop hurting him? That he can give her that stupid look - a smirk trying to work its way up but already shining brightly in his eyes - and she’s still going to end up doing it again. Dragging him below the water’s surface. Drowning him to save herself. All she does is take and take and he won’t stop giving.

She finds herself envious of Hotch’s inability to control his vulnerabilities. That little finger count he does as he pulls in a breath through his nose, a conscious movement that is both impossible to hide and incredibly telling. Though, they all pretend he’s got them fooled. He’s sort of an anxious wreck and JJ had once concluded it’d physically kill him if he was aware of just how little he actually manages to hide from them. It hurts to see him stand just outside the comfort they show one another, afraid that he’s unwelcomed or that his being there complicates their dynamics. She wants to be known the way that they know him.

To be human so uniquely.

“Are you going to tell Jack?” she asks softly. She leans her head back against the brick, rocking it to the side to look over at him. Guilty, she looks down at the cigarette in her hand. Somehow the constant thought this stupid thing could kill her does nothing but her stomach twists, her throat tight at realization that Jack would be so upset with her. He’d be crushed to see her smoking again.

It’s a habit she picks up every now and then.

She’d picked it back up, after ten years, after joining the team. For a month she was burning through over half a pack and stopped when she walked into Strauss’ office with her recognition, one-upping Hotch’s transfer. Started again after New York… Well, when she got news of the bomb she went out and bought a pack. Chain smoked until they informed her it was Kate and Hotch. Then she went and puked in an alley. There are plenty of things that had her at least reaching for the relief of one: getting taken hostage by Benjamin Cyrus, Matthew dying and dragging up her past, Reid getting Anthrax, that bastard George Foyet. If she’s perfectly honest she never really stopped after everything with Foyet.

She needed the peace, the ease of routine, and familiarity. Someone had to keep their shit together and it certainly wasn’t Hotch…

Teenage rebellions are such a pain in the ass once you turn twenty.

Jack had seen her one afternoon, she’d been finishing the one she pulled into Hotch’s driveway with. Her attention on not being found out by the man she’d assumed was inside. A safe assumption because Jack told her as much but only after he’d cried, only after he had her promise she’d be done. No more (even if she did finish the pack - but she’d felt awful with everyone after… even if she did pick up another pack).

And the guilt burns through the addiction, making her nearly sick at the thought of finishing the one in her hand.

He smiles. Sisyphus at the bottom of his hill, boulder weighing him down.

She hopes wherever his father is, it's miserable. Even with the fear of what lay ahead for her, the conviction she was headed for the same place as men like his father. So she convinced herself she didn’t even believe in that. But here she is again, watching herself become his father. Drawing her fist back, aimed for his forgiving smile. Taking advantage of Hotch’s loyalty, his stupid misplaced love.

“I won’t tell him.”

He’s smiling at her, pinching his eyes to flash her the black-eye she put there. Smiling with blood dripping down his chin.

She looks away. She mumbles “thanks” and takes to rubbing her fingers between her knuckles to soothe the sting of the bruising she imagines there. “How is he?” she deflects. She might as well have him laid out on his back, taking cheap shots at his ribs. “When did he get so big?” She’s got him where she wants him, kicking all the sensitive areas she knows will lay him out. Distracting him under the lure of Jack and it doesn’t matter that he’ll figure that out later just so long as it makes him smile that bloody smile and ramble about his son for a few minutes.

And after a few minutes of exposure to the sun, feeling the warmth of Hotch’s love for Jack settling around her, she almost feels like smiling too.

But that only lasts for so long. With a sigh and a silent look of disdain when his knees protest like rusted hinges when he stands and their joy shattered. But that does make her smile, even when he frowns at her humor at his expense. For a moment they’re the moon and sun, opposites circling their way around the world. Caught in a gravitational pull of nearly colliding and too far away.

He doesn’t bother her about that day on the roof or ask the question he already knows the answer to - if she’s smoking or not. She feels just enough satisfaction being fulfilled when Dave explains how Hotch found out about the roof that she doesn’t try to bring it up either. It’s fine, she tells herself. He looks at her again and she feels her frustration with him (with the world) dissipate to it’s normal simmer. Until she feels less fooled by Atlas, like she hasn’t had the world rolled over her shoulders to settle onto her bag. Her knees sink and she watches Atlas’ mighty back. Her body is aching - come back, she begs, come back.

It rushes back.

The wrong word piercing the veil and shattering the manufactured calm surrounding her. She knows, in a split second, that it was the wrong thing to say but it was too late. And as it occurred, as she flinched in the preparation for the pain to come, she thought about them. Derek standing only a foot away - the sound of his quickened breaths keeping pace for her. Giving her timing, finding her rhythm. He always keeps her steady.

Behind Derek, no doubt just a step behind Hotch, Reid’s looking over her shoulder.

And she’s sure Hotch knows, just as soon if not before she does, that this has gone tits up.

There’s no coming back. Her head hits the floor, lays her out for a moment where she can’t think past the pain blossomed out across the back of her head. All she knows is the fingers of pain wrapping around the back of her head and the chill in the air. Softly, as if submerged in mud, she can hear Hotch shouting. That tone he takes on when he’s scared, when he’s really scared. She wonders if this time he can save her or if history really does repeat itself.

“Hey, hey--” Morgan crouches down by her side. His hands covering the wound, that look in his eyes. He’s scared. She’s scaring them. “Stay with me, Princess. Come on, eyes open.”

And maybe history doesn’t repeat itself but she’ll be damned if it doesn’t at least rhyme.

Derek doesn’t seem to reciprocate the same humor on the matter.

“Emily.”

Mmm, she turns her head away. Morgan has this tendency to sound like a broken alarm clock. She finds herself looking up at JJ - caught in the tears in the corner of her eyes as she throws demands around at LEOs like she’s Hotch. Watching them listen like she is.

“Hang on Emily,” he begs. “Please. Just a little bit longer.”

God, she rocks her head back. Whines when Morgan shifts his weight but a hand grabs her wrists, stops her from pushing him away. “Get off me,” she grunts. She wants to kick out, to push away but Hotch moves too and under the weight of both of them she can’t move. But it hurts. It hurts so bad and she hates them. She hates Morgan pushing her away. The way that she ruined JJ and Reid’s friendship. How scared Garcia is and Dave keeps looking at her like he’s expecting her to have just disappeared. And fucking Hotch and his silent treatment.

And Jack.

Oh… Jack.

Morgan goes with her in the ambulance, the last time he’d been stopped. Hotch stands outside, his hands at his hips as she moves on and he stops there. Reid’s just behind him, always just behind him. She sees them, hazed by blood loss and everything going on but she sees them. Hotch his mountain made of man and Reid seeking his shelter from her storm.

When do they stop looking at her like that?

When do they finally realize she’s never going to stop hurting them?

She dreams about her mother.

The rain stings as it lands on her bare shoulder blades, pouring so hard it’s beating the gravel down their driveway. “Come inside, Emily!” Her mother has stepped out onto the balcony, the one that overlooks the garden they have to pay someone to maintain. “You’ll catch your death out here, darling!” Her mother steps closer, into the rain. “Emily, please. Let me make you some tea.”

And that’s how she knows it’s a dream.

Her mother would never do any of those things. Never follow her out into the rain. Would have never even realized she’d gone out. She wouldn’t call her “darling”, not when one is around to hear her do it. Her mother never once made her tea.

Garcia figured out Emily’s devotion to tea after a month of having known her. Then it wasn’t just a small bonding it was an entire affair as Emily was guided through the office to the little kitchenette and shown she wasn’t the only one. Where Garcia would show her the teas Gideon liked best and where he kept them in a little metal box. Fitting, she thought, as Garcia showed her all the usual suspects and Ginger Tulsi tea which she hadn’t expected at all. Garcia is more into the fruits, anything with the picture of a fruit on it.

There was a single, mangled box of Earl Grey sitting alone on a shelf. She didn’t even have to ask to know that it had to be Hotch’s. It was.

Reid doesn’t drink tea. He would pick up the habit a year later after Gideon leaves but only to soothe his nerves. The smell would remind him of being younger, of having Gideon.

Morgan doesn’t drink tea. Couldn’t even look at it after her death. The smell made him sick, physically ill to just pass Garcia in the hall with a mug of Chai. That stupid ratio Emily invited unique to how Garcia likes tea. She’d done it for Jason too and Hotch too. Dashes of cinnamon and the additions of almond milk to curate something unique… something to leave behind. A reason for Reid to cry in the bathroom and Hotch lose himself for a moment, cursing blindly when his shaking hands drop his mug.

She left them grief.

She left them with a gaping hole in their sides and blood gushing down over their fingers.

And they still came back.

She wakes slowly, groaning at the immediate pull she feels on the stitches down her right side. Sluggishly, she realizes that no matter what she does this is going to hurt. Breathing is agonizing. Thoughts are like axe picks trying to split her skull open.

“Emily?”

She opens her eyes and finds all of them.

Reid is curled into a cot, blanket drawn up over his shoulder and face pressed down.

Garcia is sleeping with her head on Morgan’s shoulder, the two of them nearly curled into each other. Content, peaceful. How could you be anything but? Nothing can go wrong with Penelope Garcia on your side, Morgan’s calm face reflects just that.

JJ has managed to curl herself into a chair, Hotch’s suit jacket pulled up over her like a blanket. Hotch makes his chair look tiny. His legs splayed in front of him and his head tipped back, in a way that’s going to hurt him once he wakes. They look too much like they did that night, the night she died. JJ’s hair is a mess, pulled back away from her eyes but still somehow beautiful. Light and kind in a way Emily could never imitate. Hotch has these awful rings under his eyes, sharpened by his cheek bones. He’s exhausted.

He always is.

“Rather sweet, aren’t they?”

She turns her head to the sound, smiling despite herself.

Rossi has his feet kicked up on the edge of her bed, his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m surprised the snoring didn’t wake you up.” He pulls his legs down slowly, bending each with care before placing it down on the ground. With a groan he rises, one hand on each side of his chair as he forces himself to motion. “Then again,” he mumbles, stepping around to a little tray. “It’s probably best you weren’t around for the trouble those two conjured up.” He motions to Morgan and Hotch with the cup in his hands, she doesn’t have to look to know that’s who he’s talking about.

She opens her mouth but her question is cut short, killed by her sore throat and impossibly dry mouth. “What’d--” she winces, coughing that turns into more of a gag. It hurts but she sees Hotch’s leg jerk, his head moves and she pushes it down. Holds her breath.

“Don’t go hurting yourself on account of him,” Rossi fusses. “He’ll take it very personally if you die… again.” He eases the sting with a smirk and it has to be the drugs because she mirrors it back. Stepping to the edge of the bed he presses a straw to her lips, encouraging her to take a sip.

A year before Foyet started killing again they went to Georgia. The strange thing was that you could actually see the heat baking in the air, the way it came up in waves up off the road. Somewhere, the memory so hazy now with the drugs in her system and the fog of that day, JJ had managed to wander off. She was out standing by a fence, a little flower pinched between her fingers. “A honeysuckle,” she said, showing them. Like the sun herself with her flower outstretched in the palm of her hand.

Hotch had smiled, genuinely, brightly. See? Even he knows when the sun is that close.

They both took a flower in their hands, showing them how to draw out a single drop of nectar.

As Rossi encourages her to have another sip she’s drawn back to that memory. The warmth of the air and Reid’s triumphant laughter when he finally got it, turning to Morgan, to Hotch to show them he did it. Something good.

“Where’d you go?”

She blinks and he’s managed to move. The whole room shifted. Darker. She sees Reid, turned over onto his back. JJ over on the couch, resting against Garcia. Her fingers trailing up and down over JJ’s arm. In her lap a book, keeping her distracted. A bag of yarns and fabrics at her feet, she’s camped out. Not going to move.

She clears her throat, “honeysuckles.” Turning her head she looks over at the others, for where Morgan and Hotch should be. She points over to the empty chair but even that hurts.

Rossi hums, he understands what she means. He’s got coffee in his hands and nods down towards it. “Morgan is taking a walk,” he says. “Too nervous to sit still. Coffee didn’t help.”

Emily nods, swallowing despite the pain grating up her throat.

“Jack,” is his answer for Hotch. “Gone to call Jessica.” He leaves out the state in which Hotch had managed to get himself worked up into. Standing here over her bed pale as a ghost and whispering something too softly for Dave to hear. A nightmare but she doesn’t need to know that.

“Get some sleep,” he advises as he settles himself down. “You’ll need all the strength you can manage when they get up.”

She nods, that makes sense. That way she’ll be alert to keep Morgan and Reid out of her jello. The drugs… They throw her off and she stumbles, chokes. “Dave?” He’ll stay, won’t he? He won’t leave.

Dave reaches over with hands warmed from his coffee and holds her hand. “Sleep,” he whispers.

No more warmth drawn from the fires she sets. She has teas that taste like berries to look forward to. Garcia with her hair full of butterfly clips. The hours of channel flicking Morgan falls into when he’s bored. The sweet smile that will light up Reid’s face when finally gets her to agree to a round of chess. The pseudo-girls night out they'll have right here. With shirley temples and virgin pina coladas. Hotch will be there too, when thinks she doesn’t need him, but the lights have gone out and he knows what it’s like to still be scared of the dark.

She doesn’t have to set fire to another bridge to feel the warmth of something real, of something loving.

They’re right here.

#criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #emily prentiss #david rossi #aaron hotchner #derek morgan #spencer reid #penelope garcia #jennifer jareau

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luciferloser · 4 years

Text

Demon brothers & Undateables react to an MC with a preteen child

(As you might have guessed by now, GN MC!)

(the child’s gender may be specified in some of the scenarios)

(Y/C/N = your child’s name)

Spoilers for lesson 16 in Belphie’s section!!

Lucifer

Toddler or Preteen, it didn’t make much difference to the eldest brother. He’s seen all the stages of development with the majority of his brothers and Satan, there’s probably nothing your child could possibly throw his way that would shock him.

That is, until he actually met your child. At first he remained at his full height to assert dominance, there was no way he was going to stoop to this human’s level not that his back would allow it anyways. But then, before he could even properly introduce himself, your 12 year old squared his shoulders and declared to the Avatar of Pride, if he did anything to hurt you, your son would make his life hell... oh wait.

That bold statement did surprise Lucifer at first, but as your son trailed off and stepped back slightly, realising his mistake, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Kudos, young man, but I don’t think there’s much you can do that can torment me terribly.” he chuckled.

“Wanna bet?” your son grumbled in response, already thinking of numerous ways to make this strange man pay.

“I have six younger brothers, I’d like to see you come up with anything they haven’t.” he smirked in response, “Anyways, come along, preparations for your room have been completed.”

With that, Lucifer turned away from your son and strode down the corridor. This year was certainly going to be interesting...

Mammon

The Avatar of Greed didn’t really know what to say when he saw you standing next to a slightly smaller version of yourself. At first, he thought you were siblings, but then it dawned on him that you had a child.

Mammon, as the ‘babysitter’ naturally spent more time around your daughter than you, but that certainly didn’t stop him from adding the odd flirtatious remark to you when he wasn’t being a tsundere.

It was this development that caused your daughter to speak up one evening when she was chilling in the lounge with Mammon and Asmodeus. “Listen, Mammon, as much as I don’t mind you flirting with my parent, there’s something you ought to know. Hurt them and I swear to you now I will kick you so hard up the ass you’ll taste nothing but my shoe for a week.” your daughter boldly announced, not once glancing up from her phone.

While Asmo was busy rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, the white-haired demon just spluttered as his cheeks darkened. “H-hey what makes you think I-I’d hurt ya ma anyways.” he tried to defend himself.

“I’m not saying I expect you’re going to hurt them, just giving you even more of an incentive not to.” your child smiled in an almost sickeningly sweet manner before jumping up from the sofa.

“This was a lovely chat but me and Beel are going out for lunch, catch you later!”

