#i got a girl saying she thought i was a bridesmaid (half true)

[seancamerons]

OMG YOUR SEMMA COSTUME, I CAN'T <3

thanks! i had a blast. 🌸💕💐

[fanficimagery]

When Enough is Enough pt. II

Imagine being let down one too many times by your best friend, only to end up making some new ones in the process.

Words: 8.5K Author’s Note: Okay so some of you asked to only be added to part 2 of this while others asked to be added everything Bucky.. and a few others weren’t exactly clear. So if you want to be tagged in any future Bucky related imagines please let me know so I can get your blog name written down on my list.

Tags:  @aya-fay @70s-chic @sipsteacasually @kaitlyn2907 @scarlettwitch99 @thingsforimagination  @mimilh @felicityofbakerstreet @eternalharry @eliwinchester99 @intothesoul​ @wintershadowkat  @b1sexualtonystark  @meredeph @miszswan

The Sunday before you are to return to work, you sleep in until nine in the morning. Your thoughts are immediately on Bucky's impending arrival and you couldn't help the butterflies that took flight in your stomach. He's a friend, just as all the others are, but you couldn't help but notice just how attractive this new friend of yours is. But not only does his attractiveness draw you in, his easy-going teasing and protectiveness does too. However, Bucky Barnes is still a man trying to find his footing in this world after all that's been done to him and finally getting his name cleared, and if he finds comfort with you then you're going to try your best and be the friend he needs.

So since you're not dressing to impress, you dress in your favorite lazy outfit after your shower- leggings, sports bra, a faded sleeveless band tee with the arm holes having been cut down to around your ribs, and a pair of socks. Damp hair gets gathered up into a messy bun and you walk around your apartment to pick up some things you had unknowingly left out.

You've skipped breakfast, so when there's a knock on your door and you open up to find Bucky standing there, you groan in relief. He raises both hands with paper bags hanging from each. "I come bearing sushi. Wanda let it slip how much you love it."

"Yesss." You step back, quickly taking in his own comfort outfit of sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt under an opened jacket. "Did you bring plenty of wasabi? And you can just kick off your shoes anywhere."

"Of course." He hands you the bags so he can kick off his shoes and strip out of his jacket before hanging it up. You don't know why, but seeing him in a short sleeve shirt makes you happy, knowing full well he was weird about his metal arm being out in the open. "And plenty of dipping sauce as well. Wanda was more than happy to give me advice."

"Wanda, huh?" You chuckle, leading the way to your kitchen. "You actually told her where'd you be?"

"Apparently I looked very pensive this morning. She asked and I figured she was a better confidant than Steve or Sam who would have made a big deal about us hanging out."

"True." Setting the bags down, you let him empty them while you head to the fridge. "Beer?"

"Yeah."

Grabbing him a beer and yourself a can of Cola, you return to the table and your eyes widen at the sight of all the sushi. "Damn, Barnes. That's a lot of sushi."

"Don't act like you won't eat half of it."

You laugh as you take a seat, handing him his beer and pulling a few trays to your side of the table. You take a container of wasabi and dipping sauce for yourself, and grab a pair of chopsticks to start digging in.

You moan in delight at your first taste, happily shimmying in your seat before taking another. Eventually, you ask, "So what are you going to do when I'm back at work and I can't keep you entertained by getting shitfaced?"

Bucky grins around his mouthful of food before chasing it down with a swig of his beer. "We actually got a mission comin' up so I'll be leavin' around mid-week."

"Well that sucks." You sigh. "Now who am I going to send random pictures to when I have downtime at work?"

He grins. "You can still send them to me. I just won't get back to you until after the mission's complete."

"Yeah, yeah."

The two of you continue to eat- Bucky dodging Steve's texts about where he is and when he's coming back, and you sending the middle finger emoji over and over to Wanda who keeps wondering how your date is going. Then once most of the sushi is gone and Bucky puts what little is left into the fridge, the two of you head to the living room. You immediately flop onto the couch as Bucky takes the plush recliner, only for you to hear him moving the chair into its reclined position seconds later.

"Oh. I definitely need to get one of these."

You laugh as he snuggles down and you pick up the remote to bring up your streaming services. "Anything you've been meaning to watch?"

"Not really. Just show me your favorites."

You start off with some humor by playing the Goonies. It's a movie that no matter how many times you've seen it, it always seems to make you laugh. And it seems Bucky is not immune either when they make Chunk to the truffle shuffle. Titanic plays afterwards, but only after making sure Bucky found it somewhat interesting after reading the movie summary to him. He is interested from beginning to end and doesn't even laugh at you when you shed a few tears for the old married couple who opt to stay in their bed as the room floods.

When a break is needed, you head off towards the bathroom as Bucky finishes off the leftover sushi. Both of you check your phones and read each other the missed text messages from Steve and his worrying behavior.

"Wanna tell Steve to fuck off via video message?" Bucky takes a moment to think on it before he grins and nods. "Excellent. Sit in the recliner. I'm gonna crawl up all in your business. That okay?"

"Yeah."

As Bucky gets comfortable in the recliner, you sit on the armrest before sliding down sideways onto his lap. You bring up the camera app on your phone and switch it to video, sliding your right arm behind Bucky's neck while holding your left arm out to capture the two of you on the screen. "Ready?"

"Sure, doll."

You chuckle quietly and then smirk mischievously as Bucky relaxes his expression into his best resting bitch face. After you hit record, you say, "Hey Rogers, stop being a little bitch and sending us text after text. I'm tryin' to fuck your best friend here." Bucky's expression cracks as he barks out a laugh and you turn to face him while grinning. You share a laugh with him before facing the camera once more. "Only joking, but seriously stop buggin' us. I promise to send him back in one piece."

As you prepare to send the text to Steve, Bucky says, "You're terrible."

"Whatever. Admit it, you adore me."

"Occasionally."

You huff another laugh as the video message finally sends. You and Bucky both watch as the delivered status turns to read, and then those three little dots appear as Steve starts typing his reply.

"Tell Bucky to wrap it before he taps it." You burst out laughing at Steve's text, Bucky's rumbling laughter only fueling yours even more. "God I hate your best friend sometimes." And before you climb off Bucky's lap, because honestly you were getting a little too comfortable, you send Steve a few middle finger emojis before deciding on a third movie to watch.

The third movie you choose is one that never fails to make you laugh- Bridesmaids. You had a moment of hesitancy because of the sex scenes, but you figured they were ridiculous enough that it wouldn't be awkward. Thankfully you're correct and you get the added bonus of hearing Bucky's laughter again during Megan's scenes, especially when they get food poisoning and are all fighting for the bathroom.

You and Bucky take yet another break after the film, just stretching and finding something to drink.

"So what's the verdict, Barnes? Are you enjoying the films?"

He grins. "Your taste is all over the place, huh? That last one we watched was raunchy."

"But hilarious! You need to watch the Hangover trilogy, but you definitely need to watch that with Steve and then watch him squirm at the pictures that roll with the credits."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Jurassic Park holds his attention and he can't help but comment how stupid one has to be to replicate dinosaur DNA and then open up a park with live dinosaurs. You laugh, but don't bother commenting. You'll tell him later there are more movies involved, with yet another idiotic man who felt he could get the park up and running once more.

It's getting dark, but it's still a little too early for dinner. One more movie and then you'll order or go out and pick something up.

"So this last one for the day is a movie that's directed more towards the female viewers, but you did ask for my favorite films and Practical Magic is my absolute favorite."

"Well put it on, doll."

As you press play on Practical Magic, you quickly grab a throw blanket and snuggle in. Instead of watching Bucky, you watch the film and mumble certain quotes to yourself. The magic scenes always bring a soft smile to your face just as Gary's confession to Sally of I wished for you too breaks your heart, and Sally and Gillian's heartfelt sister moment makes you cry.

Afterwards, Bucky hums in thought. "So that's your favorite?"

"Absolutely." You tell him. He's watching you curiously and you grin. "If I show you something, you promise not to laugh?"

"I'll try."

"Whatever. That's good enough for me." Standing up, you walk towards him and kneel, and tell him to pull your shirt sideways by the armhole next to your left arm. There on the back of your left shoulder and forever etched into your skin is a salt shaker, a rosemary plant, a lavender plant, and a heart. You then rattle off one of your favorite quotes to him. "Always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can."

Bucky chuckles as you get up, retaking your spot on the sofa. "You really are a fan of the movie."

You nod. "As a little girl, I was fascinated by magic. I thought I'd grow out of it, but I only grew more fond of it. And then I found Practical Magic and it had a bit of everything I adored."

"So what's the one scene that just gets you every time?"

"Ugh. You're making me choose?!" You feign being distraught and he grins. As you think about it, you keep coming back to two scenes in particular. "So there's two," you tell him, "and I'm not choosing between them." Bucky nods, awaiting your answer. "Gillian's possession. When Sally calls together the other mothers who were mean to her in order to make a temporary coven to save her sister, and Gillian begs Sally to just let her ghost ex have her."

Bucky hums. "That was a bit sad, doll. I saw you shedding a few tears over that."

"Mhm. And the other scene is when Sally comes clean to Gary and admits that she did a spell as a child to call forth her perfect love thinking it wouldn't exist, only it did. When Gary tells Sally that he wished for her too, it just breaks my fuckin' heart."

"Let me guess, you were one of the girls who cast her own spell after seeing that scene." You stay quiet for a moment and the second you feel your face heat, Bucky laughs. "What did you wish for?"

You groan quietly. "If I tell you, you can't laugh!" He only smiles in response and you know he won't drop it until you tell him. "Fine. So even though I knew it would never work, I gathered the weirdest objects and wished for a significant other with dark hair and colored eyes. He had to be protective and funny and love me for me. Simple."

For some reason you can't seem to meet Bucky's gaze then and you feel awkward the longer the silence stretches on.

"So dinner?" He asks.

"Oh god, yes please. Pizza and wings?"

"Sounds good."

You have the nearby pizza place on speed dial, so after finding out Bucky's preferences you make the call and place the order. It's going to be about a thirty minute wait, so you fill the time sending Steve pic after pic of Bucky who's none the wiser as he scrolls through his own phone and adding the most asinine comments to each picture. Steve thinks it's absolutely hilarious.

Then when the pizza and wings arrive, you beat Bucky to the door and thrust several bills at the delivery boy. He's more than happy with his tip and you hurriedly wave him off before shutting the door. You laugh at Bucky's disgruntled expression and then place everything on the table while gathering a beer for both you and him.

"Don't let me have more than two," you tell him while handing him his own bottle of beer.

Bucky agrees and the two of you dig into your own personal pizzas and boxes of wings once you're situated around the table. As you're eating, Bucky asks about what other movies you hold near and dear. You fill him in on a few others and he hesitantly puts it out there that he'd be up for another movie marathon when you both have a day off. You agree that that's doable.

Halfway through dinner, as you and Bucky are chuckling over the thought of making Steve sit through Bridesmaids, there's a sound of glass breaking from your living room and a muffled curse. The two of you immediately cease making any type of noise and Bucky is up with a gun in hand.

"Where the hell did that come from?! You hiss.

The telltale sound of a window then sliding shut can be heard.

"Shut up and get behind me."

The authority in his voice makes you freeze and your heart flutter at the same time, and you have to mentally scold yourself before you quickly do as he says. You follow Bucky towards the living, ready to duck at the ready, only to sigh and roll your eyes when you see who it is.

Bucky stands tall and lowers his gun. "Parker." You can practically hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Mr. Barnes?" Peeking around his shoulder, you raise your eyebrow at your best friend who's been too busy for you and is now frowning at Bucky. When he catches sight of you, he asks, "What's going on?"

"Uh, well we were having dinner until we thought someone was breaking in."

"Alone?!"

Your brow furrows at Peter's incredulousness, only for him to realize you're not impressed with his tone. You raise an eyebrow at him and cross your arms over your chest. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, um, yeah." He shifts from foot to foot, gesturing to his face where there's a scrape on his cheekbone. "My ribs took a beating too. Can you patch me up?"

"Sure." You sigh. "Why not."

Before you can leave to go to the bathroom to get the supplies you need, Bucky says, "I'll just get out of your way then."

You stop and face him. "What? But we haven't even finished our food. It won't take me long."

"It's fine, doll." He grins when he realizes you're trying to get him to stay. "You gotta hit the hay early anyway. We'll talk soon."

You hold his gaze for a moment longer, sighing when he won't budge. "Well at least take your food with you. No use in it going to waste."

Bucky nods and heads back to the kitchen, collecting his food. You watch him and then follow him to the door, holding his food while he bends over to lace up his boots. Once he retakes his food and you open the door, he thanks you for the time away from the tower and disappears down the hall.

Shutting the door and then heading back into the living room, you tell Peter to get back into his regular clothes so you can get to his ribs while you go gather your medical supplies.

Meeting Peter back in the living room and setting everything down on the coffee table, he says, "So you and Bucky-"

"Don't." You pick up the peroxide bottle and soak a cotton ball in it. "Bucky and I are friends."

Peter manages to keep his mouth shut as you clean the scrape on his cheek and place a small bandage on it. Then when you've checked his ribs and tell him he just needs to ice them, he mumbles, "Friends who apparently lick each other." You snort and think nothing of his sullen tone, but when you look at his face you see he's actually being quite serious. There's no chuckle or boyish grin and for a moment you're absolutely floored at his attitude. "I don't think I'm comfortable with Bucky being alone with you in your apartment."

"Are you- are you kidding me?" You huff and take a step back from him. When Peter just continues to frown, you shake your head at him. "First of all, I'm an adult woman who can make her own decisions."

"I know, but-"

"I'm not finished!" You snap. Peter's eyes widen, but he smartly ceases talking. "I am allowed to have friends whether you like them or not. We have a pact, Petey, and since I'm still abiding by it I would hope that you would too."

"Yeah, but that's for significant others!"

"Significant others or friends, it doesn't matter. And you should be grateful I've kept my mouth shut when it comes to you and Leslie because let me tell you, I've been biting my tongue a lot these past few weeks. Bucky and the others have stepped up since you've abandoned me, so you have absolutely no room to tell me that you're uncomfortable with him or any of them being around me."

"Leslie isn't that bad and I have not abandoned you." You snort, but don't bother opening that can of worms even further. He finally gets annoyed with your quietness. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"You're here because you needed a bandage. Tell me, Peter, where are you going after here? Where are you going after making five minutes of small talk and calling it a night?" He opens his mouth and then snaps it shut, shrugs, and you shake your head at him once more in disappointment. "Exactly. Just go, Peter. I'm so over this conversation right now and I have work in the morning."

"Wait, but we promised we'd never leave a conversation where we were still annoyed with each other!"

"And we also promised we'd never judge who the other decided to spend time with, but here we are." He frowns at you. "Go to your girlfriend, Peter. We'll talk again in another few days or weeks or whenever. I don't care right now."

Peter stands there, gaping, before he pulls himself together and makes his way back towards the window he had crawled through. He glances at you one last time, but you merely keep staring until his mask encompasses his head once more and he lifts the window before taking his leave.

As the window shuts behind him, you sag in on yourself and your breathing stutters in your chest as your eyes fill with tears. You've never been this angry at Peter and the fact that he thinks it's okay to ignore you until he needs something and then has an opinion about who you hang out with was just too much for you to let slide.

You quickly gather everything from your coffee table and return it to its rightful place in your bathroom, and throw away the trash. Your appetite is long gone, so you put up what's left of your food and then head to your room to gather some clothes so you can shower and get into bed.

By the time you've crawled into bed, you're still a bit annoyed. So grabbing your phone, you pull up your text messages and click on Bucky's thread.

To Bucky: Well that was a shit show. I don't think I've ever made Petey leave my apartment while we were still angry with each other.

From Bucky: I'm sorry, doll. Anything I can do?

To Bucky: If he gives you attitude, get a non-serum individual to punch him. You, Steve, and probably Nat will send him flying into the wall.

From Bucky: If I remember..

To Bucky: Well I mean if you forget, I won't complain. I'll probably laugh when he comes crying to me.

From Bucky: You're a terrible human being.

To Bucky: Whatever. You adore me just the way I am. And now I should get some shut eye. I'll talk to you soon. Night, Sarge.

From Bucky: Night, sweetheart.

For the next couple of weeks, you keep yourself busy with work. Bucky and a few others do go on a mission as he said they would, so you keep your texts to a minimum of three each day- a good morning, a random story from that day, and a good night. They're gone for four days and in those four days you've not heard from Peter. The only reason you know he's not completely done with you is the fact he likes your posts that you put up on social media.

But since you're not currently speaking to your best friend and are too exhausted to hang out with anyone else, you're in a bit of a funk and completely caught off guard one evening when the patient a police officer brings in smacks you right across the face. You had been trying to insert an IV into his arm when he completely lost his shit, and then you were hit so hard that you were strewn across the gurney behind you. And in your vulnerable position, a fistful of your hair had been grabbed and yanked right before the police officer had intervened and pulled the patient off of you.

You had been given a bit of time to ice your cheek before you had to get back to work, but your face and scalp were hurting you the entire time.

On your way home, however, you're surprised to receive a call from Pepper. You're heading towards your apartment complex when she invites you to dinner there at the tower since Darcy is finally back in town, and you hate to do it, but you're not exactly up to be around such a rowdy bunch. So you apologize to Pepper and ask her to apologize to Darcy for you, and take a rain check. Immediately she knows something is wrong, but you only tell her you had a rough night at work and all you want is a hot shower and to crawl into bed. She hesitates but wishes you well, and the call ends moments later.

When you get home, you waste no time in locking the door behind you and heading straight for your bathroom. You strip down and take the hottest shower your body is capable of handling, and let yourself relax in the steam-filled room. Afterwards, as you're drying off, you gently dry your hair since your scalp is still sensitive and then get dressed in some of your comfort clothes.

Then heading out into the kitchen, you find some leftovers in your fridge and heat those up, tiredly sitting at your kitchen table and digging in. Just as you're done with your food and heading towards the living room, someone pounds on your apartment door. You sigh, hoping they go away, and have only plopped down onto the sofa when a familiar gruff voice speaks through the wood.

You quietly groan as Bucky tells you he knows you're there and you get up to open the door for him. He's on the verge of knocking again when you swing the door open. "Hey. Pepper said-" He trails off as he takes in your appearance, expression going slack before his jaw clenches in anger. "Who?"

You shake your head, gesturing him inside as you turn around and walk towards your sofa. You hear your door click shut before the footsteps follow you. "Work got a little hectic. No need to hunt down anyone, Barnes. I'm fine."

"Half your face is bruised, doll. You are not fine."

"It's all part of my job." You shrug and plop down onto the sofa once more. Pulling a blanket over your lap, you stare up at your friend. "There will always be a drunk and disorderly patient. I was just lucky he didn't do more damage."

Bucky frowns, but he doesn't push you on it. Instead, he walks over and sits next to you, angling his body towards yours when gentle fingers grasp your chin to angle your face more towards him. "What exactly happened?" He asks as his eyes dart over every inch of your face.

"Some petty criminal did some damage to his head in the back of a patrol car. Police officer brought him in and he seemed pretty docile up until I jabbed him with the IV. He got the drop on me. It happens." Gentle fingers brush along your cheekbone and you flinch. Tears sting your eyes as you sniffle. "I'm fine."

"Just because you keep sayin' that doesn't mean it's true."

Your bottom lip wobbles at his words and you lose the battle with keeping the tears at bay. The moment they fall, Bucky pulls you into a hug and you cry into his shoulder. "Dammit," you mumble. "See what you started!"

Bucky chuckles and he holds you a few moments longer, rubbing a hand up and your back to offer a semblance of comfort. When he lets you go, you fall back against the sofa cushions and wipe the tears away with your blanket. "So what are we watching?" He asks while settling in next to you and draping an arm behind your head.

"Shouldn't you go back to the tower and have dinner with the rest of them? I'm-"

"If you say you're fine one more time, I will drag you back to the tower and let Steve motherhen you."

You sigh. "Low blow, Buckaroo."

"And for that horrendous nickname, you've lost the privilege of choosing what we're going to watch."

You laugh and don't bother arguing with him about it as he leans across you to snag up the remote. When he settles back down and you snuggle into his side, you huff a small laugh when he settles on TLC which is showing 90 Day Fiancé.

"Why this show?" You ask.

"Because it blows my mind that some people are so oblivious and can't see that their chosen partner is only in it for the green card."

As you let his reasoning sink in, you can't help but giggle as you picture Bucky sitting in his own apartment and bad mouthing the TV because he didn't like the decisions the people were making in their love life. You watch along with him, cringing at the more obvious couples that are only headed for future divorce and smiling when one of the couples is actually in it for love.

You manage to almost watch a complete two hour episode when there's a knock on your door, but you're too comfortable to get up and answer it.

"You get it," you say as you nudge Bucky.

He nudges you back. "It's your apartment."

"Yeah, but I don't feel like getting up."

"You could have at least come up with a better excuse."

You grin, finally taking your eyes off the screen and glancing up at Bucky. "M'too tired. Brain's not working fast enough." He continues to give you a deadpan stare until you jut out your bottom lip. "Please?"

The second Bucky's lips twitch, you know you've won. He huffs and roughly pushes himself up off the sofa as if answering the door is a hardship, and you go back to watching TV. At least until you hear a familiar voice stammer, "Uh, h-hey Mr. Barnes. Is Y/N home?"

Your gaze snaps towards the door where Peter is standing out in the hallway, hands in his pockets as he sheepishly stares at Bucky. The man in question turns and raises an eyebrow at you as if saying what do I do and you give him a terse nod to let him know it's okay. Bucky steps aside and Peter readily walks in.

"I should be getting back to the tower," Bucky suddenly says. "You kids have fun."

This time it's your turn to give him a deadpan stare and he smirks right before slipping his boots back on. Then as soon as they're laced up, he's walking out the door and shutting it behind him. Peter, who hadn't stopped staring at the intimidating man, finally turns to look at you. And when he does, his eyes widen.

"What happened to your face?!"

You sigh. "I'm fine. Just had a little incident at work."

"And Mr. Barnes was what? Comforting you?"

"First of all, can you stop calling him Mr. Barnes? You two avenge together and what not. I'm pretty sure that means you're on a first name basis." Peter grins as he takes a seat on the recliner near you, shrugging. "And Bucky was here because when I turned down dinner at the tower, Pepper figured something was wrong. Bucky took it upon himself to check in."

"So are you two like a thing or something?" He wonders.

"We're just.. friends," you say. "For some unknown reason we clicked and we're comfortable in each other's company."

For a moment Peter doesn't say anything, nor will he meet your gaze, but then he's looking at you and sighing. "I'm sorry." You blink at him, surprised to hear the apology. "I shouldn't have freaked out that one night. Who you are friends with and who you decide to date is your business."

You finally smile, even though it's rather small. "Thank you. And don't get me wrong, I know you meant well, but you should have dropped it and just trusted my judgment."

"Yeah. I know," he mumbles.

"Soo.. are we good?" You ask.

"Yeah."

"Good. I was getting tired of you liking my posts and not commenting on them."

Peter snorts. A moment of silence passes and then he says, "So you'll be glad to know that Leslie and I aren't together anymore. I broke it off earlier tonight."

You wince. "Sorry."

"Nah. Don't be. She was totally using me for access to the tower." You're torn between being smug about being right and being sad for your friend who just ended his relationship. "I only realized it earlier when she got upset because Mr. Rogers posted a picture of you and Mr. Barnes together, and she had a few choice words to say about it."

"What? Steve posted a picture of us?" You quickly pull out your phone, checking social media for any notifications. There are none, but as you get on Instagram you check Steve's page and sure enough there's a new pic that shows Bucky staring fondly at you as you laugh at something on your phone. "That little shit didn't tag us!"

As your thumbs move furiously to give Steve a piece of your mind and to comment how adorable you and Bucky look, Peter can't help but say, "You're attracted to him."

Your texting falters and you quickly glance at your friend to gauge his reaction, but when he just looks amused, you shrug. "I mean have you seen him? How could I not be attracted to him?"

"Does he know?"

"I have a feeling he does. Asshole likes to fluster me every now and then."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure he likes you back." You snort and go back to finishing up the comment on Steve's post. "I'm serious. When we stopped talking, he threatened me. He was pissed that I made you cry and said I was lucky. He's actually really scary when you're on his bad side."

It takes a moment for his words to sink in and when they do you can feel your ears heating up, followed by your cheeks. Peter starts to laugh and you groan in embarrassment. "Why is this so weird? Dating should be easy!"

"Well he is an Avenger.."

"I don't care about that! He's just- he's really, really hot. It's intimidating."

"Wait, what?" Peter huffs. "So you're intimidated by his hotness and not because he's a super-soldier with a metal arm?"

"Well yeah."

Expression melting into one of confusion, your friend eventually shakes his head at you. "You're on your own with that. Good luck."

You hadn't realized how much everyone had known about your and Peter's brief falling out until the two of you were laughing together once again at the tower. It seemed like everyone had sagged in relief now that the two of you were poking fun at one another once more, and you had to apologize for apparently making it awkward for them.

And now that your best friend knew of your crush on a certain super-soldier, there was lots of teasing material. Of course you kept him in line when you could, but there was no stopping the force of Peter, Wanda, and Darcy combined.

It's a random Tuesday night when you've driven over to the Tower, Bucky having called you over for dinner with a few friends. You had the day off so you didn't mind heading on over, but as the elevator doors slide open after having ridden up to the communal floor, you yelp in surprise as the small gathered crows that shout, "Happy birthday!", at you.

Steve, Wanda, Sam, and Peter pop confetti poppers as you step out of the elevator, eyes wide as you glance between each of them. "My birthday is not until tomorrow!" You hiss.

"But you work tomorrow." Wanda frowns.

"Mhm." Your eyes then narrow, glancing behind them at the streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. "And how'd you guys even know?"

