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plutoccult · 7 months

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BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

pairing: hwang hyunjin x gender neutral reader

description: a beautiful stranger shakes up your once boring and repetitive morning commute on the train.

word count: 3.4k

also available to read on my ao3 here

author’s note: hello! i’m no stranger to writing, but i’m definitely a stranger when it comes to writing for idols. this is the first time i’ve ever done so, and who better to write for than my ultimate bias hyunjin? stray kids is my favorite group, so i’d like to write more content for them in the future. thank you to my pookie wookie lills (YES, we unironically call each other pookie, it’s our thing) for beta reading, and i hope you enjoy <3

soundtrack: beautiful stranger, enchanted

tags: @solefleurs @heavenfilm @5sos-wdw @todorokiskitten @rylea08 @br3anna-nels0n @hyunjinloverrrr

taglist form here

you always found an array of characters during your morning commute on the paris metro. there’d always be locals, some on their way to work or home just like you. amongst the locals were tourists decked out in overpriced souvenirs specifically curated for suckers like them. at night, there were drunks who thankfully were smart enough not to drive. the reek of alcohol on them wasn’t that amusing, you must admit.

despite the variety of people you could see passing by on your commutes, it grew boring. always the same thing every single day. not even the music playing in your headphones or the book you brought with you that day could make time go faster. it’s not like it would be any better once you got off the train either. your life was incredibly dull and repetitive. if only something could serve as a change of pace.

to think that your life had become boring in a place like paris of all places. it’s the city of love, is it not? even if you were created out of love and born in a city all about that concept, you had none of it. maybe that’s why you felt this way. no matter how many times you pass the same streets or enter the same train station, you had yet to find the one thing everyone seemed to look for so easily here.

you had basically given up at this point, committed to living an empty life where all you did was work, eat, sleep, then repeat. it’s what most people do in other countries anyway, might as well join the party. the second you had fully lost all hope, however, was when you saw the most beautiful stranger on the train. you almost wanted to slap yourself for being so pessimistic before.

you walked onto the train with the expectation of just sitting around until you got to your stop. as you walked to your usual seat, that’s where you found your beautiful stranger, sitting in the seat right across from the one you sat in every single day without fail.

you knew you had never seen him before. you take this train almost every damn day, so who was he? had he just moved here? was he a tourist? where’s the “i love paris” shirt and the eiffel tower keychain made of shitty plastic? instead, he was dressed like someone meant to be on billboards and magazines. surely had the face to fit the bill too. he was undoubtedly breathtaking, and he ultimately captivated you upon first sight.

it was pathetic how you hesitated to sit down. he didn’t seem to waver, looking down at his phone. from the reflection of his sunglasses—yes, you were that curious—he seemed to be swiping through photos. you assumed they were ones he had taken around the city. paris was definitely filled with photo opportunities, so you couldn’t blame him for that one. it’ll look good on anyone’s instagram feed.

you try your best to make yourself look occupied. shuffling through your bag to find a book, the rummaging sounds catch the attention of your beautiful stranger. your eyes meet for a brief moment when you turn your body to lean back in your seat with a book in hand. despite how quick the moment was, you swore your heart dropped the second you caught his gaze.

oh god, was this the excitement you had been waiting for? you couldn’t mistake it as anything else. leave it up to you to fall for a stranger upon first sight, but who cares? finally, finally, your life had begun to be painted in color. even if it was just for a moment, you’d savor this one train ride that actually seemed worthwhile for once in your life.

you steal glances at him every so often, praying he wouldn’t catch you and make you feel embarrassed for staring. you just couldn’t help yourself, he was like a walking renaissance painting. actually, you don’t even think da vinci would be capable of capturing the essence of someone who looked like a real-life prince.

the moment you knew you had reached your stop, you wished you could glue yourself to your seat so you had no choice but to stay on the train with your beautiful stranger a little longer. as much as you wanted to, you simply couldn’t, having no choice but to say goodbye without actually saying a word at all.

it was silly to think a stranger on the train could change your life in an instant. still, you were grateful for the temporary change of pace. if only you could thank him somehow, but alas, you knew you had no chance of seeing him again.

•••

the next day, you found your beautiful stranger again, this time sketching down something in a sketchbook. you caught him looking at everyone who walked onto the train, and when it was finally your turn to step on, he actually smiled once he laid eyes on you. it all felt like you were dreaming. if this was cloud nine, then you had finally reached it.

when you walked over to your seat across from his, you noticed he clutched the sketchbook close to his chest, almost like he didn’t want you to see what he was drawing. you were too shy to speak up and spark a conversation with him anyway, so it wasn’t like you would pry. still, you were curious to know what was on the page.

it pained you knowing you lacked any courage. you found you were better off acting like you were interested in your book, on a random page as you were too in your head to actually start from where you left off and completely ignored the folded page that indicated that. what would happen if you said hello? would he say hi back? ask if you’d like to see what he’s drawing or ask about what you’re reading? the possibilities seemed to be endless, but the possibilities seemed safer as thoughts in your head rather than facing reality if you were to take a chance.

you can’t help but watch intently as his face scrunched from focusing on his sketch, his only tool a wooden pencil. did he plan to color it later? you can imagine trying to avoid rattling colored pencils leaving his possession due to the bumpiness of the train. he was quite brave for trying to draw in a place like this, you thought.

unnoticed by you, your beautiful stranger’s cheeks flushed and ears burned red as he could feel you watching him draw. the subject of his drawing still remained a mystery to you, however. tempting to spark up a conversation, yet so debilitatingly scary at the same time.

it seemed rude to stare for so long, so you put a stop to it immediately and busied yourself with your phone, catching up with texts you had missed since getting up for work. your phone was always blown up with texts from your friends, today being no different. if you didn’t silence your phone at night, you would never get any sleep.

they had been informed about your current saga, and the update would certainly excite them. it was hard to resist a smile as you texted them about the latest scoop, especially as the subject of said scoop was only a few meters away from you. maybe this should wait until later, otherwise they’d trying forcing you out of your comfort zone by talking to who was still a total stranger at the end of the day.

who knows though? for all you know, he could be a murderer. a stinking gorgeous one too. as if you need to be on the evening news. even so, those were just silly thoughts, all just an excuse to stop yourself from taking a chance at something for once in your life out of fear.

the second you reached your stop, you instantly regretted being so silent. would it have killed you to try? it felt like it would’ve, but you figured this morning was the last chance you’d have. if only you weren’t such a scaredy cat.

•••

after your shift, an unexpected reunion occurred on the evening commute. the train was quite crowded at this time of day, majority of the aboard trying to get home after a long day’s work, including you. the surplus of people made it quite difficult to find seating, but luckily for you, your beautiful stranger had a seat occupied by his bag, perfect for you to sit.

this was the extra chance you craved the second you got off the train earlier, cursing yourself throughout the day for not even attempting to just say hello. you were so thankful to see him again, it was almost like the universe blessed you for this very purpose. you were such a wuss this morning, but you refused to allow that reputation to continue now.

once you took a deep breath, you walked to where your beautiful stranger sat, trying to keep your balance as the train moved at rapid speed. in the midst of your struggle, the sound of your footsteps thumping on the ground caught his attention. he looked up in surprise, not expecting to see you, but thrilled nonetheless.

“hi.” you miraculously manage to speak out, your accent making an appearance during your pathetic english. it was agonizing how your heart raced a mile a minute just by uttering one word, so you tried your very best to calm yourself down. “is this seat taken?”

“no, no…” he replied to your question, picking up his bag and moving it to the floor by his feet so you could sit. “here.”

“thank you.” you say before taking the seat next to him.

god, your heart was thumping like the loudest drum ever created. to sit across from his was one thing, but right next to each other, shoulders brushing due to the lack of room? if only you could put a stop to this rapid percussion inside you. at least the sounds of the train rumbling against the tracks could serve as buffer for the unspoken tension between you and your beautiful stranger.

his sketchbook rested unopened on his lap. you recognized it as the one he had earlier, previously held close to his chest as if he were hiding secrets. what could someone as dashing as him be hiding in there, you wonder?

almost as if he were reading your mind, he suddenly opened up the sketchbook, flipping the pages—which revealed beautiful drawings in the split second you saw them—until he landed on a page of a finished sketch, one that you swore looked like you sitting on the train yesterday.

you look up and catch his eye. “is that me?”

“mhm.” he nodded with a soft grin.

his art style was something to be proud of, meant to be showcased in somewhere exquisite like the louvre. could this guy be any more perfect? drop dead gorgeous and talented? to see yourself captured in such a bewitching way was truly the greatest compliment one could ever receive.

the sound of the page ripping away from the binding of the sketchbook startled you. what was he doing? it was so perfect! why mess it all up? you couldn’t help but say something about it.

“what are you—”

“you can have it.” he interrupted you, holding the page in his hands, waiting for you to take it.

“oh…” your cheeks flush as your fingers accidentally grazed over his upon grabbing the sketch. “thank you.”

you almost felt bad holding this in your hands, afraid of ruining it just by the touch of your hand. how could he just let you have this without hesitation? even if this was a drawing of you, it felt like you didn’t deserve to have it.

you examine the drawing down to the details of the clouds behind you. you look for some sort of signature, assuming every artist had one in hopes to find a name. in the bottom corner, you see the name “hyunjin” written in cursive. you had finally put a name to your beautiful stranger.

“hyunjin?” you attempt to pronounce his name. your accent did you no favors, but you tried your best regardless. he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion until you pointed to where his signature was, then receiving a nod confirming that was his name.

“hwang hyunjin.” he said slowly. you repeat his name in full, speaking slower than him to make sure you were saying it correctly as you desperately didn’t want to screw it up. hyunjin, as you’ve now learned, gave you a nod of approval once you’ve won the battle with your accent.

“i’m y/n l/n.” you tell him. it would be awfully rude if he didn’t learn your name, after all. it seemed hyunjin didn’t seem to struggle at all when it came to pronouncing your name. his english was far better than yours, which wasn’t a shock as he seemed to be so insanely perfect in every aspect possible.

“are you an artist?” you ask, making an assumption based on the clues given to you the past two days. if he were anything else, you’d be surprised.

“i sing and dance.” hyunjin replied. you couldn’t believe his perfection could get any greater, but it just did. it would shock you if you learned your once beautiful stranger was a world famous one.

“well, your art is lovely.” you say.

“thank you.” he blushed shyly. to hyunjin, it felt so nice being treated like a normal person, appreciated for his art above all else. while there was no denying you found him to be the most breathtaking person you’d ever seen, there was more beneath the surface, and hyunjin was grateful to be seen for what he loves to do.

“is this your first time in paris?” you question, a chuckle escaping hyunjin’s lips over your pronunciation of your homeland. you were trying to get as much information out of him as possible before you were tortured with reaching your stop and leaving him once more. you had to take this chance while the universe let you have it.

“this is one of my favorite places to visit.” hyunjin said. truth be told, he always loved paris for its scenery and art, but yesterday he found one more reason to love it. is there any other place to love better than a city known all about that?

a visitor’s perspective was certainly different than the perspective of someone who’s lived here their whole life. there were so many reasons to love paris when you didn’t experience the greatest things about it everyday. to you, it was the same old thing. but to hyunjin, it was like a brand new experience each time in the rare event that he visited. but meeting each other allowed the both of you the ability to find something new to appreciate about this city.

“the eiffel tower gets old after a while.” you joke. hyunjin burst into a fit laughter, one more obnoxious than his calm chuckle from before. it infected you instantly, and you craved more of his laugh now that you’ve fully heard it.

hyunjin calmed himself down, letting out a sigh as he leaned his head back with his eyes closed and a grin on his face. he was truly the most beautiful person you had ever seen. “i hope i never get sick of this place.”

“i hope you never do.” you tell him, looking at his face as if he were a sculpture in a museum. “don’t wear it out.”

“i won’t.” he opened his eyes and responded to you, his smile not going away as you gazed into each other’s eyes.

you can’t help but stare at one another, almost like magnets pulling you together. was it normal to feel like this about someone you barely know? even so, it felt like you knew hyunjin before you ever met. such a thought would seem like insanity to someone else, but not to you, at least not in the moment.

your once unwavering stare was unfortunately interrupted by the sudden thrash of the train stopping. you look out the window and recognize it as your stop. if you were crazy enough, you’d stay on the train until they kicked you out, but you weren’t all that brave enough to try your luck. maybe you were better off savoring this moment for what it was; just a moment with a beautiful man who was once a stranger to you.

“ah, that’s my stop.” you say with a frown. hyunjin’s smile from before faded too. it was clear neither of you wanted this to end.

“oh, alright.” he replied. hyunjin watched as you quickly collected your things, not forgetting the drawing he gave you when you first sat next to him. you would cherish it as long as you could, and he could only hope that’s what you’ll do.

“maybe i’ll see you on the stage here someday, yeah?” you force a smile. you were actually sad to see this end, but if you keep a grin on your face, then maybe it’ll hurt a little less.

“yeah…” hyunjin nodded. “i hope you do.”

“bye, hyunjin.” you wave goodbye, hyunjin doing the same.

“thank you for making the train less boring for me.” you get those final words out before following the line of people exiting the train. hyunjin kept his eye on you for as long as he could, even staring out the window as you disappeared into the sea of people. if only he could have went with you.

“bye, y/n.” he said to himself, clutching the sketchbook that once held his masterpiece; a drawing of you, his beautiful stranger.

•••

on the third day, hyunjin was nowhere to be seen. you saw it coming, really. you knew last night was probably your final chance to ever see him again. still, a part of you hoped he’d magically appear on the train when you went to work the next morning.

the thrill you once had was no more. the spark lit aflame in your heart all gone. you weren’t sure if anyone would make you feel the same way hyunjin did. maybe meeting him was a lesson, something to teach you what the city of love was truly about, what you’ve failed at your entire life. at least now you were able to succeed, even if such a success was temporary.

you were thankful that your once black and white world finally had some saturation in it for once. if you were to meet hyunjin once again, no matter what the circumstance may be, the world would be in full bloom. you would look for him in everything you see, down to the bakeries you’ll eat at and sceneries you’d visit, for as long your thoughts echoed his name.

while your routine became repetitive once more, at least you had hyunjin’s image in your brain and his drawing in a picture frame on your shelf. if you were as talented as him, you’d try your hand at drawing him too, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to capture him like your eyes ever did. at least you have the memories.

hyunjin dreaded watching you leave, and he hated it even more when he left for the airport in the morning. he wondered if you thought about where he went, hoping you thought about him like he did now with you. you’d remain ingrained in his mind. whenever hyunjin thought about paris, a place he loved just as much as his hometown, he would think about you too.

he couldn’t explain this sadness inside him to anyone else. hyunjin couldn’t fathom anybody understanding the feeling of love at first sight like he did. a true romantic at heart, maybe you were the only one to be just as foolish as him when it came to romance. after all, you were instantly captivated by one another.

maybe, just maybe, hyunjin could write a song about this and sing it to the thousands of people he performed for like clockwork. but no matter what the days ahead held, hwang hyunjin, your beautiful stranger, was all that he would ever remain, and you would remain as his.

•••

(bonus)

@hynjinnnn: 파리에 있는 동안 기차에서 이 사람의 모습에 반해 그려보기로 결심했습니다. 나는 그들이 그것을 좋아했기를 바랍니다. 언젠가 다시 보고 싶습니다.

i was enthralled by this person on the train while in paris and decided to draw them. i hope they liked it. i'd love to see them again someday.

#stray kids #skz #hyunjin #hwang hyunjin #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #hyunjin x reader #hwang hyunjin x reader #pluto writes 📝

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lottespics · 1 year

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Why Me? - Part 1

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader

Warnings: Drinking, cursing, insecurities, pining (if I do end up writing more I will put more chapter warnings)

Word Count: 700

Summary: Bob is a total simp, and he is too caught up in his own insecurities to ever think about the possibility you may very well like him back.

A/N: Ok, so this is my first attempt at writing in a VERY long time, so pls be gentle to me, thank you. But if anyone comes upon this I hope you enjoy it! I'm hoping to write more and have it become a series but we'll see what happens. Also I suck at summaries so sorryyy.

For the twenty-nine years Bob had been alive he had never felt this way before. It took a single stare. A look. A glance really, to know that he had been blessed in this life. You’d think he was admiring a masterpiece carefully handcrafted by a tortured artist who had dedicated his life to his craft, or perhaps the sunset over the cliffs of La Jolla that reflected off of the water just right. But no. Because nothing in this moment could compare to the sight before him. It was simply you, holding a hand to your chest, throwing your head back in a laugh over some wild story Phoenix was telling you about her family back home.

Everything slowed down around him as the light from the bar cast a halo around your head. The way your cheeks flushed from the rowdy atmosphere of the Hard Deck. The way your soft hand slid from your chest to Phoenix’s shoulder in an attempt to catch your breath. He knew he was staring at this point, but he just couldn’t tear his eyes from you. Even gazing at you in awe from behind the pool table he found himself blushing at the thought of you and your inviting smile.

Just as you take a sip from your glass, your eyes scan the bar and land on his, already staring right at you. Your eyes widen at first at how intently his eyes bore into yours, until they soften and a crooked smile makes its way to his lips. You smile right back at him and raise your hand in a small wave. Bob’s heart beats faster as you continue to smile at him, he picks up his hand and gives a wave back. Your smile widens as you stare back into your drink.

Even in your khakis Bob thinks there is no way you could get more beautiful. He should go over and talk to you. But he thinks better of it as you’re still in your conversation with Phoenix. That is until Phoenix gets up and heads to the restroom. Oh god. This is his chance. He should take it right? No, he’ll just end up making a stuttering mess of himself like the last time he tried to have a one-on-one conversation with you. The team still held that over his head, as they only thought he was nervous to say something wrong and have you go running to tell your dad what a dumb-ass he was.

Your father of course being their Captain, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. That was its own obstacle. Other than the fact that the thought of you had him stumbling over his own words, your father was one reason why he was hesitant to approach you. You had mentioned to Phoenix before that because of this every aviator either kept their distance from you, or had made a game of trying to hook up with you. This detachment had been different this time. Everyone has been friendly to you for no other reason than to be friendly. Of course, Hangman tried his hand at you, but that was before he realized who your father was. Bob remembers it quite well. The way Hangman sidled up to you to introduce himself. Giving you his best lines, eventually asking how you got the call sign of “Mantis” only for you to stare at him and casually say, “‘Cause I’ll bite your fucking head off if you try anything”. You gave him your best smile and walked off after Hangman promptly choked on his drink.

Lost in his daydream, Bob barely notices Phoenix coming back and reclaiming her seat next to you. Another opportunity slips out of his hands. He looks back to his empty cup of peanuts and decides to call it a night, heading out without saying goodbye to anyone, not like they would notice anyway. Besides, if you ever were to take a chance on anyone in the squad why would it be him? He makes it to the front of the bar before you look up smiling, hoping to see him again, he was too far gone to see it slip from your face. You let out a dejected sigh before asking Penny to close out your tab.

#bob floyd x reader #bob floyd fic #bob floyd fanfiction #robert bob floyd x female reader #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #mavdad #top gun fandom

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islandofsages · 8 months

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darling heart.

summary: in which you are someone who participates in/identifies with jirai kei culture.

characters: heartslabyul boys x gn reader

tags: relationship not specified, fluff, imagines format

warnings: mentions of mental health, mentions of self-destructive tendencies

author's notes: hiiii this is very self-indulgent bc i am a jirai kei babe,, im specifically a jirai danshi <3 i might do for other dorms too, depending on my motivation lol you can find out more by searching up jirai kei tho dont just read the jfashion wiki for it, it's more than just a fashion style. also beware of potentially triggering stuff since it deals with mental health and all

Riddle Rosehearts

He’s intrigued by this subculture that you participate in and he’d ask you more about it, if you don't mind telling him - he’ll do his own research too anyway

When he finds out it's basically a subculture consisting of people with emotion dysregulation issues and is generally controversial, he checks up on you and asks you if you're okay or not

You laugh then – you’ve had your ups and downs but really, so has everyone. You hope reading about it hasn't scared him off

He’d feel like calling you a “landmine type” is too insensitive but you assure him that there's nothing to worry about and that people who participate in the subculture has reclaimed such stereotypes and fully embrace it

He’d really enjoy seeing you decked out in jirai kei fashion; he may want to try it himself but he’d insist that it's not in his place to participate, only support from the sidelines

You do get him to try out clothes that are similar to or inspired by the culture though – he seems to be comfortable in the style and you're happy that something that you enjoy can also bring the same joy to him

You’ll also recommend some songs to him, especially ones that you think would help him in studying despite the sometimes concerning lyrical content

If someone tries to bully you for identifying with the subculture, he’d step in immediately and defend your honor

“What right do you have in deciding what (Y/N) identifies with? That's what I thought. I’m always in the right.”

Through your downs and ups, Riddle will always be there for you.

Ace Trappola

He has heard of it before but he thought it was only a type of fashion, not a whole subculture with more substance to it than clothes

You’d infodump to him all about it and your journey with it, whether you just discovered it or have been identifying with it for a long time – he listens to you curiously all the while

He’s caught off guard for a moment by the more controversial and depressing part of it but he quickly recovers

He’s happy for you and glad that you’re comfortable having such a culture define a part of you

Though he implores not to do all the self-destructive stuff if you could and he’ll look out for you more just in case

He definitely thinks you rock while wearing your jirai kei outfits; it’s not his style but he wouldn’t mind trying it once, just to get a feel for the style

“Yeah, this is definitely not my thing… you, on the other hand, look pretty awesome.”

You’d give him a link for your playlist (or a playlist you’ve saved) and he’d listen to it when he’s bored – ends up adding a few songs to his personal playlist

If he finds anyone stereotyping you unnecessarily, he’ll call them out, saying as if they’re any better

Despite everything, you are still uniquely you in his eyes.

Deuce Spade

He apologizes for not knowing too much about it when you bring it up and you tell him it’s okay because it gives you an excuse to ramble about it

You tell him what it entails and how you’ve come to find out about it, sifting through your past experiences both good and bad

He tries very hard to be understanding, even if he doesn’t really get it. You’re just grateful to have his support

“I don’t really get it but it gives you a sense of community, right? I think that’s pretty cool!”

He’s also a little concerned about the mental illness part so he’d regularly check up on you to make sure you’re doing okay

He’d ask you to tell him more about your experiences with the subculture if you have any more and if anything exciting happens, you go to him first

Such as acquiring a brand new article of jirai kei clothing for example! He thinks the style is super pretty and fits you really, really well

He’d listen to the music together with you, sharing earphones and all – maybe he would even listen to them while he tries to do anything

He’ll be your guard dog and bite back whoever dares to make fun of you for being part of the subculture’s community you’ll have to calm him down sometimes

You couldn’t ask for a better cheerleader than him.

Cater Diamond

He’s always known about the subculture and although he doesn't participate in it, he thinks it's really neat

You tell him more about it and about the misconceptions people have about it so that he doesn't misunderstand

He’s super stoked that he knows someone in real life who actually participates in the subculture since he gets to see how it actually is in reality

He mostly knows about the fashion and when you come rocking up to him wearing the classic jirai kei look, he tries his best not to fanboy

He compliments you then proceeds to ask you where you got it – though cute styles like it aren’t his thing, he feels like he can give this style a try

He’d match with you on days he doesn’t feel too uncomfortable with more cutesy styles and snap pictures of you two to post on Magicam

He’d also go scouring for the music online to add more songs to his already rapidly growing playlist. He’d share some recommendations with you too!

Unintentionally got you more jirai kei friends since some people saw his posts about matching with you on Magicam; even people you already know commented on his post

“Look at us, (Y/N)! We’re totally Magicam-famous now~”

You laugh with him, head thrown back while the seeds of your relationship bloom behind where the two of you sit.

Trey Clover

He doesn’t know too much about it so he’ll ask you to explain to him what it is – to which you excitedly agree to

You tell him everything from the origins to how you’ve come to participate in the subculture – he nods patiently all the while

The mental health part of it has him questioning you a bit but he has no ill intention, he’s simply looking out for you and is worried about you

He’s supportive all the way and thinks it’s nice that you have something you’re passionate about. He’d even do his own research when he has the time

He’s pleasantly surprised when you show up wearing jirai kei fashion one day; he definitely thinks you look striking in the get-up

He wouldn’t mind going with you if you were to shop for more jirai kei-related things – he would joke you’ll have to repay by helping him out another time though

He’ll listen to your song recommendations and if he likes them enough, he’d listen to them while he’s in the kitchen. He likes that they remind him of you

“Oh, this one’s pretty catchy. …These lyrics though…”

Going places with you certainly catches attention sometimes but he doesn’t mind, as long as you’re happy and comfortable in your own skin

His name truly defines him – you sure feel lucky to have him in your life.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #platonic twst x reader #platonic twisted wonderland x reader #riddle rosehearts #riddle rosehearts x reader #ace trappola #ace trappola x reader #deuce spade #deuce spade x reader #cater diamond #cater diamond x reader #trey clover #trey clover x reader

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harringtonswriting · 1 year

Note

Omg Bree that list!! I would love to read 25. goodnight kisses with Bradley?🥺

ahhhh thank you so much Nova!! <3 i am SO sorry it took me so long to get this finished, but i hope you enjoy it!! god this was so adorable to write and i really, REALLY appreciate you picking this one bc it was such a cute idea <3

...