Asmo picked himself up from the floor, and as he pushed Mammon’s jaw back up, he added “she’d be the perfect niece for me, hurry up and take MC out on a date.” With that, Mammon shook his head slightly as he went to go and find you. He wasn’t sure whether he hoped the attitude came from you or not...

Leviathan

When the otaku heard the news that the exchange student had a child, he was quite nervous. One human was going to be enough to handle, let alone an additional smaller one.

His fears only worsened when you left him alone with your child for the first time. The two of you had been gaming as you usually did once a week and your child wanted in this time. You stood up at the end of that round, promising that you were going to get the three of you drinks and some snacks. Before Levi could even protest, you had already closed the door behind you.

The demon of Envy’s eyes darted all around his room, looking anywhere but at the small human. That is until your spawn child murmured his name. Snapping his head round to face your child, his eyes widened slightly.

“Okay so I get you don’t really hang out with ‘normies’ or whatever that’s supposed to mean, but if you really don’t wanna be with my parent then tell them that. I’m not gonna let you hurt them like that.” your child confessed, eyes never once leaving his.

After that confession, Leviathan got a faraway look in his eyes as he thought of the resemblance to an anime he’d just finished binge watching last night; ‘my human best friend has a child that is secretly a guardian angel!’.

Snapping out of his reverie, Levi looked down at your child once more and nodded his head profusely. ‘I solemnly swear to you I will protect them.’ he recited the lines the protagonist from the anime had used, but he meant every word he said.

Satan

Being the youngest of his brother’s meant Satan had never really had anybody to be a role model for. Which is why, surprisingly, he felt compelled to look out for your child when he first met you both. Especially because your child was already past the unnecessary crying stage and had a pretty solid understanding of communication.

Your child had never really been an extrovert and so the avatar of wrath hadn’t been too opposed to looking after your carbon copy when you were busy being pulled in every which direction by his brothers. On one of those days, your child had accompanied Satan to the library to find some more books to occupy themselves with; seeing as they weren’t technically enrolled at RAD there was no need for them to complete any class work.

“Hey Satan, can I ask you something?” Your child enquired, glancing up from their novel.

“Hm? What’s on your mind, Y/C/N?”

“Why do you look at my parent like they hung the stars in the sky? And don’t say you don’t, because I spoke to Asmo about it too and he couldn’t agree more.” Your smaller version of yourself asked, tilting their head slightly.

Blinking rapidly in surprise at the question, Satan gawped at your child before shaking his head slightly. “You shouldn’t ask Asmo questions like that. He’s the avatar of lust - not love. I know for a fact he thinks I’m looking at them like-“

“Gross! I don’t need to hear about things like that, I’m gonna go hang out with Simeon if you’re gonna talk about that.” Wrinkling their nose in disgust, your child stood up to leave, packing his books with him. Smiling to himself as he watched Y/C/N leave, he thought to himself ‘I guess I need to have a chat with Y/N’

Asmodeus

The avatar of lust couldn’t help but squeal in delight when he took in the sight of you standing with your child. He had not one, but two new friends to go out clubbing with! What? What do you mean Y/C/N isn’t allowed to go clubbing? Well that’s boring. Oh well, they can always just go shopping together and Asmo can arrange some fashion shows for you and your child. In fact, yesterday he bought the cutest coat and it would suit Y/C/N so well.

Speaking of going shopping together, one night when you and Beel had gone out to Madame Screams to try some of the new ice cream on offer, Asmo had invited Y/C/N back to his room for a self care night after shopping all day. Applying a face mask to his skin and your daughter’s, he laid beside her to let the mask dry.

“Hey Asmo, I have a question for you.” your child stated, staring up at the canopy that covered the demon of lust’s bed.

“If its about that brunette demon that held the door open for you at River Styx he’s single but there’s so many nicer demon’s out there for you and I’m pretty sure he-“

“No! It’s not about him. I admit he was cute but that’s not what I wanted to ask. What I wanted to ask was, whether you were interested in anybody...” your daughter trailed off, suddenly feeling bad for prying.

“Oh honey, while you’re an absolute treasure and I have loved spending time with you lately I don’t think we’d be a very good match at all. If I’m honest I’m more interested in Y/N. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way- why are you laughing?” Asmodeus stopped his spiel of an apology at the sound of your daughter’s chuckles.

“I’M not into you like that either, babe. I only asked for my parent’s sake. They’re head over heels for you and I just wanted to see if you felt the same.” Your daughter confessed, rising from Asmo’s bed to find a washcloth. “When they get back from the ice cream store with Beel, you should totally ask them out. Watch how quickly they’ll stumble to agree.” And with that, your daughter left the avatar of lust alone with his thoughts of you.

Beelzebub

“Did the human bring a snack with them?”

That was the first thing the redhead ever said to you and your teen son. Needless to say it took a while for your son to warm up to Beel after that. When the situation was explained to the glutton felt very guilty afterwards and went above and beyond to make it up to him.

One afternoon when the three of you were supposed to go to a new cafe that had just opened, Lucifer wanted to go over some paperwork with you, and so Beel offered to take your son out anyways and promised to try to save you a cupcake. Your son didn’t look too thrilled at the idea of going out for food with the demon who thought he was the snack, but reluctantly agreed for your sake.

“Look, Beelzebub I have to be honest with you. You seem nice enough and all, but I still don’t trust you especially knowing you could swallow us whole and thought about doing that the first time we met you. But on the flip side, you did protect Luke from Lucifer a while ago. So I suppose I can learn to trust you, is what I’m trying to say.” Y/C/N stated as he brought a mug of spiced tea to his lips, looking over at the demon who went wide eyed at the sudden confession.

Swallowing the rest of the cheesecake in his mouth, Beel nodded earnestly, “No its okay! I’m not surprised you don’t trust me, after what i said to you I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me. I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear, but i care about you, you’re basically family at this point. And I care about Y/N too; quite a bit actually.” By the end of his sentence, the demon’s face was almost as red as his hair.

“Hmph, I figured as much. If you care about them even half as much as you say you do, say something. You might be surprised what you find out.” Your son smirked, leaning back in his seat to take in the blushing demon before him.

Belphegor

Unsurprisingly, your son had a blatant distaste for Belphegor when they met officially. Watching your body fall still in Mammon’s arms to then disappear was enough to send him charging at the sloth demon. Even after Barbatos’ assistance on the matter and bringing you back, Y/C/N held the iciest glare he could muster. Laying a hand on his shoulder, you assured him you were okay and didn’t hurt anymore.

“Put it this way Belphegor. I never want to see you within touching distance of us again. Demon or not, I will not hesitate to swing for you. Nobody hurts my family.” Y/C/N spat, turning on his heel and tugging you with him.

After weeks of awkward meal times, you and Beel hatched a plan to get your son and his twin talking. You had forgiven Belphie for what happened, understanding that he’d had his own family in mind when he attacked you.

“Oh. Y/C/N have you seen Y/N? They wanted me to meet them here.” Belphegor asked, avoiding eye contact with your son the entire time.

“I wanted to ask you the same thing about Beel, he said-” your son was cut off by the sound of the living room door slamming shut and the lock clicking in place. “Is this some kind of joke? Mammon if that’s you and this is your idea of a joke you’re not funny! Open the door!”

There was no answer from the other side of the door, the only sound being that of a pair of retreating footsteps. Sighing in defeat, your son slid down the door and glancing at Belphegor, to see him looking just as uncomfortable as Y/C/N felt. “Well, there’s no telling how long we’re gonna be in here. I feel like I owe you an explanation...” The sloth demon began, wringing his hands together as he prepared to tell your son everything.

A few hours later, you and Beel opened the door slowly to reveal your son and Belphegor dozing on one another. Smiling at each other in victory, the two of you crept closer and wrapped them in one of the blankets on the back of the sofa. You had to admit, this was the most peaceful the two of them had looked in a long time.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me lucifer #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me leviathan #obey me mammon #obey me satan #obey me imagines

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kyotarou · 4 years

Note

hiyaa~ i am very new to tumblr so idk if this is how you send a request, can i request the miya twins with their s/o being bundled up with so much work that they cant spend enough time with them, fluff please thankk youu ~ (＾Ｕ＾)ノ~

“I’m busy...”

characters: osamu miya, atsumu miya

plot: you’re so wrapped up in your work that you find yourself away from your boyfriend, unintentionally ignoring him.

warnings: light swearing

a/n: Hiya, you’re in the right place! I wasn’t sure how to interpret this so I apologize if this isn’t what you imagined, hope you still like it! <3

--:::------::------------------->◇<--------------------::------:::---

Osamu

When you tell Osamu you’re catching up on work, he understands and let’s you do your thing.

He makes an effort to text you every hour or so to make sure you’re okay.

But this goes on for over a week. You leave his hourly texts on read and delivered, barely responding to his calls.

You’re not purposefully ignoring him; there’s just so much to do with so little time.

Osamu’s sulking at home while his brother teases him. He knows how important work is to you, but he can’t help but feel his heart break at the “Read 2:24 PM” on his screen when it’s 7:00 now.

In your own home, you’re stressing. You’re about to lose it when-

“(Y/N)?” You snap out of your thoughts at the loud knocking on your front door. “(Y/N)? Can I come in?”

“You have the key Samu.”

The lock clicks and Osamu steps into your apartment. Forehead wrinkled with worry, he sits across from you at the dinner table. Your eyes are glued to the spreadsheets and planners scattered across its surface. You barely register the rustling of the brown paper bag he’s brought, filled with homemade onigiri and a pack of your favorite drink he bought on the way over.

If food doesn’t grab your attention, there’s something really wrong.

“(Y/N)?”

“Hmm?” You read the same sentence over and over, but nothing clicks. You jump at his hand on top of yours.

“I’ve missed you.”

You stare blankly at him then check your calendar, laughing a bit at his neediness. “Samu, it’s only been- HOLY SHIT.”

He thinks you’re in shock because of how long it’s been since he last saw you. He’s confused when you start scrambling your papers around with a wild look in your eyes.

“Where’s- It’s here- I- Where’d it-”

Osamu circles the table and laces his fingers with yours from behind. You struggle to break free, but the moment he kisses your head, you’re putty.

“I’m worried about you, (Y/N),” he murmurs against your hair.

You look up with round eyes. “I’m sorry, Samu. I’ve been so busy…”

Seeing how tired you are, Osamu feels selfish for bothering you, but he’s aching for you so much. He silently craves your attention, your kisses, the warmth of your arms around his body. You, on the other hand, feel guilty for keeping him away. You didn’t realize how many missed calls and unopened texts had accumulated on your phone until now.

You rise out of your seat, Osamu’s hand in yours, and lead him to the sofa.

“I thought you were working.”

“Not anymore.”

You settle on the couch between his legs, head against his strong chest. His arms wrap around your waist and you melt in his touch, eyes closed with a smile.

“I’m sorry, Samu…” you whisper again.

“Don’t be, it’s alright.” He kisses your cheek. “I love you and I’ll always be here for you.”

“I love you, too. Now, why don’t you bring that onigiri over here and a can for me to drink? I’m thirsty.”

“Aaaand...I hate you.”

“Love you, too.”

Atsumu

Unlike his brother, Atsumu whines and begs to stay while you work.

“Please, (Y/N), I won’t bother you, I swear!”

He gives you puppy dog eyes and you almost agree until you remember how much you have to do.

You force him out of the house, promising to call every day, but eventually, you forget.

Atsumu’s being a crybaby. He won’t leave his room, won’t talk to anyone; Osamu has to drag him out and tell him he’s overreacting.

“B-but, *sniffs* I miss them.”

“If you really loved them, you’d respect their wishes and let them work.”

“You’re just bitter *sniffs* cause you’re single.” >:(

But Atsumu heeds his brother’s advice. He has his phone in his hand 24/7, waiting for any sign of communication from you. Nothing.

Unable to sleep, Atsumu takes matters into his own hands.

It’s 3 AM. Atsumu is on the brink of death, feeling so hollow without you by his side. He’s depraved, he needs you so bad. Atsumu drives recklessly on the empty road, thinking of you and only you. He parks outside your apartment with a screech, wheels going over the curb. From the sidewalk, your window emits a dim light. Atsumu is concerned because of how late it is but freezes when he realizes he’s crazy for being here too.

“If you really loved them, you’d respect their wishes and let them work.

Atsumu shakes his brother’s monotone voice from his head. Osamu can’t stop him now. Plus, he was the one who encouraged Atsumu to get out.

He knocks on your door.

On the other side, papers litter your floor. Your eyes are heavy as you sip from a cold cup of coffee, choking on its bitter taste. You’re almost done, two more hours and you can relax. You don’t hear his initial knock, but the second one makes you jump. The coffee splashes onto your white shirt and drips down your chest.

Who the hell?

“(Y/N)? It’s Tsumu!”

Outside, Atsumu’s about to knock again. A sad sigh slips past his lips. He shouldn’t have come all this way—Osamu was right, once again. With a disappointed face, Atsumu turns to leave and almost screams when you open the door.

“(Y/N)!”

“Ah- Tsumu!”

You’re smothered in his big arms, face covered in sloppy kisses. You reach around him and close the door while he attacks every inch of your skin with love.

“Tsumu, what are you doing up so late?”

“I could ask you the same thing!” Atsumu sinks to the ground and clings to your waist like a child. “You’re killing me, (Y/N)...I’ve missed you so much.” He presses a kiss to your stomach as you stroke his disheveled hair.

“Tsumu, it’s only been a week.”

“Way too long.”

Atsumu carries you to the couch and flops on top of you like a baby. His weight knocks the wind out of you, but you can’t protest with the way he squeezes you tight, eyes shut in pure bliss.

“Babe, I have coffee on my shirt, at least let me change.”

“Too bad, I’m not moving.”

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pretoriafics · 4 years

Text

Adopting Derek (in a dog body)

Okay, I'm so inspired today! I really needed to write about this idea. What if Derek was turned yourself into a dog, and the reader adopts him?

It's funny, it's cute, and this headcanon is so long! I'm sorry about that. Maybe I should do an entire imagine series about this idea? I don't know, tell me what do you think, pleeease.

Remember: My requests are open. Remember²: English is not my main language, so I'm sorry if my writing maybe sounds bad for you.

Let's read, then?

Word Count: 1.682 Warnings: None Portuguese version here

Hale and the pack were working on a case involving a powerful sect of witches. The pack managed to invade the sect's headquarters, but to everyone's panic, one of them cursed Derek, turning him into a dog.

In the confusion of the fight, he ended up getting lost. He was walking along the road in the city, looking for a way to find the rest of the pack when you found him.

You were the daughter of one of Alan's best friends from the college. He was almost like an uncle to you.

You immediately stopped the car when you saw the dog. It was large, with dark fur, and its foot was injured. Derek had been hurt during the fight, and it appeared that his body was not healing as fast as it should have.

“Aww, are you lost? Come on, I will take care of you."

Well, what else could he do? Since his body was not healing as it should, he had no choice but to go with you.

But if you kept talking to him in that childish voice, which we do when we talk to babies, he would freak out.

You took him home and took care of the injured paw. You set aside a pot of water and a pot of dog food, which you had earned a little bit from Alan.

Ah, what a slow death! Derek refused to eat that thing.

You were worried when you realized he was not eating. As there was nothing else at home, you ended up exchanging the dog food for a piece of steak.

Okay, now we're talking about real food!

"Which name should I give you??" You drummed your fingers on your chin, thoughtfully.

Lucky! It was the perfect name because he had been so lucky to find you, or that little paw injury could have become worst.

You could hear your newest pet snort. Derek was clearly not liking that, despite being grateful for the healing you did on his paw.

You continued to take care of him. You saw your favorite Netflix series with him, took him for a walk...

He always growled when other dogs came over to smell... well... his parts.

“Lucky, don't be so rude. They are your little friends, to play with you! ”

And all Derek could think of during those hours was a “For God's sake. "

He met your boyfriend, and he thought he was a complete idiot.

And okay, Derek was starting to think you weren't that bad. But you still needed to change about talking to him in a childish voice. Still, he needed to find a way to find the pack.