Everyone glances at Peter and he takes a step back when your gaze slides to him. He chuckles sheepishly. "I might have hid your birthday cupcake here and Steve found it."

"Petey," you groan. "Why couldn't you just hide it at aunt May's like usual? You know I dislike birthday celebrations."

"You don't dislike them. You just dislike all the attention being on you."

"Whatever. Where's Barnes? He's the one who lured me here under false pretenses. I got a bone to pick with him too."

Everyone turns around and Bucky's head appears from around the corner. He smirks and you glare at him. "Not false pretenses. We are having dinner," he says. "It just so happens to be a birthday dinner. And it's running a little bit late, so until the food gets here you get to open presents."

"You guys all suck."

Peter and Wanda each take a hand and drag you further into the room, heading towards the kitchen. Bucky fully steps out from behind the wall and you aim a kick at his shin as you're walking by. He laughs as he easily dodges it and then you're standing by the kitchen island that's been cleared of everything other than birthday presents.

You huff a small laugh and shake your head fondly at them. "I love you guys, but you do know you didn't have to get me anything, right?"

"Shut up and open the presents," Bucky says.

"Open mine first," Sam says, reaching into the small pile and pulling out a white envelope. "Unlike the others, I was literally told within the last thirty minutes we were doing this so yeah. It's not the best present, but I think you'll enjoy it."

You smile at Sam as you open it, chuckling at the plain birthday card and his brief personal message written inside. But it's what else that's inside that makes you meet Sam's gaze once more, smiling fondly at him. "Thank you. I can't get enough of bubble tea and I'm sure I can do some damage with this gift card."

"You're welcome."

"Mine next." Peter reaches in for a medium-sized box and hands it over to you. "I know you're not a fan of presents, so I got you something I actually knew you'd enjoy."

Raising an eyebrow at him, you pull the lid off of the box. Then glancing down, you snort before pulling out a bottle of Patron Silver Tequila. "I knew we were best friends for a reason."

Steve groans. "Please drink responsibly."

"Please. Responsible is my middle name, Rogers." Everyone snorts and instead of trying to remain serious and feign offense, you end up laughing. "Sam and Buck are good babysitters. You have nothing to worry about."

"That's to be determined," he says. "Here. Open mine. I honestly had no idea what to get you, but Peter assured me you'd enjoy this."

Putting the bottle of tequila back in its box, you accept Steve's gift. Pulling off the ribbon, you can't help but laugh when you see what's inside. "Cards Against Humanity." Peter cheers. "We're playing this the next time I have off," you say, grinning at Steve.

"What is Cards Against Humanity?" He wonders. "I just picked it up and boxed it."

"It's possibly one of the most confusing card games or raunchy card games you'll ever play," Sam says. "I, for one, am looking forward to it."

"Thank you, Steve. I seriously can't wait to play it."

"You're welcome."

Wanda claps her hands. "Mine and Darcy's next. She ordered online and I had to pick it up earlier. But, um, I'm not sure you want to open it up in front of everyone."

"Oh god. Don't tell me it's a vibrator."

Sam laughs out loud as both Peter and Steve start blushing. Bucky looks rather amused and intrigued as Wanda slides two boxes over to you. She shakes her head, giggling. "Not quite."

For a brief moment you're relieved, but then her answer sinks in and you're hesitant all over again. You groan. "Is yours safer? I feel like it is. Which one is it?"

Wanda only smirks as she pushes her box towards you. You open it, marvel at its contents, and then put the lid back on much to the boys' displeasure. Trying to keep a straight face, you look at Wanda. "How many sets did you get?"

"There's four. All in colors that will look amazing against your skin tone."

"Thank you. I'll send you pictures when I wear them."

"Yes please! Natasha wants to know how they fit as well. She was the one who suggested them."

"I'll send them to the ladies group chat then."

"Well that's not fair," Sam complains. "First for not showing us what's inside the box and then you guys have a ladies only group chat. I wanna be in the ladies only group chat."

"But then that defeats the purpose of it being a ladies only group chat," you muse.

"Come on," Peter then whines. "What was the present?"

Your gaze slides to Peter, but instead of outright saying what it is, you say, "Think back to that one Halloween night where you wouldn't let me out of the dorm until I switched costumes."

It takes him only a minute to understand and when he does, he snorts. "That wasn't a costume! That was lingerie."

"Whoa, what?" Sam exclaims, grinning.

"Lingerie can be worn as a costume?" Steve wonders.

"I was actually a Victoria's Secret Angel, complete with the most amazing set of wings, and Petey forbade me from leaving the room. It was a sad, sad night."

"As much as I wanna get into that," Sam says, "I wanna know what Barnes got you more."

You chuckle and glance at Bucky, smile faltering when you see him tense. But then he seems to shake himself out of it and offers you a grin. "Open the bigger one first."

Wanda clears away the other presents as Bucky slides his two towards you. You feel giddy as you grab the bigger box, untying the black silk ribbons and lifting the lid. There's tissue paper you open up and you gasp, happily giggling. "You didn't?!"

"Well you did say it was your favorite movie, sweetheart."

"Yes!" You glance up, beaming at Bucky, and your heart swells at his own smile being directed at you. "I really, really love this. I can't wait to hang it up."

"What is it?" Peter wonders, trying to peer across the island.

"It's a quote from Practical Magic," you say and Peter huffs a laugh, knowing full well your love for that movie. You carefully pick it up and turn it around so everyone can see it as you read it off by heart. "Always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can."

"Aw," Wanda coos. "That's adorable."

"I made Bucky watch this movie a while back," you say. "I need to show it to you one of these days."

"I'm looking forward to it," she says.

With nothing else to say, you place it back in its box and set it aside in favor for the second box. It's a little smaller, but you're excited for it nonetheless. Untying the ribbon and lifting the lid, you immediately laugh at the white petals scattered atop the tissue paper.

"Barnes, you smooth sonuvabitch," Sam mutters.

Steve and Peter laugh, but you're so focused on the notecard that's under some of the petals. Lifting it up, you read the note to yourself because immediately you know it's personal. My better half has to be funny, get along with my friends, won't judge me for my past, and has decent taste in movies.

Heart fluttering, you bite the corner of your lip when it feels like you're smiling way too much.

"Well what does Prince Charming have to say?" Sam asks.

"That's none of your business." You close the note and then tuck into your back pocket, chuckling when Sam and Wanda complain. When you meet Bucky's gaze, you immediately flush and mentally curse yourself when you see him smirk in return.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, you center yourself and then part the tissue paper. You look at the second portrait and gasp after you read it.

"What? What is it?" Peter wonders.

This second portrait is of a hand drawn bowl with a tipped over salt shaker, a small bundle of lavender, a small bundle of rosemary, and a heart beneath it. Above the bowl is a swirl of flower petals and inside the swirl of petals, in very pretty cursive writing, are the words I wished for you too.

Did he just- did he confess his own feelings by using a Practical Magic quote? Or was this just you overthinking his present? You glance to meet Bucky's gaze and at his gauging expression your eyes fill with tears.

"What did you do, Barnes?!" Sam scolds him. "You made the poor girl cry at her own birthday celebration!"

But Bucky isn't paying him any attention, instead he's solely focused on you. You set the present aside and walk around the kitchen island on shaky legs, and Bucky readily reaches for your waist as you grab his face and pull him down into a kiss.

You can't believe you're kissing Bucky, but then he squeezes your waist and returns the kiss, and you know you made the right choice.

Someone gasps, but then the following words let you know exactly who it is. "Darcy is going to be so angry she missed this." Wanda. That is Wanda.

"What the hell is going on?" Sam wonders. "What type of present can cause this type of reaction?"

You smile against Bucky's mouth, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth before falling flat on your feet after having been on the tips of your toes in order to reach his mouth.

"It's my favorite quote from my favorite movie," you say. You turn around to address your friends, but Bucky doesn't let you go far. He wraps one arm around your waist and tugs you back so you're resting against his chest and tucked beneath his chin. "It's a movie about witches," you explain. "These two little girls are being raised by their aunts and they see them performing love spells for a local woman. Basically, one of the young girls refuses to fall in love after witnessing a love spell gone wrong and she does her own spell to call forward a love that would be impossible to find- a man who's favorite shape would be a star and who had one green eye, one blue. Years down the road, the sisters accidentally murder a man."

Sam snorts. "How the hell does one accidentally murder someone?"

"Shush." Wanda admonishes him. "I want to hear the story behind the gift."

You and Bucky chuckle, and you continue to explain. "Anyway, they send in an US Marshall to investigate the disappearance and the one who had done the love spell at a young age starts to fall for this man. She ends up telling him about the murder, but he doesn't quite believe her. Then they're on the verge of hooking up when she gets a good look at his eyes- one green eye, one blue."

"Oh my god. That's so cute!" Wanda says.

"It gets cuter. And sadder," you say. "So she explains to this man about her family, the murder, and how she can't be with him because he's only attracted to her because of a love spell she did when she was just a little girl. At first he's skeptical about this spell bringing him to her, but then he ends up believing her. And as he's walking away from her, he stops to tell her I wished for you too."

"So you made out with Barnes because of that?" Sam shakes his head, chuckling. "Wow."

"It's fuckin' adorable. Stop ruining the moment, Samuel!" Bucky laughs at your words and pulls you closer to him.

"So while I'm happy for Buck," Steve says, "I'm still really curious about what Darcy's gift is."

Peter nods. "Same."

Wanda giggles, but says nothing as she grabs the box and slides it over to you. You groan because you know it can be nothing good, but you still open it since everyone is watching and waiting. As soon as you part the tissue paper and read the box, alongside taking in the picture on the box, your face flames as you shove the lid back on. Wanda cackles.

"I hate her."

"She said to give the remote to-"

"Don't!" You cut Wanda off, blushing even further. "I know who she means to have control of that."

"They- they make underwear that does that?" Bucky muses and you die a little on the inside in embarrassment. You elbow him as he starts to laugh behind you.

Sam instantly knows what the gift is now and starts to laugh, but Steve and Peter apparently need some help.

"Lewis got you vibrating panties, didn't she?"

"Oh my god, Sam, if you don't shut up I'm gonna punch you in the throat."

Steve is torn between laughing and trying not to make you even more uncomfortable, but his amusement wins out. "Given Y/N's flustered state, I'm assuming Darcy wants Bucky to have the remote."

"I mean this seems like it could make for an interesting night."

Everyone laughs at Bucky's sudden interest in the box you're doing your damnedest to keep shut, but luckily Peter steps in. "As much I love watching Y/N squirm, can we get ready to eat? I'm starving."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go wait downstairs for it, kid."

Sam and Peter head for the elevator to take them down to the lobby, and you turn around in Bucky's hold. "Help me take this stuff to my car so I don't have to do it later?"

"Sure thing, doll." He grins. But instead of stepping away, he pushes you further into the kitchen island. You smile as he cages you in and then huff a laugh when he reaches for the box behind you. "So exactly how long do we have to be dating before we can test these out?"

You slowly lean upward so your lips brush his as you say, "I'd say very, very soon if you would put your ass into gear and help me move these presents like I asked."

Bucky laughs and presses a quick kiss to your lips. "Then let's get to it."

The telltale sound of a phone's camera goes off and you turn your face towards the sound. Wanda is beaming, her phone pointed towards you and Bucky. "Darcy wanted evidence I wasn't lying. She's going to be so happy."

Bucky turns his face to look at her then, his cheek brushing against yours where he's yet to back off from you. "Tell Lewis I said thanks for the present. I'll give her my review of them in a few weeks."

Wanda's eyes widen and you immediately blurt, "Don't you dare!" But she's already texting and you know the group chat full of ladies is going to be full of messages that you'll have to reply to later. Quietly groaning, you slap your hands against Bucky's waist and push him back. Looking up at him, you shake your head but the corner of your lips turn up in amusement. "You're terrible. I would threaten to withhold sex, but I've been looking forward to that for a while. I'd just be punishing us both."

"Just tell me when and where, sweetheart, and I'll be there."

"Oh no. You guys are going to be that couple," Steve complains.

And without missing a beat, you face him and say, "Fuck off, Rogers!" Bucky snorts.

"You're cranky when you haven't gotten laid."

You gasp as Bucky bursts out laughing right in your ear, but he quickly catches you as you try to lunge for his best friend. "You know what, I was going to be discreet when banging your best friend, but now I'm going to tell you all the filthy things Bucky likes to do just to annoy you. I will go into excruciating detail about the look and taste of his dick!"

Steve blanches as it's Wanda's turn to burst out laughing. "You've done it now, Steve."

And as Steve looks to Bucky for help, he merely shrugs. "You brought this on yourself, Stevie. Hope you enjoy the play by plays."

Relaxing in Bucky's hold and moving so you're hip to hip with him, you slide your arm behind his waist and hook your thumb into the belt loop of his jeans. "We're going to have so much fun."

[translations-by-aiimee]

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chapter 22

Original Title:  二哈和他的白猫师尊

Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 22 - This Venerable One's Shizun is Getting Angry

When Chu Wanning heard this, he was so angry that he could barely keep himself from retracting Tianwen and slashing the Chen couple. But he couldn't open his eyes to confront them. Once he opened his eyes, the barrier would be broken. The Return to Truth barrier could only trap a ghost once. If his interrogation was interrupted, he wouldn't be able to listen to any more of Luo Xianxian's story.

All he could do was contain his overwhelming rage and continue listening to Luo Xianxian.

After she died, her soul entered the underworld, unaware and confused.

The only thing that she could make out was a woman wearing red and green robes with facial features that resembled the Master of Ceremonies Ghost enshrined in a temple. The Master of Ceremonies Ghost stood in front of her and asked her in a soft voice: "You and Chen Bohuan couldn't share a bed in life. Would you like to share the same grave in death?"

She hurriedly agreed: "Yes. . . Yes please!"

"Then I can let him come join you right away. What do you think?"

Luo Xianxian wanted to blurt out a yes, rushing to agree, but suddenly remembered something and froze. "Am I dead?"

"Yes. I am the Master of the Underworld Ghost. I can give you the destiny you deserve and fulfill your long-cherished wish."

Luo Xianxian was startled: "Then, if he comes to join me, will he. . . also die?"

"Yes. However, if loves persists in the afterlife, life and death are irrelevant. What difference does it make?"

Chu Wanning heard this, he thought to himself that he had been right; this Master of Ceremonies Ghost would persuade others to make a wish so that she could reap the benefits. This immortal was truly diabolical.

Although Luo Xianxian died unjustly, she hadn't yet become a malevolent ghost, so she repeatedly shook his head: "No. It wasn't his fault. You can't kill him."

The Master of Ceremonies Ghost smiled compassionately: "And what did you get in return for this kindness?" It didn't force Luo Xianxian to do anything. As an immortal being, they could persuade someone to make a bad wish, but they couldn't force them. Its figure gradually faded away, its voice becoming hazier and hazier.

"Return to the world in seven days. During those seven days, go and see how the Chen family is faring. After that, I'll ask you again if you still have no regrets about your decision."

Seven days later, the day arrived.

Luo Xianxian's soul returned to a conscious form and returned to the world of the living.

Following the old road, she eagerly walked towards the Chen house to see her husband for the last time.

Unexpectedly, the Chen house was decorated with lights, and outside the courtyard, there were fireworks. Bridal flowers were decorating the halls. and a big "double happiness" banner was hanging in front of the main hall. Madam Chen was radiant, not appearing sickly in the slightest. She was smiling and instructing the servants to wrap the bouquets with red silk.

Who. . . was having a wedding?

Who. . . were the bride and groom?

Who. . . no one was engaged, what was going on?

Who. . .

She walked through the busy crowd, listening to the sound of people in the world of the living.

"Congratulations, Madam Chen. Your son is getting engaged to the daughter of the county magistrate. When's the wedding?"

"Madam Chen, you're so fortunate."

"Yao Qianjin is truly the lucky star of the Chen family and they aren't even official yet. Madam Chen, you look so much healthier already."

"Your son and Yao Qianjin are a match made in heaven. I'm so jealous, hahahaha."

Her son. . . Her son. . .

Which son?

Which one was marrying the daughter of the Yao family?

She shuttled back and forth across the familiar front yard, growing more and more frantic, looking for that familiar figure in the midst of all the laughter.

Then she found him.

In front of the peony flowers in the back hall, Chen Bohuan stood with his hands behind his back with a haggard face and sunken cheeks. However, he was dressed in red. Even though it wasn't a traditional wedding outfit, it was a Caidie Town custom. When a prospective son-in-law comes to propose marriage, he should wear this type of red gown.

Was he. . . going to propose. . .?

The decorations in the whole house, the strings of gold and silver beads, was it all. . . was it all from Chen Bohuan, her husband, as a dowry for the daughter of the Yao family?

She suddenly recalled the time when they got married.

There was nothing but two people that shared one heart - nothing else.

There was no master of ceremonies, no bridesmaids, and no dowry. The Chen family weren't wealthy at that time and didn't even own a decent set of jewelry. He went into the yard and picked a delicate orange blossom from under the orange tree they had planted together and carefully tucked it behind her ear.

She asked him: "Does it look good?"

He said it looked beautiful. After a moment of silence, he stroked her hair with some sadness and told her: "You deserve so much better than this."

Luo Xianxian smiled and pursed his lips, saying that it didn't matter.

Chen Bohuan told her that when he married her three years later, he would hold a lively wedding banquet. He would invite people from all over the world. He would have her make a grand entrance on a large sedan chair. He would give her gold and silver to wear, and the dowry gifts would fill the entire main hall.

Those vows still echoed in her ears. Now, all those promises have come true, the hall filled with gifts and guests.

He was getting married, just not to her.

A monstrous flame of anger and sorrow surged through her. Luo Xianxian screamed, trying to tear at the hanging red silk in the room.

But she was a ghost; she couldn't touch anything.

Chen Bohuan seemed to vaguely notice something. He turned around, staring at the silk moving despite there being no wind. His eyes were dull and hollow.

His little sister came over, a white jade hairpin clipped on the side of her bun. She didn't know who she was secretly mourning by wearing it.

She said: "Big brother, go to the kitchen to eat something. You haven't had a proper meal in days. You have to hurry up and go to the county magistrate's house later to propose. Your body won't hold up."

Chen Bohuan suddenly asked without thinking: "Sister, did you hear someone crying?"

". . . What? No, brother, I think you're still. . ." She gritted her teeth and didn't finish her thought. Chen Bohuan still stared at the fluttering silk sheets.

"How is my mother? Is she happy? Has her illness been cured?"

". . . Brother."

". . . I'm glad she's feeling better." Chen Bohuan stood there, muttering to himself. "I already lost Luo Xianxian, I couldn't live without my mother."

"Brother, go eat something. . ."

Luo Xianxian wailed. She yelled and bawled with her head in her hands.

Don't go. . . don't go. . . please don't go. . .

Chen Bohuan said: ". . . Alright."

The tired figure disappeared around the corner.

Luo Xianxian stood alone in a daze, large tears rolling down her face. Suddenly, she heard the brothers of the Chen family who killed her approaching. The second eldest brother and the younger brother were whispering to each other.

"Mother is finally happy. Finally, things are going our way."

"Right? She pretended to be sick for half and year. Now that that cursed bitch is gone, how could she not be thrilled?"

The younger brother tsked and said, "How come she died? We wanted to force her out, not kill her. Was she really so stupid that she couldn't even find someone to help her?"

"Who knows. She was weak, just like her rotten father. It's not our fault that she died. Even though mother pretended to be sick to get rid of her, our family has its own struggles. Think about it, when the options county magistrate’s daughter and some pauper girl, only a fool would choose the latter. Besides, even if Yao Qianjin is a brat, she's got enough money to go around."

"Yes, she's so dumb. She didn't want to live so she let herself freeze to death. No one could've saved her."

The words drifted to her ears.

After Luo Xianxian died, she finally understood the so-called "Divine Fate". She was completely broke and couldn't compare to the county magistrate's daughter who was so noble and honourable.

Only a fool would choose the pauper girl.

She finally snapped.

She returned to the Master of Ceremonies' temple full of hatred and resentment.

She died there. Unlike how weak and helpless she was when she died, she returned with overwhelming hostility.

She used to be such a kind person, but now, all the hatred and evil that had been built inside her while she was alive came flooding out. She roared, her eyes turning red, her soul trembling.

She said: "I, Luo Xianxian, would like to give up my soul and follow the path of wickedness. I only ask you to avenge me! I want the Chen family - I don't want you to kill them!!! I want. . . I want to let my beastly mother-in-law kill her sons by her own hand! All her sons!!! I want Chen Bohuan to go to hell with me!!! Let him be buried with me!!! Do it for me!!! I hate them! I hate them!!!!"

The eyes of the clay sculpture on the shrine shifted and the corners of its mouth slowly raised.

A hollow voice echoed through the temple.

"I have heard your prayers. It will be as you wish. As an evil spirit - kill all those that you resent -"

A piercing blood-red light flashed, and Luo Xianxian couldn't remember anything after that.

However, Chu Wanning already what happened next. After that, the Master of Ceremonies Ghost manipulated Luo Xianxian's spirit to possess Madam Chen and force her to kill each member of the Chen family.

The red coffin on the top of the mountain, the reason why Chen Bohuan was dug up, naturally, was because the Master of Ceremonies Ghost was fulfilling Luo Xianxian's greatest wish - "Let Chen Bohuan and I be buried together." Moreover, it deliberately placed the coffin on the property of Chen Bohuan and his new wife as an act of spiteful revenge.

As for the floral scent in Chen Bohuan's coffin, it was the scent of the butterfly fragrance powder that Luo Xianxian had worn before her death. The resentment and fragrance in the coffin were both extremely strong because Luo Xianxian's soul was resting alongside Chen Bohuan inside it.

Luo Xianxian had no family. According to the customs, if a person like that dies, their bones should be cremated instead of buried. Therefore, she had no physical body and could only be contained within the coffin by the Master of Ceremonies Ghost. That's why, when Chu Wanning opened the coffin with his willow vine, Luo Xianxian had escaped the coffin's containment. Her soul flew away, and it was difficult to recapture. It was a situation of "a closed coffin being heavy with resentment but an open coffin being light".

But during the illusion, why did other people have dead bodies as their partners but Chen Bohuan only had a paper-mache ghost bride?

Chu Wanning thought for a moment and figured out this much:

The Master of Ceremonies Ghost didn't break its promise. The paper-mache bride was the "physical body" that it gave Luo Xianxian. It was a vessel so that Luo Xianxian could be buried with Chen Bohuan.

Everything was clear.

Chu Wanning looked at the weak and helpless girl in the barrier. He wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

Elder Yuheng wasn't particularly good at comforting words. He couldn't think of anything, so he stayed silent, not having anything he could say.

The girl stood in the vast darkness with her soft round eyes open.

Chu Wanning looked at her eyes and couldn't bear it. He wanted to leave. He didn't want to take another look. He was about to open his eyes and leave the Return to Truth barrier.

Then the girl suddenly spoke.

"Lord Yama. I. . . I have something else I want to tell you."

Chu Wanning: ". . . Alright."

The girl suddenly lowered her head, covered her eyes, and cried. She said softly, "Lord Yama, I don't know what I did after that. But, I. . . I really didn't want to kill my husband. I didn't want to be an evil spirit. I really. . ."

"I didn't steal the oranges. I really am Chen Bohuan's wife. And I truly, truly didn't want to hurt anyone either."

"I truly didn't want anyone to get hurt. Please believe me."

Her voice choked and trembled, her words breaking.

"I. . . didn't lie. . ."

I didn't lie.

Why is it that, in this life, almost no one believed me?

She sobbed and screamed. Chu Wanning's voice sounded low in the darkness. He didn't say much, but he said it with conviction.

"Okay."

Luo Xianxian was shocked.

Chu Wanning said: "I believe you."

Luo Xianxian wiped her tears with her hands indiscriminately but couldn't hold them back. Hiding her tearful face, she lowered her head and bowed her head in his direction in the darkness.

Chu Wanning opened his eyes.

After he opened his eyes, he didn't say anything.

Time in the barrier wasn't the same as in reality. He had stayed there for a long time but, for the people waiting outside, it had only been a moment. Mo Ran hadn't returned yet. The few remaining people in the Chen family were still looking at him with bated breath.

Chu Wanning withdrew Tianwen and said to Madam Chen: "I'll avenge you. You can find peace."

Madam Chen froze and opened her blood-red eyes, and suddenly fell to the ground with a thud, knocked out cold.

Chu Wanning raised his head again. His eyes swept across Chen's face then landed on the youngest son. His voice didn't waver, and it was still frighteningly cold.

"I'll ask one last time." He said each word slowly and decisively. "Did you really not recognize whose voice that was?"

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[wyn-n-tonic]

Golden, Like Daylight -- Part II

Word Count: 1,846 Warnings: References to drug use. PTSD. Ben Affleck. As always, if I forgot anything please message me and I'll amend this warning. A/N: Protect Francisco Morales at all goddamn costs, honestly. 

MASTERLIST | PART: I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX

“Fish?”

He cringes inward at his military nickname, it rips at his heart hearing it drip from his best friend’s mouth now. This man he would die for, almost has died for. None of the others had called him that in years, he insisted on Frankie with them. But he’d barely heard from Santiago, had no way of telling him.

He hears the words he’s saying, same shit he always says:

“I need a pilot. I can’t do this thing without you."

Years of that shit pulling him into another tour here. A deployment there. Again and again. Long after he served his sentence and was free to go.

“I don’t know, man. I got the new baby now,” he beams. Santi didn't know Luna and all Frankie wanted to do was tell him about her but he holds back, opting instead for, “And my lady isn’t into my doing this kinda shit anymore.”

He looks back at Will, a knowing look exchanged between the two. He is begging for his brother to step in, say something. Save him. He’s throwing Leah under the bus but, fuck it, it’s true. She isn’t into him doing this kinda shit anymore. And she wasn’t the biggest fan of Santi, always coming up with shit to get the rest of the boys into.