This was the best first date you’d had in a long time. Probably the best first date you’ve ever been on, if you’re being honest, but that’s not something you’re going to admit to your date. You didn’t want to give his ego that big of a boost this early, and also didn’t want him to think about your dating history being any sadder than he might already think it is.

Bradley Bradshaw had asked you out the night you met him at the Hard Deck, where he was drinking with his friends and you’d been convinced by yours to come out for some drinks and the promise of some very pretty Naval officers to look at. Which, you were happy to find, there were plenty of. Bradley included.

You’d thought he was just another good-looking flyboy when he’d walked up to you at the bar top, though his endearing smile and his outrageous taste in fashion had you intrigued enough to say yes; you had no idea how he still managed to look attractive wearing bright blue and magenta, but that coupled with his 70s-esque mustache and very pretty, big brown eyes ended up winning you over. You’d put your number in his phone, let him buy you a drink, and your friends teased you for the better part of an hour about giving your number to the first pilot who talked to you. But there was something special about Bradley, something genuine and funny and maybe you were a little tipsy, but you didn’t regret giving him your number.

Bradley messaged you the following afternoon to ask you to dinner this coming Friday night, and after the initial awkwardness (he’d responded to you with just a thumbs up emoji and you’d used maybe a few too many exclamation points), the two of you fell into an easy rhythm of texting back and forth. You find yourself enjoying talking with him, and looking forward to seeing his name pop up on your phone.

All too quickly, though, Friday night arrives and he picks you up in what is obviously a very old, but very well loved, truck. He’s got sunglasses on, big mirrored aviators, but no Hawaiian shirt tonight (he’d later tell you that he’d received advice that he should wear something a little more toned down for the first date, and you couldn’t say that a black t-shirt and jeans didn’t suit him just as well as what he’d been wearing the night you met him). He’d lifted his sunglasses off his face, clipping them on the front of his shirt as he got out of his truck, and a wide grin split across his face as he caught sight of you coming out of your house.

“You look amazing,” he says, and the words come out loud and earnest–it’s a genuine compliment, and his smile is infectious to boot. You smile as you return the sentiment.

“Not so bad yourself. I like this look,” you tell him, and you see him puff his chest out just a bit. As you walk towards him, he reaches into his truck and comes back out with a bouquet of sunflowers tied with a yellow ribbon. He holds them out to you, and you take them from his hands.

“These are for you,” he says, and you look down at the flowers. They’re beautiful, the loveliest shade of yellow from soaking up the warmth and love of the sun. “I didn’t know what you liked, but they reminded me of your smile, so I hope these are okay.” Bradley’s just a little bashful, and you rest one hand on his forearm.

“They’re beautiful,” you tell him, and it’s the truth. They are, and the fact that they reminded him of you? You don’t know how he can say that with a straight face, and if it came from anyone else you might be embarrassed. You still are, a little, but you’re just a little pleased, too, that he’s been thinking about you. You take the flowers inside, quickly putting them in a tall glass of water before heading back out to where Bradley and the Bronco are waiting. You head around to the passenger side door to pull it open… but it won’t budge. You try again, but still no dice. Oh, god, did you break his car? This is a classic, right? That’s what a lot of older cars are. He gets you beautiful flowers and you break his car. Wonderful. You look at Bradley, and he grimaces. Oh no.

“The, uh, the door sticks sometimes. Lemme get it for you,” he says, coming around to fiddle with the handle before the door pops open. You feel some relief, then, knowing that you didn’t just bust his car, and you climb in and he shuts it behind you. Then he’s getting in on his side, and the two of you head out to the restaurant he’d told you about for dinner.

It was a place that Hangman had recommended, Bradley told you, but he only decided to take that recommendation seriously when Phoenix, Payback, and Fanboy had all confirmed it was good. And you’d have to remember to thank Bradley’s friends the next time you see them, because they were right. It was a small place, not too far from the Hard Deck, with the best food you’d had in a while. The atmosphere was friendly and it was busy enough that you and Bradley had plenty of time to talk between your server’s check ups, but not too busy that you felt rushed or couldn’t get a table.

The two of you got through the basic first date talk pretty quickly; he’s a much better listener than the last few guys you’d gone out with, and actually asked you some questions when you were telling him about some work drama you’d been dealing with. You enjoy the way his big, beautiful brown eyes crinkle at the corners with crows feet when he smiles, and how he scrunches his nose when he laughs. He also talks with his hands, you’ve come to realize, and he nearly knocks his glass of water off the table no less than four times as he’s telling you a story about what had happened at work earlier today.

“Anyway, so the radio was totally shot, right? So I’m inverted above Coyote, Phoenix and Bob are freaking out, there’s no way to communicate and we still have half a training exercise to complete. Can you believe that?” Bradley has his hands in an awkward position, trying to give you a visual as to what things had looked like. You can tell by the way he talks that he absolutely loves what he does, and he loves being able to fly. And there are very few things more attractive than seeing a man get so excited to tell you all about how he managed to get his plane upside down and scare the shit out of his friends and co-workers when no one was able to talk to each other in the air.

Dinner is over all too quickly after that, though, but thankfully nothing gets spilled during the rest of Bradley’s animated descriptions of his completely serious job duties. After you’d left the restaurant, since it was still light out, Bradley suggested that the two of you take a walk together along the beach behind the Hard Deck. He swore up and down that watching the sunsets from there were phenomenal, and, not wanting the date to end just yet, you agreed to go with him. He drove you there, and the two of you left your shoes in the back of his truck while you walked along the sand, continuing your conversation from dinner.

Bradley was absolutely right about the sunset, too; it was gorgeous, seeing all the blues and pinks and oranges, and every colour in-between, painting the sky in front of you and the water softly splashing against the shore. The two of you stop walking and talking as the sun hits the horizon, the cool water gently lapping against your feet and washing the sand all around. You swear you feel the back of Bradley’s hand ghost against the back of yours as the two of you stand there, side by side.

There’s a soft breeze blowing, putting a little chill in the air, and you find yourself shuffling a little closer to Bradley. Warmth radiates off of him, and as you look at him out of the corner of your eye and see him bathed in the burnished glow of the setting sun and how it gleams in his eyes, you think all the warmth and light of that sun must have been soaked up into him. And the more time you spend here with him on the beach, the happier you are that you didn’t let the date end after dinner–and that you gave him your number in the first place.

Once the sun has fully dipped below the horizon, the two of you make your way back to Bradley’s truck as the night sky faded from dusky twilight to a deep blue. You do keep a few steps behind him, though, to admire the way he fills out his t-shirt and jeans from the back. He’d once again popped the passenger door open for you, and closed it for you before he made his way back over to the driver’s side. Then, once he’s situated in the driver’s seat, he’s peeling out of the parking lot and heading back to your place.

The windows are rolled down as Bradley’s truck speeds along the road, and the cool breeze from earlier is back and blowing through the cab of the truck. The drive passes by all too quickly, with you needing to give Bradley directions the closer you get, and before you know it he’s pulling into your driveway. He parks the truck and turns the engine off. A beat of silence passes between the two of you before you turn to him and smile.

“Thank you for tonight,” you tell him, and you catch a flash of his teeth as he smiles.

“I should be thanking you. I’m glad you let me take you out.” He’s so earnest, maybe just a bit too earnest, but you have a feeling that he’s not quite as slick as some of his friends had been at the bar when you’d met. Which wasn’t entirely a bad thing; as pretty as the green eyed blond who’d been chatting up your best friend had been, he seemed just a little too full of himself. Bradley was much more your type (though you’d probably wait to admit that, that’s more of a post-third date kind of thing, if you got a third date, that is. You hope you do).

Though you don’t really want to date to end, judging by the time glowing on the dashboard of the truck (which Bradley had insisted was only thirteen minutes behind and it had been since his father owned it, and was lovingly referred to as running on ‘Goose time’, which you hoped he’d explain in the future), it was getting pretty late and you weren’t sure if he had to work in the morning. If he did, then he probably should have been at home a while ago.

“I should probably let you get going.” You unbuckle your seatbelt and grab your bag, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think you almost saw a pout cross Bradley’s face. But he nods, unbuckling his own seatbelt.

“At least let me walk you to your door,” he says, and before you can protest he’s popping open his door and you watch him jog around the front of his truck to your side. He fiddles with the door handle for a minute before he gets it open, and when he does he offers you his other hand to help you out of the Bronco. You take it, and once you’re clear he closes the truck door–and doesn’t let go of your hand as he walks all the way down the driveway, up your front steps, and stops in front of your door.

The two of you stand on the porch, his calloused hand still clasped around your own as the dim, yellow light shining above your door illuminates the space around you. A few moths are bobbing and weaving around said light, a few of them getting a bit too close and dropping down before flying back up again in an endless cycle.

“Is it alright if I kiss you goodnight?” he asks, voice a little huskier than it had been all night as he breaks the silence, and you feel cool relief flood through you when you nod because yes, absolutely, you definitely want this man to kiss you, and it feels good to know he wants to kiss you, too.

You hadn’t been quite sure what to expect, though; would he be eager? Pushy? Sloppy?

Thankfully he’s none of those things–sure, Bradley’s lips are more than a little chapped, but that’s not surprising given what he does for work. But they’re also warm, and the gentle pressure behind the kiss has you closing your eyes and leaning into him. His mustache tickles against your skin, brushing against it as his mouth works against yours.

When you pull back due to the rather unfortunate need that your body has for oxygen, you take a moment to scan his face in the dim porch light. He’s got scars on his cheek, chin, and neck, you realize, and they gleam almost silver as you take them in. There’s a tiny smattering of barely there freckles that dot his nose, and one of his deep brown curls is hanging loose and slightly over his forehead. You wonder what it would be like to reach up and brush it away, but decide that the first date maybe isn’t the right time for that. His eyes are crinkled at the corner, crow’s feet softening his deep brown eyes as he looks down at you.

“That was… wow,” he tells you, which is probably pretty close to what you’d have said, because he’s not wrong. “I mean, better than just wow, but this is probably where I should get going before I make a total fool of myself. Thanks again for tonight.” He squeezes your hand one more time before he’s turning and stepping back off your porch to head towards his truck. You dig your keys out of your bag and unlock your door.

“Get home safe,” you call after him, and he waves back at you over his shoulder with a loud laugh. You step inside after you watch him get into the driver’s side, and close and lock your door as you hear the Bronco speed off into the night.

And about half an hour later, while you’re laying in bed, your phone screen lights up with a notification from Bradley–he’s home safe, he just wanted to let you know so that you don’t worry about him, and he’d love to take you out again, if that’s something you want. You look over at the sunflowers on your dresser, yellow ribbon still tied around them, and you can’t help the smile on your face as you tell him a second date is more than alright with you.

#top gun maverick #top gun maverick fic #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster fanfic #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw fic #nova 💫

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beautysamour · 1 year

Text

Wrong destination | chapter two.

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x reader

Summary: After running into Alina and Mal, the three of you try to get out of Noyvi Zem before getting caught. This leads you to another encounter that you’re sure will mess up the time line.

warning/s: none

taglist: @spellsofavalon @vera0124

enjoy!

“Only two ships in a harbor town? Something’s not right.”

The three of you were currently hiding between some barrels, the current plan was to escape by ship.

“Maybe Bohdan ordered them away,” suggested Alina, “But the first army doesn’t have jurisdiction here,” Mal replied quickly.

You’ve read some books about the first army but you weren’t a hundred percent educated on them. You found the first grisha queen’s story a lot more interesting, and inspiring.

You didn’t speak up at all during the conversation between the two and felt especially awkward when Mal leaned his forehead against hers, you felt like you weren’t supposed to be there.

Which you weren’t, but whatever.

The three of you stepped away from the barrels and began to walk towards the people in front of the ship. You clenched your fists on the walk down; Alina suggested bribing them with 20 million kruge, but you were still on edge from the fight from earlier.

When you reached the people at the ship, Alina outstretched an arm to them handing them a piece of gold, “It’s gold,” she says.

The girl who Alina handed the gold to, took it and- bit it.

“That’ll do,” she said before turning back to a young man behind her, handing him the piece of gold. The young man examined the piece of gold on his own before fully confirming to himself that it was real gold.

“Come on then, hurry up. I’ll take you to the captain.”

Apart of you was actually excited, you were going to be traveling with pirates, not everyone from your time can say they’ve done that. You tried to contain your excitement though, you didn’t want anyone to think you were suspicious.

You were about to say thank you and enter the ship before someone called out for you-“You! Stop!”

The fucking guards.

The girl you first met at the ship immediately stepped towards them, edging them on.

“You want to fight Ravka?”

Still on edge, you took your other shoe off and threw it at the group of men then immediately made a run for it onto the ship, followed by Alina, Mal, and the young man; leaving the young woman alone to humble the group of men.

—

“Let’s be clear about two things. I don’t take orders on my own ship. And we’re already underway, I’m glad you’ve joined us.”

The captain, you assumed, had his arms on the table in front of him, resting his weight on the table and leaning forward.

He had ginger hair and green muddy eyes. Although he wasn’t standing up straight, you could tell that he was tall. His nose was crooked, it looked as if he got it handed to him multiple times.

“Now, maybe if you’d be so kind as to give the room a little light,” he continued,” after all you are Alina Starkov. A 20 million kurge saint.”

He pulled out a gun from his jacket and set it on the table, voicing out a silent threat, “dead or alive.”

No wonder his nose was crooked, if you felt a little more confident in your fighting abilities you probably also would’ve decked him in the face.

“Before you continue with the threats,” you begin to say honestly not caring about what’s happening. You knew that at the end of this conversation, he would let Alina and Mal out, might as well leave the room as soon as possible, “could I leave the room? I don’t think I’m needed here.”

Tolya, whose name you learned on the way to the captain, let out a deep exhale.

The captain looked at you slightly confused beige nodding and gesturing Tolya to walk you out the room.

“Wait outside the door though, I have to speak with you too,” said the captain before Tolya came up to you and gestured you out the room.

You were hoping to have some quiet outside the room, but you throwing a shoe out of everything at military personnel amused Tolya to no ends, enough for him to stay talking about it for 10 minutes.

“Do you always throw shoes at people?”

“No-“

“Where are you from? You don’t seem like a Ravka girl.”

“Gee, thanks-“

“What brought you here-“

The door abruptly opening cut Tolya off mid sentence.

“Can you give them a small tour around the ship? Then bring them to the fancy quarters,” the captain said before turning his gaze to you and walking back into his office, implying for you to follow, and you did.

“Close the door on your way in,” he said.

You stood awkwardly in the middle of the room when you finished closing the door. The captain went around his desk and resumed the same position he was in when you first walked into his office.

“Now who are you?”

“Y/N.”

“No last name?”

“Who are you?”

“The name’s Sturmhond.”

“Is that your last name?”

“It’d be a terrible first.”

He leaned further on the table, quickly getting irritated at your distancing, “Alright, love, if you came any other day you’d probably be in luck for me to indulge in your little back and forth momentum, but you coincidentally came in the same time as the sun summoner. Not everyone just regularly travels with a saint.”

You looked away from him, afraid that he’ll somehow expose you to be a time traveler.

“So I’ll ask again, and only once again, who are you.”

“I just want a place to sleep at until we reach shore again.”

“That’s utter bull, love, and you know it.”

You look back at him, your emotional and physical tiredness catching up with you, “I just had the unfortunate luck of crossing paths with them, that’s all. You can use a heartrender,” you clear your throat, the memory of Elijah popping up in your head, “to make sure I’m telling the truth when I say I don’t have any ill agenda.”

“But you have one,” he challenges.

“When does someone not?”

He seemed to not have any remarks to that. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, he just kept his eyes on you.

“Very well,” he finally says. “You seem tired, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

He gave you a small grin, looking strangely familiar to Elijah’ grin whenever he teased you.

—

“May not look like the fanciest, but I swear, it’ll feel as such. Well actually that’s a lie, but what can you expect from a hammock at sea? Enjoy your stay, love.”

You let out a breath you’ve been holding since you walked on to the ship once Sturmhond was far away for you to feel slightly relaxed.

Your area was small and was set in between two other hammocks that belonged to complete strangers. Fortunately you didn’t have any luggage with you so you didn’t have to worry about anything getting stolen. You didn’t even have any shoes.

Wow so classy.

You put one of your legs up on the hammock, attempting to get on it. You failed. Then you tiptoed and set your lower behind on the hammock, trying to get on it once again. This time it worked.

You slowly recline your body, leaning on your side, before turning on your back, now looking up at the ceiling of this sleeping area.

“You would’ve loved this place, eli, you always wanted to be a pirate,” you laugh softly, remembering a childhood moment.

“Arrrr matey, give me your money!”

Elijah, a seven year old, threatened with his weirdly bent fork that was taped onto his pointer finger.

“Eli,” you exclaimed, “that didn’t even rhyme!”

“Arrr matey, pirates don’t have to rhyme my lady,” replied Elijah, pronouncing the end of lady like “ty” to make it rhyme with matey.

“Ew, don’t call me that,” you scrunched your face, cringing at the pet name.

Elijah dropped his shoulders as a pout formed on his face, “Y/N! Can you please play along? You know this is important for me, I have to pass my pirate audition!”

“Pirate audition?” You ask back, “Those exist?”

“Of course they do! How else would pirates become pirates?”

“I guess… ok I’m sorry, I’ll take this more seriously.”

A smile now showed on Elijah’ face, “Ok, from the beginning. Arrrr matey, give me your money!”

You smile, finding the entire thing childishly funny. Then the memory quickly becomes sour when you remember the scene of his head disconnected from the rest of his body. The feeling of having to throw up rapidly makes an appearance, but it stops before it’s too hard to control.

You close your eyes and try to leave the memory, forcing yourself to focus on your surroundings as you try to fall asleep.

—

“Look lively, topside now!”

You jerk your head up at the sound of a loud voice and push yourself up. You looked around for a few seconds before pushing yourself up completely and brushing any dirt that ended up on your clothes.

“Of course I wake up on the floor,” you mumble to yourself before heading to the ladder at the far end of the department, and climbing up to the deck.

“Hey,” you hear as soon as you get on the deck, “I meant to ask yesterday but it didn’t seem like the right time. Where’d you get your clothes from?”

Sturmhond walked towards you as he asked the question, seemingly waiting for you to show up.

“Where would you get yours,” you asked back as you started to walk away from him, not sure what he wanted. “Where’s Alina and Mal,” you ask before he could answer your rhetorical question.

“Haven’t came up yet. Why? Need the sun summoner for something?”

Of course he was weary of you, it’s not common for someone to genuinely help someone in this time period without wanting anything in return.

“It’s that rare to want to know how the well-being of someone who has previously helped you? Saints, that’s sad.”

Sturmhond snickered from behind you, “Yeah, pretty rare.”

You walked to a side railing, looking over it to watch the water sway beneath you. The ocean was always something that fascinated you; the fact that it makes up so much of the world yet very little is known about it.

Just like your very own power within you.

“Don’t touch that,” you heard from behind you. You quickly turned your head, the feeling of panic striking you, but relief flooded that feeling away when you saw that Sturmhond was talking to Mal and Alina; leaving you alone with the sea beneath your feet.

—

The sun set just as quickly as it raised. A few members of the ships crew, including its captain and Alina and Mal, embarked on a mission they had once the ship reached a rather mysterious looking island.

When they came back on the ship, it was announced that Alina received her second amplifier and the entire crew was able to watch as she attached it to her body.

Now everyone was asleep, except for you. Not being able to use your power and being stuck in an era that isn’t yours quickly made itself a reoccurring thought. What if you were never able to go home? You still had a family, still had other friends, you still wanted to save Elijah- but how? If you didn’t have your power then what.

Was there an amplifier you could use?

You momentarily stop thinking about these issues once you get to the deck of the ship, the stars in the sky immediately demanding for your attention. A memory of your mother telling you stories about the stars flood your mind.

You feel the soft breeze that always accompanies the ocean as you walk to the middle of the deck and sit down.

“Mom,” you whisper out, “the sea at night is just as you said.”

“Hey,” you hear from behind you, again. The same voice.

“Good evening,” you reply back, starting to get up as you turn towards him.

“It’s late out. Crews not allowed up here after sundown,” he walks towards you, offering you the jacket that was rested on his arm as he gets closer. You glance down at the jacket before looking back up at him, slightly taken off guard at how the moonlight seemed to perfectly light his face.

He’s definitely not bad looking.

“With all due respect, I’m not really apart of the crew,” you reply back, “I’m just here until we reach somewhere safe.” He stands for a few seconds, his hand still holding the jacket out to you.

Taking your words as a rejection, he pulls the hand holding his jacket back to him. He doesn’t say anything to you, he only walks to a side railing on the deck and looks up at the night sky. A comfortable silence rests between you two.

Assuming he wasn’t going to say anything else, you start to walk back to the ladder that led to the hammocks.

“Feel free to stay out, then.”

You stop mid step, mentally weighing the cons and pros of staying out here alone with a man who has made it clear that he does not trust you.

The sky is pretty anyways. You decide to use that as you reason to stay.

You walk towards the same side railing Sturmhond was leaning on, leaving a few inches between you two as you rest your weight on it.

“Why were you out here,” he asked, keeping his eyes straight down, watching the moons reflection of the waters surface.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh wow,” he chuckles while speaking, “you actually gave me a direct answer. Didn’t know you could do that.”

“And I regret doing so,” you say; more on the playful side however, indulging in some sarcastic remarks might be good for your sanity.

From your peripheral, you saw Sturmhond push himself off of the railing, you assumed he was going to walk back inside but he only did so to straighten his back.

“Even though you aren’t apart of my crew permanently, you still eat, sleep, and spend time on my ship. You’re still under my supervision, which means you’re in my crew,” he turns misled towards you, leaning on his side against the railing this time, “and I like to know my crew.”

Mirroring his body movement, you also turn yourself towards him. Maybe telling this stranger, who you’ll never meet again and who you don’t remember in any history books, a few things about you wouldn’t do you any harm. It might be good to make some friends for the mean time.

“Down for a few questions?”

“Alright, my name is Y/N.”

“Still no last name?”

“Still no last name.”

“Ok…,” he chuckled again. “If I can’t know your last name, then can I know how you met the sun summoner? Like I said, that’s not just some regular encounter. Why are you on my ship?”

“I want to go home,” you said; ignoring the first part of his question. “I got lost and I just want to go back.”

“Where’s your home?”

“Ravka.”

You heard a sound come from him, something akin to a laugh, “You’re from Ravka?”

“Yeah,” you said, a little confused as to why he asked again.

He turned his body away from you, looking off into the distance as the smell of sea water and the cool evening breeze took over your senses.

“What do you think about the prince,” he suddenly asks, still looking off into the distance.

The prince? Who was the prince at this time…

You tried to remember all the history books you read and cursed yourself for only really caring about the grisha queen- but then you remember a name that was commonly brought up alongside her and who was once king.

“The puppy prince?”

Sturmhond suddenly turned his head towards you, his expression mixed with surprise and annoyance.

Maybe he knew the prince…?

“Puppy prince?” He repeats, his tone unidentifiable.

You nod slowly, a little worried that you might’ve offended him, “I don’t know him personally and I don’t have an opinion on him, but I’ve heard people call him that.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his shoulder lowering as he rested his forearms on the railing; a sigh escaping his mouth.

He mumbles a few things under his breath that you were unable to catch on to.

“How’d you get away from home?”

“I,” you trailed off, not sure if you wanted to tell him that, “I’m trying to find a cure, for a friends sickness. He’s already in dire need of help, so I’d like to reach shore as soon as possible.”

He didn’t say anything. It was silent again; the sound of the waves and the breeze being the only audible thing at this time of day.

You push yourself off the railing, realizing how late it is; “Well, sturmhond, thank you for the company. I’ll be going back inside now.”

You began to walk away from him, looking up at the sky while doing so.

“Y/N,” Sturmhond says, causing you to stop walking before you could reach the ladder, “We’ll get you home. Promise.”

“Ok,” you respond with a small smile, not looking back at him, “I’ll keep you to it.”

—

“Come with us, it’s the fastest way to get you to shore.”

After your talk with Sturmhond on the deck, he’s been very persistent on updating you on how close you guys were to shore.

You were surprised that he seemed to care that much, about someone who wasn’t truly apart of his crew. You weren’t going to take that for granted though.