And then, at the first opportunity, he ran away.

You freaked out! Your first action was to call Alan, crying, saying that your best friend had run away from you. He suggested that you split up in the city to look for him, and so it was.

But the moment he opened the clinic door there was Lucky, or rather, Derek. He flew into the clinic and started tapping his paws on the computer keyboard.

All he managed to write was "PSkPSKminpwrnIDEndneUNklew".

That was definitely not what he wanted to write. However, knowing that Derek had been turned into a dog and was missing, Alan got the message.

It wasn't long before the whole pack was at the clinic. It wasn't long before you knocked on the clinic door, so upset that your pet ran away.

But when you saw him at the clinic, you were so relieved! Your first action was to hug him, and fill him with kisses.

He lowered his ears, letting out a low whine. Seeing you so worried ended up making him feel a little guilty.

“Oh my God, I was so worried, baby! Never do that again! ”

Damn, you called him "baby". And in front of everyone.

Stiles was the first to scoff.

"Yeah, baby, don't do this anymore!"

Now, one more person was involved in all that mess: You. Everyone felt they were walking on eggshells. You didn't even know that there was a supernatural world around you. The only thing you wanted was your pet back.

The care about you needed to be double, as a way to protect you against all that mess.

Alan came over to your house to talk about Lucky.

“You need to leave him at the clinic with me, he was on the street. He may have an illness. ”

You refused to be without your friend.

“We are going to do some check-ups and apply the vaccines, but he stays here with me. "

This was going to be more difficult than everyone imagined, but as they started looking for some answer to get Derek back to his original form, things started to get fun.

You did an entire Instagram just for Lucky and bought him several outfits.

You took him for a photo shoot!! And published all the photos on Instagram.

Lucky dressed as a Disney prince.

Lucky dressed as a guard.

Lucky dressed as Superman!

He wasn't happy at all in those pictures, but you loved them so much because they were so cute!!

Scott saved each of the photos.

Peter framed them all. They would render great jokes!

Derek, on the other hand, just wanted to die of shame. He didn't want to imagine the number of stupid jokes that everyone would have to put up with.

But despite all that, he even liked you. Except when you talked to him in a childish voice. He hated you in those hours.

You talked about everything with him. When you got home, you always told him how your day had been. Derek was always there to hear you.

When you were on a bad day, he gave in: he took a ball with his mouth and made you go in the yard to play with him. It always made your day better.

And then you started to distrust your boyfriend. He was distant and rude, and sometimes you caught yourself talking with Lucky about it.

“Did I do something wrong? "

You and your boyfriend fought one day. Derek watched all the arguing, of course. He never wanted to punch someone as much as he did that day.

You cried all night, Lucky with you.

And when you decided you were going to work things out with your boyfriend, Derek just shook his head briefly, disappointed. You deserved better, but you couldn't see it yet.

You have bought several models of lingerie.

“I need help to see which one looks better on me. "

Ok... He was seriously divided now. Obviously, he wanted to see you try them all! But at the same time, he felt that staying and just seeing you trying different styles of lingerie would be wrong. You didn't know that he was a real man.

He concluded that staying and simply watching you try on all those lingerie would be taking advantage of you. So he chose to be on the sofa in the living room, away from your bedroom.

However, his imagination was quite fertile that night.

Despite your best efforts, your boyfriend simply remained distant. You found out that he was cheating on you.

The fight at your house that night was unreal.

And right in that bad time, the pack finds a way to break the curse. Derek was relieved to stop being Lucky, but he also felt his heart crush in his chest at having to leave you.

At least, all of that was fun.

Alan had taken your pet to the clinic, for a check-up and to give all the vaccines. At least, it was what you thought he was going to do.

In fact, Alan took Derek straight to the pack. They would bring their original body back, finally!

But then Scott brought the news that one of the witches sect, who had fled during the attack, had captured you for a sacrifice.

Fortunately, Derek managed to get back to his real body in time to rescue you with the help of the pack.

Your head almost exploded when you saw that man, with all of that size, with a red collar and a bone-shaped pendant written "Lucky".

Oh, damn... He had so hurried, that he forgot to take it off.

The pack gave the time you needed to recover from the scare, but your head was bubbling with it all. After all, what had really happened?

Alan and Derek met with you and the pack. That's how you knew that, yeah, Derek was really your Lucky.

“Oh my God, I tried to make you eat dog food! I gave you cookies, a bath, and an anti-flea powder!! ”

Things were finally clear, and you were embarrassed. On the other hand, the pack was grateful for the bank of jokes you offered them.

And you ended up being part of them. You and Derek were together all the time. After all, not having you around ended up being weird to him.

Returning to his original body made him tell you everything he always wanted to say...

"Your ex-boyfriend is an idiot."

"You should go back to using that perfume."

"That friend of yours from work has great advice."

"You should use red more often. You look great with this color."

... and also everything he always wanted to do with you.

He picked you up from work to go get the ice cream he knew you loved so much.

He hug you all the time.

Derek even answered your door when your ex-boyfriend came to apologize to you. And let's say your ex ended up scared...

He gave you a new pet. It was a cat, which you called Nora.

And finally, he took you on a first date. It had been a while since he made you feel butterflies in your stomach.

You were willing to take a chance. After all, he was still your best friend. What harm would it do if your relationship evolved?

#teen wolf fanfics #teen wolf fics #derek hale x reader #derek hale imagines #derek hale imagine #derek hale fanfics #derek hale fics #derek hale headcanons #derek hale headcanon #teen wolf imagines #teen wolf imagine #teen wolf headcanons #teen wolf headcanon

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thursday-knight · 4 years

Text

This fic is for @ihni, who drew me fanart recently for a thing and when I said I'd write her fic for it asked for "hmm, I've been feeling overworked lately, how about some exhausted, bone-tired Billy? Free interpretation on that!" So here you go! I hope you like it.

It's been a long fucking day. The kind of ugly, awful, long fucking day that's had Billy snarling at everyone he's come across, the kind of day that's had him low enough that the only thing he's grateful for right now is that he hasn't threatened anyone. Or hit anyone, though he's certainly had the urge. He's felt the urge, the one he used to let fly free as easy as breathing, that urge, he's had it just under his skin all day and every trick he's learned through years of therapy and introspection are only just barely keeping it at bay.

But there's a saving grace. His shift is almost up. Five more minutes and he can go home and take a shower and get this sweat and beer stench off his clothes, off his body, he can put on his favorite sweatpants and dive into re-reading IT and it'll be okay.

It'll be okay if he can just make it these next five minutes.

He makes it three before Anthony, the new guy, comes up and asks him if he'll stay an extra hour, saying he wants (needs) to go deal with a roommate squabble or something at home.

Billy pictures biting this guy's arm clean off as he tells him that, no, he won't be staying late tonight because he is not, in fact, anyone's fucking babysitter. He took this shift and he can work it 'til it's done, that's what working is, what having a job is and if Anthony is too young to know that, it's not Billy's job to teach him.

Once Billy's done with his little spiel Anthony looks like he just might cry, but he also lets him go. And Billy's time is up, so he grabs his jacket from under the bar and he goes.

Outside it's cold. Like freeze certain body parts off cold. It's cold and it's snowed and Billy kicks at one of the front tires of his cheap, shitty second-hand shit brown Toyota, the one he's hated ever since the day he bought it, the one that will never, could never take the place of his beloved Camaro but that was all he could afford at the time, given the circumstances.

He continues to kick at the tire and even adds in some screams for good measure, hoping it'll at least make him feel better, but it doesn't. It gets him nowhere.

He hates the snow and he hates the cold and he hates Indianapolis and he hates his car and he hates this day and there's nothing he can do about any of it.

And okay, usually he doesn't mind living in Indianapolis that much, usually, he can accept the fact that they won't be here forever, that they're just here while Steve finishes up school.

He's put up with cold weather for years now and while he hates it, he's used to it. And at least it isn't as bad as it was that first year out here in the midwest, where he had no proper jacket and no money for one.

Same goes for working two jobs, he's done it for years and he's used to that, too.

Usually.

He's used to it, usually. But today, man. Today… today fucking sucks. Today is the culmination of a lot of bad things all lined up in a row and he can't help but feel it all the way down to his toes.

He hasn't had a single day off in two weeks, he didn't get a wink of sleep last night for absolutely no reason whatsoever, he was just up all night watching Steve sleep peacefully while his mind came up with scenario after scenario, grisly image after grisly image of all the bad things that could happen to Steve, the one person he loves most in the world. All the monsters that could get to him both human and non-human. (Not to mention certain three-lettered viruses that are currently tearing through the population of guys just like them all across the country, the continent, the world.)

And then, to make all of that worse, in his exhaustion, he forgot his lunch at home. And then at least six different middle-aged women hit on him at the bar and since he's come out, he's realized he really, aggressively, actually hates that. He doesn't like women hitting on him to begin with, but women more than twice his age doing it? It makes his skin crawl and makes him feel like he needs to burn all his clothes and take a long, hot shower.

And then one of them spilled their drink on him and didn't even apologize for it, either, just giggled drunkenly and tottered off on her stupidly high, stupidly pink high heels.

So all in all, it's been a long, terrible, shitty fucking day.

It only gets worse when Billy gets home.

There isn't any gum anywhere in the kitchen but he does find Steve's secret stash of cigarettes and that, well, that punches his craving in the face more than the gum would've helped in the first place.

Then his favorite sweatpants are in the dirty laundry hamper, still covered in mustard from that cooking incident last week.

Then, to top it all off, like the cherry on top of the shit cake that is this day, that is his life at this point, the hot water in the shower only lasts for about five minutes, leaving Billy, who has never liked anything cold that wasn't the ocean, to stand there shivering and washing the shampoo out of his hair with cold water.

Then Steve gets home and something in Billy erupts.

Steve's barely just taken his shoes off when Billy's yelling at him, "And what the hell are these?" and throwing the dusty, bent, and probably years-old pack of cigarettes at him.

They both know that Steve hasn't smoked in years, they both know that the cigarettes were less a dirty little secret and more something forgotten at the back of a junk drawer, but Steve blushes like a tomato at the accusation anyway. "Ummm…" he squeaks, voice a good bit higher than it normally is. "Nothing?"

This is the wrong answer and it has Billy huffing in anger. "I quit a month ago on your say so and you made me dump out every single cigarette I had and this whole time you've been holding out on me? Like you're allowed to smoke but I'm not?"

"Okay, first," Steve says, all manner of squeakiness in his voice gone and replaced by something much more steely and layered with a heavy resolve. "Quitting was your idea. You talked about it for almost a year before I gently nudged you into doing it and—"

"Nudged! You insisted!" Billy shouts, interrupting Steve before he had a chance to finish. "You made me do it!"

Everything falls to silence after this and Steve's face is instantly inscrutable. Billy swallows and it feels like he's trying to swallow around a marble or maybe something bigger. He starts to feel guilty. He knows he's picked a fight over nothing.

Fortunately, so does Steve. So without saying anything, Steve reaches down, grabs the cigarettes, and squeezes past Billy, even though he's taking up most of the space in the hall and marches to the kitchen where he immediately chucks the cigarettes into the garbage can.

Billy follows after him, head down, and waits.

And Steve makes him wait.

For about three minutes, then he says, "Have you calmed down yet?"

Billy nods.

"You wanna tell me what's really bothering you?"

Billy nods and looks up. "Bad day," he says.

And he waits, as always, for something bad to happen. For Steve to get mad at him. For Steve to tell he's done, this is over, five years has been more than long enough. He's paid his dues, done his time and now he's out. He deserves someone better than Billy, someone who isn't this much of a jackass, someone who isn't carrying so much baggage, someone who doesn't get angry over nothing like this.

But instead, as always, Steve walks forward and takes Billy's hands in his and kisses his knuckles gently. "Would making dinner and cuddling on the couch help?" he says, soft, as always.

And again, Billy just nods and this time he lets Steve step in closer and hug him, lets Steve's warmth wrap around him and lets out a deep breath and buries his nose in the side of Steve's neck and breathes in deep.

It doesn't make the entirety of his bad day go away, it doesn't make the stress of the past few weeks go away and it doesn't make his exhaustion go away, either, but it helps.

Steve always helps.

#billy hargrove #stranger things #harringrove fanfic #harringrove #steve harrington

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starrynite7114 · 4 years

Text

everything is you: five

A/N: WOOH. FINALS NEXT WEEK AND I’M FREAKING OUT. This update is a little long. I don’t know what happened. Things are picking up too, but I hope you all will enjoy the ride. I’m really excited to share it all with you. I most likely won’t update till the end of next week, but I have a few things planned! Going through my requests and also have a new series planned.

Thank you all for all the amazing comments and support! Love you all! Love you all! <3

everything is you

one : two : three : four

Word count: 9770

Warnings: A smidge of angst, smut

Masterlist tagged list: @justahopelessssromantic : @ifoundmyhappythought : @carlaangel86 : @woahitslucyylu : @encounterthepast : @enamoured-x : @whyisgmora : @briana-mishell24 : @bribri-82 : @briannab1234 : @chibsytelford : @agirllovespasta : @twistnet : @everyhowlmarksthedead : @trulysuccubus : @jadert15 : @sammskellington : @cind-in-real-life : @mheart27 : @claytoncardenasbabymama : @sadeyesgf : @thickemadame : @summertimesadnesswithadashofsass : @gemini0410 : @elcococruz : @samcrobae : @sesamepancakes : @iambabyharry : @blackmissfrizzle : @soamayansfangirl : @1-800-imagines : @phoenixhalliwell : @lady-pswrld : @dazzledamazon : @getyourcrayoncas : @fvckthisbxtchup : @lukealvxz : @scuzmunkie : @nakusaych9 : @danie1432 : @cocotheclown : @soaronmywings : @my-rosegold-soul : @buttercup812 : @itskiranbitch : @angelreyesgirl : @sheeshgivemeabreak : @vicmackeybullshxt : @bigcreatorwombatdreamer : @khyharah : @strawberrywritings : @cherry-icetea : @fuzzy-jellyfish : @losolvidad0s : @brownsugarcoffy : @courtrae89 : @prdsdjarin : @blessedboo : @marvelmaree : @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat

Victor watched as Alena waved their co-workers goodbye as they placed their work on her desk. It wasn’t much this time around, but he saw their boss, Mr. Johnson frowning as well. Their co-workers had thought Mr. Johnson had already left, but in reality, he blacked out his walls and saw what they were doing though they couldn’t see him.

“This is ridiculous, it’s Friday, it’s time for you to go home.” Mr. Johnson had enough just as one of his workers placed files on Alena’s desk.

Victor wanted to do a standing ovation for Mr. Johnson, but he stayed seated, laughing to himself instead.

Ilya, the worker who was placing the files on Alena’s table quickly took it back and sat back down.

“It’s okay Mr. Johnson, I don’t mind helping. It’s just mostly research anyway.” Alena felt bad looking at the embarrassed look on Ilya’s face.

“Alena, I’m giving you a week off. Ilya take the rest of these folders and finish the rest of these paperwork.” There were still a few people lingering around the office, and some of them were glad that Mr. Johnson finally caught people dumping their work to Alena. Though, they were guilty themselves since they haven’t exactly helped her. “You will all be receiving a stern email from me regarding this abuse you’ve put forth on Alena. If this occurs again, you will be immediately terminated.” He looked at Alena who was blushing. “I don’t want to see you here for a week. Samantha can handle your workload.”

“But sir, I have to,” Alena stopped talking when Mr. Johnson held his hand up.

“Alena, please, let me do this for you.” He gave her a warm smile. “Enjoy your time with Cruz, I’m sure he would appreciate it. Please thank him for the drawing he gave me.” Mr. Johnson spoiled Cruz rotten since he had no kids of his own. Cruz always made drawings for him and bless his heart, he would always hang it around his office. “Also, thank Angel for that advice on my Harley, it’s running smoothly.” He even got on well with Angel.