“Wha—what does that mean?”

Frankie lets out a breath he feels like he’s been holding all day and stands, knowing he’ll start shaking if he doesn’t. The knee bouncing is getting out of hand but he was hesitant to seek out anti anxiety medication while detoxing. He’d just sweat it all out anyway. Santiago’s droning on behind him, hell bent on staving off rejection.

“Did you read the text? This can change you and that baby’s life forever.”

Leave it to Santi to exclude Leah, he wasn’t necessarily her biggest fan either. But to just gloss right over her? Didn’t even fucking ask Luna’s name.

He crosses his arms, “What happened to that bullshit about going back to your mother’s homeland and empowering the people to police themselves?”

Santiago stares him down, a power grab of a laugh escaping him.

“Anyway, I lost my license. I can’t even fly right now.” Please just drop it, please just drop it, please just drop it.

Benny’s wrapping his knuckles. William’s looking between the two. And Santiago? Santiago is closing the space between them.

“I don’t need a pilot with a license, I’m in with the army down there,” he says as if that makes things better. It doesn’t. He knows it, Frankie knows it, the Millers know it. But if there’s one thing Santiago Garcia gets, it’s his fucking way.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Frankie’s firm, he’s not fucking doing it this time. He’s worked too goddamn hard on everything. Built a life out of rubble and was this close to pissing it away, he’s not gonna seal the deal on Leah’s promise to go.

Santi paces, frustrated, “Lorea is destroying that country. So we get to take out a very bad man, and, oh, by the way, there’s a winning lottery ticket stuck to the bottom of your cowboy boot.” He says that last bit with a mock tone and he’s smiling, believing he’s got Frankie now. A bit of a tease to rile his best friend up, get him laughing, get him in it. “Every guy in that gym would jump at this.”

“Come on, focus, guys! It’s fight night.” —————

“Hey!” He catches up with Santi in the hall, “I didn’t mean to call your shit bullshit.”

He didn’t, really. He knows where Santiago’s coming from but he can’t be the one in the thick of it anymore.

Another of those cool, indignant laughs, “It's all right.”

“I got busted,” Frankie says coolly, like he’s letting you know he left the light on, “it’s not a big deal.”

Santi’s head snaps to the right.

“Actually,” the taller of the two continues, “It's a big deal.”

“Coke?” Santiago’s trying not to let Frank’s addiction shock him, scoffing, “Jesus, Frankie.”

“Technically, it’s a suspension, I’m still under review but… it fucked everything up with Leah. I’ve been detoxing in Will’s spare room for weeks.”

“You’re telling me she didn’t know before the suspension? I don’t buy that.” Frankie tried to ignore the venom in his words.

“No, she knew. We’ve been in couple’s counseling while I’ve been getting clean, she said she didn’t know it was as often as it was. Just thought it was a hit here and there.”

“So things are good still?”

Frankie takes a deep breath, “We seem to have gotten back to good but that’s not where I wanna be, Pope. I wanna be great.” He looks to Santi and then Will, “What about you? What are you gonna do?”

There was no doubt in the world where Benny stood. He’d follow Santiago into hell. He pretty much had on more than one occasion but Benny always was a wildcard. Will was too calculated for that bullshit, he needed a plan. He needed foundation under his feet, not just charisma and Frankie would follow him. Frankie owed him his life. Will was the one to convince Frankie to hang it up. The one putting a half dead Frankie in cold showers and pumping his fucking stomach on no sleep. Will was the one Leah called when Frankie got too close to the edge. His brother, Luna’s godfather.

“I said if Redfly’s in, I’m in.”

Fuck! Fucking Tom. Frankie takes his hat off, adjusts his hair. I fucking hate Tom. —————

“Tom is not in our wedding,” Leah glared down the kitchen island at Frankie, arguing again about the goddamn wedding party. She didn’t even want it anymore. Had thrown her hands up, on more than one occasion, and begged to just run down to the courthouse.

And it all circled back to Tom fucking Davis.

“We served together for ten years, Leah! It’s a bit fucked up to have the rest of the boys up there in tuxes, Tess as our flower girl and Tom is,” he flails his hands out, “Three rows back with that one coworker who brings you coffee every Friday.”

“Bold of you to assume I’d let Tom sit that close to the altar, Francisco Morales. And next to Alexa? She is my angel and Tom Davis will be nowhere near her, do you understand me?”

“Then marry Alexa, babe!”

Leah put her hands on her hips, “Bitch, I might.”

He breaks and laughs, lifting his hat to rub at his forehead, “What do you want me to tell him then? You have plenty of friends who could be a fourth bridesmaid.”

“How about you drop Benny too?” She shrugs, “Just keep Will and Santi and I’ll keep my sisters. Two and two.”

He throws the hat on the counter, “YOU LOVE BENNY!”

“You're right, baby,” she laughs, eyes bright. A challenge on the tip of her tongue. "Drop Santi.”

He charges after her, ready for her words, and chases her through the house. Their house. Still nowhere near unpacked after a month and he’s cursing the unintended obstacle course he’s laid out for himself. She’s making quick work of it but, fuck, he’s out of shape.

He runs up the stairs, back screaming with every step as he gains on her. It helps his legs are much longer than hers.

She makes it to the bedroom, spinning to close the door but he grabs her before she can, pinning her down with all his weight. She insisted on the nicest sheets they could find and almost never made the bed, preferring to fall right into the softness without much work.

He ran his hand down her body, drumming his fingers in a soft rhythm until he reached her thigh, hitching it over his hip.

Her heart was still racing from the chase but Frankie felt it tick upwards as he placed his lips on her neck.

“Francisco,” she whined, “we can’t do this right now. We have to do grown up things.”

He smiles into the soft skin, “this is grown up things.”

“You know what I mean.”

He looks up at her, “hmm…” He’s got her right where he wants her, none the wiser as he reaches down to her knee and—

“Frankie, what are you doing?” Her voice comes out an octave higher, panic in her eyes pleading with him not to when the corner of his mouth crooks upwards and—

He digs his fingers into the soft flesh at the bend of her knee, smile blown wide as she screams out like a hyena.

“Stop! Stop!” She laughs through labored breaths, “baby, it was just a joke.”

“You're not funny,” he lulls with a kiss.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” her eyes filled with hurt and conviction, “I'm hilarious so… ya know, jot that down.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“But Tom fucking Davis is not in our wedding or I swear to god, Francisco Morales, I will call the whole goddamn thing off. It is my day and I’m not having his big Irish head in my wedding photos for the rest of my life.”

He laughs again, “Fine. But what should I tell him?”

“Tell him I fucking hate him.”

“You don’t hate anybody, baby, I don’t think you’ve got that in your heart. Be serious with me, please. What do I tell him?”

“Tell him,” she thinks for a second, because she absolutely does have the capacity for hate in her heart, “that I can’t choose amongst my friends for a fourth bridesmaid and so I just want to keep the party small with only my sisters.”

He seems satisfied by that, nodding his head. “But I am keeping Santi.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“But…”

Her stare is like daggers, “I’m not talking about Tom anymore.”

“No. No, it’s not that,” he’s laughing, his life is all laughter now. “I just still think we should set Pope up with Kristyn.”

She’s pushing out from under him, sitting up for the higher ground. Her finger is in his face, her words are measured, “If Santiago Garcia even so much as looks at my little sister, I will do what so many have tried and failed to do before.”

“And what's that, sweetheart?”

“I will kill him.”

The whole bed is shaking with his laughter now, “You're right, baby, you’re hilarious.” —————

Will’s in front of them now, hands on his knees, “What's the verdict?”

Tom looks at Frankie, then to Will, “I'm in for the recce if you guys are.”

The world goes quiet, replaced by a high pitched ringing in Frankie’s ear as he downs the world’s shittiest beer.

Fuck.

“Fish?” Santiago’s voice cuts clear through, always had.

Frankie lowers the plastic cup, “When is it?”

“We leave Thursday.”

Fuck.

Again, he lets go of a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, staring off into the ring. Staring off at nothing and everything.

“Okay.”

This could change his family’s life forever.

Fuck.

TAGLIST: @justanotherblonde23 | @greeneyedblondie44 | @icanbeyourjedi | @notcookiebelle | @princess76179​ | @bbuckysbeardd​

[allthingsfangirl101]

Wedding Rollercoaster–Zac Efron

Tumblr request by @maximeefron​

They always say that planning the wedding is more stressful than the actual event. Well, it isn't any easier when your fiancé is filming a Netflix special in Iceland for two months before the wedding. I tried to call him about decisions but half the time I got his voicemail.

We tried to make a ton of the decisions when we were in the same time zone, but several things fell through so I had to change them at the last minute. Even though he told me that he was fine with whatever decisions I made while he was gone, I still wanted and tried to get his opinion.

Zac didn't come home until three days before the wedding. He almost missed the rehearsal dinner but caught an earlier flight at the last minute. Since the day he left, I've had this weird pit in my stomach. I told myself it was just planning anxiety but I still had it at the rehearsal dinner.

The night before the wedding, Zac snuck over to my parent's house. He climbed up the balcony and scared me.

"Zac!" I gasped as I clutched the robe I got for my bachelorette party to my body. "What are you doing here? I thought Dylan was crashing at our apartment with you."

"He is," he chuckled as he played with the tie of my robe. "I snuck out."

He smirked as he pulled me into his chest. He moved my robe off my shoulder and started kissing my shoulder.

"Zac," I moaned. "Baby, we're getting married tomorrow."

"Yes, we are," Zac said, practically growling against my skin.

"Honey," I sighed as I pushed him so he disconnected from me. "We have an early start to a long day tomorrow. We should really get some sleep."

He looked at me, the look in his eyes changing. He reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering. He opened his mouth to say something and then decided against it. Instead, Zac leaned in and pressed his lips to mine in a delicate kiss.

"I love you, Y/N," he whispered. "And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

                       * * * * *

The next morning, I woke to my sisters and friends excitedly screaming. As I got ready, that pit in my stomach got heavier.

"Y/N," my mom said as my sister did my hair. "Are you alright?"

"Having second thoughts?" Lily, my best friend, teasingly asked.

"No," I said, trying to laugh it off. "I'm not. . . I'm just. . . I woke up feeling kinda nauseous."

"Nauseous?" Rachel asked. "Are you pregnant?"

"No," I sighed. "I'm not pregnant. I think I'm just nervous."

"That's okay, sweetie," my mom said sweetly as she walked over and grabbed my hands.

"I know," I said, my voice suddenly dropping. "I just don't understand why I'm so nervous. I love Zac with everything I am and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him. So, why am I so nervous?"

"Y/N," my mom said quickly. "Breathe, sweetheart. It's okay to be nervous. I was nervous the day I married your father. Nerves are just part of the wedding."

As my mom tried to calm me down, there was a knock at the door. Lily ran to get it while my mom and bridesmaids swarmed around me.

"Look who came by!" Lily cheered as she led someone into the bridal suite. I turned around to see Dylan, Zac's brother, walking in behind her.

"Hey, soon-to-be-sister." His smile fell when he saw the look on my face and the nervous bridesmaids surrounding me.

"Um, do you ladies mind letting me speak to my brother's bride?"

They agreed, each sending me nervous looks as they left. "Thank you," I said, letting out a sigh of relief. "They were. . . And it all just. . . I mean, it's not. . . I do love. . . But this is all. . ."

"Y/N," he sighed. He jogged over to me, pulled me to my feet, and wrapped me in his arms. He rubbed my back as I struggled to breathe.

"Zac wanted me to come in here and see how you were doing," he whispered. He pulled out of the hug and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear as he added, "He wanted me to tell you that he loves you and will meet you at the end of the aisle."

"Thank you," I said, my smile returning.

"You know, it's okay to be nervous."

"I know," I said, not even convincing myself.

"In fact," Dylan said, clearing his throat, "Zac is nervous too."

"Really?" I asked, surprised that I was relieved.

"Of course he is, Y/N," he chuckled. "Getting married is a big deal. It's a big deal making a commitment to someone. You two would be crazy if you weren't nervous today."

"Thank you," I whispered. "You're going to be a great brother-in-law."

                       * * * * *

I held my breath, subconsciously smoothing out my dress as I waited for the ceremony to start. I looked over to see the large version of our wedding picture Zac and I put on our announcements by the chapel doors.

"You ready, pumpkin?" My dad asked. My eyes filled with tears as he held his arm out for me.

"I'm ready," I said, my voice breaking. He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered. "Zac is a wonderful guy and he treats you right. I'm okay with him taking my little girl away because I know he'll take very good care of you."

I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, daddy."

I sucked in a breath as the ushers opened the doors. My dad looked at me with an excited smile. "You ready, pumpkin?"

"I'm ready."

As we got in position, my eyes instantly fell on Zac at the end of the aisle. I smiled, tears forming when I made eye contact with my soon-to-be-husband waiting for me at the altar.

                       * * * * *

I was in the middle of talking to my aunt when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. I smiled as I looked over my shoulder to see Zac smiling sweetly at Aunt Sylvia.

"Hey, Aunt Sylv," he greeted. "Do you mind if I steal my wife away for a second? My wife and I are needed on the dance floor."

"Go right ahead," she giggled. Zac took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. Zac smirked as the DJ announced it was time for our first dance.

"Ladies and Gentlement, Mr. and Mrs. Efron will now share their first dance as a married couple."

"Are you going to tell me what song you chose for our first dance, yet?" I asked.

When we were planning the wedding, the main thing Zac wanted was to be able to pick out the song we had our first dance to. He wanted to keep it a secret so I had no idea what song he chose even as we stood on the dance floor.

"You know," I chuckled as we waited for the music to start, "I'm not sure if I should be worried or generally afraid of whatever song you chose."

"Trust me," he whispered as he pulled me into his chest.

When the music started, it took me a second to recognize the tune, but as soon as the words started, my eyes filled with tears.

"Take my hand, take a breath, Pull me close and take one step. Keep your eyes locked on mine And let the music be your guide."

I leaned back so I could see Zac's face. He was smiling at me, nothing but love in his eyes. I couldn't stop the tears that formed.

"But," I said, barely a whisper, "you hate listening to music from High School Musical."

"True," he shrugged, chuckling slightly. "But that doesn't make the words any less true."

Zac leaned in and pressed a delicate kiss to my lips. When he pulled away, he had a smirk on his face. "Besides," he added, "it's not like it's the High School Musical version. It's an acoustic cover I found on Youtube."

I rolled my eyes as I leaned my head back on his shoulder. We continued to sway to the music as our friends and families watched us. It was kind of funny to think that a few hours ago, I was terrified. And now, I knew that Zac would always love me. If I ever needed him, he'd be there in a heartbeat. I would never have to fear the fall because he would be there to catch me.

The tears finally started falling as Zac held me tightly and started silently singing along to the music so only I could hear him.

"It's like catching lightning The chances of finding someone like you. It's one in a million The chances of feelin' the way we do. And with every step together, We just keep on gettin' better."

As the song finished, I pressed my lips to his. We ignored our loved ones clapping as we kissed in the middle of the dance floor. Finally, Zac was the one to break the kiss.

"I love you, Y/N Efron," he whispered with watery eyes.

"I love you too, Zac."

[smol-and-grumpy]

Light My Fire - Epilogue

Pairing: CEO!Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: She always thought her boss was an ill-tempered man, but when he presents her with a proposition she can’t quite deny, she gets to know him better. It’s not bad, right? Because all she has to do is being fake married to him for six months, sounds do-able, right? Right.

Warnings: It’s so fluffy it’ll maybe rot your teeth, NSFW

WC: 1801

A/N: So, this is definitely the end of the road. I’m so happy that you’re here with me and read this story to the end. I hope it was a good one for you! Please share your thoughts with me, I’d love to hear your feedback.

Beta’d by @deanwanddamons​​​​​​​​​​​ <3

SERIES MATSTERLIST

BECOME A PATRON ~ BUY ME A COFFEE

She had moved back on the same day, and into his bed that same night. She still kept her room but Dean was okay with that. She mostly sleeps there when he comes home late. Dean would then go in and take her back into his bed. He has perfected his techniques and now she doesn’t even stir when he scoops her up and carries her back into his bed. Their bed. 

It’s true that she kept the room as hers but she had moved all her clothes into his room by the time they annulled their marriage. 

It was never an option for her to stop working for him. But she stayed as his PA and they hired someone else to help with Ruby’s load of work. Their relationship had never been questioned by his staff. Dean thinks that he can count himself lucky for having great and loyal employees. He got his temper under control, too. He only fired one person in the last three months which is a huge improvement.

The marriage with Amara was a piece of cake. After Amara got wind of the existence of the tape, she was quick to agree for the annulment and Dean could even get money out of her. Serves her right, really. He used the money to give his employees a big bonus. 

They have gotten over the initial pregnancy scare too. Turned out that she was indeed just stressed. He was a little disappointed, couldn’t lie about it, but she was happy so there’s that. He’d like to have kids one day, and especially with her. Dean knows that she wants kids too, but not right now. He hopes that she wants kids with him, though. 

Dean really didn’t give up on asking her to be his real wife. He would drop it in the weirdest times. It’s a game he plays and he actually enjoys it. He has gotten her another ring. Doesn’t want to ask her with the same ring they already sealed their fake marriage with, it just didn’t seem right.

 *

 The first time he popped the question was after they were fake husband and wife and only girlfriend and boyfriend. She was sitting in the tub when he came back from work because he still worked longer than she did. Dean peeled himself out of his clothes to join her, “Do you wanna marry me?” He’d asked before he sits in the tub and grabs her by her arm to place her onto his lap.

“No,” She giggled and he buried his face into the crook of her neck, sucked at her skin until she moaned a yes but it’s not the answer, he knew.

 *

 The fourth time he asked her to be his wife, Y/N was lying on the couch when he walked in after a long working day. She was reading a book and she was wearing one of his shirts and only panties and that did things to him. Especially when half her ass cheeks poked out of it. He looked and smirked before he walked over to the drawer with food delivery leaflets. He held the leaflets in his hand and looked over to her before he asked, “Do you want to marry me or shall we order in food?”

Laughing, she said no, and that she wanted pizza with pineapples.

 *

 The ninth time Dean asked her was at work. He came out of a meeting and walked past her desk, dropping off his notes for her to put down on paper. She was so lost in her work that she didn’t even notice him standing next to her, so he lowered himself with one hand braced on her chair and whispered into her ear, “Do you want to marry me?”

She rolled her eyes but she kissed his cheek. It was enough fuel to get into the next meeting. 

 *

 The twelfth time he asked her was when she was laying between his thighs and he had spread them for her to be able to reach his rim. He was there, held up his legs by the back of his knees and looked down. He would have loved to take a picture if his hand were free. 

His balls are heavy on her nose, his dick, hard and leaking, was resting over half her face. It was a sight to behold, and in that moment his heart felt so full so he whispered, “Do you want to marry me?”

She ignored him and continued licking at his rim and sucked in his balls that made him choke on his own words.

 *

 The seventeenth time that he popped the question was while they were in a meeting together. They listened to Garth's new idea on office improvements and she was typing away on her laptop when he sent her an email, “Please be my wife?”

Y/N frowned, her lips pulled into a thin straight line before she clicked on her mouse and soon his phone vibrated. Dean took it out and thumbs over her email of Michael Scott from The Office screaming No meme.

 *

 The twenty-third time Dean had asked her, they were having dinner with Jack and he had told the waiter to put the ring in her glass. What Dean hadn’t accounted for,  was that the waiter would be so dumb and mix up their glasses. So when Jack drank his champagne he had the ring in his mouth, and damn near choked on it. Y/N had stomach cramps from laughing too hard.

But hey, Jack said yes and they’re planning a spring wedding. 

Jack is a great guy. Dean’s glad that he took Jack on a fishing trip back in Jamaica. Jack was so hostile towards him and Dean just knew that he had to pour his heart out to Jack to get him to understand that he was never just in it for the fake marriage. It meant so much more to him. Thinking back, it needed a lot of courage from Dean to do so. Jack didn’t speak for an agonizing long time and it was while they were on the boat and Dean had almost gotten sea sick than he started to speak the truth. 

Jack smirked when he saw that the blood had drained from Dean’s face.

“Do you like fishing?” Jack had asked him.

“Yeah but from the shore.” Dean answered, trying not do fucking puke. 

Jack laughed at him but apparently, the trip had helped cement their friendship.

 *

 The twenty-ninth time he asked was when he ate her out and she moaned yes yes above him. He paused and mumbled against her wet cunt, “You wanna marry me?”

She came right on the spot but not without moaning out something that sounded awfully like fuck no.

 *

 The thirty-third time Dean asked, was when they spent a weekend away at a secluded cabin in Colorado. 

That’s another thing that Dean loves about her. When things get too stressful, she always made sure that he took a break and she planned trips that should take his mind off work. She feared that he’ll overwork himself, which is not entirely wrong.

So when they were roasting marshmallows over a fire, he wrapped his arm around her, and asked her if she wanted to be his wife. 

She didn’t answer, instead she said, “You’re not going to give up, do you?” 

He smiled down and kissed her forehead, “Nope.”

 *

 The thirty-eight time Dean popped the question was during a game night of pictionary with Sam and Ruby and her brother. Yeah that’s right, Sam never let Ruby go again. Dean swears, if they marry before him...

Dean drew a ring onto the board with a question mark and instead of answering right, she just said “Lord of the Rings?”

Even Jack grew a little annoyed at her and screamed that she should fucking say yes already.

 *

 The forty-fifth time he asked, they were at a concert and she stood before him, his hands around her waist as she leaned her head against his chest. He placed a kiss on the crown of her head, “Do you want to marry me?”

The one girl next to them gasped loudly and she pushed her boyfriend out of the way, thinking that Dean needed room to go on his knees. They had to laugh and explain that his girlfriend is not saying yes, so there’s no worry. The woman was embarrassed and Dean took Y/N’s hand to move further back. 

 *

 The fifty-second time Dean asked, was when he came home from a work trip. It didn’t go very well so he was kind of down. He found her in the guest bedroom, sleeping on her side and Dean scooped her up, carried her into their bed and left to take a shower. 

When he came back, she was partially awake. And it’s like she knew because she opened her arms for him to crawl in. He placed his head on her chest, letting her stroke his head. 

“Please be my wife?” He’d asked, but there’s no answer. Her heart beat slow, she was already asleep.

 *

 The fifty-third time he asked, was the next day right after the fifty-second time. Dean spooned her from behind, rained kisses onto her shoulder and neck, she stirred awake, “I really wish you’d say yes.”

It was not really a question. Just a statement.

“Okay,” She said and Dean’s heart picked up speed.

“Okay?” He asked again, just to be sure.

“Yes,” She turned around in his grip and cradled his face between the palms of her hand, “I’m saying yes,” 

Dean kissed her while smiled like a fucking idiot, held her tighter, “Fucking finally,” he mumbles against her lips.

  They married in a small ceremony with just the closest of people and no press, because he still took her out to social events and they all thought she was his wife anyway. It’s easier that way. It feels more real. 

Sam and Jack were both his best men while Ruby resumed her position as a bridesmaid. 

Dean didn’t make a prenup; it's his way to piss off his parents. It’s the right decision, he thinks. Y/N never once asked him for money. She hates being dependent on him and sometimes there were petty fights when she wouldn’t allow him to buy her something. However, she let him pay for Jack’s tuition and that is progress. 

Like Dean said before, he would give her the world and so much more but she’s happy as it is and that’s the most important thing actually, because he’s happy too when she’s happy. He’s less grumpy, less hot headed and, that’s not a lie nor an exaggeration, he’s the happiest he’s ever been.

[mairalynnwrites]

The 5 Times Johanna Mason Thought She Met Her Soulmate and the 1 Time She Was Sure Of It

The first time Johanna Mason met her soulmate, she was being sent to her death. It was a glance as she walked to her place in line for interviews. A glance at an older mentor, a handsome man whom she recognized from the gossip she had heard about him from the moment she got on the train. Finnick Odair, walking sex on legs, according to the capital. She groaned a little in the back of her throat. Of course she would meet her damn soulmate just before she died. And of course he had to be the prostitute of the capital. What was odd was that she did not see the flashing colors her childhood friends had described to her, merely shades of brown. That meant that this could be some sort of mistake, right?

  Their eyes locked, and she noticed that she still couldn’t make out the color of his eyes. Odair’s back turned to her, saying a few words to his tributes before marching straight past her and out the door. Asshole. The second time Johanna Mason met her soulmate was after she had won her games, covered in the blood of more people than she wished to count. When she came back to after being healed in the hovercraft, he was sitting in the corner of the room.

“How’re you feeling?” He asked, standing and put his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

“You’re not my mentor”

“Duly noted,” He smiled a wry grin before continuing. “I pulled a few strings with your mentor, she’s waiting for you on the ground, no worries.”

“Oh, so you slept with her?” Johanna raised her eyebrows, her lips pulling into a smirk.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business” He noted, making sure the door was closed. Her hackles rose, and she stiffened on the bed she was sitting in, survival instincts more present than ever. He put his hands up as if to placate her, saying “There’s no lock, if you want to leave, you will have no difficulties from me, I just thought you might prefer to have this discussion in private.”

“What, you think that since I’m your soulmate, I’m just going to jump your bones?” Her eyes searched the tables near her, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon by or against her. He said that he meant no harm, but so had a lot of people in her life, and that sentence never ended up being true.

Odair chuckled under his breath, moving to sit on the end of her bed, his hands still raised to the sides of his head. “No. As my soulmate, there’s some things you should know, before you accidentally say anything in front of the people.” He moved even closer to her, and motioned to a scalpel that had been accidentally left on the table beside her by the people who healed her. “Grab it. It will make you feel safe and we need to be as close and quiet as possible in order to not be overheard on cameras” He whispered, moving his upper body closer to her as she hurriedly grabbed the scalpel next to her, holding it against his throat in silent saying of ‘don’t get any closer’.