“When do you leave?”

“In an hours time, so pack quickly.”

“I-“ you began to say but he walked away before you could even finish, “…I didn’t even give you an answer yet.”

You sighed as you turned back to your hammock, that had nothing on it, since you had nothing with you. You decided to walk around the ship to make the hour go by quicker.

—

“Y/N!”

Alina, who you haven’t spoken too for some days, ran to you immediately at seeing you.

“Alina-“ she ran up to you quicker that you expected and pulled you into a massive bear hug, cutting your air circulation. “You’re coming with us?” She asked when she finally pulled away.

You nodded, “Don’t get my wrong, your shoe throwing is a very unique tactic but I don’t think that’ll affect the monsters in the fold that much.”

You froze at her words and just stared at her, dumbfounded.

You’re going into the fold?

“How’s it feel, ready to take on the fold?”

Mal asked while walking up to you two, specifically to Alina.

As Alina averted her attention for you to Mal, you took it as your chance to give them space. You still felt as if you shouldn’t be apart of any of their conversations since they’ve already had it without you; you didn’t want to mess up the timeline anymore than you assumed you already have.

Nervousness began to bubble in the pit of your stomach. In modern Ravka, there is no fold, you didn’t have to worry about any shadow monsters. You’re in the past though, you remind yourself. Of course your luck would lead you here.

“There you are, I was about to go looking for you,”to your right was Sturmhond who was currently walking towards you, “Excited?”

“Of course n-“ you stop yourself mid sentence. Yes, apart of you was upset that he was throwing you into the equivalent of hell, but he was also the reason why you’d reach Ravka sooner than most. So you didn’t really have any room to complain.

You inhale before restarting your sentence, “To get to Ravka? Yes. To travel through the Fold? No.”

He smirked at your words, “Aw don’t worry, we’ve got a saint with us- you two ready?” He asked Alina and Mal. They nodded, “Might want to hold on to something,” Sturmhond told you as he walked to the middle of his ship, where a lever was rested at.

“Prepare to decouple,” he yelled out. The twins, Tolya and Tamar jumped on the ship; surprising you as they seemed to have come from thin air. Sturmhond yelled out to someone on the other side of the ship before pulling the lever. Just on cue, Kovu, who Sturmhond yelled out to just a few moments ago, moved his arms in a precise motion, pushing air up and towards the sails.

You felt the part of the ship you were on began to lift into the air, you quickly grabbed on to the ledge and jerked your body back so you didn’t see the ground.

This is just like an airplane, you tell yourself in an attempt to slow down your rapidly increasing heartbeat. In front of you, Alina threw herself onto a bench; seemingly afraid. Mal entered your sight of vision as he came up to Alina trying to get her to get up.

You laughed at the view, not because you were making fun of her, but because of how common it is to fly in your time. You wonder how Alina would react to being on an actual airplane.

Still, even though your use to flying in the air, a creation like this-that you’ve studied in school before and is now on- it was fascinating. You slowly turn your body back towards the ledge, looking over it now and overseeing the view.

“This is amazing,” you meant to whisper out but it came out a lot louder than intended.

“Did you expect any less,” Sturmhond questioned as he stood next to you while leaning against the same ledge, “It’s like you haven’t even met me,” he joked. “Years and years of designs,” he continued, “and several dozen crashed prototypes.” He winced out the last part of his sentence, not the proudest at that fact, but it was expected.

You looked at him surprised, “You made this?” He nodded. “…you’re an inventor?” He nodded again. Of course he’s an inventor.

“I know,” he said with a smirk, “smart and handsome, gotta leave something for the rest of you all.”

You rolled your eyes at his cockiness; averting your gaze from him to watch the ground as you fly above it. You didn’t have a view like this on an airplane.

“Captain,” a crew member yelled out, “The Fold’s in sight.”

“Wonderful. Next stop,” he yelled so Alina and Mal could hear, “Destiny.”

—

It was all a blur, the time in the fold.

All you remember is Alina attempting to take down the Fold, then something happened which caused her to fail her attempt. Then suddenly it was all dark, and there were monsters, and gun shots, and screeches- it was horrific. Everything the history books said it was like.

And now it was dark again. You couldn’t see or feel, maybe you were dead. Then suddenly you hear voices.

“One, two, three,-“

And suddenly you saw light again.

Your body jerked up at the feeling of oxygen rushing into your lungs. Around you, you heard sighs of reliefs and thanks being given to the saints as someone aggressively patted your back and you coughed up the remaining water that was in your lungs.

You turned to look at the person patting your back and was met with someone completely unfamiliar, but attractive.

“Almost lost you there,” said the stranger as he wiped his mouth with the back of his palm.

“Who the hell are you-“ the sound of horns blaring and soldiers marching drained out your voice.

“You’ve crossed illegally onto Ravkan soil. Identify yourselves,” asked who you assume to be the commander of the group of soldiers as they came to a stop.

The blonde stranger next to you gave you another pat on the back before getting up from his current position on his knees, “I’ll handle this.”

“Have I really changed that much,” he asked as he jumped down from the wrecked ship, “I knows it’s been a number of years but people swear I remain boyishly handsome.”

You snort at his words. He may look unfamiliar but he definitely acts like someone you know.

Speaking of which, where is…

“It can’t be,” said the commander

“Yes it is,” replied the stranger as he took off his jacket.

“Moi tsarevich.”

As soon as the commander mumbled out those words, he and the rest of his troops immediately got down on one knee.

Tsarevich… prince…

“Alina,” you call out, “where’s Sturmhond?”

Alina looked back at you with widened eyes, as if she came to the same conclusion that you have.

Oh.

He was definitely someone you remembered in those history books.

#nikolai lantsov x reader #grishaverse #shadow and bone #nikolai lantsov imagines #nikolai lantsov x you #sturmhond x reader #nikolai x reader #nikolai lantsov #shadow and bone fanfic #nikolai lantsov fanfic #nikolai lantsov x grisha reader #nikolai lantsov x y/n

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getcardedtarot · 1 year

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July 2023 Monthly PAC

Welcome back lovelies! This time I've prepared a monthly PAC reading for July. Settle in, relax, and let your intuition guide you as you choose which message you need to hear for the month ahead.

For my monthly readings, I like to go more in depth. In addition to tarot cards, I also pull Lenormand and Oracle cards. The Oracle cards I'm using for this reading are Woodland Wardens, a beautifully cozy deck.

As a disclaimer, my readings are for entertainment only. Your choices are your own.

Pile 1: Tarot: 5 of Cups, 7 of Cups, 6 of Swords, The Magician, 8 of Pentacles, King of Pentacles. Oracle: Deer and Oak, Hawk and Thistle. Lenormand: Bouquet, Sun

I'm feeling a lot of grief and sorrow from you. You're feeling as if you have no options, or the options you do have are all bad. Fortunately I do have good news about July. You need to remember who you are and what you have at your disposal. You're a powerful manifester and the feelings you've been having are an illusion. Look up from your sorrow and see what's still around you. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off. This is a time to take stock of the good things in your life. Take a walk, get lost in nature.

I'm feeling also that you have some sort of craft. There's something you do that you've been working on or should be working on. This is the path to success for you this month. Work diligently at it, protect yourself but also have a keen eye for opportunities to use this gift. The life you desire is at your fingertips but you're letting yourself get caught up in your feelings. Remember who you are and what you're capable of.

As the month goes on you will make the journey through grief, and come out the other side. Take time to heal and nurture yourself. This will give you the energy and motivation you need to manifest the life you desire.

Pile 2: Tarot: The Hierophant, The World, Ace of Swords, The Fool, 7 of Pentacles, Wheel of Fortune. Oracle: Opossum and Peony, Frog and Lotus. Lenormand: Heart and Birds

Wow! This is going to be a big month for you! Big things are happening. I'm seeing that you've been sort of laying low, keeping your head down. I'm also seeing that you have something up your sleeve. Some project you've been working on perhaps. I'm seeing that you're very inspired and ready to start with this project, to really get things moving in a big way. You're about to come out of your shell! I'm seeing you take a leap of faith. You're nervous and excited about what this will bring. But the world is at your feet and luck is with you. Your hard work is about to pay off!

You're about to transform into a higher version of yourself. It's time to move on this project you have. Shed the skin of your old self and embrace this change, it will be fruitful. Get yourself ready and take the leap of faith!

Pile 3: Tarot: 8 of Swords, Ace of Pentacles, 7 of Pentacles, 6 of Cups, 4 of Pentacles, The Star. Oracle: Marten and Foxglove, Lizard and Pitcher Plant. Lenormand: Key and Snake.

You feel trapped in your past. You're keeping it so close even though it's keeping you stagnant and preventing you from moving on. You want so badly to be free, to move on, you just feel stuck and you're not sure how to get out. There is hope for you. Do something fun and maybe silly for yourself, don't worry about what anyone thinks about it. This should be something special for you. Something you enjoyed as a child maybe.

A new opportunity is going to present itself soon! A job or new financial venture, perhaps. Be spontaneous and go with it! This venture will be the key to beginning to move on.

#tarot #free tarot #tarot readings #free tarot readings #monthly tarot #tarot pick a card #pick a card #pick a card reading #pac #pac reading #pick a pile #pick a pile reading

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bearsinpotatosacks · 1 year

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I'll Haunt This Ship (To My Last Breath) - Whumptober2023

But now the room is spinning while I'm trying to fill in all the gaps - I paced for hours on empty; I jumped at the slightest of sounds

Scotty gets electrocuted on the job. It's lucky Bones is good at his job.

For day 1 & 7 of @whumptober . Also on AO3.

Words: 710

Bones tapped his foot as the turbolift landed in the engineering decks. As soon as the doors open, med kit in hand, he bolted off toward where the crowd of people had formed around Scotty. He pushed them out of the way, there were way too many people here, and saw where he lay, not breathing, on the floor.

“Move back, all of you,” he said, kneeling to the floor and feeling for a pulse.

There was none.

“Has anyone done anything?”

The crowd shook their heads. Amateurs. You’d think a group working in one of the most dangerous parts of the ship would know at least some first aid. Even the security officers knew how to see to a phaser wound.

He moved his head over his face to feel him breathing and felt nothing again. “How long has he been down?”

“Two minutes,” said an Ensign.

He rolled up his sleeves. Despite all their medical advancements, CPR was still the only way to revive someone who’s heart had stopped. Apart from concoctions made from a mad mans blood, but resurrecting Jim was a one time thing, at least he hoped.

“Right, Scotty, I’m sorry about the ribs.”

He placed his hands on the breastbone, the heels over where his heart was and began to press down hard. The crowd flinched when the ribs began to crack and splinter. He didn’t flinch. The only way CPR properly worked was if you broke a few ribs, it meant you were getting through to the heart properly.

“Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty.”

He focused on his head. Tilting it back, he pinched his nose and gave one deep breath, waiting to see if his chest moved, and it did. He did one more breath but didn’t see any signs of life.

“Can you hear me?” He said as he carried on with compressions. “Scotty, can you hear me?”

No answer. He carried on with the compressions, starting to appreciate all the times Jim made him go to the gym, because without those horrible arm workouts, he probably wouldn’t have the strength to do CPR for too long.

With Scotty still not responding, he lent his head back and did two more breaths. His chest rose but didn’t carry on. He didn’t open his eyes.

“Don’t give up on me Scotty,” he said between compressions. “I think the Enterprise would stop working if you died, or you’d start haunting it, one of the two, and I don’t like the thought of either.”

As if the thought of anything happening to the Enterprise had pulled him from the brink, he jolted upright, eyes wide open and heaving in deep breaths. He lay a hand on Bones’ shoulder as he guided him on breathing easier.

“How many fingers am I holding up?” Bones asked him, waving his hand in front of his face.

“Three?”

Bones nodded. Scotty moved his hand to his chest as he tried to get up.

“Why do my ribs hurt?”

Bones looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll explain later.” He said. “Now to sickbay, come one.”

He put his arm around him as they headed back to sickbay. Scotty limped, still holding his ribs as he did. The doors opened with a swoosh, some of the ensigns shouted good luck and gave him thumbs up, it was nice to know Scotty was more well liked with his staff than he was.

“Do I have to go to sickbay?” Scotty asked as the turbolift shifted upwards.

Bones rolled his eyes, “You literally died.”

“I’ll be fine!”

“No, you’re at least getting a check up, if not a full night in sickbay, and tomorrow off.”

“But-”

“No buts, now come on.”

The turbolift dinged as they reached sickbay. Scotty sighed as he walked him in and placed him on the bed. A nurse came over and began doing some tests as Bones took some readings.

“At least I can get caught up on my engineering journals.”

Bones just nodded and added a tourniquet to his arm. Tapping the IV bag, he made sure there were no bubbles in the bag or the tube, before pushing the needle into the vein and shutting him up.

“Anything to get you sitting still, Scotty.”

Can you tell I've started watching ER? One of my main gripes with that show is how light their CPR is? In one episode they feel bad for breaking ribs when I swear that's the point. Also don't take any of this as medical advice, I have no first aid training apart from ER. I have learnt how they put IV's in, also from Wikihow. But between getting into Top Gun and 2023 whumptober, I've kind of forgotten what equipment is canon in Star Trek and what's made up in my mind, lol. Thanks for reading! @whumptober-archive

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sunflowerdarlingx · 2 years

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His Girl - Chapter Four (18+)

Hello lovelies,

This chapter is a little long but it's mainly a filler chapter. Next chapter will have a lot more interactions with Steve and hopefully a bit of drama.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading so far and for all the comments I have been getting. I really appreciate it and I also appreciate the patience people have had since I posted the last chapter.

Mob!Steve Rogers x Female Reader (she/her pronouns).

Warnings: negative self-talk,

MINORS DNI

Introduction / Part One / Part Two / Part Three

What the fuck just happened?

The question repeated itself again and again in her head while she stood frozen outside of the elevator doors. She was surrounded by black SUV’s and luxury sports cars but only one car in the garage had the engine running.

Peter Parker sat in the drivers seat of a back Audi, patiently waiting for Y/n to get into the car. He was dressed in a black hoodie and sweats and his brow arched in the mirror when he saw her stand still at the metal doors. The confusion set in when he saw the deflated look on her features. He couldn’t see the way her eyes glazed over with tears from the rejection she just became subject too.

He had to admit, he was confused when Steve got in touch and asked him to take y/n home. Steve had never mentioned anyone called y/n and he most definitely never mixed women in with his work.

Peter moved his hand to press the little button on the door that rolled down the window. “Excuse me…Miss? Are…are you going to get in the car?”

Rude. Why was she blanking him?

“Miss?” he tried again but still got no response. Peter knew Steve would be coming downstairs to head to Clint's shop and he was under strict instructions to get her home quickly and to make his own way over to the shop. It was all hands on deck there.

When he still didn’t get a response, Peter hopped out of the car, “Miss, C’mon, we gotta get going”. The sound of the car door closing caught Y/n’s attention. “Right, sorry”.

It was like something inside of her clicked, the deflated look on her face being replaced by a rock hard stare as her jaw set. Y/n slid into the backseat and put her seatbelt on. Peter got back into the driver's seat and gave her a kind smile in the mirror.

“So, where to?”

Peter noticed the uncomfortable look that crossed her face when she gave him her address. He could sense her hesitance when she got in the car and he was worried that he was making her uncomfortable - he knew Steve would not like that.

He decided to turn around in his seat and extend a hand to her to introduce himself, “I’m Peter”. His signature boyish smile took over his features and his doe eyes peered into hers.

Y/n carefully took his hand, her other hand tugging Steve’s hoodie down her legs as she introduced herself. Peter could tell she didn’t want to talk, it was late after all, so he turned around and started driving.

Her gaze shifted over to the window and a million thoughts began to swarm her head. How could she be so stupid? Why did she let her instincts get clouded by his charm and good looks? Why did she think someone like him could like her? Why would anyone like her?

Tears stung her eyes as the negative thoughts filled her mind. She could feel the darkness beginning to cloud her self worth and she didn’t want to enter that dark place again after spending the last few weeks trying to crawl out of it.

The ride seemed to last forever but she was home in 25 minutes.

25 long minutes of belittling herself and reducing herself to feeling worthless.

Peter waited until she was inside to drive off and once she was inside she found herself letting the tears roam free.

She felt heartbroken, she was confused about Steve’s actions. She didn’t chase him, he seeked her but here she was, exhausted in bed. Tear stained pillows cushioned her head as sleep took over her body.

Some might say it was an overreaction. However, the girl had just recovered from one brake up and the hopeful romantic in her let her guard down way to soon and the feeling of rejection consumed her.

_________

When Wanda and Nat arrived at her apartment the next day, they were greeted by a lump of blankets on the couch and the sound of the shower running.

They both froze at the sound of a broken sob as they reached the top of the stairs. The two women sent each other a worried glance before they ran to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

Their hearts broke for the girl in front of them. The steam of the shower consumed the room as Y/n sat there, her knees tucked into her chest as she let out a stream of tears and broken sobs.

“What happened hun?” Wanda immediately opened the door to the shower and sat herself beside her friend. Wanda didn’t care about the water pouring over her, all she cared about was comforting y/n.

The pair met Y/n in college, they all were on separate courses but all happened to be studying in the same area of the library one night. They all found themselves in a fit of giggles when a boy got kicked out because he decided to eat carrot sticks on the quiet floor by the librarian. Neither knew why they found it so funny, but they did and for the rest of the night they found themselves chatting and getting to know each other. They had been inseparable ever since.

Over the years, it became clear that Y/n was the baby of the friend group. The term was only used in a positive way to show how much they cared for her like a younger sister (even though they were similar in age). The girls felt the need to protect her, especially when they learned about all of the shit she put up with growing up.

Her friendship groups had never been stable. They learned of the way she was treated from being used to being humiliated by those who were supposed to care about her.

Nat sat at the door and crossed her legs. “C’mon sweetie, what happened?”.

Soft cries left y/n’s lips as she told the girls about her night with Steve. She told them how perfect it was to begin with, how they spent time chatting before going back to his.

“I promise, I w…wasn’t going to sleep with him” she hiccuped, “he was, he was just too good to be true, maybe i’m too easy? Is that why men don’t want me?” Wanda and Nat both shook their heads.

They would never sex-shame her. There was nothing wrong with having sex with who you want, when you want, as long as it’s consensual on both sides. They both did it plenty so who were they to judge?

“You’re not easy” Wanda turned off the water and Nat gave her a towel before wrapping one around Y/n.

“Yes I am” Y/n started to dry off, her mind going off on a tangent.

“I’m a dumb slut…is that why the guys I want never want me? But he did want me. I..I swear he did. You should have seen the way he looked at me”.

Nat guided her babbling friend to the bedroom and started to take out some clothes for her.

“He looked at me so sweetly, he was romantic and…and he knew just what to say, what to do to make me feel good! He… I thought he liked me b..but he didn't”. Nat pulled a sweater over Y/n’s head and the tears started again. “God, he looked disgusted at me. His eyes were so cold, so harsh. Am I really that repulsive?”

Y/n looked up at both of her friends who shook their heads

“No!”

“Of course not”

Their replies came in unison as Wanda brushed Y/ns hair after changing out of her damp clothes

“You’re the sweetest and prettiest girl in the world” Nat said and placed a kiss on top of her friend's head. “He’s obviously just a cock and you need to stay away from him.”

“I know what we can do to get your mind off him” Wanda chimed in and smirked, “girls day!”

She tried to pull Y/n up but she went limp, “I don’t think i’m up for that Wanda”

“C’mon!” Nat stood up and helped to pull her up into a sitting position. “Why don’t we go get our nails done? And then a massage and then we can go to the little noodle place you love so much?”

They always knew just what to do to make Y/n feel better. Wanda and Nat knew that rejection from those y/n got intimate hurt her a lot more than it would hurt most. It would drag up every single insecurity she felt about her weight, and she created a million reasons about why she was never good enough.

Y/n was a hopeless romantic and put her all into every form of relationship she ever had. It was her weakness.

Y/n had never been more thankful for Nat and Wanda. They were her stability when she was away from her family who lived thousands of miles away. She would be lost without them.

They knew the dark hole of lowness over the next few days would mean she would replay the night over and over in her head, blaming herself in various ways, comparing herself to unrealistic standards and creating a self-hatred like no other.

After the pair came up with a game plan of how to keep y/n distracted over the next few days, they all set off to the nail salon. Nat furiously typing texts to Bucky the whole ride there.

“Tell Steve he’s a prick.”.

_______

Steve had spent all night at Clint’s shop with Bucky and Sam working out their next move against Rumlow. The security cameras caught him and his men entering the shop before they cut out, all damage unrecorded for them to see who to torture the most.

Steve was raging, Bucky was furious and Sam had a headache from working on the numbers all night.

None of them had slept, each of them on and off the phone with different members when they moved around the assets before all attending a meeting at Steve’s home.

Steve drove to his home with Bucky in the passenger seat and Sam in the back. Bucky’s brows furrowed as he looked down at his phone.

“What did you do?” he turned to Steve and glared.

“When?” He asked curiously

“To Y/n, Nat isn’t happy”.

��What does it matter to you?” Steve laughed and turned to drive up the road to the private estate.

“C’mon man, you saw how well me and Nat got on” Bucky ran a hand through his dark locks. “I invited them to the club tomorrow,” Bucky huffed.

“That won't be happening now” Sam laughed as he looked over Bucky's shoulder at the messages from Nat.

Who the fuck does that?

Is he serious? Kicking her out straight after sleeping with her?

What type of a person does that?

He’s a fucking pig.

Sam let out a low whistle at the texts. “I thought you liked Y/n?”

Steve looked at Sam through the mirror.

“Be realistic Sammy Boy, when have I ever liked a girl enough for her to be more than just an easy fuck?”

“So is that all she was?” Bucky asked curiously.

“Of course. Yeah, she’s cute but she was hardly my type. I don’t normally go for girls…” he paused, “her siz..like her”.

You sound like an asshole Steve

“You’re one son of a bitch” Sam sighed and sat back in his seat.

“It’s true though. I don’t plan on settling down and if I were to, it definitely wouldn’t be with her. She was just so eager to get my cock and she should be grateful that she got the chance”.

Bucky just shook his head before texting Nat back.

I can’t control what Steve does. Come to the club tomorrow and I’ll make it up to you? - JBB

Steve focused back on the road, a weird feeling filling his stomach as he thought about the girl he spent half of last night with and the nasty things he just said about her.

She is nothing more than an easy fuck. He told himself that over and over again until they arrived back at the house.

____

After the meeting with his those under his command, Steve gave everyone their orders and sent them on their way.

"Parker" His tone was harsh as he called for the youngest member.

"Yes, sir? Peter quickly walked over to where Steve was standing.

"Did she get home okay?" A sincere look crossed Steve's face when he enquired about Y/n.

"yeah she did. She was awfully quiet though. She looked sad" Peter frowned as he remembered her reactions.

Steve just nodded and walked away.

Fuck, there was that feeling in his stomach again. Guilt.

----

It had been a week since the incident with Steve and Wanda and Nat were surprised at how well Y/n had been holding it together. After the girls day she seemed a lot happier and swore that she wasn’t going to let that man get her down anymore.

Tonight was Bucky’s birthday party and he had invited Nat which meant Y/n and Wanda were invited too.

“C’mon sweetie, it’s gonna be at a big club where you will easily be able to avoid Steve and Wanda will be by your side when I’m not, I promise we won’t leave you on your own”. Nat was trying to convince Y/n to go along to Bucky’s birthday. She knew that a drink and a dance would cheer her up but y/n was reluctant to go in case she ran into Steve.

“C’mon” Wanda nudged her elbow and wiggled her eyebrows at y/n “we both know how much you love cocktails and dancing, especially with me” she sang and y/n rolled her eyes playfully.

“Okay fine”, her two friends cheered and Y/n painted on her best fake smile. She really didn’t want to go but she could see how badly her best friends wanted to and after all that they had done for her over the last week, she owed them.

“Lets get ready”

Taglist: @wintasssoldier @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @kneelforloki @stephv213 @urmomsgirlfriend1

Masterlist

Steve Rogers Masterlist

Any feedback is appreciated but please keep it positive <3

#steve rogers imagine #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers smut #steve rogers fic #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #mob steve rogers fanfiction #mob!steve rogers imagine #mob!steve rogers series #mob!steve rogers smut #mob!steve rogers x reader

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camaro-and-smokes · 9 months

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Pretty (wo)man

Chapter 12: (you don't have to) Put on the Red Light

Tags and warnings for this chapter: Graphic depictions of violence, blood, attempted rape/non-con, date rape drugs/roofies

Notes: Here we are, at the end of this story. I'm letting go of these two reluctantly, but knowing that by finishing this story there will be space inside my head for new ones to tell. Thank you to everyone who's read the story, given lovely comments and fed me with kudos. I love you all 💜 Title from the iconic song 'Roxanne' by The Police.