“I will. Thank you.” Alena packed her bag and Mr. Johnson patted her back before returning to his office.

“You know, you could just say no instead of telling Mr. Johnson.” Ilya snapped Alena, upset that he had to do everyone else’s work.

“I didn’t tell him, I didn’t even know he was still here.” Alena argued, hating this confrontation.

“Whatever, must pay off that you suck his dick.”

Alena has heard it before. She knew people spoke behind her back about either her “fake” kindness or how Mr. Johnson was so kind to her since she slept with him. She didn’t let them get to her, you couldn’t change how people thought of you and she wasn’t interested. She was here to do her job and that was that. Of course there were times that it did, but as soon as she had Cruz with her, she was fine.

But hearing these kinds of accusations so blatantly, it was hurtful.

“Excuse me?” Victor stood up making Ilya roll his eyes.

“Oh here’s the other guy. Aren't you married?” Ilya sneered at Alena.

Victor chuckled, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up. “You keep running your mouth and I may just bite and beat your ass. And I don’t even have to worry about jail time cause we both know the strings I have.” Victor threatened him. “I’m sure Mr. Johnson would love to know how you’ve been leaking insider information to the press about his high profiled case with Mr. Petit. Don’t ever look Alena’s way again, you got it?”

Ilya nodded his head, tail tucked in between his legs. Victor turned to Alena and saw that her eyes were watery. She gave him a weak smile before she continued to pack. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her tears and said a quick goodbye to Mr. Johnson.

Victor quickly packed his stuff and jogged after Alena, holding the elevator. She looked up at him, the tears already streaming from her eyes. She wiped her eyes and gave him a teary smile.

“I’m sorry.” She quickly apologized making Victor frown.

“Why are you apologizing?” Victor settled into the other wise of the elevator not wanting to crowd Alena.

“You didn’t have to defend me. I’ve heard it before.”

“Alena, I wasn’t going to let that asshole talk down on you like that.” Victor reasoned. “You gotta stand up for yourself too. I know you can, you stand up to Angel all the time.”

“He’s not worth it.”

“He doesn’t have to be, but why would you let anyone talk to you in such a way? It’s appalling. Does Angel know that people at the office think you’re sleeping with Mr. Johnson?”

“No, I don’t want to worry Angel. He already hates it that I live in San Diego alone while he’s like an hour and a half away.”

Alena and Angel have been at an impasse after their fight a month ago. Angel has been making an effort to assure her that he was committed to her and Cruz. Though he wasn’t doing anything different. He would try to bring her lunch every once in a while. He would pick her up from work when he would with Cruz coming along. At least the first two weeks after her talk, but she distanced herself since every time Angel would do sweet gestures, he had her falling deeper and deeper, she couldn’t have that.

She could be his wife without being overly affectionate. Just the minimum.

This would make everything hurt less in the long run.

“You want to go have dinner?”

Alena looked at the time and it was only six. For once she was out at a decent time. She contemplated, and figured she had nothing to lose. She was off for a week and she could just text Angel that she was grabbing dinner with Victor.

“Sure, let me just text Angel.”

She shot Angel a quick text about her staying the night in San Diego since Victor wanted to grab dinner. Almost immediately he texted her back.

Angel

No, Cruz is sick, I need you here.

Alena frowned. She called Angel and he didn’t answer.

Angel

He’s sleeping. Can you just please come home? I need you.

“Sorry Victor, I have to take a rain check. Cruz is sick.”

“That’s fine, is he okay?”

“I think so? Angel didn’t give me any details.”

Victor refrained from chuckling. He knew Angel’s game, using Cruz to keep Alena away from him. It could only work for so long.

He hoped Angel was messing around cause he wouldn’t want Cruz to be sick.

Alena drove up the driveway, turning off her car. Before she could even open the door, she heard ‘mommy’. She immediately smiled, opening the door and Cruz greeted her by her seat.

“Hey baby!” Cruz didn’t look sick. She hoped that his nap helped him feel better. “You feeling better?”

Cruz gave her a confused look while Angel took Cruz from Alena.

“Yeah, he’s feeling better.” Angel answered.

Alena grabbed her purse and Angel tried to hold her hand, but she moved her hand away, closing the door. She grabbed Cruz from Angel and handed her purse to him. Walking ahead, she repeated the mantra she’s been repeating in her head.

‘Distance so you don’t get hurt. Distance so you don’t get hurt.’

Angel’s eyebrows furrowed at her, noticing how Alena has been distancing herself from him.

“It better not be motherfucking Victor.” Angel muttered to himself.

Alena was washing the dishes after dinner, Angel sitting at the table watching her. She insisted that he went to stay with Cruz to make sure he was okay, but Angel insisted on drinking his beer in her company. He needed to know why she was putting distance between them.

“You should go on a date.”

Angel almost spat out his beer as he watched Alena’s back while she was washing dishes. “What?”

“Yes, you should. Maybe ask Adelita? Or a coworker of mine that has this crush on you.” She teased him. This was her way of going back to their normal.

Fuck.

What was even normal?

“What the fuck are you doing Alena?” Angel had noticed that ever since their argument a month ago, Alena has been pushing him away. Sleeping in Cruz’s room instead of theirs. She doesn’t sit next to him, she always had Cruz in between them. Every time he offered to bring her food, she texted him a picture of food she already bought. Whenever he told her he was coming to her apartment, she texted him that she was on her way to Santo Padre. Every time he tried to get her alone, she would conveniently get a phone call.

And now, trying to set him up on a date?

She had him fucked up.

“Setting you up on a date? You’ve been single for so long, Cruz is old enough now.” Alena knew their situation was highly ideal, but they couldn’t be in this situation forever. They weren’t together. As long as Cruz was their number one priority, everything would be fine.

“Why would I want to go on a date?”

“Aren’t you tired of just sleeping around? Don’t you want to be in a relationship?”

“Am I missing something? Are you with that motherfucker?”

“What?” She turned off the water, turning to face Angel.

“Victor, are you with him?” Angel’s eyes narrowed at her. “Is that why you’re trying to push me to date someone? So that it would be okay for you to date him?” He chuckled. “Over my dead fucking body.”

“I’m not dating Victor.”

“No, of course not.” He scoffed. “You what? Casually sleep together?”

Angel knew he was unreasonable since there has been no indication they’ve slept together.

“How is it any of your business if I sleep with Victor or not? You sleep with the girl’s at Vicky’s! I don’t know what you do across the border!” Alena bit her lip, never really voicing to Angel her displeasement that he slept with other women. But as she realized that night that Myrna spilled her drink on her, she didn’t have a claim on Angel and she never would. Taking a deep breath, she gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. It’s none of my business what you do in your life, you can do as you please. You don’t need my permission. I just thought of helping you out is all.” Alena turned around to continue washing dishes.

“What would you do if I want to date you?”

Alena dropped the dish in her hand, thankful that it was Cruz’s plastic Mickey Mouse plate. Angel smirked at her reaction.

“But you don’t, so nothing.” She tried to laugh her nervousness away, keeping her back to him. “So Amy is really nice, she’s around my age. She talks a little too much, but if you can get past that then you should be fine.”

“Alena, I like you.” He wanted to save the other L-word for later, he didn’t want to scare Alena off, so he’ll start with that.

“No you don’t, I’m convenient, believe me you don’t.” Alena didn’t want to face Angel. She didn’t think he would play with her feelings, but this was all out of convenience or gratitude. She’s been a constant in his life and Angel liked that, not her.

But they were getting divorce. He didn’t have to worry about anything else.

“Convenient? Why the fuck would you think that?” Angel hated that Alena wouldn’t turn to face him. He was serious about this.

“Cause it is, look, no harm done. I’m like a constant in your life, I’m Cruz’s mother I get it, but really Amy is a great catch unless you already made a move on Adelita?” Alena didn’t like pushing herself to the side, but she was also realistic. She’s known Angel for years and he’s always said he never had feelings for her, she wasn’t sure what was going on, but if she put her foot down, they didn’t have to be at this weird place.

“Why? Is it hard to believe I have feelings for you?” Angel hates Alena’s lowly thinking of herself. She was a beautiful girl who he would willingly give the world to. Whatever she wanted he would give to her. “I told you Alena, I haven’t been with anyone, not fucking interested either. I’m just interested in you.”

Before Alena could reply, her phone began to ring. She knew that ringtone, it was Victor’s and Angel knew that ringtone as well. Angel picked up her phone, swiping right to answer.

“Hello?”

“Angel!” Alena turned around, but her hands were still wet.

“Listen, I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t call my girl. She’s happily taken. I understand why you would think she’s single but she isn’t. She’s the mother of my child and she’s married to me. Please don’t contact her again.” Angel informed Victor, his eyes locked on Alena as she watched him helplessly. “Now, you don’t have to worry about Victor, so how about that date?”

“Angel!” Alena’s cheeks reddened, eyebrows furrowed as she was visibly upset by his antics. “That’s not fair! I don’t meddle in your life, don’t meddle in mine! I actually like Victor. Why can’t I go on dates? I don’t tell you anything about yours.” She was angry. Why couldn’t she be with someone? To see how it would be like?

Those words hit Angel so quickly.

She likes Victor?

“You like Victor?” He whispered the words, as if lowering his tone would make it not real. The realization was making his chest fucking tighten. No, no way, didn’t fucking matter. He had Alena, he has Alena.

“I,” she closed her eyes. “I don’t know, maybe?” She looked at Angel and was surprised how heartbroken he appeared, and she saw that mild anger brimming. “If this is your territorial thing because of Cruz, I would never leave him behind, or you. You two are far too important to me.”

“You fucking serious right now? You think this is because of Cruz? That I think you’re walking away that’s why I’m trying to get you back?” Angel scoffed. “I never lost you Alena and I never will. I don’t know why you’re pulling away, but I’m not going to let you go. I’m serious, I have feelings for you and I want to be with you. You don’t need Victor, you have me.” Angel placed his beer down on the table. He made his way over to Alena, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Before Alena could react, he kissed her, Alena’s eyes widening. She was going to push him, but fuck did his lips feel good, they always did. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Before she could even deepen the kiss, Angel pulled away, Alena chasing after him. He wiped his thumb against her bottom lip, chuckling. “Yeah, doesn’t seem like I’m the only one who has feelings here.” Angel walked away leaving Alena hot and heavy.

“Nope, sleeping with Cruz tonight.”

An hour later, after scrolling through her Facebook and other social media sites, she made her way over to Cruz’s room and found him sprawled on his bed, no room for her. She took his ginormous bear, leaning it against his drawer. She sat down on the floor, leaning against the bear and watching Cruz sleep. Alena loved watching Cruz sleep, watching him grow before her eyes has been a delight and she wouldn’t trade it in for the world.

“You’re not sleeping on the floor.”

Alena placed her hand against her mouth, to not let out the shriek that she wanted to let out.

“Angel,” she whispered harshly. “What is the matter with you?”

“I’ve been waiting for you in our room, let’s go.” He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

“No it’s okay, I just want to watch Cruz.”

“Nope, you can spend all your time with him tomorrow, let’s go.” Angel stepped in the room and helped her up, closing the door behind them once they were outside. He brought her to their room.

Alena quickly changed before getting on the bed, placing a pillow between them. Angel watched amused that she was trying to put a pillow in between them. Once she was settled under the covers, Angel threw the pillow on the ground, laughing as Alena let out an annoyed huff.

“Angel, please, I just want to keep boundaries between us so there are no blurred lines.” Alena turned to face him, annoyed by his smugness. “You’re so annoying.” She turned away from him, closing her eyes. She took off her glasses, placing it on the bedside table.

Angel scooted closer to Alena, she could feel his heat radiating on her back. He draped an arm over her stomach. She attempted to push his arm away, but he took her hand, intertwining their fingers on her stomach, pulling her flushed against him.

Placing a kiss on the back of her head, he tightened his hold on her. “Don’t fight it cielo, believe me when I tell you. I have feelings for you, just give me a little bit more time.”

Alena didn’t answer, keeping her eyes closed. Eventually she felt Angel’s breathing even out and she followed close behind him.

Angel felt the weight on his chest and heard the giggle. He cracked open an eye, and saw Cruz beside him.

“Hi daddy.” Cruz waved. “Mommy is drooling.”

Angel looked down at Alena and sure enough, she was draped over him, her leg rested in between his. He felt the wetness against his skin and chuckled. Alena was so cute when she slept. Well, she was always cute, but he really enjoyed watching her sleep.

“It’s too early little man, wanna join mommy and daddy?” Angel moved to the side and let Cruz rest on his other side while Alena remained at the same spot.

“Can I have a little brother or sister for my birthday?”

Angel held back a laugh and just smiled down at his son. “We’ll ask mommy.”

=============

Angel left Cruz and Alena still asleep on his bed. He had a shift at the scrapyard and a run with Hank and Gilly to meet with SAMCRO. He didn’t exactly tell Alena everything he truly felt, but he would tonight. Realizing he loves Alena was a whole different thing. It was terrible that it was Victor who made him realize this, but he knew it was always there. He’s loved her for quite some time, but it was easy to bury with everything going on.

He might sound stupid, but he figured that this whole thing between him and Alena would be understood as some type of relationship. Contrary to popular belief, he hasn’t touched any of the girls at Vicky’s nor has he done anything with Adelita.

Everytime he was close enough to even doing anything, all he could see was Alena and that adorable smile of hers. And the times she would cry, god his heart would clench at how difficult it was to see his cielo cry.

Then he would think of Cruz.

How disappointed Cruz would be if he stepped out on mommy.

He walked in the clubhouse and found EZ with Coco.

“Did you tell her?” Was the first thing Coco asked.

“No. We got into it yesterday cause of Victor.”

“Fuck.” Coco handed EZ a twenty dollar bill.

“The fuck?”

“Prospect and I made a bet that you wouldn’t confess, I said you would do it, but Boy Scout said no.”

“Fuck you both. What is up with you all making bets on me and Alena?” He noticed that Taza handed Bishop a twenty as well, the president lifting his beer to Angel. “What the fuck?”

“Victor came around the other day.” Coco informed him. He had a few run-ins with Victor since he tried to help him find Letty, but Letty ended up coming to him. With Letty coming into his life, he’s been busy. She still lived with Celia, but he was trying to spend more time with her.

“Why?” Angel didn’t like how Victor seemed to be infiltrating all aspects of his life.

“Needed a piece for his Mustang, figured we’d have it here and we did.” Coco offered Angel a cigarette, which he took. “I like him, he’s a pretty knowledgeable guy. And he really likes Alena.” Coco would always be loyal to Angel, that was his brother, his best friend, but his loyalty with Alena almost topped Angel. He still remembered the time she provided him an alibi for Frankie.

And the poor guy believed Alena since he always had a crush on her. She was sweet, innocent, and had a conscience.

After all, why would Alena lie?

Ever since then, Coco saw that Alena wasn’t only loyal to Angel, her loyalty extended to the club. And he couldn’t help it that his protective nature came out with Alena. She was nice, but when you got to her bad side, stand clear. She was patient, understanding, and loved fiercely.

It was always a saying around the club, hell around town.

‘What country did Angel save in a past lifetime that he was able to land Alena?’

It was a running joke that even Angel agreed with the statement. He didn't know who and what he saved in a previous life, but he would never question it.

“And this concerns me why?” Angel sat down at the bar, waiting for EZ to give him a beer.

“You’re not even a little concerned that Victor may sink his claws in Alena.” EZ knew it was awful of him to put ideas in his brother’s head, but they weren’t getting younger. If Angel actually thought keeping this farce was going to keep Alena around, it wasn’t. From what Carla told him, Alena was working on divorcing Angel because that’s what their deal was and time was almost up.

“Not even worried.” Angel scoffed, taking a sip of the beer EZ placed in front of him.

But he was worried.