  He took a long breath, looking out the partially obscured window. “You can’t say anything about us being soulmates. You have to know, I’m not a capital prostitute by choice. You know better than anyone else that the capital is willing to do everything in their power to keep people controlled.”

She did know. She had just killed children, of course she knew. But there was something glinting in his eyes as he watched warily out the window, a bead of blood rising on his neck from where the scalpel was pressed to it. Oh. They had threatened him in some way. That’s what he meant. Then why did he say that- “You don’t mean that he’s going to want me to fuck half the Capitol.” She whispered to him, her eyes widening.

“You can’t tell anyone or they’ll kill us both. He sees the same thing in you he saw in me. Please.” His eyes looked back at hers, his voice dipping on the last word, ending in a silent plea.

“I just won these damn games and now you’re telling me I have no choice but to become a prostitute?” She glared at him, careful not to raise her voice as much as she wanted to.

“He’ll give you an ultimatum. Your life or your family’s. It’s just an illusion of a choice. But I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to tell you that you need to say that you need to say that you can’t see any color. You’ve never met your soulmate. I came here to talk to you about what is expected from you as a victor if anyone asks.”

“God, this is such bullshit” She whispered, a small tear slipping down her cheek. He reached up and wiped it with his thumb, the scalpel still against his throat. Though she had no intention of using it, it felt good to have a defense against the older man.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He put his forehead against hers, and for once in her life, she felt still.

The third time Johanna Mason met her soulmate, she was once again being sent to her death, but with a plan this time. Although technically her and Finnick had talked briefly over the years, they had never discussed their situation, never discussed the feeling in their chests the longer they were apart from each other. Johanna’s family was dead, and she wasn’t willing to let the Capitol kill her soulmate too. The first night at the tribute building was haunting. She took to the roof, the cold air waking her. For a moment she entertained the thought of jumping, but she knew the Capitol would never let a tribute kill themselves. Where was the entertainment in that?

She didn’t even hear the boots walk up behind her. Damn it, she was so distracted by her thoughts she completely missed Odair walking up beside her. “Before my games I almost tried to kill myself by jumping off this building.” He said, a lilt in his voice. “I suppose it’s good I didn’t in a way, I did get to meet my soulmate after all.” He said with a smile evident in his voice, nudging his shoulder against hers, sending shocks from where he touched her.

“Damn, Odair, I didn’t know we were that close” She snarked, but with a smile on her face. Somehow, even with the possibility that she could die in the next few days, it was hard to be upset around Finnick.

  “I’ve got a question for you, Mason.” He teased, leaning against the railing, facing her. “Did you really strip in the elevator in front of Haymitch, of all people?”

  “Did you see my dress? It was hideous. I simply couldn’t stand to be in it anymore.” Her eyebrows raised, a small chuckle easing past her lips. “I’m surprised that you didn’t do the same, that net sure didn’t look comfortable.”

Finnick groaned, “Don’t remind me.” She laughed, the first time in a long time that she actually meant it. “Wow, if I knew that my misery caused you to laugh like that, I should have made myself miserable earlier.”

“Are there cameras on the roof, Mr. Secrets?” Johanna asked, taking a step closer to him.

  “No. We aren’t supposed to be up here.” He replied, glancing around to make sure of his statement.

“Good.”

  Her lips were on his. She didn’t care that she could die in a few days. Didn’t care that she was risking her life for a whiny District 12 girl. She only felt.

The fourth time Johanna Mason met her soulmate, she had barely made it onto the hovercraft in time to be rescued. Finnick was waiting in the main room, and without even thinking about it, she started running. She had just seen him minutes ago, but she was so full of relief that he had made it, that he wasn’t dead or captured, that she kissed him. Right there in the middle of the hovercraft, not even caring that Plutarch and Katniss’ other boy toy were trying to have a conversation. She placed a hand on his cheek, smoothing her thumb over the scabbed up cut on his face. 

“We’re okay.” She whispered, for once allowing herself to be vulnerable.

“For now.” He whispered back, his own hands coming up to cradle her face.

“We can do this. She can do this.” Johanna whispered, saying what they both knew to be true.

The fifth time Johanna Mason met her soulmate was when they were gathering to leave for the capitol. She reached her hand out to his, grasping two of her fingers in her own. “If we both make it out of there in one piece, I’ll marry your sorry ass.” She said, trying to use sarcasm to cover her fear. It didn’t work.

“When we make it out of there, we will have the biggest wedding the world has ever seen.” He said, emphasizing the first word.

“I’ll make Annie my bridesmaid, I think.” She could barely say the words now. Her fear overtook her.

“She’d like that. You think Betee would mind being my groomsman?” He questioned, a smile in his voice.

She laughed sharply. “We really do love the crazies, don’t we?”

“Crazy attracts crazy, love.” He told her, taking her hands in his, noticing that they were both slightly shaking. “I love you. When we make it out of there, I promise I’ll never let anything get in our way again. We waited so long to have our share of happiness. We deserve a lifetime of peace.”

“Peace sounds nice.” She sniffed, trying and failing to stop her tears from falling. “And I love you too, I have for a while now.

“I know.”

The one time Johanna Mason was sure she had met her soulmate was in the capitol sewers, watching as her soulmate was being eaten alive by mutant beasts. “Katniss, you know what you need to do” She said, not being able to take her eyes off of Finnick's body. She listened to the quiet whispers of Nightlock and watched as her soulmate was granted a quick death, instead of a torturous death. 

Her colors faded.

The world was black and white again.

[raindancer2004]

Vacation on Isle Esme

Word Count: 6,926 Demetri x OC Part 6. Warning: Fluff, Angst, NSFW Choking kink. Please listen to the music clips.

The following morning Demetri took Renee to Marcus’ private study having tracked him there “Morning master I have Renee with me, she’d like to talk to you” Demetri greeted him “Morning Demetri, please show her in” Marcus replies. Renee entered the study and thanks Demetri for escorting her there. “Good morning amore. Did you sleep well?” Marcus asked and Renee nodded “Come, sit with me” He held out his hand to Renee; she placed her warm hand in his cold one and let him lead her to the sofa. “Have you thought about what we spoke about last night?” He asked still holding her hand in his “I have thought about it. I even spoke to Ally and Demetri about it as they are in the same situation as us” Marcus nodded but said nothing “After weighing up what I would be giving up versus what I would be gaining…I want you to know that I do accept you as my mate and I will spend an eternity by your side. However, I do wish to remain human a little longer, get used to living here before you turn me” Renee says taking Marcus’ other hand in hers “Renee mi amore, I am so pleased that you accept me as I accept you. I happily grant your request to remain human a little longer” He bought her hands to his lips “Ally will be pleased as it means you’ll have each other for eternity too” He replies smiling and takes Renee into his arms, pleased to have someone to love again and someone to love him in return.

Demetri, Ally and Jane are in Demetri and Ally’s room talking about the wedding when Alec and Felix arrive “Hey Jane I’ve been reading up on wedding customs ahead of the wedding and did you know it’s tradition for the Best Man to hook up with a Bridesmaid?” Felix asks smirking; Alec shakes his head laughing “Not going to happen” “Really Felix?” Janes asks eyebrow raised “Don’t believe me ask Ally” He replies; all eyes now on Ally “Technically yes it’s true. I mean the Best Man tends to try and hook up with one of the Bridal party during / after the wedding” “Well Shit Ally! Thanks” Jane replies “Sorry I was just being honest. You don’t have to get with him” Ally says “No she does! Its tradition” Felix adds smiling; Jane shakes her head “Desperate” Demetri coughs; Alec laughs “I’m so looking forward to your wedding, just to see if Felix fails or not” “It would be funny if he fails” Demetri says laughing “Really D?” Felix replies.

Esme and Carlisle come out to Volterra for the wedding, the others refusing to come. They arrive a week before the wedding and use the trip as a romantic city break. “It’s nice to visit Italy again Carlisle” Esme says smiling “Yes it is, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the castle though” He replied as they got settled in one of the guest rooms. “Hi. Only us” Alice says entering Carlisle and Esme’s room “Hello Alice, Jasper” Carlisle and Esme greet their children. “How’s the planning coming along?” Esme asks “Great, obviously” Alice replies smiling “I put it down to the fact Demetri isn’t even trying to rein her in” Jasper adds; Carlisle laughs as Alice pokes her tongue out at Jasper “As far as he’s concerned it’s only the best for his girl and Alice’s vision is to be followed without question” He finishes “I know someone else who indulges Alice” Esme smiles at Jasper “I know, but I do try and rein her in now and again” He replies looking at Alice lovingly.

Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper met Demetri and Ally in the south facing garden “Here this is an early wedding present” Esme said handing Ally an envelope, who gasps upon removing the contents “Tickets to Rio? Keys to…” “You’ll be honeymooning on Isle Esme” Esme interrupted “It’s seems only fitting as it’s where you met” Ally throws her arms around Esme “Thank you so much. Its-it’s perfect” “Thank you Carlisle it’s very generous of you” Demetri says shaking Carlisle’s hand. “You’re welcome” Carlisle replies.

That night Aro calls everyone into the throne room “Thank you all for coming, Firstly I want to welcome our guests who have come out to celebrate the wedding of our dear Demetri and Ally. Secondly, Marcus has an announcement to make. Brother” Aro says stepping aside. Marcus stands and walks towards the edge of the steps “Yes, thank you for coming; I do indeed have some happy news to share. I have been very lucky recently I had the pleasure of meeting a beautiful lady; this lady is in fact my second chance at love, at a happy ending. I would like to introduce you all to my mate Renee; Ally’s mom” He turns slightly holding out his hand to her; Renee steps forward placing her hand in his “Renee is human like Ally and will remain so a little longer whilst she gets used to her new home. She is to be treated with the upmost respect” Marcus adds looking down at his mate lovingly. “Yes” Ally says low hugging Demetri “Someone’s happy then” He smiles. “Of course. They both deserve a happy ending and I’m glad they have each other” She replies.

December 3rd – Demetri and Ally’s wedding day

Demetri got ready in Felix’s room with Alec and Jasper, all four wearing black suits, with white shirts, a black waistcoat with a royal blue paisley pattern and matching tie and black shoes. “How are you feeling Demetri?” Jasper asks “I’m ok, a little nervous to be honest” Demetri replies “Why are you nervous? You worried she’ll leave you at the alter” Felix jokes; Demetri growls at him “I’m nervous Fe because I’m getting married in a few hours and that marks the start of a new chapter in my life. I’m over 1000 years old; I’ve done and seen many things over the years but this is something I never thought I’d do” Jasper, Felix and Alec just nod; Demetri sits down on the sofa “I’m also nervous because I don’t know how to be a husband...” “You’ll be a great husband to Ally. I mean you figured out how to be her mate/boyfriend and the two of you are also friends as you built that foundation first. Ally and you will work this marriage thing out together” Alec says placing a hand on Demetri’s shoulder “Ally loves you more than anything, remember that D” Felix adds. “I know that and I love her too but it doesn’t stop me being nervous” “Imagine how I felt Demetri, Alice had seen us meeting, us being with the Cullens and our wedding all before I met her. That was a lot to live up to, so you can imagine how nervous I was” Jasper said sitting down beside Demetri “You’ll be fine. I promise. We’re here for you” He added.

Meanwhile Ally woke up in her room beside Jane as she had come to light the fire early as it was snowing outside and decided to stay and keep Ally company “Morning sweetie” “Morning Jane” Ally replies sleepily “I’m going to run you a bath so you can relax before all the chaos starts” “Sounds like a plan, thank you” Once Ally was finished in the bathroom she sat on her bed in a robe waiting for Alice and Gianna to join her and Jane.  The Bridesmaids were dressed in royal blue dresses with a silver diamanté belt; the top half of the dress had royal blue embroidery on it, paired with silver high heeled sandals. Chelsea came by and braided fish plaits into the Bridesmaid’s hair. Chelsea also curled Ally’s hair and secured her tiara in place. “I’ll see you all soon” Chelsea smiled and made her way to the ballroom.

The Ballroom was divided into two; one half was set up for the ceremony, the other for the reception. There was a cream carpet laid on the floor to create an aisle with rows of chairs either side; each chair was covered in a cream cover with a royal blue bow tied around each one.

In the reception part of the ballroom the tables were decorated with white table cloths with fish bowl centrepieces filled with clear pebbles, blue and white Roses, silver Lillies and fake silver Butterflies.

There were two long tables at the side of the room; the wedding cake and guest book were on display along with cards and gifts for the couple. There were jugs of blood for the vampires and a three course meal prepared for Ally, Renee and Gianna.

Demetri was waiting at the alter with Felix by his side; Alec and Jasper standing slightly behind them, Aro was waiting at the alter smiling looking around the room “Not long now my dear boy” He said low to Demetri. Marcus, Caius and the wives were in the front row on the “Groom’s” side with Esme and Renee in the front row on the “Bride’s” side. The other guards and guests spread out over both sides of the aisle.

The Ballroom doors opened; everyone stood up and saw Gianna waiting for her cue; Aro nodded and Gianna walked down the aisle first followed by Jane then Alice. “Deep breath Ally. I’ve got you” Carlisle said taking her arm “Thank you Carlisle” Alyssa came into view with Carlisle by her side; Demetri was speechless the moment he saw her. She took his undead breath away; the biggest smile adorned his face as Demetri’s eyes stayed on Ally as she made her way down the aisle. Ally wore a white dress with a sweetheart neck line; the full applique lace bodice was complimented by the white applique lace cascading down the layered skirt, a silver tiara in her hair decorated with pearls and diamond shaped flowers. Her white shoes covered by her dress. Once they reached Demetri, Carlisle placed Ally’s right hand in Demetri’s left hand and took a seat beside Esme; Ally handed Alice her blue and white bouquet. “You look so beautiful amore” Demetri said low and placed a kiss to her temple; she blushed “You look very handsome Demi”

“Welcome dear ones” Aro began “We are here today to witness the union between this vampire and this human” Caius rolled his eyes “Really?” He mouthed to Aro; who ignored him. “With the exchange of rings and their own personal vows two souls are being joined as one. Demetri if you will, please turn and face Alyssa and read her your vows”

“I Demetri Volturi take you Alyssa Swan to be my best friend, my mate, my lover and my wife forever. I promise to support and encourage you in achieving your dreams. All I have in this world I give to you; I promise to comfort and protect you, love you and honour you for all of eternity.” He raised her hand to his lips placing a kiss to the backs of her fingers. “I love you”

“Alyssa, your turn my dear” Ally could feel tears building behind her eyes.

“I Alyssa Swan take you Demetri Volturi to be my best friend, my mate, my lover and my husband forever. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad. I promise to honour and cherish you, and keep you safe always. I love you”

“Now the giving and receiving of rings” Aro says motioning to Felix to pass the rings to Demetri and Ally.

“Ally I give you this ring as a token of my never-ending love for you” He places her wedding ring onto her finger.

“Demi I give you this ring as a token of my never-ending love for you” She places his wedding ring onto his finger.

“I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss your beautiful Bride Demetri”

Demetri takes her into his arms and kisses her; pulling away and resting his forehead to hers “I love you Ally” “I love you too Demi”

“It gives great pleasure to introduce you all to Mr and Mrs Demetri Volturi” Aro announces and everyone stands up; clapping and multiple “Congratulations” can be heard.

Demetri takes Ally’s hand in his and they walk up the aisle; him leading her out to the south facing garden that was covered in snow for wedding photos.

“Photos really?” She asks excitedly “Yes, Ally. This is Matthew; he was a photographer in his human life and we crossed paths a few years back about a year after his transformation. I called and asked him to take photos of today” Demetri answered “I’m going to put together an album for you too. May I offer you my congratulations” Matthew said shaking Demetri’s hand “Thank you Matthew” Ally says smiling “You really are the best Dem” She gives him a lingering kiss to his cheek; they hear the click of the camera “I’m sorry but that was a soft candid moment that needed to be captured” Matthew told them. Matthew took photos of Demetri and Ally alone; Demetri and Ally with the Bridal party, Demetri and Ally with Marcus and Renee. He also took a photo of Demetri and Ally with the three kings and their three mates at Aro’s request. Matthew took photos of the other guests too throughout the afternoon; ensuring to capture Demetri and Ally’s first dance and the cutting of the wedding cake.  

Demetri stood and clinked his glass getting the room’s attention “Firstly, I want to thank you all for coming and sharing today with Ally and I. Secondly I want to thank Renee and Charlie, though sadly he couldn’t be here today, for bringing such an amazing and beautiful person into the world. I promise to love and protect her forever” He looked down at Ally smiling before continuing “Lastly, thank you to Carlisle and Esme for introducing us. I had been on my own for a very long time and had almost given up on finding my mate, my other half until Ally walked into my life and into my heart. I remember the first time I saw you; the first time I looked into those gorgeous chocolate brown eyes of yours and everything changed for me. I started imaging the possibilities; imagining a future with you by my side and it took me only a week to realise that I couldn’t live without you; I didn’t want to live without you. You accepted me not only for who I am but for what I am and I’m eternally thankful for that and I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was when you agreed to be mine and asked me to be yours in return. You were born to be with me as I was created to be with you and you have made me more human, a better man even and I cannot thank you enough for that. I love you more than I ever thought possible and I’m looking forward to spending an eternity with you mi amore. Please raise your glasses in a toast to my stunning Bride. Ally” “Ally” The room cheers raising their glasses.

Demetri led Ally onto the dance floor for their first dance holding her in his arms singing quietly in her ear

“Look into my eyes You will see What you mean to me Search your heart Search your soul And when you find me there You'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for You know it's true Everything I do I do it for you

Look into your heart You will find There's nothin' there to hide Take me as I am Take my life I would give it all I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more You know it's true Everything I do I do it for you”

Once Demetri and Ally had their first dance everybody joined them on the dance floor Jane approached Felix “Would you like to dance?” “Really? Sure you can reach?” “Don’t make me regret asking you” She replied taking his hand in hers and making their way to the dance floor. Ally noticed them dancing and whispered in Demetri’s ear “See Demi, I told you there’s something between them” He cast a glance in their direction and couldn’t help smiling at the sight “We’ll see Ally, we’ll see.”

Caius, Aro and Marcus each took a turn in dancing with Ally; Demetri dancing with their mates in return. Carlisle having given Ally away danced the father/daughter dance with her; Renee feeling a little angry that Charlie didn’t step up for Ally when she needed him, especially as she won’t get to see him again. “It’s his loss Renee, Ally is a great girl, a real credit to you” Marcus whispered into her ear holding her in his arms watching Carlisle and Ally dance. 

Alec had asked Gianna to accompany him to the wedding as they were both in the bridal party and he knew that it would make her happy. He may or may not have noticed how her heartbeat speeds up a little when he’s near her. Holding her close during the slow songs he found it amusing how her heartbeat would spike slightly. He decided to have a little fun with her at the end of the last dance; smiling to himself as he dipped her low, holding her leg to his side as he did so “Ah Alec” She breathed surprised by his actions. He raised her back up and placed a kiss to her cheek “Good night Gianna” Gianna blushed “Good night Alec” “That was…nice of you Alec” Demetri said as Alec passed him and Ally on the dance floor.

Felix walks Jane back to her room at the end of the night hand in hand stopping when they reach Jane’s door. Felix leans down and kisses her gently; after a few seconds he pulls away slightly “That wasn’t…entirely unpleasant” She says quietly; he leans back down and kisses her again one hand resting on her cheek, the other on the small of her back holding her to him “There are other things we can do that aren’t entirely unpleasant” He says low in her ear as his hand moves from her back to hold her hand in his; she opens her door stepping backwards inside taking him with her “Show me” She purrs; he smiles closing and locking the door behind him.

He pulls her into his arms and lifts her up; her legs wrapping around his waist as she kisses him. He lays her down on her bed breaking the kiss “I can make you feel good little one” He purrs into the ear before placing a kiss below it working his way down her neck and back up again “Mmm…” He sits up on his knees bringing her with him; he unzips her dress before his hands work their way upwards taking her dress with them, leaving her in her lace bra and panties. He laid her down and removed his jacket, shirt and trousers; before leaning down and placing open mouthed kisses along her neck working his way down her body; sucking gently on her lace covered clit “Ahh” Jane’s breath catching in her throat; Felix looked up her “May I?” She nodded and he removed her panties; parting her legs slightly he settled himself between them licking upwards from her centre to her clit before gently sucking on the bud of nerves, flicking it with his tongue. Jane’s breathless moans let him know she was enjoying herself; he parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her hitting her sweet spot; a breathless sigh escaping her lips, he withdrew his tongue slipping a finger in whilst sucking hard on her clit “Oh…Felix…Yes” She cries out hands grabbing the sheets, she feels his low growl vibrate against her core. He continues to lick and suck her clit adding a second finger; curling them inside her bringing her closer to her release, he feels her small fingers card through his hair, before settling at the back of his head holding him where she needs him most. His fingers continuing to move in and out her; tongue swirling around her sensitive nub “I’m so…cl-close” “Cum for me little one” His pace speeding up and becoming a bit rough as he pulls her over the edge; “Oh Felix!” She cries as she comes undone beneath him, tumbling into a blissful darkness, her toes curling and hands gripping her bedsheets “You did so well little one” He purrs in her ear before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

“My turn” She purrs in his ear; he rolls onto his back taking her with him. Jane takes his lower lip between her teeth and he growls hands grabbing her ass. She pulls away kissing her way down his cold hard abs admiring the god like view beneath her. She rips his boxers away freeing him and is amazed at the sight before her for Felix’s cold hard dick is long and thick “See something you like?” He asks smirking; nodding in response she wraps her lips around him taking him all the way until she feels him in the back of her throat. She heard him growl and looked up to see his eyes were closed, lips slightly parted, ‘Pain’ she thought and Felix felt a slight pain course through him as she hollowed her cheeks and sucked him hard “Ahh…Jane” He cried out then feeling the pain disappear as she smiled around him licking him from base to tip her tongue circling his tip; she hollowed her cheeks again taking in all of him “Oh...God…” His eyes open black and full of lust catching her looking up at him; her red eyes dark and doe like, she gives him a wink and grazes her teeth over his entire length before deep throating him “Oh…little one…just…like…that” He purrs fingers grabbing a fistful of hair and tugging gently. She pulls away looking up at him and whispers “Pain” He shudders at the mixture of pleasure and pain as her lips close back around him; her sucking him as though he was the best thing she’s ever tasted; she feels him empty himself down the back of her throat and she swallows everything he gives her. “Seems like you’re not the little terror everyone says you are” He says breathlessly and smiles at her “Shut up” She replies softly taking her bottom lip between her teeth, looking up at him through her lashes “Let me hold you” He says bringing her up into his arms “Thank you little one” He places a kiss to her temple “Thank you Felix” She snuggles into him enjoying the feeling of being in his arms.

Meanwhile Santiago drove Demetri and Ally to the private air strip near the castle and carried out the pre-flight checks as he was also their pilot for the flight. Demetri carried his and Ally’s cases onto the plane and took a seat next to her; holding her close “You look lovely tonight cara” Ally had changed into a light blue fitted knee length dress for the flight; Demetri changed into blue jeans and a grey shirt. Once she fell asleep he gently lifted her into his lap and held her whilst she slept. “How’s Ally doing?” Santiago asked coming to check on the newly-weds “Good. She’s asleep, which I’m pleased about as it’s a night flight” Demetri replied low Santiago nodded in response.

It was the first day of their honeymoon and Ally and Demetri play hide and seek to test out Ally’s ability to drop her shield. “Let’s test out that shield dropping ability of yours, shall we…Mrs Volturi?” He leans down kissing her. “Ok Mr Volturi, but don’t be upset if this doesn’t work first time round. Dropping my shield is something I’ve only been able to do recently. I was curious to see if it was possible so I’ve been practicing” She explains to Demetri “I understand. Just be careful. I love you” He rests his forehead to hers “I will. I love you too” She replied; she gave him a kiss then ran off to hide “I’ll give you 10 minutes” He called after her. Once she found her hiding place Ally closed her eyes concentrating and thinking about Demetri and how she needs him to find her. Demetri took a deep breath closing his eyes and reached out trying to pick up Ally’s tenor; nothing, he couldn’t sense her and was beginning to get a little frustrated when all of a sudden something changed. He could sense someone’s tenor, faint as it was but it was there “Ally” He breathed out relaxing a little; he concentrated ensuring to commit her tenor, her essence to memory. Smiling he took off finding her with ease “Found you mi amore” He smiled down at her “I was worried it didn’t work” She replied getting up “It didn’t at first but when your shield finally dropped I was able to pick up your tenor, your essence, which allowed me to find you and that is what matters. I have committed your essence to my memory too” He kissed her holding her close “We’ve got forever to develop this part of your gift. Although, I don’t want you dropping your shield for anyone but me Ally. I like knowing that you can protect yourself from psychic gifts understand?” “I understand Demi, you only want me to drop my shield when I need or want you to find me” She smiled looking up at him through her lashes “Exactly” He replied smiling.

After spending a day together on the beach Demetri and Ally decide to take a shower together; he starts washing her, massaging her breasts letting one hand move lower thumb circling her clit as he places open mouthed kisses on her neck. Her head falls back on his shoulder her eyes closed as she feels him slip a finger inside her; he moves his finger in and out of her a few times before adding a second “Make love to me Demi, please” Demetri nodded removing his fingers from her and shutting the shower off. He lifted Ally into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist and carried her to the bed laying her down gently. He looked into her eyes “Are you sure cara?” “Yes. I want you, I need you” She unwrapped her legs from around him; sliding her hand down between them and stroking his hard penis her thumb brushing over the tip; his eyes closing at her warm touch, he adjusts himself between her legs and taking his erection in his hand gently guides himself inside her. He stilled allowing her to adjust to his size when he heard an almost inaudible gasp before continuing to slide in until he was fully inside her, stilling again for a moment placing a kiss to her forehead. “You’re so tight baby” He kissed her nipping at her bottom lip asking for entrance; which she happily gave him, their tongues moving against each other in sync.