Moodboard by the lovely @a-redharlequin 💜

Summary: Billy finds himself in a situation he hoped never to get into again.

Read all chapters on tumblr >> / Read on AO3 >>

::::::::::

“So, an ambulance is being called anonymously and over the call, the ambulance is told to take the prostitutes to that hospital,” Tommy explained. “They're treated like any other patient there, privately, top-notch style and not allowing them to see anyone else but their designated nurse and the doctor. When they've healed, they're sent home with a big stack of money. Most have severe memory issues and they can't really remember anything from that night they were brought in. So, yeah, the guy is some big-shot who has the money and the means.” “Fuck,” Steve spat. “Any idea who?” “Well, there's been seven of these and each one has been fully treated, operated if needed and then sent home with 10 000 dollars. That bill has to be in the hundreds and the guy is willing to spend that on a whore for one night. You tell me.” Steve thought for a moment. He knew a lot of businessmen who could have the means. But several times, just one night and, yes, a whore. They had to have a lot of loose money... His breathing halted at the sudden realisation.

Shit.

“Gotta go,” he said to the phone. “Shit, shit, SHIT!” he muttered to himself as he ran towards the front deck. He shouldn't have left Billy alone. When he entered the deck, he couldn't see Billy anywhere. He ran to Heather. “Have you seen Billy?” Heather looked up at him. Her eyes were swimming a little of all the champagne she'd probably been drinking. “Uh... Yeah, he was here with me...” She looked around, surprised that she didn't see Billy with him at the table. “When?” Steve asked urgently. Heather blinked quickly, and her gaze seemed to sharpen a little. “Um, I'm not sure.” She looked at her glass that was half full. “I think it was before I went to get this drink. I got caught up with flirting with one of the bestmen...” “Fuck!” Steve spat and tried to think. Maybe Billy felt sick and went to their cabin. That would be the most likely case. He should check that first. If he was being done something to him, that would also be the most likely place. He started running towards the doors and into the staircase.

“Ah, we're here. Come on,” Charles said and helped Billy into the cabin. Billy blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, desperately trying to make any details of the cabin. “This...isn't my cabin,” he said, confused, as the man helped him on the bed. “You're right. This is not your cabin. It’s mine.” The quiet dread that had been swirling in Billy’s stomach hit his whole body at once as Charles pushed him, making him stumble backwards and fall on a bed. The world made several somersaults in his head at the quick movement and he felt panic raising within him. “I know you,” he groaned, trying to get back up. His arms failed him and he slid back on his back onto the mattress. “I must know you from somewhere else,” he slurred desperately. “Yes, I would hope so, William. The scars... I enjoyed making them, they were beautiful. I’m sure you still have them. Don’t you, Sweetie?” Fear filled Billy's whole body. “No...no, no, no... Not you,” he repeated again and again, and tried desperately to get up. “You motherfucker...”

-oOo-

Steve barged through the cabin door. He turned the lights on and saw the untouched bed in front of him. Everything was just as they had left it. His hope of finding Billy safe and sound snuffed away and icy dread and desperation placed it.

“Fuck!” he shouted and ran back to the staircase, striding up two-three stairs at a time all the way to the third floor.

-oOo-

Charles laughed a cold, emotionless laugh. “You were easy then, you're easy now. Nothing but a cheap whore,” he snarled. He pushed Billy back down on his back on the bed, climbing on top of him and hastily pulled the hem of the dress up, ripping it. “Oh la la, going commando!” Charles plunged his hand between Billy’s legs and groped his dick and testicles. Billy squeezed his eyes shut. This is not happening, he tried to tell himself. This is just a nightmare, just a nightmare. When Charles’ hand reached Billy’s hole, he laughed with glee. “And a plug too? My my, just waiting for someone to fuck you, aren't you? Oh, you still can make a man so hard with so little, Sweetie.” Billy tried to push Charles away, but he was weak, and when he tried to turn on his side, he was easily pushed back by Charles. “I'm not...for sale...anymore,” he croaked. “Oh, please. Of course you are. I'm sure Steve was very generous. Especially with the stones. I bet you put the plug on only after he gave them to you,” Charles laughed. “But you're worth everything he’s throwing at you. I would know,” Charles said, forcing himself on Billy and kissing him violently. When Billy tried to push the older man away again, the man smacked Billy hard with an open palm. “Yes, keep fighting back. I like it,” he said cheerily. Billy’s teeth clanked together with the smack and he tasted the blood that erupted from a wound in his cheek that resulted. He felt his consciousness fading, but he managed to spit the blood on Charles' face, for he was too weak to do anything else. The older man laughed. “That's the spirit! I remember you liked this last time, too.” He plunged his hand between Billy's legs and yanked the plug out, making Billy grimace. “I so like it you were ready for me.” “It wasn't for you, you asshole,” Billy slurred, tears already stinging his eyes, still trying to push the man away. “Maybe not, but I'm the one taking you,” Charles hissed, and leaned up just enough to unzip his pants and pull out his dick. The tears fell on Billy’s cheeks. He felt utterly hopeless for having the same man raping him again, exactly the same way he did the last time: drugging him. He was only hoping that Charles would just rape him and not torture him in any other way like he did the last time. Despite the horror, Billy felt his consciousness and the fight in him fading away as he lulled into unconsciousness.

-oOo-

When Steve reached the upper deck, he saw that there were six suites there. He frantically tried every and each door and listened if there were any alarming sounds coming through. Once he got to the final suite door, he heard sounds of groaning through it. Since it was locked, he kicked the door as hard as he could and it swung open.

Billy was lying on the bed limply, his eyes closed, head lulling on the side, his mouth hanging open – clearly unconscious – and Charles on top of him, looking at Steve, surprised.

“Get the fuck away from him, you piece of shit!” Steve shouted and attacked Charles, hitting him on his cheek. Blood spattered from Charles' mouth and he pulled back from Billy, losing his balance and falling onto the floor. He spat out blood before he started cackling manically. “You bought yourself a whore. A whore!” he howled. “You drugged and raped him!” Steve shouted, attacking the man again and punching him in the face again and again. Charles' cackles toned down. When he managed to take a breath between Steve's punches, he groaned, “I did no such thing.” Steve grabbed Charles' jaw in his hand, squeezing it tightly, and turned it to make him look at Billy's limp form on the bed. “Look at him! You drugged him and were about to rape him. Just like you did back then!” “You know nothing, boy,” Charles sneered and tried to get Steve to let go of him. Steve hit the older man again, making him fall back and curl on the floor. “Stay the fuck down!” he bellowed. “I might've not have evidence for the other time, but this I witnessed myself. You're going down!” He attacked Charles again and again, hitting and kicking him.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Steve's arms and pulled him away from Charles. “Stop it. Right now,” a calm but stern voice of the man who was holding Steve said. It was the captain. “We'll take it from here.” Steve pulled himself free of the captains hold and rushed to check on Billy. The ship's nurse was already checking on Billy, pointing a flashlight into his eyes and checking his vitals. “How is he?” Steve asked, worried. “He needs help. Probably he's been drugged with some rape drug. I'll call the air medical service to pick him up and take him to a hospital. We should be close enough to Miami for that already.” “Can I go with him?” The nurse nodded. “Sure. I think it would be best for someone who knows him to fly with him.”

-oOo-

Billy was released from the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami two days later. Steve tried to help Billy get up from the bed, but Billy pushed him away. “I'm just a little bruised,” Billy laughed. “It's not like I got stitches in nasty places this time. I'll live through these.” “I'm just trying to help,” Steve said with a small smile as he looked at Billy, who started going through his clothes in the luggage Steve had brought with him. “I'm not sure you can wear the dress again, though. It was pretty badly torn.” Billy's smile faltered, and he stopped rummaging the suitcase, looking down at the garment that was in his hands. “I never want to see that dress again,” he whispered. Steve nodded. “We'll get you other dresses. New ones.” Billy let out a laugh, and he looked at Steve with sad eyes. “We're from different worlds. I wouldn't fit in yours, and you wouldn't want to get into mine.” Steve smiled and reached out his hand to brush Billy's arm. “Can I be the judge of that?” Billy looked back at the garment in his hands. “Are you sure?” he asked quietly. Steve cupped Billy's chin in his hand and turned it gently so that their eyes met. “I want you,” he said softly. “No one else. And you'll fit my world just fine. There's no need for you to put on the red light anymore.”

#harringrove #harringrove fic #harringrove fanfiction #billy x steve #steve x billy #billy hargrove #steve harrington #billy hargrove needs a hug #stranger things #stranger things au #stranger things fic #pretty woman #suometar writes

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phantomtgm · 2 years

Text

Feisty - Part Two

“So what’s the deal between you and Hangman?” Phoenix asked. I was so focused on listening to the radio that I didn’t even acknowledge what she said. Partly because I didn’t want to address what the deal was but also because I wanted to listen to what was going on in the air today.

I pretended to not hear what she said but Phoenix was persistent. “Vader, I know you heard me. You do this weird litt-” I put my hand up, knowing exactly where she was going with this. She knew me too well.

Phoenix scooted forward with a smile on her face and said a little bit too peppy “Sooo….are you going to tell me?” I rolled my eyes because she should not be this happy at whatever was going on between Hangman and I.

I wasn’t entirely sure myself. I just knew that he was a douche and he may have hurt my feelings the other day but I wasn’t about to admit that to Phoenix or Hangman for that matter.

Seeing as Phoenix wasn’t going to stop asking me, I sighed and turned towards her. “He just pissed me off the other day, that’s all.” Vague answer, I know but I didn’t want to talk about this right now.

“Really? That’s all you’re going to give me? Come on, Vee! You can’t do me like that.” She was bordering on pouting which made me laugh a bit then Phoenix shot me a death glare so finally I relented.

“If you say a word of this to anyone I will haunt you in your sleep.” I narrowed my eyes at her and she just nodded.

So eager which kind of scared me.

Sighing once more, I spoke “You know the other day when we all went to the Hard Deck?” I waited for Phoenix to nod and when she did, I continued. “Well there was this creep who approached me and wouldn’t leave me alone. I tried to get the guy away then Hangman showed up and scared him off.”

“Hm and that pissed you off?” Phoenix asked. I shook my head. “That’s not what pissed me off. It’s what he said after the fact.” This caught Phoenix’s attention real well because she almost jumped out of her seat to lean forward.

I leaned back myself and said “Relax Phoenix. I’m starting to think you want me and Hangman to be a thing.” I looked at her, wary of her reaction but she just smirked at my comment.

“Well what did he say?” She asked and I sighed again.

“He literally told me I need to stop egging guys on like what happened was my fault.” The anger bubbled back up at the memory of him saying that but I just shook my head and waited for Phoenix to respond.

Several moments passed with her being silent and it was starting to concern me. I did not like that look that was developing on her face.

“Maybe he likes you.” My eyes bugged out and I clutched the edge of my seat. “You can’t be serious Nat?”

“After all that relentless harassment that he does?” I practically yelled and several of my comrades looked at me from across the room, one in particular being Hangman. Great, he heard me. Let’s just hope he doesn’t come over.

I quickly averted my eyes back to Phoenix as she started smiling wide. “That’s not harassment Vee! That’s him flirting!”

I laughed, thinking what she said was absolutely ridiculous. “Nat, do you need to go see a psychiatrist? Because there is no way that what he does is flirting.” I crossed my arms, regretting ever opening my mouth to Phoenix.

I refused to believe that he was flirting with me because if that was his way of flirting then that boy needs to take some classes because that is no way to speak to a female.

“Oh yes it is!” Phoenix exclaimed. All of a sudden, the hair on the back of my neck raised so I turned around and there he was.

Hangman.

He had an odd look on his face I couldn’t decipher.

“Sup, Phoenix. Mind if I cut in here?” He took a seat beside Phoenix and she smirked once more then sauntered off, leaving me here with the buffoon.

God help me.

“What do you want, Hangman?” I made sure to put on a face of seriousness. I didn’t want to let him know what his presence did to me. I didn’t even know if I even wanted to admit it to myself, that Phoenix might be right.

Something appeared on Hangman’s face that I had never seen before.

Regret and something else but I wasn’t going to look that much into it because it's not like I cared…right?

He leaned forward, his cologne invading my nostrils and I struggled to sit still. “I wanted to apologize for what I said to you the other day. You didn’t deserve that and you didn’t deserve that creep coming onto you like that.”

I raised a brow, not expecting an apology from Hangman.

I just looked at him, not knowing what to say.

“I am sorry, Vader. Let me make it up to you.” I wanted to laugh at the thought of Hangman making up anything to anyone but I didn’t. Something tugged at my heart and I glanced over at Phoenix who was eyeing us from across the room. She gave me a thumbs up and I looked back at Hangman who was waiting for me to respond.

I inhaled deeply then said “I think the apology will do.” I started to get up because I was starting to get nervous and that was a scarce thing.

“Wait.” Hangman spoke again and I slowly sat back down.

I looked at him and his brow was furrowed in what looked like desperation? I was so not used to that coming from Jake Seresin. It kind of freaked me out but also the look of regret on his face made me want to give him a chance.

Damn my heart.

“What?” I finally spoke, this time a little less hostile.

Sensing that I wasn’t about to chew his head off, he said “Let me take you out somewhere. Anywhere. You can choose.” He looked so sure of himself but I was completely shocked. Was he asking me out on a date? I didn’t know what to say and I’m sure my face said it all because Hangman then said “There’s nothing to worry about. I won’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

That’s not what was concerning me. I needed clarity on what this was so I said “What is this? A date?” I raised a brow and I could see a smirk starting to form on his face but he fought against it.

Smart man.

“Yes, a date.”

Huh. Jake Seresin was asking me out on a date. Interesting.

My mind was racing back and forth on why this probably wasn’t a good idea then suddenly his voice brought me back to the present.

“Vee, at least give me a chance. Just one chance.” I ran my eyes across his face and struggled on the inside.

Glancing over at Phoenix once more who had a suggestive look on her face immediately confirmed that this wasn’t a good idea. Not because of Hangman but because of all the questions she would be asking me after this little interaction we were having.

Yet what came out of my mouth went completely against all of that.

“Fine but you’re picking me up.”

“I was going to do that anyway.” Jake said confidently then me being me, “Don’t ruin it before it begins bucko.” And with that, I sauntered my way out of the classroom, feeling something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

And that terrified me.

#top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fandom #top gun fanfiction #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #hangman imagine #hangman fic #hangman top gun #hangman x y/n #hangman x you #maverick

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shellyseashell · 1 year

Note

“We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?”

(for Claudine Frollo and Marya Rasputin, if you feel like it?)

eeheehee yes i will write about my sillies <3

rainfall

Rain on the Isle was rare. Her father had always said it was because of the sinful inhabitants of the islands, and that the rain would come when the sin was cleansed. Then it would rain, and Claudine would hope, but the rain would be a flood and her father would call it a sin just the same.

So when the first few drops began to soak the deck of the Lost Revenge, Uma ordered her crew to find shelter elsewhere. Storms on the Isle were dangerous; at sea it was even worse.

Most of the crew would shelter in the Chip Shoppe. The Hooks might make a rare visit to their mother; more likely Harry would stay with Uma, Harriet would retreat to Curl Up and Dye with Ginny and Anthony, and CJ would find Freddie at the Arcade, if she took shelter at all.

Normally, Claudine would also hide in the Chip Shoppe, or maybe she and Gil would crash at his mother’s place. This time, Marya had been on the ship, and as soon as the order had been issued, she grabbed Claudine’s hand, weaving their fingers together, and dragged her off the ship and through the port.

Sometimes, Claudine wondered if Marya knew that some of the things she did — the hand holding, the hugs, the soft touches and the looks — could be seen as romantic. Every time, she quickly shoved away the thoughts, and the warm flutters she felt, and reminded herself Marya probably didn’t know what romance was.

“Where are we going?” Claudine asked. The rain was cold against her face, a stark contrast to the burning she was so used to.

“The attic,” Marya said, meaning the Witches Guild headquarters. She wasn’t quite sure Marya considered anywhere home, but she slept there just as often as she did Claudine’s cabin.

“The attic — that’s a different island, Marya!” And crossing a channel — a small channel, small enough to be crossed by a bridge, but a channel nonetheless — was dangerous. The rain was falling heavier now.

“Then we better hurry.”

She started running, and Claudine stumbled after, both giggling in a way they’d never dare in clear weather.

Thunder crashed overhead, lightning illuminating the island in front of them, and an approaching bridge. She could barely see Marya in front of her, just a vague outline she knew to follow.

She was not scared by the rain, or thunder, or the utter lack of awareness that should have set her on edge. She was with Marya, which meant she was as safe as she could be.

She tried and failed to stop running before she crashed into Marya, who had stopped on the edge of the bridge. Marya steadied her before she fell.

“What are you doing?” Claudine asked.

“Feeling the rain.”

Claudine stared at her, squinting against the rain. Her red eyes, her hair stuck to her face and neck. Her blinding smile. Marya smiled more than anyone else on the Isle.

“We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?”

“Yes.”

Claudine laughed one of her rare genuine laughs. She was not surprised at all. Perhaps that was what she liked about Marya most. How light and carefree she was. It was a rare thing on the Isle, and she never could quite tell how much of it was an act.

“Dance with me.” Marya stepped back from her, held out one arm, the other tucked behind her back.

“We need to get to—“

Marya didn’t let her finish, just pulled her close, a warm arm around her waist. Claudine’s breath caught, and she blamed it on the way Marya suddenly started spinning, and the rain water in her mouth; she pushed down any tingling coming from Marya’s touch.

So maybe they didn’t make it anywhere safe during that storm. And maybe Uma yelled at them later. It didn’t matter, because they’d had fun, and it was such a rare thing. Besides, Claudine would do it again in a heartbeat.

#naia answers #naia writes #claudine frollo #marya rasputin #clarya #<- their ship name #disney descendants

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bippot · 2 years

Text

Summary: When the new government issued 11th Street Kid arrives, the team soon finds out why Waller picked her. They don't really know how Adrian pissed off their boss so much, but he sure isn't happy with their new colleague.

Additional Tags: Manipulation, Past Relationship(s), Co-workers, Angst, Secrets, Canon-Typical Violence, Broken Engagement, Double Agents, Emotional Hurt, Betrayal, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Family Drama

Music Recommendation: I Knew You When by Marianas Trench

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

Chapter 1

Economos, Peacemaker and Vigilante were too male. Harcourt too thin. Leota too curvy. So, that left Y/N. It was literally her job description. Why would've it been anyone else?

Henry Blaghart was rich enough that the butterflies had been after him for a while. He'd also always been a sucker for a pretty woman who'd go along with his every whim without complaint. After hearing through the rumour mill that he was the next target to be 'flied', the squad soon found out everything about him.

There was a fancy bar that he frequented every Friday night and that's when they would strike.

"Ade, can you zip me up please?" Y/N asked as she managed to catch him as he passed the room where she was getting changed into her dress.

"Still looks so good on you."

His fingers found the zipper of the only fancy enough dress she owned - the green one he'd bought her when they were younger - and slowly tugged it up.

The fabric felt so smooth against her skin as his rough fingers brushed against hers, making goose bumps form. He grinned mischievously as he caught her eye in the mirror before them and leaned down to press his lips to the bare skin of her shoulder.

"I'm surprised it still fits," she breathed, pinching at her tummy self consciously, as he started to stroke circles on her hips. "I've put on a few pounds since the last time I wore it."

"That only means there's more of you to love."

With that, he continued to brush the pads of his fingertips against her curves as he nuzzled his face in her hair, taking in her fragrance once more. It took all of her willpower not to melt under his attention. And if she let her mind wander a little farther than usual, well, they would never get this mission completed, would they?

Their eyes met in the mirror and she gave him a soft smile, letting his actions and words wash over her like a wave, washing away any worries she might have. He grinned back sweetly, pressing a light kiss against her cheek before turning to face the door.

"Alright. Let's go kill this guy," he mumbled, walking towards the door.

"We're not killing him yet."

"I hope Harcourt knows that if he touches you in a way you're not comfortable with, I'll shoot his dick off."

Y/N burst out laughing as she followed him out of the room and closed the door behind her. She shook her head fondly at him, grinning as he linked her arm with his. They walked side by side in silence, their hearts heavy but somehow filled with determination.

If he was forced to observe her flirt with another guy, Adrian made it his personal mission to have her attention until they had to part ways. If they were going to do their job, he had to wait in the wings whilst she performed, and if she needed him, he would step in to execute the target in a covert and calm manner. For her safety.

Because he didn't want anything to happen to her because of some dumb, racist (probably) sexist asshole who was only involved in this shit since he was born rich.

"Your tie is wonky." Her hands came up to fix it for him, but soon realised that he'd managed to do it completely wrong yet, somehow, it looked fine from the outside. She undid it and re-tied it properly before she glanced up, catching sight of the smirk that curved his lips. "You look very handsome tonight."

Decked out in the only suit he owned - which, sadly, was the one he'd originally bought for their wedding - Adrian looked suave and debonair. His hair had been nearly styled into an elegant and sophisticated style and his deep green eyes shone brightly against his pale complexion. He had the most dazzling grin that made Y/N swoon internally whenever she thought about him.

"Not half as good as you, angel."

"Nonsense. Maybe ol' Henry will take one look at this absolute stud and realise he'd like to try sodomy."

He laughed as she wrapped her arm around his waist, playfully nudging his side as she spoke. A flicker of annoyance flashed through his eyes, but it disappeared as he smiled down at her in adoration. The rest of the drive to the bar was taken in companionable silence, the car ride punctuated only by music that played faintly through the speakers.

Neither wanted it to end. But, alas, they had a job to do. Y/N was quick to exit the vehicle, bidding her partner goodbye with a smile as he watched her walk away before following after a considerable enough gap. The night air nipped at the skin of his cheeks as he made his way inside, his eyes scanning the crowd eagerly for any sign of Blaghart.

Y/N was at the bar waiting patiently for their target to order a drink, her hands resting lightly on the cool surface. When she saw him appear from the direction of the dance floor, she gave him a faux coy glance over her shoulder before turning her attention back to the bartender, her eyes glued to her drink.

A couple of moments later she heard him approach her, sitting in the bar stool beside her with a loud thud as he rested his arms on the table. He gazed up at her through half lidded eyes, a cocky grin playing upon his lips.

"What are you drinking, doll?"

She smirked and leaned forward, whispering to him in a husky tone, "Whatever you buy me."

"Oh, that's bold."

She shrugged, reaching forward to grab her glass and holding it close to her lips. Her eyes met his as she tipped the glass and took a sip, feeling the alcohol coat her tongue as it slid across her bottom lip. When she looked back up at him, Blaghart's eyes were locked firmly onto her mouth and she couldn't help but smirk wider at how blatantly lustful they appeared.

The thing about seduction is that you have to alter the approach depending on the target. Someone like Adrian would need to be eased over time to appease him because he was hard to know, hard to categorise. It would take a while to gain his affection truly. Lust was fleeting for him, yet often entirely superficial. Deep down, he sought companionship.

A target like Henry Blaghart was entirely non-committal. He wanted the prettiest toy he could find in his life but no further than that. He would fall prey to any girl in an instant, especially since Y/N already possessed the best attributes to lure someone into becoming entranced by her - a willingness to say what they wanted to hear.

"Are you gonna order something?" She asked him as the corners of her lips turned upwards ever so slightly into the faintest of smiles.

Henry hummed thoughtfully as he tapped the edge of the counter, "Let's see..." He pulled out his wallet and dug through it for a moment before he settled on a card and slid it towards the bartender. "Get us two bottles of whatever's strongest that you've got here."

"On it."

As soon as he heard the sound of the cash register chime, Y/N turned to meet his gaze again and raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to impress me...sir?" she questioned him teasingly.

"Is it working?"

"It is now."

Adrian watched from the sidelines with his jaw clenched tightly, his chest tightening when Blaghart suddenly leaned forward to whisper something to Y/N, who giggled in response. He could feel the blood running through him like fire as he tried to keep himself from throttling the target right there and then. Instead, Adrian narrowed his eyes as he stared back at the man with pure hatred radiating from each pore on his skin.

How quickly she guided Henry to suggest they should go to his hotel room was a testament of how good Y/N was at her job. Less than twenty minutes of flirting was all it took for the pair to get up off their barstools and make their way out into the hotel next door. As she stood, Y/N subtly caught Adrian's eye and gave him a wink to show that everything was going according to plan, before slipping out of the room in pursuit of Henry.

He was sticking to the shadows when following the pair, giving Harcourt updates through comms when needed.

Once they made it to Henry's room, Y/N waited until the door was fully closed behind her before she reached into her bra and retrieved the nanosecond electrical pulse device (which is basically an optimised taser but Economos hated when someone called his invention that). While Henry had his back turned, Y/N jabbed the device against his neck and he fell unconscious in the blink of an eye.