Victor had been waiting for years and now that their five years were almost up, it seemed like Victor thought it would be the perfect time to make his feelings known. Angel wondered if Valeria was still obsessed with Victor cause if she was, he would gladly point her to his direction. There have been people who had shown interested in Alena before, the last one being Dante, Alena’s douchebag ex-boyfriend who stole almost two thousand dollars from her and had the fucking audacity to to hurt Alena.

=============

Angel watched as Alena’s car pulled up at the scrapyard, which surprised him since it was midnight. Alena had work tomorrow so she was usually in San Diego by Sunday night. She visited him on the weekends to fuck around with him and his brother’s, but that was less frequent lately since Dante became Alena’s boyfriend.

It’s been a long two years and he hoped she fucking broke up with him already.

Angel patted Maxine’s thigh, signalling for her to get off him. She looked back and saw Alena knowing Angel wouldn’t need her service tonight. After all, Angel hardly flirted with other girls in front of Alena. It was sacreligious.

Coco was the one to open the door for Alena and his words was what made Angel rush over to Alena.

“What the fuck?” Coco studied Alena’s face, her glasses were crooked, barely staying on at the bridge of her nose. The left side of her face was starting to swell, a bruise forming.

“What’s going,” Angel’s words died down when his eyes landed on Alena. He didn’t mean to shove Coco, but he pushed him out of the way, cupping Alena’s cheek gently. She was crying and winced when Angel touched her cheek. “Oh fuck no. Did that motherfucker put his hands on you Alena?” Angel didn’t mean to yell at her, but he was infuriated.

“Calm down hermano, you’re scaring her.” Coco warned.

“Hey, I would never hurt you,” his voice softened. “Dime cielo, did he do this?”

Alena nodded her head. She wrapped her arms around Angel, his arms automatically wrapping around her. His right hand still cupped her cheek while his hand rubbed her back.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

“No,” Alena uttered out, pulling away from him, shaking her head. “Please don’t. It’s fine, I just got him angry and,”

“Shut the fuck up Alena, don’t even fucking defend him.” Angel had to walk away from Alena, he didn’t want to yell at her. It wasn’t her fault she was fucking pure and forgiving, but this was unforgivable.

“Hey, Lenny, you know Angel is just overprotective.” Coco watched as Riz, Creeper and Gilly made their way over to them. He was overprotective too, but he was trying to keep his cool since Alena didn’t need all of them waging war right now.

“The fuck?” Riz assessed Alena’s face, knowing fully well who the fuck did this to her. “Is this the first time?”

Alena nodded her head. She didn’t like that they all came to her. She loved the guys, trusted them with her life, but she really just wanted Angel right now. Coco noticed that Alena’s eyes kept drifting over to Angel who was off to the side, trying to cool off.

Coco made his way over to Angel and pulled him further to the side so that no one could hear them.

“Listen, I get it, you’re pissed, and you want to kill the motherfucker, we all do. But Alena needs you right now. She doesn’t need you being pissy, she needs you to be there for her. We’ll fucking handle Dante another night, let him rest easy so when we fuck that fucker up, he won’t see it coming.”

Angel took a deep breath and nodded his head. He made his way back over to Alena, who was being occupied by Creeper’s lame attempts to try and cheer her up. She slightly smiled, but Angel knew it was due to her trying to be nice.

“I’m going to take her home.” He informed them, the hint obviously taken.

The boys gave her a hug before Angel led her to the front passenger seat. When she was inside, he closed the door. He made his way over to Coco, before sliding in the driver’s seat.

“Find that motherfucker, make sure he doesn’t leave town.”

Coco nodded his head and watched Angel and Alena leave. Angel looked over at Alena who was just looking straight ahead in a daze.

“Baby, can I hold your hand?” Angel asked.

She nodded her head, briefly looking at him. Angel reached over and held her hand, placing it on his thigh.

“You want to go home?”

She shook her head.

“My place?”

She nodded her head.

Angel frowned, not liking the fact that she wasn’t talking. Alena tended to lose herself in her mind. She could be cruel to herself and would most likely reasoned she fucking deserved it like those poor women who chose to stay with their partners. But he was going to make sure she wasn’t one of them, Dante saw the last of Alena tonight, that was for sure.

If he had to bury him six feet under, he fucking would.

He pulled up to his place, parking at his spot. Waiting for her in front of her car, Alena stayed in the car for a moment, which he took as an opportunity to smoke. When she came out, he held out his hand, which she took. They made their way to his apartment, Angel unlocking it for her.

Leading her to his bedroom, he turned to her. “You want clothes?”

Alena nodded her head. Angel went to her drawer that held all of her clothes in case she slept over. He handed her one of his shirts and one of her shorts. Alena changed in the bathroom quickly before coming out and joined Angel. He’s on the bed, his back against the wall of his bedroom.

“Can we get my cell phone? I should text Dante.” She fiddled with the edge of the shirt, looking at the floor.

“Excuse me? Text Dante?” Angel gave her an incredulous look, unsure if he heard her correctly. “Alena, you’re not talking to Dante.”

“Angel, I just, I just want to let him know I’m safe.”

“Alena, you’re not fucking talking to Dante, your relationship is done. He hit you!” She flinched, causing Angel to let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scream at you. Cielo, please, just come lay with me.”

“I have to get my cell phone.” Alena insisted.

“What happened Alena?”

“What?”

“What happened?”

Alena sat at the edge of the bed facing Angel, she bent one of her legs while the other hung at the edge of the bed. “I found out he stole money from me, so I confronted him and he slapped me.” Angel could tell Alena was becoming emotional, uncomfortable with what she was sharing. “He got on top of me and he punched me.” The tears came out then, Angel’s heart broke and his anger soared. He could not believe this motherfucker cowardly hurt his Alena. Angel never felt this type of anger before, except for the time that his mother was killed. A random act they said, he scoffed at that. He always thought about all the ways he wanted to kill his mother’s killer. Since he would never get the chance to do so, he would take it out on Dante for hurting Alena.

Her sob broke him out of his thoughts, Angel immediately crawling over to Alena. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her towards the middle of the bed so they could lay down. As soon as he was on his back, he pulled Alena to his chest, letting her cry on him. One arm was wrapped around her while the other hand held her hand.

He’s killed people before out of obligation to the club.

But this was the first kill he would thoroughly enjoy.

=============

He didn’t kill Dante.

Man did he fucking want to.

Alena’s cheek was bruised for a week, it fucking upset Angel. Every time he looked at her face then, it taunted him that he wasn’t able to protect her. Never fucking again. He would always protect her from everyone and everything.

Alena begged him to spare Dante, but he warned Dante, clear as day so there were no confusions.

“You ever come near her, breathe the same air as her, or even contact her, I’m going to fucking shoot you.”

Dante returned her money with interest and it was the last she ever saw of Dante.

“But you should be.” Coco’s reply got Angel’s attention. “Victor isn’t like Dante. He’s an actual decent guy who really likes Alena. He came here to get into our good graces cause he knew that our opinion would be important to her.”

Angel downed his beer, standing up since he still had a shift at the scrapyard.

“Well, he’s wasting his time.”

“If you make a move maybe, but otherwise Alena is fair game.”

“Alena isn’t fucking fair game, she’s my wife. If she even bring those fucking papers to me, I wouldn’t sign it.” Angel scoffed.

He was never signing those papers.

Over his dead body.

=============

Angel unlocked the front door, and found Alena waiting for him. But she was asleep on the couch. Today, there was no shit with the rebels, just regular club shit and Angel was honestly thankful for that. He wanted to help their cause, but he was tiring himself out, especially after the fight with Alena. He hated fucking fighting with her because half the time, all he wanted to do was keep kissing her till she wasn’t angry at him anymore. Every night he came home and she was there, he wanted to hold her and not worry about whether or not she would let him hold her at night.

Now that he thought about it, he didn’t even know if Alena felt the same way for him. But he was willing to take the risk with her and put his feelings out there.

Angel was never good with his feelings. He was good at burying shit since that’s what he always did. The resentment he had for EZ, the disconnect he felt with his father, the feeling of inadequacy due to his parents favoring EZ, burying his true feelings were his forte. He knew EZ didn’t mean to be the golden child, didn’t mean to have both of their parents dotting on him, but it happened. Whenever he would try to talk to his father like EZ did, he never could do it, there was always a wall and instead of trying to break it down, they both just let it stay, becoming higher and higher.

But he couldn’t do that with Alena.

He wasted enough time with Alena.

Walking over to her, he smiled down at her, squatting down beside her. Her back was to him, her phone resting beside her and glasses still on her face. The last text message he received from her was a picture of her and Cruz with soap suds on top of their heads as they took a bubble bath.

It was his new wallpaper.

Alena loved taking pictures with Cruz. Whenever they had an adventure without him, he was sent numerous pictures. Alena never really knew it, but Angel’s background picture to this day was a picture they all took together during Cruz’s second birthday, the first birthday they all spent together. Cruz has his birthday cake in front of him with Alena and Angel on either side of him, the smiles on their faces was what Angel loved best. He clicked the button on the side and found a picture of him and Cruz sleeping. It made his heart flutter knowing that was her phone background.

Alena began to turn, slightly startling Angel. She moved around often when she slept, which was why Angel didn’t like it when she slept on the couch. She was just like Cruz, they moved too damn much while they were sleeping.

He watched as Alena moved towards the edge, falling into his arms. Chuckling, he picked her up bridal style, Alena snuggling into his chest. He quickly checked on Cruz, who was sound asleep, before making his way over to their bedroom. He placed Alena on her side of the bed, tucking her in. Placing a kiss on her forehead, his eyes closed, relishing the feel of her skin against his lips.

God he sounded pathetic.

But he truly loved Alena.

Pulling away, he took off her glasses and placed it on her bedside drawer along with her glasses. He took a quick shower before joining Alena in bed. Turning the television on, he lowered the volume and picked some random channel just in case Alena woke up in the middle of the night. He knew how much she hated the dark and preferred the night light of the television along with the noise it provided.

Turning to face Alena, he placed his hand on top of her hand that was resting at the space between them.

“I love you Alena, I know I can be slow, but I hope I’m not too late. I hope you haven’t given Victor space in your heart. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you cielo.”

Alena stirred, turning to her side and faced Angel. She snuggled onto her pillow, smiling. He felt her fingers intertwine with his. She scrunched her face before opening her eyes. She looked down at their hands then back up to him.

“You okay cielo?” Angel questioned as he watched Alena look at their hands again.

“Your hand looks so big compared to mine.” She commented. Looking up at him again, she smiled. Alena moved towards him, wrapping her arms around him, laying her head against his chest. Angel adjusted by laying on his back. She was very cuddly when she was sleepy or drunk.

Angel didn’t mind, he loved holding her. She propped herself up with her elbow, a hand on his stomach. Moving up, she pressed her lips against his, Angel immediately reacting. After last night, Angel didn’t think Alena would be kissing him. He felt her hand slip under his boxers, wrapping her arms around his already semi-erect cock. Alena started moving her hand up and down, tightening it around his cock.

Angel groaned, slightly pulling away from her, his lips against her.

“Fuck cielo,” he kissed her again, his hand slipping under her shirt, but Alena stopped him shaking her head. She kneeled beside him, her thumb brushing against the tip of his cock, making Angel close his eyes. “Baby, let me touch you.”

“No, this is about you.” Alena removed her hand, moving to kneel in between his legs. She took a hold of his boxers and pulled them down with Angel’s hell. She licked her lips, her hands holding onto Angel’s thighs, pushing them down.

“You want daddy’s cock baby? Go ahead and take it.” He sat up, waiting for Alena’s next move. She’s always been shy when it came to oral sex, unsure of what to do, but if he was being honest anytbing she did could get him off. He thought Alena everything she knew about blowjobs and he was honestly quite fucking proud of it.

Alena took him in her mouth, shallowly at first before deep throating him, making Angel moan out her name. He wrapped his hand around her hair, watching as Alena took him in. She let go of him with a pop, dipping her tongue into the slit of his cock. Her hand wrapped around his cock again, moving it up and down smoothly as it was like lubricated with her mouth.

“Alena, you’re gonna fucking kill me. I thought you didn’t want to be intimate.” He couldn’t help but tease her, he knew Alena would give in.

“I don’t, but I figured I would show you the new trick Victor taught me.”

Angel jolted awake, breathing hard. He looked down and found Alena sleeping against him, her face against his pillow, her leg wrapped around him.

“Fuck it was just a dream.” But he was hard now. And dream Alena had him fucked up. Real Alena has to take the blow of that comment. “Cielo, wake up.” He cupped her face, softly caressing her cheeks.

“Hmm,” Alena’s eyes remained closed but she acknowledged him.

“Wake up.”

“Mmhmm.”

Angel chuckled. He remembered that Cruz did want a brother or sister for his birthday. What better way to start than to practice? Angel pressed his lips against her, waiting for a reaction. Alena gasped, allowing Angel to slip his tongue into her mouth. He pushed her to lay on her back, his hand pinning her hand to her pillow. He pulled away to let her breath. His forehead against her, he opened his eyes to find Alena’s with her eyes close, lips parted.

“Is this a dream?”

Her question made him laugh.

“You dream about me kissing you, cielo?” His hand that had her hand pinned moved down her body, stopping on her breast to give it a light squeeze. Her eyes opened then.

“I always dream about you.” She realized her mistake and wished she could take it back.

“What do you dream about?” He pulled away from her, watching as the blush on her cheeks appeared. “Come on cielo, dime.”

Alena was watching Angel’s hand as it hovered over the top of her shorts. She was debating if she wanted to stop him, to enforce her rule of no intimacy. But much like Angel she had needs, there was just so much her vibrator could do for her. At the same time, she wanted to keep that boundary, to assure they didn’t cross the line any further.

But what line?

She just heard Angel say it in her head.

This man was driving her nuts.

“Everything.” She whispered as she locked eyes with Angel.

“Do you dream of us together?”

Alena nodded her head, her eyes drifting back to his hand when she felt him pull against her shorts and underwear. She wanted to fight him, she really did, but one month was a feat. Pretty soon, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy Angel’s company. Why not just indulge while she still did?

“I always dream about you cielo, you plague my mind.” He kissed her cheek, his beard rubbing against her skin.

“Do you dream of me fucking you?” He whispered in her ear as his finger ran up and down her folds. “Do you dream of me fingering you as you beg me to let you come?”

“Yes,” Alena rasped out.

“I can make your dreams come true cielo, whatever you want I’ll give to you.” Angel nipped at her ear, his finger circling her entrance. “You want daddy to fuck you baby, let me have my way with you? No more ban?”

Alena shook her head.

“Use your voice.”

“No more ban daddy.”

Angel smirked against her ear. “That’s right, you’re not gonna deny daddy his pussy anymore, cause I know you missed daddy’s cock.” Angel plunged a finger in, groaning along with Alena at her tightness. “I’m gonna stretch this pussy out like I always do.”

He eased in another finger, Alena looking down at his fingers, but she couldn’t even see well, which added to the sensation.

“You want me to get your glasses?”

Alena shook her head. “No daddy.”

Angel removed his fingers, causing Alena to pout. He instructed her to move forward so he could sit behind her. He took her glasses and handed it over to her. Alena took it, Angel wrapped an arm around her middle.

“Move forward.” He instructed.

Alena scooted forward. Angel got off the bed and placed Alena’s full length standalone mirror at the edge of their bed. He settled back behind her, smirking at her through the mirror.

“You’re gonna watch me fuck you so that you never deny daddy again.” Angel knew Alena was shy when it came to this type of thing, but he tried to push her out of her comfort zone every once in a while. “Is this okay baby girl?”

These were the last few months, why not experiment?

“Yes daddy.”

Angel groaned. He spread her legs, placing it on top of his. “Look at that baby, spread your lips for me.” Angel watched as Alena spread her folds, making Angel groan. “Slip a finger inside.”

Alena looked at Angel through the mirror and shook her head. He pressed against her, kissing and suck on her neck. “Come on cielo, I wanna see what you do while I’m on a run.” Every once in a while, Alena and Angel has phone sex when he was on a run. It was rare, but if it was a long period of time, he’s usually able to convince Alena.