Ally felt him pull out slightly before slowly re-entering her; filling her deeply “Ahh” She breathed out eyes closing; her hands moving up his back, nails gently scratching his skin and leaving kisses on his shoulders working her way up his neck to leave a kiss below his ear before gently biting his earlobe. He growled and thrusted back inside her hard; one hand moving up her leg to hold it in place at his side, this new position allowing him to get deeper inside her with every thrust. His dipped his head down and took a nipple into his mouth sucking gently, flicking it with his tongue. His cold breath against her warm flesh sent sparks coursing through her and she could feel a knot forming in her abdomen. His other hand moved up her side to take hold of her other breast, rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger; he felt her wrap her legs around him “Demi” She cried out. He quickened his pace feeling his orgasm building and sensing hers was close too, filling her deeper with each and every thrust “Ally” He growled low, lifting his head to kiss her slipping his tongue inside her mouth; Ally sighed into the kiss. He dipped his head back down kissing her breast; his teeth grazing over the sensitive bud. Ally felt the knot break, pleasure washing over her like a tidal wave, her back arching off the bed; snaking his arm underneath her he held her close, his thrusts slowing as he rode out his own orgasm with her “I love you Demi” “I love you too Ally” He rested his forehead against hers.

He continued to hold her in his arms as her breathing returned to normal, “That was amazing” She whispered before kissing him, love and devotion clear in her eyes, “You were amazing” He replied kissing her. Still inside her he sat up on his knees bringing her with him; holding her to his chest, legs still wrapped around him he placed open mouthed kisses to her neck “Don’t let go” He felt her nod as he got off the bed carrying her into the shower and turned it on. He climbed inside the shower and set her down in front of him, gently cleaning them both. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a passionate kiss “I love you” “I love you too Ally”

The following morning Ally had a shower and went to put on her shorts and a top when she noticed a few bruises forming on her body, Demetri came up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and placed a kiss on her neck “I’m sorry about those, it seems I wasn’t as gentle as I thought” He sounded upset “No, Dem you were gentle, very gentle in fact. My first time was better than I ever thought it would be and that’s because it was with you” She said smiling as she turned in his arms and kissed him. “I’m happy I was your first cara and that I will be your last as you will be mine” He left a chaste kiss to her lips; she wrapped her arms around his waist her head against his chest.

A few days later Ally was sunbathing whilst Demetri went hunting; when he got back he laid down beside her in just his boxers “Hey baby” He kisses her “Hey Sparkles” She smiles and kisses him back; he leans over her stroking hair “Be nice cara” He smiles as his fingers trail up and down her side lightly tickling her. “I have a surprise for you” Ally said getting up; Demetri nodded “I’ll be here waiting for you” A few minutes later Ally walked back out on the beach wearing the sexy French Maid outfit she bought on a shopping trip with Alice. She sat on Demetri’s lap so she was straddling him. He opened his eyes and whistled “Damn! You so hot in that baby” He smiled; blushing, she took her bottom lip between her teeth “Thank you I’m glad you like it” “I like it very much” He ran his hands up her thighs and licked his lips; sitting up and wrapping his arms around her he whispered “I want you amore” He kissed her hair whilst inhaling her scent. He lifts himself up slightly and with one hand starts to shimmy out of his boxers; Ally swings her leg to the side so she’s sitting beside him and removes her lace panties; then swings her leg back over to straddle him again. Demetri’s hands trail up her body under the dress, taking both breasts into his hands massaging them gently; thumbs brushing her nipples lightly, a sigh falls from Ally’s lips involuntarily, head falling back as Demetri kisses the front of her neck, sucking her neck slightly before his teeth graze over her pulse point.

Ally rises up onto her knees; hands on Demetri’s shoulders and gently lowers herself onto his erect cock, his hands move to her hips as he begins to lift her off of him before lowering her back down over his hard length “I love you” She whispers; his hands trail up her sides taking the dress with them and throwing it aside he places his hands on her back holding her against him. He leans her back slightly; his head dipping down to kiss her breasts and taking a nipple into his mouth. Her breath catches in her throat “Oh…god” He switches breasts taking her nipple between his teeth; whilst he rolls her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She lifts herself off him almost completely before sinking back down on him hard “Fuck baby” He growls moving his hands to her hips stilling her for a moment and pulls out of her only to thrust up into her hard “Fuck Dem” She cries out as he hits a new spot inside her, a knot forming in her abdomen. As he pulls out and thrusts up into her she grinds down against him, her being filled deeply with every thrust, him hitting that new spot inside her over and over. He crashes his lips to hers; she bites his lower lip and he opens his mouth allowing her to deepen the kiss, tongues moving against each other. He’s chasing his own release as he can tell she’s getting close to hers “Bite me…please” She begged grinding against him; he lifted his head and gently moved hers to the side placing a kiss against her neck, before biting her and taking a few gulps of her blood before licking the wound shut with his venom. Ally felt the knot break the moment he bit her “Oh. Dem. Yes” She said between breaths, her head falling onto his shoulder. His release followed “Fuck Ally” She could feel him still moving inside her filling her with his seed. “Don’t stop baby” She whispered; she felt him nod then kiss her neck where he bit her just moments ago.

Still inside her he picked her up and carried her inside and over to the bed, lying her down resting his forehead to hers “You my darling are amazing” He kissed her lips “So are you babe.” He pulled out of her lifting one of her legs over his shoulder and slid back inside her with ease “Ahh, that feels so..” Another slow deep thrust “Good” She finished, he smiled into the next kiss. Demetri slowed his rhythm taking his time to make love to her despite her pleas for him to go faster. He wanted to take his time with her; to show her how much he loved her, how he worshipped her. Ally had one hand on his shoulder the other in his hair; tugging slightly “I’m so…close…please Demi” One of his hands reached down between them and he began flicking and pinching her clit “Oh, ahh…Dem” He loved hearing her reaction knowing he was the only one who could please her this way. She grinded down on his hand kissing his neck “Mine” He growled low in her ear, Ally’s orgasm washed over her; her toes curling, hands gripping the sheets as she came hard “Always” She replied breathlessly; her walls clamping down around him bringing him to his climax, he removed her leg from his shoulder and continued to move within her riding out their orgasms together. “Will it always be this good?” She asked once her breathing evened out. “Once you’re immortal, it’ll be better. I won’t need to be so gentle…not that I’d ever hurt you, it’s just …you’ll be less fragile” He replied “Less fragile but still yours” She said “Yes mi amore, you’ll always be mine as I’ll always be yours” He responded “Mine” She said smiling against his neck “Always Ally, always”

The following morning Ally woke up alone but could smell pancakes; walking to the kitchen she saw Demetri in his boxers cooking, she wrapped her arms him kissing his shoulder one hand moving lower slipping inside his boxers “Morning to you too mi amore” He smiled and removed the pan from the heat. She removed her hand from his boxers and stepped back allowing him to turn and face her; his red eyes looking her up and down taking in the sight of her wearing his shirt. He stalked towards her like she was prey; her stepping back towards the table and when close enough he pulled her into him; her hands resting on his chest, his hand ran up her thigh under the shirt “No panties” He purred “Figured it would save time this morning” She winked at him and went to walk away “No” He growled “I want you here, now” He turned her around and bent her over the table one hand closing gently around her neck “Remember tell me if you want me to stop” He said applying a little pressure; she nodded and with his other hand he guided himself inside her stilling for a moment before pulling out and re-entering her. Their moans filling the air; he applied a little more pressure to her neck as he thrusts sped up chasing his release sensing hers was near, he moved his other hand downwards to play with her clit. Her walls clenched around him and she let out another breathless moan, her eyes squeezing tightly shut, as the brightest lights flitted behind her eyelids. Demetri’s name fell like a sworn oath from her slightly parted lips, the sound of it urging him on further. Demetri let out a soft hiss of pleasure as his mate’s tight, warm heat embraced him, further proof that she was indeed made for him, and only for him. Any tension he might have felt in that moment simply disappeared like clouds in the wind. He let his head fall forward, burying his face in Ally’s shoulder, her name coming out in a muffled cry of ecstasy, as he gave her everything he had, every intimate little part of himself. In all his years of immortality, not once has a single fragile human made him feel as alive as he did in that moment, not like Ally did.

When Demetri and Ally weren’t making love; they spent their time playing chess and other games; reading aloud to one another and silently to themselves. Demetri would join Ally on the beach whenever she wanted to sunbathe making the most of the warm weather. They also went swimming by the waterfall as they did the first time they were on Isle Esme together.

Demetri was a little sceptical whenever Ally won a game especially a card game, wondering if she ‘cheating’ “Ally, mi amore, you’re not looking through my eyes to see what cards I have, are you?” He asked eyebrow raised; Ally placed a hand to her heart feigning offense “Would I ever do that?” “You have in the past with our friends” He gently reminded her “I’d never do that to you babe” She replies looking up at him through her lashes “You promise?” He asked as he began to slowly crawl towards her; his eyes darkening as he did so “I-I…” He licked his lips growling low “Behave” She began to move back a little; he growled again “Behave…Sparkles…” That was it, he pounced pinning her beneath him; teeth grazing her neck, fingers lightly tickling her sides her soft laughter filling the room. He loved the sound and continued his actions as she squirmed beneath him “You’ve been a naughty girl….” “Y-you c-can’t p-prove it” She replied still giggling “Oh, I think I can” He growled low in her ear as grinded against her “Dem” She breathed out just before she felt him gently bite her, swallowing a few mouthfuls of her blood before licking the wound shut “It should be a sin for you to taste so good mi amore” He whispered “Enjoy it whilst you can my love because once you change me my sinfully good blood will be no more” She whispered kissing his neck “Mmm…maybe I should keep you human a little longer then” He rolled his hips against her again capturing her lips in a kiss “I love you” “I love you too Dem”

Demetri arrives back at the house after hunting to find Ally passed out on the bathroom floor; he runs to her placing a hand on her shoulder “Ally” She doesn’t move; hand still in place he gently shakes her trying to wake her “Ally, cara, please wake up” His eyes filling with venom “Please wake up baby, please” He begs her softly; taking her into his arms holding her close. Just then his phone rings; Carlisle’s name flashing on the screen. “Demetri…Is Ally ok?” He asks “I-I don’t know. I-I can’t wake her”

[myhockeyworld87]

Nervous Regrets - Tyler Seguin - Part 38

Word Count: 5,621

POV: Reader then switches to Tyler

Warnings: Language

Notes: Ok so I know it’s been a hot minute for this story. I always knew where I wanted to go with this, but taking time off really helped me get here with this one. I hope you guys enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Happy Reading!

Nervous Regrets Masterlist

Reader POV

The rest of the regular season flew by in a blur and before you knew it, Dallas was in the first round of playoffs. Jace was officially a bottle baby now, which was both crushing and wonderful at the same time. It meant that you could enjoy a drink at the games with the girls, but you missed that one on one time that breastfeeding gave you with him. Though with the playoffs, Tyler was at the rink more, practicing and watching films which did leave some good mother and son quality time. Well, you should say, mother and sons, as the dogs were never far from their brother, even Gerry who had the hardest time adjusting to Jace now seemed to always be looking for him.

 The first two games against Nashville were away, and the Stars were able to come away with both a win and a loss, which wasn't too bad all things considered. Tyler had hired a private investigator to look into the comments that were on Alandra's Instagram, as well as the direct message that you received, but they were still not having any luck locating the person who'd said those horrible things. The investigator said they were all from burner accounts and that the IP was untraceable, but they weren't giving up just yet. Seeing as things had calmed down a bit, you decided that it would be ok for you and Jace to start going to the playoff games. You made sure that if a picture was posted with either of you in, comments were turned off, and all the wives and girlfriends supported you in this endeavor whole-heartedly.

 At the first home game, you wore your playoff jean jacket with Seguin, your last name now, written on the back. Last year when you'd been dating Tyler the Stars hadn't made it to the playoffs, so this year the girls went all out. You had both a Canadian flag and an American flag placed on the jacket, most of the girls only had the flag where their boyfriend or husband was from, but Tyler wanted you to put both flags on since Jace was both Canadian and American. You'd also had all three of your initials embroidered onto the jacket as well as the year, just for commemoration's sake. Jace wore his 91 jersey with Daddy written across the back as Tyler had somehow managed to buy it in every single size available all the way up to a four in toddlers. How he thought your child would grow into all those sizes in this short span you weren't exactly sure, but with Tyler's eight-year deal, Jace could grow into them over the next couple of seasons.

 Tyler made sure that you could park in the player's parking so that it would be easier for you and Jace to get in the arena. Getting out wouldn't be a problem, as you'd be waiting for him anyhow. Jenna volunteered to ride with you to help you in with Jace, while Tyler rode with Jamie, making the commute home much easier on both of you. The three of you made your way down to the glass for warmups; this would be the first time that Jace was down close to the ice and you knew that it would thrill your husband to no end. The Stars made their way out, and you watched and waited as Tyler and Jamie always went last. Finally, he stepped out on the ice and you held little Jace in front of you. His eyes darted around, watching the players skate around. Tyler didn't notice you at first as he continued to warm up. You knew the instant he saw Jace as his face lit up. He quickly skated over to the glass where you were located.

 "Hey bud," Tyler said loudly above the music as he knocked on the plexiglass drawing Jace's attention. Jace's eyes found his father as Tyler got a goofy grin on his face, which made his son smile back. "That's my boy."

 Just then Jamie skated over to join your little crew. "He needs a different jersey." You heard him tell Tyler, causing both you and Jenna to laugh.

 "Forget it, Chubbs. You may be his godfather, but he's only wearing his dad's number." A puck flew against the boards, startling Jace but thankfully he didn't cry. Tyler bent and picked it. "Catch this," he told Jenna, then he tossed it over the glass. "Save that for him babe will you." You simply rolled your eyes at how your husband wanted to document every little thing your son did. By the time Jace would be five, he'd have a room full of pucks if your husband has his way.

 "Go warm up," you shouted to him. "We'll see you after the game." You didn't need him getting injured because he hadn't stretched enough or something. Taking Jace's hand, you had him wave at his dad.

 "Bye bud, I'll see you after the game." He was just about to skate off when he turned back. "Love you," he said blowing you a kiss and you blew one back, telling him you loved him as well. As soon as he and Jamie took off, you and Jenna headed up to the friends and family room to hang out with the others before the game.

 The game was hard-fought, the Stars down one by the end of the second. Tyler got the puck from Jamie in the third and was able to put in the back of the net to tie up the game, but the Predators fought back and ended up with the win. Everyone was disappointed as it put them up in the series, but you had faith the Stars would come back in the end. Which is exactly what happened in game four when the Stars scored five straight goals before the third, to come away as the victors. It happened again in game five when they were home again. They now lead the series and could win the first round with just one more game and so they did, effectively eliminating the Predators from the playoffs.

 Tyler's family decided to fly in for the next round and flew in right after the first round was over to get a couple extra days with all three of you before the second round of play began. "Where's my grandson," Jackie cooed the minute she walked through the door from the airport, the rest of the family trailing behind her.

 "He's right here," you answered handing him over. "He took an extra long nap, so he can stay up with all of you." Jace, for his part, was his happy self, smiling and gurgling at his grandparents and aunts.

 "He's gotten so big," Jackie commented as it had been over a month since they last saw him. "You're getting to be such a big boy, aren't you Jace?" She said in the cutest little baby voice.

 "I swear mom, he changes every time I'm on the road, though (Y/N) insists he doesn't." Tyler weaseled his way in close to his mom, practically pushing Cassidy out of the way. "Tell Grammy a story." He said, finger going to Jace's chubby chin.

 "Excuse me, Mister Babyhog. You have him all the time, can you please let me in to see my nephew?" Cassidy shoved Tyler out of the way.

 "Fine, brat, though I hope he pukes on you."

 "Tyler!" You yelled at him. "He's not going to puke on you. Well…hopefully not." Jace did spit up from time to time, but all babies did that. "Why don't you guys come and sit down. I'm sure it was a long flight. Ty will take the bags up."

 "I will?" You knew he was only kidding, but you still gave him a look anyhow. "I'm going, be right back."

 "So how are the wedding plans going?" It was the first thing out of Candace's mouth since she got there. She was sitting close to Jackie, eager to scoop up your child the moment her mom handed him over.

 "Really good actually. I have a few more dress fittings, but everything else is pretty much taken care of for now. Did you both get your dresses in yet?" Both of Tyler's sisters had agreed to be your bridesmaids, and it had been a bit difficult getting their dresses plus Jenna and Anna's ordered with them being in Canada.

 "They came in the other day," Cassidy answered. "Though mine is like three sizes too big for me." When a look of shock came on your face, she quickly told you not to worry that it would be altered before the wedding. It was hard to believe that in a couple short months you'd be marrying Tyler in front of all your family and friends. Of course, you were already Mrs. Tyler Seguin, but this ceremony was going to be your dream wedding, the one you'd thought about since you were a little girl. Tyler had made sure to spare no expense to make all your dreams come true. Time flew by as you guys chatted about the wedding, hockey, and everything that had been going on with their lives. Jace however, reminded you that it was feeding time, letting out a hungry cry while Cassidy was holding him. "I swear I didn't pinch him."

 "He just hungry is all. It's about a half-hour later than when he eats." She went to hand him over, but you stopped her. "You can feed him if you want. He's a bottle baby now. Let me just go get one ready." Jackie knew this information already as you'd had long conversations with her about it, but you didn't want to get into it now with Tyler's dad there. You went into the kitchen and prepped Jace's bottle, only to see that you were running low on formula. Jace seemed to be going through more formula than you could buy sometimes. Although it was more than likely you just weren't used to buying it and having it in stock in your pantry. Handing over the bottle to Cassidy, you walked over and Tyler afterward telling him that you needed to go to the store to pick some more up.

 "Babe, it's late can't we just get it tomorrow?"

 "We're completely out, that was the last bottle. I forgot to write it on my list. I'm still not used to it buying it all the time." You told Tyler as he reached for your waist to pull you close. "I'll literally be fifteen minutes."

 "I can go."

 "Stay with your family. I won't be long." Leaning down you placed a chaste kiss on your husband's lips. "You can bath Jace if you want because he'll probably be ready for bed soon."

 "Sure babe, hurry back." He said before swatting your butt as you walked away. The grocery store wasn't more than five minutes from your house and was pretty quiet at ten-thirty on Tuesday night. Which meant you could get in and out of there in no time. You grabbed a basket and headed toward the baby food aisle. It just so happened your walk passed the snack aisle. It was like your favorite chips were calling out your name, as they were on the end cap. You grabbed a bag, knowing Tyler would make fun of you for getting them, as you'd been trying to shed the last few pounds of baby weight, but you figured it was ok to cheat while the family was there. Calories didn't count when there were more people to share your indulgence.

 You also grabbed a couple other things that you'd thought you'd need in hopes of not having to come to the store for a few days, before picking up four large cans of formula for Jace. There was only one register open, but seeing as the place was practically empty; you didn't have to wait for anyone else to check out in front of you. "Hi Mrs. Seguin," Jimmy your bagger said. He was a cute high school kid, that always seemed to remember your name. Probably because you'd gotten him a signed puck from Tyler after he'd helped with all your groceries every time.

 "Hi Jimmy, I'm surprised to see you working tonight."

 "Gotta get the hours when I came, with track season."

 "How's that going? I think last week you told me you took fourth in the four hundred." You liked that young Jimmy not only worked hard at his sport but also his job. He seemed like a really nice kid.

 "Took second this week." He told you, all smiles, as he bagged up your groceries and placed them on the carousel.

 "Congratulations, keep up the good work. I'm sure the next one, you'll be in first place."

 "I sure hope so. Need me to help you out tonight."

 "No, I only have a few things, but thanks." You picked up Jace's formula and started to head for the door. "I expect to hear that you're on top of the podium the next time I'm in. Have a good night."

 "You too," he called out as the doors slid open for you.

 The parking lot was always dim and you vaguely wondered when they were going to get the lights fixed as you headed toward the SUV. You weren't paying attention, solely focused on just getting to the car, when you felt someone come up behind you. "Get in the car if you ever want to see your son again." You gasp as you felt a cold steel blade against your midsection. You wanted to scream, but it somehow died in your throat as you realized the threat of never seeing Jace again. Headlights seemed to appear out of nowhere as a car started to pull forward. "Do as I say and you won't get hurt." The deep timbre of the man's voice told you. The urge to throw up was overwhelming. What did this man want with you? Was he going to kill you or worse hurt Jace? You would die before you'd let anything happen to your baby. You had no choice but to do as the man said.

  TYLER'S POV

 "Tyler, I think the cops are here," Cassidy yelled from downstairs, and you instantly checked your watch to see what time it was. (Y/N) had left well over a half-hour ago to go get formula. Your heart was in your throat as you carried Jace downstairs wrapped in a little duckie towel, with no diaper on yet.

 "Are you sure they're coming here?"

 "Sure looks like it," Cassidy said as she peered through the curtains in the dining room which gave a great view of the front lawn, where two cop cars were now pulling in. Your heart started to sink. You hadn't remembered hearing any sirens, and surely you would've if there'd been an accident. You hadn't looked in the garage but (Y/N) almost always drove the G wagon when she went somewhere and that would be the best car to keep her safe in the event of an accident. Panic must have shown on your face for the next thing you heard was your mom's voice.

 "I'm sure everything's fine sweetheart."

 It seemed as if it was taking the officers an endless amount of time to get to the front door, leaving you plenty of scenarios running through your mind. Maybe there was a shooter and your wife was lying on some cold grocery store floor bleeding out. While Tweedledee and Tweedledum took their sweet time coming to get you. So help you god, if (Y/N) needed you and these two didn't get to you in time there would be hell to pay. You found yourself shaking and no idea why as the doorbell rang. You were already standing there, so you opened it with your free hand, the one not holding Jace. "Mr. Seguin?" The office inquired and you tried to read their face to gauge what had happened.

 "Yes."

 "We're here about your wife, (Y/N)." A ringing noise sounded in your ears and things became muffled as your heartbeat sped to a rapid pace. You'd never passed out in your life, but it felt like you were going to. You were vaguely aware of your mom taking Jace out of your arms until you heard his cries, which snapped you out of things. You needed to be strong not only for (Y/N) but for Jace as well. "There's been an incident involving your wife." The minute the words were out of the officer's mouth, all the blood drained from your body. Jace could not grow up without his mom; you wouldn't let it happen.

 Somehow you found the courage to ask, "Is she ok?"

 "Oh, yes, she's a little shaken up, but that's to be expected." The words shaken up kept echoing in your head, but at least she was ok. Maybe it was just a small car accident. You could replace the car twenty times over, but you couldn't replace (Y/N). "They're taking her down to the station to get her statement. She asked if we could come and get you."

 The other officer chimed in. "And bring you these as well." It was grocery bags with formula in it for Jace. If she still had the presence of mind to send that home, she must be ok surely.

 "What happened?"

 "Oh I'm sorry, we should've mentioned this before. There was an attempted abduction."

 You blinked as if you'd misheard him, but then you heard Cassidy repeat the word abduction. "Are you trying to say someone tried to kidnap my wife?" When the officer nodded, you swore. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

 "No sir, we're not. I think it best if we head to the station. We can continue this down there." Of course, he was right, but you wanted to know everything and you wanted to know now. "Mrs. Seguin is pretty shaken up, understandably and I'm sure your presence there will help." The cops were right, you needed to be with (Y/N).

 "Can you…" you turned and asked your family.

 "Of course," your mom answered not even letting you finish asking her to watch Jace.

 "Do you want me to go with you?" It was your dad who offered, but you shook your head no. You wanted to be with (Y/N) and not have to worry about anyone else.

 "No, I'll keep you guys posted though." You grabbed your phone before following the officers out to the car. Thankfully, it was a quick ride to the police station. You wanted to sprint inside but didn't know where to go, so you had to bide your time and follow the cops in. They lead you to a room off to the side where (Y/N) was sitting, her body visibly shaking as she sat there. "(Y/N)." Her head snapped up at the sound of your voice, and you took in her appearance, mascara streaked down her face from crying, eyes red and swollen from the same. She looked like hell, but at least she was here. In less than a second, you were standing in front of her, pulling her into your arms. She sobbed and sobbed, and you found yourself crying as well as you stroked her back and pressed kisses to the top of her head. "I've got you," you whispered and there was part of you that never wanted to let her go. Ever. You let her cry a bit more, then pulled her back a bit, still keeping your arms around her, needing to touch her to know that she was fine. "Are you ok? What happened?"

 She took in a deep breath, trying to calm her shattered nerves. You rubbed her arms up and down. "I'm ok, just scared." You could see that in her eyes. "I thought I'd never see you again for a minute." That ringing in your ears came back and you didn't even like the thought of thinking that something like that could happen, and though you wanted to hear what happened, you pulled her back in, your lips going straight to hers.

 "I will never let that happen," you told her between a few more kisses.

 "Mr. and Mrs. Seguin," a detective said as he and a fellow officer stepped into the room. "We were wondering if we could get your statement now, ma'am?" (Y/N) nodded her head and they motioned for you both to take a seat. "I know we've been over this before, but we need to have it officially on the record." He pulled out a recorder and set it on the table. "Can you start from the beginning for us?"

 You put your arm around (Y/N) hoping to give her some measure of comfort. "I had gone to the store for the formula for my son." (Y/N) started. "I grabbed a couple extra things, then went to checkout. I talked to Jimmy for a couple minutes."

 "And Jimmy is…" the officer prompted.

 "He works as a bagger at the store. He usually carries my groceries out to the car for me."

 "Ok continue."