"Target is unconscious. Vigilante can enter now."

"Outside the door, Angel."

Y/N opened the door, put on the gloves Vigilante handed her from his jacket pocket and the pair hoisted the unconscious dude onto the bed before they ransacked his belongings in search of any information possible about the butterflies. They found a folder which contained some documents and maps that told them exactly where they were going to relocate the water buffalo that they'd managed to 'fly' after the previous mission was cut short.

"Please let me put a bullet in his head."

"Siren, under no circumstances should Vigilante shoot the target," Harcourt warned sternly. "This is too important to jeopardise."

"Please, baby."

"No. We've got the documents, let's go."

She gently pushed Vigilante towards the door, but as soon as he went to turn the handle, there was someone standing directly on the other side of the wood. Fuck, they had to come up with a distraction.

"Oh fuck, Henry!" Y/N moaned loudly, making a show of doing the most pornographic noise she could make. "Right there, baby!"

"What are you doing?"

"Just go with it."

So, he did. Two grown adults were making sex noises at each other, both of them getting whinier as time went on. The man outside the door got the memo that whoever was inside clearly needed some privacy and they no longer could see the soles of his shoes at the bottom of the door.

"Thank god for that."

"Is it weird that I'm hard?"

"Do we need to wait a minute for you to calm down?"

Unknowingly, their little performance had caused the once unconscious man on the floor to not be that anymore. He was awake and managed to swipe the taser from Y/N before she even had a chance to face him. His hand swiftly grabbed her wrist and tugged it so he'd have the perfect line of sight on her neck, zapping her and letting her body fall without a second thought.

Vigilante rushed to catch her once he'd snapped out of his boner daze, placing her gently on the ground before he dealt with her attacker. "That was a big mistake, dummy," he taunted as he approached Henry, glaring daggers at him. Usually, his menacing stare was covered by his visor, but today, this victim was going to see every movement on Adrian's face as he killed him.

The man didn't answer, instead opting to stand his ground, his eyes locked on Vigilante in defiance. "My name is Adrian, by the way... actually, I'm better known as Vigilante so that's probably more appropriate in this situation," he introduced himself with faux politeness, his voice dripping with venom.

"V-Vigilante?" the man stammered, staring wide eyed as he realised how deep of shit he was in. Adrian smiled, enjoying watching the fear grow within the stranger's eyes as he slowly backed away, trying to flee the scene in hopes of being successful, only for Vigilante to reach forward and wrap his fingers around his throat just before he got out of Adrian's threatened area. The guy gasped for air and clutched at his throat, trying to pull free but to no avail.

Adrian continued to chuckle darkly as he squeezed his grip tighter around Henry's neck, watching him struggle to breathe. "Knife, taser or choking, how would you like to die?" he mocked. "Any preference?"

Henry couldn't answer. His hands had moved to claw uselessly at Adrian's wrists, trying desperately to pull his hands away from his windpipe. His feet scrambled against the carpeted floor trying to locate something to use to defend himself but found nothing. He had nowhere to run to and he was utterly terrified and completely unable to speak a single word.

It seemed as if Adrian was forced to choose for himself. He was in a choking mood; his mind was set on killing the man, and he wasn't about to be denied his satisfaction. With rough squeezes of his hand, Adrian made sure Henry Blaghart could never be the butterfly's puppet anymore.

As soon as that horrid business was done, Adrian rushed to take Y/N into his arms and get the fuck out of there with all the documents.

Now, carrying an unconscious woman out of a hotel looks sketchy and suspicious, but tried to look as nonchalant as possible when they emerged from the elevator into the lobby. He held her tightly as they headed for the doors, ignoring the stares of people as they passed them.

Honestly, if he wasn't stopped, his faith in people would drop even more.

Unluckily for them (but luckily for society), the bouncer at the door held out their hand, palm up for Adrian to stop walking. He did as he wanted him to.

"My wife has had far too many drinks," Adrian lied, keeping a straight face but his voice got significantly higher pitched as he said the word 'wife'.

The guard narrowed his eyes at the couple. "Your wife?" he repeated sceptically, looking down at the woman being carried bridal style.

"Ma wife."

"Was that a Borat reference?"

"Yes it was, sir."

At that moment, Y/N began to come to. She groaned softly as she woke up to a very soft pillow beneath her. Opening one of her eyes to check what was happening around her, and even in her dazed state, Y/N could tell that she needed to play her part.

With a yawn, Y/N rubbed her eye lazily with the palm of her hand, cooing, "Hey, baby. We going home?" Adrian looked down at Y/N, nodding and smiling warmly at her, before turning his attention back to the guard, who still eyed the pair suspiciously for another second before he shrugged his shoulders in acceptance and allowed them to pass.

Once they were safely out of the hotel, Adrian took the opportunity to put her down on her feet. "Can you walk?" He asked, concerned as she blinked up at him.

"Just give me a few moments to regain my bearings."

Adrian nodded in agreement and helped Y/N to lean against the building wall beside her for support, holding her up as if she weighed less than a feather. After taking a couple of shaky breaths, the two of them were ready to get the fuck back to HQ and report to Harcourt.

"How many times did we tell you not to kill the target?" Harcourt yelled when he saw Y/N and Adrian walking through the front door of the headquarters.

"You killed Blaghart?" Y/N asked Adrian before turning her attention back to Harcourt.

"He saw our faces."

Harcourt sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "Also, why did you go fucking radio silent as soon as you found the documents?" she added, folding her arms across her chest in annoyance.

"Siren was unconscious and we needed to look as normal as possible when leaving. Talking to myself and carrying a sleeping woman out of a hotel isn't a good combo, boss lady."

He had a point. But now that the danger was over and everything was fine again, Harcourt couldn't really blame Adrian for reacting in such a way. So, instead of yelling at him, she simply shook her head in defeat.

The documents were handed over and the pair were sent home. The mission was mostly a success, so Y/N nudged Adrian and offered, "I was planning on buying a bottle of wine to drink and watch Will Ferrel movies till I pass out, want to join me?"

"As long as I get a whole bottle to myself."

"Looks like I'm buying two bottles then."

"Are you supposed to drink alcohol after being tasered?"

"Probably not."

Y/N winked at him before she started off towards the liquor store. A small smirk appeared on Adrian's lips as he followed her, his heart warming as he caught a glimpse of her in the dim light of the streetlamps, swaying her hips and swinging her hands as she walked, all signs of worry and stress gone from her face.

They were back in her cold hotel room and opening two large bottles of cheap wine whilst laughing loudly at Stepbrothers in no time flat. Now that was like old times.

Half a bottle in and Adrian couldn't help but tuck his head against her shoulder and wrap his arm around her waist. Y/N leaned her cheek atop his head as she ran her fingers through his hair in slow, soothing strokes. It felt nice to forget for a brief moment everything else surrounding them...

Until the phone rang. Y/N jumped at the sudden noise as she pulled away from Adrian, looking frantically in search of her phone. Her fingers finally grasped onto her phone and she saw the caller ID. "I, uh, I'll just be a second-" she said hastily, hurrying into the bathroom before he'd even had a chance to respond.

Yet, she hadn't managed to close the door quick enough and he heard as she greeted, "Hey mush. How are you doing, baby?"

His eyes widened before narrowing dangerously at the sound of her words. Who was this person? Questions raced around his head as he watched the bathroom door click shut and tried to work out exactly what that meant. Was she talking to some other guy?

All Adrian could do was listen.

"I know, I know. I've got a surprise for you. It will arrive on Monday." The person on the other line spoke for a bit. "Well, telling you would ruin it, wouldn't it?"

Adrian slid off the bed and creeped closer to eavesdrop further. This new conversation intrigued him. He wanted to know who she was talking to and who this mystery person was. He felt a little uneasy with how friendly they sounded.

Maybe it was another guy...

"No, I refuse. No hints. I want it to be a total surprise. You have to trust me, mush," she laughed, sounding so happy.

Another pause followed, causing Adrian to tense in anticipation as he waited to hear more.

"I love you, baby."

Just like that, his heart broke in two again.

"This is where you say it back, you know."

Oh no...he thought in utter shock as the realisation struck him like a brick. She loves this person...and they're not him. What kind of twisted game was this woman playing? She didn't love him. Not any more at least. Not like she used to.

Someone had taken his place. Someone had taken his love away from him. Again.

Suddenly, without warning, the bathroom door swung open suddenly. Adrian jumped as Y/N stepped through, a shocked expression plastered on her face as she almost walked straight into his chest. For a moment, neither one dared move or breathe.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough." He didn't bother hiding his disdain, his eyes staring daggers at the girl who had once loved him.

The hurt that crossed her features almost tore him apart. Almost. A bitter smile curled on Y/N's lips as she raised an eyebrow at him, challenging his glare. His gaze dropped to her lips for a split second and he just went for it, crashing his lips onto hers. He tasted bitterness and something sweet at the same time, and he immediately became distracted by the feeling of Y/N pressing herself to him with a sigh, her hands moving to hold his cheeks as she kissed him back fiercely.

It felt different, though. Before, there had been heat and passion, but now there was something completely different. There was hate there.

Pulling back, he trapped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to look into his eyes. She refused to meet his gaze, however, only letting out a small whimper when he pressed harder against her jaw.

"Gonna tell your boyfriend about how you've been leading me on for the past couple of months?" he sneered.

Boyfriend? Well, that was easier than the truth. She could work with that.

"I wasn't planning to."

It wasn't a lie. Why did it feel like one?

A frown etched itself onto his forehead, making him furrow his brows even more tightly together. The silence that followed gave Adrian ample time to search her face once again, looking for any trace of a lie in her eyes, yet finding none.

"Tell me that you still love me," he demanded, his voice coming out hoarse as his emotions overwhelmed him, and he began to panic slightly when he realised that she didn't seem to have his best interests at heart anymore.

Forcing the corners of her mouth into a wicked smile, Y/N slowly removed his hands from her with ease - he could easily overpower her, yet he didn't even try - and cradled his face in her hands to lean in for a kiss. Like always, he was at her mercy. Like always, she knew exactly what buttons to press.

Getting closer to his ear, she whispered, "I mean this with one hundred percent certainty, I wish I had never met you," and pulled away as soon as her sentence was over. Adrian stared at her in horror, his lips trembling slightly as he attempted to form a single coherent word, his mind struggling to make sense of the situation.

The tears that pricked the corner of his eyes threatened to spill over as Y/N leant back against the headboard and grabbed her bottle, taking a long swig of the amber liquid inside as if it could cure the pain that was currently radiating through her entire body. She hated having to say those things to him.

"You...you don't mean that. You love me..." he croaked, barely able to form complete sentences. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to convince himself otherwise.

It took everything in her to retort, "Why'd I leave you then?"

And before Adrian even knew what hit him, his cheeks were wet. Hot angry tears fell down his face, burning his skin as they dripped down. His throat tightened, closing up his airways for a few seconds before he let out a sob as he wrapped his arm protectively around himself.

"I don't fucking know why you left!" he screamed in frustration, tears blurring his vision. Everything was starting to fall apart again. He had just come to terms with her being back, but now that he was finally starting to accept it, reality was beginning to sink in once again.

He was still stuck in a world of darkness; nothing could change and he might as well accept the fact that he was destined to be alone forever. Even if he did have Y/N back in his life, it wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Why'd you give me up, huh?!" he continued, ignoring the way he was shaking, and instead raising his voice and slamming his fists down on the mattress. "I never stopped loving you! Every day, every night, every hour, every second, I love you...and you just..."

Y/N gulped down the contents of her bottle as silence enveloped them once again. They stared at each other, unable to speak because all that was left to fill the space between them was the deafening silence. Neither had anything to add to this, both too lost for words. Both were too scared to admit it. But the fear had already won out.

And with that loss came another wave of anguish as Y/N remembered that there was no longer any hope. Nothing would ever go back to the way they used to be. Nothing would ever be the same. And yet, despite the painful ache within her chest, she once again forced a smile onto her face.

Pitifully, he got to his knees by the side of the bed and reached a hand towards her, hoping that, somehow, he could persuade her to open up to him. To talk to him. Just to see if she still loved him, to find any hint of a spark that still resided inside her heart. Maybe then she'd be willing to come home.

"Baby please...please tell me you love me." He begged quietly, desperately reaching forward with one shaking finger, hoping it would be enough to prove to her that he really was worth her affection.

Y/N blinked in shock as she gazed into his sad eyes, her lips pursing into a thin line. It was true. Her heart still belonged to him. However, she pushed all that down.

"I can't."

Adrian's hand instantly fell back to his lap with a thud and he let out another heavy sob before bolting out of the room. The door slammed behind him and Y/N finally broke. With a loud cry, she buried her face into her pillow, pulling the covers up over herself, blocking out the rest of the world, including the tears streaming down her face, staining the white cloth underneath her.

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

Weekly, Adrian made sure to visit Chris' house. When Peacemaker was in prison, he still did it. Saturday. 12pm. One sweep around the perimeter before a swift knock on the door.

And, it was his time to check up on his buddy.

Y/N knew that too and made sure she arrived at Peacemaker's at 11.40 am. She ubered so it wasn't obvious that she was there and roughly knocked on the door. When Chris opened the door, his bright smile immediately faded, morphing into a worried frown as he took in the sight of her.

"Got booze in there, pissmaker?"

She didn't wait for his response and walked inside quickly before Chris could protest. The door shut closed behind her and she heard Chris curse loudly as he followed her.

Chris frowned once more and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's midday," he pointed out as they stood in the kitchen area.

"That's never stopped you before."

He snorted. "Well that's true."

Silence settled over them. Y/N leaned casually against the counter top and watched Chris walk slowly towards the fridge, rummaging through it until he found two beers. He opened them and handed one over to her, eyeing her sceptically as she took a sip.

"You know, Chris, I want to thank you," she started suddenly, turning to glance at him. His lips twitched upwards but he didn't reply. He simply tilted his head curiously waiting for her to continue. "Did you know that you're part of the moment I realised I had more than friendly feelings for Adrian?"

His expression softened, though he couldn't help the amused smirk appearing on his face. "Oh yeah?"

The corners of Y/N's lips turned downwards into a frown. "Remember our prom?"

Why would he remember their prom?

Well, because he'd ruined it.

Adrian had been so excited to have one night where he wasn't Adrian Chase: the nerd. He was the guy who finally got a girl to go to a school dance with him, and to make it even better, he got the girl he'd been drooling over since he'd met her to go with him.

So, he was all dressed up in his fancy clothes. His father had helped him pick out a suit that was so nice and made his confidence had a little spike, which was a rare thing at that time of his life. And his mother had guided him on what flower Y/N would like. He was on cloud fucking nine and, as he parked up on Y/N's driveway, he thought nothing could dampen his mood.

Then Gut and Chris ruined it like they always did. Adrian's mix of bad eyesight and focus on meeting Y/N's father completely blindsided whilst walking up to her door as he was shot with paintballs. His lovely suit was splattered in an array of colours before he'd even registered what had happened.

Plus, they had shot him at a close enough range that he'd definitely have deep purple bruises appearing across his skin in no time.

"Your face, dude!" Chris teased, pointing a thick finger straight at Adrian's cheek, not trying to hold back a laugh.

"Good luck with your date, loser," Gut joined in with a mocking grin on his face, and he slapped Adrian on the back.

When he reached back, Gut's hand was covered in paint, so to make it even more difficult to get out, he rubbed his hand all through Adrian's hair.

All the noise had alerted Y/N and she opened her front door wide. Her eyes widened as they fell on Adrian's dishevelled form, her mouth agape as she gaped at him in disbelief.

As she saw Chris out of the corner of her eye, she called back inside, "Dad, get the gun: the White Dragon's son is on the driveway!" and smiled as Chris and Gut ran away.

Her eyes softened. "Let's get you cleaned up, mush," she cooed gently, taking a hold of his hand to lead him inside.

Mrs L/N immediately rushed up with a thousand and one questions for Adrian, but Y/N quelled them by asking, "Mom, do we have some spare clothes?" The woman nodded before rushing off to fetch something while Y/N led Adrian to the bathroom.

"They came out of the bushes," Adrian mumbled as he sat on the edge of the bathtub and peeled off his jacket and shirt, tossing it carelessly over the toilet seat. He was starting to feel nauseous just looking at himself.

Gut was right. He was a loser.

Y/N could see the self doubt forming in Adrian's eyes, and she sighed softly, making her way over to him and kneeling between his legs.

Without saying a word, she began untying his shoelaces and removed his shoes as she went along. Adrian didn't say anything as he watched her, allowing her to take control of his clothes and actions. She could only imagine how uncomfortable he felt in those clothes.

After undoing his tie, she pulled the buttons undone and left him in his undershirt. "Prom wasn't our scene anyway," she said simply as she grabbed a washcloth and started running it under warm water to wipe away any paint from his face and glasses.

Not so subtly, he glanced down at his hands as she continued wiping at his face. They were shaking slightly. He tried to suppress his nerves. And, like usual, she noticed. Her non-dominant hand conjoined with one of his as she continued cleaning his face.

"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly as he looked down at their hands. His breathing was coming out heavily. He tried to calm his heart rate, hoping she wouldn't see how much it had thrown him.

"No need to apologise. You don't have anything to be sorry about," she replied, standing and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Wasn't your fault. Far from it."

Slowly, Y/N assessed his hair; his curls were tangled and messy, his dark brown hair sticking everywhere and globbed together with clumpy paint. "Should wash away, I think. I'll bring you a towel and some dry clothes, okay?"

With that, she got up and moved out of the bathroom. A few moments passed and Adrian stared blankly at her bathroom wall. His gaze eventually travelled to his hands, now resting limply on his lap.

How pathetic.

"Hey there, handsome." He jolted as he saw Y/N's familiar smile appear next to his head. She held a pair of grey sweatpants, a plain black t-shirt and a towel in her hand, smiling kindly at him as she handed them over. "Here. Take a shower."

A shower sounded good. It sounded better than sitting around feeling awkward in a ruined tux. As soon as his head hit the cool, soothing spray, he felt some tension leave his shoulders and he let out a soft sigh. He needed this. He stayed in the shower for longer than necessary and when he dried himself off, he noticed all the bruises once he looked into the mirror.

His lip trembled slightly as he looked at his battered reflection, a look of pain crossing his features. What a horrible night he'd had. All because...?

Gut and his friend didn't want him to have one fun night? Why would they do that? Was it really such a big deal? Or were they trying to humiliate him or push him into freaking out? Or maybe they wanted him to cry? He sighed again as he looked into his own tired eyes and brushed back his wet, unruly curls as he thought about the fact that he would never, ever have a chance with her now.

Not after this, that is.

There was no point in him trying.

Not anymore.

"You changed, mush?" Y/N called out from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Just a moment."

For some reason, he took that as his cue to scramble his clothes on, attempt to tame his hair and get out of the bathroom as fast as he could. She was waiting patiently outside the door when he emerged, her expression softening as she caught sight of his appearance.

"You've changed too?" he asked curiously as she guided them to her room. "You could've gone without me, angel."

"I could've, but it would've been so fucking boring without you."

Back in those days, she always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"Besides, I've got a new plan. Wanna hear it?" He nodded. "You. Me. Your dad's car. We buy overpriced takeout for the fun of it. We drive to the lookout and completely stuff our faces and talk and hang out till twenty minutes past our curfew when we realise 'Oh shit, we should be back by now' and we get in a little bit of trouble but it's quickly blown over."

She took a breath. "What do you think?"

He couldn't help a chuckle slipping out. "Sounds pretty cool."

That's what they did that night.

Taking a sip of his beer, Chris chuckled, "Oh, you had to see his face. Fucking priceless," and Y/N's jaw clenched. That wasn't the response she wanted, but it had been the one she was expecting.

Her expression was one of pure anger as she glared daggers at Peacemaker and his lack of remorse at the situation. If looks could kill, he'd have been burnt to a crisp already.

Though, she kept her voice steady as she explained, "Years later he told me that he'd been trying to gather the courage to ask me for weeks. Every day when he thought he'd finally worked up the nerve, he'd try and somehow you or Gut would do something that made him rethink everything."

Chris grinned. "That does sound like us alright."

"Eventually, he did. To his and only his surprise, I said yes. He was so excited. You know how he gets," Y/N sighed fondly and shook her head, musing out loud, "The same happened after our engagement but multiply it by ten. He would've been insufferably excited after the wedding."

"He would've been," he agreed. "You know when he gets so overwhelmed that he starts vibrating? I swear he would've internally combusted as you walked down the aisle."

Y/N let out a dry laugh as she sipped her drink, nodding in bitter agreement as she thought about the possibility of that day.

That day could've been the happiest day of her life if it weren't for Gut.

"Anyway," she continued, shaking herself free from these memories as she refocused her attention onto their surroundings, "My, um, reminiscing has a point. I want to thank you, which is a sentence I never thought I'd say. Thank you for - somewhat - looking after Adrian while I was gone."

Both of them knew for a fact that Chris had barely tried. If anything, he urged Adrian to go deeper into the whole Vigilante side of his life. She had been so mad, so furious when she found out about all of the crimes Vigilante had committed when she was allowed back into society.

"He's going to need you again, just to let you know."

It sounded like a threat.

That's because it was.

A familiar sounding Sebring could be heard pulling up on Chris's drive. He was five minutes early. Y/N noticed. Chris did not.

She moved closer to Peacemaker. "I want you to actually care for him this time, and to be honest I'm worried that he might not be able to bounce back from this one," she confessed, lowering her voice. Chris remained silent as he gave her a confused expression. He didn't understand but he soon would.

Seeing Adrian out of the corner of her eye, Y/N slid her hand to the side of Chris's face in a faux loving manner and placed her lips against his. He stood still, shocked at first, but because he was actually getting some action and he was never one for turning that down, Chris kissed back almost instantly.

Adrian watched as the two people he loved most in the world shared a kiss and it left him speechless.

No words came to mind as he glared at the love of his life and his best friend. The people who had broken his heart and had stolen away his happiness for years and years. The people who hurt him more than anyone else ever did.

Without another word, Adrian stormed back to the Vigilante-mobile, climbed inside and slammed the door behind him, glaring out the window and gritting his teeth. He was seething. He was so, so mad. The mere idea of that person touching his Y/N again angered him so deeply that he felt tears forming in his eyes.

This wasn't fair. This wasn't right.

Had it always been Chris? Of course it had been. If someone had to pick between cool, muscly Chris Smith and nerdy, weak Adrian Chase, there was an obvious winner.

Shit. How long had it been going on? Maybe years? Who knows? Did this start when they were still together? Did Adrian ever hold Y/N's heart?

Or had she always preferred Chris?

Chris must've been the man on the phone the night before.

Pulling back from the smooch, Y/N let a tear fall down her cheek. "Thanks for help, pissmaker. I hope we never see each other again," she muttered sadly, wiping the tear away with her sleeve as she turned around. "Please, just make sure he doesn't blow his brains out. I'm not worth it."

Still, Chris was beyond confused.

"Y/N, what the fuck? You can't just say shit like that," he yelled angrily, grabbing her wrist in an attempt to keep her from leaving. Y/N struggled to break free but gave up almost instantly. Pulling a frustrated sigh from her lips she turned around once more, staring straight into Chris's eyes.

"I thought you guys would have put it together by now. I disappear and Gut is found dead the next day. Hardly seems like a coincidence."

Silence.

Chris's breathing became heavier as he tried to process what he'd just heard.

"Wha...?" he mumbled, unable to speak clearly due to the shock of hearing all of this.

"Did you know he was dealing? I didn't... until I happened to kick a criminal a little too hard and send him flying into a brick wall."

Her face contorted into a grimace as she recalled how Gut had screamed out in pain upon impact as his client bolted in the opposite direction. She laughed sadly under her breath.

"The ambulance couldn't save him in time."

The atmosphere grew heavy after her statement. Neither spoke for a long, painful moment as Chris processed everything Y/N had just dumped on him. Y/N's words reverberated around his skull as he let her go. She left silently as he tried to figure out how to respond to what she'd just told him.

What was he supposed to do with any of that information?

All this time, Y/N had been the one who killed Gut. Why she left made sense now.

Who knows how much time passed before he was startled by Harcourt's icon appearing on his phone and Chris hesitantly answered the call. "What have you done? Where is Y/N?" She exclaimed on the other line. His brows furrowed as he sat down on the floor.

"Y/N? She-" his voice trailed off as he glanced up at the clock. 12:24.

Adrian hadn't arrived yet...

There was silence from the end of the phone before she spoke again, her voice filled with rage and concern all mixed together. "Why has Vigilante just insisted that we never contact him again?"

Chris swallowed hard, feeling the dread rising in the pit of his stomach. Only then he understood why Y/N had come to see him today.

"Fuck."