“I use my vibrator you know this.” A vibrator that Angel has never seen. He always wondered where she hid it.

“Where is it?”

Her eyes widened at his question and shook her head. “No, can we just use your fingers?”

“Come on, where is it? Daddy wants to play with his baby girl.”

Alena was hesitant. It’s not that she didn’t trust Angel, she just didn’t expect to ever use it with him.

“My side of the closet in my t-shirt drawer.”

Angel hurriedly grabbed it and took it out of the box. He got lube from the drawer that he knew Alena kept their shit together. He went back to his original position behind her, spreading the lube on her purple vibrator. Turning it on, Angel chuckled, causing chills to travel up and down her spine.

“Oh this is going to be fun.” Angel rubbed it on her folds, the sensation making Alena shift in her seat, but she didn’t let out a sound. “You know I love hearing you.”

Angel slipped it inside her folds, immediately placing it against her clit. Alena leaned her head back, biting her lips, she couldn’t even look at Angel doing this, it was lewd, but erotic as hell.

“Open your eyes Alena.”

She did as she was told, looking at the mirror as Angel rubbed the vibrator on her clit. Alena’s breathing increased as Angel slipped two fingers inside her again, a whimper escaping her lips.

“Oh my god,” she tried her best to keep her eyes open, watching as Angel slid his fingers in and out, her vibrator buzzing happily against her clit. The familiar feeling at the pit of her stomach came, her walls clenching his fingers.

“You’re such a good girl, but daddy shouldn’t let you cum for denying him.” Angel removed his fingers and her vibrator. Alena groaned, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry daddy, please let me cum.” She pouted and Angel just groaned. Alena played dirty and he had to applaud her for that.

Angel went back to what he was doing and instead of pulling away, he let Alena cum. The wet noises that filled the room due to her wetness made Angel harder. Momentarily, he turned the vibrator off and put it down. He took off his boxers and settled behind Alena again, his erection rubbing against her back.

“I’m buying you a variety of this shit.” Angel informed Alena, making her laugh as she leaned against him. “You ready for watch me fuck you?”

“Yes daddy, I’m so fucking ready.”

“You missed daddy’s cock, huh?”

“Yes.”

Angel lifted her up, her knees on either side of his legs. Angel was sitting up, watching as Alena watched his cock disappear inside of her, her back arching when she was buried. That burn was something Alena missed and she moaned, loving that feel.

“Stay like this.” Angel turned on the vibrator again.

“Angel, no, don’t do that.” She’s never tried using her vibrator while she had anything bigger than a finger inside of her. She knew it would be too much, but the idea intrigued her.

While she was fully seated on his cock, Angel placed the vibrator against her clit, Alena groaning out his name. Her hands were on his thigh, raking her nails against his skin making him hiss. Looking at the mirror, he watched as Alena bit her lip, grinding down on him as the vibrator brought her close to an orgasm once more. The stimulation was becoming too much for Alena.

“Open your eyes cielo, watch yourself come undone.” Angel was fucking loving this. Before Alena could come, he removed the vibrator, causing her to whimper. “Ride daddy’s dick like a good girl.”

Alena straightened her back, moving up and down Angel’s length. She took off her shirt, Angel smirking as she did. He watched as his cock disappeared inside of her, stretching her. He loved this sight and was annoyed he’s never tried it before. He leaned back on his forearms, biting his lips as he watched her in the mirror.

“That’s right baby, just like that.” He encouraged her. Alena tried to keep going the same pace. She had her weight on her hands that was resting on Angel’s thighs. She bounced up and down his cock, Angel noticing the cream coating his cock. “Fuck baby, we might have to fuck in front of the mirror every time we do this.”

Alena whined, her rhythm slowing down. She wanted to get herself off, but she couldn’t do it. Angel noticed and sat up and picked up the vibrator. He turned it on and it was back at her clit again.

“Daddy, fuck, that feels so good.” Angel thrusted you into her, his pace was fast and unrelenting, with the added stimulation of the vibrator and how close she was earlier, Alena came almost immediately. She put her weight on her forearms, resting, catching her breath.

“Maybe we do need your inhaler.”

Alena laughed. “Shut up.”

He changed her position, Alena on her back the mirror in front of her as Angel kneeled in between her legs. He was never into toys, but fucking seeing Alena come undone the way she did, the way her face had unadultered bliss written all over it, he was investing in them. Maybe ones he could control to drive Alena crazy.

All of Alena’s sexual encounters were with him. He didn’t want to hear about any other motherfucker cause all that mattered was him.

He was always down to experiment with Alena. He loved teaching her new things.

Alena heard her vibrator turned on and she tried to close her legs, but Angel was right between them.

“Just give me a minute,” she held on Angel’s hand that held her vibrator. “I regret showing it to you.”

Angel chuckled. “We won’t always use it cause we both know daddy can make you cum without it.” He took the hand that was holding on to his, placing a kiss at the inside of her wrist. Turning off the toy, placed it on the bed. He slipped inside, she was still so tight, but it was much easier due to how wet she was. Resting his weight on his forearms, he hovered over her, kissing Alena. He was always addicted to her lips. It was crazy that what bothered him most when it came to Alena and other men were her kissing them. The sexual intimacy obviously did as well, but kissing meant more to him for some odd reason.

His mouth traveled down to her neck, marking her as he did. He pinned her hands to her side, looking at the mirror when Alena arched her back. She looked up, noticing how dark Angel’s eyes appeared. Watching him place kisses all over her body, suckling on her nipple, it turned Alena on even further.

Angel held eye contact through the mirror. She watched as he licked his fingers and rubbed her clit.

“Angel,” she breathed out his name needily.

“Yeah baby, I got you.” Angel was close as well, watching Alena get home got him off all the time. She was just so wet, right and warm. She clenched around him again, tears coming down her eyes due to the overstimulation Angel had been providing. “Look at my baby girl crying. I just want to make you feel good, do you feel good?”

“Yes.”

“You want me?”

“Always.”

“You never gonna ban me from my pussy again, right?” He slowed his pace, wanting Alena to suffer a little more.

“Angel,” she groaned, hating that he stopped again.

Angel chuckled. “Answer me.”

“Never again.”

Angel increased his pace, the rubbing on her clit. Alena was a moaning mess, her vision fading to black, scratching at Angel’s back. Angel groaned at the crook of her neck, halting his movements as he was buried deep inside her. Alena could feel Angel pulsing inside of her, her walls clenching around him. He did a few more thrusts, kissing Alena as he did. She took a deep breath and laughed as Angel looked down at her. The afterglow of her orgasm was always so beautiful to him.

He did that to her.

He made her feel that way and that was such an accomplishment.

Anything he did for Alena made him proud.

She was the love of his life.

Pulling out of her, Alena immediately closed her legs. Angel chuckled, trying to pry them open.

“Stop,” she pushed at him as she sat up.

Angel kissed her again. “Cruz asked for a baby brother or sister.”

“Did he now?” Alena laughed moving away from Angel so she could stand up. “When did he ask that?”

“Yesterday morning before he got in bed with us.” Angel moved to sit at the edge of the bed. “He wants one for his birthday.” He pulled her to him, resting his hands on her hips. He kissed her stomach, making Alena giggle.

Running her fingers through his hair, she didn’t know what to reply. Maybe she and Angel could continue as friends with benefits after they divorced and raise two kids together.

Fuck.

She gave up so much for Angel.

She wanted a family, to be actually in a loving marriage, not with someone who was always so hot and cold with her. Angel always protected her and took care of her, but she knew it was out of gratitude. For some reason, he decided he had feelings for her, even though a month ago he stated he didn’t.

She was done being confused.

He was just going to take it back anyway.

“Let’s get him a puppy, go from there.”

Angel gave her an odd look. “Let’s take a shower.”

=============

The next morning, Angel woke up before Alena, which surprised him. He turned to face her and she was still slightly snoring. He chuckled, getting up to check on Cruz. He found Cruz just getting up as well.

“Daddy,” he let out a yawn. “Can we make pancakes?”

“Let’s make mommy breakfast in bed?” Angel suggested.

“Yes!” Cruz jumped off his bed, running over to Angel.

The father and son duo made breakfast, singing along to a few songs that Cruz had on the playlist Angel made for him. Once they were done, Cruz held the coffee they made for Alena in his hand, carefully walking to assure he didn’t spill mommy’s coffee. Angel placed the tray on the computer table Alena had in their room.

“Shall we wake up mommy?” He took the coffee from Cruz, placing it on the table as well.

Cruz nodded his head excitedly. Angel placed him on the bed, Cruz crawled towards Alena. He softly shook Alena, calling for her.

“Mommy, mommy,” Cruz shook Alena.

Alena sat up, looking at Cruz and then Angel. She let out a sigh, and looked at her watch.

“Sorry, I thought I had work and I was late.” Alena laughed. “I dreamt I was late for work.” Turning to Cruz, she took him and placed him on her lap. “Hi Cruzie, did you have a good sleep?”

“Yes I did mommy.” Cruz gave her a kiss on the lips. “Daddy’s turn.”

Alena turned to Angel who was already puckered up right beside her face. She laughed and gave him a quick peck.

“That was a lame kiss cielo.” Angel teased her before taking the tray and placing it in front of her. “Cruzito and I made you pancakes.”

“Wow, what did you two do?” Alena playfully narrowed her eyes at them.

Angel and Cruz had the same innocent look, holding their hands up. “Nothing.” They said in unison. “We love you.”

Alena laughed, giving Cruz a kiss on the cheek. “This is a lot, we’re all eating this right?”

“Of course mommy, sharing is caring.”

Alena nodded her head in agreement. She looked up at Angel who hasn’t said much to her. She cut the pancakes for Cruz and he immediately started eating, the cartoons on the television capturing his attention as he shoved pancakes in his mouth.

“Did you bring me to the bed?” Alena questioned. Even though they had sex, she was far too aroused to ask him last night.

“Yeah, you know I don’t like it when you sleep on the couch, you move too much. We don’t want a repeat of the incident.” Angel reminded her.

One time, Alena fell asleep on the couch, fell and sustained an injury on her head. After that, Angel advised her to just sleep on their bed, it was the reason he bought it. The few times Alena did sleep on the couch, she was usually laying on Angel, with his arms around her.

“I know, sorry, I was waiting for you to come home.” Alena took a piece of the pancake and ate some. “Yum, glad it’s not burned.”

“Told you I could cook cielo.” He winked at her.

“Mr. Johnson gave me the week off, but I have a few errands to run in San Diego, I’ll drive back tomorrow morning and should be back by Wednesday.” Alena didn’t want to tell Angel that Victor invited her to an art gallery. It was innocent, but Angel had the tendency to overreact. She was allowed to have friends.

“Sounds good, you want us to go with?” Angel poured some syrup on his plate since Alena didn’t go overboard with syrup like he did.

“No, it’s fine, but I can take Cruz with me. Give you some time off.” Alena offered. She could take Cruz with her and Victor at the art gallery.

“I’d prefer if you and Cruz stayed with me, I don’t need time off. Do you have to stay in San Diego to do the errands?” Angel hated it when Alena suggested for them to spend time apart. What was the point of that? He always wanted to be near her and Cruz.

“Yeah, I just need to do a few things at the apartment.” Alena didn’t like lying to Angel, but she technically wasn’t. She did have a few things to do at the apartment. This wasn’t cheating, she was hanging around with a friend who liked her and well for her, she didn’t know how she felt about Victor. He was sweet, funny, good looking, and kind, but she was married.

“Maybe if Cruz stays here you can get it done faster?” Angel was selfish with Alena. If she had the week off, he wanted her to stay in Santo Padre and be with him and Cruz. Besides, if she was in San Diego, more of a chance for her to see Victor.

“Angel, it’s just two days.”

“Alright, but just leave Cruz here, I got him. Maybe ask Carla to go to the spa I got you a gift card for.” Angel suggested.

“You know what, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” She agreed.

Alena needed some time to herself. It was nice to get a break from work. And maybe Carla could help her sort out her feelings.

Her growing feelings for Victor.

#angel reyes #angel reyes fanfiction #angel reyes fic #angelreyes #angel reyes fanfic #mayans mc fic #mayans mc fanfic

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debbiechanclub · 4 years

Text

Best Two Out of Three, Part 21

Y’all.

That’s it. That’s the preface.

(Oh, also @what-does-mine-say is responsible for soft Matt in this so don’t look at me, I swear to baby Jesus.)

Best Two Out of Three

Part: 21/26

Pairing: Kenny Omega x OFC x Cash Wheeler and Adam Page x OFC x Matt Jackson

Word count: 7.6k

Warnings: Language; angst to the nth degree.

Tag squad: @freshlysqueezedmox @gabbynorth98 @librathepheonix13 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @exe-sadboi-exe

Catch up on previous parts here.

Callie only stayed one extra night at the hotel in Jacksonville. She’d booked the room through Thursday; it was non-refundable. But she couldn’t stay there another day. She was tired of washing and wearing the same five outfits she’d packed when she walked out more than two weeks ago. She was tired of living in limbo. So, before the sun had even come up Monday morning, she checked out, got in her car, and set out for Virginia.

It was just under an eight-hour drive, which meant she had an awful lot of time to think about what she would say to Adam. And the more she thought, the more solid she became in her decision. The longer she drove, the more every sad country song streaming through the radio seemed to tell her what she needed to do—no matter how bad it would hurt. She refused to sit around and wait any longer. As far as she was concerned, they were only delaying the inevitable.

It was almost four o’clock when she pulled into Adam’s driveway. She parked next to his truck and cut the ignition. She was exhausted from the drive, and despite all the time she’d had to prepare herself she still wasn’t ready to confront him, not mentally or emotionally. But she didn’t drive all day to turn around. She had to do it, ready or not.

The world was quiet as she walked up to the front door. It was unlocked. She went inside. It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of someone coming quickly down the stairs. Adam’s blue eyes looked confused at the sight of her. Not relieved. Not happy. Not hopeful. Just confused. It broke Callie all over again.

“Hey,” he said.

She let out a rueful breath. “Hey? I’ve been gone more than two weeks and that’s all you have to say to me?”

He frowned. “I’m sorry, Cal. But I wasn’t expecting to see you. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”

She picked up her hand and let it fall back down in frustration, her keys dangling from her first two fingers. “What would’ve been the point?”

It hit him when she said that. It was written all over his face, clear as day. “You’re not staying.”

Callie’s nose burned. She shook her head, a bubble in her throat. “No. I’m not.”

She crossed into the kitchen and pulled a glass out of a cabinet to get herself some water. Her hand shook as she carried it to the fridge and filled it up. She took a drink. Adam watched the entire time, mute.

Callie walked to the kitchen island and set the glass down. She drew in a shaky breath—and then she told him what she’d been thinking, over and over, for the last eight-plus hours.

“I can’t go on like this anymore, Adam. I can’t sit around waiting anymore. It’s been more than two weeks, and the only time I heard from you was when you burst into my hotel room with Alex demanding to know why I’d been out with Cash. Do you know how that’s made me feel? It feels like you don’t care about us enough to even try. To even pick up the phone and send a text that says you’re thinking of me, or you’re sorry, or something. Anything.” She shook her head. “You can’t even look at me right now.”

Adam’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. They were so sad. Ashamed. “How can I, Cal?” he asked. “I know what I’ve done. I know how bad I’ve hurt you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes!”

“Then why haven’t you tried to fix it?”

Tears filled her eyes and the room went hazy. Adam looked away again. He didn’t have an answer for her. He didn’t have an answer for anything anymore.

Callie’s voice wavered as she spoke. “I have no choice but to be selfish now. I have to look out for myself, and I can’t sit around in limbo while you figure out if you even want to be with me anymore. What sort of self-respecting woman just waits for her boyfriend to decide if he still loves her?”

“I do still love you,” he quietly said.

She shook her head, tears spilling over. “But not enough. It’s not enough, Adam, and I don’t just want to stay in this because it’s what’s convenient.”