 "Since I didn't have that many bags, I told Jimmy not to worry about taking them to the car and I started out to the parking lot. That's when some man came up behind me." She shuttered and you tightened your grip around her. "He told me to get in the car if I ever wanted to see my son again." You swallowed past the lump that had formed in your throat, as (Y/N) retold the details of what happened. "He had a knife pressed against my stomach." Unconsciously, you looked down and saw the tear in her shirt as well as the blood.

 "Fuck, are you hurt?" You knew you were interrupting but this was your wife and if she was bleeding, you needed to get her to the hospital.

 "It's just a scratch." She told you lifting the shirt and showing you the bandage that someone had obviously put on.

 "Ma'am if you could keep going?"

 "Yes, of course." (Y/N) answered with a shaky breath. "There was a car, a black SUV of some sort, maybe a suburban. I can't be sure. I saw it coming towards us and knew he wanted me to get in the vehicle. I didn't know what to do." She turned towards you then, ignoring the police. "I knew you had Jace and that nothing would happen to him, but I was so scared and then he pressed the knife further into me and told me that if I did what he said I wouldn't get hurt." My god, the terror that must have been running through her. It was going through you right now as she was reliving it. You wanted to hit something or punch someone, preferably the person who had done this to her. "The car was almost to us when Jimmy came running out hollering my name. I had forgotten a bag. Jimmy, must have been able to see the knife or know something was wrong because then he was yelling at the man to let me go and he called for security. I didn't even know they had security there."

 "They don't ma'am. I think that was just a tactic he used to scare your attacker." You remembered (Y/N) having you sign a puck for this young kid, but now you owed him so much more.

 "Oh, that was smart. Much smarter than I was." A couple tears were coming down her face and you brushed them away with the pad of your thumb. "Anyway, the next thing I knew the guy pushed me towards Jimmy. I think that's when he cut me. I really don't know. It could've been earlier too. I never really felt it." Her hand went to her stomach almost as if she was wondering how she couldn't have felt the wound being inflicted. "I remember falling on top of Jimmy. I didn't see what happened next, but I could hear the tires screeching as the car got away. The next thing I knew there were workers from inside the store rushing out and they brought us both inside and put the store on lockdown then called you."

 "Did you ever see the man that tried to take you?"

 "No," she whispered harshly as if she was berating herself for not seeing his face. "He had on a black hoodie and black gloves. That's all I remember. I should've seen more."

 "No, it's quite alright." The officer shut the tape off then. "You've given us a lot to go on, plus we're looking at the footage from the grocery store. Hopefully, we'll be able to get a license plate off the vehicle or a clear look at the man's face."

 "We don't believe that this is any sort of human trafficking incident." The second detective told you. "If I had to guess, I'd say this was a targeted attack against you and your family."

 This time you were shaking along with (Y/N), though not from fear but anger. That someone would purposely go after your family made your body white-hot with fury. "Who would do such a thing?"

 "We'd like to know that as well Mr. Seguin. Is there anyone that you could think of that would want to harm either you or Mrs. Seguin?"

 "I mean, we've had a few comments on Instagram. Nothing with anyone threatening to harm us though." You told the police. "I'd actually hired someone to look into the matter, though they haven't found anything yet."

 "If you could put us in contact with that person, we'd greatly appreciate it."

 "Of course." You wrote down the name of the investigator that you'd hired along with his number. "May I ask why you think they're targeting us?"

 "The fact that they knew you had a son, gives us the impression that they've looked into your family. Maybe they simply wanted money and not to harm you, it's hard to say, especially with you being a well-known athlete and all." You'd give up your career in a heartbeat if it meant it would keep your family safe. "You haven't noticed anything suspicious around your house lately. Maybe a parked car that's there, that you don't recognize or someone driving by a lot." Both you and (Y/N) shook your heads no, though you'd be sure to have the security footage of your house checked. "It's likely they've been watching you and waiting for the right opportunity to present itself, like tonight. We'll have a car drive by over the next week to make sure things are ok."

 "Thank you, we'd appreciate that." (Y/N) told them.

 "That's all we need for now," the officer said, then handed you over a card. "We have all your information if we find out anything at all, we'll give you a call. If you remember anything, Mrs. Seguin, please call us."

 "I will and thank you." With that, you headed out of the station and into your car to head home.

 The drive home was silent, though you held (Y/N)'s hand the whole way, brushing your thumb across her knuckles in a loving way. The closer you got to home, the more you wanted to say something, but just didn't know what to say. "Babe, I know my family is going to ask a ton of questions. If you just want to go to bed that's fine."

 "No, it's ok."

 "Well, just say the word if they annoy you or something." She smiled over at you then, it was lacking that bright and airiness that she always had, so you brought her hand to your lips and kissed her. "Whatever you need baby, I'm right here."

 You pulled the car in the garage, practically running to get out so that you could be by (Y/N)'s side. The moment you opened the door all eyes were on the two of you; your mom rushing up to (Y/N) and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh sweetheart, are you ok?" You heard a small sob escape her lips and your heart broke yet again. It took everything your power to let your mom comfort her, instead of pulling (Y/N) back into your arms.

 She didn't cry long though, pulling back from your mom and brushing away the few tears she'd shed. "I'm fine or I will be. I just need to see my son."

 "I just put him down to sleep," Cassidy somewhat protested and you gave her a look to silence anything else she might say.

 "You go see him, dear. I'm sure he needs his mom as well." Again, that weak smile appeared on her lips as she headed off upstairs to Jace's room. As much as you wanted to run upstairs behind her, you knew your family was anxious to hear what had happened, so you filled them in before following (Y/N).

 When you finally made it upstairs about ten minutes later, she was just standing by the crib staring down at your son. You placed your hand at the small of her back, letting her know you were there. She flinched slightly but then melted back against you. "He looks so peaceful. I don't want to wake him." She whispered.

 Kissing her temple, you told her, "Pick him up, babe." You knew she was dying to hold him, you could feel it in the way she stood there, hands clenched on the railings of the crib trying to stop herself. "You know he'll go right back to sleep." Jace was used to you coming home late and holding him even if he was fast asleep.

 She nodded then leaned down and gently picked him up. Cradling him in her arms, you saw her bring him up to her face and just inhale his fresh baby scent. She kissed his little head and you saw tears slip down her cheeks, yet she seemed to hold it together for Jace's sake. You slipped your arms around her waist, wincing when you felt the bandage on her stomach. She leaned back into your embrace. "Can he sleep in our room tonight? I don't want to be too far away from him."

 "You don't need to ask me that (Y/N). He can sleep in there forever."

 Her head twisted back to look at you. "Not forever."

 "Well, no, but you know what I mean." You dropped a kiss to her temple, then rocked back and forth with her and Jace in your arms. Time just sort of disappeared, and you weren't sure how long you stayed like that. "Why don't we head to bed?" She nodded and the two of you went downstairs, everyone sitting in the living room with the tv on but only for background noise.

 You thought (Y/N) would head straight to the bedroom, but she stopped. "I'm so sorry that I ruined tonight."

 (Y/N) went to say more, but your dad stopped her. "Sweetie, this was not your fault."

 "No, it most definitely wasn't," your mom added. "Why don't you let me make you a cup of tea? It'll help you sleep."

 "That would be lovely. Thank you, Jackie."

 "Sure things sweetheart. I'll bring it to you. Now you go lay down." Your mom shooshed her out of the room and down the hall. You mouthed a thank you to her, as you followed (Y/N) to the bedroom.

 Grabbing Jace's bassinet, you pulled it over to (Y/N)'s side of the bed so Jace would be close to her. She kissed him a few times before laying him down. It was moments later that your mom was bringing her in a cup of tea. She quickly gave you both a hug goodnight and said she'd see you in the morning before closing the door, leaving the three of you alone again. "Let's get you ready for bed." You went into the closet and grabbed one of your old t-shirts that was her favorite for her. When you came back into the room, her top was off and you got a good look at the size of the cut on her stomach. The bandage covered most of her abdomen and you sucked in a breath hating that not only did she have to go through something like this but now she would carry the scar from it to remind her. Mentally, you made a note to talk to the team doctor on tips to minimize the scarring for her.

 She slipped into the t-shirt then sipped some of the tea before crawling into bed, her hand immediately going to the side of the bassinet. You climbed in behind her, wrapping your arms around her so that not an inch of space separated the two of you. "I love you, Ty," she whispered, her free hand entwining with yours.

 "I love you more, baby." You peppered her with kisses, in her hair, on her neck, anywhere that you could. She relaxed a bit in your arms and you were hoping that she was falling asleep, but then you heard a soft sniffle. Your wife was trying to be so brave and you loved her even more for that, but she didn't need to be. "I've got you, baby. I'm not going to let anything bad ever happen to you." It was a bit later when you finally heard her sleeping, though for you sleep wouldn't come as you laid there coming up with ways you were going to protect your family.  

[atruththatyoudeny]

Monthly Reads | September 2020

Happy 28th! All the love for all the authors in this fandom. Thank you for making my days better with your work! ♥ Here are all the fics I read and loved this month: 🍂 Remember Me Fondly | kiddle | enemies to friends to lovers - 1990s - historical - angst - humor - closets - 74k “You’ve told the beginning of the story so many times. I want to hear the end.” Louis laughed, scratching at his chin. “I can’t say I really know when the end happened.” “How about the tour of ninety-five?” “Alright.” Louis took a deep breath. “But it took a few steps to get there. What would you like to know?” Penny cleared her throat. “How did you first meet Harry Styles?” Grunge legends Fearless Doe topped the rock charts in the ‘90s, but they spent the decade kicking Smudge off their heels. From lawsuits to jaw-dropping scandals and a surprising joint world tour, the two bands share a complicated history. Twenty-five years later, frontmen Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles are finally ready to sit down and tell the world their two sides of the same story. Truth may vary.

🍂 you came into my life | disgruntledkittenface | Queer Eye AU - american AU - closeted character - Coming Out - pining - fluff - angst - implied/referenced homophobia - 57k They stand around talking for a minute and then Jonathan starts to ramble, “Has there ever been, like, an unrequited gay love story in here? Like a Brokeback Mountain moment where, like, someone just fell in love and they didn’t mean to?” Louis feels bile rise in his throat as Jonathan’s eyes sparkle, pleading for a yes. He manages to look around and see thoughtful looks on his coworkers’ faces before their heads shake no. “Not here,” Liam says finally. When the Queer Eye cast and crew sweep into Louis’ small town and fire station to make over his best friend and coworker Liam, Louis’ carefully constructed walls start to fall down and he has to face his fears – and the only guy he’s ever been able to see a future with.

🍂 Everything I need I get from you | jaerie | a/b/o - mpreg - strangers to lovers - emotional/ psychological abuse - sexism - unplanned pregnancy - 10k In a world where music and sound are just as vital to health as food, Harry is stuck in a town that thinks professional music is a scam and a relationship he never wanted. One chance event changes his life.

🍂 at last, at last | suspendrs | post-apocalypse - dystopia - cult - mentions of violence - mentions of death - homophobia - internalized homophobia - 41k “Come with us,” Tommo says, stopping at the other end of the gymnasium, near the doors. “Don’t let them make you suffer any longer. Come with us, and be human.” Before Harry has even finished thinking it through, he’s on his feet, gaining the attention of every single person in the gymnasium. What has he got to lose, anyway? Or, Harry is born into a cult in a post-apocalyptic world, and Louis is the leader of the rebel group tasked with the mission of shutting them down. Together, they make a rather effective team.

🍂 give me love | falsegoodnight and soldouthaz | a/b/o - past relationship trauma - past abusive relationship - slow burn - touch deprivation - touch starvation - nesting - angst - fluff - 41k Despite being an omega, Louis’ always had a blatant dislike of alphas. - Or, Louis doesn't feel like a good omega, Harry doesn't remember how to be an alpha, and they figure it out together.

🍂 You, Who Never Arrived | abrighteryellow | Only You AU - strangers to lovers - 90s AU - world travel - soulmates - fluff - angst - Fate & Destiny - 42k “That was him, Niall.” He claps a hand over a disbelieving laugh. “My soulmate – the person I’ve been waiting for since I was nine years old. That was him on the other end of the phone.” “But it can’t–” Niall stutters, unsure of what to do, how to put a stop to this. “That wasn’t real.” “Wasn’t it?” Louis rushes past him, zipping up his fly. He grabs a black denim jacket from a hook near the door. “Then who did I just talk to?” “Where are you going?” Niall demands as Louis pockets his keys and swings his front door open. “I just have to get a look at him. I just have to see, that’s all!” “You’re not serious. Louis, it’s already late.” “He’s at the airport. Fifteen years I’ve been expecting him around every corner, and now he’s half an hour away. I can’t just sit here.” “Bu–” “I’m not going to do anything crazy, I promise. I just–I have to see him. This is my chance. Maybe my only chance.” Louis Tomlinson is days away from marrying a perfectly nice podiatrist when he gets a phone call that changes everything. Or, the Only You AU in which Louis has a soulmate and it's definitely not Harry Styles.

🍂 Shall we sleep, my love? | givelourrylove | angst - emotional hurt/comfort - kid fic - 15k There is so much sincerity in Harry’s voice. So much that says you, Louis, I look forward to seeing you, you and your soft eyes and your petite body, just you, you, you, but Louis forces himself to ignore that. To gulp it down again, sizing up the lump that had formed beneath his lungs, possibly reappearing any time and choking him with everything he decided not to think about for the past year. or Louis loses his job as a teacher, has to move out and find somewhere to live. A certain someone named Harry offers his home to Louis and his son. Pining, crying and reading bedtime stories involved.

🍂 so much I could live for I could die | louisnights | dystopia - trans character - sexual harrassment - friends to lovers - strangers to friends to lovers - no smut - 15k “Sometimes I wonder what’s out there,” Louis confesses, tucking into his second biscuit. “I wonder if what they’re saying is true, about the Thieves, about the other compounds. Why are we not allowed to leave? Go to other compounds?” Lottie gets up, letting out a sigh as she squeezes his shoulder. “You shouldn’t think like that, Lou, it will get you killed.” “They can’t take away my thoughts,” Louis answers defiantly. Lottie pats his shoulder before she disappears to her room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. or: Louis is a transgender man who escapes his compound after extenuating circumstances, and meets the Thieves, who show him what freedom really is.

🍂 A Road To Hope | he_wants_to_write | historical - World War II - 1940s - farm/ranch - PTSD - emotional hurt - hurt/comfort - angst - mental instability - internalized homophobia - 18k “We’re far from the people and their issues, don’t hold back. Please.” It’s true. They are far away from anything that could stop them, the middle of nowhere being the safest place on Earth for them to fall in love. The sacred land where sacred love is created. However, Louis is certain that even if they weren’t safe, he wouldn’t resist the sight of Harry, his pleading eyes, his warm skin beneath his touch. or In the heat of April, 1944, an escapee soldier lost in a dirt-road stumbles upon a small farm and finds himself recovering from the traumas of World War II in the simplicity of a frugal life, with the help of a little boy's innocent soul, and a farmer's hopeful green eyes.

🍂 With Love's Light Wings | 4ureyesonly28 and reminiscingintherain | Rome and Juliet AU - a/b/o - 1920s - marriage proposals - 12k Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair London town, where we lay our scene... — Or something like that, anyway. On either side of the River Thames live Louis Montague and Harry Capulet, their noble packs entangled in a feud so old, nobody even remembers what caused it. As fate will have it, against all odds, they fall in love. Harder than the bricks that make up their families’ estates and faster than a Duesenberg car. AKA The 1920s ABO Romeo & Juliet AU that we desperately wanted to write.

🍂 The Very First Words of a Lifelong Love Letter | LiveLaughLoveLarry | first meetings - friends to lovers - weddings - no smut - 9.5k The prompt I picked was (lightly edited): "Harry and Louis have been best friends ever since they met through fandom (I picked Critical Role) twitter. Person A (I picked Louis) lives in New York City and Person B (Harry) lives in the UK. They’ve never met in person but they FaceTime and text daily. Person B’s cousin is getting married to a rich American who’s paying for the entire family to travel to The Hamptons for a summer wedding. Are Harry and Louis ready to meet?" ~*~ Harry thought he was just imagining things when the flower girl looked like one of the twins, but -- he’s almost certain that groomsman is Louis. The pictures he's seen haven't been the best quality, granted, but he knows Louis. He does. Harry stares wide-eyed as he walks down the aisle in step with the bridesmaid, taking their places on either side of the stage. As they turn to look out into the audience, Harry’s strong suspicion solidifies into certainty. That’s Louis. He’d bet his life on it. But Louis doesn’t look at him, and it’s not like Harry can wave. He can only stare, mouth still hanging half-open. Suddenly, as much as he loves weddings, he can’t wait for this one to be over.

🍂 promise you'll remember (when the sky is grey) | Anonymous | american AU - summer - 33k "Once you come to this town, you find that it's not so easy to leave," Niall spoke with a fond tone in his voice. "Canyon isn't a place that one leaves behind easily." "I guess we'll be able to test your theory come August," Harry spoke with a small grin, "because I'm set to leave on the twenty-ninth to get back to work in LA." Niall smirked back in reply, "I guess we will, but mark my words, you'll end up finding something to make you stay. We all did." Harry laughed, surprised at the man’s unwavering confidence in his statement. "We'll see." - a summer spent in small town Maine, filled with trips to the farmer’s market, lemonade tailgating, taylor swift, and falling in love at quite possibly the most inconvenient time ever (not necessarily in that order).

[msilwrites]

(A 3AM Update) A True Gentleman, Chapter 20 - A case of jealousy

A/N: Hi guys! Chapter 20 is up! Enjoy reading and tell me what you think in the comments below.

TWENTY

A case of jealousy

Diana stared at the large tall ceiling of the concert hall. Right now, she's lying down on the stage, with a book on top of her rib cage, whilst doing vocal exercises and singing. Without a doubt, any member of the orchestra knew it was Aedan's doing.

As Diana struggled to recover every time she needs to prolong a part, Aedan required her to practice her breathing and take her voice completely from her diaphragm.

" You take the high road and I take the low, and I'll be in Scotland before ye, for me and my true love will never meet again, in the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond..."

The instruments and Diana's voice closes the song, whilst the music fade, her cold voice prolongs the last verse, and echoes throughout the music hall, giving chills to people around. The hall was quiet for a while, but then applause followed coming from the orchestra musicians, appreciating the improvement in Diana's voice.

"OH MY GOSH! Aedan! your method work!!" she declares! seeing the improvement in her voice.

"It did, but you can't sing lying down during performances, Diana!" Aedan says playfully. "Which is why it is important to practice standing!"

Diana sighs and gets up from the floor. Singing had drained her a bit of vocal power and physical energy, therefore she needed a short break. She sits beside Aedan and takes the unopened bottle of Snapple beside him.

"That was mine!" he reprimands.

"I owe you one..." was her quick response.

"You owe me a lot, speaking of which... what was your Dr Skovgaards reaction?"

She narrows her eyes at him, remembering the incident that had recently taken place. "Are trying to get me into trouble, Aedan?! you bloody sent my dress for the wedding gig, with a box of flowers and a 'dirty' letter-"

"Which you wrote by yourself by the way!" Aedan quickly rebuffs her.

" It was your idea! I told you to discard it!! You made it look like some scene in some cheesy r-rated novel!" she says reprimanding him, but all he did was laugh at her.

" So? Did it work? did it work? what was his reaction?! tell me! tell me! you're killing me with the suspense!."

**********

FLASHBACK

It was Saturday quarter to noon when the doorbell rang. Isaac, since he was having his day off, was the one who answered the door, instead of Diana. Heck, that girl almost never showed her presence recently, and only placed mail for him at the dining table.

Isaac opens the door and was surprised to find a delivery man carrying a large black box of 'Net-A-Porter' and on his other hand, was a huge round box of bright pink roses.

"I did not order such thing!" was the first thing he said to the delivery man.

But the delivery man just laughed at him " Well, no one ordered them, these are all for 'Diana Rutherford' unless you happen to be her. Anyways, could you help me receive them? It's really heavy..."

Isaac's mouth hung agape, he didn't know how to react at the moment, and just took the boxes that the delivery man was carrying.

" Alright, please help me sign here to receive and we're good!" the delivery man hands him the 'received slip' after signing before leaving.

Isaac carries the boxes to the living room, and as much as he didn't want to, began snooping in. On top of the net-a-porter box was a card. He opened it and read its contents.

" To my sweetest Diana,

I hope you love the dress and the flowers I gave you. They represent my feelings towards you. I will fill you with love the next time I see you, I want to fill you with all the joys of the flesh, you lovely, lovely woman... I'd fill you until -"

Isaac clenched his fist and unknowingly crumpled the side of the letter. He read throughout it and it became steamy to explicitly dirty. His face felt warm, imagining what Diana had done with the man who sent these things, he just couldn't accept it and that was what broke the camels back.

He read the name at the end of the letter 'Sam'.

He chuckled and finally decided. "Alright, Sam... off you go..." he mumbles to himself. He didn't exactly know what came over him, but he wanted to throw the things this 'Sam' guy has sent.

"Dr. Skovgaard!" a familiar voice from up the stairs called him. He looked up to find Diana, looking at him expectantly. "Are those for me?!" she said excitedly, and came jogging downstairs."

"Uhhmmm... yes, some 'Sam' guy sent it to you..."

Diana forced a smile. 'Sam' was the pseudonym that she and Aedan agreed upon when they wrote the letter. Heck, she told him to abort the plan, but it seems it wasn't the case.

She quickly takes the boxes from Isaac and took a look at their contents, the dress she rented for one of her performances was already there. Aedan had packed it using a net-a-porter box to make it look like it was 'bought' instead of being rented.

The flowers were something she had bought for herself to place in her room, but it was Aedan's idea to make it look romantic.

She looks at the letter, and cringe upon reading it. It was actually a group of explicit letters formed into one. On the side, she couldn't help but notice the large crumple on the perfectly smooth surface of the card.

"Did you read the letter, Dr Skovgaard?" she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

"Uhhhmmm... no..." was his quick denial, however, Diana's gaze made him admit to it unknowingly. " Yes... by accident, sorry I was curious... " was his immediate defence.

"Oh..." she felt embarrassed and screamed internally.

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two before he spoke again.

"Whose, Sam? Are you two dating?" he tried to sound casual, but there was a strain in his voice that didn't escape Diana.

"Oh... uh, ahehehehe," she laughs awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. She noticed his expression darken and definitely didn't want to look him straight in the eyes. "It's a secret Dr Skovgaard!" she declares and winks at him, catching him off-guard.

She quickly takes the boxes from Isaac, and the card, and ran back upstairs to her room, singing a sensual tune, called 'Pillowtalk'. "I love to hold you close, tonight and always, I love to wake up next to you..." she dreamily sings.

Isaac clenched his teeth, the dreamy and shy expression, and singing silly to a dirty tune. This woman was smitten to whoever this 'Sam' guy is.

He did not like it one bit.

END OF FLASHBACK

**********

Diana shakes her head, and covers her face in embarrassment, just by remembering the letter she wrote to herself, and the fact that Isaac has read the letter.

On the side was Aedan laughing his head off upon hearing everything that had happened.

"Stop it, Aedan!" she chastises him, slapping his shoulder, but he just laughed louder. "I'm about to die in embarrassment!"

"You should thank me! you got the reaction out of him, he's jealous!" he exclaimed.

"I don't think that's the case Aedan, I think he's more concerned and angry at the thought of me probably dating a hypersexual man."

"Oh, Diana, based on what you told me, he's definitely jealous! trust me! I'm a man!" he assures, but she still doesn't believe.

"Oh well... I guess I'd revel in his reactions while it lasts... " She sighs.

**********

The next weekend, her first assignment is to sing at a society wedding. Aedan saw that Diana lacked confidence, and he didn't want her to stand and sing awkwardly on the day of the main performance. So what other way can she build confidence? by doing a performance! Or throwing her to the sharks full of water, courtesy of Aedan.

Today, she was going to sing with a piano quintet, and the church choir and she couldn't help but feel nervous, knowing she is the soloist for today and felt regret despite the promise of payment.

"Well... I can finally buy a 3D printer..." she assures herself as she walks towards the church's opulent doors wearing the dress that she had 'sent' herself.

She knew this wee bit of money will help her buy the tools she needed in order to set up a small workshop studio she wanted and with renewed spirit, enters the halls of the church. Voices echoed as she entered halls, some of the guests were already seated whilst a number of children were still running around. The quintet was already there, setting up their strings and reading the music sheets, whilst the small choir were still chatting amongst themselves.

She heads towards the pulpit where all the musician was, but before she could even reach the place, familiar voices called her from behind. Turning around, she found her cousin Henry, beside her father, Francis and they were wearing kilts, and then she realized most of the men in the halls were indeed wearing kilts. Without a doubt, this was a Scottish wedding.

"Diana! It's nice to see you!" Henry greets, as he gets out of the pew to embrace his cousin.

"Ahehe... Henry? Da? What are you doing here?" was her first question.

"I should be the one asking you that!" was Francis reply. "What are you doing here? Do you happen to know the bride or groom?"

"Oh... uhhmmm... you know... to sing!" she declares.

"What?!" Francis was stunned. Sing?! Why does she need to sing? Unless she was actually the wedding singer. "Wait! Are you-"

"I'll talk to you later Da!" she says, half running to the pulpit, not wanting any more of the interrogation. It was better if he finds out himself that the wedding singer is his daughter. She'd face his wrath later on.

Half an hour later, the wedding has begun. She clears her throat and opens with the song called ' The One by Kodaline, as the entrance wedding march.

The piano began, and the choir began to sing the back vocals. Her cold voice followed, singing the first verse.

"Tell me. Tell me that you want me. And I'll be yours completely For better or for worse." she sings, as the processional march began with the wedding officiant entering first, followed by the groom and his best men. Afterwards, the bridesmaids, groomsmen and the ring bearer and flower girls entered the halls, scattering flowers down the floor.