As Y/N drove to the only place she knew would help her calm down, her mind continued the rest of the story she'd told Chris. It was hard to drive with tears in her eyes but despite all that, she managed.

Sat shoulder to shoulder on the hood of Adrian's fathers car, the teenagers shared a huge pizza that there was no way they were going to be able to eat it all. The car radio could faintly be heard as they gazed out into the night sky. The stars above seemed incredibly bright compared to the city lights below.

Despite the day he'd had, young Adrian was happy to spend his night with a regular clothed Y/N. "You looked really pretty in your dress, by the way. Sorry I didn't say it earlier," he admitted nervously, scratching at his neck with a grin spread across his face.

"I did?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! You look great. I mean, you're beautiful, y'know. You always look pretty, but that dress was, like, bam!" He paused. "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Y/N smiled softly before turning back towards the starry night, her cheeks flushing pink. Adrian let out an embarrassed chuckle as he leaned back on the hood, stretching himself out as he did so. The wind whipped through his hair as he let out a sigh.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Adrian hummed in response, shrugging lightly as he turned his head towards her.

"Honestly? Yeah. I'm okay," he answered, his gaze falling downward as he stared at the ground, fidgeting slightly. His hands reached up unconsciously, running them through his hair in nervousness.

After a few moments of comfortable quiet between the two teenagers, Adrian broke the tension. "They did a shitty thing, I know that. It's not gonna change if I get angry or something, though. But..." He took a deep breath, finally raising his eyes to meet Y/N's once more. "Thank you, by the way. For taking care of me."

"Oh mush, I'll always take care of you."

"No! I don't want it to be like that anymore!" he protested. "I... I mean I appreciate it but I wanna help you out in return! Y'know?" Y/N smiled softly at Adrian and nodded her understanding.

There was a minute of silence, then Adrian reached over and grabbed Y/N's hand with his, lacing their fingers together. It was a bold move in his head but for some reason, Adrian felt confident that it would work. Her cheeks flushed pink as she shyly raised her eyes toward his as well, giving him a tiny smile and squeezing his fingers gently.

And he felt comfortable enough to say, "All I wanted was to have one, like, movie prom night. Somebody spikes the punch. The one weird girl - maybe Stephie Andrews or one of her friends - catches the eye of one of the jocks. Two of the teachers spark up a romance.... I don't know, maybe... the nerd finally gets the balls to ask the girl he likes to dance."

At least, that was his plan.

"I knew it wouldn't be perfect. Nothing ever is. I... I just wanted to be a guy. One night where I'm a normal dude and not some idiot that people laugh at."

When he finished his confession, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't dare to look at Y/N for fear that she'd think that he was just being ridiculous. Instead, he focused on their intertwined hands instead. The longer he stared, the more he began to blush and his heart rate skyrocketed.

His body tingled and buzzed with excitement and butterflies danced in his stomach, making him feel giddy. It wasn't often that he felt such overwhelming emotions and the thought of confessing his love and getting rejected made him extremely sad.

However, with Y/N there, he felt safe and happy. As long as he was with her, he'd never feel alone again.

Then, she let go of his hand and he was preparing himself for the worst. But no, she hopped off the hood of the car and rushed to turn the radio up.

"Adrian Allen Chase, I've been dying to dance with you all night - would you do me the honour?" she begged with a wide smile. He grinned widely before hopping off the hood as well.

They began dancing slowly, both smiling widely and laughing as they held each other close. They swayed awkwardly back and forth, giggling like children as their bodies brushed against each other. Their hearts thudded loudly in their chest as their eyes locked onto each other.

The dancing itself was as awkward as two teens who had never done it before had expected, but they didn't mind in the slightest. There was nothing wrong with stumbling around like fools and holding each other.

All that mattered was that they were together.

"So...you asked the girl you liked to the dance, huh?" she teased gently, causing him to groan and roll his eyes.

"You picked up on that?"

Before Adrian could reply, Y/N raised her hand to his cheek and gave him a kiss on the other one, which caused his mouth to open in astonishment. He blushed furiously as she rested her head against his shoulder and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eyes, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"Hey, it seems like our feelings are mutual."

He couldn't contain the giggle that escaped him when he realised what she meant. With an astounded shake of his head, he closed the distance between them and went in for a kiss.

On the first try, he was too excited and bumped their foreheads together.

The second try, she forgot to turn her head and their noses squished against each other.

They finally got it right in their third try.

Slowly, the pair pressed their lips against each other for the first time after years of waiting. It was experimental at first - the need to take things slowly with each other overwhelming both of them - but quickly grew more confident as they lost themselves within it. It didn't matter where or how they touched each other; their entire being was consumed by pure adoration.

As the passion increased, Adrian had no idea what came over him as he walked Y/N back over to the car and pressed her up against the bumper. Her soft gasp of surprise was all he needed to hear to know that he'd done something she liked. He kissed down her jawline and across her exposed collar bones. He could feel himself growing more aroused and desperate to taste her skin, to breathe her scent.

It was all too much - the hunger he was feeling, the desperation, the warmth, the pressure.

All of the feelings coursed through him. He wanted her, needed her. Adrian didn't know whether he should break the kiss to pull away or continue kissing down her neck and collarbones - his hands wandering everywhere as he explored her body.

"Sorry! Sorry, got carried away. Should've asked," he mumbled apologetically, resting his forehead against hers. Y/N shook her head slowly, her breathing still heavy as she tried to catch her breath.

"I liked it." He looked up at her with shock on his face as a faint blush crept up his cheeks.

"What? You did? Really?"

Y/N couldn't help but laugh softly as she leaned up on her toes to press another gentle kiss to his lips.

Adrian felt like his brain was short circuiting. He was sure that this had to be the happiest moment of his life. He wrapped his arms tightly around Y/N, pulling her closer to him as he peppered her face with kisses.

"Oh angel, you're never going to be able to get rid of me now, you do know that, right?" he asked quietly, nuzzling into the side of her neck gently.

"Wouldn't want to."

More and more smooches were given and received. It didn't take long before the couple found themselves in the back seats and giving and receiving other things too. Prom night things. Things neither of them were entirely sure about how to do, but tried their best at nonetheless.

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

Parking up in the same spot from her memory, Y/N let her gaze fall on the horizon, which looked a lot less vibrant and hopeful now she'd grown up. It was almost scary seeing the familiar landscape that she had come to rely on to comfort her now seemed bleak and empty.

She bit her lip as the sobs started in her shoulders, tears streaming down her face as she struggled not to cry harder. She wiped the tears off her face harshly as she sniffled and blinked rapidly to keep herself composed. Her vision was blurry as her breaths hitched painfully. Her chest tightened and her throat burned as she fought to choke down the lump that had begun to form. She didn't want to be here anymore, she didn't want to be thinking about everything that she'd gone through. Everything that she'd sacrificed. She had to get out of here.

"Hey Mom, can you put Eowyn on the phone for me?" Y/N pleaded as her mother picked up her call, her voice slightly shaky. Her mother was quick to oblige and handed the phone off.

Though it was quiet at first, Y/N heard her breathing before she said anything. Then came the excited "Hi mommy!"

"Hi baby. How are you, my lovely?"

The little girl replied by talking about everything she had been doing and asking her mother all sorts of questions. After a while of hearing Eowyn talk about what fun she was having, Y/N managed to compose herself and stop crying.

Even though she couldn't see her daughter, she smiled fondly at the image of how she always spoke with her hands. How'd she pushed her glasses up, but very frequently missed and poked herself in the eye. How her green eyes sparkled whenever she spoke about what toys she played with that day. She always made Y/N proud.

That was what mattered most. Even if she wasn't there physically, Y/N was always thinking about her, looking forward to spending time with her and talking with her.

Everything Y/N did, she did to ensure her little girl never found herself in Waller's clutches. To prevent her from losing any of her innocence. To make one hundred percent sure that she never followed her parents' illegal ways.

"Are you ready to start school soon, mush?" Y/N questioned, getting out of the car and sitting down on the dirt with her back resting against the bumper of her car.

"I'm ready for you to come home," her daughter pouted cutely, causing Y/N to roll her eyes playfully despite the fact that Eowyn couldn't actually see her. "I miss you," the girl added in a quieter tone, causing Y/N to feel her heart swell with affection.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll be home sooner than you think," she promised her daughter before adding softly, "I'm ready for me to come home too."

Once again, the sound of a familiar sounding Sebring was getting closer and closer to the viewpoint. Recklessly, Adrian pulled his car next to Y/N's - not even realising she was there - and slammed his car door. He mirrored his ex-lover and sat against his car.

"Hey little one, I better go. Okay? I'll see you soon," she cooed into the phone lovingly.

"Okay momma, I love you lots. Bye bye!"

"Love you too. Tell Nana that she'll hear from me soon."

With that, Y/N ended the call. She sighed quietly, staring down at her knees while she listened to the sounds of the music drifting towards her ears once more. She didn't move at all, didn't speak. She knew this conversation wouldn't go anywhere.

Looking up, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she saw Adrian had decided to come over and sit next to her. Though his expression remained stoic and distant, she could tell that he was nervous as hell. His leg was bouncing underneath him and his knuckles were white as he gripped onto his cardigan.

"Why?"

Now that was the question that had been swimming around his head since the night before.

Letting out a deep huff, Y/N simply said, "I need to get out of my contract with Waller." Her face scrunched up in distaste as she thought back to how she found herself at Waller's beck and call.

As much as she hated being indebted to someone like Waller, it had to be done. Pregnancy and prison don't go together, even if you are a crime fighting vigilante. Y/N made that decision to ensure her daughter would be born in the comfort of Y/N's mother's home, without the presence of shady doctors that could do tests on the newborn or the menacing glares of her fellow inmates.

What Y/N never could've guessed was the sneaky clause Waller added in the small print. "Amanda Waller owns my body and anything that it produces. I didn't know that when I signed."

There was no hesitation in her tone and no fear that she might have upset him by saying this. If anyone deserved to know the truth, it was Adrian. After all, they'd gone through hell together and she wanted nothing more than to give the puzzle pieces to why she'd messed his brain up. She owed him at least that much after what she'd put him though.

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. This was one conversation he really wasn't looking forward to having but there was no avoiding it now. At first, he came to the look out to be alone yet, clearly, they both had the same idea. That thought gave him a small amount of hope; maybe things could work out.

"Anything that it produces," he repeated her words. The phrase sent a shiver down his spine because he knew exactly what those four words meant. Releasing a deep groan, Adrian buried his head in his hands as he cracked the case.

Chris wasn't who she spoke to on the phone. She'd never spoken softly to him before, never in her entire lifetime. Once Adrian realised, 'Oh shit, Y/N has been manipulating me', he knew that Peacemaker was just a buff pawn of hers. A stupid pawn at that.

Weirdly, it felt like his world was coming together, slowly but surely. The clues he'd picked up on and thought, 'huh, weird', made sense. Every time the pair got too close and things seemed too real for Y/N's liking, she'd either tell him it was getting late and he should get home or she'd hurry into the next room where he could hear her muttering to herself about breathing exercises.

Every time she was reluctant to kiss him.

Or hug him.

Or talk about her personal life over the past five years.

Or that time she was inconsolable for days when the team was instructed to assassinate a flied four year old girl with green eyes and pigtails.

"You have a kid." He pointed out, breaking the silence. His eyes were trained on hers, watching for any hint of a lie, any sign of deceitfulness. But the way she looked away and fidgeted with her fingers told him everything he needed to know.

Her eyes fell to the floor, her cheeks flushed pink as she murmured, "Yes." She looked so vulnerable right now, almost afraid. And that scared him.

For a second, he actually wondered whether he could love another woman. Whether he could love anyone else but Y/N because that would be a whole lot easier. Then reality hit him square in the gut and he realised just how ridiculous such thoughts were. Y/N was Y/N and he loved her, always will love her.

No matter what kind of baggage she carried with her, or if she was under the thumb of an evil mastermind like Waller, she was still Y/N underneath it all. Despite how many masks she wore, her heart was still there to remind Adrian that she was still the same girl who cleaned him up on prom night, the same hero that he fought beside, and the same woman he'd proposed to.

In the end, no matter what Waller tried to pull, he wasn't letting that bitch win.

"How old?"

"Wynnie will be five on Monday."

Strange. Five. It may have been a coincidence but Y/N and Adrian had been together around the same time as the conception...wait a minute.

It took every bit of willpower not to reach over and hold her hand; to pull her closer and wrap her in his arms. Instead, he kept his arms folded across his chest, refusing to let anything show in front of her. Even then, his hands twitched slightly, wanting desperately to feel her soft skin beneath his own.

"Her full name is Eowyn Grace L/N."

Oh, how he could start sobbing and never stop. "G-Grace? Like my mom?"

"Your mother was a very nice lady."

Tears brimmed the corners of his eyes as he stared intently at Y/N, but he sniffed and blinked them away, forcing himself to stay stoic. He wouldn't show weakness in front of her, not when she could so easily use it against him.

Before he could ask the question on the tip of his tongue, Waller decided to do her daily report with her employee early. Y/N shot up her finger to stop him from speaking before answering.

"Mission achieved, my little Siren. Vigilante has officially been kicked off the team."

The words felt like a dagger going straight through Adrian's stomach. Especially the phrase 'my little Siren' as Waller seemed to take pride in her acquisition of Y/N's being. In that moment, he couldn't bear to watch anymore as Y/N's gaze met his. Her beautiful eyes were glassy, rimmed red with dried tears as the pain etched itself upon her face. Adrian couldn't stand seeing her like that.

Still, Y/N held her forefinger to her lips and placed the phone down, putting it on speakerphone to be completely transparent.

"I did as you wanted me to."

"Yes you did."

"Now I've fulfilled all my requirements, have I not?"

Waller laughed. She actually laughed. And not only did that make Adrian's blood boil but he couldn't help the anger that welled up inside him. "Well, there was this mission in Arizona that I put your name down for, but after that? I'll think about it," Waller explained, her voice oozing with smugness.

"I was told that this would be my last mission," Y/N protested, trying hard not to stutter as she clutched tightly onto her shirt.

"By who?"

"By you."

"Oh, did you get it in writing?"

Y/N's bottom lip quivered as she shook her head and closed her eyes, feeling her shoulders sag. How could she've been so stupid. Of course Waller wouldn't let her leave. In anguish, Y/N hit her head against the bumper behind her causing her hair to fall into her face. She quickly brushed it away as she heard Waller chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Without any physical evidence, it's your word against mine." Y/N let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose as she stared out into nothing. Waller spitefully added, "You know, I distinctly remember you agreeing to let young Eowyn join our minor unit during our last talk."

Amanda could practically be seen smirking, knowing full well Y/N was just seconds away from snapping and punching her through the phone line. It took all her effort to stay calm.

But Waller wasn't done yet. "Or did I put you down for two missions? Could've been five for all I know. Maybe you'll be booked up for the next year."

Swallowed thickly, Y/N was fighting hard against the urge to slam her fist through something. She hated the smug bitch, she hated what she stood for and the power Waller held. But more than anything, she hated the way she treated those who she felt owed her, especially Y/N. The feeling of resentment towards someone like Waller who used them as tools to achieve her own goals was one that would ever go away.

And so, she bit back the retort that had formed on the tip of her tongue and instead opted to remain silent, hoping to avoid provoking her.

Silence hung heavy in the air, filling the space between the pair until finally Waller broke it by sighing dramatically, "Look, kid, you know your options. You. That brat of yours. Or that third option that I think your friend sat beside you would love to hear."

Shit. Of course Waller would track Adrian's phone and know that it was right next to hers. How stupid of them.

Almost comically, Adrian's eyes widened in shock. "What's the third option?" he asked, whether it was to Y/N or Amanda he had no idea.

"You want to tell him or do you want me to?" Waller questioned in an almost teasing manner. Adrian swallowed dryly, suddenly becoming anxious.

The words wouldn't come out of Y/N's mouth.

"Siren's taking too long. Option three is to blow your brains out, Chase."

Adrian visibly flinched. His mind went blank, unable to think of what to say. He wanted nothing more than to break the call off, he didn't want to hear anymore. He couldn't breathe. He felt trapped. Waller didn't seem to care, didn't care at all about anyone but herself.

Then, something overtook every rational thought that occupied his mind. "What about an option four?"

"Illuminate me with your idea, Vigilante."

"I serve the rest of Y/N's contract. Full contract. That's another five years, right?"

"Correct," Amanda confirmed, intrigued by what he was offering. Waller wasn't surprised, they could tell just by her tone. He gulped loudly, his breathing becoming quick as he prepared himself for the inevitable outcome of his decision.

"I'm an excellent marksman and fighter. Although I'm not as... socially experienced as Siren, I can kill and I can kill with ease."

Beside him, Y/N was furiously shaking her head. This was a bad idea. It was her sentence to complete, not his.

"Strange that you'd offer to serve in her place after what she did to get it in." Waller paused. "Did you ever tell him what you did, Y/N?"

"She killed my brother."

Over time Adrian had noticed that every time Gut had come up in conversation, Y/N would get quieter. Her eyes would begin to water slightly before she excused herself to the bathroom. He would always watch her leave, wishing to follow after her and comfort her, to hold her and hold her tight, but he knew that she would brush away his help.

The timing of her departure and Gut's death had always seemed off. The coroner had ruled his death accidental and, while the police claimed it was due to some form of drug deal gone south - which was sort of the truth - Adrian had always had his suspicions.

At his admission, Y/N's hands were trembling as she brought them to her face and covered her cheeks. Without hesitation, Adrian reached over and grasped her hands between his, rubbing soothing circles into her skin with his thumb. With her eyes still firmly shut, she leaned forward, resting her forehead against Adrian's shoulder, hiding her face once again.

"Five years and then we're both out," he spat down the phone. He could feel the blood running in hot torrents through his veins and the pounding of his heart in his ears. He could feel the weight of Waller's gaze from the other line. "I would like time to go over the contract once you send it."

"We have a deal. Good luck, Vigilante."

Click. Waller hung up.

After hanging up the call, Adrian huffed, "Wow, she's so scary!" He let himself smile for a brief second before it faltered again as he looked down at Y/N, worry etched across his features.

"Sorry. Sorry, I got snot all over your cardigan and I-"

Adrian lifted his hands to cup the side of Y/N's face and caressed her cheekbones, trying his best to distract himself as he watched as the colour drained from her face when his deal finally sunk in for her.

"You didn't have to do that," she whimpered, placing her hands on top of Adrian's. "I'm not worth it."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it doesn't matter. Let me look after you for once."

Y/N let her forehead drop onto Adrian's chest as a soft sob escaped her. Adrian wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his body as he kissed the top of her head. He rubbed small circles in Y/N's back, gently swaying side to side, comforting and consoling his girl in the very place they'd originally got together.

She opened her eyes to him, her expression blank as the memories of everything she had seen flashed across her mind. All the missions she'd gone on. All the horrid targets she had to seduce. All the nice people she'd tricked and manipulated on Waller's behalf.

"I'm so sorry. I've ruined your life."

"See that's the thing, without you? I don't really have a life. Not one that I want to lead," Adrian pointed out calmly, a slight smirk gracing his lips. "I'd much rather have you in my life and things be a bit rocky than to go without you and angrily jerk off into your underwear every night."

A snort left her throat as she pushed herself upright again and ran her fingers along Adrian's jawline as she stared into his eyes. There was a lightness to them now, almost mischievous even. "You kept some?"

"Yep, burned a few but I still have my favourites collection. You remember the ones with Garfield on? Yeah, let's just say he's skipped out on lasagna and had a healthy diet of my cum for way too long."

"Gross!" she laughed. A grin tugged at the corners of Adrian's mouth and his dimples reappeared. Y/N couldn't believe how easily her laugh was coming back to her. It was still so foreign to hear it again.

They remained in each other's arms for a long period of time before finally pulling apart, Y/N reluctantly breaking away. After clearing her throat softly, she tried her best to sound composed as she looked up at Adrian, "Would you like to come on a road trip with me? I promised to surprise Wynnie and it's a long drive. I understand if -"

"She's my daughter, isn't she?" Adrian's voice was soft, but she understood. There was a look in his eye that screamed of hurt and frustration at the fact he'd missed the first years of his kid's life. She reached forward, gently taking his fingers in hers and intertwining their hands together.

"Yes. Yes she is."

"Alright then."

Y/N's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "... Alright?"

"Well, obviously I would want to go with you. I want to meet her, obviously." Adrian smirked as he let out a breathy chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "What's she into? I want to get her a birthday present."

Like her father, the answer was "Dinosaurs."

"Oh, fucking sick!" Adrian yelled gleefully, startling Y/N a little as she jumped a little at the sudden outburst. He'd never liked being quiet. But now? Because, honestly, the fact that he got to see his daughter, to spend time with her, made him want to scream from the rooftops in delight.

The ride to Y/N's mother's house was long but the pair didn't waste a single moment. They spent the entire time going over everything. Y/N divulged everything that had happened during the past couple of years, giving detailed descriptions of Waller's treatment of her, her coercion, and even the times she'd threatened to hurt Eowyn.

Obviously, Adrian was outraged by the mere mention of it all. He swore revenge. He vowed to protect his child, and if anyone dared to lay a finger on her again, he'd end them. No doubt in the fact that Waller would pay dearly for insinuating that she'd hurt his child.

"I don't know if you want to know this -"

"I said to tell me everything, so tell me," Adrian cut Y/N off, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"You were both my easiest and hardest target. It's easy to fake love if the love is real, but because I love you, every single move was like twisting the knife in even further." A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. "I can't apologise enough, especially for all those things I said that made you cry."

Honestly, he was still hung up on the mid part of her little speech. "Say it again," he demanded, his jaw set firmly and determination swimming through his eyes.

"Say what?" Y/N asked in confusion.

"That you love me."

For a split second, Y/N hesitated. The words felt heavy in her mouth. But there was no going back. If he didn't hear her say those words, she would never be able to let them go again. As far as she was concerned, they belonged to him. "I love you, Adrian," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched as a grin began to creep up on the corner of his lips. "So much that sometimes I can't stand it."

He chuckled slightly and squeezed Y/N's hand. "Then make sure you keep saying it every day, or else I might forget." He bent forward and planted a kiss to Y/N's temple. "I don't trust you at this moment, but I do love you."

That was fair. That was completely fair.

With a happy sigh, she turned her body towards him so she was completely facing him. "I love you." Her words were slow, careful. "I always have. I always will." She watched the light flicker on in his eyes before leaning over the gearstick to kiss his cheek and muttering the same words over and over again. "Love you so goddamn much."

One declaration of her love then a kiss. This action was repeated until a small smile appeared on his face. "Did I say you could stop?" he mumbled when she went to pull away and she gave a quick chuckle before resuming the cycle. It was so simple but it worked wonders as his smile grew wider and happier and the tension in his shoulders slowly eased away. He held onto her hand and placed a kiss on it, before forcing himself to focus solely on driving.

"Wake me up in an hour so we can switch," Y/N murmured drowsily before closing her eyes and letting sleep overcome her.

What would be considered a grateful grin rested on Adrian's lips as he watched Y/N fall asleep against the passenger seat window, the steady purr of the engine lulling her to rest. His heart swelled and ached at the sight of her; she truly was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Even if she had been a scheming little bitch recently, she was his scheming little bitch.

Once they'd switched, Adrian managed to get some sleep before they reached their destination. He wanted to be as prepared as possible for the biggest moment of his life. Making a good first impression on his daughter was paramount. And if he was being honest with himself, the idea of it was making him feel rather nervous.

In no time, he was being woken up to a gentle nudge on his shoulder. "We're here," she whispered, gently rubbing the nape of his neck to help soothe away the anxiety that was bubbling inside. It took him a while to collect himself.

"Baby, she's a miniature you. Seriously, you have nothing to worry about," Y/N reassured with a smile when she noticed the slightly apprehensive look on his face.

"Need a good luck kiss?"

A scoff slipped from her lips as she rolled her eyes, but leant in to place a soft peck on his lips nevertheless. Well, it initially was soft. As soon as their lips touched, Adrian quickly deepened the kiss. He pulled Y/N closer towards him as his hands travelled under her shirt and found themselves tracing up and down her spine as he moved their mouths together with renewed passion.

She moaned quietly at the contact, allowing herself to melt into his touch, her mind going numb for a moment as their kiss became more passionate and heated. It wasn't long before he broke the kiss. He looked down at Y/N as she blinked rapidly, looking somewhat dazed, though her cheeks were flushed red.

He was instantly transported to all their teenage rendezvous'. All of the times they'd kept their romance to the inside of whichever parent allowed them to use the car for the night. Mr L/N would be turning in his grave if he knew how many times the young couple defiled the backseats of his old car.

"Ade, I think you're trying to distract yourself," she mumbled between kisses, giggling when his hands squished her hips playfully in response. She ran her fingers through his messy brown curls, feeling how they stood on end beneath her palms. "And I think we should probably go inside before the neighbours start talking."