She wiped her tears away. Adam looked back at her, mute. She couldn’t stand there and listen to the silence a second longer.

“I’ll go get what I can.” She walked past him and up the stairs to their bedroom. His bedroom. It was just his bedroom now. She pulled her spare set of luggage from the closet and started packing, clothes, shoes, toiletries, everything she needed and anything that would fit. Adam appeared in the bedroom, a dejected look on his face.

“You don’t have to do this now. I’ll sleep in the guest room.”

“No, I do have to do it now,” she insisted.

More silence. And then, “Do you have somewhere to go?”

She stiffened. “Yes,” she returned, but she didn’t tell him where. She didn’t think it would be fair to tell him where. Thankfully, he didn’t ask.

“Alright,” he breathed. And then that was that. He turned and left the room without so much as another word. It only proved to Callie that she wasn’t the one he was fighting for.

She made quick work of filling up the luggage, desperate to get out of the house that she’d once called home. She lugged it all down the stairs and to the front door. Adam stood in the kitchen, a glass of whiskey already in his hand. His eyes were glassy and red.

“I’m sorry, Cal,” he breathed.

She frowned. “Me too,” she said, and she walked out the door for the last time.

She didn’t cry as she pulled her bags to her car and threw them in her trunk. She didn’t have any tears left. She got behind the steering wheel and started the ignition, and as she pulled out of Adam’s driveway and back onto the road, she made a phone call. It rang once, twice. And then Matt’s voice floated through the speakers of her car.

“Hey. How’d it go?”

“It went,” she answered. Translation: I don’t want to talk about it. “I’m on my way to the airport now.”

“Alright,” he said. “Please drive safe. You’ve driven a lot today.”

“It’s only another hour-fifteen. I’ll be fine.” She chewed on her lip, anxious. “Are you sure your offer still stands?” It was a little late to back out now—she’d already bought the ticket. But she couldn’t help but feel guilty that it was Matt who she was turning to.

“Of course,” he assured. “What time is your flight?”

“9:05.”

She could almost see him nod on the other end. “Alright. Then I’ll see you around 11:30 pacific.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Typically, Alex was the type of person who liked to figure out her shit on her own. But this time, she needed to talk to someone about what she was going through. Maybe if she talked it out, it would help her figure out what the hell she was thinking and feeling. Obviously, she couldn’t talk to Callie or Adam, and she didn’t want to talk to Chuck or Trent (and Jim was completely out of the question). Which left just one person for her to call on: Kris.

“Alright, I need to make sure I have everything straight, because you just hit me with a lot,” Kris said through their FaceTime call. Alex had just spent the previous thirty minutes downloading her on everything that had happened since her injury. She didn’t blame her for needing a recap.

“So you ended things with Kenny the day I got injured so that you could be with Cash,” she started.

“Correct,” Alex confirmed.

“And then Cash ended things with you because Kenny gave you a locket and told you he loved you and got you all confused about how you feel.”

“More or less.”

“And then Adam apparently admitted that he has feelings for you, too?”

“Apparently,” Alex breathed.

Kris shook her head. “Your life is a certifiable soap opera, dude.”

“I know,” Alex agreed with a roll of her eyes. “I wish whoever the hell is writing it would hurry up and tell me the fucking ending.”

Kris gave her a sympathetic frown. “Well, despite everything you’ve told me—and like I said, it was a lot—there’s still one thing you haven’t.”

Alex’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“How you’re feeling.”

The compassion in Kris’s tone caused Alex’s sinuses to burn and tears to stab at the back of her eyes. No one had asked her that. Not one person, since this whole ordeal had started. And now that someone had, she couldn’t help but unload.

“I feel empty. Emptier than I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I went from falling in love with Cash, to realizing that I might still love Kenny while falling in love with Cash, and it tore me apart. And now… I don’t know what I feel. All those feelings are still there, but I don’t know if I wish that Cash and I were still together or if I want to move forward with Kenny. And I’m mad. I’m so fucking mad at myself for the things I’ve done; for hurting people I care about for no good reason. And I’m fucking furious at Adam for being so goddamn selfish. He knows what I’m going through. He’s known the whole fucking time and on Saturday he acted like all he cared about were his feelings.”

Her voice broke, and the tears that she’d been fighting to hold back finally spilled over, streaming down her face, hot and angry. “I’m sorry—”

“No,” Kris firmly returned. “Don’t you dare apologize. You needed to get that out.”

Alex tried to wipe her cheeks dry, but more tears kept falling. “I’m tired of feeling like this,” she choked. “But I have no idea what I’m supposed to do to fix it.”

Kris’s brow puckered in thought. It was clear even through Alex’s tears that she was debating saying something. “What?” she pressed.

“I was just thinking,” Kris started. “I read somewhere once that if you fall in love with two people you should choose the second, because if you truly loved the first then you wouldn’t have fallen in love with the second. So… that would be Cash, right?”

Alex bit the inside of her lip in contemplation. “I don’t know.”

Kris looked confused. “What? What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Because,” she breathed in frustration. “If you include last year, then yeah, Cash is second. But if you’re only talking about the last couple months, then wouldn’t Kenny technically be second?”

“But you’ve already been down this road with Kenny.”

“But still,” she quietly returned. She closed her eyes. Her head was starting to hurt.

“Do you want my honest advice?”

Alex reopened her eyes. “Of course,” she said.

“Alright, well here it is: if you’re this confused and you really don’t know what you want, then I think you need to just step back from the entire situation. You need to take care of you, Alex. That’s what’s most important. And after that… the things that are meant to be will work themselves out.”

Alex stared at the screen, her vision going distant and blurry as Kris’s words sunk in. They were hard to hear, but the truth was never easy to digest. All these weeks she’d contended with guilt and hurt and confusion and regret—and her own happiness had gotten lost in the process. She needed to find it again, and the only way to do it was to focus on herself.

“You’re probably right,” she admitted.

“I know it sucks,” Kris said. “But you deserve to be happy. And none of this is making you happy.”

“No shit.”

Kris pouted. “I wish I could actually be there for you. I’d go smack all three of them.”

Alex gave a watery laugh. “It’s the thought that counts.” She checked the time; it was a little after 5:00 p.m. “Well, I should probably go feed myself. I haven’t had anything to eat today except a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch this morning.”

Kris’s eyebrows arched. “Yes, please go eat. And don’t have Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dinner, too!”

“Yes, mom.”

They said goodbye, and Alex felt a little bit lighter; less burdened. Her heart still felt broken. But, for the first time in weeks, she had hope that it wouldn’t stay that way.

* * * * * * * * * *

Just as Matt had predicted, Callie’s plane touched down at Los Angeles International Airport just before 11:45 p.m. pacific time. She’d slept nearly the entire five-and-a-half-hour flight, and as she walked through the terminal to baggage claim, she couldn’t help but notice that she felt more energized than she had in weeks. The hustle and bustle of LAX was welcoming and familiar; the warm West Coast air filled her with a sense of nostalgia and comfort. And when she saw Matt waiting for her at arrivals, a smile on his face, she couldn’t help but propel herself forward and jump into his arms. Relieved.

“How was your flight?” he asked as he embraced her. “Not too bad, I guess?”

“It was perfect.” She stepped back from him and smiled. “Left right on time and I slept almost the whole way.”

He nodded. “Well then I guess you don’t need this.”

He gestured with the Starbucks cup in his hand. Callie had been so happy to see him that she hadn’t even noticed. “You got me coffee? You didn’t have to do that!”

He shrugged a shoulder. “I only got you one because I wanted one.”

Callie playfully rolled her eyes. The smirk on his face said otherwise.

“Decaf caramel macchiato, right?”

She nodded as she took the cup from him. “You remembered my order?”

“Yeah. It’s not like it’s anything crazy. Well, except the decaf part.”

Callie smiled and took a sip, hoping the cup would block the blush that had crept into her cheeks.

“Alright, well let’s get out of here,” Matt said as he grabbed the handle of one of her suitcases. “It’s over an hour drive back to my place.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Callie had worried that the drive to Matt’s house would be awkward. Even more, she worried he would ask her about what had happened at Adam’s house. But it turned out she didn’t need to worry at all. They’d just listened to music and talked about whatever; anything other than the current circumstances. How it felt to be back in California. What she’d missed most about it. Things they’d done together when she’d still lived there. It was light; comfortable. Part of her had worried that she would instantly regret flying out to stay with Matt. But the only thing she regretted was that it had taken her breaking up with Adam to finally come back home.

It was after one in the morning when they arrived. Matt carried both her suitcases through the front door and led her back to the guest room. It looked like it had been recently cleaned. She wondered if he’d done that for her.

“I’ll let you get settled,” he said as he put her suitcases next to the bed. “If you need anything, I’m just at the top of the stairs to the left.”

She smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Matt. I really appreciate this.”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing. You can stay as long as you want.”

He started for the door—but then Callie had a thought. “Hey.” Matt turned back around, an expectant look on his face. “Um, I know it’s late, but between my five-hour sleep on the flight and the sugar in the coffee I’m not exactly tired. So, I don’t know… do you maybe want to watch a movie, or something?”

Callie immediately felt silly for asking. It was after one in the morning and Matt had just driven nearly three hours round-trip to pick her up from the airport. He probably just wanted to go to bed.

But then he gave her a crooked grin. “Yeah. We can watch a movie.”

She blushed again, and she was thankful for the dim light in the room.

Matt disappeared out the door, and Callie tossed open her suitcases and dug around for her pajama shorts and a comfy t-shirt, eager to get out of the clothes she’d been wearing for almost a full twenty-four hours across God knows how many states. As she finished changing, she noticed one of Matt’s hoodies hanging from the doorknob of the closet. It looked comfortable. She took it off the doorknob and pulled it on. It felt just as comfortable as it looked. Content, she threw her hair into a high messy ponytail and met Matt in the great room. He sat on the couch, his phone in his hand. A corner of his mouth quirked up when he saw her.

“Is that my hoodie?”

She smirked. “Yeah. It looked comfy. Is it alright if I wear it?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Something about the look in his eyes told her that Matt thought it was more than just “alright” that she was wearing his hoodie. Callie fidgeted and changed the subject. “So, what do you want to watch?”

He nodded toward the media cabinet. “See if there’s anything you like over there. If not, there’s always Netflix.”

Callie walked over to the media cabinet. It didn’t take long for her to find something that piqued her interest. She pulled a pink DVD box from the cabinet and held it up. “This,” she happily decided.

Matt’s brow furrowed. “Mean Girls? You’re gonna make me sit through that?”

“It’s in your collection,” she flatly pointed out.

He cleared his throat. “It’s, uh, Nick’s.”

She smirked again as she walked over and handed it to him. “Uh huh. Sure.”

He didn’t make any arguments as he took it from her and stood to put the DVD in the player. Callie sat down on the couch and made herself comfortable underneath a throw blanket, pulling her legs up. She grinned at Matt as he made his way back over and sat down next to her.

“Wanna hear something funny?” she asked.

“What?”

“So, after Kenny and Alex split up, she told Adam that the Elite were like the Plastics.”

She giggled as she watched him, awaiting his reaction. His face screwed up as he pressed play on the remote. “Please tell me you’re not being serious.”

“Deadly,” she confirmed. “She said that Kenny is Gretchen and Nick is Karen… and you’re Regina George.”

“What?” he shot. “Well, if that’s the case then Alex is Janis and Chuck, Trent, and Orange are collectively Damian.”

Callie let out a loud burst of laughter and covered her mouth with her hand. “So you are a fan of the movie,” she teased.

He pursed his lips. “Just shut up and watch it.”

She gently kicked him with her foot, but he caught her ankle and pulled her feet onto his lap. Callie adjusted so that she laid on the couch, her legs draped across him under the blanket and his hand on her shin, slowly rubbing his thumb back and forth across her skin. And it didn’t feel strange, watching the movie with Matt like that. It shocked her that she didn’t miss it being Adam. And even though she’d said she wasn’t tired, it wasn’t long before she closed her eyes and was lulled into sleep by the comfort of his touch.

“Callie.”

She heard Matt’s voice as if in a dream, half awake. The movie still played in the background. “Hm?”

“Come on, let’s go to bed.”

She felt him gently take her hand, and she let him pull her up and off the couch and lead her back to the guest room. He helped her into bed, and as he pulled the covers up and over her, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. She pressed a half-conscious kiss to his cheek, the stubble of his beard rough against her lips.

“Goodnight,” he said, and Callie rolled over and slept.

* * * * * * * * * *

Callie didn’t wake until almost 10:30 the next morning. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in that late. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept that well. She pushed back the covers and stretched, and she realized that she was still wearing Matt’s hoodie; she’d slept through the night in it. She remembered him helping her to bed, her pressing a kiss to his cheek as he said goodnight. Her stomach did a little flip. She tried not to dwell on it as she climbed out of bed, grabbed her phone, and walked into the great room. Matt was in the kitchen.

“Morning,” he greeted with a smile. He was already dressed, his hair tied back in its usual bun at the nape of his neck. “How’d you sleep?”

“Really good, actually,” Callie answered as she took a seat at the kitchen table. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He shrugged. “I thought about it, but you had a long day yesterday. I figured you needed the rest.”

She didn’t say anything in return. She knew he was right.

“I have some bacon and toast ready here for you,” he said. “Do you want eggs? I didn’t want them to get cold, so I held off making any.”

She shook her head. “The bacon and toast are fine. But I will take some tea if you have any?”

Matt smiled. “I actually went and bought some because I know you like it.”

He set to work making her up a cup, and Callie felt that flutter in her gut again. But then her phone chirped. It was a text from Britt.

How’s hotel living?

She stared blankly at the screen until it went black. Britt thought she was still in Jacksonville. Callie wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell her the truth.

“Everything alright?”

She looked up at Matt and nodded. “Yeah, just Britt checking in with me.”

She left it at that and opened the text. On second thought, she didn’t want to lie to Britt. If she did, it would only make it seem like her staying with Matt was more than it was. I’m actually in California.

“Does she know you’re here?” Matt asked as she pressed “send.”

“She does now.”

He nodded. “Does Adam know you’re here?”

Britt texted her back. With Big Brother Buck???

Callie internally rolled her eyes as she responded to her. Yes, she sent back. And then to Matt, “No.” She looked down at her lap. “I just thought it would be better not to tell him.”

He carried over a plate of crispy bacon and buttered toast and a steaming hot mug of tea. “I get it,” he said as he set them down in front of her. “Adam and I haven’t exactly been the best of friends lately.”

“Thanks,” Callie said as she picked up the tea. She blew on it and took a sip, relishing in the taste and warming comfort of it. He’d made it just right.

“So, do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?” he cautiously asked. “I understand if you don’t… but it might be good to just get it off your chest.”

Callie’s phone chirped again, but she silenced it and placed it screen-down on the table. She didn’t feel like dealing with Britt’s probing questions at the moment, and Matt was right. It would be good if she got it off her chest.

“He barely said a word to me when I showed up yesterday. He didn’t even try to stop me from leaving, and I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t even try to fight for me.” She wrapped her hands around the mug, feeling its warmth radiate through her skin. “The only thing he did say was that he still loved me.”

Matt looked back at her. “Do you still love him?”

She let out a sigh. “I do. But sometimes being in love isn’t enough. Just saying it isn’t enough. I need to feel it, too. I need you to show me that you want me.” She blushed, suddenly realizing what she was saying. “God, that sounds super clingy, doesn’t it?” she said as picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite.

But Matt shook his head. “No. It makes perfect sense to me. And if Adam doesn’t want to show you, then it’s his loss. There are other guys out there who will.”

Callie’s chewing slowed to a stop as she looked into Matt’s eyes. Their dark brown color was so warm, so different than Adam’s bright blue. But their color wasn’t the only thing about them that set them apart from Adam’s. She saw emotion and truth in Matt’s eyes, two things that she hadn’t seen in Adam’s eyes in weeks.

And suddenly Callie thought—maybe she shouldn’t have told Britt where she was.