And when the brides, turn came, the guess had stood up to welcome her.

" You make my heart feel like it's summer When the rain is pouring down You make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong That's how I know you are the one " she closes, the song when the bride had reached the altar. Turning to the side, she watched the groom shed some tears, as he took his bride's hands. It was no mistake that it was tears of joy.

She turned and found a number of guests, also crying. Including her father, and cousin, Henry. Heck, she'd never thought she'd see the day these tough men cry.

A pang of jealousy hits her as she watched the wedding ceremony. It takes her back to the time when she was seventeen, dreaming of her own wedding, whilst looking at Vera Wang wedding catalogues on the internet. She too dreamt of getting married to a man who loves her, a man who'd help her escape from her once uncaring father. A man who'd take away all the pain that she had suffered. But no, the man whom she almost married gave nothing but pain. If they did end up on the altar, she wondered if she would've become mental by now, or currently doing divorce proceedings. It took many twists and turns for her to realize that only she can make herself happy.

When the vows ended, Diana took it as a cue to sing the next song 'Fix You' by Coldplay. The strings open the song followed by the piano and then the hum of the choir.

"Tears stream down your face I promise you, I will learn from my mistakes Tears stream down your face and I...

Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you" The choir and quintet fade in the background as she prolongs the last word, and her voice echoed like cold wind throughout the church's halls.

The bride and the groom cry with tears of joy as the song ended, touched at the way Diana sang the song. The couple looks at each other fondly, before turning back to the altar.

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife! You may now kiss the bride!" the wedding officiant declares.

Without any hesitation, the groom lifts the bride's veil and kisses her. Loud applause and cheers followed, and the recessional music plays.

Diana watched the bride and the groom march out of the church, followed by their cheering guest. It was moments like this that made her question her own life. However, she puts it aside, knowing where her priorities now lie.

A/N: I might have made some grammatical errors, so I'd do some soft editing along the way.

I hope you enjoyed that one! What do you think of Isaac being jealous? tell me in the comments section below.

[adenei]

Always A Bridesmaid, Never A Bride - Chapter 6

AO3 || FFN

Hermione

It was official. I’d agree to anything if it meant I had a chance to spend time with Harry outside of work. I knew it was a problem, and it was blatantly clear when Jenny called me in a rush this morning. She thought she’d scheduled an appointment to set up her registry at John Lewis  for Monday, but her days had gotten mixed up and she took the only open slot for Sunday. 

Of course, I knew she’d already booked herself at the bridal salon and florist, and couldn’t fit it in as she was explaining her mix-up. I was going to suggest she reschedule, but then I heard her mutter about sending someone else, and thinking she was going to send Harry, I offered to go, too. So, despite telling myself numerous times to just call her and cancel, I still forged ahead, even though I knew my ulterior motive was despicable.

Jenny had slipped her list of items under my door while I was in the shower. I thought it was odd if she was sending Harry, but then maybe she didn’t have time to stop by his place before her first appointment.

I took the list and caught a taxi to take me to the department store in the city. My phone buzzed and I checked it to see I had a text from Jenny. Your reinforcement should be there soon. Thanks so much for doing this again! I decided to go in and get started at the registry desk since I knew the set-up process would take a while. Finally, after I finished the paperwork, I was ready to begin. 

“So, here’s the scanner!” the clerk said. “This is all you’ll need to choose the items that you’d like. Once you hear the beep, you’ll know it’s been added. If you scan something by mistake, just scan it again to take it off. I’ll be here if you need anything, and if not, just drop the scanner off before you leave.”

“Thank you,” I said as I pulled the list out from my bag and determined where I should start first. 

I was paying so much attention to the list, I didn’t notice someone joining me. 

“Fancy meeting you here.” I looked up to see Ron standing next to me.

“Jenny sent you?” I asked. Surely, this was a joke.

“Are you surprised?” Ron asked me innocently.

“Yes, actually, I am. What writer helps with menial wedding tasks like this?”

“When I cover a wedding, I cover the whole wedding,” he explained as I shook my head. “So, where should we get started?”

“Probably housewares,” I said with a sigh.

I handed Ron the list to check things off as we scanned them. If he was here, I was going to make sure he was helpful. Maybe it’d make the job go by faster.

“Who needs all this useless junk, anyways?” he asked as I scanned a beautiful set of ivory candlestick holders. “Don’t they both have separate flats already? Surely, they have enough stuff between the two of them to outfit one apartment.”

I rolled my eyes in his direction. “When you’re starting a life with someone, you want to pick out items for the home you’re going to share together. You know, to make it both of yours instead of a mix of two people’s things,” I explained.

“So you’re telling me if you were to get engaged, you’d chuck all of your current stuff just to ask for new versions of the same stuff because you’re marrying someone else?”

“Well...not everything, but I’ve been inside Jenny’s apartment and it’s rather bare in there.”

“What about Harry’s stuff?”

“It’s okay, but he is a bachelor. He only has half the stuff he does because of Teddy,” I said.

“Harry has a kid?” Ron asked, his eyes wide.

I chuckled. “Not exactly. Teddy’s an orphan that’s part of the Boys & Girls Club. Harry’s his big brother. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he really does try to adopt Teddy after he and Jenny are married.”

“And how does Jenny feel about that?”

“Why do you care so much?” I gave him an odd look. 

“N-no reason. It’s just an interesting dynamic, that’s all.”

“Well, when we went to Teddy’s football game, Jenny seemed really taken with him. She’s surprisingly good with kids,” I mentioned offhand.

“Surprisingly? What’s that supposed to mean?” Ron asked curiously.

“Oh, um, I suppose she probably has several nieces and nephews if four of her brothers are married.”

“Ah. Well, that’s good, then. I’m sure they’ll make a beautiful family,” Ron said. 

“Yeah,” I said distantly. It was hard not to think about it, even though I really didn’t want to. 

Ron was looking at me curiously. “You know what I think you want?”

“What? Please bestow your infinite wisdom about me, a person you barely know, to me,” I scoffed.

“I think you do all this because you just want a wedding for yourself. Not an actual marriage, but a wedding.”

I stared incredulously at him. “How can you even say that? You don’t know me! Of course I want a marriage! Who wouldn’t want someone to spend the rest of their life with?”

“Well then why aren’t you looking harder for your ‘one true love’?” he said in air quotes. “You spend all your extra time helping brides and attending weddings, and it seems like you barely date.”

“I do too date!” I retorted.

“Yeah? When’s the last time you dated someone? I don’t count,” he said pompously.

“What do you mean you don’t count? Of course you don’t!” I argued.

“Oh, you wound me,” Ron said, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Are you going to answer the question?”

I stopped to think about it. Was it bad that I really couldn’t remember. Ron took advantage of my distraction to steal the scanner from me and started scanning random trinkets.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I tried to take the scanner back. 

He used his height to an advantage to block me. “Oh, come on, it’s all in good fun. Every couple deserves some random trinkets that they open and have to fake a smile for, don’t you think?”

There was a mischievous glint in his eye that made me laugh even though I should be scolding him. I was still mad at him for his accusations, but I was willing to play along so I didn’t have to answer the dating question.

“Is that what you think?” I said with a smile. “You’d want to open random gifts you didn’t ask for because someone thought it would be funny to play a joke on your registry?”

“It’s never going to happen for me, so it doesn’t matter what I’d do, now would it?”

Ron was smiling, but it wasn’t reaching his eyes. I stopped to contemplate his words for a moment. “Something must have happened to make you resent love so much. So, what is it?” 

I snagged the list from his hand to see how we were doing as I began walking again. We needed to get to the linen section next. Ron still hadn’t answered me, so I decided to push his buttons a bit.

“Did your parents get divorced? An ex-girlfriend cheat on you with your best friend like in those cheesy romantic comedies? Or, were you left at the altar or something tragic like that?” 

“Yeah, actually.”

I froze. I wasn’t really serious. I turned around to look at him. “What?”

“I was engaged a few years ago, but about two weeks before the wedding she called it off. Apparently she was more interested in my brother instead, and only realized it when she came home to meet the whole family.”

“Oh, my God, Ron, I’m sorry. It was—I didn’t mean it,” I apologized. That was awful and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

“It’s fine. I was too blinded by love to see that we weren’t a good fit anyways. My brother saw right through her shallowness and told her to fuck off. So, I guess there was a silver lining.”

I handed him the scanner. “Scan all the ugly things you want. I’ll feign ignorance as long as all the stuff on this list gets added.”

He let out a weak laugh. “Thanks.”

“Are you close with your brother, then?” We hadn’t discussed anything personal yet, aside from my involvement in weddings, but I found myself wanting to learn more about him.

“As close as we can be. He lives in Africa on a wild nature preserve.”

“And your ex was more interested in a—”

“Zoologist? Apparently. Guess my career as a writer wasn’t adventurous enough for her. Or it didn’t make enough money for her lifestyle.”

“If she’s more interested in money than love, you’re better off. You’ll find the one someday, I’m sure.”

“So will you...maybe,” he smirked.

“Good to see you being so supportive,” I said sarcastically. 

Just like that, the moment had passed. Maybe I’d been a little too quick to judge Ron without knowing his backstory. First impressions were typically a good indication of a person for me, but now I was starting to think that maybe I’d misjudged him. Even though he reverted right back to his sarcastic ways, I was fairly certain that it was all a cover. I couldn’t help the feeling churning inside of me that yearned to know more.

Ron

I was sitting at my cubicle on Wednesday when Rita stopped by my desk. “How’s the article coming?”

I knew she was talking about the perpetual bridesmaid one. “It still needs work; still a rough draft,” I told her.

“I want to see what you’ve got. Email it to me,” Rita said bluntly before walking away.

“But—” It didn’t matter what I was going to try to say, she was expecting it and I needed to send it along.

I didn’t understand why I was hesitating, though. This was going to be my big break, and yet I had this nagging feeling in my stomach. 

Sure, Hermione was strong minded and opinionated, but she was always so interesting to talk to. I found myself craving her company and wanting to learn more about her. Hell, I’d even admitted my darkest secret about Romilda that no one knew outside of immediate family.

The last time I put love ahead of my career I lost the section for my contributing investigative pieces and landed my arse firmly in commitments. I needed to stay focused so I shook the thoughts of Hermione from my head as I carried on with cleaning up the article. It’d been so long since I let anyone into my life, and I just didn’t know her well enough yet to trust her. 

I did make one small concession, deciding not to use her real name because of the business. So I called her Hermione Wilkins in the article. No one needed to know, and it was my feeble attempt at protecting her identity. Satisfied with the draft, I pressed send on the email and moved onto my next task.

On Friday, Rita called me into her office. “This is really good, Weasley. You should be proud.”

I looked at her in slight confusion, not exactly sure which article she was talking about.

“The perpetual bridesmaid article! We’re running it on Sunday. You’re on the front page of the Styles section. And you’re out of commitments for good after you cover that Warrington/Potter wedding, of course.”

“Er, right. Yeah, thanks!” I tried to fake excitement over it, but the knot was pitted even deeper in my stomach.

“Why aren’t you more excited?”

“I just think it could use some more time, that’s all. She’s in that wedding, too. The one next weekend. Let me wait and see if I can learn more. You know, to add—”

“Ron, this is perfect as is. Isn’t this what you wanted? Or has someone taken a fancy to Ms. Wilkins?” Rita gave me a knowing smile, but it wasn’t a genuine one. It made me uncomfortable.

“Can we please just push publication one more week?” I asked once more.

Rita sighed dramatically. “I’ll see what I can do, but if you have started to care for her, you might want to tell her. You can go now. I’m sure you have things to accomplish before the weekend.”

I nodded slightly as I turned to leave. I had to find a way to tell Hermione. I wasn’t ready to lose whatever dysfunctional new friendship we’d created, but after she’d already accused me of lying to her, I had no idea how I was going to spin this. No matter how I looked at it, it was totally deceitful.

 Not to mention my sister and all of her lies, too. No matter how annoying I thought Hermione could be, I knew she didn’t deserve that. She needed to know this was coming. I had to tell her.

~o~

My phone rang on Saturday afternoon. It was the first Saturday where I didn’t have to do anything related to weddings and it was brilliant, until I saw Ginny’s name on the caller ID.

“What?” I answered.

“I need your help.”

“Aren’t I already helping you enough?”

“Never,” Ginny said through a grin that I knew was undoubtedly plastered on her face.

“Well?” I asked, pretending to be annoyed.

“I just got a call that the favors are done and ready to be picked up in Brentwood. Harry was going to do it after the dinner tasting, but I’m worried that won’t give him enough time to get to Andover for dinner with Mum and Dad since it’s in the complete opposite direction!”

“So, you’re asking me to pick up the favors, then?”

“Unless you wanted to come to dinner—”

“Nope, I’m good. I’ve got to try and get a hold of Hermione tonight for something anyways,” I told her.

“Hermione?” Ginny’s voice sounded intrigued.

“Yeah, but it’s not what you think. It’s not like I’m into her or anything,” I said a little too quickly.

“Sureee,” Ginny teased. “Well, you’re in luck. She’s with Harry right now for the tasting at the Winchester in Putney. She offered to go to the tasting since I was wrapped up with things back home. Maybe she could go with you?”

“Yeah, maybe…” I had to admit that Ginny came up with a good idea.

“Listen, I have to go, we’re getting ready to leave now. Hopefully Harry will be hungry enough. I did reserve a later dinner, but Mum and Dad wanted to get settled at the inn beforehand since they didn’t want to drive home tonight…” Ginny trailed off.

“Okay, tell them I said hi, and I’ll take care of the favors for you.”

“Thanks, Ron, I owe you!”

“Yeah you owe me for a lot of—” I stopped talking once I realized she’d already hung up the phone.

“Doesn’t she believe in saying goodbye?” I said out loud as I shook my head. 

I could be at the Winchester House in fifteen minutes. Grabbing my wallet and keys, I headed out the door and hailed a taxi.

When I arrived at the hotel, the maitre’d pointed me in the direction of where Harry and Hermione were seated. It was a relatively nice day. Warm and partly cloudy, but I could tell by the way the sky was changing that a rainstorm was coming in.

I walked through the main area to the outdoor seating section where I stopped near the doorway to look for them. I spotted them on the other side of the terrace overlooking the Thames at a small table. My first thought was of how gorgeous Hermione looked when she was smiling. She normally only reserved scowls for me, and I hadn’t realized how attractive she truly was until that moment.

The thought terrified me. I wasn’t sure if I was even ready to let someone else into my life like that. I’d sworn off love, convinced it wasn’t in the cards for me. If things were meant to look up, there was no way it could be her. Especially not after that article dropped. At least Rita was giving me more time to explain it to her.

I refocused on the two of them and began to take a few steps toward their table. That’s when I saw it. The look I’d seen on every bride who was hopelessly in love with their soon to be groom. How had I never realized it before? The way she smiled and leaned across the table. 

All the unabashed flirting. Everything was making sense now. Why she was so upset at the club that first night, why she was so dejected when she called me, and why she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to be part of my sister’s wedding. Hermione was in love with her boss, who was also my sister’s fiancée. I wasn’t sure what was worse. Her pining over a man who had no interest in her at all, or Harry’s complete obliviousness to the entire situation. I’d seen him around my sister long enough to know he only had eyes for her.

I was feeling a mix of hurt and anger that I hadn’t felt since Romilda left me, and I didn’t understand why because it wasn’t like I was in love with Hermione or anything. I just enjoyed her company and was keen on the prospect that she might be a good friend if we could get past her constant accusations. 

At that moment I lost all my ambition to tell Hermione about the article, and even to ask her along on the wedding errand. I was about to turn and leave when Harry happened to look in my direction and called me over. Shit.

“What are you doing here?” Hermione looked at me in surprised annoyance.

Of course she was annoyed, I just ruined the probable fantasy she was currently living with this whole situation.

 “Jenny called and asked if I could go pick up the favors with you before the shop closes.”

“Oh, I thought I was going to take care of that,” Harry said.

“Yeah, Harry and I were just getting ready to head to Brentwood now,” Hermione said pointedly.

“Well, the bride is worried that it’ll make him late for some dinner that’s past the other side of London, so…”

“Hmm, she does make a good point. And it looks like the rain is heading in, which would make travel conditions worse,” Harry said. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Hermione’ll ensure everything is sorted as the maid of honor, right?” I asked, raising my eyebrow in question and knowing she couldn’t say no.

“I—I guess,” Hermione sounded deflated as she shot me a death glare as Harry was finalizing the menu.

Good. Someone needed to pop the bubble because she was holding onto a dream that would never come true.

“Great, thanks again, you guys. I better get going if I have to stop home before heading to Andover.” 

Harry got up and clapped me on the back as he took off toward the exit. I smiled widely at Hermione, who looked like she was going to murder me. I couldn’t wait to reveal what I’d found out about her little secret.

[labyrinth-runner]

Epilogue

Last part of A Garden in Gotham

Roman x Reader

Read the rest here

Roman checked the time. It was getting late and he hadn’t seen any signs that she was gong to come down from upstairs anytime soon. Not that he was ready, either. He was still in his pajamas. But, it was going to be a long, hard day and he needed a drink to settle his nerves. After all, this day hopefully would only happen once. He wanted to make sure it was perfect. 

Roman took his drink and went upstairs. He peeked into the room, spotting a woman standing in a bathrobe, looking out the window with her hand holding the curtain open just enough that she could see down to the commotion below. A small smile grew on his face. She just needs a nudge in the right direction to get her going, he thought. Carefully, he entered the room.

“Are you feeling nervous?” Roman asked as he went over to the window to look at the group below. Gently, he reached out to smooth a soothing hand up and down her back before squeezing her shoulder.

“Honestly, dad?” the woman in front of him said, turning to look back at him. “Yes.”

“What are you nervous about?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“Well, for starters, you’re still in your pajamas and I’m getting married in an hour and a half,” she giggled.

Roman leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Sweetheart, I’ll be ready in time. Don’t you worry.”

“I’m not worried for my sake. I’m worried for your sake. Mom will kill you if you’re late,” she teased.

He looked down at where you were outside, fixing the floral arrangements. “Let’s get you ready first. What do you still need to do?”

“Well, I was supposed to get my bouquet, but it fell apart on the ride over and now they’re all over the place,” she said, pointing at the vase in the corner.

“That, I can fix,” he smirked, putting his drink down on her vanity and pulling the vase over. He took the flowers out, placing them on her childhood desk before carefully arranging them. “While I do this, you should probably change into your dress, sweetheart. As much as I’m sure your fiancé wouldn’t mind you showing up in your underwear, I’d mind. That’s my little girl out there, and she’s going to be dressed.”

“Dad!” she gasped.

He gave her a look.

“Alright, alright. I’m going!” she giggled before heading into the other room to get dressed with her bridesmaids.

Roman slipped into a zone that was familiar and foreign all the same. It had been a while since he’d made a flower arrangement. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy it anymore. He looked over at a photo of him with you and your daughter at the zoo. She must have been about seven in the photo. A smile crossed his face. No, it wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy flower arranging anymore. It was just that something more important had cropped up, and as much as he enjoyed watching flowers grow, he enjoyed watching his daughter grow up more. He didn’t regret taking a step back from the shops to spend more time with her. After all, that was his princess. He turned back to the flowers, thoughtfully arranging them like you had taught him decades ago. It was nice, really. For the past ten years at least, he’d been strictly business with the shops, managing the accounts by day when his daughter had gotten old enough to go to school. He knew it was your least favorite thing to do, and he still had a head for numbers, so he had taken over. Yet, he always teased you saying that you had the fun side of the business. It wasn’t entirely true, though. His side was equally as fun for him since he got to make sure that you could do what you loved without worrying about it.

Footsteps creaked on the floor behind him.

“That was fast,” he commented.

“Dad, where did you learn to do this?” she asked, settling on a stool next to him. She watched his fingers work, entranced by the deliberateness of it all.

“Your mom. When I sold the club, I needed something to do, so she got me into floral arranging. You know,” he said, leaning in conspiratorially, “At one point, people came specifically for my arrangements, thinking they were better than hers.”

“That might be a slight exaggeration,” you said from behind them.

They turned to see you leaning against the doorway, watching them with a smile on your face.

“Hello, darling. You look beautiful,” Roman grinned.

“And you’re still in your pajamas,” you frowned. “Roman, the wedding’s in an hour!”

Your daughter shot him a look that said, I told you so.

He shrugged. “There was a flower emergency.”

“Well, get dressed, please. We’ll need to start greeting the guests soon,” you told him before leaving.

He nodded, finishing the arrangement and tying it with a ribbon. Carefully, he handed it to your daughter. “A beautiful bouquet for a beautiful woman,” he grinned, kissing her forehead. Then, he started to leave.

She gently took it from him, looking over the arrangement. It was beautiful. He got to the doorway when she asked him a question.

“How’d you go from club owner to florist?” your daughter asked, looking up at him.

He paused, grinning softly at a photo of you in the hall. In a second, he replayed your relationship, seeing where he had come from, and where he was now. He’d tell her the story of it all, maybe. But... that would be a story for another day. Today, all he could say was simply:  “A gardener taught me how to grow.”

[shedreamsofstars]

our union is a secret i’m hoping, dreaming, lying to keep - chapter seven

you’ve all heard of ‘pretending to be married when you’re not’, now get ready for ‘actually married but pretending you’re not’

When Tohru and Kyo accidentally find themselves married, they must keep their new union a secret from their friends and family. That’s easier said than done when you’re both newlywed dorks who just want to spend some quality time with one another whilst said friends and family are always one step away from discovering the truth.

start from the beginning | previous chapter | next chapter

Tohru had been off ever since Shigure and Akito left.

She hadn't mentioned anything in particular to him, but Kyo knew something was bothering her. He leaned in the doorway, biting the inside of his cheek as he watched her silently rearrange the cushions on the sofa.

It was nothing out of the ordinary, Tohru loved keeping things organised after all, but the fact that she had been moving the same cushion from one place to another for the past few minutes was concerning to say the least.

He briefly considered stopping her, but she seemed so lost in her own thoughts that he couldn't help but wonder what it was that was demanding so much of her attention. She seemed upset, almost, and he replayed their earlier conversations to try and find out what might have caused her shift in mood.

He inwardly cringed at some of the topics that came up during dinner, but despite being embarrassing, nothing had been so bad that she'd spend so long dwelling on it like she was. But if that wasn't it, then what was she thinking about?

Giving up, he entered the room. Tohru glanced up as she noticed him, and her face broke into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she finally let go of the cushion. Kyo's brows dipped down at the sight and he sat gingerly on the sofa.

"Tohru, come here," he said, reaching out for her hands. Tohru cocked her head in question as she took his hand, and Kyo tugged her towards him with a sharp movement. She giggled as she fell into his lap, instantly covering her face with her hands to hide the way her cheeks had turned pink.

Kyo bit back a laugh at how ridiculous it was that she still got embarrassed like this. It was almost as if the Tohru he slept next to every night, the one that couldn't fall asleep unless she was holding onto some part of him, was a completely different girl than the one before him.

"Hey," he called softly, knocking the hands covering her face with his forehead. "Anyone in there?"

Tohru nodded, blowing out a stream of warm air as she let her hands drift down to her lap. "Sorry," she murmured as she turned her head to look at him. Her dark eyes were filled with something he couldn't quite recognise, and after watching her for a long moment, he sighed and let his head fall against her shoulder.

It was clear that no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to figure out what was bothering her. At least, not without asking her directly.

"Is something wrong Kyo-kun?"

Kyo chuckled, lifting his head to meet her concerned gaze. "I'm fine, but I was just about to ask you the same thing," he admitted. "Is something the matter?"

Tohru glanced away from him quickly, her fingers knotting together. "No," she said quietly. "It's not important, really."

"What's not important?" Kyo reached for her hands and Tohru let out a soft sound of surprise as he began to untangle her fingers and entwine them with his own. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She nodded.

"I know that. It's just …" Tohru started before shaking her head. "It's nothing."

"Tohru," he chided softly, shaking their linked hands. "It's not nothing if it's upsetting you."

Kyo knew his wife had a terrible habit of keeping her feelings hidden inside of her, and although she was getting much better at it, sometimes she still needed coaxing to remind her that sharing them didn't make her a burden.

Tohru didn't say anything in response, her eyes glued to her lap where she wove her fingers between his over and over.

"Are you mad at me?" Kyo asked, not because he thought she was but just so he could definitely rule it out.

"No, of course not!" she said adamantly, her brown eyes fierce with conviction.

The tight ball of worry in his chest loosened a little.

"Then … are you mad that we didn't get to have a proper wedding like Akito and Shigure are going to?" He'd considered it a possibility earlier that the Head of the family's upcoming nuptials had made her realise just what she'd lost out on, but …

"I'm not mad at all Kyo, especially not over something like that," she reassured him.

"Maybe you should be? I mean, you never got the chance to be a bride or have bridesmaids or any of that other stuff that people normally do at weddings."

"I don't mind that at all, and you missed out on just as much as I did. All I really wanted was to be with you, and I already have that."

"Is that right?" he teased, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "Well, for what it's worth … you would have made the most beautiful bride, blushing or otherwise."

Tohru flashed him a shy smile and he couldn't help the way his chest stuttered in response. "So, if it's not about the wedding was it about … that other thing," Kyo prompted, hoping she'd catch onto his meaning without him having to spell it out.

Her eyes creased in confusion and he knew he'd have no such luck.

"About the kids thing," he clarified, willing his face to stay passive through sheer willpower.

"Oh," she replied with a startle, and Kyo knew he'd at least hit on part of what was bothering her. "No …"

"But?" Kyo continued, because he knew there was a 'but'.

"Would you want to have children Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked, and Kyo got the sense that she was deflecting the conversation away from her true thoughts again.

He mulled over his response for a moment, Tohru watching him expectantly as he did so. "Yeah? I mean, I think so. Someday."

"Oh," she replied, her tone and face not giving away anything.