A mischievous smirk came across his face. "I don't really care about who sees us right now," he replied huskily, his hot breath fanning across her skin and sending shivers of pleasure throughout her body. "Let's give them a show, huh?"

"As fun as that sounds, the neighbours probably aren't too fond of loud noises," she smiled, her hand resting gently on his chest to push him away. Adrian pouted, but relented. He couldn't fault her reasoning - he was a loud boy. And while it wouldn't be terribly surprising if the whole neighbourhood heard them, he did not feel like dealing with that.

"Okay okay, fine. Let's go." Adrian sighed, reluctantly pulling himself away from her. The two got out of the vehicle and started walking towards the house.

Due to all of Waller's threats, the front door looked like a fortress. There was a keypad that Y/N showed him the password to and unlocked the door with ease, leaving them standing in the entrance hall where he turned and looked at her.

"You'll have to write the password down for me."

"Will do."

Usually, the sound of the door alerted the occupants that a certain someone had returned home. Since it was her birthday, Y/N guessed that Eowyn was too busy with her presents to hear it.

"Miss Wynnie, I think you have another gift at the door," Y/N's mother told the little girl who had suddenly stopped playing with her toys and looked up at her curiously.

Eowyn's excitement skyrocketed when she neared the door. "Mommy!" she exclaimed happily, jumping on her feet and running toward Y/N without hesitation. In a heartbeat, she ran straight at Y/N's legs with her arms extended outwards, gesturing that she wanted to be picked up.

Y/N grinned as she scooped Eowyn up into her arms. "Hey baby, did you miss me?" She pressed a kiss to her forehead and bounced her gently in her arms, her laughter escaping her lips at Eowyn's happy giggles.

As she looked up at Y/N with wide eyes and a huge grin plastered on her chubby face, the little girl suddenly froze. "Who are you?" she blurted out, her little face scrunching up in confusion as she saw the stranger standing beside her mother.

Adrian had no idea what to say. 'Hey, I'm your father. Sorry I haven't been around, but I had no idea that you existed until yesterday.' seemed far too blunt, and quite frankly, he couldn't think of anything better. But before he could say anything, Y/N beat him to it.

"Mush, you know the photo on the coffee table? The one of mommy and daddy?" Wynnie nodded. "Can you go get it for me?"

Without a single moment of hesitation, Eowyn took off running in the direction of the living room. Moments later, she returned holding the picture frame, her cheeks tinged pink due to exertion as she handed it over. "Thank you very much," Y/N smiled as she lifted the girl back in her arms so they could both look at the photo together.

Pointing to herself, Y/N asked, "Who's this, baby?"

"Mommy when she was younger."

Then she pointed to Adrian. "And this?"

"Daddy when he was younger."

To put the pieces together, Y/N held the photo next to Adrian. The little girl looked suspiciously between the photo and the real thing until she realised. Her eyebrows to knitted together in concentration, but as soon as the penny dropped, they relaxed and her eyes widened considerably. And to check, Eowyn looked back at her mother for confirmation that she didn't make a mistake. "Is that really Daddy?"

The question made Y/N smile. "Yes."

"Wow," was all the child said as she reached out to poke her finger at his nose, before moving to pinch his cheek. It was almost as if she was checking if he was real or not. If it wasn't for Adrian's chuckle, which made the little girl pause, Eowyn was just about to try and jab her finger under his glasses and into his eye.

Luckily enough, she decided against it, deciding instead to wrap her tiny arms around her mother's neck, burying her face into Y/N's shoulder. She sniffled quietly, clearly overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"Hey Eowyn?" Adrian spoke up, causing the little girl to lift her head up and glance back at him. "I've got this birthday present here, but I can't remember whose birthday it is."

"It's my birthday!"

"It is?" Adrian asked in faux surprise. Eowyn giggled and nodded enthusiastically, her momentary dip in energy forgotten by the promise of gifts. "Do you want this present then?" Adrian inquired, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Bringing out the hastily wrapped present that he'd been hiding behind his back, Adrian held it out to his daughter. She let out a gasp in response and eagerly crawled out of Y/N's embrace to sit on the floor and unwrap it carefully; her big, green eyes never left the gift as she peeled away paper, revealing its contents.

"Oh! Ohhhh!" Eowyn yelled, showing off the dinosaur onesie that she received. "Fucking sick!"

For the past couple of months, one of the children's clothing shops in Evergreen had the green t-rex onesie in the window and every time Adrian passed it he thought, 'Wish I was small enough to fit in that.' And now, he had a reason to buy it. Sure, it wouldn't fit him, but it would be perfect for his little girl.

"Wynnie, what did I say about swearing?" Y/N's mother chastised as she came to see what all the fuss was about. Now, had she expected Adrian to be there? No. Was she surprised? Also, no.

"Sorry, grandma."

Eowyn couldn't help but giddily stare at her new clothes, hugging them tightly as her little heart swelled up from her happiness. Just as she'd done to Y/N, she barrelled herself at Adrian's legs and hugged him tightly, pressing her tiny cheek against his pant leg. He chuckled softly and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Happy birthday, pumpkin," he muttered as he bent down to lift her up in his arms, swinging her side to side slightly so she squeaked with delight, her smile reaching her ears as well. He placed a quick peck to the top of her head and rested his cheek against her hair.

There was no denying that he now understood one hundred percent of why Y/N had done what she'd done. If given the chance to protect Eowyn in any way, he'd throw himself into any danger he possibly could to keep her safe.

"Baby, why don't you go and put your onesie on while me and your dad go unpack the car?" Y/N cooed, smiling down at the little girl lovingly. Eowyn nodded enthusiastically and scampered off towards the bedroom, already looking forward to wearing her new outfit.

By the time the dinosaur outfit had been thrown on, Y/N and Adrian had brought their bags inside. The couple had just sat down on the couch when they heard a very cute "Rawrrr!" coming towards them followed by a pair of small footsteps.

"Hi princess."

"Not princess - I'm a vicious dinosaur." Eowyn replied matter of factly, staring at Adrian with narrowed eyes. Her words were met with a chuckle, which soon turned into a soft 'oof' as Adrian was hurled into the back of the sofa with the sounds of a battle cry in his ears.

Y/N, however, laughed out loud as she watched the scene in front of her unfold. When the little girl jumped onto Y/N and tried to get her in a headlock, Eowyn's smile didn't dim in the slightest.

"She was right about the vicious part. You are a ferocious beast, Eowyn," Adrian exclaimed, laughing like crazy while trying to catch his breath.

"She's definitely your kid, mush."

Before the adults knew what was happening, Y/N and Adrian found themselves tangled underneath Eowyn, with the little girl clinging onto each of them as though they were her jungle gym. The little girls hands tightened on their arms and chests as she buried her face into their stomachs and laughed loudly at their muffled grunts and groans.

"Rawrrrrr! Rrrrrrr!" the little girl shouted, shaking both her fists in the air excitedly. The sound of her childish voice resonated around the house. It echoed through the air and filled the atmosphere with a sense of warmth, laughter and joy. It felt so pure, so pure like nothing else Adrian had experienced.

Naturally, Adrian was completely captivated by Eowyn and her antics, loving every second of it. Every time she laughed, Adrian couldn't help but join in, feeling his cheeks heating up from the sheer happiness that flowed out of her.

"Ah, gotcha," he cheered when he managed to catch her in mid air as she was about to lunge at him again. He then proceeded to tickle her stomach relentlessly, making her laugh even more than she already was. His actions made the little girl giggle hysterically, squirming helplessly on his lap and struggling to escape his grasp, her little face beet red from laughing so hard.

As he finished tickling her, she began playing dead, her breathing heavy and her body still convulsing with laughter. Once her chest finally slowed to a steady pace once again, she opened her watery eyes, fixed her glasses and looked up at him with an expression of utter adoration. He stared down at the little girl as he gently tucked away some stray hairs behind her ear.

Looking at her, Adrian could see the parts of him she'd inherited. Her eyes and, therefore, poor eyesight. Her nose. Her excitable nature. He saw it everywhere. But, he couldn't deny the undeniable resemblance between Y/N and the little girl. Her hair was Y/N's. Lips. Cheekbones. Eyebrows.

"Daddyyy, you're crying."

Her little fingers touched her father's wet cheeks, but he tenderly pulled them away and wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt. "I'm happy, my little monster," he assured her, cupping her delicate face in his palms and kissing her forehead. "That's all."

His statement seemed to satisfy her as she snuggled deeper into his chest, wrapping both arms around him and letting out a sigh that sounded half exhausted, half contented.

"Tired yourself out, huh?" Y/N asked as she brushed her hand through Eowyn's hair soothingly, knowing that the little girl was too tired to continue fighting anymore.

"No...I need cuddles."

Needy. Just like her father. But Adrian didn't mind. Not one bit. In fact, he could have happily stayed like this forever. For the rest of his life.

Father and daughter were glued at the hip for the rest of the day. When she'd decided that she'd had enough cuddles, Y/N could finally give her daughter the gifts she'd bought her - a bunch of school stuff that were dinosaur themed and a load of plushies that she knew would end up living on the end of Eowyn's bed as soon as they got upstairs.

Over time, Adrian ended up sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch with Y/N's knees on either side of his head, and playing with the plastic figurines Eowyn had given him. She'd 'forced' him to come up with a bunch of different weird noises and voices for each figure. Y/N sat there and massaged Adrian's head as he made all these stupid sounds, giggling quietly in amusement when he did so, enjoying the sweet feeling of being able to relax after such a stressful couple of months.

For the first time, she had hope that they could be a regular, happy family. Admittedly, it wasn't as orthodox as most other families, but they would work at making Eowyn's upbringing as normal as possible.

"Bed time, Miss Wynnie," Y/N's mother said as she walked past the living room.

"Can Daddy stay over tonight? Please?" Eowyn asked. The pleading look on her little face told Y/N everything she needed to know. Of course, it wasn't a surprise.

"Up to him, baby."

Before Adrian had agreed - because it was a no brainer to him - Eowyn brought out the puppy dog eyes and Adrian knew why Y/N always used to give into him back in the day. They were so big and so sparkingly green - it was impossible not to succumb to the child's pout even if he wanted to. And he didn't want to. There was no resisting that adorable look of hers.

"I'd love to stay."

With a bright grin, Eowyn practically skipped towards the stairs, grabbing Adrian's arm and dragging him along with her. Y/N giggled before trailing after them, watching fondly as Eowyn threw herself onto the bed as quickly as she could and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

"I think you've forgotten to brush your teeth, stinker."

"Carry me to the bathroom?"

Adrian chuckled softly before picking up the little girl, carrying her towards the bathroom and depositing her on the counter top. He grabbed the toothbrush, squished some toothpaste on and initially went to hand it over. But then she opened her mouth and gestured for him to do it for her instead. He smiled and did as he was told, helping the girl brush her teeth.

Sneaky. Just like her mother.

"Eowyn Grace, you know you're capable of brushing your own teeth," Y/N pointed out as she placed a cup of water near the sink for the little girl.

"Well, dad wanted to do it for me," the little girl stated, grinning widely. Adrian just shook his head in response, chuckling slightly, before placing a kiss on his daughter's head.

Then it was onto the story time. Eowyn listened intently as her father read her a story, who was occasionally glancing to Y/N who would give him encouraging smiles or thumbs ups whenever he looked over at her.

"The end," he announced with a satisfied sigh as he closed the book and placed it aside. Eowyn's big eyes drooped as she yawned loudly. "Sleepy?"

She nodded her head, her eyes slowly drifting shut as she let the exhaustion settle in. After checking the little girl was fully asleep, Adrian turned back to Y/N with a soft smile on his face. "Come here, mush," she whispered before pushing off the doorframe she'd been leaning on and wrapping her arms around his torso as soon as he reached her. Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, hugging her close and planting a deep kiss on her temple.

"Thank you for coming," she mumbled quietly, tightening her grip on him. "It really means a lot to me. And to her." She glanced over at the sleeping little girl, her heart swelling at the sight of her peacefully resting in her onesie and clutching a pterodactyl plush to her chest.

"I'll always make time for my girls from now on."

Y/N melted at the sound of those words and stood up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. As usual, Adrian pulled her impossibly closer while wrapping his arms even tighter around her waist, lifting her off the ground and carrying her out of the view of their daughter. "Which bedroom is yours?" he asked teasingly, his lips hovering dangerously near her cheek as he spoke.

"Left."

With a chuckle, he walked in that direction and opened the door with ease, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Y/N was pushed against the wall and kissed hungrily. She returned the kiss passionately, tangling her fingers through Adrian's thick hair and pulling slightly at the strands, smiling contently as he deepened the kiss with her.

"Want to make another kid?"

It was a lovely sentiment, but "Oh, I was advised to, uh, tie my tubes."

Shit. There was that idea out the window.

"Was it your choice?" Adrian questioned, his fingers running along her jawline before dropping to her collarbone.

A soft nod was her only response as she wrapped her leg around him, tugging him closer to her and pressing her lips firmly against his. "Yeah," she whispered against his lips, causing Adrian's breath to hitch in his throat, his hands gripping her hips tightly. "Only wanted you as my baby daddy, and back then I thought I'd ruined my chances."

Tenderly, Adrian nuzzled his nose gently against her, pressing kisses across her jawline and down her throat before moving on to her pulse point. A gasp slipped through her lips as he sucked on her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body and her stomach to flutter excitedly, a blush spreading all over her cheeks and down her neck.

"You're so damn beautiful," he murmured against her lips, his hands wandering up her sides as they pressed further into her chest, eliciting a moan from her lips. Adrian couldn't help the grin spreading across his face when he saw how flushed she was, how affected by him, and he pressed another kiss against her lips.

"You're so fucking gorgeous and sexy and..." he trailed off when he felt her legs wrap around his hips, her arms going around his neck. "I can't get enough of you."

The way he whispered those last few words sent a shiver down her spine. Her hands moved to the bottom hem of his shirt, fiddling with the edge to get it off. The moment the garment dropped to the ground, she dragged her lips away from Adrian's and gazed up at him, her pupils dilated as she stared deeply into his emerald pools.

"Bed?" she breathed, running her finger down his chest softly, causing an intake of breath from the man beneath her touch.

"Bed."

They wasted no more time in getting undressed, both of them stripping off every piece of clothing between them until they stood before each other naked and completely unable to keep themselves from kissing. Needy kisses devoured their lips hungrily as wrapped himself around Y/N from behind, grinding his pelvis against her butt feverishly.

"Fuck, you gotta tell me if you get uncomfortable at any point," he mumbled as he slid one hand under Y/N's panties, gently caressing her swollen clit in small circular motions. She moaned softly, letting her head fall back as she arched her back off the bed, allowing him better access to what he was doing to her.

"I trust you, Adrian. I'm good," she breathed out in response, her eyes falling shut with pleasure as she felt him slip two fingers into her, slowly beginning a rhythm that matched perfectly with the way her body moved.

His other hand was splayed across her neck, rubbing his thumb against the skin below her ear as he watched her reaction, admiring how she seemed to be in complete bliss. It was something he would never be able to get enough of; seeing Y/N looking utterly satisfied due to his actions. He could feel himself growing harder and harder as he watched her; his fingers pumping faster and deeper within her and sending her into an ecstasy she hadn't experienced in years.

"Look at me, sweetheart. Look at me." His voice was low, husky and commanding and Y/N complied, opening her eyes slowly and meeting his heated gaze, her eyes blown wide open and filled with lust, with desire and with need. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning out loud - her mother and daughter still could hear, after all.

He smirked, his eyes trailing down her body. The sight alone was enough to send a rush of blood flowing through his veins, his cock throbbing painfully in its place. Her eyes were glued to his face and a small whimper managed to escape her and that diminished his final bit of patience.

"Suck on my thumb," he demanded and she obeyed instantly. Although, she did seductively drag her tongue up his digit before she took it into her mouth, sucking and swirling her tongue around it playfully.

"Such a slut..." He stopped. "Do you still like being called that? Is that okay?"

There was a slight pause as she thought about it, but she nodded.

"What about whore?"

That one was a little too far these day. Yeah, it had a different implication now. She shook her head.

"Got it."

Consent checked, they got back to the sexy times. "Be good and continue sucking, baby. Gonna need something to muffle you as I put it in," Adrian growled, sliding his hand under Y/N's thigh and lifting it so he had more room to slide his cock inside her wetness. He thrusted slowly at first, watching her facial expressions carefully to make sure she wasn't having second thoughts or anything.

But upon noticing how eager she seemed, he picked up the pace, thrusting harder and faster with each pass. A string of curses fell from his mouth and soon he was burying his face into the crook of her neck. His eyes screwed shut as he gritted his teeth together and grabbed at her breast roughly, pinching it between his long fingers as he fucked her with every inch of his cock.

"I've missed this pussy so much," he groaned between ragged breaths and deep throated huffs of air. His voice sounded gravelly as he pulled out of her quickly, making her yelp in surprise as he slammed back in.

They both panted harshly as he pounded, feeling the waves of pleasure roll through her body and pool in his cock. She let out a staggered breath at the feeling, her hands finding his head and holding onto his hair tightly as he pumped his hips into hers, feeling her clench around his cock repeatedly.

"So good, baby," he muttered against her ear.. "Just feel how good I am inside you, baby, just feel it and take it."

He pushed her so she was fully lying face down, propped a pillow under her stomach and crawled above her, placing kisses all over her shoulders and back before continuing to pound inside of her. Y/N was grasping at the pillow under herhead as he continued to fuck her like his life depended on it. His lips moved to her neck and shoulder, leaving tiny little marks there until he instructed, "Stick your tongue out for me."

Y/N obliged without a moment's hesitation, extending her tongue out so he could spit into her mouth. He chuckled lowly before giving her a big wet smooch. "You're mine, aren't you, angel?"

She nodded.

"Mine forever and always?"

Another nod.

"Say it for me."

"Always yours, Adrian," she uttered, her voice strained, a tear slipping down her cheek as she felt Adrian tighten his grip around her waist, driving into her harder than before. She cried out weakly as he continued to pump in and out, his head thrown back and breathing heavily in a mix of exhaustion and arousal as his hands tangled themselves into her hair tightly, desperately in order to stay connected to her.

"That's right, angel," he whispered, his lips crashing into hers in a heated kiss as he felt her orgasm ripple throughout her entire body.

A shudder ran through her body as she tightened around him, squeezing him hard before she came. He could feel it, his own orgasm rushing through his veins, making every nerve ending in his body buzz pleasantly as he spilled into her warm wetness. He collapsed onto her with heavy gasps, his fingers curling into the mattress beneath her and his forehead resting against hers as he fought to regain control of his breathing once again.

Then, a smug smile crept across his lips when he noticed the dazed expression on Y/N's face. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked teasingly and leaned forward, his nose nuzzling her cheek softly. He felt her giggle before he heard that familiar sound coming from her throat.

"For the first time in years, yes. Yes I did." He grinned widely. "Now get off, you're squishing my boobs."

Adrian rolled his eyes, chuckling quietly to himself as he removed himself from her, crawling off her back to lie next to her. They turned around to lie on their sides facing each other; their faces only inches apart, his head propped up by the palm of his hand while she laid on her side facing him. He ran his fingers down her arm lightly, enjoying the softness and smooth texture of her skin.

However, she didn't say anything, instead staring up at him in a dreamy sort of way, as if she had no idea what else to do or where to look. Her lips were parted slightly, just barely moving with each breathe she took and her beautiful eyes were clouded with emotion. She glanced around the bedroom before turning back to Adrian.

"I love seeing all this." She gestured to his naked body. "But, our daughter tends to lie about having a nightmare so she can sleep in the same bed as me for a night or two, so we better get some clothes on before we traumatise her."

"No problem," he said with a laugh, grabbing his discarded shirt to throw at her. She caught it before rolling off the bed with a playful glare. She slipped on the shirt, gave him a wink as she moved to find a pair of shorts and left for the bathroom.

This was the life, huh? It might not have been exactly what he had thought he'd end up. A year ago, if you'd asked Adrian where he'd be, he would've said 'Probably out killing bad guys and being sick as fuck'. But here he was, a father, happy as hell, and reunited with the love of his life.

As he scrambled to throw his pj's on, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he thought about everything that had happened. He'd come home to a completely new world full of life and happiness.

When Y/N returned, he let out a quiet wolf whistle at the sight that greeted his eyes. "Forgot what it feels like to see you in my clothes," he stated as she entered, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a quick kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's get some sleep while we still can."

"Yes ma'am."

A couple of hours later, the pair were awoken by the sound of a cute little voice asking, "Mommy? Mom? Mom...wake up!" Eowyn shook her mother awake gently, looking up at her with huge pleading eyes and a pouting bottom lip.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yup."

Y/N groggily patted Adrian on the hip so he'd move because she knew for a fact that Eowyn would position herself in the exact same way he was currently sleeping - head tucked under Y/N's chin and almost entirely sleeping on top of her. He sat up straight with a grunt, rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly as he stared at his daughter, whose bottom lip was now sticking out even further than before.

It was impossible to say no.

"Come here, lovely," Y/N cooed softly, holding her arms out to Eowyn as she crawled onto her chest and snuggled into her arms. "Baby, can you put your head on my other shoulder please? Daddy needs a pillow too."

Eowyn nodded and lifted her head up, leaning onto Y/N's other shoulder and letting out a sleepy whine. Y/N rubbed the child's back as she felt Adrian's head fall back down to its previous spot, his arm wrapping around the two of them protectively.

"Say goodnight to your father, mush."

"Night daddy. Love you," the little girl mumbled, closing her eyes and falling asleep in seconds.

"Love you too, princess."

Waller may have won the battle, but to him, Adrian won so much more than the war. He'd finally found happiness after going through so many ups and downs. And that victory meant far more to him than he cared to admit. As he watched his daughter's breathing ease into sleep, he closed his eyes and knew that it would all be worth it in the end.

For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, as long as his girls were by his side, nothing could ever keep them apart.

#Youtube

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 years

Text

Ghost Story - Chapter 3

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 2065

Warnings: Mild swearing

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: The chapters/parts in italics are flashbacks. Also, I know I used Melissa Benoist as Juliette in India Lima Yankee but I really love her as an actress okay...

Chapter Songs: There She Goes Haven't Met You Yet

***

Ghost

God, he looked good. Rooster had always been attractive, but after not seeing him for so long, something about the distance made him all the more handsome. She loved how casual he looked in his white tee, unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt that she was pretty sure was one of his dad's, and his soulful brown eyes. One look from him, and Ghost was ready to tell him all her secrets.

"So, what have you been up to? Other than pulling off death-defying stunts and stealing enemy planes?" Ghost inquired, hoping to push into the territory of relationships to see if he was single. If not, she was going for him before another woman caught his eye. She'd been head over heels for Bradley Bradshaw since she laid eyes on him, even when they got on each other's last nerves. However, Hangman had wooed her long ago, and by the time the two of them broke up, Ghost decided Rooster held no romantic feelings for her, despite the evident attraction between the two that came to a head when they had their second, drunken one-night stand the night before she had to deploy again. Terrified of the feelings she was developing for him, Ghost ghosted him, leaving only a note to say goodbye rather than face him and discuss what that night meant for them. Rooster had never brought it up, nor had he brought up their first one-night stand. It was as if neither ever happened for both of them.

"Not much. A lot of work, catching up with Mav, and enjoying the beach. You?"

"Same as you, I suppose. Work took over a lot of my life. Judging by your interaction at the Hard Deck, can I assume things are good between you and Maverick now?"

"Yeah, we're good."

"Good. I know you were upset with him for a long time."

Rooster gave a half-smile. "That's putting it mildly. How are things with you and your mom? I know it got tense after your dad."

"We're okay," Ghost admitted, crossing her legs and staring out the window. "We could be better, but we could certainly be worse. I guess, like Maverick, she's afraid to lose me. Listen, I don't think I ever thanked you for being there for me through all that. I was a wreck after losing my dad, and you helped me through it more than you know."

Without taking his eyes off the road, Rooster reached over and patted her bare leg, sending electric shockwaves throughout her body. "I'm glad I was there for you."

"I'm sure you have other things to do tonight, or maybe a girlfriend to see, but if you don't, you're welcome to hang out while I unpack," Ghost offered as he pulled up to her apartment.

Rooster checked his phone and shut off the engine. "I think I could spare some time."

"Got a hot date later or something?"

"No, but I do the day after tomorrow."

Ghost's heart sank, but she feigned happiness for him. "Oh, yeah? Who's the lucky lady?"

"I'll let you know if it works out."

"Oh, come on, since when do you not tell me the names of the girls you're dating? The only time you were ever hesitant to tell me was when it was someone I was friendly with." Ghost's own words caused an epiphany. "Wait, is it someone I know?!"