* * * * * * * * * *

“So, what’s the verdict, doc?”

Alex looked hopefully up at the trainer as he finished examining her ankle. She’d come to see him as soon as she could after arriving at Daily’s Place, eager to learn her prognosis. As much as she’d rested her ankle over the last two weeks, she expected to get the all-clear.

“I think you’re good,” he said. “But I want you to rest it one more week just to be sure.”

Alex wilted a bit, but she nodded. “Alright. It’s not like I’ve got anything going on anyway.”

She climbed down from the exam table, pulled on her sneaker, and went out the door with a wave. Now that that was done, she was headed straight back to the Best Friends locker room—and that was exactly where she intended to stay for the rest of the show. She would not go to catering, she would not accompany Chuck and Trent for the tag team gauntlet match, she would not pass “Go” or collect $200. There were far too many people she didn’t care to run into lurking around the halls of the arena.

Like Cash, for instance, who had just stepped out of FTR’s locker room into the hall. Because of course he had.

“Hey,” he said. Just to say something. It would have been rude not to say something.

“Hey,” Alex returned. They were only a few feet apart, but it felt like there was a massive, impassable ocean between them. She hated it. She couldn’t bear to be around it a second longer. “Um, I was just headed back from the trainer, so…” she awkwardly trailed off, unsure what to say next. So, she said the only thing she could think of to get herself out of there. “Well, good luck in the gauntlet match.”

She started to walk past him; but then Cash spoke up.

“How’s your ankle?”

Alex blinked, somewhat surprised that he’d asked. That he seemingly cared to ask. “Oh, it’s good. I feel fine, but he wants me to rest it another week just to be sure.”

He nodded. “That’s good,” he said, and Alex’s gaze went distant as she realized the sad irony of her choice of words. Ankle aside, she didn’t feel fine.

“Will you be out there for the gauntlet match? With Chuck and Trent.”

She focused back in on him. “Um, no,” she answered. She glanced down at her hands, anxiously picking at her nails. “So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

She looked back up at him. His face fell. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

She chewed on the inside of her mouth. How had he meant it, then? Had he hoped she would be out there? No, she couldn’t think that; she couldn’t hope that. It would probably only leave her disappointed. “Well, like I said… good luck tonight.”

She tried to leave again, but he said something that made her stop.

“Do you really mean that?”

Alex looked back at him. It didn’t seem like he thought she was being insincere in wishing him good luck. Instead, it looked like he genuinely wanted to know if she meant it. And the truth was, she did.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I do. I mean, of course I want Chuck and Trent to win; I want them to be the champions. But you and Dax deserve it, too. I know how hard you’ve worked to get here.”

Cash looked into her eyes. He gave her a sad, grateful smile. “Thank you, Alex,” he genuinely returned. “That means a lot.”

She nodded. She really needed to go now. “Just do me a favor: if Chuck and Trent don’t beat the Bucks, kick their ass extra hard for me, alright?”

He smiled again, more lighthearted that time. “Will do.”

Alex gave him one final grin, and then she turned and continued down the hall. That interaction hadn’t been as painful as she’d thought it would be at the start, but it still left a part of her wanting. She thought back to the conversation she’d had with Kris on Monday, to that thing she’d told her she’d read somewhere. If you fall in love with two people you should choose the second, because if you truly loved the first then you wouldn’t have fallen in love with the second. Then there was that other thing she’d told her: You’ve already been down this road with Kenny. Maybe she was right. Maybe Cash was the second.

But she didn’t have a chance to think about it. The Best Friends locker room was just a few yards ahead. The door opened—and Adam walked out. He stopped when he saw her.

“Oh, hey.”

Alex slowed to a stop. She was nervous to see him; and yes, a little bit angry, too. They hadn’t spoken since that night at the bar, when he’d sat across from her and so selfishly admitted his feelings. But then she noticed his eyes. They were bloodshot and glassy. He didn’t look sober.

“Hey,” she cautiously returned. “What’s going on?”

He took a few steps closer. “Um, I was just looking for you,” he explained as he pointed his thumb back at the locker room door. “Trent said you’d gone to see the trainer.”

She frowned up at him. “I don’t want to talk, Ad—”

“Callie ended it.”

Alex stopped. She felt for him, she really did. But she wasn’t surprised. She didn’t know what to say.

Adam swallowed. “She, um. She showed up at the house on Monday and told me it was over. She packed everything she could and left.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “Is she still staying with Britt?”

He let out a soft, wry laugh. “That’s the thing. I didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t say. But uh, I was just walking back from catering to my locker room. I passed by hair and makeup and… I overheard Britt tell Penelope that she’s staying with Matt.”

The bottom dropped out of Alex’s stomach. She couldn’t believe it. She expected something like that from Matt Jackson, that fucking cocky asshole, but not Callie. And, suddenly, she wasn’t angry at Adam anymore. She was angry for him.

“She broke up with me and then immediately went running to Matt, of all the fucking people she could have gone to. And I know, I just know he loves that she did.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke, becoming angrier with every word. Alex’s heart was broken for him. “I’m sorry, Ad—”

He cut her off. “Don’t be. That asshole’ll get what’s coming to him.”

And with that he walked off, leaving Alex wondering—and worrying—what exactly he meant.

* * * * * * * * * *

Callie’s heart hadn’t stopped racing since the tag team gauntlet match had started. Matt and Nick had already beaten the Natural Nightmares, and now they were in the midst of their second match against Best Friends. If they won, they would face FTR immediately after. If they beat FTR, they’d get a title shot against Kenny and Adam at All Out in just over a week. And the longer Callie watched, the more she realized: she wanted the Young Bucks to win. Tonight, and at All Out.

Matt had taken out Chuck with a chop to the knee on the ring apron, and now he and Nick had Trent isolated in the ring. Nick tagged in Matt; Matt grabbed Trent and hung him up on the ropes. Nick went to the top turnbuckle and hit a perfect 450 splash. Matt went for the cover—but Trent kicked out at two-and-a-half.

“Dammit,” Callie muttered.

“I see who you’re rooting for,” Britt commented with a smirk.

“Well, obviously I don’t want Best Friends to win,” she returned.

Britt’s eyebrows arched. “No love lost between you and Alex then, huh?”

Callie didn’t comment. Alex was the next-to-last person she wanted to think about right now. The last was Adam.

“So how are things going with you and Big Brother Buck?” Britt asked.

Callie sent her a sidelong glance across the locker room. It was obvious she assumed something was going on between her and Matt. “We’re just friends, Britt,” she said. But she couldn’t help but add, “But I’m glad I decided to go out there.”

Britt’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Oh, really? Professor Jackson was a good host, huh? Did he teach you anything else while you were out there?”

“Britt!”

“Relax,” she rolled her eyes. “I’m just teasing you.”

Callie pursed her lips. She wasn’t entirely sure she was just teasing her. But her attention abruptly was drawn back to the TV when she heard Chris Jericho proclaim, “Oh look at this! Hangman!”

Callie’s brow furrowed. Hangman? She didn’t see Adam anywhere. But then the camera cut to the right side of the ring, and she couldn’t help but see him. He held onto Nick’s leg. Nick tried to break free, but he couldn’t. And then, Trent rolled up Matt and counted one-two-three.

“Oh shit,” Britt said.

Callie couldn’t believe her eyes. She felt herself starting to shake as she watched, unable to look away, trying to process what she’d just seen. Adam’s eyes were red and glassy. Nick and Matt stared at him—shocked, betrayed, confused. Matt screamed at Adam to look at him, but he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

“I need to go.” She stood from the couch and pushed her way out of the locker room, heart racing, thoughts going a million miles a minute. So fast that she couldn’t make sense of any of them. She couldn’t make sense of what Adam had just done, no matter how bad his relationship had gotten with the rest of the Elite.

She arrived at Gorilla just as Matt and Nick returned backstage. She didn’t even get the chance to open her mouth before Matt yelled, “Did you know he was gonna do that?”

She gaped at him, taken aback. Angry that he could even think that. “No! Of course I didn’t know, are you kidding me?”

He raked a hand through his sweat-damp hair and turned away, pacing. But then he abruptly stopped. “I bet I know who fucking did.”

He took off down the hall. Nick followed, just as heated as his brother. Callie practically had to run to keep up with them. “What are you doing?” she asked—but she got her answer when she saw the door to Best Friends’ dressing room just ahead. She panicked.

“Matt, don’t,” she implored. But he didn’t listen. He charged in without warning, sending the door flying against the wall with a loud bang! Callie had no choice but to go in after him.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?”

Alex nearly jumped a foot in the air from where she sat on the couch at the unexpected boom of Matt’s voice. But as soon as she got her bearings, her shock was instantly replaced with anger. “What the fuck, Matt?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he spat as he stalked toward her. “Did you put Adam up to what he just did out there?”

Alex’s lips parted in shock. “You’ve lost your goddamn mind,” she said.

“Have I?”

“Yeah, you fucking have.”

“Cut the bullshit, Alex!” he proclaimed. “We all know you have every reason in the world to sabotage us, and you have Adam wrapped around your fucking finger just like you do Kenny!”

Callie reeled when Matt said that. But she didn’t have time to fully process it before Alex stood from the couch and stepped right up to him. Her eyes darkened.

“Nick, if you don’t want to become an only child then I suggest you get your brother out of here right now.”

Matt let out a low laugh. But before Nick could step in the door flew open again. Kenny hurried in, a mixture of panic and confusion on his face.

“Oh, perfect timing,” Matt sarcastically muttered.

“What the hell is going on?” Kenny asked. “I could hear you yelling from all the way down the hall!”

“Matt burst in here screaming at me about how he thinks I had something to do with what Adam just did,” Alex answered.

“What?” Kenny hissed at Matt. But Matt ignored him.

“Oh, quit the innocent act, Alex!”

“I AM innocent!”

“Alright, come on,” Kenny took Alex by the waist and gently pushed her back as she tried to advance on Matt. But she wasn’t done.

“If you want to know why Adam sabotaged you then maybe you should take a look in the fucking mirror!”

Matt’s brow lowered. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Quit the innocent act, Matt,” she spat his own words back in his face. “How long did you wait to swoop in once you found out Callie and Adam were having problems?”

“What?” Matt charged. “I didn’t swoop in. I was being her friend.”

“By inviting her to come stay with you in California?”

The room went quiet; shocked. Callie’s heart jumped into her throat. How the hell did Alex know that she’d been in California? Did that mean Adam knew? He must. Her eyes flicked to Matt. He looked just as caught as her.

“You did what?” Kenny gaped. He glanced between Matt and Callie, eyes wide, waiting for an explanation. Matt bit down on his jaw.

“Like I said, I was just being her friend.”

“Oh my God,” Kenny pinched the bridge of his nose. It got Callie to finally speak up.

“There is nothing going on between Matt and me.”

“Are you sure about that?” Alex charged.

“Oh, you’re one to talk!” she returned. “How many guys do you have dangling on a line right now, Alex? Three? Four? I honestly can’t keep up.”

Alex took a threatening step forward, but Kenny pushed her back again. “Don’t bother, it’s not even worth it,” he said to her.

Callie scoffed. “Defending her like always.”

“Yeah, I am,” he returned. “Because she’s right. It’s no wonder Hangman threw the match with you two going behind his back like that.”

Matt’s mouth dropped. Betrayed. “Are you serious? Callie and I are just friends!”

“You’re supposed to be ADAM’S friend!”

Alex yelled so forcefully that it took her by surprise. But she was angry. She was so angry for Adam’s sake, and she couldn’t hold back any longer. “The only thing he’s ever wanted is your approval! That’s it! And your head is shoved so far up your own goddamn ass that you can’t see it! So just for one second, can you please pull it out and imagine—can you fucking imagine just for one goddamn second how it must have felt for him to find out secondhand from Britt-fucking-Baker that as soon as his girlfriend broke up with him she hopped a plane to fly clear across the country to stay with someone who’s supposed to be HIS friend?”

She finally stopped, out of breath, voice hoarse, dizzy from yelling. And then, the sound of the ring bell came from the TV. The last match of the gauntlet, Best Friends vs. FTR. She’d completely forgotten about it, what with Matt storming in on her. She turned to look. Her face fell as the ref raised Cash and Dax’s arms in victory. “Shit,” she cursed. But she didn’t have time to dwell on it when Matt spoke up again.

“Adam’s insecurities aren’t my problem,” he said. “If he has an issue with me giving my friend a place to stay, then tell him he can come talk to me like a man. Not sneak up on my brother and cost us a fucking title shot. What he’s feeling is personal. Interfering in our match is business.”

With that, he turned and stalked back out of the locker room, pushing his way through the door. Nick cast disappointed eyes at Kenny before he followed after his brother. Callie looked at Alex. She shook her head, her expression angry, and then she turned and walked out the door.

Alex’s shoulders slumped. Her head was pounding and her ears ringing, adrenaline still coursing through her. “What a fucking asshole,” she breathed.

Kenny gripped her arm. “Are you alright?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I just can’t believe he thinks I would tell Adam to do that.”

He frowned. “You know how Matt gets when he’s angry. He jumps to conclusions.”

She nodded as she drew in a breath, trying to calm her nerves. She looked up at him. “Um, thank you for coming in here. I don’t think I would’ve wanted to deal with that on my own.”

“Of course,” he softly said. “But you tore him a new one, so I think you would’ve been fine.”

He gave her a lopsided grin, and she couldn’t help but return it. There was that feeling again, those three little-big words. But, at the moment, there were more pressing matters than her complicated feelings for Kenny. “Well, I’m gonna go meet Chuck and Trent. I’m sure they’re not happy.”

Kenny nodded. “Yeah, go.”

Alex nodded and, somewhat reluctantly, made for the door. But she stopped and looked back at him, a thought occurring to her. “About the text you sent me… I want you to know that I’m not mad at you, Kenny. I’m mad at myself. And because of that… I do need some time.”

He nodded again, his blue eyes soft. “I know, Alex. And I understand.”

She gave him a thankful smile, and then she went out the door, her heart a little stronger than it had been five minutes ago.

* * * * * * * * * *

Matt couldn’t wait for Adam to come talk to him and Nick. Part of it was because he was still so angry, but it was mostly because he knew Adam wouldn’t come talk to them. He was a coward. Only cowards would do what he’d done tonight. So, he decided that he had no choice but to go confront him himself.

He stalked through the halls of Daily’s Place, Nick close behind. They found Adam right where they expected him to be.

“Of course you’re at the bar!” Nick shouted. “Of course you are!”

Adam stood there, mute, a drink in his hand. There were two more drinks sitting on the bar. It was obvious he was waiting for someone. Matt let out a laugh.

“Are you expecting someone, Hangman?” he asked with a gesture at the drinks. “Are you kidding me?”

Adam didn’t answer. He still couldn’t look at him; at either of them.

“Why’d you do it, huh?” Nick pressed, getting right in his face. “You cost us a title match. Why? Are you afraid to face us again, is that why?”

“No, he’s insecure!” Matt proclaimed. “He’s insecure about his friendships, he’s insecure about his relationship, and it all finally pushed him to this.”

Adam finally looked at him when he said that. Angry. Matt could see it in the set of his jaw, in the tension in his shoulders, in his bloodshot and glazed-over eyes. But there wasn’t just anger in his eyes; there was also guilt and shame. He’d done this to himself. He pushed his friends and his girlfriend away—and he knew it. But Matt didn’t feel sorry for him. Not anymore.

He stepped closer. “Apparently, all you’ve ever wanted was our approval. Well, guess what: you had it, Hangman. You had it. But not anymore.”

Adam opened his mouth—but Matt snatched his drink from his hand before he could speak. He didn’t want to hear anything he had to say.

“And you know what? It’s about damn time someone told you the truth. You’re nothing but a drunk.”

He tossed the whiskey in Adam’s face. And then Matt said something that he’d been wanting to say to Adam for months.

“You’re out of the Elite.”

With that, he and Nick turned and left Adam there at the bar, covered in alcohol, alone.

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