"Only if you wanted them too, that is," he added quickly. "Do you want kids?"

Tohru nodded instantly. "I do," she said, her tone a little brighter than it had been before.

"That's great," Kyo said. "But I still think you're not fully telling me what's bothering you."

"I know, and I'm sorry Kyo-kun. It's just … I really don't know how to explain what-"

Tohru cut herself off with a frustrated sigh, her shoulders tensing as she struggled to put her thoughts to words.

"Hey, it's okay," he soothed, pulling her into a hug. He held onto her tightly, hoping she'd know that he cared for her so much and that she'd always be safe with him. "Give it your best shot. I might not understand, but I promise to try my best to figure out what you mean. So, what's bothering you?"

"It's … Shigure-san mentioned that-"

"Ugh, him," Kyo growled. "You know, you really shouldn't pay any attention to what Shigure says of all people." Tohru blinked at him and Kyo realised that he'd just rudely interrupted her. "Sorry, I should have let you finish talking first. Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I think Shigure was right."

"What?" Kyo spluttered, not sure he'd heard his wife correctly. As much as he didn't want to, he loosened his hold on he so her could face her with ease. "I think my ears are broken. Did you just say that you think Shigure was right?"

"Mhmm," she hummed, nodding her head.

"About what exactly?"

"About us."

Kyo shook his head and in confusion and Tohru groaned in embarrassment, but she followed through regardless.

"Back when we lived at Shigure's, we were basically staying in one room together and Yuki or someone was almost always home, so it made sense. But then you moved out and I missed you so much, and I thought that when were living alone we could maybe …"

She took a steadying breath and Kyo ran his thumb along the back of her hand. She let out a half-laugh as he pressed his nose to her cheek. "Keep going," he murmured, pressing his lips to the base of her jaw.

"I was too nervous to say anything, but then we got married and we … never," she squeaked nervously, her face glowing with a blush even brighter than the one she'd worn before. "Shigure-san said we have the whole place to ourselves, and we do so … I was thinking that maybe …"

Tohru looked away from him, leaving the rest of her sentence hanging tensely in the air between them. Kyo knew that if her hands weren't in his right then that she'd be covering her face from him again. He was glad that she wasn't looking at him though, since his own face went as red as a beetroot as her meaning slowly dawned on him.

Was she asking if they …?

Hesitantly, she turned back towards him and Kyo's mouth fell open, his heart threatening to tumble out as he took in Tohru's heated gaze. It wasn't as if the thought had never occurred to him, he was only human after all, but … god, he couldn't think straight right now.

He tried to stutter through some form of a reply, but his words came out as nothing but garbled nonsense. He gave up on them quickly as Tohru began to shake with a quiet giggle.

"It's okay, Kyo," she said softly, and he barely even registered that she'd dropped the honorific, something he'd been trying to get her to do for the longest time. "It's like Shigure-san said, there's really no pressure or anything."

Now it was Kyo's turn to chuckle. "No that's … that's not how Shigure meant that," he said, a smile spreading across his face. In that moment, he knew exactly how lost Tohru must have felt earlier when she struggled to explain herself.

He placed a single finger under her chin and lifted her gaze up to his. Kyo wanted to tell her that he wanted what she did and so much more for them, but then, words had never really been his forte. He'd always preferred action.

And so, he simply leaned into her and let his lips do the talking before he found some other way to make a ridiculous embarrassment of himself. His kiss was soft and firm, and when she kissed him back with a hunger he'd never felt from her before he gasped against her lips in surprise.

She tried to pull back, afraid she'd gone too far, but he pulled her back and kissed her more insistently, his hands framing her face. It was new and exhilarating, and it took all he had to mumble a simple 'yes' as he lost himself in her touch.

"Wait, really?" she asked when he finally pulled back for air, studying the way her eyes were suddenly glittering with what he could only call desire. Kyo could only laugh against her lips at the surprise in her voice.

When it came to Tohru, he was so far gone that he wouldn't have been able to deny her the world had she asked for it. Maybe one day she'd figure it out, but until then …

"God yes," he murmured, pressing light kisses against her neck and jaw.

"Kyo-kun, I don't want you to think that you have to-"

He cut her off, smiling widely as he kissed her hard enough to make her forget all of her doubts. The slightly stunned look on her face when he pulled back was almost enough to send his thoughts flying into the unknown.

"Sorry. I know I should let you finish but I don't like where that was heading. You're not forcing me into anything, I promise."

He let his head fall back against the sofa, hair flopping across his eyes. He pushed it out of his face with his free hand and nudged Tohru with the other. She got the hint and turned so that she was facing him, her knees pressing into the sofa on either side of his legs.

She leaned in towards him, her nose brushing against his with a small smile and the scent of wildflowers. He reached up and let his fingers trail down her cheeks before cupping her jaw.

"Tohru," he said quietly, his voice floating in the small space between them. "You don't know how hard it's been sleeping next to you and trying not to think of you … like that."

"Kyo-kun," she called softly, her own hand reaching for his cheek. Her touch was cold, but it felt nice against his hot skin.

"What I mean to say is, you're not making me do anything I haven't already wanted to do for months." He shifted one hand onto her back and lowered her down onto the sofa, so he was hovering above her and meeting her intense look with a matching one of his own. "I want you," he drawled, his voice low and husky.

"I want you too," she whispered, and before he knew it his lips were on hers again and his hands were sliding down her thighs. Their touch felt real and right, and when her fingers wound through his hair, tugging gently on the strands to bring him closer, it took all Kyo had to break off the kiss.

Tohru mewled in protest at the loss of his touch, but he stroked her cheeks to keep any doubts at bay. "I think …" he breathed against her lips, struggling to catch his breath, "… maybe we should take this upstairs."

Tohru looked flustered for a second, as if only just realising that they were still in the living room before seeming to remember that they were all alone. No one would walk in on them anymore, so it was fine. But a bed would definitely be more comfortable.

She nodded and Kyo rolled off of her. Tohru made to follow, but before she could, Kyo leaned over and scooped her into his arms, holding her bridal style. "Please," he said softly. "Let me carry you like I should have on our wedding night," he said, the blush he'd been fighting for so long finally breaking through and lighting up his cheeks.

Tohru looked at a loss for words, but her shy smile said everything he needed to know. She leaned her head against his chest and let her hands snake around his neck. The way her fingers wove through his hair, Kyo wasn't sure he had enough self-restraint to make it the short distance to the bed.

... xxx ...

ack, apologies for taking so long with this chapter. i kept going back and forth about how far i wanted to take this and it was a whole dilemma lol. the next chapter will start *after* their night together and is more light-hearted (so this won't get too nsfw) but if i ever do post the spicier stuff i'll let you guys know if you’re interested.

thank you so much for reading and supporting my work, i appreciate it so so much and i'll see you in the next one. take care x

[gongju-juice]

3. Once Upon a Southern Night

Something Old, Something New

Warnings: Some racial tension. . .also might be some language but I can’t remember tbh

The thing about change is that it’s just that—change. You can change something, twist it, mold it, or turn it into whatever you wish for it to look like, but you cannot ever get rid of its original identity. 

Living in Forks was no short of that. Life was a blessing, and your days were filled with laughter and excitement. Beginning your senior year—Jasper had graduated—but the two of you were dating and closer than you’d ever been. He took you on dates to see the stars and bought you flowers and little trinkets to brighten your day. You read books in his lap and went on double dates with Amelia and her boyfriend, Stuart. 

You knew something was strange about your family—so much so that your mother’s weirdness no longer seemed so personalized. Maybe it was the fact they never ate around you, or maybe it’s the account of their golden eyes. And like your mother (and everyone else, frankly), your boyfriend was so inhumanly cold, like a Roman statue left in an icy museum.

But what did you look like asking such crazy questions? After all, what else could it be but coincidence? As for your mom and Carlisle, they were siblings—it was normal for them to share the same traits. But as for the others—Rosalie and Jasper were twins—and although they were different personality wise, they both had the same pale skin and bronze colored eyes. Maybe the old saying is true: living together with someone really does make you look alike.

One day while your family all hung out at the Cullen house, you received a letter in the mail. It was a bright, shimmering white envelope with fancy lace trimming. You opened it carefully—sure not to cut yourself so as to not to trigger Jasper’s weird paranoia around blood. 

“Oh my god!” you shouted, running into the living room. You looked at your mom. “Ivy and Dale are getting hitched!”

“Wow, Ivy?” she said. “I remember the two of you growing up like it was yesterday. When’s the date?”

“March 5. It’s going to take place on Dale’s parents’ farm. The reception’s going to be in the big barn house!”

You whirled in excitement, only to dizzy yourself into Jasper’s arms when you realized you’d fallen. He brushed a stray curl from your face.

“A wedding?” he said. “I thought Ivy was only seventeen.”

“You can get married in Alabama at sixteen with parental consent. I’m sure the Lauderdales were thrilled to hear of the good news. Dale has been hanging ‘round since we were six.”

You popped back onto the floor. “I’ve gotta find a dress and everything! Oh wait—I should call and see if we’re doing matching dresses or if we’re all gonna be wearing different ones.”

You picked up your phone and raced to the kitchen where you could find some privacy and feel free to freak out some more. She picked up on the third ring.

“Lucille!” you cried, “I can’t believe it’s finally happening! Please send me a picture of the ring ASAP, okay?”

She giggled. “It’s not a big deal, Y/N. We’ve been engaged since we were twelve. It’s just that now we’ve got that ice and permission to prove it.”

The phone buzzed and you looked at the image of the triple diamond ring which had a band of diamonds all around. You recognized that ring. It was Dale’s grandmother’s sacred family heirloom, the one that’s been locked up tight in their security safe. He only let you and her see it once when you were both thirteen and his parents were out in the field.

“I’m so excited for the bachelorette party!” you gushed. “We’re going to have so much fun! We should go to Pensacola and go to one of them spa places and then we can—”

“Y/N,” she said quietly, cutting you off entirely. “You’re not on the bridesmaids list.”

You were quiet, your flailing arms caught in mid air. “I’m not. . .but you said—”

“I’m sorry, girl, but Mama already chose who's going to be in my wedding. There’s 

Charlotte, Mary, Clarabelle, and Lydia. . .the ones I grew up with.”

“But. . .what about me? Didn’t. . .didn’t we grow up together?”

“Yeah, but. . .it’s just not the same, you know? Those people are family. You can still come to the wedding, of course. That’s why I sent the invitation.”

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel hurt. Here was your best friend telling you that you couldn’t be in the wedding. Mrs. Lauderdale. . .you thought she really liked you. Was it because you moved up north?”

“Oh, alright then. I was just—just calling to confirm the date. March 5, right?”

“Yeah, March 5.”

You hung up the phone and sighed at the counter, your head hung down. Just then, Jasper came walking in. He came up behind you and held you in place, his head resting on your shoulder. Suddenly, your mood improved instantly. But that was the thing about Jasper—he was always brightening your day when you felt down. It was part of the reason you adored him.

“You okay?” he whispered. “You know you don’t got to go to that wedding?”

You shook your head. “Of course I do. It’s my best friend’s wedding. How could I miss her big day? Besides. . .how did you even know I was sad?”

He stiffened. “I. . .uh. . .heard the conversation in the hallway.”

“Oh, well I guess that makes sense.”

He held you for a while against the hard granite. 

“Jasper?”

“Yes, darlin’?”

“Will you be my date to the wedding?”

“Absolutely.”

Rosalie was the one officially in charge in helping you pick your dress. Alice had a vengeful streak and wanted you to wear a big, white gown that would take all the attention away from Ivy.

“It’s wayyyy too hot in the south for that,” you pleaded, “and I ain’t trying to cause no trouble! It’s her Mama who did it, not Ivy.”

“She should’ve overridden that stupid decision then,” Alice continued, braiding your hair. It was still funny to know that the tiny pixie girl knew how to do a full-set of box braids. “If it was my wedding—”

“But it isn’t your wedding,” Rosalie insisted. “And Ivy isn’t your friend. Now like I was saying, Y/N, this little yellow sundress would look so cute with your skin tone. . .”

They even hooked up Jasper. They got him a nice cornflower blue dress shirt and a cream colored suit. Emmett even put on a whole show of picking his hairstyle, and even though they went through all that progress and hard work, you kindly reminded them that a heat wave was coming the weekend of the wedding and that it was best just to leave his curls the way they were. Jasper did not take kindly to his brother after that.

“Why don’t you come with us?” you asked your mom as she helped you pack the last of your luggage. “It’s gonna be so lonely with just me and Jasper. And besides, I’m sure everybody wants to see you!”

“No, no, I can’t. I’m scheduled for a surgery the day of the wedding. I can’t cancel it either. It’s a cancerous tumor that needs to be removed.”

You sighed, sitting up on your bed. “I can’t believe it’s here. She’s getting married, mom. We’re all going to be adults and pretty soon, if things go to according to plan, me and—” You cut yourself off as the overwhelming thought engulfed you.

“That’s right. You and Jasper will have your own wedding someday. . .speaking of which. . .we need to talk about the future.”

“The future?”

“Yes,” she sat on your bed. “There are some things you need to know before you set your eyes on your own big day. We’ll talk about that all soon, I promise. But as for now, go and enjoy yourself with Jasper. You’ll have him all to yourself. . .”

“Mom!” you shouted. “Jasper—he’s too sweet for that. He’s a real gentleman! It hasn’t even been that long ago since we had our first kiss, and he was scared to even do that!”

She raised her brows. “Hmmm, maybe that’s what he wanted you to think. But guys are never shy when it comes to that subject.”

The next day, your family wished you off at the airport. Jasper bought you first class tickets—a feat you deemed both extravagant and unnecessary—and you slept on his shoulder for most of the way. 

Immediately, touching down in your home state, everything felt so different. It was humid and hot; the type of sticky that makes your hair stick to the back of your neck, and people were so much more cordial then they were back at Forks. Some gave Jasper strange looks as he wound his fingers with yours, but again, nobody was unpleasant.

You would be staying at a hotel about thirty miles out from the country. There were, thankfully, two queen sized beds parallel to one another in the tiny room. But Jasper insisted sleeping in the living room part where a half wall separated the two of you.

On the big day, your boyfriend pulled out an authentic cowboy hat (the likes you’d never seen before), and the two of you headed down Ivy’s long dirt road. 

Fields of cotton and peas lined either side of the road, and for long stretches, there were no houses except the occasional large country home with animals and plots of cultivated land. The ditches teemed with life: jumping frogs, tadpoles, crawfish, and lillies. 

“Gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve been in the country,” he said. “This place isn’t much different from home.”

“Home? In Forks?”

“Rose and I—before we were adopted—used to live in Texas.”

“Really? That explains your accent! I just thought you watched too many western flicks. Oh, but why doesn’t Rosalie have one?”

“Well, she just hides it, I guess.”

You arrived at the house. There was a trail of cars already parked in the grassy yard, and people made their way in their finest Sunday’s best to the row of chairs arranged in front of the big oak tree where the minister stood.

“Y/N!” one of your old childhood friends exclaimed when she saw you. She was dressed in a teal dress, and at her side was some unknown boy you hadn’t met. “It’s so good to see you!” She looked at your boyfriend. “And who’s this?”

“Jasper Hale, ma’am, I’m her date for the evening,” he answered, tipping his hat. The row of women waiting to greet you gushed at his manners, and dare you say, they checked him out so openly. You hugged his bicep tighter.

“Just for the evening or indefinitely?” she cooed.

“Indefinitely.”

You sat down in one of the middle rows, and watched in awe as the wedding processional came down the aisle. Ivy was dressed in a glittery dress and carried the largest bouquet of white roses you’d ever seen. Dale had tears in his eyes as he looked up at his bride. They were so perfect, so in love, it made your insides melt.

After the beautiful ceremony, the party moved the barn. The rafters were draped in lights and white ribbons and flower petals covered the ground. You chose a table nearest to one of the wooden walls and curled into Jasper’s side.

“You look so gorgeous,” he said, tucking a dandelion behind your ear. “You out-shined the bride, and you didn’t even have to wear that ridiculous dress Alice was trying to shove you in.”

“All of my girlfriends keep whispering about you. You’re the real star tonight. The best looking man in both Washington and Alabama.”

Just then, Mrs. Lauderdale approached your table.

“Y/N, how are you honey?” she asked as you hugged her plump form. As the mother of the bride, she was dressed in a simple white dress and rocked a crown of flowers in her hair.

“I’m wonderful. Have you met my boyfriend?” You allowed her to inspect Jasper as he offered a hand.

“My, my. What a fine young man,” she cried. “Who knew you could get such a catch?”

She pulled you off to the side, and although Jasper tried to follow, you insisted he stay behind.

“I hope you aren’t upset about the whole bridesmaid situation,” she said, patting your shoulder. “We wanted a small processional anyway—makes it so we can get to the food faster.”

You shook your head. “‘Course not. It was such a beautiful ceremony. And Ivy—she’s stunning,” you said as you admired her twirling form with her new husband.

“Well anyway, John and the guys want to see you. John?”

Mr. Lauderdale greeted you with a nod. “How’s it going?”

“All good here,” you answered enthusiastically. In all honesty, John and his friends intimidated you with their skeptical expressions and hawk-like eyes. It was obvious the men of the family didn’t like you as much as the girls did—and that was fine. You were here for Ivy, not them.

“You got yourself a white boy?” Vernon, Ivy’s brother, asked. “A Yankee?”

“Actually, Jasper’s a Texan. And yes, he’s white. But it isn’t weird or anything.”

Like he was in on the conversation, he smoothly slid in beside you, his cold hand wrapping around your waist.

“Pleased to meet you,” he said as he addressed the men. “I’m a Houston native, by the way. I was raised on a farm myself—had a chocolate brown mare named Buttercup and a field full of bulls.”

“Ah, really? That makes me even more surprised to see you here.”

“Pardon me?”

Vernon smirked. “Y’all go and enjoy yourselves.”

Jasper pulled you away from the barn with a little more determination than you thought was needed. He hadn’t looked nor spoken until the two of you were completely alone by the fence where the ponies ran.

“Are you okay?” you asked softly. “You seem upset.”

“It’s nothing. I didn’t like the way those boys were talking. Had to get outside and clear my mind.” He pulled you closer to his body, and his cool skin felt good in the heat of the night.

“Holding you like this makes me get so sentimental,” he admitted. “It makes me want to take you to the nearest courtyard and get official. It makes me want to buy you a hundred acres and a big, nice house by a river. It makes me want to give you a bunch of kids to keep us company, so we can grow old together and live happily ever after.”

“I like when you get sentimental,” you breathed.

“But,” he stopped, “that last part might not be able to happen. There’s something you should know about me—about our family before you decide to give your heart away.”

“What do you mean? What could possibly be so earth-shattering that it’d make me stop loving you?”

He ran his thumb over your bottom lip, staring deeply into your eyes. His brows were creased, forehead wrinkled in thought. 

“Y/N, I wanted to wait to tell you, but I can’t stand lies. Most importantly, I don’t like to lie to you.”

“Just say it, baby.”

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness. 

It was a tall man, about the same height and build as Jasper, with bright crimson eyes and long dark hair tied back in a ponytail. He stared at you intensely before casting his burning gaze to Jasper.

“It’s been a long time, old friend,” he said darkly before inhaling deeply. “And it’s been even longer, Camille.”

And here the real story begins. Also I like cowboy Jasper playing with ponies maybe I’ll do a drabble on that.

Part One    Part Two   Part Four

[queen-of-the-avengers]

My Savior

Characters: Sebastian Stan x Suzanne Annucci (second person; you; you’re)

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: fluff, minor freak out about pregnancy and renal disease

Summary: Your wedding day is here, and you couldn’t have been more happy about the choices you’ve made, and the person you decided to be with. Here’s to spending the rest of your life with the man you love, the love of your life, and your best friend.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Author’s Note: This is the seventh part of seven parts of the commission for @sea040561​​.

Today is the day. Today is the day you marry your best friend. It took a long time to plan, but you’re glad you waited for this moment. Instead of rushing right after your little girl was born, you decided to wait until the moment was right. Taking care of Sabrina came top priority, and after she got out of diapers, and she just got down the potty training, so it’s now or never.

Your sisters and best friends are your bridesmaids, so they’re the only ones in the room besides Sabrina and your mother. They are getting the last minute things taken care of while Sebastian and his best men are waiting at the altar. It was going to take a little longer for you to get ready since you know you would cry about this.

You’re just staring at your reflection, thinking about how far you’ve come, about how far you still have left to go. You’ve beaten your disease, you’ve got the guy, and you’ve had your baby girl. There is still a lot that needs to be done, but all in due time. Right now, you just have to focus on marrying your best friend.

“You look stunning, baby,” your mom smiles.

“Thanks, mama,” you chuckle.

“Remember, I’ll take care of my baby Bina here until you get back from your honeymoon. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Did you pick a spot yet?” one of your sisters asks after finishing pining up your other sister’s hair.

“Sebastian said he is going to surprise me. I have no clue where we’re going.”

“Here’s to you marrying the famous actor who can take you anywhere in the world. Lucky bitch,” your best friend jokes.

“I think it’s time now,” your mom says.

“Right, let’s go. I’ll take Sabrina,” your older sister offers, and your mom passes her off to her.

“Don’t get cold feet!” your best friend jokes as she and your sisters walk out of the room.

“Don’t listen to her,” your mom rolls her eyes.

“I never do,” you laugh.

“I am so proud of the woman you’ve become. Your father would have been proud too. I wish he were here,” she sighs.

“I know, mama, me too. He’s here, I can feel him.”

“I thought it was just me,” she smiles.

“Go, I’ll be out in just a minute.”

She kisses your temple before doing as she was told. You’re left alone to gather your thoughts. This is the wedding of your dreams, and you can’t believe it’s finally here. You never thought you would get this much less get the guy you’ve been dreaming about. Everything you could ever want is waiting for you at the altar, and who are you to make him wait?

The music starts just as you open the door, and you grip the bouquet tightly in your hands. Your mom must have made her way back inside because all you can see are your bridesmaids by the door. Sabrina is holding your older sister’s hand, and she has the widest smile on her face. To have her in your wedding is a dream come true. They open the door and begin filing into the large room.

Sabrina takes as many flower petals as she can and throws them on the ground with the assist of her aunt. Sebastian smiles when he sees his daughter, but he’s waiting for you. The bridesmaids walk to the altar and stand off to the side, and that’s when everyone in the room stands.

You would have your mom or Sebastian’s dad walk you down the aisle, but you believe in Heaven. You know that when your dad passed, he went there. You also know that he is standing right by your side to walk you down the aisle. You can’t see him, but you can definitely feel him by your side.

“Let’s go, Daddy,” you whisper.

You take one step into the opening, and your eyes immediately go to your future husband’s. At first sight of you, he gets so emotional that tears build up in his eyes. Chris leans in and whispers something to him, but you’re not sure what he said. Whatever he did say, Sebastian wipes his eyes and tries to focus on not crying. Everyone’s eyes are on you as you walk down the aisle.

You pass off the bouquet to your eldest sister before grabbing Sebastian’s hands. Everyone seems to just float away so that it’s only you and Sebastian here. The minister starts the ceremony and everyone takes a seat again. You’re not sure what the minister is saying, but you honestly don’t care. You’re just excited to get to the vows since you two had written your own.

“Now for the vows. They’ve each written their own. Who would like to go first?” the minister asks.

“You can,” Sebastian says.

“Before, all I was known for was my disease. I spent my life in and out of hospitals, never knowing what it was like to really live my life. I didn’t see myself having a future. That is until I met you. I used to watch your movies with my friends because you are what made me feel better. So, to see you roll into my room after the transplant is something I will always relive in my head. To know that you’ve become my best friend, my soulmate, and the father of our beautiful baby girl. To know I will never be alone, and I will always have you by my side. You are the love of my life, and I will promise to always love you no matter what.”

Sebastian wipes his eyes before starting his vows, and your heart begins to pound.

“I never thought my life was complete. I used to go to parties and have dates I wished to get away from. I always searched for that something extra, but I could never find it. When I walked into that hospital and heard you screaming at the TV, something was pulling me to that room. The second I laid eyes on you, I got a vision. I saw this moment, and I saw us being happy together with kids and dogs and a great big house. I remember telling Chris that I knew you would be the one because I believe in love at first sight, and I believe in soulmates. Every time I look at you, I fall in love all over again. I promise to spend every moment of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me.”

You want to cry, but the only thing stopping you is the fact you had someone work very hard in fixing your face with the best kind of makeup, and you don’t want to ruin it. The rest of the ceremony goes by in a blur with the only thing on your mind is sealing the deal.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Sebastian was already pulling you in before he could finish his words. The entire room erupts into cheers and claps, but you can barely hear them. You kiss Sebastian with everything you’ve got, proving to him of your love. You pull away and turn to everyone with a big smile. He takes your hand and leads you down the aisle where people are tossing the flowers into the air.

This party is only half-over, and everyone moves into the reception area where you and Sebastian can have your first dance. Everyone gets their first to start the party, and you and Sebastian join a little while later. You want to get used to the fact that you’re now Mrs. Stan--something you never thought you’d get to say.

As soon as you walk into the room, the DJ announces that it’s time for the first dance. Everyone shuffles away from the dance floor so that you and Sebastian can have the entire floor to yourselves. One of your favorite songs of all time starts playing, and Sebastian pulls you in close. Your left hand goes around his neck, and the other meets his by your side.

You two begin to slow dance together. You’re ignoring the many pairs of eyes on you since Sebastian’s is the only ones you care about.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” you whisper.

“For what?”

“For saving my life.”

“You saved mine. I don’t think I can be any more in love with you than I am in this moment,” he confesses.

You lean up and kiss him, still moving around the dance floor elegantly. This one kiss tells you that despite the downs you’ll experience, you’ll always know that his love will be there to cushion the fall. To know that you’ll have the greatest love anyone’s ever going to get.

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