Rooster shook his head. "I don't know, but it's literally our first date, so it's nothing serious. She asked me out, I said yes, and that was that," he said, pulling up to Ghost's little beachside condo. They hopped out of his Bronco and up the steps to the quaint home. Stepping inside, they were greeted with mounds of boxes. Rooster ignored the clutter and asked, "What about you? You and Hangman seem to still have something going on."

Ghost shook her head. "It's… complicated. We have a history both platonically and romantically, and I still love him. I always will, but I just… I don't think I'm in love with him anymore. I'm still trying to figure out if the feelings I get around him are because I miss him or because I miss being in a relationship."

"So, no guys on your radar?"

"One, but he's soon to be taken." Ghost shrugged, faking acceptance of the situation, and shuffled into her room. She didn't want Rooster prodding into the matter, but he could still read her annoyingly well, and he picked up on it now.

Following her into the bedroom, he said, "Talk to me, Ghost. Who is he? I can tell it's bothering you."

She shook her head, refusing to cave. "Nah, it'll be fine. Once there's distance between us again, it'll pass. On a different note, what are you getting Penny for her birthday? I was thinking of getting her tickets to a show for her, Maverick, and Amelia."

"You're already one step ahead of me," Rooster admitted, coming to stand beside her as she unpacked her box full of clothes. "I have no idea what to get her. I'm clueless when it comes to gifts."

"No, you're not. Remember that amethyst ring you gave me for my birthday? I'd seen it in the window at some port we docked at, but I didn't buy it. I don't know when you managed to do it, but you bought it for me after I couldn't stop talking about it. Or how about that vintage pocket watch with an anchor on the top and a picture of my dad on the inside after he passed away?"

Rooster smiled to himself. "Do you still have those?"

Ghost lifted up her right hand, where the amethyst ring glittered in the setting sunlight. "It only fits on my ring fingers, so I wear it on my right to avoid people thinking I'm engaged," she joked, bending down and grabbing something dangling from her lamp. "And here's the pocket watch."

"So apparently, I'm just good at getting gifts for you," Rooster observed, rubbing his thumb over the pocket watch. "You think Penny would like something vintage like this? With a picture of her and Maverick in it?"

"I think that's a good way to go."

"There's an antique shop nearby. Maybe I'll go there and do some digging. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well, I planned on taking most of the day to unpack because this mess is annoying me, but I should be good for late afternoon. Why?"

"I was thinking you could come with me. I'm not as confident about Penny's tastes, and I trust your judgment."

"Sure. I'll text you tomorrow afternoon to let you know for sure, but yeah, let's plan for 1500 hours? Meet at the Hard Deck?"

"Sounds like a date," Rooster said.

She stared pointedly at him. "Have you forgotten you're going on a date this week?"

"No."

"Bradley, I love you, but if you're going to keep your options open, make sure she's aware you two are not exclusive. That's trouble waiting to happen."

Rooster tilted his head, and Ghost could see the gears turning in his head. "And if I wasn't going on a date with her, would you say yes to it?"

"I-" Her cellphone ringing cut her off, and Ghost couldn't be more relieved. She didn't want to verge into the territory of her feelings for Rooster when he was going on a date with someone else, potentially someone she knew. It was girl code not to A, not date your friend's boyfriend, and B, not date your friend's ex. Regardless of whether or not it worked out between this girl and Bradley, he now almost certainly became off-limits for Ghost since most girls she knew on North Island were close friends, if not best friends. She'd missed her shot, and she'd regret it, but once they were separated again, it'd be fine. Distance always provided the buffer Ghost needed to prevent herself from developing feelings for anyone far away. At least, that's what she told herself.

"Hey, Mom," Ghost greeted, moving past Bradley and into her living room. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to check in and see how things were going. You getting settled in?" her mom replied.

"Yeah. Rooster's actually here helping me unpack. We're catching up. Saw Hangman too."

Her mom chuckled. "You've been there less than twelve hours, and you've already managed to put yourself between two boys who-"

"No, no, no, I've done no such thing. I'm here because the Navy wanted me here." In a hushed voice, she added, "I'm not starting anything with anyone. Not my ex nor anyone else."

"I also said I wouldn't fall for one of the students when I was an assistant trainer, and look what happened there."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but that's not going to happen. I won't let it. The last thing I need is a relationship." Of course, it was a total lie, but it was the only thing Ghost could come up with to get her mom off her back about it. "Listen, I gotta go finish unpacking as much as I can, but we'll talk later. Love you, Mom."

"Love you, too." Ghost hung up and returned to her room. Rooster had his back turned to her, and he appeared to be studying something. "What's up with you?"

"You know-" he began, turning around- "I never thought you'd be a hot pink lingerie girl. I have no doubt it suits you, though."

Ghost flushed a deep red and snatched it out of Rooster's hands as he bellowed in laughter at her reaction. Tossing it into her bottom dresser drawer, she muttered, "God, I forgot it was in that box."

"Don't forget this little number." Rooster tossed her another set of lingerie, this time dark red. If possible, Ghost became even more mortified. She didn't know why. It's not like she was ashamed of it, but there was something particularly intimate about him finding those, especially when it was just the two of them in her bedroom with more than a little sexual tension between them. If Ghost didn't have absurdly unwavering beliefs along with unnaturally strong self-control, she would've thrown herself at Rooster and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

"You are no longer allowed to help me unpack my bedroom," Ghost decided, placing her hands on his chest and continuously pushing the laughing aviator out of her room.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized, wrapping his arms around her in a brief, tight hug. "Couldn't resist making you flustered. It's hard to do, you know."

"I'm not flustered." A comeback popped into her head, and before she could stop it, it spilled out of her mouth. "I'm just shocked that you and Hangman can agree on something."

"What do you mean?" Rooster asked, releasing her from his embrace.

"He got me those pieces you liked so much." There was a tic in Rooster's jaw as he processed his words. All that came out of his mouth was 'Fuck,' causing Ghost to grin. "I've been meaning to get rid of them. It's not like I want to use lingerie an ex got me with whoever my future boyfriend might be."

"Yeah, might be a mood killer. What are you doing tomorrow evening?"

"Uh, nothing that I know of outside of antique shopping with you. Probably more unpacking. Why?"

"Maverick and Penny are having me over for dinner tomorrow, and they're always telling me I can bring a date. Thought you would like to come."

"Yeah, if I'm not intruding. I'd love to come."

"Then it's settled. I'll pick you up at five." Rooster checked the time on his phone. "Shit, I'm gonna be late for an appointment. I have to go. It's good to see you, Ghost. I'm glad you're here."

Rooster pulled her into a tight hug, his mustache tickling the crook of her neck. He kissed her cheek and pulled away, then left her apartment. Ghost watched him swagger out, all too aware of the fluttering in her stomach and the pulling of her heartstrings. Last time she'd had these feelings, she'd gone on her first date with Hangman. He'd been her first love, but Rooster, she had no doubt, would be her last. That is, if the date between him and this new girl didn't go well…

***

Tags: @supernaturaldawning @shanimallina87 @polikszena @lgg5989 @callsign-milano @bradshawsandbridgetons @harper1666 @shadeops21 @double-j @rotating-obsessions @amantedelnorte @abigailannz @copaceticwriter @sharkprestige @thedarkinmansfield @lapilark @mickeyluvs @mini-bee-bee @starshipfantasy @itzyogurl92 @bennypears00 @mandowife221b @the-navistar-carol @lj13oct @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3

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dweetwise · 2 years

Text

[Riconti] What money can't buy

At a private party, Felix finds exactly what he's looking for. Rated E | Smut, d/s, mentioned drugs and homophobia 3.4k words | ao3 link

Felix didn't know why he even came to these parties.

As good as it felt to be around like-minded people and not have to hide this part of himself—the evening was invite-only and privacy was taken seriously—he always hated how forced it all seemed.

Get drunk, high or gamble away a small fortune. Pick a partner at random. Have desperate, anonymous sex. Go home and keep living your life in secret, hoping that the encounter scratched the itch until the next one.

Felix went back to scoping the room just as a man in full drag walked by. Felix had a kiss blown his way and responded with a polite nod and a tip of his tumbler of scotch—a wordless thank you, but I'm busy.

On a nearby couch, a pudgy man in a too-small suit was snorting lines straight off the coffee table. Two androgynous, petite men were by either side of him, fondling his ill-fitting Armani.

Across the room, Felix caught the eye of a familiar face: one of his business associates, who always droned on about his wife and children, yet who was now accompanied by a muscular man in a leather harness. The acquaintance nodded at Felix in acknowledgement before he and his partner disappeared upstairs.

Felix sighed and swirled his drink around.

It was only ever the same people here. And Felix understood that: he knew full well the importance of discretion when the room was filled with some of the most influential men in the province.

That didn’t change the fact that the selection of potential partners was awfully limited. Though many of the men here were aesthetically beautiful and Felix had enjoyed the company of more than a few of them, none of it had made him ask for a repeat performance. His bedmates had been either too young, too old, too thin or too muscular, too fake, or barely sober enough to still be able to consent.

Felix didn’t exactly know what or who he was looking for in a place like this. And at this rate, he was unlikely to ever find it.

When the trio on the couch started getting a little too raunchy for Felix’s taste, he pushed himself away from the wall and walked into one of the side rooms for a breather.

Immediately, his eyes were drawn to silver-streaked hair and a dazzling smile.

"Hey, handsome. Let me deal you in?" the stranger asked from the poker table, a deck of cards in his hand.

Felix paused and stared at the man who wore a staff uniform but was definitely not the usual dealer—or anyone he’d seen here before, for that matter. He wasn’t even German: his features looked Mediterranean and his accent lacked the harshness Felix was used to.

He sat down and motioned for the man to deal him into a game.

—

Felix hadn’t ever been one for gambling, so it said something that he ended up spending an hour at the poker table.

He learned that the dealer's name was Ace—an obvious pseudonym, but Felix wasn't bothered. He also learned that Ace was exactly his type.

Or maybe that was just the scotch talking.

Regardless, Ace was generous with his smiles and his jokes, an aura of openness around him. He was easy to talk to in that way that service staff sometimes were, with the exception that Ace seemed to really listen to Felix.

They didn’t really make small talk—at least not the complaining-about-weather kind of small talk. Rather, Ace told Felix about his colorful time as a bartender in Rome, and in return Felix shared somewhat embellished travel stories from his numerous business trips while trying not to lose every hand he played.

All throughout the conversation, there was clear flirtation in the air, with Ace's smiles turning more teasing as he made friendly wagers specifically with Felix.

People around the table came and went. Some of the guests tried to strike up a conversation with Felix, who didn't even bother replying half of the time.

After all, Felix had found exactly what he was looking for tonight, and that was why it only felt natural to ask Ace if he wanted to join him upstairs.

It was only once Ace's eyebrows shot up into his hairline that Felix realized he may have read the situation wrong. This was technically against etiquette: he wasn’t supposed to proposition the bartenders or other staff who were getting paid to be here.

But Ace only grinned and smacked the deck of cards down, telling the table he was taking a smoke break.

—

Felix led them to a bedroom on the second story: one of the many prepared specifically for this purpose.

It was a special kind of torture to watch Ace's knowing smirk and the sway of narrow hips as they walked up the stairs. By the time he closed the bedroom door behind them, Felix was already half-hard in his pants from anticipation.

But with the silence of the room falling over them as Ace merely observed Felix instead of jumping his bones like everyone else Felix had taken up here, his bravado almost faltered.

"Ehm… did you want to…?" Felix asked, reaching out with a clumsy hand.

That seemed to do the trick, as Ace’s smile was back in place and he stepped right up into Felix’s personal space. A warm hand ran up Felix’s chest, pausing to flick a button on his dress shirt.

And when Ace lifted his gaze, looking into Felix's eyes with a suggestive smirk and asked "What do you want, gorgeous?", Felix had to swallow so he didn’t end up blurting out something embarrassing like "I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you."

Instead, he steeled himself and gripped Ace's waist to pull him closer. "I want to fuck you."

Beautiful brown eyes darkened with desire and a grin spread over knowing lips. "I think that can be arranged."

Ace kissed him, then, leaning up and claiming Felix's lips. Felix only managed a desperate groan and licked into the inviting mouth.

They stumbled into the room, Ace grabbing at Felix’s shoulders and Felix tearing away at Ace's clothes, never breaking the rough kiss.

—

They never even made it to the bed.

Felix shoved Ace against the wall next to a dresser and blindly rifled through the top drawer. His hand brushed across leather and silicone but he ignored the items in favor of locating the complimentary lube and condoms.

Ace seemed eager to get on with it, biting down on Felix's lip and making Felix's arousal spike hard and fast. He grabbed Ace and hoisted him up on the dresser, grinding down between spread legs and swallowing Ace's needy groan.

Neither had protests about the new position so that was how they stayed—even if Ace was now missing his clothes save for the button-down of his uniform hanging open over his chest. Meanwhile, Felix's slacks and underwear were pushed down over his hips and he had one hand braced on the wall, fucking into Ace like his life depended on it.

Ace felt perfect under him, his body gripping tight around Felix's cock and his nails digging into Felix's suit jacket. His moans were rich like honey and his coffee-colored eyes rolled back in his head when Felix hit a particularly good spot.

Felix simply couldn't get enough. He fucked harder, faster, making the dresser bang against the wall and relishing in Ace's breathless "Oh fuck, just like that."

With the ruckus they were making, neither Felix nor Ace heard the aggressive knocking on the room's door until the person started shouting Felix's alias.

"Herr Müller!"

Felix's rhythm faltered. Hopefully, whoever was on the other side of the door would realize what they were interrupting and left quickly—

"Mister Müller, open the door!” they demanded in German.

Felix sighed in annoyance and stilled his hips. Ace had gone rigid and was staring at the door over Felix's shoulder, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

Great; even Ace was visibly uncomfortable. Felix was definitely going to have words with the host about this.

“Mister Müller!”

“I'm busy!” Felix snapped.

Ace jumped and Felix brushed a soothing hand over his hip while he glared at the door.

“Sorry, we would never disturb you unless it was urgent!" They did sound genuinely apologetic. "It's just that, your ahm—companion, he's a fraud!"

What?

Felix turned back to Ace in disbelief, and—

He could kind of see it.

Though Ace supposedly couldn't understand the conversation and was giving Felix an—admittedly, somewhat shaky—smile, his eyes kept darting around the room.

“A fraud?” Felix asked slowly.

“We found the real dealer sleeping in a broom closet! The thief drugged him, took his uniform and has been swindling people out of money at the poker table, pocketing his winnings! And several guests have reported stolen personal belongings!”

On a hunch, Felix reached for Ace's uniform jacket, still bunched up beside them from the frantic undressing earlier. He felt around the pockets and they clinked heavily with metal—probably from several pieces of jewelry and watches.

“Uh. Oops?” Ace said.

Felix stared at Ace's sheepish face. He didn't look the least bit apologetic but was already mapping out exit plans, his body tense despite the displayed casualness, and Felix—

Felix was still hard inside him.

“I don’t want to stop,” Felix confessed.

Ace visibly perked up at that. His nervous smile widened into a grin, a manic edge to it. “Me neither.”

“Mister Müller!”

“Though your friends are kind of a mood killer,” Ace said.

“I'm handling it!” Felix barked at the door. “And if you're not gone in the next three seconds—”

“Y-yes, Sir, but the stolen items—”

“I'll return them to their owners.”

“Well, very good, Sir, uhm… enjoy your evening!”

Scurrying footsteps finally left their door and Felix buried his face against Ace's shoulder with a groan.

Ace chuckled and nudged Felix's temple with his chin. “Persistent, weren’t they?”

“Of course you had to be a criminal,” Felix complained. “Just my luck.”

“I prefer the term con man,” Ace said. He squeezed down on Felix’s cock, making Felix gasp. “Now, am I gonna get a good fucking or what?”

Felix snorted. “I don’t think you're in any position to bargain.”

“Really? And here I thought I had you wrapped around my little finger. Since you—”

Felix thrust, and that made Ace choke on a moan.

“What was that?” Felix asked.

God, he was so frustrated, and Ace was right here, eager and willing. Rather than be afraid of Felix’s reaction to his crimes, Ace was grinning, like he had absolutely no regrets getting caught.

“Mmm, just like that, baby,” Ace purred obnoxiously, arms wrapping around Felix's shoulders. “Punish me for my sins, get payback, whatever floats your boat.”

Felix would have rolled his eyes but decided instead to start fucking in earnest.

And if his pace of driving into Ace's body was a little more brutal than before, well, Ace’s encouraging moans didn’t seem to think of that as a problem.

It was unfair how good this felt. By all accounts, Felix should be angry about the deceit, but he just didn’t care. Ace has swooped in at exactly the right time, with his flirty smiles and clever mouth and a body that fit so perfectly underneath Felix’s, and being with him felt so natural—

In retrospect, Felix supposed most of those things had simply been an act.

"You're unbelievable,” Felix huffed. He slowed his pace, grinding languidly into that wonderful heat. “I can’t believe I got seduced by a con artist.”

Ace laughed and curled a hand in Felix’s sweaty hair. “And I think Mister Respectable Businessman has a thing for bad boys.”

“Shut up,” Felix said without any real anger.

He grabbed Ace's hips and pulled them over the edge of the dresser, arms flexing with the effort of supporting most of Ace's weight.

Ace's reaction made it worth it.

“Fuck!” Ace exclaimed, jolting as Felix thrust in at a new angle. “Right there—right there, don’t stop!”

Felix grunted with exertion and settled back into a steady pace. He pulled out and slammed back in, again and again, taking care to grind against the spot that was making Ace moan and tighten around him so deliciously.

Sweat beaded on Felix's forehead but he had no intention of stopping. The obscene sounds of skin slapping against skin mixed with the rhythmic banging of the hardwood dresser against the wall as he kept wildly fucking into Ace.

Ace's erection bobbed full and heavy between them, rubbing wetly against Felix's shirt. On impulse, Felix squeezed Ace's ass and ran a finger down to where his rim was stretched taut—

“Oh god,'' Ace moaned, his hand slipping between them to tug on his own cock. “I'm gonna come.”

And something in Felix snapped: he immediately stilled his hips and slapped Ace's hand away.

“No,” Felix ordered. “No, you're not.”

Ace made a beautiful sound, high-pitched and needy as he tried to grind down against him. “Fuck, what the fuck.”

“Do you really think you deserve to come?” Felix asked coldly.

He could scarcely recognize the tone in his own voice. This wasn't something he'd ever really dabbled in before—fantasized about, yes, but never dared to put into practice. At least not with a stranger.

Maybe Ace just happened to push all the right buttons.

Even now, a hint of that infuriating smirk was back as Ace licked his lips. "Mm, do continue."

Emboldened by Ace's reaction, Felix forced himself to continue.

"I don't think you've earned this," Felix said, and before he could second-guess himself, roughly squeezed Ace's shaft with a half-growled “Thief.”

“Fuck," Ace gasped, his head falling back against the wall. “Please, I'll do anything, I'm so fucking close.”

“You'll come when I say so,” Felix said. “Now stay still and be a good little fucktoy.”

As soon as the words left Felix’s mouth, shame flashed cold and heavy through him; that was definitely a step too far. He opened his mouth to apologize—

Except Ace groaned a long and filthy “Yeeesss" and practically melted into it, going beautifully pliant in Felix's arms. And Felix supposed that was all the agreement he needed.

Confident that Ace wouldn't disobey, Felix kept thrusting. For the first time, he allowed himself to focus completely on his own pleasure—ignoring Ace's prostate and merely driving hard and fast into the tight body.

Ace panted into his ear and desperately clawed at his back, but was staying blissfully still just like Felix had asked.

“Just like that. Good boy," Felix praised breathlessly.

Ace nearly sobbed and his neglected dick drooled messily between them.

There was no way Felix was going to last at this rate. If only he didn't have the condom, he'd be able to better feel Ace's quivering rim and could spill into the warmth inside, could fill him with—

“Shit,” Felix grunted. “I'm close.”

“God, yes,” Ace moaned.

He tightened around Felix, pushing him even closer to the edge. Felix grabbed for Ace's cock, still red and leaking, and stroked it in time with his thrusts.

“Come,” Felix ordered. “Come, let me feel it, I need…”

“Fuck—fuck, I'm—!”

With a shout, Ace's body went taut and spilled between them, his muscles rippling around Felix's cock. Felix was helpless to do anything but thrust into the clenching heat once, twice, before groaning and pumping his release into the condom.

And then, on impulse, he kissed Ace again.

A surprised noise escaped Ace’s throat but he quickly returned the kiss, lips and tongue easily yielding under Felix's.

The kiss mellowed out as they came down from their orgasms, until their lips were barely moving against each other while they caught their breaths.

“Holy shit,” Ace said. “Holy fucking shit.”

Felix hummed in agreement. His muscles were starting to protest the strain on them and he lowered Ace back onto the dresser, leaning over him with trembling arms while resting his damp forehead against Ace’s shoulder.

“I guess this means you're not mad at me,” Ace said.

Felix groaned. “Nobody cares about a few hundred euros. It's pocket change for everyone here.”

“Sooo…”

“You still can't keep it. Or the stolen items.”

“Aww.” Ace sighed dramatically. “And here I thought you'd be the Bonnie to my Clyde.”

Felix snorted. "Let's clean up."

—

They put the room—and themselves—together as much as possible. Felix's shirt had ended up streaked with Ace’s release and was thus beyond rescue, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Every guest had seen things much more scandalous than a few telling stains.

Felix was just tired. Not the bad kind of tired that left him miserable and snappy, but a pleasant exhaustion, one that made him want to curl up for a nap with a sated smile on his face.

He glanced at Ace: buckling his belt, his face flushed, hair mussed and looking thoroughly debauched. Once he got caught staring, Ace merely winked at him and Felix smiled back.

Despite how everything played out tonight, Felix didn’t regret a thing.

“You wanna come with me to deal with security?” Ace asked. “Make sure they don't throw me in some dingy cell? I mean, I’d assume you wouldn’t wanna let the cops know about this place. It would be a shame, getting busted for all the drugs and gambling and stuff.”

Felix didn’t know if this was Ace flirting, attempting to blackmail him, or genuinely fearing the consequences of his actions.

It probably said something that Felix didn’t mind any of those options.

“The police chief is currently downstairs, high on cocaine and having a threesome with two men half his age,” Felix said matter-of-factly.

Ace went quiet at that, and it might even have been actual worry Felix could see creasing his forehead.

“But no, I'm not going to let them put you behind bars,” Felix said. “At worst, you’ll be banned from the guest list—if you were ever even on it.”

Ace smiled. “Thanks.”

—

Once downstairs, Ace returned the stolen goods to the host without much incident. Felix was a shadow at his back, glaring daggers at one of the staff who dared suggest that Ace needed to strip out of his stolen uniform until the subject was rightfully dropped.

The stains on Felix's shirt garnered a few glances but he paid them no mind. Regardless of whether or not he slept with a con man, Felix was still one of the most influential people in the room, and his patronage was worth much more than some mass-produced staff uniform.

It wasn’t a surprise when the host, having correctly read the atmosphere in the room, suggested that Felix be the one to escort Ace out of the party.

Walking down the steps outside of the private estate, Ace stretched his hands over his head with a yawn.

“Well, thanks for tonight,” Ace said, then added with a wink, “It was a wild ride.”

Felix chuckled. “Not what I expected from a night like this, but I can’t say I have any complaints.”

“Mm?” Ace quirked an eyebrow. “I could say the same. You’re not exactly what I expected from someone who trips over their own words and throws away a perfectly good hand of two pairs.”

The reminder of his terrible poker skills made Felix’s face pink and he cleared his throat.

“Maybe my attention was occupied elsewhere,” he said.

A silence settled over them. Felix wanted to say more, but that might complicate things—privacy reasons aside, he doubted con artists usually stuck around their target after getting caught.

“Real shame about my ban from this fine establishment,” Ace eventually said. His tone was jovial, but the words were deliberate. “It was a good party. Met some interesting people.”

Felix glanced at Ace, only to find him watching Felix with a meaningful look. Testing the waters, some part of Felix’s intuition supplied.

“I—“ Felix swallowed. “I know another party.”

Ace tilted his head just so, his expression carefully neutral. “Oh?”

“Tomorrow,” Felix pushed himself to continue. “At the Richter manor—ähm, my home.”

And just like that, Ace’s poker face gave way for a lopsided grin. “Is that so?”

Felix felt himself relax. “It's very exclusive,” Felix continued. “There's no drugs or security or—or strippers, only, well. Me and my collection of whiskey.”

“Sounds like my kind of party.” Ace smirked. “Need a poker dealer? I just happened to acquire a new uniform.”

Felix let out a startled laugh and even Ace chuckled along.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

#riconti #felix richter #ace visconti #dbd fanfic #dweetwrites #dbd #dead by daylight #drugs cw

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